Category Archives: 2023

EV’s have long time issues. (Mine to Fire)

EV have long time issues.  (Mine to Fire)

By Dale Klingbeil
Westcliffe, CO

The wave is catching on, and we are evaluating.  Can we buy an EV and save money, or the Environment, vs. Cost.

Probably, neither.  Too, much reliance on fossil fuels for all the component production to evaluate, cradle to grave, (Maybe, Mine to Fire). The deeper that one digs into this issue, the more it becomes apparent, that not much is gained in either front, vs. my old ICE, (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicle.

The major concern for this review is what do you do with your Nissan Leaf at the END of the battery LIFE.  In, engineering jargon, EOL.  End of Life tests are conducted in the development of such products.  However, the public is always the final field test.

It is estimated that 800,000 EV will be sold this year in USA.  The Tesla showroom in Colorado Springs is the closest location for such viewing.  Engineering details will not be available nor will the major topics that I will expose herein.

As a conservative minded buyer, I am looking for great value.  My current Chevy is an average fossil fuel ICE.  On a good day, 28 mpg.  I have been operating this for some years and expect to continue for a few more.  Cost per mile, including insurance is less than $0.10 per mile.  I am planning for a 300,000 mile, EOL.

Jalpnik reported last week information gleaned, from Anderson Economic Group, (AEG) that ICE drivers pay about $11.29 per 100 miles, ($0.1129 per mile), for fuel.  The comparable EV driver pays $11.60 for an at home charge, (electricity cost).  Anderson Economic Group went on the say, that that frequent charging station users pay, $14.40 per 100 miles, ($0.144 per mile).

The EV warranties are government mandated at 100,000 miles.  In the case of Tesla, they go as high as 150,000, or 8 years, whichever comes first.  Most EV available in the used marketplace have less than 60,000 miles.  This high mileage 2015, Nissan Leaf was listed for sale at $12,900.  The cost of this EV is at $0.21 per mile to 120,000 miles, (In engineering, we would call this Half-Life, value).  The insurance is stated to be on an average, 27% more expensive for an EV vs an ICE.

“Policygenius, an online brokerage, reported the average U.S. monthly EV insurance payment is approximately $206, or 27% higher than a combustion-engine model. Reuters contributed to this report.”

As an aside, please note that EV do not pay road tax.  Such maintenance is covered partly by the cost added to gasoline/diesel at the pump.  This tax is coming to your neighborhood, soon. 

From a cost standpoint, this is almost triple the cost to operate the EV.  So, much for cost savings.

Let me delve into EOL.  More importantly the risk of fire in the front yard.  The latest report of the Ford plant shutting down for a two or three weeks was stated to be battery related.  Ok, now some additional research has brought forward.  Nanoscopic cracks are a major concern for short circuiting and fire hazards.

“EV batteries lack reparability leading some insurers to junk whole cars after even minor collisions.”

“A scratched or slightly damaged electric battery might be enough for some insurers to write off entire car, as for many electric vehicles there is no way to repair battery packs after collisions.”   Story by Lawrence Richard

 

A recent series of tests by Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, revealed a condition that can occur in a EV lithium battery.  The results of this test were published in the journal Nature Energy.

During this testing they discovered that “nanoscopic” cracks in the ceramic solid electrolyte can occur.  The size of this crack is only, 20 nanometers, (a human hair is 80,000 nanometers by way of comparison).  No, this is not a miss print… Just test data.

The report further states that, “Just modest indentation, bending or twisting of the batteries can cause nanoscopic fissures in the materials to open and the lithium to intrude into the solid electrolyte causing it to short circuit,” lead coauthor William Chueh says in a statement.  “Even dust or other impurities introduced in manufacturing can generate enough stress to cause failure.”

