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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/former-bayfield-woman-suspected-of-stealing-more-than-75000-from-hoa/</link>
        <title>Former Bayfield woman suspected of stealing more than $75,000 from HOA</title>
        <description>Thefts occurred over 12 years at Clover Meadows subdivision, according to Marshal’s Office</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2022 02:25:31 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Thefts occurred over 12 years at Clover Meadows subdivision, according to Marshal’s OfficeLaw enforcement is investigating the possible theft of thousands of dollars from the Clover Meadows subdivision homeowners association in Bayfield. (Durango Herald file)du1-i-synA former Bayfield woman is suspected of stealing more than $75,000 from her homeowners association over the course of about 12 years, according to the Bayfield Marshal’s Office.Wendy Crane, 42, appeared Monday in La Plata County Court to be advised of a summons and complaint accusing her of theft, a fourth-degree felony. Formal charges are expected to be filed Oct. 21.Crane answered routine questions from La Plata County Judge Anne Woods with “yes, ma’am,” and “yes, your honor.”Efforts to reach Crane after the hearing were unsuccessful.Crane is suspected of completing multiple money transfers from the Clover Meadows HOA bank account into her personal account, said Brandon Tisher, interim marshal for the Bayfield Marshal’s Office.Crane served on the board of directors for the HOA.“2010 was the start of when she started making transfers, and it looks like right around the first part of 2022 is when the accounts were closed,” he said.She made several transfers over the years, some for hundreds of dollars and others for thousands of dollars, he said. It wasn’t like she was skimming money on a regular basis; rather, the transfers were more frequent during some periods of time and less active during others.Tisher is unsure why Crane took the money or how she used it. As of last week, she had not yet been interviewed by an investigator.“Everything that he (the investigator) got was from search warrants,” Tisher said.Clover Meadows residents who attended Monday’s advisement hearing told The Durango Herald they feel betrayed by her actions. They paid about $156 per year in HOA dues, which was supposed to be available to maintain water services, in the event of an emergency or if major improvements needed to be made, they said.The subdivision has about 65 homes.“It’s disappointing to learn we can’t trust our neighbors as much as we thought we could,” said Benjamin Ferrier, a resident.Richey Weinstein, another resident, said it was a difficult decision to pursue charges against a fellow neighbor, “but there was a line that was crossed, and I think it really took us by surprise.”The saddest part of the episode is that neighbors rallied to support Crane in 2015 when her 12-year-old daughter, Aria, died from Hodgkin’s disease, said Richey’s wife, Wendi Weinstein.Ferrier urged HOA residents to be involved, make sure annual meetings are held and to request financial statements at those meetings. Things got to a point in which Crane was running the board by herself without checks and balances, he said.“In Small Town America, you just kind of take for granted that we’re all upstanding people,” he said. “… To me, it’s the abuse of trust that bothers me more than the money.”shane@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-celebrates-the-sheep-coming-home/</link>
        <title>Bayfield celebrates the sheep coming home</title>
        <description>Heritage Days honors ranchers, rural lifestyle</description>
        <pubDate>Sun, 25 Sep 2022 00:38:17 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Heritage Days honors ranchers, rural lifestyleBayfield Heritage Days kicks off with its annual sheep trailing on Buck Highway (County Road 521) on Saturday morning. (Megan K. Olsen/Durango Herald)Spain has the Running of the Bulls, and Bayfield has the Running of the Sheep. Around 2,000 sheep to be exact.It’s been a tradition in Bayfield for 22 years, since the townspeople and the Lasater family decided back in 2000, when the Lasaters were once again bringing their sheep from high country back home into the valley, that the annual event should be a cause for celebration.On Saturday, the day began at 9:30 a.m. as usual, with a sea of sheep hustling down Buck Highway (County Road 521), their wranglers in tow, and crowds watching with smiles and readied cellphone cameras from the side of the road. Often, vehicles driving down the highway were nearly swallowed whole in a flood of white fleece, but no one honked their horns or tried to run over the livestock. The fun of the yearly event was intoxicating for all in the area, even those stuck in sheep gridlock.The participants eventually made their way over to Joe Stephenson Park for a day of free horseback rides and hayrides, petting zoos, rodeo events, goose wrangling and vendors selling everything from kettle corn to frozen treats to clothing. Smokey Bear even took pictures with children and told them how they can prevent forest fires.Carole McWilliams has been volunteering for Bayfield Heritage Days since its inception and has loved everything about it.“We turned the sheep coming back into the valley into an event, and I love that,” she said. “It’s so much fun to watch them come through town. This whole day is such a fun community event.”Besides the day’s activities, McWilliams was looking forward to what happens when the sun goes down.“This evening, we’re going to be setting off fireworks. They were the fireworks we bought for the Fourth of July but weren’t allowed to set off because of the fire ban this summer,” she said. “So, we get to set them off tonight, and let me tell you, it’s going to be something. We might be a small town, but we know how to do a great firework show.”molsen@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/town-of-bayfield-considering-15-hike-for-water-sewer-rates/</link>
        <title>Town of Bayfield considering 15% hike for water, sewer rates</title>
        <description>Incremental increases were postponed during pandemic</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 07 Sep 2022 22:24:36 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Incremental increases were postponed during pandemicThe town of Bayfield is proposing a 15% rate increase for water and sewer services. (Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press file)onsetResidents in Bayfield could be paying more for water and sewer service in 2023.After the town did not raise water and sewer rates in 2020 and 2021, the fund used to operate those services is in the red, Town Manager Katie Sickles said during a Bayfield Town Board work session Tuesday discussing an increase in rates.With a proposed 15% increase, single-family homes would pay about $34.87 monthly for water rates, according to a memo from Sickles. The current rate is $30.32 per month.The town studied water and sewer rates in 2018, recommending a 3% annual increase. But during the pandemic, the town didn’t raise rates, leading to the shortfall, Sickles said.If sewer rates are increased 15%, the monthly cost will be about $65.45, compared with the current rate of $56.91.Also, water rates above the 6,000 gallons per month in the base rate will increase by 25% to curb excess water use and promote conservation, Sickles wrote.“The 15% rate increase may appear huge, however lack of rate changes over the two pandemic years have not yielded the revenue needed to stay current,” she wrote.Town trustees said the rates need to be increased, and both trustees and staff members need to be prepared to answer complaints about the rate hikes.Residents will particularly question the sewer rate increase of about $8 per month, said Trustee Lori Zazarro.The draft town budget will be released in mid-October.After Tuesday’s budget session, the board started its regular meeting, approving an agreement with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office to assign Lt. Brandon Tisher to serve as the town’s interim marshal.Longtime marshal Joe McIntyre announced his retirement in August after 27 years in law enforcement, working for the past decade in Bayfield.The town is hiring a recruitment firm to find candidates for the permanent position.In other action, the board approved leasing the old middle school gym in downtown Bayfield through June 2023 for town use for parks and recreation activities, including basketball, volleyball and indoor soccer this winter. The lease from the Bayfield School District will cost $550 per month.The next town board meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/torrential-rain-floods-bayfield-homes-prompting-demands-for-improved-stormwater-management/</link>
        <title>Torrential rain floods Bayfield homes, prompting demands for improved stormwater management</title>
        <description>Town Board examining storm management plan</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2022 00:33:53 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Town Board examining storm management planJustin Grimwood, who lives in the Clover Meadows subdivision, said his property was flooded during a rainstorm in late June. Grimwood said a much bigger retention pond is needed to prevent such floods. (Courtesy of Justin Grimwood)ccaWhen 3 inches of rain fell in Bayfield in 2½ hours on June 26, it quickly overwhelmed parts of the town’s stormwater system.Much of that water ran off adjoining properties and into the Clover Meadows subdivision, as well as homes near Bayfield Primary School, flooding some of them with inches or feet of water.At Tuesday night’s meeting of the Bayfield Town Board, residents said the town needs to improve its stormwater management system.Justin Ross, who lives on South Mesa Avenue, said water from a nearby park overwhelmed a culvert that was supposed to divert water away, and it started flooding his father’s home.“It turned into a river right toward my father’s house,” he said. Firefighters from the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District pumped water from some homes in the neighborhoods.Justin Grimwood, who lives on Lupine Drive in Clover Meadows, said a joint maintenance facility operated by La Plata County, town of Bayfield and the Bayfield School District has a small catchment pond that isn’t large enough to handle the runoff from acres of paving on the property. His home was flooded with 18 inches of water.“It was a torrential amount of rain,” he told town board trustees. “We need to be making sure this doesn’t happen again.”Another resident whose home was flooded said a similar event happened eight years ago, before she bought the home.SicklesccaIn her report to the trustees, Town Manager Katie Sickles said town staff members have begun an inventory of the stormwater retention ponds in town to try to ascertain which ones belong to the town and which are operated by homeowners associations.In 2014, the town looked at implementing a storm drainage plan, with a cost estimated at $200,000 to $1.2 million, she said.Such an expense would require drastic reductions in other departments, she said.“We can’t spend this kind of money, without hurting another fund,” Sickles said of the different funds that make up the town’s budget, primarily public works, parks and recreation, and the marshal’s office.Bayfield town manager re-elected to board of Colorado municipal organizationKatie Sickles, town manager in Bayfield, has been re-elected to the executive board of the Colorado Municipal League, representing small municipalities in the state. Melissa Youssef, a City Council member in Durango, was re-elected to the board to represent medium population municipalities.“Not only do I look out for Bayfield’s interest in reviewing, discussing and supporting/opposing legislative issues, I also communicate with small towns across the state and make sure I am in tune with current affairs whether or not they are legislative,” Sickles said in a statement. The league’s mission is: “Empowered cities and towns, united for a strong Colorado.”Sickles was re-elected to her board position during the CML annual conference in Breckenridge on June 23.– Durango Herald“It’s frustrating this was identified eight years ago, and it wasn’t acted on,” said Mayor Ashleigh Tarkington.Sickles said one funding mechanism used in other towns is a voter initiative to pay for a stormwater management fund. If approved by voters, each property in town would pay an assessment into the stormwater management fund.Trustee Tom Au asked if part of the town’s sales tax that pays for street improvements could be used for stormwater projects.Sickles said it could, but it would be at the expense of paving town roads and filling potholes.Currently, the town collects 1% in sales tax, or about $500,000, to pay for street maintenance.Trustees indicated they are interested in examining the inventory of local drainage systems, then deciding if they want to ask voters to fund stormwater projects.Town staff members and trustees will start studying the town’s 2023 budget at a work session at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Bayfield Town Hall.In other action:Nicol Killian, the town’s community development director, said the town has received a grant to study the need for a pedestrian crossing on U.S. Highway 160 in Bayfield. Residents, particularly children, frequently cross the highway in a 45 mph zone to get from one side of town to another.Sickles announced that Ryan Orendorff has been hired as the town’s new parks and recreation director, replacing Becky Eisenbraun.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-high-school-graduate-to-make-debut-on-iron-chef/</link>
        <title>Bayfield High School graduate to make debut on ‘Iron Chef’</title>
        <description>Ben Chenoweth to appear on Netflix on Wednesday</description>
