Marvelous Mesa Verde

Editor:

Thank you to all who made the recent Mesa Verde fieldtrip possible for the Telluride Elementary School third graders. It was a wonderful learning experience across so many levels! The kids had the opportunity to not only learn more about the Ancestral Puebloans, but also to feel a connection to the broader southwest region and culture, to practice valuable communication skills (active listening, discussion with peers and adults, group collaboration), and to be respectful representatives of Telluride.

In particular I would like to thank Kristen Milord, Matt Kroll, and Michele Foote for all their planning, organizing, coaching, and presence with each and every child, and for the incredible amount of time and energy they put into creating this experience for their students.

Sincerely,

– Madeline Allen

UMC Says Farewell to Norwood MD

Editor:

Uncompahgre Medical Center would like to thank Dr. Julie McCallen for her many years of service to the region. We wish her and her family the best in their new community.

To Julie’s patients who may be selecting a new medical home, UMC has been serving the West End community continuously for 30 years. Our diverse medical team is led by Hillard Zallen, MD, a Board Certified Family Practice Physician, and supported by Mike Adams, Physician’s Assistant, Family Medicine; Christine Tealdi, Physician’s Assistant, Family Medicine; and new to UMC, JoJo DeSantis, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, OB/GYN.

As a Community Health Center, UMC offers a wide array of services and programs to address everyone’s health care needs. Appointments are available by calling 327-4233.

Sincerely,

– UMC Staff

Multi-Age Classrooms Would Benefit Ridgway Schools

Editor:

Question for the school board candidates: My daughter had always had a hard time with math in school. I would practice math with her at home, however, using manipulates, and she did great. One of her teachers said that she was required to administer the math sheets and that she could not accommodate different learning styles. 

When we started homeschooling last January, in third grade, my daughter could not subtract. Using manipulatives was hugely successful and she is now almost caught up. I think the Ridgway Schools completely failed. If you become a school board member, would you feel a responsibility to provide children who do not do well with traditional school, a decent education?  

There are several grades in the elementary school that are being split from one class into two. There have been grades that could have stayed as one class, if the other was made into an alternative classroom. Why not ask the parents of those kids who are not standard, how the district could best serve their kids’ needs? If parents want to try out a multi-age classroom, and the interest has been evident, why not try it? Maybe more than one class wouldn't have to be split. The savings from the teachers’ salaries could go to an assistant for the alternative classroom, or maybe some tax dollars could even be saved. Bringing homeschoolers into the school district could also bring in money. 

Make the effort to find a teacher experienced with multi-age classrooms and different learning styles, let the parents have a significant role in creating the program, and there is a good chance it will be successful. Success is when our community feels like their educational needs are being fulfilled. This is a low-investment example of a solution. There is nothing to lose, only to learn.

– Roselle Milvich

Successful Family Information Fair

Editor: 

On Wednesday, October 7, Telluride School District hosted a Family Information Fair.  The purpose of this event was to provide families with information about reading, math, and sports programs offered by the TSD. In addition, families learned about services provided by our nurse, Christine Tschinkel. We had approximately 80 people in attendance.

After a wonderful dinner provided by TSD kitchen manager, Jonny Young, and learning about the various programs, we culminated the evening with a great raffle. We would like to extend a sincere thank you to several businesses that so kindly donated prizes to our raffle: The Peaks and Golden Door Spa, Zia Sun, Paragon, Boot Doctors, Clarks, and Between the Covers.

Families were excited to receive day passes to The Peaks, a bike or snowboard helmet, a toy, gift certificate for books, or a gift card for groceries. We truly appreciate the generosity of each business in helping to make our event so successful. Thank you to our wonderful local businesses in supporting students, families, and teachers in our school district!

With gratitude,

– Telluride School District

TCAH Grant Provides New Prime Time Mural

Editor:

I recently received a Small Grant from the Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities, which went towards the creation of a magnetically receptive mural of a garden for the Prime Time Early Learning Center in Norwood. This project will help encourage the children who attend the center to have a positive relationship to gardening and nature as well as a healthy diet. Thank you TCAH and Prime Time for making it possible. A special thanks to the children whose enthusiasm and assistance made it fun!

Sincerely,

– Julie Siegel

Ouray Property Owners’ Rights at Risk

Editor:

What a difference a year makes. In 2008 the right of property owners in a PUD to determine their own fate by a binding vote of two thirds of the property owners was overwhelmingly upheld. One year later, at the instigation of the BOCC, this long standing provision of the current Ouray County Land Use Code could be eliminated.