Now that we have a base of concern.  Let us go back and try to understand the warranty and/or manufacture’s exposure.  Nissan Leaf warranty goes to 100,000 or 8 years.  Now consider this subject EV.  This 2015 is 8 years old with 60,000 miles on it.  In the ICE marketplace, we consider this almost low mileage.  But, this EV is out of warranty.  We do not know what this particular battery charging history has been.  Again, the more frequent fast charges this battery has been exposed to, the shorter the life… EOL cycle testing would give you a better estimate, (test results would indicate the battery life in cycles).  Your dealer would not know this information and Car Fax probably isn’t reporting this information either.

I will ignore the remaining life of this battery/vehicle.  I will now refresh some information gleaned from the net.

Nissan Leaf battery for a low cost 2015 Leaf, is likely to be a 24k Wh, (Kilowatt per Watt Hour rated battery), with a replacement cost of $5,500 plus installation.  The cost of batteries is dependent on the Kilowatt per Watt Hour rating, (k Wh).  Nissan goes as high as 62k Wh in the newer models.  But, I have learned that you could upgrade this 2015 with this 62k Wh battery.  The cost; $15,500 to $18,000 plus installation.  Remember that this is a 2015 EV available in the marketplace for $12,900.

The Tesla batteries are much more expensive, sounds like $20,000 to $25,000, plus installation after warranty.  EOL is still untold.

Business Insider

“Auto expert says Tesla’s Model Y battery pack has ‘zero repairability,’ so a minor collision can junk the car.”   Story by astjohn@insider.com (Alexa St. John)

Now, the decision.  Fix it or junk it, (park it)…  One offer was interesting, $1,400, but towing was an undisclosed cost, here in southern Colorado,(their location may have been Florida).  I called a couple local recyclers and salvage yards.  Two others of this type businesses, said the towing charge would be $375 plus tax.  The EV value was given at $200.00.  The next offer was to charge for towing and pick up the EV.  This is not roadside coverage or off hours.  I would call this, no value.  Thus, a net cost to recycle, $175 plus tax.

The reason given, was that these vehicles are very dangerous, and they both have specially trained people to disassemble and remove this dangerous battery.  They estimated 15 to 20 hours to remove the battery.

Global Tech Environmental website provides some very important warnings for handling or disassembling this battery.  One item that struck me as very pointed, they suggested the use of “Lineman’s Gloves” when working on this battery handling and must be rated at 1000 Volts.

Now let us jump to the actual recycle process and why it is not available in any nearby facility.  Lithium can be extracted from a lithium-ion battery via two major processes. Owing to the difficulty of separating lithium from the packed battery, the disposed battery is subjected to a pre-treatment process to separate the lithium-containing active material (cathode, anode) from the peripheral parts (plastic, polymer). Next, lithium is chemically separated from the active materials using pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and electrochemical extraction method.  Yes, very high tech.  Two very notable conditions.  The first is the use of very cold atmosphere temperatures, (-320 F).  The second is a solution with a temperature of somewhere from 800 to 1,000 degrees F.

“Battery pre-treatment of the battery to mechanically separate the plastic, followed by vacuum thermal treatment to remove the electrolyte and solvent. The material is then crushed, sieved, and separated (magnetically and with air) to separate Al, Fe, Cu, and plastic. The pre-treated material then undergoes pyrometallurgy treatments, namely, reduction to separate Co and Mn, followed by hydrometallurgy and acid leaching to precipitate LiCl.112

This pre-treatment processes includes the use of liquid nitrogen in the cryo-milling process (at −320 °F) followed using a hammer mill to crush the material”.

Now considering the very high-tech treatment, you can see that only a couple recyclers are in business at this time.  None of the actual recyclers are in the state at this time.  I have not indicated the materials or minerals extracted.  This a high-tech process and I would likely miss some important materials.  Thus, we will call these precious materials, (Al, Fe, Cu, LiCl. Co and Mn).

Transportation is another issue of extreme concern.  The handling is very specific to package for transportation, as explosion or fire are a major risk.  Global Tech Environmental goes in detailed warnings about packaging on their web site.

