Lake City Colorado Archives - Page 2 of 2 - The Silver World Newspaper

Applause as Bruce Returns as Interim Hinsdale Co. Sheriff

It was proverbial Groundhog’s Day in Lake City last Friday afternoon, July 12, as a repeat Hinsdale County Sheriff, Ron Bruce, was once again sworn into office as interim sheriff.As a quick recap, there have been a total of 38 sheriffs in Hinsdale County since its creation 150 years ago, in February, 1874. Bruce, who has the distinction being both the county’s 35th and 38th sheriff in line of succession, was first elected to the office in 2007 and was re-elected to multiple terms prior to retiring from office in 2019.He was succeeded by Justin Casey who briefly served as Hinsdale County Sheriff from 2019 until resigning in 2020, and — most recently —Christopher Kambish who was appointed to the post in 2019 and elected to a four-year term in 2020. Sheriff Kambish announced his resignation earlier this summer and his last day in office was last Friday, July 12.Hinsdale County Commissioners reviewed possible interim successor to Sheriff Kambish and at their late June meeting unanimously named Bruce as interim successor.Bruce, who was ebullient last Friday as he received his oath of office from Deputy Hinsdale County Clerk Allison Athey, will fill the office through this fall’s General Election in November when a successor will be elected and take office in January, 2025.There are three candidates for the office of Hinsdale County Sheriff, Denim Starnes previously a deputy and named Undersheriff by Bruce earlier in the day on Friday, J.T. Stratton, and former Hinsdale County Undersheriff Jordan Kaminski.As reported elsewhere this week, Kaminski successfully applied to the Hinsdale County Republican Vacancy Committee to seek election in November. Denim is an Unaffiliated candidate for Sheriff who will be listed on this fall’s ballot after submitting a petition signed by registered Hinsdale County voters; Stratton is a write-in candidate for Hinsdale Sheriff who filed paperwork with Hinsdale County Clerk Robert on Monday this week prior to the Wednesday, July 17 deadline.Jovial at last Friday’s swearing in, Sheriff Bruce looked out across the packed Coursey Annex meeting room stating he was both “thankful and humbled” by the opportunity to come out of retirement and once again serve the residents of Hinsdale County as sheriff.“I need your support and prayers,” he said, noting that in the interim post he plans to learn from past mistakes and move on. Recalling President Eisenhower’s hallowed motto, he said that as head of the sheriff’s office, “the buck stops here.”Again, drawing audience applause, Bruce said, “you have me for six months, but it’s the last bite of the apple.”He referenced current office operations as “topsy turvy” with multiple resignations in recent weeks and said it was the directive of Hinsdale County Commissioners that he “pull it together and return the office to a smooth-running machine.”Sheriff Bruce drew applause in stating an immediate goal: “I want staff to be happy to come to work.”It was at this point that he announced former Hinsdale Sheriff’s Office Deputy Denim Starnes has been promoted to Hinsdale Undersheriff; Undersheriff Starnes and Deputies Sarah Poet and Mark Zeckser will also be joined on a temporary basis by Lake City local Tom Carl, formerly a deputy with the department, who has agreed to return to ranks.Sheriff Bruce ominously stated, “there are a couple of people I have my eye on who will be unhappy unless they change their lives.”The newly appointed sheriff indicated that his first two weeks in office will be slow as he recuperates from minor bladder surgery which was scheduled on Thursday this week. “I’ll have a week of light duty,” he said, “but after that I’ll be out meeting folks.”From the audience, Hinsdale County Commissioners Robert Hurd and Kristie Borchers added their congratulations, Borchers also extending best wishes to Chris Kambish and his family as they move on to the next phase of their lives.Among those in the congratulatory audience — which included the new sheriff’s wife, Diane Bruce, dressed in red, white and blue in a front row seat — on Friday was Bruce’s old friend, strapping former Texas Ranger Nick Hanna who is now Sheriff of Tom Green County near San Angelo.Raising his hand in greeting to Hanna, Bruce — a former Arizona state patrolman prior to Lake City — told the audience, “In my next life I want to come back as a Texas Ranger.”

