Local News

Grand Lake fire hosts wildfire meeting GRAND LAKE — Grand Lake Fire Protection District invites residents of the Grand Lake area to a Wildfire Preparedness meeting at 5 to 7 p.m. on June 6, in the Community Room next to Town Hall. Learn how to be prepared for a wildfire with topics presented on Home Defensible Space, personal preparedness and emergency notification methods. This meeting is presented as part of Wildfire Awareness Week, June 3-93. For more information visit GLFPD website at,www.grandlakefire.org or contact Paul Mintier at, pmintier@grandlakefire.org, 970-531-3287. …

A report of a stolen rental car in the Granby area was resolved by a Fraser-Winter Park Police officer, who located the car on YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch property. The car’s driver allegedly had attended a wedding at the YMCA the night before. It was suspected the man had indulged in too many wedding toasts, forgetting where his car had been parked. The officer ended up giving the man “a courtesy ride, and a lecture, to his vehicle,” according to a police calls log. The fox and the hound. A dog in Grand Lake allegedly was injured by a fox …

Eight-graders focus on higher education GRANBY — East Grand Middle School Students worked the entire year on a service learning project to make Grand County a better place to live, and this year’s winning idea was to bring a community college to Grand County. Students worked independently to research the needs and benefits of having a community college in our area. They also listened to guest speakers and found out the Grand Foundation is promoting the pursuit of attracting a college to Grand County, with 26 local organizations and individuals having signed a letter of support. The eighth-graders are now …

On May 10, The Department of the Interior announced the start of the 2013 “Share the Experience” contest, giving amateur photographers the chance to join the ranks of Ansel Adams, Thomas Moran, and others who have found recognition for their photographs of the nation’s public lands. The “Share the Experience” photo contest showcases our nation’s public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges, forests and recreation areas - and draws entries from all across the United States. It is the largest national park and public land photo contest for amateur photographers. “Photography has the power to make the great outdoors accessible …

Nancy Gold was on the phone in her kitchen in Tabernash when she noticed that two burners on her fairly new smooth-top stove were on high. She thought it was odd, as she couldn’t remember turning them on. When she went to turn them off, she noticed the knobs were both turned off. “I thought I had lost my mind! Even on high there’s a (heat) limit, but the burners kept getting hotter and hotter!” said Gold, who tried to unplug the stove but it was too heavy for her to move alone. She finally turned it off through the …

The Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce plans to host its first signature Golf Tournament at the Grand Lake Golf Course on Saturday, June 8, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The tournament was previously the Independent Sport Club’s (ISC) golf fundraiser; the ISC will no longer host a golf tournament. The chamber is honored to inherit the golf tournament from the ISC, according to statements. The Chamber will use it as one of its key fundraising events of the year. All proceeds from the tournament will be used by the chamber to support chamber members and effectively market …

WINTER PARK – Winter Park Resort mechanic Justin Jarzynka has been named Mechanic of the Year by the Ski Area Vehicle Maintenance Institute at its annual Conference and Trade Show held this week in Grand Junction, Colorado. In addition to Jarzynka, the entire Winter Park mechanic shop was singled out by the Institute for its annual Safety Award, acknowledging the overall commitment to safety by each of the resort’s mechanics while keeping Winter Park’s vehicles in pristine shape throughout the difficult winters. Jarzynka, a native of Nebraska, is celebrating his 10th season with Winter Park after joining the resort in …

CDOT will be completing routine maintenance throughout Grand County this summer with crews fixing potholes, guardrails and other small projects. CDOT is also planning to fix an area of Highway 40 just west of the junction with Highway 14, which continues to Walden. The section of Highway 40 — called Muddy Pass — that will undergo construction has seen damage from an ongoing landslide. This section of highway has received regular fixes due to the active landslide state of the area. A contractor will build a retaining wall that will hopefully prevent slides from happening, according to CDOT Spokeswoman Ashley …

On a Saturday in 1981, 60 miles northeast of San Diego, three brothers were hiking a half-mile from the campsite where their parents were preparing lunch. Two of the brothers thought the third brother, 9-year-old Jimmy Beveridge, was racing them back to the campsite, but he never returned. After a short search by the parents, which turned up no Jimmy, a large-scale search for the boy was started. After four days of searching by 400 searchers, including 200 marines, the boy’s jacket and one shoe were recovered and his direction of travel was finally established. Wednesday morning Jimmy’s body was …

