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Good morning Custer County and our friends on the web – I’m Anthony Vos and this is your Wet Mountain Wake Up Call for Tuesday, January 25th, 2022.
Weather
Today’s weather forecast will be Cloudy, with a chance of snow in the morning, then 1-2 inches of snow likely in the afternoon. Highs will be near 30, with northeast winds of 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with around 1 inch of snow likely overnight. Lows will be 1 to 9, with east winds up to 10 mph.
COVID Update:
As of the latest update from Sunday, the public-facing ArcGIS database displayed a total of 565 COVID cases in Custer County for the pandemic, up 40 cases from the 525 originally reported by CDPHE the Sunday before. 193 tests were given in that period, setting this week’s positivity rate at 20.7% up from 13.6%. For the two -week period, 48 out of 252 tests have come back positive, 19.0%, up from 13.3%.
The Wet Mountain Wake Up Call harvests and preserves Custer County’s unaltered COVID data each day after 4:00pm from CDPHE’s ArcGIS data portal. ArcGIS is a subset of data from the Colorado Electronic Disease Reporting System (CEDRS). Our formulas to calculate positivity rates were provided by CDPHE. CDPHE reserves the right to modify all past data and does so on a daily basis. If our listeners would like to peruse the altered data independently, we have provided a link to it in our online script today. The unaltered data is happily available via email request to wakeup@klzr.org. Please let us know if you have any questions we can answer! ( https://data-cdphe.opendata.
Fire report:
The fire danger in Custer County is currently Moderate, and there are no major detected fires within 150 miles according to the Airnow.gov website.
Custer County Senior Center
Lunch is served at noon every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at the Custer County Senior Center in Silver Cliff. Participants under 60 pay only $6.50 for lunch. A $2.00 donation is asked of everyone else. Meals on Wheels delivery begins at 11:00 a.m. To make reservations contact the Senior Center at 719-783-9508 by 9:30 a.m. on the day you plan to attend.
Custer County News:
The application process to apply for assistance from the American Relief Fund is happening at the county level, and applications are available at the Custer County Courthouse, the West Custer library, or the Wetmore Library. They can also be requested on-line by writing to CusterCountyARPA@gmail.com until March 31st, 2022.
Superintendent Mike McFalls would like to let the community know, due to a large number of staff currently out, high school and middle school will be going remote for the remainder of this week. Students on remote will return Monday the 31st. Elementary and Pre- K will continue in person school. Should your child feel ill, please do not send them to school.
The school has testing kits for any student that wishes to be tested for Covid.
Avalanche Report:
According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, there is a low chance (1/5) of fatal avalanches in the Sangres and Wet Mountains, specifically between North and Eastern faces, at all elevations.
Valley Views
This morning at 7:00am on our flagship interview program, Valley Views, our veteran host Gary Taylor will interview Chris Tabb and Elliot Jackson from Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts on the theaters 2022 season and upcoming casting details. If you miss the live broadcast at 7:00am, it will be on the air again tonight at 6:00pm or you can stream it at KLZR.org. The direct link to the audio edition is in our online script today: https://www.klzr.org/this-
Today’s program schedule begins with Dennis Hagerty and Blind Date at 10 AM, Rockin the Range with AJ Biggerstaff at noon, and Music Your Way at 4 PM with Jack Naff. Tomorrow Carol Bribach will be back to bring you the Wednesday Wake Up Call.
To tell us about your events, birthdays, lost and found pets, jobs, and music listings, email the details to wakeup@klzr.org. The online edition of the Wet Mountain Wake Up Call has a 7-day archive and is updated by 8am every weekday at klzr.org.
Thanks for listening to the radio station that listens to you – KLZR 91.7 FM – in Westcliffe, Colorado.
Monday, January 24
Good morning Custer County and our friends on the web – I’m Madeline Ballard and this is your Wet Mountain Wake Up Call for today, Monday, January 24th, 2022.
Weather
Today’s National Weather Service Forecast will be mostly sunny with Highs in the early 40s and Lows in the early teens. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Overnight partly cloudy until midnight then becoming mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation 50 percent. West winds up to 10 mph.