July 20, 2024 No Comments

Dear Community

A few of you on this mailing list had said they wanted to be at my swearing in as Sheriff again. Cannot recall just who, so some are getting this that really have other things to do. I surely understand. Allison Athey said it will be Friday at 1300 hours (also known at 1:00 PM) in Coursey Annex.Hard to believe I’m doing this one more time Thanks to all for your support.Ron Bruce

July 11, 2024 No Comments

Obituary- Bob Maurer

… Revered Lake City artist, 96, mirrored quickening pulse ofLake City in early 1970s. Born in Brooklyn, New York, April 4, 1928, Bob Maurer followed a passion for art from his earliest years. His acclaimed art career extended from Brooklyn to eventually Lake City and then on to Grand Junction and Gunnison. Early in life, his art career took a brief intermission 1947 to 1950 when he served in the U.S. Army Reserves as an upholsterer apprentice and as Army Sergeant/Cook from August, 1950, to April, 1952. At his death, age 96, earlier this spring at Aspen Ridge Alzheimer’s Special Care facility in Grand Junction, the former Lake City resident told jokes and conversed with family. He retained his art skills until shortly before his death, avidly scanning a blank sheet of paper and then skillfully creating a line drawing depicting family and friends and creating a lifelike image of a family dog. On the day of his death, he inquired about family members and, in a final gesture, laid aside his art markers and pencils for one last time. “And that was just dad,” says Maurer’s daughter, Kim Spirek, “like the Energizer Bunny, he was a fighter to the end.” A memorial service will be held at Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2830 Riverside Parkway in Grand Junction, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9. As a native New Yorker, Bob received formal art training at Cooper Union and School for Visual Arts in New York. Fresh out of college, he joined the scenery painters union and painted scenery for such Broadway smashes as “Voice of the Turtle”, “Oklahoma!”, “I Remember Mama”, and “Detective Story”. A blind date on August 25, 1957, was particularly eventful. As luck would have it, Bob’s date that night was Lydia Victoria Holtz (1928-2007), a native of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, who was working as a fashion illustrator in New York City. Smitten at first sight, Bob and Lydia married on September 21, 1957, just three and a half weeks after their initial date. The couple relocated from New York to Denver in 1959 and started a family. In Denver, Bob was art director for ABC Television. He opened Studio 10 with corporate accounts which included Pepsi Cola before relocating to Boulder, Colorado, where he worked as graphic designer at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Despite having a fine house and comfortable livelihood on the front range, the Maurers were restless. When asked about their eventual relocation from comfortable Boulder to a pioneer cabin in a small town called Lake City on Colorado’s Western Slope, Bob Maurer reflected, “sure we had a comfortable home but in retrospect we spent 10 months of the year camping out, we liked rural areas better than we liked