Serving Telluride, Mountain Village, Ridgway, Ouray, the Montrose, Norwood and the Western San Juans prsrt STd u S PoSTaGe Paid RidGWay, co PeRMiT no. 5 WATCHNEWSPAPERS.COM Vol. 15, N O. 15 | THURSDAY, APril 14 - WEDNESDAY, APril 20, 2010 | WATCHNewsPAPers.COM Four-Day Festival to Raise Funds for Kids Montrose Wine money for programs for kids. The Black Canyon Boy and Girls Festival Adds Club, Voices for Children of Court Food and Beer to Appointed Special Advocates and for the first time, the Kids Aid Downtown Event backpack food program will share in the proceeds, which last year BY BEVERLY CORBELL amounted to $50,000. The benefit has raised more MONTROSE – For the than $230,000 in the past, Bean eighth straight year, the Montrose said. Wine and Food Festival will raise “This year we expect to go money for local nonprofits that over $300,000 in net dollars back benefit children in the area. to the community,” he said. “The The festival started in 2004, community has really gotten be- said festival boardmember Gary hind this event.” Bean, one of the founding mem- bers, and the purpose was to raise see WINE on page 6 RIVER FLOWS – The San Miguel River reflected the morning sun at Keystone Gorge Wednesday morn- ing. So far, the Western Slope has been unlucky in a year that, for the rest of the state, has seen record amounts of precipitation, but river watchers say that could change. (Photo by Brett Schreckengost) San Miguel, Dolores Watershed Snowpack Levels Below Average What Spring Brings Statewide the snowpack pend on river flows for guided level is 114 percent of average, rafting fish-fishing excursions. Is Seen as Biggest with the highest snowpack lev- “What happens over the Factor for Summer els found in the Yampa/White next couple of months may be WINE & FOOD FEST – The four-day Montrose Wine and Food Festi- (133 percent of average) and even more important than what val has expanded this year to include a downtown outdoor event on Rafting Flows North Platte (138 percent of av- has come before us,” Duncan Saturday, May 15, with live music from The Last Bus and more than erage) watersheds in northwest- said, discussing what kind of 20 restaurants setting up food booths, along with plenty of wine and BY GUS JARVIS ern Colorado. weather the Western Slope can microbrews. (courtesy photo) “There are just those two expect over the next couple of WESTERN SLOPE – With areas in the state that are pre- months. More snow and a cold a number of strong winter storms dicted to have below-average spring, for example, would seeming to bypass southwestern stream levels this summer,” mean a later runoff – and a lon- Telluride Bluegrass Colorado this past winter, it’s no said soil conservationist Lenny ger rafting season, while warm surprise that San Miguel, Dolo- Lang, from the Natural Re- temperatures through early June res, Animas, San Juan, and Rio sources Conservation Service’s could lead to an early runoff Stirs ‘A Perfect Storm’ Grande watershed snowpack Grand Junction office. “It was a – and a shorter season. Then, levels are below the overall state La Niña year, and most of the throw in the possibility of one BY MARTA TARBELL setting one hour. “It started going average of 114 percent. For raf- storms favored the northern of those snowpack-killing dust- so fast. ters and anglers eager for a long mountains. Basically everything storms blowing in from Arizona, TELLURIDE – Those pro- “My professional opinion is summer of fun on the river, in the state looks really good ex- and the melting process speeds verbial earlybirds got this year’s that it’s really a perfect storm,” there’s no need to panic, though, cept for those two areas.” up even more. “Those are the worm, when it came to four-day “You’ve got a couple of seri- because a lot can happen in the But while the numbers are a factors that dictate the runoff (and merchant) passes to the 2011 ous headliners,” he said, pointing next couple of months. fairly reliable indicator of where schedule,” Duncan said. Telluride Bluegrass Festival, in a to Sarah McLachlan, who even According to the most recent snowpack levels currently stand, Judging from the current ticket-selling frenzy that Promot- five years back, he pointed out, snowpack percentages provided one must take them with a grain snowpack percentages, and er Craig Ferguson said, in hind- was selling out “20,000-seat ven- by the Natural Resources Conser- of salt, because the weather we hoping for favorable weather, sight, surprised even him. ues,” making her “probably hotter vation Service, the San Miguel, experience between now and Duncan anticipates that the “I don’t know what I could than anyone on the lineup – except Dolores, Animas and San Juan June is crucial, when trying to 2011 rafting season will extend have done differently,” Ferguson for Led Zeppelin,” in its heyday watersheds, as a