Frick p. ness dr strange and the members of the gunstock commission who are corrupt
- Thread starter CaIeb
- Start date
Christian_Bale
Active member
I ain't reading that
CaIeb
Member
read this article because that screenshot is unreadable.https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/07...ts-closed-controversy-roils-winter-is-coming/
I'm not like him
Christian_Bale
Active member
I know that dude had a tough time in elementary school
GrandThings
Active member
Ok trying to write up a summary because I'm v interested in this (ski gunstock 1-2 times a year) but was really confused what was going on. People more informed, PLEASE correct me if/where I'm wrong.
TL;DR: A local politician and a few capitalists on the mountain's oversight committee want to privatize the publicly owned resort. Locals and employees disagree, have resigned in protest, and now the mountain's future is in jeopardy.
1) Gunstock is owned by Belknap country. To oversee public funds/maintenance/the running of the publicly owned resort, the county appoints a 5-member commission to oversee everything (the Gunstock Area Commission, or GAC)
2) A local politician (state rep, Norm Silber) wants to privatize the resort, by leasing the land (probably to Vail Resorts) on the basis of supposed "financial mismanagement" and the idea that the publicly-owned resort is not generating enough tax revenue. (essentially your standard pro small-governement talking points, etc.) Basically what happened to Mt. Sunapee in 2018.
3) Traditionally this would never be an issue as the GAC has historically been made up of people who want to maintain Gunstocks local and natural feel, however Silber and other local reps have started filling the GAC with more folks (Ness and Strang) with a similar mindset, even though the VAST majority of the gunstock community wishes to keep the resort publicly owned.
4) The rest of the GAC and resort management strongly disagree with the privatization efforts and have resigned in protest. They claim that leasing the land would lead to a worse mountain experience, poorer snow quality, commercialization of their resort. (Basically the Vail-effect that we all hate.) Important note here. Norm Silber is NOT a skier. Strang and Ness are skiers but one is a tax lawyer, and the other an ER doctor. Both ride DPS skis and complain about the kids wearing baggy clothes. (I made that last part up).
5) Gunstock now doesn't have a team to operate. Summer ops have been temporarily closed and the future for winter 22 is looking bleak...
**This post was edited on Aug 1st 2022 at 12:33:22pm
TL;DR: A local politician and a few capitalists on the mountain's oversight committee want to privatize the publicly owned resort. Locals and employees disagree, have resigned in protest, and now the mountain's future is in jeopardy.
1) Gunstock is owned by Belknap country. To oversee public funds/maintenance/the running of the publicly owned resort, the county appoints a 5-member commission to oversee everything (the Gunstock Area Commission, or GAC)
2) A local politician (state rep, Norm Silber) wants to privatize the resort, by leasing the land (probably to Vail Resorts) on the basis of supposed "financial mismanagement" and the idea that the publicly-owned resort is not generating enough tax revenue. (essentially your standard pro small-governement talking points, etc.) Basically what happened to Mt. Sunapee in 2018.
3) Traditionally this would never be an issue as the GAC has historically been made up of people who want to maintain Gunstocks local and natural feel, however Silber and other local reps have started filling the GAC with more folks (Ness and Strang) with a similar mindset, even though the VAST majority of the gunstock community wishes to keep the resort publicly owned.
4) The rest of the GAC and resort management strongly disagree with the privatization efforts and have resigned in protest. They claim that leasing the land would lead to a worse mountain experience, poorer snow quality, commercialization of their resort. (Basically the Vail-effect that we all hate.) Important note here. Norm Silber is NOT a skier. Strang and Ness are skiers but one is a tax lawyer, and the other an ER doctor. Both ride DPS skis and complain about the kids wearing baggy clothes. (I made that last part up).
5) Gunstock now doesn't have a team to operate. Summer ops have been temporarily closed and the future for winter 22 is looking bleak...
**This post was edited on Aug 1st 2022 at 12:33:22pm
GrandThings
Active member
Some other fun gems from the Boston Globe article, just to give you all a little flavor on who these guys are...
