As the Lowline Fire continued to grow in size, more than 400 firefighters from 21 states traveled to the Gunnison Valley to help suppress the flames.
By Wednesday morning,
Fire A6
The Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority is no longer under contract to purchase the local mobile home park, Frontier Land, after the contract expired in late June. Frontier Land, located at
912 W. Gunnison Ave., just north of the airport, went up for sale in July of 2022 listed at $1.3 million. The mobile home park houses approximately 40 residents, many of whom are Spanish-speakers or part of the Cora community, an indigenous group from Mexico. The units are owned by Almontbased CCNB Properties LLC.
The for-sale sign caught the attention of the City of Gunnison and the Housing Authority, which shared a desire to try to purchase and preserve the mobile home park. As investors around the state targeted mobile home
park communities as an easy way to make a profit, local officials knew the mobile home park was a vulnerable source of affordable housing that would be challenging for the city to replace.
The Housing Authority sat down with the owner of the park over the winter with the intent of finding a way to purchase Frontier Land. In March, the organization entered a contract that would have given the Housing Authority time to find the money it would need to purchase the park and hire an engineer and third-party inspector to examine the park’s existing
infrastructure. But the deal fell through at the end of June, creating an unclear future for Frontier Land residents.
“We wanted the owner to address a few items, and unfortunately we never got to a resolution,” said Housing Authority Executive Director Andy Kadlec.
Although the city was not directly involved in inspections, Community Development Director Anton Sinkewich looked for ways to support the Housing Authority during its search for funding. This spring, the city contributed $10,000 for a planning grant that would be
Frontier Land A7
Athletes to play on Rady field this fall
Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
Western Colorado University’s Mountaineer Bowl will not open for the 2023 football season. Instead, the Mountaineers will play their 2023-24 season at
Katy O. Rady Field, as teams did last year.
The university broke ground at the new Mountaineer Bowl last summer and was scheduled to welcome athletes back to the facility this fall. The renovated Bowl will offer Western and Gunnison Valley community members a state of the art facility to enjoy sports including football, soccer and track and field.
Bowl A12
“There’s incredible power in
a
creativity to address difficult issues.”
— Maryo Ewell, Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley See
Gunnison Watershed School
District has opted into the Healthy School Meals For All program for the 2023-24 school year. This means that breakfast and lunch are free to all students starting in the fall.
Eligible households should still complete the free and reduced priced meals application, which qualifies students for school-related discounts and waivers. The school district also receives federal funding based on free and reducedprice meal eligible student numbers. The first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 28.
On Aug. 2, the Crested Butte Avalanche Center released its 2022-23 annual report, recapping one of the deepest winters of the century.
The Gunnison River Basin snowpack peaked at 142% of median, surpassing all but a few of the biggest winters since SNOTEL records began in 1986. Over the course of the winter, CBAC documented more than 1,500 avalanches, half of which were large enough to easily injure, bury or kill someone. High avalanche danger ratings were issued on 12 days, and half of the season (78 days) saw dangerous avalanche conditions (considerable or high danger ratings).
While the state of Colorado saw one of its worst winters as far as avalanche accidents and fatalities, the local forecast region had another accidentfree winter. The CBAC website recorded approximately 233,000 views, an all-time high for the organization and held 21 outreach and educational events.
Within the 2023 Cattlemen's Days 4-H Show results published on July 20, the Times incorrectly credited the image on page B16 to Garrett Mogel instead of Jan Washburn. The Times apologizes for the error.
Greg McIntire
Greg McIntire passed away at home on July 23, 2023 next to his dogs, holding his wife’s hand.
He was one hell of a carpenter with a great sense of humor. He showed up every day simply lighthearted to keep the guys going. Greg enjoyed hunting, fishing, boat camping and hanging by his pool in Havasu. He was a lifelong fan of the Broncos and Avalanche and, more recently, the Nuggets. Greg was a good and caring friend, brother, uncle and husband. He will be missed every minute of every day.
Services will be held on August 5 at 11 a.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, with a gettogether to follow at Western Lumber at 1 p.m.
Judith JoAnne Coady
A beloved mother and grandmother, Judith JoAnne Coady (Judy), passed from this life into the next on July 25, 2023 at the age of 92 in Salida, Colorado. She was an extraordinarily resilient, intelligent, talented, kind and gentle soul. Her strength carried us through.
Judy was born on May 12, 1931 to Vivian and Robert Childs in Kokomo, Indiana. When Judy was young, she loved to sing, dance and perform on stage and over live radio with her brother and best friend, Jack Childs. She came of age in the big band era and loved dancing the night away, dressed “to the nines” in elegant evening gowns, to the music of Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. She enjoyed many genres of music during her life and played the piano beautiful-
ly. Her prized baby grand piano was an ever-present fixture in her home.
A stunning, classic beauty, Judy always dressed stylishly and applied makeup every morning, yet she loved to go barefoot and braless whenever possible. She enjoyed a short modeling career, including an iconic, black-and-white photo shoot in New York City.
In 1957, Judy married David Lee Coady. They moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in 1960, when David was hired as a technical writer for Motorola. Judy tragically lost the love of her life in 1966. Against all odds, she single-handedly managed to run herd on their four children and was often praised for raising “some damn good peeps.”
Judy worked for the Scottsdale Unified School District and retired with accolades after 20-plus years of devoted service. She was a quintessential “desert rat.” She loved to bask in the hot sun and lived in the Arizona desert for over 30 years before later moving to Colorado in 1998 to be near her grown children where they had relocated. She lived in Gunnison for 15 years, then spent her last six years in Salida.
As an accomplished oil painter, Judy produced many works of art, from seascapes to Native American dancers and desert landscapes. She was an exemplary seamstress and often sewed her own designer-worthy clothes as well as matching dresses and even tiny Barbie doll ensembles for her daughters and pajamas for her sons.
She was an excellent cook and celebrated her children’s birthdays with specially-decorated homemade red velvet cakes. Christmas was a time to pull out all the stops, and Judy made it magical.
Libraries and books were one of Judy’s greatest passions. She instilled the love of reading in her children and often gave books as gifts. She held a special affinity for classic literature, poetry, legal thrillers and romance novels. She enjoyed watching classic movies, grow-
ing roses, sipping black coffee and watching the world go by.
Judy had a wry sense of humor, and you might miss it if you weren’t paying attention. Occasionally something would strike her as incredibly humorous and she would laugh contagiously until tears were running down her face.
Judy lived a quiet life with deep love for her family, and she will be deeply missed. She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Childs, mother, Vivian Childs Getz, brothers, Richard Childs (Dicky) and Jack Childs, husband, David Coady, nephew, Jason Childs, aunt and uncle, Geneva and Gerald Fleenor and great-nephew Devon Fleenor.
She is survived by her four children, Teresa Pfaff (Kerry), Jennifer Coady, Jonathan Coady (Heidi), Christopher Coady (Briony), her six grandchildren, Joel Otter, Benjamin Otter, David Otter, Jeremiah Otter, Asher Coady and Ava Coady, her six great-grandchildren, Kelton Otter, Joby Otter, Dominic Otter, Elijah Otter, Aleea Otter and Phinley Otter, nieces Lisa and Julie Childs and their families, cousins Sheri Sebring, Roger Fleenor (Jaci) and their families. A celebra-
ceded in death by his first wife, Barbara, in 1983 and, in 1968, his youngest brother, Captain Richard Haven Van Dyke, a USAF F4 combat pilot. He is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Patti, daughter Kim, sons Chris (Bernadette) and Rick (Patty), grandson Sean and brother David.
When retired from the military, where he was a top-tier navigator on C5 cargo aircraft, Bill spent some years in southern California in the construction craft with another retired military partner, buying and renovating houses. In 1982, he moved to Powderhorn, buying a small ranch. Bill was a motivated, trustworthy and friendly person, making many friends over the years. He had a firm handshake and an unwavering moral compass. He and Patti loved Powerhorn and rejoiced in its beauty and solitude.
He chose cremation and no service.
We cannot express enough gratitude to the Gunnison Valley Health doctors, nurses and staff for their truly remarkable professionalism and loving care to Bill and his family members. How fortunate the valley is to have such a group of medical personnel.
Timothy Lindsaypeacefully under hospice care on July 15, 2023 in Gunnison. He was born Milton William Van Dyke II on May 20, 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Milton W. Van Dyke and Kathryn (Wiley) Van Dyke. He was pre-
Timothy Scott Lindsay, also known as Tim, passed away on June 8, 2023, at the age of 73 in Gunnison. Born on June 6, 1950 in Denver, Tim was a beloved individual with a wonderful sense of humor, a lovable personality and a sharp intellect.
Timothy Lindsay proudly served in the U.S. Army, dedicating his time and efforts to the military. His commitment and service to his country were
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Outside of his military service, Tim had a passion for drums and art. Whether he was creating rhythmic beats on his drums or expressing his creativity through art, Tim found joy and fulfillment in these hobbies.
A private family gathering is planned to celebrate the life of Timothy Scott Lindsay. The family kindly requests privacy during this time of remembrance and reflection.
He is survived by his wife, Vicki, Daughter Rylie, son, Scott Lindsay and sister Lin Mussman (Heidi and Heather).
In lieu of donations, Tim's wishes were clear — he would prefer that no contributions be made. His memory would be best honored by cherishing the moments shared with him and remembering the laughter and love he brought into our lives.
Tim will be dearly missed by his family, friends and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Barbara. Judy was a wonderful homemaker and mother. She was active in league bowling and served on the St. James Catholic School PTA as chairman.
Judy worked at Mt. Airy Hospital in Denver until the summer of 1972. She then moved to Gunnison, to be closer to her sister’s family and became a dental assistant for Dr. Bob Ferguson. She later studied to be an accredited medical records technician and worked at Gunnison Hospital for many years, until she had the opportunity to serve as the director of medical records at the larger Montrose Hospital.
Once her kids were grown, Judy had the chance to travel. Besides visiting her children in the various states where they lived, her favorite trips were to see the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and then to New Zealand. In New Zealand, she hiked the Auckland Trail, making lifelong friendships and was even able to welcome those friends to her home when they traveled to America.
In 1988, Judy chose to semiretire to be with family in California. She then returned home to her birthplace of Cañon City to care for her parents. She also returned to work in the medical records field at the Cañon City Hospital.
making graduation quilts for each of their 14 grandchildren. Judy never missed anyone on their birthday, anniversary or Christmas. She never received a letter or card that she did not answer with one in return or with a phone call. It was never unusual to have friends and family gather at her home, arriving at all hours of the night to find food waiting and a place to curl up on a bed, couch, floor. There was always a place to park a camper.
Judy was an avid reader of many genres of books but she also spent time daily studying the Bible, especially through devotionals. She would take pages and pages of notes, clip verses and stories from the paper or other publications and often some of these would show up in the mail with a card at just the right time. Mom was not particularly vocal about her faith but simply lived it through the love she showered on us all.
Judy was preceded in death by her sweetheart of 27 years, Bill Binger, brothers and sisters-in-law Robert (Josephine) Smith, Joel (Dean) Smith and Albert (Marlene) Smith and grandson Jared Katheiser.
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Judith Binger passed away peacefully on July 10, 2023, at the age of 88. Judy was born on April 15, 1935 in Cañon City, Colorado to Ailie McDonald Smith and Mary Alice (Davis) Smith.
Growing up, she did her part of the work on the family ranch south of town. Judy never had trouble keeping up with the boys! She even experienced the prison break in 1947 with her family at their ranch. As a teen, Judy worked at the Royal Gorge bridge and was proud to be a member of the Cañon City High School class of 1952.
She married John S. Sabin in 1953. After starting their family in Cañon City, they chose to settle in Denver with their children Fred, Julie and John. Soon they welcomed their youngest,
In 1996, Judy was reintroduced to an old elementary school friend, Bill Binger. They married the same year, blending their seven children and 13 grandchildren. They were then blessed to be able to have one more grandchild together, followed by 13 great-grandchildren. When Judy fully retired, the pair enjoyed listening to their extensive music collection and even played music together.
They made several trips to the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas to see the National Flat-picking Championships. Mostly, they took frequent drives to picnic, especially over to their childhood stomping ground, the Oak Creek Grade to Westcliffe, Colorado. This was a favorite of theirs.
Judy loved to cook, sew, crochet, garden and even forage. Over the years she experimented with many not-so-traditional ingredients. She shared these gifts with others, including
She is survived by her sister, Barbra (Dick) Holmes, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, son, Fred (Peggy) Sabin, Matt (Chani) Sabin, Katy (Rob) Ellison, Abigail and Madison, daughter, Julie (Greg) Katheiser, Adam Katheiser and Lauren Strobel and Tara Katheiser, son, John Sabin, daughter, Barbara (Bob) Carpenter, Samantha (Eddie) McDowell, Zach Aubrey McDowell, Stacy (Stoney) Glover, Trey Glover, Ali Glover, Greg (Sara) Carpenter, Coleman Carpenter, Kyle (Heather) Carpenter, Sebastian, Logan and Lillie Carpenter, Elizabeth (Chase) Bridges, Dan (KC) Binger, Tyler Binger and Lexi, Mitch Binger (Carolyn), Sage and Ember, Lori (Thom) Ford, Lane (Bette) Ford, Troy Ford, Julie Hamilton, Sarah (Travis) McChesney, Ethan and Keegan. "Aunt Jude" will also be missed by numerous nieces, nephews and their families.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hope West Hospice in Grand Junction, Colorado.
with lush green lawns, mature aspen and pine trees. Vaulted ceilings, built in with stone accent. You will enjoy entertaining family and friends on the expansive deck surrounding the back and side of the home with entries to the sunroom, primary suite and kitchen.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
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© 2023 Gunnison Country Times
Publisher/Owner Alan Wartes publisher@gunnisontimes.com
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THE GUNNISON COUNTRY TIMES (ISSN 0892-1113) is published weekly by Alan Wartes Media LLC., 218 N. Wisconsin St., Gunnison, Colorado 81230. Periodical postage paid at Gunnison, Colorado. POSTMASTER:
plastered across the screen in multiple titillating headlines, as if we’ve suddenly become an old-school carnival sideshow attraction.
Alan Wartes Times PublisherI don’t know Gunnison County Coroner Michael Barnes very well. But I’m willing to bet he doesn’t wake up each morning hoping for a steady barrage of phone calls that day from reporters and producers at CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC — or anyone else calling from area codes he doesn’t recognize. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dream of seeing his words used as click bait in any of those places.
Ditto Gunnison County Sheriff Adam Murdie and his busy team of investigators. For that matter, I’ll go out on a limb and say that no one in the Gunnison Valley hopes to check the “news” in the morning and see our community
This is not the way we behave in this county
Editor:
And yet, that’s exactly what has happened in the weeks since a hiker discovered the remains of three people who apparently tried to spend the winter in the forest near Ohio City. Somehow, the word got out, and the scavengers descended, scraping for any grisly detail that might rise above the noise and entice a reader to linger.
I’m not exactly sure what to call that, but I know what it’s not — it’s not good journalism.
I’ve written before that, in the newsroom here at the Times, we consider every story that crosses our path in light of three questions: does it matter, to whom and why? This helps us take a breath and focus before running off after the proverbial ambulance like so many others in our ailing profession. Without answers to these questions, “news” outlets run the risk of serving only themselves, not society.
Of course, it always matters
when lives are shortened by tragedy of some kind. It’s a rare person who isn’t known and loved by someone. And let’s hope the rest of us never lose our capacity for compassion, even when not directly affected by the loss.
