Summit County year in review, Part 3: Out with the old, in with the new

Editor’s note: Well, 2008 has been a memorable year for many reasons, some good, some bad here in Summit County. Ullr, the snow god, blessed us with a great last winter and a promising one again this season. The credit crunch and economic crash hit home, taking the steam out of the area’s red-hot real estate and slowing the stream of tourists. The Summit Tigers thrilled us with a remarkable football season that took them deep into the playoffs. Denver Water unwittingly sparked a new skirmish with locals by abruptly closing the Dillon Dam Road before partially recanting amid unified public outcry. The Dew Tour lit up Breckenridge with the top park riders in the world. And Summit County joined the rest of the country in electing a new president who promises change and hope. The end of the year is always a time of reflection on accomplishments and disappointments; here is the last of a three-part series of our most memorable moments.

Sept. 1

The Prospector Restaurant in Breckenridge served its last customers, as the building was sold. Darryl Lee, the restaurant’s owner for about 30 years, said he has “no idea” what the building’s new owner will decide to do with the location, which is on Main Street in the heart of downtown. “I don’t think there’s going to be another business like this in town,” said Lee, 58. The Prospector has maintained its “historic style” and character through the decades, distinguishing itself from other restaurants in town, he said. Diners claimed great loyalty to the Prospector.

Sept. 12

The Breckenridge council approved skateboarding on town streets — with conditions — after a lengthy public discussion between troops from both sides.

Sept. 13

Keystone Ski Resort replaced its popular 36 Hours at Keystone with a ski-and-concert series called Friday Night Lights. Keystone held the 36-hour event for four years featuring round-the-clock skiing for anyone with a lift ticket and a team challenge that required completing a run down the mountain once every hour.

Sept. 18

Edna Dercum, an indomitable Summit County ski pioneer who along with her husband, Max, founded Arapahoe Basin and Keystone resorts, died at age 94. Sunny, bright and quick with a humorous tale about the early days, Dercum gained renown as a ski champion and instructor, innkeeper, business operator and even one-time county clerk.

Sept. 20

The wine flowed once again at Le Petit Paris in Breckenridge, as a local couple partnered with the owner to relieve the government-seized restaurant from its tax burdens. “God bless the people of Breckenridge. They gave me back my life,” said restaurant owner Arielle Coutouzis.

Oct. 15

Loveland and Arapahoe Basin ski areas tied for first-to-open bragging rights in the annual race to lay down snow on the ski hills.

Oct. 24

Intrawest, the parent company of Copper Mountain and other ski areas across the West, reached a last-minute deal to refinance its $1.7 billion loan that had come due, staving off bankruptcy threatened by the global credit freeze.

Oct. 30

The new River Run gondola is just the first step in a slew of mountain projects planned for Keystone, Vail Resorts executives said. The resort plans to add: a new lift from the Ski Tip area up the east side of the mountain; new lifts in Bergmann Bowl and Independence Bowl replacing current cat-skiing operations; a replacement of the Wayback chair; and new trails on the front side, as well as on North Peak and the Outback.

Nov. 2

The Summit High rugby team completed a perfect season by humbling a brutally-physical squad from Chaparral 20-0 to win a Colorado State Championship. The Tigers can beat people with speed, with power, with strategy.

Nov. 4

Breckenridge pro snowboarder Jesse Csincsak and DeAnna Pappas, the couple made famous by their meeting on ABC’s reality TV show “The Bachelorette,” broke up and called off their wedding.

Nov. 5

Local, state and national Democratic candidates all scored big wins Tuesday night, garnering nearly two-thirds of the vote in many races in Summit County. Political neophyte Karn Stiegelmeier claimed a seat on the county commission, and Summit County voted solidly for Barack Obama for president.

Nov. 6

More than 97 percent of Summit County’s active registered voters cast a ballot in the election, a 10 percent jump from the last presidential campaign, according to election officials. Some 14,882 votes were cast, said Cheri Brunvand, the Summit County clerk and recorder.

Nov. 14

Hoping to stave off a severe downturn in winter reservations, the Breckenridge Town Council pumped $250,000 into the town’s marketing program. Without the money, Breckenridge businesses could see an estimated $38 million decline in lodging, retail and restaurant revenue this winter, according to the Breckenridge Resort Chamber.

Nov. 15

The Summit High Tigers football team ended a stellar season with a disappointing 21-3 home loss to the physically enormous Fort Morgan team in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.

Nov. 20

Intrawest announced Wednesday that it will “reduce and realign” its workforce, but the Canadian-based resort company did not specify if any of the cuts would be felt at Copper Mountain. A Steamboat Ski Area spokesperson confirmed that the company laid off an unspecified number of workers at the northern Colorado resort.

Dec. 5

Vail Resorts cut 50 year-round positions and decided to leave another 92 spots unfilled as part of cost-cutting efforts going into a ski season fraught with weak economic prospects, officials announced. The resort giant, which owns Breckenridge and Keystone ski areas in Summit County, also eliminated its match on employee retirement accounts and stemmed pay raises —including those for executives — but CEO Rob Katz insisted that the guest experience won’t be affected.

Dec. 8

Trying to standardize operations across its four ski mountains, Vail Resorts has told the Over-the-Hill Gang that it can’t run its structured ski program at Keystone and Breckenridge this winter, leaving many of participants bitterly disappointed and feeling like they’ve been banished from the mountain.

Dec. 18-21

The first ever Winter Dew Tour took the slopes of Breckenridge by storm, featuring the world’s best park riders competing for a whopping $1.5 million in prizes. Olympic champion snowboarders Shaun White and Gretchen Bleiler were among the big winners in the event, which is intended to rival the Winter X Games in terms of prestige.