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Black Bear, Inc., which operates Mount Bohemia Ski Resort, and Lac La Belle Lodge are reviewing an agreement created during mediation on Monday. The case dates back to last May, filed in United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. The deal is still preliminary until all documents are drafted and then signed by both parties. If it holds, Lac La Belle Lodge will be able to sell merchandise referencing the geological formation Mount Bohemia, a term used locally since the nineteenth century, until the end of 2024.
Lodge Owners Troy and Cathy Westcott released a statement on Facebook early Wednesday. They say they continue to believe they are correct on principle, but with potential court costs rising above $100,000 they cannot justify continuing to wage the legal battle going forward. The Westcotts thanked their supporters for contributing to a gofundme to help defray legal expenses.
They encouraged an interested third party to continue to fight. “Bottom line, we firmly believe no one person or corporation has the right to trademark the geologic formation known for over a century as Mount Bohemia. We truly believe Mount Bohemia belongs to the people. We feel there is a strong case to support that and our hope that someone with the time and resources will agree and pick up the baton and take it to the finish line.”
Black Bear, Inc. Owner Lonie Glieberman is more supportive of the agreement. He praised the work of the judge in a conversation with Keweenaw Report early Wednesday. Still, Glieberman expresses frustration at the steadfastness of the Westcotts’ position.
Glieberman also took issue with the call to have someone else continue the court fight. In his mind, Mount Bohemia is one of many area peaks without the ski hill to raise its profile.
A conference to track the progress of the agreement is scheduled for early February.