But did this story really matter to the news consumer in Hoboken or Honolulu? Did knowing sensational details better equip them to handle the challenges they face where they live? To try and claim that the answer is yes would be a real stretch.
In fact, I’d argue that stories like these — or at least the manner in which they are so often told — actually distract us from things that do matter. Things like the rising cost of everything, from food to fuel, housing to health care; plummeting education funding and the predictable drop in student outcomes; lack of access to mental health services for those who need it most; aging infrastructure and how to fund repairs; political extremism from all sides that threatens good governance, even in small communities like ours.
There’s nothing sensational or morbidly entertaining about any of that. It’s hard work to understand complex problems and craft compromises that offer the chance to solve them. This involves knowing the difference between reality and reality television and choosing where you will commit your attention and your time. We will never know exactly what caused three people to think that braving a Gunnison Valley winter outdoors was the right choice — because they are no longer here to speak for themselves. But it is at least possible that it had something to do with attempting to navigate an increasingly troubled and trying world; looking for unconventional options among shrinking opportunities. Perhaps, if we spent more time focusing on real things with the potential to make things better, we’d have fewer such stories to distract us in the first place.
(Alan Wartes can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or publisher@gunnisontimes.com.)
2023
Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 2023
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.
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I grew up in a large city and have seen big city politics first hand. Therefore, I would like to say that after reading some of the opinion pieces over the past few weeks, and seeing a copy of a fundraising letter that was sent to second homeowners over the letter heading of the Republican party, that dirty, big city politics has nothing on us.
I am somewhat bothered by any party raising outside money to influence what are supposed to be “nonpartisan” school board elections.
However, this letter has crossed the line. It is chock full of innuendo, scare tactics and utter falsehoods. It even goes so far as to suggest that one member of the household change their residency to Gunnison County in order to vote for the party’s endorsed candidates. I am not even sure if that is legal.
I have to admit that I am somewhat financially conservative and have some reservations about the bond issue. But based on what I have seen so far, I would be very reluctant to trust any candidate endorsed by the local Republican Party.
I feel that the time has come to say enough is enough, this is not the way we behave in this county. It may also be time to ask some tough questions, in, of course, a respectful manner. For example: What is your agenda? Is it financial conservatism, or a personal agenda to influence what is taught? Why are you running? Were
you recruited as a proxy? What are your views on the First Amendment i.e., where do you stand on separation of church and state? Finally, will you be respectful of parents’ and student’s personal choices?
Charles Welch GunnisonHopefully, people can see through the alarmism
Editor: The current rhetoric about the GOP dinner has begun to “spin” and spew out twisted insinuations.
The accusations that are being leveled are being used to spread a web of slander to discredit the capable women who have stepped out to get involved in our community by wanting to serve in their local school board where they see a need.
To anyone who knows these women, their concern for children is great, or they wouldn’t be stepping into this commitment — especially to get hammered by the public for something that was beyond their control.
Being indifferent to gun violence in schools is ridiculously far from the truth. Is it even possible that some of these concerned citizens who wrote in have discussed things amongst themselves and developed talking points on how to defeat these conservative candidates early on?
Why will this be a heated campaign? Because of the “woke” culture that is very prev-
alent in the party of the blue, which has been aimed at the school-aged children, along with the erosion of parental rights that is seen nationally. This local narrative seems to resonate with the attempt of the DOJ to portray conservative parents who speak out in school board meetings regarding progressive ideology as “domestic terrorists.”
Now in Gunnison, conservative candidates are being associated with gun violence because a hunting rifle is being auctioned. It may not have been the wisest thing for the item to be pictured on the GOP invitation, because obviously it was poor optics, and conclusions are being drawn that are totally bogus.
It’s interesting how carefully chosen words and associations have been used to describe the rifle in question. Phrases like “military style,” “sniper rifle,” “U.S. Special Ops Command” and “belt-fed machine gun.”
These are nowhere near an accurate description of the item in question. One that is probably found in many local homes already. Weren't these descriptions thrown in just to incite emotion? Is this not a community full of avid hunters and local businesses who benefit from hunting? What about the local families who are fed by their annual elk harvest? If we follow the logic used, doesn’t that make the whole community indifferent to gun violence? Was that considered, or was it all too easy to jump on the bandwagon of opinion and current narrative that conserva-
tives who believe that the “right to bear arms” makes them somehow immoral and complicit in the killing of innocent people? Gun ownership is still very common, and still protected by the Constitution, no matter how much it is demonized.
Aside from hunting, it also makes it inconvenient for a despotic government to control, or a foreign nation to invade, an armed population. Which is likely why it was adopted as the 2nd Amendment.
In actuality, the letters have revealed something about the left: most know that guilt by insinuation and association is highly effective to control and influence public opinion. Hopefully, people can see through the alarmism, and get to know the candidates and what they really stand for before they vote.
Michelle Duft GunnisonEditor:
OMG, those dastardly conservatives have a gun and they are going to auction it off to one of their constituents. They dare to take the symbol of our freedom from tyranny and let it loose in our community. By the way, just so you know, I’m one of those conservatives.
I wonder how many of those rifles are already lurking around here? We don’t know, because they haven’t been used to kill anyone.
Folks, that rifle may feed a family for years. Or it might
be gifted to the valiant people of Ukraine so they can use it to fight for their own freedom from tyranny. Or it may just be hung over the fireplace as a symbol of the power of the United States because its new owner has that right to “bear arms.” Personally, my own rifle saved me from being robbed when I was a teenager, and no, I didn’t shoot anyone.
It’s been said before, but I’m going to say it again. A rifle is a tool that can be used for good or bad. In this community, at this time, I think we can all safely assume that whoever buys that rifle will not use it to kill someone.
It’s easy to blame guns for all the violence in our world today, because they can’t fight back, they have no voice. Guns aren’t the problem. People are. Bad people will find a way to do bad things. If you take the guns away, they will use knives. If you take the knives away, they will use baseball bats. If you take the bats away, how are young boys going to play baseball?
Susan Crawford GunnisonThoughts about Cori and school safety
Editor:
I sat down and spoke with Cori Dobson in detail about her thoughts on safety in schools and how to protect the teachers and students. She said she has done a lot of research and spoke with other schools across the nation about what they have done to help with the concerns of securing the schools.
One thing she mentioned was that she would like to see our school campuses be a closed campus during school hours and activities. She said that during the bond meeting last fall, it concerned her that they were going to secure the front part of the Gunnison Community School, but put garage doors on the back side so that they could open them whenever they would like.
How many times during the school year will these garage doors be open? The school administrator also mentioned during the bond meeting that they wanted to extend the size of the athletic field behind the school so that the public could use it while the students were also out there using it. Cori said this does not make sense to her to have the secure part on the front but being an open campus on the back.
The next thing she mentioned is that she would like to see cameras on all corners of the school and in all the hallways and classrooms. She would like to see those cameras attached to police dispatch, so if something was happening at the school dispatch could communicate with whoever is on campus to alleviate the issue.
She said that some parents even mentioned to her that they would like to see those cameras available to parents and students that are at home for safety and security purposes, and also for students who are missing school to be able to catch up on missed assignments and to go back and review classes
for stuff they may have missed. She wasn't sure how that would work but definitely thinks the idea is worth entertaining.
I am writing this letter in agreement with Cori. The idea that Cori and the other candidates are promoting gun violence by simply speaking at an event they were invited to is absurd.
If you have ever run for an office or tried to achieve something you try to get in front of as many people as possible. I encourage everyone to meet with Cori to learn about all of her thoughts and plans as a candidate for Gunnison Watershed School Board.
Terri Stradley Gunnison
Editor:
My response to letters to the editor about school board candidates, the Lincoln Day dinner and guns is as follows.
Can we have a tough discussion on rising gun violence and violence of other forms? It’s our failure as adults to teach the youth that violence is wrong and until our society admits our failure the violence will continue to climb.
I read the Fox article mentioned in a previous letter to the editor that shootings are now the leading cause of death among children. Why has it become acceptable to take a child's life? It’s our failure as adults to instill the value of life and the consequences of taking a life or even one's own life. The burden’s ours.
Looking at an article in the U.S. News from 2023, it talked about how suicide rates are higher during the school year. Children are seeing more political hostility, the negative pressures of social media and the amplification of the idea that the world's a terrible place are all contributing factors to gun deaths.
Key factors in reducing suicides and gun violence include parents spending more time with their kids and parental involvement also leads to increased academic success. The article states there’s something very toxic going on in America. I agree and it’s a recent development and a failure on our part.
In another article from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency program from 2023 mentioning the leading cause of child deaths key factors in reducing juvenile violence include high academic achievement, popularity with peers, religious beliefs, consistent parental involvement, clear rules for behavior and firm discipline to name a few. All of these address the human factor behind violence.
According to Pew Research, 22% of parents were very worried their child 18 and under would be shot. The numbers are higher for urban parents and lower for rural. Not all realities for parents are the same. In reality Gunnison is not urban and doesn’t have other factors that raise gun violence.
Banning guns will not take
guns off the streets or out of killer’s hands. Making alcohol illegal didn't stop alcohol consumption. Drugs being illegal hasn’t stopped drug use and overdose. The previous leading cause of child fatalities was auto accidents. Did we ban vehicles?
Guns are here to stay regardless of how anyone feels about them. My advice is to take a quality concealed carry class, go to the gun range with a firearms instructor and learn more about guns. Many claims about guns are false. Every gun is deadly in the hands of an individual seeking to do harm regardless of how many bullets it holds or how fast it shoots. A single shot and with a single victim is one victim to many. Banning "assault weapons" or any gun won’t get us to zero victims. Our society and most of all the parents have a duty to implement morals that life is precious and violence through guns and any other form is immoral.
Kyle Balch GunnisonIt’s a love note
Editor:
This is In response to the letter to the editor entitled "Shoplifting the Rainbow."
Using the rainbow as a "weapon" to create division and hate, is about as far from its intent that you can get. What God said in Genesis 9 is that the rainbow will be "an everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on earth." It's a love note, not something to beat others over the head with. I implore those in our valley to stop writing letters of hate in God's name. It's icky and misleading.
If anyone would like to talk or learn about scripture, give me a call. Or attend a service at UCC in Crested Butte or Gunnison.
Rev. Kelly Jo Clark Crested Butte
These stories should lead us closer to our neighbors
Editor:
Last week you published an anti-queer letter that said, “Using the rainbow as a symbol is a desecration of God’s word,” while quoting a story wherein God themself uses the rainbow as a symbol. More ironically, in the passage quoted, the rainbow symbolizes divine covenant with all people, not just straight ones.
The rainbow in the flood story is a divine weapon which is decommissioned and used to remind (God) not to destroy the earth. At least, that’s what the text says. (God) renounces violence. Lifting that bow down from the sky and pointing it at perceived enemies seems remarkably like desecrating “God’s word.”
If you ask most people why (God) floods the world, they’ll maybe say something about people being bad, probably sex stuff. The story, though, says (God) is distressed over human violence, not gay stuff or drugs or anything quite so
the wildfire had grown to just under 1,700 acres and was 38% contained. While the mandatory evacuation order is still in effect for the Squirrel and Mill Creek drainages, the pre-evacuation notice for residents along County Road 818 to the intersection with County Road 730 (Ohio Creek) was lifted on July 31. Gunnison County emergency officials deemed it safe for residents and livestock to return to the area.
According to Rick Barton, the fire information officer for the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team, no homes or structures have been lost. Although the fire is burning along the edges of the popular Mill-Castle Trail, the flames have not yet entered the drainage or reached the wilderness boundary.
The Lowline Fire, which is burning only 14 miles north of Gunnison, was reported at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26 on the north aspect of a ridge between Squirrel and Mill creeks. Local fire officials believed a lightning strike caused the wildfire. That evening, the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Department issued mandatory evacuations as a huge plume of smoke became visible from both ends of the
valley. What started out as a 20-acre wildfire, grew to more than 600 by the following morning after a warm afternoon and high winds.
Due to its proximity to town, emergency officials called for the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team to take control — mobilizing firefighters from around the country and across state, federal, local and county agencies.
The incident command team is operating out of Gunnison High School, while firefighters are stationed near the fire at the Castleton Ranch and in town at the Gunnison County Fairgrounds.
Since it was first reported, fire crews have remained in “full suppression mode,” which means they are trying to prevent the wildfire from spreading significantly. Aided by the recent damp weather, firefighters made progress earlier in the week by securing the southeastern tip of the Lowline Fire as well as completing “burnouts” toward the northeast.
When the fuels are dry enough, firefighters have the opportunity to burn the areas in between their bulldozer lines and the main fire — ignited from the air by helicopters. This eats up any existing fuel on the ground and helps create a buffer that will prevent the fire from spreading. Fire crews targeted areas of the Lowline Fire that border some of the nearby
subdivisions in Ohio Creek such as Wilderness Streams and Star Mountain Ranch.
The acreage of the Lowline Fire has grown mostly from spot fires, starting when embers become airborne and travel from the main wildfire. According to Barton, fire activity this week has been moderate, but is expected to pick up toward the end of the week when temperatures rise and the rain moves out.
Due to the type of terrain the Lowline Fire is burning in — forests with heavy loads of dead and downed trees — Barton said he expects the wildfire to smoke and flare up periodically for at least a month or more.
“This is a long-term fire, even though we’ve gotten rain,” he said.
The Lowline Fire is the first significant wildfire to occur in the Gunnison Basin since the late 1800s. Jonathan Coop, a local wildfire ecologist and professor at Western Colorado University, said the burn is long overdue. Many of the forests in that area are full of dead and down trees, the perfect fuel for a wildfire.
These forests are also firedependent ecosystems, which means burns boost their overall health. Wildfires kickstart aspen regeneration, open up the forest canopy and release nutrients that benefit the vegetation and grasses on the forest floor, he said.
From his perspective, the Lowline Fire is a best-case scenario after watching larger fires such as the East Troublesome, raze parts of Colorado in 2020 — burning hundreds of thousands of acres. But at some point, the conditions that lead to that kind of fire are bound to line up, especially as fuels accumulate and the climate becomes more fire-conducive, he said.
“There are a lot of areas around Gunnison that would really benefit from fire, and it'd probably be good for us to get used to that idea … We live in an area that has a lot of fuels and where fire is not just a likelihood, but an inevitability,”
Coop said.
Over the past week, the Gunnison County Fairgrounds bustled with activity as it housed firefighters and supplies. The fairgrounds is also the only public facility that is able to house livestock such as goats, sheep, cows and horses in the case of displacement, free of charge.
On July 26, nine animals had been moved to the facility, which has 54 stalls and 15 pens that can hold multiple animals. They have since returned home, but fairgrounds manager Tony Janssen said their team was prepared to build more temporary
somewhere to go if they are displaced, or a friend they can call for their animals, but some people don’t,” he said. “We’re here for that. It’s something that you never want to see or hope for, but it’s something to be prepared for.”
The CSU Extension Office has continued to support the Gunnison County’s Emergency Management Department by acting as a liaison for local landowners and ranchers. Extension Director Hannah Cranor Kersting said a list of evacuation resources and residents with trucks and trailers who are ready to help move animals at a moment’s notice are available to anyone in need.
The extension office, located at the fairgrounds, remains open to the public. Although the fire is still burning, Kersting said her team is prepared to help residents impacted by the fire recover, replant trees and repair fences.
“We have so many resources to help people prepare for that worst day,” she said. “You might not think a wildfire will ever come to your area, but we should all be prepared.”
(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)
used to assess the feasibility of the purchase.
