Big Water in the Blue

Recent warm temperatures have boosted runoff in the Blue River Basin, leading to the highest flows in 10 years in the Blue River below Green Mountain Reservoir (just north of Silverthorne).

This week, the Bureau of Reclamation ramped up from Green Mountain Reservoir from about 1,800 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 2,700 cfs, just above the 2,600-cfs flood threshold for the river.

Water managers with the Bureau of Reclamation are warning anglers and boaters that high flows could persist for a week, or until inflows subside.

Water levels in the Lower Blue haven't been that high since 1997, when flows reached 3,200 cfs..

And with Green Mountain's junior refill call satisfied, the Blue River above the reservoir is now a "free" river, with all upstream users free to divert water for irrigation.

Breckenridge to Annex Stan Miller Property

The Breckenridge Town Council recently gave an approving nod to the annexation proposal of the Stan Miller property which would create 100 affordable housing units.

It was the third review of the proposal on the 40-acre parcel along Highway 9 near the town’s Block 11/ McCain property. And since the last review in March, a commercial aspect was removed from the plan, said Don Nilsson, agent for the property. With the commercial removal and the 75 percent deed-restricted units, “we now believe that this annexation is substantially similar to other annexations that included substantial affordable housing components, such as Wellington Neighborhood, Vista Point and the more recent Vic’s Landing annexation,” Nilsson wrote in a letter to the council.

Within the 100 affordable units in the proposal, 21 are single family houses, eight are duplexes, 31 are townhomes and 40 are condominium units. Also, the 33 market units are blended in with the affordable units on the parcel that includes 6.5 acres of open space. And while the project falls slightly short of the 80 percent affordable housing guidelines the town has, it includes public benefits such as Blue River restoration, a public trail along the west side of the river and open space.

During last week’s presentation to the town, Councilmember Jennifer McAtamney commented that she would like to see that 5 percent more affordable housing, but she didn’t have a problem with the proposed density and this project is a logical place for housing. Overall, the council said they “feel a lot more comfortable with it.”

The next step will be to petition the town for annexation using the plan they’ve presented to the council as framework for the project. Following the petition, a resolution will come before council and a month later the ordinance can be adopted.

The development would be gradually phased in as the construction operations there that have gone on for 35 years wind down. Stan Miller, Inc. estimates that it will need another 10 years to continue operations on the southerly portion of the property, the letter to council said.

Summit Foundation's Annual Golf Tournament

Jay Cutler and Jesper Parnevik are coming soon to Summit County for The Summit Foundation's annual golf tournament.

With the recent additions, this year's field of sports celebrities is as eye-catching as ever.

"It's one of the strongest groups we've had," said Åsa Armstrong, The Summit Foundation's special events and business development director. "It's right up there with when we had John Elway, Ed McCaffrey and Steve Watson.

"The Broncos' quarterback and the Swedish PGA golfer will join, among others, NHL hockey players Adam Foote, Ken Klee and Chris McAllister at the 20th annual event.

The four-person scramble will take place June 25-26 at both the Breckenridge and Copper Creek golf clubs.

Breckenridge's "Kingdom Days"

Kingdom Days, Breckenridge’s inaugural event celebrating the town’s rich history, is named for an incidence of Breckenridge being left out. In the mid-1800s the U.S. map forgot to include the town, and so it was dubbed “Colorado’s Kingdom” until the mistake was corrected in 1936.

The event is being held this weekend - June 16 and 17.

Outhouse Races highlight the weekend of events: At 2 p.m. on Sunday on the 100 S. block of Ridge St. (between Lincoln and Washington) homemade outhouse vehicles will race from one end of the block to the other for a prize of $500.

Voting for the best outhouse will take place from noon to 2 p.m.Saturday and Sunday in the Blue River Plaza and Riverwalk Center, there will be gold panning and mining demonstrations, interactive kids activities like making homemade root beer and a build-your-own-log-cabin project.

Also downtown, there will be old-time photo opportunities at the Briar Rose Restaurant, as well as a Western Photography Exhibit at Abby Hall and the Breckenridge Theatre Gallery.

Saturday and Sunday the Breckenridge Festival of Film will host a “Best of Fest” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Breckenridge Theatre, showing films of historic Breckenridge and films from the last 27 years of the festival.

All museums and historic tours are free during the weekend.

