1. 50Cents
Trinidad
Colorado
Proudly Serving Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico • www.thechronicle-news.com
~
Vol. 138, No.99
Monday
May19,2014
MAY 19
~Celebrate National EMS Week
THRU FRIDAY (4-9 p.m. each
evening) The public is invited to an
open house at The Trinidad Ambu-
lance District building, 939 Robinson
Ave. Register to win one of four free
gifts on MAY 24/SATURDAY (10 a.m.)
at the Family Fun Day at Trinidad Cath-
olic Football Field complete with a Fire-
men’s Challenge and Chili Cookoff.
~Aguilar Schools
MONDAY (5:30 p.m.) Board of Ed-
ucation regular session at the school,
420 N. Balsam. Information: Natalie
Grubelnik, 719-941-4188.
~Town of Starkville
MONDAY (6 p.m.) Board of Trust-
ees public meeting in the Fisher’s Peak
Fire Department boardroom, 8361
County Road 69, Starkville. Informa-
tion: Crick Carlisle, 719-680-7199.
Today’s Quote
“Talk low, talk slow and don’t
say too much.”
~John Wayne
MAY 20
~Las Animas County
TUESDAY (9 a.m.) Please be
advised that the County Commis-
sioners regular meeting sched-
uled for Tuesday, May 20 has
been rescheduled for Thursday,
May 22. Information: 719-845-2568.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Gary
Hill (719-845-2595), Mack Louden
(719-845-2592), and Anthony Abeyta
(719-846-9300).
~Trinidad City Council
TUESDAY (7 p.m.) Regular ses-
sion, Council Chambers, City Hall, 135
N. Animas St. Information: Audra Gar-
rett, 719-846-9843.
PUBLIC SERVICE
~Fisher’s Peak Archers Club
Anyone interested in joining the new
Archers Club can stop by 409 N. Com-
mercial or call 719-422-5046.
~Help Save the Veteran’s Post
URGENT: All interested parties who
would like to help the veterans save
Trinidad’s local VFW Post 984 from
closing, please contact Commander
John Rios at 719-846-6094. The Post
is in desperate need of caring individu-
als to champion this organization that
provides so many honorable benefits
to the community.
~ Library Volunteers Needed
If you want to volunteer at the Carn-
egie Library bookstore, Books & More,
132 N. Commercial St., please call:
719-846-8522.
~2014 ARTOCADE
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS:
Anyone interested in participating in
the September ArtoCade please con-
tact Rodney Wood at 719-334-0087 or
artcarfun@yahoo.com.
~Community Blood Drive
JUNE 6 (Noon-4 p.m.) Help save
a life! Bonfils Blood Drive will be held
in the Pioneer Room at Trinidad State
Junior College, 600 Prospect St. Sign-
up and information: Bonfils Appoint-
ment Center, 800-365-0006 or www.
bonfils.org.
~Stonewall Fishing Tournament
JUNE 7 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) Join in the
fun at the 18th Annual Stonewall Fire
Auxiliary’s Fishing Tournament at Mon-
ument Lake. Registration and informa-
tion: www.stonewallfireauxitiary.com.
~SUICIDE/CRISIS HOTLINES:
*ADULT HOPE: 800-784-2433
*TEEN: 877-968-8454
*GLB-YOUTH: 866-488-7386
*VET-2-VET: 877-838-2838
“When the world says, ‘Give up!’
Hope says, ‘Not today!” ~Unknown
~ ABUSE HOTLINES:
*Domestic Abuse Hotline: In
Trinidad call 719-846-6665 (24-hours a
day). National Hotline call: 1-800-790-
SAFE (7233).
*Animal Abuse: Do your part and
help put a stop to animal cruelty. Re-
port animal abuse and dog/cock fight-
ing at Crime Stoppers anonymous tip
line: 720-913-7867.
TheFinePrint
WeatherWatchMonday: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Breezy, with a W-SW wind 10 to 15 mph in-
creasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon.
Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Night:
Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Breezy,
with a W-SW wind 20 to 25 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Breezy, with a SW wind 10 to 20 mph. Night:
Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Breezy,
with a SW wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to
10 to 15 mph in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high
near 82. Breezy, with a S-SW wind 10 to 20
mph. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around
49. Breezy, with a S-SW wind 15 to 20 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near
76. W-SW wind around 10 mph becoming
south in the afternoon. Night: Partly cloudy,
with a low around 47. South wind 5 to 10
mph becoming west after midnight.
RiverCallPurgatoire River Call as of
05/16/2014. Ignacio Chacon
ditch: Priority #33 / Appropria-
tion date: 04/30/1867.
Trinidad Reservoir Accounting:
Release 270.69 AF
Inflow 192.90 AF -- 97.25 CFS
Evaporation 6.21 AF
Content 14,869 AF
Elevation 6,175.62
Precipitation 0
Downstream River Call / High-
land Canal: 04/01/1884.
TheChronicleNews
AThousandWordsThe Sangre de Cristo Mountain
Range west of Trinidad glows as the
sun sets in a haze behind the snow-
capped peaks.
ACHIEVEMENT
School ceremonies honor top
graduates, send students forwardBy Steve Block
The Chronicle-News
Students who are striving for
academic excellence know they
have to work hard, use their time
efficiently and go that extra mile to
serve their schools and communi-
ties. The area valedictorians and
salutatorians in the Class of 2014
have excelled in all of these areas
and richly deserve the honors they
have received.
Trinidad High School will grad-
uate approximately 65 seniors at
its commencement ceremonies,
which will take place at 1 p.m.
on Sunday, May 25 at Donnelly
Gymnasium. This year’s valedic-
torian is Nicholas Ruybalid and
the salutatorian is Chelsea Lauren
Rhodes.
Ruybalid, the son of Frank and
Sarah Jane Ruybalid, will attend
Princeton University this fall on
the full-tuition Mary Goree Schol-
arship. He plans to major in biol-
ogy so that he can attend medical
school, but he wants to keep his
academic options open. He’s done
more than 200 hours of commu-
nity service while in high school
and has won numerous awards,
including an Academic Letter, the
rank of Eagle Scout, the Masonic
Outstanding Junior Award and
the John Phillip Sousa Award for
Music. When he can fit some fun
into his busy schedule, he enjoys
playing the trumpet, helping his
sister Sally Jane, hiking, camping
and woodworking. He currently
serves as Class President, Student
Council President, Honor Soci-
ety President, Knowledge Bowl
Team Captain, Drum Major of the
Mighty Miners Marching Band
and Assistant Scoutmaster for the
Boy Scouts of America.
Rhodes has completed both her
high school academic career and
her stint at Trinidad State Junior
College (TSJC). She graduated
Magna Cum Laude from TSJC
with Associate of Arts, Associate
of Science and Associate of Gen-
eral Studies degrees. The daugh-
ter of Lonny and Melissa Rhodes,
Chelsea is the recipient of the
Kane Family Scholarship, the Bi-
anco Memorial Scholarship and
the San Isabel Electric Associa-
tion Scholarship. She’s carrying
a grade-point average of 4.143, has
received an Academic Letter all
four years and is also a member of
the National Honor Society, Stu-
dent Council, the THS Leadership
Team and has served as a class of-
ficer. She was on the track team all
four years, was named All Confer-
ence in 2013, and was a member of
the relay team that competed in
the finals of the state track compe-
tition.
This fall she plans to enter the
Nursing Program at Trinidad
State Junior College (TSJC), and
upon completion of the program
she intends to transfer to the Uni-
versity of Colorado at Colorado
Springs to complete the course-
work needed to become a nurse
practitioner, specializing in pedi-
By Steve Block
The Chronicle-News
No Armed Forces Day Parade
was held this year, though the mo-
torcyclists traveling on the Ride to
the Wall did roll through town as
usual on Saturday morning. Tara
Marshall, president of the board
of directors of the Trinidad & Las
Animas County Chamber of Com-
merce, said on Thursday that the
board had decided not to hold the
parade this year because of the im-
portance of the various events tak-
ing place that commemorated the
100th anniversary of the Ludlow
Massacre last weekend. Marshall
said the board didn’t want to hold
another event that might cause
people to stay in town and not go
to the anniversary events.
