“We just can’t continue to consume water like it’s an infinite resource. Native [plants] are built to last here.” — Benedicte Henrotte, Top O’ the World Garden Club See story on B1
The Gunnison Valley has lost one of their own. Camille Besse passed away on April 28, 2025 at the age of 87 years, 10 months and 28 days. Graveside service will be held Friday, May 16, 2025 at 11 a.m. Following the service, a reception will be held at the Gunnison Elks Lodge.
MetRec election results
On May 6, the Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District held an election to fill two open seats on its board of directors. Each position carries a four-year term. Voters in the district chose between six candidates.
According to unofficial election results shared with the Times on Wednesday morning, voters selected Dave Wiens (with 315 votes cast) and Sharon Mills (with 229 votes cast) to serve on the board. Results will not be certified until mid-May, according to MetRec Executive Director Derrick Nehrenberg.
Whetstone takes another step forward
Servitas, the housing development firm partnering with Gunnison County to build the Whetstone project near Crested Butte, announced this week that financing for the development is complete.
Scheduled to open in Spring 2027, Whetstone Village will include 252 homes and approximately 476 bedrooms on a 15-acre parcel in Crested Butte.
“We are thrilled to see Whetstone Village break ground,” Gunnison County Manager Matthew Birnie said.
“For many years Gunnison County has faced a housing shortage for hardworking residents who support the local workforce. We are optimistic that [this] will benefit many of our residents with quality and convenient homes at predictable long-term rents.”
The project official broke ground in a ceremony on April 21.
in the Ohio Creek valley and moved into their house. Since there were no school buses, the McKee children stayed at the Besse’s home during the week. Thanks to their generosity Ann, Marcia and Keith McKee had a place to stay. Bud served in the military and married early.
Camille was the only daughter of George Peter Besse and Jean McKee Besse. She was born in Gunnison on June 26, 1937. On December 9, 1939 her brother, George Martin Besse, was born. She is survived by her brother George (Joy), niece and nephew Margaret and Pete (Kari), great nephews and niece Connor (Chelsea), Tanner, Riley, and great great nephew, Tollen.
Most people in the valley associate Camille with the Gunnison schools. She graduated from Gunnison County High School in 1955. After graduating, she moved to Denver with her grandmother, Winona Allen McKee, to attend Barns Business College (no dorms or safe places to live alone). Upon graduation, she was hired to work in the office to do secretary work and keep the books. She must have loved her job, as she stayed for 50 years.
As an adult, she was a member of Rebekah Assembly of Colorado and one of the first ladies to join Gunnison Elks 1623. She was a trustee for four years.
Camille spent most of her life on North Iowa Street. When her grandfather, Fred McKee died, her grandmother Winona McKee, left the ranch
Camille was named after her immigrant Swiss grandfather, who came to the Gunnison Valley in 1891. Her grandmother, Antionette Metroz, came in 1892 from another village in Switzerland. She met Camille’s grandfather in Gunnison and they were married at St. Peter’s Catholic Church and had five children, Helen Zugelder, Alfred, Hazel Murray, George and Marguerite Kyffin, while living on their ranch on Wiley Lane. The log house is still standing.
The family thanks all of her friends that were loyal visitors during her final days. A special thank you to the doctors, nurses and all the staff at the hospital and the Senior Care Center. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Gunnison Animal Lovers or the Gunnison Pioneer Museum.
Stephen Reinhold Rieschl
Colorado ski hall of fame inductee, Stephen Reinhold Rieschl, 87, made his final ski jump into the arms of Jesus on April 26, 2025. Steve was born on July 16, 1937, to Raymond and Evelyn (Winkelmann) Rieschl, in Minneapolis and grew up in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
Steve’s father began teach -
ing him to ski when he was 3 years old, and by age 11, Steve was skiing competitively. When he was 13, he traveled to Steamboat Springs for his first national ski tournament, which led to his lifelong love of the mountains and Colorado. During his senior year in high school, he won the junior nationals in ski jumping and was chosen by the student body as “Athlete of the Year” after lettering in five sports.
Steve graduated from Robbinsdale High School in 1955 and left home that fall to attend Western State College (WSC) in Gunnison, Colorado. As a member of the WSC ski team Steve was coached by and competed under the direction of skiing hall of famer and former Olympic coach, Sven Wiik.
After graduating from WSC in 1959, Steve was excited to represent the United States as a ski jumper in the 1960 Winter Olympic Games at Squaw Valley, California.
While he was at WSC, Steve began his long career of teaching and coaching skiers. He coached local teams, junior national teams and, in 1962, was captain of the U.S. Nordic Ski Team. Steve started coaching in Gunnison, where he also helped to develop the local slalom and ski jumping area called Cranor Hill. He went on to coach in Summit County, Aspen and Steamboat Springs.
Steve began the first commercial ski touring school in the U.S. in 1969, called “Steve Rieschl’s Ski Touring School,” with one instructor. That eventually grew to 14 instructors and became the Vail Touring School in 1974.
After many years of athletic and professional success, Steve began to question what his real purpose in life was. He spent two years of serious soul searching. He prayed that God would lead him in his search for truth, and God answered. God brought four of Steve’s most respected mentors into his life and they each encouraged him
in his faith.
After leaving Vail, Steve began Ambush Ranch in Crested Butte, which offered cross-country ski instruction, guide service, rentals, a ski shop and a maintained track system. He combined his education, love of sport and his faith into a Christian outdoor ministry.
