County tackles 'Big Box' issue

By James Robinson
Staff Writer
Archuleta County embarked on the first of what was touted to be many in a series of Big Box work sessions Monday.
During the meeting, Archuleta County Associate Planner Cindy Schultz addressed about 15 citizens, the board of county commissioners and key county staff, and outlined a series of four possible options for county Big Box regulations.
Speaking in general terms, Schultz said the prospects ranged from a full-out prohibition on Big Boxes, to instituting a size cap, adopting partial regulations such as design guidelines, or no Big Box-specific regulations at all - an option Schultz described as the "do nothing" alternative.
Schultz said the county currently does not have Big Box regulations, however, she explained the county land use code addresses residential, industrial and commercial land uses.
Although Schultz did not go into specifics for each option, Schultz said planning staff did not advocate the "do nothing" alternative.
"We need to be proactive, not reactive," Schultz said. "When a Big Box wants to come to your community, they either look at your regulations or lack of regulations."
Schultz added that the intent of the presentation was not to set the course for Big Box regulations but to take direction from the commissioners and to hear public concerns.
When asked if the commissioners would support a 100,000 square-foot size cap similar to the town's recently adopted Big Box policy, Commissioner Ronnie Zaday said it was too early to make such a commitment.
She said a discussion with county residents and taking any proposed regulations through a public process, including hearings with the county planning commission was necessary before the board makes a final decision.
Commissioner Robin Schiro added that because there is no hard-and-fast definition for a Big Box, what may be considered large format retail to the town may not be the same for the county. Therefore, she said more research is required before drafting regulations or considering the imposition of a size cap.
Although none of the commissioners clearly advocated imposing the town's 100,000 square-foot size cap, all agreed design guidelines should be incorporated into any future Big Box regulations.
Archuleta County Administrator Bob Campbell and Zaday both said they support large format retail because curbing tax dollar leakage is of paramount importance.
Ron Chacey of the county's planning commission and Angela Atkinson of the town's planning commission, urged the commissioners to avoid adopting regulations that would lead to inconsistent land use policies between the town and county.
According to Schultz, there are currently 75 parcels large enough - 12 acres or more - and with sufficient access to accommodate large format retail.
Schultz defined "sufficient access" as lying within 500 feet of U.S. 84 or U.S. 160.
Of those 75, Schultz said, four are zoned commercial and could potentially accommodate a Big Box retailer. Thus, the remaining 71 would have to go through a lengthy rezoning process as mandated in the land use code.
The rezone process requires county planners to assess myriad factors, with compatibility issues being chief among them.
"The criteria are pretty strict and we're holding firm to the criteria," Schultz said.
Zaday said although the county currently has no Big Box regulations in place, a rezone request is a lengthy process, yet without a moratorium in place, questions remain whether time alone is a sufficient safety net.
According to Schultz, although a rezone request could take about two months, a conditional use permit, which is required before a Big Box could go in on one of the four parcels, could be applied for today.
A second work session is tentatively scheduled for mid-March.
Comments on Big Box policies and regulations can be sent to the Archuleta County Planning Department via e-mail. Go to ArchuletaCounty.org, then click on "Special Projects," then "Big Box Forum," then "Send Comments to the Planning Department."
james@pagosasun.com

New search for hospital CEO

By Chuck McGuire
Staff Writer
In its search for a chief executive officer to head a new hospital in Pagosa Springs, the Upper San Juan Health Service District is back to square one.
Though the district has overcome several difficult challenges in recent months, selecting a CEO is unfortunately not one of them. Just as it appeared that particular task approached finality, the proverbial bottom dropped out and the district board is now left considering its options.
Collectively, district board members believed the end was near when they ultimately offered Ronald A. Ommen of Jackson, Wyo. the CEO position, after a lengthy application and interview process involving 13 or 14 original candidates.
A four-person hiring committee, including district board members Bob Scott and Jim Pruitt, district construction committee chairman J.R. Ford, and former Pagosa Springs town manager Jay Harrington, conducted the in-depth interviews and gradually trimmed the list to five. Eventually, three applicants dropped out of the running, leaving Ommen and Tim Bishop of Estes Park, Colo. as the two finalists.
"It was a difficult decision," said board chair Neal Townsend. "We wanted to hire them both. But, Ron (Ommen) is currently a hospital CEO, and Tim (Bishop) is a CFO (chief financial officer)."
According to Townsend, Bishop was eager, and able, to move up to a CEO position, while Ommen expressed a strong interest in taking on a new hospital project from the ground up.
Nevertheless, just as the district had decided on Ommen and offered him the job, the Wyoming governor's office approached him with a proposal of its own - evidently one Ommen couldn't pass up. The district had hoped Ommen would accept its offer and assume responsibilities by February or March.
All may not be lost, however. Bishop has apparently expressed continued interest in the post, and hiring committee chairman Bob Scott has since received resumes from other interested parties.
Bishop is currently the administrator of financial services for the Estes Park Medical Center, a 15-bed critical access acute care facility. He holds advanced degrees in accounting, management information systems, business administration and health administration, and has worked in health care since 1982.
"We've received more resumes and still have the information on previous candidates," said Scott, "but we (the hiring committee) haven't even met to discuss them yet. We need a CEO very soon, but we don't want to rush into anything at this point."
Scott believes the committee will meet shortly to decide its next course of action, and should submit a recommendation to the full district board in the near future.
chuck@pagosasun.com

Courthouse options reviewed

By James Robinson
Staff Writer
County staff presented four possible locations for a new courthouse and justice center Jan. 18, and the presentation was underscored by citizen concerns over whether the county was selling the building at the most advantageous time for the coffers and the taxpayer.
"You're asking the public what they think, but you're asking them after the fact. You've sold the building out from underneath us," said J.R. Ford.
County Administrator Bob Campbell countered, "I agree in some respects that the process has not flowed the way it should, but at some point the commission has to act."
The county accepted a purchase offer Jan. 9 from the sole bidder, Pagosa Holdings LLC - the bid signed by David Brown, a principal in the company - with a series of conditions. To date, Campbell said discussions with Pagosa Holdings have been positive, however the county has not yet received a formal written response to its counter offer.
According to Campbell, Pagosa Holdings LLC has 30 days to respond and he said he doesn't anticipate a formal response for another week or 10 days.
As the two parties work to seal negotiations, county staff has embarked on an educational campaign to inform residents of the possible locations for new courthouse and jail facilities. The Jan. 18 session marked the first such meeting and Ford and about 15 other county residents turned out to hear the presentation. During the discussion, many echoed Ford's concerns that, in light of downtown's development potential, perhaps the county wasn't selling at the right time or for top dollar.
"This is Boardwalk in Monopoly, it just doesn't have the hotels on it yet," said Nancy Fryer.
The courthouse site, located at 449 San Juan St., fronts U.S. 160, is bordered by Centennial Park and the San Juan River in the rear and on the west by property owned by Brown's BootJack Management company.
In addition to the property immediately west and adjacent to the courthouse, BootJack holdings include a number of properties stretching from the west end of the courthouse, along U.S. 160 to San Juan Plaza and along south Sixth Street from U.S. 160 to its junction with the River Walk path.
Although John Hundley of BootJack Management has declined to discuss development plans for the courthouse property, both Campbell and Archuleta County Special Projects Manager Sheila Berger described the property as a prime retail and commercial location. And Campbell added that the property's commercial potential virtually guarantees the building's demise, regardless of who purchases it.
"I absolutely believe this building will be torn down," Campbell said.
Campbell said he would not disclose the sale price until after the transaction is complete, although he said the building and property had appraised at $4.25 million.
Of the county's many reasons for the sale and the move, jail compliance issues were among the top on the list.
According to both Campbell and Berger, the current jail facility does not meet many state and federal regulations regarding safety and security issues such as housing and separation of inmates. For example, under existing conditions, the county is unable to separate violent offenders from those in for misdemeanors.
In addition, Archuleta County Sheriff Pete Gonzalez added that federal regulations require sight and sound separation of juveniles from adults, and women from men, and under the spatial constraints of the current facility, meeting those regulations poses a number of challenges.
In 1987, similar jail circumstances prompted three former inmates to sue Archuleta County for inhumane jail conditions. According to Berger, the terms of the suit required the county to build the current jail at a cost, she estimated, of roughly $2 million.
Unfortunately, Berger explained, a residential architect designed the facility and therefore it lacks key safety, security and practical features required for institutional use.
Near the end of the presentation, Berger outlined four possible site locations. The first involves building county administrative offices on a parcel located on Hot Springs Boulevard and across from Town Hall. The county purchased the property in 1999 for just such an endeavor, but the property is deed restricted to prohibit construction of a jail or other law enforcement facilities. Therefore, under option one, a justice center, housing the courts, jail and sheriff's offices would be built at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds property.
According to Berger, the justice center, if built at the fairgrounds, would not interfere with regular fair activities.
Option two includes an all-inclusive campus-like facility, also on the fairgrounds property.
Option three involves building an all-inclusive campus on a 12-acre parcel at the southeast corner of U.S. 84 and U.S. 160, the location of the old saw mill.
According to Berger, alternative four is also a campus option, slated for the southwest corner of U.S. 84 and U.S. 160.
Berger outlined the advantages and disadvantages with each parcel. Building in town on Hot Springs Boulevard, for example, would mean $720,000 in town and Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District related impact fees. The flip side is that the town already owns the Hot Springs Boulevard property and could obtain fairgrounds property in exchange for the county building an event center at the fairgrounds.
Option two - the fairgrounds campus option - has the advantage of having most of the utilities already in place, however neither option one or two has cost estimates associated with the projects.
Options three and four both came in with price tags of roughly $25 million, although one audience member who asked to remain anonymous said the old sawmill site has significant environmental problems, such as arsenic cleanup issues.
Public input at the meeting went against the old saw mill site, while alternative four garnered the most support.
Missing from the discussion was talk of utilizing the current courthouse.
"The option to stay here has almost been cast aside," Berger said. "Why?"
She explained with Pagosa Holdings' bid, the county's counter offer, ongoing negotiations, and the state of the current courthouse, the county is poised to begin implementing its plan for new county facilities.
"The building is functionally obsolete and fundamentally inadequate," said Berger.
A second courthouse meeting is scheduled tonight, 6 to 8 p.m. in the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association Clubhouse on Port Avenue
To view maps and graphics of the four alternatives visit archuletacounty.org, then click on "News and Events-County Facilities Open House," then click on "Link to more information on this Topic."
james@pagosasun.com

