LivingADK's 2024 Flyer

Enjoy our highlights of late 2023 through 2024…………

• Health & Social Service Resources. After several years of trying, in early 2024, we received positive news that our ambulance service region was being accepted into an existing Mobile Integrated Health pilot program for Central NY. A recent grant award of $50,000 from The Cloudsplitter Foundation to St. Elizabeth Medical Center (MVHS) will also be an integral part of this pilot program and will be used toward a vehicle or equipment for the Old Forge Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The grant administrators, Home Care Association of New York (HCA), is diligently working with the State Health Dept. to obtain a waiver allowing Utica/Oneida Visiting Nurse organization to provide the missing visiting nurse component of the pilot. MVHS has executed the grant agreement with HCA. LivingADK will be instrumental in hosting public engagement events surrounding the new program and assist in marketing tasks. In June 2024, we completed our 3rd annual Longest Day Walk ALZ fundraiser for Caregiver Support in Inlet, NY raising over $2,000.   We continue to collaborate on healthy aging programs through the Old Forge Farmers Market venue and events like the “Bagels & Blood Pressure” held at the Old Forge Volunteer Ambulance Corps building in partnership with Old Forge Library, Old Forge Volunteer Ambulance Corps., Herkimer County Public Health, MVHS and other needed resources like Resource Center for Independent Living, ICAN and the Alzheimer’s Association.  We also promoted the 6^th annual mobile mammography visits in the months of May, July and October.

• Town of Inlet Emergency Communications Towers. We are proud to announce that the Emergency Communications Towers project is nearing the end of construction. We’re probably at the 70% mark. Both towers are erected with their realistic fabricated pine branches and fiber and power have been delivered to the site. The equipment building was purchased in 2024 and is currently being upfitted and will hopefully be moved into place before snow arrives this fall. LivingADK continues to hold donated funds totaling $235,899.00 having reimbursed Town of Inlet $5,000 for the purchase of the used equipment building. The AT&T cellular equipment is in place, and we believe T-Mobile still intends to install cellular equipment.

• Community Housing Challenges. LivingADK has worked diligently to launch its unique Indeed Housing Legacy Program pilot in 2024.  Raising funds to support and incentivize the program creation (through many generous organizations and private donors) has been a crucial step. Another hurdle was to obtain support from local lending institutions. One of our local lending institutions has seen the positive impact this program could have as it relates to the Community Reinvestment Act and is currently reviewing our legal program documents so we may hopefully purchase our first deed restriction by first Quarter 2025 if not sooner.

A second program that could have a positive housing supply impact to our region is our Long-Term Rental Catalyst Pilot Program.  LivingADK, along with partners AdkAction and Adirondack Roots are developing a Long-Term Rental Catalyst Pilot Program to support economic vitality by increasing workforce housing by encouraging short-term rental landlords to convert to long-term rentals. This Catalyst Pilot Program includes a spreadsheet for landlords to compare their actual short-term profit and loss statements to what they could be as long-term rentals, a rental conversion toolkit, and a short-term financial incentive program that empowers interested property owners with the tools and support needed to help “unlock” immediate housing stock in the Adirondacks. The pilot will first be implemented in Webb/Inlet and Elizabethtown. Initial funding has been provided by a grant through the Adirondack Foundation and a new grant application was recently submitted to the Cloudsplitter Foundation.

Both the Indeed Housing Legacy program and the Long-Term Rental Catalyst Pilot program will be headed up by new staffer Steve Underhill, Director of Economic Development.

• LivingADK, in 2022, adopted the 2018 Adirondack North Country Association’s “Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT)” program which addresses the potential loss of Adirondack businesses by retiring owners. We do this by providing transition tools to owners wanting to plan ahead. These FREE services include planning, business valuation, marketing, and matchmaking services with potential buyers. The goal is to help owners sell their businesses on the open market, complete intergenerational family transitions, or convert to an employee-owned or cooperative model. We currently have one certified volunteer, Steve Schanely, working with six (6) businesses in various stages of transitioning. In 2024, through a successful LivingADK grant received from the Community Foundation of Herkimer/Oneida, we expanded the CBIT program within northern Herkimer County and into the Mohawk Valley in partnership with the Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce and the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District. In April 2024, we hired an additional part-time staffer, Steve Underhill, to further expand the program capacity in the Towns of Webb and Inlet and surrounding communities. We will start a broad marketing program in the fall to potential businesses. Overall, the CBIT program has helped over 37 businesses in the Adirondack Park.
• During the month of August 2024, LivingADK applied to New York State Homes and Community Renewal MMHR program for a grant to aid in the replacement of several dilapidated mobile homes within the Towns of Forestport and Webb belonging to families meeting NYS income eligibility requirements. If funding is awarded in late 2024, the project would commence in 2025.

• Workforce and Hiring - WorkforceADK.com, our regional employment website, is still up and running to aid regional businesses in their hiring needs. LivingADK has taken over management and financial responsibility of the site and uses this niche tool to connect local business owners to potential job candidates in population centers of a commutable distance.  WorkforceADK.com remains free to use for employers and job seekers alike. The maintenance fees to keep this website active is approximately $650/year.

