Lake City | The Silver World Newspaper

Myriad of Topics Covered at Lively Town Meeting Dec. 17 Including Sheriff IGA, April Election, Short Term Rentals

The first topic on the agenda of the Town of Lake City Board of Trustees workshop December 17 was to continue an ongoing conversation about an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the Town and Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Office.Mayor Dave Roberts and trustees were presented with a revised draft of the IGA, which has undergone several revisions factoring in budget restraints, insurance, and information from other small towns comparable to Lake City, and how they make their Sheriff’s IGAs work for them.“The key to this is,” began Mayor Roberts, “we want law enforcement in our town, and we will have an IGA. The best way to explain this – when I was a trustee, when the Sheriff’s IGA would come up, it was just something we had to do, just renew it. No information, no thought put into it, really. What we’re trying to do is put together an agreement that makes sense. The old one was very strange and what we’re working on doing is putting together something that is fair between the Town and County. Nothing is set in stone yet. We’re just working on something that we can negotiate with that will be fair.”Roberts went on to say that it was suggested the Town Board compare Lake City to Silverton’s Sheriff IGA, since the towns are similar. “Their budget,” Roberts said, “is 8.3 million a year, and ours is 1.1 [million per year].”Roberts opened the floor to comments and asked Trustee Jodi Linsey to speak first. “I’m awful glad that we are not just rolling the same IGA over and over with no thought as to what it actually means in our world. From what I’m seeing [in this latest version] reflects a lot of the things that we have discussed in our workshops, so that’s good, and it’s time to lob it back to the County. Do we need to adopt an ordinance, or just give it a thumbs up?”Attorney Dan Krob, attending the meeting via Zoom, added “what we want to do is be on the same page as far as what we expect and what the County will expect. There will be hiring issues, that’s a statewide issue, and you guys being as remote as you are, it’s beautiful but that presents a challenge. So, we don’t want to put the Sheriff’s Office in a position to say, ‘we’ll give you fifty guys,’ when they can’t ever fulfill that.” Krob went on to say that the IGA should probably provide guidelines for what hours the Town expects the Sheriff to be working, and that a 3 percent increase in cost year upon year was fairly standard to other IGAs he has seen in other small towns. “But that’s completely up to you,” he said.Linsey replied with, “I think a set number of hours is going to be seen as unreasonable. The Sheriff’s Office will want to know how to track that; will there be timekeeping? I think it opens [the IGA] to issues rather than supplying answers.”Attorney Krob said, “Generally when I’ve seen these, there’s a breakdown that comes from the Sheriff’s Office that says ‘this is what our employees cost, this is what it costs to get them their vest or their car or whatever, and what we’re asking you [the Town] to pay, comes out to this amount of money.’ So I think it wouldn’t be out of line to ask the County – you [the Town] proposed $100,000 – what do we get for those services, what can we expect? I do think both sides want to work collaboratively, but I think both sides need to be on the same page as far as what is expected.”Town Manager Lex Mulhall said, “I do think [tracking] hours would be problematic and an administrative burden. As far as the cost, we had put in here $65,000, at a previous workshop someone mentioned $75,000, someone said that was too much, so we included a provision where if they provided a deputy for special events, that took place on town property, we would offer them additional compensations, they could charge us for that. I wanted your feedback on that. That way, also the non-profits wouldn’t have to hire their own security, which they had to do this year, at least for Wine and Music Festival.” Mulhall went on to say, “They [Hinsdale County] did provide additional information including dispatch fees; what’s expected for next year for just the dispatch fees it’s $69,317, plus a full-time deputy plus benefits plus overtime in the County Deputy Sherriff salary is $66,950. Undersheriff is $72,100. Also – the cost of the vehicles, which they just recently received two new Ford Expeditions, $71,500 each. I mention that because one of the other communities base the cost on one fully-equipped law enforcement vehicle. Then every three years, the cost of the IGA goes up based on a new vehicle being purchased and what the purchase price that year is for that vehicle. That is one of the ways we could approach this. If we did the three percent annual increase, and we paid the $100,548 they said they wanted next year, by 2035 we’re paying $131,193. It will keep going up more and more with that annual three percent increase, which is not really sustainable for us since our revenues aren’t going up three percent every year. Everyone’s cost goes up every year. Something that may be more manageable may be to [look at] the cost of the vehicle – $71,500 every three years, whatever it costs you to replace a vehicle, is what we pay – or something to that effect. Also in here, what was changed based on the conversation we had last time, was the insurance we changed to match some of the other IGAs that we’ve shown as examples, instead of us paying the liability insurance for a full-time police officer, which is another $8,700, we would just be adding them as additionally insured. $65,000 maybe a little

