It’s hard to fathom that it has been 20 months since our lives were dramatically transformed by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
While many in our society, especially in Colorado, have chosen to move on from this traumatic experience, going back to normal despite the risk of contracting or transmitting the virus, the pandemic is unfortunately not over.
What President Trump did in his speech to a crowd of supporters Jan. 6 was to encourage them to march to the Capitol to put pressure on Republican senators and representatives and Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election.
The anarchist thugs who stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, disrupting proceedings of Congress, are no different than the anarchist thugs who burned buildings in Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle and other cities this summer.
As we leave a uniquely difficult year behind us and look with guarded hope toward 2021, it is reasonable to temper one’s expectations.
The rollercoaster ride is not over yet; 2021 will surely have its twists and turns as well.
Like many local residents, when Friends of Browns Canyon first learned that the Colorado Midland and Pacific Railway had leased Union Pacific’s local rail line, we were excited at the prospect of trains returning to the valley. After all, CMP promised to “assess the interest” of local communities “for commuter passenger rail services.”
Well, you thought you had seen the last edition from this author, but the governor called a special session – labeled extraordinary – for 3 days early this week.
So, here is another edition to fill you in on what happened during the last gasp of the 72nd General Assembly.
As a card carrying member of the Sierra Club, GreenPeace and NRDC to name a few, I am appalled by what the 350 Central Colorado argument is promoting with their open letter to Nestlé Waters North America.
“The Times They Are a Changin’.” So wrote Bob Dylan in the 1960s, and they seem to change even more during this tumultuous year of 2020.
A change that has been overlooked by the administrators of the Buena Vista school district is the movement to include what was formerly called Vocational Technical Training in the high school curriculum. Now called Career Technical Education (CTE), the movement has grown nationally.
During the past 20 plus years I have written many articles on water rights and water allocation in Colorado.
“A person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.” Patriot. (2019) – Oxford Online Dictionary
“One who loves and supports his or her country.” Patriot. (2019) – Merriam-Webster.com
We are hearing a lot about patriots and patriotism as we approach the 2020 election.
But, what does it really mean to be a true patriot?
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like every other car and truck coming to Buena Vista this summer has three or four mountain bikes with it.
I have a feeling the cars without bikes on them have hiking and trail running shoes, maybe even cowboy boots, in the trunk.
It’s more than just a feeling, the increase of trail users in and around Buena Vista is real.
National Health Center Week 2020 is celebrated this year on August 9 – August 15. Across the country, the exceptional work of Community Health Centers will be recognized, work sustained while fighting on the front lines of COVID-19 to keep our communities healthy and safe. This celebration w…
The second session of the 72nd General Assembly is in the books. A little after 5 p.m., June 15, it was “Turn out the lights – the party’s over!” on the floor of the Colorado House of Representatives.
There are no words to accurately describe the events of the past several months. I am at a loss on what to say, don’t know where to begin, or I get pulled in a different direction due to so many competing priorities.
We recessed here at the state capitol in mid-March and reconvened May 26, with the commitment to only deal with bills on the calendar that were fast, free and friendly.
Encounters with wildlife are a common occurrence for travelers in the back country.
This photo from 1964 is a business which is still around with a different name. If you can identify this location, call Suzy Kelly, 719-395-2572, or e-mail skellyranch@gmail.com. The first with the correct answer will be recognized in the next column.
Wow – a lot of things have happened since the last column. Kristi and I celebrated our 39th anniversary, the Capitol got trashed (multiple times), curfews became normal and a little legislation got passed.
We identified two primary threats to our community from the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans’ rights in relation to their government. Moses and the people of Israel were given the 10 Commandments – Americans were given the Bill of Rights…both are pretty big deals. In today’s world, Americans f…
The year 2020 began as every other year. Daily familiar, comfortable, predictable routines. Cue February: The global pandemic reaches America. Our reality changed: We were sent to our rooms (homes) by “The Landlord.”
Another Memorial Day weekend has passed with all of its modified flag ceremonies and cemetery tributes, travel, Safer At Home picnics, family get-togethers and all the other events that mark the beginning of summer.
