Mancos briefs

American flags adorn the entrance to Cedar Grove Cemetery on Memorial Day, 2012. This year, members of the Post and Auxiliary will put out the Avenue of Flags at the cemetery along with American flags on the grave sites of fallen Veterans

VFW post 5231 holds Memorial Day ceremony

Montezuma County VFW Post No. 5231 invites the public to join them at its annual Memorial Day Ceremony to be held at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Mancos on May 26 at 11 a.m.

Members of the Post and Auxiliary will put out the Avenue of Flags at the cemetery earlier that morning along with American flags on the grave sites of fallen Veterans.

The Ladies Auxiliary will meet at 5:00 p.m. on May 25 to put out the Auxiliary flags on their deceased members graves. The Ladies Auxiliary will put out the American flags on the streets in Mancos early Monday morning.

After the ceremony at Cedar Grove, the Post & Auxiliary members will return to the Post at 136 W. Grand in Mancos for a Flag Burning Ceremony.

If anyone has flags that are faded and torn and you wish to bring them, the Post will dispose of them properly at this ceremony. The public is invited to join the Post & Auxiliary members for the Flag Burning Ceremony.

Times building receives historical designation

The Mancos Times building became the first to be placed on the town's historical register on May 14.

Betsy Harrison spoke to the board about the efforts to restore the building supported by a relatively new nonprofit called the Mancos Common Press.

She said the designation will help the building become eligible for state grants.

The Mancos Common Press is expecting a professor from the University of Pennsylvania to come to town in June and work on restoring the press.

Preservationists from the University of Pennsylvania believe the large Cranston Press inside the Mancos Times is one of three left in the country. Many of the presses were sold for scrap when they became outdated.

After the professor's visit, the Mancos Common Press will host tours of the Mancos Times building June 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Town to create park space at river

The town will be coordinating a new park next to the Mancos River on the corner of Main Street and Grand Avenue after approving a potential lease agreement on May 14.

The town trustees agreed to lease the property for $1 a year from Mancos River LLC until the property is sold. The contract can be terminated if the property owners give 45 days notice.

The property owners have agreed to level the property in the next few weeks so can it be turned into a public space.

The town is planning on volunteers helping to install temporary furniture, rustic wagons and outdoor art. The town my also invest in crusher fines for trails.

The town will continue to store snow on the lot and use it for parking during Mancos Days .

The plan is in line with the ideas presented by planners from the Colorado Center for Community Development in late March.

Irrigation allotments outlook is good

The outlook for irrigators in the valley is brighter than last year but individual allotments are still slightly below 50 percent.

The Mancos Water Conservancy District Board of Director set allotment for irrigators at 49 percent of their full water rights at a meeting on March 13.

Last year, the allotments were set at 17 percent ,and even the largest water users struggled, said Gary Kennedy, the superintendent of the district. Some irrigators were only able to bring in one crop of hay.

The reservoir is currently filled to 62 percent of capacity and the will be able to fill 100 percent of its municipal obligations.

Orders for supplemental water are now being taken. Orders must be made no later than 6 p.m. Monday and Thursday.

Releases are Tuesday and Friday. No less than one fourth of a cubic foot per second or one half of an acre foot will be released, unless pooled.

To order water ,call Kennedy at 533-7325. Please leave a distinct message with a phone number.

The Mancos Times