Newspaper Editorial

bigmtn4ever

bigmtn4ever

Member
mkay so i would like to submit an editorial, and i was wondering if i could get some help writing it so it's clear, concise, and to the point.

possible points to include

-several management issues: opening dates, closing dates, chair six no longer free, flying in help from other countries, changing the name, the money involved in changing all the signs and everything just for the name, selling real estate on skiable terrain.... well theres lots more

-i think it should mention something that vandalism isn't the answer

-encourage people to express themselves, maybe suggest or explain the pink duct tape idea

-what ever else

So here i started on one but, well heres what i started with

Times they are a-changin'

I was born in whitefish, grew up on Big Mountain and I have seen things changing faster and faster. People come in with little knowledge or little regard to local tradition and heritage.

I would just like to say that Big Mountain will always be Big Mountain and its sad the way things are being managed up there... just to name a few: later opening, earlier closing, selling terrain for real estate, chair six, no longer free...

Any consise

Times they are a-changin'

I was born in whitefish, grew up on Big Mountain and I have seen things changing faster and faster. People come in with little knowledge or little regard to local tradition and heritage.

I would just like to say that Big Mountain will always be Big Mountain and its sad the way things are being managed up there... just to name a few: later opening, earlier closing, selling terrain for real estate, chair six, no longer free...

 
research this; this will hit a nerve with any ski bum, local, old timer, or any resident not rich.

Selling Real Estate will drive the real locals out of whitefish. Every time a multimillion dollar house is built on property at big moutain, the property tax goes up for everyone in the community. The tax will continue to go up until it drives the original locals out of Whitefish and the town turns into a resort town for the rich and famous.
 
I know that, but its not like we have a problem with the number of tourist visiting Whitefish. Our town isnt big enough to take on that much more people in my opinion.
 
i agree with you, i just think its good to leave that out if you want small business owners on your side
 
that really pissed me off, jamie tries to act like shes a local, shes lived here like 5 years, and she didnt ski in high school, and came back and skiied next year for like a month RRRRRRR i hate when well whatev i finnaly sumbitted something:

Whitefish Mountain Resort: More Than a Name Change

Born and raised in Whitefish, I'm proud to call myself a local and not afraid to state my opinion.

Not only is the name being changed, but many other changes are taking place on Big Mountain. The traditional Thanksgiving opening will be changed to December 8th, and keep in mind that it has opened a week before that in past years. Also the resort will be closing on an earlier date: April 6th.

Why spend money changing the name of the resort, which many whitefish families have ties to, when that money could be spent on expanding skiable terrain - an extra T-bar, or some thinning in hellroaring?

And what of rumors of shortening or eliminating night skiing, and no half pipe? Chair Six already isn't free, there is already houses where the last half pipe was. Perhaps when there is no more private land to sell Big Mountain will go back to being a ski resort instead of a real estate resort.

As far as vandalism goes, there are better ways to express yourself: hike the mountain this year, ski canada, go snowmobiling, grab some pink duct tape, don't be afraid to voice your opinion.

ben fagan

whitefish native
 
sounds good, there's a couple of grammar issues to fix...

Chair Six isn't free anymore, and there are already houses where the last half pipe was. Perhaps when there is no more private land to sell, Big Mountain will go back to being a ski resort instead of a real estate resort.

As far as vandalism goes, there are better ways to express yourself: hike the mountain this year, ski canada, go snowmobiling, or grab some pink duct tape. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion.

 
what i wrote is what i think it should be changed to...

Chair Six isn't free anymore, and there are already houses

where the last half pipe was. Perhaps when there is no more private

land to sell, Big Mountain will go back to being a ski resort instead

of a real estate resort.

As far as vandalism goes, there are better ways to express yourself:

hike the mountain this year, ski canada, go snowmobiling, or grab some

pink duct tape. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion.


 
heres an article from the flathead beacon, some ppls comments are interesting as well

http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/at_whitefish_resort_searching_for_a_sign/C52/640/

A Month of Vandalism Has Taken its Toll

At Whitefish Resort, Searching for a Sign

A stop sign supports the new street sign at the corner of Big Mountain Road and East Lakeshore Drive. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

A month of vandalism on road signs guiding the way to Whitefish Mountain Resort has left carloads of tourists lost, driving aimlessly in the night searching for signs that don’t exist.

Heidi Borg of the Kandahar Lodge at Whitefish Mountain Resort said 25 to 30 percent – up to five carloads a day – of her customers have gotten lost since the vandalism began. Some arrive angry, others arrive in the middle of the night too exhausted to be angry. She said her business is only one of many affected by the vandalism.

“It’s a big issue,” Borg said. “People are feeling upset about getting lost and sitting on the road. People are upset with us. It’s definitely something that they’re expressing to us – the lack of signage.”

About a month ago vandals stole the “Big Mountain” portion of a welcome sign on the skier bridge at the village’s entrance, leaving the sign with just the word “Welcome.” Shortly afterward, vandals stole the large “Big Mountain” sign at the bottom of Big Mountain Road. It was replaced with a Whitefish Mountain Resort sign, which subsequently was covered with graffiti and cleaned, then covered with graffiti and cleaned again, then knocked down with a car, all within a week. It has not been replaced as of this writing, though a Big Mountain Road street sign was put up.

