Summit County’s adoptable pets for the week of Dec. 8, 2019

#Frisco #Colorado

Mister | Michael Yearout Photography

The following animals are available for adoption at the Summit County Animal Shelter. Call the shelter at 970-668-3230 with questions.  
 

Cats

CATALONIA, 8 years, domestic shorthair mix, white and gray, spayed female

CINNABUN, 5 months, domestic longhair, brown tabby and black, neutered male 

CLARA BOW, 16 weeks, domestic shorthair, brown tabby, spayed female

DONNIE, 5 months, domestic shorthair, orange tabby, neutered male 

GABRIEL, 8 years, domestic mediumhair, orange tabby, neutered male

MARIE, 5 months, domestic shorthair, brown tabby, spayed female

MAX, 4 years, domestic shorthair, black and white, neutered male

MIMI, 2 years, domestic shorthair, brown tabby, spayed female

MISTER, 7 years, domestic shorthair, gray tabby and white, neutered male

MORRIS, 6 years, domestic shorthair mix, apricot, neutered male

MUFFIN, 5 months, domestic shorthair, calico, spayed female

NUTMEG, 4 years, domestic shorthair mix, tortoiseshell, spayed female

OLIVER HARDY, 16 weeks, domestic shorthair, brown tabby and white, neutered male

PENELOPE, 3 years, domestic shorthair, gray tabby, spayed female

RAVEN, 12 years, domestic shorthair, black, spayed female

SPARKLES, 7 months, domestic shorthair, dilute calico, spayed female

STRUDEL, 5 months, domestic shorthair, black, spayed female

TEDDY BEAR, 3 years, domestic shorthair, black, neutered male

TINKERBELL, 7 years, domestic shorthair, gray tabby and white, spayed female

WENDY, 1 year 7 months, domestic longhair, black and white, spayed female

ZOE, 6 years, domestic shorthair, tortoiseshell, spayed female 

Dogs

CARMEN, 3 years, Chihuahua (smooth coated) mix, tan and white, spayed female

CHARLIE, 8 months, border collie mix, black and white, neutered male

CONRAD, 2 years, Siberian husky and shiba inu mix, red and white, neutered male

EUGENE, 2 years, Plott hound and pit bull terrier mix, brindle, neutered male

FILOU, 2 years, Australian shepherd and German shepherd mix, tricolor, neutered male

KERA, 3 years, American foxhound and Catahoula leopard hound mix, tan and white, spayed female

MAGGIE, 2 years, Australian cattle dog mix, tan, spayed female

OZZIE, 1 year 7 months, chow chow and Pembroke Welsh corgi mix, red and white, neutered male

QUINN, 1 year 2 months, Australian cattle dog mix, blue merle and tan, spayed female

RAMBO, 2 years, Chihuahua (smooth coated) and Parson (Jack) Russell terrier mix, black and tan, neutered male

SARAH, 3 years, Chinese sharpei mix, red, spayed female

TREVOR, 5 years, Australian cattle dog mix, red merle, neutered male

Guinea Pigs

BOLT, 3 years, Guinea pig, white, unaltered male

COPPER, 2 years, Guinea pig, brown and black, unaltered male

Summit County, towns ask for community feedback on Hazard Mitigation Plan

#Summit County #Colorado

Summit County and its towns are asking residents to provide their input as officials work to update the Summit County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The plan, a hulking 600-page comprehensive guide, outlines the county’s biggest potential hazards along with plans for work that could be done to mitigate those hazards. Aside from countywide threats, the plan also contains annexes for each of the individual municipalities in the county, along with special districts.

“It basically does a good job capturing the demographics and all the hazards present and our vulnerability to those hazards,” said Brian Bovaird, the county’s director of emergency management. “The next big part of it is actually ranking our hazards and identifying mitigation actions that the county or towns could take. In the world of emergency management, mitigation is simply any actions that you can take before a disaster happens that will minimize the impacts of that disaster.” 

The county is required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to update the plan every five years for a number of reasons, including to stay eligible for federal emergency management grants. Bovaird said the county relies in part on federal programs such as the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the Post Disaster Mitigation Program for funding initiatives, including a recent $50,000 grant awarded to help update the plan — a heavy majority of the price tag.

But more importantly, a lot can change in a five-year period. Bovaird said the county’s three biggest hazards, determined by potential impact and exposure, include wildfires, severe winter weather and flooding. But officials are hopeful the plan update also can help to address some of the new hazards that have presented themselves over the past couple of years. 

“With the update, we can look back over the past five years to see what’s changed,” Bovaird said. “One of the big changes is population. We’ll evaluate how the county has grown, and specifically how that has changed our vulnerability and exposures to all these hazards. But there’s a couple new hazards that we want to analyze, as well.”

Among increasing threats facing Summit County, Bovaird noted invasive species, avalanches and wildlife.

