News

• First Responders See Busy Weekend
• Mountain Village Considers Ethics Code Changes

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First Responders See Busy Weekend

It was a busy weekend for first responders in the region, with a number of incidents requiring response.

On Thursday, June 18, San Miguel County sheriff’s deputies and Telluride Fire Protection District personnel responded to a vehicle that rolled several times off a switchback near the top of Imogene Pass.

“This gentleman started in his Toyota 4-runner driving alone from the Ouray County side of Imogene Pass,” said Susan Lilly, public information officer for the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office and Telluride Fire Protection District.

“He got to the summit and continued down into the San Miguel County side. After a couple switchbacks he came across some snowy, icy roads. When he tried to go forward and navigate – he was in a precarious position – he rolled his car off to the side about 150 feet, landed on its roof,” Lilly said.

According to Lilly, when responders arrived on scene, the driver — a 58-year-old Phoenix man — had self-extricated from the vehicle and walked up a small incline to the roadway.

The man began driving the pass from the Ouray side without knowing Imogene Pass had not yet opened for the season from the San Miguel County side.

He sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Telluride Regional Medical Center for evaluation.

On Saturday, June 20, San Miguel County Search and Rescue assisted Dolores County with extracting an injured mountain biker on the Calico Trail west of Rico.

The biker, a 36-year-old Telluride man, was riding with friends when he fell approximately 200 feet down a steep slope. His friends provided initial care and activated a search and rescue response.

Search and Rescue packaged the biker into a litter and brought him to an ambulance waiting at the trailhead. He also sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Finally, on Sunday afternoon, Telluride Fire responded to a small wildfire in a wooded area off Yellow Brick Road in Mountain Village.

“Fire personnel responded to a report of smoke in that area. Upon arrival, while they didn’t see flames, they definitely saw smoldering brush, leaves, dried pine needles,” Lilly said.

The fire burned roughly 0.2 acres. Firefighters were quickly able to get the fire under control and cleared the scene after roughly two hours.

There were no structures damaged or threatened, and no injuries.

The Fire Protection District suspects the fire was human-caused, but the incident remains under investigation.

San Miguel County — including the towns of Telluride and Mountain Village — is currently under Stage 1 fire restrictions.

“We must all be vigilant and do our part to help prevent fires. This is just such a dry season,” Lilly said.

The restrictions mean no campfires except those in designated metal fire grates in developed campgrounds. Smoking is prohibited except within enclosed vehicles or buildings or on sites completely barren of vegetation.

Explosive materials, including exploding targets, are prohibited, as is welding or using torches with an open flame unless in an area cleared of vegetation.

It is also prohibited to operate internal combustion engines without a properly installed and functioning spark arrestor.

Leaving fires unattended or not fully extinguished, and lighting fireworks, is always prohibited on federally managed lands.

The fire restrictions will remain in place until lifted.

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Mountain Village Considers Ethics Code Changes

The Town of Mountain Village is considering changes to its ethics code following the release of an investigation into an offer to purchase the Telluride Ski Resort.

Here’s Mountain Village Mayor Scott Pearson speaking at a Town Council meeting last week.

“The first one, which is probably the all encompassing one, is that: the code of ethics would prohibit conduct by Town officials and employees from acting on any matter in which he or she may have a conflict of interest, and establish guidelines to encourage Town officials and employees to avoid any conduct that would create an appearance of impropriety,” Pearson said.

Other proposed changes include adding definitions for the phrases “confidential information,” “conflict of interest,” “personal interest” and “preponderance of evidence,” as well as adding stipulations to the rules of conduct for town officials and employees.

While there are a number of proposed updates, Town Council members were not fully enthusiastic about making major changes.

“I don’t want us to over react to the events and think we have to make sweeping changes or go crazy about it,” said Mountain Village Town Councilmember Harvey Mogenson.

“Let’s fix what appropriate, but let’s not feel compelled to do something just because it’s there,” Mogenson added.

Councilmember Alline Arguelles agreed. She said she does not want the code of ethics to encourage a witch hunt.

