All posts by sentineladmin

2022, Uncategorized

Custer County Fair Schedule July 9-16 2022

2022 CUSTER COUNTY FAIR
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SCHEDULE
9 am – 7pm: Exhibit Hall Open Thursday – Saturday. ALL events are held in the Show Arena unless otherwise stated.

Saturday, July 9, 2022
4 pm: 4-H Llama Show (OPEN participation following the show) Saddle Club Arena

Sunday, July 10, 2022
8 am: Archery Competition – Sangre de Cristo Cowboy Church Range
2 pm: .22 Rifle Competition – Sheriff’s Shooting Range
5:30 pm: Shotgun Competition – Sheriff’s Shooting Range

Monday, July 11, 2022
All events today are held in the Exhibit Hall
7 am – 8 am: Check in for all OPEN projects
EXHIBIT HALL CLOSED TO PUBLIC DURING JUDGING
9 am – 4 pm: Begin 4-H General and FCS project judges’ interviews, exhibitors need to check in 15 minutes before their scheduled interview time

Tuesday, July 12, 2022
9 am – 2:30 pm: 4-H Horse Shows & Gymkhana – Saddle Club arena
4 pm – 5 pm: 4-H Cat Show
4 pm – 8 pm: Exhibit Hall Open
6:30 pm – 8 pm: 4-H Speech Contest

Wednesday, July 13, 2022
9 am – 4 pm: 4-H and FFA livestock weigh-in, small animal check in Lamb/Goat Barn

Thursday, July 14, 2022
9 am – 10 am: 4-H Dog Show
10 am -11 pm: 4-H and FFA Rabbit Classes
4 pm – 5 pm: Custer County 4-H Leadership Council Pork Dinner
5 pm – 7 pm: 4-H and FFA Swine Classes

Friday, July 15, 2022
8 am – 9 am: Custer County Cattlewomen Beef Breakfast
9 am – 10:30 am: 4-H and FFA Beef Classes
10:30 am – 12 pm: 4-H and FFA Sheep Classes
12 pm – 1:30 pm: 4-H and FFA Goat Classes
2 pm: Master Showmanship

Saturday, July 16, 2022
10 am: Rodeo Parade – Downtown
11 am: Sangre de Cristo Cowboy Church Steak Dinner
11:30 am: Shooting Sports Awards and Buckle Awards Ceremony
12 pm: 4-H and FFA Livestock Auction
4 pm – 6 pm: Check out for all OPEN class projects – Exhibit Hall

2022, Uncategorized

ALL ABOOOARD! Choo-choo Train

by Fred Hernandez
Thanks to the passion of a few concerned citizens in Custer County, important elements of the history of this area will be preserved for the benefit of many future generations. All Aboard Westcliffe (AAW) is a non profit 501 (c) 3 incorporated in 1990 with the mission to find, collect, restore and preserve historical locations, equipment and various other railroad paraphernalia related to the history of the arrival of the trains in Custer County in the late 1800s. The Denver-Rio Grande Western Railroad was the quintessence of mountain railroading back in the day with a charming motto of “through the Rockies, not around them” later shortened simply to “ mainline through the Rockies”. Also known as D&RGW it started as, what is called in the industry, a narrow gauge line which ran south from Denver serving as a transcontinental “bridge” to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1870. Its cargo was usually coal and minerals. It operated the highest mainline rail line in the continental USA going over the 10,240 foot high Tennessee Pass in Colorado not to mention its famed routes through Moffat Tunnel and Royal Gorge. In 1889 the D&RGW claimed the largest narrow gauge railroad network in the country with 1,861 miles of track interconnecting the tri-state area of Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.

AAW Chair Sandy Messick, Gail Genovese, and Chair Elect John Genovese. (2021) Courtesy photo

