Update from Osceola

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In light of recent discussions about Salmon Hills I thought
people might be interested in this and want to show up. I'm
no longer in NY but I'm still on Hugh's mailing list, and
this morning's snow update included this:

Next week on Thursday the 18th we are having a day of
free skiing. This will be in conjunction with an
organizational meeting that we have been setting up for
the last month or so. The meeting starts at 3PM also
and it is a brainstorming session about what skiers want
to see happen at the Osceola Tug Hill XC Ski Center over
the next 5 to 8 years. We have been growing at a rate
of 12-15% a year and to be perfectly honest it is
getting to be too much for me and my wife to handle by
ourselves. We need to do another expansion so that more
skiers can have a place to sit down during times between
skiing. We also would like to aggressively work on
getting easements or purchases of adjacent lands for
further trail expansions.

Both of these endeavors really lend themselves to a
longer committment, than the time that I would like to
see myself building the ski center. Lodging is a profit
center that we have not entered into at all. On top of
this food service and a ski school are all areas where
employment growth and revenue growth can be area's to
explore. What this meeting is intended to do is to
start the succession planning so that I can do less over
the next 5 years and to allow others to come in and take
over the operation in a smooth fashion. Because of the
terrain and most importantly the consistent snow that we
get here in Osceola, I feel that we have the potential
to be the premier cross country ski center in the east.
Other ski areas like Craftsbury in Vermont have gone the
non-profit route and this may be the way to go.

So far we have had commitments from numerous State
agencies and individuals that are coming to the
meeting. In addition there will be an open house at the
old store on the four corners in Osceola so that you can
see what has been a very nice renovation on a building
that would make a nice B & B or lodge. A few ski clubs
have expressed an interest in this building and we have
committed $2000 worth of trail fees to any new owner so
that the first lodgers are more likely to be
skiiers. The ski center could act as the rental agent
for the store if needed. If you would like to see the
old store, have a free day of skiing in Osceola, or just
want to give me a piece of your mind I would love to see
you on the 18th.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community