Before a final decision was made, Gunnison city councilors worried about the presence of asbestos and lead contamination inside the homes. Some of the trailers at Frontier Land date back to the 1970s and are in poor condition. Because of their age, moving the homes may violate state safety regulations, while disposing and replacing homes is a costly process.
After numerous inspections, the Housing Authority filed an objection on some of the results with the owner on June 16. But the contract expired a week later. The terms of the contract between the Housing Authority and the owner prevented public disclosure of details of the objection.
Now that the contract has expired, the Housing Authority
has no obligation to purchase Frontier Land. As of July 31, it did not appear that the mobile home park had been placed back on the market.
“I worry about the outcome … But we got to that point where we felt like it was the right decision for the Housing Authority this time,” Kadlec said. “We have a lot of things on our plate in terms of helping prepare some of these developments like Sawtooth and others up valley to come online.”
(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@gunnisontimes.com.)
“We wanted the owner to address a few items, and unfortunately we never got to a resolution.”
Andy Kadlec Housing Authority
Recently, Chris Peterson’s modest home in south Gunnison was filled with family and friends from all eras of her life. They gathered to break bread, play cornhole and share stories about her son Christian Schlegel, who had died by suicide just days before on June 28.
Within hours of the news of his death, her front yard was packed, as nearly 60 people milled in and around her home. Burgers were thrown on the grill and neighbors cleared the parking lot so tents could be put up to shield everyone from the sun. She sat in a circle of his friends and through stories of his adventures, learned things about him she’d never heard before — some more mischievous than others. Included in the group was Corbin Harshman and Merlin Mapes, Christian’s lifelong friends.
Along with Colton Didericksen, Christian, Merlin and Corbin were known as the “four amigos,” inseparable since grade school. The boys wrangled the very best out of the Gunnison Valley, fourwheeling and paintballing out on Hartman Rocks, camping up Taylor Canyon and tearing around town on their bikes, insured with the short-lived invincibility of being 15.
As a teenager, Christian endeavored to do everything to the max, Merlin said. He was the first to ride the BMX track and the first to tip the edge of his skateboard into the bowl at the Gunnison skatepark. Merlin once dared him to ride a dirt bike down a steep hill, calling him on a bluff that he was the best biker in the crew. He recalls, minutes later, seeing Christian wheel the bike back up the hill, covered in dirt and scrapes, gripping broken handlebars. Many times, he returned home with a broken bone, as if it was a ritual, grinning ear-to-ear. Visits with local orthopedist Rhett Griggs were frequent, Chris said.
It was the type of mischief where practically all the evidence disappears each morning, with nothing but a few sets of footprints on the rodeo grounds where four boys had romped around the night before Cattlemen’s Days.
“He always sent everything to the max. No holding back,” Merlin said.
But it’s the Fourth of July when the boys were young that lingers in Corbin’s memory, running amuck in the softball fields, tearing around town on bikes and finally collapsing on Jorgensen Field, hands sticky with sugar and faces tanned with Gunnison sun, to watch fireworks bloom in a black sky.
The ritual occurred every year the boys were in town. Corbin tried to spend last year’s holiday together, but it didn’t work out.
That night at Chris’ house, these stories and more flowed in the early hours of the morning. But this wasn’t the first time Corbin and Merlin gathered to mourn the loss of a friend, nor was it the first time Chris and her friends mourned the loss of a child. The scene was a near replica of one eight years ago.
A very hard year
In March of 2015, the trio of friends — Christian, Corbin and Merlin — drove to Jennifer Didericksen’s house on a cold winter afternoon after learning that Colton took his own life just days before. In the following four months, two other Gunnison High School students, both 16, also died by suicide.
“It hit hard because there were so many of them,” Jennifer said. “And there are no answers as to why in a short amount of time.”
In the aftermath of losing their close friend, the boys pulled closer together. The trust was deep, Corbin said, forged in their many adventures. Hikes and camping trips were planned more regularly and after-school sessions at the skate park became more abundant. They made promises that they would never put each other through that again, Merlin said. But coping is imperfect, and so the pain pulled at them too.
“It hit all of us like a brick. It was horrible. Colton was the anchor of our friend group. Whatever we did, it was always with him. He was the one holding everything down,” Corbin said. “We did our best to remember the best out of Colton and in doing so, every-
where we went, we took him with us in our hearts.”
As boys grieved, so too did the community. At Gunnison High School, newly-hired school counselor Sarah Macort recalled couches lined with students, wondering, “What did we miss? How did I not know?”
She soon started a grief group to help students unpack these questions and the next year, instituted Sources of Strength, an peer-based program that focuses on upstream prevention for suicide, bullying, substance use and violence.
For Chris, a single mom, watching her close friend lose a child and her son lose a friend pushed her to action.
As long as she’d had boys, their friends had practically lived at her house. In 2016, she organized the valley’s first-ever Out of the Darkness Campus Walk, bringing community members together to walk for suicide prevention. The event raised over $20,000 and went on to occur in person each year until COVID hit. She also joined the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and sat on the Colorado board for five years.
Christian joined her in these efforts. Photos show him marching alongside his mother at the Out of Darkness walks, holding suicide prevention banners. Each year, the family took
a group photo at the end of the walk, a token of their shared commitment to be there for one another when the road ahead seemed dark.
Sources of Strength flourished at GHS in the early years. Macort recalls seeing an uptick in the number of kids bringing their friends to a librarian, a teacher or the kitchen manager. The program is now used by Gunnison County Juvenile Services and has become a common language, Macort said. It is dialogue that helps someone understand what “strengths” they have and when to go to a trusted adult for help.
Going local
For all the marches organized and donations garnered, Chris felt she needed to shift her focus locally. Sometimes it takes a tragedy for people to raise money, she said. Maybe it’s a quirk of human psychology or the reality that each person has their own hardships. Attendance at the walks dwindled over the years, as did donations.
At the start of 2023, Chris stepped down from the Foundation. After Christian died, the mission to keep dollars and work local became more clear, as she witnessed her local friends and neighbors show up for her day in and day out. More awareness for local suicide prevention can also offer immediate help for those who are struggling, Chris said.
“I don't think [Christian] realized that instead of an 800 num-
In the nearly 30 hours of training and eight courses Chris has completed, all give a number of signs that may indicate somebody is struggling. Neither Colton nor Christian displayed these signs, the mothers said. Instead, it was small changes in behavior, nearly imperceptible shifts in daily habits that only become consequential in hindsight.
“ I will never know. I will never have an answer,” Jennifer said. “For me, and Chris, there's never going to be closure because you just don't have an answer.”
Just months before he died, Christian moved back to Gunnison from Oklahoma, where he had lived and worked for nearly seven months as a detention center officer. The job was difficult, as the center was short-staffed, and due to a
him. And he didn’t share much with Chris, afraid to look weak or admit that he needed help, she said.
“Even though we were really good friends, you just never really know what battles people are fighting and they're not telling anybody about,” Merlin said. When he got back, he started working with Christopher Kline Construction, a crew that is more family than coworkers, Corbin said. Christian worked hard and long each day, an impression that remains with his coworkers.
“In work, you got to see the brilliance in that kid,” he said. “He was gifted at what he did, and that transferred into his everyday life. He just gave his all to whatever he was doing at the time”
Progress slow, but steady
In the last eight years, men-
can help connect people with therapists afterwards. The number of therapists in the Gunnison Watershed School District has increased, but the District still needs to bring on bilingual therapists, Macort said. For years, the Gunnison Valley Health Coalition, with Gunnison County Substance Abuse Prevention Project, has run several types of suicide prevention trainings.
The work has pushed the community to get mental health into daily discussions, threading the idea that it’s ok to seek help into conversation. Although each loss is devastating, progress creeps on, invisible to the naked eye, said GCSAPP Youth Coordinator Emily Mirza. It is a cause that slowly inches forward in conversations in school hallways or around bonfires at Hartman Rocks.
“ It is okay to not be okay.
got to be a way to tell all the young men that it's okay to want to talk and want to share.”
People in crisis should call the Colorado Crisis Services Hotline at 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255. Their 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 and CB State of Mind provides 10 free sessions with a local therapist. For peer support specialists at Gunnison Valley Health, email behavioralhealth@gvh-colorado.org or call 970.648.7128.
(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)
Last week, 15 volunteers joined Crested Butte’s High Country Conservation Advocates and its project partners to restore a riparian system on the Demming Powderhorn Ranch. The team implemented 16 hand-built structures over the course of two days. The work included building post-assisted log structures, which mimic and encourage natural wood accumulation in streams, as well as “beaver dam analogs,” or man-made beaver dams. These restoration projects have the potential to help the Gunnison Basin mitigate impacts from drought and the loss of historic wetlands
Mount Calvary Lutheran Church is beginning its Wednesday afternoon children’s learning and activity day for K-6th grade on Sept. 6th!
Learning activities include: Bible lessons, age-appropriate arts and crafts, and vocational and recreational skills, from 1:45 PM to 6 PM.
Parent Interest Meeting:
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023 at 6:30 PM Please RSVP for the meeting to Pastor Robert Carabotta by phone or text at 970-209-7275 or email pastor@mountcalvarygunnison.com
Registration forms and the Parent Handbook are available at our website www.mountcalvarygunnison.com
Mount Calvary Lutheran Church
711 N. Main St, Gunnison, CO 81230 (parking lot in back)
Breathtaking Ohio Creek mountain views, excellent senior water rights to irrigate its’ lush meadows and pastures, and a private stretch of Ohio Creek for your “bug”. Improvements include a nicely updated 3 BR, 1 3/4 bath one level home with detached 2 car garage, barns, sheds, and 2 historic cabins. Great productive history and a great location that rarely becomes available.
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Matt Robbins, CRS, GRI Monarch Realty,
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The story says that “(God)* repented,” for making humanity. Most translations try to soften that word to “regretted,” which is difficult enough for an omniscient being. But the word used here is the word always rendered repented. It’s not the only story of (God) repenting or changing their mind in the Bible. It’s almost as though modern understandings of God are different from ancient ones.
The flood story isn’t about human suffering. It’s about divine repentance. It’s a story of (God) fixing their mess. Of course, when the story ends, humanity is as violent as before, but it’s important to give stories their own integrity. In this story, the primordial chaos returns and the world is reset.
There are two ways to deal with divine repentance. One is to say that God grows and learns. There might be something to that. Another “solution” is to say ancient people were wrong to assume God could or would repent. Which is also a fine answer.
But if those ancients got that wrong, why is their specific sexual code universal? Heteronormative patriarchy isn’t sacred. No one today follows all the specifics of any ancient sexual code.
When first century rabbis were asked the point of the Torah (which contains the tale of Noah), they said things like, “What you hate, don’t do to other people.” Jesus, a first century rabbi, said, “The whole of the Torah is this: Love God and love your neighbor.”
Sure, the stories are pretty violent sometimes. And we can see the violence when we read them through historical or literary lenses. And honest people do so. But if we want to read devotionally, those stories should lead us closer to our neighbors. If you read the scriptures looking for weapons to oppress, you’re reading it wrong. At least according to Jesus.
*The God in the story has a name our Jewish friends don’t pronounce. Since this is their story, I’m using (God) to indicate the unvoiced name.
Ian Wrisley GunnisonUplifting the rainbow
Editor:
The beauty of a rainbow always makes me smile. People who use the rainbow as a symbol of hope after the storm, of all-embracing love and friendship and of diversity and inclusivity are using this sign exactly as God intended. No one can dictate who can use this symbol and who can't. And His promise was to all living creatures of every kind.
He never said "except those with alternative lifestyles.” He never said "except for the selfrighteous who wrongly believe My love has boundaries.”
So there you go — we're all covered. And so, wherever I see a rainbow, I will always smile.
Jane Thomas GunnisonEditor: Starting July 2 of 2022, Colorado Senate Bill 21-091 allowed businesses to charge 2% of the total bill for payments made by credit card, or they may charge, “the actual costs the business pays for processing.”
This means that if the business pays 3.5% for credit card processing, they can impose a surcharge of 3.5%. A seller may not, however, impose any surcharge for payments made with debit cards, cash, check or a gift card.
On Saturday, July, 29, 2023, I ate at one of my favorite restaurants in Gunnison. When the bill came, my friend noticed that there was a 4% charge for a card payment. She and I had split the bill on our cards. She paid with a credit card, but I paid with a debit card.
We alerted the waitress of this error, and she re sponded that, “there is a sign near the front door about the 4% charge for paying with cards, and everyone in the county is doing this.” We responded that not all businesses in the county are doing this. She replied, “I just work here, so if you want to talk to my boss, you can.”
The waitress was correct that businesses do have to post that there is a surcharge for credit card payments, and how much that surcharge is. Also, if that business pays 4% for credit card processing, a 4% surcharge is legal. Today, I patronized another favorite eatery in Gunnison, and they have a 3.5% surcharge posted, but they as well were unaware of the debit card exception. I did some research, and I discovered that, “if a merchant imposes a surcharge in violation of the act, the merchant is subject to liability as a creditor under the, ‘Uniform Consumer Credit Code,’ adopted by 11 states including Colorado.”
I would love to continue to frequent my favorite restaurants in Gunnison. I love the food, and the ambiences. The prices are reasonable, and the staff are friendly. In general, I want to support local businesses in the Gunnison Valley.
I am writing this letter to alert business owners of this exception, and I’m hopeful that none of them will willfully overcharge their patrons for debit card payments. The other reason I write this letter is so that patrons will be able to stand up for themselves, and not be over-charged for using a debit card.
For a complete description of Senate Bill 21-091, go to colorado.gov/bills/sb21-091.
Culum Walsh Gunnison
The original opening date was ambitious and aimed at limiting the number of seasons Mountaineers played outside a formal stadium, said Western’s Athletic Director Miles Van Hee. Although construction workers labored through a long winter, sometimes working weekends, bitter cold and lingering COVID-era construction and labor delays pushed opening
tain parts of the stadium: lockers, bleacher seats and bricks. This means donors can honor or memorialize someone connected to the project or institution, said Vice President of Advancement Mike LaPlante.
Once construction is complete, the bowl will offer a variety of added amenities to Mountaineer fans, including suite-style seating, a video scoreboard, a new concession stand and a merchandise store. Coaches and players will have new coaching boxes, lockers and training rooms. Visiting
discover
Gunnison Rising is the newest mountain town development with a bold vision. It is a premier destination for people, businesses, and entrepreneurs that hold a love for the natural world. Gunnison Rising is a place to live, work, play, and raise a family in an environment that fosters a commitment to community and the lands which surround it, making Gunnison, Colorado one of the best mountain towns to live in.
the lifestyle Gunnison Rising offers, visit gunnisonrising.com.
day back.
“While we recognize that this is not ideal for our student-athletes and fans, we are thrilled with the progress made and the transformational impact the beautiful new facility will have on our campus and community once complete. It will be well worth the wait,” President Brad Baca said in a press release.
The need for renovations surfaced from the older buildings that comprised the former facility. The press box had been described as being held together with “baling wire and chewing gum.” Since May, construction workers have been chipping away at the 5-acre site, which will house almost 30,000 square feet of new interior space, seating, new turf and resurfaced track.
“It's an amazing, transformational project that will make a big impact not only just on our athletic department, but the entire university and the community as well,” Van Hee said. “Something of this magnitude has been a long time coming.”
Englewood-based contractor Mesa Properties, which built the new Paul M. Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering, began construction this past summer. The $30 million project is primarily funded by longtime Western donors Paul and Katy Rady. Through Elevate Western, the university’s latest fundraising campaign, administrators set a $3 million goal for alumni and other university supporters. They have $1.5 million to go.