Ride the Rockies in Frisco

More than 2,000 cyclists have entered the week-long Ride the Rockies, that starts and ends with parties in Frisco.

The route is different than last year and it will be a bit more difficult.

After Steamboat Springs, the tour goes to Craig, Rifle, Glenwood Springs, Aspen and Leadville before finishing June 23 at the Frisco Bay Marina. The first day will be the longest, and the shortest will be the 36 miles from Rifle to Glenwood Springs. The elevation gain for each day ranges from 700 feet during a ride from Steamboat Springs to Craig the second day to a steep climb of 5,700 feet over Independence Pass Friday.

This is the 11th time in the 22-year history of Ride the Rockies that the town has been a host community. In the past, riders have varied in age from 8 to 92, representing all 50 states and 18 countries, a press release said. This year’s participants, who registered during the allotted time in February, will kick-off the tour Saturday at Boogie Downtown with Barbecue Challenge goers. Staring at 3 p.m., Frisco restaurants on Main Street offer free live music until midnight. Riders will be wearing wrist bands that entitle them to special drink and food prices at participating places. That night, many riders will be camping at Summit High School.

The town is still in need of volunteers to help with Ride the Rockies. Anyone interested can call Linda Lichtendahl at (970) 668-5276 ext. 3037 or visit a volunteer link on www.townoffrisco.com.

Premieres at the Breckenridge Film Festival

Breckenridge Film Fest 2007 premieres

• Friday 6 p.m. at Summit High School“I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life and Legacy of Simon Weisenthal.” A documentary on the Austrian-Jewish architectural engineer who became a Nazi hunter after surviving the Holocaust. Written by Richard Trank. 105 Minutes. Documentary. Narrated by Nicole Kidman.

• Friday at 9 p.m. at Summit High School“September Dawn.” A story set against the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the film is based upon the tragedy which occurred in Utah in 1857. A group of settlers, traveling on wagons, was murdered by the native Mormons. All together, about 140 souls of men, women and children, were taken. Amid this, two young lovers-to-be, one a Mormon and the other one of the doomed settlers from Arkansas, develop a relationship in an atmosphere of suspicion and rancor. Directed by Christopher Cain. Opens in theaters June 22. Drama, Romance and Western. Stars Jon Vioght, Trent Ford and Tamara Hope.

• Saturday 3 p.m. at Summit High School“Rocket Science.” A teenage boy with a horrific stuttering problem joins his high-school debate team in an ill-fated effort to win the girl of his dreams. 101 Minutes. Teen Comedy/Drama. Opens in theaters Nov. 8.

• Saturday at 6 p.m. at Summit High School“La Vie En Rose.” The life story of iconic French singer Edith Piaf.• Saturday at 9 p.m. at Summit High School“Black Sheep.” An experiment in genetic engineering turns harmless sheep into blood-thirsty killers that terrorize a sprawling New Zealand farm. 87 minutes. Comedy/Horror.• Sunday at 6 p.m. at Summit High SchoolClosing Night Premiere, “Rescue Dawn.” A U.S. Fighter pilot’s epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War. 126 Minutes. Action/Drama/Adventure. Opens in theaters Aug. 23. Written and directed by Werner Herzog. Stars Christian Bale.

Summit Foundation Needs Volunteers

The Summit Foundation is seeking volunteers to help with events.

Listed below are some of the events in need of volunteers.

Christel House Open - Charity Golf on a Global Scale. June 11, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Location: Breckenridge Golf Club.

Grand Timber Lodge Adam Foote Celebrity Golf Tournament. June 24 - 26, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Location: Breckenridge Golf Club and Copper Creek Golf Club.

Mountain Art Gathering. July 27 - 29. Location: Pavilion at Keystone in River Run.

20th Annual Rubber Duck Races. Date: September 1, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Location: Breckenridge Riverwalk Center.

Summit County Parade of Homes.Dates: September 8 - 9, 15 -16, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Location: Homes around Summit County

Contact Juli Rathke or Åsa Armstrong at The Summit Foundation at (970) 453-5970 or email tsfevents@summitfoundation.org or jrfitinbreck@aol.com

Visit www.summitfoundation.org for additional information on The Summit Foundation or any of the above events or for sponsorship information please call (970) 547-5970.

Breckenridge Festival of Film this Weekend

The Breckenridge Film Festival takes place this weekend - June 7 - 10.

