- Belleayre Coalition Endorses ORDA Move
Sees economic benefit for entire region
06/02/2011
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Joe Kelly 516-510-6941 djkelly14@gmail.com
Highmount, NY -- June 2, 2011 -- Officials for the Coalition to Save Belleayre expressed cautious optimism with news from Albany that operation of Belleayre Mt. Ski Center could be shifted to the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA).”A turning point,” is what Coalition Chairman Joe Kelly called the news, first reported locally on Wednesday morning. Saying that the DEC is “too busy and to distracted to properly operate a ski facility,” Kelly added that he thinks a move to ORDA would be good for both the Authority and for Belleayre.”
“We bring proximity to a huge metropolitan skier base and tremendous skier loyalty to them,” said Kelly. “They give us an organizational structure that exists for the purpose of running public winter recreation facilities and a track record of success.” Kelly, who has advocated for improvements at Belleayre for more than 30 years pointed to major layoffs at Belleayre announced by the DEC just as the ski center was gearing up for winter operation last year. “That news was devastating and really let us know how precarious the Belleayre situation was.”
At December rallies in support of Belleayre and its employees, elected officials came and urged local supporters to take control of their destiny and come up with a better plan for the operation of Belleayre. “They asked us for options, we reviewed what is done elsewhere, and most of us feel pretty comfortable that ORDA [which operates both Whiteface and Gore Mountain Ski Centers] is probably the best option for Belleayre.”
Though Kelly said he thought most Belleayre supporters would favor an ORDA plan, he did express caution about how and when the transfer might take place. “We are endorsing this because we want a voice in our future,” said Kelly, “a voice we didn’t have with the DEC,” he added. “If Belleayre is going to ORDA, there must be local representation on the ORDA board,” said Kelly. “We would want to know what they have in mind about that before giving our blessing. We are also very, very concerned about the employees on the mountain,” the Chairman added. “They have made huge sacrifices. They have done incredibly great work under the most difficult circumstances possible. They have earned our loyalty and we want to be sure there is labor stability in whatever new entity operates Belleayre Mt.”
All things being equal however, Kelly spoke for many when he said “this move could help put Belleayre front and center again for at least the next 6 months to a year. It could get us the attention we’ve long sought, the investment that will make us great and the stability we need to grow our local economy.” Kelly added that “all of us look forward to continued discussions about the future of Belleayre Mt.
|
