1. Coffee and Tea Market to reopen with new owners after year off

When Winter Park Resort’s iconic Coffee and Tea Market closed in March 2020, its longtime regulars didn’t know whether the market would ever reopen again.

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the former owners were looking to sell the business and retire after operating the beloved cafe for four decades. Recalling the hours he spent doing homework at the cafe and waiting for friends to finish their shifts, Fraser native and Middle Park High School alum Skylr Olson thought it was fate.

“It’s always been a piece of the local culture and I grew up eating their carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, so it’s always had a piece of my heart,” he said.

2. Elected official steps down from Granby town board

Citing frustrations over the town’s ongoing negotiations with the developer of Granby Ranch, Granby Trustee Natascha O’Flaherty announced her resignation Tuesday.

Asked if board members had any potential conflicts of interest during the evening’s town board meeting, O’Flaherty, who typically discloses her personal associations at the beginning of each meeting, read a statement instead.

“I wanted to submit my resignation,” she said. “I ran for office to serve the citizens of Granby. It’s been a privilege and an honor.”

3. County roads will see less snowplowing due to operator shortage

Most county roads will only get plowed once a day this winter — even during heavy snowstorms — with Grand short nearly half the snowplow operators it would typically employ.

Road and Bridge Superintendent Chris Baer explained that the county is short 16 operators of the 35 positions. With such a high shortage, users of county roads will notice some changes, especially on the eastern end of the county.

“Typically in the past, when we’re fully staffed, we can get through most of our roads a second time on a bad storm,” Baer said. “This year we’re not going to be able to do that. We’re going to try to get everything plowed one time every day that it snows, but even that might be a challenge.”

4. Fraser counter sues over Cozens Meadow

Fraser is seeking to condemn the Cozens Meadow in Grand Park through a counter lawsuit and possible trial in the town’s latest effort to preserve the area under a conservation easement.

In a counterclaim filed Oct. 7 in Grand County District Court, Fraser claims Grand Park is in breach of the requirements for conservation easements laid out in its annexation agreement. Fraser argues the breach entitles the town to condemn the land and asks the court for an easement on the land.

Attorneys for Fraser and Grand Park did not respond when asked to comment.

5. Winter Park Express to return for 2022 season

Amtrak and Winter Park Resort announced the return of the Winter Park Express train which runs from Denver’s Union Station to the base of the mountain.

The train will resume its 2019 schedule of running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting on Jan. 14 through April 3.

The train picks up passengers in Denver at 7 a.m. and departs Winter Park at 4:30 p.m. on the weekends. One-way tickets start at $29 per person.