Lake City | The Silver World Newspaper

Navy Reserve Veteran Strausbaugh Cites Resilience, Determination as New Deputy

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

July 18, 2025 No Comments

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

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

July 13, 2025 No Comments

Recap on an Exuberant, Joyful July 4 Celebration

PARADE FLOATS – superlatives in this year’s July 4 Parade — longest in recent history at over a mile in length snaking its way down Gunnison Avenue and back up Silver Street to bottleneck with tail end of the parade on Gunnison Avenue — were business category Virden’s 50-year-old Mountaineer Movie Theatre’s vintage jeep ably piloted by theater-owner in similarly vintage military uniform and the runner Bennett Levine, also in drab olive military attire, energetically tossing out treats; Mountaineer Movie Theater’s benefit showing of the classic “Patton’ film raised $532 for the Veterans’ Wreaths Across America program.Coker family in the individual category, illustrating a family theme with mountain animals; and, in the non-profit category, the gyrating and stylishly attired crew from Lake City Arts promoting the upcoming star-themed music extravaganza, “Sky’s the Limit”.Although the promised jet flyover mysteriously failed to materialize, leading the parade were marching U.S. Veterans, Peter Breeden in the lead bearing the U.S. Flag, other flag bearers including John Bonner with Space Force, Harvey DuChene displaying the Colorado Flag, and Russ Brown bearing the Prisoner of War Flag. Others were new Lake City resident Tom Hewett, formerly Woodland Park, Colorado, with the U.S. Coast Guard Flag, multi-generational Bruce Heath, U.S. Coast Guard, David Evans, Tom and Tammy Hamel, and Mike Tuttle, U.S. Army.Also near the parade’s start, Bill Reinhardt piloted a Ford pickup with insignia U.S. Army, pulling a frontier model cannon and Army Vet Ben Redler piloting a trailer with comfortably seated veterans including Dennis and Erin Cavit, and Gerry Springer.The marching and seated veterans receiving loud cheers and salutes were followed by an impressive array of highly polished, bright red fire engine apparatus and fire response vehicles, together with marching volunteers collecting donations in buckets and firemen’s hats, followed in turn by a gleaming white array of Hinsdale EMS ambulances and response vehicles, and Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Dept. patrol vehicles.Other intriguing float entries included classic vehicles such as Ken Vigil’s ancient pickup with political sentiments honoring the late Ron and Margaret Ray, Josh Votruba driving R.S. Scott’s red 1970 Mustang, and, from Powderhorn, David and Debbie Irwin in their blazing red 1964 Chevrolet pickup. Other classics were a jaw-dropping 1937 Chrysler Royale, and assorted Willys Jeeps, including Bill Dehmlow driving 1963 Willys pickup loaded with his 10-year-old granddaughter, Grace Henegan and Chelsea Brown Harper with kiddos Will, 1-1/2, and Davis, 5-1/2.Kay Shull was stylish as ever decked out in a red sports car promoting Alpine Pedal; especially interesting to longtime locals was Karen and Robert Hurd’s Sweety’s Wildlife Zoo float with small, printed placards honoring old-time local miners, a majority of whom are now deceased, as well