Summit County man faces charges after handgun threats

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Summit County resident Dale Montagne, 62, has been charged with felony menacing after threatening several men with a handgun and allegedly firing a shot.

Sheriff’s deputies arrest Dale Montagne after altercation over leased apartment

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — The Summit County Sheriff’s Office Thursday arrested a local man after he allegedly threatened four men with a handgun and fired a shot at the feet of one of the men after a disagreement over a rental lockoff unit.

According to a release from the sheriff’s office, Dale Montagne, 62, was booked into the Summit County Jail on charges of: Prohibited Use of Weapons, a Class 2 Misdemeanor; Reckless Endangerment, a Class 3 Misdemeanor; four counts of Menacing/Intimidation, a Class 5 Felony; and 1st Degree Burglary Assault/Menacing, a Class 3 Felony. (more…)

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Colorado: Fire destroys Summit County home

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
Firefighters from Lake Dillon and Red, White & Blue fire departments battle a blaze at a landmark home in Montezuma known as the "Tiltin' Hilton." The house was completely destroyed. Credit: Lt. Scott Vinas, Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue

Firefighters from Lake Dillon and Red, White & Blue fire departments battle a blaze at a landmark home in Montezuma known as the “Tiltin’ Hilton.” Photo courtesy Lt. Scott Vinas, Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue.

Landmark Montezuma residence goes up in flames

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — A distinctive Montezuma resident sometimes known as the “Tiltin’ Hilton” was destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon, according to a release from Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue.

The A-frame house with the distinctive off-kilter three-story addition was a total loss, but fortunately there were no injuries. More than 20 firefighters from Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue and Red, White & Blue Fire were called to the blaze about 1:30 p.m. The first crew on scene at 1:47 p.m. was met outside by one of the residents, who reported that no one was in the building. (more…)

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Summit County: Fire department merger on hold

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
Local firefighters teamed up in March 2012 to quell an early season wildfire along Montezuma Road, near Keystone Resort, in Summit County, Colorado. Bob Berwyn photo.

Local firefighters teamed up in March 2012 to quell an early season wildfire along Montezuma Road, near Keystone Resort, in Summit County, Colorado. Bob Berwyn photo.

Potential consolidation stymied by organizational differences

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A potential merger of the Lake Dillon Fire Protection District and the Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District is on hold pending resolution of “numerous complexities” the organizations encountered while exploring the concept of consolidating the two fire-fighting agencies.

The two departments talked about the merger for a year, but obstacles such as differences in accreditation, major capital needs and structural organization have required both departments to step back and resume independent – but cooperative – operations.

“Merging these two organizations has proven to be very difficult, and, unfortunately, we have many issues that we have not been able to resolve,” said Jerry “Doc” Peterson, president of the LDFPD Board. “Both departments remain committed to serving our shared community in a professional, efficient manner, providing excellent, seamless emergency response.” (more…)

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Summit Stage director resigns

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
The Summit Stage free transit system serves thousands of riders each day/

The Summit Stage free transit system serves thousands of riders each day/

John Jones moving on to head transit system in Virginia

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — Summit Stage director John Jones said today he’s resigning from his job effective Feb. 8. Jones will become the new director of the transit system in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“When you sit up thinking about doing something new after the alarm goes off, you know it’s time for a change,” Jones said, adding that he’s looking forward to the new challenges ahead.

Jones has led the Summit Stage the past eight years through some serious ups and downs, including the peak of the resort and real estate boom years and the subsequent deep slump that cut into county tax revenues, including the free transit system’s budget, with the drop in revenues coming at a time of rising costs.

Those pressures on the Summit Stage budget resulted in some schedule juggling and associated staff cuts, leading to heated dispute with the unionized drivers. Not everyone was happy with Jones’ tenure, but that’s part of the nature of that type of job.

County officials said they have no immediate plans to replace Jones.

“We’ll look internally and see if want to make any structural changes,” said assistant county manager Thad Noll, explaining that the change in leadership could present an opportunity to rethink management of the transit system.

The Summit Stage continues to face budget challenges, Noll said, with costs increasing. But the overall budget picture is looking a bit brighter with sources of sales tax revenue coming online, he added, singling out the Lowe’s store in Silverthorne as a significant sales tax generator.

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Summit Voice: 2012 in review

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

February top stories and headlines

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2012 was a dry year, but a February snowstorm set some Denver records.

FRISCO — February 2012 roared out like a lion, with plenty of snow in the last few days of the month, but overall the month was dry, foreshadowing the unprecedented March meltdown and record-warmth that set the stage for the spring and summer drought. But not without a classic February storm that set some records in Denver: Weather: Storm sets Denver snowfall records.

Around the West, energy corporations tried to battle back against a temporary ban on uranium mining around the Grand Canyon, challenging the federal government with a lawsuit: Grand Canyon-area uranium mining ban faces lawsuit.

