by Marcia Darnell
Sad but True
One of the Valley’s greatest mysteries has been solved. The whereabouts of Danice Day, missing since January 2002, have been resolved. Remains uncovered in Arizona were confirmed to be the 19-year-old waitress from Monte Vista. Her romantic partner, Victor Braun, 33, who directed authorities to the remains, has been charged with manslaughter.
Action Earns Attention
It took only 14 demonstrators to get the attention of Valley-Wide Health Services. The agency, which offers free and low-cost health care to Valley residents, closed its San Luis facility in August and hasn’t opened its replacement. Officials addressed the issue, saying the new clinic will open soon. Protestors vow to return monthly until that happens.
Valley Gets Bucks
The state library association awarded funds to two Valley libraries, Southern Peaks Public Library in Alamosa and Nielsen Library at Adams State College. The $72,559 grant will enable SPPL to continue to offer tech training and access and to hire a bilingual technology teacher. ASC plans to use its $12,739 to digitize rare and archival photographs pertinent to Valley history.
Adams State hit it big with a $600K windfall from HUD for a new program: Home Owner Preparedness, including all People, for one Environment, also known as HOPE. The program’s aims are to provide financial education to young people, to teach job and life skills to people with disabilities, and to support green industry and environmental organizing. ASC won the grant as a Hispanic-serving college.
The college also scored nearly $200K for improvements to the Rex Activity Center, considered an historical landmark.
The Colorado Historical Society is granting $20K for the acquisition of the Gallegos House in Costilla County; $28K for work on La Jara Town Hall; $107K to refurbish the Crestone School; and a whopping $278K to rehab the Veterans Center at Homelake.
Sprucing Up
The Del Norte Chamber of Commerce is restoring the town’s 126-year old caboose. The red caboose, which resided on the corner of Grande and Cedar for many years, is now in Wagon Wheel Gap for a facelift. Doug Davlin is working on the D&RGW caboose number 580.
Saguache opened its new HistoriCorps program, a community service program. The first projects involve restoring historic 4th Street.
More Power!
Two new solar power projects are in the works, both near Mosca. SunPower is applying for a permit for a 17-megawatt plant near the existing solar farm. Another company, Iberdrola Renewables, says it’s planning a 30 megawatt operation in two phases, with construction beginning next summer in the same area.
Brief Briefs
• Former Rio Grande County Sheriff John Kammerzell was nominated to become a U.S. Marshal.
• Alamosa reporter Lloyd Engen has been released from the hospital. The sportswriter was seriously injured while covering a football game Sept. 5. He is recovering at a private residence in Fort Collins.
• Union workers have been locked out of Harborlite, the perlite mine south of Antonito, after they rejected a new contract. The 29 workers are picketing the plant, saying their new contract required them to work more hours for less pay.
• The dispute between the Alamosa City Council and the board of the San Luis Valley Museum over funding reached a new low when museum board president Dorothy Brandt vowed to convert the building into a strip club if the facility has to close.
• The K-ZEE plant in Center suffered its second fire in two years. The firm makes truck flat beds and trailer parts.
• The Alamosa City Council approved the plat for a new elementary school. The land is at Tenth Street and Colorado 285, and the school should be ready in January 2011. When ground was broken on the new site a mysterious black substance was struck. Analysis is being conducted, but some say it’s the remains of a horse or cow.
• The Alamosa City Council also approved the Cole Park site for a new library/city hall complex. Rejected was the old Kmart in the west part of town.
• Late Valley resident Walter Alsbaugh was named to the Rodeo Hall of Fame.