Tax bills: Returned to sender

By Louis Sherman
Staff Writer

The Archuleta County Treasurer's Office has been flooded by annual tax bills that have been returned to sender, due to the closure of the Pack N' Mail Plus postal annex on the west side of town, and cessation of forwarding services by the United States Postal Service.
Yearly, the treasurer's office must contend with address changes, but the closing of Pack N' Mail Plus has doubled the problem.
"It just overwhelmed us this year," said Kelly Evans of the treasurer's office.
Evans said the office has recently received 50 to 100 returned tax bills per day, since the postal service stopped forwarding the bills.
Former postal patrons at Pack N' Mail Plus who should be receiving tax bills for real estate, personal or business property, are directed to contact the Archuleta County Treasurer's Office to avoid the administration of late fees. The office needs a written change of address. Additional information and instructions can be obtained by calling 264-8325.
Written changes of address can be sent to the treasurer's office by e-mail at dlivingston@archuletacounty.org, by fax at 264-8329 or by mail : Archuleta County Treasurer's Office, P.O. Box 790, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147.
louis@pagosasun.com

Fire damages downtown residence

By Louis Sherman
Staff Writer
Firefighters from the Pagosa Fire Protection District (PFPD) responded to a house fire at 164 South 7th St. Saturday, Jan. 20. The fire damaged two rooms on the second floor of the two-story structure but caused no serious injuries.
According to a PFPD report, after the page from dispatch was received at about 11 p.m., 19 volunteer firefighters responded to the home with a rescue unit vehicle, maintenance truck, aerial (ladder) truck, engine (carrying 1,000 gallons of water), water tanker (carrying an additional 1,500 gallons), and pumper.
At the scene, firefighters found the four tenants of the dwelling safely outside. The flames were controlled by 3:14 a.m. and the last fire units were cleared by 7 a.m. Sunday morning.
Most of the damage was confined to second-floor bedrooms on the north and east sides of the house, and the fire vented through the roof on the north side. The flames were difficult to extinguish due to the materials in and construction of the structure. Chainsaws were utilized by firefighters to provide access.
According to a PFPD report, the fire was started by a portable heater, kept in an enclosed area to keep pipes from freezing.
The fire resulted in no serious injuries, though one firefighter had a superficial flesh wound to the ear.
One of the tenants thought he had lost important documents and money in a cash box, as a result of the blaze, but district personnel found the articles unharmed and returned them to the owner Sunday.
louis@pagosasun.com

Investigation rules Arboles fire intentional, death a suicide

By Louis Sherman
Staff Writer
Investigations into an Arboles house fire and associated fatality on Jan. 12 have been concluded by the Los Pinos Fire Protection District (LPFPD), the Archuleta County Sheriff's Department and fire investigators from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
According to a LPFPD press release, the investigations determined the fire was set intentionally by the victim, Michael Dwaine Thompson, 54, before he took his life with a firearm.
According to the release, "examination of the remains of the building and its contents has led investigators to conclude that multiple fires were set within the home ... the fire patterns and multiple points of fire origin indicate that the fire was intentionally set."
The release states that the separate investigations concluded "the building was set on fire by the homeowner prior to him taking his own life."
Archuleta County Coroner Karl Macht ordered an autopsy performed on the victim Jan. 16. The autopsy indicated Thompson suffered an apparant, self-inflicted gunshot wound.
louis@pagosasun.com

Improvements continue at Stevens Field

By Chuck McGuire
Staff Writer
As the Archuleta County Airport Advisory Commission gathered for its regular monthly meeting Thursday, a number of agenda items served to illustrate ongoing improvements at Stevens Field.
In a presentation early on, Chris Pomeroy of the Colorado Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division described the current status of the entire Colorado aviation system and where the county airport fits in. Pointing to a glossy 2005 version of the Colorado Aviation System Plan (ASP), he explained the changes in statewide aviation services and facilities over the past five years, and predicted how they will appear by 2025.
The ASP, which was last updated in 2000, serves as a tool for measuring strengths, weaknesses, economic benefits and progress in statewide air travel and transport, and classifies Colorado's 75 airports as Major, Intermediate or Minor. A facility's physical location, extent of services, access, and coverage area determine its classification and how it fits in the broader plan. Since 1992, the plan has been updated approximately every five years.
The latest ASP also reflects apparent economic growth attributable to aviation. The 2000 ASP indicated the annual economic benefit derived from Colorado's commercial and general aviation airports (excluding Denver International) was roughly $5.4 billion. By 2005, that estimate increased to $6.7 billion, with 47 Colorado airports having an annual economic impact of $1 million or more.
Essentially, the 2005 plan reflects a growing demand in flight services throughout Colorado, particularly in general aviation, and points to necessary enhancements essential to meeting Federal Aviation Administration requirements, while increasing safety and systemwide performance.
In describing the financial struggles and reduced services amid the commercial airline industry, the plan suggests a growing number of businesses will rely on general aviation to meet their upcoming air travel needs. Therefore, smaller regional airports are gaining notoriety in the overall plan.
Largely due to its strategic location and growing popularity, Stevens Field is classified as a Major airport in the CDOT plan.
Major airports are held to higher standards and stipulations than others, but with recent development at Stevens Field, it is largely compliant with the bulk of FAA and CDOT demands. The only things really lacking are the completion of a parallel taxiway and the acquisition of a precision approach.
Construction of the taxiway is scheduled for later this year and next, and will greatly enhance airport safety. Meanwhile, Stevens Field is apparently at the top of the list to receive a "written approach," which will enable pilots to "find the runway in less than ideal weather conditions."
As Pomeroy concluded his presentation, Dave Naffie of Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Inc. (RS&H) took the floor.
RS&H is an engineering firm contracted by Archuleta County to design airport improvements over the next five years, including the taxiway, and Naffie appeared to inform the commission on the status of a forthcoming update of the Airport Layout Plan.
The ALP is a combination of drawings and documents illustrating the current physical state of the airport and planned improvements over the next 20 years. For upcoming projects to gain FAA approval, and qualify for federal funding, they must first appear on the ALP.
According to Naffie, the cost of updating the ALP itself qualifies for federal and state aid, with the FAA covering 95 percent, while the state and county each contribute 2.5 percent. The total price tag is $83,000, and completion of the report is expected in six to eight months.
In another matter, ACAAC Chairman Elmer Schettler announced county progress in filling two pending commission member vacancies. Seats now held by Schettler and Mark Weiler will open in March, when their original two-year terms expire.
Anyone interested in appointment to the ACAAC had until the close of business Jan. 5 to submit an application for consideration. Since then, eight applicants have been screened and are now undergoing interviews. Schettler and Weiler are both seeking reappointment, though their positions are not guaranteed.
The Federal Aviation Administration has finally commissioned the newly installed Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) at Stevens Field. Placed adjacent to the north ramp near the new fixed base operations (FBO) building at midfield, the system is now fully operational.
As designed, the system provides minute-to-minute data on conditions at runway level, which helps meteorologists, pilots and flight dispatchers prepare and monitor weather forecasts, plan flight routes, and provide necessary information for safe takeoffs and landings.
To listen to the AWOS system, anyone can call (970) 731-0365, or tune in to aviation radio frequency 127.175. Those interested can also view AWOS information on a computer monitor located at the information counter of the Avjet front office. Avjet, the Fixed Base Operator, occupies the main floor of the new FBO building at the end of Cloman Boulevard, off Piedra Road.
To keep the community informed of ongoing developments at the airport, Stevens Field management now publishes a monthly newsletter. Entitled "Air Mail," it goes out to anyone included on a specific mailing list, and the January edition is now available at the airport link on the Archuleta County Web site. Go to www.archuletacounty.org, click on departments, then airport, then newsletter.
Finally, the ACAAC has announced a slight change in its monthly meeting agenda. Public sessions are still scheduled for the third Thursday of every month, with those in March, June, September and December now taking place in the commissioners' meeting room at the county courthouse. All other meetings are at 3 p.m. in the Airport Conference Center, located on the second level of Nick's Hanger.
Chuck@pagosasun.com

District to host biological pest control program

In conjunction with the CSU Extension Service and the Archuleta County Weed and Pest Control Division, the San Juan Conservation District will host a program on biocontrol Feb. 6 at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds Building beginning at 6:30 p.m. with dessert.
Dan Bean, manager of the Palisade Insectary, will speak about biological pest control methods and the programs available to the public. The presentation will conclude at 8 p.m.
The main function of the Biological Pest Control Section is the rearing and releasing of natural enemies for control of specific plant and insect pests.
In 1945 the Bureau of Plant and Insect Control developed Colorado's first biological pest control program at the Colorado Department of Agriculture Insectary. Biological pest control affords the opportunity to decrease agriculture's reliance on chemical pest control.
Located in Palisade, the work of the Insectary involves the importing, rearing, establishing, and colonizing of new beneficial organisms for control of specific plant and insect pests that are detrimental to agricultural industries and urgan areas.
The results of successful biological pest control are reduced production costs, decreased amounts of chemicals entering the environment, and established colonies of beneficial insects offering a natural permanent pest control solution. This program offers the citizens of Colorado a useful alternative to the use of chemicals for control of specific pests.

Fort Lewis College offers special program to local students

Educational Talent Search (ETS), sponsored by Fort Lewis College, is a program for students grades 6-12.
Talent Search Advisors meet with program participants at least once a month, in the schools. During meetings, students learn about the different aspects of college, what kind of grades and classes they will need to take in order to attend college, and about different kinds of jobs that require a college degree.
Talent Search participants are also able to participate in local, regional and national educational college tours. In addition to helping students plan for college, advisors also assist students with study skills, time management, deadlines and financial aid.
The advisors for Fort Lewis College ETS are: LaVonne Martinez - Pagosa Springs and Ignacio schools; Wendy Allsbrook Javier - Durango schools; and Nicole Mosher - Mancos and Cortez schools.
Currently, each advisor is busy recruiting students for the new semester. In order to be eligible, students must satisfy at least one of these qualifications: first generation (in other words, neither parent has completed a four-year college degree) or income eligible.
If you would like to see what ETS is all about, visit Web site at http://tsub.fortlewis.edu/ or call 247-7348 with any questions. Counselors in participating schools can also provide program applications and/or further information about Educational Talent Search.

Free radon program and testing kits

Archuleta County Cooperative Extension Office is offering a free program explaining the dangers of radon in the home. This program will be open to the public and will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at the Extension Office, at the Fairgrounds.
The program is scheduled to last an hour and there will be free materials and radon testing kits available, while they last, to those who attend. Reservations are not required but are appreciated. Call 264-5931.
Each year, nearly 20,000 people die from lung cancer caused by exposure to radon. A common source of exposure to radon that can be avoided is exposure in the home, yet only one in five homeowners have actually tested for radon. January is National Radon Action Month and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is urging people to test their homes.
EPA is launching a campaign to inform people about radon and is working with organizations across the country to educate the public on how to protect themselves from radon exposure in their homes. Local government agencies, non-profit organizations, schools, health care providers, radon professionals, and other community groups will work together to host events and activities to increase awareness about radon, promote testing and mitigation, and advance the use of radon-resistant new construction.

