Funding Available for Two More Wildlife Ramps
After the completion of ten new wildlife ramps on U.S. Hwy. 550 north of Ridgway, close to $18,000 of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are left over. The Ouray Board of County Commissioners on April 12 approved a change-order with the contractor to use the rest of the money to build two more ramps and conduct additional fence repair work.
The Colorado Department of Transportation “really wants us to use all the money up,” County Administrator Connie Hunt told the commissioners. Approximately $160,000 of federal money was awarded for the wildlife mitigation project. “This is just a change order and will require no extra money from the county. To use all the money, two more [ramps] will be built and extra fence repaired.”
Several of the commissioners have received questions about the design of the completed ramps, which appear to contain handrails.
“If you look at old ramps, they are all done at [fence] corners,” Commissioner Keith Meinert said, adding that he attended a presentation about deer psychology and wildlife ramps where he learned that deer will follow a fence looking for a break or something to keep it from moving in that direction. What appear to be “handrails” on the new wildlife ramps are essentially corners that urge the deer to cross the fence at that point.
“What the handrails do,” he joked, “is steer them over that ramp.”
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Ridgway Colorado Real Estate and Mining Claims
Commissioners to Discuss Possible Changes to Mining Claim Assessments
by Gus JarvisFeb 04, 2010 | 237 views | 0 | 8 | | OURAY – In keeping with their agenda to regulate residential development on patented mining claims, the Ouray County Commissioners plan to begin discussions in March on the practicality of assessing mining claims differently for tax revenue purposes.
Mining claims in Ouray County are generally assessed at $1,000 per acre as opposed to their true market value. They are still assessed as vacant land at 29 percent, which is the same as privately owned land across the county.
The county has close to 1,360 patented mining claims in private ownership that comprise an approximate 11,000 acres. The average size of the mining claims is approximately seven-and-a-half acres.
During last year’s numerous public hearings on mining claim regulations, several residents expressed concern that owners of mining claims, who may ultimately decide to build residential structures on their land, pay far less in property taxes than owners of private land. When last August the commissioners decided to regulate residential mining claim development by tweaking or expanding the county’s current codes, rather than drafting a whole set of codes dedicated to mining claims, they decided to focus strictly on mining claim assessment as a priority for changes.
At Monday’s regular meeting in Ouray, the commissioners told County Assessor Susie Mayfield that they would like to schedule a work session in March to begin looking at mining claim valuations and the practicality of assessing them differently.
After the board decides whether or not to tweak the county’s visual impacts code and sends a recommendation to the Ouray County Planning Commission, Commissioner Keith Meinert said he would like to dive into mining claim assessments.
Meinert asked his fellow commissioners, “Can I suggest that immediately after we conclude our visual impact work sessions that we schedule that meeting with the assessor as a work session?” He added that he would like Mayfield to educate the board on what all the issues are surrounding possible valuation changes.
Commissioner Heidi Albritton agreed that the board needs all the information it can get before any valuation changes are made. “We are going to want to know about the cost of undertaking an effort like this,” she said, outlying some of the questions she has going into these discussions. “How would something like this impact property owners? How dramatic will it be? How have other counties taken this up?” She continued, “The community is going to be split on this. A good portion wants us to do this in fairness. What does it do for families that have had these properties [for a long time]? Any information you can gather from other assessors will be helpful.”
Once visual impacts recommendation is made, the commissioners agreed they will schedule a work session with Mayfield sometime in March.
The commissioners also discussed their Land Use Code priorities for this year and plan to consider a resolution on those priorities at their next meeting scheduled for Feb. 8 in Ouray.
by Gus JarvisFeb 04, 2010 | 237 views | 0 | 8 | | OURAY – In keeping with their agenda to regulate residential development on patented mining claims, the Ouray County Commissioners plan to begin discussions in March on the practicality of assessing mining claims differently for tax revenue purposes.
Mining claims in Ouray County are generally assessed at $1,000 per acre as opposed to their true market value. They are still assessed as vacant land at 29 percent, which is the same as privately owned land across the county.
The county has close to 1,360 patented mining claims in private ownership that comprise an approximate 11,000 acres. The average size of the mining claims is approximately seven-and-a-half acres.
During last year’s numerous public hearings on mining claim regulations, several residents expressed concern that owners of mining claims, who may ultimately decide to build residential structures on their land, pay far less in property taxes than owners of private land. When last August the commissioners decided to regulate residential mining claim development by tweaking or expanding the county’s current codes, rather than drafting a whole set of codes dedicated to mining claims, they decided to focus strictly on mining claim assessment as a priority for changes.
