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| James England resigns from City Council | 15 - July - 2010by Brian Orr
WALSENBURG- In the end, it was almost anti-climatic. Walsenburg City Councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem James England, after a long executive session, announced he was resigning from the Council as of midnight August 18. He is giving up his seat as..
| 15 - July - 2010by Brian Orr
WALSENBURG- In the end, it was almost anti-climatic. Walsenburg City Councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem James England, after a long executive session, announced he was resigning from the Council as of midnight August 18. He is giving up his seat as Finance Chairman immediately.
England, who has been under fire for taking two no-interest loans from the City, read a prepared statement Tuesday evening, stating that his personal life has changed since he first took a seat on City Council three years ago. He is now helping to raise his nine month old grandson and has gone back to college. He said he was unable to put in the time neccessary to serve his constituants.
England said he is giving a long lead time to his departure to give the Council time to find a replacement, which could be a lengthy process, given the high drama that surrounded filling former councilman Larry Patrick’s seat six months ago.
England noted that he did not always see eye to eye with Mayor Bruce Quintana on how change for the City was to be achieved, but felt he had accomplished a great deal in his time on council, including the annexation of Northlands and the beginning of the wastewater treatment plant.
England emphasized his resignation was not a reflection on anything he had done in his time as a councilman. He wished the Mayor and the Council the best “on their rocky road ahead.” He concluded that his service is needed more in his private life than in his public one.
Mayor Bruce Quintana thanked England for his service on the council, saying he had done well, and would be missed.
In other, less dramatic news, City Councilman Craig Lessar verbally fenced with tow truck operator Frank Gilbert of Daddy’s Pride over a bill Gilbert submitted to the City for $600 for towing two City vehicles from Pueblo to Walsenburg.
Concerned over the cost, Lessar checked with competing towing companies in Walsenburg, and even called Gilbert anonymously to check what each would charge to to tow two cars under the same circumstances, and got figures between $325 and $375. Gilbert quoted Lessar over the phone a price of $350.
Gilbert took umbrage at questioning of his billing, and pointed out he had towed other City vehicles for free. When threatened however with the possibility of losing future City towing business, Gilbert said he would accept whatever the Council thought was fair. The Council thought the price $350 that Gilbert quoted over the phone was fair, and they settled at that.
Charles and Alicia Bryant told the Council their Skate Park project is in line to receive between $15,000 to $30,000 from the Parks and Recreation District, which could be used for a large portion of the concrete work needed, including some ramps. The Council adopted a proposal to put a voluntary contibution form for youth activities in the August utility bill.
City Administrator Alan Hein is in the hospital and not expected to return for several more weeks, so there was no administrator report. | | La Veta discusses water issues | 15 - July - 2010by Carol Dunn
LA VETA- At its July 6 meeting, the La Veta Town Board again faced the dilemma of a municipal customer complaining about being charged for excess water leaked during a period of time when the meters were not being read. Sherry Leap and Quentin..
| 15 - July - 2010by Carol Dunn
LA VETA- At its July 6 meeting, the La Veta Town Board again faced the dilemma of a municipal customer complaining about being charged for excess water leaked during a period of time when the meters were not being read. Sherry Leap and Quentin Engelman brought the complaint after they were billed $472 for 102,000 gallons in May, the first time their meter had been read since October. Leap and Engelman have two houses at their property and are allotted 12,000 gallons per month. Mayor Pro-tem Larry Klinke said, “When we don’t read the meters for six, seven, eight months, we as a Town are negligent.” He added, “We should read the meters more often.” Klinke proposed to forgive about 63% of the bill, but no one else on the Board supported that idea. Trustee Dawn Blanken said, “People have always been responsible for the water that goes through their meter. You’re asking the people of this town to subsidize the water leaks.”
Shannon Shrout was on hand to explain that the meter pits are not opened during very cold weather because that allows cold air in, which could result in frozen water lines. Shrout said an automatic meter reading system could cost the Town $200,000 to $250,000. After a debate
that included the audience, the Board and the customer, it was finally agreed to charge the customer on the overage, in the words of Trustee Tracy Webb, “. . . at the cost of producing the water.” As Blanken put it, “At least the Town can recover the cost of delivering the water to the customer.” The Town has been paying Gage Vecellio $200 per month to read the water meters and voted to continue that month to month arrangement.
