Gunnison Country Times, October 3, 2024

Front Range developer eyes parcel in west Gunnison

Urban Villages in early planning stages

Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer

The Denver-based real estate investment firm and developer, Urban Villages, is looking to turn one of the City of Gunnison’s last large vacant parcels into workforce housing. It has yet to lay out detailed plans, or determine if the project is financially feasible, said

Villages President Jon Buerge.

The 25-acre parcel is on the west edge of town off Thornton Way, adjacent to Gunnison Gardens. Jeff Hermanson, a Crested Butte entrepreneur and partner at Villages, has owned the parcel for nearly two decades, under the LLC Sherman Street Holdings. Villages has been gathering feedback from the valley’s major employers to determine exactly what type of housing would best serve the Gunnison Valley workforce, Buerge said.

TAPP forecasts tourism slowdown

NEWS: Local candidate up for 7th Judicial DA, A12

COMMUNITY: Fairview

Schoolhouse back in session, B1

SPORTS: GHS volleyball defeats Bruins, B6

OBITUARIES A2

OPINION A4

CLASSIFIEDS A16-A21 SPORTS B6

Plans to center more advertising on Gunnison gravel biking

Bella Biondini Times Editor

News of a visitation slowdown is spreading across the Mountain West and the Gunnison Valley may not be immune for much longer.

Many resort communities saw a significant downturn in both sales tax collections and hotel stays during the summer season. This followed a decrease in lift ticket sales last winter, with early data from Vail Resorts showing that the upcoming ski season may also

be slower than usual. While the Gunnison Valley is faring much better than others in the region, tourism officials worry that the momentum may eventually stall without new amenities to attract vacationers.

And the competition is on, especially in Colorado. Owners announced plans to invest up to $100 million in the Purgatory Resort in Durango over the next decade. Nearby, thanks to a $14 million makeover, the Durango Hot Springs Resort and Spa can now accommodate even more visitors. In Aspen, base areas have been renovated, terrain expanded and new lifts built.

Steamboat’s recent $220-million redevelopment project included a new, 10-person base-to-summit gondola.

While others are pumping millions into their ski resort and other nearby ame -

GORP Act introduced in Senate

Bill for county public lands more than decade in making

Bella Biondini Times Editor

A new federal public lands bill, with a genesis in Gunnison County, would further protect more than 700,000 acres on Colorado’s Western Slope.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet introduced the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection

(GORP) Act in the U.S. Senate. The legislation, more than a decade in the works, would add another layer of protection to Gunnison County’s 2.5 millionacres network of public lands. The act also includes portions of neighboring Delta and Hinsdale counties.

“If you spend any time in Gunnison, you know how spectacular these public lands are and how central they are to that community's way of life … At the heart of every discussion over the bill was a shared respect for the generations before us who preserved these lands and a shared responsibility to future generations,” Bennet said during a press call.

POLKA PALS: The Pete Dunda Band brought a hopping polka performance to the Gunnison Bank and Trust’s Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 27. The trio wore traditional German lederhosen for the event. For more, see B4. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)

“Harry Miller wasn’t the only school boy to ride his horse into the building. We all rode our horses inside!”

— Phil Eilbeacht, former Fairview School student

See story on B1

CR 26 detour time change

Maintenance operations on County Road 26 have been moved from Wednesdays to Sundays. The road will now be closed on Sundays from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Kokanee giveaways

As part of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) kokanee salmon program, giveaway days occur each year for those who hold a valid Colorado fishing license. Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribal members may show a Tribal ID card, or a Brunot or state fishing license.

Giveaways at the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery are scheduled for Fridays of Oct. 11, Oct. 18, Oct. 25, Nov. 1 and Nov. 8. Attendees should be in line by 9 a.m. and bring their own small cooler. Most of the kokanee are 10-13 inches in size.

Kokanee numbers from Blue Mesa Reservoir are anticipated to be low again this year due to prior years of drought. CPW is hopeful numbers will rebound by 2026.

The number of fish available will fluctuate each week.

Participants should call Roaring Judy at 970.641.0190 or 970.641.7070 for more information.

REDI grant applications now open

The City of Gunnison, in partnership with the state and the ICELab, is accepting grant proposals from existing businesses with plans to expand and create local jobs.

The Rural Economic Development Initiative Grant (REDI Grant) is designed to help rural communities diversify their local economy. Through this grant program, the city will administer a total of roughly $100,000 to local businesses. Information sessions, via Zoom, or in-person at the ICELab, will be held in English on Oct. 7 from 6:30-8 p.m. and in Spanish on Oct. 8 from 6:30-8:30 a.m. Businesses must attend one of these meetings to apply.

Bill Knowles

Bill Knowles passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on Sept. 26, 2024. A full obituary will appear next week. A celebration of life will be held at the Palisades Restaurant in Gunnison on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 4:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Gunnison Home Association or Gunnison Valley Health Hospice and Palliative Care.

Ronald Clarence Ficklin

Ronnie was born on Oct. 4, 1950 in Gunnison, Colorado. He passed away peacefully on Sept. 22, 2024. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth and Clarence, brother, Gary, and nephew Gerald Muzzy. He is survived by his sister, Cheryl Perkins and husband of Alvarado, Texas, his niece Lynna Kienlen of Yukon, Oklahoma, and his great niece, Ashlee Jackson and husband of Oklahoma City.

Ronnie developed a love for sports at a young age and competed throughout his school years and adult life. He played football, basketball and baseball

BIRTHS

for the Gunnison High School Cowboys and was honored as the “Most Dedicated Athlete” when he graduated in 1971. He played city league basketball with the Konky Krew for many years after high school and played slow pitch softball for many years with his lifelong friend Don White. playing for the city team, the Elks Lodge team and several others. He put thousands of miles on his bikes, riding to and from work, the store, and the many athletic events he went to as either a player or a fan. Ronnie also competed and won many ribbons and medals in the Special Olympics over the years and worked at Six Points with many of his good friends.

He loved following the Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rockies, Denver Nuggets, and, of course, the GHS Cowboys and Western Colorado University Mountaineers. He and his good friend Ricky Glatiotis were usually at most, if not all, the Cowboy or Mountaineer home events and could be found in their front row seats cheering for the local teams and athletes. He also traveled to see the pro sports teams play in Denver many times over the years. He loved to talk sports and sport stats with anyone and stayed up to date on all his favorite teams.

His other loves were family, friends, good beer like Fat Tire, chocolate shakes and cakes, cherry pie, and most any other kind of food. He was a prolific eater of foods when he was competing and working, and his appetite and ability to put food

Piper Josephine Tucker

Piper Josephine Tucker was born to Brian and Megan Tucker of Gunnison on Sept. 18, 2024 at 11:18 a.m. in Denver, Colorado. She weighed 6lb 4oz and measured 19.5 inches at birth. She is welcomed by her older brother Camden (2.5 years), grandparents Michael

away was almost legendary. Ronnie was a valued hardworking employee of the City of Gunnison for 45 years and he retired in 2015. His work ethic and attitude were readily apparent as he made his rounds on the refuse truck or when he was keeping the shop clean and in order. His 45 years at the city is one of, if not the longest work histories ever for a City of Gunnison employee.

A celebration of life for Ronnie will take place at the Gunnison Elks Lodge, 123 S. Main St. in, Gunnison from 12-2:30 p.m. on his birthday, Oct. 4, 2024. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts or donations be sent to Ronnie’s beloved Six Points, P.O. Box 1002, Gunnison, CO 81230.

It is with deep sadness that we announce the untimely passing of Hannah EricksonDiehl on Sept. 26, 2024 in Gunnison, Colorado.

Hannah was born on April 18, 1995 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Life brought her to Gunnison in the fall of 2013 to attend college where she

and Patricia Tucker of Lake Forest, Illinois, and Jerry and Laurie Sankey of Fort Collins, Colorado as well as her aunts, uncles, cousins and many other family members and friends.

excelled in track and field and studied biology. Her outgoing nature led her to her husband Andrew Diehl. Together, their desire to help their community inspired them both to join the law enforcement profession. Hannah enjoyed being an outdoor adventurer, and was a lover of animals, arts and crafts, flowers — especially sunflowers — dinosaurs and exercise.

They experienced their greatest joy on Sept. 10, 2024 with the birth of their first child, a beautiful baby girl, Eleanor Mae. As Andrew and Hannah were preparing for their first nature walk, Hannah collapsed and passed away shortly after.

Hannah is survived by her husband Andrew, baby daughter Eleanor, mother, father, sister, two brothers, a nephew and extended family. Her memory will live on in everyone who knew her, and their responsibility to her memory will be to share their memories of Hannah with Elanor as she grows, so she may, too, know the mother she will forever miss.

A memorial fund has been established to help baby Elanor thrive. Donations can be made at gofund.me/9b52484e.

A celebration of life will be held this Saturday at 1 p.m. at the I Bar Ranch in Gunnison. A service will be followed by food and drink to celebrate her life between friends and family.

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Hannah Erickson-Diehl

Gunnison police officer arrested for sex assault

Days later, dies by suicide

Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer

Gunnison Police Officer

Daniel Huff, 41, died by suicide in Mesa County on the morning of Sept. 28, according to the Mesa County Coroner’s Office. Days prior, he had been arrested and detained following charges of sexual assault and incest issued by the 7th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, a warrant was issued for Huff’s arrest and he was later taken to the Gunnison County Detention Center. That Friday, Assistant District Attorney Jessica Waggoner filed two charges against Huff, one count of sexual assault and one count of incest — both Class 4 felonies.

The Gunnison Police Department hired Huff in September of 2021 as a patrol officer, with 10 years of prior law enforcement experience. The city placed Huff on administrative leave on Sept. 25, once it was informed of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) inquiry into Huff and the felony charges, City Manager Amanda Wilson wrote in a statement to the Times

Following his arrest, Huff was initially held without bond until a hearing on Sept. 27. In Colorado, individuals who have

been arrested can only be held without bond until they appear before a judge. At a hearing, Gunnison County Judge Ashley Burgemeister set his bond at $20,000. Huff posted bond later that day, just before 5 p.m., and was released from the detention center.

The next morning, Huff was found deceased near Loma, 20 miles northwest of Grand Junction. The coroner’s office declined to provide further comment on the circumstances surrounding his death.

The charges stemmed from CBI’s three-week investigation into Huff. On Sept. 8, CBI received a phone tip regarding possible abuse by Huff, according to the arrest affidavit. CBI agents then informed the Gunnison District Attorney’s Office, and began an investigation. Colorado police departments cannot investigate their own officers to avoid conflicts of interest, so those cases are typically referred to CBI, said Communications Director Rob Low.

Over the course of three weeks, investigators interviewed people who knew Huff regarding the alleged incidents. The Times requested CBI’s report on Huff, but did not receive it by press time. (Editor’s note: The Times is withholding further detail from the arrest affidavit as Huff was not convicted, and to protect the families’ privacy).

The Gunnison Police

Department wasn't notified that Huff was under suspicion at any point during the threeweek investigation, Low said. It is standard CBI practice not to notify an agency that one of its officers is under investigation until investigators have established probable cause — in this case, on Sept. 25. The same standard applies for the state’s POST notification database, maintained by the Attorney General’s Office to track officers and deputies credibly accused of misconduct or who may have been terminated.

“Our current focus is with the victim and Huff’s entire family,” GPD Captain Chris Wilson wrote in a Sept. 30 press release. “This situation has been extremely difficult on them, our community and our entire department.”

Mesa County Sheriff’s Office is overseeing the investigation and should be contacted for further details regarding the case. Memorial services have not been confirmed.

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

RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE IN CRISIS:

• Call the Colorado Crisis Services Hotline at 1.844.493.8255 or text TALK to 38255. Trained professionals provide free, immediate and confidential help 24/7, 365 days a year.

• Crested Butte Youth Wellness offers four free counseling sessions for kids between grades 6-12.

• CB State of Mind provides 10 free sessions with a local therapist.

• Gunnison Valley Health peer support specialists can be reached at behavioralhealth@gvh-colorado.org or call 970.648.7128.

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LETTERS

GORP Act belongs to Gunnison County

Editor:

OPINION

Gunnison County public land users, residents, landowners and visitors have something new and positive to support — the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act was introduced by Sen. Michael Bennet on Sept. 26.

The GORP Act is the product of local public land users coming together to create a proposal for designations and boundaries that respect existing uses and protect resources — such as wildlife, grazing, recreation and forests — against the many challenges they are facing.

Local people have invested thousands of hours to create the designations for federal lands in the GORP Act. The bulk of this work was spent gathering information and considering on-theground conditions to create a mosaic of special management areas that are intended to protect the unique characteristics of the different zones across Gunnison County.

The GORP Act creates the Flat Top Wildlife Conservation Area to protect critical wildlife habitat on the high plateau between Gunnison and Crested Butte. It withdraws areas of public lands from future mining availability, limits development of new roads and requires a winter travel management plan. The act also makes common sense additions to existing wilderness areas by including locations on the edges of existing wilderness that are still unspoiled and qualify for the designation.

2024

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.

The GORP Act enjoys broad support from local municipalities, six counties and a broad range of public land user groups. It will be led by Bennet through Washington D.C. politics to become law.

Thank you to Senator Bennet for advancing our work to the next level. Please support the GORP Act as it will provide the protections for federal lands this community needs moving forward to safeguard our most valuable asset, our public lands, from threats now and into the future.

Jon Hare

High Country Conservation Advocates

Do together what we cannot do individually

Editor:

As a long-term public lands advocate, steward and educator who moved to the Gunnison Valley a year ago, I’d like to wholeheartedly congratulate the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI) in its work that led Colorado’s senators to introduce the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act (GORP).

Ten years of work and input show dedication, collaboration and a willingness to learn and grow from different perspectives. The process allowed for a draft plan, which was presented to the public through a few years of town halls, meetings and comment periods. It allowed citizens to mold and shape the bill that was introduced. No small feat.

All of the existing uses — grazing, research, hunting and fishing, motorized and non-motorized recreation — were carefully considered while drafting the GORP Act and the new protections are precisely drawn to not change what is currently allowed on our adjacent public lands. In fact, the bottom line for the GORP Act is that it respects the existing uses and spent a decade of collaboration to ensure those existing uses are compatible with the bill's designations.

The GORP Act is necessary because it requires passing federal legislation to create perpetual designations for federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Long-term designations can only be authorized through a law passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives and signed by the president. The GORP Act will complement existing land management plans which are limited to terms of 10 to 20 years.

Moving this project from a local public lands project, the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative, into proposed federal legislation is a big deal for Gunnison County as we are one of the only locations in the state and the nation to raise up a broad consensus-based proposal for the future management of adjacent federal lands.

I’d like to thank each GPLI member, advocate and volunteer for their collaboration and community building. I also want to commend Gunnison’s County Commissioners for their leadership. Of note, Commissioner Jonathan Houck has been a Gunnison County public lands champion. His unrelenting advocacy is often quiet and behind the scenes, but he is always working to protect the one thing that binds all of us together: our treasured public lands, which make up 82% of the impressively large county we call home.

I know his work goes beyond public lands, for we can’t just rely on public lands to thrive. So, I’d also like to say thank you for the ongoing collaborative work being done to improve workforce housing, improve our economy, protect ranching and water, support effective education and address climate change. The issues we’re facing call for more collaboration, steadfast leadership and tenacity. I look forward to digging into the work that needs to be done for our amazing community in the next 10 years and hope to do so with the ongoing leadership of Commissioner Houck and the other tenacious leaders who work tirelessly so that we all thrive.

Briget Eastep Gunnison

I’ll be supporting Houck

Editor:

The GPLI working group includes local representatives of the ranching community, winter and summer motorized, mountain bikers, quiet users, conservationists, water interests, hunters, anglers and other interest groups. Together, with many rounds of public input and hard conversations, the proposed bill, from what I can see, honors existing uses and valid rights. It protects clean air, water and wildlife habitats as priorities, while honoring and maintaining the vital economic tie we have to our public lands. The goal seems to be we all thrive — the environment and the people who live in this amazing part of Colorado.

One of the best definitions of government that I’ve come across is to do together what we cannot do individually. In Gunnison County, public lands are viewed as a community asset and the GORP Act is evidence of how people from all walks of life and perspectives came together. This work is often taken for granted. I’ve worked with public lands as a university partner for the past 20 years in dozens of partnerships and workgroups and know tenacity, commitment and leadership are key ingredients to moving any initiative forward over what becomes a long period of time.

stock plans that meet the needs of contemporary code. I think our local elected officials deserve praise for seeking solutions. For that, and a slew of other reasons, I’ll be supporting Jonathan Houck for county commissioner and I ask you to consider the same.

