I walked into the Gilpin Community Center awhile back and almost walked back out. There was a room full of people all shouting at a woman who was standing by some easels up front. I knew the meeting was about the idea some folks have for a special protection district up in Elk Park. I went expecting to hear a discussion, but I never dreamed a big fight was brewing. I could hear very little of what the woman was saying because she was booed and shouted down at every turn. Gradually, however, I managed to learn that she and her husband own some tracts of wilderness type land up in Elk Park and spend lots of time there. They’re proposing that part of the Elk Park area next to James Peak Wilderness (around 7,680 acres) be turned into a special protection district and managed as such by the U.S. Forest Service. She attempted to say that her family didn’t stand to gain anything if the proposal comes into being. She attempted to say that with no success. It was an amazingly rude crowd.

Little Echo Lake

  The original wilderness area in question, about 325 acres, contains little Echo Lake and is bounded on three sides by the James Peak Wilderness. That lake appears on postcards and has been much photographed. Little Echo is a famous wilderness jewel. It’s been long managed as wilderness by the Forest Service even though it’s been owned by Central City. These days Central City has turned Little Echo over to a third party (the Wilderness Lands Trust) while it’s hopefully being transferred into the larger wilderness area by Congress. The rationale from Central City was “to create legal foot and horseback trail access to the peak and nearby Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.” The shouters at the meeting were angry because they were sure some of the ATV and jeep roads they love to drive would be closed in the proposal. Some of the louder raised voices were accusing the woman presenter of working on the project only to increase the value of her land holdings in Elk Park. It was a nasty enough meeting that I was motivated to find out some facts.

Would Any Roads Close?

After talking with Christine Walsh, our district forester, a striking fact emerges: No existing Forest Service roads would be closed in this special protection area. The Forest Service designates four wheel drive roads and some run alongside Elk Park. They very much hope jeepers and ATV fans will stay on those designated roads. Special Protection Districts are designed partly to keep the off-road crowd on the roads. True wilderness areas like Little Echo Lake are only open to foot and hoof travel. While grazing and hunting are permitted, vehicles with a motor are not. In any case, as Ranger Walsh pointed out, no roads would be closed either in the Little Echo Lake parcel or in the Elk Park parcel. There aren’t any roads there now.

The people proposing this special protection have done their homework. There are five ridges and canyons they’re looking at. All are really wilderness areas. That’s not to say some ATV drivers won’t try getting in there. The big headache for the Forest Service is not from those ATV folks who stay on the designated roads. Unfortunately, a few off-roaders love to drive through bogs, make new roads, and drive up steep cliffs. While only a few do this, they cause immense damage. The organized Jeep and ATV groups all hate this kind of illegal off-road use. They work hard with their members to develop courteous and legal driving. Some of these jeep clubs, like Mile Hi Jeep Club, have been in existence for fifty years and have an exemplary record of public service.

But, What About My Mine?

  A couple of people at that meeting were sure the Forest Service planned to cut off access to a mining claim. This is an interesting piece of Forest Service policy. If a mining claim exists within a Special Protection District it is honored, but only for the owners. In practice that means any track or trace leading up to the mine can be traveled, but only by the owners or their designates. Some pretty odd situations result. Sometimes there will be a gate on the mining trail which can only be opened by the district Forest Service Ranger and/or the mine owner. No very accurate facts exist about possible patented mining claims in the Elk Park study area. Still, as the Forest Service folks point out, there’s road access from Apex to Tolland Road. There’s an “official” forest service road over those flat areas. Any mining claims would have to be side roads leading off that road. So far there are no “mining roads,” but it could all be dealt with under existing policy.

Is There Congressional Interest?

  The community center meeting was attended by staff people from Congressman Jared Polis’ office and from US Senator Michael Bennet’s office. Also, Colorado Senator Mark Udall’s office showed up and that made sense. The original James Peak Wilderness was created in large part by the efforts of then Congressman Mark Udall. Those who were around twenty years ago remember the many meetings where James Peak was discussed. All of those meetings resulted in a carefully drawn plan. For instance, the Grand County side includes a couple of popular snowmobile trails. Even though snowmobiles are motor driven, they are still allowed on those two designated trails coming up from Winter Park. There were other compromises too, just as there would be if a congressional bill was created for this area.

Obviously there is some congressional interest in both Little Echo Lake and the proposed Elk Park area. The Forest Service has been actively trying to conserve the area as well. Even though short staffed (and always strapped for money) a couple of major things have happened.

I remember hiking up there twenty years ago and sitting by a lovely bog. It was fringed with willows and warblers were in the trees. When next I visited the bog was gone and the ground was completely covered over with hard pack. The Forest Service has put up fencing around several of those bog areas. I’ve heard hunters complain that those fences cut off elk migration, but I’ll take the fences. Fences may keep some of those valuable wet lands protected whether or not there’s ever any congressional action.

Who Lives Up There?

  Some of the louder protestors at the Community Center meeting were jeering at the wildlife ideas being put forth by the protection district supporters. The proposal does say that boreal toad habitat is included. Habitat it may be, but the toads themselves have not been found. Others were particularity scornful of the idea that wolverines might one day be re-introduced in Colorado. We once thought that about lynx, but some lynx do live in our state now. I’ll probably never get up there again, but I’d like to think the Wilson’s warbler I met there once has great grandkids in the willow cairn. We’ve got some pretty nice neighbors up there.

What’s The Future?

  I’m pretty sure the meeting I attended was just the first in years of meetings about this lovely land. Just think how many years of meetings we had leading up to the present day James Peak Wilderness Area! Whatever happens I can’t imagine such meetings without a good moderator and ground rules prohibiting boos, and personal insults.

Sometime take a look at the big photo by John Fielder in the Gilpin County Commissioner’s room of the old Gilpin County Courthouse. It’s of dawn over the James Peak Wilderness Area. That photo might just bring a tear to your eye. I think we’ll figure something out here.

  The thought of reconciling with your former spouse may be a scary proposition. Many marriages successfully reconcile but it takes a lot of hard work. We will address those who might be interested in restoring the marriage later in this article. The aspect of reconciliation that I want to talk about is not necessarily restoring your marriage, but rather how to be friends with your former spouse. If you have children it will be in their best interest and will take a great deal of pressure off of them if they can see that you are friends. Many divorced people will opt for being friends with their former spouse when they realize there simply is no chance of marital reconciliation. After my divorce I could not have imagined being friends with my ex-wife. If someone had suggested that I should consider being friends with her I would have thought they were crazy! I’ve since learned that time really does heal old wounds and I can now say we are friends today.

  I was counseling a client who was pouring her heart out about how her ex-husband was difficult to talk to. He was always saying unkind things to her and she really wanted nothing to do with him. I told her I understood and asked her what she thought her children were seeing when they looked at her reaction to him. She hesitated then slowly admitted they were seeing her anger and bad attitude. I then asked her how she handled her anger when it came to dealing with her children. Reluctantly, she said she treated them the same way she treated her ex-husband – not very well. Finally I asked the million dollar question, “Do you want your children to be involved in your war with your ex-spouse?” “Of course not,” she responded. Then she asked a simple question, “Okay Doc, what should I do?”

  I asked her to keep an open mind as I presented the idea of reconciliation and how she and her children would ultimately benefit. I went into great detail how it works and the time frame in which she could expect results. When I was done she just stared at the ceiling. She was deep in thought and asked me to go over the plan again. I explained how reconciliation works and the step-by-step process she would need to go through to make the plan work. I explained that to begin a friendship with her former spouse she would need to begin slowly and learn to communicate again. This step applies to both parties and both need to agree they are willing to work together to create the friendship or in some cases even reconcile the marriage. If the friendship is to grow, the trust issue must be resolved one way or another, but always proceed with caution. If your intention is to restore the marriage then at some point the relationship must go to a deeper level beyond just friendship. This is where you must decide that you want to go to the next level, begin dating each other again, or just stay as friends. If you want to restore your marriage and need help, let me know, I can help you with that.

  As I have said in many of my articles, often men and women are talked into a divorce. It can be as innocent as a well-meaning friend suggesting you see a lawyer for legal advice. That starts the ball rolling and the next thing you know you’re in the middle of a divorce. If you’re really not sure you want a divorce, then consider counseling. Don’t get talked into something you will later regret.

  Over the years I have had clients tell me that they wished they had never filed for a divorce. The pain it caused and the uncertainty it created made them ask the question, “What if I had just waited for complete healing of my marriage? My children would be happy. I would be happy and I would be in my home. I’d be going to the kid’s games and having dinner with them.” This is the part of divorce you rarely see. It’s heartbreaking and pain that never goes away. Some marriages cannot be reconciled and I understand that. The key here is getting your children through it. They should be on your “radar” when it comes to priorities between you and your spouse.

  As I looked back at my own divorce I could see the pain I had caused my daughter and my former spouse. I realized I was part of the problem and I knew I shared the responsibility of the broken relationship. In order to have a healthy reconciliation, I realized I needed to do a few things to make that happen. I didn’t expect others to fix things for me, so I took my share of the blame and began working on correcting my mistakes. If you are the one who has been wronged, I challenge you need to do something very bold and courageous – forgive. If you hold on to the pain you will have a long and very bitter life. I see many bitter people come through my office. They are in ill health, unhappy and very pessimistic. It’s obvious they need to forgive, but they have to be willing to let go of their anger and move on.

  A few years ago I was counseling a man in my office. He wanted to reconcile with his wife, but she wanted nothing to do with him. He asked me what he should do. I told him to consider her complaints and if he thought they were legitimate, then I suggested he work on those things and clean up his act. He got to work on them and before long his wife saw that he was making an effort to be a better man. That was a step in the right direction. Patience is the key and don’t force things. Move slowly then wait and see what happens. If you have any questions about reconciling as a friend or restoring your marriage call me – I can help you!

  In this series, I have been helping you examine the process of getting divorced. We’ve taken a close look at what to expect and I have been sharing critical information you need to know. If you or your spouse are considering divorce, prior to making that final, life-changing decision, please call me. I can help you prepare for your divorce if you decide to proceed.

  Are you experiencing a difficult time in your marriage and need help? Is your spouse avoiding talking with you about the problems in your marriage? Are you struggling with the execution and planning of your divorce? Would you like to learn communication tools that are helpful when talking with your spouse about repairing your marriage? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I can help you. Give me a call today.

  Master Life Coaching is affordable, accessible, anonymous and available by appointment from the privacy of your own home. Avoid travel time and never leave the comfort of your home to meet with me. I have many out-of-state clients who prefer to meet over the phone or via Skype. The convenience of this type of coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live out of the Denver-metro area or are out of the state of Colorado.

  For more information or to schedule a free consultation, call me at 303.456.0555 or email at mike@applicablecoaching.com.All calls are confidential and your privacy is guaranteed.

  You can check out my blog and comment on today’s article at http://www.applicablecoaching.com/blog.php

  Historians tell us that our nation was born during discussions about agriculture. Jefferson, Adams, and Madison wrote our founding documents (documents they expected would be re-interpreted by each generation) and gave us our primary ideas about government. Jefferson and Adams, particularly, got many of those ideas and discussed many of those ideas on their trips to Europe. Interesting, if you read the dispatches they sent back to this country, they talked much more about gardening than government. In fact, in 1798 Jefferson was listing as his most read book, “Miller’s gardening dictionary.” They all eagerly read John Brodley’s, “Sketches on Rotations of Crops.” Brodley was a Pennsylvania farmer who pioneered ideas of crop rotation. While they were discussing our foundations as a nation, these founders were also busily discussing agriculture.

  John Adams sent his largest single piece of writing back to the states. That was his “report on manures.” This created a great deal of discussion about various types and uses of manure amongst Madison, Washington, and Jefferson. Jefferson typically did his research on small batches. Adams, practical Yankee that he was, got up to his elbows in the smelly stuff. He was laughed at in the court of England, (where as usual he was trying to represent the new and hated U. S. in the latest international dispute). There he was, checking out the manure piles by the sables. Adams tried out mixtures of mud, lime and seaweed with various animal products. Jefferson kept detailed notes on each type of manure. These men were also of course writing and debating The Federalist Papers. Those are very papers upon which our system of government is designed. But gardening ignited their passions just as much as government.

Uses of humble hemp

  Colorado has been buried in legal problems since the voters legalized medical marijuana. For a second year in a row, many cities and counties place moratoriums on licensing shops to sell the humble herb to put off the legal mess. The state has established a whole division to regulate the herb and still hasn’t issued final guidelines which cities and cities must follow. The basic legalization idea seems lost in heaps of bureaucratic paper. That original idea was that marijuana is part of a health program for clients. A few, actually three, such establishments exist in Gilpin County. One offers massage, nutrition counseling, and so on, along with various herbs including marijuana. New licenses can’t be issued until the state makes up its’ mind.

  The founding gardeners were well aware that hemp was a valuable crop. Hemp fiber was used for many products. Ship ropes were woven from hemp. Sacking was also made from the plant. The flowers were thought of as a minor drug. They could be made into a calming tea as they are today, but were little thought of beyond that. The idea of smoking the flowers was around, but tobacco was the big smoker’s crop. Tobacco sapped the soil of nutrients, hence, the interest in manure and crop rotation. Hemp was regarded as a humble herb compared to tobacco. Why we should be so fixed upon it today would be a

great subject for debate. Public manias, as Jefferson observed, are impossible to understand and we certainly have one going concerning the humble herb.

The Garden of Democracy

  Thomas Jefferson made lists of topics, things he was writing about. The Declaration Independence, written almost entirely by him, was on the same list with “Experiments with rice planting,” “Experiments with the olive tree,” and so on. These founders thought of gardening as a patriotic activity. If the fields and gardens bloomed there would be less dependence on England. England’s continued hostility could only means that at some point the new nation would have to go it alone. There was some urgency to solve agricultural problems.

  Jefferson liked to point out that his ornamental trees and flowers were all native grown. The soil of Virginia liked them. He and Washington both proposed the idea of “wild wood gardens.” That is, randomly planted trees that might be found in nearby woods. Those were some lovely trees, of course, like the tulip tree, red oak, and the flowering quince, not to mention the dogwood. Washington placed two such wild groves on either side of the approach to his home. These founders thought of their gardens as symbolic of the idea of democracy and our new nation. No kings for them! George Washington was particularly scandalized when some of his officers proposed that he be made king of the newly independent colonies. Rather he suggested they plant “liberty trees” in their home towns.

Could We Feed The World?

  Adams, particularly, thought this new nation could produce a great deal of food for the world if the correct techniques were used. Adams and Jefferson moved apart in their political thought after their tours of the great gardens of Europe. Adams, always the aristocrat and Anglophile, suggested that Washington be addressed as “His Highness, the President of the U.S.” That summed up their differences. Jefferson, always the democrat, called that idea of Adam’s “the most superlatively ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” They stayed with their vision for greater agricultural production, however. Jefferson praised Adams for that. Madison joined that optimism. While in the midst of writing the new U. S. Constitution, Madison dispatched some pecan nuts, maple and honey locust seeds and apple tree cuttings to Jefferson. He thought these the beginning of a better world-wide production.

  Today that kind of optimism about food production is not so obviously supported. As our planet warms, we do struggle to feed the world. Today in Europe only Russia, Germany, and France could be called “self-sufficient.” Perhaps Spain can be added to the list, but like Italy, much of their grain has to be imported. The current food problems are made worse by the continually rising price of fuel oil. All of this means that the international cereals price index will continue to go up and up. Feeding the world is not going to be easy.

