Victims recovered; investigation stalled
The cause of a fatal plane crash Saturday afternoon near Silverton will likely not be known for a year or more.

It could be May or June 2012, depending on how much snow the area receives, before the airplane’s insurer will be able to remove the wreckage and begin the investigation, said Dan Bender, Public Information Officer for La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.

The bodies of the final two victims, Steve Osborne, 59, the pilot and owner of the plane, and his wife, Jan Osborne, 50, were recovered Tuesday. The other two victims Tyler Black, 24, and Gena Rych, 26, were recovered Sunday.

The four were aboard a single-engine Socota TB-21 flying from Durango to Aspen en route to a holiday party at Snowmass Village. Three of the four worked for Alpine Bank in Durango.

The plane crashed Saturday afternoon north of Silverton and about 50 miles north of Durango.

The main debris field is located in dense forest at about 11,000 feet. Snow and the lack of sun exposure will prevent investigators from finding much of the wreckage and determining the cause of the crash until the spring. The remains of the plane will be taken to a hanger in Greeley.

More than 30 individuals from nine different agencies assisted in the search and rescue operations. San Juan Search and Rescue, Silverton and San Juan Fire & Rescue, a K-9 unit from Dolores and the Silverton Snowmobile Club were all involved in the effort, which had to be called off late Saturday afternoon because of worsening weather conditions. The search resumed Sunday and the first two victims, Rych and Black, were recovered.

Public meeting on Comp Plan Thursday
Local residents get their chance to weigh in on the debate over pulling the plug on the beleaguered Comprehensive Plan when the La Plata County Planning Commission meets tonight.  The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Anasazi Room of the La Plata County Courthouse, 1060 E. 2nd Ave.

“I would love for people to attend as they can,” said Travis Craig, chair of the Planning Commission.

In the event of an overflow crowd, speakers will be limited to three minutes; however, everyone will get a chance to speak. After the public comment session, the Commission will entertain a vote on whether or not to continue the Comprehensive Planning process.

The plan is a policy document describing what county residents want for the future and how they plan to get there.

Members on the Board of County Commissioners, Kellie Hotter, Bobby Lieb, Jr. and Wally White, have also been invited to listen in on the comment session.


State reduces fee for pot registry
Medical-marijuana patients will get a break starting Jan. 1, 2012.

The Colorado Board of Health cut the registration fee for patients who are renewing or applying for a license from $90 to $35. The fee was $140 when the program began in 2000.

“It benefits the patient,” said Mark Busnardo, co-owner of the Durango Healing Center.

The Nov. 16 decision also broadens the eligibility for fee waivers beginning Jan. 1. Patients whose household income is 185 percent of the federal poverty level or less will qualify for a waiver, according to the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment.

However, the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry will no longer accept Food Stamp and Supplemental Security Income letters as proof of low-income status.

Over the years, the numbers of registered patients had been steadily increasing. In September 2009, Colorado recorded 17,356 valid Registry IDs and in 2010 that number jumped to 106,653. Recently, though, the number decreased significantly.

As of September of this year, 102,592 patients possessed Registry IDs, down from 121,476 in August, according to the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment.

Two percent of those patients reside in La Plata County. In

August, that equated to 1,871 residents, but in September it dropped to 1,779.

Busnardo said he hasn’t seen an increase or decrease in the number of patients he serves since the center opened in 2009.

“It’s definitely plateaued a bit,” he added.

One thing that has changed is the clientele. Busnardo said his patients, including a nurse practitioner, represent a more diverse demographic than in 2009.

He added that people are more comfortable discussing the subject of medical marijuana in family and social situations. He said he encourages them to keep the conversation going.

Nordic Center announces opening
If you happen to be among the lucky few who captured a spot at the Iron Horse starting line in May, you can now log some cardio time courtesy the Purgatory Nordic Center.

Thanks to last weekend’s storm, the Nordic Center will open for the 2011-12 season this Saturday.

Nordic Center Director Helen Low said last weekend’s light, dry snow was not ideal for base-building but was enough to get the job done. However, be forewarned, early season conditions exist.

“It’s not ideal, but hey it’s skiing, so we’ll take it,” said Low.

And, apparently, Purg is faring better than its neighbors to the north. “Crested Butte has nothing. They just called and asked if there was any way we could host an upcoming race for them.”

In addition to the occasional rough patch, Low said skiers around Boyce Lake may notice some changes. “The beavers did a number over the summer.” she said. “They built up so many dams that the lake increased in size.”

She said groomers were able to set a track around most of the lake, but parts of the trail may cross the shallow outer reaches of the lake, which hopefully will remain frozen throughout the winter.

The Nordic Center will be open daily from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.  with nearly 20 km of trails (Boyce Lake Overlook may remain closed pending more snow.) Daily trail passes are $14; season passes are $100 through Christmas and $125 after Christmas.

For up to date conditions, go to: http://www.durango nordic.org/NordicCenter.html

– Tracy Chamberlin and Missy Votel