Loren Ahonen Gunnison

GVC3 endorsements of Mt. CB Town Council candidates

Editor:

Mt. Crested Butte will be experiencing a significant building boom over the next decade. Currently, there are eight recently approved housing development projects slated for construction.

The largest of these eight are the Villages (also known as the North Village) and Prospect Ridge. The developers have estimated that 7,000 new daily car trips would be added to our existing traffic just from these two developments alone. Additionally, the traffic assessment included two traffic lights on Gothic Road within Mt. Crested Butte, which will also add to an increase in emissions with more stop-and-go traffic. Significant impacts will be realized including increased carbon emissions from not only transportation, but from household energy consumption and municipal waste.

It’s finally arrived. We find ourselves in my favorite part of the local election cycle. Blameit-on-the-LUR season is here. In all seriousness, I was reminded of this election cycle platitude while reading Steve Bathje’s recent words in the Gunnison Country Times. And more importantly, I was reminded of how truly empty the critique was.

Reasonable people may disagree about the efficacy of the land use resolution (LUR) as a regulatory document. But the nearing on timeless reframe that it’s the source of all housing problems in Gunnison County rings hollow — or at least tone deaf to the broader challenge that is occurring across Colorado (with its varying, home-rule regulatory regimes).

Permits do get pulled in Gunnison County (a lot of them) and things do get built (just most folks can’t afford what is built). Sounds to me like the market isn’t serving the full range of the population.

Enter government as a solution, which Mr. Bathje also dismisses. The government should stay out of housing (and all the slippery slope arguments following) critique lacks nuance or even understanding of what is being delivered by Gunnison County stepping into the housing development game to deliver needed units, density and

This planned construction up valley will begin soon, likely once its sanitary sewer system is expanded to meet the new demands of these new communities. The Gunnison Valley Climate Crisis Coalition (GVC3), your steward for climate change impacts, would like to see this growth of Mt. Crested Butte managed by steady hands and sound leadership.

To help promote the most environmentally qualified leadership with an eye to mitigating carbon emissions, and to help best guide this significant growth, we sent a questionnaire to all the candidates. The questions focused on mitigating carbon emissions expected from this development. Following our evaluation of the answers to our queries, GVC3 endorses these four town council candidates in the upcoming general election on Nov. 5: Nicolas Kempin, Bruce Nation, Valeda Scribner and Bobbie Sierra.

Gunnison Valley Climate Crisis Coalition

In response to last week’s letter

Editor:

I read a far-ranging letter in last week’s paper by Jon Matuszczak in which, by responding to a letter in the Sept. 12 edition he deft-

12 edition he deftly manages to blame the Biden Administration, and by default Kamala Harris, for many of the issues, some real and some perceived, that we are facing.

For example, the letter blames the current administration for the inflation of the past few years, yet never mentions Covid as the actual reason. Every serious economist credits the supply chain problems, the pent-up demand and the stimulus programs for inflation. In reality, we have done a good job balancing on the knife edge between lowering inflation and not falling into recession. Far better, in fact, than most other developed nations.

In case one has not noticed, inflation and interest rates are coming down, wages are up, the stock market is in record territory and unemployment is so low that businesses cannot find help.

The letter goes on to imply that transgender women are stealing scholarships and other awards from “biological girls.” Really! Is this just another right-wing exaggeration? If not, show us the proof or statistics as to where and when this is happening.

As far as placing the blame on the White House for the withdrawal from Afghanistan, it would be good to remember that it was Donald Trump who broke all past presidents by negotiating a settlement with a terrorist organization, the Taliban. He then toyed with the idea of actually inviting the terrorists to Camp David for talks. In the end, he managed to give them everything they asked for.

I agree that the southern border is a huge problem that needs to be addressed, even though illegal crossings have recently come down significantly. However, let’s keep in mind that the Republicans have for decades torpedoed attempts to pass a fair tough immigration policy. Remember the most recent attempt to pass bipartisan legislation which failed only because it was opposed by a small minority

of Republican House members at the behest of Trump simply for political gain.

I could go on, but in the interest of brevity let me just say that I don’t know Bill Smith, but I certainly felt that his well written and thoughtful letter in the Sept. 12 edition hit the nail on the head.

Charles Welch Gunnison

Take a good look

Editor:

Seeing what has been done by extremists in the Democrat party, to upend democracy in the past eight years, why would anyone trust them to lead our nation?

Make no mistake, world mass migration, inflation and crime will continue with Kamala Harris. Your property rights will be redefined to meet that need. It has been done before around the world. It is called redistribution of wealth. Joe Biden said, “They can afford it,” and we are seeing it happen right now as we all pay to feed and house over 10 million new illegal immigrants from around the world. Biden claims this is all part of his plan to promote safe, orderly and humane migration. But what about the American citizens who now feel unsafe and unsure about their future?

The total persecution of one man including two assassination attempts, the weaponization of the federal government against a U.S. citizen, who chose to serve his country, and threatened the D.C. deep state establishment, is proof of the evil in the hearts of the extremist elites who are a head detached from the body of reasonable and kind hearted Democrats who would never think of being so corrupt, as to destroy democracy and America to get what they want. The taxpayer funded trials were nothing more than election interference, the unending hate speech propaganda by corrupt TV personalities, the publicly-

Rain or shine wine

funded, one-sided National Public Radio, the president who was never given a chance, but was the only one who did what he said he would do when he campaigned. How wonderfully refreshing.

Washington is corrupt. No doubt. Power corrupts. The majority of D.C. workers are Democrats and too many only care about what benefits them, not the American people. If they have a conservative president, they simply work to subvert him, while lifting up their own party no matter how bad it is. We have seen it and heard it. They don’t even try to hide their motives and hatred.

Openly stating, “Get Trump.” People needed to be fired and they were. Now it's payback time in their eyes. They are afraid Trump might actually drain the D.C. swamp. Open your eyes. The conservatives don't play this game. They are about democracy and the rule of law. There is such a thing as truth and truth matters.

The Democrat party is being controlled by the world's billionaires. No one can buy Trump. He is not for sale and he is a patriot. Dirty politics have never been this bad before. The only way to fix what has been a grievous error, is to vote the evil doers out. As Kennedy so famously said "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” What happened to John F. Kennedys Democrat party? Let's play fair and have honest elections and above all, let's stop bold faced lying to the American people.

Pam Randall Gunnison

The Lake City Uncorked Wine and Music Festival returned on Sept. 21 for a day full of wine, charcuterie and dancing beneath the San Juan Mountains. The festival invites locals and tourists to celebrate the changing season over glasses of wine. Ticket and wine bottle sales support Lake City’s Downtown Improvement and Revitalization Team (DIRT) in its effort to preserve the town’s history and support local businesses. This year, DIRT sold 850 entry tickets and 775 bottles of wine. The event brings in upward of $12,000 to support the Lake City economy every year.

(Photo by Abby Harrison)

Lauren Shondeck

“I was born and raised right over the mountain in Aspen, and so I have seen firsthand what happens when a community becomes more and more expensive … it threatens the entire existence of a town like Crested Butte, because if people can't afford to live there, they can't build their lives there,” he said.

Urban Villages representatives gave a presentation at a recent “Mayors and Managers” meeting in September, requesting feedback from the valley’s major employers — like Gunnison Valley Health, the Gunnison Watershed School District, Gunnison County, FedEx, the Bureau of Land Management and the Rural Transportation Authority with hopes of developing a public transit connection for the site, said LIV Sotheby’s agent Channing Boucher. Boucher,

a valley resident since 1989, represents Villages and Hermanson.

The current zoning of the lot allows for hundreds of possible units on the parcel. Villages is envisioning a mixture of primarily rentals, but anticipates offering some units for sale, Boucher said. The plot was listed for many years, but Hermanson and the Villages team decided in recent months to take it off the market and instead develop it on its own, Boucher said.

“The locals’ economy hasn't improved, the hourly wages haven't gone sky high,” he said. “The only thing that's changed is the cost of housing and food, our local economy is still seasonal. It still bounces along, and people still scratch and claw to make ends meet.”

The units, developed in phases, would offer high energy efficiency. The floor plans would be designed to meet the needs of local workers, those who arrive in the high season and

need a clean, reliable place to live for six months out of the year, Boucher said. The space could also include a community garden, or outdoor and indoor gathering space. The character of the new neighborhood would reflect Villages’ “preoccupation” with food and biophilic design, Hermanson said, and could involve the Mountain Roots Food Project — which he has supported for years.

“It's partly a free market solution,” Hermanson said. “It envisions a collaboration with the major employers in town and a world class community with lots of different types of housing that would satisfy many of the needs of people in the valley.”

The property is within city boundaries and subject to the 2008-era West Gunnison Plan. The document, a guide for possible neighborhood development in the area, shows a need for strong trail and transit connections, as the land is the largest undeveloped parcel left within city boundaries, out-

to open on Oct. 15.

Slowdown

nities, Tourism and Prosperity Partnership (TAPP) leaders believe the valley is falling behind. Crested Butte Mountain Resort, owned by Vail, has not seen any significant terrain expansions since the early 1990s, when the North Face and High lifts were installed. In 2019, the Forest Service approved an expansion into Teo 2 on the east side of the mountain, but a timeline has yet to be identified.

“We're doing pretty well, but we cannot indefinitely continue beating the market without something new and important at some point … I continue to reach out to Vail Resorts about investment. I haven’t gotten anywhere, but I won’t give up,”

TAPP Executive Director John Norton told county commissioners at a regular meeting on Sept. 24. So far this year, visitor counts have fallen in Gunnison and Crested Butte. As TAPP watches trends across the region, it plans to make a few adjustments to its marketing plan to keep the tourism economy stable well into the future. TAPP will also make a slight shift to push more traffic through Gunnison businesses, which suffered heavily from the closure of the Blue Mesa middle bridge this summer. All of these factors will shape how the organization crafts its budget for next year. In terms of sales tax collections, Gunnison County is still outpacing other comparable mountain towns, including Aspen-Snowmass, Durango, Steamboat, Winter Park,

side land in Gunnison Rising. Utilities don’t extend onto the parcel, but get very close on several of its borders, said the city’s Public Works Director David Gardner.

“One challenge to developing utilities or infrastructure in West Gunnison is ensuring that new development fully covers the costs of new infrastructure,” Gardner wrote in a statement to the Times. “This can be difficult due to high upfront costs, coordination with existing systems, and ensuring that fees are set at a level that covers future maintenance while remaining fair to developers.”

Villages will continue talking to community members and employers over the next year. These partnerships could help the Front Range developer contend with the burdens of a permitting process and high cost that accompany construction in remote mountain towns, Buerge said. These issues are often compounded by a competitive market for tax credit incentives and various grants. In coming months, the team will draft possible design alternatives and start pricing the project, he said.

A luxury market for going green

Urban Villages was founded in the early 2000s by Grant McCargo, who sought to build environmentally-friendly, community-focused spaces that did not sacrifice investor's financial return, Buerge said. McCargo, a Telluride native, was responsible for a wealth of commercial and affordable housing development in the resort town.

“We've been, over time, proving the thesis that you can do wonderful projects that hit the triple bottom line of: people, planet and profit,” Buerge said. Hermanson, now a partner at Villages, was the longtime owner of Denver’s Larimer Square and a lead partner on the renovation of Union Station. He also owns several properties in Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. This includes several on Elk Avenue, like the Penelope’s Condominiums which houses restaurant Ryce and the Chopwood Mercantile. Villages has put up projects in

California, Pennsylvania and in cities across Colorado. Villages was a former developer on Wildhorse at Prospect, a collection of luxury ski homes at the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s Gold Link Lift. The most recent home in that development sold for $3.3 million, Boucher said. If Villages’ develops the Gunnison lot, it will be the company's first project in the south end of the valley.

Villages' most recent project is a 265-key boutique hotel, Populus, near Civic Center Park in downtown Denver. In marketing for the project, the company claims to have planted 70,000 trees in Gunnison County in a bid to offset the building’s carbon footprint and make it the “first carbon positive hotel project in America.” The trees planted are meant to increase the number of Engelmann spruce, severely impacted by beetle kill in the last decade.

Villages planted the trees in partnership with One Tree Planted and the U.S. Forest Service, according to Sarah Soler, senior director at J. Wade Public Relations, working for Villages. The trees were planted approximately one mile northwest of the Cebolla Trailhead, near the La Garita Wilderness during the summer of 2022. The area is managed by the Gunnison Ranger District. The Forest Service did not reply to the Times’ inquiries to confirm the claim.

Once Populus opens on Oct. 15, Villages’ will launch a “One Night, One Tree” program with the National Forest Foundation, which will plant one tree for every night’s stay. In 2024, this represents up to 20,000 newly planted trees in two Colorado regions: the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests and the White River National Forest, Soler said.

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

Breckenridge, Vail, Dillon and Telluride. In Mt. Crested Butte, sales tax revenue rose 9% through June, and Gunnison County as a whole, 4%. In comparison, collections fell 1% in Vail and Breckenridge, and 25% in Telluride.

Local marketing district (LMD) revenue in the valley, generated by a tax on lodging rentals, also rose 11% between January and July. This was accompanied by a strong winter season, which TAPP described as “one for the record books” in a written memo to commissioners. Flights have also continued to perform well, incentivizing airlines to add more winter service in the Gunnison-Crested Butte Airport.

But the rise in sales tax collections doesn’t exactly mean more tourists wandered down Elk and Main Street. In addition

to fewer booked hotel rooms, visit counts (tracked using anonymized phone location data) and the number of days they stayed, fell valley-wide.

In Gunnison, visitor counts dropped an average of 17% between the months of May and August. Despite a strong start in the South Valley, the closure of the middle bridge on Hwy. 50 “wiped out” any sales tax revenue increases.

June was by far the worst in Gunnison, with a drop of 24%.

The volume on Main Street was also particularly hit hard this summer because Gunnison relies more heavily on drivethrough traffic compared to Crested Butte.

The gains in sales and lodging tax collections this year are mostly the result of hotel price increases, said TAPP Marketing Director Andrew Sandstrom.

Rates have continued to climb steadily since the pandemic, but he worried this summer was an early warning sign that the demand may be waning. Without capital investments in lodging, tourist attractions and ski area upgrades, the number of people willing to spend more for less may fall. It’s also an unsustainable model, Sandstrom said.

“We can't keep raising our prices forever without improving the product,” he told the Times

On average, TAPP spends $2 million on marketing each year, advertising the county’s abundance of hiking and mountain bike trails in the summertime, and extreme skiing in the winter. Sandstrom said TAPP sees great potential in the gravel and

Urban Villages’ Populus hotel is set

(Courtesy Studio Gang)

The City Center

Your local government’s weekly community ad. Have questions? Call us at (970) 641-8080.

City Council Meetings gunnisonco.gov/CouncilMeetings

2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month.

City Hall, 201 W. Virginia Ave., 5:30pm. Meetings typically last 2.5 hours, stay as long or as little as you like. All people and languages are welcome. Agendas available online the Friday before meetings.

Grant Applications Open!

The City of Gunnison is accepting proposals for funding consideration during the 2025 budget process.

Public Service and Economic Grant applications are open online at gunnisonco.gov/Grants.

Submission deadline: 5pm, Tuesday October 15, 2024

adventure bike packing space, which has continued to grow in popularity. Alongside e-biking, gravel biking is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the recreation industry.

In 2024, TAPP spent 20% of its non-snow marketing budget on gravel, specifically with a South Valley focus. It intends to bump up spending on gravel next year. Gunnison has thousands of miles of dirt roads, and it's an attractive sport for bikers who may not want to, or be able to, ride some of Crested Butte’s

steep, technical single-track. This market is becoming “more and more mature,” Sandstrom told commissioners.

“I do think that focus on gravel is going to be good,” said County Commissioner Jonathan Houck. “From what you've invested already, the amount of gravel, adventure biking and bike packing is a noticeable increase.”

TAPP also plans to direct its attention to the four- to sixweek period during the summer that the designated campsites just outside of Crested Butte become completely full. In the

absence of a reservation system, visitors still expect to get a campsite and often make their own when none are available. Sandstrom said it's an opportunity to try and move some campers into hotel rooms, or to create commercial campgrounds that can be booked ahead of time.

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

For any awardees, reporting requirements for 2024 are due through the same link by October 15, 2024 even if you are not requesting funds for 2025.

Skiers ride a lift from the Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s base area on closing day. Skier visitation declined 9.5% during the winter of 2023-24 at Vail’s North American resorts. (Photo by Jacob Spetzler)

continued from A6

High spirits for the harvest

The community gathered for a feast and dancing during Mountain Roots Food Project’s annual Harvest Hoedown celebration on Sept. 27. After a hearty meal made with locally-grown produce, diners sat back to listen to stories and speeches by the Mountain Roots team. Later, Walt Cranor and the Julian Young Trio provided live music for square dancing. Do-it-yourself screen printing, a collaborative painting and other yard games offered entertainment throughout the evening.

(Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Act from A1

The bill is based on a collaborative proposal drafted by the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI). Founded in 2014, GPLI is a group with members from across all of the valley’s demographics, from ranching and recreation to conservation and water resources. For the following decade, the group worked together to find common ground and draft a proposal that prioritizes the historic uses of public land, in addition to preserving the open landscapes that power the local economy.

Some of the groups involved include Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Gunnison Trails, High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) and the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, among others. Bennet released a draft Gunnison public lands protection bill in 2022 for round of public feedback.

“We spent that time at kitchen tables, sitting down in coffee shops and open houses in our community, drawing on maps, talking about our personal experiences and about how public lands impact our lives [and] our communities … As we move forward with the introduction of the GORP Act today, it's really just a day of celebration in this community,” said Gunnison County Commissioner Jonathan Houck.

The GORP Act primarily uses

two congressional-level designations for portions of the Gunnison County web of public lands: wilderness and special management areas. The bill also would transfer the Pinecrest Ranch, owned by the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, into a trust. Pinecrest is located in Gunnison County, south of Sapinero Mesa. Instead of functioning as private property, the parcel would become sovereign land of the tribe.

Wilderness is the highest form of protection for public lands. It prevents new mining and gas drilling, commercial timber harvest and motorized use and the construction of roads. Special management areas also provide permanent protection, but can be tailored to focus management on things like recreation, wildlife habitat or scientific research.

For example, if passed, GORP would create a “Rocky Mountain Scientific Research and Education Area” in the area that encompasses the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Gothic. It would expand the existing research area, originally designated in 1961, from roughly 1,080 acres to more than 12,000.

The congressional designation would direct the Forest Service to prioritize research and education in one of the most extensively studied ecosystems in the world, Ian Billick said during the call. Billick is executive director of RMBL and the mayor of Crested Butte.

“It's critical that we empow-

er future generations, the kids that are going to follow us, with the knowledge that they need to manage the environmental challenges that they inherit from us … I want to emphasize that what the Senator is doing is truly extraordinary. A lot of progress at the national level, historically, over the last 40 or 50 years, has been accomplished through litigation, lawsuits and delays on actions,” Billick said during the call.

According to Bennet, the GORP Act has bipartisan support from six Western Slope counties, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. But it still

faces a “fierce” political climate in Washington D.C., Jon Hare told the Times. He is the advocacy director at HCCA.

No large public lands bills have passed in recent years. The CORE Act, another piece of Colorado-based legislation, has moved through the House a number of times, but stalled in the Senate.

But this fall, there could be a chance, based on the outcome of the election, that a number of public lands bills could be gathered together and passed in a “lame duck” session of Congress — the period of time between an election and the

beginning of the new session the following January. That would be the fastest path in a process that could take years, Hare said.

“As we see this attrition and the funding losses from our federal agencies, passing public lands legislation is an easy way for our elected officials to protect [them],” Hare said.

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

GUNNISON COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 2

PUBLIC LANDS - Gunnison County is 82% Public Lands and as your County Commissioner, Jonathan has been your voice on bringing our values to the table. From Forest Service and BLM planning efforts to home grown legislation like GORP, that defends and protects our interests, Jonathan is a recognized expert and leader to make sure these productive landscapes are managed and endure for future generations to benefit from, utilize and enjoy.

• Mt. Emmons forever protected from mining

• GMUG Forest Plan completed

• BLM Gunnison Sage Grouse Plan amended

• GORP Act/GPLI Introduced in US Senate

• Thompson Divide Mineral Withdrawal finalized

• STOR Committee supporting Land Management

Gunnison County Commissioner Jonathan Houck, Sen. Michael Bennet and rancher and outfitter Tony Prendergast hike above Lost Lake in the heart of the proposed Beckwiths special management area. (Courtesy Jonathan Houck)

Mount Axtell and the proposed Whetstone headwaters special management area. (Courtesy Jon Hare/HCCA)

Senator Michael Bennet, Commissioner Jonathan Houck and Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland

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!

TBD W Denver Ave. MLS# 816647 $610,000 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.

Public lands for the people

Western Colorado University, Sisk-a-dee and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) organized a National Public Lands Day event at Woods Gulch on Sept. 21. A group of Western students and faculty spent the day helping to implement the BLM and U.S. Forest Service’s travel management plan, a portion of which oversees the closure and restoration of roads. Some roads are redundant routes that cause soil erosion, wildlife habitat fragmentation, invasive weed corridors and damage to natural resources. The team of volunteers completed a road decommissioning project by planting sagebrush, seeding the road and creating vertical mulch. Vertical mulching is a landscaping technique that involves digging holes around a tree’s root system to improve soil quality.

16 Irwin St. MLS# 817525 $625,000 6 bedroom/3 bath updated brick home located in Palisades subdivision. This home has 2 kitchens and separate living spaces and the downstairs has its own entrance from the back of house. The breezeway from the house to the 2 car oversized garage is fully enclosed and is great space for entertaining or storage. Close to schools and new Gunnison Library. This is great starter home that can produce supplemental income!

(Courtesy Pat Magee/Western Colorado University)

Waggoner one of two finalists for 7th Judicial District Attorney

Farnham, Ryan Hess and Aubrey Thompson — have also left in the last two months.

Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer

The replacement effort for 7th Judicial District Attorney Seth Ryan is well underway. The 7th Judicial District Vacancy Committee, appointed by the Colorado Republican Party to select the next DA, has narrowed the search down to two final candidates. One is Gunnison-based Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Jessica Waggoner, Ryan told Ouray County Commissioners on Tuesday.

Ryan announced last week that he will resign on Oct. 31, just days before the coming fall election, in which he was running unopposed. In a Sept. 23 press release, he cited the office’s high turnover, caseloads and the toll the job had taken on his mental and physical health over the years. Three other Deputy District Attorneys in the Montrose office — Owen

Ryan filed to withdraw from the election with the Colorado Secretary of State. However, he did so after ballots had been certified, which means that no more changes can be made. As Ryan was a Republican, Colorado law allows the Republicans’ vacancy committee to nominate a candidate to take his place in the election, as long as it’s done before the earliest day that voters can return their ballot by mail.

So, voters in 7th Judicial District counties (Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel) will see Ryan’s name on their ballots. But if the party selects a candidate, votes for Ryan will be counted toward that individual.

The Republican Party is interviewing two candidates for Ryan’s spot on the ballot, according to reporting in the Ouray County Plaindealer. One is his second-in-command, Waggoner, who also works in the Gunnison office. The other is Montrose-based Anna Cooling, Gunnison Republican Party Chair Cori Dobson told the Times . Waggoner has been working in the 7th for nearly

17 years. She’s been based in Gunnison, but worked across the 7th, particularly with juvenile cases.

Gov. Jared Polis can appoint a new DA to serve until Ryan’s current term expires, or the end of 2024. And if the Republican Party can’t fill the vacancy by the Nov. 5 election, Polis’ appointee would serve until the next general election in 2026. If neither the party nor the governor’s office can produce a candidate before the end of the year, the Attorney General’s Office would take over until someone is identified to take the role.

The vacancy committee, composed of one to two representatives from each county in the 7th elected at the party’s state assembly, met on Wednesday to close in on a final candidate, Dobson said. Gunnison GOP Secretary Kristine Toole is one of the local representatives. No further details were available by press time.

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

new police officers

Gunnison Police Chief Keith Robinson introduced three new officers to city councilors and staff during a regular meeting on Sept. 24. Danny Bravo started with the police department in July, followed by Ian Turner in August. Lucas Bauer (not pictured) graduated from the Colorado Law Enforcement Academy in Montrose in September and will complete field train-

(Photo by Bella Biondini)

City to replace Van Tuyl pedestrian bridge in 2025

New and improved trick or treat event planned

Bella Biondini Times Editor

Next year, the City of Gunnison will renovate the aging pedestrian bridge located on the northwest side of the Van Tuyl trail. Construction, which will involve trail closures, is expected to take no more than two months.

The Van Tuyl trail is a wellused loop that runs along a portion of the Gunnison River, as well as open ranchland. It stays open year-round.

Public Works installed the pedestrian bridge in 2008 when the trail was first built. But the “rickety” bridge is now deteriorating and needs to be replaced, Parks and Rec Director Dan Vollendorf told city council during a regular meeting on Sept. 24.

The city is actively looking for a contractor to take on the project. Once hired, the crew will have an eight-week window to complete the work with the intent of reducing the time the trail is closed. Vollendorf told the Times construction would likely start in February or March before the ditches are turned on.

A $25,000 MetRec capital grant was issued to help offset the cost of the project. More details on the total project cost, timeline and trail closures will become available after a construction contract is in place later this year.

In October of 2023, the city hired JVA Consulting Engineers to assess the condition of the small, but heavily-used bridge. While the bridge could remain in use for several more years, its structure is not code-compliant, the report reads. The bridge is also unable to support the weight of the city’s trail maintenance and plowing vehicles. At first, the city planned to replace it with another bridge,

but cost estimates were expensive. Instead, JVA recommended an open-bottom culvert, which is more environmentally friendly than a traditional one. The open bottom preserves the natural streambed and allows fish passage. Because the project falls in a wetland zone and in close proximity to an irrigation ditch, it requires a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“We're trying to work toward the most kind of cost effective and environmentally respon

sible replacement,” Vollendorf said.

City revamps Halloween In August, the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce formally announced it would no longer organize the Halloween Trick or Treat Business District and the Night of Lights Christmas celebration. The city agreed to take over the two events with the intent of preserving the decades-long Gunnison traditions. But city event planners worried that short notice and capacity limitations may change the way the events looked this year.

During the council meeting, City Clerk Erica Boucher announced that the city is working with Professional High Fivers to put on the trickor-treating event. Long-time Gunnison local Katie Lewinger owns the business, which launched earlier this year.

Professional High Fivers is working with businesses and city staff to close down the first two blocks of Main Street, as well as Virginia Avenue in front of IOOF Park. Businesses and nonprofits located on other blocks or off of Main Street will have the opportunity to set up booths in this area. Downtown trick-or-treating will run between 3-5:30 p.m. followed by a “Monster Bash” with live music, drinks and food and a pet costume contest. Parks and Rec will host its annual “Fright Night” event at the Rec Center on Oct. 25.

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

A Celebration of Life for will be held October 5th a 1 PM at the I BAR Ranch

Hannah Erickson-Diehl Service followed by food and drink to celebrate her life between friends and family.

The wooden bridge is on the northwest side of the trail. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)

Dr. Ben Justis Director of Percussion Western Colorado University

Dr. Edgar Girtain Director of Choirs Western Colorado University

A First Responder's prosession will be departing from Cross Fit in Gunnison to Hwy 50 and then to the I-BAR Ranch. • Prosession is

first responders only

Hannah loved sunflowers. We encourage anyone planning on attending to wear jeans and a YELLOW shirt

Ladies Spa Night

Historic Alpine Tunnel road and Palisade Wall construction complete

The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests has reopened the Alpine Tunnel road following the completion of a multi-year reconstruction project to restore the Palisade Wall.

Visitors hoping to access the Alpine Tunnel Historic District should park near the junction of the Alpine Tunnel road and National Forest system trail #298 (Williams Pass trail) and hike the remaining mile to the West Portal Complex. A large boulder currently blocks access to the parking area at the Alpine Tunnel West Portal. The boulder is located approximately 12 miles up the road from the junction with trail #765. The road beyond the Williams Pass junction has limited space for vehicles to turn around.

“We appreciate the public's patience as we take the time to ensure the boulder is safely and appropriately removed,” said Gunnison District Ranger Dayle Funka. “Given the incredible work that has been completed to rebuild the Palisade Wall, we wanted to reopen the road as soon as we could so the public could resume visiting the historic district.”

The Alpine Tunnel, located just east of Pitkin, opened in 1882. At more than 11,500 feet in elevation, at the time it was the highest railroad tunnel in North America. The first of its kind in Colorado, the tunnel

allowed the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad to cross the Continental Divide. It was abandoned in 1910 and eventually became a popular off-roading spot.

In 2016, an avalanche damaged the Palisade Wall and closed the Alpine Tunnel road. The Gunnison Ranger District, the National Forest Foundation and local partners leveraged state and private funding, along with money from the Great American Outdoors Act, to restore the wall and reopen the road. Restoration work began in 2022.

Last year, a team of rock masonry craftsmen shaped approximately 70 capstones and 60 wall stones for the restoration of the wall. This summer, construction crews excavated the collapsed area and rebuilt the wall and adjacent roadway. The closure order for the Alpine Tunnel historic area has been rescinded and the public can again travel on trail #839 (Alpine Tunnel road), #767.1B and #888, #298 and #539 as shown on the 2017 motor vehicle use map. The map is available on the GMUG website or at the Gunnison Ranger District office in Gunnison.

(Source: U.S. Forest Service.)

The Alpine Tunnel is a narrow gauge railroad tunnel located east of Pitkin. (Courtesy Chad Wellman/U.S. Forest Service)

Golden hour

Amber aspen groves along Ohio Creek Road and Kebler Pass were aglow during sunset last week. Windy gusts sent thousands of leaves spiraling into the sky, leaving some trees bare.

... with an idyllic setting, Excellent hay meadows and pastures as well as a nice ranch home, a rented mobile home, exceptional pipe corrals, large greenhouse, productive garden area, fruit and vegetable cellar, various barns, sheds and shops for outbuildings. Good deeded water rights and a very nice meandering stretch of Quartz Creek runs through the property. This is a very special 298 + acre ranch that has been loved, nurtured, maintained and improved by the same family for nearly 90 years. Call for your appointment to see the ranch and take in the expansive views, enjoy the sound of the trout stream, breathe in the fresh mountain air and imagine the tranquility of owning your very own paradise personified. Matt Robbins, CRS, GRI Monarch Realty, Inc. 970-596-0715 • matt@monarchrlty.com

For additional information and photos or your appointment go to: www.monarchrlty.com or Call Matt Robbins, 970-596-0715.

(Photo by Mariel Wiley )

(Photo by Bella Biondini)

BEAUTIFUL QUARTZ CREEK RANCH

Atmos Energy has a rewarding opportunity for a full-time Construction Operator, Service Technician and Distribution Operator in Gunnison or Crested Butte.

This position would be responsible for customer service and construction field activities on distribution and transmission systems and facilities. Must enjoy working with the public working outside in all weather conditions and be available for overtime and call-out. Positions require a high school diploma or GED, along with a valid driver's license. All training will be provided. Relocation assistance may be considered. DOT Drug Test. Background and MVR required. CDL-A preferred. ($29.25-$42.50 DOE).

Interested applicants must apply on line at atmosenergy.com/careers.

EOE/M/F/0/V

WESTERN COLORADO UNIVERSITY

is seeking applicants for the following fully-benefitted position.

Western’s benefit package includes Colorado PERA retirement, low-cost insurance plans (with generous employer contributions to medical/ dental/vision), employee and dependent tuition benefits, paid vacation, paid sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year. Employees receive basic life insurance and disability insurance at no cost. Employee wellness programs and professional development trainings are available for FREE.

Custodian I: Full-time (40 hours/ week). Starting pay rate $18.78/ hour.

Equipment Mechanic I: Full-time (40 hours/week). Starting pay rate $22.82/hour.

Security I: Full-time (40 hours/ week). Starting pay rate $17.04/ hour. This position is scheduled for night shifts (8 p.m. – 6 a.m.) and is paid an additional 14% ($19.42/hour) for weeknights and 20% ($20.45/hour)

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

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/GES - Permanent Substitute

CBES - Half-time SPED

Educational Assistant Special Education Educational Assistant-Achievement Center Bus Drivers Food Service

Substitute teachers

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

District School Psychologist

GHS - SPED Teacher COACHING

GHS - Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach (C team) GHS - Rock Climbing

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

matching contributions to a retirement plan after one year of employment. Full job description and job application are available on the Town’s website at www. townofcrestedbutte.com. To apply, please submit an application and resume to jobs@ crestedbutte-co.gov

GUNNISON COUNTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Public Health Nurse II –Substance Abuse Prevention

HHS: 20 hours/week, hourly pay range from $33.79 to $41.08 plus partial benefits.

Patrol Deputy

Sheriff: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, the annual salary range is from $70,288 to $99,422 plus full benefits.

Heavy Equipment Operator

Public Works: Full-Time, 40 hours/ week, hourly range from $22.91 to $30.77 plus full benefits.

