2002 April

Conservation easement is just another adventure

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Column by Hal Walter

Conservation – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

“Prepare to receive intense gamma radiation,” the figure on the aspen-lined trail calls out from ahead. “We’re coming up on the richest vein of thorium in the nation.”

My first instinct is to hold my breath. But as I look into the pit, where splintering timbers point to a dark hole, I open my mouth and the irradiated but familiar thin air rushes into my lungs. I run by this mine quite often on my regular runs around Bear Basin Ranch near my home in the Wet Mountains. What the hell — if thorium particles are good for Gary Ziegler to breathe, they must be good for me too.

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A second helping of ‘Poetry on a Platter’

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Article by Lynda La Rocca

Poetry – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

IT PROMISES to be a feast that will leave everyone hungry for more. The second annual “Poetry on a Platter” festival is coming to Salida April 8-10. The first stop on a six-day poetic journey that continues in Montrose before concluding in Paonia on April 13, “Poetry on a Platter” will feature a series of workshops, readings, discussions, and open-microphone events hosted by two nationally known poets and three regional poets from Colorado’s Western Slope.

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This is good news – more or less

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Essay by Martha Quillen

Local life – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

IT’S THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH as I write this, and it’s freezing outside — and in. For the first time since Ed and I moved into this house more than twelve years ago, our pipes are frozen.

At the same time, our daughter Columbine is yacht-sitting in the Virgin Islands and my refrigerator door is brimming with pictures of tropical splendor. (Her father and I are welcome to visit, of course, but we don’t relish paying off the airfare for the next two years.) Although winter has its charms, at this point it’s hard to remember just what they are. But there’s work to do.

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From discards to art: Kay Litz of Salida

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Article by Sue Snively

Local artist – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

IT IS CALLED “Prayer Shawl” and it hangs in the sunlight at Gallery K on F Street in Salida. Framed in a bed-spring hung to look like a shawl, are 12 small sculptured figures of a sad, young woman. Tiny discarded feathers and a few bold birds are interwoven with the statues within the squares of the bed-spring. Delicate feathers at the dangling ends of the spring contribute to the rather soft, feminine appearance of the piece.

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Courage is the true currency

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Letter from David Hester

War on Terror – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

Hi, Mr. Ed,

Two letters I especially liked were from Slim Wolfe of Villa Grove and Dick Conway, WA who gave insight into why our nation was attacked. It would seem that Washington would wonder why 1/3 of the world hates our foreign policy if we support all the Arab dictatorships who seemingly oppress the people. And we support a nation which has people in occupied territory, so they throw stones and blow things up. We should not be so one-sided in our Middle East policy.

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It’s not that hard

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Letter from John Doe

Math – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

Dear Editor:

I was in about the ninth grade when I took a class in typing. We were told to do a;sldkfjghfjdksla; to strengthen our hands and I did a lot of it. We were farmers and short of typewriters at home so I went in to class early and practiced a bit. There were daughters of merchants and professors and they seemed to catch on some faster.

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More thoughts on the war

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Letter from Slim Wolfe

War on terror – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors:

I’d like to see bin Laden hung from the nearest tree, but at least as much, I’d like to see Bush hanging there as well. Note an armload of similarities to Hitler. Note the need to be military commander. (What other talents does he have, besides lying?) Note how conveniently this panic consolidated his power and everyone forgot the election.

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About the magazine … and the war

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Letter from Stu Krebs

War on terror – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

About the magazine…

Dear Ed and Martha,

I enjoy Colorado Central every time, and what’s more, usually read most of it. I’ve found the more extensive coverage of things like public lands issues especially interesting. George Sibley is always good, too, as are the editorial pieces.

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Creative cartography?

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Letter from Kenneth Jessen

Colorado history – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

Creative cartography?

Editors:

Buyer Beware: The much touted 1894 map of Colorado, originally published by the Caxton Company, was just too good to be true. It has many long forgotten places, and added an amazing amount of information on long abandoned Colorado towns. It is generally accurate; however, there are towns on this map that appear in no other source, leading me to be somewhat suspicious about “creative” map making.

