Bailey – They’re talking trash in this mountain town, as in overflowing piles of it.
A few weeks ago, Sunrise Disposal quit picking up garbage in Bailey. No one is sure what the situation is.
“Sunrise just kind of left town,” said Michelle Anderson, who works at the Cutthroat Cafe at the foot of Crow Hill. “They were picking up twice a week and just one week, they didn’t.”
The answering machine at Sunrise Disposal Inc. offers no clues. The recording says, “Memory full.” On Monday, no one was at Sunrise’s business address or the mailing address, which is a residence.
Cutthroat Cafe owner Chip Thomas has been packing his trash in a trailer and hauling it to the dump. Along the way, Thomas has tossed in trash produced by other Main Street businesses.
At the Crow Hill Apartments, trash spills from one of Sunrise’s large, dark-brown trash bins, and small mounds of trash can be seen near homes on gravel roads where many of Bailey’s 9,000 residents live.
Magpies and crows have taken advantage of the lapse in trash pickup, pecking through plastic and flitting off with a stray French fry or two.
In more remote areas served by Sunrise, bears have been prowling and picnicking on the garbage.
Rumors swirl in the small town about what happened to Sunrise. Some residents worry about the owner; some think Sunrise simply went out of business.
Court records show that earlier this year, Sunrise owner Cheryl L. Walker was in court for late payments on the business’ office. On Aug. 23, records state, Walker defaulted on an agreement with the office owner and could be evicted.
In the end, as China Village restaurant owner Sam Long said, “Nobody knows nothing.”
Long said the situation started around Labor Day. Between the contributions from his restaurant and his rental apartments next door, the trash heap is mounting.
“There was no pickup, no notice,” Long said. Soon, “the whole town smells.”
Mountain View Waste Systems and Evergreen Disposal Service have been hauling some of Sunrise’s trash for free. Several customers, such as Long, have switched to Mountain View.
“They’re coming on Monday,” Long said.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
