061815

Ride the Rockies began on Sunday, June 14, sending two thousand bicyclists onto highwayoulders. To remind

drivers how to accommo-date bicyclists, the Tribune sat down with Custer County sheriff, Shannon Byerly.

“People just need to remember that bicyclists have just as much right to the road as vehicles do,”

he said. “So people need to drive with due regard. The last thing we want is a vehicle versus bicycle traffic

accident. Those aren’t usu-ally very pretty.”

Though bicyclists have rights to the road as well, Sheriff Byerly acknowledged that it can be frustrating for drivers to slow down and move over to pass a cyclist.

“The roads aren’t built or designed for bicycle traffic,” Sheriff Byerly said, “and so we have narrow shoulders. Bicycles travel at a much slower speed too, and those are the dynamics to today’s world and the roadways we have. People have to understand that just because they’re frustrated and have to hurry, they have to provide room for bicyclists to ride.”

Sheriff Byerly instructed drivers to slow down for Ride the Rockies partici-pants, or any bicyclist on the road, and give them plenty of room so there aren’t any incidents.

State Patrol will have motorcycle escorts and patrol vehicles following and surrounding the bicyclists on the route to Westcliffe,

the finish line town.“State Patrol will have

very low tolerance for anyone driving unsafely in the close vicinity to the bicyclists,” Sheriff Byerly said, “just as we would.

“Understand this is a big event coming to our com-munity,” he added, “and it is going to bring a lot of out-side folks who have never been in Westcliffe or Custer County before. Hopefully we can be accommodating and welcoming.”

– J.E. Ward

Ride the Rockies, an international cyclist event, is this weekend. The long-awaited ride ends on Saturday, June 20 in Westcliffe. An estimated 2,000 bicyclists are going to enter the county from Canon City via Highways 115 and 67, and coming up Hardscrabble Canyon on Highway 96. As the “finish-line town,” Westcliffe officials welcome Ride the Rockies organizers and participants.

The bicyclists, who traveled to Colo-rado from all 50 states and several foreign countries, started their ride last Sunday, June 14. The 464-mile route is taking the cyclists through some of the state’s most scenic regions, with overnight stops scheduled at Hotchkiss, Gunnison, Crested Butte, Salida and Canon City before concluding the ride in Westcliffe this Saturday.

Community leaders here welcome the contingency of bicyclists and their families and friends.

“I welcome all of you,” said Westcliffe town trustee, Brian Clince. “We are very excited to have you. We are very excited to meet every-body involved in this endeavor, and if there is anything this town can do just holler.”

Main Street will be closed to all vehicle traffic from 3rd Street to Adams Boulevard. The bulk of the bicyclists will arrive between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The finish line is located at the end of Main Street and Adams Boule-vard, where 30 vendors will be set up.

“We have over 2,500 meals planned,” said community meals coordinator, Anne Marie Donohoe. “All of the proceeds are going to nonprofits here in the Valley. Right

now the Amish are growing 50 heads of cab-bage for the coleslaw, and they are making 100 gallons of ice cream.”

To keep track of how many of the cyclists buy meals from the vendors, ticket stubs are being handed out. When a bicyclist gets food, they will stick the stub into a box to be counted later. A drawing will be held before the closing ceremony for a free two-night stay in town.

“We are counting on the community to come down, celebrate and eat with us,” Donohoe said. “Everybody has worked hard for this day.”

As part of the celebration, a check in the amount of $5,000 will be presented to the local Club America swimming pool and fit-ness complex. The Denver Post Foundation, which helps sponsor Ride the Rockies, pres-ents a grant to a non-profit organization in each of the Ride’s host communities.

The day’s schedule is as follows:•10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Entertainment/Beer Garden and Finish Line Expo•10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Deja Blues Band•12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Second Street Dance Team•12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. – Bike give-a-way. Get tickets at the Silver Cliff booth•1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Flash Cadillac concert•3 p.m. – Bike give-a-way #2, check pre-sentation to Club America•3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Closing Ceremony at the Bluff. Remarks from tour director, Chan-dler Smith, and Custer County Chamber of Commerce president, Donna Hood.;

The crowds are invited to stay for a

chance to win a Bianchi bicycle and a set of Profile Design wheels. Participants must be present to win.

“I’m excited for Saturday because the weather looks like it’s going to be good,” said Chamber of Commerce president, Donna Hood, adding that the Chamber’s liquor license goes till 7 p.m. that day, well after the closing ceremony.

“The party’s not over when the ceremo-

ny’s over,” she said. “We just want every-body to come out, be at that finish line, and enjoy the day.”

“I’m very honored that they chose our community to be a host town for Ride the Rockies,” Clince said. “I know that coming to a new town for them must be pretty dif-ficult, so I am overjoyed that they were will-ing to go out on a limb for this little town.”

– J.E. Ward

Thursday, June 18 VOL. 132 No. 6

Mark Dembosky of Westcliffe, right, pedals between Hotchkiss and Gunnison during Tuesday’s segment of the seven-day Ride the Rockies event. Dem-bosky is one of seven members of the Westcliffe riding team.

--Photo courtesy Doris Dembosky

Machines and Their Muscles

Sheriff reminds motorists to be mindful of bicyclists

Welcome Rockies Riders!Westcliffe rolling out the red carpet Saturday for hundreds of pedal pushers

The Arkansas Valley Flywheelers sponsored the annual tractor pull this past on Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14, at the Silver Cliff town park. Scores of spectators showed up for the popular competi-tion. – Trib photo by J.E. Ward

Custer County Sheriff Shannon Byerly.

Thursday, June 18, 20152

An Ensemble of ‘Vette-erans!

If you’ve been sitting in the saddle (bike saddle, that it is!) for seven days over nearly 500 miles, you’ve likely worked up an appe-tite.

Well, you’re in luck! A number of Custer County organizations will be serving up a wide array of snacks and meals at the Ride the Rockies finish line on Saturday. Included among the menu items are several vegetar-ian, vegan, and other specialty dishes.

Here are the organizations and their menu line-up:

–All Aboard Westcliffe: super sweet roasted corn on the cob, $3; deviled eggs, $1; iced tea and lemonade, $1.

–High Country Mennonite Youth: loaded potato bar, $8; chocolate Whoopie pies, $2; fresh squeezed lemonade, $2.

–Sustainable Ways Community Garden: flaky spinach cheese swirls, $1; tabouli on pita, $6; quinoa/mixed green salad, $4 and $6; beverages, $1.

–Hillside Amish: grilled chicken breast sandwich with beans and coleslaw, $10; vegan chili with coleslaw and garlic bread, $10; homemade ice cream, pie ala mode, hot fudge, $4.

–KWMV Radio: Louisiana pastalaya, $8; Louisiana crab and corn bisque, $5.

–Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club: primavera penne pasta, $5; sweet home grown, grass-fed Italian sau-sage penne pasta, $6.

–Club America: popcorn or frozen Greek yogurt, $1 and $2; coconut water, $3.

--Westcliffe Quilters and Fiber Artists: baked goods, $1.

–Wet Mountain Valley Rotary Club: Brats with an altitude with kraut, baked beans and chips, $8.

–Custer County Commu-nity Sharing Center: meat and /or bean fry bread tacos with cookie and Sangre Slurps, $10.

–Westcliffe Amish: fresh fruit cup/fruit and yogurt parfait, $4; herbal lemon-ade, $4; Amish mint iced tea, $4.

–Sangre Mountaineers: Gourmet burgers, $9.

–Community United Methodist Church: home-made cookies, $2.

Food vendorsto serve upplenty of optionsthis Saturday

Corvettes galore filled the school parking lot in Westcliffe last Saturday, as the Valley hosted the Colorado Springs Corvette Club.

– Tribune Photo

Thursday, June 18, 2015 3

Kattnig to conduct town meeting

The Custer County Economic Devel-opment Corporation (CCEDC) has completed its Phase 1 installations, oper-ational tests and activation of the perma-nent Main Street Wi-Fi system ahead of schedule.

Initial installations of the system extend along Main Street from Adams Boulevard easterly to 6th Street.

The system is owned, operated and maintained by the Custer County Eco-nomic Development Corporation, a non-profit corporation.

This could not have been accom-plished without the dedicated efforts of the general contractor, DD Wireless, a local Internet Service Provider and Wright Electric LLC, a long-time local provider of commercial, residential and industrial electrical services.

Thanks are also directed to the gra-cious property owners that provided the equipment mounting locations for the access points along Main Street.

Community financial support has been

generous and substantial toward the match-ing funds requirement of the El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs, which is providing $25,000 for the project.

Additional funds are needed to sup-port the on-going operational expenses and the planned build-out of the system.

As funds are available, the system will extend east along the Main Street through Westcliffe and Silver Cliff. Additional installations are planned for the Rodeo/Fairgrounds to the north and the Westcliffe Memorial Park and athletic field areas in both Silver Cliff and Westcliffe.

This free and open public access system is designed to enhance the expe-rience of tourists, visitors and incidental users while they visit our community. There is no plan to replace or diminish the need for individual and commercial internet service.

For additional information, contact Custer County Economic Development Corporation at email [email protected].

Main Street WiFi systemis now up and running

Branding the HerdWith the help of friends and neighbors, Leonard and Brian Oloman branded and doctored more than 100 head of cattle this past weekend, a seasonal ritual here in the Wet Mountain Valley. – Trib photo by Christon Walker

County Commissioner Bob Kattnig invites the public to a Town Meeting he will be hosting in the Banquet Room at Cliff Lanes from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24.

Kattnig notes in his announcement of the gathering, “An important aspect of effective governance is constituency engagement. An integral part of governmental transparency is public access.” To that end, Kattnig intends to give a brief update on current Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) activities, and then open the floor to the public. “I am interested,” he

writes, “in hearing their issues and concerns.”Public questions and comments will be

limited to three minutes timed on an audience-visible clock. He also requests written ques-tions that may be grouped by topic. Kattnig himself will conduct the meeting “in an infor-mal, polite, respectful manner.” He intends to focus on facts and identified issues, “not on long winded discussions and arguments.”

For an evening of participation in direct cit-izen and elected BOCC member conversation, attend the Town Meeting next Wednesday.

– W.A.Ewing


JuneMaxMin

Rain/Snow

Precip

8th763800

9th814000

10th7453.22.22

11th764300

12th6649TT

13th773900

14th7638.02.02

[A life-long friend of mine celebrated a birthday last week; just before his dinner celebration, I asked him to read a column I said I’d sent to the Tribune to be published, and apologized for not having secured his approval beforehand. What I wrote, and what he read, follows:]

“Most Embarrassing Moment” “Some things you don’t talk about. . .things too sad, too

revealing. . . too embarrassing! Still, I’m going to tell about an embarrassment suffered by John Brandenburg, my good friend (although that might change after he reads this.) Our two families were closely associated, working

together—branding, haying, fencing; playing together—hunt-ing, fishing, taking out-of town trips, family celebrations. I thought of Marie and Walt (his parents) as my “second” parents. John felt the same about my folks. He had a special rapport with my dad (Willard), a gruff, out-spoken man. When Johnny was only 11 years old, he considered himself to be the epitome of young, MANLY manhood. Actually,

he was. He worked like a grown man, had ranching skills that many grown men only wished they had, and accepted responsibilities of a grown man. I was three years younger than John; he often considered

me to be a nuisance. Still, we acted like siblings, sharing adventures as “country kids.” We engaged in some hella-cious fights. But within a day or two, were friends again—all expect this one particular time when John was so angry he totally ignored me for several weeks. I’m sure Walt told his son to be nice to me. His verbiage

probably went something like this: “I know she’s a silly, little girl that gets on your nerves, but she looks up to you, and for the sake of our families’ good relationship, you have to put up with her.” Which was why John was helping me transform a little

storage shed into a little girl’s dream playhouse. My mother said I could use it if I cleaned it out. John helped me remove old boxes, gunny sacks, feed sacks, and assorted debris, before I swept the floor and put down an old piece of carpet. John

even got into the spirit of things and found a work-horse size horseshoe to nail above the door. “Everyone (but you, he implied) knows a house has to

have a horseshoe over the door to bring good luck,” he sagely informed me. I’d found several discarded rolls of old, pink, flowered

wallpaper. I asked John to help me paper the playhouse walls. He agreed—a decision he soon regretted. Willard and Walt suddenly came around the corner to find

us happily tacking up the delicately patterned wallpaper to the rough, board walls. Amused to see 11-year old, tough John “playing” in the playhouse, Willard couldn’t help but razz him. In his brusque manner, he sarcastically exclaimed, “Well! I see you two are about ready to set up housekeeping!” Color drained from John’s face—then returned, crimson

red. The men had caught him in “playhouse” activities—and a suggestion that he was establishing a pretend domestic relationship with me, that bothersome little girl (shudder) was abhorrent. Brutally embarrassed, he ducked his head

and disappeared behind the shed. As far as I know, he never went near the playhouse again.” [At this point I confessed to my “misplaced” sense of

humor. The concluding paragraph read:] “John, this is just a joke. I didn’t send it in to be pub-

lished. I don’t want to embarrass you again by publically telling this story. Your embarrassment then was enough to last a lifetime. Like my dad, I wanted to razz you a bit while saying “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” to one of my most valued old friends.” [Ever the good sports, both John and his wife, Sally,

enjoyed the joke and encouraged me to REALLY submit it to the Tribune—which is what I’ve done. But the story doesn’t end there. Some 50 years later when the old sheds on the ranch, including my playhouse, were being torn down, an individual wanted the horseshoe, still hanging above the door. I took it away from him I objected and ada-mantly declared: “You can’t have that! It’s mine! Johnny Brandenburg gave it to me!”]

A Revisited Moment of Embarrassment

Out of the SaddleHere’s a riddle: what do 2,000 bicycle riders have in common with the Wet Mountain Valley’s cattle ranchers?

Sometimes it feels good just to get out of the saddle.

And we’re so pleased that the Ride the Rockies bicyclists, who on Saturday will complete a nearly 500-mile long bike ride, are finally able to get off their saddles right here in Westcliffe.

This event – the conclusion of the 30th annual Ride the Rockies, sponsored by the Denver Post – is a first for Westcliffe. (Though some riders may remember the Ride the Rockies detour

that brought them through Custer County in 2013, when the devastating Royal Gorge Fire closed Highway 50 in Fremont County.)

Westcliffe has gone all-out for this event. Dozens of volunteers have been working for weeks in preparation for this one-day occasion. Saturday’s celebration will feature live music, a beer tent, a slew of food vendors serving up a wide array of delec-tables, along with our incredible views and well-known West-ern hospitality.

We trust the riders and their friends and family to enjoy the day’s celebration. We doubt if they’ll have enough time to enjoy everything that our fantastic community has to offer, so

we invite them back to enjoy our outstanding restaurants and shops, our enviable arts and cultural scene and more of our stunning scenery and outdoor recreational opportunities.

We’re distributing 1,000 free copies of this week’s Tribune to the bike riders, to give them a taste of this special Colorado mountain community.

We’re glad you’re here, Rockies riders, and we hope to see you again soon!

