Colorado Central Articles From — February 1999

Column by Hal Walter

Local Politics – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

USING THE FINGERS on both of my hands, I can total all full-time Custer County residents I know who maintain regular exercise programs. And some of those programs aren’t even all that regular.

I’m excluding from this list residents whose daily activities include low-weight, high-rep, 12-ounce curls, deep-nicotine-breathing exercises, and anærobic assault. Regular exercise is just not a priority for these folks. Read the rest of this article

Essay by Ed Quillen

Colorado Central – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

IF I COULD RETURN to the founding of this magazine and I got to make the decision myself, Colorado Central wouldn’t be a monthly. It would appear 10 times a year, not 12, and there would be no January or February editions.

For one thing, that’s when the violently seasonal nature of the regional economy leaps up and grabs you by the throat. Read the rest of this article

Article by Marcia Darnell

Local Arts – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

SOME PEOPLE are lucky and discover early on what they want to do. Some are very lucky, and get to do it. Then there are the extraordinarily lucky few, those who get paid for doing it.

Jocelyn Lillpop is extraordinarily lucky, and she knows it. She’s been a professional artist since she sold her first painting, of a horse, at age 8. Lillpop was thrilled to be able to buy back that painting a couple of years ago. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Millennium – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Europeans definitely did not invent the concept of civil liberties. They exist in different degrees and form in most cultures and tribal societies, and in actuality, Europeans owe much of their current persuasions to Christianity. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Colonization – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Contrary to what we were often told in school, the Spanish didn’t fail in the Americas because they were less effective colonizers than the British. The Spanish empire actually survived longer in the New World than did the British, French or Dutch. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Tolerance – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Witch Burnings Through the Ages

After the days of knights and ladies fair, there came the reign of devils and of demons. The good folk were constantly at the mercy of those who venerated the Prince of Darkness — but the biggest problem came in telling who was who. Read the rest of this article

Article by Martha Quillen

The Millennium – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

1000 – 1099 The Eleventh Century

The Anasazi farm in the Four Corners region and build superb homes with impressive community facilities for ceremonial events and food storage.

Ute and Apache bands hunt, camp and wander through what is now Central Colorado, discovering mountain routes and developing footpaths. Read the rest of this article

Essay by Martha Quillen

Y2K – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

THESE DAYS it looks as though our president may not have enough time or energy left to finish that bridge into the twenty-first century. But even so, this millennium is almost over, and the next is coming, ready or not. And curiously, that strikes us as somehow important — although we’re not sure why. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Y2K – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

When does the new millennium start?

Technically, not until 2001, at least by most reckonings.

For starters, there was no year 0. So the first decade would be the 10 years from 1 to 10, inclusive, with the second decade starting in 11. And the first century would comprise the years from 1 through 100. Read the rest of this article

[amazon-product]0399141960[/amazon-product]Review by Jeanne Englert

Grammar – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Woe is I
by Patricia T. O’Conner
Published in 1996 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN 0-399-14196-0 Read the rest of this article

[amazon-product]0312968353[/amazon-product]Review by Ed Quillen

UFOs – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Enter the Valley – UFOS, Religious Miracles, Cattle Mutilations, and Other Unexplained Phenomena in the San Luis Valley
by Christopher O’Brien
Published in 1999 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN 0-312-96835-3 Read the rest of this article

[amazon-product]1892327465[/amazon-product]Review by Betsy Marston

Outdoors – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

The Doing of the Thing: The Brief Brilliant Whitewater Career of Buzz Holmstrom
by Vince Welch, Brad Dimock and Curt Conley.
Published in 1998 by Fretwater Press
ISBN 1-89232-746-5 Read the rest of this article

Letter by Randy Russell

Growth – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Beware the Tomato Plot

With tomatoes at $2.99 a pound at Safeway this morning (and not that good looking at that) I have two possible solutions, and some observations:

1) We might as well all cultivate a liking for steak as part of our regular salad diet. Organic Coleman Beef wouldn’t cost that much more… Read the rest of this article

Letter by John L. Perna

Modern Life – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

What happens in civilization when there’s no bar code

Editors:

I am writing in hopes of having this letter published in your new (new to me, anyway) magazine, Colorado Central. As a form of bribe I am enclosing a check for $20 and a request for subscription to Colorado Central. I am also enclosing $1.95 for the copy of issue #58 which I ripped off from the Tattered Cover Book Store. Read the rest of this article

Letter by Jim Ludwig

Growth – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Geezers have long been troubled by continued growth in government

To the Editors;

Re: Government and Democracy, January 1999 Colorado Central.

I am intrigued by Martha’s realization that Government is continuing to expand just for the sake of expanding. This is something we old geezers have been complaining about for years, usually to the amusement of a younger and more liberal population. Either Martha’s awakening is due to astute reasoning or that horribly uncontrollable factor called aging, but whatever reason, it is good to see. Read the rest of this article

Letter by Sam Halburian

Growth – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Despite growth, most of us are worse off than we were

Dear Editor,

Re: Letter from the editors, January 1999.