But, for the, fix it or junk, (park), decision, not important.  Here is my warning, if this EV is left in its unusable state and parked, it has potential of erupting in a fire.  As noted, before, small dents can cause these nanoscopic cracks and fires have been reported before.

If an EV is abandoned, in the state of Colorado, an officer must be present when it is moved.

A fire in Colorado is a very big event and has caused damage, and much publicity.  I have not dug into an insurance exposure of a fire caused by an abandoned EV.

As a statistic of the number of EVs on the road, over time the likelihood of a fire is higher than ZERO.  Please consider the environmental conditions with the purchase and operation of an EV.

 

 

March Westcliffe Meeting: New Trustee, Compliance With Town Ordinances to be Scrutinized

Town of Westcliffe Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting

March 21, 2023

Town Hall Conference Room, Westcliffe, 5:30 PM

New Trustee Lori Lund Sworn In, Town to Proceed With Grant Awarded to Install EV Charging Stations, Compliance With Town Ordinances to be Scrutinized

By Becky Olson

The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees for the Town of Westcliffe was held on March 21st, 2023 and convened as scheduled at 5:30 PM in the town hall conference room. All Trustees were present and proceedings commenced after recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and unanimous adoption of the consent agenda after minor edits to February’s Trustee meeting minutes for clarification.

The first item of old business was the swearing in of new Board of Trustees member, Lori Lund. Ms. Lund fills the role vacated by former Trustee, Bess Cole, who resigned in January. Congratulations, Lori! The other item of old business was a discussion around whether to proceed with a grant which was awarded to the town last August by the Colorado Energy Office to offset 80% of the cost to install EV (electric vehicle) charging stations on town property. A representative from the Colorado Energy Office was present via teleconference to answer some clarifying questions from the Trustees regarding liability, costs, warranty, maintenance, and so on related to the charging stations. A motion to proceed with the project and utilize the grant ultimately passed, with Mayor Wenke and Trustee Art Nordyke dissenting and voting nay due to concerns about the town taking on responsibility for this type of infrastructure. Continue reading March Westcliffe Meeting: New Trustee, Compliance With Town Ordinances to be Scrutinized

