The more things change... the more they stay the same!

I have had my head down the last week or so, working with our Chef on our wine festival dinner, then taking a day off to spend some time with friends...So I have not been paying too much attention to rumors spreading around town...but there are more than a few. And it just goes to show that laws of physics regarding inertia are still in play. Bodies in motion stay in motion. Bodies at rest stay at rest....

Interesting news has filtered east from Killington's parent company ASC (American Skiing Company). It appears that they have retained an agent to sell the Steamboat resort, according to the Rutland Herald. For those of you following ASC, you will remember that ASC had negotiated a deal with the Muellers of Okemo to purchase Steamboat several years ago, only to walk away at the last minute. ASC payed a penalty on that one... But it would appear that it's time to try this again.

Then there is a feud going on in Utah at the Canyons. It appears that the leaseholder of the Canyons (Wolf Mountain) has some issues with ASC, claiming that they are in default of the lease. The lease holder asked the court to have the lease negated and take back possession of the property. ASC asked the court to issue an injunction to stay the procedure to allow time for discussion. The court has apparently ruled for ASC and issued the injunction... But it is more turmoil at an ASC resort.

Is there a pattern here yet...

Now to Killington. Rumor has it that Centex has backed away from SP Land and Killington to develop the Killington Village. Centex is a large real estate company that primarily develops residential properties. They had been retained by SP Land to develop the residential segments of the Village. A letter to several condo associations reportedly penned by John Dithmer, VP Lodging at Killington quotes Allen Wilson saying that Centex has decided to not move forward with SP Land and Killington on the construction of the Killington Village. The land planning firm of Hart Howerton has been retained by SP Land and Killington to complete the final design. Nothing has really appeared in public yet, but the word is definitely getting out around town.

Finally, Killingon's email publication, the Drift came out early last week. "We start making snow in 101 days!" was added as a PS to the email. That would put the start of snow making season at around October 16th... with ski season soon to follow.

It is way too early to conjecture the meaning of all these separate actions and how they will impact Killington and parent company ASC. But turmoil does have a way of distracting people from their main focus. Let's hope the Drift is correct, and the focus stays on providing the best mountain experience possible (summer or winter) to visitors to Killington.