News

• Gold Mountain Fire Evacuees Return Home
• Mountain Village Looks for New Town Manager
• AVID Dance Brings a Universal Language

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Gold Mountain Fire Evacuees Return Home

Some Ouray residents evacuated because of the Gold Mountain Fire were able to return home Wednesday after more than a week away.

“That’s a big win. We’ll continue to work securement on Alpha, Bravo, Charlie into Delta,” said Jeremy Dietz, operations section chief for the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team, the federal team leading the fire response, during an operations briefing Wednesday.

The incident management team has divided the fire into several divisions, including Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Foxtrot and Papa. Alpha and Bravo are the divisions just outside the city of Ouray.

“We’ll work on mop up, patrol, securing those lines up there, hoping to establish more containment in the next operational periods,” Dietz said.

Dietz said crews have also established more containment line along the southern portion of the fire, north of Ouray but not along U.S. Highway 550.

In addition, crews have made good progress outside the Ridgway area, where they conducted intentional firing operations over the weekend.

“We were able to get really good depth securing that line, so we’re going to continue to build on that for the next operational periods,” Dietz said.

Moving north, Dietz said crews are still working to create containment lines outside the steep, rugged terrain where firefighters cannot safely operate.

“They’ll continue their primary line down around the Bear Claw and Silver Jack subdivision areas, into the Silver Jack Lake area. That will be our primary line. We also have Division Romeo and Division Uniform over here. They’re working on the secondary lines, more of our backup option, if the fire were to make a big run, we’d have our lines in place,” Dietz said.

As of broadcast deadline, the Gold Mountain Fire had burned more than 31,000 acres and was 8% contained.

The Gold Mountain Fire has brought nearly 1,000 firefighters and incident managers to the area.

With that, almost overnight, a small city popped up at the Ouray County Fairgrounds to feed, house, and support the firefighting operations.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KVNF’s Brody Wilson visited the incident command post and brings us this report.

Story begins at 2:10.

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Mountain Village Looks for New Town Manager

The town of Mountain Village is searching for a new town manager.

“We’re looking for someone who really gets this place,” said Mountain Village Mayor Scott Pearson.

“Somebody who understands that we’re looking to enhance the vitality of our community, but also preserve the beauty and the tranquility and the livability that is the reason we’re here,” Pearson said.

The vacancy comes after former Town Manager Paul Wisor stepped down earlier this year.

Mountain Village is working with Front Range-based executive recruiting firm KRW Associates to conduct a nationwide search.

The job description for the town manager position describes it as an “excellent opportunity” for a seasoned executive looking for a “new challenge and rewarding career.”

According to the job description, the ideal candidate will be a collaborator, connector and coalition builder.

“First and foremost, it starts with our staff. We want a town manager who our staff is really excited about. Somebody who inspires them. Somebody who can lead them. Somebody who can manage them,” Pearson said.

Pearson said the person also needs vision and the ability to execute.

“There’s a lot of big projects that follow from a big vision. We’re looking for a town manager that has that long-term vision as well as the execution chops to deliver on these big projects,” he said.

Pearson pointed to housing, the wastewater treatment plant, the gondola, economic vitality, and fire safety and forest health as some of the opportunities and challenges the next town manager will face.

He said the right candidate will excel at collaboration and have strong business savvy.

“It’s really important to this council that we hire someone who is a good manager with a business mindset. Somebody who prioritizes efficiency, who prioritizes rational decision making, who’s focused on customer service, who knows his or her way around an income statement and a balance sheet, who understands the legal complexities that come to bear on almost anything that happens in this modern economy,” Pearson said.

Pearson said it almost goes without saying, but the town is also looking for someone with integrity and who can earn the community’s trust.

“Who can represent this town to its highest and best purpose,” he said.

The job description states the town manager serves as the liaison between the Town Council and department directors, fostering collaborative relationships, improving organizational cohesion and ensuring clear, consistent communication across all levels of the organization.

The position requires a bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration or a related field, along with at least five years of experience in municipal government or public-sector management. The salary range is $221,463 to $306,621.

The application deadline is Friday, Aug. 7. Mountain Village plans to hold interviews and community meet-and-greet events with finalists in the coming months and hopes to have a new town manager in place this fall.

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AVID Dance Brings a Universal Language

Most people know the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood: A girl ventures into the forest to visit her grandmother, only to encounter a big, scary wolf.

But what if the wolf isn’t scary — just misunderstood?

That’s the question ballet choreographer Melody Mennite wanted to explore.

“Her work is called The Wolff. It’s a reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood told from the wolf’s perspective,” said Emily Speed, founder, artistic director and dancer with the Boulder-based dance company Artistic Ventures in Dance, or AVID.

This weekend, AVID will bring the world premiere of The Wolff to Telluride with a performance at the Palm Theatre.

“It explores a lot of ideas of humanity and the good and the bad, and nature, and how nature has a cycle and a way of keeping balance,” Speed said.

In its third season, AVID blends classical and contemporary ballet.

“We strive to create works that are collaborative and unique, but still honor the legacy of ballet,” Speed said.