city life.” 1972 was a milestone year for Bob and Lydia, and their young family, which by that point had grown with the birth of eldest son Marc, twin daughters Kim and Lisa, and youngest son Toby. Enchanted with the art prospects of Lake City, they arranged with Harold Stewart to purchase a near-century-old log commercial building at the southwest corner of 4th and Silver Street. The structure had a storied past starting with Bank of Lake City in 1876 and engineer and surveying headquarters for brothers J.J. and J.W. Abbott. Still later and before the Maurers opened The Artists’ Workshop, the log structure with clapboard siding was home of W.C. Blair’s Lake City TIMES and SILVER WORLD Newspaper from 1916 until the newspaper ceased publication in 1938. In Lake City, the Maurers made ends meet by creating an inspirational art studio and gallery which they christened The Artists’ Workshop featuring pen and ink, calligraphy, acrylic, oil, and watercolor artwork of local scenes which they created, together with the works of other local artists. The original log cabin building was enlarged with an addition, now World of Gem Creations, starting in 1975. Relocating to Lake City, according to Bob Maurer in 1972, “has been the most rewarding experience of our married lives. We’re breathing fresh air and meeting a lot of people who enjoy the same lifestyle we do. We have found a good place to raise our children and we have found friends who are not afraid of openness and love. What more could you ask?” The Artists’ Workshop, a combination of print shop, mini gallery and the Maurer family residence with its round oak dining table and nearby coffee pot, was the epicenter of Lake City’s resurgence starting in the early 1970s. Comfortable entertainers who enjoyed lively conversation and debate with like-minded progressives, it was at the Maurer dining room table that initial conversations were held on the formation of a local historical society and museum, in 1973, and — January 22, 1974 — it was at the Maurer family’s round oak dining table that initial discussions were held which resulted in the formation of Lake City Area Medical Center. While small Lake City, set in a virtual wilderness setting had many good points, Mrs. Maurer as the mother of four young children acknowledged that the lack of medical facilities was a glaring drawback. “I was getting very nervous about there being no doctor,” Lydia said in 1975, “when you have youngsters who hunt, fish, and ski you get that way.” In addition to Bob and Lydia Maurer, also present for that initial landmark discussion on the requisite need for establishing locally-based medical facilities were Terrance Burnell who worked with Outward Bound on the upper Lake Fork, and local business owner Margaret Therese Ryan. Others taking part in those early discussions were Lake City native Jessie Hunt Wheeler, Tom Ortenburger, and Bob and Becky Weeks. I believe Phil & Susie Mason and Burton Smith and Patsy (Smith) Troutner were also involved. Lydia Maurer headed up a group of local volunteers to raise $5,000 and convince members of Pioneer Jubilee Women’s Club to vacate the front portion of their Silver Street club rooms — now Linda Gardner’s Inklings in the Mountains

