by Rick Langenberg:

(Related Cover Story)

With catastrophic blazes raging across the Pikes Peak region and state, the Teller County Commissioners wasted little time last week in enacting a Stage One fire ban.

This action is fairly consistent with burning prohibitions initiated by the U.S. Forest Service on public and private lands in the Pike and San Isabel forests and earlier by the city of Cripple Creek. In essence, these restrictions outlaw any type of open campfires, trash burning and igniting fireworks, but it does permit residents and visitors to use charcoal or gas grills under certain restrictions. In addition, outdoor smoking is still allowed in designated areas or away from flammable materials.

Commission Vice-Chairman Norm Steen, while supporting the ban, questioned if the county should include more details to assure that residents exercise extra caution, such as when using charcoal grills. But his fellow peers and the staff indicated that these emergency ordinances typically don’t focus on too many specific details and that residents are quite aware of the current, dangerous conditions. “You have to be smart about it,” said County Administrator Sheryl Decker, when explaining the overall sentiment of most citizens in complying with fire bans and when using grills and other outdoor cooking devices.

Teller County Emergency Management Director Steve Steed indicated this may just be the starting point in local efforts to prepare for the fire season with stricter restrictions. He told the commissioners that the county is getting tougher in imposing fines for people who violate these bans. The emergency manager said his office would try to get the fire ban message out with the help of highway electronic message boards and the local media.

And with the fire conditions worsening, the fate of July 4th celebrations is now up in the air. For the second consecutive year, city and county officials are going to have to make some tough decisions about forthcoming Independence Day displays, which typically serve as the main kick-off of the summer season. The commissioners commented that it’s too early to make any determinations regarding upcoming fireworks shows.

Shortly after the commissioners issued a Stage One ban in the unincorporated sections of the county, the region’s fire scare hit home with a five-acre blaze, north of Cripple Creek off Teller One near Cripple Creek Mountain Estates. Crews from Cripple Creek, Victor, Divide and the Northeast Teller district responded to fight the blaze, which resulted in a partial road closure.

Emergency responders also received an air drop. No structures were lost.

This marked the second fire in this part of the county in less than 24 hours. Another fire occurred off Teller One in the Four Mile area, but was doused shortly after it ignited. As a result, Cripple Creek earlier in the week initiated a Stage Two fire ban, which poses even tougher restrictions than the Teller and Forest Service actions.

Rough conditions

Although conditions aren’t nearly as bad locally as the Black Forest area in Colorado Springs—the site of a major blaze resulting in nearly 500 scorched homes and two deaths– Steed didn’t present an overly optimistic depiction of the local fire situation during a brief presentation at last week’s commissioners meeting. He compared fire conditions to the extreme danger zone of previous years. “We are mirroring exactly where we have been for the last three or four years,” said Steed. And ironically, these dire conditions come in the wake of a fairly wet spring.

According to Steed, the scariest element of the latest fire assaults is that the blazes are being triggered by high winds and extremely hot weather and are jumping from tree to tree, instead of originating from fossil fuels. “They are going up like Roman candles,” said Steed, in explaining the super-fast fire movement and the devastation of trees. “It burned hot and fast. It is just unbelievable,” said the emergency manager, in describing the Black Forest blaze and the smaller fires in Teller.

Both he and Commission Chairman Dave Paul cited the Black Forest terrain as extremely difficult to defend. Also, Paul, who said he is quite familiar with Black Forest, noted that this area hasn’t progressed much in form of fire mitigation. Several local fire departments, though, assisted in the battle against the devastating Black Forest blaze last week, including Cripple Creek, Divide and Northeast Teller.

Steed, who has ties in Canon City, also got quite emotional when talking about the Royal Gorge fire near Canon City, resulting in the destruction of a major tourist attraction and many associated structures. “We lost a major economic anchor,” said Steed. “Two hundred people have lost their jobs.” And when it comes to Teller County, Steed cautioned residents and officials to remain vigilant.

