Last Week, Dr. Robb Gaffney announced that he would be stepping down as an ambassador of Squaw Valley ski resort after 20 years of ambassadorship. Robb stated that the reason for his resignation was that he is:
“not comfortable being linked to an organization and a process that fundamentally disturbs me at several levels.” – Robb Gaffney
Squaw’s response to Dr. Gaffney’s letter of resignation was expected to be something like this: “Thanks to Robb Gaffney for be a fantastic skiing ambassador at Squaw Valley for the past 20 years. He will be missed.” Squaw Valley’s actual response (below) denounced Robb as an ambassador and never mentions that he was ever a valuable ambassador for the resort.
Squaw Valley’s Response to Robb Gaffneys Resignation as Ambassador:
“Contrary to his letter, Mr. Gaffney actually did not serve as an ambassador to Squaw Valley this year, though he was employed as a part-time, seasonal ski instructor, hired to exclusively assist with our specialty camps. Though he has represented the resort in the past, we have not considered Mr. Gaffney as one of our ambassadors since last fall when it became clear he did not share our vision for the best possible future for this valley and our community. We wish Mr. Gaffney the best in his future.” – Squaw Valley
Why is all this happening? Mostly because Dr. Robb Gaffney is a supporter of Incorporate Olympic (Squaw) Valley and Squaw Valley is against Olympic Valley becoming a city.
Video of Robb, I mean Bunny Gaffney, ripping on skis in Montana
Poor KSL management. example. walk along the sidewalk in the parking lot along the stone wall below the breezeway. Check it out. Then multiply times 1,000 for progress and leadership. Messy.
KSL-Squaw employees all say their job is more secure with more development. Do they have any reason to be afraid for their jobs the way things are?
Only Magoo has blind faith – ooops, and athletes with medals.
Show us the business plan and the assumptions please.
Who will commit to at least 4 years on the IOV and, in making rational decisions (which could go to Court anyway) might be unpopular with voters they live with. Alternatively, who will commit to 4 years and not be tempted to give in to harebrained ideas on ways to spend money on nice-to-have ideas. Listen to poor Barb Wilcox: she had no idea how much time the crap at the DRC would take from her life. Come on, who’ll do it. And for almost no remuneration for a small small town.
Having a voice (ie imparting opinions and brain farts) to local polticians is one thing, having people sit on boards and dojng things is another.
Are there enough guality and committed locals with years to devote to the load of crap which will come.
I think you should sit down with Colanfrao and Vito and Van Nort and negotiate with KSL. Lance the boil so the valley can heal.
Beatch
It’ll be just like having a wal-mart greeter at the gates of squaw. Easy peasy.
People have a say – they wrote to the County and they talk to the DRC, CAC and MAC. We can attend PSD meets. We can attend IOV meetings. There’s a place called Base Camp where a lovely informative staff member will tell you things.
Trouble is, people don’t. RG didn’t write to Placer. No one apart from Andy wrote to Lafco.
Facebook doesn’t count.
It reminds me of GNAR, when a contestant was rejected and in turn, the contestant wrote a letter rejecting the rejection… I’m afraid I’m not buying a Squaw pass again this year because KSL’s views do not align with my ability to wait in a KT line that now begins at the Y in Tahoe City.
As a long term full time resident of Squaw, I absolutely believe tha Robb Gaffney deserves the respect of a 20 year ski Ambassador title!! WTF is going on in this Valley!! This Political Shit is soooo F**ked up!! In the long run, Karma will take care of all this!!!
KSL is nervous that IOV can enforce permit conditions like anti-noise measures, and adhere to existing zonings that’ll remove 20% to 50% of space in addition to the carpark area.
Just wait: KSL will say ‘screw you free parkers. You want open space, here it is but we’re turning the carpark into 10 storeys and you can pay $500 a season to park or get a green bus”.
The FoSV ladies imo will be to blame for that imo for looking at smartie pants ways to screw KSL.