The BOCC will hold a public hearing at 2 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2009; this will be the public's last chance to weigh in on this issue.

The new proposed amendment, drafted by the county attorney and approved with minor changes by the Planning Commission, will eliminate the current requirement for a binding two-thirds vote of the affected property owners. It also makes any vote of the affected property owners advisory only. Under the new amendment there is no requirement for even a minimal showing of interest to get a proposed change to a "final" plat before the BOCC and it will be the BOCC who will determine whether the proposed amendment is warranted – not the affected property owners. This proposed change in the Land Use Code not only removes a well established provision, but seems to invite a potentially never-ending stream of proposed amendments without the safeguard of first making certain that a significant number of the affected land owners in fact support the amendment.

Having the ability to make changes to contractual agreements, that land owners have gone into for the purpose of predictability, should require a set of bars and requirements higher than an individual land owner's lawyer simply writing a check at the land use office. Surely, one of these requirements should be one that involves the affected landowners in a substantial way right from the start. And this is NOT against state law.

Put Nov. 2 on your calendars.

– Tom McKenney, Ouray County

Create Dedicated Funding for the Arts

Editor:

CASE (now CCAASE) was created to solve the problem of how to support the non-profits, arts, festivals, and special events in Telluride. Quite frankly, Town Council got tired of reactionary funding of requests at every other meeting without guidelines, a budget, and the ability to evaluate the requests against each other.

Thus: CCAASE was born, with appointed members of the arts community and community services groups which make recommendations to Town Council on how to spend a yearly budget line item, with guidelines, an application form, and a deadline to apply.

CASE has been a great success. The nonprofits and community services it supports are a vital part of our quality of life, a major contributor to the success of our businesses, and a sales tax generator for the Town of Telluride. CCAASE has always been a source of much needed seed money for start-up events. Without CCAASE we would have a lot of Nothing Festival Weekends.

Where we failed was creating a dedicated funding source for CCAASE. The current ballot question for the Town of Telluride creates that source.

1. It is a sales tax increase that generates income from regional residents and tourists equally, not just Town of Telluride landowners.

2. As the economy improves and grows, the amount of money generated will increase and seed money can be put into new events.

3. If Telluride hosts it they will come. It is time to put some money into the sites where the festivals are presented.

4. In economic hard times, historically the arts, community services and special events are the first to get cut.

It is time to have a dedicated funding source for CCAASE.

– John Hopkins, Past CASE Chairman

Lisa for Lulu

I am writing in support of Lulu Hunt for Telluride Town Council. Lulu has lived in Telluride for eight years, and has loved Telluride for much longer. I have known Lulu through the entire time she has lived here, and can speak firsthand to her dedication to the community, her commitment to the town, and the passion and effort with which she has fulfilled her role as a member of Telluride’s Town Council.

Lulu brings a number of perspectives to her role on Town Council. First and foremost, she is raising her three children here, and is deeply aware of the needs of families and children in our community, including housing, schooling, and recreational facilities. This commitment is evidenced by her participation in Telluride’s R-1 School District Long-Range Planning Committee. Second, she has long shown her devotion to Telluride’s unique natural setting, and has spent countless hours on environmental stewardship and in her work with environmentally-focused groups, including the Telluride Renewed, Telluride’s Ecology Commission, and in her role on Council. And, perhaps most importantly at this difficult economic juncture, she is intensely aware of the need to support the business community and continue to move Telluride in the direction of a sustainable, balanced economy.

Lulu is a great friend, a great mom, and a great representative of the town, and I wholeheartedly encourage you to support her for Town Council.

– Lisa Schroeder

Three Shining Stars for Council

Editor:

There are three outstanding candidates running for Town Council seats that are truly shining stars. They are Chris Myers, Bob Saunders and Brian Werner. Chris, the founder of "This Republic Can" is an intelligent, personable, witty (fun) person. He has amazing organizational and leadership abilities. Bob is intelligent, realistic, a good listener and has proven his helpful support of the community while on council. Brian is a young man with his own computer business. He also is very intelligent, engaging and most promising. Wouldn't it be marvelous to have these three stars on our own Telluride Town Council representing experience, intelligence and pure community and grass roots passion? I urge you to vote for them.

– Bernice Garber

Vote for a Positive, Hopeful Future

Editor:

If you want to vote for a positive, hopeful future for Telluride and people who have a record of thoughtful accomplishment rather than those who are stuck staring in the rear view mirror, then I'd recommend you vote for Jill Masters, Lulu Hunt, Matt Hintermeister and Ann Brady.

