Noticias

• Business Community Calls for End of Ski Patrol Strike
• A State of the Town Address
• Cat Movie Fisher with Risho Unda

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Business Community Calls for End of Ski Patrol Strike

Members of the business community in Telluride and Mountain Village are calling for an end to the ski patrol strike.

Nearly 100 community members gathered Wednesday afternoon at the San Miguel County Courthouse to voice their concerns.

“Thank you all for coming. We’re all here for one reason, we love our community. We’re not anti-patrol, we’re pro-Telluride,” Luke Brown said while speaking from the courthouse steps.

“We want to get back to sharing our love for our community with the people that we need to come and visit to support our businesses, support our families and our livelihoods. We’re asking for a resolution quicky so we can join forces as a community, end the fracture and get pushing in the right direction together,” Brown said.

Brown is the owner of Wild Oak Telluride, a local property management company.

The Telluride Ski Patrol Union went on strike Dec. 27 after months of failed contract negotiations with Telluride Ski Resort. The resort closed for more than a week, and Chair 1 is currently the only lift open.

Brown said the impact on his business has been “almost uncomprehensible.” He said the company has been operating in triage mode, trying to stop the financial losses.

“I’m on the front lines. People can’t call the ski area; they can’t call ski patrol. They call us, as the people with their accommodations, and we’re getting the brunt of a lot of their anger and frustrations,” Brown said. “We’ve got potential lawsuits, and all these things that are getting threatened upon us that are out of our control. The losses are absolutely significant.”

Brown said members of his staff have offered to go on furlough for January to help keep the business afloat.

Kate Contillo, who works for Alpine Lodging, said the company has lost tens of thousands of dollars since the strike began, with hundreds of work hours lost for employees. She said the march was not about assigning blame.

“The goal is not to figure out who’s at fault and what’s right and what’s wrong between the two parties that are negotiating,” Contillo said. “Rather to show that the community wants to find a solution to the problem, and wants them to find a solution to the problem.”

Marchers moved through downtown carrying signs reading “Make it stop,” “Unity now,” “Drop (avi) bombs not jobs,” “Telluride thrives when we’re all in it together,” and “This hurts innocent locals.”

Carolina Sanchez attended the march with some of her children. Her husband works in ski valet and lost his work when the mountain closed.

“He was shocked and then he also had to talk to the guys that work with him and explain to them that they couldn’t to pay anyone because of the situation, because of the strike, and everything going on,” Sanchez said.

She said her family will get through the situation because they have no other choice. She and her husband have four children.

“But still, it’s a lot of stress on us. It’s a lot of anxiety. It’s a lot on us as families,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez echoed Contillo’s sentiment that the march was focused on resolution rather than assigning blame.

“We don’t care who’s responsible for this or not,” Sanchez said. “They need to understand that they’re hurting all of us. The families, the businesses, the hotels, restaurants, everybody is being affected because of this behavior.”

On Tuesday, Telluride Ski Resort made a new contract offer to the ski patrol union. Union members plan to vote on the proposal Thursday.

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A State of the Town Address

The Telluride region is in the midst of one of its most uncertain times. On Tuesday, Telluride Mayor Teddy Errico provided a state of the town address. The following is the message in its entirety.

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THE STATE OF THE TOWN is – Ongoing Disruption

Good afternoon, members of Town Council, community leaders, business owners, neighbors, staff and friends. This is probably the most somber State of the Town Address that anyone has given since COVID first hit.

Unfortunately, this winter season has just brought real challenges to our community, and it’s important to speak about them directly and honestly.

Telluride remains one of the most distinctive and resilient mountain communities in the world. We are a year-round destination with a strong identity, a deeply engaged and passionate community, with a long history of adapting to change. At the same time, we are experiencing an unprecedented situation with the closure and subsequent limited reopening of the ski resort following a labor dispute between ski patrol and resort ownership. 

This situation has real impacts, both immediate and long-lasting, and for many in our community, those impacts are personal, economic, stressful and extremely dire.

It’s important to acknowledge the seriousness of this moment. Workers, businesses, families, and visitors are all feeling uncertainty, and that deserves recognition. At the same time, acknowledging the challenge does not mean losing sight of who we are as a community or where we are headed.

The Town’s role during this period is clear. We do not intervene in private labor negotiations. Instead, we focus on what we can and must do: support community stability, ensure public safety, provide clear and accurate information, and help maintain confidence in the long-term health of Telluride.

To that end, I want to share several core messages:

We encourage meaningful dialogue. This situation places significant pressure on everyone involved. We recognize that both ski patrol and resort leadership are working through complex issues and difficult decisions, and that finding common ground is not easy. While this remains a labor matter between employer and employees, the Town supports constructive dialogue and, where appropriate, will continue to offer support that encourages communication and a path forward focused on safety, stability, and long-term community health. We all need to do our best to support one another.

