We are in transition mode in many respects. The ski area closes Sunday (it was a good season) and the major shift to two wheels begins in earnest. Tuesday’s weather was a return to winter while Friday looks like it will be late spring. The Crested Butte school break brings transition for many families in search of sun, sand and 70-degree weather for at least a week as the potential offseason could bring the same or 25 degrees and another 100 inches of snow. Coming back is always an adventure in April and May.

The Gunnison County clerk’s office has transitioned out of the Crested Butte Town Hall. The Town Council would love to have it back, and Monday the council chatted about considering not charging rent if paying $125 per month is too burdensome. Council would like to continue to provide the DMV service for citizens in this end of the valley. It seems it is less the rent situation and more the relationship that perhaps needs shoring up.

The entrepreneurs who have always been a part of the upper valley have transitioned from the early ski days developers looking to capitalize on a nascent ski area in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s to a wave of young businessmen opening stores and restaurants in an effort to live here in the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s. Now we seem to attract a more techy “lone eagle” type that makes a lot of their money outside the valley or through the internet and need a lot more money to comfortably live here.

The upper valley school situation has transitioned from having just a grade school and then middle school at this end of the valley to currently having one of the top K-12 schools in Colorado. The result is a facility filling to the brim and already looking at having to expand again to accommodate more students. That probably means citizens will be asked to consider another tax issue in the next few years. It can probably be stated that the school is one of, if not the, biggest reasons for the year-round population growth in the upper valley. Families are moving to a somewhat isolated mountain town with ski area amenities because their kids can get a quality “private” education in a public school located in a beautiful place. It was a game changer that keeps on changing.

The workforce housing situation in the county has changed dramatically, along with the transition in entrepreneurs and the school. It used to be you could rent old mining houses for a few hundred bucks a month or less. But pretty much all of those have been bought and fixed up and now there aren’t many, if any, of those opportunities out there. It used to be that teachers, cops, bartenders and small business owners could figure what was needed to buy a free market house in the Butte or nearby (Crested Butte South) or just down the road (Gunnison).

Those who didn’t want to be saddled with deed restrictions went in search of another ski town that hadn’t yet been “discovered” and where free market housing was still affordable to the working people. But there are workers who want to live here at any cost—and deed restrictions come at a cost—so the public sector has had to step up. All the local governments are on the train to raise $80 million through a potential new tax on lodging or property tax to help build 400 new “affordable” units all over the county by 2020.

Frankly, blue collar workers can no longer afford the free market houses here, so those who want to stay in this particular mountain valley must rely on this local government assistance. That means foregoing the free market opportunity to see their house appreciate in value beyond normal inflation. That is a major transition from the past but a necessary one for both the people who want to live-and-work in this valley and those with the means to simply live here. Someone has to build their new houses, teach their children and serve them their food. It is better if it is their neighbors doing that and not people bused in from Montrose. Look for some sort of countywide tax proposal to address housing on the ballot this November.

Building in the town of Crested Butte this summer could see a transition. Sure, there will be more houses constructed and those will likely max out the size restrictions allowed, but those restrictions keep it so no McMansions can be built lot line to lot line in the town. There are plans for several commercial buildings in Crested Butte that will be larger than what we’ve seen in the past. Once the Center for the Arts gets everything lined up, it is expected to begin construction on its expansion that will result in a total of 38,000 square feet of artistic space in the town park. Clark’s Market is looking to add on to its store to make it bigger. The Crested Butte Hotel in the Sixth Street Station development has a couple of buildings in the works at just under 30,000 square feet each. A new commercial space on Elk Avenue next to the Steep will not be tiny.

Efforts are under way to manage the backcountry flood of people. It seems the last several summers have seen a transition to simply too many people with too much attitude trampling the backcountry near the population centers in the county. Efforts are being taken to educate and inform backcountry visitors on proper etiquette and ways to keep the natural backcountry natural. Partnerships that mitigate the numbers are being planned. More bathrooms, trailheads, signage and enforcement are in the works where none was needed before. But it sure is now.