First commissioners' public forum Jan. 30

The first in a series of evening public forums set by the Board of County Commissioners is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 30 in the commissioners' meeting room at the county courthouse.
Forums will also take place in other locations in the county in May, July and October - all months with a fifth Tuesday on the calendar.
The forums are not regular BoCC meetings at which the commissioners officially discuss and vote on issues and policies, but were created to provide county residents who cannot attend regular daytime meetings of the board with opportunities to exchange ideas with their elected representatives.

Pomp gives way to serious business

Rep. Roberts' Report

The first full week of the 2007 legislature is over and the pomp and circumstance has given way to serious business.
The daily pace has quickened and the first bills are in committee hearings. Bills that survive their committee hearing then move to the House floor for further debate and votes. My bills mentioned in this column last week have now been scheduled for committee over the next couple of weeks.
The two remaining bills of mine to be filed by the deadline of Jan. 29 are a surface use bill and a bill regarding health service districts.
The surface use bill was originally brought to me by the Durango-based group known as the Oil and Gas Accountability Project (OGAP). They work on surface use issues in the region and have been an active player in the many earlier efforts on reaching a surface use bill in Colorado.
OGAP's orientation is to protect the rights of the surface owners. Obviously, any time a legislator starts with a bill draft from one interest group rather than another, there will be those who feel that a bias is present, so I farmed out the bill draft to a number of groups and individuals who have their own interests to protect. This bill is intended to level the playing field between operators and surface owners, while still ensuring that the right to develop gas resources isn't unduly compromised.
While I'm using the remaining days before the deadline to continue meeting with stakeholders and to explore this issue, I'm encouraged that all involved are making a serious effort to get to some common ground. The basic premise of the bill is to put into statute the accommodation doctrine which allows for the development of oil and gas while reasonably accommodating the interests of the surface owner. It's too early to say what result may occur, but Rep. Curry of Gunnison, a veteran of prior efforts on surface use bills, is working closely with me and I'm benefiting from her experience and advice. I'm also keeping in close contact with Sen. Isgar on the bill's development and progress.
My final bill for January deals with the formation of health services districts. Watching the process that a Durango group went through last year, it seemed that the special district procedures didn't fit a plan directed at providing health care services. The group was hampered in responding to community feedback by certain procedural steps that cost much money, time and energy. This bill modifies the process for a health services district by removing the step to go before the planning commission, which is better designed for development of physical improvements than health care. Under this new process, there's still a requirement of public notification of hearings in front of the county commissioners and the court will check that all legal requirements are met before taking the proposal to the voters. This bill may also allow the new option of using a sales tax as an option for funding a health services district.
I made it home this weekend and was able to attend my son's graduation from the Adult Education Center's GED program. I'm a proud mom and he also was inducted into their National Honor Society. I applaud the hard work and perseverance of all of the graduates to get to the great results of Friday night's ceremony. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated, highly skilled and encouraging educators as we have here and my deep thanks to those at the Adult Ed Center and their supporters who make it possible.

Foundation provides low-interest loans for water wells

Certain low- to moderate-income individuals or families may be eligible for money to construct, repair or improve household water well systems through 1-percent interest loans from the Foundation for Affordable Drinking Water.
The Foundation was established through the National Ground Water Association.
Qualified applicants can borrow up to $8,000 at 1-percent interest for a term not to exceed 20 years. To qualify, households must:
- Own the home and use it as the principal residence.
- Have as the primary drinking water source an individual household well system located on the property of the home.
- Must meet income eligibility requirements.
- Be located in a city, town or unincorporated area with a population of less than 50,000.
Currently, the program is available in Colorado.
The Foundation will not underwrite a loan once a project is underway or has been completed. Most new home construction projects are not eligible.
Another important aspect of the loan program is to educate loan recipients on the importance of regular well maintenance and annual testing of their well system.
Complete information, including application forms and requirements and income eligibility limits, can be accessed by going to www.ngwa.org and clicking on the link for Foundation for Affordable Drinking Water. Applications and additional information can also be obtained by contacting the Foundation at (800) 551-7379, or e-mail Paul Humes at phumes@fadw.org.
You also can learn more about the program by going to www.wellowner.org and clicking on "Financing."
"Water is essential, and the Foundation is committed to helping those in greatest need," said Humes, foundation director. "If you have a real need and meet the qualifications for this program, we encourage you to apply."

Plans underway for annual Seeds of Learning fund-raiser

By Joanne Irons
Special to The SUN
The Seeds of Learning Once Upon A Time Dinner and Auction fund-raiser committee has announced a March 24 date for this signature event.
Looking to expand on table decorators and sponsors, the committee welcomes newcomers to join this fairy tale extravaganza. You can sponsor a table for six or eight guests, and provide a table decorator as well, if you wish. The tables are decorated with children's books. Those books, along with the final auction price of the table, are donated to the Seeds of Learning Early Education Center.
To learn more about the event and what tables looked like last year, visit www.growingseeds.org.
The dinner and auction will take place at the community center at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 24. There will be time to see the tables prior to the evening's event, but to attend the dinner and auction you must be a guest of a sponsor or purchase a ticket for $50 prior to the event. There will be a cash bar, as well as a "pot of gold" if you wish to donate to the organization that evening. Dinner will be catered by Wildflower Catering, and Bill Nobles will be the auctioneer for the evening.
Committee members this year include Lori Unger, who will help coordinate the sponsors and table decorators. Lori was a table decorator last year and will return this year as well. Lynne Bridges, director of Seeds of Learning, keeps the members inspired as the new Seeds building is under construction. Dee McPeek, an event planner, brings her many talents to the committee. Sue Johnson is looking for other creative people to help with the decor at the dinner this year.
If you have questions, contact any of the committee members.
To receive a packet to be a sponsor or a decorator, call Lynn Moffat at Seeds of Learning, 264-5513, or event coordinator Joanne Irons at 946-7545.

Salazar survey considers No Child Left Behind

By Louis Sherman
Staff Writer
United States Senator Ken Salazar's office released the results of a survey of over 2000 educators, administrators and parents regarding the bipartisan federal legislation "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), which is up for reauthorization by congress this year.
NCLB, passed in 2001 to expand upon and extend education legislation previously passed, establishes standards and mandates testing in reading and math in all school districts - requiring 100 percent proficiency by the year 2014. Schools that do not make "Adequate Yearly Progress" or AYP are subject to corrective action or restructuring.
NCLB also established the Reading First initiative and made it possible for parents to opt their children out of schools that fail to make AYP (with transportation to another school paid for by the failing school) - while addressing a variety of other issues, such as school safety, bilingual education, teacher qualifications and school finances.
NCLB has been controversial, however, largely because of its stance on school accountability, standards and testing. Sen. Salazar's survey primarily addresses these issues.
A vast majority of those surveyed said that they thought the goal of 100 percent proficiency was unachievable; 90 percent of teachers thought it would be better to focus testing on the evaluation of individual students' growth over time, rather than measuring proficiency of a whole grade level in a school, one year at a time; 60 percent of principals and administrators said proficiency goals should be flexible; 89 percent of educators said they believe that NCLB's emphasis on testing detracts from learning in other subjects, including science, history and the arts; and 95 percent of principals and administrators said the requirements of NCLB have resulted in increased costs for school districts - including teacher training, staffing and data collection and analysis.
Archuleta County School District 50 Joint Superintendent Duane Noggle recognized some of the difficulties posed by NCLB, but described a more complicated issue, since individual states have their own standards, as do districts, above and beyond the requirements of NCLB.
For instance, NCLB has been criticized for focusing too exclusively on math and reading, while the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) measure reading, writing, math and science (in fifth and sixth grade). High school juniors in Colorado are required to take the ACT, which measures English, math, reading and science.
Noggle admitted that state and federal standards didn't place as much focus in some subject areas, but that this was a necessary result of a strong education in the basics. He challenged anyone to look at the state standards, which are established by educators and tested by CSAP, and judge for themselves if there are any that a student does not need to learn.
However, at the same time, the school district has continued to put a priority on the arts, said Noggle, citing the district's addition of a half-time music teacher since NCLB has been on the books.
Noggle suggested that the effectiveness of standards-based education and testing largely depends on the districts themselves. While NCLB measures proficiency with a testing snapshot - that is, measurement of a particular grade-level in a single year - the school district is already practicing the longitudinal growth model advocated by educators in Salazar's survey. The district takes data from CSAP and measures individual student performances over several years, allowing teachers to focus not only on overall proficiency but individual improvement from year to year.
Noggle said the district does not see CSAP, and other standardized tests, as testing so much as "collecting data to diagnose and intervene when students are having a problem."
Teachers in the district also administer their own "benchmark exams" to ensure that the standards are being taught in all classes, preparing students for following years, and placement exams are given to make sure entering students are enrolled in classes that fit their level of knowledge.
While NCLB and state standards seem to be imposing threats at first glance, Noggle said that they are standards a district should want to meet anyway. Thus, he said, a district's focus should not be simply on teaching to the tests, but on teaching to the standards. The tests then report on a district's success at meeting the standards.
Noggle noted that NCLB does pose funding challenges for schools, especially for those that do not make AYP and need to take additional (sometimes costly) measures in order to improve). Noggle said the local school district has directed funds to address the mandates of NCLB but argued that these were changes that they would have wanted to make anyway, as effective measures to improve student achievement (even though the school district has always made AYP).
The district has added a new position to analyze and disaggregate data obtained from CSAP, as well as additional math teachers (in order to allow teachers more time for preparation), since the institution of NCLB.
"I could blame NCLB ... but we want to do better in math ... and we thought our teachers needed more planning time," he said.
Still, Noggle noted that there was definite room for improvement if and when congress reauthorizes the bill: NCLB requires excessive paper work, said Noggle, which takes up administrative work-hours that could be used for other tasks.
And then there is the provision of NCLB that requires 100 percent proficiency by 2014. Noggle said the philosophy behind the goal was valid, the desire to want all students to succeed, but said it was not possible. "It is an admirable goal, but it isn't achievable," he said, due to students moving between districts and the lack of a guaranteed curriculum across state lines.
According to Noggle, there is a paradox in the education system of the United States, in which local control is said to exist within mandates from various levels of government. The standards have been set at the state and federal level, and now the institutions of education in the U.S. must play catch-up to reconcile those regulations with local control.
Revision and reauthorization of NCLB, as well as reformation and development in local school districts, is apparently apart of that process.
louis@pagosasun.com