Two street pan bids were opened. The first, from Rock Solid, was in the amount of $28,926. The second and lower bid was from Joe Siegel, Inc. for $19,456. The pans will be located at
Cherry & Mayfield; Virginia & Garland; and Grand St. & Main. Klinke told the Board, “I’d like to see all of these get done.” The Board voted to approve the work on all three pans and warned the public that the streets will be barricaded and closed during the work.
The Board approved paying Chapparal Construction $1,000 to remove willows at the Town Lakes and also at the wastewater treatment ponds. The State dam inspector is requiring the removal so personnel can tell if there is any leakage on the west bank. Trustee Dale Davis felt the removal should be done in the fall and voted against the motion.
On behalf of the La Veta Fire Protection District, Mark Brunner showed elevations of the new fire station, slated to begin construction in about a year. The station will have three drive-through bays for fire trucks. Brunner requested that the Board permanently designate an alley from Ryus to Moore, next to the station, so the larger trucks will always have room to turn the corner leaving the station. Brunner said the new station will be an energy efficient “green building,” and the LVFPD will have assistance from the Governor’s office during construction.
La Veta Regional Library notified the Town of a pending project involving library building repairs and energy saving enhancements under a USDA Rural Development loan/grant program.
Sandy Hackbarth said the total project will be $133,819; the federal funds portion will be $101,319. “There is a pot of money that is fed through Rural Development that is specifically for libraries,” she said. The project will include fixing the roof and placing solar panels across the south roofs. Hackbarth said the Library hopes to sell excess electricity to San Isabel Electric under “net metering.”
The beer and wine liquor license application for Edward Donovan, Deer Print Wine, was approved. The establishment will be at 106 E Francisco.
Davis reported on the pending broadband service in La Veta. According to Davis, there was an issue with the electricity at the airport – circuit breakers were broken during the work to remove the fuel tanks. Davis said Matt LaGow is working on the repairs. | | Officer Petkoff exonerated | 08 - July - 2010District Attorney Frank Ruybalid submitted his final report on the Armando Gallegos shooting this week. Excerpts from it are reprinted here.
“I have reviewed reports from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Walsenburg Police Department regarding t..
| 08 - July - 2010District Attorney Frank Ruybalid submitted his final report on the Armando Gallegos shooting this week. Excerpts from it are reprinted here.
“I have reviewed reports from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Walsenburg Police Department regarding the officer-involved shooting which took place at 45 Stacy Dr. in the City of Walsenburg on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. In this incident, a suspect, Armando D. Gallegos, DOB 3/16/1981, in a domestic violence episode died as a result of gunshot wounds inflicted by WPD Officer Kiel Petkoff. The available reports read that Ofc. Petkoff interceded in an altercation between Gallegos and his domestic partner, Darlene M. Anderson, and fired his service weapon at Gallegos when Petkoff saw Gallegos approaching Ms. Anderson with a knife in an apparent effort to kill or cause serious harm to her. My review compels the conclusion that Ofc. Petkoff was justified in the use of force which resulted in Mr. Gallegos’ death, and that a lesser degree of force was not immediately available to the officer at the moment.
Walsenburg Police Department reports, as supported by the audio recording of the incoming 911 call, reflect that Ofc. Kiel Petkoff and Ofc. John Salazar were dispatched to a residence on Stacy Drive because a male party was threatening his girlfriend with a knife. This report and subsequent dispatch reasonably place Ofc. Petkoff and Salazar on alert that they would encounter a domestic violence situation involving a deadly weapon.
At a residential duplex situated at 44 and 45 Stacy Dr., Ofc. Petkoff went first to the front, then to the rear, and Salazar, who arrived shortly after Petkoff, proceeded to the front of the unit at 45 Stacy Dr. Ofc. Petkoff reported that he observed an adult male and an adult female arguing, which he could observe through the back dining room window. Petkoff reported that he also observed two young girls seated on a couch in the living room, visible through the rear window. Petkoff attempted to make entry through the back door, but the door was locked.
