Telluride Realty's Monthly e-Newsletter
December 2008
On Tap: December
Aaahhh, it's ski season and the holiday season... life is wonderful up in the mountains. After opening Thanksgiving Day, folks are now busy getting their ski and snowboard legs back after a beautiful summer. The resort is primed for another fantastic season with lots of new terrain, not to mention a new lift in Revelation Bowl. Holiday spirit abounds in Telluride with the always festive main street (pretty much right out of a fairy tale) and lots of action happening for the last month of 2008. Get your Christmas shopping done early on Noel Night (December 3rd) when local retailers feature great sales, paired with great snacks (because it's never good to shop on an empty stomach). Around the middle of the month, lots of performances take place, including the Rock and Roll Academy's Winter Concert on the 13th, when local youth rock out at the Sheridan Opera House; The Nutcracker on the 13th and 14th, starring ballet dancers big and small; and the Hall of Fame Series on the 20th, with legendary musicians playing at the Telluride Conference Center. And of course Christmas and New Year's round out the last week with torchlight parades, Santa on skis, and fireworks.
As for November, it was highlighted by great weather, the very popular and very successful KOTO Ski Swap, and ample time to rest and recuperate before winter officially set in. And it officially did set in as Thanksgiving brought more than just tons of food…several inches blanketed town for the ski resort's opening weekend.
December Calendar of Events
| 3 |
Noel Night
Shop til you drop with great sales and lots of holiday spirit hosted by local retailers |
| 5 |
Jingle Jam
Tree lighting, Santa Claus, warm beverages, big sales and more in Mountain Village |
| 5-7 |
Winter Sing
Telluride Choral Society presents its holiday concert |
| 5-7 |
Peter Pan
Telluride's Young People's Theater performance |
| 5-7 |
Telluride Artisans Guild's Holiday Bazaar
Local craftspeople sell their wares just in time for the holidays |
| 11 |
Chicago City Limits
Musical comedy at the Sheridan Opera House |
| 13 |
Rock and Roll Academy Winter Concert
Telluride's rockin' young musicians perform at the Sheridan Opera House |
| 13-14 |
The Nutcracker
Telluride Dance Academy performance at the Palm Theater |
| 18-21 |
Second Stage Holiday Show
Local comedian Jeb Berrier performs at the Sheridan Opera House |
| 20 |
Hall of Fame Series
Legendary musicians perform in an intimate setting at the Telluride Conference Center |
| 20 |
Wilson Loop Sprint
A 1-km sprint for classic/skate skiers of all ages on the Mountain Village Golf Course |
| 21-22 |
Sitting with Santa
Get a free photo taken with Santa and his elves at the Telluride Conference Center |
| 22 |
A Christmas Carol
The traditional holiday production makes a tour stop at the Palm Theater |
| 24 |
Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade
At dark, watch Telluride's slopes light up with skiers carrying torches |
| 24-25 |
Santa Skis and Santa Takes Pics
Look for Santa on the slopes and at Gorrono Ranch; free photos from noon to 3pm |
| 25 |
Christmas Day
Enjoy a Christmas ski day on the resort! |
| 26 |
Mountain Film in Telluride Fundraiser
MountainFilm presents a special evening at the Sheridan Opera House |
| 27-28 |
Golden Dragon Acrobats
Amazing acrobatics performed by a troupe from Hebei, China at the Palm Theater |
| 29 |
Sheridan Arts Foundation Concert Series
Performers take the stage at the Sheridan Opera House |
| 31 |
New Year's Eve
Torchlight parade, fireworks and more in Mountain Village; lots of festivities in downtown Telluride, including a community countdown in front of the historic courthouse |
Community News: New Sheridan Unveiling
After a summer of renovations, the New Sheridan Hotel will be even newer come the 20th of the month. The $7 million remodel of the renowned historic building included new bathrooms, windows, carpet, wallpaper, paint and more, although the overall idea was to keep the same Old West feel that patrons know and love. "It still feels like the New Sheridan," said hotel general manager Ray Farnsworth. "It's just gotten kind of a face lift." The 26 guest rooms and two double-room suites have been upgraded with private bathrooms and heated floors, flat screen televisions, wireless internet and fresh interior design. In the New Sheridan Bar, the pressed tin ceiling found in the front of the establishment now runs throughout, and the once-closed mezzanine-level balcony will now be open. As for the hotel's The Chop House restaurant, it received a new nitrogen wine system, more wine storage, a relocated kitchen, and enough seating to now accommodate 150 guests. Additionally, The Chop House was just awarded the "Best $40 Steak" in Skiing magazine.
