Attention Ausable Skier

ScottyJack wrote

Is this really the HPD, I know and love???

Highpeaksdrifter wrote

BTW Harv…you prematurely ejected this thread into Off Topic before you knew what I wanted to do with it. I know that’s what she said, but never the less its true.

ausable skier wrote

Hey HPD

I have never been to Bell and don't plan to.   So I didn't have much to say.  

ausable skier wrote

Heard rumblings that things are melting down at Bell.

http://catskillmountainnews.com/content/sick-workers-belleayre-cause-skiing-be-delayed-during-busy-holiday-weekend

Bell employees need to face the music that Orda is taking over because the DEC has too much full time staff based on the level of business and Orda will require Bell to operate as a business that needs to make money or not survive.  We can not allow Bell to drag down WF and Gore.

I also have a huge problem with Bell basically giving away skiing for $25 on Presidents Day Weekend.  A state supported operation should not be under cutting private businesses in the area on price.  If i ran Windham I doubt I would be as nice as they were to help out the low ball pricing Bell.

Maybe the best solution is to to sell or lease Bell to Windham.

ausable skier wrote

ml242 wrote

Under the current rules, <s>blame</s> ownership can't be transferred to a non state entity even in a lease, which is why ORDA represents the path of least resistance for Albany to be "doing something".

shutting down Bell would be doing something

they are losing money like a drunk sailor and the only way to fix that is to cut back on employees and their wages / benefits with a work force that based on this weekends actions just doesn't get it.  If Orda does take over we can probably expect to see more of the same and that will drive customers away for good.

Bell also is giving tickets away and is offering crazy pricing that hurts other Catskill private resorts.

Just pull the plug on the whole thing and let it become a tele ski area for the states residents to use for free since its state land.

ausable skier wrote

ML you need a serious reality check.  NYC sucks the life blood out of the rest of the state and sends so little north that its not even funny.  The majority of upstate NYS is right leaning politically and NYC is left.  Thus us northern folks have little to no say about what goes down in this state.  ORDA makes money over all but we have to beg the NYS govt to let us keep it up here.

Bell is a loser and will drag down the rest of ORDA and based on folks like you once orda is losing money with Bell then we will get no funding what so ever.  They blow $5M on new steps to a subway station in NYC and that keeps entire counties tourism economies running up here.

ausable skier wrote

Ok the sucking the life blood comment was a little too strong  may have been a case of brew pubitis last night

NYC is dependent on Ustate for a range of issue not the least of which is water.  No upstate NY and there would be a big desalization plant out on Long Island.

Also if not for upstate where would NYC send all its criminals???   The prisons are the #1 industry of upstate.

It is a valid point that the small amount budgeted to Orda does a really good job of supporting tourism in the region and that money is multipled many times over and spread throughout the economy.  And a relatively small project in the city costs more but does not have the same impact.

I strongly feel that Bell has no business being part of Orda and that Bell has the potential to end up making the whole orda house of cards come crashing down.  If Orda starts posting big losses where there used to be profits the Gov and legistlature will be more likely to lessen Orda's funding or eliminate it all together.  I admit its selfish that I don't want to risk WF for keeping Bell operating but based on the employees actions this past weekend at Bell - its justified.

The only way Bell has been able to post respectable skier days is to give away huge amounts of free lift tickets and sell tickets for$25 on President's weekend.  This hurts the other local ski areas in the Cats.  If Orda takes over that will come to an aburpt halt.  In many other posts I have advocated that the Catskills form their own development agency that the counties and towns pay into like they do to Orda up here.  Then Bell can navigate its own route.  I strongly suspect its not viable but that should be for the locals down there to determine.