– By Ellen GloverThis story was originally published on March 23, 2023 Custer County’s new emergency management officer, Robyn Knappe, feels right at home in the Valley. Her father’s ancestors were part of the German Colony that came to the area in the 1860s and farmed along Verdemont Road. “I feel at home in Westcliffe. That’s why I am concerned that people learn how to protect themselves from the most obvious hazard we have here — wildfire,” she said. Knappe has a deep understanding of all kinds of disasters through her work with the American Red Cross in Denver for 25 years as well as her work with the state government. She said the 2013 floods along the Front Range, when disaster emergencies were declared…