The Ride the Rockies contingency will be wel-comed into Westcliffe in fine fashion. Zach Taylor and others will be playing their Djembe drums in front of the library.

Hank and Joanne Bruser of Boyce, La., are getting settled-in for the summer at their mountain getaway here. Hank is proud of his brother, Brent, who’s on the Westcliffe Ride the Rockies team.

Barb Sutton and Becky Thompson enjoying lunch earlier this week at Chap-py’s, and Mary Bryant and Judy Keyes obviously having themselves a good time up at Tony’s Pizza.

Don and Linda Kaufman

of Silver Cliff have long had a weekend pied a terre in the Denver area. They’ve traded it in for a new getaway. But there’s nothing to the rumors that they’re moving perma-nently to the Queen City.

Bob Kattnig was mowing his lawn when he went in for a drink. About that time, a huge tree branch came crashing down. Bob lived to tell about it.

K.C. McNew, Pam Walker and Kathy McLaugh-lin among the pleasant call-ers to the Trib office this week.

Howdy to subscribers Hugo and Ann Jaburg of Poway, California, and Alan E. Petsche of Fort Worth, Texas.


There are basically two types of submersible pump motors; 2-wire and 3-wire w/control box. The difference being the location of the starting (winding- /motor) switch. The 2-wire unit has the switch built into the motor (at the bottom of the well). The 3-wire unit uses a relay switch mounted in a control box usually installed in the house by the pressure tank. This control box also houses a start capacitor which gives the motor superior starting torque. Some control boxes also have a run capacitor for a smoother more efficient motor; additionally over load protection may be included. The 3-wire is the pro’s choice; it puts the parts that com-monly fail in a serviceable place but requires

knowledge to service. Many pumps have been replaced when only a control box part was needed ($75 vs. $750 plus labor) Con-trol boxes are a service item and you should consider having it replaced after 12 years of service. They are an inexpensive way of extending the life of your pump. –David J. Nequette Co. State Lic.1043 Send Questions to [email protected]

Nequette Drilling &Dave’s Pump Service719-783-3000

Ask a Pro: 3-Wire Pump Motor Control Boxes

The All New Town of HillsideIs Due to the Work of Many

To all of the wonderful people in the Wet Mountain Valley:

Tara and I want to communicate our extreme gratitude for the outpouring of support and assistance everyone has shown us during our purchase and renovations at Hillside. We dearly love the area, and are excited to partner with everyone in the Valley to bring life and energy into the town, and maintain it as a gathering place for many years to come. A special thanks to Stu & Lori Short of T&S Alpine Building, who are not only loyal valley residents and the contracting genius behind the renovations, but are also incredible human beings working every day to improve the area in small, selfless ways. We want to thank the previous owners of Hill-side for their invaluable knowledge of the town, and willingness to share that knowledge with us, as well as their positive support of Hillside. A huge thank you to Barb and Marilyn for the hard work and diligence they demonstrate every day to keep everything running smoothly.

We look forward to bringing concerts back to the Black Willow grove, and finding other ways to collaborate with the local businesses and residents. We hope that the three newly ren-ovated cottages will bring visitors to our won-derful town, and we continue to source local goods, arts, and crafts for sale in the Hillside store to support local entrepreneurs, and pro-vide our guests with a more memorable stay.

There are so many more people that we need to thank, but their names would fill the entire paper, so please accept our sincerest appreciation, and we ask for your continued support as we move forward. We would love to hear from you, and can be reached at www.townofhillside.com with any ideas or thoughts for how we can continue to make Hillside thrive, or if you would like to see pictures of how the renovated cottages turned out.

Warm regards,Chris & Tara Seegers

Westcliffe and Midland, Texas

This is an invitation to the town hall meeting hosted by Bob Kattnig. Bob wants to hear from citizens as he works to improve Board of County Commissioner operations. This is not a political event, it is about repre-senting all citizens. Please spread the word.

Do you want to know what’s happening with County Government straight from the horse’s mouth?

Come to the Town Meeting being held by Commissioner Bob Kattnig.

The meeting will be held in the Banquet Room, Cliff Lanes from 7 to 9 pm, June 24.

Commissioner Kattnig says:An important aspect of effective gover-

nance is constituency engagement. An inte-gral part of governmental transparency is

public access.I plan on a brief update of BOCC activi-

ties, then open the floor to the public. I am interested in hearing their issues and con-cerns.

I plan on limiting the questions/com-ments to 3 minutes timed on an audience visible clock. I will also request written questions that may be grouped by topic.

I intend to focus on fact/issue identifica-tion and response not on long winded dis-cussions and arguments.

The meeting will be conducted by me in an informal, polite, respectful manner.

Joe ArbuckleRural Westcliffe

Public Should Attend Meeting

In March of this year, Silver Cliff and Westcliffe were designated as Colorado’s first International Dark Sky Community, becoming the ninth community in the world to receive the designation by the Interna-tional Dark Sky Association (IDA). The towns are also the highest altitude commu-nities admitted to date to the international listing.

Efforts which earned the community this award can be traced to local residents who formed the Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley 501 (c)3 nonprofit in 2004. This local organization successfully worked to shield the lights in the area, and to educate the public about the importance of preserving pristine night skies.

Dark Skies’ main goal is in spreading information and getting support of com-munities in reducing light pollution and supporting ordinances which push for light management. The organization has raised thousands of dollars to replace outdoor light-ing with more appropriate shielded covers. These covers can be seen across the county and include the courthouse, the schools, and other public and private properties.

The Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley organization host star viewing par-ties at the Bluff where an observatory is now being built. A party will be held to view the close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter on Tuesday, June 30, or Wednesday July 1 depending on cloud cover. And in the autumn, moon viewing events will be held at the Bluff on October 1.

The coordinator of the Colorado chapter of the IDA, Dr. Bob Stencel, has applauded the community’s involvement and enthusi-asm regarding the preservation of the night sky splendor in the Valley. He has said that our community can act as a guideline to encourage similar proceedings in other com-munities around the state.

The Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley is always accepting donations to fur-ther the development of dark sky friendly lighting in our area as well as spreading awareness of the impact a beautiful night sky can have positively on a community. Please visit their website at www.wetmtndarkskies.org or call the president, Jim Bradburn at (719) 947-5052 for more information.

Our Dark Sky Community:Party with Venus and Jupiter on June 30

As noted last week in the Tribune, the Custer County School District Board of Education is continuing the pursuit of can-didates for interim superintendent and for math/science instruction.

Regarding the latter position, Barbara Jones, high school principal, reports there is not yet any news of success or not, as appli-cants are being interviewed today. Should there be a qualified candidate or more remaining after today’s review, the Tribune will report that next week.

Yesterday, the board in special meeting

publically interviewed candidates for the interim superintendent position. An interim is being sought for the 2015-2016 school year in the absence of a qualified candidate for the superintendency vacated by Chris Selle’s resignation earlier this year. The board hopes to use the year so served by an interim person to expand the search for an appropriate candidate.

The results of yesterday’s special meet-ing will also be reported in the Tribune next week.

– W.A.Ewing

C-1 school board continuesquest for new superintendent


The constellation Draco the Dragon is one that gets little attention, yet contains numerous interesting double stars, one of which may be split using binoculars. The

Alpha star, Thuban was once the Pole Star some 4,800 years ago during the “Old Kingdom” of ancient Egypt. According to a recent calculation, Thuban was nearest to the true pole about 2830 B.C.

Stars change posi-tion in the heavens due to the “wobble” of the earth’s axis, how-ever very slowly over eons of time. This date coincides closely with the building of the great pyramid of Khufu at Giza, the most gigantic, puzzling and mathematically perfect structure of the ancient world. It is undoubtedly true that the wonderfully accurate orientation of the pyramid was achieved by observation of the stars. The descending passage of the pyramid was constructed to point directly at Thuban as the star passed below the true pole. Charles Barns, author of 1001

Celestial Wonders (1929) described his sensations during a visit at Khufu’s gigantic tomb: “I crept down into the sepulchral chambers deep in the solid masonry of the most ancient of tomb observatories, and gazing obliquely up through the murky rift, beheld a rectangular patch of blue Egyp-tian sky where Thuban once reigned in the

solemn grandeur – a thrilling moment.”The four stars in the Dragon’s head

form an asterism called, “the Lozenge”. They are not far from the bright star Vega

and close to the foot of Hercules.

Binoculars resolve the

double star Nu and Struvel 35

(magnitudes 4.9). They are the faintest

of the four stars that form the quadrangle. Each of these four stars has a luminosity of about eleven of our suns. A small telescope and star chart will help locate the other double stars.

More details about Thuban atearthsky.org/brightest-stars/thuban-past-

north-star

An Ancient North Star

(Information was gleaned from copies of the Wet Mountain Tribune, all from the third week in June.)

100 Years Ago – 1915A car of ore was loaded this week from the

Harriet shaft on the Pocatello Mine for ship-ment to the smelter. This ore has been taken out in sinking the shaft. When the property is opened up with greater depth and drifting it will no doubt become a regular shipper.With a view of breeding up their herds, W.F.

Vahldick and H.F. Knuth last week received from Nebraska a fine thoroughbred Hereford bull each. The animals are just over a year old.The roundup of the Querno Verde Stock

Association began last Monday. Wallace Manning, our harness maker, is

spending about three weeks in Gardner, where he has a lot of work for the J.M. Meyer Land and Cattle Co.The delivery team of the Westcliffe Hard-

ware Co. ran away on Tuesday starting at the depot and continuing down the main street but the situation was quickly controlled.Wilbur Eddy was sick two days this week

and he says as none of his lady friends called upon him to cheer him up he got better just as quick as he could and it’s back to the life of a bachelor now.Mrs. F.W. Stewart and the children will

leave on today’s train for Chicago on a visit

to relatives.Charley Menzel is now driving one of those

fine Case cars, purchased from the local agents, the Mercier Bros.Acting Forest Supervisor A.G. Hamel left

Monday for La Veta on forest business. Al is doing about three men’s work now but doesn’t seem to mind much.

50 Years Ago -- 1965Miss Christina Hanssen will reign as queen

over the Westcliffe Stampede here June 19 and 20. On the opening day, Chris will celebrate her 17th birthday anniversary. Chris was selected queen of the Stampede in competition held at the fairgrounds here last Sunday. Miss Hanssen’s attendants are Laurel Littrell and Leslie Engelman. Stan-ley Coleman, president of the Saddle Club, said events will start off with a parade down Main Street in Westcliffe on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m. Rodeo action will follow both days. Don Moss, president of the Custer County

Chamber of Commerce, is seeking volunteer help to erect an 8x16 sign on Saturday on Highway 85-87 at the interchange just north of Walsenburg. The attractive sign, painted by Clarence Dolan, will direct westbound traffic through Custer County over Highway 69.Southern Colorado State College in Pueblo

will confer four-year degrees on graduating

seniors for the first time during commence-ment exercises tomorrow. Wilbur Ronald Vickerman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Vickerman of Westcliffe, will receive a Bachelor of Science degree.

25 Years Ago – 1990A four-year-old Westcliffe boy suffered a

broken leg and other injuries during Sunday’s Wet Mountain Llama Challenge on Main Street. The youth was starting the two-block race for children six and under when his llama bolted. The boy had has arm wrapped in the lead rope and was dragged a short distance before onlookers stopped the llama. The boy injured his leg after it struck a parked car.Last week, the C-1 board of education

decided to retain the four-day school week rather than revert back to the five-day week. School principal Lee Graham said the school has successfully educated students on a four-day week basis for the past decade and that played a significant part in the decision to continue the system unchanged.The Bureau of Land Management said the

200 acre forest fire which began near Pov-erty Mountain in the Copper Gulch area on Tuesday has been contained.Among those enjoying the yodeling and

carryings-on at last week’s performance of cowboy poet Gary McMahan was Jadwiga Boczar of Iwonicz, Poland. She was in town with her cousin, Eva and William Richard-son of Warrenton, Va. William, a graduate with the CCHS Class of ’37, was here for the annual alumni banquet.

10 Years Ago – 2005Valley resident Gary Frickell has been sport-

ing around town and throughout the Valley on his bicycle in recent months, in prepara-tion for the annual Bicycle Tour of Colorado which gets underway on June 25 in Snow-mass. Frickell will be one of some 1,600 bike riders from around the world who will take part in the seven-day tour that will include rides over Independence Pass to Leadville, Salida, Monarch Pass, Crested Butte and McClure Pass to Glenwood Springs.Colorado’s Speaker of the House, Demo-

crat Andrew Romanoff, and our District 60 state Representative, Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs, will hold a town hall meeting here on Sunday at Cliff Lanes.Westcliffe town trustees have agreed to

commit $15,000 for the development of a new community multi-purpose field on Hermit Lane, just south of the current town park and near the pavilion. The El Pomar Foundation and Great Outdoors Colorado will fund the largest share of the $150,000 project.Former Valley residents Fedor and Alice

Chuberko of Keaau, Hawaii are here for sev-eral days, visiting with old friends.

5 Years Ago – 2010An Air National Guard helicopter from

Buckley Air Force Base near Denver crashed Tuesday night during a mission to recover the body of a hiker who died after falling near Little Bear Peak located southwest of Mount Blanca in the Sangre de Cristos. Custer Search and Rescue captain Bob Prui-ksma said the copter crashed near the site at an elevation of about 13,000 feet; there were no injuries. The victim of the fall was an 18-year-old Highlands Ranch man.The artist Christo will be hosting a series of

public meetings in the area next week. His visit coincides with the release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement for his proposed Over the River project, in which he plans to temporarily install a series of fabric panels over the Arkansas River between Salida and Parkdale.Funeral services are being held this morning

for Valley native Edith Margaret (Beck) Vick-erman, who died June 9 at the age of 90. Mrs. Vickerman was a member of one of the Valley’s oldest and most prominent ranching families.

1 Year Ago – 2014County treasurer Virginia Trujillo said the

county has received $396,380 from the U.S. Department of Interior as part of the PILT – Pay-ment in Lieu of Taxes – program, which pays counties which have substantial federal lands. Of Custer County’s 473,000 total acres, more than 173,000 acres consist of federal lands. This season’s Shakespeare in the Park series

opens tonight at the Feed Store Amphitheater with a performance of Comedy of Errors. It will rotate over the next two weeks with Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid.Brad Bradberry of rural Westcliffe was

sworn-in last Tuesday as Commander of local American Legion Post 170. Other offi-cers who will serve for the ensuing year are Kim Bidwall, Steve Case, Ken Buck and Anna Orgeron.

This week, the Tribune received commu-nication from Clint Smith, attorney for the Board of County Commissioners. He felt the last story of the Hamilton lawsuit cited “misleading and/or incorrect information.” Smith did not address the key issue of the story, which was the lack of BOCC over-sight of the Boulder law firm handling the case. However, he later made a statement about how the BOCC will handle a likely appeal.

