Tougher rules to protect water users from contamination in wells will be considered Monday by the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission. Monte Vista and Manassa were ordered to chlorinate water in February as part of the process. There are still 37 waivers that have been retained, including for the towns of La Jara, Romeo, Sanford, Blanca, Fort Garland and the San Luis Water and Sanitation District in the San Luis Valley.

The Colorado Army National Guard is trying to recover one of its helicopters from one of Colorado's highest peaks. The guard is stripping a CH-47 Chinook that made a precautionary landing on Little Bear Peak near Alamosa last week.



Once the chopper is in pieces, another Chinook will be used to remove it from the mountain and it will be trucked back to Buckley Air Force Base.



The mission will take about 15 days. The pilot had to land the chopper after it struck the mountain while conducting a rescue operation for 18-year-old Kevin Hayne. He died before soldiers could reach him.

Structures that burned March 3 at the west edge of Costilla County were not listed on the tax rolls, though the fire proves that they were there.

The city's effort to secure extra water may push the Bureau of Land Management back to the drawing board with its plan to keep the Blanca Wetlands wet.

This weekend, Senator Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass) will be joined by Rep. Ed Vigil (D-Alamosa) and John Stulp, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, at several SLV events. Please join them!

SATURDAY:

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Morning get-together
Where: Lu's Main St. Cafe, 609 Main St., Blanca, CO

11:00 AM - Noon: Meeting Colorado Potato Administrative Committee with Commissioner Stulp
Where: CPAC Building, 1305 Park Avenue, Monte Vista, CO

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Town Hall meeting
Where: Carnegie Public Library, 120 Jefferson Street, Monte Vista, CO

SUNDAY:

10:00 AM: Open conversation with the public
Where: Wolf Creek Lodge (at the Wolf Creek Resort), Top of Wolf Creek Pass Hwy 160 E
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147

1:00 PM: 10TH ANNUAL Celebration of Ranching and Frontier Spirit
Where: Saguache Community Building, Saguache, CO

Sheila Smith of Crazy Woman Ranch will host Shear Fest '09 June 6 from 10AM until "everyone decides they are ready to leave..." Smith keeps Llamas, Alpaca, Churro, Herodizi (a llama/alpaca cross) and one Mohair Goat. For those who have heard tales of unfriendly Llamas, she insists that she has a very people-friendly llama! She will host shearing & spinning demos; Smith is also a weaver, specializing in saddle blankets. This event os free of charge, lunch is potluck. To get there, travel Rd 12, 4 miles S of Blanca, 1 miles South of Smith reservoir. For more info, please call Smith at 719-568-4015.

Facing the same economic trials as the state and nation, San Luis Valley municipalities are finding innovative methods to maintain and improve services. In addition to discussing funding sources, the CML conference included reports from Valley communities on projects and challenges within those municipalities.

Authorities confirmed the identity of the suspect who led authorities on a 69-mile chase late Thursday and early Friday. Charles Dale Conner Jr., 25, of Blanca, was in serious condition Saturday at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque.

Blanca man is in stable condition after being shot by authorities after he reportedly led them on a 65-mile chase Thursday night. The chase started at around 11:30 p.m. on U.S. 160, 9 miles east of Alamosa, and ended well-past midnight on southbound New Mexico 159.

A hit-and-run accident 5 miles west of Blanca Sunday night closed U.S. 160 for three hours and left one child hospitalized as of Monday afternoon.

Lon Blais, a former New York city public school teacher, will be bicycling across America to raise Alzheimer's awareness and funds for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. Blais is doing the trip in memory of his father, Bob Blais, who was also a teacher at the Landmark School, passed away from complications related to Alzheimer's in 2006. Blais' cross country trek will begin in Bayside, Queens, on August 31, 2008 and will end at the Santa Monica Pier in California on October 12, 2008.  

