VOLUME 34, NUMBER 39 FEBRUARY 25, 2010 FREE THE WEEKLY NEWS & LIFESTYLE JOURNAL OF MT. WASHINGTON VALLEY A New Game in Town: Golf pro Julie Rivers has recently open the Back 9 Pro Shop in Conway featuring new and used sporting equipment for the whole family … A15 Wood and Geothermal Workshop: Explore the oldest and newest alternatives to fossil fuels with Russ Lanoie at the TMCC B 2 workshop … Nooks and Crannies: Steve Smith takes a journey to one of the Sandwich Range treasures, the glacial cirque known as The Bowl ... B17 A SALMON PRESS PUBLICATION • (603) 447-6336 • PUBLISHED IN CONWAY, NH Page Two Schuss-Boom and Schuss-Bust: Fast paced growth and face-plants of Maine skiing 1945-1980 kiing in Maine and America enjoyed an unprecedented peri- od of growth, popularity and prosperity in the decades fol- lowing World War II. SEquipment improved, ski schools flour- ished and vast numbers of new enthusi- asts took up the sport between the late 1940s and the mid-1970s. Dozens of new ski areas were started during these decades. Most of these were local ski hills with a few hundred vertical feet and a rope tow. But a few, such as Shawnee Peak (formerly known as Pleasant Mountain), Sunday River and Sugarloaf, evolved into significant skiing destina- tions that continue to flourish. These are a few facets of a narrated digital slideshow recently produced by the Ski Museum of Maine. The show, titled “Schuss-Boom and Schuss-Bust: Fast-Paced Growth and Face-Plants of Maine Skiing 1945-1980,” will be given at the Alpine Sugar Haus at Shawnee Peak (next to base lodge) at 6:30 p.m. on March 2. Admission is free and the gen- eral public is welcome to attend and share their memories of this fascinating period of Maine’s skiing heritage. “Schuss-Boom” is a follow-up to “Down-Mountain and Cross-Country: 140 Years of Skiing in Maine,” which was presented last year. Approximately 120 photos have been assembled from the Ski Museum of Maine’s own collections and more than 40 other sources. clockwise from above: Pleasant Mountain chairlift at the summit. Riding the T-Bar at Pleasant Mountain (now Shawnee Peak) circa 1950. View of Pleasant Mountain from Moose Pond. Hans Jenni demos the Wedin style. (Photos Courtesy of Maine Ski Museum) The photos will depict the many ski areas, both big and small, that sprung up in Maine in the decades following World War II. The first big success story was Pleasant Mountain, which started colonies as the skiing The narrator will be Scott with a rope tow in 1938, and grew into paradigm evolved from one-day Andrews, a Portland-based ski Maine’s top ski area in the 1950s after outings for a handful of adventurous journalist and museum director building the state’s first T-bar and first daredevils to weekend and multi-day who assembled the photos and double chairlift. A further boost came in vacations for family and friends. performed much of the 1959, when Hans Jenni, a Swiss-born Schuss-bust? Three of Maine skiing’s research. Andrews has been an European slalom champion, took over biggest setbacks occurred in western outdoors writer for the past 23 the Pleasant Mountain Ski School. Maine during the 1970s and 1980s. years; his work appears in vari- Other successes include Sunday Saddleback’s ambitious plan to become a ous Maine and New River, currently celebrating its 50th major regional resort was stymied for Hampshire newspapers plus anniversary and Sugarloaf, as well as decades by environmental opposition, Cross Country Skier, Ski Area interrupted by many setbacks and falls - Saddleback and Big Squaw. Smaller while a proposal to develop Bigelow Management and Skiing Heritage mag- ‘face-plants’ in our sport’s jargon.” areas that have closed include Ski-W in Mountain into the “Aspen of the East” azines. “Schuss-Boom and Schuss-Bust: Fryeburg, Burnt Meadow Mountain in was defeated by statewide referendum. “Skiing is a $350 million business in Fast-Paced Growth and Face-Plants of Brownfield and Evergreen Valley in But the biggest failure of all was Maine today and represents a huge Maine Skiing 1945-1980” is sponsored Stoneham-Lovell. Evergreen Valley, a seven million dollar chunk of our state’s tourist-based econo- by the Ski Maine Association and the The slideshow also depicts the project that was launched in 1961 and my,” says Andrews. “But the start of the Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Club. For more advance of the winter lifestyle and the spiraled down into total collapse during ski industry was extremely modest, and information, call Shawnee Peak at 207- growth of A-frame villages and chalet the 1980s. skiing’s overall growth curve has been 647-8444. ▲ On the Cover Inside Index Schuss-Boom and Schuss-Bust Heading for the Iditarod Arts & Entertainment .Pages B1-3, 7, 14-15 Ski journalist and Maine Ski Museum director Scott Joe