With the huge fire disasters striking Colorado, he cited limited resources as the biggest challenge local firefighters will now face. As a result, local agencies may be on their own when battling blazes of five acres or smaller. “Resources are stretched very thin,” said Steed. “You are going to have to compete (for resources). We need to do everything we can.”

Tuesday, June 18

The Green Mountain Falls Board of Trustees will meet in the temporary town hall chambers (at the Joyland Church facility) on June 18 at 7 p.m. The trustees will hold a public hearing on a proposed ordinance to ban retail outlets for marijuana.

Wednesday, June 19

The Ute Pass/Woodland Park Kiwanis Club meets at 6:45 a.m. at the Mangia Mangia restaurant in Woodland Park. Call 687-5534 for more information.

The Timberline Artists meet at 10 a.m. every Wednesday of each month, upstairs at the Aspen Mine Senior Center in Cripple Creek. Everyone with an interest in art is welcome.

Exercise for Arthritis Class. Seniors are invited to attend “Exercise for Arthritis Class.” The exercise class is held each Wednesday and Friday, 10:30-11:30, at the Senior Center. Call 687-5802 or 687-3877. The Senior Center is located at 312 N. Center St. in Woodland Park.
The Cripple Creek City Council will meet on June 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the CC Council chambers at city hall.

Thursday, June 20

Tai Chi for Seniors. The Woodland Park Senior Citizens Club will host Tai Chi sessions for those with Arthritis ailments from 9:30 to 10:30 and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Thursday. 687-3877
High Tea and Serenade. This popular event is scheduled at the Woodland Park Senior Center (next to city hall) on June 20. The cost is $7 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Volunteers are still needed to help host and serve. Call Senior Center at 687-3877 to RSVP. Call Pamela at 339-0954 with questions or to volunteer.

Wildfire Protection. A wildfire and disaster protection forum for southern Teller residents is scheduled for June 20 at the Gold Bar Room Theater inside the Imperial Hotel, starting at 4:30 p.m. The forum is being organized by the Southern Teller County Economic Development Coalition. It will deal with emergency plans, in the wake of the Waldo Canyon fire of last summer and provide other important emergency updates. For more information, call John Posusta, executive director of the Economic Development Coalition at 287-7590.

No WP Council meeting. The Woodland Park City Council, which normally meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month, will not meet this Thursday. The next scheduled meeting will occur on Thursday, June 27.

Friday, June 21

The Pikes Peak Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. at the Woodland Park Library. Call 687-0418.

Free Tai Chi. Participate in free Tai Chi sessions at the Woodland Park Library every Friday at 9 a.m. Come in the Midland entrance on the lower level. These classes are co-sponsored by Teller County Health. Beginning and intermediate classes are offered. The intermediate classes occur at 10 a.m. Call 687-9281 for details. The Florissant Public Library offers free Tai Chi classes on Mondays at the same times. 748-3939.

Ass in the Grass.The popular Ass in the Grass Music Series, featuring diverse performances in the summer and fall on Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon outdoors in Woodland Park at the corner of Henrietta and Park. The shows are free of charge. On June 21, Ass in the Grass welcomes Tim Brown, who has a special southern style finger technique on his guitar. Then on June 28, the entertainment showcases Rich Owen (Country Fusion). For more information, call Pam Zirko, the festival coordinator, at 687-373
Giant Used Book Sale. The Woodland Park Public Library will host this three day annual event (sometimes semi-annual) with tons of amazing bargain books, videos, cds, and audios! It is scheduled from June 21-23.Don’t miss this and you have three chances to make it! Friday-Noon to 4, Satuday-10-3 and Sunday, 1-3 (Clearance). Call 687-9281 x132 for more information.

