Saturday, February 6, 2010

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

12:25 PM
Not much going on up at Winter Fest in the remote outskirts of North Amherst, otherwise know as the municipally owned Cherry Hill Golf Course. Who would have figured that town officials would have to pay money over the last 24 hours to make snow while in Washington D.C. they are getting buried in the worst snowstorm of their existence?!

Oh well...hence the problem with things like golf or skiing: relying on Mother Nature as a business model partner is a fast track to bankruptcy (unless of course you can rely on taxpayers for life support.)

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your insipid comment.

-D

Larry Kelley said...

No problem. I'm just getting "warmed" up.

Max Hartshorne said...

I feel bad for these people who have great intentions but do something crazy..rely on nature to provide snow when they want snow. Like a wedding in the rain, nothing is sadder, or more inevitable.

Anonymous said...

Just got back from a lovely time at winterfest, just warming up to go back for fireworks. Thank you Amherst.

harry throbhurts said...

perhaps retribution for 250th atrocities?

Anonymous said...

Oh man 'bach, how long you gonna Whiiiine?

Anonymous said...

Winterfest was a winner! Thanks Amherst Chamber for a great event.

Anonymous said...

Nothing crazy about scheduling an outdoor event. If it wasn't for the fact that it was at Cherry hill, Larry wouldn't be dissing it.

Larry Kelley said...

Yes, Larry would be happier if the town never spent $2.2 million (in 1987 dollars) for a Golf Course it could have had for free, and then another $1 million in operational losses since--as would a lot of responsible taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

Ehat's that got to do with Winterfest?

Chris Baxter said...

I have a few pictures from Winterfest posted on my blog, if you care to check them out.
http://whirlwind-garden-design.blogspot.com/2010/02/whirlwind-at-winterfest-amherst.html

An Amherst Old Timer said...

Okay Larry, now you're starting to sound a lot like a grumpy ol' Grinch! The fact is that Cherry Hill IS a Golf Course & that it used to just sit idle all winter - except for a few sledders & x-country skiiers - but NOW it comes alive one weekend every winter with fun, laughter, and a ton of neighborly goodwill. What could POSSIBLY be wrong with THAT?!?!

And re: the weather dependency thing - just about ALL businesses are weather dependent in some way, including YOUR health club: are you trying to tell me that your business doesn't spike up during the cold weather months and sag during the warm weather months? What if we had an unseasonably warm January - where folks could run and bike outside in 50-60 degree weather all month - don't you think you'd see a drop in membership sales? I think so. Anything recreational in nature is going to be weather-dependent.

So lighten up a little re: Winterfest Larry - it's a great community-builder during a time of year when most folks are typically huddled inside their homes.

Larry Kelley said...

I'm sure somebody will (as for me, been there done that.)

But hey Chris, welcome to the blogosphere: try to upload a tad more often than the Town Mangler or Rick Hood.

Anonymous said...

I think you are partisan to the point of mental illness.

Larry Kelley said...

Actually 'Amherst Old Timer', it was only one day--not a weekend.

Yeah, "weather dependency" is EXACTLY what it's all about.

Golf Courses have the highest operational overhead of any recreation business (except for the exceedingly rare Indoor Downhill Ski Facility.)

Hard enough for the private sector to figure out--almost impossibly for town government types.

And town officials will Spin the supposed success of Winter fest as propaganda to continue feeding the Great White Elephant.

Larry Kelley said...

Yeah, Anon 5:31 PM

That's exactly why Cowardly, Anon, Nitwits like you come back here day after day.

A.N.W. said...

I think Larry is just upset with any publicly funded recreational (or leisure) opportunity because it creates competition for the privately funded recreational businesses in town.

oops.

Larry Kelley said...

Actually I was a very big supporter of the Norwottuck Rail Trail and helped get it built (much to the chagrin of a former Hadley Select man)and have always supported the Amherst War Memorial outdoor Pool (now closed for the first time in over 50 years.)

I have a degree in Exercise Science/Sports Management from Umass/Amherst yet also, strangely enough, completely support their new $52 million Recreation Center.

The reason I don't support LSSE is because their recreation empire bloats like a blimp--at taxpayer expense.

harry shafter gets chaired said...

Oh man 'bach, how long you gonna Whiiiine?

as long as a**holes like you get pi**ed at me

Anonymous said...

Larry,

The DEATHSTAR is packing them in day and night. How's biz?

Larry Kelley said...

Yeah, I know. Now that I'm a Umass student again it's pretty cheap for me to join.

Hard to work out at your own Club (as you would know if you owned one)

Anonymous said...

Don't own one. I prefer businesses that make money.

Larry Kelley said...

True enough.

I didn't go into the business to make money.

Anonymous said...

le tits now

Anonymous said...

larry, read the emyth revisited

Anonymous said...

"I didn't go into the business to make money."

You have succeeded admirably.

Larry Kelley said...

More than one way to measure success.

live like a monk said...

lk now you sound like 'bach

I knew you love me

Anonymous said...

Yep, Larry, you are a mean old man, bitter to the core. Let's hear it for the guy who bashes the event the town created simply for kids and families in the winter.

Wow. I've encountered some spiteful people but you are the new posterboy.

All you need is love. Have you EVER tried that?

Larry Kelley said...

Obviously not nearly as often as the likes of you.

But feel free to start your own 'All you need is love' blog.