Juvenile Services Facilitator

Juvenile Services: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, hourly pay range is $27.03 - $30.36 plus full benefits. Bilingual - English and Spanish Speaking (Required)

Facilitator/Parent Coach

Juvenile Services: 20 hours/week, hourly pay range from $27.03 to $30.77, depending on experience, plus partial benefits. BilingualEnglish and Spanish Speaking (Preferred)

Family Support Manager

Juvenile Services: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, monthly pay rate is $6,581.00 plus full benefits.

Family Support Partner

Juvenile Services: Part-Time, 20 hours/week, starting hourly pay rate is $21.82, plus partial benefits.

Planner Technician

Community Development: FullTime, 40 hours/week, the annual salary range is from $56,215 to $68,340 plus full benefits.

Deputy Emergency Manager/ Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator

Emergency Management: FullTime, 40 hours/week, monthly pay range is $6,209 to $7,070 plus full benefits.

Administrative Assistant –Permitting/Job Costing Public Works: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, hourly pay range from $27.03 to $30.77 plus full benefits.

Public Health Nurse II – Child Care Health Consultant

HHS: 20 hours/week, hourly pay range from $33.79 to $38.48, depending on experience, plus partial benefits.

Parents As Teachers - Parent Educator

HHS: 20 hours/week, hourly pay range from $27.03 to $30.77, depending on experience, plus partial benefits.

Juvenile Diversion Case Manager and Colorado Youth Detention Continuum (CYDC) Officer Juvenile Services: 20 hours/ week, hourly pay range from $31.88 to $38.75, depending on experience, plus partial benefits. For more information, including complete job descriptions, required qualifications and application instructions, please visit GunnisonCounty.org/jobs.

THE TOWN OF MT CRESTED BUTTE is looking for a full-time year-round maintenance worker. Seasonal worker will be considered for a qualified applicant with a current CDL and heavy equipment experience. Snowplow experience is preferred. Typical job duties will vary from season to season and will include but are not limited to: snow shoveling, plowing of the Mt. Crested Butte roads and various parking lots, maintaining town equipment and vehicles, emptying trash cans, repairing fence lines, building maintenance, road maintenance including sweeping, flagging, filling potholes, maintaining the town’s ditches and culverts. Schedule is 4 – 10 hour days with one weekend day in the winter being required. Overtime is expected during snow cycles. Minimum qualifications include the ability to obtain a class B commercial driver’s license, clean seven year driving record, ability to obtain their flagger certification, safely lift 80 pounds, good customer service, communication and team work skills, ability to walk on uneven surfaces, ability to work outdoors for an extended period in the summer and winter, basic knowledge of heavy equipment and snow plowing experience. Preferred qualifications include having a class B commercial driver’s license, flagger certification knowledge of heavy equipment operations, loader, backhoe and snowplow experience, knowledge of vehicle and heavy equipment maintenance (mechanic) welding experience and building maintenance and upkeep experience. Starting pay range is $47,599 to $66,000 depending on experience. The Town offers an amazing benefit package with paid health, vision and dental insurance for you and your family, 401(1) or pension plan, 12 paid holidays, generous vacation and sick time, wellness program and more. Please visit mtcb.colorado.gov for the full job description. Contact Bobby Block at bblock@mtcb.colorado.gov with any questions. To apply email your resume, cover letter and three references to Tiffany O’Connell at toconnell@mtcb.colorado.gov Applications received prior to October 4, 2024 will receive priority.

THE MT CRESTED BUTTE WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT is accepting applications for a full-time Wastewater Operator to be part of a team environment focused on the operations of the wastewater plant and collection system for Mt. Crested Butte. Qualifications for the position include construction experience, the ability to work outdoors, prepare and analyze lab responsibilities, and experience with electrical, mechanical and maintenance repairs. A State of Colorado Collections and/or Wastewater license or the ability to obtain such within one (1) year is mandatory (training for certifications provided). Operators will be required to take on-call responsibility including select weekends and holidays. A valid Colorado driver’s license is required, and a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) is preferred at hiring or the ability to obtain such within one (1) year is required. Starting salary is $53,100 to $59,500 for entry level. $58,000 to $75,000 salary available for operators/electricians with experience and appropriate state licenses. Excellent benefits package including 100% employer paid premium family health, dental, and life insurance, 12 paid holiday days, two weeks paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid personal leave, employer contribution to retirement plan (5% automatic mandatory employer matching with 1-3% optional additional matching), employer provided uniforms, and a wellness benefit/ski pass. Full job description is available at www.mcbwsd. com. Please submit cover letter and resume to Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, PO Box 5740, Mt. Crested Butte, CO 81225, or email info@mcbwsd.com. Position is open until filled. MCBWSD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. THE GUNNISON VALLEY REGIONAL HOUSING AUTORITY IS HIRING: We have a newly created role we are hiring for to support our Ownership Program. This is

a great opportunity for a detailed oriented person with good Excel, administrative and public service skills, who is interested in contributing to our affordable housing ownership program. Join our amazing team and help us make a difference! See detailed job description on our website here: www. gvrha.org/join-our-team. $23-$25/DOE. Please email resume to hiring@gvrha.org for more information.

IRWIN GUIDES seeks On Mountain Hospitality Associates to provide for clients needs and comfort during cat skiing days, maintain the functionality and cleanliness of the base area, and provide in-town support, e.g. ski tuning, waxing, etc. This guest facing position will work closely with operations teams and administrative staff. This position requires customer service experience, CPR, First Aid, TIPS, and avalanche certification, or willingness to be certified, as well as Marker certification. The ideal candidate will be able to multitask and adapt to changing circumstances. These full/part time, seasonal positions start at $200-$230/ day, or $20-$23/hour administrative rate for in-town support, depending on experience and qualifications. The Winter season runs December to April. For more information and to apply, please visit elevenexperience.com/ careers/.

CAPITAL PROJECTS SUPERVISOR JOB POSTING: The Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District is accepting applications for a capital projects supervisor. Under the general direction of the district manager, this full-time position is responsible for professional level oversight on all phases of capital expenditure construction projects for the district. Desired skills and experience include a successful record of delivering projects on schedule and within budget, strong project management skills, effective communication skills, both written and verbal, and a passion for water and wastewater construction projects. Important qualifications include a combination of experience and education with a desired Bachelor of Science degree in construction management, a PMP certification and/or a PE license in the state of Colorado. A valid

Colorado driver’s license is required. Starting salary is $90,000-$130,000 DOQ. Excellent benefits package, including 100% employerpaid premium family health, dental, vision and life insurance, 12 paid holiday days, paid sick leave, paid personal leave, two weeks paid vacation, employer contribution to retirement plan (5% automatic mandatory employer matching with 1-3% optional additional matching), employer provided uniforms and a wellness benefit/ski pass. Full job description is available at mcbwsd. com. Please submit cover letter and resume to Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, P.O. Box 5740, Mt. Crested Butte, CO 81225 or email info@mcbwsd.com. Position is open until filled. MCBWSD is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SAGUACHE COUNTY IS SEEKING AN ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM INSPECTOR: The On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Inspector for Saguache County 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 Inspector takes action to mitigate or eliminate public health hazards. Inspections and investigations occur indoors and outdoors facilities such as residential homes, restaurants, swimming pools, public schools, penal institutions, childcare facilities, nursing homes, body art facilities, cannabis/hemp facilities, campgrounds, mobile home parks, public accommodations, bars/lounges, etc. On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Inspectors are assigned primary responsibilities in specific environmental programs but are required to possess knowledge of all programs in order to respond to public health emergencies. Starting salary of $25/hour depending on experience and qualifications. Saguache

AGENDA

Regular Meeting October 7, 2024 5:30pm Crested Butte Community School Library

This meeting will be conducted in person and by distance using the video conferencing platform ZOOM Webinar. Please check the GWSD website for further instructions.

•

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado

Publication date of October 3, 2024 15070

• Call to order • Roll call Pledge of Allegiance Approval of agenda (ACTION, All) Commendations and celebrations (Information, Successful Students, Strong Employees) Public comment (Information, Engaged Community)

Please use the public participation form, or use the Q&A feature in Zoom, and indicate your name, address, and topic for comment.

• Consent agenda (ACTION, All) Items in the consent agenda are considered routine and will be enacted under one motion. There will not be separate discussion of these items prior to the time the board votes unless a Board Member requests an item be removed from the grouping for separate consideration. Board of Education Minutes September 9, 2024 Regular meeting Finance: Approve for payment, as presented by the Director of Finance, warrants

County offers an exceptional benefits package including health, dental, vision insurance with an option for a Health Savings Account. Employees enjoy paid vacation, sick leave, 11 holidays. Saguache County is an equal opportunity employer. Saguache County is an EEO employer. Valid Driver’s License, Drug testing which includes marijuana, and a background check will be required also a physical exam may be required for final applicants.

To view the job description and an application they are available at Saguache County Administration office 505 3rd Street, Saguache or printable at www. saguachecounty.colorado.gov. Call 719-655-2231 for more information. Position opened until filled.

FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM DIRECTOR:

Mountain Roots seeks experienced leader to advance food security initiatives. Focus on project management, team leadership, strategic growth, community impact, and advancing equity within sustainable food systems. Spanish language helpful. Salary $50,000 - $55,000/yr. Full description at www.mountainrootsfoodproject.org.

LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE IN CB

SOUTH is hiring a full time infant/toddler teacher to start at the beginning of the school year! This is a great opportunity for a full time year round stable job with great pay and benefits! It is rewarding and fun, and there is a lot of potential for growth in this career. Please submit resume to Jessica at lilredschoolhouse1@gmail.com

CLERK OF COURT I (.3 FTE): The Hinsdale Combined Court located in Lake City, Colorado is seeking applications to fill a .3 FTE (12 hours per week) position of a Clerk of Court I. This is an in-person position that provides technical, administrative, and supervisory work in the operation of a Clerk’s Office of the Colorado Judicial Branch. Application shall be filed electronically. To apply go to www.coloradojudicial.gov/ under the Careers/Career Openings tab and follow the instructions to apply for this position.

FOREVER OUR RIVERS is hiring a Grant Program Lead. Our mission is to restore rivers throughout the Southwest. This is a part-time position with opportunity for growth. Excellent writing skills required. Learn more at ForeverOurRivers.org/careers.

as indicated:

• General Account # 44290-44370

• Payroll Direct Deposit # 62215-62607

• Personnel

• Shawna Hopper-SPED TeacherAchievement Center

Rocky Scarbrough-SPED EA-GMS

Matt Taramarcaz-Bus Driver-District

Caitlyn Peed-Resignation-Permanent Substitute-GES

Items for information, discussion, and action

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

• Artaic Group: Chris Guarino, John Usery, Ryan Smelker, Matt Prinster

• FY2023-24 Financial Year in Review (Discussion, Healthy Finances)

• Mrs. Tia Mills, Director of Finance

• Unified Improvement Plan (ACTION, All)

Consider approval for submission to CDE by October 15, 2024

ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY located in Crested Butte is seeking full and/or part time laborers and carpenters to join our team. Pay DOE. Email your resume to officehmc1283@ gmail.com or call 970-349-5261.

SEEKING A PART TIME CAREGIVER

FOR A SENIOR CITIZEN: The schedule is Monday to Friday, 5 hours a day & 5 days a week. The time is flexible. We are looking to hire someone immediately. Salary is $30/hr. Send email to ampbellm77676@gmail.com for more details.

IRWIN GUIDES IS SEEKING OFFICE/ SALES ASSOCIATES: Seasonal, Part Time. The position will be responsible for assisting the Irwin Guides Administrator with day-to-day operations included but not limited to data entry, completing and filing paperwork, interacting with guests faceto-face or via phone/email, booking trips, and assisting with walk-in traffic and retail inquires/purchases. A strong candidate will have knowledge of the outdoor industry and local activities, strong administrative skills, effective communication, both oral and written, is detail-oriented, responsive to delegation, and comfortable working independently and in a fast paced team environment. During the operational seasons this position will be required to work some early mornings and late afternoons, at least one weekend day per week, and some holidays as necessary. This is a seasonal position starting at $20 - $23 per hour depending on experience and qualifications. The Winter season runs December through April. For more information and to apply, please visit elevenexperience.com/careers/.

MOTORIZED

2003 KTM 300: Excellent. $3,000.Phone will be turned off in 2 weeks. Call now 970-7846722.

REAL ESTATE

1896 MINING CLAIM: 60’ Shaft,. Hunting camp. pond. Easy access. Camper etc. 24 miles south. Unit 66. Phone will be turned off in 2 weeks Call now. 970-784-6722.

Agencies

• IKFB-Graduation Exercises (for another first reading due to additional recommended changes)

• School Board Policies for Second Reading (ACTION, All)

GBA-Open Hiring/Equal Employment Opportunity

GBJ-Personnel Records and Files

GCE/GCF-Professional Staff-Recruiting/ Hiring

GDE/GDF-Support Staff-Recruiting/ Hiring

• JB-Equal Educational Opportunities

• JF-Admission and Denial of Admission

• JICDA - Code of Conduct

• JICDD- Violent and Aggressive Behavior

• Other Administrative Report Items(Discussion, All)

FOR RENT IN GUNNISON: 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, brand-new townhomes. 427 S. Boulevard Ave. No pets, no smoking. First, last and security deposit. Previous rental references required. Available Nov. 1st. $3,000. Please call 970-901-1798. MAIN STREET COMMERCIAL SPACE: 2,100 Sq. Ft . Alley

WANTED

(SAC)

GHS - Dr. Coleman

GCS - Mrs. Brookhart

CBCS - Mr. Martineau

• Gunnison County Education Association

Negotiations - Mr. VanderVeer

Gunnison County Education Association

3x3 - Mr. VanderVeer

Fund 26 - Dr. Coleman

Gunnison Memorial Scholarship - Mrs. Roberts

Health Insurance Committee - Mr. VanderVeer

• Housing Advisory Committee-Mr. VanderVeer

• Gunnison Valley Education FoundationDr. Coleman

• Upcoming agenda items and meeting schedule (Information, Engaged Community)

• October 28, 2024 Work

Session@5:30pm - GUN November 11, 2024

Dr. Leslie Nichols, Superintendent School Board Policies for First Reading (Discussion, All)

ACA Name Change

• Dr. Leslie Nichols, Superintendent Items introduced by Board Members (Discussion, All) Board committee reports (Information, All)

JRA/JRC Student Records/Release of Information on Students

• JRA/JRC-R

Board/Student Engagement - Dr. Coleman and Mrs. Roberts School Board Policy - Mrs. Brookhart and Dr. Coleman

Regular Meeting@5:30pm- GUN December 5-7, 2024

CASB Annual Conference-Colo Springs December 16, 2024

Regular Meeting/Mill Levy Approval@5:30pm -GUN

• Adjournment

• Executive Committee for Bond ProjectMr. Martineau

• JRA/JRC-E-1 (for information only, not first reading)

• Superintendent Evaluation- Mrs. Brookhart and Dr. Coleman

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado

• JRA/JRC-E-2 (for information only, not first reading)

• JRCA - Sharing of Student Records/ Information between School District and State

• District Accountability Committee (DAC)

- Mrs. Roberts School Accountability Committees

Publication date of October 3, 2024

15069

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Donald Ray Hirsch, Deceased Case Number 2024PR30029

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Gunnison, County, Colorado on or before February 3, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Gary Wayne Pekar as Personal Representative of the Estate of Donald Ray Hirsch 1515 Lloyds Hall Court Mansfield, TX 76063

Please contact through counsel: Jacob A. With, Atty. #:40546 Law of the Rockies 525 N. Main Street Gunnison, CO 81230 970-641-1903 ex. 2

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado

Publication dates of October 3, 10 and 17, 2024 15037

PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

REGARDING 2025 BUDGET FOR THE RAGGED MOUNTAIN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, by the Ragged Mountain Fire Protection District, pursuant to C.R.S. 29-1-106, that on Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 at 6:00 pm, the Ragged Mountain Fire Protection District will hold a Public Hearing regarding the 2025 Budget. The Hearing will be held via conference call (605) 472-5550 Access Code 296143 and at 3688 Highway 133, Somerset CO 81434. The proposed budget is available for inspection by the public at the office of the Ragged Mountain Fire Protection District located at 3688 Highway 133, Somerset CO 81434. Office Hours are Monday 10am2pm, Tuesday 1pm- 4 pm., and Friday 10am - 2pm.

Any interested elector of the Ragged Mountain Fire Protection District may file any objection to the proposed budget at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget, in writing, delivered to the office of the Ragged Mountain Fire Protection District, located at 3688 Highway 133, Somerset CO 81434 or mailed to PO Box 570; Somerset, CO 81434.

