OURAY — Ouray County is seeking nearly $16 million in federal stimulus funds to reconstruct and pave County Road 1 over Log Hill Mesa and connecting roads to Highway 62 west of Ridgway.
The Board of County Commis-sioners on Monday approved the final version of a Tiger Grant application, made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, following its review during a special meeting on Sept. 8. The grant application was due Sept. 15.
The proposed 15-mile project would upgrade County Roads 1 from Colona over Log Hill Mesa and CR24 and CR 24-D through the east end of Pleasant Valley. County commissioners conceded after last week’s review that the project could make the route a bypass of Ridgway by funneling traffic off Highways 550 and 62.
“This will be a more efficient bypass road," said Commissioner Keith Meinert last week. But, Meinert noted, issues of speed limits, signage, weight limits and traffic enforcement need to be addressed. “I may lean toward favoring it when these questions are answered. People will need to know what the implications are.”
BOCC Chairman Heidi Albritton said last week that the BOCC will fully field public comment to see if county residents “have the political will” for the project, should funding be obtained.
On Monday, Albritton complimented county staff, in particular Administrator Connie Hunt, for putting the grant application together so quickly and so professionally. Albritton said she knows the project may stir controversy.
“But I feel as elected officials it’s important for us to examine all options that will help the community,” said Albritton.
Meinert echoed Albritton’s comments. “I want to assure the public that it can air any concerns,” said Meinert. “We will hold a public forum … if we get this grant. We are not making a commitment today.”
The grant application cites a potential benefit of creating a more convenient and shorter route (by nearly four miles) than the 19-plus miles on the Highway 550 and Highway 62 corridor through Ouray County.
Other benefits include improving safety for school buses and emergency response vehicles, winter travel and by reducing the number of vehicles that use Highway 62 through Ridgway for commuter or delivery travel between Montrose and Telluride; reducing dependence on oil and gas by providing an alternate route that is about 20% shorter; and enhancing air quality by reducing vehicle emissions and particulate matter from (gravel road) dust and the road-surface placement of sand during winter.
“It was a huge project pulling this together,” said Albritton. “It (the application packet) is really well thought out and pulls the picture together. We have a lot of good information to share at a public forum.”
A complete digital copy of the grant application is available at the Ouray County website: www.ouraycountyco.gov/
— By Patrick Davarn, news editor
Friday, September 18, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Affordable housing in Ridgway
Regional Housing Authority Moves Ahead With Plan
Written by - Gus Jarvis
Posted by - Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
OURAY – While there is little question of the need for affordable housing in Ouray County, the actual number of units required to catch up with the region’s current growth, and projected growth, is a moving target. Combine that with the recession and streamlined budgets of local governments and the process of solving the region’s housing problems has been no easy task for the 10-member Regional Housing Authority.
Still, the group of elected and appointed officials from the City of Ouray, Town of Ridgway and Ouray County is three-quarters of the way finished with a housing plan.
Ridgway Town Planner Jen Coates, who sits on the housing authority board, told the Ouray Board of County Commissioners on Monday that even if affordable housing units cannot be funded immediately because of tightened budgets, the housing authority still intends to create an effective and realistic housing plan for the region.
The authority, with the help of consultant Melanie Rees, has been formulating its plan with data from the 2008-completed housing needs assessment. According to that assessment, there is currently a need for 149 units of affordable housing to catch up with current demands. By 2015, the region will need close to 200. The assessment also states that 75 percent of employees who work within Ridgway live outside Ouray County and that housing costs have increased 10 percent a year with real employee wages increasing at a rate of 2.1 percent a year.
With the understanding that those numbers may have changed from the time the assessment was completed in 2008, the housing authority decided to reassess them in formulating the plan.
“In light of the current economy and changes, we thought it would be a good idea to check in to make sure we end up with a realistic and effective plan that we can feel comfortable putting into action,” Coates told the commissioners. She did not go into details on how those housing needs may have changed, but said the housing action plan and final report will be completed by the end of May.
