Congratulations to the Fraser Elementary Students that won in the local spelling Bee last week. (L>R) Eli Chua 2nd Place, Zanna Ehlen 3rd Place and Dylan Martinski 1st Place Champion at the January 24th, 2019, Fraser Elementary Spelling Bee. Of Note: Nathan Chua, Eli’s brother, was last year’s champion.

Daddy/Daughter Dance this Saturday
Join the Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recreation District and the Granby Recreation Department for the 16th Annual Daddy/Daughter Dance to be held on Saturday, February 2nd from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the Inn at Silvercreek Ballroom.
The dance is available to all young ladies ages 3 and over, along with the adult escort of their choice. Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served and a DJ will play favorite dance tunes and coordinate fun games. Tickets are $35/couple and $5/additional child and can be purchased at the FVMRD Offices at the Grand Park Recreation Center, 1 Main Street, Fraser, and the Granby Recreation Department located at the Granby Town Hall, Zero Jasper Avenue, Granby. Tickets will be $40 per couple the day of/at the door.  Pre-purchased tickets include coupons for local restaurants that can be used the night of the event for dinner discounts.
Don’t miss this chance to spend the night on the town with that special someone!  For more information, call Fraser Valley Rec at (970) 726-8968 or Granby Rec at (970) 887-3961.

Spay and Neuter Vouchers available Sunday

On February 3rd, from 11 am – 12 pm, the Grand County Animal Shelter will be handing out twenty $150 off vouchers to help get your dog fixed, and, twenty $75 off vouchers to get your cat fixed. Only one voucher per person. These vouchers can only be used at local Grand County Vets’ offices, and the voucher can only be used to get your pet fixed. Certain restrictions apply. For information, call the shelter at (970) 887-2988.

County hosts Manager Candidate Meet & Greet

The Board of Grand County Commissioners invites the public to attend a Meet and Greet with the candidate finalists for Grand County Manager. The three finalists (in no particular order) are Katherine McIntire, Scott Meszaros, and Don Rosier.

All are welcome to join the gathering from 6-7:30 pm on Tuesday, February 5th, in the Community Meeting Room, Granby Town Hall, Zero West Jasper Avenue, Granby. Light refreshments will be served.

Housing Assistance Fund deadlines approach

Both the Winter Park Housing Assistance Fund and the Grand County Housing Assistance Fund are designed to provide housing assistance to eligible applicants. The funds are both the result of a collaborative effort with local committees, the Town of Winter Park, Winter Park Resort and the Grand Foundation which identified the need in our community. The Funds aim to help full-time residents successfully live and work in Winter Park, the Fraser Valley and Grand County. Applicants are be prioritized based upon economic need.

The Winter Park Housing Assistance Fund application is due February 15th, and, the Grand County Housing Assistance Fund application is due February 27th, 2019.
To learn more and download an application, visit GrandFoundation.com.

The Drop announces recycling changes

Fraser’s trash and recycling facility, The Drop, announced changes in the acceptable recycling materials allowed this week. The main changes are that they can no longer accept any plastic bottle or container caps, lids or rings, both plastic or metal, but, they can now accept Styrofoam that is labeled #6.

To view a full list of acceptable items and learn more about The Drop, visit: frasercolorado.com.

New acting Colorado Parks and Wildlife director announced

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that Jeff Ver Steeg will step in as acting director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). Ver Steeg takes the helm from former CPW Director Bob Broscheid who recently left Colorado to take a position as director of the Arizona State Parks Department.  

Ver Steeg is CPW’s Assistant Director for Research, Policy and Planning and he will maintain this position while DNR works with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission on the hiring process for the next CPW director.

“We’re thrilled that Jeff has accepted this role while we work to find a permanent CPW director,” said DNR Director Dan Gibbs. “His experience with the agency will be invaluable as we move forward.”

Ver Steeg was the Assistant Director for Wildlife Programs for the Colorado Division of Wildlife (and subsequently Colorado Parks and Wildlife) from 2003 to 2012. He joined the agency as the Terrestrial Section Manager in 2001. Prior to that he served 12 years as the Chief of the Division of Wildlife Resources for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

“I feel both privileged and excited to serve in this capacity,” Ver Steeg said. “For over a century, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has been the state’s primary agency focused on perpetuating our wildlife resources, providing a quality park system, and providing quality outdoor recreation opportunities. I am honored to be entrusted with helping carry this legacy forward.”

New scam hits Grand County

Local residents have been receiving calls from a party stating they are a representative of Xcel Energy. The individual(s) are saying that a payment needs to be made on an account or it will be shut off. The caller’s number comes up as Xcel Energy on caller ID. As with all telephone scams, under no circumstances should you give out any payment information to an unidentified caller.

If you have any questions or concerns about your account, call Xcel Energy directly at the number on your energy bill or check your account online.

Moffat Road Railroad Museum in need of quick funding

Last summer, the museum added a “new” antique steam crane to their exhibit on museum grounds in Granby. Museum Director, Dave Naples, tells the Winter Park Times, “When we moved our steam crane to the museum from Denver, we hired Terry’s Crane Service to pick our crane up and set the crane on our house track”. The total bill for their service was $18,000. Terry’s donated $6,000, leaving a balance of $12,000, which remains outstanding. Naples told us, “Terry contacted me last week and has offered a one time deal that is good for only 2 weeks – he is willing to donate another $6,000 off the bill if we can raise the remaining $6,000 and get that to him within the 2 week window which closes February 5th. We would be saving $6,000, a very generous offer from Terry’s Crane Service”. Naples added, “We have $2,000 of the needed $6,000, so all we need is another $4,000”.

If you are able to help, send a check to the Moffat Road Railroad Museum, PO Box 2221, Granby, 80446, or, go online to: moffatroadrailroadmuseum.org and use PayPal. Please be sure to earmark the donation for the steam crane. “Any and all amounts are appreciated. We are grateful for the community’s support”, said Naples.

Volunteer Opportunities

The Grand Lake Pond Hockey Classic needs volunteers to help set-up, shovel, keep score/time, etc February 1-3. To help out this weekend, email: GrandLakePondHockey@gmail.com or Fraserhockeyvolunteers@gmail.com, or call (303) 883-7200.

The Fraser Valley Metropolitan Rec District is looking for a few volunteers to help out with this year’s Daddy/Daughter Dance at the Inn at Silver Creek on Saturday, February 2nd from 5:30-10:30 pm. If you can help out, contact Emily at (970) 509-0115.

Grand Nordic needs volunteers for the Ranch2Ranch XC Ski Trek Fest on February  9. Normally, many of the high school skiers help out, but they have a race in Steamboat, so there are quite a few spots to fill. Bonus – all volunteers ski the course for FREE and get a complimentary BBQ lunch at Granby Ranch! To volunteer, email Diana Lynn Rau at president@grandnordic.org.

Grand County Higher Education announces Class
Grand County Higher Education is offering an Online QuickBooks class on Thursday, February 21st. The class is tailored towards beginner- intermediate users and those who wish to refresh their learning on the basics of QuickBooks Online. This course will cover the foundations of QuickBooks Online, QBO Products including features and limitations, Navigating, Set- up, Linking Bank, Running Records, Invoicing and more.
The course is offered through Grand County Higher Education and is priced at $75. Some scholarships are available, based upon need. The course will be held at the Headwaters Center from 9 until noon. Participants will need their own computer with QuickBooks Online loaded.  If participants do not currently have QuickBooks Online, it can be installed by accessing this link: quickbooksonline.com. They offer a 30 day free trial. Course registration and more information can be found at: gchighered.org.