Celebration of America
GRANBY, CO – Monday, July 3rd at 6:30 pm at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Granby there will be a FREE patriotic event, A Celebration of America.  This annual, non-denominational and non-partisan event.

The program includes the reading of excerpts from historic documents like The Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights and speeches by famous patriots like George Washington, Susan

  1. Anthony, and Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur.

Throughout you can sing along to patriotic songs, some featuring the Grand Chorale and Mountain Blends Singers.

For more info: St. John’s Episcopal Church  970-887-2742 or stjohnsgranby@gmail.com

Penny Hamilton

Penny Hamilton. Photo by Sally DiSciullo

Volunteer of the Year
Dr. Penny Hamilton was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the Grand County Historical Association at their recent members and volunteers appreciation party.   GCHA supporters gathered on a sunny Saturday afternoon on the lawn of the Stagecoach Inn and Dean Public House in Hot Sulphur Springs.  The staff of the recently opened Dean Public House restaurant graciously hosted the event and served multiple items from their extensive menu.  

Penny has been a longtime advocate for aviation and Grand County history.  She and her husband Bill led the effort to dedicate the Granby Airport to Emily Warner who, as the first woman commercial pilot and captain, pioneered the way for women to pursue careers in commercial aviation.  Penny developed an aviation museum in the airport that features the history of the airport’s development, Grand County’s connection to aviation military history, and the history of Rocky Mountain Airways.  This museum is now part of the Grand County Historical Association.

Penny is also an author of Grand County history.  She produced the Around Granby book of historical photos of places and people in the Granby area.  Most recently she authored the children’s book A to Z: Your Grand County History Alphabet.  Penny has generously donated the proceeds from this book to the Grand County Historical Association. Both books are available at all four GCHA museums and area stores.  

Thanks to Penny and many other volunteers, the Grand County Historical Association is able to continue to pursue its mission of historic preservation and education.

Winter Park Village
WINTER PARK, CO – The Independence holiday weekend crackles at Winter Park Resort with the immensely popular Village Uncorked wine, art, and cheese festival taking place in The Village at Winter Park on Saturday, July 1 from 12- 4:00 p.m.  

Wine lovers will get an opportunity to taste over 40 different types of wine while pairing it with an array of delicious cheeses.  Local artists will also be showing off their work while guests enjoy live music.  This year’s festival includes two Paint n’ Sip classes, with a brunch taking place at Back Bowl Soup Company from 10-11:30 a.m. and Vertical Bistro hosting a Paint n’ Sip lunch from 12-1:30 p.m.  Both classes require a registration fee that includes lunch.   Admission to Village Uncorked is free, but for a pre-purchase of just $25 visitors will get unlimited wine tasting the whole afternoon as well as a commemorative wine glass.  Glasses are $30 at the door and guests are encouraged to pre-order the classes and wine glasses at www.winterparkresort.com to avoid lines.     

The Village will also be transformed into an art gallery with live art demonstrations.  There will be a variety of convenient 15-minute classes and seminars, covering everything from cheese making, to rosé wines, to wine and cheese pairings.

Smoke From Fires in Utah and Arizona
Heavy smoke from fires outside of Colorado will create a hazy forecast for the next few days. The sky’s in the mountain region will continue to see periods of smoke and haze come and go as western wildfires flare up over the next few days.  Cooler than expected temps will help fire crews get a handle on some of Utah and Arizona fires over the 4th of July holiday.

The smoke is being carried hundreds of miles on moderate winds out of the west.  Currently, the Brian Head Fire in Utah, seems to be the biggest culprit.  The Utah fire is the largest fire in the United States  according to William Mortenson, NWCFMU Fire Management Officer in Moffat County.