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ROOST releases ‘Politely Adirondack’ posters

LAKE PLACID — As some North Country businesses in New York begin to reopen their doors today, some of those doors may be adorned with new Adirondack-themed posters asking people to keep 6 feet apart from each other, wear face masks and wash their hands with soap and water.

The posters — featuring illustrations of animals such as moose and raccoons — are part of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism’s new “Politely Adirondack” initiative.

“This initiative is a campaign to create upbeat, visually pleasing and Adirondack-branded messaging,” ROOST Chief of Staff Mary Jane Lawrence said Monday during a community update videoconference. “Going into different businesses that are currently opening, we see the mask signs, and we see, ‘Stay 6 feet apart,’ and we really feel that we’re all ready to have something a little bit friendlier. …

“We really need to be nice and be supportive, and we need to understand that everybody, whether they’ve lived here for five generations or they have a second home here because they love the Adirondacks, have had a very difficult time.”

The posters reinforce New York state’s COVID-19 social distancing mandates and public health guidelines.

On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said some businesses in the North Country economic region could start reopening. The reopening will happen in four phases. Phase 1 includes retail (curbside service only), manufacturing, construction and agriculture. Yet local, state and national health officials still encourage everyone to maintain social distancing or to wear a mask when that is not possible.

On Thursday, ROOST announced the release of the “Politely Adirondack” posters, created by its design team. The posters have each region’s logo and can be downloaded and printed for free from the ROOST website.

ROOST conducts tourism promotion for seven regions in the Adirondacks: Essex County, Hamilton County, the Lake Champlain Region, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and the Adirondack Hub, which includes the towns of Minerva, North Hudson, Newcomb and Schroon Lake.

ROOST will also distribute the designs to its communities on larger posters and outdoor yard sale signs for higher-traffic areas.

“As we start the first of the four (reopening) phases, it is important we follow the guidelines set forth by the state, in order to proceed to the next steps. Following the guidelines will ensure everyone stays healthy as we start the region’s economic recovery,” ROOST CEO James McKenna said in a press release.

McKenna is on the New York Forward Re-Opening Advisory Board for the North Country, which is tasked with advising the governor on how to lift restrictions that slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

The posters are part of a toolkit ROOST has developed for local businesses. In addition to the posters, the toolkit includes photos and videos from each region that can be shared on social media, and information on keeping social media channels fresh. The toolkit, images, videos and posters can be found at www.roostadk.com/toolkit.

Community update

On Monday, ROOST officials held their second videoconference updating the community on its marketing plans amid the pandemic. They went over local kick-start initiatives, guidelines for reopening, summer events and training programs. They also announced the “Politely Adirondack” campaign.

The first community update held on April 21 — titled “Adirondack Tourism Strategy: Pathway Forward” — outlined the four phases of ROOST’s tourism marketing strategy as New York reopens the economy. These four marketing phases are called “mitigation,” “local kick-start,” “regional movement” and “reinvented travel market.” Monday’s videoconference highlighted the second phase.

McKenna told the News Thursday that ROOST is still in the mitigation phase and will reevaluate the need to move on to the local kick-start phase as New York continues to reopen. The main message for mitigation is, “We’ll be here, ready to welcome you back when the time is right. Pause now; play later. Wish you were here; glad you are staying home.”

The state’s economic reopening strategy is also in four phases.

“We see the local kick-start starting really as we get into Phase 1 (of the state’s reopening) and be comparing as our other businesses open,” McKenna said during the videoconference. “What we feel is probably the most important thing here is that we all understand that our first businesses to open and our first customers are going to be from our local population base.”

When ROOST moves into the local kick-start phase, the message will be, “We are here,” focusing on the local and regional residents who want to get out and explore: “We are here, saving a place for you. We are here, getting ready to welcome you back.” ROOST will prepare to welcome visitors back and engage communities. Appropriate events will be considered, and road trip itineraries and walking tours will be promoted.

“The local kick-start,” McKenna said Monday, “is really about getting our businesses and our residents feeling comfortable about getting out and about and going to businesses.”

This is also a time, he said, when residents can start freshening up their communities, making them look clean and pristine.

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