December 26, 2025 No Comments

Jury Trial Date in Hit-and-Run Incident Set in Lake City, May 2026

After near-monthly court hearings in Gunnison and coming up on a year since the January, 2025, hit-and-run accident which left a Lake City man paralyzed, a court date has been set for a four-day jury trial in which Keenan Blake Earley faces a variety of felony charges, including Vehicular Assault, Reckless Driving, Accident Involving Death or Serious Bodily Injury and Duty to Report Accident.7th Judicial District Judge Kellie Starritt once again presided at a short, 20-minute status hearing in district court in Gunnison last Thursday afternoon, December 11, during which she conferred with both prosecution and court-appointed defense, referencing the protracted delay and the fact that since June or July last summer, “victims are ready to resolve this case one way or another.” Barring a potential change in dates as outcome of status hearing February 12, 2026, and a Pretrial Conference on April 23 next year, Earley’s district court jury trial is tentatively set in the upstairs courtroom of Hinsdale County Courthouse in Lake City May 26-29, 2026.Attendance before Judge Starritt at last week’s status hearing was minimal, both Earley and his court appointed defense, Patrick Crane, attending remotely by Webex, and the prosecution, Jessica Wagner from the 7th Judicial District DA’s office, attending in person.Also attending remotely from Lake City and nodding her head in agreement with the judge’s recommendation to proceed to trial, was Phyllis Bairrington.Public Defender Patrick Crane indicated that both he and another Montrose-based Public Defender, Steven Rodemeyer, will represent Earley at the Lake City trial and that the delay to date involves paint chip analysis by Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensics.That final element of evidence is expected shortly, after which Crane said Defense will be prepared for trial.District Attorney Office’s Wagner asked Judge Starritt to schedule either a four or five-day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. trial, with first day set aside for jury selection starting 8:30 a.m.In advance of the tentative four-day May Lake City trial date — and with both Earley and Bairrington and defense and prosecution reps silently nodding in agreement — a motion hearing is scheduled in Gunnison at 2 p.m. Thursday, February 12, 2026, and a tentative Pretrial Conference at which Earley is requested to attend in person at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 23. Never miss a local story! Subscribe to the Lake City Silver World and receive the local news right to your inbox or mailbox

December 19, 2025 No Comments

Town Board Debates Changing Number of Trustees, Approves Donation Requests for Community Organizations

