New School Board Elected, Metro Receives $3.3 Million for Infrastructure
Southern Colorado Real Estate changed hands after 16 years. Jacque Wachob sold her business to Stephanie and Andrew Bratcher. Wachob opened the real estate office in 2005. Stephanie Bratcher worked for Wachob in her Pueblo office on a part time basis. Stephanie is a broker associate and Wachob will mentor her until February of this year when she will become the owner of record.
The Greenhorn Valley benefitted from Pueblo County 1-A funds. Funding is helping Volunteers for Community build their Peaks to Prairie Community Center. Those funds also built a newly constructed archery range at Rye Mountain Park.
It was announced at the October 5, District 70 Board of Directors meeting that, according to the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, the district schools are operating under performance and improvement plans were recommended.
Chance Donlon ended his Rye High School golfing career at the state tournament where he placed 44th. The tournament was held at Spring Valley Golf Course in Elizabeth.
Jack Scott was crowned Homecoming King and Gracie Pfalmer was crowned Homecoming Queen for 2021. Schon Moore, Morgan Elarton, Remington Peterson, and Sophie Adamson made up the rest of the royal court. The Greenhorn Valley View announced and rolled out an improved e-edition and a new website in the final edition of the paper in October. eType Services host the new online presence. The new e-edition is in a popular flipbook format. The location is www.greenhornvalleyview.com.
The Colorado City/Rye Lions Club had to change the date of their 6th Annual Car Show because of 60 mile per hour winds and downed power lines. They pulled it off in fine fashion on October 30th instead of the originally scheduled October 9th date. Fifty cars and 15 craft vendors adjusted right along with the Lions Club. Mark and Lyn Orth won the first-place trophy with their 1962 Volkswagen “Stanley the Short Bus.” The event was held at Greenhorn Meadows Park.
The 10th Annual Halloween Town took place in Rye. A frigid temperature did nothing to chill the excitement of the participants as they gathered candy and hot chocolate. Some dispensers of sweetness shared that they gave out 20-30 pounds of candy to the passing, costumed throng.
The Rye Volleyball team qualified for the state tournament and were ranked as the 8th best team in 2A in the state of Colorado. The experts underestimated the Lady-T’s who ended up placing 5th in the state, including a come-from-behind victory over league nemesis Fowler, who had beaten the
Thunderbolts on two previous meetings.
Rye resident Christina Ohlsen was inducted into the Pueblo County 4-H Leader Hall of Fame. Ohlsen became a 4-H leader in 1981. In addition to her 4-H leadership, she was one of the first people to initiate the therapy dog program at St. Mary-Corwin Hospital and other healthcare settings around Pueblo.
After a number of public debates, along with several articles in the Greenhorn Valley View, voters elected a brand-new board for District 70, ousting every incumbent up for election. Rye’s John Christenson won the local district vote. In the same election, the Colorado City Metro District got the permission of the voters to retain certain tax money. That measure passed by about a two to one margin.
ElectriCritters celebrated their 29th Anniversary at the Pueblo Zoo. From November 26th until December 26th dates were designated for the display, including every night from 5:30-8:30 p.m. from December 17-26.
Kayla McKinley and Jim Klipfel (father and daughter) opened up a pair of storage facilities in the valley. The business, P’s in a Pod Storage, LLC, features 40 pods at a Graneros location and 60 storage units at a location near the Colorado City Post Office. By the way, the two “P’s” who inspired the name are Parker and Paislee, McKinley’s daughters and Klipfel’s granddaughters.
Wet Mountain Stoneworks, owned and operated by father-son combination Mike and Ty Spieles, produce wellconstructed, unique, steelreinforced stonework. Mike has been producing the products for over 15 years and moved it to Colorado City several years ago, but chose this opportunity to make his craft known to the public.
November 20, approximately 50 brave people took the plunge into Lake Beckwith to support the 5th Annual Maggie Drew Peters Polar Plunge. The annual event is a scholarship fundraiser for Rye High School graduating students. In the prior four years the plunge has raised over $59,000 in memory of Peters, class of 2018, who passed away in November 2015.
Fred Ettlemann celebrated his 50th year as a State Farm Agent on November 15. This is also the 100th year that State Farm has been in business.
Morgan Elarton and Gracie Graham were selected by the 2A Colorado Volleyball Coaches to compete in the All-State game at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins. The game took place on November 21.
Colorado City Metropolitan District got $3.3 million from the American Rescue Plan which was signed into law back in March, but distributed by the Pueblo County Commissioners. The money will go toward the replacement of two miles of water line and the refurbishing, inside and out, of three water tanks.
Jonathan Ambler filed his candidacy for Colorado House District 46. Ambler made his first political run in 2018. He also ran in the 2020 race.
Richard Hopp became the new Operator in Responsible Charge for the Town of Rye at the November 10 meeting.
The Chamber of Commerce Parade of Lights took place on December 18. Locals lined the parade route, waving and cheering for the parade entries. Parade lights judge John Schaiberger awarded KOA the first-place prize for the 2021 event.