COVID Update
On Thursday, CDPHE’s public-facing ArcGIS database displayed a total of 552 COVID cases in Custer County, up 27 cases from 525 we reported last Monday week. By now, 27 people are presumed to be in isolation.
Custer County Senior Center
Today for lunch at the Custer County Senior Center they’ll be serving up fish tacos! Along with this delightful dish is corn tortillas, cilantro lime rice, savory black beans, corn niblets, sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado. Participants under 60 pay only $6.50 for lunch. A $2.00 donation is asked of everyone else. Meals on Wheels delivery begins at 11:00 a.m. To make reservations contact the Senior Center at 719-783-9508 by 9:30 a.m.
Custer County Schools
It’s a Monday usual for breakfast at Custer County Schools with cereal, applesauce, and milk on the side. Later today for lunch is Pizza with fresh salad, apples, and milk.
General News
According to HRRMC community health worker, Melanie Critelli, preventative cancer screenings are extremely important. Their main purpose is to end cancer early, before there is pain or any other symptoms – To that end, the Women’s Wellness Connection program at Heart of the Rockies Clinic is offering free cervical cancer screenings, pap smears, mammograms and breast cancer screenings to underinsured women between 21-64 years old in Custer, Chaffee, and western Fremont Counties. To see if your specific circumstances qualify you, call Melanie Critelli at (719) 530-1065.
The Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts will be holding auditions for the first three shows of their 2022 live theater season on Saturday, January 29 at 1 pm in the Jones Theater, 119 Main Street, with callback auditions scheduled for Monday January 31 at 6 pm in the same location. We are casting for The Sunshine Boys by Neil Simon, Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, and The Misanthrope by Moliere. We are looking for a number of good folks ages 18 and up. No previous theater experience or monolog is necessary. We also need backstage talent for building sets, running lights, stage management, and sewing costumes. Please be aware that masking and social distancing are still required in the theater at this time to take care of our actors and audience. For more information, call the WCPA at (719)-783-3004 or email wcpa@jonestheater.com. There will be additional auditions in August to cast for the 10-Minute Play Festival, which will go up in September, and Bell, Book, and Candle, which will go up in October.
Today’s live radio program lineup begins Rockin the Range with Deborah K at noon. At 2:00pm, Myron Zuidema is back with Soul Jam and at 4pm former Valley resident, Steve Miller goes back and forth across the pond, to bring us songs from Scot-Irish artists from his home in Minnesota.
Tomorrow’s Wake Up Call will be brought to you by Anthony Vos.
To tell us about your birthdays, lost and found pets, and jobs, email wakeup@klzr.org. The online edition of the Wet Mountain Wake Up Call has a 7-day archive and is updated by 8am every weekday at klzr.org.
That’s been all for your Wet Mountain Wake Up Call! Right here on KLZR 91.7 FM – in Westcliffe, Colorado.
Friday, January 21
Good morning, Custer County, everyone who can pick up our signal this morning, and streaming listeners worldwide – I’m Sandi and this is the Wet Mountain Wake Up Call for Friday, January 21st, 2022.
Weather
The National Weather Service says it will be cloudy today with periods of snow in the afternoon, highs in the lower to mid-30s and a 90% chance of precipitation expected to amount to 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. Periods of snow will continue until midnight, and there is a chance of snow after midnight, with lows of 10 to 14 degrees, a 90% chance of precipitation and an additional 2 inches of snow accumulation expected overnight.
Saturday is to be partly sunny with highs in the mid to upper 30s and overnight lows of 8 to 15.
On Sunday, expect mostly sunny skies, highs in the lower to mid-40s and overnight lows of 11 to 19.
Snowpack at the South Colony site is 25% below average for this time of year. According to the US Drought Monitor, Custer County continues to experience severe drought and extreme drought conditions.
COVID
As of Wednesday, January 19th, the Colorado Department of Health shows Custer County at 547 positive COVID cases over the course of the pandemic. That is the most current number we have to give you heading into the weekend.