July 4, 2024 No Comments

300 Runners in Saturday’s 28th Solstice Ultra Run

The first of the summer’s big-time events, the 28th running of the San Juan Solstice, takes off on a literal sprint from Lake City Park at 5 a.m. this Saturday, June 22, with the last stragglers crossing the town park finish line by mandatory cut-off 16 hours later.The 50-mile mountain ultra race is coordinated by a vast corps of volunteers who routinely receive high marks from the runners and public-at-large for conducting one of the friendliest ultra runs with most helpful volunteers to be found in Colorado.Jerry Gray heads the board of directors of San Juan Solstice, Inc., overseeing the race and tells inquiring journalists that the popularity of the ultra-run continues to expand.The race is Federally permitted by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management for a maximum of 300 runners who are allowed to traverse the route on public lands. For the first time in its history, a number of those on the waiting list with hopes to be able to run will in fact not be among the 300 fleet-of-foot starting on Saturday morning.In addition to 300 runners registered to take part in this Saturday’s Solstice, as of Tuesday this week the waiting list numbered a total of 92 and “almost certainly,” according to Gray, “some of those will be disappointed.” Optimistically, Gray refers to those who will inevitably be disappointed and helpfully suggests for those on the waiting list who are not allowed to run that there “are plenty of other attractions in Hinsdale County,” among them the five 14,000’ peaks and innumerable, less-traversed 13,000’ peaks, for those wishing to burn off a little energy.The list of registered and waiting list runners is fluid, according to Gray, with four registered runners dropping on just Tuesday morning alone as the result of schedule conflicts or, more probable as Gray suspects, injuries which result from over-training.Prior to trotting off from the town park starting line at 5 a.m. on Saturday, three briefing sessions are planned for the lucky 300 registered runners, families, friends and admiring public at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 6 p.m. on Friday, June 21, during which runners will be advised on current trail conditions, bountiful aid station locations and drop-off protocol for the individual runners and, of course, the dreaded “grim sweeper” cut-off times for laggers at individual aid stations and the 16-hour, 9 p.m. mandatory finish in town park.A highlight of the Friday afternoon briefing sessions will be Mark Wing and his wife, Rita, of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe who will reference the terrain through which the Solstice runners are about to run as traditional Ute lands.Like last year, Mark and Rita Wing will also be up pre-dawn on Saturday conducting a smudge ceremony prayer at the 5 a.m. starting gate.This year’s 50-mile San Juan Solstice route is identical to prior years despite earlier concerns expressed just last month about expansive snowfields along the Continental Divide portion of the race route. Those snowfields, according to Gray, have now greatly diminished owing to warm temperatures in the high country.Far from smooth sailing, however, the adaptive corps of runners may still expect a succession of bracing stream crossings on the dash up Alpine Gulch, together with snowfields at the upper portion of Alpine and stretching down into higher elevations of Williams Creek.Runners are also advised of several snowfields which they will traverse along the Continental Divide.Trail conditions on portions of both Alpine Gulch up from Henson Creek and Williams Creek leading down into the upper Lake Fork Valley were complicated by windblown deadfall which would have made it necessary for runners to hop across or detour around fallen trees. As timely improvements just days prior to Saturday’s ultra run, a Bureau of Land Management axe and saw crew was out on both Monday and Tuesday this week segmenting and removing sections of fallen timber blocking the running trail.San Juan Solstice is revered for its empathy toward runners who are competing in the annual race and inteegral to the run are bountiful aid stations which are set up at key locations along the route.After leaving Lake City and trotting up Henson Creek, the first significant climb is up Alpine Gulch and up and over a grassy ridge before dropping down into Williams Creek.After leaving town park and the preliminary route up Henson Creek, a watering station is located on CR 20 at the turn off to Alpine Gulch.The trail up Alpine Gulch is challenging with a total of seven creek crossings. Water depth this year is described as “normal” — in other words, “challenging,” this year.The first runners’ aid station — an ideal location, perhaps, to change sopping wet sock and/or running shoes carried by the runners — is located at the upper end of Alpine Gulch captained by a crew led by Craig Blakemore.Due to this first station’s remote, high elevation location, water is not available, although runners can graze on energy-producing snacks. Cut-off time for runners to reach the Alpine aid station is 7:30 a.m.Subsequent aid stations — all equally well equipped with sustenance, water, the energy drink Tailwind and the energy gel Embark Maple Energy — are Williams Creek Campground, David Maxwell and team in charge of operations and cut-off time for runners 10 a.m.; the aid station on upper Wager Gulch near Carson is once again being coordinated by Lily Virden, cut-off time noon.Next up for replenishment is the Continental Divide aid station captained by Susie Arnold, cut-off time 3:45 p.m., followed by Mary Kay Jergens and crew with an aid station adjacent to Highway 149 at the base of the Sawmill Park Road, cut-off time 6 p.m.The final two aid stations respectively captained by Peggy Vickers and high-energy crew, and multi-generational Malinda McDonald and her mother, Bobbi Vickers McDonald, are respectively located amid aspen groves at upper Vickers Ranch and, finally, at the finish line in Lake City Park. Respective cut-off times are 8:15 p.m. at Vickers and 9 p.m. town park.For runners trudging along and at

June 21, 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

High water runoff in the lower Lake Fork River, is on track to peak early this year….