“We know what the need is,” she said, adding that the question the group now faces is “how do we put a plan into place.”
Coates said that the final report will be made up of six components. It will address the 2008 needs assessment as well as the reevaluation and modification of those numbers to coincide with current conditions. The group also looked at housing trends in Ouray County, like second home ownership and the mix of housing types and income targets.
Other components of the plan call for the authority to create housing goals and objectives that outline the actual housing numbers targeted and to decide on priority strategies to solve the housing problem.
“This is, in part, where we are at right now,” Coates said. “What are our catch-up strategies and what are our keep-up strategies? Frankly, the keep-up strategies are easy. The catch-up strategies require funding. We are excited about keep-up but catch-up is going to be tricky.”
For example, Coates said municipalities can enact certain regulations for future developments that would include a certain percentage of affordable housing. These regulations, like inclusionary zoning, once in place, will be the “keep-up” as the region grows.
To play “catch-up” with the region’s housing needs, money is the main factor.
In the short-term, Coates said, one strategy is to look at the existing housing stock and then lower housing costs through house rehabilitation and weatherization programs.
“There is funding out there for those that don’t require a significant amount of cash,” she said. For example, the Youth Corps recently performed energy audits on 25 homes in Ouray County, and in so doing provided energy efficient light bulbs, handed out exterior and interior laundry lines, and installed energy efficient thermostats. The audits were funded through the Governor’s Energy Office and created by Grand Junction-based Housing Resources. Such programs can be used in this belt-tightening economy to lower housing costs and will be a part of the housing authority’s final plan.
Coates said another portion of the plan will outline the methods of implementation, while the final piece of the plan deals with its administration, or the “who is going to do it and what is it going to look like.”
After hearing from Coates, the commissioners generally agreed that the group is moving in the right direction and that collaboration between the City of Ouray, the Town of Ridgway and Ouray County to addrress housing needs remains a priority.
The final housing action plan is scheduled for presentation on May 27 at the Ouray Community Center.
Written by - Gus Jarvis
Posted by - Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
OURAY – While there is little question of the need for affordable housing in Ouray County, the actual number of units required to catch up with the region’s current growth, and projected growth, is a moving target. Combine that with the recession and streamlined budgets of local governments and the process of solving the region’s housing problems has been no easy task for the 10-member Regional Housing Authority.
Still, the group of elected and appointed officials from the City of Ouray, Town of Ridgway and Ouray County is three-quarters of the way finished with a housing plan.
Ridgway Town Planner Jen Coates, who sits on the housing authority board, told the Ouray Board of County Commissioners on Monday that even if affordable housing units cannot be funded immediately because of tightened budgets, the housing authority still intends to create an effective and realistic housing plan for the region.
The authority, with the help of consultant Melanie Rees, has been formulating its plan with data from the 2008-completed housing needs assessment. According to that assessment, there is currently a need for 149 units of affordable housing to catch up with current demands. By 2015, the region will need close to 200. The assessment also states that 75 percent of employees who work within Ridgway live outside Ouray County and that housing costs have increased 10 percent a year with real employee wages increasing at a rate of 2.1 percent a year.
With the understanding that those numbers may have changed from the time the assessment was completed in 2008, the housing authority decided to reassess them in formulating the plan.
“In light of the current economy and changes, we thought it would be a good idea to check in to make sure we end up with a realistic and effective plan that we can feel comfortable putting into action,” Coates told the commissioners. She did not go into details on how those housing needs may have changed, but said the housing action plan and final report will be completed by the end of May.
“We know what the need is,” she said, adding that the question the group now faces is “how do we put a plan into place.”
Coates said that the final report will be made up of six components. It will address the 2008 needs assessment as well as the reevaluation and modification of those numbers to coincide with current conditions. The group also looked at housing trends in Ouray County, like second home ownership and the mix of housing types and income targets.
