Schroon Lake’s 4th of July Celebration is Back

After months of  careful planning and multiple meetings with various stakeholders, the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce has announced the return of the July 4th Celebration for 2021.

The 66th festivities will look a lot different this year. The Chamber has opted to “deconstruct” the celebration. Rather than folks lining the streets, various crowd favorites will be available to visit at locations around town, said Chamber Director Sue Palisano.

The idea is for folks to be able to visit different brands bands and musicians at different times so some folks will be in one place and others elsewhere, thus spreading out crowds.

Sue said when organizers began planning the event months ago, the Chamber, Town officials -- with guidance from the County and the Department of Health -- believed this was the best plan. One big difference this year – Main Street will not be closed.

More from Sue:

“Once again, please see current information regarding THIS YEAR'S Fourth of July below. More details will be coming over the next several weeks, but here is the explanation for why the decision was made not to close Main Street and hold a traditional parade.

The Fourth of July Celebration in Schroon Lake takes months of planning that begins in March. At that time, there were still questions about crowd size restrictions (and we are still operating for the foreseeable future under some limits for outdoor gatherings). Working together and in consultation with both Essex County Board of Supervisors and Essex County Health, given the anticipated attendance both the Chamber and Town Boards agreed that holding a traditional parade - with crowds gathering on sidewalks along our fairly short parade route - was ill-advised, and a decision was made not to submit the required Rt. 9 road closure permits to the State DOT.

Instead, we chose to move forward with an alternative plan we were confident we'd be able to execute without the risk of having to cancel and that we expect will draw far fewer people to town than come for our regular parade. Multiple bands/performers will be playing at different times in different places over a two hour period, so some folks will be at one location while others are somewhere else, with people walking around instead of gathering in tight groups for several hours.

This is NOT a permanent situation, nor should the decision made be politicized. The Chamber and Town Board made a decision we felt was in the best interests of our community. Given what goes into making the entire day of activities on the Fourth happen, instead of making this negative we would hope folks would appreciate we're doing our best to hold a celebration”.

What are you most looking forward to this year? Let us know in comments.

Schroon's 2019 Citizen of the Year: Meet John Welch

By Susan Palisano

Executive Director

Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

“The Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2019 Citizen of the Year award, John Welch.  John was nominated by the community for this honor in recognition of his significant contributions in his role as lead groomer for the Schroon Lake – North Hudson Snowmobile Club.

John was born and raised in Schroon Lake. He is married to his wife Leanna, and has one son, two step-children and 2 step-grandchildren.  John and Leanna have owned and operated J&L Automotive here in Schroon Lake for over 20 years. John loves camping, riding his UTV, spending time with family, and of course, snowmobiling.

In selecting Welch, the Chamber’s Board of Directors noted a particular theme in all the nominations received: his tireless, selfless dedication to keeping the snowmobile trails in top condition and willingness to always assist those in need.  John’s efforts directing the groomers and spending long hours into the early morning (after a hard day’s work) grooming the trails ensure that both local and visiting snowmobilers have a fun, safe and enjoyable experience. His devotion to maintaining the trails and consistently going above and beyond were also recognized this year by the NY State Snowmobile Association – John was named “Groomer of the Year” at the NYSSA 2019 Conference in Niagara Falls.

The Chamber of Commerce will recognize John with a reception in his honor on Tuesday, June 25 at 6pm at Witherbee’s Restaurant. Tickets are $18 per person and are available for purchase at the Chamber office. Reservations must be made in advance by no later than Sunday, June 23. Please contact the Chamber at 518-532-7675 or email us at director@schroonlakechamber.org for more information”.

Contact: Susan Palisano, Executive Director at 518) 532-7675.

Schroon's Rosemarie Ritson

As many readers know, The Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce has a new executive director, Patrick Siler. In a letter published yesterday, Tony Kostecki, President of the Chamber, offers his heartfelt gratitude to Rosemarie Ritson, who has been the public face of the Chamber's Office on Main Street, for more than three decades. Schroon Laker wishes only the very best for Rosemarie, who has been an invaluable resource for our website, a fount on knowledge and wisdom, who offered us her support as we have grown over the last four years. Rosemarie, we look forward to seeing you around town.

From Tony Kostecki:

"After a year of thoughtful consideration the Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce board concluded that a full time executive director was needed to address the challenges of our local businesses, residents and visitors.

As a result of this decision, the position of office secretary was eliminated. Mrs. Rosemarie Ritson filled that position for over 30 years and assisted countless visitors in maximizing their enjoyment of our town and the surrounding communities. Her vast knowledge of local history and her passion for Schroon Lake cannot go unacknowledged, so I wish to offer the board’s and the town’s heartfelt thanks for her service and her support.

The chamber board is working to find the best way to express our gratitude to Rosemarie in a meaningful and permanent way, but for now, please accept this letter of thanks on behalf of the chamber board and the Schroon Lake community. Thank you, Rosemarie!"

Tony Kostecki, President, Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce