BMs, Part 1

By John Mattingly Note: This is first of a three-part series looking at the tension points between economic growth and environmental conservation. The November 6, 2018 election will host a ballot measure 1A, promoted by THISisChaffee.org, which claims voting “YES on 1A” will help protect forests, waters, and working lands. Four glossy pages of pictures …

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Autumn

By Cookie Murphy/Pettee This past August, as the bright green leaves on the aspen trees in my front yard started to fade, I knew, as all of us in Colorado knew, that fall was about to arrive. The subtle beginning of this change awakened in me the anticipation of my upcoming sixth season of color …

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Eye on the Fifth

By Daniel Smith The campaign for the Fifth Congressional District is drawing to a close. I submitted more questions to Republican incumbent Doug Lamborn and Democratic challenger Stephany Rose Spaulding, seeking to highlight the differences between the two. Last month I submitted three identical, basic questions to each, asking what they felt were the top …

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Thunder, the Ranch Cat

By Polly Oberosler With shovel on his shoulder, my husband Dave slogged out into the hay meadow in hip boots to do some water irrigation. His dog was somewhere around and soon he heard her splashing behind him before suddenly zooming ahead of him. To his amazement it wasn’t the dog at all, but his …

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Building a House: Part 2

By Mike Rosso In the first installment of this series, we had just completed the dirt work for the new house, and were now ready for the foundation, stem wall and floor. The first step was to form and pour concrete around the rebar in the footings. The footings equalize the load of snow and …

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Extraordinary Chapters in the Annals of “Burrodom”

By Hal Walter The phone call came while I was riding the bus back from Leadville after coaching a cross-country meet there. It was Steve Short. Steve is a physician who lives in Kansas but has a long family history in Westcliffe going back to his childhood. He and wife Whitney have a home in …

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Following A Drop: Part 3

By Hannes Zacharias Dear Colorado Central reader, I made it. I completed my 2,000-mile kayak journey to rediscover the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers; a repeat (in part) of the trip I did 42 years ago. It was a challenging, energizing and rewarding adventure. When last we visited, I was departing Webber Falls, Oklahoma, heading for …

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What Are We Missing?

By Martha Quillen Due to drought and potential fire hazards, Salida celebrated the 4th of July twice this year, in July and August, and the August fireworks were dazzling. But something is missing in modern holiday celebrations. That’s certainly not due to any lack of attractions, music and activities – at least not in Salida. …

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