Article by Orville Wright
Veterans – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Ed Quillen contacted me about submitting something for the November edition of Colorado Central. He said another writer was also working on a couple of pieces related to Veterans Day. So I was asked to supply something that “Explored how military service affected the life of a guy who grew up in Salida.” The following is offered, although it is a wee bit above Mr. Quillen’s suggested word count. –O.W.
Sidebar by Marcia Darnell
Veterans – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
A Valley runs through it
The Korean War ended in 1953, but its famous border is marked half a world away, in the San Luis Valley of Colorado.
Article by Marcia Darnell
Veterans – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
HOMELAKE IS APTLY NAMED: It’s a lake, with trees and fish and peaceful waters, and it’s a home, the oldest veterans’ home in Colorado.
Homelake was founded in 1891 as the Colorado Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home. Adair Wilson, a state senator from Del Norte, had passed legislation to establish a veterans’ home in the San Luis Valley a few years earlier. The site near Monte Vista was determined by the donation of land by two Monte Vista families, who continued to farm the acreage around the home for years. There was also a dairy on the property.
Essay by John C. Mattingly
Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
IN THIS UPCOMING ELECTION, I’d like to give Adlai Stevenson my vote for President. Stevenson — the Democratic candidate for President in 1952 and 1956 — lost both times to Ike Eisenhower and then lost to Kennedy in the Democratic presidential primaries in 1960.
Stevenson was a loser, and he’s dead, but looking at the current federal administration, this should be no obstacle to his candidacy.
Brief by Central Staff
Recreation – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
The Colorado Trail, which extends for about 470 miles between Durango and Denver, celebrated its 30th anniversary on Sept. 25 with a spaghetti supper in Buena Vista.
The trail was the idea of Bill Lucas, then regional director of the U.S. Forest Service, and Gudy Gaskill, who chaired the Trails and Huts Committee of the Colorado Mountain Club. They laid out a tentative route which connected existing trails (such as the old Main Range Trail on the east flank of the Sawatch Range), and volunteers went to work on the ground.
Brief by Ed Quillen
Local News – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Cold Case File
The remains of a Boulder man who had been missing for nearly two years were discovered in Lake County in late September near the top of Independence Pass. The bones were near his car, which had rolled so far off the road that no one had noticed it since he went missing on Sept. 26, 2004.
Brief by Central Staff
Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
It’s certainly no secret that Martha and Ed Quillen are both Democrats, and thus endorse John Kerry for President. Back in the primary season, he was the first choice of neither. Martha, who grew up in a labor town near Detroit, favored Dick Gephardt. Ed, apparently inspired by his Populist-agitator great-grandfather, liked John Edwards.
Brief by Central Staff
Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
This is a presidential election year, but it’s sort of an off-year election for state and local governments. The state governor, attorney-general, and treasurer, as well as county clerks, treasurers, and assessors, are elected in the other even years, like 2002 and 2006.
As for commissioners, most counties have three. One gets elected in the “other even years,” and two come up in presidential election years, like this one.
Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Private!
Robert Salter owns property that is surrounded by public land, and that’s led to conflict with hikers and hunters. Salter’s home is an isle in a sea of Forest Service and BLM property, and both agencies are getting reports of Salter threatening trespassers — and potential trespassers. Allegedly, Salter’s been threatening people outside his property line, which is clearly marked. Salter was arrested and authorities are investigating.
Comic Strip written and drawn by Monika Griesenbeck
Mountain Life – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Brief by Central Staff
Modern Life – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
In Salida and certain other parts of Central Colorado, some of us like to joke that we have a constitutional right to a siesta.
The logic behind that is a bit convoluted. It starts with Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which states that “The Constitution … and all Treaties made … shall be the supreme Law of the Land.”
Brief by Central Staff
Drought – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Colorado’s five-year drought has struck the southern part of the state harder than the northern part — especially the San Juans and the San Luis Valley.
The effects show up with decreased harvests, and harder times for farmers and ranchers, and also wildlife, as reported by outdoor writer Charlie Meyers in the Oct. 6 Denver Post.
Essay by John Clayton
Modern Life – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
THE BIG NEWS in my small town has been the new automated checkout line at the grocery store. You scan the purchases yourself, and then give the machine your credit card, with no need for any human interaction. At least that’s how I’m told it works — I haven’t used the thing myself.