Colorado - (Sept. 22 - 28) Rt. 50 to 160

SAT 9/20  GARDEN CITY to GRANADA, C2O
SUN 9/21  GRANADA to LAJUNTA
MON 9/22  OFF
TUE 9/23  LA JUNTA to WALSENBURG
WED 9/24  WALSENBURG to ALAMOSA
THU 9/25  ALAMOSA to SOUTH FORK
FRI 9/26  SOUTH FORK to PAGOSA SPRINGS
SAT 9/27  PAGOSA SPRINGS to DURANGO
SUN 9/28  DURANGO to CORTEZ

Mr. Blais has chosen the Alzheimer's Foundation of America as the beneficiary of funds raised during his ride. (His ride is not an AFA-sponsored event or project, but AFA supports his generous efforts and 100 percent of all donations made out to AFA will supports its programs and services.) The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in New York and is made up of hundreds of member organizations that provide hands-on programs to meet the educational, emotional, practical and social needs of families. AFA’s services include a toll-free hot line, counseling, educational materials, a free caregiver magazine, and professional training. For information, call (toll-free) 866-AFA-8484 or visit www.alzfdn.org. For more information, personal and corporate contributions and/or endorsements, please contact (646) 996-6231 or LestWeForget2008@aol.com. And please visit http://myspectaqlaryr.livejournal.com.

The Trinchera Ranch announced Tuesday the gift of 27 acres to the Sierra Grande School and the Blanca/Fort Garland Metropolitan District, which operates a community center next to the school along Colorado 160.

Some came to farm, some came to open businesses, while one even rode his bicycle all the way from Buena Vista. But one thing this town's first residents had in common in August 1908 was that they would all be starting from scratch, trying to conjure a town, farms and ranches from a sea of chico brush. Blanca, now home to roughly 400 people, will celebrate the efforts of its first settlers and those who followed Friday and Saturday during its 100th anniversary.

Photo by RWayne

Despite county-wide ban on fires, a tire fire went out of control yesterday north of Blanca but was subdued by surrounding neighbors and the Fort Garland Fire Department.

Quick action by neighbors and Costilla County fire fighters kept a brush fire north of Blanca from burning out of control. The blaze in the yard of a cabin three miles north of town was reported after Savannah and Heather Kitchel spotted the fire at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 22.

Blanca residents went to the polls yesterday and voted to keep incumbents in their positions for the three Town Trustee positions that were voted on.

With the goal of helping fellow Coloradoans develop informed solutions, Alamosa businessman Randy Jackson announced candidacy for the House District 62 legislative seat.

If we work together, we can get it done.

That was the message U.S. Senator Ken Salazar, (D-Colo.) gave to a meeting of three dozen citizens from Alamosa, Costilla and Conejos Counties on Monday, Feb. 18. Salazar was at the meeting held at the Blanca/Fort Garland Community Center to provide an update on the progress of a bill before Congress to establish the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area in those three counties.

Mount Blanca 98 years ago in the Circa 1910 photograph. view larger

Blanca, 95 years go, June 13, 1913. view larger

Historic Blanca, date unknown. view larger

The town of Blanca is looking for a few extra hands and a few good memories to add to its 100th anniversary celebration in August. Town Clerk Jean Butler said the town has set up an organizing committee for the event, which is set for Aug. 8 and 9. A parade has been set for Aug. 8, but Butler said the town is looking for more input on what to include in the celebration. The town is also looking for memorabilia and historic photographs that could either be loaned for the event or donated for a permanent display. Anyone interested in serving on the committee or who has items for the event can call Butler at 719-379-3461 or contact her via e-mail at blancaco [at] fone [dot] net.

The Rio Grande Water Conservation District has filed concerns with the Bureau of Land Management over a proposed land-for-water exchange to ensure water for the Blanca Wetlands. The Bureau of Land Management proposes to exchange up to 10 parcels of public property containing nearly 2,700 acres of land for as much as 190 acre feet of water attached to property owned by Sun Peaks Land Company to provide a permanent source of augmentation water for the Blanca Wetlands. The Sun Peaks water would come from the Anderson Ditch and would be returned to the system to make up for the artesian wells that currently water the Blanca Wetlands.