Lake City Colorado - The Silver World Newspaper

Squires Leaving as Lake City Postmaster, Corie Godwin Named Officer in Charge

Changes are afoot at Lake City Post Office as the revered local institution prepares to celebrate 150 years since it was established in June, 1875.Shannon Squires, who took the place of retiring Lake City Postmaster Darlene Fry-Holst, is preparing to move to Bend, Oregon, and her final official day on the job in Lake City is Friday, February 21.Squires has been employed by the U.S. Postal Service for five years during time which she has worked at 14 different postal facilities, including three different postal facilities — Friday Harbor, Eastsound and Orcas Landing — on San Juan and Orcas Islands off the coast of Washington State.Most recently prior to Lake City and being named Supervisor here effective June 3, 2023, Squires, worked as a post office clerk in Franktown, Colorado, between Denver and Colorado Springs.“Leaving Lake City is not an easy thing to do,” she says, noting that in her new home of Bend she has a new romantic interest and will continue U.S. Post Office work at a sort station and distribution center.Squires has acquired property in Lake City — the historic Evangeline Lode overlooking Henson Creek which she bought from Gene Brown — and says, it is a given that she and family members including her mother and children will return on a frequent basis and plan, eventually, to build a cabin on the lode claim.As for Lake City Post Office, Squires says she has “absolutely no concerns” and feels she is leaving it in excellent hands with its two tenured clerks, Emily Dozier, who is a nine-year Lake City Post Office clerk, and former Kansas resident Corie Godwin who was hired as clerk two years ago. With Squires’ departure effective Friday this week, Corie Godwin is now Officer in Charge until a replacement supervisor is named.The process for searching for a qualified new Lake City Postmaster starts as the supervisor vacancy is internally listed for existing U.S. Post Office Supervisors who may wish to change location. A criteria for being hired as new Lake City Postmaster is that the individual live in or around Lake City and has local housing.After two cycles being internally advertised to post office supervisors, and if there are no applications, the local office vacancy is then opened for application from all post office employees.Realistically, Squires feels it will be at least three months before a permanent replacement is named for the Lake City Post Office, and for the interim Corie Godwin will continue as Officer in Charge.In terms of how appealing the Lake City Post Office may be for future applicants, Squires foresees it as attractive for both new post office employees or long-time supervisors who may be on the verge of retirement.“The metrics of the Lake City Post Office have changed,” says Squires, noting that it has now expanded to offer passport services. During her two-year tenure, she says, she has concentrated on increasing revenue and favorable survey results.As a result of those shifting metrics, “I think Lake City will be extremely attractive and I anticipate lively interest in the supervisor position.”In addition to her supervisory work at Lake City, during her residence in Lake City, Squires assisted at neighboring post offices, including Crested Butte and Gunnison, at the latter working management detail during the Christmas, 2023, season.She assisted part-time at several local restaurants while living here and will be recalled by WORLD readers for several articles which she researched and wrote for this newspaper, including a geologic-themed features on rare agates to be found north of Lake City.As historical footnote on the 150-year-old Lake City Post Office, it opened June 18, 1875, and its first Postmaster was Stephen A. Dole whose family is best known for its connection to Hawaiian pineapples.The now departing Shannon Squires was the local post office’s 23rd postmaster; in its lengthy history the longest tenured Lake City Postmaster in the local office’s 150-year history is present-day Lake City resident Beth Hurd whose tenure as Postmaster spanned 36 years, two months, and 25 days starting 1979 and continuing through retirement in August, 2010.