At Monday’s regular meeting in Ouray, the commissioners told County Assessor Susie Mayfield that they would like to schedule a work session in March to begin looking at mining claim valuations and the practicality of assessing them differently.
After the board decides whether or not to tweak the county’s visual impacts code and sends a recommendation to the Ouray County Planning Commission, Commissioner Keith Meinert said he would like to dive into mining claim assessments.
Meinert asked his fellow commissioners, “Can I suggest that immediately after we conclude our visual impact work sessions that we schedule that meeting with the assessor as a work session?” He added that he would like Mayfield to educate the board on what all the issues are surrounding possible valuation changes.
Commissioner Heidi Albritton agreed that the board needs all the information it can get before any valuation changes are made. “We are going to want to know about the cost of undertaking an effort like this,” she said, outlying some of the questions she has going into these discussions. “How would something like this impact property owners? How dramatic will it be? How have other counties taken this up?” She continued, “The community is going to be split on this. A good portion wants us to do this in fairness. What does it do for families that have had these properties [for a long time]? Any information you can gather from other assessors will be helpful.”
Once visual impacts recommendation is made, the commissioners agreed they will schedule a work session with Mayfield sometime in March.
The commissioners also discussed their Land Use Code priorities for this year and plan to consider a resolution on those priorities at their next meeting scheduled for Feb. 8 in Ouray.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Ouray Ice Park Opens
CLIMBER READY – Cold and dry weather has made for ideal ice making conditions at the Ouray Ice Park, which plans to open on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7 a.m. Sharpen those axes and crampons. It’s finally time to climb. (Photo courtesy of Mike Bryson)
slideshow OURAY – With prevailing frigid temperatures and the hard work of ice-making crews, the Ouray Ice Park already has terrific ice for climbing. They are opening for the season this Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7 a.m. – a week earlier than its scheduled opening date.
“So far it has been a banner year as far as making ice goes,” said head ice maker Mike Bryson this week. A cold start to the season and a lack of snowfall are the perfect conditions for creating a good base of ice. “Relatively speaking, it is going to be a year of much more ice than usual.”
Ice Park crews are currently working on upgrading the water delivery system from a four-inch to a six-inch pipe and they are utilizing the former BIOTA water line. This will allow the park to be run on two separate water systems rather than one. Moreover, this year crews will be making ice seven instead of five days a week, as in the past. Bryson said that once the upgraded water delivery system is finished, the ice park may prove to have the best ice climbing conditions yet.
“The new system will enable us to run water with more pressure, which basically means more ice,” Bryson said. “The park will be in the best shape it has ever been in due to the fact we will be able to create more ice.”
Bryson said the park will be opening this weekend but warned that early-season conditions will exist with some thin ice in some areas. He added that some areas of the park may not open this weekend depending on conditions. Crews will make that determination on Friday.
Looking ahead, the 15th annual Ouray Ice Festival and Climbing Competition will be held Jan. 7-10. Great slideshows by Andres Marin, Caroline George, Steve House, Majka Burhardt, Timmy Oneill, and Dave Nettle are planned. There will also be a premier screening of the movie The North Face – a film that re-creates the first ascent attempt on the Eiger.
This year’s Ice Festival will host over 70-plus interactive climbing clinics, including 12 extended-length climbing seminars of six hours each. Nightly slideshows will feature outstanding world-class mountaineers and climbers. Make sure to attend the Petzl/Arcteryx Superhero Party on Saturday, Jan. 9, following a live auction at the Ouray Community Center. The party is always full of surprises and interesting costume, to say the least. All the great evening auctions, parties, fundraisers and meals make the Ouray Ice Festival the premier climber gathering in the world.
Season memberships to the Ouray Ice Park cost $40. Membership fees help keep the Ice Park a free climbing facility and pay for park improvements; those with membership cards receive a 20 percent discount at most member lodges in Ouray as well as a 10-20 percent discount at Ouray’s restaurants and participating retail stores.
For more information about the Ouray Ice Park call 970/325-4288 or visit www.ourayicepark.com.
Posted by Erin Eddy
Written by The Ouray County Watch
slideshow OURAY – With prevailing frigid temperatures and the hard work of ice-making crews, the Ouray Ice Park already has terrific ice for climbing. They are opening for the season this Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7 a.m. – a week earlier than its scheduled opening date.
