Norman's

On the March’s field trip we toured the Adirondack park and took note of the varying economic status of the communities. Lake Placid had large commercial stores such as EMS, and Ben and Jerry’s. There were many upscale boutique tourist shops as well as fancy restaurants. It became apparent that its status as a city who had held the Olympics twice is a huge draw. There are a variety of recreational activities including the bobsled run and skating on the historic rink on which the United States claimed gold in hockey against the Soviet Union.

We discovered on the trip that not all communities are so lucky. The region of Tupper Lake was clearly struggling to find a niche to attract visitors and stimulate the local economy. It could be seen visually with the state the buildings were in, the price point of shops, and the consistency of traffic flowing through without stopping, except for gas. The Wildlife Center which was hoped to be a huge draw for the community appeared to have taken on the role a stop for families on the way to the better known Lake Placid. That is why when reading the Adirondack Almanack, a story on the closing of a beloved general store in Bloomingfield caught my eye.

Norman’s General store, one of the oldest in the park, is an iconic landmark in Bloomingfield. It has an old school feel- a store where you can buy camping supplies, food and a movie. The community will miss Norman’s and the role it played in shaping Bloomingfield as a small town family town. When asked why they closed, Norman’s replied simply- what they had been doing in the past few years had not been working. It makes me wonder if these small stores in struggling communities have a future in the Adirondack park, and, if so, how they will be able to set themselves apart from chain competition such as Stewarts (Adirondack Almanack 1).    

Sources 
Riccio, Emily. "Norman's General Store Closes After Over a Century of Business." Norman's    General Store Closes After Over a Century of Business. Adirondack Almanack, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.

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