- DK Hawk CALL FOR GUNNISON CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES

The time is coming to elect Gunnison’s next cohort of City Councilors. Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Before well-informed, and committed residents who are interested in serving their community as a City Councilor for the next two or four years. If running for Council is something you have thought about doing, now could be your time to provide an important and impactful service to your community.

A strong and productive coalition of leaders is representative and diverse. Diversity in backgrounds, age, lived experiences, gender, etc. is an essential part of a successful Council. And, differences in opinions and experiences; however, they should have a common set of values in how they conduct themselves as residents and leaders. Gunnison is seeking candidates who

•Honest and ethical. Two key characteristics for an actions and approach to issues.

At approximately 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26, the “Lowline Fire” was reported on the north aspect of a ridge between Squirrel and Mill Creeks in the Gunnison Valley.

The fire is approximately 20 acres in size with moderate spread potential, individual tree torching with active growth in spruce and aspen forest with heavy dead and down timber. Three engines and one hand crew were on scene working to suppress the fire with additional resources en route, according to a press release from the U.S. Forest Service shared at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. A Type 2 helicopter from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control in Montrose is assisting. The fire was 0% contained as of 3 p.m.

Smoke may be visible in the area for the next several days. No structures are threatened. National Forest System TrailLowline trail #438 is closed and other nearby roads and trails may be impacted with smoke and firefighter activity. In the interest of public safety, fire officials ask visitors to be aware of fire traffic and avoid the area.

Gold Creek Campground identities released

The three deceased individuals found at Gold Creek Campground earlier this month were from Colorado Springs. Their causes of death are still pending further analysis.

The descents are, 42-yearold Rebecca Vance, 41-year-old Christine Vance and a 14-yearold who was not named due to his status as a minor. According to Gunnison County Coroner Michael Barnes, the investigation team is still working to locate the minor’s father and paternal grandmother.

Barnes has speculated that the three individuals were longterm camping and attempted to live there through the winter.

•Balanced. A councilmember is a non-partisan representative of everyone. A strong candidate for Council is one who brings a balanced view. The ability to look at both sides of an issue and consider priorities, even when they might be conflicting, is critical. Being balanced also means being able to listen respectfully, ask thoughtful questions, and consider multiple points of view.

•Dedicated. The role requires a commitment of time and energy. Serving on Council is more than attending meetings twice a month. Developing relationships with constituents, attending committee and valley-wide board meetings, engaging in community events, and reading detailed materials in preparation for meetings are all part of being a Councilor.

•Experienced. There are a wide variety of professional and personal experiences that would translate into serving on Council. A councilmember might have education and/or experiences in their professional and/or personal life that lends itself to the position, or they should be willing to dive right in and learn all they can quickly and thoroughly.

•Motivated. The primary motivation should be to serve the best interest of the public. This person will perform their duties with a high degree of integrity and with a broad vision of what is in the best interests of the overall community now and in the future.

•Collaborative working with others to solve big and small problems, and solution.

Do these attributes describe you? Would your friends and colleagues agree? You may decide that this is a good time to

Facebook: facebook.com/CityofGunnison consider running for Council. represents all Gunnison residents. This November, voters will be asked to select individuals to serve on City Council. Four out who receive the highest number of votes are elected to fouryear terms and the candidates with the next highest number of votes receive two-year terms. Gunnison municipal elections are non-partisan. Nomination petition packets will be available for

To be a candidate for City Council, the following requirements must be met. They are:

-Be 21 years of age;

-Be a United States citizen;

-Be a registered elector;

-Be a resident of the City for at least one (1) year immediately

-Is not in default to the City.

City Council meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 201 W. Virginia Tuesday, December 12, 2023.

If you are interested in running for City Council and want or email eboucher@gunnisonco.gov. Visit the Election website

Instagram: instagram.com/cityofgunnison

Honest, Ethical, Professional

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3 BDRM/2 BATH, 1680sf home with new carpet in Antelope Hills. Large open living room & kitchen, master suite, two other bedrooms share a full bathroom. Plenty of yard space to fence for your pets. 9 Ridge Lane; $425,000.

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CLARKE AGENCY REAL ESTATE 241 N. Main St. Gunnison, CO 81230 Office: (970) 641-0511 www.clarkeagency.net View listings at: www.clarkeagency.net AUDRIE TOWNSEND Broker/Owner (970) 209-6208 People’s Choice Award for Best Realtor 2021 & 2022

HOME ON 50 ACRES in Ohio City features an excellent mixture of wildlife, nearby trails, aspen, pines & 300 feet of Gold Creek frontage. 3 bdrm/2 bath house, huge attached garage, large detached barn, touched by Forest Service lands. 5498 County Road 771; $2,500,000.

