2019 Year in review

A special thank you to Larry Banman for compiling the Year in Review. He has done the year end compilation for the Grand Gazette since its beginning!

JANUARY

Middle Park Health announced it would be taking over the management of Cliffview Assisted Living Center. The Grand County Housing Authority, which owns the facility, severed its ties with Senior Housing Authority, which had managed the facility since 1994.

Representative Rob Rankin was named to fill the seat of Randy Baumgarner, who had recently resigned. Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) awarded the Colorado Cattleman’s Agricultural Land Trust grant of $60,000 to the Yust Ranch for its Blue River restoration project.

Jessica Goldberg, who does silver-smithing with Red Lily Jewelry was featured in a Grand Gazette story written by Christy Parrott.
Jennifer Cox and Merritt Hooks rang in the new year with their wedding vows marrying on New Year’s Eve.
Middle Park High School got the best of the basketball rivalry with West Grand High School with victories in both women’s and men’s basketball.

The year 2019 started with a tragedy as Toby Hargadine and Crysta Bernsten were killed when their vehicle lost control on the Trough Road and slid over the bank at Inspiration Point.

The West Grand High School boys basketball team held a moment of silence for Hargadine before its game with the SoRoCo Rams in Oak Creek. Hargadine was a former coach for the boys basketball program.

Sworn in by Judge Nicholas Cantanzarite were Grand County elected officials: Sheriff Brett Schroetlin, Coroner Brenda Bock, Clerk and Recorder Sara Rosene, Surveyor Warren Ward, Commissioner Kris Manguso and Assessor Tom Weydert.

Sergeant Todd Willson of the Kremmling Police Department was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and Officer Mike Minhas was promoted to Patrolman First Class.

Finalists for the position of Kremmling Town Manager were Daniel Stoltman and Leo Pesch. Kadie Huse was hired as the new food inspector for Grand County Environmental Health & Retail Food. The new department was established to license and inspect retail food establishments in the county.

A headlining story of a local Kremmling rancher fatally shooting a young Husky came to a resolution when the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the rancher based on the Dog Worrying Stock statute. The statute allows ranchers the complete legal authority to kill an animal harassing livestock. The owners of the dog were also not prosecuted for having a dog at large.

Mike Ritschard was reappointed to the Colorado River Water Conservation District for another three year term as the Grand County director.

The Town of Kremmling submitted a letter to the Board of County Commissioners outlining concerns for the proposed airport expansion which would require an increase in the size of the airport’s safety zone and the possible removal of a portion of the River Ranch Mobile Home Park. The Town also expressed concern with runway utilization.

A crack in the gravel road surface of Ritschard Dam, which impounds Wolford Mountain Reservoir, was deemed a non-emergency.

Aces High Trash Company, Kremmling’s new trash collection service, announced it would be offering recycling on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month. The Town would no longer be offering an unmanned community recycling site free of charge.

The West Grand High School boys basketball team fell to SoRoCo as it prepared to face Hotchkiss and Paonia. The Parshall Inn hosted an old-fashion jam session with guitars, violins, and banjos.

Two Kremmling families were among ranching women featured in a New York Times article, “Female Ranchers Are Reclaiming the American West.” Included in the article were Vicki, Cameron, and Caitlyn Taussig as well as Becky, Amy, and Wendy Eller.

Mark Wellstone, owner of Blue Heron Dispensary, asked the Kremmling Town Board to lift its ban on retail marijuana. No action was taken by the board and no indication of further pursuit of the matter was noted.

Grand County Library District Director Stephanie Ralph announced her resignation to take the same position at the Summit County Library District. She had been the GCLD Director since 2014.

Grand Adventure Brewing Company announced a new menu as well as its partnership with Blue Valley Spirits. Brewmaster Rick Reliford, Master Distiller Red Waldron and Chef Daniel Skyes were teaming up as the business pursued a new direction. Blue Valley Spirits was to offer locally-made whiskey, rum, vodka and specialty products in the tasting room that was formerly the dining room at Grand Adventure Brewing.

The Colorado River District announced its plans to replace the main outlet gate at Wolford Mountain Reservoir. A large, floating work platform was to be assembled at the work site to hold a crane, diver’s compression chamber, work trailer, diving equipment and the gates as they were removed and installed.
The West Grand High School boys basketball team defeated Hotchkiss, 62-58, in overtime before losing to Paonia, 46-41. Austin Stauffer was the leading scorer for West Grand in both games. Also contributing in the scoring column were Jesus Dominguez, Charlie Multerer, Luis Dominguez, and Rene Dominguez.

The West Grand High School spirit team placed 5th at the state competition finals.

The search for a new county manager was down to three finalists: Katherine McIntire, Scott Meszaros, and Don Rosier. In February, McIntire accepted the job as Grand County Manager.

Rocky Mountain Floor Design, owner and operated by Scott Terryberry of Kremmling, was featured in the Gazette. Terryberry has been installing flooring since 1978 and operating his own business since 2002.

2018 West Grand graduate, Josh O’Hotto was named to the Dean’s List at CU Colorado Springs College of Engineering and Applied Science. O’Hotto is majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in aerospace engineering.

Kremmling Fire Department newest recruits, Mateo Pilato and Aaron Elliott were introduced to auto extrication in a training exercise.

Andrew Mericle’s seventh-grade class raised over $500 to help provide water well access in Mozambique.
Mountain Parks General Manager Tom Sifer wrote in a letter to the editor that Mountain Parks Electric was continuing its fiber-optic backbone investment to encourage third party broadband providers to come into the area and provide high speed internet service.

Dan Stoltman was named as the new Town Manager for Kremmling. He brought to the job experience as a carpenter, a law clerk assistant, facilities management, assistant city administrator and interim public works director, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

The Grand County Library District celebrated the graduation of five students from its Career Online High School. Graduating were Malynn Glass, Alex Geist, Jade Glover, Kayla Wilson, and Jennifer Miller.

John Tanton was pictured flooding the ice rink at the Chuck Lewis Ice Arena in Kremmling. A 20-year veteran of involvement with the hockey program, Tanton helped prepare the ice despite there being no active hockey program in 2019

Colorado Parks and Wildlife sought public input for their new 5-year big game structure during a meeting with hunters, guides, and landowners at the CSU Extension Hall in Kremmling. Hunters answered questions regarding satisfaction of the hunting season length and the timing of each season.

Qualifying for the Regional Science Fair were middle school students: David Pecotte, Varian Villallobos, Iker Gomezrivera, Kassandra Stubbs, Luci Bruchez, Grace Wahl, Olivia Stefanik, Callie Frietag, Lily Butler, Alexis Groff, Erika Janssen and high school students: Dustin Beason, Trace Lewis, Emily Osbourne, Morgan McGuire, Khai Hughes, Angel Castillo, Illiana Castillo, Jessica Gregory, Logan Van Grinsven, and Dani DeMattos.

The West Grand pep band, directed by Dan Bowerly, was pictured as it provided entertainment at a home basketball game. Bowerly has directed a pep band at football and basketball games for many years.

Extension Agent Travis Hoesli and parent Joe Harthun were pictured doing a retinal scan on a steer for identification purposes. The 4-H program weighed in 10 steers and currently had eight members in the beef program.

Coach Kim Bodemann announced the formation of two club volleyball teams – Limitless and the Raptors.

Qualifying for the state Robotics competition were West Grand robotics teams: 7224 – Levi Edson, Tyler Usauan, Alan Gomezrivera, Jonathan Belcher, Khai Hughes, Jesse Schorr, and Logan Van Grinsven; 8805 – Dustin Beason, Dominik Stefanik, Jessica Gregory, Jayden Edson, Sierra Bensing, Trae Gore, and Danielle DeMattos.

Country cowboy music singer, Caitlyn Taussig performed the National Anthem at the National Western Stock Show.

The Williams Fork river crossing on County Road 3 had its culvert replaced by Grand County Road and Bridge. The road would be open for traffic in February.

In the month of January, the Gazette featured two couples celebrating their 50th anniversary. Bill and Sheilah Jones and Jacie and Fred Daily.

February

In a bit of a winter history lesson, the Gazette informed its readers that the Middle Park Times had reported a temperature of -65 degrees Fahrenheit on Feb. 18, 1942. However, the official state records credit Maybell, Colorado with the lowest temperature of -61 degrees recorded on Feb. 1, 1985.

4-H member, Kenna Wall shared her goat projects with Cliffview Assisted Living residents and staff. Steve Lucero was pictured holding one of the young goats.

Lisi Buller and Lauren Hoesli were the essay contest winners in a contest sponsored by Last Time ‘Round Thift Store in Kremmling. The award money was given to help students defray the cost of a trip to Washington, D.C.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services office reported the 2018/2019 snowpack was slightly above normal.

Harms and Sons Excavating of Hot Sulphur Springs was featured. The business run by brothers Matt and Chance Harms will pay for junk vehicles and help recycle larger items.

Courtney Matney of Kremmling traveled to Daegu, South Korea to teach conversational English in public schools. She graduated from Colorado Christian University with a degree in psychology.

Downtown Kremmling welcomedits first banner over main street. The banner will be used to help advertise and promote local events.

Alejandro Castanon of West Grand High School was pictured attempting a shot against the Meeker Cowboys in a tightly-fought basketball game that Meeker won by five points.

Competing for the West Grand High School wrestling team in a match held in Rawlins, Wyoming were David Santos, Gage Bonewell, Omar Rodriguez, Jacob Murphy, Cameron Wood, and AJ Multerer.

The Kremmling Library hosts a quilting club with Janet Schayer on the 1st Tuesday of each month. Pictured at a class were Kim Shepton, Janet Schayer, Marcia Horner and Casey Gray.

West Grand Spirit Team Coaches Kendra Holmes and Jo Poindexter were pictured preparing a group of mini-cheerleaders to perform at a high school basketball game.

Rocky Mountain National Park recorded a record total of 4,590,492 visitors in 2018. That number was an increase of 3.5 percent over 2017 and increase of 42 percent since 2012.

The Gazette reported Town trustees contemplated the marijuana ballot question for the 2020 election which could lift the current ban on marijuana retail business and possibly grow operations. In the vote to legalize in the State of Colorado in 2012, the Kremmling area was split nearly 50% for and against the issue.

Jordan Ball was introduced as the new funeral director at Grand County Mortuary in Hot Sulphur Springs.

In an unusual accident, two tractors on display in front of Alpine Motor Sports were significantly damaged when an intoxicated driver traveling on Hwy 40 left the roadway and struck the tractors.

The West Grand High School Robotics team qualified three teams for the state championship. Sponsor and coach Lori Birch praised the work of two senior boys, Jonathan Belcher and Jayden Edson, for their leadership.

