Rep. Neguse awards Grand County woman for community service

The Josie Heath Community Service Award is given to community members who exhibit a commitment to the service of others and the betterment of their communities. Congressman Joe Neguse’s office awarded Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District with the service awards Dec. 15 in Boulder. This year, the award went to a Grand County resident.

Nancy Franz was recognized by Rep. Neguse when she was awarded the Josie Heath Community Service Award.

“As the Representative for Colorado’s 2nd District, I get to spend time visiting with folks across northwest Colorado—from Fort Collins and Longmont to our mountain communities, like Granby and Kremmling—and I’ve had the distinct honor of getting to know so many of the hard-working individuals that help make our communities so special. The recipients of this year’s service awards exemplify a dedication to the betterment of our community and are both impressive and inspiring in their unique accomplishments and contributions to our state as a whole,” Neguse said.

Neguse also posted on X, saying that he was proud to represent “incredible communities.”

Franz was nominated by Laura Hagar for her work starting and managing the Grand Resource and Recycle Coalition, which was formed in 2010. The goal of the coalition is “furthering opportunities in Grand County for recycling, waste stream reduction and materials reuse.”

The coalition was formed in 2010 as a result of a workshop that showed Grand County would benefit from a waste reduction plan and “focused efforts to provide viable economic and environmentally sound solutions to our waste handling challenges.”

The program services communities from Grand Lake, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, Walden and Kremmling.

Franz has been a part of coordinating the recycling program for the last 11 years. She is more than 70 years old, however she supervises the recycling bins near Granby Ace Hardware every Saturday during all weather imaginable. Residents are able to recycle their waste from 9 a.m. to noon and get the chance to reconnect with other residents at the same time.

The Grand Resource and Recycle Coalition even has opportunities for anyone needing community service hours to volunteer with the recycling program.

“This year’s winner of the Josie Heath Community Service Award, Nancy Franz, has been steadfast in her commitment to building a more sustainable future for Grand County. She’s helped to coordinate systems that encourage waste reduction and ensure our communities have the resources they need to keep our communities and our environment clean, safe, and healthy. We cannot thank her enough,” Neguse said.

Franz helped coordinate sponsorships from businesses and organizations that includes Granby Ace Hardware, Waste Management and two local townships, Hagar wrote in the nomination letter. She also provides education on what can be recycled and why.

“Nancy enjoys visiting with everyone and has the most infectious laugh,” Hagar wrote.