Swim Time in GMF. The public swimming pool in Green Mountain Falls has opened for the summer season. The pool will remain open until Sunday, Aug. 18 and on most days, will operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pool admission is $5 for anyone from 2 to 59, with senior rates at $2 for those 60 and over. Punch cards are also available for 10 and 20 time swims throughout the season. For more information, call the GMF town hall at 684-9514.
Fish Fry and Karaoke. On most Fridays, the Shining Mountain Golf Club features karaoke as we are hosting Loretta and Friends Karaoke (who formerly performed at Bucks) at the golf club. Come out and have a drink and sing a song. . .Friday night karaoke starts at 8 p.m. and goes until midnight!! We will have our fish fry from 4 to 9:30 p.m. with the regular menu items available also. This should be fun, fun, fun so come out and join us for a dinner, a drink (or two), and a song! For more information, call 687-7587. Also, the golf course has now opened for the season.

Saturday, June 22
Gem and Mineral Show. The Southern Teller County Focus Group (STCFG) will be hosting the first Gem and Mineral Show in Victor from June 22-23. The show will include vendors from across Colorado selling minerals, gems, hand-crafted jewelry, mining antiques, mineral specimens, cabochons and more. Vendors will be setting up in the vacant lot on North 3rd Street between the post office and the Victor Elks Lodge.
Mountain Top Cycling Challenge. On Saturday, June 22, the Mountain Top Cycling Club (MTCC) will be hosting the second annual Mountain Top Experience Ride. This non-profit organization is raising funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the MTCC, and will be making a donation to the Teller County Search and Rescue Unit. This event is a bicycle ride challenge (not a race).This challenge is scheduled to have three phases of riders. The start of the event will be in Florissant , Colorado , with various routes for riders to select. This event is anticipated to have a minimal impact on traffic in Cripple Creek, as riders will be coming through Cripple Creek at various times, and are expected to follow all traffic laws. Cyclists will be departing the Grange Hall in Florissant from 6 to 8 a.m. For additional information regarding this event, please contact Deborah Maresca, the Event Director for the MTCC, at (719) 687-2489. Additional information can also be found at:

http://www.prerace.com/races/event/44296/Mountain-Top-Cycling-Club-Experience-Ride-2013-Florissant-CO

Eleven Mile Interpretive Programs
The Eleven Mile State Park will host a variety of interpretative programs throughout the summer. These feature a number of hikes and educational programs, led by naturalist Beth Dodd. In addition, a full lineup of programs is scheduled at the North Shore Amphitheater every weekend.

Lowell Thomas Museum Opening. The museum is now open seven days a week from 9:30-5:30 through Labor Day. If you want to become a museum member – we could use your support! We are seeking grants to install heat in the museum building. Visit VictorColorado.com and follow the museum membership links.

Fossil Beds Photography Exhibit. The Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument has opened a new photography exhibit at their new visitors center. The photos were taken by the military teens and are part of an outreach program to help connect military youth with our national parks. It is part of a program coordinated by the Florissant Fossil Beds staff, Fort Carson teenagers and their families. Please contact 748-3253 for more detail.

Sunday, June 23

Green Box Arts Festival. The Green Box Arts Festival, featuring a wide variety of activities, exhibits, performances and classes, kicks off on June 23 and extends through July 3. The pinnacle of this year’s festival is the “Cloud City” sculpture (which was displayed on the rooftop of New York City’s Metropolitan Art Museum for six months) in Green Mountain Falls, with tours through this interactive display occurring daily from 1 to 7 p.m. Other highlights include a concert from the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony, the folk band Haunted Wind Chimes and fiddle sensation Kyle Dillingham, a dance showcase by New York City dance company Keigwin and Company and a roundtable with American author and Pultzer Prize nominee Blake Bailey. Many of the events will be held in various locations in Green Mountain Falls and the lower Ute Pass. For more information, visit www.greenboxarts.org.