February 22, 2025 No Comments

Intent Anglers at San Cristobal Sat. Fishing Derby

On the heels of Lake City’s Ice Climb Festival earlier this month and last weekend’s spring-like BrewSki Stroll at Lake San Cristobal, winter recreation events continue this Saturday, February 15, with the annual Ice Fishing Derby benefiting Hinsdale County Search & Rescue, and next Saturday, February 22, with Darren Hardy carefully plotting out a 3.2-mile course for snowshoe racers on behalf of Lake City Area Medical Center.Both the ice fishing derby and Cannibal Snowshoe Race will be held at Lake San Cristobal, while a third and final outdoor event, the annual Matt Milksi downhill ski race, March 1, will be held at Lake City Ski Hill.Warmer than usual temperatures combined with scant snow conditions have proven a challenge thus far this winter for snow and ice-related events. Alpine Outfitters’ Seth and Aimee Withrow, who are again coordinating this weekend’s fishing derby at Lake San Cristobal, report favorable ice conditions at Lake San Cristobal with minimal snow and ice averaging 18 to 21” thick.Conditions may change, however, with hoped-for snow accumulations from a storm scheduled to strike the San Juans later this week.Charge for ice fishermen entering this year’s derby is once again $20 cash, proceeds benefiting Hinsdale S & R. Registration at the county boat dock begins 6:30 a.m. Saturday, with fishing starting 7:30 a.m. and continuing until cutoff and awards at 1 p.m.Winter anglers hauling in the top three longest Lake Trout will choose from prizes including a fish finder, auger with drill, and a variety of fish huts.The top prizes and a variety of other door prizes are the result of the generosity of a lengthy list of sponsors from individuals and businesses from throughout Lake City and the surrounding area.Prizes which will be handed and tossed out to the exuberant fishermen include a vast array of fishing gear, rods, and tackle, coolers and, for the fashion conscious, hats and other warm fishing attire.Food options at Saturday’s fish derby will include $15 for Tyler Crump’s delicious pulled pork sandwiches, complete with chips and drinks, with snowmobile delivery out onto the ice for the eager fishermen, or individually priced food items — hot burritos, and baked goods with complimentary hot cocoa and coffee, served up throughout the day as a fundraiser by members of the Lake City 4-H Troop.Following is the list of Fish Derby sponsors as of Tuesday this week: Alpine Outfitters, Sport Fish Colorado, Wagner Family, Schultheis Excavation, Troy Golle with Alpine Lumber, San Juan Soda, Timberline, Piezans, Great Plains Land Company, Rooby Richardson, Lakeview Property Management, G&M cabins, Lake City Auto, Crystal Creek Properties: Kelsey Loftis, Sportsmans BBQ, Fullmers Ace Hardware, 38 North, Lark Fork Hunting and Fishing Club, Hall Realty, Gene Taylors, Kesler Custom Knives, Lake City Country Store, Cabin Fever Mercantile, Blue Spruce Lumber, Matterhorn Motel, Refuge Roasters Coffee, Rene’s Garage, Cowboy Steel, Packers Saloon, Deloach Vacation Homes, North Face Lodge, Sportsman’s Fly Shop, Melty’s Catering, Carson Custom Carpentry, Windy Point Trading, Jim and Joni Richeson, Tractor Supply Gunnison, Hinsdale Title Company, Rocky Top Vacation Home Rentals, Climb Elevated Eatery. Coming up a week from Saturday, on February 22 — and again at Lake San Cristobal — is Cannibal Snowshoe Race sponsored by and in benefit of Lake City Area Medical Center.Named in recognition of Lake City’s infamous cannibal, Al Packer, the event starts at the county boat dock and consists of two tracks for snowshoe or ski enthusiasts, one a 1K trek for families or young children and the other a 3.2-mile 5K track.Race contestants are encouraged to dress up in favorite cannibal attire. Kate Hopson has kindly provided a logo for this year’s Cannibal Snowshoe frolic which is emblazoned on a commemorative t-shirt. Early bird, pre-race cost for 5K snowshoers with commemorative t-shirt is $33.85 prior to February 16; $12.51 for 5K snowshoers for race only and not including t-shirt.Registration for the 1K race route is $7.18 and does not include the t-shirt. T-shirt only, $28.52.Sustenance at the snowshoe race is homemade chili and hot chocolate at the boat dock from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a donation booth manned by Lake City Community School students raising funds for the school’s next Washington, DC, excursion.Both circuitous routes offer uphill challenges with the reward of outstanding views out and over the frozen lake surface. Also a challenge, according to Darren Hardy who has spent the past month preparing the race routes, is the day-to-day weather changes and melting snow.For 1K snowshoe competitors, the route starts at the county boat dock and crosses the frozen lake surface to the east, then an uphill climb to the county road via Wupperman Campground campsites before returning back to the lake and boat dock.More strenuous for snowshoers in the 3.2-mile, 5K snowshoe trek is a similar but longer route from the county boat dock, east and up hill through Wupperman Campground to the county road and then following the road to near the lake inlet bridge before abruptly circling back through Wupperman Campground, then back down hill and across the lake to finish line at the county boat dock. As an example of changing weather conditions, Hardy says he has temporarily abandoned the old snowshoe race course, which departed from the county boat dock straight north through willows at the lake inlet. This old, northward course called for a streamlet crossing which — at least this winter — is now dried up and the resulting terrain impassable.Even for the new eastward route through Wupperman Campground, snow — or lack of snow — challenges remain. Earlier this month, Hardy says he thought he had the new track finalized up and through Wupperman Campground to the county road covered by a comfortable 6”-deep layer of snow.Finalizing the course on a Friday and returning the following day, February 2, Hardy says he was stunned to discover the layer of snow on the road completely disappeared and replaced by 50 yards of mud with patchy snow.Despite the sudden and unusual appearance of February mud, Hardy has persevered and —

