Saranac Lake Mayor warns of Trudeau departure
by Brian Mann on November 18th, 2010
Saranac Lake village Mayor Clyde Rabideau has sent out a commentary offering additional details and raising new concerns about the possibility that Trudeau Institute — the bio-research lab that anchors a big part of the village economy — could move to North Carolina.
In the editorial, he promises a serious fight to try to retain the facility. Here is his commentary in full.
Trudeau Institute might leave us—an option affirmed by senior management—something most Saranac Lakers thought impossible until few weeks ago. After all, Trudeau Institute has been around for 126 years and was founded by the village’s first mayor, Edward L. Trudeau. Nothing could be more Saranac Lake than Trudeau Institute.
There’s a buzz that representatives will soon head to Kannapolis, North Carolina, home to the North Carolina Research Center—nestled in the Charlottesville-University-Research Hospital-hotbed—to check out its one million square feet of state-of-the art, ready-to-go lab space, equipment and prime research facilities. A Trudeau spokesman said they did not want their staff “buying houses” until their “strategic planning,” now underway, was complete.Now, like most buzzes, it may or may not be true, but Trudeau’s Chairman of the Board lives in Charlottesville and Trudeau management say they need an urban research hospital environment like Kannapolis to get more federal funding, so it is believable. And, even if it isn’t true, Saranac Lakers should still take its measure and gird for battle.So what might magnetize Trudeau to Kannapolis? A heck of a lot, truth be told. It’s one of the fastest growing areas of the country in which a multi-millionaire visionary by the name of David Murdock, bulldozed the Cannon Textile/Towel mills in the city’s downtown and built a Land of Biotech Oz through a public-private partnership with all the bells and whistles for research innovation and profit. It is a one-stop-shop for biotech research and for-profit ventures, with plenty of moolah to back it up, alongside universities like Duke, UNC and UC State and beau coup hospitals. It’s got mojo to spare.Who would blame Trudeau’s management for checking it out and sending its “faculty” there?I do and here’s why: We’re not like Kannapolis or the rest of the country for that matter, and that is our strong point. We’re unique and grand discoveries regularly take root here—in the Capital of the Adirondacks–amidst the solitude and serenity of our evergreens and lakes where great ideas take flight.Saranac Lake has never been the epicenter of “urban-based, biotech, throw-the-money-at-‘em science.” No, we’re the epicenter of humanity—right where we want to be—where our forbearers gave comfort and solace to those that were ill. We always cared and always will, regardless of how much “moolah” is involved. Our scientists carry backpacks to work and not briefcases. They wear hiking boots and not high-heels. Backpacks and hiking boots probably aren’t that sexy in Kannapolis…but are more practical. We are unique and meaningful and so shall be the future discoveries at Trudeau IN Saranac Lake.Kannapolis is a wake-up call, as is the so-called “Strategic planning” now underway at Trudeau, which many say is just window-dressing for a move to Kannapolis.Saranac Lake and the State of New York must invest in real intellectual infrastructure that is uniquely “ours” and fearlessly compassionate, if it is to survive and thrive in the biotech future where money seduces, just as Kannapolis, our most fearsome competitor, is doing in its own way. We must lower our shoulder and push ahead with our own strategic plan and a solid, never-give-up commitment, staking our future on what has sustained us for generations, yet adapting as we must.If federal grant money is Trudeau’s answer, we must devise ways to get it to them.We must also make sure in the days ahead that the Trudeau Board of Trustees, though they may not live here, understand that the very lifeblood of the institution they safeguard pulsates only if it has our indomitable Adirondack people, place and purpose…a people, a place and a purpose that will not go gentle into that good night.
Tags: adirondacks, economy
This commentary is not very good in my opinion. It seems to be almost joking about the subject. Research like this takes money. I imagine the Institute is being realistic, I don’t think they are being “seduced”.
What does the town plan to do? Brian, what do you think the “serious fight” consist of?
You have to do what is right for the research. Saranac Lake was an idea place for a sanitarium to study and “cure” TB. It was the ideal “clinical” environment for what the Institute did at the time. Saranac Lake is not ideal for what the Institute’s needs are now. They need to be in the right “clinical” environment for what it is they do now. If you can’t attract funding then you die. How Saranac Lake will counter that is a difficult, or perhaps impossible, problem.
I wish them luck.
Something is screwy and I think it is just a simple mistake. But,
Charlottesville is in Virginia
Kannapolis is in North Carolina.
So,
I would like to have Charlotte, North Carolina for $500, please.
*shrug*
As a Saranac Lake resident who owns a business in town, I would like to say to the village board, particularly Mayor Rabideau to focus our resources on finding entrepreneurs to fill in the vacuum being left by organizations like Trudeau, Paul Smith’s College (Hotel Saranac and student housing) and Camp Gabriels. Just as you can not change the mind of a lost love, we can not change the minds of the heads of these organizations. If they do not love us, get over it, and get on with our lives. That would be the advice of a counselor, if we were to seek out emotional support for our inability to handle our rejection. I’m sure that the real estate powers that be were quite upset to hear that while they are out planting 1/2 million dollars worth of flowers, the leadership at Trudeau was instructing their employees to not buy any houses here. The classic solution used by real estate agents for eons -plant flowers to sell your property, now must be re-evaluated. Instead of taking a rugby stance on the issue (lower our shoulder and push ahead w/ a never give up commitment) we should cast these past lovers aside so that we can “heal” and move on to live a productive life as a community. The way I see it, Saranac Lake is poised to benefit greatly from the US war machine. We can be a community of healers for the soldiers who return home and who need a place that is as special as the Mayor articulated in his letter. Patriot Hills is looking for a home, and I think that the beautiful location Trudeau currently occupies should be considered as a perfect fit. Also, why not court a serious local developer to buy the Hotel Saranac -which I understand is for sale again. This time, maybe we could find an owner who has Saranac Lake’s future in mind. Unlike the board of Paul Smith’s College, who seem to have Lake Placid’s future in their heads. Mostly, like a scorned lover, we need to not be perpetuating the image that we are perpetual victims-doormats if you will, and stand proud with our heads high, comfortable in the thought that if someone leaves this town, there must be something wrong with them. Because as we residents know, we truly have it all. Don’t worry, as soon as the climate warms a bit more, everyone who live in hot and coastal regions are going to flock here. Image is everything in marketing.
America at work: Washington takes New York state money from Wall Street taxes and gives it to the South, which then steals businesses from New York state by using tax dollars in “public-private” partnerships as too-good-to-pass-up incentives.
The South won the Civil War.
It might be fruitful if someone looked into who actually owns the land that the Trudeau Institute sits upon.
But are they being drawn down there by financial incentives?
It would seem good to know exactly what is going on and the rationale for what they are thinking and what they need before jumping to conclusions.
tick tock… SL. three strikes territory this:
1)”one million square feet of state-of-the art, ready-to-go lab space, equipment and prime research facilities.”
2)”A Trudeau spokesman said they did not want their staff “buying houses” until their “strategic planning,” now underway, was complete.”
3)”Chairman of the Board lives in Charlotte(sville) sic and Trudeau management say they need an urban research hospital environment.”
hello, this ‘126 yr at bat’ is over. time to shuffle outta the batter’s box, and head to the ‘bench’ and start planning/working on alternatives.
let’s talk about putting some of the ADK’s 9 TRILLION Gal/Yr of super-soft, pure, H2O outflow to ‘work’ by replicating Oregon’s craft beer/brewing industry here in ‘Beervana’ East, NY’s ADKs.
Ken, Go-2-Guy @ BeerHere2010.info & ADKBEWCO.info