by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The May 5, 2025 Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting was held at the airport and started at 9:03 a.m. All three Commissioners were present: Chair Bill Canda (via Zoom) and Lucas Epp and Paul Vogelsong.
In Commissioner Items, Canda stated the new aviation fuel tank’s concrete approach apron was poured. Canda then noted that he had talked to Round Mountain Water about whether they can accept donations that are tax deductible and revealed that they could. (In a previous BOCC, Canda had stated that they could not.) Round Mountain is setting up accounts in our two local banks for donations to help with the construction of the new waste treatment facility. He also said that the Town of Westcliffe has approved a $10k donation for the project.
In New Business, the first item was a presentation by the Custer County Backpack project. Deborah Bell gave the talk. She said the effort was started in 2016 and last year they delivered 162 backpacks to our school kids (which was 54% of the school population). After filling each backpack for the specific grade, the cost per pack runs from around $40 to $100. They are looking for donations. Epp made a motion for the county to donate $500. After a bit, this was passed.
Next Item was the Beckwith Ranch’s application for a beer permit for their June 12 Annual Round Up event. This was approved.
Epp was next with a proposal to change the quarterly budget review meetings to workshops (instead of a special BOCC meeting). This would give the Commissioners the option of having no public comment. (This was probably the reason. The public has the regular meetings to comment.) This was approved.
The next Item was a proposal to send out a Request for Proposal to various companies that provide in-house Information Technology (IT) support. Epp led this. Basically, instead of hiring one or more full-time County IT employees, the Commissioners want to know if these companies can do it cheaper (and maybe better). This discussion went on for a bit. They are looking at a contract for a price of around $150k. They voted to proceed with this effort.
Lastly, the County’s insurance company, CTSI, had their loss expert there to give the annual review of the County’s loss experience. The analyst had delivered the report to the Commissioners prior to the meeting. The big item was the large loss amount increase last year, the majority of which was from an excessive force on a minor incident a few years ago. (This was under the prior Sheriff’s term.) The case was finally settled last year with a settlement of around $800k. The analyst stated that the County’s “employment conditions” lawsuits were set-tled for around $300k. In our Workmen’s Compensation arena, most of the claims were from the Sheriff’s Office due to their physical training (including use of force training) courses and the regular course of business in arrests, etc. The analysts stated that there was a “rather high” number of claims from the SO the last two years.
This of course sent the Commissioners, especially Epp, into waves of lamentations about how they must manage the claims better and that the County must do a better job of training, etc.
On and on. In the end, no real plan was proposed.
At the end of the meeting, Epp announced that the BOCC meetings would be held on Wednesdays going forward starting May 28th.
Category Archives: 2025
Vet Express addition to VA Colorado Health Care System
—April 18, 2025
Colorado Springs , Co
Press Release
Veterans AdministrationVA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (VA ECHCS) will open Veterans Express Care (Vet Express) at its PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom VA Clinic in Colorado Springs on April 17. Veterans will be able to walk in and be treated for minor health conditions such as coughs/cold/flu, sore throat, ear problems, urinary symptoms, skin conditions, minor injuries, strep throat and sprains/strains or lower back pain.
Vet Express is a walk-in clinic offering same-day visits for veterans requiring prompt medical care. No appointment is necessary, and veterans can be seen the same day. Patience is required, as service is delivered on a first-come first-serve basis. Any veteran enrolled in VA health care can use Vet Express, making Vet Express a great choice for veterans who can’t get in to see their regular doctor or are traveling.
“This is an exciting new component of care we here at VA Eastern Colorado are ready to provide to our veterans,” said Paul Roberts, VA ECHCS Acting Director. “As a military retiree myself, I understand that there exists a space where we can’t wait some days, and we need care as soon as possible. That is what Vet Express will give veterans.”
Vet Express will initially be open on Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Veterans will check in at the front desk and ask to be seen by the Primary Care Team as a walk-in. Veterans experiencing
serious or life-threatening emergencies should call 911 and go to the nearest Emergency Department for definitive care.
VA ECHCS is committed to providing accessible care to veterans with non-urgent/emergent acute care needs.
For more information, please contact Terri L. Clinton, Acting Public Affairs Officer, terri.clinton@va.gov; 720-335-3242.
School Board Announces Director Vacancy
Press Release
May 14, 2025
The Custer County School District Board of Education has declared a director vacancy that will be filled by appointment
by the Board no later than July 12, 2025.
To be eligible for appointment, a candidate must be a registered elector of the district for at least twelve consecutive months and have never been convicted of commission of a sexual offense against a child.
Interested persons are invited to submit a statement of interest and qualifications to the Board of Education Secretary via email at jennifer.kriegh@ccbobcats.net or via US Mail to Custer County School District PO Box 730, Westcliffe, CO 81252. All correspondence must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Monday,
June 2, 2025
The Board will interview prospective candidates at a public meeting, the date of which shall be established by the Board at a future public meeting. The term of this appointment shall be until the next regularly scheduled Board of Education election in November 2025.
