Brief by Martha Quillen
Regional News – August 2003 – Colorado Central Magazine
Down to the Wire
Last minute news seemed to be the order of the day, as we approached our deadline on Monday, July 14. The evening news reported the first cases of West Nile virus in Colorado horses; hitherto the disease had only been detected in birds this season. And there were also several fires burning, including one in Saguache County, toward Gunnison.
All together, there were at least eight fires burning in Colorado, including the Campbell Fire. Twelve miles east of Guffey, the Campbell Fire started on July 8, probably from a lightning strike.
On Monday, July 14th, the Campbell Fire had burned 510 acres, but was considered 100% contained. Firefighters were still on the scene wrapping up their efforts; Park County had issued a fire ban; and fires burned near Grand Junction; Telluride; Glenwood Springs; Dotsero; and in Saguache County; Rio Blanco County; and north of Vallecito Reservoir outside of Durango.
Denver newspapers and television stations seemed most concerned about a conflagration in Arizona, however, which seemed a good sign for our fire-prone region — except last year the Denver media barely mentioned fires in Fremont and Custer County that destroyed numerous homes.
And the record-breaking heat continues, blow-drying grass and leaves….
Fires of Yesteryear
Custer County
In the meantime, Colorado communities are recovering from last year’s fires. At least two hundred structures and 4,400 acres were consumed by the Iron Mountain fire near Westcliffe last summer.
But according to a story in the Wet Mountain Tribune the Fremont County Soil Conservation District along with the Natural Resources and Conservation Service and local landowners reseeded 1,200 acres burned last summer. And reclamation workers have installed erosion barriers, including hay bales, logs and the like to keep slides to a minimum until revegetation stabilizes the ground.
Some victims who lost their homes relocated, but many are rebuilding, and the former Copper Gulch Grill & Groceries — which burned to the ground — was rebuilt and opened as Wild Willie’s in February. The new store is three times bigger than the old store, with a larger selection, plus a cafe and gas pumps.
Park County
The Snaking Fire scorched 2,312 acres along Highway 285 near Bailey last summer. Although no homes were destroyed, the infamous conflagration forced the evacuation of 1,000 families.
Though smaller and less destructive than many of last summer’s wildfires, the Snaking Fire stayed in the news all year while three teenagers were tried for starting the inferno. Austin Dunst, the last of the three teenage smokers charged with negligently igniting the blaze was sentenced to 960 hours of community service and two years probation on June 28.
But Tyler Hancock and Eric Alderfer, who had been convicted and sentenced to community service and probation earlier, filed an appeal in Denver on June 12, questioning — among other things — whether: sufficient evidence was presented; due process was violated; the prosecution’s expert witnesses qualified; the defense received information in a timely manner; and the court properly defined complicity (since it could not identify which of the juveniles started the fire).
The controversy continues, as do the memories.
Numerous smaller blazes also threatened Coloradans, wildlife, and livestock last summer. Though extinguished without making national news, those fires also live on in nightmares — and no doubt contribute to local fear and tension as record temperatures overheat July 2003.
Ground-breaking Grant
A grant to expand a sewer line may not sound very exciting, but The Chaffee County Times welcomed a recent $487,000 grant with two pages of stories and pictures. The two-plus-mile sewer line will extend to the Buena Vista airport industrial area and should allow for a wealth of development. But most of the excitement is because Colorado Mountain College plans to build an 8,000 square-foot permanent home in Chaffee County on a site made possible by the new line.
In early July, $950,000 had been pledged toward the facility, including a 35-acre lot donated by Ron Southard and Carol Perrin (valued at $250,000), and several $25,000 donations by area businesses, plus $400,000 from the college foundation, and a $50,000 pledge by the Chaffee County Council on the Arts.
CMC supporters hope to glean another $250,000 in grants — which only leaves $150,000 to be raised during a community fund drive.
Another Expansion
In late June, Park County started talking about expanding its jail. The jail was built to serve Park County and other communities, but ran into trouble under outside management several years ago.
The system has been operated by Park County since 2000, however, and according to the Fairplay Flume: “Since that date, deficits have ranged from $364,000 to $620,000.”
But the jail is expected to come close to breaking even this year, and with an expansion, the facility could turn a profit. The proposal calls for 110 additional beds, a library, weight room, and employee training room, plus expanded laundry, kitchen and medical areas.
Cool Pool
Despite multiple fixes in the last year, and numerous assurances that temperature problems at the Salida Hot Springs pool were being remedied, an article in The Mountain Mail on July 2 assured everyone that the temperature would be warmer by the holiday weekend.