Founding Optimism

  Our founding fathers, particularly Jefferson, Madison, and Adams were optimistic about our ability to find new and better ways to produce food and beauty in our fields and gardens. We probably are reaching some of the limits to that optimism as world temperatures continue to rise. It is harder and harder to find ways to adapt. Some of John Adam’s experiments with manure may have to be done all over again as petrol based fertilizers become more expensive. Apparently marijuana production appears to be rising, creating even more governmental scrambling to regulate that elusive crop. That would surprise the founding gardeners. They regarded the medicinal uses of the plant as certainly real, but listed among the “minors” in their gardens. Governmental concern for that herb would not have been in their field of vision.

Democracy Depends on Agricultural Education

  The founders had only vague ideas about how many states would be set up in the west, but they had strong ideas about what should happen. Jefferson, particularly, urged that each new government set up agricultural stations. That idea became the land grant colleges and our own Colorado State University carries on that fine tradition. Our founders were convinced that a primary purpose of government was to support agriculture and feed the world. They knew that a healthy democracy depends on a healthy agriculture. If Jefferson were writing his column, he’d add “and beauty, wouldn’t forget beauty.” It’s not completely out in left field to suggest that our democracy does depend on our land grant colleges.

Life Coaching

Okay, Christmas is over, the presents are opened, we have gained a few pounds from cookies and Christmas dinner and deserts. I’m sure many of you are tired from watching your new big screen TV. While you’re sitting in your chair, have you began to contemplate what your next year’s goals are or New Year’s Resolutions will be? Heck, I bet some of you, your list is complete and ready to go. For many of us we could sit down and write out our New Year’s resolutions in two minutes, if we had to.

Well here is my list, albeit not very detailed or exciting, it’s what I am feeling today and need to work on for next year. I need to lose some weight, start exercising more then I have been. Kick back on some meals, and certainly decrease consumption of sweets. My biggest one is to work harder on my procrastination issues. My resolution list is not that bad, but looking at my to-do list, it grows every month. I wish I had time for all the things I want to get done. Now is the time to organize that list and prioritize it.

So, have you decided what you want to work on for January 1st? How do you make a list that you can stick to and not repeat past resolution failures? One thing I learned is not to have too many items on your list. Have a few, and make sure that you work on those. If you have a list of items that you know you can accomplish, then by all means write them down. One of the major problems we face is that we have a list that is a mile-long. Your list may well intentioned, but if it’s impossible to succeed at any given item on that list, then you are doomed to fail. So, don’t add that item and go on to things you can do.

Let’s look at typical New Year’s Resolutions people often make. How about the, “Oh, I need to lose weight” resolution. I think most of us would agree we need that in our list. So, how do you go about making that happen? Do some research that would give you tips and suggestions to help you lose weight. Go to the library and look at what they have in as far as weight loss. You need to make sure that your plan for your New Year’s Resolutions has research to go along with it. Why do you want to lose weight and why? Just saying I want to lose weight, because one of your friends says that is one of her resolutions for the New Year, is not necessarily going to work for you. This resolution will probably be the first one you break after having 10 salads in a row. The donut behind the counter will temp you away. I am saying know why you are making your resolutions and keep to them, that is key to being successful.

Make a list that is realistic, not a pie in the sky list. Believe me some people I have worked with, will have on their lists impossible tasks. One guy had “gain 35 pounds in six months.” He was a skinny dude, with no meat to his bones. I asked him why – he said that he wanted to gain weight and not look weak and small anymore. I thought to myself, hey…I have 40 pounds I would gladly give you. I told him that his weight gain was not realistic. Maybe focus on a 10 pound gain. He was fine with my suggestion, but how discouraged would he have been if he didn’t gain 35 pounds of weight?

Plan stages of following your New Year’s Resolutions, have an accountability partner to help you along the way. Make a phone call if you feel that you’re going to cheat or need their encouragement to keep on course. You don’t have to do this alone. After you start your resolutions list, make a plan to go over your list once a week, keep tabs at where you are at. Make notes and do research to keep you on course. Be active and creative in making your plans work.

The hardest resolution I have ever made was to read one book a week – I was going strong for four months, then I was getting a little behind. I was feeling guilty for not keeping this resolution. I love to read and have a quote that I say to myself – “Leaders read.” How many leaders do you know that have their noses buried in a book, or journal? Most of the people who I know and admire, are readers. I stuck to it, but it was a commitment that helped me the most.

In closing, for your New Year’s Resolution, plan ahead, take some time writing what you want to accomplish for next year. If you cheat or fail, don’t let that stop you from continuing on your with your resolutions. We all fail at one time or another, just get right back on track and do the best you can. I have failed at certain times, and I know it happens. Happy New Year!

Are you having a difficult time figuring out what your realistic New Year’s Resolutions should be? Is it difficult for you to prioritize your resolution list? Do you need help in listing sensible resolutions? If you answered yes to any of these questions, call me and set up an appointment to talk.
If you want to read past articles you can go to my blog at http://applicablecoaching/blog.php feel free to post your comments and or questions.
In addition, online/phone Master Life Coaching is affordable, accessible, anonymous, and available by appointment, from the privacy of your own home. Avoid the travel and time it takes to get my office. Since you never have to leave the comfort of your own home to meet with me, your anonymity and privacy is completely secured. I have many out-of-state clients; this is the most effective means for Life Coaching for those of you who are out of the state of Colorado.

County Management

The major physical changes at the Gilpin County trash transfer station are pretty much accomplished; now it’s time to make the administrative changes we’ve been talking about for months.

