All posts by sentineladmin

2023, Uncategorized

Round Mountain Water Waste Treatment Update: Catch 22

Round Mountain Water Waste Treatment Update
Catch 22 Continues to Hold Up New Taps.
State Bureaucracy the Problem

by Fred Hernandez
The ongoing debacle of the sewer system problems of the Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District is just beginning to heat up. All the delays, through no fault whatsoever of the District, can be attributed to constantly changing rules and never-ending State and Federal bureaucracies. This report attempts to simplify the complex problems currently facing the District.
The District’s antiquated wastewater treatment system need to be totally upgraded to the tune of many millions of dollars. Proposed solutions are estimated to cost over 14 million dollars. This is far beyond the financial ability of the District and it’s constituents to install or operate. The District must find a treatment system that is both effective and affordable.
The most cost effective design for discharging reclaimed water from the treatment facility is to divert to Grape Creek that runs nearby. However, the Federal government declared Grape Creek as “impaired” due to excess nutrient loading causing harmful algae blooms in Lake DeWeese. This has caused the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to impose excessively stringent limits on any reclaimed water discharge, leading to the need for a very complex and expensive treatment system. This pollution could be cleaned up, but the state will not do so.
The District has researched other means of effluent disposal, but stream water discharge is the only option available. Initial treatment designs were estimated to cost around six million dollars and initially, the District was successful in receiving over $3,500,000 in grants and $2,500,000 in low interest loans. However, as rules and limits were changed, the redesigned plant cost skyrocketed to
over $14,000,000.
The District has by now spent over $675,000 on engineering, geotech work and other expenses related to the long-protracted study of the possible solutions to the ongoing problem. Their resources are depleted, and money is now needed badly.
After realizing that the traditional solution for wastewater treatment was unaffordable, District management has been conducting extensive studies and research of a new treatment technology that is currently not approved by CDPHE, known as the Powell Water Microalgae System. The new system testing has been proven on a small scale and would only cost $3 – 4 million to install.
CDPHE acknowledges the success but requires further proof on a larger scale. That requires funding which the District does not have. All these efforts have led to a catch 22 situation as the District does not have the funds available to construct a large-scale pilot study unless Federal grants and loans can be used, and those grants and loans are only available after the treatment system is approved by CDPHE.
What is urgently needed to move forward from this impasse is clearly that the state needs to assign an amount of funding designated as low interest loans to entities that can do research and design the necessary technologies to solve some of these problems faced by not only Round Mountain, but by many other counties and municipalities throughout the state. RMWSD has done everything within its power to try and meet the standards of the state. However, without the needed funding, there is little more that can be done to alleviate the situation at this time.

2023, Uncategorized

Valley Strong Community Dinner September 14th

Event: 4 – 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 14th

This will be the seventh year for the Valley Strong Community Dinner on Main Street. Hundreds of community members have gathered for the previous events to celebrate their love of the Valley and to meet or reconnect with their neighbors while enjoying an old-fashioned community dinner in the middle of town.
The Valley Strong team provides outdoor seating, eight to a table, with community members registering as either a table hosts or indicating that you’d like to join a table. Each host will organize who will join them at their table as well as coordinate their menu.
Registration is open now at valleystrong.us and the event is free and will be held rain or shine.
To sign up to host a table or to join a table, visit valley
strong.us or for more information, email info@valleystrong.us.

