Harrison named to fill open seat

Rutland Herald

April 13, 2017

MONTPELIER — A longtime lobbyist for the Vermont Retail and Grocer’s Association has been appointed to fill a seat vacated by Republican Rep. Job Tate, who resigned to deploy with the U.S. Navy Seabees, a naval construction force.

Jim Harrison was appointed by Republican Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday. He will represent the southern Vermont towns of Chittenden, Mendon, Killington and Bridgewater. Harrison, a Republican, said he plans to run for re-election in 2018.

Harrison spent nearly three decade lobbying on behalf of retailers and grocers in the Vermont Statehouse. He said he wants to focus on economic development issues during his time as a lawmaker.

$110 Million Bear Mountain Revitalization Project Planned

Vermont Standard

4/13/17

Killington — Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, has partnered with Killington, Vermont-based Ottauquechee Realty Advisors, LLC to revitalize the resort’s Bear Mountain base area and South Ridge through a two-year development plan. Total project costs for the Bear Mountain Revitalization Plan are estimated at $60-70 million with a resulting retail value of $110 million once construction is complete.

Phase 1 of the Bear Mountain Revitalization Plan, called “Base Camp at Bear Mountain” is expected to begin in summer 2018 with the construction of 6-7 multi-family buildings estimated to cost $45 million, plus a major remodeling of Bear Mountain Base Lodge (keeping the original footprint), the installation of a fixed grip quad chair lift on Killington’s South Ridge, and on-mountain improvements for skier flow including bridge and tunnel work. On-mountain improvements are expected to cost approximately $8 million total.

“This Bear Mountain Revitalization Plan is especially exciting for me because I know that our core group of season pass holders has wanted a new South Ridge lift since the day we removed the old one,” says Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort.

Phase 2 of the Bear Mountain Revitalization features construction of 18 duplex buildings near the foot of the Devil’s Fiddle ski trail with an estimated cost of $25 million, and is expected to begin during summer 2020.

The principals of Ottauquechee Realty Advisors, LLC, Steve Malone and Richard Saunders, have an extensive background in ski resort development in the New England ski resort environment, and more details are available at www. ora-bearmtn.biz.

Additional project details will be made public at www.Killington.com as they become available.

