Grand County Matters

Emma Trainor, Publisher of the Sky-Hi News, shares the inside details on the Sky-Hi News, the relationship with Colorado Mountain News Media, the many publications offered as well as services related to digital media & marketing for small business.  In addition to Emma’s path to Grand County, we cover what it is like to live & work in a small community and that “good news” drives people forward. 

Did you know: 

·         There are only 2 reporters & 1 editor to cover all of Grand County
·         The paper is printed in Gypsum and delivered twice weekly for distribution around the county
·         East Troublesome Fire coverage was viewed 735,000 times online during October

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Meara moved to Grand County over 15 years ago after exploring many communities in Colorado after spending her summers in Estes Park as a child. Meara joined HTA in 2014 after working for over 20 years in the non-profit sector. Working for HTA allows Meara to pair her education in ecology and environmental science with her passion for outdoor recreation. Meara’s hobbies include biking, skiing, hiking, SUPing, backpacking, bluegrass, music festivals, camping with her family, and recently adventuring with her pup, Arlo. 

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Schelly Olson, a fulltime Grand Lake resident for the past 16 years, wears many hats. Her day job is the Assistant Chief of Administration & Community Risk Reduction at Grand Fire Protection District. Her side gig is acting as a Public Information Officer on wildland fires across the country. And, in her “spare time,” she is the chairperson of the Grand County Wildfire Council, a not-for-profit organization focused on helping residents prepare, prevent, mitigate and survive wildland fire events.

We talk about a wide range of topics related to Schelly’s work in and around wildland fire, firefighting and fire prevention. Particularly, the Williams Fork and the East Troublesome fires. The latter claimed Schelly’s family home (one of nine first responders to lose their primary residence in the fire). We also discuss the kindness of the community and the heroic efforts of the firefighters and emergency responders across many agencies during and after the wildfires in Grand County.

You can also see Schelly on First Responder Friday at https://youtu.be/9poaa0apZEQ

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www.grandcountymatters.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

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Much to our surprise; Santa called into the show Christmas morning immediately following his big night delivering presents. Although we only had the chance to chat for about 15 minutes, Santa shares a few interesting facts about his workout routine, reindeer food and some insider information on the naughty list.  Turns out Santa is a big fan of Grand County!!

Merry Christmas and thanks for listening.

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Santa' portrait by Jonathan Meath - Jonathan Meath, CC BY-SA 2.5

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I had a great conversation with Shanna Ganne, Executive Director of the Grand County Historical Association.

Did you know Grand County is home to 4 museums and gift shops featuring local history? Not only that; did you know there used to be a mining town and an airstrip at the bottom of Lake Granby, and that President Dwight Eisenhower used to hang out in Grand County? Or that the first Allosaurus fossil was found in Grand County? Listen in for more fascinating details.

Find the Grand County Historical Association online at www.grandcountyhistory.org

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www.grandcountymatters.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

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New on Grand County Matters: Miranda Fisher, General Manager of Always Mountain Time, operators of The Lift FM & KRKY Ski Country Radio. 

Miranda shares her history, her journey to Always Mountain Time and her love for broadcasting & media.  We cover the mountain lifestyle, the role of radio in support of small business, the current state of radio in the streaming & satellite entertainment world and the role of innovation and staying in front of the curve.

www.grandcountymatters.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

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Glen Trainor, Chief of Police, Fraser Winter Park Police Department, grew up in Buena Vista where his family homesteaded land back in the 1880s.  Glen walks us through his path to becoming the Chief of Police, what it takes to police a resort town, the effects of Covid-19 on community outreach and policing, as well as what it means to help others in Grand County when things get tough.  Interestingly, Glen helped to build the Fraser Winter Park Police Department from scratch back in 2005.

Photo Courtesy of Sky-Hi News

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Updated: Rachel Sanderson and I discuss growing up in Grand County, learning to ski, leaving a small town for the big city, politics & social issues, the definition of community and what makes Grand County special.

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Jayson Harris discusses the origins of Green Spaces coworking and The Perk coffee shop, located at Hideaway Station in downtown Winter Park. #GrandCountyMatters

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Megan Ledin, Executive Director of the Grand Foundation, discusses the storied history and broad reach of the Grand Foundation, Covid relief funding, the Grand County Wildfire Relief Fund, and the future of the Grand Foundation. 

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