Mosher of Three Rivers Kennels in Cornish, Maine Business News................................Page A15 Andrews will present Schuss-Boom and Schuss-Bust: Fast speaks with Rachael Brown on preparing his sled dog Calendar ......................................Pages B8-9 Paced Growth and Face-Plants of Maine Skiing 1945- team to race in the 2014 Alaskan Iditarod. See Page A6 1980 at Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, Maine on March 2 at for more. Nookes & Crannies .......................Page B17 6:30 p.m. The digital slideshow will depict the many ski On the Rockpile.............................Page B11 areas that sprung up in Maine following World War II, KHS Drumline Show including the big success of Pleasant Mountain (Shawnee Kennett High School Drumline presents the third On The Slopes ............................Pages B4-6 Peak) and the demise of three Maine ski areas. annual full-length show “Infinite Static,” at the Loynd Real Estate ...................Pages A11 & A14-15 (Photos Courtesy of Maine Ski Museum and Shawnee Peak) Auditorium of Kennett High School beginning Feb. 25 Sports......................................Pages B12-13 at 7 p.m. See Page B3. Page A2 - The Mountain Ear, Thursday, February 25, 2010 Ear Marks Join the Carroll County United Action Teams and see What difference can a decision make? TAMWORTH - With town meetings our young people are successfully on toward achieving the county’s aspiration omy should think about coming to any right around the corner, budgets and grade level by the end of third grade? of “working together to make Carroll of these meetings. community decisions are on everyone’s Given Carroll County has the fewest liv- County a place where all generations The next step is deciding what minds. Residents make critical decisions able wage jobs in N.H., is there some- can live, work and thrive” which was actions are needed to bring that vision every year about in what direction their thing we can do differently so that more decided upon with the help of more than to life. town will go. of our families can thrive? (According to 100 people from September to But doesn’t this seem like just one The Carroll County United Action a 2008 report, fewer than half of the jobs November of 2009. The Action Teams more example of all talk and no action? Teams are wrestling with related ques- in Carroll County provide sustainable will be working with community coach, What’s different here is the sharing of tions such as: How do we steward both wages with only one in five jobs offering Jay Connor from the Collaboratory for ideas across different groups in the com- our natural and human resources and a sufficient wages to support a single par- Community Support from now through munity. It isn’t just the responsibility of vibrant economy, too? Knowing that ent with one child). June to create a road map to help Carroll a hospital to care for the health and some states plan their future prison bed The answers to these questions and County reach its goal. Anyone who cares well-being of the people in its commu- counts based on the third grade reading more will help the residents of the coun- about the well-being of families, seniors, nity. It isn’t just the responsibility of the rate, what can we do to make sure all of ty identify a plan of action to work kids, the environment or our local econ- school to educate the children. Each person, whether they’re a teacher, a healthcare provider, a member of the To coordinate the Ossipee Watershed School Program Initiative clergy, a parent, local or county govern- ment or someone who lives here season- ally, each has a role to play in making GMCG hires Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator this county a better place to live. The Action Teams meet next with EFFINGHAM — Green Mountain and implemented a neighborhood- service learning activities into their Connor on March 3 and 4 at the Tri- Conservation Group has announced based stormwater education and out- curriculum. County CAP Resource Center on Route that Mia Akaogi has decided to return reach project. Her familiarity with the Mia is excited about increasing 16. The public is encouraged to attend. to New Hampshire and is their new region and her background in water environmental education opportuni- The Health and Wellness Team will Water Quality Monitoring quality issues has already been ties in area schools. “We have meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on March 3. Coordinator. Originally from south- extremely helpful as she coordinates received a lot of interest and support The other four teams meet on the ern Vermont, Mia is a graduate of the the newly launched Ossipee for this project and I look forward to March 4: Balancing Economic University of Vermont Ecological Watershed School Program Initiative.