“The last plan was heavy on beetle kill, because that was the prevalent thing,” Bovaird said. “Now that we’re evolving in that cycle, there are dozens of other types of species we’re concerned about. We’re trying to look forward to determine what other types of invasive species are coming around the corner, and what we can do to minimize that. Another big one, after last winter, is that we’re looking at avalanches a little differently. Before, they were kind of an isolated hazard … but last year, we had avalanches everywhere. It’s an indication of an evolving hazard.”

Bovaird said the new plan also would detail new wildlife risks, primarily in regard to trying to mitigate traffic collisions with wildlife, and would take a deep dive into the potential effects of climate change in the future.

“The final part, other than the updates, is that we will be including analysis on climate change and how that will affect all the different hazards moving forward over the course of the next fives years,” Bovaird said.

The update also will address mitigation plans, not only in regard to physical efforts such as fuels reduction projects or installing larger culverts to prevent flooding, but also by digging through town and county codes to see whether there’s any regulations worth augmenting or strengthening.

While officials and stakeholders are working diligently to make sure all of the county’s potential hazards are properly addressed, they’re also urging members of the public to share their concerns and suggestions. Community members are being encouraged to fill out a short, online survey to help officials gain a better perspective on anything people in the area are concerned about. The survey can be found on the emergency management page of the county’s website. Additionally, Bovaird said the county will be holding a community meeting on the plan sometime in late December or early January.

“We don’t want to assume we know everything,” Bovaird said. “There’s a theory in emergency management that community members are the true first responders. They’re the ones affected immediately and dealing with the impacts right away. With that in mind, we think engaging the public and having them provide input for this plan could go a long way toward getting people to think about these things.”

Courtesy Summit Daily.

Season’s greetings: Celebrate the holidays with Ullr Fest, tree lightings and more

#Breckenridge #Colorado

People 

Breckenridge

Do you want to build a snowman? If so, you’re in luck because Breckenridge Creative Arts is throwing a snowman building competition at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. The contest will be on the Arts District lawn and judged by Breckenridge Creative Arts‎ staff.

People with pooches are invited to join in on the annual dog parade at 3:45 p.m. at Main Street Station. Following behind them on Main Street is the Moose March, a fun run for children 12 and younger at 4:20. The 0.75-mile Race of the Santas begins just 10 minutes later, and the top finishers are awarded Ullr helmets and other prizes. Visit gobreck.com for race registration details.

Feel free to walk to the Blue River Plaza after the races. There, the town tree will be illuminated at 5. Santa himself flips the switch, and families can meet him in person at 5:30 at the Barney Ford Museum. He’ll listen to children’s Christmas wishes at the decorated Victorian home and pose for photos. Closing out the night is a free holiday concert with Hazel Miller at 6 at the Riverwalk Center.

This is the first year that Ullr Fest is in December, rather than January, so there also is plenty to do after the tree is lit. The festival begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, with the crowning of Ullr royalty — Leigh Girvin and Carl Scofield — and a town talent show at the Riverwalk Center. During the show, artist David V. Gonzales will sign posters and showcase his style with a live painting demonstration.

The celebration gets hotter Thursday, Dec. 12, with the Breckenridge Distillery attempting to break the shot ski record currently held by Park City, Utah. The distillery is hoping for more than 1,300 people to line Main Street and start the fun at 4 p.m.

Main Street will stay plenty busy as the Ullr Fest Parade takes over at 4:30. The float that comes in first receives $500, second gets $300 and third is awarded $200. Visit gobreck.com for shot ski and float registration details.

Though Christmas hasn’t happened yet, the annual bonfire will be made from old Christmas trees from previous years at 5 at the South Gondola Parking Lot.

Hopefully the fiery night of revelry works its magic because, for the first time, the Ullr Ice Plunge set for Friday, Dec. 13, has been canceled due to warm weather. The Breckenridge Tourism Office is working on rescheduling the event for a later date.

The main event that evening is comedians Jim Colliton and Geoff Tice. Colliton’s delivery and suburban background help him connect with audiences of all ages and sizes, and he has been seen on Comedy Central’s Laugh Riots and heard on XM Satellite Radio’s Comedy Channel. Meanwhile, Denver-based Tice is a regular at Comedy Works and has performed at SF Sketchfest, Limestone Comedy Festival and High Plains Comedy Festival. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the show, and all proceeds benefit the Carriage House Early Learning Center. Visit breckcreate.org to purchase.

On Saturday, Dec. 14, families can enjoy an ice skating party at 1:15 p.m. at the Stephen C. West Ice Area. Then, closing out the celebration is a new event called Ullr on the Edge. The juried fine art show at Arts Alive Gallery features 25 skis and snowboards that have been painted. An opening reception is from 4-7:30 and the art will be on display through March 22.