Petkoff continued to observe the action, the detail of which is omitted here for brevity, but after a few moments observed the male retrieving a knife from a kitchen drawer. Petkoff described the knife as having a black handle and a silver metal blade, approximately 8 to 9 inches long-not a butcher knife, but a thinner kitchen knife. When the suspect did this, the two girls in the living room ran to a location out of Petkoff’s view. Petkoff then observed the male punch the female in the face. The female, who had been seated in the chair, fell to the floor, but got back up and sat on the chair again. Petkoff said he then observed the male raise the knife to the level of his head and with the blade pointing toward the female. Petkoff said he perceived this as an “overt threat of intent to stab someone,” believing that if the male completed the stabbing motion, he would have struck the female in the neck, causing death or serous bodily injury. At this time Petkoff fired two shots from his .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Petkoff reported that he then yelled, “Drop the knife!,” at which time the male party threw the knife underhand toward the window through which Petkoff fired. Petkoff reported that the male party then jumped behind a love seat in the living room.
Ofc. Salazar then proceeded to the rear of the residence, where he and Petkoff commanded the female to unlock the back door so they could enter. The officers administered aid to the wounded male, who subsequently was transported away from the scene by emergency medical responders. The male, later identified as Armando D. Gallegos, subsequently died of the injuries. Dr. Robert Bux, a medical examiner with the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, reported that Gallegos suffered two bullet wounds both to the front abdominal area. Bux recovered one projectile from Gallegos’ body. He observed a single exit wound, compelling the conclusion that one bullet had passed through Gallegos’ torso and remained at the scene.
Although Ofc. Salazar could not observe the shooting (he was at the front of the house when the shooting occurred), Ofc. Salazar’s limited observations, and the sequence in which he made them, support that Petkoff, and occupants of the residence, were reacting to a potentially deadly situation. Salazar reported that when he arrived at 45 Stacy Dr., Petkoff had already made his way to the rear of the residence, as blinds or curtains blocked the view of the interior of the residence from the front. As Salazar moved closer to the front door of the residence, a young girl who appeared to be about 10 years old came to an open front bedroom window and drew the officer’s attention. Salazar then helped the girl and another young girl, who also appeared about 10 years old, to climb out through the bedroom window. Shortly after the second female cleared the window, Salazar reports that he heard Petkoff yell, “Knife!” and he heard two gun shots. Salazar guarded the girls briefly, then told them to run across the street and hide behind a car, after which he made his way to the rear of the residence.
CBI agents subsequently interviewed Eyvonne D. Bernal, Petkoff’s girlfriend, who had accompanied Petkoff in an approved ride-along the night of April 4. Bernal remained in Petkoff’s patrol vehicle, which was parked alongside the neighbor’s house to which the girls ran. Bernal reported that both girls were crying and one of the neighbors asked, “What happened?,” to which one of the girls responded, “Daddy was trying to kill Mommy.”
Agents Pat Crouch and Jodi Wright interviewed Darlene Anderson at about 1:15 am the morning after the shooting. Anderson said that she and Gallegos had prepared a dinner for themselves and several guests for Easter, and the afternoon and evening were uneventful until Tanya Serrato, who is Gallegos’ cousin, walked over from across the street and told Gallegos that Anderson had been unfaithful to him having an intimate involvement with her brother, Thomas Serrato. Anderson said that after Serrato’s visit, all Gallegos would talk about for the rest of the night was how she had slept with his cousin. After Anderson’s parents left, Gallegos started calling her profane names, to which Anderson replied that Gallegos was acting like a “fool,” that he was drunk and that he should go to bed or leave. (Crouch and Wright interviewed Tanya Serrato a few days later. Ms. Serrato, apparently one of the females Benjamin Marks referenced who came over from across the street, acknowledged that she had come to Anderson’s house that evening, but she denied that she had told Gallegos Anderson was cheating on him. Instead she said that Gallegos told her (Serrato) that Anderson was cheating on him.)
