Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – September 2003 – Colorado Central Magazine
Summer Sizzle
The heat’s on in the Valley, and the hot topic is adult entertainment. Rumors are that a strip club is in the works in Alamosa County, and the county commissioners are struggling to find middle ground between the entrepreneurs who want it and the residents who don’t. Thanks to the First Amendment, adult entertainment can’t be outlawed, but it can be regulated. What hurdles the county erects, and how new businesses respond to them, remain to be seen.
Well, No!
To combat the drought, the board of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District voted a resounding “NO” to all applications for supplemental wells in the San Luis Valley. In other action …
Dollar Drips
If you can’t sway ’em with conscience, hit ’em in the wallet. The Rio Grande Water Conservation District may institute a water sub-district by the end of the year. The regulations, still in the works, will charge water users based on volume through property assessments. The formation of the district is dependent on garnering the signatures of 51 percent of the landowners in the district.
Buzz Wars
It’s an all-out assault on mosquitoes in Alamosa, as the city is using spraying trucks, fogging and air support to wipe out the West Nile virus-carrying insects. The tactics seem to be shock-and-awing the skeeters out of town, but some residents are worrying about the long-term effects of the chemicals used.
Clean Costs
On another front, the clock is ticking and the cost is mounting to clean the arsenic out of Alamosa’s water. The projected cost is $11.2 million, and barring grants, Alamosans will either pay higher water fees or sales taxes to cover that bill. A plan for water treatment must be in place by January to appease the EPA.
Still Summitville
The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Colorado brought suit against three companies in a timely manner, and the cases can proceed. The defendants, A.O. Smith Corp., Bechtel Corp., and ASARCO, played parts in the Summitville Mine disaster, which released toxic levels of arsenic into the Alamosa River.
Brief Briefs
Jose Taylor and James Taggart have penned Alex and the Hobo: A Chicano Life and Story. They say the book is intended for Latino studies classes, but anyone can enjoy it.
A plaque was dedicated at the SLV Regional Airport, commemorating the history of the airport, also known as Bergman Field.
The SLV Youth Detention Center lost its funding and closed June 1. The staff is now trying to provide services to teens in need without a facility.
Shirley Skinner was named Clerk of the Combined Courts in Alamosa. Mike Gibson is the new manager at the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District.
The Alamosa Visitors Center recorded its busiest July ever, registering 990 guests.
Saguache County has enacted a fire ban.
Guadalupe Elementary School in Conejos County was singled out for recognition for its improved CSAP scores. The students made 20- to 32-percent gains in reading and math skills.
450 Kiwanians descended upon Alamosa for the 84th Annual Rocky Mountain District Convention. Keynote Speakers were actor Hugh O’Brien and astronaut Kent Rominger, a Valley native.
Seven members of the Alamosa Sheriff’s Department completed dive training. Go deep!