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Some ski reading

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Sidebar by Bob Berwyn

Recreation – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

Skiing is really an experiential kind of thing, much more fun to do than just read about. But it seems that many skiers have taken advantage of the non-snow season to put pen to paper, creating an extensive collection of books about every conceivable aspect of the sport.

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‘Pinheads’ are a major market at Monarch

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Sidebar by Ed Quillen

Recreation – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

The resurgence of cross-country skiing in the early 1970s brought telemarkers to the alpine slopes of the Monarch Resort. Although there were a few problems, it was generally a smooth process, according to Jack Watkins of Poncha Springs, the general manager then.

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Telemark turn moves into the mainstream

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Article by Bob Berwyn

Recreation – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

NON-SKIERS MAY NOT KNOW — or even care — that skiers can use different techniques to make turns down a mountain. For those outside the sport, the difference might be less significant than the difference between a one-hump camel and a two-hump camel.

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Back in the hills at the J. Kyle Braid Youth Leadership Ranch

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Article by Gene Rybarczyk

Roadside attractions – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

AS WE DROVE AWAY from the ranch I had a strong feeling that we had not been told the truth. I said as much to John and Colleen Weeks, my friends from Creede. John asked what I meant. I had to admit I wasn’t quite sure. It wasn’t that anyone had lied to

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Continental Divide Trail seeks volunteers

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Brief by Central Staff

Outdoors – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

If your idea of a good time is doing heavy work at high altitudes, then you might want to get in touch with the Continental Divide Trail Association.

The trail, still under construction, will extend from Mexico to Canada in the general area of the Divide. Along much of Central Colorado, it follows the same route as the Colorado Trail.

The Association has scheduled about 50 projects for this summer, and as you might have guessed, some of those projects are in our neck of the woods:

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Sweet Home rhodochrosite proposed as state mineral

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Brief by Central Staff

Colorado lore – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

We had thought that Colorado was pretty well covered when it comes to Official State Emblems, which range from the Blue Spruce Tree to the Stegosaurus Fossil, from the Lark Bunting Bird to the Bighorn Sheep Mammal, from the Cutthroat Trout Fish to the Aquamarine Gemstone.

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Celebrating National Poetry Month

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Brief by Central Staff

Poetry – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

Granted, there’s Income Tax Day, and it’s Mud Season, but on a more pleasant note, April is National Poetry Month, and there are at least two celebrations.

The Salida Regional Library, along with Bongo Billy’s Salida Café, is hosting “Poetry on a Platter” April 8-10. Visiting poets include David Lee, Marilyn Taylor, Luís Lopez, Karen Chamberlain, and Carol Bell.

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Perhaps EXport 5 would work better

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Brief by Central Staff

Local lore – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

When he was about 10 years old, our publisher learned pi to 32 places (3.14159265358979…), thereby impressing his teachers and starting a lifetime habit of accumulating rather useless information. Since then, alas, he seems to have developed a mild case of numeric dyslexia.

The most recent victim is Suzanne MacDonald, who used to own Creekside Books in Buena Vista. She sold the store a few years ago and went to law school in Denver. Now she’s back in Buena Vista with her own law office, and like all enlightened entrepreneurs, she purchased an advertisement in this magazine.

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Upper Arkansas will try a nominating board

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Brief by Central Staff

Water Districts – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

Despite some plans and initial petition work, there won’t be a director election in the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, even though three terms expire this year. However, it’s likely there will be an election for three seats of the four seats whose terms are expiring in the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District.

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Small ditch companies get a Colorado alliance

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Brief by Central Staff

Water – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

Despite all the attention that urban water providers receive, the fact is that at least 80% of the water diverted in Colorado goes to agriculture, and almost all of that is handled by more than 1,000 ditch and reservoir companies, which tend to be small local enterprises.