Killington Resort unveils vision, bold plans, investments

Mountain Times
April 5, 2017

By Evan Johnson

The Killington community got a preview of what the next three years will hold on Monday afternoon, April 3. Highlights of the summer kick-off event included on-slope infrastructure, a revitalized base lodge, mountain biking trails, solar power developments and events.
“Hang onto your hats,” said Tracy Taylor, business development and special project manager at Killington and Pico, addressing a crowded ballroom at the Killington Grand Hotel. “Because it’s going to be a hell of a ride.”
Killington Resort President and General Manager Mike Solimano began the presentation with an update on how the resort fared this winter. After an abysmal 81 inches of natural snowfall last winter season, Solimano said the resort had received 239 inches this season, well above the nine-year average of 203 inches per year. Solimano said skiers have noticed and the resort is projected to attract approximately 700,000 skier visits this year—its second highest since 2006-07.
Solimano said the resort has also logged a higher Net Promoter Score, a metric used to track customer satisfaction. In the past six years, Killington has gone from a score of 47 to 75.
As the mountain transitions into spring, skiers and riders can expect snowy slopes into May and possibly June with the help of massive snowmaking infrastructure. While many were not surprised to hear that the resort doubled its usual fall snowmaking in advance of the FIS World Cup Races; many were surprised to learn that the resort also increased snowmaking in March this year by 408 percent over its five year average.
“We’re going to keep the season going for a long while,” Solimano said.
Bear Mountain Revitalization
In the summer of 2018, Bear Mountain will see a $110 million revitalization project done in partnership with Killington-based Ottauquechee Realty Advisors, LLC. Development. It will be done in two phases, beginning with the construction of six to seven multi-family units estimated to cost $45 million, plus a major remodeling of Bear Mountain Base Lodge.
On-mountain developments in Phase 1 include the construction of a ski bridge and tunnel at the intersection of Skyeburst and The Stash trails to improve the flow of skier traffic. A new South Ridge Quad chair lift will carry skiers and snowboarders from the top of Bear Mountain and bottom of the South Ridge trails to the top of Killington’s South Ridge area, just below the Killington Peak Lodge. Constructing the new lift along the previous South Ridge lift’s return line eliminates the need for any significant trail clearing or rerouting of trails. On-mountain improvements are expected to cost approximately $8 million total.
Phase 2 of the Bear Mountain Revitalization features construction of 18 duplex buildings near the foot of the Devil’s Fiddle ski trail with an estimated cost of $25 million, and is expected to begin during summer 2020.
Solimano said redevelopment Killington’s South Ridge and the Bear Mountain area, combined with plans to establish a village at the Ramshead and Snowshed areas, would put the resort and region on an upward trajectory.
This year, the Killington Grand Hotel is also undergoing a $2 million remodeling of the lobby and the health club.
“You’re going to see some very exciting stuff going on in the next five to 10 years,” he said.
Solar, renewable investments
“Climate change is real,” said Tracy Taylor outlining future sustainability improvements. “We, as a company, believe that climate change is coming at us pretty hard and we need to deal with it and take responsibility just like everyone in this room.”
Taylor said this year, the Killington and Pico will install solar with a $6.5 million investment in solar infrastructure. In the next five years the resorts plan to to draw 33 percent of their energy needs from renewable sources, he said.
Killington and Pico currently receive solar credits toward their power bill from four 500 kilowatt  solar farms in Vermont’s Champlain Valley. These produce 2.5 million kilowatt hours, enough energy to power about 250 homes.
This year, Pico will install a 100 kilowatt rooftop array on its base lodge and a ground-mounted system in a vacant lot. Taylor said these two arrays would produce 560 kilowatt-hours.
“We believe this is key from a marketing perspective we need people to see what we’re doing and that we care about the environment,” Taylor added. Killington and Pico will also install 20 to 30 solar trackers.
The combined solar infrastructure is estimated to produce 3.3 million kilowatt-hours. While that’s enough to power 330 homes, Taylor said, “that’s only 15 percent of the energy we need to run this place.”
Killington will also install three high-efficiency Tesla charging stations for electric cars.
Mt. biking and summer investments
Investments in summer recreation at Killington have totaled $5.5 million in the last four years. Highlights for this coming summer include further expansion of the mountain bike trails, family-oriented assets, camping area and an expanded events calendar.
Since creating the Killington Bike Park at Snowshed in 2014, the resort has seen a growth in ticket sales from 4,900 in 2014 to 12,000 last year. This year, the resort is projecting another 33 percent growth to 16,000 visitors. As a point of comparison, Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia opened their mountain biking network in 2001 with 5,000 visitors. Last year, they saw 130,000, according to Taylor.
This summer is year four of a five-year mountain bike buildout plan with trail consultants Gravity Logic, who also designed and built the trails at Whistler Blackomb. This summer plans are to finish the Ramshead buildout adding a few new trails at Ramshead and a skills park at Snowshed base area.
“We think we’ve got great growth and we’ve got way more people living close by than Whistler ever will,” Taylor said.
But can Killington get to 130,000 visitors like Whistler?
“Absolutely,” Taylor said.
While mountain biking will remain the backbone of Killington’s summer operations, other new attractions this year include a campground in the Vale parking area, tethered hot air balloon rides, bocce courts, playgrounds for smaller children and flyboarding on the Snowshed Pond.
As part of a way to attract a local audience, the resort is rolling out a $59 summer season pass to the Adventure Park for Rutland County residents (not valid Saturdays).
Events
Killington events and sponsorships manager Jeff Alexander and Killington parks and recreation director Kim Peters presented an expanded calendar for the spring, summer and fall, including:
Summer camps June 19-Aug. 25 for ages 4-14
Bike and Brew on June 10-11 with group rides, bike demos, a brew fest and live entertainment
The Long Trail Century on June 24 now features a 40-mile loop, mountain biking portion and adaptive biking at Killington this year
The IMBA Enduro World Series on July 1-2 will be held at Killington and Pittsfield trails as one of six stops in a series
The American Junior Golf Association Championships on July 3-10
The Killington Music Festival on July 1-29
The Dirty Girl Mud Run on July 8
Jeep Jamboree on July 13-15
The Killington Wine Festival on July 14-16
The Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour July 28-30
Under Armor Mountain Running Series Aug. 19-20 with 5K, 10K, half-marathon, 50K and races to the Killington summit
The Spartan Race will run Sept. 16-17
The Masters Games on Sept. 6-13 will be for ages 40 and older and feature bocce, bridge, bowling, cornhole, disc golf, golf and others
The Downhill Throwdown World Cup Sept. 9-10
Witchcraft will run on two weekends, Oct. 7-8 and Oct. 14-15
Killington saved what was arguably the most exciting event until the very end: The final slide in the presentation featured a ticking timer, counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the next World Cup, due back over Thanksgiving weekend. On Monday there were 235 days left until the 2017 World Cup events begin.