High water runoff in the lower Lake Fork River, which typically occurs between June 15 and 18, is on track to peak early this year as a result of warmer than usual daytime temperatures. Higher than normal river flows in the Lake Fork below Henson were recorded starting in late May, ramping up to 111 percent of long-term, 86-year average with 1,020 cubic feet per second (cfs) water which was recorded at the lower Lake Fork Gateview calibrator last Sunday, June 2. Water in the Lake Fork continued at higher than usual volume through mid-week this week, peaking at 1,070 cfs on Monday, June 3, and 1,080 cfs on Tuesday, June 4, and then increased to 133 percent of long-term average, 1,310 cfs, early Wednesday morning, June 5. Thursday, June 6, waterflow 1,390 cfs compared to the historic average 1,030 cfs for that date. The 86-year average for high water on June 4 is 947 cfs and 982 cfs on June 5. The all-time high for downstream water flow was 1,960 cfs in June, 1938. The supposition that Lake Fork waterflow will peak early this year – well before usual start of high water on June 15 in years past – is borne out by a miniscule patch of snow which remains at Snyder’s High Water Mark above Henson Creek as viewed from downtown Lake City. The water mark is named in recognition of pioneer Lake City blacksmith Harmon Snyder (1852-1923) whose blacksmith shop on the banks of Henson Creek allowed him to gauge peak runoff in terms of snow which remained on a scree slope above Henson Creek. When the last of the snow on the scree slope disappears, according to Snyders’ calculations, runoff for the season has peaked and will start to decline. Snyder had a personal interest in peak flow in Henson Creek due to the fact bellows and other equipment in his blacksmith shop — now the location of the Butch and Irma Hurd residence at 1st Street and Silver Street — was powered by a waterwheel within the creek. Pioneer Lake City blacksmith Harmon Snyder, right, and his high-water mark — shown with arrow — with just two small patches of snow as of Tuesday this week.Below, roiling Lake Fork water beneath the Ball Flats Bridge.

June 7, 2024 No Comments

Bridge Repairs, Limited Reopening

A – Structural repairs to Dillon Pinnacles Bridge, between now and late June, will include the installation of four massive steel plates — 2 at fracture joints and 2 at “structural anomalies.” Structural steel plates shown in blue are 27 feet long, 2 1/2 “thick and between 2 and 2 1/2 feet wide and will be secured with 280 bolts. B – This graphic shows examples of where still plates remedying anomalies on the Dillon Pinnacles Bridge, which will continue this summer into late October. C – Including the two weld fractures and two anomalies to be repaired immediately with steel plates, a total of 183 bridge structure anomalies have been identified which will be repaired between now and late October. Graphics courtesy of CDOT. Structural repairs to the U.S. Highway 50 Dillon Pinnacles Bridge — closed to traffic across Blue Mesa Reservoir since cracks were discovered April 18 — may allow the resumption of limited traffic across the bridge as early as the upcoming July 4 weekend. Participants at a remote webinar hosted by Colorado Dept. Transportation and Gunnison County on Tuesday evening this week learned that four immense steel plates, 27’ long, 2-1/2” thick, 2 to 2-1/2’ wide and anchored with 280 bolts, will be installed in coming weeks to stabilize steel girders on the bridge at the location of two cracks and two other locations within the bridge supports where “concentrations of anomalies” have been identified. At Tuesday’s webinar, CDOT Executive Director Shoshana M. Lew stated “if everything goes right and conditions make it possible,” limited traffic will allow reopening that portion of heavily-travelled U.S. Highway 50 on July 1. In addition to limited traffic with specific weight limits, reopening the 61-year-old Blue Mesa Reservoir bridge is also contingent on shaving off 3” of accumulated asphalt on the bridge decking to literally lighten the load. Including the four steel plates which will be installed in coming weeks to structurally reinforce the bridge, repairs will continue on the Dillon Pinnacles Bridge non-stop between now through October to rectify a total of 183 “anomalies” to the bridge structure which have been identified through ultrasound analysis. An added complication to traffic flow on U.S. Highway 50 even with a partial reopening of the Dillon Pinnacles bridge is resumption of the five-mile highway widening project through Little Blue Canyon, a multi-year effort scheduled for completion this summer under guidance CDOT partnering with Federal Highway Commission. Work on final phases of the project is now resuming with completion of infill terracing, paving, and completion of guardrail. Expansion work through Little Blue Canyon will once again require traffic delays with one-lane traffic flow through the construction zone. CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew was questioned on the potential of expediting completion of the Blue Canyon work which is scheduled for late July. Lew stated a meeting with representatives from the Federal Highway Commission was slated Wednesday morning this week, Lew expressing her hope that with minimal traffic flow on Highway 50 as a result of the bridge closure, the Little Blue Creek Canyon work end date might be moved up to early July…. To read the full story, pick up this week’s edition of the Lake City Silver World or subscribe today!