Your letter on economic “growth” overlooked an important paradox. Namely, that the “richer” we get the less we seem able to afford. When economic numbers increase, why is there not a commensurate increase in our individual or collective wherewithal? Read the rest of this article

Letter by Chris Dickey

Growth – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Don’t blame the government for all its recent growth

Martha:

I appreciated your different approach to the talked-to-death dilemma of growth in the January edition. The real issue, at least in Central Colorado, is not population expansion. The forces which are impacting the lives of those of us who live here are rooted in economics, as you point out. However, I also believe that the attitudes which characterize public opinion these days have as much or more to do with disturbing trends such as burgeoning government bureaucracy. Read the rest of this article

Letter by Roger Kirkpatrick

Vail Fires – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Nothing like a nice warm fire

Editors:

Actually, I think the title of Gretchen Biggs’ article should have been “Arson Isn’t All That Wrong On Vail Mountain” [December, 1998]. We are, after all, fighting Vail Associates and the US Forest Service, two of the most influential corporations in Colorado. In the case of the Forest Service we get to pay them to do something we don’t want them to do and have no real voice in the matter. Read the rest of this article

Letter by Slim Wolfe

Growth – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Research Reveals Growth-Free Region in the West!

Let’s All Pounce before the other guy finds out!

Editors:

Son of a Gun! I thought this last road trip might cure me of the journalism habit but here I am in your face again. Like your other journalist Hal Walter, I was thinking about a move. He’s lucky he’s being crowded out by a trophy home. I’ve got trophy modulars sprouting like mushrooms, and yuppified hot springs, and road rage in the summer. I remembered a rural region that might still be stuck in the 60s. I went to take a look. Read the rest of this article

Letter by Jack Woehr

Holidays – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Enjoyed Santa the Shaman

Editors:

Thanks very kindly for George Sibley’s story on Santa the Shaman [December, 1998]. I would note that his informant certainly should have credited Drs. Ruth and Gordon Wasson whose The Sacred Mushroom of the Vedas was the seminal work of ethnobotany, and which also adduced the connection to European pre-Christian religion which Mr. Sibley relishes. Read the rest of this article

Letter by June Howard

Poetry – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Poem makes it a keeper

Editors:

In the December edition of Colorado Central, I much appreciated “Until I Run Out of Thread” by Laurie Wagner Buyer. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Correction – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Gentrification v Generification

In our January edition, we published the text of a speech presented by Dr. Laura McCall at last November’s Headwaters Conference in Gunnison.

Her text referred to “the generification and homogenization of the world,” while we published “the gentrification and homogenization….” Read the rest of this article

Essay by Steve Voynick

Hunting – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Prayer Slayers and Drive-by Shooters

by Steve Voynick

I’M A NONHUNTER, but living near the base of Mount Elbert gives me a ringside seat for the Colorado deer and elk hunting seasons. Although 250,000 individuals hunt elk each year in Colorado, my overall impression of Colorado hunters is shaped by only a few individuals who occupy opposite ends of the hunting spectrum. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Local Arts – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Potter and Poet get Fellowships

Two Central Colorado creative types were among the 26 recipients of 1999 Artist Fellowships in Visual Arts, Literature, and Performing Arts from the Colorado Council on the Arts. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Marcia Darnell

San Luis Valley – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine -

Bottoms Up

Colorado Distilling Co., located near Vail, has targeted the San Luis Valley for the site of its next distillery. Citing the quality of the water, the firm plans to build a plant to generate 5,000 barrels of cognac and/or scotch per year. The proposed operation would create 15 to 20 jobs and the plant will buy 2,000 tons of local barley a year. Construction is tentatively scheduled for summer. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Future – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Surefire Predictions for 1999

by the Central Psychic

This year, millennial cult leaders will threaten to make Dr. Kevorkian look like a right to life advocate.

By spring, First Lady Hillary Clinton will have sported so many new hairstyles, fabulous makeovers, and marvelously flattering wardrobe changes… That young children really will believe the President has traded in his old wife for a new woman. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Local Politics – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

Home, Home on the Range,

Where the taxes are low every day

According to the Census Bureau, Custer County is the fourth-fastest-growing county in the United States. But its assessed valuation dropped by about $1 million last year, from $44.7 million in 1997 to $43.7 million in 1998. Read the rest of this article

Comic Strip by Clint Driscoll and Laura Ravenwood

Mountain Life – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine Read the rest of this article

Essay by Chris Frasier

Livestock – February 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine

COWS SURE ARE DUMB. At least, that’s what I’ve been reading lately in the popular press. A man who was convicted last year in Oregon for shooting his neighbor’s cows defended himself with the idea that cows aren’t smart enough to control their grazing. Read the rest of this article