• Broadband Expansion.  We are the local "representatives" with the Mohawk Valley Broadband Coalition and the North Country Broadband Alliance working to keep Inlet/Webb/Raquette in the broader conversation around statewide and federal broadband access mapping.  Through partnerships with AdkAction, we have helped to refine and edit for accuracy multiple important maps used to determine where build out monies are allocated and for what.  We also use this partnership to advocate for legislative change to policies on the county and state levels that may hinder the infrastructure buildout in the Adirondack Park. Herkimer County has allotted funding to extend fiber down South Shore Road between Old Forge and Inlet. We had envisioned this fiber extension to occur in 2024, but USDA documentation provided by Herkimer County has been submitted but challenged on several occasions and Herkimer County has hired a consultant to finalize the appropriate SHPO and mapping requirements to release the project funding.

• Food Security Projects.We added a part-time staff person in May 2024 to oversee our food security projects. Please welcome Melissa Pieber, Food Security Program Coordinator. Melissa, a Big Moose resident, will be the west central Adirondack representative within the Adirondack Food System Network (AFSN) and Manager of the Old Forge Farmers Market (starting in 2025).  Part of Melissa’s job responsibilities will be to support parkwide advocacy to various governmental agencies, participation in the annual food justice summit and to increase park-wide collaboration in the food security space.  LivingADK continues to work with our local farmers to support them and encourage delivery of their goods to our area through events such as the seasonal Old Forge Farmers Market.  This past spring, we started working with food pantries from Forestport through Inlet to see where they needed support and how we could help assist them.  We also work to increase food production in our area, such as an ongoing partnership with AdkAction to create a Webb Community Garden and with the Inlet Area Community Task Force to support the existing Inlet Community Garden.  Lastly, our farmers market food voucher program(s) and free summer food box through the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program have helped support access by residents to the fresh produce grown by regional farmers.

• Old Forge Farmers Market. A successful 17^th season at the Old Forge Farmers Market for 2024 is nearly complete. The decision to relocate the market in 2022 to the parking lot of the George Hiltebrant Recreation Center, North Street, Old Forge has been the right decision as parking is now plentiful. As of September 18th, 2024, we have distributed more than $5,060 in direct nutritional support to our senior and low-income residents who receive $12 a week in tokens to use at the market.  Funds for this program come from generous grants awarded by the DeVito Family Trust, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield's Health & Wellness Fund, Farm Credit East, the Adirondack Foundation and Adirondack League Club's Community Fund.

• Clean Energy. LivingADK has been a driving force in introducing clean energyoptions to the Webb and Inlet area.  Through collaboration with the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District and the Inlet Area Community Task Force, we have helped the Towns of Inlet and Webb to secure additional grant funding to go towards municipality clean energy upgrades in our two communities. 

• Grant Award Successes. LivingADK actively assists local non-profits and other organizations in identifying and submitting grant applications for various needs. We do not charge for this service but encourage financial membership within LivingADK which supports our operational budget.  Several successful grants awarded in late 2023 and 2024 include:

• Arrowhead Park Playground - $53,850
• LivingADK Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) – $25,000
• Inlet Ambulance Corps - $25,000
• Inlet Community Garden - $5,000
• Town of Inlet/NYSERDA - $5,000
• Old Forge Volunteer Ambulance Corps - $17,400
• Inlet Mighty Loons - $11,200
• Town of Webb McCauley Mt - $125,000
• Hiltebrandt Pavilion/NYSERDA - $50,000
• Old Forge Recreation - $15,000
• STaR Ambulance - $25,000
• Old Forge Farmers Market Nutrition Program - $3,750

• Not-for-profit Grant Writing Services. LivingADK continues to submit grant applications for both the Towns of Inlet and Webb, as well as for local not-for-profit organizations. Part of the grant application process includes assisting organizations with project creation, program management and organizational planning. We also act as fiscal sponsors for community projects needing a trusted organization to hold donated funds. YTD, our Restricted Project funds held total $480,441.00.

• CAP-PY Duck Derby Annual Fundraiser. The 2024 CAP-PY ducks raced their 14^th year down the Moose River. Residents and visitors alike were “racing” to buy last-minute raffle tickets the morning of the event (Sept. 1st) for a chance to win one of 19 amazing prizes donated by generous area businesses!  The children enjoyed face painting by Bumble Bee Dee and balloon animal characters created by Victor the Clown. Grilled hot dogs, music by DJ Ed Tondryk and Ducky corn hole rounded out the event.  This event is an integral part of our annual operating budget. 

• Keep in Touch! Did you know that LivingADK has a monthly email newsletter where you can keep up with all we have going on? Visit LivingADK.org where you can sign up for the newsletter, check out our Community Resources tab that has everything one could need while in the Adirondacks, sign up to be a member, make a donation, and so much more.  Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram – just search for LivingADK.