All posts by sentineladmin

2024, Uncategorized

Hedberg Gets a Restraining Order Against the CC Sheriff’s Office

Hedberg Gets a Restraining Order
Against the CC Sheriff’s Office

Forbids SO from Seizing the Tribune’s Computers

What’s Up With That?

by George Gramlich,
Sangre de Cristo Sentinel
News and Commentary

We have said it before, and we are saying it again, “General Hospital/As The World Turns” has got nothing on Custer County’s continuing political drama. Almost every week we have a new chapter. Some good and some bad. This one is bad.

This week’s episode involves the Editor of the Wet Mountain Tribune, Jordan “Red Bug” Hedberg and his effort to prevent the Custer County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO)  from, possibly, in the future, obtaining a search warrant to seize the Hedberg’s or the Tribune’s computers, electronic devices and various documents via a valid criminal search warrant.

On September 3, 2024, Hedberg obtained a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) from the 11th Judicial District Court (from Judge Lynette Wenner) ordering Sheriff Smith and the CCSO “To refrain from using any and all means to seize any of Plaintiff’s records and communication devices , including but not limited to paper records, mail and notes, electronic records and emails, texts, telephones, computers, and otherwise, whatsoever.”

Why would Hedberg get a TRO preventing the CCSO from possibly getting a valid search warrant? In Hedberg’s affidavit supporting the TRO, he alleges that his and the Tribune’s records, etc. are protected under the Colorado Press Shield Law as well as the federal Privacy Protection Act.
The affidavit states that,

“Defendants are actively threatening Plaintiffs’ business by indicating that Plaintiff’s records and communication devices including the names of their journalistic sources.
Thus, Plaintiffs’ will suffer irreparable harm absent entry of an order prohibiting Defendants from seizing Plaintiffs’ records and communication devices or other misconduct in violation of Defendants’ legal rights and constitutional protections to conduct the business of publishing a newspaper.” (The bold words are emphasis added by this writer.)

Note the bolded words in the above quote. We’ll get to that in a minute.

A court hearing to determine if the TRO should be permanent must be held within 15 days of the TRO issuance. We have been informed it will be in the Custer County courthouse on September 17 or 18.

So what did Hedberg use to justify this fairly extreme measure to prevent local LEO from seizing his computers, etc.? In the affidavit, Hedberg states that he received an email “from Defendant Lloyd Smith (see, Exhibit A), the Sheriff of Custer County, in response to questions I had asked regarding the Sheriff hiring a man, Mark Cook….” Hedberg then states in the affidavit, “At the end of the email, Sheriff Smith stated, “I do have a quick question for you: Is Jordan Benson a formal member of your campaign or would you consider him a long term political advisor for you?” This unexpected question I consider a threat against myself and my newspaper.” Right after this statement Hedberg states that the CCSO “executed a search warrant on the Custer County I.T. employee Jordan Benson, seizing all of Mr. Benson’s phones, computers and electronic equipment in his car and in his home.”

Let’s back up a minute. The Sentinel reported last week that a Custer County employee had a search warrant served against him and that it concerned cyber spying on various Custer County computers, including some in the Sheriff’s Office. We did not name the employee. Hedberg named him in the affidavit.

So what is the relationship between Hedberg and Benson and why is Hedberg getting a TRO?

Benson has been an IT employee at Custer County for several years. He has repeatedly stated to many people of his political ambitions, including wanting to be a Custer County Commissioner someday. Although not being active virtually at all in the Custer County Republican Party, Benson sought and was elected Custer County Republican Central Committee (CCRCC) Chair last year. (He was elected by the old RINO faction of the party to prevent the MAGA section from getting the Chair position.) Right off the bat his reign was a disaster with canceled meetings and a total lack of communication. After just a few months, Benson abruptly resigned via an email with no explanation whatsoever.

Benson and Hedberg are known to be friendly. Benson was one of the main sponsors of Hedberg’s bizarre attempt to become Chair of the CCRCC, again to prevent the MAGA folks from getting it. (It was a close call, but the MAGA people prevailed with Jack Canterbury getting the slot. Note that Hedberg was registered as Unaffiliated for a long time and just last  year suddenly changed his registration to Republican for some unknown reason. After he did that, he tried to grab the CCRCC Chair spot despite not being involved with the CCRCC in any significant way. After he lost, he changed his affiliation back to Unaffiliated. So, obviously, not a lot of loyalty there.)

