To the Editor:
I write to thank all of the supporters of the preservation and stewardship of open lands in the headwaters of the Colorado River for attending and contribution to the Colorado Headwaters land Trust’s annual event, Land, Lunch and Lager, on July 15th.  We owe special thanks to our Colorado River Sponsors Steve Sears, Jane Farrell and Munn Architecture. We could not have had such a successful event without the contributions of Karen Vance, B Lazy 2 Ranch, C Lazy U, Edward Jones and all of our other sponsors.
We are at a critical time in Grand County.  Colorado’s population is expected to grow by 3 million people in the next 25 to 30 years and Grand County’s full time population will double in the same period.  The demands on open lands and free flowing water, which drew us to Grand County in the first place, will increase dramatically with the rise in population. CHLT, in partnership with landowners and, it doing all it can to protect our open lands for the benefit of all.   

Stewart McNab
Board President
Colorado Headwaters Land Trust

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Letter to Editor:
Yesterday the Planning Commission approved the Idlewild project with certain conditions. There are two issues that are highly problematic.
The first, and most concerning, is that the Planning Commission has forgotten why this project was even proposed. Winter Parks wants, and deserves, a full-service hotel. The developer leveraged this desire to seek a very significant increase in height for many of the 300 plus Condo units planned, from the current 35 feet to 55 feet (they originally wanted 65 feet).
Think about that, and imagine if every condo being built along Main Street was 55 feet tall…
Even worse, the proposal just passed by the Planning Commission gives the green light to the Condo project, with a few conditions. The Hotel project is now separate, which is very disappointing because Winter Park’s best leverage to get a full-service hotel was just given away.  
While a full-service hotel may be desirable in Winter Park, please join me in envisioning a 75-foot-tall, 150 room hotel right behind Hideaway Park.  This goes against the Town of Winter Park Master Plan and is a total head-scratcher.
Back to the condos – bottom line is that 55-foot Condos will most likely be built soon while the Hotel will be dependent on finding a full-service Hotel operator (and with hotel occupancy rates below 50% this will be very challenging). So, the developer gets what he wants (by purchasing the land and altering our town code forever), Winter Park gets a promise that a full-service hotel might come someday, and that other developers will now seek 55 foot Condos for their projects.
All of this comes in the middle of Winter Park rewriting its Master Plan. It will be hard for Winter Park to refuse future requests for 55-foot Condos, so be ready for a major change in the look and feel (Character) of Winter Park.
The second big issue is the increased traffic the Idlewild Project will bring around Hideaway Park and the concert venue. While a traffic study was ordered (the last one was completed in 2007) to address this concern, it’s obvious that a second access point into this property is highly likely. Without a second access road to Idlewild, traffic will be blocked around Hideaway and exiting or entering Ski Idlewild road from Route 40 will be very difficult whenever an event is held.
In the meetings, the developer refused to update the traffic study despite multiple requests from the Planning group. Is this the type of developer we want in our community?

Chris Beigler, Fraser

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To the Editor:

I wonder where Frank Watts gets his ideas from??? He couldn’t be more wrong about the democratic platform. We want the best for our country and people.  We believe in strong healthy population. Healthcare for all. We believe everyone deserves a living wage, and safe working conditions. We believe a strong democracy needs educated, well informed citizens. We support good education ruled by an elected local school board. We believe everyone should be treated equally under the law. Justice for all kinds of people. We believe our environment is important to our survival as humans. So we want clean air water and land.   

We on the so-called left have every right, in fact, it is our duty in a democracy to call out foul when we see incompetent corruption at the highest levels. The two party system is a mechanism of checks and balances. And it is our jobs as citizens to be informed, fact check, research and get the truth, so we can make the best informed choices to keep our country and democracy strong.   

Sincerely,

Denice Everham, Tabernash

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Its bad enough to read Felicia Muftic’s weekly leftist drivel in the Sky Hi News (though I read it  primarily for amusement) but it is even worse to consume the liberal scribblings of a writer like Kevin Shipman in the Fri. July 20th edition of your paper.  His nonsense requires a response.

So “Trump is a Russian agent,—who needs to be impeached, convicted and tried for treason”?  Perhaps Shipman should look at what Trump has DONE to Putin,–fought against him in Syria, imposed sanctions on Putin and his oligarch friends,  sent weapons to Crimea to fight him, strengthened NATO and forced recalcitrant members to pay their fair agreed upon share of costs, etc.—all ACTIONS  taken toward his bosom buddy Putin. All actions Trumps spineless predecessor refused to take. I doubt if Putin feels “aid and comfort” from Trump in the face of these actions.

Trumps mis-speaking and the aggressive and predictable hyperbole from the left is but another example of the relentless pursuit of all things Trump, family included,  by progressives, down to their harassment in stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc. Almost sounds Fascist doesn’t it? Elections have consequences but the liberals have yet to learn this.  Demonstrably, not one vote was changed by any Russian actions.

FDR and Truman spoke with Stalin, Kennedy talked to Kruschev, Reagan talked to Gorbachev so why shouldn’t Trump talk to Putin?  Better to talk with them than fight with them, especially in this nuclear age.

“We are now in a period of history equivalent  to 1933 Germany”. Come on Shipman,—learn a little history and lay off the caffeine briefly, —there is no comparison!
I’ll not recount  the Trump successes  of the past 18 months but they far exceed the abject failures of 8 years of his predecessor.  Trump’s style is different from that of most in the swamp. He is used to giving an order and having it carried out, something that doesn’t happen with the forever obstructionist minority in congress.  Despite his social shortcomings, Trump is effective, both domestically and internationally.

Let the man govern, that is what the people voted for, and save your vitriolic harsh criticisms for when something is PROVEN, and not spew leftist speculation from your soapbox.

Pete Peterson, Tabernash