Second Ski Area in Colorado Opens for the Season

Loveland Ski Area opened this morning - the second ski area in Colorado (and North America) to open for the 2007/08 season.

An 18 inch base, supplemented by a weekend snowfall that measured 10 inches in my back yard, gave Loveland a great start to the ski/snowboard season.

We will see many more ski areas open in the next few weeks. Tomorrow's forcase is for more snow. It looks as though winter has begun in Colorado.

Summit Foundation Philanthropy Nominations

The Summit Foundation is accepting nominations to honor and recognize outstanding philanthropy in Summit County. This year's event will be held on Friday, Nov. 16, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Keystone Conference Center.

Deadline for receipt of nominations is noon on Monday, Oct. 15.

Since the inception of the program in 1991, 169 individuals, organizations and businesses have been recognized for their outstanding philanthropic efforts in Summit County.

This year's awards will be presented in recognition of outstanding contributions in nine categories: Outstanding Philanthropist, Outstanding Volunteer, Outstanding Board Member, Outstanding Citizen, Outstanding Youth, Outstanding Professional in a Nonprofit Organization ("seasoned" and "novice"), Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Business and/or Corporation and Outstanding Nonprofit/Community Organization.

Nominations will be accepted for Summit County individuals, organizations and businesses only but may be submitted for more than one nominee in more than one category. You will be notified if your nominee is selected to receive an award.

For more information about making a contribution to the foundation or to obtain Philanthropy Day nomination forms, please contact The Summit Foundation office at (970) 453-5970 or at www.summitfoundation.org, and click on the "About Us" and "Philanthropy Day" tab. Completed nomination forms should be received in the Foundation office, 108 North French Street, (P.O. Box 4000), Breckenridge, no later than noon on Monday, Oct. 15.

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area Opens

Arapahoe Basin ski area officials announce that its opening day for the 2007-2008 ski season will be tomorrow, Wednesday, October 10, 2007. This marks Arapahoe Basin’s earliest opening in its 61 years of operation. Last year the ski area was the first to open in the nation and this year A-Basin continues that trend.

The Exhibition chair will open to the public at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. Skiers and riders can look forward to an 18-inch base on the intermediate High Noon run and some features in the High Divide terrain park. The will be no beginner skiing at this time.

New this season, A-Basin will introduce Montezuma Bowl, 400 acres of lift served groomed runs, glades, chutes and wide-open bowl skiing. The new expansion is expected to open sometime in late December, snow conditions permitting.

Silverthorne Updating Height Restrictions

Silverthorne is proposing new height restrictions in different parts of town as part of its comprehensive plan update.T

he height limit for all commercial buildings in Silverthorne is 35 feet, although builders are given some leeway for architectural features.

The new proposal would allow buildings up to 50 feet on either side of Interstate 70, where the La Quinta is already 76 feet and the Day’s Inn reaches 52 feet and around the Summit Place Shopping Center and the Red Village of the Outlets at Silverthorne.

The two hotels are considered legal, non-conforming projects because town records don’t show how their respective heights were approved, according to town planner Mary Devlin.

The height limit would taper down to 45 feet around where the Silverthorne Pavilion is located, as well as the Blue Village of the Outlets at Silverthorne. The east side of the Blue River from Tanglewood Lane down to 6th Street would lower to 40 feet, as well as the commercial area west of Adams Ave. behind the Outlets’ Blue Village.

Most of the other commercial areas would remain at 35 feet and the residential height limit of 25 feet wouldn’t change.

Devlin said the proposed numbers came from the community development department, as well as suggestions from the town council, on where best additional height could be accommodated and still maintain the character of the town.

Breckenridge Discusses more Main St. Restrictions

After passing an ordinance restricting residential development on Main Street and some surrounding areas, the Breckenridge Town Council is discussing similar restrictions for office space.

The concern is that offices on Main Street take spaces away from retail businesses, which council members said are the main tourist attraction for downtown.

Town Manager Tim Gagen said real estate offices - by far the most common office use on Main Street - account for about 20 percent of Main Street businesses. Many towns with a similar percentage in retail districts have imposed office development restrictions, he said, because some studies show that at that ratio the prevalence of offices starts to reduce pedestrian draw.

As with the residential ordinance, the council expressed support for a grandfather clause for any office space restriction to protect current businesses.

Recently retired realtor Bob Girvin, who owns an office building on Main Street, said he worries that some spaces will remain vacant if office space is restricted. He'd like to see the Town encourage retail instead of discouraging other uses.

I'm with you Bob, let's encourage retail instead of discouraging other uses.

Aspens in their Autumn Glory

The Aspens are in their full Autumn Glory. Just look at the photograph Michael took yesterday near Silverthorne.