In a recent interview with AAW Chair Sandy Messick the Sentinel learned a lot about the origins of the town of Westcliffe, which came to existence around the D&RGW terminal on what is now Main Street (#102), when the railroad management decided to serve the silver mining industry in Silver Cliff and the growing agricultural enterprises in the valley. The train came up along Grape Creek in the late 1800s. It crossed the creek about thirty times as it traveled. When there were washouts, which happened on a regular basis during certain seasons, its progress was considerably slowed down until it was decided to stop the service altogether. In 1900, D&RGW took a second look at the valley and started its service once again. In 1901, it was serving the mining and agricultural industries moving lots of cattle, peas, cauliflower and lettuce. At some point in the 1930’s service to Custer had become no longer viable financially and D&RGW petitioned the government to allow them to cease operations to the area. In 1937 that petition was granted, the trains stopped coming and the tracks were pulled up and carted away. The railroad did leave some of their memories behind however and, although it took a while, some local residents started getting together and talking about the old days when the trains stopped at the old Westcliffe station on Main Street. Before too long talk turned to action and All Aboard Westcliffe was established as a non-profit corporation. Slowly they took stock of what assets they had on hand. Not knowing if they would be able to acquire the depot on Main Street, they built a replica depot in what is now Heritage Center on Rosita Road. Eventually, in 2013, they did obtain the building on Main Street which had undergone a myriad of changes over the years; from being a home, a museum, a garage or just sitting empty for years. With generous help from the community they reopened to the public in 2018.
Recently the AAW received a Facade Grant from the Town of Westcliffe for the improvement of their properties in the commercial areas of town. This grant will go a long way for the preservation and beautification of the old building making it “prettier” and safer. Among the activities planned for the coming months there will be a Pancake Breakfast on July 4th from 7 to 10 a.m. (before the big parade down Main); on the menu: all you can eat pancakes, biscuit and gravy and sausages. Ten dollars for adults and five for kids under twelve.
Also on July 2-4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., there is a Craft and Flea Market at 110 Rosita Road. The Yard Sale is also at 110 Rosita Road.
Come and support All Aboard Westcliffe as they preserve Custer County history through their efforts in preserving the history of Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. ALL ABOARD!

2022, Uncategorized

Beeza’s Restaurant & Pub Grand Opening Sunday

by George Gramlich

Beeza’s
photo by George Gramlich

A new, very interesting new restaurant and bar Is having its Grand Opening this Sunday, July 10th in downtown Westcliffe. Beeza’s Restaurant & Pub, owned by Patricia McDonald is a 70 seat operation with a full bar (including Harp and Guinness on tap), wine and food menu. The food menu is very interesting and will have some dishes not seen in these parts so well worth the trip to try them.

Beeza’s is located at 215 Main Street, Westcliffe, next to Chappy’s. They will be open initially nights only from 5 p.m. to midnight every day but Monday. Their phone number is 720-819-1196 . They also have a Facebook site under the restaurant’s name. Stop by and welcome Pat to our community!

Uncategorized

Custer County Republican Primary Results

by George Gramlich
After vigorous campaigns by all contestants in our two local Republican contested races, Lloyd “Rich” Smith took the Sheriff’s Office win and Bradford Lewis Baltzly won the Coroner’s race.
Smith beat Brandon Schoch 1,176 (56.48%) to 906 (43.52%). In the Coroner’s contest, Baltzly took the flag by 1,092 (53.8%) to 935 (46.13%).

In the uncontested Custer County races, William R. (Bill) Canda got 1,325 in the Custer County Commissioner, District 1 slot. Kelley S. Camper landed 1,755 votes for the Custer County Clerk and Recorder position. J.D. Henrich received 1,659 votes for Assessor.
The controversial Republican Party Secretary of State primary race was won by Pam Anderson over Tina Peters. Heidi Ganahl beat Greg Lopez in the Governor’s race. Local favorite, conservative Ron Hanks lost to the “moderate” candidate, Joe O’Dea, in the U.S. Senate Republican primary by 310,430 to 258,685.

A big thank you goes out to County Clerk Kelley Camper and her election crew for executing a perfect primary count and process. We are lucky to have such a fine bunch of dedicated citizens. THANKS!

