The West is an exploiter’s paradise

High on a mesa where everyone can see it, a trophy house is going up in the northern Colorado valley where I live. Some of my neighbors hear that the house will be as big as 15,000 square feet. Others say it will take three years to complete. Whether that is valley gossip or truth, the house is now the center of everybody’s attention.

Until this happened, my valley seemed to o er much of the best of what Colorado has to o er, including views of a snow-capped mountain range, and spread out below, irrigated hay elds with black cows on tan rangeland. But now, right in the center of the valley, will be one person acting out a lack of consideration for others.

Gigantic trophy houses seem to signal, “I built here to see, but also to be seen.” It’s a jarring reminder that we in the New West are remaking the Old West in our own image, a job that apparently requires a drastic redoing of topography. ese big homes seem to follow a pattern of complicated roo ines, lots of windows that re ect the light and “ego

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Most of us in this valley delight in what we’ve been able to see from our front door: Uninterrupted ridgelines, cli s, and the rounded slopes that converge to make foothills, which then rise into mountains. Nature made these views, and we’ve been fortunate to have them in our lives every day.

But more and more, houses that resemble castles are sprouting on ridgelines and hilltops, here and all over the mountains. And sometimes it’s ordinary houses or trailers that get built on ridgelines, interrupting the natural ow of the land.

Where only a few years ago our eyes might nd comfort in tracing a ridge’s backbone — wondering how it got to be named White Pine Mountain when no white pines grow there — now we look at manmade structures that irritate the eyes.

People who have lived in my valley

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

DONNA REARDON Marketing Consultant dreardon@coloradocommunitymedia.com for decades share a di erent style. Appreciating what a winter wind can do to steal warmth from inside a house, they looked for sheltered areas to build. ey saw it made sense to build low, tucking a home against the south side of a hill or cli .

Most yard lights were few and hard to see, as were their homes. But the new Western lifestyle broadcasts yard lights at night for all to see, just as the homes are conspicuously visible during the day.

In this newfangled West that has “ranched the view,” people apparently need to stand out to enjoy an amenity lifestyle. Will these new folk ever take time to appreciate the human and natural histories of the place they live in now, to show respect for the land and its natural beauty? Will they learn to be considerate of neighbors and not take away from the views that de ne where we live?

It’s shameful to think that just as we rst moved into the West to exploit its valuable resources, we now exploit the last resource our region has to o er — its heart-stopping beauty.

KRISTEN FIORE West Metro Editor kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

DEB HURLEY BROBST Community Editor dbrobst@coloradocommunitymedia.com

RUTH DANIELS Classified Sales rdaniels@coloradocommunitymedia.com ere is some good news, because in many parts of the West we are learning how to sustainably log, graze, divert water and develop energy. I hope it’s not too late for us to also realize the value of tting into the land as residents, to keep intact our ridgelines, mesas, mountains and valley oors. Once a house caps a hilltop, however, that view is irretrievable, gone forever.

I hope we can learn how to value homes that blend with the land in shape, color and location. Maybe a new generation of home builders, architects, and developers will lead the way in paying due respect to our region’s natural beauty.

But I’m afraid that it’s too late for our valley. e great writer Wallace Stegner told us that the task of Westerners was to build a society to match the scenery. From what I see, we’re not doing the job.

Richard Knight is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonpro t that hopes to inspire lively conversation about the West. He works at the intersection of land use and land health in the American West.

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Courier.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

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Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

Letter To The Editor

The issues of wildlife-vehicle collisions

I was extremely pleased to read Allen Best’s “Dismantling the wall to wildlife in Colorado.” Many of us who drive along Highway 74 through Evergreen think about the issues of wildlife-vehicle collisions every time our tires roll onto the asphalt. I founded a nonpro t organization in December 2019, to tackle this problem. Wild Aware has been working with CDOT and CPW for three years on wildlife-vehicle mitigation e orts on Highway 74.

In 2021, after close consideration for a wildlife underpass, CDOT and CPW informed Wild Aware that, among other things, land ownership along Highway 74 (at least one side of the highway is private property for the entire 7 miles from I-70 to the lake) precluded our community from being a candidate for a structure. We have been successful at requesting and receiving intermittent installations of Variable Message Signs along Highway 74 on six occasions over the past 3 years and CDOT has awarded Highway 74 permanent signs to be installed in 2023.

