NEWS WORTH DEVOURING
NEWS: Taylor hydro project breaks ground, A13
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VOL. 142. NO. 22 | THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023 | $1.00
City council to have four open seats Plata running for re-election Bella Biondini Times Editor
With four seats opening up at the end of the year, an almost entirely new city council may face some of Gunnison’s largest and longstanding issues such as the construction of a new water treatment system and the dwindling affordable housing inventory. In December, the terms of Council A6
Jacob Spetzler
Flags for the fallen and those still in service James, Lisa and Daphne Beda look at the name of one of several fallen friends embroidered on an American flag on Memorial Day. The annual display at the Gunnison Cemetery commemorates armed forces veterans who died in military service.
District teachers to see TODAY ‘historic’ raise in 2023-24 INSIDE
NEWS: Hospital hires housing coordinator, A10
COMMUNITY: Growler race celebrates 15 years, B1
SPORTS: Gunnison summer youth programs begin, B8
OBITUARIES A2 OPINION A4 CLASSIFIEDS A14-A17
State bill bumps Last week, the Gunnison teacher salaries. This year, T h e b o o n c a m e f r o m School District levers pulled at the state level Colorado’s School Finance Act, district funding Watershed (GWSD) and Gunnison County meant more money will flow a bill that increased the per Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
Education Association (GCEA), the district’s union, ratified the 2023-24 Master Agreement, an annual document that sets
into the district. The nearly $1.6 million bump allowed the district to offer its employees raises across the board.
pupil revenue, or the amount each district gets per child, for all school districts. The bill Raises A6
Local businesses optimistic about summer ahead Despite tourism slowdown, numbers still stronger than pre-pandemic
SPORTS B8
Bella Biondini Times Editor
ONLINE GUNNISONTIMES.COM
Although tourism officials have predicted that the number of visitors flowing into the Gunnison Valley may decline
this year, the local business community is cautiously optimistic the crowds will come. With river flows at record highs and Blue Mesa levels on the mend, many are confident it will be another busy summer. Following an impressive 202223 ski season, the Tourism and Prosperity Partnership (TAPP), the organization responsible for marketing the Gunnison Valley as a year-round vacation destination, forecasted a possible slow down in tourism as businesses prepared for Tourism A7
Jacob Spetzler
Trent Mckalko pulls a pizza out of the oven at Gunnison Pizza Company.