Anyway, transition and growth are part of a vibrant life. While these transitions are taking place, the local community still seems to have a handle on guiding them. Some, like the school, might still surprise in their impact, but most important, the valley community in general continues to avoid just keeping its head in the sand and letting the tide wash over us all. That is still what makes this transitioning community vibrant.

Like coming back from a trip to the desert during the spring break, it will be interesting to see what adventure the next wave of transitions has in store for us all.

—Mark Reaman

by Dawne Belloise

Kirsten Atkins has been on skis since she was four years old and shussing down Killington’s slopes in Vermont, where she got her first season pass in 1972 at the age of seven.

The family lived in Connecticut but had a small place at the resort. “We had a tiny ski chalet at Killington, with brown and orange furniture, thick shag carpet and bunks for you and all your cousins,” Kirsten remembers. “We’d drive up on weekends and it didn’t matter what the weather was like.” Her parents would load up the car and the three kids and drive up Friday night. “We were always a ski family and involved in kids’ ski programs. I was on the Killington freestyle team from the time I was nine to when I was 13 years old,” but Kirsten confesses that she wasn’t that competitive and by the time she was 13, like any teenager, “I just wanted to ski with my friends.”

Kirsten graduated from high school in 1983 and moved to Killington so she could ski more and take advantage of the drinking age, which was 18 back then. To support her ski habit, she worked as a cocktail waitress at a dance club for a couple of years.

“My poor mother,” Kirsten shakes her head. “I look at 18 year olds now and they’re so young to be in an environment like that,” she says, but adds that she’s glad to have had that experience in her life. “Everything you do prepares you for the next thing in life, right?”

After her two “gap” years, Kirsten enrolled at the University of Denver and moved to the Mile High City. Her first thought was that she wanted a career in hotel and restaurant management.

“But then, I was taking all these anthropology and psychology classes and realized I was more passionate about those studies than my business classes.” In her freshman year, she opted out of skiing in order to get serious about studying.

She quickly realized that was a mistake, which she corrected the following year by taking the winter semester off and moving to Steamboat. When she returned to her classes in 1987, her friends decided that taking the winter semester off to hit the slopes was a brilliant idea; however, Steamboat didn’t allow snowboarders and her buddies were riders.

“Telluride housing was too expensive so we checked out Crested Butte on the way back to school. I came to Crested Butte, with my little clan of friends, where housing was affordable but super tight. We moved into a house next to the tennis courts… three bedrooms for seven people. And here begins my story with the Adaptive Sports Center [ASC].”

Kirsten responded to an ad in the paper for volunteers for the Crested Butte Physically Challenged Ski Program, which was the precursor of the Adaptive Sports Center. The program was born in February 1987 and Kirsten joined up with the fledging organization that November.

“It was their first full season and we were all volunteers at that point. Mary Cain and Robin Norton were the founding mothers of the program. I got involved because my older brother Keith is on the autism spectrum. Autism is a broad category of people, from quite high functioning to people who are nonverbal. My brother is pretty high functioning. I grew up as the sibling of a person with a cognitive disorder and I grew up skiing, so they were two big important parts of who I am. I got excited about volunteering for the program. We did 33 lessons that winter. Luckily, I had another job—working at the China Garden in the Elk Mountain Lodge as a waitress. I also worked at the Eldo and the Gourmet Noodle.”

When she started her volunteer work at ASC, the world of adaptive skiing was new as a sport and Kirsten has seen many changes and its evolution. “One of the biggest things that I see throughout the years is the technology advancements. It’s been an incredible thing to watch. The other part is, over the years we were experimenting with ideas, we’d look at a student and try to figure out how to make skiing happen for them.”

Kirsten and the team of volunteers used their innovation and lots of duct tape, pieces of foam and bits of everything. “I don’t have an engineering mind but luckily there were people who did and were developing this equipment. A lot of the designing was driven by people with disabilities who wanted to ski and had engineering minds.”

Some of those first pieces of equipment are conserved in the Crested Butte Museum. “I’m the program pack rat,” Kirsten laughs and explains that the history and development of the Adaptive program, its origins and how it evolved, are extremely important to her, and it’s important to educate the public.

This year, the ASC celebrates its 30th anniversary of improving the quality of life for people with disabilities through outdoor adventures. They’ve developed policies and guidelines born out of the experience of its three decades.

