By LUCAS BLAISE
Contributing Writer
May 07, 2008 04:00 am
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BEEKMANTOWN -- It may have been downhill the past few years, but Beartown Ski Area Inc. might get a lift soon.
"As you can well imagine, we're very concerned about Beartown because it's part of Beekmantown, the heart and soul," said Town Councilwoman Sydney Sue Garrant.
Garrant recently arranged a meeting between the Town Council and the Beartown Board of Directors to talk about Ski Area finances.
"The situation is not very good," said Beartown Board of Directors President Tim Howley. "We are significantly in debt, at this point.
"One of the things that we have had over the years that we no longer have is a lot of help from the state. That was very, very helpful to us."
The late Sen. Ron Stafford had been influential in securing grants for the non-profit Beartown Ski Area.
In the wake of diminishing support, expenses have not gone the same way.
"Insurance is a very big part of it," said Howley.
Liability insurance for the 99-acre facility is just as much as a mountain making $50,000 in annual revenue. Beartown makes between $25,000 and $40,000, Howley said. Last year, its liability insurance cost $12,000.
And that's just one of the expenses for the Ski Area.
Membership fees assist in covering expenses but aren't enough, Howley said.
Fickle North Country winters don't help, either. Because of late snowfall in 2006, the Ski Area did not open at all, but it was able to celebrate its 50th season in 2007.
To offset the costs, the Board of Directors has looked for more steady streams of income, including allowing a radio tower on the property. Once it's constructed, a monthly stream of revenue, even in the off-season, will help, Howley said. The construction work could also take care of some landscaping needed at the site.
Town Supervisor Dennis Relation said a town project may help Beartown financially.
The town is planning an extension of its Spellman Road/Route 9 Water District.
"Beekmantown is eventually going to need a good quality source of water for a public water system," Relation said. "My line of thinking, as I've lived here for a long time, as everybody in here has, we know that west of Beekmantown there's a lot of water. The amount of water that we're talking about is going to be quite large."
The Beartown area does have a lot of water, Howley said, with a spring house used to capture it.
"We were using it for water until the County Health (Department) said that we needed to treat it," said Beartown board member Scott Demane. "So we ended up drilling a well."
"Which turned into an artesian (well)," added board member Matthew Booth.
If there is enough water and it's safe, the town may be interested in purchasing it from Beartown, possibly helping out both parties.
"Just food for thought," said Relation.
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