Photo courtesy of Killington Resort
An architectural rendering of the remodeled Bear Mountain Base Area.

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/killington-resort-unveils-vision-bold/#sthash.YJrwzvdY.dpuf

POSSIBLE PLEA DEAL IN FATAL CRASH INVOLVING LOOSE BULL

VT Digger

APR. 3, 2017, 7:29 PM BY ALAN J. KEAYS 

A deal is in the works for a Killington man facing an involuntary manslaughter charge after one his bulls got loose from his fenced pasture, went onto Route 4, and was struck by a vehicle, killing the motorist.

Craig Mosher is set for a change of plea and sentencing hearing June 28 in Rutland Superior criminal court. Records don’t indicate what Mosher is set to change his plea to, or provide any information about a possible sentence.

Rutland County State’s Attorney Rose Kennedy declined to comment on the case. Paul Volk, a Burlington attorney representing Mosher, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Killington Road redevelopment advances

Mountain Times

March 29, 2017

By Evan Johnson

At a planning commission meeting last week, engineers and architects presented a plan for managing traffic in the main commercial center of Killington. Using local traffic data and case studies from other ski areas in Vermont and around the country, the plan is to foster traffic patterns that allow bike, automobile, bus and pedestrian traffic to move efficiently and safely in the busy area between the road’s intersection with West Hill Road and Glazerbrook.
The meeting was the first after the Nov. 9 meeting that discussed bus stops, crosswalks and sidewalks.
Unlike resorts with long access roads that can take up to two hours to negotiate, Killington resort is unique in that visitors can go from the main road to the resort parking lot in just minutes, even on the busiest weekends. However, high rates of travel and unclear turning lanes have resulted in confusion and even accidents. Lucy Gibson, senior transportation engineer with DuBois and King, and David Raphael, principal architect at LandWorks, presented accident records from 2011 to 2016 that showed four crashes near Glazerbrook and Basin Sports, four crashes at Green Mountain College’s Killington School of Resort Management, eight at the Fat Italian Deli, six at the Wobbly Barn Steakhouse, seven at the Killington Market and eight more on side streets and driveways intersecting with Killington Road.
Of these accidents, 35 percent were rear-end collisions, and 31 percent were sideswipe collisions by cars traveling the same direction.
Gibson said these collisions were attributed to a lack of a defined turning lane.
Gibson characterized the road’s accident history as “a bit elevated, but not extreme.”
Other areas of concern include pedestrian flow during late nighttime hours, a bus system that can block traffic, and little room for bike travel in the warmer months. The road was the site of one pedestrian fatality in 2013, when a 26-year-old man was struck by a car while walking.
To remedy these issues, the consultants recommended reducing speeds through lane reassignments, a revised transit system that uses well marked and evenly spaced bus stops and eight new sections of sidewalk and eight new crosswalks with flashing beacons to move people to safer areas for walking.
The project engineers are working to adjust the flow of traffic to accommodate the road’s busiest hours, during mornings and late afternoons. Gibson presented a plan to change an existing three lanes of travel to one for each direction with a two-way turning lane in the center. Meeting attendees including expressed concern about the plan’s ability to move traffic quickly to and from the resort.
The plan to redevelop the road is being designed in phases. Project designers will now identify costs, environmental impasses, right-of-way and potential sources of funding. A feasibility study will be presented on May 24.