Signing National Letters of Intent to play college football were West Grand seniors, Luis Dominguez (Black Hills State University, South Dakota) and Austin Stauffer (Chadron State, Nebraska).

Anna Douglass of West Grand High School was pictured driving for a score in a high school basketball game that was won by West Grand, 48-9.

West Grand High school honored its senior athletes in a special ceremony. Honored were Anna Douglass (girls basketball); Austin Stauffer, Torrin Roche, Luis Dominguez (boys basketball); and Gage Bonewell (wrestling).

Grand County high school wrestlers heading to the state tournament in Denver were Tel Linke and Dylan Kloss of Middle Park High School and Gage Bonewell and David Santos from West Grand High School.

The annual Winter Carnival in Grand Lake featured the popular bed sled races. This year the champion title was claimed by the Grand Lake firefighters.

In Kremmling Police Department news, a new logo was unveiled and it was announced that former police officer Bob Dillon was returning to the force on a temporary basis while two new officers were hired and trained.

Rhonda Shearer, Kremmling Town Clerk and Interim Town Manager took a new job with Middle Park Health. She was replaced by Joanna Eaton, a graduate of Middle Park High School.

Joining the CSU Extension Office in Kremmling as administrative assistant was Karli Tonneson, a mother of two young boys. Students in the Intro to Entrepreneurship class in collaboration with the Future Business Leaders of America at West Grand High School started painting and renovating the old printer room at the high school into a functioning mini café. Students involved included: Hugh Wheatley, Ashton Williams, Jacob Heeney, Emma DeSanti, Madison Jump, Angel Castillo, AJ Multerer, Araceli Miranda, Giselle Garcia and Lexi Pasillas. The class is taught by Jennifer Hooks.

The engagement of Holli Rae Palmer to Alex Grant was announced. A summer wedding was planned.
There were 421 fisher persons registered at the 22nd Wolford Ice Fishing contest, sponsored by the Kremmling Chamber of Commerce. Tom Cary and Jeff Miller volunteered to measure the fish to help determine the winners in the various categories. One of the fishing crews for the contest included: Jason Tveter, Tiffany DeMattos, Bert Multerer, Mark Blair, Charlie Williams, and Dale Vasold.

The Mustang boys basketball team headed to districts on a four-game winning streak with wins over Rangely, North Park, Caprock Academy and Paonia. Coach Leo Pesch praised the senior leadership of Austin Stauffer and Luis Dominguez as the team looked forward to post-season play.

National Junior Honor Society members from West Grand Middle School escorted Rhonda Ilgner’s first-grade class to deliver Valentines to the residents of the Cliffview Assisted Living Center.

Rocky Mountain Floor Design. owned by Scott Terryberry, was named Kremmling Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month in February.

Spring calving means moving cattle to lower pastures. Tate Fellhauer was pictured on the front page of the Gazette leading Peak Ranch cattle down Hwy 40. Assisting, but not pictured, were Rich Sherman, Mike Sherman, Mike Probst, Devon Hueckstaedt, Lee Harder and Brenda Sherman.

After an ongoing investigation of theft, Kremmling Police Jamie Lucas announced the arrest of a former director of the Cliffview Assisted Living Center.

Aron Melendez was pictured as he participated in ice rescue training in Grand Lake with a number of other firefighters in Grand County.

Christopher Leahy was hired by the Grand County Commissioners to serve in the capacity of County Attorney.
Wrestlers, Gage Bonewell and David Santos of West Grand High School both participated in the State Finals competition at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Coach Brian Strathman complimented Bonewell on his leadership of a young squad as the only senior.

In addition to Bonewell and Santos, the West Grand wrestling team included Morgan McGuire, Omar Dominguez, AJ Multerer, Cameron Wood, Jacob Murphy, Ben Biekert, Dane Biekert, and Assistant Coach Scott Smith.

The Raptors club volleyball team from Kremmling placed second in the Power 3 tournament held in Pueblo. After losing to Middle Park, the Raptors defeated teams from Lafayette and Lakewood before ending the day with a loss to the Volley Llamas.

The West Grand High School girls basketball team defeated the Paonia Eagles to advance to district tournament play. At that level, the Lady Mustangs battled hard, according to Coach Liz Bauer, but lost to Meeker and Vail Christian.

Tyler Scholl of Kremmling placed 5th in classic technique and 4th in skate technique, leading the Middle Park High School team to a second-place overall finish.

Participating in the AKC/4-H Dog Project Workshop at the National Western Stock Show Complex were Penny Myer, Lance Eisenman, Amber Hester, Caitlyn Corcoran and Elisabeth Corcoran.

March

Students from West Grand High School presented Aladdin with Angel Castillo cast in the lead role. The play, also featured a supporting cast of villains, heroes and magicians.

The Kremmling Chamber of Commerce welcomed four new board members – Angie Munoz, Cindy Multerer, Dillon Willson, and Shyla Bohall.

Travis Rohr of the Kremmling Fire Department was pictured showing new firefighter Aaron Elliott how to use the Jaws of Life, which are used in auto extrications. The other newest member of the department, Mateo Pilato was shown as he practiced rappelling.

Middle Park Health announced it was opening a new clinic in Grand Lake. It would be located in the Grand Lake Center.

Dr. Mark Paulsen of Middle Park Health was awarded the prestigious COPIC Humanitarian Award for going beyond the scope of his practice to volunteer in the community. He was given the opportunity to award $10,000 to the health-related non-profit organization of his choice and he chose the Middle Park Medical Foundation.

Several high school students were part of the UpRISE initiative and were advocating against youth tobacco use. Those students included: Landon Williams, Khai Hughes, Jesus Dominguez, Madison Jump, Giselle Garcia, Isabella Galindo, Itzel Nayeli, Tiffany Luttrell, Hayley Graham, Jessica Gregory, Angel Castillo, Iliana Castillo, Omar Dominguez, Jacob Murphy, and Dustin Beason. They were under the supervision of Teresa Cantwell,the Youth Development Coordinator with Grand Futures Prevention Coalition.

The West Grand High School boys basketball team’s season ended in the regional tournament with a loss to Limon. Coached by Leo Pesch and Mike Ritschard, the varsity team members included Marcus Sanchez, Austin Stauffer, Alejandro Castanon, Gabriel Torres, Austin Schake, Rene Dominguez, Collin Warren, Louis Dominguez, Jakob Buller, Jesus Dominguez, and Ashton Williams.

Jay Howard was pictured enjoying a day of ice golfing during the 9th annual Ice Hole Open Tournament at Wolford Mountain Reservoir. The winning teams were Dwayne Hooks, Rory Menhennett, and Ty Pryor and the team of Shane Stieve, Cordie Stieve, Jake Johnson, and Kelly Johnson. Second place went to the team of Andy Stutz, Tony Hecker, Kenny Bentler, Brian Superke, and Jeff Miller.

West Grand Superintendent Darrin Peppard announced that a new childhood center would be opening in Kremmling in August. It would be located in the building occupied by the Colorado Highway Patrol which was previously used as the Kremmling Preschool building.

Wil Roddy was announced as the new manager for the Allington Inn and Suites. Wil, his wife Anastasia and their dog Bentley reside on-site at the Allington.

Middle Park Fairboard members judged the cover contest for the Middle Park Fair and Rodeo fairbook and chose the cover designed by Ashlyn Eisenman.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist Jon Ewert told the Blue Valley Sportsman Club that the fishery at Green Mountain Reservoir is currently not healthy. There would be no stocking of fish in 2019 as Ewert was hopeful the reservoir would naturally rid itself of some of its problems.

Donald Dailey was awarded the Grand County Coin of Excellence by Assistant County Manager Ed Moyer at a Board of County Commissioners meeting.

The Mountain Valley Christian Academy and homeschooling students performed at the annual Luau. The play “Splash Kingdom” featured performances by Foster Krempin, Kylee Richert, Gracie Hast, Kenna Wall, Jessica Bensing, Kylie Wood, Flint Krempin, Solea Luna, Sego Krempin, Tea Luna, Conner Wood, and Skyla Richert.

Kremmling residents Tom and Monika Cary, Dave and Karen Hammer, Larry and Jan Gross, and Twila O’Hotto attended the Middle Park Medical Foundation’s BASH at the Headwater Center in Winter Park.

Hunter Gasvoda smiled as he collected the check for the worst hand of poker during the 11th annual Snowmobile Poker Run. Rheann Pesch and Joe Probst tied for the best hand with Jodi Hill and Cole Sammons tying for second. The event, organized by Amy Mahon, raises funds for the CRPA rodeo at the Middle Park Fair and Rodeo in August.

Rosy and Socorro Castillo, owners of Castle, LLC which designs and handcrafts unique Western-themed artwork, were named Kremmling Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month.

Leslie Hirt and Cody Lemon tied the knot.

Kremmling Dental welcomed Dr. Jeff Marlor to its staff. Dr. Marlor and his wife Brittany, a dental hygienist, have a young son and enjoy an outdoor lifestyle.

Jeremy Krones was named the new executive director of the Colorado Headwaters Land Trust and Mark Johnston was named the new general manager for Mountain Parks Electric.

4-Hers Jadyn Lemon, Taylor Martinson, Lily Butler and Morgan Nelson learned photography techniques from Kremmling photographer and former West Grand High School math and science teacher Mike Wilson.

On Tuesday, March 12, the Girl Scouts of Kremmling, Troop 50292 celebrated the 107th birthday of Girl Scouts by having a pizza and cake party. Each of the girls also brought a “Birthday-In-A-Bag” to donate to Horizons for its Supported Living Services and Family Support divisions.

The Kremmling Board of Trustees took the first steps in tackling the often controversial issues of open storage on commercial properties and cleaning up the main travel corridors in town. Ironically, the Grand County Community Development department was also addressing the issue of outdoor storage and possible zoning changes.

A house explosion in Grand Lake resulted in a fatality. Mark McLean was seriously injured and Susan McLean was unable to escape the fire.

April

The Middle Park Fair and Rodeo Board of Directors announced that Easton Corbin would be performing at the Middle Park Fair and Rodeo in August.

The snowpack was reported by the USDA Natural Resources Service to be “way above normal.” The snowpack was measured by Vance Fulton and Mark Volt.

Recognized by the Kremmling Chamber of Commerce as Volunteers of the Year for their service to the community were Francois Tucker, Randy Mayeaux, Lelenna Willson, Todd Willson and Jeff Miller (not pictured).

Blake Terryberry won first place at the Elementary School/Middle School Colorado State Championships in wrestling. Also winning medals were Wyatt Howell and Grayson Kassib.

Grand County Library District volunteer Ben Mathis was pictured as he helped Kremmling 3rd through 5th grader LEGO club build a NASA Saturn Apollo V rocket.