MAKE AN OFFER 3 bdrm/2 bath, ranch level home with a walkout basement. Open kitchen & dining area with a pellet stove. Property has an attached oversized 2 car garage. Over 1,800sf with great southern views of Sawtooth Mountain & W Mountain. No HOA or covenants. 851 County Road 18; $399,000.

Carol Lynne Spore passed away Thursday, July 20, 2023 at Delta County Memorial Hospital surrounded by her husband and daughters. She was 73 years old.

A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, July 28, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Mountain View Bible Church in Lazear, Colorado.

Carol was born on October 13, 1949 in Paonia, Colorado to Darlene Stone (Polson) and JB Stone. She grew up in Hotchkiss and graduated from Hotchkiss High School in 1968. She continued her education at Mesa College and earned an associate’s degree in 1970.

Carol met Wes Spore, the love of her life, in elementary school and they were married on September 14, 1969. They celebrated 53 years of marriage and almost a lifetime of love.

Carol and Wes made their home in Gunnison for over 35 years, before returning to Hotchkiss to enjoy their retirement years.

Carol enjoyed working around her farm, gardening, crafting, camping and four-wheeling with family and friends. The most important things in her life were her family

Births

and her faith. She loved unconditionally, was exceptionally generous and wanted all of her loved ones to be happy. She always wanted to make memories with her family and friends and would continuously find adventures for us to participate in. She had a special relationship with her daughters and grandsons.

retired to Satanta to care for Steve’s parents, Eldred and Marie Santala. Lynne devoted much of her time to furthering her education and volunteer work in the communities where she lived.

For her grandchildren, she was a gentle nap-time enforcer, a reliable supplier of sunscreen and sweet treats at the pool and a keen navigator of back-to-school shopping. As a mother, she exemplified kindness and devotion. She sewed the most epic Halloween costumes and was often up to the wee-morning hours finishing homemade dresses, valentines and Christmas gifts.

Lynne was the love of Steve’s life. His heart was never fuller than when he managed to convince her to try his homemade ice cream, hoping (often in sweet-toothed vain) that it would make her as happy as it made him.

Martha Lynne (Hirst) Santala

Martha Lynne (Hirst) Santala, 71, of Satanta, Kansas, passed away on Saturday, July 9, 2023 after a battle with lung disease.

Lynne was born on August 16, 1951 to Helen Maurene (Shriver) and Robert Craig Hirst in Fort Riley, Kansas. The family later moved to Gunnison, where Lynne graduated a proud member of the class of ‘69.

Lynne married Steven Allen Santala on September 2, 1972 in Flagler, Colorado. They welcomed three children, Stephanie, Bernadette “Brandi” and Todd and raised them with love in Butte, Montana. Lynne was blessed with ten grandchildren, Katlyn, Kassandra, Chloe, Brandon, Liam, Anthea, Grace, Mariana, Ira and Logan.

In 1998, Lynne and Steve

5, 2023 at 1:58 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs., 10 oz. and measured 20 inches in length at birth. He is welcomed by his big brother, Colby, age 2. His grandparents are Wendy Redden of Gunnison, Jack Hanson of Gunnison and Jan and Pete Cottier of Ft. Collins, Colorado.

William Joshua Johnson of Gunnison on July 19, 2023 at 4:04 a.m. He weighed 6 lbs. and measured 19 and 3/4 inches at birth. He is welcomed by grandparents Bert and Grace Johnson of Willmar, Minnesota, Steven Hoffman of Lombard, IL, and great-grandparents Mary Ann Eckhart and Willaim Eckhart (late) of Plain City, Ohio. to Hannah and Tyler Hanson of Powderhorn, Colorado on June

She is survived by her sisters, Kathryn Helene and Margaret Ruth, her brother, Robert Bruce, her husband, all of her children and grandchildren and her two beloved dogs, Amos and Murphy.

Lynne's spirit of giving continues, even after death, as she requested that her remains benefit others through Midwest Transplant Network's organ, eye and tissue donation program.

Lynne will be laid to rest at Dudley Township Cemetery in Satanta.

Memorial contributions may be made payable to the Satanta Happy Agers, Sublette Pride of Life or Midwest Transplant Network in care of Weeks Family Funeral Home and Crematory, P.O. Box 1200, Sublette, KS 67877.