DOTSERO — Interstate 70 was closed for about eight hours Wednesday after a fatal head-on collision between a car and semi truck that morning. A Mazda sedan was traveling eastbound, while the truck was traveling westbound in a construction zone at mile marker 126.5. Due to construction, eastbound and westbound traffic were traveling in the lanes normally used for westbound traffic. The Mazda crossed into the path of the semi and struck it head-on, according to trooper Nate Reid of the Colorado State Patrol. Both cars were engulfed in flames after they collided. The adult female driver of the Mazda …

DOTSERO — Interstate 70 is now open in both directions in Glenwood Canyon after being closed for nearly six hours due to a fatal head-on collision between a car and semi truck early Wednesday morning. A Mazda sedan was traveling eastbound, while the truck was traveling westbound in a construction zone at mile marker 126.5. Due to construction on that stretch of the interstate, eastbound and westbound of traffic are traveling in the lanes that normally used for westbound traffic. The Mazda crossed into the path of the semi and struck it head-on, according to Trooper Nate Reid of the …

Local groups and governments are emptying their piggy banks trying to find any available money to contribute to a 10-mile safety-improvement project on Highway 9 in Grand County. Their cash is crucial to getting the plan approved. High Country stakeholders have to put up 20 percent of the project’s $46 million bill to qualify for Colorado Department of Transportation funding. The owner of the Blue Valley Ranch near Kremmling, billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Jones, last month contributed $4 million to the match, leaving a local citizens’ group with $4 million left to raise from the public and local stakeholders …

FRASER —Cozens Ranch Museum, located in Fraser, will be opening a new exhibit on Friday, May 24, called Merrit Esmiol: A Retrospective Exhibit. The new exhibit, which is being presented by the Grand County Historical association, will highlight the life and career of the artist from Kremmling with nearly 20 of the artist’s best paintings from all periods of his career. This retrospective presents Merritt Esmiol’s eclectic art legacy, including classic and detailed renderings of nature and wildlife in Grand County; bold Colorado landscapes; his versions of modern art showing influences of cubism and paint splatter; and a series of …

The Colorado State Patrol and 63 law enforcement agencies across Colorado are joining the nationwide Click It or Ticket campaign by increasing enforcement of seat belt and child passenger safety laws. The ramped-up enforcement takes place Monday, May 20 through Sunday, June 2. The goal is to get more Coloradans to buckle up and ultimately save lives across the state, according to statements released this week. In 2012, 159 people who weren’t buckled up lost their lives in traffic crashes on Colorado roadways, which is down from 185 unrestrained fatalities in 2011. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is focusing …

Expect delays on I-70 near Georgetown I-70 Traffic Stops in Georgetown area; Lane Closure west of Idaho Spring Daytime traffic stops and lane closures are taking place on Interstate 70 at Georgetown Hill and at Fall River Road near Idaho Springs next week for rock scaling and fence installation, weather permitting. Traffic stops will be taking place from 10 a.m. to dark, Tuesday through Thursday, with stops of 20 minutes on eastbound and westbound I-70, about twice an hour The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) must stop traffic whenever rock work is taking place above the highway to maintain safety …

Entries wanted for Hot Sulphur Days Parade The Hot Sulphur Springs Chamber of Commerce is seeking more entries for this year’s Hot Sulphur Springs parage. Awards will be given for the best entry in the following categories: Costume; motorized; non-motorized; organization; and youth Organization. A $50 cash prize will go to the Best of Show of all the parade entries. Take advantage of this opportunity to showcase your business or organization. The parade immediately follows the historical reenactment of the “Texas Charlie Shootout” at noon on Saturday, June 8. Lineup is at Pioneer Park (across the river) at 11:30 a.m. …

Thanks, rescuers, for saving my dog To the Editor: I’d like to thank Hot Sulphur Springs Fire and Rescue and Neal McQuarie of the Sheriff’s office for rescuing my 13-year-old dog. My friend Rich Loos and I searched for two days and found him in a steep canyon on the wrong side of Beaver Creek. The creek was so high and raging we were unable to get him across. Thanks, however, to the cooperation of the fire and sheriff departments, my dog was saved. We were lucky to have such courteous and professional people in Grand County to serve us. …

Lake elevations, May 21 Windy Gap 7,828.15 (full 7,828) Willow Creek 8,126.81 (full, 8,128.83) Green Mountain 7909.07 (full 7,950.38) Granby 8,228.63 (full 8,280) …

The federal budget cuts known as the sequester have taken effect and are affecting some local institutions and federally funded entities. Among the hardest hit by the sequester is Rocky Mountain National Park, which is on track to loose 6 percent of its budget, cut 10 ranger positions, reduce programs, and will keep Glacier Basin Campground closed while the park is open. Local schools also will be feeling the budget cuts and are expecting a 15 to 20 percent reduction in federal funding, though the schools will be able to absorb the loss and should continue to operate as normal, …

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