More Triple Murder Motion Hearings, Evidence Challenge
Triple Murder Motions Hearings,
Evidence Challenges,
Venue Change Motion
photo from CCSO
May 9, 2025by George Gramlich
There were two recent hearings regarding the alleged triple murder off Oak Creek Grade in November of 2023. One concerned the alleged perpetrator of the murders, Hanme Clark, and the other one was about his associate, Nancy Median-Kochis, who was charged with multiple counts of accessory to a crime. Clark is being held in the Pueblo County Jail while Kochis is out on bail. Continue reading More Triple Murder Motion Hearings, Evidence Challenge
Obituary: Barbara Jeanne Abel
Barbara Jeanne Abel, 78, of Penrose, Colorado, departed this life peacefully on May 3, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.
Barbara was born in Upper Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, to Herman (Cy) Grenfall Conner and Ruth Anne Weidman. Barbara grew up in Springfield, Pennsylvania, where she met the love of her life, Charles Aloysius Abel Sr. They were married on September 25, 1965, and would spend 59 years together. Of those years, 50 years were spent in Chaffee County, at the base of magnificent Mt. Antero and the Collegiate Peaks Mountain Range.
Charles and Barbara raised two children together, Charles and Jessica. Barbara was a devoted wife, mother, nana, sister, and aunt who loved her family unconditionally. Continue reading Obituary: Barbara Jeanne Abel
Obituary Esther Beluca Chavez Barrio
Obit: Ronnie, are you there?
Esther Beluca Chavez Barrio left us April 22, 2025, to be with our Heavenly Father. Born in El Rosier Farm, Alquizar, Cuba in 1933, she was one of seven children, the youngest of four girls. She was placed in the Cuban military school as a young child under Batista’s rule and it didn’t take long before she was made captain of her class. Continue reading Obituary Esther Beluca Chavez Barrio
School Board’s Press for Accurate Hiring Information Comes to a Head
School Board’s Press for Accurate Hiring Information Comes to a Head
by Laura Vass,
News and Commentary
The Special Meeting
On April 16th, The Custer County School Board held a Special Meeting to determine a course of action concerning recent hires based on the recommendation of the Superintendent. According to CRS 22-32-109.8 (6.5) at least one of the new hires may not be eligible for school employment in the state of Colorado. The agenda called for the board to consider the following actions:
Consider placing Superintendent Thom Peck on paid administrative leave, consider placing High School Principal Aundrea McCormick on paid administrative leave, and if approved, to hire temporary replacements for the three positions those actions would leave open; Superintendent, HS Principal, and Athletic Director. Continue reading School Board’s Press for Accurate Hiring Information Comes to a Head
COL (R) Michael Foster Named 2025 Ranger Hall of Fame Inductee
COL (R) Michael Foster Named 2025 Ranger Hall of Fame Inductee
—WESTCLIFFE, Colorado
by SDC Sentinel Staff
May 2, 2025
Following a distinguished Army career, local Army Ranger COL (R) Michael Foster has been selected for the 2025 Ranger Hall of Fame. Formed in 1992, the Ranger Hall of Fame (HOF) serves the exclusive purpose of honoring and preserving the contributions of America’s most extra-ordinary Rangers. Members of the Ranger HOF include noble warriors like Ranger and Medal of Honor recipient COL Ralph Puckett, General Stanley McChrystal, and General Colin Powell as well as honorary inductee President Abraham Lincoln. 1
Westcliffe’s COL Michael Foster will join their ranks with his induction into the storied Ranger Hall of Fame on Wednesday,
June 25, 2025. “This honor reflects years of sacrifice, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to the Ranger Creed.
[Hall of Fame] inductees represent the very best of the Ranger spirit, exemplifying unparalleled leadership, dedication, and valor throughout their careers, ” stated a post from the US Army
Airborne Ranger Brigade. 2 Continue reading COL (R) Michael Foster Named 2025 Ranger Hall of Fame Inductee
April 24 BOCC:Tons of Policies, Silver Cliff Gets Some Free Land, RMWSD Donation Confusion
BOCC: Tons of Policies, Silver Cliff Gets Some Free Land, Round
Mountain Donation Confusion
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The April 24, 2025 Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting was held at the All Aboard Westcliffe meeting room and started at 9 a.m. All three Commissioners were present: Chair Bill Canda and members Lucas Epp and Paul Vogelsong.
Not too much in Commissioner Items. Epp said the ARPA and LATCF yearly grant fund reports were done and submitted. Canda said the Commissioners had a “good” meeting with our local dems. (The local Polis, Biden, AOC, Pelosi loving Custer County democrat party asked our Commissioners to show up at a “round table” so they could question them about what is going to happen to Happy Valley when the fed and state grant money disappears, and the children will be starving.)
