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.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
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!
2022 Custer County students inducted into National Honor Society
L to R: These Custer County students were inducted into National Honor Society on April 25, 2022. Kylee Morrell, Haley Nemeth, Emma Rusk, Autumn Craig, Tanner Hall and Benjamin Stafford. Courtesy photo
BOCC Decision: Undersheriff Robert Hill to be Appointed Sheriff
BOCC: The Peasants Speak, Common Sense Prevails
Undersheriff Hill to be Appointed Sheriff May 20th at High Noon.
by George Gramlich,
News and Notations
The special Custer County Board of County Commissioners meeting to decide who will replace Sheriff Byerly come his effective resignation date of May 20th, was held at the Lutheran church’s Lange Hall as a big crowd was anticipated. And the peasants didn’t disappoint with around 70 attendees.
The meeting was held on Tuesday, May 10th at 10 a.m. All three Musketeers were present: Chair Kevin Day and members Tom Flower and Bill Canda. County Attorney Clint Smith was not present as he had surgery the day before and was unavailable.
Day opened the meeting by noting that a motion to nominate Deputy Brandon Schoch to finish Byerly’s term was on the floor from the last meeting. Day then recognized Sgt. Brandon Schoch who was in the audience. Schoch announced that he was recusing himself from consideration for the position opening. He said he was deeply honored when Sheriff Byerly recommended him to be the nominee but since that day, it became apparent that it would be inappropriate for him to accept that recommendation. Flower then moved to withdraw the motion to appoint Schoch as Sheriff. A peasant in the gallery asked who made that motion last week. Flower answered that he made the motion. The three musketeers then all voted to withdraw the motion. Continue reading BOCC Decision: Undersheriff Robert Hill to be Appointed Sheriff
Beckwith Ranch Spring Roundup – June 4 – 5
Press Release
The Friends of Beckwith Ranch, Inc. announces the 1st Annual Beckwith Ranch Spring Roundup Fundraiser at the historic Beckwith Ranch near Westcliffe, Colorado. The event is to raise money to preserve The Historic Beckwith Ranch. Continue reading Beckwith Ranch Spring Roundup – June 4 – 5
BOCC: Flower Guilty of Multiple Ethics Violations Fined For Breaking Colorado State Law
by George Gramlich,
News and Notations
Citizenship is a responsibility few of us, regrettably, take seriously these last few decades.
Being self-absorbed seems to be the new American norm. It is why we are where we are today as a country with Custer County being a rare exception. One of our local patriots, Jim McMahon, rancher, farmer, plumber, builder, Christian, bon vivant, saw something wrong two years ago at a Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting (attended by Muskies Bill Canda, Jay Printz and Tom Flower). So wrong, and obviously wrong, that this country boy said enough is enough, I have to do something about it. Government needs to be watched closely, especially local government. That is a key part of Citizenship. And Jim IS a serious watchdog.
At the August 28, 2020 BOCC meeting, McMahon, watched as Commissioner Tom Flower, in multiple violations of Colorado Revised Statutes (CRS), proceeded with attempts to influence his fellow commissioners into a vote to award the Health Department overtime pay that his wife, Cindi Flower, would be a recipient of. He not only hid the fact from the commissioners and the public, that he and his wife stood to benefit from the decision, he also discouraged waiting for a recommendation of fund appropriation from the committee set up for CARES Act funding disbursement. Flower also pushed the other two muskies, who did not want to vote on the issue at that time, into changing their opinions and voting to pay the unbudgeted overtime from the County coffers. These actions are in violation of CRS 24-18-109(3)(a) the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission ruled, specifically, “a breach of the public trust for private gain.”
How did the Ethics Commission come to this discovery and decision? Because Citizen Jimmy McMahon took the time to research Colorado’s ethics laws, found where to make a complaint, and sat down and wrote out a letter to them outlining these serious ethic violations. The complaint was filed and there was almost a year of working out the details of the complaint with the Ethics Commission. Finally, March 15th of this year, the Ethics Commission held the evidentiary hearing. They released their opinion Monday, May 15, 2022.
In a devastating ruling, the Ethics Commission took apart all the smoke and mirrors Flower attempted to use to slither his way out of this and found him flat out guilty of multiple
violations of Colorado Law. And they also imposed a fine on Flower which is somewhat rare.