Other components of the plan call for the authority to create housing goals and objectives that outline the actual housing numbers targeted and to decide on priority strategies to solve the housing problem.
“This is, in part, where we are at right now,” Coates said. “What are our catch-up strategies and what are our keep-up strategies? Frankly, the keep-up strategies are easy. The catch-up strategies require funding. We are excited about keep-up but catch-up is going to be tricky.”
For example, Coates said municipalities can enact certain regulations for future developments that would include a certain percentage of affordable housing. These regulations, like inclusionary zoning, once in place, will be the “keep-up” as the region grows.
To play “catch-up” with the region’s housing needs, money is the main factor.
In the short-term, Coates said, one strategy is to look at the existing housing stock and then lower housing costs through house rehabilitation and weatherization programs.
“There is funding out there for those that don’t require a significant amount of cash,” she said. For example, the Youth Corps recently performed energy audits on 25 homes in Ouray County, and in so doing provided energy efficient light bulbs, handed out exterior and interior laundry lines, and installed energy efficient thermostats. The audits were funded through the Governor’s Energy Office and created by Grand Junction-based Housing Resources. Such programs can be used in this belt-tightening economy to lower housing costs and will be a part of the housing authority’s final plan.
Coates said another portion of the plan will outline the methods of implementation, while the final piece of the plan deals with its administration, or the “who is going to do it and what is it going to look like.”
After hearing from Coates, the commissioners generally agreed that the group is moving in the right direction and that collaboration between the City of Ouray, the Town of Ridgway and Ouray County to addrress housing needs remains a priority.
The final housing action plan is scheduled for presentation on May 27 at the Ouray Community Center.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Ridgway Geothermal
Written by: Beverly Corbell
Posted by: Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
OURAY — The Ouray City Council took measures at its Monday meeting that will have direct effects on the Ouray Hot Springs Pool: bring more hot water in and keep cold water out.
The council awarded an engineering contract at the meeting to study replacing the Skyrocket Creek diversion, which washed away in 2006, and “in a major flood event” could potentially flood out the pool, said city manager Patrick Rondinelli. The contract was awarded to McMillan Engineering of Ridgway.
A second engineering contract was given to Monadock Mineral Services of Ouray to determine work needed to replace the hot water line from Box Canyon that feeds the Ouray pool.
The current line leaks, Rondinelli said, losing water and heat along the way. The section of line to be replaced runs from Box Canyon to Third Avenue and Oak streets, he said.
“Where the source is, are significant holes in the line from scree debris, and with the river channel, it undercuts the line and (the line) is actually hanging in the air,” he said. “We’re in jeopardy of closing that line, which would have significant impact on the pool.”
Not only will the hot water line be replaced, but other sources of hot water from the many geothermal springs around Ouray will be located, not only for the pool but to increase the likelihood of producing geothermal energy.
Monadock will partner with West Water Engineering to complete the study, Rondinelli said.
“We are really excited to move forward, and in the best-case scenario we hope to have the engineering done by mid-summer and start construction this fall during low river season,” he said. “We still have to go out and get funding for construction and it will probably be next year before the real work is done.”
The Skyrocket diversion project will protect both the pool and U.S. Highway 550 from potential flood damage in case of a major flood event like the flood of 1929. That event “flooded the power plant, took the railroad section house and almost got the depot. Bridges and roads vanished and the Hot Springs Pool filled with mud, rock and debris…,” according to A Brief History of Ouray by historian Doris Gregory.
The Skyrocket diversion has not been replaced since it washed away in 2006, Rondinelli said, and the channel of the creek still wants to run north – to the pool.
“If we do have a significant event, there is nothing to stop it from coming back to its historical drainage, especially if it became plugged,” he said. “Everything would go toward the pool, and we’re just lucky that it hasn’t happened.”
Funding for both engineering studies comes from a $60,000 grant from the state Department of Local Affairs and $40,000 in matching funds from the city, Rondinelli said.
