OURAY COUNTY

January 3, 1974 – Dean Hainey, postmaster at Ridgway since April 8, 1947, retired Dec. 31. The Haineys have sold their home in Ridgway and purchased a trailer home.

Dean says he has no immediate plans of what to do with his spare time, but will have a few things cooking when the weather gets nice. His wife, Mildred, will continue to work at the post office until March 4, when she will also retire. Mrs.

Faye Wolford, a long-time employee, will be officer in charge until a new postmaster is selected.

40 YEARS AGO

January 5, 1984 – A Ouray youth was transported to Montrose Memorial Hospital by the Ouray County Ambulance Service after taking a spill on the Ouray ski hill Dec. 27. Steve Russell, 13, son of Sam and Jackie Russell, was knocked unconscious and was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. According to his father, Russell was trying to perform a ski stunt called a backscratcher, in which the skis are swung up behind the skier until they touch his back. Russell didn’t get his skis back to the down position before hitting the snow again. His father said that Russell apparently didn’t suffer any ill effects from the spill other than being knocked out, but he expressed his gratitude to the concerned people of Ouray who helped after the accident, particularly “the fine people on the ambulance team.”

30 YEARS AGO

January 6, 1994 – Ouray City Council Monday night unanimously approved a $38,000 contract with a California engineering firm to install a new ozone and filtration system at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool. Bill Rowley of Rowley International already has signed the contract, which arrived Monday at City Hall. “He has designed over 150 pools of different types throughout the world,” Mayor Pat Donovan said at one point in the meeting as council was discussing whether or not to set travel and related expense limits.

“We’ve got a highly qualified individual who will give us something that is going to be guaranteed to work.” Council agreed that the mayor, who will be administrator of the contract, will work with the firm in keeping down expenses. Among pools designed by Rowley is the world-class swimming pool at West Point, Donovan said. The State Department of Health is requiring the city to install a new filtration and discharge system for the natural hot springs pool which holds nearly 1 million gallons of water.

20 YEARS AGO

January 2, 2004 – The year 2003 brought record construction activity in Ouray, according to Building Inspector Dennis Moyer. The total value of all 2003 building permits was $5,326,000 compared to $3,780,000 in 2002 and $1,515,000 in 2001. Moyer reported reaching a significant milestone on Dec. 4 when building permit #1000 was issued to Craig Hinkson for construction of Phase II of Grandview Condominiums on North Oak Street. A three-year comparison shows 42 building permits in 2001, 48 in 2002 and 73 in 2003. “Most of those living units were townhomes and condominium units, as buyers are typically looking for seasonal housing with minimal exterior maintenance,” said Moyer. Another major reason for the increase in building permits in 2003, reported Moyer, is that an increasing number of Ouray residents are fixing up their homes with new roofing, siding, interior remodel, foundation repair and windows, and additions that include porches, decks and another room.

10 YEARS AGO

January 2, 2014 – Along with the new year, Colorado’s retail marijuana industry is rolling out, as 136 pot shops have begun sales this week. Jan. 1 marked the first day medical marijuana facilities were able to make the crossover into recreational marijuana sales. Last week, on Dec. 23, the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division mailed out 348 retail marijuana licenses to prospective establishments.

Of the 136 stores licensed, 102 shops are located in the Denver area alone and three stores were approved in Telluride.

While Ridgway’s Acme Healing Center is still awaiting approval for its license from the state, general manager David Niccum said Acme’s Western Slope stores will definitely sell retail products.The Ridgway facility is hoping to receive its license by the second week of January, in time for the center’s open house to the public on Jan. 11. The open house will give visitors the opportunity to ask representatives questions regarding marijuana laws in the state. “We’re crossing our fingers to sell recreational (marijuana) on that day, but there’s no guarantee,” said Niccum. “We’re still going to have a good time regardless.”