Those looking to claim Grand and Reserve Champion later this summer completed the first step in the process that is the buildup to the 2021 Moffat County Fair Saturday morning.
Moffat County High School at night. (Max O’Neill / Craig Press)
The challenges of remote instruction has led to lower student grades this academic year at Moffat County High and Craig Middle schools, district officials say. The high school currently has 46 students in credit recovery programs at the alternative school.
Students are encouraged to attend the alternative school when they are a year behind in terms of credits earned. With an 8-to-1 student to teacher ratio and individual goals for each student to reach graduation, the alternative school can help provide more individual student instruction and guidance.
“So often those kids stay until they graduate or stay until they get caught up with their peers, whichever comes first. So, right now we have 46 kids and we’ve probably placed 20 new kids this year,” MCHS principal Sarah Hepworth said. “We generally don’t place freshmen, so those are sophomores, juniors and seniors that were behind.”
Parks and Rec Director Ryan Dennison sits at his desk busy at work, trying to make the parks system as great as it can be. (Max O’Neill / Craig Press)
Nearly all of Craig Parks and Recreation Director Ryan Dennison’s tenure with the department has been under the shadow of the pandemic.
That hasn’t stopped him from enjoying what he does, however. Dennison, who celebrates his one-year anniversary today, worked as the recreation director for five years before taking over the top position.
Dennison fell in love with parks and rec while he was a sophomore at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.
Dan Hodges and Bill Spicer drive the Groomer on Black Mountain. (Max O’Neill / Craig Press)
With so much land available to outdoor recreators in Moffat County, it helps to have some dedicated community members donate their time so others can have fun.
Here in Moffat County, Northwest Colorado Snowmobile Club members help groom trails on both sides of Black Mountain, creating opportunities for other area snowmobilers to enjoy all that Moffat County has to offer, in terms of winter outdoor recreation.
The club maintains the Freeman Trailhead and the Black Mountain Trailhead, thanks to two Prinoth Bison Groomers that cut trails for snowmobilers. The club has 50 active members and has volunteers that go out twice a week to plow the snow mobile trails.
BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS: Students head out of Craig Middle School along Yampa Avenue Wednesday afternoon following a day of classes. Moffat County returned to school on Jan. 4 following holiday break, and is looking to pick up where the district left off at the end of 2020. For more on the return to school, turn to page 9. (Max O Neill / Craig Press)
With school back in the swing of things in Moffat County, the district and teachers are taking the lessons learned from the first semester and applying them to the second semester, which could have some promising changes later in the year.