Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – April 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Local Target
District Attorney Pete Comar needs a new receptionist. Diane Mondragon, the DA’s gatekeeper, was arrested for selling cocaine, allegedly right out of the office. Comar launched an investigation of his staffer after a call from an informant. A drug-sniffing dog named Bugs was one of the investigators.
Column by Hal Walter
Literature – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
IF YOU WERE TO TAKE an analytical look at the businesses in Westcliffe and try to make some sense out of the population, you might surmise a populace of heavy-drinking real-estate investors who buy a lot of tools, are wired on coffee and subsist on pizza, but do not eat fresh vegetables or read books.
Essay by Martha Quillen
Local Politics – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
IN THE PAST, I’ve grumbled quite a bit about partisan politics, and so has Ed, and dozens upon dozens of national columnists, and many of the people writing letters to our local newspapers, and… People on the streets, over ridges, near to bridges; in the cities, next to bays, near the highways; in the region, on the hillsides, by the legion…
Review by Ed Quillen
Transportation – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
SMARTrans – Sensible Mountain Area Railway Transport
by Edward Stewart Wright
Published in 2000
by Bookpublishers Intercontinental Ltd. in Littleton
ISBN 0-9677234-3-4
Review by Betsy Marston
Rock Art – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
The Serpent and the Sacred Fire: Fertility Images in Southwest Rock Art
by Dennis Slifer
Published in 2000 by Museum of New Mexico Press
ISBN 0-89013-346-8
Review by Ed Quillen
Local Lore – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Beyond the Great Divide – 101 True Stories of Western Colorado
by Abbott Fay
Published in 1999 by Western Reflections Press
ISBN 1-890437-19-0
Sidebar by Colorado Legislature
Public Roads – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
AN ACT CONCERNING ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
Approved March 9, 1883
2953. SECTION 1. All roads and highways, except private roads heretofore established in pursuance of any law of this State or the Territory of Colorado, and roads dedicated to public use, that have not been vacated or abandoned, and such other roads as are now recognized and maintained by the corporate authorities of any county in this State, are hereby declared to be public highways.
Sidebar by Colorado Legislature
Public Roads – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
AN ACT CONCERNING ROADS AND PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.
Approved March 12, 1877
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado
Sidebar by Colorado Legislature
Public Roads – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
TERRITORIAL ROAD LAW IN COLORADO
Approved August 16, 1862 by the Territorial Assembly
SECTION 1. The most usually travelled roads between the following named places are hereby declared to be territorial roads, to wit:
From Denver City to Pueblo, by way of Mrs. Coberlin’s ranch and Colorado City.
Article by Ed Quillen
Public Roads – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
WHILE OTHER AMERICANS may be debating the merits and morality of RU-486, the hot issue in our part of the world is more likely to be RS-2477.
It’s not a pill like RU-486, nor is it an electronic standard like RS-232. It’s a federal law that was adopted in 1866 and repealed in 1976, and its name is happenstance. The “RS” stands for “Revised Statutes,” and it happened to be statute number 2,477 when that book was published.
Letter from Bill Eichelberger
Colorado Central – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Dear Ed and Martha:
I just want to say that I continue to enjoy Colorado Central, and so does my granddaughter Kelli Trujillo, who gets it as a gift subscription from me.
Letter from Dale Sanderson
Maps – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Ed:
I noticed in your article about reference books that you preferred DeLorme’s Atlas of Colorado. Just wanted to check whether you’ve had an opportunity to use Shearer Publishing’s Roads of Colorado atlas. I think the cartography in DeLorme is a bit more æsthetic — particularly in the recent edition, which has shaded relief.
Letter from Kate Mailly
George Sibley’s February 2001 column – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
I would like to address George Sibley’s column “Getting Globalized” in your February edition.
Obviously the article was intended as a criticism of the company that owns the Country Chronicle & Pilot and the Gunnison Country Times (our sister paper) and of corporate ownership of newspapers in general.
Sidebar by Marcia Darnell
Historic Renovation – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Q: Why do you want to restore this old building?
A: Del Norte has a remarkably rich history, and a surprisingly large number of surviving significant buildings dating to the period before and just after 1900. The Windsor Hotel complex is the largest of them, and is the centerpiece of this important legacy. To quote Ruth Marie Colville: “Imagine the vision and audacity of the people who built this large, elegant hotel in a tiny, remote town in 1876”. We have an opportunity to show vision and audacity in our own time by restoring this landmark as a living history showplace for future generations in our community.
Sidebar by Marcia Darnell
Historic Renovation – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
The Creede Repertory Theatre brings many artists to that small mountain town every summer, when housing is scarce. But the Rio Grande Hotel restoration project will help with that shortage starting this summer.
The Rio Grande Hotel, constructed in 1892 to house railroad workers, will include six rooms, a dining area, and other amenities. The grounds will have paving, parking, landscaping, and an amphitheater.
Article by Marcia Darnell
Historic Renovation – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
IF THERE’S A RENOVATION PROJECT in the works in the San Luis Valley, chances are Mark Jones is involved. The Del Norte architect is in the vanguard of a movement to save the Valley’s historical buildings from the fatal effects of time and neglect.
Sidebar by Allen Best
Roadside History – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
THERE WAS LITTLE DISPUTE about the facts at Meeker in northwestern Colorado, yet there were two very different tellings of what happened.