Upcoming

Charity Golf Tournament. The Teller County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with PPIHC, Assoc, will be hosing the second annual Charity Golf Tournament at Shining Mountain Golf Club on June 25, with a 7:30 a.m. start-time. The tournament, which features a scramble format, includes a Chuck Wagon lunch and great prizes. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the sheriff’s office auxiliary groups, including the Reserves, Posse and Emergency Response Team. Sponsorship opportunities, which include the price of a full team, are still available. For more information, call Lt. Jason Mikesell at 687-9652.

Donkey Derby Days. The 82nd annual Donkey Derby Days festival in Cripple Creek will be held from June 29-30. This popular event, one of the town’s signature summer festivals, features donkey races, games, a great parade and a wide assortment of zany competitions. It is sponsored by the Two Mile High Club. For more information, see visitcripplecreek.com.

The Gold Rush Gold Rush. The fifth annual foot race in scenic and historic Victor will occur on June 29 and it will feature a 9-mile mountain race, starting in downtown Victor and climbing to the American Eagle overlook. The event this year also will include a 5K competition.

Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine Tours. These popular tours, which kicked off Memorial Day, extend through Labor Day. Visit a working gold mine and experience large-scale modern surface mining in action. The cost of the tour is $7.50 per person. Must be 5 or older to take the tour. Modern mine tours run daily except Thursdays through Labor Day. Tours are at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. June is the best time to reserve a tour before the busy season – tours in July and August often book up in advance.Guided van tours include a trip through the open pit and to the crusher where you can see large-scale surface mine equipment in operation – giant haul trucks and shovels and watch boulders being crushed into gravel size rock. All proceeds are donated to the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum. See VictorColorado.com to make a reservation; or call 719-689-5509 to make a reservation. The museum also offers gold panning and is open daily through Sept. 2 and weekends in September and October weekend, plus additional weekends during the holidays as weather permits. The museum is from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with gold panning from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 per adult, $5 per senior (62 and older) and $4 per child (12 and under), which includes one hour of gold panning..

Tickets are now available for the 2nd Annual Woodland Park Cemetery Crawl. This popular event is scheduled for Thursday, July 4th. It is sponsored by the Ute Pass Historical Society and tickets go fast. Take a walk around the Cemetery on July 4th and meet some of the old pioneers who are resting in the Woodland Park Cemetery, located at 650 Short Street. Tours start every 15 minutes from 1 to 3 pm. Tickets cost $5, and are available at the Ute Pass Historical Society Gift Shop, 231 E. Henrietta Avenue, WP, or at the gate. Please call UPHS at 719.686.7512 or e mail uphs@peakinter.net for more information.

Symphony Above the Clouds. The 33rd annual “Symphony Above The Clouds” presented by the Ute Pass Symphony Guild takes place on July 5th at the Woodland Park Middle School, 600 E Kelly Rd, in Woodland Park, CO. The Colorado Springs Philharmonic presents a patriotic celebration with music that will please and enthrall the entire family.
This is a FREE event thanks to our sponsors, donors and volunteers and promises to be a delightful celebration of country and community. Gates open at 5:00 pm with pre-show music at 5:30 with Ceol Ceili. For more information call 719-661-7377 or visit www.symphonyabovetheclouds.org.

Transportation’s Local Coordinating Council of Teller County meets the 3rd Monday of every month at the Aspen Mine Center in Cripple Creek. This 9 am meeting is open to the public.

Total Joint Replacement. Pikes Peak Regional Hospital & Surgery Center offers free classes on total joint replacement. Classes are free and offered every 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month. Learn about the benefits of Joint Replacement, what to expect and how to prepare. You don’t have to be scheduled for a joint replacement to attend a class. The classes are held at Pikes Peak Regional Hospital, 16420 W. Hwy. 24 Woodland Park in the Café Meeting room. They run from 2pm to 4pm. Classes will be repeated for new attendees every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month. For more information, please contact the Program Coordinator, Wendy Westall, at 719-686-5779. To register for an upcoming class you may contact the hospital at 719- 686-5769.