February 13, 2025 No Comments

Effort by CPW, Climbers at Lake City Ice Park Rescue Entangled Elk

Connecticut native Chris Yeager and his wife, Becky Young, live at Leadville, Colorado, and are avid ice climbers who make frequent weekend overnight expeditions to their favorite ice climbing park, Lake City.Chris and Becky — who say they much prefer Lake City to other climbing venues in Colorado due to the expanse of ice and lack of crowds — were camped overnight on Henson Creek at the upper Beer Garden ice climb area in their snug camper when they heard a suspicious rustling noise in the trees just above their camp.In the predawn light, Yeager recounts he had been up to let out the dog and was briefly readying the morning’s ropes and other climbing gear when he heard the noise.Located straight above their camp, across Henson Creek, the rustling noise was in a small grove of cottonwoods on a precipitous slope perhaps 20’ above the frozen creek bed.In the dim light, he says he could make out the shape of a rather large, light brownish animal with long blackish-brown muzzle and antlers which was thrashing about on the slope in the undergrowth.Already fitted for the upcoming day’s ice climb at the Beer Garden Ice Climb Park, Yeager and Young walked to the edge of the slope and quickly discerned that the animal in question was a young elk with pronged antlers thoroughly entwined in the mountainside climbing rope. The swagged climbing rope is adjacent to the heated black plastic pipe which furnishes a gushing supply of water from creek to the top of adjacent cliffs to continually replenish the vertical ice. Adjacent to the water pipe and rope is a zigzag bushwacking trail used by climbers on their trudge up to the top of the cliffs.It was just below this trail and with the climbing rope firmly entwined, that the large elk was unintentionally yet firmly tethered, dark brown muzzle, roped horns pointed uphill and the rump of the standing animal on a steep angle downhill.From tramped snow and vegetation immediately below the water pipe and trail, it was uncertain how many hours the elk had been ensnared and whether the mishap had occurred earlier in the night or just hours before the animal’s discovery by the ice climbers.After quickly ascertaining that the elk was trapped, Yeager and Young alerted another nearby climber, Chris Carr, and by early morning the word was out to both Sheriff-Elect Denim Starnes and Lucas Martin, Colorado Parks & Wildlife Officer in Lake City.Word quickly spread, and by 10:30 Friday morning a small but intent crowd had formed, conversing in discrete tones from near the ice climbers’ campsite and eagerly scanning the uphill tree thicket to discern occasional movement by the trapped elk.On hand in the viewing crowd, in addition to Martin and Starnes were Recreation Director Ben Hake and Christian Hartman, both of whom are intimately acquainted with the rope, water pipe, and access trail after installing and maintaining the water supply system since late last fall.Arriving at the scene near simultaneously Friday morning as part of the impromptu elk rescue team from the Gunnison Parks & Wildlife Office were Anna Markey, Paul Rivera and markswoman Alyssa Meier, the latter summoned with a specially equipped dart gun and rounds of fast-acting tranquilizer.While the anxious and hushed crowd waited across Henson Creek, markswoman Meier cautiously approached to just below the ensnared animal and, with a clear vantage point, shot a single tranquilizer dart into the hind quarters of the animal.Tethered by the rope, the elk remained on its feet for approximately ten minutes before slowly sinking to the ground, rope entwined antlers and black muzzle gradually sinking into the snow.At this point Parks & Wildlife officers Meier, Markey, Rivera, and Martin climbed up the hillside to cautiously approach the elk, closely followed by the three helmeted ice climbers, Yeager, Young, and Carr, equipped with ice axes and climbing ropes.As explained by Becky Young — who first began ice climbing in Lake City while a student at Western Colorado University — both she and her husband, along with fellow ice climber Chris Carr, know as second nature the importance of ropes to safely belay a descending climber’s weight.Only in this instance, the calmly proficient ice climbers and CPW reps worked in unison to safely belay the resting elk, using climbing rope tied to uphill trees to support the sedated elk and then gently lower the several-hundred-pound animal down the hillside to the valley floor.Chris Yeager calmly directed by alternately barking out “slow” and “down slow” as slack was alternately released on the taut supporting rope and the weighty elk descended hind quarters first. Yeager called for a brief stop in the rescue effort as Meier and Markey were called in to readjust the elk’s hind legs after they were briefly caught in an awkward angle on a small rock precipice.On the ground adding belaying support were a bevy of Lake City volunteers comprised of Undersheriff Starnes, Recreation Director Hake, Christian Hartman, and public works employees Willie Merfeld and Ethan Wuest.After positioning the slumbering and apparently uninjured elk prone on flat ground beside the creek, Martin briefly checked the animal’s eyes for signs of life, ropes were unfastened, and onlookers moved to a safe distance as the elk slowly regained consciousness, regaining its feet somewhat unsteadily. The elk briefly looked around and then — to the relief of onlookers — trotted upstream apparently none the worse for its hillside mishap.Sheriff-Elect Starnes thanked participants, “nice work, everyone.” Starned referred to the rescued elk, noting, “he had a rough night, but I think he’ll be alright.”During the rescue and due to the elk’s close proximity to the plastic supply line with electric heat tape, electricity was disconnected and the water flow briefly halted.With water once again flowing and ice continuing to form, the ice climber rescuers reassembled their gear as they prepared to resume their morning climb. The elk successfully out of danger, Recreation Director Hake says minor alterations will be made, principally tightening the trail support