Marshall and the board also is-
sued a press release on Thursday
about the status of Santa Fe Trail
Days, which reads as follows:
“This year due to the economic
downturn the Chamber of Com-
merce is not going to be able to
hold Santa Fe Trail Days. The
Board of Directors is committed
to continuing the rebuilding of the
Chamber and we look forward to
forming strategic partnerships
with other organizations. We feel
that by forming partnerships our
community can accomplish great
things. We want to express our ap-
preciation for our members and
supporters and we want to apolo-
gize for any inconvenience that
has been caused by the cancella-
tion of the festival. We encourage
people to come out and support
several upcoming events in the
community. The Fantasy Cruiz-
ers Car and Bike Club of Trinidad
will hold their annual car and bike
show on Saturday, June 14, and
the following week on June 20-22,
the Family Fun Days returns to
the Fairgrounds.”
Armed Forces Day Parade not held;
Santa Fe Trail Festival cancelled
CHAMBER APOLOGIZES
Students learn, have
fun at Water FestivalBy Steve Block
The Chronicle-News
Water issues seem to be grow-
ing in importance with every
passing year, as ongoing drought
conditions increase the threat of
wildfires and other forms of envi-
ronmental devastation. Trinidad’s
Third Annual Water Festival on
Thursday was designed to teach
the approximately 1,400 students
in attendance about the impor-
tance of water-related issues in a
variety of entertaining and infor-
mative ways.
The event offered the oppor-
tunity for the kids from every
elementary and middle school
in Las Animas County to get out-
side in the fresh air at Trinidad
State Junior College (TSJC) and
have some interactive fun, as they
moved through a series of 20-min-
ute presentations by experts in
various fields. Ten new presenta-
tions were added this year, bring-
ing the total number to 40, many
of them hands-on and nearly all of
them directly connected to water
issues.
Presenter Sarah Ferguson used
photographs and a miniature
version of a rainwater-capturing
system that she and her husband
had installed at their rural home
to show the kids how to preserve
precious rainwater. The system
offers homeowners the chance to
put captured water from rooftops
to good use by storing the water in
barrels or cisterns, and then using
it to water plants and trees when
the rains don’t come regularly.
State Wildlife Officers Bob
Holder and Jake Way presented
information about how much wa-
ter various wildlife species need
on a daily basis to ensure their
survival. Each student got a flash
card featuring a different wildland
animal, and Holder and Way dis-
played various animal skulls and
skins and asked the kids to iden-
tify each one, based on the colorful
flash cards they’d been given. The
wildlife officers also demonstrated
to the kids the sounds and calls
made by various animals.
Potter John Raggio used his
potter’s wheel to show the kids
how he uses water as an important
part of crafting beautiful and use-
ful ceramic pieces.
A demonstration by History
Colorado presenters taught the
kids about the history of the Pur-
gatoire River and pioneers such
Felipe Baca and other ditch dig-
gers who developed the first irri-
FANTASTIC TURN OUT
Photos by Steve Block / The Chronicle-News
A presenter from Mad Scientists of Colorado, above, shows students how a
small piece of paper that has been specially treated with chemicals can be
made to vanish instantly, as if by magic. The presentation was one of many
at the 2014 Water Festival, held on Thursday at Trinidad State Junior College.
State Parks and Wildlife Officer Jake Way, above left, holds the skull of a Big-
horn Sheep as he describes how water impacts the lives of the wildlife of the
American West at Thursday’s annual event.
Continued on Page 2 ...