Colorado’s favorite annual autumn show is getting good reviews even before it opens.

The aspen leaves are beginning to change color.

The late moisture we have received lately has delayed the change of colors and should make it a spectacular year, says Clare Sinacori, spokeswoman for Colorado State Parks.

But don’t get impatient. “We are pretty darn green, still,” Kyle Patterson of Rocky Mountain National Park told the Greeley Tribune. “There is a little tiny bit of color changing at higher elevations, but it’s not really noticeable yet.”

Next week should be the start of the good viewing with the peak following closely thereafter.

That’s of course if wind doesn’t blown them off, or snow cover them.

The photograph above was taken last year by Michael.

Breckenridge Town Council Supports Child Care

The Breckenridge Town Council continued it's support for more quality childcare options in the town when it approved a grant to aid Breckenridge Montessori at a recent council meeting.

The grant gives the chlidcare provider $32,000 to pay off its mortgage debts and more than $40,000 for salary supplements and scholarships in 2007.

Breckenridge Montessori's grant comes after the council approved similar grants for Little Red Schoolhouse and The Carriage House last month.

Breckenridge events and communication manager Kim DiLallo said the grants fulfill the Town's goals to encourage quality, affordable childcare in the community.

Interstate 70 Now Has a Web Site

A website created by the I-70 Mountain Corridor Coalition will help everyone who wants to stay informed about planned improvements along the state's main east-west highway corridor.

"We're really trying to be friendly to the public and help people understand what's going on and who the players are," said coalition director Flo Raitano.

Along with providing timely I-70 information for travelers, www.i70solutions.org also includes a link to sign up for the coalition's e-newsletter, to be published throughout the year to inform people about coalition activities and transportation issues under discussion at the state level.

Timely notice about any upcoming public involvement opportunities is a key part of the e-newsletter, Raitano said.

The site also includes tips for avoiding highway congestion and links to live highway web cams.

The redesigned website contains information tips for avoiding traffic congestion on I-70, the latest news about the coalition and its history, vision and strategy for the future. The site also includes a link to the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) live Web cams where users can preview traffic along the corridor 24 hours per day.

Stan Miller Property Public Hearing Set

The Breckenridge Town Council recently approved a resolution about the potential annexation of the Stan Miller property located approximately 3 miles north of town.

The petition met the Town's requirements and a public hearing has been set for September 25.

In recent months, the Town has reviewed the proposal for the 40-acre property along Highway 9 near the Town's Block 11/ McCain property.

The design plan includes about 100 affordable housing units, a public trail along the west side of the river, open space and Blue River restoration. The development would be phased in gradually as construction operations that have taken place there for 35 years wind down.

Be Aware of Bears

The Breckenridge Police Department is cracking down on violations of the town's trash ordinance in an effort to keep foraging bears out of garbage cans around town.

The police department has noticed an increase in the past week of bears coming to feed in local garbage cans, according to a press release from Breckenridge Police spokeswoman Crystal Dean.

"This is unhealthy for the bears, problematic for the community and could result in a ticket for the homeowner," Dean wrote.

So far this summer, the police department has issued 200 to 300 warnings to property owners for violating the trash ordinance and will start handing out citations, which require a court appearance. The ordinance, passed in 2001, addresses placement and use of garbage cans and similar receptacles.

All households are required to store garbage cans inside a home, garage, building or shed. Garbage cans may be placed at the curbside on the day of pickup only and must be removed by 10 p.m. that evening. The only exception to this requirement is if the can is equipped with some type of latching mechanism that will hold the lid securely to the can.

Some bears actively feed for 20 hours a day and ingest as much as 20,000 calories to prepare for winter hibernation. If natural foods are not readily available, bears will travel over 60 miles to find other food. Once bears know where to find a non-natural food source they will return again and again.

Some things you can do to help keep the bears in the woods, and trash in the cans:

• Keep your garbage secured inside until morning of trash pickup

• Ensure you have a locking lid on any garbage stored outside - call your carrier on how to obtain a wildlife-proof receptacle

• Ensure bird feeders and other sources of food are not bear-accessible

• Keep your grill clean of any food debris

The Breckenridge Police Department will be working with the local Bear Aware group to identify trash violations in the community and strict enforcement will be taken.

Breckenridge Music Festival Wraps up the Season

The Breckenridge Music Festival’s 27th Season Finale will feature BMF Orchestra members John Macfarlane, violinist, Timothy McFadden, trumpet and Kenneth Krause, clarinet, this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge.

The evening will feature Rossini’s Overture to “Cenerentola,” Hummel’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsody for Clarinet and Orchestra, Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra and Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Purcell.

Tickets are $22, $27 and $32 (including a $2 box office service fee).

