| |
Updated 3/10
GARRETT
GOOGLE FIBER NETWORK ANNOUNCES COUNTY GOOGLE FIBER ART
PROJECT:
Deadline for Submission is March 18th
The Garrett Google Fiber Network (GGFN) is
recruiting help from an unlikely source – the schoolchildren
of the Garrett County School System. As part of GGFN’s bid
to become a Google community with ultra fast high speed
Internet access, GGFN is asking Garrett County students to
submit their own 4x6 postcard to be sent to Google. Students
must bring their postcards to school by Thursday, March 18,
2010, to be considered for the competition. The cards will
be judged for creativity, art, fun, and Google/Garrett
County content. (For inspiration, please visit the GGFN web
site at
http://fibergarrettcounty.org.)
A top prize of a $25 gift card will be awarded, $10 gift
cards will be given to the 2nd-5th
place submissions, and the top 20 postcards will be featured
on the GGFN’s web site.
“The Garrett County School System will
greatly benefit if Google chooses Garrett County for the
trial,” explained Dr. Wendell Teets, superintendent of the
Garrett County Board of Education. “It will allow us to have
much faster and content-rich applications in the classroom,
administration, and student and parent communications.”
About the Garrett Google Fiber Network (GGFN):
Garrett County is competing with
communities throughout the USA to convince Google to build a
high speed fiber network delivering speeds of 1 Gbps (over
100 times faster than DSL). To learn more about how Google’s
high speed fiber network can bring amazing innovation to
education, healthcare, business, citizen services, and
community action, please visit sign GGFN’s web site at
http://fiber.garrettcounty.org
or call 1-866-403-5982. Be sure to sign GGFN’s petition and
nominate Garrett County for Google’s incredible trial
program. But please act quickly; Google needs to hear from
you no later than March 26, 2010.
Maple
Syrup Demonstration at Local Parks
A
demonstration of the boiling of Maple sap into Maple Syrup w
ill be held at Swallow Falls State Park on Saturday, March
20, 2010 starting at 8:30 am and Running until 3:30 pm.
Steyer Brothers, a local Sugar Camp operator will be On
hand to answer questions and to demonstrate the use of an
evaporator in the syrup making process. Pure Maple products
will be offered for sale during the demonstration. On
Sunday, March 21, 2010 from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, Herrington
Manor State Park will be offering the syrup demonstration
along with a pancake breakfast. Pancakes, buckwheat cakes,
pure maple syrup, sausage, orange juice and coffee will be
served. Adults $7.00, children under 12 $4.00. For
more information, contact Herrington Manor State Park at
301-334-9180.
Updated 3/3
Record
Snow Fall at Deep Creek Lake May Result in Unprecedented
Spring Melt
Deep Creek Hydroelectric
Station to Lower Lake Levels;
Lake Users Encouraged to Take
Extra Safety Precautions
Sooner
or later the record snow fall at Deep Creek Lake must melt
and that could cause a record spring runoff. To a limited
extent, Deep Creek Lake levels can be controlled by the Deep
Creek Hydroelectric Station which operates under a Water
Appropriation and Use permit from the Maryland Department of
the Environment (MDE). Under the permit conditions, the
Station, which is owned by Brookfield Renewable Power, uses
water to generate hydropower, but keeps Lake levels within a
defined “rule band” with upper and lower limits. This
year’s unprecedented snow fall will likely result in an
unprecedented snow melt, particularly if temperatures rise
quickly.
To avoid
serious and potentially damaging high water conditions at
the dam and on the Lake, the Maryland Department of the
Environment has approved Brookfield’s request to draw the
Lake level down two feet below its permitted March lower
limit. The draw down, which began on March 1, will take
place gradually, with a maximum of 0.5 feet reduction per
day. David Barnhart, General Manager for Brookfield’s
Mid-America Operations said, “Together with MDE, we are
doing what we can to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of
the spring thaw. As this winter proves, you never know what
Mother Nature will throw you and an early, sustained thaw
may result in higher than usual water levels.”