In addition to The Wolff, the performance will feature an original piece titled The Center Does Not Hold. Speed said the work highlights AVID’s collaborative approach.

“It’s so exciting. It’s so uplifting. It doesn’t have a narrative storyline, but it does have a lot of meaning behind all of it. We’ll also have live music,” she said.

The evening’s third work is Valentine.

“It’s like a quirky, funny, battle of the sexes piece,” Speed said.

Speed said presenting three works with distinct identities means there is something for everyone, all communicated through the universal language of dance.

“I think it transcends a lot of different topics. I really do think dance can bring people together. I know for a fact that each of the pieces that we’ll be performing will make you feel something. I take that as a high compliment. I think that art should make you feel something,” she said.

For people who may be unsure about attending the ballet, Speed said AVID is designed to be welcoming and accessible.

“What AVID is trying to do is bring classical ballet into the 21st century in a very approachable way. So I think someone who might never have seen dance before, AVID might be a great introduction or opportunity for them to explore that in a theatre setting that they might not normally be interested in going to,” she said.

A sneak peek of The Wolff, including a behind-the-scenes look at how the ballets come together, will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, July 10, at the Palm Theatre.

AVID’s performance of The Wolff and other works will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at the Palm Theatre. Tickets are available at telluridepalm.com or at the door.

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Base Jumper Refuses Rescue After SOS Activation

San Miguel County Search and Rescue responded Monday afternoon after a man activated his Garmin SOS in Columbine Basin near Lewis Lake.

According to the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, the 31-year-old Grand Junction man reported through the SOS message that he fell 150 to 200 feet while BASE jumping. He said his parachute failed to deploy, he believed he had broken his leg and was unable to walk.

San Miguel County Search and Rescue and San Juan County Search and Rescue responded with a litter and other rescue equipment. A CARE Flight helicopter was also dispatched and prepared to transport the patient to Montrose Regional Hospital.

However, after rescuers reached the man, the Sheriff’s Office said he declined helicopter transport, against the recommendation of rescuers, and stated he no longer wanted Search and Rescue assistance. He then descended on foot while being monitored by members of San Juan County Search and Rescue.

About 20 search and rescue members and sheriff’s deputies responded to the incident. In a statement, San Miguel County Sheriff Dan Covault expressed his appreciation for the search and rescue teams while also criticizing the man’s “disregard” for the risks rescuers took to reach him. Covault said the man’s actions unnecessarily diverted emergency resources that could have been needed elsewhere.

“The fact that he was able to hike back down shows a profound lack of respect for the tremendous effort and resources devoted to this rescue,” Covault said.

The SOS call was received just before 3 p.m. Monday. The rescue mission concluded at 11:30 p.m.

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Aspen Acres Fire Forces Evacuations

The Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado is now the state’s largest active wildfire.

The fire has burned more than 93,000 acres, prompting evacuation and pre-evacuation orders for communities in Custer and Pueblo counties.

Among those forced to leave is Angie Goodwin, who had been staying with her uncle about 5 miles west of Wetmore.

Her family is now camping near Westcliffe while waiting for news about the fate of their home.

“We’ve just been staying there. Like, we come into town and do this, you know, get showers and clean up and then we go back out, and we just pretty much wait there. We’re just waiting,” Goodwin said.

Goodwin said she hopes the family’s home is still standing, but she is preparing for a lengthy displacement.

“There’s a lot of fire up there yet. So, I’m gonna safely say it’s gonna be at least a couple more weeks. I highly doubt … if you look at the map, I don’t think we’re gonna make it home anytime soon,” she said.

The Aspen Acres Fire has destroyed or damaged more than 200 structures and is 15% contained.

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Drought Continues to Fuel Western Wildfires

Drought conditions continue across the Mountain West, fueling wildfires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres in Colorado and Utah.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, San Miguel County is experiencing severe drought conditions, with major wildfires burning in neighboring Ouray and Dolores counties.

As Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Caroline Llanes reports, forecasts currently show a high-pressure system that could bring record-breaking heat to the western part of the country over the next week to 10 days.

After that, monsoon rains are expected to begin in the latter half of the month.

Seth Arens, a hydrologist with the Western Water Assessment, said those rains likely will not refill depleted reservoirs, but they could provide some relief.

“It does help mitigate some of these short-term impacts, maybe improves forage for cattle grazing and wildlife, but some of the longer-term impacts really are going to rely on what happens next winter with precipitation and winter snowpacks,” Arens said.

Although an El Niño pattern is associated with a wetter winter in the Rocky Mountains, it also typically brings higher temperatures.

Arens said those warmer temperatures could reduce the amount of water stored in snowpack.

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Boxing Class Offers People with Parkinson’s More than Exercise

More than 1 million people in the United States are living with Parkinson’s disease.

There is no cure, but research shows certain types of exercise can help manage symptoms, including problems with balance and coordination.

Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Maeve Conran visited a boxing gym in Boulder where people with Parkinson’s are building strength, confidence and community.

Story begins at 17:10.