Hinsdale County | The Silver World Newspaper

Town Board, County Commissioners Hear Housing Crisis Stats at August 13 Joint Meeting

A joint meeting between the Town of Lake City Board of Trustees and Hinsdale County Commissioners was held Wednesday, August 13, where agencies Proximity Green, Triple Point Strategic Consulting, Dynamic Planning + Science and Western Spaces, LLC., gave a presentation to show their findings from a housing strategy survey in and around Lake City earlier this year.Jeff Moffat, Principal of Triple Point Strategic Consulting, was in attendance, as was Ethan Mobley, owner and Principal Planner of Dynamic Planning + Science. Leading the meeting was Grant Bennet, real estate consultant and developer with Proximity Green, via Zoom from Denver, who explained that the purpose of the meeting was to help build momentum for collaborative action between the Town and County by understanding the housing crisis reality through data-driven evidence, and to provide direction for the next phase of strategy development.“I have been deep in the trenches,” he said, “with both Town of Lake City and Hinsdale County for the last three months. I have rolled up my sleeves and really gotten to know this community”Bennett began the slide presentation by saying that there were 97 household survey responses received, as well as 21 employer surveys collected.The results of the study solidly confirmed that there is, indeed, a housing crisis in Lake City. Seventy-seven percent of Lake City’s residents said housing availability is a critical problem, and the community’s biggest problem. Twelve percent said they plan to leave Lake City due to housing costs; seventy two percent of housing stock is seasonal or vacant, with a zero percent rental vacancy rate.The survey also showed that the median home price is $563,000, with the average annual salary around $39,000, and while 43 percent of employers provide housing assistance, families, workers andcontinued page 7essential services are being lost because people can’t afford to live where they work.Within Lake City, the survey confirmed that at least 24 jobs remain unfilled due to housing barriers. Bennett also said the response rate of the survey was 25.5 percent of the Lake City community, a statistic that would be literally impossible to achieve in larger communities.“It’s not exactly a shock that there is a housing crisis,” he said, “but this will put up some data points for Trustees and Commissioners to ponder.”Three hundred sixty of the three hundred eighty households surveyed said their residence is in poor condition; 340 said housing is too expensive; 50 renters were blocked from ownership because of cost. These statistics are based on the 97 household surveys, projected to all 380 county households.“So what is causing displacement,” Bennett said. According to the survey statistics, renters have seen a 34 percent rent increase; 28 percent of homes in the community are vacant or used as short term rentals and not used year round; 22 percent of residents have seen lease non-renewals; and 16 percent of renters were displaced by owner move-ins. Fourteen percent of residents live in overcrowded homes, with 20 percent needing more bedrooms, with many unable to afford needed repairs.“Again, this is no shock to Lake City’s residents,” said Bennett, “but there is literally a zero percent rental vacancy rate. There are currently only five homes actually for sale. Families are forced to take whatever is available, and if a rental does come up, it disappears immediately.”Further, Bennett said that 12 percent of households are planning to leave Lake City due to housing, but there is some hope in the fact that fifty-one percent are interested in ‘deed-restricted’ housing, or affordable workforcehousing.The next slide showed why businesses in Lake City can’t function without affordable workforce housing with statistics from the local employer survey response saying they are having problems providing housing just to keep the doors open. Essential workers can’t afford to live here. Showing examples of average earnings, the slide showed teachers salaries are $39-69 thousand per year; nurse salaries are $32-64 thousand per year; and a Sheriff’s deputy, $26-56 per year.This means that affordable housing on a teacher’s salary would cost around $245,000; a nurse, around $200,000; and a deputy, around $165,000. With a median home price in Lake City averaging $563,000, a teacher would be facing a gap of $318,000 between salary and home price, which Bennett called “obviously unsustainable.”Jeff Moffat then took over the meeting, saying“according to these statistics, even the highest paid workers can’t afford basic family life. Construction work is the best paid local job, and even that still falls $24,355 short annually. This isn’t about poverty, it’s about the impossibility of middle-class life in Hinsdale County. These are serious red flags,” Moffatsaid.Moffat went on to show a slide revealing that Hinsdale County has a $92-million a year economy, breaking down to $70.6-million from local economy, $5.4-million in tourism and outdoor recreation, and $16.4-million in the vacation home industry.“This diverse $70.6-million local economy is three times larger than tourism but it all depends on housed workers,” said Moffat.Further, the survey showed that the cost of inaction would be an annual economic loss of $960,000 from unfilled employment positions, service degradation resulting in reduced school quality, healthcare access and public safety response. Also, each family that leaves Lake City makes it harder to recruit the next essential worker.There will be missed funding opportunities as well, as state housing programs require local action within the next 12 to 18 months.Bennett said, “bottom line – this is not just a housing study, it’s a community survival strategy. We have the data, the funding opportunities, and the first project ready to go. What we need is leadership commitment to act.”Bennett went on to say that the four agencies have developed a proposed vision for Lake City and Hinsdale County, which is to provide housing opportunities across all life stages, enabling residents to find appropriate homes as they begin careers, raise families and retire in the community they love. Bennett said, “we want to put both a vision and goals forward that reflect your interest, and we are listening loud and clear to get feedback to understand, and if we