Wild Aware celebrates the addition of an underpass on I-70 at Genesee and an overpass on I-40 near Empire. ese projects will bene t our wildlife tremendously and we congratulate CPW and CDOT for coming together on these projects. ere are many more wildlife crossing structures planned throughout Colorado and across the west due to a new appreciation of the problem and funding to support mitigation.

Driving safely on Highway 74 requires a shift in mindset. Rather than the means to an end, Highway 74 is also where we live and is as central to the Evergreen experience as Elk Meadow and Evergreen Lake. Wild Aware encourages us to think of Evergreen as a wildlife park. Over every hill and around every corner, elk could be standing or, as we know, on a slow meander across the road. In 2023, Evergreen lost 58 animals including six bears, 21 deer and 29 elk to Highway 74. at number represents about half of the actual roadkill count.

For more information about our work with CDOT and CPW as well as our current programs including barbed wire removal and Evergreen Lake Wildlife Watch, please visit our website at www.WildAware.org.

Christie Greene Founder and President, Wild Aware, Evergreen

Obituaries

February 20, 1955 - January 10, 2023

Darrell R. Goodwin of Vail and Evergreen, CO lost his long courageous battle with cancer on Jan. 10, 2023 at his home in Arrowhead. His wife Gail and daughter Caroline (Eric) were by his side. He was 67 years old.

Darrell was raised in Rutland, VT and Point au Baril, Canada. His love of nature and the outdoors was instilled in him from his time spent in both places. He was an avid skier, y sherman, hiker, hunter, golfer and boater.

Darrell’s love of heli skiing was legendary to all who knew him. When he was not heli skiing, he was skiing all over Vail Mountain or hiking and hunting in the fall. He loved to travel and bring both Gail and Caroline along for adventures. It was never an outing with Darrell unless he asked “Can we just go one more ridge? I want to see what’s beyond”.

Darrell’s optimism and love of life will never be forgotten by those he’s left behind.

Darrell was a graduate of Middlebury

College (1977) and received his MBA from Boston University (1980). He then moved to Colorado and worked at Public Service Company of Colorado in their nance and real estate divisions before moving to Northwestern Mutual as a nancial analyst.

Upon his initial diagnosis, Darrell faced his cancer battle with a quiet optimism and show of strength that astounded all who knew him. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son in law, father, and two brothers. He was preceded in death by his mother.

In Darrell’s honor a Celebration of Life will be held on ursday, March 9th at Hovey and Harrison in Edwards, CO from 3-5 PM.

In lieu of owers the family requests that donations be made to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (https://www.lls.org/), e Small Choices Foundation (www. smallchoicesfoundation.org) or Evergreen Christian Outreach Food Bank (https:// evergreenchristianoutreach.org/).

Rita Mary Hansen, 92, matriarch, mother of six, and long-time Evergreen, Colorado resident and real estate broker (“who sold every house in town three times”) passed away on 1/29/2023. She was born on 3/18/1930 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the rst child of Rosella and Raymond Gschwind. She graduated from Aquinas High School in La Crosse in 1948, entering Wisconsin State College. Rita left college to marry her high school sweetheart, George Keith Hansen in 1950. In 1967 e two Yankees moved to Monroeville, Alabama and rapidly made some great friends, enjoying golf and bridge. Always a go-getter, Rita enjoyed acting in community theater with her career topping role as the clairvoyant in Blithe Spirit. She and a friend opened a shop, “ e Boodleheimer” (house of junk in German), the rst boutique in Monroeville, o ering up such controversial items at the time as black light posters and incense. She was active in politics, becoming president of the local Republican Women’s Party. She went back to college and earned her business degree. When the family moved to Kansas City, she became a realtor. Rita continued her real estate career when they moved to Evergreen, Colorado, eventually opening her own real estate companies, Timberline Real Estate and Metro Brokers of Evergreen. Many of Rita’s clients became good friends. Rita and George loved Colorado, learning to ski and enjoying the wildlife that passed through their property. Rita loved to garden, and the yard was full of Colorado wild owers and rhubarb every spring. She put that rhubarb to good use with her incredible pies, and you were sure to always get up early to partake in her wa es and pancakes. Rita and George bought a cherished second home to share with all their family in Crested Butte, Colorado. In 2013 they reluctantly were forced to move to a lower altitude for health reasons. George passed away while they were living in Las Vegas in 2015. Rita then moved to a senior community in Southern California for a time and then to Magnolia, Texas where she was surrounded by her loving family until her peaceful passing. She is preceded in death by her beloved George, her parents, her sisters Regina and Marcile, her brother Charles, her rst born child Chris, and by her nephew Joel. She is survived by 5 of her 6 children, Peter (Nicole), Pam (Tom) Gardner, Randy (Sheri), Jenny (Fred), and Nick (Ti any); by her grandchildren Tara, Peter Jr., Derek, Luke, Tyler, Jack, and Trinity Hansen, Jacob, Nicholas, Adam, and Rachel Gardner; by her sister-in-law Lois Hansen and niece Angela Pinker, by her brother-in-law Bill Swingle; by 11 great-grandchildren; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. A private memorial service will take place this summer in Crested Butte, Colorado.

