Browns Canyon Meeting
Draws Big Crowd
Approximately 500 people were in attendance for a standing-room-only meeting held in Salida Dec. 6 to discuss and listen to opinions from citizens, business owners and land-use representatives for the possible designation of the Browns Canyon Wilderness Study Area as a national monument.
As Congress has continually dragged its feet on the bill, supporters of the designation are asking President Obama to use the Antiquities Act of 1906, an act has been used over a hundred times since its passage, to offer additional protections to the 22,000 acres of remote land north of Salida and south of Buena Vista.
Most of those in attendance were from Chaffee and surrounding counties, but some came by bus and car from the Front Range to show support, including representatives of the Hispanic Access Foundation. Approximately 90 percent of the public who spoke at the meeting were in favor of the designation.
In late December, Gov. John Hickenlooper and Sen. Michael Bennet sent a letter to the president asking him to declare the area a national monument.
If the area were to gain the designation, it would continue to be managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service in cooperation with the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife.
Efforts to preserve Browns Canyon with some level of federal protection go back more than 20 years.
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So Much for “States Rights”
The states of Nebraska and Oklahoma have filed lawsuits with the U.S. Supreme Court over Colorado’s Amendment 64. They are claiming the legalization of marijuana in Colorado is causing them to increase their budgets for drug enforcement.
“Marijuana flows from this gap into neighboring states, undermining Plaintiff States’ own marijuana bans, draining their treasuries and placing stress on their criminal justice systems,” the lawsuit alleges.
In a statement, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said the lawsuit is “without merit,” and that he will defend the state’s legalization of marijuana.
Since the passage of Amendment 64, overall crime rates in Colorado have actually gone down.
Sage-grouse Protections Blocked
A $1.1 trillion spending bill signed on Dec. 16 also bars money from being spent on rules to protect the Gunnison Sage-grouse and several related birds.
Congress has blocked protections for a wide variety of endangered Western bird species. Interior Department officials say they’ll continue analyzing whether protections are needed and hope to reach a decision by September 2015.
Sister City a Go
On Dec. 5, members of the Lago, Italy City Council unanimously voted in favor of a proposal to become a sister city with Salida.
“The two cities are now officially united in gratitude of all the Laghitan immigrants who settled and help built Salida from 1885 to 1920,” said Dr. Francesco Gallo, who spearheaded the effort to pair the two cities.
Attorney in Trouble
Gunnison Deputy County Attorney Art Trezise has been formally charged after accusations arose that he tipped a suspect off of an impending search warrant.
Trezise, 44, faces three felony charges and one misdemeanor charge stemming from a sexual assault case involving a Crested Butte couple. He will be arraigned on Jan. 13, 2015.
Shorts …
• Owners of the Ruby Cinema at Western State Colorado University in Gunnison will not be renewing their lease due to financial challenges in running a single-screen cinema.
• The Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas raised approximately $1,000 at its sixth annual Benefit Art Show at the Josh Been Gallery in Salida on Dec. 13.
• The Lake County Board of County Commissioners has voted to provide funding for county ambulance and emergency services in the wake of the impending closure of St. Vincent Hospital. Meanwhile, representatives of Centura Health met with St. Vincent board members and presented a proposal to help retain vital medical services in Leadville and Lake County.
• John Roorda of Buena Vista is the new Chaffee County planning director.
• Fremont County has a new logo, which depicts a small silhouette of John C. Fremont, an early explorer and mapper of the region, against a river and mountain backdrop.
• The La Veta Signature newspaper is forfeiting its status as the legal paper of record in Huerfano County, due to a decision to cease publication for two weeks at the end of 2014, thus giving up the ability to run legal notices.
• Pamela Loughman, executive director of the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association, resigned her position on Dec. 2 due to funding uncertainties that may come with a new board in 2015.
• Diana Wood retired on Dec. 30 as Chaffee County treasurer after 26 years in the office.
“Notable Quotes”
“Father in Heaven, we turn away from the idolatry that so many have in their hearts, that they think government is a better healer than Jesus. But, Jesus, we know you are the healer. … Lord, we repent of worshiping President Obama as if he is a god, and he is not, or depending entirely upon the government as if it is our provider, and it is not.” – Newly elected Colorado GOP State Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt, who would like to replace Obamacare with Jesuscare. – addictinginfo.org, Dec. 20, 2014.
“I plan not to get up at 6 a.m. and not to wear a shirt that has my name on it anymore. Other than that, I have no plans” – Chris Schirmer, co-owner of Master Electric in Salida, on his plans after closing his business of 30 years. – The Mountain Mail, Dec. 10, 2014
“I don’t remember much of it. I woke up the next morning thinking it was only a strange dream. But then I had cops knocking on my door, so it wasn’t just a dream.” – Franklin Ball of Salida, who was sentenced in Chaffee County Court for burglary of a marijuana grow facility. – The Mountain Mail, Dec. 26, 2014
“This is a black chapter the county is writing if this goes south. If you allow this, you will have no reason to deny the next one. I have already been contacted by news stations about this. Negative publicity will have a negative effect on our real estate.” – Custer County resident Ron Bredehoft, in remarks to the county planning commission regarding an application for a special use permit for the operation of a dog breeding kennel in the county. – The Wet Mountain Tribune, Dec. 11, 2014
