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Telluride Realty's Monthly e-Newsletter
September 2009

On Tap: September

It really has been a beautiful summer in Telluride. Just the right amount of rain, paired with just the right amount of sun, created a recipe for an incredible flower season, green hillsides, happening concerts and buzzing restaurants and shops. And so it’s now time to wrap it all up. September marks the close of summer, the start of fall, and the season for golden leaves, azure skies and fresh sprinklings of snow up on the peaks. September isn’t shy on social events either as the Telluride Film Festival starts off the month (4th-7th) with a top secret lineup that has sparked such rumors as “Bright Star,” the new Jane Campion film (writer/director of the Academy Award-winning “The Piano”), “Life During Wartime,” the new Todd Solondz film (director of the Golden Globe-nominated “Happiness”) and “My Son, My Son,” the new Werner Herzog film (director of “Grizzly Man”). Such speculations come from Variety and several film blogs, but the Telluride Film Fest shall remain tight-lipped until September 4. Apparently keeping the schedule so under wraps is a very unusual and difficult thing to do, but Gary Meyer, co-director of the festival confirms that he’s “not going to say anything” prematurely. Also in September, is the Ouray County Rodeo (6th), the delicious and popular KOTO Black Bean Sauté (10th), the 17-mile scenic and grueling Imogene Pass Run (12th), the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program’s Bob Miller Memorial Golf Classic (17th), and of course, the rockin’ Blues and Brews Festival (18th-20th), bringing the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Joe Cocker and many more to town.

Days are getting shorter and temps are getting cooler, but with that comes anticipation of lift rides and powder days as ski season rapidly approaches…opening day is November 26.

September Calendar of Events

2	Annual Mountain Village Adventure Rock Bouldering Competition Series Competition held on the Bouldering Rock in Mountain Village’s Conference Center Plaza
2	Sunset Concert Series Free concert in Mountain Village, featuring Country Revue
3	Film Festival Exhibit Opening Telluride Historical Museum presents an exhibit that corresponds with the film festival
3	Solo Ah Haa School Art Exhibit featuring one regional artist and his/her body of work
4	Ophir Hill Climb Run or bike to the top of Ophir pass in a friendly, albeit rather competitive, race
4-7	36th Annual Telluride Film Festival The renowned and internationally-acclaimed festival celebrating the cinematic arts; presenting world premieres, celebrity speakers and hundreds of the most devoted movie buffs
6	Ouray County Rodeo Professional Colorado cowboys and cowgirls gather in Ridgway for bronc bustin’, calf ropin’, barrel racin’, and lots of other festivities
10	KOTO Black Bean Sauté Breakfast benefit for KOTO sponsored by Honga’s Lotus Petal and La Cocina de Luz
12	Imogene Pass Run 17-mile foot race from Ouray to Telluride over the challenging and spectacular Imogene Pass
14	Black Bear Awareness Week Learn about our furry, intelligent, and often mischievous neighbors, as well as ways to stay safe and keep them safe
17	Bob Miller Memorial Golf Classic Telluride Adaptive Sports Program hosts a fundraiser tournament on the Telluride Golf Course
18	The Play’s the Thing Free reading of a play (TBA) presented by Squidshow and TCAH
18-20	Blues & Brews Festival Three days of world-renowned musicians performing in Town Park and elsewhere around town; also features a great beer tasting on Saturday morning
25-27	Artists’ Studio Tours Backstage pass into the Telluride art scene; discover how artists have carved out their work spaces
25-27	Writers in the Sky Spend a day with regional and national screenwriters and authors; presentations, readings, discussions
26	Mountains to the Desert Fundraiser for the Just for Kids Foundation; bikers cycle 133 miles from Telluride to Moab
27	Sunday at the Palm A late-afternoon matinee of the classic Steven Spielberg/George Lucas film, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”

Opera House Digs Deep to Find its True Colors

The Sheridan Opera House is in the midst of a series of restorations and hopes to return some buried treasures to its surface. Beneath the 1970s plaster (the building was originally built more than 100 years ago), are colorful floral- and chandelier-themed stencils. Such décor was cutting-edge for the time, and apparently is still pretty progressive, even for today.

The Opera House is presently in the process of uncovering the stencils and restoring them to their original state, but time and money might be running out. According to Jennifer Julia, who has taken on the project as a personal mission, there isn’t anything else quite like these stencils and she hopes she can fulfill her vision of restoring them before funds and time are exhausted. “I’ve been working on this for 10 years,” said Julia who also directs the Young People’s Theater. “It’s my dream.”

Natural factors obscured the stencils over the years, from simple neglect, to the coal-fired furnace that ran in the basement, to the people who blindly painted over them. “I don’t know what they were thinking,” said Ken Scar, the Buena Vista artist working on the stencil restoration. October 18 is “Judgment Day,” so to speak. Scar, who also restored the stencils in the historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, gave the Sheridan a fairly low bid to redo the stencils. Unfortunately he’s leaving the restoration business to join the army, meaning the work must get done before the middle of next month. Some of the necessary monies have been raised already; the remainder must be collected by Sept. 10. If the Opera House can raise the money, Scar and his team from Atmosphere Custom Painting will restore the stencils on the ceiling, walls, balconies, and on the stage’s gold frame.