Uncategorized

Algea bloom warning for Lake DeWeese

—August 7, 2023
Colorado Parks &Wildlife
WESTCLIFFE, Colo. – A growing bloom of toxic blue-green algae at DeWeese Reservoir State Wildlife Area prompted Colorado Parks and Wildlife to warn the public to avoid contact with the water.
“Algae has become a seasonal problem at DeWeese, forcing CPW in recent summers to close the water to all activity except fishing to prevent the risk of exposure to humans and their pets,” said CPW District Wildlife Manager Justin Krall. “This year, the algae bloom was delayed. But now it’s happening and people need to take precautions.”
“The algae can be harmful to people and pets if touched. It can give sensitive people a bad rash, for example. And it’s possibly fatal if ingested.”
Signs are posted at the reservoir by CPW warning visitors to avoid the water and explaining the danger of the algae blooms.
The signs warn people to keep kids and pets out of the water at risk of death from the toxic algae. The signs warn people not to drink the water and no water recreation including swimming, skiing, paddle-boarding and wading.
If anyone or their pet comes into contact with the algae, the signs urge them to shower immediately with fresh, clean water.
The warning was prompted after testing found dangerous levels of toxicity in the water and elevated levels of algae were observed in a turquoise-colored film on the reservoir.
“You can still fish during an algae bloom,” Krall said. “But there should be no skin-to-water contact.
“It’s also important to take care when handling and cleaning any fish caught in DeWeese. Toxins accumulate in the liver and guts of fish. So it’s important any fish taken is properly cleaned and thoroughly cooked before eating it.”
Algae blooms are common when temperatures rise, usually in late summer, he said. CPW has been monitoring the reservoir closely, taking weekly water samples to check for elevated toxicity.
DeWeese Reservoir SWA is a 300-acre property near Westcliffe with good fishing. Other forms of recreation still allowed at the SWA include: picnicking, hiking, wildlife viewing and camping.
Algae are an important part of aquatic food webs, but some types of blue-green algae are capable of producing toxins that may cause negative health impacts for humans and pets at elevated concentrations. Currently there is no method to remove toxins from lakes.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) recommends the following:
• Keep kids out
• No pets in water
• Do not drink water
• Avoid contact with algae
• If exposed, shower immediately
More information on blue-green algae is available on CDPHE’s website.
The public can help reduce the occurrence of blue-green algae blooms by preventing nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from entering waterways through responsible use of lawn fertilizers, picking up pet waste, and avoiding using deicers that contain urea.

2023, BOCC

Recall Election Close

The People Have Spoken
Flower Be Gone, Epp Be In
Close, But a Win Is a Win

by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
August 8, 2023 Election
Twenty votes. Out of around 2,300 votes cast. Wow! Those twenty votes were the margin that booted sitting Custer County Commissioner Tom Flower from his job and replaced him with a local businessman, Lucas Epp. 1,181 votes to recall Flower with 1,161 votes to not recall him. Power to the people.
Real close, but a win. Apparently there are a handful of ballots with signature issues that must be “cured” by August 17th. But as the vote was basically 50/50 these ballots should follow that split. Then an audit must be performed by August 21st and the election certified by August 22nd. Thus,  the election results should be good to go. Continue reading Recall Election Close →

Uncategorized

Gaithers- 17 years of Service


Seventeen years ago, John and Mary Gaither began their ministry at Eagles Summit Ranch as volunteers. They came, intending to stay for only three months but God had other plans for them!
They were an integral part of the building of the ranch here in Westcliffe on County Road 271. John spent days helping to dig footers, while Mary helped with notching the logs that would become Eagles Summit Ranch. After many months, the Colorado Ranch was complete, and they moved again, “temporarily” to Texas to help with construction of that ranch as well.
With the completion of both ranches, in-depth ministry to veterans, active military, first responders and spouses was ready to begin. Thank you to John and Mary and the many volunteers who have made this amazing ministry possible.
Now, after the death of their son-in-law, John and Mary have decided to retire and return to Alabama to help their daughter and grandson during their transition. Mary will continue to work for Roever Evangelistic Association as a Program Coordinator out of her home in Alabama; and John will be able to spend time in his workshop, working with his hands, as he loves to do.
Roever Evangelistic Association and Eagles Summit Ranch would like to extend a huge “THANK YOU” to John and Mary for 17 years of hard work and commitment to the ministry of Eagles Summit Ranch and to our heroes. Best wishes, John and Mary! Thank you for your service!