The lowered
water levels beneath the ice cover, combined with warming
temperatures, pose unpredictable risks to recreational users
of Deep Creek Lake. Carolyn Mathews, Manager of the Deep
Creek Lake Recreation Area advises, “People should remember
that there are always hazards to recreating on
naturally-formed ice. Lowering the Lake to make additional
storage space for the anticipated above-normal spring runoff
may destabilize the Lake’s ice and we urge everyone to take
special care to stay safe.”
Because many
people are potentially affected by this action, MDE is
requiring that public notice be provided to the local media.
The MDE, Brookfield, and the Department of Natural Resources
continue to monitor the Lake’s level and weather conditions
to determine whether additional actions for safety of
recreational users may be required. For more information on
the Lake’s level, please visit
www.deepcreekhydro.com.
Updated 3/1
My Bank
First United Bank & Trust Launches Walk on the Wild Side
Story Competition
Upcoming
story competition celebrates risk-taking and adventure.
The public is urged to submit their best stories for a
chance to win $1000.
Residents of Garrett County are
encouraged to test their story-telling skills in My
Bank First United Bank & Trust's upcoming Walk on
the Wild Side Story Competition. The author of the
winning entry will receive $1000 to their IRA account.
My Bank's
Walk on the Wild Side Story Competition is centered
around the idea that people should take risks in life,
but not with their money. Starting Monday, March 8, the
bank will begin collecting story submissions through
their website at
www.mybank4.com/wild.
Stories should tell about a wild or crazy life
experience and be under 500 words in length. The
submission period runs from March 8th through March
26th, and the competition is open to both customers and
non-customers.
The top three submissions, as selected by
My Bank, will be posted on the competition blog,
www.mybankwildside.wordpress.com. Starting Monday,
March 29, the public will be able to visit the blog and
vote on their favorite adventure story. Voting ends on
Friday, April 16 and the winning entry will be announced
on Monday, April 19. The story's author will receive
$1000 to their IRA account.
“At My Bank, we encourage people
to take risks – just not with their retirement savings!
We are all about keeping our customers' money safe and
sound, so that they can go live life to the fullest
without worrying about their finances. This competition
rewards the adventurous members of our community for
taking the path less worn. I'm sure we will receive
some pretty wild stories, and can't wait for the
competition to start!” says Phil Rodeheaver, Market
President.
For complete details on the Walk on the
Wild Side Story Competition's rules and regulations, and
instructions on how to submit stories, please visit
www.mybank4.com/wild.
Updated 2/25
STATE BOARD SETS LIMITED WAIVER PROCESS FOR
SCHOOL CALENDARS AFFECTED BY WEATHER
MSA TESTING UNAFFECTED,
BUT STATE TO SEEK FLEXIBILITY FROM FEDERAL OFFICIALS
The Maryland State Board of Education today set forth a
limited waiver process for Maryland school system calendars
affected by the historic snow storms of this winter.
School systems may request a waiver of up to five days from
the required 180-day instructional calendar due to the
inclement weather that affected the State during storms in
December and February. The State Board has authorized the
State Superintendent to approve individual requests from
local system superintendents to make adjustments in the
school calendar.
State law requests schools be open for a minimum of 180
instructional days. The law also grants the State Board
authority to make adjustments to the school year if normal
school attendance is prevented by severe weather. Under the
waiver provision, systems must demonstrate that they have
made sufficient effort in providing instruction through
calendar planning and modifications.
“We believe that 180 instructional days is a bare minimum in
a competitive world where some nations keep students in
school for 220 days or more,” said State Superintendent of
Schools Nancy S. Grasmick. “At the same time, we recognize
that severe weather conditions this year have been
unprecedented, and the State Board believes that some
flexibility must be granted.”
Due to federal deadlines and a tight scoring schedule,
Maryland does not have the option to delay the Maryland
School Assessments (MSAs). Students will take the annual
MSAs as scheduled, beginning the week of March 8, but State
officials have said they will ask the U.S. Department of
Education for special flexibility to maintain the same
scoring targets that were in place for 2009. This practice
has been used by other states in severe circumstances.