After a friend, Jim Sharpe, left, sometime after dark, and Gallegos, Anderson and Marks were the only adults who remained, Gallegos started throwing things around the house. Anderson said she wanted to leave the house with the children, but she could not find her 12 year old son-- unknown to her, her son had left the house to walk, to Anderson’s parents’ house- and when she couldn’t find him, she stayed. When Gallegos stepped out of the house for a short time, she locked him out, but he climbed back into the house through an open window, there they started yelling at each other, with Gallegos throwing more household items to the floor. Anderson said she grabbed Gallegos by his hair and tried pulling him out the front door, Gallegos pushed Anderson into a closet. She reported that Gallegos pushed her into the kitchen table, when she heard a “cracking” sound, Gallegos dropped to the floor behind the couch and said, “They shot me!” Upon further questioning by Wright and Crouch, Anderson acknowledged that Gallegos punched her in the face and that she sat down at the kitchen table because she thought he was going to hit her again. She said she did not see Gallegos holding a knife, and claimed, “I know that my husband would not come after me with a knife.” She also acknowledged that before the night of April 4, she had never seen Gallegos that angry, Gallegos had never punched her, and they had never had a fight like that. She speculated that Gallegos had some kind of “psychotic snap.”
Several persons involved in the events that day describe Gallegos as having drunk an extreme quantity of liquor. Anderson acknowledged that Gallegos drank most of a 12 pack of Corona beer by himself, she had made him at least two bloody marys, and that Gallegos and his friends (apparently Jim Sharpe and Benjamin Marks) had “finished off” a bottle of rum, a bottle of vodka, and another 12 pack of Corona beer. Anderson said Gallegos had not drunk any hard liquor, but had drunk only beer, until Serrato came from across the street to tell him about her affair with Serrato’s brother. She said both the vodka and rum were new bottles when they started drinking from them, and that they finished both bottles.
In the CBI agents’ interview with Benjamin Marks, Marks said that from the time he arrived there, at about 7 pm until the time he left, Gallegos drank three or four shots of whiskey and several beers. At one time during the evening Gallegos commented to Marks that he was starting on his third 12 pack of beer, and Marks said it was apparent to him that Gallegos was intoxicated.
Police, CBI agents, and emergency responders all commented on the state of disarray at the house, and that various household objects had been thrown on the floor.
It is necessary to address the issue whether Ofc. Petkoff used a reasonable amount of force under the circumstances, and whether a lesser degree of force could have been employed by police to satisfactorily take control of the incident, and prevent harm or death to anybody involved. An investigation of the scene, as supported by photographs taken the night of the incident, shows that there is only one means of ingress and egress to the living unit from the rear of the residence. It is through a screened, storm door, then through a solid door, immediately to the right of a set of three window panes which look directly into the dining room area. Petkoff reported that he attempted to enter through the back door, by first opening the screen door, however he found the solid door to be locked. Ofc. Salazar reported that when he walked to the back of the residence, he and/or Petkoff had to demand of the female (Anderson) to unlock the back door to let them in.
As Petkoff fired the two shots through the dining room window, he was watching the action through a two to three inch gap between the bottom of a shade and the frame of the dining room window. He was holding the muzzle of his service firearm approximately one inch from the window pane. He reported, as did other witnesses, that the second shot was fired within about one second of the first. At the time Petkoff fired the rounds, Gallegos was approaching Anderson, who was seated in a chair, and raising the knife with the blade pointed down, as if to embed the blade in Anderson. Petkoff reported that if he had not fired his weapon, Gallegos “would have buried that knife in her neck.”
To conclude, the undersigned public official further finds that the investigation into this shooting appears to have been undertaken diligently and in good faith. The CBI and WPD adequately collected, photographed and documented all the available physical evidence, and interviewed and recorded the interviews of all necessary witnessed, and an appropriated number of ancillary witnesses, to the event which took place at 45 Stacy Dr., Walsenburg, Co, April 4, 2010. I am confident that further investigation would not disclose any substantial evidence that would contradict the conclusion or conclusions set forth here. Based on these reports, the office of the District Attorney for the State of colorado Third Judicial District will not pursue criminal charges or any form of regulatory proceeding against Ofc. Petkoff for his actions of April 4, 2010. Nor will the District Attorney’s Office recommend that a special prosecutor be appointed to review this matter. I express my condolences to the family and loved ones of Armando Gallegos for their loss, and extend my appreciation to all who assisted in the investigation.