September 5, 2025 No Comments

Town Board and County Commissioners Consider Options for Sheriff’s Office IGA

During the joint Town and County Meeting August 13, Town of Lake City staff and Hinsdale County Commissioners’ final item on the meeting’s agenda was to begin negotiations for an Inter-departmental Government Agreement (IGA).Mayor Roberts began the conversation explaining that the former IGA between these entities remained unclear in terms of language used because it had been amended and patched together out of old IGAs, and that it was possibly necessary to ‘wipe the slate clean’ and ‘start from scratch.’Town Manager Lex Mulhall said, “that’s really the first question. Why spend the money on the IGA? Is he [Sheriff Denim Starnes] going to sign an IGA?”Mulhall was referencing an article written by correspondent Gianna Morena in the July 25 issue of Silver World that stated:‘Starnes is frank about the lack of manpower putting long-term planning on the back burner behind more immediate concerns. Nevertheless, he points to modernizing operations and reestablishing a presence in the more remote parts of Hinsdale County, which he feels have been neglected, as areas he hopes to address.One way to narrow his office’s focus may be to allow HCSO’s contract for law enforcement services with the Town of Lake City to expire in December. “I’m going to be either lauded or hated for what I decide to do with this contract. But the longer I think about this, the more and more I’m becoming convinced that the Town of Lake City needs to have its own marshal’s office so that the sheriff’s office can actually do its job out in the county.” [said Starnes.]Incorporated towns in Colorado have a statutory duty to provide police service. While many sheriffs provide municipal services under contract, they are not obligated to do so. The administrative and financial costs to the town for standing up its own police force would be substantial.’Starnes was not present at the August 13 meeting,(nor was Commissioner Greg Levine, who had attended the meeting earlier but needed to leave mid-meeting), and Mulhall said, “without the Sheriff being here…we can have our attorneys work on details such as liability language in there, what the costs potentially would be in 2026 and beyond, but what we really need to do is circle back, get the Sheriff in a room in a mutual understanding between all boards, that is really key at first, so maybe we need to wait until that happens before we dig into this.”County Administrator Sandy Hines said, “I think we all know for many years, that idea of the Town potentially looking at another way has come up over and over. I think it’s possible that Sheriff Starnes may have heard those conversations or may have heard over time alternate ideas. But nothing official has happened.”Mayor Roberts said, “why I want to talk about this while we’re all together, there has been some muddy water over this but I want to make it clear, the trustees did not wake up one day and say ‘we’re cancelling the IGA’ or anything like that.”Commissioner Kristie Borchers said, “I think one of the first things we need to hammer out is that there is a difference in legal opinion between the Town and County attorneys regarding what a County is required to provide a town with law enforcement. I think that would be first on our list, because that then drives the money. Also, I wanted to bring up this idea of one person assigned to the Town. The reason that came up was a way to evaluate costs, only. That was Sheriff Kambish, he thought that was the way to figure out costs, but maybe its not. The idea is, how is it equitable to split what the Sheriff is doing within the Town as opposed to what he does in the County. Even though that is how it is written, I think we just tend to think that we have to sign it for three years, and it happens again and again. Now we have a couple months. I think now you have this opportunity where our attorneys can collaborate and we can come up with a better agreement. The IGA has been cobbled together for so long, now it’s time to think about best practice models and come up with something better. ”Town Attorney Dan Krob spoke up, saying, “I just wanted to say a couple of things. You guys are all there doing public service, you’re all there for the community, whether that’s people in unincorporated Hinsdale County, or in the Town of Lake City, you’re all there on the same team. Like Commissioner Borchers said, that IGA has probably been hacked together over longer than I’ve been practicing law. I do think you would all benefit to sit down and figure out what exactly you want and what your priorities are. It might be time to wipe the slate clean and start with a new IGA if you guys want to do that. I’ve seen a lot of collaboration between you [two boards]. which is one of the reasons I enjoy being down there, and we can make this work easy and simple. There’s been enough rumors flying around that I think it would be beneficial to sit down with the Sheriff and find out what is his position, what does he want to do, and go from there.”