January 10, 2025 No Comments

23 Years After Public Health Start, Hardy Seeks New Health Horizons

It is with pride and a clear sense of satisfaction that Silver Thread Public Health Director Tara Branch Hardy reflects on her remarkable multi-decade career with public health in Hinsdale County.Then Tara Branch and predating her marriage to Darren Hardy, she was first employed as Build a Generation Coordinator in 2002 by county health department founder Helen Brown.With several brief intermissions when she worked elsewhere, Tara Hardy has overseen the amalgamation of both the Hinsdale and Mineral County public health departments and the creation in 2016 of the two-county Silver Thread Public Health District with offices and staffing in both Lake City and Creede.As the first and only Director of Silver Thread Public Health District since the district’s creation, her announced resignation effective next Friday, January 31, creates a void which will be challenging to fill.In her resignation letter dated January 2 and addressed to the Silver Thread Public Health District oversight board — full text page 2 this week’s issue — Hardy expresses gratitude to the eight-member board for its “support and dedication,” thanking board members for their “commitment to our communities and for allowing me to grow personally and professionally.” Hardy is also effusive in her praise for staff in both the Lake City and Creede public health offices who she describes as “amazing.” Common traits of each member of the public health team, she says, are “dedication, passion, and professionalism… they go above and beyond to serve our communities.”Hardy’s plans for the future are to remain in Lake City, working remotely from home as she accepts the position of Senior Director of Programs for Denver-based Trailhead Institute. As explained by Hardy, Trailhead works to support local public health departments and assists with public health initiatives statewide.Examples of the Trailhead programs which Hardy will oversee include Administrative Partnerships, Regional Health Connectors, Workforce Programs and Initiatives, Youth Sexual Health, Firearm-Related Harm Prevention, and Colorado Cancer Coalition.Hardy’s husband is Darren Hardy who has worked as Facilities Manager for Hinsdale County School District since 2019; they are the parents of two children, Lake City Community School Freshman Morgan Hardy, 15, and 12-year-old Caleb Hardy who is a 7th Grade student in the local school. In addition to her work with Silver Thread Public Health District, Hardy is presently vice-chair and has at different times held the position of chairman and secretary/treasurer during her 18-year tenure as a member of Hinsdale County School Board.Silver Thread Public Health’s 2025 budget stands at $918,574, the majority of which — 76.3 percent or $701,264 — is derived from grants and contracts, with 4.3 percent ($39,400) from donations and fees, and taxpayers contributing just 19.4 percent ($177,910) which in new year 2025 is based on $107,025 from Mineral County and $70,885 from Hinsdale County.Public health staff in Lake City consists of Public Health Nurse Shawna Shidler who doubles as Administrative Assistant to Hardy, Tara Anderson as Youth & Community Engagement Specialist, Kristen Hartje Carson heads Emergency Preparedness, and Brooke Jones, newest member of the Lake City team, is Senior Coordinator/Health Educator. The story continues on page 2 of the Lake City Silver World……… Missing the whole story? Click below to subscribe to our weekly publication!

