Colorado
Colorado Sunday | Water’s bad boy
Happy Colorado Sunday, fam.
Sometime back in the middle ‘90s, I had followed entrepreneurial friends to Fort Collins to participate in a full-fledged war among three upstart business publications and was building sources by saying yes to anyone who wanted to share a word about the town, the economy, the community. Accountants. Retailers. Doctors. Realtors. Gary Wockner.
I don’t think Wockner made a business case for protecting the Poudre River that day, but I left our unplanned chat at a coffee shop with clear feelings about how important the ribbon of water running through town was and an invitation to appreciate it, too.
This was before Wockner dug in to fight the massive Glade Reservoir project and rebranded as a river warrior. Before he distributed posters of other defenders standing naked in the river, holding hand-lettered cards over their heads reading “Save the Poudre.”
I changed jobs many times, but wherever I’ve been, Gary Wockner has been a constant character on the environment beat, his defense of the Poudre fiercening over time. This week’s cover story by Jerd Smith gave me a bit more insight into the man who just won’t quit — and the way his work has influenced how we use and regard our rivers.
Meet the water warrior we love to hate
Water agitator Gary Wockner, founder of Save The Poudre and Save the Colorado, is having a bang-up 2025, winning a $100 million settlement from Northern Water in March, and persuading a federal judge in April to stop construction of the partially complete Gross Reservoir Dam project, at least temporarily. Now critical appeals in the case could ultimately lower the amount of water Denver Water, the dam’s owner, will be allowed to divert from the Upper Colorado River system in Grand County.
Wockner is a controversial figure in the water world. He has filed nine major lawsuits against Colorado water projects during his 25-year run as an activist. With this year’s wins, we decided to tell readers a bit more about the man who is loved by fierce river protectors, and who draws few, if any, kind words from the water establishment.
READ THIS WEEK’S COLORADO SUNDAY FEATURE
No need to wait for the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival July 11-20, the viewing season is already in full swing in the Gunnison Valley. Photojournalist Dean Krakel went on a few hikes and returned with some beautiful images and tips for where to find hillsides awash in brilliant pre-peak colors. Drifts of lupine and balsamroot are already blanketing the hillsides of the lower valleys, he said. Red columbine can be found in the shady recesses along the banks of streams and creeks along with wild iris and stands of golden banner. Paintbrush, blue flax and white and lavender phlox carpet the ground alongside many of the lower trails.
Thinking of climbing Longs Peak? Think again.
It was the fall of 2020, and I had survived COVID, so I went looking for the next most dangerous thing I could think of: Climb Longs Peak!
I had been haunted by that prospect since I moved to Colorado and took my car to the emissions testing facility in Fort Collins. I pulled into the bay and there it was, perfectly framed in the doorway: Longs freaking Peak!
It took me a full three years to summon the nerve, the skills, the gear, and oh yeah, the nerve, to tackle Longs. I made it up, and back, so now I’m an expert.
Here’s my step-by-step guide to climbing Longs Peak. Or not.
CHECK OUT PETER MOORE’S TIPS FOR TACKLING COLORADO’S 15TH TALLEST PEAK
“Sonata in Wax” plays haunting piano backdrop to protagonist’s struggles
EXCERPT: A protagonist captivated by a century-old recording drives this debut novel by Edward Hamlin, which explores dual narrative timelines and a theme that hinges on a lie of omission and the consequences of confession. Hamlin, an accomplished musician and composer himself, melded his passion for music with strains of family history to produce this Colorado Book Award finalist for Novel. Remember Chase and Sanborn coffee? Hamlin is the last living descendant from the Sanborn side, Boston social elites who figure into the portion of the story that’s historical fiction.
READ THE SUNLIT EXCERPT
THE SUNLIT INTERVIEW: Hamlin explains how much he enjoyed writing this particular excerpt, which conjures the “ecstatic experience of hearing breathtaking music just when you needed it.” He also tells how the complex plot required some management skills. Here’s a slice of this week’s Q&A:
SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing this book?
Hamlin: Managing the sequence of reveals was challenging, as they crossed a wide cast of characters and a hundred years of plot events. Keeping track of who knew what when literally required a spreadsheet. It was also a challenge to make decisions, both micro and macro, about how to treat the historical figures, especially when they were my own ancestors. It would have been so much easier if I could have just shared a meal with them.