March School Board: New Hires, BOCES, Amending bylaws

Board of Education Regular Meeting
School Library
—March 14, 2023
by Becky Olson
The regular Board of Education meeting kicked off on March 14, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. in the school library. All members were present and proceedings commenced after the call to order and Pledge of Allegiance. After changes to the agenda were unanimously approved and the introduction of guests in the gallery, the members heard from the anti-bullying committee about their recent campaign to develop a list of desired traits for students and ways they are recognizing those who display the characteristics of being kind, responsible, respectful, and caring with public praise.
The one person signed up for public comment requested their time allotment at the end of the meeting, so the board moved on to unanimously approve the minutes for the Special Meeting that took place on March 2nd. In teacher reports the board members received an update from committee members on the programs being implemented under the Colorado Multi-Tiered System of Support (COMTSS) grant to provide additional assistance to qualified students. This is a multi-year grant worth a total of $90,000 for the period of January 2021 through August 2026.
In board committee reports, member Tracy Broll gave a brief update with regard to ongoing efforts to renegotiate and amend the operating agreement with the South Central Board of Cooperative Education Services (SCBOCES). There are still details forthcoming from SCBOCES which are germane to these discussions, so this item was tabled to next month’s meeting and no decisions were made or votes taken at this time. The Kids Council next provided some brief updates and reported that grant funding is being pursued for the new pre-school / daycare class and the new infant room is expected to open in the near future as construction on that building is completed.
After some brief athletics programs updates were read by member Jordan Benson in Director Trinity Huffman’s absence, Principal Sydney Benesch gave her report: Spring testing preparation is underway, the new Snowcats club is going strong, the Scholastic book fund raiser and Family Literacy Night were successes, and 486 responses were received to the recent community survey on what skills and qualities stakeholders wish to see in the school’s graduates. In Superintendent Jackie Crabtree’s report, she highlighted the ongoing maintenance and repair efforts for aging aspects of the school building and infrastructure, many interviews for open positions have recently been held, the old playground equipment is being replaced, the Bobcat Quad teacher housing unit is getting new appliances, health insurance premiums will increase due to new laws and expanded uses for certain prescription drugs, the Stress Busters program is helping middle school students learn coping strategies, and the renewal of the grant for the School Resource Officer is still being pursued with the help of the Custer County Sheriff’s Office.
In standing action items, members unanimously approved accepting the district financial report before moving on to unanimously approve all of the recent resignations and new hires. The updated Memorandum of Understanding with the Riggs Ranch prepared by member Peggi Collins received unanimous approval, as did the 2023-2024 school calendar. As a result of last month’s meeting where a conflict of interest with Mr. Benson’s recent acceptance of the position as Chairman of the local GOP political chapter was discussed, board members made a decision to pursue modification of their bylaws to remove this conflict. Ms. Collins will present proposed updates at next month’s meeting.
Members next voted unanimously to re-apply for a grant to offset the cost of replacing certain equipment for the school building as well as voting to use money leftover from another grant to help with the cost of replacing the playground slide. Next members voted unanimously to investigate how to pay for required changes to various school policies that were flagged in a recent audit as not being up to date with all current state law. (Editor’s note: Some of these were discussed in the 2:30 meeting.) The last item before moving to public comment was a unanimous vote to bring in a company over spring break to do a deep cleaning and sanitization of the school at a cost not to exceed $10,000. (Due to the prevalence of illnesses thus far this school year.)
Ann Barthrop was up next in public comments to ask the board if they had been able to obtain answers to some questions that arose in last month’s meeting with regard to Mr. Benson’s conflict of interest. Ms. Barthrop specifically asked what the attorney’s feedback was with regard to this conflict, and member Jake Shy again curtly stated, “no conflict”. Ms. Barthrop went on to reiterate and remind the board of the necessity of this entity remaining nonpartisan, and highlighted an excerpt out of the state board of education’s ethics code speaking to this circumstance. Member Peggi Collins asked Ms. Barthrop if she could send that language to her for incorporation in the updated bylaws Ms. Collins will be presenting at next month’s meeting.
In further public comment, a resident and mother expressed her frustration with the lack of resources for students who qualify as gifted and talented. She highlighted state laws which mandate assessments for qualified students and the allocation of necessary resources within a 60 day time period that is not being adhered to (her child has been a student here for two years now), and also that a state requirement for a certified gifted and talented teacher is also not being met. She further lamented that the school doesn’t have an honor society or AP (Advanced Placement) classes, and she has had to pursue options outside of the school to meet her child’s needs. The board assured her there was now a dedicated resource pursuing these things and they would “soon” be in place. (Editor’s note: Monies paid into SCBOCES from funds collected in property taxes in Custer County and grant disbursements collected by SCBOCES are for the purpose of funding special needs and gifted and talented programs.)
With no further public comment and after a few minor discussion items, the meeting was adjourned.

