Cuchara Village wants entertainment district

by Larry Patrick
WALSENBURG — Cal Sandbeck of the Dog Bar and Grill approached the Huerfano County Commissioners this week with a request to set up an entertainment district at Cuchara Village for various events during the year.
The entertainment district would require a board be set up to oversee it. Sandbeck said the purpose in setting up such a district would be to allow people to carry liquor from one side of the street to another with blockades set up on both ends of the street. The Cuchara Village would like to have this in effect for the annual Cuchara Country Music Festival on Saturday June 15, and for the July 4th festivities. They have held these events in the past with a special use permit but people were confined to a blocked off area which didn’t allow them to get to the entertainment venues being offered.
County clerk Judy Benine says the Liquor Control Division has no problem with the county setting up an entertainment district but there are only two of them in the state right now. There are strict rules and regulations that must be followed. The county would approve the entertainment district each year and be responsible for it. Sandbeck says they may consider some other events during the year but they would be few in number. He says he wants the events to be family oriented.
The commissioners approved taking a further look into the possibility of setting up the entertainment district once more information is garnered by the county clerk.
Commissioners approved a resolution adopting a new logo and seal which will serve as the visual identity of Huerfano County. The new logo will be a part of the branding for tourism and involve Spanish Peaks Country within the logo. It includes the Spanish Peaks in the background with Goemmer Butte in the foreground with the county’s name and year it was established around the border and “Spanish Peaks Country” inside the picture.
The federal sequester could bring cuts to the Secure Rural School program for Huerfano County. Al Tucker, chairman of the Pike and San Isabel Resource Advisory Council was notified that the eighty-five billion dollar federal cuts could see a 5% reduction in the local Title II program. It is unsure of the total dollar amount affected at this time.
The sequester will also affect some conservation programs being considered.
The commissioners okayed support for a bill by Congressman Scott Tipton dealing with the Healthy Forest Management and Wildfire Prevention Act. The county says it is important for the protection of tourism in Huerfano County with outdoor recreation enjoyed by many.