In an email to Jim Little, owner/publisher of the Tribune, Smith stated that the county is not continuing the lawsuit. Instead, he wrote, “when a civil lawsuit is resolved, the prevailing party (the county, in this case) is

entitled to recover its out-of-pocket expenses from the losing party. This is routine for all civil litigation. The county…filed a simple Motion for Award of Costs which was accompanied by a Bill of Costs, an itemized statement showing the amounts that were expended by the county in defending against the lawsuit. The sum asked for in the motion is $3,386.92, which is a total of the amounts spent for filing fees, deposition fees, copying charges, online legal research, and travel.”

Smith acknowledges the plaintiff, Dr. Robert Hamilton, filed a motion claiming, since the case is in appeal, the county’s motion was premature. Smith stated, “the plaintiff has not challenged the reasonable-

ness or the correctness of the amount being sought; the sole argument by the plaintiff is that a ruling on the county’s motion should be delayed pending resolution of the appeal. Therefore, the county is entitled to recover $3,386.92 from Las Mojadas/Dr. Hamil-ton unless the summary judgment ruling is reversed on appeal.”

Smith also maintained that the Bill of Costs, though 120 pages, mostly includes copies of invoices and statements.

Smith further pointed out, “there is no continuing dispute; even the dollar amount requested by the county for its costs is not in dispute. Recovering costs is a ‘mopping up’ procedure that occurs when just about every lawsuit comes to an end.”

Smith also challenged the costs reported by the Tribune story. He wrote, “the $8,838.90 paid by the county for legal fees does not include one penny for fees incurred after the March 18 ruling granting the sum-mary judgment. An invoice in the amount of $8838.90 dated April 1…and was paid by the county the last business day in April.”

The Tribune, in the original story, did note that as of end of April, the county has expended $98,000 to defend its actions, which includes the addition of the $8,839 in costs.

The story also raised the issue of the BOCC’s lack of oversight of its Boulder attorneys. At the May 29 regular BOCC meeting, Commissioner Shy indicated the county did not directly manage the lawsuit. Instead, he said the Boulder law firm was told to “act in the county’s best interest.” At that meeting, county attorney Clint Smith admit-ted he did not know the most recent motions had been filed or what they contained.

In light of the recent communication with

the Trib, the newspaper reached out to him to clarify the role the BOCC has in overseeing its attorneys. Smith, in an email, responded, “I can’t address oversight in the past because I have never been involved in the case and I have never talked to the attorney, Mr Marks. Future oversight will depend on whether or not Dr. Hamilton chooses to go forward with an appeal. If he doesn’t, then the case is over for the county. If he does, then the county will have no choice but to defend against the appeal. It is up to Dr. Hamilton at this point whether the county will have to expend more money on this case. If the appeal goes for-ward, there will be appropriate oversight.”

Jim Cage, attorney for Dr. Robert Ham-ilton, feels an appeal is necessary. He noted Groome’s summary ruling not only failed to address the complexity of the case, carries a statewide impact. “It is now a matter of law, and this law allows the county to give away property it doesn’t own to someone else,” Cage said. “Any county, following this pre-cedence, can take away property without providing just compensation to the original owner. And Hamilton owns the land under and around the road…there is no dispute about that.”

“The deck was stacked against us in this first case,” Cage added. “Everyone in the lawsuit is a county employee, except for Hamilton.”

The Tribune will continue to cover the story since Cage stated that an appeal is in the works. It will also continue to report on the county’s cost of defending a quit-claim deed of property it gave to county employee Michael Halpin, which Hamilton claims gave away nearly five acres of his land.

– Cyn Williams


The New York-based financial tech-nology company SmartAsset issued a report last week saying Custer County now ranks seventh among Colorado’s 64 counties receiving the greatest amount of investment in their local economies.

The results, the report says, “uncovers the places poised to grow.”

Steve Sabato of SmartAssets told the Tribune that “Custer County ranked among the top places in Colorado due to a high showing in each of the factors considered by the company, including business establishment growth, Gross Domestic Product growth, new build-

ing permits, and municipal bond invest-ment.”

While Custer County showed zero growth in business growth, it fared better than three other counties in the top ten which showed negative business growth.

It ranked relatively highly in new building permits and also in municipal bonds, particularly considering the coun-ty’s year-round population of approxi-mately 4,200.

The accompanying chart shows Custer County’s rankings compared to the other top-ten counties in Colorado.

N.Y. firm: Custer Countypoised for strong growth

The Custer County Democratic Party will be hosting a Friendship Dinner and Fund-raiser on Monday June 29, from 6-10 p.m.

The dinner will be held at Sangrita, located at 212 Main St. in downtown Westcliffe. Special guests for the event will include speakers from the Colorado Demo-cratic Party Rick Palacio, chairman and Anne Wilseck, executive director.

The event is meant to bring together local like-minded people from across the

area to socialize over dinner. The dinner is $50 per person and there will be a cash bar. Half of the funds raised will go to the Custer County Democratic Party Central Commit-tee. Entrees include a choice of prime rib, ribeye and shrimp, rainbow trout, chicken caprese, stuffed vegetarian bell pepper, or a shrimp, penne and vegetable toss.

For more information about the event please contact the Custer County Democrats at 783-4345 or email at [email protected].

Those friendly Democratsplan June 29 fundraiser

County attorney challenges Trib’s coverage of lawsuit

St. Andrew’s Golf Course kicked off the summer with the sixth annual Custer County Cares about Cancer fundraiser on June 6. Accord-ing to the organization’s founder Julie Olomon, “After initial costs, our group raised over $2,000.” Custer County Cares about Cancer will be hosting a fundraising walk on September 7, and the golf course also has more events coming up over the next few months.

On July 25, the golf course will host the annual Pigskin Golf Tournament that raises money for the Custer County High School football program. August 15 will be the Rotary Golf Tournament. The Lutheran Camp will then have a mini-tournament on September 5.

On all other days, it costs $10 to walk nine holes, $15 for an unlimited walk, $18 to use a cart for nine holes, and $20 for unlimited day with a cart.

Leagues have begun but

are still allowing more par-ticipation. The youth pro-gram with lessons is available every Friday morning at nine until school starts. During lessons, a walk is only five dollars. Women’s league is every Thursday morning, while men’s senior league is on Tuesday mornings. The business league meets on Wednesday nights. St. Andrew’s hopes to have glow golf once a month as well and a men’s golf league available

on Sunday afternoons.The course’s snack bar,

located in the course’s club-house, has now been turned into a restaurant bar and grill, serving burgers, daily specials, salads, and sand-wiches, along with a full bar. Clubhouse manager Stepha-nie Mullett shared, “The golf course has really expanded. Now, we have a full menu and more home-cooked food.”

The golf course rents out their pavilion and will be hosting bridal show-ers, family reunions, anni-versary parties, and more celebrations. With a cash bar, the pavilion costs $150 per day to rent. The course also can cater and hopes to provide a concert in the pavilion during Fourth of July weekend. St. Andrew’s Golf Course is located on 800 Copper Gulch Road. For more information on golf course events or gen-eral course information, call 719/ 783-9410.

--Sarah Tillotson


Roger Squire of Silver Cliff during the “Custer Cares” fundraiser at St.Andrews golf course.

Summertime in the Wet Mountain Valley is always a time of joyous celebration and family events to fill these beautiful summer days. This summer is no different as the region will be host to many of the events which mark summers in the Rockies.

A whole host of events will be held for this year’s Fourth of July celebration includ-ing a flea market on July 3 and 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Rosita Avenue, the annual parade at 10 a.m. on July 4, and the famous fireworks show at Lake Deweese which starts around dusk. The annual car show will also fill the streets of Westcliffe with classic automobiles and music. Many of the attend-ees are also deciding to celebrate America’s birthday with fishing, hiking, camping, and picnicking at Lake Deweese before the fire-works take off.

The 13th annual High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival is also sure to bring in many locals and tourists alike. The four day festival will take place July 9-12 and will include nationally renowned bluegrass art-ists who come out to support local nonprofit organizations. Last year’s event brought in around 4,000 attendees and $50,000 dollars for the area nonprofits, including the Custer County Medical Center. Camping is avail-able on site for $10 per space.

Another local favorite event this summer will be the 69th Annual Westcliffe Stam-pede Rodeo, sponsored by the Wet Moun-tain Valley Saddle Club. The event, which celebrates the area’s rich ranching and west-ern heritage, will take place Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19. There will be a parade, dance, and many different traditional rodeo competitions including bareback riding, team roping, and of course barrel racing and bull riding. The rodeo action will be held alongside craft dealers, food, and beer vendors at the rodeo and fairgrounds just north of Westcliffe off of Highway 69.

The Rodeo runs right alongside the annual Custer County Fair which will run from July 13 to July 19. The fair showcases the talents of local 4-H and FFA members through animal demonstrations, youth exhibits, and more.

The ever popular livestock sale will take place on the last day of the fair. All are wel-come to attend and admission is free.

Westcliffe’s Jones Theater is also cel-ebrating the summer months with a series of shows and events to entertain the masses. The line-up includes many popular events held in the theater and at the Feed Store Amphitheater next door. “Into the Woods,” a musical spin on the Grimm fairy tales will be performed Friday and Saturday, July 17, 18, 24, and 25 at 6:30 p.m., and on Sunday July 19 and 26 at 2 p.m. “Hooray for Holly-wood!,” the annual showing of movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age, will be held at the Jones Theater and include food, drink, and prizes.

The summer youth show will be “Lady Pirates of the Caribbean,” a comedy musical on August 13, 14, and 15 on 7 p.m. and on August 16 at 2 p.m. And the season finale will be the award winning one-man show, “Wyatt Earp: A Life on the Frontier,” per-formed by the great grandnephew of Wyatt Earp himself. This show will be on August 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.

For all the music lovers in the valley, Garett Carlson of the Feed Store Amphithe-ater is happily hosting the “Summer in the Park” Concert Series for the sixth year this summer and has already had a successful start to the season.

Beginning again August 2 -- after Shake-speare in the Park, the High Mountain Hay Fever, and the Jones Theater presentation of “Into the Woods” -- the Amphitheater at the Feed Store, located at 116 N. Second St. in downtown Westcliffe will host a dif-ferent musical guest every Sunday afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. The concert series, which is free to the public, brings in a mix of genres including folk, Americana, country, and jazz.

With so many events in the Valley it is hard to not have something to do. The tra-ditions of western heritage and music and summer theater make Westcliffe your one-stop-shop for summer events!

– Spencer Little

Mark your calendars! There’stons of summer fun on tap

Plans are now in full swing for the sixth annual Custer County Cares About Cancer Walk/run/bike ride that will be held like always on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

The walk will start at 9 a.m. sharp at the Sliver Cliff Park. Please arrive earlier in order to register.

If you are riding a horse the registra-

tion will be at The Cowboy Church north of Westcliffe starting at 8 a.m. That ride will start at 9 a.m. and will held around the Mining claims.

If each Custer County resident donated just $5, more than $20,000 would be raised. The funds are distributed to local individuals and families afflicted with cancer.

St. Andrews kicks off busy season

Annual cancer fundraiser is told

Buried in the one billion dollar com-merce surrounding Father’s Day is the simple fact of children’s admiration of their fathers. Not sentimental admiration, which was the fear of those who resisted naming the holiday for decades after Mother’s Day was officially declared in 1914, but actual reflection on what inspires the more than 70 million fathers in America.

Opponents of observing a Father’s Day when first suggested in the early 20th cen-tury were concerned that some aspects of manliness might be compromised, while other commercial interests simply noted that such a holiday wouldn’t result in the same flower sales associated with Mother’s Day.

Be that as it may, the roiling national con-versation was resolved by President Richard Nixon. In the midst of the hard fought re-election campaign of 1972 Nixon signed a proclamation making the third Sunday in June a national Father’s Day holiday. Since then the inevitable commercial growth con-nected to gift-giving has been on a roll.

Here in the Valley, whether gifts are attached to the day for Dad or not, there are plenty of kids who are happy to comment on the meaningfulness of their fathers in their formative years.

Two of the Smith sisters, Aerial, age 13, and Skylar, age 12, said very similar things about their dad. They both, for instance, explained how their dad, Johnny Smith, who is a doctor and pilot, taught them how to ride motorcycles and drive a car. “He always pushes us to try new things,” said Aerial. “I don’t always like it, but I learn new things, so it helps me a lot.”

Aerial described her dad as “awesome,” adding, “He always finds time to be with us

and hang out with us.” Skylar likes to go horseback riding with

her father, as well as hiking. “He’s not afraid to do anything,” she said. As for what she admires about him, she noted, “He can do a lot of things, will try anything and will not give up.”

Both girls ride motorcycles with their dad on their parent’s property in Bull Domingo. Skylar also mentions how her father teaches her to drive on the area’s dirt roads. “He says I can learn to drive better if I start now and not wait until I am 16,” she said.

Aerial also likes driving with her dad, saying how he takes her out on their prop-erty to give her lessons.

Another girl who talks lovingly about her father is Elizabeth Baker, 16 year old. Her dad, William David Baker, stood nearby while Elizabeth explained lessons she has learned from him. “He shows me how to push through life, to take control of it with an iron fist,” she said. “He grew up with a father who was away a lot and a stepmom who didn’t care much, so he took care of himself,” she explained.

She spends time with her dad playing the guitar, playing pool and swimming. “Our favorite song to play is LaBamba,” she stated. She described her dad as an open book. “Spend two weeks with him and you’ll know all about him,” she added.

As for what she appreciates about her father, Elizabeth spoke clearly and directly. “He works all the time to make things easier for us. He provides us with food, shelter, clothing and games.”

As her dad stands next to her, they exchange glances and Elizabeth often smiles at him.

During one such look she said, “he loves and protects us and keeps us safe,” referring to herself and her little brother, who is 13.

As for Hunter Williams, 7, he just simply loves his dad. When asked what he loves most about him, he said, “Everything.”

His father has taught him how to shoe horses, and purchased 20 to 30 sheep for him so he can start his own sheep ranch. His favorite is “Little Bitty Black Lamb.”

His favorite memory of his father is when he gave him Blue Duck, who was a blue roan quarter horse that recently died.

From his step dad, K.C. McNew, Hunter has learned how not to “mess with cows” after watching him almost get run over by one as he was trying to tag a calf.

Ian Swanson, 16, said that that his father, Matt, has taught him how to respect others.

“I admire his understanding of people,” he explained. “He has patience for everyone. That is something I want to carry on.”

As the only son of five children, Ian gets to spend a lot of time with his dad. One of the things that he enjoys most is working on machinery with him, and learning diesel mechanics.

“I love my dad,” he said. “He has raised me in the church and I hope to continue teach-ing others about God just like he does.”