Very truly yours,
Frank E Ruybalid
| | Planning 101 for La Veta | 08 - July - 2010by Carol Dunn
LA VETA- Two representatives of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) met with the La Veta Town Board on Monday to talk about comprehensive planning and the annexation process. Bill Gray and Lee Merkel described the process of planni..
| 08 - July - 2010by Carol Dunn
LA VETA- Two representatives of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) met with the La Veta Town Board on Monday to talk about comprehensive planning and the annexation process. Bill Gray and Lee Merkel described the process of planning for private development so it makes the community a better place and helps target spending to the goals and objectives set out in the plan. Gray told the trustees, “Community decision making is a key element involving local leadership. It’s on the shoulders of the local leaders to show why planning is important.”
Gray described a comprehensive plan as one that includes social, transportation, housing, infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and the economic base. “It’s also a continuous process,” he said. “It is the legal basis for land use regulations,” action-oriented tools, and the basis for budgeting.
Gray led the group through a list of reasons the Town may not want to plan, the first being that it is a slow process and does not result in immediate change. He said a comprehensive plan is “only good if it’s used . . . as a blueprint for action.” People are reluctant to join in the planning process if “the plan will just get shelved.”
He also stressed that having a plan won’t necessarily bring development that would have otherwise passed over La Veta. He said some local people may feel that government is overstepping its role or restricting private property rights and property values.
Gray said that planning pushes a Town toward a “community vision.” He told the Board that planning is a process of anticipating problems and how to solve them. It should involve common sense and community debate in the decision making, and the resulting community management gives a sense of community pride and accomplishment.
Merkel acknowledged that La Veta has the “hot potential issues involving the golf course development.”
Merkel and Gray then described the process of developing annexation policies, so land can be added to the community “if there exists a community interest.” Gray described the “3-Mile Plan” needed before the Town can adopt an annexation ordinance, and he endorsed the Colorado Municipal League book “Annexation in Colorado” as a good text on annexation rules and procedures. Gray pointedly told the group, “Residential development will cost more money in municipal services than it will bring into the Town in revenues from property taxes.” Although a few people at the meeting likened La Veta’s development to that of Westcliffe, Merkel said, “The resort concept, the golf course, makes it different from Westcliffe.” He then posed the question about the Grandote Peaks development, “Do you want it to happen outside of Town? I would guess not.” Merkel said the Town can phase or restrict when development occurs, controlling the pace of growth. Gray suggested the trustees consider several questions regarding the Grandote development: What are the unique benefits to the town? What are the costs? How will the costs be shared, or who will bear the cost of the new annexation? Can it be served by the current sewer and water infrastructure? Gray suggested the Town can require that the developer pay for past municipal service upgrades that would benefit the development. He also said the Town can require remedial action to cure health and safety issues involving the land to be annexed. “That’s what the annexation process allows you,” he said, “the ability to analyze the costs and benefits of development.”
Gray added, “There is no annexation until you receive a request for one . . . a petition.” He described the required Annexation Impact Report, which considers how the development will impact community services (police, schools, water, sewer) and the community’s land use patterns and density.
Merkel had some potentially good news for the Board. DOLA will have grants available this fall for 50% of the cost of community planning, up to $200,000. “It could be a comprehensive plan, a 3-Mile Plan or other work,” he said. The application deadline is August 1, with decisions announced by October 1. “Part of the mission is to have the grants awarded before the legislature comes back into session,” he added. Merkel recommended the Town hire a professional firm to help put together a comprehensive plan. “This is a plan the community needs to feel really comfortable with,” he said. Gray added that it’s important to engage local stakeholders and get their input.
After the session, the trustees appeared to be in agreement that the Board will announce at its next meeting its intention to begin the comprehensive planning process for La Veta. As Trustee Dale Davis put it, “We have to.” | | La Veta calls in the State | | 08 - July - 2010LA VETA- Vandals struck again in La Veta last Saturday morning. At approximately 2:30am, the recycling bins on Ryus Ave were attacked. The newspaper bins were all set on fire, and the glass recycle bin was knocked over, with the bottles smashed on the park..
| 08 - July - 2010LA VETA- Vandals struck again in La Veta last Saturday morning. At approximately 2:30am, the recycling bins on Ryus Ave were attacked. The newspaper bins were all set on fire, and the glass recycle bin was knocked over, with the bottles smashed on the parking lot of the Post Office next door.
