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SUMMIT COUNTY - Well, another year is in the books! From daring search and rescues, to the contentious November election, to local level politics, to coverage of all the news in Summit County education, the following are summaries of the major stories 2006 gave us.
Patricia McCormick tragedy
In April, perhaps the most impactful story of 2006 dominated the pages of the Summit Daily, when NAPA Auto Parts driver Patricia McCormick mysteriously disappeared from one of the local delivery routes.
McCormick actually disappeared in November 2005, but when the ice began to thaw along Dillon Reservoir, her NAPA truck was discovered April 6. More than a week later, after cops and search and rescue crews diligently scoured the immediate area, McCormick's body was finally recovered - closing the book on a terrible mystery that garnered widespread media attention. A television show was later filmed about the incident for Court TV.
Bryan Sullivant accident
Former state senator representing Breckenridge Bryan Sullivant, a well-known local whose political career rose as fast as it fell, tragically died in September after a fall from his sailboat moored at the Frisco Marina.
While many spoke about the tragic nature of Sullivant's life and political career, many others remembered his zest for life, and his passion for politics.
The county loses beloved souls
The Summit Daily lost one of our most beloved family members this year, when in August longtime Daily photographer Brad Odekirk died in an accident at his Dillon home.
The community outpouring after Odekirk's death reflected exactly the sort of impact he made on the Summit County community. Countless readers wrote in to express how Odekirk's brilliant photography perfectly captured the essence of Summit County, and most turned out for an incredible remembrance of his life at the Dillon Amphitheater. The Summit Foundation posthumously awarded their Spirit of the Summit Award to Odekirk a short time later. The Foundation also gave the award to Rachel Hanson, a public information officer for the Lake Dillon Fire Authority, who lost her battle with cancer.
The county also lost a pioneer in Helen Foote, who moved to Frisco in 1946.
Coroner's record year
Summit County Coroner Joanne Richardson was as busy this year as any coroner in recent recorded history, which dates back to 1969.
Previously, the highest number of deaths recorded was 54 in 1993. Through just nine months of 2006, Richardson worked 57 cases. On Dec. 30, she reported no. 70.
The year in the courts
As always, local courts were the scene for some of the most newsworthy events all year.
One of the highest profile cases in years reached a conclusion in mid-July, when a federal judge sided with local police officers in a civil suit stemming from a botched meth raid carried out in a Frisco condo in 2004.
The case, brought by former Frisco residents Kathryn Rhodes and Joshua Brudwick, asserted various search and seizure violations, false imprisonment, invasion of privacy, and other charges. But the judge in the case decided law enforcement acted properly, despite cops finding no conclusive evidence of methamphetamine in the condominium.
The 2002 beating death of Cody Weiland was still making news in local courts in 2006, as two of the people convicted in the crime won adjustments to their sentences.
Brian Guy Stockdale's 28-year sentence was reduced to 26.5 years, and an appellate court vacated Brandon Robbins' 28-year sentence on a legal technicality. Robbins will be either be re-sentenced or face a trial sometime in 2007.
Referenda and local questions dominate November election ballot
The ballot local voters interfaced with on Election Day this year was notable mostly for the number of specific questions they were asked to decide. The Colorado state election ballot was the longest and most involved in history.
Aside from state questions dealing with gay marriage, immigration law, campaign finance, the minimum wage, as well as decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana, Summit County voters faced a number of critical questions.
In a big surprise, county voters passed Measure 5A, which will raise up to $32 million via a tax increase and builder impact fees to fund affordable housing projects across the county. The vote triggers the establishment of a new multi-jurisdictional housing authority that encompasses the entire county.
In Frisco, voters rejected the chance to land a consolidated campus of Colorado Mountain College on a small corner of the Frisco Peninsula Recreation Area. The controversial question was advanced by the Town Council and Frisco Mayor Bernie Zurbriggen after an extended public input process, but the debate quickly escalated between two camps: citizens who want nothing but recreational amenities on the peninsula, and others who felt the addition of CMC to Frisco was worth locating the school on what some deemed "sacred ground". The vote was 55 percent to 45 percent opposed to the plan, and CMC afterward said they would pursue a new non-consolidated campus in nearby Breckenridge.
