Hinsdale County - The Silver World Newspaper

Inspiring Borealis Light Display Above Lake City… While Dry & Warm Conditions Dominate Early Autumn Here

by Phillip Virden Many Lake City folks were able to marvel at a dynamic light show last week. The “show” was the result of a highly active Aurora Borealis. The Aurora Borealis, known as also as the Northern and Southern lights, are a result of a strong surge of energy and particles from our Sun. This phenomenon, commonly known as the “solar wind” begins on the Sun’s outer atmosphere. At times, huge explosions of energy take place which are known as “coronal mass ejections or CME.” CMEs eject energy out into our solar system and, as a result, some solar winds take a direct path towards Earth. When they arrive here, Earth’s magnetic field shields us from much of this storm. However, some are so powerful that some particles journey down the magnetic field lines and into Earth’s atmosphere. When this occurs, a glow of colorful (red, green, violet, blue) light can be seen on Earth; the Aurora Borealis can only be seen in upper latitudes of such places as Alaska, Iceland, Scandinavia, Canada, etc. However, a powerful CME was strong enough to cause sightings throughout the United States and as far south as Texas! In Lake City, the CME was especially powerful on the evenings of October 9 and 10th. Several Lake Citians posted their Aurora experience on Facebook. Kathleen Whinnery, Michelle Cogger, Amanda Hartman, Katie Elkins, Michael Underwood, and others took beautiful pictures of the Aurora with most showing the dominating color of red. The Aurora was so strong that it could be seen not only in the north but also in the west, east, and southern skies. Our Sun goes through cycles of calm and stormy activity. This year, the stormy activity has been quite vigorous. As early as April, the Aurora was seen by the Elkins family at Windy Point. Forecasts for more energetic CMEs are for the phenomenon to continue through this year and all of 2025. The downside of Auroras on Earth is that they can play havoc with satellites, radio communications, and electronics. Blackouts can shut down cities for hours. There are many sources to get more information and forecasts for the Aurora Borealis such as www.spaceweather.com, www.swpc.noaa.gov, www.spaceweather.gov. www.spaceweatherlive.com. If you go out to see the Aurora, you may notice a bright white glow but no colors. This is because our human eyes are limited in detecting colors at these times. Fortunately, a cell phones camera can pick up these colors. The best photos are placing your phone on a stable surface, turning off the flash, and setting exposure of about 3 seconds. Is This The “New Normal” No measurable precipitation for three weeks…no low temperatures below 32 in September…average median temperature for September, 2024 was two degrees above the historical average…flowers still blooming and grass still green this month…aspens were brilliant this year but were latent in taking place but lasted well into October…and, for this October so far, our average high is 72 compared to 59.5 historical average and 36 low compared to 25.6 historical average! As a National Weather Service observer for four decades, this trend is not surprising to me as I have witnessed this gradual warming up of September for the last several years. Additionally, we have seen these long stretches of three to four weeks of little or no precipitation. Will this trend continue? If so, should the Lake City business and the Chamber address this by actively promoting early fall tourism through mid-October? Unfortunately, I do not have the crystal ball for such a long-term outlook for our weather. Nevertheless, based upon my observations (especially over the last fifteen years), there is a change in our September and early October climate.

October 18, 2024 No Comments

Lake City Chamber’s annual Oktoberfest was a weather-perfect event — the best yet!

