Gunnison Country Times, April 4, 2024

School district loses funding for two counselors

Pandemic money dries up

Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer

The Gunnison Watershed School District is about to lose funding for two counselors serving in elementary schools on both ends of the valley. As one-time grant money from the state and pandemic-era relief funds dry up, so too has financial support for the district’s counselors.

School counselors serve the district’s students in a variety of ways, including concussion management, college counseling, anti-bullying and suicide awareness and prevention. Nine

counselors work across the school district. This coming fall, the district will lose funding for two of its counseling positions: one at Gunnison Elementary School and the other at Crested Butte Elementary School (CBES). The role at CBES has been vacant for a year, but will cease to exist next fall.

“I just can't fathom losing that position,” said Superintendent Leslie Nichols. “So I feel confident that we're going to just say, yes, we have to do this [find money to keep them].”

Between 2011 and 2018, the district employed just one counselor at each of the valley’s five schools. The counselor-tostudent ratio ranged between

Counselors A6

4

Western eyes east side of campus for new housing

Administrators say no timeline or contract yet

Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer

After over a year of alluding to a possible housing project, Western Colorado University shared developing plans of a 52-unit project next to the Aspinall-Wilson building, which houses the Western Foundation.

The project is expected to cost the university around $19 million, which Western currently intends to finance by issuing bonds. But it's still relatively early to set cost estimations in stone, said Chief Financial Officer Ian Higgins. The university

Ohio Avenue construction back in progress

Multi-year project to be complete this summer

Homeowners on Ohio Avenue will still have access to their properties off of Hwy. 135 and Iowa Street through the duration of the project. This year, the construction will cross over Hwy. 135. Although shoulder work and lane shifts are planned, the city is not expecting any highway closures. Crews will also finish the landscaping for both phases.

More than a decade in the making, the project is a collaboration between the City Construction A8

QUOTE of the week

“We’re asking our mentors to be stress busters, provide intelligent risk-taking opportunities and help people find things that they’re really good at.”

— Tina McGuinness Gunnison Valley Mentors

OBITUARIES

Roderick Arkalon Wood

Roderick Arkalon Wood, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, departed this earth on March 26, 2024 at the age of 89. Rod was born

See story on A13

BRIEFS

ICELab director steps down

After five years of leading the ICELab, Executive Director David Assad will step down at the end of April.

Assad’s tenure began in April 2019. Since then, he has participated in multiple incubator and accelerator programs, helped start the Outdoor Industry Funding Summit and supported local companies as they grow — fostering the ICELab's mission to create high-paying jobs in Gunnison County.

ICELab manager TJ Taylor will step into the role of acting director this summer, under the guidance of John Norton and the Tourism and Prosperity Partnership (TAPP) team.

New exhibition at the GAC

From April 5 to 28, the Gunnison Arts Center will present an exhibition by Gunnison High School students in the Tredway and Cafe galleries. This year’s show continues a long tradition of youth exhibitions at the arts center.

Renovations in the main gallery and theater have impacted the arts center’s South Main entrance, which has previously been used to display local art. Staff have moved those displays to the second floor.

The arts center is inviting locals to use the lobby walls as a canvas for an interactive community art installation.

“We’re inviting everyone in the community to make the most of this phase of construction by taking this opportunity to leave your (temporary) mark on our walls, before they get a fresh coat of paint at the end of the project,” said Executive Director Elise Park.

Paint supplies can be found around the arts center lobby for kids to get creative.

Correction

In the Spring Sports Preview published in the March 28 edition of the Times, Norah Abila’s name was spelled incorrectly on the girls golf roster. The Times apologizes for the error.

in Alma, Colorado in 1934. He was the third of five children of Ralph and Mildred (Curtis) Wood. He graduated from Cañon City High School in 1953.

Rod was a veteran, having served as a mess cook in the United States Army, where he gained a love of cooking that continued throughout his life. He received his bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees from Adams State University and his PhD from Kansas State University. He was an educator for many years, retiring from Gunnison High School in 1994. He owned and operated the Dairy Queens in Cañon City

BIRTHS

to town. Buckley was born in Gunnison on March 21, 2024 at 11:50 p.m and weighed 8 lbs., 12 oz. at birth. He is also welcomed by his grandparents, Bart Warren of Aurora, Colorado, Michele Littell of Littleton, Colorado, Jeanne Collins of Aurora and Fez and Cindy Fairfield-Smith of Silverthorne, Colorado and great-grandparents, Hugh and Joan Fairfield-Smith of Wagga Wagga, Australia and Lindsey Smith of Austinmer, Australia.

and Cortez, Colorado in the 70s. He dedicated his life to raising his three children and after 32 years of single life, he married Kathleen Joyce Graham in 2007. Rod was an exceptional athlete who loved baseball. As an avid fisherman, he caught his trophy lake trout while ice fishing on Taylor Reservoir. Rod was a lifelong member of ELKS Lodge No. 610.

Rod is survived by his wife, Kathleen, his daughters, Robin Ginley and Christy Grace, his son, Shannon Wood, his daughter-in-law, Lisa Wood, grandson, Mason Wood, granddaughters, Rachel Patton,

Paisley May Book

Paisley May Book was born to Jayme and Brevin Book of Gunnison on March 26, 2024 at 8:23 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs., 4 oz. and was 19 1/2 in. long at birth. She is welcomed by her grandparents, Mike and Becky Book of Grand Junction, Colorado and Brian and Terri Commins of Ogallala, Nebraska.

Lindsay Schaefer and Sadie Johnson, great-grandsons, Silas and Charles Patton and Cedric Johnson, brother, Tom Shelnutt and best friends, Bill and Mary Betts. Rod is preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Roxie, Ralph, Ronald and Roger. At his request, there will be no viewing or service. Rod was loved very much by his family and will be missed dearly. Arrangements are entrusted to Harwood Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left at harwoodfunerals.com.

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Boleski death ruled an accident Investigation still open

Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer

The manner of death of Crested Butte resident Kelsey Boleski, 34, has been ruled an accident. The cause of her death is alcohol and drug (cocaine) intoxication, Gunnison County Coroner Michael Barnes said. Hypothermia was another sig -

nificant contributor to her death last month. The accident occurred during a heavy snowstorm in Crested Butte.

“Kelsey was a remarkable individual, known for her incredible talents as a skier and mountain biker, as well as her boundless kindness and love for others,” Mary Sixbey wrote in a post on GoFundMe.

On March 3, at approximately 11 a.m., officers were called to Hwy. 135 near Riverland for a report of a woman found deceased in the snow, accord-

ing to a press release last month from the Mt. Crested Butte Police Department.

The investigation is still open with the Mt. Crested Butte Police Department. No more information was available by press time.

(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Buckley Fairfield Warren

Sierra Fairfield-Smith of Sol Food Gardens and Kyle Warren of Tomichi Trees welcome Buckley Fairfield Warren

A taste of the wild

Elk, deer and rabbit were the evening specials at the Taste of the Wild Taste Testing Fair at the Fred Field Center on March 28. Wild game meat enthusiasts sampled unique recipes like elk lasagna and mountain lion tacos and learned new cooking techniques from local chefs. CSU Extension Specialist Tina Haney hosted the event alongside Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Homestead Hut, Trout Unlimited and the Gunnison Wildlife Association.

APRIL ARCADE AT FRED FIELD!

• APRIL 5TH - MIDDLE SCHOOL 6-8PM, HIGH SCHOOL 8-10PM, WESTERN UNIVERSITY 10PM-2AM

• APRIL 6TH - OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY 10 AM TO 3PM | 5PM TO 10PM PUTT PUTT CONCESSIONS MUSIC AND MORE! FREE ENTRY

FREE COMMUNITY MOVIES

SAT. 4/6 KUNG FU PANDA, CB MAJESTIC THEATER AT 4:30 AND 7:30PM

SAT. 4/13 BARBIE MOVIE WCU THEATER AT 3 AND 6 P.M.

SAT. 4/27 SING WCU THEATER AT 3 AND 6 P.M.

(Photos by Mariel Wiley)

OPINION

Sticker shock, and grocery aisle anxieties

Growing up, I never worried about food. Dinner appeared on the table each night like clockwork, and my sister and I had access to a wealth of snacks. I would hesitate to call the places my family went out to eat lavish by any means (Chili’s, Applebee's, Chick-fil-A), but it was always treated as an occasion.

Before landing at the Gunnison Times , I worked in restaurants for nearly seven years, including all through college. Starting when I was 15, I had the option to eat at work either for free, or at a heavy discount. Sheltered from the majority of bills that would follow graduation, I often had money leftover to grab an occasional drink or meal out with my friends.

It’s remarkable how quickly money changes our relationship with food. Today, each beep at the City Market self checkout comes with a pang of anxiety. I spend more, but my grocery bags are emptier than ever. I scan my rewards card and pray for a miracle. I usually only save a few cents. Even though I’m just buying food for myself, my City Market receipt can easily exceed $100 if I’m not careful.

Inflation is eating Gunnison

A letter

Joshua Moores Special to the Times Junior class, it is almost midnight as I sit here by the Mediterranean. I am sitting outside a café in the heart of Rome, Italy tucked back in an old alleyway. Scooters are zipping by. It feels like spring, and the flowers are out. Wine glasses are clinking together at the table next to me, and the waiter just brought out another espresso. How I got this far away from my senior year in high school, I will never know.

Valley residents out of house and home. Over the last five years, the prices of five common grocery items (milk, hamburger meat, bread, eggs and coffee) have risen 35%, according to recent reporting in the Colorado Sun. Tack this onto the tumultuous housing market, and “making ends meet” has become a precarious, and rather painful, balancing act.

Many hoped that the arrival of Natural Grocers in Gunnison would give us more options, and be a little cheaper than high-end grocery stores like Whole Foods. At the grand opening, I was handed a 25%-off-everything coupon and everyone who passed through the front doors filled a basket to the brim.

But without a continued buffer created by that magic coupon, sticker shock ensued. I’ve only been back to Natural Grocers a couple of times since it opened. I grab just what I can carry, a random assortment of small items or snacks I can’t find at City Market. I’ve seen others do the same.

In addition to the expense of grocery shopping, the cost of eating out is just as disheartening. After the local sandwich shop Firebrand closed, it's become nearly impossible to pick up a sandwich for less than $20. A falafel wrap with a side of fries and a beer nears $30 at Pitas in Paradise. A pizza, cocktail and tip at High Alpine, $50. In Crested Butte, it can be much worse, but more and more I fail to see a difference.

In a place that prides itself on fighting food insecurity, many of us still find ourselves in the same “missing middle”

frequently associated with the housing market. We are salary workers who wince at the self checkout and order the cheapest thing on the menu — or don’t order food at all. Our food budgets are wedged between increasing utility rates, volatile gas prices and crippling rent payments.

In the end, it’s all connected to the rising cost of living in paradise. Housing, food security, mental health and well-being. Without access to these basic necessities — essential to living a healthy, and fulfilling life — things slowly start to unravel.

Statistics from the Gunnison Country Food Pantry show a 20-30% increase in the number of residents served between 2022 and 2023, illustrating the increasing needs of the valley, said Executive Director Jodi Payne. She suspected that inflation, housing costs and the return of student loan payments may be to blame.

But some of us feel guilty for visiting the newly-renovated food pantry, knowing that others in the community are struggling far more with the price of food. They are the single parents who have children to feed, low-income families who rely on monthly stipends from programs like SNAP and the school district’s free lunch program. They are seniors on a fixed income and students who are already crushed by the cost of higher education.

While our local food pantries, both in town and at Western Colorado University, have served thousands of families and students, I fear for those who are left to the aisles of City Market, Safeway and Clark’s —

places where anxiety follows them to the checkout counter, lurks in long grocery lists and the half empty refrigerator.

The slow decline of affordable food has also been made apparent with the recent closing of Subway and Taco Bell. Last month, hundreds of community members mourned the loss of a place where they could get a full meal for less than $5. With every closing, a more expensive restaurant seems to take its place.

What does going hungry mean in this community? I think it’s different for everyone. It could be living paycheck-topaycheck, or never crossing everything off your grocery list. It’s a $7 box of Quaker oatmeal and a $12 package of toilet paper, shopping in Montrose or picking up groceries in bulk in Denver. The high cost of food adds to the ever-growing pile of things that make it difficult to stay comfortable in this valley. When will the bills become too much?

On paper, I am far from food insecure. But after reviewing my receipts, I second guess my decisions to “splurge” on what is often no more than a pint of ice cream, a bag of cherries or the nice kind of bread — the few things I can afford that feel like a luxury.

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)

from Rome, reflecting on your journey ahead

I’m sure back home the snow is still up high. The green is trying to break through at the park, the ice has receded from the canyon and the mud season is slowly drying up. The senior class graduates in May and that leaves you in their place. The world is right in front of you, and it is yours, if you will take it. Your last high school summer is on the horizon.

Before I get on with my evening, I intentionally came here to write you a letter. At the gym today, my mind drifted back to some of the greatest times of my life — my senior year in high school. I reflected on the myriad of winding paths and adventures my classmates and I have traversed since, and my thoughts turned to you, because you are living the moment. I feel an obligation to turn to

you and express how fleeting life truly is. Embrace every day with a smile and energy as if it could be your last. At my graduation, too many years ago, a book was given to me, a guide of sorts, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. A book you may have heard of, and of which is more profound and prophetic than you may realize “You can steer yourself any direction you choose,” as it says. That is fact. Your senior year is approaching — a year brimming with anticipation of “What is next?” or “What now?” It is paired with the bittersweet realization of the fact that this chapter of your life is drawing to a close. There are going to be so many unknowns, yet there is potential and time for unforgettable memories to be made. Go!

Make everything an adven -

ture. In every moment, you will have an opportunity for growth and to find joy and happiness. That decision is yours to make. Yours alone. Seize those opportunities and quests with everything you have, and let your heart be unburdened by hesitation.

Don’t take anything for granted. The dinners with family, the raucous with friends, the lastminute study sessions — cherish them all. These moments are fleeting and precious.

To those of you who love to compete, to create, to explore, pursue your passions relentlessly. Whether you are an athlete, a musician, an academic or an adventurer, give every endeavor all you have. The satisfaction you will find in doing what you

love will be unparalleled.