For the comploete list visit:   https://www.summitdaily.com/news/seasons-greetings-celebrate-the-holidays-with-ullr-fest-tree-lightings-and-more/

Breckenridge Ski Resort to open Peak 7 on Friday

#Breckenridge #Colorado

 Breckenridge Ski Resort announced on its social media channels Wednesday afternoon that the Independence SuperChair on Peak 7 will open for the season Friday.

Ski resort representatives said the opening will push the resort to more than 600 acres of lift-serviced skiing across Peaks 7, 8 and 9. Resort spokeswoman Sara Lococo said Breckenridge plans to open the intermediate Pioneer run as the primary run on Peak 7 on Friday, with the possibility of opening more terrain through the weekend. The Pioneer Crossing restaurant at the top of the Independence Chair also will open for the season Friday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Breckenridge reported that 20% of its terrain — 573 total acres — was open via 29 trails and 12 operating lifts. The resort listed a base depth of 23 inches thanks to 75 inches of snowfall this season. 

On the other side of the Continental Divide, Loveland Ski Area (in Clear Creek County on the eastern border of Summit County) announced Wednesday that it’ll open its Lift 6 on Thursday. Lift 6 is a two-person lift that services intermediate and beginner terrain below tree line. Loveland officials said Lift 6 will provide service to the intermediate Keno, Blackjack and South Blackjack runs.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Loveland reported 202 acres on 13 open trails via five lifts. Loveland reported a 24-inch base at midmountain with 71 inches of natural snowfall this season.

Courtesy Summit Daily.

Are you ready for a little "Axe Throwing?"

#Breckenridge #Colorado

Yes, I said Axe Throwing.

Breckenridge has escape rooms, pottery painting, theaters and yoga for those who want a non-skiing activity to do in-town. But John Cronin saw a hole in the market for another kind of activity: axe throwing, a sport that originated in Canada and has gained popularity in the U.S. 

Cronin first came to Breckenridge in the 1990s and moved to town full-time in 2008. He said he previously had worked in corporate jobs, in the sports marketing business and as an entrepreneur. He said he wanted to bring an extreme, action activity to Breckenridge that would allow groups of friends, families or co-workers to do something fun and unusual. When he visited an axe-throwing facility in Denver, he knew the activity would be perfect for Breckenridge. 

“It fits within the mountains.” Cronin said. “It’s a mountain activity. It’s a very empowering experience.” 

Cronin wrote a business plan within 30 days of visiting the axe-throwing facility in Denver and is naming his new business Mtn Axe Breckenridge. While many axe-throwing businesses are in warehouses, Cronin wanted the space to be warm as well as have a higher-end feel. He is marketing the business as “extreme family fun,” and children as young as 10 are allowed to participate.

Mtn Axe is setting up shop in the old Goods clothing store building, 105 S. Main St. Cronin expects the facility to open this month, with a tentative date of Thursday, Dec. 12. The space also will feature a separate gelato business. 

The axe-throwing experience is meant to be controlled and interactive, so each group will be assigned a guide, who serves as a coach and will stay with the group to give pointers and take photos. The facility is built with 13 axe-throwing targets and will accommodate 52 axe-throwers per hour. 

“Safety is No. 1 for everything we’ve chosen to do,” Cronin said, referencing how the target areas are set up with cages and other safety features. 

Cronin said the business is reservation-based at mtnaxe.com but walk-ins are also welcome. The cost is $40 per hour per person, and Cronin said some local and social media-based discounts will be available. 

Cronin plans to start an axe-throwing league in January, so a locals season pass will be available for those who want to come back at a discounted price. There also is an ADA compatible target area in the building. 

In addition to creating a fun experience for locals and visitors, Cronin said he wants to give back to the community by paying a livable wage, offering health insurance within the coming year and supporting initiatives surrounding trees and youths. The starting pay for employees of Mtn Axe is $20 per hour plus tips, he said.

Courtesy Summit Daily.

Breckenridge Town Council split on logistics of proposed art installation along Blue River

#Breckenridge #Colorado

 Breckenridge Creative Arts is proposing a knit art installation along the Breckenridge Riverwalk corridor for about four months next summer in conjunction with the WAVE: Light + Water + Sound festival.

Breckenridge Town Council members voiced several concerns about the installation at a meeting in October, including the size, scope and length of time the project would be on display. On Nov. 26, they discussed a compromise on the proposed installation with the art nonprofit’s Director of Exhibitions and Special Projects Nicole Dial-Kay.

Dial-Kay said the installation, which features knitting over a wire substructure, will be created by Choi and Shine Architects, which has created other knit art installations over rivers, including one called The Lace at the Amsterdam Light Festival in 2016. 

Dial-Kay explained that the group opted for the installation to be on display over a longer duration after looking at other art festival models, where installations are sometimes left up for an extended period of time.