May 23, 2024 No Comments

Fascinating Statistics from OHV Survey Reveal Insights into Evolving Opinions

Hinsdale County’s avidly perused OHV survey, which was conducted for the county’s property andbusiness owners for two weeks extending from late November to early December last year revealsfascinating insights into a variety of OHV topics specifically and the county’s recreational outlook ingeneral.As previously reported, the survey was conducted by Rev. Jason Santos at the request of HinsdaleCounty Commissioners Hurd, Levine, and Borchers in order to gauge citizen and business sentiment onOff Highway Vehicle use in the county and to assist in determining whether the county’s special usepermit with Colorado Department of Transportation allowing seasonal use of a portion of State Highway149 to connect both ends of the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway should be renewed.As reported in last week’s WORLD, Commissioners have unanimously voted to continue the special usepermit program for an additional two years, 2024 and 2025, with a several-week reduction — startingmid June instead of Memorial Day and continuing until the end of September both years — in the timeframe OHVs are allowed on the highway. Based on survey responses, many of thoseresponding feel the OHV route on Highway 149 should be extended as an accommodation tobusinesses outside the current route and to reduce OHV traffic now passing through residentialneighborhoods in Lake City North, Riverside Estates, and San Juan Springs Subdivisions. Rather than itspresent termination on 149 at Mile Marker 70 at Ocean Wave Drive — which has become an entre’point into the above mentioned subdivisions — proponents of the OHV program have strenuouslylobbied for a north extension to vehicle wash facilities at the Toy Wash on the north base ofCemetery Hill and adjacent to both the entry to Hinsdale County Transfer Station and San JuanRanch Estates and San Juan Meadows Subdivision. Concerns on the north route extension are primarily vehicular, with no separate turning lanes at presentfor either the well-traveled transfer station exit or the San Juan Meadows and Ranch Subdivisions.Similarly, advocates of the OHV program have also suggested a south extension of the route from LakeSan Cristobal’s County Road 30 to Woodlake RV Park as a convenience for OHV enthusiasts at thepopular business The south extension would pass several private residential driveways, as well as thegated entrance to Weems Malter Placer Subdivision, before crossing the two-lane Dawn of Hope Bridgeacross the Lake Fork River and then accessing Woodlake Park at the base of Slumgullion Pass.Similar to the north extension proposals, concerns of private landowners have been cited if a southextension of the OHV route is considered.Hinsdale Commissioners are planning a countywide ballot question on OHV use in the county —specifics yet to be worked out —on the November, 2025, ballot, and at Wednesday morning’s workshopthis week, a discussion topic included whether results from the online survey might be furtherdelineated to separate responses which were received from property owners and registered voters.At Hinsdale Commissioners’ first-of-year January 3 meeting, Jason Santos explained specifics of therecently concluded online OHV survey, details to follow, Santos noting his contention the survey was“representative” but “not entirely representative.” As reported