Photo courtesy of Michelle Goodall / A Lock in Time Photography
. . . a thousand words Continued on Page 2

2. Page 2 Monday, May 19, 2014 The Chronicle-News Trinidad, Colorado
General Manager
Allyson Sheumaker
asheumaker@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Advertising
Sales-Adam Sperandio
advertising@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Classifieds, Memorials, &
Circulation- Lauri Duran
classified@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Design & Legals- Krysta Toci
ktoci@trinidadchroniclenews.com
News Room
Editor: Bruce Leonard
editor@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Features Editor & Fine Print
Catherine Moser
cathy@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Reporter: Steve Block
news1@trinidadchroniclenews.com
Business Hours:
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8 AM - 5 PM
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Harold Charles Odorizzi
age 87, passed away on
May 11, 2014, at Avamere
Nursing Care in Northglenn,
Colo.
Visitation will be at Comi
Chapel on Monday, May 19,
2014, from 3pm to 7pm.
Funeral Services for Harold
will be held on Tuesday, May
20, 2014, 9am. with Rosary
at Comi Chapel followed by
the Funeral Mass at Holy
Trinity Catholic Church at
10am. Interment will follow at
t h e T r i n i d a d C a t h o l i c
Cemetery with graveside
services conducted by the
US Naval Honor Guard.
Arrangements made under
the direction of the Comi
Funeral Home.
Nick Brandolino
Nick Brandolino, age 88,
passed away at Mt. San
Rafael Hospital on May 15,
2014.
Arrangements are pending
and will be announced later
by the Comi Funeral Home.
62 Memorials
In Loving Memory of
Alex Mestas
on his birthday, May 19
As time goes on, some
memories fade, But his won t
fade, no, never. The memory
of our darling husband,
father, grandfather and
great-grandfather And the
cares we shared together.
So rest, dear one, forever
more, And pray for us who
love you, Till we meet on
yonder shore May your soul
rest in peace. Sadly missed
by wife, Rose, and Family.
Elizebeth Dekleva
Sadly Missed by her Loving
Family and Friends on her
5th Anniversary in Heaven
63 Card of Thanks
The family of Elviro Ernest
Garduno would like to thank
everyone who supported us
at our time of loss of our
loved one. To Columbine
Chateau's of Pueblo West,
Colo for the care and love
you bestowed on Ernest
during his stay at your
facility. A special thank you
goes out to Chelsea,
Amanda and Diane for going
beyond their responsibilities
to make Ernest's days
enjoyable. To Comi Funeral
Home and Kitsy for the
compassion displayed during
the difficult planning of
funeral arrangements. Your
professional and dignified
preparation of the entire
funeral service is
unmatched. Thank you to
Holy Trinity Church for a
beautiful Rosary and funeral
service. A special "thank
you" to Natalie Trujillo and
the gift of her vocal talents.
Your voice was like the
sound of angels singing.
Thank you to the VFW Post
964 for the graveside prayer;
the Fort Carson Honor
Guard; UMWA Local 9856;
Jujo's and the many family
and friends who paid their
respects through phone
calls, cards, emails, and in
person. God bless you all.
The Family of Elviro Ernest
Garduno
The family of Sylvia Mantelli,
would like to extend heartfelt
thanks to her family, her
extended family and her
many friends, who offered
love & support during this
difficult time. To Mt. San
Rafael Hospital, Trinidad
Nursing Home Inn, Hospice
and the many caregivers
who cared for Sylvia, you
were greatly appreciated. To
Comi Funeral Home for
assisting us in the
arrangements. To Father
Richard Becker for the
beautiful mass, and to
everyone who participated in
the mass and the funeral.
Sylvia was a great friend and
was loved by everyone who
knew her. She never knew a
stranger, and she will be
greatly missed by all.
May she rest in peace.
Sincerely, Sylvia's Family
gation systems in the area.
Presenters from Colorado Universi-
ty’s Science Discover Program offered a
two-part demonstration of the relation-
ships between climate, forest fires and
water quality, first using a 25-minute
computer-mapping and technology-
based presentation and then a 25-min-
ute hands-on activity that explored the
relationships between wildfires, ero-
sion and water chemistry.
Colorado Parks & Wildlife officials
showed the impact of beavers on a wa-
ter system and the role of the beaver in
the history of North America.
A colorfully dressed “Water Wizard”
led various classroom teams in compe-
titions in which they could win prizes
by answering water-related questions.
