February 13, 2025
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Copyright ©️ 2025 Lake City Silver World. All rights reserved.
I am writing on behalf of the late H.G. Heath, founder of the Lake City High School, and Principle of the entire school for 35 years. [ 1903-1938] The Heaths send our family’s congratulations to LCCS Board President Virden, LCCS Superintendent Hall, her team & all the students regarding the Hinsdale County School District being awarded, by the Co. Dept. of Education, an “Accredited with Distinction” rating for 2024.We also salute the contribution two other entities have made toward achieving this award: The first class Wagner Library with Elaine Gray at the helm & the summer reading program led by Erin Cavit & the many reading volunteers assisting her. Both are community treasures.This prestigious rating shines extraordinarily bright in the midst of recent dark news about our Nation’s 4th and 8th grade students. On Jan. 29, 2025, the 2024 NAEP testing scores were released. When they were aggregated at the National level, only 31% of the 4th graders & 30% of the 8th graders scored at or above the reading proficiency standard for those levels.Forty nine states, regardless of their updated policies or instructional mandates, had lower scores than in 2019 when the test was last administered. The NAEP report gives no explanation as to the why of these distressing results. It wasn’t from lack of funding. The federal govt. gave school districts across the nation $190 Billion to aide in recovering from learning loss during the pandemic.How can this dismal setback in reading proficiency be corrected? The Vice Chair of the National Assessment Board has explained “There’s nothing in the science of learning that would lead us to expect students to learn at a faster rate after they’ve experienced disruption or setbacks. Absent a massive effort, society wide, to address the challenge of restoring reading proficiency, we should not expect more positive results.” The larger the school the bigger the challenge to find the time during the school day & the qualified reading tutors needed to assist larger groups of students in need of help.The reading crisis has been increasing since 2013. One area where it is now showing up in our society is in the struggle that the all volunteer military is having meeting its recruiting quotas. It has now been determined that 77% of the youth in the target age range, 17-24 years, cannot meet the minimum qualification standards needed to enlist. One of the top three reasons for this failing is the inability of the applicant to read well enough to successfully complete the AFQT written test. The U.S. Navy is now so short of sailor recruits it has waived the need for high school graduation or a GED if the applicant can successfully score to at least the 50th percentile on the test.Our elementary school has been blessed with effective teachers in grades 1st-3rd which is where foundational reading skills are built. We are thankful for the classroom success of Lori Frech [ now retired ] & Lily Virden. This award would not be possible without the competency of those teachers.During the recent election, you would be hard pressed to find any candidate making an issue of the nationwide failure of our schools to meet minimum reading proficiency levels. Our newly elected President’s slogan was MAGA..Make America Great Again. To achieve that, I would counsel him to first MALA..Make America Literate Again. There is a much better chance to MAGA after doing that. Well deserved congratulations to the entireFourteeners “Strong” familyBruce Heath on behalf of theHeath/Harmon families
We want to thank our beautiful community and also to those outside our community for their love and gifts towards helping our nephew in his recovery.Shad never gives up. He enjoys his friends and all the people of Lake City so very much.We appreciate each and every one of you! Brian and Janice CarperLake City
After several years lacking as a result of COVID and its aftermath, as well as a changing and ever-small student demographic, Hinsdale County School District and Lake City Community School have once again received a superlative ranking in the state.School Superintendent Rebecca Hall smiles broadly, and her enthusiasm is contagious as she confirms Colorado Department of Education has once again bestowed its top academic ranking, “Accredited with Distinction”, on the school district, one of just 18 — just eight percent — school districts in the state to receive the rankling.In the most recently announced state ranking, and with Hinsdale County School District among the top eight percent out of a total of 183 school districts in the state, a majority of districts in the ranking — 107 or 49 percent — received the “Accredited” ranking and 27 percent — 58 districts — were bluntly cited as “Needing Improvement”.Due to the small student population at Lake City Community School, the distinctive rating is the result of cumulative three-year analysis of Lake City students’ academic proficiency based on achievement, academic growth, and post-secondary workforce readiness as seen through graduation benchmarks, SAT scores, and dropout rates.Cumulative scoring for the school was based on 2rd through 8th Grade Math, English and Language Arts academic testing, 5th and 8th Grade Science for middle school students and, for high schoolers Grades 9-11, English, Language Arts, and Science as seen through SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and PSAT (Pre-Scholastic Aptitude Test) scoring.High school seniors are not included in the cumulative test scores, although 12th Graders are figured into the academic computation based on dropout rates.Lake City School’s routinely fine academic outcomes resulted in Colorado Dept. of Education bestowing Accredited with Distinction each consecutive year from 2009 through 2017. Missing the whole story? Click below to subscribe to our weekly publication!
