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Fruitcake Frenzy

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Nope, Broncos backup quarterback Kyle Orton wasn’t demoted to participating in last Saturday’s 16th annual Great Fruitcake Toss, the kick-off for the 2011 special events season in Manitou Springs and the Ute Pass region. But nevertheless, competition was intense from many participants who wanted to heave fruitcakes the old-fashioned way, or even use specially-manufactured fruitcake cannons, with a little symbolic help from fans of the former vice-president. The event, which had competitions for a variety of ages and sanity levels, attracted more than 2,000 people to the Manitou Springs High School track.

The Great Fruit Toss was a huge success. Here are the winners!
TOSS 1 lb
Men’s Joe Jean Jaquet 371 feet
Women’s Kyla Lambert 197 feet
Over 60 years old
Men’s Paul Kleckner 256 feet
Women’s Chris Matthews 59 feet
LAUNCH 2 lb
The Telephone Guys 303 feet
PNEUMATIC
The Fruitcake of Mass Destruction beyond measurement over 1400 feet!
ACCURACY
Eli Bruner
CATCH THE FRUITCAKE
Last Minute Launchers

Cripple Creek getting serious about downtown makeover Historic Newspaper Hub may face wrecking ball

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The nice guy act is over in Cripple Creek’s campaign to spruce up its downtown.

In addition, one of the town’s more controversial, deteriorating structures, and a hub for local journalism for decades, could face the wrecking ball.

These are the latest developments in a downtown improvement program, aimed at fixing up many historic buildings located along Cripple Creek’s main drag. This is one of the main goals of city leaders, who want to make the main street more attractive, pedestrian-friendly and enticing for visitors.

Cripple Creek Development Director Larry Manning last week reported about a 50 percent response rate in letters sent out to the owners/operators of properties on Bennett Avenue that are in need of enhancements, such as painting, exterior trim work and minor repairs. The majority of these buildings are vacant.

Altogether, the first stage of the downtown enhancement is estimated at roughly $10,000, with the targeting of approximately 10 structures.

“We have received a good level of interest in this program,” said Manning.

Under this effort, participating owners would only pay 50 percent of the costs for sprucing up the exterior of their buildings, with the town’s historic preservation funds footing the bills for the remainder of the expenses. And under this partnership, the work would be contracted out by the city.

And for property owners who don’t respond, they will soon receive another bash of letters that won’t take such a friendly tone. In fact, if they don’t cooperate, they will lose the option of having the city contribute 50 percent of the enhancement work, according to Manning. And more notably, they could get hit with fines and criminal penalties and even face the prospects of a property lien.

“Most likely we will go ahead and do the work on these buildings and bill the owners or put a lien on the property,” said City Administrator Ray White, in discussing the city’s attempt to deal with uncooperative property owners.

In a workshop last November, City Attorney Lee Phillips told the council the city has the legal right to take firm action against buildings in the downtown core that become unsightly and that aren’t maintained. “This issue is not unique to Cripple Creek,” said Phillips.

However, Phillips, who also represents such towns as Alma, Colorado, suggested trying to obtain voluntary compliance, rather than issuing fines.

The council then decided to send out letters to owners/operators of buildings that needed attention, with a special emphasis on Bennett Avenue. Moreover, they agreed to take a friendly approach by advocating the 50 percent funding arrangement.

Eventually, the city plans to do a full inventory of structures located throughout the entire city. Initially, the city plans to concentrate on “cosmetic repairs” and doesn’t plan to propose any major structural overhauls or demolition work.

Fate of Union Block Unclear
One exception, though, is a several-story building, located next to the Colorado Grande at 326 East Bennett, which served as the former home for a number of newspapers in the district.

Last September, the 1896 building, known as the Union Block, was considered for a special economic hardship that would signal the green light for the 10,000-square-foot structure to come down to make room for a possible casino parking lot, as long as certain conditions are met. But this plan, submitted by building owner Judith Rutherford, was pulled from the table, following a dispute over whether the property could be rehabilitated. The property is now being analyzed by a structural engineer, under the direction of real estate broker Reed Grainger.

However, the building recently incurred more serious storm-related damage and has many windows boarded up.
“It now looks like a Hell hole,” said local business owner Lou Goldman, when addressing the council last week. “Are we going to do anything about that?”

Goldman, who has been a big critic of dilapidated structures that give the town a bad image, suggested having the building condemned.

In recent weeks, more support has been growing to have this structure demolished. But current historic preservation rules don’t allow this to occur, unless a special economic hardship case can be proven. In the previous September hearing, Grainger, who has been representing Rutherford, argued that the price of renovating the building would make it impractical due to the current business climate. He strongly endorsed the economic hardship case, saying the owner couldn’t sell the property unless it was demolished.