Custer County Schools
Custer County School has announced that it has received a second grant to work on Increase Literacy Achievement, Increase Math Achievement, Social-Emotional Learning, and Increase PSAT/SAT Composite Scores at the High School Level. It is a $90,000 grant to be spread between the 2021 – 2026 school years.
Town of Westcliffe
The Town of Westcliffe is conducting an election for mayor and for the Board of Trustees on April 5th, 2022. Signed petitions for Trustee Candidate nominations must be returned to the Town Clerk’s office by 5:00 p.m., on Monday January 24, 2022.
The petitions need endorsements from 10 registered voters residing within the Town Limits. No registered elector shall sign more than one nomination petition for each separate office to be filled. Candidates and nominators must be eighteen years of age or older and have lived within the town boundary for at least twelve months. For more details, please contact Kathy Reis at 719-783-2282 ext.10.
Art
Sangres Art Guild will be holding Art Camp this summer for 7 to 12-year-olds and is now accepting registrations. Your child gets to explore a different art medium each day. Attendance is limited and expected to fill up quickly. To learn more visit www.SAGArts.Art or email info@SangresArtGuild.org.
Valley Views
In this week’s Valley Views, a classic from the archives, part 2 of Gary’s interview with 60’s folk icon Tom Rush. You can listen tomorrow morning at 10am, right here on KLZR 91.7fm or stream it from our website any time. KLZR.org is updated every Tuesday morning with the current week’s Valley Views.
In Lost and Found Pets…
A mostly brown German short hair pointer named Jinks has gone missing from the Copper Gulch and Q Path area. He has been missing since about 1:00 on Thursday afternoon. If you’ve seen him, please call or text 817-894-2099. Pictures are posted with our online script.
That’s all for today’s Wet Mountain Wake up Call. We’re on at 7, 8, 9, and 11 am every weekday or you can stream the Wakeup Call any time of day directly from our website. Our scripts are posted to our website and our Facebook page. The Wake-Up call page on our website is updated by 8am every weekday and includes our scripts from the previous seven days.
To let us know about events, birthdays, Lost and Found pets, job listings and other community information, email us at wakeup@klzr.org. Non-profit events should be sent to calendar@klzr.org.
I’m Sandi. Madeline will bring you the Wakeup Call on Monday. Stay tuned for a full day of live DJ’s today, starting with Bob Huestis hosting Friday at the Coffeehouse at 10am. He’s followed by Roger Wise bringing you the Noontime Buffet, then catch Chillwave Lounge with John Heman at 2:00, and at 4:00 Bob Seifert starts your weekend off right with the Friday Weekend Kickoff … Have a great weekend!
Thursday, January 20
Good morning Custer County, our friends elsewhere in our listening area, and worldwide on the web – I’m Elliot Jackson and this is your Wet Mountain Wake Up Call for Thursday, January 20th.
Weather
Today’s National Weather Service forecast is: Mostly sunny. Highs 35 to 40. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Thursday Night will be mostly cloudy. Lows 12 to 18. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
COVID Update
As of press time Wednesday evening, CDPHE’s ArcGIS database has a total of (547) COVID cases in Custer County reported as of Tuesday the 18th, up (24) cases from our report of (523) on the 11th. (42) of the last (273) tests given over the last two weeks have come back positive for an initial 14-day positivity rate of (15.4)%. Our weekly FOIA request to CDPHE returns good news – no new deaths either ‘among cases’ nor ‘due to’ COVID have been recorded in Custer County this week, leaving our grand total at 33 COVID related deaths for the pandemic. A graph of our historical positivity rate, cases, and deaths is in our online script today.
CDPHE states that the most effective way to avoid serious complications from Covid is to get vaccinated. Contact Custer County Public Health to set up appointments to get both COVID and flu vaccines. The mobile vaccination clinic will be parked in the school’s east parking lot from 9:30am to 6pm. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines and boosters are available. They also administer flu shots. Walk-ins are welcome. Vaccines and shots are free.