As Steve’s personal relationship with Jesus grew, his desire to make a difference in the lives of others also increased, and Ambush Ranch became Ambush Ministries Inc. Steve’s passion was to walk with people in relationship, caring, sharing and offering encouragement. Skiing and outdoor adventures were the tickets that opened the door to build those relationships.
Eventually Ambush Ranch moved to Nathrop, Colorado, where Steve continued to walk in relationship with so many friends. In later years, as his health deteriorated, Steve moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming. He eventually returned to Colorado, living in both Windsor and Loveland, and he continued to minister to others all his life.
In addition to his skiing accomplishments, Steve served his country in the U.S. Navy Reserves. He was a legendary polka dancer, an author, a photographer, a yodeler, a prolific letter writer, a wonderful friend and mentor to many and could dead pan a joke with the best of them. Most importantly, he was a follower of Jesus and lived to share that joy with others. Steve was preceded in death by his parents Raymond and Evelyn Rieschl and by his brother-in-law, Roger Richison. He is survived by his sister Diane Richison of Siren, Wisconsin, his nephew Steve (Lisa) Richison, and nieces Joan (Chuck) O’Fallon and Wendy (David) Marek.
A celebration of Life will be held June 14, 2025, at Clearview Community Church in Buena Vista, Colorado. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Camille Besse
Final phase of bridge repair work begins May 12
Overnight traffic impacts to last through July
The last piece of repair work on the Hwy. 50 middle and Lake Fork bridges is set to begin May 12 as crews conduct paint operations.
Last April, the Colorado Department of Transportation closed the middle bridge, located at Blue Mesa Reservoir between Gunnison and Montrose, after several steel weld cracks were observed during a special inspection. Work to install steel plates beneath both bridges continued through much of 2024. Now, after a winter project shutdown, crews are returning to apply a final coat
of paint to the newly repaired steel.
Painting work on the middle bridge is scheduled to begin Monday, May 12. When that bridge is completed, crews will shift to the Lake Fork bridge, located just to the west. The painting is scheduled to be completed by the end of July.
“After the burden of last year's emergency closure, we're pleased to announce that this final phase of work will have only a minimal impact on people traveling US 50 between Montrose and Gunnison," said CDOT Regional Transportation
Director Jason Smith. "This last phase of work will bring to a close what was an amazing demonstration of successful coordination between numerous government and contract-
ed agencies in order to tackle and accomplish this significant feat."
Travel impacts
• Nighttime work hours 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday through Friday.
• Travel over each bridge will be reduced to a single lane.
• Flaggers will direct singlelane travel over each bridge.
• The speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph through the work zone.
(Source: Colorado Department of Transportation.)
The Blue Mesa middle bridge is located just west of Gunnison and crosses Blue Mesa Reservoir. (Photo by Abby Harrison)
Production Manager Issa Forrest issa@gunnisontimes.com
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Stand up for science
Kenneth Crossley, Alex Hays and Jon Crossley Special to the Times
As three Gunnison High School alumni pursuing scientific careers, we feel compelled to defend and elaborate on the broad value of science. United States science has been steadily funded since World War II, but the current situation risks gravely damaging this great American tradition — vital to our health, security and prosperity.
This non-partisan, steady funding has led many to take for granted the advancements that come from this investment in research. Take your cellphone for example. It would be impossible to build one without the semiconductor materials research from the 1950s onward, lithium ion battery research grants since the mid 1970s and investment in the field of computer science since its inception. This investment in the education-idea-researchtechnology cycle has been a powerful driver of our societal improvement. It is the primary reason that U.S. higher education has been the global standard.
Each research endeavor trains the next generation of researchers, who then ask better questions and explore more creative manipulations of materials. For example, I (Kenneth) completed National Science Foundation (NSF) funded internships that accelerated
LETTERS
National service changed my life
Editor:
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the editor must be 500 words or less. We favor local topics and discourage argumentative letters addressed to particular people. If you reference data, please include sources for fact-checking.
We will not print letters from candidates for public office.
Email letters to editor@gunnisontimes.com or send to 218 N. Wisconsin St., Gunnison, CO 81230. Include your full name, address and a phone number — for our internal use only.
The deadline is Tuesday at 12 p.m. Letters may be edited for grammar, clarity or length.
Serving nearly 12 years in the military taught me a lot of things and changed me for the better. It gave me structure, a sense of purpose, taught me how to work with a diverse team to make a difference and what it means to be part of a strong and healthy community.
Along those same lines, I've had the pleasure through the Mountain Roots Food Project supporting and working alongside AmeriCorps members who work hard everyday to strengthen our community and make our valley a better place to live. Over the years, I’ve watched dozens of young people step into service roles — right here in Gunnison County — and walk out not only with stronger resumes, but with a clearer sense of who they are and where they’re going. Many of these young people have stayed in the valley after their service and continue to contribute to making this place special.
my career by years and refined my focus to energy materials research. The planned science funding cuts (~40% National Institutes of Health (NIH) and ~50% NSF) risk wiping out a generation of scientists, engineers and medical professionals before they begin their careers.
This timing could not be worse from a global competition standpoint. China recently surpassed the U.S. in terms of both total academic output and high impact publications. If we stall our research engine now, we will restart with a competitive disadvantage.