We are supporting local businesses and residents. The Town has been actively coordinating with economic partners, social service providers, and regional stakeholders to monitor impacts, share timely information, and explore responsive strategies. Our priority is to ensure that residents, workers, and businesses have access to resources, clear communication, and support during this period of uncertainty.

Telluride is resilient. Our community has never been defined by a single season, a single business, or a single challenge. Telluride’s strength comes from cooperation, endurance, and a deep sense of community—qualities that have carried us through economic shifts, natural events, and periods of change in the past. Those same qualities continue to guide us today.

We look ahead together. While we cannot predict exactly how long this situation will last, we can reaffirm our shared long-term vision: a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable Telluride where residents can live and work, businesses can succeed, and visitors feel welcome. This year has reinforced the importance of adaptability and perseverance, and it has reminded us of the value of working together.

This moment calls for empathy, steadiness, and level-headed leadership. As Mayor, I will continue to work tirelessly with Council, Town staff, business leaders, and residents to navigate this period thoughtfully and transparently, with a focus on collective well-being and the longterm health of our community. Some day there will be the need to reflect on this scenario and learn from it, but right now, we need to act.

We will get through this, not by overlooking the challenges, but by facing them together, grounded in the values that make Telluride the place we all care so deeply about. We will survive.

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Cat Movie Fisher with Risho Unda

A new semester is underway at Telluride High School.

Returning for the winter and spring semesters is Cat Movie Fisher, a segment in which Telluride High School student Risho Unda talks with community members about their favorite movies.

In the first installment of 2026, KOTO News put Unda in the hot seat.

Story beings at 9:05.

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Tri-County Launches Community Quality-of-Life Survey

Many factors contribute to a community feeling like home, from strong schools and gathering places to a sense of belonging.

Tri-County Health Network is seeking input from residents across the region to better understand those factors. The organization, in partnership with other local nonprofits, has launched a new Quality of Life and Behavioral Health Community Survey.

According to Tri-County Health Network, the goal is to gain a deeper understanding of mental and behavioral health issues in San Miguel County and the West End of Montrose County.

The survey asks questions about trust within the community, whether being a community member is part of an individual’s identity, how often respondents lack companionship, and whether they feel the community is sympathetic to people with mental health concerns.

Tri-County Health Network said the information collected will be used to inform local planning and decision-making.

The Quality of Life and Behavioral Health Community Survey is available at tchnetwork.org and is offered in both English and Spanish. The survey will remain open until Feb. 7.

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Bears Ears Advocates to Speak in Telluride

Bears Ears National Monument is located in the southwestern corner of Utah and is home to the San Juan River, Cedar Mesa and Indian Creek.

The area holds deep cultural and historical significance for dozens of Indigenous tribes and pueblos, including the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

The monument’s future remains uncertain. In 2016, President Barack Obama designated Bears Ears as a national monument. Former President Donald Trump later reduced the monument’s boundaries by about 85%. President Joe Biden restored the original boundaries in 2021. Supporters of the monument say they are once again bracing for potential changes.

This week, representatives from the Bears Ears Partnership will travel to Telluride to provide an update on efforts to protect the land and discuss what lies ahead.

The event, titled “The Bears Ears Update: The Land Can’t Wait,” will feature an evening of storytelling focused on hope, connection and conservation.

The program is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Wilkinson Public Library in Telluride.

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U.S. House to Consider Override of Trump Veto on Colorado Water Bill

The U.S. House is set to decide this week whether to override former President Donald Trump’s veto of a Colorado water pipeline bill.

The House received the veto message last week but postponed consideration until Thursday.

Politico first reported that House leaders plan to attempt the override and believe it could succeed.

Trump used his veto power on two bills that passed Congress by voice vote, signaling strong support for the measures.

The Colorado bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, would extend the payback period for local entities involved in the Arkansas Valley Conduit in southeastern Colorado.

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Trump Administration Freezes $300M in Colorado Aid

The Trump administration is freezing more than $300 million in child care and food aid to Colorado, according to reports from CPR’s Caitlyn Kim in Washington, D.C.

An official with the administration’s Office of Management and Budget confirmed the hold on federal funds from three programs: the Child Care and Development Fund, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Social Services Block Grant program.

The administration said the freeze is due to concerns that benefits may be going to non-citizens, though it did not provide evidence to support the claim.

Colorado is one of five Democratic-led states affected by the funding freeze. Some officials and observers in Colorado view the move as a political tactic by former President Donald Trump aimed at securing the release of former Mesa County Clerk and election denier Tina Peters from state prison.

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Boulder Students Learn Trades Through Affordable Housing Project

Affordable housing and a shortage of skilled construction workers are major challenges across the Rocky Mountain West.

A school district in Boulder, Colorado, is partnering with the city and Habitat for Humanity to teach students trades while helping build homes that working families can afford.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KGNU’s Sam Fuqua reports on the initiative.

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