        <pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2022 11:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Ben Chenoweth to appear on Netflix on WednesdayWhen Ben Chenoweth was in third grade, he made peanut butter toast for his friends and family.Not just ordinary peanut butter toast, but Ben’s famous peanut butter toast.A layer of brown sugar on top melted into the creation, creating a gooey delicacy that tasted like a peanut butter cookie.Bayfield High School graduate Ben Chenoweth will make his debut on “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend,” which will become available Wednesday on Netflix. (Courtesy of Ben Chenoweth)ccaHe went on to take home economics at Bayfield High School, then worked in the kitchens at Giuseppe’s, a now-shuttered Italian restaurant that was located across the street from BHS, as well as Steamworks Brewing Co.On Wednesday, he will make his debut on “Iron Chef,” working with his boss, celebrity chef Ming Tsai.“It was great fun,” he said in a telephone interview from Big Sky, Montana, where he is executive chef at the Yellowstone Club, an exclusive domain for those who enjoy golf and skiing. “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong.”“Iron Chef” was a Japanese cooking show that was transplanted to the U.S., where it appeared on the Food Network.The show is now on Netflix, and “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend” will appear on Wednesday. A feature of the show is a secret ingredient that the celebrity chefs and their sous chefs prepare, then their creations are judged by celebrities and other chefs.In the official trailer for the show, Chenoweth is carrying a live sturgeon out of a tank full of water. The other contestant drops her sturgeon on the ground, while he carries his slippery fish to the kitchen for preparation.“It was just a great opportunity,” Chenoweth said of the opportunity to appear on “Iron Chef” with Tsai. “It’s a culinary challenge with the best chefs in the nation, the biggest names in the industry.”The other secret ingredient he and Tsai had to use was chocolate.Chenoweth and his family moved from California to Bayfield when he was a youth. After graduating from BHS, he attended the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, moving on to work in restaurants in Oregon, Washington and California before starting his six-year stint at the Yellowstone Club.“Ben was always the nicest guy to everyone,” said Nick Hansen, a classmate of Chenoweth’s who grew up in Bayfield and now lives in Seattle. “He had his own outlook on life, which is probably where he got the creativity to become a world-class chef.”Chenoweth said he considers himself a modern American chef who uses regional foods in season whenever possible. In California, that’s a lot of seafood; in Montana, it’s beef and bison.He said he enjoys the hospitality end of his profession and being able to take care of his customers.He is the son of Eva and Mike McKenzie. His mother remembers that he was always interested in cooking and would sit on the counter when he was a baby while she was cooking in the kitchen.“Ben loved cooking at such an early age, it was incredible,” his mother said. “He even carved out a cucumber and put ranch dressing in it in third grade.“We couldn’t be prouder of him,” she said.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-high-school-graduates-72-seniors-in-class-of-2022/</link>
        <title>Bayfield High School graduates 72 seniors in Class of 2022</title>
        <description>Music, memories and an eye to the future mark this year’s commencement</description>
        <pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2022 20:31:25 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Music, memories and an eye to the future mark this year’s commencementMortarboards sail into the air Sunday during the 2022 commencement at Wolverine Country Stadium in Bayfield. (Melanie Mazur/Special to the Herald)ccaIn a ceremony interspersed with music and showers of confetti, Bayfield High School held its commencement exercises on Sunday.While the Class of 2022 had a relatively normal senior year, this is a class that heard over and over, “plans are canceled, and we had to go home right away,” throughout their underclassmen years, said James Mars, who is co-valedictorian of the class, along with Kobe Prior. Cael Schaefer is this year’s salutatorian.In his address to the class and audience in Wolverine Country Stadium, Mars listed a year of lasts he and the other seniors experienced this year: watching their final home football game, his final wrestling meet, then on Thursday, their final day of school.McKenzie Swindler and Kyra Rogers prepare to celebrate after graduation Sunday at Bayfield High School. (Melanie Mazur/Special to the Herald)cca“I walked out with the most fantastic, warm and comforting memories,” he said. And while some people say high school years are the best of their lives, “I desperately pray it gets better than this,” Mars said, and he hopes he and his classmates learn to appreciate life more as they grow older.A friend told him, “’Your free trial in life is almost up,’” he said.Derek Smith, a longtime music teacher at BHS, was this year’s commencement speaker.“Change is inevitable and necessary,” said Smith, who also is the father of a member of this year’s graduating class, Liam Smith.He noted the accomplishments by the Class of 2022, including being named a Boettcher Scholar, a student who restarted the school’s Future Business Leaders of America program, artists, musicians, state playoff athletes, as well as a student graduating at the age of 16.“Each of you has your own talent, and your own story to tell,” Smith said.Bayfield High School honors graduates Kobe Prior, Cael Schaefer, Isaac Ross and James Mars who are among 72 graduates of the class of 2022 at Bayfield High School. (Melanie Mazur/Special to the Herald)ccaBeing a musical director, Smith had different songs punctuating his speech, including a 100-year-old rendition of the Wolverine fight song, as well as Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” to emphasize that their careers are starting soon.A snippet of the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon theme got members of the class laughing and singing along.“You guys have some weird cartoons,” Smith joked, then noted that one of the senior pranks pulled by this class was placing 40 live Christmas trees unexpectedly in the school in December, then giving them away to local families in need.Bayfield High School’s newest graduates head out from Wolverine Country Stadium on Sunday after commencement exercises. (Melanie Mazur/Special to the Herald)ccaThe last musical selection was from the finale of the musical “Rent,” titled “No Day But Today.”“There is no future there / There is no pastThank God / this moment’s not the lastThere’s only us / There’s only this / Forget regret or / life is yours to miss.No other road no other way / No other day but today.”Members of the class then received their diplomas from members of the Bayfield School Board.“Every day, make someone’s life a little better,” said Mike Foutz, the president of the board. “And you will be a success.”]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/town-of-bayfield-seniors-spar-over-use-of-pine-river-senior-center/</link>
        <title>Town of Bayfield, seniors spar over use of Pine River Senior Center</title>
        <description>Residents say the facility has not been operated properly since opening in 2021</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2022 23:35:26 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Residents say the facility has not been operated properly since opening in 2021Members of the Pine River Seniors say the town is not living up to its responsibilities of operating the center in Bayfield under an intergovernmental agreement between the county and the town from 2007. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaWho will run the Pine River Senior Center – and how it will be operated – are at the heart of a controversy in Bayfield.The center opened in 2007 near downtown Bayfield. The town of Bayfield and La Plata County each donated $250,000 for construction, along with a $1 million grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, as well as several gifts from local residents and businesses.Members of the Pine River Seniors say the town is not living up to its responsibilities of operating the center under an intergovernmental agreement between the county and the town from 2007.“The town shall accept full responsibility for performing all other operations at the Bayfield Senior Center including the provision of adequate funding, adequate staffing, the administration of programs and activities and maintenance,” the IGA says.Since the center reopened in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not been operated properly, members of the Pine River Seniors, the group that oversees the center, said at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Bayfield Town Board. A longtime town employee who operated the center was laid off and replaced by contract employees from staffing agencies.They also complained that they have to pay the same $100 deposit to use the building that an outside renter has to pay, and that they do not have a key to enter the building and lock it when they leave.The center is open three days a week for seniors to use, with meals provided twice a week by La Plata County Senior Services.The building needs safety upgrades, including to the commercial kitchen in the space, said Katie Sickles, town manager for Bayfield.The county asked the town to take over the retail food license for the building from the county, and Sickles told town trustees she wanted to see changes to the IGA before the town agreed to that.Some town trustees expressed frustration that the town has to provide some services to seniors, whereas in Durango, senior center operations are run entirely by the county.“The county should up the ante and pay for our senior center as well,” said Trustee Brenna Morlan.Trustee Lori Zazarro agreed, noting that the center serves both residents of Bayfield and residents of the county.“We have asked the county to take over operation of the senior center,” said Phyllis Ludwig, a representative of the Pine River Seniors.That might work from the town’s point of view, as well.“There should be more programming from the county there for you,” Mayor Ashleigh Tarkington told the half dozen senior citizens attending Tuesday’s meeting. “We really want to sit down with the county – we’re not seeing eye-to-eye on our needs.”The Town Board deferred any action about the center operation until June 13, when the board has a scheduled meeting with La Plata County commissioners.In other action, the board approved a resolution and $30,000 in funding for a traffic study for an application to the Colorado Department of Transportation for a pedestrian crossing across U.S. Highway 160.“It’s used a lot,” Trustee Kristin Dallison said of the crossing that pedestrians make across the highway, frequently dodging cars along the way.There might be federal funding to help pay for the project, said Nicole Killian, the town’s community development director.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/local-farms-producing-crops-for-pine-river-shares/</link>
        <title>Local farms producing crops for Pine River Shares</title>
        <description>Produce is part of Field to Fork program</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 03 May 2022 11:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=73E413F0-545E-548E-8804-71455EDE03BE&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.015&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.85875&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Produce is part of Field to Fork programEmily Jensen, co-owner of Homegrown Farm, weeds the newly planted tomatoes plants Saturday at her and her husband’s farm east of Bayfield. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaIn a major shift in their commercial market, the owners of Homegrown Farm in Bayfield are selling their wholesale produce this summer to Pine River Shares for distribution to local residents.The farm previously was selling wholesale to restaurants in Telluride.“We hated that our food was going so far away,” said Emily Jensen, who has run the farm with her husband, Mike, for 15 years.They knew their produce was being eaten predominantly by wealthier clients they were never going to meet, but the restaurants were able to offer more money for their produce than they could make locally.Enter Pine River Shares, which distributed food to 31,000 clients last year and wanted to start providing healthier food to residents who might not be able to afford it. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a huge spike in the number of people who use the group’s food pantry.“We want to feed hungry people good food,” said Pam Wilhoite, director of Pine River Shares.Getting back to farming rootsAs part of the group’s work on food security and local production, they facilitated the Field to Fork program, which examined how residents of the Pine River Valley could return to the area’s historic ranching and farming roots to raise food, instead of importing it from wholesalers several states away.As part of the research for the Field to Fork program, local farmers explained they didn’t sell much produce locally because they couldn’t charge a price that covered their costs and provided a profit.Last year, Pine River Shares purchased a share of Homegrown Farm’s community supported agriculture program, then distributed the veggies and fruits.Newly planted tomatoes plants Saturday at Homegrown Farm in Bayfield. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaSeedlings at Homegrown Farm on Saturday at the farm east of Bayfield. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaTo expand on the effort, Wilhoite collected donations from local supporters and focused on paying Homegrown a higher price for produce, and Pine River Shares volunteers separate and prepare the produce for distribution.Pine River Shares is buying produce from other farms, as well, in addition to $1,500 in locally produced eggs, and it purchased and processed three steers for distribution this year.The group also provides expertise for using grow domes and has applied for funding to be able to distribute them, but the group has not yet received funding.“If everyone grows food at home, and we share the means of production, there will be enough food for everybody,” Wilhoite said.Emily Jensen, co-owner of Homegrown Farm, walks through the hoop house with planted carrots and beets Saturday at her and her husband’s farm east of Bayfield. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaThe Field to Fork program focuses on the full cycle of food production, including growing and raising local produce and meat, processing, distribution, marketing, markets and purchasing, preparation and consumption, and waste recovery and nutrient cycling.Ideas for more sustainable local food production include purchasing a portable apple cider mill, commercial kitchen facilities, a mill to produce fiber from local sheep and llamas, and meat lockers and creameries for storing food. This summer, the group will plant 100 fruit trees in the valley, in partnership with the Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project.Mike Jensen, co-owner of Homegrown Farm, waters seedlings Saturday at the farm east of Bayfield. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaThe owners of Homegrown Farm in Bayfield are selling their wholesale produce this summer to Pine River Shares for distribution to local residents. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaWith more people interested in growing and purchasing locally-raised food, a local food distribution project is “way more possible” than when Homegrown Farm started growing produce in past decades, Emily Jensen said. “We’re trying to grow a valleywide food system.”In addition to providing food to Pine River Shares, Homegrown Farm also offers community supported agriculture shares to farm clients, and the owners sell produce at the Durango Farmers Market.Growing sustainable, artisanal vegetables takes a lot of labor and time, Jensen said, hence the farm’s previous reliance on high-end customers.“I didn’t realize I could shift that for other people,” she said, with the help of groups like Pine River Shares and their volunteers. “That’s a revelation for us. All across our regions, we have the option to choose where our produce goes.”The Field to Fork plan is available online at www.pinerivershares.org.An earlier version of this story erred in saying Pine River Shares provides growing domes. The nonprofit is seeking funding to make domes available, but has not yet received funding to do so.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/epa-approves-the-southern-ute-indian-tribes-water-quality-standards/</link>