as past and present Hinsdale County Veterans.In describing the float, Karen says that the placards were intended as representational only and “the list goes on and on.”Honorees both mining and military listed on the float included Don Craig, Ralph Martinez, Steve Carricato, Erin and Dennis Cavit, Don Campbell, Scott Campbell, Walter Wright, Bill Burke, Johnny Saville, Russ Brown, Babe Vickers, Phil Mason, Don Farmer, Donny Rightsell, George Hurd, Frank Mendenhall, Brice Pavich, Ronnie Hurd, Martin Davis, Charlie Colopy, Buddy McDonald, Larry Pavich, Mike Schell, Ed Hughes, and Milo Morse. FOOT RACES – first place boys and girls – 4 and under, boys – Cale Chase, age 4, from Windsor, Colorado; 4 and under, girls – Rosalie Carlson, age 4, from Dallas, Texas. Age 5-6, boys – Brooks Brown, age 5, from Oklahoma; age 5-6, girls – Elle Heath, age 5, from Austin, Texas. Age 7-8, boys – Will Stewart, age 8, from Milwaukie, Oregon; age 7-8, girls – Ada Ramsey, age 8, Anaqua, Texas. Age 9-10, boys – Samuel Karssenberg, age 10, from Prosper, Texas; age 9-10, girls – Alyssa Sibley, age 9, from The Colony, Texas. Age 11-12, boys – Isaiah Sibley, age 12, from The Colony, Texas; age 11-12, girls – Cecilia Syracuse, age 11, from Ft. Lupton, Texas. Age 13-14, boys – a tie between Miles Dillard, age 14, from Denver, Colorado and Caleb Smith, age 13, from Highlands Ranch, Colorado; age 13-14, girls – Rebecca Linsey, age 14, from Lavernia, Texas. Age 15-18, boys – Lynden Colson, age 17, from Houston, Texas; age 15-18, girls – Allie Smith, age 16, from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Age 19-29, boys – Caleb Dillard, age 19, from Denver, Colorado; age 19-29, girls – Katelyn Jensen, age 19, from San Diego, California. Age 30-39, boys – Nicholas McIntire, age 33, from Gunnersville, Alabama; age 30-29, girls – (name was deleted from scorecard). Age 40-49, boys – Trevor Potts, age 40, from Ardmore, Oklahoma; age 40-49, girls – Kelsey Peoples, age 40, from Midland, Texas. Age 50-59, boys – Tyler Heath, age 50, from Austin, Texas; age 50-59, girls – Amy Lovato, age 55, from Westfield, Texas. Age 60-69, boys – Barry Exum, age 61, from Georgetown, Texas; age 60-69, girls – Michelle Robnett, age 67, from Edmond, Oklahoma. Age 70 +, boys – Paul Witsaman, age 71, from Arlington, Texas; age 70 +, girls – Kay Barber, age 78, from Mineola, Texas. SACK RACES – first place boys and girls – 4 years and under, boys – Raymond Perkins, 4, Dallas; 4 and under, girls – Emi Powell, 3, San Antonio, Texas; Age 5-6, boys, first, Corbin Juhl, 6, Brighton, Colorado; girls, first, Maddy Perkins, 6, Dallas; Age 7-8, boys, first place tie, Henry Alexander, 8, and Skyler Walker, 7, both Fort Worth; girls, first, Emilia Picucci, 7, Denver; Age 9-10, boys, first, Bryce Vickers, 10, Denver; girls, first, Kylie Shepherd, 10, Overland Park, Kansas.Age 11-12, boys, first, Isaiah Sibley, 10, The Colony, Texas; girls, first, Caroline Temple, 11, Shreveport, Louisiana; Age 13-14, boys, first, Miles Dillard, 14, Denver; girls, first, Ruby Phillips, 13, San Diego, California; Age 15-18, boys, first, Luke Dillard, 17, Denver; girls, first, Ava Delle, 15, College Station, Texas; Age 19-29, men, first, Caleb Dillard, 19, Denver; women, first, Katelyn Jensen, 19, San Diego, California; Age 30-39, men, first, Shane Austin, 36, Albuquerque, New

