Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – April 2000 – Colorado Central Magazine
History and Hammers
Husung Hardware, in downtown Alamosa, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The 1936 art deco building has its original ceiling, freight elevator and light fixtures, meaning customers can ooh and aah as they shop.
Railroad Rumble
The C&TS saga chugs on. The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was awarded the contract to run the tourist train between Antonito and Chama, New Mexico. Friends, a 1,400-member organization, plans to run the operation as a nonprofit, funneling all surplus revenue into improvements to the trains and line. Some for-profit bidders who were turned down are protesting. In related railroad news, voters in Creede will decide whether they want to resurrect the old line from South Fork. A non-binding referendum will test residents’ feelings about becoming a whistle stop again.
Cyanide Death
The Alliance for Responsible Mining, a statewide group, is trying to ban open-pit gold mining that uses cyanide leaching processes. A similar initiative was passed in Montana in 1998. La Jara physician Colin Henderson, president of the board, is spearheading the effort to get an initiative put on the ballot this November or, failing that, in 2002. The group, which counts several retired miners in its membership, failed in its direct approach to the state legislature. Meanwhile, Robert Friedland’s claims against Colorado and most against the United States are history. A district court judge struck many claims by the former CEO of Galactic Resources, the fun folks who trashed Summitville. Friedland had claimed the state and U.S. were liable under CERCLA.
More cats
The Colorado Division of Wildlife plans to release another 50 lynx into the San Juan Mountains in April. Some have derided the agency’s action, saying its poor planning led to last year’s rotten results. Of the 41 big cats released a year ago, 17 are dead and eight are missing.
Final Round?
The future of the Great Sand Dunes Golf Course is in the rough. The Nature Conservancy wants someone to run the course — considered one of the state’s most beautiful — this summer, or they’ll close it. The Conservancy bought the Zapata-Medano Ranch last year, intending to keep the golf course open only if it could be run in an environmentally friendly manner, and not lose money. Financially, the course has been a marginal operation in the past.