        <title>EPA approves the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s water quality standards</title>
        <description>Approval is the culmination of a 20-year effort</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 30 Apr 2022 00:17:09 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=DFD283E7-8026-46F6-8106-D0BF3F46B11D&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.0675&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.86125&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Approval is the culmination of a 20-year effortIf the Environmental Protection Agency approves the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s request to be treated as a state, the tribe could develop and manage its own water quality program, which would affect entities upstream.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald fileThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 announced its approval of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s water quality standards under the federal Clean Water Act.The milestone approval culminates a 20-year effort by the tribe’s Environmental Programs Division. With the EPA’s action, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe becomes only the 47th federally recognized tribe, out of 574 nationally, to have tribal water quality standards approved by the EPA under the Clean Water Act.The approval allows the tribe to protect the water quality of the lakes and rivers it uses for swimming, boating and fishing. The Southern Ute Indian Reservation includes lands within La Plata, Archuleta and Montezuma counties.“EPA’s approval of the tribe’s water quality standards is the culmination of years of work by the tribe and its staff,” Melvin J. Baker, the tribe’s chairman, said in a statement from the EPA. “The tribal approval process included consulting with EPA and the State of Colorado and an outreach and engagement process with tribal members and stakeholders..”The tribe provides drinking water and wastewater treatment for the nearby town of Ignacio, as well.“We’re excited the Southern Ute Indian Tribe has achieved approval from the EPA on their water quality standards,” said Mark Garcia, the town’s interim manager.Water quality standards are state, territorial, tribal or federal laws that determine the water quality goals for rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands. Water quality standards serve as the basis for several Clean Water Act programs, including issuing permits for discharges and assessing water quality.The tribe’s water quality program monitors 23 aquatic sites across the Southern Ute Reservation, according to the tribal website. These sites include rivers, streams, wells, seeps, springs, lakes and ponds.At each of the monitoring locations, chemical, physical and biological data are collected for three-year periods on a rotating schedule. General water quality monitoring occurs year-round using sonde probe technology and water sampling in all weather conditions. These water probes monitor dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, turbidity and pH at 30 30-minute intervals for up to nine months during the year.All data collected are uploaded into the EPA database, Water Quality Exchange Portal, which is available at www.waterqualitydata.us.“EPA congratulates the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Tribal Council and Environmental Programs Division for their determination in building programs and expertise to protect valuable Tribal water resources,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “We look forward to working together with the tribe as a partner in ensuring clean rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands for tribal members.”The tribe’s water quality standards apply to many waters within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, including portions of the La Plata, Animas, Florida, Los Pinos, Piedra, San Juan and Navajo rivers and portions of the Navajo Reservoir. With the approval of the standards, combined with the previous and separate EPA approval of Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe’s water quality standards, all federally recognized American Indian tribes with reservation lands in Colorado now have EPA-approved water quality standards.In developing its water quality standards, the tribe collaborated with the state of Colorado and surrounding county and municipal governments, as well as other interested parties, to gather input about their proposed water quality standards. The tribe held a water quality standards public comment period from Aug. 23 to Oct. 22, including a public hearing on Oct. 7.Based on comments received through the public participation process, the tribe revised its water quality standards, adopted the revised water quality standards on Feb. 8 and submitted them to the EPA on Feb. 15. The federal agency approved the tribe’s water quality standards after determining they are consistent with the requirements of the Clean Water Act and EPA’s Water Quality Standards Regulation.The tribe’s water quality standards and supporting documents will be available on the SUIT Environmental Programs Division website, www.southernute-nsn.gov/justice-and-regulatory/epd.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/suspected-fentanyl-found-at-bayfield-middle-school/</link>
        <title>Suspected fentanyl found at Bayfield Middle School</title>
        <description>Marshal’s Office investigating how pill was introduced to locker room</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2022 19:56:10 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Marshal’s Office investigating how pill was introduced to locker roomBayfield Middle School is tackling a heavy staff turnover head-on with a focus on internal culture. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaSuspected fentanyl was found Monday at Bayfield Middle School, Leon Hanhardt, superintendent for Bayfield School District, said Thursday.The Bayfield Marshal’s Office was contacted after a counterfeit pill containing a substance suspected to be fentanyl was discovered in the middle school locker room, Hanhardt said.Bayfield Marshal Joseph McIntyre said a student found the pill on the floor of the locker room and reported it to a teacher.“It’s very concerning,” McIntyre said. “The first thing I’ll say is thank god we had such a responsible student who was aware that this wasn’t right. It was suspicious. They turned it over to a teacher.”Hanhardt said to the best of his knowledge, this is the first instance of suspected fentanyl turning up in any Bayfield school building.McIntyre said the same. The Marshal’s Office has responded to reports about marijuana in the schools and other such cases, but Monday marked the first instance of fentanyl being found within in a school district building.The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes fentanyl as a “powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.”Hanhardt said the presence of dangerous drugs is “not something to hide from” and the school district must “tackle this head on” through education about the dangers and the effects of all drugs.The Cortez-Montezuma Narcotics Investigation Team found 728 fentanyl pills at Chad Blackmore’s residence in 2021. (Courtesy of Detective Victor Galarza)Courtesy Detective Victor Galarza“We have to be very transparent with the community,” he said. “We have to recognize that we have these issues in our community and in our buildings. And that we have to be proactive with education to our students, to our parents, to our community.”Hanhardt said the district’s administrative team has approached the Bayfield school board about allowing Narcan, a potentially lifesaving nasal spray medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, in Bayfield schools.The school board passed the policy at a board meeting on Tuesday, Hanhardt said, and training for Narcan use is underway for faculty and staff members.“I think that it’s important to know that we were being proactive in ensuring that we have Narcan in our buildings and that we have to (treat) that as a necessity,” he said.McIntyre said fentanyl is a “dangerous and deadly drug” that is affecting communities of all sizes. It isn’t just an urban, big city issue or just a rural, small community problem.He referenced a triple fatality that occurred in Cortez on March 4 that was attributed to a combination of alcohol and fentanyl. An Animas High School student died late Dec. 10 or early Dec. 11 of fentanyl intoxication near Durango.“This is a national crisis and fentanyl is everywhere,” McIntyre said. “Unfortunately, the Durango school district was affected by it. And it’s now, unfortunately, we know that it’s in our school district.”The marshal said Colorado House Bill 22-1326, Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention, doesn’t go far enough to address the opioid epidemic.The bill proposes making possession of fentanyl of 1 gram or more a Class 4 felony. McIntyre thinks the law should have zero-tolerance for possession.“This is the most deadly, dangerous narcotic that law enforcement and communities are dealing with, and we’ve got to get our hands around this to try and solve this problem,” he said.The first thing the community can do is to take the fentanyl issue seriously. He said the attitude that “it will never happen here” is wrong.“We are going to work with the school district on doing some educational stuff,” he said. “We want the community to participate. We want the parents and students to participate.”McIntyre also suggested that parents talk to their children about the dangers of fentanyl use, and added that adults need to be having those conversations with each other as well.The marshal’s investigation had not homed in on any suspects as of Thursday, McIntyre said. He said his office is asking anybody with information about how the counterfeit pill was introduced into the Bayfield Middle School to contact the Bayfield Marshal’s Office.The Marshal’s Office tweeted a copy of the school district’s news release on Monday and followed up with tweets about HB 22-1326 and an educational video about National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.cburney@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/ignacio-arts-center-breaks-ground-on-new-location/</link>
        <title>Ignacio arts center breaks ground on new location</title>
        <description>‘It’s everybody’s art center; we want everyone to participate and shape that’</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 20 Apr 2022 00:21:20 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[‘It’s everybody’s art center; we want everyone to participate and shape that’A groundbreaking ceremony was held April 13 in Ignacio for Dancing Spirit Community Arts Center’s permanent location at 465 Goddard Ave. (Courtesy of Cora Shubert)ccaTwelve years after its founding in 2010, Dancing Spirit Community Arts Center is moving toward having a permanent location.On April 13, community members started shoveling dirt on two lots the nonprofit center purchased at 465 Goddard Ave. in downtown Ignacio.Representatives from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ignacio School District, Sky Ute Casino, SunUte Community Center, Ignacio Community Library and town of Ignacio joined in blessings, speeches and well wishes for the new endeavor.A groundbreaking ceremony was held April 13 in Ignacio for Dancing Spirit Community Arts Center’s permanent location at 465 Goddard Ave. (Courtesy of Cora Shubert)Courtesy of Cora ShubertAfter years of moving to different locations, a permanent home will provide more room and higher visibility than the current space in Ignacio’s ELHI, a former elementary school that has been converted into office space and an education and community center.“It’s really just going to be able to offer so much more to the community,” said Anthony Box, president of the nonprofit center’s board of directors. “With our own facility, we can have more classes, more artists ... (and) workshops.”The ELHI location “has been a great, great, place,” he said, but without a visible building on Goddard Avenue, the main thoroughfare in town, “people don’t know we’re there.”The two lots were purchased with grant funding from a private donor and the Southwest Colorado Community Foundation, said Kasey Correia, the center’s founder and executive director.A groundbreaking ceremony was held April 13 for Dancing Spirit Community Arts Center’s permanent location at 465 Goddard Ave. in Ignacio. (Courtesy of Cora Shubert)ccaThe center is holding a black-tie event on April 30 in hopes of raising $50,000, which will be matched by another private donor. That would provide enough funding to tie into utilities, pour a foundation and start on the exterior of the building.After that, the center will apply for a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan, as well as for funding from Colorado Creative Industries, an arm of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.“The support for the new building is huge,” said Correia, noting the center offers after-school art programs, take-home art kits, adult workshops, private studio space, pottery classes and healing through art sessions. “It’s everybody’s art center; we want everyone to participate and shape that.”More information about the project is available online at www.dancingspiritgallery.org.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-marshals-office-investigates-possible-theft-of-thousands-of-dollars-from-clover-meadows-/</link>