More studies showed that melting Arctic ice is likely to have profound affects on mid-latitude weather patterns, including extended droughts and more intense storms: Global warming: Arctic ice loss has profound impact on weather patterns over North America, Asia and Europe. (more…)

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Year in Review: January 2012

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Top stories …

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Spring snow cover is declining in Eurasia.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Starting today, we’ll look back at some of the top stories of 2012 in a month by month review. As always, the focus is on environmental issues, like this January story linking soot deposits with a steep decline in Eurasian spring snow cover: Climate: Soot a factor in declining spring snow cover.

Conservation groups also advocated for more protection of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems; earlier this month, federal biologists decided to list more than 50 coral species as threatened or endangered: More protection sought for Caribbean coral reefs.

Australian researchers document neural damage to fish from increased concentrations of CO2 in ocean waters: Global warming: Is CO2 driving fish crazy? (more…)

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Summit County asks for delay on Tenderfoot motorized trail decision and suggests collaborative planning process

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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Can Summit County and the Forest Service find common ground for a motorized trail system on Tenderfoot Mountain? Bob Berwyn photo.

‘Rewarding illegal trail creation is not good public policy’

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Summit County commissioners continue to express concerns with a U.S. Forest Service proposal to build more than 10 miles of new trail primarily for motorized use on Tenderfoot Mountain, between Dillon and Keystone. All the Forest Service documents for the Tenderfoot proposal are online at this WRNF web page.

In a formal comment letter submitted last week, the BOCC asked the Forest Service to delay making a decision on the project pending a joint collaborative planning process with the county, and offered to come to the table with some funds for maintenance and management of a trail system.

“I don’t think anyone on the planning commission is opposed to finding a place … But I don’t think the Forest Service did its job in looking at other places and saying why they won’t work,” said Craig Suwinski, chair of the Snake River Planning Commission, representing those citizens potentially most affected by noise and other impacts a motorized trail system could have. (more…)

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Breckenridge to host start & finish of 2013 USA Pro Challenge

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Popular bike race also features a Lovelend to Fort Collins stage

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2012 USA Pro Challenge riders on a warmup lap in Breckenridge. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — The USA Pro Challenge will be back in Summit County for the third year in a row,with Breckenridge hosting both the finish of Stage 2 (Aug. 20), with riders rolling into town after climbing and descending Independence Pass, and the start of Stage 3 (Aug. 21), as the race heads to Steamboat Springs.

The 2013 edition of the popular race gets under way Aug. 19 in Aspen with a circuit stage and finishes Aug. 25 with another circuit race in Denver. The rest of the stages:

  • Monday, Aug. 19    Stage 1   Aspen/Snowmass Circuit
  • Tuesday, Aug. 20   Stage 2   Aspen/Snowmass – Breckenridge
  • Wednesday, Aug. 21   Stage 3   Breckenridge – Steamboat Springs
  • Thursday, Aug. 22   Stage 4   Steamboat Springs – Beaver Creek
  • Friday, Aug. 23   Stage 5/ITT   Vail Time Trial
  • Saturday, Aug. 24   Stage 6   Loveland – Fort Collins
  • Sunday, Aug. 25   Stage 7   Denver Circuit (more…)

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Colorado: Storm delivers needed snowfall

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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Fresh snow in the Colorado high country.

Monday could see additional accumulations in the high country

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — A chilly storm out of the north brought widespread snow to the Colorado high country Saturday afternoon and evening, with most areas reporting between 5 and 8 inches of accumulation. The snow will wind down Sunday with only a few flurries lingering over the higher peaks as temperatures drop to the lowest readings of the season.

Copper, Keystone, A-Basin and Breckenridge all reported about half a foot of snow in the 24 hours ending Sunday morning, with 9 inches at Eldora, 15 inches at Aspen Mountain and 14 inches at Snowmass. Get the full snow report at the CSCUSA website. (more…)

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Colorado: Forest Service trails plan draws fire from county

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

County commissioners see inconsistencies in plan, express concerns about impacts to county services and the environment

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A proposal to increase motorized use on Tenderfoot Mountain is generating controversy in Summit County. Bob Berwyn photo.

*Related stories

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — The Summit County Commissioners still have serious concerns about a scaled-back proposal for motorized recreation on Tenderfoot Mountain, including the overall size of the proposal and the projected increase in motorized users.

The county is also at odds with the rationale that past illegal use of the area by dirt bikes is a justification for creation of a legal trail system. The concerns are outlined in a planning staff memo, prepared for the Dec. 4 county commissioner work session.

The planners wrote: “Years of illegal motorized activity should not make it acceptable to allow such activity to continue, nor justify this as an appropriate location.  A long history of off-trail riding and the creation of 29 miles of illegal trails call into question the feasibility of preventing future perpetuation of this illegal activity …” (more…)

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