Michelle Licha-Oros was pictured teaching massage techniques to Robyn Duensing and Mary Jo Hargadine who both teach Certified Nursing Assistant classes. Duensing, the West Grand School District Nurse teaches a CNA class for high school students and Hargadine, a long-time employee of Middle Park Health, teaches an adult class.

Dan Stoltman was welcomed by Mayor Grover Pryor as the new town manager for the Town of Kremmling.

Keren Bakke graduated from Adams State University with a double major in psychology and health care administration.

Ms. Melissa Johnston’s sophomore English students wrote letters to Veterans thanking them for their service. These letters were printed in the Grand Gazette.

Alan Hassler, a West Grand High School graduate, opened the doors to Hassler Law, P.C. Hassler’s professional life has come full circle, as his legal career started in Kremmling after he graduated from Washburn Law School of Topeka, Kansas.

Marcos Ramirez was enjoying a spectacular year in field events for West Grand High School. In early competitions, the senior had the fourth best shot put toss in Class 2A for Colorado.

West Grand High School students, under the direction of Emmy Lou Harmon, had the greenhouse looking good in preparation for the annual Memorial Day weekend plant sale.

Richy Mead was pictured as the Bingo black-out winner. There were 97 players in the annual Kremmling Preschool spaghetti and Bingo night at the CSU Extension Hall. Kremmling Rotary provides the expertise and operates the Bingo portion of the evening.

Mark Volt was pictured enjoying the annual customer appreciation and Wix filter sale at Parts City.

A typical Rocky Mountain spring snowstorm graced west Grand County, after the weather had teased with springlike conditions.

Grand County Veteran’s Services hosted an informational day for veterans in the county and ended the day with an appreciation dinner. Members of the Winners Circle 4-H Club helped serve BBQ to over 100 guests.

Dillon Willson opened a new business, Thirsty Dills, a refrigerated beer and alcoholic beverage trailer.

Anastasia Cunico, a West Grand High School graduate, announced the launch of her online business – Mountain Peaks Boutique, which offered stylish clothing at affordable prices.

The 3Rs 4-H club was pictured stuffing Easter eggs for the annual community egg hunt.

Siblings Dani and Gabe DeMattos had personal bests in the pole vault event at a high school track and field meet in Glenwood Springs. Senior Hugh Wheatley led the team by placing in the pole vault, the 100-meter dash and combined with Omar Dominguez, Rene Dominguez, and Travis Barnes in the 4 x 100-meter relay and with Rene Dominguez, Austin Schake and Levi Edson in the 4 x 400-meter relay.

Presenting projects at the 64th annual Colorado Science and Engineering Fair were West Grand students Khai Hughes, Angel Castillo, Gracean Hoesli, Iliana Castillo, Luci Bruchez, Shannon Whitten, Luke Van Grinsven, and Jessica Gregory.

Limitless, a Kremmling-area club volleyball team, won first place at a Power 6 tournament in Colorado Springs. Coached by Kim Bodemann and Sara Miller, team members were Emma DeSanti, Alex Schake, Maddy Probst, Audrey Miller, Mikayla Shearer, Sage Leaachman, Josy Wheatley and Charish Jansen.

Bernie and Chris Murphy, owners of Murphy’s Irish Pub in Silverthorne, retired after owning and operating the business for 21 years. Bernie would now have time to help Chris at Grand Appraisal Service in Kremmling.

Jason Gomez-Reyes handed a small bouquet of flowers to Maranda Batchelder during the pre-prom fashion show hosted at West Grand High School.

Jess Buller announced he was moving from his job as West Grand PK-8 Principal to serve as a director for Colorado AeroLab, Inc. a non-profit he and a colleague started to provide quality programming for middle and high school students on Fridays.

Mayor Grover Pryor swore in Ronald Carlson as the new municipal judge for Kremmling, replacing Georgia Noriyuki.

Cliffview Assisted Living Center was the site for the annual Easter Egg hunt which is sponsored by the Kremming Chamber of Commerce. Ashlee Givens was this year’s Easter bunny.

Aesthetician Kelly Vrbas was the subject of a feature article written by Christy Parrott. She works out of Strands Salon in Kremmling.

The Kremmling Adult Volleyball championship team was Empire Strikes Back, featuring players Thadd Hargadine, Brook Cecil, Rory Menhennett, Tim Ritschard, Morgan Ritschard, Beth Hart, Rose Gamblin, and Rick Gamblin.

A Career Fair organized by Grand County Higher Education, Grand County Economic Development and the two high schools in the county featured 47 careers and attracted over 220 freshman and sophomore students from West Grand and Middle Park high schools.

Jane Janssen of Kremmling was pictured painting a Dala horse at a Scandanavian art workshop provided by the Sons of Norway and hosted by the Grand County Library District.

May

Kim Shepton and her daughter Anastasia Button traveled to Germany and visited Dachau, Munich, Garnisch, and Heidelberg.

Kimberly Bumgarner earned her Masters in Literacy from the University of Northern Colorado and graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors. She currently teaches in Wray, Colorado.
An article in the Gazette, announced many property owners may see an increase in property taxes for the upcoming year.

A high-speed automobile chase resulted in a seven-hour standoff in Rayner’s Trailer Park. All legal options were exhausted before officers left the scene and an arrest warrant was obtained for the suspect.

The West Grand Community Educational Foundation announced it was hosting a raffle for a world class bull elk hunt at Bear Mountain Ranch.

Gore Range Artisans Group closed it doors after nearly six years of business. GRAG operated as a member-owned cooperative.

Officer Milo, a K-9 dog with the Grand County Sheriff’s Office and his handler Deputy DJ Elthorp were the subject of a feature article written by Nina Wood.

Golden eagles were seen nesting on the cliffs again this spring in a picture submitted by Ellen Buras.

The Raptors wrapped up their season in Fort Morgan. The club volleyball team members, according to Coach Kim Bodemann, “have a bright future.”

Royalty for the West Grand High School prom were Queen Giselle Garcia, King Jayden Edson, Princess Juliana Jiminez, and Prince AJ Multerer. Other nominees included: Travis Barnes, Gage Bonewell, Ashlee Givens, Destiny Barnes, Cameron Wood, Angel Castilla, Anna Douglass, and Gina Manguso.

To celebrate Earth Day, Girl Scout Troop 50292 of Kremmling picked up trash around the fairgrounds, the hospital park, the high school parks, and the skate park.

Pictured as some of the winners in the Kremmling/Hot Sulphur Springs Library Book Float competition were: Jakob Tavares, Devon Mahorney, Marely Saenz, Judith Lopez, Kenna Wall, Lena Harms, and Sonya Wutz.

Carrie George and Brenda Kellen, with Keller Williams Top of the Rockies, participated in the annual “Shop Off” sponsored by the Grand County Board of Realtors. Dressed as the popular character, “Waldo” the two Kremmling-area realtors were part of an effort to raise funds to support the Mountain Family Center.

Kremmling Police Chief Jamie Lucas reported that over 60 people attended and consumed over 100 hot dogs at the open house hosted by the local police department. People were encouraged to visit and see the updates and improvements at the police station.

The Blue Valley Distillery crew was pictured moving in the new mash tun which weighed 2500 pounds. The Distillery is located at 207 Central Street across from the Town Square.

Middle Park Medical Foundation Chairman Jeff Miller presented a $74,410 check to the Kremmling Memorial Hospital Board to be used for future scholarships and oncology services. Hospital board members include Bernie Murphy, Carol Petersen, Kelly Johnson, Gary Bumgarner and Jodi Docheff.

Alan Gomezrivera won first place in the Kremmling Chamber of Commerce’s Cinco de Mayo pepper eating contest.

Corporal Dave Lawley was welcomed to the Kremmling Police Department. Lawley has a decade of law-enforcement experience from the Front Range.

Senator Bob Rankin visited Kremmling to listen to the concerns of his constituents. Among the citizens visiting with Rankin were Sara Rosene, Carol Petersen, Paul Bruchez, Paul Chavoustie, and Richard Cimino.

Many milestones were recorded in May. Morgan Jones officially graduated from high school and also completed her degree in Early Childhood Education from Colorado Northwestern Community College. Sonia Castillo graduated from Colorado Mountain College with an associates in Outdoor Education, and Jim Mahon retired from Henderson Mine and Mill after 42 years.

Middle Park Health announced plans to consider construction of facilities in the Fraser Valley, Kremmling and Granby.

Officer Bob Dillon was promoted to the rank of sergeant by Chief Jamie Lucas.

In an article by Christy Parrott, working moms with their own businesses were highlighted. Among those featured were: Jasmine Marie Smith, Hunter Hill, Tonya Bagley, Andrea Brown, Julie Sweeney, Karla Suer, Alex Geist, Amber Thurow, Sara Brevard, Heather Graves, Jenessa Watermann, Dorina Sas, and Colleen Murphy.

Tristan O’Hotto threw the shot put 40 feet to break (by two inches) the West Grand Middle School shot put record held by Marcos Rameriz. His throw was over six feet further than the second place-toss in the event.

Judges Nicholas Cantanzarite and Mary Hoak fielded questions from Grand County fifth graders during the annual Law Day hosted by Grand County. The event was started in 1984 by Richard Doucette and is unique to Grand County.

Grand County cartoonist, Mister V, began the chronicle of The Shootin’ in his weekly cartoon series, Life is Grand. The Shootin’ tells of the true tale of bloodshed between the Grand County Commissioners in the 1880s.

The Dean West signed with Grand Adventure’s proprietor Rick Reliford to lease the kitchen space. The establishment now included Reliford with Grand Adventure Brewery, Jon Harvey with Dean West, and Red Waldron with Blue Valley Spirits.

Slopeside Counseling owned by Andrea Brown was featured as the Kremmling Chamber Business of the Month. Andrea and her family have lived in Kremmling for three years.
Fishing guide, Bob Dye offered tips for spring fishing in an article by Christy Parrott. Bob averages nearly 200 days a year on the water and few know the upper Colorado River like him. He is also the author of the book, Fly Fishing Guide to the Colorado River and Tributaries.

In honor of Hospital Week, Middle Park Health issued a heartfelt thank you to its employees – 239 employees were pictured.

The West Grand High School track team sent 12 athletes to state. Qualifying for the competition were Dani DeMattos, Gabe DeMattos, Iliana Castillo, Hugh Wheatley, Jakob Buller, Alejandro Castanon, Austin Schake, Marcos Ramirez, Renee Dominguez, Luis Dominguez, Emma DeSanti, and Omar Dominguez.

The West Grand Middle School 4 x 400-meter relay team of Alejo Anguilar Pinero, Adolfo Jiminez, Ollie Bergman, and Wyatt Howell broke the middle school record set in 1994 by Joe Hargadine, Ryan White, Jeff Pedersen, and Ryan Brown.

