Top 5 most-read stories last week: Summer concerts, Breck closing and more
Editor’s note: Stories in this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com from May 14-20.
1. Dillon Amphitheater releases summer lineup — including nationally acclaimed artists — as shows start selling out
Summer is almost here and that means it’s nearly time for barbecues, sunshine and — of course — a season of live music at the Dillon Amphitheater.
With the first show just weeks away, the town of Dillon has released the lineup of summer concerts happening at amphitheater along the shores of the Dillon Reservoir.
The lineup includes a new concert series, Mountain Music Mondays, which will feature free music every Monday evening, including from top acts such as Grammy Award winners Marc Cohn and Shawn Colvin, as well as a variety of paid shows from artists of national acclaim. The concerts include Colorado artists such as Boulder-based Gregory Alan Isakov and the Fort Collins-based Pretty Lights.
2. Breckenridge Ski Area announces closing date after long, snow-filled season at the ski resort
With temperatures continuing to warm up and days growing longer, Breckenridge Ski Resort announced on Tuesday, May 16, that it will close for the 2022-23 winter season on Sunday, May 21.
“While the new snow last week made for great late season skiing and riding, conditions change rapidly in the springtime, and we are no longer seeing below-freezing overnight temperatures,” Breckenridge Ski Resort Chief Operating Officer Jody Churich said. “We will send out the season in style on Sunday on Peak 7 with skiing, riding and music with DJ DC.”
Skiers and riders can get in their final turns of the season this week before the resort will close for the winter and shift its focus to summer operations, which are set to begin on Friday, June 30.
With temperatures continuing to warm up and days growing longer, Breckenridge Ski Resort announced on Tuesday, May 16, that it will close for the 2022-23 winter season on Sunday, May 21.
“While the new snow last week made for great late season skiing and riding, conditions change rapidly in the springtime, and we are no longer seeing below-freezing overnight temperatures,” Breckenridge Ski Resort Chief Operating Officer Jody Churich said. “We will send out the season in style on Sunday on Peak 7 with skiing, riding and music with DJ DC.”
Skiers and riders can get in their final turns of the season this week before the resort will close for the winter and shift its focus to summer operations, which are set to begin on Friday, June 30.
3. Colorado Supreme Court reprimands former Summit County Judge Mark Thompson over loss of temper
A former Summit County judge violated judicial codes of conduct when he lost his temper during two court proceedings last year, according to a public censure handed down Monday, May 15, by the Colorado Supreme Court.
Just two days after he returned to the bench after serving a disciplinary suspension for threatening his stepson with an AR-15 style rifle, now-former Judge Mark Thompson berated the attorneys in a case and threatened to have them jailed, the censure states.
A day later, Thompson “again acted with intemperance” by insulting the parties of a domestic relations case, the Supreme Court wrote in the censure.
“Thompson acknowledges that he has not fully resolved concerns raised in his prior disciplinary proceedings that relate to his ability to manage anger and maintain a respectful demeanor,” the censure states.
4. Program that lets Summit County workers sleep in their vehicles secures new location, but a 24/7 parking lot is still needed
After a successful winter at the Frisco Marina Trailhead, a program that provides a safe space for local workers living out of their vans or vehicles will be allowed to move to a new space in Frisco.
The Frisco Town Council on Tuesday, May 9, approved Unsheltered in Summit’s request to use the parking lot at the town-owned 602 Galena St. property for their safe parking program. But Unsheltered in Summit is still seeking a 24/7 space, according to Diane Luellen, the chair of the nonprofit.
The program ran smoothly through the winter with about 33 people consistently using the available spaces, Luellen told the Frisco Town Council last month. However, unlike the marina space, which was available 24/7 throughout the winter, the town-owned lot at 602 Galena St. will only be available for Unsheltered in Summit guests between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. daily since the building hosts the Colorado Workforce Center offices.
Luellen noted that because of the time restraints, some individuals involved with the program who work nights might not be able to use the space.
5. Federal data shows a sharp rise in average income for a Summit County family of 4. Local officials say the numbers are baffling.
Recently released figures from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development show a 28.5% increase in area median income for a family of four in Summit County. For local officials, the change is stunning.
“I was certainly expecting an increase in our area median income, but a 28% increase is unprecedented,” said Commissioner Tamara Pogue.
Last year, area median income for that same family size increased by 3.8%, rising from $96,100 in 2021 to $99,800 in 2022. In 2023, that figure rose to $128,300, according to data from HUD and the Summit County Combined Housing Authority.
Jack Wilkinson, the housing authority’s interim executive director, said the four-person household figure is “more than double I’ve ever seen.” But it may not be completely accurate, Wilkinson said.
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