Scientific research is essential to health care. Providers practice evidence-based care, which means they use their clinical expertise and the best information available to solve your health problems. Doing this involves having the latest research and data to know what is effective. Research funded by previous generations has led to astounding advances in the last 100 years. Take, for instance, local anesthetics. The ability to selectively numb part of a person’s body has tremendous advantages for many fields of health care — and is greatly appreciated by patients! Creating the local anesthetics used today took decades and built upon our foundational knowledge of the human body, biochemistry and organic chemistry. Because many scientists collectively learned how to create new chemical structures, you don’t have to feel every cut
But the value of their service doesn’t stop with personal growth. Our AmeriCorps members positively interact with so many in the valley from the youngest to the most vulnerable, while helping feed families, teach kids in our local schools, grow local fresh food, restore ecosystems and expand access to health and housing services. They do real work that touches real people who are our friends and neighbors.
Now, that work is in jeopardy. Federal funding for AmeriCorps has been slashed, and while Colorado hasn’t yet shut down programs, the threat is real. Eighteen service members in our valley could lose their posts — and we could lose the vital programs they support.
We can’t afford that. Not as a community, and not as a country.
If you’ve ever wondered how to support young people who are navigating the difficult bridge between college and career, while trying to make a positive impact on their communities — this is it.
If you’ve ever wished there were
during a root canal. Science and health care require consistent funding to keep innovating, implementing, monitoring, revising and improving as they have in the past. This is why the NIH grants are so essential. Ultimately, a person’s health is too precious to guess on, and NIH research allows health care providers to provide better, evidence-based care. In total, NIH grants compound an astounding 156% return on investment ($2.56:1) for our society.
The health of our ecosystems is equally important. Our valued ranchers, recreators, sightseers, hunters, fisherman and tourism professionals fundamentally understand that we are nothing without the land we inhabit. From our valley creeks to the sage steppe, through our vibrant forests into flowering tundra, we are the Gunnison Country. Since 2018, I (Jon) have worked as a wildlife technician throughout Colorado, studying the butterflies, birds and mammals that hold our home together. I have chosen to dedicate my life to conserving our habitat, our home, us, which is what brings me to write this. About onethird of American bird species have dangerously low populations. Pollinators are plummeting. Amphibians are more endangered than both groups combined. This isn’t hyperbole. I helped count them. It is seriously concerning that instead of responding to scien-
more boots on the ground solving local problems — this is it.
I urge local leaders to step up and work to find creative ways to fill the gap with emergency funding. I encourage anyone reading this to donate to Mountain Roots Food Project.org — even $10 makes a difference to keep these members in service and keep essential programs running to support our community.
And I invite you to remember that service isn’t just a line on a resume. It’s how we build better citizens, better communities and a better world.
Brian Pugh
Mt. Crested Butte
Difficult decision
Editor:
Due to the mounting challenges affecting MetRec’s ability to deliver over-the-air TV currently and in the future, the board has unanimously voted to discontinue over-the-air television service in two phases:
tists’ pleas for aid, our national government has gutted conservation efforts. Conservation and protection of public land have never been more important. Defunding scientists and federally funded conservation (U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service) is a blockade towards implementing recovery plans. Read this next part clearly. We cannot afford to delay conserving our species, our habitat, our home. We sit upon the precipice of environmental disaster. Defunding conservation right now will topple us over the edge.
We implore you to contact your representatives to stand up for science in the ongoing congressional budget negotiations. Now. Call now.
Rep. Jeff Hurd: 970.208.0455
Sen. Michael Bennett: 970.241.6631
Sen. John Hickenlooper: 970.822.4530
(Kenneth Crossley is pursuing a PhD in materials chemistry for renewable fuel production. Alex Hays is currently in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program at Anschutz Medical Campus. Jonathan Crossley is pursuing a master's degree in fish, wildlife and conservation biology.)
Remote chain (Monarch, Sargents, Waunita, Pitkin, Parlin, Sapinero, Gateview and Powderhorn) will end service on June 1, 2025, and the main chain (W Mountain, Comstock, Crested Butte South and Crested ButteSunlight) is scheduled to sunset on June 1, 2026. This was a difficult and emotional decision. We know that for some community members, MetRec TV has been a source of connection, information and comfort. Unfortunately, maintaining and upgrading the translator system would require several millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, while serving only several hundred households.
Nationwide, over-the-air TV is becoming a casualty of broader media trends beyond our control. Given the scale of investment required and the rapid changes in how people access TV and media, the board determined it is no longer in the district’s best interest to continue funding this service. We recognize that this decision will negatively affect residents who rely on MetRec TV,
2025 Member
its programs through the end of the year. Yet, the “uncertainty is already real for our team and our partners,” Conn told the Times. If funding is not restored, programs could shutter.
“We're waiting with trepidation, and that's an uncomfortable place to be,” Conn said.
During last year alone, nearly 1,400 AmeriCorps members served at over 700 local sites statewide. On April 29, the state, along with 23 others, filed a lawsuit against the “abrupt” blow to AmeriCorps’ funding. According to a press release from Gov. Jared Polis, the cuts total roughly 41% of the agency’s existing 2025 budget.
