Benchtalk: August 7, 2020

Arts Fest auction going through the weekend

The virtual 2020 Crested Butte Arts Festival kicked off on Friday, July 31 with a virtual silent auction of 65 featured artists’ works that will be online and available for bids through Sunday, August 9. Eighty percent of the proceeds from the “All in for the Arts” auction event will go back to support this year’s participating artists, five of whom are local to the Gunnison Valley. For more information and to view the artwork featured in this year’s Crested Butte Arts Festival “All in for the Arts” online auction, visit crestedbutteartsfestival.com.

WCU and GMUG to host Taylor Park field trip

Western Colorado University’s Center for Public Lands in partnership with the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests’ Gunnison Ranger District will host its second annual public field trip for the Taylor Park Vegetation Management Project on Thursday, August 13. The field trip provides an opportunity for interested individuals to participate in discussions and engage with GMUG staff, adaptive management group members and science teams on topics including the implementation timeline, temporary roads, treatment unit prescriptions and resource concerns. This year’s trip will take place near the Ripley Timber Sale in the Bear Creek area off of Spring Creek Road from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. RSVP by August 10 at: www.centerforpubliclands.org/taylorparkfieldtrip. For questions, please contact Maddie Rehn, Center for Public Lands program manager, at (970) 943-2433; email mrehn@western.edu.

Street work

Crested Butte doesn’t want Mt. CB to have all the summer roadwork fun. So the town will begin some street slurry projects around CB on Monday, August 10. The slurry should add more life to some of the town streets. A portion of Red Lady Avenue will go a step further and get a one-inch asphalt overlay. Be aware that you may have to take a detour or two during the week.

CBMBA annual work weekend

Mark your calendars! CBMBA still has plans for the annual work weekend, allbeit a bit altered, as they continue their effort on the Phase 2 of the Middle Cement Creek trail Saturday and Sunday, August 15-16. It will be a burly task as they look to connect Waterfall Cutoff to Middle Cement and it’ll take some effort to get to the location, no to mention the work needed. For more information go to cbmba.org.

Don’t plant unknown seeds in the area

The Colorado Department of Agriculture has received numerous reports from across the state of people receiving unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail that appear to have originated from China and other countries and labeled as containing jewelry or other items. Unsolicited seeds could be invasive, could introduce diseases to local plants or could be harmful to livestock. Do not plant them. Anyone who receives an unsolicited package of seeds should immediately contact the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industry Division at cda_nursery@state.co.us or at (303) 548-5333 or the APHIS state plant health director. Please hold onto the seeds and packaging in its original package safely, including the mailing label, until someone from the Colorado Department of Agriculture or APHIS contacts you with further instructions.

Birthdays:

August 6- Jeremiah Robinson, Marlene Stajduhar, Paul Merck, Steve Landry

August 7- Scott Meyers, Kelly Ward, Mara McLaughlin, Daniel Davenport, Carrie Jo Chernoff, Laura Cass

August 8- Beth Gallagher, Martha Walton, Gail Buford, Ruth Romer, Heather Talbot, Alexis Miller, John Wickett, Judy Williams,

August 9- Sky Houseman, Scott Millard, Happy Brown, Jan Washburn, Neil Windsor

August 10- Chris Gaither, Bruce Alpern

August 11- Amy Williams, Kathleen Ross, Steve Cook, Doug Kroft

August 12- Linda Priest, Mert Theaker, Jewel Millard, Spencer Madison

 

 

 

 

Cameos: What events have you missed the most this summer?