Under federal law, schools and school systems must meet
steadily increasing scoring targets to maintain what is
known as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Under the No Child
Left Behind Act, schools and systems strive to make AYP in
order to reach the overall goal of having 100 percent of all
students scoring at proficient levels in reading and
mathematics by 2014.
Maryland’s proposal would maintain the overall 2014 target,
but would not increase the interim target from 2009 to 2010.
Instead, Maryland schools and systems would be required to
make greater improvement by 2011, a target which would not
be altered.
DNR
Advises Anglers Of Poor Savage River
Conditions
Fisheries
Service closely monitoring the situation
The Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service is
closely monitoring the fish population
at the Savage River Reservoir during the
repair of the outlet gates, which
currently present a serious public
safety concern. The US Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) reported draining of
the Reservoir on January 31, to give
contractors for the Upper Potomac River
Commission (UPRC) access to the large
gates, which are urgently in need of
repair.
“The drawdown of the reservoir and
disruptions to the system were
unavoidable,” said Assistant Fisheries
Director Don Cosden. “The DNR Fisheries
Service is committed to restoring over
time the reservoir fishery and the
excellent tailwater trout fishery that
anglers have enjoyed in the Savage River
system over the years.”
As anticipated, the draining process has
substantially impaired river conditions
with the flow of accumulated sediment
from the dam. During the drawdown
process, fisheries personnel observed
accumulations of organic and inorganic
materials downstream.
Fish kill surveys in the Savage River
Tailwater area have revealed a handful
of dead shiners, sculpin, yellow perch
and blue gills from the reservoir. While
no dead trout have been observed at this
time, it is expected that the high
turbidity conditions will impact the
trout population and the aquatic insects
that are the base of the trout food
chain.
DNR biologists will continue to assess
these impacts as the weather and water
conditions allow. Restoration plans in
coordination with UPRC will follow and
will likely include the use of high
flows from the reservoir to clear
sediment from important gravel and
cobble bottoms, where tout spawn and
invertebrate food sources hide. The
agency may also restock brook trout and
invertebrates from un-impacted areas
upstream and plans to restock the
reservoir as the appropriate fish become
available from the state hatcheries.
The requirement to repair the gates came
as a result of inspections in 2007,
which uncovered the problems with the
ageing gates. A $3.92 million grant
under President Barack Obama’s American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act was
awarded for the project.
The removal of the old gates and
installation of new ones will occur
throughout February and early March.
Refilling of the reservoir is expected
to start by mid-March after repairs are
inspected and approved.
While the impacts to the fisheries are
extremely unfortunate, the broken gates
presented a serious public safety
concern. The Maryland Department of the
Environment’s Dam Safety Program ensures
all dams in Maryland are designed,
constructed, operated and maintained
safely to prevent dam failures and the
consequences of failure.
In June 2009 the Environmental
Protection Agency awarded the Maryland
Department of the Environment a $121.6
million to fund Maryland water quality
and drinking water projects under
President Barack Obama's American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
ARRA funding will enable construction of
water infrastructure projects that are
estimated to create hundreds of jobs,
and that will protect public health,
improve the environment, and help clean
up the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland
waterways.
Updated 2/22
Maryland
Deer Hunters Repeat A Record Harvest
Maryland
deer hunters harvested over 100,000 deer
for the second time since modern deer
management began in the early 1900s.
Surpassing this numerical milestone is
consistent with the Department’s goals
to reduce or stabilize deer numbers in
most of the state. The record 100,663
deer taken during the 2009-2010 deer
season barely surpassed the previous
record of 100,437 deer set last year.
Hunters reported 33,761 antlered deer
(1,115 sika deer) for the 2009-2010
season, a three percent decrease from
last year. In contrast, the antlerless
harvest increased two percent to 66,902
deer (1,267 sika deer) this year.
“Our survey information confirms that
deer hunters have spent more time in the
woods over the past two seasons, a trend
we attribute in part to the slow
economy,” said DNR Deer Project Leader
Brian Eyler. “The increased effort has
resulted in more healthy and sustainable
venison being put in the freezer and is
consistent with our efforts to manage
the deer population.”
