MOUNTAIN PARKS ELECTRIC: No rate increase in 2020

At the October 11 board meeting, the Mountain Parks Electric (MPE) Board of Directors approved the 2020 operating budget. The budget will allow MPE to operate in 2020 with no electric rate increase.

“Keeping electricity affordable is one of Mountain Parks Electric’s primary objectives,” said MPE General Manager Mark Johnston. According to Johnston, reductions in internal operating costs, increased electric sales in 2019 and cost savings from purchasing large-scale local renewable energy all played a role in avoiding a rate increase, despite increases in labor costs, benefits and system investments.  

“Our other primary objectives are to provide quality customer service, to minimize electric outages and to continue to support the communities that we serve,” Johnston added. 

Over the past 12 months, MPE has provided electricity with 99.9 percent reliability, equating to an average outage time per consumer of 128 minutes – despite the mountainous terrain, wet, heavy snows and the challenges of maintaining power lines through forested lands. Over the same time frame, MPE reports their online survey data reveals a customer satisfaction rating of 9.3 on a scale of 1 to 10.  

Grand Nordic Ski Swap and Dessert Potluck

On Friday evening, October 25th, join Grand Nordic for an evening of fun, socializing and shopping for bargains on Nordic ski gear at the Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center. Equipment check-in is from 5-6 pm upstairs at the Nordic Center. The Ski Swap and Dessert Potluck is from 6-8:30 pm. Bring your favorite dessert to share. Check out new and used equipment, join or renew Grand Nordic membership, buy season passes for local centers. Donate equipment. More info at grandnordic.org/skiswap

Moffat Road Railroad Museum is open!

After exhaustive efforts by the Museum director and dedicated volunteers, Granby’s Moffat Road Railroad Museum is now open Fridays and Saturdays, from 10 am – 5 pm, and Sundays from noon – 4 pm. After Thanksgiving, the museum’s popular Christmas Train exhibit will be open five days a week through January 5th. To learn more about this local treasure, visit moffatroadrailroadmuseum.org

3 Lakes Fishing Tournament early registration

The 32nd annual 3 Lakes Fishing Tournament will take place January 24-26, 2020. Early registration is now open through November 1 and offers last year’s tournament rates (1 Day – $35; 2 Days – $45; and 3 Days – $50). After November 1st fees will go up by $10 (1 Day – $45; 2 Days – $55; and 3 Days – $60). Register at granbychamber.com/fish.

Tis’ the time for Snowmobile Registration

Fall is well under way and winter is fast approaching, which means it’s time to register your snowmobile! Registrations are valid October 1 through September 30 each year, so if you registered last year, be sure to renew it this year. Registration renewal cards were mailed to currently registered owners in August. Colorado State Snowmobile Program registration fees fund trail grooming, trail maintenance and construction, trail-heads, parking areas, trail signs and maps. Visit cpw.state.co.us for more information.

GCHA annual meeting and dinner

GCHA is pleased to announce the guest speaker for our 2019 Annual Meeting and Dinner. Jason Hanson, Chief Creative Officer and Director of Interpretation and Research at History Colorado will be presenting “The First Draft: Colorado History Over a Few Beers”.

This popular beverage has had a significant role in shaping Colorado’s history. Learn more about it on Saturday, November 9 at the Promise Building at Snow Mountain Ranch. Hor d’oeuvres and a sampling of beers from local breweries will be served at 6:00pm, and dinner begins at 6:30pm, with the presentation following.

To purchase tickets, please call (970) 725-3939, visit Pioneer Village Museum in Hot Sulphur Springs or Cozens Ranch Museum in Fraser or go online at www.grandcountyhistory.org.  

