THURSDAY 15
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8 a.m. Ecumenical Meditation at UCC.
• 8-9:15 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8:30 a.m. Women’s book discussion group at UCC.
• 8:45 a.m. Indoor Biking at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Forrest Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11 a.m. Weekly storytime at Townie Books. 349-7545.
• 11:30 a.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. 349-1008.
• noon All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Church Community Healing Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• noon-1 p.m. BUTI Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 4:30-6 p.m. Crested Butte Community Food Bank open at Oh Be Joyful Church. (1st & 3rd Thursday)
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Vin-Yin Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Hatha Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 5:45 p.m. Zumba at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 5:45-7 p.m. Freestyle Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Kundalini Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6:30 p.m. AA Open Meditation at UCC.
• 7 p.m. Women Supporting Women Group Discussion at the Nordic Inn.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.

FRIDAY 16
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. Barre Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8 a.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 349-6482.
• 8:45 a.m. Core Power Yoga Class at the Pump Room.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Yoga for the Flexibly Challenged / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Iyengar Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon-1 p.m. Kundalini / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 1 p.m. Art group meets at the Senior Center. 641-4529.
• 3:45-5 p.m. Kids ice skating classes at the Big Mine Ice Arena 349-7197.
• 4:30-5:30 p.m. Happy Hour Yoga at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 6-7 p.m. Poi Playshop at the Pump Room.
• 7-9:30 p.m. Rhythms of Latin America & Rum in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.

SATURDAY 17
• 7:30 a.m. Open AA at UCC.
• 7:45 a.m. Weights and Indoor Biking Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Community Yoga at the Sanctuary Yoga & Pilates Studio, Gunnison.
• 9-10 a.m. Mindful Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10-10:30 a.m. Questions & Freetime / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10-11 a.m. Hip Hop Community Dance Class at the Pump Room (above Fire House on 3rd & Maroon). 415-225-5300.
• 10 a.m.-noon Charcoals & Champagne (Brunch Special) in the Gunnison Arts Center Main Gallery.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Guided Sound Meditation at 405 4th Street.

SUNDAY 18
• 7-8 a.m. Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 8:30 a.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at Union Congregational Church. 349-6405.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at Oh Be Joyful Church.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9:30-11 a.m. Free Community Class / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10-11:15 a.m. Vin-Yin at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CB Nordic’s Backcountry Bistro at the Magic Meadows Yurt.
• 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Narcotics Anonymous Meeting at UCC, 403 Maroon Ave. Closed meeting for addicts only. (1st & 3rd Sundays)
• 4-5:15 p.m. CBCYC Community Book Club at 405 4th Street.
• 5-6 p.m. All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Eucharist at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• 5-7 p.m. Pick-up Adult Basketball. HS Gym, CBCS.
• 6 p.m. AA meets at UCC.
• 6 p.m. Evening Service at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 711 N. Main St., Gunnison.
• 6:30 p.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. 349-1008.
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 7 p.m. Gamblers Anonymous meets at the Last Resort.

MONDAY 19
Crested Butte Library closed for Presidents’ Day.
FREE Income Tax Preparation through WSCU’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program (VITA/TCE), call 970-943-2019 to qualify and to schedule an appointment. (appts. available Mondays & Tuesdays thru April 3)
• 6-7:15 a.m. Sunrise Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7 a.m. Barre Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Pranayama and Namaskars / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8:45 a.m. Pilates at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Adult Children of Alcoholics open meeting at Union Congretional Church.
• 12:45 p.m. Bridge at the Senior Center. 641-4529.
• 2-3:15 p.m. Hatha Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-5:30 p.m. Wisdom Women Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-7 p.m. Moms in Motion class at the GVH rehab gym.
• 5:45 p.m. Boot Camp at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Yin Yoga Nidra at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6:30 p.m. WellBeing Connection Workshop at the CB/Mt. CB Chamber of Commerce.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Women’s Domestic Violence Support Group at Project Hope. Childcare available upon request. 641-2712.
• 7:30 p.m. Open AA at UCC. 349-5711.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.

TUESDAY 20
• 6-7 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 6:30-7:45 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. AA/Alanon Open at UCC. 349-5711.
• 8-9:15 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Free Co-Working Tuesdays at the ICELab at WSCU.
• 8:45 a.m. Indoor Biking at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Mindful Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11:30 a.m. League of Women Voters meeting at 210 W. Spencer in Gunnison.
• noon AA Closed at UCC.
• noon-1 p.m. Yoga for Flexibly Challenged / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 1:30-3:30 p.m. Tech Tuesdays at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 2-3 p.m. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Cocktails & Canvases: Love Trees with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 5:45 p.m. All Levels Yoga at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7 p.m. Piyo at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6-8 p.m. Figure Drawing Sessions with live model in Downtown Crested Butte. 349-7228.
• 6-8 p.m. Upcycled Resin Jewelry Workshop in the Gunnsion Arts Center Adult Art Studio.
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. Restorative Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 7 p.m. Alanon meeting at the Last Resort.
• 7-8:15 p.m. Yoga for Men at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 7-8:30 p.m. Blessing Way Circle support group at Sopris Women’s Clinic. 720-217-3843.
• 7:45-9:45 p.m. Drop-in Adult Volleyball, CBCS Gym.

WEDNESDAY 21
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7-8:15 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7:30 a.m. The Crested Butte / Mt. Crested Butte Rotary Club breakfast meeting in the Shavano Conference Room at the Elevation Hotel.
• 8:45 a.m. Mat Mix at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9 a.m.-noon Open Wheel Throwing at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044. (weekly thru March)
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Kaiut Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Two Buttes Senior Citizens van transportation. Roundtrip to Gunnison. Weather permitting. Call first for schedule and availability. 275-4768.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon – 1 p.m. Power Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 12:15-12:45 p.m. Yoga Nidra Relaxtion at Yoga for the Peaceful. ($5 donation)
• 1 p.m. T’ai Chi class for experienced participants at Town Hall.
• 2 p.m. T’ai Chi class for beginning participants at Town Hall.
• 3:30-5 p.m. ICELab tours at Western State College University with Patrick Rowley.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5 p.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5-10 p.m. Game night at Tassinong Farms.
• 5:15-6:15 p.m. Buti Yoga with Tarah Niccoli-Taylor in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 5:30 p.m. Prenatal Yoga class in Crested Butte South. 349-1209.
• 5:45 p.m. Boot Camp and Indoor Biking at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Kundalini Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6:30 p.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 4th and Maroon. 349-6482.
• 7-9 p.m. “GriefShare,” a grief recovery seminar and support group, meets at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 711 N. Main St., Gunnison. 970-349-7769.
• 7:30-9:30 p.m. Adult Dodgeball League in Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 349-7197.

Events and Entertainment:

THURSDAY 15
• 5:30-7 p.m. The Kelsey Wright Building Community Celebration at the Talk of the Town.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Speaker Series: Wildlife 101: Management in the Gunnison Basin in the ICELab at WSCU.
• 7 p.m. Beyond the Boost (Facebook Paid Advertisting) at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 7 p.m. Dwayne Dodson plays at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Chris Robinson Brotherhood plays at the Center for the Arts.
• 8 p.m. Ladies Night at the Red Room.

FRIDAY 16
• 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Friends of Brush Creek Public Hearing in the Ballroom at The Lodge at Mountaineer Square.
• 5-8 p.m. AWE presents ArtWalk evening in the participating galleries of Crested Butte.
• 5-8 p.m. Mary Tuck & Laura Cooper Elm Artist Reception at the Art Studio Gallery of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 6 p.m. Family Game Night at the Crested Butte Library, Napolean Dynamite shows at 7 p.m.
• 7 p.m. Winter Speaker Series with Duane Vandenbusche on The Famed North Country of the Gunnison Region at the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, social starts at 6:30 p.m.
• 7 p.m. 36th annual Attitude Adjustment Party with live music from Euforquestra & Whiskey Bill & the Woodsplitters at the Public House.
• 7 p.m. Lizzy Plotkin & Sophia Chudacoff play at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Chris Robinson Brotherhood plays at the Center for the Arts.
• 10 p.m. Bear Tread plays at The Eldo.

SATURDAY 17
• 9 a.m. WSCU Alumni Ski Weekend at CBMR with Apres Ski Party in the Elko Room from 4-6 p.m.
• 5:30 p.m. Yoga at the Library at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 6-9 p.m. Jack Mangan plays at Tully’s.
• 7 p.m. Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animated with the Crested Butte Film Festival. 303-204-9080.
• 7 p.m. Evelyn Roper & Dawne Belloise play at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 7:30 p.m. 41st annual Red Lady Salvation Ball with live music from the Red Lady Ramblers and Pimps of Joytime at The Eldo.
• 9 p.m. Wild Adriatic plays at the Public House.

SUNDAY 18
• 7 p.m. Melanie Hall & Kevin Kimura play at The Princess Wine Bar.

MONDAY 19
Crested Butte Library closed for Presidents’ Day.
• 7 p.m. Eli & Willa Emmitt play at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Open Mic Night at The Eldo.

TUESDAY 20
• 7 p.m. Movies That Matter: GMO OMG at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 7 p.m. Evelyn Roper plays at The Princess Wine Bar.

WEDNESDAY 21
• 7 p.m. Opening Night of Move the Butte 2018 at the Center for the Arts.
• 7 p.m. Casey Falter plays at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Ladies’ Night at The Talk of the Town.
• 9 p.m. Alpentones play at the Public House.