History Park tours. The Ute Pass Historical Society offers free public tours (donations gratefully accepted!) of History Park the second Saturday of the month from June through September. The tours are from 10 am to 1 pm, starting at the Museum Center, 231 E. Henrietta Avenue in Woodland Park. The Museum Center building is located next to the Woodland Park Public Library. A historic walking tour of Woodland Park meets at 10:30 am Please contact UPHS at 719.686.7512 or e mail uphs@peakinter.net for more information. All tours are weather permitting.

Victor Bingo. A bingo session will be held at the Victor Elks Club (every other Saturday) starting at 7 p.m. Reusable cards are $1. The 50/50 game is $1 per card or $6 for $5. The bingo session includes a raffle and door prizes.
Christmas in July. Christmas In July will be held Saturday July 27 in the Aspen Mine Center, 166 E. Bennett Ave, Cripple Creek from 9am to 2 pm. The is hosted by the Committee’s Christmas Planning Committee. Variety of venders, baked sales, and free Christmas cookies with punch and coffee. Contact July’s chairman Shawn Kuhns for $10 vender booths,and questions at 629-8063 or CCPC coordinator Kathi Pilcher at 659-3599.

Adult Education. Teller County enjoys some of the most amazing geology on the planet. Several features are found nowhere else. Community Partnership Family Resource Center, a Colorado non-profit devoted to education, is offering a 6-Saturday course (JUL 20 – AUG 24) in Divide from 9 a.m. to noon. Learn about our gold & silver, gems, fossils, faults, volcanoes, glaciers, and more, with computer imagery, specimens, and a field trip. Great for teachers, rock hounds or students. Fee: $80 Call 686-0705 for information & registration.

Mountain Arts Festival. Plan to attend the 28th Annual Mountain Arts Festival to be held on Saturday and Sunday, August 3 and 4, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ute Pass Cultural Center, Woodland Park, CO. The Festival features 80 booths with many returning artists as well as new artists covering all venues including food booths. The artists come from CO and several other states. Admission is FREE. Visit our website www.themountainartists.com or contact Carolyn, 719-686-7436.

Manitou Springs Happenings
Flooding and Fire Mitigation. The Coalition for the Upper South Platte together with Colorado Springs Small Business Development Center hosted by UCCS, presents a hands-on workshop, helping businesses in the region to be prepared for fire and flooding. This workshop will be held on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at the Business of Arts Center in Manitou Springs. The workshop will span 2 hours, starting with a short presentation & Q&A by CUSP/SBDC on business preparedness, followed by a table-top exercise, where participants practice with a scenario of how flooding of the Waldo Canyon burn scar would affect the region. This workshop is free of charge. To reserve your seat, please register at: www.cssbdc.org

By Square Peg

I never fail to be amazed by the reckless disregard that some people have for the power of nature, for their own safety, and for the safety of others. This has been brought home to me again by the tragic loss of life and property in Black Forest.

Earth, wind, fire, and water, the elemental forces that rule our planet, should just not be messed with. You can’t stop a hurricane or turn a tornado. Yet with fire, a foolish few think that wild land firefighters are like lazy wizards who could control a raging inferno with ease if they really tried. These folks choose to ignore the reality that an extreme wild fire is a force of unstoppable destructive power. For example, last week I spoke with an individual who complained that fire fighters had not responded fast enough in Black Forest. Yet when I confronted him about his statement, he admitted that he was largely ignorant of the logistics of firefighting and the dynamics of extreme fire behavior, and had done little or no fire mitigation on his own property in Teller County. This week there were at least three spot fires within striking distance of his home that were rapidly extinguished by vigilant fire crews.