Responsible Alcohol Vendor Classes

Winter Park /  Fraser Police department is hosting a Responsible Alcohol Vendors training class on the second Tuesday of each month this winter.  Participants will receive a certification equivalent to the TIPS training course. The class is 2 hours and for more information contact Officer Jeff Malchow at 970-722-7779 or jmalchow@wpgov.com

Granby PAC seeks community input

The Granby Public Art Committee (PAC) welcomed over 20 members of the community at their Meet & Greet held at L.A. Eatery on October 17th. If you were unable to attend, the PAC still wants to hear from you! If you are a resident, property or business owner in the 80446 zip code, please complete their online survey, which is open through November 8th. granbypac.typeform.com/to/aM92PK

Library District Board announces openings for two Trustee positions

The Grand County Library District (GCLD) Board of Trustees immediately seeks interested candidates for two trustee positions, one representing District 2 and one At-Large position. District 2 encompasses the central portion of the county, including Granby and Grand Lake. Both positions are open to any Grand County resident.

Trustees participate as a member of a team to protect and advance the interests of the broader library community by effectively advising the executive director in the policies, promotion, and development of GCLD. Terms are two years long and there are no term limits.

Preferred qualifications of a Trustee include: a strong desire to preserve and promote the library as a public forum for the sharing of information and ideas without prejudice; willing and able to give time and talent to the library; schedule permits participating in monthly meetings, occasional committee meetings, special library functions, and other community events at which the library is promoted; and the ability to assess information and make important decisions. A full trustee job description can be found at www.gcld.org/trustees.

Interested applicants should send a resume and letter of interest to jsloan@gcld.org or via mail to: Jim Sloan, Vice-President, Grand County Library District, PO Box 1050, Granby, 80446-1050.

For more information about GCLD’s Board of Trustees, visit www.gcld.org/trustees.

KFFR 88.3 Community Radio Fall Membership Drive

Last week’s Kickoff Party, “The Fraser Mash Bash” brought live music acts and a locally crafted rendition of the “Fraser Mash” to the new stage at the KFFR studio in Fraser. Guests and members enjoyed pizza from Elevation and Altitude Pizza, beer from Camber Brewing Co and spirits from Fraser Distilling. The purple “Mash Bash” T-shirts were also a big hit! The event raised several thousand dollars, but there is still time to join and support the community’s favorite local radio station during their fall membership drive. Community support is critical to sustaining this local gem. From now through October 31, supporters are encouraged to join or renew your membership. To find out more, visit kffr.org.

Loveland Ski Area opens for the 2019/20 season on Friday

“Our snowmaking team has been working around the clock to get the mountain ready and all of their hard work is about to pay off,” said COO Rob Goodell. “Mother Nature chipped in with almost a foot of snow during this last storm cycle and that was the boost we needed. Winter is officially here and we can’t wait to celebrate the start of another season.”

Chet’s Dream will start spinning at 9 am on Friday, October 25, and will offer access to one full top-to-bottom run covered from tree-to-tree with an 18 inch base. The trails Catwalk, Mambo and Home Run make up this Opening Day run which is over a mile in length and nearly 1,000 vertical feet.

“We know how excited everyone is to get the season started and look forward to welcoming everyone back to Loveland on Friday,” continued Goodell.

Loveland Ski Area opened on October 20 last season. Third to open in Colorado for the 2019/20 season, the resort joins A-Basin and Keystone, who competed for first to open bragging rights the weekend of October 11th.  

Photo courtesy Janey Been

What’s happening at Winter Park Resort

The snow has started to fall, and Winter Park Resort is busy hiring! With the new Sunnyside chair lift, and upgrades around the resort and village, Winter Park is excited for the snowy season to begin! Our IKON partner, Arapahoe Basin has officially opened, and our employees are coming in to take advantage of our Colorado Ski Country partnership. A-Basin is just one of the 18 Colorado resorts Winter Park employees can ski for free with this awesome perk! Many of our employees can be seen venturing out and getting the most out of their time-off during mud season.

Here at Winter Park, we are gearing up for November 13th, which marks the start of the 2019-2020 season, our 80th! There are still some great part-time and full-time positions available, and this year, the minimum starting pay is $12.50 per hour. Visit winterparkresort.com/employment to view openings.

The resort’s recruiting department is now active and open seven days a week from 8 am – 4:30 pm. For more information, call (970) 726-1536 or email wpjobs@winterparkresort.com.