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Category Archives: 2005
This just in: Bush administration acted illegally!
With all the attention drawn by the ongoing CIA leak case and the indictments of Dick Cheney’s brain, Scooter Libby, another unethical and illegal action by the White House has sparked little comment. The federal General Accountability Office ruled in … Continue reading
Published in David Long, December 2005
Measure would put public lands up for sale
Mining claims on public lands across the nation would be up for sale to private developers under a provision slipped into the 2006 federal budget last month. The brief language, buried within the 830-page House spending bill, lifts the 11-year … Continue reading
Published in December 2005
A party animal, not a donkey in disguise
You’ve probably heard the buzz about Mark Larson, the state representative from the 59th District. Although he’s a Republican and has been for decades, people hint that he isn’t . . . not really. “A very moderate Republican” is how … Continue reading
Published in December 2005
Low fish numbers on the Dolores River prompt concern
Operators juggle needs of boaters, irrigators If you happen to be a trout or a native fish living in the Dolores River, you’re probably feeling pretty lonely. Fish numbers continued to decline despite increased river flows this year, according to … Continue reading
Published in December 2005
Images reveal bonds between photography and archaeology
The wall cuts horizontally across the photograph. It has vertical holes for an entrance and window. But glass, door, and ceiling have disintegrated It’s a desolate wall. Still, a presence clings to it. People depended on its adobe long ago … Continue reading
Published in Arts & Entertainment, December 2005
2005: The best of times, or the worst?
Ah, harvest time. Orchard parties and U-Pick signs inviting you to gather a piece of autumn condensed into a crisp, red apple. Or the pleasant weariness that comes from putting up the last of two dozen jars of salsa lovingly … Continue reading
Published in November 2005
Environmentalists decry proposed ESA changes
The Endangered Species Act of 1973, long considered the premier conservation law for protecting rare plants and animals, would be severely altered under a rewrite that has already cleared the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo, a California … Continue reading
Published in November 2005
Foreboding territory: Film about sexual harassment grimly fascinating
“The War Between the Sexes” is a term generally used with humor, to describe the flirting, game-playing and jockeying for power that mark relations between males and females in any culture. In the new film “North Country,” however, the War … Continue reading
Published in Arts & Entertainment, November 2005
Coming Ag Expo to reflect trend toward small farms
Expect a Four States Ag Expo in 2006 that reflects the latest trend in agriculture: the rise of small producers. While the big machinery and traditional exhibitors will still be there, the Ag Expo, slated for March 9-11 at the … Continue reading
Published in November 2005
Biodiesel stirs excitement in Four Corners
Advocates say biodiesel pollutes less, helps economy Fueling America’s ever-thirsty gas tanks with a waste product from the fast-food industry sounds too good to be true, and critics maintain that it is. But vegetable oil, in the form of biodiesel, … Continue reading
Published in November 2005
Preserving native culture
The books have titles like “Taytay’s Memories” and “Swift Eagle of the Rio Grande.” Bound in sturdy hard covers, the thick volumes with their heavy ragged-edge pages evoke memories of the library on snowy childhood Saturdays, or the rush to … Continue reading
Published in October 2005
Great Stories have timeless appeal
Recently, while casting about for something to read, I came upon a bestselling novel by a current author. About two chapters into the book, I suspected that all was not right with the heroine, a woman in her 30s. I … Continue reading
Published in Arts & Entertainment, October 2005
Good news, bad news about regional air quality
The “big picture” of air quality in the Four Corners appears murkier than the horizon on a windy day. That was the conclusion to be drawn from a regional air-quality conference that took place in mid-September at Fort Lewis College. … Continue reading
Published in October 2005
The air that we breathe
A proposed $2 billion power plant 30 miles south of Farmington could be a boon to an impoverished people — or a curse that would degrade health and the environment. Those sharply conflicting views were presented at a regional air-quality … Continue reading
Published in October 2005
Battling racism in the Four Corners: Racist incidents recounted at civil-rights open forum
Related stories: Diversity boosts economy, expert states Perceptions of prejudice vary widely On Sept. 22, members of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission traveled to Cortez and heard some potentially explosive charges of racism at a meeting in City Hall. … Continue reading
Published in October 2005
Battling racism in the Four Corners: Diversity boosts economy, expert states
Related stories: Perceptions of prejudice vary widely Racist incidents recounted at civil-rights open forum A vibrant city economy depends on positive community attitudes toward ethnic diversity, advised officials with the U.S. and Colorado Civil Rights commissions at a Fort … Continue reading
Published in October 2005
Battling racism in the Four Corners: Perceptions of prejudice vary widely
Related stories: Diversity boosts economy, expert states Racist incidents recounted at civil-rights open forum Is Montezuma County a racist place? There seem to be as many opinions about the ugly issue as there are people willing to express them. … Continue reading
Published in October 2005
Donate to a great cause: the NFL
I’ve decided that the only hope for restoring civil society in this country is sports. Here’s why. Given that my parents, most of my family, and some close friends are big fans of the current president’s administration, sports is about … Continue reading
Published in janelle holden, October 2005
Wild horse roundup judged a success
Wild-horse advocates and BLM officials alike were pleased by the success of a wild-horse adoption that took place Aug. 27 in Montezuma County. “As far as placing these animals, getting them all adopted, the auction went very well,” said Pati … Continue reading
Published in September 2005
Who owns the Dolores River? Tips for rafters and landowners
