Archived December 28, 2004
BARTON GRATEFUL FOR COURT "BLESSING" - The woman who started the Hayman fire, Terry Lynn Barton, didn't realize at first the magnitude of Thursday's ruling by the Colorado Court of Appeals... (Jeremy Meyer, Associated Press, December 18, 2004)
Related: COURT THROWS OUT HAYMAN FIRE PRISON SENTENCE

FOREST SERVICE CLOSES SLAUGHTERHOUSE TO SHOOTING - The closure order makes it unlawful to discharge a firearm, air rifle or gas gun in the closure area... (December 10, 2004)

PUEBLO COUNTY MAN DIES OF BUBONIC PLAGUE - A 66-year-old Pueblo County man died on Wednesday from bubonic plague, which he apparently contracted while rabbit hunting in Park County. (KOAA-TV, December 10, 2004)

PARK COUNTY DEMOCRATS PARTICIPATES IN OPERATION CRAYON = Park county residents responded and contributed 90 lbs worth of school supplies. (December 13, 2004)

RAMPART RANGE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT STUDY Draft Alternatives Available For Review - The U.S. Forest Service has now made available for review draft alternatives developed for its Rampart Range Travel Management Project. (December 17, 2004)

Archived December 15, 2004
MOUNTAIN STORM RAISES HOPE THAT DROUGHT IS EASING (Link expired) - A storm packing snow and gusty winds swept across Colorado on Thursday, dumping more than 30 inches of powder on parts of the Rockies... (Melissa Trujillo, Associated Press Writer, December 9, 2004)

SERVICES PLANNED FOR LOCAL MARINE KILLED IN FALLUJAH - A memorial service has been set in Breckenridge for 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Justin Ellsworth, a former Summit High School student who was killed last month in the line of duty in Iraq. ...Tracey Loveberry-Ross, Ellworth's mother who lives in Fairplay, said she encourages members of the public to come pay their respects. (Nicole Formosa, Summit Daily News, December 7, 2004)

Archived December 10, 2004
LIFE ON "THE STRING" (Link expired) - A hundred years ago if you wanted to be a packer, you might spend two days testing your skills with wood, and a day for written tests. To land the position, you had to own a horse, saddle, and pay for your own feed. For that you earned $75 a month. (Pamela Lawson, Canyon Courier, December 2, 2004)

USFS REVISES SPECIAL USE PROGRAM - If you operate a commercial business or charge clients on roads and/or trails on NFS lands you now need to obtain a permit for that activity. Please contact your local Forest Service office well in advance to inquire if a special use permit is required. (November 23, 2004)

FOREST OFFICIALS LOOKING AT A RECREATIONAL SHOOTING BAN - [Bill and Judy Oxenford] knew there was an informal shooting range on national forest land nearby when they bought the place. [They] had heard people shooting in Slaughterhouse Gulch when they first saw the house, but it didn't bother them - Bill owns guns and enjoys target shooting himself, he said. (Jim Hughes, Denver Post, December 6, 2004)

Archived December 6, 2004
NO GUFFEY TOWN POTLUCK THIS SEASON - Guffey's Annual Christmas Potluck, traditionally held at the Guffey Charter School, will not be held this year. (This is not related to the Fire Dept Christmas Chili Dinner.) (Guffey announcement, November 24, 2004)

NEW OWNERS BREATHE FRESH LIFE INTO THE HISTORIC FAIRPLAY HOTEL - FAIRPLAY - Two local residents are determined to return the Fairplay Hotel on Main Street in Fairplay to its former glory. David Meredith and chef Julia Devillaz purchased the aging structure on Oct. 1, and are already making major changes to the menu as well as the building itself. (Linda Balough, Summit Daily News, November 15, 2004)

Archived November 28, 2004
LANNY SCHWEER DIES AT AGE 73 - Landon K. Schweer, Lanny, to friends and family, passed away at home after a brief illness on November 8, 2004. (November 10, 2004)

"RHODIE" SITE WAS CUT ABOVE - [E]xquisite specimens of a ruby-red mineral called rhodochrosite that was pried gingerly from the mine over the past 40 years will be the legacy of the Sweet Home, which closed Oct. 18. (Ann Schrader, Denver Post, November 15, 2004)