Girl Scout cookie sale begins

By Jennifer Kemp
Special to The SUN
Every year, thousands of girls across the area and nation gain valuable knowledge while providing their community with a special treat - Girl Scout Cookies®. This year will be no exception.
The Girl Scout Cookie program, an integral part of Girl Scouting's Business and Economic Literacy initiative for girls ages 6-17, provides finance, marketing and public speaking skills, along with valuable experiences that build girls' self-confidence and helps them develop their own personal leadership style.
Locally, girls began to sell Girl Scout Cookies Jan. 12, and will end the sale March 18. We are very proud to announce that all varieties of Girl Scout Cookies are now "zero grams trans fat per serving," in compliance with FDA regulations. We are also excited to announce we are offering a sugar-free cookie this year. These changes were made because, like most successful businesswomen, Girl Scouts listen to their customers.
Through the Girl Scout Cookie program, girls manage inventory, set goals, learn money management and develop marketing skills. Essentially, the girls run their own business. The entire troop sets a goal and follows a plan leading toward that goal. Girl Scout troops use funds from the cookie activity to fund a service project, plan for an exciting trip, or pay for materials for their regular troop activities. Many successful women have credited their business and economic literacy program for girls in the United States.
"The Girl Scout Cookie program is a valuable part of the Girl Scout experience. The skills girls gain truly help them develop into future business leaders," said Melissa Bruney, chief operating officer. "It is always exciting to see girls developing skills they might not realize they are developing while it is happening. It's wonderful to see their pride in achieving the goals they set for themselves. This is one of the many activities girls look forward to participating in every year."
The Girl Scout Cookie program helps girls in unique ways. For example, this activity is a chance to build self-esteem. A shy girl can overcome her fear of approaching people by working at a booth with her fellow Girls Scouts or going door-to-door in her neighborhood with other girls from her troop. A girl who might feel she isn't good with numbers can build her confidence by keeping track of sales and learning to make change.
Since 1917, the Girl Scout Cookie activity has become a famous annual event that has helped girls develop important leadership skills they will use throughout their lives. Whether they are dreaming of becoming a doctor, teacher, judge, businesswoman, astronaut, president of the PTA or superstar athlete, the Girls Scout Cookie program gives them the self-esteem they need to reach for the stars.
In addition to supporting individual troop activities, proceeds from the Girl Scout Cookie program also go to support programs for girls and training for volunteers across the area.
Girl Scouts of Chaparral Council, Inc., serves more than 4,600 girls and 1,800 adults in nine counties in New Mexico and five counties in southwestern Colorado. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Chaparral Council welcomes all girls, ages 5-17, and adults to participate in the premier leadership development program for girls. Girl Scouts is a non-profit organization and welcomes contributions for programs, financial aid or other organizational needs. To volunteer, join or contribute, please call (505) 343-1040, (800) 658-6768, or visit our Web site at www.chaparralgirlscouts.org.

CDOT implementation of traveler information line complete

Statewide implementation of 511 is complete. 511 is the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) new number that commuters and travelers can use to access information regarding road and weather conditions and road construction, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated 511 as the national traveler information phone number in July 2000.
- Call 511 from any phone, including mobile phones.
- 511 is an addition to CDOT's traveler information services, not a replacement for the long-standing (303) 639-1111 and (877) 315-7623 numbers for road and weather conditions and for road construction and maintenance information. CDOT's traveler information Web site also remains the same at www.cotrip.org
- Colorado joins 30 other states or metropolitan areas that have implemented 511.
- The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) and American Public Transportation Association (APTA) are leading the deployment efforts.
Statistics
Nationwide 511 telephone usage as of October 2006, was:
- 1,631,857 total calls in October. Colorado's contribution, including 511 and other traveler information numbers, equaled 9.25 percent of all calls.
- Almost 62 million calls nationwide since inception in July 2000.
- 26 consecutive months with more than one million calls.
- 511 now available to more than 100 million Americans (35 percent).
- Peak usage is during adverse weather and AMBER Alerts.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Why was 511 initiated?
A: By the 1990s, more than 300 travel information telephone numbers had sprung up across the country, as a way to deliver the real-time information collected by Intelligent Transportation Systems to travelers and commuters to help them with their trip decisions. In 1999, the U.S. Department of Transportation petitioned the FCC for a three-digit dialing code to make it easier for consumers to access these travel information services. 511 offers one, easy to remember number.
Q: What area does Colorado's 511 service cover?
A: 511 is offered statewide via landline and where cellular service is available. The information covers interstates and most U.S. and primary state routes. It does not include county roads or city streets, unless those routes are part of the state highway system.
Q: When I call 511 in Colorado, do I only receive Colorado road information?
A: Yes, most all of the time. When you call 511, the call is automatically routed to the state you're in. However, if you're calling from a cell phone and are close to the Colorado border, it's still possible you'll be routed to a cell tower outside the state and, in turn, receive a neighboring state's road information, provided that state offers 511.
Q: What is the role of the cellular phone in making calls to 511?
A: When 511 calls are placed from a cellular phone, we encourage motorists to put safety first. Because 511 participation is voluntary, most but not all cellular providers offer 511 service. Some smaller providers also lease space from other carriers that may or may not be participating in 511. Customers of non-participating providers are encouraged to contact their cellular phone company and ask them to add 511 service. (303) 639-111 and (877) 315-ROAD (7623) remain available to those who cannot access 511.
Q: Is there a charge for 511 service?
A: Basic travel information (weather and road conditions, traffic updates, road closures, etc.) will remain free of the charge to the public. However, cell phone users will pay for normal airtime and roaming charges according to their wireless service contracts. Pay phone users are responsible for any phone charge they may incur.
Q: What is 511's relationship to 911?
A: 911 is for reporting emergencies, such as police and medical attention. 511 reports traveler information.
Q: How often is the information updated?
A: CDOT and the Colorado State Patrol update winter road conditions on an on-going basis. Summer road conditions are updated daily or as conditions warrant. CDOT reminds callers that 511 recordings are informational only and reflect conditions as reported to CDOT and may not reflect conditions that drivers experience due to the possibility of a changing weather environment.
Q: What states or areas have implemented 511?
A: In addition to Colorado, the following states, cities or areas now have 511, as of October 2006: Cincinnati, Ohio/Northern Kentucky, Kentucky statewide, Nebraska, Utah, Virginia, Arizona, Orlando, Florida, Tampa, Florida, Southeast Florida, Florida statewide, Minnesota, Washington State, Iowa, South Dakota, San Francisco Bay Area, California, Sacramento/Northern California, Montana, Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Kansas, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Idaho, Wyoming, Tennessee and Nevada.

Count for the Record, and help the birds

What mid-winter activity is fun, easy, free, and helps bird conservation?
What can parents and teachers do with children that opens their eyes to a whole new world of natural wonders?
From Feb. 6-9, the 10th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, will give everyone a chance to discover the birds in their neighborhood and "Count for the Record."
People of all ages, and of all levels of experience, are invited to join this event which spans all of the United States and Canada. Participants can take part wherever they are. They simply count the highest number of each species they see during an outing or a sitting, and enter their tally on the Great Backyard Bird Count Web site at www.birdsource.org/gbbc. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the GBBC, and Cornell and Audubon are challenging people everywhere to participate in greater numbers than ever before.
"We are encouraging people who have never done so before to go outside and count birds," said Paul Green, Audubon's director of Citizen Science. "By submitting their counts online, bird watchers can quickly see how the dots they put on the map form patterns that tell new stories about the birds that share the world in which we live, including our own backyards and parks."
"The Great Backyard Bird Count is a community celebration of birds, birding, and nature," said Janis Dickinson, director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "We often fail to notice how rich our surroundings are, but counting birds, even for just 15 minutes, is not only educational - it can provide a lasting source of enjoyment, turning a daily walk into a treasure hunt."
Last year, participants submitted more than 60,000 checklists - and reported 7.5 million birds overall and 623 different species. Together, the counts offer a real-time snapshot of the numbers and kinds of birds that people are finding, from Boreal Chickadees in Alaska to Anhingas in Florida. The information is used to track bird populations and to better inform conservation efforts.
Participants who want to hone their bird watching skills can learn more from the Great Backyard Bird Count Web site, which offers identification tips and a multimedia guide to 500 bird species. People can also submit photos to an online gallery showcasing the dazzling array of winter birds found during the GBBC. Competitions add another element of fun, including a prize drawing for everyone who submits a checklist, a photo contest, and the coveted "checklist champ" title for towns, states, and provinces with the highest participation.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited. For more information, visit www.birdsource.org/gbbc.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit membership institution interpreting and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.
Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation.

Be aware of Colorado livestock laws, regulations

By Jim Bramwell
Special to The SUN
Every time you buy, sell or are given livestock, state law requires a brand inspection be completed by a brand inspector.
It does not matter if the animal is branded or not. An inspection certificate is the only legal bill of sale in the state of Colorado.
An inspection is required if you cross the state line, travel over 75 miles from the point of origin within the state, or sell the animal. If you take livestock to a sale barn in the state and do not cross the state line, you do not need to get an inspection, but you must provide proof of ownership at the sale barn.
A legal bill of sale is an inspection certificate issued by a brand inspector or a purchase from a licensed sale barn. If you have come from out of state where brand inspection is not required, health papers, bill of sale or registration papers will help.
Livestock owners cannot let their animals run at large. Good livestock owners try to confine their livestock in their pens or pastures. A legal fence in Colorado is barbed wire; electric or pole fences, etc., are not a legal fence. Animals that keep getting out can be sold and the owner can be fined. Colorado is a fence-out state, but owners cannot let their livestock run anywhere. If you do not have a legal fence and an animal gets out, even if the animal is not yours, you can be liable if someone gets hurt.
Failure to have an animal inspected at the time of sale or transport is a Class III misdemeanor and both the buyer and seller may be charged. Keeping an estray animal that you have found is a felony. State statute requires that you contact your local inspector within five days of taking an estray into your custody. The inspectors are there to help identify the rightful owners of livestock.
Because of brand inspection requirements, cattle and horses have been found and returned to their rightful owners in Archuleta County, as well as statewide.
To get an inspection or have your questions answered, call Jim Bramwell at 264-5959, or Wes Lewis at 831-9389, or the Colorado Brand Board at (303) 294-0895.

