Gunnison Country Times, March 6, 2025

Firings threaten valley’s public lands

Campground, restroom and boat ramp closures predicted

Bella Biondini Times Editor

On Saturday, an upside-down American flag, a sign of distress, hung from the sign marking the entryway to the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park, just like it had from the towering walls of Yosemite a week earlier. A group of roughly 50 people stood along the highway, protesting the mass federal layoffs within the National Park Service and other land management agencies. Their cardboard signs read “Protect Our Parks,” “Fund Parks Not Billionaires” and “Keep Public Lands Public.”

Within the group were students from Western Colorado University, terminated Park Service employees and residents who drove from as far as Buena Vista and Carbondale. Although the demonstration was small compared to the hundreds of people that gathered

Firings A6

School district construction forges ahead

WEATHER: Who flipped the switch?, A12

COMMUNITY: CO Bluebird

Project comes to Gunnison, B1

SPORTS: GHS girls basketball advances to regionals, B4

OBITUARIES A3

OPINION A4

CLASSIFIEDS A14-A17

SPORTS B64

Photos reveal sneak peak of progress

Mariel Wiley Times Photo Editor

The Gunnison Watershed School District’s valley-wide, multi-million dollar renovation project is well underway.

After an exciting playground reveal at the Gunnison Community School (GCS) at the start of the school year, most of the construction moved indoors for the winter months. Although several phases of the project have wrapped up, there is still a lot of work to be done. Construction is only 39% complete at GCS, 43% at the Lake School, 43% at Pathways, 14% at Gunnison High School and 17% at the Crested Butte Community School. At the GCS, crews completed a brand new library and media Schools A10

A group of around 50 demonstrators held up cardboard signs protesting recent public land management agency firings at the entrance to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on March 1. (Courtesy Sierra Cucinelli)

A new classroom dedicated for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) programs gives students plenty of space for science experiments and other creative projects. Last school year, STEAM operated from a small, windowless room amongst administrative offices. (Photos by Mariel Wiley)

“You just get hooked on it after you go out a few times and start learning more about the birds. It’s like Christmas. You open up the box and hope you get a present.”

—

Judy Boyce, Birder

See story on B1

GUC brings in $154 million to county

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC) has an economic impact of roughly $154 million a year, according to a new report from the Colorado Department of Transportation. The 2025 study measured the total number of people employed at the airport, payroll, capital projects and visitor spending. Of the $154.9 million of total business revenues generated by GUC, $70.9 million was generated by on-airport activities, and $84.1 million generated by visitor spending. While the airport captures ski and recreational traffic, GUC’s location also makes it an ideal spot for aerospace companies to conduct high-altitude testing.

Snow drought lingers on Western Slope

Although a storm cycle is in the forecast, large portions of west and southwestern Colorado are experiencing a snow drought. This is a period when the snowpack in an area is abnormally low for the time of year.

SNOTEL stations in the northwest portion of the Gunnison Basin are much below the basin mean at 84% of normal, with several stations below the 20th percentile. February was a very dry month for the Upper San Juan and Rio Grande Headwaters, which fell to 60% and 72% of normal snow water equivalent, respectively. Following a freezing January in the Gunnison Valley, February brought warm, spring-like weather — kickstarting the melt.

La Niña conditions are present and expected to persist through April (59% chance). A La Niña pattern generally favors wetter conditions in the Northwest and drier conditions in the Southwest, and normal to above-average temperatures.

Terrific trailblazers

A crowd of over 200 outdoor enthusiasts filled the Western University Center Ballroom for the 10th annual Gunnison Trails Winter Blast on Feb. 28. Local businesses donated hundreds of items to the silent auction, the proceeds of which will support Gunnison Trails operations. Gunnison Trails’ Executive Director Tim Kugler spoke about the organization’s most prolific grooming season yet. This winter, the crew maintained over 20 miles of snowpacked trail. Kugler also shared a positive outlook for the upcoming summer season with plans for new trail development at Hartman Rocks and major projects on U.S. Forest Service trails, despite regional staffing shortages at all of the public land management agencies.

(Courtesy Rae Anglen/Gunnison Trails)

Sarah Steinwand

With deep sadness and very heavy hearts we share the devastating news that Sarah Steinwand, resident of Crested Butte South, passed from this world on Feb. 20, 2025 while doing what she loved, snowboarding in the San Juan Mountains.

Sarah lived her life to the fullest every day and her loss will be felt by the many people whose lives she impacted. Sarah was born Feb. 24, 1983 in Denver, Colorado. She grew up in Boulder, Colorado where she attended Eisenhower Elementary School, Burbank Middle School and graduated from Fairview High School in 2001. She attended the University of Colorado, Boulder and graduated in 2005 with a degree in marketing. Upon graduation, she moved to Crested Butte with her brother. Aside from a few years in Jackson, Wyoming and Durango, Colorado, she has made her home in the Gunnison Valley. Her life was one filled with adventures throughout the world, daily walks with her dog, snowboarding, mountain biking, fly fishing, running her own successful PR firm and being a badass woman who did not take life for granted. She loved board games, especially Scrabble and Codenames Pictures, making green curry and sweet potato enchiladas, identifying wildflowers and reading.

She is survived by her parents, Michelle and Greg Steinwand of Boulder and her brother, Matthew Steinwand of Gunnison. She was predeceased by her maternal grandparents, Ray and Una Jaakola, and aunt, Una Jaakola, and her paternal grandparents, Martin and Millie Steinwand. Her close

relationships with her family, her boyfriend, and so many friends and loved ones has left a huge hole.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Paradise Animal Welfare Society in Crested Butte, where Sarah was a passionate volunteer. A celebration of Sarah’s life will be held on Saturday, March 15 from 6-8 p.m. at the Crested Butte Center for the Arts. To learn more about Sarah, please check out the great articles from the Jackson Hole News & Guide and the Gunnison Country Times on Feb. 26, 2025.

Roger F. Cranor

We have lost a good man born in the Gunnison Valley and residing in Grand Junction. Roger F. Cranor passed away at home in Grand Junction, Feb. 22, 2025, from cancer. His wife Mary and her daughter Melissa Nino were with him at the time of his passing. He was born March 3, 1959, to Forrest and Thora Cranor of Almont, Colorado, the youngest of the family of four.

After growing up on his family’s resort, he graduated with a business degree from Colorado Mesa University, formally Mesa College, in Grand Junction and stayed in Grand Junction for a while before moving to the Denver area where he met his wife-to-be in 1985. The two were married Jan. 23, 1988.

They moved back to Grand Junction in 1989 when Roger went to work at Central Distributing as the warehouse manager. When the sales representative position opened primarily for the I-70 corridor he decided to take it. That job took him and Mary to Rifle, Colorado for 22 years before they moved back to Grand Junction.

Roger was an avid outdoorsman, hunter, cyclist, bowler, golfer and fisherman. He spent at least a few times in Doctor Park each year hunting and hiking in his father’s hunting area that became dear to all his family.

He was a gentleman like no other, and could do nearly anything from landscaping to working on cars. He was a good one to help set up your stereo, TV or computers, a Jack-of-all-trades. Roger was well liked by all his family and friends — honest, hardworking and loving.

Roger is survived by his wife Mary, who has two children, Melissa (Patrick) Nino and Thomas Finley, who passed away in 2013. Mary has grandchildren, Jacob and Josuha Finley and Reagan Nino. Roger is preceded in death by his parents and sister Patty Trujillo. He is survived by brother Carl Cranor (Crystal) of Riverside, California, and sister Polly (Dave) Oberosler of Gunnison, Colorado, and nieces Michelle (Ronnie) Peelo of Montrose and Kelly (Paul) McDaniel of Hotchkiss.

One of a kind, Roger will be so missed by his family and all who knew him.

A memorial will be held March 22, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Grace Point Church, 606 28 Road, Grand Junction, Colorado, 81506.

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PARENT PERSPECTIVE: UNDERSTANDING YOUTH

RELATIONSHIP AND VIOLENCE

Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength. It is a repeated behavior and can be physical, verbal or relational.

This session will cover the various way teens experience bullying, redflags of abusive peer relationships, and suggestions for prevention. It is open to parents, coaches, teachers and youth serving professionals.

Free dinner will be provided to those who RSVP with the QR code.

• GUNNISON — Fred Field Center, presentation and dinner March 25, 5:30-7 p.m.

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LETTERS

Dear Congressman Hurd

OPINION

Editor: Dear Congressman Hurd, I invite you to meet with your constituents at a public event in Gunnison. I have written to you five times over the last few weeks, sent multiple emails, and have not received a response — just a newsletter. I’m assuming you are flooded with other letters from your constituents and are too overwhelmed to respond to all of them. Let’s make this easier for you: Hold a town hall meeting here in Gunnison and answer your constituents’ questions in person. A one-time deal.

To get you started, I will list a few of my many questions and concerns. Maybe other community members will add theirs in the coming weeks before the meeting. What are you doing to protect and support health care and other services provided for your veteran constituents? I am a veteran of the United States Air Force. The Veteran Administration has provided me with excellent health care through the years. Now, the VA is in the midst of a hiring freeze and firing its essential workers. Two thousand VA employees were fired, then, oopsy, a few essential workers were rehired. This includes firing employees that support the suicide prevention crisis line, cancer treatment, cemetery care and burial benefits. Do you agree with this? How is this improving support for our veterans?

Please explain how the H.R. 22, SAVE Act will make our voting system more secure. I have been voting all my life, and now I am under the threat of not having this right as a woman who took my husband’s last name when we married. My birth certificate name does not match my current legal last name, and I do not have a passport, the two proposed documents to prove American citizenship and eligibility to register to vote. Isn’t it already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections? This creates another barrier to voting. Why do you support this?

LETTERS POLICY

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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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port? How are you going to protect these agencies?

Please let me know when you can give me, your constituent, the time to answer my questions.

Debbie Vitulli Gunnison

Does your weather forecast matter to you?

Editor:

I have worked for the last 20 plus years researching how weather forecasts and warnings benefit the public. My most recent research indicates Americans access forecasts about 317 billion times a year with a value of over $122 billion. This value is derived largely from the activities of the National Weather Service (NWS).

Ask yourself how often you get a weather forecast and does it matter to you? The Trump administration has cut the already understaffed NWS by 5% with more firings to come. This will almost certainly result in reduced accuracy and reliability of weather forecasts and warnings. The impact of this reversal of decades of improving forecasts is that people will die and the economy will suffer.

In Gunnison County, will it matter if we don’t have the best information about snowstorms, fire weather, drought or even if it will be sunny or cloudy tomorrow? Think about this the next time, and every time, you check the weather on your phone, computer, radio or newspaper.

Jeff Lazo Gunnison

Time for transparency

Editor:

Why is Elon Musk allowed into the secure areas of our government? He is not an elected official nor vetted by Congress. I do not want Musk and his six 19- to 24-year-old boys making highly sensitive decisions based on what they believe, and then having the freedom to take a slash-and-burn approach to shrinking the federal workforce and programs. These acts and decisions to halt critical activities at numerous agencies will not make America great again! It will strip the government of expertise, rob it of the capacity to respond to public needs, and make our nation less secure at home and abroad.

I like NOAA, Social Security, the National Park Service, public education, Medicare, VA health care, USAID, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Medicaid, funding cancer research, family farms, Health and Human Services, FAA, IRS, and so much more. Do you support what I sup-

to anyone and some using their position to weaponize the government against their perceived adversaries.

Now they are crying about private information getting into the hands of people from DOGE. That's like the pot calling the kettle black. During Trump's last run for president, registered Republicans could not get their tax-exempt status for fund raising approved by the IRS while Democrats had no problem. We witnessed the weaponization of the justice department, the FBI, the Department of Education standing against parents, and dare I mention the Secret Service?

The woke-appointed head of the Secret Service didn't want agents up on a gentle sloped roof so they would not get hurt, although they are supposed to give their lives to protect the person they are guarding. Then FEMA, instructed their employees to ignore flood damaged properties if they had a Trump sign in the yard.

The goal is a one-party nation, not a democracy. Now they are greatly concerned about their own private information being viewed. No wonder they are crying foul.

Let’s talk about the unfairness of jobs being lost. I am speaking about the shutdown of the Keystone XL pipeline and every other service business that contributed to it. Where were all the bleeding hearts then?

The vaccine mandate cost many citizens their jobs. By government dictates, restaurants, small business and service industries were decimated, plus defunding the police. The losses were tremendous.

Just say no to Starview

Editor:

After reading Neil Watko’s analysis of Starview, assuming that his calculations are correct (or even close), it seems to me that a whole new problem would be created with this housing development. Not only would it be unaffordable for the people who are our support system, the future Starview resident population would necessarily require more support people. Housekeepers, child care, restaurant workers, bartenders, landscapers, snow shovelers, law enforcement, firemen, counselors, teachers and doctors (not to mention hospital rooms). The list goes on.

Then there would be the need for more restaurants and other amenities to be built which would require even more workers. Why is this development even being considered? Our government leaders should just say no. That is unless there is some overriding personal need for it to continue. I’m sure the developers are getting tired of the expense of rewriting and finagling to come to a satisfactory, although unresolvable result.

Susan Crawford Gunnison

A warning

Editor:

Many people may have never heard of the deep state, in reference to the unelected bureaucrats who are embedded in the government operations in Washington, D.C. Thanks to the Soros purchase of many radio stations across our nation and extreme left broadcasting, many liberals are suffering from Trump derangement syndrome. They must be exhausted after the past 10 years, but on it goes. This nation is founded on checks and balances. We see that at play right now. More importantly, people don’t like big government.

That is exactly why Trump was elected in 2016 and that’s exactly why he was elected again. Not to pick just on the liberals, the Republican Party has gotten pretty cozy with the status quo too. Now is the time for transparency and change. Bring it on.

So, who doesn't want to cut government waste and abuse of taxpayers' hard earned money?

The short answer is the bureaucrats who have been taking advantage of the enormity of the government. These bureaucrats have gotten away with any number of things, including not being concerned about being fired, living the good life on taxpayer dollars, working remotely, having benefits that far exceed the private sector, many not answering

We need to privatize as much of the federal government as possible. Competition brings efficiency in the work performed and a profit, not a loss. That’s how it is in the real world. Welcome to reality.

Pam Randall Gunnison

Dream of a home

Editor:

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Association of Realtors (GCAR) for their incredible assistance in helping me achieve my dream of homeownership. After living in Gunnison for 20 years and experiencing more moves than I can count, I am finally able to purchase a home through Habitat for Humanity — a milestone that feels truly life-changing.

The GCAR Homebuyer Assistance Program, which is helping cover my closing costs, is a tremendous blessing. This program isn’t just about financial aid; it’s about reinforcing the strong sense of community that makes Gunnison such a special place to live. Thank you, GCAR, for helping make this possible and for supporting individuals like me in creating stability and belonging in this special place we call home.

Emma DeHaven Gunnison

A couple weeks ago, the Gunnison County Republican Party warned us in the papers that we must now check an “Opt In” box to receive our TABOR refunds when filing state income tax returns. They blamed the Democratic state legislature for this new requirement. The truth is, while you do have to provide income information on your Colorado tax return so the amount of the TABOR refund can be calculated, there is no required “Opt In” box and the legislature certainly didn’t impose any such requirement.

The spreading of this false accusation is unfortunate.

One item of greater concern that is now happening … Elon Musk, an unelected private citizen, has perhaps illegally ordered his personal IT crews to access the personal records of all social security and Medicare recipients. More recently, Musk and his team tried to access every American’s federal income tax information. These actions are being litigated by many groups. Such access to our personal information is unprecedented and unwarranted.

Remember that your local Democratic party warned you.

Jim Starr Shannon Hessler

Jeff Lazo Vikki Roach Archuleta Holly Dodge Gunnison County Democratic Party

Local economic outlook includes resilience and pessimism

Sales tax revenue remained stable in 2024

Dave Pinkerton Times Staff Writer

Some residents and business owners are guardedly optimistic about the local economy, while others are pessimistic. Sales tax revenue and the total number of visitors remained relatively flat from 2023 to 2024. Inflation continues, placing pressure on some consumers to choose between groceries and rent. Yet homes sell quickly at high values, signaling strong demand and significant return on investment.

Visitors drive much of the Gunnison economy. Comparing the month-to-month number of visitors from 2023 to 2024 shows similar seasonal variations and little difference overall. Andrew Sandstrom, marketing director for the Tourism and Prosperity Partnership (TAPP), compiled a month-to-month comparison of total number of visitors for 2023 and 2024.

When the number of visitors is high, sales tax revenue for the county is also high. Following this trend, the City of Gunnison’s sales and use tax revenue increased 1.3% from 2023 to 2024, supported by increases in sectors like accommodations and manufacturing. Tax revenue for marijuana sales and manufacturing decreased.

Nathan Meyer, general manager of Harmels on the Taylor, echoed the seasonal fluctuation in guest traffic. The monthto-month pattern between 2023 and 2024 remained the same, but there was a large decrease in visitors in July 2024, likely due to the Blue Mesa middle bridge repair project impacting accessibility to Gunnison.

“Winter and early spring are definitely our slower times. Last season we met around the same bookings numbers as the year before, but like most of the valley, we noticed a hit from the Hwy. 50 bridge closures,” Meyer said.

Similar to city sales tax income, county sales tax revenue increased from 2023 to 2024. Ana Canada, Gunnison County finance director, reported an overall 3.22% increase. These sales tax revenues result from purchases of goods and services such as food, lodging and construction materials.

Ben Cowan, City of Gunnison finance director, reported that sales tax revenue fluctuated seasonally with a high point during summer months when visitorship is highest. Sales tax revenue has increased over a five-year period from 2020 to 2024. There

was a mixed performance across various business sectors. Building materials and garden equipment experienced a slower growth rate of 2.43% over this five-year period. Food and beverage stores continued a steady upward trend with a 5.97% increase.

Decreasing home values can result in economic pessimism. Likewise, high resale values can lead to more optimistic views of the local economic future. Local real estate agents and owners of the Clarke Agency, Audrie and Josh Townsend, reported that median home prices have increased 6% in the City of Gunnison from 2023 to 2024 and 62% from 2020 to 2024. Similar increases occurred in Gunnison County overall.

“Since 2000, we have survived Covid, the Big Blue Canyon road repairs and the Middle Bridge emergency. And still, when local clients list their house with us, they know they better have another place ready to move into because their house is going to sell fast,” Josh Townsend said.

Nonprofits often depend on donations and grants from local residents and businesses. When there is an economic downturn, nonprofit funding often decreases. Alysa VandenHeuvel, executive director of the Gunnison Arts Center, compared donations at the end of 2024 to early 2025. The arts center saw strong donations at the end of 2024.

Contributions in early 2025 have slowed. The overall economic outlook remains a concern to VandenHeuvel.

“The steps of the new administration [in Washington] add uncertainty, making it difficult to predict how funding for nonprofits will be impacted,” she said.

Mixed economic indicators come from Main Street store owners. Matthew Grant, owner of Blue Mesa Music, said sales are down, but revenue from repairs is up.

“We are down almost 30% in sales. And foot traffic is down, too. Luckily, the service business has been going great and definitely keeps us afloat in lean times,” Grant said.

Home construction is another informative economic indicator for Gunnison. Eric Williams, coowner of Greatland Log Homes, has seen changes in demand and client characteristics since the pandemic.

“Our business has become more steady with committed, serious buyers — less tire-kicking and more people ready to build,” Williams said.

Williams said that though the price per square foot to build continues to rise, the rate of increase has been leveling lately.

Sales tax revenue and visitor numbers do not automatically predict how the local economy impacts daily living. Sandstrom said an increasing number of

Gunnison County workers are in the “missing middle”. These residents have incomes between the federal poverty level and the amount of income required to be self-sufficient without outside assistance. People in the missing middle can experience food insecurity.

“Most of the people that come here, work,” said Steve Secofsky, Gunnison Country Food Pantry board president. “They are not necessarily poverty stricken. They are working one to three jobs. They are not here just because they need food. They’re here because they can’t afford food because of all the other impacts on the quality of their lives.”

The local economy can be reflected in the number of people using food pantry goods and services. Food pantry manager Angie Kreuger reported an increase in food pantry clients compared to last year.

“Our numbers have increased about 30% compared to our numbers in January of last year,” Kreuger said.

Based on the increasing numbers of people coming to the food pantry, Secofsky said he is not optimistic about future economic trends. Secofsky mentioned egg prices as a concrete indicator of the current state of the local economy.

“It would be nice to go to the store and not have to pay $9 for a dozen eggs,” Secofsky said.

National consumer confidence data reflect Secofsky’s outlook. As reported by the consumer Confidence Board, the Consumer Confidence Index fell seven points in February this year to 98.3 (1985 = 100).

Local economic factors influenced Holden Rexius’ decision to move his family from Gunnison to Casper, Wyoming this month. Rexius, a Western Colorado University graduate and long-time fly-fishing guide for Willowfly Anglers, made the decision based on the cost of raising a young family in Gunnison.

“We had to leave the valley because we just could not afford living here anymore,” Rexius said. “It's with a heavy heart that we are in a new home in a new state. Having to leave the place we wanted to spend our life and raise our family because it is no longer financially viable is a terrible feeling. It seems like if you're not established in Gunnison already, it is too late to raise a family there and I think that is really sad for the community.”

(Dave Pinkerton can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or dave@ gunnisontimes.com.)

recently at Rocky Mountain National Park, Western graduate student Jessika McFarland said the turnout was a testament to the “grit of the folks on the Western Slope.”

“We know very well living in the mountains, the value of these public lands,” she said. “It's not just part-time recreation, it's our entire lives.”

President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) “workforce optimization initiative” resulted in the firing of hundreds of employees from Colorado land management agencies in February. The executive order targeted federal workers who were in their “probationary” period. The temporary status, which typically lasts between one or two years, is assigned to employees who are new to their roles.

This led to the firing of many employees who had worked within the agencies for decades, but had recently been promoted. It also hit those in the early stages of their careers, some of whom had just landed their first job after college. By slashing experienced public land managers alongside the next generation of incoming professionals, advocates worry the layoffs will rot away the core of the valley’s federal agencies.

With crippled capacity and waning morale, the remaining staff may struggle to care for the Western Slope’s public lands. If nothing changes, this summer Gunnison Valley residents will likely encounter closed or poorly maintained restrooms and campgrounds, barricaded boat ramps and degraded trail systems. In just a few months time, thousands of tourists will flood into the valley’s national forests and parks. Some may trash campsites, leave fires unattended and improperly dispose of human waste — impacts that will only worsen as the workforce shrinks.

The executive order has touched each of the Western Slope’s land management agencies: the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. These agencies oversee some of the region’s busiest recreation spots: Hartman Rocks, the Maroon BellsSnowmass Wilderness, Curecanti National Recreation Area, the Black Canyon, Taylor Park and the Alpine Loop.

All of the Times’ requests for specific information about local layoffs were forwarded to press teams in Washington. The responses received were extremely vague and did not reveal any information about which, or how many positions were cut.

According to estimates from Jon Hare, executive director of Crested Butte’s High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA), the Park Service has lost 10 employees between Gunnison and Montrose, and the Forest Service Gunnison Ranger District has lost seven (plus another two in nearby Paonia). It’s still unclear how many have been let go from the BLM Gunnison Field Office. But the agency’s reach extends as far as Lake City and Silverton,

so the impact of firings stretch much farther than the valley. In addition to their daily workload, a number of these workers acted as support staff when wildland fires broke out.

The Times spoke to a number of federal employees — some of whom had lost their jobs and some still employed — from land management offices around the region. Many asked to remain anonymous due to the uncertainty around possible rehiring and additional layoffs in the coming weeks.

Many expressed worry about the ripple effects the firings and funding freezes will have on rural communities with a limited job market and a high cost of living. Public land management agencies are one of the valley’s largest employers, falling in line alongside the school district and Gunnison Valley Health. The loss of stable jobs may result in an exodus. Some of these positions were tied to housing, and others to students’ future careers in public land management in the valley after graduation.

“This just shows that the election had consequences, and right now they're hitting home in our local community,” Hare said.

Former federal employees said they experienced weeks filled with anxiety as they scoured online forums and waited for the national news to trickle down into their local offices. Then, on Valentine's Day weekend, staff were laid off over email in a manner one former Park Service worker described as “demeaning” and “offensive.”

“During your probationary period, the Department has continued to evaluate your fitness for the position … The Department has determined that you have failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment because your subject matter knowledge, skills, and abilities do not meet the Department’s current needs,” read a termination letter shared with the Times

“It's emotionally devastating.

It's humiliating,” said one former federal employee. “I've never been fired from a job before in my life … Every job I've had, I've excelled at and put 100% of my effort into it. And to be fired the way that we were is so disrespectful.”

For one former employee, her recent promotion was an opportunity to finally settle in a new place after college.

“I had worked so hard for that stability, and then it was literally pulled away from me in an email,” she said.

None of the valley’s public land management offices were spared from the mass firings. And while snow is still on the ground, it's the calm before the storm. Even with the Blue Mesa bridge closure, nearly 200,000 people peered over the rim into Black Canyon in 2024, one source said. This year, fewer park rangers may be available to answer visitor questions, manage campgrounds and pick up garbage. Toilets and pullouts along Hwy. 50 — also managed by the Park Service — will likely be “decimated,” one former employee said.

The official website for the Black Canyon stated that all of its campgrounds are closed until further notice, rather than just for the winter season. A portion of the South Rim campground typically stays open year round. A similar closure was in place for the Curecanti National Recreation Area, with the exception of Loops A and D at the Elk Creek Campground. The Times reached out for further information, but did not receive a response.

The Park Service is tasked with helping other agencies like Colorado Parks and Wildlife keep invasive species, such as zebra and quagga mussels, out of the Blue Mesa and Taylor Park reservoirs, and Lake San Cristobal outside of Lake City. While the mussels are small, the cost of fighting infestations can be astronomical. Due to their ability to reproduce quickly and clog pipes, zebra mussels pose a risk to agricultural operations, hydropower production and the outdoor recreation economy.

Curecanti, which contains Blue Mesa Reservoir, has lost

as much as 30% of its staff, one source said. The cuts mean fewer employees will be available to inspect boats, and it is likely that some of Blue Mesa’s boat ramps will stay closed this summer. According to recent reporting in AP News, the Trump administration has plans to restore the jobs of dozens of Park Service employees, and to hire thousands of additional seasonal workers. Seasonals, many of whom return year after year, staff parks during peak season.

Still, the stress and disruption caused by the layoffs have put the agency far behind. Hiring has been delayed and some of those who lost their jobs worked in human resources and would have helped onboard and train incoming seasonals. Rattled by the unknowns, other employees are afraid to return to their parks this summer.

Forests at risk Shawn Cleveland knew every corner of the 1.7-millionacre Gunnison National Forest

A Gunnison Trails volunteer shovels dirt at Trail Work Tuesday at Signal Peak. With a larger trail crew this year, Gunnison Trails already has plans to take on additional work in the backcountry this upcoming season. (Photo by Abby Harrison)

Boats are docked at the Elk Creek Marina on Blue Mesa Reservoir. Curecanti National Recreation Area, which contains Blue Mesa, has lost as much as 30% of its staff, one source said. (Photo by Abby Harrison)

by heart, from the steep slopes of Monarch Pass, to the remote reaches of Taylor Park’s shaded lodgepole forests. New hires, even those stationed at the front desk, shadowed him in the field to get a clearer picture of the vastness of the Gunnison Country. If someone called the office and inquired about which campsites could fit a 30-foot trailer, he knew the exact place to send them.

