While there must be more to American Ski Co.’s apparent disdain for continued investment in the east, rumors about Sunday River Ski Resort and Sugarloaf/USA remain pure speculation, and the lack of snow over the past several years may or may not play into any decisions to spin off or retain those top-notch facilities.

Perhaps more important, one might only hope that the former chief executive officer of American Ski keeps his nose out of things. In just a few years, Les Otten took a thriving ski conglomerate into near bankruptcy, due to overzealous expansion and a fixation with building grand hotels – which he clearly knew nothing about.

He piloted an initial public offering of $18 per share down to common stock worth pennies per share, and brings nothing in the way of credentials to support that he might be an answer to any problems that may exist with two of Maine’s finest ski areas.

Loren Feldman, Sabattus