INSIDE: A TRUE TROUT MAESTRO AND MORE!
LIVING 5 tipS
FOR CREATING AN OUTDOOR OASIS
Artsy animals
LOCALS SPECIAL SECTION
SuMMER 2016
2 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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FRom tHe EDitoR
We asked our staff: What is your favorite summer activity? Suzanne Schlicht Publisher Lisa Schlichtman Editor in chief
Hiking!
eugene buchanan Magazines editor
The rodeo..it has something for everyone.
Laura tamucci Advertising director
Floating the river down to BBQ and horseshoes at Little Toots Park.
bryna Sisk Magazine sales specialist Lindsay Porter Creative services manager
audrey Dwyer Audience development manager
I
Credit where it’s due
still remember my first call from “Who’s Who” solicitors: “Congratulations! You’ve been selected to be a part of this year’s esteemed Who’s Who in America compilation. For just $99.99, your bio will be included among ... ” Yada yada. And I almost fell for it, calling my mom to tell her the great news. This issue’s 20 Under 40 list isn’t like that. No fee, no strings, no hidden agendas. Just a nomination process, which garnered nearly 100 candidates, all recommended for inclusion by their peers, clients or employers. The list represents some of the top young professionals, who excel in both their family and work lives but also find time in their schedules to give back to the community however best they can. The criteria was straightforward: “Nominate a rising leader under the age of 40 who lives and works in the Steamboat Springs area. Nominees should have achieved professional success and have a track record of contributing to the community and making a real difference in the lives of the people around them. Job
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experience, professional awards, civic engagement and the ability to meet challenges and overcome obstacles will also be considered when selecting our top young professionals.” Faced with the difficult task of sifting through the list was a judging team consisting of veteran newspaper reporter Tom Ross, Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association CEO Jim Clark, Routt County United Way Executive Director Kate Nowak and Randy Rudasics, manager of Colorado Mountain College’s Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center. While we wish we could have included all the nominees, consider this a cross-section of younger locals carrying the torch to better our community. We’re proud to honor them for all they do in continuing to make Steamboat so special. As for my own brush with stardom, I plan to keep this issue on my bed stand —right next to my copy of Who’s Who, which includes yours truly with a C-note less in his piggy-bank. — Eugene Buchanan
Photographers Austin Colbert, Scott Franz, Extreme Matt Helm, campfire Jenga (kids: don’t try Joel Reichenberger, this at home!) Hike-to fishing Tom Ross, where the fish John F. Russell, are wild Matt Stensland Copy editors Jim Patterson, Mackenzie Yelvington advertising design Mirko Erspamer, Mountain Veronika Khanisenko, biking. Mack Maschmeier, Chris McGaw and Jessica Wagner editorial intern Brooke Bumgarner Steamboat Living is published three times per year, in April, July and October, by Steamboat Today. Steamboat Living magazines are free. For advertising information, call 970-871-4235. Email letters to the editor to ebuchanan@SteamboatToday.com or call 970-870-1376.
Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Departments 8
Quick Hits Trout maestro Ernest Richardson, Steamboat’s artsy animals, spies on skis, chairlift accolades and more!
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New Departmen t!
Style & Design Creating the perfect summer patio
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24
5 minutes with Steamboat Wranglers junior hockey team coach Misko Antisin
Geoff Petis
Megan McCord
Jamie McQuade
Charlie MacArthur
Call it a passing of the torch. While Steamboat has plenty of elderly statesmen and women whose tireless efforts better our community every day, it also has a burgeoning group of young professionals just as committed to making our town better than it already is. Successful in life, careers and family, these locals do what it takes to live and raise families here, while also volunteering their precious time to better the community while not getting too bogged down that they can’t enjoy the Steamboat lifestyle themselves. As with any such compilation, whittling down the list was tough. When the nomination period ended, more than 90 entries crammed our inbox, all of whom could have made the cut. Vetting them all, and sifting through countless candidates we wish we had room to include, was a judging team consisting of newspaper reporter Tom Ross, Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association CEO Jim Clark, Routt County United Way Executive Director Kate Nowak and Randy Rudasics, manager of Colorado Mountain College’s Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center. Characteristics they looked for include: a rising leader under the age of 40 who lives and works in the Steamboat area; a modicum of professional success; a track record of contributing to the community and making a difference in the lives of the people around them; and job experience, professional awards, civic engagement and the ability to meet challenges and overcome obstacles. After a painstaking, coffee-fueled process, the list was finally truncated to the following 20 locals under 40 making a difference in this town we all love. So if you see any of them out and about, tip your hat to thank them for helping make Steamboat what it is. Summer 2016 | STEAMBOAT LIVING
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Special section 29
20 under 40 While Steamboat has plenty of seasoned statespeople whose efforts better our community, a burgeoning group of young leaders is carrying the torch, as well.
Feature 20
Home feature Clean lines and clean living in Barn Village
A simple hammock can transform your patio or deck into an outdoor haven, Steamboat-style.
On the cover: Ashlee Anderson is the owner and founder of Sun Babies Childcare in Steamboat and one of the 20 under 40 honorees. Photo by Joel Reichenberger Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Quick Hits
Steamboat Scuttlebutt a better mousetrap: the thumbRung Tired of tweaking your wrist and thumb holding paint cans? Steamboat entrepreneur Tom Wilson has the answer with his new ThumbRung, a simple-as-scissors contraption to make holding paint cans easier. Simply clip the U-shaped, rubber-coated metal hanger on the can’s lip and then rest your thumb on its “thumb rung” below. Hasta luego carpal tunnel and hello pain-free high-fives after the brushes have been cleaned (if only it did that, too). “I was a painting contractor for many years and always thought there’s got to be a more comfortable and better way to hold a paint can,” says Wilson. “It works great and is starting to get a lot of traction with contractors throughout the country.” Info: thumbrung.com
Smart kids We done got smart kids. Behold the following statistics from the class of 2016, as compiled by the Steamboat Springs School District: • $126,200 awarded in local scholarships. • $419,289 awarded for their first year of college. • $1 million offered in merit scholarships. • Six students joining the military. • 333 acceptance letters from colleges received. • 22 states students will attend college in. • 73 percent who will attend a four-year college. • 2 percent who will attend a two-year college.
Lovin’Summer Pontoon & Ski Boat Rentals
#BestDayever Making MeMories
Kayak | Canoe | SUP
www.SteamboatLakeMarina.com 970.879.7019 8 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Quick Hits Chairlift Kudos Lift your glasses to a lift whiz. Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. Vice President of Mountain Operations Doug Allen recently won the National Ski Area Association’s inaugural Jan W. Leonard Award for his commitment to safety and standards. “Doug has been a vital contributor to Steamboat’s success for the past 30 years,” says Steamboat COO Rob Perlman. “His contributions have had a lasting impact across the industry.” Allen, who previously held a board position on National Tramway Standards, has helped the development, refinement and implementation of ski lift standards, including clearance issues, electronic innovations, ropeways systems and safety. “I’m humbled to receive this honor in its inaugural year,” he says. “This recognition is thanks to the incredible teams of people I’ve had the pleasure of working with throughout my 42-year career — both on and off the slopes.”
Spies on Skis OK, all you Nordic aficionados. Here’s a book that will truly get you thinking about your free-heel bindings. It’s 1942, and German scientists are racing to build a nuclear weapon. They have the physicists and the will. What they don’t have is deuterium oxide — heavy water — an essential ingredient to building a nuclear bomb. In a remote, mountainous valley in Norway stands the lone plant in the world that makes this rare substance: Vemork. For two years, the Nazis have occupied Nor-
way, controlling this industrial complex and pushing its engineers into overdrive. For the Allies, Vemork must be destroyed. But how to reach the fortress set on a precipitous gorge in one of the coldest, most inhospitable places on Earth? Enter a band of Norwegian patriots, born with skis on their feet. Expert cross-country skiers and survivalists, these saboteurs on skis comprise Neal Bascomb’s “The Winter Fortress,” a non-fiction narrative of the special forces mission to sabotage Hitler’s atomic bomb. Think about that next time you tour Rabbit Ears Pass or skate ski the Nordic Center. Info: hmhco.com
Correction Oops! In our spring issue we printed the wrong lead photo caption in the artist profile of Jan Maret Willman on page 16. The painting referenced in the caption of the “Cosmos” series’ “Andromeda Reflected” appears below.
Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Photos courtesy of Ernest Richardson
Quick Hits
Tempo and trout: Ernest Richardson reeling in the audience.