To see the county results go to https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/Custer/113980/web.285569/#/summary?v=297570%2F

 

2022, Letters, Uncategorized

Open Letter to Colorado GOP Chair (Concerning Her Comments on Electability)

Chairwoman Brown,
Thank you for keeping us up to date with your emails. In your email dated June 10th, you exhort us “Let’s select candidates who support the Republican Party platform AND who you think can win in November. It’s not enough to just be right; we also must win majorities if we want to govern.”
I would argue that any candidate who honors the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God IS capable of winning in November. Why? Because God is still in charge. It’s not about being “right”, whatever that means. It’s about knowing what is true and what is false and standing for truth. Because God’s word is the way, the truth and the life, we must honor God’s word, His moral law, what our founders called The Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.
The idea of “electability” has received a lot of attention in our party at the expense of truth. However, leaders never say what qualities are needed in a candidate for him or her to be electable. Observation of candidates who appear to be favored by party leaders often points to varied characteristics such as financial wealth (occasionally gained by access to government contracts), lack of understanding or concern over the nation’s founding principles, and lately, blatant and unapologetic disregard for the Republican Party platform and the traditional definition of ‘conservative’. A favored candidate may also practice near total avoidance of the electorate in cases where he or she is not comfortable speaking in unscripted situations. It can often appear that candidates who receive the most support from the party are chosen for their lack of understanding; yes-men who willingly comply with the demands of their advisers, but sometimes appear to be caught completely unaware of what they have gotten into.
The very lack of defining qualities, makes choosing a candidate for his or her electability a farce akin to a practical joke wherein the gullible victims are the complicit electorate. So, let’s move away from the squishy rhetoric to the hard facts for a moment.

FACT: Our founders established a form of self-governance known as a Constitutional Republic (not a democracy) with the understanding that there is a Creator God, that He is in charge and that all government must answer to Him. Romans 13 states, “Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.” (v. 1, 2)

FACT: There is no authority except from God. In other words, a government which institutes laws that conflict with God’s law will not stand. God is our supreme authority, whether we believe Him or not. The founders never required citizens to worship God, but they did require citizens to accept that our government is based upon the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God. We are always to obey God when man’s law conflicts with God’s law. When man’s law is consistent with God’s law, we are obligated to obey man’s law as well.
FACT: Scripture goes on to provide a natural consequence for disobedience to authority established by God: condemnation. When we, as voters, elect candidates who do not uphold God’s law – or equally as treacherous – make laws that contradict God’s law, we condemn ourselves by our own actions. In such cases, we have a right and a duty to oppose laws that contradict God’s law. History teaches that failure to know and defend God’s law as the supreme law of the land causes self-governance to devolve into tyrannical rule.

FACT: Because our first duty is to God and God’s law, God instructed us to “…select capable men from all the people – men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them as officials…” (Exodus 18:21) How do we know a man fears God? “There are six things which the Lord hates. Yes, seven which are an abomination to him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.” (Prov. 6:16-19) Thus, we need to get to know the candidates, or at very least, choose an adviser who we trust to evaluate the candidates through this lens.
The electability doctrine seems random because it is based on fear and not on truth. Leaders invoke it when they are afraid we can’t beat the opponent. It requires we make a compromise to ignore God’s moral law in order to seem more appealing to the left and unaffiliated voters. Conservative voters have fallen for this electability doctrine for too long. Each year we voluntarily cede a little more moral ground in order to choose candidates who we (quoting the Chairwoman) “think can win in November”, denying that God is in charge and, if we do what is right by Him, we will prevail.
Democrats however, are known not to be so easily moved to give up their values and thus, have exploited Republican leaders’ fear by moving the country even farther left. We now have a RADICALLY LEFT government where all those who do not toe the line are bullied and even “primaried” by their own party. In failing to stand for our conservative values under leaders who would have us bow to the electability doctrine, we have given up so much ground that we no longer honor truth. We have become slaves to individuals who do not fear God because that is who we willingly elect, or get stuck with when we forsake God-fearing candidates.

We have become slaves to individuals who do not fear God because that is who we willingly elect, or get stuck with when we forsake God-fearing candidates.