With the help of volunteers, Cleveland served as a caretaker for the guard stations, water systems, campgrounds and the thousands of dispersed campsites scattered through the alpine landscape north of Crested Butte. His friends and family called him crazy for building a career around a seasonal job, but Cleveland loved his work.

Two decades passed before the Forest Service would offer him a promotion that moved him into a permanent role last summer. A phone call from the district ranger in February would abruptly end his 22-year-long career.

“I didn’t see this coming,” Cleveland said. “It’s just a total shock … Another reason I’ve been around so long is that I take pride in [my job]. I feel it’s very important that there’s people like us with boots on the ground to take care of the forest so everyone else can enjoy it. Hopefully we’ll get that opportunity again.”

Cleveland left a skeleton crew behind, stripped of seasonals and interns. According to recent reporting in the Crested Butte

News, there will be approximately 29 fewer Forest Service employees working in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National (GMUG) Forests this summer. This estimate, given by Forest Service officials, came prior to the layoffs. The first round of employee cuts, which began last fall due to budget constraints, targeted seasonal employees.

Last month, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet sounded the alarm on the mass terminations at the Forest Service on the Senate floor and through a letter sent to Brooke Rollins, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sen. John Hickenlooper and Reps. Joe Neguse, Brittany Pettersen and Jason Crow also signed onto it. The decision will not only destabilize the agency, but the rural communities they serve, as Forest Service employees are key in “keeping downtowns vibrant and critical services intact,” the Feb. 14 letter states.

More than 11 million acres of forest — a primary driver of Colorado’s booming tourism industry — are managed by the Forest Service. As visitation to national forests has exploded in recent years, the size of the agency’s workforce has continued to decline. According to the letter, the Forest Service workforce is 30% smaller than it was three decades ago.

“With the rising cost of living across the state, Colorado communities are already challenged with limited USFS staff to con-

front land management challenges,” the letter states. “Combined with the existing hiring freeze, yesterday’s staff reductions will stretch the agency to its breaking point.”

The Times received limited information on layoffs at the BLM Gunnison Field Office. It manages over 600,000 acres of public land in the Upper Gunnison River Basin including Hartman Rocks, portions of the Powderhorn and Uncompahgre wilderness areas and the Alpine Loop outside of Lake City. Each summer, the BLM relies on seasonal OVH and recreation crews to maintain trails, manage visitation and complete restoration projects.

“We do not have a comment on personnel matters, however, BLM reaffirms its unwavering commitment to both the American public and the lands we protect. We are working closely with the Office of Personnel Management to ensure we are prioritizing fiscal responsibility for the American people,” said a BLM spokesperson.

On shaky ground

Because 78% of Gunnison County is public land, Western Colorado University has built numerous undergraduate degree tracks and master’s programs around natural resource management. A number of students now face severed career paths. Approximately 300 students work with federal agencies

continued on A8

The City Center

Your

2nd & 4th Tuesday of

City Hall,

W.

5:30pm. Meetings

last 2.5 hours, stay as long or as little as you like. All people and languages are welcome. Agendas available online the Friday before meetings.

Public Works Seasonal Shifts

Beginning March 10th, the Public Works staff will transition to a four-day workweek, working 10-hour shifts from Monday to Thursday

The public works office will remain available by phone at (970) 641-8020 for any inquiries or assistance you may need on Fridays, but the front office will be unavailable for inperson visits without prior requests

This new schedule optimizes daylight hours following the time change, enabling extended project work, less mobilization and increased productivity

The summer adjustment will enhance our ability to serve the community more effectively and in a timely manner

to make this new construction your forever home. Contact us now to schedule a viewing and witness the epitome of contemporary living!

TBD W Denver Ave. MLS# 816647 $599,000 Spectacular 2.5 acre level lot located in Gunnison’s new subdivision Elk Ranch. This parcel is located just outside City limits on the west side of town and seller has it set up to be built on immediately. Lot has a well permit already in place along with the required approval for well from the Upper Gunnison Water Conservancy District which can be transferred at closing. Buyer of lot may also pay for tap fees to hook into the City water and sewer main that will be extended north by City this fall. There is a shared road/driveway into the subdivision and it will be completed by this fall as well. Lot has been surveyed and a building envelope has been established for a single family residence but other dwellings such as barns/sheds etc. will be allowed. Come enjoy some country living with incredible views of mountains up Ohio Valley and the Palisades while being so close to town.

457 Ute Dr. (Arrowhead) MLS# 820145 $40,000 Beautiful, secluded 1

during class time and use public lands for learning in majors like biology, environmental science, anthropology and recreation and outdoor education. Another 60 graduate students in the Master of Science in Ecology, Master in Environmental Management (MEM) and the Outdoor Industry MBA have projects linked to public land and wildlife management and recreation.

The three land management agencies are a huge career pathway for Western students, said longtime Western wildlife biology professor Pat Magee. It’s extremely common for students to do internships or seasonal work at one of the local offices, the key to securing a permanent position in the field.

“Now you're going through your degree trying to get ready to look for the next step, and all of a sudden there's a lot less opportunity … It's tragic and sad that we're going to get even farther behind on the already scarce workforce,” Magee said.

tion on the sensitive alpine ecosystem, or for law enforcement to oversee the heavy vehicle traffic along the loop.

“It's going to be a mess … How are we going to manage the sheer numbers?” Richard said.

Calling all volunteers Gunnison Valley residents have been successfully protecting their public lands in a community-oriented fashion for decades, from the creation of the Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (STOR) Committee, to the Red Lady’s permanent protection from the threat of large-scale mining. Volunteer groups have led wet meadow restoration projects through the use of man-made beaver dams, and hosted trail work days and river cleanups.

Outside of the classroom, some nonprofits also stand on shaky ground. Small organizations like the Gunnison Valley Conservation District work closely with land management agencies and depend on federal funding and contracted projects to stay afloat. Since it was founded in 1957, the district has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in assistance to the agricultural community, hosted educational events at the schools and university and supported cheatgrass treatments on private land. All this work will disappear without grant funding, said Aleshia Fremgen. She worked for the district for seven years and now acts as a volunteer advisor.

In Lake City, the Lake Fork Conservancy partners with federal agencies to clean up mines, and lead river restoration and land conservation projects. As a nonprofit, if federal funding remains frozen, it won’t have the money to pay its small staff, said Executive Director Camille Richard. Currently, the conservancy is waiting on stalled BLM road permits, and lease documents from the Forest Service for projects. Richard said she’s now concerned there might not be employees to process them.

Lake City serves as the gateway to the Alpine Loop, a scenic 4x4 road that winds through the San Juan Mountains. Each year, it attracts nearly half a million visitors. Richard worried there won’t be staff to monitor the environmental impacts of growing visita-

The community’s support for its public lands has manifested into actual dollars through the Gunnison County Stewardship Fund. Launched in 2018, this fund has pumped more than $1 million into public land stewardship, and supported the trail crews of organizations like Gunnison Trails and the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association. The money comes directly from local partners such as Vail Resorts and MetRec, among numerous others.

Following the federal workforce reduction, having local resources already set aside to sustain trail crews is a step in the right direction, said Gunnison Trails Executive Director Tim Kugler. With a larger trail crew this year, Gunnison Trails already has plans to take on additional work in the backcountry this upcoming season. Over the past couple of years, the organization has adopted a fair amount of wilderness work in the Fossil Ridge and West Elks from the Forest Service.

To help fill in the gaps created by the staff cuts, Hare said he wants to find more ways to empower residents to help care for their public lands.

“The local community will step up. We'll be there to do that project. We will not let it drop. We'll find a way,” Hare said. “I'm after stewardship funding. I'm after more people. How can we get the public engaged to go out on public lands and pick up the slack here? And by doing that, I hope that we show how important they are to us.”

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

continued from A7

A fly fisherman casts a line into an alpine lake near Cataract Gulch outside of Lake City. (Photo by Bella Biondini)

‘The Errors Tour’

The Gunnison Arts Center Blue Box Theatre was packed to the brim for the highly-anticipated opening night of SonofaGunn’s “The Errors Tour” on Feb. 27. Each year, the production encapsulates the ups and downs of valley life into a satirical show full of laughs and inside jokes. The 2025 performance followed the escapades of popsuperstar Taylor “Swiftly” and her boyfriend Travis as they were forced to make a pit stop in Gunnison following the closure of the Blue Mesa bridges.

Skiers and snowboarders ended the Cranor Hill ski season under bluebird skies on Sunday, March 2. There was still plenty of snow to go around despite the sagebrush poking out from underneath.

(Photos by Mariel Wiley)

Mobile veterinary practice proudly serving the Gunnison Valley

Specializing in:

• Animal Chiropractic Care

• Veterinary Acupuncture

• Animal Physical Therapy

• Help any animal with a spine!

Debby Burnett, DVM, PT | 970-396-8666

Schools from A1

brand new library and media center in December. Nearby, the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) program moved into its own dedicated classroom, and a new middle school commons will soon become the lunch area. Renovations will begin this summer on the middle school’s woodshop, and health and life skills rooms as part of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.

The Gunnison High School

Pathways Program has operated out of its own building on campus since 2016, albeit with limited space and facilities. By the start of the 2025-26 school year, the expanded building will be able to accommodate more career disciplines.

With a crane hung overhead, three major external construction phases are currently underway at the Crested Butte Community School. Steel beams above the school’s A-wing will soon house new administrative offices.

The former C-wing and its career education classrooms were torn down last summer to make room for an expanded CTE

suite. The lower level will contain new design, engineering, art and woodshop classrooms, and a common area for students to congregate. The second floor will have new science classrooms. Construction is expected to wrap up around Thanksgiving.

On the south side of campus, the D-wing will soon host a new music room, weight training room and health classrooms. This area will open at the beginning of the next school year.

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

Crested Butte Community School: For years, both elementary and middle schools administrators worked from the same space. The latter group will soon move into their own new offices in the A-wing. This summer, elementary staff will store their classroom decor in the gym while their classrooms are renovated. These segments should be completed by the start of the 2025-26 school year. Expansions also include rooms for a future preschool program, which is slated to open for the 2026-27 school year.

Gunnison High School: Next year, cosmetology students will hone their skills in an expanded salon, while outdoor education students will benefit from more gear storage and trip planning areas. For the first time, culinary and medical students will bring their learning back to the GHS campus, having previously utilized offcampus facilities for class. A brand new commercial kitchen and medical bay will provide learning opportunities with state of the art medical equipment and culinary appliances. The expansion also includes a spacious common area (pictured above) for events. It will have large, glass “garage-door” style windows facing the main campus.

Gunnison Community School: Vacant administrative offices (left) will be removed to create a spacious area for gatherings and events. The newly-rennovated reception area, library and middle school commons greet visitors upon entry. The project expanded the size of the walkway to the middle school wing.

Gunnison Community School: A food serving station will be added across from the new middle school commons, which connects with the library and STEAM classroom.

The Region 10 SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) is a grant-funded program to help you navigate Medicare.

Trained & Certified SHIP Counselors provide help and guidance at no cost to current and soon-to-be Medicare Beneficiaries.

Medicare options can be confusing but… SHIPcan help.

R10 Main SHIP: 970-765-3129

R10 Gunnison SHIP: 970-765-3146

MIPPA (Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers)

If you have limited income and resources, you may qualify for help to pay for the Part D Prescription Drug Plan: https://secure.ssa.gov/i1020/Ee001View.action

SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol)

Potential fraud, claims, problems, or questions? We can help you get answers. Report suspected fraud here: https://smpresource.org/you-can-help/report-fraud

WE NEED YOUR HELP. Become a Region 10 SHIP volunteer. Volunteers are trained and certified as Medicare experts. Find out more at https://www.shiphelp.org/volunteers Register to volunteer at: Region10.net/volunteer REGION 10 SHIP 970-765-3129

This project was supported, in part by grant number 90SAPG0060, 90MPPG0033, 2201COMIAA, 2201COMISH from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship` are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

Who flipped the switch?

It sure looks like somebody flipped a big switch in the sky to end the frigid weather we had in January.

Actually, it has to do with the position of the jet stream, but that’s above my pay grade. The warmer temperatures started in late January when it changed from 22 degrees below zero to one degree below zero on Jan. 26. Prior to that we had a string of 13 days in a row of 20 below or colder.

February 2025 doesn’t quite make it into the top-10 in warmest Februarys, but it sure is a welcome relief, and our Thanksgiving snow is finally shrinking away rapidly. We even had an official 50 degrees on Feb. 7, which missed breaking the record by one degree. Normal high temperatures in early February are in the high 20s and low 30s.

The details for February 2025 are as follows: High temperatures (Tmax) averaged 37.5 degrees compared to the longterm average of 31.2 degrees. The record for Tmax is 48.5 degrees set in 1954. Low temperatures (Tmin) averaged 6 degrees compared to the longterm average of 1.4 degrees below zero. The average temperature was 22.1 degrees, relative to the long-term 14.9. Thus, temperatures were 6-7 degrees above long-term averages. The warmest February

average temperature is 51.4 degrees, set in 1937.

Our February 2025 total of 8 inches of snowfall is close to the long-term average of 9.7 inches, and our moisture content was 0.84 inches compared to the long-term average 0.76 inches. You’ve probably forgotten the snow since it all fell in a couple of days in mid-February. Recall that Gunnison only gets about 10.5 inches of moisture annually, with most of that in July, August and September, and the total includes the winter snow moisture. You might be surprised to learn that February is the second snowiest month up in the Town of Crested Butte with 33.9 inches of snowfall average, although all the winter months’ snowfall totals are close.

(Bruce Bartleson is a retired emeritus professor of geology at Western Colorado University. He spends most of his time now watching the weather.)

Bruce ‘Barometer’ Bartleson Special to the Times

In addition to the warm temperatures, much of the region is experiencing a snow drought. The snowpack in the Upper San Juan Basin, which includes Red Mountain Pass, was 60% of normal on March 4. (Photo by Bella Biondini)

This choir is on fire

The Gunnison Volunteer Fire Department benefit con cert series returned with a choir showcase on Feb. 27. The songsters of Western Colorado University’s Music Department joined together in harmony throughout the evening performance.

