Turning Back the Pages

30 years ago – October 11, 1985

Jerry Stringfellow was shot twice by an unknown assailant Thursday afternoon. He was near his home in the Pisgah Lake area of Gilpin County. Undersheriff David Martinez said shortly after the incident that all of the information about it had not been obtained. What he was informed of was that Stringfellow confronted an unknown man that was allegedly trespassing on private property. The man supposedly intended to cut trees on the property and Stringfellow informed him that he could not. The man allegedly said that he would see about that, pulled a gun, and shot Stringfellow once in the face and once in the shoulder. Members of the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Department along with several other law enforcement officials went in search of the man who was still believed to be in the area. According to Martinez, Stringfellow shot two of the tires on the man’s vehicle before he drove himself to Central City to get medical attention. It was not long before the unknown man was apprehended. Stringfellow was transported to the hospital. Martinez said he thought Stringfellow would be all right. At press time yesterday, further details were not available.

To the astonishment of Black Hawk City Council members, several other local officials and some residents of Gilpin County attended the City Council meeting Tuesday to express their opposition to the watershed ordinance, which would make it mandatory for anyone within the city’s watershed protection district to obtain a city permit for “sanitary sewage facilities and systems.” The County opposes the ordinance because it would encompass a great deal of land not within the city limits of Black Hawk and, in a letter to the board, Bill Glasser, County Sanitarian argued that “We disagree that the City of Black Hawk should be involved in the business of passing judgment on septic permit applications in the unincorporated areas of the county… we do not issue septic permits in areas where water quality would be compromised.” The audience had been told the ordinance would be acted upon at the council meeting. That information came from Linda Martin, circuit-riding City Manager. Council members were annoyed that they were not told the watershed ordinance was to be discussed. The ordinance was not listed as one of the topics on the agenda. Alderman Jim Wershky pointed out that the Council had just received a draft of the ordinance, but no one had read it. The Council was unaware of why the local officials and others were attending the meeting until “audience business” was addressed and the topic was brought up then. The Gilpin County Sanitarian received a letter from Martin, dated September 23, regarding a proposed watershed ordinance. Enclosed with the letter was a copy of an ordinance and a map showing the area impacted by the ordinance. The letter said copies were sent to the County Commissioners and the County Building Inspector, but Commissioner Leslie Williams said only the Sanitarian received it. Martin was not present at the meeting. Williams told the Council that she was pointing out to them that the meeting “was to be held tonight.” Wershky apologized to people in the audience who were told the meeting about the ordinance would be held and reiterated that the Council was not aware of that decision.