August 23, 2025 No Comments

Early Childcare, EMS, Search & Rescue Considered for Lodging Tax Increase

Hinsdale County Commissioners are narrowing their focus on specific ballot language for multiple questions to be put before county voters this November. At their morning workshop Wednesday this week, Commissioners Borchers, Levine, and Hurd discussed at length specifics of a proposed lodging tax increase of up to four percent.During informal discussion, it was repeatedly stated that a three percent lodging tax increase may be more amenable to county voters and thus have a better chance for passage. Hinsdale County currently has a two percent lodging tax for marketing but new state legislation expands the parameters on how the tax may be used — adding medical services, early childcare, and affordable housing to the mix — for a maximum of up to six percent.Although the discussion is ongoing and will be continued at the county board’s Wednesday, August 6, workshop, the three commissioners have apparently reached concensus on seeking voter approval for a one percent lodging tax increase for both Hinsdale County Search & Rescue and Early Childcare.Still up for discussion at the urging of Commissioner Levine is whether ballot language will include either a one or two percent lodging tax increase for Hinsdale County Emergency Medical Services.Based on 2024 lodging tax revenues, one percent equates to $66,343. Earlier in workshop, both Commissioners Hurd and Borchers had indicated support for a one percent lodging tax increase for EMS, although Commissioner Levine was adamant that Hinsdale EMS — which annually receives a substantial financial subsidy from the county — is “financially strained” and, depending on further discussion, may warrant two percent of lodging tax revenues equating to roughly $130,000 on an annual basis.“I worry about EMS a lot,” said Levine, noting on that on consecutive days last month the county’s EMS team received five calls, all before 6 a.m.He emphasized, “a lot is being put on them.”Commissioners Borchers and Hurd reiterated their unequivocal support for “sustainable funding” for all emergency providers, Commissioner Hurd adding his view that in future revenues from the revamped All Hazards Team Program may be able to provide greater financial support to emergency services.A slight modification in Wednesday’s discussion on ballot wording for proposed lodging tax increases — and different from what has previously been reported — is that Lake City Area Medical Center is, at the medical board’s request, now out of the mix in terms of seeking a portion of lodging tax revenues.Medical Center funding through lodging tax was complicated by the fact the health service district is already a taxing district and any portion of lodging tax revenues would necessarily go to the county and be apportioned at the county board’s discretion.In a letter to commissioners from health services board of directors, it is stated that they now wish to be removed from further consideration for lodging tax revenues, commissioners surmising that “most likely,” said Levine, the health services district “will go for a sales tax increase in the near future.”Medical center’s withdrawal from consideration for revenues from an added county lodging tax mirrors Lake City Area Fire Protection District which had initially expressed an interest in lodging tax revenues but later concluded to formulate its own fall, 2025, ballot question seeking a county sales tax increase specifically benefiting the fire district.At the fire district’s meeting Tuesday evening this week, directors finalized plans to seek a 1.25 percent sales tax increase which, with voter approval this fall, would be collected by businesses within the fire district’s boundaries roughly estimated at about $425,000, according to fire district secretary Michelle Pierce. The revenue, in part, Pierce adds, is necessary due to recent determination that the district must hire a fire marshal in order to enforce fire code.Also at Wednesday’s county board workshop and meeting, Lake City resident Ingrid Burnett was formally appointed as the county’s representative on the joint Hinsdale/Mineral County Silver Thread Public Health District. Each county board is allowed two positions on the health board, two Mineral County Commissioners serving on the board and Levine the sole county commissioner from Hinsdale County. Burnett will now represent the county as the second Hinsdale County representative.At start of open discussion prior to start of workshop and regular meeting on Wednesday, Commissioner Borchers uncharacteristically volunteered first in line with a detailed, point by point response to an anonymous letter which has been received critical of the county.Depending on space restrictions, WORLD plans to preprint Borcher’s rebuttal verbatim, although in this abbreviated mention she methodically addressed points in the unsigned letter which included a perceived need for greater financial oversight of the county board, additional details on the now revamped All Hazards Team Program which included Borchers’ acknowledgment that $1.25-million paid by the county as part of the program was ultimately not reimbursed by State of Colorado as the result of unintentional incorrect billing; and the demand in the anonymous letter for greater transparency, including financial and lease/purchase details, on the ongoing construction of the county’s new administration building adjoining Hinsdale County Courthouse on Henson Street.Fellow Commissioners Levine and Hurd concurred with Borchers’ detailed rebuttal of the anonymous letter, Hurd thanking Borchers for compiling the information and emphatically stating “nothing is hidden,” while Commissioner Levine described Borchers’ summation as “very succinct and complete.” Levine continued, noting “the truth is the truth” and inviting and welcoming members of the public to personally attend meetings of the county board — or listen to audio recordings of the board’s meeting — in preference to drafting unsigned letters.Again during open discussion portion of the commissioners’ July 30 meeting, Commissioner Hurd expressed his frustration with ongoing mandatory $8 day use fees required in order to visit Deer Creek Lakes on the Upper Cebolla. Hurd indicated particular outrage at what he termed “aggressive behavior” on the part of the Forest Service facility’s on-site managers which now extends, he said, to placing paper tickets on the windshields of parked vehicles.Commissioners met earlier last month with Forest Service Supervisor Dale Funka who indicated that the decision to impose a charge at the popular fishing and moose-watching