This is likely the fundamental reason why so many former Republicans have become unaffiliated – because their party leaders no longer promote candidates who stand for their values. As a country, we are in full rebellion to God and we deceive our own selves into believing it is better to have a Republican in office than not, even if that “Republican” does not stand for and will not defend the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God. In essence, we have become our own betrayers by selecting men and women who lack character, integrity and courage.
Let’s look at just one example of the destruction this strategy earned us. Today, what is true is ignored in favor of what the left desires to be true. Men dress like women, take hormone blockers to “prove” their “gender identity” and compete on women’s sports teams where they break records that biological women never come near achieving. The University of Pennsylvania brought in staff from LGBTQ services who offered to provide psychological help for disenfranchised teammates of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas because Lia’s presence on the team was “non-negotiable”, his teammates were told by university staff. Thus, the university – a revered institution of higher learning – upholds one man portraying himself as a woman to be truth, while labeling the women who seek justice as psychologically ill. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)
Chairwoman, it’s time to face the facts. We make a grave mistake when we compromise our values to win majorities. The very people our party establishment advocates for and financially supports are the same ones who are complicit in bargaining away our liberties, our securities, our God-given rights, our revered institutions, our intellectual property, even our country. They are the people who willingly trade our children’s safety and mental health because they want to govern. Because we have allowed this for so long, we are now being governed by some of those children who were raised under such delusions. (Think AOC.)
We are in a spiritual battle and we must learn to fight it with spiritual tools. We will not win it by letting fear of losing dictate our actions. I get it that statistics and history have something to say about who is most likely to win, but they are not a crystal ball into the future. Instead, they give a false confidence that allows humans to trust themselves instead of trusting God.

We will not win it by letting fear of losing dictate our actions.

“…God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.” (1 Cor 1:27) Why? “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8, 9)
This point is illustrated in 1 Samuel, chapter 16. Samuel was sent by the Lord to Jesse to anoint one of Jesse’s sons whom the Lord had chosen to be the next king over Israel. Jesse was so confident that one of his older sons would be chosen, he did not even summon his youngest son David from the pasture where he was tending the sheep. Each of the 7 sons present passed before Samuel, and Samuel announced the Lord had not chosen any of them. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” (v.7) Finally, Jesse summoned David and Samuel found David to be in the Lord’s favor. Samuel “…anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward…” (v.13)

Chairwoman, when you ask us to consider this undefined quality of electability, you deny the power of an Almighty Creator to raise up an anointed leader. You influence people to consider making choices that go against the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God. You alienate voters who want God-fearing leaders. In short, you work for the enemy. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:21) When we treasure “winning majorities so we can govern” at the expense of serving our Creator God, we fail God, our neighbors, and ourselves.
Make no mistake, we cannot elect or legislate ourselves out of the problems that we currently have in this country. We must disciple ourselves in those things which our founders knew. That is what this letter is about. Its purpose is to awaken the deceived and provide a chance for them to repent, return to God and honor Him in your civic duty as our founders did.
Keep this simple truth in mind: God created us with free will. Therefore, any attempts to coerce, manipulate, threat, bribe or trick us are never from God. They are the work of the enemy. Fear is from the enemy. We must “Submit to God; resist the devil and he will flee from us.” (James 4:7)
If we don’t take a stand for truth, we surrender ourselves to the enemy. The enemy does not honor the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God, and will only govern from what it does honor: greed, power and control. For example, we currently have a Secretary of State that has been changing the rules of elections since she took office. She recently wrote a rule forbidding audits of our elections. Our State Senate and House – which are dominated by Democrats – have passed, and our Democrat Governor has signed into law HB22-153, stealing local control over elections and putting it in the hands of the Secretary of State. Would this have passed if it were put to a vote of the people? Likely not, but that is why it was not put to a vote. This is tyranny.
Our founders lived through tyrannical governments and knew that government needs to be grounded in truth in order to avoid tyranny. Truth is not subjective as this current culture would have us believe. Truth is found in the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God. “Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding.” (Prov. 2:2) If we want to avoid complete tyranny, we must bring wisdom and understanding back into the business of our country. History bears witness to that.
Chairwoman, I urge you to have faith that if we do not compromise on God’s moral law, our Holy and Almighty Creator will find favor with us. With courage, be obedient to God and refuse to uphold any law which is unholy in His sight. Refuse to support candidates who are unholy in His sight. And lastly, I exhort you to consider how your leadership has the potential to further compromise the Republican Party or to lead us into truth and liberty.
I trust you will find the right path.