The university is giving donors the ability to name cer-
teams will be able to pull right up to the entrance and walk into a locker room to prepare, instead of walking out of the bowl onto an empty grass field, said Head Football Coach Jas Bains.
“The upgrade itself means the [Bowl] is going to be an unbelievable facility when it's all said and done,” Bains said.
The new facility will also be an asset for the university’s recruiting efforts, he said. Instead of having to explain a lack of amenities in the outdoor space, coaches can boast about the new 10,000-square-foot press box and dynamic lighting that will allow for nighttime games.
Playing another season at Rady allows Western athletes to compete on their home turf, rather than traveling to other universities or neutral sites for games. Last year, the team had six away games, which weighed on Bains’ athletes.
“It's important to play here in town and get a chance to play in your city and in front of your fans in whatever capacity it is,” Bains said. “And we're going to use that to our advantage.”
The Mountaineer football team’s first home game will be held at Rady field on Sep. 2 against West Texas A&M University. More information about the season is available on gomountaineers.com starting Aug. 11.
(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)
“It’s an amazing, transformational project that will make a big impact not only just on our athletic department, but the entire university and the community as well.”
Western Athletic Director Miles Van Hee
The Gunnison Arts Center’s historic Black Box Theater is preparing to undergo major renovations as the organization enters the fourth, final and largest phase of its capital campaign project, Framing Our Future.
Construction at the Arts Center will resume on August 9, resulting in a closure of the Main Gallery and the Black Box Theater. Phase four tackles the renovation of spaces on the Arts Center’s main floor, which tends to receive the most foot traffic from residents and visitors. Starting next week, the Arts Center will have variable hours for the remainder of the year to adapt to the disruptions and noise caused by the remodel. The anticipated completion date is June 2024.
Over the past few years, the Arts Center has undergone a great deal of change, from launching a $3.8 million capital campaign aimed at giving new life to the 140-year-old building, to welcoming a new executive director for the first time in over a decade. This month, the
Arts Center is entering the final phase of Framing Our Future, which involves some of the most complex and expensive renovations of the entire project. The estimated price tag sits around $1.4 million.
“We've been preparing for a while and have been just rolling the punches,” said Executive Director Grace Thurlow. “But we're really excited to show the community this flexible space where we can have more community gatherings. That's something we're dialing in on — cultivating those community connections and bringing people together through art.”
The floor plans swap the location of the existing Main Gallery, which is located on the northwest corner of the building, with the adjacent BlackBox Theater. The switch is intended to create a more continuous gallery space, instead of having the Black Box sit square in the middle of the building.
The improved Black Box Theater will come with numerous upgrades including additional capacity and handicap seating, as well as new lighting and sound systems. The green room behind the stage and dressing rooms will also be redone.
The Arts Center occupies a historic building on South Main Street. Because its status comes with certain limitations on how the building can be renovated, the design team had to find cre-
ative ways to utilize the center’s smaller rooms and spaces.
The theater seating will be retractable and able to lay flat with the push of a button — creating more space for larger events as needed. Once phase four is finished, the wall in between the theater and the adjacent art gallery will be movable. The “hung wall” will be suspended from a track in the ceiling, allowing it to be pushed back into a cubby in the room. This will give Arts Center managers the ability to constantly reconfigure the space while maintaining the integrity of the historic building facade, said board treasurer Erik Niemeyer. Although the cost of phase four is estimated at $3.8 million, this is subject to change based on what the construction crew finds under the floor of the Main Gallery. The south side of the building has a basement, but it is blocked off from the north by a load bearing wall. No one knows what is underneath, Niemeyer said.
“This is the biggest question mark of the whole project,” he said.
Phase four will begin with asbestos abatement in the gallery and the theater, which will last until October. During this time, the board will determine what kind of programming can be offered through the construction period.
All of the classes that have already been scheduled will still
ing. The organization plans to launch a new website by the end of August which will feature improved class registration and the most up-to-date hours.
Niemeyer said the upcoming shutdowns will be a blessing in the long-term, giving the board
he said. “Once we come out of this next year, it's going to feel like a new Arts Center.”
(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)
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The Lowline Fire poses a variety of health risks for Gunnison Valley residents, according to local Gunnison Valley health professionals.
“The specific danger of wildfire smoke is of increasing the small particles in the air that are then inhaled into the lungs,” Gunnison Valley Health Chief Medical Officer Stephanie Porter wrote in an email. “The addition of small particles causes an inflammatory reaction in the lungs and generates increased mucus and can trigger bronchospasm.”
Bronchospasm occurs when the muscles that line the airways in your lungs righten. The outcomes can be coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, sinus irritation and other respiratory symptoms.
Wildfire smoke poses a cardiovascular health risk too, Porter wrote.
“The inflammation in the lungs can impair oxygen exchange, which can cause a strain to the heart if severe.”
Children and those with underlying lung and heart conditions are most vulnerable to respiratory and cardiovascular health issues related to wildfire smoke, Porter wrote. Children are at a greater risk than adults, because the ratio of air intake to size is higher in children than in adults; as a result, children have less ability to clear any infusion of small particles in the lungs.
Wildfire smoke may also pose a danger to fetuses. In
November of 2022, the National Library of Medicine published a study that linked air pollution and combustion sources, such as gas stoves and fireplaces, to inflammation and other disruptions and changes in the maternal-fetal unit.
Wildfires can moreover exacerbate mental health issues in a community, according to local mental health experts.
“Warnings and evacuations can lead to emotional distress, and smoke has been known to cause anxiety and claustrophobia,” licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor Katie Hunt wrote in an email.
Licensed professional counselor Shelly J. Spalding is chief operations officer of Axis Health System’s Gunnison clinic.
“Uncertainty, prolonged separation from loved ones, or the stress of the unknown can cause a variety of emotional distress symptoms … Research has shown that extreme climate or weather events were associated with poorer mental health and well-being at a community level.”
Several populations are at an acute risk for emotional distress in the wake of a wildfire, Hunt and Spalding wrote.
“Data indicate that children, teens, older adults, first responders and recovery workers are particularly at risk for emotional distress due to wildfires … Additionally, people with limited physical mobility, economic means, or knowledge of the English language are also at a higher risk.”
Eye irritation, headaches and itchy skin have also been documented as responses to wildfire smoke, over the short term, according to a June 2023 New York Times report.
The report cautions against drawing straight lines of correlation from wildfire smoke to long-term effects. There is a dearth of research on the longterm impact of wildfire smoke on the general population.
For example, much remains unknown about whether there are long-term effects from brief exposure and in cases where no immediate symptoms are present.
(Mara Taylor-Heine can be contacted at mara@gunnisontimes.com.)
-Limit outdoor activity, particularly activity that is physically strenuous.
-If you have access to cool and clean indoor air, close off windows and run a clean air conditioner and HEPA filter. Try to close your windows especially at night when air tends to be more still and, as a result, more toxic.
-Cut down on in-home activities such as smoking, burning candles and cooking in order to reduce your exposure to other air particles.
-Wear an N95 or KN95 mask in high-smoke areas.
-Make your own filter fan to clean your indoor air. (For step-by-step instructions, refer to the “DIY Air Filter” page on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency website.)
Trouble breathing or tightness in the chest may be a sign of a health emergency. If experiencing such symptoms, dial 911.
(Sources: Gunnison Valley Health Chief Medical Officer Stephanie Porter and the Colorado Department of Public Health.)
Residents from around the Gunnison Valley packed the Black Box Theater this week to hear advice from older residents who were asked to reflect on lessons learned from decades of service to the valley. Almost every seat was filled in the small theater, but the large crowd quieted each time a speaker took the stage, eager to hear the wisdom that would flow in the room that evening.
The guests were invited as a part of the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley’s second annual TICtalk, which asks local residents to share some of what they have learned in life so far. It was the last event held in the Gunnison Arts Center’s Black Box Theater before it closes for renovations next week.
This year’s event welcomed Doug Tredway, Glo Cunningham, George Sibley and Ronda Connaway. Combined, the group offered well over 100 years of valleyspecific experience. Each offered their unique take on the prompts, which included, “what would you do diff knowing what you know now, if you were 30 years old and living in this valley” and “what failures or successes have been the most formative to you over the years?”
Tredway, a lifelong Gunnison resident and former Gunnison Watershed School District superintendent, focused on the many ways he has built a meaningful life. He said keeping strong habits, nurturing your passions and being a “lifelong learner” have kept him looking to the future. He said all people have some talent, but the discipline to practice and refine your skills will take you further in the long run.
“You are what you do regularly,” he said.
Author and journalist Sibley
offered his take on how the community might survive the climate crisis, “with grace.” He offered sharp criticism on centuries of American consumerism and implored the audience to ask itself how a sense of place might be corrupted by a desire to own property. Striking a balance between the two is important, he added, as is the reminder that an economy is supposed to serve its people, not the other way around.
After nearly five decades in Crested Butte and working with over 40 nonprofits, Cunningham said living with integrity and with as few regrets as possible will leave you peaceful at the end. Constant education, or “going to every event you can,” will keep your mind agile and your life full, she said. Patience and kindness go longer than one might think, and being present with those around you will nurture your relationships and help you sustain them through the decades.
Connaway, after decades of work in community activism and child welfare, said to ignore the static that persists through life and focus on the things that matter, that sustain us and that challenge us. She had three recommendations for the future: a combined city and county government that may fit more difficult circumstances in the future, co-housing to combat an “epidemic” of loneliness and finally, building more tiny homes.
(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)
everyone
Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
As her friends and colleagues took the stage at the Black Box Theater, Maryo Ewell had a front row seat. For the next hour, she listened intently as her peers shared lessons learned and wisdom wellearned from, collectively, over a century of life in the Gunnison Valley.
Ewell, who recently announced her retirement as the director of community impact at the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley, is well-situated in the group of mentors. Like her friends, her life in the valley has been shaped by an investment in serving those around her. Along the way, it is her belief that creative industries are the fabric of a resilient community that’s left a lasting impact.
This mission is one that she has seen play out since her upbringing in Wisconsin, when she watched her father work as a playwright for the University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture Extension Office. Ewelll watched as he convinced farmers and bookkeepers alike, at all corners of the state, to take up the pen: write poems, plays and other narrative fiction.
Ewell went on to study social psychology in college, as the Vietnam War raged on in the background and “there was a world to be saved,” she said. She carried her education on to Yale, where she received her masters degree in organizational behavior. There, she recalled a professor who offered a bit of wisdom about communities: creative and spiritual health is just as important as the physical
health of its constituents.
The late 60s was a time for revolution in the arts, she said, as local governments started talking about arts in faith, health, business and prison communities. Swept up in the notion of social change through the arts, she went on to serve on arts councils around the country, from Connecticut to Colorado, where she worked for Colorado Creative Industries when it was first drafting the Creative District program in 2011. In each of her posts, she focused on community outreach and quickly found that work being done in rural areas had a unique character.
“People say there's such a thing as rural genius,” Ewell said. “I didn't know what that meant at first, and now I'm finding out, because people in small places, in order to not only get by but thrive, have to be super creative about putting things together to make things work.”
One project she worked on with Creative Industries on the Front Range stands out. It paired Fort Collins artists with farmers and ranchers to try and address growing land use tension as Colorado State University absorbed more and more viable farmland.
To bridge the dysfunctional relationship that had resulted in a screaming match at a commissioners meeting, the Creative Industries paired artists with the non-artists and tasked them to have coffee three times and come up with a creative project that could speak to the issue. Ewell said she sobbed through the exposition, as she listened to songs and watched plays that had brought people who considered themselves to be on opposite sides of an issue, to the same side of the drafting table.
“Things like that have inspired me about the power of creativity in communities, even among people who didn't think that they were creative,
or artists who didn't think that community development had anything to do with them,” she said. “There's incredible power in unleashing a community's creativity to address difficult issues.”
Her move to Gunnison in 1992 allowed her to pursue an interest in serving rural communities more directly. Before starting with the Foundation, she served on the Gunnison Arts Center board, which she sees as an epicenter for community growth.
“I'm hoping that as time passes, we can recognize the arts as being a player in just helping us envision whatever kind of future we want,” she said.
She started with the Foundation a decade ago, when friend and then-director Pam Montgomery needed someone with nonprofit expertise. Since then, she’s served as the Foundation’s point person on the Community Health Coalition and the City of Gunnison’s Resiliency Project. After three decades of work in the valley, she said it is residents’ hunger to address social issues, through over 100 local nonprofits, that sustains creative vitality.
“We are small enough, and we're not in the shadow of any big city,” Ewell said. “So we have to figure it out on our own. So you've got all of this creativity, passion and young energy overlaid on that Western way of, ‘we're tough. We're no-nonsense kind of people. We want to figure it out on our own and by God, we don't need anybody else.’ So I think the ingredients are there.”
The Foundation will be holding a celebration for Ewell at IOOF Park on Aug. 25 at 4-7 p.m.
(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)
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FOR VIRTUAL TOUR: BHHSTODAYREALTY.COM
Call Gerald Lain 970-209-0077
KBUT’S SUMMER PLEDGE DRIVE IS HERE JULY 31ST-AUGUST 11TH 2023
Help us reach our $70,000 goal and Donate now and become a member of your local community radio station.
All donors during the pledge drive will be entered into our Grand Prize drawing.
Call us at 970.349.7444 or visit kbut.org
Scan to Donate
Grand Prize: An Epic Pass, courtesy of Crested Butte Mountain Resort or a Monarch Season Pass, courtesy of Monarch Mountain.
On Sunday, July 30, 13 volunteers from the Gunnison County “Dems Do Good” program showed up in Almont to clean a 3-mile section of Hwy. 135. After the work was complete, the crew gath-
Bethany Church
909 N Wisconsin St. (behind Powerstop) • 970-641-2144
Summer schedule, One service at 9am! gunnisonbethany.com
9 am: Family Service with nursery & children’s church
Check out our website for updates!
Or download our app on the App Store by searching, Gunnison Bethany.
B'nai Butte Congregation
PO Box 2537 Crested, Butte CO 81224 305-803-3648
Friday 7/28- Shabbatluck services at the home of the Hogues- 6pm, Pls bring a dinner dish to share
Meet the Rabbi - Saturdays 7/29 and 8/5, 10:30 AM at Rumors, CB
Sunday 7/30- Memorial service for Steve Polan, 11:30 am at the CB CemeteryFriday
8/4- Shabbatluck services at the home of the Elfenbeins, 6pm, Pls bring a dinner dish to share
Saturday 8/5- Havdallah service at the Shawn Horne and Dawn Cohen Gallery, 7pm, Pls bring a dessert/drink to share
Sunday 8/6- Torah study at the Rolfes, 11am, Gunnison
Details on additional services, activities and locations at www.bnaibutte.org
Spiritual Leader-Rabbi Mark Kula, rabbimarkkula@gmail.com / 305-803-3648
Church of Christ
600 E. Virginia • 970-641-1588
Sunday Morning Bible Class: 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.
Sunday Evening Worship: 6 p.m.
Wednesday Night Bible Class: 7 p.m.
Community Church of Gunnison
107 N. Iowa • 970-641- 0925
Pastor Larry Nelson
Sunday Morning Worship 9:30 a.m.
