Belleayre's Tony Lanza fired by DEC

[catskillman]

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/2012/05/24/dec-fires-belleayre-superintendent-tony-lanza/

Tony Lanza, the Superintendent of New York’s Belleayre Mountain Ski Center for more than a decade, is out of a job.

spokesperson for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) confirmed that Lanza was dismissed on Tuesday for what was indicated to be just cause, but refused to elaborate, citing confidentiality in personnel matters. Lanza could not be reached for comment.

Lanza joined Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in 1999 as Assistant Superintendent, and was promoted to the Superintendent’s role in 2001. In 2007, an investigation by New York State Inspector General Kristine Hamann concluded that Lanza engaged in conduct that constituted a conflict of interest by renting a home co-owned with a personal friend to the Boston Concession Group (BCG), which at the time was under contract with Belleayre to operate the ski shop and food concessions at the ski area. The investigation also determined that the “Belleayre Trolley,” a state-owned shuttle bus used to transport skiers from Fleishmanns to Belleayre and between the ski resort and outlying parking lots, made trips solely for the purpose of carrying the BCG employees residing in Lanza’s house to and from work, and found irregularities in checking accounts and vehicle records. Hamann’s office reported its findings to both the DEC and the New York State Ethics Commission. It’s unclear whether or not any disciplinary action was taken by the DEC at that time.

While the DEC currently operates Belleayre, the state is in the process of shifting that responsibility to the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), which operates Whiteface Mountain and Gore Mountain ski areas in the Adirondacks.



I was at Belleayre late in the season and noticed this shuttle bus driving around, when there were only 20 cars in the parking lot and the lower mountain were closed. Figured they were union employees so they had to keep them working.

Interesting. Can't wait to see the responses on this. Bring back DMC.

 

[ScottySkis]

Tony Lanza, the Superintendent of New York’s Belleayre Mountain Ski Center for more than a decade, is out of a job.

spokesperson for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) confirmed that Lanza was dismissed on Tuesday for what was indicated to be just cause, but refused to elaborate, citing confidentiality in personnel matters. Lanza could not be reached for comment.

Lanza joined Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in 1999 as Assistant Superintendent, and was promoted to the Superintendent’s role in 2001. In 2007, an investigation by New York State Inspector General Kristine Hamann concluded that Lanza engaged in conduct that constituted a conflict of interest by renting a home co-owned with a personal friend to the Boston Concession Group (BCG), which at the time was under contract with Belleayre to operate the ski shop and food concessions at the ski area. The investigation also determined that the “Belleayre Trolley,” a state-owned shuttle bus used to transport skiers from Fleishmanns to Belleayre and between the ski resort and outlying parking lots, made trips solely for the purpose of carrying the BCG employees residing in Lanza’s house to and from work, and found irregularities in checking accounts and vehicle records. Hamann’s office reported its findings to both the DEC and the New York State Ethics Commission. It’s unclear whether or not any disciplinary action was taken by the DEC at that time.

While the DEC currently operates Belleayre, the state is in the process of shifting that presponsibility to the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), which operates Whiteface Mountain and Gore Mountain ski areas in the Adirondacks.



I was at Belleayre late in the season and noticed this shuttle bus driving around, when there were only 20 cars in the parking lot and the lower mountain were closed. Figured they were union employees so they had to keep them working.

Interesting. Can't wait to see the responses on this. Bring back DMC.

Wow that is interesting, maybe Dmc could come back as another poster how would anyone know?

 

[legalskier]

@catskillman:
Would you have a link for the info you included in the third paragraph, because you're referring to old occurrences that were investigated and went nowhere, according to: http://www.watershedpost.com/2012/b...nt-tony-lanza-out-job-and-under-investigation. This appears to be the current news: DEC spokesperson Emily DeSantis wrote in an email that the department was in possession of information that warranted Lanza’s dismissal, but would not comment further. “As this is a personnel matter, we cannot provide more information,” DeSantis wrote.
Seems like they're playing it close to the vest.