        <title>Bayfield Marshal’s Office investigates possible theft of thousands of dollars from Clover Meadows HOA</title>
        <description>Residents ousted entire board of directors Monday night</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2022 19:26:44 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Residents ousted entire board of directors Monday nightLaw enforcement is investigating the possible theft of thousands of dollars from the Clover Meadows subdivision homeowners association in Bayfield. (Duango Herald file)du1-i-synThe Bayfield Marshal’s Office is investigating an alleged theft of what could be thousands of dollars from an account for the Clover Meadows subdivision homeowners association.At an emergency HOA meeting Monday night, HOA members voted to remove all members of the board, replacing them with seven new members. Members approved opening a new bank account and getting a new post office box for the HOA, as well.The previous bank account for the HOA was closed, Bayfield Deputy Rashaan Mitchell told more than 50 people gathered at the Pine River Library for the emergency meeting.He said he cannot publicly identify anyone who had access to the account.“It’s an ongoing investigation,” he said.The suspect or suspects have not left the area, said Corp. Holly Cashwell, who also attended the meeting.Each household in the HOA pays a $150 annual assessment for ditch water from the Schroeder ditch to use for watering yards. With 68 members of the HOA, the annual assessments brought in about $10,000 total.Law enforcement is investigating the possible theft of thousands of dollars from the Clover Meadows subdivision homeowners association in Bayfield. (Durango Herald file)du1-i-synThe HOA needs to pay the Pine River Irrigation District, the Schroeder Ditch Co. and a contractor who came in and worked on the neighborhood water system, said an HOA member who has been working with other members to unravel what happened.“It’s a total wreck,” one HOA member said.The seven HOA members who agreed to serve on the board now must select officers and try to figure out who has paid this year’s assessment. The bills sent to each homeowner haven’t always been received or paid, several HOA members said.It is likely there will be a special assessment this year to pay bills for the irrigation system, some of the newly elected board members said.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/ignacio-voters-reject-marijuana-sales/</link>
        <title>Ignacio voters reject marijuana sales</title>
        <description>Residents elect three town trustees and a mayor</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2022 15:11:40 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Residents elect three town trustees and a mayorIgnacio voters on Tuesday defeated a ballot measure that would have allowed recreational and medical marijuana sales in town limits. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file)du1-i-synRetail and medical marijuana sales will remain banned in Ignacio town limits.On Tuesday, 112 town residents cast votes in the municipal election asking for voters to approve the sales and a $10 transaction fee on each sale.Sixty-two voters cast no votes on the retail marijuana question, with 49 saying yes.For medical marijuana sales, there were 60 no votes and 51 yes votes.In addition to the vote on marijuana sales, there was a contested election for three town board seats, while Clark Craig was the only candidate for mayor and will be taking over for longtime mayor Stella Cox.“We have made a lot of progress in the last few years,” said Craig, who has served on the town planning commission. He also is president of the Ignacio Chamber of Commerce and a board member of the Ignacio Community Library.He and his wife, Sharon Craig, who has served as a town trustee for four years, operate Meadow Brook Mobile Home Park in Ignacio.Cox “has done a wonderful job” as mayor, Clark Craig said.The four candidates for three town board seats were incumbents Sharon Craig and Thomas Atencio, and newcomers Jeremy Schulz and Joseph Atencio.Thomas Atencio said he wants to continue his work on the board “in hopes of helping our families that live here today to have a better and easier life.”Schulz is a former public works director for the town, and Joseph Atencio is a lifelong resident who has experience in construction and infrastructure management.Joseph Atencio was elected to the board with 86 votes, Schulz garnered 80, and Thomas Atencio had 67 votes, with Sharon Craig not winning re-election.The new board members and mayor are scheduled to be sworn in at the regular Ignacio Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/three-housing-developments-receive-approvals-in-bayfield/</link>
        <title>Three housing developments receive approvals in Bayfield</title>
        <description>Largest project would bring 519 homes plus commercial space</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2022 01:53:53 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=D3435939-22B6-451C-9FA5-222CB229582B&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.0575&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.885&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Largest project would bring 519 homes plus commercial spaceThe town of Bayfield, 20 minutes east of Durango, has steadily increased in population with more than 2,600 people living there. Two large-size developments are proposing new housing in the community. (Durango Herald file)du1-i-synThere could be significantly more rooftops in Bayfield if three proposed building developments are built in town limits.The Orchard development proposes 14 units on 1 acre, while Marlin Village proposes 15 tiny homes that will average 228 square feet in size. Both developments are in the southern half of the town.The largest development being proposed is Bayfield East, which would open up 153 acres north of U.S. Highway 160 for commercial and housing development.“There is a lot of potential in this development,” said Andy Arnold, an economic development planner with SEH in Durango, the planning firm working on the project.Bayfield East would be built in phases, constructing a total of 318 single-family homes, 45 townhomes and 156 multifamily units.A grocery store, motel and two commercial buildings are proposed as part of the development, as well.“This looks big in scale, but it’s a long-term project,” said Derek McCoy of Bayfield, who also is working on the plan.The development is owned by Bayfield East, with Frank McCawley and Ezra Lee listed as two of the partners in the annexation agreement of four parcels of land with the town of Bayfield, which the town board approved on March 15. Lee is one of the owners of Farmers Fresh Market, which operates a grocery store and feed store in Ignacio.The board also approved a sketch plan for Marlin Village at the same meeting, as well as a preliminary plan for Orchard.Bayfield East will require a long-awaited second traffic signal to be built on Highway 160, along with an access road across from an Alta gas station on the east end of town.The town also plans to apply for a Colorado Department of Transportation grant to build a safer pedestrian crossing on the highway. Many residents, including children, cross the highway between the Bayfield Pawn Shop and North Commerce Drive on a stretch of highway with a 55 mph speed limit.The town must conduct a traffic study to analyze the crossing, said Nicol Killian, the town’s community development director. Possible crossings could include a flashing light signal when a pedestrian enters the crossing, or what is called a rapid-light crossing with a protected median.Trustee David Black said he would like to see the speed limit on the highway in town be reduced to 45 mph, and other trustees agreed.An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect square footage of homes being proposed in Marlin Village.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-raises-money-for-baked-restaurant-owner-after-medical-emergency/</link>
        <title>Bayfield raises money for Baked restaurant owner after medical emergency</title>
        <description>GoFundMe page has raised $8,000 to help Woody Swazey’s business while he is away</description>
        <pubDate>Mon, 21 Mar 2022 21:55:45 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[GoFundMe page has raised $8,000 to help Woody Swazey’s business while he is awayBayfield residents are raising money for Baked restaurant owner Woody Swazey after an atrial fibrillation forced him to close his shop a few weeks ago. (Courtesy of Katelynn McCullough)ccaBayfield residents have come together to support Woody Swazey, owner of the Baked restaurant, by raising nearly $8,500 through a GoFundMe account after a health complication forced him to close shop a few weeks ago.“I’ve been blessed to be in such a small community and having such wonderful customers and such a great community to gather and rally around us,” Swazey said in a phone interview Monday.A few weeks ago, Swazey was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and spent a week in the hospital. He was having liquid buildup around his heart and lungs.“The doctors aren’t actually sure when I went into it,” he said.He had been having trouble for a while but put off going to the doctor, until his staff and others said he needed to go see a doctor.“My staff is like family, as well as some of the other business owners in the plaza where we’re at, and they kind of had a little intervention with me,” Swazey said. “They told me ‘Hey, you’re going to go see the doctor this afternoon.’”Longtime friend and employee Katelynn McCullough started the GoFundMe page to help her boss in his time of need. She said he’s always giving, and felt the community has stepped up to reciprocate in his time of need.“He donates to and does all sorts of great things for the schools, and for people around the area. He’s helped a lot of people through their hard times,” McCullough said. “The community has really helped us by donating so much.”Swazey has owned Baked for nine years, and McCullogh has worked with him for six of those years. McCullogh said her mother has worked with Swazey at Baked even longer than that.McCullough said Swazey has been a Bayfield resident for about 30 years. Before he owned his own business, he spent a number of years working for Brenda’s Old West Cafe in Bayfield.“He’s done a couple other jobs but mostly everything he’s done is centered around cooking, which is his passion,” McCullough said.Before heading back to work, Swazey must meet with a cardiologist to make sure he’s well enough.Proceeds from the GoFundMe drive will go toward paying employees and keeping the restaurant afloat while Swazey is away.“I’ve never been in a situation before where I needed people to reach out and help me,” Swazey said. “It’s been an adjustment for me to be the one receiving the help, but with everything we’ve been going through the past couple of years it’s a real blessing to see that everybody out there still cares about each other.”njohnson@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/ignacio-school-district-moving-to-four-day-school-week/</link>
        <title>Ignacio School District moving to four-day school week</title>
        <description>Move allows educators to focus on academic development and improving attendance</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2022 20:58:45 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=6944A14B-2D2D-461F-893B-8FCDE5F0F6B6&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Move allows educators to focus on academic development and improving attendanceIgnacio third graders study minerals in rocks during a science class in 2016 at the elementary school. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file)du1-i-synThe Ignacio School District is joining several other districts in the area that will have a four-day school week next year.Board of Education members approved the change to the 2022-23 calendar at their Thursday meeting.“Overall, I thought staff did a great job presenting what that would look like,” board President Allen McCaw said. The district conducted multiple meetings with community members and parents to elicit input about the concept.The Bayfield and Dolores school districts are moving to a four-day week next year, and the practice is already in place in the Mancos, Cortez and Dove Creek districts. In Colorado, 114 of 178 school districts, or 64%, use the four-day calendar, according to the Colorado Department of Education.Ignacio schools want to try the four-day week to focus on teacher retention, teacher development and improving attendance, Superintendent Chris deKay said on Friday.“If we can improve the attendance factor in the district, it will maximize the quality time that kids are spending in the classroom,” he said.The district focused on how teachers can best do their jobs in educating students, he said. The district plans to move its sports and activities to mostly Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and will also ask parents to schedule medical appointments and family weekends during that time so students can focus on school Monday through Thursday.Surveys of the idea found that 85% of district staff members were in favor of the four-day week, and 75% of community members. The district is planning to start school a week earlier, on Aug. 22, but finish around the same time of year, on May 25, according to a draft calendar.The district still plans to have buses transport students on Fridays for education and enrichment activities, as well as serving them breakfast and lunch. The district also is partnering with Ignacio Community Library, SunUte Community Center, Southern Colorado Community Action Agency and Dancing Spirit Arts Center to offer educational options for students on Friday.“I was hesitant when I first heard the idea,” said Yvonne Chapman, the board’s vice president. “I think it is a worthy endeavor.”In other business on Thursday, the district is moving forward formulating its strategic plan, deKay told members of the board.“I feel like we have a great group moving forward,” he said.There are several subcommittees studying the different aspects of the plan, with large group meetings held periodically to bring all ideas to the table. The next large group meeting is scheduled for March 28, both in-person and on Zoom.The board is considering the sale of its old elementary school building in downtown Ignacio, which now is operated as a community center and office space, known as Ignacio ELHI.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-school-board-names-sole-internal-candidate-for-top-position/</link>