In New Business, Accounts Payable was up first. Epp gave the run down. (Epp does good with this. He reviews, during his presentation, all AP items over $5k. Very informative. Of note, interim County Attorney Dan Slater got a $6.8k check and they finally paid for the infamous Rolls Royce level chipper with a $98k check.) The total AP for the last two weeks was $372k.
Next was a proposal to approve a proclamation for Family Crisis Services to proclaim April Sexual Assault Awareness month. Family Crisis Services does a lot of good stuff including safe houses for abuse victims, therapy and counseling. Last year they served 274 clients. The proclamation was approved.
The Mayor of the Town of Silver Cliff, Buck Wenzel was next at the royal table. He said the County and Silver Cliff had an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) regarding a piece of land the county owns but Silver Cliff uses and maintains. It has signs on it and it is a trail head. Buck wanted the BOCC to deed the piece over to Silver Cliff to make things simpler. This was approved.
Human Services was next with nine policies that the state requires and the County hadn’t adopted them. This was supposed to have been done in 2022 but it wasn’t. The Commissioners approved all the policies.
Next up was Human Resources Director, Bob Smith, with the newly revised Records Retention Policy for the County. Bob has sent it around to the various department heads for review and made some changes based on that input. The Commissioners approved it.
The final New Business Agenda Item was about setting up a procedure so people could donate money to help the Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District pay for the construction of their new waste treatment system. (Remember the County donated $40k recently.) Canda led the discussion. He wanted to set up an account item at the Treasurer’s Office to take the donations which would allow the donations to be tax deductible. It was asked why can’t Round Mountain do it and Canda said that under their statutory regulations, they were not allowed to do that. County Attorney Slater said that was wrong and Round Mountain, like a bunch of other local entities, by statute can accept donations and have them be tax deductible. This went on for a bit. Finally, Canda said he would go over and talk to Round Mountain to find out one way or the other.
No fireworks. Of note, however, Chair Canda is letting people, one person in particular, interrupt the Commissioners discussion of items instead of waiting for the Public Comment interlude at the end of each Commissioner discussion. Very disruptive and rude.
A First: GO KIDZ Indoor Playground and Fun Kingdom for Kids
by Fred Hernandez
GO KIDZ, the first and only indoor playground in four counties: Fremont, Custer, Chaffee and Park, is having its grand opening this weekend, May 3 and 4, in the City of Florence. The beautiful facility for kids of all ages is a state of the art totally indoors playground that is guaranteed to fascinate both children and adults alike. Every detail has been considered in the planning, engineering and installation of this fun factory.
To begin with the entire area where the children will play and congregate is fully padded to ensure their complete safety as they enjoy all the features of the playground. A truly unique kids center GO KIDZ theme evokes images of the deep blue sea from colorful sea creatures on the walls to the starfish costumed mascot called ASTERIA. Every detail is sure to enchant children from one to seventeen and even beyond. There are trampolines, slides, ball pits and ninja activities that fill the array of activities certain to keep everyone entertained for hours.
This happy hive for children of all ages elevates the City of Florence to the playland capital of southwestern Colorado. Open all week long from Monday to Sunday starting at 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., every day becomes a play day. The price of admission for a child up to seventeen years old is $19.90 plus tax and includes one adult FREE. The price is good for three hours of unlimited use of all the attractions in the building . For infants up to 9 months old, admission is $5 plus tax with a paid sibling otherwise regular admission fee
will apply.
Punch Cards can be purchased for discounted multiple visits with no expiration date. To keep the play place clean at all times no shoes or footwear are allowed inside the building and must be checked in at the entrance. GO KIDZ management makes available Grip Socks for everyone while on the premises. These are available at only $3 each and can be reused multiple times as long as these are not damaged or obviously unclean.
For birthdays and special occasions GO KIDZ makes available their party room which comfortably accommodates about thirty and includes many gifts, courtesies and special attention. Also available are party tables in the main dining area and this also includes special courtesies. Everyone can have fun at GO KIDS toddlers can climb, crawl and slide, bigger kids can explore the ninja course, jump on trampolines, slide and enjoy interactive games. Parents and adults can have fun with the kids or relax in the cafe area enjoying delicious pizzas, snacks and free Wi-Fi while the kids have a ball.
Here’s how to reach us: Telephone number 719-372-1647. On Facebook GO KiDZ Playground;
by email gokidzplayground@gmail.com;
Visit our website at www.gokidzcolorado.com (sign the waiver online before visiting)
Ground zero for fun is at 111 Church Avenue, Florence, CO. 81226.
Bring the kids to the first and most unique indoor playground in Fremont County: GO KIDZ Indoor Playground.