Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – February 2007 – Colorado Central Magazine
City Hunt
The deer in Alamosa are becoming numerous and fearless, and the city is preparing for war. A controlled hunt is proposed for the Alamosa Ranch and the wilderness area known as Cattails Golf Course. City Manager Nathan Cherpeski said the safety of homeowners in those areas is the top concern, so potential hunters will be screened, skill-tested, and limited in number.
“It will be a very controlled hunt,” he said, “limited to archery hunting and maybe shotguns, but not high-powered rifles.”
A lottery to select shooters is already in place. Town officials hope to combine the thinning with homeowner education to prevent future >overpopulation in town.
Conservation Kudos
RiGHT (see the October, 1999, edition of Colorado Central) will get a conservation easement on 2,236 acres of the King Ranch in Alamosa County. The $240,000 GOCO grant will protect land and water rights on the historic property.
The Alamosa River cleanup project earned $2.5 million for three phases of work done by various groups. And Rio Grande Reservoir may be expanded, if the state ponies up $288,000.
The Colorado Association of Conservation Districts recognized Danny Neufeld from Center, awarding him Supervisor of the Year for his work with the Center Conservation District
Brief Briefs
Model builder Tom Kutzley, South Fork, completed a 23-year project of making a miniature 1892 North Creede, complete with signs, lights, and alleyways.
Hisayo Kawanabe’s diaries may become available. The late Alamosa resident kept a lifelong journal in Japanese. A translator has been found to redact the diary into English, given the family’s consent.
A delegation from Uzbekistan visited the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to learn how to better manage wildlife areas in their own country.
Monte Vista plans to build a new civic center to house its government offices in a new spot close to downtown. The $14 million for the building would come from congressional earmarking.
Alamosa is considering combining its three elementary schools into a new 1,000-kid complex.
Valley CDOT worker Richard Sisneros was honored with a Certificate of Honor by the Colorado State Patrol, for rescuing a family from a wrecked truck during his snowplowing duties. Alamosan Clay Garcia, a quarterback, school newspaper editor, and straight-A student with a 4.3261 grade point average, was honored by The Denver Post as the state’s best athlete/scholar/citizen. And Marcia Heusted was named faculty member of the year at Trinidad State Junior College — Valley Campus. She teaches massage therapy.
The Council for Excellence in Health Careers Education was formed to train more nurses in the Valley.
The Adams State College Board of Trustees approved plans to renovate the Marvel house, home of the college president. The project is expected to run over $400,000.
SkyFuel, an energy company based in New York, says it wants to build a solar power plant in the Valley.
The Alamosa City Council passed an ordinance allowing the municipal court to hear cases of adults serving alcohol to minors. Taking those cases out of county court means stiffer penalties for offenders.
Eleanor West is the interim director of the CSU Area Cooperative Extension Service in the SLV. Rick Jacobs resigned as Alamosa’s city attorney.
Creede Repertory Theatre earned 11 nominations for the Denver Post Ovation Awards.
Alamosa’s Community Christmas Dinner served 1,400 people on Dec. 25.
The Monte Vista Boys & Girls Club will move to a new, larger building, thanks to a donation by business owner Fred Nipple.
Alamosa’s City Council established an economic development committee, to answer queries from businesses looking to relocate, and to coordinate efforts of the many business groups in town.
Adams State College announced it has settled its lawsuit brought by former president Richard Wueste, who was axed in December 2005.