They also face new challenges beyond their traditional jobs of storing and delivering water, according to Karen Rademacher of rural Longmont, who is the executive director of a new organization: DARCA, the Ditch And Reservoir Company Alliance.

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UN declares 2002 International Year of Mountains

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Brief by Central Staff

Mountains – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

If our part of the world gets more international attention than usual this year, perhaps we can blame the United Nations, which has declared 2002 as “The International Year of Mountains.”

Previous international years of something have included volunteers in 2001, older persons in 1999, and oceans in 1998.

The idea is to use the special year to get people to focus on the relevant problems and issues, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization is running the show.

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Uranium: Haul it away, then bring it back?

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Brief by Central Staff

Environment – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

There was a time when they mined uranium hereabouts, and back in the late 1970s, when prices were high on account of energy shortages, there were substantial plans for big new uranium mines — one on the west side of Marshall Pass, and another northwest of Cañon City.

Those fell through when prices dropped (Three Mile Island was not a good development for the uranium industry), and now the process might be undergoing a reversal. Instead of removing radioactive rocks from the area, we might be acquiring them by the trainload.

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Anza World Conference will be in Mexico

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Brief by Central Staff

History – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

If you’re looking for an historical excuse to go to a warm place during Mud Season, you might consider the seventh annual Anza World Conference, which will be held May 2-5 in Arizpe, Sonora, Mexico.

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Love and Remembrance

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Brief by Central Staff

Colorado lore – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

John A. Love, who died in January, was the first person ever elected to three four-year terms as Colorado’s governor. He took office in 1963, and remained there until 1973, when he resigned to become the nation’s first “energy czar.”

Love, a moderate Republican, was from Colorado Springs, seat of El Paso County. In early March, state Sen. Bill Thiebaut, a Pueblo Democrat, introduced a bill to designate U.S 24, as it passes through El Paso County, as “the John A. Love Memorial Highway.”

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Multiple Centers

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Brief by Central Staff

Mountain West – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

One reason we picked Colorado Central as a name is that we’re reasonably close to the center of Colorado. Salida’s not on top of it, though — Guffey is probably the closest post office to the center of the state, which is a few miles south of the summit of Wilkerson Pass. You get the idea that the prospectors of 1859 — the “Pike’s Peak or Bust” people — designed their new territory by drawing a big rectangle with Pike’s Peak at its center, more or less.

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Briefs from the San Luis Valley

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Brief by Marcia Darnell

San Luis Valley – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

N-O to $$$

The Alamosa County Commissioners effectively said “no” to $500,000. The half-mil was offered by the INS to expand the county jail, and the commission was about to let the offer’s deadline slide by. Public input and an offer by the city of Alamosa to make the hoosegow a joint project are keeping the idea alive — for now.

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Cold Enough

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Brief by Central Staff

Weather – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

The hot water supply at Central world headquarters was cut off — some pipes were frozen on the morning of March 3, when the outside thermometer read -15°F. Since our next-door neighbor had the same reading on his exterior thermometer that morning, that’s close enough to be more or less official.

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Looking for the radical center

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Column by George Sibley

Grazing – April 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine

AT THE WESTERN STATE COLLEGE Spring Environmental Symposium — titled “The Future of Public Rangelands” — Arizona rancher Bill McDonald raised an interesting challenge: the challenge to build “the radical center.”

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Western Water Report: 1 April 2002

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COMPROMISE INSTREAM FLOW (ISF) BILL

A compromise between the Dept. of Natural Resources and Senator Ken Gordon (D, Den)has been reached on SB02-156, a bill that would have allowed the transfer of existing consumptive water rights to instream flows and has wide support among water users. The compromise eliminates private ownership of instream flows but improves the state’s instream flow program. The new version provides a funding source for the Colorado Water Conservation Board enabling it to acquire senior water rights to improve stream reaches impaired by excess depletions. The bill now goes to the House where it is still expected to meet opposition from the Farm Bureau.

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