RAT reopens with six miles of new trails
The Ridgway Area Trails reopen today, with newly completed trails. The network of singletrack trails, which is part of the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, attracts mountain bikers, hikers, families, and equestrian riders from across the region and beyond. The recently completed expansion added just over six miles of new trails across nine new segments. According to a press release, the project is a culmination of thousands of volunteer hours and the dedication of local trail builders, community partners, and public land agencies over a five-year period. The expansion was designed to create a more balanced experience for all trail users, with new technical trails, improved options for adaptive riders and beginners, and safer alternatives to reduce two-way congestion.
Hotchkiss considers drought restrictions
The Delta County Independent reports that the Hotchkiss Board of Trustees signaled that it will move toward drought restrictions. Public Works Director Marvin Jackson presented a proposal on Tuesday that called for no outside watering between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., a ban on new grass, watering on odd- or even-numbered days based on address, no Sunday watering, no curbside vehicle washing and no new hot tubs, pools or fountains. The board also discussed the town’s standpipe, which is used by hauled-water customers from outside Hotchkiss. Jackson told the board that the standpipe charges less than surrounding towns, effectively subsidizing out-of-area users, but that it’s some people’s only source of water. Trustees discussed potentially adjusting pricing by charging more for repeat users or increasing rates depending on users’ distance from the pipe. Trustees also discussed fines and enforcement for cutting residential watering to two days a week. The board did not immediately adopt any regulations during its meeting on Tuesday, and will review formal drafts in May.
First responders across the Mountain West consider new lifesaving methods
When someone is badly injured, the race to the hospital is critical. But as the Mountain West News Bureau’s Rachel Cohen reports, a growing number of first responders in our region are starting to do more on the scene with one of medicine’s most powerful tools.
Paonia shuts off some security cameras
At the Town of Paonia’s regular meeting on April 28, the newly constituted Board of Trustees voted to disable Verkada cameras at the Town Park and at Town Hall. For KVNF, Marty Durlin brings us the story
