Colorado Central Articles From — November 2004

Article by Orville Wright

Veterans – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Ed Quillen contacted me about submitting something for the November edition of Colorado Central. He said another writer was also working on a couple of pieces related to Veterans Day. So I was asked to supply something that “Explored how military service affected the life of a guy who grew up in Salida.” The following is offered, although it is a wee bit above Mr. Quillen’s suggested word count. –O.W. Read the rest of this article

Sidebar by Marcia Darnell

Veterans – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

A Valley runs through it

The Korean War ended in 1953, but its famous border is marked half a world away, in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Read the rest of this article

Article by Marcia Darnell

Veterans – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

HOMELAKE IS APTLY NAMED: It’s a lake, with trees and fish and peaceful waters, and it’s a home, the oldest veterans’ home in Colorado.

Homelake was founded in 1891 as the Colorado Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home. Adair Wilson, a state senator from Del Norte, had passed legislation to establish a veterans’ home in the San Luis Valley a few years earlier. The site near Monte Vista was determined by the donation of land by two Monte Vista families, who continued to farm the acreage around the home for years. There was also a dairy on the property. Read the rest of this article

Essay by John C. Mattingly

Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

IN THIS UPCOMING ELECTION, I’d like to give Adlai Stevenson my vote for President. Stevenson — the Democratic candidate for President in 1952 and 1956 — lost both times to Ike Eisenhower and then lost to Kennedy in the Democratic presidential primaries in 1960.

Stevenson was a loser, and he’s dead, but looking at the current federal administration, this should be no obstacle to his candidacy. Read the rest of this article

Cartoon by Jack Chivvis

Modern Life – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Recreation – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

The Colorado Trail, which extends for about 470 miles between Durango and Denver, celebrated its 30th anniversary on Sept. 25 with a spaghetti supper in Buena Vista.

The trail was the idea of Bill Lucas, then regional director of the U.S. Forest Service, and Gudy Gaskill, who chaired the Trails and Huts Committee of the Colorado Mountain Club. They laid out a tentative route which connected existing trails (such as the old Main Range Trail on the east flank of the Sawatch Range), and volunteers went to work on the ground. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Local News – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Cold Case File

The remains of a Boulder man who had been missing for nearly two years were discovered in Lake County in late September near the top of Independence Pass. The bones were near his car, which had rolled so far off the road that no one had noticed it since he went missing on Sept. 26, 2004. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

It’s certainly no secret that Martha and Ed Quillen are both Democrats, and thus endorse John Kerry for President. Back in the primary season, he was the first choice of neither. Martha, who grew up in a labor town near Detroit, favored Dick Gephardt. Ed, apparently inspired by his Populist-agitator great-grandfather, liked John Edwards. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

This is a presidential election year, but it’s sort of an off-year election for state and local governments. The state governor, attorney-general, and treasurer, as well as county clerks, treasurers, and assessors, are elected in the other even years, like 2002 and 2006.

As for commissioners, most counties have three. One gets elected in the “other even years,” and two come up in presidential election years, like this one. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Marcia Darnell

San Luis Valley – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Private!

Robert Salter owns property that is surrounded by public land, and that’s led to conflict with hikers and hunters. Salter’s home is an isle in a sea of Forest Service and BLM property, and both agencies are getting reports of Salter threatening trespassers — and potential trespassers. Allegedly, Salter’s been threatening people outside his property line, which is clearly marked. Salter was arrested and authorities are investigating. Read the rest of this article

Comic Strip written and drawn by Monika Griesenbeck

Mountain Life – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Modern Life – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

In Salida and certain other parts of Central Colorado, some of us like to joke that we have a constitutional right to a siesta.

The logic behind that is a bit convoluted. It starts with Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which states that “The Constitution … and all Treaties made … shall be the supreme Law of the Land.” Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Drought – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Colorado’s five-year drought has struck the southern part of the state harder than the northern part — especially the San Juans and the San Luis Valley.

