By Beth Dodd: Almost every morning, our family puts out food for our backyard birds. We enjoying watching them flit in and out as we prepare to start our day. Our cats even get in on the bird watching, glaring through the French doors with tails twitching. I’m sure that their musings about the…
By Beth Dodd At the Board of Teller County Commissioners meeting on January 13, the winners of the November election were sworn in by Judge Theresa Cisneros to start their new terms of office. All of the officials are familiar faces since no new candidates were elected this fall. Coroner Al Born, Clerk…
A Walk on Badger Mountain, Lessons in Forest Fire Recovery By Beth Dodd Recently, I went for a hike on Badger Mountain near Wilkerson Pass on US 24. I was enjoying the solitude when I began to notice hints of past disaster. In 1978, a severe fire had scorched the area. Since then, a forest…
By Beth Dodd: When Cripple Creek’s streets were first mapped out in the 1890s, the town founders never imagined making room for casino buses, delivery trucks, and fire engines. Today these vehicles are important considerations in possible new parking plans for Bennett Ave. As Cripple Creek wraps up its main street makeover, locals are working…
By Beth Dodd Are you ready for winter? Do you have good tires on the car and a cozy coat for the cold? Maybe you’re packing your bags for Texas or Arizona. Or would you rather just avoid the whole thing and take a nap until spring? While you are busy preparing for winter, so…
By Beth Dodd Andrew Smith is a disabled Marine who served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is also a single father. He and his 5 year old son, Laren, who has Muscular Dystrophy, live in Cripple Creek. Recently, they found out that their home was infected with black mold. They needed major…
By Beth Dodd: The Manitou Springs Incline, a magnet for fitness buffs, was reopened on December 5 after a $1.5 million facelift. Hundreds of people lined up to make the first ascent on opening day following a 10 AM ceremony. The repair work on the trail started on August 18. Construction materials were…
By Beth Dodd: The entrance fee for Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is likely to double within the next couple of years, but the extra cash would directly support park projects. At present, the park’s daily fee is $3 and an annual pass costs $15. According to the monument’s superintendent, Michelle Wheatley, these fees…