“This decision will have devastating effects on communities across our state, impacting our ability to support students, provide families food and housing support, protect against forest fires and lift up our neighbors,” Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera said in the April 29 press release. Her office oversees Serve Colorado. “Cutting AmeriCorps undermines our ability to meet local needs and erases a pipeline of passionate, skilled individuals ready to lead in every sector.”
Rescinding the termination order would allow all programs in Colorado to continue through the end of 2025. This would give Mountain Roots, and other organizations the time needed to potentially pivot. Conn has plans to approach Gunnison County Commissioners and the city and town councils in the coming weeks to request emergency or “bridge” funding to avoid an immediate loss of service.
“My approach is to think about times in the past when unexpected, big things have hit us,” Conn said. “During the pandemic, so many organizations closed down, and Mountain Roots stepped up … I feel like even though it's hard to see now what will happen, the community will rally. The support will be there, because we believe in the work that we do, and so do others.”
In the valley, organizations and nonprofits like the Gunnison Country Food Pantry and the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority are already feeling the impacts of the lost funding. Many are scrambling to fill newfound budget shortfalls to ensure their work can continue. But the fear that more cuts are to come still lingers.
The food pantry has consistently hosted AmeriCorps members since the pandemic. Service members directly support pantry operations by serving guests, organizing volunteers and assisting with data management and food distribution. Over the years, they have tackled projects full-time staff might not have the bandwidth to take on, said Executive Director Jodi Payne. By doing so, AmeriCorps has greatly expanded the food pantry’s capacity. In the past, AmeriCorps members have hosted pop-up pantries in Crested Butte and offered direct support to Western’s
Mountaineer Marketplace.
Payne is already attempting to cover the stipend of one of the pantry’s three service members, whose funding was cut last week. As the lead for the food pantry’s new “Community Connections” initiative, he is creating a program that helps guests access other local resources. For example, if a resident tells a volunteer that their Social Security payments stopped coming last week, they will be directed to the AmeriCorps member. He would then help the guest locate documents, and link them to the right person at Gunnison County Health and Human Services.
The food pantry has already invested a significant amount of time and energy building the new program, Payne said. With plans to keep the AmeriCorps member in service, she is now brainstorming ways to make up for an almost $25,000 budget shortfall. She said she expects to dip into her reserves.
Payne said the loss of AmeriCorps funding creates a “potentially vicious cycle.” As the federal workforce is cut, it is only a matter of time before it begins to affect households in Gunnison, Payne said. Since the start of the year, residents have faced job insecurity, and the threat of heightened inflation. She also noted anticipated changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that could make it more difficult for some low-income and immigrant families to access affordable food.
While the federal changes don’t directly affect the food pantry — with the exception of the AmeriCorps — they could impact the amount of people who may need the pantry’s services, she said. The food pantry serves upward of 400-500 households per month, a number that has continued to grow steadily.
“[It comes] at a time when it's very clear to me that we need to be ramping up our operations and outreach, getting more food donations in and feeding more people … We touch a lot of people, and that takes a lot of hands,” Payne said. “There's not a lot of funding that procures staff at places like a food pantry. It could leave us in a spot where we have a lot more work to do and a lot less help to make it happen.”
Gesa Michel, who runs the housing authority’s GV-Heat program, shared a similar story.
The organization’s AmeriCorps member acts as an outreach liaison and helps residents navigate Colorado's Affordable Residential Energy (CARE) and Low-Income Energy Assistance (LEAP) programs. The basic home upgrades (often to heating systems) offered through these programs are designed to reduce energy bills, crucial in a valley with a long-lasting winter season.
But Michel said GV-Heat has more work than it can handle due to the limited number of contractors in the valley who specialize in home weatherization. A waitlist has even formed. The organization’s AmeriCorps member is gaining the certifi -
cations to become an energy analyst, a skillset she can use to help the housing authority assist more residents and apply to her future career.
Michel said the housing authority is having internal conversations about how to pay for the serve member’s stipend through the end of the year. The team is also bracing itself for more instability as the national LEAP office experienced layoffs last month. Because the application period runs between November and April, the impacts are still unknown, Michel said. Luckily, the CARE program is mostly state funded, she said.
The destabilization of the AmeriCorps may also pull the rug out from under students trying to make the move from college into a career. AmeriCorps generally attracts young adults between the ages of 18 to 25 and offers training, mentorship and practical experience for the next generation of professionals — including students at Western Colorado University, and those who moved to rural areas to serve.
Western offers AmeriCorps internships through the university’s Center for Cold Climate Food Security. Students learn to grow food alongside local producers, in the valleys' sometimes harsh, high altitude environment. Western currently has three students in AmeriCorps positions, which provide “critical services to rural communities in particular,” said Kate Clark, director of Western’s undergraduate Environment and Sustainability program. Western is now in a waiting period to find out the status of the funding that supports the AmeriCorps positions.
“AmeriCorps is really about volunteerism, about neighbors helping neighbors. So contrary to the administration's claim that these cuts are about efficiency, this is really a campaign to destroy the civic foundation of America,” Clark told the Times in a statement.
Her future clouded by the chaos created by the pandemic, AmeriCorps member Amanda Kmetz dropped out of college and applied to serve as a rural mobile food pantry manager in southern New Mexico. It was a choice that would eventually lead her to a farm-to-school educator service position at Mountain Roots in Gunnison, and a career centered on building food security through local agriculture.
“So much will [be lost],” she said. “I can’t fully express it.”