The effects show up with decreased harvests, and harder times for farmers and ranchers, and also wildlife, as reported by outdoor writer Charlie Meyers in the Oct. 6 Denver Post. Read the rest of this article

Essay by John Clayton

Modern Life – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

THE BIG NEWS in my small town has been the new automated checkout line at the grocery store. You scan the purchases yourself, and then give the machine your credit card, with no need for any human interaction. At least that’s how I’m told it works — I haven’t used the thing myself. Read the rest of this article

Column by Hal Walter

Mountain life – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

THE OTHER NIGHT, while enjoying a beverage called “Wet Mountain IPA” and watching a new television comedy/reality series called the “2004 Presidential Debates,” it occurred to me that this column was due that day and that the day itself had pretty much passed without my having written so much as a word. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Slim Wolfe

Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors:

Sign of the Alternative Times: I was somewhat puzzled to read Hal Walter’s suggestion [October edition] that his is an alternative lifestyle. I hasten to add that I don’t intend this as a put-down of Walter, but merely an observation of our changing definitions. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Frank Sniveley

History – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Ed,

You may have seen it already, but if not, take a look at http://amconmag.com/20041011/cover.html, which is a sort-of tongue in cheek set of advice for would-be imperialists, based on Machiavelli’s The Prince. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Milt Francis

Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors:

The fear of terrorism and losing the war is apparently a significant factor in the decisions influencing Americans in the coming election. The spectre of another 9-11 suggests the need for continuity in the current leadership no matter its incredible incompetence in both the fight against terror and the needless war this administration is waging. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Paul Martz

Bill of Rights – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors,

I’ll start out by saying that I’ve been a member of the NRA for 37 years and a Life Member for more than 25. I found Ben Long’s stated views on the organization in last month’s edition to be not only patently offensive, but totally ignorant. The level of “professionalism” demonstrated by his article makes me wonder if there shouldn’t be some sort of exam before one is allowed to call oneself a professional. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Bob Cross

Colorado Central – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Ed:

I’ve always thought that the Colorado Central library would tend toward the ecclectic. However, I must admit that I was surprised to learn (from Pat Williams’ letter in the October edition) that included in your library are pictures of the scat left lying around by the various critters that inhabit our forests. Read the rest of this article

Article by Sunnie Sacks

Livestock – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

AMY MORRISON decided to adopt and train a wild burro as a learning project for her job. At work, she supervises inmates who are training animals at the Colorado Department of Corrections in Cañon City. But Amy started training horses on her parents’ ranch outside of Guffey when she was only 12 years old. Read the rest of this article

Column by George Sibley

Culture – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

YOU’RE RECEIVING this magazine a week or two before the election, so you may have already voted if you’re going to, and it’s probably too late to change your mind if you haven’t, so I won’t try. Read the rest of this article

Sidebar by Lynda La Rocca

Wildlife – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

For humans, wash the skin with tomato juice, vinegar, or carbolic soap and water. If spray gets into the eyes, flush the eyes liberally with cold water to ease irritation. Clothing may be cleaned by washing in vinegar, but your best bet may be to throw skunked clothes away. Read the rest of this article

Sidebar by Lynda La Rocca

Wildlife – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

The best way to eliminate skunks is to remove what they like. So get rid of piles of lumber, wood, and junk, store trash in tightly sealed containers, and don’t leave pet food outdoors. Installing fencing to a depth of 1-2 feet below the ground and sealing foundation openings will prevent skunks from denning beneath a house. Read the rest of this article

Article by Lynda La Rocca

Wildlife – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

IF YOU WERE SADDLED with a name that means “noxious, pestilential, or foul exhalation,” you, too, might develop defense mechanisms as powerful as those of Mephitis mephitis, the striped skunk.

You gotta feel sorry for this little black-and-white- furred creature. Even its non-Latin name has become synonymous in the English language with such undesirable characteristics as obnoxiousness and cheating. Read the rest of this article

[amazon-product]0826333427[/amazon-product]Review by Ed Quillen

Colorado History – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Brothels, Bordellos & Bad Girls: Prostitution in Colorado 1860-1930
by Jan MacKell
Published in 2004
by the University of New Mexico Press
ISBN 0-8263-3342-7 Read the rest of this article

[amazon-product]0465011217[/amazon-product]Review by Ed Quillen

Climate – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Floods, Famines, and Emperors – El Niño and the Fate of Civilizations
by Brian Fagan
Published in 1999 by Basic Books
ISBN 0-465-01121-7 Read the rest of this article

[amazon-product]1559633859[/amazon-product]Review by Steve Voynick

Leadville – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

LEADVILLE – The Struggle to Revive an American Town
by Gillian Klucas
published in 2004 by Island Press
ISBN 1-55963-385-9 Read the rest of this article

Essay by Martha Quillen

Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

THERE’S BEEN a lot of media criticism about negative campaigning in recent years. But this time around it seems like the media’s stance on nasty campaigning is more questionable than the offensive campaigns.

After the last debate, for example, The Rocky Mountain News ran a fat, black headline announcing “Town brawl,” in just this size: Read the rest of this article