Kirsten recalls that in the ASC’s embryonic start, she didn’t have a lot of mentors and they had no trainers, yet the mentors who were there taught her well. New employees and volunteers at Adaptive now go through rigorous training in a variety of skills before they are allowed to take out a lesson.

“Look at the growth and development of this community,” Kirsten points out. “Thirty years ago, the streets were dirt, and people still talk about what it was like back in the day. The Adaptive program has grown up with the community and with the huge support of this community. Our program is incredibly blessed to have had that sort of support. Even when the economy crashed in 2008, we were a little nervous about how our fundraising efforts were going to go but we were able to raise what we needed.”

Kirsten’s role at Adaptive has been in training and as a snow sports supervisor. “Over the years, I developed into the then-undefined leadership role, and I wasn’t the only one in that role. I started giving training clinics for the newbies coming in. In the mid-1990s, I went to Scotland and Austria, working for the Uphill Ski Club of Great Britain, which is now the Disabled Sports UK. I trained instructors and volunteer trainings for four winters, and also taught British people with disabilities. I had only four or five instructors for 12 to 15 clients, whereas at Adaptive we had one-on-one.”

Kirsten would drive “a big ol’ van loaded with a bunch of equipment from Scotland to Austria. We’d have four or five weeks of ‘holiday makers,’ as the clients were called. I got to live in Austria and teach and meet all kinds of interesting people. I’d work part of the season there and part here in Crested Butte. We were sort of celebrities over in Scotland because not a lot of instructors were going over there at that time. We were really well treated and we were invited to all the Highland dances. I got to experience awesome culture in both Scotland and Austria.”

In the late 1990s, Adaptive took their programming to Argentina and Kirsten started teaching training clinics down there in late August 1997. They’d schlep tons of equipment because, in those early days, United Airlines would give Adaptive an unlimited baggage waiver. Kirsten tells of one year when four instructors took 19 pieces of luggage. “We would take sit skis and wrap them in shrink wrap. Some of the equipment would stay and some we brought back with us.”

She spent a couple of winter months in Argentina for 10 consecutive years, focusing on teaching the instructors and volunteers and helping them groom their own programs. “I was focusing on an education curriculum for the instructors there and we developed an instructor certification program and helped facilitate the Argentine Ski Instructor Association,” Kirsten explains.

ASC began to take its own USA clients to Argentina as part of their Adaptive Adventure Travel program in early 2000.

Overall, Adaptive Sports currently conducts about 6,000 lessons a year of both winter and summer programs. Kirsten notes that things have changed a bit. “We now have highly trained, certified and qualified staff, and lots of volunteers. In the winter, we have about 28 pass volunteers [those who are given season ski passes] and we have upwards of 100 in the winter programs.”

The group program has expanded and the groups are now the backbone of their program. There are various disabled veterans’ groups, like Operation Rise and Conquer, which is one of the veteran programs funded through ASC and through generous donors.

There is the Roger Pepper Camp for teenage burn survivors, one of the long-running camps of Adaptive. From the teen burn survivor camp comes the DC Burn Foundation, a firefighters’ group of survivors.

“We have groups that come from rehab hospitals with spinal cord and head injuries and also various research hospitals that work with MS and multiple disabilities. We have tons of different kids’ groups. A couple of weekends ago we had a group called Joy School in Texas—they’re children with learning disabilities. A lot of the groups come both summer and winter,” Kirsten says.

Summer programs offer biking, water sports, like canoeing on Irwin Lake, or camping, hiking, and rock climbing (they have ice climbing in the winter).

Adaptive recently moved into their new home office in town on Belleview, where they now have a fleet of vehicles. ASC is in the process of building a new facility on the mountain, moving their offices from the Treasury Building, where they’ve been for 28 years. “It’s a far cry from our first winter in the Emmons building in essentially a closet,” Kirsten laughs, adding that they’ve been there so long that, “We’ve circumnavigated the entire lower level of the Treasury Building, basically taking over, so, it’s time to get out of there. There are innovative and progressive spaces being designed into the new building.”