August 1, 2025 No Comments

Gunnison Co. Electric Announces New Rate Structure Effective Jan. ‘26

Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) announces it will introduce a new rate design for residential and small commercial customers beginning January 1, 2026. This rate design change is part of a five-year transition, which will modernize GCEA’s rate structure to equitably recover operational costs across all rate classes and provide members with another way to control their electric bills.For years, GCEA has educated its members to use less energy through energy efficiency and conservation to save money on their bills. Energy usage patterns have evolved over time and demand for the electric grid is greater than ever, especially during peak hours when people head home from their daily activities to cook and take care of household chores. With GCEA’s rate design change, members can choose not only to save and conserve energy but also to shift their electric usage away from peak hours to lower their peak demand and reduce their monthly bill.GCEA is providing members with greater control by separating its current energy (kWh) charge, which currently combines the cost of total energy use with the cost of peak demand on the electric grid. GCEA’s new three-part rate structure will include the following components: service availability, energy usage (kWh), and peak demand (kW) charges.The peak demand charge will be based on the members’ highest hour of electric usage each month during peak hours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, when demand for electricity is at its highest. Sundays are considered “off-peak” all day.This change will not only give members two ways to lower their bills, but will also promote rate equity among GCEA members. Under this new rate structure, each member will pay for their contribution to GCEA’s peak demand, independent of the amount of electricity they consume.This new rate component will not create additional revenue for GCEA. As a not-for-profit rural electric cooperative, GCEA operates at cost. The peak demand charge will be phased in over five years to facilitate a gradual transition. Since a portion of GCEA’s revenue will be recovered through the peak demand charge, the energy charge will be lower than it would be otherwise.“This change will promote fair cost recovery among members, give members a new way to control their monthly bill, and send a clear signal to members about actions they can take to help GCEA keep its rates as low as possible,” said GCEA CEO Mike McBride.GCEA encourages members to become familiar with their electric bill and identify their current peak demand reading. Members may also utilize the SmartHub app to track current energy usage and strategize how to reduce peak demand. Future member education and communication will assist members with how to prepare for this change.For more information on the new peak demand charge, please visit gcea.coop.

July 25, 2025 No Comments

Navy Reserve Veteran Strausbaugh Cites Resilience, Determination as New Deputy

As a student in law-enforcement academy, Strausbaugh described himself as “active”.
“I was challenging things, asking clarifying questions. There were quite a few times when things weren’t, in my opinion, clearly articulated and I’m thinking, ‘that’s pretty freaking important’, because that lack of clarity leads to the miscommunication leads to someone’s Fourth Amendment rights being trampled on.”

July 18, 2025 No Comments

Facilities Manager at Sky Ranch Appointed as New Lake City Fire-Rescue Chief

by Jodi Linsey Newly appointed Lake City Fire-Rescue Fire Chief Justin Thompson is earnest in his hopes to provide quality leadership to the largely volunteer fire department. Justin is stepping into the role of Chief following the resignation of Bill Hagendorf, who acted as Chief, Fire Marshal, Training Officer, and Maintenance Officer.Justin and his wife Jacque, along with their nine and one year old daughters, moved to the Lake City area so that Justin could begin work as the Facilities Manager at Sky Ranch at Ute Trail. Justin and Jacque homeschool their children and were pleased to find a co-op in Gunnison that supports their vision.The Thompsons moved from Kirtland, Ohio where they ran a small construction contracting company. When not working as a contractor or playing with his young daughters, Justin spent his time in the Hudson Fire Department, with a mix of paid and volunteer personnel. While there he earned certification in a variety of aspects of firefighting skills, including obtaining Firefighter II certification, which requires a mix of class work, practical skills, and physical abilities.Soon after settling into their temporary housing at Sky Ranch, Justin began volunteering with Lake City Fire-Rescue as a firefighter. He is proud that he has built new connections between Sky Ranch and Lake City as he has encouraged other Sky Ranch employees to volunteer at the fire department.He is enthusiastic when describing the many people he has met through the department and in town. Justin readily described his feelings of being led to accept the position at Sky Ranch and the feeling of coming home to Lake City and the caring and supportive community they have found here.Justin looks forward to exploring the local area and sharing backcountry adventures with his family in what he describes as his “almost mid-life” vanity car, a pristine green Toyota FJ Cruiser.When describing his anticipated duties as Chief, Justin spoke at length about building relationships and providing leadership that the crew can depend on. Deepening relationships between the fire department and other emergency response entities in Hinsdale County is a priority as he anticipates working together to safeguard the Lake City community. Never Miss Another Story! Subscribe and receive the Silver World right to your inbox!