In Deer Management Region A (Garrett and
Allegany counties), hunters reported
9,430 deer this year, a five percent
decrease from the 2008-2009 total. The
antlered harvest decreased eight percent
to 4,964 deer this year, while the
antlerless harvest of 4,466 deer was
down one percent. Region A hunters
continue to harvest good numbers of
antlerless deer due to the additional
day of antlerless firearm hunting on
private lands that was added in 2008.
The extra day was provided at the
request of landowners in the region who
wanted more opportunities to effectively
manage deer numbers on their land.
The reported deer harvest in the
remainder of the state (Region B) was
relatively consistent for most counties.
Hunters in Region B reported taking
91,233 deer for the year. The antlered
harvest of 28,797 deer was two percent
lower than last year, while the
antlerless harvest increased two percent
to 62,436 deer. Washington County once
again led the harvest totals with 8,587
deer, followed by Frederick County with
8,447 and Baltimore County with 6,752
deer.
The deer harvest in Maryland’s suburban
counties (Anne Arundel, Baltimore,
Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s
counties) continues to be strong.
Hunters in these counties reported
21,231 deer for 2009-2010; up one
percent over last year. DNR has
liberalized antlerless harvest
regulations in these counties in an
effort to address the impacts that high
deer populations have on Maryland’s
suburban landscape and residents.
“Controlling the deer population in the
suburban areas of the state is a
challenging task. Fortunately,
Maryland’s hunters have taken advantage
of the liberalized antlerless deer
hunting opportunities in these areas,”
said Wildlife and Heritage Service
Director Paul Peditto. “Without their
efforts, deer management in the suburban
areas would be much more difficult.”
Deer harvest results by county are
available in the table below.
|
Maryland Reported Antlered
and Antlerless Deer Harvest
for the 2008-2009 and
2009-2010 Hunting Seasons |
|
|
Antlered |
|
Antlerless |
|
Total |
|
County |
2008-2009 |
2009-2010 |
% Change |
|
2008-2009 |
2009-2010 |
% Change |
|
2008-2009 |
2009-2010 |
% Change |
|
Allegany |
2,582 |
2,315 |
-10.3 |
|
2,059 |
2,193 |
6.5 |
|
4,641 |
4,508 |
-2.9 |
|
Anne Arundel |
1,014 |
944 |
-6.9 |
|
2,091 |
2,119 |
1.3 |
|
3,105 |
3,063 |
-1.4 |
|
Baltimore |
1,952 |
1,903 |
-2.5 |
|
5,064 |
4,849 |
-4.2 |
|
7,016 |
6,752 |
-3.8 |
|
Calvert |
692 |
732 |
5.8 |
|
1,140 |
1,524 |
33.7 |
|
1,832 |
2,256 |
23.1 |
|
Caroline |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
whitetail |
799 |
822 |
2.9 |
|
1,980 |
1,810 |
-8.6 |
|
2,779 |
2,632 |
-5.3 |
|
sika |
0 |
1 |
* |
|
2 |
1 |
* |
|
2 |
2 |
* |
|
Carroll |
1,914 |
1,779 |
-7.1 |
|
3,576 |
3,394 |
-5.1 |
|
5,490 |
5,173 |
-5.8 |
|
Cecil |
1,142 |
1,076 |
-5.8 |
|
2,544 |
2,364 |
-7.1 |
|
3,686 |
3,440 |
-6.7 |
|
Charles |
1,664 |
1,669 |
0.3 |
|
3,083 |
3,319 |
7.7 |
|
4,747 |
4,988 |
5.1 |
|
Dorchester |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
whitetail |
934 |
979 |
4.8 |
|
1,954 |