Over the course of the past year I've attended a lot of Council meetings and have been impressed by Lulu and Jill's preparation, thoughtfulness and willingness to work towards common ground. No one is more on top of things

than these two. No one studies, listens, learns and thinks longer and harder than they do before coming to a decision. No sitting council members care more about the needs of all segments of our community nor does anyone work harder to balance those needs while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Amongst the new folks, Matt Hintermeister should top your list. He started a successful local business and has served on a bunch of town and non-profit boards. He listens and thinks hard about issues while enduring and rising above slanderous. He also gets involved, attending many council meetings and

speaking out on important issues. As importantly, Matt has made a long term

commitment to the Telluride region. Ann Brady brings years of school management and governing experience to the job and will do the work, research and thinking necessary to make decisions in a thoughtful manner. She has earned the chance to help shape the future

of our community. Let's move our town forward not slide backwards. Lulu, Jill, Ann and Matt are the ones to vote for, it will be a vote for the future not the past.

Sincerely,

– Greg Craig

Yes He Can

Editor:

Among the outstanding candidates for Town Council, one stands head and shoulders above the rest. In the many years that I have known Chris Myers, he has always risen to the important challenges facing the community, the nation and the planet. An unwavering sentinel, he is always there, shedding light on the devastating consequences of environmental degradation or the ugly face of injustice, inhumanity or inequality. He stands tall, not only to recognize the accomplishments and failures of those who represent us, but also to develop and implement viable solutions to the problems at hand.

Chris leads by example. You can see him, always on foot in town, extolling the virtues of energy efficient devices to a potential client, driving his hybrid, loaded with concerned citizens en route to a make the world a better place or digging in some construction dumpster to give new life to materials destined for the landfill. Looking a little worse for wear his yard signs were made from recycled materials. His absolute abhorrence of waste, will serve the Town well.

As a Town Council member, Chris seeks to move forward in a fiscally responsible way, preserving the town’s unique social and historic character. In a time of bitter discourse, he maintains an open minded civility, he respects his adversaries and he will add an appropriate and much needed sense of humor. Chris has the rare ability to see the broad vision while focusing on the small details at hand. He can see both the forest and the trees. But most importantly he can see the needs of the people that he represents. Operating a successful business is good training for taking the reigns of government in difficult times. His opposition to untimely tax hikes has demonstrated a concern for the pocket books of Telluride citizens and the well being of the business community.

The people of Telluride are lucky to have such an able candidate. Do yourself a favor; Vote Chris Myers for Town Council.

Sincerely,

– Dan Chancellor, Placerville

Who Cares?

Editor:

WHO CARES if we have community services such as San Miguel Resource Center, Pinhead, One to One, Free Legal Aid, the Humane Society, the Medical Center or Habitat for Humanity? These are a few of the 32 entities that have received small grants through your Commission for Community Assistance, Arts and Special Events.

WHO CARES if we have arts events and programs in theater, visual arts, music, literature, sciences?  The Chamber Music, Dance Academy, Jazz Society, Writer's Guild, Film Festival, Mountainfilm, Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities, Ah Haa School, Sheridan Arts Foundation are but a few of the 25 entities that also have received small grants in the past.

WHO CARES if the Town Park and Elks Park infrastructure allows us to have events that ensure that Telluride is not a ghost town outside of five months of ski season?

WHO CARES if we are able to build on the foundation of sustainability that the New Community Coalition has created?

WHO CARES that approximately 250 people are employed by local non-profits?

Who cares that these non-profits provide an economic, cultural and community incentive for people to actually stay in the region, pay taxes, raise families and be involved?

Many of you do care.  One way to show that you care is a "YES" vote for the CARE measure on the ballot.

Yes, it's true we are in a difficult economic time.  It is right and

responsible to cut down on expenses and do all that we can to shore up our unique economy. Yet, as a business owner, I know that in times of tight budgeting I still need to invest in my business and in my community in order to survive.  Now is the time to commit to the elements that actually succeed in bringing people to our town to visit and inspire them to invest in a home or a business here.

Six-tenths of a percent means six cents on every ten dollars spent. Would you invest six cents in your community?

Fifty percent of the tax would go to CCAASE.  The rest funds go to Parks and Recreational facilities that help attract and support essential summer activities and to special grants such as the New Community Coalition.

The tax is scheduled to end in six years.

Some argue that visitors will not make purchases or will try to avoid the tax by having items shipped.  They feel that this will impact “impulse purchasing.”  In actuality anyone who travels knows that they are paying for an elastic infrastructure that must expand and contract with flows of visitors. We train our staff that good service and sales techniques will convince customers that "to buy now" is the best thing to do and ultimately benefits them.