Trout Maestro
Symphony conductor Ernest Richardson
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s conductor of the Steamboat Springs Symphony orchestra, Ernest Richardson is well used to waving around his batons. Examine their tips, however, and another passion surfaces involving swinging a rod over a stream instead of a symphony. Inlaid into each baton tip are his two favorite flies for Steamboat’s Yampa River, which he fishes every time he comes to town — a Rusty spinner and chartreuse midge pupa. “That’s what I use every time I come here,” says Richardson. “I use the Rusty in the evening on the town stretch and the pupa on the Stagecoach tail waters.” Richardson was bitten by the fishing bug when he was 10 and saw three lake trout in his hometown of Heber Springs, Arkansas. He’s pursued music with the same passion, beginning his formal string education at Indiana University and later, taking up the viola, composition and conducting at the University of Michigan. He began his conducting career with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, before taking over the Omaha Symphony Orchestra in 1992. While he also holds a black belt in taekwondo, it’s fishing in Steamboat that pulls at his heartstrings. “I consider the Yampa my home river,” he says. “I fish it every time I come out, no matter the season.” Nowhere did his music and fishing passions better merge than recently conducting “A River Runs Through It” at the Strings Music Pavilion. The overtures were accompanied by river photographs
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from John Fielder’s book “Colorado’s Yampa River.” As for similarities between waving his fly rod and batons, he says it depends on the music. “If the music is broad and sweeping, you don’t use much wrist,” he says. “But if it’s fast and percussive, or delicate, it’s almost all wrist. But I don’t try to use wrist motion casting — I’m not advanced enough for that yet.” Getting in the “zone” of each, he adds, is also similar. “Both the music and water compel your gestures,” he says. “In music, we use patterns but don’t plan out our gestures. It’s the same on rivers. When I’m in the zone fly fishing, as opposed to hooking trees and the occasional chipmunk, I don’t think about the cast. I just look where the fly needs to be. Then, when I actually catch a fish, that’s the music.” As for his custom batons, he likens building them to tying your own flies. “It gives you that much more of a personal connection to what you’re doing,” he says, adding that, for him, conducting comes more naturally than carpentry. “I was doing a home project in Omaha, and I made four pine balusters and screwed up all of them. So, I turned them into batons.” Like a fly rod, he adds, a baton has to feel right, with its handle
“Both the music and water compel your gestures...”
Quick Hits balanced with the stick. His solution: filling their cores with fishing split shot and epoxy, which is what spawned the idea to epoxy his two favorite flies to his baton ends. “When I showed them to a colleague, he looked at me like I was crazy,” he says. “But then, I saw a slight conductor indie thing in his eye. I think he wanted one.” Still don’t think he’s a virtuoso at both disciplines? Consider his email: trout-maestro@ gmail.com. — Eugene Buchanan
WHAT YOU WANT
FISHING
CONDUCTING
Drag free float Match the hatch Set the hook Reel in fish Cast to rises
Drag free notes Match the mood Set the tempo Reel in fans Cast to rise
Above: Richardson, conducting his magic on the yampa River. Right: The two flies inlaid onto the tips of his custom batons.
Your Comprehensive Primary Care practice Providing integrated care management and behavioral health. Steamboat’s place for patient centered care.
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Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Quick Hits
Grand Slam
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hat would you do if you were a “relatively” young whippersnapper tagging along on your father-in-law’s 20-year-running annual fishing trip, this time in Guatemala? If you’re Ben Weaver, son-in-law of local developer and property manager Curt Weiss, you best nearly 30 of your older and wiser fishing partners by reeling in the coveted Grand Slam — three different billfish in one day. For Weaver, this meant flexing his prodigious forearm and bicep to haul in a striped marlin, blue marlin and sailfish, all on the same boat outing. Dubbed the Florida Fun Fishers, the group — which is spearheaded by Weiss and travels the world once a year to experience the best fishing, dining and drinking possible — quickly made a splash at the host Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala, and not just by spilling their cocktails. “They pretty much took over the lodge,” says lodge owner David Salazar. “They had a remarkable trip, fishing for three days and ending with 508 sailfish raises, 419 sailfish bites and 215 sailfish releases. They also caught and released eight blue marlin, one striped marlin, 16 mahi-mahi and two Jacks. And that’s not to mention Ben’s Grand Slam. It was a red-hot three days of fishing.” Accordingly, the lodging staff is not likely to forget the Florida Fun Fishers anytime soon. “It was the first and only Grand Slam our boat captain had ever been a part of in his 30 years of guiding,” Weaver adds. — Eugene Buchanan
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Above: one of the billfish en route to the Grand Slam. Left: Ben Weaver, posing with the striped marlin and blue marlin award flags.
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Steamboat Family and
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Gary E. Fresques, DDS, PC “Our goal is to provide you with the highest quality dental care possible in a relaxed and comfortable environment.”
Call to schedule an appointment
879-3565 SteamboatSmiles.com 14 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Enjoy our farm-to-tablE mEals at swEEt PEa
sweet Pea’s farmhouse dinners are a communal affair in a comfortable setting that encourages conversation, while enjoying a 3-4 course family-style meal. all of the dinners are prepared and served by our chefs. Come and enjoy a unique dining experience!
moon Hill Dairy | 970.846.8077 | moonhilldairy.com
Quick Hits
Photos by Austin Colbert Live, or Memorex? Autumn Majesty, the elk, riding herd over West Lincoln Park.
Steamboat’s inanimate animals Drive through town, and you’ll see a handful of animal statues around Steamboat. Whether commissioned by the Arts Council or purchased by merchants, these mascots all have a backstory behind the character they add to our town. By Eugene Buchanan and Annie Martin
Autumn Majesty the elk Autumn Majesty, the bronze elk overlooking West Lincoln Park, is by far the most majestic of Steamboat’s inanimate animals. Commissioned by the Steamboat Springs Arts Council, the 17-foot-tall statue was completed in 1993 by local artist Curtis Zabel, marking his first public piece. The statue’s lifelike detail, from rippling muscles to head thrown high, highlights Zabel’s experiences growing up on a local ranch. It’s such a statement piece that the area now goes by the nickname “Elk Park.” While recent budget cuts have put its upkeep out to pasture — the nearby mineral springs have given it a green and black tinge — it’s withstood the test of time as a faithful guardian of the park and official greeter to visitors arriving from the west. continued on page 16 Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Quick Hits
continued from page 16
Lightning the horse Steamboat’s most iconic and longest-standing animal is Lightning, a quarter horse that has dutifully served as mascot for F.M. Light & Sons since 1949, when Frank Light brought it home from Denver’s Western Fiberglass Horse Barn, claiming it resembled his own horse. Usually seen sporting a classic wool saddle blanket and a hand-stamped leather saddle — in keeping with the store’s authentic Western ware — Lightning holds an honorary position among Steamboat’s animals. It was designated an historical asset by the city; it’s a staple in the annual Fourth of July parade; and every morning, it’s wheeled out to serve as a trusty mount for visiting children. “It symbolizes the unchanging Western spirit of Steamboat,” says the store’s fifth-generation co-owner, Lindsay Dillenbeck. “We have 40-year-old dads who get a picture of their kid riding him and then tell us they have a picture of themselves riding the horse at around the same age.”
Hale’s animals Want to find Hale’s Landscape Supply? Look for the rooster, giraffe or dinosaurs. “We use them as landmarks and attention-getters,” says owner Shawn Hale of the outdoor zoo along the west end of U.S. Highway 40. “We sell them as landscape ornaments, but they also bring in tourism dollars. People see them and stop in.” Hale finds the figurines from artisan craftsmen at tradeshows throughout the country, many coming from places such as El Paso and Mexico. He also stumbles upon additions while on vacation. “I’m always looking for something,” he says. “I’m looking for the next big thing before it becomes the next big thing.” Amidst all the dinosaurs, giraffes and other creatures, Hale’s favorite is the multi-colored rooster. “I’ll be sorry to see that one go,” he says. “It’s become kind of landmark for us. When people ask where we are, I just say, ‘Look for the rooster.’”
Horse #5, Wildhorse Plaza Drive into the Wildhorse Marketplace roundabout, and it’s hard to keep your eyes off the horse sculpture commanding its center. Officially called “Horse #5,” the steel statue was commissioned by the plaza’s developers and built over twoand-a-half years by Vermont sculptor Martin McGowan. The 6,000-pound, 13’6” sculpture is made of more than 1,000 welded parts, many of which are recycled. “They wanted as big of a steel horse as I could build,” says McGowan, who called a trucking company to ascertain the legal road-carrying limit. “It’s close to the biggest I’ve ever done.” The nose is made from a jackhammer bit, the mane and tail from pieces of farm machinery and the tongue is the towing hitch from a truck. “Someone from a street construction crew left the jackhammer bit in the gutter,” he says. “I kept it for years before I found a place for it.” The sculpture’s grace and sheer size, however, are its true selling points. “Its head actually got knocked off by an overpass on the trip to Steamboat,” McGowan says. “Once it was set up, I saw a picture of it with a strange rod going from its head to its neck, so I called them and they told me they had to salvage the head.”
