Courier View Pikes Peak
Teller County, Colorado • Volume 51, Issue 48
November 28, 2012
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourtellercountynews.com
The dream is on for Pikes Peak skiing By Pat Hill
phill@ourcoloradonews.com Fifty years after legendary rock climber Harvey Carter envisioned a ski resort on Pikes Peak, another man is closer to fulfilling the late Carter’s goal. John Ball, a telecommunications executive in Boulder, picked up the vision in 2007 and today is actively seeking venture capital for The Resort at Pikes Peak, 320 acres west of the mountain. “When Carter got sick, he chose John to pass this on to; and John called me and said `I need help,’” said Scott Brown, who revitalized the town of Telluride in the early 1970s with a world-class ski resort. “That’s what I’m doing here; I believe in the vision; we’re not going to do any real-estate development other than a ski lodge, with rentals. The children’s programs are so important.” The two men are back in business after the vision was interrupted by the financial collapse of 2008. While Ball had formed a limited liability company, in agreement with Carter, the crash put things on hold. Instead of attracting investors for the project, Ball and The Resort at Pikes Peak were entangled in lawsuits and counterclaims that today has the directors on another type of revitalization. “We recently took the property into
John Ball and Scott Brown, directors of “The Resort at Pikes Peak,” are moving ahead with plans to develop a 320-acre area west of the mountain. Photo by Rob Carrigan Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize all the debt and try to come out the other side to come up with a workable and doable ski resort,” Brown said. Ball added, “We have a number of people who want to invest but want to make sure there are no skeletons in the closet.” In a telephone interview with Brown and Ball, the men are upbeat about the project,
which includes aligning with a representative of the Ute tribe, Kenny Frost. “We talked about how we could bring the historic land back to the original inhabitants of Colorado,” Ball said. “We did a blessing ceremony earlier this year.” The historic theme would carry over to the ski resort. “We’d have an Americanthemed ski area for local use that promotes
a virtual marketplace to shop. Proceeds from this event help Teller Senior Coalition, Woodland Park Hockey Association and Woodland Aquatics Project. A quick trip though the Pikes Peak Courier View archives shows that there was a parade in Woodland Park in 1986 but the first reference to a Lighter Side of Christmas Parade using that name was in 1988, which likely means that this year’s Lighter Side of Christmas Parade is 24 years old. The parade starts at 6 p.m. at the Taco Bell, moves down Woodland Park’s main street, U.S. 24, and ends at Tweeds. The parade has a single theme that showcases two different anniversaries. The theme, “A Colorado Christmas Cookie Carol,” uses cookies to highlight the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America and a Christmas Carol to celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens. Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” in 1843. It’s probably his most popular work, as well as the one most often adapted for other media such as movies, plays and
TV shows. The beneficiary of this year’s parade is Girl Scout Troop 249. Two years ago the parade benefited local Boy Scout troops as they celebrated the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th anniversary. “The Community Cupboard van will be in the parade and then will park in front of the Ute Pass Cultural Center so that parade goers can fill it up,” said Tracie Bennitt, a long-time parade planner. “The parade keeps evolving every year. We’re working on setting the theme and choosing a beneficiary so we can announce them on parade day.” After the parade, everyone is invited to gather at the Ute Pass Cultural Center for the refreshments, music provided by Woodland Wind Symphony and the Summit Singers, the city tree lighting ceremony and the annual Crazy Holiday Hat contest. Vickie and Jerry Good, owners of Williams Brothers Furniture will be standing at the
sustainability, conservationism and is an example of how we can enjoy the outdoors without paving it all over,” Brown said. With renewed vigor, Ball and Brown are counting on statistics to move ahead on the project. “If 200,000 people in Boulder can support a local ski area in Eldorado then why can’t 600,000 people in Colorado Springs support one?” Brown said. A survey by the Ski Association of America reports that 23 percent of Colorado residents ski. “That means that 123,000 people in the area probably ski,” Ball said. For Woodland Park, the resort would be an economic boon, Brown said, with an estimated 100 jobs created and $1 million in tax revenue generated. In a time of severe drought, Ball and Brown emphasize that the resort will operate in late winter or early spring by counting on a buildup of snow. “We have the water rights on the mountain so there’s enough snow and water to make snow,” Ball said. Inspired by the vision of Carter, who died from pancreatic cancer in March, Ball and Brown are moving ahead. “This was Harvey Carter’s dream. I know that every ski resort ever started was the dream of somebody like Harvey Carter,” Brown said. “They dreamed it, lived it and made it happen. I don’t know one who got rich over it. But they did something great for their community.”
