NEWS: Curecanti celebrates 60th birthday, A9
SUBSCRIBE TODAY gunnisontimes.com
VOL. 144 NO. 7 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2025 | $1.00
Report reveals university’s local economic impact Researchers estimate Western brings over $150 million to county Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
TIES AND TIARAS: Gunnison Valley dads and daughters hopped to the beat during the seventh annual Daddy Daughter Dance on Feb. 8. For more, see A11. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)
INSIDE
TODAY NEWS: Spann Ranches receives national recognition, A13 COMMUNITY: A friendship that crossed oceans, B1
SPORTS: Five GHS wrestlers win regionals, B4
OBITUARIES A2 OPINION A4 CLASSIFIEDS A14-A18 SPORTS B4 ONLINE GUNNISONTIMES.COM
It may come as no surprise that Western Colorado University students and staff populate the hills of the East River Valley to catalogue plant species, move downed timber off trails in the Gunnison National Forest, bus tables at local restaurants or work with kids in the school district. Now, the impact of this work (and more) on the valley has been captured and converted into real dollars from research released last fall. Western, located in the heart of Gunnison, is a public university Western A8
MetRec commits City to evaluate $1.2 million for inner workings of irrigation ditches outdoor field Funding enables school district to pay for turf at CBCS Bella Biondini Times Editor
In what board president Cassia Cadenhead called the “largest capital decision in MetRec’s lifetime,” the board has pledged $1.2 million to help the school district cover the cost of a new synthetic turf athletic field in Crested Butte. The project’s supporters, which include coaches, students and parents, hope the new field will increase outdoor
playing time for all of the valley’s athletes, whether they are part of a Gunnison Watershed School District (GWSD) sports team, an adult rec league or a summer youth program. Relieving demand in the North Valley will also free up space in Gunnison, as Crested Butte athletes often commute south when their fields are covered in snow. The Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District (MetRec) board, which discussed the request during a regular meeting on Jan. 29, unanimously agreed to cover one-third of the cost of the new field and playground at the Crested Butte Community School. The commitment came MetRec A6
required to maintain the deteGoal is to riorating ditch system. With help of Western Slope engiensure longevity the neering firm SGM, the city will a closer look at the condiof aging system take tion of Gunnison’s ditches, and Bella Biondini Times Editor
Before the water is turned on this year, the City of Gunnison will begin an in-depth investigation of its municipal irrigation ditch system. The intent is to keep the ditches, well-loved by Gunnison homeowners who use the free water to keep their lawns and gardens green, up and running. To do so, the Public Works Department needs a greater understanding of how much m o n e y a n d ma n p ow e r i s
assess and prioritize big-budget repairs. A draft ditch master plan will be released in October, pending community and city council discussion once the data is collected. The document — a clear vision on how the city will manage the ditch system well in the future — will be finalized by the end of the year. According to a 2024 report from the former Public Works Director, more than 200 culverts are in a state of disrepair. City crews also discovered roughly 20 deteriorating pipes that cross Ditches A7