“If it is problematic, the last thing we would want to do is create another controversial installation,” Dial-Kay said. “There are ways to make it more of a treasure hunt than a blockbuster piece that you see right when you walk on Main Street.” 

As planned, community members would have the opportunity to embroider pieces for the project, which is designed to be 168 feet long, Dial-Kay said.

She also said there would be security near the art piece at peak times and that after the installation is over, the structure would be taken down in sections and saved for another installation in another town.

After learning these additional details, council members discussed whether they would rather have the installation in a busy location over a shorter period of time or in a less busy location for a longer period of time.

Council member Jeffrey Bergeron brought up the potential for “not in my backyard” feelings, similar to what Breckenridge experienced with trail troll Isak Heartstone.

“Don’t you think some of us will have different opinions on how long it is based on the location?” Bergeron asked. “I probably wouldn’t like it for too long if it was around my house, but if it was around your house …”

Mayor Eric Mamula said he favors doing the installation for a shorter period of time in a more central location of the Blue River during the four-day WAVE festival. 

“If they want to do it at the same time as WAVE, then do it wherever you want,” Mamula said. “Personally, I’d rather have it shorter and done.”

Council member Gary Gallagher agreed the project should be part of WAVE.

“I’d rather see it featured as part of WAVE even if it’s a shorter duration,” Gallagher said. “I think it should be longer than four days. I’ll go for a shorter duration but have it in a premier location.”

Council member Erin Gigliello said she would prefer the installation last for two weekends. 

“I think there’s something beautiful about having something that’s great and for a short period of time,” Gigliello said. “I think we lose some of the specialness when you have it live here for too long. I worry about having too many art installations in a small area.”

Council members Wendy Wolfe and Dick Carleton said they prefer the installation to last for a longer time in a less central location. Wolfe remarked that she likes the idea of having something for people to come into town to look at during non-festival times. 

“I actually like the longer period,” Carleton agreed. “June is the softer period of the summer. Soon after the Fourth of July, it would probably come down.”

But he added, “I’m fine with shorter, too.”

Courtesy Summit Daily.

Summit County adoptable pets: week of December 1, 2019

#Frisco #Colorado

Tinkerbell | Michael Yearout Photography

The following animals are available for adoption at the Summit County Animal Shelter. Call the shelter at 970-668-3230 with questions.
 

GUINEA PIGS

BOLT, 3 years, Guinea pig, white, unaltered male

COPPER, 2 years, Guinea pig, brown and black, unaltered male 

DOGS

CARMEN, 3 years, smooth-coated Chihuahua mix, tan and white, spayed female

EUGENE, 2 years, Plott hound and pit bull terrier mix, brindle, neutered male

FILOU, 2 years, Australian shepherd and German shepherd mix, tricolor, neutered male

KERA, 3 years, Treeing Walker coonhound and Catahoula leopard hound mix, tan and white, spayed female

MAGGIE, 2 years, Australian cattle dog mix, tan, spayed female

NOLA, 3 years, border terrier mix, brown and tan, spayed female

OZZIE, 1 year 6 months, chow chow and Pembroke Welsh corgi mix, red and white, neutered male

QUINN, 1 year 1 month, Australian cattle dog mix, blue merle and tan, spayed female

RAMBO, 2 years, smooth-coated Chihuahua and Parson (Jack) Russell terrier mix, black and tan, neutered male

RUSTY, 1 year 2 months, Redbone coonhound mix, brown, neutered male

SARAH, 3 years, Chinese sharpei mix, red, spayed female

TREVOR, 5 years, Australian cattle dog mix, red merle, neutered male 

CATS

CATALONIA, 8 years, domestic shorthair mix, white and gray, spayed female

GABRIEL, 8 years, domestic mediumhair, orange tabby, neutered male

KIWI, 10 weeks, domestic shorthair, tortoiseshell, spayed female

MAX, 4 years, domestic shorthair, black and white, neutered male

MIMI, 2 years, domestic shorthair, brown tabby, spayed female

MINERVA, 5 months, domestic shorthair, black, spayed female

MISTER, 7 years, domestic shorthair, gray and white tabby, neutered male

MOMOA, 10 years, domestic longhair, black, neutered male

MORRIS, 6 years, domestic shorthair mix, apricot, neutered male

NUTMEG, 4 years, domestic shorthair mix, tortoiseshell, spayed female

PENELOPE, 3 years, domestic shorthair, gray tabby, spayed female

SPARKLES, 6 months, domestic shorthair, dilute calico, spayed female

TINKERBELL, 7 years, domestic shorthair, gray and white tabby, spayed female

TORA, 4 months, domestic shorthair, brown tabby, spayed female

WENDY, 1 year 6 months, domestic longhair, black and white, spayed female

ZOE, 6 years, domestic shorthair, tortoiseshell, spayed female

Courtesy Summit Daily