Dear Sentinel Supporters,

Several weeks ago, I was presented a unique opportunity to help keep The Sangre De Cristo Sentinel up and running.  It was an opportunity that I was humbled and thankful to receive, and my family and I threw ourselves at the tasks ahead.  I am proud of the way the team here at The Sentinel came together, in an emotional time, to keep the newspaper running.  I am very, very proud of the editions we have put out over the past few weeks.  As humble a goal as it may seem, I believe that we’ve been Accurate, Timely, and Relevant and I couldn’t be more pleased with the paper’s direction and trajectory.

Unfortunately, the conditions have changed.  In light of challenges that were as unexpected as they were unfortunate, last Friday’s edition of The Sentinel you received will be this paper’s final edition.

The Sentinel team, my family, and I are so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we received over the past few weeks.  Words of encouragement came in from all corners and it felt as if the majority of our neighbors agreed with the direction we were heading.

In this experiment we call America, that’s how it goes.  Sometimes things work out exactly as you’d hoped, sometimes they don’t.  This is a case of the latter.  And, though it is disheartening and disappointing to have to shut down the Sentinel, our goals and values have not changed.  We remain committed to being as positive and uplifting an impact on this great community of ours as possible.  We will continue to find the good out there and lift up our neighbors whenever possible.

To everyone who has stood by us and supported our vision, you have my eternal thanks.

Wishing all of you the very best.

– Michael Foster

Custer County Business Close Up

Colorado Forestry and Earthworks

Custer County’s businesses and business owners are the foundation of our County and our County’s future! Please join the Sentinel team on our journey to celebrate and pay tribute to the amazing people that make Custer County what it is today.

Being an entrepreneur in a small town can be tough. But the Gaide family has figured out the formula for success with Colorado
Forestry and Earthworks, LLC (also known as CF&E). Their success is not only doing great things for their customers, they are also employing about 15 of our neighbors! Their website best describes what they do: “For All Your Earthly Needs”. So if you need help with fire mitigation, land clearing, site preparation, erosion control, foundations, landscaping, road/driveway building, septic installation or gravel, they are definitely worth a call to get an estimate for your latest project!

The founder, Shawn Gaide, and his brother Mike grew up in our community after their grandparents moved here from Pueblo in the 60’s. Shawn finished school in the Custer County High School so he knows our community well. In fact, Shawn went off to College at Western Colorado University and returned to teach in the Custer County School for four years. Brenda Gaide married Shawn in 2006, and joined the business last year where she now serves as the President of CF&E. All their kids have either graduated in our school system or are attending now.

Shawn’s expertise is in excavation and everything that involves dirt. In fact, their website states: “When it comes to dirt, we’re the pro’s.” Before starting CF&E, Shawn worked for several other companies gaining valuable experience in excavation, tree-cutting, and clearing land. He knows it all and loves working in our community. You will likely see the CF&E fleet and equipment all over the County. Again, check out the website (COforearth.com) for details on all
their services!

When you see their logo all over town, you won’t see all the other things they’ve done for the community. The Gaide family’s
involvement started with their grandparents role in the Rotary Club and getting the Rotary Van program started. Today, they are still serving the community in many other ways—especially at the school. For example, Brenda served on the School Board for four years. Most recently, they joined their Director of Operations, Warren Gold, in working on “Operation Fresh Start” by building a home for a local Veteran and his wife with many other local companies donating materials along with +$7,000 that’s been raised in cash from our community. It’s a very exciting project!
If you’d like some help for your “Earthly Needs”, CF&E can be contacted at (719) 285-9992 or “info@coforearth.com”.
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On a much more personal note from the authors, we have been students of America’s founding and our Founding Fathers by attending countless educational conferences, classes and reading a LOT of books. After learning more about CF&E, we can’t think of a better example of our Founding Father’s vision of what the possibilities are with a little grit, hard work and rugged individualism!
Judy and Rick Meckstroth