Sincerely,
Beth Roman
Fremont County

2022, Uncategorized

Stained Glass Artist Updating Our Lady of the Assumption Church

by Fred Hernandez
It is no secret by any means and yet few members of the Custer community in general are aware of an absolutely gorgeous project underway right here in our county. It is an art form that reaches back to the time before Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Some historians mention the year 2700 B.C. and believe it to have started in the Middle East. Ancient Egyptians were probably the first to use colored glass beads followed by well to do Romans who used them in their homes. Artisans of old mixed potash and sand and heated the mixture up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit while adding various metallic powders to create different colors. The artists made “blueprints” or “cartoons” of the design they had in mind on large boards onto which sheets of glass would be laid on top to “groze”, a term which means to cut glass into different forms. From these primitive methods, the art of stained glass windows took shape and grew in popularity during the medieval ages and through the Renaissance period when Christianity was spreading and Christian Churches were being built across the European landscape. At that time, stained glass was almost the perfect medium to teach about Religion to the uninformed masses of the less than Illiterate populations. Christianity was spreading far and wide and stained glass depictions of Biblical lessons were an effective way of getting the message of Salvation everywhere in the ancient world.


At our local Roman Catholic Church, Our Lady of the Assumption on Rosita and Fifth Streets, the parishioners, with the leadership of the Pastor Fr. Stephen Injoalu, decided to commit to an eminent and distinctive project to finally put the finishing touches on the church which was constructed in the early 2000s and officially dedicated on August 15, 2007. At that time every element was in place to conduct all services required. However, six windows on each side of the building were just plain glass due to the high cost of producing stained glass panels. Recently, the parishioners made the commitment to place the finishing touches on the windows and contracted for the stained glass needed to adorn the church and accomplish the job once and for all.
Little do people around here know, and you will be fascinated to find out that we have an accomplished glass maker right here in our midst. Douglas Bayer, also known as Dougie and better known for his expertise in construction of homes, is also an expert glass artist who learned his trade during the time he spent in Europe some twenty years ago. In fact, he has a glass making, glass blowing workshop/studio in his home from where he produces exquisite articles of glass including bowls, platters and objects of art; objects of beauty in a myriad of sizes in fascinating and brilliant colors. A few years ago during construction of the church, Dougie handmade the main panels of stained glass that embellish the back wall of the Altar at Our Lady of the Assumption. These pieces are attractive religious art that lifts one’s soul to a prayerful embrace of the Almighty and Eternal God.
Recently, with Father Stephen’s encouragement, funds started flowing in from the parishioners and Dougie got back to his workbench at the glass shop and began the tedious, hard work required. It starts with many hours of research, then designing, drawing by pencil which includes multiple changes and revisions and finally ‘grozing’ which means placing the glass on the drawing board itself and meticulously cutting, rear-ranging, soldering and, with great attention to detail, fashioning each of the panels. It takes many weeks to produce one panel and this project, no matter how well funded, will take at least a couple of years to complete.
The overall panorama of the design for all twelve windows features a constant element, a theme that runs through all of the windows thus bringing the spiritual message together. Last week Dougie and two church volunteers, Steve Yackley and Jim Potyraj installed the second window shown here. It is the Bible tale of the Lion and the Lamb who will one day lay together in total Peace. The Peace that comes from Our Lord Jesus, Son of The Living God.
Dougie’s expertise was acquired when he worked in Sweden, the town of Kosta, where one of the four most famous Masters in Sweden lived and taught his skills. The Master under whom Dougie learned this trade was Jan Erik Ritzman. One of Dougie’s colleagues was Igor Sacharov who defected from Russia via Germany because artists such as Igor were considered radicals by the Bolsheviks. Igor spoke no English or German and Dougie spoke no Russian. Over time both of them perfected the German language that was to be the way they communicated. They became close friends. Together they went to shows around Europe and slowly built a reputation for themselves as talented glass artists. With the good fame came some well-heeled investors who offered to invest in a commercial enterprise for them. It was then that Dougie had to make a decision whether he should stay in Europe and have a successful career as a glass master or return to his home country,
the USA. We are blessed that he decided on the latter. Seeking a nice quiet location where he could pursue his trade as a glass maker he
eventually picked Custer County. To supplement his income he got
involved with some well known local builders and gained another trade.

The team of helpers who work with Dougie are Steve and Debby Yackley, Diana Hyde, Jim Potyraj and Catherine Verdin.

The team of helpers who work with Dougie are Steve and Debby Yackley, Diana Hyde, Jim Potyraj and Catherine Verdin.

As the panorama grows at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, the Sangre de Cristo Sentinel will keep the county community posted. Eventually the plan is to do a centerfold of the entire project including all twelve windows. When completed this
project promises to be a thing of great beauty for the entire community.

