Travel brochures promoting Massena have been placed at three rest areas along the New York State Thruway.

Town Councilmen Albert Nicola, John Macaulay, Tom Miller, and Sam Carbone, and Supervisor Joseph D. Gray, recently voted to approve a one-year contract with Henry Hudson Tours to include Massena’s “Meet the Town” booklet at the Sloatsburg Gateway Information Center, Plattekill Information Center and the New Baltimore Information Center along the north-south section of the Thruway. The Greater Massena Chamber of Commerce is a partner.

The contract, for $995, means the booklets and any future publications generated by the Town or other Massena organization will be included on the racks of travel brochures and information at the rest areas. The town board and the chamber plan on more publications to promote the many positive features of Massena that might attract visitors, according to a news release from the town.

“The fishing and natural beauty of our area are second to none,” according to Massena Town Supervisor Joseph Gray.

The St. Lawrence Seaway continues to attract thousands of visitors each year – over 40,000 in 2013 alone – and the chamber of commerce is making plans to once again staff the gift shop there.

They are also promoting the facilities at Robert Moses State Park and the New York Power Authority’s visitors center.

The town council hopes that by featuring a Massena publication along the Thruway, more people may be convinced to travel to Massena.

“The focus of all of this is bringing new faces and wallets into our community where they can shop in our stores and eat in our restaurants, and see what we have to offer,” Gray said.

This brochure distribution is the first phase of a multi-faceted approach toward economic development that the Town will coordinate with the Chamber of Commerce and Business Development Corp. for a Greater Massena.

The town will use a portion of the Gaming Compact monies to fund this effort. and for plans to get more Massena exposure along I-81 and I-87.