It would be nice to have another ski resort

Opinion

November 13, 2009

Anonymous The Goshen News Fri Nov 13, 2009, 10:50 AM EST

On Saturday a noted Elkhart County landmark will be on the auction block. Mount Wawasee, a bump in the typically flat terrain south of New Paris will be sold in four parcels. At 1,000 feet, Mount Wawasee is one of the highest points in northern Indiana.

Way back in 1962 Loyal Wilson, Robert F. Haskin and Clifford Hamilton, bought the property and converted it into a ski resort. The resort was called Mount Wawasee and despite its location and rather modest incline, became a happy gathering spot for thousands of skiers — and in its later days, snowboarders — over the next 25 years.

The ski resort was closed under new ownership in 1987. The resort itself has now sat vacant nearly as long as it thrived as a community hot spot. It’s time to rekindle that fire.

Snowboarding was in its infancy back in the mid-1980s. Many bigger ski lodges — never mind the little Indiana hills — didn’t quite know how to handle the beginning of the craze. Mount Wawasee closed just as the popularity of snowboarding began to take off. These days snowboarding competitions are some of the most popular events of the Winter Olympics. ESPN’s X Games has also launched the sport into a whole new stratosphere.

Go to nearly any hill in the country and skiers are routinely outnumbered by snowboarders. It’s a sport dominated by young people and a local ski/snowboard resort would give young people a healthy outdoor venue for interaction and exercise for at least a third of the year.

The sale of the hill, located just south of C.R. 50, has generated a huge amount of interest. Hundreds of people flocked to each of two open houses held at the site recently. We anticipate Saturday’s auction, which begins at 10 a.m., will attract many possible investors. Obviously, anyone with the proper means will be eligible to purchase the parcels and do with them what they wish. Based on the hill’s history and the buzz its sale has generated, though, we hope whoever buys it will consider its importance as a local landmark and its potential as a community draw.

Mount Wawasee Part II? We certainly wouldn’t mind.

Text Only

Opinion

Globe’s quality is coming in loud and clear
The Globe is aptly named. Thanks to the Internet — and via globeradio.org — listeners worldwide have the opportunity to check out Goshen College’s radio station. Minus the web, local listeners can dial in to 91.1 FM and hear WGCS in about a 40-mile radius around campus.

February 11, 2012 1 Photo
Obama's action on education rule will help Indiana
It’s about time Indiana got out from under the onerous provisions of the No Child Left Behind law that was promoted by President George W. Bush and passed by Congress in 2001.

February 10, 2012
We don't want to be on this top 10 list
When it comes to being included in a top 10 list, nobody wants to be ranked as a leader in methamphetamine manufacturing. But Elkhart and Kosciusko counties have again cracked the top 10 for the number of meth labs found, this time for 2011. Elkhart County was ranked second and Kosciusko third. Vanderburgh County, way down on the Ohio River, has been awarded the infamous top spot.

February 8, 2012
Indiana's time to shine is now
During Gov. Mitch Daniels’ visit to Goshen recently, he was asked a very important, very direct question: “Who are you rooting for in Super Bowl?”

February 5, 2012
Community is proud of Skyler Carpenter
Skyler Carpenter had a choice to make.

February 4, 2012
Stahly has served his community well
There are moments that cause us to say “oh, no,” and “outstanding” nearly in the same breath. That’s how we felt recently when Bruce Stahly announced that he plans to retire as superintendent of Goshen Community Schools in June. We said “oh, no,” because we know how important Stahly has been to the school corporation for the past 13 years. And we said “outstanding,” because we know how much he deserves this after a job well done.
Stahly came to Goshen in 1999 as deputy superintendent. He had worked previously as the assistant superintendent of finance for the South Bend Community School Corp. In July 2002 Stahly was promoted to superintendent of Goshen’s schools. That was a great decision by school trustees.

February 3, 2012
Digital technology good for education
Things have changed in education and today has been set aside to encourage educators to embrace those changes.

February 1, 2012
Tommy W. Woodworth
January 31, 2012
Behavior of teens must improve during First Fridays
Goshen’s downtown has a success story, and the tale gets told every month.

January 28, 2012
Solar panels should have limited placement in cities
Goshen resident Marvin Bartel has won approval for his solar array on a vacant lot along College Avenue, which is something we have mixed feelings about.

January 26, 2012
More Opinion Headlines

The Goshen Housing Authority has a $571,050 shortfall. Should the Goshen City Council use money from its $4.7-million “rainy day” fund to pay the debt and maintain the current level of service provided by the voucher program?

Opinion

Search Results

It would be nice to have another ski resort

The Goshen Housing Authority has a $571,050 shortfall. Should the Goshen City Council use money from its $4.7-million “rainy day” fund to pay the debt and maintain the current level of service provided by the voucher program?

Site Map