Pitch made for new ski jump

Improvements costing $700,000 would lure 2011 Junior Olympics

SALISBURY — An overflow crowd packed the upstairs meeting room at Town Hall Friday night, Feb. 26.

The 75-plus crowd turned out to learn more about a request from the Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA) for credit support from the town that will help the group to build a new ski jump facility.

The construction of the new site (at a cost of about $700,000)  would allow the town to host the ski jumping and nordic combined portions of the 2011 Junior Olympics.

SWSA members feel confident they can raise the money, and have already raised a good portion of it. However, they need to give a guarantee to the United States Ski and Snowboard Association  by March 10 that the facility will definitely be upgraded before February 2011.

A line of credit

Salisbury First Selectman Curtis Rand opened Friday’s meeting by saying that the town’s attorneys had initially suggested that the town could make a grant to the sports association of $140,000 each year for five years.

Rand said the initial idea — for the town to borrow the money at the favorable municipal rate and then give it to SWSA as a grant — had far too many legal obstacles to be practical.

A suggestion that the town buy the ski jump property at Satre Hill and its parking lot on Indian Cave Road didn’t sit well with the town’s insurance provider.

Rand said the notion was also broached of the town taking over the property and then allowing SWSA to run the jump there.

“They said ‘absolutely not.’ They saw where we were going with that,†Rand said, to general laughter.

The solution  presented Friday is for the town to commit to a series of appropriations over the next five years, as credit support to Salisbury Bank and Trust. The bank is providing a line of credit to SWSA.

SWSA estimates the cost of construction for a new jump at $500,000, plus $200,000 in improvements to the landing hill and the judges’ tower, for a total of $700,000.

The town already makes annual grants to a number of organizations, such as the Scoville Library. But this is unusual, in that  SWSA hopes to never actually use the grant money, relying instead on its own fundraising and the line of credit from the bank.

Rand described the grant as a “safety net.â€

Almost half already raised

SWSA Treasurer Jon Higgins said that SWSA has raised about $300,000 in donations and pledges thus far, up from $160,000 when the group met with the Board of Finance in February.

The United States Ski and Snowboard Association asked for a firm commitment from SWSA by March 10. Higgins said the SWSA fundraising team has been “working night and day†ever since, but realized early on that there would not be enough time to raise the full amount. SWSA has since hired the Berkshire-Taconic Community Foundation to help.

SWSA Vice President Mat Kiefer said he thought it important to continue the tradition surrounding ski jumping and other winter sports in Salisbury. He noted that in 1950, after improvements were made to the jump site, the town hosted the national ski jump championship event, and had also hosted national events in 1931 and 1935.

“To continue this tradition we have to do this upgrade,†he said.

The facility is in need of repairs anyway, and the work would have to be done whether or not the town hosts the Junior Olympics.

Not taken from property taxes

It was originally thought that the money would come from property taxes, which could involve a slight increase in the town’s mill rate.

Instead, a plan has been developed in which the town will take $140,000 from its existing land acquisition fund. The fund currently has about $350,000 in it and is used primarily to make interest payments on the new transfer station and firehouse projects.

That way, taxpayers would not have the $140,000 added to their property taxes. If the money is not spent, and it probably will not be, that sum will be carried over in subsequent budget years, eliminating the need for future fiscal year appropriations.

100-percent audience support

The meeting then shifted into public comment, which was unanimously enthusiastic.

Fred Stevenson kicked off by saying the proceeds from the annual Murphy Open golf tournament would be donated to SWSA.

Sally Spillane said that SWSA’s activities make up “a huge part of the folk culture and tradition of the town†and urged those present to do “anything we can do to support the identity of our town.â€

David Bayersdorfer said he learned to ski “as a 30-year-old kid†and said SWSA had his wholehearted support, citing the organization’s value to “family, town and our uniqueness.â€

Caroline Gilbert said the ski programs for children teach “courage, determination and perseverance — all the things you want the kids to learn.

“And the kids get to see the selfless efforts of the volunteers, how the community takes care of its own.

“This is an opportunity for Salisbury to differentiate itself from any other place in New England.â€

One of SWSA’s founders, Olympic ski jumper Roy Sherwood, had already funded the planning stages of the new jump to the tune of some $35,000. Prior to the meeting, he had pledged another $50,000.

He said the project is “something that has to be done. We can spread the name of Salisbury all over the United States and Europe.â€

And then he guaranteed yet another $50,000, to raucous applause.

“NASCAR Dave†MacMillan, a local radio host and the man behind the a massive food drive each holiday season,  said “I implore the people of Salisbury to get behind what SWSA’s trying to do. This is not just about Salisbury in my mind. This affects people throughout the Tri-state area and beyond.â€

He suggested Salisbury town officials talk to “every town within 50 miles†to help.

“It’s astronomical for small-town businesses.â€

The Junior Olympic events are expected to attract hundreds of people, including the jumpers and their families, the judges and fans of the newly popular nordic combined and ski jumping events. The United States earned gold medals in nordic combined this year for the first time in history. Medalist Bill Demong has competed at the annual SWSA Jumpfest.

Tamara Hengen-Eite, general manager at The White Hart inn, said when she was a waitress there, Jumpfest weekend was a godsend. “It was the middle of winter, we were all broke and struggling — and we knew that weekend that we’d be packed the entire weekend.â€

Kiefer sketched out a scenario for the Junior Olympics with 70 to 80 competitiors arriving on a Monday or Tuesday accompanied by coaches and families, and competing Wednesday through Saturday.

And Kiefer pointed out that all these visitors will need to stay somewhere, and eat.

Higgins envisioned a February winter festival, beginning with the town’s own ski jumps (which will be the weekend before the Junior Olympics), including hockey and curling events plus all the other aspects of the Jumpfest weekend, and culminating in the Junior Olympics.

Mike Flint said that he not only supports the grant proposal but also believes the town should donate $100,000 outright to the cause.

The next step is a vote at a town meeting Friday, March 5, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall (or the Congregational Church if there is a large crowd).

Rand said when the call was drafted, the selectmen were using the figure of $140,000 over five years for a total of $700,000, “but it’s already not going to be that much.â€

There will be two votes that night — one to make a special appropriation of up to $140,000  in the current budget year, “for the purpose of providing credit support†to SWSA,  and one a resolution to include a similar appropriation in future budgets up to fiscal year 2014.

To  contribute to the Salisbury Winter Sports Association fund to rebuild the ski jump facility, send a check made out to BTCF/SWSA to the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, 271 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230 or go online to berkshiretaconic.org.

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