To get the big fire picture, imagine a large scale firefight as a life and death game of speed chess. All of the different pieces must be rapidly brought into the game in a strategic and efficient manner to avoid a disaster. In firefighting, the threat has to be indentified, communicated, and assessed, and then a response has to be quickly organized. In Black Forest, firefighting crews, law enforcement officers, and military resources from the local, state, and federal levels came together. Within hours they formed a team on the ground and in the air to get people out of harms way and attack a raging beast of an extreme wildfire.

As a community, we have repeatedly witnessed the fearsome power of fire, having experienced three of the most destructive fires in state history; the Hayman Fire, the Waldo Canyon Fire, and now the Black Forest Fire. However, I am convinced that many of us have still not learned to respect or plan ahead for fire.

With life pulling us all in so many directions, I know that many people don’t make the time to educate themselves about the natural disaster risks in their community (although we all should) and leave it to local officials to prepare. But when the officials say, “You are in imminent peril. Evacuate now!” there are always a few who respond with “I’m an American, and you can’t tell me what to do!” Happily for them, as Americans they have the right to choose wildfire as the method of their own demise. Unfortunately, at the eleventh hour, when they are facing their own mortality, these are the kind of folks who will call upon others to risk their lives to come and save them when they could have saved themselves by packing a bag the day before.

Currently, there are people in Black Forest who ignored the original evacuation orders and are now complaining of ill-treatment because they are running out of groceries. If they leave their neighborhood to go shopping, they will not be allowed to return until the evacuation orders are lifted. Others have been escorted back to their homes to check on their property, and then refused to leave again. One man who was interviewed on television claimed, “We are being treated like criminals!” El Paso County Sheriff Maketa has responded by saying that people violating the safety restrictions in place could face possible arrest. Rikes, Raggy! I’m sure I can’t imagine the stresses these people are under, but I know that thousands of others removed themselves from harms way when asked, leaving their homes behind, never to be seen again in many cases. To fight the very people working to protect you and demonize them for it in the process makes no sense at all.

As fire fighters increase the containment area and mop up, they are putting out every hot spot and the evacuation area is starting to shrink. This is not a punishment for the besieged residents of Black Forest, but an exercise in patience as people from all over the region do their best to help them.

Not every fire will become a raging firestorm like the terrible episode that has brought so much hardship to the people in Black Forest, but the risk is always there. As citizens of land prone to wild fires, we are an important part of the fire prevention team. Educate yourself about the risk and how you can be prepared. If you see a smoke, report it. Remove excess fuels from your property. Have an emergency plan. If you’re asked to evacuate, leave. Smart assertive action is far more effective than leaving the planning to others and whining about it after the fact.

On race day, check-in and registration will be at the corner of 3rd and Victor Ave. from 7:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. The first one hundred people to sign up will receive a Tech Shirt. The race begins at 9:00 a.m.
The race course begins at an elevation of 9,693 feet in downtown Victor. The route includes the paved streets in Victor, dirt roads, and improved mountain trails through historic mining areas. Participants will climb to approximately 10,800 feet at the American Eagles Overlook and enjoy views of Pikes Peak, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and the mining district.

Race winners will bring home the gold – literally. The overall male and female winners of the 9 mile race will receive gold coins containing a quarter ounce of locally mined gold. The male and female winners in each age group will receive silver coins, and the overall male and female winners of the 5K will also receive silver.

After the race there will be a block party with one free beer per race bib. Live music will be performed by “The Tribe” and local businesses will hold a sidewalk sale.
The race organizers are grateful to the sponsors who are making this event possible, including the City of Victor, Victor Dream Committee, Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Company, Bristol Brewing Company, Jack Quinn’s Running Club, Victor Elevation Club, Rocky Mountain Soccer Camp, Victor Penguins and The Claim Jumper.The Running of the Gold Rush Gold Rush

by Rick Langenberg:

Teller residents won’t face too many orange cone zones and construction delays this summer and fall, in the form of major paving and revamping work on county roads.

