1 year ago: Movie theater owner says he’s not interested in selling property

The owner of the Skyline Cinema 8 in Dillon says he has no interest in selling his property to a developer who just last week discussed building workforce housing there during a meeting with the town council. Brian Mitchell, who owns Mitchell Theaters with 15 locations across seven states, said on Nov. 14, 2023, that he was surprised to learn that his business’s Summit County location had been discussed at the Dillon Town Council meeting a week earlier. Mitchell said developer Jake Porritt, who has pitched a major redevelopment of the Dillon town core, approached him last year with some of his ideas, but, ultimately, there was nothing the cinema owner was interested in being involved with. He said he had not heard from Porritt or his companies, JGJP Dillon LLC and the Porritt Group, in several months.

— From the Nov. 15, 2023, edition of the Summit Daily News

5 years ago: Walmart sues Summit County over valuation for property tax

Walmart is suing Summit County and 31 other county governments in Colorado in an effort to reduce its property tax bills across the state. The big-box retail giant’s parent company, Walmart Stores Inc., is suing half of Colorado’s 64 counties over what it deems to be an overvaluation by county assessors of equipment and personal property it uses at 95 of its Colorado retail locations, including the store at 840 Summit Blvd. in Frisco. According to the Summit County assessor’s office, the retailer was billed $21,710 in property taxes for $1.38 million worth of personal property at its Frisco location for the 2019 tax year. Before suing the counties individually, Walmart had already tried, and failed, to appeal its property assessment rates at the state level. The Colorado Board of Equalization, the state body which responds to appeals of property tax assessments to ensure fair assessment and taxation, denied Walmart’s petition in July 2019.

— From the Nov. 14, 2019, edition of the Summit Daily News

10 years ago: U.S. Ski Team named at Copper Mountain Resort

Hundreds of cheering fans ushered in the U.S. Ski Team on Nov. 8, 2014, as the team was officially named for the 2014-15 season at Copper Mountain Resort. After making their way through a tunnel of fans to the stage at the base of the public ski area at Copper Mountain, Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, Mikaela Shiffrin, Ted Ligety and Andrew Weibrecht spoke to the crowd about the significance of the 2014-15 season. Vonn seemed to garner the most cheers from fans, who were excited about what the superstar’s season can bring now that she’s recovered from a knee injury sustained in February 2013.

— From the Nov. 10, 2014, edition of the Summit Daily News

15 years ago: Analysis shows no major impacts from possible reservoir expansion

A plan to enlarge Old Dillon Reservoir would affect recreational use in the area temporarily and result in some impacts to wetlands, according to a draft Forest Service study released in November 2009. Completion of the environmental analysis is a huge step forward for the $6.4 million project, which officials hope to begin construction on in 2010. Dillon, Silverthorne and Summit County will share the cost of the project, which, first and foremost, would help bolster Dillon’s water supplies. The town relies mainly on surface water from Straight Creek, a source that’s susceptible to pollution. The expansion would increase the reservoir’s capacity from a little over 2 million gallons to about 10.5 million gallons.

— From the Nov. 11, 2009, edition of the Summit Daily News

30 years ago: Hunters save cocker spaniel from being lion’s lunch

A local cocker spaniel almost became a fancy feast for a pair of mountain lions Nov. 7, 1994. The 14-year-old dog, Sarah, wandered away from home Nov. 5 while her owner, Sheila Webb, was cleaning the garage. Sarah was found in the area surrounding 1-70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel by a group of elk hunters Monday. The dog was feeding on a carcass she found, while two mountain lions watched with excitement. The hunters scared the felines away long enough to scoop up Sarah. 

— From the Nov. 10, 1994, edition of the Summit Daily News

125 years ago: Mine foreman injured during cave-in

On Nov. 16, 1899, John McMurphy was working on his knees picking up rock at the bottom of a shaft in the Minnie Mine above Breckenridge when approximately a half ton of lead ore caved in from the side of the shaft about 3 feet above him and fell on his back. Ed Auge immediately lowered himself to help, but had to find additional help from a nearby mine to break up the rock. McMurphy was eventually raised up, and Doctor Condon and Robert Foote were able to make an examination. His injuries included a broken leg, dislocated hip, two broken ribs, a large gash on the head and serious spinal injury. His chances at a full recovery are not high.

— From the Nov. 18, 1899, edition of the Summit County Journal