Buddy the horse F.M. Light & Sons doesn’t have the corner on town’s fake horse market. On top of the Old West building at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and 11th Street is another equestrian icon riding herd over our hamlet. While it doesn’t have Lightning’s longevity, it has a more than 35-year run on the rooftop. “I inherited it when I bought the building in the early ’90s,” says Don Silva, adding that previous owner Bob Berkstresser put the horse up there in the ’70s to go with the building’s western village theme. The horse almost landed in the glue factory when Silva took it down to repair the roof, and the city said he couldn’t reinstall it. “Someone in planning said it violated some code, even though that’s the heritage the town was founded on,” says Silva, who owned the building with Diane and Mark Halverson. “So I called her bluff.” Silva called Denver’s Channel 9 News and threatened to put a saddle on it and sit there until the city acquiesced. Once reinstalled, he refinished it, painting its face and stockings to match his real horse, Buddy. “It never really had a name, so we just started calling him Buddy,” says Silva, who hung a Christmas wreath around its neck every winter. As for its bloodline, “I’m pretty sure he and Lightning came from the same stable.” 16 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Quick Hits
Leroy the pig
Resort cougar
“He’s a hog amongst horses,” says Bethany Aurin, former owner of Steamboat Smokehouse, regarding the chubby, pale-pink pig in front of the restaurant. Christened “Leroy” by Aurin’s husband, Fritz ,who is a collector of all things pig, the smiling swine has more going for it than its status as Lincoln Avenue’s “lone hog.” Purchased by Aurin at a horse show in Castle Rock in 2007, Leroy was originally a black-and-white patterned pig but was painted pink to match the Smokehouse logo. It’s a friendly face to passersby and is most often used as a photo prop or chair. It’s even had a problem with thievery. “Every now and then, someone would try to steal him,” says Aurin of the attempted pignappings. “But he’d turn up a few blocks away because he’s so heavy. He has cast-iron fillings.”
Lying down, tail acurl, this bronze cougar, or catamount, seems like it’s licking its chops while watching you order that beer at the umbrella bar. Titled “Cougar,” it was made out of casted bronze by Lovealnd, Colorado, artist Rosetta and was commissioned by the Steamboat Springs Arts Council. Initially, it sat on a pedestal in West Lincoln Park. But the park’s sulfur springs slowly ate away at its patina, so the sculpture was refinished by Patrick Kipper before moving to the base of Mount Werner. “Wildlife was one of the reasons I moved here from San Francisco,” says the artist. “And big cats are my first love. I love knowing that cougars roam our terrain, and since most of us will never see one, this sculpture gets us up close and personal with a very relaxed and non-threatening version of this iconic cat.”
1880 Loggers Lane, Unit B | www.mountainmattress.com | 970.879.8116 Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Steamboat Snapshot
Yampa River Festival
Nothing says summer like splashing in the water, and that scene was captured in spades by photographer Matt Helm at this year’s Yampa River Festival June 3 to 5 in downtown Steamboat Springs. Following are some of his best shots from this year’s highwater action. Info: friendsoftheyampa.com
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Have a great Steamboat shot? Email your photo to ebuchanan@SteamboatToday.com
Steamboat Snapshot
Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Barn Village beta 40 acres (25 percent allotted as open space) 62 homesites (57 sold) 9 single-family homesites built; 5 under construction 1 duplex homesite built; 1 under construction 1.2-mile foot and bike path surrounding neighborhood 4.2-acre public park with historic Steamboat Barn 1 recreation center with pool, hot tub and fitness room The now-restored Steamboat Barn was built in the 1920s by the Yock family and was a part of their working ranch, which was acquired by the More family in 1957. Most of the ranch sold again in 1970 to create Steamboat Ski Area, with the More family retaining 40 acres until 2007. The Barn Village project, along Fish Creek on Angels View Way, began when developers Bob Comes and Eric McAfee purchased the remaining 40 acres. In 2008, the developers and city designated the 4.2 acres surrounding the barn as a city park. While the 54 lots for sale were quickly reserved when the project launched, the recession hindered development. In 2012, a promissory note for the remaining 47 lots was sold by Vectra Bank to Gibraltar Residential, which foreclosed on the property before reintroducing the lots in 2013. Seventeen lots were sold in 2013, 11 in 2014 and nine in 2015. As of press time, there were five lots left. “The subdivision has come full circle and is now one of the most thriving areas for new construction in Steamboat,” says Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty broker Chris Wittemyer, who has brokered more than $33 million in sales since the development’s inception. “Seven homes and one duplex have been completed in the last two years, while four homes and another duplex are currently under construction. This summer, up to 12 more homes are anticipated to break ground.” Info: barnvillageatsteamboat.com 20 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Kitchen comfort: Over-sized windows and an open-thread stairway complement a linear stacking of the living room, dining room and kitchen.
Clean lines & clean living in
Barn Village By Eugene Buchanan Photos by Dan Tullos
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at a glance Contemporary three-level home with caretaker apartment, 4,346 finished square feet, five bedrooms, 4.5 baths. 940 Twilight Lane, Barn Village of Steamboat Springs. $1,649,000. Info: stephan.zittel@steamboatsir.com
hile the ridge line of Mount Werner high above might not be straight and clean, at least one “mountain modern” home in burgeoning Barn Village, a 62-parcel neighborhood between town and the mountain, is focusing on those simplistic design aesthetics to maximize its setting. One of the newest homes to come on line in Barn Village is a 4,346-square-foot, five-bedroom, 4.5-bath home at 940 Twilight Lane built by builder and broker Stephan Zittel. The residence screams simplicity, with modern flair and mountain vistas. Whether it’s simple framing and oversized, easterly windows to capture the views, trim-free drywall returns on doors and windows, or eased-edge baseboards, the home’s straightforward design speaks volumes for its vistas. “There’s no bulk at all,” says Zittel. “It’s all clean and simple. We didn’t want anything to distract from its views.” After building a duplex in the subdivision, this time Zittel applied his uncomplicated touch to a single-family home, built on spec for owners Patrick and Erika Janin, who spearheaded its interior design. “We had about six months of design meetings beforehand,” says Zittel. “It was very well thoughtout every step of the way.” It had to be, to take advantage of its setting at the base of Mount Werner while adhering to the subdivision’s building requirements, including 30 percent exterior stonework, front door footprint specifications, garages located off rear alleyways and more. “The codes here are pretty stringent,” says Zittel. “We had to work within the association’s parameters. It’s also a long, narrow lot, requiring a similarly shaped home.” Zittel’s zest for detail surfaces inside the recessed front entryway, where a great room is bookended by treated oak floors and a 10-foot-high ceiling. “The whole lot offers uninterrupted views of the ski area, so we wanted as many spaces as possible to take advantage of that,” says architect Brian Adams of Apex Architecture. “There’ll eventually be a home on each side, so we had to plan for future development, as well.” Over-sized windows complement “a linear stacking of the living room, dining room and kitchen,” Adams says. The living room, with its American clay, gas fireplace and concrete hearth, is easternmost, affording the most expansive vista. In succession to the west come the dining room, defined by an off-colored soffit hanging lower off the ceiling, and kitchen, which is also oriented toward the view. “The kitchen looks past both the dining and living rooms,” adds Adams. “Once we got that set, everything else fell into place.” The spaces are also broken up with brushed-steel beams continued on page 22 Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Clockwise from top left: The master bedroom takes advantage of Mount Werner views; an open-thread stairway complements a steel railing and coated orb lights; an American clay fireplace commands the living room; the master bath and its stand-alone acrylic tub and Caesarstone vanity; and the view from outside.