Flu update:
CDPHE reports that the number of positive test results for influenza in the state appears to have fallen, from 278 as of January 8 to 182 as of January 15, while the positivity rate fell from 4.06% on January 8 to 3.24% as of January 15. There have been 324 hospitalizations statewide since October 3, with 30 new hospitalizations in the last week. The monthly statewide hospitalization rate for influenza is 2.94 per 100,000 in December, as opposed to 50 per 100,000 for COVID. So far, there have been 4 outbreaks reported in long-term care facilities, and no pediatric deaths.
Valley Views
This morning at 7:00am our flagship interview program, Valley Views, will be a repeat broadcast, part 2 of an interview featuring our veteran host Gary Taylor with folk icon Tom Rush. If you miss the live broadcast at 7:00am, it will be on the air again tonight at 6:00pm or you can stream it at KLZR.org. The direct link to the audio edition is in our online script today: https://www.klzr.org/this-
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Custer County Senior Center
Lunch is served at noon every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at the Custer County Senior Center in Silver Cliff. Participants under 60 pay only $6.50 for lunch. A $2.00 donation is asked of everyone else. Meals on Wheels delivery begins at 11:00 a.m For lunch today there’s Pueblo Beef Stew with sour cream,whole wheat crackers, Brussels sprouts, vegetable salad with Italian dressing, and bananas . To make reservations contact the Senior Center at 719-783-9508 by 9:30 a.m. on the day you plan to attend. .
Custer County Schools
Menu Today: For breakfast, Biscuits and Gravy, Jelly, Fruit, Milk. For lunch: Stuffed Breadsticks and dipping sauce, Tossed salad, Pears, Milk. In other school news, there will be a home game for Middle School Girls’ Basketball against Cotopaxi at 10 am on Friday January 20. There will be a HS boys basketball at home on Saturday starting at 2pm and a High School dance in the commons from 9 pm to 12 am.
Special Reports
The Custer County Board of Commissioners and the Custer County Board of Health both met on Wednesday January 19, and both bodies (consisting of the same elected officials) chose a new Chairman and Voce-Chairman for the coming year. Kevin Day will be the new BOCC Chairman with Bill Canda the Vice-Chairman, and Canda will continue as the BOH Chairman with Kevin Day as the Vice-Chairman. Public Health Director Clifford Brown announced that the county still has a supply of KN95 masks available for giveaway to the public. Contact Public Health at 719-783-3369.
Custer County Sheriff Shannon Byerly announced Monday that he would not be seeking re-election for another term. Patrol Sergeant Brandon Schoch has already announced his intention to run for the position.
The Silver Cliff Planning Commission met Wednesday evening to discuss changes to zoning regulations for the R4A, or Recreational Vehicle Temporary Lodging District, as well as hear updates on the EaSEL Solutions Silver Cliff Project, the Fox Run development, and the moratorium on Round Mountain water and sewer taps as of January 1, which threatens current and future development in the town unless a less expensive model can be found for a new wastewater treatment plant.
The Custer County Extension Office is hosting an Estate and Succession Planning Workshop on February 15th from 10am to 3pm. Economist Jeff Tranel will lead the session and guide you through tough conversations and how to plan for the inevitable. Cost is $50 per person to cover lunch and a workbook. Couples or two from the same family may attend for $75. The event flyer is part of our online script today.
At this month’s Westcliffe Board of Trustees meeting, the trustees officially adopted a Parks, Open Space, Trails, and Main Street Master Plan. The plan is a work-in-progress, and will likely be adjusted according to funding, timing, and further community input. A link to the plan is on our online script today. ( https://townofwestcliffe.
That’s Been All For Your Wet Mountain Wake Up Call!
We’re on at 7, 8, 9, and 11 am every weekday or you can stream the Wakeup Call any time of day directly from our website, which is updated by 8 am every weekday. We are also now including WUCs from the previous 7 days on the website. Our scripts are posted to our website and our Facebook page. Let us know about your events, birthdays, lost and found pets, jobs and music listings by emailing us at wakeup@klzr.org.
Today’s live program schedule begins with Valley Views at 7:00am. At noon, Myron Zuidema will be Rockin’ the Range, and at 4 pm, Music Your Way will be brought to you by the mighty, mysterious TBA. Tomorrow Sandi Dalton will be back at the Wake Up Call to give you the weekend rundown.
