NEWS: Two new bus drivers relieve shortage, A16
VOL. 143 NO. 37 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2024 | $1.00
GVH to acquire Gunnison Valley Family Physicians Sale forced by cost inflation, insurance woes and retirements Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
Gunnison Valley Health is in the process of purchasing Gunnison Valley Family Physicians (GVFP), the city’s last traditional, independent primary care provider. While the acquisition had been previously considered for 2025, mounting pressures on the clinic forced an accelerated timeline that will conclude in the coming weeks, once negotiations are complete. GVFP, a primary care provider located on Virginia
MOUNTAINEER CHEER: The Western Colorado University cheerleading squad rolled through town in style during the music cruise on Sept. 3. For more, see A12. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)
INSIDE
TODAY NEWS: Western improves campus security, A9
COMMUNITY: The ‘BonTon’ booms again, B1
County receives $15 Housing Authority million for Hwy. 135 reimagines its Federal grant hastens Brush Creek intersection project Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
SPORTS: Mountaineer football wins under the lights, B6
OPINION A4 CLASSIFIEDS A18-A21 SPORTS B6 ONLINE GUNNISONTIMES.COM
Physicians A6
This month, Gunnison County received a multi-million dollar federal infrastructure grant for road improvements. The money will circulate throughout the Gunnison Valley, bolstering town and city budgets for projects that will improve road safety along the Hwy. 135 corridor. L a s t w e e k , t h e U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) doled out $15.2 million to the county as a part of
its “Safe Streets and Roads for All” (SS4A) program. The DOT awarded over 350 grants this year, amounting to $1 billion in federal aid for the country’s aging road system. Gunnison County’s award was by far the largest in Colorado, according to the SS4A database. The county applied for the grant with the City of Gunnison and Town of Crested Butte, as the approved application ropes in each municipalities’ street safety plans. The award will be used toward the valley’s traffic safety improvement project, the “Gunnison Valley CO-135 Safety Action Plan.” The project is expected to cost $19 million, and the county is responsible for the local match to bolster federal funds. The grant also guarantees that the county can begin construction on the Brush Creek Roads A7
future role Updated needs assessment complete Bella Biondini Times Editor
With the guidance of a new strategic plan and incoming data from an updated housing needs assessment, Executive Director Melissa LaMonica’s goal is to get the Gunnison Va l l e y R e g i o n a l H o u s i n g Authority back on course during a time of great need in the community. In recent years, many have questioned the identity of the Housing Authority, which for a time has blended into the
background with a number of housing-oriented organizations and nonprofits such as the Valley Housing Fund and the Gunnison Valley Housing Task Force. After working through five leadership changes in two years (three executive directors and two interim directors), the Housing Authority has struggled to define its role within the community. At the same time, the valley’s need for stable leadership in the housing sector has only become more dire. LaMonica stepped into the director role in May 2024 following the resignation of Andy Kadlec the previous winter. Using her background in real estate and finance, LaMonica hopes to increase the Housing Housing A2 {N}POWER® MEMBERS ONLY
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