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COUNTY PAUSES NEW MARIJUANA OPERATIONS, PAGE 5 MEDICAL CLINIC EXPANDS INTO AESTHETICS, PAGE 10 5 0 ¢April 29-May 5, 2021 50¢April THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF RIDGWAY, OURAY, AND OURAY COUNTY YEAR 143, NO. 48OURAYNEWS.COM NEW HOME, Vaccine demand SAME MISSION slows Ouray County Food Pantry prepares for move to larger building, Pfizer shots available as demand for food assistance remains above pre-pandemic levels for teens in region By Carolina Brown Left: Ouray County By Liz Teitz [email protected] Food Pantry vol- [email protected] unteer Caroline The Ouray County Food Pantry will move McAndrews prepares Demand for vaccines in Ouray County to its new permanent location next month, canned and boxed has slowed, pushing the health depart- and will own the building it occupies for the food to be distrib- ment to consider scaling back vaccina- first time in the 13-year history of the non - uted at the pantry's tion days and relocating the clinic from profit organization. current home on the 4-H Center. The nonprofit’s new location at 602 N. Sherman Street in Public Health Director Tanner Kingery Cora St. in Ridgway is the former location of Ridgway on April told county commissioners Tuesday only 22. The nonprofit is Exotic Earth Coffee Roasters. The building 11 people signed up for vaccines Mon- preparing to move will give the pantry 500 more square feet day, and only four on Tuesday, a number to its new, larger on of space than it had before, to help serve so low they were forced to move those North Cora Street, appointments to another day to avoid anyone in the community struggling with below, next month. food insecurity. Demands for weekly food wasting supplies. The food pantry “It’s getting harder and harder with distribution remain higher than they were has $234,000 of the before the pandemic. a small amount of people, because we $390,000 purchase can’t open a whole vial for four people,” The nonprofit is still fundraising for the price left to raise. The Kingery said. Moderna vaccines come in building purchase, which has been finalized. previous owners of 10-dose vials (though 11 shots can often The total cost is $390,000, with a balance of the building, Karen $234,000 still left to raise. This amount is be - and Richard Avery, be pulled from each) and the Johnson & ing owner-financed at zero percent interest are financing the pur- Johnson vaccines are shipped in five-dose by Karen and Richard Avery, the building’s chase of the build- vials. Once the vials are opened, all doses previous owners. ing at zero percent must be used the same day or discarded. “We just wanted to help the community, interest. “We’ve got to be a little more creative ultimately because I feel like there is an ur- and strategic,” he said, including encour- gent need for a food pantry for the county,” aging more people to get vaccinated, and Mike Wiggins and potentially adjusting vaccination sched- Karen Avery said. Erin McIntyre Since the pantry could not have financed ules to accommodate more people. the building any other way, Avery said she — Ouray County As of Monday, the county has adminis- offered to finance the purchase with no Plaindealer tered 3,350 total vaccines, and more than interest costs added on. 1,800 people are now fully vaccinated; “It just didn’t seem like we needed to that includes residents and anyone from charge any interest. We are trying to be outside the county who was vaccinated at helpful,” she said. the 4-H Center. According to data from the state health department, 49.5 percent The need continues of eligible Ouray County residents are Pandemic-related closures led demand fully immunized, and 59.3 percent have at the food pantry to increase almost 53 received at least one dose. Among those percent for individual food distributions. considered most vulnerable, about 67 The pantry has seen a 22 percent increase in percent of residents who are 70 and older the number of households served since the received at least one shot, a percentage pandemic started. that seems to be plateauing over the last Beverly Angehrn, the food pantry’s board month, Kingery said. Rates for ages 60 president, said some of the increased to 64 and 65 to 69 have continued to demand came from people who moved in increase, though, with about three-quar- with friends and family to make ends meet, ters of those age groups at least partly so those homes needed more food to go vaccinated. around. The slowdown in signups for appoint- The number of people served at the pantry ments seems to be due to the inconve- varies week-to-week, as many clients are not nience, Kingery said. People contacted necessarily regulars. For example, Angehrn