Nursery & Age-Graded Ministry
Weekly Student Ministry
Weekly Adult LifeGroups
Office Hours: Mon-Thurs, 9:00-4:00
For more info: ccgunnison.com or email info@ccgunnison.com
Join us in-person, listen to our broadcast on 98.3 FM, or view online stream on YouTube
Transforming Lives • Building Community
First Baptist Church
120 N. Pine St. • 970-641-2240
Pastor Jonathan Jones
9:30 A.M. Share & Prayer Fellowship
10 A.M. Sunday School Classes
11 A.M. Morning Worship Service
6 P.M. Evening Service
Wednesday 7 PM - Children's Patch Club
Gunnison Bible Institute
Thursday 7 PM - College & Career Christian Fellowship www.firstbaptistgunnison.org.
The Good Samaritan
Episcopal Church
307 W. Virginia Ave. • 970-641-0429
Rev. Laura Osborne, Vicar
Sunday Morning Holy Eucharist, Rite II 9 a.m.
Children's Sunday school 9 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.
Office Hours: M-Th 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
www.goodsamaritangunnison.com
Visit our partnership church: All Saints in the Mountains, Crested Butte Holy Eucharist, Rite II, Sunday 5 p.m. Union Congregational Church,
403 Maroon Ave., Crested Butte. Gunnison
Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
317 N. Main St. • 970-641-3203
Open and Affirming Whole Earth · Just Peace Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Casual, Relaxed, “Come As You Are” Worship www.gunnisonucc.org
Grace Covenant Church Gunnison
101 N. 8th St. Gunnison Meeting at the Historic 8th St School House
Reformed, Confessional & committed to Expository preaching
Sundays 10:00 a.m.
Thursdays 1:00 p.m.
Women's Bible Study gracegunnison.com
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church
711 N. Main • 970-641-1860
Bible Study and Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays Church Service at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays
Pastor Robert Carabotta, Pastor Jacob With
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 10am / Wednesday 7pm
www.newsonggunnison.net
Rocky Mountain Christian Ministries
1040 Highway 135 (1/4 mile N. of Spencer Ave.) • 970-641-0158
Sunday Morning Worship 9:30am
Nursery and Children’s ministry through Middle School
“Remedy” Worship Nights Small Group Ministries www.rmcmchurch.org
St. Peter’s Catholic Church 300 N. Wisconsin • 970-641-0808 Fr. Andres Ayala-Santiago
www.gunnisoncatholic.org
www.crestedbuttecatholic.org or call the Parish Office.
St. Peter's - Gunnison Sat 8:30 am, 6:30 pm & Sun 10:30 am, 12:00 pm (Spanish) Mass First Sunday of every month bilingual Mass at 11am
Queen of All Saints - Crested Butte, 401 Sopris Sun 8:30am Mass
St. Rose of Lima - Lake City Mass Service, Sat 4:00pm
Trinity Baptist Church 523 N. Pine St. • 970-641-1813
Senior Pastor - Joe Ricks
Sunday Service 9:30 a.m.
Adult Bible Study 8:00 AM www.trinitybaptistsgunnison.com
641.1414
NEED SMALL ELECTRICAL WORK DONE? Call Dave Noble at 602-918-4449. 40+ years experience, residential and commercial.
SPALLONE CONSTRUCTION has immediate openings for laborers in the Gunnison, Crested Butte area. Experience required not required, but preferred. Must be able to assist laborer performing physical tasks involved in construction activities. Must have a valid drivers license, references required. $22/hr or higher depending on experience, benefits available after one year of employment. Please submit resume to: office@spalloneconstruction.com.
Please note this is not a complete list of all our open jobs. You can view all open positions at our website at jobs.gunnisonvalleyhealth.org.
Nursing Assistant, Hospital –FT $17-$20.40/hr.
Receptionist/Dispatcher, Senior Services – FT $17-$20.40/hr. DOE
Computer TechnicianFT $22.61-$26/hr. DOE
Receptionist/PT Aide –FT $17-$20.40/hr. DOE
employees working 40 or more
Please visit our website for more in-
AUTOMOTIVE MASTER
TECHNICIAN. If you are curious about how your current job compares to Precision Automotive? EMAIL your resume to precisionauto4040@hotmail.com, call or text Steve at 970-596-9999 ALL INQUIRIES ARE STRICKLY PAID VACATION, PAID HOLIDAYS, MEDICAL, DENTAL, MATCHING IRA.
AUTOMOTIVE APPRENTICE Do you love cars? Get your start in
mechanical, Transmission, Drive CAR WASH/DETAILER/SHOP MAINTENANCE. Call or text 970-596-9999 for interview. PRECISIONAUTO.NET
is seeking applicants for the following fully-
Human Resources Generalist:
Journeyman & Residential Wireman for projects in the Gunnison and Crested Butte areas. Must have a pass a pre-employment drug screen.
Send resumes to info@ec-electric.com or call 970-641-0195 www.ec-electric.com/careers
or
contingent upon the successful completion of a negative 10-panel
FLEET MAINTENANCE/HEAVY
EQUIPMENT OPERATOR - CB SOUTH
METRO DISTRICT: This is a skilled position responsible for fleet maintenance and heavy equipment operation of motor grader and loader specifically with opportunity for fleet management. Applicant must be able to correctly diagnose and make repairs on a variety of equipment which may include welding. Duties include equipment operation, maintenance repair of various pieces of light and heavy motorized equipment used in road construction, road maintenance, snow removal, drinking water operations, wastewater operations, manual labor and other generalized work. Applicants must be 18 years of age and have a valid Colorado driver’s license. The successful applicant is eligible to receive an elite benefit package. Full job description, requirements, pay ranges and benefits are available on the district’s website at cbsouthmetro.net. Email resume to info@cbsouthmetro.net or drop off at 280 Cement Creek Road.
SERVICE PLUMBER TECHNICIAN:
Timberline Mechanical Contracting is looking for a service technician for troubleshooting and plumbing repair. Plumbing and customer service experience preferred. We offer high pay, paid holidays, paid vacation, health insurance and ski pass. Clean driving record is mandatory. Timberline Mechanical Contracting Crested Butte, CO. Phone: 970349-5679. Email info@timberlinemech.com.
FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST: Tenderfoot
Child and Family Development Center is hiring a front desk receptionist for our large early childhood center. Position includes
contact with children and families,
Monday-Friday, 7:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at $14.65/ hr with the possibility of full-time at $16.65/ hr. Background checks and paid pre-service training required, sick/vacation benefits, free child care and paid professional development. Email tfootdirector@gmail. com or call 970-642-1949 to apply or for more information. EOE.
ARE YOU TIRED OF WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS TO MAKE IT IN THE VALLEY? Iron Horse is looking for the right individual to join our expanding property care team. This individual is responsible for property inspections, inventories and the overall quality and presentation of vacation rentals in our luxury inventory. You will work hand-inhand with our maintenance, housekeeping and reservation teams to ensure that our guests experience vacation perfection. Pay starts at $22 per hour plus a company car, health insurance, on-call pay, paid vacation, ski or health and wellness pass, 5-day work week and more! If you are detail oriented, organized, punctual and only want the best, then submit your resume to steve@ ironhorsecb.com and qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview. Clean driving record is required. No phone calls please.
EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSISTANT
TEACHERS: Tenderfoot Child and Family Development Center is seeking assistant teachers to join our early childhood team with children from birth-5 years old. Must be at least 16 years of age. Full ($16.65/ hr) or part-time ($14.65/hr) with flexible scheduling. Background checks and paid pre-service training required, sick/vacation benefits, free child care. Paid professional development and a great opportunity to grow as an educator. Call 970-642-1949 or email tfootdirector@gmail.com for more information. EOE.
CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATOR: Alcon is hiring for a full-time estimator. This role is responsible for estimating various projects, primarily general contract projects, including design build, design/bid/build or CMGC. The estimator manages multiple bids concurrently, is responsible for ensuring all bid requirements and related deadlines are met and maintaining consistent communication with customers. Two
Full-time, $62,200-$84,000/yr
$29.90-$40.38/hr
Performs technical, professional, and administrative duties related to maintaining the security of the city, protecting constitutional guarantees of all persons, protecting life and property, preserving public peace and order, preventing, solving and detecting crimes, facilitating the safe movement of people and vehicles and other emergency services as required. The city will pay for the police academy if needed and pay a cadet wage while attending the academy. Includes a $5,000 signing bonus.
-up to $25.44/hr
-up to $25.44/hr
The City of Gunnison offers a including 75% of medical, dental and vision premiums paid for the employee and their dependents, 5% of gross wages in a retirement plan, based on the years of service), 12 leave per year.
For more information, including and application instructions, please visit GunnisonCO.gov/HR
Competitive pay, 401K, insurance, paid vacations. 40 hour work week. Apply at John Roberts Motor Works.
years experience or a bachelor’s degree in construction management required. More details, including anticipated salary and benefits available, are online at alconconstruction.com/employment/.
THE TOWN OF CRESTED BUTTE seeks applicants for an HR manager to join the finance and administrative services team. The HR manager is responsible for the daily operations of human resources to include, but not limited to, payroll processing, recruitment, staffing, retention, training, benefits administration, wage administration, employee relations, terminations, workers’ compensation, risk management and the smooth operation of the HR office in compliance with all company policies, as well as federal, state and local legislation. This year-round position includes an excellent benefits package with 100% employer paid health, dental, vision, life insurance and contribution to retirement plan after one year of employment. Starting salary is $67,089-$80,320 DOQ. Full job description is available on the town’s website at townofcrestedbutte.com. Please submit application, cover letter and resume via email to jobs@crestedbutte-co.gov. Position is open until filled. The town of Crested Butte is an equal opportunity employer.
THE CLUB AT CRESTED BUTTE is hiring the following part-time and fulltime seasonal positions: line cooks and dishwasher $20-$25/hr. + gratuity, general facility maintenance $18-$20/hr., front desk attendants $16-$18/hr., greens and maintenance techs $20-$23/hr. Employee benefits include complimentary golf rounds and employee discounts. For more information or to submit a resume, please
visit theclubatcrestedbutte.com or email jobs@clubatcrestedbutte.com.
TEMPORARY LABORERS NEEDED:
Need some cash this off season? The Town of Crested Butte Parks and Recreation Department is hiring temporary laborers for spring prep/cleanup season. Work will begin once the snow is gone from the majority of parks and public areas. Duties include raking, power washing, painting and general cleanup and repairs. Full job description and application available online at townofcrestedbutte.com click on “Careers”. Pay $19/hour. The Town of Crested Butte is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
DAVID GROSS GENERAL CONTRACTOR is seeking a high level construction project manager to manage multiple current and future projects. Full-time salaried position with potential health, 401k, ski pass and a kick-ass team to work with. Fast-paced high volume general contractor. Pre-construction through punch list. Must have attention to detail and be proficient in all computer related skills. Great work environment. Send resume to david@davidgrossgc.com.
BARISTA: Mochas Coffeehouse and Bakery in Gunnison is seeking baristas to join our team. Good pay plus tips and shift meals in a positive and fun work environment. Drop your resume off or fill out an application at Mochas at 710 N. Main St., or email barista@mochascoffeehouse.com.
PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE
TECHNICIANS WANTED TO JOIN THE
SEALCO TEAM: $33+ hourly - $1,800+ weekly potential with performance and safety bonuses. Seeking motivated, hardworking and dependable individuals. No experience necessary. On the job training working outdoors. Paid weekly. Must be capable of lifting 60 pounds. Email resumes to Aaron@sealcoincorporated.com or call 970-641-4260.
THE TOWN OF CRESTED BUTTE seeks applicants for a finance administrative assistant to join the Finance and Administrative Services team. The finance admin assistant is responsible for daily financial tasks including administration of the sales tax collection process, cash receipting, departmental customer service and file/records maintenance. This yearround position includes an excellent benefits package with 100% employer paid health, dental, vision, life insurance and contribution to retirement plan after one year of employment. Starting salary is $47,200$57,500 DOQ. Full job description is available on the town’s website at townofcrestedbutte. com. Please submit application, cover letter and resume via email to jobs@crestedbutteco.gov. Position is open until filled. The Town of Crested Butte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
FRITO LAY IS HIRING for a route sales position in Gunnison,CO. Are you looking for a job that doesn’t require sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day? Here’s a fantastic opportunity: the starting salary is $63,000 with a $1,000 sign-on bonus. Work for a wellestablished company offering benefits that work as hard as you do, with industry-leading day one healthcare coverage, savings and investments to support different life stages and continued education opportunities. Visit fritolayemployment.com to apply today.
Western Colorado University is seeking workers interested in temporary aide positions for:
Structural Trades: $21-$22 per hour. Supports regular trades staff with repair and upkeep of physical structures on campus (painting, drywall, carpentry, minor door/window/ furniture repair, etc.)
Custodial: $15.75 per hour. Supports regular custodial staff with cleaning of campus buildings, facilities and public areas.
Temporary employment is limited to a work. Temporary aides pay applicable taxes and contribute to Colorado paid time off do not apply. AA/EOE. If interested, please call Human Resources at 970-943-2003 or email HR@western.edu.
To view the full job announcement(s) and apply, visit western.wd1.myworkdayjobs. com/western. AA/EOE
*Housing is held for Gunnison County employees and may be available for you to rent*
Maintenance Technician I
Facilities and Grounds: 40 hours/week, hourly rate range from $21.72-$26.40,
Senior Operations Accountant
Finance: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from $5,885-$7,924, plus full
Airport Operations Manager
Airport: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from $6,238-$8,194, plus full
Public Health Nurse II – Family Planning Coordinator
HHS: Part-time, 24 hours/week, hourly rate range from $32.03-$45.31, plus
IT Help Desk Technician
IT: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range
Planning Technician, Planner I, or Planner II
Community Development: Currently has one opening for a staff person in the planning department. The position
Technician, Planner I, or Planner II. All positions are full time, 40 hrs/week, plus depending on experience: Planning Technician - $4,440-$6,281. Planner I –$4,989-$7,057. Planner II –$5,552-$7,853.
See GWSD website for details gunnisonschools.net
Family Advocacy and Support Team (FAST) Coordinator
Juvenile Services: Part-time, 35 hours/ week, hourly rate range from $28.78-
Eligibility Technician
HHS: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from $3,764-$4,285, plus full
Summer Seasonal
Public Works: Guaranteed 40 hours/ week, hourly rate range from $15.75$22.28 depending on experience, plus
and brush removal, trail work, recycling, equipment training and much more, all in a 4-day work week.
Patrol Deputy Sheriff: Full-time, 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from
Detention Deputy Sheriff: Full-time, 40 hours/week, monthly salary range from work 14 days a month.
For more information, including complete job descriptions, please visit GunnisonCounty.org/jobs.
WONDERLAND NATURE SCHOOL is looking for a part-time finance director to help support our non-profit infant through pre-k nature-based school. The finance director will be responsible for overseeing the financial health of the school, including creating and managing the annual budget, grant writing, tracking and reporting, AR/ AP budget tracking, budget projections and reporting and fundraising. The ideal candidate has grant writing and nonprofit management experience and is able to work collaboratively with others. Wonderland is the only nature-based school in the valley and we’re looking for a finance director who is passionate about our mission to create a learning culture engendering social equity, ecological consciousness and critical thinking. Pay starting at $23/hr (DOE), plus benefits. Remote hours and flexible schedule. For a full job description, visit wonderlandnatureschool.org. To apply, send a resume and cover letter to board@ wonderlandnatureschool.org.
THE CRESTED BUTTE/MT. CRESTED BUTTE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE is seeking a membership coordinator is responsible for growing chamber memberships and for building sustainable relationships with, and accounting for, new and renewing memberships. This position is responsible for membership communications, growth, renewals and onboarding. Attention to detail is key.
3. Rather 4. Collected
5. A baglike structure in a plant or animal
6. Patella
7. Ageless
8. Lists of course requirements
9. Pokes at 13. TV network
14. They __ 17. Cooking hardware 18. U.S. Army title 20. Iron-containing compound 22. Swiss river (alt. spelling) 27. Former French coin 28. Electronic countermeasures
Knowledge of QuickBooks is preferred but not essential. This is a contractor position starting in August. Email cover letter and resume to director@cbchamber.com Please put ‘Membership Coordinator’ in the subject line. EOE. cbchamber.com.
CRESTED YETI PROPERTY MANAGEMENT is looking for a full-time facilities manager. Looking for someone with repair skills for light electrical, light plumbing, light automotive, appliance repair, minor remodeling. The person that can fix everything. Full-time year-round career opportunity. Retirement savings plan and paid fuel. The kind of job you can live on. Reach out to Hop@CrestedYeti.com.
PINNACLE ORTHOPEDICS is seeking a FT medical assistant to join our team. Duties include clinical documentation, x-rays, medical supply inventory management and casting/splinting. Good organization and computer skills while working in a fast-paced environment are important. Position is for both our Crested Butte and Gunnison offices. $20-$24/hr DOE. Please send resume to office@pinnacleorthocolorado.com.
CB MT. THEATRE seeks part-time artistic director (20h/wk). They will work with the executive director on CBMT’s theatrical season, oversee productions and coordinate with a volunteer cast and crew. Ideal for somebody detail-oriented, who enjoys
should be done 39. An informal body of friends
Intrinsic nature
Gunnison Watershed School District believes that students thrive when they are connected to something 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 opportunity in life. Our team is “Driven to be the Difference!”
HOURLY OPPORTUNITIES
Food Service-CBCS and GCS
Finance Assistant -CBSS
Achievement Center
Educational Assistants
ELL Educational AssistantCBCS
Special Education EACBSS and CBES -CBCS -CBCS
Lead Custodian-Lake School
Permanent Substitute-CBSS Bus Drivers Substitute Teachers
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
IT Professional-District -CBES -GES
Counselor-GES-(1 year only)
Counselor-CBES ELL Teacher-GMS
GHS -Head Volleyball Coach
GHS-Speech and Debate
CBCS-Head and Assistant Hockey Coach -7th grade
Head and Assistant Volleyball Coach -8th grade Assistant Volleyball Coach
Please contact:
JoAnn Klingsmith 800 N. Boulevard 970-641-7760
jklingsmith@gunnisonschools.net
Please contact:
JoAnn Klingsmith 800 N. Boulevard 970-641-7760
working with volunteers in a creative capacity. Email resume and cover letter to director@cbmountaintheatre.org.
ALL POSITIONS OPEN: Looking for front desk, housekeeping and maintenance. Come in for an application at 411 E. Tomichi Ave. Immediate hire. $250 gift card after three months of employment.
DIAMOND BLUE POOL AND SPA is hiring a part-time maintenance technician. 25 hours a week, year-round. We are flexible, benefits included and a vehicle to drive for work included. Come be a part of a great team. $20-$24 per hour depending on experience, however, no experience is needed. We will train. Please send resume or inquiry to mark@diamondbluespa.com Store is located in CB.
ROAD MANAGER/HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR - CB SOUTH METRO
DISTRICT: This position would be responsible for planning, organizing and directing all activities and staff related to the district’s roads and maintenance. Duties include road maintenance, snow removal, drinking water operations, wastewater operations and other day-to-day tasks of running a utility. This job requires the applicant to have heavy equipment experience. Motor grader and loader specifically. Applicants must be 18 years of age and have a valid Colorado driver’s license. The successful applicant is eligible to receive an elite benefit package. Full job description, requirements, pay ranges and benefits are available on the district’s website at cbsouthmetro.net. Email resume to info@cbsouthmetro.net or drop off at 280 Cement Creek Road.
CAREER OPPORTUNITY: Gunnison Savings and Loan Association is seeking applications from qualified individuals with strong customer service skills looking for a career in banking. The position includes performing teller functions and assisting in the loan department. The successful applicant will demonstrate a strong work ethic, attention to detail and an enthusiastic, positive attitude. Benefits include an enjoyable and friendly work environment, employer-assisted health insurance, monthly health savings account contribution, 401-K retirement plan, paid vacation and sick leave. Starting salary will depend on qualifications and experience. Please submit a letter of application and resume with references to Janice English, Sr. Vice President, 303 North Main, Gunnison, CO 81230, jenglish@gunnisonsl.com or 970642-4642. Equal Opportunity Employer.
CRESTED BUTTE BURGER COMPANY is hiring the following positions: cooks and cashiers - flexible schedule available, starting pay $16-$18/hr. + gratuity. Assistant manager - full-time seasonal, starting pay $18-$20/hr. + gratuity, pay DOE. For more information or to submit a resume, please email crestedbutteburgerco@gmail.com.
AUCTION OF CONTENTS OF STORAGE
UNIT: Size 20’ x 9’ x 9’. All contents must be taken by winning bid. Starting bid $400. 700 Silver St., Lake City, CO 81235. Aug. 5 at 10:30 a.m. Cash only. 970-216-4509.
STORAGE UNIT SALE: New merchandise added weekly. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. 108 S. 11th, alley side.
JACK’S CABIN ANTIQUES AND SUCH has returned with a new cargo load of antique dressers, desks, cabinets, end tables, lighting and much more. Stop by this weekend and be amazed. Find the coolest collection of unique home essentials. We always offer a large selection of eclectic “rust” for your artistic needs. Aug. 4-7, 10 a.m.5 p.m, 15624 N. State Hwy. 135, Almont. Yellow house at the Jack’s Cabin Cutoff.
58. Swiss river63. Body part 66. Thus 68. In reply (abbr.)51. Soluble ribonucleic acid
block (abbr.)
Southwest Scotland town
Viscous
Put to work
Old world, new
CROSSWORD
ANSWERS FOR PREVIOUS WEEK
53. Egyptian bull-god 54. Children’s author Blyton 55. Baseball pitching stat 57. Rude young person 58. Table napkin 59. Monetary unit in Asia
SPALLONE CONSTRUCTION has immediate openings for dump truck drivers in the Gunnison, Crested Butte area. Experience of 3-5 years required. Must be able to assist laborer performing physical tasks involved in construction activities. Must have a valid drivers license, references required. $25-$38 depending on experience, benefits available after one year of employment. Please submit resume to: office@spalloneconstruction.com.
HOME FOR SALE: 1700 sq. ft. 2020 build. Very accessible single story home in great west Gunnison location. For further details enter 600 Carbon Court, Gunnison, Colorado into Zillow search and/or contact terravistalimited@gmail.com, 970-497-9113.
COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT: This 1,000 sq. ft. space is located on Main St. with plenty of parking and storage. Please call Michelle at 970-641-0895 or email ceogcar1@gmail.com.
BIBLE BELIEVING WIDOWER is moving back home to Gunnison County hoping to exchange his real estate experience to manage your home or apartments in exchange for free rent. Excellent credit, local and national references. Non-smoker/vaper, no pets, blessed with excellent physical, spiritual, emotional and mental health, calm caring spirit. Call or text Gary Pearson 719980-2490.
PRIME OFFICE SPACE on Main St. Five private offices. Client waiting/conference room, reception desk, 12 paved parking spaces. Call or text 970-596-9999 for more info.
RETAIL/OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE at the Gunnison Meadows Mall next to City Market, +/-1,500 sqft available. For more information and pricing visit GunnisonMeadows.com or call Jordon Ringel at 817-733-6947.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR SCHOOL
DIRECTORS
Gunnison Watershed School District
Gunnison County, Colorado
The Gunnison Watershed School District in the County of Gunnison, State of Colorado, calls for nomination of candidates for school directors to be placed on the ballot for the regular biennial school election to be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
At this election, three directors will be elected. Representing South of Round Mountain for a term of office of four years. To be qualified, a candidate must have been a registered elector of the school district for at least 12 consecutive months before the election. A person is ineligible to run for school director if he or she has been convicted of committing a sexual offense against a child.
A person who desires to be a candidate for school director shall file a written notice of intention to be a candidate and a nomination petition signed by at least 50 eligible electors who are registered to vote in the regular biennial school election.
Nomination petitions may be obtained from JoAnn Klingsmith, Designated Election Official at Lake School, 800 North Boulevard, Gunnison, CO . Office hours are 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Completed petitions shall be submitted to JoAnn Klingsmith no later than 3:30 p.m. on September 1, 2023.
Gunnison Country Times
Gunnison, Colorado
Publication dates of Aug. 3, 10, 2023
10173
NOTICE OF LAND USE CHANGE PERMIT
APPROVALS
CREATING A VESTED RIGHT
GUNNISON COUNTY, COLORADO
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that Gunnison County has approved the following Land
Use Change permits with site-specific development plans(s) within unincorporated Gunnison County, which creates a threeyear vested property right pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes, Article 68 of Title 24 C.R.S., as amended.
A “vested property right” gives the following applicant(s) the right to undertake the development subject to the condition(s) of approval of the site-specific development plan(s).
LUC-23-00013 – Zach Springer Extension of Snow Plowing to provide year-round access to an existing residence, 1 acre in the SW1/4, NW1/4 in Section 19, Township 15 South, Range 84 West, Prime Meridian.
LUC-18-00006 – Salisbury Subdivision one lot subdivision legally described as NE1/4
SE1/4SE1/4 Section 22, Range 51 North, Range 1 East, NMPM and a portion of the Three Rivers Subdivision Remainder Tract.
/s/ Rachel Sabbato
Land Use Planner Gunnison County Community Development Department
Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado
Publication date of Aug. 3, 2023
10169
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of John Steven Hoskins a/k/a Steve Hoskins, Deceased
Case Number 2023PR30026
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the District Court of Gunnison County, Colorado on or before November 20, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.
Schumacher & O’Loughlin, LLC
Chris Mochulsky, Atty. Reg. # 52629
232 W. Tomichi Ave., Ste. 204 Gunnison, CO 81230
Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado
Publication dates of July 20, 27, Aug. 3, 2023
9939
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Carra Jean Austin a/k/a Carra Austin a/k/a Carra J. Austin, Deceased
Case Number 2023PR30019
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the District Court of Gunnison County, Colorado on or before November 20, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.
Schumacher & O’Loughlin, LLC
Chris Mochulsky, Atty. Reg. # 52629
232 W. Tomichi Ave., Ste. 204 Gunnison, CO 81230
Gunnison Country Times
Gunnison, Colorado
Publication dates of July 20, 27, Aug. 3. 2023
9938
Request For Proposal (RFP) Trash and Rubbish Removal Saguache County is looking for a contractor for the removal of and disposal of trash, rubbish, debris and assorted waste materials from land located in Saguache County. This shall include, but not be limited to, the removal and disposal of trailers, building materials, trash, debris, asbestos and various materials that require removal. This position shall be on call or as needed. Bids should include, but not be limited to, hourly rates, and the rate for special material removal that may not be allowed for disposal in a land fill or conventional waste facility. For questions, please email Amber Wilson at atorrez@saguachecounty-co.gov or call 719-655-2231. Proposal may be emailed, mailed or hand delivered. Email RFP to atorrez@ saguachecounty-co.gov, mail to PO Box 326, Saguache, CO 81149 or hand deliver to 505 3rd Street, Saguache, CO. Proposals must be received by 3pm on Thursday, August 31, 2023.
Gunnison Country Times
Gunnison, Colorado
Publication dates of July 27, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 2023
10037
To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 91 Colorado newspapers for only $300, contact your local newspaper or Colorado Press Association Network at
ORDINANCE
ORDINANCE NO. 12, SERIES 2023:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GUNNISON, COLORADO, ESTABLISHING A PROCESS
TO ADDRESS FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICE ACT COMPLAINTS
A full copy of the ordinance can be found on the City of Gunnison’s website at gunnisonco.gov in the city council e-packet information or at the city clerk’s office in City Hall, 201 West Virginia Avenue in Gunnison or by calling 970-641-8140.
Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado
Publication date of Aug. 3, 2023
10125
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Gunnison County is seeking a qualified, experienced and creative firm to provide consulting, public engagement and deliverables for a Safety Action Plan along the State Highway 135 corridor from Gunnison to Crested Butte. Official Request for Proposal (RFP) documents can be found on the Gunnison County website: gunnisoncounty.org or call 970-641-0044.
Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado
Publication dates of Aug. 3, 10, 2023 10165
JULY 24
ACCIDENT — 100 S. 11TH ST.
HARASSMENT: COMMUNICA-
TIONS — S. 12TH ST.
AGENCY ASSIST — W. 16TH AVE.
VIOLATION OF PROTECTION
ORDER: CRIMINAL ORDER — 200
E. VIRGINIA AVE.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF - DAMAGE
TO PROPERTY — 777 E. GEORGIA
AVE.
FRAUD — 1198 N. MAIN ST.
BURGLARY: FIRST DEGREE — S.
WISCONSIN ST.
JULY 25
INFORMATION — 880 N. MAIN ST.
WARRANT SERVICE - OTHER JU-
RISDICTION — 900 N. MAIN ST.
CRIMINAL TRESPASS: THIRD DE-
GREE — 214 S. 10TH ST.
FRAUD BY CHECK: INSUFFICIENT
FUNDS — 600 N. COLORADO ST.
FIRE INVESTIGATION — S. 11TH
ST.
PROPERTY - FOUND — 201 W.
VIRGINIA AVE.
CRIMINAL TRESPASS: FIRST
DEGREE - RESIDENCE — 700 W.
BIDWELL AVE.
JULY 26
ACCIDENT - HIT AND RUN — 300
N. TELLER ST. INFORMATION — 8 N. COLORADO
ST.
ACCIDENT — 319 N. MAIN ST.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — 6 W.
TOMICHI AVE.
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
- ALCOHOL — 800 E. TOMICHI
AVE.
ACCIDENT - HIT AND RUN — 100
N. LOVELAND ST.
PROPERTY - FOUND — 710 N.
MAIN ST.
UN-SECURE PREMISES — N.
MAIN ST.
JULY 27
HARASSMENT: COMMUNICA-
TIONS — N. 12TH ST.
JULY 28
THEFT: INTENDS TO PERMA-
NENTLY DEPRIVE — 1125 N. MAIN
ST.
ANIMAL - RUNNING AT LARGE -
MUNICIPAL — 300 S. 2ND ST.
JULY 29
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE: UN-
LAWFUL POSSESSION - EXCEPT
FIRST
MARIJUANA — W. NEW YORK
AVE.
TRAFFIC - DUS — REED ST.
MENACING: USE OF A WEAPON — REED ST.
JULY 30
DISTURBING THE PEACE — 310
JOSEPH LN.
ADMIN - UNASSIGNED INCIDENT
— CR 730
PROPERTY - FOUND — W. NEW YORK AVE.
INFORMATION — W. HWY. 50 ACCIDENT — REED ST.
CRIMINAL TRESPASS: THIRD DEGREE — 229 N. MAIN ST.
