Solace for Brief Winter May Not Come

Many of the state's 40-plus ski areas in 17 counties have seen severe economic impact from one of the mildest winters in several decades. "It's no different than a farmer having a bad year when it's too dry or too wet or there's hail damage," Rick Bunnell, marketing director of Labrador Mountain in Central New York state told The Syracuse Post-Standard. "Their loss is based on weather." But the Small Business Administration program may run out of gas before anything happens to help ski areas. The New York Times is reporting that the program could end unless Congress votes to cover administrative costs - and it must happen in the next few weeks.