– Cyn Williams, J.E. Ward, and Wayne Ewing


Ian Swanson, Elizabeth Baker, Aerial and Skylar Smith and in front, Hunter Williams

My mother was Alice Proc-tor. She lived, with my father Charles Proctor, outside Westcliffe, for almost 40 years, until her death in 2012. I moved here last February. I have thought a lot about my

mother, her life in Westcliffe, the ways that her life reflected her values. In the last bit of her life, two things broke my mother’s heart. One was that the United States Government condoned torture. The other was the bitter conflict between West-cliffe’s citizens. We would talk about things, like the Clinic, and she would grow sad.My mother didn’t talk about herself much; she didn’t see why people would be interested in her unless her experience related to them in some way. She was a serious artist, an edu-cated person, and anthropologist. She met my father on an archeological dig. (Mom was one of two women on the dig, and that of all of the smart, strong, handsome men avail-able, she chose him.) She was active with the Civil Rights Movement, and a founding member of the San Isabel Land Trust. Being invited to join the Cattlewoman’s Association meant much to her since it showed she was accepted as part of the community.I puzzle over what made my mother an effective worker and organizer. It wasn’t her education as much as it was her character. She never pretended to be someone she wasn’t. She never gave anyone the impression that she would join their church or vote Republican (although she did vote for Randy Rusk, and was proud to do so). If you asked Mom’s opinion, you might get an earful, but it would be wrapped with some humility and respect. One thing though: My mother did pretend to be brave when she was not. She was so, so shy, so socially ill at ease and fidget-y. She had to overcome every instinct to be active in the community. She dreaded dressing up, to the point of tears. I watched her steeling herself to walk through doorways, and then extend herself to whoever was there. I’ve watched her reaching out, so awkward and self-effacing, to include someone, to ask their story, to make contact. So Mom knew shy and insecure when she saw it. She cut people a lot of slack. She under-stood why some of us need to strut and posture and make a big deal about our opinions. She saw it for what it was: vulnerability, humanness. She was polite about it, but never taken in. She loved working with people who could skip the bombast, identify a problem and get to work with minimum fuss. Part of Mom’s sadness about Westcliffe’s conflicts was the listening had stopped. She wanted to understand people’s thoughts and motivations but couldn’t decipher the slogans, the sound bytes. She withdrew a bit, when at least some voices seemed to intend not con-versation, but only winning and losing. Mom didn’t have the answers and neither do I. Once, when I was thinking of ending a friendship, she told me: “ Just wait a little. Time passes, things change – what seems important now may not always seem that way.” I took the advice and am taking it now. I wish many things for Westcliffe, including decent work for its young people, and I am taking the long view. I will do what I can with what I have. I will tread lightly and show respect. My address is now on Rd 191: I have a plot in the Ula cemetery; my daughter talks about retiring here someday. The long view. In closing, I would like to say that, although my mother disapproved of mushy stuff, she loved Westcliffe and loved all of you so much. Shannon Proctor

For Father’s Day:Love, admiration and awesomeness are how local kids describe their dads


Couple host gala for Goodnight Barn restoration project

Ride the Rockies cyclers will spot this hay-bale bicycle as they pedal along Highway 96 through Silver Cliff Ranch. From left are Silver Cliff officials Roger Camper and Gene Cravens; and big-bike mavens Cynthia Williams and Kathy Taylor. Horses will enjoy the edible remnants of the bike after Saturday. --Photo courtesy of Gary Taylor

Community cooperation has been ramped into gear to devise a greeting for the Ride of the Rockies participants, all 2,000 of them, as they pedal into town. Residents in Silver Cliff Ranch have erected a big, pepper-red bicycle that appears just south of Highway 96 about seven miles from Westcliffe.

The bike sculpture is the inception of Kathy Taylor, who lives in what her neigh-bors fondly dubbed the “Taco Bell house” in Silver Cliff Ranch. She organized a group to build and place the large bike, which is mounted on 1,000 pound round hay bales.

The project involved procuring giant hay rolls, building a five-foot bike and tacking the bike to bales. Taylor found hay rounds to purchase and Steven Bribach (of Rosita Hills) and Dan Green constructed and assembled the bike, made of PCP pipe. Carol Bribach (also of Rosita Hills) and Cynthia Williams painted the bicycle, which involved two trips to Valley Ace for spray paint. Roger Camper and Gene Cravens, who both work for the town of Silver Cliff, hauled and helped place the bales of hay.

To position the hay, Williams and Taylor

braved the rattlesnakes, hiking into the pas-ture to figure out where to exactly place them. The bales, though heavy and huge, easily went in, with Camper, Cravens and Gary Taylor rolling them off the trailer and wrestling them in place.

The bike sits on the northeast corner of Williams’ horse pasture. The horses are temporary lodged elsewhere so they won’t munch on the bike’s grassy wheels. Deer have been spotted nibbling on the bales, though they soon drift off to greener fields.

Colorful flags have been positioned around the bike to further accentuate the “welcome to town” greeting to Ride the Rockies cyclists.

To get the best view of the bicycle sculpture, drive east of town to Bunker Hill Road, which appears on the right before the deep curve. Turn around there and drive back into town. Look for the great, red bike on the left with the brightly fluttering flags surrounding it.

The bike sculpture will remain in place for a week.

– Cyn Williams

Dr. Robert and Joan Hamilton of Wet-more opened their ranch to a special dinner for nine lucky guests this past Saturday, June 13, to help raise funds and awareness for the historic Charles Goodnight barn along High-way 96 west of Pueblo.

The Hamiltons have 4,000 acres in the Wet Mountains just outside of Wetmore. Their first ranch was Babcock’s Hole, where Texas rancher Charles Goodnight had a line camp and ran his cattle. It was also a favorite spot for wintering his cattle because of the

prevalence of water. Later, the Hamiltons acquired the nearby Farley Ranch and the Trinity Ranch. They are preservationists who have saved many of the 1850s log homes on their ranches and have found numerous boulders with etchings on them by the cow-boys that were on the ranch.

The group attending Saturday’s gala took a tour of the grounds, including the pavilion and log house barn, and heard Hamilton’s magnificent history of Charles Goodnight.

The chefs, committee members Cindy

Robinson and Linda Crawford, did the fixins’ including the before-dinner cocktails which included sangria wine and the Colo-nel’s Cocktail made with Charles Goodnight Bourbon infused with jalapeno syrup and lemon.

Dinner was served in the yard and guests were seated on old theatre chairs from the town of Victor. Joan Hamilton’s brisket and Robinson’s ranch beans, garlic mashed pota-toes, slaw, pickled jalapenos, cornmeal muf-fins, bourbon bread pudding (Charlie’s of

course!) with ice cream and fresh fruit were offered at the buffet.

The guests ended their evening sitting around the firepit enjoying dessert and the scenery, which included views of Pikes Peak. On the way out of the ranch, guests visited with some bison that were hanging around the ranch road.

Keep watching the facebook page and the upcoming website www.goodnightbarn-pueblo.org for info on the barn dance being planned at the ranch next June!

What the hay? Big bale bike to greet Rockies Riders along Hwy. 96


Churches plan summer Bible schools; one group bound for N.M.Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) have a rather venerable his-

tory, and the Valley has long been host to this traditional form of religious education for kids while school is out. Started in New York City in the 1890s as a church outreach to poor children—the first large scale Bible School was held in a beer hall—the idea caught on nationally; by the 1920s full blown curricula were available at multiple grade levels, and most denominations were soon publishing kids material for these no cost events.

Locally, the VBS heritage is continued by two Baptist congregations. The Wetmore Baptist Church begins its study series for kids age 4 into the teens on Monday, June 22; the program, “Awesome God” meets daily through Friday, June 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. In addition to the bible cur-riculum, snacks will be provided, and games, some of them competitive, will be played. More detailed information is available through the church office, 719-784-4197.

The First Baptist Church of Westcliffe also convenes its VBS on Monday, June 22, 9 a.m. until noon, and continues the school through Thursday, June 25.

Themed “Kingdom Kids: Learning to Know, Love and Serve Jesus,” the school is open to kids age 4 through the 6th grade. It will conclude with a Family Night featuring slides and selfies. The church office at 783-2498 can provide more information.

On a variation of the VBS theme, the Sangre de Cristo Fellow-ship Church for the fourth year takes its school on the road. Begun as a joint venture with Valley Bible Fellowship, John and Michelle Tillotson now provide leadership for the outreach program.

A team of 15-16 adults and teens will leave from the Sangre de Cristo Fellowship Church after services on Sunday, July 26. Their destination is the Rock Springs Holi-ness Mission in Torreon, New Mexico, just southeast of Cuba, N.M. There the team will clean up the facilities and

open the doors to their VBS program, “JESUS: The Real Super Hero” for about 50 kids, mostly Navajo children, on July 28 through 30. Donations can be made to the program through the Sangre de Cristo Fellowship Church (120 Jerry Drive, Westcliffe), but the check should be made out to Rock Spring Holiness Mission.

If other faith communities have special programs lined up for kids this summer, be sure to let us know at the Tri-bune, 783-2361.

– W.A.Ewing

Kids can now ride Go Karts at the Cowboy Church, giving locals and visi-tors more to do this summer. Pastor Larry Smith stated that he hopes to see crowds of families at the new circle dirt track every Sunday at 1 p.m. before church.

The track is 100 by 75 feet, with three Go Karts available for riding. There is no age limit.

“We have two-seater Go Karts for young children and an experienced driver,” Pastor Smith said. “We opened it up last week and had about 50 kids here.”

Not only has the Church opened an archery range, open all week long, and now the Go Kart track, but Pastor Smith and Church members have extended the church’s arena an additional 600 feet and plan on holding races later this summer.

“One of horse races is with three riders, three horses and one saddle,” he said. “Kids can ride around the arena once against another team, and then they will have to the take saddle off for the next rider and their horse so they can go around the arena. It will be fun.”

For more information, call the Church at 783-2676.

--J.E. Ward

Cowboy Churchadds go karts toits activities

Trying out the new go kart track at the Wild West Cowboy Church north of Westcliffe are, standing from left: Josh Baturin, Memphis Curry, Barbara Sellers and Aerial Smith. Ian Swanson is trying out the go kart.

– Trib photo by J.E. Ward

Sharon Langfeldt, former Westcliffe resident from 2006 to late 2014, has been appointed to a Methodist parish ministry in Wyoming.

The appointment was made by Elaine Stanovsky, Bishop of the Rocky Moun-tain Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC).

Langfeldt was approved as a certified candidate to be ordained an elder in the UMC last October, and goes to her ministry at the Rawlins, Wyo. Cooperative Parish as a licensed local minister. She begins her pastoral duties at the combined First UMC and France Memorial Presbyte-rian churches on July 1.

According to Rev. Deb Olenyik, outgoing Wyoming District Superintendent of the UMC, the church is “looking to her, by God’s grace, being commissioned as a provi-sional elder in June 2016, and ordained as a full elder in June 2018.”

During her time in Westcliffe, Langfeldt often supplied the Tribune with event photography, and was active in the Community UMC at Westcliffe, where pastor Deb-orah Christine was immensely helpful in her journey of dis-cernment towards ordained ministry. Her appointment culminates a journey begun in 1991, where Langfeldt’s expe-

rience in working in Cairo, Egypt instigated reflection on massive issues of poverty and need. “We can do better,” she said in an interview recently with the Tribune, “in serving all of God’s children.”

While it took her some time and much contempla-tion, the seed planted in Cairo grew into eventual enroll-ment in and recent graduation from Iliff School of Theol-ogy in Denver. From mana-gerial responsibilities in the computer industry to becom-ing a rural pastor, Langfeldt has been led forward by two Wesleyan comments from within her faith tradition: “If we don’t think alike, we can all love alike,” and “All are welcome at Jesus’ table.”

Langfeldt has returned

to Westcliffe several times since her move to Denver, most often to fill the pulpit at Community UMC. She will be in town this coming weekend, doing the final

packing from her former residence and saying fare-well until next time as she continues the adventure of her calling in Rawlins.

– W.A.Ewing


Former resident to minister at Wyoming Methodist church

Sharon Langfeldt stands in Christ United Methodist Church, Denver, where she served her internship last year from Iliff School of Theology.

– Courtesy Photo

Thursday, June 18•The Wild West Cowboy Church is hosting a free

dance class from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 783-2676.•Mixed Bowling League from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at

Cliff Lanes. 783-2031.•Jiu Jitsu for kids at Club America at 5:15 p.m. and

for adults at 6:15 p.m.•Zumba at Second Street Studio. Starts at 8:15

a.m.•Lighthouse Pregnancy Resources at the corner

of Hudson and Cliff streets in Silver Cliff is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lighthouse offers free pregnancy tests, baby supplies and more. Call 719-783-4357.•Senior nutrition meals served at noon at the

Custer County Senior Center. Everyone is welcome. Call 719-783-9508. Reservations may be made until 9 a.m. the day of the meal.•Celebrate Recovery program in First Baptist

Church’s fellowship hall beginning at 6 p.m. Call 719-568-1060.•Pretty Good String Band meets at the Porth

Building patio on Second Street in Westcliffe from 6 to 8 p.m. Call Barb at 719-371-1051.•High Altitude Garden Club meets at the Olde

Westcliffe Schoolhouse at 12:30 p.m.•“Merry Wives of Windsor” at 6:30 p.m. at the

Feed Store Ampitheater

Friday, June 19•Elevation Meat Market grand opening at 101

South Second Street in Westcliffe starting at 10 a.m.•Mountain Purls Knitting Group will meet at the

Silver Cliff Mountain Inn at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, call Marcy at 719-783-4200.•Student Laser Light Bowling at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at

Cliff Lanes. 783-2031.•Open discussion Alcoholics Anonymous meeting

at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 6 p.m. Call Jim at 719-783-2053 or 360-509-9172.•“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 6:30 p.m. at

the Feed Store Ampitheater

Saturday, June 20•Ride the Rockies event in downtown Westcliffe all

day•The Wet Mountain Al-Anon Family group meets

at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 201 Third Street at 10 a.m. For more information call Dee at 719-404-1851 or Jean at 719-371-1229.•Free laughter yoga from 2:15 to 3 p.m. at the

Library Community Room. Contact Jacque Keller at [email protected] or 783-3706•Adult Color Pin Bowling at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at

Cliff Lanes. 783-2031.•Club America open at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Zumba at

10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Public swim at 12 p.m.

to 4 p.m.•To report information about crime anonymously,

call 719-783-2847.•“Merry Wives of Windsor” at 6:30 p.m. at the

Feed Store Ampitheater

Sunday, June 21•Happy Father’s Day!•Club America open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. 783-

0750.•For a list of churches, see the church directory

found elsewhere in the Tribune.•“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 2 p.m. at the

Feed Store Amitheater

Monday, June 22•Art Group meets from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the

Third Street Gallery. Bring your own materials. 783-3575•Club America open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Monday through Friday.•Closed discussion Alcoholics Anonymous meeting

at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 6 p.m. Call Jim at 719-783-2053 or 360-509-9172.•Custer County public transit service available

through the Wet Mountain Valley Rotary Club Monday through Friday for everyone. Call 719-783-2343.•Boy Scout Troop 114 meets at 6 p.m. in Hope

Lutheran Church’s fellowship hall. Call Carl at 719-783-9208.•Senior nutrition meals served at noon at the

Custer County Senior Center. Everyone is welcome. Call 719-783-9508. Reservations may be made until 9 a.m. the day of the meal.•Lighthouse Pregnancy Resources at the corner

of Hudson and Cliff streets in Silver Cliff is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lighthouse offers free pregnancy tests, baby supplies and more. Call 719-783-4357.•Mah Jongg played at the Cliff’s Edge at 1 p.m.