Last winter, Kirsten made a big decision: “So, here we are, it’s my 30th winter here. I had been in the leadership role since Adaptive’s early days, and now, I’ve decided to take a step back. I didn’t want to leave the program because it’s part of my heart and soul, part of my fabric and community here. I’ve been passionate about it my whole life, especially growing up with a brother with a disability. I still work for the Professional Ski Instructors Association–RM [Rocky Mountain], the certification and education for snow sports, and I’ve been working for them for 10 years.”

Although she’s not leaving the program she loves, Kirsten and her hubby, Heath, are working on an exciting new venture. “We’ve bought 73 acres across from Crested Butte South and we’re working to develop the Crested Butte Horse Park. Our vision is to create a safe facility for horse and rider, with the expectation for it to be of high quality, aesthetically pleasing, as green as possible and promote equine lessons and services.”

This past December, Kirsten was honored with an induction into the Disabled Sports USA Hall of Fame. It’s an online national recognition that acknowledges the efforts of both athletes and instructors throughout the entire country, inducting one athlete and one instructor each year. Kirsten feels that there are many more sports that can be expanded to enrich the lives of the disabled. And after 30 years, she’s still there to help create that.

It is election season and between now and the end of October, the Crested Butte News will be asking the four candidates for Gunnison County commissioner questions related to issues in the community. We have requested they keep their answers to 500 words or less.

If you have a burning question for the candidates, feel free to email it to editorial@crestedbuttenews.com. Please, no questions on their views about their missing emails from personal servers or their stand on Miss Universe gaining weight. We’ll take care of that for you…

Remember, all qualified voters in Gunnison County get to cast a ballot for one candidate in each district.

And everyone is invited to the Crested Butte News Candidates Forum on Sunday, October 23 at 6 p.m. at the CB Center for the Arts.

Jonathan Houck

District 2

Let’s start with the proverbial softball question. Why are you running for Gunnison County commissioner?

I was moved to service out of a love for this place. I have lived my entire adult life in Gunnison County. I am seeking re-election to the District 2 seat because I feel I have demonstrated the commitment, experience and proven leadership to continue the work and move ongoing projects to completion. With a new commissioner coming on in District 1, and a new commissioner coming on in two years in District 3, providing continuity on the current board is important also.

As I promised when I ran four years ago, I have treated the position of commissioner as a full-time job and work hard every day for the citizens of the county. I have invested time and energy not only into the responsibilities of keeping core county services functional but have delved into issues and opportunities that are important to our community. I have taken a lead on issues like Mt. Emmons, GPLI, Thompson Divide, Gunnison Sage-grouse, the One Valley Prosperity Project, coal mine methane capture and valley-wide planning to strengthen the work the county can do alongside the towns and anchor institutions.

What past experience do you bring that will be beneficial representing the people as county commissioner?

My experience serving the citizens as county commissioner over the last four years was built upon my two terms on the Gunnison City Council, including a term as mayor. Additionally, I am the longest-serving member of the RTA board, I chair the Gunnison Basin Strategic Sage-grouse Committee, and have experience serving on the city Planning Commission as well as nonprofit boards.

I also think my experience as an educator with the school district for 10 years and then GCSAPP is significant in connecting with a large spectrum of our community. Along with my wife, Roanne, we own two businesses (Acli-Mate and the Main Street Clinic), which has given me a good understanding of the pressures and challenges of owning and running a small local business. I am a Western grad and have worked locally in retail sales, food service, residential and commercial construction and ranch work. I coach Little League and am a Cub Scout leader. These things are all pathways to being connected to the community and really having the opportunity to hear what folks want and need.

Finally, I am a resident of the whole valley. My wife, Roanne, is a Crested Butte native and we see ourselves and are raising our children, Iris and Porter, as citizens of the Gunnison Country, knowing and living the awesome diversity that this place has to offer. One of my strongest qualifiers as a commissioner is my connectivity to community. This Experience Matters.

Classic rock, jazz, blues, country, classical, rap or New Age?

I’m a fan of Alt-Country, or as I like to call it Y’alternative….artists like Uncle Tueplo, Son Volt, Whiskeytown, Jason Isbell, Wilco, The Jayhawks, etc. Stuff you would hear on the “Dirt Farmer’s Revenge” or “Song in the Walls” shows on KBUT.