Kid’s Calendar:

THURSDAY 15
• 9:30 a.m. Munchkin’s Music & Dance Class in the High Altitude Dance Academy in Gunnison.
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Art Babies & Toddler Art (ages 0-4) at The Trailhead. 349-7160.
• 3-7 p.m. Gymnastics (ages 4-12) in Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall.
• 4:15-6:15 p.m. Bluegrass Beginners For Kids (ages 7-18) in the Gunnison Arts Center Music Studio. (thru March 15)
• 4:30-6:30 p.m. Recreations (ages 6-11) in the Gunnison Arts Center Kids Art Studio. (thru March 15)

FRIDAY 16
• 10-10:45 a.m. Mickey’s & Minnie’s Dance Class (ages 2-4 w/ caregiver) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio. (thru March 9)
• 11 a.m. Big Kids Storytime (ages 3-7) at the Crested Butte Library.
• 2:30-3:25 p.m. Art Start for Toddlers in the Gunnison Arts Center Kids Art Studio. (thru April 6)
• 3:45-5 p.m. Ice Skating (ages 4-12) at Big Mine Ice Arena.
• 4-5 p.m. Tang Soo Do Martial Arts classes for youth with West Elk Martial Arts, Town Hall Fitness Room. 901-7417.
• 5-6 p.m. Mud Makers (ages 8-12) in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio. (thru April 6)
• 5-6 p.m. Middle School basketball clinics (6th-8th graders) in Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall.

SATURDAY 17
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Winter Drop Off at The Trailhead during ski season. 349-7160.

SUNDAY 18
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Winter Drop Off at The Trailhead during ski season. 349-7160.

MONDAY 19
• 3:45-5 p.m. Messy Mondays at the Crested Butte Library. (ages 5-12, kids 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult)
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4:15-5:15 p.m. Ballet/Tap Combo (ages 4-6) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5:15-6:15 p.m. Shorty Hip Hop (ages 5-8) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.

TUESDAY 20
• 3-7 p.m. Gymnastics (ages 4-12) in Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall.
• 4:15-5:45 p.m. Mud Puppies (ages 5-7) in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio.

WEDNESDAY 21
• 9:30 a.m. Munchkin’s Music and Dance Class in the Fitness Room at Town Hall. 349-9639.
• 11 a.m. Baby & Toddler Literacy Time at the Crested Butte Library.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4:15-5:15 p.m. Kids Yoga (ages 8 and under) at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4:15-5:15 p.m. Ballet/Tap Combo (ages 7-11) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio. (thru March 7)
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.

THURSDAY 8
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8 a.m. Ecumenical Meditation at UCC.
• 8-9:15 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8:30 a.m. Women’s book discussion group at UCC.
• 8:45 a.m. Indoor Biking at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Forrest Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11:30 p.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. 349-1008.
• noon All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Church Community Healing Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• noon-1 p.m. BUTI Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 4:30-6 p.m. Crested Butte Community Food Bank open at Oh Be Joyful Church. (first and third Thursday of every month)
• 5-7 p.m. Family Friendly Pallet Party: “Valentine’s Day” in the Gunnison Arts Center Main Gallery.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Mud Wrestling Clay Class at the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Vin-Yin Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Hatha Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 5:45 p.m. Zumba at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 5:45-7 p.m. Freestyle Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Kundalini Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6-9 p.m. Adult Creative Clay: Wheel Throwing in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio.
• 6:30 p.m. AA Open Meditation at UCC.
• 7 p.m. Women Supporting Women Group Discussion at the Nordic Inn.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.

FRIDAY 9
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. Barre Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8 a.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 349-6482.
• 8:45 a.m. Core Power Yoga Class at the Pump Room.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Yoga for the Flexibly Challenged / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Iyengar Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon-1 p.m. Kundalini / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 1 p.m. Art group meets at the Senior Center. 641-4529.
• 3:45-5 p.m. Kids ice skating classes at the Big Mine Ice Arena 349-7197.
• 4:30-5:30 p.m. Happy Hour Yoga at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 6-7 p.m. Poi Playshop at the Pump Room.

SATURDAY 10
• 7:30 a.m. Open AA at UCC.
• 7:45 a.m. Weights and Indoor Biking Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Community Yoga at the Sanctuary Yoga & Pilates Studio, Gunnison.
• 9-10 a.m. Mindful Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10-10:30 a.m. Questions & Freetime / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10-11 a.m. Hip Hop Community Dance Class at the Pump Room (above Fire House on 3rd & Maroon). 415-225-5300.
• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Paint Your Own Pottery in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826
• 5-7 p.m. Painting & Pizza (ages 13-18) in the Gunnison Arts Center Main Gallery.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Guided Sound Meditation at 405 4th Street.

SUNDAY 11
• 7-8 a.m. Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 8:30 a.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at Union Congregational Church. 349-6405.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at Oh Be Joyful Church.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9:30-11 a.m. Free Community Class / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10-11:15 a.m. Vin-Yin at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CB Nordic’s Backcountry Bistro at the Magic Meadows Yurt.
• 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Narcotics Anonymous Meeting at UCC, 403 Maroon Ave. Closed meeting for addicts only. (1st and 3rd Sunday)
• 3:30-5p.m. West African Dance Class with guest artist and live drumming in the Pump Room, all levels welcome.
• 4-5:15 p.m. CBCYC Community Book Club at 405 4th Street.
• 5-6 p.m. All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Eucharist at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• 5-7 p.m. Pick-up Adult Basketball. HS Gym, CBCS.
• 5:30-6:30 p.m. Dialogue/Movement Mapping Workshop at Rumors Coffee and Tea House. $10 suggested donation.
• 6 p.m. AA meets at UCC.
• 6 p.m. Evening Service at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 711 N. Main St., Gunnison.
• 6:30 p.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. 349-1008.
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 7 p.m. Gamblers Anonymous meets at the Last Resort.

MONDAY 12
FREE Income Tax Preparation through WSCU’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program (VITA/TCE), call 970-943-2019 to find out if you qualify and to schedule an appointment. (appointments available Mondays and Tuesdays through April 3)
• 6-7:15 a.m. Sunrise Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7 a.m. Barre Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Pranayama and Namaskars / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8:45 a.m. Pilates at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Adult Children of Alcoholics open meeting at Union Congretional Church.
• 12:45 p.m. Bridge at the Senior Center. 641-4529.
• 2-3:15 p.m. Hatha Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-5:30 p.m. Wisdom Women Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-7 p.m. Moms in Motion class at the GVH rehab gym.
• 5:45 p.m. Boot Camp at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Yin Yoga Nidra at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6-8 p.m. Knitting for Beginners in the Gunnison Arts Center Adult Art Studio.
• 6:30 p.m. WellBeing Connection Workshop at the CB/Mt. CB Chamber of Commerce.
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Aerial Mixed Apparatus (ages 16+) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Women’s Domestic Violence Support Group at Project Hope. Childcare available upon request. 641-2712.
• 7:30 p.m. Open AA at UCC. 349-5711.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.
• 7:30-8:30 p.m. Country Swing in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.

TUESDAY 13
• 6-7 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 6:30-7:45 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. AA/Alanon Open at UCC. 349-5711.
• 8-9:15 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Free Co-Working Tuesdays at the ICELab at WSCU.
• 8:45 a.m. Indoor Biking at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Mindful Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11:30 a.m. League of Women Voters meeting at 210 W. Spencer in Gunnison.
• noon AA Closed at UCC.
• noon-1 p.m. Yoga for Flexibly Challenged / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 1:30-3:30 p.m. Tech Tuesdays at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 2-3 p.m. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Calligraphy at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044. (weekly thru March 13)
• 5:45 p.m. All Levels Yoga at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7 p.m. Piyo at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6-8 p.m. Figure Drawing Sessions with a live model in Downtown Crested Butte. 349-7228.
• 6-9 p.m. Adult Creative Clay: Hand Building in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio.
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. Restorative Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 7 p.m. Alanon meeting at the Last Resort.
• 7-8:15 p.m. Yoga for Men at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 7-8:30 p.m. Blessing Way Circle support group at Sopris Women’s Clinic. 720-217-3843.
• 7:30-8:30 p.m. Adult Tap at the Gunnison Arts Center.
• 7:45-9:45 p.m. Drop-in Adult Volleyball, CBCS Gym.

WEDNESDAY 14
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7-8:15 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7:30 a.m. The Crested Butte / Mt. Crested Butte Rotary Club breakfast meeting in the Shavano Conference Room at the Elevation Hotel.
• 8:45 a.m. Mat Mix at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9 a.m.-noon Open Wheel Throwing at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044. (weekly thru March)
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Kaiut Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Two Buttes Senior Citizens van transportation. Roundtrip to Gunnison. Weather permitting. Call first for schedule and availability. 275-4768.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon – 1 p.m. Power Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 12:15-12:45 p.m. Yoga Nidra Relaxtion at Yoga for the Peaceful. ($5 donation)
• 1 p.m. T’ai Chi class for experienced participants at Town Hall.
• 2 p.m. T’ai Chi class for beginning participants at Town Hall.
• 3:30-5 p.m. ICELab tours at Western State College University with Patrick Rowley.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5 p.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5-10 p.m. Game night at Tassinong Farms.
• 5:15-6:15 p.m. Buti Yoga with Tarah Niccoli-Taylor in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 5:30 p.m. Prenatal Yoga class in Crested Butte South. 349-1209.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Watercolor & Wine: Warm Winter Trees Resist with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 5:45 p.m. Boot Camp and Indoor Biking at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Kundalini Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6:30 p.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 4th and Maroon. 349-6482.
• 7-9 p.m. “GriefShare,” a grief recovery seminar and support group, meets at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 711 N. Main St., Gunnison. 970-349-7769.
• 7:30-8:30 p.m. Adult Tap in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 7:30-9:30 p.m. Adult Dodgeball League in Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 349-7197.