Cinco de Mayo dancers shown in traditional dress were Anael Castillo, Iliana Castillo, and Judith Lopez.

Pictured while performing in the 37th annual Canepa Dance recital were Callie Frietag, Kai Edson, Ashlyn Eisenman, Madison Batchelder, Torin Bagley, and Carly Wood. In all, there were 64 dancers in the recital.

Marcos Ramirez ended his high school career in fine style as he earned a 7th place medal in the discus toss at the state track meet. Ramirez also owns two weight-lifting records at West Grand High School and signed a scholarship for track and football at Adams State University.

Also medaling at the track meet were the relay team of Rene Dominguez, Omar Dominguez, Luis Dominguez and Hugh Wheatley (7th), and Emma Desanti, who was sixth in the high jump.

Jenn Stuart, high school English Language Arts teacher, was named West Grand teacher of the year at the school district’s Celebration of Excellence.

Grand River Ranch employees collected 70 bags of trash along a portion of Hwy 40. Those who participated were Stacy DeBell, Carol Culbreath, Jeanette DeBell, Joanna Heeney, Joe DeBell, Carly Reynolds, Jean Landess, Max Tischler, Randy Taussig, Kelley Rice, Gary Steuben, Matthew Crandall, and Susan Crandall.
West Grand Superintendent Dr. Darrin Peppard was named to the Jostens Renaissance Hall of Fame. It is the highest honor an educator can receive from Jostens.

Maintenance at Wolford Reservoir began. The 30-year old facility is scheduled for significant maintenance and among its expected repairs is the 16,000 pound steel main gate. Barges, to be used for the divers contracted to do the repairs, were brought in earlier.

Michael Ferrell, formerly of Kremmling, earned his Bachelors of Science in Business. He graduated with military honors.

The Grand Gazette featured 32 graduates from the Kremmling community which included West Grand graduates and homeschooling graduates.

Samantha Sparrows, a graduate of Colorado Connections Academy, which is an online-base homeschool, served for two years as a volunteer firefighter with the Hot Sulphur Springs/Parshall Fire Protection District.

Judy Sherman retired after 31 years of teaching in the West Grand School District. serving primarily as a Kindergarten teacher. She also taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades during her tenure.

K-8 Principal Jess Buller made good on his challenge for the students to read one million minutes before the end of the school year. He allowed the students to duct tape him to the wall and it took 4 ½ roles to secure him near signs reading, “Thanks a Million,” “Stuck on Reading,” and “Books on Tape.”

The Grand County Commissioners approved a special use permit for a new trash transfer station near the intersection of Highways 125 and 40 outside of Granby.

Reno Davidson, the son of Brett and Kem Davidson, earned two degrees from Colorado Mesa University. He has Bachelors in Geosciences-Geology and Geosciences-Environmental Geology.

Middle Park Health opened a new health center, located in the old middle school (aka the original West Grand High School), under the supervision of Rose Gamblin.

Co-salutatorians Giselle Garcia and Hugh Wheatley and Valedictorian Morgan Jones were celebrated at the graduation ceremonies for West Grand High School.

The annual eighth-grade Washington, D.C. Trip brought history to life for 15 West Grand students and four adult chaperones.

Jordan Knight signed a national letter-of-intent to play football for Minnesota Morris University. Inducted into the National Junior Honor Society were West Grand students Eva Norton, Taylin Harthun, Taylor Martinson, Luci Bruchez, Olivia Stefanik, Jadyn Lemon, Amira Hughes, Sara Lechman, Ashlyn Eisenman, Elanore Poindexter, Grace Wahl, Kai Edson, Tanner Smiley, Wendy Eller, Orion Ilgner, Madison Nelson, Lily Butler, Sage Lechman, Lauren Hoesli, Ollie Bergman,Morgan Nelson, Lis Buller and Carly Kellen. The advisor for the group is Jennifer Vance.

The latest replacement of the large flag that flies on the west end of Kremmling was purchased and donated by Jeannie and Gary Heckler, both Marine Corps veterans.

Girl Scout Troop 50292 was pictured marching in the the Memorial Day Parade in Grand Lake.

June

Kremmling Town Manager Daniel Stoltman and Kremmling Town Council members announced their intention to battle mosquitoes at the larval stage in addition to spraying for adult mosquitoes.

Kevin Ratzmann, Chief of the Grand Lake Fire Protection District, explained his plans to expand the District’s services to include EMS. The Grand Lake Fire Protection District is the only paid career fire protection in the county.

Cliffview Assisted Living Center celebrated 25 years of operation in Kremmling. Owned by the Grand County Housing Authority, the facility is managed by Middle Park Health and directed by Mary Jo Hargadine. The facility was opened in 1994 after a citizen’s committee formed by the Town of Kremmling helped to direct its development.

J & S Mobile blasting, owned and operated by Jason and Sara Johnson, offered a system of paint stripping and surface prep servicing. Mobility and speed were two of the benefits of the system.

VFW Post 9374 and its Auxiliary held a joint meeting to enjoy dinner and encourage members of the community to be involved in the organization.

Participating in the Colorado 8-man All-Star game were football players Austin Stauffer, Marcos Rameriz, Jordan Knight, Hugh Wheatley, and Luis Dominguez. The team was coached by the West Grand High School coaching staff of Chris Brown, Maurice Noll, Josh Pedersen, and Fernando Enriquez.

Trail Ridge had a late June opening due to late snowfall. Historically, the latest Trail Ridge opened was June 26, 1943.

Tyson Parrott and James Holmes were pictured enjoying a round of golf as part of the 10th Annual Lazy Shamrock Golf tournament. The annual event, which attracted 160 golfers and 40 teams, is a fundraiser for the West Grand High School boys and girls basketball teams.

First place honors went to Brook Cecil, Erin Fahey, Carlie McAlister, and Addie Tanton. Second place went to Jordan Cook, Eric Haave, Trevor Jackson, and Eric Masters. Carlie McAlister had the longest drive for the women and Craig Valance had the longest drive for the men.

The Bits ‘n’ Spurs gymkhana entered its 15th year. Organizer Audrey Schultz said the group of PeeWee contestants was the largest ever for the organization.

Kendra Holmes was named as Event Coordinator for the Kremmling Chamber of Commerce. In filling the role of the new position, Holmes would help with everything from event conception to clean-up.

Justin Schieble, of local rafting company, Adventures in Whitewater, shared his rafting adventures of when he was in Ecuador.

The Kremmling Library began a new program for English as a Second Language Learners. The classes are taught by Melitta White.

Maximum Services, owned by Mark and Shawna Nelson was the Kremmling Chamber’s business of the month.

Coaches Ryan Vrbas, Dawna Heller, and Robert Cirks were pictured with their T-ball team of Braxton Bauer, Emmett Bruchez, Brylie Vrbas, Kylee See, Bentley Ohri-Chamberlain, Tucker Cirks, and Sawyer Heller.

Girl Scout Troop 50292 of Kremmling attended Troop Trek in Clark, Colorado. Earning badges in first aid, primitive camping, and cooking were Darcy DeBell, Kassidy Trujillo, Paige DeBell, Kieryn Trujillo, Cora Osborne, Isabella Lawrence, Suzzen Hatcher, Abigail Wolverton, Harmoni Wolverton, Addy Pedersen, and Taylah French.

Nearly 120 young readers signed up for the Kremmling Library reading program.

Riley Mahon of Kremmling moved into a new age group and was able to secure a first place in break-away roping at the Flying Heels Arena near Granby.

Matt “Mister V” Veraldo shared his research of the death of Texas Charley. The shooting is often re-enacted at high noon before the parade at Hot Sulphur Days.

Annalis Pierson teed off during the Kremmling Days Cliff Golf Challenge as Rosie Stahl and Caroline Pierson enjoyed the view from the rim of the signature Kremmling Cliffs.

Aaron Macarelli, of Visionary Broadband, discussed plans with Kremmling Town trustees to launch the new internet service in Kremmling.

Among several water pipe projects completed by the Town of Kremmling, was the replacement of approximately 1300 feet of an eight-inch water main feeding River Ranch Mobile Home Park, the fairgrounds, the pellet plant, and the boat storage/FedEx property. The work was contracted to Maximum Services under the direction of Public Works Director, Jason Bock.

The Kremmling Sanitation District and the Town of Kremmling began using reuse water to irrigate the Town Square. Use of reuse water had started in Kremmling Cemetery in 2018 and use was hoped to expand to Ceriani Park and the Red Mountain Sports Complex. The advent of the system should significantly reduce the need and use for treated water for irrigation purposes.

Channel 4 reporter, Matt Kroschel moved to Kremmling two years ago and was featured in an article by Christy Parrott.

Tyler Scholl won the Kremmling Days Mustang Mile with a time of 5:11. His mother, Stephanie Scholl, was the first woman to cross the line with a time of 6:36.

Heather and Kenny Bentler were named Grand Marshals of the Kremmling Days Parade. Royalty for the celebration were Attendant Giselle Garcia, Queen Anna Douglass, Attendant Gina Manguso, and King Jayden Edson.

Robert Nelson showed good form as he placed second in the first round of horseshoes at Kremmling Days. Tim Rindt was the winner of the event.

Cindy Hester was part of the winning float celebrating Every Day Heroes, the theme of the Kremmling Days Parade.

The Friends of the Grand County Library raised nearly $1,400 at the Kremmling Days pancake breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Kremmling Rotary lent a helping hand. Pictured at the event were Marla Gall, Sara Rosene, Larry Banman, Shannon Barsy, Ashton Williams, Charish Janssen, Monika Cary, Melitta White, and Merrilyn Hunter.

Middle Park 4-Hers Lance Eisenman with dog Striker, Scotty Cameron with Murph, and Elisabeth Corcoran with Bear competed at the Expo in Hayden.

A June snowstorm visited the higher elevations of Grand County, bending summer tree limbs and hindering travel on Rabbit Ears Pass and other areas. Kremmling locals, attending the Never Summer Rodeo in Walden, Colorado found the rodeo was aptly named when they had to don winter attire.

On behalf of the West Grand Community Educational Foundation, Callie Frietag drew the winning raffle ticket for the world class bull elk rifle hunt. Holding the winning ticket was Tim Ritschard of Kremmling. Dave Hammer and Larry Banman were on hand, representing WGCEF.

Laura Karina Dominguez Castanon celebrated her quinceanera.

Iris Melendez graduated from Fort Lewis College with a degree in Sociology and Human Services. She also named to the Dean’s list for the 2019 spring semester. Also being named to the Dean’s List in the spring semester, was Peyton Bodemann. Peyton attends the Black Hills State Universtity in Spearfish, South Dakota. She is majoring in Exercise Science and plays for the volleyball team.

