75¢VOLUME 89, NO. 91May 7, 2015

Alamosa • Antonito • Blanca • Center • Creede • Crestone • Del Norte • Fort Garland • Hooper • La Jara • Manassa • Mosca • Moffat • Monte Vista • Romeo • Saguache • Sanford • San Luis • South Fork

DeLaCerda at Twilight

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Obituaries .......................... Page 2

Valley News .................. Pages 3, 5

Opinion ............................. Page 4

Sports ............................... Page 6

Western Living .................. Page 7

Education .......................... Page 8

Public Notices .................... Page 9

Classified ...................Pages 10, 11

Comics ............................. Page 12

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Valley Courier

ALAMOSA — SLV Repub-lican Women will meet on Thursday, May 7, at noon at the Restaurant at Cattails Golf Course in Alamosa. Call Mari Hathorn at 873-5805.

Republican women meet

ALAMOSA —  Celebrate Mothers Day at Alamosa Elks Lodge No. 1297. A special “make your own waffle” spread is being prepared for any and all mothers, their families and friends. This special event will cost $10 per person, will last from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to the public. All are welcome and mothers will receive free desserts. The Elks traditional Mothers Day ceremony will be at 2 p.m. This ceremony is free and public, with fl owers and prizes for the mothers attending.

Celebrate Mother's Day at Elks Lodge

ALAMOSA – Approxi-mately 140 students will participate in graduation ceremonies of Trinidad State Junior College Friday eve-ning at Alamosa High School.

For President Dr. Carmen Simone it’s the best day of the year.

“It’s the culmination of all the hard work our students have gone through and all the effort our faculty and staff have put forward to bring those students to that one special moment. It is

By LAUREN KRIZANSKY

Courier staff writerALAMOSA COUNTY —

A community endeavor to reduce the number of people with mental illness in jail is establishing in Alamosa County.

The Alamosa County Com-missioners (ACC) Wednes-day resolved to join the Na-

tional Association of Coun-ties (NACo) and the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center lead and un-precedented “Stepping Up” initiative in partnership with the American Psychiatric Foundation (APF) to help advance counties’ efforts to reduce the number of adults with mental and co-occurring substance use disorders in

jails. “This is a monumental is-

sue we are seeing in our jails,” said Alamosa County Sheriff Robert Jackson. “There is a huge space where these people are falling through the cracks.”

Alamosa County Com-missioner Marianne Dunne brought the initiative to the county’s table, and it

will unite the efforts of the county, the San Luis Valley Behavior Health Group, the 12th Judicial District and several other area outreach services.

“This is a national con-cern,” Dunne said. “County jails across the nation have become by default the place where society puts mentally ill people.”

STAFF REPORTALAMOSA COUNTY —

No longer is there an open disposal pit in the Deer Valley subdivision in east Alamosa County.

The disposal pit county em-ployees were directed to dig in February and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment is investigating was fi lled in Wednesday af-ternoon with legal approval,

said Alamosa County Road and Bridge Director Tim DeHerrera yesterday during the Alamosa County Com-missioners meeting.

The total cost to the county to both dig and fi ll the dis-posal pit is about $8,000, he said.

The state halted the project once it learned through an anonymous tip the excava-tion site lacked a Certifi cate

An estimated two million people with serious mental illnesses are booked into jail each year and prevalence rates of serious mental ill-nesses in jails are three to six times higher than for the general population, according to NACo and CSG. Almost three-quarters of these adults

of Designation (CD), which is necessary to operate a solid waste disposal site and facility.

The complainant further alleged significant illegal

disposal activities have historically occurred at the site, according to CDPHE. The complainant also alleged the City of Alamosa had im-mediate plans to dispose of

additional demolition debris at the site.

The CDPHE is still con-ducting its investigation,

absolutely my favorite day of the year.”

This year there will be no keynote speaker from outside the college. Instead Dr. Sim-one will take a few minutes to highlight the accomplish-ments of several special students who have overcome problems and excelled dur-ing their time at Trinidad State. Past graduates from the Valley Campus will also be recognized.