Presenters at the Louden-Henritze
Archeology Museum showed what life
might have been like in Southern Colo-
rado many thousands of years ago when
the area was almost entirely covered by
water.
Two “Mad Scientists of Colorado”
were on hand to use interactive tools
to show the students the water cycle,
statesofmatterandwaterconservation.
Water Festival organizer Tom Perry
said he was very pleased by the kids’ re-
actions to all they had seen and heard.
“We want to thank the community
for the generous sponsors and donors
who have helped us put this on, and
thank our committee and our volun-
teers,” Perry said. “To see the fun, ac-
tive participation of the kids is very
special. We try to make it fun, and we
want it to be interactive, so it’s nice to
see the kids’ hands raised and engaging
the presenters. We hope they got some
real educational value out of all these
presentations, so I hope they learned a
lot.”
The budget for this Water Festival
was $29,000, Perry said, and was funded
by sponsors and donors, who included
the VW Cabot Foundation, the BNSF
Foundation, Trinidad State Junior Col-
lege, Pioneer Natural Resources, XTO
Energy, the Purgatoire River Water
Conservation District, the University
of Colorado, the Spanish Peaks-Purga-
toire River Conservation District, the
City of Trinidad, Century Savings and
Loan, the Kiwanis Club, the Rotary
Club, Wendy’s, Rendi, the Trinidad &
Las Animas County Chamber of Com-
merce and Imprinted Sportswear.
Students learn, have fun at Water Festival
School ceremonies honor top graduates
... Continued from Page 1
... Continued from Page 1
atrics.
Arthur MacWaters took a different
path toward his high school diploma,
and the Trinidadian managed to excel
despite not attending a brick-and-mortar
school. MacWaters earned valedictory
honors for his academic performance
at the online school Colorado Connec-
tions Academy, leading the pack of 105
Academy graduates statewide, with 12 of
the graduates hailing from the Trinidad
area. He travels with his mother as she
participates in Renaissance Festivals all
around the United States, so he said an
online school was the best option for his
situation.
“Connections Academy worked out
very well for me,” MacWaters said. “I
missed out on some of the social aspects
of school, but I feel I got a very good edu-
cation.”
MacWaters logged on to his virtual
school every day and did well enough
to earn a full scholarship to Princeton
University, where he plans to major in
political science, with a minor in engi-
neering.
“I’m majoring in political science be-
cause everyone should be in a position to
help their fellow citizens, which is what
being a good citizen is all about,” he said.
“I’m also going to be studying engineer-
ing so I can learn the technical knowl-
edge that will help me get a job.”
Hoehne High School will graduate 31
seniors this year, with Jordan Coffman
and Isaac Torres bringing home top hon-
ors as the class co-valedictorians, while
Colleen Iuppa earned the salutatorian
honors.
PrimeroHighSchoolhas12graduates
intheClassof2014,withTressaKinnison
earning the top prize as the school’s vale-
dictorian and Roxanne Quezada earning
the salutatorian award. Kinnison said
the faculty at Primero helped her get the
most out of her academic abilities. Both
young ladies will enter the nursing pro-
gram at TSJC next fall.
“The teachers at our school made a
huge impact on my life,” Kinnison said.
“They really pushed me to do my very
best. I think our school is tremendously
wonderful.”
Quezada said she was very excited
when she learned she’d been named
Primero’s salutatorian. She said her
favorite subjects in school were math
and English. After attending TSJC, she
plans to continue her nursing studies at
the University of Colorado at Colorado
Springs.
“I would really like to be an emergen-
cy-room nurse, maybe because of the
adrenaline rush,” Quezada said. “I think
it would be very rewarding to save some-
one’s life right on the spot.”
Aguilar High will have six graduates
in the Class of 2014. Dr. Stacy Houser,
the school’s superintendent, said that no
valedictorian or salutatorian was named
this year, though he said he felt the
school was making very good progress
and had had a successful school year.
Gabrielle Aragon will be the only
graduate at Kim High School this year.