        <title>Bayfield school board names sole internal candidate for top position</title>
        <description>Superintendent will receive one-year contract</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2022 01:09:31 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=CCEC6A42-AF4D-4B41-A034-F4E98A2B7336&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.05&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.9&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Superintendent will receive one-year contractThe Bayfield School District Board of Education voted Tuesday to cancel in-person classes for the rest of the school year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.Shannon Mullane/Durango Herald fileThe Bayfield school board this week named interim Superintendent Leon Hanhardt as the sole finalist for a one-year contract for the superintendent’s position.Hanhardt served as principal at Bayfield High School before being named assistant superintendent in 2021. He was then named interim superintendent on Feb. 8 after the board terminated the contract of Superintendent Kevin Aten, who had filled the position for almost four years.Board President Mike Foutz said he thought naming Hanhardt as superintendent after he had worked for the district for eight years made more sense than conducting a full-scale search for the position. He also said he and Hanhardt discussed a one-year contract for the 2022-23 school year, and Hanhardt had agreed to that.With no further discussion, Board Vice President Debbie Wilhelm moved to name Hanhardt as the finalist for the position, and Amy Davlin, the board secretary and treasurer, seconded the motion. It passed on a 5-0 vote.Under Colorado law, Hanhardt must be publicly listed as the finalist for the position for 14 days before he can be confirmed in the position, according to the motion read by Wilhelm.In his superintendent report, Hanhardt said the district is conducting personnel searches for a new assistant superintendent, as well as a new principal at Bayfield Primary School after Derrick Martin is departing from the position after two years.The board confirmed the hiring of Amy Miglinas as the new BHS principal.In other action, Hanhardt reported there was one case of COVID-19 reported in the district this week. Under new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks are no longer required on district buses, he said.Hanhardt said he is working with community groups and schools on finding solutions to provide supervised programs for students on Fridays next year as the district starts a four-day school week.He has discussed a tutoring and enrichment program for third grade through middle school students with the Boys and Girls Club, as well as a possible career pathways program for high school students with Pueblo Community College. Students might be able to receive a certified nursing assistant license or welding and automotive repair certifications at PCC’s campus in Mancos, he said.Hanhardt also said he is holding discussions with Bayfield Marshal Joe McIntyre about having a school resource officer return to Bayfield schools after not having one for the past few years.At the start of the meeting, under a new agenda item called Celebrations, the district honored BHS senior Kobe Prior, who is the first athlete to receive the Ray Barron Strength and Honor Fund scholarship. The new foundation honors Barron, a longtime wrestling coach in Colorado and Wyoming, and provides a $10,000 scholarship to a wrestler.Barron’s son watched Prior at state wrestling in February, BHS wrestling coach Todd McMenimen said.“It was in the manner that Kobe conducted himself, both in victories and in losses, that proved he had the attributes that Ray Barron believed wrestling can instill,” McMenimen said.Prior took fifth in his weight class at state to cap his four-year wrestling career. He told the board he plans to use the scholarship to attend the Colorado School of Mines and pursue a degree in electrical engineering.The board also honored Max Meyers, a BHS junior who was the first student from Bayfield named to the Colorado All State Philharmonic Orchestra in February.Tiffany Biles, his orchestra teacher at BHS, noted Meyers is an exemplary student and musician who has been playing violin with the high school orchestra since he was in sixth grade.The next school board meeting in Bayfield is scheduled for March 29.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/former-counselor-returning-to-lead-bayfield-high-school/</link>
        <title>Former counselor returning to lead Bayfield High School</title>
        <description>Amy Miglinas worked for the district for 13 years before joining Colorado Department of Education</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2022 01:43:29 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=292B2D92-0807-571E-B978-46C612A6392A&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.0725&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.75" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Amy Miglinas worked for the district for 13 years before joining Colorado Department of EducationA former counselor and technology teacher at Bayfield High School is returning to the district to serve as the school’s principal.Amy Miglinas worked for the district for 13 years, starting as an elementary school counselor in 2008. In 2012, she became a technology teacher and postsecondary coach, then in 2016 she became the school’s counselor for career and college readiness.For the past year, she has been the school counselor coordinator for the Colorado Department of Education.Miglinascca“Bayfield is my home and my community, and I’m proud to be able to serve in this capacity,” she said in a statement released this week by the school district. “I am excited to rejoin the team and share all that I’ve learned from leaders around the state and blend this knowledge with the great things already happening at BHS. I look forward to collaborating with staff, families and community members – it’s a great day to be a Wolverine!”Efforts to reach Miglinas for further comment were not immediately successful this week.Miglinas graduated from Western Michigan University in 1999 with a bachelor’s of science and secondary education degree in business, career and technical education. In 2009, she completed her master’s degree in school counseling and counseling psychology at Adams State University in Alamosa. She completed her education specialist degree in 2018 at the University of Northern Colorado in educational leadership and policy studies, earning her principal license.Miglinas is being named principal after Marcie Ham, who served in the position for one school year, announced she is moving out of state for family reasons.“The Bayfield family and community are very fortunate to have Ms. Miglinas back at Bayfield School District for the new school year,” said Leon Hanhardt, the district’s interim superintendent, in a statement from his office. “She has proven through her leadership and communication skills she can continue to lead the high school towards success. Ms. Miglinas will be an amazing asset for the district and all stakeholders will find her professionalism and warmth are unmatched.”Several community members in Bayfield are pleased Miglinas is returning to the high school.“She knows our school district, and our teachers and our kids,” said Wendy Miller Espinosa, a BHS parent. “She truly cares about all of them. I think she will be amazing.”“She is going to do so well,” said Suzie Rhodes, a recent BHS graduate and assistant coach on the high school volleyball team.“She’s the best person for the job,” said Dianne Milner, a retired BHS teacher. “She listens and yet isn’t afraid to say no.”“This is exactly the best option to help bring trust and communications for all involved, and most importantly, our students,” added Karin Miller Rhodes, the mother of five BHS graduates.“She is just an amazing human,” said Kari Kaviness, another mother of BHS graduates.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-schools-moving-to-four-day-week/</link>
        <title>Bayfield schools moving to four-day week</title>
        <description>Contract extended for interim superintendent</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2022 03:29:29 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=7A291082-72E2-44DA-99DB-E57515EA4786&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.02625&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.9&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Contract extended for interim superintendentFour seats were up for election in Tuesday’s election for the Bayfield School District Board of EducationShannon Mullane/Durango Herald fileThe Bayfield School District is joining several districts in Southwest Colorado moving to a four-day school week next year.School board members approved the change to next year’s calendar with a 4-1 vote this week, with Matt Turner voting no.With the new calendar, classes will not be in session on Fridays. The school year will start earlier, on Aug. 16, and end later, on May 25.Starting and end times are planned for 7:45 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. at Bayfield High School, 7:55 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the middle school, 8 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. at Bayfield Intermediate, and 8:10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. at Bayfield Primary.Those times might be adjusted, said Interim Superintendent Leon Hanhardt. Intervention and enrichment programs will be offered on Fridays, as well. Teachers will be expected to work Fridays on planning, curriculum and staff development.The district’s calendar committee recommended the four-day week, although members did not vote unanimously on the concept, said Tara Henderson, an English teacher at BHS who was co-chairperson of the committee.Some members of the committee reported earlier that a four-day teaching week will help with teacher recruitment and retention.“I do think it’s going to get competitive,” to hire teachers for the next school year, said Board President Mike Foutz, noting that the district was not able to fill some teaching positions this year.The calendar committee held public meetings about the proposed change, but there wasn’t enough parental involvement in the decision, Turner said. The district will be paying more for what he called child care on Fridays.“This is going to hurt the district in the long run,” he said. “It’s a very, very huge issue that has divided the district a lot.”Hanhardt said the concept has been discussed for three years in Bayfield. The Montezuma-Cortez district has been on four-day weeks for several years and voted Tuesday to continue them for the next three years, according to The Journal. In Colorado, 60% of all school districts have moved to four-day weeks, including Mancos, and the idea has been studied by other districts in the area.Responding to a request for comments about the four-day week, some Bayfield parents say child care on Fridays will be difficult.“I do not think there are enough community resources for needy families,” said Nicole Black, the mother of district students. She said the district did not reach out adequately to parents asking for their opinions.Jennifer Chamblee, who operates a home day care center in Bayfield, said there is a lack of local of child care in Bayfield.“I find it absolutely ridiculous,” she said. “The majority of families have to work five days a week to get by here, or anywhere for that matter.”Superintendent updateIn other action, the board extended the contract for Hanhardt to serve as interim superintendent through the end of June.Hanhardt was assistant superintendent this school year until earlier this month, when Superintendent Kevin Aten’s contract was terminated. Hanhardt previously was the principal at BHS.On the personnel agenda at Tuesday’s meeting, administrative positions were listed for assistant superintendent and dean of students at Bayfield Middle School.Foutz said the board can consider offering Hanhardt a one-year interim superintendent contract at its March 8 meeting.Normally, a full-blown search for a new superintendent can take six months or up to a year.Foutz said he’s not sure if he wants to see the district conduct an extensive search, noting that Bayfield has had eight superintendents and interim superintendents in the past 10 years.“That’s a poor track record,” he said, adding that the changes have placed the district in “a state of flux” for several years.Board member Amy Davlin noted Hanhardt has been with the district for eight years.The board approved extending the interim position through June on a 5-0 vote.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/firefighters-save-a-cat-two-dogs-dilapidated-house-is-demolished/</link>
        <title>Firefighters save a cat, two dogs; dilapidated house is demolished</title>