Benson is obviously a suspect regarding the hacking into the County’s computers (including the Sheriff’s Office). It is possible that incriminating evidence regarding the alleged hacking is on Benson’s computers. This could include communications with other people, including emails, that could contain stolen County information. If this is true, then it is possible that these communications, especially emails, would include the address of the recipient. This would give law enforcement valid reason to obtain a search warrant to search the computers/electronic devices of the alleged recipients.

So one would definitely question the reason and timing of Hedberg’s obtaining a TRO right after the search warrants were executed on Benson’s equipment. Hedberg using Sheriff Smith’s simple question about his relationship with Benson is, in many people’s opinions, a pretty flimsy excuse for a TRO to prevent a POSSIBLE future search warrant. (A lawyer we consulted with said granting a Press/Confidential Sources TRO, no matter how poor the reason is, is fairly common. It is only temporary. Whether this somewhat shaky reasons for getting a TRO holds up will be decided  in next week’s court hearing.)

One would not be out of line saying if Hedberg had nothing to hide, why obtain a TRO?

Let’s take a look at the legal provisions protecting the media (both state and federal as noted above). And also note the wording in Hedberg’s affidavit, “journalistic sources” and “publishing a newspaper”.

The legal protections afforded in these laws are for the production of news articles. Hedberg’s own words are “journalistic sources” and “publishing a newspaper”. These protections do NOT apply to the use of stolen, confidential information for personal or political gain. For oneself or for the people who one would support in the political world.

Hedberg is not only a publisher, he is heavily involved in the political process in the county, including: Running for Chair of the CCRCC, supporting the disgraced ex-commissioner Tom Flower in the recall against Flower, supporting the  lefty Deb Adams in her campaign for county commissioner (via posting her campaign poster in the Tribune’s Main Street window), constantly commenting via Zoom during Board of County Commissioner (BOCC) meetings, threatening to sue the BOCC if they proceeded with having a seminar on voting integrity, and finally, (currently) RUNNING FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER! Hedberg wants to be a politician in Custer County.

So, do the legal protections for “journalistic sources” for a newspaper cover the use of stolen information for personal political gain or for the political purposes of other people? The answer is NO. The protections are for the production of news in the media arena and not for the personal use of stolen data.

We are NOT saying that Hedberg did anything wrong. He has the right to ask for TRO. For any reasons he thinks is justifiable. But the timing of the TRO request after the Benson search warrant execution raises questions. One in particular: if Hedberg has done nothing wrong, why get a TRO? Maybe he has a fear of being persecuted by law enforcement. Maybe that fear is justified. But maybe there are other reasons.

This drama, even after the court hearing on the TRO next week, is going to take some time to be resolved as the CBI is the investigative agency and they are back logged with work.

But don’t forget Occam’s Razor problem solving principle, the popular saying for it is, “The simplest explanation is usually the best one.”

2024, Uncategorized

Custer County Clerk Addresses Recent Data Breach

Custer County Elections will be safe and accurate this November

By Kelley Camper

In light of an ongoing investigation into a data breach in some county offices, I thought it was important that you hear directly from me, your elected County Clerk and Recorder, about why the elections we hold in November will be secure and the results will be accurate.

I recognize the work of Sheriff Smith and don’t want to do anything that might interfere with an active investigation, so I will only outline the security measures that are always in place in our Elections Division and not address specifically, the current situation he is investigating.

First and foremost, our voting equipment is not and never has been connected to the internet.  That means there is no way the equipment can be “hacked” by anyone outside.  To make any changes at all to our equipment, you must have physical access to the individual pieces of equipment.

Next, only two individuals have physical access to our sealed and locked up voting equipment between elections, and that is myself and my elections manager.  Nobody is ever alone with the equipment and the room where the equipment is stored is under continuous camera surveillance.