SOS to screen 'The Great Warming'

The Southwest Organization for Sustainability (SOS) is sponsoring a screening of the film, "The Great Warming," at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, at the UU Fellowship Hall, with a free 2 p.m. matinee viewing Monday, Jan. 29, at the Liberty Theatre.
Narrated by international stars Keanu Reeves and Alanis Morissette, "The Great Warming" is considered by many to be the most factually accurate, visually stunning and wide-ranging production ever mounted about this complex subject. Filmed in eight countries on four continents and endorsed by many of the world's leading scientists, it has been called "the best film about global warming ever shot."
The film, which taps into the growing groundswell of public interest in the topic, sweeps around the world to reveal how a changing climate is affecting the lives of people everywhere. The film goes beyond other climate change documentaries, however, to look at realistic solutions, technologies and actions which can help reduce the impact of global warming.
SOS sponsors a quarterly environmental cinema series, of which "The Great Warming" is the first for 2007. Donations are welcome and encouraged for both events.
For more information, contact Denise Rue-Pastin at 946-9024.

Court halts recreational trapping of mink and pine marten

Legal recreational live trapping of mink and pine marten in Colorado has been halted by a recent District Court decision.
The Colorado Wildlife Commission passed regulations in July that added mink and pine marten to the list of furbearers which are allowed to be live trapped. Organizations challenged the legality of the regulation and the District Court entered a stay on Jan. 5, nullifying the regulations.
Mink or pine marten caught accidentally while trapping for other species must be released immediately. The court order does not prohibit all take of mink and pine marten, only recreational take with live traps. Mink and pine marten can still be taken with all lawful manners of take in damage situations where and when authorized by the Colorado Division of Wildlife pursuant to Amendment 14. Other lawful manners of take (specifically rifle, handgun, shotgun, handheld bows and crossbows) listed in the regulations for recreational purposes are still permitted.
The decision to determine whether the regulations are legal or not and whether the recreational live trapping of pine marten and mink will be allowed in Colorado will be made by the District Court in the future.

By James Robinson

Staff Writer

No column this week.

The thieves asked for it, now they're getting it

By Chuck McGuire

SUN Columnist

Charles Pedraza and Thomas Doyle, Jr. got theirs. So did Frank Kelly, Lonnie Blakemore and Gerald Harp. Six New Yorkers and a friend from Massachusetts were recently handed theirs, and Joseph Chapman will soon claim his.
What, might you ask, are these men receiving?
Justice.
All have either gotten, or are about to get, exactly what they asked for - from a court of law.
You see, these men, along with a disturbing number of others, are thieves. They are unscrupulous crooks whose only consideration in life seems to be the fulfillment of their own desires, including the satisfaction of some twisted egotistical yearning that, to them, defines skilled woodsmen or accomplished hunters.
As thieves, these men are more precisely poachers - indiscriminate killers of Colorado's wildlife. Whether big game, small game or non-game species, poachers kill nearly as many animals as legitimate hunters do during officially authorized seasons.
According to the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW), "If poachers kill even half that number each year, the problem is serious because they are stealing game from licensed sportsmen, robbing businesses and taxpayers of revenues generated by hunting and depriving us all of a valuable resource - our wildlife."
The DOW defines poaching as, "the illegal taking or possession of any game, fish or non-game wildlife."
A hunter killing an animal out of season, or killing one outside a district for which he or she holds a valid license, are common forms of poaching. So are illegal license transfers, and taking more than a legal limit of fish, waterfowl or upland birds. A non-resident who purchases a resident hunting license can be convicted of poaching, as can those who hunt at night with spotlights.
Unfortunately, poaching thieves steal more than just specified game animals every year. They also kill endangered, threatened and non-game species, as well as individual animals afforded special protection in designated areas.
For instance, over the past two big game seasons, a number of federally protected lynx were illegally killed. In 2005, only the collars worn by two reintroduced animals were ever recovered, while in 2006, two dead cats were actually located, via mortality signals emanating from their collars. Both had been shot to death, one by a high-powered rifle, the other with a shotgun at close range.
In the fall of 2002, Charles Pedraza was hunting elk in the mountains of south-central Colorado when he illegally shot a bull moose. He thought he'd gotten away with it for nearly four years, but in August 2006, a Chaffee County judge ordered him to pay $11,391 in fines, for poaching.
Apparently, an anonymous tip led federal wildlife officials to investigate Pedraza, who had since moved from Colorado Springs to Wisconsin. During the course of the investigation, detectives found a moose hide in a Colorado storage unit rented by Pedraza, while another tip directed them to an unusual skull partially buried on a hillside in the same area where Pedraza had been hunting. Incredibly, a bear had dug up the skull and a plastic bag containing bits of bone and hair. When a lab declared DNA samples from the hide and skull a perfect match, Pedraza confessed.
Meanwhile, Thomas Doyle, Jr. of Monument, Colo. paid $2,249 and was assessed 50 points against his hunting and fishing privileges for repeatedly shooting a deer with a shotgun and leaving the carcass to rot. Again, an anonymous tip led DOW officers to an abandoned deer carcass, while another directed them to Doyle. Doyle eventually admitted to hunting outside an established season, illegal possession of wildlife, waste of game and hunting with unlawful ammunition.
Three Arkansas men, Frank Kelly, Lonnie Blakemore and Gerald Harp, paid a total of $22,192 in fines and were assessed 15 points each, for illegally killing two deer in October 2005. Kelly and Blakemore were charged with unlawful take of a mule deer, and each were assessed a Samson surcharge - a hefty fine for illegally killing a trophy-class animal. Harp was charged with unlawful transfer of a license.
Whenever poachers accumulate 20 points or more within a five-year period, they typically lose hunting and fishing privileges in Colorado and 23 other states. As in the aforementioned cases, anonymous tips led DOW officers to the Arkansas poachers.
Just two months ago, six New Yorkers and a Massachusetts man spent a night in jail and paid a total of $42,000 in fines for illegal possession of wildlife. An administrative hearing will soon determine how long each will be barred from hunting and fishing in Colorado and the other Wildlife Violator Compact member states.
Robert Bertholde, Thomas Gray, Timothy Rocklin, Raymond Selah, David Souza and David Weber of New York, and Stanley Tomkiewicz of Massachusetts each agreed to pay $6,000 as part of a plea arrangement, after Meeker area landowners initially reported suspicious activity involving a black Hummer with out-of-state plates.
Apparently, someone illegally shot a deer on private property and a short time later, wildlife officers found the conspicuous vehicle parked adjacent to a bunkhouse on a nearby ranch. When confronted, the men consented to a search of the premises, during which officers found several animal carcasses and antlers. A couple were tagged legally, while several others were untagged and intentionally concealed. At least five deer carcasses were discovered in all, while only two men held valid licenses.
Though Joseph Chapman awaits final justice, he has admitted to a Class 5 felony for illegally killing a trophy buck north of Parachute in late November. Chapman, father of seven children, had a public defender appointed to represent him and remains free on $13,000 bond until a scheduled Feb. 1 court appearance.
As a drilling rig worker from Provo, Utah, Chapman evidently became infatuated with a trophy mule deer buck he'd often seen near the Union rig he worked on. Early Thanksgiving morning, he shot the animal with a bow and arrow, then removed its head and stashed the carcass without field-dressing it or taking any meat. He later concealed the head in a shed outside his home.
Chapman now faces a Samson surcharge ($10,000) and additional charges of hunting out of season, illegal possession of wildlife and transportation and exportation of wildlife. Investigators first heard of Chapman's crime by … you guessed it … a tip from an anonymous informant.
Following the fall hunting seasons, as autumn gradually gives way to winter, long nights, bitter cold and heavy snow force many wild creatures into hibernation. Of course, countless others migrate to lower-elevation winter ranges where conditions are relatively mild, and food and water are more easily attainable. Unfortunately, while there, they are more visible to humans - and more vulnerable to poachers.
Statistically, poaching is particularly prevalent over the winter months, and most poached animals are bucks and bull elk. Many are considered trophy-class, with only the head and/or antlers typically taken, while the carcasses are left to spoil. Sadly, the illicit elimination of a large buck or bull often adversely affects the overall health of an entire herd.
Concerned citizens can help slow this endemic thievery by reporting suspicious activity to local law enforcement, or contacting Operation Game Thief anonymously. When someone hunts out of season or at night, or they take more than their lawful limit of fish, game or birds, they are poachers and should be reported.
To contact Operation Game Thief, call 1-877-COLO-OGT toll-free, or send an e-mail to game.thief@state.co.us. Verizon cell phone customers can simply dial #OGT. By playing an active role, everyone can help thieves get exactly what they're asking for.
Operation Game Thief also graciously accepts tax-deductible donations, and if you call or e-mail, they'll tell you how to contribute.
Since 1981, Operation Game Thief has received more than 2,400 poaching reports, resulting in more than 700 convictions. Overall, convictions netted $600,000 in fines, the seizure of more than 1,300 unlawfully harvested animals and payment of nearly $130,000 in rewards.
chuck@pagosasun.com

Unvarnished truth
Dear Editor:
Two letters in the Jan. 18 SUN, "Our support" by Donald H. Bartlett and "Pelosified" by Jim Sawicki, are the best and most complete I have seen published in The SUN or anywhere else. Both men state different and unvarnished truths in support of their appeals for us to wake up, recognize the threat to civilization and come together as a nation and society to defeat that threat.
Bartlett says this is not just Iraq and we may be in the throes of World War III. He closes with the following: "Please note I have not named the presidents or what political party they were from. All of us have a part in where we stand today. A president rises above party with the responsibility to do what they believe is best for the country. War cannot be run by consensus. Right or wrong, a Commander in Chief must lead. We deserve his best and he deserves our support."
Sawicki quotes a statement by Winston Churchill about a gathering storm that people in Europe didn't take seriously and paid an enormous penalty in treasure and life for their failure to understand the nature of that threat. Sawicki goes on to say, "I worry we are in a gathering storm and we do not, as a society, accept it. The penalty for being wrong can be enormous."
Bartlett recaps our wars and police actions and their results, successes and failures, from WW II to the present. Sawicki speaks more of the present situation and of events leading to it.
Quoting Sawicki: "The truth is, we are currently being ordered to submit or die. There are those who are fighting to murder us all, and those who are fighting to save us; the left's response is to appease the former and destroy the latter. They simply reject the very notion that civilization is at risk. They airily dismiss three decades of Jihad against the West. They avert their eyes from the murderous record of embassy bombings, hijackings, kidnappings, rapes, beheadings, mass murder and terror attacks against Western targets worldwide. They ignore the vicious genocidal threats-written and video." He goes on to express his opinion that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad means what he says about the destruction of Israel and a world without America.
I recall an interview in which the question was, "Why do they hate us so?" The answer was, "Their goal is to rule the world. We can appease them, negotiate with them or confront them. Appeasement and negotiation don't work; so we are confronting them."
Another question, "What is the problem between the Sunni and Shiites?" The answer was, "The Sunni don't consider the Shiites real Muslims; and never should a Sunni be ruled by a Shiite." In Iraq currently most of the deaths are Sunni and Shiites killing each other. This is a complicating factor in achieving success in Iraq. If anyone has the solution I haven't heard it.
Earle Beasley