A few residents, however, expressed worries about setting a bad precedent. They noted that an important part of the campaign for limited stakes gaming focused on preserving historic buildings.

However, other civic leaders argue that much of the structure’s historic integrity has already been lost. Plus, city officials have indicated that a previous 1994 engineering report concluded that the building faced major structural challenges.

City elected leaders hope the new engineering report, which will analyze the current state of the building, may resolve the future of the Union Block.

Police Blotter: Cripple Creek

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12/15/10 Josue Velasquez 21 yrs old of Cripple Creek was
booked into the Teller County Jail on charges of Domestic Violence

12/16/10 Charles Hicks, 23 years old of Cripple Creek was arrested on a
Fugitive of Justice warrant out of Indiana for Interfering in Child
Custody, and booked into the Teller County Jail, No bond

12/17/10 Sierra Wiedman 19 yrs old of Cripple Creek was booked into the
Teller County Jail on charges of Driving Under Revocation and Offenses
Relating to Marijuana

12/19/10 Nathan Blanchette 34 yrs old of Florissant was issued a
citation for Harassment, also booked in to the Teller County jail on two
outstanding warrants out of Teller Co

12/19/10 Monica Paradise 22 yrs old of Cripple Creek was booked into the
Teller County Jail on the following charges: Domestic Violence, Assault
in the 3rd Degree, Harassment, False Imprisonment, Abuse of Telephone
Services and Child Abuse

12/20/10 William Hakes 28 yrs old of Grand Junction was cited for
Criminal Mischief

Almanac: January 11, 2011

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Tuesday, Jan. 11

Pikes Peak Guy’s Photographic Journey
Don’t miss the special photographic exhibit in the Eichman Gallery inside the Park State Bank and Trust building during regular banking hours. The Pikes Peak Guy features breath-taking daily photos taken of America’s most famous mountain. It offers a 365-day journey into Pikes Peak by the Pikes Peak Guy.

Economic Sustainability Project Kick-Off Meeting
The town of Green Mountain Falls is embarking on a strategic planning process to assess short and long-term economic sustainability. Town officials are seeking assistance at this visioning and strategic planning meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 11 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the GMF Town Hall (7035 Oak Street). The meeting is designed to identify sustainable funding options for the town, including land use and economic development strategies in order to ensure the service needs of the town’s residents can be met. This process is being funded through grants provided by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG).

Teller Republicans
The Teller Republicans will meet on Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Pikes Peak Club in Divide.

Wednesday, Jan. 12

The Ute Pass/Woodland Park Kiwanis Club meets at 6:45 a.m. at the Circle H Smokehouse. Call 719-687-5534 for more information.

The Timberline Artists meet at 9 a.m. at the Aspen Mine Center. All ages are welcome. Bring your favorite craft or art medium. For more information, call 719-689-2759.

Infant/Toddler Playgroups
Scheduled every Monday and Wednesday from 9-10:30 a.m. and sponsored by Community Partnership Family Resource Center. Designed to promote child education and class readiness and includes snacks and field trips. Call 719-686-0705 for more information.

Story Time
Join us for songs, stories and crafts during a story time session at the Woodland Park Public Library, scheduled for Jan. 12 at 10 a.m. This is designed for a variety of age groups.

Thursday, Jan. 13

Teller Networking Team
Looking for new business? If so, come to a meeting of the Teller Networking Team on Thursday mornings at 7:45 a.m. at the Ute Pass Cultural Center in Woodland Park.

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a nonprofit weight loss support group, meets at 9:30 a.m. at the Church in the Wildwood in Green Mountain Falls. The group does weigh-ins, group feedback and helps members achieve their goals. Call 719-689-2486.

Meeting Change
The Teller County Commissioners, who would normally have met on Thursday, Jan. 13, won’t have their regular session due to a schedule change with the swearing-in of new elected leaders. The next regularly scheduled meeting is Jan. 27 at 9:15 a.m. in the Centennial Building in Cripple Creek.

Children’s Story Time
A Children’s Story Time, featuring interactive fun and special craft projects, will be held at the Florissant Public Library on Jan. 13 at 10:30 a.m.

Beginning Middle Eastern Dance Class
These classes, which offer great abdominal toning exercises, are held in the WP Park And Recreation classroom on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. Learn the basic moves for belly dancing. They will be held on Jan. 13, 20 and 27.

The Woodland Retail Alliance Board will meet on Thursday, January 13 at 1:30 p.m. at the People’s National Bank. Presentations will be featured from various businesses. For more information, call 719-687-7381.

Jammers Music and Pot Luck
The Florissant Grange invites everyone to a jam session and potluck dinner every Thursday from 6-9 p.m. Bring your instrument and play along or just bring a dish and enjoy the music, dancing, socialization and great food. This is a happening place to be on Thursday evenings. Sometimes we have more musicians than people and sometimes we have more people than the hall can hold–but no matter what, we have fun, great music and fabulous food. Join us at the Old School House in Florissant. Call 719-748-0358 for more information.

