LAKE PLACID -- Town councilors from North Elba talked this week about sports amenities in their community and how to keep them in top shape.

Ironman, lacrosse, a new recreation path and zip line were all on the table.

Water samples from Mirror Lake tested after Ironman showed no impact from the nearly 2,500 swimmers taking two laps to complete the 2.4-mile swim portion of the competition.

Supervisor Roby Politi (R-North Elba) said "coliform bacterial counts were way below results that would require further testing."

The water is tested immediately after the swim every year, even though town officials have been advised the amount of water in the lake dilutes any pollutants from human bodies.

"We test every year," Politi said, "and once again we have obtained negative results."

NEW SPORTS FIELDS

Six brand-new athletic fields built behind Cascade Acres near the Lake Placid airport were put to heavy use last week for the first time, councilors said.

The Lacrosse Tournament, which drew more than 5,000 athletes and their families, was the first to experience the full-sized fields laid out beside the Chubb River.

Event organizers told town officials it was a stunning location for their tournament, Councilman Chuck Damp said.

"It's close to a miracle that they (finished fields) even happened," Politi said.

The wet summer made crowning the field for optimum runoff a challenge.

The fields were seeded three weeks before the tournament, but three inches of thick grass grew in time.

Next year, Lacrosse Tournament planners hope to hold a week-long event with more games, Politi said, to begin two weeks after Ironman.

BIKE PATH