Parlez-vous français?

If you walk up to a person in Plattsburgh and ask, "Parlez-vous français?" The answer all too often is "No." In other parts of the state, or in other parts of the country, this would be of some concern, but to us in the North Country, it's an especially big deal. Consider where Plattsburgh is situated:

• Clinton County shares an international border with the Province of Quebec, where the official language is French;
• residents of Plattsburgh can drive to Montreal -- the second largest French-speaking city in the world -- in about an hour; and
• Plattsburgh, with its International Airport and numerous Canadian-based businesses, truly is Montreal's U.S. Suburb.

Living here affords me the opportunity to be a tourist in Montreal on a fairly frequent basis. When I am there, I am struck by the fact that retailers, waiters and tour guides all respond to me in my first language, which is English, even though their first language is French. How welcome and comfortable they make me feel. With the help of the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce and Clinton Community College, our community may soon be able to reciprocate when our Quebec neighbors come to visit us.

David Graham and Joe Marcil are instructors of French here at Clinton. Michelle Powers is head of the Adirondack Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau, an arm of the Chamber. Michelle, Joe and David have developed an educational program designed to help front-line staff in the local hospitality industry to learn French. The goal of the program is not to create French scholars, but to teach waiters, hotel clerks and tour guides French phrases that will help them to show respect for our Quebec visitors. Not only is this the neighborly thing to do, it's also good for business. As David, Joe and Michelle complete the first few training cycles, there is talk of expanding the program to other business sectors, such as retail and manufacturing.

Programs like this demonstrate the power of collaboration and partnership. By working together, the Chamber and the College can accomplish more than either of us could accomplish on our own. Consequently, visitors to our region soon will be much more likely to hear, "Bienvenue aux voyageurs internationaux!"

That's what I think. Please let me know what you think by sending an e-mail to presidentsblog@clinton.edu.