On the heels of Lake City’s Ice Climb Festival earlier this month and last weekend’s spring-like BrewSki Stroll at Lake San Cristobal, winter recreation events continue this Saturday, February 15, with the annual Ice Fishing Derby benefiting Hinsdale County Search & Rescue, and next Saturday, February 22, with Darren Hardy carefully plotting out a 3.2-mile course for snowshoe racers on behalf of Lake City Area Medical Center.Both the ice fishing derby and Cannibal Snowshoe Race will be held at Lake San Cristobal, while a third and final outdoor event, the annual Matt Milksi downhill ski race, March 1, will be held at Lake City Ski Hill.Warmer than usual temperatures combined with scant snow conditions have proven a challenge thus far this winter for snow and ice-related events. Alpine Outfitters’ Seth and Aimee Withrow, who are again coordinating this weekend’s fishing derby at Lake San Cristobal, report favorable ice conditions at Lake San Cristobal with minimal snow and ice averaging 18 to 21” thick.Conditions may change, however, with hoped-for snow accumulations from a storm scheduled to strike the San Juans later this week.Charge for ice fishermen entering this year’s derby is once again $20 cash, proceeds benefiting Hinsdale S & R. Registration at the county boat dock begins 6:30 a.m. Saturday, with fishing starting 7:30 a.m. and continuing until cutoff and awards at 1 p.m.Winter anglers hauling in the top three longest Lake Trout will choose from prizes including a fish finder, auger with drill, and a variety of fish huts.The top prizes and a variety of other door prizes are the result of the generosity of a lengthy list of sponsors from individuals and businesses from throughout Lake City and the surrounding area.Prizes which will be handed and tossed out to the exuberant fishermen include a vast array of fishing gear, rods, and tackle, coolers and, for the fashion conscious, hats and other warm fishing attire.Food options at Saturday’s fish derby will include $15 for Tyler Crump’s delicious pulled pork sandwiches, complete with chips and drinks, with snowmobile delivery out onto the ice for the eager fishermen, or individually priced food items — hot burritos, and baked goods with complimentary hot cocoa and coffee, served up throughout the day as a fundraiser by members of the Lake City 4-H Troop.Following is the list of Fish Derby sponsors as of Tuesday this week: Alpine Outfitters, Sport Fish Colorado, Wagner Family, Schultheis Excavation, Troy Golle with Alpine Lumber, San Juan Soda, Timberline, Piezans, Great Plains Land Company, Rooby Richardson, Lakeview Property Management, G&M cabins, Lake City Auto, Crystal Creek Properties: Kelsey Loftis, Sportsmans BBQ, Fullmers Ace Hardware, 38 North, Lark Fork Hunting and Fishing Club, Hall Realty, Gene Taylors, Kesler Custom Knives, Lake City Country Store, Cabin Fever Mercantile, Blue Spruce Lumber, Matterhorn Motel, Refuge Roasters Coffee, Rene’s Garage, Cowboy Steel, Packers Saloon, Deloach Vacation Homes, North Face Lodge, Sportsman’s Fly Shop, Melty’s Catering, Carson Custom Carpentry, Windy Point Trading, Jim and Joni Richeson, Tractor Supply Gunnison, Hinsdale Title Company, Rocky Top Vacation Home Rentals, Climb Elevated Eatery. Coming up a week from Saturday, on February 22 — and again at Lake San Cristobal — is Cannibal Snowshoe Race sponsored by and in benefit of Lake City Area Medical Center.Named in recognition of Lake City’s infamous cannibal, Al Packer, the event starts at the county boat dock and consists of two tracks for snowshoe or ski enthusiasts, one a 1K trek for families or young children and the other a 3.2-mile 5K track.Race contestants are encouraged to dress up in favorite cannibal attire. Kate Hopson has kindly provided a logo for this year’s Cannibal Snowshoe frolic which is emblazoned on a commemorative t-shirt. Early bird, pre-race cost for 5K snowshoers with commemorative t-shirt is $33.85 prior to February 16; $12.51 for 5K snowshoers for race only and not including t-shirt.Registration for the 1K race route is $7.18 and does not include the t-shirt. T-shirt only, $28.52.Sustenance at the snowshoe race is homemade chili and hot chocolate at the boat dock from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a donation booth manned by Lake City Community School students raising funds for the school’s next Washington, DC, excursion.Both circuitous routes offer uphill challenges with the reward of outstanding views out and over the frozen lake surface. Also a challenge, according to Darren Hardy who has spent the past month preparing the race routes, is the day-to-day weather changes and melting snow.For 1K snowshoe competitors, the route starts at the county boat dock and crosses the frozen lake surface to the east, then an uphill climb to the county road via Wupperman Campground campsites before returning back to the lake and boat dock.More strenuous for snowshoers in the 3.2-mile, 5K snowshoe trek is a similar but longer route from the county boat dock, east and up hill through Wupperman Campground to the county road and then following the road to near the lake inlet bridge before abruptly circling back through Wupperman Campground, then back down hill and across the lake to finish line at the county boat dock. As an example of changing weather conditions, Hardy says he has temporarily abandoned the old snowshoe race course, which departed from the county boat dock straight north through willows at the lake inlet. This old, northward course called for a streamlet crossing which — at least this winter — is now dried up and the resulting terrain impassable.Even for the new eastward route through Wupperman Campground, snow — or lack of snow — challenges remain. Earlier this month, Hardy says he thought he had the new track finalized up and through Wupperman Campground to the county road covered by a comfortable 6”-deep layer of snow.Finalizing the course on a Friday and returning the following day, February 2, Hardy says he was stunned to discover the layer of snow on the road completely disappeared and replaced by 50 yards of mud with patchy snow.Despite the sudden and unusual appearance of February mud, Hardy has persevered and —
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