On Norm Silbers thoughts on skiing...."With me, Silber’s tone is so amiable that I am inclined to invite him out for a ski, but when I mention the sport, Silber speaks flatly. “If I tried, I’d break bones,” he says. “I’m into guns. I have many. I shoot clay and paper targets.”"
On Peter Ness' interactions with the Gunstock community.... Ness was not rehired as a ski instructor after the 2019-2020 season because he “repeatedly interfered with Gunstock ski instructors and their lessons.” The report said he often asked, “Do you know who I am?” and then identified himself as a Gunstock Area Commission member — and that one instructor was reduced to tears because she feared she’d be fired.
On David Strang's previously published political agenda... David Strang s a 63-year-old emergency room physician and a downhill ski racer. He is also the treasurer of the Belknap County Republicans, and in 2020 he joined 36 others in sending New Hampshire’s secretary of state a letter arguing that New Hampshire should secede and become a “Free and Independent State.” Last fall, at a legislative session in Concord, he testified against vaccine mandates, arguing, “We have the God-given right to say no"
On Norm Silbers thoughts on skiing...."With me, Silber’s tone is so amiable that I am inclined to invite him out for a ski, but when I mention the sport, Silber speaks flatly. “If I tried, I’d break bones,” he says. “I’m into guns. I have many. I shoot clay and paper targets.”"
On Peter Ness' interactions with the Gunstock community.... Ness was not rehired as a ski instructor after the 2019-2020 season because he “repeatedly interfered with Gunstock ski instructors and their lessons.” The report said he often asked, “Do you know who I am?” and then identified himself as a Gunstock Area Commission member — and that one instructor was reduced to tears because she feared she’d be fired.
On David Strang's previously published political agenda... David Strang s a 63-year-old emergency room physician and a downhill ski racer. He is also the treasurer of the Belknap County Republicans, and in 2020 he joined 36 others in sending New Hampshire’s secretary of state a letter arguing that New Hampshire should secede and become a “Free and Independent State.” Last fall, at a legislative session in Concord, he testified against vaccine mandates, arguing, “We have the God-given right to say no"
Goretex_Vidal
Member
Can’t see this ending well or with Gunstock intact unfortunately due to the power disparity between locals and the lawyer class trying to sell everything off to Vail.
Once the vultures have picked the corpse clean they’ll move onto the next locally owned hill (Cannon) and complain that the revenues aren’t there after destroying all the feeder hills around it.
Once the vultures have picked the corpse clean they’ll move onto the next locally owned hill (Cannon) and complain that the revenues aren’t there after destroying all the feeder hills around it.
BrandoComando
Active member
The Storm Skiing Journal has an excellent summary of the drama going on at Gunstock. I highly recommend that everyone who's interested read this article: Band of Nitwits Highjacks Gunstock: Ski Area's Future Uncertain
Details are changing quickly. Stuart has a daily play-by-play here: Walkouts, Resignations, Wild Accusations: A Timeline of Gunstock’s Implosion
As of yesterday, August 1, Strang was ousted by the Belknap County Commission. Most other GAC members have resigned at this point. General Manager Day has been reinstated and most of the senior leadership has returned to Gunstock. It's a massive turnaround for the resort and things seem to be shifting in a brighter direction.
Details are changing quickly. Stuart has a daily play-by-play here: Walkouts, Resignations, Wild Accusations: A Timeline of Gunstock’s Implosion
As of yesterday, August 1, Strang was ousted by the Belknap County Commission. Most other GAC members have resigned at this point. General Manager Day has been reinstated and most of the senior leadership has returned to Gunstock. It's a massive turnaround for the resort and things seem to be shifting in a brighter direction.
cyphers
Active member
14453107:BrandoComando said:
ness resigned a few days ago as well
https://www.saminfo.com/news/sam-headline-news/10151-controversial-commissioners-out-gunstock-leaders-return-to-work