I was at Belleayre late in the season and noticed this shuttle bus driving around, when there were only 20 cars in the parking lot and the lower mountain were closed. Figured they were union employees so they had to keep them working.

They still use the shuttles to access the lots over at the Tomahawk lift- I've ridden them quite a few times myself.

Wow that is interesting, maybe Dmc could come back as another poster how would anyone know?

You may be on to something there, Scotty.

 

[catskillman]

Here is the link, I copied:

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/2012/05/24/dec-fires-belleayre-superintendent-tony-lanza/

Originally Posted by catskillman
I was at Belleayre late in the season and noticed this shuttle bus driving around, when there were only 20 cars in the parking lot and the lower mountain were closed. Figured they were union employees so they had to keep them working.

They still use the shuttles to access the lots over at the Tomahawk lift- I've ridden them quite a few times myself.


Tomahawk was not open when I was there. Only the long quad and the one above the lodge.

 

[catskillman]

Decided to Google during lunch - found some more interesting items.
http://www.watershedpost.com/2012/b...nt-tony-lanza-out-job-and-under-investigation

This link = Last month, acting on a news tip, the Watershed Post filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request with the Inspector General's office in an effort to find out whether Lanza was being investigated for ski pass giveaways. The request was denied, but the Inspector General's office confirmed that the investigation was ongoing.

 

[bigbog]

Wow that is interesting, maybe Dmc could come back as another poster how would anyone know?

DMC as himself = welcome anytime as far as I'm concerned, but as an honest businessman being a member of the BCG...:lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[SIKSKIER]

DMC as himself = welcome anytime as far as I'm concerned, but as an honest businessman being a member of the BCG...:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Don't want to go off topic but I never knew what happened to DMC.I miss his posts.Is he hanging with the Steez?

 

[bvibert]

Not to sidetrack this thread, but dmc is welcome to post here, as himself, whenever he wants.

 

[Gilligan]

A while ago I was wondering where DMC had gone. So I searched out his last few posts. I think this one said it best.
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?p=633175#post633175
This place has chased away a lot of good people.

 

[AdironRider]

Only a govt run ski area could raise an eyebrow over a GM handing out comps.

I know Ive heard rumors about an excessive amount of comp tickets to Bell, but come on, the GM of the place can hand out a freebie or two.

I know absolutely no backstory, full disclosure, but Bell just seems like a total junkshow on all accounts. Clientel only use the cheapest avenue possible to ski, management knows no bounds to stupidity (they had like 50 year round managers!), and the government cant seem to make up its mind. Its got to be in the top five ski areas that is run the worst. That could be a thread...

 

[legalskier]

Bell just seems like a total junkshow on all accounts. Clientel only use the cheapest avenue possible to ski, management knows no bounds to stupidity (they had like 50 year round managers!), and the government cant seem to make up its mind. Its got to be in the top five ski areas that is run the worst....

I doubt the local merchants/craftspeople/hoteliers would call it a junkshow:
Belleayre contributes $12.5M per year to local economy, SUNY New Paltz study concludes
Story: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2012/03/22/news/doc4f69e647c458c408613165.txt

The surrounding communities were grateful that the management dedicated it as a disaster relief center after the devastating floods from Hurricane Irene. As has been mentioned here, the skier visits have gone from 70k/year to 175k if I recall correctly- hardly bad management. I ski there so I must be one of the "clientele" you are calling a cheapskate, but you have no idea how much I spend there & the surrounding area.
I know of no other ski area discussed on this board that consistently takes the amount of unjustified criticism that Belleayre does.
I just don't get it.

I know absolutely no backstory

Now there is something we do agree on.

