Steamboat Today (Steamboat Springs): Even Steamboat Springs City Council President Walter Magill eventually admitted his “quote” in a recent press release from City Hall didn’t sound like Walter Magill.

“There are few ski areas that exude as much character, history and heritage as Howelsen Hill; let alone come even close to matching this amount of free skiing,” the council president supposedly proclaimed in a press release recently issued by the city. “Skiing is a way of life here; so it’s important that residents and visitors experience it firsthand and truly understand what makes Steamboat unique and such a special community.”

Having heard the council president speak regularly with fewer superlatives at public meetings, Steamboat Today questioned whether Magill actually said those words.

Magill initially insisted the quote was his, and he had resolved to speak with more superlatives and excitement in the New Year.

But a day later, when the newspaper presented him with evidence that his quote appeared to be copied almost word for word from a years-old Steamboat Ski Area promotional pamphlet that had been produced by new city PR manager Mike Lane, Magill ‘fessed up and said Lane wrote his quote for him.

“Mike wrote it, and I approved it,” Magill said. “I should have spoken up. I didn’t get a great feeling out of it. I thought the message was something I supported, and I wanted to get behind the team and not make a big issue with this.

“Lesson learned,” Magill continued.

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