JOURNAL

127th Year, Number 21

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

MONTE VISTA, COLORADO 81144

50

Drug houses are now a public nuisance

BY ANTHONY GUERRERO

News in
Brief
Celebrate Memorial
Day at Homelake
MONTE VISTAColorado
Veterans Community Living Center at Homelake will host the annual Memorial Day Observance
on Monday, May 30, 10 a.m. at
Homelake Cemetery, 3749 Sherman Ave., Monte Vista.
The observance will include
honor and color guards, USS General Patrick Bell Tolling, wreath
presentations and the Ft. Garland
Memorial Regiment. This years
keynote speaker will be Aaron
Termain. The Homelake History
Center & Museum will be open
following the service until 12:30
p.m.
Cinnamon rolls will be served
following the observance in the old
dining room. Please join in honoring all military troops and veterans.
For more information, please
call Pam Self at 852-5118

Meet the
candidates Tuesday
MONTE VISTAThe Rio
Grande County Democrats will
be having a meeting and hosting
a meet-the-candidates forum with
local Democratic candidates on
Tuesday, May 31 at the Monte
Vista Information Center, 947 1st
Ave. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.,
the forum at 7 p.m. For more information, please call Chelsea at
719-469-7381.

Hot Rod Dirt Drags

in need of sponsors
MONTE VISTAThe 2016
Hot Rod Dirt Drags event, coming up on June 10-12, is in need
of sponsors. Sponsorships start at
only $25! For more information
contact Mike Nicholas at nick@
nickshotrodgarage.com or Linda
at the Monte Vista Chamber at
852-2731

This week's issue sponsored by:

MONTE VISTAHouses known

for drug activity and other illegal activities are now considered a public
nuisance thanks to a new ordinance
passed by the Monte Vista City Council. Ordinance 871 amends the Monte
Vista Municipal Code to include such
residences as a public nuisance and
allows for prosecution of property
owners and seizure of property.
Activities which are deemed illegal are mentioned in the ordinance
and include drug activity, possession
of illegal weapons, prostitution, human trafficking, sexual exploitation
of children, gang activity, criminal

activity, juvenile delinquency and

using the residence to hinder criminal
law enforcement and city ordinances.
Property owners, landlords, managers
and controllers will have to take steps
to eradicate any complaints of such
activities or are in risk of violating the
code and their property and structures
are subject to abatement, seizure and
forfeiture.
This has been worked on as an
initiative primarily from the police
department. Myself and the police
chief worked on this. This is very
much modeled after state statute
which allows for those activities to
create an opportunity for seizure of

property. Thats not something we

previously had in our code. The actual
seizure of property is a civil matter, so
the ordinance makes this a nuisance.
After citation, and conviction of the
citation in municipal court, it will lead
to a civil action on the part of the city
of Monte Vista. It is designed to quell
repeat offending activities where the
police department goes to arrest and
respond to various parties conducting illegal activities over a period of
time in the same location, said City
Manager Forrest Neuerburg.
The Monte Vista Police Department
who encouraged the new ordinance is
also pleased and appreciative of the

city council unanimously approving

the new ordinance. I thank the city
council for considering the public
nuisance ordinance. Having that as
a municipal ordinance is quite rare.
However, its probably one of the
more necessary things that we do so
that folks will be accountable. Many
times weve asked individuals who
have rental property to screen their
renters, to have them move somewhere else when theyre arrested
for distribution of narcotics or other
activities, and the landlords dont pay
attention. I think theyll pay attention
now, said Chief of Police James
Grayson.

City water
rates to
increase
BY ANTHONY GUERRERO

Photos by Anthony Guerrero

The Monte Vista Police Department stands at attention

during the service.

MVPD honors
fallen officers
BY ANTHONY GUERRERO

MONTE VISTATen officers have been killed

or died while in the line of duty in San Luis Valley
over the last 118 years. The Monte Vista Police
Department gathered with community members
and other law enforcement agencies including the
Rio Grande County Sheriffs Office for the fourth
year in a row to honor the memory of their fallen
brothers.
Chapman Park was the scene for a memorable
and emotional Fallen Officer Memorial Service on Officer Angela Bonemyer stands with the memorial wreath
Please see HONORS on Page 6A in memory of those fallen.

