“Boo” Photo by Marla Bear Bishop
Another Month in the Valley
By Thomas Wills – Herald Editor and co-publisher
Well, here we are, beginning another year in the North Fork Valley: doing our taxes, wondering about the future of the mines, being entertained and irritated by the early beginnings of the 2016 U.S. Presidential contest, hoping we have enough firewood stacked and perusing the “garden porn” in the seed catalogs. Hopefully we all survived Christmas, more or less, financially and emotionally, and remembered at least a couple of times that the tradition for the season is about a guy who reminded us that we need to be nicer to each other year round—to love our neighbors. A good goal to start the year with. Happy Valley New Year!
2014 ended with the passing of two of the North Fork’s most famous and internationally influential residents, scientist, Theo Colborn -89, and British born, Crawford area resident, Joe Cocker -70. One (Colborn) began in the Valley and exploded out into the world at age 58, eventually returning, and the other began in Sheffield, England and entered America via Woodstock and continued out into the greater world before establishing a home base in Crawford, Colorado for two decades. Both have become icons in their fields science, and art.
What amazing North Fork thing do you have planned for 2015? The ultimate garden, vineyard or orchard? Starting a new local business? A major, extended exploration of the nearby mountains? Going off the grid? More volunteering for a Valley organization or initiative?
November 24 – The December paper, ready or not, went off to the printer today. Getting the December issue together was a bit of a hectic scramble due to the holidays and my own distractions.
There was some light snow in the Valley and lot more in the nearby mountains.
My mother, Lila, is visiting for the week from Rangely.
November 25 – The Paonia Town Council met in the evening with the focus of a work session and the meeting on finalizing the 2015 budget. The new final draft was much pruned down from the version presented two weeks ago. Lots of serious belt tightening.
November 26 – The skies cleared and the sun came out.
November 27 – Thanksgiving in the Valley was pleasantly warm day.
November 28 – News came that longtime acquaintance, bookstore patron, nurse, and well-loved member of the musical community, Caroline Ellis Townsend, has died. Caroline responded to her first battle with cancer by not only pushing the disease aside but also, with support of husband Eddie, by making a dramatic midlife career change and becoming a nurse to help others. The cancer eventually returned and, according to friends and family, she died comfortably at home, “with a smile on her face.” Many may remember her as a singer with early incarnations of The Strolling Scones.
November 30 – The first Sunday in Advent (leading up to Christmas). I always enjoy the ritual at the Methodist Church of having the kids light one of the Advent candles each week. It began with Hope—a good theme to think about.
December 2 – I attended the last Alpha class at the Hotchkiss Methodist Church. I can’t say I learned much new from the videos (you can watch them on YouTube) but the company was good and the food and conversation was very enjoyable.
December 3 – I drove to Crawford for the Council meeting but found no meeting. I missed attending the economic discussion at The Hive in Paonia. (A link to the YouTube video of the meeting is shared on the Merchant Herald Facebook page.)
December 4-5 – A little rain accompanied by warmish, late fall weather. The fall crop of arugula in the garden, slapped about by recent hard freezes suddenly perked up with the moisture. I spent some time raking up leaves and burying them in the garden beds to rot over the winter and early spring.
All kinds of things were happening up in Paonia, including the annual arts and crafts show at the Blue Sage.
News arrived (via Facebook) that well-appreciated Paonia Town Clerk, Barbara Peterson, has been let go as of Christmas Eve as a budget reduction move. Many in town have expressed dismay at the economic coldness of the action, however logical or practical.
December 6 – The second Sunday of Advent. Peace was the theme at the Hotchkiss Methodist Church.
Gas in Hotchkiss has descended to an Obama-era low of $2.89 thanks to a domestic oil glut, a sort of sideline to the gas boom. Gas prices elsewhere are nearing $2.00. As some predicted, Peak Oil has been less of a peak than a downward trend with lots of spikes. Of course, since the science of climate change is clear among scientists if not politicians, this is not necessarily great news. And coal appears to be the low hanging sacrificial fruit. But, locals who have to drive out of Valley to work are counting their mixed blessings.
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December 8 – The Hotchkiss Neighborhood Watch board met in the evening at Town Hall.
December 9 – The Paonia Town Council met under the shadow of the forced departure of Town Clerk, Barbara Peterson and two others in an effort to present a truly balanced budget. For now the Council presented a unified front in support of the new Town Administrator.