Alliance for Historical Preservation - Frisco

It’s going to be a busy summer for the newly-formed Alliance for Historical Preservation, thanks to the energy and hard work of president Charlotte Clarke and vice president Peggy Alexander.

Clarke has planned two Frisco events during the coming months to benefit the Alliance. The first, on Sunday, is a Ten Mile Canyon Bike Tour of Frisco’s historic mines. The two-hour tour will include a look at the famed Juno, King Solomon, Curtin, Kitty Innes, Mary Verna, Monroe and Admiral mines, with historical facts provided by Clarke, who is well-known as a local authority on Frisco’s mining history.

The second event takes place on Aug. 19, when the Alliance will host a free tour of historic Frisco Cemetery as part of the Frisco Founder’s Day Celebration. Mayor Bernie Zurbriggen, as well as locals Bill Kossian, Sally Roscoe and others, will lead the tour by impersonating costumed characters from Frisco’s past — characters such as town founder Henry Recen, town pioneers Jane Thomas and Bill Thomas, and Susan Badger.

The Alliance for Historical Preservation was formed after the Frisco Historical Society disbanded in 2006. Along with Peggy Alexander, Charlotte Clarke decided to take up where the society left off by forming a new organization dedicated to preserving Frisco’s historic structures, as well as educating others about the town’s rich historic past.

During the first week of July, Clarke sponsored a successful show geared toward local crafters and artists. The show raised $7,000, of which $5,000 went toward saving the Susan Badger house on Galena Street from destruction.

Breckenridge Restricts Main Street Development

The Breckenridge Town Council recently passed the first reading of an ordinance restricting future residential uses on the ground floor of Main Street and some adjacent streets.

"The real issue is the vibrancy of Main Street which is what this ordinance is trying to protect,” one councit member said.

Previously, the council studied other communities that put similar restrictions in place and saw the benefit of doing so. Last April, they reviewed recommendations by the Breckenridge Economic Development Advisory Commission (BEDAC) about limiting first-floor residences, sending those recommendations on to the planning commission that explored the issue at meetings in May and June.

At the time, councilmembers said they wanted to protect the core shopping and dining area from becoming condos in the future since there is a high demand and a high price for in-town condos.

Three years ago residential space could be purchased for $300 per square foot — a number that has climbed to almost $1000 today.

The ordinance that passed first reading included revisions the council discussed earlier. The revisions that took place came from councilmembers’ concerns about making sure residential uses currently in place are protected even in the case of a fire so they can rebuild. Another revision included the Wellington lot in the restricted area. As a result, the Downtown Overlay District included is Main Street from French to Ridge streets, properties backing the Riverwalk, one-block sections of Lincoln, Ridge and Washington streets, and the Wellington lot area.

Thehe ordinance is expected to come back to the Town Council for a second reading vote in August following a public hearing.

Volunteers Needed for Meadow Creek Trail

Friends of the Eagles Nest Wilderness is looking for volunteers to help work on the Meadow Creek Trail on Saturday, July 14.

They will supply a light breakfast and tailgate party at the end of the day.

Interested volunteers should meet at the Dillon Ranger Station in Silverthorne, a half-mile north of Interstate 70 on Highway 9 at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Please come prepared for a day on the trails with lunch, raingear, water, gloves and long pants.

Contact Jonathan at (970) 262-2399 or jonathankriegel@comcast.net to RSVP or with questions.

Go to www.fenw.org for information.

Dillon to Improve its Marina Park

The Town of Dillon will move forward with plans to improve its popular Marina Park in spite of losing out a grant that would have paid for half of the project.T

he town planned to spend about $410,000 to revamp the existing playground into a destination playground, replace and enlarge the picnic pavilion and build new restrooms. The hope was to cover half the pricetag with a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, which funds parks, trails and open space projects with state lottery funds, but town officials learned last week that it didn’t win one of the competitive awards.

Now, to make the project more affordable, the town has decided to eliminate the new restrooms from the plans, said town manager Devin Granbery.

“The thought was that we have fairly readily available bathroom facilities that aren’t too far away already, so if we needed to cut something out, let’s cut that out,” Granbery said.

Marina Park already has restrooms, but during busy times, such as the summertime Saturday night concerts at the amphitheatre, additional portable toilets are necessary to handle the crowd. Also, the town is looking to improve the green room at the amphitheatre and may explore the possibility of adding new restrooms there, said Dillon town planner Melissa Wyatt.

The council previously set aside about $201,000 for the park improvements, and recently decided to pad that budget with another $130,000 from a portion of the proceeds from a $1 million it took out last year to pay for capital improvements and economic revitalization projects in town, Granbery said.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for this fall for the new pavilion and next spring for the playground, Wyatt said. Preliminary plans for the new pavilion call for picnic tables, benches, a skylight and a duel-faced gas fireplace under an A-frame roof.