Events & Entertainment:

THURSDAY 8
• 10 a.m. Writing Workshop with Jamie Ford at the Mt. CB Town Hall. 349-6535.
• 10 a.m. Join HCCA for an Educational Snowshoe Tour, meet at the Crested Butte Nordic Center.
• 5:30 p.m. Books-n-Bars at the Ginger Café. 349-6535.
• 5:30-7 p.m. IceLab Storyteller Series: What’s the Story Behind Tassinong Food & Wine, 241 Gillaspey Ave. #3, CB South.
• 6 p.m. Crested Butte School of Dance presents We Are Water.
• 6 p.m. Teens on Stage Auditions for Snapshot at the Mallardi Cabaret.
• 7 p.m. Reading with author Jamie Ford at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 7 p.m. Bill Dowell & Friends play at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Ladies Night at the Red Room.

FRIDAY 9
• 6 p.m. Teens on Stage Auditions for Snapshot at the Mallardi Cabaret.
• 7 p.m. Crested Butte School of Dance presents We Are Water.
• 7 p.m. Dawne Belloise & Evelyn Roper play at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Moonlight Music Series with 9 Mile in the Black Box Theatre at the Gunnison Arts Center.
• 10 p.m. Karaoke with Jimbo at Tully’s.

SATURDAY 10
• 1 p.m. Teens on Stage Auditions for Snapshot at the Mallardi Cabaret.
• 2-5 p.m. Fundraiser for Abe Fisher at the Avalanche Bar & Grill.
• 4 p.m. CB Unplugged: Tony Furtado at Butte 66.
• 6 p.m. Dawne Belloise & Evelyn Roper play at Tully’s.
• 6-9 p.m. 9th annual Senior Sweetheart Ball at the Elks Lodge, 123 S. Main St., Gunnison. 596-6700.
• 6-10 p.m. 5th annual Miner’s Ball with live music by Cat Leger and Harry Harpoon at the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum. 349-1880.
• 7 p.m. Crested Butte School of Dance presents We Are Water.
• 7 p.m. Craig McLaughlin plays at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 9 p.m. SunSquabi plays at the Public House.
• 10 p.m. Fundraiser for CBMT presents The Heartless Ball at the Talk of the Town.

SUNDAY 11
• 10 a.m.-noon WSCU Women Sports Day Activities at the Field House.
• 7 p.m. Tyler Lucas & Casey Mae play at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Zoso plays at the Center for the Arts.

MONDAY 12
• 7 p.m. Oscar Nominated Short Films: Documentary at the Center for the Arts. 303-204-9080.
• 7 p.m. Nutrition and Cancer at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 8 p.m. Open Mic Night at The Eldo.

TUESDAY 13
• 11:30 a.m. League of Women Voters discuss Money in Politics at the UGRWCD’s conference room, 210 W. Spencer Ave.
• 4:30 p.m. “Get Happy” Hour: “How to find relief from the mid-life blues” at The Simplicity Solution, 214 6th St., suite 5.
• 7 p.m. Casey Falter plays at the Princess Wine Bar.

WEDNESDAY 14
• 6:30-9 p.m. Murder in Sin City: Murder Mystery Dinner at the Gunnison Arts Center.
• 7 p.m. Nichole Reycraft & Reneé Wright play at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 8 p.m. Hump Nite with Gun Rack at the Public House.

Kid’s Calendar:

THURSDAY 8
• 9:30 a.m. Munchkin’s Music & Dance Class in the High Altitude Dance Academy in Gunnison.
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Art Babies and Toddler Art (ages 0-4) at The Trailhead. 349-7160.
• 3-7 p.m. Gymnastics (ages 4-12) in Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall.
• 4:15-6:15 p.m. Bluegrass Beginners For Kids (ages 7-18) in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio.
• 4:30-6:30 p.m. Recreations (ages 6-11) in the Gunnison Arts Center Kids Art Studio.

FRIDAY 9
• 10-10:45 a.m. Mickey’s & Minnie’s Dance Class (ages 2-4 w/ caregiver) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 11 a.m. Big Kids Storytime (ages 3-7) at the Crested Butte Library.
• 3:45-5 p.m. Ice Skating (ages 4-12) at Big Mine Ice Arena.
• 4-5 p.m. Tang Soo Do Martial Arts classes for youth with West Elk Martial Arts, Town Hall Fitness Room. 901-7417.
• 5-6 p.m. Mud Makers (ages 8-12) in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio.
• 5-6 p.m. Middle School basketball clinics (6th-8th graders) in Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall.

SATURDAY 10
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Winter Drop Off at The Trailhead during ski season. 349-7160.

SUNDAY 11
• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Winter Drop Off at The Trailhead during ski season. 349-7160.

MONDAY 12
• 3:45-5 p.m. Messy Mondays at the Crested Butte Library. (ages 5-12, kids 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult)
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4:15-5:15 p.m. Ballet/Tap Combo (ages 4-6) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5:15-6:15 p.m. Shorty Hip Hop (ages 5-8) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.

TUESDAY 13
• 3-7 p.m. Gymnastics (ages 4-12) in Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall.
• 4:15-5:45 p.m. Mud Puppies (ages 5-7) in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio.

WEDNESDAY 14
• 9:30 a.m. Munchkin’s Music and Dance Class in the Fitness Room at Town Hall. 349-9639.
• 11 a.m. Baby & Toddler Literacy Time at the Crested Butte Library.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4:15-5:15 p.m. Kids Yoga (ages 8 and under) at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4:15-5:15 p.m. Ballet/Tap Combo (ages 7-12) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 6:15-7:15 p.m. Steezy Hip Hop (ages 9-12) in the Gunnison Arts Center Dance Studio.

Finding balance is a good thing. Yogis strive for balance between body and mind. Nations want a balance of power. A good life involves finding a balance between things like work and family and friends. You can’t ski or ride a bike when out of balance.

Between dealing with a low snow season and a recent major shift in the ski resort super pass world, Crested Butte seems to be heading a bit off balance. There seems a real possibility this season will be down from last year in terms of numbers and next season could suffer a similar fate. Snow, of course, matters and Lord knows last year’s January blizzard was out of whack (in a good way) and this entire season’s lack of snow is out of whack (in a bad way).

While it might be convenient and pleasurable to hit the ski mountain and not have any lift lines, there isn’t a lot of balance there. A line means people and people mean economy. Visitors spend hard-earned dollars for lift tickets, rooms, ski rentals, meals at local restaurants, groceries, drinks and gas. That helps waiters, cleaners, shop owners and town workers who get their paychecks through sales tax. For us at the newspaper, the lodge, restaurant and bar owners spend a small portion of that money for advertising. I, for example, then get a paycheck and take some of that to the bars and restaurants and the circle keeps going round and round. If there are no lines with people, there is no economy. The balance is out of whack.

So it is a bit disconcerting that the Rocky Mountain Super Pass is going away and while every other “cool ski resort” seems to be glomming on to some sort of Ikon or Epic super pass, Crested Butte Mountain Resort is sort of left waiting by the phone hoping for a date. While Crested Butte prides itself on its uniqueness, it still needs to be social to be cool—it needs people. It needs people to stay vibrant and keep that economic circle spinning.

The beauty and balance of the Rocky Mountain Super Pass was that for the past couple of seasons, while I saw a lot of Front Rangers using them to try out the “Last Great Colorado Ski Town,” there weren’t so many that they overwhelmed the charm of the place. It felt in balance. You could see the lines start to grow Friday afternoon and start to shrink by Sunday once lunch was done. It was rare that the lines were snaking out the mazes and even après ski wasn’t out of control. People I encountered on the lift or at the bar with that pass were grateful to have the opportunity to try out Crested Butte and they all seemed to really like it here. Some said they’d come back, while others probably wouldn’t. Balance.

So if that pass goes completely away next year and Crested Butte Mountain Resort doesn’t hook up with (date) another of the super mega passes, will it take away from the people in the balance equation? Probably. Those passes seem to be driving the ski industry at the moment and CBMR along with Monarch and Ski Cooper and Purgatory seem to be the odd ones out. While CBMR won’t release specific numbers on super pass scans, I’ve talked to enough local businesspeople to know that the Rocky Mountain Super Pass had a good impact getting people here and thus an impact on the economic bottom line.

Add to that, the airline people mentioned at the last RTA meeting that this winter has been a “struggle” and airline seats aren’t filling up as much as hoped for, so the guarantee caps are likely to be paid to the airlines. That contributes to an equation falling out of balance. The possibility of fewer people driving here on top of fewer people flying here—whether it is because of low snow or a combination of other factors—and you will quickly see the balance start to get out of whack. That becomes slippery to all of us trying to make a living here.

