OURAY – John Naccarato got the surprise of his life earlier this month when he found out he was the winner of the Ouray Chamber Resort Association’s 48th Annual Jeep Raffle. The Colorado Springs resident traveled to Ouray last weekend to claim his prize: a bright orange 2012 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4x4.
“We are so excited to have a winner from so close to home,” said OCRA board of directors President Brandy Ross. Past winners have come from all across the United States.
Tickets for the annual Jeep raffle are sold at about 30 participating Ouray businesses all summer long. Naccarato bought seven tickets from True Value Hardware Store while visiting Ouray in June to attend a friend’s wedding. His winning ticket, No. 4672, was selected at a live raffle drawing that was part of Ouray’s Oktoberfest Celebration on Oct. 6.
OCRA marketing manager Heidi Pankow said the chamber received nonstop phone calls in the days following the raffle drawing, from people who had bought tickets and thought they might have been the winner, but somehow missed the call.
Naccarato, 28, is married and has a toddler son. He and his young family recently relocated from Eagle to Colorado Springs, where he works for a company that builds airport hangars. Now he will have a great excuse to get out of the city and into the high country, he said. He plans to return to Ouray next summer to drive his Jeep in the Fourth of July parade.
His new ride, valued at about $26,000, came with a 2.5 inch lift kit donated by Switzerland of America Jeep Rentals and a Rubicon tire package donated by Flower Motors, through which OCRA orders its raffle Jeep each year.
OCRA reported an approximate 30 percent increase in raffle ticket sales this year, with over 20,000 tickets sold.
“We printed 20,000 tickets, and had to order more, for the first time ever,” Ouray Visitor Center manager Carol Garard said. One reason for the bump in sales might have been that the raffle got underway earlier than usual this year, with ticket sales beginning at the well-attended MudFest event at the Ouray County Fairgrounds in late April. The Jeep was moved around town more frequently and was at more events, including the Mountain Air Music Series in Fellin Park each Thursday evening in June.
At last count, OCRA had netted about $60,000 from this year’s raffle. Some of that money will be set aside to purchase next year’s Jeep. Another portion will be used to purchase fireworks for the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve celebrations. Traditionally, OCRA uses whatever is left over to fund its annual scholarships for Ouray students. But this year, with record revenues, the organization is looking for new ways to spend part of the money.
“We are excited to look at other options for reinvesting some of the funds into the community,” OCRA board of directors vice president Tamara Gulde said.
Ouray, which is nicknamed the “Jeep Capital of the World,” has built an important segment of its summer tourism industry around the Jeep brand and the rugged high country adventurism it signifies. The OCRA Jeep raffle has been a Ouray tradition for nearly five decades. “Jeep recognizes that we are the only community in the country that has stood by its brand for that long,” Ross said. She is hoping for a special commemorative Jeep to be featured in the 50th annual Jeep raffle coming up in 2014.
As raffle season wraps up, OCRA is now turning its attention toward planning for the 2013 Ouray County Mud Fest, an annual event the last weekend of April. The weekend kicks off on Friday, April 26 with a Mud Jam fundraiser concert for the Mountain Air Concert Series at Fellin Park in Ouray. On Saturday, April 27, Mud Fest fun shifts to Ridgway with 4X4 events, a motorcycle expo, and more at the Ouray County Fairgrounds. On Sunday, April 28, there will be 4X4 event finals, a town-to-town foot race between Ouray and Ridgway and award presentations in Fellin Park. A mountain bike course and a shorter foot race are also in the works.
The Mud Fest is jointly sponsored by the OCRA and the Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce.
A Parade for Pups
There will be a costume party and parade for pooches at the Ouray Dog Park this Saturday morning, Oct. 28, at 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to the best dressed dogs. The park is located at the western terminus of Eighth Avenue, bordering on the Uncompahgre River.
June Kirchner, who has spearheaded the effort to create the Ouray Dog Park, and several other dog park supporters, attended the Oct. 1 Ouray City Council meeting to ask council’s blessing for the event, as well as for a number of park improvements the group has planned for the near future. They requested that the city help improve alley access into the park through a side gate, so that heavy equipment operators can expedite landscaping efforts, including covering the northern third of the park with crushed granite and the south side with sod. These projects will be paid for with about $3,000 of privately raised Dog Park funds. Other projects envisioned in the near future include the installation of a temporary small-dog area, and the purchase of directional signage from the Colorado Department of Transportation to be installed along Main Street/U.S. Highway 550.
Several citizens attending the meeting sung the Ouray Dog Park’s praises.
“Many people don’t even know we have a beautiful little dog park,” Ouray business owner Tamara Gulde noted. “It’s an attractant. I think you’ll have less dog leavings and happier dogs. It’s a good thing, and the community and visitors really appreciate it.”
Council unanimously approved all of the Friends of the Ouray Dog Park’s requests. “I think you are doing a terrific job down there,” said Ouray Mayor Bob Risch.
Council Develops Ouray Ice Park Mission Statement
Now that the City of Ouray is a major stakeholder in the Ouray Ice Park (having bought a 24-acre parcel of its core from the U.S. Forest Service earlier this year), council is making an effort to play a greater role in shaping the amenity’s future. With that end in mind, council held a work session earlier this month to discuss its long‐term vision for the Ice Park.
The goal of the discussion, as summarized by City Resource Manager Ann Morganthaler, was to “ensure that future decisions and actions preserve the integrity of the Ice Park for the benefit of the Citizens of Ouray.”
At its Oct. 15 meeting, council unanimously agreed upon the following mission statement:
“The Ice Park is a year‐around recreational area that welcomes all visitors for free. The City protects the history and natural beauty of the Ice Park for the recreational and economic benefit of the citizens of the City of Ouray. Ice climbing is a prioritized use of the park. Use and management of the Park shall emphasize safety, community enjoyment and preservation of natural amenities.”
Council members generally agreed that they do not want to see the natural character of the Ice Park devolve into a “Disney Land” atmosphere with bungee jumping, ziplines and slacklines.
The city and Ouray Ice Park, Inc. are poised to enter an Ice Park operating agreement, which will be presented to Council at the Nov. 5 meeting.
Mine Talks
The City of Ouray is seeking to establish an open line of communication with the operators of two historic mines in the area that have recently seen a resurgence of activity. City Resource Manager Ann Morganthaler announced in a memo to council that Lezah Saunders, who is managing all mine safety and MSHA certifications at the Camp Bird Mine for new operator Caldera Mineral Resources, Inc., will be consulting with the city on an emergency management plan for the Camp Bird Mine. Morganthaler is also seeking a regular contact at the Revenue-Virginius Mine.
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