High winds with gusts of up to 65 miles per hour hit the area on Tuesday bringing damage and dust followed by snow flurries. Empire Electric repair crews were kept busy repairing power lines and poles downed by the wind, according to Everett Johnson of Empire Electric. A dual pole used by Mountain Bell and Empire was blown over near Nielsons Inc. office on Central Ave. and was replaced by Empire crews. About three miles above Dolores power was knocked out for about two and a half hours after a tree was blown over breaking another tree in half and knocking it across power lines. Three miles west of Dove Creek a pole carrying a main 3-phase line was blown over and the power had to be shut off to replace the pole. Another pole went down on the Dolores-San Miguel County line leaving an energized line across Highway 141 about three feet off the ground. Crews rushed out and stopped all traffic until the downed line could be repaired.
According to an employee of Cortez Glass Co., there was much window damage in the entire area with storm windows and storm doors were blown out or hit by flying debris. A small barn belonging to George Rogers on Summit Ridge was completely flattened and Charles Lincoln was attempting to nail down a sheet of tin on his shed when the wind picked it up and flipped him over with the tin on top of him, cutting his hand.
Senate Bill S.2319, which calls for addition of the Dolores and other rivers to a study of possibility of inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, will be subject of a hearing in Durango on Saturday, April 13. A surprising number, over 50 persons, have asked to be heard including many cattlemen's groups; town, city and county government spokesmen; and other such as Chambers of Commerce, environmental groups, etc.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Becher and children, Tommy and Leslie, enjoyed a picnic on Goodman Point Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Richard Becher of Cortez.
Company at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hamilton over the weekend was their daughter and family, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Brubeck and two sons from Kirtland, New Mexico.