A BAD YEAR FOR INITIATIVES - The common thread that connects these ballot initiatives is that the few managed to convince the many to pay for their pet projects. (Al Knight (Fairplay), Denver Post, November 9, 2004)

SOUTH PARK A SLICE OF PARADISE - The place is South Park, a broad valley laced by rivers and pocked by reservoirs that attracts anglers from the populous Front Range like iron filings to a magnet. (Charlie Meyers, Denver Post Outdoor Editor, November 7, 2004)

Archived November 18, 2004
RAMPART RANGE RECREATION AREA TEMPORARILY CLOSED - Due to accumulated snow and anticipated snowmelt and muddy conditions, beginning Friday, Nov 5, the U.S. Forest Service is temporarily closing the northern portion of the Rampart Range Recreation Area to motorized wheeled vehicles. The closure will be in place at least through the weekend and continuing until conditions improve. (November 4, 2004)

BURNED TREES USED TO IMPROVE FISH HABITAT Construction is now underway to improve the fish habitat in the South Platte River west of Colorado Springs near Lake George. (KOAA News First, November 5, 2004)

POSSIBLE MURDER-SUICIDE IN HARTSEL HOME - Park County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a Hartsel home Friday night after a man called to say he'd shot [James Tingle] and was going to turn the gun on himself. At the scene, about 10 miles south of Hartsel proper, sheriff's deputies discovered the bodies of James Tingle and Leonard Martinez. (Summit Daily News Staff Report, October 30, 2004)

Archived November 7, 2004
OFFICIALS AIM TO LOCK IN PROFITS FROM JAIL - In the four years since Park County took over administration of its jail from a private company, it has virtually erased a $1 million expenditure from its $20 million budget. (Kirk Mitchell, Denver Post Staff Writer, October 27, 2004)

RELIGIOUS CD CREATES HOLIDAY FLAP (Link expired) - The Conifer Newcomers and Neighbors organization is holding its 27th annual Holiday Boutique on Nov. 13. But a controversy emerged after a fair organizer denied Evergreen resident Donna Jack a booth because her newly recorded compact disc contains Christian music. (Jonathan Ellis, Canyon Courier, October 28, 2004)

Archived November 4, 2004
WEEKEND TRAFFIC FATALITIES IN PARK COUNTY - Two seperate accidents claim lives on Highway 285 near Kenosha Pass. (October 25, 2004)

SMOKE TO BE SEEN FROM SW DENVER AREA - The USDA Forest Service plans to conduct a 150-acre prescribed (area) burn as early as Tuesday, Oct. 26, on Pike National Forest land 11 miles southwest of Sedalia. (October 22, 2004)



Archived October 29, 2004
SPCFPD GETS HELPING HAND FROM NESTLÉ WATERS - For the second time this year, Nestlé Waters of North America donated 10 cases of Arrowhead water to the firefighters and EMTs of Southern Park County Fire Protection District in Guffey. (October 19, 2004)

9NEWS I-TEAM EXPOSES AN ABSENTEE BALLOT PHONE CALL SCHEME Cyndi in Denver says she got a phone call that was professional, convincing and deceiving. The automated message said she could press the number 1 on her phone and receive an absentee ballot by mail. But the call was bogus. (Deborah Sherman, 9NEWS I-TEAM, October 16, 2004)
Related: I-Team Investigation: Voter Registration Fraud (October 11, 2004)
Related: I-Team report - Part II (October 13, 2004)

BAILEY PROPERTY OWNERS CONVICTED ON BRIBERY AND TRAVEL VISA FRAUD - Using the bribe payments, Lee and Johnson, among other things, amassed $350,000 in cash (deposited in various bank accounts or secreted in their Oregon home), sent a series of payments to their children, and acquired and/or maintained two separate properties - a seaside home in Port Orford, Oregon, and a vacation home in Bailey, Colorado. (Noticias.info, October 23, 2004)

Archived October 26, 2004
~ATTENTION BAILEY AND FAIRPLAY VOTERS~ STATE "BLUE BOOK" NOT RECEIVED IN 80421, 80440

ANTI-TANCREDO "NORA EVANS" AD MORE THAN MISLEADS - It was the late New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat, who said, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." The truth of that statement has never been more widely ignored than during the current election cycle. (Al Knight (Fairplay), Denver Post, October 21, 2004)