Branson School Online will graduate
30 seniors this year at its commence-
ment ceremonies at Colorado State
University-Pueblo on May 24. Branson’s
brick-and-mortar school has no gradu-
ates this year. Three seniors, Iman Dwe-
by, Lana Falah and Brandeise Martinez,
have been named co-valedictorians for
the online school, while Matthew Pike
has earned salutatorian honors.
GOAL Academy’s Trinidad site will
feature 18 graduates in its Class of 2014.
Students work online at the site with the
assistance of academic coaches, advi-
sors and directors to help them achieve
success. Goal Academy does not award
valedictory or salutatory honors. GOAL
spokesman Ramon Arriega said on Fri-
day that he believed that GOAL had an
excellent educational product that helps
students make real academic progress,
preparing for the challenges they would
face in the future.
Raton, New Mexico High School will
have 80 seniors graduating in its com-
mencement ceremonies on Friday, May
23. School counselor Lynette Simpson
said the valedictorian and salutatorian
would not be known until Wednesday,
when the final cumulative grade-point
averages were finalized. Simpson said
the race for valedictorian was very close
this year and was “within thousandths
of a point.”
Trinidad’s Holy Trinity Academy,
which will hold its commencement cer-
emonies later this summer, did not pro-
vide any graduation information, and
Joshua Riebsomer will be the lone grad-
uate of Grace Christian School this year.
Miners Colfax
Medical Center
Raton, New Mexico
May 13, 2014
Baby Girl Arrazola
Zach and Magen Arrazola
Trinidad, Colo.
May 7, 2014
Baby Girl Fager
Trey Fager
Shandi Glenn
Raton, N.M.
May 5, 2014
Baby Girl Mascarenas
James A. Mascarenas
Tricia Garcia
Raton, N.M.
AreABirths
Steve Block / The Chronicle-News
Ceramic artist Raggio! shows students at the 2014 Water Festival how to use a potter’s
wheel and explains the importance of water in the pottery-making process.
Southeast Colorado’s
future may include
National Heritage Area
By Grady Grissom, Rancher
Fowler, Colo
Special to The Chronicle-News
There has been much discussion
regarding a National Heritage Area
(NHA) in recent months. This letter
adds my thoughts – not so much on the
subject of NHAs, but on the nature of
the discussion and the future of South-
east Colorado (SECO).
Ken Salazar pointed out seven years
ago that the “golden curtain” stretches
eastward from the Front Range north of
Pueblo and south of Colorado Springs.
It separates the northern areas that
have experienced explosive popula-
tion and economic growth from SECO,
which remains the poorest and least de-
veloped sector of Colorado. It also sepa-
rates political power and money (north)
from “untapped resources” (south).
The future prosperity of SECO de-
pends on our ability to keep our land
and water resources. We lost the initial
two battles when water from Crowley
County went north and the Pinon Can-
yon Maneuver Site (PCMS) created a
black hole in the rangelands south of
the Arkansas River. It appears that (for
now) we won the third battle over the
expansion of PCMS with the retraction
of “The Waiver” by the Department of
Defense. The battle to keep our water in
the Arkansas goes on daily.
The citizens of SECO succeeded in
stopping expansion because we spoke
with a single voice, united across ur-
ban, rural, political and social distinc-
tions. My experience as a Pinon Can-
yon Expansion Opposition Coalition
(PCEOC) board member transformed
me from one who only cared about my
own land and business to a person who
takes pride in and cares about our re-
gion. The biological and historical stud-
ies carried out by PCEOC documented
a very unique place where social, eco-
nomic and ecological systems function
sustainably. Private land agriculture is
the key to this unique place. PCEOC’s
biological study documented that mil-
lions of acres of grasslands are man-
aged by private owners in a way that
creates one of the largest intact prairie
ecosystems in the U.S. Cattle produc-
tion on those grasslands is economical-
ly symbiotic with irrigated agriculture
in the lower Arkansas. Small towns on
the Arkansas provide the social ties:
education, commerce, fellowship and
recreation for all.