Deb Lewis and Paul Kitterman were the Northwest Ranch Supply $500 spring giveaway winners.

Don Acord, of Granby, celebrated his 90th birthday.

JULY

Skeeter the Clown was in town as a harbinger for the Merriweather and Culpepper Circus, which was scheduled to pass through Kremmling.

It was announced that Rocky Mountain Health would become the mobile crisis response provider to provide mental health assessments for individuals and provide for their safety. The Colorado Department of Human Services’ Office of Behavioral Health contract to provide mobile crisis response services had been with Mind Springs since 2014 and the change, effective on July 1, left the county and areas of western Colorado in a state of transition.

Ashlyn Eisenman produced the winning design for the Middle Park Fair & Rodeo fairbook cover.

Robbie James was introduced as the new senior leader of Kremmling Community Church. He moved to town with his wife Cynthia and children Brayden and Brook.

A brutal stabbing between a man and woman living in Kremmling shocked Kremmling residents. The woman was in intensive care but was expected to fully recover. The man was taken into custody.

Colorado AeroLab announced it was hosting free summer camps for West Grand students. As part of its 5th Day programs, Colorado AeroLab offered three weeks of activities at no charge.

West End Liquors was named Kremmling Chamber Business of the Month. The business is owned and operated by Laura and Bill Pettett.

Jessica Gregory took second place in the overall competition at a robotics summer camp hosted by South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Girl Scout Troop 50292 of Kremmling traveled to Denver and visited the Butterfly Pavilion, had dinner at Chili’s, and went to Wild Dreams overnight at the Denver Aquarium where they slept in the shark room.

The Middle Park Roping Club in Kremmling hosted a roping clinic with the Ellerman family, Jay, Tammy and their son Britt. Tammy grew up in the Kremmling area as a Hinman.

Ken Wilkinson, of Fire in the Sky, completed his 19th year of “firing up the cliffs.” Helping Ken provide a magnificent 4th of July show were Carol Hochstrasser, Kendra Wilkinson, Jill Wilkinson, Tom Van Groningen, Andrew Wilkinson, Galen Wilkinson, and Ben Mathis. Kremmling was one of few areas hosting fireworks this year. In addition, the nesting eaglets had left the nest early enough so that the main portion of the cliffs could be used for fireworks.

An article, “Insider tips to living in Kremmling,” by Christy Parrott offered advice such as always leave the house dressed, because you will always see someone you know.

Grand County Commissioner Merrit Linke presented the Caroline Bancroft Award to representatives of the Grand County Historical Association’s Emily Warner Field Aviation Museum. Accepting the award were Dr. Penny Hamilton, Dr. Bill Hamilton, and Shanna Ganne.

Annual events from Granby, including the 4th of July parade and the annual fly-in and pancake breakfast were featured pictorially.

The Comix Club of Kremmling announced the beginning of their annual Comic-Making contest at the Kremmling library. The club geared toward youth is headed and organized by professional cartoonist, Mister V.
Marlie Walker and her grandmother, Marcia Wyatt, planted a flowering tree in front of the Chamber building in remembrance of Cody Walker. Cody was Marcia’s son and Marlie’s dad.

Ashton Lockhart and Braxton Bauer battled for the ball during the Challenger Soccer Camp in Kremmling.

During the History on Horseback tour, a horse-drawn surrey followed County Road 55 across Cottonwood Pass. The historic ride was led by Commissioner Merrit Linke and serves as a fundraiser for the Grand County Historical Association and Colorado Headwaters Land Trust.

Stran Lechman of Kremmling was pictured trying his hand at heading for the first time at the Ed Pickering Memorial Roping. The 2nd annual roping had 150 teams and saddle winners were Cutter Barnes and Jesse Echtler.

The Elevation Festival once again delivered on its promise, “to celebrate all of God’s goodness in Grand County.” Over 1,000 people attended the two-day event and enjoyed performances by the Confluence Bank, the Grant Daniel Reed Band, the Julio Perez Band, Color, and Plumb.

Carson Culbreath and Dustin Beason were among the many people who took advantage of the free face painting.

The Grand County Commissioners heard refined cost estimates for a proposed Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center. The commissioners were looking at a sales tax increase to fund the new facility.

Initial steps were taken in the process of removing the old administrative office wing at Kremmling Memorial Hospital in preparation for new hospital facilities in Kremmling.

Town Manager Dan Stoltman of Kremmling went through his 90-day review process and saw the town board unanimously vote to increase his salary. First-quarter sales tax in Kremmling saw a growth of over $33,000 from 2018.

Brooke Terryberry qualified to compete in the Colorado Association of Recreational Athletics gymnastics regional meet. She trains with the Alpine Aerials in Winter Park.

4-Hers Madison Jump and Ryan Van Oosten worked the concessions trailer at the Shine-n-Show at the Rocky Mountain International Harvesters Rendezvous held at the Grand County Fairgrounds in Kremmling.

Granny Busse, the founder of Windy River Ranch in Granby, blew kisses to the crowd from atop her horse during the Buffalo BBQ Days parade in Grand Lake.

Yakelis Delgado, opened her new coffee shop Yaki’s Place in Hot Sulphur Springs.

A male, grey wolf was photographed in Jackson County. The collared wolf was from the Snake River pack.

The Colorado Classic Farrier competition was held at the Kremmling Fairgrounds. Over 50 dedicated farriers showed their off their skills during the three day competition and clinic.

AUGUST

Grand County explored a sales tax increase to fund a new Public Safety building in Hot Sulphur Springs. The proposed facility would include a new jail. Ultimately, it was decided the County would ask voters to approve a 0.2% percent sales tax.

Nelle Heeney, formerly of Kremmling, Colorado, celebrated her 90th birthday.

Gabrielle Willson received her degree from the Laramie County Community College with a degree in exercise science.

Kremmling Police Chief Jamie Lucas celebrated his one-year anniversary on the job. Under his guidance, the police department has undergone significant rebranding with a new logo, an interior facelift of the police department, and a new tag line of professionalism – accountability, community, and teamwork.

An article by Christy Parrot explored extra costs local businesses may incur from swipe fees from credit card companies.

The West Grand Class of 1989 celebrated their 30th class reunion. Those pictured were Chris Siefken, Chad Etler, Kim (Colburn) Cameron, Tammy (Daily) Horn, Candice (Jameson) Siefken.

Kremmling said farewell to long-time Kremmling residents, Dave and Leslie Jones. The couple moved to Denver.

The Colorado State Patrol moved into a new location in the old district office on the West Grand High School campus. They had been at the PK-8 campus in the building that currently houses the early child care center.

Lori Haack, West Grand high school STEM teacher, resigned from her position to take a position with FIRST as a curriculum developer.

A case of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus was confirmed in a horse on the east side of the County. The timing of VSV case was at the beginning of the Middle Park Fair and Rodeo and prompted the fair board to do equine health checks before entering the fairgrounds. The horse was the only confirmed case in the county and recovered.

Jack Daly was announced as the new K-8 principal of West Grand. He
moved from Walden, where he had been a principal in the North Park School District for three years. He and his wife Angie moved to town with their daughters Emma and Allie.

Madison Moyer proudly displayed the connection of the food web, as judged by Patricia Patton during the MPFR 4-H Exhibit Day.

The Kremmling Adult Softball league champions were The Good, The Bat, The Ugly. Team members were: Bud Esquibel, Thadd Hardagine, Tim Ritschard, Mitch Lockhart, Shane Stieve, Tann Charbonneau, Hannah Howell, Julie Kresge, Rose Gamblin, Christina Lockhart, Corsair Stieve, Brook Cecil, and Richard Gamblin.

Homeschooler, Sierra Bensing, attended CSU’s Anatomy Camp in Fort Collins. She was able to attend college lectures, participate in multiple dissections, and study human anatomy on cadavers.

Winning the MPFR 5K was Ollie Bergman with a time of 25:23. The first female finisher was Samantha Wesfahl with a time of 28:30.

The Cloverbuds celebrated the culmination of their projects. Cloverbuds are 5-8 years of age and not yet old enough for 4-H. Members included Lyndee Thomson, Ellie Sanders, Roark Holley, Rayne Pryor, and Ryder Pryor. They were pictured with Judge Shelly Mathis and junior leaders, Lauren and Gracean Hoesli.

Candidates for MPFR Royalty were Shiloh French, Taylin Harthun, Sage Lechman, Tally Harthun, and Madelyn Probst.

Riley Mahon and his horse edged Colt Call and his ride during the pony races at the Middle Park Fair and Rodeo.

The 4-H Junior Livestock Sale exceeded $185,000 in sales, with over $8,000 donated to non-profit organizations in the county. The top buyers at the sale were Colorado Custom Services, Summit Ford, and Cold Creek Buffalo.

Brandon Cordle proposed to Dakota Docheff in style as he found his way onstage just prior to the Eastin Corbin concert. Docheff, who was instrumental in getting Corbin to come to Kremmling, answered in the affirmative.

Pat Etler and Amanda Stradley tied the knot to become Mr. and Mrs.

The Board of Trustees for the Town of Kremmling officially changed their meetings to once a month. Meetings will now be on the third Wednesday of the month beginning at 6 p.m.

The 1906 railroad depot currently housed at the Grand County Historical Association Heritage Park Museum in Kremmling was designated a historic designation on the State Register. Of 26 depots, Kremmling’s is the only original one constructed along the Moffat Tunnel Rail Corridor.

Zeus, a 60 pound tortoise owned by the Elthrop family, was introduced to the community after a series of escapes from his yard.

K-Town softball team was second in the league tournament and first in the league standings of the Granby Recreational Adult Softball league. Team members were: Johnny Stensvad, Randy Mason, Tyler Terryberry, Mitch Lockhart, Shane Stieve, Tyson Parrott, Zach Acord, Daniel Scheihing, Amanda Haight, Cordie Stieve, Mahon Acord, Pauline Porting, and Megan Kempton.

Grand and Summit county commissioners combined forces for the Commissioner’s Cookie Jar contest at the MPFR. Commissioners Richard Cimino, Kris Manguso, Karn Stiegelmeier, Elisabeth Lawrence, and Merritt Linke ably judged the contest.

Grand Lake Mayor Jim Peterson, Kremmling Mayor Grover Pryor, and Hot Sulphur Springs Mayor Bob McVay had the tasty treat of judging the pies for the Mayor’s Pie Contest.

Citizens of the Year Penny Hamilton, Caroline Smith, and Lurline Underbrink Curran were joined by Pioneers of the Year Lois Lynch, and Randy Sue and Ken Fosha of Drowsy Water Ranch in a special luncheon celebration.
Madelyn Probst was crowned MPFR Queen while Shiloh French was crowned MPFR Princess.