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado Publication date of October 3, 2024 15042

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Town of Pitkin is soliciting cost proposals for snow removal services for winter 20242025. The services to be provided will consist of plowing approximately thirty (30) blocks. A copy of the formal Request for Proposals which identifies cost proposal requirements and street segments in Pitkin that are to be plowed may be obtained by contacting the Pitkin Town Clerk by email at thetownofpitkin@gmail.com or by telephone at 970-787-0031. A minimum of $100,000.00 in general liability insurance will be required. Cost proposals are to be submitted in accordance with the Request for Proposals by 5pm on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The Town Board of Trustees expects to award a contract during the Regular Monthly Meeting on October 21, 2024.

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado

Publication dates of October 3 and 10, 2024 15027

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE Is hereby given that I will, according to law, offer online at www.zeusauction.com, November 1, 2024, commencing at the hour of 8:00 am and ending at 5:00pm on said day, tax liens on the following described real estate situated in said County of Gunnison for unpaid general taxes for the year 2023.The taxes herein set together with interest, penalties and costs as provided by law. (Advertising costs are made on an average parcel charge);

DELINQUENT REAL ESTATE

R014744 $1,014.58 ADEN ROGER GEORGE LOT 7, BLOCK 14, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 2

R013343 $1,454.54

ANDERSON PATTI DICK Includes 2022 and 2023 taxes IMPROVEMENT ONLY: ON USFS LAND, SECTION 24, TOWNSHIP 14S, RANGE 85W, LOT Z, CEMENT CREEK SUMMER HOME GROUP

R043982 $764.19

ANDERSON SCOTT D UNIT 221, THE GRAND LODGE CRESTED BUTTE RESORT II CONDOMINIUMS, MT. CRESTED BUTTE

R017647 $1,589.14

ANNARELLI DENNIS C JR UNIT 314-A, SKYLAND LODGE CONDOMINIUMS

R042890 $973.33

ARCHULETA ANGELO MORNING STAR & LAMAR LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #S:2656 & 2657 TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R012196 $741.54

ARSENAULT ROBERTA LOT 7, BLOCK 3, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 3

R074431 $74.26 B MURPHY CONSTRUCTION UNIT B, BUILDING 105, LAZY K TOWNHOMES

R005814 $1,526.54

BAKER AUDREY I LIVING TRUST UNIT 505, BUTTES CONDOMINIUMS, MT CRESTED BUTTE

R012211 $112.02

BARRITT BARBARA J GOLDEN SLIPPER LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #13179, DOMINGO MINING DISTRICT

R014584 $1,756.51

BATES TRUST LOT 21, BEARCLAW SUBDIVISION

R026919 $704.08

BETINE RICHARD L M.L. AYERS & HENRY LAWRENCE LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #S:1935 & 1936, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R016248 $719.97

BIBBY CHARLES KING JR LOT 13, BLOCK 3, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 3

R016342 $2,024.15

BIBBY CHARLES KING JR LOT 14, BLOCK 3, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 3

R010748 $3,276.14

BLOOMER KENNETH MICHAEL LOT 40, DOS RIOS SUBDIVISION, UNIT NO. 3

R003319 $6,097.49

BORLAND ANTHONY H LOT 20 & PART OF LOTS 18 & 19, THE SOPRIS SUBDIVISION, BLOCK 25, CRESTED BUTTE

R014118 $278.82

BRANSON REX LOTS 10-12 & 16, BLOCK 12, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 2

R073134 $1,515.55

BRANSON REX

PARCEL A, BLOCK 10, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 2

R001083 $1,900.02

BRODEUR JACQUELYN LOT 17, BLOCK 7, PALISADE ADDITION TO GUNNISON

R042687 $3,721.80

BRYANT DAVID T LIVING TRUST LOT M3-54, BUCKHORN RANCH SUBDIVISION

R012287 $739.38

BRYNDAL CARL E VIRGINIA LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #3164, ELK MOUNTAIN MINING DISTRICT

R032096 $4,040.11

BUSHFENCE LL C UNIT 105, MAJESTIC PLAZA CONDOMINIUMS, CRESTED BUTTE

R013051 $427.12

CAHIR MATTHEW J LOTS 17 & 18, BLOCK 2, IRWIN

R003528 $20,781.66

CASONA COLORADO PROPERTIES LLC

2 LOTS 29 & 30, BLOCK 23, CRESTED BUTTE

R042696 $9,543.83

CB ADVENTURES LLC LOT 62, BUCKHORN RANCH SUBDIVISION

R003486 $15,129.73

CB MAROON LLC LOTS 25 & 26, BLOCK 14 CRESTED BUTTE

R044087 $2,099.58

CERVANTES MARIA DE LOS ANGELES RAMIREZ LOT E6, LARKSPUR SUBDIVISION

R043065 $535.11

CHAPMAN KEVIN WAYNE UNIT 471, THE GRAND LODGE CRESTED BUTTE RESORT CONDOMINIUMS, MT. CRESTED BUTTE

R011752 $744.23

COAKLEY TIMOTHY J SITE 62, MASDEN LAKE FORK COVE SUBDIVISION

R004096 $92.02

COHEN M M LOT W, BLOCK 15, EAST MARBLE

R003847 $703.59

COLE PETER ALLAN LOTS 7-9, BLOCK 26, PITKIN

R008061 $479.91

COLLINS WENDY K 1.125 ACRES IN SECTION 35, TOWNSHIP 1N RANGE 1W

R043990 $622.71

CORDOVES STEVEN UNIT 306, THE GRAND LODGE CRESTED BUTTE RESORT II CONDOMINIUMS, MT. CRESTED BUTTE

R010530 $1,322.65

CRAFT FAMILY ENTERPRISES LLC

2.27 ACRES IN SECTION 9, TOWNSHIP 49N, RANGE 1W

R003209 $9,375.80

CRESTED BUTTE CORPORATION LOTS 24 & 25, BLOCK 29, CRESTED BUTTE

R031537 $11,844.69

DAHLBERG ERIC LOT 29, THE SUMMIT SUBDIVISION

R013384 $6,023.24

DAHLIA PROPERTY PARTNERS LLC LOT 17, THE ALLEN HOME SITES SUBDIVISION

R011175 $1,390.09

DARBY DALE LOT 4, BLOCK 9, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 1

R073366 $471.66

DENISON WADE SUNSET LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #1981, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R014987 $5,696.00

DERUSSEAU JEFFREY ALAN LOT 19, BLOCK 23, CRESTED BUTTE SOUTH SUBDIVISION

R072164 $14,775.09

DJ TRUST LOTS 15 & 16, ELK RUN SUBDIVISION

R014394 $168.62

DOLEZAL RUTH E UNDIVIDED 35% INTEREST IN: LOT 34, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 7

R071363 $11,023.07

DOUBLE M LLC 170.70 ACRES IN: HOMESTEAD LOT, LOST MINERRANCH SUBDIVISION

R001681 $3,699.37

EASTMAN STEPHANIE LOTS 23 & 24, BLOCK 21, ORIGINAL GUNNISON

R010232 $676.67

EBERLY JOSHUA J LOT 4-A & PART OF LOT 5-B, SUN PARK ADDITION

SUBDIVISION

R017150 $988.71

EPPS JOHN D LOT 29, NORTH VALLEY SUBDIVISION

CHARLOTTE & MARIA LOUISA LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #S: 4198 & 4199, TIN CUP MINING DISTRICT

R074176 $29.31

FLEMING ED 20 ACRES IN SECTION 1, TOWNSHIP 14S, RANGE 91W

R003727 $671.81

FRANKLIN LINDA DIANE LOTS 4-6, BLOCK 35, PITKIN

R012232 $26.84

FREO RALPH UNDIVIDED 1% INTEREST IN: CAVERN LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #2816, ROCK CREEK MINING DISTRICT

R002454 $1,953.74

FRISCH REBECCA L PART OF TRACT 33, ISLAND ACRES SUBDIVISION

R003559 $3,605.01

FUCHS ALISON K UNIT 1, CRYSTAL CREEK CONDOMINIUMS, CRESTED BUTTE

R017614 $1,288.49

FUHRMAN KAREN E UNIT 205-A, SKYLAND LODGE CONDOMINIUMS

R040565 $8,206.94

GARCIA RANDY S LOT S-118, SKYLAND SUBDIVISION

R045063 $1,662.90

GARDUNO RUSTY LOT 19, THORNTON MEADOWS SUBDIVISION

R043129 $27,607.74

GCP HOLDINGS LLC LOT S-187, SKYLAND SUBDIVISION

R073631 $13,057.85

GCP HOLDINGS LLC LOT 3, FAIRWAY PARK AT SKYLAND TOWNHOME SUBDIVISION

R004131 $549.69

GELIN BRUCE AND FILOMENA J LOTS 3-6, BLOCK 35, MARBLE

R030784 $2,512.27

GILES JAIMA C LOT 8, BLOCK 10, CRESTED BUTTE SOUTH SUBDIVISION

R013067 $1,037.82

GREEN SCOTT P LOTS 3-5, 15 & 16 AND ADJACENT

STREETS AND ALLEYS, BLOCK 24, IRWIN

R013821 $86.13

GRIFFITH ROBERTA GAIL

UNDIVIDED 2.6% INTEREST IN: LOTS 7 & 9, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, CONDOMINIUM FILING

R001234 $6,852.92

GUNNISON HEGENES LLC LOT A, BLOCK 94, WEST GUNNISON

R043449 $5,894.24

GUNNISON HEGENES LLC LOT B2, LOT B BLOCK 95 SUBDIVISION

R071827 $2,114.45

HAMMACK 1990 TRUST LOT 6, BLOCK 28, CRESTED BUTTE SOUTH SUBDIVISION

R033489 $474.41

HARRIS HOWARD CLAY

JUNCTION LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #2670, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R013791 $1,673.02

HARRIS TRACEY LOTS 17 & 18, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 4

R003058 $8,417.55

HART JR RICHARD LOTS 11 & 12, BLOCK 7, CRESTED BUTTE

R072068 $2,764.95

HASSEBROEK KATHERINE C UNIT 303, THE TIMBERS CONDOMINIUMS, MT CRESTED BUTTE

R027129 $452.98

HELLYER MICHAEL BRUCE LOTS 7-14, BLOCK 40, TIN CUP

R007407 $1,195.31

HELMS JUSTIN LIME CONTACT NO. 3 & NO. 4 LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #14311, QUARTZ CREEK PROPERTIES SUBDIVISION

R007438 $496.94

HELMS JUSTIN

LITTLE BOSS LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #2658, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R040202 $1,456.13

HELMS JUSTIN LOTS 25-27, BLOCK 36, PITKIN

R026920 $536.50

HERNANDEZ DANIEL A MINARRO

LOST WINDING LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #19208, GOLD BRICK MINING DISTRICT

R040770 $49.13

HERSBERGER WESLEY B PARCEL 3, PIKE BLUE MESA PARCELS SUBDIVISION

R002309 $671.16

HESS BRYAN J LOTS 7-11, BLOCK 3, RIO GRAND ADDITION TO GUNNISON

R033148 $391.43

HINES LILLIAN BROOKE LIVING TRUST

TENNESSEE LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #6238, ROCK CREEK MINING DISTRICT

R001615 $3,990.56

HOLDEN ENID MARGARET LOTS 3 & 4, BLOCK 18, ORIGINAL GUNNISON

R007154 $2,777.78

HOLMAN JANET S REVOCABLE TRUST LOTS 1 & 2, BLOCK 3, THE HOMESTEAD SUBDIVISION

R026969 $1,537.62

HOLMAN JANET S REVOCABLE TRUST LOT 11, BLOCK 4, THE HOMESTEAD SUBDIVISION

R011339 $364.25

HONEY BADGER RESOURCES LLC

ROSE BUD AND PART OF HUMMING BIRD & WAR EAGLE LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #10910, DOMINGO MINING DISTRICT (BALANCE IN SAGUACHE COUNTY)

R012274 $195.92

HONEY BADGER RESOURCES LLC MILLSITE LODE LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #19920, DOMINGO MINING DISTRICT

R016643 $758.85

JOHNSTON META LOTS 77 & 78, BLUE MESA SUBDIVISION - UNIT 2

R033682 $681.00

KILLINGBACK RICHARD A BRYAN, MASCOT & MATCHLESS LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #18220, GOLD BRICK MINING DISTRICT

R007485 $157.37

LACAPRA DANIEL ANTHONY UNDIVIDED 50% INTEREST IN: DEAD WOOD LODE MING CLAIM, SURVEY #1872, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R040376 $80.44

LACAPRA DANIEL ANTHONY UNDIVIDED 29% INTEREST IN: IRON KING LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #4808, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R008962 $145.28

LACAPRA VINCE

UNDIVIDED 50% INTEREST IN: DEAD WOOD LODE MING CLAIM, SURVEY #1872, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R033165 $168.36

LACAPRA VINCE UNDIVIDED 71% INTEREST IN: IRON KING LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #4808, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R010211 $1,072.64

LAMBERT PROPERTIES LLC LOT 21, SUN PARK ADDITION SUBDIVISION

R016361 $520.27

LESSARD JEFFREY S LOT 7, BLOCK 7, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 3

R073107 $334.29

LINSCHEID VELDA LOUISE RED CLOUD LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #3147, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R008304 $188.14

LOOPER ROBERT DAVID

LIME CONTACT NO. 13 LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #14311, QUARTZ CREEK PROPERTIES SUBDIVISION

PROPERTY TAXES

R001125 $6,896.88

1210 W TOMICHI

LOTS 13-19 & PART OF ADJACENT STREET AND ALLEY, BLOCK 112, WEST

R016460 $1,070.22 BYERS KARA D LOT 11, BLOCK 11, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 3

R013048 $254.35

CAHIR MATTHEW J LOTS 8 & 11, BLOCK 2, IRWIN

R017642 $1,205.98

EVCO MANAGEMENT LLC UNIT 309-A, SKYLAND LODGE CONDOMINIUMS

R013037 $770.17

FELIX RANDY LOT 9 AND PART OF LOT 8, BLOCK 10, IRWIN

R011353 $948.83

FERRY LUCIAN S

DEER TRAIL LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #4705, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R007517 $433.75

HELMS JUSTIN EARLY BIRD LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #1885, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R033490 $490.34 HELMS JUSTIN

R032927 $25.55

LOST MINER ENTERPRISES LLC

1 ACRE IN LOST MINER RANCH SUBDIVISION

R009043 $246.93

LUEKER ANDREW BELLE MAHONE LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #15305, QUARTZ CREEK MINING DISTRICT

R014727 $676.81

LUNN KRISTOPHER T LOT 22, BLOCK 14, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 2

R013822 $86.13

LYONS HARLEY L UNDIVIDED 2.6% INTEREST IN: LOTS 7 & 9, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, CONDOMINIUM FILING

R025584 $875.52

MAFFRY DOUGLAS KIRK

NORTH STAR, NUMBER 3, NARROW GAUGE & MULDOON LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #S: 847A, 848, 849 & 850, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R041547 $676.06

MAGDALENO JARIB TRACT B, LOT 2, SHULTZ SUBDIVISION

R016466 $520.27

MAIER DAVID ANTHONY LOT 6, BLOCK 10, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 3

R005241 $3,818.48

MANGURIAN MIKE UNIT 123, MOUNTAIN SUNRISE CONDOMINIUMS, MT CRESTED BUTTE

R014558 $912.35

MAPLE GROVE PROPERTIES LLC LOT 24, BEARCLAW SUBDIVISION

R073716 $613.29

MASONBRINK ADAM LOTS 9-14 & 27-32, BLOCK 27, SCHOFIELD TOWNSITE

R012768 $5,345.65

MATTSON JORDAN LOT 20, GLACIER LILY ESTATES SUBDIVISION

R008534 $965.63

MCGINNIS SHANNON H HORN NO. 1 LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #15184, QUARTZ CREEK PROPERTIES SUBDIVISION

R026684 $1,944.65

MCLELAND LENORE G FAMILY TRUST UNIT 34, HEATHERWOOD VILLAS CONDOMINIUMS

R071741 $450.15 MILLER PAMELA J VENI LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #7713, QUARTZ CREEK PROPERTIES SUBDIVISION

R007012 $2,003.02

MITSUBA LLC PART OF CLARKSON LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #12011A & PART OF RECONSTRUCTION PLACER MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #19524, GOLD BRICK MINING DISTRICT

R009102 $1,954.67

MITSUBA LLC PART OF RECONSTRUCTION PLACER MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #19524, GOLD BRICK MINING DISTRICT