July 13, 2025 No Comments

Starry-Eyed Crowds Mesmerized at Annual Dark Sky Celebration

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

July 3, 2025 No Comments

219 Hardy Runners Finish 30th Annual San Juan Solstice

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

June 27, 2025 No Comments

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

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

June 26, 2025 No Comments

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

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

June 20, 2025 No Comments

Recreational Improvements Unveiled to Public Ahead of 2025 Summer Season

Major public recreational improvements are being unveiled to the public at the start of the 2025 summer season, including Hinsdale County’s new ADA accessible fishing pier at Lake San Cristobal Peninsula Park and — for the first time since 2021 — the inaugural reopening of Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests’ Deer Lakes on Slumgullion Pass.Although unrelated, both projects received significant funding through Colorado Parks & Wildlife, $150,000 funding through Parks & Wildlife’s Fishing is Fun Program with 25 percent local match enabling the county to proceed with its long-envisioned EZDock railed walkway and pier which is now open at Peninsula Park.With county match, total cost of the new fishing pier aggregates $193,925 which includes $165,925 paid to the EZDock firm, $3,500 to Ediger Construction, $21,525.45 to Hinsdale Road & Bridge for site work and installation last fall and this spring, and $2,282.80 materials, together with $510.60 administration costs.With mixed reviews and an earful to Hinsdale County Commissioners, Gunnison National Forest has also now unveiled both fishing lakes and adjacent Forest Service campground at Deer Lakes which has been closed since a washout of the complex’s uppermost lake in June, 2021.Funding for GMUG’s refurbishment at Deer Lakes totals in excess of $1.5-million and includes $400,000 from Colorado Parks & Wildlife for rock rip-rap reinforcement and other improvements — including easily accessed ADA fishing pier — at the fishing lakes, as well as a $1-million federal Great America Outdoors Act grant to the Forest Service for a major overall and expansion of the adjacent campground.A caveat to this season’s inaugural Deer Lakes Campground opening is widespread public outrage referenced during county commissioners’ open discussion at the Wednesday morning, June 4, meeting resulting from realization that Forest Service concessionaires at the popular campground are now charging a day-use fee for parking.A popular summer fishing destination since Hinsdale County Chamber of Commerce built the lakes on Forest Service ground on the upper Cebolla side of Slumgullion Pass in 1954, the newly implemented day-use fee for both fishing and parking at the campground impacts not only fishermen but also wildlife-watchers, in particular locals and visitors who frequent the lakes to catch sight of moose.In addition to the new day-use fee for parking at Deer Lakes, a new $18-per-night charge has been implemented for overnight camping, reflecting upgrades completed by Forest Service contractor Mike Davis & Sons, Grand Junction, last fall which increased designated trailer and tent camping from 11 to 13 spaces, three new double-vault toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, and bear-proof food storage lockers.In the wake of critical comments during last week’s open discussion — Commissioner Hurd reflecting he has been contacted by 40 or more “highly upset” people — Hinsdale Administrator Sandy Hines issued a press release on June 5 reiterating that the campground concessionaire at both Deer Lakes and the upper Lake Fork’s William Creek Campground is contracted to RRM — Recreation Resource Management of America.In the county’s press release, Hines states the newly instigated day-use fee at Deer Lakes is $8, “allowing people to park at the day use area to use the facilities such as the restroom, picnic tables, throw trash away, hike the trails, and fish. If folks want to just picnic in a campsite for up to two hours, then they will charge them $6.” “There will be a drop box for people to pay, and there is a host on site as well.”On behalf of the Forest Service, Hinsdale County also advises that RRM, the campground concessionaire, is offering an inaugural, first-year season pass for $50 which increases to $100 per year for subsequent years.Members of the public with additional questions on the newly implemented day-use charge are advised to contact the GMUG’s Delta, Colorado, office, 970-874-6600, or the Forest Service’s Gunnison office, 970-641-0471.At open discussion on June 4, Hinsdale Commissioners Levine and Hurd indicated they had been “blindsided” by the decision to require a day-use charge at Deer Lakes, Commissioner Hurd declaring there “is no way” fishermen — who have already paid for a fishing license — should be assessed a further charge for using public lands. Hurd stated he had conferred with GMUG Supervisor Dale Funka who indicated the decision to implement a day-use charge was the result of a decision further up in the government echelon.Both Hurd and Levine indicated they would like to revisit the day-use charge in advance of next summer, both men expressing the hope that a no-charge solution might be reached next year.Commissioner Borchers stated that in her view the bulk of the money used for the campground refurbishment came from federal sources. “The Forest Service spent a ton of money,” according to Borchers, while minimal funding was required from Hinsdale County. Commissioner Levine countered that the county has funded some signage at Deer Lakes, in addition to being “big proponents and heavy advocates” for the enhancement project at both the lakes and campground.By way of background, Deer Lakes on Forest Service land began in 1954 as the brainchild of Hinsdale County Chamber of Commerce with the goal of expanding fishing opportunities in the region. Volunteers from the chamber used heavy equipment to construct a series of four lakes, funding coming from private individuals who donated cash in return for the lakes being named for the donors.Routed wooden signs on display at Hinsdale County Museum recall the lakes’ early names, including Lake Hildegarde for Hildegarde Wupperman, together with lakes named for Emory Carper, Slug Stewart, and Art Weaver. Although located on Forest Service property, Colorado Parks & Wildlife historically maintained and regularly stocked the increasingly popular lakes after it was determined it was not legal to post signs naming each of the lakes on public lands.Beaver activity, together with the heavy tread of moose was cited as the reason for an unexpected breach of the top lake on June 27, 2021. As initially engineered, the top lake fed in succession on descending levels through Deer Lakes Nos. 2, 3, and 4, although as a result of the