Activity you want to still get in or focus on before the snow flies:

Sure would like to get in another backpacking trip with Roanne and the kids, a bike-packing trip or two, and top off the firewood pile.

Paul Wayne Foreman

District 2

Let’s start with the proverbial softball question. Why are you running for Gunnison County commissioner?

When I found the Gunnison Country in 1980, no doubt existed that I wanted to live here. None. The natural beauty, the work ethics of the ranching community, the liveliness and freshness of Western State students, and the eclectic lifestyles of those living in an out of the way, “undiscovered” ski area seduced me irresistibly. After moving here in 1981, I knew I wanted to spend my life and, yep, die in the Gunnison Country. My election to the RE1J school board and the Met Rec board in 1994 began 22 years of public service and devotion to this land, the free-flowing streams, the lapis skies, the flora and fauna and people living on it. In 1996, I became a hard news reporter for the Gunnison Country Times, covering the county’s comings and goings, and arriving at a clear understanding of how county government works. Covering county action led to my dream of being a county commissioner. Yeah, I have dreamed and do dream of being a county commissioner. Weird, but then, hey—it’s me! Today, I ask for your vote. I’m confident my passion will prompt me to be your exemplary county commissioner who listens to his constituency, acting accordingly.

What past experience do you bring that will be beneficial representing the people as county commissioner?

My years as a county reporter, my seven years as an effective director and president of the RE1J school board, and my 16 years as a member and president of the Met Rec board establish my political bedrock. I’ve raised a family here, and at times worked long hours in multiple jobs. I am first-hand familiar with how difficult living in the Gunnison Country can be, especially for young adults and families. I understand. During the Great Recession of 2008-2009 I hovered a heartbeat away from moving to Texas to start an organic farm with a longtime friend. Ultimately, I couldn’t move. It would have left behind much too much of my heart.

Classic rock, jazz, blues, country, classical, rap or New Age?

I’ve loved music since I was a very young child, good music of any genre. However, I love most the music I play, the music that inspired a generation to question authority and think for themselves: rock music, the gift of my generation to the world. From the beginnings, Buddy Holly, the Beatles and Stones, the Beach Boys, Hendrix, Buffalo Springfield, and the Grateful Dead, rock evolved into a high art form, the rock music of the ‘80s and ‘90s and beyond: Bowie, Prince, Sting, Clapton, Knopfler, Winwood, U2, Tom Petty, and Springsteen.

Activity you want to still get in or focus on before the snow flies:

Right now it’s “nuts and bolts” time around the Foreman household: putting the garden to bed, cleaning the windows to transparency, stacking firewood, and reading all the forecasts, but only believing the ones that are calling for a nice, snowy winter. Hey, in my world dreaming is the first step towards being a commissioner or having a nice, snowy winter. Let’s dream together and make my first winter as a commissioner a snowy one.

Brad Tutor

District 1

Let’s start with the proverbial softball question. Why are you running for Gunnison County commissioner?

I am running for office because I can bring a true balance to the Board of County Commissioners. The experiences in my life have brought me to the point that I can make a real impact for all of the county. Throughout my campaign I’ve stuck to one motto, bringing our county together for everyone. Honesty and integrity are two things that I was raised with and value deeply. I do believe in fiscal responsibility and spending public funds wisely, transparently and with the support of the public. I have been given the opportunity to work with many groups and find that common ground is what we really should be working toward. Also, I’m not now nor have I ever had a desire to be a politician. I just want to do what’s best for all citizens of Gunnison County.

What past experience do you bring that will be beneficial representing the people as county commissioner?

I’ve worn quite a few hats throughout the years and been successful in many ways. I’m a GHS graduate (1978) and WSC grad (BA 1985, MA 1987). I taught in public education for 15 years, have been on countless committees, and coached high school sports. I served 10 years on both a volunteer and professional Ski Patrol and was a patrol and regional director for the National Ski Patrol. I have been EMT certified and served several years on a volunteer EMS/firefighting department and understand the need to continually support all our local EMS, firefighting, law enforcement and search and rescue services. I’ve worked several years in the construction industry in Gunnison County gaining an insight to the challenges of building in our county.