advancesevan johnson

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/killington-road-redevelopment-advances/#sthash.hGStSJEg.dpuf

$110 million plan at Killington

Rutland Herald | April 05, 2017

By PATRICK MCARDLE
STAFF WRITER

KILLINGTON — Officials at Killington Resort announced plans Tuesday for a $60 million to $70 million two-year renovation project, expected to begin next year, that will add residential units, make improvements to the mountain and remodel the Bear Mountain Base Lodge.

What’s being called the “Bear Mountain Revitalization Plan” is a partnership between Killington Resort and Ottauquechee Realty Advisors LLC. A news release sent Tuesday stated that when the project is complete, the value of the additions will be $110 million.

The first phase, “Base Camp at Bear Mountain,” is planned for a summer 2018 start. That part of the renovation will include six or seven buildings, estimated to cost $45 million.

The first phase also will include a “major remodeling” of Bear Mountain Base Lodge, although the changes will stay within the original footprint.

A fixed-grip, four-seat chairlift will be installed on the south ridge and improvements, including bridge and tunnel work, will be done to improve the flow for skiers.

The work on the mountain is estimated to cost about $8 million.

The second phase is expected to include construction of 18 duplex buildings near the foot of the Devil’s Fiddle ski trail at an estimated cost of $25 million, Work is expected to begin during summer of 2020.

The housing units in both the first and second phases would be for sale as condominiums.

Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort, said the plan was “especially exciting” because it involved the construction of a new lift on the south ridge. The previous lift was removed about eight years ago, Solimano said.

Replacing the south ridge lift has been the top request by Killington visitors, Solimano said: “For us, it’s exciting that we’re doing the lift. But we’re not just doing the lift, we’re also reconfiguring some trails to kind of get the best of both worlds. The skier flow is going to be a lot better. Then, at the same time, we’re going to do some updating to the base lodge and bring that up to a whole other level,” he said.

According to Solimano, there was a path for skiers who wanted to go from the top of Bear Mountain to the main area of Killington, but it intersected with a group of trails and made it harder for other skiers who wanted to ski from the top of the mountain to the bottom.

The resort closed off some of those trails, but that made it more challenging to get around, Solimano said.

The new south ridge chairlift will carry skiers and snowboarders from the top of Bear Mountain and bottom of the south ridge trails to the top of Killington’s South Ridge area, just below the Killington peak lodge. Because the new lift will be built along the previous lift’s return line, the need for any significant trail clearing or rerouting of trails will be eliminated, according to the news release.

Tunnels and bridges will reduce traffic congestion and get people to new skiing areas they can’t easily reach now, according to Solimano.

Killington Town Manager Deborah Schwartz said town officials were optimistic about the proposal.

“It certainly seems to support the town’s goal of making Killington the premier resort community in New England. Anything that supports tourism and year-round employment is welcome,” she said in an interview.

The principals of Ottauquechee Realty Advisors, Steve Malone and Richard Saunders, have an extensive background in ski resort development in New England, including the Topridge project built in the early to mid-2000s, and the lodges at Killington, built around 2009. Both projects were in Killington.

Malone said the Bear Mountain project was being planned for a number of years, but American Skiing Company was unable to enter a contract because of other commitments. When Killington and Pico were sold to SP Land Company in 2007, the project was revived.

Malone said he also funded the RiverWalk Resort at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire.