2,075 |
6.2 |
|
2,888 |
3,054 |
5.7 |
|
sika |
996 |
1,032 |
3.6 |
|
997 |
1,078 |
8.1 |
|
1,993 |
2,110 |
5.9 |
|
Frederick |
2,853 |
2,734 |
-4.2 |
|
5,385 |
5,713 |
6.1 |
|
8,238 |
8,447 |
2.5 |
|
Garrett |
2,785 |
2,649 |
-4.9 |
|
2,450 |
2,273 |
-7.2 |
|
5,235 |
4,922 |
-6.0 |
|
Harford |
1,147 |
1,098 |
-4.3 |
|
2,437 |
2,452 |
0.6 |
|
3,584 |
3,550 |
-0.9 |
|
Aberdeen Prv. Grds. |
144 |
144 |
0 |
|
305 |
358 |
17.4 |
|
449 |
502 |
11.8 |
|
Howard |
857 |
830 |
-3.2 |
|
1,988 |
2,225 |
11.9 |
|
2,845 |
3,055 |
7.4 |
|
Kent |
1,137 |
1,195 |
5.1 |
|
2,414 |
2,628 |
8.9 |
|
3,551 |
3,823 |
7.7 |
|
Montgomery |
1,580 |
1,531 |
-3.1 |
|
3,583 |
4,068 |
13.5 |
|
5,163 |
5,599 |
8.4 |
|
Prince George's |
1,009 |
898 |
-11.0 |
|
1,887 |
1,864 |
-1.2 |
|
2,896 |
2,762 |
-4.6 |
|
Queen Anne's |
1,241 |
1,266 |
2.0 |
|
2,767 |
2,885 |
4.3 |
|
4,008 |
4,151 |
3.6 |
|
Saint Mary's |
1,111 |
1,276 |
14.9 |
|
1,943 |
2,592 |
33.4 |
|
3,054 |
3,868 |
26.7 |
|
Somerset |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
whitetail |
786 |
841 |
7.0 |
|
1,895 |
1,737 |
-8.3 |
|
2,681 |
2,578 |
-3.8 |
|
sika |
1 |
1 |
* |
|
4 |
0 |
* |
|
5 |
1 |
* |
|
Talbot |
862 |
860 |
-0.2 |
|
2,308 |
2,130 |
-7.7 |
|
3,170 |
2,990 |
-5.7 |
|
Washington |
3,129 |
2,840 |
-9.2 |
|
6,098 |
5,747 |
-5.8 |
|
9,227 |
8,587 |
-6.9 |
|
Wicomico |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
whitetail |
1,034 |
1,047 |
1.3 |
|
2,476 |
2,286 |
-7.7 |
|
3,510 |
3,333 |
-5.0 |
|
sika |
38 |
29 |
-23.7 |
|
28 |
30 |
7.1 |
|
66 |
59 |
-10.6 |
|
Worcester |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
whitetail |
1,281 |
1,218 |
-4.9 |
|
3,182 |
3,030 |
-4.8 |
|
4,463 |
4,248 |
-4.8 |
|
sika |
41 |
52 |
26.8 |
|
72 |
158 |
119.4 |
|
113 |
210 |
85.8 |
|
Total |
34,725 |
33,761 |
-2.8 |
|
65,712 |
66,902 |
1.8 |
|
100,437 |
100,663 |
0.2 |
|
*Small sample size |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FREE
COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR SCHEDULED
Planning is
well underway for the fourth annual Garrett County Health
Fair scheduled for Saturday, April 17th from 8:30
a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Wisp Resort in McHenry. The
Health Fair is free and open to the general public offering
a variety of booths, displays, prizes, screenings and
speakers appropriate for the entire family.
The health
fair event is organized by the Garrett County STEPS
Committee in keeping with their mission to help the
community be better able to make decisions about wellness
and health care.
Individuals
interested in registering for a health-oriented booth or
obtaining additional information should contact Kathy
Greaser at 301-533-4178 or may contact any committee member
listed below.
STEPS
Committee Members organizing the health fair include Abbi
Kifer, Amy Ritchie, Beth Little-Terry, Brenda Brosnihan,
Suzanne Carley, Caroline Evans, Heather Cooper, Kearstin
Hinebaugh, Jeannie Miller, John McMullin, Kathy Greaser,
Kathy Skipper, Kendra Todd, Linda Lewis, Robert Stephens,
Jen Sober, Suzanne Nicholas, Glenn Tolbert and Dorothy Tuel.