I’m confident that our voting equipment was not compromised. However, with an abundance of caution, a Trusted Build was performed on our voting equipment last week.  This Trusted Build further ensures that our voting system software and firmware have been unaltered as we prepare for this election.  Voters can feel confident that their vote will be counted exactly as they cast it for the November General Election.

In October, we will conduct a public test of the voting equipment, which again, would allow us to catch anything that might be wrong.

As you return your ballots in November, they will be handled under strict security by bipartisan teams of election judges who will make sure your vote is accurately recorded. Following the election, a second team of volunteer citizens will check our results and will certify the vote.  Every ballot, envelope, and any material related to the election will be saved for 25 months and is always open to public inspection.

I outline these security procedures, which we follow to the letter, because I want you to hear directly from me why you can trust the election results from our county.  We have worked hard to ensure that our processes protect the voting equipment and the sanctity of your ballot at every step of the way.  We would never do anything to compromise your trust in your right to make your voice heard.

I know these are difficult times and it is easy to be confused about what you are seeing and hearing.  If you have any questions at all about the work we do to carry out your elections, I urge you to reach out to me to get your questions answered.  We are your source for accurate information!

2024, Uncategorized

Huge Data Breach on County Computers Allegedly Including the Sheriff’s Office!

Huge Data Breach on County Computers Allegedly Including the Sheriff’s Office!

Data Theft Involved Multiple Departments/Offices Our Dominion Voting Machine Compromised?

by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
In an unbelievable turn of events. It has been alleged by multiple sources, that a county employee, allegedly repeatedly hacked into a multitude of county computers, installed sophisticated “mirroring” software on them, and accessed via the spyware and possibly other methods (including flash drives) unknown amounts of confidential and extremely sensitive Custer County data (including emails). It is alleged that this has been going on for years! It is also reported that this employee allegedly accessed our supposedly protected Dominion voting machine!
The employee has been reported to have been put on paid administrative leave and perhaps fired.
This report is based on multiple, reliable sources.
In an email letter to Custer County elected officials sent by Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith on August 30th, he reviewed the situation is some depth. Here are some notable quotes from the email:
“Last week, a county employee reported an apparent violation of a Colorado law on cyber security by a different employee to a department director and a deputy. We gathered information and consulted with the DA, CBI, and the FBI about the next course of action over the next two days.”
“We determined that the information technology infrastructure at the county was not secure. Vernon Roth worked all weekend to determine what network components from inside the county connected to the outside world. These components are things like modems, routers, hubs and even software packages. We wanted to keep these activities secret to prevent the suspect from being able to log in remotely and cause further damage until the security plan could be implemented.”
“On Monday morning at the beginning of the day we executed search warrants and seized privately owned computers and phones that we learned had the ability to interact and/or control the county government IT infrastructure. “
“While we have a suspect identified, we have not filed charges or made an arrest. This person has had access to every computer in Custer County Government. Going through this electronic media is time consuming and will be on the timetable of the CBI.” (Editor/GG: “CBI” is the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.)