(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)
The City Center
Your local government’s weekly community ad.
ADA Transition Plan
Will you help us understand how accessibilit y is affecting the community?
When something is accessible it means that all peopleregardless of ability - can interact with the facilities, information, and services the City provides
We are collecting community data through a short survey to gauge programs, activities, facilities, and parks through the scope of their accessibility
English Survey encuesta en español
For a Word doc or paper copy, please contact the ADA Coordinator, Erica Boucher, at (970) 641-8140 or cityclerk@gunnisonco.gov
When: 5:30pm, 2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month
Where: City Hall, Second floor Council Chambers, 201 W.
and packets available online the Friday before meetings.
Ave.
Romans 2: 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.
Verse 11
For there is no respect of persons with God. God loves His People!
Proverbs 3:6
all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
City Council Meetings gunnisonco
Virginia
Agendas
Spring into summer Oil Change
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!
TBD W Denver Ave. MLS# 816647 $599,000
Spectacular 2.5 acre level lot located in Gunnison’s new subdivision Elk Ranch. This parcel is located just outside City limits on the west side of town and seller has it set up to be built on immediately. Lot has a well permit already in place along with the required approval for well from the Upper Gunnison Water Conservancy District which can be transferred at closing. Buyer of lot may also pay for tap fees to hook into the City water and sewer main that will be extended north by City this fall. There is a shared road/driveway into the subdivision and it will be completed by this fall as well. Lot has been surveyed and a building envelope has been established for a single family residence but other dwellings such as barns/sheds etc. will be allowed. Come enjoy some country living with incredible views of mountains up Ohio Valley and the Palisades while being so close to town.
457 Ute Dr. (Arrowhead) MLS# 820145 $40,000 Beautiful, secluded 1 acre lot located on the north edge of the Arrowhead subdivision off of the main road. Bring your RV or plan to build your private mountain retreat on this sloped, nicely treed lot with plenty of wildflowers and wildlife to be seen. This subdivision is quaint community located on the Alpine Plateau Road and has quick access
2020. The outlet promoted everything from abortion to global climate lockdowns to hatred against Israel and America. It also influenced White House propaganda and Hollywood.
There is no publication that exemplifies Soros' hold on global media more than Project Syndicate, self-dubbed “The Worlds Opinion Page.”
The Poynter Institute is a global Soros-backed, Ministry of Truth fact-checking operation that restricts opinions on issues like abortion, transgenderism, Covid and Marxist economics, using big tech platforms like Facebook and Instagram to boost their “fact checking” operations to censor users. Through the leftist UK-based open democracy, Soros works to control democracy worldwide. Soros’ media empire wouldn’t be complete without a connection to U.S. media. Biden allowed the Soros takeover and welcomed the 14+ million immigrants who crossed our borders, to overwhelm our human resources and cause this country to fall into communism.
Pam Randall Gunnison
Proof of the catastrophe
Editor:
On Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump repeated the presidential oath stating “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
During the interview aired May 4, 2025, on NBC’s Meet The Press, to the question “don’t you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as President?” he responded, “I don’t know.”
This is proof of the catastrophe in which our country is embroiled. Our president doesn’t know if he needs to support the Constitution.
Holly Dodge Gunnison
Putting down real roots
Editor:
the concerning ammunition purchase by Mexican Nationals that took place last month in Utah and was found by Cañon City, Colorado police officers. When I did a simple search online, I found many other instances that are concerning, as well. Many questions come to mind from these letters and the national news reports that are being shared.
One being, who, besides the military, has purchased 180,000 rounds of ammunition of that caliber in a single purchase? Why were they allowed to purchase it without being questioned? That’s over $100,000 worth of ammunition. Who has that kind of money to spend on ammunition at one time besides the cartel?
Maybe we should have a more thorough visa vetting process.
Tom Marshall Gunnison County
Do your job
Editor:
Congressman Hurd, did you watch the interview President Donald Trump did with Terry Moran of ABC News?
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident, was rendered to prison in El Salvador by the Trump administration due to what was later acknowledged as an “administrative error.” Despite this, Trump repeatedly insisted that Abrego Garcia had “MS13” tattooed on his knuckles, referring to the gang Mara Salvatrucha. However, the photo Trump presented as “proof” was clearly doctored — photoshopped with added letters and numbers.
The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a lower court ruling that required the Trump administration to take action to return Abrego Garcia to the United States. Trump has refused to comply. This is a blatant act of contempt of court.
You previously wrote to me that you would monitor the actions of the executive branch. So I ask you now: What are you doing in response to this flagrant disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law?
Congress, as a co-equal branch of government, bears responsibility for checking executive overreach. Yet, you and your colleagues have abdicated that duty. This inaction deserves not just criticism, but deep condemnation.
I would like to publicly thank the Gunnison-Crested Butte Association of Realtors (GCAR) for their generous support in purchasing our first home in Gunnison. My son and I are beyond grateful for the award that the Homebuyer Assistance Program has gifted us with. Gunnison is our home, and putting down real roots gives us so much hope for the future.
Thank you again GCAR.
Julia and Dakota Marcuzzo Gunnison
Many questions come to
mind
Editor:
I want to extend a thank you to both Ms. Dobson, Mr. Watko and Mr. Welch for their letters about
I cannot understand why Congress has allowed this pattern of lawlessness to continue. If, as a Republican member of Congress, you fear being primaried by your party, you should be even more concerned about losing the support of your constituents. Many of us are deeply dissatisfied with how you — and this administration — are conducting the nation’s affairs.