Midweek
is Hard to Beat at Wisp Resort
-- Incredible Midweek Deals Monday
thru Thursday --
Wisp Resort has made it easy and
affordable to get outdoors and recreate this winter with
promotional deals midweek Monday thru Thursday beginning
January 4 thru the end of the 2009/2010 Winter Season.
Midweek Madness Lodging Package:
Starting at $59 pp/pn. Receive 1-night’s lodging at the
Wisp Resort Hotel and a 1-day lift ticket. Valid Sunday
thru Thursday, non-holiday, prices are per person,
person night based on double occupancy and availability,
advanced reservations required, other restrictions may
apply.
Monday – BOGO Day:
Buy One Extended Day Lift Ticket for $39 and Get One
Extended Day Lift Ticket FREE! No coupon required!
Excludes January 18 and February 15.
Tuesday – Student/College Day:
Present a valid 09/10 Student/College ID at any ticket
window to receive a $21 Extended Day Lift Ticket, $36
Extended Day Lift & Rental Package, $8 Snow Tubing and
more.
Roy Roger’s Day:
Visit a
participating Roy Roger’s location and with minimum
purchase, receive a coupon for discount to Wisp Resort
including a $21 Extended Day Lift Ticket, $36 Extended
Day Lift & Rental Package, $8 Snow Tubing and more.
Smiley’s
Pizzeria Day:
Visit the one-and-only Smiley’s Pizzeria
in Deep Creek Lake and with minimum purchase, receive a
coupon for discounts at Wisp Resort.
Wednesday – Local’s Day
– Where everyone is considered local! No coupon
required.
$21 Extended Day Lift Ticket, $36
Extended Day Lift & Rental Package, $8 Snow Tubing and
More!
Thursday – Season Pass Swap Day:
Present a valid 09/10 Season Pass from ANY OTHER ski
resort to receive a $21 Extended Day Lift Ticket.
McDonald’s Day:
Visit a
participating McDonald’s location and with minimum
purchase, receive a coupon for discounts to Wisp Resort
including a $21 Extended Day Lift Ticket, $36 Extended
Day Lift & Rental Package, $8 Snow Tubing and more.
Contact Wisp Resort for participating
locations and complete details. All promotions subject
to change without notice, minimum purchase required for
certain offers, void where prohibited. Wisp reserves the
right to accept or deny any ID or Season Pass, offers
begin January 4, 2010 and expire end of 09/10 Season,
other restrictions may apply.
Wisp Resort is Maryland’s
only 4-season ski, golf and recreation destination,
overlooking Deep Creek Lake in the heart of Garrett
County. Wisp Resort is less than a three-hour drive from
the metropolitan areas of Washington, DC, and Baltimore,
two hours from Pittsburgh and a 45-minute drive from
Morgantown, West Virginia and Cumberland, Maryland.
Maryland
Park Service Issues Public Safety
Warning For Deep Creek Lake
As
temperatures begin to freeze area
waterways, the Maryland Park Service
reminds anyone enjoying winter
activities on Deep Creek Lake or any
frozen body of water, to use caution,
particularly at night.
“Snowmobilers, ice fishermen, hikers and
cross-country skiers traveling on the
frozen lake should exercise caution,”
urged Deep Creek Lake Recreation Area
Assistant Manager Mark Spurrier.
“Wearing a personal floatation device
could prevent a tragedy. If you
encounter people, pets or wildlife that
have fallen through the ice, call either
911 or the Department of Natural
Resources at 1-800-628-9944 for
assistance.”
Road salt
and abrasives plowed from highway
bridges may affect the quality of the
ice underneath and unseen snowdrifts can
act as ramps and cause sleds and
snowmobiles to become airborne leading
to a loss of control and accidents.
Deep Creek
Lake is a part of the designated
Off-Road Vehicle trail system permitting
use by registered snowmobiles only.
