After Failed Initiative, Black Mountain (ME) Set to Close

[thetrailboss]

http://www.skitheeast.net/posts/id/1610257931/black-mtn-of-maine-closed-following-town-vote

http://www.skiblackmountain.com/

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/26/news/lewiston-auburn/maine-ski-area-faces-closure-this-winter/

Black Mountain did not succeed in winning voter approval for financial support to allow it to continue to operate and is saying that it will not operate this winter. The vote was a 2-1 margin against and is a surprise considering the success of the mountain. Despite the efforts to make the area profitable, it has had to rely on taxpayer support to stay in the black. The area was asking for $51,700 from the town of Rumford; the select board urged voters to appropriate $51,000. The vote lost on a 497-939 vote.

Rumford is home to a big papermill and has a lot of blue collar households that probably are struggling to make ends meet. Even though this is the kind of place that needs an affordable ski area, I think that the vote was a reflection of people's attitude towards increased taxes. As From_the_NEK can tell you, a rec center in Newport recently closed because all of its supporting towns voted down its appropriations. The voters said that they could not afford the increase in taxes (largely from state increases) and were trying to cut back. It's sad that the local community is losing something that it needs and that people take out their angst on the local non-profits and organizations that aren't to blame.

Sad news--hope that someone can come forward to help them stay open.

 

[Nick]

JUST saw this and was coming to post!

Here is the press release: http://www.alpinezone.com/news-and-...k-mountain-ski-area-to-shut-down-immediately/

 

[snowmonster]

Per Ski the East:

"Editor's note: When news of this pending situation broke last week following the vote in the town of Rumford, ME, we reached out to the Maine Winter Sports Center to offer publicity assistance in whatever effort they may make to keep Black Mountain running. It seems their business options were not appealing and the decision, announced today, has been to close down the operation.

"That said, we just received backchannel word that some of the involved parties are in the beginning stages of investigating other options and partners for future operation. Stay tuned. - AK" (Emphasis supplied)

I'm hoping that this can be kept off NELSAP. Another mountain I regret not skiing when I had the chance.

 

[thetrailboss]

I also wished I had skied there when I had the chance.

 

[Quietman]

I've skied there many times, as my parents have a cabin nearby. It is(was) a great place to take the family for very inexpensive skiing, at 1/4 of the price for S.R. Over 1,000 vert, and they just expanded snowmaking and added a trail or two after adding the summit triple some years ago. It is just so sad to see this type of area close due to lack of skiers and local support.

Nearby Mt. Abram has better much terrain but has also struggled to survive. I hope that they can hold on!

 

[deadheadskier]

Wasn't it only $15 to ski there no matter what day of the season? I understand price cutting to drum up business, but could some of their financial woahs be attributed to them pricing the product too low?

 

[Quietman]

It was $15 and they were open Fri-Sun + holidays last year. In previous years they had somewhat higher prices but the only time that the place was crowded was during local school races, and even then there was never a lift line. The biggest issue seems to be is that only local kids and families skied there, and the Rumford area is too small to support a local ski area when S.R. is just down the road. Most people outside of the local area have never heard of it.

 

[kingdom-tele]

http://www.skitheeast.net/posts/id/1610257931/black-mtn-of-maine-closed-following-town-vote

http://www.skiblackmountain.com/

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/26/news/lewiston-auburn/maine-ski-area-faces-closure-this-winter/

Black Mountain did not succeed in winning voter approval for financial support to allow it to continue to operate and is saying that it will not operate this winter. The vote was a 2-1 margin against and is a surprise considering the success of the mountain. Despite the efforts to make the area profitable, it has had to rely on taxpayer support to stay in the black. The area was asking for $51,700 from the town of Rumford; the select board urged voters to appropriate $51,000. The vote lost on a 497-939 vote.

Rumford is home to a big papermill and has a lot of blue collar households that probably are struggling to make ends meet. Even though this is the kind of place that needs an affordable ski area, I think that the vote was a reflection of people's attitude towards increased taxes. As From_the_NEK can tell you, a rec center in Newport recently closed because all of its supporting towns voted down its appropriations. The voters said that they could not afford the increase in taxes (largely from state increases) and were trying to cut back. It's sad that the local community is losing something that it needs and that people take out their angst on the local non-profits and organizations that aren't to blame.

Sad news--hope that someone can come forward to help them stay open.

The same angst filled locals had kept the place afloat since its inception? I suppose it makes sense to blame a community that had poured hundreds of thousands into a place every year to watch it slowly deteriorate into an almost unusable resource.

word is it went in auction and could be donated to the YMCA org, rumor mill, so who knows.

 

[Quietman]

I suppose it makes sense to blame a community that had poured hundreds of thousands into a place every year to watch it slowly deteriorate into an almost unusable resource.

I'm not sure what you mean by your statement. The lifts are less that 10 years old, they just upgraded the snowmaking and cut two new trails. The lodge was in great shape the last time I was there.