“In the end, all things merge into one; and a river runs through it.” — Norman MacLean Property Owners and Nature Lovers: Who owns the Dolores River? ANSWER: No one owns the Dolores River. The Dolores was a navigable river … Continue reading
Published in September 2005
Replacing the pick and hoe
Dove Creek over the Fourth of July holiday observed its 50th anniversary this year. Pick ’n’ Hoe celebrates the uranium miners and bean farmers of the Dove Creek area. Who are the workers that will be celebrated 50 years from … Continue reading
Published in September 2005
Lone cone access
LONE CONE ACCESS … The threat of 100 homes is real, from the folks who closed off traditional access to the west side of Lone Cone and all the national forest lands up in that region, as the Free Press … Continue reading
Published in September 2005
Common threads link Polish, Navajo weavers
The flowers and geometric designs seem to dance off the rugs hanging in Farmington’s Downtown Center Gallery, the Farmington Museum’s newest exhibit space. Some tapestries feature bold, bright colors. Others offer more subtle palettes: brown, gray and black. Some tell … Continue reading
Published in Arts & Entertainment, September 2005
Closed to the public
A simmering dispute involving private property rights vs. public good in San Miguel and Dolores counties is about to come to a boil after two years of wrangling. The 2003 closure of a road traditionally used for access to the … Continue reading
Published in September 2005
Lighting the unity torch
Nothing in life is more telling about a person than their wedding ceremony. Weddings reveal the couple’s faith, world view, and most importantly, their favorite color patterns. I’ve been to a wedding where the priest compared good love to eating … Continue reading
Published in janelle holden, September 2005
Santa Fe Opera gives apprentices a voice
With an arm around Lindoro, her lover, Rosina hurls an insult at Dr. Bartolo. The old fool will not marry her for her money! Bartolo gapes, wondering how Lindoro got into Rosina’a room, disguised as a drunken soldier. The old … Continue reading
Published in Arts & Entertainment, August 2005
A man of mettle
Floyd Johnson’s unique hobby has drawn visitors from across the U.S. and abroad to his rural Dolores “Allmosa Ranch.” A community of big and small people, even aliens, on foot and riding in everything from a wagon to a wheelchair, … Continue reading
Published in Arts & Entertainment, August 2005
Fighting for whitewater
Rafting and kayaking Colorado’s numerous whitewater rivers is a surging business, pumping $200 million into the state’s economy last year, according to industry analysts. The Four Corners contributes its share, hosting thousands of commercial and private boaters on the Animas, … Continue reading
Published in August 2005
Clawing their way back
Back in 1999, the chances that Colorado would ever again have a healthy population of Canada lynx did not look promising. A program to reintroduce the native felines to the state had begun with great fanfare, as hordes of media … Continue reading
Published in August 2005
4H should change the way it does business
My mother never wanted me to join 4-H. When my father suggested signing me up, she argued that 4-H was “too political,” and she wasn’t interested in camping out at the county fair for a week. But my father prevailed … Continue reading
Published in August 2005, janelle holden
Patriotism, the last refuge of scoundrels, thrives
Let’s see: The immoral, illegal and interminable war in Iraq drags on, killing our kids as well as Iraqi citizens while squandering our wealth. Our economy heads for the toilet as the price of gas skyrockets and consumer confidence plunges. … Continue reading
Published in David Long, July 2005
Mounting concern over power-plant pollution
Concern is mounting locally about the pollution produced by area power plants and a proposal to build a new coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Reservation. On June 18, some 100 citizens gathered at a rally in Shiprock, N.M., to … Continue reading
Published in July 2005
Jeff Solon entertains regions jazz-lovers
In a corner of the patio of The Bluffs Restaurant on Farmington’s East Main Street, Jeff Solon finishes adjusting his saxophone strap. Beside him, another musician curls his right hand around an electric guitar’s fret board. The early crowd gathered … Continue reading
Published in Arts & Entertainment, July 2005
Is ‘LIZ’ crazy? A unique zoning system is challenged
When people first hear about Montezuma County’s zoning system, they have one reaction: They laugh. The idea of landowners zoning themselves is so unusual that it sounds absurd, at least on first mention. Some of the county’s residents firmly believe … Continue reading
Published in July 2005
A feminist take on the whole ‘Star Wars’ saga
Call me the Feminist Movie Critic, I guess, but ever since viewing “Revenge of the Sith,” I’ve been troubled by how easily our popular culture seems to revert to creaky stereotypes despite all the talk there has been in the … Continue reading
Published in July 2005
The economy is humming in Montezuma Creek
On a San Juan River terrace thousands of years old, where natural cobbles make a bumpy parking lot, trucks and cars are lined up around a neatly painted metal building. The site may be ancient, but the citizens of Montezuma … Continue reading
Published in July 2005
Wild and free – and headed for the slaughterhouse
On a clear and blazing day in late May, a white pickup truck jolted along a narrow road through a remote stretch of the Disappointment Valley northwest of Dolores and east of Dove Creek. Though the hillsides burst with fiery … Continue reading
Published in June 2005
A messy dilemma in the beautiful town of Bluff
One recent bright and balmy day, I was lunching at the Twin Rocks Café in Bluff, relaxing in the desert warmth, when I noticed men assembling in the parking lot below. They were noteworthy because they wore buttoneddown shirts or … Continue reading
Published in June 2005
The impacts of closing Community Corrections
Convicted felon Dave Dressel readily admits he made a bad mistake, and he is working hard now to pay for it. A former painting contractor in Cortez, Dressel, now 32, pleaded guilty nearly three years ago to manufacturing methamphetamine and … Continue reading
Published in June 2005
An uphill battle: Riding the Iron Horse
I get it now. You’re supposed to beat the train, which is impossible, at least for me. And by the way, nine months of training won’t help. After watching and reading about the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic for 15 years, … Continue reading
Published in June 2005