Column by Hal Walter
Mountain life – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
THE OTHER NIGHT, while enjoying a beverage called “Wet Mountain IPA” and watching a new television comedy/reality series called the “2004 Presidential Debates,” it occurred to me that this column was due that day and that the day itself had pretty much passed without my having written so much as a word.
Letter from Slim Wolfe
Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
Sign of the Alternative Times: I was somewhat puzzled to read Hal Walter’s suggestion [October edition] that his is an alternative lifestyle. I hasten to add that I don’t intend this as a put-down of Walter, but merely an observation of our changing definitions.
Letter from Frank Sniveley
History – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Ed,
You may have seen it already, but if not, take a look at http://amconmag.com/20041011/cover.html, which is a sort-of tongue in cheek set of advice for would-be imperialists, based on Machiavelli’s The Prince.
Letter from Milt Francis
Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
The fear of terrorism and losing the war is apparently a significant factor in the decisions influencing Americans in the coming election. The spectre of another 9-11 suggests the need for continuity in the current leadership no matter its incredible incompetence in both the fight against terror and the needless war this administration is waging.
Letter from Paul Martz
Bill of Rights – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors,
I’ll start out by saying that I’ve been a member of the NRA for 37 years and a Life Member for more than 25. I found Ben Long’s stated views on the organization in last month’s edition to be not only patently offensive, but totally ignorant. The level of “professionalism” demonstrated by his article makes me wonder if there shouldn’t be some sort of exam before one is allowed to call oneself a professional.
Letter from Bob Cross
Colorado Central – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Ed:
I’ve always thought that the Colorado Central library would tend toward the ecclectic. However, I must admit that I was surprised to learn (from Pat Williams’ letter in the October edition) that included in your library are pictures of the scat left lying around by the various critters that inhabit our forests.
Article by Sunnie Sacks
Livestock – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
AMY MORRISON decided to adopt and train a wild burro as a learning project for her job. At work, she supervises inmates who are training animals at the Colorado Department of Corrections in Cañon City. But Amy started training horses on her parents’ ranch outside of Guffey when she was only 12 years old.
Column by George Sibley
Culture – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
YOU’RE RECEIVING this magazine a week or two before the election, so you may have already voted if you’re going to, and it’s probably too late to change your mind if you haven’t, so I won’t try.
Sidebar by Lynda La Rocca
Wildlife – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
For humans, wash the skin with tomato juice, vinegar, or carbolic soap and water. If spray gets into the eyes, flush the eyes liberally with cold water to ease irritation. Clothing may be cleaned by washing in vinegar, but your best bet may be to throw skunked clothes away.
Sidebar by Lynda La Rocca
Wildlife – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
The best way to eliminate skunks is to remove what they like. So get rid of piles of lumber, wood, and junk, store trash in tightly sealed containers, and don’t leave pet food outdoors. Installing fencing to a depth of 1-2 feet below the ground and sealing foundation openings will prevent skunks from denning beneath a house.
Article by Lynda La Rocca
Wildlife – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
IF YOU WERE SADDLED with a name that means “noxious, pestilential, or foul exhalation,” you, too, might develop defense mechanisms as powerful as those of Mephitis mephitis, the striped skunk.
You gotta feel sorry for this little black-and-white- furred creature. Even its non-Latin name has become synonymous in the English language with such undesirable characteristics as obnoxiousness and cheating.
Review by Ed Quillen
Colorado History – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Brothels, Bordellos & Bad Girls: Prostitution in Colorado 1860-1930
by Jan MacKell
Published in 2004
by the University of New Mexico Press
ISBN 0-8263-3342-7
Review by Ed Quillen
Climate – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Floods, Famines, and Emperors – El Niño and the Fate of Civilizations
by Brian Fagan
Published in 1999 by Basic Books
ISBN 0-465-01121-7
Review by Steve Voynick
Leadville – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
LEADVILLE – The Struggle to Revive an American Town
by Gillian Klucas
published in 2004 by Island Press
ISBN 1-55963-385-9
Essay by Martha Quillen
Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
THERE’S BEEN a lot of media criticism about negative campaigning in recent years. But this time around it seems like the media’s stance on nasty campaigning is more questionable than the offensive campaigns.
After the last debate, for example, The Rocky Mountain News ran a fat, black headline announcing “Town brawl,” in just this size:
