Colorado Central Articles From — December 2006

Brief by Allen Best

Outdoors – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

It’s an old saw that those caught in avalanches should attempt to swim, in order to stay afloat. But The Denver Post reports that an emerging body of evidence suggests that’s wrong. Read the rest of this article

Column by Hal Walter

Mountain Life – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

NOTHING SYMBOLIZES CHANGE quite like the limp form of a used condom lying in the road of an upscale subdivision where you routinely go running, and where the only thing of this shape you normally need to avoid stepping on is rattlesnakes.

This is the sort of litter that isn’t all that uncommon, say, at a trailhead in Boulder or a roadside pullout near Santa Fé. But in Custer County a discarded condom is somewhat of a rarity. Read the rest of this article

Letter from James D. Parmenter

Voting – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors:

I have only partial knowledge of the local and statewide problems with the new computer equipment used on Nov. 7. However, even that partial knowledge indicates that the equipment suppliers deserve to be taken to court and forced to refund any and all money they have been paid. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Darrell Arnold

Newcomers – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Dear Editor:

I live in La Veta, Colorado, a town of 900, and we few remaining “locals” are often accused by the growing legions of paranoid “newcomers” of looking down our noses at them, even though many of them have lived here for 20 years or more. Well, there are reasons why that happens. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Timothy J. Kregel

Politics – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors:

Very poignant piece by Hal Walter in the October edition. Having inadvertently purchased some asbestos along with a house in the past, I can relate to the frustration with local bureaucracies as well as the deep concern for family. Please convey best wishes from a couple he’s never met. One good laugh in the article as well — “cognitive and social dysfunction … Republican voting tendencies and widespread addiction to Fox News….” Read the rest of this article

Letter from Harvey N. Gardiner

Geography – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors:

I always find Colorado Central interesting reading. You may be surprised at the obscure things this reader, at least, notices, but which also give me the opportunity for shameless self-promotion. Read the rest of this article

Letter from Andy Burns

Water – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors,

I was talking to a guy over here in Pitkin. He showed me a form letter from Ken Chlouber thanking him for his “ideas” and going on about supporting Colorado farmers, ranchers and developers, etc. Read the rest of this article

Article by Sue Snively

Local Musicians – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

THERE IS A COUPLE in the Arkansas valley who make music in an almost infinite variety, from Celtic, in the form of Irish jigs and Scottish melodies, to Polkas to cowboy ballads. Their musical repertoire includes Gospel and Classical; wedding music and funeral music; songs written by a variety of composers and songs written by one of them. They perform by themselves, and with others, display exceptional vocal talents, and incorporate many instruments into their performances. Read the rest of this article

Column by John Mattingly

Agriculture – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

FROM A GRAY-GREEN SKY, a torrential rain overwhelmed the parking lot. Cars appeared to liquify into the asphalt as it became the bottom of a shimmering, black lake. The awning under which I stood began to droop from the weight of gathering water, so I stepped back under the wide soffit of the supermarket, wondering if this downpour was also falling on my crops out at the farm, or if, as usual, it was focused exclusively on the urban heat island. Read the rest of this article

Essay by Lynda La Rocca

Books – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

IN THIS TROUBLED WORLD, it’s helpful — at least, it’s helpful to me — to remember that human nature is, well, human nature. Time passes, lifestyles change, and technology advances, yet we remain collectively governed by many of the same forces that motivated our ancestors. Read the rest of this article

Edward Abbey – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Postcards from Ed: Dispatches from an American Iconoclast
by Edward Abbey
Selected and edited by David Petersen
Published in 2006 by Milkweed Editions
ISBN: 1-5713-1284-6 Read the rest of this article

History – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Blood and Thunder – An Epic of the American West
by Hampton Sides
Published in 2006 by Doubleday
ISBN: 1400031109 Read the rest of this article