“So far it has been a banner year as far as making ice goes,” said head ice maker Mike Bryson this week. A cold start to the season and a lack of snowfall are the perfect conditions for creating a good base of ice. “Relatively speaking, it is going to be a year of much more ice than usual.”
Ice Park crews are currently working on upgrading the water delivery system from a four-inch to a six-inch pipe and they are utilizing the former BIOTA water line. This will allow the park to be run on two separate water systems rather than one. Moreover, this year crews will be making ice seven instead of five days a week, as in the past. Bryson said that once the upgraded water delivery system is finished, the ice park may prove to have the best ice climbing conditions yet.
“The new system will enable us to run water with more pressure, which basically means more ice,” Bryson said. “The park will be in the best shape it has ever been in due to the fact we will be able to create more ice.”
Bryson said the park will be opening this weekend but warned that early-season conditions will exist with some thin ice in some areas. He added that some areas of the park may not open this weekend depending on conditions. Crews will make that determination on Friday.
Looking ahead, the 15th annual Ouray Ice Festival and Climbing Competition will be held Jan. 7-10. Great slideshows by Andres Marin, Caroline George, Steve House, Majka Burhardt, Timmy Oneill, and Dave Nettle are planned. There will also be a premier screening of the movie The North Face – a film that re-creates the first ascent attempt on the Eiger.
This year’s Ice Festival will host over 70-plus interactive climbing clinics, including 12 extended-length climbing seminars of six hours each. Nightly slideshows will feature outstanding world-class mountaineers and climbers. Make sure to attend the Petzl/Arcteryx Superhero Party on Saturday, Jan. 9, following a live auction at the Ouray Community Center. The party is always full of surprises and interesting costume, to say the least. All the great evening auctions, parties, fundraisers and meals make the Ouray Ice Festival the premier climber gathering in the world.
Season memberships to the Ouray Ice Park cost $40. Membership fees help keep the Ice Park a free climbing facility and pay for park improvements; those with membership cards receive a 20 percent discount at most member lodges in Ouray as well as a 10-20 percent discount at Ouray’s restaurants and participating retail stores.
For more information about the Ouray Ice Park call 970/325-4288 or visit www.ourayicepark.com.
Posted by Erin Eddy
Written by The Ouray County Watch
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Ridgway Colorado Golf Course Acquired by Investor
Equilibrium Resorts has bought the Divide Ranch & Club golf course facility on Log Hill Mesa.
The lifestyle resort communities company, based in Dillon, announced in a press release last week that it has moved from management to an ownership position by acquiring all the assets to the golf course.
Seller Gary Tharaldson retains ownership in the real estate inventory of the subdivision, which originated in 1994 as Fairway Pines, as Ouray County’s first recreational planned unit development. The PUD allowed developers to create and sell more than 400 lots smaller than six acres around a golf course on Log Hill Mesa.
H.T. Heritage Inn of Erie LLC, a Philadelphia-based corporation led by Tharaldson, bought the Fairway Pines project in June 2006 for a reported $15 million from Fairway Pines Golf Partners Ltd., Pines Development Group LLC, James A. Willey, and the James A. Willey Living Trust.
The project was re-named Divide Ranch & Club in 2007 and a new clubhouse overlooking the golf course, primarily for use by residents of the development, opened in 2008.
Paul Stashick, founder and CEO of Equilibrium Resorts, said the solid membership base, minimal debt on the property and the opportunity to leverage Equilibrium Resorts’ years of experience in the resort business made the purchase a good fit for the company.
“We look forward to continuing to enhance programming at the Divide Ranch & Club and making it the premier club in the southwestern Colorado,” said Stashick. “The focus of these programs are the cornerstones of our company’s vision: lifelong learning, self-actualization, wellness and relationships.”
Equilibrium also announced that the Divide Ranch & Club will be offering an Invitational Gold Membership for a limited time, which includes unlimited golf privileges, fly fishing, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, 4x4 excursions, guided hikes and cooking classes with clubhouse chef Steve Poland. The membership includes all fees associated with golf cart rental, range balls and discounts at the pro shop.
The 18-hole golf course, which opened to the public in 1993, has a championship rating and received the “Best Places to Play” award numerous times from Golf Digest magazine.
— Special to The Ridgway Sun
The lifestyle resort communities company, based in Dillon, announced in a press release last week that it has moved from management to an ownership position by acquiring all the assets to the golf course.
