Colorado Central Articles From — January 1996

Column by Hal Walter

Land Use – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

If there’s anything beautiful about our government, it’s how slowly it does or doesn’t work. Our founding fathers — hoping to save us from ourselves — designed it that way. It keeps our elected clowns from doing wrong things too quickly. That’s why it took years and years to establish a wilderness area in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Read the rest of this article

[amazon-product]0870813706[/amazon-product]Review by Ed Quillen

Mountains – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains
by Tom Wolf
Photographs by Barbara Sparks
Cartography by Myrna Schrader
Published in 1995 by University Press of Colorado
ISBN 0-87081-370-6 Read the rest of this article

Review by Suzanne Macdonald

Various – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

(Hey, buy yourself a present, too!)

The Dog Who Rescues Cats — A true story and a must for ailurophiles. Read the rest of this article

[amazon-product]0871087421[/amazon-product]Review by Ed Quillen

History – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

A Colorado History
Seventh Edition
by Carl Ubbelohde, Maxine Benson, and Duane Smith
Published in 1995 by Pruett
ISBN 0-87108-741-3 cloth
ISBN 0-87108-742-1 paper Read the rest of this article

Article by Marcia Darnell

Highways – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

You’ve seen them along your commute, your pleasure trips, and the road to Grandma’s, those blue-and-white “Adopt A Highway” signs, informing you that some kind and dedicated group is responsible for trash pick-up for the next couple of miles. Read the rest of this article

Article by Jeffrey Keidel

Land use – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

The Badger Creek Watershed is BIG country. The area encompasses 135,000 acres stretching northeast of Salida.

But such statistics belie its vast and isolated beauty. The open range of the upper part of the basin, seems to go on forever. Black and Waugh Mountain serve as guideposts to keep oriented, but it’s still easy to get lost. The lower basin is rugged piñon-juniper terrain. Locals talk of ticks and rattlesnakes “down there.” Read the rest of this article

Essay by Ken Wright

Rural West – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

There’s nothing like a good bad dirt road to screen out the faintly interested and to invite in the genuinely interested. And it’s perfectly fair and democratic, open to anyone willing to endure a little inconvenience and discomfort for the sake of getting away from the crowds. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Karen K. Young

Mountain Life – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

How the Grinch Came to the Mountains

While visiting Salida recently, my eyes were immediately drawn to the magnificent Sawatch Mountains which rise to the of the village. There I saw Mount Shavano. On it the Angel of Shavano was outlined after a recent snowfall. I had heard the legend of how she got there, and wondered about the story that went with the face that appeared under her left wing. To me, it looked like the infamous Grinch. It took a while, but I finally found someone to tell me the story behind that face. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Linda K. Spielman

Education – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors:

In response to two articles in your December issue: “Election spin” and “It’s fun to be wired, but where will it lead?” Read the rest of this article

Letter from Paul Martz

Transportation – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editor:

After attending the Dec. 6 Railroad Abandonment Regional Meeting at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds, I came away with the feeling that the group was missing the forest for the trees, or should I say, the rails for the bucks. Read the rest of this article

Article by Ray James

Local Artists – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

Salida’s F Street and New York’s Fifth Avenue at first (or even 50th) glance would seem to have little in common, but both are parts of Michael Boyd’s world. Read the rest of this article

Essay by Ed Quillen

Geography – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

When we moved to Salida in 1978, the railroad depot stood at the end of F Street. More than a decade had passed since the last passenger boarded, but the depot explained why the town was here. About a block upstream was the steel truss bridge that crossed the Arkansas and carried trains through town and into the mountains. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Various – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

Yesterday Looks Better Than Tomorrow

As part of a special edition, the Wet Mountain Tribune in Westcliffe presented an article entitled, “Opinions vary: What is the future of ranching in the Valley?” Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Rural Life – January 1996 – Colorado Central Magazine

Who ranks

Well, we’re safe from one Norm Crampton, who just issued a book called The 100 Best Small Towns in America. No town in Central Colorado made it. Read the rest of this article