Moving on from the brief cold spell and back to the spring-like 50-degree weather to close February. The San Luis Valley will close the month in the normal range for monthly precipitation. Wolf Creek Ski took in 59 inches of fresh snow from last week’s storms and the critical San Juan Basin is at 65 percent of the median for snowpack. Here’s more for Monday:
1. The Valley’s biggest solar project, yet
When you think of the growing retire-the-water and dry-the-fields strategy of the Valley’s irrigated agriculture community, solar development pops into the equation. On 2,578 acres of private land off State Highway 17 leading into Mosca and Hooper, a number of families are entering into contracts with NextEra Energy and its bid to ultimately develop 600 megawatts of solar energy and 600 megawatts of battery storage to the fields that once grew crops. The solar project, dubbed the “Spud Valley Energy Center,” is the largest ever conceived for the Valley and one of Colorado’s biggest. It comes at a time when ag producers in Subdistrict 1 of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District are being forced to reduce their footprint to save on the water. Solar development then, in a Valley plentiful with sunshine, becomes an alternative for the land and a company like NextEra Energy the means to make it happen.
2. Crunching Alamosa’s traffic data
When Alamosa Police Chief George Dingfelder noted in an episode of The Valley Pod the abnormal number of traffic tickets that police in Alamosa issue on an annual basis, we got curious and requested three years of traffic data under the Colorado Open Records act to learn more. An additional factoid we added in talking with the police chief last week was that in February of this year, Alamosa PD conducted a traffic study on the 700 Block of Sixth Street near the Alamosa Farmer’s Market summer location that saw 1,300 motorists traveling 10 miles or more over the posted 25 MPH speed limit over a seven-day stretch. “What’s crazy about that is when we go into traffic operations we have just been hammering that area and yet the speed continues to go up,” said Dingfelder.
3. The Valley Pod: 3rd Congressional candidate Alex Kelloff
Alex Kelloff — yes, he of the Kelloff family that ran grocery stores and started the Movie Manor in Monte Vista — is challenging Rep. Jeff Hurd in the Third Congressional District. He stopped by our studio on the south side of Alamosa for a chat on his campaign. “We need to protect those rural interests that make us different, and I think what happens in Congress too often is there’s this belief that we pass a monolithic bill and it’s equally applicable to someone in New York City or Chicago or Montrose or the Valley here, and that’s just not right.
So I think as an elected congressperson, you have to fight for not just the values but also the interests that are sometimes different.” Listen to this episode of The Valley Pod. Or watch the interview via Alamosa Citizen YouTube.
4. Speaking of Rep. Hurd …
The first-term congressman from Grand Junction suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of the president, who lashed out at Hurd over the weekend after the Republican congressman voted to revoke tariffs on Canada. On his social media feed the president said, “Based on a lack of support, in particular for the unbelievably successful TARIFFS imposed on Foreign Countries and Companies which has made America Richer, Stronger, Bigger, and Better than ever before, I am hereby WITHDRAWING my Endorsement of RINO Congressman Jeff Hurd, of Colorado’s 3rd District, and fully Endorsing Highly Respected Patriot, Hope Scheppelman, to take his place in Congress.” Hurd responded, “When I took office, I swore an oath to the Constitution and to the people I serve. Every vote I cast is guided by what is best for this district and the long-term strength of our country.” Hurd and Scheppelman will face off in the June 30 primary election. The winner likely will face Kelloff.
5. Julie Gonzales takes on Sen. Hickenlooper
Julie Gonzales is giving a challenge to U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper in seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in the June 30 primary. The state senator from Denver, with roots in Huerfano County, campaigned in Alamosa over the weekend at a statewide candidates forum and reception. We caught up with her at Milagros Coffee House for this Q&A. “I will say that there was a time and a place for centrist incrementalism, but when we are facing real deep challenges, crises related to water, our healthcare, economy, I’m sorry, biting around the edges doesn’t cut it.”
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6. On the March calendar: Rio Grande Symposium
Adams State hosts its annual Rio Grande State of the Basin Symposium on Saturday, March 28. Ben Goldfarb, an environmental journalist and author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers, is the keynote speaker. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is hosted by the Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center.
7. State wrestling gold
The Moose took second place in the team standings of the Class 3A boys state wrestling championships over the weekend in Denver. Jeremiah Delacerda at 106 pounds and Uriah Martinez at 138 pounds each won individual gold. For the senior Delacerda, it was his second state wrestling championship at 106 pounds. Same with Samantha Maestas, who won back-to-back state titles for the Moose at 120 pounds in the Colorado High School Girls Class 4A state tournament. Monte Vista High’s Mathieu Dean also won gold at 106 pounds. He was the Class 2A state champion after defeating Rocky Ford’s Emilio Vallejos. Watch for our state wrestling photo gallery on Monday at AlamosaCitizen.com.