Day: October 12, 2024

How refreshing it was to hear a candidate in today’s political climate share the importance of crossing the aisle and collaborating witha qualified individual from the other party; to put their constituents before a party and policy over politics.Jeff Hurd did that at the CD3 debate. To quote Mr. Hurd when asked, “who is a Democrat in the district whose advice you value, and you would turn to if elected?” He replied, “Kathleen Curry lives in Gunnison County is a well-regarded Democrat in that part of the district. She and I don’t agree on everything, but when it comes to water and agriculture, there is a lot I could rely on her for.”Kevin Kuns,Chair Montrose County Democrats

If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to visit Commissioner Levine’s website, (votegreglevine.com). I’m voting for Greg, not just because he’s my son but because I know how hard he has worked for this community over the last four years, and he will continue to do so. A special thank you to everyone and their letters of support, and thanks to all of you for supporting Greg for re-election.Sincerely,Susan HolleyLake City

Our 2024 Oktoberfest was the best one yet, and I’m filled with gratitude for everyone who made it possible!To all our attendees – thank you for joining us and bringing such fantastic energy. Whether you’re a local or traveled from afar, your presence made the festival truly special.I want to recognize our incredible team of volunteers: Matt Jones, Lori Hanko, Holly Shepherd, Marty Priest, Steve Priest, Rob Noelke, Travis DeCristino, John Jergens, Zairick Waddington, Brooke Jones, Michael Fleishman, Kelsey Loftis, Mary Kay Jergens, Tracy Fleishman, Yolie Brown, Reese Moore, Kristie Borchers, Sarah DeCristino, Jackie Noelke, Allison Athey, Brian Snow, Gary Marlow, Skip Franks, Genni Lynn, Grant Massey, Cass White-Lester, Sandy Murphy, Schulyer Denham, Val Marlow, Mandy Caldon, Lydia McNeese, John Coy, Wes Williams, Tannah Snow, Macy Loper, Jacqui Wonnacott, Rich Landry, Joy Pankratz, Kathleen Murphy, Robin Gowdy, and Gabe McNeese.Your dedication and hard work were evident in every aspect of the festival. From setup to beer pouring, to teardown, the time you contributed ensured our guests had a wonderful time.Special thanks to some key contributors: Robin Gowdy, Willy Merfield, and Holly Shepherd for their help with games. Tannah Snow and Jacqui Wonnacott, for managing the bustling food and beer tent. Holly Shepherd and Macy Loper for their extra setup and post event help. Kathleen Murphy for managing check-in and ticket sales. Rich Landry and John Jergens, for keeping our guests well-fed with your expert grilling. Wes Williams for keeping us well stocked with ice and anything we needed.Mark Zeckser and LCBC for ensuring we had beer and pretzels. I’d also like to thank Camillo and the Primetime band for their amazing music, emceeing, keeping spirits high, and taking Lake City’s Oktoberfest to the next level.We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors, whose support made this event possible: The General Store, North Face Lodge, Wagon Wheel Cabins, Lakeview Property Management, Highlander RV Campground, G&M Cabins, B’s Cabin’s & Mini Mart, Climb Elevated Eatery, The Country Store, Rene’s Garage, Inc, Blue Spruce Building Materials, Webco, Lake City Bakery, Mountaineer Theatre, The Sportsman Fly Shop, Texan Resort, Timberline, Breakfast Hangout & Euphoria, and Cabin Fever Mercantile.Save the date for our next Oktoberfest on October 4th, 2025. We’d love to see you all again for another great celebration.With sincere appreciation,Kate Hopson,Chamber of Commerce Directorand Event Coordinator

