by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The April 3, 2024 Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting started at 9 a.m. at their royally appointed abode across from the County Courthouse. All three Commissioners were present: Chair Kevin Day and members Bill Canda and
Lucas Epp.
In Commissioner Items, Canda noted that the two local TV stations (11 and 13) operating off the mountain should be operational by next week.
In New Business, the Short Term Rental Application (STR) for the Urbiztondo STR was up. This is the third go at this STR. The Planning Commission had previously voted to recommend that the BOCC deny the application due to the vehement disapproval by its neighbors. Continue reading April 3 BOCC: in County Facilities, High Drama, Lib Meltdowns
Category Archives: 2024
Liberty Rocks: Ricky Schroder, Stamping out Porn
Ricky Schroder At
Liberty Rocks
New Mission: To Stamp Out Pornography
by Fred Hernandez
The new venue for Liberty Rocks at Lange Hall on Third Street in Westcliffe had a great attendance of eighty five (85) friends and neighbors most of whom enjoyed a delicious dinner provided by Imperio Azteca. On the menu was a sumptuous taco bar featuring beef or chicken with all the trimmings including dessert.
Photo by Fred Hernandez
Continue reading Liberty Rocks: Ricky Schroder, Stamping out Porn
2024 Sangre Art Guild Create Pilot Program For The Children
2024 Sangre Art Guild
Create Pilot Program
For The Children of Custer County
by Fred Hernandez
A brand new program for all children but particularly beneficial for homeschooled kids because of the timing, is being announced by Liz VanSomeren, the contact person for this pilot program at 3rd Street Art Gallery. It will fulfill the need in the world of art for children from Kindergarten to the 7th grade. As Liz says, “we are learning from this pilot what we have to do to best serve the needs of the children and we will be offering this program again in the Fall for all children”.
From the write-up provided by Ms. VanSomeren:
Sangres Art Guild’s art education program for Custer County Home School Families is tuition free with art supplies provided by the guild. Our first classes started on February 28th, meeting on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month from 1-2 p.m. ending this semester on May 8th.
There are 15 children in grades K-7 in our pilot program, split into three classes: kindergarten, grades 1-4 and grades 5-7 with 12 more children on our waiting list. In the fall semester our goal is to enroll up to 30 children in grades 1-8.
Our art curriculum includes studying elements of art which are line, shapes, color, form, texture, and space while using various art mediums including pencil, watercolor, crayon, tempura, pastel, etc.
We’ll practice in class art techniques, work on an in-class art project and provide at-home art activities to extend classroom learning.
The five teachers who themselves are artists with a variety of teaching backgrounds are Jan Kraus, Anne Owens, Eileen Piasecki-Couch, Liz VanSomeren and Terri Weibke. Deb Rimmer is an assistant, and we have a need for more teachers and teachers’ assistants. Julie Hutslar, our visiting artist, will end the semester on May 8th with a special watercolor session for our children.
Parents interested in enrolling their children for the 2024 Fall Program, anyone interested in becoming an art teacher or a teacher’s assistant in the SAG Home School Art Class program or for further information please email:
Liz VanSomeren at Lvansomeren@
sagboard.org.
March 27 BOCC: Non-Sanctuary Proclamation
BOCC: We Are Now a Non-Sanctuary County!
(Local Lib Doesn’t Like That.)
Plus: Anti Porn Internet Resolution Passed
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The March 27, 2024 Custer County Board of County Commissioners’ (BOCC) regular meeting got into some hot topic political issues, and we are happy to report, that the “good guys” won to the weeping angst of the County’s political left. The meeting was at the Commissioners lavishly appointed throne room across from the courthouse. All three Commissioners were in attendance: Chair Kevin Day and members Bill Canda and Lucas Epp.
In Commissioner Items, Canda reported that the equipment for the TV towers has arrived and the contractor is testing it. Epp noted that the County’s accounting system provider, CIC, will be training our troops on various dates in April. Continue reading March 27 BOCC: Non-Sanctuary Proclamation
Republican Assembly Custer County
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The 2024 Custer County Republican Assembly, sponsored by the Custer County Republican Central Committee (CCRCC) , convened at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 16th at Lange Hall in Westcliffe.
The Assembly was run by the CCRCC’s Chair, Jack Canterbury.
