A North Country recession?

Sometimes journalists are guilty of connecting dots that are just, well, dots.

But given all the gloom and doom on the financial page, it’s hard not to see a pattern in lay-offs and downsizing across the North Country region.

Here’s a back-of-the-napkin list: dozens of workers are out at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (Rouses Point); the American Management Association (Saranac Lake) is cutting staff; officials have proposed government lay-offs in Lewis County; and International Paper plans to slow production at their mill in Ticonderoga (no job cuts anticipated).

”It’s just a sign of the times,” said George Rivers, Rouses Point mayor, in an interview with the AP. ”But it’s not so bad compared to what’s happening around the country.”

Statewide, New York lost roughly 14,000 jobs last month, according to the Associated Press. The highest unemployment rate outside of New York City was in St. Lawrence County (6.9%).

That’s just a hair above the national average.

It’s an example of worldwide crisis that we’re in economically right now,” says Saranac Lake village Mayor Tom Michaels. “Saranac Lake is not insulated from that.”

In addition to cut-backs of existing companies big projects that had been proposed for the region could be at risk.

The Adirondack Club and Resort in Tupper Lake and the Laurentian aircraft maintenance facility planned for Plattsburgh could be derailed by the collapsing finance and housing sectors.

What can we do about the shifting economic sands? In Saranac Lake, there’s a push to encourage more people to shop locally:

“With the economy on the downturn, it is more important than ever to support our downtown merchants”, says Melinda Little, President of the SL Community Store Interim Board. She adds, “By thinking local first and by buying locally, we can make choices that have a dramatic impact on our community, our economy, and our environment.”