This episode of Community Matters featured conversations with Tara Shroedinger, Vice President and General Manager of Crested Butte Mountain Resort, and Jeff Moffet of the Tourism and Prosperity Partnership. 

We also spoke to Ian Havlick of the Crested Butte Avalanche Center, and featured an interview from our friends KHOL Jackson with Ryan Stolp, whose recent graphic novel “The Ski Town Fairytale,” is inspired by the life of a ski bum.

Community Matters: Monday, January 31st

This episode of Community Matters featured interviews with Ian Havlick and Zach Guy of the Crested Butte Avalanche Center, State Representatives Barbara McLachlan and Julie McCuskie, and the organizers behind ‘Move the Butte,” Crested Butte’s annual community dance showcase.

Community Matters: Monday February 28th.

Cm 5.2.22

Solar panels degrade over time, but they’re still good for some purposes. Recently, a group of students at Western helped one professor convert discarded solar panels into cell phone chargers. The chargers will go to Ukraine and Poland as part of a relief effort.

Discarded solar panels will help refugees charge their phones.   By: Chris Biddle/KBUT

This episode of Community Matters aired originally aired on Monday, July 18th. It featured conversations with KBUT Executive Director Jackson Petito on the 2022 Summer Pledge Drive; Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on addiction, crime, and the dispersal of settlement money from pharmaceutical companies found responsible for America's opioid epidemic: and local geologist Amy Ellwein, author of the new book “Geology Underfoot: On the Western Slope.”

Community Matters: Monday July 18th

This episode of Community Matters was originally broadcast on Monday, July 25th. It features a conversation with Mark Reaman, the Crested Butte News editor and a long-time journalist in the Gunnison Valley. We talk about the current state of the community and some of Mark’s thoughts about its future. We also touch on current events and discuss the state of American discourse. 

We also spoke with Maeve Conran, the Managing Editor for Rocky Mountain Community Radio. We talk about the history of RMCR as well as its future with Maeve in this new position

This episode featured a new segment we’re calling, “What’s open for public comment?” We asked reporter Jesse Metzger to see what he could find. He came back with five items ranging from wildlife issues to building codes.

Community Matters: Monday, July 25th

Part One.
It’s hard to recycle in the Gunnison Valley and reporter Kate Geinapp explores why. We also talk with Sustainable Crested Butte Vice President Amy Newfield, on her organization’s “recycle trains,” and the search for a new facility. 

Part Two.
The Town Council of Crested Butte recently voted to prohibit the use of natural gas in all new development, excluding commercial kitchens. Council Member Jason MacMillan was a big proponent of the move. Town Planner Mel Yemma says it’s cost-effective and will help the Town reach its Climate Action Plan Goals.

Community Matters: Monday, August 8th, 2022.

Brief discussion of Ballot Issues 5A and 6B, followed by conversation and debate from County Commissioner Candidates Laura Puckett Daniels and Rich Evans. Presented by the Crested Butte News and moderated by Denis Hall.

Gunnison County BOCC Candidates' Forum - 10/20/22

Part one of our tribute to longtime KBUT contributor Eric Ross, comprised almost exclusively of recordings Eric himself made over the decades at KBUT.

Eric Ross in His Own Words - Episode 1

Delicate ecosystems are found on Colorado's 14ers, especially above treeline.  Here's a story produced by Colorado College student Dana Cronin highlighting the need to maintain the trails and the ecosystem.

Hard Work:  14er Trail Maintenance In Colorado

The week in sports, with a wrap-up of Titans volleyball and soccer.

Sports Barrel 11.02.16

In a Memorandum of Understanding between the mining company and local, state, and federal agencies, the mining company will be responsible for helping to develop site-specific water quality standards for discharges into Coal Creek.

Ashley Bembenek is a consultant with the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition has been working on the early stages of remediation, and she says she is very pleased with the progress so far.

Mine Company On Board With Remediation

A roadless area in Western Gunnison County may see the construction of roads for methane venting and further coal exploration and development.  

To learn more about the Gunnison County Commissioner's stance on the Roadless Rule exception, KBUT spoke with Commissioner Jonathan Houck.  He explains why allowing temporary roads was originally part of the negotiations at the table when the Roadless Rule was created.  He would also like to see methane captured and used instead of vented into the atmosphere.

Commissioners OK With Roadless Rule Exception

Nicholas P. Creede moved from Iowa to Omaha to Colorado.  He was a wandering prospector who discovered mines, made it rich, and went broke before striking it big near the town of his namesake.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 43 - The Lawless Town Creede

Near Whitepine, two veteran prospectors found gold deposits, but failed to note the oncoming signs of winter.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 53 - The Legend of Snowblind Gulch

He worked as a superintendent and mining engineer for mining companies across Colorado.  Wanderlust had struck, so he headed for the Gunnison Country.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 55 - Sam Fisher

Sam Fisher's toll road ceased when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad became the main route between Gunnison and Crested Butte.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 56 - Fisher Becomes Wealthy

Silver and gold brought prospectors near Henson Creek, the onetime site of Capital City.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 57 - Capital City

"Captain" Ellen Jack came west hoping to make a fortune in the mines with diamonds and a 44-caliber pistol.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 58 - Ellen Jack

At the Los Pinos Indian Agency, a plot was hatched to assassinate Chief Ouray, Chief of the Utes.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 59 - Ouray Assassination Attempt

Postmen braved extreme temperatures, avalanches, and hostiles to take the mail from camp to camp.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 60 - Heroic Postmen

The mines near the east edge of modern-day Gunnison County ended up shipping lead and zinc during WWI for the war effort or to the Sherwin-Williams paint factory in Kansas.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 72 - Whitepine Booming

Between Tincup and Aspen sits Bowman, at the base of Taylor Pass.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 73 - Bowman

It wasn't just white settlers that helped shape the future of the Gunnison Country.