The La Veta Fire Department was quickly on scene (the department is less than a block away)and extinguished the fire. As they were working the blaze, they also noticed that plants had been torn out of their planter on the corner of Main and Ryus. Chief David DeTray put them back in place.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation was called in by the Fire Depatment and confirmed it was arson, as opposed to spontaneous newspaper combustion.
La Veta Marshal Harold Wilburn has been running random evening patrols, but has seen nothing. “This is really starting to bug me,” he said. A sizable reward is offered for information leading to an arrest in the rash of malicious vandalism and threats. | | Distric Attorney's office burglarized | | 01 - July - 2010WALSENBURG- The District Attorney’s new offices in Walsenburg were broken into twice last week, on Tuesday and Wednesday. A person or persons entered at night, possibly using a key, as there was no sign of forced entry. According to District Attorney Frank..
| 01 - July - 2010WALSENBURG- The District Attorney’s new offices in Walsenburg were broken into twice last week, on Tuesday and Wednesday. A person or persons entered at night, possibly using a key, as there was no sign of forced entry. According to District Attorney Frank Ruybalid, several items of commercial value were removed, and files were rifled through, which will be checked for tampering. Ruybalid said that the locks have been changed and new security equipment has been installed.
Walsenburg Police Chief James Chamberlain noted that some of the items taken were “strange,” such as an old vacuum, a 12-pack of toilet paper and stamps, as well as a revolver, a laptop and two desktop computers, an old printer, a digital camera, a telephone card, a flash drive, and petty cash totaling $11.81. The case is still under investigation, with further leads developing. | | Domestic violence leads to shots fired | 01 - July - 2010by Brian Orr
NAVAJO- John Pino of Navajo is under arrest after allegedly beating his wife and firing shots at his father-in-law’s house.
On Wednesday, June 16, Pino is alleged to have beaten his wife, who fled their home to an undisclosed location. Th..
| 01 - July - 2010by Brian Orr
NAVAJO- John Pino of Navajo is under arrest after allegedly beating his wife and firing shots at his father-in-law’s house.
On Wednesday, June 16, Pino is alleged to have beaten his wife, who fled their home to an undisclosed location. The police were alerted, and an arrest warrant for Pino was issued. On Sunday, June 20, Pino, who had gone underground, returned to their home and waited for his wife to return. After several hours, he decided to go see if she was at her father’s home, also in Navajo.
The father-in-law was not home, but the wife’s brother and sister-in-law were. Pino is alleged to have shouted at the house that he would kill them, and then opened fire with an AR-15 rifle. Estimates vary as to how many shots were actually fired. The occupants called 911, and Pino was arrested by Sheriff’s Officer Joe Albano, Colorado State Patrolman Mock and Walsenburg Police Officer John Salazar before he reached US Highway 160.
Pino will be charged with attempted first degree murder, felony menacing, firearms violations, as well as assault and battery for the domestic violence warrant. Bail has been set at $170,000 cash. | | Medano Fire spreads into Huerfano County | 01 - July - 2010by Dan Harper and Susan Simons
Last Thursday, many Huerfano County residents noticed an enormous plume of smoke appearing to come from the Sangres. It was from a wildfire in the Medano Pass area inside the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. ..
| 01 - July - 2010by Dan Harper and Susan Simons
Last Thursday, many Huerfano County residents noticed an enormous plume of smoke appearing to come from the Sangres. It was from a wildfire in the Medano Pass area inside the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Thursday′s high winds propelled the smoke cloud and debris, making it difficult to locate its source visually. However the fire is 25 miles northeast of Alamosa and 15 miles west of Westcliffe.
This fire started with a lightning strike on June 6 in the Great Sand Dunes National Park. To protect some ritually peeled trees of historical and cultural significance, fires were set in buffer areas to consume the available fuel. By June 16 the fire had crossed into the adjacent national preserve land, but the fire was allowed to run its course. This is standard operating procedure for fires in national park land where the public and structures are not threatened.
The fire took on a different personality June 17 due to high winds. By the end of the day it had grown to over 4000 acres, still not threatening any structures. The park continued to watch this event warily.
