ann marie swan Archives - Colorado Central Magazine

Baking During a Pandemic

May 2, 2020 by Mike Rosso

By Ann Marie Swan A global pandemic hasn’t stopped Little Red Hen Bakery in Salida from serving its popular wood-fired breads, baked goods and treats. In this new normal of restaurant operations with no table service, faithful customers wait in line over chalk art that greets them with rainbows, butterflies and “Bake the World (drawing …

Salida’s A Church: Modern Spirituality

April 15, 2020December 15, 2018 by Mike Rosso

By Ann Marie Swan In January 2018, my first steps inside A Church, with its steeple pointing toward the heavens, were tentative. The former First Baptist Church, built in 1885 on 4th and D streets in Salida, was purchased by Sheree and Kurt Beddingfield in July 2016 to create a place for community members to …

Economic Development in Central Colorado

March 4, 2013November 1, 2012 by Mike Rosso

By Ann Marie Swan

Like a siren’s song, economic development efforts are meant to lure new businesses to the Arkansas Valley. These efforts must also support and enhance deeply rooted local businesses. Keeping both pieces of the economic puzzle in mind, the billion-dollar question remains: how do we retain and create sustainable jobs while maintaining the area’s character and charm?

The members of the Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) tackle this question daily. They’ll tell you there isn’t one answer, but a few. This corporation considers the big economic picture. Its purpose is to find solutions, manifest living-wage jobs and facilitate sustainable economic development. The CCEDC might as well shout from the mountaintops, “Chaffee County is open for business.”

CoZinCo – A Different Kind of Legacy

November 21, 2019October 1, 2012 by Mike Rosso

By Ann Marie Swan

Salida enchants visitors who enjoy riding bikes past quaint Victorian houses en route to coffee shops. The Arkansas Valley’s natural wonders and easy charm woo these tourists who appreciate the river, nice restaurants, and the many hiking trails that wind away from the city. Salida is so dang cute, they often say.

But Salida proper and its outlying neighbors, heavily laden with historical baggage, weren’t always so popular, green and eco-conscious. Residents of Smeltertown, a mile northwest of Salida, fought an arduous battle for 16 years for their right to clean soil, air and water. Dave Kimmett and Ann Ewing lived through this saga of poisoning. It wasn’t all that long ago.

Restaurant Review

August 27, 2012July 1, 2012 by Mike Rosso

The Fritz
113 East Sackett St., Salida, CO
(719)539-0364

By Ann Marie Swan

The Fritz opened in a space that’s seen a number of eateries come and go. Yet, the Fritz, a hot spot for locals and visitors alike, seems to have broken the curse of restaurants past with real success. Most of the time, the restaurant is busy enough.

The street-side wall of glass invites sunlight into this handsome, historic space with a wood floor, gold and espresso-colored tin ceiling and exposed brick wall holding up local art. Patrons in the back of the restaurant can see through to Riverside Park’s treetops. Comfy, lounge patio furniture and tables fill the spacious outdoor area, a welcoming spot to sip cool drinks and watch the comings and goings at the park.

Star-trekking – from Outer Space to the Rockies

October 4, 2012June 1, 2012 by Mike Rosso

by Ann Marie Swan
For retired astronaut Dominic Gorie, the final frontier is some land outside of Salida under an inky silhouette of Mount Shavano.

After a career as a naval aviator, test pilot and veteran of four space shuttle missions, Gorie is building an adobe-style home with his hands alongside his wife, Wendy. It’s a grounding task that Gorie said he finds “physically and mentally challenging.”

Milagros – Hoping for a Miracle

August 27, 2012May 1, 2012 by Mike Rosso

By Ann Marie Swan

Milagros means miracles in Spanish. Fittingly, a miracle would be helpful right about now to keep Milagros Coffeehouse on Main Street in Alamosa. The lease ends this year and this beauty of a building is for sale.

All profits from Milagros support the nonprofit La Puente, which means the bridge. La Puente’s mission is to feed, clothe and shelter people in the San Luis Valley. Milagros, in the center of town, is a public relations storefront for La Puente’s work. Other La Puente enterprises include a motel, two thrift stores and a boutique.

The nonprofit’s message doesn’t appear on Milagros’ exterior, a red-brick historical treasure. The philosophy is experience the place first, then learn of the mission later.

From the Battlefield to Salvation

April 3, 2012March 1, 2012 by Mike Rosso

By Ann Marie Swan

Alamosa may be a little bit of heaven on earth for Afghanistan Army veteran Spc. Mary Harmon. It’s where she found healing, peace, grace and redemption.

Harmon’s journey home from Afghanistan has been a bumpy one as she’s transitioned to life after the military. She’s tried to soothe her post-traumatic stress disorder, sometimes drinking and drugging. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can occur following a traumatic event, according to the National Center for PTSD. PTSD is a normal reaction to a horrific experience and it’s as old as combat.

Longing for New Orleans

April 9, 2012January 1, 2012 by Mike Rosso

By Ann Marie Swan
Life has a way of moving us along, and it’s taken me far from my hometown, New Orleans. This surprises me because I always assumed I’d be back home by now, taking my place in this city of misrule.

I adore New Orleans. It’s a mixed bag of excitement and heartbreak, lovely yet exasperating. At times, it feels like urban transcendence despite deep pockets of poverty and crime.

New Orleans has that rich, earthy smell of a place in a constant state of decay. The swamps try to reclaim the city, seeping up through it, buckling her sidewalks and roads.

The Raku pottery of Mark Zamantakis

March 13, 2012December 1, 2011 by Mike Rosso

By Ann Marie Swan

A unique chapter of South Park history is that for 27 years, Fairplay was home to a fire-breathing beast that belched smoke for days, luring artists, students and the curious to be near its flames.

Master potter Mark Zamantakis fired up his massive three-chambered, wood-burning Japanese kiln in June at an elevation of 10,880 feet to imprint his pottery with the subtle, ethereal variations of the flame’s life and moods. The pottery recorded the experience of the present moment, giving each piece richness, depth and uniqueness.

Restaurant Review

March 13, 2012November 1, 2011 by Mike Rosso

Sugar and Spice Mountain Bakery
411 Main St.
Westcliffe, Colorado 719)783-4045

by Ann Marie Swan

Westcliffe has been blessed with Sugar and Spice Mountain Bakery, a Mennonite family-owned business with the redeeming quality of using sugar judiciously.

Naomi Yoder, who owns the Main Street bakery with her husband, Jason, says she only uses “real ingredients” and unbleached flour, just like her mother did. “We bake here like we would at home,” Yoder said.