Those new to the game are welcome and will be introduced to the local rules.

Tuesday, June 23•Men’s Golf League tees off at 9 a.m. at St.

Andrew’s Golf Course from May through September. Contact Jerry Johnson at 783-9353 for more information.•Westcliffe Contemporary Quilters and Fiber

Artists meet at 9 a.m. at the Methodist Church.•Club America Stretch Class from 9:30 a.m.,

Zumba at 10:30 a.m., Senior Aerobics at 3 p.m., Jiu Jitsu for kids at 5:15 p.m. and adults at 6:15 p.m. 783-0750.•Zumba at Second Street Studio. Starts at 8:15

a.m. and again at 5:30 p.m.•“Jammin’ Tuesday’s” band at the Mining Company

restaurant from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Everyone is welcome.•West Custer County Library is open Tuesday

through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.•Custer County landfill is open from 8 a.m. to 4

p.m., Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.•Interdenominational Holy Spirit Bible study at 10

a.m. Call 719-783-2350 for location.•Ladies’ Bridge Club meets at 12:30 p.m. in the

community room adjacent to the downtown Westcliffe library.•Senior nutrition meals served at noon at the

Custer County Senior Center. Everyone is welcome. Call 719-783-9508. Reservations may

be made until 9 a.m. the day of the meal.•Bible Study at Wild West Cowboy Church at 6

p.m. Call 719-783-2676.

Wednesday, June 24•Closed big book study at Alcoholics Anonymous

meeting at 6 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Call Jim at 719-783-2053 or 360-909-7370.•Intro to Pilates at 9 a.m. at Club America at 783-

0750.•Men and Women’s Bible Study at First Baptist

Church of Westcliffe at 6:30 p.m. Call 719-783-2498.•Line dancing at the Saddle Club at 9:30-10:45

a.m. Call Clem at 303/909-7370.•Farmer’s Market at Jess Price Park in Westcliffe

from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.


Let us help spread the word! Items of community interest will be included free in our calendar of events. Phone the Tribune by Thursday noon the week prior at 783-2361. Please notify us when items are outdated.

Tiny plants sparkling with morning dew. – Trib photo by Christoph Stopka


Free teen swim night is June 26

Participants in last year’s Rolland Fiddle Camp in Westcliffe. This year’s camp gets underway next week.

The next free Teen Swim Night at Club America is taking place Friday, June 26, from 8 to 11 p.m.

As always, the free event is open to teenagers 13 to 17. Additionally, participants must have a swim waiver signed by parents at the club prior to being allowed to swim. Once signed, the waiver is good for one year. Those who do not swim can still attend to hang out in a fun and safe place.

Prizes, food and drink are provided by various lo-cal merchants.

For more information or to help sponsor the event, contact Club America board

member Cathleen Reeder at 783-0541 or club co-manager Becky Mullett at 783-0750.

Club America is located along Highway 86, at 50 Main St. in Silver Cliff.

There will be plenty of fiddling around next week, as the Rolland Fiddle Camp serves up three performances throughout the community.

The annual Rolland Fiddle Camp – which starts next Monday, June 22 and runs through Friday the 26th – offers world-class lessons and workshops for not only fiddlers, but cellists and other string performers.

Here are the three free concerts:--Tuesday, June 23, 7:30 p.m. at Tony’s

Mountain Pizza at 630 Main in Silver Cliff. The evening will include square dancing, a live band and caller, with all dances taught.

--Wednesday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Custer County Senior Center at 612 main in Silver Cliff. It will feature a concert by the faculty of the Rolland Fiddle Camp.

--Friday, June 26, 3:30 to 8 p.m. at the Wild West Cowboy Church at 60260 Highway 69 just north of Westcliffe. At 3:30, the Fiddle Camp students and faculty will perform, and from 6 to 8 p.m. will be a camp and community jam ses-sion, with all local musicians welcome.

The faculty performers, hailing from Mesa, Ariz., include Doc Peter Rolland, three-time national certified division fiddle champion and camp director; Matt Roland, two-time Arizona state fiddle champ and band leader; Grace Rolland, square dance caller and cellist; Giselle Lee on vocals, fiddle and banjo; and Gail Rolland, camp co-director and bass performer.

For more details, visit www.peterrolland.com.

Fiddle Camp to sponsor free performances here next week


“He’s always talking up his horse. He’s not a horse person, he’s a computer whiz. He went out to gather cows and the horse dumped him in an irrigation ditch.”

K.C. McNew, Westcliffe

What is the funniest memory you have of your father?

“He shot over a horse when it put its front hooves in the water trough. It didn’t work though. The horse kept playing in the water.”

Mary Gompf, Silver Cliff.

“My dad threw me off a swing set by accident and I broke my nose. He caught my arm and I flew off and skidded on my nose about 20 feet.”

Sarah Baker, rural Westcliffe

“My aunt was in the garden bending over picking peas and my dad hit her on the bottom with a boat paddle. She fell for-ward into the garden.”

Jane Smith, Westcliffe

“I caught my dad trying to put oil in the gas tank. He was a mas-ter mechanic, was busy talking and must have thought he was under the hood.”

Eric Oquist, Fremont County

This past week Forest Service employee, Jeff Out-hier, was parked with his mules and one horse outside the National Forest Service office in Silver Cliff. The Tribune stopped to talk to him while he was hammering iron shoes on their hooves. The mules and horse stood patiently in the hot sun, tails swatting the occasional fly.

Outhier, district ranger for the San Carlos District of Pike-San Isabel National Forest, is a large, genial man who clearly loves the mules and horse. Owned by the gov-ernment, the animals are fed-eral workers that help Outhier maintain the high alpine trails. They include two Belgium mules, Sedge and Panama, another smaller mule named Dandelion and a buckskin gelding named Buddy.

“When the snow goes away, I’ll start clearing trails,” Outhier stated. “No one can get to the high lakes yet, like Comanche, Venable and Lake of the Clouds. The snowline is still about two thirds the way up the mountains.”

Outhier also noted Medano Pass is still closed, not due to snow, but because of high water on the other side, where the Sand Dunes reside. “Most of the roads in the Sangres are open,

though,” he said. Outhier pointed out a

large, reddish Belgium mule. “That’s Sedge…he’s a solid trail mule. He’s packed in bridge parts and packed out airplane parts,” he said. Outh-ier prefers the Belgium mules since he likes their gentle dis-positions. “Sedge works as a therapy mule,” he explained. “He stands still, doesn’t even flick an ear, when wheelchairs come rattling toward him, he’s that calm.”

When choosing draft mules for the Forest Service, Outhier selects the smallest and uses them mostly to pack. “A mule can pack 20 percent of its weight, so I choose draft mules, but I try to find them small enough so they can move more easily around in the mountains,” he said.

Outhier also described Buddy, the buckskin horse, who, at 20 years old, will retire soon. “Buddy’s been all over the Sangres, the Collegiates and the Spanish Peaks,” he said.

Outhier also possesses four of his own mules, two that stood tied to the trailer, a bay mule named Hita, which in Spanish means “little girl,” and a tall, two-year-old youngster called Rose.

Outhier said of Hita, “she’s the best mule I’ve

had. She’ll do anything. I can ride her in parades, I have taken her over Phan-tom Terrace and I have even roped calves on her. She is the littlest mule here, but she is the toughest.”

Earlier in the day, the vet had floated the animals’ teeth, which involves filing the molars and canines down so that they don’t grind against each other. Outhier also “roached” their manes, buzz cutting them short. He also close-clipped the tops

of their tails. “In the army, the tradition is to trim mule tails according to its ability,” said Outhier. “The tail was clipped in bells that went down the tail. If a mule had one bell, it was trained to pack. If it had two bells, it could pack and drive. If

it had three bells, it could pack, drive and ride,” Out-hier explained.

Before working for the Forest Service, Outhier handled mules in the army. There, he learned from a professional ferrier how to take care of their hooves.

The largest string of mules he’s run was nine animals, which he did while working in the army.

“I like to use a mule for what I do,” Outhier said. “I like a mule to either ride or for packing in the mountains.”

– Cyn Williams


The Forest Service’s local motorpool: a herd of hearty mules

The Valley’s friendly U.S. Forest Service ranger, Jeff Outhier, puts his ferrier skills to work on his version of a federal motorpool: a herd of equines. --Trib photo by Cyn Williams


Local craftsman’s sculpture accepted for Springs exhibit

Valley woodworker Dave Mernitz’s outsized mouse trap will be on exhibit in downtown Colo-rado Springs.

--Courtesy photo

A sculpture by Valley woodworker David Mer-nitz has been selected for exhibition in the “Arts on the Streets” juried show in downtown Colorado Springs.

Downtown Colorado Springs and Downtown Ven-tures last week announced the selection of artists for the 2015-2016 exhibition.

Now in its 17th year, Art on the Streets celebrates the power of art in public places, while turning the streets of Downtown Colorado Springs, a Colorado Certi-fied Creative District, into a yearlong outdoor sculpture gallery.

A national call for art-ists attracted 73 proposals from artists in 19 states and 18 Colorado cities. Artists were selected through a jury process in which artistic quality served as the pri-mary criteria. This year’s jury included David Tryba, Founder of Tryba Architects; Andrew Tirado, local artist and recipient of the 2014-

2015 Juror Award; Blake Milteer, Museum Director and Chief Curator for the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center; and Daisy McCon-nell, Director of University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Galleries of Con-temporary Art.

Selected artists each receive a $1,000 honorar-ium. In addition, artists are eligible for a $10,000 Juror Award and a $1,000 People’s Choice Award.

The 2015-2016 exhibit will be on display June 2015 through May 2016 through-out Downtown Colorado Springs.

The 13artists/artist teams

selected for the exhibit included Mernitz, of rural Westcliffe; others from throughout Colorado; and artists from New Mexico, Maryland, California and South Carolina.

Through the 17 years of the program, Art on the Streets has exhibited more than 50 works of art down-town, and purchased several pieces now permanently on display. All of the artwork in the exhibit is for sale, and purchase inquiries are wel-come. Additional informa-tion can be found at www.DowntownCS.com/AOTS.

Mernitz’s wood sculpture is titled “Mousetrap XL”

and features a large, realistic mousetrap.

Mernitz describes him-self as a “lifelong worker in wood”, and has a history crafting handmade furniture. His sculptural pieces focus on larger-than-life interpre-tations of everyday objects, such as this common mouse-trap. It is priced at $2,800.

According to Mernitz, “I’m intrigued by the flex-ibility and versatility of wood as an art medium. The textures, colors, and tech-niques available to the wood artisan make wood art lim-ited only by the imagination of the artist.”


Members of the Custer County High School Golden Class of 1965 will be special guests at this Satur-day’s annual Alumni Celebration at the school. Pictured in the class photo, standing from left, Linda Haning, Clarence Lange, Charlotte Schneider, Dominic Salameno, Betty Berry, Kenny Patterson, Doro-thy Pospahala, William Schneider and Pat McCarty. Seated from left, Vernon Behrendt, Kathy Rich, Dick Chockley, Linda Hobby, Richard Lange, Patsy Ulsh, Boyd Moon, Elizabeth Leatherman and Herb Stuart. --Photo courtesy Crestone Graphics

Members of the Golden Class of 1965 will be among the special guests at the 42nd annual Alumni Reunion to be held this Saturday, June 20, at Custer County High School in Westcliffe.

All former students, teachers, staff and administrators are cordially invited.

The event will be held in the West Gym at CCHS. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., and the banquet will be served at 6 p.m.

The cost of the banquet is $20 per person, and while advance reservations were requested, sponsors say no one will be turned away.

The emcee for the program will be Mysty Rusk Ferreira, a member of the 25-year class of 1990.

According to the CCHS Alumni Association newslet-ter, The Roll Call of the Class of ’65 includes the following classmates:

Betty (Berry) Allen, Vernon Behrendt, Sara (Rich) Berry, Patricia (Ulsh) Chappell, Dorothy (Pospahala) Cornwell, Elizabeth (Leatherman) Landers, Richard Charles Lange, Clarence Lange, Patrick McCarty, Boyd Moon, Kenneth Pat-terson, Dominic Salameno, Charlotte (Schneider) Schmid, Clarence Schneider, Linda (Haning) West and Maureen Byrne. Known deceased members of the class are Linda (Hobby) Delgrado, Herbert Stuart and Richard Chockley.

Also invited to attend are members of the 70-year and 60-year classes.

Known surviving members of the Class of 1945 are Ethel (Willburn) Benson, Evelyn (Miller) Kelsey, and Ima (Kas-tendieck) McCreary.

Known surviving members of the Class of ’55 are Frank Baker, Clarence Berry, Frederick Blei, Thelma (Chockley) Colvin, Melvin Cross, Walter Erps, Donna (Hanssen) Hall, Lisle Morgan, James Patterson, Mary (Littrell) Patterson, Emil roy and Richard Tomsick.

Organizers of this year’s event will be setting up for the banquet tomorrow, Friday, June 19, at 1 p.m., and anyone interested it helping out is invited to drop by.

Alumni banquetis this Saturday

In preparation for the Ride the Rockies event on Saturday, June 20, businesses from uptown Westcliffe hope to add to the festivi-ties. Barton Manor gained permission from the town of Westcliffe to shut down 5th Street, allowing Richard Kastendieck, owner of the Alpine Lodge, to serve food items from his menu, includ-ing fried chicken.

“We are going to have local artists set out on the sidewalk around the deck,” said business owner, Sue Barton. “There will be jew-

elry, and maybe even live music. We are trying to get some of the congestion in downtown Westcliffe up here. We want people to see uptown Westcliffe.”

Also that weekend, Mari-lyn Adams Skin Care, located at Barton Manor, is offering lunch-time peels that will take only 20 minutes.

“We are going to have Alpine Lodge and the artists outside for four weekends in a row starting with Ride the Rockies,” Barton said. “On the Bluegrass weekend, we will have an open house

as the anniversary party we never had. There will be appetizers and coffee.”

Barton Manor’s selection has grown to include fitness clothes from FitKicks and Soybu, which is a Colorado-based company. Club America members are invited to pur-chase fitness clothes. Ten per-cent of those purchases will be given back to Club America.

“We’ve expanded our variety,” Barton said. “We have more jewelry, purses, and the TempParis line out of Italy, and bamboo cloth-ing, which are made from

organic material.”Barton explained that

“We’re trying to get the locals to be our customer base, so when they have family and friends in town they bring them in. For those who haven’t been in yet, we invite you to check us out. We want it to be inviting to locals first.”

– J.E. Ward

Special “Ride” activities planned on 5th St.


Valley’s incredible history alive and well at Silver Cliff MuseumThe Silver Cliff Museum has started its summer season.

Housed in the original Silver Cliff town hall and Fire House building at 610 Main Street, it contains items from the area’s past. Dedicated to artifacts from the 1800s, it show-cases local history, the various people who lived here and the items used in everyday life.