Lake City Chamber’s annual Oktoberfest was a weather-perfect event — the best yet — with 300 attendees in sun-dappled Lake City Park and, with 400 tickets sold, Judge Jim McDonald the winner of Beth Kendall’s raindrop-themed quilt. A packed afternoon of events included a Teutonic-themed costume contest. Willie Merfeld was the ultimate beer-stein holding winner, time a remarkable 17 minutes, 31 seconds. Denver-based Prime Time Band comprised of Camillo DiSalle provided the music. The best dressed winners were Greg and Libby Olson. Mace Elkins was tops among juveniles in the log throw with an amazing 18’10” toss. Forrest Swift was superlative with 21’5” among men in the log throwing contestants, a repeat winner. Alyssa Meier from Gunnison was top in women’s log toss with 16’. Town Trustee Landon Whinnery came in second to first place nail pounding champ Chad Henrie from Montrose. Hammerschlag competitors included equally well-dressed Mariah McClung, Lake City, and Marietta Jordan. Elsa Berkner, and fellow teammates Landon Whinnery, Jackie Noelke and Willie Merfeld were top among teams in the fastest beer drinking competition. Volunteers at Saturday’s Oktoberfest served up delightful beer brews from Lake City Brewery ranging from hoppy dark to light wheat-based and Corn Hole, Jenga, and Connect 4 were popular park games on Saturday, log toss winner Forrest Swift shown warming up for a precision ball toss.

October 11, 2024 No Comments

Silver Thread Public Health District Hires Two New Employees…

Silver Thread Public Health District has hired, after a long bout of advertising, two new employees: Brooke Jones, Health Educator and Senior Resource Coordinator, and Lori Heinrich, Consumer Protection Officer. Brooke made a visit to WORLD offices this week and was quizzed about her new position. She said while she still learning the scope of her job, she has been working with Cheryl Tate and the Senior Connections crew, taking over some of the responsibilities of the weekly senior walking in the Armory and the bimonthly senior lunch events. Also, she is working on community outreach for seniors, lining up speakers and organizing activities, all with the goal of getting the senior population of Lake City to gather as much as possible to avoid social isolation. In addition to her efforts with the senior citizens, she will be working through funding from the State of Colorado Tobacco Control Grants Program, assisting with tobacco cessation and outreach to keep the younger population away from tobacco as much as possible. “I have lots of training for that coming up,” she said. Jones was hired by Silver Thread Public Health District in mid-September; before she moved to Lake City, she and her husband Matt Jones were living in Monument, Colorado and she was working at a Polaris dealership. Matt, who is a carpenter, was building a house in Lake City and she decided to accompany him; as is the norm for Front Rangers when they first come to Lake City, she instantly fell in love with the place and before she knew it, they had a place to rent and she had a job. Her daughter, Cora, has begun the 10th grade at Lake City Community School, and her 18-year-old son, Indy, remains in Monument. Lori Heinrich was hired as the Consumer Protection Officer, beginning work on September 3. She spent a number of years in corporate administration and finance for engineering and biotech firms, and later worked for a non-profit anti-trafficking organization, a cause near to her heart. Most recently, she worked as Business Manager for Creede School District, 2018-2021 and was Development Director for Creede Repertory Theatre from 2021-2024. She attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas. As far as her new job is concerned, Heinrich says, “I now have the privilege of working with our local retail food establishments, schools, and institutions to promote and protect public health through education and partnerships to advance food safety. This will include licensure, inspections and plan reviews. Additionally, I will be working to identify environmental health needs in our communities, research creative and effective ways to address them, and seek funding to help meet these needs.” As the spouse of an Air Force pilot, Heinrich’s family moved several times, living in Delaware, Illinois, Texas, California, and Colorado. Having spent summer vacation in Creede since she was seven years old, this area has been “in my soul for a very long time,” she said. “When my husband retired from active duty and became a Registered Nurse, we knew there was no place else we’d rather settle. We have been here just over six years. It’s the longest we’ve lived anywhere in our married lives by far, and we plan to stay forever.” Lori’s husband, Karl, is the nurse at Creede Family Practice, so they are excited to get to work together in the same building. Speaking to her personal life, Heinrich said, “we have four children ranging from 16 to 32, two adorable grandkids, and are less than two years from an empty nest. We also have two spoiled dogs and two persnickety cats, and my parents followed us to Creede and now live nearby.”

