The Ames department store in Saranac Lake closed in 2002, and no matter how hard small shop owners tried to collectively serve the “general store” needs of this community, more and more people began relying on the big-box destinations outside the Adirondack Park. When Walmart tried to build a supercenter here, village officials blocked the plan, forcing locals to make trips of 50 miles or more (one-way) to buy the most basic household items, such as underwear. It also gave the community a chance to create a department store for the masses, playing by home rule rather than corporate greed.