“This breach could have begun as long as four years ago. It was certainly active during early 2022 and ramped up in the past few months.”
It was mentioned to the Sentinel months ago that there were suspicions in the Sheriff’s Office that someone was hacking their email account, but nothing was discovered. However, just recently, more evidence surfaced, and a county employee came forward with damaging information which caused Sheriff Smith to request assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and outside cyber security experts
to find out what was going on.
A search warrant for an “orange Subaru”, a county office and a local home was executed on Monday, August 26th. Measures were taken by our Information Director, Vernon Roth, during several days to secure our county system from outside interference.
Of huge importance, it was reported that the alleged perpetrator was given access to our County’s Dominion voting machine for some reason. It was reported that he indeed allegedly accessed the machine. If this is true, our Dominion machine could possibly be corrupted. Whether this can be fixed in time before the November election is unknown. Due to the sensitivity of the Dominion machine, simply replacing the software doesn’t seem to be a safe solution. A new, untarnished machine is probably the correct solution. If that can’t be done in time for the November election, perhaps, the counting of paper ballots, proposed by many Custer County citizens, might be the simplest and cost-effective answer.
It is unknown at this point whether there were any accomplices to the alleged cyber hacking or who might have received any stolen data from the alleged hacking. (If these allegations are true, you have to ask, why? What was the motive/motivation? My guess is it was done to aid others. Who? People with cases, criminal or civil, against the county? Or it could even be politically motivated – a search for some dirt on an elected official. Recall issues? So, we might have a whole cast of characters involved here. This could get interesting…)
It was reported IT Director Vernon Roth, has not been implicated in the alleged crimes.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is handling the case as the Sheriff’s Office is a victim of the alleged crimes, necessitating the need of an outside law enforcement agency to do the job. As the CBI has extensive expertise and experience in cybercrimes, Sheriff Smith asked them to do the investigation. It was reported that CBI has given the job to its Major Crimes office in Pueblo. (Which is a BIG deal.)
Note that, at this point, only a search warrant has been issued and executed. No charges have yet been filed. As the CBI is in the midst of multiple cybercrime investigations, it might be some months before any charges are made.
The Commissioners had a two-hour Executive Session at their August 29 BOCC meeting. The subject was a “personnel matter” and a “security” issue. At the meeting was Sheriff Smith, IT Director Vernon Roth, County Clerk Kelley Camper and Human Resources Director Robert Smith. No decisions were announced after the Executive Session was over.
Note that all the reports/statements etc. noted above are allegations only. No arrest warrant has been issued.
The Sentinel will give you a complete update on all the developments as they come out. Any especially important news will be immediately posted on our website, sangredecristosentinel.com or on our Facebook page.

Update: Sept 11, 2024 — The Custer County Clerk, Kelley Camper, submitted a letter as an OpEd to the Sentinel with an update to the data breach situation.  The s was published in the  9/13/2024 Issue.  You can read it HERE

2024, BOCC, Uncategorized

August 29 BOCC: Channel 13, UAACOG Grant, Assessor Software, ES on Hacking Scandal

BOCC: Channel 13 on Air! UAACOG Grant Madness, New Assessor Software, Executive Session on the Hacking Scandal

by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The August 29, 2024 Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting was held at their royal digs across from the county court-house. It started at 9 a.m. All three Commissioners were in attendance: Bill Canda, Lucas Epp and Kevin  Day. Continue reading August 29 BOCC: Channel 13, UAACOG Grant, Assessor Software, ES on Hacking Scandal →

2024, Custer County Kids

Bobcat Football: Earn the Right

 

Earn the Right

Bobcat Football

Agi Thomas #15
Photo via Custer County Schools, Leah Grundy

by Leah Grundy
It is the start of a new era for the Custer County High School Football program. Coach Clayton Stallones is the 3rd head coach for this team in the last four years and he has accepted the challenge of “starting over” yet again. He comes to Custer County from Pueblo with his wife, Jade, and their five young children.
EARN THE RIGHT – That is the motto for this season as the program has been redefined around leadership, commitment, work ethic, and community involvement. The past is the past and the focus is on the future creating a program that the school, athletes, and community can be proud of and support. It will take time and Coach Stallones is determined to reach that goal sooner rather than later.
The first “8-man football” game of the season was played on a neutral field in Limon, CO, where our Custer County Bobcats (team of 16 players and one coach) faced Sedgwick County, ranked #7th in the state (who arrived in a custom motor coach with 6 coaches and a 45-man roster. It was awesome and I will admit, intimidating and honestly, I was a little jealous!!).
Thank you to the die-hard parents, and new AD, Aundrea McCormick, that drove 3 hours one way to support these kids as the sun set behind the “Crow’s Nest” and the mosquitos came out in force!
The first half was all about these kids learning to trust their coach by putting into action the new plays and positions that they have been practicing all summer. Yes, there were nerves, “mistakes” that led to learning opportunities, and the lopsided score would have discouraged anyone but, with a new era, came new perseverance!
The second half was led by heart, and determination as Agi Thomas, #15 had a 70+ yard kick return for a touchdown that put the Bobcats on the scoreboard! Sophomore, Masson Simmons – QB completed a pass to Agi for a second touchdown and the defense, led by Sophomore Taylor Bradford #55 scored a safety! Wyatt Grundy #10 had a fumble recovery in the second half.
The Starters (Seniors Austin Scholl #50, Wyatt Grundy #10, Juniors Ty Stoltzfus #65, Taylor Bradford #55, Drake Knopick #49, Sophomores Agi Thomas #15, Masson Simmons #12 and Freshman Eli Flynn #2) definitely “Earned The Right” and played offense, defense and special teams all night.
When needed, they were supported by teammates Seniors Tryston
Evans #64, Jordan Craig #88, Sophomores Wade Pierce #22, and Freshman Bode Bridges #25, Ethan Fore #17, Brayden Baker #11, Jacob Tomassoni #6, and Lucas Bradford #3. Everyone was called to step up and play their position and they did!
There were many great tackles, running plays, and the passing game shows great promise for Simmons and his
receivers.
Come watch their first home game, this Friday, September 6th at 7 p.m. in the shadows of the great Sangre De Cristo Mountains and see if you can feel a change not only in the season but in the football
program as well.