Archived October 23, 2004
VOTER-DRIVE EDICT JARS COUNTY CLERKS - Secretary of State Donetta Davidson shocked county clerks Monday when she said voters who are victims of registration-drive problems may still vote on Nov. 2 - even if they aren't on the rolls. (Peggy Lowe, Rocky Mountain News, October 12, 2004)

COLORADO'S AMENDMENT 37 MERELY TILTS AT WINDMILLS - A reading of the initiative makes it plain that the proposed statute was written by the same people who will benefit from its passage - the solar and wind generation industry. (Al Knight,The Denver Post, October 6, 2004)

MOUNTAIN RESOURCE CENTER GRAND OPENING - Save the date and mark your calendars for Saturday, October 23, 2004 (from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm) for a day of music, special activities, refreshments and formal dedication ceremony. (Press Release, September 29, 2004)

Archived October 14, 2004
WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR RAMPART RANGE The U.S. Forest Service is holding a second round of public meetings, Oct. 13 and 14, to develop a road, trail and recreational use plan for the increasingly popular Rampart Range Recreational Area southwest of Denver. (USFS, October 6, 2004)

GROCERY TO OPEN IN FAIRPLAY FAIRPLAY - The building at the intersection of highways 9 and 285 in Fairplay will finally house a grocery by the end of October. (Linda Balough, Summit Daily News, October 2, 2004)

PRESCRIBED BURN PLANS ON PIKE NATIONAL FOREST The season for prescribed burning is upon us! In preparation, U.S. Forest Service officials on the Pike National Forest are now closely monitoring weather and forest fuel conditions and preparing burn plans in anticipation of conducting vital, preventative prescribed burns to rid the forest of hazardous ground and ladder fuels. (USFS, September 28, 2004)

Archived October 7, 2004
TRACY AND DIBLASI SCHEDULE TOWN MEETING IN FAIRPLAY - Emily Tracy, Democratic Candidate for State Representative in House District 60, and Tiffany DiBlasi, Democratic Candidate for Park County Commissioner, will be in Fairplay for a Town Meeting on Thursday, October 7, at 5:30pm at the Hand Hotel, 531 Front Street, Fairplay. (October 3, 2004)

Archived October 6, 2004
PARK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT - Three counties, including Park County, will work with the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center nursing faculty and nurse doctoral students on a MAPP (Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships) program designed to identify directions for public health nursing agencies. (August 11, 2004)

PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHES COLORADO FOREST PRODUCTS MARKETING INITIATIVE - Coloradans have a voracious appetite for wood products, and more than 90 percent of those products are imported from other states or foreign countries. As a result, significant revenue is lost from Colorado's economy to pay for this wood-product shortfall. Every year, tons of Colorado wood from fuels treatment projects are burned or chopped when it could be used for anything from furniture to fencing. (September 10, 2004)

POWER STRUGGLE BREWING ON GUNS - Denver and state in tug of war over regulating weapons - Monday's expiration of a federal ban on assault weapons will plunge Denver into uncharted territory, highlighting the city's court fight with the legislature on the question of who has the power to regulate guns. (Kevin Vaughan And Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News, September 11, 2004)

PARK COUNTY DRESSES UP FOR FALL (Link expired) - PARK COUNTY - This year promises to be one of the best in recent times for photographers and folks who love to take a drive and enjoy the fall colors. (Linda Balough, Summit Daily News, September 18, 2004)

FOREST SERVICE TO REDUCE HAYMAN ROAD ACCESS (Link expired) - The Forest Service plans to close or destroy 55 miles of roads and all unofficial roads inside the area burned by Colorado's largest ever wildfire two years ago. (Associated Press, September 17, 2004)

DRY RESERVOIR FILLS WITH HOPE - Antero Reservoir officially has been empty and closed to the public for two years and 29 days, and we can be sure many of its mourning anglers have counted every day of its absence. They are keeping their fingers crossed for a giant snowpack, a luxuriant snowmelt and a rapid fill-up. (Ed Dentry, Rocky Mountain News, September 28, 2004)

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