Seller Gary Tharaldson retains ownership in the real estate inventory of the subdivision, which originated in 1994 as Fairway Pines, as Ouray County’s first recreational planned unit development. The PUD allowed developers to create and sell more than 400 lots smaller than six acres around a golf course on Log Hill Mesa.
H.T. Heritage Inn of Erie LLC, a Philadelphia-based corporation led by Tharaldson, bought the Fairway Pines project in June 2006 for a reported $15 million from Fairway Pines Golf Partners Ltd., Pines Development Group LLC, James A. Willey, and the James A. Willey Living Trust.
The project was re-named Divide Ranch & Club in 2007 and a new clubhouse overlooking the golf course, primarily for use by residents of the development, opened in 2008.
Paul Stashick, founder and CEO of Equilibrium Resorts, said the solid membership base, minimal debt on the property and the opportunity to leverage Equilibrium Resorts’ years of experience in the resort business made the purchase a good fit for the company.
“We look forward to continuing to enhance programming at the Divide Ranch & Club and making it the premier club in the southwestern Colorado,” said Stashick. “The focus of these programs are the cornerstones of our company’s vision: lifelong learning, self-actualization, wellness and relationships.”
Equilibrium also announced that the Divide Ranch & Club will be offering an Invitational Gold Membership for a limited time, which includes unlimited golf privileges, fly fishing, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, 4x4 excursions, guided hikes and cooking classes with clubhouse chef Steve Poland. The membership includes all fees associated with golf cart rental, range balls and discounts at the pro shop.
The 18-hole golf course, which opened to the public in 1993, has a championship rating and received the “Best Places to Play” award numerous times from Golf Digest magazine.
— Special to The Ridgway Sun
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Tracking Ridgway Schools Growth
RIDGWAY – Ridgway schools are ahead of the curve in individual student assessments, with a new state growth model bolstering what schools here are already doing.
The Ridgway School Board discussed the new state program briefly at this week’s monthly meeting.
School superintendent Cheryl Gomez said after the meeting that the new model, used for the first time this year in Ridgway schools, will do a lot to help the school track individual students.
Although Gomez called the Colorado Growth Model “just another tool,” she said it ties in with what is already happening at Ridgway’s public schools.
Other growth models are measured by cohort, she said, meaning that the model looks at an entire grade over time, for example, tracking the class of 2018 all the way through school.
But when it comes to helping a student get to the next level successfully, individual tracking works. What’s great about the new state model is that it ties into the student-oriented model that Ridgway Schools have used for a long time, Gomez said.
“For us, it (the state model) greatly applies to our student learning plan we’ve had in place for years, custom-designing and looking at individual results,” she said. “The cohort model is important in big picture stuff and looking at the curriculum.”
Parents will learn about the new growth model at parent-teacher conferences Wednesday and Thursday of this week, Gomez said.
Gomez picked up one student’s report in math to give an example of how information from testing can be useful from an individual standpoint.
“This particular student has moved from partly proficient in the sixth grade, and last year as a tenth grader he was proficient, and how awesome is that?” she said.
But it’s not all good news. The student is barely proficient in math and reading and borderline in writing, which means he needs to do better to reach a higher level.
“If I was his teacher, I would be saying he could slip because he is just barely proficient,” Gomez said.
According to Gomez, such information is useful to parents because it might prompt them to get a tutor for their child or discover an underlying cause of why the boy was struggling.
“Maybe that’s the year Dad and Mom separated,” she said. “Parents will know.”
Parents can learn more about the Colorado Growth Model by logging onto HYPERLINK "http://www.schoolview.org" www.schoolview.org, Gomez said.
“They can get a ton of stuff including things about your district, the Colorado Growth Model, school performance and community connections,” she said. “We have a bunch of information for parents to pull up, and it’s a nice tool in terms of looking at individual student data.”
Ouray County Watch Staff
The Ridgway School Board discussed the new state program briefly at this week’s monthly meeting.
School superintendent Cheryl Gomez said after the meeting that the new model, used for the first time this year in Ridgway schools, will do a lot to help the school track individual students.
Although Gomez called the Colorado Growth Model “just another tool,” she said it ties in with what is already happening at Ridgway’s public schools.
Other growth models are measured by cohort, she said, meaning that the model looks at an entire grade over time, for example, tracking the class of 2018 all the way through school.
