Neither Rain Nor Snow …
Salida’s mail processing center will close on June 1. The U.S. Postal Service announced the closure on May 17 as part of a two-phase plan to consolidate 461 mail processing centers nationwide.
Most out-of-town subscribers to Colorado Central Magazine will not see a difference in delivery times, but residents of Salida and Buena Vista may see a one- day delay as mail will now be shipped to Denver and back for sorting before delivery.
Hero Boaters
A Leadville woman who rolled her SUV off U.S. Hwy 24 into the Arkansas River got some help from some local kayakers driving back from a run on the Numbers.
Cathy Medina and an eight-year-old female passenger found themselves in the fast moving river with water up to their seats when accident witnesses Tim Koch and Craig Schrieber got them out of the vehicle and onto the riverbank. Workers with K.W. Construction assisted them up the bank and helped to dry them out. No one was injured in the accident.
When Reality TV Becomes … Reality
A Texas man is attempting to claim mining rights on large sections of Mount Antero and Mount White in the Sawatch Range in an effort to block gemstone mining, according to The Chaffee County Times.
On April 22, Austin resident Stephen Berman filed 461 placer claims with the Chaffee County Clerk and Recorder, claiming his discovery of “valuable minerals.” to, “throw a bucket of water on the flame of greed that’s going to charge up the mountain” as a result of the reality television program, “Prospectors,” currently broadcasting on The Weather Channel.
Berman claims he’d like to use the mining rights for the creation of a national park, but the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is saying not so fast. Berman must also file the claims with them within 90 days of the supposed discovery date. The BLM charges $40 per 20 acres of a placer claim. Berman’s claim is for 9,300 acres which would require filing fees of more than $65,000. He hopes to find a nonprofit to pony up the cash as he claims he “doesn’t have the money right now.”
Abandoned Mines to be Closed
The United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have announced plans to close more than 30 mineshafts and audits in the Fourmile area and other parts of Chaffee County due to public safety concerns.
The work will be conducted this summer and includes old mining sites in Bassam Park, northeast of Buena Vista, and around the Maysville and Greens Creek areas near Poncha Springs.
Party Time at High Altitude
The Leadville City Council approved a resolution creating a downtown entertainment district, which would allow for the designation of public areas for alchoholic beverage consumption, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat.
The creation of the district was recommended by the Leadville Planning and Zoning Commission as an opportunity to draw more tourists with more events.
Shorts …
• An expanded boundary was awarded to the Garden Park Fossil Area, ten miles north of Cañon City, increasing the National Natural Landmark boundary by more than 3,200 acres. The Area is known for its late Jurassic-Period fossils.
• The Greater Arkansas River Association received a $45,000 grant to conduct studies on efforts to connect Leadville, Buena Vista and Salida along portions of the Leadville Stage Road and Midland Railroad.
• An attempt to recall Rep. Mike McLachlan of State House District 59 over his vote for tighter gun controls has failed after organizers were unable to come up with enough signatures to force a recall.
• Voters in Chaffee County decided to retain term limits for Salida Hospital District board seats in a special election held May 14.
• Bob Hartzell is retiring as director of the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum in Leadville after five-plus years. The interim director will be Vince Matthews, formerly the Colorado state geologist.
• Chaffee County issued its first civil union licenses to Poncha Springs residents Steve Rust and Michael Ingram on May 1, the day they became legal under Colorado law.
• Legislation proposed by students from Peakview Elementary School in Walsenburg to name rescue and shelter animals as Colorado’s official state pet was signed into law by Gov. Hickenlooper on May 13.
• Students at the Crest Academy in Salida entered the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the world’s longest bag chain, made up of more than 6,000 plastic shopping bags tied together, stretching about 1.7 miles around Tenderfoot Mountain. Students were trying to draw attention to the overuse of such bags in today’s society. The bags were then recycled.
• Westcliffe artist Gerald Merfeld had his 60s-era painting “Showing the Flag in Ca Mau” – depicting two U.S. swift boats on the Mekong River delta in South Vietnam – selected to hang in the office of Secretary of State John Kerry’s office at the State Department.
“Notable Quotes”
“We can entertain people in other ways.” – Leadville City Council Member Max Duarte, noting in discussions about a possible entertainment district, that the city did not need alcohol to bring people to town. – The Leadville Herald-Democrat, May 16, 2013.
“There’s no sense in dragging a police officer up there … I’m trying nicely to get it back.” – Dave Harmin, owner of the White Star Mine near Twin Lakes, who reported an ore car had been stolen from his property last fall. He is offering a $500 reward for info leading to its return. – The Leadville Herald-Democrat, May 16, 2013.