June 20, 2025 No Comments

Seven Lake City Community School Students Receive Diplomas as the Class of 2025 Graduates May 31

The grounds of Lake City Community School played host to more than a hundred celebrants as well as teachers, staff, and Board on Saturday, May 31.Under bright skies the LCCS graduating class of 2025 received their diplomas and opened the door to the future.Following the Pledge of Allegiance led by the kindergarten and 1st grade students Superintendent Rebecca Hall addressed the crowd. Displaying gentle good humor and keen insight of her students, Hall spoke of the sound of dedication, which is not found in the loud celebrations of milestones or in front an audience’s applause. Instead, she found the sound of dedication in quiet rooms, the effort marked by click clack, pause, and resume. The hum of the lights, the quiet voice from the next classroom, and the concentration of students is where greatness grows.Chosen by the graduates as the keynote speaker was Mindy McClung, World Language Teacher. McClung began by thanking her fellow teachers for their support of the students but noting that the students themselves provided the persistence, resilience, and commitment to growth that took them to the threshold of their lives.McClung went on with observations of each of the graduates gleaned from her years with most of them. She admired the way that Dawson Brown dug deeper into their studies of ASL (American Sign Language) to better understand deaf culture, adding depth to his language study.Silas Fox drew many superlatives for his work in her language labs, with McClung describing him as a steady and uplifting presence exhibiting thoughtful leadership. She went on to praise Priya Hartman for her kindness, generosity, and helpful attitude.Continuing her observations, McClung called out Leland Hudgeons for his loyalty to family and his commitment to always being his true self. Fellow classmate Titus Humphreys demonstrated quiet determination and a strong sense of purpose, often leading by doing.McClung’s insights continued by noting Ava Wingard’s spark, her ability to turn ordinary moments into something special, and her ability to give her all at all times. Noting that she had not had as much time with KC Wuest as with her other student, McClung was nonetheless able to point to his sense of humor and quick wit, his ability to be himself in all situations.McClung concluded her remarks by urging the graduates to take their curiosity with them into the world and that learning is a lifelong journey.As is the custom at LCCS, the graduates each took turns addressing the crowd of well-wishers.KC Wuest spoke with brevity, thanking his family and teachers, and remarking on future unknowns.Dawson Brown pointed out the bittersweet moment of graduation, noting that he did not like school but that he has shared many good memories with friends and family. Dawson had particular thanks for his family, especially his brother Dean. He was particularly grateful to his teachers for recognizing his struggles and offering him what he needed in the moments.Leland Hudgeons followed that with a touching tribute to a childhood friend lost to a tragic accident recently. After thanking his family and fellow graduates, he reminded everyone to remember those who have been lost and to not take loved ones for granted.Titus Humphreys made note of the transition of leaving childhood behind and moving into adulthood. He spent time thanking his extended family, and shared a quote from Nicola Tesla, “The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane.” Like Tesla, Titus looks to make a mark on the world. Ava Wingard took the podium to remind the onlookers that each day is long but the years are short. Ava spoke eloquently about her family and the lessons they provided for her. She also amused the crowd with a story involving some of her fellow graduates when they were in kindergarten, illustrating one of the peculiarities of a small school system.“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness, streams in the wasteland.” (Isiah 43:19) Priya Hartman spoke of the importance of doing new things and how that is possible knowing that one has a secure home base. She thanked her extensive family for her loving and sometimes riotous upbringing.Rounding out the afternoon was Silas Fox, who spoke about the experience of being in a small town and an even smaller school and the unexpected connections this can build. Silas explained that his connection to Lake City was not supposed to happen in the first place but for a fortuitous set of circumstances that brought him from Kazakhstan to the San Juan Mountains.Silas is also credited with bringing two special guests to the ceremony, former State of Colorado Representatives Kathleen Curry and Barbara McLachlan. Silas’ friendship with McLachlan dates back to an early school trip to the State Capitol. He found both of them to be inspirational mentors that fostered his love for politics and his decision to pursue a degree in Political Science.The commencement ceremony moved quickly through the presentation of candidates and awarding of diplomas. The crowd was boisterous in its approval of each graduate and the recessional led to celebratory cupcakes on the school lawn.

