Cartoons Question Killington Pico Association’s Ethics

Vermont Standard

10/16/2016

By Katy Savage

Standard Staff

A recent ad, published in the Mountain Times’ Sept. 21 edition, depicted the Killington Pico Area Association as a pig that demands money from the select board. It suggests the KPAA only benefits some businesses — the businesses are piglets in the cartoon that feed off the pig. The select board members are puppets being controlled by the pig (the KPAA).

“The last (ad) tipped the community over the edge,” said Mountain Times editor and co-publisher Polly Lynn Mikula. She said she heard complaints from church groups, advertisers and people who “just want to see progress,” she said. “The nature of them was more destructive than enlightening.”

The ad was one in a series taken out by resident and former select board member Jim Haff, before the Mountain Times said it wasn’t publishing political cartoons anymore.

The cartoons (whose illustrator is unknown) have caused uproar in Killington and have brought into question ethics of the KPAA, a private nonprofit that supports the resort and other businesses and relies in part, on taxpayers to be sustainable.

Mikula’s husband, co-publisher Jason Mikula, serves on the board of directors of the KPAA. (The Vermont Standard also pays membership dues to the KPAA).

“I have a basic belief that if businesses want businesses to succeed then businesses should invest in themselves,” said Haff, who formerly served on the select board.

Haff owns the Butternut Inn and Pancake House in Killington. He spends $1,000 to $1,500 in advertising costs each year, he said. He’s advertised against the KPAA and other town issues, he said.

“The philosophy of the KPAA to use the town as a tax vehicle to fund their operations, I don’t believe in it,” Haff said. “I guess the American way is dead.”

The KPAA formed in January 2015.

It took over the former Killington chamber of commerce, which had a reported $173,000 in revenue in 2014. Six months after the KPAA formed, KPAA members presented a contract to the town, in which the KPAA said it would manage all the town’s marketing and events, taking over the town-funded Economic Development and Tourism Department and also employing the town’s marketing coordinator Amy Morrison part-time.

The goal was to create “one Killington,” uniting the town, businesses and KPAA, making Killington a four-season town at a time when ski season sales were down in the Northeast.

The town has budgeted about $162,000 to sponsor about 15 events, according to the most recent town report. It budgeted another $66,000 or so in marketing.

Morrison was caught in the middle of controversy about how she worked for both the town and the nonprofit KPAA.

Morrison resigned Sept. 30, saying her last day is Oct. 14.

Morrison said in an email that she’s accepted a position leading the Stowe Area Association and the controversy didn’t impact her position.

“I have enjoyed my time at the KPAA, and feel that we accomplished a lot as an organization and a community,” she said.

Morrison received about $31,000 in town money, according to the town report.

“It’s taxpayer money when (businesses) should be supporting themselves,” said resident Vito Rasenas who maintains a blog that refers to this issue continually.

Despite being critical about how Morrison’s work and the KPAA is funded, Rasenas praised what Morrison did for the town.

“She ran things pretty well and obviously somebody noticed,” Rasenas said.

The KPAA had an annual meeting the night Haff’s ad published. The executive board highlighted the organization’s success, saying KPAA’s revenues are up 60 percent since it formed and there are 33 new members. The KPAA has about 200 members in total.

“I think we’ve done a very good job moving the town in the right direction. I think that summer business is growing and that’s really our focus to become a four-season resort,” said Vince Chiarella, who owns Box Office Works. He’s on the KPAA board.

“I think it’s been a great thing and I think the town has seen a lot of improvements,” he said.

Chiarella has been in business for 4 1/2 years.

“If the businesses are successful... it keeps property taxes down,” he said.

The KPAA is closely tied to the resort. Killingon Pico Businesses Development Manager Tracy Taylor and President Mike Solimano are both KPAA executive board members. Town Manager Deb Schwartz is also on the executive board.

The resort has invested $5 million in summer activities over the past two years, especially investing in mountain biking.

Taylor said the partnership between the businesses, KPAA and town has been successful.

“It’s sure easier when we’re all pulling in the same direction...not everybody agrees with that,” Taylor said in a phone interview. “I think the proof at the end of the day is trying to reach those objectives,” He said the resort is “way, way better off than we were three years ago.”

Other chambers are struggling with current funding models.

The Manchester chamber of commerce shut down inApril. Membership dropped off by half over the past two years due to changes in health insurance.

The Manchester chamber lost its $70,000 in revenue from members as a result and sought appropriations from 18 towns last Town Meeting but failed to get voter support.

“Technology is changing and relevancy is changing,” said Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce Director Marji Graf.

The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce supports nine towns. Members pay dues, which start at $250 a year depending on the number of employees Graf said an option tax has been talked about.

“None of my towns will go for it,” Graf said.

It’s not unusual for a resort and towns to be close with the chamber.

Woodstock Inn and Resort General Manager Gary Thulander is president of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce.

Woodstock taxpayers contribute to maintenance and custodial costs of the town building, which the chamber pays rent for.

But other chamber directors agreed the Killington’s model of funding the KPAA is unique.

