There’s been a sense of relief in Squaw Valley lately. With the release of a revised plan for the Squaw Valley village, it became apparent that people’s voices do count. Although the discussion is not done, it’s clear that stating an opinion does matter. KSL and SVSH took note that groups like Friends Of Squaw Valley and Incorporate Olympic Valley were springing up because people really cared about Squaw Valley and the surrounding community.
I had a chance to meet with Ed Heneveld, the chairperson of Friends of Squaw Valley, after the release of the new plan. There was clearly a sense of relief in his voice. It’s not easy to be the lead guy when you’re trying to create change, and knowing that your efforts can and do make a difference is satisfying. Heneveld was the author of a great letter published this fall that suggested the “Goldilocks solution” for the village.
We applaud the efforts of SVSH to work with groups like FOSV and IOV to make sure that Squaw Valley and Olympic Valley remain as something that has a future for everyone. We hope SVSH makes the same effort to work with the Alpine Meadows community to operate as a viable but independent mountain that offers a different experience than Squaw Valley, just like it has since 1961.
It appears that KSL has heard our message. Clearly the credit for the changes we see in the new plan belongs to the community — the letters, meetings, and conversations at Base Camp and elsewhere. As we have been told by executives of Squaw Valley, the complaints were consistent, loud and numerous.
– Ed Heneveld, Chairperson, Friends Of Squaw Valley
Here’s the link to Mr. Heneveld’s letter at the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Too true, Mark, Ed’s letters are always concise, clear and very sensible.
The relief in some quarters was contrasted by the very visible unhappiness at a bar by a lady who claimed to be an ex politician as well as a KSL person. – she was not happy with all the revelations in Unofficialalpine I can tell you.
Ed also makes the great point that planning bodies should (I assume like IOV) make restrictions on title. Those legal ideas seen on UA were agreed by lawyers for our region, and I think lawyers for another group concurred,. even though our manager and board and senior locals were skeptical. I mean, KSL would never make the big boo boos in their due diligence would they.
My facebook newsfeeds were also simple brimming full of ideas, letters and all the op-eds from Unofficialalpine, Moonshine Ink , Eoicski, Teton , SF Gate and Sierra Sun. UA, FoSV and IOV did amazingly well to get the message out.
Dr Gaffney deserves an award for speaking up.
The 27 Concerned Citizens deserve an Award for signing the letter.
Unofficialalpine also deserves a plac in the history books for presenting more Scoops faster than the mainstream press. Boy was that a political hot potato. Can you imagine ripping up the Museaum to put in pipes? And what did Jennifer know, or not know. Was she a puppet or a puppeteer?
The best questions and the most detailed op-eds were in UAlpine and moonshine Ink.
UA was the best for the lastest eyewitness investigative journalism.
KSL’s investors must be relieved too.
Question: In some places you can have a pre-incorporation contract with a corporation BEFORE the corporation is legally born. It’s a contract that says it’s created with backdated effect provided the corporation comes into being later. Could IOV do one of those contracts with KSL, assuming its worthwhile inking a deal now?
Out of this I hope KSL realises that AM is a different ‘product’ with a different customer base. Squaw has it’s soul but two souls are never alike. Squaw and AM are Soul Mates, not one Soul. Both hills need execs who are tuned into those Souls. Identify problems early – like due diligence when you buy a resort from the Cushings – and avoid the bumps and pottholes.
fyi
http://www.rgj.com/article/20131224/NEWS/312240014/Olympic-Valley-eyes-incorporation?fb_action_ids=10152143752108708&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_ref=artsharetop&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B579767428744801%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.recommends%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%22artsharetop%22%5D
Saw this and I hear Hosea Chevis hopes the incorporation isn’t to oppose the development and Placer basically says “but we need the taxes for all those poor people in Auburn”. Well maybe if these people sat down 2 years ago and consulted first, they would be 2 years closer to turning dirt and wouldn’t be in the pickle they are. If I was an investor, I’d be asking my directors to notify their Directors & Officers insurers.
here’s the vid http://www.rgj.com/article/20131224/NEWS/312240014
I see that the owners of two businesses say, in the press: Elsa Corrigan, owner and chef of Mamasake, says change would be good for business. Development would bring more visitors to the valley and customers to her sushi restaurant in the Village at Squaw Valley.
“I have a lot of faith in the people of Squaw Valley to make a good decision for us,” said Corrigan, a 44-year resident of Olympic Valley.
Her restaurant seats 70 inside and 30 outside customers on a good day, which is normally full on warm days, she said.
“I would love to see that gap bridged between seasons,” Corrigan said. “What we want is balance.”
Though she’s not opposed to incorporation, it’s not a solution to the problem, she said. Both sides are trying to improve the community, she added.
“I think there are people that are scared this development will change the valley,” Corrigan said. “One group is scared of ruining what Squaw Valley has been historically and the other is trying to keep profitable.”
Jeff Pratt, manager of Surefoot, a sports store in the Village at Squaw Valley, is “all for the expansion” because it would bring more jobs and more people, he said.”
This is where Squaw needs a lot of very good management. and people skills- they want to hire a marriage counsellor.
All the good boys and girls are on my Nice list …. but you should see the Naughty List. Ho Ho Ho. It’ll be a quick stopover tonight at Squaw Valley 🙂
Just wondering who won the pass. SV offered a promo code a few weeks ago and you’d win a 2014/15 pass if your friends bought the most passes. Friends also received $25 of resort cash loaded on the pass. Who won?
http://www.rgj.com/article/20131224/NEWS/312240014/Olympic-Valley-eyes-incorporation
Lol, Bos’ Jenny Montgomery is ‘concerned’ that a small voter base can be swayed easily in elections. Uuuum, her fellow Supervisors should be asking her “look what your arse kissing achieved!”
where though will Placer get $5m to fund Placer’s english translation and other feel good services?. Omg, people in Auburn won’t get translators for their Sentencing hearings.
On the maths in the article, there’s about $2m in surpluses every year for the town, That’s roughly $4k per voter per year in services for the town. Real money for real people.
Mamasake are worried, are they. I’d be more worried if my out door dining area was going to be in cold shadowy wind tunnels, or if the landlord can move me somewhere under Relocation clauses without a permit. I bet she’d be the first to run to mama if a landlord decided to run sushi vans around the village parking lot too.
Mamasake should look at their lease really carefully and ask herself “What would’ve happened if ….”. Then ask herself “Who saved my bacon?” “Where were my employees going to park under KSL’s old plan?”. “What would’ve happened if my employees were on the buses that crashed over the fiscal cliff?”. “Where might’ve KSL moved me, and does the lease say the relocation cost is on my head?”. If anyone should be in favour of incorporating, it’s small businesses: anything KSL wants to do to them will need a permit, and guess how much Placer cares about small businesses in the valley.