My description sounds idealistic,
but it is very real. The whole system is
driven by one factor: Private landown-
ers depend on their land for their liveli-
hood. They must operate in a way that
conserves the function of their land.
Those who do not conserve the func-
tion of their land disappear by natural
selection. The ongoing struggle of every
landowner to make a living creates the
sustainable whole.
The battle to stop expansion was po-
litical in mind and body, but the soul of
that struggle was the recognition that
SECO is a unique place, generally poor
in cash flow but rich in land, water and
people. How do we keep our water “in
basin” and “in agriculture”? How do we
keep family ranchers and farmers on
their land so they can continue sustain-
able operation? How do our towns fight
the demographic change toward a drug
and welfare culture? How do we keep
some of our agricultural products lo-
cal so our kids don’t eat frozen crap for
lunch at school?
The answer to all these questions is
economic health and resilience. Only a
vibrant economy can compete with out-
of-basin water purchasers. Our farmers
and ranchers need diverse enterprises
to stay on their land and the freedom
to sell aesthetic and recreation values
through easements. Diverse enterpris-
es may include retailing agriculture
products locally to schools and individ-
uals. Finally, a healthy economy will
draw businesses and hard-working citi-
zens who share our values to our towns.
This is our best insulation against the
drug-welfare culture.
This is my vision for SECO. With
this vision in mind, I attended meet-
ings to apply for and carry out the grant
from the Gates Family Foundation. I at-
tended those meetings as a board mem-
ber of Rocky Mountain Bird Observa-
tory. I also reported back to the PCEOC,
which monitored the grant process. Ev-
ery entity that participated in the meet-
ing embraced the fundamental concept
that we must “preserve local control of
land and water.” That means private
control!
The individuals who participated
concluded that a NHA had potential to
help economic development. A NHA
could provide a greater public knowl-
edge of heritage resources like Bent’s
Fort, Boggsville, the Sand Creek Site,
the Santa Fe Trail, and all public or pri-
vate museums or historical sites. Peo-
ple do not spend their money in hotels,
restaurants and stores until they know
about a destination. A NHA would also
provide private individuals wishing to
diversify into hunting, birding or agri-
tourism with a first-order marketing
vehicle. Finally, a NHA could serve as
an additional layer of protection from
PCMS expansion. The NHA was simply
a way to celebrate a history of private
agricultural production that created
a unique ecological, economic and so-
cial balance. Private landowners have
helped with similar designations in
Colorado including the San Luis Val-
ley. NHAs are designed as a designation
to bring economic development, not as
a tool to control private property. Prop-
erty owners are “opted out” until they
choose to take advantage of the NHA
resources.
Many will disagree with my descrip-
tion of a NHA; that is fine and healthy.
But realize this: Nobody, absolutely
nobody who participated ever envi-
sioned the NHA as a means to weaken
the rights of private property owners. I
welcome the discussion from those who
believe a NHA could have unintended
consequences. However, I deeply resent
statements that the individuals or enti-
ties involved intended to mislead the
people of SECO. There are a small per-
centage of environmental extremists
that would do away with agriculture.
There are also a small percentage of ag-
riculture producers who mistreat land
and animals. Mislabeling good conser-
vation organizations or agricultural
producers that value private property
rights serves no positive purpose. The
conservation organizations active in
the Gates effort are missioned to con-
serve the function of the land. Their
definition of function includes the peo-
ple who own land, spend their lives on
it, and manage it for sustained produc-
tion.
We have an opportunity here. There
is a significant chunk of money on the
table to promote the economic and eco-
logical health of our region. We need to
think about what we are for as well as
what we are against. The door is open
for those who oppose a NHA to propose
better alternatives. In 1983, the Army
conquered by dividing. They sorted
individuals and created factions with
their rhetoric. We cannot afford to di-
vide ourselves and should embrace
new viable opportunities and make de-
cisions based on fact. I look forward to
future, local meetings on the topic and
encourage all of you to attend and offer
your input on our collective vision for
southeast Colorado and tools that will
help us attain that vision.
Op-ed