January 10, 2025 No Comments

Upcoming Events Include Ski Hill Opening, Armory Skating, Oaths of Office

Town of Lake City Recreation Department staff alerts WORLD that adequate snow has fallen at Lake City Ski Hill, allowing the popular recreation destination to open each day Thursday, January 2, through Monday, January 6, 2025; according to Recreation Director Ben Hake, normal open times for the remainder of the month will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Mondays, Sundays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Staff has also informed that the ice-skating rink behind the Armory is fully frozen and operational and has seen an exceptional amount of use during the Christmas-New Years holiday season.Oaths of office will be delivered to new and returning county officers at 10 a.m. Tuesday, January 14, in the Coursey Annex meeting room.Commissioners Greg Levine and Robert Hurd will solemnly raise their hands as they are sworn into office for an additional four years. First appointed in 2019 and now elected to a two-year term, Coroner Lori Lawrence will also receive her oath.Receiving his four-year oath of office on Jan. 14 for the first time is Denim Starnes, present Hinsdale County Undersheriff who will succeed Ron Bruce as Hinsdale County Sheriff.

January 3, 2025 No Comments

2024, A Year in Review

At his death in January, 1874, pioneer Pueblo, Colorado, attorney, journalist, and past territorial lieutenant governor George Aaron Hinsdale, 1), had no intimation his memory would be revived in 2024 as Hinsdale County celebrated its sesquicentennial marking 150 years since its creation with neighboring LaPlata and Rio Grande Counties. As part of the ongoing celebration, Assessor Sherri Boyce and her deputy, Sarah Tubbs, 2), presided over refreshments in their courthouse office on August 1.In addition to the county’s formation, 2024 was also notable as 150th anniversary of Town Founder Enos Hotchkiss building Lake City’s first cabin, August 16, 1874, and — less savory — Alferd Packer consuming fellow prospectors in late winter/early spring 1874.On an upcoming note, notable anniversaries continue in 1875 with 150 since creation of Town of Lake City’s predecessor, the Lake City Town Company, and — on a journalistic note — 150 years since first issue of the original SILVER WORLD Newspaper, June 19, 1875.Also notable in 2025 is 50th anniversary of Phillip Virden’s Mountaineer Movie Theatre.Superlatives in Lake City Recreation Department’s February 3 Ice Climb were repeat wife-and-husband winning team from Golden, Colorado, Kristin Felix, 3), with rapid vertical ice ascent two minutes, 16.39 seconds in the Top Rope competition, and her husband, Todd Felix, 4), who was once again first among men in Lead Rope, inspiring 54.82-second ascent. Denver ice climber Jaren Summer, 5), was among the women contenders in this year’s event (photo by J.T. Stratton). Local climbers in the annual ice event were Sam Fyler and J.T. Stratton.Supervised by Rec. Dept, Leader Ben Hake, climbable ice on Henson Creek continues to expand, Hake with assistants including Danny File and Christian Hartman dousing an added section of challenging vertical cliff across from the Devil’s Kitchen cave with 1,350 additional feet of water pipe this fall for added ice climb challenge.Local girl Buffy Hurd Witt, 6), achieved notable success and was responsible for significant advances during her four-years as Hinsdale Emergency Medical Service Director starting December, 2019, and continuing through December, 2023, when she announced her intent to resign. Witt received a state-wide honor in December 2023, with Best EMS Director Award.Witt’s replacement as EMS Director effective March 25 was eight-year Lake City resident Katherine Heidt, 7) a familiar face among local emergency medical responders who was accredited as EMT in 2020 and worked closely with Witt as EMS Coordinator, Heidt was also certified as Wilderness EMT in 2023.Simultaneous