T h e C o t o p a x i a n P r e s s
CDOT related news in Cotopaxi, Colorado. Region 2, Section 4, Patrol 60
Region 2 Memorial Project
Page 3
This memorial will be at 905 Erie Avenue, Pueblo Colorado. It is in a small space at CDOT Region 2 Headquarters between the Maintenance and Engineering buildings. Below, a "before" photo of the site:
That's Helen on the left and Stella on the right.
Right from the start...the day I took this photo, April 10, 2007, Helen was insistent that those two rotten wood planters not be disturbed.
I told her I was going to remove them. lol.
Anyhow, we had a pretty busy winter. Snow.
On March 7, 2008, I learned that I had a deadline of April 8, 2008 to get this done. I had sent an email to Gabe Gonzales telling him that I was getting locates in the area of the memorial so that I could start. I copied the email to Stella Struck. She responded with this
"Hi Nelson, I don't know if anyone told you yet but we are getting 2 rock fountains to put on each side of the sign. We are hoping to have it complete for the unveiling of the sign on Tuesday, Apri 8th. Please call me for clarification. Thanks
Stella"
One thing I've learned through all this: you will never have clarification from Stella. lol.
[nice sensor in action]
So anyhow, things got rushed. I couldn't guarantee that I could complete the triangular piece in a month. March is typically our snowy month, and of course I can't work on it if it snows. So I went to the plan with a big rock and the sign on it. Yes, all the work on the triangular piece just got scrapped.
During the summer of 2007, I had purchased permits from the BLM for granite blocks out of the old Cotopaxi Granite quarries. I had some rocks in mind that would work for the CDOT memorial (revised/revised/revised).
I went scouting:
I found it!
It was down at the bottom of the quarry's "tailings", and in the Fremont County Road and Bridge's permit area.
Paul Garrett, Fremont County Road and Bridge boss in Cotopaxi gave me the ok to get the rock....
I got a special use permit from the BLM...and written permission from Paul....in one day...
...and a lot of help!
I came up McCoy gulch the evening before...it was really muddy and snowy on the road in...so I called Westcliffe - PT 27 and got Rick Perscbacher to bring their 6x6 tandem down the next day. Steve Martinez PT 05, Pueblo and Cale (also PT 05) brought Canon City's (PT 65&59) big loader up to Cotopaxi. We dropped it off at the intersection of Fremont County Road 1A and McCoy Gulch Road and I drove the loader into the quarry...about 1.5 miles. Steve & Cale brought my personal pickup...it has my tools and just makes it easier.
Ed & Jerry (pt 60, Cotopaxi) showed up at the quarry site in our one ton. Had to tow the one ton out. So it was a good call, getting the 6x6.
Below, the stone, circled in red, is attached to a cable that goes through a pully-block tied to the tandem. The other end of the cable is attached to the loader....as the loader backs down the road, the stone is pulled up the hill. In theory. In reality, we got it up 10 or 20 feet and then came in at a lower road and drug it across the slide to the loader, then picked it up with the loader and a chain. It was a lot of work!
Steve in the foreground...Ed in the loader...Jerry and Cale at the bottom of the slide.
Photos taken March 11, 2008
Below, this rock was too large for the loader to lift. It was an awesome block though.
Surprisingly, were unable to find any other blocks large enough to provide a little border for the 3x5 sign that we could lift with the loader.
We did get a few other rocks as our permit was for 10 tons. They all went into the memorial.
It's a pretty place to work! Here, the truck is loaded with the rock and we are headed out.
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