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Cheers and jeers

Cheers: To Therese and Gene Dayton for toying with the idea of making snow at the Frisco Nordic Center. If the alpine areas can do it so extensively, why not the Nordic center. Actually, the Daytons did more than just toy with the idea, they went ahead and tried it, making 13 inches of snow Tuesday morning. The town of Frisco approved Tuesday’s test run, and may approve an annual snowmaking program. This won’t be as extensive a system as those used by the alpine areas, and it likely won’t begin in earnest until next season.

Jeers: To Mother Nature. Opening Day for skiing last year was Oct. 17 (at Loveland). This year, Arapahoe Basin and Loveland will push November before getting enough snow to open a run or two. The dustings of snow that have covered the peaks from time to time this autumn have not remained, and “Indian summer” has ruled October. All this has re-ignited the fear of drought and harkened thoughts back to the parched summer of 2002. Last year’s winter of average snowfall seemed epic in comparison to those of recent past and filled reservoirs in the region nearly to capacity. The fear is that another below-average precipitation season would put us right back where we were in 2002 – remember the Dredge restaurant in Breckenridge running aground, or the intermittent haze of wildfire smoke?

Cheers: To a beautiful Indian summer. The law of averages says the snows will make up for lost time. Hey, when dealing with Mother Nature, we have to be kind.



Jeers: To Denver Water and other Front Range water-suckers for liberalizing water use way before it was certain the drought was over. Look out Dillon Reservoir.

Cheers: To Copper Mountain for being the first to have skiable snow, even if only ski racers get to ski it for early season training.



Cheers: To the Summit High soccer team for making it to the state playoffs. It was a great year for what the rest of the world calls the football team.

Jeers: To the World Series; should have been Cubs, Red Sox.

Cheers: To all the brave souls who bared their soles – and many other body parts – for The Summit Foundation’s Summit County Uncovered calendar. Next year we want to see the town councils, the arts councils, Over the Hill Gang, the BOEC and the ski patrol.

Cheers: To Vail Resorts for jumping on a mold problem at Breckenridge Terrace employee housing before it got completely out of hand.

Jeers: To the town of Frisco for hiring a tree lighting company for “just under $10,000” to put up the Christmas lights when the town employees would have been happy to decorate the Frisco trees while saving some tax dollars in a tough year.

Cheers: To both the Frisco and Dillon barbecue competitions for winning official status from the Kansas City World Barbecue Headquarters. Whew S

Opinions are by the Summit Daily News editorial board: Michael Bennett, Jim Pokrandt, Jason Starr, Rachel Toth, Reid Williams, Kim Nicoletti and Martha Lunsky.


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