While this year's festival takes place during a different time of the year, the Festival’s essential character will remain the same. Festival President Karin Penegor said,

“June is equally well-suited to the casual and interactive atmosphere that has made the Breckenridge Film Festival special. The Festival has always been enhanced by its beautiful mountain environment and June will provide as perfect a setting for the event as September always has.”

There are several reasons for the new date, Penegor explained. “The fall season is saturated with film festivals – not only in Colorado, but nationally and internationally; in the spring, Breckenridge will provide a better opportunity for filmmakers to present their work…and for film fans to attend the Breckenridge Film Festival.”

Furthermore, she noted that, “As September, in general, has become a busier time, the choices for potential audiences have multiplied…and have become harder to make. The spring is, by comparison, relatively open. Our sponsors, lodging partners, event venues and the Town are all looking forward to hosting a spring Festival, so it will benefit our audiences and guests, as well.”
Vanessa Flaherty, Facilities and Events Manager for the Town of Breckenridge, confirmed that assessment, saying, “This type of event is very welcome during June which has typically been a slower time of year.”

Penegor emphasized the new date does not mean a change in the Festival’s fundamental goals of hosting stellar guests, presenting exceptional premieres and independent films, and creating an event to be shared by filmmakers and film-goers alike. “We are pleased there are no red carpets, no velvet ropes at Breckenridge…and that tradition will continue,” she said.

The Festival has welcomed some 80 luminaries of the cinema world including Donald Sutherland, Jon Voight, Eva Marie Saint, Sydney Pollack, James Earl Jones, Jane Alexander, Irvin Kershner, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Demme, Jon Favreau, Michael York, Lou Diamond Phillips and the late Rod Steiger; it has premiered such acclaimed films as The Shawshank Redemption, L.A. Confidential, American Beauty and Motorcycle Diaries; and it has presented hundreds of new independent films in many genres with filmmakers attending to discuss their work with audiences. The 2007 Breckenridge Film Festival will feature forums, panel discussions and seminars throughout the weekend and continue its educational programs in association with the University of Colorado Film Studies Department.

Jeffrey Lyons, NBC Film Critic and co-host of ReelTalk, and Ben Lyons, Movie Correspondent for The E! Network, host the Festival each year and conduct interviews with special guests at the open forums and post-screening Q&A sessions. Representatives of production companies and agencies will again be on hand to consult with filmmakers…and enlighten audiences…on the ‘behind-the-scenes’ processes of film production and distribution.

Director, and 2006 Festival guest, Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back, The Eyes of Laura Mars, The Film-Flam Man, A Fine Madness) observed that, with its growing emphasis on film arts development and its commitment to screening high quality independent films, the Breckenridge Film Festival “recaptures the early days of Sundance.”

For more information go to www.breckfilmfest.com

Ski Season is Over - Really!

It was not exactly a day at the Beach Sunday during closing day at Arapahoe Basin, but plenty of locals and visitors alike ventured to give it a try.

Snow, clouds, rain and a little bit of sunshine greeted skiers and boarders, as the last ski resort open in Summit County — and Colorado — closed for the season.

All the Summit County golf courses are open, though. It's time for a beautiful summer in the Rocky Mountains.

Snake River Clean-up

State and federal water quality experts will take a close look at the polluted water leaking from the abandoned Pennsylvania Mine into Peru Creek this summer, eying designs for a treatment plant that could remove some of the toxic heavy metals.

Zinc and cadmium leaking from the mine taint the creek all the way to its confluence with the Snake River and beyond - creating a dead zone, where trout don't survive for long.

The collaborative Snake River Task Force has been working for years to develop a cleanup plan for the drainage. The biggest question marks include what sort of technology is best suited for the remote site, how to fund construction and operation, and how to deal with potential Clean Water Act liability of taking action, said Summit County environmental planner Brian Lorch.

Along with treating the water coming out of the mine, state experts will also try to determine other ways of improving water quality in Peru Creek and the Snake River, maybe by moving some of mine waste material or re-routing surface flows away from the polluted tailings piles.

Similar tactics were used at the Shoe Basin Mine last summer, where the county completed a remediation project that will reduce the amount of zinc reaching the water.

Snake River cleanup plans have started to look more promising since Trout Unlimited, a cold-water fisheries conservation group, took a lead role in the process. Fresh from a model mine cleanup in Utah, the organization hopes to bring a similar approach to table for Peru Creek.

