Local Items

Brisk interest in the county’s internet survey on OHV use in the county, local property owners and registered voters reminded that next Tuesday, December 12 is the deadline for survey submissions.
Rev. Jason Santos is serving as compiler for the survey and tells us that as of Wednesday morning this week, a total of 601 individuals have completed the survey.

Standing room only with an estimated 650 seats filled in the Fred Field Center, Gunnison, last Saturday morning at memorial services for the late Powderhorn ranchers Tim Lehmann (obituary last week’s WORLD). In addition to a packed house of friends and associates honoring Lehmann, numerous members of both the Lehmann and Sammons families were in attendance.
Lehmann’s widow is Powderhorn native and Gunnison County Electric board member Michelle Sammons Lehmann.

Especially memorable was a slide presentation honoring Tim’s life which was prepared by his son, Wyatt, a taped recording of Vince Gill’s evocative “Go Rest Upon the Mountain,” and an eloquent tribute presented by Tim’s daughter, Jessica Lehmann.
In her tribute, Jessica drew smiles and tears from the audience recalling horseback rides with her dad starting as a child and the special significance of “going to work with my Dad every day.” Lehmann, according to his daughter, had in fact saddled up and herded cattle on the day of his death, telling Jessica, “nothing is going to stop me.”

Newspaper is catching up and extending red carpet to new Lake City residents Andrew and Morgan Robertson, and family, who arrived over the Thanksgiving holiday. Joining the Robertsons here are members of their family, 4-year-old daughter Everest “Evie” and son Darwin who is age 2.
Mrs. Robertson will be recalled as Morgan Murphy, daughter of Lake City local Michael Murphy and granddaughter of Tom and Midge Murphy. Mr. Robertson, Andrew, served eight years with the U.S. Marines, part of the time stationed at Okinawa, Japan. He is now a Green Beret with the National Guard.
Most recently, the family resided at Carmel, California.
Morgan worked as a doula home birth worker and is a professional photographer, her Dash of Courage photography business specializing in maternity, wedding, and family portraits.

From Recreation Director Ben Hake we learn he and rec staff and a corps of loyal volunteers are busily farming ice for this year’s ice climbs on Henson Creek. Hake relates that between 15 and 20 near-vertical ice routes are now open to both local climbers and a number of avid, vertically-inspired visitors who are already appearing in town with polished boot cleats and ice axes in readiness.

Mention of weddings including McNitt- Peterson at right on opposite page and planned nuptials Belitsos-Murphy, below, send newspaper staff on a trek to Hinsdale County Courthouse, Deputy County Clerk Allison Athey confirming that no marriages were filed at the local clerk’s office for the month of November.

Looking back a bit further, Lago Vista, Texas, residents Geovanny Francisco Estrada and Jasmine Rodrigues, respectively ages 22 and 23, filed a Hinsdale County marriage license on October 7.
A plethora of marriage licenses were locally filed for the month of September, a dog’s footprint as witness emblazoned on the certificate for Diamond, Missouri, residents Jeffery George Watkins and Misty Dawn Jewel on September 11, that memorable day also coinciding with the bride’s 48th birthday. Ouray Baptist Minister Dan Preston trekked over the mountain to officiate at the wedding.

Other non-sequential Hinsdale County weddings for the month of September were Steven Lee Dickey and Tiffany Marie Noler, both from Kearney, Nebraska, on September 22, and the daughter of Lake City seasonal residents Rene and Donna Faires, Melissa Renee Faires, New River, Arizona, who married Gunnison businessman Lars Preston Nelson on September 30.

Other September nuptials were Lubbock, Texas, residents Michal August Eberle and Abigail MaryRose Earl, Laura Hess officiant; Nicholas Ryan Chilcote and Charla Jeanne Lawson, from Sacramento, California, and Korey Reese Broussard and Bailey Marie Bridges, respectively from Vinton and Sulphur, Louisiana.
In equally exciting related Murphy family news, we note that Morgan Robertson’s brother and his wife — son and daughter-in-law of Lake Citians Michael and Sandy Murphy, and Kimberly Terk, San Antonio, Texas — Mitchell and Crystal Murphy, live in Elgin, Texas, and are expecting their first child in January next year.
Morgan and Mitchell’s sister, McKenna, lives at Boerne, Texas, and on Thanksgiving was engaged to Peter Belitsos. Wedding date not yet announced and further details later.

Don’t forget holiday festivities this evening, Friday, December 8, with festive open houses and delicious food and drink at Lake City Library, Town of Lake City, and Community Banks of Colorado.
Both town and library host open houses 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, library’s for the over-age-21 populace with beer and wine, savory hors d’oeuvres and sweet treats, while Rec Director and Ben Hake and crew were observed positioning a cooker outside the Armory for grilling hotdogs and hamburgers which will be served up in the Armory with meat and cheese platters.