READ THE INTERVIEW WITH EDWARD HAMLIN
LISTEN TO A DAILY SUN-UP PODCAST WITH THE AUTHOR
A curated list of what you may have missed from The Colorado Sun this week.
🌞 Is selling millions of acres of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land in 11 Western states the solution to the housing crisis in the region? Details are scant, Jason Blevins, reports, but that’s the concept outlined by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who described the properties to be sold as “barren land next to highways with existing billboards that have no recreational value.”
🌞 Young adults just entering the job market face fierce headwinds. Tamara Chung reports on a program aiming to arm new workers with a powerful tool to open doors: social capital.
🌞 Costs to build the controversial 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway have more than doubled since 2020 and backers are looking for $2.4 billion in tax-exempt bonds to cover part of the $3.4 billion tab, Jason Blevins reports. Environmental groups fear that the increased cost of construction will drive more drilling and send more oil tankers rolling on tracks across Colorado.
🌞 U.S. Health and Human Services boss Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used a Wall Street Journal opinion column to fire all 17 members of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, including a Denver doctor. John Ingold landed an interview with Dr. Edwin Asturias, an infectious disease specialist, who worries the mass dismissals will undermine the public trust in decisions that come out of the group in the future. Meanwhile, more cases of measles were reported in Colorado last week.
🌞 In other RFK Jr. news, remarks he made about people with autism have stirred up trouble within a nonprofit organization for people with autism that was started by his cousin Anthony Shriver. Jennifer Brown reports on the way Best Buddies board members in Colorado have responded to the refusal of the national organization to call out how damaging the remarks were.
🌞 There are a dozen new gun laws on the books — officially — in Colorado. Jesse Paul explains a bit about each of them.
🌞 Former U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo was on stage last week for a Back From Broken Event hosted by Vic Vela. Taylor Dolven was there when Caraveo compared her suicidal thoughts during her unsuccessful campaign to keep her seat to drowning, saying she pulled under those who came to rescue. She also advocated for better understanding of depression and anxiety and more awareness to recognize when someone is struggling. And she said she’s well and ready to take on a large group of challengers in the 8th Congressional District Democratic primary next year.
🌞 This week in gray wolf news, Colorado Parks and Wildlife was pretty mum when a Pitkin County rancher told Tracy Ross there is a den with pups uncomfortably close to his cattle. The day after her story published, the agency announced there are indeed pups in at least one of the four den sites biologists are watching, but would not say where.
🌞 While Coloradans continue to debate the wisdom of wolf reintroduction five years after a public authorization vote, bison that reintroduce themselves to the state by walking across the border from Utah just got the backing of Colorado law that makes it illegal to kill them without a hunting license, Michael Booth explains.
When we meet again next week, it will officially be summer and The Sun store has your back, restocked with gear to help keep you wrinkle-free and well hydrated all season long. Check it all out at store.coloradosun.com
— Dana & the whole staff of The Sun
Corrections & Clarifications
Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.
Colorado
Colorado community reels after police say driver with revoked license hits three pedestrians, killing one
A man already driving with a suspended license from a DUI is now accused of intentionally plowing into three people on a sidewalk in Colorado.
This happened near the intersection of East Wildcat Reserve Parkway and Willowbridge Way in Highlands Ranch around 10:30 a.m. Monday.
Witnesses say that after the crash, the driver made a U-turn, went back to the scene, slowly drove past the wreckage, then left. That allowed another witness to follow him 5.5 miles down to Daniels Park, where just 15 minutes later, 28-year-old Adam Bauserman was taken into custody.
Bauserman’s demeanor was described by deputies as “unusually quiet.” At one point, he apparently asked, “Do you know if I killed the man?”
As it would turn out, the man survived, but his girlfriend did not. Flowers are piling up at the scene of a morning walk that turned deadly.
Right now, investigators don’t believe the driver knew any of those victims.
“You expect to be safe when you’re walking on the sidewalk,” said neighbor Beth Chitel, who lived just yards from the crash site until she moved last month. “These are very highly trafficked pathways around here; it could have happened to any of our friends, any of our neighbors, any of our children.”
“This was a horrific scene,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly.