TSJC graduation is Friday evening

Alamosa County covers Deer Valley pit

County joins inmate health initiative

Alamosa swears in new city clerk

Alamosa City Attorney Erich Schwiesow, above right, administers the oath of offi ce to Alamosa's new City Clerk Holly Martinez during the May 6 city council meeting. Below, Martinez signs paperwork making her new posi-tion offi cial. She fi lls the vacancy left by Kristi Duarte.

New Alamosa City Clerk Holly Martinez receives flowers and a proud smile from son DeMarcus, 8, during Wednesday night's Alamosa city council meeting, the first meeting Martinez acted in her new official capacity. Martinez has worked as deputy city clerk since October 2012 and previously worked for the district attorney's office for three years. She is an Alamosa native and Alamosa High School graduate with an associate degree. She is finishing up a bachelor's degree in accounting from Adams State University.

Courier photos by Ruth Heide

The female driver of this vehicle was not injured when car trouble forced the vehicle off the road about 10 miles east of Alamosa on Highway 160 Wednesday afternoon shortly after 2 p.m. Alamosa fi re, ambulance and law enforcement responded to the accident. Further details are pending with Colorado State Patrol.

Off road motoringCourier photo by Ruth Heide

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Thursday, May 7, 2015 Valley Courier Page 3

Valley NewsCOUNTY■ Continued from Page 1

WASHINGTON — U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell presented the For-est Service forecast on the upcoming 2015 fi re season in testimony on Tuesday before the Senate Commit-tee on Energy and Natural Resources. Forest Service researchers expect 2015 to continue the trend of above average fi re activity.

“Above normal wildland fi re potential exists across the north central United States and above normal wildland fi re potential will threaten many parts of the West this summer,” said Chief Tidwell. “We antici-pate another active fi re year, underscoring the need to reform our wildfi re funding.”

The forecast indicates there is a 90 percent chance that this year’s Forest Ser-vice fi re suppression costs will be between $794 million and $1.657 billion, with a median estimate of $1.225 billion, potentially forcing

the diversion of funding from other vital programs to support suppression opera-tions. Any costs above the median is greater than the “10 year average” and would force the Forest Service to leverage funding from other land management programs. Diverting funds to cover the cost of wildfi re suppression affects other critical Forest Service programs and ser-vices, said Tidwell, including efforts to reduce wildfi re risk through mechanical thin-ning, prescribed fi res, and other means.

Wildfi re suppression costs have increased as fi re sea-sons have grown longer and the frequency, size, and severity of wildfi res has increased due to changing climatic conditions, drought, hazardous fuel buildups, in-sect and disease infestations, nonnative invasive species, and other factors. Funding has not kept pace with the cost of fi ghting fi re. Over

the last 10 years, adjust-ing for infl ation, the Forest Service has spent an aver-age of almost $1.13 billion on suppression operations annually.

The President’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget includes a proposal to reform the way that wildfi re suppression is funded. Aligned with the Wildfi re Disaster Funding Act, these reforms are nec-essary to ensure the Forest Service continues to deliver the full scope of its mission.

Chief Tidwell said the For-est Service has the capability and responsibility to protect life, property, and natural resources. The responsibil-ity to respond to wildfi re is not isolated to the Forest Service. It works extensively with partners within the De-partment of Interior (DOI) as well as State, tribal and local fi refi ghting organizations to support wildland fi re man-agement operations. These cooperators are essential to

ensuring that every wildfi re receives an appropriate, risk informed, and effective response regardless of the jurisdiction.

Within the Fiscal Year (FY) 15 appropriation for Wildland Fire Management, the Forest Service will be able to mobilize approxi-mately 10,000 fi refi ghters for the upcoming fi re season, as well as up to 21 airtankers available for operations on exclusive use contracts, ad-ditional air tankers available through “Call When Needed” contracts, and the capabil-ity to mobilize cooperator air tankers, if available, through agreements with the State of Alaska and Canada. In coordination with the military there are also eight Mobile Airborne Firefi ghting System-capable C-130’s available to meet surge requirements, as well as an extensive fl eet of more than 100 helicopters avail-able to support operations.

