Re: Old Newspaper Article from 2002: Fires causing major losses for Silverton-Durango train

The fellows in Kingman did that on their own recognizing the relative balance of importance between Durango and Silverton, but my actual role in the 2002 fire was limited to helping the D&S get an emergency economic development loan from Region 9 so that payrolls could be met and a rebuffed effort to secure support from US Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell for some sort of federal aid for the railroad. This was when the SBA had a special team in Durango doing emergency disaster loans for distressed businesses in Durango and Silverton because of the fire. Campbell was speaking at the dedication of the Red Mountain scenic over look at the Idarado Mine when we approached him to discuss the needs of the D&S and got nowhere. So the D&S refinanced their debt load through the Colorado Housing Finance Authority and that sharply reduced their yearly interest payments that directly helped them recover from the disaster of the 2002 fire.

Fritz