The big change is that, for the first time in several years, the County is going to again be charging for the disposal of bagged household trash. It’s still not much—just $1 a bag—but that should help defray most of the cost of our solid waste disposal program. This year that cost is budgeted at $271,000, up from $167,000 just two years ago.

And although part of the increase in cost has to do with the new methods of operating the center, the actual costs of disposal—the dumping fee at the landfill down on Highway 93—has been steadily increasing, from $55,000 two years ago, up to a budgeted $65,000 for next year. And the mill levy for solid waste—just .282 mills for 2011—is only generating about $100,000 a year, so we had to take action to keep up.

I believe, though, we’ve come up with a system that should actually improve service to all users, not just those who come once a week to drop off household trash. There’s better traffic flow now, for those bringing recycling as well as those who have larger loads of trash and debris to dispose of.

Another thing that will help the traffic flow is if people use our new punch card system instead of paying cash every time. So we’ll be offering punch cards: if you give the attendant at the transfer station $20, you’ll get a punch card good for 20 bags of trash (and we’ll be flexible about what constitutes a bagful).

Even better, if you stop by the Public Works offices from 7:30 to 4 weekdays (holidays of course excepted), you can pay $20 and get a punch card good for 24 bags! That gets the cost down to about 83¢ each, which can hardly be considered unreasonable.

If you’ve never been to the beautiful new, biomass-heated Public Works Building, that’s a treat in and of itself; you can call them at 303-582-5004 for directions and questions.

We’ll also be handling the free trash day a little differently, too: there won’t be a coupon in January’s newsletter, the way there has been for the last two years. Instead, the trash transfer station will be issuing tokens to use on one particular day of your choosing, so you’ll have to provide some sort of proof of residency in Gilpin County. We will still be issuing resident stickers when you do your car registrations, too.

A side benefit of charging for trash disposal is that it tends to make people think a little bit more about whether the trash they are throwing away includes material that could be recycled; cities that have curbside trash and recycling programs always note big increases in the amount of recycling whenever a trash rate hike goes into effect.

We expect that sort of growth, too, and even though the recycling container is only open those hours the trash transfer site is, that will help staff keep a closer eye on the container to avoid misuse and contamination, which costs all of us a ton of money.

All in all, these are a lot of changes to absorb at once; we may encounter a few problems, but we’ll work to correct them. We’re committed to provide a service that is both user-friendly and cost-efficient; as always, though, that’s a hard balance to achieve.

And remember, the trash site (like most County facilities) will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Happy holidays!

The noble bird in 1537, 1694, 2010, and on (oh my!) Guiding Light

Thanksgiving is a great holiday. Along with July Fourth, it’s a most “national” of our holidays. Everyone seems to participate. Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, humanists, atheists: everyone loves Thanksgiving. Still, the history of turkey takes some strange turns. The noble bird has been a cause of celebration, but also has figured in some odd stories.

Many Kinds of Turkey (including bottled)

I have a few friends who do not like turkey. One of them thinks the only good kind of wild turkey comes in a bottle. But, most of us love eating the bird. There will be many kinds of turkey eaten this Thanksgiving: regular grocery store variety, vegetarian, kosher, free range, halal, organic and so on. We’ll have a couple of feasts in our little family featuring turkey, (maybe three feasts if you count the one my dog Gus and I will have on the Stage Stop front porch). I’m looking forward to going with my wife Frances to the turkey feed at her favorite Catholic Church on Nov. 25. I like that one because I meet interesting people there. One year I ran into a couple of professional hobos I’d met before as we all stood there in the opening line. They wandered over to say hello to “Gus’s daddy.” That’s due to my dog’s lasting friendship with them and his enjoyable visits to the trash in the semi-permanent hobo camp. Turkey is a very old Colorado tradition. Turkey was there at the first Thanksgivings in Colorado in 1537 and 1694.

Cabeza de Vaca and his three friends eat wild turkey

We know that Cabeza de Vaca (cow head) along with his friend Estevan, the North African descended Moor, and two others had several feasts with the Indigenous Americans. In fact, he did eat wild turkey at some of the feasts they enjoyed when they were in the good graces of the Native Americans. There is a lot of ambiguity about Cabeza de Vaca’s accounts, but Indians sometimes gave them feasts while other times were pretty cruel to them. Whether they got a feast or a beating depended on how well their magician and healer act was going over with that particular tribe. When they finally got to New Spain (in about 1537) after a seven year wander, they had several other feasts of Thanksgiving. We could argue that Cabeza de Vaca had the first Thanksgiving in the west. But what about the first Thanksgiving in what we today know as Colorado?  That honor goes to Don Diego de Vargas. He led a group of Spaniards through southern Colorado in 1694. They halted for a nice feast near present day Costilla. But as they paused to give thanks eat turkey and buffalo and regroup, were they actually in Colorado?

Trying to translate de Vargas

Lately I’ve enjoyed sitting in the fall sun and reading the journals of de Vargas especially his trip through Colorado. This is no easy task as he writes in Medieval Spanish. Fortunately scholars from the University of New Mexico and Adams State College have done some translations. It’s fascinating to follow the group as they wander though southern Colorado. They make friends with a group of Utes and  have some feasts with them. They eat a number of birds (killed by the Utes apparently) including some kind of wild turkey. They heated a version of corn tortillas on the camp fires and then made tacos of almost any bird that came their way. We can give the award for the first Thanksgiving in Colorado to de Vargas. Or can we?