with Heidt’s appointment as EMS Director, Amanda Hartman and Dan Humphreys were named EMS Captains charged with ambulance staffing, ensuring ambulance response is sufficiently staffed with responders on a 24/7, year-round basis, and overseeing ambulance supply restocking and vehicle maintenance. Also continuing as an immense asset to Hinsdale EMS was the return of Brad Jones on a part-time basis as Chief Paramedic.Seth Withrow once again headed up Hinsdale Search & Rescue’s February 19 Ice Fishing Derby at Lake San Cristobal, 8), this year’s lunkers plucked from beneath the ice 22-1/8” lake trout by John Warren, first place, second and third place honors respectively Nicole Schulties, 19-7/8”, and Sam Pankratz, 19-1/2”.Seven Lake City area students commenced an intense five-month Emergency Medical Technician class, 9), on January 9, four of the students — Kelly Elkins, Sarah DeCristino, Grant Loper, and Danny Oge’ — completed certification for an awards ceremony which was held on June 13.Lifesaver Awards signifying teamwork, professionalism, and excellence of care were bestowed by Hinsdale Commissioners to local emergency responders in March, recipients posed with Ann McCord, 10), including Amanda Hartman, Buffy Witt, Richard Williams, Jordan Kaminski, Kelly Elkins, Katherine Heidt, Melody Crump, and Rachel Moore.11), Greg Olson received his oath of office as newest board member of Lake Fork Health Services District from board chairman Lynn McNitt on February 16, joins fellow board members McNitt and Katie Elkins, together with Jordan Kaminski and Hector Gomez, the latter two resigning near year’s end creating two vacancies on the health board.Dr. Ann Treisman, 12), was named Medical Director at Lake City Area Medical Center on January 1, Treisman taking the place of Gunnison physician Dr. Bill Gattis who had served in that capacity — and who was credited as a “stabilizing force” during a significant period of change — since 2020.Dr. Treisman’s tenure at Lake City Area Medical Center dates back to summer, 2014, when she worked at the center when she was a medical student. She interned at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Denver, and was awarded her Doctorate of Medicine Degree from University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2017.Lake City’s Fourteeners middle school girls’ basketball team enjoyed a tremendous season, ending play after advancing to Consolation League Tournament in Alamosa, Colorado, in February where teammates, 13), Carson Shepherd, Aven Humphreys, Morgan Hardy, Brylee Elkins, Cora Kaminski, Nadya Kaminski, and Blake Tubbs walloped their Ortega Middle School counterparts in a down-to-the-wire nailbiter.In addition to a fine season by Lake City middle school girls, also ending successful seasons in February, 2024, were Fourteeners’ middle school boys’ team coached by Doug Eby and Kelly Elkins, 14), Brantley Votruba, Rhys Phillimore, Quan Lemon, Henry Shepherd, Dax Elkins, Daniel Hays, Elliott Hartman, and Joseph Tubbs; older high school basketball team, Mace Elkins, Dean Brown, Silas Hartman, Levi Hartman, Micah Humphreys, and Peter Loper, 15), and Fourteeners’ high school girls, Rowan McNeese, Lucy Hays, Kadance Simmons, Mackenzie Phillimore, Priya Hartman, Eva Wingard, Ingrid Piltinsgrud, and coach Sarah Eby, 16).HUB networking office sponsored by DIRT and Visionary Broadband upstairs in the bank building was enlivened in January with artwork by Lake City school alum Sophie Borchers and Nick Arbogast, 17).Hinsdale Ski Team coached by Henry Woods had a successful showing against counterpart downhill skiers from Pagosa Springs and Silverton, Colorado, during the annual Matt Milski Memorial Ski Race at Lake City Ski Hill on March 2, superlatives with hands raised in victory, 18), first and second place finishers Henry Shepherd, completing the slalom 35.21 seconds, and Elijah Wuest, 37.21 seconds; competing for Lake City on the hometown team and dressed for the