2022, BOCC, Uncategorized

June 6 BOCC: Another Attack on the Website, Flower Love Note, County Attorney Smith Gets Upset

News, and Commentary
You never know what you are going to get at these commissioners meetings, and this one had some surprises for sure. All three commissioners were in the hallowed chamber for the June 6, 2022 Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting: Chair Kevin Day and members Tom Flower and Bill Canda. The meeting started at 9 a.m.
The Commissioner items discussion was again dominated by Flower with a rambling dissertation on his dealings since the last meeting.
Public Comment was next. Incredibly, the Tourism Board honcho, Deb Adams, was baaaack and AGAIN attacked the county’s website in a somewhat “pushy” manner. (Folks, Adams knows there is a new website coming like in a week or so, so why is she again wasting everybody’s time criticizing something that is about to go bye bye? Well, duh. She is running as an unaffiliated against Canda this fall and is trying, fairly weakly, to get some public face time.) She started with asking why the county’s website does not have any fire ban information on it now. Day responds with there is no fire ban now and the information is on the Sheriff’s Office (SO) website as he is the Fire Marshall for the county. Adams actually asks how would the people know to go to the SO site? (If you have been in Happy Valley for any time, you quickly know the fact that the Sheriff is the Fire Marshall. Also, when there is a ban, the county’s IT guys put it on the county’s site. When there is no ban, nothing on the county’s site. Nice and simple for us deplorables.)
Day repeats what he said last week to Adams that the new website is being worked on and we want the fire ban status to be on the front page. IT guru Vernon Roth pipes up and says when we have a fire ban it goes on the front page and when there is nothing we take it down. Adams, maybe realizing that this “discussion” is a waste of time, to the muskies and the world at large, says “I am not whiiiiining as quoted in a recent article”. (Folks, that is NOT a typo. That is how it sounded. Accent unknown.) Adams continues on for a bit and Roth repeats that we have a new website coming out soon. Finally, it is over.
Braden Wilson, Finance chief is next. Out of the blue, Wilson says he has a statement from some Custer County employees about Mr. Wonderful, Tommy Flower. It is a written document that says the undersigned state that Flower has not turned the courthouse into a “hostile workplace” and he has not created a “hostile work environment” and is not improperly influencing the employees. He then reads off the names of 15 or 20 county employees who signed it.  (It was just a few months ago that Flower was PUNISHED by Day and Canda in a big public meeting over the outrageous harassment of Planning and Zoning’s Jackie Hobby, and allegedly other employees. Flower had his county department responsibilities taken away and people were screaming for him to resign. Apparently, in Happy Valley, bad things just disappear.) Flower, of course, is in Flower Power Heaven and says “I appreciate that. I had communication with people on this”. (“Communication”? Hmmmmm.)
After the photo op, Wilson talks about the various employee committee’s he is setting up to make the county run better. There were some other county department head reports but no big items.
Day finally asks, are there any public comments. It is quiet for a bit, then County Attorney Clint Smith Zooms in from the world wide web.