As far as elected officials, young aide to U.S. Rep. Mark Udall Dan Gibbs won his first election, beating veteran Republican Ken Chlouber to represent District 56 in the state House. Gibbs will follow local favorite son Gary Lindstrom, who announced the end of his lengthy public service career by not seeking re-election to the House seat.
In local races, County Commissioner Bob French easily won re-election to his seat over Green Party candidate Doug Malkan, and Commissioner Bill Wallace won election to be the next County Treasurer. Wallace's win set in motion a number of political machinations; as a sitting county commissioner, Wallace's win meant stepping down from the BOCC, leaving local Democrats the job of finding his replacement. They selected former Vail Resorts planner Thomas Davidson to fill Wallace's seat.
In local municipal elections in April, voters opted for change in a number of races. In Frisco, repercussions from the 2005 debate over bringing Home Depot to town were evident, as the top two vote-getters in the town council election were vocal opponents to the big box. Attorney Kent Willis and brewery owner Woody Van Gundy both won seats with the highest vote tallies, and restaurant owner Dan Fallon kept the seat he was appointed to in 2004.
In Silverthorne, two councilmembers duked it out for the mayor's job, with Dave Koop winning over Howard Hallman. In Dillon, incumbent Mayor Barbara Davis easily won reelection, but voting for the third town council spot required a recount. A vote margin of a single vote held up as retired doctor Don Parsons won the seat over nonprofit director Lucinda Burns.
A fresh political wind blew in Breckenridge in April, as voters chose John Warner, Dave Rossi and Jennifer McAtamney to serve on town council for the next four years.
The year at the resorts
In October, Vail Resorts reported a record year in terms of revenue as well as skier visits, and freshman CEO Rob Katz credited Breckenridge as being a top performer within the company. VR realized a 5.9 increase in skier visits, and a big jump in pass and lift ticket revenue - good seasonal snow clearly played a role, as did the introduction of the Imperial Express SuperChair at Breck, North America's highest chairlift. Breckenridge also began construction on the long-awaited gondola in 2006, which will begin whisking skiers and riders to the resort's multiple base areas beginning shortly after the first of the year.
Fellow resort operator Intrawest, parent of Copper Mountain, announced a shake-up in August, reporting that it had been bought in a $1.81 billion buyout from an investment group. While the immediate impacts of the sale have yet to be fleshed out, inactivity certainly won't be a hallmark of the new ownership group - in mid-December, an Intrawest affiliate announced that it would buy Steamboat Ski Resort in nearby Steamboat Springs. That prompted many to dream of the possibilities of an intermountain ski pass that includes Steamboat's champagne powder.
And as always, the race to be the first resort to open was notable again this year. Perennial Opening Day race winner Loveland Ski Area could only sit idly by on the morning of October 12, as friendly competitor Arapahoe Basin turned its lifts a full nine days earlier than it ever had. It perhaps was appropriate this year, as The Legend celebrates its 60th year of operation this season.
Don't forget about Rainer
What happens if you have skied every day for 1,000 straight days?
Well, in the case of Copper Mountain resident Rainer Hertrich - the only human in recorded history to complete such a streak - he found a five-dollar bill. That was July 27, Hertrich's 1,000th consecutive day of skiing.
He took 23 runs at Oregon's Timberline Ski Area, passed the 34 million vertical feet mark (ho hum), then, while walking back to his BMW motorcycle, came upon the little green bill.
The year in the environment
It could be said that 2006 was the year of the pine beetle, but the fact that the problematic bugger will be decimating local lodgepole pine forests for years to come means it's an epidemic sure to make news in future years.
On the county and municipal level, programs were established to enable fire mitigation and fire prevention planning. Homeowners worked to clear dead and dying trees from their properties, and a widespread Community Wildfire Protection Plan took hold across the county.
