RANGELEY (NEWS CENTER Maine) - It was a small, but mighty effort: the Saddleback Mountain Foundation.
A group of locals tried to buy the hometown mountain after two idle ski seasons, but lost out to an Australian Developer in a deal that has since been shrouded in controversy.
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While they lost out on the mountain, they're still fighting for a chance to get it back.
“We are actively waiting in the wings,” said Executive Director and Saddleback Mountain Foundation spokesperson Crystal Canney. She’s also running as an independent for the Maine State Senate.
The group of local business owners and avid skiers started its quest to buy Saddleback in Fall 2016 - summoning millions in donations from Mainers and coming to an agreement with the mountain's current owners.
Those dreams were interrupted when it was announced the mountain would be sold to the Australian development group, Majella.
The Saddleback Mountain Foundation immediately refunded all of its donors - but it didn't disband.
“Obviously we didn't get the mountain, but we made a conscious decision to stay engaged and involved and meet on a monthly business to position ourselves should the opportunity [to buy Saddleback] ever become available again,” Canney said.
Now, the 8-person board is waiting for its turn - as the Saddleback owners work on a deal with Majella behind closed doors.
Shady details loom over the current sale - including a leaked Majella audiotape, lawsuits, and a lack of money.
Details Crystal says neither she nor her board will discuss. “We really feel where the Berry family and Majella are still working through whatever it is they're working through, that we're not going to comment on anything to do with that,” she said. “We have great respect for the Berry family. We're not privileged to the insider workings of this deal, and so we are just not going to talk about it.”
On Monday, the Saddleback Mountain foundation announced a new president, Wolfe Tone. He is replacing former president Peter Stein.
Other than that, most details are still private - including where the foundation plans to get the money on the chance to buy the mountain again.