During the workshop portion of the December 3 Town of Lake City Board of Trustees meeting, the first item on the agenda was to discuss the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the Town and County for the Sheriff’s Office. This topic has been discussed at length during town meetings of late, and progress can be tracked through previous issues of Silver World.Trustees did not come to a conclusion during the workshop December 3, as they have decided to hold off on making a decision until they have the opportunity for Sheriff Denim Starnes to meet with them in person.Trustees had been given a draft copy of an IGA prepared by Hinsdale County, and Mayor Dave Roberts said, “there is no action [to be taken tonight] on this. We all got a copy of the IGA that the County presented. The purpose of this is for us to have an open discussion, to gather some information, and I believe we had some questions for the Sheriff. He was going to try to be here this evening, but there is a truck accident apparently on Slum, and he’s stuck so he will not be able to make it.”“ I believe we will be able to get our questions answered before we move forward with this. I think it’s important for the trustees to be able to share their opinions, also, Dan [Krob, Town Attorney] is on with us tonight. One thing I want to say about the IGA is that I believe as a board, and I myself, we all believe it’s very important the citizens of Lake City have police protection.”Attorney Krob stated that he thought the IGA was “a pretty good framework” that just “needed details hammered out.”It should be noted that County attorney Michael O’Loughlin was in attendance during the workshop to represent the interests of Hinsdale County.Also during the workshop portion of the meeting was a topic previously discussed by trustees; the possibility of a 2026 election ballot question to reduce the number of Town Trustees.The conversation began with Town Manager Lex Mulhall saying, “there was discussion about this 630when there were only four trustees and we had three vacancies and we couldn’t get anyone to sign up. If this were something that we decided to do, it would not go into effect until 2028. I just wanted to see if that was something worth discussing or thinking about. I thought I would be negligent in not bringing it up since we had that issue for a while.” Mayor Roberts said, “I remember when that issue came up and part of it was because we couldn’t even fill seats. It’s also a lot to ask. Let’s face it, you’re all volunteers, minus your big check every month,” to which Trustee Diane Bruce said with a laugh, “89 dollars and 55 cents!”Roberts continued, “I was told that the board used to be smaller and it got changed to seven – six trustees and a mayor, where it used to be four trustees and a major and I still don’t have an answer as to why it got changed. It seems to me, if you can’t fill the seats, what’s the point? Maybe if there were more people willing to run and be more dedicated to the job. I’m not saying anything about [the trustees] not being dedicated; this is one of the best boards I’ve ever been a part of and I appreciate the time and effort you guys put into it. Anyways, we wanted to throw that out and get your feelings on it.”Trustee Jodi Linsey spoke up, saying, “I think you have a really valid point, but I would counter it with the fact that the more people you have sitting at the table, the better you’re going to be able to govern, because you have greater diversity and you have a greater opportunity. If you only have four people, they might all be of the same opinion, whereas when you have more people, you have more diverse ideas. I’m a proponent of diversity. Also, I’d like to point out that we did have a very dysfunctional and angry board for a while, and those people are no longer sitting on the board and I think we’re more productive now, and I think we all contribute, whether we were elected or appointed”.Roberts responded, “I appreciate that, and I do agree with the diversity piece. I just wonder if it’s overkill. There’s three commissioners.”Linsey retorted with, “they also make $75,000 a year.” Roberts agreed, saying, “we don’t have time to discuss that.”Trustee Woods said, “I support keeping it at seven. It gives more of our citizens a chance to take part in the political process and if we don’t, then only three people would be a quorum. So three people could make a decision for the whole town.”Mulhall agreed, saying, “in most cases, unless it’s a super majority.”Trustee Bruce said “I haven’t made up my mind. I see both sides of it, but of course, this would have to go to a vote of the people.” Roberts confirmed, saying, “that’s what [we need to decide]; is it worth putting it to a vote of the people. I think the key to this is, there are seats coming up [to the end of their term], and a big part of our board right now filled vacancies instead of being elected by the citizens. You talk about representation; we were at a point where we needed a body in that seat – for someone to jump on board, and it worked out well, thank you all, but…that was another reason. If we don’t have enough citizen participation to even have elections, then are we serving the people of the town?”Trustee Kendall, who was initially appointed as town trustee, noted, “I can see both sides; there was a vacancy and I was assigned to it and then I got re-elected. I can see the other side too, it’s getting hard to

December 12, 2025 No Comments

Holidays in Full Gear with Upcoming Open Houses, Festive Activities.

Festive fun continues as the holiday season bursts with a continuing succession of fun events, including Chamber of Commerce’s Open House Friday, December 12, beginning at 5 until 8 p.m. This event takes place at the beneath a large tent canopy beside the Visitors’ Center, the tent conveniently equipped with heaters and outside fire pits to keep attendees toasty, an added attraction being Chamber Director Kat Menzies preparing her very own homemade Posole Verde.There will also be cookies and hot chocolate, and local realtor Kelsey Loftis has sponsored a photo booth with Santa Claus.New this year, and running through the entire course of the evening December 12 will be the Twinkle Trail Hayride, which is a traditional hayride tour of holiday lights within town limits. The ride begins at the Chamber to the Country Store, journeys over the Ball Flats, through downtown and over to businesses in Wade’s Addition and back to the Chamber. This tour will occur repeatedly through the evening, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the beautifully decorated homes and businesses throughout town.In addition, the Visitors’ Center event will also host both a Christmas tree auction and a stuffed stocking auction benefitting Wee Care, both beginning at 5 and running through 7:30 p.m.Menzies says that for the tree auction, 24 trees have been decorated by local volunteers to be auctioned, proceeds going to local families in need.More holiday magic is happening December 13, a.k.a. Merry Mountain Market, which is, according to the Chamber of Commerce, “Lake City’s festive spin on shopping local, an easy, cheerful excuse to bundle up, stroll through town, and support the businesses that keep our community thriving. Discover great gifts, enjoy holiday spirit around every corner, and make a little mountain magic while you shop.”This event includes Kids Christmas Crafts in the Armory, 10 a.m., where parents can deposit children to do crafts while they shop. At 1 p.m., there will be a cakewalk for the kids, and if anyone would like to donate a baked confections – cakes, cookies, pies, or cupcakes, they can be dropped off Friday, December 12 at the Visitor’s Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., or Saturday, December 13, from 11 a.m. until 12:45 p.m.From 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Windy Point Trading Company, including Sweet Peas, Chell’s Kitchen, and Anita’s Attic will be hosting their open house. According to Sweet Pea’s Kathleen Murphy-Whinnery, “there will be lots of goodies to taste, refreshments, deals, fresh flowers, and a drawing for a beautiful fire pit!” Also hosting an open house that day will be Tracy Toler-Lanktree, at Cabin Fever Mercantile on Silver Street downtown.Thursday evening, December 18, Lake City Community School students will perform this year’s holiday play, “The Grumps of Ring-A-Ding Town,” starting 5 p.m. at the school.Thursday, December 18 there will also be a special cookie decorating and exchange event at the Senior Center in the Armory noon and, finally, a second Merry Mountain Market Saturday, December 20, with last minute Christmas magic and ice skating from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Armory.