Good company
Dear Editor:
Thank goodness, I've been "Pelosified." Good company that.
Sen. Salazar: "Recently, we heard from the President on his plan for the war in Iraq. I am skeptical of his plan to increase troop levels and its impact on our Nation's security. Even good Republican friends like Senator Chuck Hagel are opposed to the President's plan. I had hoped that in the President's two months of deliberation he would develop a workable plan for success in Iraq that would bring our troops home. I will continue to work with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to find a new direction in Iraq." Respectable liberals and conservatives have expressed misgivings with W's hallucinations about expanding the Iraq war to Iran, again without thought of how to end it other than spreading his form of "freedom."
With the ruthless onslaught of the "islamofacists" hidin' on every corner, I'm wondering why the president disbanded the CIA unit assigned to track bin Laden down in late 2005 and why those CIA members express misgivings about our efforts thereafter? Didn't bin Laden form al Qaeda, organize attacks on our embassies, ships and murder thousands of Americans! Oh well, W then said he'd pretty much eliminated al Qaeda.
My deepest respect and thanks for service goes out to D. Bartlett as he expresses the same feeling we all have w/regard to military actions ... don't initiate or retaliate without the intent to finish it. The problem now is, to do this, we'd have to eliminate Islam, as the latest jihadist "volunteers" are coming globally from wealthy non-fundamentalist families. Further, let's remember the only hostile sovereign party involved was attacked but our forces were not allowed to end it by chasing the enemy into Pakistan and ending their ability to rebound.
Any spread of nuclear weapons is idiocy. W chose to reward Pakistan for its illegally gained weapon and sales of same to N. Korea, and likely terrorists, with "ally" status even while their military intelligence unit trains, rearms and sends new Taliban units into Afghanistan. More sound reasoning as he then chose to feed nuclear material and generation supplies to India without requiring compliance with the non-proliferation treaty. Whether it's racist in nature, the former nation has no basis for trust as an ally or holder of a nuclear weapon. Recall during the cold war that India was all but an ally to the USSR, and now to Iran. What was that about riding the back of the tiger?
Based on W statements and actions supporting him, without congressional oversight, it's just unacceptable. The solution to the Mideast crisis does exist and I recommend support for a combo of military and political solutions, some of which the more rabid supporters will not like.
As far as being "Pelosified" goes, it's long past time for women to be equally key political leaders in our society. They won't be perfect, but as far as I'm concerned the only thing holding them back may be women haters ... oops, there goes that liberal tendency again.
Dave Blake

Dedicated people
Dear Editor:
I experienced an unfortunate incident Saturday night, Jan. 20. I received a call alerting me that my rental house on South 7th Street was on fire and that I should go to the scene.
Upon arrival, I found the street packed with fire trucks, emergency vehicles and nearly two dozen Archuleta service employees and volunteers. These dedicated people were at the scene for over eight hours performing a dangerous job, relentlessly. Our highly trained firefighters tackled the job of extinguishing the blazing house by every means conceivable. They were breaking holes in the flaming walls, entering the smoke-filled house, atop high truck ladders shooting water on the house.
I would like to publicly recognize these fine, hard-working people and give them my heartfelt thanks. We should be extremely proud of the volunteers in this community who gather together to make such a fine and efficient workforce. I pray that not many of you will need to understand how professional these people are. Please rest assured that, if you do have an emergency where the firefighting volunteers need to respond, they will be prompt and totally committed to the job at task.
Thank you so much Pagosa Fire Protection District, and all the very fine volunteers!
Betsy Carpino

Blessed
Dear Editor:
I wrote to The SUN to see if Mr. Sawicki is still okay. I was afraid he had injured his typing finger, or even better, he had come to his senses and given up on King George. Judging from his letter neither of these cataclysms seemed to have happened. Mr. Sawicki did get one thing right, namely, I have been blessed.
As for the Republicans, in the old days they weren't so bad. I once was one. However, in recent years, in their desire for money and power, the Republicans have lost their way, along with me. In our time, the Republicans have anointed a King.
History teaches that kings, acting on the advice of their lackeys, make horrible mistakes. Our King George is no exception. At the end of King George's reign, the USA will find itself in debt to the tune of about 10 trillion dollars and in the early stage of another 30- to 100-year holy war. While I won't be around to see the end of this holy war, I predict that we will win every battle, including Iraq, but lose the war. Of course, who wins won't really matter, as the Arabs will be out of oil and the USA be out of money.
The good news is, my grandkids may live even longer than I, as I've been told that eating rice with chopsticks and riding bicycles is very healthy. And the Arabs can play in their sand box without the interference of the American oil companies.
Bob Dungan
Arboles

Give us more
Dear Editor:
Friday night there was a concert in downtown Pagosa - Dan and Susan. A small crowd attended (due to the big storm moving in), but it was very enjoyable with delicious desserts available. Hope there will be more entertainment of this sort, and outdoors in the nice weather. Then on Sunday evening, we proceeded to Randall Davis' ranch out a nicely plowed Cemetery Road to enjoy a house concert. This was a bluegrass group, "Town Country," from North Carolina and they were thoroughly enjoying our Colorado winter. This was truly a top-drawer evening, with libations and food brought by members of the audience; the music was great and the venue was perfect (a cabin built in 1898).
Thanks to Caroline Coulie for arranging this - looking forward to more.
Cindy Gustafson

Get involved
Dear Editor:
Folks, get involved, whether it is only one letter or one phone call this new year, contact congress, county commissioners, town council, game and fish. Whatever office you choose, whatever your interest. Our representatives need to hear from all of us.
We can play hard, whether it be hike, ski, snowshoe, sled, etc., but I think about protecting these playlands and neighborhoods.
Too often I hear, "Oh, I don't know what is going on around here." No excuse, especially for those who can play. Learn, ask questions, i.e., what is going on here and in our world?
We are all part of the whole.
Pam Morrow

Storm history
Dear Editor:
Thanks so much for the picture of avalanche cleanup on Wolf Creek Pass from January 1957.
As CDOT's avalanche forecaster for Wolf Creek Pass I have a keen interest in this event and done considerable research. This period, January 26-30, 1957, is the most severe avalanche cycle that the Pass has experienced on record. Nearly 15,000 feet of the highway was covered with avalanche debris. In comparison, the largest avalanche cycle in the last 14 winters only covered 4,000 feet of the highway in early January 2004.
If anyone would like to share their experiences or photos from this extraordinary event I would love to speak to you. You can call me at the Pagosa Springs Avalanche Office, 264-4826.
Mark Mueller
Editor's note: See Looking Back on Page 2. We are running yet another of Mr. Warr's photos of the winter woes on the pass in 1957. We intend to run several more of the photos in weeks to come.

Protect and defend
Dear Editor:
A response to Mr. Rob Anderson (letter, Jan. 18).
I am extremely sorry to hear about your mother. Grief is a difficult process - ask the families who have lost their son, daughter, husband, wife, father or mother in a line-of-duty death.
Perhaps you are not aware that the second most deadly call for a peace officer is an "ordinary" traffic stop. At night, it is impossible to see if the vehicle occupants are armed with life-threatening weapons. At night, it is impossible to see even how many people are in that vehicle - thus the necessary arrival of a backup deputy for your lawful and valid traffic stop.
Protocol for peace officers states that the first officer/deputy on the scene will be both the primary and reporting officer. The second peace officer is there to protect his/her fellow officer, and is not allowed by that same protocol to interfere in the primary officer's call - thus the silence of the second deputy.
Perhaps you are not aware that a large number of drunken drivers, who fail to use their turn signals when changing directions, cause serious, even fatal accidents. Every day, peace officers, as public servants, place their lives on the line to protect and serve; these brave officers/deputies are on-the-scene agents to enforce laws to protect citizens like you. They will literally stand between you and your family to defend you from robberies, rapes, murders and other such lawlessness. Every year, over 150 officers are killed in line-of-duty deaths in the United States.
Mr. Anderson, you did break a Colorado law, and these deputies were simply doing what they are supposed to do - protect and defend. One of the greatest beauties of Colorado is your freedom to enjoy our state in safety. A traffic ticket seems a small price to pay as reminder for you to stay safe!
Sincerely,
Chaplain Lynne Parker
Elizabeth

The nuances
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to the letter written by the gentleman from California, complaining about being stopped late at night on Bastille. His letter berated the actions of the two deputies and mentioned that "they had nothing better to do."
It is absolutely appropriate for a police officer to stop someone for failing to use a turn signal, at any time of the day or night. Late at night, such a violation is often a probable cause that leads to a DUI arrest or maybe stopping a burglary. These officers were not doing anything out of the ordinary and that is what we pay them to do.
As for the immediate backup on the traffic stop, that also is normal and especially appreciated by the officer making the stop. The most critical time for an officer to run into trouble is usually between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., so all officers should be extremely cautious in these circumstances.
I am reasonably sure that these officers had no idea who they were contacting at the time. It could have been as harmless as the gentleman visiting his ailing mother or it could have just have easily been a fugitive from who knows where. The officers should be alert, cautious and all business, if they want to go home safely at the end of the shift.
That being said, in defense of the California complainant, the officers should have the training and experience to very quickly determine the gravity of the stop and use an appropriate technique to emotionally "disarm" the citizen. A traffic stop is an emotional event and officers must quickly access the situation and behave accordingly. It was obvious by the tone of the gentleman's letter, he was aggravated at being stopped under the circumstances. Yes, they could have inquired about the welfare of the man's mother and maybe they will next time this happens. All cops have to learn the nuances of community policing.
I learned a long time ago that all police officers must have three characteristics to be successful and respected in the community. Common sense, a sense of humor and compassion, provide the officer with the tools he needs to do his job and eliminates most of the complaints from the average citizen.
I am truly sorry that our California visitor had an unpleasant experience in Pagosa. Let us all hope that he will not make too many wrong assumptions over this one experience.
Doug Smith

