To the editor:

The Northern Current Organizing Committee wishes to express its gratitude to the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce for providing critical support on short notice.

In the buildup to the committee’s first year running the music festival, we learned that although our event is run as a nonprofit through the Saranac Lake Rotary Foundation, one aspect had to be treated like a business: merchandise sales. Even though the profits from selling T-shirts, hats and buttons went directly back to supporting free musical programming, we are still required to collect, report and submit sales tax to New York state, as selling merchandise is an exchange of goods.

This is where the chamber stepped in.

Executive Director Patrick Murphy, Welcome Center and Engagement Coordinator Emma MacPherson, and board President Keith Braun acted quickly to apply for and acquire a Certificate of Authority and arranged for the chamber to process merchandise sales, ultimately collecting, reporting and submitting sales tax to the state, and then turning the rest of the proceeds over to our account at the Rotary Foundation. The chamber also generously supplied the technology to process credit card transactions at the event — and Emma graciously volunteered her time on a Sunday to help our team.

We thank the chamber for responding so efficiently, effectively and professionally. Saranac Lake is lucky to have you on our side.

Sincerely,

Chris Morris

Northern Current Organizing Committee

Saranac Lake