The evidence is strong that arts and cultural events help to maintain a

sustainable economy.  Go to coloarts.state.co.us if you doubt this.  

The Colorado Council on the Arts (CCA) biannual report from the CU Leeds School of Business shows that creative enterprises employ 3.9 percent of the state's estimated 3.2 million jobs making it Colorado's fifth largest employment sector. A report by the Arts Education Partnership, “Champions of Change” shows positive change in young people that results from arts experiences and education.  The Colorado Business Committee for the Arts report “The Business of Culture” reports that nonprofit organizations are businesses that employ educated professionals, have significant impact on the economy as well as play an important role in community building.

“Travelers who travel for cultural reasons (events, historical landmarks, museums and galleries) stay 50 percent longer than average tourists.”

Yes, we should all be tightening our belts.  Believe me, the nonprofits in our area have been, working on new collaborations to create efficiencies in all aspects.

The CARE tax is a small investment with huge returns in almost every sector of our community from social services to economic sustainability to recreation, and the arts.

Vote yes for the CARE measure.  It's a smart investment in our future.  

Thirty cents for every $50 sale is a small price for a huge economic and quality of life return to our community.

– Penelope Gleason, President, Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities

Lulu Hunt ‘Caring and Competent’

Editor: 

Deacon Mike described it best in his sermon on Sunday,  “to be a leader you must first be a dutiful servant.”  I spent the rest of the day thinking about that message and how it related to our upcoming town council elections.  I thought about Lulu Hunt.  I have known her for over nine years now, and she is always on a mission. Always making herself available to serve the community.  Always garnering the troops to help out with the most pressing issues our town faces.  Always learning and always educating.  Always caring about others and getting others involved.  Always supporting others in their mission and always listening to their stories.  She has an amazing capacity to hear all sides of a story before making her decisions.  She is a master fact-finder and bases her opinions on said facts, not mere opinions.  Lulu is a dedicated competent leader in our community, believing in the open inclusive public process to work together in a collaborative way with the R-1 Telluride School District, Slow Food, Lunch Lessons and she is committed to her work on the R-1 School  District Long Range Planning Committee since 2006.  She is  a caring and competent mom, friend, wife and community activist.  You won't make a better decision this year than your vote for Lulu for council!  So get out and do it! 

– Kristine Hilbert

Much More Than a Mere ‘Housewife’

Editor:

Telluride is a tough town to stick your neck out to perform public service. Over the years, I have experienced exaggerated and sometimes personal criticism as I built Pinhead Institute and grew the Telluride Science Research Center. It’s the way it goes in our small town; we jump on each other with the voracity of warring siblings.

 While serving as the only councilperson for the past two years and running as the only candidate in this election with a school child in our district, Lulu Hunt’s voice as a representative of Telluride is especially needed, yet there are those who criticize her for being “merely a housewife.” When did women become less than worthy because they devote themselves to public service rather than making money?

Telluride deserves a representative who takes seriously her responsibilities as Town Council member, and who has the time and inclination to delve into the heart of issues that face our community including our youngest members. Like all of us, Lulu has a stake in Telluride, but she also has the time to make it her job. She works diligently and conscientiously for the betterment of our community, daily.

 It would be a mistake for Telluride to lose her service to our community because some folks want to criticize her unfairly and derogatorily as a “housewife.” We should all recognize comments such as this one for what they are, misogynous.

 I fully support Lulu Hunt for Town Council.

Sincerely,

– Nana Naisbitt

Lulu for Council

Editor: 

I am writing this letter in support of Lulu Hunt for Town Council.   I have had the pleasure of working with Lulu in the creation and ongoing development of several community wide initiatives.  Lulu's  constant support of those individuals striving to better the region through education and economic change will bring benefit to the Town of Telluride for years to come.  I truly appreciate her thoughtful voice on matters of the economy, education and affordable housing within the Town of Telluride and the greater San Miguel Region.  I am also continually impressed by her encouragement that all members of the community, elected officials and staff in the region work together in order to affect the greatest impact on our community. I believe one of Lulu's greatest strengths is her ability to bring all interested parties to the table in order to create coalitions dedicated to resolving issues and putting the public benefit above personal objectives.  Lulu's dedication to encouraging community responsibility and ownership amongst the various entities that exist in the region will benefit Town of Telluride in the years to come. 

A vote for Lulu is a vote for the future success of Telluride  - I ask that you vote to support her in her campaign for Town Council. 

- J. Meehan Fee