Grateful for Gunni gals

The Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce is celebrating Women’s History Month with a “Grateful for Gunni Gals” campaign. Community members can nominate a woman in their lives who has inspired them, who contributes to the health and wellbeing of others or is an “unsung hero.” One of this week’s nominees is Jamee Smith. “I have known Jamee personally and professionally for the last eight years, and she is the most wonderful person,” said Ashley Portmann, who nominated Smith. “She has dedicated herself to caring for others, from her growing family, to her employees, friends, and the animals and animal owners of the Gunnison Valley. She started Peaceful Journeys Pet Cremation to offer support for grieving pet parents and to provide a personal, dignified final journey for pets.” For more information visit gunnisonchamber. com/grateful-for-gunni-gals/.

(Photos by Mariel Wiley)

(Courtesy Ashley Portmann)

GUNNISON WATERSHED SCHOOL DISTRICT

See GWSD website for details gunnisonschools.net

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

HOURLY OPPORTUNITIES

CBES - Permanent Substitute Bus Drivers Food Service Substitute teachers

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

GHS - Social Studies Teacher

GHS/GMS - Band Teacher

GES - Music Teacher

CBSS - Science Teacher

CBSS - Science/Health Teacher

CBSS - English Language Arts Teacher

Pathways Hospitality and Culinary Arts Teacher

Pathways Outdoor Education and Generalist Teacher (1FTE)

COACHING

GHS - Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach (C team)

GHS - Girls’ Diving/ Asst. Swimming coach

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

ID SCULPTURE is a leading designer and manufacturer of commercial playground equipment and public art in Gunnison. We are seeking an Assistant CNC operator to join our team. You’ll be working in a unique fabrication environment using cutting edge digital fabrication equipment. The ideal candidate will have a strong attention to detail, a desire to learn and the ability to work in a fast paced, highly coordinated environment. Some CNC experience is preferred. Full time position with benefits, PTO and opportunities for growth. Starts at $22/hr. Please send your resume and references to hello@idsculpture.com.

ID SCULPTURE IS HIRING: Would you like to make the world’s most creative playgrounds, climbing boulders and interactive art? ID Sculpture designs and manufactures climbing boulders, playground sculptures, and fine art sculptures for parks, schools, and public spaces across the country. We use a combination of technology and traditional methods to create unique interactive environments.

IDS provides secure, year-round indoor and outdoor work in a unique fabrication environment with opportunity for travel and room for advancement. We offer benefits including PTO, healthcare, and retirement. ID Sculpture is an equal opportunity employer.

We are currently seeking: Production Assistant(s) Ideal candidates possess a positive attitude, good work ethic and are eager to learn. Applicants must have physical strength, hand-eye coordination, and endurance. Initial responsibilities are to provide general labor and assist artists, fabricators and shipping departments as needed. Compensation is $22-$27/hr. DOE.

Project Fabricator(s): The ideal candidate for this position has: construction trades experience (min 5 years), welding

GUNNISON COUNTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Patrol Deputy

Sheriff: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, the annual salary range is from $72,397.26 to $102,405.83 plus full benefits.

Take home vehicle & uniform allowance provided by the Sheriff’s Office.

Detention Deputy

Sheriff: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, the annual salary range is from $65,056.55 to $92,022.40 plus full benefits.

Uniform allowance provided by the Sheriff’s Office.

Heavy Equipment Operator

Public Works: Full-Time, 40 hours/ week, hourly range from $23.60 to $31.69 plus full benefits.

Accountant I

Finance: 40 hours/week, hourly range is from $27.84 to $33.84, depending on experience plus full benefits.

Deputy Finance Director

Finance: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range is from $9,071.59 to $11,028.17, depending on experience, plus full benefits.

Community Resource Specialist

HHS: 6 hours/week, hourly range is from $25.01 to $28.48, depending on experience, plus partial benefits.

Administrative Assistant –

Evidence Custodian

Sheriff: 40 hours/week, hourly range is from $22.47 to $25.59, depending on experience, plus full benefits.

Detention Captain

Sheriff: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range is from $6,778.80 to $8,240.87, depending on experience, plus full benefits.

Shop Foreman

Public Works: Full-Time, 40 hours/ week, hourly range from $34.81 to $39.63 plus full benefits.

Public Trustee Specialist

Treasurer: 40 hours/week, hourly range is from $23.60 to $28.69, depending on experience, plus full benefits.

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

CITY OF GUNNISON EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Equipment Operator Full-Time, $60,300-$70,900/yr Operates a variety of City-owned heavy equipment, vehicles and tools in the construction and maintenance of City streets and alleys, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, traffic/street signage and other City infrastructure and services. Drives garbage and recycling trucks with hydraulic lifts on a rotational basis with other team members along designated routes.

Part-Time Openings Lifeguards: $23-$29.33/hr.

The City of Gunnison offers a competitive benefit package, including 75% of medical, dental and vision premiums paid for the employee and their dependents, 5% of gross wages in a retirement plan, 3 weeks of vacation (increasing based on the years of service), 13 paid holidays and 12 days of sick leave per year.

For more information, including complete job descriptions, benefit packages, required job qualifications and application instructions, please visit GunnisonCO.gov/HR.

experience (structural certification required), steel fabrication (min 2 years), the ability to work well with a team, and a positive attitude. Responsibilities are to fabricate various components for standard and custom products using steel and a variety of other materials. Compensation is $26.00$35.00/hr. DOE.

To apply for this unique opportunity, please provide a resumé, cover letter and references to hello@idsculpture.com with the position of interest in the subject line, or drop off your resume at 591 S. Boulevard St. Gunnison CO 81230 Learn more about what we do at idsculpture. com.

PROJECT HOPE OF THE GUNNISON VALLEY seeks a Director of Operations

WESTERN COLORADO UNIVERSITY

seeks applicants for our fully benefitted Custodian I position.

Full-time (40 hours/week). Starting pay rate $18.78/hour. Western’s benefit package includes PERA retirement and medical/dental/vision insurance plans (with generous employer contributions), employee and dependent tuition benefits, paid vacation, paid sick leave, and 11 paid holidays per year. Employees receive basic life insurance and disability insurance at no cost. Employee wellness programs and professional development trainings are available for FREE!

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

UNIVERSIDAD DE WESTERN COLORADO

busca solicitantes para Custodio I ¡Beneficios incluidos!

for a 32 hour/week position to provide bookkeeping and administrative support. To apply, send resume, cover letter, and 3 references to: director@hope4gv.org. See further info on our website at www.hope4gv. org/employment.

GOLDEN EAGLE is looking for CDL and non-CDL drivers. Pay is based on experience. Call 970-641-3230.

QUICK DRAW CEANING is hiring Carpet, Window and Duct cleaning Technicians! Full and part time positions starting in April. Training and beginning wages starting at $24.00/hr. Scan the code for more info.

POLICE OFFICER: The Town of Mt. Crested Butte Police Dept. Full-time $69,876-$90,828/yr. - Performs general law enforcement duties to protect the lives and property of the residents and visitors of the Town of Mt. Crested Butte by enforcing laws and ordinances, preventing, solving and detecting crimes, assisting with emergency services and maintaining peace and order. POST Certification preferred but not required. Opportunity for financial aid for housing. Employer paid health, vision and dental for employee and dependents. For more info go to www.mtcb.colorado.gov/ employement or call 970-349-6516.

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

RECREATION AND CONSERVATION

RANGER: The Recreation and Conservation Ranger will provide recreational users with information about safe and sustainable outdoor recreation; will assist Crested Butte Land Trust staff with maintenance, monitoring and improvements on conserved open spaces and recreation sites; and will conduct and compile surveys of recreational users. The Recreation and Conservation Ranger will possess a diplomatic and engaging character, will enjoy communicating with land users with diverse points of view, and will be comfortable working outdoors in variable weather conditions. The position entails walking long distances and standing for long periods of time in natural areas on a daily basis, and will require regular physical labor, for example trail building, fence repair, and noxious weed control. This is a seasonal (appx. May 31-August 15) full-time (40 hours/week) position based in Crested Butte, Colorado reporting to CBLT’s Stewardship Director. For more information about the Crested Butte Land Trust, please visit cblandtrust. org. A Cover Letter and Resume must be submitted to hiring@cblandtrust.org by April 1, 2025.

The Crested Butte Land Trust is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex,

Tiempo completo (40 horas / semana). Tasa de pago inicial $18.78 / hora. El paquete de beneficios de Western incluye jubilación de PERA, planes de seguro (con generosas contribuciones del empleador para su seguro médico/dental/ de la vista), beneficios de matrícula en la Universidad para empleados y dependientes, vacaciones pagadas, tiempo de descanso pagado para enfermedad y 11 días festivos pagados por año. Los empleados reciben seguro de vida básico y seguro de discapacidad sin costo. ¡Los programas de bienestar para empleados y las capacitaciones de desarrollo profesional están disponibles GRATIS!

Para ver el anuncio de trabajo completo y entregar una solicituda, visite western.edu/ jobs y haga clic en “Ver carreras” (EOE)

Si tiene preguntas, envíe un correo electrónico a HR@western.edu

sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. Pay rate: $21-23 /hour.

SAGUACHE COUNTY is seeking an On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Inspector. This position is responsible for maintaining and enforcing public health regulations relating to the community’s environmental health. Through investigation, inspection, education and enforcement, the On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Inspector takes action to mitigate or eliminate public health hazards. Inspections and investigations occur indoors and outdoors facilities such as residential homes, restaurants, swimming pools, public schools, penal institutions, childcare facilities, nursing homes, body art facilities, cannabis/hemp facilities, campgrounds, mobile home parks, public accommodations, bars/ lounges, etc. On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Inspectors are assigned primary responsibilities in specific environmental programs but are required to possess knowledge of all programs in order to respond to public health emergencies. Salary to be determined on experience starting at $37,000/year. Applicants must have a valid Colorado Drivers License, must pass a criminal background check as well as a pre-employment drug test.

The County Employee benefit package includes vision, dental and health insurance coverage, paid time off, 12 holidays per year, and a generous 401k retirement plan.

The employment application and job description can be found on www. saguachecounty.colorado.gov, picked up at the Saguache County Administration Office, 505 3rd Street, Saguache, CO or can be emailed to you, please contact April Quintana at 719-655-2231.

Completed applications can be hand delivered to the Saguache County Public Health, Attention Mona Lovato, 505 3rd Street, mailed to PO Box 68, Saguache, CO 81149 or emailed to mlovato@

saguachecounty-co.gov. Applications will be accepted until filled. Saguache County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

THE TOWN OF CRESTED BUTTE is looking for a Facility Property Manager.

Qualifications: high school diploma or equivalent and five (5) years of property management or relevant work experience. The preferred candidate will have a college degree, some college, or trade school. Must possess a valid Colorado Driver’s License or obtain one within thirty (30) days of employment. This is a full-time position with benefits. Starting pay is $73,815 - $88,578 DOQ. Benefits include fully subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance. Paid holidays, vacation time, sick time, disability insurance, life insurance, and retirement are also position benefits. Full job description is available on the Town’s website at www. townofcrestedbutte.com. Please submit application to Town of Crested Butte, Attn: Human Resources, PO Box 39, Crested Butte, CO 81224 or email 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 a Restaurant Manager. This is a full-time year-round position with medical, retirement, and vacation benefits. The annual salary range is $65,000 to $70,000 DOE. For more information or to submit a resume please visit: theclubatcrestedbutte.com.

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

BE PART OF THE LOCAL ART MOVEMENT: The Paragon Gallery is always accepting applications for local artists to potentially become a working member of the gallery or as a Guest Artist. Currently, we are looking for a Floor Display Artist to become a full member starting this summer. The application deadline for this jurying is March 27. Hurry in! Jurying will start after 3 p.m. on April 2, 2025. Applications can be picked up at the Paragon Art Gallery, 132 Elk Ave., Crested Butte. Or print out an application at Paragonartgallery.com. Fill it in and bring it to the Gallery. We are open seven days a week 11 a.m.-7 p.m..

GVRHA IS HIRING a FT/PT Bilingual Receptionist and/or Office Manager. Bilingual is a requirement for the Receptionist role and preferred for the Office Manager position. Pay is $20-$26/hour depending on experience and responsibilities, and position can be FT or PT. Office experience, and computer proficiency is required. If you are interested in working with a highly engaged, compassionate and fun team, and want to help us make a difference in housing our community members, visit https://gvrha. org/join-our-team/ for more information. Excellent benefits for FT permanent employees.

THE TOWN OF CRESTED BUTTE

is hiring a Building Inspector/Energy Efficiency Analyst to join the Community Development team. This position will ensure building code compliance, review plans and permits, manage energy efficiency programs, and enforce building regulations. Candidates with construction management experience may qualify for a highergrade role involving design, planning, and construction management support for Town facilities. Must have or be able to obtain ICC Residential Building Inspector certification within one year with the ability to earn additional certifications. The hiring range for this position is $67,105 - $80,526 (Base), or $73,815 - $88,578 (With Construction Management). 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. Full job description is available on the Town’s website at www.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.

PROJECT HOPE OF THE GUNNISON VALLEY seeks a Bilingual Advocate for a 25-27 hour/week position to serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and/or stalking. To apply, send resume, cover letter, and 3 references to: director@hope4gv.org. See further info on our website at hope4gv.org/employment.

ADAPTIVE SPORTS CENTER SUMMER

INSTRUCTOR: The Adaptive Sports Center is seeking qualified adaptive instructors to facilitate exceptional adaptive sport and recreation activities for the 2025 Summer Season. Pay ranges from $21-$30/hour based on experience. Benefits for full time seasonal staff include pro-forms, certification and membership dues, exam reimbursement, paid sick days, 5-day stipend and a 401(k) match. More information and summer application is at https://www.adaptivesports. org/careers . Applications are due March 15.