So what is the answer? Some introspection might be in order. Is our ski product competitive? When the Extremes are open, I’d say the hill is competitive with anyone. But that’s me and I like skiing Third Bowl and Funnel. I’m not sure we can honestly rank with family-oriented intermediate ski resorts that are easier to get to. We don’t have the celebrity panache of an Aspen or Telluride and that’s okay with me. There was a time when the après ski scene was rocking on the mountain (The Swiss, Jeremiah’s, Casey’s, Rafters, the Artichoke, the Black Bear) but most of those establishments were torn down and I think that plays a big part in the overall vibe of the place. It is missing that element of a vibrant ski resort. The ski experience is more than slopes and that part of the product can certainly be improved.

When the late January temperature hit 45 degrees on Monday afternoon, I ran up and took a few runs. It was fun to have the place pretty much to a hundred people but that is not an economic balance. Feeling like I belong to the super exclusive Yellowstone Club is great for a minute when there is no line—but it’s not that great when we all need to be part of the balance.

In a side note that relates to balance and ski areas—the passing of Warren Miller last week reminded many of us Midwesterners who came to the Rockies that his films made an impact on people. His message was funny, simple and clear—skiing was not easy but it sure was fun and something you did with family and friends. It was a lifestyle; a lifestyle of balance in the mountains that provided adventure and connection. He was right and I still appreciate that message.

—Mark Reaman

If you hadn’t noticed, there are a lot of white people in Crested Butte. Let’s go to a place that is uncomfortable for many but was touched on in last week’s Overheard and in a conversation I had with the potential developer of the Brush Creek housing project: Race.

More than one person approached me this week with raised eyebrows over the “I’ve never seen so many white people riding buses” quote in the Overheard box.

The basic back-story was that the Overheard was overheard on a weekend Mountain Express bus ride. As explained to me (I did not hear it myself), it came from a young woman new to Crested Butte. I took it not as a racist comment but more as an epiphany from someone out of her comfort zone. Her primary life experience was probably pretty suburban, where taking a public transportation bus ride was not a regular occurrence. Her vision of transit riders was probably more stereotypically urban in nature. According to a report from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Who Rides Public Transportation, “Communities of color make up a majority of riders (60%).”

So I took the Overheard comment as an “Aha moment” of clarity that in some communities, people like her use buses. I interpreted it as a light learning experience.

Some other interesting statistics from the January 2017 APTA study include that overall, “more than half (51%) of transit riders hold a bachelor’s degree or some level of graduate education.” About 71 percent of the riders are employed and 7 percent are students. Most transit riders (55%) are women and close to 80 percent “fall into the most economically active age range from 25 to 54.” Most people use public transit for the economy of it or for so-called intangible benefits such as convenience.

Anyway, it’s been great that this valley has invested in and utilized public transit services for decades, primarily through the Mountain Express and more recently through the valley-wide RTA bus service. Buses are a proud element of the Crested Butte and Gunnison Valley history and character.

So back to race…

I was having coffee with potential Brush Creek developer Gary Gates about a week ago and he presented me with a chart of demographics on Crested Butte and its racial makeup. It showed that of the 1,260 people counted as living in Crested Butte (in the 2010 census data chart), well over 95 percent were white.

He passionately argued that people of all racial and economic categories should have the opportunity to live at the north end of the valley and not just the 1 percent. I wholeheartedly agree. He said his proposed project would help provide a place for that. I’m not sure how much it will actually do in that regard since you have a chicken and egg situation. And based on recent statistics, Gunnison County is made up of about 88 percent whites. But Gary saw it as a “social justice” issue and I respect that.

There are several articles available on the internet touching on why racial minorities do not generally populate ski communities. According to a Snowsports Industries America (SIA) study from 2013, African Americans made up just 7.3 percent of alpine skiers. A Powder Magazine opinion piece from a year ago encouraged the ski industry as a whole to expand its reach to include more young people and racial minorities. That makes a lot of sense.

What if Crested Butte Mountain Resort and the community took that potential winter bull by the horns? It would not be a quick effort but what if instead of only marketing for the same people who like skiing Breckenridge or Steamboat, the resort also set up a program to get city kids from Denver, the Springs, GJ and Santa Fe to come on inexpensive overnight weekend trips during the “slow times” of the winter season. Set them up to experience the mountains. Think five or 10 years from now and the potential of cultivating a different, dedicated clientele. Consider focusing at least some marketing and tangible efforts on a younger, less white customer. Get a new group hooked on the beauty and lifestyle of a mountain village before other resorts figure out that potential. Some relatively inexpensive effort now could pay dividends in the future.

Back to Brush Creek. Even if Gary’s theory were correct that his proposed project would attract a more diverse population to the area, I would argue it is better located on the large tract of land next to the Mt. Crested Butte town hall. There it would easily address many of the persistent problems that keep coming up with the plan as proposed (density of the project, size of buildings, water and sewer availability, and easy public transportation access are quick examples). I sense community cooperation instead of conflict in such a move.

I suggested that potential action to Gary over coffee but he felt strongly that the Brush Creek location is a better fit. He was not interested in that Mt. Crested Butte alternative and, given that he says he’ll be putting in millions of dollars to get the project up and running, he gets to make that direction call and not me. So we’ll continue to disagree on that but his demographic numbers are not wrong on the lack of racial diversity in this place. It has always been an issue.

That is why I would think making an effort now to tap into a younger and less white population base to cultivate more customers over the long run could have more impact to attract diversity and address “sustainable” business than building a big apartment complex two miles from town. Foster a new demographic that would first visit and become exposed to the magic of the place. From there, perhaps there would be an adventurous percentage (like many of us) who eventually make the move to live in this mountain village and change the demographics, where for some it is still a surprise to see so many white people riding a bus.

—Mark Reaman

by Dawne Belloise and Mark Reaman

LeMars, Iowa, was a great place for Lois Rozman to grow up.    It was a small, nice community where she had lots of cousins and family. Her parents hailed from the same area and had also grown up and spent almost their entire lives there before moving to Hotchkiss in 1982, settling on some acreage with fruit orchards and gardens.

Lois proudly points out that her mother will be 93 years old this week. Lois remembers that when she was a kid, her mom canned everything fresh from their garden. “We had a healthy lifestyle before it was the in thing to do,” Lois says, hoping to be able to follow her mom’s footsteps into the kitchen to do some canning herself now that she has actual free time. After 25 years of excellent service to the town of Crested Butte as finance director, Lois officially passed off the ledgers to a new director at the end of December 2017, and she’s ready for new adventures.

As a child, Lois was very active in school sports, as a sprinter and playing both basketball and softball. “I even played on the Brown Baggers softball team when I first moved to Crested Butte,” she says, smiling at the memory. When she graduated from high school in 1978, she had planned to attend the University of South Dakota and enroll in a medical technology program, but destiny instead brought her to Crested Butte, where she decided to attend Western State College (WSC).

“And I never looked back,” she laughs. “My sister Evelyn Roseberry was living in Crested Butte at the time with her husband, Bill. I came to spend the summer with them,” she says, although her first visit to town was with her parents in 1975.

Lois went to work for Richard and Rudy Rozman the day after she arrived in town, cleaning rooms in their hotel, Rozman’s Lodge and Restaurant. The brothers were still building the restaurant at that time.

“When the restaurant opened, I was a waitress, doing a breakfast shift a few mornings as well as attending WSC. My intention was to go to Western State for a year and then transfer back.”

But Lois changed direction after she took a couple of science classes, “which I loved in high school but in college, chemistry class was not a good experience.” She discovered that she really liked business classes and graduated in 1982 with a degree in accounting and business. She was working at the restaurant throughout her college tenure and had started dating Rudy in 1980. They married in 1989.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort hired Lois in 1984, beginning as an accounts payable clerk and winding up as assistant to the treasurer. She left that job to work for the town of Crested Butte as finance director in 1992.

Lois says of her two and a half decades there, “I’ve been very blessed and it’s been a good run. The position has been pretty intense the past several years and I felt it was time for new blood in the position, as well as Rudy and I are looking forward to having time together to do things when we want.”

From her first years there, Lois has seen the town budget increase from $4 million to the 2017 budget of $20 million. She witnessed the town offices grow from 23 employees to 47 full-time employees, and she recalls when town government used to enjoy the “off season” when you could get caught up on things. But now, “town government is pretty much go all the time.”

Back in the day, Lois remembers, “The town didn’t have a lot of money in the early 1990s so we had to spend some time working on getting fund balances established so we could ride out economic downturns. As you well know, winter ruled from an economic standpoint in the 1990s—now summer rules.

“Crested Butte actually saw this shift much sooner than other mountain resorts,” Lois notes. “Projects in the 1990s were more necessity in nature, while now the town has some additional funds to do more nice amenities while still maintaining the necessities.”

She’s seen many changes, and has worked with many councils over the years. “A common thread is they all genuinely cared about Crested Butte,” Lois says.

“The biggest change I’ve seen is how the town has grown. There were 800 residents when I got here and there are 1,600 now. One of the most significant changes was getting the kindergarten through 12th grade back into town. It was taken away in the 1960s.” Lois says all the Rozmans graduated from the high school in town before the building later became the current town offices.