December 12, 2025 No Comments

Public Works Director Johnston Resigns, Wuest Steps in as Acting Interim

Town of Lake City Public Works Director Jameson Johnston has resigned his post, effective October 24, 2025. In his stead, Public Works employee Ethan Wuest became interim Director October 27.Johnston became interim Director in January, 2021, under then Town Manager Caroline Mitchell, and was made Public Works Director in June of 2021 after Mitchell resigned, and the Town Manager position was held in interim by Parks and Recreation Director Ben Hake. Johnston succeeded Greg Levine, who resigned when he was elected County Commissioner.Wuest takes the position with water/wastewater C certifications, which he received earlier this year. He also holds collection 1 and distribution 1 certifications as well.With the new Wastewater Treatment Plant project underway, Town Manager Lex Mulhall informs WORLD that the Town’s Public Works Director will be required to hold a wastewater B certification to operate the new facility. Wuest will be sitting for this exam in the early months of 2026, which he had already been planning to do before being offered the interim position.Mulhall said, “Ethan paid for his own wastewater C certification independently while working as an operator and only being required to have a D certification. This shows great initiative on his part.”Further, Mulhall said as part of Wuest’s agreement to be Interim Public Works Director and possibly take the job permanently, several benchmarks and evaluative periods will be required.He must certify at the wastewater B level, demonstrate a clear process to accomplish a water-filling station, become proficient in leak detection, and present a timetable to complete fire hydrant repair on Water and Seventh Streets. He must also apply for a well permit for the ski hill and provide a detailed report on what is needed to operate and maintain a ski hill well for both snow making and as a supply of potable water for a new ski hill warming hut.

November 13, 2025 No Comments

County Commissioners Ponder Topics Ranging From Pass Access, Mt. Morris Lode Sale, All Hazards Team

