Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – May 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine
So Long
Alamosa City Manager Mike Hackett is leaving to run things in Arcata, Calif., his wife’s hometown.
“She’s been with me through thick and thin,” he said, “and we agreed if this job ever opened up, I’d apply, and if I got it, we’d go.”
Hackett leaves a two-decade legacy of balanced budgets, open space acquisition, and technology upgrades.
Also departing Alamosa management is Hemingway, the resident cat of Southern Peaks Public Library. Hemingway greeted visitors, entertained visitors, and sometimes pointedly ignored visitors, depending on his mood. Now about 15, he will enjoy his elder feline years in the home of a library employee.
Ix-Nay!
There’s another entry in the parade of politicos charged with being ba-a-a-ad. Bill McClure, town manager of Center, is suspected of assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return. It’s a felony, carrying a possible sentence of three years plus a $100,000 fine.
Say Aah!
Alamosa will host the first Colorado Mission of Mercy, a free dental clinic. Like docs who blitz a poor area in the Third World, Mission of Mercy brings 80-100 dentists into a community to serve those who can’t afford dental care. Mission of Mercy has been around for five years, but its first visit to Colorado will be Oct. 19 and 20, 2007. The group plans to see over 1,000 patients in those two days.
Inviting Industries
Conejos County wants to welcome a wind farm. Officials are negotiating with Invenergy to place 40 wind generators in the county. The project could mean $200,000 per year in tax revenue, as well as several jobs, for one of the nation’s poorest counties.
Meanwhile, the Monte Vista City Council supports the construction of a women’s detention facility to be built near the town. The proposed 750-bed prison could fund the town’s needed new wells and sewer system.
Choo-Choo Changes
State Sen. Lewis Entz scored $250,000 for the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. The money came from the state Commission on Higher Education. The train will roll May 27, and Entz says he wants to find a permanent money source for the train, perhaps a percentage of the state’s gambling revenues.
The train will have new management this year. The C&TS Management Corp. will run the train till the end of the year, while the commission looks for a permanent operator.
This year the little train will run seven days a week, and a connecting rail will take passengers between Antonito and Alamosa. This means hardcore rail fans can ride the C&T and the new La Veta Pass train in one day without driving. There will also be a special ride for people with kids, the Cinder Bear train, which includes a shorter ride, a box lunch, and a visit with Cinder Bear. The Alamosa-Antonito train will offer an Evening Highball, a ride with booze. Call 1-888-CUMBRES for details and reservations.
Brief Briefs
Xcel Energy plans to build a photovoltaic solar power plant north of Mosca. Construction is slated to begin on 80 acres this summer.
KRZA, the Valley’s public radio station, earned an Award of Excellence from the Colorado Broadcasters Association for its “Voices of Community” series.
Avast and Ole! Long John Silver’s and Taco Bell are comin’ to Alamosa. The fast food purveyors should be open this summer.
The CSU Cooperative Extension Service may ask for a mill levy to fund its activities in the Valley. The service has had budget cuts in recent years, and has slashed staffing.
Adams State College is completing its Grizzly Courtyard. The centerpiece of the addition will be “Old Mose,” a sculpture of a grizzly by Jim Gilmore.
Alamosa schools shelved the idea of school uniforms due to low community support. However, the schools did adopt a wellness policy, meaning healthier foods and more exercise for the kids.
Costilla County dedicated 1,200 acres of open space, once part of a ranch. The $750,000 purchase was made possible by a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado.
Alamosa native Amanda Hong will be on “Wheel of Fortune” during the week of May 15 to 19.
Four Canada lynx were released north of South Fork. That makes 218 of the cats in the San Juans since 1999.