IOV best divorce itself from the radical groups who demand things from the back of the room with nothing to lose if things backfire.
How many times is Robb going to resign? He had some cred after the John Muir article where I thought he resigned last Fall. But now again? Is there going to be a next scene where in a Brokeback Moutain moment he runs to Andy and says ” I can’t quit you! ” and they reconcile. Too much drama. Really bummed he didn’t write a NOP letter to Placer County with concerns about the development. His letter was curiously absent. All these resignations and articles on incorporating a town with 528 residents with not enough money to retain present services aren’t going to be remembered and mean anything when the 108′ building is built. Disappointed in Squaw Valley and yes I actually live here.
How can I apply for his job. I can’t see anything wrong with KSL’s vision, but then again I can’t anything at all. 🙂
Good to hear the feedback. I’ve always had high regard for Dee Byrne, and still continue to. Over the last several years though, including this year, my pass has come from marketing as it has for all the years prior. So, while I did work as a part time employee for the ski school, my primary relationship was as a representative and ambassador for Squaw. But as we all know, this is more of a semantic issue in the grand scheme of things. But I saw this post and thought I’d chime in to help clear that up.
What would you prescribe for wilful blindness, poor hearing, myopia and meglomania?? 🙂
Dr. Robb,
In the big scheme of it all, how many GNAR points should be awarded for resigning a skiing ambassadorship?
Trying to keep some levity here in light of the current situation w KSL.
We Love you Dr Robb, THAT won’t Change. Hopefully Squaw Valley listens to it’s residents. We’ll see
So a guy represents your mountain for 20 years, and your response is no, he only represented us for 19? = splitting hairs and intentially missing the point.
I salute your public efforts to discredit another concerned citizen criticism and opposition towards your company’s development plans.
My salute to you sir is of the one finger kind.
“he did not share our vision for the best possible future for this valley and our community.” -That is just wrong on so many levels. How the hell do they believe that they are justified to say that with all their past aligations at the Squaw Valley, Alpine meadows community.
I’ll take Dr. Robb’s word over Julia’s or Debbie Dutton’s any day.
The K$L PR machine is warming up.
Andy Wirth is against a community coming together?
He’s a business leader and his profit over people is questionable.
Construction for over 10 years? Enjoy that Squaw Valley homeowners!
If there’s a town making decisions, AW won’t go down in history as a visionary Cushing or Poulsen.
Nonetheless I like this comment by the SEC on HP’s book keeping
ttp://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2014/34-71916.pdf
I wonder how long it will take before the evil empire black lists robb from skiing at KSL mtns. I think he hurt andys feelings this time.
From a recent ad SV Development Company, aka Squaw Valley published in the Sierra Sun, “Squaw Valley’s lodging, business needs, environmental requirements and snowmaking capacity are all dependent on water availability.”
Here’s the full link http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?PBID=3ee86800-0b96-47c1-92da-da9138ad31aa
Yes, Squaw, Wirth, etc., this is the main issue. If you develop more unsustainable lodging units, you are going to compromise and eventually deplete this scare and valuable resource. Snow making alone is one of the most wasteful uses of this valuable resource. There will be plenty of water available for fire suppression if you don’t drain the tank for this purpose alone.
Wirth says he’s an environmentalist and steward, but this is contradictory to his efforts to develop and irreversibly harm the local environment and deplete natural resources.
Support IOV and become involved, attend meetings, have your voice heard because the new town will help to protect resources through preventing over-development of more unneeded seasonal housing units.
Just stating the facts. If Gaffney is using his “celebrity” to push/support his agenda with IOV then Squaw has every right to state the facts. Pretty funny…
It’ll get sad if the mud continues to sling in both directions. Dr. Robb seems like a pretty stand up guy, and Squaw is seemingly foolish to keep responding to these petty threats. David v Goliath and David seems to be getting the best…so far.
.,,,Squaw Valley denouncing Robb Gaffney’s denouncement of Squaw Valley.
Now it’s starting to make sense.
Ok, settle down now children…