1 year ago: Agriculture, livestock producers seek delay on Colorado’s next wolf release

A group of Colorado’s agricultural and livestock producers are asking the state’s wildlife agency to delay the release of more gray wolves until more proactive measures are taken to prevent livestock-wolf conflict. A group of 26 organizations filed a petition for rulemaking on Sept. 27, 2024, with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, calling reintroduction efforts “turbulent” so far. The request comes a few weeks after the state agency announced that British Columbia would supply Colorado with the next 15 wolves for the state’s reintroduction efforts. These wolves will be released in Northwest Colorado between December and March. (The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission denied the petition during its Jan. 8, 2025, meeting.)

— From the Oct. 2, 2024, edition of Sky-Hi News

5 years ago: Winter Park ski train won’t run during the 2020-21 ski season due to COVID

The Winter Park Express won’t run for the 2020-21 ski season due to public health requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Winter Park Resort and Amtrak announced Sept. 30, 2020, that the train won’t run because of restrictions on seating and social distancing. The train expanded services during the 2019-20 season, running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday between the resort and Denver’s Union Station from January until the season ended early in March.

— From the Oct. 2, 2020, edition of Sky-Hi News

10 years ago: Middle Park Medical Center secures federal loan to help pay off debts

The Middle Park Medical Center has secured a $24 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, averting the possibility of entering into receivership as the center works to pay off its debts. The Kremmling Memorial Hospital District Board of Directors officially accepted the loan at its Sept. 24, 2010, meeting. The center will use the loan to pay off the $22.4 million left on the certificates of participation used to finance its Granby facility — it has an interest rate of 3.6%, which is much lower than the 7.1% it was paying before.

— From the Sept. 30, 2015, edition of Sky-Hi News

50 years ago: Assessment paves way for wilderness expansion at Rocky Mountain National Park

An environmental assessment for the proposed master plan for Rocky Mountain National Park has been issued, which contains few obstacles to the park service’s plans to make most of the park into a wilderness area. The plan also calls for a decrease in concession activities, making the park a low-key recreational area, demolition of some buildings and some land acquisition. The plan calls for continuing shifts away from the “kinds and amounts of uses and accommodations that tend to degrade park ecosystems and associated human experiences, toward those more in harmony with the environment.” 

— From the Oct. 2, 1975, edition of Middle Park Times

100 years ago: Moves made to acquire sites and rights of way to move water to Denver

Initial steps were taken Sept. 28, 1925 to enable the city of Denver to acquire water rights, dam sites, and tunnel and pipeline rights of way along the Fraser River watershed in Grand, Gilpin and Boulder counties, and bring water to Denver via the Moffat Tunnel. U.S. district attorney George Stephan filed suit against the Fraser Sources Irrigation & Power Co., seeking forfeiture grants so those rights can eventually be transferred to the city of Denver via the tunnel. All of the land in question sits within the Arapahoe and Pike national forests.

— From the Oct. 2, 1925, edition of Middle Park Times

Sky-Hi News is working to digitize Grand County newspaper archives and make them available to the public for free. Support the project at SkyHiNews.com/donate.