“What we’re trying to do is improve the overall skiing experience by these mountain improvements,” he said.

One example Malone used was a bar at the base lodge that will look out at the ski trails.

Solimano said the project’s permits are not in place, but because the principals from Ottauquechee have developed other projects, including those in Killington, he said Killington Resort officials were confident they will be successful in aquiring the permits needed for the work to go forward.

The project is not expected to interfere with skiing seasons. Solimano said the next ski season will go on as normal, and construction of the first phase of the project is expected to start in spring 2018. 

patrick.mcardle @rutlandherald.com

Two-year pact for Killington, World Cup

Rutland Herald | April 05, 2017

STAFF REPORT

A happy Mikaela Shiffrin talks to media about her slalom victory at Killington last November. AP PHOTO

KILLINGTON – Record-setting crowds last November made an impression, even without World Cup powerhouse Lindsey Vonn.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association), along with its resort partner POWDR, has announced a two-year agreement for Vermont’s Killington Resort to again host the Audi FIS Ski World Cup in 2017 and 2018.

After years of work by the USSA to find an opportunity to bring World Cup ski racing to the most populated region of the country, Killington hosted an expectation-shattering inaugural World Cup Weekend during November 2016 that drew an estimated 30,000 spectators and New England’s largest resort hopes to carry that momentum into future events.

Killington’s place on next year’s World Cup calendar is expected to be confirmed during meetings of the International Ski Federation in Portoroz, Slovenia in late May. Pending FIS approval, the next World Cup at Killington would take place November 25-26, 2017, Thanksgiving Weekend.

The pact was announced by Killington president and general manager of Killington Resort and Pico Mountain Mark Solimano on Monday.

The 2017 World Cup would include women’s giant slalom and slalom races, attracting athletes such as U.S. Ski Team superstars Julia Mancuso and Mikaela Shiffrin.

Shiffrin, a local favorite as an alumnus of Vermont’s Burke Mountain Academy, won last year’s slalom event with her final run and thrilled a big crowd with a fist pump as she crossed the finish line.

Vonn, recovering from an injury, was unable to compete at Killington.

As with last year’s FIS World Cup, the 2017 and 2018 World Cup races at Killington would be broadcast worldwide to over 60 nations, along with national broadcast coverage across the US. The event is anticipated to bring millions of dollars in economic impact to the state of Vermont.

“Establishing a multi-year World Cup schedule here at Killington is an incredible opportunity to bring even more visibility to the resort and our community, which has been extremely supportive of our efforts to bring these races back. I was blown away by the sheer size of the crowd last year, and the enthusiasm I witnessed leads me to believe that we’ll bring in even more spectators this year to watch the fastest female ski racers in the world take on the Superstar trail,” said Solimano. “We used every cold period in October and November to build a world-class race venue on Superstar, and getting the job done so early in the season showcased our snowmaking system as an industry-leading powerhouse.”

Last November’s races in Killington marked the first World Cup in the eastern US since 1991 when the U.S. Ski Team’s Julie Parisien won the giant slalom at Waterville Valley, N.H.

The USSA has had a long relationship with POWDR producing World Cup and Grand Prix events at Copper Mountain and Park City Mountain Resort, and the collaboration for Killington’s World Cup in 2016 solidified The Beast of the East as a strong venue for World Cup alpine ski racing in addition to the regularly hosted FIS Cup and USSA races.

“Last year we accomplished all of our goals, which were to promote eastern skiing and Killington to the global audience. It was very powerful to see the local and regional communities come together to support World Cup racing,” said Herwig Demschar, chair of Killington’s World Cup Local Organizing Committee and VP of International Business Development at POWDR. “We have a blueprint for successful races to build on, and we are going to throw a party you don’t want to miss.”