July 13, 2025 No Comments

Starry-Eyed Crowds Mesmerized at Annual Dark Sky Celebration

by Jodi Linsey Lake City’s own Star Man, Phillip Virden, worked closely with a small but enthusiastic group of astronomy fans to deliver this year’s festival of the stars, the most well-attended one yet in the short history of Star Fest.In just over 24 hours, astronomy fans from near and far packed in a smorgasbord of galaxy related activities, beginning with Cosmic Cocktails at Packer’s Saloon Friday evening, followed closely by Lights Out Lake City, star gazing from the Lake Fork Memorial Park. Early on Saturday, at least for night sky loving people, was Cosmic Insights, a presentation featuring two astronomers. Kyle Davis gave an informative talk on the development of telescopes while Jimmy Neguse took a deep dive into AGNs, or Active Galactic Nuclei.The middle of the day was taken up with a special opportunity for people to visit a portable planetarium set up at the Lake City Community School. Then Mountaineer Theatre had a special showing of the 1956 sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet.Saturday night was the finale of the festival with stargazing at the future home of the Lake Fork Earth & Sky Center, located near State Highway 149 on County Road 50, or Deer Lakes Road, near the top of Slumgullion Pass.The evening began before sunset to allow both professional and amateur astronomers to prepare themselves and their instruments for an evening of sharing the wonders of the cosmos with friends, neighbors, and strangers from all over.First the crowd was introduced to some of the wonders they would have a chance to observe over the course of the evening. They were also treated to personal stories of discovery by ever-enthusiastic Virden and other enthusiastic stargazers.Before the sun fully set and the show began, there were already more than 200 people making themselves comfortable, scattered across terrain that featured strawberries, tree stumps, and small currant bushes. They braced themselves for a chilly night, despite the heat of the day. They had chairs and blankets for cushioning and warmth, and many wore small headlights in anticipation of making their way from telescope to telescope.Present that evening were many locals, introverts and extroverts alike. There supporting the cause were representatives of the Lake Fork Valley Conservancy, including Board Secretary Cristina Abbenante, author and photographer Kristen Breeden, and Judy Boyce, the latter revered for her work with recent rehabilitation of the Blue Bird Project.Fervent amateur astronomer Bruce Scodova is a recent transplant to Lake City, in large part for the night skies. His 20” Dobsonian reflector telescope stood almost 6’ tall in the upright position and seemed to be the largest telescope in a field littered with impressive equipment. He is looking forward to getting his new house completed and settling further into the comfort of Lake City. This year’s stellar turnout for Starfest was, according to organizer Phil Virden, the best so far. Above, Jimmy Neguse shows off his high-powered telescope, and at right, with a magnificent mountain sunset blazing behind him, stargazer Bruce Scodova with a large reflector telescope. Seasonal residents Craig and Linda Bennet state that they have participated in this event as long as it has been happening. They are fans of Phillip Virden and happy to support his projects.Karen and Roy Shaw sat with dear friends from their old neighborhood. Lisa and Allen Davis are familiar with the environs of Lake City and the pristine skies in the area. The Davises are also pleased to be able to support their son Kyle, whose engaging discussion of the history of stargazing tools kept the audience entertained at the Mountaineer Theatre earlier in the day.Jimmy Neguse, the other speaker at the morning presentation, was found with fellow Dark Sky Colorado Board Member Deborah Price, making adjustments to his own Dobsonian reflector telescope. Deborah and Jimmy were both eager to speak about the importance of dark skies and how easily adjustments can be made that create a ripple of good in today’s overly lit world. One example they spoke about was how bright night lights can upset migratory bird patterns, and they pointed to Dark Sky International’s website at darksky.org or Dark Sky Colorado’s site at darkskycolorado.org for more information on the reasoning behind the dark sky movement.More curious visitors who made the trek to Slumgullion Pass were Sarah (Fry) Tooley and her engaging 9-year-old daughter Remi, with connections to Lake City but living in Utah now. Together with family from Montrose, they were here for a semi-regular visit to the stomping grounds of her youth, when she lived here with her dad, Lake City Community School instructor Brad Fry.From Loveland, Colorado, came Glen and Sara Gilbert. They had an impromptu and solitary episode of stargazing in Death Valley that whetted their appetite for more. This brought them to the Lake City area for the first, but not last, time.Perhaps the couple who most epitomize the mission of Star Fest are Sarah Bailey and Eric Tyson from Denver. Sarah took it as a sign to visit Lake City when it dropped into her social media feeds twice in less than a week. Seeing an ad for Star Fest prompted a discussion with her boyfriend and the discovery that neither of them had ever seen the Milky Way. They aimed to change that and headed to Lake City.Educational and literally illuminating, the Lake City Star Fest provided entertainment for a wide variety of people; older and young, professionals and amateurs and newbies, visitors and locals.The potential for this event is as large as a universe of stars.A twilight highlight at the opening of last weekend’s Star Fest were wide-eyed stargazers assembled on blankets and lawn chairs in Memorial Park Friday evening, June 27, to hear an opening salvo from Star Fest organizer Phillip Virden.Virden, who proceeded to entrance spectators as he pointed out constellations vividly visible from the downtown confluence park such as the Big Dipper, North Star, and Sagittarius, enthusiastically described himself to the spell-bound audience as an astronomy student at STU —Self Taught University.He first became entranced