about registration have said they can’t said one week they may serve 28 people, and miss work, or can’t plan to have a sore 15 the next week. arm or side effects on a weekday, and SEE PANTRY ON PAGE 22 SEE VACCINE ON PAGE 20 Ouray Peggy Lindsey Gifts for Locals, too! 970-325-4478 Open Daily Ridgway Broker/Owner 644 MAIN ST., OURAY EST. 1913 970-626-5462 OurayRealEstateCorp.com 970-325-4408 970-596-1219 www.csbcolorado.com MountainFeverShirts.com 2 OURAY COUNTY PLAINDEALER — OURAYNEWS.COM APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2021 Planning members reappointed POLICE LOG RIDGWAY MARSHAL By Carolina Brown Ouray County Sheriff Justin Perry initially qualify for Medicaid and [email protected] brought up Beckhardt’s comments then no longer qualify when their The following is a summary of cases the Ridgway Marshal's concerning the number of occu- income goes up or their children Office handled from April 12-25. If you have information on Interviews scheduled with candi- pants of OHVs. get too old for coverage. But under any of the below active cases or of any other incident that dates for the Ouray County Plan- “Quite frankly there is a level of rules enacted during the pandemic, you have information on or feel needs reporting, contact the ning Commission were canceled agreement I have with this. Hav- Medicaid recipients are locked in, Marshal's Office at 970-626-5196 on Tuesday after two of the four ing more occupants than a vehicle guaranteeing they are covered until D u r i n g t h e s e t w o w e e k s d e p u ti e s c o n d u c t e d : candidates for three seats withdrew manufacturer recommends can be the emergency declaration is over, 144 directed patrols their applications. dangerous,” Perry said. which Fredrich said should last until 18 security checks The remaining candidates, Patsy Based on Beckhardt’s comments, January 2022. 13 traffic contacts, four citations Miller and Randy Parker, are sitting commissioners agreed to delete a Friedrich said she anticipates an 12 agency assists members of the commission. Since portion of the ordinance that would increased need for staff to help Three information reports there was no longer competition, have allowed for one occupant more people through transitioning off of 10 VIN inspections commissioners planned to formally than manufacturer recommenda- Medicaid and possibly appealing the One business check reappoint Miller and Parker at a tions. loss of coverage. She said the state Five 911 calls, all OK special session on Wednesday. The ordinance is meant to better will be supplying her department 24 foot patrols Parker and Miller were first ap - align with neighboring Hinsdale, with extra funds for the needed Five camping warnings pointed to the commission in March San Miguel and San Juan counties, additional staff during that time. Three phone calls 2015. reducing confusion for those operat- The board also approved a pur- Five parking problems Michael Waters and Rob Ashmead ing OHVs in the backcountry when chase of service agreement with One accident were the candidates who withdrew they cross county lines and easing Voyager Youth Program which pro- Five animal problems their applications. This leaves one enforcement issues for the Sheriff’s vides reimbursement through the One missing/found child vacancy on the seven-member Office. The counties share access to federal program Temporary Assis- One lost wallet One trespass panel, as Sheelagh Williams has not popular high country OHV trails, tance for Needy Families (TANF), to One threat requested reappointment. including the Alpine Loop and other Voyager for providing scholarships One civil matter passes. However, Hinsdale County to families for summer programs. OHV ordinance One unwanted party is updating its ordinance now so Households with an income of less One vehicle trespass/theft The board approved the second the county may be looking at more than $75,000 per year with at least One criminal mischief reading of the new off highway adjustments in the future. one child can fill out an application One alarm vehicle ordinance on Tuesday with with Voyager, according to Fried- One found cellphone some changes. Social Services rich. Voyager then invoices Social One medical call The changes were made based Director of Social Services Carol Services for reimbursement. on suggestions by Log Hill resi- Friedrich told commissioners to “It’s been really good,” Friedrich A deputy responded to a report of a theft at the Shell dent Dave Beckhardt, who brought expect her department to have extra said of the agreement that has been Store in Ridgway. A snowboard valued at $1,000 was taken up concerns via email and during workload when Medicaid members, renewed for several years.