Trump is clearly in cognitive decline and a present danger. Our country, and the world, cannot endure another four years of this chaos.
Do your job. Uphold the Constitution. Defend the rule of
A good use of the Gunnison Times
(Photos by Alex McCrindle)
“Grief is not just an emotion, burden or weakness to be hidden. It is the deepest proof that love existed, so beautiful that once touched your life. In the beginning, it feels unbearable like a wound that won’t close. In time, through the pain, you will find healing, not because you have forgotten, because you learned to carry both love and loss together. It lingers in the echoes of laughter, warmth of old memories, in the silent moments where you still reach for what is no longer there. Some moments will bring you sadness others will fill you with gratitutde for the love that you were lucky enough to experience. So, feel it, let yourself remember.”
- Jim Carrey
Miss you Girl
Whitney Chantal Glover
I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:17 16 years May 10 - 2009
Love you forever and always Petie, Mom and Dad.
This we’ll defend
Gunnison High School senior Maria Sabas Aguilar took her oath of enlistment to the U.S. Military with Sergeant First Class Ellixes Rodriguez on April 28. Aguilar was joined on stage by family and friends to honor her commitment. After graduation, Aguilar will head to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri to complete basic training.
The sun shone brightly during the CC’s Burgers ribbon cutting Friday, May 2, and a line of folks anticipated CC’s award-winning burger. Good old fashioned burgers grilled with all the fixin’s satisfied their cravings.
(Photos by Alex McCrindle)
(Photos by Rebecca Rose)
A recap of winter 2024-25
Bruce ‘Barometer’ Bartleson Special to the Times
Since I’ve been asked several times by friends and it is my custom to wrap up each season in Gunnison, here’s a review of last winter. Was this the worst, the coldest or the driest winter in years? Well, let’s see the data. First, what we are dealing with are these three months; December 2024, January 2025 and February 2025. By definition, that is winter, even though sometimes either November or March can be pretty winter-like. Please remember that when I use the words “long-term,” I am referring to 125 years of record, from 1900 to the present.
The high temperatures (TMax) for those three months averaged 24.9 degrees, compared to the long-term average 28.7 degrees. And, it turns out we were saved from even colder weather after a pretty darn cold January (9 degrees colder than long-term average) by a rather balmy February. The low temperatures (TMin) averaged 5.2 degrees below zero, compared to the long-term average of 3.5 degrees below zero. Finally, the average temperatures were 9.8 degrees, compared to the long-term 12.6 degrees, so you can see we were a little (about
3 degrees) colder all the way around in our temperatures last winter.
Precipitation (including the moisture in snow) amounted to 1.3 inches for the three winter months, a bit below our longterm average of 2.39 inches. Did anybody tell you we are about 25 years into a drought?
Snowfall amounted to 12.6 inches for the sum total of the winter months, again, below the long-term average of 33 inches. Thanks to that big daybefore Thanksgiving blizzard and the cold temperatures in December and January, we had about 12 inches of snow on the ground most of the winter. It gradually tapered down in late February and finally disappeared in March, which greeted us with a false spring and cold weather.
!Es la "Semana de agradecimiento a los maestros", pero nosotros estamos agradecidos por nuestros maestros todos los días! ¡Gracias a nuestros maestros!
Here are some other quick stats. The coldest temperature of winter was 31 degrees below zero on Jan. 21. There were 14 days when the temperature was 20 degrees below zero or greater. The temperature stayed below zero all day on Jan. 22.
(Bruce Bartleson is a retired emeritus professor of geology at Western Colorado University. He spends most of his time now watching the weather.)
Snow still covered the North Valley in mid-April. (Photo by Bella Biondini)
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
CBES - Permanent Substitute Bus Drivers Food Service Substitute teachers
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
District Director of Special Services
District Psychologist GHS - Special Education Teacher
CBSS - Math Teacher
COACHING
CBHS - Head Hockey coach
CBHS - Volleyball coach
GHS - Asst. Dive coach
GHS - Asst. Cross Country coach
Please contact:
Superintendent’s Office JoAnn Klingsmith 800 N. Boulevard 970-641-7760 jklingsmith@ gunnisonschools.net
CITY OF GUNNISON EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Part-Time Openings: Lifeguards: $23-$29.33/hr.
Special Events/Project Assistant: $20.91 to $23.64/hr plus $1.78 incentive completion bonus.
Summer Ditch Laborer: $25.09 to $27.82/hr plus $1.78 incentive completion bonus.
The City of Gunnison offers a competitive benefit package, including 75% of medical, dental and vision premiums paid for the employee and their dependents, 5% of gross wages in a retirement plan, 3 weeks of vacation (increasing based on the years of service), 13 paid holidays and 12 days of sick leave per year.
For more information, including complete job descriptions, benefit packages, required job qualifications and application instructions, please visit GunnisonCO.gov/HR.
GUNNISON COUNTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Patrol Deputy
Sheriff: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, the annual salary range is from $72,397.26 to $102,405.83 plus full benefits.
Take home vehicle & uniform allowance provided by the Sheriff’s Office.
Heavy Equipment Operator
Public Works: Full-Time, 40 hours/ week, hourly range from $23.60 to $31.69 plus full benefits.
