77th Westcliffe Stampede is here! WMV Saddle Club has added 1,200 seats for this year’s events, and new lighting. That’s seating for 5,000! It’s still first come, first serve on seating so you’ll want to get there early. The gates open at 4 p.m. The PRCA/WPRA Rodeo begins at 6 p.m. both Friday and Saturday nights, July 14 & 15. Friday’s concert band is “Two Tons of Steel” and Saturday’s concert band is “John King”.
Tickets can be purchased on line at WMVSC.com and at the following local businesses; Antlers Liquor. Candy’s Coffee.
Liquor Cabinet, The Country Store and Willie’s (Silver Cliff Mountain Inn & Restaurant.) Tickets are $35 per day and include the Concert. W/V discount is $5.
THE STAMPEDE PARADE
The Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club is again sponsoring a Rodeo parade Saturday, July 15th. They are looking for more entries – walkers, riders, controlled parade-safe animals, and vehicles are invited to participate. The parade starts at 10 a.m. Participants should meet at the Conoco station between 9 and 9:30 a.m. (Let Treasure Merchant know in advance if possible; text or call 720-261-9111, or email at TMerchant1958@gmail.com. All participants must sign a liability waiver.) Continue reading 77th Westcliffe Stampede Rodeo and Parade →

Walter “Buddy” Draper, 75, of Wetmore, Colorado, passed away on Sunday, June 25, 2023. Buddy was born in Cañon City on December 30, 1947, to George and Leona Draper. He was raised in Wetmore and lived on the Draper Land & Cattle Company Ranch his entire life. As a third-generation rancher, Buddy was integral in keeping the family ranching legacy going. He was a rancher full time and a rodeo cowboy on the weekends. Buddy graduated from Florence High School in 1965 and earned a BA in Education from Southern Colorado State College. He met the love of his life, Jerry, in college and they married October 9, 1971. He and Jerry continued to rodeo, rope and ranch their 51 years of marriage. They had two children, Wade and Chad, that continue to carry on the rodeo and ranching tradition.
In the middle of college, Buddy served in the National Guard for four years. When he returned, he graduated in 1972. Buddy was on the college rodeo team, a gold card member with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and president for the Colorado Professional Rodeo Association for five years. He earned many accolades during his rodeo career and continued team roping competitively until recently. He was a board member for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, served on the Wetmore Volunteer Fire Department, and was a past board member of the Fremont County 4-H. He also worked on western movies filmed in the area for many years.
Buddy was preceded in death by his parents, George and Leona. He is survived by his wife, Jerry, sister Peggy(Fred) Davis of Tombstone, AZ, his son Wade(Jan) Draper of Stanfield, AZ, his other son Chad(Christy) Draper of Wetmore, CO, five grandchildren who were the light of his life – Lexi, Mason, Trey, Chisum and Avery Draper, nieces and nephews and numerous friends.
Buddy loved his family, good horses, ranching, roping, rodeos and dear friends he met along the rodeo trail. He always wore a huge smile and loved to share a story or two.
Services will be held at Pathfinder Events Center in Florence, Colorado, on July 12, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to a scholarship fund for the Colorado Junior Rodeo Association. Those contributions can be made to the Buddy Draper Memorial account at First National Bank – 300 N. Main St., Rocky Ford, CO 81067.

Friday, June 30 & Saturday, July 1 p.m.
Sunday July 2, 2 p.m.
WCPA Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure
Historic Jones Theater
119 Main St, Westcliffe, Tickets online

June 29 thru July 31, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sangres Art Guild’s
“Explosion of Art” Show
3rd Street Gallery 59000 N.
Hwy. 69, Westcliffe

Saturday, July 1,
Band of Brothers Event
1430 Williams Creek Road Contact Brett at westcliffebandofbrothers@gmail.com
or Mike at 303-999-5115

July 4, 7 a.m. – 10 a.m.
All Aboard Westcliffe Pancake Breakfast
(Depot) 102 Main St., Westcliffe

July 4th, Independence Day Parade
10 a.m. ( 9 a.m. line-up) Route: Westcliffe/Silver Cliff Main Sts.

July 4th, 9 a.m. -5 p.m.
Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center Yard Sale
417 Cliff St., Silver Cliff

July 3 & 4, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
All Aboard Westcliffe Flea Market
& Yard Sale 110 Rosita Avenue, Westcliffe

July 4th, check in starts 10:30 a.m., Games 11:30 a.m.
Bobcats Booster Club- Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser School Parking lot

Friday July 6, 6 pm through July 9 @ 4 p.m. High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival
Tickets available online. The Bluffs Park. See ad on page 3
July 7-16, Custer County Fair

July 8, 6 – 8 p.m .
Rocky Mountain Music Company Concert Series –Alex Johnstone
All Aboard Westcliffe 110 Rosita Avenue, Westcliffe

July 8 @ 9:30 – 11:30 p.m
SJO Public Star Party
Smokey Jack Observatory 100 S. Adams Blvd., Westcliffe, OPEN TO PUBLIC, Weather permitting

July 13 -15
Friends of the Library Arts & Craft Fair Hope Lutheran Lange Hall, 312 South 3rd Street, Westcliffe
Thursday July 13, 2 – 6 p.m.,
Friday July 14, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday July 15, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday, July 13, Westcliffe Ranch Rodeo $10. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Mutton Busting at 7 p.m.