July 3, 2025 No Comments

219 Hardy Runners Finish 30th Annual San Juan Solstice

Warm temperatures and at-times gusting wind on the Continental Divide failed to deter hardy endurance runners in last Saturday’s 30th annual running of the 50-mile San Juan Solstice.In addition to wind and warmth, 292 runners who began the race pre-dawn at 5 a.m. Saturday also contended with a total of seven bracing creek crossings on Alpine Gulch at the race start and, further along on their precipitous trot, slogged through knee-deep patches of snow.The race concluded in Lake City Town Park at twilight, mere seconds before the mandatory 9 p.m. cutoff, as Megan Davey — the last of the 219 runners who finished the race — was wildly cheered as she sprinted across the finish line.On her third San Juan Solstice attempt, Davey finished the race just after 8:59 p.m. — a mere nine seconds before the 9 p.m. cutoff — and once again received cheers as she nimbly accepted the Andrew Kuziuk Award at the celebratory awards ceremony on Sunday morning.Also wildly cheered at both finish line on Saturday afternoon, June 21, and awards Sunday, June 22, was the lineup of three first place men and women Solstice runners, led by Becca Bramley, first among women athletes in the race with a finish time of nine hours, 46.16 minutes, and repeat Solstice contender Ryan Sullivan who was first to cross the Town Park finish line just eight hours, 12.05 minutes after the race start.Sullivan is a well known sprinter from past San Juan Solstices, the Grand Junction, Colorado, runner also finishing first in 2023, eight hours, 39.17 minutes, and third place among men, time eight hours, 37.32 minutes, in 2022.Close on Sullivan’s proverbial heels on Saturday were Matthew Vira, second place with eight hours, 38.10 minutes, and third place male finisher — and again a runner intimately acquainted with the Solstice — Carlo Ruibal, with a nine-hour, 3.24-minute finish time. Ever-exuberant, Ruibal, from Colorado Springs, makes a near-annual appearance at the San Juan Solstice.Gingerly walking to the podium at Sunday’s awards, first place women’s finisher Becca Bramley was joined by Isabella Poulos, second place among women, finish time 10 hours, 12.15 minutes and, in third position, Kaela Gaylord whose town park finish line time was 10 hours, 25 minutes. Poulus, from Telluride, was also a familiar runner on the Solstice trek, finishing last year’s race in third place, time, 10 hours, 47:35 minutes.Runners with a local association in Saturday’s Solstice were Logan Rhodes (finish time 11 hours, 34.16 minutes), Wade Wandrey (paced final portion of the run by Sarah Poet, finish time 12 hours, 14 minutes), Maddie McClure (12 hours, 26.48 minutes with pacer and past Solstice competitor Isaac Borchers), sister and brother combo Megan Levine and Bennett Levine (Megan 12.20:31 with boyfriend, Devin Paredes, 10.56:33, and Bennett, paced part of the way by former schoolmate Jaden McNeese, 14.15:03), Journey Fleishman (13.54:17), Gunnison journalist Chris Dickey (11.52:15) and Medical Center EMS Director Avery MacKenzie (13.36:38).Local runners starting the race but not finishing were Sarah Eby, Seth Withrow, Titus Humphreys, and Patrick Woods.Top men and women runners were cheered by family and fellow racers who were seated in the park while chowing down on a delicious awards breakfast on Sunday, and amiable announcer Amanda Hartman.Cheers repeatedly erupted as Hartman categorically coordinated impressive lineups of, first, runners who had crossed the finish line under 10 hours, followed by applauded lineups of runners who finished the race under 12, 13, 14, 15 and, finally, 16 hours.Hartman also presided for awards presentations on Sunday, including Davey for the Kuziuk Award, Sibling Award to local sister and brother runners Megan Levine and Bennett Levine; Jonathan Shaw who received the Persistence Award for finishing the race despite dislocating his shoulder on Alpine Gulch, and Nicholas Fender who received the coveted Marriage Saver Award after acknowledging running is easier when not accompanied by his wife, Amanda.During competition for Ugliest Feet Award, Solstice, Inc. Chairman Jerry Gray closely inspected a variety of bruised and bloody feet, torn toenails, etc., before declaring Mike Patrizi the most unfortunate in terms of painful foot injuries.In addition to custom embroidered Black Diamond jackets, caps and other colorful blind, top winners were presented with custom contour maps of the race route by Olson Designs. 197th place finisher Tom Feore, from Phoenix, Arizona, thoughtfully studied the wood contour map on Sunday, thoughtfully pointing out, “oh, I hated this spot” and, “oh, here’s another spot I especially hated” before concluding that in his mind only the finish was “awesome.”In accepting their awards, each of the top place men and women finishers were highly complimentary of the well-oiled San Juan Solstice organization for precision and enthusiastic volunteers from start to finish.Among the seated audience on Sunday was Mark Wing, Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Preservation Officer and leader of the Red Sky Drum Group, from Towaoc near Mesa Verde, Colorado, who spoke at the Solstice runners’ orientation in the Amory on Friday afternoon, June 20, and performed individual aromatic smudge ceremonies for the runners’ benefit.Wing was accompanied by his wife, Rita Pensoneau-Wing, Mrs. Wing’s brother and sister-in-law, Vincent Jacket and Nelia Naha, and their daughter and granddaughter, Madeline Jacket, 36, and Kaitlin Koinva, 16, who live on the Hopi Reservation near Flagstaff, Arizona.Madeline Jacket was among the 292 runners who lined up pre-dawn at the start of Saturday’s San Juan Solstice but returned to Lake City with a fellow runner after a severe head to toe dunking in Alpine Gulch. Jacket describes the creek crossing as “shockingly cold” but, on a brighter note, “the scenery was glorious.”Sixteen-year-old Kaitlin is a champion cross country runner at Hopi High School and was wide-eyed at her mother’s description of chilly Alpine Gulch but, with her mother, vows to return to Lake City and plans to compete in a future San Juan Solstice. During Mark Wing’s remarks at Friday’s runners’ orientation, he noted that Lake City and the Solstice race route are located within ancestral Ute Indian lands and urged runners to be buoyed by the spirits of his

