People
Collection for person entities.
Pages
-
- John McBride
- John and Laurie McBride remain amazed at the reach of Aspen projects modestly begun. In 1966 they moved to Aspen from Vail because John was hired to work on the creation of Snowmass with a group of other 20-somethings. Previously a member of the U. S. Hockey Team, he founded a junior hockey program, not expecting much because Aspen was a confirmed ski town. “Now there are 350 kids in the program, 100 of them girls, there are all kinds of volunteer coaches, and Aspen has won state championships.” A lifetime sportsman, in 2002 John had the honor of passing the Olympic torch to Amanda Boxtel. In 1969 John created the Aspen Business Center, a 28-acre development near the airport that is home to some 180 businesses. In the 1990s he still had 22 undeveloped acres, and recognizing that Aspen needed middle-class housing, he created a residential area called the North Forty. Only those who had lived in the valley for three years could build there, houses were limited to 2,200 square feet, and John’s goal was to create a self-sufficient community that would cut back on the need to commute. In the early ’80s the McBrides bought a cattle ranch in the Capitol Creek Valley and achieved their proudest accomplishment—raising three children who are dedicating their adult lives to sports and the environment. Meanwhile, John and Laurie were looking at problems beyond the Roaring Fork Valley. Fans of writer and animal protectionist Gerald Durrell, who became their houseguest on a visit to Aspen, John wound up on the board of Durrell’s Wildlife Conservation Trust and Laurie serves on the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund, concentrating on a program to restore grasslands of the Northern Plains to the state that sustained herds of buffalo. John became fascinated with the works of futurist Lester Brown, traveled to a conference of Brown’s Worldwatch Institute, found it “mind-blowing,” became a board member and invited the event to Aspen under the auspices of the Sopris Foundation, which he co-founded with his daughter Katie (a former Sojourner Salutee). Calling it “State of the World,” he brought in such speakers as Bill McKibben and Stewart Udall and quadrupled attendance, greatly impressing Brown. After several years debating large, analytic ideas, they turned to issues of the West, inviting such local decision-makers as mayors and county commissioners. Ultimately John decided the world was overburdened with conferences and that their ideas would have more impact as documentaries that could be sent anywhere. The first of these, “Nobody’s Home,” presents Aspen’s West End as an example of a former local neighborhood that became an enclave of second homes, displacing the workforce—a cautionary tale alerting vulnerable Western towns to the threat, with recommendations for avoidance strategies. The film is in demand throughout the West, Canada and Europe and is only the first in a projected series. And thus the modest projects continue. Sojourner Magazine —Photo: soprisfoundation.org (Aspen Hall of Fame website)
-
- John McGinley
- An Irish immigrant who came to Fruita, Colorado in the 1880's. He settled Fruita's Star District between 19 1/2 and 20 Roads and L and M roads, next to the homestead of his brother William McGinley. He married Annie in the [St. Malachy?] Catholic Church of Fruita in 1894. The couple homesteaded together on J Road between 20 and 20 1/2 Roads. He worked with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad while it was being constructed to Grand Junction. In 1882, he went to work helping to build the Grand Valley Canal with a team of horses.
-
- John Micetic
- John Micetic wore a lot of hats in his nearly 50 years of living in Telluride. The longtime local died at his beach house in Rockport, Texas, May 17. He was 80. Not only was he elected mayor of Telluride (and a town council member), but he also served on the Telluride Volunteer Fire Department for more than 20 years and was an EMT for 11 years. He was an active member of the Rotary and Telluride Elks Lodge No. 692, as well as having served on the Telluride Regional Airport board of directors. He worked as a Realtor and owned Telluride Realty for 12 years, and volunteered as a Little League baseball coach and as a cook for special events at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. He also was a partner with Sky Walters in the 1970s community hub, The Silver Jack Restaurant. And, in 2005, he was selected as Citizen of the Year. From all those endeavors and his wide circle of friends, one can assume there are a lot of stories about the Chicago native. That assumption is correct. Dave and Lael Fruen said he was the first person they met after arriving in Telluride and they were the best of friends. Lael remembered Micetic’s competitive side. “He was very athletic so we tried to teach him how to play tennis,” she said. “Dave hit a tennis ball and John went after it like he would a softball. We had to quit playing — there was too much blood on the court and on him.” Many of Micetic’s oldest friends fondly recall The Silver Jack Restaurant (located where Telluride Sports stands today). His business partner and friend, Sky Walters, recalled how the two met because of goldfish. “He had an aquarium shop in Chicago and I used to wholesale goldfish,” Walters said. In the course of shooting the breeze “over fish,” they became friends. When Walters made his way to Telluride and The Silver Jack, he thought Micetic would make a good business partner. Micetic agreed to enter into the restaurant business with his friend and arrived in Telluride in 1973. “He was a good partner, a great friend and a good man,” Walters said. Telluride Fire Protection District Chief John Bennett