News

• Childcare, Mental Health, and Roads Up for Vote in County
• The Brilliance of Banned Books
• Hospitality Wellness Network Looks to Bring Connection

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Childcare, Mental Health, and Roads Up for Vote in County

San Miguel County has two ballot questions for November’s election — Questions 1A and 1B — which ask voters to approve two mill levy changes to existing funding channels.

Ballot Measure 1A would remove the state statutory revenue limit of 5.25% on the Early Childhood Advisory Panel (ECAP) and the Mental Health Advisory Panel (MHAP). Both of these funds currently bring in just under $1 million each year. Removal of the revenue limit would add an additional $259,000 to the collective funds.

The 5.25% limit was set by the state legislature in 2024. This measure would allow San Miguel County to take the full mill amount, bypassing the cap. The funds are currently used for mental health and substance abuse treatment services, and for reducing costs associated with early childhood education.

County Manager Mike Bordogna said the funds are urgently needed:

“Speaking with those two different boards, they’ve shared that they have immense challenges, and that even if they have millions more, they think that essentially, they would need millions more to address what the true needs are in San Miguel County,” Bordogna said.

“So understanding that, and understanding that we’re not going to be able to give them the millions more, but if we could allow them to capture what the voters originally authorized of 0.75 mills, that would generate approximately $130,000 additional that they could use for providing services to county residents.

“And so that’s what we’re asking the voters. Are they willing to essentially re-up their commitment to authorize these two respective funds to capture the full amount of the mill levy that they were originally authorized?”

The second ballot measure, Question 1B, would reallocate 1.4 mills from the county’s general fund into the Road and Bridge Fund, which currently receives 0.5 mills. Like Question 1A, it would allow the county to take the full 1.9 mills for road and bridge, increasing the fund by $328,000.

Bordogna said the change is not just about rural roads:

“I want voters, I think that’s an important thing for voters to realize, is that they’re not just voting for correcting or continuing to support road maintenance in the unincorporated county,” Bordogna said. “This is a direct benefit to those town residents and their roads maintenance as well.”

With that additional money for road and bridge, Bordogna said the county has a plan for continuing maintenance and repairs. In the past year, the county has fixed Tomboy Road, the Trout Lake Trestle, Silverpick Road and Fall Creek Road.

“We hear from our residents every single day about their frustrations with road maintenance, and the challenge has been largely that we have not had the funds to invest in these roads,” Bordogna said. “So that’s what we’re trying to do with the ballot measure.”

As to whether the ballot measures would increase taxes for county residents, Bordogna acknowledged they would — but only slightly. He estimates the increase at roughly $1.49 per $100,000 of home value. For a $1 million home, that’s about $15 a year.

“I do feel like it’s important for us to be transparent and say that, yes, it will generate more tax dollars,” Bordogna said. “So people, if they vote for this, their tax bill will be an extremely small amount higher than it would have been had they not authorized this.

“We’re talking the tax rate is not increasing, but the amount of taxes generated would increase.”

Bordogna also said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the county has seen a dramatic increase in maintenance costs due to more residents living in outlying areas and commuting on rural roads.

To find more information on voting in San Miguel County, visit sanmiguelcountyco.gov and click on the Elections section.

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The Brilliance of Banned Books

The Diary of Anne Frank, Harry Potter, Animal Farm, and Fahrenheit 451 — classic reads for the young and old. They are also among the many banned books in libraries across the United States.

“More and more every year, books are being banned and challenged and removed from public libraries and school libraries,” said Jackson Schneider, teen programs specialist at the Wilkinson Public Library.

“The goal of the people trying to ban these books is trying to prevent, usually young people, from being able to access information that they don’t agree with,” Schneider said.

Across the nation this week, libraries are recognizing and honoring banned books as part of Banned Books Week.

With book banning on the rise across the U.S., Tiffany Osborne, adult programs specialist at the Wilkinson Public Library, said it’s more important now than ever to read a banned book.

“‘24–‘25 had the most challenged books and removal ever in our history,” Osborne said. “So, it’s really important and libraries want to honor that and show people. Read. Check out a banned book. Get it out there, get the information. See why, see if you see why it was challenged.”

Schneider shared the sentiment, saying libraries are spaces built for people to expand their world.

“One of the pillars of library study and library science, and why we do this, is to use the language of ‘opening doors and windows,’” Schneider said. “Windows of being able to see perspectives that you, in your life, normally wouldn’t see. Doors to be able to fully explore those worlds more deeply.”

Between July 2023 and June 2024, the main reasons for books being banned included: addressing grief and death, sex or sex-related topics and content, characters or people of color, substance use or abuse, LGBTQIA characters or people, mental health disorders, and books that discuss empowerment and self-esteem.

While some may assume banned books are problematic, Schneider said that’s not the case.

“That is often not the case,” Schneider said. “It is often regular books that are known and loved for generations.”