Temporary Planner I Community Development:
30 hours/week, hourly range from $31.28 to $38.02, depending on experience, plus partial benefits.
Weed Program Technician –Summer Seasonal Public Works: 40 hours/week, hourly range from $25.01 to $28.48, depending on experience, plus partial benefits.
Data Analyst II
Public Works: 40 hours/week, monthly range from $5,421.38 to $6,172.38, depending on experience, plus full benefits.
Shop Technician I Public Works: 40 hours/week, hourly range from $26.51 to $30.19, depending on experience, plus full benefits.
Summer Seasonal
Public Works: 40 hours/week, hourly range from $21.20 to $24.14, depending on experience, plus partial benefits.
Jail Administrator Sheriff: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range is from $6,778.80 to $8,240.87, depending on experience, plus full benefits.
For more information, including complete job descriptions, required qualifications and application instructions, please visit GunnisonCounty.org/jobs.
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projects, including
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rugged terrain while performing physical labor, ability to lift, carry, push, pull items up to 50 pounds unassisted, current First Aid & CPR certification or higher-level certification, and ability to utilize basic software in an office setting for tracking and reporting. Pay: $22/ hr. Full job description is available on the Town’s website at www.townofcrestedbutte. com. Please submit your application and resume to jobs@crestedbutte-co.gov. Position is open until filled. The Town of Crested Butte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
SEEKING EXPERIENCED PROJECT MANAGERS for upcoming residential construction projects VuhausLLC.com ken@teoventures.com.
BARISTA: Mochas Coffeehouse and Bakery in Gunnison is seeking baristas to join our team for the Summer. Hourly wage plus tips and shift meals, in a positive and fun work environment. Drop your resume off or fill out an application at Mochas or email mochasbarista@gmail.com.
PROJECT HOPE OF THE GUNNISON
VALLEY seeks a Director of Operations for a 32 hour/week position to provide bookkeeping and administrative support. To apply, send resume, cover letter, and 3 references to: director@hope4gv.org. See
SINGLE DAD SEEKING LIVE-IN
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WESTERN COLORADO UNIVERSITY
Is hiring a full-time Graphic Designer to join its Marketing and Communications team in Gunnison, Colorado, with a salary range of $50,000–$54,000 and full benefits. This role focuses on designing a wide range of marketing materials that promote the university’s brand across print and digital channels, while also fulfilling design requests from campus departments. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field, 3-5 years of experience in graphic design, proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, a strong design portfolio and excellent communication skills. To view the full job announcements and apply, visit western.edu/jobs and click on “View Careers” (EOE)
work is a plus, but we’re willing to train the right person.
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Contact your local Newspaper or email rtoledo@colopress net
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BETHANY BAPTIST SEEKS A FAMILY
PASTOR: We are seeking a biblically sound, competent, highly relational, emotionally mature Pastor to disciple parents and families and build the next generation of leaders and disciples for Jesus. The full time Family Pastor will provide pastoral leadership, counseling, and spiritual development for families within the church, with a particular emphasis on strengthening marriages, equipping parents, and guiding youth. For full position description, compensation range and instructions on applying, email search@ gunnisonbethany.com. gunnisonbethany.com
CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/
RECEPTIONIST: Location: Gunnison, Colorado
Do you love animals and people? Are you organized, friendly and ready to be the welcoming face of a caring veterinary team? Gunnison Valley Veterinary Clinic is looking for a warm and dependable Client Services Representative to join our close-knit staff. As our receptionist, you’ll play a vital role in creating a positive experience for pets and their people—from answering phones and scheduling appointments to greeting wagging tails and friendly faces. What We’re Looking For: A friendly, professional attitude. Strong communication and customer service skills. Comfortable working with animals of all sizes. Dependability and attention to detail. Ability to multitask around our lovable office cat and in a fast-paced environment. Prior experience in reception or veterinary
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THE TOWN OF CRESTED BUTTE is looking for a Deputy Marshal. The Deputy Marshal performs a full range of law enforcement duties necessary to ensure public safety, protect life and property, and enforce laws and ordinances. Compensation: No POST $32.51 - $38.25 per hour ($67,621 - $79,560 per year) / POST laterals negotiable.
Requirements: high school diploma or equivalent, Colorado Driver’s License or obtain one within 30 days of employment, possess a valid Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification or obtain one within 1 year from date of employment, must be 21 at time of POST certification. Full job description is available on the Town’s website at www. townofcrestedbutte.com. Please submit your application, cover letter, and resume to jobs@crestedbutte-co.gov. Position is open until filled. The Town of Crested Butte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM INSPECTOR: This position is responsible for maintaining and enforcing public health regulations relating to the community’s environmental health. Through investigation, inspection, education and enforcement, the On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Jnspector takes action to mitigate or eliminate public health hazards. Inspections and investigations occur indoors and outdoors facilities such as residential
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Native plants from B4
and member of the new chapter, which encompasses most of Gunnison and all of Pitkin counties.
Adjacent chapters of the Native Plant Society, such as the Plateau Chapter to the west and Arkansas River Valley Chapter to the east, have often been too far away for valley residents to engage in hands-on workshops or hikes. The new chapter is an opportunity to teach the community about the native plants that call the Gunnison Basin home, Bingham said.
“We just can’t continue to consume water like it’s an infinite resource. Natives are built to last here.”