Time is shorter than you realize. You are on the clock. You have 12 months then off to the real world. As your final year unfolds, it will move faster and faster. Make the best of it. Do not slow as you approach the finish line. Accelerate. Embrace the time with those you hold dear and ensure you set a foundation for an incredible journey that lies beyond the halls of Gunnison High School.

So, what is next? Believe me, the world is vast. Do what you love and do what makes you happy. Find success and fulfillment wherever you go.

Whether your journey takes you …

Into the trades, where hard work and skill can be the foundation of a prosperous future;

Into public service, where you can contribute to the welfare of the nation and community;

Into travel, where your understanding of the world will be shaped, questioned and changed;

Into entrepreneurship, where innovation and determination can turn your dreams into reality; Into college, where your study and experiences will build on your foundation to succeed and the possibilities are endless.

There is no path. Your world is yours to shape. Ok, it is closing time. You may wonder, “Why is this old man sitting in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, thinking about people in Gunnison?” It is not to explain, and one day you will completely understand. Life is simply too short. You will realize that too late.

As you stand at the threshold of this pivotal year, remember that you design your own future. The world is eagerly awaiting you to make your mark. You are from the Gunnison Country, you are going to do awesome. You face specific challenges to your generation, and those realities are where you will find success.

around you, you won’t be able to recall any of those regrets at the finish line. And they won’t matter in the long run anyways. So just get after it.

Lastly, you will likely not realize this for quite some time, and may not want to admit it, but the teachers, coaches, bus drivers, janitors, administrators of the Gunnison Watershed School District have been vital to getting you through life and preparing you for the next 10 to 20 years. While you are present with them, thank them for everything they do and make sure someone who has made a difference in your life knows it. You’re standing at the precipice. Remember that every step you take, forward or backward, is a part of your larger journey. Make it count. Here’s to a famed senior year and a future that shines brighter than the stars above Hartman. Celebrate the current senior class, and Cowboy-up. It is your turn.

(Joshua Moores was born and raised in the Gunnison Valley and after high school attended the United States Air Force Academy. He is a command pilot.) continued

Into the military, where commitment and courage open doors to global opportunities and our country needs you;

LETTERS

Enforce the leash law

Editor:

Every day I see people walking with their dogs off leash. These people are disregarding the rights of everyone else living in the area. This town is home to many species of wild animals, not to mention other domestic animals, small children and the elderly who are put at risk from this arrogant behavior. There is a leash law. It needs to be enforced.

Susan Crawford Gunnison

Some people say they have no regrets in life. I guess what I am trying to tell you with this letter, is that you will have regrets. If you are anything like me, there will be a lot of them. However, if you go 100 mph every day and love those

Are we being gaslighted?

Editor:

Remember when Senator Bennet (D-CO) told us climate change would lead to no snow? Eldora Mountain Ski Resort announced last week an extension making 2023-24 the longest season ever.

Neil Watko Gunnison

Dangerous for bikers

Editor:

I guess a bicycle rider will have to be killed on County Road 730 before it gets pub -

Climb higher

lished in your paper.

It's very dangerous for people on bikes on CR 730, as you know the road is too narrow to accommodate people on bicycles. We have a lot of construction trailers etc. up and down this road. I saw another near miss yesterday!

I can't believe bicycle riders are willing to take the chance of getting crippled for life or killed riding on such a dangerously narrow road.

The Gunnison Rec Center bustled with activity in the afternoon on Thursday, March 28. A climber scaled a new route on the rock wall, unphased by the sounds of basketball and gymnastics classes echoing through the building.

bringing dreams home | bbre1.com

Eddie Avila Gunnison

(Photo by Mariel Wiley)

is already in conversation with a local builder and architect to sketch out the housing possibilities.

University administrators are planning to lease half of the units to Gunnison Valley Health (GVH). The project is larger than Western’s previous housing proposals because of the possibility of this master lease.

If the lease is approved it could help GVH push towards its goal of providing more housing for full-time employees rather than filling units with travelers, said GVH Vice President of Operations Wade Baker.

“The other big driver is to obtain new housing without occupying existing housing,” Baker said. “We know every time we go out and master lease a unit, it helps us but it takes limited inventory off the market. So to participate in bringing new housing is pretty exciting for us.”

The plan is to offer the new housing to incoming Western staff as a “landing pad” that allows the university to recruit and retain faculty in the Gunnison Valley’s pricey housing market. Higgins shared an update on the housing project to the Western Colorado University Board of Trustees at a meeting on March 21.

“We recognize that we need to do something to have a longterm solution to this problem,” he said.

So far, the draft plans lay out a 45-unit apartment building to the east of Escalante Drive, the “ring” road that encircles the eastern part of campus. That building is planned as a mix of one, two, and three bedroom apartments. To the south of Escalante, the draft calls for seven separate two-bedroom townhomes, bringing the total to 52 units.

In 2021, the Western board

Counselors

one counselor to 250 students, even up to 500 students. From 2018-2020, the district received $1.6 million from the Colorado Department of Education, which amounted to enough for an additional six counselors across the district.

Of those counselors brought on with one-time grant money, the district was able to fold four into its year-to-year budget. The other two positions, extended into this year with pandemicera money, have not been accounted for.

“This is a perfect example of why grant funding from the legislature feels great, but in reality, it is so difficult not to have permanent funding the way we need it for these types of positions,” Nichols said. “The shortterm nature of grants makes legislators feel good, because they're like, ‘Oh, I support mental health and I support schools.’ But here we are pulling our hair out.”

As the money dwindles, the counselors’ workload remains

considered a housing project on a parcel of land north of the Gunnison’s Paintbrush Apartments. But that land, owned by the Colorado State Conservation Board and provided to Western through an easement, required that any development serve the unique mission of the university, said Western President Brad Baca.

To make the project pencil out financially, executives planned to open the units to the valley workers. Since the housing would serve more than just the Western community, the idea fell through.

In the intervening years, Western has continued to piece together affordable housing for its staff. In 2023, the university entered into a master lease agreement with the Lazy K housing development for 16 units — a mix of one, two and three-bedroom townhouses. Western subsidized those units to reduce the cost of rent for faculty and staff.

high. Stevie Kremer has been the only counselor serving CBES for over a year. Since the district could not fill the other elementary counselor position, Kremer has been responsible for 310 students. She teaches inclass lessons, meets with students one-on-one and holds group meetings during lunch.

“Every day, there's something. It can be anything from family problems or friend problems,” Kremer said. “And the hardest part is when a teacher is expecting me in the classroom, because I have to teach … when a kid needs to talk, or something's going on, and I have to send them away.”

Students in the district can also see licensed therapists at school, through a partnership with Gunnison Valley Health (GVH). School-based clinicians provide therapy sessions in one-on-one settings, while school counselors help students in shorter time frames, and with a broader variety of tasks and topics, said Gunnison Middle School counselor Sara Lamar. A community health survey

Going to market

Western intends to issue bonds to finance the new housing, and has already put together a “cash flow proforma,” which forecasts the university’s finances for a big project. There are currently three financial scenarios.

In each projection, the university would borrow $18 million with 35 years of debt service, beginning in the 2024-25 fiscal year. But each scenario differs in the amount of debt service the university would incur over the years, until the project has “positive cash flow,” or rent revenue covers the debt payments.

That cost to the university ranges from just over $200,000 to $1 million. Western would have to find that money in its annual operating expenditures, Higgins said.

“We're looking at multiple financing options and trying to be as creative as possible with these to ensure that we have

fantastic housing for our staff,” he said. “[So we can] use that as a marketing point when hiring, and also not put the university in a negative position.”

The university intends to use the state intercept program, which allows it to use Colorado's slightly-higher credit rating rather than the university’s own credit rating. In the past, Western passed on smaller housing projects while interest rates were lower, said board chair James Pribyl.

“That's a shame we didn't act then, when we had literally 2% or 3% interest rates compared to now,” Pribyl said.

The university is considering one financial projection that would offer $8 million in bonds to “friends” of the university, that would either be offered below market rate or forgiven after a period of time. This may bring more donors to the table who want to give back to the university while earning some interest, Baca said. Western is

working with the Foundation to identify potential donors.

“I think the argument we can make is that with an investment Western, you're helping to stabilize the economic vitality of the community and of the valley,” Baca said.

While the timeline is not yet set in stone, Western — as a public university — first needs approval from the state to issue bonds or break any ground on construction.

(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)

A schematic of the new housing project. (Courtesy Western Colorado University)

First graders do in-class work on April 3. (Photos by Abby Harrison)

from A1

barriers to therapy. So, GVH stepped in to fill the need, GVH Director of Behavioral Health

Kimberly Behounek said at a school board meeting on March 25.

“Every time we're asking an adolescent or child to get to an appointment, somebody else has got to take off work to get them there,” Behounek said. “They don't just pop out of school, show up at the appointment, and pop back in — Mary Poppins style.”

GVH started offering schoolbased clinical services in the fall of 2022. Five clinical therapists serve valley students, at no cost to the district or to families. Since then, therapists have offered over 1,300 visits to district students.

“They are placed in our school in order to bring down so many barriers for families to be able to access these services,” Nichols said. “That is the heart of the relationship.”

But paying for these schoolbased clinicians is also a challenge. The Town of Crested Butte funds the two clinicians in the North Valley through a nicotine tax, but GVH has had to “chase” grant funding for the three Gunnison clinicians. Nichols said she plans to meet with the City of Gunnison in coming weeks to explore a similar solution.

Fewer options for Spanish-speakers

While the district has increased the number of counselors in recent years, it's been unable to hire a single Spanishspeaking or bilingual counselor. According to the district’s data, more than a quarter of the newcomers have experienced trauma, are here without parents or have limited prior education.

“It is heartbreaking, and crushing,” Nichols said. “Because for so many of our immigrants … their trauma is real.”

The number of “newcomer” students — those born outside the U.S., who have arrived in the last three years and are still learning English — has soared in recent years. In the 2022-23 school year, there were 59 newcomers. This school year, that number grew to 90.

Perla Contreras, a peer support specialist at GVH, provides some interpreting services for Spanish-speaking students. But she’s there just once a week or less, Behounek told the Times

The district has been trying to hire Spanish-speaking counselors, Nichols said. But the valley’s cost of living remains a barrier. And recently, a local woman applied as a bilingual aid. But because she didn’t have proper paperwork, the district could not employ her.

“We get a lot of non-English speaking kids in families that are working for Vail. It's wonderful, the diversity and the perspectives that this community gets to enjoy. And then we don't have what we need to provide the education that those kids deserve,” she said.

Despite the lack of native Spanish-speaking counselors, Lamar said the counselors, members of the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education team, administrators and translators do their best to fill the gaps by using tools like Google Translate and asking students to draw or keep a journal.

“A lot of the counselors do have basic Spanish, and I think the kids really appreciate that,” Lamar said. “A huge part of our job is forming that relationship with a kid. Once we have that, it's pretty amazing.”

(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Students in a fourth grade art class on April 3.

Residents

Construction from A1

of Gunnison and Western Colorado University. It was designed to create a safer route from campus to downtown and, eventually, the Gunnison Watershed School District schools and the VanTuyl trail system. Roughly 75% of the project’s cost was covered by grants.

Construction on the $2 million Ohio Avenue multimodal project began in July of 2023.

Crews started at the intersection of Colorado Street at the edge of Western Colorado University and worked west to Iowa Street. While the crews did not have time to start planting in the median, they repaved the street before winter arrived.

Once the project is finished, four blocks of Ohio Avenue will have a new bike lane, a continuous sidewalk with ADA ramps at each intersection and lighted bollards, dog stations and benches. The new sidewalk and bike path will be separated from the road by a raised median. The street redesign leaves room for parallel parking on the south side of the street, and includes bulbouts and improved cross-

walks where Ohio crosses Main Street.

Paving at phase 1, which ran two blocks from Colorado Street to Iowa Street, wrapped up in October, and the lighting in November. Over the winter, the city noticed that melting snow was not draining properly from the street, leaving standing water on the east side.

According to City Engineer Cody Tusing, this resulted from errors in the original survey data. Although the city was aware of the misalignments last year, it still needed to pave Ohio Avenue before snow fell.

This portion of the project will be fixed this spring. Because the errors were made by the surveying company, the city has not yet determined who is responsible for the cost, said City Manager Amanda Wilson.

“Residents will see us tearing up new work because what was most important is that we were open for the winter, and that it was drivable and maintainable,” Wilson said. “We intentionally put things in knowing that we were going to have to get rid of them and redo it this year.”

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Housing Authority director search continues

After deciding not to move forward with either finalist in March, the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority held a second community meet-and-greet with a new set of executive director candidates on Tuesday, April 2. The board will conduct interviews for the position on April 3, and potentially make a selection before the end of the week. The two finalists are Julie Reid and Melissa LaMonica. Reid has spent the last five years as the executive director for Living Journeys. LaMonica most recently served as the lead accountant for the Mountain Roots Food Project, and is currently the president of Alpine Landscapes in Crested Butte.

and visitors should expect full closures in the work area along Ohio Avenue. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)

(Photo by Bella Biondini)

Fewer RTA subsidies to airlines in 2023

Increased flight reliability and passenger numbers reduce financial risk

Bella Biondini Times Editor

Each year, the Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority (RTA) spends tens of thousands in taxpayer dollars to lure airlines into the GunnisonCrested Butte Regional Airport. But a recent boost in flight reliability has resulted in full airplanes, and bigger profits — reducing the number of seasonal flights the RTA has needed to subsidize.

As a rural airport with limited passenger numbers, the Gunnison airport (GUC) has to compete with other resort towns for commercial air service. To reduce financial risk, large airlines are attracted to places executives know they can consistently fill airplane seats and turn a profit.

Many rural communities rely on an organization similar to the RTA to prove that running the flights is worth it. Each year, the RTA and its flight consultant work with airlines, such as United and American, that may be hesitant to land in the Gunnison airport during the off season. This can come with large, and often taxpayer funded payouts called “minimum revenue guarantees.”

The RTA guarantees that each airline will make a certain amount of money, whether seats fill or not. The organization is then responsible for making up the difference, up to a set cap. On average the RTA — funded primarily through sales tax collection in Gunnison and Crested Butte — spends just under $500,000 on flight subsidies annually. While the amount of money paid in minimum revenue guarantees has fluctuated over the last decade, the RTA only needed to offer incentives for one route last year: winter service on United from Houston.