October 11, 2024 No Comments

District 1 Commissioner Candidates Share Insights, Challenges for Future

A hotly contested local election on the upcomingTuesday, November 5, ballot is for District 1 HinsdaleCounty Commissioner.SILVER WORLD mailed identical questions to thetwo District 1 candidates — incumbent Greg Levine,an Independent who was first elected to a four-yearterm as County Commissioner in November 2020,and his Republican challenger, former Lake CityTown Trustee Steve Ryals — last week with therequest that answers with cumulative total no greaterthan 2,500 words for each candidate be returned forthis week’s issue.Verbatim answers are as follows, each candidate’sresponse listed alphabetically following eachquestion.In addition to District 1 Commissioner candidatesLevine and Ryals, Robert Hurd, incumbent Republican for Hinsdale County CommissionerDistrict 3 is seeking re-election unopposed. Hurdreceived the same set of questions and his responseswill be published in the Friday, October 11, issue ofthe newspaper.Letters to the Editor explaining views of aparticular candidate or endorsing candidates foroffice are accepted by SILVER WORLD on a weeklybasis. In advance of this fall’s election and in fairnessto all candidates, politically themed letters to theeditor will not be accepted after the Friday, October25, issue of the newspaper. Here are a list of the questions asked. To see the Candidates answers, plus more details, pick up your own issue of the LCSW. 1.Tell us about yourself: age, education – publicschool and college, family? 2.How long have you lived inLake City and where didyou previously live? 3. What is your business experience, past jobexperience before and since moving to Lake City? 4. What is your job experiencebeing an elected official? 5. Why do you want to be a County Commissioner? 6. Why should we vote for you? 7. Should the program allowing OHVs on Highway149 through the town of Lake City remain frommid-June through the end of September or, go backto the previous time frame, (Memorial Day throughthe end of September), or do you have an alternateoption? 8. Are you in favor of maintaining the current OHVroute, or are you in favor of extending the route? 9. Do you feel the current OHV regulations aresufficient and is law enforcement adequate? 10. Why is the partnership between the Town of LakeCity and Hinsdale County important, and how doyou feel it could be improved? 11. Emergency services is under the direction ofHinsdale County; the County is exploring a stablerevenue source for these services. What are yourideas for these important services? 12. What is your plan to address the lack of affordablehousing in and around Lake City? 13. The income influx to Hinsdale County through theAll Hazards Team earned revenue has beensignificant and is an important element of eachyear’s county budget [2022 – $428,217; 2023 –$1,035,976; and 2024 year to date – $872,107 as of8/31/2024]. Do you feel these funds are beingappropriated properly? What is your plan in theevent the funds are diminished or eliminated? 𝑷𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒖𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌’𝒔 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔!

