Editor’s note: Les Otten’s vision to turn a shuttered grand hotel into the largest ski area in the Northeast got a major boost April 18 from the state Senate, which approved House Bill 540 that will help Otten seek the funding he needs for the $173 million redevelopment of the Balsams in Dixville Notch.
It passed the House by a wide margin as well.
kAmk6>mv@G] r9C:D $F?F?F D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ D:8? E96 3:== :?E@ =2H E@ 96=A E96 64@?@>J @7 E96 }@CE9 r@F?ECJ[ ?@E:?8 ?@ 7:?2?4:2= 4@DE @C C:D< H:== 36 :?4FCC65 3J E96 DE2E6]k^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>m#6A] t5:E9 %F4<6C Ws\#2?5@=A9X[ H9@ 4@\DA@?D@C65 E96 =68:D=2E:@?[ 42==65 :ED F?2?:>@FD A2DD286 E9C@F89 E96 $6?2E6 “6I4:E:?8]”k^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>m%96 3:== 2==@HD r@@D r@F?EJ E@ 4C62E6 2 E2I :?4C6>6?E 7:?2?46 5:DEC:4E :? F?:?4@CA@C2E65 A=246D[ =:<6 s:IG:==6 }@E49[ 3FE H@F=5 ?@E C6BF:C6 AF3=:4 324<:?8 @7 E96 3@?5]k^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>mq6=@H :D 2 AC@7:=6 @7 ~EE6? HC:EE6? AC:@C E@ E96 A2DD286 @7 E96 3:==]k^6>mk^Am
kAmsx)'x{{t — q2=D2>D 56G6=@A6C {6D ~EE6? 92D 366? <?@H? 2D 2 >2? H:E9 2 G:D:@? D:?46 8C25F2E:?8 7C@> xE9242 r@==686 :? `hf` H:E9 2 568C66 :? 3FD:?6DD 25>:?:DEC2E:@?]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 4@==686[ ~EE6? H6?E E@ H@C< :? =:7E >2:?E6?2?46 2E z:==:?8E@?[ 2?5 2E 286 ab[ E96 %62?64<[ }]y][ ?2E:G6 H2D D6?E 3J z:==:?8E@?VD @H?6C[ !C6DE@? {66E6 $>:E9[ E@ H@C< 2E 9:D ?6H6DE 2DD6E[ $F?52J #:G6C :? }6HCJ[ |2:?6]k^Am
kAmpE E96 E:>6[ $F?52J #:G6C 925 2 DEC:?8 @7 DFC7246 =:7ED 2?5 H2D 2 D>2== @A6C2E:@? E92E 5C6H b_[___ G:D:E@CD 2 J62C]k^Am
kAmx? 7:G6 J62CD F?56C ~EE6?VD 5:C64E:@?[ E96 2C62 3=@DD@>65 E@ b__[___ D<:6C G:D:ED 2 J62C] x?4] |282K:?6 ?2>65 ~EE6? EFC?2C@F?5 t?EC6AC6?6FC @7 `hgh]k^Am
kAm~EE6? D2:5 9:D 72E96C WH9@ H2D ed H96? 96 H2D 3@C?X @776C65 9:> S`__[___ E@ }~% 8@ :?E@ E96 D<: 3FD:?6DD] p7E6C D6G6C2= J62CD H2E49:?8 9:> EFC? 9:D 92?5 2E :E[ DE66= >28?2E6 p=36CE ~EE6?[ WH9@ 7=65 E96 }2K:D A6??:=6DD 2?5 C6>256 9:D DE66= 7@CEF?6 :? p>6C:42X C6=6?E65 2?5 82G6 9:> E96 >@?6J[ ~EE6? D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 FD65 E92E 2?5 Sb_[___ 96 925 D4C2E4965 E@86E96C @G6C 9:D 7:CDE J62CD @FE @7 4@==686 E@ >2<6 9:D 7:CDE D<: 2C62 :?G6DE>6?E]k^Am
