Column by Hal Walter
Dogs – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
THIS IS A BIT of a shaggy dog tale. Back in 1983, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I was pretty sure that a full-time “rim rat” on the Pueblo Chieftain copy desk wasn’t it. In the year since my graduation from the University of Colorado journalism school, I’d endured enough late nights, second-hand cigarette smoke and bad syntax to convince me there had to be something better out there.
Column by George Sibley
Economy – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE IN America, we in the Upper Gunnison part of Central Colorado are concerned about the economy. We talk about the national economy, of course, but we talk about it the same way we talk about the spring weather — like it or not, it’s something we can’t do much about (although our comments and complaints affirm the solidarity of the trickled-upon). We talk about the local economy with more passion and less solidarity, and have at least the illusion that it is somehow “ours.”
Column by John Mattingly
Agriculture – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
DATELINE: DENVER, COLORADO MAY 3, 2034
In a joint news conference yesterday, Steady State Bank, Resurrection Mortgage, and Overburtin Industries announced plans to plow under another 160 acre subdivision in Thornton and plant wheat.
Article by Jennifer Dempsey
Artists – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
WALKING INTO 132 West First Street in Salida is like walking into the Little Shop of Horrors. Or maybe the prop room at Disneyland. It definitely could be Who-ville.
“We like to think of ourselves as Dr. Suess gone bad,” said Pat Landreth who, with partner Suzanne Montano, is the creative genius behind Bungled Jungle.
Essay by Martha Quillen
Politics – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Last month, I received a flattering letter:
Editor
Martha Quillen:
I would like to read a short (12 pages or less) editorial detailing exactly how you as President, or the President You Elected, should have responded to 9/11 & the five years following.
Article by John Orr
Water – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
2008 water legislation in review
Water and Stream Flow
In May HB 08-1280 passed both houses by large margins. Although it’s rare, every so often the legislature passes a water bill that almost everyone regards as needed and beneficial. Now, water rights owners who lease water to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to buttress stream flow won’t be risking their water rights.
Review by Ed Quillen
Agriculture – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Melancholy Green Giants
by J.C. Mattingly
Published in 2007 by Mirage Publishing
ISBN 978-0-9710430-3-9
Review by Eduardo Rey Brummel
Rural Life – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Trespass: Living at the edge of the promised land.
By Amy Irvine.
Published in 2008, by North Point Press
ISBN: 978-0-86547-703-2
Review by Ed Quillen
True Crime – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Simon Says – A true story of boys, guns, and murder
by Kathryn Eastburn
Published in 2007 by Da Capo Press
ISBN 0-306-81552-4
Letter from Slim Wolfe
Modern Life – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
Correspondent Ríos from Denver, who instructed us on the function of accents in written Spanish, is refreshingly unique in that there’s no reference to the latest software to which gringos might retreat. As for the rest of you, well, arggh. Think of all those overworked and underpaid civil servants who stretched and massaged our brain muscles — and the brains of our kids — until we knew by heart the difference between insight and incite. All these tax dollars are just money down the drain, all these muscles now atrophied, all you loonies want to do anymore is debate the merits of programs.
Letter from Becky Donlan
Native American Sites – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
My name is Becky Donlan, and I and my partner, Nick Standing Bear, formed a Colorado non-profit last year “Native American Research and Preservation, Inc.” Our purpose is to educate the public regarding Resource Protection Laws and to preserve and protect the many prehistoric archaeological sites in our area. We began as individuals volunteering as site monitors for the USDA/FS. Close friendships developed with archaeologists and several like-minded individuals. At the encouragement of a Native American archaeologist, Ken Frye, we developed a PowerPoint presentation, “Sacred Stones.” This presentation tells the story of stone structures from South Park to the San Luis Valley, relating their meaning from the Native American standpoint. Our hope is to reach the public through this perspective and thereby encourage people to respect these places.
Letter from Roger Williams
Internments – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
Regarding Ralph Carr, mentioned on pages 32-33 in the May edition, I’ve visited the Amache site of an internment camp. A permit from town wasn’t needed — I drove right in. Not much was left but foundations. I wonder if Japanese in Hawaii were interned. One of my prep school classmates (Form of 1959) was a Japanese-Hawaiian.
Letter from Bill Hays
Language – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Ed:
I just read your May-issue mea culpa for mixing up “incite” and “insight,”, including your brief discourse on homonyms.
This caused me to wonder, as a fellow word herder, on whether you’ve played the 4x-homonym game. It can easily be a one-person pastime performed in the shower, while driving, etc. Basically, how many homonyms — or homophones — can you come up with that have four examples? I can think of a few:
Article by Bill Hatcher
Veterans – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
YOU PROBABLY KNOW what it’s like. You walk outside, early on a beautiful summer morning with thoughts and plans happily pulsing through your head, and then you stop. You hastily scan the horizon, nostrils flaring, and sniff. There’s a forest or grass fire somewhere, maybe in the next state, maybe just over the hill.
Article by Marcia Darnell
Theatre – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
THERE’S A LOT OF VARIETY in Creede Repertory Theatre’s 43rd season — drama, comedy, and a musical that will involve every member of the company.
That production, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” will open the summer season on June 6. It’s based on the last book by Charles Dickens, who died before he finished it. Set in an English music hall at the turn of the 20th century, the mystery musical requires audience participation to determine the ending. “The Mystery” will be directed by Frank Kuhn and star John Arp, who won the Denver Post award for best actor last year.