But the more we know about the pine beetle epidemic, the more nuance it seems is needed in the debate. While beetle-killed trees grow in numbers, a new argument about a consequent rise in fire danger arose. What was not argued is the need for clearing and harvesting of forest fuels, which will in theory be used to fuel the county's ambitious biomass plant, set for construction in 2007.
Water, or lack thereof, was less of an issue this year, as the hydrological year between 2005 and 2006 was one of the wettest on record. And on June 5, Dillon Reservoir filled to capacity, and excess water spilled through the glory hole for the second year in a row.
In other environmental news this year, a surge of run-off from an abandoned mine above Breckenridge threatened a number of species in April. The result of the mine run-off: the Blue River flowed a deep orange color right through downtown Breckenridge, though no long-term impacts to the ecosystems there could be reported.
Finally, boosted water flows in the same Blue River were the goal of the Breckenridge Sanitation District with their proposed Blue River Pumpback Project - where a series of pipes and pumps would recirculate water flows normally lost to Dillon Reservoir back into the river further upstream. The year was marked with much progress on the project; funding was secured and scheduling and planning begun.
However, when push came to shove at the county level, commissioners and the district couldn't reach consensus on a number of key issues, forcing Breck San to abandon the project for now and go back to the drawing board, so to speak.
County welcomes some impressive new neighbors
Late last year, the county realized the dream of a fully-functioning, advanced new hospital to its boundaries, the culmination of years of hard work by county commissioners and staff.
In the summer of 2006, the county opened the doors on the hospital's immediate neighbor - an impressive array of county and private practice offices called the Medical Office Building. While the finishing touches on a new Flight-For-Life helicopter hangar are yet to be finished, the MOB opened for business this summer without a major vacancy.
And following the county's continuous goal of sustainability and being as green as can be, the new Materials Recovery Facility began operation this year - one of the most advanced recyclable materials collection sites found anywhere in the country. The new center means a final transition of the recycling efforts moving under the county's administrative umbrella, taking over from the successful Summit Recycling Project.
What's the recycling talk for next year? The new MRF just might make it easier for a countywide curbside recycling program to take shape in 2007.
***
So there you have it - the news year that was 2006.
Patricia McCormick tragedy
In April, perhaps the most impactful story of 2006 dominated the pages of the Summit Daily, when NAPA Auto Parts driver Patricia McCormick mysteriously disappeared from one of the local delivery routes.
McCormick actually disappeared in November 2005, but when the ice began to thaw along Dillon Reservoir, her NAPA truck was discovered April 6. More than a week later, after cops and search and rescue crews diligently scoured the immediate area, McCormick's body was finally recovered - closing the book on a terrible mystery that garnered widespread media attention. A television show was later filmed about the incident for Court TV.
Bryan Sullivant accident
Former state senator representing Breckenridge Bryan Sullivant, a well-known local whose political career rose as fast as it fell, tragically died in September after a fall from his sailboat moored at the Frisco Marina.
While many spoke about the tragic nature of Sullivant's life and political career, many others remembered his zest for life, and his passion for politics.
The county loses beloved souls
The Summit Daily lost one of our most beloved family members this year, when in August longtime Daily photographer Brad Odekirk died in an accident at his Dillon home.
The community outpouring after Odekirk's death reflected exactly the sort of impact he made on the Summit County community. Countless readers wrote in to express how Odekirk's brilliant photography perfectly captured the essence of Summit County, and most turned out for an incredible remembrance of his life at the Dillon Amphitheater. The Summit Foundation posthumously awarded their Spirit of the Summit Award to Odekirk a short time later. The Foundation also gave the award to Rachel Hanson, a public information officer for the Lake Dillon Fire Authority, who lost her battle with cancer.
The county also lost a pioneer in Helen Foote, who moved to Frisco in 1946.
Coroner's record year
Summit County Coroner Joanne Richardson was as busy this year as any coroner in recent recorded history, which dates back to 1969.
Previously, the highest number of deaths recorded was 54 in 1993. Through just nine months of 2006, Richardson worked 57 cases. On Dec. 30, she reported no. 70.