The purpose is to continue to expand flight choices for locals and visitors, and eventually attract new airlines to GUC. Bringing more airlines into one hub creates competition, gives passengers more flexibility when booking and can lower fare prices. There’s also redundancy if and when mechanical issues arise, said RTA Executive Director Scott Truex.

“We have to build these programs for the tourists because they make up the bulk of the people that fly on the planes,” Truex said. “And then we [locals] get to use them as well.”

The Gunnison Valley community has been subsidizing flight service into GUC since the

1980s. In the beginning, money came from longtime Crested Butte Mountain Resort co-owner Ralph Walton, who relied on a steady flow of out-of-town skiers to keep the lifts spinning.

The resort later asked residents for help, and in 2002 the RTA formed to ensure planes continued to touch down in the valley. It would be another six years before the RTA considered the commuter bus service it is most known for today.

While every funding model is different, many rural areas have developed organizations like the RTA as a way to offer financial incentives to airlines — usually through a combination of public and private dollars. Elko, Nevada relies on Flight Alliance for Northeastern Nevada, and Montrose and Telluride on the Colorado Flights Alliance. Mammoth Lakes, California is in the process of forming the Eastern Sierra Flight Alliance, while the Fly Sun Valley Alliance serves a number of resort communities in Idaho.

Over the past couple of years, the RTA has consistently subsidized air service from Dallas and Houston — two cities that produce a significant amount of the valley’s winter ski traffic. In the past, the organization has tried to do the same for flights from Chicago, Atlanta, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. It has also continued to build its passenger base on the Denver route, which is served year-round by United.

Between 2008 and 2009, the RTA shouldered five different minimum revenue guarantee agreements at once with help from the ski resort. While the cost of these programs has gone up (coinciding with the price of fuel and labor), the RTA only subsidized one route in 2023. Payments have ranged from as much $1.4 million in 2008-09 to as little as $171,000 in 2021-22.

The RTA will pay just over $500,000 for the Houston service, which had more empty seats than last year. The remainder of the airlines flying into GUC operated at their own risk, having decided that the Gunnison market is lucrative enough to provide service without a subsidy. This even included JetSuiteX, a boutique air carrier that originally ran under a startup subsidy from the RTA.

In the past, poor flight reli -

Gunnison Valley still an appealing destination

ability at GUC made it a challenge for the RTA to convince airlines to consistently fly into Gunnison, said Bill Tomcich, the RTA’s airline consultant. Nighttime flights were notorious for cancellations or returns to Denver.

In addition to influencing passengers’ booking habits, unreliability can deter large commercial airlines like United, which operates more than 150 nonstop routes from Denver. For example, in 2017, there was a three-month period when United, the only airline flying in Gunnison during that time of year, suspended service completely. At the time, Gunnison market ranked 91 in “profitability” out of United’s 163 direct Denver routes, Tomcich said.

“The weakest performing markets are always struggling,” he said. “It's great to see that particularly the DenverGunnison route is no longer in that red zone.”

Today the GUC route is ranked 39. Over the last year, flight reliability at the Gunnison airport increased dramatically following the introduction of navigation technology that makes it easier for planes to touch down when the weather is poor. This winter, a record number of passengers traveled through the Gunnison airport.

In the future, Tomcich said the RTA hopes to bring airline service from Delta Airlines back into Gunnison. Delta flies from Atlanta, and into a number of airports across Colorado including Aspen, Eagle, Montrose and Colorado Springs. This would have to follow a growing demand from locals.

But residents are slowly starting to have greater confidence in booking flights out of the valley, particularly during the spring and fall shoulder seasons, he said.

“It makes such a difference to have not only the visitors flying … One of the challenges with a lot of mountain resort markets is the directionality of the demand,” Tomcich said. “The key to success is getting locals to fly.”

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)

The Gunnison market has been remarkably resilient amidst broader economic shifts, high interest rates and overall uncertainty. Real estate is thriving, mainly fueled by its strong economic foundation, robust tourism and outdoor recreation.

In 2023, Gunnison’s singlefamily market experienced a significant surge with increased sales compared to the previous year, with a total of 62 transactions. Prices soared to an average of nearly $630,000 in town, and $1 million in the county. Despite a slight decline in available listings, condominium sales remained steady with 52 transactions averaging $350,000.

Land sales also maintained consistency, with a slight uptick from 2022 and total of 42 closings. Land offerings decreased significantly, with close to 60 properties entering the market. Although overall market volume dipped by 23%, the influx of properties has begun to alleviate this trend.

As interest rates slowly subside and inflation eases — coupled with pent-up demand from early 2023 — the outlook for 2024 appears promising. The Gunnison Valley continues to allure buyers seeking adventure, tranquility and natural beauty, positioning itself as an emerging market in the greater West.

The first half of 2023 saw a temporary slowdown in valley-wide sales, with a notable 50% decrease. However, this lull allowed inventories to expand, providing buyers with a wider array of options across the market. Consequently, the latter half of the year witnessed a surge in sales, driven by pent-up demand, resulting in an overall market decline of 23%.

Gunnison's economic resilience is further supported by its diverse range of industries, including agriculture,

health care and education. The presence of Western Colorado University and Gunnison Valley Health, provides stability to the local economy and attracts professionals and students to the area.

As property values rise and the demand for housing intensifies, many long-time residents find themselves priced out of the market, and struggle to secure stable and affordable accommodations. This shortage not only challenges the sustainability of the local workforce, but also threatens the social fabric of the community.

Addressing this issue requires collaborative efforts from county officials, developers and community stakeholders to implement solutions that ensure equitable access to housing for all residents. This will preserve the diversity and vitality of Gunnison County for generations to come.

In Crested Butte, higherend properties continued to dominate the market, with average prices exceeding $3 million. In 2023, home prices climbed to nearly $2.5 million in both Mt. Crested Butte and rural Crested Butte. Despite a doubling in condominium inventory, demand remained strong for larger, upscale units priced around the $1-million mark.

CB South remains a constrained market, characterized by limited inventory and average prices exceeding $1.1 million. Land sales experienced a decline to 60 transactions from 89 the previous year, with inventory increasing by a third to 124 available properties. Many prospective builders shifted toward purchasing existing inventory due to the time constraints associated with design and construction.

Overall, the Gunnison market continues to exhibit resilience and attractiveness, supported by diverse housing options and a robust economic backdrop. This makes it an appealing destination for both buyers and investors alike.

(Brian is a seasoned real estate professional in the Gunnison Valley. He has vastexperience in marketing and selling residential, investment and commercial propertiesacross Colorado. Sponsored by Bluebird Real Estate.)

Brian Cooper Bluebird Real Estate

United Airlines serves the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport year-round. (Photo by Bella Biondini)

Take me to Funkytown

Disco divas hit the dance floor to funk and soul grooves during the annual KBUT Disco Inferno at the Crested Butte Center for the Arts on March 29. DJ Triple L and DJ Turnstyle provided tunes as aerial dancers from Wild Hare Dance swung overhead.

(Courtesy Nolan Blunck)

Colorado AG files lawsuit to stop grocery merger

Locals worried about closure of Gunnison grocery store

Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer

Earlier this year, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit to block a nearly $25 billion merger between two grocery giants. As a result, the fate of Gunnison’s few commercial grocery stores may be slightly more secure.

Weiser filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court on Feb. 14 to block the $24.6 billion proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons, two of the largest supermarket chains in Colorado. The complaint states that the merger will lead to higher prices and lower quality shopping experience.

City Market, owned by Kroger, and Safeway, owned by Albertsons, are the only large commercial supermarkets in Gunnison. Natural Grocers, which recently opened at the start of the year, is a health food store offering mostly organic and in-house brands.

Locals were concerned about the impact of the monumental deal last year, when Weiser visited Gunnison for a listening session. They worried the merger could lead to the closure of Safeway, leaving Kroger-owned City Market as one of the only supermarkets in the Gunnison Valley.

The loss of a store would mean less food availability, one less pharmacy and the risk of rising prices without enough competition. If the deal goes through, Gunnison residents would have to drive 65 miles to Salida or Montrose to reach a non-Kroger store.

“Few would feel the impact of this Proposed Merger as profoundly as Coloradans,” the

complaint read. “Kroger is the biggest supermarket operator in the state, and [Albertsons] is third. Combined, they would control more than half of the supermarket industry in Colorado. And in many local areas, the resulting impact would be even greater.”

Last fall, Kroger, which owns City Market, announced plans to buy Albertsons, which owns Safeway, for a hefty $24.6 billion — earning the moniker, “mega-merger.” Weiser’s office conducted a multi-state investigation during 2023, to discern if the sale could harm Coloradoans through higher prices and lower wages for workers.

According to the complaint, the merger would eliminate competition that benefits shoppers by keeping food prices low, offering a wide array of brands and sustaining a good rewards program. And, of Gunnison’s few commercial grocery stores, only one is represented by a union: Safeway.

To satisfy concerns about competition, Kroger proposed to divest some of the Albertsons stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers. But C&S stores “uniformly underperform'' nearby Kroger stores and still wouldn’t have enough of a market share to create competition, the complaint alleges.

The attorney general also alleges that the companies colluded to pressure union workers during a King Soopers strike in January of 2022. Albertsons executives agreed not to hire King Soopers employees or solicit pharmacy customers for the duration of the strike, amounting to an illegal “nopoach” agreement.

To share opinions about the merger, visit the Colorado Attorney General’s website.

(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)

1105 N Pine St., MLS #810392, $845,000. Welcome to your dream home in the picturesque Van Tuyl Village subdivision! This brand-new, 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom property is a testament to modern design and quality craftsmanship. As you step inside, you’re greeted by an open and inviting kitchen-dining area, adorned with cherry cabinets and equipped with state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances. The tiled shower and bathtub add a touch of luxury to the bathrooms, while the master bedroom boasts its own oasis with a reading nook or small office space. The 2-car detached garage features 8-foot doors and 10-foot ceilings inside, providing ample space for your vehicles and storage needs. The extra space above the garage, accessible via exterior stairs, presents exciting opportunities. Whether you need additional storage or dream of an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), the potential is yours to explore with City of Gunnison approval. Don’t miss the chance to make this new construction your forever home. Contact us now to schedule a viewing and witness the epitome of contemporary living!

1105 N. Pine OPEN HOUSE!

Come check out this newly built home in the Van Tuyl neighborhood. Snacks and beverages will be provided and you can enter to win a $50 gift certificate from Natural Grocer. There will be 2 open houses: Thursday April 11th 3- 6 PM and Saturday April 13th 11-2 PM. See you there!

KELLY MCKINNIS AJ MANI

970.641.4880

129 EAST TOMICHI AVENUE GUNNISONREALESTATEANDRENTALS.

The Denver-based punk rock band Reno Divorce put on a rowdy show at The Dive on March 22 for a crowd clad in leather jackets and grungy denim. The band’s sound blends California punk, country and rock. Professional High Fivers and I Bar Ranch sponsored the show.

Who’s smarter than a Gunnison local?

Trivia nerds put their Gunnison Valley knowledge to the test during trivia night at Double Shot Cyclery on March 28. Teams brainstormed answers to questions like “What was the name of the first newspaper in Gunnison?” (Answer: the Gunnison Review) and “What is the name of the popular mountain biking, hiking and rock climbing destination south of town?” (Answer: Hartman Rocks). The winning team took home Coldharbour Institute merch and a surprise goodie bag. All proceeds from the event supported Coldharbour and Double Shot.

(Photo by Mariel Wiley)

(Photo by Mariel Wiley)

Gunnison Valley Mentors receives $100K in opioid settlement dollars

Funding to bring on new staff members

Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer

A recent influx of money from the state allowed nonprofit Gunnison Valley Mentors to hire two new staff members, one who is bilingual and the other who will serve the organization's “higher need” mentees.

Mentors matches young people around the valley with older role models, called “mentors.” These community members are tasked with helping kids learn to make healthy decisions and be self-sufficient, while reducing the risk and use of substances. In 2023, Mentors served over 200 kids.

In the last six months, the nonprofit received nearly $200,000 in grants, half of which came from the Southwest Colorado Opioid Regional Council. The council recently allocated just under $500,000 to local and regional organizations across Western Colorado, including Mentors.

Opioid settlement dollars started hitting Colorado communities in late 2022. The money is the result of a multiyear, $26 billion legal settlement involving Johnson & Johnson and three large drug distributors over claims that corporate business practices fed the country’s lethal opioid crisis for years. Colorado communities are estimated to receive $750 million over roughly 18 years.

That money will allow Mentors to bring on a “plus” mentor and a bilingual case manager, aimed at helping the organization continue to serve its growing pool of kids, including native Spanish-speakers and those experiencing higher stress at home.

Over the years, Gunnison Valley kids’ needs have changed, said Executive Director Tina McGuinness, a role she’s served in for nearly two decades.

“[More kids are] being referred to the program with an increased number of adverse childhood events, and an increased number of challenging life circumstances … There's a need for more intensive connection,” McGuinness said. Students have to be referred to mentors to start in the program, usually by a teacher, therapist or staff member at Gunnison County Juvenile Services. And the demand has remained high, McGuinness said. Currently, Mentors’ waitlist has at least 30 kids. The organization relies on roughly 150 volunteers, but is always seeking more.

One of Mentors’ primary focuses is delaying the age that kids start using drugs and alcohol. Those who start using early in life tend to have more significant challenges with those substances later in life. In Gunnison, the average age of first use is 14 years old, McGuinness said. At Mentors, volunteers and staff address substance use through trustbuilding.

“We're not asking our mentors to talk to kids about not using substances,” she said. “We're asking our mentors to be stress busters, provide intelligent risk-taking opportunities and help people find things that they're really good at.”

The nonprofit distributes surveys to capture Mentors’ relative success in helping valley kids stay healthy. In 2023, 100% of mentees who entered the program not using any substances, like marijuana or alcohol, continued not to use — an outcome that suggests mentees are making informed decisions at an age where experimentation is common.

Other questions on the survey ask about resilience skills and perception of harm. In both these categories, mentees responded above expectations. And, kids stay with their mentees on an average of just under four years.

The new “plus” mentor will work with kids referred from Juvenile Services, which could include those returning from detention, or another out-ofhome placement. That mentor is tasked with helping them readapt to the community and meet the requirements of probation or diversion.

Mentors already has a

number of bilingual or native Spanish-speakers on staff, including case managers and “Inspire” mentors who serve in local schools. Two of its board members are also native Spanish-speakers. The new bilingual case manager will reinforce the nonprofit’s ability to serve more kids across the valley.