Both projects are vital to Ouray, Rondinelli said. Flooding from Skyrocket Creek could damage the pool in a major flood, he said, and could wash away sections of U.S. Highway 550, the major evacuation route from Ouray to the north.
Keeping the city-owned hot springs pool hot is important because the pool attracts visitors and contributes about $1 million annually to the city’s parks system, Rondinelli said.
“It’s a major tourist attraction, one of the many assets we have along with the beauty of the terrain, the Jeep trails and hiking trails, restaurants and shops, and obviously is a major draw that helps bring people here,” he said.
Posted by: Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
OURAY — The Ouray City Council took measures at its Monday meeting that will have direct effects on the Ouray Hot Springs Pool: bring more hot water in and keep cold water out.
The council awarded an engineering contract at the meeting to study replacing the Skyrocket Creek diversion, which washed away in 2006, and “in a major flood event” could potentially flood out the pool, said city manager Patrick Rondinelli. The contract was awarded to McMillan Engineering of Ridgway.
A second engineering contract was given to Monadock Mineral Services of Ouray to determine work needed to replace the hot water line from Box Canyon that feeds the Ouray pool.
The current line leaks, Rondinelli said, losing water and heat along the way. The section of line to be replaced runs from Box Canyon to Third Avenue and Oak streets, he said.
“Where the source is, are significant holes in the line from scree debris, and with the river channel, it undercuts the line and (the line) is actually hanging in the air,” he said. “We’re in jeopardy of closing that line, which would have significant impact on the pool.”
Not only will the hot water line be replaced, but other sources of hot water from the many geothermal springs around Ouray will be located, not only for the pool but to increase the likelihood of producing geothermal energy.
Monadock will partner with West Water Engineering to complete the study, Rondinelli said.
“We are really excited to move forward, and in the best-case scenario we hope to have the engineering done by mid-summer and start construction this fall during low river season,” he said. “We still have to go out and get funding for construction and it will probably be next year before the real work is done.”
The Skyrocket diversion project will protect both the pool and U.S. Highway 550 from potential flood damage in case of a major flood event like the flood of 1929. That event “flooded the power plant, took the railroad section house and almost got the depot. Bridges and roads vanished and the Hot Springs Pool filled with mud, rock and debris…,” according to A Brief History of Ouray by historian Doris Gregory.
The Skyrocket diversion has not been replaced since it washed away in 2006, Rondinelli said, and the channel of the creek still wants to run north – to the pool.
“If we do have a significant event, there is nothing to stop it from coming back to its historical drainage, especially if it became plugged,” he said. “Everything would go toward the pool, and we’re just lucky that it hasn’t happened.”
Funding for both engineering studies comes from a $60,000 grant from the state Department of Local Affairs and $40,000 in matching funds from the city, Rondinelli said.
Both projects are vital to Ouray, Rondinelli said. Flooding from Skyrocket Creek could damage the pool in a major flood, he said, and could wash away sections of U.S. Highway 550, the major evacuation route from Ouray to the north.
Keeping the city-owned hot springs pool hot is important because the pool attracts visitors and contributes about $1 million annually to the city’s parks system, Rondinelli said.
“It’s a major tourist attraction, one of the many assets we have along with the beauty of the terrain, the Jeep trails and hiking trails, restaurants and shops, and obviously is a major draw that helps bring people here,” he said.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Ouray Zoning Changes
Request to amend zoning, density standards denied
More News
BLM seeks Advisory Council nominees
In second decade, dZi touches lives of thousands
Attic fire damages home
Boosters ‘Hoop It Up’ at fund-raiser for athletics
Boys, girls earn berth at regional BB tournament
Extras
e-mail this article link to a friend
letter to the editor about this article
print this article
March 06, 2009
By Christopher Pike
County commissioners rejected a landowner's bid to amend Land Use Code zoning standards.