Benedicte Henrotte Gardener
Native plants are adapted to their environments and have co-evolved with the insects, animals and other plants around it, Bingham said. Some specialized insects rely on only one kind of plant and cannot survive without it. For example, tiger swallowtail butterflies only lay their eggs on the native cottonwood or willow trees. This is what their caterpillars, upon hatching, will recognize as food. Yucca plants depend on yucca moths to pollinate them, and the list of relationships goes on and on, Bingham said.
She also noted that plants contribute to soil stabilization. While some non-native species might help hold the ground in place, they would not provide the “same services the natives provide,” she said.
“You can provide the pieces, but it’s the relationships that are important,” she said of the relationships between plants, insects, birds and other wildlife within an ecosystem. “They have evolved over a long period of time. If you’re just providing part (like avoiding soil erosion), you’re not seeing the whole.”
Because native plants are already adapted to the valley’s climate and have water needs that match the typical rainfall patterns, they are often lower maintenance than transplants from elsewhere. Gunnison Basin natives are much more equipped to handle the arid climate compared to traditional grass lawns.
Top O’ the World Garden Club Treasurer Benedicte Henrotte said she is concerned about water usage and sees more local gardeners moving toward plants that require less water.
“We just can’t continue to consume water like it’s an infinite resource,” said Henrotte, who has also joined the new Native Plant Society chapter. “Natives are built to last here.”
The Top O’ the World Garden Club has been beautifying Gunnison for 70 years by planting and maintaining flower beds around town and by providing sage advice to gardeners learning how to grow in this unique environment. The garden club purchases the plants and relies on an annual plant sale to generate funds for that purpose.
“With the annuals, you get this lovely pop of color,” said Henrotte, who hopes to incorporate native plants into one of the Top O’ the World gardens. Annuals need replacing each year. “Are we going to complete-
ly eliminate that? Probably not, but there’s a way to combine them both.”
There has already been some mingling of membership between the new organization and the long-standing garden club.
“We really need to cross pollinate,” Henrotte said. “Gunnison is definitely the most challenging area to grow anything.”
Last summer, Cudlip organized a tour, assisted by the Colorado Native Plant Society, of five local gardens that incorporated native plant species, including hers and Carr’s. Cudlip said the tour, attended by about 25 people, created the momentum that helped establish the new Gunnison Basin chapter.
Numerous individuals and organizations have been engaged in the conservation of native plants in the Gunnison Basin, including the Gunnison County CSU Extension, Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Coldharbour Institute, Western Colorado University, the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District and the U.S. Forest Service among oth-
ers. Bingham sees the new local chapter of the Colorado Native Plant Society as a way they can all come together.
“It’s a wonderful community and maybe provides a home for all of us native plant and wildflower enthusiasts.”
Cudlip envisions membership growing with volunteers who can help local organizations expand their native plant and conservation projects. For example, she said she would like the chapter to support the Coldharbour Institute’s seed sourcing restoration efforts when they get underway with volunteers monitoring and identifying plants and pulling weeds. The new chapter will align with the state organization’s push to collect seeds for restoration in collaboration with the Forest Service. Bingham said she looks forward in the coming years to expanding Western’s herbarium, which is a collection of dried pressed plants and associated data that can aid restoration efforts, and hopes that members of the new chapter will volunteer to help.
Bingham likened the new chapter to the nucleus of a
raincloud, hoping that the Gunnison Basin Chapter will increase in membership and generate a steady shower of interest in native plant conservation. More than 30 members have joined the Gunnison Basin Chapter so far and the chapter is looking to grow.
“You need a nucleus for a rainstorm to start, for water to condense and fall,” she said.
With the temperatures warming quickly, the Gunnison Basin chapter is offering another hike, called “Sagebrush Beauties,” June 21 in the Almont Triangle, and one July 26, either at the Slumgullion slide beyond Lake City or on Western’s property in Crested Butte. The July hike will include some botanizing, which is “getting your nose to the ground and looking for plants to identify them all,” Cudlip said.
To learn more, or register for an event, visit conps.org/home/ events/event-calendar/.
(Johnelle Lamarque is a copyeditor, cultural anthropologist and novice sewing magician living her best life in Gunnison this academic year.)
Carr’s garden beds are slowly coming out of hibernation. By June and July, they will be awash in color. (Photo by Bella Biondini)
A group of cedar waxwings snack on juniper berries. (Courtesy Kathy Carr)
Buds grow on a chokecherry tree (Photo by Bella Biondini)
Titans slip in season finale
The Crested Butte Titans lacrosse campaign came to an end with a 10-9, overtime loss against Glenwood Springs on May 3. With the defeat, the Titans concluded the season with a 4-11 overall record, and landed 1-9 in the 4A Mountain League.
Wyatt Cook slings a pass against Summit on April 29. (Photos by Mariel Wiley)
Luke Walton marches downfield.
AJ Hegeman finds a teammate.
Raining cats and dogs
The Gunnison Valley Animal Welfare League’s (GVAWL) 19th Annual Cat and Dog Art Show had a historical number of entries with 87 photos and paintings. The winners were unveiled on April 30. Donations tallied more than $1,600, a new record for this fundraising event. Best of Show Cat went to “Sencha
painting by
and Best of Show Dog to “Hey, Howard - I’m your dog,” a photo by