The research is clear: Schools are essential for children’s wellbeing in times of crisis.
The photo in last week’s paper was identified by Jim Foreman and some others. It is from the 1940s. This is the dam at the town lake and the spillway with the rock wall.
Another Memorial Day weekend has passed with all of its modified flag ceremonies and cemetery tributes, travel, Safer At Home picnics, family get-togethers and all the other events that mark the beginning of summer.
The research is clear: Schools are essential for children’s wellbeing in times of crisis.
The photo in last week’s paper was identified by Jim Foreman and some others. It is from the 1940s. This is the dam at the town lake and the spillway with the rock wall.
At least 60 years ago, at about 6, I experienced a seminal landmark in my life. My parents owned a business back in Ohio where I grew up, they worked 6 days of the week and on Sunday there was church, so there wasn’t much time for family activities.
Franklin D. Roosevelt coined one of America’s iconic maxims in his first inaugural address: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
If you listen carefully this week in the halls of the state capitol, you might hear famed boxing announcer Michael Buffer’s catchphrase, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” echoing under the Golden Dome.
This was to be the week of eager anticipation for state legislators as we prepared for a return to the Capitol on May 18 to do the people’s business.
Alas, it was not to be – on Saturday, May 9, Democratic Leadership in the General Assembly announced that the temporary suspension of the Legislature will continue until the week of May 25.
It is no exaggeration to say that a mega-drought not seen in 500 years has descended on the seven Colorado River Basin states: Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California. That’s what the science shows, and that’s what the region faces.
Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and San Diego have already reduced per capita water use. Yet they continue to consume far more water than the river can supply. The river and its tributaries are still overdrawn by more than a million acre feet annually, an amount in consumption equaled by four cities the size of Los Angeles.
How does our faith get lived out in our lives – in these times especially? When there is so much distancing we must do, how do we reach out with love and concern for our brothers, sisters and neighbors in this time of staying in, worry and loss?
Currently we are under the governor’s “safer-at-home” phase, which requests the following:
Is everyone enjoying themselves? Like so many, the past 45 days have been spent immersed in the new hobbies of weekly retail foraging, daily news data evaluation and my personal favorite, home improvement projects.
This past weekend marked the transition from Safe at Home to Safer at Home. Well, kind of. Some areas are relaxing the rules, while others are staying locked down. It seems that we cannot even agree on whether to phase-in or to jump-in.
Well, we completed another week of hunkering down and a few more projects checked off the honey-do list.
It was in 1944 when Nazi Germany and the Imperial Armed Forces of Japan were engaged with the United States in the bloody global battles of WWII; a pastor’s wife, the mother of five, sensing the need of divine help in those troublous times, was inspired to write the words of this well-known …
Over this holiday weekend, I can’t help but feel tremendous gratitude despite such uncertain and challenging times.
I am writing this column from my desk at home again – it is early morning, Easter Sunday.
During these strange times, since I’m not working, I still try to get out onto the river regularly and do some fishing locally.
You saw the sign, right? The Speed Limit 55 sign? Well, even if you missed it, by driving on the road, you know there’s a certain prescribed speed. If you see a police car, you’ll slow down. Right? With the good music and fresh air, you’re in your own head space as the scenery whooshes by.
A couple of weeks ago I informed you of one of the major concerns with the Legislature adjourning for the COVID-19 virus.
During these uncertain times, attending to our spiritual well being can be especially beneficial. Spiritual practices can help to keep us grounded and calm. Here are a few things you might like to try.
I am writing this edition here at home where I can see the antique Regulator clock on the wall. The pendulum swings back and forth ticking off the seconds of another day.
Wilderness. A word that has been a functional part of our vocabulary for many years. But recent fires and flooding here in the upper Arkansas Valley have caused me to consider this word with a slightly different view.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Rep. Wilson’s guest column from last week can be read online at ChaffeeCountyTimes.com
The end of the Douglas Adams classic “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” is wrong. And yet, it’s right at the same time.
The true meaning of the answer to the “Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything” is hidden in the dolphins’ parting thought in the book, “So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.”
