One Brave Bear
LEADVILLE – A 200-pound black bear wandered into a campground full of bow hunters and attacked a teenage boy in his tent on July 15.
Thirteen-year-old Rick Voss was asleep at the Quail Mountain Recreation Area near Leadville when he was grabbed and bitten by the bear. Voss was camping as part of the Colorado Bow Hunters Association Jamboree. He was treated for deep bite injuries at St. Vincent Hospital and then brought to Children’s Hospital in Aurora by his family. The bear was tracked down by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers and killed.
Plan Would Split County Districts
GUNNISON – Gunnison County residents are beginning to organize opposition to a plan to redraw legislative boundaries which could divide the county between two state house districts, according to The Gunnison Country Times.
The redrawn map, which was approved by the state’s Reapportionment Commission would move the city of Gunnison and the most of the southern two-thirds of the county to House District 58 while leaving the town of Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte in the current House District 61.
A meeting about the proposal is planned for Aug. 5 at 6 p.m. at the Aspinall-Wilson Center in Gunnison.
Biplane Crashes, Starts Fire
WETMORE – A plane crash near Wetmore killed the pilot and ignited a blaze which burned 155 acres of forest land on July 3.
The pilot, Sidney Emmert of Oklahoma City, is believed to have died on impact according to the Wet Mountain Tribune. A passenger on the aircraft, Dr. Robert Hamilton of Wetmore, escaped with minor injuries but only after attempting to save the life of the pilot. Most of the fire burned on U.S. Forest Service land but a small portion of Dr. Hamilton’s ranch was also scorched. The plane was a 1941 Stearman Biplane made of wood and cloth.
Challenge Rejected
DENVER- A challenge from an environmental group over livestock grazing was rejected by a U.S. District Court judge.
The Western Watershed Project had requested the court to block reauthorization of grazing on nearly 284,000 acres, most of which was in Chaffee County in the Pike and San Isabel National Forests, according to The Mountain Mail.
The group claimed that continued grazing would further degrade already-damaged wildlife habitat, wetlands and streams. Judge Robert Blackburn determined the Forest Service did not violate federal laws when it reauthorized the grazing permits. The lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2009 was also opposed by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and the Chaffee County Commissioners.
Three Hikers Perish on Collegiate Peaks
SALIDA – June was a deadly month for hikers in the Collegiate Peaks. A father and daughter from Boulder died while day-hiking on Mt. Missouri on June 22. Autopsy reports showed that Dr. Robert Michael Von Gortler, 53, and his daughter Makana Von Gortler, 20, died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck. The Chaffee County coroner declared both deaths accidental.
On June 30 a women who was hiking with a companion on Mt. Princeton died after a fall. Denver resident Deanna Miller, 30,was hiking with a co-worker when a lightning storm came in, according to The Pueblo Chieftain. The two took shelter under some boulders when one of them tumbled down on the victim and she lost consciousness. Her hiking partner used his cell phone to contact authorities and attempted CPR on the victim without success.
Friend Ranch Development Bank Closed
DENVER – The bank which took over the financing for the beleaguered Friend Ranch golf development in Poncha Springs was closed by state and federal bank regulators on July 8.
Colorado Capital Bank’s seven branches were reopened on July 11 by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. of Raleigh, N.C. They are one of the biggest privately-held companies in the country, with assets of more than $20 billion.
Notable Quotes:
“It became very evident to us that with horses, we can help people understand their body energy … it’s an amazing thing.” – Horse therapist Bettina Wright who helps run a therapeutic program for horses at a ranch north of Gunnison. – The Gunnison Country Times, July 7, 2011.
“Safety of drivers and the local community is important to Nestlé Waters North America and our thoughts are with the driver for a swift recovery.” – Kelly Takeuchi, spokesperson for Nestlé regarding a water truck that crashed July 16 on U.S. 285 north of Fairplay, spilling its load of fresh, mountain spring water all over the highway. – The Mountain Mail, July 20, 2011.
