Far West Skier's Guide 2013-2014 - (Page 55)

High Hopes Exist for an Olympic & Far West Ski History Museum In Squaw Valley by Eddy Starr Ancinas A founding member of the Squaw Valley Ski Museum Foundation From the Gold Rush miners speeding down the mountain at 80 miles an hour, to an Olympics known to athletes the world over as the best ever, to the Sierra-bred Olympians - still speeding down the mountain at 80 miles an hour (albeit, on shorter skis) - Squaw Valley, the Lake Tahoe Region and all of the northern Sierra Nevada have unique stories to tell of ski pioneers, entrepreneurs and the region's amazing athletes. With that in mind, a group of local skiers and ski-history buffs founded the Squaw Valley Ski Museum Foundation in 2008 -- determined to tell the incredible story of the VIII Winter Games and the 150-year history of winter sports in the Sierra Nevada. The Board envisioned a world class museum of local, regional and international interest, with interactive exhibits, multi-media, archival preservation, oral histories and on-going programs for all ages. It would be housed in a building of architectural and environmental significance, with galleries dedicated to the 1960 Olympics as well as Far West ski history, plus a small theater, classroom, library, archive room and a museum shop. A Far West Region Hall of Fame would permanently honor ski champions from northern Sierra ski teams, along with the visionaries and local legends that make up the colorful ski community. Early on, the Board recognized the importance of location. With funds from the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association and expertise from museum planners, architects and a local engineering firm, the Board studied the pros and cons of "up valley" (in the ski area), mid valley (with view to the mountain) or at the entrance to the valley (high visibility on main highway). The final conclusion was that the Squaw Valley Park at the entrance to the valley provided the best location for an iconic building to house a Hall of Fame, a Visitor's Center, the collection from the Auburn Ski Club's Western SkiSport Museum on Donner Summit at Boreal Mountain Resort, and all the Olympic artifacts lying in garages, closets and cabins throughout the area. In fact, the Ski Museum Foundation is now in a race to collect, preserve and exhibit hidden private collections before they are gone. Realizing that this collection would represent not only the Squaw Valley Olympics, but the history of skiing from all Far West ski areas, the museum board determined that the museum needs to be an independent historical institution located outside of a ski area with year around access to all visitors to the North Lake Tahoe Area. After a master plan of a museum located in This is the cover page from the proposal Squaw Valley Ski Museum Foundation has before Placer County. It contains the revised concept of all the work the committee has completed. photo provided by Bill Clark the park was presented to the community, the Board learned that some Squaw Valley residents had concerns about a museum in the park. A community site committee was formed, including the leader of the opposition. After nine meetings held over twelve months, wherein the pros and cons of all locations were thoroughly examined, a final vote was taken. The result: 9 to 1 in favor of the park. In December, 2010, the Squaw Valley Museum Board partnered with the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 1960 Olympics at an Olympic Gala held at the Resort at Squaw Creek. When the MC asked the Olympians among the 600 guests to stand, an impressive number of past and present Olympians stood to a thunderous applause. This show of enthusiasm for Squaw's Olympic history was further demonstrated by the interest shown by the many visitors who visited a temporary museum in the Squaw Valley Village, managed by the Squaw Valley Museum volunteers during the winter of 2010-2011. As interest in a Squaw Valley Olympic Museum grew beyond our local area and included skiers from all over California, Nevada and even foreign visitors, the Board continued with public outreach to Squaw Valley residents and members of the greater community. Although the Board promised not to "interfere with any of the present or planned activities and recreation in the park" (i.e. soccer, Pickle Ball and a tot lot), the county supervisor joined the small number of Squaw Valley dissidents, who continued to resist the possibility of an Olympic Museum in the park. Thoughts returned to the site across the road from the Tower of Nations site. Although previously eliminated for its unsightly development, electrical wires, awkward easements and the fact that the property is owned by the Poulsen family; the Board agreed to re-investigate. A year later, having established that the land was not for sale, the overhead transmission lines could not be moved, easements across county land could not be changed; the Board hired a project manager and consulting firm to help them move on to secure the only viable location for the museum they had worked four years to establish (the park). With a revised concept, a much smaller footprint on the land and a new design by San Francisco architect, Peter Pfau; the Museum Board, with the help of their consultants, prepared a booklet with a revised Museum concept describing the history of their project and the proposed new concept. Bill Clark, president of the Squaw Valley Museum Board, met county officials and supervisors, with the ultimate goal of presenting the plan at the Board of Supervisors Meeting in Tahoe City on July 23, 2013. However, just before that much anticipated event, the county CEO called the Museum Board to a meeting to consider, once again, the Poulsen property across the road. He announced the county's desire to work with the Poulsen family on creating a Master Plan that could include a viable site for the museum. The Board agreed to wait six months (January 2014), with periodic updates. Meanwhile, the Lake Placid Olympic Museum welcomes 35,000 visitors a year. The Alf Engen Museum and the George Eccles 2002 Olympic Winter Games Exhibits in Park City reported 160,000 in 2008. An economic impact study conducted by the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association in 2008 projected 80,000 visitors to the Squaw Valley museum the first year, 100,000 the second year. Will the story of the 1960 Olympics be told and displayed in one place for all the world to see? Will knowledge of our western winter sports history be made known to curious visitors, locals, students and historians? Will past, present and future athletes have a special place that recognizes their accomplishments? Hopefully, these questions will be answered when Placer County either approves the park site or L makes the other side of the road a viable option. L Far West Skier's Guide 2O13 - 2O14 55

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Far West Skier's Guide 2013-2014

Far West Skier's Guide 2013-2014
Index
Board of Directors, Trustees
President’s Message: FWSA is on the Move!
FWSA Committee Chairmen and Other Representatives
FWSA Presidents Gather at 2013 Convention
Council Information
FWSA Council Services Supports Clubs
National Ski Council Federation Brings Councils & Clubs Together Nationwide
FWSA Membership: Through Clubs or Direct
FWSA Direct Member Application Form
Order Form / Far West Skier’s Guide
FWSA Communications
Ski Season - 2014
FWSA Travel Program
FWRA Board of Directors
FWRA League Race Chairs
Why Do We Race?
FWRA Race Schedule
The FWSA Athletic Scholarship Program Helps Junior Racers
Pursue Your Passions Through the FWSF
Hope on the Slopes Events
Winter Trails Day
FWSA 81st Annual Convention - Mountain Magic Moments - Recap
FWSA 2013 Convention Sponsors
FWSA Industry Award Winners
Convention Door Prize Donors & Milestones
2013 FWSA Councils’ Man & Woman of the Year
Silent Auction & Travel Expo Participants - 2013
2013 FWSA Convention Award Recipients
Snowsports Celebrities Entertain & Inform
Candace Cable, Keynote Speaker
FWSA Safety Person of the Year
FWSA Western Ski Heritage Award
FWSA Snowsports Builder Awards
FWSA Ski Clubs & Councils Continue Generous Charity Support
FWSA 82nd Annual Convention - Volcanic Paradise - Bend, Oregon
FWSA 83rd Annual Convention - Salute to San Diego
Twelve Resorts / One Pass
Public Affairs - 2013 Update
The Road to Sochi
Lodging Options
Regional Ski Shows
High Hopes Exist for an Olympic & Far West History Museum in Squaw Valley
Zermatt: Where Legends Meet!
Has Technology Made Skiing Safer?
How Well Do You Know Your Resorts?
A Visit to the 2013- 2014 Digital Edition Only Insert
FWSA Council & Club Information

Far West Skier's Guide 2013-2014

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