SEASONAL POSITION OPENINGS: The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District is seeking two temporary, seasonal restoration technicians to help implement projects for the Wet Meadows Restoration Program. These positions will be responsible

for implementing various restoration projects and treatments in the Upper Gunnison Basin sagebrush ecosystem. Crew members must be comfortable working in remote field settings, operating 4WD vehicles over rugged terrain, doing physically intense labor, and working in settings where there are ticks, mosquitoes, and extreme weather. Bachelor’s degree or current enrollment in hydrology, natural resource management, watershed management, or related field is required. Hourly pay is $21.00/hr. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and two references to: aaulenbach@ugrwcd.org. Visit https://ugrwcd.org/wet-meadowsprogram/ for more information.

THE TOWN OF MT CRESTED BUTTE is looking for a full time, year around, parks worker. This position has a wide range of duties from landscaping, maintaining playgrounds, cleaning up after events, installing and repairing sprinkler systems, operating chain saws, vehicles, power and hand tools, light equipment such as skid steer and lawn mowers, snow removal in the winter with hand shoveling, ice picking and using a bob cat. For a full job description please go to www.mtcb.colorado. gov. Schedule is 4 – 10 hours days with one weekend day in the winter required. Overtime is required based on weather and snow storms. Must have a seven-year clean driving record, the ability to obtain your flagger certification, safety lift 80 pounds, good customer service, communication and team work skills, ability to work outside in the winter and summer for an extended period of time. Starting pay is between $44,000 and $66,000, depending on experience. The Town offers an amazing benefit package with paid health, vision and dental insurance for you and your family, 401(1) or pension plan, 12 paid holidays, generous vacation and sick time, wellness program and more. Contact Addison Ives at aives@mtcb.colorado.gov with any questions. To apply email your resume, cover letter and three references to Tiffany O’Connell at toconnell@mtcb. colorado.gov

BE PART OF THE LOCAL ART

MOVEMENT: The Paragon Gallery is always accepting applications for local artists to potentially become a working member of the gallery or as a guest artist. Currently we are looking for a floor display artist starting this summer. The application deadline for this jurying is March 29. Hurry in! Applications can be picked up at the Paragon Art Gallery, 132 Elk Ave., Crested Butte, Colorado. Open 7 days a week 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Application available at paragonartgallery.com.

POWERSTOP is looking for head cook.

Pay is $50,000 minimum, position also offers paid time off and health insurance reimbursement. Pay is based on 40 hours a week. Applications must be able to work mornings or evenings and weekends. Resumes to be in a sealed envelope attention Sean. Drop off at Powerstop.

LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE IN CB

SOUTH is hiring a full-time teacher! This position is with 4 year olds and there is lots of potential to sub in other classrooms to create a full time position. This is a wonderful family environment with fabulous kids and teachers! Creativity, flexibility, and calmness under pressure are traits that help with success in this job. Multiple ways to grow in the field. Great pay, huge benefits, and year round stable employment. Please inquire with resume and interest letter to lilredschoolhouse1@gmail.com.

SGM’S GUNNISON OFFICE is currently seeking a full-time seasonal Survey Field Technician to join our team. The Survey team specializes in a variety of Surveys such as: ALTA’s, LSP’s, Topographic Surveys, Subdivision Plats, Improvement Survey Plats, Property and Easement Descriptions, and Exhibits and for both public and private sector clients.

Job Requirements:

- Valid Driver’s License w/ ability to pass - -Motor Vehicle Record check

- Physically capable of performing typical land surveying tasks including the ability to carry 50+ lbs. of survey gear through mountainous terrain

-NAbility to work independently or as part of a crew

- Motivated problem solver

- Proven ability to work as part of a team to successfully deliver projects in a fastpaced, deadline-driven environment; good communication skills

- Ability to work long hours when needed with occasional out of town travel

- Working knowledge of Microsoft

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

- Trimble software and hardware experience

- Basic understanding of coordinate systems

Survey Technician I or II (2-5 yrs): $27.60$38.60/hr.

Survey Technician III (4-10 yrs): $38.60$44.10/hr. sgm-inc.com/join-our-team/

GUNNISON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:

The Chamber is an organization dedicated to helping businesses succeed in the Gunnison Valley and are seeking our next Executive Director to lead us into the future. Apply by March 7th!

We’re looking for someone who’s a: - Leader and passionate about helping businesses thrive and reach their goals - Connector of people and facilitator of ideas, education, and resources

- Relationship builder for all members and potential members - Organizer and diligent manager of all chamber operations This position acts as the managing director of the organization and is responsible for the overall direction of the organization in accordance with its vision and mission. This includes chamber program, finances, resource development, human resources, member services, communications and board development. The Executive Director works under the guidance of the Board of Directors. The pay range is $57-62k.

REAL ESTATE

235 N. MAIN REAR SPACE with great features in floor, fireplace gas burning, private office, entrance from Rear , will divide 1400 s.f. fro $1,400. 847-769-7800 or liskorinternational@gmail.com.

PRIME RETAIL SPACE NEXT TO CITY MARKET IN GUNNISON: 1,500 sq. ft. of prime ground floor retail space available in the Meadows Mall next to City Market in Gunnison - Huge parking lot, tons of foot traffic, excellent 135 highway visibility - Rent is $2,750/month NNN - For more information, call Jordon Ringel at 817-7336947 or visit GunnisonMeadows.com.

VERY PROFITABLE RESTAURANT AND BAR FOR SALE IN GUNNISON: Large seating capacity and centrally located. Financials available for serious buyers only. Call 970-989-8577.

(Discussion, Healthy Finances)

■Mrs. Tia Mills, Director of Finance

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

■ Artaic Group: Chris Guarino, John Usery, Ryan Smelker, Matt Prinster,Austin Rosenthal

c.Consider approval of the 20252026 District Calendar (ACTION, SuccessfulStudents, Strong Employees, Engaged Community)

■ Dr. Leslie Nichols, Superintendent

d.School Board Policies

■ GBFG - Federally-Mandated Family and Medical Leave (Discussion,Strong Employees)

First reading of policy

■ JBB - Sexual Harassment Under Title IX and Other ProhibitedMisconduct of a Sexual Nature (Discussion, Successful Students,Strong Employees)

First reading of policy

■ AC - Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity

Regulations AC-R-1, AC-R-2,AC-R-3 (Discussion, Successful Students, Strong Employees, EngagedCommunity) Notification of updates

e.Other Administrative Report Items(Information, All)

■ Dr. Leslie Nichols, Superintendent 9.Items introduced by Board Members (Discussion, All) 10.Board committee reports (Information, All)

a.Board/Student Engagement - Dr. Coleman

b.School Board Policy - Mrs. Brookhart and Dr. Coleman

c.Executive Committee for Bond Project - Mr. Martineau

d.Superintendent Evaluation- Mrs. Brookhart and Dr. Coleman

e.District Accountability Committee (DAC)

f.School Accountability Committees (SAC)

GHS - Dr. Coleman

GCS - Mrs. Brookhart

Legals

AGENDA

Regular Meeting March 10, 2025 5:30 p.m.

Lake School Conference Room

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

1.Call to order

2.Roll call

3.Pledge of Allegiance

4.Approval of agenda (ACTION, All)

5.Commendations and celebrations (Information, Successful Students, StrongEmployees)

6.Public comment (Information, Engaged Community)

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

7.Consent agenda (ACTION, All) Items in the consent agenda are considered routine and will be enacted under onemotion. There will not be separate discussion of these items prior to the time the boardvotes unless a Board Member requests an item be removed from the grouping forseparate consideration.

a.Board of Education Minutes

■ February 10, 2025 Regular Meeting

■ February 13, 2025 Special Meeting

b.Finance: Approve for payment, as presented by the Director of Finance,warrants as indicated:

■ General Account # 44813-44915

■ Payroll Direct Deposit # 64180-64581

c.Personnel

■ Kim Fuller-Transfer to Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent

■ Britta Hubbard-Return from LOA-GMS

■ Chris Kruthaupt-Return from LOA-GMS

■ Mary Mahoney-Return from LOA-CBES

■ Stephanie Fischer-One year LOA requestKindergarten-CBES(2025-2026 school year)

■ Mary Nordberg-Transition-GMS (2025-26 school year)

■ Janet Welsh-Crossley-Transition-GHS (2025-26 school year)

■ Jill Murphy-Resignation-1st grade-GES (end of 2024-25 school year)

■ Kristy Ratliff-Resignation-Secondary Science-CBSS (end of 2024-25school year)

■ Jordyn Johnson-Resignation-4th gradeCBES (end of 2024-25 schoolyear)

■ Andria Thornhill-Resignation-Special Services Office Manager

8.Items for information, discussion, and action a.Second Quarter Financial Update

schedule (Information, Engaged Community) a.March 24, 2025Work Session@5:30pmGUN b.April 7, 2025Regular Meeting@5:30pmGUN c.April 21, 2025Work Session@5:30pmGUN d.May 5, 2025Regular Meeting@5:30pmGUN e.May 19, 2025Regular Meeting/Proposed Budget@5:30pm-GUN 12.Adjournment

Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado Publication date of March 6. 2025 16412

NOTICE OF BUDGET

Town of Pitkin Notice of Budget Amendment Notice is hereby given that the Town of Pitkin Board of Trustees intends to amend the Town of Pitkin 2025 Budget. Contact thetownofpitkin@gmail.com for a copy of the proposed amendment. Such amendment will be considered at regular meeting of the Town of Pitkin Board of Trustees to be held at the Newcomb Community Center, 801 State Street, Pitkin, CO on March 17, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. A public hearing will occur at the meeting prior to a decision by the Board. Any interested elector of the Town of Pitkin may inspect the proposed budget amendment and file or register any objections thereto at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget amendment.

Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado Publication date of March 6, 2025 16415

CBCS - Mr. Martineau

g.Gunnison County Education Association Negotiations - Mr. VanderVeer

h.Gunnison County Education Association 3x3 - Mr. VanderVeer

i.Fund 26 - Dr. Coleman

j.Gunnison Memorial Scholarship - Mrs. Brookhart

k.Health Insurance Committee - Mr. VanderVeer

l.Housing Advisory Committee-Mr. VanderVeer

m.Gunnison Valley Education FoundationDr. Coleman 11.Upcoming agenda items and meeting

NOTICE OF NAME CHANGE

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Public Notice is given on March 3, 2025 that a Petition for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Gunnison Combined Court.

The Petition requests that the name of ARYSSA JANE FAIRLESS be changed to ARYSSA JANE GERRITY

Heidi Duryea

Clerk of Court

/s/ Heidi Duryea

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado

Publication dates of March 6, 13 and 20, 2025 16413

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of CRAIG ERWIN ANDERSEN Deceased

Case Number 2025PR30006

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of GUNNISON County, Colorado on or before July 6,, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.

AARON J. HUCKSTEP, ATTY.

ATTORNEY FOR APPLICANT

PO BOX 2958

CRESTED BUTTE, CO 81224

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado

Publication dates of March 6, 13 and 20, 2025 16366

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Gene Leon Mason

a/k/a Gene L. Mason

a/k/a Gene Mason, Deceased

Case Number 2025PR30004

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Gunnison, County, Colorado on or before June 23, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Barbara J. Mason

Personal Representative of the Estate of Gene Leon Mason

a/k/a Gene L. Mason a/k/a Gene Mason 50 Sandpiper Trail Gunnison, CO 81230

Please contact through counsel: Jacob A. With, Atty. #:40546 Law of the Rockies

525 N. Main Street Gunnison, CO 81230 970-641-1903 ex. 2

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado

Publication dates of February 20, 27 and March 6, 2025 16251

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The Estate of Paul E. Sammons, a/k/a Paul Edward Sammons, P.E. Sammons, and Paul Sammons, Deceased, Case Number 2025 PR 30005.

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Gunnison, County, Colorado on or before June 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Edward P. Sammons, Personal Representative

c/o Law Office of Robert M. O’Hayre, LLC

P.O. Box 179 Gunnison, CO 81230

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado

Publication dates of February 20, 27 and March 6, 2025 16256

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Neal Frederick Brady Deceased

Case Number 2025PR

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Gunnison County, Colorado on or before July 6, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.

Neal D. Brady

765 Madouse Ct. Whitmore Lake, Michigan 48189

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado.

Publication dates of March 6, 13 and 20, 2025

16365

PUBLIC HEARING

CITY OF GUNNISON NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT, pursuant to Sections 6.7 and 12.5 of the Land Development Code of the City of Gunnison, Colorado, a public hearing will be held at the hour of 7:00 p.m. on the 26th day of March, 2025 in the City Council Chambers, Gunnison Municipal Building, 201 West Virginia Avenue, Gunnison, Colorado on the merits of Major Subdivision application, Sketch Plan, SB 25-1, submitted by the Western Colorado University Foundation and represented by the City of Gunnison to subdivide one parcel into two lots. The property is legally described as: A portion of Tract B lying west of the west line of the southwest quarter of Section 31, Wilson Subdivision, Reception No. 459307, City of Gunnison, Gunnison County, Colorado.

AT WHICH TIME AND PLACE you may attend and give testimony, if you so desire. The public may attend Public Hearings and Regular and Special Sessions in person or remotely.

To attend the meeting remotely go to: https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/82125056573?pwd=wp 5Hg769TqQunn6It0rCstXDvZ2Q EZ.1

City of Gunnison, Colorado Planning and Zoning Commission /s/ Andie Ruggera, Senior Planner

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado Publication date of March 6, 2025

16383

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION TOWN OF PITKIN

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Pitkin, Colorado will hold a special election on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. This election is for the purpose of electing one candidate to fill a vacancy in the position of Mayor.

Candidates are: Tom Gibb and Ed Pianalto.

The election is to be held as a polling place election. The polling location is at the Newcomb Community Center located at 801 State Street in Pitkin CO. Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

To be eligible to vote in this election, you must be at least 18 years of age; be a citizen of the United States; have been a resident of the Town of Pitkin for at least 22 days preceding the election, and registered to vote on Election Day.