The code amendment, had it passed, would have enabled the property owner next to Eagle Hill Ranch subdivision north of Ridgway to split his land into three lots, matching the density in Eagle Hill.
Commissioners said Monday they accepted the Ouray County Planning Commission's reasoning in its recommendation of denial last Nov. 18. The commission's report noted that the new language, as presented by the applicant, could result in the rezoning of property "even if the adjacent parcel's current zoning does not match."
The P&Z also declared that should the code amendment become law, a parcel anywhere in the county "could be rezoned to historical zoning densities that no longer exist, or ... granted density that has been done away with."
Applicant Steve Jordon owns a 21.83-acre parcel next to Eagle Hill Ranch. Jordon invoked several sections within the LUC, beginning last May, to subdividie his parcel into three lots. He had argued that his parcel could be subdivided since it is surrounded "on all sides by developments of greater density that which is being proposed."
Jordon's representative, Robert Savath, said the only reason his client was pursuing this process was because there is "no other way under the current code to address this application." Savath was reminded by BOCC Chairman Heidi Albritton, however, that future recourse was available for Jordon to split the parcel into two lots as allowed by Section 17 of the code.
Commissioner Keith Meinert said the request was significant in that it would have broadened the ability of future county commissioners to make code changes. Those may have expanded the use of zoning changes to increase density and decrease the lot size.
More News
BLM seeks Advisory Council nominees
In second decade, dZi touches lives of thousands
Attic fire damages home
Boosters ‘Hoop It Up’ at fund-raiser for athletics
Boys, girls earn berth at regional BB tournament
Extras
e-mail this article link to a friend
letter to the editor about this article
print this article
March 06, 2009
By Christopher Pike
County commissioners rejected a landowner's bid to amend Land Use Code zoning standards.
The code amendment, had it passed, would have enabled the property owner next to Eagle Hill Ranch subdivision north of Ridgway to split his land into three lots, matching the density in Eagle Hill.
Commissioners said Monday they accepted the Ouray County Planning Commission's reasoning in its recommendation of denial last Nov. 18. The commission's report noted that the new language, as presented by the applicant, could result in the rezoning of property "even if the adjacent parcel's current zoning does not match."
The P&Z also declared that should the code amendment become law, a parcel anywhere in the county "could be rezoned to historical zoning densities that no longer exist, or ... granted density that has been done away with."
Applicant Steve Jordon owns a 21.83-acre parcel next to Eagle Hill Ranch. Jordon invoked several sections within the LUC, beginning last May, to subdividie his parcel into three lots. He had argued that his parcel could be subdivided since it is surrounded "on all sides by developments of greater density that which is being proposed."
Jordon's representative, Robert Savath, said the only reason his client was pursuing this process was because there is "no other way under the current code to address this application." Savath was reminded by BOCC Chairman Heidi Albritton, however, that future recourse was available for Jordon to split the parcel into two lots as allowed by Section 17 of the code.
Commissioner Keith Meinert said the request was significant in that it would have broadened the ability of future county commissioners to make code changes. Those may have expanded the use of zoning changes to increase density and decrease the lot size.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Doctors office in Ouray
February 20, 2009
Written By: Samantha Tisdel Wright
Posted By: Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
After doing without for several years, Ouray is poised to get its own medical center once again. Ouray Family Medicine will open its doors at 824 Main Street in mid-March.
"We've been scratching our heads thinking about it for years," said Dr. David Olson, a family practice physician who with his wife and nurse practitioner Shirley Olson, will be running the clinic. "The time just seemed right."
Once the decision to open a practice had been made, it took the Olsons a little longer to find the right place. Buying their own building was not an option, so when the current location, which used to house the hair salon Shea Studio, became available, "...We were like, 'Yeah, baby... it's perfect,' David laughed.
The location wasn't dialed in until December. Since then, there's been some serious remodeling going on, to transform the once chic salon into a medical clinic with a reception desk and waiting area, three exam rooms, a trauma/x-ray room, office space and more.