“One thing that we are trying to focus on in terms of recruitment is finding not only Spanish-speaking mentors, but volunteers that come from the Hispanic community … I don't always have the same shared experiences,” said Andrew Butterfield, Mentors’ first bilingual case manager.

Looking to the future, McGuinness and the board have imagined an outdoor classroom space that would allow mentor-mentee partners to connect to nature more often. She hopes that space would also be available to partner organizations on the Front Range. McGuinness is set to step down as executive director in 2027, but said the nonprofit is already planning the transition.

“I’m hoping that the new director will seek a path that maybe isn't quite the same as what I've done,” she said. “I think we're ready to evolve.”

(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Mentees take a tour of Western Colorado University’s Rady School of Engineering. During the tour, they got to see drones fly. (Courtesy Gunnison Valley Mentors)

This map depicts the watersheds where collared gray wolves in Colorado have been for the last 30 days (Feb. 28 to March 25). The collars are programmed to record a position every four hours. One of the collars placed on a wolf translocated from Oregon is no longer providing signals to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) biologists. The agency confirmed that the animal with the malfunctioning collar is still alive based on visual confirmation from an airplane. So far, there have been no wolf deaths in Colorado. On April 3, CPW confirmed that a calf was killed by a gray wolf in Grand County. This is Colorado's first reported depredation event. (Courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

Lake City DIRT turns 20

Main Street program continues to build up local economy

Bella Biondini Times Editor

Two decades ago Lake City DIRT envisioned a downtown area rich with music, events and art, where businesses could keep their doors open to locals and visitors through the winter. With each passing season in Lake City, the group’s progress has become more tangible.

This year, DIRT, which stands for “downtown improvement and revitalization team,” is celebrating 20 years of service in Lake City. Over the years, the community-driven group has worked in tandem with the Lake City Hinsdale County Chamber of Commerce to beautify the historic downtown area and host events that attract visitors, and in turn, pump money into local businesses. Its nine-member board hopes to eventually create an economy that runs strong year-round, and is not solely reliant on tourism.

Lake City, one of the most isolated towns in the Lower 48, is the only municipality in Hinsdale County. What once was an old silver mining town has attracted a large number of second-homeowners, who flood into Lake City during the summer months. It's a popular gateway to the San Juan Mountains and Lake City’s streets fill with hikers, bikers and off-roaders, drawn to the area by the nearby Alpine Loop.

Once the tourists and second-homeowners leave for the winter, the economy stalls. Lake City’s population falls by more than half, making it difficult for businesses to stay open during the off season.

“Winter Lake City and summer Lake City are vastly different … It’s a challenging place to make it year-round,” said DIRT Executive Director Kristine Borchers. She is also a Hinsdale County commissioner.

When it was founded in 2004, DIRT focused on revamping the look and feel of downtown

Lake City, starting with boardwalk repairs and hanging flower baskets. Today, the group has morphed into a “convener,” Borchers said, pushing the town and county to improve Lake City for both visitors and residents.

The group wants to build a Lake City where residents can afford to live, and easily work. DIRT has helped the county obtain access to a more reliable high speed internet connection, and operates the Hub, a coworking and meeting space in town that is open to the public.

Although its annual budget is small, typically hovering around $100,000, DIRT has been a central part of Lake City’s growth. DIRT receives funding from Hinsdale County and ticket sales at its annual music festival, as well as private donors and Lake City businesses.

With the support of volunteers and small business owners, it has continued to lead a variety of public projects from retrofitting aging lamp posts for dark sky compliance to the construction of a pavilion and restarting outdoor Wednesday markets. Ten more projects are in line for 2024.

DIRT has pushed to reduce Lake City’s shoulder season, the quiet period that follows the rush of the summer season. The organization hosts the Lake City Uncorked Wine and Music Festival in the early fall, keeping second-home owners and visitors in town through September.

The DIRT board has also helped obtain grants for expansions at the Lake City Ice Park. New additions to the ice wall have boosted the number of visitors in town in January and February, a time when Lake

City used to be empty. This year, more businesses stayed open than ever before to cater to the climbers.

For Borchers, the vibrancy DIRT is creating in Lake City comes with a downtown area that “looks and feels alive.”

“It's an attractive place to be and makes you feel like you want to be there … We're making strides towards that,” she said. “You can see the difference with the ice wall.”

Greg Collins moved to Lake City in 1990 for a summer job after college and never left. At the time, the town was full of young people. But after the dawn of the internet, they slowly began to filter out of Hinsdale County, and Collins said he thought Lake City was “going to die.”

Today, Collins, who works for Blue Spruce Building Materials, serves as the vice president of the DIRT board. His speciality has been promoting public art around Lake City. The people are slowly returning, bringing energy back into the rural community, he said. In addition to the summer concerts, visitors and locals can attend Oktoberfest, the Lake City Ice Festival and an ice fishing derby.

“DIRT has a lot to do with that … It's amazing how many hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours are put in in this community,” Collins said. “That's what it takes.”

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)

DIRT hosts the Lake City Uncorked Wine and Music Festival each September. (Photo by Abby Harrison)

The town’s Parks and Rec Department has continued to build out the Lake City Ice Park. (Photo by Bella Biondini)

Easter egg-stravaganza

Easter weekend was full of family activities around Gunnison. Kids wearing goggles and wielding mesh bags jumped into the Gunnison Rec Center pool to dive for easter eggs on March 30. The divers traded in their egg hauls for candy and pool floatie prizes. On Easter Sunday, kids stampeded across the American Legion Park to fill their baskets to the brim with eggs. Bouncy houses, face painting and carnival games provided family fun after the hunt concluded. The Easter Bunny was booked and busy, making an appearance at both events after a weekend of hiding eggs.

(Photos by Mariel Wiley)

PALISADES AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY BE YOUR OWN BOSS:

Campground looking for someone to run a camp store. You bring the stock, you keep the cash.

Looking for summer season 2024, May-Sept. or Memorial Day-Labor Day.

Call Lori for details. 970-784-6190.

PALISADES AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITYBLUE MESA RECREATIONAL RANCH

is looking for housekeepers. If you would like to stay on-property with your RV, rent is only $150/month and includes all utilities. $16-$18/ hr. depending on experience. Fulltime work, then enjoy this beautiful area on your days off.

Call 970-784-6190 if interested.

EC ELECTRIC IS SEEKING

Journeyman & Residential Wireman for projects in the Gunnison and Crested Butte areas. Must have a valid Colorado driver’s license and pass a pre-employment drug screen. Top pay & Benefits.

Send resumes to info@ec-electric.com or call 970-641-0195

www.ec-electric.com/careers

GUNNISON WATERSHED SCHOOL DISTRICT

See GWSD website for details

gunnisonschools.net

Gunnison Watershed School District believes that students thrive when they are connected to something bigger than themselves. That’s why we create learning experiences that spark curiosity, helping students discover who they are and how to make a difference in the world around them. As they excel in academics, athletics and the arts, students find the confidence to pursue any opportunity in life. Our team is “Driven to be the Difference!”

HOURLY OPPORTUNITIES:

Bus Drivers Food Service

Lead Custodian - Lake School

Substitute Teachers

Special Education EASignificant Needs

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:

School Psychologist - District Newcomer Teacher and Integration Specialist

CBSS Science

CBSS Spanish (one year only)

CBSS Language Arts (one year only)

COACHING:

GHS - Speech and Debate

GHS - Assistant Girls Basketball Coach

CBHS - Volleyball Coach

Please contact:

Superintendent’s Office JoAnn Klingsmith 800 N. Boulevard 970-641-7760 jklingsmith@gunnisonschools.net

GUNNISON COUNTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Case Management Aide

HHS: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from $4,966-$6,037 plus full benefits.

Caseworker I

HHS: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from $5,263-$6,399, plus full benefits.

Public Health Nurse II –Substance Abuse Prevention

Juvenile Services: 20 hours/ week, hourly rate range from $33.79-$41.08 plus partial benefits.

Seasonal

Public Works: Guaranteed 40 hours/week, hourly rate range from $20.58-$23.43 depending on experience, plus partial benefits.

Outdoor work that includes traffic control, fencing, tree and brush removal, trail work, recycling, equipment training and much more, all in a 4-day work week.

Seasonal Weed Program Technician

40 hours/week for 6 months. This seasonal position is set to start in May and end in Oct., hourly range from $22.91-$26.08 plus partial benefits.

Patrol Deputy Sheriff: Full-time, 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from $5,857$6,669 plus full benefits.

Detention Deputy Sheriff: Full-time, 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from $5,263$5,992 plus full benefits. Only work 14 days a month.

West Central Public Health Partnership (WCPHP)

Capacity Coordinator: Part-time, 10-20 hour per week, hourly rate range from $28.64$32.62 plus partial benefits.

Heavy Equipment Operator I: Full-time, 40 hours/week, hourly rate from $22.91-$26.08 plus full benefits.

Permit and Right-Of-Way Manager: Full-time, 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from $5,857-$7,120 plus full benefits.

Landfill Foreman: Full-time, 40 hours/week, hourly rate from $31.88-$36.29 plus full benefits.

Accountant I

Accounts Receivable: Full-time, 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from $4,684-$5,333 plus full benefits.w

For more information, including complete job descriptions, required qualifications and application instructions, please visit GunnisonCounty.org/jobs.

GUNNISON VALLEY HEALTH IS HIRING:

Please note this is not a complete list of all our open jobs. You can view all open positions on our website at jobs.gunnisonvalleyhealth.org.

Resident Services Manager– FT (Bachelor’s) $19.81-$28.73, MSW$28.35–39.69/hour DOE

Housekeeper, Senior Care Center – FT $17–$20.50/hour DOE

Medical Assistant, Specialty Clinic or GVO – FT Uncertified $17-$19.55/hour, Certified $18-$23.40/hour DOE

Cook, Senior Care Center – FT $17-$20.80/hr DOE

Benefits Eligibility: Medical, dental, vision, health care FSA and dependent care FSA. All active employees working 40 or more hours per pay period are eligible for benefits on the first of the month following date of hire. PRN staff are not initially eligible for benefits.

Please visit our website for more indepth position descriptions, specific qualification requirements and to apply online: gunnisonvalleyhealth. org/careers/ or call HR for questions 970-641-1456 (PRN = as needed). All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a negative 10-panel drug screen test, criminal background check, reference checks, infection prevention procedures (TB test, Flu Shot, immunization

WESTERN COLORADO UNIVERSITY

seeks applicants for Success Advisor for the Adult Degree Completion (ADC) program. This is a remote, part-time (20 hours/ week) position.

The ADC Success Advisor is responsible for academic advising and support of ADC students. This position provides academic advising, assists with new student onboarding procedures and enrollment, helps the ADC community develop best practices for adult learners, coaches at-risk ADC students and completes other related administrative duties, as needed.

Western’s benefit package includes a retirement plan, generous employer contributions to medical/ dental/vision insurance, employee and dependent tuition benefits, paid vacation, paid sick leave and paid holidays. Employees receive basic life insurance and disability insurance at no cost. Employee wellness programs are available for FREE.

To view the full job announcement and apply, visit western.edu/jobs and click on “View Careers” (AA/EOE).

May-Oct. Previous garden experience preferred but not required. Ability to lift 50 lbs. Ability to work independently or with a group. Positive, easy going attitude a must. Pay starts at $25 an hour and goes up from there. If interested, please contact butteifulgardens@gmail.com.

FULL OR PART-TIME MAINTENANCE

POSITION: Alpine Getaways is seeking a full or part-time maintenance tech to perform basic duties. Full-time employees may receive health benefits. $25-$30 per hour DOE. Please contact Erik at erik@ alpinegetaways.com or call 970-349-0539.

LOOKING TO GET ROOTED THIS SUMMER? Connect with nature, planting and caring for perennial gardens throughout the valley. Laborer/gardener positions available May 1-Oct. 31. Experience preferred but we can teach, too. Small company, pay starts at $26/hr. horizonfinegardens@gmail.com or 970-275-1020.

HIGH-VOLUME, PROFESSIONAL GENERAL CONTRACTOR seeks fulltime, experienced controller with 5+ years experience. Duties include overseeing general ledger and accounting functions, balance sheet reconciliation, maintaining accounting systems access controls and oversight of accounting managers including accounts receivable, accounts payable, billings functions and payroll preparation. Successful candidates will be detail-oriented and proactive in our fast-paced environment, with proficiency in Quickbooks and experience in ProCore a bonus. Competitive base salary and benefits. Please submit resume to david@davidgrossgc.com or call 970-901-1798.

DESIGN-ORIENTED GARDENING

BUSINESS is looking for a full-time seasonal operations manager. Experience in perennial garden design, greenhouse care and crew management necessary. Please email resumes to horizonfinegardens@ gmail.com or 970-275-1020.

PR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT is looking for a full-time housekeeper who is willing to do work inside and outside private residences. Available beginning of May. Wage is dependent on experience. Insurance reimbursement, IRA, ski pass and other benefits included. Please email resume to pr-prop@crestedbutte.net.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN TREES AND LANDSCAPING now hiring for our 40th summer season. Come join a team that’s deeply rooted in the Gunnison Valley. Visit rockymountaintrees.com/employment/ to view available positions.

WANT TO WORK 32 HOURS AND GET

CB South Metro

PAID FOR 40 HOURS?

District is hiring for a full-time Road Manager and Heavy Equipment Operator. This job requires motor grader and heavy equipment operation. Training is available for the right applicant. This position would be responsible for planning, organizing and directing all activities and staff related to the district’s roads and maintenance. Duties include road maintenance, snow removal, drinking water operations, wastewater operations and other day-to-day tasks of running a utility. Applicants must be 18 years of age and have a valid Colorado driver’s license. The successful applicant is eligible to receive an elite, full benefit package. Full job description, requirements, pay ranges and benefits are available on the district’s website at cbsouthmetro.net. Email resume to info@cbsouthmetro.net or drop off at 280 Cement Creek Road.