June 27, 2025 No Comments

Fun-Filled 4th on Tap, Followed by Myriad of Summer Events

With the summer season officially upon us, Lake City is awhirl with activity and fun events for all ages and interests.Thursday, July 3 will be a day for family fun in the park, beginning at 4 p.m. in Town Park. There will be a beer garden with snacks and drinks available for purchase, as well as rousing games of cornhole, then a street dance with the band Coal Creek Connection performing from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. from Memorial Park, weather permitting. Additionally, anyone interested in pumping some iron can head over to the Lake City Armory at 6:30 p.m. for Elevated Physique’s strength and conditioning class. Visit lakecity.com to reserve your spot.On July 4, kick off the day with a hearty breakfast at Lake City Community School, which will be hosting its annual pancake breakfast fundraiser beginning at 8 a.m. through 10 a.m. for $10 per person. Also beginning at 8 a.m. at the school and running through 1 p.m. will be the annual yard sale in the school’s gymnasium.At 9 a.m., be sure to head over to Lake City Library for their annual book sale, and don’t forget to pet the kitties, Holmes and Watson.The annual parade, themed 150 Years in Lake City, A Walk Through Time, begins at 10 a.m., with the reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Hinsdale County Museum immediately following. This year’s Town Crier and reader will again be Schuyler Denham, who, according to wife Carol Robinson, has acquired a new spiffy set of duds for the event. The exhilarating USAF flyover is planned for 10:45 a.m.Events in Town Park begin at 11 a.m., with Tannah Snow singing the National Anthem, and continue through 3 p.m., including shoe kick, egg toss, a variety of foot races for all ages, beer garden with beer, wine and seltzers, and multiple gastronomical offerings, including the newly-opened Summit Wing House food truck. Lake City Community School will also have brisket plates available in Town Park for $15, with all proceeds going toward the D.C. fundraiser. The Pioneer Jubilee Women’s Club will once again have their hot dog booth adjacent to the park, and the Chamber of Commerce tent will be offering a variety of beverages and snacks.Always a competitively-charged and well-attended event is the 3 versus 3 basketball tournament fundraiser, beginning at 2 p.m. at Lake City Community School. The cost is $45 per team.At 3 p.m., folks can head over to Memorial Park for the Ducky Derby. Ducks will be dropped into Henson Creek at Pumphouse Park and collected in the confluence at Memorial Park. Tickets can be purchased at the Visitor’s Center, the Country Store at BINGO or at the Town Park during Independence Day festivities. The cost is $5 per duck, or 5 ducks for $20. Typically there are hundreds of multi-colored ducks travelling down the river and it is quite a sight to see. Cash prizes are $500 for first place, $250 for second place, $125 for third and $50 for the last place duck.At 4 p.m., crowds head back to Town Park for BINGO, and a raffle drawing. Don’t forget about the ghost tour on Independence Day evening; meet at the Hinsdale County Museum at 7 p.m. Also, at 7 p.m., the movie Patton will be shown at the Mountaineer Movie Theatre.On July 5, be sure to be at the corner of Bluff Street and Second Street at 1 p.m. for the Old West Cowboys western re-enactment to experience tales of the old west – this year’s show theme: Adventures in a Lawless Land.Directly after the performance, at 2 p.m., head over to the Hinsdale County Museum, where Dr. Mette Flynt will be giving the Lost Lake City walking tour. You’ll learn about early African-American entrepreneurs, Jewish community leaders, the railroad, the Red Light district, and forgotten people and places erased by fire, flood and social changes in Lake City. This is a 1.5 hour walking tour and tickets can be purchased at the museum or on lakecity.com.Also on July 5, Lake City Arts will host their First Friday art opening, an exhibit called Respect the Wildlife, honoring the beauty and wild spirit of the creatures that call this region home. The show invites attendees to pause, reflect and appreciate the natural world through the eyes of local artists. The exhibit opens at 4 p.m. in the Moseley Arts Center gallery.On Sunday, July 6, beginning at 9 a.m., Breakfast Hangout and Euphoria at 925 Oceanwave Drive will be serving delicious bruch with live music from Tim Mallory. Reservations are strongly recommended – call 970-944-4244.Additionally, the annual Community Church Service starts at 10:00 a.m. in the soccer field across from the Medical Center. Be sure to bring your own blankets or chairs. Also, probably not a bad idea to bring an umbrella as well.An offering is requested at this service every year, with the entire amount collected going towards local charity Community Christian Services (CCS).All of the Lake City churches, Community Presbyterian, First Baptist, Grace Fellowship, Saint James Episcopal, and St. Rose of Lima, will all be participating, with members of each congregation doing a reading. This year’s sermon will be delivered by Baptist Church’s Dan File.Also at 10 a.m. July 6, Dr. Mette Flynt will be conducting this season’s second Ute-Ulay mine tour, taking visitors through one of Hinsdale County’s most significant mining complexes. Dr. Flynt will be exploring the history of the Henson community, the infamous 1899 strike, the technology of mining and more. This is a walking tour with steep inclines, if you attend, be sure to wear proper walking shoes and attire. Tickets can be purchased at lakecity.com or at the Hinsdale County Museum.In the evening of July 6, head out to Lake San Cristobal for Art with a View at Inn at the Lake. The event begins at 5 p.m., and artists Nam Phanthong, Michael Underwood and Susan Farm-Heumann will be speaking on their respective crafts, with wine and charcuterie served.