An open area up front will double as a waiting room for patients and their families, and an after-hours theater and lecture area, where guest lecturers will be invited to give talks from time to time, the Olsons said.
Shirley, who has been an RN for 15 years, has spent the past few years completing her master's degree to become a family nurse practitioner, training which she anticipates completing in May. She has recently been working at a women's health clinic in Montrose.
"I like primary care more than accute care, because you're working toward enhancing a person's overall health," she said.
David, who received his medical education at Northwestern University in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, and completed his family practice residency at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, has been practicing family medicine since 1980 at the age of 25.
He formerly had small private family practices in Denver and Michigan. This past year, he's worked at a family practice in Montrose.
It's work that he's well-suited to. "Family physicians are in short supply," he noted. "They have the hardest job, they make the least money, they have to know the most."
The Olsons, who moved to Ouray in 2004, intend to flesh out their offerings by bringing in specialists on a rotating basis.
Shirley herself is currently obtaining certification training as a foot care specialist. "And we recently obtained our aesthetic medicine credentials and will likely offer Botox injections and chemical peels initially, and perhaps other aesthetic procedures later," Olson said.
In addition to his time in family practice, David spent a considerable period of time in high-level medical management. "I wanted to have a bigger effect; I wasn't happy with the way medicine was administered," he explained. "I was ready for something new." Now, he has come full circle, back to family medicine.
"We are committed to living in Ouray for the rest of our lives," he said. "And you can't be a medical director in Ouray." But there's certainly a need here for a medical clinic, a need which he and Shirley are now poised to fill. Together, they envision creating a family practice in Ouray that can care for all of the town's citizens, from birth on up.
The Olsons also look forward to creating an ultra-modern "micro" practice, incorporating the latest developments in medical practices that have been made possible by the Internet.
"We will have an interactive web page where patients can log in or fill in their demographics, and make or change an appointment," David explained. Patients, once they are logged in, can also securely e-mail David and Shirley questions and information about their medical backgrounds. All records will be kept electronically.
"The 'micro' model is very hands-on, and can dramatically decrease administrative fees," Shirley explained. "You might often have one of us answering the phone." And yes, the Olsons will do house calls.
"A micro-practice is the perfect model for us," Shirley added. "Our style is to spend more time with each patient. That's the way medicine should be practiced."
Written By: Samantha Tisdel Wright
Posted By: Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
After doing without for several years, Ouray is poised to get its own medical center once again. Ouray Family Medicine will open its doors at 824 Main Street in mid-March.
"We've been scratching our heads thinking about it for years," said Dr. David Olson, a family practice physician who with his wife and nurse practitioner Shirley Olson, will be running the clinic. "The time just seemed right."
Once the decision to open a practice had been made, it took the Olsons a little longer to find the right place. Buying their own building was not an option, so when the current location, which used to house the hair salon Shea Studio, became available, "...We were like, 'Yeah, baby... it's perfect,' David laughed.
The location wasn't dialed in until December. Since then, there's been some serious remodeling going on, to transform the once chic salon into a medical clinic with a reception desk and waiting area, three exam rooms, a trauma/x-ray room, office space and more.
An open area up front will double as a waiting room for patients and their families, and an after-hours theater and lecture area, where guest lecturers will be invited to give talks from time to time, the Olsons said.
Shirley, who has been an RN for 15 years, has spent the past few years completing her master's degree to become a family nurse practitioner, training which she anticipates completing in May. She has recently been working at a women's health clinic in Montrose.
"I like primary care more than accute care, because you're working toward enhancing a person's overall health," she said.
David, who received his medical education at Northwestern University in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, and completed his family practice residency at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, has been practicing family medicine since 1980 at the age of 25.
He formerly had small private family practices in Denver and Michigan. This past year, he's worked at a family practice in Montrose.