But when it comes to helping a student get to the next level successfully, individual tracking works. What’s great about the new state model is that it ties into the student-oriented model that Ridgway Schools have used for a long time, Gomez said.
“For us, it (the state model) greatly applies to our student learning plan we’ve had in place for years, custom-designing and looking at individual results,” she said. “The cohort model is important in big picture stuff and looking at the curriculum.”
Parents will learn about the new growth model at parent-teacher conferences Wednesday and Thursday of this week, Gomez said.
Gomez picked up one student’s report in math to give an example of how information from testing can be useful from an individual standpoint.
“This particular student has moved from partly proficient in the sixth grade, and last year as a tenth grader he was proficient, and how awesome is that?” she said.
But it’s not all good news. The student is barely proficient in math and reading and borderline in writing, which means he needs to do better to reach a higher level.
“If I was his teacher, I would be saying he could slip because he is just barely proficient,” Gomez said.
According to Gomez, such information is useful to parents because it might prompt them to get a tutor for their child or discover an underlying cause of why the boy was struggling.
“Maybe that’s the year Dad and Mom separated,” she said. “Parents will know.”
Parents can learn more about the Colorado Growth Model by logging onto HYPERLINK "http://www.schoolview.org" www.schoolview.org, Gomez said.
“They can get a ton of stuff including things about your district, the Colorado Growth Model, school performance and community connections,” she said. “We have a bunch of information for parents to pull up, and it’s a nice tool in terms of looking at individual student data.”
Ouray County Watch Staff
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Ridgway area Trail Run
OURAY – Challenge yourself to a 13.9-mile loop run and contribute to regional youth outdoor education programs this weekend. The second annual Ouray Trail Run takes place Saturday, Oct. 3 on the trails above Ouray, but it’s not your average jog in the park.
Comparable in difficulty to the Imogene Pass Run between Ouray and Telluride, the Ouray Trail Run circumnavigates the City of Ouray using the Silvershield, Ice Park and Portland trails. With the unsurpassed views of Ouray and the surrounding fall foliage, this year’s run will no doubt prove to be one of Colorado’s most beautiful fall events.
“The course is unbelievably beautiful,” race Director Erin Eddy said in an interview on Tuesday. “This has to be one of the most scenic runs in the state because of its timing. The course is just awesome and it is a great race.”
Participants are reminded that the course follows steep and rugged, single-track trails in the high altitude terrain, with a base elevation of 7,700 feet. The course gains over 3,600 vertical feet and includes many steep and loose sections. Another factor participants should keep in mind is the unpredictable fall weather of the San Juan Mountains, which can range from mild and sunny to cold and snowy in a matter of minutes. Ultimately, runners are responsible for their own safety and are expected to use good judgment with regards to their ability to complete the race.
The course will be marked with flagging, cones and signs, and a number of volunteer course marshals will be strategically located to keep runners headed in the right direction.
Eddy said that last year’s inaugural event raised approximately $2,000 for local outdoor education programs, including the San Juan Riding Program, the Ouray Cross County Team, and the Ridgway and Ouray schools’ outdoor education programs. He hopes to raise even more for those programs this year.
“This race is all about getting kids outdoors,” Eddy said.
The $50 race entry fee includes an official race T-shirt, aid-station refreshments, and a post-race barbecue. Prizes, custom made by Ouray glassblower Sam Rushing, will be awarded for overall male and female winners as well as male and female age group winners. Door prizes at the post-race awards ceremony will include Osprey packs, arm warmers, socks and shirts from Sugoi, a sport band for an iPod, and gaiters by JoeTrailMan. Race participants will automatically be entered to win prizes, but they must be present at the ceremony to win.
Race registration will occur on Friday at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool between 5 and 7 p.m., or on race day, between 8 and 9:30 a.m. The race starts and ends at the pool, and has a 10 a.m. start time.
Stick around town after the race for some much-deserved relaxation and revelry at the Ouray Oktoberfest and 45th Annual Jeep Raffle. Popular Bavarian band, The Austrian Connection, will perform, and there will be kids’ activities and costume contests with cash prizes. Traditional German food such as brats, potato cakes, apple sauce and German chocolate cake are on the menu, as well as Colorado Boy brews and wine. Call the Ouray Chamber for additional information at 800/228-1876.
The Ouray Trail Run is a 501(c)4 corporation and all race proceeds go directly to local outdoor youth recreational programs and local youth recreational clubs. For more information, go to www.ouraytrailrun.com.