Stop Vaccines Already Be Informed Before Taking

Stop Vaccines Already Be Informed Before Taking

by Fred Hernandez
Opinion
A lmost on a daily basis hundreds of doctors, scientists, pharmacists, scholars, intellectuals and learned individuals from academia bring forth new information about the uncertainties of the vaccines.
These are well educated, highly trained, respected worldwide and capable individuals who speak the truth and they speak it loud and clear. Before the advent of the virus these people were respected and sought after by world leaders, media and corporate giants. They are spreading the news to you. But we will not hear the truth on mainstream media which is at best compromised and in some cases down right corrupt. It has been three years since the “pandemic” first materialized almost out of nowhere creating havoc on people’s lives not only in this country but throughout the world. Today we should have learned the lessons about the real reason for this global event. If nothing else we should now know that the vaccine being pushed by the government is not a surefire deterrent against the virus.
There have been hundreds if not thousands of adverse effects officially recorded and documented. In fact there are volumes of good, solid information that show most of those contracting the virus these days are vaccinated. Anyone who has any interest in finding out the hard facts can easily go online and readily find this information. Yet in some states the administrators continue to promote taking the jab. What is even worse is that there are those who obediently follow these directives. Before you take another shot, do yourself and/or your loved ones a favor: know the facts and understand that you have rights. You have every right to accept medical treatment if that is what you really need. You also have every right to refuse medical treatment if you do not want it. These rights are contained in FEDERAL as well as COLORADO STATE Law. Both of these laws state unequivocally that adults who are able to make a decision and express those decisions have an intrinsic right to the following:
• First of all, they have
a right to be given infor-mation regarding their condition (if they have one) and its treatment and that information has to be given in a way that they can fully comprehend all details including risks, benefits, alternatives and the possible result of the treatment.
• They have a right to give their consent to the,medical treatment, as explained, should they agree with it.
• They also have the right to reject the treatment proposed at any time and for any reason even if by their refusal of the treatment the result might be negative (including possibility of death).
• They have a right to make their wishes known before they need the treatment.
• They have a right to assign another person to make medical decisions for them in the event they are unable to do so.

YOUR RIGHT TO INFORMED CONSENT
Except in an emergency you have the right to give your consent to receive treatment and you must be told beforehand what the treatment is, for what reason, why it will be helpful and what the risks and side effects might be. You have a right to a second opinion and you have a right to discuss it with your family or friends before making your final decision.
YOUR RIGHT TO ACCEPT TREATMENT
Once you have been fully informed you may accept by saying “OK” and sometimes a verbal acceptance is enough. Or, you may be asked to sign something at which time you have the right to have it explained to your satisfaction before you sign anything.
YOUR RIGHT TO REFUSE
Once you have been fully informed to your satisfaction you have the right to refuse any and all medical treatment even if it will cause an adverse effect on your condition and that includes the possibility of one’s death.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO MAKE YOUR DECISIONS KNOWN
Should you have a preference as to the type of medical treatment you believe you should have you can make it known. You also have a right to appoint someone else of your choice to make decisions for you.
It is of paramount impor-tance for you to get all the information about your rights with regard to your care. It is contained in the law of the land and you have a duty to yourself to know these rights for your own protection and well being. Do not agree with everything you are told just because they are employed by a government agency. You have an obligation to yourself and your loved ones. visiting Colorado AdvancedDirectives.com.
You can also contact your local physician, your local hospital or even your senior group. These organizations below will also give you the information you need.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Colorado Department of Social Services.
Colorado Hospital Association
Colorado Medical Society
Colorado Advance Directives Consortium
Finally, there is a booklet from the Colorado Hospital Association entitled Your Right to Make Healthcare Decisions which can be gotten free of charge by simply calling 1-720-489-1630. There is no reason for anyone to be lured into any kind of treatment. Get fully informed and take care of yourself. It is your right. It is your obligation to yourself and your loved ones.

Anna Elizabeth Orgeron Passes

 

Obituarry

Anna Elizabeth Orgeron

Anna Elizabeth Orgeron passed away peacefully on February 27th, 2023, after bravely battling many medical ailments with her son and family by her side.