The year in the courts
As always, local courts were the scene for some of the most newsworthy events all year.
One of the highest profile cases in years reached a conclusion in mid-July, when a federal judge sided with local police officers in a civil suit stemming from a botched meth raid carried out in a Frisco condo in 2004.
The case, brought by former Frisco residents Kathryn Rhodes and Joshua Brudwick, asserted various search and seizure violations, false imprisonment, invasion of privacy, and other charges. But the judge in the case decided law enforcement acted properly, despite cops finding no conclusive evidence of methamphetamine in the condominium.
The 2002 beating death of Cody Weiland was still making news in local courts in 2006, as two of the people convicted in the crime won adjustments to their sentences.
Brian Guy Stockdale's 28-year sentence was reduced to 26.5 years, and an appellate court vacated Brandon Robbins' 28-year sentence on a legal technicality. Robbins will be either be re-sentenced or face a trial sometime in 2007.
Referenda and local questions dominate November election ballot
The ballot local voters interfaced with on Election Day this year was notable mostly for the number of specific questions they were asked to decide. The Colorado state election ballot was the longest and most involved in history.
Aside from state questions dealing with gay marriage, immigration law, campaign finance, the minimum wage, as well as decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana, Summit County voters faced a number of critical questions.
In a big surprise, county voters passed Measure 5A, which will raise up to $32 million via a tax increase and builder impact fees to fund affordable housing projects across the county. The vote triggers the establishment of a new multi-jurisdictional housing authority that encompasses the entire county.
In Frisco, voters rejected the chance to land a consolidated campus of Colorado Mountain College on a small corner of the Frisco Peninsula Recreation Area. The controversial question was advanced by the Town Council and Frisco Mayor Bernie Zurbriggen after an extended public input process, but the debate quickly escalated between two camps: citizens who want nothing but recreational amenities on the peninsula, and others who felt the addition of CMC to Frisco was worth locating the school on what some deemed "sacred ground". The vote was 55 percent to 45 percent opposed to the plan, and CMC afterward said they would pursue a new non-consolidated campus in nearby Breckenridge.
As far as elected officials, young aide to U.S. Rep. Mark Udall Dan Gibbs won his first election, beating veteran Republican Ken Chlouber to represent District 56 in the state House. Gibbs will follow local favorite son Gary Lindstrom, who announced the end of his lengthy public service career by not seeking re-election to the House seat.
In local races, County Commissioner Bob French easily won re-election to his seat over Green Party candidate Doug Malkan, and Commissioner Bill Wallace won election to be the next County Treasurer. Wallace's win set in motion a number of political machinations; as a sitting county commissioner, Wallace's win meant stepping down from the BOCC, leaving local Democrats the job of finding his replacement. They selected former Vail Resorts planner Thomas Davidson to fill Wallace's seat.
In local municipal elections in April, voters opted for change in a number of races. In Frisco, repercussions from the 2005 debate over bringing Home Depot to town were evident, as the top two vote-getters in the town council election were vocal opponents to the big box. Attorney Kent Willis and brewery owner Woody Van Gundy both won seats with the highest vote tallies, and restaurant owner Dan Fallon kept the seat he was appointed to in 2004.
In Silverthorne, two councilmembers duked it out for the mayor's job, with Dave Koop winning over Howard Hallman. In Dillon, incumbent Mayor Barbara Davis easily won reelection, but voting for the third town council spot required a recount. A vote margin of a single vote held up as retired doctor Don Parsons won the seat over nonprofit director Lucinda Burns.
A fresh political wind blew in Breckenridge in April, as voters chose John Warner, Dave Rossi and Jennifer McAtamney to serve on town council for the next four years.
The year at the resorts
In October, Vail Resorts reported a record year in terms of revenue as well as skier visits, and freshman CEO Rob Katz credited Breckenridge as being a top performer within the company. VR realized a 5.9 increase in skier visits, and a big jump in pass and lift ticket revenue - good seasonal snow clearly played a role, as did the introduction of the Imperial Express SuperChair at Breck, North America's highest chairlift. Breckenridge also began construction on the long-awaited gondola in 2006, which will begin whisking skiers and riders to the resort's multiple base areas beginning shortly after the first of the year.