The Salida attraction reopened with a new roof, a new pipeline to carry hot springs water down from Poncha Springs, and a truly beautiful remodel last year. But problems with water temperature have plagued the facility ever since.
This time the fix called for using a small portion of the old pipeline while engineers figure out the best way to fix the new line. “Until something is done to keep water hot in the new pipeline, the bypass section will provide hot water to the pool,” said the Mountain Mail.
But at the rate things are going, it might be easier to convince everyone that swimming in cool water is healthier than soaking in hot.
It’s ironic, isn’t it? The original hot springs line was put in by the WPA in the late 1930s, and it worked. Yet we think we live in the age of technology.
Less Is More
In June, Chaffee County citizens turned out en mass to support stronger 1041 regulations. Passed in the 1970s, House Bill 1041 allowed counties to regulate projects that will have significant impact.
With 1041 regulations, counties could presumably keep dams, reservoirs, sewage systems, new real estate developments, highways, and mines from despoiling air, water, soil and wildlife.
The regulations were not passed to stop development or prevent projects, however. Their intent is merely to make sure that projects don’t negatively impact a community — or if impacts are inevitable to allow for mitigation.
With good 1041 regulations, more of the costs of providing new services should go to the developers rather than to long-time citizens. But first counties have to determine how stringent or lenient their regulations will be; and what size of projects will be covered.
Or counties can decide to do nothing at all.
In past decades, Chaffee County leaned toward loose 1041 regulations (which are often promoted politically as being essential to “private property rights”). But in recent years alarm over environmental degradation and sprawl seems to have tipped the scales toward stricter regulations.
When Chaffee County commissioners presented proposed 1041 changes at a series of meetings this summer, the response was overwhelming. Mark Emmer, a community planning activist, estimated that 80% of those who attended a preliminary meeting supported adopting stricter regulations.
Some citizens objected to proposed changes to make 1041 more potent, however, including several realtors and contractors (although there were also realtors and contractors who supported the measures).
And on behalf of the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, Terry Scanga also requested a number of changes. The water district’s stance was not surprising, however, since the district develops water in the region and has proposed building a reservoir.
It’s understandable why the conservancy district and some local contractors would want to avoid added review and regulation….
But in recent years more developers have been looking toward the mountains with big plans, and large projects can negatively affect neighboring water users, homeowners, and wildlife. New developments can also catapult taxes by maximizing the demands on environment, infrastructure, roads, and services — which often leaves old residents hard-pressed to keep up with escalating prices.
New 1041 regulations will help us fight off dams, sprawl, sewage fiascoes, water problems, and costly damage to our environment which may seriously jeopardize our community — but the only legal way to regulate anyone is to regulate everyone.
And therein lies the problem.
New 1041 regs will protect rural communities and give local citizens more power over their future.
But they’ll also keep locals from grabbing for that golden ring and making millions while piling expenses onto the community. New 1041 regulations will not, however, apply to small building projects or homeowner repairs. For that we’ve got local zoning, planning, and building regulations. But that’s a different story.
New History
History is in the news these days.
Twin Lakes Village has refurbished a den of iniquity to serve as a visitors’ center. Once upon a time, the two-story Red Rooster building served as a gambling hall, brothel, and bar in Dayton (which later became Twin Lakes).
After a few false starts, the old depot in Buena Vista finally made it to the park. On June 13, the 63-ton depot was escorted down Highway 24 by police to its new home in McPhelemy Park. At this point, the depot looks a little worn, but is resting soundly while awaiting restoration.
Despite age and fire, St. Elmo should be looking downright sprightly again, too. The Buena Vista Heritage organization has plans to rebuild the St. Elmo town hall and jail which were destroyed by fire — and to refurbish the old school. There’s a fundraiser to get the projects started on August 16. Anyone interested in donating auction items or volunteering can call 719-395-2117. Or if you’re interested in the Heritage organization call the Buena Vista Heritage Museum, 719-395-8458.
Four new interpretive signs on the Barbara Whipple Trail outside of Buena Vista were researched, designed and constructed by Buena Vista High School students under the supervision of their teacher, Jeff Keidel — and with the advice of local historians. Check out: “Big Engines that Could,” “From Rails to Rafts,” “The Hack Road,” and “Water Wars.”
More Lynx Links
By now you’ve no doubt heard that there are more baby lynx in Colorado, bringing the total to sixteen. But the last kittens were a bit of a surprise.
Since the first lynx release in 1999, 129 lynx have been radio-collared and released, but at least 20 have either lost their collars or the collars have ceased functioning.
Researchers had not noted that one of the females found with kittens had been in the vicinity of a male lynx — an obvious prerequisite to motherhood. But apparently this mom had hooked up with one of those sneaky cats who’d ditched their collars.
