By Patty LaTaille
Saguache County Protests Property Reassessment
The reassessment of properties by the Saguache County Assessor’s office, under the direction of the Department of Local Affairs, Division of Property Taxation, has been protested by a large number of Crestone, Baca and Villa Grove residents. State Sen. Larry Crowder, Rep. Ed Vigil and representatives of the State Division of Taxation attended a meeting in late July to address the issues.
Many residents, especially in the town of Crestone, felt that the new values placed on their properties are excessive and not representative of the true market value. Several protested that the town economy and wages are not strong enough to allow residents to pay the taxes that would result from the new assessments.
Commissioners Mull Marijuana
On Sept. 11, Alamosa County Commissioners passed a retail marijuana ordinance reading, placing the question of prohibiting a variety of marijuana operations before the voters.
If a second ordinance reading is passed later in September, the question of prohibiting the cultivation, production, the operation of testing facilities and retail stores will be on the ballot in November of 2014.
El Pomar Supports the SLV
Since 1937, trustees of the El Pomar Foundation have approved more than 11,000 grants totaling more than $418 million to benefit the state of Colorado. Currently, El Pomar contributes more than $20 million annually through grants to nonprofit organizations and government equivalents across Colorado.
El Pomar is a general purpose foundation, which means the trustees approve grants across a broad spectrum of focus areas, including arts and culture, civic and community initiatives, education, and health and human services. In recent years, El Pomar has increased its support of areas outside Colorado’s front range in recognition of the fact that many parts of Colorado have fewer resources but just as many crucial issues to confront.
The Foundation recently awarded seven San Luis Valley agencies a total of $67,653 in grants. The largest grant awarded was to Tu Casa. Another $25,000 went to the San Luis Valley Child Advocacy Center, as part of El Pomar’s competitive grant program. And $5,000 in competitive grants went to Adams State University Foundation for the school’s Community Partners program.
Rio Grande County benefited from the second highest SLV grant, with $16,263 to support the immediate needs of residents impacted by the West Fork Fire. Those funds, and grants supporting local fire departments, came from El Pomar’s Wild Land Fire Fund.
Shorts
• Due to an over-delivery of water from the Conejos River to downstream states through the Rio Grande Compact, water users on the system were given an extension on the irrigation season, according to Colorado Division of Water Resources Division Engineer for Division 3, Craig Cotten.
• An investigation into the theft of copper wire from businesses in both Alamosa and Saguache Counties led to the arrest of two unidentified men from Center.
• A head-on collision led to the deaths of three people on Hwy. 160 west of Del Norte on September 22. Wet roads may have contributed to the crash.
• An escapee from Community Connections, Daniel Mascarenas, 31, Monte Vista, was caught and disarmed by Alamosa police officers at Weekend’s Tavern on Sept. 14.
• Blanca resident John Bregg, 58, died as a result of a two-vehicle crash on Hwy. 160 on Sept. 15.
