A splash of heat with daytime highs in the mid-80s will mark the week ahead. Light rains delivered less than an inch of moisture in July. We’ll see if August has anything different in mind. Here’s more to get the month rolling:
1. 2025 Municipal election cycle
Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman is running for re-election this November. So is Monte Vista Mayor Dale Becker. Those mayoral positions in the San Luis Valley’s two largest towns highlight the upcoming November municipal election ballot. In addition to the races for mayor, there are three city council seats up for grabs in Alamosa and two in Monte Vista. Also on the November ballot will be seats on Valley school boards. Heidi Richardson, the current chair of the Alamosa School Board, has said she will seek re-election. We’ll start to track candidates declaring for the different races. Candidate orientation sessions are scheduled for Monday, Aug. 4, at 6 p.m. in Alamosa, and Tuesday, Aug. 5, in Monte Vista. If you missed this episode of The Valley Pod, here’s Ty Coleman talking about why he’s seeking re-election. Becker will be a guest on The Valley Pod later in August.
2. Understanding traffic flow
The goal of CDOT is to move eastbound-westbound highway traffic through Alamosa as efficiently as possible. It’s John Silva’s job to make sure that happens. We spent a couple of hours with Silva (above) at the intersection of Highway 160 and Craft Drive last week – where you can see 270 cars an hour traveling through – to better understand the volume of traffic that flows through Alamosa. We also learned about the time sequence between green and red lights, which vary depending on if you’re traveling on Highway 160 versus say, State or Ross Avenues, two main north-south inner-town roads. Silva, who has been with CDOT for six years and lives in Del Norte, makes sure the highway traffic signals are properly programmed to achieve the goals of the Colorado Department of Transportation – to get traffic across Alamosa’s stretch of highway, which includes passage through downtown, as quickly as it can. More this week on AlamosaCitizen.com
3. The Valley Pod: CU’s Todd Saliman
CU President Todd Saliman has been making regular visits to the San Luis Valley over the past four years since his appointment in 2021. It’s part of his push to make the Valley and its high school students relevant in the eyes of CU and its campuses in Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs. There’s good reason for his push. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education has been sending alert signals around the dwindling number of high school students.
The total number of high school graduates in America peaked at between 3.8 million and 3.9 million in 2025, and will decline, making recruitment into college all-the-more important for CU and all the campuses of higher ed in Colorado. Take a listen to Saliman in this episode of The Valley Pod.
4. Grew up to be an Eagle Scout
Emily Cook grew up to be an Eagle Scout. We first met her when she was a sophomore in high school and spent the summer of 2023 as an intern with the Rural Journalism Institute of the San Luis Valley. This spring she earned the Eagle Scout Award, the highest honor attainable as a member of Scouting America, formerly known as Boys Scouts of America. To anyone who knows Cook and has watched her grow up, none of this is a surprise. She’s as focused and committed to her values as any young person you’ll meet. Here’s more.
5. From the weekend
Ellaree Rockey (left, with her dad, Sheldon Rockey)) and her pig, Dolly, took home the grand champion award in the breeding gilt competition, while Elaina Consaul and her barrow won the Mike Kelley Memorial Barrow Show during Sunday’s San Luis Valley Fair. “I’ve been wanting this one for a couple of years, so it feels really good,” said Rockey, who is 18 and headed to Kansas State in the fall. The opening weekend of the SLV Fair was dedicated to horse showmanship, champion swines, and the always engaging dog show. The SLV Fair continues all week at the Ski-Hi Complex and features the best of the Valley’s 4-H world. …
Meanwhile, in Del Norte, Rhythms on the Rio had jam-packed crowds enjoying three days of music and time along the Rio Grande. The music fest drew thousands into Del Norte in its bid as one of Colorado’s largest summer music festivals.