by Jodi Linsey Hinsdale County Commissioners met for their third regular meeting of the month on Wednesday, October 29. Following are highlights on a wide-ranging topics during the open discussion portion of the workshop touching on subjects ranging from conditions on Cinnamon and Engineer Passes to PILT funding.Commissioner Robert Hurd led a discussion about two recent incidents involving out of state visitors getting stuck on top of Engineer Pass in a couple of feet of snow. Both of theses parties accessed the pass from the Animas Forks side. According to County Administrator Sandy Hines, the county has received calls and comments suggesting that the gates located on the pass roads that are closed and locked during winter months be locked now, although Hines pointed out that there are still hunters and recreationalists as well as property owners accessing the high country beyond the gates.Commissioner Kristie Borchers had multiple items to report, including upcoming sampling at the Ute-Ulay Mine complex that is owned by the county. She stated that during some routine clean-up, antique transformers were discovered in an overgrown area and that the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will conduct testing to determine if they pose an environmental danger.Borchers reported Hinsdale County Marketing Committee has received six proposals in response to its Request for Proposals (RFPs) for a one-year contract for a Marketing Consultant. Of those six proposals, there were two local people or companies, one with close local ties, one from Salida, Colorado, and two larger marketing companies. The RFP follows the declination of Kate Hopson to renew her contract with the Marketing Committee after her five-year tenure in that position.Catching up on housing news, Borchers spoke about the county’s commitment to the ongoing Affordable Housing Project by working to obtain a grant to pay for the hiring and two years’ salary of a Housing Coordinator. She will also pursue other funding sources to reduce the county’s costs for the project while obtaining buy-in from other local institutions.There was further discussion on topics from the potential loss of SNAP benefits for the 27 local families currently relying on them, to AlpineLoop.org, to the loss of highway cameras in Powderhorn and on Spring Creek Pass.The regular workshop agenda began with recent flooding in the Upper Piedra area in the South End of Hinsdale County, with County Emergency Manager Phil Graham reporting on the possibility of residents receiving State and Federal Emergency Funds. In the following regular meeting, the Commissioners ratified the Emergency Declaration that was verbally declared by the County Administrator on Monday, October 20.Next on the agenda was discussion about Emergency Medical Services Director Katherine Heidt’s employment contract, with some minor changes in language approved by county attorney Michael O’Laughlin and yearly compensation of $75,600. In the following meeting they unanimously approved the contract.Brad Jones has been nominated by Sheriff Denim Starnes to be Hinsdale County’s official alternate to sit on the Gunnison Hinsdale Combined Emergency Telephone Service Authority (GHCETSA), which is the authority regulating the 911 system in the local jurisdiction. The Commissioners readily approved Jones for this position in the following meeting.The Commissioners next took up the matter of the finalization of the sale of Lot 2 of the Mt. Morris Lode Subdivision to Josh Gray following a prolonged process including a title search to determine the surrender of the property for unpaid taxes in the 1920s. The Commissioners decided to then create a subdivision in order to protect a corner of the property that contains a short length of the popular walking trail along Henson Creek. The requirement for a Special Use Permit also complicated the timeline as the buyer, Josh Gray, first inquired about the property and is still planning on building a campground of yurts.Phil Graham was back in front of the Commissioners to discuss the Natural Disaster Mitigation Enterprise Grant contract, which is a small grant that helps fund the Hinsdale County wood chipping program, an integral part of the local wildfire mitigation program. This was easily approved in the following meeting.There followed a lively discussion about the possibility of expanding the number of participants that the county can manage from the current cap of 60 to 80 employees in the All Hazard Team Program. Following delayed state reimbursed for salary and benefit costs of the employees, the county came close to dropping the program altogether but have since worked with the state to remedy the situation. The Commissioners agreed to the increased employment ceiling during their regular meeting.The final workshop agenda item discussed by the Commissioners was an opportunity for a JAG grant to pay for integral security infrastructure for the Sheriff’s Dept in the new County Administration Building. This agenda item was approved in the following meeting.Following a break in the action between the workshop and the regular meeting, the Commissioners opened bids for the 2026 propane service contract. Out of the three bids received, the one receiving the winning vote was submitted by JC Propane, with a price of $1.59 per gallon for 10,000 gallons for Hinsdale County and an added benefit of $1.99 per gallon for Hinsdale County employees.Other than the business that was introduced in the workshop and subsequently dealt with in the regular meeting, Commissioners reconvened at 1 p.m. to discuss the concessionaire fees at Deer Lakes Day Use Area. Betsy Bair of Senator Jeff Hurd’s office explained that both the county and the Senator’s offices have received complaints concerning the implementation of user fees at Deer Lakes. Following critical repairs that were paid for by U.S. Forest Service, management of the area was given to concessionaire, Recreation Resource Management, which also manages Williams Creek Campground above Lake San Cristobal. The management company has imposed new fees including a camping fee, a day use fee, and a new impact fee.There will be another meeting in January with Senator Hurd’s office which, in the interim, will attempt to negotiate changes in the fee schedule to allow for moose viewing and fishing without extra fees.