“The Woodstock Inn is a huge economic driver in the community but they aren’t looking to brand everything as the Woodstock Inn. Killington does that,” said Woodstock Chamber Director Beth Finlayson.

Killington select board chair Patty McGrath called the KPAA a “vehicle” for collaboration. She admitted the funding of it might not be perfect.

“I find Jim Haff’s cartoons really, really unfortunate because they really don’t tell the story of what’s truly happening,” said McGrath, who owns the Inn at Long Trail and McGrath’s Irish Pub.

“Anytime you make our town more popular to tourists everybody wins,” she said. “The KPAA has never asked us for more money,” she said. “(Haff suggests) some business get special status but he doesn’t offer any proof or any backing.”

Haff ran for McGrath’s select board seat in March, but lost by about 60 votes.

McGrath said the town’s sponsorship of events have helped her business.

“When you do things like that it helps the resort and it helps all the businesses because all those businesses all get business.’ When those businesses get business they are collecting option tax.”

The revenue from option tax money (more than $800,000) goes to support the town’s economic development and infrastructure, including beautification efforts.

KPAA executive board members weren’t sure if Morrison’s replacement would work for both the town and KPAA as before. But McGrath saw it as an opportunity for the KPAA’s executive committee to make a change.

KPAA Director resigns

I have yet to confirm it from a second source but I got word Amy Morrison, KPAA director paid for by the Town of Killington has just resigned. Took a job in Stowe.

I has ben confirmed.

Local woman hurt in Route 4 crash

Rutland Herald

October 04,2016

A Killington woman was taken to Rutland Regional Medical Center for a neck injury after a crash Monday afternoon.

Vermont State Police said Amanda R. Corey, 37, was stopped in her 2005 Chrysler Pacifica in a line of traffic in the westbound lane of Route 4 near Prior Drive in Rutland Town at about 3:30 p.m. when she was hit from behind by the 2003 Ford F-350 driven by David A. Craven, 40, also of Killington.

The Ford sustained moderate contact damage to the front bumper, while the Chrysler sustained damage to the rear bumper, rear window and trunk area. A hospital spokeswoman said late Monday afternoon that Corey was listed in “fair” condition.

Police said Craven, who was unhurt, was found at fault for the crash.

A Little More on Tim Newcombe's Encounter With Killington

From the Rutland Herald, December 09,2008;

Newcomb, the Times Argus and the Rutland Herald landed in hot water 23 years ago after the papers published one of his cartoons depicting Killington ski area employees, armed with plungers, ready to unclog the mountain's snow-making machines.

The owners of the Killington ski area sued Newcomb and the two newspapers. The ski area was the center of controversy at the time as it tried to convince lawmakers to allow them to circumvent Act 250 laws by releasing treated sewage waste through its snow-making machines.

The move would have allowed for the company to build more condos in the area.

"I was shocked that they got upset over a dumb little cartoon," Newcomb said. "I just thought it was a funny gag."

Killington's owners weren't laughing, however. Although they dropped their suit against Newcomb after the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union took up his case, the ski company fought the Argus and the Herald all the way to the state Supreme Court. The court ruled in favor of the newspapers.

Newcomb got national attention over the cartoon, lifting the number of people who read it from thousands to millions. He proudly states that it was the only cartoon to ever appear in the pages of the Wall Street Journal (it accompanied an article about the lawsuit).

"It was my 15 minutes of fame," he said with a laugh.

From Seven Days, December 10, 2008;

There’s a story behind every picture. Newcomb inks in a few of his faves. 

1: 1985, Killington

There was a bill going through the legislature to allow the ski areas to spray treated sewage through their snow-making machines, which was a way around an Act 250 clause. When Killington saw this cartoon, they just totally hit the roof. They sued the Times Argus for running it. I had an art show at the time, a cartoon exhibit with Ed Koren and Jeff Danziger, that was traveling around the state. As it turned out, the next stop was the Moon Brook Art Gallery in Rutland, and they called and specifically asked that I hang the cartoon in the show. I got it framed up and put it in the show. So Killington turned around and sued me personally. There was no way I could afford a lawsuit against anybody at the time, much less a big corporation. So I went to the ACLU, and they jumped all over it. They just did a fabulous job. It became this big news story that was picked up all over the country. It was the first cartoon ever to appear in The Wall Street Journal. That was kind of cool. 

Meanwhile, Will Hunter, a legislator from down south, realized the implications of the lawsuit: Even if Killington lost, the cost to a small publication would be devastating. He wrote what was called the “Times ArgusBill,” saying if a corporation brought a lawsuit that was deemed frivolous and without merit, that the person bringing the suit was to not only pay their own legal bills, but those of the defendant as well. It was a pretty important bill for Vermont journalism. 

In the end, it all worked out: Killington dropped my personal lawsuit and they lost the one against the Times Argus. And the bill passed. That was my 15 minutes of fame. I felt like, This is great. This is what it’s all about. 

"I had no idea what a bunch of nuts they were,"

An interesting result came up when I "googled" "Killington cartoons", which may or may not be relevant to the current ostracism of local cartoons from our local newspaper. 