October 4, 2024 No Comments

End of the Line for County’s Old Road & Bridge Shop…

Structural steel girders were all that remained of the old Hinsdale Road & Bridge Butler building early this week as workmen dismantled the 1955 structure to make way for the new county operations building. This week witnessed the last vestiges of the 69-year-old 2,800-s.f. Butler metal building adjoining Hinsdale County Courthouse which from 1955 until 1994 served as the headquarters for Hinsdale County Road & Bridge Dept. A crackerjack demolition crew comprised of Wally Hays and his assistant, Briggs Jones — grandson of longtime local seasonal residents Elwyn and artist Jane Jones — incrementally dismantled the building, with plans by Hays to re-erect the 80’ by 35’ structure on his property high on a bench he has created on his property overlooking County Road 30 on the upper Lake Fork. Fenced yard, employees’ vehicles, fuel storage tanks and metal shop building are pictured at left in a 1989 aerial view. The metal building was enlarged in the late 1970s with an addition to house fire fighting equipment, pictured immediately adjacent to Hinsdale County Courthouse. Shown at left are a succession of photos showing incremental dismantling of the building over the course of the past summer, including Hays pictured beside the mammoth diesel-burning heating furnace which originally heated not only the county shop building but also the next-door courthouse via underground ducting. Also pictured opposite page is a crane used by Hays to lower the furnace chimney and demolition assistant Jones carrying numbered panels of the exterior metal sheathing prior to early this week when only the cast metal framework of the building remained. Removal of the old county shop building clears the site in advance of next year’s planned spring start of construction on the county’s new 6,409-s.f., $4-million operations building with combined space for Hinsdale County Sheriff, emergency services, and county administration. Pictured bottom left is a c. 1900 overview photo of the southwest corner Henson and 4th Street with courthouse far left and land to the north where the now-demolished Butler building was located and where the new operations building will be built. A notable feature in the 1900 overview photo is the two-story frame Hinsdale County Jail building which was built in 1892 and burned to the ground in 1946. The smaller gabled building adjacent to the jail was Town of Lake City’s first library dating to the 1870s and later offices and laboratory for the Elmendorf & Schaffer Sampler. Also pictured near left on opposite page is yet another massive fire which was the immediate impetus for building the fire-proof metal Butler building to house Hinsdale Road & Bridge in 1955. Prior to the early 1950s, the county’s road equipment was housed in a rambling frame 1-1/2-story building with false front on the northeast corner of Gunnison Avenue and 2nd Street which was originally used by freighters Samuel Watson and Sherman Williams. Later acquired by the county, the building burned to the ground in a spectacular January, 1952, blaze. Also destroyed was $50,000 in uninsured county road maintenance equipment. County Commissioners thereafter looked to build a fire-proof county shop and in May, 1955, contracted with S & M Supply in Grand Junction to erect a 36’ x 80’ Butler metal building. The original building with various additions and alterations remained headquarters for Hinsdale Road & Bridge — much of the time when the late Jack Vickers was road supervisor — until 1994 when it was replaced by the current county road facility north of town. Vacant since 1994, the now demolished county shop building was used for storage both by the county and other local non-profit organizations over the past 30 years.

