JAY — While most of the skiers at Spruce Mountain in Jay are young people, the club that operates the ski slope is turning to adults who drink alcohol to boost its finances.
The Jay Select Board approved a beer‑and‑wine license for the base lodge Monday night after club members said revenue would increase if parents could buy drinks while waiting for their children to ski.
The board also granted the ski club an amusement permit to go with the beer‑and‑wine license.
Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said state law requires an amusement permit for venues that sell alcohol at events, such as shows or dances.
Approval of the license and permit did not come without objection.
Selectman Gary McGrane said the ski area should remain alcohol‑free.
“It would be good to have a drug-free zone on the mountain,” he said.
McGrane said young people face constant pressure to use alcohol or other drugs, and the ski slope offers an opportunity to avoid it.
But Ronnie Jacques, the club’s president, countered that the ski slope “is well run.”
“One of our board members is a reserve police officer in town,” Jacques said, “and he helps make sure we operate right.”
Kyle DeMillo, a ski club member, told the Select Board that revenue from beer and wine sales “would help us avoid having to ask for more taxpayer support.”
The towns of Jay, Livermore Falls and Livermore own the ski slope and cover the ski club’s insurance premium, about $29,000 this year, DeMillo said after the meeting. Admission fees and donations make up the rest of the club’s income.
Volunteers handle all operations and management of the slope, DeMillo said.
McGrane asked whether the ski club could apply for a temporary amusement permit for each event. DeMillo said the club already does that.
Jacques said having the license and continuing permit will make the Spruce Mountain Ski Slope “just like nearly every other ski area in the state.”
DeMillo said after the meeting that 85 to 90 percent of the skiers are young people.
While ski visits declined for several years, the trend is now upward, with more young people using the slope. Adding beer and wine at the base lodge could help stave off further fee increases, he said. The club raised its day-pass fees by $5 this year.
The base lodge was featured on the Discovery Channel’s hit show “Maine Cabin Masters” in 2024, when the crew rebuilt it.
“We are a special mountain and we want to keep it going,” DeMillo told the Select Board. “You can’t ski for $30 a day anywhere else.”
He said after the meeting that money from beer and wine could help offset lost revenue and contribute to the club’s annual operating budget of about $75,000.
The Select Board approved the license and permit on a 4‑1 vote, with McGrane opposed. Chair Terry Bergeron, Lee Ann Dalessandro, Thomas Goding and Timothy DeMillo voted in favor.
In other matters, the board voted 5‑0 to renew the liquor license for My Dad’s Place on Old Jay Hill Road at Route 4. The restaurant was featured in 2024 on “America’s Best Restaurants,” which aired on YouTube and other social media platforms.
The board also voted 5‑0 to sell eight unused pumps from the wastewater plant. LaFreniere said they will be listed on an auction website for two weeks, and the town can accept, reject or counter any bids. If some remain unsold, the town can relist them.