Anna was born in Mountain Home, Idaho, on March 26, 1956, to Arnold Malloy Groff and Helga Johanna Anna (nee Wehn). Anna is survived by her husband Joseph Paul Orgeron (Gator), youngest son Robert Arnold Bobbett, sister Cora Ellan Tyson (Charles Barry), brother Arnold Helmut Groff and many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews who called her Tanta Anna.
Preceded in death by her parents, sister Crystal Lynn Radley and oldest son Christopher C. Bobbett. Anna was medically retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Staff Sergeant in 1989 after serving for 15 years as a computer systems analyst for the 961 AWACS. She was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, for 5 1/2 years with her young sons and that is where she met her husband Joe who is also retired U.S. Air Force.
Anna and Gator retired to Colorado where they lived in Westcliffe. They were high up in the mountains living out their dreams in the beautiful Sangre De Cristo Mountains. She was active in the American Legion and worked devotedly for wildlife rescue.
Anna and Joe came to Greenville, NC, in 2017 to be closer to her sister Cora and her family. Cora was a wonderful caregiver, sister and companion to Anna. Anna and Cora spent every day together and were so close they finished each others sentences. They enjoyed gardening, taking care of their chickens, decorating for every holiday and spending time with the family. Anna was a kind soul that loved animals and was always quick to joke and laugh with a happy smile and bright eyes.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Noon Sunday March 26, 2023, at Cora and Barry’s house. 215 Hardee Rd. Greenville, NC 27858.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Tunnels to Towers Foundation at https://t2t.org/donate/

Mary E Seifert Passes

Rest in Peace
Mary E Seifert


We are saddened to announce the passing of Mary E. Seifert on February 12, 2023. Mary was born April 19, 1952, in Las Animas, CO, to Herb and Margaret (MacKenzie) Stuart. Mary grew up in Westcliffe, CO, and graduated high school in Wiley, CO in 1970. In 1988, she married Jerry Seifert, and together they built Seifert Trucking for 30 plus years.  Mary was a pillar of her community, she contributed her time and knowledge freely.

Mary is survived by her husband, Jerry, her brother, Mike Stuart, her children, Kent (Kim) Beach, Rebekah (Clint) Reisch, Clint Seifert, her grandchildren, Jennifer (James) Martinez, Justine Beach and Beau Banning, Jaime Beach, Jordan Beach, Austen McGlamery, Aly McGlamery, Haylee Hutterer, and her pride and joy, her great grandchildren, Addie, Zayden, Blakely, Laramee and Quynly. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Herb and Margaret Stuart, and her brothers, Herb and Don Stuart. Service information will be announced at a later date.

Update: A Memorial Service will be held Saturday April 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Custer County School located at 709 Main Street in Westcliffe, Colorado.
Services for Mary’s  brother-in-law, Wayne Seifert will be held at the same time and location.

School Board Mtg : Possible Board Member Conflict of Interest

School Board Mtg : Possible Board Member Conflict of Interest, New Bobcats Logo, Updates to SCBOCES
Operating Agreement Proving Difficult

CCSD-1 Board of Education
Regular Meeting
—February 20, 2023
by Becky Olson
The regular Board of Education meeting finally kicked off on February 20, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. in the school’s multipurpose room after being rescheduled a record three times within a week. A quorum of members was present and proceedings commenced after the call to order and Pledge of Allegiance, with the fifth member joining about 20 minutes into the discussions. Before moving into public comments, the board took a moment to recognize teacher Naomi Smith for her contributions. Thank you, Ms. Smith! Continue reading School Board Mtg : Possible Board Member Conflict of Interest

New Leadership for the Custer County Republican Central Committee

by Fred Hernandez
O n Thursday evening, February 9th, at the Rancher’s Roost in Westcliffe, the Custer County Republican Central Committee (CCRCC) had its organizational meeting to elect a new leadership for the party. To some it might have been a surprise; to others no surprise at all. After the dust settled, the new team emerged: Jordan Benson – Chairman; Chuck Steigerwalt – Vice Chairman; Sandra Attebery – Secretary and Dorothy Carsten – Treasurer.

