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BARY FREET ELECTED 2021 CHAIRPERSON OF MOUNT SAN JACINTO WINTER PARK AUTHORITY
PALM SPRINGS, CA (January 22, 2021) Bary Freet, retired Palm Springs fire chief, has been elected 2021 chairman of the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority (MSJWPA), governing body of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Freet was appointed to the Authority by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in 2012, and reappointed by Supervisor Manuel Perez and the Board of Supervisors in 2020.
Freet began his long career in public service in 1969, serving in multiple positions in administration and natural resources management with the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. He joined the Palm Springs Fire Department in 1986 and rose through the administrative ranks, being named fire chief in 1994, a position he held until his retirement in 2004. He next served as executive director of the Weil Institute of Critical Care Medicine for approximately two years, and has served on numerous civic and charitable boards.
According to Freet, “The past year has been a challenging one for the Tram, as it has for so many businesses due to the pandemic. We look forward to welcoming our guests back soon and the long-awaited completion of our Mountain Station renovation. It is an honor to serve as the 2021 chair.”
Freet succeeds 2020 Chair Brian Nestande, a 2015 Riverside County MSJWPA appointee and deputy Riverside County executive officer. Other officers elected for 2021 are Vice Chair Jerry Ogburn, Secretary Brian Conley and Treasurer Jeff Ohlfs.
The current Authority members are: Jerry Ogburn and Nancy Stuart appointed by the Palm Springs City Council; Bary Freet and Brian Nestande appointed by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors; and Brian Conley, Sandra Magana-Cuellar and Jeff Ohlfs appointed by the Governor.
ANNUAL SNOW GUESSING 2020 CONTEST BEGINS OCTOBER 23
PALM SPRINGS, CA (October 23, 2020) While it may still feel like summer, October 23 marks the start of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Snow Guessing Contest. This annual event runs until the first measurable inch of snow falls at the Tram’s Mountain Station, elevation 8,516 feet.
According to Tramway General Manager Nancy Nichols, “Traditionally, our Snow Guessing Contest begins October 1, but—this year—we wanted to wait until the Tram reopened before starting it. Not only are we anxious for the first snow, we are anxious for folks to come up and experience it in person!”
The first ten entries received with the correct date of snowfall will win four Tram admissions plus a special Tram gift memento. In the event there are more than ten correct entries, the earliest postmarks will prevail.
To submit an entry, simply write down your best-guess date on a postcard and mail it to: Snow Guessing Contest, 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262. Participants may enter as many times as they would like, but only one date per postcard. For more information and contest rules, please visit www.pstramway.com/special-events.
It won’t be long before snowflakes are falling just a few minutes from the desert floor. There’s never been a year when someone didn’t win the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Snow Guessing Contest.