ELEVEN IS SEEKING A TEAM-ORIENTED AND FLEXIBLE LODGE AND PREP COOK to support the Colorado Culinary team with food preparations, transportation and meal service throughout Eleven’s entire Colorado footprint. This position will systematically execute food prep and transportation with quality and efficiency, as well as assist the team with managing food inventory and maintaining a clean, food-safe and organized kitchen. This position requires at least 1 year of food and beverage experience. The ideal candidate will have a team orientation with flexibility and willingness to do what is needed to complete Colorado Culinary team goals and meet guest needs and expectations. These are full and part-time seasonal positions starting at $21/hour depending on experience and qualifications. The summer season runs from May through Oct. For more information and to apply, please visit elevenexperience.com/careers.

DO YOU HAVE MAINTENANCE SKILLS?

Are you looking for a full-time, year-round position in the valley with great pay, health insurance, on-call pay, company vehicle, company phone, paid vacation, ski or health and wellness pass, 5-day work week and more? Iron Horse Property Management is adding another position to our maintenance team and we are looking for the right individual to help maintain our luxury homes. We are looking for someone who has a great work ethic, maintenance skills, is punctual and wants to quit having multiple jobs to make it in the valley. If this sounds like you and you have a clean driving record, then please send your resume to steve@ ironhorsecb.com. Qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview. No phone calls please. Pay DOE.

Gunnison County Electric Association, Inc. is currently seeking applications for an apprentice line worker position. This is a full-time position that will be reporting to the Lake City, CO, outpost location. This position will assist with the installation, repair and maintenance of overhead and underground electrical power lines and auxiliary equipment. The pay range for a lineman position is between $88,608-$118,144 a year. Starting pay will be dependent on qualifications and experience and will be paid on an hourly basis. Pay increases over time are based upon progress. Being oncall on a regular basis as well as working overtime hours is required. On-call, outpost and applicable overtime pay will apply. Upon meeting eligibility requirements, this position offers health care benefits, retirement benefits, paid time off and paid scheduled holidays. To see the complete list of duties and qualifications and to learn how to apply, please see our website at:gcea.coop (about tab, careers section). Deadline to apply is April 9, 2024.

ACC MOUNTAIN WEST is hiring heavy equipment operators, CDL drivers and laborers for the US 285 and Highway 9 project. Hourly wages from $20-$35 and great benefits. ACC MW is a drug-free work environment (including marijuana), Equal Opportunity Employer and we participate in E-Verify. Apply at accbuilt.com. For more information, call 303-795-2582.

INFANT TEACHERS: Tenderfoot Child and Family Development Center is adding staff members to our infant team. Both lead and assistant teacher positions available to work with children from birth-18 months old. Parttime and full-time positions with paid time off, free child care and continuing education. $15.42 - $21.93/hour, depending on experience. Email tfootdirector@gmail.com or call 970-642-1949 for more information. EOE.

CONSTRUCTION LABORER: David Gross

General Contractor is hiring full-time, hourly construction laborers. Duties include driving dump trailers, job site cleaning, receiving and handling of materials and variety of other needs. Must have current driver’s license. Please submit resume to david@ davidgrossgc.com or call 970-901-1798.

ELEVEN IS SEEKING A PERSONABLE AND TEAM-ORIENTED WELLNESS

THERAPIST to provide wellness treatments, classes and activities for Eleven guests at Scarp Ridge Lodge, Sopris House, Taylor River Lodge and the Movie Cabin located in and around Crested Butte and Almont, CO. This role will embody the Eleven standard by exceeding guest expectations in all areas of the service, ensuring comfort, satisfaction, and safety for guests while remaining professional. This position requires certification, CPR/First-aid certification, and a valid driver’s license. The ideal candidate will be a flexible team player and interact positively with high-expectation clients, as well as quickly learn to effectively operate software systems. This is a part-time, seasonal position starting at $100-$222 per wellness treatment, depending on the treatment type. The summer season runs May through October. For more information and to apply, please visit elevenexperience. com/careers.

bartending responsibilities, and assisting with basic housekeeping. This position will also assist with general errands and guest logistics, including supporting transportation needs for all Eleven Colorado properties and Irwin Guides. This position requires a clean motor vehicle record, valid driver’s license and reliable transportation (due to flexible schedule), as well as CPR/Firstaid and TIPS certification, or willingness to be certified. The ideal candidate will have confidence in their problem solving skills and extensive knowledge of the Crested Butte and Gunnison County area, as well as enjoy working with a team of diverse personalities in a fast-paced, demanding atmosphere. These full and part-time summer seasonal positions are paid $20/hour plus inclusion in the staff tip pool. The summer season runs May through Oct. For more information and to apply, please visit elevenexperience.com/ careers.

FINISH CARPENTRY: High volume, professional general contractor seeks full-time, detail-oriented carpenters for a variety of carpentry needs, including back out framing, finish trim work, custom millwork and potential for other custom work. Competitive salary DOE, fuel stipend, vacation pay, health insurance, ski pass among top benefits. Please submit resume to david@davidgrossgc.com or call 970901-1798.

IRWIN GUIDES IS SEEKING A FLEXIBLE AND DETAIL-ORIENTED SALES

ASSOCIATE to assist with the management of Irwin Guides operations, including day sales, guide operations, sales and marketing duties, retail management and administrative responsibilities. This position will assist with all day activity bookings for the summer season, selling all Irwin Guides products. This position will also assist with marketing activities and management of the Irwin Guides retail space. This position requires 3+ years in an administrative role and knowledge of the outdoor industry and local activities and locations. This position also requires residence in the Gunnison Valley and the ability to work in-person at the Irwin Guides Crested Butte office, as well as ability and willingness to work flexible hours. The ideal candidate will have orientation to detail, sensitivity to deadlines and responsiveness to delegation, as well as comfort working independently in a fastpaced team environment. This full-time, seasonal position starts at $20-$22/hour, plus inclusion in the staff tip pool, depending on experience and qualifications. The summer season runs May through Oct. For more information and to apply, please visit elevenexperience.com/careers.

INTEGRATIVE DENTISTRY in Crested

Butte is looking for a full or part-time dental assistant position to join our fun, high-energy, passionate dental team. Pay is dependent on experience, however no dental experience is necessary. Benefits are available to fulltime employees. Send your resume to info@ integrativedentistrycolorado.com.

PR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT is looking for a full-time, year-round maintenance tech. Available starting at the beginning of May.

Wage dependent on experience. Benefits include insurance reimbursement, IRA, ski pass and more. Please email resume to pr-prop@crestedbutte.net.

accommodating guest schedules. This position requires proficiency with English and an understanding of Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) procedures, as well as ability to work flexible hours. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the needs of a hospitality company with high standards of excellence and the ability to succeed and maintain a positive attitude in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt quickly to ever-changing needs of a growing company. This full-time, summer seasonal position starts at $22/hour. The summer season runs May through Oct. For more information and to apply, please visit elevenexperience.com/careers.

INTERESTED IN A CAREER WITH BENEFITS? The Gunnison Bank and Trust, has an opening for a full-time teller to join the operations side of our growing bank. Applicants should have strong customer service skills, the ability to multi-task and a willingness to learn. GB&T fosters a learning environment where you will gain exposure to multiple areas of the bank, with a strong foundation in operations. Pay starting at $18/ hr. DOE. Robust benefits package includes 401(k), medical insurance, vision insurance, life insurance and disability insurance (ST and LT). Send resume to LBeda@ gunnisonbank.com.

BARISTAS: Hiring for the summer season. Mochas Coffeehouse and Bakery in Gunnison is seeking baristas to join our team. Must be able to complete all aspects of the job as an equal member of the team in a positive and fun work environment. Hourly pay plus tips and shift meals. Drop your resume off or fill out an application at Mochas, 710 N. Main St.

GUNNISON LIQUOR (The Ghost) is currently looking for part-time help. Nights and weekends a must. Pay DOE. Stop by with a resume. 603 W. Tomichi Ave., Gunnison.

WATER TREATMENT FACILITY

FOREMAN: The Mt. Crested Butte

Water and Sanitation

ELEVEN IS SEEKING SEVERAL

ADAPTABLE AND PERSONABLE LODGE

STAFF to support and assist in executing daily logistics for guests while maintaining Eleven’s excellent standards of hospitality. This position will perform general guest services duties including assisting the culinary department with meal service,

ELEVEN IS SEEKING A TEAM-ORIENTED AND FLEXIBLE HOUSEKEEPER to ensure application of the highest Eleven standards for cleanliness of guest rooms and common areas for all Eleven properties in Colorado. This position will work with the housekeeping and lodge teams to complete daily and checkout cleans for all guest rooms according to Eleven standards, and

since 1983. Complete online application at 3riversresort.com/employment. Email operations@3riversresort.com.

PRINT SHOP ASSISTANT: Dove Graphics seeking part-time help. $20/hr. Will train.

Email doveoffice@dovegraphics.net or call 970-641-4751 for more information.

CARPENTER APPRENTCE WANTED:

Start building your future. KD Custom Builders is seeking a motivated and diligent individual to join our team as a Carpenter Apprentice. No experience? No problem! We provide the training you need to succeed.

What we offer: A fresh start. No experience necessary.

Begin your carpentry career with us.

Sober work environment: A commitment to sobriety is essential for safety and quality.

Work ethic is key: Show us your dedication, and we’ll show you success.

Rapid pay growth: Hard work pays off quickly with opportunities for salary increases.

Join KD Custom Builders and be a part of a team that values craftsmanship and hard work. Let’s build great things together. Call us now at 970-344-2469 to apply and start your journey in the world of custom building.

STAFF ENGINEER POSITION: Gunnison County Electric Association is currently seeking applications for a staff engineer. This is a full-time position that will be reporting to the Gunnison Headquarters location. This position ensures future capacity needs are met and that the system is built using proper specifications. This position has supervisory duties. This is a salaried or exempt position, and the pay range is between $119,250$159,000 annually. Actual compensation offer to candidate may vary outside of the posted hiring range based upon work experience, education and/or skill level. Upon meeting eligibility requirements, this position offers health care benefits, retirement benefits, paid time off and paid scheduled holidays. To see the full job description and qualifications needed as well as to learn how to apply, please visit our website at gcea.coop/about-us/careers.

Deadline to apply is April 12, 2024.

THE CLUB AT CRESTED BUTTE is hiring the following part-time and full-time seasonal positions for summer 2024: Housekeeper, $21-23/hr., front desk attendant, $1620/hr. (weekends required), clubhouse attendant, $16-18/hr., line cook 21-25/hr + gratuity, market attendant, $16/hr + gratuity, assistant market manager, $18-19/hr +

gratuity, beverage cart attendant, $16/hr + gratuity, server/bartender $16/hr + gratuity, lead bartender, $18-22/hr + gratuity, host/ hostess, $16/hr + gratuity, dishwasher, $20/ hr + gratuity. Employee benefits include complimentary golf and employee discounts. For more information or to submit a resume, please visit theclubatcrestedbutte.com or email jobs@clubatcrestedbutte.com.

RAFTING AND FISHING GUIDES: Have your best summer on the rivers with 3 Rivers Outfitting in Almont. Get certified to raft or float fish guide. Raft guide course begins May 20. The fly fishing guide school offers training to become a professional fly fishing guide, May 13-17. Family owned and operated since 1983. For more info: 3riversresort.com/employment. Email operations@3riversresort.com.

MOUNTAIN EXPRESS SHOP

TECHNICIAN: JOIN OUR TEAM. Mountain Express is looking to recruit a shop technician for immediately available shifts. Applicant required to hold a CDL class BP-2 with no air brake restrictions, or we will pay for you to obtain one. Starting wage is $22.60/hr. Health insurance is available based on hours worked. Ski locker benefit. Shop technicians are responsible for daily fueling and cleaning of fleet vehicles and other related tasks at the direction of the shop supervisor. Please contact Leah Petito at lpetito@mtnexp.org to apply. For a complete job description, visit mtnexp.org. EOE.

TWO TWELVE, THE NEWEST ELEVATED DINING EXPERIENCE coming to Elk Avenue, is now accepting applications for bar manager, assistant manager, servers, bartenders, food runners, bussers and hosts. Dinners only. Servers must have 1-3 years fine dining experience, wine knowledge, a dedication to excellence in high-end food and beverage, a commitment to thoughtful hospitality and want to work in a professional environment. two twelve is centered around a custom-built hearth that will bring warmth and energy to the dining room and be the centerpiece of our kitchen. Serving locallysourced, globally inspired cuisine. If you are passionate about providing exceptional service and are excited to be part of a highend, beautiful restaurant, we would love to hear from you. Please send your resume to GM@twotwelve.comand Kyleenacb@gmail.com.

THE TOWN OF MT. CRESTED BUTTE is hiring a full-time, year-round accounting clerk position. The position of accounting clerk is responsible for overseeing cash

■ Mary Mahoney-LOA for the 2024-25 school year-CBCS

■ Chris Kruthaupt-LOA for the 2024-25 school year-GMS

8. Items for information, discussion, and action

a. Housing

b. Facilities Improvement Program Update (Information/Discussion, Functional Facilities)

■ John Usery & Chris Guarino, Artaic Group

c. Consider approval of amendment to the 2024-2025 School Calendar (ACTION, Engaged Community)

■ Dr. Leslie Nichols, Superintendent

d. Consider approval of the 2024-2025 Board of Education Calendar (ACTION Engaged Community)

■ Dr. Leslie Nichols, Superintendent

e. Consider approval of 2024-2025 contract renewals/non-renewals (ACTION, Strong Employees)

■ Administrator contract renewals

■ Special Services Providers contract renewals

■ Probationary Teacher contract renewals

■ Probationary Teacher contract nonrenewals

f. School Board Policies (All)

■ IHAM - Comprehensive Health Education (ACTION)

Second reading of policy for consideration of approval

■ CBI-Evaluation of Superintendent (Discussion)

First reading of policy

■ EF-School Nutrition Program (Discussion)

First reading of policy

■ EFC-Free and Reduced-Price Food Services (Discussion)

First reading of policy

■ JQ-Student Fees, Fines, and Charges (Discussion)

g. Other Administrative Report Items(Discussion, All)

■ Dr. Leslie Nichols

9. Items introduced by Board Members (Discussion,

receipting, sales tax management and utility accounts for the town. This position involves meticulous attention to detail in handling financial transactions, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and contributing to the overall efficiency of the finance department.

Qualifications: At least two years of customer service experience in an office setting, high school diploma, Colorado notary or the ability to obtain a notary public license within 90 days of hire, valid Colorado driver’s license or ability to obtain one. Preferred applicants will have a college degree. Preferred applicants will have knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data. Preferred applicants will have experience in accounts payable and payroll practices.

