The Silverthorne Pulse

It’s the message no one wants to receive: evacuate now due to a nearby wildfire.  The Ptarmigan Fire, which ignited on Sept. 27, was burning dangerously close to the Town of Silverthorne and several of its residents, and authorities wanted residents to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. While preparing for the worst, a generous group of neighbors in Silverthorne mobilized quickly to feed and support firefighters battling the blaze. It all happened during that first day of activity, according to local resident and restaurant owner Tim Applegate, …

PARA ESPAÑOL, HAGA CLIC AQUÍ. As far as local business owner Alexandria Carns sees it, talk is far from cheap when it means coming together as a diverse community and sharing perspectives.  In early June 2020, Carns became inspired to start Solidarity Nation after attending a Solidarity March in Breckenridge.  “When I walked with hundreds of people to stand together in solidarity, I felt honored and acknowledged,” Carns said. “It healed something in me that I didn’t realize needed healing.” That moment ignited a passion within Carns to create an organization that …

PARA ESPAÑOL, HAGA CLIC AQUÍ. Silverthorne has always embraced its artistic community. Although the pandemic has postponed the vibrant atmosphere of live music, the Summit Musicians Relief Fund (SMRF), a local nonprofit dedicated to providing relief to local musicians experiencing financial hardship, has launched a creative way to deliver live music to anyone who’s been craving concerts – the SMRF Cares Concert Series 2021. Specifically, the SMRF Cares Concert Series 2021 pays musicians to perform live, one-hour concerts at the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center in front of a small audience. Each concert …

PARA ESPAÑOL, HAGA CLIC AQUÍ. For children, the holidays mean a break from school, time with family, and of course, presents.  Yet hundreds of low-income families in Summit County have a hard time putting presents under the tree. That’s where Adopt an Angel comes in. Adopt an Angel solicits donations of new toys, clothes, and other goodies that volunteers then sort and distribute to qualified families around Summit County. Started about twenty years ago by Silverthorne Chief of Police John Minor and his department, the program served about 400 children last year, …

PARA ESPAÑOL, HAGA CLIC AQUÍ. Since 1993, the Family & Intercultural Resource Center (FIRC) has helped Summit County families, and the organization’s efforts during the pandemic have been a literal lifesaver. From March to June, the organization provided 17,000 services in just three months, which is above what they typically provide in an entire year. With two-thirds of the Summit County’s workforce affected by the pandemic, FIRC has been able to meet the changing needs of the community.  FIRC serves as a safety net for families in Summit County with services that …

PARA ESPAÑOL, HAGA CLIC AQUÍ. October 10th is World Mental Health Day, aimed at raising awareness and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. In Summit County, the local nonprofit organization Building Hope is dedicated to improving the mental health of the community. The community-wide initiative creates a coordinated, effective and responsive mental health system that promotes emotional health, reduces stigma, and improves access to care and support for everyone throughout Summit County. This year, as a result of the pandemic, the organization has been especially flexible and proactive, nimbly serving …

PARA ESPAÑOL, HAGA CLIC AQUÍ. Even as the pandemic forced a massive shutdown in March, Summit County residents Bob and Sue Peterson doubled down on their work: coordinating and serving the Summit County Community Dinner at the Elks Lodge every Tuesday without interruption. The Community Dinner program, launched in 2008 by founder and long-time Silverthorne resident Deb Hage, provides free meals for everyone who attends and, in the fall, will also offer flu shots. The weekly program is made possible through donations and volunteer labor. Bob tracks donations and oversees food …

PARA ESPAÑOL, HAGA CLIC AQUÍ. Before becoming the face of the Summit County chapter of The Cycle Effect, Isabel Rodriguez had never ridden a mountain bike. To the group’s leaders, that made her perfect for the job. With additional chapters in Eagle and Mesa counties, The Cycle Effect aims to empower young women through mountain biking to create brighter futures and build stronger communities. Rodriguez might have lacked the technical skills, but she could bridge the organization and the population it sought to reach. “Even though I wasn’t a mountain biker, …

On a typical day, flashing red and blue lights heading toward your home is not exactly a welcomed sight. But during the COVID-19 stay at home order, Summit Fire & EMS has helped roughly 20 Summit County residents celebrate their birthdays with a drive-by parade of fire trucks and ambulances flashing their lights, giving birthday wishes over the PA system, and when possible teaming up with local law enforcement vehicles for an even flashier show. “A lot of people deal with us on their worst day ever,” said Steve Lipsher, …

When our country is in crisis, members of the National Guard are “always ready, always there.” Even during the COVID-19 pandemic when they are facing the same anxiety, fears and family needs that the rest of us are, the National Guard’s citizen soldiers are called to step away from their daily lives and businesses to serve the community.  For Silverthorne eye doc Jessica Hegewald, owner of Blue River Vision, this calling to serve in the National Guard is a privilege. “I chose health care and the National Guard for the …