Red Shoe Duo - a red hot performance

By Jeni Middendorf
Special to The PREVIEW
Treat yourself to a "red hot" night of music Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Pagosa High School auditorium with the Red Shoe Duo. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:30.
The Red Shoe Duo, Katherine Jetter Tischhauser on cello and Lisa Campi on piano, formed in the fall of 2003 at Fort Lewis College in Durango. They are dedicated to performing the great standards of the repertoire, while avidly championing contemporary compositions. Tischhauser and Campi are currently faculty members at Fort Lewis College where they maintain active teaching and performing careers.
This is a fund-raising event to raise money for the construction of a new Senior Center in Pagosa. Ticket prices are $18 for adults, $15 for Seniors Inc. members, $10 for children ages 8 to 12, and children under 8 years of age are free. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at The Silver Foxes Den Senior Center located in the community center at 451 Hot Springs Blvd.
A portion of this magnificent program is devoted to the historic dances of Europe and Eastern Europe. The Gavotte and dances in the Bach Suite are all very symmetrical in nature and could be classified as "courtly" or "sophisticated." The Bulgarian dance is on the other end of the spectrum. It is a peasant dance in irregular meter.
"Variations and Fugue on a theme by Handel, Op. 24," by Johannes Brahms is on the program. Brahms composed the virtuosic set of continuous variations in 1861, when he was only 28 years old. It was composed for his friend, Clara Schumann, who later performed the piece in Hamburg. The theme is borrowed from an aria in George Frederic Handel's "Harpsichord Suite in B-flat," composed in 1733. The original piece by Handel contained five variations. Brahms, on the other hand, composed 25 variations and an extended fugue based on the original theme, in which he explores chromatic chords and key areas, huge orchestral textures, hemiolas and syncopated rhythms, and a myriad of romantic colors and moods.
Ginastera (1916–1983) wrote three "Pampeanas" for varied scorings, each intended to evoke the essence of the Argentine plains. He wrote: "Whenever I have crossed the pampa, my spirit felt itself inundated by changing impressions, now joyful, now melancholy, produced by its limitless immensity and by the transformation that the countryside undergoes in the course of the day ... from my first contact, I desired to write a work reflecting these states of my spirit." Throughout "Pampeana No. 2 (1950)" Ginastera exploits characteristic Argentine dance rhythms - the estilo, which moves first in a slow 4/4, then a fast 6/8; and the malambo.
The performers
After receiving both the bachelor of music degree in cello performance and the bachelor of arts degree in applied mathematics from East Carolina University, Katherine Jetter Tischhauser earned the master of music and in 2003 the doctor of music degree in cello performance from Florida State University. She did her primary musical training with Selma Gokcen, Andrew Luchansky and Lubomir Georgiev. She has performed in master classes of Janos Starker, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Channing Robbins and Stephen Doane.
Tischhauser's chamber and solo experiences include performances with the International Cello Festival Master Classes in Kronberg, Germany, the Killington Chamber Music Festival, the Alfred Chamber Music Institute, the Florida State New Music Festival, the Red Shoe Trio (Fort Lewis Faculty Trio), the Alexander Murray Recital Series, and the Amical Ensemble. She was the cellist for the Camellia String Quartet for two years during which time the ensemble placed in the finals of the Carmel Chamber Music Competition.
In the position of principal cellist she has played in the Florida State Symphony Orchestra, the Showcase Chamber Ensemble, and the San Juan Symphony. Other orchestras Tischhauser has been a member of include the Tallahassee Symphony, the New Carolina Sinfonia, the Tar River Orchestra, the National Opera Company Orchestra, the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra, and the Santa Fe Symphony.
Currently, Tischhauser resides in Durango. She is associate professor of cello and music theory at Fort Lewis College. In addition to her duties at the college she actively teaches in the Four Corners area through private lessons and the Conservatory Music in the Mountains. Her performance schedule is filled with solo recitals, Red Shoe recitals, the San Juan Symphony, the Showcase Chamber Ensemble, and the national touring Amical Ensemble. She is currently recording a second album with the band Formula 151 and is an active performer with the group. She is the secretary of the Colorado ASTA with NSOA chapter and is an active clinician in Colorado and New Mexico. Dr. Tischhauser is frequently asked to present clinics at state and national string conferences. She has done extensive research on contemporary techniques in string literature and cello pedagogy.
During the fall of 2006, Tischhauser was on sabbatical from Fort Lewis College, on a national tour performing and researching cello literature. Upon her return, she took over the position of department chair.
Lisa Campi is the assistant professor of piano at Fort Lewis College where she performs, accompanies, teaches private and class piano, theory and history. She was previously an assistant professor of piano at Eastern Washington University in Spokane.
Campi has performed and adjudicated throughout North America, and has given lecture recitals for such organizations as the National Music Teachers Association. She has played recitals for the Chautauqua Institute in New York, the Scotia Festival of Music in Nova Scotia, for CBC radio, for the National Public Radio on WBFO: for the "Opus, Classics Live" series at the University of Buffalo, and for the "Piano Bench" series on KPBX, Spokane Public Radio. A native of Silver Spring, Md., Campi received her bachelor's degree from Indiana University, her master's from the University of Maryland, and her doctorate from the Eastman School of Music where she studied with Rebecca Penneys. Campi was the pianist for the Taliesin Piano trio which participated in the National Endowment for the Arts/Chamber Music America rural residency in Blytheville, Ark., and which founded the concert series, "Composers, in their Own Words."
Campi is the co-artistic director and pianist for the Clock Tower Chamber Music festival, and she founded, directed and adjudicated for the Four Corners Piano Competition at Fort Lewis College. She also currently serves as the keyboardist for the San Juan Symphony Orchestra, and regularly performs as the pianist for the Red Shoe Duo. She is a vigorous advocate for the music of our time, has performed a wide range of solo and chamber works by leading contemporary composers, and has been associated with several modern music ensembles, including "Ossia" in Rochester, N.Y., and "Zephyr" in Spokane.
All proceeds from the concert will benefit The Den and the Fort Lewis Scholarship Fund. Join us Thursday, Feb. 8, for an evening of celebrated music with the Red Hot Duo and help support The Silver Foxes Den Senior Center's expansion to continue to provide activities and services to our ever-growing community.

Children's Chorale to conduct registration

Pagosa Springs Children's Chorale Spring Registration will be held at the Community United Methodist Church on Lewis Street 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27.
Parents will receive orientation materials and information, and each child will be asked to sing a simple song.
Children's Chorale is open to all interested boys and girls, ages 7 to 17, and will begin weekly rehearsals at the Methodist church at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7.
The Chorale is divided into two singing groups, with membership based on musical skills and reading ability. Bel Canto is the non-auditioned entry level choir; Dolce Cantare the auditioned choir. For performance, both choirs are combined on several numbers.
In addition to local spring performances, the Chorale also offers its members the opportunity to participate in music camp, exchanges with children's chorales from Durango and Colorado Springs, and Music in the Parks competition in Denver in May.
If you know of any young child who loves to sing and wants to perform with an award-winning choir, plan to attend either of the above sessions. Call 264-0244 for more information.

Film Society to screen 'Never on Sunday'

On Tuesday, Jan. 30, the Pagosa Springs Film Society will screen and discuss director Jules Dassin's 1960 classic comedy-drama "Never On Sunday," starring Melina Mercouri.
The title song for this sub-titled movie won an Oscar, while Mercouri and Dassin were both nominated - she for acting and he for writing and directing.
In this joyous and uplifting story, Homer Thrace, an amateur philosopher from Middletown, Conn., arrives in town to find out why Greece has fallen from ancient greatness. He decides Illia, an energetic prostitute, full of life and good humor, is a symbol of that fall, so he sets out to study and to save her.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Pagosah Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall, Unit 15, Greenbriar Plaza. Turn east on Greenbrier Drive off of North Pagosa Boulevard by the fire station, then left into the back parking lot and look for the big sign.
A suggested donation of $3 will benefit The Friends of the Library.

New book by Pagosa author Jim Morris

What do senior executives from a large regional construction company, a high-end carpet mill, the State of New Mexico, two international educational movements, an international biotech company and a chocolate company have in common?
According to the book by the same name that features them, they all have "The Five Insights of Enduring Leaders." They have also worked with the book's author, Pagosan Jim Morris.
Morris is a coach, corporate educator and consultant who lives in Pagosa Springs. He surveyed leadership characteristics and competencies of companies large and small and discovered that there are five universal traits all leaders need to have in order to be successful.
"The Five Insights of Enduring Leaders, Add Value - Inspire Others - Change the World," is the result. The book shows "how-to" lead with character and effectiveness for aspiring leaders and the senior leaders who act as their coaches and mentors. "If someone wants to advance their career, the book teaches the hard-to-learn but absolutely essential characteristics leaders need to have to be successful over the long term," Morris said.
Morris' inspiration for writing the book came from two sources: a deep concern about the lack of character in corporate leadership and a desire to tell the stories of companies that doing business in ways that are socially and environmentally responsible. "Making money is the easy part. Making money and conducting business in a way that adds sustainable value to employees, the shareholders and the community, now that's hard. But companies are doing it. People are sick of leaders who don't have character. This book is about developing character in oneself and learning to do well by doing good."
Published by Bristlecone Learning Press, "The Five Insights of Enduring Leaders" will arrive in book stores in late March 2007.

Music in the Mountains, a valentine gift

By Elise Zimmerman
Special to The PREVIEW
Sometimes, the best way to show that special someone that you care about him or her on Valentine's Day is simply to set some time aside to spend with them.
What better way to do so than by purchasing a gift certificate for one of Music in the Mountains' four classical music festival events this summer? These concerts bring together music and musicians from all over the world to the backdrop of beautiful Pagosa Springs.
Gift Certificates can be purchased at $40 for a chamber music concert, and $50 for an orchestra concert. These certificates can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce in downtown Pagosa Springs. Visit the Chamber office, or call them at (800) 252-2204 or 264-2360. Cash, check or credit card (MasterCard or Visa) are accepted.
The following concerts will take place in July and August at the spectacular BootJack Ranch, nestled at the foot of Wolf Creek Pass. Festival Tent at the gorgeous BootJack Ranch.
1. Wednesday, July 18 - Brilliant Bach.
The 2007 Festival season opens at 7 p.m. with a Bach chamber orchestra concert. Highlighted in this special show are soloists Vadim Gluzman on violin, Angela Yoffe on piano and Erin Hannigan on the oboe. A few of the works in this performance are "Passacaglia in C minor," and "Brandenberg Concerto No. 3." This special performance is sure to delight all audience members.
Certificates for this concert are $40.
2. Wednesday, July 25 - 2x4=8.
Internationally renowned musicians Aviram Reichert and Anne Akiko Meyers highlight this Chamber Concert at 7 p.m. Israeli pianist Aviram Reichert was a medalist in the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1997.
Anne Akiko Meyers' passionate and enchanting communication with audiences of all ages has inspired composers to write works specifically for her. She performs on Stradivarius violin dated 1730. This performance will also feature a piano trio, as well as works by Mendelssohn.
Certificates are $40.
3. Saturday, July 28 - Shimmering Strings.
The full orchestra will perform under Guest Conductor Guillermo Figueroa's leadership at 5 p.m. Figueroa has been the music director of both New Mexico Symphony and Puerto Rico Symphony. Featured composers include Berlioz and Dvorak, as well as a solo performance by violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who will be performing music by Barber.
Certificates for this performance are $50.
4. Friday, Aug. 3 - Piano Perfection.
Guest Conductor Lief Bjaland, who is in his tenth year as the artistic director and conductor of Florida West Coast Symphony in Sarasota and his 12th season as music director and conductor of Waterbury Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut, will conduct the full Festival Orchestra at 6 p.m.
Featuring soloist David Korevaar on piano, who was praised by The Washington Post for "wonderfully warm, pliant, spontaneous playing," the orchestra will perform works by composers Chabrier, Rachmaninov and Brahms.
Certificates for this event are $50.
The Pagosa Festivo will be held this year at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 31, in Town Park. Featured theatrical performances by members of the Durango Children's Theater this year include "Peter and the Wolf" and "The Little Engine that Could," which will be accompanied musically by members of the Festival Orchestra. Conducted by Mischa Semanitzky, this performance is free of charge, and open to audience members of all ages.
Pagosa Springs committee members Teresa Huft, Mary Jo Coulehan, Crystal Howe, Lisa Scott, Jim Foster, Ed Lowrance and Janis Moomaw also announce the annual Pagosa Springs benefit for Music in the Mountains, held this year at Moomaw Ranch on July 16. Tickets are $175, and are available for purchase at the Chamber of Commerce in downtown Pagosa Springs. Further details about the Music in the Mountains Festival schedule and programs are available at www.musicinthemountains.com.