Starting salary range is $51,555-$58,012 depending on qualifications and experience. The town offers an amazing benefits package including paid health, vision and dental insurance for you and your dependents, paid life insurance and long-term disability insurance, 13 paid holidays a year, vacation time, sick time, and PERA retirement package. Applicant must have a seven-year clean driving record. Applications will be accepted until a qualified pool of candidates is established, but preference will be given to applicants who apply before April 15, 2024. For the full job description, please go to mtcb. colorado.gov. If you have any questions, please contact Karl Trujillo at ktrujiilo@mtcb. colorado.gov or 970-349-6632, ext. 104. To apply, please email your cover letter, resume and three (3) professional references to Tiffany O’Connell at toconnell@mtcb. colorado.gov.

LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE is seeking a long-term, full-time, qualified early childhood teacher to join our fantastic team. Very competitive pay, benefits and perks offered all the time. This is a super rewarding career and a fabulous group of families and teachers. Please email interest letter and resumé to Jessica at lilredschoolhouse1@ gmail.com.

MISCELLANEOUS

GUNNISON HIGH SHCOOL IS SELLING

1000’ OF CHAIN LINK FENCE, including top rail and posts. Call Paul Morgan at 970596-0450 for additional information.

■

■ Jeff Writer-Resignation

■

Employment 2024-25-District

■ Britta Hubbard-LOA for the 2024-25

Brookhart and Dr. Coleman

e. District Accountability Committee (DAC)Mrs. Roberts f. School Accountability Committees (SAC)

GHS - Dr. Coleman

g. Gunnison County Education Association

Negotiations - Mr. VanderVeer

Bethany Church

909 N Wisconsin St. (behind Powerstop) • 970-641-2144

Two services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

FREE lunch for college students following the 10:30 a.m. service gunnisonbethany.com

9 a.m.: Family Service with nursery & children’s church

Check out our website for updates! Or download our app on the App Store by searching, Gunnison Bethany.

B'nai Butte Congregation

PO Box 2537 Crested, Butte CO 81224 305-803-3648 bnaibutte.org

Serving the Jewish communities of Crested Butte, Gunnison and the East River Valley in Colorado Spiritual Leader Rabbi Mark Kula is available for you at RabbiMarkKula@gmail.com bnaibutte@gmail.com

New Song Christian Fellowship

77 Ute Lane • 970-641-5034

A Christ Centered Gospel Sharing Community where we want to be part of a community who encourage and support one another in our spiritual journey.

Sunday 10 a.m. / Wednesday 7 p.m. newsonggunnison.net

Community Church of Gunnison

Faith Directory

107 N. Iowa • 970-641- 0925

Pastor Larry Nelson

Christmas Eve Service 7:00 p.m.

Sunday Morning Worship 9:30 a.m. Weekend Services 9:30 a.m.

Nursery & Age-Graded Ministry

Weekly Student Ministry

Weekly Adult LifeGroups

Office Hours: Mon-Thurs, 9-4

For more info: ccgunnison.com or email info@ccgunnison.com

Join us in-person, listen to our broadcast on 98.3 FM, or view online stream on YouTube

Transforming Lives • Building Community

First Baptist Church

120 N. Pine St. • 970-641-2240

Pastor Jonathan Jones

9:30 a.m. Share & Prayer Fellowship

10 a.m. Sunday School Classes

11 a.m. Morning Worship Service

6 p.m. Evening Service

Wednesday 7 p.m. - Children's Patch Club Gunnison Bible Institute

Thursday 7 p.m. - College & Career Christian Fellowship firstbaptistgunnison.org.

Church of Christ

600 E. Virginia • 970-641-1588

Sunday Morning Bible Class: 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Evening Worship: 6 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Class: 7 p.m.

Trinity Baptist Church

523 N. Pine St. • 970-641-1813

Senior Pastor - Joe Ricks

Sunday Service 9:30 a.m.

Adult Bible Study 8 a.m. trinitybaptistsgunnison.com

Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church

711 N. Main • 970-641-1860

Children’s Christmas Program

Sunday, December 17th at 10 a.m.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7 p.m. Christmas Day Service at 10 AM

The Good Samaritan Episcopal Church

307 W. Virginia Ave. • 970-641-0429

Rev. Laura Osborne, Vicar

First Sunday of each month –11 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Alternating at Good Samaritan and All Saints in the Mountains

Check our websites for location

Second Sunday-Fifth Sunday –9 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Children’s Sunday school –2nd and 4th Sundays, monthly

Office hours: M-TH 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Taize – 1st Wednesday, monthly - 7 p.m. goodsamaritangunnison.org

Visit our partnership church: All Saints in the Mountains, Crested Butte Meeting Second-Fifth Sundays at 5 p.m., Holy Eucharist, Rite II

403 Maroon Ave, Crested Butte

Visit our website for location of 11 a.m.

Holy Eucharist, First Sunday of each month allsaintsinthemountains.org

Church in the Barn

8007 County Road 887

Waunita Hot Springs Ranch • 970-641-8741 Sundays, 10:30 a.m.

Non Denominational Come as you are.

Rocky Mountain

Christian Ministries

1040 Highway 135 (1/4 mile N. of Spencer Ave.) • 970-641-0158

Sunday Morning Worship 9:30 a.m.

Nursery and Children’s ministry through Middle School

“Remedy” Worship Nights

Small Group Ministries mcmchurch.org

St. Peter’s Catholic Church 300 N. Wisconsin • 970-641-0808

Fr. Andres Ayala-Santiago gunnisoncatholic.org

crestedbuttecatholic.org

or call the Parish Office.

St. Peter’s - Gunnison Sat 5 p.m. & Sun 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m. (Spanish) Mass

First Sunday of every month bilingual Mass 11 a.m.

Queen of All Saints - Crested Butte, 401 Sopris Sun 8:30 a.m. Mass

St. Rose of Lima - Lake City Mass Service, Sun. at 10 a.m.

Gunnison

Congregational Church

United Church of Christ

317 N. Main St. • 970-641-3203

Open and Affirming

Whole Earth · Just Peace Sunday, 10 a.m.

Casual, Relaxed, “Come As You Are” Worship gunnisonucc.org

CITY OF GUNNISON

POLICE REPORT

MARCH 25

PROPERTY - FOUND — 1000 N. COLORADO ST.

JUVENILE PROBLEM - MENTAL

HEALTH

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE - ALCOHOL — 203 W. HWY. 50

THEFT - UNDER $100 MUNICIPAL — 110 S. 11TH ST.

FAILURE TO APPEAR - OTHER JU-

RISDICTION — E. TOMICHI AVE.

MARCH 27

ACCIDENT - HIT AND RUN — 700

E. GEORGIA AVE.

THEFT - UNDER $100 MUNICIPAL

— 900 N. MAIN ST.

MARCH 28

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

- ALCOHOL — W. RUBY AVE

DEATH INVESTIGATION — W.

DENVER AVE.

PROPERTY - LOST — 226 N. MAIN

ST. VIOLATION OF PROTECTION

ORDER: CRIMINAL ORDER — 600

N. COLORADO ST.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS - MUNICIPAL — 300 E. TOMICHI AVE.

THEFT - UNDER $100 MUNICIPAL

— 500 W. HWY. 50

ANIMAL - RUNNING AT LARGEMUNICIPAL — 400 W. NEW YORK

AVE.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — PAINTBRUSH AVE.

ADMIN - UNASSIGNED INCIDENT — 420 PAINTBRUSH AVE.

MARCH 29

FRAUD — 1113 VAN TUYL CIR.

HARASSMENT — 213 W. TOMICHI

AVE.

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE: POSS./CONSUMPTION 2 OZ. OR

LESS MARIJUANA UNDER 21 — 800 W. OHIO AVE.

ANIMAL - RUNNING AT LARGEMUNICIPAL — 100 W. NEW YORK

AVE.

WELFARE ASSIST — QUARTZ ST.

MARCH 30

ACCIDENT - HIT AND RUN — 101

N. 10TH ST.

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEPOSS. MARIJUANA UNDER 21 — 720 ESCALANTE DR.

ANIMAL - VICIOUS / DANGEROUS

- MUNICIPAL — 711 N. TAYLOR ST.

ACCIDENT — 100 W. VAN TUYL

CIR.

ANIMAL - VICIOUS / DANGEROUS

- MUNICIPAL — 112 E. SAN JUAN

AVE.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS - MUNICIPAL — 600 N. COLORADO ST.

AGENCY ASSIST — W. HWY. 50

MARCH 31

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — W. DENVER AVE.

WELFARE ASSIST — N. TELLER ST.

GUNNISON COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORT

MARCH 26

-Vicious dog report in Marble

MARCH 28

-Agency assist to the Colorado State Patrol with a two-vehicle accident

-Barking dog complaint in the county

MARCH 29

-Agency assist to Saguache County for a possible domestic and violation of protection order

MARCH 30

-Vicious dog causing injury to person(s) summons issued for a bite

-Dog at large complaint - fourth incidence - citation pending

-Deputies took one person into custody for driving vehicle under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and failure to maintain a single lane

-Deputies arrested one person for driving under the influence of alcohol, open container in motor vehicle, careless driving, speeding, weaving and driving without a valid driver’s license

APRIL 1

-Deputies issued four underage consumption summonses for individuals at the whitewater park after hours

-Welfare check on a person walking in the middle of the highway. Deputies gave a courtesy transport to this person to their residence

YOUR PUBLICLY FUNDED BUS SYSTEM

RTA FREE BUS – The 33 round-trip Schedule starts on April 8th

The bus leaves from these selected stops at these times: FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE, INCLUDING ALL OF OUR BUS STOPS, PLEASE VISIT WWW.GUNNISONVALLEYRTA.COM

Found fabrics in a world of fast fashion

Western hide tanning workshop teaches ancient technique

Mariel Wiley Times Photo Editor

Most people would turn up their noses at the thought of wearing roadkill. But with a little help from the ancient craft of hide tanning, pelts once destined to waste away can be transformed into soft, durable clothing.

A two-day buckskin tanning workshop at Western Colorado University on March 23 equipped students with the ancient skill of preparing animal hides to be made into garments. Sam Liebl, tanner, and Kindra De’Arman, assistant science and sustainability professor at Western, walked students through the steps of processing pelts that have been practiced by humans worldwide for thousands of years.

The popularity of large game hunting in the Gunnison Valley

provides a unique opportunity for makers to create clothing from the variety of hides that hunters accumulate, De’Arman said.

A white plume of smoke rose from an alcove behind Western’s Quigley Hall on the first day of the workshop. Sheltered from the spring wind by the building, Liebl tended to a fire in a metal bucket. A pair of hides sealed together to contain the smoke hung above the fire, slowly darkening to an ochre hue. Nearby, De’Arman and a student each held the end of another hide, pulling it back and forth across a metal wire to stretch and soften the skin before smoking.

De’Arman has long been interested in using found materials like animal skins and plant matter to create objects, rather than buying man-made materials like fabrics or sewing supplies.

Liebl’s journey as a tanner began several years ago when by chance he discovered a dried deer hide on the side of the road. He decided to “give it a go” with the little buckskinmaking knowledge he possessed at the time.

“It went horribly, but that

motivated me to keep trying,” Liebl said. “I ended up taking a lot of hides and getting really into it. And now I’ve taught buckskin to a lot of folks in a lot of places.”

For tens of thousands of years, humans have created clothing and items like rugs and purses from hides, De’Arman

said. The methods for processing these hides differ depending on the animal type, and the tools and tanning ingredients used.

During the workshop, students worked with deer hides sourced from roadkill and hunters. North American Indigenous groups commonly tanned deer

hide, or buckskin, because of its durability, softness and availability.

The group soaked raw deer pelts in lye, a natural detergent derived from wood ashes, that helped to loosen the hair and skin layers. After this, Liebl scraped off the hair on one side,

Sam Liebl scrapes a roadkill buckskin hide fresh from a soak in a lye bath. (Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Jillian Liebl stretches a buckskin hide.

• Lung cancer screening

• Colonoscopy

• Take an up-close look at the state-of-the art equipment used for cancer screenings including:

• 3D Tomosynthesis Mammography

• Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS)

• Deep oscillation therapy

• Tour the chemotherapy space

Tanning from B1

and the outermost layer of skin on the other side of the hide using a long blade.

The remaining buckskin core was then soaked in an egg yolk bath to replenish some of the moisture and oils lost during the lye soak and scraping process. Traditional Native American tanners utilized animal brains instead of egg yolks. In between periods of soaking, students stretched the hide by pulling it across a rope or wire.

Finally, Liebl hung the hides above the fire to be smoked on both sides. The smoke chemically changes the structure of the skin so that it cannot revert to rawhide and retains its softness, he said.

After preparing the hides during the two-day workshop, students spent a week in the classroom learning about sewing and garment-making using buckskin. They worked in teams to create small wearable items like belts and purses. Buckskin thread attached pieces of hide together, providing greater flexibility and durability than regular sewing thread. No dyes or paints were used to showcase the buckskin’s tawny color.

De’Arman hopes for more opportunities to learn the process of hide tanning in Gunnison. Currently, there is a disconnect between people accumulating hides — namely hunters and butchers — and those who have the knowledge to process the hides, she said. Possible solutions could include an annual tanning workshop or more immersive classes at Western.

There’s room for expansion, too, in the types of hides to be processed, De’Arman said. Hunters and roadkill often provide buckskin, but ranchers have access to cow and horse hides. Compared to buckskin, these are much thicker and heavier and can be made into blankets or rugs.

“I’m not going to say that everybody can sit down and do this. It’s an experience to learn this process,” De’Arman said. “But maybe they’ll find themselves with a hide someday and they’ll say, ‘Yeah, I remember doing something with that — let me YouTube it’!”

(Mariel Wiley can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or mariel@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Strips of hide are used to sew pieces of garments together. Buckskin thread provides more flexibility and durability than regular sewing thread.

Liebl coaxes more smoke from a fire in a metal pail. The burn must be closely monitored to produce the ideal amount of smoke without letting the flames burn the hide.

Magic show

The Western Colorado University Chemistry Club presents their 16th annual magic show on April 5 at 4:30 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. This free event for all ages will feature fun, hands-on activities after the performance.