“We would be thrilled to work together with the Killington community, USSA and the amazing athletes to host another World Cup and make it even bigger and better than before,” says John Cumming, founder and CEO of POWDR. “Killington is a special place, and to again have the excitement and energy of World Cup ski racing return to the East, to the beautiful mountains of Vermont, is an experience we would enthusiastically embrace and look forward to sharing with the world. As proven by last year’s World Cup, the Killington team is one of the best in the business and up for the challenge.” 

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Killington prepares for $110 million upgrade at Bear Mountain

Vermontbiz.com

Tue, 04/04/2017 - 9:52am -- 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort(link is external), the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, has partnered with Killington, Vermont-based Ottauquechee Realty Advisors, LLC to revitalize the resort’s Bear Mountain base area and South Ridge through a two-year development plan. Total project costs for the Bear Mountain Revitalization Plan are estimated at $60-70 million with a resulting retail value of $110 million once construction is complete.

Phase 1 of the Bear Mountain Revitalization Plan, called “Base Camp at Bear Mountain” is expected to begin in summer 2018 with the construction of 6-7 multi-family buildings estimated to cost $45 million, plus a major remodeling of Bear Mountain Base Lodge (keeping the original footprint), the installation of a fixed grip quad chair lift on Killington’s South Ridge, and on-mountain improvements for skier flow including bridge and tunnel work. On-mountain improvements are expected to cost approximately $8 million total.

“This Bear Mountain Revitalization Plan is especially exciting for me because I know that our core group of season pass holders has wanted a new South Ridge lift since the day we removed the old one,” says Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort. “With the trail work our team has planned, this layout should greatly enhance the Killington experience by improving connectivity between the north and south sides of the resort, and I’m glad to have a local Vermont company planning and executing this important project.”

Phase 1’s on-mountain trail improvements include reestablishing the Snowshed Crossover trail with the construction of a ski bridge and tunnel to enhance the on-snow experience for lower ability levels, while at the same time maintaining uninterrupted top to bottom flow on the more advanced terrain in the Bear Mountain area

The new South Ridge Quad chair lift will carry skiers and snowboarders from the top of Bear Mountain and bottom of the South Ridge trails to the top of Killington’s South Ridge area, just below the Killington Peak Lodge. Constructing the new lift along the previous South Ridge lift’s return line eliminates the need for any significant trail clearing or rerouting of trails.

“From the top of the Bear Mountain Quad, the long-awaited replacement of the South Ridge lift will give skiers and snowboarders easy access the resort’s north side terrain including the Canyon and Snowdon areas, or easy access to the many trails in the sunny South Ridge area,” says Jeff Temple, director of mountain operations for Killington Resort. “We’re also excited to offer a bridge and tunnel solution that provides a more quality ‘tour’ experience for beginner and intermediate skiers riding the south side trails off the K-1 Gondola while at the same time maintaining the quality top to bottom skiing and riding experience in the Bear and Needle’s Eye areas.”

Phase 2 of the Bear Mountain Revitalization features construction of 18 duplex buildings near the foot of the Devil’s Fiddle ski trail with an estimated cost of $25 million, and is expected to begin during summer 2020.

“Killington is, without a doubt, the greatest ski asset in the northeast.  Killington with its vast terrain, industry-leading snowmaking and unique geographic location along with access to the largest drive to destination market in the US, has the most upside potential of any northeastern ski resort,” says Steve Malone, managing member of Ottauquechee Realty Advisors, LLC. “Under the leadership of President Mike Solimano, the resort is now poised to reach its untapped potential. Bear Mountain is an incredibly popular destination within the Killington multi-peak resort experience – on any given weekend or holiday period, thousands of skiers will come over and ski at Bear Mountain with its iconic Outer Limits and Devil’s Fiddle trails, which are more like something one would experience out West. We look forward to working with Killington and POWDR Corp. in the redevelopment of the Bear Mountain experience and the ability to offer a unique Ski-In Ski-Out village at the base of Bear Mountain. We believe that savvy real estate buyers will appreciate the opportunity that the new Base Camp at Bear Mountain will offer for them and their families,” adds Malone.

