Juggling Act at 14,000 Feet
On Aug.23, Paul Hower of Gunnison issued a challenge to Roberto Milk, the CEO and cofounder of NOVICA (an affiliate of National Geographic magazine that sells fairly traded products made by artisans in poor countries). The task? Juggling a soccer ball 100 times atop Colorado fourteener Redcloud Peak to raise money for charity. Milk accepted the challenge as part of his #100Anywhere Challenge, and they began seeking financial support and a corporate sponsor to build a soccer field in West Africa.
Less than 30 days later, on Sept. 20, they were joined by 30 hikers, including members of the Western State Mountain Rescue Team, CrossFit Gunnison, a film crew from Matchstick Productions and kids from various prestigious Colorado soccer clubs in a successful summit of Redcloud. Once the juggling was completed, Milk signed the tracking device-equipped ball and kicked it into the wilderness for the search and rescue team to find. When Hower and Milk’s vision is realized, that same ball will be used as the first game ball on the new field in Ghana. For more information, or to make a donation as an individual or corporate sponsor, visit the Kickstarter campaign at http://kck.st/1NNj4L2. – By Ericka Kastner
Plague Strikes Salida
A Michigan woman who was visiting Salida for the Gentlemen of the Road music festival during the weekend of Aug. 21 contracted bubonic plague after hiking on a nearby trail.
It is the 14th human case of the plague in the United States this year. It is spread by bites from infected fleas or direct contact with the tissues or bodily fluids of an infected animal. The woman is currently recovering.
In early July, a dog also contracted the plague in that area and passed the illness on to its owner. Both have been treated and are recovering.
Sage-Grouse Will Not Be Listed as Endangered
On Sept.22, federal officials announced the greater sage-grouse does not require protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Thanks to state and private efforts across 11 Western states, an approximately 173-million-acre range, threats to the bird’s breeding habitat have been reduced by 90 percent.
But not all are convinced.
“This is a species that already is on the brink of extinction across much of its range, and the kinds of human impacts … that put the sage-grouse on the brink of extinction in these parts of its range are going to continue,” said Erik Molvar with environmental group WildEarth Guardians.
Others, such as U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, worry that sweeping land-use plans would undermine state conservation efforts and burden ranchers and energy companies. In other words, the sage-grouse saga is far from over.
Black Canyon Gets
Dark Sky Designation
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is named for its dark walls. But at night, it’s dark enough there to see the Milky Way, a treat many people in the developed world can’t enjoy because of light pollution.
The Telluride Watch reports that the International Dark-Sky Association has selected the park to join the 28 designated national parks. Most are in the United States, but a few are in the European Union.
“The bottom line is that, in many parts of the world, especially in the United States, there are fewer and fewer places like the Black Canyon left,” said John Barentine, the association’s program manager.
The park is located in west-central Colorado, a few miles from Montrose, a city of 19,000 people. – By Allen Best
Big Stars for “Souls”
A film adaptation of Kent Haruf’s final novel, Our Souls at Night, will feature veteran actors Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in a deal close to being finalized by Mr. Redford’s Wildwood Enterprises.
The story is about finding love late in life, inspired by Haruf’s relationship with his second wife, Cathy. Mr. Haruf died at home in Salida on Nov. 30. The novel was published in May.
Mr. Redford, 79 years old, and Ms. Fonda, 77, starred together in Barefoot in the Park (1967) and in The Electric Horseman (1979).
See a book review of Our Souls at Night on page 30.
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Summit Stinker
Authorities in Summit County are attempting to locate a serial “stink bomber” who was caught on surveillance video “throwing a plastic bottle filled with an unknown putrid smelling liquid onto the patio” at Tucker’s Tavern at Copper Mountain, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The patio has reported a similar incident six times over the past three years. The bomber is described as an older white male, according to CBS Denver.
Messy Camper Going to Jail
A homeless man living in the Uncompahgre National Forest outside Telluride was sentenced to six months in prison followed by one year of probation for dumping thousands of pounds of trash in the forest over several months. Benjamin Yoho, 41, was convicted and sentenced in federal court in Durango in mid-September.
Yoho had transported nearly 8,500 pounds of litter into his camping area near the Jud Wiebe Trail. Much of it came from the Telluride “free box.” Dozens of volunteers and workers from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control removed about 8,500 pounds of debris from the forest by helicopter this past May, according to 9News.
Huge Regional Pot Bust
Deputies from the Custer County and Fremont County sheriff’s offices, working with DEA special agents, arrested 17 people on charges of conspiracy and marijuana trafficking on Sept. 1. Eight search warrants were executed near Westcliffe and Cotopaxi, which unearthed more than 1,000 marijuana plants, 50 pounds of dried marijuana, 28 firearms and more than $25,000 in cash. The pot was reportedly headed for Florida. Three fugitives are still on the run.
Skinny State
In a new study, Colorado has been ranked number 50 in an obesity rate study, with a rate of 21.3 percent. The state of Arkansas won the obesity award, with a rate of 35.9 percent.
The report was released by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Shorts …
• Jeff Donlan, director of the Salida Regional Library, is retiring after 20 years in the position.
• A 15-year-old girl was charged with first-degree arson after allegedly starting a fire inside a girls’ bathroom at Florence High School on Sept. 17. Damage was estimated at $5,000.
• Voters in Lake County will be asked for a 3.625 percent mill levy increase to raise $350,000 to support medical services at St. Vincent General Hospital.
“Notable Quotes”
“He’s a unique, beautiful person – someone you’d like to have as your own son.” – Dick Isenberger, president of the Salida library board, about retiring director Jeff Donlan. –
The Mountain Mail, Sept. 11, 2015
“If somebody tripped and fell into it, you’d be a fried puppy.” – Custer County Sheriff Shannon Byerly, concerning exposed power lines at an illegal grow operation near Westcliffe. – Wet Mountain Tribune, Sept. 10, 2015
“If I was having a heart attack right now, I would die.” – Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze, speaking about Verizon cell phone service, which was down for about four hours on Sept. 7. – The Mountain Mail, Sept. 9, 2015