Thirty-five-year-old Corrine More died in the crash. Her sister tells CBS Colorado she lived in the neighborhood and was out on a walk with her boyfriend. She describes Corrine as a nursing student with a big heart who was loved by everyone who knew her, and who was beautiful inside and out.
Corrine’s boyfriend, 30-year-old Kyle Vasey, was seriously injured. He has undergone multiple surgeries and was described by a doctor in the affidavit as being at substantial risk for permanent disfigurement or death.
The other victim is 72-year-old Dianne Windes. The sheriff says she was walking in the opposite direction from the couple. She was also hospitalized with serious injuries.
Witnesses believe the driver who crashed into the three pedestrians did so on purpose.
“If we can prove that, we’ll certainly do that, but at this point we have no indication of that,” Weekly said.
It was thanks to a witness who followed that truck that deputies arrested Bauserman, who was driving with a revoked license after a DUI last year.
“Mr. Bauserman has had several revocations and suspensions of his license over the last 10 years,” Weekly said. “He should never have been on the roadway, and as a result of that, somebody is now deceased.”
Deputies did not detect immediate signs of intoxication but are waiting on blood test results.
Right now, investigators believe Bauserman was only traveling 3 mph over the speed limit, at about 48 mph in a 45 mph zone. That will need to be confirmed in the investigation.
“He should never have been on the roadway, period. And so, the fact that somebody in our community has been lost in such a tragic, horrible way. How many lives have been destroyed by this selfish act?” Weekly asked.
“I want to express my sympathies to the families, and yeah, we’re here to support you as a community, and we’re by your side,” said Chitel.
Neighbor Beth Chitel started an online fundraiser for the victims.
“The last thing that the family should be having to worry about right now is the bills that are coming,” said Chitel.
The sheriff says that 15 to 20 community members stepped up to help in the aftermath of this tragedy.
Chitel says the community has been hurt by other recent tragedies, like the death of 13-year-old Alex Mackiewicz, who was hit while in the crosswalk on his way to school. That fatal crash happened just over a mile away from this one.
“Something really needs to be done. The community is well aware of the safety issues posed there, of course. Again, we don’t expect them on the sidewalk,” said Chitel. “We need more crosswalks; we could use more stoplights. We need more safety measures put in place because, in general, it’s really not a safe road. People speed on it.”
“It’s absolutely horrible. As the sheriff, I have done a lot to increase traffic enforcement. We’ve almost doubled the size of our traffic unit. I expect my folks to be out there and be productive and ensure the safety of our citizens. These tragedies, certainly back to back, are heartbreaking for everybody involved, it shouldn’t happen,” Weekly said.
Three families are forever changed, a community is left with questions, and the investigation is just beginning.
“We need to make sure that we do our job well, and that we get justice for all these victims,” Weekly said.
Bauserman is being held on charges including vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
Preliminary charges Bauserman is facing include the following seven felonies and one misdemeanor:
- Vehicular homicide
- Failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving death
- Failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury (two counts)
- Vehicular assault (two counts)
- Assault in the second degree – crimes to at-risk persons
- Driving a motor vehicle with a license is under restraint (express consent refusal/DUI conviction)
These charges could change based on the results of the blood tests and additional information that is garnered through the investigation.
A judge set Bauserman’s bond at $100,000.
As the investigation continues, the sheriff’s office says anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Detective Pereira at bpereira@dcsheriff.net or call (303) 660-7537.
When Dave and Jean Gottenborg met as teenagers wrangling horses in Estes Park, they dreamed of one day running a ranch together. That dream fell by the wayside for decades until 2012, when the couple purchased Eagle Rock Ranch in the Tarryall Valley.
Talking about the Gottenborg’s ranch means deliberately avoiding words like “owners” and “ownership.” The couple “manage” their land — their preferred term — through the conservationist lens of thinkers like Wendell Berry and Aldo Leopold. Visitors are welcome on the land (see some basic guidelines here), and they sell their beef by the cut, box and share at their family-owned mercantile in Fairplay.
Colorado
Where to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels: TV channel, start time, streaming for Jun. 02
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Tuesday as the Colorado Rockies visit the Los Angeles Angels.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels?
First pitch between the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Jun. 02.
How to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for Jun. 02 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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