Tales of the Gunnison Country - Episode 74 - Famous Non-Whites In Early Gunnison

The Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact was signed into law on December 8th.  The bill will give the outdoor industry recognition in the Gross Domestic Product.  The data can be used to see trends in recreation as part of the economy.  The Outdoor Industry Association, a trade group, hopes the data can be used to help communities buffer in times of bust and plan for times of boom for more traditional industries.

Obama Signs REC Act To Recognize Outdoor Recreation as Part of GDP

Around 300 people gathered outside of the San Juan County Courthouse in Monticello, Utah, to protest the designation of the Bears Ears National Monument in Southeast Utah.

"Trump This Monument" - Bears Ears Protest In Monticello, Utah

High school hockey, hoops, and town league hockey highlight this hot edition of the hellatiously hilarious Sports Barrel - only here on KBUT.

Sports Barrel 1.11.17

Homegrown Crested Butte Olympian halfpipe skier Aaron Blunck took the gold in Skier Halfpipe at this past weekend's X Games in Aspen, Colorado.

Aaron takes time out of his busy training schedule to speak with us at KBUT and give us an idea of what it was like to fulfill a childhood dream of winning X Games Gold.  

Congrats, Aaron!

Aaron Blunck Takes X Games Gold In Skier Halfpipe

The idea is that trails are a big draw in Gunnison County, and they contribute to both the economy and lifestyle of residents.  A baseline trails report has been assembled as part of the One Valley Prosperity Project.  The report will be  used as a starting point for future planning and management of trail-based recreation.

Image:  BLM

Baseline Trails Report Released

Law enforcement officers in Colorado would be required to be U.S. citizens under a new measure that cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. But as Bente Birkeland reports, law enforcement agencies object to the bill and no-one testified in support of it.

Citizenship Required For Police Work, New Bill Says

The CB / Mt. CB Chamber of Commerce has stepped up to sponsor this year's event, which will be held on February 28th.

Mardi Gras Parade Saved

It's been a long discussion for the council and the town in general.  The community appears split over the issue.

The council says this is one of the most difficult issues it has ever faced.

The council will continue to talk about STR's in March.

Council Heading Towards Policy On Short-Term Rentals

A forum was held to explain rights to immigrants in the event of an encounter with a police or immigration officer and to help immigrants plan in case of deportation or detention.

KBUT's Toni Todd was at the event and spoke with attendees and the presenting attorney.

"Know Your Rights" Forum Explains Rights To Immigrants

A measure that would increase the penalty for tampering with oil and equipment is making its way through the Republican-controlled state senate. 

The bill is generating passionate debate.

Oil & Gas Tampering Bill Currently Going Through CO State Legislature

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel is accusing Republican State Senator Ray Scott of defamation, and is threatening to sue him for a tweet he sent calling his hometown newspaper ‘fake news’. If filed, legal experts say it would be the first lawsuit of its kind, potentially setting a legal definition for what is considered fake news and what is not. Bente [BEN tuh] Birkeland spoke with Scott about the case.

Colorado Newspaper Fights Back on Fake News

Love's Trillium has reached a deal with Gunnison County and the Gunnison RTA to bring a compressed natural gas station to Gunnison by summer 2017. 

CNG is not only a growing trend in the public realm, but also the preferred alternative fuel for Colorado State fleets.

(Photo: US Dept. of Energy)

Plans for Compressed Natural Gas Station in Gunnison

At a recent joint meeting between the Crested Butte Town Council and the Gunnison County Commissioners, the topic of recreation management, and a "holistic" approach towards it, was a topic of converstaion.  

"Holistic" recreation management involves looking at the whole picture, from inter-connectivity, infrastructure, communication, and amenities.

"Holistic" Approach Towards Recreation Management In Gunnison County

Another installment in our annual summer series known as Bloom Blast.

KBUT Bloom Blast Week Of July 2 2018 - Oxeye

This show was originally broadcast on KBUT on Monday, May 25, 2020. KBUT's Christopher Biddle was joined by co-host Chris Rourke of the Gunnison Country Times.

COVID-19 in the Gunnison Valley: Investigative Science Team

KBUT is a community radio station serving Gunnison County, Colorado. Broadcasting since 1986, KBUT serves the Gunnison Valley through diverse on-air programs, volunteer opportunities open to all community members, and ongoing support for the area’s nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. Community radio is a significant facilitator of democratic ideals and civic participation and is an invaluable community resource, particularly for a rural and remote area such as Gunnison County.

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