The principals of Ottauquechee Realty Advisors, LLC, Steve Malone and Richard Saunders, have an extensive background in ski resort development in the New England ski resort environment, and more details are available at  www.ora-bearmtn.biz(link is external).

Additional project details will be made public at www.killington.com(link is external) as they become available.

About Killington Resort

Killington Resort is a four season destination sitting on 3,000 acres in the heart of Central Vermont’s Green Mountains. The Beast of the East boasts 92 miles of diverse snow sports terrain spread across six peaks including Pico Mountain, served by the most expansive lift network and snowmaking system in Eastern North America. After the snow melts, Killington features an 18-hole championship golf course, the family-friendly Snowshed Adventure Center, 35 miles of mountain biking trails with expansion underway with Gravity Logic, plus 15 miles of hiking trails. The seemingly infinite après, dining, and lodging options have made Killington a world-class destination for East Coast skiers and riders for over 55 years. Killington is part of the POWDR Adventure Lifestyle Co. portfolio. Visit www.killington.com(link is external) for more information and be social with #beast365 and #beastwinter.

World Cup will return

Mountain Times

April 3, 2017

Killington Resort to host races Thanksgiving weekend 2017-2018

By Evan Johnson

Some of the best ski racers in the world will again be carving turns down Superstar at Killington Resort, Mike Solimano, resort president announced Monday, April 3. The FIS World Cup will return to Killington Resort over Thanksgiving weekend 2017, Nov. 24-26.

“We wanted to announce to the community first,” he said. “We’ll be getting the word out soon.”

Solimano made the announcement at a summer kick-off event at the Killington Grand Hotel on Monday evening. The news, which had been rumored in the previous weeks picking up credibility after the Aspen Daily News announced that Aspen would not host the race due to needed infrastructure improvements at the resort.

“Hosting the World Cup event last year was an amazing opportunity not just for Killington Resort but for the entire community and region,” said Tao Smith head of Killington Mountain School. “For our students at KMS the experience was especially inspiring and we supported the event in many ways… we hope to have that opportunity again!”

Confirmation of the news that the World Cup will indeed return to Killington elicited very positive reactions from the community members in the audience, with hoops and hollers and a long-lasting round of applause.

When the resort hosted the World Cup over Thanksgiving weekend last year, the event attracted 30,000 spectators—many times more than other early season races held worldwide. It marked a return of World Cup ski racing to New England after a 25-year hiatus and a return to Vermont after 38 years.

The event was also a huge boost for business and helped kick off the early season.

Now, Killington will be the host of the early season Thanksgiving races for the next two years

Killington’s World Cup races will be followed by races in Beaver Creek, Colo., not long after. Those two events are the only to take place in the U.S.A. next race season, according to Rob Megnin, director of marketing, sales and reservations for Killington and Pico.

“We’re working to make it the best we can,” Solimano said.

Solimano said the race raised the profile of skiing in the East and at Killington, but was an expensive endeavor. The resort and its parent company Powdr Corp have been working on ways to make the event more sustainable for the future. The race came to a net cost of $1.2 million, according to Solimano.   

One of those ways is local support. On Town Meeting Day, Killington residents approved a town budget that included $100,000 to help cover expenses associated with the race. The money would be paid to the Swiss-based Federation Internationale de Ski, which organizes the World Cup. Moving forward, the resort will hope to attract sponsors at all levels.

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/world-cup-will-return/#sthash.XHLQeXMq.dpuf

Comment: According to Mike Solimano last year's attendance was the most ever at any women's World Cup event. 
The town's support also came in the recession of the One Percent Sales Tax, which is by far a more significant offset to the World Cup expenses. Wonder why nobody mentioned it.
Vito

Killington Gets World Cup For Next Two Years

At the Killington Summer Kick-Off event Mike Solimano announced Killington will be hosting the Women's World Cup for the next two years on Thanksgiving weekend (weather permitting).

He also announced major capital improvements.

- the Southridge lift will be renovated using the old return path thereby straightening it and eliminating the double jog at the turn.