“Another big change would be the development of all the non-profits that add so much to our community. The Center for the Arts comes to mind. When I first came to town, the county shops were on that property with a big pile of black cinders they used to put on the roads in the wintertime.”

Lois married into an early history of Crested Butte. Steeped in the origins of town culture, the Rozmans were ranchers on the paternal side and miners on Mary Sedmak’s, the maternal, side. “Cheech was Rudy’s uncle but I called him Uncle Joe, even though everyone else knew him as Cheech. In my family, I will always be the newcomer, no matter how long I’ve been here,” she brandishes a smile, and laughing, proclaims, “They’re stuck with me!”

She’s looking forward to learning how to bake like Mom Rozman, “now that I have the time and, oh boy, she knew how to bake!”

Over the years, Lois and Rudy have traveled all over the world, and one year, they went back to the Rozman-Sedmak motherland, to Slovenia and Croatia and found living relatives there. “A cousin by marriage to Rudy’s mom was still living in the family house in Semic, Slovenia. It was truly like walking back in grandma Sedmak’s house. There was apple potica on top of the oven, which was the old-fashioned wood-burning cookstove just like grandma Sedmak had, and fried chicken cooking. The town was a very small town in the mountains in Slovenia. His family had been in the house for quite some time. Rudy’s great-great grandfather on the Sedmak side was born there.” Lois explains that this is the great-great-grandfather who was the first to arrive in Crested Butte in 1880, followed in 1888 by Rudy’s great-grandfather.

The couple has also traveled to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt, New Zealand, Peru, Curacao, England, Ireland, Italy and as many UNESCO sites as they can fit into their itinerary. Throughout her journeys, Lois observed, “Being out there, you meet just such great people and as long as you treat them with respect and politeness you find they’re no different from you and me. They just want to be happy and healthy and provide for their family, just like we do here.” Their next immediate trip will be to Florida to see their grandsons.

Now that she’s retired, Lois can help Rudy with outdoor work. “We live halfway between the town of Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte, with open space around us. It’s the original Rozman property that’s now in a conservation easement owned by the Crested Butte Land Trust. We lease the land back to hay it and the Allens put their cows here in the fall when they bring them down from the high country before moving them all the way down-valley. So there are fences to put up, and irrigation during the summer. We move the water, take care of the ditches, and hay in the fall—basic ranch work—there’s always something to do.”

Lois says, “Crested Butte has always been a vocal and very caring community and it still is. It seems a little harder to keep community-oriented goals at the forefront than it was in past days. Town is definitely busier now than in the 1990s. It has been an honor serving the Crested Butte community and working with so many great people on staff and council over the years. I’m looking forward to being able to help Rudy with ranch activities as well as skiing, hiking, sea kayaking and traveling. I don’t see myself anywhere else—maybe a couple weeks in January getting out to someplace warmer, but I see myself in 10 years right here, doing the same stuff and pretty joyful about it. There’s no place I’d rather be.”

THURSDAY 7
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8 a.m. Ecumenical Meditation at UCC.
• 8-9:15 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8:30 a.m. Women’s book discussion group at UCC.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9:30-10:30 a.m. Outside Yoga at the Center of the Arts with Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Forrest Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11:30 p.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. 349-1008.
• noon All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Church Community Healing Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• noon-1 p.m. BUTI Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 4:30-6 p.m. Crested Butte Community Food Bank open at Oh Be Joyful Church. (first and third Thursday of every month)
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Vin-Yin Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Hatha Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 5:45 p.m. Zumba at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 5:45-7 p.m. Freestyle Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Kundalini Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6:30 p.m. AA Open Meditation at UCC.
• 7 p.m. Women Supporting Women Group Discussion at the Nordic Inn.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.

FRIDAY 8
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. Barre Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8 a.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 349-6482.
• 8:45 a.m. Core Power Yoga Class at the Pump Room.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Yoga for the Flexibly Challenged / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Iyengar Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon-1 p.m. Kundalini / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 1 p.m. Art group meets at the Senior Center. 641-4529.
• 4:30-5:30 p.m. Happy Hour Yoga at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Pottery and Glazing Date Nights: Mud Wrestling at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 6-7 p.m. Poi Playshop at the Pump Room.

SATURDAY 9
• 7:30 a.m. Open AA at UCC.
• 7:45 a.m. Weights and Indoor Biking Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Community Yoga at the Sanctuary Yoga & Pilates Studio, Gunnison.
• 9-10 a.m. Mindful Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Mountain Roots Food Project collecting household scraps at the Community Garden at Red Mountain Park. 970-964-8823.
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 10-10:30 a.m. Questions & Freetime / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10-11 a.m. Hip Hop Community Dance Class at the Pump Room (above Fire House on 3rd & Maroon). 415-225-5300.
• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Paint Your Own Pottery: Holiday Special in the Gunnison Arts Center Clay Studio.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 10:30 a.m.-noon St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 11 a.m. Narcotics Anonymous meeting at 114 Wisconsin Street. 970-201-1133.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Guided Sound Meditiation at 405 4th Street.

SUNDAY 10
• 7-8 a.m. Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 8:30 a.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at Oh-Be-Joyful Church.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at Union Congretional Church. 349-6405.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9:30-11 a.m. Free Community Class / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10-11:15 a.m. Vin-Yin at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-5:15 p.m. CBCYC Community Book Club at 405 4th Street.
• 5-6 p.m. All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Eucharist at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• 5-7 p.m. Pick-up Adult Basketball. HS Gym, CBCS.
• 5-7 p.m. Drop Sit Knit! Knitting/crafting circle, open to all levels at The Yarn Studio.
970-201-5760.
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6 p.m. AA meets at UCC.
• 6 p.m. Evening Service at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 711 N. Main St., Gunnison.
• 6:30 p.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. 349-1008.
• 7 p.m. Gamblers Anonymous meets at the Last Resort.

MONDAY 11
• 6-7:15 a.m. Sunrise Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7 a.m. Barre Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Pranayama and Namaskars / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8:45 a.m. Pilates at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• noon Adult Children of Alcoholics open meeting at Union Congretional Church.
• 12:45 p.m. Bridge at the Senior Center. 641-4529.
• 2-3:15 p.m. Hatha Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-5:30 p.m. Wisdom Women Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-7 p.m. Moms in Motion class at the GVH rehab gym.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Cocktails & Canvases: Moon Shadow at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7944.
• 5:45 p.m. Boot Camp at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Yin Yoga Nidra at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6:30 p.m. WellBeing Connection Workshop at the CB/Mt. CB Chamber of Commerce.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Women’s Domestic Violence Support Group at Project Hope. Childcare available upon request. 641-2712.
• 7:30 p.m. Open AA at UCC. 349-5711.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.

TUESDAY 12
• 6-7 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 6:30-7:45 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. AA/Alanon Open at UCC. 349-5711.
• 8-9:15 a.m. Intro to Ashtanga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Free Co-Working Tuesdays at the ICELab at WSCU.
• 8:45 a.m. Indoor Biking at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Mindful Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11:30 a.m. League of Women Voters meeting at 210 W. Spencer in Gunnison.
• noon AA Closed at UCC.
• noon-1 p.m. Flexibly Challenged / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 1:30-3:30 p.m. Tech Tuesdays at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 2-3 p.m. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage, a free thrift store. 300 Belleview, Unit 2, on the south end of 3rd Street. 970-318-6826.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:45 p.m. All Levels Yoga at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7 p.m. Piyo at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6-8 p.m. Figure Drawing Sessions with a live model in Downtown Crested Butte. 349-7228.
• 6-9 p.m. Paint Your Own Pottery at Montanya Distillers with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts.
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. Restorative Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 7 p.m. Alanon meeting at the Last Resort.
• 7-8:15 p.m. Yoga for Men at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 7-8:30 p.m. Blessing Way Circle support group at Sopris Women’s Clinic. 720-217-3843.
• 7:45-9:45 p.m. Drop-in Adult Volleyball, CBCS MS Gym.

WEDNESDAY 13
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7-8:15 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 7:30 a.m. The Crested Butte / Mt. Crested Butte Rotary Club breakfast meeting in the Shavano Conference Room at the Elevation Hotel.
• 8:45 a.m. Mat Mix at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9:30-10:45 a.m. Kaiut Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Two Buttes Senior Citizens van transportation. Roundtrip to Gunnison. Weather permitting. Call first for schedule and availability. 275-4768.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon – 1 p.m. Power Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 12:15-12:45 p.m. Yoga Nidra Relaxtion at Yoga for the Peaceful. ($5 donation)
• 1 p.m. T’ai Chi class for experienced participants at Town Hall.
• 2 p.m. T’ai Chi class for beginning participants at Town Hall.
• 3:30-5 p.m. ICELab tours at Western State College University with Patrick Rowley.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5 p.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30 p.m. Prenatal Yoga class in Crested Butte South. 349-1209.
• 5:45 p.m. Boot Camp and Indoor Biking at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Kundalini Yoga at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 6:30 p.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 4th and Maroon. 349-6482.
• 7-9 p.m. “GriefShare,” a grief recovery seminar and support group, meets at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 711 N. Main St., Gunnison. 970-349-7769.

