May 2004 |
| Breckenridge
News A possible record number of voters for a Breckenridge town election turned out last month and overwhelmingly approved Referred Measure A. The measure allows the town to float a $4.5 million general obligation bond to fund its half of the B&B Mines land purchase, the 1,842 acres in the Golden Horseshoe between the Swan River and French Gulch drainages. The money will be repaid out of the open space sales tax. In addition to the acreage being purchased the B & B property assures access to over 8,000 acres of public land beyond. The area is rich in recreational opportunities including 100 miles of trails as well as endangered species and mining relics. Parking lots, signs and trail improvements are in the works to make the area more accessible and enjoyable. Additionally, Great Outdoors Colorado, which manages Lotto monies, has granted the town $600,000 towards the adjacent Peabody Placer further enhancing this area as a recreational resource. Last month we had a couple of uniquely Breckenridge anniversaries to celebrate. The Bump Buffet turned 25. What started out as a mogul race for telemark skiers is now a big end of the season party for telemarkers and anyone else that feels like joining in. On the more serious side the Imperial Challenge was held for the 13 th time. This grueling race is not something to be attempted under the influence. It’s our version of the triathlon with a bike race, then a climb of 13,000 foot Peak 8 on skis or snowshoes and finally a descent back to the bottom on skis or snowboard. Thanks to a grant from the Department of Justice local business owners in Breckenridge have got their wish. The grant makes it possible for the Breckenridge Police Department to have officers walking the Main Street beat. Familiarity is already increasing communication and is credited with solving one felony. Opening lines of communication will help the police with education in crime prevention such as shoplifting, underage drinking and public intoxication. The officers also enjoy their role as ambassadors, assisting visitor with directions, problems and recommendations on where to go and what to do. More information on everything going on this summer is at: http://thealtitudenews.com/Schedule.html, as well as: http://www.bestoftherockies.com. |
| THE
NEWEST ADDITIONS TO THE COUNTY… The Landon Sawyer Freestyle Training Center opened last month. The center takes the place of the indoor Keystone tennis courts that had closed down from lack of interest. The center will offer a state of the art facility for freestyle snow riders to learn their tricks in a safe and supervised environment. Previously many freestyle competitors had to practice on back yard trampolines and swimming pools. The center is the culmination of the dream of the parents of Landon Sawyer who was a top freestyler that died in a tragic ski accident in 2002. The Sawyers were instrumental in virtually all the fundraising that brought the dream to fruition. Freestylers from around the world are excited and ready to begin. Breaking ground this summer in Frisco is the new $50 million Summit County Hospital courtesy of Centura/St. Anthony’s. The facility will be a Level 3 trauma center with 25 hospital beds, a surgery center and extensive doctors’ offices. Many of the procedures that patients previously had to go to Vail and Denver for will now be handled here. The old Summit Medical Center’s facilities will be moved to the new hospital, scheduled to open in December of 2005. As the local population grows older and more retirees are relocating here this will be a huge asset to the county. |
| WHY
I LIVE HERE… Vail Resorts booked 1,800 nights of free lodging in the company's Breckenridge and Keystone hotels between April 1 and Dec. 16 for soldiers from any branch of the military who served on active duty for more than 30 days in Iraq or Afghanistan. The program was originally set up for 1,000 free nights of lodging, but nearly double that number had been booked in the first week that reservations were taken. More than 50 local businesses, organizations, individuals, families and governments gave out $225,950 in scholarships to college-bound seniors at Summit High School last month. Seventy-six seniors were awarded scholarships and more than half of the senior class applied for at least one of the scholarships. Two annual charity hockey games were once again successful in raising funds to support The Summit Foundation as well as providing excellent entertainment for the weekend. The two match-ups involve the police vs. the firefighters and Vail Resorts vs. Intrawest. Over the years the games have raised over $180,000 for the foundation, which redistributes the money to local non-profit organizations. In case you are thinking these games are just a bunch of local crazies chasing a puck you might like to know there are over a half-dozen ex-NHL players that participate including Mark Johnson who lead the “Miracle on Ice” team in the 1980 Olympics. The competition is intense and the hockey is top-notch. Plan to attend next year’s event. |
| SCHOOL
NEWS… You may have read in last month’s issue that the new Superintendent was asked to step down. No worries as our interim Super Millie Hamner has voiced nothing but enthusiasm for her new position. In an about face from the ex-Super she uses words like stability, teamwork, listening and recognition. One of her goals is to know every employee by name. Her approach seems to be generating tremendous positive energy, which Millie believes she can use to take the school district into the realm of excellence. Ms Hamner has been around Summit Schools for a while and she has the backing and confidence of everyone involved. The future of our schools looks better than ever. If recent events are any indication Summit schools are well on their way to achieving excellence in many areas. Consider: -The high school debate team is sending two members to Salt Lake City for the national finals. At the regional competition six kids made it to the semi-finals or better. One of the competitors, Evan Ratzen was the only one to go undefeated in his specialty, Lincoln-Douglass Debate. -The Summit Tigers Women’s Rugby Football Club is ranked #4 in Colorado and #17 in the country. Only seven years since inception the club has dominated with two national titles and six top-two finishes in the state. Known for practicing in all kinds of weather they out-tough the competition. -The Governor’s office of Energy Management and Conservation recognized the new Silverthorne Elementary as a model for energy efficient design. It is estimated the school will operate with 40% less energy being used than a conventional design. This should translate into a savings of about $27,000 annually. -Last month third-graders from around the county each took a day in the woods accompanied by scientists from the Keystone Science School. The learned about the forest ecology and wildlife with the goal of making the science they learn in the classroom real for them, beyond theory and the abstract. The KSS was founded in 1975 for the benefit of environmental sciences and attracts school groups from around the country. They also offer some excellent summer programs and scholarships are available. |
