Wildfire in Custer County Destroys Homes
WETMORE – A forest fire in Custer County has burned nearly 2,100 acres near Wetmore and was at 65% containment as of press time. Hundreds of nearby residents were forced to flee their homes, of which 14 were destroyed in the Greenwood area.
Among those who sustained the loss of their homes was Custer County deputy Mike Halpin, who discovered his own home in flames while going door to door to alert residents, according to the Wet Mountain Tribune.
An estimated 240 firefighters and support personnel are working the fire. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Leadville Residents Voice Concerns over Resort Proposal
LEADVILLE – A public meeting was held in Leadville on Oct. 4 by developer EverGreen Land to discuss its proposal to build an all-inclusive resort hotel north of Leadville.
The company hopes to build a resort hotel, with 100 to 200 rooms on the property located behind Safeway. In addition to the hotel the company plans to build a small ski area as well as a par-three golf course, according to The Leadville Herald-Democrat.
Citizens in attendance voiced concerns that an all-inclusive hotel would not encourage guests to use the services the town provides. Others were concerned about the amount of water needed for an 18-hole golf course and the possibility of snowmaking. One resident called the proposed resort a “reservation for the rich.”
Lease Auction Draws Comments
PARK COUNTY – The Bureau of Land Management has received nearly 2,300 public comments at its Royal Gorge Field Office regarding an upcoming oil and gas lease auction in Park County.
The sale of mineral leases for nearly 2,800 acres of land in Park County is the first step in the development of oil and gas resources in that region.
BLM spokesperson Denise Adamic said that all comments and letters would be reviewed and considered in preparation for an environmental assessment of the leases.
Former Koch Employee Claims Kidnapping
GUNNISON – Kirby Martensen, formerly senior vice president-Asia with Oxbow Carbon and Minerals International, filed suit against company founder and chief executive William Koch, accusing him of kidnapping him and holding him hostage on Koch’s 420-acre Bear Ranch in Gunnison County.
Martensen claimed he was “imprisoned” and held in “captivity” for three hours in a cabin on the ranch after being served termination papers, according to The Denver Post.
William Koch is the brother of infamous billionaires Charles and David Koch, founders of the right-wing political action committee, Americans for Prosperity.
Martensen had requested to be driven to Aspen to catch a scheduled flight to California, but claims to instead have been “kidnapped and kept captive” while being driven to Denver and ordered onto a private plane.
Martensen claimed he was terminated after voicing concerns about Oxbow’s plans to evade paying U.S. taxes “in excess of $200 million a year.”
Koch’s net worth is estimated at nearly $4 billion by Forbes Magazine.
Dog Leads Rescuers to Drowned Man
LEADVILLE – The dog of drowning victim Anthony Pacheco, 55, of Leadville, helped lead rescuers to the northern end of Turquoise Lake, where Pacheco’s capsized boat was discovered.
A command post had been set up after relatives became concerned that Pacheco had not returned from a fishing outing on Oct. 20. It was there that Pacheco’s dog Buddy showed up and led the family to the northern end of the lake where Randy Pacheco, brother of the victim, spotted the capsized boat. The Summit County Water Rescue Team was brought in to recover the body from a depth of about 25 feet.
Race View Yields Human Skull
LEADVILLE – While attempting to get a better view of the USA Pro Challenge bike race on Independence Pass this past August, a spectator discovered a partial human skull.
No other bones have been discovered in the area, and Lake County Coroner Shannon Kent is working with a forensic pathologist to help identify the skull, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat.
Shorts:
• Longtime regional game warden Tom Spezze is retiring after 31 years with the state wildlife agency’s southwest region. Throughout his career he was stationed in Denver, Trinidad, Salida and Gunnison.
• Merle Baranczyk, owner of Arkansas Valley Publishing, which publishes The Mountain Mail, Chaffee County Times, Leadville Herald-Democrat and Fairplay Flume, has been named president of the National Newspaper Association, the largest newspaper organization in the country.
• The Sayer-McGee Drugstore in downtown Leadville, which first opened in that location in 1959, was acquired by Safeway. Two of the four partners who have owned the store since 1999 will now be filling scripts at the grocery chain.
• Former Gunnison mayor and business owner Rick Miller was killed in a motorcycle accident just south of Crested Butte on Oct. 21. The fifth-generation native of the Gunnison Valley was the owner of the Miller Furniture Store.
• James Ludwig of Buena Vista passed away on Oct. 12 at the age of 83. He was the founder of Pleasant Avenue Nursery and was the former senior vice president of operations at the Climax Molybdenum Company. He was also a contributor to Colorado Central Magazine and authored three books: The Climax Mine, Beyond the Glory Hole, and Young Again.
• Speaking of Colorado Central contributors, Annie Dawid of the Wet Mountain Valley has won a “flash fiction” contest from the “A Room of One’s Own Foundation.” The prize was $1,000 plus publication in The Los Angeles Review.
“Notable Quotes”
“If people are crazy enough to vote for me, I’ll serve.” Libertarian Party candidate for House District 60, Bruce Waters. – The Mountain Mail, Oct. 8, 2012.
“It beats mowing the lawn.” – 70-year-old John Ooyen of Boulder, who took seventh place in the 55-plus division of the “Cross the River” cyclecross race held on Oct. 7 in Buena Vista. – The Chaffee County Times, Oct. 11, 2012.
“A ticket in their hand will make them care.” – Josh Colley, race director for the Leadville Race Series, referring to illegal and dangerous behavior by race competitors and their crews. – Leadville Herald-Democrat, Oct. 18, 2012.