The secret is the fish – sardines for the sake of this argument – they were fed for doing tricks. The answer, however, lies at the molecular level.
Shortly after Lent began, I started watching a show called Metanoia, produced by The Ministry of the Wild Goose, 4PM Media and other ministry partners, https://wildgoose.tv/
What to do, what to do? With ski season brought to a hasty pause, live music on hiatus and large gatherings over 10 discontinued, it feels like things are way out of sorts.
Capitol Bill Watch: 564 Total – up from 537 last edition. House: 360 – Senate 204 Signed into law: 33 Postponed Indefinitely (Killed): 98
For the untold thousands of readers out there who are tired of hearing about Super Tuesday primary delegate totals and would like an update on bill totals at the Capitol, here it is.
Colorado state Senators Brittany Pettersen and Kerry Donovan introduced their bill to tackle Colorado’s growing retirement savings crisis.
In the Bible, the prophet Isaiah relates the promise that the Lord will guide us and satisfy us, and that we shall “be like a watered garden.” Isaiah 58:11
Last week’s column compared the Capitol to a haunted house. If you were in the building Tuesday morning, you probably would have believed it.
Earlier today, I was sitting at the fly tying bench catching up on tying some of my ever-present backlog of flies.
My brother Jay is one year younger than me. Growing up we loved each other and, of course, hated each other. One time my mother sent me to the chicken coop to gather eggs when I was about 6 years old. It was summertime and I took my shirt off to use to cradle the eggs.
The magnitude of the Colorado River’s decline (because of climate change) as outlined in the Science paper is “eye popping.” – Brad Udall, senior scientist at Colorado State University.
The latest research about the Colorado River is alarming and also predictable: In a warming world, snowmelt has been decreasing while evaporation of reservoirs is increasing. Yet no politician has a plan to save the diminishing Colorado River.
Have you ever gone through a haunted house at Halloween and every so often a body would pop up out of a casket and scare the bejabbers out of you?
Each month, nearly 63 million people receive a Social Security benefit check, and almost a third stay out of poverty as a result of this monthly payment. However, since 1984, some Social Security beneficiaries have been required to pay federal income tax on their benefits, resulting in the d…
Last night I was visiting with one of my Republican friends and colleagues. We found ourselves reflecting on the national political climate, our time in the Capitol and what motivated us to serve in the Senate.
Consider the biosphere of the antedeluvian world (i.e. “the pre-flood world”). According to Genesis, before the story of Noah’s ark a mist watered the earth, not rain.
A couple of weeks ago, I explained in this column the process a bill has to go through to become law.
It is always a sad event to see the winter pass. An attack of tourist deprivation has never been a problem at this point in the season; they’ll be here soon enough.
Many believers of all types come to a time in life when they wonder if they have lost their faith. Things have changed. A once joyful, enthusiastic and energetic faith now seems overcome by apathy and uncertainty. There was a time when prayers and praises were exciting and interactive, but n…
This past week was Supplemental Week at the Capitol. Supplementals are supposed to be the “final true-up for last year’s budget.”
The Chaffee County Times will adhere to the following guidelines concerning letters to the editor about elections including candidates and ballot issues.
Last Friday, the Senate hosted Military Appreciation Day in the Senate chambers. Active service members and retired veterans joined legislators on the floor of the Senate to remember and celebrate our military forces.
I first met Rod in the early ‘80s shortly after I moved from Tennessee. With his tight smile, deep laugh and love of flyfishing, I liked him right away.
By the time you read this, a quarter of the 120-day 2020 legislative session will be in the rear view mirror. Time does fly when you are having fun.
Last week the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed two of my bills – (SB20-002 “Rural Economic Development Initiative Grant Program” and SB20-048 “Study Strengthening Water Anti-speculation Law”) and recommended them for the consent calendar in the Senate.
Several people have asked “How is it going?” and my response has been “Really well – all of my bills are still alive!”
It’s been a busy winter with several major trips, bird watching, some skiing, fishing and some hunting both waterfowl and upland birds.
The first round of bill titles has been filed and special interest groups are going into helicopter mode as they hover around the Capitol searching for reasons to support or oppose bills.
Commented