William Joshua Johnson was born to Sarah and Leif Johnson

970.641.1414

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As voters, all of us deserve to know

Editor:

There is nothing on which we should be more united as a community than the threat of violence against our school children. We need to work together to ensure that parents, children and the rest of us are free of fear.

The Secret Service found in 2019 that there had been 41 incidents of targeted school violence in the 10 years from January 2008 through December 2017.

The problem has grown. There were 35 school shootings with injuries or deaths in 2021 alone, and 51 such incidents in 2022.

Sadly, anyone running for school board today has to be prepared to answer questions about how to ensure our schools are safe from gun violence.

One obvious question, given the mailer so many of us have received, is how candidates Dobson, Henry and Thompson would propose to make our schools safer from gun violence. There are a number of proposals:

Secure storage awareness can address the most common source of guns used in school gun violence — those taken from home. Extreme risk laws can stop people who show warning signs of danger to themselves or others from accessing and buying guns.

Schools can invest more in mental health professionals and create threat assessment programs that identify and intervene when a student is likely to pose a risk to themselves or others. Some propose to require all teachers to be armed in the classroom.

Candidates need to tell us where they stand on ideas like these.

And to candidates Dobson, Henry and Thompson: Are you or aren’t you raising money for your campaigns by auctioning high-powered firearms? Who is getting the proceeds of this auction?

As voters, all of us deserve to know.

Luke Danielson Gunnison

Are you a “one issue” candidate?

know and have talked with?

What assets will you bring to the board, ie. financial background, planning or strategic experience, personal education experience, communication skills, ample time to devote to this service?

Or are you a “one issue” candidate?

Robert Koepsel Gunnison

What kind of message does this send?

Editor:

I recently received an invitation to our local Republican Party's annual Lincoln Day Dinner. The party plans to introduce its preferred candidates for the school board, and at the same time auction off a longrange hunting rifle which is also used by the U.S. military's Special Operations Command.

What kind of message does this send? The image of this military-style rifle on the invitation sends a chill down the spine of every parent whose children are afraid to go to school.

The school board is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of our schoolchildren. I hardly feel compelled to vote for any school board candidate whose supporting party parades around a lethal weapon like this at its annual Lincoln Day Dinner. By the way, wasn't Lincoln shot to death?

Deirdre Fotescu Gunnison

Democracy depends on fair elections

Editor:

Wow! I recently saw an appeal for second-home owners to change their voting registration to Gunnison County so that they could vote in our local elections. How utterly unethical and borderline fraudulent.

The form for voter registration specifically requests that a voter list their “Home Address.” Home is where you work and raise your family, not your vacation getaway. Home is where your political interests are, not where you have no vested interest in the community.

Letters Policy

Letters to the editor must be 500 words or less. We favor local topics and discourage argumentative letters addressed to particular people. If you reference data, please include sources for fact-checking.

Email letters to editor@gunnisontimes.com or send to 218 N. Wisconsin St., Gunnison, CO 81230. Include your full name, address and a phone number — for our internal use only.

The deadline is Tuesday at 12 p.m. Letters may be edited for grammar, clarity or length.

Editor: I note in the Times that there is interest in citizens running for the Gunnison School Board. As a retired teacher who worked for school boards for 45 years in public and private schools, this is a promising sign. I would like to offer a few questions for our candidates:

How many board meetings have you attended before and since you entered this election?

How many of our schools have you visited? Have you discussed our schools with the superintendent, or any other administrators?

How many teachers do you into a partisan contest and are boasting about providing a military-style rifle as an item in the silent auction at their upcoming Lincoln Day Dinner. It is sad to see how they promote the give-away of a rifle that has been adapted by United States Special Operations Command as a sniper rifle and belt-fed machine gun. We can imagine the sardonic combination of announcing school board candidates as special guests on a postcard inviting “eligible” attendees to bid on a highpower, long-range rifle is not lost on many Gunnison County residents. Indeed, letters to the editor published in last week’s local newspapers pointed out the irony.

We believe that the Gunnison County Republican Party (GCRP) has made the school board election partisan by inviting only three of the six candidates who are seeking a seat. Although these three candidates have generally aligned themselves with Republican issues, none of the six candidates are running as being affiliated with any political party. Yet, the GCRP seems to have invited these three rather than inviting all candidates and allow their party members to listen to each candidate and decide whom they support.

We were heartened to read Mike Ritchey’s letter in last week’s Gunnison Country Times that mentioned Dr. Duane Vandenbusche’s dismay at the Republican postcard that also included his name as a guest speaker. We hope his dismay will lead him to remove himself from their guest list.

