“Is that Ed?”
Several readers commented about the photo on the cover of last month’s issue, wondering if Ed Quillen had somehow been magically transported into the past to play the role of Santa among a group of Salida youngsters.
While we freely admit there is a certain resemblance, Santa is highly unlikely to have been him, as Ed was all of one year old at the time. Also we try to avoid using Photoshop to manipulate images, time, space, physical planes, etc..
Ed himself suggested that the Santa pictured in the photo is none other than Frank Gimlett, also known as the hermit of Arbourville. Gimlett published a series of booklets about the history of the area while living remotely on Monarch Pass. He also appeared in a photo in our November 2010 issue which featured excerpts from Dr. Duane Vandenbushe’s book, Around Monarch Pass. We will tell you more about this self-proclaimed “hermit” in the near future.
Speaking of the future, now heading into my third year at the helm of this publication I wanted to take a moment to say thanks to all of our readers, advertisers and, of course, our talented contributors.
Combined, you are helping to keep independent print media relevant against so many odds. We’re looking forward to offering another year’s worth of stories, history, essays, humor and other facts of life about this region here in the heart of the Rockies. There are an endless supply of interesting and informative topics to explore including this area’s diverse cultures, the challenges faced by returning local veterans, local foods and agriculture, alternative energy plus more interviews and profiles of area artists, musicians and other talented folk who call Central Colorado their home. We are also expanding our recreational coverage to advocate for the exploration and discovery of the many natural wonders here in our own backyard.
For this new year we also highly encourage our readers to let us know what they’d like to see on these pages. For all the stories we hear about, many fly under our radar, so please don’t hesitate to drop us a note if there is a topic you’d like us to explore in future issues.
Once again, thanks for reading Colorado Central!
– Mike Rosso