September 20, 2024 No Comments

Good Cheer, Friendly Camaraderie Abound with Opening of Senior Center

Unlike the room’s usual appearance as a town trustees’ meeting room with an orderly arrangement of chairs and meeting table with piles of paperwork, the Town of Lake City’s Armory multipurpose room was transformed into a lively bistro of sorts last Friday morning for the long-anticipated opening of the Senior Connections’ Senior Center.Chairs were drawn up to tables with red checkered tablecloths dotted about the room inviting guests to pause for conversation while perhaps imbibing from a fully stocked coffee bar and partaking of snacks which, for the center’s opening last week, included freshly baked banana bread. Also of interest were the room’s non-edible accoutrements, a cache of neatly stacked and intriguing boxed board games and puzzles which await closer inspection.Looking out over the room and mingling crowd with satisfaction last Friday were staunch proponents of expanded senior citizen services in Lake City, including the newly furnished senior center which will be open with regularly scheduled hours on a year-round basis.On hand and glowing with satisfaction on Friday were Senior Connections volunteers such as Cheryl Tate, Lonnie Sweet, and Mary Nettleton, all of whom have been putting in long hours since January with the envisioned goal of not only a well-equipped and vitalized senior citizen center but also an impressive array of expanded senior citizen services.Also, on hand last week celebrating the opening of the new Senior Center was staff from Silver Thread Public Health, including public health director Tara Hardy who is equally enthused with new developments in terms of senior services. Working in tandem with Silver Thread Public Health and a direct result of the enthused Senior Connect Team volunteers, the Senior Center in the town trustees’ Armory meeting room is now open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays August 9, 16, 23, and 30 through this month and increasing to both Wednesdays and Fridays starting in September.Additionally, team members are working with Mountaineer Movie Theatre owner Phillip Virden on a no-charge Senior Movie Night at 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 20, featuring the John Wayne Western classic, “True Grit”. Senior Walking is also planned in the Armory from 2 to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Friday starting in September.Home cooked lunches, either sit-down or grab & go, or the potential of deliveries to homebound residents, will resume the second and fourth Fridays in September. Specifics of the luncheon meals are still being worked out, although the new Senior Center will remain the central focus with sit-down meals on those Fridays served 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., together with the grab & go or home delivery options.A series of informative lectures are also being lined up for Senior Citizens, including Gary Shondeck of Gunnison-based Shondeck Financial Services & Insurance who has offered to come to Lake City on Friday, October 4, starting 10 a.m. for a presentation which will include details on changes to Open Enrollment for Medicare Part D. Shondeck will also be available to work with individuals.Other potential lecture topics sponsored by the group may include the popular topic of taxes by a knowledgeable accountant and an attorney who will be invited to address local seniors on legal documents such as wills and Do Not Resuscitate directives.During a sit-down interview with Senior Connect Team members Cheryl Tate and Lonnie Sweet prior to last week’s Senior Citizen Center opening, Tate marvels at literally thousands of volunteer hours which have been expended toward the revitalized services for Senior Citizens ages 60 years and up who live within Town of Lake City and adjacent rural portions of Hinsdale County.Referring to the volunteerism spirit, Tate says, “It truly takes a village… if the result of all this effort is the way we envision it, it will have been well worth it.”Tate credits the town and county senior citizens for their energy and determination. “They all have great ideas,” she says, “and they’re energized.”Senior services in Hinsdale County are under the umbrella of Silver Thread Public Health, Tara Hardy expressing her gratitude for the re-energizing efforts of the “grassroots” group.Public Health has several staff openings and continuing through this month will be reviewing applications for the positions of a Senior Citizen Coordinator, who will be available to assist with the Senior Connections group, as well as a second position handling consumer protection which is also being filled.Work by the volunteer Senior Connect group dates to January this year when a group of concerned local residents —these including Cheryl Tate, Lonnie Sweet, Lori Lawrence, Rick Hernandez, Faye Underwood, Mary Nettleton, Dan McGee, and Dawn Kortmeyer — put their heads together with the goal of addressing the needs and wants of the local senior population which they felt were not being met.The grassroot organization’s first goal was to peruse the county’s voter registration lists and determine the number of seniors living in the county. From a list of 723 voters, they determined fully 52 percent of the registered population is age 60 years and over or, more broadly 60 percent of the county’s registered voters are over age 55.The next step, according to Tate and Sweet, was to contact existing seniors’ organizations in other regional communities such as Silverton, Creede, Saguache, and Nucla/Naturita to learn what services they offered in terms of senior centers and senior lunches and, just as important, their sources of funding to support the programs.With that information in hand, Tate says they scratched their collective heads, wondering, “what do we do now?”An important early addition to the corps of grassroots local volunteers was enlistment of an energetic, non-senior, Hinsdale County Commissioner Greg Levine, who was an enthusiastic addition to the group.Levine’s enthusiasm and talents “are invaluable,” Tate says. It was at this point pre-spring this year that the volunteer group was also expanded to include Tara Hardy of Silver Thread Public Health.It was through casual conversations with Town of Lake City Recreation Director Ben Hake that the suggestion was made for use of both the kitchen and adjacent town-council meeting room in the Armory. While occupied for town meetings on

August 9, 2024 No Comments

County Celebrates 150th Anniversary with Tours, Picnic.