June 6, 2025 No Comments

Lake City Residents Urged to be Bear Aware, Keep Bears Wild.

Black bear activity is picking up across Colorado, and several of the state’s mountain communities are already dealing with conflicts between humans and bears.Colorado Parks and Wildlife has responded to several incidents of attractant-based behavior from bears this year across the western half of the state. Many of those incidents were tied directly to bears trying to access trash, bird feeders and other attractants, including hobby chickens.On the heels of a bear attack on a human in Lake City last fall, CPW District Wildlife Manager Lucas Martin wants to remind the community to be aware of bear activity and offers tips on how people can do their part to keep bears wild.“Now is the time of year to secure your trash, refrain from feeding birds or other wildlife and be aware of open windows and doors on cars and structures,” Martin said. “With the hot and dry weather thus far this year, communities might experience a very active bear year similar to last year. Lake City is also still having overnight frosts and snow flurries that may wreak havoc on natural bear foods. If natural food for bears is delayed or unavailable, it greatly increases potential for human-bear conflicts.”The vast majority of conflicts between people and bears can be traced to human food, garbage, pet food, bird seed or other attractants. When people allow bears to access food, a bear’s natural drive to eat can overcome its wariness of humans, resulting in what biologists call habituation. Bears that get too comfortable around people can destroy property or even become a threat to human safety.“Conflict potential between humans and bears increases when human food sources draw bears into our communities,” said CPW Area Wildlife Manager Brandon Diamond. “Bear conflict management becomes increasingly challenging when sows and cubs are present. In a perfect world, we’d work collectively to avoid scenarios where bears learn at an early age to associate towns and trash with food, creating generational issues. The reality is that CPW cannot allow highly habituated, dangerous bears to reside in our communities, so we need to be proactive in avoiding those situations.”Martin credited the Lake City community for its work in investing in bear-resistant trash cans and dumpsters the past 20 years with help from Utah’s Sanitation and Lake City Friends of the Bears.“With that being said, the community needs to remain vigilant in its efforts to keep bears out of trouble on an annual basis,” Martin said.Being near wildlife usually delights Colorado residents and our visitors. But when wildlife gets too close, the risk of conflict increases, and wildlife loses. The key to avoiding conflict is keeping wildlife from getting too close in the first place.“Complacency is what hurts our bears,” said Diamond. “Don’t let a low bear conflict year deceive you – we live in bear habitat and we should consciously avoid bear conflict every year regardless of conditions.”It is critical to remove easy access to food for bears. Unsecured trash remains the leading cause of conflict in Colorado. Residents should also keep pet food inside, not leave out water and burn food off barbeque grills and clean them after each use.CPW recommends not feeding birds. Bird feeders, including hummingbird feeders, attract bears and other wildlife and can contribute to the spread of disease. Commonly, bird feeders are what starts the conflict cycle with bears. Even feeders hung high in trees or on homes can be reached by bears that will eagerly climb trees and poles to reach the high-calorie treat.For properties with fruiting trees or bushes, pick fruit before it ripens and clean up fallen fruit to avoid luring wildlife to your yard.Never leave food, trash, coolers, air fresheners or anything that smells – makeup, lotion, sunscreen – in your vehicle or in the bed of a truck. Roll up your windows and lock your vehicle, as bears can learn to open unlocked vehicles.It is also important to close and lock home windows and doors, including garage doors and pet doors.“We all need to do our part to be good neighbors to our black bear population,” Martin said. “If a bear is around your property, please haze it away and make it feel uncomfortable being near human-occupied areas. Yell, bang pots and pans, set off car alarms or use other means to haze bears away and keep them from getting comfortable.”CPW appreciates getting reports of bear activity early so intervention and education can take place before behavior escalates to conflicts. To report bear activity, call the CPW Gunnison office at 970-641-7060.

June 6, 2025 No Comments

Tag: Lake City