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January 23, 2010
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Village launches E-Gov services
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Runners laud Lake Placid Marathon
By Chris Morris denpubs@denpubs.com SARANAC LAKE — The village of Saranac Lake launched some new features on its Web site over the holidays. Those who frequent saranaclakeny.gov will now be able to receive a variety of email updates sent directly to their inbox. Additionally, the new features make the site more interactive while allowing residents to submit questions or complaints over the Internet. About a year ago, the village launched its first stand-alone Web site in an effort to improve its online presence, as well as provide updated information 24 hours a day. Most municipalities are opting to run their own individual Web sites now, rather than share Web sites or post information through local commerce groups like the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Last year, trustees voted to enter a contract with E-Gov Link, a municipal Web site services company, to enhance the village’s site with five e-government features. One is the Citizen Request System, a webbased database that lets residents ask questions, make service requests, and file complaints online. Once submitted, users receive a confirmation and a tracking number that allows them to check on the status of a request at any given time. After submission, the request is forwarded to the appropriate staff member via email and it’s their responsibility to respond to any requests. Village Manager Martin Murphy will track requests and report back to the board of trustees. He says the new system will help staff track how long it takes to process requests and complaints. “It will allow the public to stay more informed about the status of their requests,” he said in a press release. “We will use the system to improve our customer service.” The village has also added a bid posting database to the website. Now, staff can post bids and requests for proposals to the site, and businesses and contractors can sign up to receive notifications as new bids are added. Users may also elect to sign up for the new subscription service, which allows anyone with an email address to receive updates regarding certain topics. Currently, residents can sign up to get updates about Mt. Pisgah, board meeting agendas, and other news. The new Frequently Asked Questions feature is an improvement over the old FAQ section of the Web site. Over time, it creates a searchable database for visitors. A new section for online documents and forms has been added as well. This feature allows users to find all available electronic documents and forms in one place. Mayor Tom Michael said the village’s Web site is impressive when compared to other small local governments. “For such a small village, we’ve developed a sophisticated web presence in a very short amount of time,” he said. He added the new features make municipal government more accessible and more transparent – two things that taxpayers are starting to demand more and more. “I think our Web site improvements speak highly of the professional staff we have that understands how to use the latest technologies to improve the efficiency of village government in a cost-effective manner,” Michael said.
2,100 runners from across the United States participated in the 2009 Lake Placid Marathon. The annual event, now in its sixth year, has been recognized by readers of Runners World magazine as one of the best race destinations in the nation. Photo by Heidi Cayou-Konkler
By Matt Bosley matt@denpubs.com LAKE PLACID — One of Lake Placid’s largest summer sporting events is receiving nation-wide praise from its participants. The world’s leading running magazine, Runner ’s World, reported in its January 2010 issue that a recent readership survey voted the Lake Placid Marathon as the second-most popular “Best Destination” race in the United States. The online survey included votes from nearly 8,000 runners over a 383-day period. Among more than 430 marathons held in the United States during 2008, the Lake Placid Marathon was named as the national runner-up behind the Big Sur Marathon in California. Race co-directors Jeff Edwards and Brad Konkler said they are thrilled about the recognition. “Lake Placid is known internationally as a sports town, and we are pleased to host a major event in the Olympic Region during
what was once a slow time for local businesses and tourism,” said Edwards. The Lake Placid Marathon, now in its sixth year, takes place each June and follows a scenic course between the Olympic Speedskating Oval on Main Street and the Lake Placid Horse Show Grounds. “We are a big race with small town charm and the Runner ’s World reader survey proves that,” said Konkler. “There are thousands of excellent races for runners to choose from each year in the U.S. and it amazes me that we consistently draw runners from over 40 U.S. States, Canada and abroad.” Runners for the event must check in the day before the race, and are encouraged to stay overnight in Lake Placid, particularly at the Golden Arrow Resort, which serves as the official host hotel. “People love the Olympic Village, the beauty of the Adirondack Mountains and the local hospitality,” Konkler added. “We work hard year-round to ensure our race weekend is a fantastic all around experience.”
See MARATHON, page 5
Saranac Lake Talent Show canceled By Matt Bosley matt@denpubs.com SARANAC LAKE — Event organizers have decided to cancel an upcoming fundraiser for Lift Mt. Pisgah, citing a failure to assemble enough entertainment. The Saranac Lake Talent Show, originally scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 23, has been canceled due to lack of entries. Gail Brill is a member of the event’s steering committee. She said the goal was to assemble at least 16 acts for what was to be the fifth annual talent show, but with little more than a week before the event, only nine had signed up. “It is the feeling of the committee that by resting the show and taking a year off, it will help energize folks to come forward earlier next year with new and more varied talents to showcase,” said
Brill. “We apologize to the acts that did come forward, but hope they will consider signing up for next year ’s show.” The Adirondack Unitarian Universalist Community offered to sponsor the show this year in lieu of holding their annual Harvest Dinner. Lift Mt. Pisgah was chosen as a partnering beneficiary, and was charged with helping to promote the event and sell advertising and tickets. Past talent shows have raised upwards of $6,000 that benefitted organizations like the Tri-Lakes Humane Society and The Adirondack Carousel. Organizers of the event have been soliciting for participants since late November, requesting a $5 application fee, but the number of applicants never reached the original goal of 20-25 acts. All entry fees and advertising funds for the program will be returned, Brill said, promising that next year ’s talent show will again try to raise funds for Lift Mt. Pisgah.