Banned books include: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Clockwork Orange, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, The Hate U Give, Beloved, Brave New World, Bridge to Terabithia, Catch-22, The Color Purple, The Great Gatsby, The Golden Compass, and A Wrinkle in Time.

For Osborne, she wants people to choose their own books.

“I think it’s important to preserve everyone’s freedom to read, and read what they want,” Osborne said.

She believes books are the antidote to fear.

“I personally think people should read banned books to find out why,” Osborne said. “There’s only one way to get over fear, and that’s information. We need to all have the information. If it has been banned, be curious, be adventuresome and find out why. Don’t just accept. Find out why.”

Banned books are still on the shelves at the Wilkinson Public Library — so grab your library card, and go read something someone says you shouldn’t.

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Hospitality Wellness Network Looks to Bring Connection

Anyone who’s worked in the service industry knows it can be brutal. Jarrad Lee wants to support those folks.

“The focus is on bridging gaps that exist for workers and access to wellness. Highlighting different areas: personal, physical, spiritual, financial, and professional wellness,” said Lee, food and beverage manager at Dunton Kitchen and creator of the new Hospitality Wellness Network.

Lee said the idea for the Wellness Network is deeply personal.

“I’m a cancer survivor. I had brain surgery, flatlined four times after brain surgery, had to physically and emotionally recover from that,” Lee said. “I’ve been touched by suicide as well — both on a professional and personal level. I feel very called to be of service in this manner.”

He said he hopes the network brings the community together.

“The best thing to do is to gather, and to talk about wellness,” Lee said. “Not hide from it, and understand that you’re not alone. You’re not the only one going through difficulties.”

Lee added that a physically and mentally healthy service and hospitality industry is vital for everyone.

“Us having a healthy community raises everything locally and within the industry as a whole,” he said.

As a new group, the Hospitality Wellness Network is still in its early stages. Lee is partnering with local organizations such as Tri-County Health Network to build support and outreach.

Those interested in participating can visit hospitalitywellnessnetwork.com, follow on Instagram at @thehospitalitywellnessnetwork, or email Lee directly at [email protected].

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Ballots Mailed to San Miguel County Voters

Ballots are landing in mailboxes and P.O. boxes across San Miguel County.

The San Miguel County Clerk’s Office mailed ballots to voters on Friday.

On the ballot this year are races for Telluride Town Council and School Board, the Norwood School Board, as well as local, county and statewide ballot measures. Ballot content varies depending on where voters live.

Voters can return their ballots by mail or drop them in a secure ballot drop box. Twenty-four-hour drop boxes will open Tuesday, Oct. 14, at two locations:

• The Miramonte Building on Main Street in Telluride
• The Glockson Building on Summit Street in Norwood

In-person voting will begin Monday, Oct. 27, at the Fruen Building/County Annex on Main Street in Telluride. Hours are:

• 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1
• 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4

KOTO is hosting election programming throughout the month. Visit koto.org to find our full election coverage.

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Colorado Democrats Say Government Shutdown Is Disrupting Air Travel at Denver International Airport

Colorado congressional Democrats say the federal government shutdown is hitting airports hard — including Denver International Airport.

Sen. John Hickenlooper and Representatives Diana DeGette (Duh-get), Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen held a press call Wednesday. They blamed President Donald Trump and Republicans for keeping the government closed and disrupting air travel.

Rep. DeGette said staffing shortages at Denver International Airport are worsening and Transportation Security Administration agents are stretched thin.

“They’re now working mandatory six days a week, 10 hours a day. That cannot continue and to have safe aviation,” DeGette said.

Flights at Denver International have been delayed up to 40 minutes this week. The Federal Aviation Administration says it may have to limit takeoffs and landings nationwide if staffing shortages worsen. More than 13,000 air-traffic controllers are currently working without pay.

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Colorado Utilities Push Clean Energy Despite Trump Administration Opposition

The Trump administration has signaled its preference for fossil fuels and, in some cases, an outright hostility to renewable energy like wind and solar.

But that’s not stopping utilities and rural electric co-ops in Colorado from continuing to pursue their clean energy goals.

Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Caroline Llanes has more from the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit in Breckenridge.

Story begins at 11:30.

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Wildlife Crossings Aim to Protect Colorado Animals

Wild animals need space to roam — not just to survive, but to find food, raise their young and migrate across landscapes.

But increasingly, that’s getting harder to do as roads, fences, farms and housing developments slice up their habitats, making it difficult and often dangerous for wildlife to move freely.

In response, communities across the Rocky Mountain West have been building wildlife crossings over busy highways. In fact, in Colorado, construction is underway on what will be the world’s largest wildlife overpass.

Colorado science journalist Hillary Rosner explores these efforts in her new book, Roam.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KGNU’s Susan Moran spoke with Rosner about her work.

Story begins at 12:55.