        <description>Blaze started Tuesday evening southeast of Bayfield</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2022 03:28:07 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=3E1B7693-5F6F-5A40-B171-01504706D66E&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.06747891&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.56232427" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Blaze started Tuesday evening southeast of BayfieldBryce Jenkin with Upper Pine River Fire Protection District helps resuscitate a cat that was rescued during a house fire Tuesday evening southeast of Bayfield. A firefighter said the cat is at the Southern Ute Shelter and is “probably looking for a nice home.” (Courtesy of Upper Pine River Fire Protection District)Courtesy of Upper Pine River Fire Protection DistrictFirefighters were able to save a cat and two dogs from a house fire Tuesday evening southeast of Bayfield, but the old, dilapidated house is a total loss.The fire was reported shortly after 5 p.m. in the 4000 block of County Road 523, a north-south road east of Buck Highway (County Road 521).By the time firefighters arrived, the home was about 70% involved in flames, said Bruce Evans, chief of the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District.Firefighters were trying to piece together the story of the fire on Wednesday, he said.The home is owned by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and it is “assigned” to somebody, he said, but he was unsure who was supposed to be living there, if anybody.The house had no power and no water connected to it, he said, but someone had “jumped” the meter and hooked it up to electricity.“We’re really not sure what was going on in there,” Evans said. “We’re suspicious that there was probably some illegal activity going on in there.” No one was around the house when firefighters arrived, yet one person was taken to the hospital with burns, he said.A woman reportedly told firefighters she was raising dogs at the house but not living there.“Her story was that she had started a fire in the fireplace and it had gotten out of the fireplace and caught some other stuff on fire,” Evans said. “... She said that by the time she noticed the fire had gotten out of the fireplace the whole room was involved in fire.”The fire department rescued a cat and two dogs, including a Rottweiler. Firefighters resuscitated the cat and it appeared to be doing OK, Evans said. Both of the dogs were unharmed, but one of the dogs and the cat were impounded by the tribe’s animal control division, he said.The cat may be available for adoption, said another firefighter.The home was in a rural setting with “a lot of debris and junk” strewed about, as well as small propane tanks and empty chemical containers, Evans said.A home was destroyed by fire Tuesday southeast of Bayfield. (Courtesy of Upper Pine River Fire Protection District)ccaWhat’s more, the home has caught on fire in the past, he said.“We had a basement fire in that house,” he said. “It’s been structurally damaged significantly to the point where it was very unsafe, so we didn’t go inside of it.”Firefighters surrounded the home and sprayed it with water to douse the flames.The tribe gave firefighters permission to demolish the home, so an excavator was used to push the remains into the basement, where they continued to smolder Wednesday.shane@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/house-fire-almost-fully-engulfed-reported-southeast-of-bayfield/</link>
        <title>House fire, ‘almost fully engulfed,’ reported southeast of Bayfield</title>
        <description>Blaze was reported shortly after 5 p.m. on County Road 523</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2022 00:27:28 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Blaze was reported shortly after 5 p.m. on County Road 523Firefighters were responding Tuesday night to a house fire in the 4000 block of County Road 523 southeast of Bayfield. (Courtesy of Upper Pine River Fire Protection District)du1-i-synFirefighters were responding to a house fire Tuesday evening southeast of Bayfield.The fire was reported shortly after 5 p.m. in the 4000 block of County Road 523, which runs north-south and is east of Buck Highway (County Road 521), said Sgt. Chris Burke, spokesman with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, which was performing traffic control in the area.The house was “almost fully engulfed” in flames, according to early reports, he said.No further information was immediately available.This is a developing story. Check back with www.durangoherald.com for updates. Blaze was reported shortly after 5 p.m. on County Road 523]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/two-new-developments-could-significantly-boost-housing-supply-in-bayfield/</link>
        <title>Two new developments could significantly boost housing supply in Bayfield</title>
        <description>Town board approves sketch plan, comprehensive plan amendment</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:02:35 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Town board approves sketch plan, comprehensive plan amendmentThe town of Bayfield, 20 minutes east of Durango, has steadily increased in population with more than 2,600 people living there. Two large-size developments are proposing new housing in the community. (Durango Herald file)du1-i-synBayfield could get dozens more homes as two new developments received initial approvals on Tuesday from the town board.The first is Mustang Crossing. Owner J-Bar Development presented a sketch plan on Tuesday requesting to subdivide 35 acres into 85 lots of single-family homes east of Mesa Meadows, which is already one of the larger subdivisions in town.Instead of a park in the development, the developer proposed donating 10.5 acres of land around the subdivision to create a walking trail, along with a possible pocket park and detention ponds for stormwater.The idea for a trail spurred a discussion about requiring open space in new developments, which isn’t required under the town’s land-use code. Dove Ranch, a subdivision on the north side of Bayfield, was supposed to have a park, but the developer never put one in. Then the subdivision’s homeowner association went defunct, leaving neighborhood landscaping and trees that need maintenance.“The town gets calls on maintaining Dove Ranch trees,” said Town Manager Katie Sickles. “I say they’re not town trees.”Trustee David Black said one of his concerns about having a walking path circling Mustang Crossing is that it won’t be maintained, and it will revert to weeds.Mayor Pro Tem Kristin Dallison said she likes the trail idea, noting that Bayfield has several existing parks for residents to use, but not many walking trails.Five residents wrote letters with concerns about the approval: Brian and Julie Blanchard, who live nearby; Marion and Alan Tone, who own an adjoining ranch property; and Bayfield resident Kat Katsos.Speaking on Tuesday night, Katsos questioned whether the town has enough water to serve the new subdivision. She also said shrink-swell issues have affected her foundation in the Dove Ranch subdivision, so she wants the town to ensure soil mitigation is done in the Mustang Crossing subdivision if the geological soil survey recommends doing so.“If they recommend it, then the town should seriously consider including that in a subdivision development improvement agreement,” she said.The Blanchards requested a park in the neighborhood and said there is an aging sewer connection serving that side of Bayfield.The Tones oppose the annexation for several reasons, according to a letter submitted to Sickles, including water use, consent from ditch companies and a buffer zone around a current BP gas line easement in the subdivision.The Tones also noted the subdivision will be near working ranches and farms. They requested that Colorado’s Right to Farm Statute be included in the annexation agreement and the HOA conditions.There also has been little or no outreach to project neighbors, Marion Tone wrote.The town “has rushed to speed this project through at warp speed, for reasons never made clear to the community,” she said.Several reports will be required from the developer when a preliminary plan is submitted, Community Development Director Nicol Killian wrote in her report to the trustees. These include a traffic impact report, road plans, draining report, geotechnical report, utilities and landscaping.The board voted 7-0 to approve the sketch plan.Bayfield East subdivisionAnother subdivision, Bayfield East, is an even larger development on 45 acres with commercial use as well as a mix of single-family and multifamily homes. The number of lots has not yet been decided.The development is needed in Bayfield, said Derek McCoy, a representative for the owners, noting there is currently only one house for sale in town limits listed in the MLS realty system.Bayfield East requested an amendment to the town’s comprehensive plan so it could move forward with a proposed annexation into town limits. It is located east of town limits and north of U.S. Highway 160, an area that hasn’t been developed, in part because there is no road north from the highway leading into the development area.The proposal includes planned sites for a new grocery store and hotel.The only comments submitted about the project were from the attorney from the Los Pinos Ditch Co.The town board voted 6-0 to approve amending the town’s comprehensive plan to allow the project to move forward into the annexation process, as well as sketch plan approval. Trustee Brenna Morlan abstained from the vote.At the end of the meeting, Sickles said a street from the highway into the subdivision has long been needed, but starting the intersection planning process with the Colorado Department of Transportation has been a sticking point.Now that developers and the Bayfield School District have paid fees to build the road, she said the town can proceed with the application to construct the intersection.Board members nodded in approval.An earlier version of this story erred in saying Bayfield resident Kat Katsos said soils are sinking in other developments in town. She was speaking about soil issues affecting only her home in the Dove Ranch subdivision.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/ignacio-voters-to-decide-whether-to-allow-in-town-marijuana-sales/</link>
        <title>Ignacio voters to decide whether to allow in-town marijuana sales</title>
        <description>Board of Trustees also considers future development of 5.7-acre parcel</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2022 23:22:50 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Board of Trustees also considers future development of 5.7-acre parcelIgnacio residents will vote on whether to allow marijuana sales during a municipal election April 5. (Durango Herald file)du1-i-synThe town of Ignacio Board of Trustees, which previously had voted “no” on marijuana sales in town limits, voted Tuesday to put the issue on the municipal election ballot for April 5.Town officials estimate a $10 tax on each sale transaction could raise $300,000 annually for the town.If approved by voters, the ballot issue would allow sales of retail and medical marijuana. It is the only item on the April ballot.The board voted to put the issue on the ballot with a 5-0 vote with no discussion, and no one commented about the issue during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting.A future developmentTown trustees also received a presentation about possible plans to develop 5.7 acres the town owns on the northern edge of Ignacio’s town limits, known as Rock Creek.SEH, an engineering and planning consulting firm in Durango, presented three options for possible development on the site.A virtual public meeting Oct. 1 began with a housing study that recommended the town add to and diversify its housing stock. Participants in the meeting preferred a mix of single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes and apartment units, said Nancy Dosdall, a senior planner with the firm.She presented the trustees with three development options, ranging in price from $20 million to $24 million for development and construction.The more apartments that are added to the mix reduces the cost, Dosdall said. A single-family home on the site could cost an estimated $257,000, while an apartment could cost $140,000.Community members attending the meeting said they want park space, walking trails, outdoor gathering areas, solar energy options and other family-friendly amenities in the development.The town wants to take the presentation to developers in the area to start working on a partnership to develop the site, said Interim Town Manager Mark Garcia.“We hope to use this plan in the future to move this forward,” he said.Broadband improvementsIn another effort to increase growth in Ignacio, the town heard a presentation about improving broadband in the community from NEO Connect, a fiber and internet consulting firm in Basalt.Consultant Diane Kruse recommended the town partner with other entities to try to bring more high-speed fiber internet service to town, including Tri-State Generation and Transmission, La Plata Electric Association, La Plata County, Southwest Colorado Council of Governments, Colorado Department of Transportation, FastTrack Communications and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.Sewer ratesIn separate votes at the end of the evening, town board members approved an increase in town sewer rates at a minimum of $6 per month, depending on usage.Ignacio pays the tribe to treat its sewage, and the town’s sewer fund hasn’t covered that cost for two years, requiring fund transfers from the town’s general fund.The increase in rates is needed to cover the treatment costs, Garcia said. The increase also passed on a 5-0 vote.Future zoning changesThe possibility of marijuana sales in Ignacio came up in a discussion of zoning changes in the town’s Land Use Code update, which includes townwide rezoning of property. One resident, Chris May, spoke in opposition to the change, which he said will decrease the value of his business property on Browning Avenue.Another resident, Lana Jo Chapin, said the rezoning protects residential neighborhoods and represents years of work by the Ignacio Planning Commission.Clark Craig, a former member of the planning commission, said he and other commissioners worked on the rezoning issue and land-use code for three years, which involved “a lot of effort,” and he thanked everyone for their work on the code.Trustees unanimously approved the code and rezoning.Finally, the board approved a $250 donation to Liam Moore, a fourth grade student at Ignacio Elementary School, to help him attend Space Camp this summer in Huntsville, Alabama. A group of students throughout the Four Corners is raising money for the upcoming trip.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/some-in-bayfield-question-superintendents-firing-mid-school-year/</link>