last week, 876 online responses werereceived for the survey which were reduced to a total of 770 after 76 ineligible responses and 30 duplicate responses were eliminated.Survey Specifics:GENERAL OUTLOOK: survey respondents were queried on their overall support of the OHVProgram, a 53.6 (379) to 46.84 (334) percent split responding yes, they would favor a renewal if theHighway 149 program as implemented or, no, they are not in favor of the present program; 66.48 (474)stated they are in favor of renewing the program with restrictions, 33.52 percent opposed; 83.52percent (608) stated OHVs should continue to have access to the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway.46.28 (330) percent stated they were in support of the Highway 149 program at its inception in 2019(other responses 25.53 (182) percent in the negative; 95 individuals who stated they didn’t have anopinion and 106 responding they didn’t reside in the county in 2019; for individuals who initiallysupported the program in 2019, 19.50 percent stated their level of support for the program has nowincreased, 24.26 percent cited equal support, and 8.84 percent less support. 99 respondents (13.88 percent) stated no support for the program.SPECIFICS: road conditions and law enforcement were specifically cited in the survey questions, amajority of those responding to the survey (43.83 percent, 316 responses) stating their view that theOHV program has had a significant negative impact on the county’s roads; 19 (2.64 percent) said theprogram has resulted in an improvement to county roads; 119 (16.50 percent), no impacts; 223 (30.93percent) moderate negative impacts. A majority (313 responses, 43.41 percent) responded HinsdaleCounty Road & Bridge Dept. is satisfactorily maintaining county roads (31.11 percent, 282responses not adequately maintaining); asked whether they would favor a tax increase to improvecounty road maintenance, a majority, 48.40 percent (349) said they would not support a tax increase,compared to 34.54 percent (249) responding they would support increased road maintenance taxes.Asked for what types of vehicles were most impacting the county’s unpaved roads, a majority(47.02 percent, 339 responses) stated “all vehicles”; 303 (42.02 percent) blamed OHVs for deterioratedroad conditions, 13.31 percent trucks, 9.57 percent jeeps, 30.10 percent ATVs, and 18.31 percentmotorcycles.A majority in the survey, 298 responses, 41.39 percent, stated they feel Hinsdale County Sheriff’sDept. is not adequately enforcing OHV regulations and ordinances, this compared to 32.08 percent whostate the department is adequately enforcing, and 26.53 percent uncertain. A majority in the survey concerns on the north route extension are primarily vehicular, with no separate turning lanes at presentfor either the well-traveled transfer station exit or the San Juan Meadows and Ranch Subdivisions.Similarly, advocates of the OHV program have also suggested a south extension of the route from LakeSan Cristobal’s County Road 30 to Woodlake RV Park as a convenience for OHV enthusiasts at thepopular business The south extension would pass several private residential driveways, as well as thegated entrance to Weems Malter Placer Subdivision, before crossing the two-lane Dawn of Hope Bridgeacross the Lake Fork River and then accessing Woodlake Park at the base of Slumgullion Pass.Similar to the north extension proposals, concerns of private landowners