This is an excerpt from the book "Drawn to Extremes: The Use and Abuse of Editorial Cartoons" By Chris Lamb published in 2004.

""a lawsuit can have a chilling effect on free expression, especially for a smaller newspaper or one that belongs to a chain that puts profits above journalism."

Freelance cartoonist Tim Newcombe drew a cartoon for the Barre-Montpelier (Vt.) Time Argus that poked fun at the Killington, Vermont, ski resort for wanting to change the state laws so that it could make snow using sewer waste. Newcombe said he marked the ski resort in the cartoon "Killington" because not all resorts in the area wanted to do it. Killington's official response to the cartoon was, "You have people believing they need snowshoes and plungers to ski here," which Newcombe called ridiculous. Attorney Robert Hemley, who represented Newcombe and the Times Argus, said that the Killington ski resort brought the suit, "maliciously  not because they thought there was any merit to the lawsuit but rather to chill expression of opinion contrary to what their position was."

Killington lost the lawsuit but clearly intimidated Newcombe, who drew no more cartoons of the resort while the case was active. Later, when Newcombe agreed to exhibit the cartoon at a nearby art gallery, Killington went to court the next day and filed a lawsuit against him for displaying the the drawing in public. Newcombe said the American Civil Liberties Union agreed to defend him. "I had no idea what a bunch of nuts they were," Newcombe said of Killington. "I can't believe they made such a fuss over it."

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

It’s a sad state of affairs when free speech is curtailed and censorship rules the day. I am referring to last week’s policy change at the Mountain Times wherein local political cartoons will no longer be published. I read the "Local cartoons offend readers who criticize lack of evidence, authorship; policies changed" letter from the publishers. It offers thin gruel for suspension of the local cartoons. While I agree that the cartoons are in questionable taste, they are after all cartoons. As to the argument of lack of authorship its pretty obvious that Jim Haff, whether he drew the cartoons or not, is the person responsible for them. History is replete with artists being commissioned to do work on others behalf.

As to evidence - certain business people in town own significant property and are buying up property and other businesses, expanding their operations not only in Killington but to other towns and even out of state. 

Are these people in need of financial support from the taxpayers? If they have multi-million dollars in assets why do they need the town to do marketing for them? And why do they need to use economic extortion to silence one of the few outlets for dissension to their political aims.

It’s obvious to me that these cartoons have struck a nerve, as they say “A picture is worth a thousand words." The statement that these cartoons are, "a jab at the KPAA and specific businesses without offering facts or explanation” needs further elucidation. There has been plenty of statements, debates and even letters published in the Mountain Times which detail the concerns people have with the town feeding a private organization that is the KPAA. As to specific businesses being targeted the only one I’ve seen in these cartoons is the Green Mountain National Golf Course, a public entity subsidized by the taxpayers. There is no question GMNGC is being paid for with taxpayer dollars. There is not enough space in this newspaper to document the facts regarding GMNGC's dependence on taxpayers.

These businesses and people who are using economic extortion to silence the Mountain Times need to look at themselves and answer why they are so defensive - maybe its because there’s more than a kernel of truth in these cartoons.

If these businesses contend that these cartoons are falsehoods why are they not responding in kind or in writing instead of resorting to economic blackmail by threatening to pull, and in the case of GMNGC pulling, their advertising from the paper. Are they afraid of exposing themselves?

And to boot this is not the first time this extortion has taken place - a certain petition signee was targeted not long ago with the same malevolent tactic because the petition did not fall in line with a certain business's interests. And no, I am not giving  evidence because I don’t want this party suffer further economic damage. The people involved know who they are. Many people in town know the story. It just cannot be stated in detail publicly due to possible further retaliation.

As far as I am concerned this economic extortion is malevolent behavior. The taxpayers should really reconsider if these entities deserve to be subsidized with taxpayer funds if they continue with such brazen malevolence while on the public dole. Never mind they are stifling free speech and engaging in censorship. 

What’s next if we allow these kind of strong arm tactics to be unfettered and threaten our access to communication channels with which we can exercise our freedom of speech?

If this kind of behavior persists and this fascism is not curtailed the townspeople should really consider eliminating  subsidies to the KPAA, elimination of the EDTC, and some sort of sound economic disposition of the GMNGC. There is questionable need for subsidizing these ventures now that Powdr has jumped in and increased Killington Resort’s summer appeal by expanding its offerings. The capital investments by the Resort have increased summer business by a far greater margin than the town’s efforts. 

The taxpayers should not be paying to be silenced!

Vito

Police ID dead Killington woman

Rutland Herald
September 28,2016

KILLINGTON — Police are waiting for the results of an autopsy of a 30-year-old woman who was found dead at a Killington Road residence Monday afternoon.

Vermont State Police said there was no indication of foul play in the death of Ashleigh Rector of Killington, but said “there were indications at the scene of illegal drug use ...”

The cause and manner of death are pending at this time, police said.

Rector’s body was taken to the state chief medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.

State Police and emergency medical services responded just after 1:45 p.m. for a report of an unresponsive adult female.

Rector was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders, police said.