“I don’t feel that we need to say ‘we need to now make our code of ethics so that Marti or Paul would have done something wrong because people didn’t feel good about it’,” Arguelles said. “I don’t think that’s an appropriate response. That’s what this reads like to me, like we’re trying to say ‘if we wrote it this way what they did would have been wrong.’ I don’t know that’s necessary for our community.”

After roughly an hour of discussion, Mountain Village Town Council directed staff to further refine updates to the ethics code. The council plans to discuss the revised language again in several months.

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San Miguel County Celebrates Bike to Work Day

There are many ways to get from one place to another — planes, trains and automobiles.

This week, San Miguel County is encouraging the community to choose a more analog option with Bike to Work Day.

The county said Bike to Work Day offers the community an opportunity to explore a new form of transportation and make daily commutes greener, ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

On Wednesday, June 24, bike commuters can meet at the Lawson Hill Park and Ride at 8:15 a.m. to ride along the Valley Floor bike path to Telluride. Coffee and pastries will be available at the courthouse beginning at 8:30 a.m.

In Norwood, commuters can meet at the Glockson Building at 8:30 a.m. and head to Mesa Rose for coffee and pastries.

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Summer Sketching Comes to Telluride Library

In the hustle and bustle of summer, sometimes it’s important to take a breath, slow down and notice the small things.

This week, the Wilkinson Public Library is kicking off a summer sketchbook club. The goal of the club is to unwind, connect with other artists and find inspiration in the natural world.

The club will meet at the library and then find a spot to draw by the river or in the park.

All experience levels and drawing styles are welcome. Participants should bring their own sketchbook and drawing materials, as well as any sun protection, chair or extra layer they may want.

The club will take place on the fourth Tuesday of each month throughout the summer: June 23, July 28 and Aug. 25.

Participants should meet in the library lobby at 5:30 p.m.

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Rural Voters Weigh in on Gubernatorial Primary

Ballots for the primary election are hitting mailboxes around Colorado. As voters consider their options, Rae Solomon checked in with some in rural parts of the state.

Becky Baker, a Republican from rural Platteville, is torn between Victor Marx, a self-described “high-risk humanitarian,” and state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer in the GOP governor’s primary.

“I think Kirkmeyer is better known. I think she has a better chance of winning, so I don’t want to throw my vote away,” Baker said. “Although I think Marx would be a better candidate, he’s a very strong MAGA.”

An hour southeast in Strasburg, unaffiliated voter John Ianone said he votes for people, not parties.

“I don’t want to be affiliated with anyone really, especially Trump, because I kind of agree with some of his positions, but I also agree he’s a bit of a jerk,” Ianone said.

He said he wants to support candidates who back the farming community.

“Small towns don’t get the same support that Denver gets,” he added.

Both will have a chance to weigh in during the June 30 primary.

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BLM Leases Thousands of Acres for Oil and Gas Drilling

The Bureau of Land Management’s Colorado office has announced that it has leased more than 134,000 acres of land for oil and gas drilling, generating more than $35 million in revenue.

Most of the parcels are concentrated in northwest Colorado, in Moffat and Rio Blanco counties, with a few parcels in Mesa, Garfield and Weld counties as well. Stations can choose to highlight certain parcels using the map.

As Caroline Llanes reports for Rocky Mountain Community Radio, under the One Big Beautiful Bill, passed last summer, if an oil and gas company nominates a parcel, the Bureau of Land Management is required to put it up for lease.

Juli Slivka, with advocacy group Wilderness Workshop, said that with that policy, the Trump administration has effectively tied BLM Colorado’s hands and created conditions for much larger sales than usual.

“This is not a decision to be made by local communities, by the people close to the lands, by the people who recreate on and use these lands,” Slivka said. “It is a decision to be made by President Trump and Secretary Burgum that everything the oil and gas industry is interested in, they must have at their disposal.”

She said 86% of the land up for auction in Colorado was leased, which indicates very high interest from fossil fuel companies.

Slivka said that is likely due in part to lower costs for operators to lease — another change under the One Big Beautiful Bill.