2023, BOCC

BOCC: Day and Flower Continue to Rush Through the County Manager Job Details

by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) had two meetings on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. A workshop in the morning on reviewing the proposed Custer County Board of County Commissioners and County Manager Policy Manual and a second one at 2:39 p.m. to approve it. All three commissioners were at each meeting: Chair Kevin Day, and members Bill Canda and “Traitor” Tom Flower. Continue reading BOCC: Day and Flower Continue to Rush Through the County Manager Job Details →

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Services Planned for Andrea (Andy) Nichols

,Andrea (Andy) Theresa (Anderson) Nichols was born on February 21, 1958, on a ranch near Gregory, South Dakota, to John Cato Anderson and Alice Lucille (Bailey) Anderson. She was the sixth of seven children. Her parents raised Hereford cattle on a
dry-land cow-calf operation. She was one of the last of her generation to attend a one room schoolhouse through the
eighth grade.
In 1970, her parents sold the ranch and purchased an irrigated farm near Merino, CO, raising corn and hay, continuing the cow-calf operation. She attended the Merino school system, graduating a year early in 1975. She went on to the University of Northern Colorado-Greeley, graduating in 1979.
She worked at various occupations to include a sugar beet factory, building a power plant, and cooking for a hundred-man labor gang on the railroad. While working on the railroad she married and was blessed with a daughter, Charmayne. She divorced soon after and raised her daughter as a single parent.
Andy went on to continue her education, obtaining paralegal credentials, and was employed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. While there she met Gary Nichols. They married in 2006. She worked as a Law Librarian and retired after twenty-five years in 2017. In retirement the couple traveled the U.S. in an RV seeing 27 States in four years.
She enjoyed gardening, cooking, canning, sewing, painting, crafting, hunting, fishing, watching birds, and especially walking her little dog, Jack. She was good at all of these things and enjoyed the company of everyone. Someone once said, “She never knew a stranger”.
She loved her family, and they loved her. She was a wonderful grandma and will be sorely missed.
She is survived by her husband, Gary Nichols of Wetmore, CO;
one daughter, Charmayne(Bryan) Sandoval of Cañon City, CO; one son, Jack(Susan) Nichols of Charleston, SC; two grandsons, Cole and Bryce Sandoval of Cañon City, CO; one sister, Gwyn Laproth of Sioux City, IA; three brothers, John Anderson of Brush, CO; Daniel(Cheryl) Anderson of Fort Collins, CO; Ike Anderson of Thornton, CO, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by both parents and two siblings.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., at the Cañon City Church of Christ, 1718 Franklin Avenue, Cañon City, CO.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to any organization of your choice that fights breast cancer in the name of Andrea Nichols.

2023, Uncategorized

77th Westcliffe Stampede Rodeo and Parade

WMV Saddle Club installs New Stadium seating
Photo by Mary Mowery

77th Westcliffe Stampede is here! WMV Saddle Club has added 1,200 seats for this year’s events, and new lighting. That’s seating for 5,000! It’s still first come, first serve on seating so you’ll want to get there early. The gates open at 4 p.m. The PRCA/WPRA Rodeo begins at 6 p.m. both Friday and Saturday nights, July 14 & 15. Friday’s concert band is “Two Tons of Steel” and Saturday’s concert band is “John King”.
Tickets can be purchased on line at WMVSC.com and at the following local businesses; Antlers Liquor. Candy’s Coffee.
Liquor Cabinet, The Country Store and Willie’s (Silver Cliff Mountain Inn & Restaurant.) Tickets are $35 per day and include the Concert. W/V discount is $5.
THE STAMPEDE PARADE
The Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club is again sponsoring a Rodeo parade Saturday, July 15th. They are looking for more entries – walkers, riders, controlled parade-safe animals, and vehicles are invited to participate. The parade starts at 10 a.m. Participants should meet at the Conoco station between 9 and 9:30 a.m. (Let Treasure Merchant know in advance if possible; text or call 720-261-9111, or email at TMerchant1958@gmail.com. All participants must sign a liability waiver.) Continue reading 77th Westcliffe Stampede Rodeo and Parade →