January 3, 2025 No Comments

Town Trustees Direct Staff to Draft New Water, Sewer Rate Ordinance

During the December 11 special meeting of the Town of Lake City Board of Trustees, Mayor Dave Roberts and fellow trustees agreed to approve budget adoption Resolution 2024-14; budget appropriation Resolution 2024-15; Resolution 2024-16 for the 2025 Mill Levy; as well as a 2025 Rural Community Advocacy Corporation (RCAC) recommended sewer rate structure, directing Town staff to draft a water and sewer rate ordinance. The ordinance, 2024-7, was subsequently approved at the December 18 regular meeting of the Town Board of Trustees. RCAC is a non-profit organization that partners with underserved rural communities of less than 50,000 to assist with environmental infrastructure projects. This organization has been working with town staff to update existing water and sewer rate structures. The budget appropriation resolution is a formality allowing town staff to appropriate town revenues towards the town’s operating expenses. The mill levy is a property tax on all property within town boundaries. It is a 4.265 millionth of a dollar valuation of all property in town. According to Town Manager Lex Mulhall, the proposed sewer rate structure recommended by RCAC will bring Lake City up to industry standards and practices. When the town initially applied for the loan for the renovation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), the State of Colorado informed staff that the sewer rate structure the town had been operating under was insufficient. “That’s why we had to have the rate study done,” said Mulhall. “The new rate structure will also off-set additional debt service, as well as adequately fund capital reserves. You have to be charging your water and sewer customers correctly in order to get grants and loans for these infrastructure projects, and you have to be in compliance with the state, or the state will take over and they can charge whatever they want. This sewer rate structure that we are proposing,” Mulhall went on, “is actually far lower than what RCAC recommended.” Mulhall referenced the chart shown on page 3, saying sewer rates will be going up 14.5 percent for residential commercial low-strength waste customers (for full details on strength of waste, reference December 13 SILVER WORLD); for medium-strength commercial customers, rates will be going up approximately 50 percent, and for high-strength commercial customers, nearly 85 percent. Customers in the county outside of town limits can expect their charges to increase an additional 20 percent above and beyond those percentages. The highest-in-strength wastewater customers are considered to be industrial strength, and this includes businesses such as breweries and RV parks. Present at the December 11 meeting in the audience were local realtors Danielle Worthen and Michael Murphy. A public hearing was opened shortly after the meeting was called to order. Mayor Roberts turned the floor over to the audience for comments, and Michael Murphy addressed the board, saying, “[considering] the hardship for the three RV parks [in town], have you come up with a contingency plan if we lose those RV parks? You’ve got a huge amount of revenue coming in from those three. If that for some reason changed, and they decided to sell off those lots individually because they’re no longer viable, do you have a plan to fund the water and sewer enterprise fund? You’ve got 11 lots over here [gesturing toward Elkhorn RV Park on Bluff Street], [if they] put in a house on those lots, your gross revenue is going to plummet. Do you have a contingency plan if that takes place?” Trustee Linsey responding, “What they’re [going to be] paying for is the strength of the wastewater that they’re producing. If they are not producing that wastewater, then we are not eating that cost, and it will be paid for just like every other single-family house.” Trustee Landon Whinnery replied, “If I’m not mistaken, there’s tap fees included, just the tap fees alone would cover the year’s cost and an adjustment to that would need to be made at some point. I would say that the contingency is if they do divide up lots, there is initial fees that do offset the cost of a year’s revenue.” “It’s the other 23 years on the note you’re going to have an issue with,” said Murphy. Trustee Diane Bruce spoke up, noting, “the bottom line is, we were going to have to do this – update the rate structure and renovate the [WWTP] facility -either way.” Hearing no further comments, Mayor Roberts closed the public hearing at 5:12 p.m. Before Mayor Roberts turned the matter over to the Trustees to vote, Danielle Worthen asked to make additional comments regarding the sewer rate structure. Worthen read a prepared statement, saying, “While the current Board of Trustees makes the extremely difficult decision to restructure the sewer rate, I’m asking you to please consider the following: please keep in mind that it is not the residential or commercial customer’s fault that the Town of Lake City failed to be proactive to fund depreciation for the now-needed upgrades at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. In my opinion, gradual sewer rate increases over the past 10 years would have been more equitable and affordable for sewer customers within the rate structure. However, that did not occur and is the reason we are all now facing today’s situation. With the proposed 2025 sewer rate structure for the industrial RV parks classification, resulting in the highest rate increase due to strength of waste being produced by those properties, I personally don’t believe those owners will be able to financially sustain their RV park tourist-based businesses and may be forced to either change to an alternate use for their properties or even list their properties for sale, marketing to a potential investor as an alternate use rather than an RV park. The current three RV parks are within the Town of Lake City Ordinance section 2311 MHR, Mobile Home Residential zone. As stated in the ordinance, the MHR district is intended to provide a suitable environment for conventional residences, mobile homes and travel home parks. It is designed to allow variable

