In late May, efforts by Republican state Sen. Larry Crowder of Alamosa finally paid off as the Colorado Department of Transportation Commission voted unanimously to approve $1 million toward the train’s preservation. A federal transportation grant to help with repairs requires matching funds from states served by the route. Photo by Daniel Smith.
Towns Sign on to Pact
A group of Colorado towns has launched a “Mountain Pact” in an effort to reform the way the Feds collect royalty payments from the coal industry, and to offset the negative effects of climate change on their communities.
Signed on to the pact are Leadville, Buena Vista, Ridgway, Carbondale, Aspen, Telluride, Ophir, Dillon, Park City, Utah and Taos, New Mexico, according to The Denver Post.
On May 5, the Mountain Pact towns sent a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, top federal land and budget managers, lawmakers and two White House officials, urging reforms on collection of royalty payments by coal companies, half of which are sent back to the states. The towns contend that burning coal leads to an increase in greenhouse gases, leading to shrinking snowpack, drought, wildfires and rising temperatures among other issues of concern to the communities.
Grouse Still a Hot Item
The Gunnison sage-grouse saga continues. On May 16, Gov. Hickenlooper signed an executive order requiring increased state protections over this species of wild fowl, whose population is in decline and is considered to be “threatened.”
By signing the order, the governor is attempting to prevent an “endangered” listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Included in the protective measures in the executive order are: taking inventory of – and improving habitat within – state lands with grouse populations; launching a market-based habitat exchange; and increasing efforts and coordination with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Also, in late April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act with a rider attached, preventing the Obama Administration from declaring the sage-grouse as an endangered species.
Stage/Rail Trail Moving Forward
Following a year-long grant funded project, the draft master plan for the proposed 64-mile-long Salida to Leadville Stage and Rail Trail has been published. During the week of April 13, 2015, the draft plan was presented to the trail’s three major potential management partners: the Chaffee County Commissioners, the Lake County Commissioners and the Colorado State Parks/Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area.
In mid-May it was presented to additional potential partners, including the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service-Leadville Ranger District, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and the towns of Salida, Buena Vista and Leadville, all of whom have been directly consulted in developing the draft.
Deputy Found Guilty
A former Lake County sheriff’s deputy was found guilty of two counts on May 15.
William Berry was charged with embezzlement of public property and official misconduct, according to the Leadville Herald-Democrat. The charges stem from four weapons that were removed from the sheriff’s evidence storage in January 2014 and then transferred to a woman who was involved in a domestic violence case with her former domestic partner, who was the original owner of the weapons.
Former Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Hartman, the evidence technician at the time, was also charged in the theft and has a court date in mid-September.
Skaters Complete Mission
Three Salida roller skaters completed their 2,800 mile cross-country trek across the U.S. on May 21, celebrating by jumping into the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California.
Gracie Cole, Kim Bouldin and Brenna Eaker skated across eight states over nearly twelve weeks and raised over $25,000 for the Joyful Heart Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Donations are still being accepted at www.statesonskates.com/donate.
Shorts …
• Longtime Salida resident Larry Hughes passed away on May 4 at the age of 74. He had served on the Salida Board of Education, was a deacon of Temple Baptist Church, owned a real estate company and bred horses.
• John Roberts, one of Gunnison’s most influential citizens, died on May 17 at the age of 79.
• A former teacher at Florence High School is suing the Fremont Re-2 School District. Robert Basevitz, who is Jewish, claims the school “operates largely to promote the evangelical Christian ideals.”
• The director of the Custer County Hospital District, Steve Allen, had to resign after it was determined he did not live in the district.
• Senate Bills 39 and 232, which had to do with the transfer of federal lands to the state, were defeated in early May.
• The City of Walsenburg granted its first retail marijuana license with a 6-1 vote on May 5. Huerfano County Commissioners passed Resolution 15-18 on May 19, clarifying rules and regulations about commercial marijuana production for unincorporated areas of the county.
• Speaking of Walsenburg, it was discovered, after the fact, that the city’s newest councilman, Donald George Lewis, is a convicted felon with a 40-page-plus rap sheet. An earlier background check by the city clerk did not look beyond Colorado. His crimes were committed primarily in Florida, Texas and Utah.
• The Buena Vista board of trustees voted to prohibit smoking in town parks and on trails after being approached with the suggestion by the local Boys and Girls Club.
• Police in Florence were called out on May 17 on a report of smoke. The culprit was a grilled cheese sandwich gone badly wrong.
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“Notable Quotes”
“I’m just a country doctor, I sew little vessels
together, and all this seems like a big deal.”
– Dr. Charles O. Brantigan, owner of the narrow gauge roundhouse in Como, on his plans to renovate the building into a museum.
– The Fairplay Flume, May 2015
“The open space is protected, in perpetuity, which in my mind is a good thing. Plus, if the antelope were allowed to vote, you’d all be moving.”
– Chaffee County Commissioner Frank Holman, in voting to approve the Caballo Ranchero subdivision near Mount Princeton, against the wishes of some of the neighbors. – The Mountain Mail, May 13, 2015
“We recorded a foot of snow in Buena Vista, 8-10 inches in Salida and 18 inches on Monarch Pass.” – CDOT Spokesperson Nancy Shanks, on the storm that hit the area on May 19.
– The Mountain Mail, May 20, 2015
“To be honest, when I came, I was expecting stuck-up people who were only into themselves. But Westcliffe, or America in general, has shown me different sides to that stereotypical view.” – Exchange student Julie Clausen of Denmark, when asked about her experiences in small-town America.
– The Wet Mountain Tribune, May 21, 2015
“You can go as far as getting a concealed weapons permit and carry a firearm around with you, and there is not a lot I can say about that. Or a golf club. I’ve seen that in town.” – Leadville Police Chief Mike Leake, at a meeting concerning loose dogs and the legality of various defenses against them. – The Leadville Herald-Democrat, May 14, 2015