Comparable in difficulty to the Imogene Pass Run between Ouray and Telluride, the Ouray Trail Run circumnavigates the City of Ouray using the Silvershield, Ice Park and Portland trails. With the unsurpassed views of Ouray and the surrounding fall foliage, this year’s run will no doubt prove to be one of Colorado’s most beautiful fall events.
“The course is unbelievably beautiful,” race Director Erin Eddy said in an interview on Tuesday. “This has to be one of the most scenic runs in the state because of its timing. The course is just awesome and it is a great race.”
Participants are reminded that the course follows steep and rugged, single-track trails in the high altitude terrain, with a base elevation of 7,700 feet. The course gains over 3,600 vertical feet and includes many steep and loose sections. Another factor participants should keep in mind is the unpredictable fall weather of the San Juan Mountains, which can range from mild and sunny to cold and snowy in a matter of minutes. Ultimately, runners are responsible for their own safety and are expected to use good judgment with regards to their ability to complete the race.
The course will be marked with flagging, cones and signs, and a number of volunteer course marshals will be strategically located to keep runners headed in the right direction.
Eddy said that last year’s inaugural event raised approximately $2,000 for local outdoor education programs, including the San Juan Riding Program, the Ouray Cross County Team, and the Ridgway and Ouray schools’ outdoor education programs. He hopes to raise even more for those programs this year.
“This race is all about getting kids outdoors,” Eddy said.
The $50 race entry fee includes an official race T-shirt, aid-station refreshments, and a post-race barbecue. Prizes, custom made by Ouray glassblower Sam Rushing, will be awarded for overall male and female winners as well as male and female age group winners. Door prizes at the post-race awards ceremony will include Osprey packs, arm warmers, socks and shirts from Sugoi, a sport band for an iPod, and gaiters by JoeTrailMan. Race participants will automatically be entered to win prizes, but they must be present at the ceremony to win.
Race registration will occur on Friday at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool between 5 and 7 p.m., or on race day, between 8 and 9:30 a.m. The race starts and ends at the pool, and has a 10 a.m. start time.
Stick around town after the race for some much-deserved relaxation and revelry at the Ouray Oktoberfest and 45th Annual Jeep Raffle. Popular Bavarian band, The Austrian Connection, will perform, and there will be kids’ activities and costume contests with cash prizes. Traditional German food such as brats, potato cakes, apple sauce and German chocolate cake are on the menu, as well as Colorado Boy brews and wine. Call the Ouray Chamber for additional information at 800/228-1876.
The Ouray Trail Run is a 501(c)4 corporation and all race proceeds go directly to local outdoor youth recreational programs and local youth recreational clubs. For more information, go to www.ouraytrailrun.com.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Ridgway Colorado bids farewell to Hydro Operator
By Samantha Tisdel Wright
Richard Ezra Fowler, aka “Mr. Dick,” was an iconic Ouray character, spanning the old and the new as effortlessly as he spun tales from his stool of honor at the Buen Tiempo. The former operator of Ouray’s historic hydro plant passed away last week. He was 67.
As this paper reaches readers’ hands, Fowler’s memorial service at the Ouray Ice Park will have taken place – it was set for Thursday evening. And surely many a margarita will have been lifted afterward in his honor at the Buen, where his barstool has been temporarily retired. And just as surely, many a “Mr. Dick” story will have been told.
How Fowler ended up in Ouray in the early 1990s is a story worth telling in itself, and is best done so by Fowler’s former employer and good friend Eric Jacobsen, owner of the Ouray Hydro Plant.
“Dick and I go back to the late ’80s when he had a Jeep repair garage in Grand Junction,” recalled Jacobsen, who also owns the famous Bridal Veil hydroelectric plant near Telluride, accessed via Imogene Pass. “We used old Jeeps for doing all the work (at the Bridal Veil plant),” Jacobsen said. “Dick had a little shop with a wood stove. We’d drag our Jeeps in, in the fall, and he’d spend the winter fixing them for us.”
At that time, Jacobsen was in the process of getting his bid together to buy the Ouray Hydro Plant from Colorado Ute, a regional utility which eventually went bankrupt. He got the plant for $10 because he was the only pre-qualified bidder. But that’s another story.
Over that winter, Fowler got word of Jacobsen’s new acquisition. “He showed up with his toolbox in hand and said he’d decided he wanted to be a hydro plant operator,” Jacobsen laughed. “He said he’d sure be glad if I hired him, but if I didn’t, he’d work for free.”