The two-story museum was built when Silver Cliff became incorporated as a town in 1879. The town began a year earlier, in 1878, when prospectors discovered “horn silver,” or chlorargyrite, on the sheer cliff just north of “downtown” Silver Cliff. A dark, greasy-looking rock, the horn silver found here contained 75 percent of the precious metal.

The town hall doubled as a firehouse since in the mining town most of the buildings were constructed of wood and vulnerable to flames. The fire department housed there served the entire county. It consisted of four companies of volunteer firefighters, including G.B. McAulay Hose, the H.M. Ziegler Hose, the W.J. Robinson Hooks No. 1 and Hook N. 2. The No. 1 Hook and Ladder Wagon, in pristine condition, is the museum’s central piece, sitting on the first floor for visitors to view.

Also included in the museum’s display are early-day firefighter relics, firemen’s helmets and dress hats, original bylaw booklets and the fire chief’s desk. Also on display is information about the first firefighting companies, accom-panied by pictures and documents.

The museum also showcases period furnishings and household items that Custer County families used. Articles include furniture found in a typical 1880s home, including pieces found in dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and music rooms.

Since Silver Cliff thrived on mining, the museum fea-tures mining tools, assayer scales and miners’ headlamps. An ornate teller’s cage from the original Bank of Westcliffe is on show, along with silver inkwells and original receipt books.

Also on display are postal boxes from the Silver Cliff post office, many of which still contain their corresponding

keys. The museum also possesses a living legacy of its past. A

huge hoya plant grows in the museum, with cuttings from it offered for sale. Lew Key, a Chinese business owner who ran a successful laundry in Silver Cliff, owned the original hoya plant, which grew prolifically in his laundry like an exotic jungle plant.

The museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Off-season and private tours can be arranged by calling museum director Dorothy Urban at 719/783-2837. Those wanting more information on the museum can dial 719/783-2615. The museum is free for both adults and chil-dren to tour.

– Cyn Williams

The Silver Cliff Museum is open for the summer. Museum curator, Dorothy Urban, stands before the building located at 610 East Main Street. The 1879 building served as the town’s original town hall and fire house. – Trib photo by J.E. Ward


Rites Friday for Mike Whalen

Andrew and Elanor Straight of Westcliffe are pleased to announce the birth of their third child, a daughter.

Iris Elizabeth Straight was born Saturday, May 23, 2015, at 12:45 p.m. at the Memorial Central Hospital in Colorado Springs.

She weighed 7 pounds,

1 ounce, and was 20-inches tall.

She was welcomed home by a sister and a brother: Aurora Straight, 6; and Milo Straight, 3.

Paternal grandparents are Stephen and Ellen Straight of Bloomington, Ill.

Maternal grandparents are Debbie Rimmer and

the late Doug Rimmer of Westcliffe.

The paternal great grand-parents are Arlo and Judy Straight of Highland Park, Ill., and Oliver Bidner of Bellflower, Ill.

The maternal great grandmother is Marguerite Smith of Laguna Niguel, Calif.

Funeral services were held yesterday in South Dakota and graveside ser-vices will be held July 1 in Westcliffe for long-time Valley business leader Harold W. Jennings.

Mr. Jennings, who owned and operated Jennings Market here for more than 30 years, died at his home in Flandreau, S.D. this past Thursday, June 11, 2015. He was 76.

Mr. Jennings died after a lingering illness.

He and his family were well-known in Custer County. He had served as mayor of Westcliffe for a number of years, and had been involved in many other civic affairs.

He was born Aug. 13, 1938 in Crittenden County, Ky. To John and Mary (King) Jennings.

He received his educa-tion at the Crittenden County School, and graduated from high school there in 1956.

Mr. Jennings entered the U.S. Army in 1961, and was stationed at Fort Carson until his discharge in December 1963.

In the early 1970s, Mr. Jennings and his wife pur-chased the former Entz Market, which Mrs. Jen-nings’ family had estab-lished during the Valley’s mining era.

Jennings Market was a fixture in downtown Westcliffe for decades. The family sold the business in 1999, and it closed a short time later.

For many years, the market was one of the larg-est employers in the Valley. Mr. Jennings was known for his generosity to 4-H, the Custer County Cowbelles, and other non-profit organi-zations in the community.

In 2012, the Jennings moved permanently to Flan-dreau.

Mr. Jennings was an avid outdoorsman, and he loved birds and wildlife.

He enjoyed hunting and fishing as well as riding horseback in the mountains.

On June 19, 1964 in Westcliffe, Mr. Jennings married Shirley Entz. They would have celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary tomorrow.

Mr. Jennings is survived by his wife, and by two daughters: Deb (Mrs. Randy) Johanson of Flandreau; and Connie (Mrs. Scott) Dunn of Brush, Colo.

Also surviving are Mr. Jennings’ four beloved grandsons: Jake, Bobby, Jenner and Hunter.

Other survivors include a sister-in-law, Fay Jennings, of Crittenden County, Ky., and four nieces.

Mr. Jennings was pre-ceded in death by two broth-ers, Bill Jennings and Bob Jennings.

Funeral services were held yesterday evening, Wednesday, June 17, at the Skroch Funeral Chapel in Flandreau.

Graveside services will be held at the Ula Cemetery near Westcliffe on Wednes-day, July 1, at 11 a.m., with Pastor Dick Jones officiat-ing.

Those wishing may make memorial contributions to the Avera Foundation/Avera Cancer Institute in memory of Harold Jennings at 212 E. 11th St., Suite 100; Sioux Falls, S.D. 57104; phone is 605/322-4750.

Mrs. Jennings and her family may be reached at 1004 S. Wind; Flandreau, S.D., 57028.

Memorial services will be held this Friday in Westcliffe for Valley resident and civic leader Michael Patrick Whalen.

Mr. Whalen died June 13, 2015 at a Pueblo care center. He was 74.

Mr. Whalen died of com-plications of a stroke he suf-fered last October.

He was well-known in the Wet Mountain Valley, and had been an active member of the Valley Rotary Club, the board of the Friends of Beckwith Ranch, and a long-time parishioner and fundraiser at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Westcliffe. He also had served as a class-room volunteer here.

He was born May 7, 1941 in Rochester, N.Y. to Louis A. and Marie (Howe) Whalen.

He had attended the McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, and later grad-uated from the University of Dayton in Ohio.

He devoted his career to sales, and served in the early years of the Xerox Corp., and subsequently in the telecommunications indus-try with ITT, LDX Net, and

MCI.He shared his love of

his ancestry in his smile, twinkle and blarney. And he was a proud defender of the American Flag.

Mr. Whalen had been an 18 year resident of the Wet Mountain Valley, and also had lived for 12 years in Westport, Conn.; three years in Erie, Pa.; and 21 years in Houston, Texas.

On July 3, 1965 in Roch-ester, he married his wife, Dianne, and they would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary next month.

She survives, as do four children: Maura Whalen (and husband Michael Rosen-berger) of Seattle, Wash.; Tim Whalen (and wife Mar-ilyn Bishop) of Portland, Ore.; Michael Whalen of Houston, Texas; and Martin (and wife, Shelley) Whalen of Newtown, Pa.

Also surviving are seven grandchildren: Alexan-der, Matthew and Nicholas Whalen; Claire and Jack Rosenberger; and Melina and Max Whalen.

Two sisters, Judy and Sue, also survive, as do many close friends.

Mr. Whalen was pre-ceded in death by a brother, Terry Whalen.

Memorial services will be held this Friday, June 19, at Our Lady of the Assump-tion Catholic Church in Westcliffe, with Fr. Nicholas Urassa officiating.

His remains will be returned to Rochester for interment.

Those wishing may make memorial contribu-tions to the San Isabel Land Protection Trust at P.O. Box 124 in Westcliffe, 81252; or to the Friends of Beckwith Ranch at Highway 69 in Westcliffe.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has announced the appointment of Denver attorney Phillip Douglass as District Court Judge in the 18th Judicial District.

Peter F. Michaelson, Custer County Judge since 2003, was one of three finalists for the judgeship in the 18th Judicial District, which encompasses Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.

The other finalist for the judgeship was Michael Melito who is senior assistant attor-ney general with the special prosecutions unit with the office of Colorado Attorney General.

The three were seeking the seat currently held by the Honorable J. Mark Hannen, who is retiring effective July 1.

Prior to being appointed County Judge

for Custer County, Michaelson served as District Attorney from 1989 to 1997 in the 5th Judicial District which includes Breck-enridge and Vail.

In addition to his county judgeship, Michaelson has a private law practice in Westcliffe, and is also of counsel with the firms West, Brown and Huntley, P.O. of Breckenridge; and Duncan, Ostrander and Dingas of Denver. Michaelson also is tempo-rarily assigned to the District Court domes-tic relations and juvenile docket in Chaffee County, in our 11th Judicial District which takes in Custer, Chaffee, Park and Fremont counties.

Douglass is currently with the Denver law firm of Rowe Law LLC.

Birth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Straight

Harold Jennings dies

Harold W. Jennings

Michael Whalen

Denver lawyer gets appointmentto 18th Judicial District bench

The shingles vaccinations are available for people 60 years or older. Public Health Nurse, Gail Stoltzfus, told the County Commissioners earlier this month that they are now being offered through their office.

Stoltzfus told the Tribune that the vaccination is reliable, but isn’t 100 percent effective in preventing someone from getting shingles.

“Shingles comes from the chicken pox virus,” she explained, “so if you’ve had chicken pox it goes dormant in your body, but doesn’t go away. What brings it out is stress, or if you are immune compromised, such as being treated for cancer or some kind of

illness that would create a problem with your immune system.”Shingles is a rash that follows a nerve track. Often times it

appears in the middle of someone’s back and stretches under the arms. It can also appear on the face, affecting vision and hearing.

“Shingles causes intense pain,” Stoltzfus said, “and can last after the rash goes away. Some people experience a lot of pain, and some will experience minimal.”

Stoltzfus stated that the vaccine lessens the severity of

shingles, if it doesn’t prevent it.The vaccine itself costs over $200. Stoltzfus advises people

to check with their medical insurance to see if they cover it.“You always want to check with your insurance,”

Stoltzfus said. “You must be aware what your insurance covers and doesn’t cover.”

For more information, contact Public Health at 783-3369.– J.E. Ward

Matt Riggs, son of Derald and Gayle Riggs of Oklaoma City, Okla., graduated from the West Point U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. on May 23, 2015.

Riggs is the grand-son of Arlie Riggs of rural Westcliffe.

The new Second Lieuten-ant will undergo six months of training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and will then be stationed at Fort Carson near Colorado Springs.

The West Point experi-ence is not a new one to the Riggs clan: Matt Riggs’ older brother, Dan Riggs, graduated from West Point in 2010. He is now undergo-ing helicopter pilot training in Alabama.

Others attending the May 23 graduation ceremo-nies were Matt’s and Dan’s

aunt and uncle, Dean and Rene Riggs of Loma, Colo., and their daughter Tori Lynne Riggs.


Pictured from left: Dan Riggs, Derald Riggs, Arlie Riggs, Tori Lynne Riggs, Rene Riggs, new grad Matt Riggs, Gayle Riggs and Dean Riggs. --Courtesy photo

LEGAL NOTICESNOTICE

LEGAL NOTICETOWN OF WESTCLIFFENOTICE OF ADOPTION

OF ORDINANCE

On the 9th day of June, 2015, the Board of Trustees of the Town of Westcliffe, Colo-rado, adopted the following Ordinance:

ORDINANCE NO. 7-2015

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF WEST-CLIFFE, CUSTER COUNTY, COLO-RADO, AMENDING THE WESTCLIFFE MUNICIPAL CODE, TITLE 6, CHAPTER 7, MINORS BY ADDING SECTION 4 RES-TITUTION.

EFFECTIVE DATE

This ordinance shall take effect thirty days after approval by the Board of Trustees.

Copies of aforesaid Ordinance are avail-able for public inspection on the Town of Westcliffe’s website www.townofwestcliffe.com and in the office of the Town Clerk, Town of Westcliffe, 305 Main Street, Westcliffe, Colorado.

Kathy Reis, Town ClerkTown of Westcliffe

Date Published: June 18, 2015Wet Mountain TribuneWestcliffe, Colorado

NOTICEThe following is a list of all bills allowed and ordered paid by the Board of Trustees of the Town of Westcliffe at their regular meeting held on Tuesday – June 9, 2015

GENERAL FUNDAT&T, Public Works/Phone .................44.94B & D Automotive, Vehicle Maintenance/Town Truck Battery ...................................183.15Black Hills, Lights/Electric ...............1,465.66Card Services, Parks/Website/Software/Tech Support .....................................743.74CenturyLink, Clerk Phone/DSL ..........127.52Custer County Treasurer, Fuel ...........129.36Custer County Treasurer, Law Enforcement Contract/Qtr ...............................27,500.00Custer County Treasurer, Landfill/Cleanup Day ..................................................285.00Department of Public Safety, MVR .......25.00First State Bank, Safe Deposit Box Rent .60.00Law Office of Peter Michaelson, Municipal Wages .............................................400.00NAPA Auto Parts, Vehicle Maintenance ....................................................................47.92Office Depot, Office Supplies .............106.91Oklahoma Centralized Support Registry, Garnishment ....................................397.56Peterson, Kana, Website/Final Payment ..............................................................750.00Printz, Jay, Attorney Bill ......................800.00Pro Com, Random Drug Test ................47.00

Round Mountain W&S District, Water & Sewer ..............................................329.50Valley Ace Hardware, Supplies .........193.59Westcliffe Super Market, Supplies ......52.31Wet Mtn Tribune, Publishing & Subscrip-tion ...................................................288.36Wet Mountain Valley Rotary, Donation ..................................................................761.51Xerox Corporation, Meter Read .........12.39Xerox Corporation, Lease Pay/Copy Ma-chine ...........................................115.62

Payroll ExpensesCEBT, Employer/Health Ins. .........1,823.40EFTPS, May Payroll Taxes .............2,832.96GWRS, Employer Share Retirement Fund ............................................................207.50GWRS, Employee Share Retirement Fund .............................................................207.50TOTAL BILLS ...........................$19,938.40

MAY 2015 PAYROLL ...................$9,639.12

TOTAL GENERAL FUND EXPENDI-TURES FOR MAY PAID IN JUNE 2015

$29,577.52

Kathy Reis, CMCTown ClerkTown of Westcliffe


NOTICELEGAL NOTICE

TOWN OF WESTCLIFFENOTICE OF ADOPTION

OF ORDINANCE

On the 9th day of June, 2015, the Board of Trustees of the Town of Westcliffe, Colo-rado, adopted the following Ordinance:

ORDINANCE NO. 6-2015

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF WEST-CLIFFE AMENDING TITLE 7, PUBLIC WAYS AND PROPERTY, BY REPEAL-ING AND REPLACING CHAPTER 2, PARK USAGE, IN ITS ENTIRETY.

EFFECTIVE DATE

This ordinance shall take effect thirty days after approval by the Board of Trustees.