Events & Entertainment:

THURSDAY 7
• 5-8 p.m. Celebrate the Holidays with the Adaptive Sports Center in their program office in the Treasury Center. 349-5075.
• 5:30 p.m. From the Ground Up Flowers and 2 Sense Social host The Chamber’s Business After Hours Mixer at 423 Belleview Ave. 349-6438.
• 6:30 p.m. Telescope 101 at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 7 p.m. Bill Dowell and Friends play at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 7:30 p.m. The Velveteen Rabbit plays in the Black Box Theatre at the Gunnison Arts Center.
• 8 p.m. Ladies Night at the Red Room.

FRIDAY 8
• 4:30 p.m. Meet the new Gunnison County library district director at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 5 p.m. Light Up The Weekend begins at the Four-way and walks to the Brick Oven for the tree lighting, Santa and a Reindeer Scavenger Hunt. Dog Santa will be there too.
• 6 p.m. CB Avalanche Center’s 14th annual Avalanche Awareness Night at the Lodge at Mountaineer Square.
• 7 p.m. Tyler Hansen plays at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 7:30 p.m. The Velveteen Rabbit plays in the Black Box Theatre at the Gunnison Arts Center.

SATURDAY 9
• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. CB Avalanche Center’s Beacon Brush Up at the Crested Butte Community School, with the After Party at The Alpineer 3-6 p.m.
• 10 a.m. GVH Hospice & Palliative Care’s annual Tree of Life Celebration at the Almont Resort.
• 2:30 p.m. 5th annual Santa Ski & Pub Crawl begins at the Ice Bar at CBMR.
• 3-5 p.m. Local Wedding Show at the Lodge at Mountaineer Square.
• 4:30 p.m. Holiday Extravaganza show at the Mallardi Cabaret.
• 7 p.m. Sam Heart plays at The Princess Wine Bar.
• 7:30 p.m. The Velveteen Rabbit plays in the Black Box Theatre at the Gunnison Arts Center.
• 5 p.m. Light UpThe Weekend continues at Mountaineer Square with the tree lighting, Santa and the Scavenger Hunt awards.
• 10 p.m. Great Blue plays at The Eldo.

SUNDAY 10
• 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Holiday Trunk Show at Industry Hair Studio, 523 Riverland Dr.
• 7 p.m. Melanie Hall and Kevin Kimura play at The Princess Wine Bar.

TUESDAY 12
• 6 p.m. B’nai Butte lighting of the Hanukia at the Brick Oven.
• 7 p.m. Sand, Snakes and Silver Wings: Women Pilots of WWII with Rebecca Hom at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 7 p.m. Evelyn Roper plays at The Princess Wine Bar.

WEDNESDAY 13
• 8:15 a.m. Yoga @ the Library with Jessica Hartigan at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 5-7:30 p.m. Free Microchip Clinic at PAWS, 26651 Hwy 135. (cats 5-5:30, dogs 5:30-7:30)
• 7 p.m. Movies That Matter: Minimalism (NR) at the Crested Butte Library. 349-6535.
• 7 p.m. 2017 Christmas Bells Concert with UCC Handbell Choir & Friends at the Union Congregational Church.
• 7 p.m. Kevin Marquis plays at The Princess Wine Bar.

Kid’s Calendar:

THURSDAY 7
• 9:30 a.m. Munchkin’s Music & Dance Class in the High Attitude Dance Academy in Gunnison.
• 4-5 p.m. Kids Yoga (ages 8-12) at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.
• 5:30-7:45 p.m. Fall Nuturing Parenting Program for parents of children age 0-11 at the Lake School in Gunnison. 641-0209. (runs thru Dec. 14)

FRIDAY 8
• 11 a.m. Big Kids Storytime (ages 3-7) at the Crested Butte Library.
• 3-4 p.m. Kids Yoga (ages 6-12) at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 4-5 p.m. Tang Soo Do Martial Arts classes for youth with West Elk Martial Arts, Town Hall Fitness Room. 901-7417.

MONDAY 11
• 3:45-5 p.m. Messy Mondays at the Crested Butte Library. (ages 5-12, kids younger than 8 must be accompanied by an adult)
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.

TUESDAY 12
• 4-5 p.m. Kids Yoga (ages 4-7) at Yoga for the Peaceful in CB South.

WEDNESDAY 13
• 9:30 a.m. Munchkin’s Music and Dance Class in the Fitness Room at Town Hall. 349-9639.
• 11 a.m. Baby & Toddler Literacy Time at the Crested Butte Library.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.

 

Towns, county, education and health executives garner six figures

by Mark Reaman

It is the end of budget time for most public entities, and after receiving several requests from people who wonder what those who run the public organizations in the area make in terms of salary, we decided to find out.

We asked the managers, directors and financial officers at Gunnison County, the City of Gunnison, the towns of Crested Butte and Mt. Crested, Gunnison Valley Health, the Gunnison Watershed School District and Western State Colorado University to supply us with their salary bases.

The top executive positions range from $110,000 to $277,000 and department heads earn from about $60,000 to $160,000, depending on their experience. Not all 2018 compensation details have been finalized but this summary gives a good idea of where people are in terms of compensation. The following list focuses on the ranges of compensation for public executives working around Gunnison County.

Gunnison County

The county pays most department heads between $95,000 and $134,000, depending on experience. County finance director Linda Nienhueser said benefit packages include health/dental/vision/life insurance options with a portion of the premiums paid by the county, up to five percent retirement contributions, and normal FICA taxes.

County manager Matthew Birnie said that while the county tries to remain competitive to attract top talent when a position opens up, most department heads who have been hired from outside the valley have taken “a significant pay cut” to work for the county. “We have been able to recruit remarkably talented people who are attracted to our quality of life, but we have to balance that with compensation to address the high cost of living and housing challenges,” he said.

The top county executives are on a contract with the county. County manager Birnie makes $176,009 in base salary and has a benefit package that includes a car and house allowance and additional retirement contribution, bringing his total salary to $225,770. The assistant county manager is paid $147,000.

The county publishes salary information in the newspaper twice a year, according to Nienhueser. The February report is by job title, with total wages paid for the prior year; the August report is by job title with monthly salary as of June 30 that year.

Town of Crested Butte

Crested Butte finance director Lois Rozman said the town has a tiered benefit system that increases with an employee’s years of service, rewarding them for longevity and helping the town keep good employees. The average cost of benefits for department heads and the town manager is an additional 29 percent of their salaries.

Town manager Dara MacDonald is under a year-to-year contract with the Town Council and currently makes $114,000 annually. She also has use of a town car and use of a town-owned, single-family residence in the Paradise Park subdivision. Department heads are paid within a salary range for each position according to experience. For example, the finance/human resources director has a salary range of $94,812 to $123,256. Rozman currently fills that position (but is retiring at the end of the year after 25 years) and makes $99,000.

City of Gunnison

The Gunnison City Council has not yet signed a 2018 contract with city manager Russ Forrest. Based on the city’s salary comparison document, comparing wages to other communities similar to the city of Gunnison, an entry-level city manager would start at about $121,000 and an experienced manager averages $163,000. Forrest negotiated a salary of $148,000 for 2017. The city also matches up to 10 percent of his salary toward retirement, whereas all other employees receive a five percent match.

Based on the city’s salary range document, department heads on average make from $78,400 for the city clerk to $112,300 for the community development director.

City finance director Ben Cowan said benefits include medical, vision, dental and life insurance. The city matches up to five percent of their gross wages for retirement. You can find more information regarding the city’s various employee benefits on the city of Gunnison’s website.

Mt. Crested Butte

In Mt. Crested Butte the salary ranges for positions are also based on experience. Department head positions range from beginning salaries of $60,000 to up to $95,000 for experienced personnel such as the police chief and finance director. The town manager position range is listed as between $95,000 and $115,000. Town manager Joe Fitzpatrick made $110,000 in 2017. Benefits that include items such as insurance and retirement contributions range from an additional $19,400 to $27,000 per department head.

Western State Colorado University

The administrators at Western State Colorado University are part of the Colorado State University System. WSCU president Greg Salsbury has a base salary of $232,966 and received a $45,000 bonus last year. Top administration positions receive from $56,142 for the registrar to $142,368 for the executive vice president, who also received a $6,700 bonus. All receive an additional benefits package that includes insurance and retirement benefits.

Gunnison Valley Health

Like other major organizations in the region, Gunnison Valley Health has developed formal wage ranges for executive positions. According to GVH director of human resources Christina Lovelace, “We utilize two salary surveys to create our wage ranges to ensure we’re paying our teammates competitively for both our type of organization and within our region and other resort communities. The two surveys come from the Employers Council and Colorado Hospital Association (CHA). They allow us to evaluate healthcare wages for rural environments, but also for resort communities which gives us a strong competitive balanced midpoint, or ‘going rate’ based on a weighted average of wages actually paid for each position at other organizations.”

Chief executive officers of rural health care systems have a standard salary range between $211,187 and $316,780. Gunnison Valley Health CEO Rob Santilli has a base salary of $277,000. The hospital’s chief financial officer has a salary of $164,000. Benefits for department heads include comprehensive insurance benefits, along with retirement contributions.

Lovelace said the compensation philosophy at GVH “is to encourage and reward measurable performance and behaviors, related experience, experience within the organization, and education, all within the financial means of the organization and at a competitive rate.”

Gunnison School District

The superintendent of the RE1J school district, Doug Tredway, said, “Salaries are based on years of experience in the position. All district employees who work more than 30 hours receive the same single health benefit. The current value is $8,640 per year.”