to further the delineation, as well as the lower-hanging soffit. Above the Thermador stove and oven, herring bone foil tile augments blond, Caesarstone/ground quartz countertops. The counter color also complements a Thermador built-into-the-wall refrigerator, in-wall wine rack and dishwasher. Above the bar hangs a trio of mobius globe/chrome-finished lighting. A walk-in pantry abuts the wall behind the kitchen, accessed by a rolling barn door, matching the height of the home’s other 8-foot-high doors. Inside, computer-generated, aspen tree wall paper matches that of the far hallway wall, while liberal cabinetry assures everything from City Market can be easily cached. A final cabinet harbors the home’s audio system, controlling builtin speakers throughout its three floors. Through the hallway to the west lies the attached caretaker 22 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
unit, as well as entry from the attached two-person garage into a nook-filled mudroom. To the north rises a set of open-tread stairs, whose 3-inchthick fir treads are augmented by an open steel railing. “Being able to see through the treads and railing helps lend an open feel,” says Zittel. A string of coated orb lights hang above for a more modern flair. The stairs lead to a hallway with built-in storage, which ends in a master bedroom taking even better advantage of mountain views. Off-white “cowhide” wall paper abuts a glass bead fireplace with faux-driftwood, while stonework maintains the home’s “horizontal line” motif. In the bath, a white, acrylic stand-alone tub nestles next to a steam shower and Caesarstone counters framing a vessel sink vanity with waterfall faucet. Two additional “Jack
Who helped Builder: zittel Real Estate Development Architect: Brian Adams, Apex Architecture Floors and carpet: Yampa Valley Design Tilework: Interiors with Altitudes Stairs and railing: nordic Steel Heat and plumbing: Cross Mountain Plumbing Foundation: Performance Concrete Framing and trim: Vargas Construction
and Jill” bedrooms share an additional bath lined with fauxleather wallpaper and wood-look ceramic tile. In the basement, another bedroom has its own step-in closet and bath, while a grandiose rec room (go Broncos!) includes wet bar, stone countertop, ice maker, wine refrigerator, dishwasher, built-in wine rack and more. Abundant natural light shines through an oversized, terraced window well. An unfinished 300-square-foot storage room leads to the mechanical room controlling the home’s in-floor heat. All in all, it’s a package that fits into its setting as seamlessly as the ridges and ravines spilling off Mount Werner. “We wanted a simple design and layout, with clean horizontal lines,” says Zittel. “In a setting like this, sometimes less is more.” Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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stYLe & DESiGn
5 tips to turn outdoor space into an
entertainment oasis
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ith months of blue skies, longer days and sunshine ahead, it’s the perfect time to create an outdoor entertaining space to maximize your time outside enjoying Steamboat’s summers. Here are five ideas for creating a vibrant outdoor gathering space — from simple, do-ityourself improvements to more involved projects.
DECK BLING
Refurbish your deck by renting a power-washer or hiring it done. Your outdoor space can look like new with a proper cleaning. Add flowering planters to your deck railings or small container gardens around the edges of your deck space to further brighten and update your outdoor living continued on page 26
A Cultural and Performing Arts Center Live Theater | Music | Dance | Films Private Parties | Corporate Functions Photo Credits: Tim Murphy
Book your next event at the Chief! Like us on Facebook - ChiefTheater
813 Lincoln 970-871-4791 www.chieftheater.com
24 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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stYLe & DESiGn continued from page 24 space. Outdoor rugs can also add color to a drab deck or plain front porch.
RING OF FIRE
Add a fire pit to your backyard and provide the perfect spot to roast marshmallows or tell stories in a campfire-like setting. Build your own permanent fire pit or purchase a moveable one (woodburning or propane) that can be placed on your back deck. “Personally, I love the smell of actual wood burning,” says Ace at the Curve’s Marilyn Jardon. “But the propane ones are nice because you can put colored rocks in them.” Before building or purchasing a fire pit, check with your HOA — many don’t allow woodburning fire pits on decks.
MADE IN THE SHADE
Extend the functionality of your home’s outdoor entertaining space by creating a place to gather in the shade. Add a colorful sailcloth over a portion of your deck or an umbrella over your outdoor table or seating area. If you’re handy, build a wooden pergola or cabana with curtains that can be left open or closed for more private gatherings.
HAMMOCK HELP
Create a relaxing oasis by finding a corner where you can erect two posts and hang a hammock. Place the hammock under or near a tree for natural shade. Adorn it with outdoor pillows and lace string lights in the tree and you’ve got a cozy getaway perfect for reading or an afternoon nap. Feeling industrious? Install a curving flagstone path leading from your back door to your new backyard haven.
SPICE UP YOUR SEATING
Invest in outdoor furniture to add new life to a tired outdoor seating area. Today’s options are designed to bring in-
door comfort outside. If budgets are tight, find gently used furniture at consignment shops or thrift stores. Envision the space you’re trying to create before making your purchase, says Christy Sports manager Laura Rotaru. “Depending on how big your deck is, do a dining section and then a lounging section,” Rotaru says. “People are looking to do more than just eat outside.” Another option: Use taller tables and chairs on one section, with lounge-style seating in another. — Lisa Schlichtman (Brooke Bumgarner contributed)
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Call it a passing of the torch. While Steamboat has plenty of longer-term residents whose efforts better our community, a burgeoning group of younger leaders is just as committed to bettering our town. Successful in life, careers and family, these locals, all under 40, do what it takes to live and raise families here, while also volunteering their precious time to support our community. As with any such compilation, whittling down the list was tough. More than 90 entries crammed our inbox, all of whom could have made the cut. Vetting them all (we wish we could include all of them) was a judging team including newspaper reporter Tom Ross, Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association CEO Jim Clark, Routt County united Way Executive Director Kate nowak and Randy Rudasics, manager of CMC’s Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center. Characteristics they looked for included: a rising leader under 40 who lives and works in the Steamboat area; a modicum of professional success; a track record of contributing to the community and making a difference in people’s lives; and job experience, professional awards, civic engagement and the ability to meet challenges and overcome obstacles. After a painstaking, coffee-fueled process, the list was truncated to the following 20 locals under 40 who truly make a difference in this town we all love. Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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PHOTO BY JOEL REICHEnBERGER
ashlee anderson
After traveling the country for five years, living in no place longer than six months, Ashlee Anderson was looking for a community where she could put down roots. She found that perfect place when she arrived in Steamboat in 2012 to attend a memorial service for her friend Alan Panebaker, a local who died in a kayaking accident. “It was mud season, and the only people here were locals,” Anderson recalls. “The community really came together, and it was beautiful. I listened to people talk about Alan and how he grew up here, and I thought ‘this is a place where I can have roots.’” Anderson moved to Steamboat that September and quickly established herself in the community by opening babysitting business Sun Babies Childcare. When Anderson first arrived, she was pursuing a massage therapy degree, working at a local massage studio and babysitting on the side. “I quickly saw the need for childcare in this town,” she says. “I had more people call me to babysit than call me to say ‘I want a massage.’”
With free business consultation from Colorado Mountain College’s Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center, Anderson was able to get her business started, and it’s grown phenomenally in a short time. “Sun Babies grew from a seed to a full-grown tree in eight months,” says Anderson, who began with two independent contractors and now employs 22 babysitters. She contributes the growth to the extreme need for childcare in the community, word of mouth and the fact that “moms talk.” It was these moms who nominated her for the 20 under 40 honor. “Ashlee has grown a business and community relationships at a rate that I have simply never seen in the six years I’ve lived here,” says mom and customer Chris Richardson. “She began her business with humble intentions and has come to be a friendly force in the effort to address childcare shortages.” Sun Babies is a registered and insured babysitting service that allows parents to choose a babysitter based on profiles posted on the Sun Babies website.
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Babysitters, who go through background checks and are CPR and First Aid certified, are encouraged to spend time with kids outside with no “screen time” allowed. “I tell my sitters that they’re part-time moms,” says Anderson, who’s also a member of the local Young Professionals network. “You are there to provide guidance, security and love. Kids deserve your full attention. And I want my babysitters communicating with the kids and parents.” Right now, the majority of Anderson’s time is spent building her business. When she does have time off, she enjoys trail running and rafting with her Husky, Sitka. And what motivates the 28-year-old entrepreneur to succeed? “I believe in working hard,” Anderson says. “I’ve supported myself since I was 16. My mom was sick and I didn’t have a dad and so I lived with my grandparents. I’m working so hard now to give my children what I didn’t have. I’m working for adopted Sun Babies and my future children.” — Lisa Schlichtman
After moving to Steamboat in 2008 from Vail, where he worked as a commercial lender, Jeremy Behling is proud to be a part of Steamboat’s community and hopes the least he can do is add to it. “I’ve lived in a lot of different places and Steamboat is by far the most communitydriven,” he says. “I get the warmest sense of community here over any other place I’ve ever lived. Wanting to continue that, I look at what I can do to keep it such an amazing place.” A banker turned entrepreneur, Behling purchased Yampa Valley Tire Pros & Express Lube and Four Star Auto Repair in August 2014. He says the career change seemed like a natural fit following his role as vice president of Alpine Bank. “One of my core values is I don’t want to look back and realize that I only lived this life for me,” Behling says. “I live by the golden rule of love your brother like yourself.” Which is why giving back to the community is so important for him.
