By Christopher Kolomitz
Parolee dies in Chaffee Barn Fire
BUENA VISTA – A parolee sought by Chaffee County authorities was identified through dental records after his body was found March 8 in a burned out barn southwest of Buena Vista. David Butler, 46, of Summit County, was found in the small residential barn following a search for him in the area near Maud Lane, which is just a little north of the Chalk Creek drainage. While conducting the search for Butler, authorities spotted smoke and responded to the barn fire and subsequently found Butler’s body, reported The Mountain Mail. It was unclear whether the death was a suicide or accidental, or what prompted Butler to flee from authorities.
Salida Downtown District gets “Creative”
SALIDA – Downtown Salida was officially awarded Colorado Creative District status March 9 by Gov. Hickenlooper. The designation comes with a $15,000 grant to assist in attracting artists and other creative endeavors to the downtown area. The only other location to earn the award was the Santa Fe Arts District in Denver.
New Name on the Horizon for Western State
GUNNISON – Trustees at Western State College voted March 16 to initiate a process of changing the school name to “Western State Colorado University.” According to the Gunnison Country Times, trustees believe legislation to change the name will be sponsored by state Rep. J. Paul Brown and state Sen. Gail Schwartz. Estimated cost of renaming is $130,000 and the WSC Foundation will chip in another $100K to help with other costs. If everything goes well in Denver the change could be completed by July 1.
Highway Plans get Moving
BUENA VISTA – Buena Vista residents had their chance to review and discuss U.S. 24 highway corridor improvement plans during a public meeting March 15, The Chaffee County Times reported. Input will help town and state planners make the busy highway safer for pedestrians and slow vehicles down. In other traffic planning news, the Poncha Springs community met in March to discuss a “road diet” for U.S. 50 and U.S. 285 in town. Goal there is to create more of a downtown feel while reducing vehicle speeds and eliminating some turn lanes.
Tabor Grand now Owned by City
LEADVILLE – The historic Tabor Grand building in Leadville was purchased by the city for $177,872.25 on March 15 following a public auction in February where no bids were received, reports The Herald Democrat. City leaders said they intend to sell the building and have three investors interested, which would use the building for affordable housing projects.
Pronghorn Releases End
GUNNISON – Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials released 74 pronghorn antelope into the Gunnison Basin, just south of Blue Mesa Reservoir, March 1. It was the last of a three-year release program with a goal of re-building the population following the winter of 2007-08 which caused high pronghorn mortality, the Gunnison Country Times reports. Since 2010, wildlife officials released 225 animals. Animals released in March were captured south of Limon and transported to the release site.
Miner Dies Following Collapse
ALMA – Kevin Lawrence, 51, died in a mining accident at the Ajax Mine near Alma. Authorities said Lawrence likely died from exposure after becoming trapped in a partial collapse inside the mine. According to The Fairplay Flume, the miner was found by a family member after he had not been heard from. A big contingent of rescuers initially worked on March 11 to recover Lawrence, but dangerous conditions inside the mine and threat of avalanches outside the mine prevented them from accomplishing the task until March 17.
“Rare Earths” Found in South Gunnison
GUNNISON – Drill samples in Gunnison County showed presence of “rare earth” materials at locations near Powderhorn, in the southern part of the county. U.S. Rare Earths, an outfit based in Arkansas, is exploring other locations on BLM land, the Gunnison Country Times reported. Rare earth elements are used in solar panels, wind turbines, computer screens, magnets, military applications and other industrial uses. Gunnison-Sage Grouse habitat restrictions have halted work in the area until May 15.
Udall Floats Plans for Monument, Wilderness
DENVER – U.S. Sen. Mark Udall has proposed making 20,000 acres of federal land between Salida and Buena Vista a national monument and wilderness area. The protection would encompass areas around Browns Canyon that have long been under consideration for wilderness designation. Several groups favor the move, saying that national monument status would help market the area to outdoor recreationalists and provide protection for critical, low-elevation wildlife habitat.
Short takes:
• Finalists for the vacant Salida City Administrator position include current Salida interim city administrator Dara MacDonald; Mark Hell of the Golden Urban Renewal Authority; Richard Bellis, deputy Taos County manger and former development services director for Archuleta County; and Scott Hahn, who most recently held administrative positions in Alaska and was the Salida head-honcho from 1997 to 2002. Public meetings are set for April 5-6.
• The Saguache County Museum announced in March that it will open Memorial Day for its 54th year.
• Westcliffe and Leadville have new school superintendents. Wendy Wyman, currently the Leadville elementary school principal, will take the lead of the Lake County School District. In Westcilffe, Chris Selle is the new boss of the C-1 School District. Selle is currently the Limon superintendent and high school principal.
• The El Pomar Colorado Assistance Fund made more than $60,000 in grant awards in early March to groups in Custer, Fremont, Chaffee and Park counties.
• The new Gunnison County jail is open for business, as of March 12. It is part of the new $11.7 million county public safety center and replaces an outdated and inefficient complex.
• Forest Service ranger districts in Salida and Leadville plan on conducting prescribed burns during the month of April west of Buena Vista in the Four Elk Creek area and around O’Haver Lake near Poncha Pass.
Notable Quotes:
“We felt like we’ve been saving for a rainy day and it’s raining.” – Gunnison Watershed RE1J business manager Stephanie Juneau regarding the posbility of using the school district reserve fund to meet budget shortfalls. – Gunnison Country Times, March 15, 2012.
“We value the rights of our commuters, but we value the lives of our citizens even more.” – Mike Bordogna, Lake County Commisisoner, speaking about the need to improve the intersection of Colo. 91 and the Village at East Fork near Leadville which has been the site of numerous traffic accidents. – Leadville Herald-Democrat, March 8, 2012.