The Forest Service has worked collaboratively with its partners to develop the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, of which fuel treatment is an essential component. In 2015, $32 million of the Haz-ardous Fuels appropriation was allocated to 50 projects in areas with a likelihood of high intensity fi re within populated areas or near important watersheds for municipal water supply.

The Collaborative For-est Landscape Restoration Program also assists in the agency’s work with partners to conduct hazardous fuel treatments and ecosystem restoration that encourages economic and social sus-tainability, leverages local resources with national and private resources, reduces wildfi re management costs, and addresses the utilization of forest restoration byprod-ucts to offset treatment costs and benefi t local economies.

Two students will have a chance to address the group. Jonah Bollinger is still a ju-nior in high school in Antonito but will receive an Associate Degree from Trinidad State through the concurrent en-rollment program. He’s an active member in Future Business Leaders of America and is vice president of the Phi Beta Lambda club. He acted as “head lawyer” in a mock trial competition, and he has been involved in many other extracurricular activities.

Erin Guymon is a wife and mother and a 4.0 stu-dent who still fi nds time to tutor her fellow students through the TRiO program. Last fall, she completed an accounting internship and was offered a part-time job with the fi rm because they were very impressed with her skills and knowledge. Erin is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa – the National Honor Society for two-year colleges. She’ll also participate in the Phi Beta Lambda national competition in Chicago next month.

The graduation ceremony begins at 6 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend.

TSJC■ Continued from Page 1

which includes requests for various documents from the local governments regarding demolitions including the recent knocking down of the Pink Elephant on Sixth Av-enue, the alleged reason the county dug the disposal pit.

The department cannot speculate at this time what penalties the local govern-ments might or will face until the investigation is complete, according to CDPHE.

Dumping in non-permitted areas raises concerns regard-ing public health and safety, property values and quality of life, according to the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA). Construction, demoli-tion, remodeling, roofi ng and landscape contractors are “typical” offenders.

Health risks associated with illegal dumping, accord-ing to the EPA, are signifi cant. They pose physical threats, attract vermin, create mos-quito breeding grounds, increase fire and flooding risks, contribute to erosion and contaminate wells and surface water. Those factors alone or combined could lend to property value decreases, and cost local governments and industry thousands of dollars in reclamation.

“Waste disposal sites like landfi lls are inherently held to certain engineering design standards and operating standards which are part of the permitting process in order to minimize potential impacts to human health and the environment,” stated the CDPHE in the email.

PIT■ Continued from Page 1

have co-occurring sub-stance use disorders. Once incarcerated, they tend to stay longer in jail and upon release are at a higher risk of recidivism than individu-als without these disorders.

The human toll of this problem and its cost to taxpayers is staggering, according to NACo and CSG. Jails spend two to three times more on adults with mental illnesses that require intervention com-pared to those without those needs, yet often can-not achieve recovery and recidivism-reduction goals.

Despite counties’ tremen-dous efforts to address this problem, they are often thwarted by significant obstacles including coor-dinating multiple systems, balancing political agendas and operating with mini-mal resources, according to NACo and CSG.

Consequently, large numbers of people with mental illnesses continue to cycle through the crimi-nal justice system, often resulting in tragic out-comes for individuals and their families, missed op-portunities for linkage to treatment, inefficient use of funding and failure to improve public safety.

Sheriff Jackson said the jail is now training staff to identify inmates with mental health concerns, and it will begin collecting data to see if the popula-tion reflects the national averages.

“When they come in on drugs or alcohol, some-times their symptoms are masked,” he said.

According to reports, 17 percent of those incarcer-ated across the country have serious mental disor-ders; 68 percent have sub-stance abuse disorders; 72 percent have a co-occurring substance abuse disorder; and about 33 percent have a co-occurring serious mental health disorder.

