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New York's Most Popular Ski Mountain Saved By The Community
http://vacationrentals.vrwd.com/articles/6280/1/New-Yorks-Most-Popular-Ski-Mountain-Saved-By-The-Community/Page1.html
Jason Frome
Jason Frome and his wife Phyllis run Pine Hollow Lodging, vacation rental management, in the Catskill Mountains of western New York State. Discerning renters and vacation property owners now have someone to turn to who will keep their best interests in the foreground. 
By Jason Frome
Published on 11/17/2008
 
Popular, family oriented, state run ski mountain faced closure by state budget cuts until the community steppin and actually made a difference.
Is there such a thing as a civilized mob???
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Recently, Belleayre Mountain, New York's Catskill Mountain's most popular family ski mountain, was facing reduction of its services by as much as fifty percent.  New York State, which owns and operates the ski mountain, had threatened budget cuts which would have resulted in a tremendous loss of services at the mountain.  To meet the new budget's requirements, jobs and programs would have had to be cut and local businesses would have suffered the inevitable loss of revenue from the decline in visits to the mountain.  The talk in the air was of the inevitable closure unless money was found somewhere.

But then, in the true small town, country, way, members of the community, local businesses, and the legislators that represent them, banded together to create a force that the government simply had to listen to.

The following is excerpted from a posting by the administrator of the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce (a.k.a. the Greater Margaretville Chamber of Commerce), a leader in the fight with the latest and happily received news about the budget cuts.

ALBANY, NY (10/01/2008; 1513)(readMedia)-- Belleayre Mountain will be open for riding and skiing seven days a week for the 2008-2009 season, the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation announced today. Weather and conditions permitting, Belleayre will open the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 28, and
run through March 2009, operating six lifts and 41 trails and glades.

Located in the heart of the Catskill Mountains in Highmount, NY, Belleayre will offer terrain for all levels of riders and skiers from beginner to expert. All programming will be available, including the popular "Kidscamp," racing programs, and - new this year -- the adaptive ski program. Trained instructors from Belleayre and Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital will provide coaching for the adaptive community.

In response to the state's fiscal situation, Belleayre is taking a number of steps this season to operate more efficiently while continuing to deliver a world-class regional skiing experience.

DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis thanked Senator John Bonacic and Assemblyman Kevin Cahill for advocating for Belleayre, an important regional resource.
"The communities throughout the Route 28 Corridor have made their voices loud and clear on the importance of the Belleayre Ski Center to the local economy," Assemblyman Cahill said.

"Commissioner Grannis and Governor Paterson have  demonstrated a keen understanding of the significance of this facility to the region by putting forth a reasonable plan that accounts for the current pressures in the economy as well as destabilizing energy costs.

Working closely with DEC to resolve this issue, we prioritized the need for a full season with a diversity of programs at a reasonable price and that is what Commissioner Grannis delivered."

The folks at Belleayre Mountain, like every other skier on the east coast, just has to worry that global warming will wait another year and that we'll have plenty of snow and a good season!

Links to Belleayre Mountain can be found on our website under Local Information.
Pine Hollow Lodging manages vacation rental properties in the Catskill Mountains.