The atmosphere was festive and town was lively on August 1 for the Celebrate Lake City event, celebrating the County’s founding 150 years ago in the year 1874.From 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., folks were free to explore the upstairs courtroom at the County Courthouse where cannibal Alferd Packer was tried, and from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., a community picnic was held, catered by CLIMB Elevated Eatery, serenaded by the musical stylings of Tim Mallory and blessed by Pastor Jason Santos.While everyone ate, County Commissioner Kristie Borchers gave a speech detailing the history of the area, beginning with the collapse of the Mesa Seco plateau into the Lake Fork Valley 700 years ago, when the Slumgullion Earthflow dammed the river, creating Lake San Cristobal.Borchers explained, “The lake was a favorite camping spot when Native American tribes used this land as summer hunting grounds. The Ute Territory was subsequently reduced under several different agreements, driven by gold and silver exploration in the San Juan Mountains. The state of Colorado created Hinsdale County on February 10, 1874.”Borchers thanked the crowd for coming to the “summer party,” explaining that the actual birthday of the county was in February, when Lake Citians celebrated out on the ice at Lake San Cristobal.“We spent some time this winter gathering up a timeline of 150 years of work improving our county,” she said, directing people to the Visitor’s Center for a full timeline.The abbreviated timeline Borchers recited, which she deemed ‘snapshots in time,’ is as follows: 1877, construction of the Hinsdale County Courthouse, which remains largely unchanged, where Susan B. Anthony spoke and Alferd Packer was tried for murder; 1881, telephone service reached Lake City; 1889, the first passenger train arrived; 1907, the first automobile arrived; 1915, the first tourists from Texas arrived; 1921, women won the right to vote, and the Town Trustees were an all-female board, also, a big flood washed out the train depot, tracks and roundhouse; 1937, construction of several auto courts began and there were individual cabins available for rent; 1950, the first Jeep tours began, using Otto Mear’s constructed backcountry roads for recreational sightseeing and not just as supply routes; 1954, the Chamber of Commerce sponsored construction of Deer Lakes; 1956, reliable electricity was established in Hinsdale County; 1968, water and sewer systems were established, the same year the Lake City Ski Hill opened; 1975, the Lake City Medical Center was opened downtown; 1978, National Register for Historic Places designated Lake City a Historic District, which remains one of the largest historic districts in the nation; 1985, Highway 149 paving over Slumgullion Pass was completed; 2013, Ute Ulay stabilization project began, along with the Papoose Fire, impacting Upper Rio Grande; 2019, more than 100 + significant avalanches impacted Hinsdale County; 2020, Hinsdale County purchased Peninsula Park.Borchers concluded her speech saying, “Thank you to those of you serving Hinsdale County, living in Hinsdale County or partnering with Hinsdale County. We appreciate all the work you do.”