- Bear Mountain Lodge will be renovated as part of a slope side development at the base of Outer Limits. ($110 million in development starting 2018).

- The closed Snowshed crossover will be reopened with a Stash bridge and Skye Burst to eliminate congestion at the intersections.

Mendon legislator Tate to resign, deploy

Rutland Herald | April 01, 2017

By NEAL P. GOSWAMI
VERMONT PRESS BUREAU

Tate

MONTPELIER — Rep. Job Tate, R-Mendon, plans to resign his seat in the Vermont House in the near future in anticipation of being deployed with the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions.


Tate, 34, a reservist with the Seabees, was elected to the House in 2014 and is in the first year of his second two-year term. Tate declined to discuss the terms of his pending deployment Friday to protect his fellow battalion mates, but confirmed his intention to resign because of it.


“As I’m preparing to leave, I think it sounds corny and cliche, but my affection for the people I represent has grown immensely,” he said. “I’m really impressed with the people in my district — their resourcefulness, their sense of humor and also how frank they are and willing to demand change. It’s been an honor to be their voice in that regard.”


Tate, who drills with his reserve unit in Schenectady, New York, is a heavy equipment operator and explosives specialist. His battalion is based in Gulfport, Mississippi. The Seabees, an expeditionary force, handle construction and infrastructure needs for the U.S. Navy in usually hostile areas.


Tate made clear he will not miss the State House, despite finding “joy” in representing his district.


“I despise Montpelier, despise the city,” he said. “There’s no better feeling than driving past the ‘Welcome to Killington’ sign and being home.”


Tate said state government is controlled by “the cartel of the usual players” who are “creatures of government who can’t seem to be able to do anything else but spend other people’s money.”


Tate said he had hoped to work with “commonsense people who just want to watch their tax dollars religiously” in the State House but found a different environment in Montpelier.


“I’ve brought that same explosives ethic to Montpelier and I don’t regret it,” he said.


Once Tate resigns, Gov. Phil Scott will appoint someone to complete the remainder of Tate’s term. At least three residents of the Rutland-Windsor 1 House district are interested and taking steps to be appointed.


Former Vermont Retail and Grocers Association president Jim Harrison, Green Mountain National Golf Course general manager and golf professional Dave Soucy and Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery are all seeking the appointment.


Harrison, who lobbied on behalf of VRGA for nearly 30 years before retiring in December, said he would bring significant experience to the position.


“I’m at the stage in my life where I’ve now had a chance to step back from full-time employment and I would be honored to serve our district and to serve the state of Vermont as a state representative if selected. I think there’s three good candidates and I think all will serve the district well,” Harrison said.


Tate’s deployment is “especially difficult in that he has a young family,” Harrison said.


“ It’s always, in some respects, sad when a legislator has to resign mid-term,” he added. “Obviously, as a member of the district, I have a lot of admiration for Job. I have a lot of admiration for anyone who takes the time to serve their community and the state. It takes a lot of sacrifice.”


Soucy said he has been making regular trips to the State House and building relationships with lawmakers since creating Vermont Golf Day about four years ago. He said he wants Scott to appoint him so he can help work on economic development issues.


“We need jobs. We need to make it possible for people to make a living here,” Soucy said. “I’ve had an interest in politics and have followed it fairly closely. When I learned that Job was going to be deployed and was going to be resigning, I reached out to Job and let him know that I was interested.”


Montgomery could not immediately be reached for comment.


Because Tate is a Republican, the Rutland County Republican Committee will generate a list of three candidates for the governor to choose from.


Jason Gibbs, Scott’s chief of staff, said the administration received that list Friday, and it includes Harrison, Soucy and Montgomery. The governor will go through the proper process, including candidate interviews, to appoint a replacement, Gibbs said.


neal.goswami @rutlandherald.com


Disclosure: Vermont Press Bureau chief Neal Goswami is the partner of Vermont Retail and Grocers Association President Erin Sigrist.