This week’s Players of the Week

photo via Custer County Schools, Leah Grundy

Offensive Player of the Week: Agi Thomas #15
Defensive Player of the Week: Taylor Bradford #55
Special Teams Player of the Week: Agi Thomas #15

Congratulations Agi Thomas #15,
Tony’s Mountain Pizza Player of the Game!!

Uncategorized

Holiday Weekend Activity: Quilts, Cars, Art, Stars

Labor Day Weekend
Downtown Westcliffe Activities

See https://visitwetmountainvalley.com/our-events/
for updates and linked websites

August 1 @ 11 a.m. – August 31 @ 4 p.m. Sangres Art Guild ~ For The Love of Animals
3rd Street Gallery 59000 N. Highway 69, Westcliffe
Sangres Art Guild and Wet Mountain Animal Welfare collaborate in presenting “For the Love of Animals,” judged by internationally recognized pencil artist Andy Mast. Fifty percent of gallery commissions on the sale of artworks in the show will go to Wet Mountain Animal Welfare, our local animal rescue.

August 29 @ 10 a.m. – September 1 @ 5 p.m.
24th Annual Olde Schoolhouse Quilters Quilt Show & Boutique
Hope Lutheran Lange Hall 312 South 3rd Street, Westcliffe
Members of the Olde Schoolhouse Quilt Club and Custer County area Quilters display their quilts and sell quilted items. In addition to Individual’s work the show display includes Patriot Quilts, Antique Quilts and Children’s Quilts.  A Bucket Raffle with 10-15 quilted items: Come take a chance $1.00 per ticket or $5.00 for 6 tickets.

August 31 @ 11 – 12 p.m.
SJO Sun Observing Hour
Smokey Jack Observatory 100 S. Adams Blvd., Westcliffe
OPEN TO PUBLIC . Safely observe the sun through several solar telescopes at the Smokey Jack Observatory.

August 31 @ 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
High Altitude Horsepower Car Show Free
Main Street Westcliffe
Held annually on Labor Day Saturday. The Car Show is FREE but you can enter your antique, vintage, classic, rat rod, or hot rod/muscle car for a $25 registration fee (second vehicle is just $15). Share the day with other car enthusiasts or come enjoy the cars on Main Street and vote for your favorites + Drawings and Cash Prizes, People’s Choice Awards and Live Music & Entertainment. A pancake breakfast provided by the Wet Mountain Valley Rotary Club is a fundraiser for their scholarship fund. LEARN MORE OR REGISTER YOUR CAR @ valleystrong.us

August 31 @ 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
WCPA Live Theater ~ One Man Show: Wyatt Earp, Life on the Frontier
Historic Jones Theater 119 Main St, Westcliffe, United States
Wyatt Earp is back! Wyatt brings his one-man show about his famous great-great uncle back to the Jones Theater for the first time since 2018. In the piece, the elderly Earp looks back on his life, times, and various careers. Wyatt Earp is a crowd favorite in the Wet Mountain Valley, playing for one night only. Ticket prices: $20 Adults, $15 Students/Active Military, $5 Kids 12 and under.