 

[ScottySkis]

I doubt the local merchants/craftspeople/hoteliers would call it a junkshow:
Belleayre contributes $12.5M per year to local economy, SUNY New Paltz study concludes
Story: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2012/03/22/news/doc4f69e647c458c408613165.txt

The surrounding communities were grateful that the management dedicated it as a disaster relief center after the devastating floods from Hurricane Irene. As has been mentioned here, the skier visits have gone from 70k/year to 175k if I recall correctly- hardly bad management. I ski there so I must be one of the "clientele" you are calling a cheapskate, but you have no idea how much I spend there & the surrounding area.
I know of no other ski area discussed on this board that consistently takes the amount of unjustified criticism that Belleayre does.
I just don't get it.


Now there is something we do agree on.

I'm sure Bell makes more money then 1 of their neighbors, i think that they try to give skiiers and snowboarders who might like cheap days and masses some times their nothing wrong with it, but they been doing it for long time and regular customer who goes three times may not go if their price just went up.

 

[catskillman]

And the local economy would be doing more business on closing day if NYS was not paying for free beer for anyone who is at the mountain on closing day. I heard Tony say 1 year that he bought more beer because business had been good and he did not have enough to give away for free.

Gotta love that reasoning.

Also, what about Tony's golf contest.

 

[AdironRider]

I doubt the local merchants/craftspeople/hoteliers would call it a junkshow:
Belleayre contributes $12.5M per year to local economy, SUNY New Paltz study concludes
Story: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2012/03/22/news/doc4f69e647c458c408613165.txt

The surrounding communities were grateful that the management dedicated it as a disaster relief center after the devastating floods from Hurricane Irene. As has been mentioned here, the skier visits have gone from 70k/year to 175k if I recall correctly- hardly bad management. I ski there so I must be one of the "clientele" you are calling a cheapskate, but you have no idea how much I spend there & the surrounding area.
I know of no other ski area discussed on this board that consistently takes the amount of unjustified criticism that Belleayre does.
I just don't get it.


Now there is something we do agree on.

Bell mangement you say? What exactly did they need all those year round manager for back in the day? They had like 50 of them. Thats more than Aspen, Vail, JHole, etc.

Did I say that legalskier is a cheap bastard? No. But as a whole you cannot seriously be arguing the Bell crowd is throwing around cash like in Dumb and Dumber.

12.5 mill is weak sauce for 175k skier visits. ORDA as a whole is responsible for well over 300 million with about double the skier visits (give or take a couple thou). So how exactly is Bell management killing it for the local economy? I would argue they are doing a terrible job. By the way thats 70 bucks per visit to the local economy, or basically a tank of gas. Thank god for that.

 

[ScottySkis]

Bell mangement you say? What exactly did they need all those year round manager for back in the day? They had like 50 of them. Thats more than Aspen, Vail, JHole, etc.

Did I say that legalskier is a cheap bastard? No. But as a whole you cannot seriously be arguing the Bell crowd is throwing around cash like in Dumb and Dumber.

12.5 mill is weak sauce for 175k skier visits. ORDA as a whole is responsible for well over 300 million with about double the skier visits (give or take a couple thou). So how exactly is Bell management killing it for the local economy? I would argue they are doing a terrible job. By the way thats 70 bucks per visit to the local economy, or basically a tank of gas. Thank god for that.

I understand being cheap is kind of bede's especially when you have to pay for family it adds up, no matter what professional and their is lots of good family and runs for kids their.

 

[Nick]

Not to sidetrack this thread, but dmc is welcome to post here, as himself, whenever he wants.

He actually did make a single post in the thread where Greg posted the video of the Dis at Sundown

 

[Nick]

A while ago I was wondering where DMC had gone. So I searched out his last few posts. I think this one said it best.
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?p=633175#post633175
This place has chased away a lot of good people.

Fight the power!!! wait..?? :dunce:

 

[gmcunni]

does this lower the chances of me scoring a free ticket next season? will the eliminate the ski free on your birthday program?

 

[ScottySkis]

does this lower the chances of me scoring a free ticket next season? will the eliminate the ski free on your birthday program?

That is probably the only good time to ski Bell lol.

 

[gmcunni]

i'd go back and i'd pay for it.