$2.1m Grant Awarded to CMC

Monies Assist Tech Ed Programs

In a press release distributed to media outlets this week, Colorado Mountain College (CMC) announced it has been awarded a $2.125 million, five-year grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s highly competitive Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP).

SIP is intended to expand colleges’ capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability. CMC’s project will be used to strengthen the college’s police officer training programs, nursing labs and skilled trades programs.

“I want to extend my congratulations to Colorado Mountain College on receiving a Strengthening Institutions Program grant,” said Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse. “CMC is a vital higher education institution for our state and we are grateful for all they do to ensure all students have access to a quality higher education.”

“News of this grant is so exciting and timely for our mountain region,” said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of the college.

CMC President Dr. Carrie Hauser

“This SIP grant will allow the college to better serve its students, and to further meet the needs of our communities for skilled workers in essential services like health care and law enforcement. As we all work toward recovery from the recession and pandemic, it’s clear that there’s never been a greater need for qualified, compassionate and skilled professionals in these areas.”

CMC will use the grant funds primarily on equipment and supplies needed to increase capacity for instruction. The grant also includes funds for staff training in providing mental health and academic advising support to students, as well as enhancing information technology.

The five-year Strengthening Institutions Program award from the U.S. Department of Education will support an initial “Phase 1” of a larger initiative CMC will undertake. One hundred percent of the total cost of the five-year, Phase 1 project will be financed with federal money, with 0% financed through non-governmental sources.

Nursing Simulation Labs

These funds will also enable the college to launch a fundraising initiative to build three nursing simulation labs in Glenwood Springs, Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs.

“In addition to the SIP grant funding, the CMC Foundation is seeking external partners for matching funds to help cover the cost of construction and other needs to transform these new laboratory spaces into learning hubs that will fully empower our students’ success in this ever-evolving digital age,” said Hauser.

Recently space for CMC’s proposed simulation lab in Steamboat Springs was made available by way of a partnership with Honey Stinger, a sports nutrition company based in that town. Honey Stinger is now hosting the Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center, which had been located at the CMC Steamboat Springs campus. The on-campus space previously occupied by the YVEC will be renovated into a nursing simulation lab.

CMC’s elected board of trustees has also pledged an additional $1.5 million to strengthen the college’s academic programs, improve administrative functionality, improve fiscal management and strengthen the student support skills of faculty and staff. Readers may find more information HERE about the Title III SIP grant.

Students from Lake County School District enjoy some outside time on Tuesday. Photo: Leadville Today.

Monday Commuters Will See Traffic Impact

An overnight full closure of Colorado Highway 91 will take place next Thursday, Oct. 29 near Copper Mountain. Although contractors for the project have stated that this date and time could change again – the original plan was Monday, now moved due to weather. Commuters are encouraged to pay attention to the CDOT signage along Highway 91 for the most accurate information.

The closure will allow crews to install a new pedestrian bridge over the intersection of CO 91 and Copper Road, which is located just south of Interstate 70. Nighttime travelers seeking access to I-70 from Leadville will be detoured via US Highway 24 through Minturn.

“The bridge will be installed overnight to minimize the impact to travelers on CO 91,” explained Jason Lederer, senior resource specialist for Summit County Open Space & Trails. “This is the first, and likely, only time we will be impacting motorists to build this trail. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding while we work on this exciting improvement to our trail system.”

Travelers will be able to access Copper Mountain from I-70 throughout the duration of the closure. And Lake County employees will be able to access The Climax Mine from the Leadville side.

The new bridge is a part of the larger Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway Project. This project is a collaboration between Summit and Lake counties, the U.S. Forest Service and the Climax Molybdenum Company. The new pathway will connect Summit and Lake counties’ pathway systems and will pass through National Forest and Climax-owned properties over Fremont Pass and along Colorado Highway 91 Top of the Rockies National Scenic Byway.

The project is being funded through the Federal Lands Access Program grant, Summit County, the State of Colorado and a local nonprofit organization of bicyclists. This three-mile section of trail runs along Tenmile Creek and is expected to open in early summer 2021.

TRAVEL IMPACTS

The closure will take place from 7 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. The detour will redirect traffic from Leadville through Minturn using US 24 and I-70, which adds 36 miles and approximately 30-40 minutes to travel time. Please see below for a map of the detour.

PROJECT INFORMATION

For additional information about this project, please contact the project information line at 970-456-4456 or SH91Bridge@PublicInfoTeam.com to sign up for updates.

WHAT is the Fremont Pass Recreation Pathway?

• A collaborative effort of Summit and Lake Counties, U.S. Forest, and the Climax Molybdenum Company (Climax) to create a regional recreational pathway connecting the pathway systems of the two Counties, passing through National Forest and Climax-owned properties on Fremont Pass

• Proposed alignment roughly parallels State Highway 91 over Fremont Pass for just over 21 miles, connecting the Mineral Belt Trail in Lake County with the Tenmile Canyon Recreational
Pathway at Copper Mountain

NEED for the Fremont Pass Recreation Pathway?

• Address the existing hazard for cyclists and motorists sharing SH 91 over Fremont Pass by creating a grade-separated regional recreational pathway for multimodal passive uses.
• Grade separated pathway would contribute substantially toward enhancing the quality of life, safety, economic development, and community partnering opportunities.

The Fremont Pass Rec Pathway hopes to get cyclists off the road and onto a safer passgeway across this high mountain pass located north of Leadville Today on Highway 91. Photo: Leadville Today.

GOALS for the Fremont Pass Recreation Pathway?

• Enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety between the Counties.
• Meet current and future recreational needs of residents and visitors to the high mountain region of Colorado.
• Improve statewide and regional economies by creating a passive recreation route between the Counties.
• Limit environmental impacts by utilizing existing infrastructure wherever possible.
• Achieve established Local and State-wide goals for Bicycle and Pedestrian infrastructure.
• Meet nationally recognized pathway design standards.

COMPLETED so far on the Fremont Pass Recreation Pathway?

• Secured approximately 75% of funding required to design, permit, and build first 3-mile long section in Summit County.
• Executed Memorandum of Agreement between the Counties and Climax.
• Planning studies for all sections of the pathway alignment through the Summit County, Lake County, and Climax

ONGOING EFFORTS for the Freemont Pass Recreation Pathway?

• Finalize design and permitting for Summit County Extension
• Develop remaining funding for Summit County Extension
• Build 3-mile long Summit County Extension – 2019-2020
• Open Summit County Extension to the public in 2020