Category Archives: Editorials

Twenty years ago, a few of us local jour­nalists launched the Four Corners Free Press in Cortez. We wanted to offer an in-depth, alternative publication that would cover the Four Corners region. Our first issue in September 2003 fitted with … Continue reading →

In May, we received a number of calls and emails from our readers asking, “Where’s my paper?” The short answer to the question is, we really don’t know where some of those papers went. It’s growing difficult to find places … Continue reading →

Like most of the nation right now, Cortez is deeply divided over politics. The division isn’t new, since it was ap­parent even before COVID-19 came along. But the pandemic and the 2020 election definitely worsened the rift. Over the past … Continue reading →

It was a great victory for the forces of righteousness on Feb. 16. Thank goodness Lance McDaniel was recalled from his position on the Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 school board by a 2-1 margin. This should put an end to the dire … Continue reading →

Now that the election is over, we can try to begin returning to normal – well, except for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. But, unfortunately, we still have one local issue that may have to be dealt with – a … Continue reading →

There have been some sad chapters in the history of Montezuma County – events that left a lingering mark on the entire community. One of those was the strike by about half of the teachers in School District Re-1 in … Continue reading →

“The Dolores River Valley should be treated no different than any other areas of the county.” That was the language contained in one of several proposed changes to the Montezuma County Land Use Code put forth by the Planning and … Continue reading →

These are some of the things that true leaders – good leaders – do and don’t do. They listen to the views of others. They don’t necessarily agree, but they genuinely listen and seek to understand how others think. They … Continue reading →

Fans of the original Star Trek may recall an episode called “The Cloud Minders,” which was based on an original story by David Gerrold. It’s about a planet where there is a literal upper class that lives in a city … Continue reading →

“For over a thousand years, the tale of Little Red Riding Hood has taught children and adults that wolves can’t be trusted.” That’s how Bob Beauprez, a former U.S. congressman from Colorado, began an opinion column in the Feb. 16 … Continue reading →

Land-use planning, including zoning, contributes a good deal to preserving our liberty and pursuit of happiness (to borrow from a nicely turned phrase). But at the very crowded Cortez City Council meeting last month, folks turned out in droves to … Continue reading →

When we started this paper 16 years ago, we thought long and hard about a lot of things – layout, content, day of publication, and so on. But one thing we didn’t think much about until the last minute was … Continue reading →

When you walk into the workshop for the Cortez City Council and you’re feeling thirsty, you can have a drink – by grabbing a paper cup and pouring from a pitcher of water. When you attend a meeting of the … Continue reading →

Montezuma County and the rest of the far southwestern corner of Colorado is home to a host of worthy nonprofit organizations that do a stunning amount of valuable work. We can’t begin to list them here, but they help people … Continue reading →

Memorial Day has lost some of its original purpose over the years. It’s no one’s fault, really, but for many people, it’s become just a time to enjoy a day off, mark the start of the summer season, and go … Continue reading →

Montezuma County Commissioner Larry Don Suckla, who is in the middle of his second and theoretically final four-year term, recently raised the idea of asking voters to extend term limits for the commissioners. The board voted unanimously on April 15 … Continue reading →

June 28 was a great day for America. What happened that morning represented a triumph of epic proportions – good over evil, the little guy over the powers of giant corporations. No, we’re not talking about the U.S. Supreme Court’s … Continue reading →

The answer is that our tiny editorial staff managed to come down with various demonic plagues right around press time, and we simply weren’t able to produce Crime Waves this month. We also had to make this a smaller-than-usual newspaper … Continue reading →

In the recent movie Bohemian Rhapsody, Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen, leaves the group to do some solo projects. But eventually he comes back, telling the other members that – without their feedback and criticism – his … Continue reading →

Every year we hear reminders to “shop local.” Some people heed them, but others ignore them, preferring to rack up bargains online. Hey, there’s no doubt that online shopping offers a world of choices. The selection of goods is practically … Continue reading →

Recently we did a readership survey via SurveyMonkey online as well as in the newspaper itself. The results showed that the majority of the people who responded like the Four Corners Free Press and want us to continue doing more … Continue reading →

There are 13 statewide questions on the Colorado ballot vying for your attention and possible support. Of those, two stand out as particularly worthy of consideration: proposed constitutional amendments Y and Z. Referred to voters by the state legislature without … Continue reading →

It’s hard to know what to make of the political situation in San Juan County, Utah, where the furor over Bears Ears National Monument (now reduced to two much-smaller monuments) and over the coming election has split the populace into … Continue reading →

A newspaper’s head-editorial space is usually reserved for criticism, but as a change of pace this month, we’d like to offer some kudos instead. We do it warily, because inevitably when you praise something, other people are bound to say, … Continue reading →

It’s flattering to learn that San Juan County, Utah, Commissioner Phil Lyman believes the Free Press is secretly being financed by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and billionaire environmentalist David Bonderman. (See “Legal fees” by Zac Podmore starting on Page 1.) … Continue reading →

Municipal elections are April 3 across Colorado, and a slew of candidates are running for seats on the three town-governmental bodies in Montezuma County. Cortez has eight candidates vying for five open seats on its city council. In Mancos, five … Continue reading →

October brought two significant pieces of news in the regional battle against unneeded developments in beautiful natural areas. First, the good news: On Oct. 31, the Navajo Nation Council voted 16-2 against legislation that would have given a green light … Continue reading →

We humans are tribal creatures, and it’s simple to get us to view other “tribes” — people not exactly like us — with suspicion and distrust. Hatred is easy; tolerance is difficult. Which is why it’s so disturbing to see … Continue reading →

The astonishing downturn in the price of oil over recent months has had far-reaching consequences. One of those has been to give urgency to previously lackadaisical discussions in Montezuma County about finding “something” to drive the local economy beyond oil … Continue reading →

It would be easy to lambaste the Montezuma County Planning and Zoning Commission for its apparent opposition to a 17-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail proposed between Cortez and Mancos. The group of four (one member was absent) had little good … Continue reading →

The dispute between the Montezuma County commissioners and the Montezuma Mosquito Control District is one of the strangest clashes involving local-government entities in recent years. On April 18, the commissioners voted 3-0 to oust the district from its office in … Continue reading →

People are working themselves into a lather over Bears Ears National Monument – a monument that does not yet exist but has been proposed by a coalition of five Native American tribes. It would cover some 1.9 million acres in … Continue reading →

Opponents of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, have long been frustrated in their efforts to get it overturned. They’ve failed time and again both in Congress and the courts. But they may be winning the battle through another method … Continue reading →

“Nobody’s irreplaceable,” my Free Press co-owner, Wendy Mimiaga, is fond of saying. Her point is that all of us leave our jobs at some point, and no matter how well we’ve filled our positions, eventually someone else is going to … Continue reading →

It’s been a decade since Republicans held the presidency as well as a majority in both houses of Congress, so it’s natural that they now have the bit in their teeth and want to move swiftly to further their agenda. … Continue reading →

August 2014 The July 7 public hearing on land use in the Dolores River Valley was disheartening for a number of reasons. One was minor, yet telling: It became clear that none of our county commissioners are familiar with the … Continue reading →

At the end of October, the world’s population officially reached 7 billion. A few weeks later, conservationists announced that the Western black rhino of Africa had gone extinct and the Javan rhinoceros of Vietnam was likely extinct as well. The … Continue reading →