Silverthorne Approves Blue River Crossing

The Silverthorne Town Council approved the initial plans for the Blue River Crossing development recently.

The company developing the project - the Greenwald Group - presented plans for the Blue River Crossing, a three-story mixed-use building proposed between the Blue River and Rainbow Drive next to the Alpen Hutte Lodge.

The project is a scaled back version of the developer's first attempt, the Blue River Lofts, which the council flatly denied last December for its 50-foot height and overall mass.

Frontier Airlines to Select Eagle Airport?

Lynx Aviation, a new division of Frontier Airlines, may fly into the Eagle County Regional Airport. The airport is just west of Vail and approximately 50 miles from Breckenridge. Frontier will choose nine to 12 regional airports that Lynx will connect with Denver, said Joe Hodas, spokesman for Frontier.

Sixty-two airports have applied to be selected, and a decision will be made in the next week or two, Hodas said.

Kent Myers, an airline consultant who is helping with the bid, said he was confident that Frontier would select the Eagle County airport.

“It’s not a question of if, but when,” he said.

Service could start this winter but may be delayed until next summer, he said.

“I would say that I’m confident that Vail will have service on Frontier in the next 12 months,” he said.

The Eagle County community has put together an incentive package to woo the airline. The package is probably worth about $180,000, Robinson said. Glenwood Spring has contributed $40,000 in “in-kind” services to help the airport. Aspen has offered $100,000 if its airport is selected.

But the incentives aren’t a primary factor in the decision, Hodas said.

“The incentive package is one of those pieces that can be a tiebreaker between a couple of markets,” Hodas said.

“Our goal is not to take money. It’s to create a route, a service that’s profitable from itself.”

The addition of Frontier would bring a low-fare carrier to the Eagle County airport, said Ian Arthur, vice president of marketing and sales for Vail and Beaver Creek mountains. It would also make Eagle County’s ski resorts more competitive in the West, Arthur said.

“Frontier’s planned West Coast routes include L.A., which is a top skiing market and obviously a large population base,” Arthur said.

Lynx Aviation will operate 70-seat Bombadier Q400 turbo-prop jets.

Blue River Lofts Project Gains Initial Approval

A scaled back version of the Blue River Lofts project in Silverthorne gained initial approval this week from the Silverthorne Planning Commission.

Florida-based developers Greenwald Group are proposing the Blue River Crossing at 421 Rainbow Drive, a 1.29-acre lot nestled against the Blue River.

After the town council denied the Greenwald Group’s 50-foot tall, 92, 917-square-foot mixed use Lofts proposal last December, the architects went back to the drawing board and came up with a plan that’s 13 feet lower and 30,000 square feet smaller than the previous plan.

“We think that this can really be the impetus to get a lot of development started here in the town center around the river,” architect Michael Houx said.

The town has identified the land on either side of the Blue River in the heart of Silverthorne as the ideal location for a town center.

Greenwald Group’s new plans call for an underground parking garage, 25 studio, one- and two-bedroom units spread throughout three levels and 4,645 square feet of commercial space on the bottom floor. Developers also plan to offer two large lawn areas next to the river and a connection to the pedestrian bridge that takes people to the Silverthorne Pavilion.

Independence Pass Designated Scenic Byway

Independence Pass, which starts at 9,200 feet and rises to 12,095 feet, has been added to the Top of the Rockies scenic byway.

The pass (open only during the summer months) is southwest of Breckenridge and a great scenic drive.

The Colorado Transportation Commission recently approved a recommendation by the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway Commission to extend the route from south central Colorado near Leadville along Colorado Highway 82 to the west side of Aspen.

The 122-mile scenic byway now includes Fremont, Tennessee and Independence passes on the Continental Divide.

Breckenridge Riverwalk Center to get Roof

More than $600,000 raised in the last 12 weeks has sealed the fate of the Riverwalk Center's "Madonna" tent in Breckenridge:

The tent will be no longer.

In September, after the tent is taken down, construction on the new hardroof shell and side-walls will begin immediately. Town spokesperson Kim DiLallo said the new facility will include garage-like doors out to the lawn and improved acoustics for the National Repertory Orchestra and Breckenridge Music Festival, and will be open by May 2008.