August 31 @ 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. Free OPEN TO PUBLIC
SJO Electronic Assisted Astronomy (EAA) Star Party
100 S. Adams Blvd., Westcliffe.
View live images from 14” telescope on a 10-foot outdoor screen in the amphitheater outside the Smokey Jack Observatory. Seating is limited.

 

2024, Uncategorized

The Birdhouse Bonanza

Press Release
It’s that time again! The Birdhouse Bonanza is an annual online auction fundraising event to benefit Dundee Memorial Park, a Colorado non-profit 501(c)(3) in Silver Cliff. Local artists have submitted some beautiful and amazing birdhouses for the auction. Prizes will be awarded to the winning artists, both adult and junior, based on “Best of Show”, “Most Creative, and “Innovative Use of Materials” as well as ‘Honorable Mention’ for each category.
The online auction will take place on Facebook at “Birdhouse Bonanza Auction to benefit Dundee Memorial Park Dog Park” page. Bidding will begin on 8/31/24 at 9 a.m. and end on 9/14/24 at noon.
We would like to give a huge thank you to all of the artists for their hard work and amazing birdhouses. Without you, none of this would be possible.
We would also like to thank our sponsors for their support. Pinecone Corner made the birdhouses. Cheryl Swartz Jewelry and Loree and Chris Lund sponsored the kid’s prizes. Dundee Dog Park is providing the adult prizes. ‘Twice the Ice’ sponsored our artists’ entry fees for the fifth year in a row! We really appreciate you! We encourage everyone to participate in this fun and exciting event. We greatly appreciate your support.
Happy bidding and hope to see you soon at the Dog Park!
Thank you,

Dundee Memorial Park Association, Inc. Board of Directors

2024, BOCC, Uncategorized

BOCC: From Cameras to Raw Sewage

BOCC: From Cameras
to Raw Sewage

Laser Speed Camera, R&B Costs, Building Permits Down, Raw Sewage Dumping on Private Land Proposed

by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The August 14, 2024 Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting was held in their bunker across from the county courthouse. at 9 a.m. All three Commissioners were present: Bill Canda, Lucas Epp and Kevin “Turncoat” Day. (“Turncoat”? Yup. Day abandoned the Republican Party and the people who elected him this year and registered as Unaffiliated. Why? Because he wants to be Commissioner for another four years. He knew he couldn’t win the Republican primary because of his totally disastrous three-year reign where he almost single-handedly destroyed our county government. Day wants four more years as the big important commissioner, attending all the important government meetings around the state, but not managing the departments he is in charge of. What say you, Happy Valley tax-paying voter?)
In Commissioner Items, Canda said the crew pushing to get three fire suppression ponds certified are dropping the Christie Coleman pond. They are still pursuing the other two. Continue reading BOCC: From Cameras to Raw Sewage →