Politics moves the 37^th N. parallel south

The area where de Vargas had that first Thanksgiving feast was part of Colorado and so assigned by the General Land Office in 1869. One can see why the land office did that. The line between Utah and Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma is the 37^th N. The 37^th parallel was the adjudged state line and Costilla was north of it. But folks in Costilla thought of themselves as part of New Mexico.  They didn’t like the state line being drawn at the 37^th N. parallel. The argued this point with politicians for about a century. Things in the west sometimes change slowly. The 37^th parallel North had been the state line for 146 years. But, then in 2009 the line was changed. It was moved 365 feet south whether for geographic or political reasons. Now Costilla is in New Mexico. So, maybe the first feast in Colorado was really in New Mexico. Fortunately there were other feasts de Vargas had in San Acacio, so at least those feasts clearly were in Colorado.

Thanksgiving on the soaps

Some readers of the Register Call were regular listeners to the soap opera Guiding Light. The idea of a big family eating turkey was sometimes in the script. But on six occasions actual fights broke out at the soap opera dinners. I’ve heard rumors that fights like that have broken out at real family dinners too. Four of these fights ended in homicide on the show. Also, twice ghosts appeared at the window during these Thanksgiving dinners. That was enough to make you choke on your turkey! Guiding Light has gone off the air after more than thirty years. But those spooky Thanksgiving shows will likely be replayed again and again.

Sarah Hale and the modern Thanksgiving

Colorado’s more modern Thanksgiving celebrations are thanks to Sarah Hale, editor of the Godey’s Lady’s Book in the 1860s and 70s. Her tireless work put Thanksgiving on the annual calendar. She argued that since harvest was already celebrated and the Jewish festival “The Feast of Weeks” normally fell around then it was a perfect time for President Lincoln to make the declaration. Not all Presidents would have agreed with her. Andrew Jackson refused to declare a day of Thanksgiving because he felt it violated the wall of separation between church and state. Still, she argued that Lincoln ought to declare the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving for the whole nation.  Her recipes that November re-enforced her idea. She featured turkey, of course, but also cranberries which were thought to give all sorts of health benefits. Her crusade was rewarded. On October 3, 1863 President Lincoln issued a proclamation making the last Thursday of November Thanksgiving Day.  We’ve celebrated it in Colorado ever since.

However you celebrate, with turkey or not, have a great Thanksgiving!

Taking care of your furry friends in an emergency

Moving to Colorado in 2006, I had not experienced being evacuated until the Fourmile Canyon Fire on September 6th. That morning while standing on the deck of my client Jan’s house off Alpine Way in Boulder, warm embers landing in the palm of my hand, the sky filled with thick, red-brown smoke, I knew this day was going to be different than any other.

It was around 10:30ish in the morning when smoke started to fill the skies, the sun was barely visible through dense smoke, and visibility across the canyon decreased to less than ¼ mile. Winds were strong, with currents swirling the smoke quickly through the skies, one moment blocking sunlight, the next moment, opening to blue, sunny skies.

As the morning progressed, smoke continued to pour into the skies, no blue sky was visible anymore, and white ash fell like snowflakes. While no fire could be seen, it wasn’t far and as I searched the TV news for reports on what was happening, there was nothing. Looking online I was able to find some information as to what was happening and realized how close we were to the fire and how quickly the fire was choosing it’s random path of destruction.

After noon, the smoke had completely blocked out the sun and was now just gray, brown-black thick smoke engulfing the skies. It was time – I knew I needed to get everyone ready to leave. What I didn’t know is that the emergency Reverse 911 system wasn’t working because the fire had burned the lines and taken out communication and that Pine Brook Estates had been under evacuation orders.

I called Jan to see what she wanted me to take for her from the house, but was unable to reach her.

The animals were #1. I knew that and packed the car with everyone’s supplies. The five dogs were eager to hop into the car; one kitty eagerly entered his cat carrier; the other kitty took me twenty minutes to find and get into his carrier. During this time, I laughed as I own a dog business, 4TheLuvOfDogz, and thought how ironic it might be that I may perish while catching a cat! But there is no way I would leave anyone behind, that was not and never is an option. My first and foremost responsibility is to my furry clients’ safety and well-being.

Once everyone was safely onboard, we headed down Linden Lane. At the entrance to the subdivision, we drove past the police officers who were not allowing anyone up the road as the entire area had been under mandatory evacuation. The pups, kitties, and I were safe and headed to my home where we stayed until Jan returned home.

Fast forward to October 29th where again I am house-sitting on Linden Lane and the Dome Fire has started.  This time I knew what to do and was not waiting around for the evacuation call; I packed everyone up and headed out.

What I learned during the Fourmile Canyon fire helped me understand exactly how essential it is to discuss with my clients what is important to them so I know exactly what to do for them in emergency evacuation situations. With my client Jan, I knew her furry kids were #1, and after the Fourmile Canyon fire, we discussed other essential items for me to take as well.

Establishing an Evacuation Plan is something everyone should have in writing for yourself and anyone house sitting for you. It will help ensure those items you value are safe, and provide you time before a critical situation occurs to prepare. Because we live in an area prone to wildfires, it is best to be as prepared as possible.