November 7, 2025 No Comments

Seasonal Resident Lunn Named to Vacant Position Museum Board Directors

Multi-generational Lake City seasonal resident Joe Harris Lunn, Professor Emeritus in African and Modern European History from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, has been appointed to a vacant position on the seven member board of Hinsdale County Historical Society.Lunn and his wife, Marcia Richmond, annually spend six months each summer at the family’s Wade’s Addition residence. In his letter of application, he stated that if appointed to the vacant directorship, he would attend the society’s monthly winter meetings online.Dr. Lunn was one of three applicants for the board position vacated in August this year by Arlene Gonzales. In addition to the newly-appointed director, other directors of Hinsdale County Historical Society are Grant Houston, Glenn Heumann, Mette Flynt, Peggy Bales, Jesse Kendall, and Mike Harrington.In addition to his university history background, Lunn has an interesting local background dating to his grandparents, Oklahoma residents Harris and Lydia Lunn, who acquired property adjacent to Wade’s Gulch to the south of Lake City in upper Wade’s Addition in 1958. Multiple generations of the Lunn family have spent time in Lake City in the intervening decades, including Joe Lunn and his brother, Bill Lunn, and succeeding generations of their families.In his letter of application, Lunn stated he has experience writing grant funding applications and cited ‘extensive experience’ as an oral historian conducting interviews. He noted that he and his wife have already been drafted by Mette Flynt to conduct taped interviews of Lake City area residents, which will in turn be available as archival transcripts.The Lunns have already compiled a list of Lake City residents both past and present who are potential for the museum’s ongoing oral history program.The vote to appoint Joe Lunn as newest board member came at the historical society’s Tuesday, September 23, meeting, prior to which board president Grant Houston read a portion of the historical society’s mission statement. The statement reads in part the goal of the society to “collect printed material, manuscript material and museum material, as well as material objects illustrative of life conditions, events and activities of the past or of the present.”Elsewhere in the historical society’s September 23 meeting, the historical society has awarded a $6,000 contract to Carson Custom Carpentry for construction of a secured cabinet to display a rare collection of minerals which is being donated by Harvey DuChene. The wall-mounted and lighted cabinet — which is also being paid for by DuChene will consist of adjustable shelves in a 75”-tall, 62”-wide wood display cabinet, with lighted minerals to be displayed through plexiglass in three hinged and lockable doors.Mike Carson of Carson Cabinetry will begin work on the display case this fall and complete the work by year’s end, after which DuChene will prepare the new geologic display in time for museum summer opening in 2026.Museum Directors are also looking ahead to the completion of the multi-year restoration of narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western Car 211, the combined passenger and freight car which was used on the railroad line between Sapinero and Lake from approximately 1910 until the local branch railroad ended in 1933.Ongoing restoration work by skilled craftsmen at Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are nearing completion on the restoration and after several trial practice runs on the Durango-Silverton line, the car is tentatively planned for return delivery back to Lake City in May or June next year.Most recent details of the restoration are lettering of the Denver & Rio Grande Western wording and logo — museum directors concluding to be historically accurate with painted white lettering — on the car’s exterior. Also complete is replication of a small toilet cubicle with door, water cooler, and newly upholstered passenger seats. Recent renovation photos from Hinsdale County Museum’s Car 211 restoration in Durango, Colorado, include newly upholstered passenger seats, top photos, and — below, Denver & Rio Grade’s trademark apple green paint scheme in Car 211’s refurbished freight compartment Upholstered in dark crimson red, the backs of each seat are designed to be rotated, allowing passengers to face forward whether heading up valley to Lake City or conversely, down valley on the return trip to Sapinero.Car 211 was in heavily deteriorated condition when Hinsdale Museum purchased the relic from Don Shank, requisite restoration work including replication of the cars front and back platforms, and framing and roof repairs which included installation of a custom sheet metal roof.A final element of the restoration are the car’s wheel or “trucks” which when acquired from Shanks consisted of dimensionally inappropriate freight trucks. Through the efforts of Durango & Silverton Railroad, authentic narrow gauge passenger trucks for the railroad car are being acquired from Knotts Berry Farm in California.At the September 23 museum meeting, society director Mike Harrington gave a report on yet another phase of the train car restoration. Harrington credits summer resident Rene Faires for his precision planning for concrete footings (WORLD, September 19) which will support a gabled, open-sided shed which will protect not only Car 211 after its arrival next spring, but also the museum’s narrow gauge Caboose No. 0588 on railroad tracks which are located on the south side of the museum’s Silver Street property.Fundraising for the gabled shed is ongoing andHinsdale Museum,continued from page 1Recent renovation photos from Hinsdale County Museum’s Car 211 restoration in Durango, Colorado, include newly upholstered passenger seats, top photos, and — below, Denver & Rio Grade’s trademark apple green paint scheme in Car 211’s refurbished freight compartment.will consist of the concrete pylons now in place and an as-yet-to-be constructed heavy timbered framework with metal bracing which will protect both of the historic rail cars. In order to protect both railroad cars on a single line of track, the covering shed’s dimensions will be 90’-long by 21’-wide, according to Harrington.For the 2026 museum season, it is envisioned that both Caboose 0588 and Car 211 will be open to the public via stairs and a railed decking between the railroad cars which will allow museum visitors to exit after touring both the caboose and combined freight/passenger

October 16, 2025 No Comments

Exuberant Crowds Attend At-Times Blustery Oktoberfest

October 10, 2025 No Comments

Athletes Test Strength at Second Annual ‘No Fear’ Powerlifting Competition

by Jodi Linsey Kaylin Trivisonno and Brennan Pantleo of Elevated Physique and the soon to be opened new gym, Base Wellness at 321 Silver Street, co-hosted the second annual No Fear Powerlifting Meet at Lake City Armory on Saturday, September 27, in conjunction with Devil Dogg Strength and Conditioning Gym from Pueblo West, Colorado.Consisting of three rounds each of three lifts, back squats, bench press, and dead lift, the contestants handled progressively heavier weights, pushing themselves, trying to find the limits they need to push against.The atmosphere in the Armory was one of support and camaraderie, with amateur and professional lifters coming together to not only lift steel but to lift each other.This is a non-sanctioned event, meaning that the results cannot be used to qualify for other tournaments, nor do they support rankings in one of the powerlifting associations.Approximately 75 percent of the competitors attended their first competition, including two from the Lake City area.The two local competitors were Rachel Moore, Lake City Area Medical Center Director, and Sandy Hines, Hinsdale County Administrator.Both athletes displayed grace under pressure, showing grit as they faced challenges of weight and the weight of an audience’s gaze, Hines stating “I did not expect so much support from the other contestants! I’ve never experienced something like this.”Although Moore ended up disqualified because she was unable to nail her bench press, she turned in impressive numbers for both the squat, 171 pounds, and the dead lift, 210 pounds.Don Wero of Gallup, New Mexico, said that he first started lifting as therapy for a case of long COVID that he just could not get past. Training got him back to work on the road, bringing him to Crested Butte for a job. It was while he was training in a Gunnison gym that he saw the poster for the No Fear event, bringing him to Lake City for his first competition.Gabi Robbins attended from the Greeley, Colorado, area with her two girls, all sporting fanciful ponytails and big smiles. Robbins said that she came to Lake City last year for her first competition. She works as a special education teacher and has been weight training for just a year and a half.Trivisonno’s mentor and trainer since she was age 14, Chris Carter of Devil Dogg, co-sponsored the event, bringing in equipment and experienced personnel to run the scoring and recording. Carter competed in his first event since a total right shoulder replacement in January of this year. “Today was outstanding! I could not be prouder of Kaylin,” he said.Stars of the show were a married couple from Gunnison, Molly O’Rourke and Ben Autrey and their four young children, the youngest of whom attended last year’s competition in his mama’s belly.O’Rourke is a past world champion lifter, winning a clutch of medals at the 2013 International Powerlifting Competition (IPF), including an overall Silver Medal. O’Rourke seemed to easily out-lift any possible contenders with a squat of 336 pounds, a bench press of 209 pounds, and a dead lift of 364 pounds. She last competed in 2017 and her oldest child was born in 2019. O’Rourke says that she keeps her edge, and her sanity, because “How I start my day – I lift!”Husband Ben Autrey made the biggest impact of the day with a squat of 507 pounds, a bench press of 342 pounds, and a downright scary dead lift of 600 pounds. Autrey’s gentle touch with his babies was in stark contrast to the sheer power and determination of his lifting. The one thing that he said he really wanted WORLD readers to know: “It’s a pleasure to compete at such a well-run meet.”A complete list of participants: Molly O’Rourke, Rachel Moore, Sandy Hines, Gabi Robbins, Camila Acosta, John Flaming, David Hess, Joshua Leese,Richard Acheson, Don Wero, Joseph Ben-Hayon, Adrian Larson, Ethan Franke, Victor Fernandez, Ben Autrey, Brandon McLeod, Juan Carpenter, Blaine Acheson, Chris Carter, Enrique Baca, and Will Crysler.

October 2, 2025 No Comments

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

Tag: Lake City