The superintendent is the highest paid administrator, at $117,450. Principal salaries throughout the district range from about $74,000 to $104,000.

One of the biggest benefits in the school district is the retirement contribution. Tredway explained that all school employees and many state employees are members of Colorado PERA, the Public Employees Retirement Association. Employees and employers contribute to the retirement plan. At present, employers contribute 20 percent of an employee’s salary and employees contribute 8 percent of their salary to the retirement plan.

Tredway says more information is available on the district website under District and Financial Transparency.

Outlier executives

Other public executive positions throughout the region bring in six-figure salaries as well. But one significant difference is that some of those executives are under individual contract with their boards and thus do not receive the benefit package associated with the county or town employees. For example, the executive directors of both the Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority and the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association make more than $100,000 annually but they have to pay for their own health insurance as private business contractors, and they also have to deduct payroll taxes as individuals, which can be twice as much as what is taken out by an employer. They also do not have any matching retirement contributions.

Public executives are paid through tax dollars and most salaries and benefit packages are either listed online or published regularly.

Commissioners happy to get this going, but not thrilled with “stork” moniker

By Toni Todd

Gunnison County commissioners officially appointed members to the newly formed Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee (STORC) last week. The committee’s mission will be to address the impacts of tourism and recreation on local communities and public lands and find ways to mitigate or reduce those impacts.

STORC members represent a wide variety of stakeholders from throughout the county. They include the following representatives from various organizations and government entities:

Gunnison County, John Messner

City of Gunnison, Mallory Logan

Town of Crested Butte, Paul Merck

Town of Mt. Crested Butte, Nicholas Kempin

Town of Pitkin, to be determined

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Chris Parmeter

U.S. Forest Service, Matt McCombs

Bureau of Land Management, Elijah Waters

National Park Service, Bruce Noble

Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association, John Norton

Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association, Bruce Allen

Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Erica Mueller

Western State Colorado University, to be determined

The committee members at large are:

Dave Ochs

Ben Breslauer

Christie Hicks

Kevin Alexander

Tim Kugler

Navid Navidi

Noel Durant

Joellen Fonken

County commissioner Jonathan Houck said he was impressed with the list of applicants, and said he expects there to be plenty of opportunity for those who applied but were not selected to participate in the process by engaging as members of subcommittees formed by the greater STORC to address specific areas.

“It’s not unusual to float your AMI around”

By Toni Todd

The Gunnison County Planning Commission, and what has become an especially large audience at meetings concerning The Corner at Brush Creek development proposal, heard presentations from the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority (GVRHA) and Gatesco, Inc. last Friday. The morning was an opportunity to learn several possible approaches and strategies to the workforce housing challenge generally. It was also a time to hear what’s still being sorted out regarding how deed restrictions will work at the proposed project at Brush Creek Road and Highway 135 near Crested Butte.

GVRHA executive director Jennifer Kermode presented a slide show explaining three different workforce housing models, how deed restrictions work with both rentals and homes for purchase, and how Area Median Income (AMI) relates to rental rates. She called her presentation Workforce Housing 101.

The goal, said Kermode, is to create housing that costs no more than one third of a tenant’s gross income. That cost should include additional expenses associated with housing, such as utilities.

She listed forces at work in our community impacting the availability and affordability of housing in the Gunnison Valley: inadequate supply; low wages and a high cost of living; pressure from second homeowners/vacationers driving up costs; high construction and labor costs; loss of long-term rentals (due to proliferation of short-term rentals, or STRs); people retiring in place; and regulatory barriers.

“But we also want to preserve community character, open space, view corridors, and quality of experience to guests, find sustainable solutions and keep locals local,” Kermode said, implying a tall order in the face of formidable obstacles.

Kermode showed the gap between the need for housing and its availability in Gunnison County, as measured in the county’s 2016 Housing Needs Assessment. She noted 39 jobs posted in last week’s paper for the north valley and just five ads for rentals with the prices advertised. “Wages have not gone up from 2016 enough to make these rents affordable,” she said.

Ways to address the need

Three models of housing were presented as options to address housing needs in the valley.

Model 1, the Habitat for Humanity model, calls for prospective owners to help build their own homes, alongside contractors who provide guidance and who donate time and materials. Kermode said Habitat typically builds a home or two every couple of years.

Model 2, the community land trust model, involves public ownership of property designated for workforce housing. For example, “The community owns 40 acres or so,” Kermode suggested “and they build homes on that land. Buyers buy the house and lease the land under the house.”

Model 3 is the deed restriction model. Deed restriction controls who can rent or buy homes based on income and employment status, among other criteria, and also controls appreciation of the property in the event of a deed restriction that allows for home ownership.

“If someone makes 100 percent of AMI, does that mean they shouldn’t be a target of workforce housing?” asked Gunnison County community development director Cathie Pagano.

“The question is, if you’re making $55,000 a year, can you afford to buy a house in Crested Butte or Gunnison?” responded Kermode.

The AMI for one person in Gunnison County is $49,600. For a family of two, it’s $56,700 and for a family of four, $75,000. Kermode insisted it’s important to target a range of AMI. Workforce housing may be targeted at renters or owners up to 180 percent of AMI. Of course, it’s always more difficult, the lower a worker falls on the pay scale.

Kermode said some people feel that appreciation on deed-restricted homes for purchase should not be capped, but she disagrees. “I am of the mindset that if you are investing public dollars into a public asset, you need to stretch those dollars as far as possible. You want to make it a reasonable amount of appreciation for the current homeowner, but you also want to keep it affordable for the next owner.”

To qualify for deed-restricted housing, Kermode said, “People should be employed.”

Kermode suggested it’s also important to look at someone’s liquid assets, and whether deed restrictions might prohibit ownership of other properties.

“What happens when people want to retire in their deed-restricted property?” Kermode asked. “Do we force them to sell their home?” One idea is to allow someone who’s been part of the local workforce for many years to stay, but it’s also important to deter folks from moving into a deed-restricted unit and immediately retiring.

Rental concerns at Brush Creek

Referring to The Corner at Brush Creek proposal, commissioner Molly Mugglestone asked, “Is the housing authority involved as the deed restriction authority or is the county?”

“We’ve been working on establishing roles and responsibilities,” said Pagano. “That’s one of the things we might ask the housing authority to do.” The crafting of the deed restrictions in the case of The Corner at Brush Creek, Pagano added, will likely be a collaborative effort between the county and the GVRHA.

How do other resort towns 

handle it?

Kermode described several workforce housing projects in other resort communities. Shandoka, in Telluride, has 134 apartments on 10.25 acres. It’s 100 percent income and employment restricted, with 12-month leases and a long waiting list.

Pinewood at Breckenridge is workforce townhomes for sale. Their first priority, said Kermode, was to sell to people who work within the town limits of Breckenridge. Once those units were sold, folks working outside the town limits but still in the county were included. “When you’re restricting by location of employment, you do it only at the time of purchase,” Kermode said. Pinewood also has a waiting list.

Buffalo Ridge at Avon/Eagle Vail was cited as the worst approach to resort-area workforce housing. Kermode described the complex as 176 units on 11.85 acres, separated by many miles from where these folks worked, and from basic town infrastructure, like shopping and schools. Most of the units—80 percent—are income restricted to 50 percent to 60 percent of AMI. Kermode described it as isolated and noisy. It’s located right off I-70 and overlooks the freeway, with no amenities nearby and no bus stop. “But it’s full,” Kermode said, “with a waiting list of 70.”

“This is an example of what not to do,” added Pagano.

“Has anybody figured it out and completely solved the housing challenge?” asked Kermode. “No. Places where people love to go, beautiful places, the pressures are still there and they continue.”

“We’ve heard from many that [The Corner at Brush Creek] is an attempt to solve the entire affordable housing problem,” added Pagano. “This is not the silver bullet that solves all of our problems, but this is one piece, and there are efforts going on in several places in addition to this.”

Pagano noted opportunities being explored at Larkspur and Buckhorn in Mt. Crested Butte, the Lazy K and Rock Creek in Gunnison.

“Communities are prioritizing based on what parcels are most ready for development,” said Kermode. Rock Creek in Gunnison, for example, is essentially ready to build, with utilities in place.

Kermode explained the difference between Brush Creek and Anthracite Place. Anthracite was built with tax credits that covered 70 percent of construction costs, she said, which made it possible to offer 100 percent of the units as deed-restricted and target a lower AMI.

“That’s not the case here,” Kermode said. An opportunity like Anthracite Place isn’t likely to come around again anytime soon. “There are only so many tax credits in the state of Colorado. They try to spread them out across the state,” Kermode said.

Making the numbers work

“There’s just no way for a developer to build a project in a high-cost place like this without some way to offset the cost of the affordable units,” said Kermode. That, she explained, is why 35 percent of the units at Brush Creek will be rented at market rate.

“The housing assessment is now a year old. How much progress have we made?” asked planning commissioner Jack Diani.

“We’re moving the needle now,” said Kermode. “It’s taking some time. The town of Crested Butte has taken some action.”

Working to alleviate regulatory barriers is another effort under way, added Kermode, along with finding ways to bank some land for future projects.

“The city of Gunnison has been working with a housing consultant out of Portland,” added Pagano. “He comes in and looks at zoning regulations and determines whether they make sense.”