When the fire crossed into San Isabel National Forest, the Forest service had already dispatched a Type-2 fire team to the area. By June 22, there were 179 firefighters assigned including 5 hand crews, 7 engines, and 2 helicopters. The fire had consumed 4772 acres and crossed the “mountain divide between Saguache and Huerfano counties.”
Closures for fire safety include Medano Pass Road in the Park; the Muddy, Mosca and Medano Roads; and the Rainbow Trail south of Music Pass. Great Sand Dunes National Park is open for visitors.
The fire is being managed with a “confine” strategy by the Interagency Type II Rocky Mountain Incident Mangement Team in cooperation with Custer and Huerfano counties, local communities, the Wet Mountain Fire Protection District, Colorado and US Forest Services, and the National Park Service. Plans and preparations are underway to protect homes and other buildings if that becomes necessary.
Public meetings were held in the Gardner Community Center at 7 pm Tuesday June 22 and in Westcliffe at 25 Main St. Wednesday June 23. Updates are regularly posted at www.incieweb.org. | | Vigil resigns as Finance Director | 24 - June - 2010by Larry Patrick
WALSENBURG- The often beleagured Finance Director for the city of Walsenburg has resigned. Krystel Vigil announced she was stepping down last Wednesday, making Thursday her last day. She had enough vacation and sick time available to leav..
| 24 - June - 2010by Larry Patrick
WALSENBURG- The often beleagured Finance Director for the city of Walsenburg has resigned. Krystel Vigil announced she was stepping down last Wednesday, making Thursday her last day. She had enough vacation and sick time available to leave immediately.
Vigil felt she had been put under undue scrutiny by the Mayor and some members of the city council and the City Treasurer. She said her health was suffering because of constant interference in doing her job. In a letter handed out several weeks ago at the end of a city council meeting, Vigil said she was filing a grievance against the city council and in particular, Councilwoman Erin Jerant and City Treasurer Jacque Sikes for undo harassment. The letter stated that she was under a doctor’s care for an ulcer. Apparently her grievance, in itself, has no legal standing as it did not deal with issues of race, color or creed.
Vigil says she has been very dedicated and hard working in dealing with the city troubled finances. She assisted the new auditor in completing his audit before she resigned. The previous auditor and others have praised her for bringing the city’s books into much better condition since she began as city Finance Director.
However, Mayor Bruce Quintana, Treasurer Sikes and some city council members were often at odds with her. Often she was asked to provide substantial information to council members, and she says it put her behind in doing her regular work. It often appeared the city council members didn’t understand her answers. Some council members admitted they did not understand accounting procedures.
The resignation of Vigil now opens the door for this city council to find someone to fill the position that is a full fledged accountant. The search is expected to begin immediately. | | Officer cleared in Gallegos shooting | 04 - June - 2010WALSENBURG- The long-awaited Colorado Bureau of Investigations report on the April 4 shooting of Armando Gallegos by Walsenburg Police Officer Kyle Petkoff was released May 13 to the Walsenburg Chief of Police and the District Attorney.
Both interim Pol..
| 04 - June - 2010WALSENBURG- The long-awaited Colorado Bureau of Investigations report on the April 4 shooting of Armando Gallegos by Walsenburg Police Officer Kyle Petkoff was released May 13 to the Walsenburg Chief of Police and the District Attorney.
Both interim Police Chief James Chamberlain and District Attorney Frank Ruybalid declined to return repeated calls about the report, but sources close to the investigation stated the report finds no negligence on Petkoff’s part, and the matter has been turned over to the district attorney, in case he has additional concerns.
The case stems from a domestic violence call on April 4, where responding police officers observed a male, later identified as 29 year old Armando Gallegos, with what appeared to be a knife, attacking a female. Petkoff opened fire with his service weapon, striking Gallegos twice in the stomach.
Darlene Anderson, the woman with whom Gallegos was arguing, disputes just about every aspect of the police report. | | Let's Beautify Walsenburg! | 09 - April - 2010WALSENBURG- This summer, the Huerfano World Journal is proud to sponsor the Let’s Beautify Walsenburg campaign, which is aimed at putting our best community face forward.
