Time Machine: 50 years ago, President Ford sets the record straight about being misquoted on Vail snowfall

Vail Trail/Vail Daily archive
30 years ago
Jan. 20, 1995
A Disney development was slated to be an integral part of the $75 million Village Center at Beaver Creek, the Vail Trail reported, but the project would not contain Disney characters or a theme park.
“Although the plans give Disney the option to build up to 125 condominium units in a mountain lodge facility, Disney characters, or other vestiges of Disney theme parks, will be nowhere in evidence,” the Trail reported.
East West Partners and Vail Associates, development partners in the Village Center project, knew that Disney was looking to expand its Vacation Clubs into ski resorts and convinced Disney that Beaver Creek was a prime choice, according to East West Partners’ president Harry Frampton.
“This has zero to do with the theme parks,” Frampton said. “I don’t think the buildings will look significantly different from the other buildings in Beaver Creek.”

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40 years ago
Jan. 25, 1985
Cathy Waldron of Benchmark cleaners found two 1 million peso Argentinian notes and another 500,000 peso note in a pair of jeans, the Vail Trail reported.
According to the rate of exchange for Argentinian pesos to American dollars at the time, the find turned out to be worth about $13,400.
Waldron called Lion Square Lodge, where the owners of the jeans were staying, and told a woman with the group what she had found, the Trail reported, quoting Waldron.
“She didn’t seem very interested,” Waldron said. “She just said, ‘Stick it back in the pants and send it over.'”
Waldron admitted to feeling slightly wistful in thinking about how much money she found and how little concern its owners showed in getting it back, the Trail reported.
“Everybody said I should have kept it,” Waldron said. “But it wasn’t mine to begin with, so I gave it back.”
50 years ago
Jan. 24, 1975
President Gerald R. Ford, following a visit to Vail a few weeks earlier, heard that a commentator misquoted him by saying that he had said Vail had not had any snow since he left, when the resort had seen ample snowfall.
“To make sure he wouldn’t be misquoted here he called (Vail Mountain public relations representative) Nancy Kindel to put her straight, knowing that she’d let us know,” wrote Vail Trail Publisher George Knox. “As they were talking, Nancy said: ‘But Mr. President, here you are calling and I’m in the middle of listening to Speaker Carl Albert tear into your plans and programs.'”
Ford responded with a laugh and said, “That’s why I’m calling right now — so you won’t have to listen to him.”
80 years ago
Jan. 20, 1945
All three of the 10th Mountain Division’s regiments were on or near the front line between the Serchio Valley and Mt. Belvedere in Italy, while a ski patrol from the 86th HQ I&R Platoon and consisting of 1st Lt. Donald E. Traynor, Sgt. Stephen P. Knowlton, Cpl. Harry Brandt, and Pfcs. Cragg D. Gilbert and Harvey Slater reconnoitered the regimental front in camouflage whites.
Col. Raymond C. Barlow was commanding the 85th Regiment, Col. Clarence M. Tomlinson the 86th, and Col. David M. Fowler the 87th.
The 10th was part of Maj. Gen. Willis Crittenberger’s IV Corps, which included the
Brazilian 1st Infantry Division, the 92nd Infantry Division, and the 1st Armored Division.

100 years ago
Jan. 16, 1925
Lydia B. Tague, the first female judge in Colorado, retired after 13 years presiding in the Eagle County courthouse, the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.
Tague was appointed to the position in February of 1911 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of her husband, who had been elected to the office. She was then re-elected three times.
Tague was heralded as Colorado’s first female judge and her career in that position was closely watched by many, the Enterprise reported.
“She proved to the skeptics that sex was no bar to judicial efficiency, and no county of the state has had a county judge of whom they could point with greater pride than Eagle County,” the Enterprise reported. “Her decisions on legal matters have been upheld in the supreme court of the state; she has been fair but strict to the law in deciding matters coming before her for decision; and probate affairs have been handled most carefully and expeditiously.”
Vail Resorts says profits are up and skier visits are down as it faces more legal problems
Vail Resorts issued its annual early season update to investors on Thursday, reporting that season-to-date total skier visits through Jan. 5 are…