“I was told in the past our jail might have 90 percent (of inmates) with substance use disorders,” Dunne said. “This is an issue we need to face as a county.”

Due to overcrowding, the jail is not always able to “take steps in the best interest of mental health” for all inmates, Jackson said, and there is liability when holding individuals without criminal charges even if they need a space to keep themselves and society safe.

“The jail is the last resort, and only if a person is a danger to the community,” San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group Chief Oper-ating Officer Kristina Dan-iel. “We have those intense concerns.”

Jackson, Daniel and others in the business of helping people heal are also working towards develop-ing a program to assist opi-ate addicts handle and rid themselves of their habits. It will include the distri-bution of Suboxone and Vivitrol in conjunction with a counseling commitment, and it should be operational this August.

“This is another tool that will be very useful for the community,” said Alamosa County Commissioner Mi-chael Yohn.

Daniel added, “These treatment options are not a solution for everyone. There will be counseling with treatment.”

See future Valley Courier editions for updates on the developing opiate treat-ment program.

Forest Service chief predicts 'above normal' wildland fi re potential in much of the West

STAFF REPORTCREEDE— The Creede

Repertory Theatre (CRT) staff has fi nalized plans for an amazing season, packed full of performing arts, the-atre and celebrations for its 50th year. The organization opened its doors to the his-toric mining town in 1966 and has kept the picturesque town on the map ever since.

This year the theatre will be honoring the founding participants in every way they can. Anyone who enjoys theatre is in for a treat dur-ing the upcoming season.

The season begins Memo-rial Day weekend with the opening of “Good on Paper,” a top selling production that will run for a limited time. Tickets for this play are on sale now and can be purchased online at the theatre’s website. The play depicts the trouble with having dreams come true in the most mysterious ways. A lonely police sketch artist gets thrown into a world of romantic comedy as she fi nds

out what its like to control her romantic life. The play opens on May 30 at the The Ruth, and tickets are limited.

The theatre staff has been working closely with residents and alumni to put together a collection of stories for a book highlight-ing the theatre’s history and origins. The book is titled, “Creede Repertory Theatre, Stories of the fi rst 50 years.” CRT will host a book launch on June 26 at 6 p.m.; the launch will include a live reading of chosen sto-ries from the book and the opening night of the 50th anniversary play, “Ghost

Light.” This play takes the audience back in time to the theatre’s beginning and the fi ctional struggle of opening a haunted theatre. Sure to be this year’s prize piece, this play will be one for the record books.

Personnel director Sarah Wallace speaks of the upcom-ing season saying, “This is going to be a huge season. Ticket sales have been at an all-time high, and we look forward to a great season.”

Along with the plays, sev-eral events have been sched-uled to honor the theatre’s contributors. A special night is planned in August that will include a special curtain call for everyone that helped CRT become what it is today.

“We will raise our glasses in honor of our many con-tributors,” said Wallace.

CRT plans to include the University of Kansas theatre organization in the celebra-tions. In 1966, the university was the only one to respond to requests for resident theatre majors to come to Creede for the opening season. Several of the university’s students packed their bags and ven-

tured to Creede that sum-mer, only to create a theatre that has withstood the test of time.

Along with honoring con-tributors, the theatre will also host a special evening to honor the infamous founder Carl Helfi n. The man that owned the original building in 1930 made his eccentric and fun-loving nature a part of history. The theatre in-

vites anyone who had a hand in the beginning of CRT to join in the celebrations with many of the original founders that have not been to Creede in years. “We’re really excited to be able to include these people,” said Wallace.

For a list of events and a schedule of upcoming pro-ductions and ticket prices, visit www.creederep.org

Creede Theatre pulls out the red carpet

ALAMOSA — There will not be a Rio Grande Basin Roundtable meeting in May. The next meeting will be Tuesday, June 9, at the conference room, 623 Fourth Street, Alamosa.

No Roundtable in May

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