Town News: Water Under the Bridge?

After more than a year of legal scuffling over water rights in Bridal Veil Basin, a settlement order was finalized last month by District Court Judge James Schum between the town of Telluride and Idarado Mining Company. Under the settlement, the town has agreed to pay Idarado $70,000 for construction work it did on Idarado land, a sum which will also cover other court costs. This was the final piece in an arduous and intricate battle over water and infrastructure rights, contractual language and water quality. It also finalizes a string of rulings related to the litigation handed down by the judge since January — rulings that, overall, were positive for the town, according to town officials. The litigation revolved around a plan the town has been pursuing for years — securing an ample source of water for its residents by tapping Blue Lake (the body of water perched in a rocky alpine basin above Bridal Veil Falls). The town’s plan entails piping the water down to a treatment plant above the Pandora Mill, and then dispersing it. The town set out to complete the project years ago — doing engineering, winning voter approval for a $10 million bond, and securing a piece of land (gifted by Idarado) for the treatment plant. But as it was getting other ducks in a row, it discovered language in a 1992 settlement agreement with Idarado that would give the mining company the right to recall not only water rights, but also proportionate ownership in water storage and conveyance structures. When Idarado refused to omit the language, the town sued, claiming the mining company breached the contract and cost the town money by delaying its project. Idarado replied with a countersuit, arguing that it only wanted its rights protected.

The trial took place in January in Montrose, and a mixed ruling ensued. The town retained enough rights to move forward with the long-awaited new water system and treatment plant project. The mining company was able to hold onto some of the property and water rights it sought. “It’s always gratifying to resolve a complicated legal issue, and particularly when the town came out with what we believe is a favorable ruling,” said Town Attorney Kevin Geiger. “We’re hopeful that the town and Idarado can move through litigation and phase into a more productive relationship.”

Environmental News: Local Organic Farmer Knows her Carbon Footprints

Local Kris Holstrom is popular among many for her very green thumb. As owner of Tomten Farms, located on Hastings Mesa, Holstrom grows incredible fresh and organic produce, which regional patrons purchase and devour. But this summer, Holstrom received further recognition for her talents and knowledge when the Governor’s Energy Office named her to the Colorado Carbon Fund Advisory Committee. Holstrom is one of six stakeholders in Colorado’s environmental sustainability movement who sit on the committee, determining how to spend monies that are voluntarily donated by groups looking to offset their carbon footprints. Of those donations, 20 percent is set aside to be used in the communities from where the donations originated. Holstrom is particularly excited about this aspect as she has a number of ideas for how the Western Slope can make good use of such funds. In addition, Holstrom is creating a plan to weatherize low-income houses in Ridgway and Ouray, to reduce heat and increase comfort in the cold months for people who normally wouldn’t be able to afford it. “It’s not always just about the environment,” Holstrom said. “It’s also about saving money and living more comfortably.” She added that she plans to educate people about carbon offsets.

Wildlife News: A Moose of any Other Name is not the Same

Last month there was a rare sighting of two moose near Lizard Head, a male and a female. According to wildlife authorities, this could mean there are more to come. “The way moose occur in most of southwest Colorado is very dispersed and low density,” said Scott Wait, senior terrestrial biologist for the Colorado Division of Wildlife in Durango.

The pair sighted near San Bernardo did not make it clear as to where they had come from or where they were headed (there weren’t any ear tags or radio collars indicating they were part of the Grand Mesa moose reintroduction that began in 2005). Wait suggested they may have arrived from the La Garita Mountains, south of Gunnison, where other moose (mostly without radio collars) were transplanted in 2008, or they could have come from the upper Rio Grand drainage near Creede.

In 2005 and 2006, moose from Utah were transplanted to the Grand Mesa, and in the summer of 2008 the CDOW began supplementing a small herd in the La Garita mountains south of Gunnison with animals from Utah. This local sighting is a sign that moose may be extending their range, which Wait called a “good healthy sign for any wildlife population.” He added that while it’s not unusual to see moose in the Cimarron drainage east of Ridgway, for them “to cross [Highway] 550 is a little more unusual.”

Moose breed in late September and early October and calve in late May through early June. We’ll all just have to wait and see what happens come next spring.

Political News: The More the Merrier…11 Candidates to Duke it out for 4 Town Council Seats

November 3 is sure to be an interesting day up here at 8,750 feet as voters will have to sort through a crowded ballot before making their selections for town council. With four seats up for the taking, three incumbents are running again, while eight newcomers are looking to spice things up. Incumbents include, Jill Masters, Bob Saunders and Lulu Hunt; newcomers are Matthew Hintermeister, Eric Jacobson, Eileen McGinley, Chris Myers, Brian Werner, Jenny Russell, Jeff Taylor and Ann Brady.

Though their reasons and intentions behind running vary, all agree they want to make the community a better place, and are energetic about the work that needs to be done. As for who might be best suited for the job? Hard-saying, but hopefully time and campaigning will shed some light on that situation.

2009 Blues and Brews Lineup