Round Robin champions were Kenna Wall, Penny Myer, Foster Krempin, Blair Hester, Aida Hester, and Abbie Halley.

Sawyer Heller displayed a winning grip at the Mutton Bustin’ competition.
West Grand students Stran Lechman and Mason Lemon worked together during the Ranch Rodeo to throw their calf in the simulated branding portion of the competition.

The winning Ranch Rodeo team members were Grover Pryor, Shea Meeks, Tel Linke, and Porter Toft.

Tim Rindt and Rusty Banstetter won round one of the horseshoe tournament with Jody James and Ron Linquist winning round two. Finishing in second place in each round, respectively, were the team of Cheryl Howard and Robert Nelson and the team of Tim Rindt and Robert Nelson.

The Grand Champion Market Steer was shown by Taylin Harthun with her sister Tally Harthun showing the Reserve Champion Market Steer. Jackson Salyards showed the Grand Champion Swine while Madison Mullinex was the proud owner of the Reserve Grand Champion Swine. Trace Lewis had the Grand Champion Sheep while Abbie Halley brought in the Reserve Grand Champion Sheep. In market goats, Abbie Halley was Grand Champion and Trace Lewis was Reserve Champion.

Donald Dailey led an appreciative tour group through the Hot Sulphur Springs Cemetery during the Grand County Historical Association’s “Tombstone Tales.”

The County Commissioners began work with Peak Health Alliance to offer County employees a new healthcare plan. Peak could later become available to all residents in the county.

Summer officially ended for West Grand students. The elementary school students enthusiastically completed the obstacle course set up Physical Education teacher Becca Bailey while 138 high school students formed a W G on the football field to complete a first day tradition.

Will and Rebecca Jones announced their retirement as event organizers for the highly popular Get Smashed Demolition Derby. They were the co-founders of the event that has been earning gate receipts of $35,000 to $40,000 for the past few years.

There were 17 new West Grand school district staff members featured in an article that introduced them to the community. Those members included: Jack Daly, Angie Daly, Elizabeth Gritschke, Katie DeBell, Autumn Rompf, Laura Karbach, Theresa Howard, Melissa Siderfin, Misty Lamb, Carrie Brown, Gabrielle Willson, Kelly Moffett, Dillan Sammons, Rhonda Ilgner, Symantha Seltzer, Susan Steuben, and Talea Moore.

Hannah Zagone recounted her experiences as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student in Germany. She was sponsored by the Kremmling Rotary Club.
Attending the Jostens Renaissance Program National Conference were: Nathan Tedjeski, Jennifer Vance, Nellie Thomson, Cori Kassib, Darrin Peppard, Iliana Castillo, Emma DeSanti, Jessica Tedjeski, Taryn Edson, Jack Daly, Jesus Dominguez, Emily Osborne, Angel Castillo, Omar Dominguez, and Jennifer Stuart.

Attending the Grand County Historical Association Taste of History were Last Time ‘Round Thrift Store volunteers – Jessica Rose, Monika Cary, Holly Sheppard, Sue Strickland, and Kim Shepton.

Chuck Cesar won bragging rights as the surest shot at the Blue Valley Sportsman’s Club annual Steak Shoot.

The Kremmling Police Department announced it would be adding an administrative position to its staff.

West Grand School District lunchroom staff, Sami Lechman, Kristin Smith, Darcee Biekert and Judy Claxton, attended a nutritional conference in Loveland, Colorado.

Marco DeAndrea, owner of the Parshall Inn, was pictured hauling trash collected at the Parshall Divide Rally. He estimated that 150 pounds of trash had been collected, which was half of last year’s haul.

Cliffview Assisted Living Center celebrated 25 years of providing senior housing in Kremmling. One photo featured the first director, Mary Pat Gale, with the current director, Mary Jo Hargadine.

Loree Johnson celebrated her 90th birthday.

Seven students earned scholarships from the Experimental Aircraft Association to attend the Air Academy in Wisconsin. Ashton Williams of Kremmling joined Ewan Gallagher, Dane Jensen, Sam Hoyhtya, Grayson Barker, Nick Forquer, and Alden Wilson at the camp.

The West Grand High School Mustang volleyball team claimed its first victory of the season over North Park.

The Mustang cross country team started the year with Zach Howington, Henry Westfahl, Tylor Ususan, Samantha Westfahl, Allura Luna, Lillie Steinle, Joy Hast, and Jessica Gregory. Coach Ryan Trippichio was at the helm for another season.

Joanna Eaton and Torrance Flanigan announced their engagement. A 2020 summer wedding is planned.

Richard Marriott, a homeowner in Big Horn Park, was stalked and attacked by a 90 pound mountain lion. The mountain lion was estimated to be between one and two years of age and was tracked and hunted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife the next day. Accompanying the article in the Gazette, was a picture from Bill Janson, showing a family of mountain lions feasting on an elk carcass below the Kremmling cliffs during the winter months.

Steve Schake was selected to serve on the Colorado Sportsperson’s Roundtable.

SEPTEMBER

Early moisture and a relatively dry haying season led to a good hay crop for area ranchers, some of whom reported bumper yields.

The crew of the Rocky Mountain Outfitter Bait Shop & Grill in Hot Sulphur took a day to help Dottie Janousek paint her house in Kremmling. Lending a hand were Julie Gasner, Jorden Gasner, Jalen Gasner, Trent Moffat, Josie Gasner, and Jim Gasner.

Carson Culbreath donated 4-H chickens he had raised to the Cliffview Assisted Living Center. Other buyers at the 4-H Livestock sale also donated items to Cliffview, including a steer and a pig.

Vying for three seats on the West Grand School District Board of Directors were Rebecca Guthrie, Jeremy Bock, Bryan Klotz, Jess Buller, and Rhonda Shearer.

The entryway sign for Kremmling near the Kremmling Mercantile was removed after one of the pillars the sign hangs from was knocked over by a motorist.

Hot Sulphur Springs trustees were introduced in the Hot Sulphur Happenings section. They are Kevin Jones, Mayor Bob McVay, Tim Harvey, Chris Lee and Dan Nolan.

A new business, iFurnish, announced it was moving into the building most recently occupied by Ghostwood Interiors. That building was built in the 1950s by the Brown Family as a general store and is remembered by many as Circle Super, which served Kremmling until 2004.

An estimated 170 people participated in the Pregnancy Resource Center Walk for Life in Kremmling. The efforts were rewarded with over $20,000 raised in donations. The second highest fundraising team included Kremmling residents Paul Romero, Michelle Romero, Tim Romero, Corino Romero, and Bev Withrow.

The West Grand Mustang volleyball team continued its strong start to the season with a victory over Moffat County.

The Mustang cross-county team captured its first team win in program history as the girls team of Samantha Westfahl, Allura Luna, Jessica Gregory, Joy Hast, and Lillie Steinle won a dual meet. Westfahl won the individual title with Hast finishing in second place and Allura in fourth.
Rene Dominguez scored seven touchdowns as the West Grand football team opened the season with a 66-18 victory over the Calhan Bulldogs. The defense was led by linebackers Jesus Dominguez, Marcus Sanchez, and Alejandro Castanon.

The final abstract of assessment for 2019 presented by Grand County Assessor Tom Weydert to the County Commissioners noted an increase of taxable value increased around 21 percent or $130 billion going from $663 billion in 2018 to $796 billion for 2019. This was good news for taxing entities such as the Grand County Library District, school districts and more, but on the flip side, homeowners may have seen their taxes also increase.

A local knitting club meet informally at Big Shooters Coffee Shop to complete craft projects and to visit. On one Saturday in September, the attendees were Pat Scholl, Linda Goad, Linda Newman, Sue Pratt, Sandra Almgren, Linda Mahon, Twila O’Hotto, Christie Cody, Mary Pat Gale, and Karen Reese.

Todd Willson retired from the Kremmling Police Department after 25 years of service to the community of Kremmling. Willson’s work with West Grand Wishes was to continue.

Jeff Miller and his dock crew at Wolford Mountain Reservoir helped provide an afternoon of enjoyment on a pontoon boat for Cliffview staff and residents, including: Craig Sheppard, Bridget Ryskowski, Jerrod Johnson, Mark Davis, Alta-Sue Hawkins, Karrie Sleke, Annie Steinik, and Jim Winter.

Jess Buller and Elaine Menardi of Colorado AeroLab were named the Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month. The educational non-profit organization was located at Park Avenue in retail space formerly occupied by Gore Range Artisans Group.

Mister V, Grand County’s local cartoonist, released a new graphic novel about marijuana.

The West Grand volleyball team earned third place in a tournament hosted in Kremmling. Cedaredge and Meeker finished in the top two spots, respectively.

West Grand also hosted a cross-country meet, with five high school and middle school teams and approximately 150 participants. Four-year program participant Jessica Gregory was honored for Senior Day.

Girl Scout Troop 50292 hosted a bridging ceremony in Kremmling. Bridging from Daisies to Brownies were Avriel Sharp and Paige DeBell. Bridging from Brownies to Juniors were Serenity Stradley, Isabella Lawrence, Sonya Wutz, Josslyn Etler, Abigail Wolverton, Harmoni Wolverton, and Kieryn Trujillo. Shiloh French bridged from Cadette to Senior. The Troop also welcomed new Daisies, Darcee DeBell, Paizlee VanderLinden, Brynlie Vrbas, Stella Moore, and Hazel Gillespie.

Kremmling Mercantile celebrated its 14th Anniversary and hosted its annual free barbecue lunch.

Kremmling welcomed a new store, The Miner’s Delight Rock Shop & Collectibles, which showcased the lifetime hobby of Jackie and Ed Brickey.
The West Grand Mustang football team got back on the winning track with a 46-16 victory over Custer County. Coach Chris Brown noted that Omar Dominguez had his finest game, that Austin Schake made plays on both sides of the ball and the passing game with Jakob Buller at quarterback was showing signs of its potential.

Senior Emma DeSanti was helping to lead the way for the West Grand volleyball team as it raced to a 10-1 start on the season. The team had a nice blend of experience with seniors DeSanti and Mikayla Shearer, junior Josy Wheatley, sophomores Alex Schake and Maddy Probst, and freshman Sage Lechman.

Freshman Wyatt Howell continued to have a positive impact on games for the football team as the Mustangs defeated Plateau Valley to run its record to 3-1.

A strong spirit team continued to make an impact on the games for the high school athletic teams. Coached by Kendra Holmes and Jo Poindexter, team members included: Morgan Monk, Ximena Ramos-Rodriguez, Ashlee Givens, Sierra Bensing, Haven Brackner, Cora Farley, Julianna Jiminez, Jessica Bensing, Madison Jump, Jessica Gregory, Nevaeh Bruley, Itzel Rodriguez, Lexi Pasillas, Isabella Galindo, Tiffany Padia-Luttrell, and Angel Castillo.