Essay by Ed Quillen

Commerce – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

MY FIRST JOB at a commercial newspaper, as opposed to a school or underground newspaper, came in the spring of 1972 at the weekly Longmont Scene. By and large, the Scene was an excellent excuse for repealing the First Amendment, since it seldom printed anything worth reading. Its one distinctive policy was that it refused all advertising from outside of Longmont; unlike the Longmont Daily Times-Call, we carried no ads from Boulder, Niwot, Lyons, Berthoud, Lafayette, or anywhere outside Longmont. The owners of the Scene believed in “shop local.” Read the rest of this article

Essay by Jen Jackson

Tamarisk – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

IN MOAB, UTAH, a town constantly visited by jeepers and hikers from all over the world, the arrival of 300,000 beings from Kazakhstan hasn’t received much press. But as the newcomers flutter in and make themselves more at home, people are starting to take notice. Read the rest of this article

Article by Marcia Darnell

Homeless – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

LA PUENTE, Alamosa’s homeless shelter, has always strived to serve the community of underserved people. For the last year, the community has served La Puente.

The shelter, first profiled in Colorado Central in January, 2000, is now larger, better, and brighter, thanks mostly to volunteer efforts and donations. Read the rest of this article

Essay by Aaron Abeyta

Rural Life – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

This letter was originally presented by Abeyta at the 2006 Headwaters Conference at Western State College in Gunnison on November 11th.

Dear George,

Outside my window there are a few blackbirds perched in the dead branches of a Russian Olive. Presumably these birds, the approximate size of a human heart, are willing to tough out the Antonito winter. Later, when the snow falls, they will line the icy edge of the river, their black bodies set against the white. I’ve always been intrigued by these birds, wondering why they don’t fly south like every other sane creature capable of migrating. Read the rest of this article

Column by George Sibley

Politics – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

SO THE ELECTION IS OVER– long over by the time you read this — but still very fresh in the mind as I write it. Well, maybe “fresh” isn’t the word for an election like this one. Read the rest of this article

Sidebar by Zebulon M. Pike

History – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

“It being stormy weather and having meat to dry, I concluded to lie by this day. Here I must take the liberty of observing that, in this situation, the hardships and privations we underwent were on this day brought more fully to our mind, having been accustomed to some degree of relaxation, and extra enjoyments. Read the rest of this article

Article by Ed Quillen

History – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

WHEN WE LEFT THE Pike party at the end of November, 1806, the soldiers were camped along the Arkansas River between Pueblo and Cañon City, looking for the headwaters of the river in accordance with Pike’s orders to find the source of the Arkansas, then go south to the start of the Red River and follow it down to the Mississippi. Read the rest of this article

Cartoon by Jack Chivvis

Modern Life – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Water – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Some people think that “WWW”stands for World Wide Web, and others know it really stands for Western Water Workshop, almost always held during the last week of July at Western State College in Gunnison (one year it was in August because Hell’s Angels held their national convention in Gunnison in late July). Read the rest of this article

Brief by Allen Best

Wildlife – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Nearly every year more roadkill in Grand Teton National Park is recorded. Last year, 145 animals were hit, a figure more than double that from the year 2000, reports the Jackson Hole News & Guide. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Son Accidentally Kills Father

A hunting accident in Gunnison County in late October caused the death of Joseph DiBiasa Jr., 66, of Rankonkoma, New York. Witnesses say his son, Joseph Michael DiBiasa, 41, was carrying his rifle in a sling, when the sling broke. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Language – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

During this election season, we noticed the term “mil levy” in at least one local newspaper, and it should be a “mill levy.”