JULY 25
-Dispute
-Lost or stolen license plate
-Paper service
JULY 26
-Wildland fire started on Forest Service land up County Road 730
-Family dispute
-VIN check
-Reckless road rage near Taylor Park Trading Post
-Welfare check
-Agency assist to the National Park Rangers for a welfare check on a boater’s dog
AUGUST 4TH from 4-8PM
4-5PM
MetaSpace Studio and Gallery 901 W. Tomichi Ave. Unit One: Come have a peek at Priscilla Swanson’s creative space, MetaSpace Studio. Priscilla is a lifelong dabbler in many media. Currently, she is showing work created in watercolor, acrylic and mixed media. Join her this Friday August 4 @ 4pm for a
Gunnison Art Center 102 S. Main St.: With “Out West” by Kim Nesbit, Matthew Thornburg, and Doug Tredway in the Main Gallery and “The Granddaddy of Colorado Rodeos” by Jacob Speltzer, Mackenzie Bode, and Bella Biondini in the Cafe Gallery, the ranching culture of the Gunnison Valley is fully celebrated. Upstairs, Karolina Szumilas will exhibit her mixed media show, entitled “The Places I’ve Been.” Stop by for art, cocktails, live music, and snacks.
Gunnison Gallery 124 N. Main St.: Featuring “Moments: A Brief but Influential Piece of Time that has Long Lasting Impact” photography by DAVE KOZLOWSKI. Also enjoy Courtyard Reclaimed Garden/Yard Art created by CODIE ALJETS, face painting by PATRICIA and Live Piano Music by JODY COLEMAN for a Fun Evening!
Rocky Mountain Frames & Trophies 228 N. Main St.: Rocky Mountain Frames and Trophies Featuring 15 local artists including Bill Folowell oil paintings, Ivana Crone Wild Mustang photography, Sharon Mendonca, pressed wildflowers. Music by Ron Kibler and The Old Pickers String Band.
JULY 27
-Harassment: found to be in Delta County
-Information report on an abandoned campsite
-VIN check
-Out-of-county warrant arrest
-Smoke reported in Delta County: believed to be from our Lowline
Fire
-Arrest for criminal mischief: breaking boat windows in a local restaurant’s parking lot
JULY 28
-Welfare check
-Criminal impersonation/fraud report
-Possible child abuse reported on a hiking trail
-Menacing report under investigation
-Citizen assist
-Information report
-Harassment report
JULY 29
-Agency assist to Pitkin County
Sheriff’s Office with a search and rescue
-Criminal impersonation report
-Welfare check
-OHV accident with injuries near Taylor Park Trading Post
-Information report
-Evacuation questions for 727
JULY 30
-Civil standby
-Agency assist to the NPR with males jumping off the bridge at Blue Mesa
-Agency assist to the Gunnison Police Department with a possible domestic in progress
-Information: OHV crash
-Civil question on employer agreement
-Agency assist to the Federal Aviation Administration with getting a message to the pilot of a plane landing in Gunnison County
JULY 31
-Agency assist to the GPD with an alarm call at Wells Fargo Bank - unfounded
-OHV accident with injuries
-Harassment in the north part of Gunnison County - under investigation
-Disorderly conduct/indecent exposure: north part of the countyunder investigation
-Agency assist to the GPD with a child welfare check and possible domestic in progress
-Information report: possible aerial fireworks, possible lightning
-Information report on possible suicidal subject headed to this area.
Peace Hero Museum 235 N. Main St.: PEACE EDUCATION THROUGH THE LIVES OF PEACE HEROS
Gunnison Pizza Company 303 E. Tomichi: This legend was the 1st ever live music performer at GPC last summer:“I used to play some a comfortable setting.”
High Alpine Brewery Company • 111 N. Main Mario’s Pizza & Pasta • 213 W. Tomichi
Dive Pub • 213 W. Tomichi
On Friday, July 21, the Gunnison County Public Library hosted Pint Size Polkas by Mike Schneider on the patio. Schneider played his accordion for an audience of all ages and had everyone up on their feet for songs like the “Chicken Dance.”
The Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley held a benefit concert at the I Bar Ranch on Saturday, July 29. The performance featured live music from the Austin-based band, Asleep at the Wheel.
On North Main Street, a multi-year dream in the making came to life this weekend. A neon pink and blue food truck, painted with bold letters, and facetiously called Vegan AF, began serving its animal-free menu. The pop-up restaurant will be open every weekend outside Kooler Garage Doors on Main from 3-7 p.m. For founders Mollie and Anthony Contreras, it is the culmination of years of learning and a passion for plant based foods.
“We’re dreamers, and we’re doers,” Mollie said. “We started by cooking vegan dishes at home. Even though we had no
experience, no background and no idea what we were doing — we decided to take the risk and start a vegan food truck.”
Even before the food truck spark was lit, the Contreras’ pursued their dream of traveling in a remodeled school bus.
They purchased a 16-year-old bus from Aurora Public Schools in 2018. The couple spent months refurbishing the vehicle, adding a bathroom, living room and bedroom for their newborn daughter. Anthony and Mollie intended to tour the lower-48 states in their adventure mobile. However, the birth of a baby boy encouraged them to stay in western Colorado and ultimately sell the bus.
Raising children in a vegan
school bus home led to creative meal choices. The Contreras’ began experimenting with portobello mushrooms and soy curls to craft “comfort food,” like vegan Philly cheese steaks, chili bowls and loaded fries. It wasn’t long before the food truck dream roared to life.
Mollie said her passion for learning drove the project from a dream into reality.
“As a family, we’re not happy unless we’re constantly learning,” she said. “Learning is a part of our nature, it’s something we’re hungry to pursue.
Throughout the entire process we received mentorship from Kyleena Falzone, who owns Secret Stash and Bonez, and Logan Uhlenhake, the Crested Butte hot dog guy.”
Last weekend, the couple
officially opened for business in Gunnison. They celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony and welcomed a line of parked cars and customers eager to explore the unique style of food.
Mollie said they use creative dishes to bridge the gap between carnivores and vegans.
“I know a lot of families are intimidated by strict vegan food, like half a head of iceberg
The Colorado Geological Survey (CGS), a department of the Colorado School of Mines, has been funded through a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) to conduct a 5-year study of baseline radionuclides and metals in groundwater obtained from privately owned residential water wells throughout Colorado. CDPHE’s reason for this study is education focused for homeowners on wells. Note: CDPHE has no regulatory authority over private wells. The grant is covering the costs so is free to home owners.
For this effort, 50 water samples are currently available for Gunnison County. These were divided up in a grid, with each grid space containing 1 or 2 proposed water samples. If the number of volunteers in a given grid space exceeds the quota, the CGS will prioritizing selection of participants by spatial distribution combined with geologic considerations, and secondarily a first come, first-served basis.
For this effort we are seeking volunteers to whom we will ship, via FedEx Ground, a boxed sampling kit that contains sample bottle, instructions, a sample form to complete, and a pre-paid FedEx Ground return shipping label. Once we receive a water sample, we will assign a sample number to anonymize it. Thus, the owner’s contact information will stay solely with CGS. We anticipate at least 2 or maybe 3 month turn-around times before we can email lab results to the individual well owners.
Volunteers, please send an email to LSEBOL@mines.edu with your name, shipping address, (physical address of property if different) and phone number (FedEx requires phone numbers for shipping). A reply email will be sent with more detailed information. If possible, please also identify which grid space the well is located within (grids are shown on our county grid map).
lettuce — rabbit food,” she said. “So we’re hoping to bring them in with our comfort food menu.”
The Contreras’ won the vegetarian category at the Crested Butte Chili Festival with a selftitled “Meatier than your mom’s boyfriend,” vegan chili. Today, they believe their approachable dishes will amaze visitors and open the door to plant-based meals. Mollie is also driven to provide an example to her kids and bring a new flavor to the local community.
“It is important for me to show kids that you love something — you can accomplish something and show them how to be creative,” she said. “Anthony and I quote a line from a TV show that says ‘Victory is its own reward,’ and that is really true for our pas-
sion. We just love people and serving them.”
After one week in business, the Contreras’ are confident they will make an impression in Gunnison. They hope to cater to the vegetarian and vegan populations, while also introducing their diet to carnivorous folk. Mollie offers a single statement to those hesitant on plant-based meals.
“We love you meat-eaters, now let’s blow each other’s minds,” she said.
can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)
(Alex McCrindle
The Contreras’ renovated school bus. (Courtesy Mollie Contreras)
Mollie and Anthony stand in front of their food truck.
Bruce ‘Barometer’ Bartleson Special to the Times
Calculations from the World Meteorological Organization suggest that July was the hottest month on record, with heat records broken around the world,” according to a recent climate article from FiveThirtyEight. “Phoenix, Arizona, recorded 31 days in a row of temperatures over 110 degrees, and Sanbao, China, in a provisional reading, may have recorded the country’s alltime hottest temperature of 126 degrees.
Was it also the hottest July on record in the Gunnison Country? Long-term readers of this column will not be surprised to learn that the answer is an emphatic no! Data from our official weather station at the Gunnison County Electric Association site west of town shows our average high temperature was 83.1 degrees (the local record is 85.7, set in 1954), the average low temperature was 43.4 degrees (the record is 48.5, set in 2006) and the aver-
age temperature was 63.2 (the record is 65.56, set in 2021).
Long term records show that the average high temperature is 80.7 degrees, the average low temperature is 42.86 and the average temperature is 61.8 for July.
Consider ourselves lucky — Grand Junction showed an average high temperature of 99.3 (they had a high of 107), and their average temperature was 83.3, about the same as our average high temperature. Every day in July there was over 90 degrees, and they had 12 days in triple digits.
Now for the bad news — we only had .09” of rain in what is typically one of our rainiest
months. The long term average for July is 1.44” of rain. The long delayed monsoon season is, so far, a flop. We’ve seen clouds (and smoke from the Lowline Fire near Mill Creek), lightning and wind, but very little moisture. Monsoon season finally started in Arizona few days ago, but apparently, the monsoonal moisture is fizzling out before it gets here. All of southwest Colorado is dry.
(Bruce Bartleson is a retired Western Colorado University geology professor who now spends his time tracking the Gunnison Valley’s weather.)
-Joe Schultheis
Kit Corbin is a “cow-puncher” and gunslinger who stumbles into a brood of outlaws and a quest for a lost silver mine. Throughout his journey across the American Wild West, he reunites with his past lover, Frenchie L’Amour and discovers the truth of notorious bandit Nate Ruby.
“Kit Corbin and the Lost Mine of Potrero Springs” is a radio play produced in collaboration between the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre and KBUT Radio Station. It is hosted at the Mallardi Cabaret Stage at the Paragon Gallery on Aug.3, 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. Recommended for the whole family, the talented cast of vocalists put on a good ol’ fashioned western,
filled with saloon brawls and treasure hunts.
The performance relies on audience participation to generate crowd noise and brawling commotion — so be prepared to bring your most creative whoops and hollers. Alongside the seven person cast is a sound effect specialist, who uses baseball mitts and whiskey bottles to transport the viewer back in time.
Throughout the hour-long performance, the Mallardi stage is transformed into a bustling stagecoach, a rowdy cowboy tavern and a coyote-howling frontier. Each chapter of the
play is introduced with a guitar sing-a-long that is sure to be hummed for the remainder of the evening.
At the end of the week, KBUT will compile the best moments from the play’s performances into one radio show that will be played live on air. Stay tuned for the final product, or swing by the Mallardi Cabaret Stage to support local theater and reconnect with the West’s wild history.
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)
When Sophie Hoffman began her barrel racing career, one of her mentors said the barrel racing girls dress in vibrant colors because people are paying to see a show. With this advice in mind, Hoffman found enjoyment in switching up her outfits, from purple to pink to tie dye, and buying matching equipment for her horse, otherwise known as horse tack.
“One of my biggest things is I go out there and perform to let everyone I love and care about what I do,” Hoffman said. “And I like putting on a show.”
After some time buying horse tack, Hoffman said she realized she could make it herself. She bought paracord and taught herself how to braid with the help of books and YouTube videos. The more she made her own horse tack, the more the other racers would compliment the gear. This was the beginning of Painted Pony Tack Shack, a business that Hoffman started the year before she finished high school in 2016.
What started as an occasional sale on Facebook Marketplace transformed into a full-time job with an Etsy store and a website. Hoffman sells horse tack, dog collars and leashes, reins and over-unders, which are specialized whips for barrel racing. She has also held booths at horse sales and rodeo events.
Hoffman was inspired to start her business because of her
Heave Ho! Ship Ahoy! Anchors Aweigh! It’s likely that only the folk who’ve been around our valley for a few decades will remember our legendary “Gunnison Navy”, a fun-loving group of hearty fisherman devoted “to resist any and all invasions by the voracious horde of Rocky Mountain rainbow trout which infest the waters of our fair naval base.”
With its roots in the 1930’s, members of the Gunnison Navy officially adopted bylaws, rules, and regulations in 1941, and it didn’t take long for their fame to grow, and they became a wonderful booster of our valley, even attracting Warner Brothers and esteemed director Andre de la Varre to produce a short film that was shown as a morale builder to soldiers serving in World War II.
would often be greeted at our airport by nattily dressed “Waves”, and an admiral or two. These “admirals” included local bank presidents, doctors, filling station attendants and everyone in between. Once aboard a kayak, canoe or raft, the visitors would become “Rear Admirals” if they got their fannies soaked, “Vice Admirals” if all they did was ogle the pretty girls along the bank and sneak an occasional nip, or an “Elastic Commodore” if they rode the river in one of those rubber boats. “Holding the rank of Elastic Commodore is something to be kept from your friends and relatives much the same as you would not cheerfully admit you had a brother with two heads.”
long-time love for barrel racing.
When Hoffman was 9 years old, she started racing on a Shetland pony her sister raised. Although she said she did not do well, the priority was to keep showing up and have fun.
“I don’t even think my feet reached the stirrups when I started,” Hoffman said.
When she turned 13 years old, Hoffman started riding her first “big horse” named Sioux — a black and white paint mare.
Within two years of racing together, Sioux and Hoffman won their first First Division Championship. Soon, they were winning buckles and saddles together. In 2015, Hoffman said she became the youngest person to win the Watershed Championships in Gunnison.
“When you go out there and barrel race, a lot of people think you’re just sitting on a horse and it’s so much more than that,” Hoffman said. “I’m trusting them to run 30 miles an hour at a metal barrel and turn and hope that they don’t kill me.”
Now, Hoffman rides on
Nala, a gray mare she started training when she was 15 years old. Together, they won another First Division Championship. This winter, they traveled to Las Vegas to compete and ended up winning a $13,000 check, all while ensuring Painted Pony Tack Shack stayed on top of orders.
“It's cool to see it go from that little girl that won the fifth place ribbon and was ecstatic about it to standing with a big giant check.”
In the future, along with competing in barrel races, Hoffman hopes to expand her business by incorporating leatherwork and working with companies that could help her produce items such as equine boots and hay bags.
“Money and everything like that aside, I just really like seeing people sport my brand and do the same thing I do … match their horses and put on a show for everyone.”
(Abby Fostveit can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or intern@ gunnisontimes.com
As a result of this publicity, the Navy began to see more and more groups and VIP’s arriving to fish our trout filled waters, including Bob Hope, President Eisenhower, Ben Hogan, and newspaper critics from around the country. Commissions as the only Six Star Admirals in existence were awarded to those hearty souls who ventured down the river with the Navy and they were sworn to “carry the word to other loyal Americans, warning them of the dangers that exist here in Gunnison, describing the voracious, rampaging, well-muscled trout in the Gunnison River; telling them of your patriotic efforts to repel them, and enlisting their aid in future campaigns.”
Upon their arrival aboard Monarch Airlines, VIP guests
But all was not fun and rosy for the Gunnison Navy, as ranchers and resort owners along the river were not as enamored with them as the visitors were and a number of legal actions took place that led to the designation of the Gunnison as a navigable stream and the waters therein as public waters. And with the Curecanti Project and creation of Blue Mesa Reservoir submerging much of their fertile fishing grounds, the Navy gradually sank into history.