January 19, 2024 No Comments

Local Items

With the one-year anniversary of the 28-hour power outage in and around Lake City coming up in early February, Lake City night owls were perhaps reminded of the importance of electricity during a brief power outage which occurred between 12:55 and 2:05 a.m. last Saturday, January 13.Local linemen Brent Boyce and Logan Rhodes once again came to the rescue after being notified of the outage, the men identifying a breaker at the Ball Flats substation which had mysteriously opened, shutting off power to a total of 937 meters extending from the middle of Lake City up valley as far as Sherman.Boyce and Rhodes checked local overhead lines on the chance a downed tree or heavy snow load had caused the breaker to open. Finding no interference, they returned to the substation and successfully closed the errant breaker to restore electric service.No negative impacts such as frozen pipes were reported as a result of the brief outage.By coincidence — and again during last weekend’s cold, snowy days — an OCR (Oil Circuit Recloser) on the C Phase electric line near Powderhorn failed on Sunday morning, January 14. Gunnison County Electric Lineman Dustin Cadwell responded to home turf and after checking the lines for any obstructions, re-energized the line after closing the circuit. The Powderhorn area electric outage lasted from 8:27 to 9:04 a.m. and impacted a total of three meters extending from Milk Gulch Ranch to Blue Mesa Subdivision.Kathy and Harvey DuChene are back in town after two weeks in Belize with Silver Street summer residents Tom and Myreta Davis. After spending a day in Belize City, they took a one-hour water taxi ride to the Caye Caulker barrier island where accommodations were thatch-roofed bungalows near the beach. There are no automobiles on the Caye, only golf carts, but bicycles are part of the accommodation package so they were able to ride almost everywhere on the island. Highlights included multiple meals featuring rock lobster and ceviche (which quickly became favorites), along with the “occasional” pina colada or Belikan beer. After a few days on the Caye, another water taxi ride brought them back to Belize City where a hired a cab took them to Santa Elena on the west side of the country. Accommodations again were bungalows, this time in the rain forest at Maya Mountain Lodge. The rainy season in Belize was later than normal this year, and everyone quickly learned why it’s called a Rain Forest. The humidity was close to 100 percent most of the time.Finding the cab driver who drove them to Santa Elena is an interesting story. On their first full day in country, they were visiting an old navigation light on the coast near Belize City where there is a monument to Baron Bliss, a British Royal who, in 1926, wanted to visit British Honduras but never got there. He died on his yacht before he made it to shore. He was fascinated with the Colony, so he bequeathed to it about 1 million British pounds on the condition that the money be used for the benefit of the people. It has been used as seed money for parks, libraries, schools and museums. Luis Rodriguez, a young Belizean cab driver and freshly licensed tour guide was at the Bliss Monument with his mother and niece and told the travelers this story.Kathy and Myreta are masters at chatting people up, and before they knew it, they had tentatively arranged for Luis to pick them up after their stay on Caye Caulker and drive to Santa Elena. Luis, who lives in Santa Elena, became the couples’ tour guide and even invited the Lake Citians to his home to celebrate the New Year with him and his extended family. While in Santa Elena, the couples visited Mayan ruins of Caracol, paddled canoes through the Barton Creek Cave archaeological site and took a day trip to world-famous Tikal National Park in Guatemala. Tikal is a world heritage site and ranks in importance with the Acropolis in Greece, the Great Pyramids of Egypt and Machu Picchu in Peru. Other places are the Botanical Gardens of Belize, a Butterfly Pavilion, and the Belize Zoo.All of this was accomplished while dodging frequent rainstorms and one especially heavy downpour which, fortunately, happened while they were under a pavilion having lunch. The frequent rains meant that a lot of time was spent avoiding mudholes and puddles and caused a proliferation of biting insects which feasted on the tender norte-americanos.On the last day in Santa Elena, Harvey and Kathy took a cooking class and learned how to maketamales (Belize style) and hot chocolate the way the ancient Maya made it. Chocolate was the drink of kings in the Maya world, and was not made for common folks. They drank it anyway. If a bunch of Maya warriors shows up in Lake City, they are probably looking for the local chocolate drinkers.When the two weeks was over, all agreed that this had been an interesting trip. Abundant bug bites are persistent reminders of the experience. Sympathies are extended to former county sheriff Ron Bruce whose 97-year-old mother, Doris Opal (Guffey) Bruce, has died in Sun City, Arizona. Mrs. Bruce, who was born in November, 1926, was a native of Vandalia, Illinois, and was the last in a large family which included four sisters and four brothers. Her husband, a Southern Baptist Minister at Columbia, Missouri, and later Casa Grande, Arizona, predeceased in July, 1971.Following her husband’s death, Mrs. Bruce continued work as an elementary teacher at Tempe, Arizona. She later moved to Peoria, Arizona, which continued to be her home until her death.In addition to Ron, her eldest son, Mrs. Bruce is survived by two younger sons, Dave Bruce and his wife, Barb, who live in Maryland, and Mark Bruce, a resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Graveside services were planned in Tempe, Arizona.Fourteeners’ home basketball games last week against the local heroes’ counterparts from Moffat and Center in the San Luis Valley were wisely called off as

January 19, 2024 No Comments

Tag: Lake City Colorado