Christmas in WP starts early By Norma Engelberg
nengelberg@ourcoloradonews.com Dress warm for a day of holiday adventures in Woodland Park. Visitors and locals are invited to spend Dec. 1 in the city that elevates attitudes, getting a quick start on the Christmas holiday. The day starts with the annual Breakfast with Santa at the Ute Pass Cultural Center 8-11 a.m., sponsored by the Pikes Peak Kiwanis. Kiwanis volunteers spend the morning cooking pancakes and other breakfast accompaniments while children visit with Santa on the cultural center stage or with Mrs. Clause down in front. Santa has his bag of goodies and Mrs. Clause shares hugs and cookies. There will also be other activities for children, including coloring and drawing and getting fake tattoos. Young volunteers help serve and keep the tables clean. On Dec. 1-2 is the Tweed’s Sounds of Christmas Holiday Home Tour with welldecorated homes for people to visit and
Christmas continues on Page 9
A Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District ladder truck is Santa’s favorite mode of transportation in the annual Lighter Side of Christmas Parade in Woodland Park. File photo by Norma Engelberg
Shaffer gets maximum for GMF arson By Pat Hill
phill@ourcoloradonews.com There was no leniency for Zacharia Shaffer, 22, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 5 years of probation and restitution for the arson fire that destroyed the Green Mountain Falls Town Hall in February. In a sentence hearing before Judge Robert Lowrey Nov. 19, Shaffer, who was charged with first-degree arson, acknowledged that he had started the fire in the
wee hours of Feb. 23. His accomplice, Kyle Lawrence, was severely burned in an explosion inside the building. “I was the genesis, the cause of the fire,” Shaffer said. “I know I made a poor decision and didn’t think about the consequences.” Shaffer had been ticketed for running a stop sign in 2010 in town and was serving a deferred sentence while facing suspension of his driver’s license. Prosecuting attorney Reggie Short argued for the maximum
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sentence. “This was not done in the heat of passion,” Short said. “He took the time and effort to obtain gasoline before he picked up his friend.” Shaffer showed no signs of remorse for the crime, Short said. “At the time of his arrest, he asked who had turned him in, as only six people knew of the plan to destroy the hall,” Short said. Short emphasized that two people could have been killed in the fire, the neighbors, Barbara Gafford and her granddaughter, Nicole Blough. “We are fortunate we are not doing this hearing in a different context,” Short said. A true tragedy, said Shaffer’s defense attorney, Norman Thom, for Shaffer as well as his girlfriend and their unborn child. Thom emphasized that Shaffer confessed to the crime at the time of his arrest the evening of Feb. 24. Shaffer made a full statement while being treated for minor injuries incurred in the fire.
While the plea agreement called for prison time, Thom asked for leniency. Several of Shaffer’s friends refuted the claim that he, Shaffer, was not remorseful. “We understand that he has a price to pay; it was a horrible mistake,” said Rick Vetter. “We are all here to support him.” As a show of restitution, Shaffer offered an initial check of $2,500, in addition to doing community service and taking an anger-management class. Addressing Shaffer’s anger, Lowrey said, “There are people who have lost parents or had traffic tickets, but they don’t burn down buildings,” he said. “This is extreme and unusual behavior.”
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Shaffer planned the crime, sought out the materials and tried to figure out a way to escape, Lowrey said. As for the restitution check, the crime destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars, he added. “The people of Green Mountain Falls didn’t deserve this response on your part,” he said. Before issuing the sentence, Lowrey noted Shaffer’s obvious education, reflected in a letter written to the court. “The letter has strong grammar and is a sign of intelligence and thought process,” Lowrey said. “What happened?” Shaffer was allowed to kiss his mother and girlfriend goodbye before beginning his sentence.