There were 46 elected precinct delegates present and about 15 guests. After some preliminaries, the first item of business was voting for who would run in the primary for County Commissioner in Districts 1 and 2.
In District 1, incumbent Commissioner Lucas Epp received enough votes to be on the primary ballot. Challenger Veronica Nicholson received 12 votes which allowed her to petition on to the primary. The petition deadline is Tuesday, March 19th.
District 2 was a different story. First, a little background: the county voted in Kevin Day for Commissioner four years ago. He was a registered Republican and ran as a Republican. Republicans and a fair amount of unaffiliated voters were behind his victory. After three years as a poorly performing Commissioner, Day, knowing he wouldn’t be nominated to run in the Republican Assembly, switched his voter registration to unaffiliated in December so he could run as unaffiliated. (All you have to do to get on the ballot running as unaffiliated is to get a small number of registered voters to sign a candidate petition.) (So, “Traitor” Day abandoned the people and the party that elected him and is hoping the libs and the moderate unaffiliated will return him to office for more mayhem and disastrous decision making. It’s all about ego; the paycheck, and the power. You wonder why three of them have been recalled in recent years.)
So this left a vacuum for the Republicans in District 2. Fortunately, a well-qualified candidate appeared recently and who is a lifelong Republican and ex-career U.S. Navy veteran Paul Vogelsong. Paul has a long record of accomplishments and has strong management skills. He also has a lot of experience in finance and human resources. Paul has been actively campaigning the last few weeks for the District 2 Commissioner slot and was successful Saturday with a strong favorable delegate vote that put him on the primary ballot.
Ex-Commissioner Lynn Attebury surprised every-body by putting in a bid for District 2 Commissioner. He received just enough votes to allow him to petition on. Again, March 19th was the deadline for his petition.
The Precinct Committee People, who run each precinct were also con-firmed Saturday. They are: District 1: Ann Barthrop, Linda Pollack; District 2: Harald Frank, Joanie Wilcox, and District 3: Nikita Phillips, Dawn Ramsdell.
Eleven delegates were elected/appointed to the Republican State Assembly. They are: Jack Canterbury, Chuck Steigerwalt, Sandra Attebery, Nancy Drummond, Harald Frank, Aspen Baltzly, Lisa Kidwell, Lisa Frank, Ann Barthrop, Jean Canterbury and Nikita Phillips.
The eleven alternate delegates elected are: Bill Canda, Joanie Wilcox, Lucas Epp, Joanne Canda, Linda Pollack, Stephen Wilcox, David Lutz, Gordan Greer, Mark Graner, Judy Greer and Lynn Attebery.
UAACOG’s Home Repair Loan Program
UAACOG Program Offers Help to Homeowners Needing to Improve Energy Efficiency
Press Release
UAACOG’s Home Repair Loan Program can upgrade windows, add insulation, repair or replace furnaces and replace doors. With the sometimes extreme cold weather and heating costs on the rise, these upgrades/repairs will quickly pay for themselves.
The program can also address other homeowner concerns such as plumbing problems, electrical problems and fire mitigation (tree trimming), to name a few. Construction supervision is provided at no cost and payment assistance is available to homeowners who qualify.
To qualify for the program, applicants must:
1. Own and occupy the home as their primary
residence
2. Meet income guidelines
Example: The income limit/maximum for a family of four is $87,000 in Chaffee, Custer, Fremont and Lake Counties, $124,100 in Park County and $93,600 in Teller County.
Rehab Winter Flyer 1 REVISED July, 2023 
Homeowners needing an application or additional information can contact Shawn or Bryan at:
Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments
3224-A Independence Road Cañon City, CO 81212 (719) 275-4191 Cañon City
(719) 539-6862 Salida
Fax: (719) 275-2907
E-mail: shawn.snowden@uaacog.com or bryan.ray@uaacog.com Web: www.uaacog.com
On Facebook @ Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments
March 13 BOCC: OEM Pushing for Taj Mahal
BOCC: OEM Keeps Pushing for a Taj Mahal, Copper Gulch Road a “Train Wreck”, Finance Progress
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The March 13, 2024 Custer County Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC) meeting was another romp down the bureaucrat drainage ditch lasting four hours and fifteen minutes. The meeting started at 9 a.m. in the Commissioners building next to the Courthouse. All three Commissioners were in attendance: Chair Kevin Day and members Bill Canda and Lucas Epp.