The Woodwork Percussion Ensemble in Pagosa this Saturday

By Paul Roberts
Special to The PREVIEW
The Woodwork Percussion Ensemble performs in Pagosa Springs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse. The concert is sponsored by Elation Center for the Arts.
Acclaimed for its unusual instrumentation and lush musical arrangements, Woodwork offers up a feast of sound on its amazing array of marimbas, xylophones, glockenspiel, vibraphone, crotales, cajon and a variety of ethnic percussion. Its expansive repertoire includes classical, jazz, international folk music, world rhythms and new music.
Performances by Woodwork are an auditory and visual treat. Some of the highlights of this Saturday's will be selected works of J.S. Bach; "Galloping Comedians," by Dmitri Kabalevsky; "Prelude No. 2," by George Gershwin; traditional folkloric tunes from Mexico, Guatemala, Russia and Zimbabwe; American ragtime from the 1920s and '30s; and compositions centered around traditional global percussion instruments.
Woodwork is the brainchild of Dr. John Pennington, internationally-renowned percussionist and professor of music at the Fort Lewis College. The ensemble is the fulfillment of Pennington's dream to perform and record professionally with some of his most advanced students.
Performing with Pennington are Philip Peters, Michael Pratt, Sean Statser, Chance Harrison and Grayson Andrews - music performance majors who are gearing themselves towards careers as concert musicians. Pennington's exemplary program provides these students the opportunity to start actualizing their professional goals while advancing their education.
"It's essential to get students out of the practice room and out of the rehearsal hall, to become the musicians that they're destined to be," he said.
To date, Woodwork has performed dozens of concerts and received a grant to produce a CD, entitled "The Invisible Proverb," which will be available at the concert.
According to anthropologists and historians, percussion instruments were the first musical devices ever created. Pennington has been influential in building a greater appreciation for the fine art of percussion. "The Woodwork Ensemble shows the soloistic and expressive possibilities of these instruments," he said.
Pennington contributes to the world of music as a performer, recording artist, educator, conductor, composer and author. He tours internationally as an orchestral and ethnic percussionist. "I think of myself as a global musician, as someone who has embraced a myriad of styles," he said. "At my core, I'm rooted in the classical and orchestral tradition but I certainly have a very strong jazz element and a very strong global music element as well."
Besides performing with the other five members of Woodwork, Pennington perform solo hand drum compositions (including the debut of one of his original works) on his extraordinary collection of ethnic percussion: Egyptian riqq, Moroccan bendir, Middle Eastern tar, Irish bodhran and African mbira.
Come to the Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse Saturday to hear the Woodwork Percussion Ensemble explore unique possibilities of percussion on a rare collection of instruments. Advance discount tickets, for $12, are available through elationarts.org and at WolfTracks Coffee House. Tickets at the door are $15 for adults. Children with parents attend free.
Desserts and coffee will be provided at intermission. Bring a dessert to share if you wish.
Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse is located at 230 Port Ave. in the Vista subdivision of Pagosa Lakes. Take U.S. 160 to Vista Boulevard, turn left on Port.
This community concert is sponsored by Elation Center for the Arts, a local nonprofit dedicated to preserving our cultural heritage. For more information, log on to elationarts.org or call 731-3117.

Dance to Tim Sullivan & Narrow Gauge

By Siri Schuchardt
Special to The PREVIEW
Put on your dancing boots and head to the Pagosa Springs Community Center's Valentine's Dance Saturday, Feb. 10, with music by Tim Sullivan and Narrow Gauge, one of the area's premiere country western bands.
Tim Sullivan has appeared on stage with such well-known artists as Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson, Glen Campbell, and Tammy Wynette. He has won a Songwriter of the Year award in Massachusetts for his song "Dance In The Rain," and is featured on the soundtrack of a new motion picture, "Follow Me Outside." Tim is an entertainer and songwriter who has performed from Los Angeles to Manhattan, and the community center is proud to bring him and his band, Narrow Gauge, back to Pagosa Springs for the annual Valentine's Dance.
The evening will start at 7 p.m. and end at 11 p.m. Cost is $25 per ticket and $30 at the door. The ticket price will include a dessert bar, sumptuous hors d'oeuvres, and there will be a beer, wine, and soft drinks cash bar. Tickets will be available at Wolf Tracks, the Chamber of Commerce and the community center beginning Jan. 29.
Last year, more than 300 people danced to Tim Sullivan & Narrow Gauge at the Valentine's Dance.
Please buy your tickets early to insure that you have a ticket, and so we have an accurate head count for planning purposes.
We are always in need of volunteers to help with the community center dances. If you are interested, call Mercy (community center facilities coordinator) at 264-4152, Siri (dance coordinator) at 731-9670, or Pam Stokes (decorations chairman) at 731-1284. It is a great way to volunteer your time, meet some wonderful people, and play a part in keeping the community center dance program successful.

Barbara Hays to speak at Four Corners Center

By Anna Lauer
Special to The PREVIEW
The Four Corners Center for Spiritual Living in Bayfield has invited Barbara Hays to speak about peace, place and presence on Sunday, Jan. 28. And they invite you to join them.
Barbara will speak on "Practicing the Presence," and finding our own natural place of silence and peace in which we can reside, no matter what.
Time, place and presence have been the focus of Barbara Hays' ministry since she began almost 20 years ago as a Religious Science minister. Hays has now accepted a call to be an assistant minister to the Denver Church of Religious Science, an inner-city church. She said, "I started my ministry at 60 and am still going strong. Old ministers never give up."
Please come find a place of peace with us this Sunday at 11 a.m. The Four Corners Center for Spiritual Living holds its services in the Wholistic Heartlight Center on the corner of North and Pine Streets in Bayfield. If you have any questions, call 884-4889. As Hays teaches, "Beyond happiness and unhappiness there can be peace."

Precept Upon Precept: A study of Deuteronomy

By Laura Manley
Special to The PREVIEW
Moses led the people of Israel faithfully for 40 years. They are now ready to enter the land of promise, and through Moses God tells His children how to live in that land. It is time for them to renew the covenant made at Mount Sinai, to promise to love God and to serve Him from the heart.
The message of Deuteronomy is about God and Israel's relationship to Him. Discover what God expects of believers and how we should live as His children in the world today. Hear His voice calling us to love and serve Him from our hearts.
This is the final study of the Torah, God's first five books of His scriptures, given to His people through Moses.
Jerri Anderson, of Grace Evangelical Free Church, will lead this study series. Join us for this eight-lesson series which begins at 9 a.m. Feb. 8 at Restoration Fellowship, 264 Village Drive. Cost of the study book is $15.
Contact the church office at 731-2937 no later than Jan. 29 to register.

Pagosa travelers discuss Thai meditation retreat

For the Pagosah Unitarian Universalist Fellowship service on Sunday, Jan. 28, two Pagosans, Karen Aspin and Victoria White, will speak about their recent journey to Thailand for an international meditation retreat with the Supreme Master Ching Hai.
Aspin has been a Quan Yin Meditation practitioner for seven years and White for 11 years. They will discuss their trip, and share the insights and benefits of this renowned meditation practice with inner light and sound.
The service begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Pagosah Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall. Child care and the Religious Education program for those three years old and up are offered every Sunday except the second, which is a special meditation service.
The Fellowship Hall is Unit B-15, Greenbriar Plaza. Turn east on Greenbrier Drive off of North Pagosa Boulevard by the fire station, then left into the parking lot and look for the big sign. All are welcome.

Christian Women's Retreat in February

The 10th annual Christian Women's Retreat will be held Feb. 2-4 at Sonlight Christian Camp, north of Pagosa Springs.
This year's featured speaker is Christine Jahani, with Humility Ministries.
Cost is $105, which includes a date with God, two nights' lodging, unlimited hot tubbing, and five delicious meals.
For additional information, contact Teresa Mael at 264-4786, or Christina Velarde at 731-4136.

Cupid Classifieds are coming

"Roses are red" and your Valentine would probably love some.
In addition, you could give her or him a Cupid Classified, that will last long after the flowers have faded.
A Cupid Classified is a classified ad printed in The Pagosa Springs Sun the Thursday before Valentine's Day.
It can be poetry or prose with words from the heart expressing your love. A Cupid Classified is always the right size, not fattening, doesn't wilt, can be cut out, kept indefinitely, and expresses your love like nothing else can.
Don't forget your children, grandchildren, grandparents, pets or neighbors. If you're stuck for ideas you could simply write a short greeting from your heart, like: "You make my life complete. I never thought I would feel this happy." Show that you care enough to send the very best by creating a personalized Cupid Classified.
The cost is 30 cents per word with a minimum of $6 per ad. The deadline for the Cupid Classifieds is noon, Feb. 5, at The Pagosa Springs SUN office downtown.
Forms are available at The SUN, The Humane Society Thrift Store, Humane Society Animal Shelter and Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce. Or, simply write your special Cupid Classified on a piece of paper and take it to the SUN office.
The Pagosa Springs SUN is donating all proceeds to the Humane Society to benefit the homeless dogs and cats in our community.
For more information call 264-5549.

Two films brighten a stale month

By Charles Streetman

PREVIEW Columnist

You would think there would be much catching up to do on the new releases, but January has been a stale month for quality video and theatrical releases.
This week, I'm taking a look at a new and authentic historical epic currently in theaters and an enigmatically beautiful mystery film new to DVD.
Now playing in theaters is Mel Gibson's violent, yet thrilling "Apocalypto,&q