End-of-life planning

End-of-life Conversations: A Spiritual and Practical Journey will take place on Thursdays from April 11-May 16 from 4:30-5:45 p.m. at Gunnison Congregational Church, 317 N. Main. Explore death traditions and rituals from Christianity, Judaism, Cora community, White Mountain Apache and Buddhism. The cost is $15. For more information and to register, visit gunnisonucc.org/ workshop.

Middle school summer program

Gunnison Middle School presents the 2024 Summer Experience program, featuring 41 different courses from outdoor adventures to music, art, cooking and more. Parents can register current 5th-8th graders from now-April 12 at gunnisonschools. net. For more information, please email gmssummer@gunnisonschools.net.

Crested Butte dance classes

Crested Butte School of Dance registration is open for Block 4 and opens on April 5 at 9 a.m. for Block 5 classes, including summer camps. Scholarships are available for both youth and adults. Visit dancecrestedbutte. org to view schedules, create accounts, register and apply for scholarships. Contact programs@ dancecrestedbutte.org for more information.

League of Women Voters meeting

"Legislative Action in Public Education" is the topic for the Gunnison Valley League of Women Voters' meeting on April 9 at noon at the Gunnison Library. Jody Coleman, Re-1J School Board member, will speak on meeting with Colorado's members of Congress, what

High school art show

The Gunnison Arts Center is proud to host the annual Gunnison High School art exhibit in the Cafe and Tredway galleries. For graduating seniors, this show represents their capstone work. Opening April 5 for First Friday Art Walk, the exhibit will run through April 28.

Call for artists

The GAC gallery department is seeking applications for a wheelthemed exhibition inspired by the Gunnison Growler. The exhibit will be open for the month of May to coincide with the Growler. Find more infor-

it takes to get a bill through Congress or the Legislature and into law, and give an update on the Gunnison Watershed School District. All are welcome to attend.

HCCA Happy Hour

High Country Conservation Advocates invites the public to meet their new advocacy director, Jon Hare, at HCCA Happy Hour on April 11 at The Eldo from 5-7 p.m. There will be a similar opportunity in Gunnison soon.

Firebird Theatre auditions

Firebird Theatre will hold combined auditions for their June production of the murder mystery comedy, “Murder Well Done,” and their August production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” on April 14 at Queen of All Saints’ Parish Hall in Crested Butte from 5-8 p.m, and April 15 in Room 101 of Western Colorado University’s Leslie J. Savage Library in Gunnison from 5-8 p.m. Choose to audition for either or both. To reserve your audition time and for more information, visit firebirdcb.com/auditions.

Friends of the Black Canyon meeting

Friends of the Black Canyon will meet at 6:30 p.m. on April 16 at The Campers Hub at 18265 U.S. Hwy. 550, south of Montrose. Doors open at 6:30 pm for refreshments and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Contact Joel Evans for more information at 970.596.4523.

Rotary grants

The Rotary Club of Gunnison invites proposals from local charitable organizations for grant support, specifically those that serve children from birth to high school graduation. Organizations must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt or other type of charitable organization. The application deadline is June 3 at noon. Email Pam Montgomery at pgmflower@gunnison.com or call 970.901.9950 for more information and to apply.

mation and apply at gunnisonartscenter.org.

Paint with ‘Bob Ross’

Join Bob Ross on a painting adventure through the spring fields and take home an original 11x17 inch acrylic painting made by you on April 13 from 6-9 p.m. at the GAC. One free alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink is included with each registration. Tickets are $35 for the public and $30 for GAC members. Register at gunnisonartscenter.org.

Special Volunteers Needed! We are looking for volunteers age 55 or older who could pick up seniors and bring them to the Senior Center for our Senior Meals program. Volunteers receive mileage reimbursement and liability insurance coverage through the RSVP program! Contact: egillis@gunnisonco.gov.

SENIOR CENTER PROGRAMS

• April 10 (12:45pm): Gunnison Valley Trails & Tales with Kay Peterson-Cook. Learn about how some of your favorite trails came into being by someone who was there! Kay, one of the Senior Center’s hike leaders, will share some of her experiences creating recreational trails in the Valley, and some of the tales that went along with those adventures. Please RSVP!

Senior Meals: (970) 641-8272 for advance orders OR (970) 641-2107 for same-day service Pick-up or delivery only! Meals served Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays. Please note: all meals, all days are $4 during this time. Order in advance if possible! Upcoming menu:

• April 17: Input Session with Gunnison County – 135 Corridor Safety. Come share your experiences & ideas about how to improve the safety of the 135 corridor in and around Gunnison. Your voice is very important! Light refreshments provided. RSVP requested!

• March 27: Lasagna, green beans, salad, garlic bread, dessert

• March 30: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, fruit, dessert

• April 19 (4pm): Community Meal & Social Hour! Program on the Great Sand Dunes National Park. RSVPs required! $5 for members/$10 for non-members –payable at the door.

• April 1: Stew, carrot/raisin salad, Mandarin oranges, rolls, dessert

Regular Activities: Mondays – Bridge @ 1 pm; Tuesdays – Canasta @ 1pm; Wednesdays

Senior Shopping Hours:

– Book Club @ 1 pm on 1st Weds. of month; Thursdays – Bridge @ 1 pm; Fridays – Art Club @ 12:30 pm & Mahjong @ 1 pm

• City Market – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays (7AM – 8AM)

All RSVPs and more info on Senior Center programs: egillis@gunnisonco.gov or 970-6418272.

• Safeway – Tuesdays & Thursdays (7AM – 9AM)

• Walmart – Tuesdays (6AM – 7AM)

FITNESS @ THE REC CENTER – Sign up at the Rec Center front desk!

• Gunnison Vitamin & Health Food Store – Monday - Saturday (8AM – 9AM)

• Clark’s Market (Crested Butte) – Every day (8AM – 9AM)

SENIOR MEALS

Self-reporting Form: www.gunnisoncounty.org /covid19.

If you have symptoms but are otherwise OK, please fill out the form

Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays @ 11:30 am. $5 per meal. Advanced orders appreciate (24 hours). Pick-ups between 11 – 11:15 am (advanced orders only).

ORDER MEALS: 970-641-8272

If you cannot fill out the form, call the Call Center (970) 641-7660.

Menu: (all meals come with dessert!)

• Mon., April 8: Cara’s Sloppy Joes, broccoli & cauliflower salad

• Weds., April 10: Chicken Salad on Lettuce, homemade bread, fruit

Call Center: (970) 641-7660. If you are having symptoms, cannot fill out the online form, or your symptoms are worsening, call the Call Center DO NOT go to your doctor ’s or the hospital. If it is an emergency, call 911.

• Fri., April 12: Ham & Beans, cornbread, veggies, Jello

Walk-in & visitors welcome! Homebound adults ages 55 & up eligible for delivery.

If you need a ride, call GVH Senior Bus @ 970-596-6700 (call in advance) or call the Senior Center 970-641-8272.

Please practice social isolation. Remain 6 feet or more from others when needing to be out, but staying at home if at all possible

The Gunnison Senior Center & Community Recreation Center is closed until April 30th

The making of a steam machine High school construction class builds

sauna from scratch

Mariel Wiley Times Photo Editor

The extent of most people’s construction knowledge begins and ends with the droopy sandcastles and wobbly tree forts built during childhood. For young adults eager to take building to the next level, Gunnison High School’s construction class provides an outlet to grow an interest in handson work into skills they can use for the rest of their lives.

Wyatt Phipps’ construction class has seven weeks left of the school year to continue working on the sauna they built from scratch. The goal is for students to build a quality backyard sauna from start to finish with the help of local builders Cillian Barrett and Andy Tocke. Working on the sauna helps to break up the monotony of hours in a classroom and introduces a new potential career path to students.

Barrett and Tocke visit the class each week to teach students weatherization techniques like insulation and waterproofing that they can apply to the sauna build. Tocke has been specializing in weatherization since 2008, and Barrett regularly works with Habitat for Humanity to weatherproof the houses they build. Their visits are supported by a grant from the Gunnison Valley – Home Energy Advancement Team (GV-HEAT).

The students work on the project during the two-hour class block four days a week, weather permitting. For many of them, it's an opportunity to

get outside and break up the long hours spent hunched over a desk.

Senior Dawson Dalleck got hooked on woodworking his freshman year after taking an intro-level class. Four years later, he’s still eager to learn more about things like HVAC systems and home energy efficiency, he said.

“I can actually get into it instead of being stuck in a classroom,” Dalleck said. “I like finding what’s wrong with a house, and figuring out how to fix it.”

After he graduates this spring, Dalleck plans to stay in Gunnison for a year working in construction before heading to college. The knowledge he gained in Gunnison High School’s construction classes and as an intern for Barrett will prepare him for a stable career in contracting, if he chooses to follow that path in the future, Dalleck said.

Tocke said that careers in this field are “recession-proof” and can provide a benefit to the community and environment by improving the energy efficiency of people’s homes.

“It’s work that needs to be done,” Tocke said.

Throughout each of the three sauna build projects Phipps led since 2020, students learn about putting together a polished structure from start to finish over the course of a school year.

The interior of the douglas fir and aspen wood sauna measures 7x7 feet, and will have benches built in toward the end of the project. Phipps opted for these hypoallergenic wood options over cedar, which emits a pleasant aroma, but can cause allergies in some people.

At the current stage of the build, the pair teach students that structures need both an aerated (fiberglass insulation) and an airtight (Tyvek seal) layer. Barrett compared the strategy to wearing a wind shell

over a down jacket to keep out the breeze and retain warmth.

Although Phipps tries to source mostly reclaimed wood and donated materials — such as the sheet metal used for the roof — other building materials like Tyvek paper and insulation tape quickly drain the $2,000 budget given to the class by the school.

He estimates they need about $2,000 more to finish the build, and is hoping to raise the funds with the help of community members, or an interested buyer located anywhere in the Gunnison Valley. Gunnison residents purchased the first two saunas, both of which now reside in their backyards. He hopes to finish the project by the end of the school year, or next fall when classes resume after summer break.

(Mariel Wiley can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or mariel@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Students take measurements before cutting and placing insulation. (Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Wyatt Phipps and Cillian Barrett discuss plans for the interior of the sauna.

against the elements.

Phipps directs students to cut sheets of Tyvek HomeWrap paper to place on the exterior walls of the sauna. Tyvek helps to reduce air and water infiltration.

The cat leaps into the lap of the imagination

Wendy Videlock Special to the Times

It’s been said that living with a cat is a lot like living in a perpetual poem. I can attest to this. In fact, there are times I find myself entirely absorbed simply watching either of our two cats move artfully about the house.

It might be that I’m easily entertained, but it’s also probably true that the cat's maneuvering mastery is hard to ignore. How like a poem the cat sneaks up from behind — or turns and surprises! ASJ Tessimon invokes the very essence of one of the cat’s particular ways of moving.

Cats no less liquid than their shadows

Offer no angles to the wind. They slip, diminished, neat through loopholes

Less than themselves; will not be pinned

To rules or routes for journeys; counter

Attack with non-resistance; twist

Enticing through the curving fingers …

I’m just gobsmacked by those two stanzas, each word twisting through the fingers (and the tongue) and embodying that undeniably cat-like countenance of diminishing, of slipping through loopholes.

Just as gobsmack-worthy is the fact that cats really do collapse their bones to navigate narrow openings. They quite literally make themselves smaller, and in other words, diminish themselves. The beauty and movement of the language is an echo to the cat’s unique penmanship. Valerie Worth gives us another glimpse of the cat’s way of moving in the world.

The spotted cat hops

Up to a white radiator-cover

As warm as summer, and there, Between pots of green leaves growing,

By a window of cold panes showing Silver of snow thin across the grass…

Indeed the feline seems to mystify, inspire and seduce the sensitive soul — only to turn on a dime toward indifference. But truly, we cat lovers insist, it’s nothing personal. Here’s Margaret Atwood touching on the subject:

In the pewter mornings, the cat, a black fur sausage with yellow

Houdini eyes, jumps up on the bed and tries to get onto my head. It’s his way of telling whether or not I’m dead.

Obviously the cat is also a good lesson in not taking ourselves too seriously. I’m a big believer in that old saying about a teacher always being right in front of you. For cat lovers, the lessons cover an impressive range, from poignant to beautiful to comical to sudden feuds and everything in between.

Perhaps no other animal is quite so physically expressive while remaining deeply private and self contained. Poet David J Rothman reminds us that just like us, the cat contains multitudes.

He does purr, eyes ecstatic slits, and stretch

His lanky muscles, tabby tangerine,

In sun and clean himself over and under

With his own rough tongue, and he is playful

And affectionate when off the clock,

But all that rest and popcorn carpet claw

Sharpening and stretching out of one

Long, languid, liquid paw after another

Is mere rehearsal for another hour …

Emily Dickinson describes with remarkable accuracy that other hour: a cat on the hunt:

She sights a Bird—she chuckles—

She flattens—then she crawls—

She runs without the look of feet—

Her eyes increase to Balls—

The underlying theme we find in the lessons of the cat seems to have something to do with the element of surprise, the nature of change in motion and perhaps an acceptance of thwarted expectation. Rosalie Moore describes the feline this way:

Cats sleep fat and walk thin. Cats, when they sleep, slump; When they wake, pull inAnd where the plump's been There's skin.

Yeats shows us the relationship of the cat to other entities:

The cat went here and there

And the moon spun round like a top, And the nearest kin of the moon,

The creeping cat looked up.

That observation of the cat being the nearest kin of the moon is just sublime. Marge Piercy gives us another.

Mine, says the cat, putting out his paw of darkness.

My lover, my friend, my slave, my toy, says the cat making on your chest his gesture of drawing

milk from his mother’s forgotten breasts.

Not many people know that Andrew Lloyd Weber’s wildly successful musical, “Cats,” was inspired by TS Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Practical Book of Cats.” Our own two cats are both named for cats in that book. We don’t normally think of TS Eliot as a writer of light verse, but the cat seems to have brought out the light-hearted in him.

The Rum Tum Tugger is a Curious Cat:

If you offer him pheasant he would rather have grouse.

If you put him in a house he would much prefer a flat,

If you put him in a flat then he'd rather have a house … Even that old sourpuss Charles Baudelaire doffs his dark hat to the cat.

No one but indefatigable lovers and old

Chilly philosophers can understand the true Charm of these animals serene and potent, who Likewise are sedentary and suffer from the cold.