The Gunnison Navy left us a legacy that lives on today upstairs in our Red Dairy Barn with a number of kayaks, paddles, lifejackets, and photos on display. And a gold embossed certificate with, “This Guy was Skunked on the Gunnison” on top, and the name of our beloved Captain Gunnison’s grandson, Colonel Justin Gunnison, written on it, resides in a file next to the iconic Gunnison Navy boat stencil in the museum office. “Bos’n, pipe the new Admiral aboard, and we’ll shove off.” Until next week!
MUSEUM OPEN DAILY 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.
FROM MAY 15 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30.
Admission $15 ages 13+, $5 for ages 6-12, Free for 5 and under. Follow us on Facebook for current information and amazing local history!
As a thank you to U.S. military members, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is offering active duty military, veterans and the National Guard free admission to all state parks for the month of August. Find more information at cpw.state.co.us.
American Legion fundraiser
American Legion Post 54 needs help to renovate its restrooms to be ADA compliant so all veterans and community members can use their facilities. You can read more and donate at gofund.me/1e53f21c or call Mark at 970.901.8400.
Landon Ruggera is a 2022 Gunnison High School grad who is aiming to participate in the Paralympics. Ruggera is currently training with the USA Paralympic Shooting Futures Team. You can find out more information on page
B7 of the July 20 edition of the Gunnison Country Times Landon needs a lot of money to continue to compete at such a high level. If you're interested in helping, contribute here: gofund.me/264f64fb.
Fire officials appreciate the support and generosity shown to our firefighters by the community. If you wish to donate in a way that helps both local families affected by the fire and the firefighters, please consider donating to the Gunnison Food Pantry or to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a nonprofit group that provides support to injured and fallen firefighters and their families, at wffoundation.org.
The Gunnison High School Marching Band will hold a car wash fundraiser on August 11 from 1-4:30 p.m. at Powerstop at 905 N. Main St. Come support the band and get your
The Missoula Children's Theatre is back with an original adaptation of “The Secret Garden.”
All children ages 6-18 are welcome to register and audi-
tion for this production. No experience is necessary. Auditions begin at 10 a.m. on Aug. 7 at Gunnison High School for those who have registered.
Rehearsals will be Aug. 7-11 at GHS from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Performances will be at GHS on August 12 at 1 and 3 p.m.
On Thursdays through Aug. 10, a local watercolor artist will guide you (and your wine) through a watercolor painting from start to finish, giving instruction on setting up to paint, wash and watercolor painting techniques, composition and more. Absolutely no experience is necessary. The cost is $25 per class.
Catch a very special performance of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” in the CB Center’s Steddy Theater on Aug. 3 at 7 p.m., performed by local and visiting musicians and singers. Ticket prices range from $35-$65 and may be found at crestedbuttearts.org.
Join the CB Center for a special immersion in the timeless genius of Mozart, performed by local and visiting musicians and singers, on Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. Ticket prices range from $45-$65 and may be found at crestedbuttearts.org.
Monday concert series
The Alpenglow Summer Concert Series runs Monday evenings from June 19-Aug. 14 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Crested Butte. Enjoy free live music with beautiful Crested Butte Mountain and stunning Paradise Divide as the backdrop.
car or truck clean at the same time. The cost is by donation.
The Crested Butte Mountain Runners are holding a run on Middle Cement and Waterfall Cutoff Trails on Aug 5 at 8:30 a.m. Meet at the parking area just before the Cement Creek Campground. For trail maps and further information please visit cbmountainrunners.org
On Aug. 5, from 9-11 a.m. at the American Legion Post in American Legion Memorial Park, all veterans and their families or friends are welcome. Stop on by for a homecooked breakfast provided by the American Legion Auxiliary. See inside our 95-year-old log building, which has served as the Legion Post since 1928.
mugs: $10
Hats: $20
MCT’s visit is sponsored by the Gunnison Arts Center. Please call Julia Wilson at 970.275.8863 for more information and to register. Register soon, as space is limited.
Tuesday concert series
Join us every other Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. for free live music in the Feldberg East Courtyard lounge at the Center for the Arts in Crested Butte. From classical to jazz and bluegrass, enjoy intimate live performances over cocktails from the Black Dragon Bar.
T-SHIRTS: $20
Hoodies: $40
Money is just an exchange of value
Boyd Pederson Special to the Times
Our money maturity is like the baseball season. There is a preseason, regular season and postseason.
The preseason is when our parents get us. In preseason, the coaches are trying to figure out what talent they have, who is going to make the team and what group of players will bring the best results in the regular season. Parents (coaches) help kids find their strengths, make choices about their education and — whether consciously or unconsciously — we teach them what money thoughts and behaviors are going to “make the team” as they graduate into the regular season of life and work (also known as “adulting”).
Around Father’s Day, I thought about the money wisdom I heard from my dad. “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
“Don’t spend money you don’t have.”
“Don’t take on debt.”
As kids grow up, their relationship to and understanding of money develops differently, based largely on these early parental instructions.
My kids are now in high school and college. We tried to teach them some key lessons in preparation for their regular season of life, when they will need to provide for themselves and adopt their own positive money habits. Here are a few:
Biking the bills
Stuff costs money. Before everything was on electronic payment or bill pay, we paid a lot of bills by check. Living in Gunnison, we could hop on our bikes and pay most of them. Periodically, on our family bike ride, we would bike the bills around town. It was a great time to explain the cost of things to the kids. The city bill for $100 per month was to keep the lights on at the house. The gas bill kept the house warm — it’s cheaper in the summer and higher in the winter. We paid the insurance bill in case of a car accident. Their eyes would bug out of their heads at some of the numbers, but when they wanted $5 or $10 at the grocery store, they had a concept or context for the cost of things.
Money is exchanged for work or a service or product provided. For kids, that is usually limited to going to work to get a check. Our kids each started young with a paper route for the Gunnison Country Shopper. We supported them — even drove them around a lot of the time. From the paper route, they’ve all moved on to restaurant, grocery, retail positions and have all learned greatly about people and themselves in the process.
Contribute
We didn’t give allowances to our kids. They had work around the house that they had to do as members of our family and household, but there was no payment for that (nor for us as parents.) I asked my parents for a $5 dollar per month allowance when I was a kid. I got $4. It was such a pain that I looked for lawn mowing jobs from neighbors. I still did those chores, but I learned it was easier to work for neighbors than my parents. Funny, as a parent, I still feel the same way. My kids do, too.
Goals and choices
My kids’ phones are nicer than mine. The phrase “champagne tastes on a beer budget” comes to mind. But when they asked for a phone, we counted the cost with them. Phones are several hundred bucks and have a monthly ongoing cost to consider. Because they learned to work and save, they bought them with their own money (because they got sick of waiting for us.) We underwent the same process with college when our first child told us he wanted to go to Hawaii. A simple spreadsheet on the cost of his options and how he would cover the cost gap between expenses and scholarship greatly influenced his future thinking and decisions about what would be the best value.
The regular season of adulting probably hits all of us faster than we’d like. The attitudes and habits that we develop young greatly impact our regular season (work years) performance and may determine whether we are playing or watching in the postseason of retirement.
(Boyd and his wife, Sharalee, share a passion for financial literacy, and have been blessed to raise 3 children in the Gunnison Valley over the last two decades.)
to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new station for GVH Paramedics! Find out more about the community benefits of a new station and meet GVH paramedics, staff and board members of secondssavelives.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Hosted by Gunnison Valley Health Foundation 1200 North Colorado Street, Gunnison
Ice cream by Spenny’s serving complimentary Third Bowl Handmade Ice Cream. Touch a Truck event - kids can learn about and explore construction vehicles and an ambulance. Sit in the driver’s seat, honk the horn and run the siren! For
The Gunnison men’s adult softball league concluded with a battle between two titans: Blackstock Bistro and the Gunnison Pizza Company “Pie Slammers” at Jorgensen Park on July 31. Blackstock shocked its opponent with back-to-back victories on Monday evening to claim the 2023 championship, winning the final game 22-20.
Due to the double elimination format of the playoffs, the championship was played as a doubleheader. In the first matchup, the impassioned Blackstock team won 24-8 to force an additional game. It all came down to the final latenight clash, starting at 9:30 p.m. In the final game, the Slammers immediately shot a towering, three-run homer
to left field — sending a distinct message to the confident Bistro dugout. On defense, the Slammers looked impassable.
The infielders flashed leather, throwing runners out at first and cutting innings short. At the end of the second, the score stood 8-3 for the Pie Slammers.
The Bistro Boys rattled the outfield fence in the third, creeping back 8-6 — within reach of a potential comeback. However, just as the score grew closer, the Slammers sent a colossal, three-run homer into Pac Man Pond, stretching the lead 11-6.
In the fourth, a crucial double-play from the Bistro held the Slammers to zero. Western Colorado University business professor Kevin Nelson demonstrated his acute baserunning by sliding into third as the Bistro rallied. At the end of the inning, Blackstock recaptured the lead, 13-11.
Blackstock’s offense turned on in the seventh and took a commanding lead. A massive rally in the top of the seventh extended the score 22-16, forc-
ing the Slammers to drive home six runs to tie in the last inning.
Gunnison Pizza hit a three-run homer in the top of the seventh. It proved not
Gunnison Stingrays swimmers Julien Klingsmith and Russell Meeuwsen shed minutes off their best times at the 2023 Long Course Championship in Grand Junction over the weekend. The meet hosted the top 11through 14-year-old swimmers in Colorado extending from July 28-30. Head Coach Tami Maciejko said the event showcased an elite level of swimming and helped the Gunnison
athletes improve their top times.
“The big meets are an invaluable experience,” she said. “Our kids see how fast the others are swimming, they begin to think, ‘How fast can I go?’ I’m so happy with how we swam and collectively dropped a ton of time.”
Over the course of the threeday competition, Klingsmith and Meeuwsen competed in freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and IM events. Both swimmers smashed personal records.
Meeuwsen dropped 17 seconds in the 200-IM and 19 seconds in the 100-breaststroke.
Klingsmith finished 23rd overall in the 100-breaststroke, taking 5 seconds off on the event and qualifying for the second round.
“Swimming is a wonderful sport because it’s not all about winning,” Maciejko said. “It’s
really about dropping time, beating your personal best. It shows all of those 7:30 a.m. practices are paying off.”
Despite facing top athletes in their age group, Maciejko said both boys should be proud of their performance.
“Even with stands packed with people, Julian and Russell were not intimidated,” she said. “They didn’t seem too nervous, and they got up there and turned out their best,” she said.
The Long Course Championship marks the finale of the Stingrays’ summer season. The team held a celebratory banquet on August 2, and now all eyes are set toward the high school season.
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)
BIKING: Scenes from children’s Gunni Grinder races, B8
SWIMMING: Stingrays compete in Grand Junction,
Riders of all ages gathered at the Jorgensen Park pump track on July 27 for the children’s Gunni Grinder race series. Held every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. for the next six weeks, the event splits 2- 7-year-olds into strider, pedal and stacyc divisions.
After a travel-intensive season, the Gunnison rec baseball team’s gathered at Jorgensen Park on Tuesday, Aug. 1 for a home run derby and end-of-season BBQ. Beforehand, the players practiced batting with assistant coaches.
schedule can be found on the Gunnison High School website or Maxpreps.
The next meeting of the Gunnison Valley Transportation Authority (RTA) will be August 11, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. at the Commissioners’ Room in the Gunnison County Courthouse - 200 E. Virginia Ave., Gunnison, CO. For copies of the Board of Directors meeting packet, please go to www. gunnisonvalleyrta.com/meetings or call Scott Truex at 970.275.0111. Two or more County Commissioners may attend these meetings.
Living Journeys hosted its 23rd annual Crested Butte Mountain Resort summit hike on Saturday, July 29. The money from the fundraiser will help the organization provide emotional and financial support, transportation assistance and more to those affected by cancer in the Gunnison Valley.
All of us at the of us at
Thank you, Participants & Members!
We would not exist without YOU – the reason we have been able to host this Festival for 37 years.
Thank you, Event Leaders & Assistants!
Your energy & expertise are the reason folks come to our events. We are lucky to have you.
Thank you, Volunteers!
Your constant positive attitude & willingness to jump in & help contributed tremendously to the success of our operations.
Thank you, Garden Tour Homeowners!
Festival would like to to thank ever yone who thank everyone who contributed their time, contributed their time, effort, creativity, and effort, creativity, and talents to make our 2023 to make our Festival a blossoming Festival a success! We are proud & success! We are & joyful to continue to share to continue to share the magic of our valley the magic of our with locals & visitors alike with locals visitors alike.
Your lovely homes & brilliant gardens are a cherished highlight of the Festival.
Thank you, Carol Ann Rasmussen!
For creating this year’s stunning poster art & to our wholesale partners for helping us share her talented work!
Thank you, Generous Sponsors!
It has been a privilege to partner with you & we hope to continue our relationship for years to come.
Thank you, Incredible Staff & Board of Directors!
Your hard work & dedication roots us & brought the Festival to fruition.
Staff: Michelle Bivens, Olivia Murphy-Welconish, Taylore Lowry, Kate Kulow, Becky Edmiston, Grace Sprehn, Morgan May, and Sarah Bivens
BOD: Tom Zeiner, Jeff Delaney, Peggy Langewisch, Dr. Chelsea Stangl, Luke Tembrock
We look forward to another beautiful Festival next summer (July 12-21, 2024) & hope to see you there!
•Aug. 2 (1pm): Book Club. August book “Woman of the Light” by
Mondays & Wednesdays in the Gym
Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays @ 11:30am. $5.00 per meals. Advanced orders appreciate (24 hours). Pick-ups between 11am –11:15am (advanced orders only).
ORDER MEALS: 970-641-8272
Menu: (all meals come with dessert!)
Monday
• Computer Use (9 a.m.)
• Bridge (1 p.m.)
Wednesday
• Book Club (1st Wednesday)
Thursday
• Bridge (1 p.m.)
Walk-ins & visitors welcome! Homebound adults ages 55 & up eligible for delivery. If you need a ride, call GVH Senior Bus @ 970-596-6700 (call in advance).
AT THE SENIOR CENTER 200 E. SPENCER AVE. ALL SENIOR CENTER PROGRAM INFO & RSVPS: EGILLIS@GUNNISONCO.GOV OR 970-641-8272.
Friday
• Art Club (12:30 p.m.)
• Mahjong (1 p.m.)
Please join us on Friday, August 4, 2023 for the book launch of Double Cross.
903 N Main St, Gunnison, CO 81230
4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Meet the author and pick up a copy if you don’t have one or get the one you already have signed!
ALL EVENTS, RESTAURANT, BAR AND GOLF ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Steak Night Every Friday 5pm-7pm 12oz Bone-In NY Strip
Fish Fry Clam Bake/Oyster Raw Bar fest.
Friday August 25th 3-6pm
$60.00 per person
Live Music 4-7pm
Mexican Independence DayTequila Tasting. $50.00 per person
Saturday Sept 16th 3p-6pm Taco bar, Salsa Bar, Grilled Street corn.
Fish Fry Friday Sept 28th 5-7pm
HEATED PAVILLION AVAILABLE FOR LARGE PARTIES
On July 18, the Gunnison Valley Cattlewomen shared a gift package with the Ruggera family, who just welcomed twins. It is Gunni included local beef for mom and items for the new babies, to the local hospital birth that falls closest to Father’s Day.