R005789 $2,459.60

MORDVINOFF PETER N UNIT 31, REDSTONE BLDG, EVERGREEN CONDOMINIUMS, MT CRESTED BUTTE

R031929 $7,183.81

MORNING DEW PARTNERS LLC LOT 28, MERIDIAN LAKE MEADOWS SUBDIVISION

R042729 $9,653.25

MORRISON JERRY LOT 41, BUCKHORN RANCH SUBDIVISION

R006058 $1,249.39

MOUNTAIN MIRACLE INC UNIT C, THE GARDENS

CONDOMINIUMS, MT CRESTED BUTTE

R006059 $2,023.16

MOUNTAIN MIRACLE INC UNIT D, THE GARDENS

CONDOMINIUMS MT CRESTED BUTTE

R001120 $965.20

MULLEN EDGAR LOTS 20 & 21, BLOCK 113, WEST GUNNISON

R010524 $302.97

MURILLO LILIANA MARQUEZ LOT 15, PLEASANTVIEW PARK SUBDIVISION

R001269 $1,331.97

NICHOLS JAMES LOTS 3-5, BLOCK 18, WEST GUNNISON

R003419 $10,681.12

NIMMO MICHAEL LOTS 9, 10 & PART OF LOT 8, BLOCK 39, CRESTED BUTTE

R001116 $1,353.67

OZYP MATTHEW LOTS 6, 7 & PART OF LOT 8 AND

ADJACENT ALLEY, BLOCK 114, WEST GUNNISON

R001526 $1,805.15

OZYP MATTHEW R PART OF LOTS 8-12, BLOCK 79, FIRST ADDITION TO GUNNISON

R001958 $959.24

OZYP MATTHEW R LOTS 11 & 12, BLOCK 31, ORIGINAL GUNNISON

R033389 $33.66

OZYP MATTHEW R 10.834 ACRES IN SECTION 15, TOWNSHIP 48N, RANGE 2W

R071510 $454.64

OZYP MATTHEW R 120.23 ACRES IN SECTIONS 14 & 23, TOWNSHIP 48N, RANGE 2W

R072243 $226.05

OZYP MATTHEW R TRACT C, MESSNER FAMILY PARTNERSHIP SUBDIVISION

R009714 $2,161.14

OZYP MATTHEW ROBERT LOT 29, OHIO MEADOWS SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 3

R071511 $102.82

OZYP MATTHEW ROBERT 93.02 ACRES IN SECTIONS 22 & 23, TOWNSHIP 48N, RANGE 2W

R001166 $1,232.14

PATOINE-GALE JOSHUA P LOTS 15 & 16, BLOCK 79, WEST GUNNISON

R071737 $8,692.81

PATRICK SEAN LOTS M2-58 & M2-59, BUCKHORN RANCH SUBDIVISION

R010344 $687.61

PEPPERD ENID C

ROCKY PLACER LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #763, GOLD BASIN MINING DISTRICT

R026602 $3,617.36

PETERSON RODNEY N 0.36 ACRES IN SECTION 24, TOWNSHIP 49N, RANGE 2E

R004112 $2,626.53

PETROCCO J ANTHONY LOTS C-I & N-W, BLOCK 19, EAST MARBLE

R013154 $6,695.13

PIKE PATRICIA JO LOT 16, RIVER BEND SUBDIVISION

R032552 $9,382.50

PIKE PATRICIA JO LOT S-61, SKYLAND SUBDIVISION

R003477 $6,016.06

POTICIA PALACE LLC TRACT 1, SAYA SUBDIVISION

R032062 $1,153.00

POWERS D MAX 40 ACRES IN SECTION 32, TOWNSHIP 51N, RANGE 2E

R008792 $1,908.68

QUARTZ CREEK LAND CO

217.62 ACRES IN SECTIONS 26 & 27, TOWNSHIP 50N, RANGE 3E

R030009 $6,090.15

RAFFERTY COLLEEN S LOTS 1, 2 & PART OF LOT 3, BLOCK 38, CRESTED BUTTE

R003269 $7,153.34

RAYDER NICHOLAS LIVING TRUST LOTS 23-25, BLOCK 33, CRESTED BUTTE

R014224 $265.76

REED DAVID LOTS 28 & 29, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R007501 $452.98

RESNICK MICHAEL SAUL LIVING TRUST

SULPHURET & SNOWBIRD LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #S: 6938 & 17748, TOMICHI MINING DISTRICT

R026323 $2,369.52

RIBE JESSICA L 11.57 ACRES IN SECTION 34, TOWNSHIP 50N, RANGE 1W

R045500 $11,207.14

RIO WILDER 4 LLC LOT 4, WILDER ON THE TAYLOR SUBDIVISION

R014219 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 35, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014220 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 34, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014221 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 33, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014231 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 22, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014232 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 21, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014233 $150.49

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 20, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014234 $150.49

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 19, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014235 $150.49

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 18, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014236 $150.49

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 17, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014237 $150.49

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 16, BLOCK 4, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014248 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 102, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014249 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 103, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014250 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 104, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014251 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 105, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014252 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 106, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014253 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 107, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014254 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 108, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014255 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 109, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014256 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 110, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014257 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 111, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014258 $150.49

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC LOT 112, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014259 $150.49

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 114, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014274 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 96, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014275 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 97, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION,

CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014276 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 98, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014277 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 99, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014278 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 100, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R014279 $142.88

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

LOT 101, BLOCK 3, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, CRYSTAL RIVER FILING

R071736 $150.49

RIVER DANCE RANCH INC

2.29 ACRES IN SECTION 27, TOWNSHIP 11S, RANGE 88W

R006197 $4,843.24

ROBERTSON MARY JEAN UNIT 4, BLDG B, SNOWFALL POINT CONDOMINIUMS, MT CRESTED BUTTE

R017626 $1,801.74

ROGGENBUCK PAUL UNIT 217-A, SKYLAND LODGE CONDOMINIUMS

R073632 $4,072.16

RORKE JIM LOT 4, FAIRWAY PARK AT SKYLAND TOWNHOME SUBDIVISION

R007754 $95.27

ROSS FAMILY LLC 80 ACRES IN SECTION 11, TOWNSHIP 15S, RANGE 87W

R007756 $44.17

ROSS FAMILY LLC TRACT A, WILDERNESS STREAMS SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 2

R014422 $444.22

ROWLAND CAREN E LOTS 1 & 2, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 7

R043987 $1,737.79

RYAN CHARLES T UNIT 303, THE GRAND LODGE CRESTED BUTTE RESORT II CONDOMINIUMS, MT. CRESTED BUTTE

R033191 $343.63

RYAN PATRICK

SENATOR BECK LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #16567, QUARTZ CREEK MINING DISTRICT

R002068 $2,775.70

S COLORADO RESTAURANT LLC PART OF LOT 22, BLOCK 28, ORIGINAL GUNNISON

R008298 $224.40

SAFFER JESSI VICTORIA LOTS 9-12, BLOCK 2 AND ADJACENT STREET & ALLEY, CAUFMAN’S ADDITION TO OHIO CITY

R005519 $2,510.05

SAIED V C UNIT 2302, COLUMBINE CONDOMINIUMS, MT CRESTED BUTTE

R071479 $797.01

SAVITZ TIM UNIT 2, TOMICHI TOWNHOMES, GUNNISON

R032106 $2,435.44

SCARLET BEGONIAS PARTNERS LLC UNIT 221, MAJESTIC PLAZA CONDOMINIUMS, CRESTED BUTTE

R032107 $2,586.59

SCARLET BEGONIAS PARTNERS LLC UNIT 222, MAJESTIC PLAZA CONDOMINIUMS, CRESTED BUTTE

R007452 $542.55

SCHOONOVER JACKIE L BLUE BIRD LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #932, QUARTZ CREEK MINING DISTRICT

R008012 $81.54

SCHOONOVER JACKIE L LOTS 25-28, BLOCK 20, LA VETA ADDITION TO PITKIN

R011359 $193.21

SCHOONOVER JACKIE L NELLIE MC LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #19523, TIN CUP MINING DISTRICT

R026586 $1,306.09

SELLERS CHAD ANTHONY 40 ACRES IN SECTION 10, TOWNSHIP 48N, RANGE 3W

R014067 $117.29

SERENITY HOUSE LLC LOT 13, BLOCK 5, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 1

R014069 $216.42

SERENITY HOUSE LLC LOT 12, BLOCK 5, MARBLE SKI AREA

SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 1

R070979 $216.42

SERENITY HOUSE LLC LOT 17, BLOCK 5, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 1

R070980 $216.42

SERENITY HOUSE LLC LOT 16, BLOCK 5, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 1

R013663 $562.15

SERENITY POINT LLC

DYNAMITE, LEGACY & SATURDAY NIGHT LODE MINING CLAIMS, SURVEY #7655, ROCK CREEK MINING DISTRICT

R042704 $13,506.56

SHAKEDOWN ST PARTNERS LLC LOT 61, BUCKHORN RANCH

R007316 $1,265.51

SHANK NEWTON M JR 2.70 ACRES IN SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 50N, RANGE 1E

R032204 $1,059.07

SHRIEVES STEPHANIE A LOT 29, SUNSPOT SUBDIVISION

R016979 $113.10 SINGSON DAVID REX FORTALEZA LOT 253, BLUE MESA SUBDIVISIONUNIT 1

R011774 $442.78 SMITH HEATHER LOT 11, BLOCK 15, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 2

R073868 $2,152.62

STEVENS LACHLAN 40.32 ACRES IN SECTION 17, TOWNSHIP 14S, RANGE 87W

R031916 $6,136.23

STOKELD TRUST LOT 15, MERIDIAN LAKE MEADOWS SUBDIVISION

R042709 $9,653.25

SUGAREE LH LLC LOT 22, BUCKHORN RANCH SUBDIVISION

R016432 $1,170.06

TAYLOR JAMES ERIC LOT 27, BLOCK 8, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 3

R072138 $695.84

THULIN TIMOTHY SUNOL LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #7908, QUARTZ CREEK PROPERTIES SUBDIVISION

R032931 $250.22

TRAUTMAN DANA TRUSTEE GAGE LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #10713, GOLD BASIN MINING DISTRICT

R072734 $9,011.21

TUCUMCARI PARTNERS LLC LOT 3, MELDRUM SUBDIVISION

R074093 $3,747.62

TUCUMCARI PARTNERS LLC UNIT B, ELCHO PLACE TOWNHOMES, CRESTED BUTTE SOUTH

R013454 $1,587.85

UGGE CRYSTAL LOTS 8-33, BLOCK 24, SCHOFIELD TOWNSITE

R013455 $467.88 UGGE CRYSTAL LOTS 2-7 & 34-39, BLOCK 17, SCHOFIELD TOWNSITE

R025802 $3,216.80

VIDMAR M K TRUST 9.203 ACRES IN SECTION 3, TOWNSHIP 49N, RANGE 1W

R031836 $5,506.76

VILLALOBOS MARIO LOTS 1-4, PART OF LOT 5 AND ADJACENT ALLEY, BLOCK 42, MARBLE

R043196 $13,013.72

WALKER JANE H TRUST FBO WINTER OLIVIA PARCEL 13, THE RESERVE ON THE EAST RIVER SUBDIVISION

R040157 $1,634.10

WARREN TONY 100.037 ACRES IN SECTION 6, TOWNSHIP 47N, RANGE 3W

R025357 $749.11

WATERS PAUL A 42.090 ACRES IN SECTIONS 23 & 26, TOWNSHIP 47N, RANGE 4W

R072873 $167.81

WATSON LINDA L PART OF LOT E5 & TRASH ENCLOSURE LOT, PONDEROSA PARK SUBDIVISION

R002242 $4,263.86

WEAVER JESSIE LOTS 1-3, BLOCK 37, WEST GUNNISON

Thursday, October 3, 2024

R043917 $1,793.14

WELFELT ERIN S UNIT 1, WILDWOOD TOWNHOMES CONDOMINIUMS, PHASE 8, GUNNISON

R012125 $759.99

WEMPEN MICHAEL CRAIG LOT 6, BLOCK 9, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 1

R031668 $2,916.43

WGMA LAKESIDE LP LOTS 18-20 & PART OF LOT 21, BLOCK 6, MARBLE SKI AREA SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 1

R031245 $10.76

WHETSTONE TOWNHOUSE ASSOC PART OF LOT M-5, RIVER BEND SUBDIVISION

R025330 $2,799.47

WHINNERY HELEN E

978.03 ACRES IN SECTIONS 25, 26, 35 & 36, TOWNSHIP 46N, RANGE 4W

R040779 $64.38

WHINNERY STEVEN L 200 ACRES IN SECTIONS 17 & 20, TOWNSHIP 46N, RANGE 3W

R042351 $64.38

WHINNERY STEVEN L 200 ACRES IN SECTIONS 25 & 26, TOWNSHIP 48N, RANGE 4W

R042916 $37.86

WHINNERY STEVEN L 80 ACRES IN SECTION 35, TOWNSHIP 48N, RANGE 4W

R042918 $461.14

WHINNERY STEVEN L 545.18 ACRES IN SECTIONS 1 & 2, TOWNSHIP 47N, RANGE 4W

R032065 $1,385.11

WHINNERY STEVEN LYNN 40 ACRES IN SECTION 35, TOWNSHIP 46N, RANGE 4W

R011796 $677.16

WILSON MELISSA LOT 10, BLOCK 10, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 1

R016296 $520.27

WILSON MELISSA LOT 22, BLOCK 7, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 3

R042174 $1,429.05

WONSPEED LLC UNIT 102, WEST ELK CENTER CONDOMINIUMS, CRESTED BUTTE

R042176 $1,429.05

WONSPEED LLC UNIT 204, WEST ELK CENTER CONDOMINIUMS, CRESTED BUTTE

R042179 $660.38

WONSPEED LLC

UNIT 203, WEST ELK CENTER CONDOMINIUMS, CRESTED BUTTE

R042180 $958.03

WONSPEED LLC UNIT 202, WEST ELK CENTER CONDOMINIUMS, CRESTED BUTTE

R012135 $39.48

WRIGHT ARWEN ANN VANDENBERG LOT 21, BLOCK 1, IOLA VALLEY TRACTS SUBDIVISION

R007232 $855.19

WYNNE JOSEPH

MONETARY NO.2 LODE MINING CLAIM, SURVEY #8231, QUARTZ CREEK PROPERTIES SUBDIVISION

R017285 $218.08

ZAKRAJSEK RICHARD A LOT 24, BLOCK 12, ARROWHEAD SUBDIVISION, FILING NO. 3

R016604 $130.42

ZIMMER CONSTANCE LOT 38, BLUE MESA SUBDIVISIONUNIT 2

R071649 $3,199.15

ZIMMER CONSTANCE APRYL LOT 5, BLOCK 29, CRESTED BUTTE

SOUTH SUBDIVISION

WITNESS MY HAND AND SEAL THIS October 3, 2024

Debbie Dunbar Gunnison County Treasurer Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado. Publication dates of October 3, 10 and 17 2024

14997

PUBLIC NOTICE

GUNNISON COUNTY TAX SALE INFORMATION TAX SALE LIST

Our tax sale list will be published in October and will run for three weeks.

SALE -Date of Sale: November 1, 2024

-Sale will be held online at www. zeusauction.com. Auction and registration information available on our website, www. gunnisoncounty.org/treasurer.

-Auction will begin at 8:00 am MST and close at 5:00 pm MST

BIDDING -Employees and officials of Gunnison County, members of their immediate families or their agents are not permitted to bid at Gunnison County Tax Sale.

-It is bidder’s responsibility to know what he/ she is bidding on. Each parcel number and minimum bid (minimum bid includes taxes, interest, advertising and certificate costs) will be listed on auction site.

- Payment for all winning bids will be made by ACH from the bidder’s account that was used in the registration process. This is the only form of payment accepted.

INTEREST

15%

TAX LIEN

-You are only purchasing a lien to the property no other rights.

SUBSEQUENT PROPERTY

Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado. Publication dates of October 3, 10 and 17 2024 14995

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 Jewish Congregation PO Box 2537 Crested Butte, CO 81224 305-803-3648 bnaibutte@gmail.com

Serving the Jewish communities of Crested Butte, Gunnison and the East River Valley in Colorado. High Holy Days schedule

Rosh Hashana

Oct 2, 5 p.m. - erev Rosh Hashana services potluck following, please bring a dish and drink to share

Oct 3 - 1st day of Rosh Hashana, service & hike to begin at 9:30 a.m., Tashlick at 1 p.m.

Oct 4, 2nd day of Rosh Hashana, services begin at 10 followed by potluck, please bring a dish and drink to share

Yom Kippur

Oct 11, Kol Nidre services begin at 6 p.m.