Running from April 15 to Labor Day, the campaign will reward property owners for c..
| 09 - April - 2010WALSENBURG- This summer, the Huerfano World Journal is proud to sponsor the Let’s Beautify Walsenburg campaign, which is aimed at putting our best community face forward.
Running from April 15 to Labor Day, the campaign will reward property owners for cleaning up their yard or business. First place is $500, second place is $300 and third place is $200.
To officially be a part of the campaign, you need to come by the HWJ office at 500 Main St to tell us the address of your property, and to give us permission to take “before” and “after” pictures that will be run in the newspaper.
Properties will be judged by an anonymous panel of master gardeners who will be looking for the basics of cleaning up trash, furniture, appliances, cars, livestock, whatever you may have hanging out on the front lawn, and for the improvement or addition of plants or other decoration to your entire property - not just the front yard!
Three hardworking property owners will walk away with the cash, but all of Walsenburg will benefit by having a cleaner, greener community to live in.
So do your part; mow that lawn, clip that hedge, haul that clunker, plant flowers, fix those broken fences! Take pride in this terrific town, and you may be greening up your wallet as well as your yard. Winners will be announced September 9. | | Huerfano Journal takes over the World | | 04 - March - 2010WALSENBURG- Brian and Gretchen Orr, publishers of the Huerfano Journal, have purchased the Huerfano County World newspaper from its most recent owner, Dale Bean. The Orrs have combined the two newspapers into one, and are calling it, appropriately enough, t..
| 04 - March - 2010WALSENBURG- Brian and Gretchen Orr, publishers of the Huerfano Journal, have purchased the Huerfano County World newspaper from its most recent owner, Dale Bean. The Orrs have combined the two newspapers into one, and are calling it, appropriately enough, the Huerfano World Journal.
The Orrs are proud to carry on the 126-year history that the World represents, and pledge to remain fair and open to Huerfanos from all walks of life and beliefs.
The Huerfano World has undergone many name tweaks over the past century and a quarter, putting the World and Journal together is a natural continuation. The Huerfano World started as the Walsenburg World in 1889. The newspaper named the Cactus was started in 1884 and merged with the World about 1901. The World consolidated with the Independent about 1930 and they became the World-Independent. In 1958 Mack Nations turned the daily World-Independent into the weekly Huerfano World.
The World’s production and editing has been done in Los Angeles since July 2008, when Lisa Grace Kellogg purchased the paper from Jay Crook and moved everything back to her California offices. The Orrs are returning the World to being a completely local publication. All writing, editing, production, sales and distribution will be handled locally.
Advertisers’ contracts with the World will be honored by the Journal, and World subscriptions will be filled by the World Journal for the length of the paid subscription.
“We expect there to be some confusion and bumps in the road as we combine the two papers, so please give us a little time,” said owner and editor Gretchen Sporleder Orr. “We’re confident we’ll continue to produce the best and most complete news coverage for all of Huerfano County,” Orr continued. “We have 22 writers scattered from Gardner to La Veta to Walsenburg, covering topics they each feel passionately about.”
If people have questions or concerns, they can contact the World Journal at 738-1415, or write us at huerfanojournal@gmail.com. All old World contact numbers are being forwarded to the World Journal office, located at 500 Main St. in Walsenburg. | | What's all this then? | 04 - March - 2010HUERFANO- If you are a loyal World reader, you may not be familiar with the Huerfano Journal. We are a weekly newspaper covering news and events throughout Huerfano County. We have been publishing the Journal for two and a half years.
Brian and G..
| 04 - March - 2010HUERFANO- If you are a loyal World reader, you may not be familiar with the Huerfano Journal. We are a weekly newspaper covering news and events throughout Huerfano County. We have been publishing the Journal for two and a half years.
Brian and Gretchen Sporleder Orr are the publishers. Before the Journal, they published Western Spirit for nine years- a tourism magazine for southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Gretchen is the daughter of Sig and Ruth Sporleder. The Sporleders were a pioneering family in the county from the 1860’s.
If you are a subscriber and have not renewed your subscription yet, please send it to P.O. Box 346, Walsenburg, CO 81089, and we will make sure your subscription is extended out the full length you have paid for. If your paper stops coming after you’ve paid, please contact us and make sure your name was not somehow dropped when the two subscription lists were merged together. | |
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