Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – June 2003 – Colorado Central Magazine
Off the Critical List
The good news is the snowpack, and therefore the water supply, is better than last year. The bad news is this year’s snowpack is only mediocre, according to Pat McDermott with the Division of Water Resources.
The projected index for the Rio Grande this year is 350,000 acre feet; normal is 650,000. So while residents can see improvement, we’re nowhere near healthy. Keep on conserving.
Try Trial Again
The heirs to the land grant now known locally as La Sierra won a court victory and a new trial. The state Supreme Court overturned a decision abolishing access to the ranch, now owned by Lou Pai. The court said those heirs have legal access to the land for grazing, timber and firewood, but not for hunting, fishing or recreation. The case, which has lasted for decades, is now remanded to trial in Costilla County.
Sadness in the City
Dr. Lynn Weldon has resigned from the Alamosa City Council due to advanced prostate cancer. The author, former educator, and all-around sage has been a prominent figure in the San Luis Valley for decades and a councilor for 20 years.
Biz or Blight?
The Junque Factory, a used-goods business on U.S. 285 near Saguache, was forcibly closed and cleaned up by the county. The county took action after a five-year effort to get owner Manuel Montano to comply with blight ordinances.
Montano says that he was singled out after he reported the county courthouse for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. He also claims racial discrimination by the county and plans to appeal to the justice department.
Speaking of blight, a group in Alamosa wants to get an EPA assessment to clean up/tear down the old power plant on the south side of town.
Park Pressures
State budget cuts have left no dollars for management of San Luis Lakes State Park this year. But the park near the Sand Dunes hopes to stay open by employing volunteer campground hosts and one paid position.
The Rio Grande Water Conservation District kicked in $10,000 for operations and utilities and is being asked for more for staff, and the Sand Dunes has offered assistance with cleanup and emergency response. John Brandstetter of the state parks and recreation department said the park was well on its way to financial self-sufficiency before the drought and economic downturn hurt it.
Out in a Puff
Almost all of the Valley’s anti-tobacco programs had their funding yanked. The state health department won’t fund Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla or Saguache counties beginning July 1. But Paula Hendricks, director of the programs in Rio Grande and Mineral counties, received approximately $30,000, based on her grant proposal.
Also getting gutted is the program for non-emergency transportation for people too disabled to drive. That not only means no more free rides for shopping and errands, but missed medical appointments and even dialysis treatments.
The city of Monte Vista laid off 10 people and eliminated two positions thanks to the budget crunch. In addition, three employees per week will be furloughed (a.k.a., given unpaid leave) from June 1 to the end of the year.
Fire Fight
The feds are suing the Zapata Homeowners Association for the cost of fighting the fire at the Sand Dunes in April 2000. The fire was judged to have originated in a fire pit owned by the association. The tab, with interest and penalties, is almost $1 million.
Alamosa Scores $$
The city got over half a million in Community Development Block Grants for three projects. The senior center under construction received $300,000; the community recreation center, slated to open this summer, got $150,000; and the fire department scored $90,000, which will help buy a new rescue vehicle.
Brief Briefs
— Manassa Elementary was named a Title I Distinguished School by the state department of education.
— Alamosa was named a Tree City U.S.A. By the National Arbor Day Foundation for the 13th year.
— The area scorched by the Million Fire near South Fork has been reseeded.
— Splashland, the natural-springs pool just outside Alamosa, will stay afloat by becoming a recipient of state lottery funds.
— Los Caminos Antiguos got the first of its historical, wildlife, and cultural interpretation signs. The “ancient highways” cover 129 miles in Alamosa, Conejos and Costilla counties.
— Michelle David, a third-grade teacher at Sargent Elementary, was named Teacher of the Year by the SLV Board of Cooperative Services.
— Adams State’s Jason Ramstetter was named Colorado Collegiate Wrestling Coach of the Year by the state chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
— In other sports news, Alamosa’s Jay Osmon is shooting for a slot in the PGA. The Adams State senior has been playing golf since he was 6.