group, are cur- anticipate summer river levels, to the Fourth of July. said this week, of getting out the (whose lead singer Robert Plan is rently at 88 percent of average, says Telluride Outside co-own- “I think we are going to have word about the rapid-fire ticket the closing-night headliner). while the Upper Rio Grande is at er John Duncan, who believes a shorter-than-normal rafting sales to a festival featuring per- Then there are the bands that 79 percent. And these two water- snowpack percentages in April season,” he said. “Even though haps an even wider-than-usual appeal to the indie-rock crowd – shed groups are the only two in mean very little. Telluride Out- it’s been windy lately, we have range of talent, which saw mer- Colorado reporting average lev- side is just one of a handful of chant passes sell out in a record- see BLUEGRASS on page 16 els of below 100 percent. outfitters in the region that de- see RIVER on page 13 WATCH index...3 | Sports & Entertainment...9 | Sports Watch...11 | Calendar...14 | The Marketplace...17 | Wonderful Homes...19 | Sudoku...20 | Horoscope...20 | NY Times Crossword...22 2 | THURSDAY, APRIL 14 - WEDNEsday, APRIL 20, 2011 thE WatCH COMMUNIty Montrose Farmers Market Moves MONTROSE – The Montrose from Colorado, Wyoming and the In her keynote address, Walden Farmers Market, one of a handful in Four Corners area will attend work- will share her passion for tourism Colorado that open early in May, shops and seminars based at the and explore the unique relation- will return Saturday, May 14, to the historic Strater Hotel. This year’s ships between museums and tour- Centennial Plaza downtown area, at theme is “Museums and Tourism: ism and what it means for museums South First and Uncompahgre, after Stopping Visitors in Their Tracks.” to “stop visitors in their tracks.” spending last season at the Oxbow The keynote address will be Public admission to the keynote Crossing Shopping Center. on Friday, April 15 at 9 a.m. at the address is $10. Please reserve your The market is accepting ven- Henry Strater Theatre. The keynote seat by calling the Animas Museum dor applications for all market speaker will be Judy Walden, presi- at 970-259-2402. days: Saturdays, May-October; dent of the Walden Mills group, a Wednesdays, June-September and firm devoted to helping local com- FIT TO CHEER – (Left to right) Tenth grader Lacey Daley, 16, instruc- Thursday evenings at Main in Mo- munities across the U.S. strengthen SCHOOL DISTRICT ART tor Michele Kodis instructor assisting senior Angelina Chaney,17, tion (June 2-Aug. 18). For vendor the economic impacts of heritage SHOW OPENS AT REGION 10 and tenth grader Samantha Masker, 16. (Courtesy photo) rules and regulations, and applica- tourism. Walden, who works with tions visit the website at www.mon- museums, historic sites and historic MONTROSE – Montrose trosefarmersmarket.com or call downtowns to keep abreast of ever- County School District Re-1J’s 970/209-8463. changing travel trends, hosting a Annual Student Art Show opens Vendors selling meats, eggs, signature workshop called “How Tuesday, April 19, at the Region 10 Pilates Instructor baked items, and value added food to Make Money in Tourism,” has Enterprise Center, running through products should first check with served as director of marketing for April 29. Come and view artwork Helps Cheerleaders Vera Stouffer, the Montrose County the Colorado Travel and Tourism and ceramics by students from food service inspector, at 970/240- Authority from 1998-2000, coor- Cottonwood, Johnson, Oak Grove, RIDGWAY – I started Pilates lifting I added to my routine only 5000 making sure all health require- dinating sales and production of Northside, Olathe and Pomona el- four years ago as part of rehabili- emphasized the development of ments and permits are in order. Colorado’s Official State Travel ementary schools, as well as art- tating a long-term shoulder/upper the more superficial muscles of Guide and www.colorado.com. For work by students from Centennial movement rather than the deep- eight years she owned an inbound and Columbine middle schools, GUEST COMMENTARY er, intrinsic muscles of true core REGIONAL MusEUMS tour company which brought Asian Olathe Middle/High School, and By Michelle Kodis strength. Pilates took me from se- MEET TO DISCuss travelers to the American South- Montrose High School. The show vere, sometimes debilitating pain TOURISM INCENTIVES west. Walden has also consulted the is made possible through the coop- back injury that was primarily to a place of fitness, health and ministries of tourism in Asia and the eration of the Region 10 League for caused by 20 years as a profes- strength I had not found in any DURANGO – Area museums South Pacific in ecotourism devel- Economic Assistance & Planning, sional writer, a career that required other kind of fitness regimen.