The Sheridan Hotel first opened its doors in 1891, four years after Telluride was founded. The original structure burned to the ground three years later, but in 1895 the New Sheridan – the renowned redbrick building that stands today -- was rebuilt on the adjacent lot.
Arts & Entertainment News: Local Boys Done Good
 If anyone happened to take in the film "Red Gold" at the 2008 MountainFilm festival, they were undoubtedly blown away by the cinematography, subject matter, and talent/hard work displayed by its creators, Telluride resident Ben Knight and Boulder resident Travis Rummel, who together own and operate Felt Soul Media. MountainFilm was the documentary's premier and it managed to take home The Audience Award and The Festival Director's Award. Since May, however, Knight and Rummel have shown it at the Ellensberg Film Festival in Washington, Taos Mountain Film Festival in New Mexico, and Newburyport Film Festival in Massachusetts, garnering honors at all. And most recently, "Red Gold" captured the People's Choice Award at the Banff International Film Festival, not to mention a mid-November screening on National Geographic Live! – a series of live readings, performances and presentations by explorers, scientists, and photographers at the National Geographic Society's Washington, D.C. headquarters. "I'm careful not to get my hopes up, but the film is doing better than I could have dreamed," said a humble Knight. "This whole process has just been the best and most rewarding experience of my life." And as a photographer, Knight admitted that in addition to all the screenings, the National Geographic event was an unbelievable honor considering he's been reading and ogling the publication since he was a little kid.
The impetus behind making "Red Gold" was to raise awareness in the Lower 48 as to the situation involving the Pebble Mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay area. Knight and Rummel, along with Lauren Oakes from Trout Unlimited, spent 70 days during the summer of 2007 shooting the film – in rafts, bush planes, and immersed in the lives of the numerous interviewees. Upon returning, Knight spent months inside his Telluride apartment, editing and re-editing the footage until it was finally complete last spring. Upcoming screenings will be in Seattle, Anchorage, Nepal and New York City.
Real Estate News: The Peaks Possibly Attracting New Callers
Last month, top execs from owners of the Mountain Lodge—the private real estate company Lowe Enterprises—visited the Peaks. Apparently, the firm has shown interest in purchasing the 177-room resort hotel from current owners, The Blackstone Group.
While the rather covert meetings and discussions aren't any implication that a deal is on the horizon, some believe Lowe and the Peaks would be a good match. Lowe's Destination Hotels and Resorts division manages at least 33 large hotel/resorts in at least 15 states, including eight hotels in Colorado, six of which are in Vail, Aspen and already, Mountain Village (Mountain Lodge).
Blackstone has been trying to sell the Peaks for roughly the last 18 months. The hotel has undergone partial remodels and seen such suitors as the Telluride Ski and Golf Company, Fairmont Hotels (owner of the Franz Klammer Lodge), and HP Hotel Capital. While Blackstone hasn't made its asking price public, the rumored amount is said to have started at around $60 million but presently hovers at around $30 million, according to an article in the Telluride Daily Planet.
Lowe is a private company with headquarters in Los Angeles and roughly 7,500 employees. It owns large commercial and hotel properties primarily in the western part of the country.
Regional News: Talks of Alta Lakes Neighborhood Closer to Reality
In November, the San Miguel County Planning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend that the board of county commissioners conditionally approve a cluster development plan to allow 540 acres near Alta Lakes on Turkey Creek Mesa be subdivided into 28 residential lots, sized between five and 18 acres with one 43-acre parcel. In exchange, Silver Mountain Industries, owners of the property, would yield ownership of 140 acres in Gold King Basin for preservation as publicly owned open space in the high country. The plan must still go before the board of county commissioners for final approval.
Several members of the community have expressed opposition, particularly in regard to future access (currently a dirt road is the only thoroughfare), as well as impact to the high country and its wildlife. But county planning director, Mike Rozycki and county planning commissioners Joe Reagan, Lee Taylor and Joel Coniglio are among those who think the deal is a good one. "I've looked into the application and I've spent a lot of time with it," said Rozycki. "It clearly meets the Colorado statute for cluster development." Rozycki also said he believes the plan is more favorable than one residence per 35 acres, which is what SMI is capable of doing should it desire. "I feel very passionate that this cluster plan is preferable to 1:35," said Rozycki. "We're not tweaking this thing to increase density, we're trying to fulfill the goals of the High Country [Area] Master Plan."
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