It's work that he's well-suited to. "Family physicians are in short supply," he noted. "They have the hardest job, they make the least money, they have to know the most."
The Olsons, who moved to Ouray in 2004, intend to flesh out their offerings by bringing in specialists on a rotating basis.
Shirley herself is currently obtaining certification training as a foot care specialist. "And we recently obtained our aesthetic medicine credentials and will likely offer Botox injections and chemical peels initially, and perhaps other aesthetic procedures later," Olson said.
In addition to his time in family practice, David spent a considerable period of time in high-level medical management. "I wanted to have a bigger effect; I wasn't happy with the way medicine was administered," he explained. "I was ready for something new." Now, he has come full circle, back to family medicine.
"We are committed to living in Ouray for the rest of our lives," he said. "And you can't be a medical director in Ouray." But there's certainly a need here for a medical clinic, a need which he and Shirley are now poised to fill. Together, they envision creating a family practice in Ouray that can care for all of the town's citizens, from birth on up.
The Olsons also look forward to creating an ultra-modern "micro" practice, incorporating the latest developments in medical practices that have been made possible by the Internet.
"We will have an interactive web page where patients can log in or fill in their demographics, and make or change an appointment," David explained. Patients, once they are logged in, can also securely e-mail David and Shirley questions and information about their medical backgrounds. All records will be kept electronically.
"The 'micro' model is very hands-on, and can dramatically decrease administrative fees," Shirley explained. "You might often have one of us answering the phone." And yes, the Olsons will do house calls.
"A micro-practice is the perfect model for us," Shirley added. "Our style is to spend more time with each patient. That's the way medicine should be practiced."
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Ridgway School Voted the Best
December 10, 2008
Written by Ouray News
Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ridgwayland.com
The national news magazine U.S. News and World Report recently ranked Ridgway High School as one of Colorado's top 29 high schools.
Superintendent Douglas Bissonette announced the recognition by e-mail on Monday, giving congratulations to Secondary School teachers and staff.
He said the ranking is based on student academic performance from 2006-07, the first year the high school was ranked excellent by the state.
Ridgway has an enrollment of 86 students in grades 9-12 and the school received, as did Telluride High School, a Bronze Medal ranking by U.S. News & World Report. The website address: www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/colorado
Written by Ouray News
Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ridgwayland.com
The national news magazine U.S. News and World Report recently ranked Ridgway High School as one of Colorado's top 29 high schools.
Superintendent Douglas Bissonette announced the recognition by e-mail on Monday, giving congratulations to Secondary School teachers and staff.
He said the ranking is based on student academic performance from 2006-07, the first year the high school was ranked excellent by the state.
Ridgway has an enrollment of 86 students in grades 9-12 and the school received, as did Telluride High School, a Bronze Medal ranking by U.S. News & World Report. The website address: www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/colorado
Friday, November 28, 2008
Ridgway Colorado Schools
Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ridgwayland.com
November 19, 2008
We're just more than halfway through November, hurtling headlong into the hectic holiday season, and it's been quite a newsmaking month for the Ridgway School District.
First, the ballot box results came late on the night of Nov. 4, and for the mil levy override question that would provide funding for the new gymnasium and music room. Hurrah, it was good news: Approval by a margin of 968-639.
So after years of planning, looking for a site, getting an original property tax measure passed and having the gym facilities fall casualty to unforeseen cost hikes, we will now get to see the needed school expansion progress through to completion.
To all who have dedicated the countless (and mostly, unpaid) hours toward building facilities that match the district's aspiration for excellence, three words — congratulations, and thank you.
The other school news in recent weeks involves top-level leadership for the district.
First, Superintendent Douglas Bissonette announced (actually on Halloween) he would be stepping down at the end of the school year.
On the heels of that announcement, the School Board unanimously voted to appoint a familiar face, that of Don Batchelder, to the vacant fifth board seat. Bissonette accurately states that he will leave Ridgway Schools in very good shape.