Absentee ballots may be requested at Town Hall during regular business hours.

For questions, please contact Judy Egbert at GovPro@outlook.com; or by calling Town Hall at 720/382-5500.

Judy Egbert

Designated Election Official

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado Publication date of March 6, 2025 16414

MEETING NOTICE

Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District

Board of Directors Meeting

Monday, March 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM

The Board of Directors of the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District (UGRWCD) will conduct a regular board meeting on Monday, March 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM at the UGRWCD Offices, 210 W. Spencer Ave., Suite A, Gunnison, CO 81230 and via Zoom video/teleconferencing. Please call (970)641-6065 for the Zoom meeting link or with any questions.

Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado Publication date of March 6, 2025 16379

REQUEST FOR BIDS

INVITATION TO BID

Sealed proposals will be received at the Offices of Sopris Engineering, LLC, 502 Main Street, Suite A3, Carbondale, Colorado 81623, until 5:00 P.M., Monday, March 31, 2025, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud, for the furnishing of all materials, labor and equipment in performing all operations necessary for the Ragged Mountain Fire District Dry Hydrants. Construction is anticipated to begin and finish prior to October 31st, 2025.

Plans and specifications may be inspected at the Offices of Sopris Engineering, LLC, 502 Main Street, Suite A3, Carbondale, Colorado 81623, or Ragged Mountain Fire

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CHANGES IN CITY OF GUNNISON ELECTRIC RATES 2025 PROPOSED RATES

Pursuant to Sections 40-3.5-104(1) and (2) C.R.S., the City Council of the City of Gunnison hereby gives notice of a Public Hearing to be held on proposed changes to the City of Gunnison Electric Rates. The Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 5:30 PM, in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 201 West Virginia Avenue, Gunnison, Colorado 81230. Each municipal utility customer shall have the right to appear, personally or through counsel, at this hearing for the purpose of providing testimony regarding the proposed new schedule. Copies of this proposed rate are available for inspection at the City Clerk’s Office, 201 West Virginia Avenue, Gunnison, Colorado during regular business hours. The proposed electric rates are as follows:

Protection District office at 3688 Highway 133, Somerset, Co 81434 and are available Friday, February 28th, 2025.

Each proposal must be accompanied by a bid bond or certified check in the amount of 5% of the bid proposal. The Proposal Guarantees accompanying the three lowest proposals may be held until the Contract is awarded, provided this period does not exceed sixty calendar days. The Proposal Guarantees accompanying the other proposals will be returned promptly after the bid prices have been compared.

On-site pre-bid will be held on Monday, March 17, 2025. The first meeting will be held at 9:00 A.M. the GORDON Property site on County Road 265, in Gunnison County. The second meeting will be held immediately following, at the GRIFFIN Property site at 433 County Road 77, in Gunnison County. Attendance at the on-site meetings is a qualification for contract award. Failure to attend will result in an incomplete bid proposal. Maps to both sites will be included with the plans and specifications.

This solicitation for bids may be canceled by the Owner, and any bid of proposal may be rejected in whole or in part for good cause when in the best interests of the Owner. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or accept what is, in its judgement, the best bid. If a contract is awarded, it will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, whose bid is deemed by the Owner to be in the best interests of the projects.

The Proposal and Proposal Guarantees must be placed in one envelope securely sealed therein and labeled: “Bid Proposal for Ragged Mountain Fire District Dry Hydrants”.

Qualification for Award

Demonstrated record of successful and timely completion of work awarded during the last 5 years.

Experience shall include water pipe, fire hydrant and underground large concrete vaults, and associated materials and appurtenances.

Demonstrated ability to bond projects of this extent and nature.

Attendance at pre-bid conferences on site, at the GORDON site at 9:00 A.M. (MDT) and also at the GRIFFIN site immediately

In order to receive an award for the above construction, the contractor must have successfully met the requirements of prequalification as described herein. Bids received from bidders who are not prequalified will not be opened. A contractor must possess adequate tenacity, perseverance, experience, integrity, reliability, capacity, facilities, equipment, and credit. The determination of whether a contractor possesses these criteria is at the sole discretion of the Owner. Additional criteria for pre-qualification are as follows and must be delivered to Sopris Engineering, LLC, no later than 5:00 P.M., Monday, March 24th 2025. Satisfactory completion of a similar contract for water pipeline, fire hydrant an underground large storage tank requirements of Criteria 1 through 4 inclusive.

following, on Monday, March 17th 2025.

Gunnison Country Times

Gunnison, Colorado Publication dates of February 27 and March 6, 2025 16350

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Mt. Crested Butte Playground

Introduction: The Town of Mt. Crested Butte is seeking proposals from qualified contractors/ vendors for the design and construction of a new playground at the Ted Scheske Town Park. The objective is to create a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment for children of all abilities to play, learn, and interact. The new playground will enhance the community space and provide a valuable recreational area for visitors and families. This is currently the

only playground area in the town of Mt. Crested Butte. Proposals are due March 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM (MST). Question Deadline is March 1, 2025at 5:00 PM (MST). For any questions or to submit a proposal please contact Addison Ives at aives@mtcb. colorado.gov or 970-349-6632. Please go to https://mtcb.colorado.gov/request-forproposals for more information.

Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado Publication dates of January 30, February 13 and March 6, 2025 16089

SUMMONS

DISTRICT COURT, GUNNISON COUNTY, COLORADO

Address: 200 East Virginia Avenue Gunnison, Colorado 81230

(970) 642-8300

Plaintiff: SAW CONTRACTING LLC, a Colorado limited liability company,

v. Defendants: ADAM MASONBRINK

Case No. 2024CV30050

Attorneys for Plaintiffs: HUCKSTEP LAW, LLC

Aaron J. Huckstep, Atty Reg No. 39898

426 Belleview Ave, Unit 303 P.O. Box 2958 Crested Butte, CO 81224

Telephone: (970) 349-2009

Facsimile: (970) 797-1023

E-mail: huck@hucksteplaw.com

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

TO THE DEFENDANT NAMED ABOVE:

You are summoned and required to file with the Clerk of this Court an Answer or other response to the attached Complaint. If

service of the Summons and Complaint was made upon you within the State of Colorado, you are required to file your Answer or other response within twenty-one (21) days after such service upon you. If service of the Summons and Complaint was made upon you outside of the State of Colorado, you are required to file your Answer or other response within thirty-five (35) days after such service upon you.

If you fail to file your Answer or other response to the Complaint in writing within the applicable time period, judgment by default may be entered against you by the Court for the relief demanded in the Complaint, without any further notice.

The following documents are also served herewith:

District Court Civil Cover Sheet Complaint Exhibit A to Complaint

This Summons is issued pursuant to Rule 4, C.R.C.P., as amended. A copy of the Complaint must be served with this Summons. This form should not be

Kids in a candy store

Gunnison High School students ditched their hoodies and sweatpants for glitzy gowns and suits at the annual Winter Ball on Feb. 28. The teens enjoyed an evening of socializing with friends and dancing to 2000s hip-hop and pop hits at the Candyland-themed soiree.

Faith Directory

Bethany Church

909 N Wisconsin St.

(behind Powerstop) • 970-641-2144

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

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

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

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

B'nai Butte Jewish Congregation

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

Serving the Jewish communities of Crested Butte, Gunnison and surrounging areas.

Sunday 3/9/25, 3-5 PM; Purim Family Hamantaschen Class at Cake Me Away Friday 3/14/25, 6-8PM; Shabbatluck, pls bring a dish/drink to share, in Gunnison

Saturday 3/15/25, 10:30 AM-12 noon: “Kibbitz with the Rabbi” at the Daily Dose in CB

Saturday 3/15/25, 2-5PM, Purim Glow Dance Party, Crested Butte

For more details and locations go to bnaibutte.org

Spititual leader: Rabbi Mark Kula is available for you at RabbiMarkKula@gmail.com bnaibutte.org

Community Church of Gunnison

107 N. Iowa • 970-641- 0925

Pastor Larry Nelson

Sunday Morning Worship 9:30 a.m.

Weekend Services 9:30 a.m.

Nursery & Age-Graded Ministry

Weekly Student Ministry

Weekly Adult LifeGroups

Office Hours: Mon-Thurs, 9-4

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

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

Transforming Lives • Building Community

First Baptist Church

120 N. Pine St. • 970-641-2240

Pastor Jonathan Jones

SUNDAY

Sunday School at 10 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship at 11 a.m.

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

WEDNESDAY (during school year)

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

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

Gunnison

Congregational Church

United Church of Christ

317 N. Main St. • 970-641-3203

Open and Affirming

Whole Earth · Just Peace Sunday, 10 a.m. Casual, Relaxed, “Come As You Are” Worship gunnisonucc.org

Trinity Baptist Church

523 N. Pine St. • 970-641-1813

Senior Pastor - Joe Ricks Sunday Service 9:30 a.m.

Adult Bible Study 8 a.m. trinitybaptistsgunnison.com

Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church

711 N. Main • 970-641-1860

Senior Pastor Robert Carabotta

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

Adult Sunday School – Sunday 9 a.m.

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

Starting March 5 - Wednesday night service at 7pm.

St. Peter’s Catholic Church

300 N. Wisconsin • 970-641-0808

Fr. Andres Ayala-Santiago gunnisoncatholic.org crestedbuttecatholic.org or call the Parish Office.

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

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

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

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

Church in the Barn

8007 County Road 887

Waunita Hot Springs Ranch • 970-641-8741

Sundays, 10:30 a.m.

Non Denominational Come as you are.

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.

The Good Samaritan Episcopal Church

307 W. Virginia Ave. • 970-641-0429

Rev. Laura Osborne, Vicar First Sunday of each month –11 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Alternating at Good Samaritan and All Saints in the Mountains

Check our websites for location

Second Sunday-Fifth Sunday –9 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II Children’s Sunday school –2nd and 4th Sundays, monthly Office hours: M-TH 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Taize – 1st Wednesday, monthly - 7 p.m. goodsamaritangunnison.org

Visit our partnership church: All Saints in the Mountains, Crested Butte Meeting Second-Fifth Sundays at 5 p.m., Holy Eucharist, Rite II 403 Maroon Ave, Crested Butte

Visit our website for location of 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist, First Sunday of each month allsaintsinthemountains.org

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Gunnison Branch 810 N 11th St. 970-648-4804

Sacrament Meeting 10 a.m.

Attending church each Sunday is a respite from fast-paced daily living. Join us to worship God, strengthen your spiritual connections, and focus on Jesus. Worship with a community of people who are trying to be more Christlike and learn from each other.

(Photos by Abby Harrison)

Lights & Sirens

GUNNISON POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT

FEBRUARY 26

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE: PARAPHERNALIA, POSSESSION — 1099 N. 11TH ST.

ANIMAL - VICIOUS / DANGEROUS - MUNICIPAL — 120 FLORESTA ST. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — E. TOMICHI AVE.

FEBRUARY 27

SEXUAL ASSAULT: NON-CONSENSUAL

CRIMINAL TRESPASS: SECOND DEGREE - VEHICLE — 412 E. TOMICHI AVE.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS - MUNICIPAL — 400 E. TOMICHI AVE. INFORMATION — N. TELLER ST. THEFT-LESS THAN $100: SHOPLIFTING — 900 N. MAIN ST.

DISTURBING THE PEACE — 600 N. COLORADO ST. WARRANT SERVICE - OTHER JURISDICTION — 801 SUNNY SLOPE

DR.

FAILURE TO APPEAR-OTHER JURISDICTION — 134 E. TOMICHI AVE.

FEBRUARY 28

THEFT OF LICENSE PLATE — 350 N. PITKIN ST. WELFARE ASSIST — 412 E. TOMICHI AVE.

TOBACCO VIOLATION - UNLAWFUL POSSESSION RE1J — 800 W. OHIO AVE.

THEFT OF LICENSE PLATE — 350 N. PITKIN ST.

WELFARE ASSIST — 720 N. IOWA ST.

VIOLATION OF PROTECTION ORDER: CRIMINAL ORDER — 1125 N. MAIN ST.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL - PER SE 0.08 — 100 N. IOWA ST.

MARCH 1

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — 312 E. TOMICHI AVE.

UNSECURE PREMISES — 102 S. MAIN ST. AGENCY ASSIST — 490 CURECANTI DR.

INFORMATION — 700 N. COLORADO ST. FALSE REPORTING: FALSE INFORMATION — N. 9TH ST.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

- ALCOHOL — W. SPENCER AVE.

ANIMAL - NUISANCE ABATEMENT - MUNICIPAL — 1012 N. 12TH ST.

ANIMAL: RUNNING AT LARGE IN PUBLIC — 400 N. PITKIN ST.

INFORMATION — 1010 W. VIRGINIA AVE.

MARCH 2

WELFARE ASSIST — 600 N. COLORADO ST.

INFORMATION — 1500 W. TOMICHI AVE.

PROPERTY - FOUND — W. DENVER AVE.

VIOLATION OF PROTECTION

ORDER: CRIMINAL ORDER — 806 N. COLORADO ST.

MARCH 3

TRAFFIC - NPOI — 201 W. VIRGINIA AVE.

DISTURBING THE PEACE — 600 N. COLORADO ST.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — W. BIDWELL AVE.

WELFARE ASSIST — N. COLORADO ST.

PROPERTY - FOUND — 1000 N. 12TH ST.

MARCH 4

FRAUD - INFORMATION / WIRE — N. COLORADO ST. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE - ALCOHOL — 400 W. TOMICHI AVE.