kAmqJ `hhf[ ~EE6? 925 ?:?6 >2;@C C6D@CED :? 9:D 4@==64E:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 w62G6?=J '2==6J :? r2=:7@C?:2[ $E62>3@2E $AC:?8D :? r@=@C25@[ %96 r2?J@?D @7 &E29[ $F82C=@27 :? |2:?6 2?5 }6H w2>AD9:C6VD (2E6CG:==6 '2==6J[ pEE:E2D9 2?5 rC2?>@C6 C6D@CED]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 36=:6G65 96 @H?65 E@@ >2?J[ 96 H2D 7@C465 E@ 5:G6DE D@>6 @7 E96 2DD6ED] %96J :?4=F565 (2E6CG:==6 '2==6J[ H9:49 H6?E E@ q@@E9 rC66< :? r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 :D ?@H 4@?EC@==65 3J E96 72>:=J @7 v@G] r9C:D $F?F?F]k^Am
kAm~EE6? 7@4FD65 @? :?G6DE:?8 :? >2C<6E:?8 2?5 56G6=@A:?8 E96 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2E 9:D C6>2:?:?8 C6D@CED] w6 2=D@ H2D 2 >:?@C:EJ A2CE?6C :? E96 q@DE@? #65 $@I 2?5 H2D :?DECF>6?E2= :? E96 C6DE@C2E:@? @7 u6?H2J !2C<]k^Am
kAmqFE 2E D@>6 A@:?E[ ~EE6?VD D<: 7:C>[ p>6C:42? $<::?8 r@][ 3642>6 @G6C=6G6C2865] ~2< w:== r2A:E2= !2CE?6CD 42>6 :? 2?5 32:=65 E96 4@>A2?J @FE — 3FE D6?E 9:> @FE 2D H6==] ~EE6? H2D 4C:E:4:K65 7@C 8C@H:?8 E@@ 72DE[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 a_`e 3@@<[ Q$<: x?4][Q 3J r9C:D s:2>@?5]k^Am
kAm~EE6? 92D D:?46 7@4FD65 @? CFC2= 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 C6?6H23=6 7F6= 56G6=@A>6?E] x? a__g[ 96 4C62E65 |2:?6 t?6C8J $JDE6>D :? q6E96=[ |2:?6[ H9:49 D66<D E@ 96=A DE2E6 C6D:56?ED >@G6 E@ =@42= A6==6E 7F6= 2?5 @E96C C6?6H23=6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ :ED H63D:E6]k^Am
kAmp? F?DF446DD7F= 3:5 :? a_`_ E@ 364@>6 #6AF3=:42? 8@G6C?@C @7 |2:?6 6?565 :? E96 AC:>2CJ[ H:E9 ~EE6? =@D:?8 E@ 7@C>6C v@G] !2F= {6!286]k^Am
kAm~EE6? 2=D@ :D :?G@=G65 :? 56G6=@A:?8 2 ea\=@E DF35:G:D:@? =@42E65 @77 E96 $F?52J #:G6C #@25 :? q6E96=[ |2:?6 2?5 2 q6E96=\32D65 3FD:?6DD 42==65 $A@CED ':D:@? %649?@=@8:6D]k^Am
kAm~EE6? 92D 9:D DFAA@CE6CD 2?5 56EC24E@CD]k^Am
kAm#:4< $2>D@?[ H9@ D:ED @? E96 E9C66\>6>36C r@@D r@F?EJ r@>>:DD:@?[ D2:5 96 >2J 36 QE96 =@?6 H@=7Q @AA@D:?8 w@FD6 q:== dc_[ C682C5:?8 E96 C656G6=@A>6?E @7 E96 q2=D2>D[ Q3FE x 2> ;FDE 5@:?8 >J ;@3]Qk^Am