Thanks everybody – from the little radio station with a smile on its lips and a song in its heart – KLZR 91.7 FM – in Westcliffe, Colorado.
Wednesday, January 19
Good morning. I’m Carol Bribach and this is your Wet Mountain Wake Up Call for Wednesday, January 19th, 2022.
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow. Highs are expected to be between 30 to 35 with northeast winds around 10 mph.Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow. The lows will be around 10 to 16 degrees. Northeast winds will blow up to 10 mph.
COVID Update:
The latest update from Colorado Department of Public Health ArcGIS database states that there are a total of 538 COVID cases in Custer County for the pandemic, up 18 cases from this day last week. 18 of the last 132 tests given this week have come back positive.
The vaccination bus will return Friday the 21st. It will be located in the Custer County School Parking lot from 9:30am to 6pm. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines and boosters are available. They also administer flu shots. Walk-ins are welcome. Vaccines and shots are free.
A Covid testing sight will be set up outside of the Custer County Public Health Agency at 10 Hermit Lane, Suite 5, Friday the 21st from 10am to 1pm. This service is free. You can also get a free N95 mask from Public Health while you are there.
Starting today, all Americans are eligible to receive free COVID rapid tests from www.CovidTests.gov. The sets of 4 COVID-19 tests will start shipping in late January, however, the phone number for those who do not yet have internet access has unfortunately not yet been published. If you choose to get your rapid tests from a retail outlet, private health insurance companies are now required to cover that expense through reimbursement.
The CDPHE states that the best way to avoid serious complications from COVID and to stop the spread in our community, is to get vaccinated.
Town of Westcliffe
In their meeting this week the town of Westcliffe Board of Trustees adopted the Parks, Open Space, Trails and Main Street Master Plan. You can find it on their website. They also approved the revised facade grant which will be rolling out in March; a town wide master plan committee was established; and additionally a grant to apply for EV chargers was also okayed. The next Trustee meeting has been rescheduled for 5:30pm on February 22nd.
Town of Silver Cliff
Renovations on the Silver Cliff Museum project have begun.
Applications to run for Silver Cliff Town Trustee are available now at the Town Hall at 612 E. Main in Silver Cliff and must be returned by 5pm on January 24th. The election is coming up on April 5th.
Custer County Sheriff
Updates to the homicide that took place last Friday on Granada Court at the Westcliffe Townhomes can be found on the Facebook page of Custer County Sheriff’s Office.
Custer County Schools
Basketball and Wrestling seasons are in full swing at Custer County Schools. On Friday, January 21st there is a Middle School Girls Basketball game against Cotopaxi at 10:00 AM and on Saturday, the 22nd, the high school girls and boys basketball teams play La Veta at 2pm at the school. Both wrestling meets are away game this week.
General News
The application process to apply for assistance from the American Relief Fund is happening at the county level. Applications are available at the Custer County Clerk and Recorder’s Office at 205 S. 6th Street, Westcliffe, CO 81252 or can be requested on-line by writing to CusterCountyARPA@gmail.com until March 31st, 2022. There is no application process set up for the town of Westcliffe, as of yet.
A Happy Birthday wish goes out to Barbara Kennedy Stoldt.
Valley Views this week will be the 2nd part of the interview between our host Gary Taylor and folk music icon, Tom Rush. Valley Views airs Thursday at 7am and 6pm and Saturday at 10am. This program can also be streamed on KLZR.org.
Today’s live program schedule features Mountain Express with Gary Taylor at 7am, Rocking the Range with Sandi Dalton at noon, Cowboy Corral with JJ Steele at 4:00pm and Sunday Classics Encore with David Niemeyer at 8pm. Tomorrow Elliot Jackson will be back to bring you the Thursday Wake Up Call.
To tell us about your events or news items contact us at wakeup@klzr.org. The online edition of the Wet Mountain Wake Up Call has a 7-day archive and is updated by 8am every weekday at klzr.org.
Thanks for listening to your Wake Up Call on – KLZR 91.7 FM – your community radio station in Westcliffe, Colorado.