Last week we had the very unfortunate need to put down a momma bear and her 3 cubs after they broke into my neighbor’s home and assaulted the homeowners. They do not feed wildlife. That same bear and her cubs were at our house only a few minutes before the above referenced incident. Except for birds in the winter, we do not feed wildlife. She came upstairs and went down the length of the 2nd story deck checking each window. Our Lab immediately alerted my wife and I inside the house. I turned on the porch light, grabbed a flashlight in one hand and holding Packer in the other, slowly opened the front door. My intent was to scare the bear off the porch.We were confronted by a big momma bear 3 ft from the door. Our yelling had no effect and Packer broke from my grip. After a chomp on the bears butt and a quick attack by the bear that ripped off his shoulder brace, he drove the bear off the deck.This is the sixth time we have had a bear on our 2nd floor deck this fall. In the last 10 years there was only one other incident, and that was my fault when I accidently left food on the deck.This is not historically normal bear behavior. This fall has seen a huge increase in the number of serious bear encounters. Dozens. In a year of plentiful moisture that should keep bears away.Ten million years of bear genetics have not suddenly changed. What has changed is short term learned behavior in the last few bear generations. All wildlife, including bears, will always go to the easiest food sources. We have rampant feeding of wild life in peoples back porches and yards throughout the area.I personally am aware of at least six homes where this is taking place. Hey, bears will and do eat the same food as deer or birds. Their sense of smell is many times greater than the best bloodhound. Bears now associate porches, homes and people with food. All of our homes smell like food to bears. The difference now is that the bears are accustomed to eating around homes and are losing their fear of humans. Momma bears are teaching their cubs (and have been for a long time) this is how you get easy food in the fall. People feeding deer and even birds (in bear season) are doing great harm by associating humans and homes as great places to get food.Momma bears are teaching cubs this is how you survive around here, taking handouts or scraps from deer feed. The bears quickly figure out there is more food inside the homes. They smell it.It is not the game warden’s fault. He did the right thing. This big bear was not afraid of humans and could easily get into any home, or car, even if locked up tight. It is happening all over town. Houses and cars broken into almost every night. Moving this bear would just put somebody else in danger next year. This behavior will not go away in these bears by moving them. It is a learned behavior several generations deep.You want Lucas to immediately solve this problem? He could put together a posse and shoot every bear that comes into town for the next 3 years. That might get deep enough into this generations of learned behavior.To all the bear lovers (I am one), you need to call out the illegal wildlife feeding going on in our community.And to all the wildlife feeders – wait until a child is injured or killed by one of these apex predators you are BAITING down out on their natural environment. This includes the occasional mountain lion sighting around town. They are hunting your tame deer, many of which have never lived in the wild. Easy prey, just like children.A fed bear is a dead bear. Believe it.Paul Clauss, Lake CityBS Degree Zoology

As has been mentioned several times of late, The Lake City Board of Trustees has two vacancies just waiting to be filled. This letter is to encourage at least two of our voters to apply to fill these vacancies.Serving as a town trustee, although extremely important, is not burdensome time-wise but it does require a commitment to attend at least two meetings on the first and 3rd Wednesdays of each month.There has even been talk about reducing the size of the board from seven to five members. I strongly oppose this reduction for the simple and obvious reason that seven trustees can more adequately reflect more parts of our community.The 9 1/2 years I served our town as a trustee were enlightening for me regarding how government works. The decisions I made with my vote were not always easy. I learned that I could go into a meeting with my mind made up as to how I would vote on a particular issue. Then, the citizens had their say and I sometimes changed my stance after hearing the people speak.If it were possible, I believe that everyone ought to service in some capacity in local government. (That’s not happening). I do urge at least two of you, and more, so we have a choice, to apply to fill the vacant seats.FYI, during my term, we saw the building of the two bridges, one over Hinson Creek, and the other crossing the Lake Fork at 5th street. The town purchased what is now a lovely wetlands full of wildlife known as Peat’s Lake. There is a red path going from Silver Street through the park, past the playground and ending at the restrooms. We had a parent with mobility issues and that path made it possible for her to take her young children to the restrooms.I am proud to have had a hand in these projects’ course, there were many more good things of note, but these stand out for me.Sincerely,Mary NettletonLake City

We are supporting Kathleen Curry as our representative for Colorado House District 58.As a small business owner in Lake City for nearly 50 years and knowing small businesses in our community are the lifeblood of our economy, we are confident Kathleen Curry will be a strong advocate at the legislature for us. She has been a small business owner in Gunnison herself and knows how important it is that we have a voice on important issues that affect us all. She also has been endorsedBy the National Federation of Independent Business.Besides her support for small businesses, she has done critical work to help protect our valuable water rights for the western slope of Colorado and to see that public education is properly funded.More importantly, Kathleen Curry can be trusted. As a former Colorado State representative in 2004 – 2010, she was a tremendous steward of the public good and approached all matters with a drive to find the best solutions possible for all concerned. I am confident she will continue to do that for us if she is elected next month. We know we can count on Kathleen Curry’s word.Sincerely,Philip and Carolyn Virden, Lake City