The Sentinel had an opportunity to meet with the newly minted Chairman Benson the very next day for a free-wheeling chat at which time he disclosed some of his thoughts and plans regarding the future of the Republican Party in Happy Valley.
The new Chairman firmly believes that Custer County “is the last bastion of freedom in Colorado. We are blessed to have the majority of elected officials as members of the Republican Party”. His main objective during his term will be twofold: unite and grow the party.
Using his high tech device to make his point, Jordan, as his friends call him, drew on the tablet the platforms of both parties; the Democrats and the Republicans: Under the section marked “D” he drew a list of “values”; the things they stand for as a party. On this list he had them favoring Big Government, universal healthcare, open borders, climate change, anti-religion, pro-abortion, anti Second Amendment, socialism, soft on crime and more. Under the letter “R”; a shorter list: pro Constitution, individual rights, pro Second Amendment, Free Markets, pro-life, pro-business, strong military and strong borders.
Jordan says “we have a rare opportunity at this time. People are leaving both parties and moving towards becoming independent”. He believes that those who are leaving the Democrat Party might agree with some of the things on their platform but surely there may be those who do not believe all. Therefore, the Republican Party should have a platform that will attract those Democrats who are leaving theirparty. Some of our strongest Re-publicans were once Democrats. To the Republicans he will say, “If you do not entirely believe in the platform of the Republican Party then you are not a Republican.” We have to show people why we fight hard. We are the party that believes in individual rights and freedoms. We are the party that wants every American to have the opportunity to be successful, not just special interest groups as our counterparts do. We believe that those individual rights and freedoms should not be trampled upon just because someone doesn’t like something. It is not acceptable for one to pretend that they are Republicans but deep down they espouse the platform of the other parties. What’s more is we cannot allow anyone, especially the compromised media, to divide Republicans. He wants to remind everyone, Democrats and Republicans alike, that the Republican Party is the party of Freedom and Liberty and that includes small government and adhering to the Constitution. He (Jordan) would further want to remind the party that it has to put all competition on the defensive and it starts by not bickering with each other within the party.
Chairman Benson invites everyone, members of any party, affiliates of any organization; everyone is welcome to join in all future meetings to learn why the Republican Party is the right party for America. At every meeting there will be time allotted to allow all attendees to voice their thoughts, their opinions and their concerns during an open forum public comment section. They can address themselves to officials who may be in attendance and get straight answers. As far as he is concerned the truth is all important for the overall performance of the party. That is why he refuses to allow the party to be a victim of the media. He stands for the truth, nothing else. Congratulations to Chairman Jordan Benson and his new team at the helm of the Custer County Republican Central Committee.

For the CCRC’s January Meeting minutes, see here. (Leaving page)

Note:  3/2/2023    The next CCRC meeting has been scheduled for Wedn. March 8, 5:30 p.m. in the Courthouse basement.

Wayne D. Seifert Passes

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Wayne D. Seifert of Cañon City, CO, who passed away on February 12th, 2023. Wayne was born July 4, 1953, in Cañon City, to Linley and Ruth (Stettler) Seifert. Wayne grew up in Westcliffe, and attended Custer County High School where he played many sports. Wayne worked at Colorado Refractories-BMI for over 25 years. He then worked at Holcim for 19 years, retiring in 2018. He loved working in the quarry and kept track of how many miles he drilled (1,490,965 ft, to be exact).
After he retired, he looked forward to helping his brother, Jerry, put up hay in Westcliffe, helping his friend, Rick, with mitigation jobs and catching up with his many friends. Wayne enjoyed flying, fishing, hunting, arrowhead hunting, col-lecting firewood, playing horseshoes and riding his four wheeler.
Wayne will be missed by his wife of 49 years, Sandra Kay (Pearce) Seifert; his daughters, Sarah (Kent) Cooper of Pueblo
and Elizabeth (Pierre) Gamache of Cañon City; six granddaughters, Marley, Kaitlyn, Abbey, Juliana, Lucy and Summer; his siblings, Jerry Seifert, Janie Schlosser, Joyce Thornal, Bonnie Jansen, Holly Giroux and Steve Seifert and numerous nieces and nephews.
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Jimmy, Jack and Kenny and one niece and nephew.
Services are pending and will be announced online at holtfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Update: A Memorial Service will be held Saturday April 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Custer County School located at 709 Main Street in Westcliffe, Colorado.
Services for Wayne’s sister-in-law, Mary Seifert will be held at the same time and location.