Behling has served on a myriad of committees since his move to Steamboat, including his current positions as chair of the Rotary Grant Committee and Emerald Mountain School Board. His role in the Steamboat Springs Rotary Club helps his committee grant nearly $20,000 to local nonprofits each year. His position at Emerald Mountain School has helped him to better understand the education system, especially for his two children, JJ, 4, and Mackenzie, 1. “Emerald is extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated member of Steamboat’s community leading its board of directors,” says Emerald Mountain School Head of School Sharon Mensing. At 33, Behling is a husband to wife, Sarah Fox, a father, entrepreneur and community advocate whose success isn’t defined by anything other than if he has the opportunity to make someone else’s life more positive. —Brooke Bumgarner
Photo by Austin Colbert
Jeremy
Behling
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Photo by Joel Reichenberger
Helen In the front yard of her house in Old Town, Helen Beall, formerly Helen Brown, has created a dinosaur garden that symbolizes her approach to life and offers a glimpse into her upbeat, quirky personality. She has replaced flowers and grass with rocks, plastic dinosaurs and caves. “This garden is part of my wanting community to be community, having people engage with their neighbors,” Beall says. “Kids come and play in the garden. It’s an open door to communication — don’t put up fences, come play in the garden.” Since moving to Steamboat in 2008, Beall has worked tirelessly to contribute to the community. The former Mars Hill University soccer player now coaches soccer in Steamboat. She also serves on the boards of Yampa Valley Gives and the Steamboat Soccer Club, is former director of the Steamboat Mountain Soccer Tournament and is a proud member of the 2015 Leadership Steamboat class. “I put my hands in a lot of pots, and I’m not afraid to get them dirty,” Beall says. “I lead by example, by really just showing how much I care. Whatever I’m doing I’m
32 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Beall
doing it with 100 percent passion.” Beall also has a knack for turning trials into triumphs. When the recession hit Asheville, North Carolina, in 2007, Beall was a year out of college enjoying a promising job with an advertising agency, utilizing her degree in marketing. Suddenly, she found herself without a job. “I was laid off, as was almost everyone,” Beall says. “It was scary. I was 21, and there wasn’t any work.” After a year of job searching, Beall joined her ski/surf bum cousin for a ski season in Steamboat. Once here, she didn’t want to leave. She worked for two years at Freshies and then was hired by Yampa Valley Medical Center as a financial counselor. Beall worked at the hospital for 2 1/2 years, during which time the Affordable Care Act came into play. Getting people insured soon became her primary focus, and Beall transformed her role into the position of health benefit coordinator — a job that still exists today. Beall later was approached by Yampa Valley Community Foundation Executive Director Mark Andersen about an open position, and she was eventually hired as the foundation’s office manager.
“I’ve been here for a year, and it’s the perfect position for me,” she says. “I get to help raise money for this community that’s so near and dear to me.” It was Andersen who nominated Beall as one of Steamboat’s 20 under 40 leaders, and he believes she is destined to become a “force” within the community. “She is the first to raise her hand if something needs to get done and will work feverishly until the project is complete,” Andersen says. “She’s a remarkable young woman, and she excels at her role at the Community Foundation.” The path that led Beall here was one of self-discovery, and now, at age 32, she has found love (she married Ben Beall, whom she met coaching soccer, in March), a new career and a community she describes as the “greatest place to live in the world.” “Steamboat gives you the inspiration to be the best person you can be,” Beall says. “If you find your home, you need to build a nest, you need to get involved.” — Lisa Schlichtman
Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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PHOTO COuRTESY OF TODD WILSOn
nate Bird
Twelve years ago, nate Bird found himself on the ground floor of what would become one of the most successful energy food companies in the united States. Today, the 37-year-old oversees eight people at Honey Stinger, where he is the sales manager for the sports and outdoors division. R.E.I. is his biggest account, but he also sells to ski and running shops as well as ski areas. “I don’t think you could write a better story or opportunity for me,” Bird says. Bird grew up in Littleton and went to the university of Colorado, where he was on the freestyle ski team. He then moved to Steamboat. “I knew since I was 12 years old that I was going to go to Cu and move to the mountains somewhere,” he says. He landed a job coaching freestyle skiing at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club but found himself pouring drinks and concrete during the offseason. At times, he worked five jobs to get by. “I just didn’t see that being my future,” Bird says. Friend Rob Peterson suggested he apply at Honey
34 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Stinger, and he was offered a job. Bird, an avid mountain biker and member of the Honey Stinger team, came up with the idea for the Steamboat Stinger mountain bike race six years ago with some colleagues. He then designed the 50-mile course. “We knew how amazing Emerald Mountain was, and that we could really showcase Steamboat,” he says. The race has grown into one of the most soughtafter endurance races in Colorado. Bird also helped create the Mustache Ride, an event where Steamboat’s younger crowd shows off their facial follicles and rides bikes to different bars. The event, which is going into its 10th year, has raised more than $50,000 for the Routt County Humane Society. Bird also serves on the Routt County Riders board. “nate is an active member of the community, advocating for trails and organizing a tremendous fundraiser for the Humane Society,” says Jennifer Shea, Honey Stinger’s national sales manager. “He’s a 12-year employee of Honey Stinger/Big Agnes/BAP and a great leader and mentor for his team.” — Matt Stensland
Hard work has paid off for Steamboat Springs native Josh Carrell. After graduating from Steamboat Springs High School in 1997, Carrell attended Concordia university near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to study criminal justice. “I realized Steamboat was a real special place to grow up in and how lucky I was to have that as a youth,” Carrell says. “I wanted to make that opportunity available to others.” Carrell, 37, felt keeping the community safe was an important part of doing that, so he put on a badge and became a cop, working six years as a patrol officer, four years as a school resource officer and four years as a detective. In March, he was promoted to sergeant. “I love it,” Carrell says. “I’m enjoy-
Josh
ing the transition. I enjoy what I do and working with the community.” He’s found other ways to be active in the community as well, from coaching soccer to serving on the board for Integrated Community and Grand Futures Prevention Coalition. He’s also found time to raise two daughters with his wife, Charissa. Police Chief Cory Christensen says he’s proud to have Carrell as one of the leaders of the Steamboat Springs Police Department. “Josh is dedicated to this community, and daily seeks to better serve our citizens,” he says. “It’s no surprise to hear he has been selected as one of the outstanding people in our community.” — Matt Stensland
carrell
Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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PHOTO BY AuDREY DWYER
reall
colBenson and being involved in the community. Those doors will open, but you have to stay dedicated and work hard. It’s not just going to fall into your lap.” Graduating from St. Mary’s university of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, Colbenson worked in Steamboat’s real estate market before joining Central Park Management in 2008. From there, she moved onto working for Honey Stinger before recently joining Colorado Group Realty as a listing and marketing manager. She also runs a personal training business and is a fitness instructor at Old Town Hot Springs. On the philanthropic front, she is involved in Partners in Routt County, Routt County Riders and the Steam-
boat Christian Center, the latter leading to a recent mission trip to Africa and nicaragua. Balancing work with her passion for running, biking and skiing, with a few races thrown into the mix, Colbenson says her outdoor hobbies are like therapy in keeping her grounded, healthy and well. “You have to be healthy and well in your own personal life to thrive professionally,” she says. “I’m passionate about what I do in my work, and I care about clients and their goals, whether it’s in real estate or personal training. I have a passion for helping and connecting with people.” — Audrey Dwyer
21221429
For Reall Colbenson, who’s lived in Steamboat Springs for 11 years, it’s the people that make the Yampa Valley so special. “What resonates with my heart so much here is the people,” says Colbenson, 31. “I’m continuously blown away how every day I meet new people and make new connections here. There are some outstanding people who live here.” Raised on a family-run agriculture business in southeast Minnesota, Colbenson’s dedicated work ethic was instilled early. “There are opportunities here, you just have to work for them,” she says. “It’s about connecting with people
Congratulations Reall Colbensen
on being named to Steamboat’s “20 Under 40!”
You are a Gift to our Team!
...and clearly real estate is not your only talent!
You go Girl!!
-Nick, Michelle, Bert The Metzler Team at Colorado Group Realty
metzlerteam@mybrokers.com
36 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
PHOTO BY JOHn F. RuSSELL
cUsenBary
laura
Giving comes easily to Laura Cusenbary, 37, a financial advisor for Wells Fargo Advisors. It runs in the family. “I’m fortunate to have had a family growing up that was very philanthropic,” she says. “My mom was a case worker for CASA, always bringing people home, and my granddad founded an adaptive sports healing foundation that’s now run by my dad and uncle. Helping people out was a big part of my upbringing and is part of who I am.” Cusenbary wasted no time putting her business degree from Indiana university to use when she moved here 14 years ago, working stints as sales and marketing manager for Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. and marketing director for Prudential Steamboat Realty before assuming her current role with Wells Fargo. But it’s her commitment to the community that shines above her professional prowess. Ever since she arrived Cusenbary’s served on several local boards and fundraisers, including the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, Ski Town uSA Rotary Club, Steamboat Chamber Resort Marketing Committee, Impact 100 and the Sunshine Kids Foundation. She also co-chaired the Tour de Steamboat, was a board member of Routt County Cattlewomen and chaired Steamboat’s Relay for Life Luminaria. She also raised funds for a friend diagnosed with leukemia and keynoted the annual Girls to Women conference.