        <title>Some in Bayfield question superintendent’s firing mid-school year</title>
        <description>Kevin Aten will receive 18 months pay, costing school district $217,500</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 12 Feb 2022 00:26:43 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=23CA1908-92AD-54ED-8ACD-B156A3414149&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.53375&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.455&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Kevin Aten will receive 18 months pay, costing school district $217,500All five members of the Bayfield School District Board of Education in 2022. (Courtesy of Bayfield School District)ccaSome Bayfield community members are questioning the need to fire former Superintendent Kevin Aten when he had two years remaining on his $145,000 annual contract. The school district has to continue paying him for 18 months, for a total of $217,500.“I think it was unfortunate in the middle of the year,” said Carol Blatnick, who was on the board when Aten was hired in 2018.The board voted unanimously on Tuesday to terminate his contract, which had been renewed in 2021 for three years.In a brief statement Friday, board President Mike Foutz said Aten’s contract needed to be renewed or nonrenewed in February. When asked why the board terminated the contract at a cost of $217,500 to the school district, he said, members “felt it would be best for the district to make the leadership change effective immediately rather than move forward under a nonrenewal.”Atendu1-i-synAten declined to elaborate on the reasons for his contract not being renewed other than to say: “The board and I have core philosophical differences and values for the education of students.”The board’s employee review from Feb. 23, 2021, might provide some insight into his firing.Board members cited the following:Lack of transparency in seeking other positions. Aten was a finalist for the superintendent’s job in Helena, Montana.“Does not readily accept views/opinions discordant to his own.”The board gave Aten high marks for budgeting and leadership skills. The review, which was requested by The Durango Herald, was heavily redacted.The review concludes, “administrative collaboration with the Board of Directors and communication regarding executive decisions made by the Superintendent to the Board of Directors must improve moving forward.”On Friday, Aten pointed out that during his tenure, teachers received seven raises in five years. Classified staff members received a 7% to 10% raise in January, along with $1,000 in COVID-19 hazard pay.Dipping into budget reserves was approved by the board in 2020 to avoid staff layoffs, he said, but that couldn’t continue in 2021, which is when the district laid off about 10 staff members, citing a loss of state funding.Blatnick pointed out several things Aten accomplished in his four years of leading the district, including a new mission strategy and providing community agencies with the use of the old Bayfield school building downtown, including Pine River Shares, Pueblo Community College and other educational entities.“It has been a really tough year and last year was, too,” Blatnick said. “I was really sad to see this happen to him.”While Bayfield and other school districts in Colorado have faced challenges as a result of the pandemic, Bayfield’s teacher turnover in 2021 was 10.7%, compared with 20.8% for Durango and 20.6% in Ignacio, according to Colorado Department of Education statistics.With the school district facing continued tight budgets and staff shortages, one former staff member asked why Aten wasn’t kept on as a long-term substitute or a bus driver.Superintendent contracts cover leading the district, not any other duties, Blatnick said.Aten was hired in 2018 for $135,000 annually. In 2019, his salary was increased to $140,000, and in 2020, his salary was increased to $145,000, according to copies of his contracts the district provided to the Herald.Several teachers and former teachers have described Aten as arrogant, but they have said the same thing of his interim replacement, Leon Hanhardt, the assistant superintendent and former principal at the high school.“The school district did not improve under Dr. Aten’s guidance, and I’m not sure if it’s going to improve with the replacement we have now,” said a former Bayfield teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The teacher also questioned why the board extended Aten’s contract last year if there were problems with his leadership style.On top of finding a permanent superintendent, the next challenge the board faces is deciding if Bayfield should switch to a four-day teaching week. So far, the concept is being supported by teachers, but is receiving pushback from local parents.The next board meeting is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 22.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-school-district-fires-superintendent/</link>
        <title>Bayfield School District fires superintendent</title>
        <description>Board members give no specific reason in 5-0 decision</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2022 20:55:29 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=99385746-A979-444E-ACA3-6D70EAE26B38&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=0.15315315&#038;crop_w=0.99999&#038;crop_h=0.6006006" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Board members give no specific reason in 5-0 decisionSuperintendent Kevin Aten, who has led the Bayfield School District for almost four years, had his contract terminated on Tuesday at a district board meeting.Leon Hanhardt, assistant superintendent and former Bayfield High School principal, was named acting superintendent.Board members did not state a specific reason for Aten’s firing.“I believe it’s time for the district to make a change,” said Mike Foutz, the board president, after thanking Aten for his work. “You stood in there, Kevin, you worked hard, and you did the best you could.”Board Vice President Debbie Wilhelm moved to terminate Aten’s contract, which allows him to continue receiving his base salary for 18 months.Board member Matt Turner seconded the motion, and the five members passed it unanimously.Atendu1-i-synAten thanked staff members, teachers and his leadership team.“I have not served with a better group of educators in my 32 years in our profession,” he said. “You’ve been heroic and hardworking.”He then took off his black jacket emblazoned with the school district logo, laid it on the table, took off his name tag and laid it on the jacket, and thanked his wife.“Most of all I want to thank my bride, who’s been beside me for 35 years. Love you.”He then walked out of the room.Two residents spoke at the meeting on Aten’s behalf, including Bruce Evans, chief of the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District.“I would ask the board to slow down on this decision,” he said.Evans noted that Aten partnered with Upper Pine fire to get teachers vaccinated for COVID-19 a month before other districts in the state. Aten also attended every meeting of the local task force convened to study and act on the issue of youth suicides in La Plata County, Evans said, and there have been no recent youth deaths by suicide recently.“I would not trade the speed of a decision for the accuracy of a decision,” Evans said, noting that interrupting leadership in the middle of the school year could be disruptive for students. All of the other public comments at the meeting came from teachers speaking in favor of Bayfield moving to a four-day school week, a topic the district has been discussing with the public for the past month. One parent spoke against the concept, saying it would reduce teacher contact hours with students and would be difficult for local families. A decision on the four-day week is scheduled for the Feb. 22 school board meeting.The district also is in the process of searching for a new high school principal. Marcie Ham, who was hired as principal in 2021 to replace Hanhardt, announced to BHS staff members that she and her family need to move to a lower altitude for health reasons. The district is advertising the principal position.Aten has worked in education for more than 32 years, including in Estes Park, and was hired by the Bayfield School District in 2018 after the resignation of Superintendent Troy Zabel, who later died of brain cancer.Aten’s contract was renewed for three years in March 2021 after he was a finalist for a superintendent position in Helena, Montana.At the same time last year, the district announced a $1 million deficit, citing decreased state funding, and laid off about 10 employees in support and paraprofessional positions. The layoffs were widely criticized by district residents.In recent weeks, school boards across Colorado have been making waves with superintendent changes.In January, Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1 announced that Superintendent Risha VanderWey resigned, with a letter from the school board to The Journal citing philosophical differences between the two as the reason.Four new members of the Douglas County School Board south of Denver voted Friday to fire Superintendent Corey Wise without cause and with two years to go on his contract.Wise had worked for the district for 26 years and the decision has received widespread condemnation from the other members of the board and school board directors around the state.Hundreds of students walked out of Douglas County schools on Monday to protest Wise’s firing, according to CBS Denver.Herald Staff Writer Aedan Hannon contributed to this report.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-school-board-will-vote-tuesday-on-whether-to-fire-superintendent/</link>
        <title>Bayfield school board will vote Tuesday on whether to fire superintendent</title>
        <description>Agenda items call for removing Kevin Aten and appointing an interim head of schools</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2022 02:29:25 -0700</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=7A291082-72E2-44DA-99DB-E57515EA4786&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=1.0E-5&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.9&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Agenda items call for removing Kevin Aten and appointing an interim head of schoolsFour seats were up for election in Tuesday’s election for the Bayfield School District Board of EducationShannon Mullane/Durango Herald fileThe Bayfield School District Board of Education will vote Tuesday on whether to remove Superintendent Kevin Aten and replace him with Assistant Superintendent Leon Hanhardt.If approved by the board, Aten will be terminated immediately and Hanhardt will be named as acting superintendent.The Board of Education will also vote to designate Hanhardt as a finalist for the interim superintendent position.Atendu1-i-syn“Strong, innovative school leaders and school boards are clearly, in many places, going different directions. ... It’s not just here,” Aten said Monday in an interview with The Durango Herald when asked about the board’s agenda item.Aten said board members had not informed him of the direction they planned to go if he is fired and directed any questions about the future of the superintendent position to the board and its president, Mike Foutz.In an email to the Herald, Foutz said commenting before Tuesday night’s meeting and vote would be inappropriate.Board members did not respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment.The move comes on the heels of a turbulent year in which high staff turnover, the pandemic, a budget deficit and other issues spurred concerns among parents and teachers.In March 2021, Aten and Foutz confirmed Bayfield School District was facing a $1 million budget shortfall and would have to cut at least 10 full-time positions.The administration ultimately cut 13 positions while adding an assistant superintendent position.A small group of parents gathered in April 2021 to protest the move, including current board member Matt Turner, who won election to the board in November.At the protest, Turner called for Aten to resign, questioning the cuts and the creation of the assistant superintendent position.Turner and board member Rebecca Parnell, who was also elected in November, called for greater transparency and accountability from the school district as a part of their campaign for the board.“We need to be looking at accountability,” Turner told the Herald in October.“If they don’t meet the goals, we need to find new administrators,” he said.Throughout 2021, classes and events were repeatedly canceled because of COVID-19 and staffing concerns.After a 59% turnover rate in early 2021, former Bayfield Middle School teachers and staff members spoke about high stress and little support from administrators that caused them to leave.Bayfield Middle School was also accused of removing an LGBTQ novel in September 2021 before Banned Books Week, though the administration said it was a personnel issue.Kira Wennerstrom, a former school board candidate, was critical of Aten throughout her campaign and welcomed the vote.“I think that this is a step in the right direction because we’ve lost so many teachers,” she said. “I’m very hopeful that we can start retaining our teachers again.”Laurie Roberts, a parent who previously had children in the Bayfield School District for 21 years, also agreed that the move was positive.“I think it’s good to bring some accountability to (Aten),” she said.Wennerstrom and Roberts argued that the board needs to seriously consider outside candidates or the decision to change superintendents risks being unproductive.“There’s been some issues with the hiring process even as of late, and I’m just hoping that they’ll find someone new and actually hold interviews,” Wennerstrom said.“If it’s a foregone conclusion that it’s (Hanhardt), it’s not a big change,” Roberts said.The vote to remove Aten will take place less than a year after his contract was renewed.The agenda for Tuesday night’s Bayfield School District Board of Education meeting includes three action items related to the removal of Superintendent Kevin Aten and appointment of Leon Hanhardt as acting superintendent.ccaThe board confirmed a three-year contract for Aten in late February 2021 after he emerged as a contender for a superintendent position in Montana.In recent weeks, school boards across Colorado have been making waves with superintendent changes.In January, Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1 announced that Superintendent Risha VanderWey resigned, with a letter from the school board to The Journal citing philosophical differences between the two as the reason.Four new members of the Douglas County School Board south of Denver made waves on Friday when they voted to fire Superintendent Corey Wise without cause and with two years to go on his contract.Wise had worked for the district for 26 years and the decision has received widespread condemnation from the other members of the board and school board directors around the state.Hundreds of students walked out of Douglas County schools on Monday to protest Wise’s firing, according to CBS Denver.Tuesday’s meeting is open to the public and will be held at 6 p.m. at the Bayfield School District Administrative Office at 24 Clover Drive in Bayfield.The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube on the Board of Education’s meetings page.ahannon@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-high-school-junior-max-meyers-selected-for-all-state-philharmonic/</link>