In Commissioner Items, Epp reported that the company hired to clean the mold in the courthouse basement finished the task and it appears that the leak from the roof is fixed. Epp said he is getting bids to fix the roof. (This has been going on for a decade….)
Staff Reports were next. Road & Bridge said that Copper Gulch Road is a “train wreck” and they are working on it. Excessive speed is blamed for a lot of the damage. R&B plans on doing a lot of work out there this summer. Continue reading March 13 BOCC: OEM Pushing for Taj Mahal
February 29 BOCC
BOCC: Donated Fuel Tanker, Finance Rumblings, UACOG Money Woes,
Late EOM Grant Issues
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The February 29, 2024, Custer County Board of County Commissioners regular meeting started at 9 a.m. in their gilded throne room in the building across from the courthouse. All three Commissioners were in attendance: Chair Kevin Day and members Bill Canda and Lucas Epp.
In Commissioner Items, Canda noted that the State of Colorado will be donating a fuel tanker truck to the airport. This can be used to refill rescue and fire helicopters in emergencies. It will be available in April. Continue reading February 29 BOCC
David McConnell Retires from Clinic
by Fred Hernandez
“Fading into the sunset” is an appropriate description often used with affection and admiration for someone leaving office. For someone who served well and with distinction. That is the perfect description for the retirement of one who served his country in time of conflict, one who served his community diligently day after day for a long period of time, one who continues to serve his county as a man of God. That man is David McConnell. He will be retiring soon from the local clinic and will be sorely missed. Continue reading David McConnell Retires from Clinic
Custer County Is MAGA Country
Custer County Is MAGA Country
Huge Turnout for Trump, Biden
Takes a Whoopin’
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
Despite the influx of left leaning migrants to Happy Valley the last decade or so, Custer County is still solid red with a big time Republican turnout in Tuesday’s Colorado primary election. The Custer County Republican vote turnout was FOUR TIMES higher than the Democrat turnout with 1,957 voting Republican and only 477 voting Democrat. (Note results are unofficial as of this date.)
For the County as a whole, there was a 55.45% voter turnout with 2,450 ballots cast out of 4,418 Active Voters.
There were seven candidates on the Republican ticket with Trump and Nicki Haley being the only ones getting significant votes: Trump trounced Haley with 1,434 votes (73.28%) to 474 votes (24.22%). On the Dem side, Biden got 430 votes (90.15%) with 20 votes (4.19%) voting for “Noncommitted Delegate”. (The “Non-committed” vote is a protest vote by democrats saying they want another, unspecified, Democrat to run for President. You can’t blame them. Dementia Joe ain’t gonna make it.)
What will be interesting, if we can find out, is how many Unaffiliated voters voted in the election. In Colorado; if you are registered Unaffiliated in a Primary, you get two ballots: one for the Republican candidates and one for the Democrat candidates. They can either not vote, or vote Republican or Democrat. There has been a LOT of news on how left leaning Unaffiliated who are opposed to Trump, are voting for Haley on the Republican ticket. We asked our County Clerk if it was possible to get that data for Custer County. We will let you know if we can obtain it.
Statewide, voter turnout was a lot lower than
politically-tuned-in Custer County with only 35.98% of Active Voters casting ballots: 1,361,999 ballots cast out of 3,785,419 Active Voters. There were 534,271 votes cast for Democrat candidates against 818,560 votes for Republican candidates. (Showing big time voter interest on the Republican side and low motivation for the Democrats.)
The state results show the minority Republican Party turned out big time to support Trump: Trump got 63.27% (517,884 votes) of the Republican ballots with Haley only getting 33.45% (273,809 votes) of the cast ballots.
On the Democrat side, Sleepy Joe got 83.55% (446,395 votes) of the Democrat votes cast with a significant number of anti Biden protest votes for “Non-committed Delegate”, 8.135 (43,439 votes).
Nationally, Trump put a whoopin’ dance on Haley wining all the state primaries except for wacko Vermont where he barely lost.
(This impressive Trump win nationally will panic the Dems and they will double down on their “lawfare” attempts at civilly suing Trump and trying to put him in jail via bogus charges. Folks, this November’s Presidential election will be the most consequential election in our lifetime. It is the last chance to save our country from the deranged left. It is gonna be some ride….)