You’d think this would earn her good fortune, but in 2010, she found herself on the other side of the coin when her husband, Brad, was diagnosed with brain cancer. “You think you have all this good karma, but then it happens to you,” she says, adding she resigned from a number of boards to help Brad. “I was absolutely shocked at everyone who came out of this community to rally behind us. It was overwhelming.” That, of course, is one of the main reasons she loves it here so much. “Front and center, I’d say the community here is what makes Steamboat so special,” she says. “It’s a super supportive and philanthropic community.” As for her own volunteerism, she adds it’s easier with a peer group that feels the same way. “I’m lucky that I’ve been able to convince friends to do it with me, which has made it fun,” she says. “Steamboat lends itself to giving back. It’s the culture of this community. “And whatever you do doesn’t even have to be huge,” she adds. “You can make a difference in small ways, too. All it takes is energy and motivation.” All this doesn’t mean she isn’t above carving out a little me time now and then. Outside of her career and community commitments, you’ll find her skiing, biking, hiking or golfing with friends and settling into her new home in Fairview, complete with a beloved horse corral, with Brad and daughter, Austin. — Eugene Buchanan
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He also chairs the local Young Professionals Network chapter, which earns him a seat on the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association board. In his role with YPN, he also spearheads fundraisers and volunteering efforts for Routt County’s Day of Caring, LiftUp, United Way, Partners in Routt County and a new Bowl-a-Thon for Junior Achievement. He’s also a member of the Ski Town Lions Club, chairing its annual Mustang Roundup. “He’s a leading workhorse in the volunteer department here,” says local attorney Geoff Petis, who met Eidt through the Young Professional Network. “He definitely does a lot for the community.” For Eidt, it’s as fitting as his career. “I enjoy being around people,” he says. “And I like helping out, whether it’s for the community or assisting people who want to move here.” There are plenty of good reasons for peo-
Photo by John F. Russell
With a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi, Matt Eidt knew he wanted to call Steamboat Springs home after a two-week visit in 2008. “I’ve seen a lot of fantastic communities, and I just fell in love with Steamboat,” says Eidt, 33, a broker and youngest owner with Colorado Group Reality. “I’ve never found a more beautiful, open and complete community.” He’s had plenty of chances to compare. Before moving to Steamboat, he was a professional photographer in South Africa, guided river trips in Ecuador’s Amazon and spent time skiing in Chile. In a town he loves with all his heart, he’s also made quick work of giving back. He helped found Yampa Valley Gives, which has raised more than $400,000 for local charities through its annual Colorado Gives Day.
Matt
38 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
ple to follow his lead. “Steamboat offers the complete lifestyle,” he says. “It has access to the outdoors, the arts, high quality goods and services, dining and social options, and more. Plus, it’s a very giving place. It represents the best of all worlds.” While his calendar is full, Eidt still makes sure to enjoy the Steamboat lifestyle as well. You’re as apt to find him snowboarding Mount Werner as longboarding the Core Trail or mountain biking Emerald, both on the clock and off. “Where I grew up, there was no rendezvousing with a client snowboarding,” he says. “It’s pretty unique to be able to do that all in such a great community.” It’s also unique in that it affords the chance to sing a tear-jerking rendition of Barbara Streisand in the local Cabaret. — Eugene Buchanan
Eidt
Maggie
PHOTO BY AuSTIn COLBERT
griFFin Skiing brought Maggie Griffin to Steamboat Springs almost nine years ago, but today, she stays because of how at home she feels in the community. Griffin has been with Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. since day one. Starting as a lift operator, she’s worked her way up to operation support supervisor with Central Reservations. “The thing I’ve liked best about working here,” she says, “is building relationships.” Although she has faced challenges along the way, those relationships have given her a support system that makes tackling just about anything possible. While leading the central reservations charge at Ski Corp., Griffin has also been a part of many community organizations, including the 2013 Leadership Steamboat class and Young Professionals network. “You learn a lot, but you’re also encouraged to be creative and think about how we can directly impact the community,” she says of Leadership Steamboat.
For Griffin, it’s all about giving back to the community she’s proud to be involved in. Coworkers describe the 31-year-old as someone who is “always ready to take on a new challenge,” with a can-do attitude that inspires others to do the same. Griffin says having positive energy and enthusiasm are paramount, for both her professional career and philanthropy. These qualities, she says, have given her an edge and help define who she is and how she can best impact her workplace and the community. “I take pride in having perseverance, a strong sense of loyalty to Steamboat and being true to who I am,” she says. Challenging herself has always been central to her mission and one of the greatest ways she’s found success. She applies the same philosophy to bettering the community. “The fun thing about living in a small community is not only do you feel more a part of it, but you also have a greater chance of making an impact,” Griffin says. —Brooke Bumgarner
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Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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cole heWitt
After growing up in Casper, Wyoming, and graduating from Laramie’s university of Wyoming with an accounting degree, Cole Hewitt, 31, let the Wyoming winds fill his sails and carry him to Steamboat Springs in 2011. He was working as an internal auditor for a group of banks when client Yampa Valley Bank brought him in-house as a financial analyst. now’s he’s an assistant vice president and controller and couldn’t be happier. “I had the job before I relocated here, which is a bit backwards from how a lot of people come here,” he says. “It was the best decision I’ve made in my life.” Plenty others are happy also, from workmates to fellow philanthropists. “He leads by example,” says Yampa Valley Bank President P.J. Wharton. “He can be counted on to do
40 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
whatever is needed to support a nonprofit reach success. For him, work is a blurry line as to when it starts and ends. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to meet a deadline and assist his club, team or company in reaching its goals. I’m proud of what he contributes to the community.” As well as serving as board member and treasurer for the Young Professionals network, Hewitt holds the same role for the Yampa Valley Housing Authority, helping the organization develop new affordable housing and stabilize its existing assets. “Affordable housing has been a long-running problem here,” he says, “but the community is finally starting to rally around it. There’s a good steering committee in place, the economy’s bouncing back, and new developments are coming on line.”
The key, he adds, is keeping all ideas on the table. “The energy in the community is there, and conversations are happening,” he says. “It’s just a matter of deciding as a community what’s important to us. There are a lot of great ideas, but they’re all just cogs in the machine of what will eventually solve the problem. It’s a multifaceted problem, with a multifaceted solution.” A graduate of Leadership Steamboat, Hewitt, who loves hiking, cross-country skiing, playing in the river and more, knows that he found the right solution for his own life by moving to Steamboat. “Having great access to the outdoors and a great social scene, all in a small valley, is super unique,” he says. “The community knows that it’s a privilege to live here, not a right, so they treat it accordingly. Plus, there’s no wind down here.” —Eugene Buchanan
charlie
MacarthUr
O
ffering horse back riding in a scenic environment.
Photo by Larry Pierce
and 2 d 6 e wn ce 19 o y il sin Famrated ope
PHOTO BY SCOTT FRAnz
He helped picked the city’s new police chief and he helped build the new academic center at Colorado Mountain College’s Alpine Campus. And those are just two of the many big things Charlie MacArthur has done in the community in recent years. MacArthur, 31, also finds time to chair the city’s planning commission when he’s done at work as vice president of operations at native Excavating. “For me, a lot of it is personal,” MacArthur says when asked why he volunteers so much of his time to public service. “If I get involved in just one aspect of things, for instance, construction, I tend to get pretty bored.” When MacArthur isn’t at public meetings or at a construction site, he’s a competitive endurance runner, water skier, hiker and biker. He’s routinely out of the house from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., so he gets a lot of help from his wife, Becca, who is a nurse at Yampa Valley Medical Center. “I have an incredible wife who raises our daughter and supports me in all of these extracurriculars,” MacArthur says. “She does a great job of balancing the rest of our life while I’m not there.” —Scott Franz
Congratulations
Charlie!
we are proud to have you recognized as a
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NATIVE EXCAVATING’s CrEws ANd sTAff Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Photo by Joel Reichenberger
Megan
As a mentor for Partners in Routt County, Megan McCord has seen what kind of impact a school-based program can have in a child’s life. She takes joy in seeing that impact daily as Partners’ AmeriCorps school-based mentoring program manager. McCord, 26, says working with kids is the best decision she’s made and has changed the course of her life for the better. And, five years later, she’s still loving the work and enjoys seeing the difference she makes in kids’ lives, as they move from elementary school through higher grades. Her love of working in the nonprofit sector spills over into her free time as well, as she vice-chairs the South Routt Recreation Association, where she helps develop summer programming. She’s also tackling ways to ease the transition in the South Routt School District as the school week moves from five to four days. McCord also sits on the board of Global Speech Language Communication Services, which pairs master students with people in places such as Uganda who need speech learning services. If all that doesn’t fill her schedule, McCord can be found on local trails hiking, biking, camping, rock climbing and trail running with her dog and fiancé — and, of late, planning her upcoming wedding. — Mackenzie Yelvington
Mccord
Congratulations Megan M C Cord!