July 14 & 15 Westcliffe Stampede PRCA & WPRA Rodeo
Gates open at 4 p.m. Rodeos start at 6 p,m. Post Rodeo entertainment begins at 10 p.m. Friday “Two Tons of Steel” and Saturday ““John King”
​
July 15th Rob’s Ride – Bike Run

July 15, 9:30 -11:30 p.m.
SJO Electronic Assisted Astronomy (EAA) Star Party Free
10 ft Outdoor Screen will be up. Smokey Jack Observatory,
100 S. Adams Blvd., Westcliffe. OPEN TO PUBLIC

Press Release
Music will ring out across the Wet Mountain Valley at the 20th annual High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival. Come enjoy stunning views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the youth music program, the camaraderie of on-site camping and pickin’ in addition to a full roster of exciting bluegrass performers. Festival dates are Thursday, July 6th through Sunday, July 9th.

The lineup features our festival host band, the always entertaining Dry Branch Fire Squad. Other scheduled acts are Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the Baker Family, Uncle Shuffelo and His Haint Hollow Hootenanny, Dayton, The Southwest Bluegrass Stars, Long Road Home, Higher Ground Bluegrass, Blue Canyon Boys, Hillbilly Fever, The Red Mountain Boys, plus Heidi Clare and Ron Thomason. Many performers will also conduct workshops throughout the weekend, affording festival-goers the opportunity to experience those performers in a more intimate setting. Dance to the music of Eagle Peak Dance Band Friday and Saturday nights! And don’t forget High Mountain Hayseeds—bring the kids and their instruments.
High Mountain Hay Fever is also the best deal in bluegrass: 4-Day Passes are only $85; single day tickets are $15 for Thursday evening; $40 for Friday; $45 for Saturday; and $25 for Sunday. Tickets are on sale at www.highmountainhayfever.org and at
the gate.
Please note that camping is sold out. Gate opens 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 6th for ticket sales and wristband pickup only; music starts 6 p.m. And a reminder:
South Adams Blvd. will be closed between Main St. and Rosita Ave. during the festival.
High Mountain Hay Fever is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization whose mission is to bring a quality, destination event that will benefit the entire community. It has raised $800,000 for the benefit of several Wet Mountain Valley charitable concerns, with a strong focus on children’s health. A great group of volunteers work year round to make it happen, avoiding the sprawl and congestion of large festivals while still offering nationally recognized blue-grass talent and staying true to its motto: Small Scale, Big Time!
For information contact us at www.highmountainhayfever.org

by Becky Olson
The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees for the Town of Westcliffe was held on June 20, 2023, and convened as scheduled at 5:30 p.m. in Patterson Hall. All Trustees were present and proceedings commenced after recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and unanimous adoption of the consent agenda. Continue reading June Westcliffe Meeting: Restaurant Outdoor Seating Fees, Dark Skies Doesn’t Like Proposed New Rodeo Lights →

by Fred Hernandez
“My only obligation is to the people in this county.” With that statement Lucas Epp eliminated all doubts about his intention to run for the office of County Commissioner. His opportunity came with the successful campaign to have a recall election for the current commissioner of District 3, Tom Flower. The election on August 8th has two parts: first, the question whether voters want the incumbent out of office. And second: if they do, they must indicate their choice for his replacement. In this case, there is only one candidate on the ballot, as of this report: Lucas Epp.
It was in 1976, on a soybean and corn farm in Nebraska where
Lucas was born and raised, the eldest son of four siblings. He lived and worked on the farm through his high school education after which he went to Iowa for one year of college. He then signed up as an apprentice electrician for four years and today holds a Master license in the following states: Colorado,
Wyoming, Utah, Missouri, Washington, New Mexico and Idaho. Two more licenses are pending approval in the states of Nevada and Texas. After marrying his wife Jolie in Nebraska, they moved to Colorado and Wyoming and finally decided to settle in Custer County where Mrs. Epp had family. Blending quickly into the community they started their
businesses in the town of Westcliffe; Sugarlump and Lollipop both on Main Street.
In a recent interview with Lucas, he stated his simple three point platform: Communication, Transparency and Ethics. In this issue we will present his views on Communication and the other two points will be presented in following articles.
Lucas firmly believes that ninety nine percent of most problems are caused by either the lack of communication or due to miscommunication. Moreover, ninety percent of effective communication is listening attentively and talking less. As a public official it is imperative that one communicates with the public clearly and honestly about issues which affect their lives, their work, their families. It is the duty of the public official to maintain a consistent dialogue with the community in order to build
trust and confidence that the issues that affect them are being addressed by those who they elected into office.
Candidly explaining this core belief, Lucas, in recognizing that people in the community are busy with their obligations and interests, do not have the time to dwell into the details of the issues t hand. It therefore becomes the responsibility of the elected official to condense the issues at hand into “bite sized”, readily understandable and clearly explained pieces of information regarding the issues that the community is interested in. Because people are fully occupied with their own obligations, they cannot attend lengthy meetings at which time the issues are discussed and decided upon. It is therefore the duty of the people’s representative to make it known what took place at these meetings. Communication is one of the most important elements of a good relationship between the elected official and his constituents. Lucas is committed to be the most consistent at communicating to the Custer community all the relevant issues affecting the county.
(Editor/GG: There will be two more articles in the coming weeks on
Mr. Epps’ background and his other two platform planks: transparency and ethics.)

The Liberty Rocks Report:
Speaker Col. Shawn Smith ( Ret.)

by Fred Hernandez
There was a sell out crowd in the main dining area of 4 Kings on Thursday evening, June 15th as the Liberty Rocks Chairperson, Ann Barthrop, called the meeting to order a little past six o’clock. After the customary Pledge of Allegiance and everyone heartily singing “America The Beautiful”, Dr. Ann Willson read from the “Book of Presidents”, this time quoting President Dwight Eisenhower, affectionately known as Ike, when he said “ man is worthwhile because he is born in the Image of God”. Continue reading The Liberty Rocks Report: Speaker Col. Shawn Smith ( Ret.) →