GUNNISON COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORT

FEBRUARY 26

-Information – Paper Service

-Warrant arrest – in county

February 27

-Agency assist to emergency medical services

FEBRUARY 28

-Information – welfare check

MARCH 1

-Warrant arrest – in county

-Agency assist to delta county sheriff’s office

-Information - dispute

MARCH 3

-Careless driving report

At Gunnison Valley Orthopedics, our Total Joint Program offers shoulder, hip, ankle and knee replacements to help you

YOUR FREEDOM:

Robotic Precision: Our surgeons use Zimmer Biomet’s ROSA® Knee System for robotic-assisted knee replacements, ensuring optimal implant positioning and personalized care.

Tailored Treatment: We replace diseased knee bone with a prosthesis that mimics natural movement, helping you enjoy a pain-free, active life.

TV Viewership Survey

to present the survey results and the

DOES YOUR HOUSEHOLD USE METREC

The Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District (MetRec) faces numerous

At the MetRec November 2024 Regular Board Meeting, The Board approved entering Phase 1 of the TV Translator Operations Policy. The goals of Phase 1 include conducting a district-wide survey to determine the number of households currently using MetRec TV, calculating the estimated cost to continue over-the-air

Avian abodes

CO Bluebird Project chapter launches in Gunnison

Mariel Wiley Times Photo Editor

The 1979 book “Birds of Colorado’s Gunnison Country,” describes the male mountain bluebird as a “piece of the sky clipped out and fallen to earth.” Indeed, this species’ azure plumage is the namesake for the sunny “bluebird” days that stretch overhead throughout Gunnison’s long winters.

After several decades of population decline due to habitat loss, the Colorado mountain bluebird is on the rise. This recovery, in part, is due to the efforts of the Colorado Bluebird Project. When the bluebirds migrate north to the valley this spring, they’ll find a plethora of new suitable nesting sites thanks to a new Gunnison chapter of the project.

Mountain bluebirds are small, migratory thrushes that can be found throughout the southwestern reaches of

Colorado. These birds are cavity nesters, relying on pre-existing nooks and crannies inside rocks, tree trunks and manmade structures. Adult females are mostly gray with bluetipped wings and tails, while the males sport a vibrant cerulean and white coat that makes them a popular species.

Before the turn of the century, the mountain bluebird population was in decline across the western United States due to intense competition for scarce nesting sites, said Colorado Bluebird Project chairman Kevin Corwin. Erratic temperature fluctuations can also impact breeding behaviors and the availability of juniper berries. These berries are the species’ sole source of nutrition before the emergence of insects later in the summer.

“Many of these things are way out of our control,” Corwin said. “The one thing we can control is giving these birds safe places to nest.”

In the 1980s, this sentiment inspired the late Lake City resident Helmut Quiram to build hundreds of bluebird boxes between the north end of Lake City along Hwy. 149, up to Blue Mesa Reservoir, on what he

called the Lake Fork Bluebird Trail. These boxes are estimated to fledge upward of 500 bluebirds each year. By 2002, the conservation momentum had expanded statewide with the formation of the Colorado Bluebird Project, an initiative of Denver Audubon. Since its inception, local chapters of the project have recruited volunteers throughout the state to build, maintain and collect data from their own nest boxes.

Thorough box maintenance involves multiple check-ins each week. Citizen scientists must carefully observe each box’s surroundings, and effectively “read the tea leaves” or clues that indicate each box’s chances of success, Corwin said. This includes ensuring that no pests or predators, such as bull snakes or bears, can access the avian sanctuaries, and cleaning out dust or debris that accumulate while the birds are out of town.

The observers are also encouraged to input their findings into the NestWatch app, a platform run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that feeds global data on bird populations back

GUNNISON COUNTRY TIMES • THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2025

Adult male mountain bluebirds are adored by many for their vibrant blue coloring. (Courtesy Kristen Breeden)

Volunteers learned how to build bird boxes during workshops at Western Colorado University on Feb. 18 and 20. (Courtesy Julie Donahue/Gunnison Bluebird Project)

We have one board member seat available to serve through November, 2025. Interested parties may submit a letter of interest and résumé until Friday, March 21, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.

Bluebirds from B1

to scientists.

In late 2023, a small group of volunteers revived the Lake City chapter of the Colorado Bluebird Project. The Bureau of Land Management Gunnison Field Office had approached Hinsdale county commissioner Kristie Borcher with a desire to restore Quiram’s bluebird nest box trail. The boxes, although numerous, had mostly fallen into disrepair following Quiram’s death years prior.

Tenemos un puesto disponible para servir siendo miembro del Consejo Escolar hasta noviembre del 2025. Las personas interesadas pueden enviar una carta de interés y currículum vitae a no más tardar del 21 de marzo del 2025 a las 3:00 p.m.

Judy Boyce, longtime resident of Lake City and an avid birder, was writing a regular column about local birds for the Lake City Silver World newspaper when she heard about the initiative. She published a column seeking volunteers, which brought Hector Gomez and Melanie Miller into the fold.

Since then, the trio have built and installed over 100 new boxes along the Lake Fork Bluebird Trail. They continue to maintain these and many of Quiram’s old boxes to this day, always eager to train new bird enthusiasts and champion the idea that their work can make a difference, Boyce said.

In February, the new

Gunnison Bluebird Project held its first few meetings to plan for the upcoming bluebird season. The group is working with Western Colorado University and the Rocky Mountain Bird Conservatory to take over management of preexisting bird boxes throughout the valley.

Board members and volunteers will also spend the next few weeks installing more than 30 new boxes valley-wide in preparation for the bluebirds’ return. Later this month, the group will host training workshops in Gunnison and Crested Butte for a new set of volunteers.

Down the line, the group hopes to establish enough boxes to connect with the Lake Fork Bluebird Trail, extending the line of boxes all the way from Lake City to Crested Butte.

“You just get hooked on it after you go out a few times and start learning more about the birds,” Boyce said. “It’s like Christmas. You open up the box and hope you get a present.”

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

The birds often lay eggs in early April. (Courtesy Jake Briggs)

Jeff Michalek of Prutch’s Garage Door volunteered to make the first 20 boxes to support the local chapter.

Gunnison Valley Producers’ Guild

Join the Gunnison Valley Producers' Guild on March 29 at 6:30 pm. in the GAC Blue Box Theatre for the third annual Farm & Garden Poetry Slam. Register online to bring a poem related to local food, farming, or ranching or just come and enjoy an evening of poetry & learning about local farms. Dress like a farmer for a chance to win prizes! Suggested donation is $10 and a cash bar will be available.

Call for a muralist

The Gunnison Creative District seeks a muralist to design a new landmark public artwork on the High Country Floors building at 111 S. 10th Street. Visit GunnisonCreativeDistrict.org to apply. Deadline is March 17.

Rotary grants

In response to the school district’s suspension of the Summer Experiences program, the Rotary Club of Gunnison invites proposals from nonprofits serving Gunnison area youth in summer, 2025. A limited number of $1,000 awards will be made to groups expanding, discounting or making free their summer programs to accommodate more young people. Priority will be given to ideas emphasizing low-income youth. The deadline for receipt of completed applications is March 21. Grant announcements will be made on April 3. To obtain guidelines and the application form or for questions, email gunnisonrotarygrants2025@gmail.com.

Migrants' rights and welfare

The League of Women Voters of the Gunnison Valley meets at 11:30 a.m., March 11 at the Congregational Church, 317 North Main. Marketa Zubkova, with the Juntos por Gunnison Project (Together for Gunnison), will speak on efforts to support our local immigrant community and its current level of concern regarding raids on and deportations of members of similar communities around the country. Juntos has been at the forefront of that effort. Cards in

SonofaGunn presents:

‘The Errors Tour’

Join us for this hilarious show featuring pop icon Taylor Swiftly, stranded in Gunnison after the town’s bridges close. A mix of miscommunication, fan delusion and a twist ending awaits!

SonofaGunn dates are March 6, 7 and 8. The doors open at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 show. The matinees March 6 and 8. The doors open at 2 p.m. for the 2:30 p.m. show.

And Series Watercolor + Wine

Join us March 13 from 5:308:30 p.m. for a relaxing evening of watercolor painting and wine with instructor Karen Hill. Unwind, socialize and explore your creativity while sipping wine

English and Spanish, covering the U.S. Constitution's measures designed to protect civil rights, will be available. The meeting is open to the public.

Gunnison PTA

We are excited to partner with Lake School & GES to celebrate National Reading Month this March with a Read-A-Thon. All participating students will be encouraged to read or be read to at least 20 minutes at home each day for the month of March. Time trackers and more information will be sent home with students Friday 2/28. Let's foster a love of reading together as a family!

All Colorado Honor Band

On Feb. 13, for the opening of the 72nd Annual All Colorado Honor Band at Western Colorado University, the Western Symphonic Band performed the world premiere of verglas for solo vibraphone composed by Dr. Ben Justis, chair and director of percussion of the Western Department of Music. The performance was enthusiastically received by a packed audience. The composition was commissioned by a consortium of high school and collegiate music programs from across the country. For more information about this composition and others by Dr. Justis, or for information concerning the music program at Western Colorado University, please contact bjustis@western. edu.

Grant opportunity

This is a reminder to anyone living in the City of Gunnison that once again the City is providing reimbursable $400 microgrants for activities whose purpose is to build ties among neighbors. In the past, the grant has assisted with block parties, a shared meal at St. Peter's between members of the English- and Spanishspeaking congregations and an afternoon when gardeners at Bill's Park shared gardening tips, recipes and a meal. For more information and the application, go to gunnison.gov/microgrants. Also available in Spanish.

NOTICE OF GUNNISON COUNTY, BLM, AND USFS 2025 SPRING SEASONAL ROAD CLOSURES

Gunnison County, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have temporarily closed several roads to all motor vehicles to protect Gunnison Sage-Grouse during their mating season and to prevent road damage during wet spring conditions. These roads are closed by March 14 and will reopen on May 15, 2025. Roads may be closed earlier than March 14 if they are excessively muddy. The cooperation of the public is required to successfully implement these road closures, which help support conservation efforts for Gunnison Sage-Grouse.

Closed County roads near Gunnison include Airport Road (W Mountain); CR #51B, Sun Park, just past intersection with Overlook Drive; and CR #72, Tomichi Heights, closure at BLM boundary. North of Hwy 50 and east of Gunnison, closed roads include CR #743, Lost Canyon, at existing winter closure gate; and CR #60, North Parlin Flats Road, gate off Quartz Creek Road. South of Hwy 50 and east of Gunnison, closed roads include CR #42, Six Mile Lane at existing gate on BLM boundary; CR #43, South Parlin Flats with a gate on the west end off HWY 114 near mile marker 7 and on the north end approx. 0.4 mi S of HWY 50; and CR #62, Razor Creek at BLM boundary. Closed roads south of Hwy 50 and west of Gunnison include CR #32, McCabe Lane, at cattle guard past Moncrief Ranch; CR #61, Pole Creek road; CR #26, Sapinero Mesa with a gate at current winter closure gate at HWY 50 (N) end and HWY 149 end at current winter closure gate; and CR #25, Pine Creek with a gate at HWY 50 N end and on S end past Blue Mesa Estates. North of Hwy 50 and west of Gunnison, closed routes include CR #7, Miller Lane; and CR #818 with a gate at Wiley Lane at private/BLM boundary on S end and a gate at intersection with Mill Creek Road.

All U.S. Forest Service roads within the Flat Top Mountain area are closed from January 1 through July 15: FS #829, Henkel Rd. at CR 730; FS #860, Smokey Bear Rd. at HWY135; FS #862; FS #863; FS #955; and FS #603 along Alkali

Creek. The seasonal closure for Flat Top is extended to July 15 to provide additional protections for nesting Gunnison Sage-Grouse.

U.S. Forest Service, Almont Triangle area: FS #810 at HWY 135 and CR #813. The Forest Service has a Special Order seasonal closure in effect for the Almont Triangle prohibiting all forms of public use from December 1 to April 30 due to the importance of the area to Gunnison Sage-Grouse and as critical winter range to elk, deer, and bighorn sheep.

New in 2025: the BLM has area closures to ALL human use in the Chance Gulch and Sapinero Mesa Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs). The following roads within the Chance Gulch ACEC are closed to all human use from March 14 to May 15: All BLM roads accessed from BLM #3070 off County Road 38, and BLM #3157 and BLM #3068 off County Road 42. The following roads within the Sapinero Mesa ACEC are closed to all human use from March 14 to May 15: BLM #3133, 3133a, 3122, 3129, 3016, 3014a, 3129, and 3131 off Country Road 26.

The BLM has motorized area closures across much of the Basin from March 14 to May 15. The following is a partial list of main roads within the closure area: BLM #3074 and #3075 on the west side of HWY 114, BLM #3037b3 Willow Creek, BLM #3038 Kezar Basin Road, BLM #3038 Nine Mile Hill west of HWY 149, BLM # 3042 east of HWY 149, BLM #3067 Stubbs Gulch access at Gold Basin shooting area, BLM #3096 off south end of CR#44, BLM #3076e South Parlin Flats access road off HWY 114 near mile-marker 5, BLM #3094 Tomichi Dome road, BLM #3162 Krueger Ranch road, BLM #3185 Poverty Gulch road off Doyleville Cutoff road, Roads off CR #44 accessing Woods Gulch area, BLM #3107 Cabin Creek road at HWY 50, BLM #3106 Dry Gulch road at HWY 50, BLM #3106 Sewell Rim Road at HWY 50, BLM #3147 Powerline east of HWY 149, BLM #3185 Camp Kettle Gulch road off HWY 114, BLM #3072a2 access to Powerline Road to the west

off Hwy 114, BLM #3233 Haystack Gulch, BLM #3211e off HWY 50 east of Gunnison (Signal Peak area), BLM #3226b1 accessing McIntosh Mountain Loop from Antelope Hills subdivision, BLM #3545 the Backdoor Road, BLM #3550 Hartman Rocks Powerline Road east of South Beaver Creek, BLM #3550 Hartman Rocks Powerline Road west access, BLM #3580 Hartman Rocks roads south of the powerline, and BLM #3580 off Gold Basin Road.