Colorado poet Daniel Klawitter enters the mind of the cat and tell us what the cat know.

Dogs are prose, and prone to please.

Mice are good for eating. When moonlight splinters through the trees, We watch humans while they’re sleeping.

Disobedience is heroic. It’s wrong to persecute witches. Hell is a world with no poets— And heaven a charm of finches.

Eckhart Tolle says he has lived with many Zen masters, all of them cats. Western Slope poet Rosemerry Wahtolla Trommer agrees.

It comes to this—my great hope for learning to lie still is to become a cushion for cat. It’s a noble hope—to lie still as a cat in the curve of an arm, still as a pool of daylight on the sill, still as the sun itself, holding the center as the whole world moves around it.

(Wendy Videlock teaches and advocates for the arts across the Grand Valley. She is poet laureate of the Western Slope and the author of five critically acclaimed books. Reach her at westernslopeword@gmail.com.)

Cowboys send Mean Moose packing

Parker and Williams shine in doubleheader victory

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

The Cowboy baseball team lit up the diamond during its home opener against Alamosa on April 2. In the first game of the doubleheader, GHS stormed out of the dugout to win 8-1. In the second game, the Cowboys took down the Mean Moose in a 16-10 barn burner. Solid pitching from John Parker and Mason Williams’ hot bat moved the Cowboys to a 4-2 overall record, and 1-0 in the 3A Western Slope League. In the opening game, the Cowboys tacked on an early lead. Leadoff batter Grady

Mustang wrestlers win first state title

Zayne Benson and Vika Odud make GMS history

Shana Benson Special to the Times

Gunnison Middle School wrestling made history on March 24 and 25. For the first time ever, not one, but two wrestlers stood atop the podium at the state wrestling tournament.

Eighth graders Zayne Benson in the 80-pound division and Vika Odud at 123 pounds, earned state champion titles in their weight classes. The students are the first two state champions for the Gunnison Middle School wrestling team. The Middle School State Tournament is wrestled across all classes from 2A to 5A schools, and hosts the top grapplers in the state.

Alongside the two state champs, 10 Mustang wrestlers qualified for state. At the elementary level, Noah Corey fought hard in his division, competing in gut-wrenching matches. For middle school, Marcos Diaz, Owen Smejkal and Jose Pelayo wrestled tough in their weight classes. Cody Vick went 4-2 for the weekend and missed placing by one round. Lincoln Hemmert and McKayla Singer finished the weekend at 1-2, both wrestling in close matches.

Zayne Benson finished his 2024 middle school season undefeated at 31-0. He won his championship match 2-0, scoring with 15 seconds left in the final period. Vika Odud, with a 20-2 season record, dominated in her championship finals match, winning with a score of 7-0.

(Shana Benson is an English teacher at Gunnison High School and can be reached at sbenson@gunnisonschools.net.)

Benson and Odud celebrate with first place trophies. (Courtesy Shana Benson)

Baseball B8 Marshall Spann throws a four-seam fastball in the second game against Alamosa. (Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Cowboys track and field impress in Junction

Stice wins first in mile, Bichon takes second in sprints

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

The GHS track and field team opened its 2024 season with impressive results at the Mickey Dunn Invitational in Grand Junction on March 30.

Distance runners Madelyn Stice and Jemma Petrie opened their season with first and fourth place finishes in the 1600-meter. Bodin Bichon finished second in the 200and 400-meter, while Sienna Gomez took third in the triple jump. The results gave the Cowboys an early boost, with seniors Spencer Hays, Bichon, Ryter and a number of junior girls all sitting in the top-18, state qualifying spots.

The boys team finished 10th overall, and the girls finished eighth.

“My goal for this year is to see our athletes, especially our seniors, make it to state for the first time,” said Head Coach Stacey Mickelson. “Our early season has been going really well, and we’ll keep working hard.”

On Saturday, March 30, Cowboy distance runners opened the meet with exciting times. Rowen Downum, Jackson Dalleck, Hays and Ryter finished fifth in the 4x800-meter relay. Ryter took sixth place in the 1600-meter, and Hays flashed across the finish line to go fourth in the 3200-meter with a time of 10:25.35.

Stice was the only Cowboy to

reach the top of the weekend’s podium, starting her junior year in style with a time of 5:21.97 in the 1600. Petrie was hot on her teammate's tail, taking fourth in 5:36.04.

On the sprinters’ side, Bichon set a blazing, second-place time of 22.67 in the 200 and 50.60 in the 400 to stand on the podium in both events. Caroline Sudderth placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles in 18-seconds to start off her sophomore campaign.

The jumpers and throwers also had a fruitful outing. Juniors Lee Brunsting and Eden Williams placed fifth and sixth in the long jump, while Angela Hindes finished fourth in the high jump. Gomez got off to a hot start in her junior year, standing third in the triple jump.

Kathryn Frey was the standout thrower for the Cowboys on Saturday. The junior finished fifth in the shot put, and 11th in discus. Her teammates Garret MacLennon, Vojta Jirka and Shane Mensing took 10th, 11th and 12th in the discus.

The Cowboy athletes will compete next on April 6 at CSU Pueblo, and fight to keep top18 rankings in their selected events to qualify for the upcoming state meet on May 16-18 in Denver.

(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Girls golf takes on Devil’s Thumb

On March 28, the Cowboys girls golfers battled harsh conditions at Devil’s Thumb Golf Course in Delta — one of the most challenging courses on the Western Slope. Sophomore and 2023 state qualifier Aiden Tomlin, who recently traded her track spikes for golf shoes, finished fifth overall with a 96. Despite the blustery weather, sophomore Faith Pederson shot 120 and finished 26th, while senior captain Allie Schwartz took 29th with a 121. Alongside the varsity squad, a number of JV girls played their first 18 holes of golf. The Cowboys finished fifth as a team, and will return to action on April 8 at the Cobble Creek Golf Course in Montrose.

Aubrey Welfelt hands the baton to Maya Petrie in a relay. (Courtesy Nicoline Møller Friedrichson)

Vojta Jirka winds up before hurling a discus.

Head Coach Kevin Mickelson and the girls golf team pose before teeing off in Delta. (Courtesy Kevin Mickelson)

Aiden Tomlin takes a swing in the rough.

Baseball from B6

Buckhanan got aboard with a poke to right field. Then an infield dink from Marshall Spann led to an RBI triple thanks to a wild throw from the Mean Moose.

Next at bat, senior slugger Mason Williams ripped a shot over the center fielder to round the bases for an inside the park home run. A Hunter Vincent triple and a squeeze bunt from Parker brought one more home. The score stood 4-0 after the first.

In the second, Parker found his groove on the mound. The right-hander struck out two Alamosa hitters with a runner in scoring position to hold onto the lead. Rylee Berry opened the hitting for the Cowboys, sending a drive down the third base line to reach second.

Sophomore Cesar Marmolejo hit an RBI bloop over the shortstop to go 5-0. Afterward, Williams brought Marmolejo home with a drive through the infield to go up 6-0.

Parker thrived under pressure in the third inning. Despite striking out the leadoff batter, the pitcher walked and gave up a single to move Alamosa runners to first and third. Parker struck out the fourth batter, but another hit drove home the first, and only run for the Mean Moose. A final strikeout closed the inning, and Parker limited the damage on defense.

Solid at-bats from Rylee Berry and Grady Buckhanan brought home two more runs in the bottom of the third, putting the Cowboys 8-1 over Alamosa. Parker struck out three batters in a row in the top of the fourth. He was relieved by Vincent in the sixth, and the senior’s blazing fastballs closed out the victory — 8-1, for the home team.

In the second matchup, the Cowboys again raked in runs.

Talon Kibler paved the way for GHS, notching three singles and scoring three runs. The game ended 16-10, in a highscoring slugfest that favored the Cowboys.

Next, GHS will take on league rivals Coal Ridge in a doubleheader away on April 9. The boys will return home on April 16 for another league doubleheader against Delta at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Lillian Magrinelli, Director of Choirs and Voice Studio

Mason Williams and Hunter Williams speak with Coach Percival

John Parker rips a pitch to center field.

Western skimo closes the season on Mt. Hood

Cal Hill competes in Silverton

Kieran Nay Special to the

Times

The Western skimo team traveled to Mt. Hood, Oregon on March 30 and 31 to compete in the Wy’Easter race, the last competition in the USSMA Cup. Back in Colorado, freeride athlete Cal Hill competed in Silverton on the second stop of the IFSA Challenger series.

On the slopes of Mt. Hood, the skimo team competed in both the vertical and individual disciplines. The weekend kicked off with the vertical races where Sam Burke led the way for the men with a first-place finish in the U23 category. Teammates Bayden Menton and Jack Breezley finished in second and third respectively. Zane Wasicko came in second in the men’s U20. For the women, Hannah Mech (U23) and Hailey Elliot (U20) won their respective races.

On Saturday morning, the racers competed in the individual competitions. A foggy morning gave way to brilliant sun on the white slopes of Mt. Hood

concluded a great season of racing for the Western skimo team.

Once again, the Burke, Menton and Breezley trio swept the U23 podium in first, second and third. Zane Wasicko managed a second-place finish for U20 despite a broken pole. The Mech and Elliot duo defended both of their podiums with wins in the U23 and U20 categories.

In Silverton, freeride Athlete Cal Hill competed in the second stop of the series. After a third-place finish on his home mountain in Crested Butte, Hill traveled to Silverton to compete in the IFSA Challenger series. Competitors were taken to the mountain top by helicopter to send big lines.

An unfortunate wobble knocked Hill down to seventh in the overall standings. With one competition left and only the top two counting in the overall series finish, Hill has a narrow path to the Freeride World Tour. The third and final stop of the Challenger Series will be held this week in Kirkwood, California.

(Kieran Nay is the Mountain Sports coordinator at Western Colorado University, and can be reached at kieran.nay@western. edu.)

The Mountaineer skimo team at Mount Hood. (Courtesy Western Colorado University)

Aslanian, Roberts to represent Gunnison hockey at nationals

Gunnison Valley all star hockey players Riley Aslanian and Nicola Roberts will play in the USA National Hockey Championships from April 3-7. Aslanian, a seventh grader at Gunnison Middle School, plays for the U14 Mountain Select Team and will compete in Sioux Falls, North Dakota this week. Roberts is a senior at Crested Butte High School, and plays for the U19 Mountain Select Team. She will compete in East Lansing, Michigan at the championships. The girls are teammates on the U19 West Elk Wolverine team.

Nicola and her U19 Mountain Select Team celebrating the regional championship in Chandler, Arizona. (Courtesy Kari Roberts)

Nicola and her younger sister, Haley.

Riley and Nicola in Steamboat Springs for the Adele girls’ hockey tournament.

BLM HAS CLOSED SEVERAL GATES IN THE GUNNISON BASIN TO PREVENT ROAD DAMAGE

The BLM Gunnison Field Office is closing gates on BLM roads in the Gunnison Basin as part of the annual closure from March 15-May 15 to protect Gunnison sage-grouse during their mating and nesting season. The closures are in coordination with Gunnison County, Gunnison Ranger District, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The gates will reopen on May 15.

For specific information on closures on BLM lands, contact the Gunnison Field Office at (970) 642-4940.

April is mental health awareness month

Youare NotAlone

ALAN WARTES MEDIA

Kickin’ it

Coach Ryan Staude led a group of middle and high schoolers through the fundamentals of Muay Thai kickboxing at the Gunnison Rec Center on March 28. Muay Thai is a martial art developed in Thailand. Students will learn basic fighting skills during the seven-week program designed to improve self-confidence.

Battle of the ballads

Three Western Colorado University music department students put their stage presence to the test during the Damson Music Competition at Kincaid Concert Hall on March 28. Each contestant performed a 20-minute solo for their chance to win the F. George Damson scholarship. Damson taught at Western for 37 years and was the founder of the Gunnison Summer Music Camp. He composed the university’s Alma Mater alongside Edwyl Redding and Annie F. Andres.

• SEXUAL ASSAULT

• DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

• HUMAN TRAFFICKING

• STALKING NEED HELP?

24/7 CRISIS HOTLINE: 970.275.1193

(Photo by Mariel Wiley)

(Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Hartman Castle awarded PBS episode

Locals hope TV exposure will boost donations

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

The Hartman Castle, the historic mansion of Gunnison founding father Alonzo Hartman, was crowned champion of Rocky Mountain PBS’s “Matchup Madness” this week, earning it an exclusive episode on the popular television station.

The month-long bracket tournament hosted eight Coloradospecific story ideas for an audience choice episode on the PBS “Colorado Experience” show. After weeks of Facebook voting, the castle defeated the Pioneer Cemetery near Brighton, the Paint Mines of El Paso County and Cheesman Park in Denver.

The award comes six months

after the Hartman Castle Preservation Corps was founded to fundraise and renovate the home. Corps board member Pam Williams believes the PBS episode will help save the historic site.

“The Gunnison community was super generous,” Williams said. “Everyone helped to share the message on social media and gather votes. The Colorado Experience episode is exciting because it will live forever on PBS, and hopefully reach a larger audience.”

In October, local historians Duane Vandenbusche, Polly Oberosler and Williams began fundraising at a community meeting at the Gunnison County Library. Vandenbusche shared a colorful account of the history of the castle and the Hartman family.

Now, that story will be shared across Colorado. The series covers people, places and events

that makeup Colorado history. Filming is expected to begin in May, and the episode will air in Season 11, said Williams.

The nonprofit has raised almost $30,000 of its $800,000 goal to eventually purchase the castle. Williams said once $500,000 has been donated, the corps will turn to historic preservation grants to kickstart the renovation.

“The La Veta Hotel, the Denver South Park Train Depot, the Denver Rio Grande Roundhouse — there’s so many historic buildings that we’ve lost,” Williams said. “I hope that awareness of the Hartman Castle and its restoration will encourage other similar projects.”

To learn more, visit hartmancastle.org.

(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)

(Photo by Abby Harrison)

DR. GLORIA BEIM, M.D.

Dr. Beim is a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon. She is fellowship trained in shoulder/knee surgery and sports medicine.

Dr. Beim has been working with professional teams and providing medical direction at elite athletic events around the world for the past 28 years. She has provided medical direction during three Olympic Games, four Paralympic Games, the Winter X Games and the NCAA teams at Western Colorado University. Dr. Beim will serve as the Head Team Physician for the U.S. Olympic team in Paris this summer.