The fundraising effort included a more than one $100,000 donation — including one from Vail Resorts — which prompted the Breckenridge Town Council to approve the project.

The latest cost projection is just under $2.8 million.

Mine Waste to be Moved

A controversial plan to move several thousand cubic yards of tainted mine waste to a managed storage site in French Gulch got a conditional approval from the Breckenridge town council Tuesday.

Several mine waste piles on the national forest Claimjumper parcel - some with concentrations of lead as high as five percent - will be removed this summer and piled atop similarly polluted material near the abandoned Wellington-Oro mine, then capped, re-vegetated and monitored.

In their current location, next to the Claimjumper condos, the piles have been deemed a direct health risk, especially for any children playing outside. The main threat is through ingestion, EPA toxicologist Susan Griffin said at the council meeting.

"The soil easily sticks to hands. It's available for hand-to-mouth contact," Griffin said.

Next, the county commissioners will take a look at the cleanup, while the EPA, Forest Service and local planners develop a specific action plan and timeline.

Local residents still had plenty of questions, but after several public information meetings and town council hearings, it appeared that many had their most serious concerns allayed.

Backcountry Re-zoning

A county plan to re-zone several hundred mining claims in the Snake River and Tenmile basins would result in new rules on development of backcountry parcels, including limits on house sizes and changes to road standards.

Based on master plan language that emphasizes preservation of the rural, natural characteristics of the backcountry, the county wants to reclassify 275 properties in the Snake River Basin and 66 properties in the Tenmile Basin into a backcountry zone.

The proposal is up for a public hearing today in front of the countwide planning commission.

Since a large number parcels, totaling 3,615 acres, is up for re-zoning, the application is being processed as a "quasi-legislative" action, with multiple public hearings scheduled.

At the same time, the planning commission will consider changes to backcountry zone district regulations that are related to the rez-oning move.

Based on public feedback from a previous Snake River planning commission meeting, county planners will revisit the proposal to specifically address concerns of a few property owners who said their parcels shouldn't be subject to the new rules.

National Repertory Orchestra Hires New Director

Kerry Farrell, the National Repertory Orchestra’s new executive director, has known about the organization since college.

Although he never made it into the summer festival that works to prepare musicians under 30 for careers with a professional orchestra, he’s now heading up the organization.

Farrell is from California, where he worked for the Henry Mancini Institute.

In discussing his philosophy on orchestral music in today’s world, he said,

“I think that the place for orchestral music in our culture has been diminished a lot in the last 50 years or so. This summer institute that is the NRO is a great opportunity to strengthen the place of orchestral music in everyday culture, and help people to connect with a wide variety of musical opportunities.”

Farrell replaces Terese Kaptur, whose contract the NRO board of trustees decided not to renew in March.

The NRO's 2007 season debuts on June 16.

Visit www.nromusic.com for the full schedule.

Hybrid Buses coming to Breckenridge

Thanks to a $303,000 federal and state grant, Summit County’s first hybrid buses should be rolling through downtown Breckenridge by sometime next winter.

“We’re optimistic they will save gas and cut emissions,” said transit director Jim Benkelman, explaining that he eventually plans to have four of the high-tech vehicles operating in his fleet.

The exact timing depends mostly on how and when future grants come through, he said.

The 40-foot hybrid buses cost about $500,000 each compared to about $330,000 for the standard 30-foot all-diesel buses.

“This is the first chance we’ve had to do a grant-funded bus replacment,” Benkelman said, explaining that the transit department was directed some time ago by the town council to look at options for replacing its diesel buses with cleaner vehicles.

“Our intention is to do the right thing for the environment,” he said.

General estimates of fuel saving range from 12 to 28 percent for hybrids versus standard diesel buses, but there is only limited data from high elevation operations, so it’s not clear if Breck’s new buses will reach those benchmarks.

Frisco's Revitalization of Main Street

The Colorado Department of Transportation and the Town of Frisco are working on an agreement to begin the revitalization of the west end of town.

A meeting with CDOT is scheduled for May 24 to go over the plans for West Main Street, said Tim Mack, public works director for the town.

After that, the design, which is being finalized now, will go to bid.

"We expect to go to bid the middle part of June. ... If all If works out, we would like to see construction beginning after the Fourth of July holiday," Mack said.

Engineers estimate the project to take 120 days so it would be near competition by the first part of November, he added.