It is hard to say when another sign will go up, said Nick Polumbus, director of marketing and sales at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Whenever it does go up, he said, it will say “Whitefish Mountain Resort.”

“That’s our name,” he said.

Brian Schott, the resort’s spokesperson, said he views the vandalism as isolated incidents and doesn’t fear long-term trends, calling the stolen signs possible Big Mountain “mementos.”

“It’s one of these issues that you don’t want to blow out of proportion,” he said. “It’s some disgruntled member of society.”

According to Detective Lieutenant Roger Bergstrom of the Whitefish Police Department, somebody cut the wood posts of the Whitefish Mountain Resort sign to weaken it and then ran over it with a car. Crimestoppers is investigating the case, but has no tips so far.

“Who knows how deep and how long this is going to continue,” Bergstrom said. “It will take help from public. Until that happens we’re all whistling in the dark.”

Bergstrom agreed with Schott that one single perpetrator is most likely responsible for all the vandalism.

“You don’t know how little or how much it takes to ratchet up a twerp who wants to do vandalism,” Bergstrom said. “In actuality it’s just one idiot who’s doing the work.”

Without a sign to show where to turn onto Big Mountain Road, many resort-goers keep driving on East Lakeshore Drive. Borg said that by the time customers figure out they’ve missed their turn, either by calling the lodge or just by intuition, they still need to navigate through Big Mountain Road construction once they find the turn.

“We’ve been telling our guests to turn at the sign,” Borg said. “What sign? There is no sign.”

Though road construction exacerbates the problem, especially with already frustrated customers driving in the middle of the night, Borg was quick not to point fingers, describing construction as a necessary undertaking. Still, after being lost, it’s hard for customers to endure 5 miles of potentially confusing road construction.

“They think they’ve turned wrong or gone too far,” she said. “Five miles to people who are tired, who’ve driven and flown so long – it seems like a lot.”

On top of all that, she said, Mapquest gives the wrong directions to any Big Mountain or Whitefish Mountain Resort listings, including her lodge. The popular Web site leads people up Iron Horse Drive instead of Big Mountain Road.

“We’re e-mailing Mapquest right now to say they have the wrong directions,” Borg said.

Borg said the new street sign helps, though it isn’t nearly as effective as the big sign was. People are better off looking for the flashing yellow light to mark the turn, she said.

This isn’t the first time disgruntled Flathead citizens have torn down signs in protest, Bergstrom said. It is the first repeat case he can remember, though, since the House of Mystery put up gaudy yellow signs more than 15 years ago. Vandals took down the House of Mystery signs seven or eight times, even chainsawing through steel braces attached to deter further vandalism.

Current House of Mystery and Montana Vortex co-owner Ali Hauser wasn’t the owner yet at the time, but she did say that a Ten Commandments sign put up on her property by an unaffiliated business has been ripped down twice by vandals in the past year.

Polumbus said the vandalism reflects a need to expand dialogue between the community and the resort, particularly to address the “vocal minority that has a negative spin” on the name change. Schott said the resort is going to make announcements about new ways to open up public discussion, possibly coffee with the marketing director or a Web site that serves as a forum.

“It’s incumbent on us to continue the dialogue and explain that what we’re trying to do here is more closely align with Whitefish,” Polumbus said. “I think they need to see it and then they’ll believe it a little more. It’s the cowardly graffiti vandalism that just doesn’t do anybody any good.”

By Myers Reece, 08-09-07 | comments (5) | email story | print story
 
I talked to Chet Powell, the Big Mountain director, he said we are definitely having the pipe, but he didn't say anything about night skiing.
 
You are wasting your time.

Seriously. Why dont you start packing up and move if you hate it so bad?

The fact is: You dont own the mountain. Foley does. Money makes the world go round.

I was just up at the mountain for the concert and everything looks great, the road up the mountain is being improved greatly. The new chairlifts look sick.

Ill see you at the mountain this winter. Ill be there for sure.

 
"Polumbus said the vandalism reflects a need to expand dialogue between

the community and the resort, particularly to address the “vocal

minority that has a negative spin” on the name change. Schott said the

resort is going to make announcements about new ways to open up public

discussion, possibly coffee with the marketing director or a Web site

that serves as a forum."

Interesting. I would love to have coffee with the marketing director, that would be interesting. The public discussion idea is a great one, but NOT an online forum that they can ignore. I want to talk to people.
 
haha im not saying vandalism is right by any means, but its kindof funny how Polumbus says:

"vandalism reflects a need to expand dialogue between the community and the resort"

and then says

"It’s the cowardly graffiti vandalism that just doesn’t do anybody any good."

its too bad that they couldnt listen to local voices before it came to the point of people going out and vandalizing stuff. hopefully they'll actually listen if they have any sort of forum, my guess is theyll have someone come listen to pppl and then just try to gloss it over and not change anything. maybe some good could come of it, and we (the local skiers) could have a chance to meet w/ representatives of the mtn and discuss management issues this winter.
 
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