Make sure you are seated before you read on because Smith just LOSES IT BIG TIME.
Smith starts with talking about the May 31st meeting where Day amended the agenda to add Bad Tommy’s (BT) Colorado Independent Ethics Commission (IEC) ruling (where he was found guilty of several, serious ethics violations) to New Business. Smith says “that has been troubling me since it happened”.
Then, incredibly, Smith says the IEC ruling was “NOT a BOCC matter to start with”. (What!!!) He says the BOCC does not have to recognize the ruling. (What!!!) Smith says it is “not their business”. (That is, the ruling.) (Folks, this is crazy talk. If it wasn’t “county business” Smith, why were you up in Denver on the county’s dime trying to defend Bad Tommy? For goodness sake, the county has a commissioner who was found guilty of serious ethical violations —which is rare for the IEC— and was actually fined. For the muskies NOT to talk about this or allow the citizens to talk to the muskies about it is just WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Smith didn’t like that all the people who spoke wanted Bad Tommy to resign. He thinks that the citizens addressing the BOCC with this issue was wrong! Earth to Smith: the muskies are elected officials. They are politicians. Us citizens have the RIGHT to confront bad behavior from them, PERIOD. TO THEIR FACES. Don’t try to censure us, Smith. It ain’t gonna happen.)
Smith continues and maybe we can see where all this hostility is coming from, folks. He starts talking about the actual ethics case, the complaint wording and the ruling wording. (Bottom line on the case: Smith got his rear end beat like real bad and he is now whining about it.) He complains that the complaint and the ruling had the word’s “pay raise” in it and that the actual issue was a bonus check for BT’s wife and the commission should have “amended” the complaint to replace “pay raise” with what the money was, a bonus check. And because of that, Smith, as you will see below, thinks he should have won. (If you read the actual ruling, it mentions “pay raise” early on then IT CLEARLY DEFINES WHAT THAT WAS AND IT WAS BONUS PAY. So, it was a very, very minor typo that Smith is trying to use to say he should have won the case. Pretty weak, Clint. Actually, pathetic.)
Smith says the ethics commission “was going down a rabbit hole”. (Those pesky wabbits!) He says he “found the whole IEC something of a farce. (Because the poor boy lost.) Then he actually says, and I kid you not, “I felt we won as there was no proof of what he was accused of. (Reality check here Smith: it was on the actual BOCC recording of the meeting and they played the recording at the hearing to the ethics hearing officers. Based on the recording there was no doubt at all in their minds that Flower was FLAT OUT GUILTY. PERIOD. Not even close, counselor.)
Smith then turns and attacks Day and Canda FOR ALLOWING THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY TO COMPLAIN AT A BOCC MEETING ABOUT THE IEC RULING AGAINST ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS! He says “this shouldn’t have been allowed before the BOCC”. “It was public shaming.” (Wow, this is crazy talk.) “Everybody said the same thing over and over.” (What? We can’t individually complain, Smith?) “It was a political rally.” (No, it wasn’t Smith. It was outraged citizens of this county exercising their RIGHT to voice their concerns over local governing officials. You saying that we can’t do that? Are you one of Biden’s Thought Police now, Clint? Take the next flight back to earth, sir.) He continued with “I was upset at the way it was handled.” (Poor Thing.)
Day then speaks up and says he apologizes for putting the matter on the agenda. He says he put it on as there were a bunch of people there to speak. (Day did right. There was a crowd of people there to complain and so instead of them speaking in Public Comment he made an agenda item for them. What is wrong with that? It would have happened no matter what.)
Still in some “dark skies other place”, Smith ends with “a group came in and took over the BOCC meeting and essentially conducted a political rally”. (Folks, we have a problem here. When the County Attorney says the citizens can’t address government official’s wrongs in the only local public forum available to us, there is a PROBLEM. We can’t call out our elected officials when they do wrong, Clint? Muskies: this is outrageous, anti-free speech, anti-accountability and anti-transparency talk coming from the county attorney. Are you going to let the county attorney dictate who speaks and doesn’t speak at a BOCC meeting? And this is “political speech” –the most protected form of First Amendment speech. You gotta do something about this. This is Free Custer County and not Pueblo, Boulder or Moscow, muskies. This is unacceptable.)
Another chapter in the Happy Valley Soap Drama closes. It was a good’un.
The next could be a doozy. Stay tuned.
Tha, tha that’s all folks.
(Editor/GG: All italics are editorial comments. Somehow, some people didn’t realize that and there is nothing wrong with interjecting comment into news as long as it is clear that it is commentary. So there, libs. At least we do it openly, as opposed to the other local “publication”.)

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Custer County to Stage I Fire Ban. Again.