Attorney Kendal Bergemeister spoke on behalf of Gatesco. He began by emphasizing the need, today and in the not-too-distant future. “Gunnison County is projected to have a population of 22,728 by 2050,” he said. “This isn’t just Crested Butte. This is a microcosm of a population boom statewide.”

The 2016 Housing Needs Assessment determined that the county needs 171 new, workforce housing units by 2020. “A couple of units a year is not going to get us to that 171 units,” said Bergemeister. “There’s a whole other need for for-sale units that’s not even addressed here. Look at what’s been proposed for Phase I of the project, compared to the demand in 2020. That’s 128 units as part of the 171. The proposal does not oversupply what is needed, either in aggregate, or at either of the various income levels.”

Bergemeister said Brush Creek would be available to tenants who qualify at various AMI:

—30 units at less than 80 percent

—64 units at less than 120 percent

—84 units at less than 180 percent

The idea, he said, is to provide some assurance that there could be units available to folks with low income, but also have some flexibility to accommodate a range of AMI.

Bergemeister explained that units would not be specifically designated for AMI ranges. Rather, any unit available could be rented to anyone within one of the ranges targeted, depending on need.

“There isn’t a specific physical space that’s designated to a specific AMI. Rather, as a renter grows, that unit grows into another AMI range,” said Bergemeister.

Who enforces the restrictions?

There was extensive discussion on how the deed restrictions would be managed and enforced if necessary.

“Having us manage it and submit a report is probably the best way to handle that,” responded Bergemeister. “We also thought that at the initial lease-up, maybe [the county] would play a more direct role, and then we handle it more on an ongoing basis. It’s a conversation we’re having.

“There’s been a misconception that we are going to charge everyone 30 percent of their income,” he added. “The 30 percent of household income is a cap. If you’re above 100 percent of AMI, that doesn’t mean much, because you can afford the market rate. So, the question related to those incomes isn’t the price; it’s the supply.”

“It’s not unusual to float your AMI around,” clarified Kermode.

Discussion evolved to the wide variety of housing needs in the valley. Planning commissioners wondered about the AMI of a pair of teachers to understand how this would apply to middle-income residents. They figured two teachers would land at 120 percent of AMI.

“If you make $50,000 a year, you’ll pay rent of $1,250, with utilities included,” said Bergemeister. “The current market rate for a two-bedroom unit on the open market is $1,250 to $2,400 per month.”

The shortage impacts a wider range of locals than one might imagine, said Kermode. “Dr. Tarr said they’re trying to recruit physicians [at the hospital] and they cannot find housing,” she said. “So, it ranges from service workers to professionals.”

Bergemeister said Gatesco is working on proposed lease terms. “We had initially proposed a minimum lease term of six months on a deed-restricted unit and a three-month lease on a market unit, to be sure to make it clear this is not a VRBO option. But we wanted to have some flexibility to accommodate seasonal workers,” Bergemeister said. “One concept we’re looking at now is deed-restricted units leased for one year, but maybe a small percentage of them could be leased at six months to a year. For free-market units, 80 to 90 percent would have to be six months or greater, but a small percentage could be leased out at three to six months.”

“Would that be in coordination with their employers?” asked Diani.

“Yes,” said Bergemeister. “If you’re going to have anything that’s less than a year, it’s got to be pursuant to an agreement with an employer.” Bergemeister suggested a master lease agreement with major employers to negotiate shorter leases, adding, “but someone who works with a smaller employer could get shut out of that option.”

“One of the difficulties for people moving into the area is the idea of first, last and security deposit,” said planning commissioner Vince Rogalski.

“Master lease agreements could be a way of addressing that, too,” said Bergemeister. “Perhaps they have some master security deposit that allows tenants to move in without that. That’s a detail we could certainly get into.”

December site visit scheduled

The next meeting to discuss The Corner at Brush Creek is scheduled for December 1. Planning commissioners will leave Gunnison at 10 a.m., arriving at the site about half an hour later, to conduct a second site visit, where they plan to walk the neighborhood and get an idea how the proposal might look, taking into account proposed building heights and other structural considerations. They’ll return to the commissioners’ meeting room at the Gunnison County Courthouse for a work session and further discussion at 1:30 p.m. that day.

Fire District and affordable housing will be the beneficiaries of funds collected

By Toni Todd

Last week’s Crested Butte Candidates Forum began with representatives speaking in support for two ballot initiatives proposing taxpayer support.

The first initiative—5A—requests a property tax increase for property owners within the Crested Butte Fire District. Those funds are designated to pay for hiring more emergency medical service (EMS)/fire fighters and help with housing.

The second—2A—proposes an excise tax on short-term rentals (STRs) within the town of Crested Butte, with funds earmarked for affordable housing. No one was there to advocate against either of these initiatives, and no audience members spoke out against them.

Ballot Initiative 5A: Mill levy increase to support the Crested Butte Fire District

Crested Butte Fire Protection District board chair Paul Hird addressed the crowd of about 80 residents to make his case for 5A. “We’re drifting toward a paid service,” he said. “We hired our first paid paramedic firefighter in 2013. Now we have four. I’ve seen first-hand how the district has changed. For those of us involved in EMS and fire, it’s important that we get this passed in November.”

Hird said volunteer numbers have been shrinking nationwide, and that’s especially true in Crested Butte. “Currently, we have 50 percent fewer volunteers than in 2010,” he said. “We’re not trying to replace volunteer positions, but as things get busier, employers are less inclined to let people leave to go fight fires,” he added, saying that the lack of affordable housing, which has resulted in jobs going unfilled in Crested Butte, has put enough pressure on employers that they are reluctant to let their volunteer employees go fight a fire or rescue someone. That, coupled with fewer volunteers signing on generally, is making it difficult to meet the demands now, and those projected for the near future.

“We’re not looking at going fully paid—volunteers are valuable to us right now—but as they decline, we want to have the flexibility, if we can’t fill them with volunteers, to fill them with fully paid,” said Hird.

The ballot initiative asks voters for an increase of 3.5 mills. That, Hird said, will cost homeowners $25 for every $100,000 in assessed home value and $102 per $100,000 in value for commercial properties.

“This will give us the opportunity to fully fund our ambulance service,” Hird said. “We’d like to have advanced life support available for every call,” he added, and while so far they’ve been able to provide that, Hird insisted it won’t be possible in the future without the tax increase, given the growth in demand for services.

Hird explained that in 2008, property values plummeted, reducing the Fire District’s funding. While values have risen since then, he said, “Values are still down 32 percent,” from their high point before 2008.

“We’re looking at having to come up with $450,000 a year to be fully funded,” said Hird.

Hird said the Fire District is also looking to build a triplex for volunteers or Fire District staff.

“We’re anticipating hiring two additional medics prior to ski season,” he said.

“As property values go up, will that incorporate something like a cost of living increase to the people you’re having to pay?” asked Sue Navy.

“When we build the budget, we do build in cost of living increases,” replied Hird.

“What is the total amount you want to bring in with the mill levy increase?” asked Crested Butte town council member Roland Mason.

“If the mill levy passes, it will bring in $1,056,000 annually,” said Hird.

Ballot Initiative 2A: Short-term rental excise tax in Crested Butte

Former county commissioner and town council member Jim Starr, a long-time advocate of affordable housing in the Gunnison Valley, spoke in support of Ballot Initiative 2A, requesting an excise tax on short-term rentals in Crested Butte.

“The goal of the town has been to retain at least 60 percent of housing in Crested Butte for residents,” Starr said. “Today, over 60 percent of homeowners have out-of-town residences.

“Crested Butte has never had a dedicated source of funding for housing,” he continued. 2A, Starr explained, would add an additional 5 percent tax remittance on vacation rentals. This, he said, would bring the tax on STRs in town to 18 percent, which is still lower than the customary 20 percent in other resort towns.

“Money collected would be used exclusively for affordable housing,” Starr said. “It’s expected to generate up to $325,000 in 2018.”

Starr emphasized that the tax will be imposed on STRs only and not on other lodging businesses or traditional bed-and-breakfast operations in town.

Starr reported that 360 jobs went unfilled in August 2016, the direct result of the housing shortage. “The Gunnison Valley needs assessment determined that we need at least 400 rental and ownership units to house employees for existing jobs.”

Starr also touched on the social impact of the housing shortage. He said the commute for folks forced to live down-valley takes time away from families and contributes to traffic. It’s important, he said, for people who work for the town to live in the town. Having a thriving resident population, Starr said, is “necessary for Crested Butte to maintain its character.”

“Short-term rentals create a lot of trouble for neighbors,” commented audience member Anne Moore, describing noise and trash impacts. “Where will the money be used? Will it be used outside of the town?”

“There’s no restriction on where it can be used,” said Starr, who suggested a regional approach might be needed to solve the housing problem.

“What entity will control the funds collected?” asked Elliot Stern.

“The Town Council will control these funds,” said Starr.

“This 5 percent puts STRs on the same level with lodging,” said Rob Boyle. “That’s still below what other places tax their STRs. How can we get it to that 20 percent standard?” Boyle asked if the county could add an additional tax to make up that difference.

Starr explained, “The county cannot do it within this town or within other municipalities. The Housing Authority was going to do it, but found out they don’t have the legal authority to do so.”

Ballots are due back by November 7.