jimmy, the mayor of CV, posted this on the Resort Thread. I am moving it here to hopefully generate more discussion and ideas.
"I heard a rumor about the lodge closing back on April 5; that wasn't exactly true but they had a big RIF there. Read an article in the State Journal, tried to find a link online but could not. Gist of it was that Guest Services is asking the state for money back from the % of gross sales they pay. the article states
"Several factors led to the economic problems at Canaan, including lower skier numbers in recent years......"
Chris Stadelman, The Parsons Advocate
Well DUH what did they expect? They practically eliminate snow making to build a base, open late close early put people on the slopes on airboards and they cannot figure out why their skier numbers are declining???? The state should throw Guest Services out instead of renewing their contract. I miss skiing Canaan. jimmy"

I just added these posts:
Here is an article in the Elkins InterMountain newspaper about the cuts at Canaan Valley Resort.
http://theintermountain.com/page/content.detail/id/517231.html#
"Canaan furloughs employees
By ALEC RADER, Staff Writer POSTED: April 2, 2009
Citing declining business and a "pretty hefty rent," Guest Services has reduced the hours of its employees at Canaan Valley Resort. All full-time and part-time employees have had their hours cut the equivalent of one workday.
Marketing Director Allison Metzger said the decision came after Guest Services attempted to trim costs in all other ways. For the past few years, the resort has been reducing its utility consumption in order to avoid such a step. Metzger also said a previous application to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources asking for a lower rent was denied.
Guest Services hopes the furlough will not last any longer than absolutely necessary. Metzger said an increase in business or a large cut on the cost of rent could end hour reductions sooner rather than later.
According to Metzger, Canaan has been trying different, "creative" things at the resort to increase business to no success. She also said all of the layoffs that were announced at the same time as the furlough were seasonal.
The furlough will affect nearly all of the people currently employed at the resort and hours will be reduced by 20 percent. The number of employees was not available by press time.
Employees who have accrued paid time off (PTO) will be given the option of using those hours to supplement their income. However, at an average of six hours per pay period, full-time employees would only have enough PTO to continue at full-time for less than a month. PTO will continue to accrue at a lower rate. Metzger stressed that no employee would be penalized for seeking supplementary income during this time.
The marketing director explained that just because employees will be working fewer hours, services at the resort will not lessen.
"Please know that Guest Services truly appreciates and understands the sacrifices you are being required to make and we do not announce this policy without regret," said a letter to the employees from Barry G. Trice, vice president of hotel operations for Guest Services. "It is our hope that economic times will turn around and that we will be able to suspend this program as quickly as possible."
Guest Services plans to review the program before June 18 to determine if it is still needed. The letter explained that at that time the program could be discontinued, extended or expanded."
HOPEFULLY THIS IS NOT A CONTINUATION OF THE DEATH SPIRAL GIVEN THE WAY GSI HAS RUN THE SKI AREA THE PAST FEW YEARS.
The Colonel
And:
I just followed up on my posting by sending a letter to both Senator Byrd and the WV Governor about the situation at Canaan Valley Resort. I believe that without a viable CVR the Valley will take a major economic hit, and that will also take a toll on all valley businesses such as White Grass and Timberline. If you agree then I would suggest you might want to follow my lead and try to get some of the stimulus funds designated for CVR and especially for the CVR ski area.
The Colonel

Colonel, As a local business owner, I thank you for your efforts. Letters to Guest Services asking them to just get out and let someone run that place to its true potential might be appropriate as well.

I would like to see a similar effort on behalf of Blue Knob.

You might remember this thread from mid-late April. I sent letters to the Gov of WV and Senator Byrd informing of the problems at CV Ski Area and resort, wondering if any of the Stimulas funds were available.
Over time I received several replies, and this is the final one from the WV Parks Parks Director:
Dear Mr. xxx,
Thank you for your recent communiqué's to Governor Manchin which dealt with Canaan Valley State Park and its private concessionaire. I appreciate your comments. I understand your concerns and agree with many of them. Some of Canaan's infrastructure (which is not a direct contractual responsibility of the concessionaire to renovate or replace) is in need of replacement and improvement. We had hoped that solicitation of private investment initiatives through our late 2008 release of a Request for Proposals would bear viable fruit. Unfortunately, it did not. As the contractor has suffered losses which they relate to infrastructure decline (which we do not fully agree with although we are sympathetic to at least some percentage of their belief) they have indeed began to cut back on certain things which we fear will only make business drop and thereby worsen their situation. I do not think that the national recession is impacting business. If so, we would see it across the park system in the areas which we directly operate. Instead, business elsewhere is as good or better than ever.
It is my belief that by later this year a strategy will be found to fully fund the $30 to $35 million in improvements we believe the park's resort amenities need. The obvious needs are replacement of the lodge rooms (which are 30 plus year old modular units set on a steel framework and which were never intended to be in service this long) as well as major investment in ski complex improvements including lift and snowmaking. State Park managers have made what I believe are strong and viable recommendations in regard to funding these needs to the Administration. I am optimistic that we will receive support for the necessary re-development. Ken Caplinger, Chief, WV State Parks
kencaplinger@wvdnr.gov


All DCSkiers should cross your fingers and hope for the best!
The Colonel

Thanks for the action Colonel. I definitely think that letters like that go a tremendous distance in helping get things done. You da MAN!!

Thanks a bunch Colonel..The directors claim to have discussed improvement to the Ski area from the park manager is in line with a discussion I had with him over the winter where he told me of a a few things that he was trying to get funding for. One plan even called for removing the snowmaking pond by the parking lot to make room for another lift & run to the top.. thus solving the cardiac hill problem...keep hope alive!

Ken seems to be a good guy and has good vision on what improvements need to happen to CVR. Hopefully he's got some pull to get some state $ to make some improvements in the short term.

Guest Services needs some real competition, there's no incentive for them to perform. I also think the state needs to put some matching funds into the deal, concessions and some tax incentives is hardly enough incentive for private investors to dump a bunch of $ into CVR.