Just as I have reported in my previous columns, most of the best things that life offers are free and available there, such as the spectacular mountain vistas, the endless opportunities to hike in the six million acre forest preserve, to fish in more that 2,500 lakes and streams, or just to observe and cheer the competitors at the annual Ironman races.

In addition, folk music concerts at village greens throughout Adirondack communities are still weekend staples, as are lectures at local libraries and community centers.

But there are also inescapable signs of economic dislocation. In front of lavish homes, as well as in front of modest dwellings there are “For Sale” signs around the region. The Main Street in Lake Placid that for decades had no empty stores now has many. The show windows display photos of homes for sale instead of merchandise. Many wealthy summer residents have also cut their stay shorter.

Most native Adirondackers take the recession in stride. One old-timer told me: “We, who were born here and stayed put, never had it easy. Even in the best of times, we had a hard time making a living. Thus, the recession didn’t hit us so badly.”

He explained that hunting has always provided meat on the table. Poultry raised in the backyard and yields from small potato fields and vegetable gardens help feed families. In winter, firewood harvested from the forest heats the house. Seasonal work takes care of other expenses.

“We never considered ourselves ‘well off,” he said, “but didn’t feel poverty stricken, either.”

The nationwide economic downturn, however, had its impact on Lake Placid. It’s a resort town that is heavily depended on tourist’s dollars, just as is Williamsburg. Hard times, however, have energized the community to develop new venues to attract visitors.

During the heydays of the Lake Placid Club (now defunct) large conventions, particularly in shoulder seasons, were the frosting on the cake. In the wake of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games, the booming tourism trade provided enough business to go around. But in recent years, it has become a priority to secure funding for a convention center able to serve the needs of up to 2,000 guests.

Persuasive lobbying by the Olympic Regional Development Authority, (ORDA) which runs the Olympic venues, secured funding from Albany for the 56,000-sqare-foot, ultra-modern, Lake Placid Convention Center. But before the $18 million project could be completed, the budget crisis in Albany brought the construction to a halt.

Undeterred, ORDA, under the leadership of its President/CEO Ted Blazer, used prudently set-aside contingency funds to finish the center. According to James McKenna, head of the Lake Placid Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lake Placid has been out of large-group meeting cycle for almost 10 years.

“We have to break back into the fold,” he was quoted saying. “The goal is to bring in business during the quieter times of the year. We are talking well over 100,000 room nights available that are sitting unfilled.”

The new convention center is described in an ORDA press release as an edifice of great potential. When finished in the spring, it will feature, among other draws, a sliding-glass door, leading from the third floor, that houses several meeting rooms with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment and expansive foyer, to a deck with a large stone archway and sweeping views of Whiteface Mountain, downtown Lake Placid, the Olympic ski jump towers and the High Peaks.

“It will be pretty hard, though, to concentrate on convention business with that view,” quipped ORDA spokesman Jon Lundin.

Frank Shatz lives in Williamsburg, Va. and Lake Placid. His column was reprinted with permission from The Virginia Gazette.