December 19, 2024 No Comments

Dear community

Thank you for coming out on Saturday and supporting Toys for Tots at the Sweets Auction and through your donations. We’d like to thank Peggy Bales, Karen Shaw, Allison Athey, Susan Cardin, Michael Murphy, Judy Warren, Kristie Borchers, Cindy Rae, Sarah DeCristino, Beth Kendall, Linda Downs, Chillin’, Packers Saloon & Cannibal Grill, Susan Heumann, Karen Hurd, Lynn McNitt, Mary Nettleton, and the baker of the Eggnog Logs for your donations! The auction raised $748 plus donations of $610 for a grand total of $1,358. Thanks to the Museum for providing the space.Happy holidays. Respectfully,Commissioners Borchers, Levine & Hurd, Lynn McNitt, and Bobbi McDonald, Sheriff’s Office

December 12, 2024 No Comments

Town Staff Hard at Work Finalizing Sewer Rate Schedule, 2025 Town Budget

During the December 4 Town of Lake City Board of Trustees meeting, Trustees and Mayor Dave Roberts reviewed and discussed the nearly finalized recommendations of Lake City’s sewer rate structure from the Rural Community Advocacy Corporation (RCAC), a non-profit organization that partners with underserved rural communities of less than 50,000 to assist with environmental infrastructure projects. For some time now, town staff has been considering increasing sewer rates and adopting a new sewer rate structure for a variety of reasons, due mainly, according to Town Manager Lex Mulhall, to the increased debt service incurred from the $3- million loan needed to renovate the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), which will require a payment of $187,402 per year for 20 years. In addition, operating costs have been steadily on the rise, with infrastructure that desperately needs to be updated, requiring capital reserves are adequately funded. The new rate structure proposed by RCAC is intended to justifiably and equitably distribute the cost of the new WWTP based on the strength of waste produced by users and its impact on the operation of the WWTP. The rate schedule trustees were presented with at the December 4 meeting had preliminary numbers, explained Mulhall, with updated information to be presented at the special budget meeting December 11, and finalized numbers to be reviewed and hopefully ready to be approved at the next regular meeting December 18. The schedule, which will be published once finalized and can be viewed at Town office, breaks down sewer categories beginning with single family residential (SFR), through different categories of commercial and industrial accounts, delineating the 2024 rates, the RCAC recommended rates, projected 2025 sewer revenues and excess usage fees per 1000 gallons. The rate schedule also indicates different strengths of waste, which is a measure of the concentration of contaminants in wastewater. The most common way to measure wastewater strength is through biological oxygen demand (BOD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN – the sum of ammonia and organic nitrogen), and the presence and quantity of Ammonia (NH3). Wastewater with higher BOD, TSS, NH3, and TKN levels requires more treatment. TKN is the limiting factor for the WWTP and according to RCAC, it costs the Town $32 to treat 1lb of TKN in the summer months when RV parks are operating…… There’s more to the story….. Want the rest of the story? Subscribe to the Lake City Silver World today!

December 12, 2024 No Comments

Monday, November 18, marked a somber anniversary in Lake City as local residents quietly observed the 30th anniversary of the death of Hinsdale County Sheriff Roger Coursey.

Sheriff Coursey, 44, and his Undersheriff, Ray Blaum, were on Highway 149 near the Packer Massacre Site at the base of Slumgullion Pass early Friday morning, November 18, 1994, when they halted a pickup with a man and woman suspected in a series of burglaries which had occurred hours before in Creede. After stopping the pickup, Sheriff Coursey was standing beside the vehicle when he was fatally shot with a .44-caliber Regur pistol. The vehicle’s occupants, driver Mark Allen Vredenburg, and his companion, Ruth N. Slater, then fled the scene, Undersheriff Blaum firing several bullets through the tailgate of the pickup. An intense search for the suspects followed the Sheriff’s murder, although it wasn’t until several weeks later, December 17, 1994, that the bodies of Slater and Vredenburg — an apparent murder/suicide — were found beneath a tree overlooking Lake City Heights Subdivision. Among those with heartfelt memories of Sheriff Coursey’s death is Ray Blaum, now a resident of Norfolk, Virginia, who was in Lake City with his son, Tim Blaum, for Monday’s anniversary. Jerry Gray shares the above photo of father and son Blaum who are posed beside a memorial near where Sheriff Coursey died. In addition to flowers, attached to the white cross memorial is an enclosed sign-in sheet for those visiting the site, signers including law enforcement officers from throughout the U.S. who leave their names with badge numbers.

November 21, 2024 No Comments

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