Permits are available by mail or at any
of the local state park offices during
normal business hours. Snowmobiles may
operate at night if equipped with
working head and taillights.
Snowmobilers may access the lake through
Deep Creek Lake State Park or with
permission from a private landowner.
For further
information on ice conditions at Deep
Creek Lake, individuals can contact a
park ranger by calling 301-387-5563
during the week-day or the Discovery
Center on weekends at 301-387-7067.
Regional Resorts, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Wisp
Resort & Hidden Valley Resort, Collaborate to offer
Unlimited Season Pass-holders More Value!
Three Resorts. Two States. One Incredible Value
for Unlimited Season Pass Holders!
Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands ski
resorts Seven Springs Mountain Resort and Hidden Valley
Resort with Maryland’s Wisp Resort are proud to announce
an exciting new offering that will provide each resort’s
Unlimited Season Passholders more value, more options,
and more reason to experience great Mid-Atlantic skiing
for the 2009/2010 ski season.
Unlimited Season Passholders at Seven
Springs Mountain Resort, Wisp Resort, and Hidden Valley
Resort will each receive one (1) complimentary full day
lift ticket and a 50% discount on regularly priced
lift tickets for any additional visit to
either of the other two participating resorts, excluding
Saturdays and holiday periods. By simply presenting
their valid 2009/2010 Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, or
Wisp Unlimited Season Pass at the season pass office of
the other resort, season passholders will be able to ski
or ride Sundays through Fridays during the 2009/2010 ski
season, excluding holiday periods. Additionally, each
resort’s Unlimited Season Passholders will receive
special lodging rates Sunday through Thursday nights,
excluding holiday periods and subject to availability.
The program, which began last season
between Hidden Valley Resort and Wisp Resort, has now
expanded for the 2009/2010 season to include Seven
Springs Mountain Resort.
“We are thrilled to be part of the
collaboration with Wisp and Hidden Valley this year. It
is consistent with our philosophy of creating a regional
destination to help spur growth in the Laurel Highlands
and Mid Atlantic region and create value for our
customers” commented Eric Mauck, CEO of Seven Springs
Mountain Resort.
The three resorts, all located within an
hour driving time from each other, make the area a great
destination for those wishing to experience more than
one resort on an extended winter vacation.
“With the addition of the special lodging
rates this year we are able to give our loyal customers
a great incentive to take a well deserved trip to
another resort without the headache of flying or
spending a lot of money” stated Michael Valach, Director
of Skier and Rider Services, Wisp Resort.
All three participating resorts are proud
to offer this perk to their loyal, dedicated customers
and wish to show appreciation in these tough economic
times by adding this opportunity to provide a diverse
skiing / snowboarding experience.
“The Perks Plus program provides an
affordable means for our family season passholders to
experience different terrain at the other resorts,”
stated Bill Doring, President of Hidden Valley Resort.
The Perks Plus Season Pass Program is
available for all customers who may have already
purchased a 2009/2010 Unlimited Season Pass from Seven
Springs Mountain Resort, Hidden Valley Resort, Wisp
Resort, or may wish to purchase one for the coming
season.
For further information or to purchase a
2009/2010 Unlimited Season Pass, please contact: Seven
Springs Mountain Resort:
www.7springs.com, 814-352-7777; Wisp Resort:
www.wispresort.com, 301-387-4911; or Hidden Valley
Resort:
www.hiddenvalleyresort.com, 814-443-8000.
Wisp Resort is Maryland’s only all-season
ski, golf and recreation resort, overlooking Deep Creek
Lake from Marsh Mountain in the heart of Garrett County,
the state’s westernmost county. With more than 65 miles
of shoreline, Deep Creek Lake is Maryland’s largest
inland lake. Wisp Resort is less than a three-hour drive
from the metropolitan areas of Washington, DC, and
Baltimore, two hours from Pittsburgh and a 45-minute
drive from Morgantown, West Virginia and Cumberland,
Maryland. By implementing state of the art snowmaking
technology and a cutting edge resort management system,
Wisp has raised the bar for resort performance and
efficiency.
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