        <title>Bayfield High School junior Max Meyers selected for all-state philharmonic</title>
        <description>17-year-old also plays basketball and maintains a top GPA</description>
        <pubDate>Sun, 30 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[17-year-old also plays basketball and maintains a top GPAMax Meyers, a student at Bayfield High School, plays on the school’s stage. He has been invited to play with the Colorado All State Philharmonic Orchestra. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaWhen Max Meyers was in kindergarten, he could play the drums fast.Really fast.The youngster was able to hit 16th notes at an incredible 120 beats per minute.In first grade, his music teacher, Lech Usinowicz, took that promising percussionist and put a violin in his hands.He is now one of only 14 musicians in the state selected for first violin section in the Colorado All State Philharmonic Orchestra, and he is the first violinist from Bayfield High School to be selected for the honor.“I knew he had some phenomenal music instincts and interest, and I tapped into that as soon as I could,” Usinowicz said.Meyers has been playing the violin ever since.Max Meyers, a student at Bayfield High School, has been invited to play with the Colorado All State Philharmonic Orchestra. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaHe says he appreciates the challenge and intricacy of the instrument, but his teacher says whenever he needs someone to fill in on percussion in orchestra, Meyers is still his go-to guy.The state philharmonic will rehearse and perform Thursday through Feb. 5 at Colorado State University. Directed by Helen Cha-Pyo, the select group will perform March Slav by Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Korean Folk Dance by John Barnes Chance, and the Bamboula Rhapsodic Dance No. 1 by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.In addition to practice for state, Meyers is a starter for the Bayfield High School basketball team, and he also maintains a top GPA.Will violin be part of his professional future?“I do enjoy playing,” he said. “It would be cool to play for a living. It’s one of the top options.”Max Meyers, a student at Bayfield High School, plays on the school’s stage. He has been invited to play with the Colorado All State Philharmonic Orchestra. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaHe’s able to rehearse only about an hour a day during basketball season, but in the off-season, he practices about two hours a day.State philharmonic will be the largest group he has ever played with.“I’m mostly excited,” he said. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s pretty nerve-wracking.”To earn his spot in the prestigious group, he recorded excerpts from Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 and Symphony No. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich.The students also had to submit a piece of their choice, and he performed Konzert in C by Dmitri Kabalevsky.Tiffany Biles is his orchestra teacher this year at BHS, and noted that on top of being an excellent musician, Meyers submitted a phenomenal tryout recording.He’s excited to be making the long trip to Fort Collins to play such demanding works.“It’s a good opportunity to see what’s out there in the whole music world,” he said.Max Meyers, a student at Bayfield High School, will play with the Colorado All State Philharmonic Orchestra. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaIn addition to his talent, Meyers brings passion and dedication to his work, Usinowicz said. The 17-year-old teaches and mentors violinists in the Music Everywhere! program, which is based in Bayfield and promotes music education throughout the county.His parents, Greg and Susanne Meyers, support their son’s talent and got him private lessons as much as possible, Usinowicz said.The all-state orchestra is divided into the philharmonic orchestra and the symphony orchestra and has been hosted by the Colorado Music Educator Association since 1952.“He’s an incredible human being,” Usinowicz said. “I am incredibly proud of him.”An earlier version of this story erred in saying Max Meyers was selected as “first chair“ in the Colorado All State Philharmonic Orchestra. He was selected to play with the first violin section.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/durangos-loss-bayfields-gain-community-development-employee-switches-jobs/</link>
        <title>Durango’s loss, Bayfield’s gain: Community development employee switches jobs</title>
        <description>Nicol Killian worked on housing and commercial projects for nearly 16 years</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2022 20:26:30 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Nicol Killian worked on housing and commercial projects for nearly 16 yearsNicol Killian is leaving her job as assistant director of community development for the city of Durango to take a position as the community development director for the town of Bayfield. (Nicholas A. Johnson/Durango Herald)ccaLongtime city of Durango employee Nicol Killian has left her position as assistant community development director to become the town of Bayfield’s community development director.“Nicol has done a lot of things over the years; she’s kind of touched everything we’ve worked on in the Community Development Department for many years,” said Community Development Director Kevin Hall.Beginning as a city planner, Killian has worked for the city of Durango for nearly 16 years. In her time with the city, she has worked on large housing developments, commercial projects and updating the city’s land-use development code, to name a few.“It’s definitely a bittersweet move,” Killian said. “I have a lot of relationships here in Durango that I’ve built over the years.”Killian has been heavily involved with the city’s effort to convert the Best Western Inn and Suites at 21382 U.S. Highway 160 into affordable housing.Hall said the plan is to replace Killian’s position with a development services manager. He said replacing Killian is going to be a challenge, as she often went above and beyond what was expected of her position.“Nicol did a lot of things for the department beyond the tasks that she was currently responsible for,” Hall said. “Losing Nicol is a big deal, and we’re bummed to see her go, but I think her moving over to Bayfield is a great thing for the larger community and the town of Bayfield.”After nearly 16 years working for the city of Durango, Nicol Killian is taking a job closer to her home in Bayfield, as the town’s new community development director. (Nicholas A. Johnson/Durango Herald)ccaKillian, a Bayfield resident for 15 years, said she took the job in Bayfield to effect change in the town where she lives.“I consider Bayfield my home, so when this position came, I was definitely interested,” she said. “Being a resident of Bayfield for the last 15 years, there is a character to that community that people love. We’re going to have to figure out how we can grow in a sustainable way while maintaining Bayfield’s character.”She said Bayfield is under a lot of pressure to develop housing. She said the pressure likely stems from the lack of affordability in Durango.“Bayfield is a more affordable community for people, especially our workforce,” she said.Killian said she’d like to focus on the services Bayfield residents want and figuring out how the town can help provide those services, but she has no specific plans yet.“I think everybody that lives there would agree that we’d like to see a little more retail in the community so that we don’t have to drive to Durango every time we need to run an errand,” she said.Killian said her job will be to take the bigger visions of the community and try to implement them through the planning process.Bayfield Town Manager Katie Sickles said the town is excited to welcome Killian to its staff, and hopes to use her expertise to work on large upcoming development projects.Longtime city of Durango employee Nicol Killian packs up her desk in preparation for her new position as the Bayfield community development director. (Nicholas A. Johnson/Durango Herald)ccaSickles said it's important that Killian is a resident of Bayfield, because it helps her better understand the community.“I think that by raising her family here she understands what it means to be from Bayfield, and how to welcome new development,” Sickles said.Sickles said Killian’s experience in community development, and her knowledge of the town as a resident will allow her to hit the ground running.“She knows and understands the nonprofits and government entities in the area, and I think that’s very beneficial,” Sickles said.njohnson@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-school-district-reschedules-community-meetings/</link>
        <title>Bayfield School District reschedules community meetings</title>
        <description>Community is invited to weigh in on possibly of going to four-day weeks</description>
        <pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2022 00:03:29 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Community is invited to weigh in on possibly of going to four-day weeksThe Bayfield School District had its first day of remote learning Wednesday after the district closed because of new positive COVID-19 cases.Shannon Mullane/Durango Herald fileBayfield School District rescheduled community meetings about exploring the possibility of switching to a four-day school week for the next school year.The meetings were postponed because of school closures amid a community surge in COVID-19. Another meeting that was not postponed was held Monday at Bayfield Intermediate School.School buildings and facilities were closed Jan. 18 because of a surge of community COVID-19 cases, including 20 Bayfield teachers who were either exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19. Up to 23% of the student body was absent Jan. 18. Regular classes and other school activities resumed this week.The upcoming community meetings about a possible four-day school week are scheduled for:5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bayfield High School Performing Arts Center.6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31, at the Bayfield Primary School Gymnasium.Superintendent Kevin Aten previously said the community meetings are meant to explore the possibility of switching to a four-day school week.“One hundred sixteen of 178 school districts are already on a four-day week, and I don’t think people realize that,” he said. “It is a clear majority.”cburney@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/pine-river-times/bayfield-school-district-cancels-classes-events-after-20-teachers-are-exposed-to-covid-19/</link>
        <title>Bayfield School District cancels classes, events after 20 teachers are exposed to COVID-19</title>
        <description>23% of student body was absent Tuesday</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2022 01:23:28 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[23% of student body was absent TuesdayThe Bayfield School District had its first day of remote learning Wednesday after the district closed because of new positive COVID-19 cases.Shannon Mullane/Durango Herald fileBayfield School District announced Tuesday that classes, academic events and other planned activities have been postponed for the rest of the week because of a surge in COVID-19 cases.Twenty teachers were in quarantine after being exposed to the virus or testing positive for it, and 23% of the student body was absent by the end of the day Tuesday, said Superintendent Kevin Aten.The school district employs just under 100 teachers and about 170 staff members, Aten said.The announcement was posted to the school district’s website, emailed to parents and displayed on the district Facebook page.“We know this is really the safest thing for our school and our community,” Aten said. “Out of an abundance of precaution, we’re going to shut things down for a few days.”Aten said a meeting with custodial and maintenance staff members was held Tuesday and a deep cleaning and sanitizing of school buildings and facilities, including transportation, will be carried out this week.Basketball games were canceled, and two community meetings intended to explore the possibility of switching to a four-day school week were postponed.Aten said the school district views a four-day school week as a tool for teacher recruitment and retention.“One hundred sixteen of 178 school districts are already on a four-day week, and I don’t think people realize that,” Aten said. “It is a clear majority.”Aten said the decision to cancel classes and postpone the community meetings was a difficult decision but one the district doesn’t take lightly, and the district is doing everything it can to keep students, staff members and the community safe.In a community announcement released in August ahead of the 2021-22 school year, Bayfield School District said it welcomes and recommends mask-wearing for all individuals who enter its facilities, but it is not requiring masking for staff members or students, regardless of vaccination status.cburney@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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