Press Release
Beginning June 14, 2022 at 8:00 PM Custer County will elevate the fire restrictions to Stage 1. After discussions with the acting Wet Mountain Fire Protection District Chief, Sheriff Hill has determined with the lack of any significant precipitation combined with the recent winds drying fire fuels there is a significant risk of a wildland fire event in Custer County.
Please read the below restrictions for prohibited and authorized activities for Stage 1. You are encouraged to use extreme caution if you are following the authorized burning activities.
STAGE I RESTRICTIONS: Prohibit the following activities:
• Open burning, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, or campfire, charcoal grills, pellet grills, and wood or coal burning stoves or fireplaces in undeveloped areas. Areas cleared of all flammable materials, and those within permanently constructed fire grates or developed campgrounds and picnic grounds are excepted as noted in Section 9 (Unlawful Acts).
• Campfires and gas fire pits contained in constructed permanent fire pits or fire grates within a developed recreation area shall be allowed.
• Grills using propane, pellets, and other bottled fuels shall be allowed, but only in areas free of flammable vegetation and other flammable materials, and such fires must be used and maintained in such a manner that no fire danger is presented to the surrounding area.
• All open fires allowed by subparagraphs (B) and (C) above must be attended at all times, and an adequate water supply and/or a fire extinguisher shall be on site at all times while such an open fire is burning.
• All burning of trash, refuse or debris shall be temporarily suspended.
• Smoking shall be temporarily suspended except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or outdoor smoking area that is hard-surfaced or barren or otherwise cleared of all flammable vegetation or material. Discarding smoking materials in a receptacle not designed for disposal of smoking materials, discarding smoking materials from a moving or stationary motor vehicle, and discarding smoking materials in any other outdoor location is expressly prohibited at all times.
• The use of explosive materials including fireworks, solid fuel rockets, blasting caps, or any other incendiary device which may result in the ignition of flammable materials shall be temporarily suspended.
• Outdoor welding, grinding, or use of any type of torch in any area which presents the possibility of igniting vegetation or other combustible material shall be temporarily suspended unless there is an adequate water supply and/or fire extinguisher on site.
• Operating any outdoor equipment or machinery with an internal combustion engine in an undeveloped area shall be temporarily suspended unless said equipment or machinery is equipped with a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in good working order.
• The sale, possession, and use of fireworks, including permissible fireworks as defined in C.R.S. §30-15-401(l)(n.7).

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Surprise! Sussmann Acquitted and Hillary Clinton Not Indicted. Yet.

by Gene Ferraro, Contributor
While the Michael Sussmann trial is over, the stench of the beltway swamp lingers. On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, Michael Sussmannn, the lawyer charged with the single crime of lying to the FBI was acquitted “by a jury of his peers”. Of those peers, several of the selected jurors openly expressed strong disdain for former President Donald Trump and/or support for Hillary Clinton. Continue reading Surprise! Sussmann Acquitted and Hillary Clinton Not Indicted. Yet. →

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Trails for All Volunteers Interested in Trail Maintenance….

Dear Friends of Trails for All Interested in Trail Maintenance,
With warmer weather the snow is gone from the lower portions of the trails, but many downed trees (deadfalls) are certainly still there after a windy winter and spring. So, it’s again time to appeal for volunteers to participate in trail maintenance in our beloved San Isabel National Forest. This year our local United States Forest Service (USFS) professional, Jeff Outhier, has asked Trails for All to concentrate our efforts on three trails in the Sangres (Comanche, Venable, and Cottonwood) and two in the Wets (Rudolph Mountain and Lion Canyon). Our first workdays will need to focus primarily on removing deadfalls; folks able to use our handsaws are needed and so are folks able to throw limbs and roll logs off the trail.
Our first workday will be Saturday, June 18 on Comanche Lake Trail. The second will be Saturday, June 25th on Venable Lakes Trail. Additional workdays will be scheduled throughout the remainder of the summer with Thursday, July 14th on Cottonwood Creek Trail already set. Please plan ahead and a find a day or two that you can give-back to the recreational resources that provide us all with so much enjoyment. These trails need your help. Your fellow ‘Trails for All’ volunteers look forward to working with you.
Volunteers meet at the nearest trailhead parking lot at 8 a.m. and return to the parking lot no later than 3 p.m. (volunteers may leave earlier if necessary). All tools will be provided. The workday begins with a short overview of USFS safety instructions, proper use of the tools, and work objectives. After receiving this overview volunteers will need to provide contact information and sign the USFS Volunteer Service Agreement which will then cover volunteers under USFS worker comp insurance.
What to bring:
• Long-sleeve shirt, long pants, sturdy boots, hat or cap, work gloves, and eye protection (prescription glasses or sunglasses are sufficient, or protective goggles will be provided for anyone needing them)–all items are required by the USFS.
• Sunscreen and bug repellent are also a good idea.
• Plenty of water, a snack, and food for lunch–volunteers need a small backpack/daypack for food, water, and personal supplies.
• Please: no dogs are permitted (for the safety of the dogs, the crews, wildlife, and other hikers).
More details and directions to the trailhead for each workday will be sent to volunteers via email.
To volunteer to help with any of these trail maintenance workdays (or for more information), please email Chuck Ziehr, Trails for All trail maintenance coordinator at cz@ziehr.biz. Thank you!