"Students receive an outstanding education from caring and talented teachers, the schools are led by strong principals with a clear, student-oriented vision, the district is in strong financial condition, and Ridgway's reputation locally and around the state is exceptional," Bissonette wrote in his resignation letter.
As any current observer knows, Bissonette's leadership of the district has been not been without its critics or controversy. With the support of his board, he was not timid in making changes in the faculty where he thought they were warranted. And several of those ignited emotional protests and discord in the community.
Bissonette noted that his tenure was of six years, twice the state average for school superintendents. Those short job spans indicate that the top administrative post of any school system is among the most challenging anywhere. Superintendents must answer to a politically-elected board, manage other administrators and teachers, crunch numbers into a working budget, and oh, know a thing or two about education. Just may be the toughest job in town.
Our hat's off to Bisonette for taking on those challenges with a can-do attitude.
His pending departure was a direct factor in the selection of Batchelder back to the School Board.
That Batchelder, the former mayor, town manager and current county commissioner, is a good choice should go without saying. Indeed, the employment of the best qualified superintendent is likely the board's biggest responsibility. Batchelder's long background in working both as an elected official and as a paid administrator will contribute greatly to finding Bissonette's successor, and that he or she be best suited for the job.
The appointment keeps Batchelder, whose eight years on the Board of County Commissioners ends in January, in an official public capacity. Which begs the question: What's next for him next November, when the School Board appointment ends?
— David Mullings
Erin Eddy
www.ridgwayland.com
November 19, 2008
We're just more than halfway through November, hurtling headlong into the hectic holiday season, and it's been quite a newsmaking month for the Ridgway School District.
First, the ballot box results came late on the night of Nov. 4, and for the mil levy override question that would provide funding for the new gymnasium and music room. Hurrah, it was good news: Approval by a margin of 968-639.
So after years of planning, looking for a site, getting an original property tax measure passed and having the gym facilities fall casualty to unforeseen cost hikes, we will now get to see the needed school expansion progress through to completion.
To all who have dedicated the countless (and mostly, unpaid) hours toward building facilities that match the district's aspiration for excellence, three words — congratulations, and thank you.
The other school news in recent weeks involves top-level leadership for the district.
First, Superintendent Douglas Bissonette announced (actually on Halloween) he would be stepping down at the end of the school year.
On the heels of that announcement, the School Board unanimously voted to appoint a familiar face, that of Don Batchelder, to the vacant fifth board seat. Bissonette accurately states that he will leave Ridgway Schools in very good shape.
"Students receive an outstanding education from caring and talented teachers, the schools are led by strong principals with a clear, student-oriented vision, the district is in strong financial condition, and Ridgway's reputation locally and around the state is exceptional," Bissonette wrote in his resignation letter.
As any current observer knows, Bissonette's leadership of the district has been not been without its critics or controversy. With the support of his board, he was not timid in making changes in the faculty where he thought they were warranted. And several of those ignited emotional protests and discord in the community.
Bissonette noted that his tenure was of six years, twice the state average for school superintendents. Those short job spans indicate that the top administrative post of any school system is among the most challenging anywhere. Superintendents must answer to a politically-elected board, manage other administrators and teachers, crunch numbers into a working budget, and oh, know a thing or two about education. Just may be the toughest job in town.
Our hat's off to Bisonette for taking on those challenges with a can-do attitude.
His pending departure was a direct factor in the selection of Batchelder back to the School Board.
That Batchelder, the former mayor, town manager and current county commissioner, is a good choice should go without saying. Indeed, the employment of the best qualified superintendent is likely the board's biggest responsibility. Batchelder's long background in working both as an elected official and as a paid administrator will contribute greatly to finding Bissonette's successor, and that he or she be best suited for the job.
The appointment keeps Batchelder, whose eight years on the Board of County Commissioners ends in January, in an official public capacity. Which begs the question: What's next for him next November, when the School Board appointment ends?
— David Mullings
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