Currently, my wife and I own a very successful small business in downtown Gunnison. In addition, I married into a ranching family. I’ve been involved in one capacity or another on the ranch for over 36 years, several of them on a full-time basis. I have a vast knowledge of this industry, including the all-important aspects of water and public land usage. I still represent the ranch at Forest Service meetings dealing with grazing permits, land usage and recreational access. I understand the struggles of landowners trying to maintain a profitable and viable business with the steady increase of recreational use on a firsthand basis. It is with this experience that I can make a great impact for our county.

My experiences speak to balance and leadership skills. I have held many leadership positions on both volunteer and professional organizations, starting as an Eagle Scout at 14 years of age. I learned early in life the value of a strong work ethic and will bring that with me as a commissioner.

We have many pressing needs in our county, and I am excited to go to work with the citizens of Gunnison County and find solutions together.

Classic rock, jazz, blues, country, classical, rap or New Age?

I’m partial to 1980s-90s country, with a little classic rock from my youth.

Activity you want to still get in or focus on before the snow flies:

I’d like to take a little time to catch my breath and just watch the leaves fall. It’s been an awesome fall season!

John Messner

District 1

Let’s start with the proverbial softball question. Why are you running for Gunnison County commissioner?

This county is my home, our success is my passion and in the simplest terms I want us all to thrive. Notice I used the term thrive and not survive. Our county can be a tough place to be successful. We all work hard, harder than most, to make a life here. But this is a special place, full of vibrancy and potential. While we all may come from different backgrounds, have had different experiences and may even have different opinions on how to move forward, I believe each of us has a desire and willingness to work together to make the county we live in successful, for us to thrive.

What past experience do you bring that will be beneficial representing the people as county commissioner?

It is essential that a county commissioner understands the community they are representing and puts in the time and commitment to serving. I have been involved in the One Valley Prosperity Project and am one of the few individuals who attend meetings in all four subgroups as well as the Community Builders Task Force. I also am present at meetings for the RTA, TA, BOCC, Sage-grouse Strategic Committee, Gunnison Public Lands Initiative, Met Rec, UGRWCD, BOZAR, CB Town Council, Crested Butte Arts, Gunnison Regional Housing Authority and the Gunnison City Council, to name a few. I am on the Gunnison County Planning Commission, which has given me a comprehensive understanding of land use issues and the LUR (Land Use Resolution), an integral part of the role of county commissioner. I understand that sustainable development is important to the economy of Gunnison County and believe it is critical that we ensure our LUR and codes support and encourage the type of development that helps us overcome our affordable/available housing challenge. I have been an entrepreneur and owner of a national manufacturing and internet/catalog retail company based in Gunnison and am on the Region 10 board of directors. A business background and an understanding of entrepreneurship, manufacturing and the technology needs of business is very important to the role of county commissioner, especially as we move toward job growth, developing connectivity and creating a diverse and resilient economy.

I am the manager of my family’s small time horse and hay agricultural operation in the Ohio Creek Valley. I understand the importance of agriculture and water rights to the history, present and future of Gunnison County and will be an advocate as county commissioner.

Currently I own a company that specializes in grant writing and project management of recreation amenities and have been an outdoor educator and manager of a local nonprofit. Recreation and public lands are an essential part of our economy and quality of life. My experience supports my goal of working in cooperation with agencies, the ag community, local citizens and nonprofits in developing a recreation master plan for Gunnison County with the goal of improving the recreation infrastructure, dispersing impacts of use, and ensuring public lands stay in public hands.

Classic rock, jazz, blues, country, classical, rap or New Age?

Don’t Stop Believing!

Activity you want to still get in or focus on before the snow flies:

Wait, what? You mean I can do something other than campaign stuff before winter?

He was hired out of Hiram College in Ohio because of the well-known Midwestern work ethic, which was presumably better than the Colorado ski bum’s powder-day-religion principles—at least that’s what the Crested Butte ski resort owners at the time thought when they hired on a gaggle of them for their student employment program. Dano Marshall was one of those who gleefully took a semester off to work as a lift op.

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