A conversation with one of the school board candidates, Cori Dobson, who was invited to the Republican dinner, revealed some issues that are concerning to us. Cori acknowledged seeing the postcard prior to its release. She noted that she was campaigning and would accept any invitation to speak.

Still, it seems that a candidate would be mindful of messaging associated with their name.

Letters to the editor last week parlayed this into an attack on our schools and three of the Gunnison Watershed School District’s school board candidates. The authors also conflated school mass shootings with gun ownership.

If this is what it leads to, it is time to cancel the hunting season in Gunnison County. Yes, hundreds of deer and elk hunters bring guns into our county each year. This must be stopped to protect our schools.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission must revoke all hunting licenses for Gunnison County. Hunters will then cancel all hotels, restaurant reservations and provisions from Gene Taylors. Lost income and employment. Lost tax revenue for the county and city coffers.

Neil Watko Gunnison GOP

Why don’t you call me back?

Editor:

I’ve written a few things for our local papers, some say I write too much, but in many cases I’ve started by writing about how much I love our little valley, particularly our little town of Gunnison.

I love being able to walk downtown in a matter of minutes. I love spending as much time talking with people in the grocery store as shopping. I love seeing people on the street and smiling and waving to them and them to me. I love hugging our shop owners who have become my friends. I love speaking with our visitors.

One of the things that gives me less pleasure is the unresponsiveness of some valley businesses that provide home services. Is it just me or do others experience a lack of response from some painters, plumbers, gardeners, floorers, handy-people, etc.?

In addition, when you register to vote in Colorado, you must provide your “state issued driver’s license number or identification number.” When someone suggests that you change your voter registration, they are asking you to forfeit your home vote and disavow your own local responsibility to your actual community.

Democracy depends on fair and honest elections. Your vote is a sacred responsibility. So I ask: What would a true Patriot do?

Vikki Roach Archuleta Pitkin

Be mindful of messaging

Editor: The Gunnison County Republicans have turned a nonpartisan school board election

Cori mentioned that her concern is for children’s wellbeing. Does that concern extend to the epidemic of gun violence and associated proliferation of semiautomatic weapons that have contributed so significantly to so many school shootings?

Gun Safety for Gunnison County

Laurie Gery

Joe Dix, Marcia Landwehr

Holly Halter

Anne Michel

Gregg Morin

Kimberlee Douglass

Paul Wayne Foreman

Destan Gerhard

Judy Gazzoli

Cancel hunting season?

Editor:

Can you imagine the GOP, guardians of the second amendment, auctioning off a hunting rifle?

It could just be me but I’ve talked with others who have had similar experiences. One asks friends and business owners for recommendations. One calls and leaves a message and some businesses simply don’t call back. Call again, and again, no response.

Occasionally, when I’ve had the opportunity to speak with these businesses, they have said that they are just too busy to return calls. When I was working I always believed that one of the most important parts of my job was to return calls.

Aside from showing simple respect, returning calls tended to create stronger bonds among those with whom I worked and myself. What’s even worse is when one gets a business on the phone or over to the house and they say they’ll do a job and then just never follow up. Then one hears that they got a bigger job elsewhere.

There are notable exceptions: Firebrand Delicatessen, Gunnison Gallery, Mountain Rain Company, Fullmer’s Ace Hardware, Buff’s Collision

Gunnison Country Times

Specialists, Kooler Garage Doors, Gunnison Glass, Alpengardener, to name several. These businesses always maintain contact. I call them, they call back.

The businesses that don’t return calls know who they are. I suppose it has to be because they have more business than they can do. However, I will say that when I call or contact them several times and hear nothing from them, I strike them from my list and look for other suppliers. Sometimes that means going outside our fair valley.

In the meantime, I will walk and ride my bike around town and give my custom to those merchants whom I love and continue to call the businesses that call me back.

Joe Dix Gunnison

Shoplifting the rainbow

Editor: Genesis 9:16,17

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth. So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

God established his rainbow as a promise to never flood the earth again. He specifically says his rainbow in verse 13 of Genesis 9. The rainbow and its meaning Biblically has been drastically changed to symbolize alternative lifestyles.

God has given us free will to live as we choose. We can live outside of God's word or we can believe and do our best to follow it. He gave us his Son Jesus Christ so that we will be saved if we believe. The alternative is not very appealing. Using the rainbow as a symbol is a desecration of God's word. It is a covenant he gave as a promise. It does not belong to anyone else nor can it be used for any purpose other than what he meant it for.

Jo Laird Gunnison