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Rescue workers were expected to resume their search Sept. 28 for a woman feared missing in the Holy Cross Wilderness.
Michelle Vanek, 35, of Lakewood stopped to rest in the rock field below the 14,005-feet summit of Mount of the Holy Cross on Sept. 24 while her friend climbed to the top.
Upon return, the friend was unable to locate Vanek and called authorities. The unnamed man then continued to search for the woman.
No foul play is suspected, said Kim Andree, spokeswoman for the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.
On the afternoon of Sept. 27, search personnel found a watch hanging from a tree branch at Fall Creek and the turnoff for Notch Mountain. Search officials were waiting for family and friends to identify the watch.
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Dogs were dispatched to the area and have been used in other locations to determine Vanek’s whereabouts.
More than 100 searchers, four dog teams and five helicopters were involved in the search.
In a somewhat rare move, a measure to restrict the amount of water taken out of the Eagle River has been put in place, mostly to ensure fish have enough water to swim in.
The Colorado Water Conservation Board, which manages the state’s program monitoring water flow in rivers, placed a “call” on the river earlier this week. The board, which has its own water right to protect the river, essentially told those with junior water rights that they have to stop diverting water from the Eagle.
“Most years it doesn’t happen,” said Dave Merritt, chief engineer with the Colorado River Water Conservation District (a separate entity from the Conservation Board, which oversees water policy in western Colorado). “In spite of what seemed like a good year, it has been dry.”
Merritt added that this is the time of year such a call would be expected, since it’s a dry time of year and the required minimum flows for the river are still at the higher summer level. On Oct. 1, the required flow will change, likely eliminating the call.
For example, he said, the minimum flow between Homestake Creek outside of Red Cliff and Cross Creek, closer to Minturn, is 25 cubic feet per second from May 1 to Sept. 30. On Oct. 1, that number changes to 11 cubic feet per second.
Eagle County officials are finalizing the details on the soon-to-be built, multi-use pavilion at the Eagle County fairgrounds.
The pavilion – designed to host rodeos, dogs shows, 4-H activities and other events – has grown over the last year. It began as a $1.9 million, 24,000-square-foot structure and has grown into a 45,000-square-foot steel building with a price in the $2.9 million range, depending on whether $300,000 is spent on bathrooms and washrooms.
The building will stand on what is now a parking lot west of the rodeo arena. Construction is slated to begin in late October and the intent is to for the building to open by next summer’s county fair and rodeo.
The building will have a capacity of 3,000 people, said Eagle County Facilities Director Jason Hasenberg said.
The building was expanded after a citizen committee decided it should be able to host larger events, such as equestrian competitions and rodeo competitions.
The pavilion will cost $1.2 million to build without the restrooms.
County Engineer Helen Migchelbrink said port-a-potties will be used if bathrooms aren’t built, but the Board of County Commissioners has asked designers to try to fund the restrooms.
There’s a potential upside to all those trees in the West killed by beetles and drought. It’s called biomass, and it’s a catch-all term used to describe a variety of ways wood and other biological waste and byproducts can be used to create energy.
Last month, the Western Governors’ Association awarded the state of Colorado $100,000 to pursue biomass projects. It may not sound like much, but as the state and nation face dwindling energy supplies and soaring prices, it’s part of a growing trend to look at a variety of solutions.
“We’re hoping it will help the state not only increase awareness of biomass possibilities, but that it’ll get things stimulated,” said Gayle Gordon from the Western Governors’ Association, based in Denver. “In theory, it’s a great source of energy that also helps reduce fuel hazards in forests.”
The vast numbers of beetle-killed trees in the Eagle County and surrounding forests, Gordon said, is a good example of the type of material available for biomass projects. Not only would removing such trees contribute to overall forest health, she said, but it would provide energy as well as economic opportunity close to the fuel source.
Craig Arford and other Lionshead business owners say they could use a little help.
Arford, who has owned Vail Ski and Bike Tech in Lionshead for 19 years, said his business was down 20 percent over the summer compared to previous years. The Arrabelle at Vail Square project and other projects have turned Lionshead into a massive construction zone.
But Arford said he can only absorb this type of loss for so long and the winter will really decide if he will be able to make it.
After hearing from Lionshead business owners, the Vail Town Council moved to set aside $50,000 in next year’s budget to help businesses townwide affected by construction. That money would be added to an economic development fund that provided $100,000 this year for various economic initiatives.
The council considered a program called Lionshead Passport/Free Gondola Ride Program, but decided not to devote money to it.
Council members were amenable to setting aside funds for some type of program to help Lionshead and other Vail businesses affected by construction.
Retail sales tax collections in Lionshead dropped 30.7 percent in July compared to last year.
