Noticias

• Telluride Challenges Telski
• Commissioners Outline Local Impacts from Federal Funding Cuts
• Anneke Dean Explores Unfamiliar Skies

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Telluride Challenges Telski

Rebekah Hall was packed on Tuesday as the Telluride Town Council prepared for an update with Telluride Ski and Golf (Telski) owner Chuck Horning. However, despite the anticipation, Horning was not in attendance.

“Mr. Horning is not with us today,” said Telluride Mayor Teddy Errico. “He chose to decline the invitation. We thought he was coming, but he advised us he will not be in the room and he will not be online.”

In a statement to KOTO News, Horning said he informed Town Council he would not be attending the meeting, stating he works “12 hours a day, seven days a week, so I don’t go to football games or town council meetings, even though both can be enjoyable.” He added that he has “great people running the resort,” explaining that his management style is to “step out of the way, let them do what they do best, and stay out of politics.”

Since Horning wasn’t present, Town Council discussed a list of questions it plans to present to the ski company in hopes of getting answers. The questions focus on commitment to collaboration and shared vision, strategic leadership and organizational direction, investment in community and regional sustainability, and infrastructure reliability and risk management.

During the conversation, Councilmember Dan Enright clarified that his goal was not to attack or publicly shame Horning.

“I want, and I think we all want, to work collaboratively and in a positive manner with the ski company,” Enright said. “But that needs to be a conversation, and we need to have trust between our partnerships. I don’t feel like that trust is there. I don’t feel I can trust Mr. Horning’s word, and his failure to show up today is a prime example of that.”

Mayor Errico emphasized that the discussion was not a criticism of the staff who work diligently on the mountain.

“When you think how they’re operating the ski resort and doing the best they can — from ski patrol to ski school, Bon Vivant, groomers, lift ops — I want to make sure it’s very clear these questions, these challenges, that we will pose to Telluride Ski and Golf are not a criticism of the people who are making sure we are functioning on a daily basis, and often do it with a smile,” Errico said.

For Councilmember Elena Levin, the conversation centered on accountability.

“They really don’t see any consequences for their lack of follow-through; we do,” Levin said. “So, I think it’s an accountability problem.”

One of the central challenges for Town Council is a lack of understanding of the leadership and decision-making structure at the ski company.

“The lack of leadership, or the lack of a leadership structure, is starting to rear its head and affect us in meaningful ways,” said Councilmember Ashley Von Spreecken. “It’s something I would hope Mr. Horning would take seriously and find that there is power in having strong leadership and this type of structure that pretty much every other corporation utilizes.”

Councilmember Enright echoed the call for leadership.

“We need strong leadership,” Enright said. “So, Mr. Horning, if there’s one request I have of you today, hire a CEO.”

While Council members asked for better communication and accountability from the resort, Councilmember Geneva Shaunette called for action rather than more meetings.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Shaunette said. “We’ve had quite a bit of discussion, and a lot of people have been discussing these issues or concerns in the community. We’re finally bringing this up at a public meeting — at the Town of Mountain Village, at the Town of Telluride Council meetings. We want action. And I think the community wants action on all these issues, not just more meetings to talk about what the plan is.”

During public comment, nearly a dozen elected officials and community members shared their feedback. Only one commenter, Luke Weidner, spoke in support of Telski.

“It seems bizarre to me that this body feels it is not only their duty but their right to micromanage the operations of a privately held business within its community,” Weidner said. “Just because Telski is arguably the most important business in this community, it does not give this body any additional rights to oversee its operations or to force the owner’s hand should it not be run in the way this body would like it to be run.”

Mountain Village Town Manager Paul Wisor expressed his appreciation for the Council holding the meeting, arguing that showing up was the most important thing Horning could have done.

“The leadership you’re showing today is not only important for creating room for this discussion, but you’re speaking for any number of people who are afraid to speak out,” Wisor said. “They are afraid of retribution from the ski company if they voice the very concerns that you are setting forth today. So, thank you for being their voice.”

Katherine Devlin, vice president of the Telluride Ski Patrol Local Union Unit 7781, echoed calls for Telski to fill management positions.

“It is our goal to work amicably with the ski area and to reach a solution that is mutually beneficial,” Devlin said. “We believe it would be in the best interest of patrol, the community, and the ski area to fill upper management positions at Telluride Ski and Golf, including Mountain Manager and CEO. At this time, our department sufficiently meets safety standards through institutional knowledge. We are extremely privileged to have this institutional knowledge despite lack of upper management input. This year alone, we’ve handled 799 injured guests safely and professionally.”

Several community members, including Michael Grady, urged the Council to take action to challenge the ski company.

“Right now, Telluride Ski and Golf has near-total control of our tourism engine,” Grady said. “Their pricing and marketing decisions directly affect who comes here, when they come, and how long they stay. That’s not a partnership, so much as a power imbalance. My opinion is it’s harming our regional tourism, local business, and public trust.”

Mountain Village Mayor Marti Prohaska noted the personal impact of the issue.

“This is an issue that impacts me deeply as someone who has grown up here and whose family worked for decades to create the world-class destination that we currently enjoy,” Prohaska said. “It’s heart-wrenching to hear the concerns our community has about that continuing into the future. I hope that we can move forward in collaboration to find solutions for these problems because our community truly deserves better.”

Telluride Town Council plans to present Horning and Telski with their questions and hopes for a response.