Roads in the Hartman Rocks area north of the Powerline Rd may be closed in the event of winter conditions and ski trail grooming.  If closed, those roads would reopen when the roads dry out.

The Signal Peak area also has mechanized and human closures in addition to motorized closures. Signal Peak near the ridge is closed to all human use from March 14 to May 15. Affected trails include The Ridge, Rasta Gulch, and Chicken Wing. For specific information, please obtain maps at the BLM Gunnison Field Office.

Copies of the closure list and maps are available at Gunnison County Public Works, 195 Basin Park Drive; Colorado Parks and Wildlife office, 300 W. New York Ave.; Bureau of Land Management office, 2500 E. New York Ave.; and the U.S. Forest Service office, 216 N. Colorado Street; Gunnison, Colorado. The County office is open from 7:00 am – 3:30 pm M–F. All other offices are open from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm M–F.

These closures apply to all motorized vehicles. Do not park at the closures in a manner that blocks access through the closure gates. For additional information call Gunnison County Public Works at 641-0044; BLM at 642-4940; or the U.S Forest Service at 641-0471

and learning simple watercolor techniques. No experience necessary—just bring your enthusiasm! Ages 21+.

Moonlight Concert SeriesSalem Band and film event

Join us March 15 for an exciting evening with The Risan Project’s Cresta Alta Film Tour! Enjoy films about climate change and sustainability, followed by a live concert by Salem, blending alternative rock and environmental advocacy. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

GUNNISON ARTS CENTER BRIEFS

Cowboy basketball falls short in final game

Roaring Fork eliminates GHS from postseason contention

The Cowboy basketball team needed a miracle.

Bouncing between a No. 36 and 37 state ranking, the boys faced a must-win game against powerhouse Roaring Fork to qualify for the postseason. But the Rams boasted an undefeated record in the 3A Western Slope League, and crashed the Cowboy senior day with a 59-35 win on March 1.

GHS finished the regular season with a 10-11 overall record, and No. 3 in the league with a record of 6-6. Despite falling Basketball B6

GHS girls basketball tested ahead of regionals

Cowboys fall to Roaring Fork, face Platte Valley in first round

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

The GHS girls basketball team fell to league rival Roaring Fork in the final regular season game of the year on March 1.

Despite the late-season defeat, the girls still secured a No. 17 state seed, and will face the No. 16 Platte Valley Broncos in the upcoming regional tournament on March 7. The loss moved the girls to a 15-8 overall record, and a third-place, 10-4 record in the 3A Western Slope League.

“It was really important for us to face a tough opponent before regionals,” said Head Coach Chad Terry. “The girls honestly had moments where they could

HOME SPORTS EVENTS THIS

have rolled over, but they battled hard until the very end.”

Redemption was on the forefront of the Cowboys’ mind ahead of the Roaring Fork matchup on Saturday. After falling by a narrow, 54-46 margin in early February, the girls were eager to hit back at the Rams with home court advantage, and enter the postseason riding a five-game win streak.

But Roaring Fork boasted a 20-2 overall record, and sat second in the league, proving the game would be a tough task for the Cowboys. Still, seniors Kylee McDougal and Sienna Gomez opened the first quarter with swashbuckling performances on both ends of the court.

McDougal —who ended the night with 10 points and five assists — paved the way for the Cowboy offense, scoring twice from behind the arc. Gomez maintained her reputation as a rebounding machine, and led with 10 total boards.

The Rams took advantage in transition in the second quarter, and bolstered their lead

to double digits into halftime. Still, the Cowboys came into the third quarter with a newfound energy, and attempted to scrape back into the contest. Maria Sabas added a pair of 3-pointers, while junior Ashlyn Cowan led from inside the paint. The Cowboys outscored the Rams after halftime, but the secondquarter scoring flurry made the difference. Roaring Fork sealed the victory, 55-42.

“We fell apart for only about three or four minutes in the second quarter, but we were facing a team that can put points up in a hurry,” Terry said. “The other factor is we went six for 18 from the free throw line. Those two things really hurt us. Still, we had moments where we played really well, and we won the second half.”

Now, officially entering the postseason as No. 17, the Cowboys will face Platte Valley, which holds a 15-8 overall record. GHS will take on the Broncos at Resurrection Christian on March 7. If the Cowboys win, the team will face

the winner of Forge Christian and the No. 1 Resurrection Christian Cougars in the regional championship.

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

Yaslin Hernanzez and Kylee McDougal chat at half court. (Photo by Evan Bjornstad)

Wolfgang Anderson rises over the Rams defenders. (Photos by Evan Bjornstad)

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

Pink power play

Grow Your Healthcare Career as a Medical Assistant!

Are you passionate about patient care and ready to make a di erence? Join Gunnison Valley Health’s Family Medicine Clinic as a Medical Assistant (MA) and become a vital part of our team, supporting providers with both clinical and administrative duties to ensure exceptional care for our community.

Why Choose GVH?

✅ Career Advancement: Develop your skills and grow with us! We’ll support you in advancing through our clinical ladder from MA I to MA II to MA III.

✅ Competitive Pay: Starting wage of $20.84/hour.

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What You’ll Bring:

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Experience: Family practice, clinic, or hospital experience preferred. Strong communication, customer service, and organizational skills required.

Take the first step toward a rewarding healthcare career with a team that values your growth and well-being.

Apply today at gunnisonvalleyhealth.org/careers!

The Gunnison Tough Pink in the Rink women’s hockey tournament filled the Jorgensen Ice Rink Feb. 28- March 2. The winning team, called “10 and 1,” secured the championship after a nailbiting finale on Sunday.

(Photo by Evan Bjornstad)

short of their season-long goal, Head Coach Cristian Aguilar credited his senior leaders for changing the team culture, and leaving a strong legacy for the future of Cowboy hoops.

“These guys fought until the very end, we just ran into a monster,” Aguilar said. “I’m incredibly proud of these boys, and especially our seniors. Culture-wise, something shifted this year. That’s in large part due to the seniors investing in this program and paving the way.”

Headed into Saturday’s daunting challenge, Aguilar encouraged the players to go out swinging, and to lean on each other during adversity. The Cowboys lit a fuse early in the game, and fought toe-to-toe throughout the first quarter.

Senior Burk O’Rourke opened his account, and electrified the Cowboy Bullpen with a 3-point splash from behind the arc. Armed with the home momentum, senior captain Wolfgang Anderson finished at the rim, and Jackson Dalleck and Holden Vickers added key buckets. At the first break, the boys trailed 14-10.

The Rams deployed three guards to pester the GHS offense in the second quarter. The defenders poked the ball loose, and transitioned rapid -

ly onto offense, punishing the Cowboys with repeated fast breaks. Anderson, Dalleck and Max Peluso added 2 points apiece, but struggled to keep up with the Rams pace. Heading into halftime, Roaring Fork outscored GHS 41-18.

The Cowboys offense sparked in the third. Dalleck revived the home crowd with a 3-pointer straight out of the gate, and Anderson added four more to his tally. Despite winning the third quarter 11-9, GHS still trailed by 29 into the final quarter. The Rams carried their double-digit lead into the fourth and polished off the game 59-35.

“A core value this season has been gratitude,” Aguilar said. “My message after the game was, ‘Thank you,’ especially to the seniors for shifting the team culture. Our underclassmen saw the amount of focus, dedication and determination it takes to get to these games. That’s what our five seniors embodied.”

The 2024-25 campaign proved a stark contrast to last winter, as the boys improved their overall record by seven wins. While still missing out on postseason play, the season proved the program is headed in the right direction, Aguilar said. But after coaching this senior core from the C Team all the way to varsity over the past four years, Aguilar said their

final stand together was a tearfilled one.

“It was an incredibly emotional farewell for me, because we’ve been through some bumpy times together,” he said.

“I’m happy these guys ended the season with 10 wins. They came into games locked in, ready to leave it all on the floor on a nightly basis.”

McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or

Mountaineers off to nationals

Swim and dive, wrestling and track and field to compete in Indiana

Gregg Petcoff

Special to the Times

Winter sports for Western Colorado University athletics proved highly successful as wrestling, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and swimming and diving are all sending athletes to the national championships in Indianapolis.

Morgan Nielsen of the Mountaineer swimming and diving team booked the first ticket for the Western athletes. A sophomore, Nielsen is making a return trip to the NCAA Division II championships after qualifying for the 2024 meet as a freshman.

Nielsen qualified in the same three events this year. She enters the 2025 championship meet seeded No. 16 in the 1,650-yard freestyle, and No. 25 in both the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle events. Nielsen will also swim a bonus event, the 200-freestyle, after posting an NCAA provisional time in the event during the conference championship meet.

Two teammates, Chloe Brown and Alexandra Wallis, will participate in the NCAA DII diving qualification meet on

March 11. The top 22 scorers on both the 1- and 3-meter boards will officially advance to the national championship meet.

Dean Noble qualified for the DII men’s wrestling tournament with a third-place finish in the 149-lbs bracket at the Super Region VI Championships hosted by Western on March 1. Noble, a 2024 All-American, fell out of the regional’s championship bracket after a loss in the semifinal round. He battled back in the consolation bracket, and won the third-place match in a 17-16 thriller to punch his ticket to nationals.

Four athletes from the Mountaineer track and field program will be heading to DII nationals. Allison Beasley will compete in the women’s 3000meter run. Teammates Emma Kjellsen will run in the women’s mile and Sammie Bretz will compete in the women’s high jump. Esteban Deniz will race in the men’s mile. All three national championships are part of the NCAA DII Winter Festival, hosted within the same week in Indianapolis.

Back in Gunnison, the Mountaineer women’s basketball team finished the regular season in second place within the RMAC standings. The placement earned the program a home quarterfinal tournament game on Tuesday, March 4. Results were not available by press time.

A women’s basketball win will advance the team to the semifinals on Friday, March 7 at

the site of the highest remaining seed in the RMAC tournament. The championship game, with an automatic bid into the NCAA DII women’s basketball tourna-

ment at stake, is scheduled for Saturday, March 8 at the same site as the semifinal round.

(Alex

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

Western graduate student Dean Noble finished the regional championship in third place in the 149-lbs bracket. (Photo by Evan Bjornstad)

The Cowboys huddle ahead of their season finale.

VETERANS’ VOICE

The ‘bitter and resentful taste’ of pointless war

Jake Bartholomew Special to the Times

I enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school as an Airborne Ranger. After basic training, airborne school and ranger selection, I was assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. I deployed three times to Afghanistan with my unit: once as a rifleman, once as a squad automatic weapon (SAW) gunner and once as a fire team leader.

When the American Legion first asked me to write a piece for Veterans’ Voice, I was at a loss for ideas, for memories. I’ve spent so much of my time after the service working to adapt to civilian life and to work through the effects of combat in a pointless war that I guess the good memories got stored away with the bad ones. I’m thankful for my years as a Ranger, because it made me the man I am today. But taking part in that war has left a bitter and resentful taste in my mouth. So, that’s what I’m going to talk about.

Our country spent 20 years fighting a war — if you have never taken the time to let that sink in, please do so now. Under the guise of hunting weapons

of mass destruction that didn’t exist, and in the pursuit of ending the Taliban’s vicious control over the Afghan people, the U.S. conducted combat operations for longer than the duration of World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it was over, with absolutely nothing to show for our efforts. The Taliban took back control immediately and the Afghan people we served with, whom we promised protection and a better future, were mostly left to fend for themselves in the aftermath. Guys my age spent most of their lives in the shadow of the 9/11 attacks, and those of us who served did so because we wanted to protect our homeland from evil. But did we?

I can’t speak for any unit other than my own, but we lost friends and were forced to take the lives of people caught up in the chaos, all for nothing. We are angry and ashamed about it. The public was angry for a couple months, sure. But the calls for justice have grown silent. I fear that we, as a country, will continue not to learn from our mistakes, doomed to repeat them. Case in point: this withdrawal was eerily reminiscent of

our withdrawal from Vietnam. I love my country, and I will never stop working to make it better. I take a more community-based approach to that these days rather than on the international scale I once was a part of. But I believe it is our duty as Americans to be critical of our actions on the global stage. Why did Trump have those talks with the Taliban without any Afghan national delegates present? Wasn’t the goal to establish a self-sufficient democracy in their country? And why did Biden agree to follow through with such a pitiful and abrupt withdrawal?

These are questions we will probably never get answers to, and vets like me will always live with the feeling that they forever left a piece of themselves in a land where the bad guys won.

(After his enlistment was over, Jake came to Gunnison to study biology at Western Colorado University. He now calls this place his home and works to serve his community at the Gunnison Country Food Pantry as their new community connector.)

VETERAN EVENTS & LOCAL INFORMATION

• MARCH IS NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH. WE HONOR OUR WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTIONS WHO HAVE SERVED IN EVERY BRANCH OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES.

• 3/13 - K-9 VETERANS DAY OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY OF THE U.S. K-9 CORPS. THE ARMY FOUNDED THE K-9 CORPS IN 1942 DURING WW2 TO TRAIN DOGS TO HELP TROOPS.

• 3/19 - AMERICAN LEGION MONTHLY MEETING. DINNER AT 1700, MEETING STARTS AT 1800. ALLVETERANS ARE WELCOME! PLEASE JOIN US AND CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER.

• 3/25 - MEDAL OF HONOR DAY. A HOLIDAY TO HONOR THE HEROISM AND SACRIFICE OF UNITED STATES MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS.

• 3/29 - VIETNAM VETERANS DAY. A NATIONAL HOLIDAY TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE MILITARY DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.

• 4/5 - AMERICAN LEGION MONTHLY VETERAN BREAKFAST. PLEASE JOIN US FOR A FREE MEAL AND ENGAGING CONVERSATION. THE AMERICAN LEGION, 9AM-11AM. ALL VETERANS, THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ARE WELCOME!

After a combat mission, 2nd Platoon, C Company, 75th Ranger Regiment poses for a group photo at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. (Courtesy Jake Bartholomew)

Jake Bartholomew.

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