Instead, the brunt of 2013 local transportation projects will deal with grappling with nearly 500 miles of gravel thoroughfares, repairing a multitude of culverts and battling dust. And in some cases, county crews can help homeowners in rural subdivisions in improving their traveling situation by applying more dust suppression material on certain road sections and assisting them with culvert-related consulting advice. That was the theme of the county’s annual road improvement plan, which received the thumbs-up by last week by the Teller County Commissioners. “I am very pleased,” said Commission Vice-Chairman Norm Steen, in describing the plan and agency’s track record.

He gave the county’s road and bridge crews an A-plus grade in the way they have interacted with the public. Similar sentiments were echoed by Chairman Dave Paul. Paul stated that he receives many calls about the state of Teller’s roads, but the vast majority of these comments are positive. According to transportation supervisor Brad Shaw, this year’s plan, similar to previous efforts, will concentrate heavily on road maintenance with crews sticking to a strict schedule of handling six routes of 37 miles each, with no deviation unless an emergency occurs. As a result, he vowed that residents should see more grading activity this year. He described the use of designated grading routes as a big success, compared to previous years.

Still, Shaw conceded that the rough, gravel surface of Teller roadways ranks as the premiere complaint of Teller residents. “It is always the road surface,” said Shaw, when describing the topic of the far majority of approximately 200 call-ins the agency receives a year. “Gravel roads are tough to maintain,” admitted Shaw. That said, he believes the agency has made inroads in improving the quality of many of these roads that make the grading process easier.

Later in the meeting, former county attorney Newman McAllister chimed in and quipped that many Teller residents who move into the area initially view gravel roads as “romantic and pastoral.” But after a little time he in the high county, he noted that their main question then becomes, “When are you are you going to pave my road?” McAllister, Teller’s main attorney throughout much of the 1980s, commented how road issues still dominate the county’s radar. Unfortunately, the county’s financial situation and the competition for grant dollars limit the ability to pave that many roads. In fact, current statistics indicate that gravel surfaces are still the main source of Teller roadways, with only 72 miles consisting of paved thoroughfares in the unincorporated sections of the county.

As for other challenging problems for the agency this year, Shaw cited drainage and culverts as associated issues that plague the county crews and make life more difficult for rural subdivision homeowners. He noted that the county has to deal with 2,500 cross culverts along its roadways. And when it comes to dust suppression, he said some homeowners have even contacted the county about purchasing additional material to assist their neighborhoods. If the county does the complete dust suppression work, it costs about $3,870 per mile, according to Shaw. He said county crews also meet with homeowners to give them advice on plugged culverts.

The county’s road improvement plan calls for the dust suppression work on nearly 50 roads, at a cost of nearly $250,000. “That is an unfunded mandate,” said Shaw. Current environmental rules require dust suppression material to be applied on gravel roads that receive more than 300 vehicles a day of traffic. This year’s plan doesn’t feature that many high dollar infrastructure projects regarding huge paving and road reconstruction efforts.

Some of the plan highlights include:

*Resurfacing work on parts of Teller 21, Deer Mountain, Whitetail Lane, Obsidian Drive and Crystal Peak, totaling 2.4 miles

*Applying dust suppression material to sections of 48 gravel roads in the county, totaling nearly 30 miles.

*Re-grading of all ditches damaged from winter maintenance operations, clearing out culverts and installing rock checks. In addition, drainage improvements are scheduled for Summer Haven Drive.

*Reconstructing Teller One from the Cripple Creek city limits to Anges Drive. This project will involve replacing damaged guardrail and posts, shaping of ditches and back slope, replacing culverts and installing new surface treatment. It will feature some traffic delays, but one lane of traffic will always remain open.

*Continuing to work and improve Teller’s lineup of 10 bridges, which date back to 1930, in compliance with national standards.

*Pursing the current snow removal policies that attempt to maintain all roads within 24 hours after a storm has stopped.

*Meeting with homeowner groups to assess problem areas.