| SNOW
NEWS…to keep you cool! ESPN announced a Saturday through Tuesday schedule for the 2005 Winter X Games, with next year's event scheduled for Jan. 29 through Feb. 1, 2005. Total spectator numbers at Winter X Games 2004 were up 36% from 2003, a jump from 48,800 to 66,500 and television viewers increased 30% over 2003.. The Colorado Skier Safety Act, part of which is printed on the back of your lift ticket, is being updated pending legislative approval. This landmark act of 1979 that allows us to risk our lives and limbs if we so choose, has become out of date because things thought too dangerous in ’79 are now mainstream. The revised act will add two new signs to ski areas. An orange oval will designate terrain parks, areas with half-pipes, rails, jumps and things of this nature. A new classification of difficulty, designating extreme terrain, will be indicated by a double black diamond with the letters EX. Extreme terrain is defined as a cliff of at least 20 feet rise over a 15-foot run or a slope of at least 50 degrees over a 150 foot run. Personally I think a 10-foot cliff is extreme but I guess I’m getting old. |
| TRAVEL
TIPS… ETIQUETTE COUNTS! After a decade of exponential growth the mountain biking community is making a big effort to get out the word that there are right and wrong ways to ride. Along the crowded Front Range areas a few inconsiderate mountain bikers have caused several multi-use trails to become off limits to bikes. If everyone knows the proper way to enjoy the trails then everyone benefits and more trails stay open for multi-use. Riding downhill out of control can be dangerous to hikers, equestrians and other bikers. Many ski resorts now have trails designated for downhill riders to quench their need for speed so the advice is: if this is your thing then buy a lift ticket. Other rules to heed: -Ride on open trails only. Irreparable damage results from riding certain areas during mud season. Wilderness areas are closed to biking. Please respect private property. -Leave no trace. Stay on established trails, don’t cut switchbacks and pack out what you take in. -Stay under control. -Always yield. Warn others of your approach and slow down when passing. Expect others to be around corners and blind spots. -Respect animals. Disturbing cattle and wildlife is a serious offense. Return gate to the way you found them or according to the sign. Give horses extra room. -Be prepared for equipment breakdowns and sudden changes in the weather. Wear appropriate safety gear. Don’t become an evacuation exercise. Colorado is the birthplace of mountain biking and still the best place in the world to ride. Let’s keep it that way by allowing everyone to enjoy their backcountry experience. Contact me if you need further tips on where to stay, eat or play. |
| INVESTMENT
OPPORTUNITIES Thanks to Governor Owens and the Colorado Legislature for the $5.4 million they recently allocated for next year’s tourism marketing. The unemployment rate in the state dropped to 4.9% in March, a 2 1/2 -year low. The state added 15,600 jobs in March. More than one million vehicles, almost evenly divided between traffic in each direction, passed through the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnel in March, setting an all-time record for the month. Passenger traffic at Denver International Airport reached 3.1 million in February; the first February that has topped the 3 million mark and a 15% increase over February 2003. Colorado Ski Country USA released a study Wednesday on the economic impact of the state's ski industry that showed: employment of 30,890 workers, about 14% of all tourism employment in the state; generation of $2 billion to $2.5 billion in revenues, more than gaming, cultural-related events in Denver and commercial river-rafting combined. 1ST QUARTER VACANCIES LONG TERM RENTALS Average vacancies in the first quarter, 2004: Aspen ....................10.4% Eagle County .............20.4% Glenwood Springs ........6.3% Grand Junction ...........4.9% Steamboat Springs .......11.6% Summit County ...........7.4% 1ST QUARTER APARTMENT RENTS Average apartment rents in the first quarter, 2004: Aspen ........................ $936 Eagle County .............. $1,018 Glenwood Springs ........... $702 Grand Junction ..............$449 Steamboat Springs ............$654 Summit County ................$834 -Denver Post, 04.22.04 See you on the slopes . Contact me and we can discuss things. |
MARKET
CONDITIONS REPORT Summit, Pitkin, Eagle and Grand counties receive nearly 70% of Colorado's skier visits and about 60% of all residences are second or third homes, and the second homeownership trend will continue according to a study released by the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments. The study indicates the growth rate of second-home purchases will increase over the current rate of 5%, with the most likely purchasers between the ages of 55 and 64. Commercial air traffic at the Eagle County Regional Airport for the first two months was up 8% over the same months a year ago and Sales tax collections in January for the town of Vail soared, up 10% over January 2003, with tax collections totaling $2.19 million. Snowboarding grew at double-digit percentages for the past three seasons, but this season, the number of visits registered by snowboarders is predicted to increase only 5%. Even with the reduction in the rate of growth, snowboarding will total more than 31% of all visits to the nation's ski resorts this season. In Summit County 30% more properties went under contract in March 2004 than the previous March. That comes after sales for 2003 were twenty-five percent higher than 2002. These are all indicators that demand is back up in The Central Rockies. Additionally an analysis by the Summit County Planning Department says we will reach BUILD-OUT in less than TEN YEARS ! Rumors are that interest rates will be rising even more real soon. Compare what you will pay for a $250,000 30-year mortgage at 6.5% interest: $1,580 a month payment, whereas for the same $250,000 30-year mortgage at 8.5% interest: $1,920 a month payment. Interest rates are still low, under 6% for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. Now is the time to buy. Don’t wait ‘till prices start going up again, Contact Me Today! |