Middle Park Health introduced their new fitness classes being offered at the new Wellness Center.

Christopher Refer and Matthew Kroschel were united in marriage in a fall wedding.

John Wesley Powell Day was officially proclaimed for the 150th anniversary of exploratory trek down the Colorado River.

Grand Lake resident and Westernaire, Celaine Gildenzoph raised funds for the ninth consecutive year for the Westernaire program. Gildenzoph is a senior this year and a member of the Westernaires Varsity Red Team.

Williams Fork was home to Rowfest 19, a 5K rowing race which saw 64 boats and crews from Utah, Boulder, Fort Collins, Denver and Summit County.

OCTOBER

Mountain Family Center celebrated the grand opening of its new facility in Granby.

The Kremmling Chamber of Commerce announced that Angel Castillo of West Grand High School was the winner of the “Create a Kremmling Cartoon Map” contest. His creative mind earned him a $500 prize.

Kelly Norris MA, LPC brought her wide range of counseling services to Kremmling at her office in the former Omni Real Estate office.

The West Grand Mustang football team lost a heartbreaker to Vail Christian in its Homecoming game. Rene Dominguez scored the only touchdown in a 14-6 loss.

4-Hers from the 3Rs club were selling wreaths for a fundraiser. Club members included Christopher Mullinex, Scotty Cameron, Ryan VanOosten, Madison Mullinex, Trace Lewis, Cora Osborne, Penny Myer, Jack Miller-Docheff, Mea Miller, Joslyn Sanders, Amber Hester, and Eleanor Hester.
Royalty for the West Grand High School Homecoming were: King Angel Castillo, Queen Mikayla Shearer, Princess Iliana Castillo, Prince Rene Dominguez, Duchess Cora Farley, Duke Alan Gomez-Rivera, Lady Elisabet Buller, and Lord Wyatt Shearer.

Micah Benson, Barb Kollar, Mary Willems, and Robin Vrbas – all members of the Kremmling VFW Auxiliary – packed care packages for deployed military.

The Grand County Historical Association announced the historical designation of the Kremmling Train Depot from the State Historical Fund. GCHA is working on constructing a permanent foundation under the depot.

Tom Curry harvested a 42-inch moose near Kremmling.

The Middle Park Medical Foundation board of directors expanded to include members from throughout Grand County. Board members from west Grand County are Dave Hammer, Jeff Miller, and Chris Sammons. Neil Funk is from Fraser, Frank DeLay is from Granby, and Elfriede Denaro is from Gand Lake. In 2019, MPMF raised over $20,000 in scholarships for those pursuing careers in healthcare, $74,000 for oncology services, and two years ago raised money for orthopaedic equipment.

FedEx employees Michelle Romero and Jackie Rose Adams collected over $1,000 in donations and food items for Mountain Family Center.

West Grand fifth graders each received a T-shirt from the Kremmling firefighters during Fire Prevention Week after enjoying an obstacle course created by the Kremmling firefighters to show skills you may need while firefighting.

Mile Hi Prep selected three West Grand football players as Player’s of the Week in 2019. Selected were Jakob Buller (offense), Rene Dominguez (offense), and Jesus Dominguez (defense). Alejandro Castanon (defense) also received recognition.

Senior volleyball player Charish Jansen was credited with seven digs in West Grand’s victory over Rangely.

Both A and B teams of West Grand Middle School won the regional tournament held in SoRoCo.

Kremming Town Trustees approved Ranch Creek Waste as the town’s new waste collection company. Ranch Creek Waste purchased the Town of Kremmling’s waste removal and recycling contract from Aces High.

The Cobra AH-1F helicopter at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Kremmling received a fresh coat of paint as part of its continuing upkeep agreement with the US Army. Jim Ellison, his wife Sam, and veteran Tom Meier gave the helicopter a fresh coat of paint. The attack helicopter was built in 1968 and Jim serviced the machine during his time in the Army from 1983 to 1996. When it was delivered to Kremmling to be on display as part of the

Forward Motion project, Jim was pleasantly surprised.

Dean West was named the Business of the Month by the Kremmling Chamber of Commerce. General manager Jon Harvey joined Rick Reliford and Red Waldron for one of the first restaurants and brewstilleries in Colorado.

The Colorado State University advertised for a new extension agent for Kremmling. Travis Hoesli vacated the county extension position in August, and he and his family moved to North Carolina.

Reno Davidson and Quincee Chase married at the Blue Valley Ranch.

The comic-making contest winners were Jonathan Callarman, Thayden Harms, Zachariah Callarman, and Bella Ilgner.

O’Reilly Automotive purchased Kremmling Auto Parts with Matthew Hunt of Steamboat Springs serving as the manager.

The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company visited Grand County. The 12 members of the dance company performed at schools, gave dance instruction and performed for an audience of over 200 people in Grand Lake on their last night.

The West Grand volleyball team finished its last home game with a victory and a chance to honor senior athletes Madison Jump, Charish Jansen, Maya Ramirez, Mikayla Shearer, and Emma DeSanti.

The Latigo Ranch Dinner Club began its fourth season of offering a series of fine dining events.

Kremmling pilot Dennis Carpenter took Jake Rosenfried and Rhaelyn Headly on a Young Eagle flight sponsored by Middle Park EAA 1267.

Friends of the Grand County Library held its annual meeting. The organization generally provides about $30,000 in grant funding each year to the Grand County Library District. Board members are Tonya Munn, Melitta White, Marla Gall, Merilyn Hunter, Debbe Knutson, and Toni Wujek.

Chuck Spoden of Grand Rapids, Minnesota celebrated 28 years of bow hunting elk in wilderness and backcountry areas of northwestern Colorado. His daughters, Kim Douglass and Heather Bentler, live in Kremmling.

Bull Basin Guides and Outfitters, owned and operated by Susan and Dean Billington, celebrated its 30th year anniversary. In several cases, they have provided trips to three generations of hunters.

Miranda Thomas of Kremmling competed in and completed her first Chicago Marathon. She was joined by West Grand cross country coach Ryan Tripicchio.

Galen Wilkinson and Zach Howington performed in the Northwest Colorado Music Educators Honor Band. Igor Bergman, Zach Howington, and Ollie Bergmann were accepted into the Western International Band Clinic held in Seattle, Washington.

The West Grand girls cross country team qualified for the state meet for the second year in a row. Galen Wilkinson of the boys team set a new school record, placing 11th overall and running a career best 18:55.47.

The Lady Mustangs volleyball team brought home a league win in Hayden and the boys football team shut out Hayden in gridiron action.

The 2019-2020 4-H Council Officers are Ben Mathis, Carson Culbreath, Foster Krempin, Sego Krempin, Madison Mullinex, and Joslynn Sanders. The 4-H Council Advisor is Tish Linke, the CSU Extension Office Administrative Assistant is Karli Tonneson, and the 4-H Program Coordinator is Lacy Stovner.

Taura Perdue received the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty for her support and work behind the scenes at 4-H events and activities.

Jake Bauer, PT, DPT at Middle Park Health was awarded the Colorado Hospital Association’s Shining Star award. Among many other accomplishments, Bauer established a concussion management program for West Grand and North Park high schools.

Tyler Scholl competed at the USA Track & Field Mountain Running National Championships in New Hampshire and won the junior division race, earning him the title of National Junior Champion.

EMS Chief Ray Jennings announced his retirement.

Winning Kremmling and Hot Sulphur Springs scary stories were shared with readers in the Gazette. The stories were written by students from Kremmling and Hot Sulphur.

The Mustang football team earned its second consecutive shutout in a victory over SoRoCo. Alejandro Castanon was leading the state in tackles with 58 solo tackles and 65 assisted tackles.

Advisor Autumn Rompf took Allie Daly, Lily Butler, and Emma Daly to Indianapolis for the National FFA convention.

The West Grand Mustang volleyball team defeated SoRoCo and was ranked 7th in the state as it headed into the Western Slope League Tournament in Meeker.

Winners of the group/family costume contest hosted by the Granby Chamber appeared on the cover in a photo by Tara Walker. The Wizard of Oz crew included Max Leman, Jena Anaya, David Anaya and Will Hill (not pictured was Julie Shams).

NOVEMBER

Cindy Lawley joined the Kremmling Police Department as a Police Technician. Her role is to provide administerial support for the department so the officers can do their patrol duties more effectively.

Williams Fork Lodging, owned and operated by Greg and Dale Bayda, was named Business of the Month by the Kremmling Chamber of Commerce.

FedEx employees Kylee Price and Michele Romero joined Mountain Family Center representatives Jordyn Crane and Helen Sedlar to deliver approximately 100 totes filled with clothing and food to those in need.

In election results Rhonda Shearer, Rebecca Guthrie, and Jeremy Bock won seats on the West Grand School Board of Directors while the sales tax increase proposed by the Grand County Commissioners to fund a new detention facility and 911 call center failed.

Receiving a Starfish Award at West Grand High School were Shane Babcock, Austin Schake, Braden James, Tyler Sherman, and Marissa Maldonado. The award was for always being authentic; being yourself, being polite, and being friendly.

Entering postseason play, the West Grand football team was ranked ninth in the state while the volleyball team was ranked seventh in Colorado.

Elk Mountain Ranch, 637 acres owned by the Ninesling family, was placed into a Conservation Easement. The property is located between Parshall and Kremmling and the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust was able to gain the easement for the bargain price of $550,000.

The West Grand Childcare Center opened its doors with a goal to be operational year round. Staff members include Director Rhonda Ilgner, Susan Steuben, Talea Moore, Symi Seltzer, and Chandra Mills.

Middle Park Fair and Rodeo princess, Shiloh French attended the Colorado Association of Fairs and Shows convention in Colorado Springs, where she was mentored by Miss Rodeo Colorado Kellie Stockton.

Grand Mountain Bank now known as Grand Mountain Bancshares, Inc announced their merger with BayCom Corp, the holding company for United Business Bank.

EMS Captain Audrey Jennings was awarded the Frances Mildred Roth Women in EMS award.

Jodi Hill was named to the United States Team Penning Association’s Hall of Fame.

Julie and Jason Savage opened the doors to their new building in Kremmling which housed their businesses – Petrol Industries (CNC machine shop) and Dawgs Abound (metal art and fun things for your dog).

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office hosted a “Coffee with a Cop” in Kremmling with representatives Kendra Gore, Dave Miller, Brian Foster, Neil Brown, Jeff Bauckman, and Jim Ellison.

Grand County Veteran’s Officer Duane Dailey received an award in appreciation of the work he does for Grand County veterans. The award was presented by Micah Benson, at the annual Veteran’s Breakfast at YMCA of the Rockies, on behalf of the Auxiliary and VFW Post 9374. Pictured at the event were Kremmling-area veterans Jim Mahon, Kent Hester, Grady Culbreath, Jim Locknikar, and Wes Palmer, son of late World War II veteran, Lloyd Palmer.