Copies of aforesaid Ordinance are avail-able for public inspection on the Town of Westcliffe’s website www.townofwestcliffe.com and in the office of the Town Clerk, Town of Westcliffe, 305 Main Street, Westcliffe, Colorado.

Kathy Reis, Town ClerkTown of Westcliffe


Matt Riggs is new West Point grad

Public Health office has shingles vaccines available


Grand opening is Fridayat Elevation Meat Market

Will Taylor, left, and Danny Newton at their new Elevation Meat Market in downtown Westcliffe. A grand opening will be held tomorrow.

--Trib photo

The new Elevation Meat Market at 101 S. Second St. in Westcliffe will hold its grand opening tomorrow, Friday, June 19, starting at 10 a.m.

The former Chop Shop retail market and butcher shop is owned and operated by Will Taylor and Danny Newton.

Taylor and Newton hope to see a crowd at tomorrow’s grand opening, even if they just come for the coffee.

“We’re excited to be here,” Newton said. “We want to be involved in the commu-nity.”

The new meat market is going to offer all-natural beef, pork, and chicken that are packed, hand-trimmed and stored in-house. They will also make their own fresh sau-sages, and offer deli meats and cheeses.

Not only will there be the usual selec-tion of meat, but seafood too. The seafood is imported from Seattle Seafood.

Customers can purchase wild Alaskan salmons, halibuts, Icelandic cod, and shell-fish. The shellfish selection includes king crab legs, oysters, clams, and mussels.

“We will have smoked salmons,” Taylor said, “and also prepared, seasoned sea-food.”

There is going to be value-added prod-ucts, such as marinated tri-tips and fresh-made kebabs.

“Everything that we carry is high-end, choice beef,” Newton said. “Our prices will be competitive with everyone in Custer County. We are here to make a living, but be fair as well.”

Elevation Meat Market is also going to be butchering custom meats from hunters and private cattle owners.

Newton got an early start in the meat market business. When he was 16 he got a job as a cleanup boy at a grocery store and was promoted through the ranks until he became the youngest manager in Brookshire Grocery history. After 15 years he moved on to work for Hersher’s Specialty Meats in Plano, Texas where he learned wild game

processing and custom cuts.“I became the first paid fire chief in Anna,

Texas after that,” Newton said. “I ran 3,000 calls a year, but got tired of the politics and responding to emergency calls after hours. I walked away from it.”

Newton was hired by Taylor at Jackson Hole Grocery in Wyoming after that, where they became fast friends.

Taylor grew up on a farm in the north-west, where he raised cattle and went fish-ing.

“That is why I have such a connection to seafood,” he said.

Taylor began working for Haggen Top Foods, where he stayed for 15 years work-ing with meat and seafood as market man-ager. He went on to open the Jackson Hole Grocery store in Wyoming.

“Will and I hit it off like we were old friends,” Newton said. “

“We saw this location come up and we jumped on it,” Taylor said. “He and I com-plement each other in regards to our skills, so we thought going into business would be a good idea.”

They drove down to check out Westcliffe in April, were waved at by the locals and already felt welcomed.

“I can’t wait for people to come in here and be wowed,” Newton said. “People don’t have to go to Colorado Springs or Pueblo for meat anymore, and we will be cheaper than what people can find in either city.”

Newton added that their beef, pork and chicken are grown in the U.S.

“We will try to source our products from this area of the country,” he said. “We’re a very faith-based business, and it’s important to support our country as well.”

Elevation Meat Market will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“And if you need smoking woods, we got that covered as well,” they said.

– J.E. Ward

The Tourism Board reported ending their second quarter at an all-time low. President Cindy Howard told the Tribune that their revenue is down by 63 percent, or $90,000, from last year.

“This is the lowest it has been since we started col-lecting the lodging and hous-ing tax in 2008,” Howard said. “It is shocking because we had our all-time high in 2013. This is a big drop.”

Though Howard allowed

that it may be due to low tourism, she also believes it could be that people aren’t paying the tax. She and the board hope to see the num-bers kick back up for the third quarter, and will be watching sales tax numbers for a comparison.

“Things were steady until now,” she said. “We are surprised and know it wasn’t snowfall that kept people away. It may be that we leave it for responsible

officials at the state level to look into this.”

– J.E. Ward

Tourism Board chair: revenues down,possibly due to non-payment of taxes


Main Street in Westcliffe has a new shop for locals and visi-tors to enjoy, located at 309 Main Street. The Hitching Post, owned by Paul Schmucker, first opened in April. The Hitching Post has lawn items, log furniture, southwest blankets and even stuffed animals for customers.

“I have another shop up by the Royal Gorge,” Schmucker said. “I thought I would come down here and see what we can do. My friend, Terry Knepper, owns this building and that’s how I was able to come down.”

Not only is there jewelry, rugs and wall hangings for people to buy, but the two back rooms are going to be packed to the rafters with sports gear.

“We’re going to have camping and fishing gear,” Schmucker said. “We will have boots, waders, lures, anything and everything for people who enjoy sports.”

Not only will athletes be able to stock up on the best gear at

the Hitching Post, but hunters can as well. The two back rooms will also carry hunting supplies such as tents and blinds.

“I have a whole semi-load of sporting goods coming,” Schmucker said. “It will be ready for customers by Ride the Rockies.”

Schmucker explained that he opened the store because he likes challenges. “I want to see this place be successful,” he said, “and I’m excited to do my best to make that happen this summer.”

Schmucker grew up in central Wisconsin, but has lived in Colorado for the past 12 years. He has enjoyed working the store at the Royal Gorge, stating that he has been able to meet people from all around the world, from people who were able to speak some English to others who spoke none.

Schmucker also does log home restoration, having begun working on homes and cabins before getting into retail.

As for his store, he said, “I have stuff in here for everyone.”– J.E. Ward

The Hitching Post:New downtown business has something for everyone

Your go-to destination for summer refreshment: The Stage StopThe Stage Stop has been a popular eatery

since it opened in 2011. Owned by both Forest Gompf and Shelley Shelley, the Stage Stop is opening again for the summer on Tuesdays through Saturdays starting at 10 a.m.

The Stage Stop still offers its famous ice cream cones, frozen fruit smoothies and Ital-ian coffees. Smoothies come in a variety of flavors such as strawberry, mango, and peach. Customers can also order off a renovated menu that includes prime rib sandwiches and Shelley’s chicken salad sandwich.

“My coffee machine comes straight from Italy,” Shelley said. “I know that to get that good Italian coffee, that’s what we need.”

Smokey Solis, an employee at the Stage Stop, said it is a great place to eat because “we serve the freshest products and are always putting out what people love.”

“We make sure that customers get what they want,” Solis said. “We’re friendly and probably have the best customer service in Southern Colorado.”

As for the food, Solis explained that it is fresh and if a customer isn’t completely sat-isfied then “bring it back, and we will make it for you until you like it.”

Solis has worked at the Stage Stop since he was 16 and stated that he has always enjoyed meeting the people who pass through, and that working there has helped him get through a lot.

“Just knowing that I can make someone’s day with my smile, and talk to them, is some-thing to cherish,” he explained. “You never know what a person’s been through, and realizing that has pushed me farther in life.”

Not only is Shelley a restaurant owner who wants to make the lunch hour a hap-pier, more relaxed experience, but she is also a keynote speaker and life coach in her spare time.

In a press release, she wrote that she travels the world sharing her life story, and hopes to share the message that everyone has value.

To help spread this message, when the Stage Stop first opened, its mission state-ment was “To become a main stay in the community, offering Great Food, Faith, Hope and Love.”

“That is still the same,” Shelley said. “We want to provide hope for people, not just food. We want to touch the lives of everyone who passes through.”

– J.E. Ward

Stage Stop owner, Shelley Shelley, stands with her son and employee Smokey Solis. – Trib photo by J.E. Ward

“My mother said I never played with toys, just paper and pencils,” stated artist Andy Mast as he sat above a drawing in-progress and spoke with the Tribune of how he has become a new standout artist in the Valley. His work is being sold at the Yoder Mountain View Furniture store on 57965 South Highway 69 and the Hitching Post at 309 Main Street in Westcliffe.

The drawing he leaned over was the pro-file of a horse, one of many seen in finished pieces that surrounded him. All of them are drawn in graphite.

“I have been drawing all my life,” Mast said. “I even sold my first piece when I was twelve.”

Though he is also accomplished in oil and acrylic paints, he favors the pencil because of its simplicity. He explained that his preference to the raw medium is born from living a simple life.

“I was raised with an Amish lifestyle,” Mast said. “I lived on a farm. I was raised simple, and because of that I feel an unex-plained kinship with the pencil.”

Mast has had no formal art education, even though he craved it at a young age, describing himself as desiring a mentor who could show him the right and wrong ways of doing things. However, “southern Illinois is not an artsy place, so I had to figure it out on my own.”

And figure it out he did, labeling his unending practice as “trial and error.”

“That is how I learned,” he said, “by just doing it.”

But his love for a simple life abruptly

ended in 2009 when he was 17. Mast was walking a horse to pasture by himself when the accident occurred. However, he doesn’t remember what happened and no one has been able to figure it out. All that is known is that his father discovered him lying on top of a mangled gate. Mast was taken by Flight for Life to an area hospital, and didn’t regain consciousness for 48 hours.

Mast suffered serious head injuries and a broken bone around his right eye.

“It remains a mystery,” Mast said, “and whatever caused it created a domino effect.”

Since the strange accident, Mast has undergone many surgeries and continues to suffer. Shortly after the accident, in what he calls his “dark period,” Mast found that he was unable to do anything physical, so drawing became a sanctuary. It was “the only thing I felt that I could accomplish.

“A lot of the pieces I did during that time are very personal and reflect how difficult it was for me,” Mast remembers. “Though the average viewer sees a horse and a dog, a barn or a cowboy, they go much deeper for me. They are expressions to how I felt at that time.”

One of those pieces, of a cowboy shoe-ing a horse entitled “Best Friends,” was entered into his first museum competition. The Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mount Vernon, Illinois, awarded him honorable mention. As he entered the competition five years in a row, he won three honorable men-tions and first place.

“That was the start,” Mast said. “It gave

me the confidence I needed, it validated my work and told me that I was doing something right and that other people could relate to my perceptions.”

He has since shown twice at the Old West Museum exhibit shows in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and won first place with “Best Friends” at the 2014 display.

Mast has also held a one-man show at the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts.

“After that show,” Mast said, “I felt I needed a breath of fresh air. I told my family that I was going to Colorado in order to spend more time surrounded by things I am

impassioned about.”Mast now manages the new Hitching

Post store in Westcliffe, and though he won’t stay the whole year he hopes to return for summers.

“I see being here as an opportunity,” he said. “Westcliffe is more artsy than where I came from. This seems like ideal for art-ists.”

Mast’s work can be viewed and pur-chased at the Hitching Post and the Yoder Mountain View Furniture store.

– J.E. Ward


Next Saturday, June 27, at 9:30 a.m., a fundraising auction for the local Amish School will be held at the rodeo grounds off Highway 69, just north of downtown Westcliffe.

This will be the second year that the auction has been held. It will include a bake sale with fresh donuts and cof-fee, as well as an Amish BBQ lunch including chicken, burgers, hot dogs, pies, homemade ice cream, and more.

Some of the items to be auctioned will include antique paintings, scythes, whiskey barrels, oil lanterns and a but-

ter churn. There will be old and new guns, tools including table saws and woodworking tools, and also handmade and used furniture. Tack and horses will also be auctioned off. More items are expected to be added to the roster before the event.

For more information please contact Joe Raber at 783-2294 or Andy Hertzler at 719/ 221-8626, Everyone is invited to bring a friend to the event. The sponsors promise there will be something for everyone!

Big auction next week in Westcliffeto raise funds for Amish School

Self-taught Amish artist has won multiple awards

Andy Mast works to complete another pencil drawing to add to his award-winning collection. – Trib photo by J.E. Ward

The West Custer County Library’s Summer Reading Program continues next week with both hammers and swords in hand.

Teens ages 11-17 can learn the time-honored art of sword fighting at “Swords of Chivalry.”

The workshop will be instructed by professionals from The Black Falcon School of Arms. This event will take place in the Custer County School’s Multi-Purpose Room on Wednesday, June 24, from 1 to 3 p.m.

At “Be the Builder,” kids will become toymakers, crafting with their own two hands. The event will be held at the Custer County School Multi-Purpose Room on Thursday, June 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. and is open to chil-dren ages birth to 10. No advanced sign-up is required. This event is co-sponsored by Construction Solutions of Colorado, Inc.

Children, teens and adults who have not already signed up to earn prizes for keeping up with their reading and experiencing new things this summer can register at the library Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Summer Reading Program and all its events are free.

For more information, please call the library at 783-9138 or visit www.westcusterlibrary.org.

The West Custer County Library is celebrating the heroes in our midst with “Duty, Honor, Country: Americans at their Best” on Thursday, June 25 at 7 p.m. in the library’s com-munity room. Hear compelling stories from those who have served this country.

“One of the themes for the Summer Reading program this year is ‘Every Hero Has a Story’,” said library director Amy Moulton. “I am honored to live in a community that has so many veterans and have the opportunity to hear a few memorable moments from their lives.”

“Duty, Honor, Country” is the latest in the library’s Adult Summer Reading free events series and is co-sponsored by the American Legion Post #170. No sign-up is required to

attend this event though early arrival is suggested to ensure a spot as seating is limited.

Local adults may also sign up at the library to earn prizes this summer just by reading a few books of their choice and trying some fun activities with the Adult Summer Reading program.

Participants receive a bingo sheet with special tasks in each box. Completing a bingo earns a prize, and adults can earn up to three prizes. In addition, all adults who black out their bingo sheets will be entered to win the drawing for a $100 Barnes and Noble gift card. Call the library at 783-9138 or stop by for more information.