So we have a County Commissioner that now has been censured and punished by his fellow muskies in the recent employee harassment scandal (involving county employee Jackie Hobby) and is now being found guilty of violating Colorado law and being fined for more immoral behavior relating to a payment to his wife. We’ll hear the same, old, croaky, crocodile tear apology next meeting (I’m soooooo sorry. I’m a bad boy. It will never happen again. Waaaaaaa.) and he will do the contrition act for a week or so (like he did in Jackie Hobby’s case.) Then it is back to the Flower Power Hour where the world revolves around The Flowers. County employees, his fellow muskies, and the public will again be treated to his bullying and selfish actions that are hurting our county.
What honor lies in a man like this? Will the calls again for his resignation from the public ring hollow in this man? We will find out.
The full ruling is below. The decision and compulsory penalty is at the end. Read the whole thing. It is a lesson in moral politic that hopefully one person might finally learn. God Bless Jimmy McMahon for standing up to corruption. If you see Jimmy about town thank him and buy him ONE beer.
The Ethics Committee finding were printed in their entirety.
To view, go to https://iec.colorado.gov/sites/iec/files/documents/Complaint%2020-73%20Findings%20and%20Conclusions.pdf
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BOCC: American Rescue Plan Grant: Another Flower Power Show
BOCC: American Rescue Plan Grant:
Another Flower Power Show
by George Gramlich,
News and Notations
The April 29, 2022 Custer County Board of County Commissioners meeting was held in the royal musketeer’s throne room and started at 9 a.m. All three muskies were present: Chair Kevin Day, and members Bill Canda and Tom Flower.
After the muskies wowed us (especially Flower) with all the productive and truly worthy government meetings they attended (via in person, or more frequently now, via Zoom) since the last muskie episode, the big show was up: doling out the $870,000 O’Biden slush fund American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that the county was awarded. Who gets this O’Biden vote bribe money? YES! Continue reading BOCC: American Rescue Plan Grant: Another Flower Power Show
April Westcliffe Town Meeting
April Westcliffe Town Meeting: Grants, Hiring,
New Officials Sworn in, Sheriff Q1 Report
Town of Westcliffe Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting
—April 18, 2022
by Becky Olson
The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees for the Town of Westcliffe convened as scheduled. in Patterson Hall. A quorum of Trustees was present and proceedings commenced after recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
After the consent agenda and Treasurer’s report were unanimously approved, discussion turned to the one item of old business, Bootlegger’s Mercantile restaurant’s application for additional outdoor seating. Mayor Wenke summarized discussion that took place in a separate workshop on this topic and reported they had determined it would “not be wise to lease or sell” the strip of property in question for the proposed additional seating. There was amotion to disapprove Bootlegger’s application, which was seconded and passed unanimously. Continue reading April Westcliffe Town Meeting
“Social Emotional Learning” Curriculum
Superintendent McFalls Weighs In
on Controversial
“Social Emotional Learning” Curriculum
by Becky Olson
This summary is part of a larger and ongoing discussion in our community about a specific curriculum implemented in Custer County’s elementary school last year called “Social Emotional Learning”, or “SEL” for short. Though originally developed many years ago and initially introduced during the first Obama administration, SEL grabbed more national attention over the past year or so as it was marketed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention(CDC), teachers unions, and state education boards as a helpful solution to the emotional andpsychological issues brought on in students due to the pandemic and school closures of the past two years. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning or “CASEL” (www.casel.org), the objective of SEL curriculum is to provide, “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintainsupportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions”. The particular SEL curriculum implemented in our school last year is from Sanford-Harmony, which claims the honor of being a “CASEL SELect program”. Continue reading “Social Emotional Learning” Curriculum
Sniper Rifle Protocol – Part 4
Sniper Rifle Protocol – Part 4
Acquiring your Equipment – Optics
by Mark Bunch/Royal Gorge Gun Club President/
Chairman Fremont County NRA
Choosing a Riflescope
The first documented telescopic rifle sight was
invented between 1835 and 1840. This sight was called the Chapman-James sight and by today’s standards it was a piece of junk but back in its day it was considered pretty good.
Having a good quality scope on your rifle can mean the difference between coming home with meat for the freezer or not at all. It can also mean the difference in helping you get back home safely from some far-off dangerous place. Unfortunately, numerous shooters buy a good quality rifle and the cheapest piece of junk scope money can buy and then wonder why they can’t
hit anything.