Breckenridge Round-a-bout to get Landscaping?

After the Breckenridge Town Council heard about plans to landscape the round-a-bout starting after the July 4 holiday, they discussed alternatives to reduce the impact to traffic as much a possible.

"For me this is a low priority," said Council member Jeffrey Bergeron, who voiced the most conservative opinion about the project. "It seems every summer we're just doing something in this area."

Other council members commented that the lack of landscaping at the town's entrance is "embarrassing" and discussed the possibility of reducing traffic impact by splitting up the work so the planting is done in the summer and rock work takes place in the fall - each part makes up about half of the expected two month project.

Councilmember Dave Rossi said he agreed that it would be a "harassment of construction," but with one-lane closure it would have only a minimal impact and it needs to get done.

The work will take place during the week and be cleaned off by Friday afternoon so it wouldn't impact weekend traffic. Also, the lane closure that would be necessary to house the equipment for the work would not impact the part of the round-a-bout that only has one lane, staff said.

The town staff is currently assessing options and will get back to council to determine what to do.

"We don't want to start right after July 4th without thinking this through as much as we can," said Mayor Ernie Blake.

Colorado Mountain College Breckenridge Campus

The new Colorado Mountain College project is designed with a stone base that will be made from Summit County rock and dark brown brick from Denver, the 33,500-square-foot building will serve as a new facility for Colorado Mountain College's Summit Campus in Breckenridge.

"We're trying to use all local, Colorado materials," said Dan Miller, senior associate with Oz Architecture, who recently presented the design to the Breckenridge Town Council. The two-story building will measure 44 feet to the top of the light monitors and has a variety of architectural features to break up the mass of the building.

It will sit on the Block 11 property near Coyne Valley Road and Highway 9 that the college purchased from the town through a Memorandum of Understanding for $1 in March. The color will be similar to the new Breckenridge Police Station, except more brown and less red, he explained recently. Another feature that is key to the design is that, "we're trying to make the lobby space as transparent as possible. There is a lot of glass. ... The intent is to blend the boundary between indoor and outdoor," Miller said.

Kelly Yamasaki, principal with Oz Architecture, presented the preliminary plan for landscaping which will be installed in three phases. The whole process of landscaping is likely about three years out, Yamasaki said.

Currently, the groundbreaking for the facility is planned for spring2008, and the first class to use the new building will likely be in the fall 2008 or spring 2009 semester

Seeking Volunteers for Easement Stewardship Day

Continental Divide Land is looking for volunteers for Easement Stewardship Day to help monitor our conservation easement properties.

Easement Stewardship Day is on Saturday, June 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting at the Senior and Community Center in Frisco.

The day begins with a morning of education and training on easement monitoring and an afternoon in the field and on-the-ground for open space protection. Volunteers will be divided into small groups led by experienced Land Stewards.

Monitoring consists of walking the property, taking photos and documentation. We will provide volunteers with materials, tools, morning snacks and a bag lunch. Please bring sturdy walking shoes, water, sunscreen, hat, rain jacket and dress for weather.

Conservation Easements to be monitored during Easement Stewardship Day include Fiester open Space Preserve (Frisco), McCullough Gulch Open Space (Blue River), Wetlands at Water Dance (Frisco), Overlook at Piney Acres (Dillon Valley), Willow Grove Easement (Silverthorne), and Iron Springs Easement (Farmer’s Corner).

Please sign up in advance if you are interested in attending Easement Stewardship Day. To sign up or for more information please contact CDLT at (970) 453-3875, info@cdlt.org, or visit www.cdlt.org for volunteer opportunities.

Construction in Silverthorne

The Town of Silverthorne and Columbine Hills Concrete are scheduled to begin work this week on the Lagoon Lane, Ptarmigan Trail and Tanglewood Lane Roadway, a project the town hopes will help pedestrian areas and slow down traffic.

The contractor hired by the Town will have 60 days to complete the work, which is scheduled for completion by late August.

There are three main components to the improvements scheduled for this area:

• The construction of a new sidewalk on the north side of Ptarmigan Trail, which will provide a safer route for pedestrians who wish to walk to amenities in this area.

• The reconfiguration of the Ptarmigan Trail, Tanglewood Lane and Lagoon Lane intersection, which will remedy the awkward existing flow with a more standardized alignment, including the introduction of a four way stop.

• Two traffic calming speed humps will be installed on Lagoon Lane and two on Tanglewood Lane to encourage reduced vehicle speeds appropriate for residential streets.

If you have questions about this project contact the Silverthorne's Town Engineer at (970) 262-7354.