Fowler was hired, and moved right in. “He’s basically lived there ever since and has been very intimately involved in every aspect of the operation,” Jacobsen said.
Fowler came by his technical know-how by way of two hitches served in the U.S. Army, starting when he was only 18. He was stationed on the border of East and West Germany, where during formative years, he was in charge of a big truck maintenance garage.
The experience shaped the way he saw the world and lived his life. “He always had a very military viewpoint toward his work at the hydro plant,” Jacobsen said. “His idea was to keep the lieutenant happy but kick him out the door as soon as you can. I was always the lieutenant … Dick was the master surgeon.”
Fowler applied his military mentality to his hydro plant employees, too, including his right hand man, and in Jacobsen’s words “heavy lifter” of many years, Jimmy Pew. “Jimmy, unfortunately, was the private,” Jacobsen joked. “Either they loved Dick or they hated Dick, but he used his military structure on those guys; that’s how Dick ran the power plant.”
Jacobsen was happy to leave the running of the plant largely in Fowler’s hands, and like a good lieutenant, gave him plenty of space to do just that. ”I literally had not been in his apartment since he moved up there in 1992,” he said. “That was Dick’s world.”
Fowler retired from his position at the hydro plant about 18 months ago. New operator Chris Babbins now keeps things the old thing spinning. But it wasn’t long after Fowler stepped down from his operator position that he found his way back, this time as caretaker, doing maintenance work on an hourly basis.
“I think Dick frankly got tired of being retired,” Jacobsen chuckled.
Fowler’s boots at the plant will be hard to fill. “He was totally into old equipment,“ Jacobsen said. “He had the perfect personality to keep the hydro plant running. Dick would complain loudly when we had occasion to upgrade old equipment. He liked mechanical things and was very suspicious of anything electronic.”
Now, as for Fowler’s famous story-telling ability… “He had all sorts of funny stories,” Jacobsen said. “He had a way of making anything sound funny. It’s hard to do that.”
But interestingly, Fowler talked very rarely about his family.
“Funny stories and mishaps with machinery were more Dick’s thing,” Jacobsen said. “He was a good storyteller, so you didn’t mind if he’d recycle a story every few months. There’s all sorts of funny stories Dick had about daily life, and he never was the hero in any of them. His stories were always very complimentary of some other person for having patience and humility; listening to him was kind of like having zen lessons. He was very self-effacing. He just loved Ouray and the people here.”
And not surprisingly, Fowler had a knack for tapping into what makes the town tick. In addition to his work at the hydro plant and his estimable position at the Buen Tiempo, he was also a “de facto” member of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team. To this group, Fowler’s snow-cat maintaining skills proved invaluable.
“He hung out with the young rock climber group and took the Ice Park very seriously,” Jacobsen said, adding that Fowler helped build the very first catwalk at the Ice Park in the early 1990s. “He had really, really good friends in Ouray – young, old and everywhere in between. He was a very happy, warm Ouray character.”
Fowler was born on a farm in Salida, the town where his mother and sister still live. He is also survived by a brother in Loveland, and his companion of many years, Mary White, who resides in Fruita. (White has bequeathed Fowler’s beloved old Jeep to Jacobsen.)
Prior to his stint as a mechanic in Grand Junction and his long-term gig in Ouray, Jacobsen said that Fowler worked in construction and as a truck driver.
“I think he always wandered a little bit until he found his way to Ouray,” Jacobson speculated. “Once he found the hydro plant, I think that that’s what he considered he wanted to do for the rest of his life.”
Richard Ezra Fowler, aka “Mr. Dick,” was an iconic Ouray character, spanning the old and the new as effortlessly as he spun tales from his stool of honor at the Buen Tiempo. The former operator of Ouray’s historic hydro plant passed away last week. He was 67.
As this paper reaches readers’ hands, Fowler’s memorial service at the Ouray Ice Park will have taken place – it was set for Thursday evening. And surely many a margarita will have been lifted afterward in his honor at the Buen, where his barstool has been temporarily retired. And just as surely, many a “Mr. Dick” story will have been told.
How Fowler ended up in Ouray in the early 1990s is a story worth telling in itself, and is best done so by Fowler’s former employer and good friend Eric Jacobsen, owner of the Ouray Hydro Plant.