February 25, 1949 - January 26, 2023

Kerry L. Smith of Evergreen CO passed away suddenly at home, on January 26, 2023 at the age of 73. Kerry was born in San Antonio, TX on February 25th 1949 to Mildred and Allen Smith. He is survived by his wife Lois, daughter Tracy Dendel (Chris Dendel), his son Sean Smith, In laws; Richard Everard, Vivian Derenne, Eileen Mach, Dan Berg and numerous nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will be held at the Evergreen Elks Lodge, 27972 Iris Drive, Evergreen, CO 80439 on March 18th at 1pm. In lieu of owers, donations to the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies are appreciated. For the full obituary go to www.EvergreenMemorialPark.com

Ronald Walton, 82, of New Braunfels, Texas, went home to the Lord on February 4, 2023, with his family by his side in San Antonio. Ron was born July 1, 1940,to Talford and Helen Walton in Loogootee, Indiana. He graduated from Loogootee HS in 1958 and enrolled at the University of Indiana in Bloomington. Ron was a very proud IU graduate, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Geology and brie y played basketball for the Hoosiers. Upon graduation he began his career asa Water Specialist with the National Oceanographic Data Center in Washington, DC, in 1961. It was in DC that he met the love of his life, Judith Bethel,at the Cave Dwellers ice rink party. e two were married December 28, 1963,at First Presbyterian Church in Odessa, Texas, Judith’s hometown. e couple remained in DC until 1967. From 196770, Ron served as Chief of the Great Lakes Regional Data Center at the US Lake Survey Michigan. He was in charge of the collection/ dissemination of Great Lakes limnology data for the largest fresh water body (Great Lakes) in the world. From 1970-79, he was Chief of Data Processing for the Coastal Engineering Research Center in Maryland, collecting/disseminating erosion data on all US coastal beaches and earned a Master’s Degree from American University. He concurrently worked as a realtor to provide additional support to his growing family.In 1979, Ron moved to Evergreen, Colorado,and spent the last 15 years of his 34-year federal career at the US Geological Survey in Central Region in Denver as the computer coordinator of collection/dissemination of all natural resource data for the western US states. Upon retiring from the USGS, Ron continued his career as a realtor and was joined by Judith where they both worked with Coldwell Banker in the Evergreen and Genesee area. Ron would continue in real estate sales in New Braunfels until retiring only recently. Ron and Judith relocated to New Braunfels, Texas,in 2008. Ron was an active member of Oakwood Church and participated in mission trips and men’s retreats among other events. Ron also served the New Braunfels community as Director, District 9 (Comal & Guadalupe counties) of the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) board in San Antonio, over-seeing the utilization of the major water source for south central Texas, serving as a volunteer from 2014-2022. Ron was a passionate fan of the Indiana Hoosiers, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Redskins. He held Redskins season tickets for decades, even after moving to Evergreen, Colorado in the late 1970’s. His support of his favorite teams is legendary within the family. As passionate as he was about his teams, his devotion to Jesus and love of his family is what will be best remembered, along with his kindness to all he met. Ron simply loved life. He was an avid hunter, with many trophies adorning walls of the family home in Evergreen, Colorado. He played golf and loved church activities throughout his life. He truly enjoyed serving others and touched many, many people with his sel ess desire to know their stories. Ron was preceded in death by both his parents and his sister, Marilou. He is survived by his wife of 58years, Judith, and their three children, Cindy Montgomery (Doug) of Longmont, Colorado, Ronald Walton Jr. (Stacey) of San Antonio, Texas,and Stephanie Polay (Derik) of Austin, Texas. He is also survived by six grand children and his sister Judy Ann Smith of Bloomington, Indiana. A celebration of Ron’s life will be held Saturday, February 18,at 2pm at Oakwood Church in New Braunfels. In lieu of owers or gifts, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. www.stjude.org