June 26, 2025 No Comments

GCEA to Begin Work Summer 2025 on Multi-Phase Infrastructure Improvement Project

by Gianna Morera Last April, Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) was awarded a $5-million grant under a federal initiative to deploy clean energy in rural and remote America. Work on the multi-phase infrastructure improvement project, which will ultimately result in a more flexible and resilient electric grid for Hinsdale County residents, is planned to begin this summer.The stretch of distribution line running between Gunnison and Lake City is one of the oldest in GCEA’s service area, according to GCEA Strategy Execution, Technology, & Member Experience Manager Matt Feier.By the end of 2026, 138 existing poles dating from the late 1950s will be retired and replaced. An additional 83 poles will be installed to support a new heavier, thicker distribution line with greater capacity. The upgraded line will take Lake City from one source of energy to two, making the community less vulnerable to prolonged outages.“The Lake City substation gets a transmission lineVol. 48, No. 12 Friday, June 20, 2025 Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado 81235 U.S.P.S. No. 436-63075¢feed from Tri-State Energy. If that were to go down, we could feed the whole community on this new line,” explains Feier.Electrical substations convert high-voltage electricity from power plants to levels that can be delivered to customers. The existing distribution line is undersized to provide power to all of the homes and businesses in Lake City, but the new line will enable GCEA to feed in enough backup power from Gunnison to get the town back up and running should the primary feed or local substation fail.“That redundancy creates quite a bit of resiliency for the community. Had we had this upgrade already done, the people that experienced a 28-hour outage [after a substation failure in February 2023] would’ve experienced more like a one hour outage.”Critical to securing the grant was the other important benefit of this work – the ability to take advantage of alternative energy sources. An Jonesupgraded line would be able to tie in to renewable power projects, such as hydroelectric or solar, which cannot be done with the infrastructure in place today.One such source could be the disused hydroelectric dam at the location known locally as Crooke Falls, suggests Feier. “We will be in a better position to take advantage of options like that because we’ll have a line with available capacity that can accept inputs of energy,” he says.GCEA has contracted with Englewood-based Ward Construction to complete the field work. During the first phase of the project, scheduled to begin July 2025, Ward will replace poles and upgrade transmission lines between the Iola boat ramp at Blue Mesa Reservoir and Powderhorn. In Summer 2026, work will continue on the lines from Iola back to the Skito substation outside of Gunnison and another 3-mile stretch south of Powderhorn, for a total of 33 miles.The $5-million in grant money will cover about half of the cost for these first two phases, and GCEA will fund the rest via amortized rate increases for their members.Funding for the last roughly 20-mile stretch between Powderhorn and Lake City has not yet been secured, leaving the timeline for completion undefined.

June 20, 2025 No Comments

Tag: Hinsdale County