Deb D’Andrea owns 4TheLuvOfDogz, providing mobile Canine Massage, PawQuatics, Canine Agility, and Dogz Nanny services. She locally sells her home made dog treats. Contact Deb at 720-675-7078, email at info@4theluvofdogz.com, or check out www.4theluvofdogz.com.

Would Rollinsville have to build a jail if it re-incorporates?

There are those around Rollinsville who would like to re-incorporate the town. They’d like us to be something like Ward. We’d have our own marshal and town council and so on. That would be pretty entertaining. We do have, I really believe, more “mountain types” per square yard than most other places. Some of those who would run for town council would make it pretty exciting. My dog Gus might like it because he thinks this would mean no more opportunities to chat with any dog catcher. Actually Gus loves our County dog control personnel now. He sits by their truck and barks until they give him a treat.

Rollinsville Neighbors Fall Meeting

Rollinsville Neighbors fall meeting this Thursday night, October 7^th, at the Stage Stop should be interesting. We’ll discuss how to have a better parade and gunfight, which is scheduled for the first Sunday afternoon in August 2011. We’ll meet the new owner of the Stage Stop and new “entertainment manager,” Patrick, who’s actually managed that once before. It will be fun. This has never been a group to take itself too seriously and that helps. But, the question remains…if we did re-incorporate, would we have to build a jail?

Gilpin’s first jail

The stories about Gilpin County before we had a jail go on and on. The Gilpin Sheriff really did take a couple of horse thieves home once. That’s was all because there was no jail. Something like that could happen in Rollinsville. Of course that event happened here in 1861, not recently. It’s quite a tale. Uncle Billy Cozens was famous as a sheriff who tried hard to bring order to the relatively lawless mining camps of Black Hawk, Central, and Nevadaville. He even went up to Russell Gulch sometimes. The trouble was he had no jail. So, when he arrested “two husky horse thieves,” Sheriff Cozens had a problem. He said of it in his published recollections (you can pick them up in the Gilpin library): “You know, before we got our Court working, it was the custom for the camp to hang a man who stole a horse or robbed gold out of a sluice box, and there never was a very lengthy ceremony over such an affair, either. But now the Judge and me was doing our level best to establish law and order about such things, so I had a problem on my hands.”  Sheriff Cozens took the horse thieves home and handcuffed them to his bed. In the morning he turned them over to the County bailiff. His wife was furious and he knew he’d never get away with that again. He began that very day to work toward getting a proper jail for the county.

Sheriff works with Commissioners

Fall is the time when County Commissioners scratch their heads over the budget. Each department and each elected official wants a budget to their liking, but the funds are always limited. For this situation, Sheriff Cozens took matters in his own hands. He told the commissioners they had to come up with money for a jail and he would tell them how. That board of commissioners was new to the job, having just been appointed by Gov. Gilpin. More seasoned commissioners might not have gone along with the plan, but they did. They entered an order allowing the Sheriff to employ prisoners to build the jail. Cozens then went out and arrested bricklayers, carpenters, and so on. They worked off their brief sentences building his jail.

Mississippi leads the way

Perhaps we could be more like Mississippi if we incorporated. They have decreased their prison population by a large amount. According to an article in County Lines magazine, that state has cut their prison population in an interesting way. By use of diversion programs they’ve kept up to half of their criminals out of jail. Most drug cases are now moved into diversion programs and that has saved the state gobs of money. Even minor theft cases, often involving farm produce, are now diverted. Rollinsville could do that. We could divert all drug cases into road work, and sweep and re-sweep Main Street after each gully washer with the diversion from prison population. That’s not a serious suggestion since drug crimes are state crimes, not municipal crimes, but it’s a nice thought.

What would the Marshal drive?

Rollinsville really only has about a half-to-three quarters of a mile of road on Main Street. Depending on where the traditional town limits were drawn, it could be even less. We now get complaints about excessive speed on the part of Tolland Road that’s in Rollinsville on the west side of Hwy 119. One dog likes to sleep in the road out in front of Earl’s Motorsport shop there on Tolland Road. That shop boasts one of the most talented motorcycle mechanics in the state, so there is some retail traffic there. The dog tends not to like to move. Hence the low speed limit. Possibly our new marshal could simply park an old Indian motorcycle with sidecar and red light there. This would protect the dog and slow traffic down. If there were a call for help, he could fire up the Indian and put the dog in the side car as they responded to the scene.

Another suggestion is that the marshal could drive a snow plow. Snow could be piled into strategic speed bumps, like in front of the post office. The snow plow could also just dump a load on the car of any well know local speeders. Still another suggestion is a mule. A mule would draw attention to the kind of speed needed on a Main Street often populated by kids on bikes, various dogs, and the odd bear. The mule could remind folks to go no faster than a mule likes to go.

Maybe the lawyers can help

Two local lawyers will be at the Rollinsville Neighbors meeting this Thursday night. Both John Pineau and Richard Gee are respected local members of the bar, and you can talk to them at the meeting held at the Stage Stop bar. Gee represents a good many Gilpin business ranging from grocery stores to casinos. He should be able to tell us something about the tax implications of re-incorporating. John Pineau has represented several Rollinsville and Gilpin folks on criminal case matters, and it will be interesting to see what he thinks about building a jail.

Rollinsville Marshal takes criminals home for the night?