August 9, 2024 No Comments

Courthouse Tours, Community Picnic Mark County’s 150th Birthday

Hinsdale County appropriately celebrates the sesquicentennial of the county’s creation during a day-long celebration on Colorado Day, next Thursday, August 1. Hinsdale County and Town of Lake City’s first cabin, now at venerable 150 years age, both predate creation of the State of Colorado, 148 years ago, which is celebrated on August 1. In recognition of Hinsdale County’s formation on February 10, 1874, self-guided tours of offices in the 1877 Hinsdale County Courthouse, together with the equally historic Hinsdale County Courtroom upstairs, will be thrown open to the public from 1 to 3 p.m. on August 1. Staff in the County courthouse’s ground floor offices — Assessor Sherry Boyce, County Clerk Joan Roberts, and Treasurer Lori Lawrence — will be on hand to explain the significance of their individual offices, with the added incentive of snacks and light refreshments which will be served up in the Hinsdale County Assessor’s Office. This is followed by a free-of-charge Community Picnic catered by Climb Elevated Eatery which will be held beneath and adjacent to the Town Park pavillion from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday. In addition to the picnic — exact particulars of menu remaining a surprise — Lake City/Hinsdale County Chamber of Commerce will host a cash bar. Jacob McDonald — no relation to the county’s revered judge, County Court Judge James McDonald — from State Historic Fund will be on hand to highlight preservation projects in the county which have been partially funded through the State Historic Fund. The fund is responsible for preservation projects on a number of historic landmarks, most recently the Getz family’s Lost Trail Barn on the upper Rio Grande, restoration of the County courthouse building in 2017, Lake City Arts’ acquisition of the historic Hough Block, and renovations of Hinsdale County Museum in the Finley Block 1999-2000, to name a few. Built in 1877 and Colorado’s oldest continually operating County courthouse, the two-story frame building in Italianate Revival architecture with paired cornice brackets is intentionally symmetrical with sash windows on either side of doorways leading to a central ground floor hallway. On both the back, west facing portion of the building overlooking Veterans’ Park, and east-facing front of the building on Henson Street, three equally proportioned double-hung windows light the upstairs courtroom and offices of Hinsdale Country Judge and Clerk of the Court. The overriding sense of symmetry on the front portion of the building carried through to the centered front door which is balanced on either side by the trim of equal-proportioned double-hung, six-pane windows. At $4,450, local contractor Jonathan Ogden was successful bidder to build the 30×60’ two-story frame courthouse in 1877. The courthouse was built on lots donated by local businessman J.W. Brockett and members of the Lake City Bar Association were so confident that the building would be completed on time that they named a committee which sent out invitations to a Grand Celebration Ball to be held on June 8, 1877. Unfortunately, windows for the edifice failed to arrive in time for the grand celebration and a string orchestra provided music for the somewhat breezy ball in the upstairs courtroom without the benefit of windows. Italianate Revival architecture was already outdated and considered somewhat old fashioned by the time the building was completed in 1877 but reflects an architecture style with which early pioneers of Lake City were familiar. Notable events in the building’s history were two successive evenings when noted Suffragate Susan B. Anthony spoke on the courthouse’s front steps in September, 1877, and the first manslaughter conviction of Alferd Packer and his sentence to be hanged by the neck, as pronounced by District Court Judge M. B. Gerry, “until you are dead, dead, dead, and may God have mercy upon your soul” in 1883. The courthouse narrowly averted being burned to the ground by an unknown arsonist in 1879 when kerosene-soaked gunnysacks were ignited in the hallway in front of the doorway to the County Clerk’s office. The building was successively remodeled — sometimes with sensitivity, sometimes otherwise — starting in the 1950s when ceilings were lowered, indoor toilets installed for the first time, and linoleum in carpet design used to cover the original floorboards on which Susan B. Anthony walked on in 1877. Wrought iron kerosene chandeliers were removed from the courtroom but safely stored during a remodeling in 1954. The chandeliers were rehung and remain to this day thanks to the efforts of newly-formed Hinsdale County Historical Society in 1974. Most significant in the building’s preservation was a multi-year $750,000 renovation ending in 2017 which leveraged local funding with donations and significant grant funding from the State Historic Fund and Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs’ Energy and Mineral Impact Fund. Sensitive rehabilitation of the courthouse building 2016-2017 included foundation repair, new electric wiring and heating, removal of the courtroom’s linoleum flooring to reveal the original floorboards, and — perhaps most significant — returning ceilings in ground floor offices to near their original 12’ height. In addition to Hinsdale County at the 150-year-mark, 2024 is notable as a preamble to Town of Lake City’s 150th anniversary which actually occurs in 2025. In terms of municipal history, 2024 is significant as the 150th anniversary of Town Founder Enos T. Hotchkiss constructing the town’s first habitation in August, 1874. Hotchkiss was supervisor on the crew of men building the Saguache & San Juan Toll Road from Saguache, 96 miles to the present site of Lake City via Los Pinos Indian Agency, across the Powderhorn Valley by way of Beaver Creek and then up the Lake Fork Valley. Hotchkiss tarried at the forks of the Lake Fork at what was then known as Godman’s Creek — now Henson Creek — to build the first habitation in what was to become the Town of Lake City. The single room cabin, windowless, and with dirt roof and floor, was located at the northwest corner of what was to become Gunnison Avenue and 2nd Street, now the location of Dan Murphy’s M4 Realty.