There are maxims of law that state: “The meaning of words is the spirit of the Law”; “The origin of a thing ought to be regarded”; “In order rightly to comprehend a thing, enquire first into their names, for a right knowledge of things depends upon their names”; and, “That person should be chosen who best understands, and is willing and able to perform the duty of the office”. The etymological root of the word sheriff comes from the Old English scīrgerēfa, or Shire Reeve. Reeve meaning guardian or keeper, and the modern-day equivalent of shire being county, therefore, the sheriff is the guardian or keeper of the county. In ancient England he was the King’s primary executive representative who carried out the sovereign’s orders and decrees within the shire or county. Yet, here on American soil we have no king, because thankfully for the brave and righteous founders at their revolution the sovereignty devolved on the people. (see: Chisholm v Georgia). Thus, the American sheriff holding a constitutional and common-law office was instituted by them to be the first man of and the principal executive representative of the people within his county. Do you all truly think, as your current interim sheriff would have you believe, that a man of 44 years of age allegedly in law enforcement for 17 years who requires counselling for, and I quote: “stubbing his toe a few times”, is the “best candidate available” to be your sheriff or guardian of the county? I certainly don’t believe so, especially given my firsthand knowledge of the facts regarding the situation. I hereby implore to the good people of this great county to elect either myself [write-in STRATTON], or Jordan Kaminski, to acquire a sheriff who will faithfully endeavor to virtuously carry out the will of the people within our county. Another maxim pertaining thereto that is perhaps one of my favorites is: “The voice of the people is the voice of God”, or properly in Latin: “Vox populi vox Dei”. Which is precisely why, with free and honest elections, in our Constitutional Republic it is the People of the county who shall decide who they wish to hold the high and noble office of sheriff. Furthermore, if the people have any true interest in gathering some knowledge of what constitutes, “stubbing his toes”, as was recently stated by your interim sheriff in his letter, I strongly recommend that you all search there on YouTube: Stratton vs Starnes,[https://youtu.be/HWYVInnvbAY?si=LP6njkjKzPwdG1h ], to view and hear for yourselves the only evidence lawfully produced thus far by the S.O. Quite frankly, in my view no one who behaves in this way while on duty and wielding deadly force acting under the delegated authority of the people should be allowed to even be a deputy, let alone sheriff. I sure hope that y’all will vote accordingly.Respectfully and Sincerely,JT Stratton, Write-in Sheriff candidate

I have been waiting to write this letter for months.Let’s go back to the survey that the County Commissioners wanted to have done. They opened it up to ALL voters and non-voting property owners. It was about the OHVs. All were surprised, I think, of the huge response, 850-900 returned surveys. Then we got the over whelming positive response to OHVs in our county and two of the commissioners hated the survey results. Here’s why.Out of — let’s just use the number 850 — 84 percent of those who took the survey wanted to keep the OHV program AS IS. 64 percent (plus or minus) wanted to extend the route to the Toy Wash and to Woodlake RV Park.Robert Hurd, our third commissioner, kept telling the other two commissioners that 84 percent wanted to keep the program AS IS. Like I said, it shocked us.Just think, if tthe number was 16 percent for and 84 percent to end the program, so, what did our glorious commissioners do? They went to the town trustees to make them an “offer that they could not refuse.” In my honest opinon, the commissioners were so disappointed with the results of the survey, they were going to show our voters and non-voting property owners, who is boss.The “offer” made by the commissioners was CUT the OHV season by 21 days, allowing the season to start the Friday befoire Fathers’ Day rather than the previous timeline starting on Memorial Day. As we watched this meeting on Zoom, it was obvious that if the town trustees did not agree to this, the commissioners would end the OHV program by not submitting the application to the state.Knowing the kind of financial devestation that would be caused to the Town and County, the Trustees had no choice but to concede and accept the terms set by the Commissioners. This is what the BOCC calls a compromise — do it our way or else.This is why there needs to be a change within the BOCC. Robert Hurd is, in my opinion, the only Commissioner who has a level headed, honest, trustworthy approach to governing. The Commissioners had a 84 percent mandate! The other two commissioners sided with the 16 percent.We must have a change. This is why Steve Ryals is the only person (Republican Party-backed) who can get the BOCC back to a responsible state of governance.By the way, because of a total lack of planning, Hinsdale County will NOT have a paramedic on EMS staff this winter. Folks, don’t fall, get iunto a car wreck or hurt yourself in Hinsdale County! Access to pain meds will be limited. But that’s another can of worms.So, I ask the voters of Hinsdale County to vote Steve Ryals, District 1 County Commissioner . Respectfully,Jeff Heaton, Lake City

First thing, this is NOT a message to promote someone but a message to SAVE Lake City. My first time in Lake City was 1949 or 1950. Mom couldn’t remember. I love Lake City and have all these 74 years. I missed coming summers for 8 years. I want the best for Lake City.This is my third time trying to communicate my concern about the Levine/Ryals commissioner’s race in November. Actually, I AM against Levine as commissioner because of his choice to stop OHVs at the end of August. Crazy!!! OHVs bring as much as 50 to 60% of the monies coming into Lake City. Closing down OHVs all of September is equal to closing year-round.Silverton’s ban of OHVs caused nine businesses and one RV park to shut down. They have the train to fall back on. Lake City has its face to fall on. Lake City would lose more than Silverton starting with some cafes, stores and shops closing right and left, no new home building, construction workers will have to move, school population would drop considerably, Real Estate values drop, property taxes would go up, sales tax revenue would plummet, and more. What about medical care? What about those that bought businesses in the last few years? Bankruptcies!Roxa and I had a business in Lake City from 2005 until 2022. We know how hard it is to pay bills, much less pay for the business we bought.I have known Steve Ryals for 10 years. In case you don’t know Steve, he is a hard worker, has common sense, honest, high integrity, trustworthy, the kind of Commissioner you would want to represent you.A Vote for Ryals is voting for Lake City. Thanks Grant.Hutch Hutchins