skiS4fun

The Sterling Forest Ski Center in Orange County has closed -- after more than 40 years of operation. Sterling Forest Ski Center is owned by the Louisville, Colorado-based Renaissance Entertainment Corporation.

The company made no formal announcement but informed patrons though its Web site that it would no longer run the ski center. The ski center's Web site gave no specific reason for the decision to close.

A message posted November 15th said the company had been seeking an operator to lease Sterling Forest Ski Center so winter activities could continue. Several parties showed an interest but no deal was made before the ski season started.

Sterling Forest was the closest ski resort for Rockland residents and school ski teams from around the Lower Hudson Valley.

Mike Motejl, the ski center's former general manager, told the Journal News that financial problems may have been behind the decision to shut down, though losses were not big. Motejl said Renaissance tried to get several operators interested in running the ski center, but no agreement was reached in time to allow a transition before the start of the ski season in December.