But “mil” and “mill” have the same root, the Latin word “mille,” which means 1,000. A “mil” is 1/1000 of an inch, and a “mill” in this context is 1/1000 of a dollar, or 1/10 of a cent. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Writing – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

If you’re both a scrounge artist and a writer (given what writing pays, the two often go together), you might want to contribute an essay to a new anthology now being assembled by the Rocky Mountain Land Library. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Allen Best

Transportation – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Police in Mt. Crested Butte have begun enforcing the letter of the traffic laws as they apply to bicycles, to the regret of one Justin Blakelee. He was given a $40 ticket for going 10 miles over the 30 mph limit. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Allen Best

Wildlife – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Rocky Mountain National Park has become a refuge for a large and growing number of elk. That’s probably because no wildlife hunting is allowed within the park, as specified by Congress in 1915 and reaffirmed in 1929. And while mountain lions remain, the wolves that once kept elk numbers down have long since been extirpated. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Allen Best

Food – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

While there is a great deal of talk in mountain resorts about “sustainability,” virtually none of them are remotely sustainable. From the tourists who arrive by jet planes to the big logs hauled hundreds of miles to create the “natural” look in homes, life depends on using vast amounts of fossil fuels. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Allen Best

Ski Industry – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Crested Butte Mountain Resort wants to expand its resort to a new mountain, called Snodgrass, in order to get more intermediate-level ski terrain. A report on the geology of the expansion area has been issued, and it finds nothing that sinks expansion hopes. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Allen Best

Wildlife – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

A bear in Vail is being accused of being a purse-snatcher. The Vail Daily reports that a house was being remodeled, and the bear broke through the plastic and snatched the purse, which had a breakfast cereal box inside. Also taken by the bear was a takeout box from a restaurant. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Media – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

It used to be something of a tradition in Salida, back when Bill Murphy owned the radio station, to listen to the election-night coverage on KVRH.

That was back when it was the only station in town. Now with more stations, there ought to be more coverage, right? Read the rest of this article

Brief by Allen Best

Energy – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Although woefully behind what it should be, alternative energy is gaining some currency in Summit County. First, ground-source heat pumps were installed in a combination Conoco gas station and Wendy’s restaurant in Frisco.

Now, the first residential home in Summit County, a house in Breckenridge, is using the same technology. This technology is based on the idea that in Colorado, the ground stays at about 48 to 52 degrees. That heat can be tapped during winter, and through high-tech exchangers, used to heat homes or even water. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Colorado Central – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Jeanne Willoughby Englert, 62, a long-time occasional contributor to Colorado Central, died of a heart attack on Oct. 25 at her home in Lafayette, Colo.

She was born March 1, 1944, in Denver, and grew up in Aspen, where she married Timothy Englert in 1966. They had a son, John, and a grandson. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Marcia Darnell

San Luis Valley – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Election Ear

In Alamosa, voters narrowly defeated a one-percent sales tax that was to be split between the city and county. Republican Frank Maestas was re-elected Alamosa County Commissioner, and the county voted to “de-Bruce” the fire district by a wide margin. Alamosa County had no long lines or crashing machines, according to County Clerk Melanie Woodward, who ran unopposed. With over 6,000 ballots cast in the county, over 2,700 were early or absentee ballots, and the results were tallied by 9:30 p.m. Read the rest of this article

Comic Strip written and drawn by Monika Griesenbeck

Mountain Life – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Population – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

One cold and windy night, our car was making strange noises as we returned to Salida from Trinidad, through the Wet Mountain Valley. We hadn’t seen another car since Gardner, so we were relieved when we spotted the “Silver Cliff City Limits” sign. But we still had to drive for a while before we actually saw even a street light of Silver Cliff — the town limits extend far beyond the town’s habitations. Read the rest of this article

Essay by Ben Long

Population – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

ONE STATISTIC JUMPED OUT of the morning paper and jolted my brain.

The news was that America’s population hit 300 million this year. But it wasn’t that landmark figure that jarred my morning reverie. It was this: The United States population has grown from 200 million to 300 million since 1967. That’s the year I was born. Read the rest of this article

PLANS MOVING ALONG FOR FISH PASSAGE, KAYAK PARK IN COLORADO

The Bureau of Reclamation released revised plans for a kayak park and fish passage on the Colorado River near Palisade, Colo., that reduces the difference for the two because, though the agency supports the park, it can’t use federal dollars to build it. Grand Junction Sentinel; Nov. 1 <www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/11/01/11_1_1b_Whitewater_park.html> Read the rest of this article