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Commissioners Outline Local Impacts from Federal Funding Cuts

San Miguel County is assessing the financial impact of federal funding cuts and eliminations from the Trump administration, and so far, it’s substantial.

“I believe the number I have in 2025 currently is $186,000 for elimination so far,” said Starr Jamison, director of Natural Resources and Climate Resiliency. “$186,000 for elimination so far, and then we’ve got in the millions, I believe, for frozen funding.”

Jamison and County Manager Mike Bordogna said they are reaching out to all known entities that receive federal funding or passthroughs. They are working alongside the Telluride Foundation to gather numbers, and the estimate may change.

County staff presented a draft letter to County Commissioners at their regular meeting Wednesday, April 2, addressing the ongoing impacts from the Trump administration’s decisions.

While the financial impacts are significant, Bordogna said it goes beyond just money.

“Also, a big part of this is the non-monetary impact of the elimination of staffing at these federal agencies that are responsible for these grant communications,” Bordogna said. “It’s made it nearly impossible for some of our local entities and local nonprofits to get clear answers about what is happening with their funding because those people have either been furloughed or eliminated.”

Bordogna added that cuts to veteran services have affected the veteran suicide hotline, a critical resource as suicides have doubled among veterans in the past two years.

“One of the most egregious instances that was brought to our attention last week by our veteran services officer is the reduction in VA staffing, especially as it relates to processing disability applications for our veterans,” Bordogna said. “It’s currently at a six- to nine-month wait period for a normal application, but with these eliminations, we’re now being told this is going to create a two- to three-year delay on our veterans waiting for an answer for their disability benefits.”

The draft letter includes San Miguel County’s commitment to federal public lands, which make up 65% of the county. It cites the importance of forest service workers in the local Norwood District Office and collaborative projects for wildfire mitigation and forest health.

Commissioners agreed to direct the letter to 3rd Congressional District Representative Jeff Hurd, who, during a meeting with commissioners last month, asked to be informed about the direct impacts to the county.

“One recent reference point was when Congressman Hurd joined us via Zoom at our Commissioner meeting and spoke about his care and interest in making sure that Medicaid continued for our West Slope residents,” Bordogna said. “And then learning that the day before he had voted to cut those benefits.”

Last month, Hurd introduced legislation to dismantle many land management plans in Western Colorado, some of which directly affect San Miguel County lands. Hurd said the legislation would “reactivate the resource potential of our public lands.”

Commissioners agreed to finalize the letter with staff and send it as soon as possible. This marks another in a series of letters to Congressman Hurd, the most recent of which opposed his Production Public Lands Act.

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Anneke Dean Explores Unfamiliar Skies

Anneke Dean began playing violin when she was eight. Classically trained, she studied violin performance at the Chicago College of Performing Art. Locally, she’s the fiddle player for band Birds of Play. This week, Dean is releasing her first solo album – Unfamiliar Skies. She spoke with KOTO News about the album, sitting in sadness, and her songwriting process.

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Anneke Dean will host an album release show for Unfamiliar Skies at the Alibi in Telluride on Thursday, April 3^rd at 8 p.m. tickets are available at alibitelluride.com.

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Murder Case Against Dan Bishop Dismissed, But Unresolved Questions Remain

The murder case of Dale Williams has been dismissed. Arrested in October last year, Dan Bishop was accused in the disappearance of Nucla resident Dale Williams in 1999. A decades-long cold case broke open after years of investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Williams was last seen at his auto repair shop in Nucla. His truck was later discovered underwater at the confluence of the San Miguel and Dolores rivers.

The prosecution brought the motion to dismiss without prejudice, which allows a future case to be brought against Bishop. Defense attorneys opposed the dismissal without prejudice, arguing Bishop “sat in jail for a murder he did not commit.”

Since his arrest, the defense has argued that evidence delivery was delayed and that no substantial evidence points to Williams’ death. Bishop pleaded not guilty during his preliminary hearing in January and was set for trial in July.

Although Bishop has been released from custody, the dismissal may not mark the end of the ongoing search for justice for Dale Williams.

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Colorado Names Emperor Mushroom as Official State Fungus

On Monday, Governor Jared Polis signed a bipartisan bill designating the emperor mushroom as Colorado’s official State Fungus. Polis’ office noted that the emperor mushroom—scientific name Agaricus julius—has a similar coloring to a Portobello and a cherry-almond smell that the governor called “delicious.”

The State Mushroom bill was championed by a high school civics club in Thornton, whose staff advisor is a former president of the Colorado Mycological Society.

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Norwood Hosts Songwriting Workshop with Brendan Forrest

Singer-songwriter Brendan Forrest will lead a songwriting workshop this weekend in Norwood. Instruments are provided, and the event is open to all skill levels.

The workshop will take place at the Livery in Norwood on Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and again on Saturday, April 5, at the same times. Signups are free, but space is limited. More information is available at norwoodparkandrec.org.

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Colorado Senate Observes Transgender Day of Visibility

The Colorado Senate marked Transgender Day of Visibility on Monday by passing a resolution on the chamber floor. As KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods reports, Democrats are pushing to move beyond symbolic gestures and take concrete action to protect trans rights.

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USPS Staffing Shortages Persist Amid National Day of Action

As federal workers confront layoffs, the United States Postal Service continues to struggle with chronic staffing shortages. For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KHOL’s Emily Cohen spoke with a postal worker union representative on what was intended to be a national day of action in support of the agency.

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