“Dick and I go back to the late ’80s when he had a Jeep repair garage in Grand Junction,” recalled Jacobsen, who also owns the famous Bridal Veil hydroelectric plant near Telluride, accessed via Imogene Pass. “We used old Jeeps for doing all the work (at the Bridal Veil plant),” Jacobsen said. “Dick had a little shop with a wood stove. We’d drag our Jeeps in, in the fall, and he’d spend the winter fixing them for us.”
At that time, Jacobsen was in the process of getting his bid together to buy the Ouray Hydro Plant from Colorado Ute, a regional utility which eventually went bankrupt. He got the plant for $10 because he was the only pre-qualified bidder. But that’s another story.
Over that winter, Fowler got word of Jacobsen’s new acquisition. “He showed up with his toolbox in hand and said he’d decided he wanted to be a hydro plant operator,” Jacobsen laughed. “He said he’d sure be glad if I hired him, but if I didn’t, he’d work for free.”
Fowler was hired, and moved right in. “He’s basically lived there ever since and has been very intimately involved in every aspect of the operation,” Jacobsen said.
Fowler came by his technical know-how by way of two hitches served in the U.S. Army, starting when he was only 18. He was stationed on the border of East and West Germany, where during formative years, he was in charge of a big truck maintenance garage.
The experience shaped the way he saw the world and lived his life. “He always had a very military viewpoint toward his work at the hydro plant,” Jacobsen said. “His idea was to keep the lieutenant happy but kick him out the door as soon as you can. I was always the lieutenant … Dick was the master surgeon.”
Fowler applied his military mentality to his hydro plant employees, too, including his right hand man, and in Jacobsen’s words “heavy lifter” of many years, Jimmy Pew. “Jimmy, unfortunately, was the private,” Jacobsen joked. “Either they loved Dick or they hated Dick, but he used his military structure on those guys; that’s how Dick ran the power plant.”
Jacobsen was happy to leave the running of the plant largely in Fowler’s hands, and like a good lieutenant, gave him plenty of space to do just that. ”I literally had not been in his apartment since he moved up there in 1992,” he said. “That was Dick’s world.”
Fowler retired from his position at the hydro plant about 18 months ago. New operator Chris Babbins now keeps things the old thing spinning. But it wasn’t long after Fowler stepped down from his operator position that he found his way back, this time as caretaker, doing maintenance work on an hourly basis.
“I think Dick frankly got tired of being retired,” Jacobsen chuckled.
Fowler’s boots at the plant will be hard to fill. “He was totally into old equipment,“ Jacobsen said. “He had the perfect personality to keep the hydro plant running. Dick would complain loudly when we had occasion to upgrade old equipment. He liked mechanical things and was very suspicious of anything electronic.”
Now, as for Fowler’s famous story-telling ability… “He had all sorts of funny stories,” Jacobsen said. “He had a way of making anything sound funny. It’s hard to do that.”
But interestingly, Fowler talked very rarely about his family.
“Funny stories and mishaps with machinery were more Dick’s thing,” Jacobsen said. “He was a good storyteller, so you didn’t mind if he’d recycle a story every few months. There’s all sorts of funny stories Dick had about daily life, and he never was the hero in any of them. His stories were always very complimentary of some other person for having patience and humility; listening to him was kind of like having zen lessons. He was very self-effacing. He just loved Ouray and the people here.”
And not surprisingly, Fowler had a knack for tapping into what makes the town tick. In addition to his work at the hydro plant and his estimable position at the Buen Tiempo, he was also a “de facto” member of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team. To this group, Fowler’s snow-cat maintaining skills proved invaluable.
“He hung out with the young rock climber group and took the Ice Park very seriously,” Jacobsen said, adding that Fowler helped build the very first catwalk at the Ice Park in the early 1990s. “He had really, really good friends in Ouray – young, old and everywhere in between. He was a very happy, warm Ouray character.”
Fowler was born on a farm in Salida, the town where his mother and sister still live. He is also survived by a brother in Loveland, and his companion of many years, Mary White, who resides in Fruita. (White has bequeathed Fowler’s beloved old Jeep to Jacobsen.)
Prior to his stint as a mechanic in Grand Junction and his long-term gig in Ouray, Jacobsen said that Fowler worked in construction and as a truck driver.
“I think he always wandered a little bit until he found his way to Ouray,” Jacobson speculated. “Once he found the hydro plant, I think that that’s what he considered he wanted to do for the rest of his life.”
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