December 10 – Hotchkiss Municipal Court in the early evening with the story of a boy’s attempt to dispose of a nuisance skunk being the highlight. Some procedural lessons there for sure. (See story in court report.)
December 11 – The Hotchkiss Town Council met to adopt the 2015 budget. Gas was down to $2.79.
December 13 – The Hotchkiss Town Council, Town staff and families held a Christmas party at the Church of Art. A lovely evening with no talk of politics or Town business.
A heavy rain that transformed to snow a few hundred feet above the town, began in the afternoon.
December 14 – The third Sunday of Advent at the Methodist Church with the kids lighting the pink candle of joy.
December 15 – Hotchkiss woke to a little snow and some icy spots. Some higher areas of the Valley had enough to shovel.
Paonia-based, TEDX (The Endocrine Disruptor Exchange) announced the death of their founder, Dr. Theo Colborn, 89, of Paonia. Colborn began as a Paonia pharmacist and sheep farmer before acquiring higher degrees and becoming a world-respected research scientist focusing on how very small quantities of some chemicals, those that can mimic hormones, can cause significant negative effects to the bodies endocrine/reproductive systems. In recent years her personal interest has included looking at chemicals involved the hydraulic fracturing process and from the combustion of fossil fuels themselves. She was writing about the latter issue up to the time of her death.
I have had some good conversations with Theo over the past few years, usually when she stopped by the bookstore to get some paperbacks to the read on the plane taking her to this or that national or international conference.
December 16 – More snow overnight, but not much accumulation in Hotchkiss.
The joint Chamber/Town Hotchkiss Downtown Improvement Committee held their monthly meeting at the Coal Train Coffeehouse. The discussion centered around planning for the fourth year of the ongoing project that began in 2012.
December 18 – Snow overnight and in the morning. Maybe we will have a white Christmas in Hotchkiss after all. Crawford and the higher areas are already there.
December 21 – The Fourth Sunday of Advent was celebrated in local churches including the Hotchkiss United Methodist Church. The candle of love was lit and the kids performed their annual Christmas pageant. While religious beliefs, including Christian, on the world stage frequently result in bad things, even evil, I think that the core goodness in the traditions still lives in our local small town churches.
December 25 – Trustee and former Hotchkiss mayor, recently retired restauranteur, (and my next door neighbor), Larry Jakubiak, once again headed up the North Fork Community Christmas Dinner with his team of volunteers at the Hotchkiss Senior Center at Town Hall.
Business News and Other Rumours
Farmer Frank’s Shoe Barn has closed as of the end of 2014. Owners Rick and Candy Brodel say that it is time to retire, ending an era that began with Rick’s parents in the 1960’s when the unique Farmer Frank’s Shopping Center was established near Midway. For many decades the family business has provided local miners with boots, and me personally with running shoes since the early 1990’s. Quality and friendly service have always been their hallmarks. They have also supported the Herald since it began. Farmer Frank’s has been a Valley institution that cannot be replaced and may possibly mark the crossing of a line. While local Chambers of Commerce honor local businesses I would suggest that Farmer Frank’s has been the exemplary Valley business of the last half century—an historic benchmark. The Jade at 365 E. Bridge Street in Hotchkiss (near the Fairgrounds entrance), opened for business in early December. Jackie Slater is the proprietor. There are lots of candles and other gifts like jewelry, bags, scarves, pottery, cards, lavender products, lotions, sculpture, pressed flower art and other wall art.
Former North Fork Valley Restaurant proprietor, Larry Jakubiak, tells me that a cooperative of local stained glass artists and supporters have taken over the financial support and running of the stained glass supply store, gallery and studio in the small separate building on the east side of the Creamery Park. The facility is open during weekday afternoons.
The Art Den in Paonia at 136 Grand Avenue recently opened featuring art and gifts by many local artists and artisans.
Neighboring States Sue, Claiming Impacts from Pot Legalization. According to a lawsuit filed by the States of Oklahoma and Nebraska asking that the U.S. Supreme Court nullify Colorado’s legalization of cannabis: “Marijuana flows from this gap into neighboring states, undermining Plaintiff States’ own marijuana bans, draining their treasuries, and placing stress on their criminal justice systems.”
Tags: Another Month in the Valley, Colorado, Crawford, Hotchkiss, Paonia, Thomas Wills