40780 US Highway 6 & 24, Avon, CO 81620
Vail, Colo., 81658
(970) 949-0555

• Name and location:

Vail Daily
Eagle/Vail, Colorado

• When was it founded and by whom?

Jim Pavelich. 6/15/81

• What the ownership has been?

Jim Pavelich started and owned the Vail Daily until Swift Newspapers purchased it on October 1, 1993.

• When did it become part of Swift Newspapers?

October 1, 1993

• Any history as to the frequency of publications?

Started as a five-day, per week paper on 8.5” by 14” two-sided sheet feed job. It went to six days a week in 1989, and seven days per week in 1992.

• Today’s publication schedule and circulation figures:

Daily, 15,000 circulation

• Number of full-time and part-time employees:

The Vail Daily has about 48 employees who work exclusively for the newspaper. CMNM then shares approximately 60 employees who are headquartered in the Vail Daily building, along with the Vail Trail and Colorado Resort Publishing.

• Total region served and anything of special interest about the area:

Eagle Valley, also known as the Vail Valley, home of the best ski resorts in North America, Beaver Creek and Vail.

• Anything of special interest about the newspaper?

We are a free newspaper and have a tremendous number of daily advertisers. These businesses change their ads sometimes daily. We can average 70 to 100 pages per day throughout the year. Between classified and display, there are also a combined average of 1,000 ads per day in the Vail Daily.

The Vail Daily had a strong showing this year at the Colorado Press Association’s annual contest, held over the past weekend at the Brown Palace in Denver. Competing against other daily newspapers in the circulation range of 7,501-15,000, the Daily won 16 CPA awards.

Best Deadline News Reporting, First Place: Vail Daily Staff

Best Deadline News Reporting, Second Place: Steve Lynn

Best Deadline News Reporting, Third Place: Randy Wyrick

Best Feature Story, Second Place: Randy Wyrick

Best Education Story, Second Place: Nicole Frey

Best Series, Second Place: Vail Daily Staff (Eagle River series)

Best Special Section, First Place: Vail Daily Staff (25th Anniversary publication)

Best Serious Column Writing, Third Place: Don Cohen

Best News Photograph, Second Place: Kristin Anderson

Best News Photograph, Third Place: Dominique Taylor

Best Feature Photograph, Second Place: Dominique Taylor

Best Photo Essay, Second Place: Preston Utley

Best News Page Design, Third Place: Aaron Cessna

Best Editorial Layout and Design, Second Place: Vail Daily Staff

Best Real Estate Ad, Second Place: Tracey Schmiedt

Best Advertising Campaign, Third Place: Marian Phelps & Zach DuFresne


Also held over the weekend were the annual “CAPER” awards, presented by the Colorado Associated Press. Winners included:

Don Rogers, First Place, Editorial Writing

Preston Utley, Second Place, Feature photograph

Honorable mention: Kristin Anderson, news photograph

Honorable mention: Allen Best, environmental reporting