Here is a great letter from Jeff North. His article was published in the Union Leader. Thank you Jeff. I love to ski. I love everything about the sport. It’s exhilarating, physical, relaxing, thrilling, challenging, frustrating, exhausting and serene-but above all, it’s a fun lifetime sport that can be enjoyed by families and friends together. My name is Jeff North and I own several local businesses. I am an active member of the Newport Planning Board, Capital Improvements Planning Board and the Newport Community Center Committee. I have lived in Newport along with my family for nearly 20 years. My stepmother introduced me to the fabulous sport of skiing the early 1970’s and I have been hooked ever since. We were not a rich family, and with three siblings we took advantage of our school ski programs. Our equipment was always second hand and usually bought at ski swaps. Jeans, thermal underwear and a bandana face warmer were the normal attire. Now that I have my own family skiing is once again on top of the list of great things that we do together. What does this all have to do with the expansion of Mount Sunapee Resort? Everything! As a local entrepreneur, I understand how hard it is to maintain a viable, relevant and profitable business. The ski industry is no different. Gone are Mt. Ascutney, Oak Hill, Arrowhead and King Ridge while Whaleback is struggling to stay open. The expansion of Mount Sunapee Resort’s trail system is necessary to its long term survival. Skiers and boarders expect more diverse and better terrain, and if not offered, they will seek it out elsewhere. Mount Sunapee Resort is among the best in the industry at what they do and they care about their customer’s desire for more trails and faster lifts. In order to meet this demand and to stay viable and competitive they have purchased land adjacent to the ski area to facilitate most of the ski trail expansion but they need approval of their Master Plan to create some additional trails on both the state and private land. I don’t think that it is a lot to ask for. There is already a ski area on the mountain so the overall visual character will not change. The economic viability of the ski resort will benefit tremendously however, and that is important for its long term sustainability. As a local citizen I fail to understand any objection to Mount Sunapee Resort’s plans to expand its ski trail system. They have created new summertime activities such as Mountain Biking, Zip Lines, Canopy Tours, Miniature Golf as well as Frisbee Golf. Their visitors spend money in our local restaurants, retail stores, convenience stores, hotels, and bed and breakfasts. Every winter I see an influx of ski area visitors come through my carwash, and we sell many day passes at our gym to people whose families enjoy skiing. According to an associated press article written by Wilson Ring - Sunday April 12th 2014, “The Forest Service estimates that expanding ski area recreation activities nationwide will increase the number of summer visits to national forests by 600,000, create an additional 600 full- or part-time jobs and pump almost $40 million into the communities where the resorts are located.” While Mount Sunapee Resort provides many full time jobs, more importantly, if fills the seasonal gap of providing winter employment to many local people who make a living in landscaping, painting and carpentry. Many of these people are my customers, and they have enjoyed this relationship with “the mountain” for many years. Restricting the growth of Mount Sunapee Resort will restrict the economic growth of this region. I believe that the ski trail expansion will bring additional prosperity to the area and will create more long-term sustainable jobs. Ski communities embody so much of what is New England; quaint stores, well run restaurants, beautiful signage, small delis and pubs as well as sports stores and the growth of other sport related activities. Ski areas and skiing are part of New Hampshire’s heritage and should be fully supported by the government at both the state and local levels.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 22:40:00 +0000
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