A pictorial history is also available.

How did the Village get it's start?

Sometime after the merger with a national company, Fred purchased the cliff-land for $45,000 that later became condominium building one which included three-acres and 450 feet of lake frontage. Wanting to surprise his wife with this purchase, his plan was to build a single-family house on the cliff, a stairway to the waterfront and a tennis court on what is now the BHV beach area. His wife, Helen, felt that their three small children were too young for a cliff-side home. Any plan to build was postponed.

One winter day in 1967, somewhat depressed with the problems of the ski business, Fred drove to this lake property. Compared to the hustle-bustle of the Bristol Mountain, it was a serene one-hour visit with his ski clothing keeping him warm. Later, as he drove further uphill on Seneca Point Road, he saw a for-sale sign. He parked his car and walked through the snow to the edge of the cliff and its dramatic view - where Condo building five now rests. The broker, Herb Ellenwood advised him that it consisted of 24 acres of land and 2,000 feet of cliff waterfront. Fred met the asking price of $47,000. and his offer was accepted.

Why did Fred buy this additional cliff frontage? He felt that if the Mountain could provide uphill transportation in a ski area, they could easily provide access to the waterfront. His plan was simple. Sell off 100-foot lots to 26 people and have the profits offset the losses at Bristol Mountain Ski Area. He soon discovered that a sewage treatment plant would have to be built. It would cost $250,000 and it would serve 250 units.

Two major Grand Opening advertising supplements, one the Democrat and Chronicle and the other in a regional community magazine (One Day in the Life of a Butterfly) (magsup.php), were distributed, highlighting the advantages of living in this condo community. Fred also had many pictures taken of the construction process, many of which can be seen by visiting the pictorial history (pichist.php) page

His intense battle, his wins and losses and his search for capital are now history as recorded in his published autobiography, "Prisoner of the Truck." Available on his foundation's web site, www.yespa.org, and in US bookstores, all proceeds go to his not-for-profit Yes Pa Foundation.