of the

Lallier, Local historian

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Briefs

City submits $3 million grant request for Ohio Ave. project

Construction on phase one of the City of Gunnison’s Ohio Avenue Multimodal Project is expected to begin this summer, creating a corridor from the North Colorado Street intersection to the intersection of 11th Street.

Bids for the project came in higher than budgeted, even with additional grant funding. In response, the city is initiating two phases to manage the cost.

On Tuesday, city council supported a staff grant application for $3 million for the design and construction of phase two.

Listening session on proposed grocery store merger

The state is reviewing a proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons, the companies that own City Market and Safeway, to ensure it is fair to customers, workers, farmers and suppliers.

Attorney General Phil Weiser will hold a community conversation with Gunnison County residents to listen to their feedback and concerns about the merger. The session will be held in the South Conference Room at Western’s University Center on Sunday, Jan. 29 from 2-3 p.m.

Commissioners consider changes to board hiring processes

On Jan. 23, Gunnison County Commissioners discussed possible changes to their regular board appointment process.

Commissioner Jonathan Houck said the county often receives “varied” responses to the postings because there are no stated guidelines or expectations laid out for each appointment.

Commissioners considered requesting a letter from the applicant, materials that highlight their qualifications and a board-specific questionnaire.

Commissioner Laura Puckett Daniels added the board should value practical knowledge as much as education.

Elizabeth Mildred (Bette)

Dunbar was born March 10, 1923 in Independence, Kansas. She has one sister, Syliva Zwingelberg, who lives in Aurora, Colorado, and two brothers Bob (deceased) and Ken Baden who lives in California. Also her husband Jack’s brother and wife, Joe and Dorothy Dunbar, who live in Bel Aire, Kansas.

After attending college, Bette worked for Sinclair Pipe Lines as a Stenographer until she married Jack Dunbar on March 25, 1951. When Jack returned from Korea, where he was stationed with the Army, they moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma. Jack graduated with a degree in geography and Bette earned her PHT (Putting Hubby Through). They then relocated to Kansas City, where Bette worked for a truck leasing company. From there, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1988, where Jack was employed as a Cartographer for the Army Map Service. When Jack retired in 1992, they moved to Gunnison for happy living. They enjoyed the area on snowmobiles, motorcycles and boats. They also enjoyed many trips throughout the U.S., Canada and especially Alaska.

After Jack passed away in 2006, Bette moved to town from the home they built north of Gunnison. She wanted to enjoy “getting around” with her friends and to be closer to the Mount Calvary Lutheran

Church where she volunteered for many years. In 2020, Bette decided to move into assisted living at the Willows. At that point she donated her home to the church to house the Pastor. It is now the Dunbar Parsonage.

Bette also volunteered at the Pioneer Museum, Young at Heart and was a founding member of Boomers and Beyond. By donating her time and funds she helped create a place for seniors to socialize.

Bette is well known in Gunnison as a strong, independent and kind woman who loved her “Health Food” at Piezan’s. She had a “Bette Special” at least once a week, which consisted of a slice of pizza and a beer.

She made a never-ending impact on so many in the Gunnison Valley, Independence and beyond. Bette has an amazing group of friends staying behind, including Tim and Eileen Jensen, Frank Vader, Katie Lewinger, Rupert Meek and their baby August, whose name was inspired by Bette’s dad, August Baden.

We’d like to thank her many friends who became family. Ashleigh Pipher and her team at the Willows, Bre Norris and her amazing in-home private hospice team, Your Journey Forward, the GVH staff that has always shown so much loving care for Bette. As much as we will miss Bette, her spirit and humor will live on in us all for years to come.

Her Memorial will be held 12 p.m. this Jan. 28 at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church. This will be followed with a celebration of life at Piezan’s. In lieu of fl owers, donations can be made to Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Building Repair Fund or the Pioneer Museum of Gunnison. Bette’s remains will be returned to join her husband Jack and their two dogs at Mt. Hope Lutheran Cemetery in Independence.