Free Christmas Tree drop off

Time to get rid of your Christmas tree? You can drop off your Christmas tree at the designated drop off area anytime at 855 County Road 731 in Fraser, right behind the rodeo grounds. For directions, visit binged.it/2s1aeoa. There is no charge to drop off your tree.

RESTRICTIONS: Since the tree bark and branches will be consumed by goats, only trees that have NOT been sprayed by any chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides) are acceptable to be dropped off at this location for disposal. Christmas trees purchased at Murdoch’s, or any locally harvested forest trees are acceptable. If you purchased a Christmas tree at any other location, please do not drop off your tree at this location.

A huge thanks to the Kotrba Family for providing this service to the Fraser Valley Community and helping to keep Christmas trees out of the landfill!

Lines of Sight Tour comes to Winter Park Resort

CMH is hitting the road and from January 11-13, they’re installing a heli-inspired Virtual Reality  lounge at Winter Park Resort. Bring your friends and family to the base to try Heli-Skiing in virtual reality, and ask questions about sampling the real deal. Alpine & Ales will be serving up its finest beverages next door to take this experience to the next level.

Filmed entirely at CMH Cariboos over the course of one incredible winter, this cinematic piece is the first of its kind in both the tech and the ski industries. This is your opportunity to step into the heli, soar above the glaciers, and drop into the best runs of your life in this beautifully immersive experience.

Learn more at: https://www.cmhheli.com/vr/

Pioneer Village celebrates 150th anniversary of Powell’s exploration

The Pioneer Village Museum in Hot Sulphur Springs has announced a new exhibit on the 1869 Powell Exploration of the Colorado River. The exhibit will open on April 27th and they are seeking community input for a title of the display. The two choices are:

  1. Colorado River Exploring Expedition, 150th Anniversary
  2. Down the River; the adventures of the Powell 1869 Expedition

Special events are being planned for May 24th and also for Hot Sulphur Days, June 7-9th. All are encouraged to submit your ideas, stories, arts and crafts. Contact serena@grandcountyhistory.org

Model Railroad Christmas Trains on Display

The Grand County Model Railroad Club has created a model railroad display for the holiday season, which is open to public viewing in the modular building at the museum site, west of Kaibab Park ball fields in Granby. This is the tenth year in a row to have a Christmas display model railroad and it’s bigger than before at 1,100 sq feet with 5 trains running at once, a huge ski mountain with working ski lifts, a big Christmas village and more. The display runs through the New Year holiday and all ages are welcome. Donations are gladly accepted to help with display costs, club activities, and the Railroad Museum Fund. When the museum’s Visitor Center Gift Shop in Kaibab Park is built, the model railroad display will be held there year-round. For information, call Dave Naples (970) 281-9094 or JR Faivre (970) 531-2223. To view the museum’s holiday schedule, visit moffatrailroadmuseum.org.

2019 Health Insurance Open Enrollment

November 1, 2018 – January 15, 2019 is the open enrollment period for Colorado’s Health Care Exchange: Connect for Health Colorado. In order for coverage to take effect or renew on January 1, 2019, the deadline for enrollment was December 15, 2018. There is still time to enroll for a February 1, 2019 coverage effective date, but you must enroll by January 15, 2019.

Here are a few things you can do right now to make open enrollment easier:

  1. Create or update your Connect for Health Colorado account: Online, at www.healthcare.gov or www.connectforhealthco.com, or, by phone, at: (855) 752-6749.
  2. If prompted, update your password.
  3. Make sure your current contact information and mailing address is up-to-date.

For in-person assistance, call Kim Long, Certified Health Coverage Guide and schedule an appointment: (970) 531-4769

Granby seeks feedback on Short-term Rentals

The Town of Granby welcomes feedback on the draft Short-term rental (STR) ordinance. The town will host a workshop on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 from 3 – 6 pm at Town Hall. For more information on the draft STR ordinance visit www.townofgranby.com/planning.

Welcome Our New Municipal Judge!
In December, the Winter Park Town Council appointed Ronald Carson as the new Municipal Judge for the Fraser/Winter Park Combined Municipal Court. Carson has over 20 years of combined experience being a municipal court judge in three mountain communities and understands the needs of a mountain community like ours.  We’d also like to give a special thank you to our previous judge, Georgia Noriyuki, who served our community for over 10 years!

Final “Imagine Winter Park” Plan
After an extensive public engagement process, the final “Imagine Winter Park” Town Plan is almost complete! Town Council adopted the plan during the Dec. 18th meeting and the Planning Commission will give it a final stamp of approval on Jan. 8.
This document will guide the town when creating policy and new projects over the next 10 years. Based on your feedback, the plan establishes a common vision for the Town’s future for:
Our character and culture
Our global and local connectivity
Our world-class outdoor recreation
Our healthy and thriving environment
Thanks for all your input and support along the way!

Artist Karen Vance offers painting workshops

For all of you who have New Years Resolutions promising to revive your Artist Soul and Talent…Your time is NOW! Karen Vance is offering workshops in 2019.

Complete one-day watercolor workshops, at her studio/gallery in Fraser with a different subject each Tuesday, from January 8 to through April 9th. The class includes all instruction, supplies, lunch (yummy soup and sandwich), a finished painting, a celebration and review of the day with wine and treats at 3:30 pm. For beginners and intermediate artists, over 18 years and older.  

Oil Painting Workshop SeriesSeven Weeks of taking your paintings to a higher level (that’s a promise). Instruction, demonstrations, and personal direction, lunch, wine and treats at 3:30 pm with a review of what was learned and what’s in store for upcoming class in series. This workshop also includes a special lunch at Devil’s Thumb Ranch with a personal tour of her paintings. This class is for intermediate and advanced painters, 18 years and older. Thursdays, January 17 through February 28th from 9 am – 4:30 pm. Sign up at karenvanceart.com. For more info, email karen@karenvanceart.com or call (970) 531-8722.

Winter Park Town Hall Selling “The Drop” Bags
Fun Fact: You can buy “The Drop” trash bags at Winter Park Town Hall! The Drop is Fraser’s new “pay-as-you-throw” trash and recycling center, which means the less trash you throw away the more you save! PAYT bags need to be purchased ahead of time and can be bought at Safeway and the Chamber of Commerce along with Town Hall.

Grand County Public Health Influenza Update

The geographic spread of influenza activity in the state of Colorado is at the widespread level.

156 additional influenza-associated hospitalizations were reported during the week ending December 29, 2018. The total number of hospitalizations since the beginning of the 2018-19 season is now 596.

There have been 8 outbreaks associated with influenza reported for the 2018-19 influenza season in Colorado.

No influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported thus far in Colorado.

Grand County Search & Rescue releases 2018 statistics

In 2018, GCSAR went on a total of 52 missions and 1,763 mission man hours were applied toward these missions. They also went on 11 out of county assists. 3,702 hours were spent on training. 4 lives were saved and 2 persons were recovered.

All told, GCSAR rescued 12 hikers, 10 snowmobilers, 4 skiers, 4 mountain bikers, 2 climbers, 1 fisherman and 1 hunter over the course of the year. To learn more about Grand County Search & Rescue, visit grandcountysar.com.

Adult Pickleball registration at Fraser Valley Rec

Those interested in playing league Pickleball should assemble your team and get registered. Open Gym begins on January 10th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm and League Play starts on January 24th and goes through March 14th at the Fraser Valley Elementary School Gym. The cost is $200 per team. Register at the Grand Park Community Rec Center or online at fraservalleyrec.org. For more information, email anthony@fraservalleyrec.org.  

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