Library program: Duty, Honor, CountryAt Library: Kids cancraft their own toys,learn sword skills

ANNOUNCEMENTFatherer’s work out free club america weekend spe-cial show local ID and kids photo Saturday 9am to 4pm Sunday noon 4pm 6-1t------------------------------------------------------Wanted local crafters for July 4, flea market. For information contact All Aboard Westcliffe (719)783-0945, (719)371-7660. 7-4t------------------------------------------------------Rosita POA annual picnic and meeting Sunday July 5th at Town Park friends and neighbors welcome. 783-4348 for information 8-2t

GARAGE SALE26th and 27th 8-5 12100 County Road 255 12 miles down Oak Creek Grade. Years of accumulation misc., lots for all. (719)783-2160 7-2t------------------------------------------------------July 2nd -4th and 11th 1546 Edelweiss Drive, CR 327- Blu-menau Subdivision. Hwy 69 to Rosita Rd CR 328, One mile past end of pavement, turn right on CR327, follow signs. Two sets of Living Room Furniture, one leather one fabric, coffee table, end table, entertainment center, dining room set, TV, amplifier, lamps, pictures, paintings, buffet, mirrors, exercise equip, bedroom furniture, refr, freezer, clothes, and more 783-3098 8-3t------------------------------------------------------After 17 spectacular years in this beautiful valley we must move on. We have tons of hand tools, saws, gardening tools, patio sets, some nice furniture pieces, a gar-den tractor with several attach-ments, garden tiller, barbeque grill, just to mention a few things. Much, Much more at 6446 CR 328 in greater downtown Rosita. Come See: 9 - 5 June 26th. 27th. and 28th if needed. Please help us “lighten up”. It’s been fun. 7-2t------------------------------------------------------27th-28th 9am-? household items, camping gear, skis, tools, clothing, bicycle, golf clubs, free stuff 164 Gab-bert DR. Rosita Hills. 7-2t------------------------------------------------------Huge indoor antique and garage sale. Two week-ends only June 12-13-14and June 19-20-21 at 310 S. 6th (Native Woods) 6-3t

FOR SALE3 piece set 2 love seats with reversible cushions and one ottoman with storage call (719)942-4753 7-2t------------------------------------------------------Wood cook stove $500 obo you haul (719)-942-3525 8-4t

Gold Gym XR20. Assembled, like new. Multiple weight sizes, Olympic bar, $225.00. Dream maker spa Round 6ft. diam-eter. Used twice $1099.00 call 706-202-4950 7-2t------------------------------------------------------Echo snow machine trailor Carbide runners both ramps fold down, two place moun-tain sleds, spare tire, tongue jack, like new call 706-202-4950 $2,499.00 7-2t------------------------------------------------------On Mark Arms. Guns. Ammo. Gunsmith. Estates. Trades. Consign. Mon.–Sat. 9-5. 113 Mill St., Silver Cliff (719)371-3160. 15-13t ------------------------------------------------------LUMBER AND FIREWOOD Beetle kill, pine, fir, spruce, aspen.Rough cut, classic cir-cle-sawn lumber, beams, sid-ing. Pine poles, logs, railing, fencing. Cut slabs, firewood logs $70/ cord. Split fire-wood $160/cord. Sawdust. Greenleaf Forestry Sawmill, w w w. g r e e n l e a f fo r e s t r y.com. (719)783-4250. tf

HELP WANTEDWe have a position in the Valley Ace Hardware lum-ber yard open. Contact Jer-emy Handy at [email protected] or call 719-783-9054 ext 219 7-2t------------------------------------------------------Communications Dispatcher. Hourly $11.00 Applications must be submitted by July 1st. The Custer County Sheriff’s Office is accepting applica-tions for a full time position with benefits. All applications must: be able to pass a back-ground check, work shift work, work holidays, be flexible with shifts, age 21 or over, no felony convictions, must be able to learn computer applications. A dispatcher with the Custer County Sheriff’s Office has many duties. A dispatcher for this office is responsible for the dispatching, communications and safety for the following county personnel: Sheriff De-partment, (Deputies, Jail Staff,

Posse Members & Search and Rescue), Medical (Ambu-lance Corp, Clinic Staff, Flight for Life), Fire Department, the County Coroner, and Division of Wildlife. A dispatcher will also be required at times to monitor and communicate with Nation-al Law and the Custer County Road and Bridge radio traffic. Please pick up applications at the Sheriff’s Office, 702 Rosita Ave, Westcliffe, CO 81252. Questions please call or email [email protected] 719-783-2270 5-2t ------------------------------------------------------Musicians wanted to play for 2 hour sessions at Art in the Park, July 4 and 5, in La Veta. Space limited to groups of 3 or less, with sound equipment provided. For information call Kathy 719 742-5756. ? ------------------------------------------------------SKILLED FOREMEN NEEDEDfor Oakley Construction. Expe-rience in crew management thru all phases of custom home construction a neces-sity. (719) 276 6521 8-4t

RANCH/LIVESTOCK

Nice horse hay for sale $6.50 per bale. Cow hay $3.50 per bale. (719)942-3116. 20-26t

REAL ESTATEVivienda Parque Townhome. $75,000. New flooring and paint. Two bedroom, two bath. Corner unit. Marty Boennighausen 719-783-0910 Martin and Tope. 7-4t-----------------------------------------------35 acres, Westcliffe, $69,900 awesome views, well and electricity. View at www.1209LoneTree.com or call Loomis RE 303-646-5285 7-4t-----------------------------------------------------3,000 sq. ft. aircraft hangar at Silver-West Airport for sale. Own the DIRT! 50’ X 60’ X 14’ hangar w/Schweiss bi-fold door. Upgrades: RV door, 200 amp service and liner panel. Asking $129,900 OWC w/20% down, non-qualify-ing. (719)492-1885. 6-4t 2-bedroom, 1 ½ bath on 2 ½ acres. Mountain Views. Lots of outbuildings $99,900. (785)443-1382. 8-4t

AUTO1989 ford F-150 completely restored Truck 83,000 on original 302 V8 all receipts of restoration looks runs great $8500.00 Mike 371-2896

WANTEDYoung horse, either green or not broke, Paint or Quarter. Prefer-ably a gelding but will consider mare or stud for right price. call or text (719)429-2953 tf

SERVICES

Blue Sky Carriage Rides com-ing soon to Westcliffe Valley. Running June through August. Andy and Edna Fisher 3900 Oak Grove (719)966-2916. 6-4tw-----------------------------------------------------Need Your Exhaust Repaired or Replaced? Custom Ex-haust And Repair. Exhaust Pipe Bending. Call D&W Services at 783-0633. 6-4t------------------------------------------------------

ALTERATIONSMen’s and women’s. Gar-ment zippers replaced. Roxanne 783-3050. 6-4t ------------------------------------------------------Dave’s water delivery. Guar-anteed, potable bulk wa-ter delivered to your home. Prompt, courteous serv-ice. Dave (719)783-2486 (719)371-3446. 6-4t -----------------------------------------------------

SOLAR ELECTRIC (PV)Is your PV system in need of a checkup? Call Dr. Roger Saul to get a second opinion. (719)545-7342. solar-urge.com 15-13t -----------------------------------------------------

COMPUTER/ELECTRONIC REPAIR

Have a non-functioning or vi-rus laden computer or other not working, electronic de-vice? One day service, most cases. Call Brian, “The Elec-tron Wizard.” Now at Loan A Ranger (719)431-9442. 8-13t -----------------------------------------------------

SEPTIC PUMPING Please call Art Nordyke for your septic pumping and inspections. Don’t let your septic fail! Nordyke Sanita-tion LLC. (719)783-2747 or (719)371-3523. 13-8t

Road base, land mitigation, dirt hauling, landscaping ma-terial, skid work, field mowing, Backhoe work. Bobcat Truck-ing (719)371-1389. 8-13tw-----------------------------------------------------

COMPUTER/ELECTRONIC REPAIR

Have a non-functioning or vi-rus laden computer or other not working, electronic de-vice? One day service, most cases. Call Brian, “The Elec-tron Wizard.” Now at Loan A Ranger (719)431-9442. 8-13t -----------------------------------------------------

CHAINSAW SHARPENINGAccurate sharpening. Multiple chain discount. Chain loops made to or-der and repaired. Ring J.B. (719)783-4448. 5-13t------------------------------------------------------

FOREST CAREWildfire mitigation, cleanup, aesthetic treatments. Sal-vaged wood credits. Profes-sional, insured. ForesterLen Lankford, www.G r e e n l e a fFo r e s t r y. c o m . (719)429-4404. tf

Is Your Diesel In Need of Repair or Performance Up-grades? Call D&W Serv-ices at 783-0633. 6-4t-----------------------------------------------------Cleaning service. Resi-dential and commercial. Reliable, honest and dis-creet. References avail-able. 783-3340. 7-4t


LOCALKOHLER GENERATOR SALES AND SERVICE

Back-up, Stand-by, Power when you need it! On grid or solar. 6.5kw-250Kw. Propane or Natural Gas

SMALL ENGINE & ATVRepair & Serice

GP POWER SYSTEMSCALL GLENN

(719)371-8625 21-26t

The much anticipated 2015 production of the Shakespeare in the Sangres festival gets underway this evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Feed Store Amphitheater behind the Jones Theater. The audience is invited to enter the beautiful park setting as early as 5:30 p.m., bring a picnic, chairs, blankets or cover ups.

The opening performance this evening is “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” and will be repeated on Saturday, June 20, Thurs-day, June 25, Saturday, June 27, with final shows on Friday, July 3 and Sunday, July 5. All performances are at 6:30 p.m., with the exception of Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

“Merry Wives” alternates with “A Mid-summer Night’s Dream,” showing Fridays, June 19 and 26, Sundays June 21 and 28, Thursday, July 2, and Saturday, July 4.

Visiting Summer Guest Artist Dan Hies-ter both adapted and performs in “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” He plays the well-known Falstaff.

Director Chris Tabb said of the 2015 adap-tation, “[the play] was written at the command of Queen Elizabeth. The character of Sir John Falstaff, so popularized in the Henry IV and V plays, deserved a play based on him. As a result, Shakespeare devised an original plot, devoid of any source material.” Recognized as the bard’s most purely farcical of all his plays, “Merry Wives” unwinds the notion, Tabb writes, “of using the two wives as folly and foolery for a character that is a dishonored noble, a thief, a fool, a liar, and a wise plotter.” He notes that this original plot line can now be recognized in every modern sitcom “from Lucy and Ethel to Modern Family,” and invites theater-goers to “enjoy the machinations and trickery, the cunning language, but never [to] forget you are watching the very first sitcom.”

Also appearing in “Merry Wives” are Lynne Tabb (Mistress Ford), Scott Chap-

man (Master Ford), Chris Tabb (Host of the Garter), Jim Fitch (Shallow), and Charlie French (Sir Hugh). Three summer interns, college-age performers Nick Barnes (Master Page), Aean McMullin (Dr. Caius/Fenton), and Justess Hurst (Mistress Quickly) make their initial appearance in the festival. Making their debut in Shakespearean roles are Robbie Heckmann (Mistress Page), Adam Koudsi (Slender), Rylie Rinks (Anne Page/Robert), and Skylor Smith (John).

The only comedy Shakespeare ever set in England, “Merry Wives” promises to be a delightful experience, rain or shine.

So too with the popular “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which Hiester also performs in and directs. Of his adaptation for the 2015 festival, he writes that the production “is about dreams, dreaming, and dreamers, and thereby about life, living, and living beings. But the play, at least our production of it, is also itself a dream, though a waking dream—and a dream within a dream within a dream within a…”

The comedy is set in ancient Athens and spills over into a nearby enchanted woods, from which the human characters must even-tually return. The intricate tale counters the magical idyll and personages of the woods over against the law and order of the city and family, with many a turn and comedic romp.

Performing in the large cast of “Midsum-mer” are Elizabeth French (Hippolyta), Jim Fitch (Egeus), McKenzie Huffman (Puck), Dan Hiester (Oberon), Chris Tabb (Bottom), Pam Bishop (Starveling), and Madisen Hen-rich (Snout). The summer interns also act in this production: Nick Barnes (Demetrius), Aean McMullen (Lysander), and Justess Hurst (Helena). In their debut roles in Shake-speare are Rod Barringer (Theseus), Holly Wenger (Primera), Pat Moore (Titania), Cheree Philpy (Peter Quince), and, again

Rinks (Hermia), Koudsi (Flute), and Smith (Snug). Topping off the cast of jesting sprites are Charlotte Curtis, Riley Smith, and Justin Reno, all new to Shakespeare, as well as the child performers Mikayla von Steinman, Audrey Heckmann, and Lauren Greenstreet.

For this performance, Hiester notes, pre-pare “to kick back, relax, flow with it, ride with us, and have wonderful, dreamy night as we all dream together for a couple of enchanted hours.”

The sets were designed and constructed by Dan Hiester and Chris Tabb, with scenic art by Katherine Horton. Not to be forgot-ten are the “invisible” folks who make the

production possible: the stage manager Allie Neas, the hair and makeup designer Cassan-dra Davis, the sound designer Tori Higgins, lighting designer and operator Scott Foster, and the very busy costume designers and makers Carole Baldwin, Cheryl Blevins, and Margaret Linderer.

Tickets are available online at www.jones-theater.com and at the door. Prices range from $20 for adults to $10 for students. For further information, group reservations and season tickets, please call the Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts at 719-783-3004.

– W.A.Ewing


Shakespeare performances open tonight, run through July 5

The cast of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in dress rehearsal in preparation for opening weekend. “The Merry Wives of Windsor” opens tonight, Thursday, June 18; the first performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be tomorrow, Friday, June 19, all at the Feed Store Ampitheater.

--Trib photo by Charlotte Curtis


A basketball clinic will be held next week that is open to all players who will be entering the fourth through eighth grades.

The clinic will be held next Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon in the East Gym at Custer County School in Westcliffe.

The cost is $10 for one day or $17 for both days.For more information, contact Kristen Foster at

719/429-4152.

Kids’ basketballclinic is next week

The 2015 Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Volleyball games were held last weekend at Adams State University in Alamosa. Kristian Curtis, daughter of Dale and Shonda Curtis represented Custer County High School.

Coaches from all over the state voted on the best Seniors in the State and Curtis was named to the White team. The White team won both matches to get top honors at this year’s games.

Curtis ended her final season as a Bobcat with 381 assists, 31 aces and 330 digs.

According to CCHS head volleyball coach and athletic director Greg Cra-vens, “Being selected for the CHSCA All-State games is a huge honor and Kristian represented her family, team and community with the

pride and passion she played the season with.

Coach Cravens said he is very proud of the player Curtis has become and hopes to see her become a coach and share her passion for the game

CCHS V-ball playerin all-state games

Coach Greg Cravens and volleyball champ Kristian Curtis

Valley resident Steve Yackley, Colonel (Retired) U.S. Army, was inducted into the Fort Jackson Hall of Fame in a ceremony conducted on Armed Forces Day, May 16.

The Fort Jackson Hall of Fame was established to annually recognize and honor persons who have made pos-itive, lasting, and significant contributions to Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

Fort Jackson is mainly noted for being the U.S. Army’s largest Basic Combat Training Center, train-ing about 54 percent of the Army’s yearly requirement.

Colonel Yackley was stationed at the fort on three different occasions. His first tour was 2001-2003 as a Bat-talion Commander at which time he deployed his unit to an overseas location to train Free Iraqi Forces to accom-pany U.S. ground forces for the invasion of Iraq.

He returned to the fort from 2006-2008 as a Brigade Commander after which he deployed to Afghanistan and was responsible for the development and training of the Afghan National Police and Ministry of Interior.

His final assignment was

from 2012 until his retire-ment in May 2014 when he served as the Deputy Com-mander for Fort Jackson.

Yackley was noted for his contribution in assisting the Army and Fort Jackson in revamping Basic Combat Training, ensuring it stayed demanding, combat focused, and relevant to the current operating environment and for strengthening relations with the local community.

The Hall of Fame select-ees are honored in a perma-nent display on Fort Jackson. Yackley retired after 41 years of Army service and resides

in Custer County with his spouse Debby.


Retired Colonel inducted into Hall of Fame

Steve Yackley

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