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Crested Butte News NEWSNovember 2, 2012 | 11Mt. CB distributes$270k in admissionstax grant fundsCrested Butte MountainResort gets $226,000 forairlines[ by Seth MenSing ]The Mt. Crested Butte TownCouncil turned $323,500 in admissionstax grant requests fromnine local groups and organizationsinto $270,000 in actualfunding for programs and marketingaimed at bringing morepeople to town during the winterseason. The biggest prize,a $226,000 grant, went to helpCrested Butte Mountain Resortpay for its part of airline serviceto the valley this winter.Crested Butte Lodging alsogot a significant share of the admissionstax dollars divvied upthis year. That organization wasawarded $24,000 of the $28,300it had requested for variousmarketing campaigns coveringColorado, Kansas, Texas andOklahoma.“Our earnedincome nearlyquadrupled thissummer over lastsummer.Katie MuellerTrailhead excecutivedirectorAdmissions tax dollars aregenerated through a 4 percenttax on the sale of event tickets,like those to ride the lifts or seea show, and the town hopes toinvest those dollars where theywill be likely to attract more peoplehere and generate more admissionstax dollars to enhanceactivities in town.The Town Council took alook at the nine requests forfunding in mid-September froma range of community groupshoping to get out the word abouttheir activities and events, althoughonly seven of the groupssent representatives to appeal forthe funds in person.The Adaptive Sports Center,which has been giving peoplewith disabilities the chance toparticipate in outdoor and adventureactivities in the GunnisonValley for the past 25 years,applied for a $7,500 grant to“increase awareness and participationfor the Adaptive SportsCenter,” according to its application.In the last two seasons alone,ASC has seen 65 percent growthin its programs, treating 573 peopleto a day in the life last year,totaling 5,058 activities. Currentprojections show the 2012 seasonwill see a 12 percent increase inactivity, according to the application,which will likely lead tomore sold lift tickets at CrestedButte Mountain Resort and moreadmissions tax for the town.“Marketing conducted bythe Adaptive Sports Center marketingteam during the fall of2012 will grow the number of individualstraveling to Mt. CrestedButte during the winter of2012-13,” the application notes.The council liked what it heardand offered the ASC $7,000 fortheir marketing plan.There was also a $3,000 grantapplication from Gunnison AreaRestorative Practices, whichtakes a group approach in “preventingand managing conflictand harmful behaviors,” amongpeople in the community.According to its application,GARP will use the money tobring as many as 450 people totown in late November for FreshTracks, a fundraiser that couldbring the organization $40,000in donations. It would also bringlocals and second-home ownersto town for the early days of theski season and the Thanksgivingholiday.“This will result in increasedrevenues from both the eventand the weekend to Mt. CrestedButte,” the application says, asmany do, to assure the councilthey would see some returns ontheir investment. Council decideda $2,000 investment would beenough.The Trailhead Children’sMuseum, located in the CBMRbase area, was another organizationthat lined up for admissionstax funds, applying for $3,500 tohelp pay for marketing effortsaimed at increasing attendanceat the museum and participationin programs yet again.Trailhead executive directorKatie Mueller wrote in the application,“Our earned incomenearly quadrupled this summerover last summer. More specifically,the Trailhead experienceddouble the amount of paidvisitors, double the amount ofmember visits and a significantincrease in summer program attendance.”Currently, Mueller wrote,the Trailhead serves about 10,000children and their families annually.If funded in full, the grantFOOD FUNDRAISER: Marchitelli’s Gourmet Noodle hosted the CBCS Fourth Grade Fundraiser on Thursday,October 25. photo by Lydia Sternwould have covered about 35percent of the Trailhead’s wintermarketing budget, but the councilopted to fund $3,000 of the requestthis year.Trimming a little off the topof each organization’s requestwas common for the Town Council,as the $4,000 request from theCrested Butte/Mt. Crested ButteChamber of Commerce for thiswinter’s Butte Bucks Programturned into a $3,000 grant.That program, entering itsthird season, “encourages localspending and stimulates the localeconomy with a direct, positiveand measurable impact onlocal businesses and local salestax,” chamber executive directorDan Marshal wrote the councilin the application.The same fate of scaled-backfunding fell on the Elk MountainsGrand Traverse, which requested$3,000 and got $1,500.The revamped Crested ButteSongwriter’s Festival, now backto life for a second year of bringinglive music and a few bignames in country music to thevalley for four days in January,got the $3,500 it requested.Mt. Crested Butte will makegrants from its admissions taxfund for the summer in March.Junior Nordic sign-up has begunAttention all interested Junior Nordic cross-country skiers:Sign up has started for all CBNT skiers, ages five through highschool. This is for all programs from recreational to race. Everyoneis welcome, and no experience is necessary. For more informationon programs and schedules, please contact Emma Lohr at lohref@gmail.com Think Snow!