Fellow resort operator Intrawest, parent of Copper Mountain, announced a shake-up in August, reporting that it had been bought in a $1.81 billion buyout from an investment group. While the immediate impacts of the sale have yet to be fleshed out, inactivity certainly won't be a hallmark of the new ownership group - in mid-December, an Intrawest affiliate announced that it would buy Steamboat Ski Resort in nearby Steamboat Springs. That prompted many to dream of the possibilities of an intermountain ski pass that includes Steamboat's champagne powder.
And as always, the race to be the first resort to open was notable again this year. Perennial Opening Day race winner Loveland Ski Area could only sit idly by on the morning of October 12, as friendly competitor Arapahoe Basin turned its lifts a full nine days earlier than it ever had. It perhaps was appropriate this year, as The Legend celebrates its 60th year of operation this season.
Don't forget about Rainer
What happens if you have skied every day for 1,000 straight days?
Well, in the case of Copper Mountain resident Rainer Hertrich - the only human in recorded history to complete such a streak - he found a five-dollar bill. That was July 27, Hertrich's 1,000th consecutive day of skiing.
He took 23 runs at Oregon's Timberline Ski Area, passed the 34 million vertical feet mark (ho hum), then, while walking back to his BMW motorcycle, came upon the little green bill.
The year in the environment
It could be said that 2006 was the year of the pine beetle, but the fact that the problematic bugger will be decimating local lodgepole pine forests for years to come means it's an epidemic sure to make news in future years.
On the county and municipal level, programs were established to enable fire mitigation and fire prevention planning. Homeowners worked to clear dead and dying trees from their properties, and a widespread Community Wildfire Protection Plan took hold across the county.
But the more we know about the pine beetle epidemic, the more nuance it seems is needed in the debate. While beetle-killed trees grow in numbers, a new argument about a consequent rise in fire danger arose. What was not argued is the need for clearing and harvesting of forest fuels, which will in theory be used to fuel the county's ambitious biomass plant, set for construction in 2007.
Water, or lack thereof, was less of an issue this year, as the hydrological year between 2005 and 2006 was one of the wettest on record. And on June 5, Dillon Reservoir filled to capacity, and excess water spilled through the glory hole for the second year in a row.
In other environmental news this year, a surge of run-off from an abandoned mine above Breckenridge threatened a number of species in April. The result of the mine run-off: the Blue River flowed a deep orange color right through downtown Breckenridge, though no long-term impacts to the ecosystems there could be reported.
Finally, boosted water flows in the same Blue River were the goal of the Breckenridge Sanitation District with their proposed Blue River Pumpback Project - where a series of pipes and pumps would recirculate water flows normally lost to Dillon Reservoir back into the river further upstream. The year was marked with much progress on the project; funding was secured and scheduling and planning begun.
However, when push came to shove at the county level, commissioners and the district couldn't reach consensus on a number of key issues, forcing Breck San to abandon the project for now and go back to the drawing board, so to speak.
County welcomes some impressive new neighbors
Late last year, the county realized the dream of a fully-functioning, advanced new hospital to its boundaries, the culmination of years of hard work by county commissioners and staff.
In the summer of 2006, the county opened the doors on the hospital's immediate neighbor - an impressive array of county and private practice offices called the Medical Office Building. While the finishing touches on a new Flight-For-Life helicopter hangar are yet to be finished, the MOB opened for business this summer without a major vacancy.
And following the county's continuous goal of sustainability and being as green as can be, the new Materials Recovery Facility began operation this year - one of the most advanced recyclable materials collection sites found anywhere in the country. The new center means a final transition of the recycling efforts moving under the county's administrative umbrella, taking over from the successful Summit Recycling Project.
What's the recycling talk for next year? The new MRF just might make it easier for a countywide curbside recycling program to take shape in 2007.
***
So there you have it - the news year that was 2006.