Oct 12, services begin at 10 a.m. and conclude with Ne’ila at 6:30 p.m. followed by break the fast potluck, please bring a dish to share

Faith leader: Rabbi Mark Kula is available for you at RabbiMarkKula@gmail.com

See details/locations on our website bnaibutte.org

Faith Directory

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

107 N. Iowa • 970-641- 0925

Pastor Larry Nelson

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

SUNDAY

Sunday School at 10 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship at 11 a.m.

Sunday Evening Service at 6 p.m. (during school year)

WEDNESDAY (during school year)

Truth Trackers Kids Club at 6:30 p.m.

Youth Group for Teens at 7:30 p.m. firstbaptistgunnison.org.

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

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

Senior Pastor Robert Carabotta Assoc. Pastor Jacob With Childrens Sunday School – Sunday 9 a.m.

Adult Sunday School – Sunday 9 a.m.

Divine Service of the Word – Sunday 10 a.m.

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 Communion Service, Sun. at 10 a.m.

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

Professional poise

Western Colorado University students dusted off their business casual attire to meet with industry professionals during a career and internship fair on Sept. 27. Students attended discussion panels, a dinner and networking breakfast to learn more about potential career paths and internship opportunities.

The home stretch

The Gunnison High School Student Council has been hard at work this week preparing for a busy homecoming weekend. Some students gave the horseshoes on Ohio Avenue a fresh coat of paint, while others created decorations for the homecoming dance on Oct. 5.

(Courtesy Michaela Keefe/Western Colorado University)

(Courtesy Kim Fuller/Gunnison High School)

Lights & Sirens

CITY OF GUNNISON POLICE REPORT

AUGUST 23

ANIMAL - RUNNING AT LARGEMUNICIPAL — 15 IRWIN ST. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF - DAMAGE TO PROPERTY — 208 N. TELLER ST.

AUGUST 24

ANIMAL - RUNNING AT LARGEMUNICIPAL — 200 N. TAYLOR ST. VIOLATION OF PROTECTION

ORDER: CRIMINAL ORDER — 400 N. COLORADO ST.

AUGUST 25

ANIMAL - RUNNING AT LARGEMUNICIPAL — CR 15

HARASSMENT:INSULTS, TAUNTS, CHALLENGES — 800 W. OHIO AVE.

JUVENILE PROBLEM — W. NEW YORK AVE.

AUGUST 26

JUVENILE PROBLEM — W. RIO GRANDE AVE.

THEFT: INTENDS TO PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE — 1160 N. MAIN ST.

ANIMAL - RUNNING AT LARGEMUNICIPAL — 1600 W. TOMICHI AVE.

HARASSMENT: REPEATED COMMUNICATIONS — 1099 N. 11TH ST. AGENCY ASSIST — CR 17

AUGUST 27

INFORMATION — N. TAYLOR ST. ACCIDENT - HIT & RUN — 800 W. OHIO AVE.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS: FIRST DEGREE - VEHICLE — 540 ESCALANTE DR.

CRIMINAL ATTEMPT — 1312 W.

TOMICHI AVE.

PROPERTY - FOUND — 601 N.

TAYLOR ST.

AUGUST 28

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE - ALCOHOL — HWY. 50 & UTE LANE

PROPERTY - FOUND — 400 E.

TOMICHI AVE.

WELFARE ASSIST — ESCALANTE

DR.

VIOLATION OF PROTECTION

ORDER: CRIMINAL ORDER — 510 E. TOMICHI AVE.

ACCIDENT - HIT & RUN — 1201 W.

TOMICHI AVE.

DISTURBING THE PEACE - ALLOWING OTHERS — 406 N. 11TH ST.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE - ALCOHOL — 800 N. MAIN ST.

AUGUST 29

DISTURBING THE PEACE - AL -

LOWING OTHERS — 1208 W.

TOMICHI AVE.

PROPERTY - FOUND — ESCALAN-

TE DR.

HARRASSMENT: REPEATED

COMMUNICATIONS — 905 N.

MAIN ST.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — N. BOU -

LEVARD ST.

WELFARE ASSIST — S. 11TH ST.

Colors on the wind

Gunnison Elementary School students ran through a rainbow of colors during the annual Mustang Loop color run on Sept. 26. Older students tossed dyed cornstarch powder into the air, which clung to students’ white T-shirts. The Gunnison Parent-Teacher Association organized the event.

FAMILY MEDICINE CLINIC

welcomes

Expert Care, Expanded for You

Continuing the Care You Trust, Now with Even More to Offer. We’re combining years of trusted care with new resources to serve you better. Together, we’re expanding access while maintaining the same compassionate care and trusted providers you’ve known for years.

In Gunnison: (970) 641-0211

130 E. Virginia Avenue Gunnison, CO 81230

In Crested Butte: (970) 349-6749

214 6th Street, Suite 1 Crested Butte, CO 81224

To schedule an appointment with any of our other trusted Family Medicine Clinic providers, please call (970) 642-8413.

Jay McMurren, MD

Eric Thorson, MD

Laura Villanueva, MD

Megan Tucker, DO

Emily Ferrell, FNP

Lauretta F. Garren, MD

Amanda Hill, MD, FAAP Lauren Sullenberger, DO William Gattis, MD Maija Swanson, MD Jodi Bauer, FNP Brigid Heckel, FNP

SPORTS: Cowboy softball rights the ship, B6

GUNNISON COUNTRY TIMES • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024

Back in session

The Fairview Schoolhouse welcomes volunteer day

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

Hidden behind yellow cottonwoods, the historic Fairview Schoolhouse sits like a retired motor vehicle. The wooden, one-room building has rested alongside Ohio Creek since its construction in 1906. Even after the final class was dismissed in 1936, the Fairview, overlooking the nearby Anthracite Range, held potlucks, dances and the occasional wedding. Over the passing decades, its white paint slowly peeled and grass grew tall around its porch. Despite its overgrown appearance, the schoolhouse’s history remains deeply connected to the Gunnison Valley ranching community. Local families are now eager to preserve their forgotten gem.

LeeAnn Mick stands outside the historic Fairview Schoolhouse. (Photos by Alex McCrindle)

Fairview B2 A photograph of the original Fairview class sits on the piano.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 AT 7:30 PM

Argentinian guitarist

Juan Pablo Esmok Lew & Friends

CLASSICAL GUITARIST FROM BUENOS AIRES SUPERIOR CONSERVATORY BACK BY REQUEST:

Juan Pablo will perform a set of his own works played in the traditional way, and composed on folk root music, a mix of Latin, French and Argentinian music. He will feature an original composition called “Gunni Song”. Juan Pablo will also be joined on stage by Western faculty members: Dr. Darkson Magrinelli and Dr. Ben Justis

Kincaid Concert Hall in Quigley • FREE event

AMA DONDE TRABAJAS

¡Guía A Los Pacientes Que Hablan Español Y CORA A Través Del Proceso De Atención Médica!

• Excelentes Beneficios

• Salario inicial de $22.33 por hora ¡Usa tu habilidad única para marcar la diferencia en la vida de los pacientes y familias que luchan con lo desconocido!

On Sept. 29, the schoolhouse opened again for a potluck and maintenance day. Volunteers cut trees, mowed the brush and refreshed the building.

Organizers Dexter Guerrieri and LeeAnn Mick hope the event will reintroduce the Fairview to Gunnison, and revive it as a community gathering space.

“There were thousands of events that happened here, his was a place where people came to be a part of the community and to be entertained.”

LeeAnn Mick Fairview Community Association

“The building is filled with local history, it’s one large single room, and you can almost hear the past,” Fairview Community Association President Guerrieri said. “It was always centrally located for all of the neighbors up Ohio Creek, and we want to bring it back to life.”

The school’s history traces back to 1881, when the original settlers of the Ohio Creek Valley established School District 10. While construction began on a log cabin, students attended class in a rented tent. The entire community of Ohio Creek pioneers chopped logs for the cabin, and raised the building in 1883. It hosted elementary education, and two years of high school.

In 1906 the current Fairview building was erected, and the original cabin moved two miles south, where it still rests to this day on the Easterly Ranch. The new building included a cloakroom, attic and porch. Large windows introduced beams of natural light, and blackboards covered the north-facing wall. In the early days, students from all across the Ohio Creek Valley traveled to school on horseback, according to The

Dr. Darkson Magrinelli Dr. Ben Justis

The original hardwood floors and wood panels line the interior.

A portrait of George Washington hangs beside the building.

Fairview B3

Fence Post. The construction of an eight-stall barn in 1908 didn’t stop student Harry Miller from reportedly riding his horse into the classroom on a dare. The Fairview Community Association reported, the student was “soundly punished.”

“Harry Miller wasn’t the only school boy to ride his horse into the building,” former student Phil Eilbeacht said in the article. “We all rode our horses inside!”

The school closed in 1936 when Ohio Creek students started busing into Gunnison for class. Still, the Fairview remained a pivotal landmark for the ranching community. The school building hosted plays, spelling bees, church services, Christmas celebrations and weddings.

“There were thousands of events that happened here,” Mick said. “This was a place where people came to be a part of the community and to be entertained.”

In 1964, the Fairview Community Association purchased the school house for $850 from the Gunnison Watershed School District. The community association paid for a new corrugated steel roof with bake sales, and installed new curtains, embroidered with local ranching brands. The same curtains still adorn the windows to this day.

As the years passed, and the harsh Ohio Creek winters took its toll on the schoolhouse, volunteers continued to come to its aid. In 2003, Guerrieri repainted and cleaned the building in partnership with his organization, Preservation Volunteers.

But the last significant maintenance took place in 2006, and then, the building again succumbed to the elements.

Today, hundreds of vehicles drive past the school house. Dazzled by the yellow aspens and the silhouettes of the Anthracites, visitors turn a blind eye to the once-famous Fairview. But for the original pioneer families up Ohio Creek, the Fairview offers irreplaceable memories.

When she looks across the original wooden floors, Mick said she becomes overwhelmed

A walk on the wild side

with nostalgia. She remembers the sound of accordion players and the dances, and playing “Cow patty bingo” in the adjacent pastures. During this game, children ran out into the fields, and designed a rope bingo grid. Then, the cows would move into the pastures, dropping patties onto the grid, and the kids would shout “Bingo!”

On Sept. 29, the school house reopened for the day. A group of 20 community volunteers took to the grounds with lawn mowers and weed whackers, and rejuvenated the property with

a fresh trim, and much needed dusting. After the hard work, the group reclined around the school house, and enjoyed a sunset and potluck dinner. Mick hopes the brief reopening will rekindle a lost love between Gunnison and the historic building.

“I’m one who believes that if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it,” Mick said. “I’m always hopeful that the Fairview will become a thriving community center once again.”

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

Hunters and trappers learned how to process their field-dressed wild game for cooking during a workshop at the Fred Field center on Oct. 1. Experts from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Gunny Meats and Gunnison County CSU Extension taught cutting and preparation techniques.

(Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Books dating back to the early 20th century line the bookshelves.

Prost! to Oktoberfest

German folk traditions came to life during the Gunnison Bank and Trust’s annual Oktoberfest on Sept. 27. Community members snacked on brats and beer while the Pete Dunda Band roused the crowd for rounds of polka dancing.

(Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Speaking Up and Speaking Out

On Oct. 12 from 10-11:30 a.m., Gunnison County Republicans will host an information session about 2024 ballot initiatives at the Gunnison County Library, 1 Quartz Ave. in Gunnison. This will be followed from 1-3:30 p.m. by a class called Speaking Up and Speaking Out, led by a representative from the Independence Institute and Citizen Involvement Project.

Free coats and more

The Gunnison Rotary Club sponsors a free coat closet on the west side of the Gunnison Country Food Pantry building at 114 S. 14th St. Feel free to take a coat or leave a gently used coat of all sizes.

GriefShare

Are you grieving the loss of a family member or friend? Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Gunnison will host a 13-week, scripture-based support group on a schedule that will accommodate all participants. Email Rod Morrill at rodmorrill2@ gmail.com for more information and to register.

‘A Christmas Carol’ auditions

Firebird Theatre will hold auditions for a holiday production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” The performances will run Dec. 18-23 at the Lodge at Mountaineer Square in Mt. Crested Butte. Sign up for an audition at firebirdcb.com/christmas-carol or show up to one of the audition nights:

Sunday, Oct. 6, 4-6 p.m. at Union Congregational Church, 403 Maroon Ave, Crested Butte. Monday, Oct. 7, 6-8 p.m. at Western’s Savage Library Room 101, 1 Western Way, Gunnison.

Run with the Mountaineers

Kids ages 4-13 are invited to run out onto the field just like the Mountaineers at halftime under the lights on Oct. 5. Game kick-off is at 6 p.m. and the kids lineup starts with 10 minutes to go in the second quarter at the home locker room windows. Every time the Mountaineers score, we will fill the air with bubbles, so be sure to bring your bubbles! Gunnison Watershed School District students are admitted free with a valid ID.

GUNNISON ARTS CENTER BRIEFS

First Friday Art Walk

Join us Oct. 4 from 5-8 p.m. for the First Friday Art Walk and the 40th birthday celebration of the Gunnison Arts Center. Featuring a ribbon cutting of the Nancy Tredway Gallery, the Six Points silent auction art exhibit, Resurgence community exhibit. Come enjoy some cake with us!

Crested

disAbility Film Festival

Western Colorado University will host the disAbility Film Festival for the fifth year on Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the UC Theater. The festival aims to increase awareness about the humancentered successes achieved when creating inclusive environments in education, communities and workplaces. Tickets are optional and donations are appreciated.

Red Lady celebration

A free street dance to celebrate Red Lady’s mine-free future will be held Friday, Oct. 4 in Crested Butte on Elk Avenue between 2nd and 3rd. Floodgate Operators will perform from 5 p.m. until dark.

On Saturday, Oct. 5, meet at the Kebler winter trailhead parking area at 9 a.m. to climb Red Lady. Anyone wishing to take other routes, such as Gunsight Pass, can meet the group on top at 1 p.m. No dogs, please.

Clay cauldrons and creepy garland

Get into the Halloween spirit on Oct. 5 from 12-3 p.m. at the Gunnison Art Center Clay Studio. Craft your own spooky caldron and ghostly garland for a touch of seasonal magic.

Butte Mountain Theatre welcomes new artistic director

Britney Kuehm returned to the Gunnison Valley as the new artistic director for the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre. Last month, Kuehm hit the ground running with planning the theater’s 2025 season and supporting the final productions of 2024: “The Giver” (Nov. 7-17) and “Every Christmas Story Ever Told” (Dec. 12-22). Kuehm previously worked for arts organizations in Aspen, Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles and Cleveland. Specializing in stage and production management, arts education and creative placemaking, Kuehm will bring her experience and passion for creating art that builds community.

(Courtesy Alec Lindeman/Crested Butte Mountain Theatre)

SOCCER:

GUNNISON COUNTRY TIMES • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024

Cowboys defeat Bruins in blockbuster

Gomez and Welfelt lead GHS volleyball to victory

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

It’s hunting season, and the Cowboys pulled a bear tag. The GHS volleyball team dominated its most crucial game of the season, beating the 10-1 Cedaredge Bruins at home on Oct. 1. The massive league victory moves the Cowboys to a 13-2 overall record, and 6-0 in the 3A Western Slope League. Heading into the matchup, GHS sat first in the league, with the Bruins hot on their tails at second. Cedaredge polished off Basalt, Aspen and Moffat County in league games earlier this season, only losing to West Grand High School in an August tournament. In what was set to be a hotly contested rivalry, Head Coach

Lindsay Hart was confident in her team’s cohesion.

“This team is playing for each other, and putting in the work for the team as a whole — it’s everything I could want as a coach,” Hart said. “If they can hold their mental game together, this group can go places.”

Thanks to an electric student section, dressed headto-toe in camouflage, the Cowboys started hot in the first set. Aubriel Loken found a serving groove, and led GHS to a 6-0 start. Amara Lock and Sienna Gomez sent the Cowboy Bullpen into raptures with massive kills at the net, and GHS gained momentum with a 25-20 win in the first.

The Bruins jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the second, but the Cowboys proved their superiority with a midset comeback. Aubrey Welfelt led the way on both offense and defense. The junior turned the tide in favor of the Cowboys with monstrous kills

GHS softball hits winning stride

Seniors lead against Meeker and Florence

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

It’s crunch time for the GHS softball team. Currently sitting fifth in the 3A Western Slope League, the Cowboys look ahead to the final five games of the season against key league rivals. Doubleheaders against Aspen and Basalt will determine the Cowboys’ playoff seed, and their likelihood of advancing past the first round.

Last week, GHS rebounded off a 15-5 loss to Alamosa with a split doubleheader against Meeker. The 10-3 victory in the second Meeker game propelled the Cowboys to a massive, 12-2

victory over Florence on Sept. 28.