kAm%96 3:== H@F=5 4C62E6 2 7:?2?4:?8 E@@= E92E H@F=5 96=A >@G6 E96 AC@;64E 7@CH2C5 3FE ?@E =62G6 E96 4@F?EJ @? E96 9@@< :7 :E 72:=D] xE 92D A2DD65 E96 w@FD6 2?5 H:== 36 E2<6? FA 3J E96 $6?2E6] &!sp%t %wx$k^Am
kAmQx >:89E ?@E 36 E@@ A@AF=2C[Q D2:5 $2>D@?[ Q3FE x 92G6 4@?46C?D]Qk^Am
kAm“xEVD A2CE=J ~EE6?[ 3FE E96 H2J 96VD 8@?6 23@FE :E 2?5 E96 H2J 96 H6?E 23@FE :E 2E $F?52J #:G6C[Q $2>D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm$@>6 92G6 4C:E:4:K65 ~EE6? 7@C @G6C=6G6C28:?8 E96 C6D@CE 2?5 @E96CD] $2>D@? D2:5 ~EE6?VD QD2=6D>6?Q 42>6 367@C6 E96 4@>>:DD:@? :? 2 ?@?\AF3=:4 D6DD:@? E@ 8:G6 2? @G6CG:6H @7 E96 AC@;64E D6G6C2= J62CD 28@[ 2?5 :E 3642>6 @3G:@FD E@ 9:> E92E 76==@H 4@>>:DD:@?6CD %@> qC25J 2?5 q6C=:? |2J@C !2F= vC6?:6C 925 2=C625J 366? 3C:6765[ H96? 96 925 ?@E]k^Am
kAm$2>D@? D2:5 E96 D2=6D>6? E@=5 9:> Q2?J@?6 H9@ 5@6D?VE DFAA@CE E9:D H:== ?6G6C 86E C6\6=64E65]Q k^Am
kAmQx D2:5[ VxV> ?@E H@CC:65 23@FE C6\6=64E:@? 2?5 x ?665 2 =@E >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 367@C6 x DFAA@CE E9:D[VQ $2>D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%@> %:==@ED@?[ H9@D6 =2E6 A2C6?ED }6:= 2?5 {@F:D6 %:==@ED@?[ @H?65 E96 q2=D2>D 7@C >@C6 E92? d_ J62CD[ HC@E6 2 C6DA@?D6 E@ 2 =6EE6C E@ E96 65:E@C 7C@> $2>D@?[ D2J:?8 ~EE6?’D 4FCC6?E AC@A@D2= E@ C6@A6? E96 8C2?5 C6D@CE 92D “E96 6=6>6?ED E@ DF44665]”k^Am
kAmq@E9 2EE6?565 E96 962C:?8 y2?] ah @? w@FD6 q:== dc_]k^Am
kAmp C6D:56?E @7 s:IG:==6 2?5 @H?6C @7 =2?5 @?46 96=5 3J 9:D p36?2<: 8C62E\8C62E\8C2?5>@E96C[ |2CJ %:EFD w@586[ %:==@ED@? D2:5 96 :D A=62D65 H:E9 E96 D:K6 2?5 D4@A6 @7 E96 AC@;64E E92E ~EE6? 6?G:D:@?D] w6 36=:6G6D :E :D A6C92AD E96 =2DE[ 36DE 9@A6 E@ C6G:E2=:K6 E96 9:DE@C:4 =2?5>2C< 9@E6=]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@3=6> :? A2DE J62CD[ %:==@ED@? D2:5[ H2D E96 D<: 2C62 H2D E@@ D>2== E@ 2EEC24E 2 D@=:5 H:?E6C E@FC:D> 3FD:?6DD]k^Am
kAm&A@? 4@>A=6E:@?[ E96 AC@A@D65 D<: 2C62 H@F=5 :?4=F56 >@C6 E92? a_ ?6H =:7ED 2?5 >@C6 E92? `[a__ D<:23=6 24C6D[ =2C86C E92? 6G6? z:==:?8E@?[ 'E][ ?@H E96 =2C86DE D<: C6D@CE :? }6H t?8=2?5]k^Am
kAmpE 2 32D6 6=6G2E:@? @7 `[fdc 766E @? E96 cdE9 A2C2==6=[ :E :D 2>@?8 E96 D?@H:6DE A=246D :? E96 DE2E6 2?5 H@F=5 36 36EE6C 23=6 E@ H:E9DE2?5 4=:>2E6 492?86 E92? @E96C 2C62D @7 E96 DE2E6[ %:==@ED@? D2:5]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.