Back of the House
Formation of a Green Team: We created a green team here at the resort. The team consists of Peter, Heidi & Jenn Holderied (owners & operators), our Executive Housekeeper, Michele, The Ordering Guru, Amanda. The purpose of the green team is to be environmental stewards & hold our suppliers responsible for providing us with the most sustainable products they can offer. We are proud to say that our entire staff of the resort continually look for new ways to improve our sustainability programs and often come up with our best ideas.
Light bulbs: Back in 2005 the local boy scout troop came to the hotel selling CFL Light bulbs for $1.00 each. (This is a program that is subsidized by Lake Placid). Their timing could not have been better. They showed up right after we formalized our mission to purchase green alternatives whenever possible. We told them we would be very interested in buying the CFLs from them. They asked up how many we wanted to purchase and we told them we wanted all of them! At this point the resort is about 95% converted (we only replace light bulbs as the old ones burn out). We buy all of our CFLs from the boy scouts every year.
Purchasing: In 2005 we switched all of our paper products (both back of the house and promotional materials) to 100% recycled content. Since then we have pledged to rank "greenness" of a product right up there with cost when we factor in which products to purchase. We are glad to report that it is getting easier every year to find the products that we need to run a resort. From the carpeting in our rooms to the pens we use at the desk, each item has been chosen based, at least in part, on how green it is.
Double Paned Windows, Low Flow Toilets & Shower heads: We have to be honest with you here. We have had these items installed for as long as we can remember. The initial motivation was not environmental concerns. It was monetary savings. Electricity in Lake Placid is relatively cheap, but water is very expensive. The low flow bathroom fixtures save us gallons of water each year. As to the double paned windows...anyone who has visited in the wintertime knows that in the Adirondacks, those are a necessity! It gets COLD up here! The good news is, all of these things are also good for the environment.
Incentive Program for Employees: We encourage our employees to conserve in their private lives as well as at the Resort. In 2008 we began a transportation incentive program. Any employee who lives more than 10 miles away and carpools to work at least 4 days per week receives a gas stipend once a month. Employees who live within the 10 mile radius and either walk or bike to work have their lunch on us that day.
Since we went non smoking in 2002, we have offered a smoking cessation program to any member of our GALR family who chose to quit smoking. The plan is a simple one. The employee decides which method of smoking cessation would work best for them, and we cover the cost. For us, there is no more precious resource than our staff. We can not do enough to protect them.
Grounds & Maintenance
Complete Renovation of the Pool Area: Renovated in the fall of 2007, the plumbing in the pool was over 20 years old and not operating at its most efficient levels. We completely replaced the plumbing & heating systems to use both energy and water more efficiently. Instead of chlorine, we use bromine which is a less harsh but equally effective agent. We also replaced the decking with flagstone from a local quarry.
Lobby Renovation: The renovation involved purchasing renewable materials, such as bamboo flooring, & using non toxic materials (for example the wallpaper glue was non toxic). We were also able to use some wood paneling that was reclaimed from our 2006 reconstruction of the restaurant. The wood paneling in the lobby was formerly the backing of the booths in our old restaurant, Goldberries.
Storm Water Management System & Oil Separator: In an effort to keep Mirror Lake pristine, we installed an extensive storm water management system whose job it is to keep pollutants from the building parking garages and roads out of the lake.
Road Salt: We live in a climate that can have some pretty messy roads in the winter months. Salt is a fact of life up here. So we were delighted to discover Safe Step, a 100% soluble salt like product that contains no hazardous chemicals and is much safer for the environment.
Heat Recovery System: We have installed a heat recovery systems in 3 of the 4 hot water systems in the resort. This is a bit technical, but basically if our town water comes into the building at 40 degrees fahrenheit, this system heats the water anywhere from 10 - 20 degrees by utilizing the heat from other water sources. That means the water is 10 -20 degrees warmer before we need to use energy to heat it.
Community Service
Kids Earth Day Celebration: This Earth Day we honored the Earth by inviting the local kindergarten & preschool classes to participate in a free Earth Day program. Two of our Green-Minded crew organized & put on a huge event that included all kinds of sustainable crafts for the kids to participate in including planting mini versions of our green roof & creating windmills. The kids loved it & so did we! We hope to do it again next year!
E-Sweep: In conjunction with Earth Day, we began a community wide E-Sweep. We invited local businesses & home owners to bring all of their E-Waste to the Golden Arrow in the days preceding Earth Day. The on Earth Day we transported it to a recycling plant in Vermont to ensure that it did not end up in a landfill, but instead was properly recycled or disposed of. We collected over 2.5 tons of E-Waste this year!
Eco-Fair: This fair, taking place the last weekend in May, will have vendors providing organic foods, workshops on green living, a magazine exchange & live music! The goal is to put together eco-minded individuals together with sustainable suppliers and tips on going green. Visit the website at
Village Clean-Up Day: The Golden Arrow was proud to have a team of employees participate in Lake Placid's annual Village Clean-Up Day. Don't worry; the staff did not labor for nothing. They were rewarded by being paid for their voluntarily donated time!
Formation of a Green Tourism Council for NY State: We have been diligently working with our state officials, including DEC, EPA, NYSERDA, I LOVE NY & the Governor's office in conjunction with NYSHTA towards the creation of a Green Tourism Council for NY State. Currently there is not a centralized resource for businesses in the tourism industry to turn to when looking for help on how to "green" their business. One of the goals of this council would be to achieve that & make it easy for businesses to operate more sustainable. We are pleased to report we have had amazing success & are working hard with these agencies on the formation of this council.
Generations Restaurant
Grease Capture: Generations actually collects the grease produced by his restaurant & donates it to a farm nearby where they are building an engine that runs on grease.
Organic Menu/Locally Grown Foods & Wines: There is an entire section of the menu dedicated to organic foods. In addition the drinks made in the Straight Shot Lounge are produced with the finest, locally grown fruits. This summer he will expand the wine list to include organic wines & some bio dynamic organic wines.
Local Purchasing: One of the most challenging parts on living in the Adirondacks is the supply chain. As we do here at the Hotel, Genearations buys as much as he can locally.
Sustainable Materials: Many sustainable materials in the design of the restaurant were used including bamboo flooring in the dining area & recycled tires for the patio flooring. He also chose to reclaim & revamp much of the kitchen hardware.
Green Catering: Generations caters most of the functions that take place in the Golden Arrow. He has agreed to make these events as sustainable as possible by using real china (no disposable plates/cups) & using organic, locally produced food ingredients when requested.
Green Cleaning: They use the least toxic cleaners allowable by the Department of Health in the kitchen, restaurant & bar.
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