Road and trail closure alert

Vasquez Road, west of the Town of Winter Park is now closed to replace a main water line. Please follow the signs for the trail access by-pass on the northside of Vasquez. Twin Bridges Trail will be closed during the duration of this project for public safety, but all other Leland & Vasquez Trails will remain open. 

Please respect the closures to ensure the work can be completed without delays so that the area can reopen asap.

Mountain Parks Electric Virtual Town Hall

On Thursday, June 11 at 4 pm, Mountain Parks Electric (MPE) will host a virtual Town Hall meeting. Attendees will receive updates on MPE’s financial position, renewable energy progress and available residential and commercial energy investment opportunities, plus a member-consumer Q&A. There will also be a drawing for 8 quarters of beef and an electric lawnmower. 

On June 11, shortly before 4 pm, MPE will provide a link to the livestream on their website and social media pages. For more information, visit mpei.com.

Winter Park Town Clean-up

With summer at our doorsteps and the snow melting fast, you may have noticed a lot of trash while out for your daily walks. To help make Winter Park clean for everyone, join us for Community Clean-Up Week June 1-5!

During this week, swing by Town Hall, 50 Vasquez Road to grab a trash bag and some gloves so you’re set to clean up trash. Items will be available in the Town Hall lobby from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

Once you’ve finished collecting trash, please drop your trash bags in the Town Hall parking lot for our crew to pick up. Then stop in the lobby for some well-deserved swag! You’ll also be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to the Winter Park business of your choice.

Thanks for helping spring clean our community! If you have questions, please contact Town Clerk Dani Jardee at djardee@wpgov.com.

Granby Clean-up Day

Town Clean Up Day will be held Saturday, June 6th. This is the perfect opportunity to do some spring cleaning!

Open to Town of Granby residents (proof of residency required). Once we are full, we are done! NO electronics, batteries, items containing Freon, construction site or commercial waste. Due to wildlife concerns, trash containing food waste will not be accepted. Scrap metal & tires will be accepted at a rate of $5 per tire, and only accepted at the town shop located at 555 E Topaz.

If you are having a hard time with larger items, give the Town a call at (970) 887-2501. They will see if they can provide you with contacts to assist you with what you are looking to get rid of!

Will there be Rodeo?

The Granby Rodeo at Flying Heels Arena has postponed the first two weekends of their summer season and continues to monitor state regulations on potential operations. Prior to COVID-19, the rodeo had extended their season through the end of July. As of now, the two events that were postponed are hoped to be rescheduled, but the coronavirus pandemic will dictate the outcome of their upcoming season. To find out the latest information, visit granbyrodeo.com.

Fraser’s High Country Stampede Rodeo has cancelled all events in Summer 2020. 

The 2020 Middle Park Fair and Rodeo is still scheduled for July 31-August 9 and tickets are available at middleparkfairandrodeo.com

Photo courtesy of Jerry Nissen

More Acts of Kindness

Charlie Teichman is a dedicated Lions Club volunteer who donned a mask and silently held up a sign at City Market on many days. He collected food and cash donations to pass on to our local food bank, the Mountain Family Center. Charlie filled his pickup truck several times with the generous food donations from local shoppers. He also received about $1,000 in cash donations.

Our local Fraser River Valley Lions Club has worked hard to help our community in these difficult times. So far during the pandemic, local Lions have provided our community with:

  • $15,000 in rent assistance.
  • $12,000 to support free “Pop-Up Meals” at local restaurants, plus $2,000 in tips given to restaurant employees.
  • $1,000 in gift cards good at local grocery stores.
  • Made hundreds of masks for our local Middle Park Medical Center and Northwest Colorado Medical.
  • Given away hundreds of masks at local retailers.
  • Delivered food from our local groceries to Mountain Family Center.
  • Collected food harvested from our local community gardens and delivered it to Mountain family Center.

    Photo courtesy of Jerry Nissen

Unlike many non-profits, Lions Club normally raises the funds they give away through their work and events. The pandemic has complicated their efforts. If you’d like to support Lions Club’s local work through a donation, go to fraservalleylions.org.

Fraser Water Utilities – Water Audit

Fraser has completed its second annual AWWA (American Water Works Association) level one validated water audit. AWWA is the umbrella organization that creates industry standards for every aspect of a water system from system design and construction, treatment processes, billing, water loss audits and much more.

While an official detailed report has not yet been published, the initial results are promising. According to unofficial results, Fraser supplied nearly ten million gallons less in 2019 than 2018, to the system and its users. Water users consumed over five million gallons less than in 2018. And finally due to system repairs, ongoing maintenance, and better water accounting, the system lost 4.75 million gallons less than in 2018.

