The Village Improvement Society, formed in 1910 to bring an Olmsted Plan for the Development of Saranac Lake to reality, is a volunteer, non-profit organization which has concentrated on, and is primarily responsible for, creating the Village's park system.
Having deeded its lakeside parks to the Village, VIS now creates parks along the Saranac River and in neighborhoods. It currently owns and maintains eight parks, provides civic plantings, sponsors two middle school environmental camperships, seeks new sites to develop and has started a program to involve the youth in volunteer park work.
Currently VIS plans to rehabilitate its Triangle Park, refigured by the
railroad construction, and rebuild a deteriorated container in its Herb Garden.
Officers: Margaret Van Dyck-Holmes, president; Olive Forth, vice president; Joan Donaldson, secretary and Marilyn Clement, treasurer.