Ashton Williams represented the Local American Legion at a conference at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs campus.

The West Grand Mustang football team saw its season end in Merino with a 14-8 loss. Rene Dominguez scored the game’s only touchdown on a 55-yard run while Jesus Dominguez scored the two-point conversion.
The Mustang volleyball team defeated Ignacio and Highlands to advance to the state tournament in Denver.

The Kokanee salmon spawning operation at Wolford Mountain Reservoir reached record numbers in its eighth year of operation. The eggs collected help restock the other Kokanee populations across the state.

Bud Strickland was pictured with the 14-inch pronghorn he harvested in the Kremmling area.

Middle Park Health is positioning itself not only to be the largest provider of healthcare in Grand County, but the best provider of healthcare services. Two years ago, MPH opened an urgent care and family care facility in Winter Park. Recently it purchased and transformed the old West Grand Middle School into a community Wellness Center, and it has assumed operational control of the Cliffview Assisted Living Center. MPH also opened a healthcare facility at Grand Lake Center in Grand Lake, and there are plans to build a new medical facility in Kremmling.

Middle Park Health was awarded the Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence award. This award honors organizations that have reached the 95th percentile for patient experience and engagement of clinical quality performance.

French photographer, Leo Delafontaine visited the Kremmling community. He was inspired to visit the area by the photojournalistic work of W. Eugene Smith who photographed and documented the work of Doc Ceriani.

The facility that formerly housed the Gore Range Artisan Group is now called Kremmling Squares and is evolving into a unique blend of small businesses.

The culmination of a strong season for the West Grand volleyball team was at the state tournament where the Mustangs defeated Del Norte, lost to Limon, defeated Dolores, and lost to Simla. The team advanced to the round of eight and finished the year with a record of 24-6. The squad was coached by Scott Terryberry, Kim Bodemann, and Hailey McNichols.

West Grand senior Emma DeSanti was named to the All-State volleyball team. DeSanti would later sign to play volleyball at Black Hills State University where she will be reunited with former Mustang teammate Peyton Bodemann.

West Grand Future Business Leaders of America students Jesus Dominguez, Khailaya Hughes, Charlie Multerer, and Madison Jump attended a leadership conference in Denver. The FBLA advisor is Jennifer Hooks.

The West Grand pom team won the regional competition and advanced to the state competition. As article author Angel Castillo noted, Purple Reign is in the forecast.

Camden Burns, a Middle Park senior, achieved the scout’s highest honor, an Eagle Scout. West Grand had 36 girls participate in the Girls on the Run event in Frisco. The event concluded 10-weeks of training. Along with running, Girls on the Run coaches Jaime Franklin, Alesha Birdsall, Laura Karbauch, Jen Hooks, and Hannah White concluded each training session with life lessons.

Abbie Halley, Miss Evergreen Rodeo, presented awards to the overall winners of the summer gymkhana series. Those winners were Ryan VanOosten, Taylin Harthun, and Haley Miller.

Reporting a large number of sickness ranging in symptoms from coughs to gastrointestinal issues, the West Grand School District and Kremmling pre-school closed school two days prior to Thanksgiving vacation. This gave students and staff the whole week of Thanksgiving off from school.

DECEMBER

Robert Bowen joined the Kremmling Police Department. Bowen was an officer with the Lochbuie Police Department where he served with current KPD officer, Dave Lawley.

The Northwest Transportation Planning Region (TPR) determined
to make Grand County’s stretch of Highway 40 their next funding priority, including the accident-prone area of Red Dirt Hill near Granby.

Grand Foundation made its stop in Kremmling on Grand County Gives Day. Each stop along the route gave a chance for a participating non-profit to win $500. Jim Yust had the honor of drawing the first winning name, which turned out to be the Grand County Library District Foundation.

Randy Mayeaux, Francois Tucker, Korby Setliff, and Trysten Cartwright were pictured as they strung the lights on the Kremmling Christmas Tree in the Town Square. That is no small task, as the tree is the tallest natural Blue Spruce living Christmas tree in Colorado.

Curtis Docheff and Dillon Willson of the town’s maintenance staff were tasked with placing other decorations around town, including 16 feet of garland on each of 37 street lights.

The West Grand High School volleyball coaching staff of Hailey McNichols, Kim Bodemann and Scott Terryberry was named Western Slope Coaches of the Year. The team was voted as the most surprising team at the state tournament.

Emma DeSanti and Mikayla Shearer were voted all-conference with Maddy Probst and Alex Schake earning honorable mention notice. DeSanti was also voted the co-player of the year for the Western Slope League.

In football honors, earning all-conference accolades were Jesus Dominguez, Jakob Buller, Rene Dominguez, Omar Dominguez, Alejandro Castanon, Austin Schake, and Ashton Williams as honorable mention.

For the cross-country team, Samantha Westfahl and Galen Wilkinson were named most valuable, Henry Westfahl was named most improved while Jessica Gregory earned the Sportsmanship Award.

The Yust Homestead was the subject of a feature article and pictorial tour in the Gazette. The homestead has been in the Yust family since 1884 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the US Department of Interior in 1992.

High school wrestling started with 16 wrestlers vying for action on the mat. Competing for West Grand are: Ben Biekert, Dane Biekert, David Santos, Omar Rodriguez, Jacob Murphy, Rene Dominguez, Andres Cevallos, Mason Lemon, Ely Ryszkowski, Chris Wellington, Cameron Wood, Landon Williams, Zade Overholt, Logan Schafer, Ashton Williams, and Manny Torres. The grappling coach is Brian Strathman.

Mountain Family Christian Academy students and local homeschoolers performed its annual Christmas musical. Community members are also treated to a free chili dinner at the annual event. Students performing included: Kylee Richert, Solea Luna, Skyla Richert, Tea Luna, Evelina Heinle, Connor Wood, Dane Hunter, Flint Krempin, Gracie Knapp, Sego Krempin, Gracie Hast, Madison Sherman, Foster Krempin, and Kenna Wall.

Andrew Mericle and Jaime Franklin were recognized by the West Grand School Board of Education for being nominated for the Best of Grand in the teacher category of a county-wide competition sponsored by the Sky-Hi News. Mericle was named the winner in the countywide vote.

Dave and Karen Hammer of the Peak Ranch again provided the popular hay rides for the annual tree lighting at the Town Square in Kremmling.

The Middle Park Fair and Rodeo board announced the popular Demolition Derby would return in 2020. The contract was awarded to Rocky Mountain Derby Promotions. In other business, the fairboard was nearer to closing the financials statements for the Eastin Corbin concert. The inaugural concert was split jointly with the Kremmling Chamber. The fairboard did report a loss but felt is was a learning year and hoped to continue the momentum for a 2020 concert.

Mari Miller became the president of the 4-H Sale Committee.

Donna Craven was pictured in her 30th year as a vendor at the pre-school craft fair.

Kremmling Chamber Director Tara Sharp reported to the Town Board that the busiest day of the summer saw 47 visitors stopping at the Chamber.

The Kremmling Chamber hired Brittany Vanderlinden as the assistant Chamber Director. Brittany made her debut in her new role at the Christmas Tree lighting. She moved to Kremmling with her husband and two children and has already been involved in the community as the fundraising chair for the preschool and as a Daisy leader for Girl Scout Troop 50292.

Officer Bryson Hicks joined the Kremmling Police Department. He had been serving as a jailer for the Grand County Sheriff’s Department.

Michelle Licha-Oros, local massage therapist, was named the Kremmling Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month.

The West Grand pom team finished third in state competition, finishing 0.6 points out of a chance to advance to the finals as one of the top two teams. Coach Kendra Holmes expressed her pride in the team, noting that two athletes were injured just prior to the competition, meaning the remaining team members had four days to revamp the performance routine.

The West Grand mens’ basketball team finished in third place in a season-opening tournament where Collin Warren earned All-Tournament recognition.

Alejandro Castanon earned first-team recognition on the Mile Hi Preps All-State defensive team with Jesus Dominguez and Austin Schake earning honorable mention recognition. On offense, Rene Dominguez was named to the All-State second team.

The wrestling team started on a positive note at the Middle Park Invitational in Granby. Dane Biekert (3rd), Ben Biekert (4th), David Santos (2nd), Jacob Murphy (3rd), and Cameron Wood (2nd) finished in the top four in their weight class, while Omar Dominguez and Mason Lemon came up just short of the podium. Coach Brian Strathman said the highlight of the day was provided by Ashton Williams. The senior, who has never wrestled competitively, won his final two matches of the day, gaining experience and confidence as he progressed.

Mackenzie Holmes, the daughter of James and Kendra Holmes, shared her Christmas wish list with Santa (aka – Don Gress of Eagle).

Monika Cary praised the work of at least eight volunteers who braved 20 degree below zero weather to help people in Kremmling through the Food Bank of the Rockies.

Robert Bowen was sworn in as a new Kremmling police officer. However, the department said goodbye to Cindy and Dave Lawley, who were returning to the Front Range.

Hotel Eastin is under the new ownership of Thomas Shepherd, who praised the work and attention to detail poured into the hotel by former owners, Walt and Maryann Van Lue. Hotel Eastin has been a main street business for 113 years and features 26 unique guest rooms.

It was a snowy day in Kremmling for the Wreaths Across America celebration at the Kremmling Cemetery. Several Grand County veterans were part of the ceremony that featured Scout Troop 50292 as the honor guard, veteran Dan Bowerly played taps, and Grand County Commissioner Rich Cimino delivered the remarks.

The West Grand High School wrestling team placed second in the SoRoCo Invitational. Earning podium finishes were: Ben Biekert (2nd), Dane Biekert (2nd), David Santos (3rd), Omar Dominguez (2nd), Jacob Murphy (2nd), Cameron Wood (2nd), and Ashton Williams (3rd).

The women’s basketball team for West Grand High School was off to a strong start with two victories in three games at the Front Range basketball tournament and then defeating Summit County in a home contest.
Hunter Graves closed out his 2019 season on a high note at the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit as he earned championships in both RMEC and CORCS for the 65 cc class. His father, Ralph Graves, finished in second place in the B45 division.

Wrapping gifts for West Grand Wishes were a host of volunteers, including: Dillon Willson, Todd Willson, Marvin Sanchez, Marty Schroeder, Shane Babcock, Holly Martinson, Scott Spade, Kynda Gore, Fran Jauregui, Gabby Willson, Lydia Dell, Jim Sloan, Jeanne Sloan, Lelenna Willson, Gina Schroeder, Kori Ekren, and Lorna Babcock.