The Wrangler is catering Community Bank’s holiday open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, highlights including fancy hors d’oeuvres, sweet treats and refreshments .

Upcoming and eagerly anticipated on the holiday calendar are elementary students at Lake City Community School performing the Christmas play “Snow Biz!” in the school’s gymnasium at 5 p.m. next Friday, December 15. Play directed by elementary instructors Lily Virden and Caitlin Rhodes and, according to all accounts is charmingly performed by the school’s younger students and is a definite must-see.

Lake City School’s Winter Vacation begins with the close of classes on Friday, December 22, and continues through Monday, January 8, 2024.

Several interesting fence-building projects now underway or finished earlier this fall in and around Lake City, including a woven plank fence to the north of town delineating the Highway 149 right-of-way and boundary of San Juan Meadows Subdivision, and Don Peterson’s crew putting in a spiffy new wood plank fence behind Lake City Shirt Co. on Silver Street.

Also on Silver Street, Richard and Svetlana Piltingsrud have posts up for a boundary fence which is going up at their home, the old H.E. Stewart place, at 4th and Silver Street.
Earlier this fall, Michael Carson’s Carson Custom Carpentry finished assembly, including reconstruction of several missing elements, for an antique wood picket fence in the Gothic Revival Style which now fronts the residence of Editor Houston at 507 Bluff Street. Houston acquired the c. 1850 wood fence via the internet, the uniquely non power tool-crafted fence closely replicating an earlier, heavily dilapidated fence on the property which was not preserved.
In addition to Mike Carson, craftsmen working on the Houston fence reassembly and fabrication were Brian Poet and Patrick Tubbs.

Birthdays among the local crowd in recent days were galavanting Bear Ferris, South End native Justin Guilliams, 35-year -old son of David and Becky (Taylor) Guilliams, and groom-to-be Ross Nelson in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Friday, December 1. December 2 birthday was Silver Thread Public Health Director Tara Lee Hardy, 49, and added year for Ron Bruce, 73, Rebecca Hall, 52, Joe Beakey, 82, and artist Russ Brown, 76, on Monday, December 4. Fred Stapleton, 79, Nathan Wuest, 42, Paula Errett, 68, and former residents Helen Dewey, 86, and Karen Roose come to mind for birthdays on December 6. Rounding out the birthday list on Thursday, December 7, this week were Sarah Kem Eby, age 30, at Lake City Community School, and Judson Bowling, 22.

On an upcoming note, a somber chord, please, as we reflect on 68 years for Gail Main Frick on December 8, less weighty birthdays including Kip Yeager at Fish Canyon on the Cebolla who is celebrating his 40th birthday. Brenda Wagner’s grandson, Cameron Matthew Creel, is also 22 years old on Dec. 8.

Round of applause for our Bluff Street friend, Marcia Connell, 67, who joins Christine Tenee Moore, 30 and Miriam Truitt, 72, with birthdays on Saturday, December 9. December 10 counts Gloria Graham, 38, Lake City 8th Grader and basketball star Daniel Hays, 14, and, in the South End of Hinsdale County, Jonathan Reed who is 39 years old.

Busy medical center director Rachel Moore celebrates 51 years December 11, joining newlywed Karley Guthmiller Langenfeld, 28, and former resident Karlita Ellis, 79. December 12 birthdays include Jacee Lawrence, 23, Peter Sperl, 24, Stacy Harris Mikeska, age 55 in Crested Butte, Kimberly Ann Brown, 45, and the handyman David Aymami, 54.

December 13 birthdays are Claire Elizabeth Skerry, 35, Pat Murlless, and Christopher Scott Mathias, 66, followed next Thursday, December 14, by the artist Deanna Todd, 77, retired glassblower David Jordan, 66 in Mexico, and local school alum Anna Olson Scholl, 41.

Hinsdale County Treasurer Lori Lawrence informs WORLD of statistics for the tax lien sale that took place Monday, December 4 at the Hinsdale County Courthouse. There were 59 parcels taken to sale and a total of $19,706.75 collected in property taxes. A total of $815 premiums were paid. Ten bidders were present in-person and two email bids were received. The sale lasted 45 minutes. There was coffee, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread and fudge available for participants to enjoy while all the paperwork was being completed.

On Monday, December 11, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., there will be a Lake Fork Housing Project Design and Site Plan open house with Caddis Cooperative Architects. The event will be held at the Lake City Area Medical Center in the training room, 700 Henson Street. The purpose of the event is for the public to give feedback and commentary on the Lake Fork Housing Project Design and Site plan, and of course to ask any questions. If you have questions about the event, contact Town offices at 970-944-2333.