There’s certainly precedent for the marshal taking criminals home with him after an arrest. Sheriff  Billy Cozens did it. Maybe our new marshal could too. That would keep us from having to build a jail. I look forward to Rollinsville Neighbors meeting at the Stage Stop this Thursday. All opinions will be welcome. Gus will be on the front porch as usual and will let you know his opinion if you give him a pat.

Our mountains were and are urban based

“Welcome to Gilpin County, A Rural Mountain Community” That’s what the sign at the Gilpin County line says. A look at our history though shows that we may not be so “rural” after all.

The “community” part is pretty much right. There is lots of sense of community here. Anyone who attended the county fair last weekend knows that. But, just how rural are we, or have we ever been? From time to time we have celebrations that feature gunfights, surely a rural mountain event. We had one in Rollinsville on August 1st. We also love to cherish our back-woods Zeke (old-timer Gilpin ZK license plates) gulch-dwellers who get their water from the spring and have no electricity. Those folks still live here too. We often say we’re here to escape the big city. Are we really that rural and that far from the big city?

Escaping the “big city”

We love to say that we live “in the woods.” There’s some truth to that. Many of us live here because we do hate cities. We hate the traffic and the fast pace of the urban life. Many a Zeke tells me he’d like to get back to living in a one room cabin back up in some gulch. But, like it or not, our mountains were and are part of the urban grid. The myth of the west with its gunfights, loners, and mountain Jacks and Janes just rarely happened.

Not many old miners or gun fighters either

The fact is, only a very few individuals ever successfully lived alone in some gulch. We’ve had a few and I’ve celebrated them here in this column. Solitary gulch dwellers like Henry Niccum were real. But they were pretty rare. Also rare were gun fights of any kind. During the big boom in the 1860s and 70s there were a couple of recorded shootings, but in reality were very few. These were hardly gun fights either. Rather they were what we’d today call bar room drunks shooting wildly at one another. The myth of the mountain man was mostly a myth too. Rather than being solitary, the earliest Zekes clustered together and seemed to mainly name their habitations “city.” Central City is called a city and so is Black Hawk. They were probably never “big cities” in our sense of the word, but it is interesting that the earlier inhabitants liked the name. Actually, from the start, we were part of Denver’s infrastructure grid.

Governor Gilpin Predicted Denver

In his 1860 book The CentralGold Region: The Grain Pastoral and Gold Region of North America, William Gilpin developed his geopolitical theory. In it he postulated Denver as the queen city of the west. To Denver would come the railroads. To Denver would come the grain handling infrastructure. Denver would suck up what he called the “lands of luxuriant fertility” west of the 100^th meridian. Of course he sometimes waxed a little too ecstatic, especially about areas where he had investments. He did indeed call the San Luis Valley “a new Vale of Kashmir” and waxed eloquent about the central gold belt the buckle of which was Central City, and yes, even the soon to be Rollinsville. Much as Gilpin loved our mountains, he saw us as getting and giving nourishment in a reciprocal pattern with  Denver. Denver was, in his words, “an expanded bowl to receive and fuse into harmony whatsoever enters within its rim.”

We are part of the Rocky Mountain Empire

We certainly do live on Denver’s rim. Each morning cars stream to Nederland and down Boulder Canyon. Another stream goes down Golden Gate Canyon, and still another stream goes up the switchbacks to Wondervu and then down to Denver, while even more cars head down Clear Creek Canyon and Interstate 70. These are commuters who depend on Denver for sustenance. Then in the evening long streams of fun seekers come up to Black Hawk and Central City for perhaps the opera, but much more likely for the casinos. The masthead of the old Rocky Mountain News used to proclaim it to be the voice of the Rocky Mountain Empire. Denver was the capital of that empire. In political terms it’s not surprising that the next Governor of Colorado is very likely to be the present mayor of Denver. A startling fact is that 80% of our full-time population lives (at least according to some demographers) in the large cities of the wider eastern slope. Like it or not, the Denver metroplex dominates the state.

Protecting our Rural Mountain Community

Perhaps the best way to protect our rural mountain community is to come to grips with the fact that nearly all of the west is part of an urban complex and we’re no exception. That means the need for transportation, such as a high speed rail system along I-70. That means paying our dues to DRCOG and the other planning associations. Yes, even better bicycle access must be included in the mix. Isolation from the metroplex would hardly make sense. In fact such isolation doesn’t even seem possible anymore. Consider Ouray County.

Isolation won’t protect us any more than Ouray County was protected. Originally Ouray was a mixed mining and cattle raising based county. Then in the 1980′s we read in the Denver Post that Ralph Laurent had moved to Ouray! Soon the water rights once going to ranches went to big second homes and golf courses.  Today Ouray county commissioners note that half the income in the county comes from various types of dividend income. They also estimate that over a third of the homes in the county are second homes occupied only a small part of the year. It’s hard to develop community in that sort of a situation. Ouray is much more isolated than we are, and yet the financial life of that county is part of the urban metroplex.

Fewer guns and cattle than we thought

The history of the west has been largely the history of western cities. Like it or not, the health of the cities defined the health of the rural areas. Territorial Governor Alexander Hunt named many of our Colorado cities. He worked for the Western Development Corporation, a subsidiary of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. He argued that only with cities would Colorado succeed. If he was right, we should be boosting Denver as much as boosting Rollinsville. We are in many ways a rural mountain community. And in many ways we’re part of that Denver Governor Gilpin predicted we would be. Those are the facts we have to deal with.