Every great achiever is inspired by great mentors - Lailah Gifty Akita To find out more about Partners and becoming a mentor please visit www.PartnersRouttCounty.org
42 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
PHOTO BY JOEL REICHEnBERGER
Jamie Jamie McQuade, 38, knows the value of the Steamboat Springs local community, and she strives to enhance it every chance she gets. And locals, she says, would be surprised to know how much small businesses here help it. After working as a waitress and then a manager for 10 years, McQuade was quick to take the cinnamon roll reins when Winona’s Restaurant & Bakery came up for sale. The secret to a thriving year-round business, she says, is ensuring employees are paid well enough to
keep going through the slow season. “They’re like family,” she says, adding her staff is what helps her maintain balance as a mother and business owner. “We all help each other to keep the machine running.” She applies that same altruism to supporting the community, placing great importance in giving back. Working with various local groups, from Horizons and Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide to the Steamboat Springs High School prom, McQuade cherishes groups that uplift the community.
McQUade
She strongly believes Steamboat does a great job in helping others but also that everyone can chip in to do even more, investing in locations such as Howelsen Hill to providing more activities for local youth. “She shows constant commitment and involvement in the community, donating to countless events and charities around town,” says friend Julie Wernig. “She’s a great mother and boss, and a great friend to all who know her.” — Mackenzie Yelvington
Congratulations Megan McCord!
Your dedication to keeping Routt County teens safe and healthy makes you one of Steamboat’s
www.grandfutures.org
Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Photo by John F. Russell
Gillian Morris
Thoughtful, caring, selfless, even Wonder Woman— those are all words rising like cream to the top of the nomination forms describing Gillian Morris. The co-owner and vice-president of Talon Grips, a gun grip company that has grown from a garage operation to employing 11 locals and selling its wares in more than 200 countries, Morris, 39, also gives of herself wherever she can, most notably as a three-year Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs board member. She chairs the club’s Flower Barrel fundraiser, which raises more than $7,000 annually for local nonprofits, and heads the club’s 4-Way Test program for local eighth-graders. She also helps organize the annual Barn Dance fundraiser. “She’s incredibly dedicated to the community, her business and family,” says fellow Rotarian Tara Weaver, adding Morris has earned several accolades for her dedication. “Her only fault is her inability to say no. She has an infectious smile and personality and is a true
go-getter. When she sets her mind to something, it gets done.” As for joining Rotary, Morris says it felt instinctual. “I was working at home and opened the paper and saw that it wasn’t just for old, white men,” she says. “Some of my peers were in it, and I wanted to get involved. I like being a part of something that makes a difference. There’s power in numbers in getting things done for the community.” After graduating from college in Massachusetts, Morris moved here in 1999 “to be a ski bum for six months.” When that ended, she moved back to her family in California only to see a job interview fall through. That was all the sign she needed to re-pack her bags and move to Steamboat full-time, where she took a job with Teton Petroleum and later met her future husband, Mike. Together, they’ve seen Talon grow from a home-
based business into an international, made-in-the-USA concern whose headquarters, manufacturing, order fulfillment and customer service operations are all based in Steamboat. An avid skier, biker, hiker and camper, she does all this while still playing uber-Steamboat mom to boys Kane, 7, and Olson, 6, even taking the time out of her busy schedule to volunteer in their Strawberry Park Elementary classrooms. She also enjoys teaching them how to garden (if she can grow a business and Rotary donations, she might as well do so for tomatoes as well). “We love it here, for ourselves and for raising our kids,” she says. “Our commute to work in six minutes, and we get to do the things we love to do on a daily basis. Plus, you can’t beat the quality of people here.” — Eugene Buchanan
CONGRATULATIONS Gillian! Thank you for all your work, dedication to Steamboat, and generosity to friends and family!
44 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Photo by Tom ross
Jason When Jason Peasley first considered leaving a secure job with the Steamboat Springs Planning Department to head up the nonprofit Yampa Valley Housing Authority, the mix of emotions he experienced reminded him of one of the greatest outdoor adventures of his young, 33-year-old life — rowing the thundering rapids of the Grand Canyon. “When I did the Grand Canyon, I was pretty green when it came to rowing,” he says. “It was trial by fire to some degree; rowing an 18-foot boat through water I’d never seen before was really challenging. But I had faith I could rise to the occasion, and I wasn’t afraid of failure. It happens.” Fortunately for the city of Steamboat Springs, Peasley, a new father, didn’t shrink from the challenge of becoming the executive director of YVHA in October 2012. He came on board at a time when the agency
Peasley
was strapped with $2 million in debt linked to a land purchase during the height of the real estate run-up in the mid-2000s. Peasley, who earned a degree in urban and regional planning from Michigan State University, took on the challenge of eliminating the debt and leveraging the land into a new 48-unit, affordable apartment project under construction this summer on Steamboat’s west side. The Reserves at Steamboat broke ground this year. “Taking the Housing Authority job was a stretch for me,” he says. “I often equate it to rowing the Grand. You go into it thinking you know what you’re doing, but as you go into the job, you discover all the things you don’t know. “You wouldn’t do it without the challenge,” he adds. “That’s why I took this job, leaving a secure position at the city to challenge myself and grow as a professional.
I wanted to make a more significant impact on the community. That’s what I value: a challenge and working to help my community.” Peasley, with the support of a high-powered board of directors, succeeded in securing a federal income tax credit award that allowed YVHA to bring critical equity to the apartment building project. YVHA was able to partner with apartment developer Overland Property Group to launch the income-restricted apartments, which will become home to households earning less than the local median income. And that $2 million in debt? it was wiped out in the business deal, freeing YVHA to look to the future — similar to Peasley looking downstream for other obstacles when he was rowing the Grand. — Tom Ross Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Photo by scott franz
Geoff
Petis Downtown Steamboat residents who are sleeping more soundly these days (and not being awoken by street sweepers) can thank the city’s bow tie-wearing lawyer. Geoff Petis, 35, has been in Steamboat for just two years, but he’s already made quite the impact as a leader of the Young Professionals Network and board member of the Ski Town Lions Club, Northwest Colorado Bar Association and Steamboat Today Editorial Board. He’s also a citizen who isn’t afraid to make appearances at City Council meetings. Many may not realize it was Petis who led the charge to have the city alter its street-sweeping operations so they didn’t make as much noise. He went to Citizens Hall armed with a video showing that there wasn’t much traffic on the street at hours later in the morning, and that street sweeping then wouldn’t cause as much of an impact. As the founder of Petis Law, Petis, also was recognized as one of Colorado’s Top 40 Litigation Attorneys Under 40, specializes in personal injury matters, insurance
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disputes, real estate cases and business law. He’s also launching a new nonprofit, the Petis Law Community Impact Foundation, that awards grants to community charities. As for the bow tie, when he was working at a law firm in Denver, he says he was bound to its dress code of suits and ties. But he admits that looks a little silly here in Steamboat, so he settled on the bow without looking back. “Many people in town know him as ‘the bow tie guy,’ and quickly learn that it not only makes him stand out, but encompasses his jovial and compassionate personality,” says his wife, Lisel Petis, a Steamboat native. It’s his attitude more than his appearance that truly makes him a young leader in the community. “Our community is lucky to have him,” says fellow 20 Under 40 nominee Matt Eidt. “He’s very generous with his time and always gives back to friends, family and the community. To let any more time pass before recognizing him would be a crime.” —Scott Franz
PHOTO BY TOM ROSS
chayla roWley In her role as a civil engineer with the natural Resources Conservation Service in Routt County, Chayla Rowley, 27, enjoys the job’s variety. “It changes with people’s needs,” she says. “One day I might help a rancher with irrigation and another I might work on stream bank protection.” Rowley was born in Africa and spent most of her childhood there while her parents were missionaries. After earning her engineering degree from the university of Colorado, she moved to Steamboat three years ago, where she quickly found a strong interest in Steamboat’s young people through a church congregation. “I emphasize finding a good church community,” she says. “It’s more about how they engage the community
than their denomination.” Rowley was drawn to united Methodist Church after learning the church needed volunteers to help in its nursery. Today, she shares a supervisory role there, with an uncomplicated approach to young children. “My motivation is that we don’t necessarily spend time reading religious quotes to infants,” she says. “We need to just be present. They feel loved there, and we make sure we’re interactive.” Rowley’s work with youngsters doesn’t end there. She met nancy Mucklow through her membership in the Routt County Agriculture Alliance, and with her encouragement, is now a fourth grade Girl Scout troop leader. Rowley has stuck with that group of girls as they verge on adolescence and takes pride watching them
prepare for adulthood. “Middle school is prime time for determining if they’ll become confident young women, or deal with things they didn’t learn earlier,” she says. Her own upbringing (her father is of Choctaw descent) instilled the critical need for reliable sources of potable water for tribal peoples. While studying at the university of Colorado, she was awarded a scholarship from the Morris K. udall and Stewart L. udall Foundation supporting her ambition to create training programs and infrastructure to give tribal people better access to clean water. ultimately, she believes that’s the direction her career will take. — Tom Ross
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Congratulations to
Kara Stoller
on being recognized as one of the 20 under 40!