The one telling we call the Meeker Massacre, and it’s a familiar story.
Nathan Meeker, the new Indian agent, had managed to annoy the Utes, and when push came to literal shove, a fearful Meeker summoned the U.S. Army from Ft. Steele in Wyoming.
Article by Allen Best
Roadside History – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
MANY OF US don’t even notice the historical markers along Colorado’s highways, and even when they do catch our attention, we seldom stop more than once. After all, we’re not going to see anything new.
But that’s changing with a new series of signs from the Colorado Historical Society which aims for inclusiveness and accuracy.
Brief by Central Staff
Local Life – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
It’s that time of year again; everyone’s getting ready for a busy summer season.
The Salida Steam Plant Theater
The Salida Steam Plant Theater presents live music, drama, and dance. If you’re interested in volunteering your time call Marti Thomas at 539-4619. If you’re interested in putting on a performance at the theater call Shelley Jacobs at 719-539-6576 or Kay Hutchings at 719-539-7590.
Brief by Central Staff
Local Culture – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
The Chaffee County Council on the Arts Writer’s Exchange is now accepting applications for their third regional literary anthology, “Ripples … In the Stream of Life.” Entries must be postmarked by May 18, 2001, publication is scheduled for May 2002.
Brief by Ed Quillen
Mountain Life – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
On one frigid Januuary afternoon I had a computer question, and called the man who has forgotten more about computers than most people will ever know — Mark Emmer, who lives a couple of miles outside Salida.
Mark sounded groggy, so I apologized for waking him during his siesta (in my view, a fundamental right guaranteed to people residing on former Mexican territory by the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo).
Brief by Central Staff
Colorado habits – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Newsweek recently devoted most of an edition to “Fighting Addiction,” wherein it was noted that 11 million Americans smoke marijuana at least once a month, and that “Colorado leads the pack.”
We’re not real sure how they determined that Coloradans smoke more pot than the residents of any other state. Presumably it resulted from a survey, even though we have trouble imagining people who’d discuss this topic with a stranger.
Brief by Central Staff
Media – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Keeping the press in line is a tough job, even for U.S. presidents, but that doesn’t keep people from trying.
For as long as we can remember, Salida’s daily Mountain Mail had a deal with the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, so that patients could receive the paper every day. But recently, the papers were terminated.
Brief by Central Staff
Correction – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
In the February edition, the last paragraph of one item in this “Keeping Track” section was truncated. It was a brief about alleged big-foot sightings in Colorado, and the full paragraph was supposed to read:
Brief by Central Staff
Local politics – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
In recent weeks, we’ve heard a lot about those damned “trustfunders,” and most of the time the term is applied to people who wish it were true.
This inspires four observations:
Brief by Central Staff
Local Culture – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
One of the bright spots of the winter is the annual Son-of-a-Gunn production in Gunnison.
It’s a satiric revue with a community cast to present a side-splitting parody of a Broadway production. This year’s presentation is “Annie Get Your Gunnison,” with humor based on extreme-skier Annie and her adventures among ranchers.
Brief by Marcia Darnell
Sand Dunes – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Gary Boyce, managing partner of Farallon, which owns the Baca Ranch, has filed suit against his partners to stop their sale of the ranch to the Nature Conservancy. Boyce is asking for a temporary injunction to block the sale, which he says is proceeding without his consent.
Farallon, based in San Francisco, says it holds controlling interest in the ranch and can sell with or without Boyce. Boyce counters that he has first right of refusal on the property, long the site of battles over water development.
Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
More Targeted
Attorney General Ken Salazar has added three names to Colorado’s lawsuit over the Summitville mess. Dennis Washington was a founder and officer of the corporation that constructed the waste pile and heap leach pad at the mine site south of Del Norte. He is named in the suit, along with two other contractors. Other defendants include four previous operators of the mine site, as well as the company that built it.
Brief by Central Staff
Place Names – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Last month, we ran a short quiz about street names, and inspired a stunning lack of interest.
But to cure any curiosity we didn’t know about, here are the answers:
Comic Strip by Clint Driscoll and Sweet Pea
Mountain Life – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
Column by George Sibley
Land Use – March 2001 – Colorado Central Magazine
EARLY IN JANUARY, the Gunnison County Commissioners finally signed off on a new improved “LUR” — a 450-page Land Use Resolution to guide land use decisions in the unincorporated parts of the county. This document has been under revision for almost seven years, and as one member of the county planning commission said, “has the fingerprints of almost anyone who walked into this room and made a comment,” including “the fingerprints of people who now object to it.”
SIERRA CLUB’S COLORADO RIVER REPORT RE-RELEASED
After extensive internal peer review and revisions, the Colorado River Task Force has released its Colorado River Report. It is at http://www.sierraclub.org/rcc/southwest/COreport/
The report identifies over-allocation of the water and dam operations as the primary environmental challenges facing improved governance of the river. The report recommends 9 priorities of needs to improve the condition of the river and its environs. They are Colorado River Delta Restoration; Endangered Species Recovery; Instream Flow Protection; Grand Canyon Ecosystem Restoration; Implementation of California’s 4.4 Plan; Transbasin Diversion Depletions; Water Quality Protection; Glen Canyon Restoration; and Federal Facilities Transfers and Water Exchanges.