Fraser supplied 12.5% less water in 2019 than 2018. That is one gallon out of every eight. Every gallon left in the ground is a good thing and one in eight makes a huge difference. Good job Fraser!

GCHA Museums reopen

Grand County Historical Association’s (GCHA) Pioneer Village and Cozens Ranch museums are now open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 am – 4 pm. 

Given that the health and safety of staff, volunteers, and visitors is top priority, in addition to implementing increased sanitation efforts at each of their sites, the museums will require adherence to the following guidelines by all visitors: 

  • Staff, volunteers, and visitors will only be admitted to GCHA museums if they are wearing masks/appropriate facial covering.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available and all visitors are encouraged to use it.
  • Visitors from different households will be asked to respect the 6 foot social distancing rule in the museum.
  • During the month of June, GCHA museums will limit attendance to 10 people a day, and no more than 6 guests in the museum at a time, in order to minimize physical contact with other people. Depending on the virus’s containment levels elsewhere, this number will be revisited in subsequent months.
  • Visitors must follow the prescribed flow of travel and maintain a distance of 6 feet from other groups.

To learn more, visit grandcountyhistory.org.

Grand County Facilities reopen to the General Public

Grand County facilities officially re-opened doors to the general public Monday, May 18, 2020. As an essential employer, the county has continued to provide services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic including by phone, online, and in many cases in person.

The various county departments and elected offices have developed new ways to provide services to the community to ensure we prioritize the health and safety of our employees and the public. As we phase into re-opening, it is still possible for customers to do many things online and by phone. 

If a visit is necessary, the county recommends customers first visit the website or call to determine what procedures are in place, since they vary across departments. Some departments are scheduling appointments for services that were previously available on a walk-in basis. When visiting our facilities, customers are encouraged to wear face masks, maintain a minimum six-foot distance from one another, and wash hands frequently. 

For more information, visit co.grand.co.us/COVID19. For the number to contact individual departments, please visit co.grand.co.us/Directory

Mount Evans Highway won’t open to motorized vehicles for the 2020 season

Due to issues associated with COVID-19, USDA Forest Service and Denver Mountain Parks will not be able to provide services for visitors on Mount Evans this summer, and the Mount Evans Highway (Colorado Highway 5) will not open to motorized vehicles for the 2020 season. The Colorado Department of Transportation, the USDA Forest Service, and Denver Mountain Parks — the agencies that jointly manage Mount Evans — have reached this decision after careful consideration of both health and safety risks and economic feasibility.

While there will be no restrooms or services provided by USDA Forest Service and Denver Mountain Parks on Mount Evans this summer, there are no plans to prohibit the use of Mount Evans Highway for non-motorized activities such as hiking and biking. Recreationists should be aware of and plan for extremely limited parking. Visitors to public lands should practice the seven Leave No Trace principles and follow state and local orders regarding recreation throughout the summer.

Since the highway will remain closed to motorized use for the 2020 season, CDOT crews plan to perform necessary maintenance of the highway that can’t be carried out when the highway is open. This includes filling potholes and fixing damaged delineation markings which outline the edges of the highway and also alert motorists to any obstacles covered by snow. This work will help improve the condition and safety of the highway greatly as all involved agencies look ahead to the 2021 season. 

Conditions on Mount Evans could be quite variable and unsafe due to weather and potential icy and snow-packed conditions. Due to the higher demand on law enforcement and rescue operations, high-risk activities that increase your chance of injury or distress should be avoided.

A fresh slate on the site of the future Fraser Center for Creative Arts welcomes community creativity.  Photo courtesy of the Town of Fraser

Fraser Community Chalkboard

There’s a new community chalkboard in the middle of the Fraser Mural Park, next to Fraser Valley Distilling. Everyone is invited to grab some lunch, catch some sun and release some creative energy on the new board.

 

 

 

 

 

Check out “Terra Rinata” by artist Carl Yarbrough, the latest sculpture produced from the Fraser Sculpture Program.  Photo courtesy of the Town of Fraser

New sculpture on display

A new sculpture via the Fraser Sculpture Program has been recently finished and installed at Goranson Station. The name of the 4’ x 8’ sculpture is “Terra Rinata” by Artist Carl Yarbrough. The sculpture is made of scrap metal that has been forged and welded together. The sculpture is for sale for $8,500 and the proceeds go to support and expand local art in Fraser. For more information, visit the Town’s website at frasercolorado.com.