July 25, 2024 No Comments

Kaminski Approved as Sheriff Candidate in Split Vote by GOP Vacancy Committee

Emotions flared on Monday morning this week as the five-member Vacancy Committee of the Hinsdale County Republican Party met to consider endorsing candidates for Hinsdale County Sheriff in this fall’s General Election.After emotional remarks by several members of the Vacancy Committee and in split three-yes, two-no balloting, the committee voted to approve former Hinsdale County Undersheriff Jordan Kaminski as the Republican Party’s candidate for Hinsdale County Sheriff.Empowered by Colorado State Statute to name candidates to fill vacancies, the deliberation was described by vacancy committee member Michael Murphy as “winging it” in a “difficult situation.”Among seated audience at Monday’s vacancy committee meeting was Jordan Kaminski who worked for Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Dept 2012-2014 and again starting 2018 and served as Undersheriff from September, 2020, until his resignation effective June 23 this year.In his remarks to the vacancy committee members, Kaminski stated that following prayerful consideration he had concluded to ask the committee to approve him as Republican candidate for sheriff in order to give the voters a choice.“I am at peace with whatever you do,” he told vacancy committee members Diane Bruce, Wes Williams, Becky Weeks, Michael Murphy, and Bobby Kleckner, the latter representing Hinsdale County’s South End. After 30 minutes discussion, including intense questioning by several members of the vacancy committee, the motion to list Kaminski by name as the Republican Party’s candidate for Hinsdale County Sheriff was made by Wes Williams and Michael Murphy and ultimately passed with Williams, Murphy, and Weeks voting in the affirmative, and Bruce and Kleckner casting no votes. As Republican candidate in this November’s Election, Kaminski will be one of three candidates for county sheriff; as reported in last week’s WORLD, Hinsdale Sheriff’s Dept. Deputy and now Undersheriff Denim Starnes has submitted sufficient registered voter signatures to seek election as Hinsdale Sheriff as an Unaffiliated candidate; added to the list of candidates for sheriff as of Monday morning this week is Lake City resident J.T. Stratton, registered Unaffiliated with the county, who has filed paper work to seek election as a write-in candidate.As write-in candidate, Stratton was not required to submit signatures of registered voters.The successful sheriff’s candidate will take the place of interim Hinsdale County Sheriff Ron Bruce (see separate article, page 1) who on Friday afternoon, July 12, received his oath of office to replace the former sheriff, Chris Kambish, who resigned effective July 12.Bruce, a past Hinsdale County Sheriff, was selected as interim replacement by Hinsdale County Commissioners and has agree to serve from Friday last week until January 8, 2025, when the newly-elected sheriff is sworn into office. In Monday morning’s vacancy committee meeting, former undersheriff Kaminski was seated and calm as he was closely questioned by several of the committee members. Asked by Wes Williams for his reasoning in resigning as undersheriff last month, Kaminski replied that it was an issue of prayer, stating he felt it was “best to step away for a time” in the midst of turmoil which arose as a result of the resignation of Sheriff Kambish.South End committee member Bobby Kleckner referenced “interesting times we live in”……. To read the full story, pick up a copy of the Lake City Silver World at local shops or subscribe today!

July 20, 2024 No Comments

Kaminski Resigns as Sheriff’s Dept. Undersheriff

Since last week’s edition, a third resignation, from Hinsdale County Undersheriff Kaminski, has occurred within the staffing ranks of Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Office.On the heels of Sheriff Kambish and Deputy Brennan Pantleo, whose resignations were reported in the June 7 edition of SILVER WORLD, Undersheriff Jordan Kaminski submitted a resignation letter dated last Thursday, June 13.Kaminski’s tenure as deputy dates 2012-2014, and again 2018-2020. He served as Hinsdale County Undersheriff from September, 2020, until present.Sheriff Kambish, who will be succeeded by former sheriff Ron Bruce effective July 12, has stated he does not intend to appoint a replacement undersheriff, telling WORLD “I will leave that up to Ron.”With the resignations of Sheriff Kambish, Undersheriff Kaminski, and Deputy Pantleo, law enforcement personnel at short-staffed Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Dept. consists of Sheriff Kambish until July 12 and then Sheriff Bruce, Deputies Denham Starnes and Sarah Poet, and Seasonal Deputy Mark Zeckser.The text of Undersheriff Kaminski’s letter of resignation is as follows:“Sheriff Kambish,Please accept this as my official letter of resignation. With the appointment of interim Sheriff Ron Bruce, and hearing from him and the Board of County Commissioners, I believe that it is time for me to tender my resignation.It has been an honor to work for you in serving the community. I have learned a great deal and greatly appreciated the opportunity these last five years.My resignation will take effect June 23, 2024, or earlier if you so desire. Again, thank you for the opportunity.Jordan KaminskiUndersheriffHinsdale County Sheriff’s Office”

June 21, 2024 No Comments

Tag: Hinsdale County