You have accomplished a great deal in your 9 years with us, we look forward to many more!
The Board and Staff of the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association
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48 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Photo by John F. Russell
Stoller Before moving to Steamboat Springs in 2007, Kara Stoller, 33, worked special event production in Philadelphia after graduating from West Virginia University. She wasted no time putting her skills to use in Steamboat, landing a job as special events director for the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association. This led to her current role as the association’s marketing director. It’s a perfect fit, given her background, friendly personality and penchant for all things Ski Town USA. “I came here to visit my brother, saw the ad, and then packed up and came back three weeks later,” she says. “Steamboat’s definitely home now.” Everyone who knows her, from friends and local family — which includes brother Todd, husband Andrew, 1-year-old daughter Iris and her aunt and uncle — to visitors and workmates is happy things worked
Kara
out that way. So are the many volunteer organizations she’s associated with, from Leadership Steamboat and the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission, where she served for four years, to the Ski Town USA Rotary Club, where she’s helping its outreach efforts. As co-chair of the local USA Pro Challenge host committee, she was also instrumental in luring the nation’s biggest cycling race to town. “She’s very hard working and dedicated,” says Chamber CEO Jim Clark, adding she also created the All Arts and Oktoberwest festivals. “She’s the type of person you know will get the job done, and get it done right. She’s a true asset to this community.” For Stoller, she’s just glad it all gets her out in the community. “Working for the chamber has allowed me to get to know some great members of the community,”
she says. “Every day is different, which keeps things fresh and challenging. And Steamboat is great because it has such a dedicated and caring community.” When not spearheading the Chamber’s marketing efforts or helping Rotary’s mission, Stoller can be found practicing what she preaches, mountain biking, skiing, golfing, hiking and more — all of which makes her even more endearing to her cohorts. “She has an amazing work ethic, going above and beyond the call of duty every day, while still maintaining a great work/life balance,” says friend Sarah Coleman. “She’s smart, caring, happy and a real go-getter. Plus, she rips on a bike and skis.” — Eugene Buchanan Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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erin
Erin Walker has a work ethic inspired by her lifelong passion: music. “I think music just drives you,” Walker says. “It helps you remember moments or brings about certain emotions. It’s hard not to love it.” Combining her love for the arts and career, the Cincinnati, Ohio, native is known for her three-year role as the development director for Strings on the Mountain. “When you’re passionate about something, you put 100 percent into it,” says Walker. “From that, comes a strong work ethic.” When she was 8 years old, Walker started playing the harp. A few years later, she was competing nationally and eventually received a full ride scholarship to Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music. After graduating, Walker worked for the chambers of commerce in Cincinnati and Denver, founding the latter’s Young Professionals Group and joining its Impact Denver leadership class. Here in Steamboat, she’s still involved with the Young Professionals network as a board member and serves on the Yampa Valley Gives fundraising committee and other local organizations. “The biggest thing is that I love people,” says Walker. “You have to be excited about the product when it comes to fundraising, so with my love of music, it’s easy to tell our Strings story. I enjoy being out in the community telling people what we’re doing. I think people sense and feel that enthusiasm. “It’s my dream position,” she adds of her role at Strings. “Ever since my first internship at the Colorado Symphony in 2000, I’ve wanted to work for an arts organization. I just didn’t know when it was going to happen.” — Audrey Dwyer
50 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
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Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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Tara It took leaving town for college and traveling the world for a while for Tara Weaver, 33, to realize how much she loves Steamboat Springs. The daughter of Mary and Curt Weiss, Weaver was born and raised in Steamboat, before graduating from Iowa’s Drake University and traipsing and working abroad. Now married to husband, Ben, and working as operations director for her family’s Central Park Management, she’s doing everything she can to give back, using her work skills to help support the community. “I don’t think I appreciated Steamboat as much as I should have as a kid,” she says. “Leaving for school and then traveling around the world made me appreciated it here more than I ever would have imagined.” Most of her philanthropic efforts are geared toward
Weaver the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs, where she has chaired such fundraisers as the Community Barn Dance and Ski Town Classic, leading to record proceeds. She serves on 10 different Rotary committees, bringing her ceaseless energy to each one. “We grew up with Rotary as a family, so I’ve always been involved with it,” she says. “It’s my way to serve the community. I love its networking opportunities and people, and feel that as a group we can do more than I ever could as an individual. It’s a way to serve the community in a larger way.” And she still finds time to give even more. This fall, she’ll help teach the high school’s new CEO entrepreneurship program, and she’s also on the fundraising committee for the Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey
Association. “Tara gives 150 percent of herself in everything she does,” says her mom, Mary. “She’s a total team player at the office, and in her personal life she’s committed to her family, friends and the town. She truly loves this community and always makes time to put the needs of others first.” In whatever spare time she can muster, you’ll find her hiking and camping with her trusty silver lab Josie, or fishing, kayaking and paddleboarding area waterways. “I love the mountains and community feel here,” she says. “It’s amazing to be a part of.” — Eugene Buchanan Summer 2016 | Steamboat living
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5 minutes with
new Steamboat Junior Hockey team head coach
Misko Antisin A
s general manager and head coach of the new Steamboat Wranglers junior hockey team, Misko Antisin has one thing in mind for his team’s Yampa Valley debut: win games. A coach with British Columbia’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks and Westside Warriors, Antisin grew up in British Columbia before joining the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Kelowna Buckaroos at age 15. After captaining the WHL Victoria Cougars, he joined the Boston Bruins for training camps before an 18-year pro career in Switzerland, capturing three championships. We caught up with him between whistle blows to learn what it takes to build a team from scratch. — Eugene Buchanan
A lot of work goes into implementing a new hockey team. It’s like starting any new business, although we have the benefit of our parent team, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, and their business model. We need to coordinate ice time; get locker room facilities and offices; line up gear and uniforms; and get laundry equipment, a skate sharpening machine and video equipment. We also need to contract for team transportation and coordinate lodging and meals for road games. Another piece of the puzzle is lining up host families and sponsorship. Without local financial support and the billet families, there would be no team. We also need to get the players. Acquiring 25 passionate hockey players takes a lot of work. We’ll be traveling to attend hockey camps to observe players and recruit, which is highly competitive. Upon his graduation, we’re excited to sign Jack McNamara as our first player. We’re proud of the way the high school and Steamboat minor hockey has developed their young players. Our goal is to be a competitive hockey team, but also to develop these players so they can move on to either the British Columbia Hockey League, North American Hockey League or the U.S. Hockey League. A select few will move on to university hockey. Our players will learn what it takes to get to the next level, including systems, tactics and skills. They’ll learn how to compete. They’ll also learn important life skills.
I think the players will enjoy living with local host families. There’s a certain nervousness that comes with meeting a new family, but I can already tell there are some amazing people in this community so it should be a great fit. I’ve heard of Steamboat’s “powder clause.” Our players will be allowed to partake in big powder days, but they’ll do so at their own risk. We are a hockey-first mentality team. 54 | Steamboat living | Summer 2016
Photo by Joel Reichenberger
I love the energy of Steamboat Springs. Coming down Rabbit Ears Pass and seeing the town is breathtaking. The community has truly embraced us. I’m looking forward to becoming a member of the Steamboat community.
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