Sidebar by Virginia McConnell Simmons
Fort Garland – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
(Drills and baseball game will be at the baseball field south of the fort complex.)
Friday, June 20
4-6 p.m. Opening reception for “Saving the Fort” exhibit with conducted tours.
Sidebar by Virginia McConnell Simmons
Fort Garland – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
During the 150th anniversary celebration at Fort Garland, re-enactors will take part in many events. Representing cavalry, infantry, and artillery units, men will recreate drills and other daily routines of life in a frontier fort. Ladies also will be present in period dress for the social activities that included wives and local women and to demonstrate the domestic chores performed by servants and laundresses.
Article by Virginia McConnell Simmons
Fort Garland – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
THE MOST CELEBRATED NAME associated with Fort Garland is Kit Carson: trapper, scout, Indian agent, Indian fighter, and Civil War officer. But, in the fort’s quarter-century as a U.S. Army installation, many individuals took part in the life of the old adobe stronghold in the San Luis Valley.
Now, year ’round, the public can visualize military life in territorial days and the early years of Colorado statehood at Fort Garland, the oldest existing military fort in what is now Colorado.
Brief by Ed Quillen
Local News – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
New neighbors
For starters, let’s be clear here. There’s the regular Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, based in Salt Lake City and popularly known as the Mormon Church. It forbade polygamy in 1890, and it is grounds for excommunication from the church.
Brief by Allen Best
Environment – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
People want to move to rural areas, because the air quality is good. But a tide of news stories suggests that air quality, because of natural gas wells and gold mines, can be bad even in rural areas.
Brief by Central Staff
Recreation – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
The Colorado Trail, which extends for more than 450 miles from the Denver suburbs to Durango, is looking for volunteers to work on trail crews this summer.
The Colorado Trail Foundation, based in Golden, schedules the work sessions, which can be an entire week or just a weekend. The trail is open for foot and horseback travel, as well as pack stock like burros and llamas, and some segments are also open to cyclists.
Brief by Allen Best
Environment – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
The call for a ban on plastic shopping bags is sweeping the Rockies, from Alberta to New Mexico.
Taos is among those communities now considering a ban, both within the town and in the broader Taos County. The Taos News says one store, Cid’s Food Market, has ceased to give out plastic bags and has instead persuaded many Taoseños to use cloth bags.
Brief by Allen Best
Nomenclature – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Vail’s Airport may get a major name change
So much depends upon what you call it. “It,” in this case, is the airport located in the town of Gypsum, 37 miles west of Vail.
“It” was formally proclaimed the Eagle County Regional Airport in the late 1980s, when it was expanded to accommodate major jets, which now routinely deliver passengers for Vail, Beaver Creek and, to a lesser extent, Aspen and Snowmass -but also to the oil and gas industry that is now feverishly at work to the west.
Brief by Central Staff
Nomeclature – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
We’ve never been quite sure of the nomenclature for the performing arts center in Salida, which has recently been remodeled and expanded. Is it the Steam Plant or Steamplant?
In the past, both spellings have appeared in their literature. But the official word now is that it’s the SteamPlant (a formation that is guaranteed to perturb proof-readers and spell-checking software, too).
Brief by Central Staff
Towns – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
We note that Leadville, America’s highest incorporated city, has been honored by Men’s Journal magazine as the “Best Adventure Mecca.” The magazine’s website says:
“You’re tired of your soft life. Your roof rack has been collecting dust in the corner of the garage for too long. You’ve had enough fancy dinners, movie nights, and PTA meetings for one lifetime. You want rock, sky, rapids, altitude, dirt, snow, and great coffee. Don’t look down, just jump. Move to Leadville.”
Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Crisis Continues
The fallout from Alamosa’s salmonella contamination goes on. The final cost, estimated at $600,000, is being alleviated by funding from several sources. The state Dept. of Local Affairs is kicking in a $50,000 grant and the Colorado Health Foundation is giving $50,000 to the county nursing service. However, the crisis uncovered other problems — and expenses. Many of the city’s water pipes are of the ancient iron variety, and will need to be replaced. In addition, Alamosa needs a new water storage tank. The state is giving the city $1 million for it, but the total cost will be about $2.5 million. State Sen. Gail Schwartz and the Salazar brothers all say they’re trying to get more money for Alamosa.
Brief by Central Staff
Water – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
There are frequently proposals to take water out of Central Colorado. Usually, though, the scheme involves a complex array of trnsfers of points of diversion, estimates of the consumptive use involved, more estimates involving transport losses, and other considerations that keep water lawyers and engineers gainfully employed.
Comic Strip written and drawn by Monika Griesenbeck
Mountain Life – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Brief by Allen Best
Mountain Life – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
From time to time, somebody wanders home from a ski town bar, then stumbles into a snowbank and dies. Such was the case last February in Breckenridge, when Michael “Alphonse” Barbiere disappeared.
Essay by Steven Albert
Western Heritage – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I was sure I’d been born into the wrong century. Everything I read about America in the 1800s made me wish I’d lived along that expanding Western frontier where people lived adventurous lives. My life seemed stale and predictable in comparison, with all the excitement sapped out of the West, buried under shopping centers and Interstates. As I traveled, I used my dog-eared copy of The Journals of Lewis and Clark as part road atlas, part travelogue of that earlier West.