2024, Uncategorized

Author John DiGirolamo speaks at Liberty Rocks

by Fred Hernandez
One of the most important events presented by Liberty Rocks took place on August 15, 2024 at Lange Hall on 3rd Street in the town of Westcliffe. It had to do with the safety and possibly even the very life of the most vulnerable in our community: our children, your children.
Chairperson Ann Barthrop called to order the meeting at 6 p.m. and after the standard opening procedures including the Pledge of Allegiance and the group song “America The Beautiful”, the invocation was given by Dr. Ann Willson. Directly from the book “Prayers and Presidents” by W.J. Federer, she quoted from Abraham Lincoln on April 6, 1859. referring to the dark days of slavery in the country. The significant part of the quote was  “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and under a just God, cannot long retain it.” These are very fitting words for the times as we see powerful politicians attempting to move our country in that wrong direction. She followed up with a quote from Dwight Eisenhower while he was on a European trip in September 10, 1959; “We venerate more widely than any other document, except only the Bible, the American Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was more than a call to national action. It is a voice of conscience establishing clear, enduring values applicable to the lives of all men. It stands enshrined today as a charter of human liberty and dignity.” Once again. words most appropo for these times in history.
With much ground to cover on a most important topic affecting thousands of children and families across the United States the Chair immediately introduced the guest speaker for the even-ing, author John DiGirolamo, who has written several books pertaining to one of the most pernicious of criminal activities potentially affecting many families everywhere. John is a member of the board of bvhope.org a non profit founded ten years ago in Buena Vista, Colorado, where he is from. This organization has been bringing awareness and education about human trafficking to the general public. They visit police departments, hospitals, schools and the communities at large. But, unfortunately, as John himself has experienced, there is scant interest and in most cases he has experienced a rate of 90% turn downs. Tragically this is the prevailing mood of society and there will be some dire consequences eventually.
This apathetic mood was on full display on the evening of August 15 at Lange Hall where most of the attendees were older residents. It was truly sad that more parents of young children were not in attendance to learn of the very real danger faced by their beloved children and the ways to protect them against all the evil that is arrayed against them by human trafficking and the destructive, potentially deadly results of en-countering the demonic denizens
of that evil world. Yes, apathy. The lack of feeling or emotion, the lack of concern. If it is not happening directly to me or my family it does not matter. The warnings are very clear and they are all around us everyday.
Author DiGirolamo, the harbinger
of all the evil that could be heaped on an unsuspecting family, has done a great job. The work he has accomplished in his “It Is Not About….” collection of books is
truly a very important contribution to the information and
education of parents. A service of unparalleled value if it saves the life of one child let alone many. If only the parents would take a little more interest in the safety and well being of their children.
Once again in his talk author John reiterates the clear and present danger of the internet and the cell phone. The applications, so called APPs, for the cell phones are so many and difficult to keep track of. The most notorious are Instagram, Tik-Tok and Snapchat to which children easily gravitate. They wrongly believe that in a group chat ( sometimes as many as twenty or more) they are safe. Never. Everything they say and do says in cyberspace forever. Even worse is if they send pictures of themselves, it gets passed around multiple times. In the meantime predators are lurking in the shadows waiting for the right victim. It is on the internet that they “groom” their victims. They are friendly. They seem to be kind and loving. They are experts at manipulation. At what age should I give my kid a phone, you might ask? The answer is simple: when you want them to see porn!
Statistics show that the average age of children viewing porn is a shocking 10 years old. TEN! Author John during his presentation showed videos of actual children talking about their sordid experiences with one of them stating unequivocally “ it destroyed my brain”. BIG PORN AND BIG TECH are responsible for destroying many of the children in this country. When a child watches porn at a young age it is not unusual to do sexting. Evil is watching at all times given the fact that there are over 750,000 registered child predators in the USA.
The books of author John DiGirolamo are an important re-source when it comes to bringing up ‘young children’ today. By ‘young children’ is meant between the tender ages of seven through at the very least eighteen, keeping in mind that a person’s brain is not fully developed until at least twenty five. These books are readily available and highly recommended: It Is Not About The Sex, It Is Not About The Badge, It Is Not About The dEvil, It Is Not About The Predator. Every story is based on personal interviews and facts. Much can be learned from them for the protection of your child. (These books are available at Amazon.)
The great and ancient battle between good and evil has intensified tremendously with the advent of the internet. While it can be used for much good, conversely it can also be used for much evil. Dabbling in the occult is one grave evil and 62% of Americans have admitted to having done. Little do they know that it opens the doorway to the netherworld. Actual, true to life stories can be found in these books by John DiGirolamo. We are all called to stand up and fight against evil in all its forms. Most especially we must stand and fight against the evil that focuses on our children.

2024, Uncategorized

August 7th Westcliffe PC Mtg: No on Multifamily Rezone in Shadow Ridge

Westcliffe Planning Commission Votes No on Multifamily Rezoning
in Shadow Ridge Subdivision

—WESTCLIFFE, Colo.
by Gia Mc Nerney, Reporter
— Mailboxes on Mineral Road for the local people approved. Application for rezoning 2 lots in the … subdivision from single family to Multifamily denied. —
The regular monthly meeting of the Westcliffe Planning Commission was held on August 7th, 2024 at 3 p.m. in Patterson Hall. A quorum of Trustees was present, and proceedings commenced. Everyone recited the Pledge of Allegiance with pride. Next visitors were recognized, and the agenda was agreed to. Continue reading August 7th Westcliffe PC Mtg: No on Multifamily Rezone in Shadow Ridge →