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Sunday, January 11, 2009 2:05 AM MST

Sleeping Giant gets $500,000 grant

CODY -- The State Loan and Investment Board has approved a $500,000 grant for the Sleeping Giant ski area, located about 45 miles west of Cody in the Shoshone National Forest.

The grant was part of a $22 million package of Wyoming Business Council infrastructure and community enhancement funding for cities and towns across the state.

The money will be used to help purchase and install electrical system upgrades, snowmaking equipment and a new triple-chair lift for the west side of the ski area, said Bryant Hall, executive director for Sleeping Giant.

Kim Sears, a WBC spokeswoman, said the grant is contingent on Sleeping Giant raising by May 1 an additional $766,697 in matching funds required to finish the improvements.

Sleeping Giant must also partner with an appropriate nonprofit group if its federal tax-exempt status is not yet approved by May 1, Sears said.

Hall said the community-run nonprofit Sleeping Giant organization will be seeking donations from businesses and individuals in the weeks ahead.

All five Park County commissioners as well as outgoing Commissioner Marie Fontaine made personal donations of $100 each to Sleeping Giant earlier this week, said Hall, son of Commissioner Bucky Hall.

The ski area has been closed since spring 2004, and organizers were unable to meet fundraising goals in time to open the hill this winter, but have said they now plan to reopen by Thanksgiving.

More than $3.5 million in repairs and improvements are planned for the ski area, including new lifts, a new bridge and adding an additional 400 vertical feet of runs at the top of existing slopes.

Organizers say their goal is to create a winter sports hub that will attract residents from across the Big Horn Basin and surrounding areas.

Laramie theater faces partial demolition

LARAMIE -- A demolition crew will bring down the partially collapsed roof of the Fox Theater in Laramie.

The partial demolition will be done today and Monday.

The Laramie City Council decided the roof needed to be demolished immediately because it posed a safety hazard.

The city is looking for the money to pay for the demolition of the entire building.

Magazine honors Cheyenne

CHEYENNE -- True West magazine has named Cheyenne as the No. 1 Western Town for 2009.

Cheyenne beat out Deadwood, S.D.; Austin, Texas; and Silver City, N.M.

Several recent projects in Cheyenne that got the attention of True West include work to establish historic districts, a new downtown livery stable, a cell phone audio tour system and the $1.2 million skylight restoration project at the state Capitol.

Darren Rudloff of the Cheyenne Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau says the designation is an honor.

Yellowstone tops 3 million visitors in '08

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK -- The number of people visiting Yellowstone National Park topped the 3 million mark in 2008.

The 3,066,579 who visited the world's first national park was down 2.7 percent from the record 3,151,343 visitors in 2007. The 2008 total is the sixth highest visitation year in the park's history.

For the month of December, a total of 16,352 people visited Yellowstone, down almost 20 percent from December 2007.


Contiguous rural states have lowest jobless rates		Wyoming briefs

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There are 10 comment(s)

Comments to this story.

Dewd wrote on Jan 11, 2009 9:04 AM:

" The next time the State of Wyoming hands out these kinds of grants that Sleeping Giant Ski Area just recieved, I'm going to apply for one. I'll be askng for money to start a Banana plantation in the foothills of the Absaroka Mountains.

It stands a chance of making more money than a small isolated ski hill at the end of a dead end road with few amenities, no night life and no assured airline service. If you want all that , drive a mere 15 miles further from Cody to Red Lodge , Montana.

I strongly doubt the Sleeping Giant nonprof will be able to raise the matching $ 800,000 by May in this economic climate.t But even if they miraculously succeed, the economics of small ski hills are almost insurmountable to start with , even when carrying no debt at all. "

crazy horse wrote on Jan 12, 2009 9:59 AM:

" Gasp - agree with Dewd on this one. "

Foolishness wrote on Jan 12, 2009 12:13 PM:

" We have to many latte sipping snobs coming to visit and also moving here now. If you want to play in the snow go to Vermont, Washington or anywhere else that offers such play time fun. Wyoming is not now, and never should be a nightlife and rich peoples recreation destination. There are enough h_ll holes that provide those "distractions" for the idle wealthy to fill their pointless lives with artificial meaning now. "

Hubber wrote on Jan 12, 2009 3:38 PM:

" Maybe if the skiers all joined Rockymoutain Elk Foundation, Trout Unlimited or Phesants Forever and rolled up their sleves and worked on a habitat project in the field they would then find some real meaning in their shallow lives and they could give up adolescent thrill seeking? "

Tipi wrote on Jan 12, 2009 4:17 PM:

" I guess hunting and fishing should replace all the other outdoor activities. While I don't think Sleeping Giant will ever make a dime, I do know a lot of hunters and fishermen who ski. Just because you never learned how to ski doesn't mean the two are mutually exclusive. "

Newbee wrote on Jan 12, 2009 5:19 PM:

" I love reading these responses...good humor. Dewd, crazy horse, Foolishness, & Huber....what are you guys thinking? Inroads to economic development need to start at grass roots levels. What is wrong with a ski resort? Brings in jobs, visitors, and those skiers will buy gas, food, and other stuff from local businesses. Wyoming can't stay as it was in 1860. We need to adapt to new trends, attract businesses & visitors, and become a place that people want to come to. If you don't like what is going on - I hope you voted because it is our elected officials - the one's that our state voted for - that is making these decisions. Remember...the mind is like a parachute...it must be open to work! "

Cody wrote on Jan 12, 2009 5:31 PM:

" Check your Math Dewd...

The distance from Cody to Red Lodge is Trip distance: 63.76 miles Time: 1 hr 18 mins. Just got this off Map Quest. Besides, Cody's location can entice many visitors coming from Yellow Stone on Hwy. 14. Red Lodge does not have that advantage, plus this would be good for locals. "build it and they will come" - other businesses will follow if the ski area opens. Convenience stores, bars, restaurants, and others will follow. This location may not attract people from far away wanting to fly to an exotic ski location but it can capture a decent sized market for a relatively small investment. Ski areas like Red Lodge cost millions - this grant is only for $500,000. "

Fiercely Independent wrote on Jan 13, 2009 10:59 AM:

" The question I have is - How much snow does the Sleeping Giant location get annually? If it gets more than Red Lodge, then it will have an advantage over Red Lodge. Plus, Red Lodge is packed full of out of control riders, so a nice quiet out of the way place has some appeal; especially to locals. I cannot image Sleeping Giant becoming a major tourist destination, so it will be interesting if the operation can financially survive. "

WestWyo wrote on Jan 13, 2009 1:40 PM:

" Over the years I've seen many projects such as ski areas, golf courses, civic centers, recreation centers, etc, funded by my tax dollars. Usually these projects are supported by the crowd that always whines when they think government is interfering with private enterprise. If there is a demand for a service a good businessman should be able to invest his own money and make a go of it. If there is not enough of a demand to keep a private business going, why then is there a demand to spend taxpayer dollars? "

Cuz wrote on Jan 13, 2009 2:40 PM:

" I suppose this fits the mission of the Wyoming Business Council, which has arms that are nothing more than a good old boys network that ensures a select few profit. Maybe the Governor should seriously consider the Wyoming Business Council as an entity that should face drastic cutbacks due to the now recognized revenue shortfalls. "

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