I completely understand taxpayers not wanting to foot the bill, but "unusable resource"?

 

[Quietman]

From Black Mountain's Facebook page:

We appreciate all the support that is being show for Black Mountain. Tomorrow(27th) at 6:30pm there will be a meeting in the lodge to discuss the future of Black Mountain and come up with fundraising ideas. Spread the word, all Black Mountain Supporters are welcome and encouraged to come share their ideas!

 

[kingdom-tele]

apologies, that was in reference to IROC, the rec center here in Newport.

the paradigm is the same, a community resource that goes out of its way to provide an inexpensive/free service to get people active, altruistic and worth community support, but in the case of our rec center it could not meet the expense of keeping it open or keeping it from disrepair.

people want these places to stay open, money talks louder than morality unfortunately

 

[ScottySkis]

apologies, that was in reference to IROC, the rec center here in Newport.

the paradigm is the same, a community resource that goes out of its way to provide an inexpensive/free service to get people active, altruistic and worth community support, but in the case of our rec center it could not meet the expense of keeping it open or keeping it from disrepair.

people want these places to stay open, money talks louder than morality unfortunately

Maybe they can do like Magic and Mad River and have ski collective?

 

[thetrailboss]

I'm not sure what you mean by your statement. The lifts are less that 10 years old, they just upgraded the snowmaking and cut two new trails. The lodge was in great shape the last time I was there.

I completely understand taxpayers not wanting to foot the bill, but "unusable resource"?

+1. KT has his wires crossed. This place was rejuvinated by a non-profit group and I thought was doing OK.

 

[thetrailboss]

apologies, that was in reference to IROC, the rec center here in Newport.

the paradigm is the same, a community resource that goes out of its way to provide an inexpensive/free service to get people active, altruistic and worth community support, but in the case of our rec center it could not meet the expense of keeping it open or keeping it from disrepair.

people want these places to stay open, money talks louder than morality unfortunately

I see now...IROC. From what I heard a big issue was that they were overbudget at its inception and did not have enough saved up to cover the shortfalls. So they began cutting back...losing folks as a result...and cutting back and back.

It's too bad because the times I went there it seemed like a really nice place and a great asset, but the pool area with its mold and wall issues was not too appealing.

 

[kingdom-tele]

ironically enough it was in the local paper today, the buyer is not going to use it for it's original purposes. so any idea of a rec center salvation looks to be gone with the tide.

the community had donated solar panels to ease electric bill woes, worked unpaid, raised money year after year to cover operating costs, the list went on and on. the place was built poorly and it was becoming an unbearable burden complicated by almost zero revenue based on its goals of giving the community a place to exercise for essentially free.

they lost folks because the infrastructure was poor and dropping money into a sinking ship over and over gets old.

 

[tomcat]

I got to ski it last year. For $15 I wouldn't complain. Before this news I was planning on hitting Black again this winter at least once. I was there between xmas and new year. It was 100% open with decent snow conditions. There wasn't a line on the lift ever but the place wasn't dead by any means. At $15 I'm surprised it didn't drum up more business. Sure Sunday River isn't too far away but isn't the daily price there around $80 or more now. I know there not the same level of skiing but a family a of five can spend the day at Black for the price of one at SR. Black claimed almost 1400 vert. The runs were quality, especially green and blues. and they even opened a bunch of glades (I didn't try any as they looked a little thin early season). The expert terrain wasn't there strong suit but there was a handful of runs to keep me entertained. I'm curious about the Nordic part of the place. That was the big draw and it hosted a lot of races. I wonder if the local colleges and schools that raced there will be able to keep that part of the operation afloat.

 

[thetrailboss]

Did they have night skiing?

 

[wa-loaf]

Seems like $50k isn't that big a number? If a local started a Save Black fund and sold t-shirts and stuff they might get there, or just raise ticket prices to $20 ...

 

[Riverskier]

Seems like $50k isn't that big a number? If a local started a Save Black fund and sold t-shirts and stuff they might get there, or just raise ticket prices to $20 ...

Yeah, admittedly I don't know the details, but it seems odd. The Libra Foundation dumped 20 million into the place and now they are ready to shut it down over $50,000 needed to sustain the place over the summer???

 

[mlctvt]

apologies, that was in reference to IROC, the rec center here in Newport.

the paradigm is the same, a community resource that goes out of its way to provide an inexpensive/free service to get people active, altruistic and worth community support, but in the case of our rec center it could not meet the expense of keeping it open or keeping it from disrepair.

people want these places to stay open, money talks louder than morality unfortunately

This is the first I've read about IROC closing. What a shame. I did a century bike ride out of there a couple of years ago and my wife and I thought that this was one of the best community centers we've ever seen. What a treaure for a town like Newport to have that. z don't know that specifics on the funding situation but we did raise a good amount for the place with the multi-day bike ride. I think my wife and I spent well over $1000 in the communtity the weekend we were there, this is on top of the $500-600 we raised for the center.
Bummer the non-profit couldn't make the place work.