remembers Micetic as a selfless volunteer. Bennett, who grew up in Telluride, said many youngsters of his generation considered Micetic a mentor or “second Dad” based on the hours he devoted to coaching Little League baseball. “He was a man who defines paying it forward,” Bennett said. After practices or games, the boys would often find themselves at The Silver Jack, where Micetic’s generosity was extended to his young charges. “With all of the years he coached baseball it is amazing we didn’t break his business,” Bennett said. “After practices and game he always fed us at the Silver Jack. He gave out a ton of Butch Cassidys and Sundance burgers.” His generosity was also extended to his family. His friend Judy McGowan, who called Telluride home in 1972 and then from 1974-86, recalled his sense of responsibility when it came to taking care of his mother. “He told me once, with an eye roll and a laugh, that he sent a check to his widowed mom every month, even in the early days when he and Sky were barely making it at the Silver Jack,” McGowan said. “He was the oldest of 10 kids and felt a family responsibility even though he had moved far from Chicago. When she died, he found a savings account where she had deposited all the checks and never spent any of it.” Micetic, McGowan said, also extended support to her in the form of work at a challenging time in her life. “I remember John as a friend and sometimes ‘protector,’” she said. “As mayor, he hired me as part-time planner before my husband, Tom Russell, died and made sure the job expanded when he knew I was struggling. He did expect full-time work, of course. John was all about a work ethic.” Micetic’s own work ethic was applied during his long stint on the board of directors for the airport. When he stepped down on Dec. 31, 2011, Art Goodtimes, then a columnist for the Daily Planet, lauded Miectic’s work in “Up Bear Creek.” “John has been tireless in his support, defense and good operation of the airport, which has been an essential element of our financial well-being in San Miguel County,” Goodtimes wrote. “I suggest we all toast our jolly good John for 28 years of protecting the economic engine that allows the 99 percent to make a good living in these mountains.” His friend and colleague in real estate, Linda Avery, found Micetic to be a fine mentor. started my real estate career with John as my managing broker at Telluride Realty,” Avery said. “He was super. He always had time to assist, to explain and to help out with any issue. He stayed knowledgeable with everything happening in the real estate world, and made sure to impart this to all of us in the office.” This year, the Fourth of July Fireman’s Picnic will be missing one of its most devoted — and mischievous — volunteers. Bennett said things could get messy while slicing and serving up hundreds of pounds of beef. “For many years he was also the Master BBQ for the Fourth of July celebration,” Bennett said, “many of which all of us were covered head to toe in flour and water and barbeque sauce. Someone always let the ‘mud’ fly and he was an instigator. The community lost a brother that really cared about our community and those who call it home.” Even after his retirement from the fire department in 1994, Bennett said he could count on Micetic showing up to help out every year after, until his last Fourth of July in 2018. The department eulogized Micetic on its Facebook page. “John not only served for 20-plus years as an active member but continually remained a big part of TVFD by showing up and helping out with things like slicing meat every 4th of July for hours at the BBQ,” the tribute said. “He kept coming to various events to keep the good ole days alive with fantastic stories and generally being a prince of a guy to have around whenever he was in town.” Bennett was not the only person to remark on Micetic’s kind nature. Sharon Bailey was new to Telluride in 1978 and blue about spending her first Christmas away from home. She moved here with Diane Lyons. “Diane and I were working at the Silver Jack, and John went out and got me a Christmas tree as a surprise,” Bailey said. “He almost fell off a cliff getting it. When he brought it back to town, he had to park the fire truck on Main Street, then use the fire truck and ladder to get it through the window of my second floor apartment. I will never forget him climbing up that ladder with the tree to get it into the house.” Micetic was in Rockport, Texas, when he died. According to Avery, he was working on cleaning up his place after Hurricane Harvey landed in Rockport in 2017, wreaking havoc on the small, coastal community’s homes and businesses. “John owned a townhouse … right off the water,” she said. “He had a boat that he loved to go out on. … I would say he bought that as a second home base about 15 years ago.” The official obituary reads: John Micetic born on Aug. 16, 1938, to John T. Micetic and Dolores (Ruzic) Micetic in Chicago, Illinois. He is preceded in death by his parents. He leaves behind to cherish his memory his seven brothers: Mike, Tom, Jim, Don, Jerry, Bob and Rick. He also leaves behind two sisters: Marge and Pat. John will be remembered fondly for his love of the outdoors. He loved fishing, snow skiing and riding his motorcycle. He was also an avid bowler. He was the former Director of Circulation at the Sun Times Chicago Daily News. He also served his community as a volunteer firefighter and mayor of Telluride. Later in life, John enjoyed a career as a Realtor in Telluride. John was also proud to serve his country in the U.S. Army. According to Lael Fruen, a memorial is scheduled for July 27, tentatively in Telluride Town Park." --Taken from https://www.telluridenews.com/news/article_ea38e636-832e-11e9-a16a-8b99ff9f1514.html Link accessed 1/8/21