Head Coach Leslie DiLorenzo is confident the girls will kick into gear in the final regular season matchups.

“All five of our seniors are really stepping up, and have been willing to play wherever to get wins,” DiLorenzo said. “I think they’re starting to realize it's near the end of the line for them, and they’re tired of slipping in the sixth and seventh innings, when we should be winning.”

On Sept. 26, GHS hosted the 6-8 Meeker Cowboys, who sat fourth in the league. Meeker opened the scoring in the first inning, and despite key RBI’s from Reese Japuntich and Kylee McDougal in the first and third, the away Cowboys ran up the score. The first game ended 9-3 for Meeker.

In the second game, the

Cowboys returned to the diamond without key catcher Maddy Bacalis due to injury. Junior Kaylee Vincent filled in behind the plate, and Emma Commerford and Ashlyn Cowan filled in for banged-up starters.

Despite the roster changeup, the Cowboys flew out of the dugout. Senior captain Maddie Vollendorf led from the batter's box, knocking in one run with a double and triple. GHS led 5-0 after the third inning, and held Meeker to a single run. A threerun fifth inning sealed the victory, and the Cowboys added to their win column.

GHS continued its budding win streak on Saturday, with a dominant, 12-2 victory over the Florence Huskies. Seniors Isabella Crown and Nella Gardner each earned an RBI at the plate, steering the Cowboys to a 7-10 overall record.

Now, GHS looks ahead to one final home matchup against Cedaredge on Oct. 7. Then, the Cowboys will wrap up the regular season on the road in games against the 0-9 Aspen Skiers and the 5-13 Basalt Longhorns.

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

Kylee McDougal swings for the fence. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)

The Cowboys celebrate a key point. (Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Volleyball B9

Kubena buzzer beater defeats Mountain Lions

Gregg

Petcoff Special to the Times

The Western Colorado University soccer team scraped past University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) after a clutch free kick from Ellie Kubena with 14 seconds remaining.

The 45-yard goal sealed the 2-1 victory for the Mountaineers in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game at home on Sept. 29. The win over the Mountain Lions was Western's first in the series since 2015, breaking a UCCS ninematch winning streak. The Mountaineers now sit 2-4-1 for the season.

With 30 seconds left on the clock, Western's Hadley Collins drew a Mountain Lions foul.

Kubena lined up for the free kick and rather than curling a pass into the box, she took a hard swipe that nestled into the right corner. UCCS goalkeeper Izzy Lalouette missed the trajectory, and the shot glanced off outstretched gloves into the goal.

Western was outshot 16-2 during first-half action, but one of those shots came off the head of Malia Ramdhanny on a corner kick from Cianna Thomas. Ramdhanny leapt high and directed a shot to the right of Lalouette for a Mountaineer lead in the 27th minute.

Mountaineer keeper Aubree Orosco made seven saves in the first half to keep UCCS off the scoreboard. But the Mountain Lions found the equalizer in the 58th. A shot from Amelia

McManus deflected off a Western defender and inside the near post. UCCS reeled off 11 unanswered shots following that tying goal, four of which made it on frame where Orosco came up with the save each time.

Western's win in its 2024 RMAC opener is the first for the program since a 7-0 victory over Black Hills State University in 2017. The Mountaineers will return to action at Adams State on Oct. 4.

(Gregg Petcoff is the assistant athletics director for communications at Western Colorado University and can be reached at gpetcoff@western.edu.)

Ellie Kubena rips a shot from 45 yards out. (Courtesy Western Colorado University)

2024 Clinicas de Gripe/Flu

Crested Butte

9 de octubre 3-6pm

Dentro del Salón

Parroquial de Queen of All Saints 401 Sopris Ave

Aparcamiento disponible en el aparcamiento, a poca distancia a pie de Elk Ave

17 de octubre 2-6 pm

Oficina de Salud y Servicios

Humanos del Condado de Gunnison 220 N. Spruce St.

Esta clínica ofrecerá servicio desde el coche y sin cita

clínica de acceso en coche será en el estacionamiento sur por la calle

Virginia entrada a la clínica sin cita será en la área de recepción de la oficina, utilice el aparcamiento oeste de Spruce St o aparque en West Georgia Ave.

Vacunas contra la gripe de dosis normal y alta disponibles

POR FAVOR TRAIGA UNA COPIA DE SU TARJETA DE SEGURO MEDICO Y SU IDENTIFICACIÓN PARA

CONFIRMAR SU INFORMACIÓN. NO aceptamos el seguro medico Kaiser Permanente

$25 por la vacuna si no tiene seguro médico

Se aceptan efectivo, cheques y tarjetas de crédito

Las personas a partir de 6 meses pueden vacunarse

Llame a Salud y Servicios Humanos para obtener más información

(970) 641-3244

Cowboy runners divide and conquer

The GHS cross country team split up this weekend, competing separately between Delta, Colorado and Gilbert, Arizona. While the bulk of the Cowboy runners took on the Delta-Sweitzer Lake Invitational on Sept. 27, Madelyn Stice, Catalina Schwab and Jemma Petrie traveled south for the Desert Twilight race. The three girls raced against hundreds of teams from across the western United States. Stice led the way in the 5000-meter, taking 25th overall with a time of 18:37.50. Schwab notched a season best time of 19:37.10 that earned 62nd overall and Petrie finished 205th in the pack. In Delta, Elora Jones and Brooke Terry each earned season best times. Jones finished 16th in 20:55.90, and Terry took 36th in 22:22.20. On the boys front, Jackson Dalleck secured a third-place finish with a season best of 16:30.60. Zach Benson, Beck Schwab and Damion Funk also notched PR’s, finishing 39th, 45th and 46th.

Inside

Parking

Gunnison County Health & Human Services Office 220 N Spruce St Drive-thru and walk-in clinic!

The GHS boys team flies out of the gate at the Mountaineer Cowboy Invite last month. (Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Madelyn Stice leads the pack in Gunnison.

Catalina Schwab crosses the finish line.

and key blocks. GHS tied it up at 12-12, and never looked back. It ended 25-17 for the Cowboys, and the “overrated” chants, directed towards the Bruins, began in the student section.

GHS accelerated full speed into the third set with a sweep at the forefront of the team’s mind. The Bruins dug deep on defense, however, and battled back 19-19. Cedaredge fought off the sweep, absorbing the Cowboys hard hitting to win the third 25-20.

The Cowboys took full advantage of the Bruin fatigue in the fourth, jumping out 16-11. Senior Rose Kowal calmed the storm on defense, and the offensive barrage from Gomez and Welfelt finally took effect. Kathryn Frey sealed an eightpoint advantage with a massive kill, and the Cowboys steamed ahead. It finished 25-16 for the Cowboys after a final blow from Gomez.

GHS will return home on Oct. 17 for another key league matchup against the Basalt Longhorns.

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

Gomez sets

Three golfers qualify for state

The GHS golf season came down to a one-day regional tournament at Devil's Thumb Golf Course in Delta on Sept. 30. With state qualification spots up for grabs, the Cowboys battled along the elevated tee boxes and firm fairways. Seniors Preston Pike and Carson Zummach each qualified, shooting an 84 and 92. Junior Paden Davis also made the state championship, finishing 13th overall with an 89. The three Cowboys will wrap up the season at Rolling Hills Country Club in Golden on Oct. 7 and 8 in a two-day finale.

Carson Zummach, Preston Pike, Paden Davis and Mason Weitman at the Devil’s Thumb range. (Courtesy Kevin Mickelson)

Sienna

for Rose Kowal.

Proclamación de la herencia hispana en Gunnison

Dorian Gomez Special to the Times

El 15 de septiembre en el parque Jorgensen en Gunnison, se realizó la proclamación de la herencia hispana, que va del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre del 2024. En español e inglés se leyó la proclamación por parte del alcalde del condado de Gunnison, el señor Diego Plata dando apertura a la celebración con una maravilloso evento multicultural, que empezó con una caminata en la 525N Main Street hasta el parque Jorgensen.

Con una nutrida participación entre los que destacan Gunnison Mentors, Inmigrantes Unidos, amigos de Perú, Guatemala, México, Colombia, salvador, y con el apoyo multitudinario de ciudadanos americanos que se acercaron a mostrar su apoyo y respeto a esta noble causa, además del acompañamiento de las autoridades Policiales fue impecable. Quiero destacar el trabajo arduo y apasionado de Ricardo Esqueda, el cual como funcionario del condado tuvo la responsabilidad de coordinar, organizar y liderar este gran evento, que por cierto fue impecable y sin contratiempos, desde que inicio hasta finalizó. Funcionarios públicos como Ricardo Esqueda se destacan por el amor y la responsabilidad con que hacen su trabajo, transmitiendo confianza y seguridad a todos en su alrededor. El evento fue encabezado por un grupo musical procedente de Denver llamado las Dalias. En español a este tipo de grupos se les llama “Mariachis” vesti -

dos con atuendos propios de México, entonando hermosas melodías conocidas en toda Latinoamérica.

Como inmigrante colombiano es sorprendente encontrar a un alcalde de Gunnison cordial, sencillo, accesible, muy humano, amable, sin ínfulas de faraón, sin guardaespaldas, ni grupos de seguridad privada o comitivas que lo vitorean como lacayos a un rey como sucede en mi país y en general en toda Latinoamérica. Tuve la oportunidad de tener una conversación corta, sin que fuera una entrevista, y mi conclusión es que definitivamente el alcalde Diego Plata realmente representa la esencia de los Estados Unidos de América, el país donde los sueños se cumplen si te esfuerzas por hacer las cosas bien. Un alcalde de raíces venezolanas, que habla perfectamente dos idiomas, que llega directamente al corazón de americanos y latinoamericanos porque conoce la realidad de los dos mundos. Definitivamente fue la persona ideal para leer la proclamación de la herencia hispana, debido a que representa ese personaje inspirador que vive entre nosotros, y seguramente será el referente de toda esa comunidad hispana joven que quiere soñar en grande, mientras se preparan desde las bases escolares y luego en las universidades para seguir aportando a la permanente construcción de un mejor país.

Se vieron muchas banderas de inmigrantes, se veían rostros felices que aman estar en la tierra de la libertad y la democracia, se probaron muchos sabores de esa deliciosa y diversa gastronomía hispanoamericana. También se disfrutó de artesanías y elementos del folclor de varios países, en el cual resalto el stand de artesanías de Perú, el cual estaba lleno de productos elaborados a mano, tejidos hilo a hilo, pintados por

manos laboriosas, en tiempos en que casi todos los productos que usamos son fabricados en serie por maquinas robotizadas. El clima estuvo genial, un sol esplendoroso, en algunos momentos en medio de nubes desordenadas que nos avisan la llegada del otoño, excelente música regional cantada en vivo por los talentosos amigos de la comunidad Cora, y también de un compatriota colombiano con una voz espectacular, los churros con chocolate, tacos mexicanos, empanadas colombianas, ceviche peruano, comida guatemalteca, cocteles, y sin dejar de mencionar a Pepita, una colombiana que se ha esforzado mucho para obtener licencias y permisos para el funcionamiento de su food truck vendiendo comida típica colombiana, hicieron que este evento fuera mágico y especial. Junto al alcalde Diego Plata en la lectura de la proclamación de la herencia hispana se encontraban las representantes de Inmigrantes Unidos Natalia Linares Rincón, Elisa Celestino Medina y Dulce Marisol Luna, las cuales se han convertido en un pilar fundamental de la comunidad de inmigrantes en el condado de Gunnison, las cuales gracias a su entusiasmo y energía, se han vuelto un punto de conexión importante entre los inmigrantes y las políticas gubernamentales del condado de Gunnison.

Siempre insisto que el estado de Colorado, y especialmente en el condado de Gunnison donde vivimos han sido maravillosos con nosotros, nos han recibido con los brazos abiertos, sin discriminación ni actos de xenobia. Estamos un lugar pacifico, tranquilo, acogedor, limpio, lleno de personas buenas que nos han tratado con amabilidad y respeto. Finalizo con un mensaje de sensibilización a la comunidad hispana que vivimos en el condado de Gunnison, para seguir cuidan-

do de este lugar, ser respetuosos de este paraíso en la tierra, y de esa manera nuestras familias prosperan al igual que el condado de Gunnison que necesita nuestro mejor esfuerzo para entre todos seguir construyendo el lugar al que ahora pertenecemos.

Soy tu agente local de bienes raíces. Hablo español y me encantaría ayudarte. ¡Contáctame hoy para una consulta gratis y sin compromiso!

(Dorian Gómez es residente de Gunnison. Es un periodista que emigró a Estados Unidos desde Colombia.)

Alcalde Diego Plata presentando el documento oficial de la proclamación de la Hispanidad del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre de 2024. (Courtesía de Dorian Gomez)

Proclamation of Hispanic heritage in Gunnison

Dorian Gomez Special to the Times

On Sept. 15 at Jorgensen Park in Gunnison, the proclamation of Hispanic Heritage Month was held, which runs through Oct. 15, 2024. A proclamation was read in Spanish and English by the mayor of Gunnison, Diego Plata. That opened the celebration and multicultural event, which began with a walk from 525 N. Main St. to Jorgensen Park. Participants included Gunnison Valley Mentors, Inmigrantes Unidos, friends from Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia and Salvador, with the massive support of American citizens who came to show their respect for this noble cause, along with police officers. I want to highlight the hard and passionate work of Ricardo Esqueda, who as a city official had the responsibility of coordinating, organizing and leading this great event, which was impeccable and without setbacks, from start to finish. Public officials like Esqueda stand out because of the love and responsibility with which they do their job, transmitting confidence and security to everyone around them.

The event was led by a musical group from Denver called Las Dalias. In Spanish, these types of groups are called “Mariachis” dressed in Mexican attire, singing beautiful melodies known throughout Latin America.

As a Colombian immigrant, it is surprising to find a mayor of Gunnison who is cordial, simple, accessible, very human, kind, without pharaoh-like airs, without bodyguards, private security groups or entourages that cheer him on like lackeys to a king as happens in my country and in general throughout Latin America. I had the opportunity to have a short conversation, without it being an interview, and my conclusion is that Mayor Plata definitely represents the essence of the United States of America, the country

where dreams come true if you strive to do things right.

He is a mayor with Venezuelan roots, who speaks two languages perfectly, who reaches directly to the hearts of Americans and Latin Americans because he knows the reality of both worlds. He was definitely the ideal person to read the proclamation of Hispanic heritage, because he represents that inspiring character who lives among us, and will surely be the reference for the entire young Hispanic community that wants to dream big, while preparing themselves from the school foundations and then in universities to continue contributing to the permanent construction of a better country.

Many immigrant flags were seen, and happy faces that love being in the land of freedom and democracy, many flavors of that delicious and diverse Hispanic American cuisine were tasted. There was also the chance to enjoy handicrafts and folklore items from various countries, with the Peruvian ones standing out. It was full of handmade products, woven thread by thread, painted by hard-working hands, at a time when almost all the products we use are mass-produced by robotic machines.

The weather was great, a splendid sun, sometimes in the middle of disorderly clouds that warn us of the arrival of autumn. Excellent regional music was sung live by talented friends from the Cora community, and also by a Colombian compatriot with a spectacular voice. There were churros with chocolate, Mexican tacos, Colombian empanadas, Peruvian ceviche, Guatemalan food and cocktails. And don’t forget Pepita, a Colombian woman who has worked hard to obtain licenses and permits to operate her food truck selling typical Colombian food, made this event magical and special.

Along with Mayor Diego Plata in the reading of the proclamation of Hispanic heritage were representatives of Inmigrantes

Unidos, Natalia Linares Rincón, Elisa Celestino Medina and Dulce Marisol Luna. They have become a fundamental pillar of the immigrant community in Gunnison County, and thanks to their enthusiasm and energy, have become an important point of connection between immigrants and the government policies of Gunnison County.

I always insist that Colorado, and especially Gunnison County where we live, has been wonderful to us, they have welcomed us with open arms, without discrimination or acts of xenophobia. We are a peaceful, quiet, welcoming, clean place, full of good people who have treated us with kindness and respect.

I end with a message of awareness to the Hispanic community that lives in Gunnison County, to continue taking care of this place, to be respectful of this paradise on earth, and in that way our families prosper as well as Gunnison County, which needs our help.

(This article was translated into English using Google translate.)

(Dorian Gomez is a resident of Gunnison. He is a journalist who immigrated to the United States from Colombia.)

Ricardo Esqueda welcomes attendees to the event. .

Participants from the Hispanic and American community, as well as different non-governmental organizations, attended the event in Jorgensen Park.

Steve Bathje

Jonathan Houck

Lisa Henry

Liz Smith