Courtesy Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce
The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce in November honored two businesses and its office manager with STAR awards.
Each year the chamber honors organizations or individuals that help grow the tourism economy. STAR stands for Supporting Tourism Around the Region. The awards were presented at the 65th anniversary Sapphire Gala at the Sagamore Resort.
State Sen. Elizabeth Little was the keynote speaker at the gala. She has worked tirelessly to improve the tourism economy in the region. Michael Consuelo, who retired as Chamber executive director in September, was also honored at the gala. Little presented him with Senate proclamation that commemorated his work on tourism in the region during his career.
The Sagamore Resort was one of the STAR honorees. It was given an award for its Ice Bar & Lounge, which pioneered the ice bar trend in the region that has helped grow the winter economy.
The Sagamore Ice Bar & Lounge transforms 18,000 pounds of ice into an outdoor lounge that brings thousands to the area in January, Chamber officials said. It will return for the last two weekends of January. The Sagamore was the first to open an ice bar, and many other resorts and restaurants followed suit, spurring a new winter tourism trend. Sagamore general manager Tom Guay accepted the award.
The Lake George Steamboat Co. was awarded a STAR Award as it celebrates its bicentennial. The celebration of 200 years started last New Year’s Eve with an ice bar and continued all year with creative events that drew people to the area. Owner Bill Dow accepted the award.
Chamber office manager Christine Molella was surprised with a STAR Award in honor of her 40 years of working at the chamber—a summer job that grew into a career.
“She’s part of our fabric that makes Lake George great,” Lake George Mayor Robert Blais said. “She’s there every day doing the work we wish we could do for Lake George.”
The chamber also honored local veteran Denny Galloway with the special Sapphire Award for his work and dedication on behalf of the Lake George Rotary Club to improve the landscaping and the entrance of the Lake George Region just off Northway Exit 21.
Galloway is also one of the three charter members of the Lake George Veterans Memorial Group that had the memorial placed at the entrance to the region. He has also been instrumental in the state recently offering free admission to drive up Prospect Mountain around Veteran’s Day, according to the Chamber.
The Chamber, celebrating its 65th year, comprises more than 425 members in various sectors of the business community. Membership spans six counties. The chamber staffs the Visitor Center on the corner of Beach Road and Canada Street in the village of Lake George and the Information Center on the Northway between exits 17 and 18. In 2016, more than 105,000 visitors stopped in those two centers seeking information about the area, according to the Chamber.