MONTE VISTAWater rates

in the city of Monte Vista are set
to increase in July 2016. Miles of
pipelines that are over 100 years
old need repairing, replacement and
maintenance. To fund the cost for
water infrastructure improvement
the city of Monte Vista has decided
to raise water rates for customers
beginning this summer.
Rick Gonzales of RG and Associates attended the May, 19 city
council meeting and gave a presentation describing the consulting firms
findings regarding water rates and
made a recommendation to the city
council. In short, the rate increase
is designed to primarily fund water
line replacement, make repairs to the
citys wells, acquire additional waterspecific equipment and conserve water. The increase includes a change to
the base rate as well as the creation of
tiers with additional cost tiers based
upon usage, said Monte Vista City
Manager Forrest Neuerburg.
According to Garcia the research
attempted to design rates that are fair
to all water users, encourage conserPlease see CITY on Page 5A

Delta center graduates 27 students

BY ANTHONY GUERRERO
MONTE VISTA The Byron Syring
Delta Center and Monte Vista Online
Academy sent 27 graduates into the
world on Saturday, May 21. Thousands of
friends and families gathered at Central
Auditorium in Monte Vista to celebrate
one of the greatest life achievements
these students will have. The students
Please see GRADS on Page 7A
The Byron Syring Delta Center and Monte
Vista Online Academy graduated 27
students during their commencement on
Saturday, May 21.
Photo by Anthony Guerrero

PAGE 6A

THE Monte Vista JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

A Tribute to the Heroes of Memorial Day

We proudly salute the brave
men and women who have
served and made the ultimate
sacrifice for their country.
With courage and conviction,
these heroes have protected
Americas freedom through the
generations, and we are forever
grateful to them.
On Memorial Day, we once
again pay our respects to
Americas fallen soldiers. We pray
for their families, and we honor
their memories with gratitude
and humility.We remember that
freedom is not free.

Photos by Anthony Guerrero

The Monte Vista Police Department held its fourth annual Fallen Officer
Memorial Service on Friday, May 20. The ceremony honors officers from the
San Luis Valley who have given their lives in the line of duty.

HONORS

Continued from Page 1A

Friday, May 20. The service began by
the posting of the colors with a march
led by Corporals Robbie Martinez
and Mike Ruybal. Urianna Acosta
was given the honor of singing the
Star Spangled Banner, and Pastor
Wayne Wittner gave the invocation.
This year Monte Vista Chief of Police James Grayson gave the keynote
address. We are celebrating police
week. Its a week that pays tribute to
local, state and federal officers that
have died in the line of duty. This
event was created in 1961 when congress and President Kennedy decided
to officially honor police officers who
gave their lives in the line of duty...
During a speech in 2002 President
George W. Bush said that police
officers memorial day and police
week pay tribute to the local, state
and federal law enforcement officers
who serve and protect with courage
and dedication...That speech was the
first after 9/11. That tragedy changed
the way we look at policing today. It
added another layer of responsibility
for the men and women in policing.
Not only are we the peace keepers,
investigators but also keepers of
our safety from both domestic and
foreign terrorism. On May 15, 2010
President Barack Obama also gave a
speech at the peace officers memorial. He really hit at the heart about
what this day is all about. He said
that every day in America families
go about their lives. They wake up
sit down for breakfast, send the kids
to school, head to the office or the
factory floor, and after putting in an
honest days work they return home

ready to do it all over again. We often

take it for granted that this is the cycle
of life. We rely on a certain order and
sense of security in our lives. That
sense of security doesnt come on
its own. What makes it possible, and
freedom possible are the law enforcement officers that we honor today. Its
anyone thats ever put on a badge in
the name of law and order...A higher
calling has led men and women to become peace officers...The call carries
immense risks. You never know what
danger youll encounter with that
next dispatch call, said Grayson.
Grayson said that officers are not
guaranteed fame or fortune in their
profession, but they are guaranteed
long and stressful work hours away
from family, and often at inconvenient times. Being an officer is more
than putting on a badge and wearing a
gun, its about the soul of the person
behind the badge committed to the
safety and security of the community.
We can be assured of one thing, and
thats never to be forgotten, said
Grayson.
After Graysons remarks a roll of
honor was called memorializing each
fallen officer from the San Luis Valley.
Sergeant Evan Lopez and Corporal
Mike Ruybal read off the list of names.
A memorial flag was then presented and
folded in front of a memorial wreath. A
gun salute was shot in memory of fallen
officers. MVHS Band Director Josh
Garcia played Taps and the ceremony
was concluded.

To all who have served

and continue to serve
our country, We
Thank You.
As we express our gratitude,
we must never forget that the
highest appreciation is not
to utter words, but to live by
them. - John F. Kennedy

852-5700

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Thank you for your Service.

Thank
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3749 Sherman Ave

Monte Vista
719-852-5118

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(719) 589-9690

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See more photos at

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Thank You,
Veterans!

Stones

Farm Supply
The Rio Grande County Sheriffs Office attended and showed their respect

We Salute
You, Our
Hometown
Heroes!

754-3453
3rd & Torres
Center

Your Hometown
Lumber Yard
South Fork Lumber Co.
29160 West Hwy. 160 South Fork, CO 81154
(719) 873-5481

Valley Lumber & Supply

0981 US HWY 285 N. Monte Vista, CO 81144
(719) 852-2481