NEWS | COMMUNITY | SPORTS | CULTURE | OPINION Crested Butte News the News never sleeps | www.crestedbuttenews.com VOL.60 | NO.12 | MARCH 20, 2020 | 50¢ SIGN OF THE TIMES: Unfortunately the sign on Highway 135 says it all. In reaction to the coronavirus that is impacting the county, a series of emergency orders are now in place to slow down its spread. photo by Mark Reaman Officials take drastic measures to combat coronavirus It will get worse before it gets better orado quicker than many other places in the U.S. with national and worldwide cases of the coronavirus What was supposed to be a bustling town this week multiplying and ensuing panic in places from China to [ BY KENDRA WALKER AND MARK REAMAN ] with Spring Break crowds on the mountain, hour-long Seattle. But since COVID-19 loudly hit the Gunnison waits at Elk Avenue restaurants and the town shuttle Valley this past week, a flurry of emergency activities Unprecedented government action is being taken packed to the brim, has quickly become a ghost town has taken place that has left us all in some sort of apoca- in unprecedented times as local officials issue orders with tourists being ordered to leave, locals being asked lyptic time warp. meant to try and stem the coronavirus that has invaded not to hang out with each other and businesses reduc- Several emergency disaster orders have been is- the valley. That virus has wreaked havoc in places that ing operations, if not closing completely. sued, including declarations by the state, county and did not take extreme measures such as Italy and it has Just 10 days ago our community couldn’t have both towns of Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. appeared to strike resort mountain communities in Col- predicted what exactly we’d be facing today, even CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Special message from Message from Mt. Crested the Gunnison County the mayor of Butte mayor to Commissioners Crested Butte the community Dear Citizens of Gunnison County: you know. We are not done. Crested Butte Community Members: Dear members of the Mt. Crested Butte and This is a message to our com- There are many strong lead- We are in unprecedented times in recent history greater community: munity. The people, the families, ers, from across the county and for Crested Butte with COVID-19/coronavirus making the individuals, the businesses the state, professionals in their its presence known. Things are evolving quickly and “These are times that try men’s souls.” and organizations, the soul of field, who are guiding us through dramatic impacts are being felt throughout our Valley —Thomas Paine this special place we call home. this situation. They are putting and around the world. Impacts will be felt both while We will overcome this. We know in unbelievable hours, unified in the virus runs its course here and through an as of yet And I will add women’s souls! It also tests that people are scared, we are all their structure and dedicated to unknown period of recovery. our patience, understanding and compassion. scared. But we cannot let that fear executing plans of operation to It is times like these that can test the strength and It’s a very difficult time for the entire world, overwhelm us. We cannot let that minimize and mitigate the situa- resiliency of a community. I am confident that the but right now my focus is on Gunnison Coun- fear cause inaction. We cannot let tion, to flatten the curve of impact Crested Butte community can and will come through ty. Yes, I’m the mayor of Mt. Crested Butte, but that fear make us lose compassion and to provide the services neces- this challenge stronger than we began as we have many this is a time we all need to work together to and caring. sary to support our citizens. times before during incidents like the frozen water do what is best for all of our area. Together we have strength But the responsibility does main in the 1970s, and the bank explosion 30 years ago. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 and together we have power. We not lie solely with them. The re- The Town is continuing to work closely with our cannot express enough how im- sponsibility also lies with us. partners at the State and County level to best manage pressed we are with the work that We, as a community, need to un- the situation. It has been a wild week with constant has been done up to this point in waveringly and diligently fol- news updates and seemingly sudden changes to com- [ Overheard ] addressing this crisis. How the low their guidance, utilize the munity operations. The county has issued a “Second community has come together to resources provided to keep our- Amended Health Order” that covers all of Gunnison “I feel like I’m in an act, to make the hard decisions selves informed and to take the County including the town of Crested Butte. We ask episode of ‘24’” in understanding the severity of steps together to implement the that you respect and follow the “Order” for your safety the situation. These actions make developed strategies. and the safety of all in town. -from at least 6’ away on the streets of CB more of a difference than we think CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 2 | March 20, 2020 EDITORIAL Crested Butte News This sucks. WORLD NEWS We are blessed. WORLD What to talk about when the world as we Spring comes early this year with March 19 equinox know and understand it is crashing quickly This year’s equinox in the U.S. is March 19, marking the earliest because of a pandemic. These are strange days spring in 124 years, according to the Old Farmers’ Almanac. The ver- indeed. nal equinox is occurring almost 18 hours ahead of its occurrence There was only one thing to do before I in 2019. The last time it fell on March 19 was in the U.S. was 1986. started writing an editorial piece on this whole The Northern Hemisphere will welcome spring at 11:50 p.m. ET on cluster a week-and-a-half into it. I walked Thursday, March 19. On that day, both hemispheres receive nearly outside, strolled about 50 yards from the the same amount of daylight. –information compiled from CBS News office and stared at the shrine and comments people were leaving for Mikey Larsen in front Greenland and Antarctica are now melting six times faster than in the 1990s of the pizza shop. Mikey died last week just Greenland and Antarctica have lost 6.4 trillion tons of ice in the past as this coronavirus deal was ramping up. His three decades; unabated, this rate of melting could cause flooding that results haven’t yet come back to see if he was affects hundreds of millions of people by the end of the century. Satellite impacted by COVID-19. On Tuesday night observations showed that the regions are losing ice six times faster than there were flowers and prayer flags and notes they were in the 1990s, according to a new study. If the current melting of love for Mikey. A good man with mountain trend continues, the regions will be on track to match the “worst-case” village attitude, he was loved. People men- scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of an extra tioned his kindness, his laugh, his concern for 6.7 inches of sea level rise by 2100. –information compiled from USA Today family. Most felt he was riding the big chain ring in the sky, which he would really love. In NATION the end, that’s about all any us can hope for, isn’t photo by Mark Reaman Seattle, WA researchers start tests on potential coronavirus vaccine it? Love. On March 16, U.S. researchers began testing a potential COVID-19 vaccine on 45 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 55 in Seattle, are being made out of love. Since the county health department kicked it all leading off a worldwide hunt for protection even as the pandemic surges. Scientists at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seat- into high gear I have watched and interacted with the No one has reneged on their comment that things people literally on the local front lines. Our friends, tle developed the vaccine in record time after the new virus exploded out will get worse before they get better. Still, I see groups of China and fanned out across the globe. However, a top health official neighbors, acquaintances and people I don’t know everywhere I look talking and laughing and smiling, well or at all are spending hours every day under says a vaccine won’t be available for at least 12 months, while research- while staying at least six feet away from one another. ers make sure it’s safe and effective. information compiled from TheSkimm duress, trying to protect the people and the place they I see people stepping up to help and run errands for love. They are making decisions about the commu- those who are choosing to not come outside. I see the nity I’m sure they’d rather not even consider. As big Amazon to hire 100,000 to keep up with online shopping surge teachers taking extra steps and the businesses trying Amazon said Monday it would try to hire 100,000 people across the a deal as about anything, they have shut down many to do whatever they can to make the community com- of the local businesses.