The Woodland Park Planning Commission will meet on Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. in the WP Council Chambers next to city hall.

Friday, Jan. 14

The Pikes Peak Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. at the Woodland Park Library. Call 719-686-7855.

Free Tai Chi
Participate in free Tai Chi sessions at the Woodland Park Library every Friday at 9 a.m. Come in the Midland entrance on the lower level. These classes are co-sponsored by Teller County Health. Beginning and intermediate classes are offered. The intermediate classes occur at 10 a.m. Call 687-9281 for details. The Florissant Public Library offers free Tai Chi classes on Mondays at the same times as listed above. Call 719-748-3939.

Computer Basics
The Woodland Park Public Library will host a computer basics class on Jan. 14 from 10 a.m. to noon. The class will cover the basics of computers, including basic computer technology and simple tasks. Call 719-687-9281 for more information.

Fun Friday
The Kids Rock University, a licensed child-care program held at Cresson Elementary for children 5 to 15 years of age, features special activities and many forthcoming field trips on Fridays and other days. KRU meets after school and offers full-day Fun Fridays. Call 719-689-3514 for more information.

Saturday, Jan 15

Bob Taylor Memorial Ice Fishing Contest
The Bob Taylor Memorial Ice Fishing Contest will be held Saturday, Jan. 15 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Antero Reservoir in South Park. Participants of all ages are invited to participate in this fun family-friendly contest. Lucky Anglers will compete for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes of $500, $250 and $100, as well as door prizes from event sponsors. The goal is to raise $10,000, all of which will go directly to fishery and recreational improvements and enhancements at Antero Reservoir. The Buena Vista High School Girls Cross Country Team will sell fortifying breakfast and lunch items, as well as hot and cold beverages, to ice anglers to support the team’s fundraising efforts for a hut-to-hut trail running trip in the Dolomites in northern Italy in 2011. To participate, register online at www.antero-icefishing-contest.com or call 719-748-0033.

Pancake Breakfast
The Woodland Park Senior Center near city hall will feature a pancake breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. For $5, you can get all the food you can eat. This even is being co-sponsored by the Circle H Smokehouse. The Senior Center is also offering a number of regular scheduled activities, such as quilting, Tai Chi and exercise classes throughout the week. For more information, call 719-687-3877.

Horse Soccer
A new horse soccer program is underway, with fun rides held every Saturday at the Woodland Park Saddle Club Arena, starting at 10:30 a.m. English and western riders are welcome and free training is offered for you and your horse. For more information, call Grace Harris at 661-8497 or Susan Gustafson at 719-687-9422.

The Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale will hold auditions for kids in grades 1-12 who love to dance, sing and act. Call 719-633-3562 to set up a time to audition

Florissant Fossil Beds Winter Hike
January is a perfect time to visit the Florissant Fossil Beds with friends and family and partake in winter hikes. The Monument offers two, self-guided trails as well as 14 miles of easy to moderate hiking trails. The visitor center has an exhibit of delicate insect and leaf fossils and a theater where one can view the orientation film. For further information and weather updates, call 719-748-3253.

Upcoming

Cripple Creek Ice Festival
The fourth annual Cripple Creek Ice Festival is scheduled for the weekends of Feb. 12-13 and Feb. 19-21. The festival will feature the theme of “Story Time,” during which ice carvers incorporate their interpretations of any piece of classic literature into their art. Spectators are invited to join us as ice sculptors wield chain saws and carving tools to recreate their masterpieces. This family-friendly event, regarded as Cripple Creek’s premiere winter festival, will have several interactive activities for children, an ice maze, ice carnival games, a martini bar, retail food vendors on the street and in the host tent. Visitors are encouraged to partake in the festival for both weekends. Additional ice sculptures will be carved for both weekends. The event is being sponsored by the city of Cripple Creek and a number of casinos, including Bronco Billy’s, Triple Crown, Colorado Grande, Wildwood, Century, along with Pepsi, Lamar, RMC Distributing Company and Ace Hardware.

Manitou Springs Happenings

Heritage Speaker Series
The Manitou Springs Heritage Center, 517 Manitou Avenue, will continue its heritage speaker series with another scheduled event on Sunday, Jan. 23, starting at 3 p.m. Enjoy a relaxing and informative Sunday afternoon. For more information, call 685-1454 or visit manitouspringsheritagecenter.org.

Monarch Ski Promotions
A number of participating businesses in Manitou Springs are doing a special promotion with the Monarch Ski Resort, enabling shoppers to receive special ski discounts. Check the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce website for more details. This promotion, which originally started after Thanksgiving, has been extended until Feb. 28.

Special Programs

Family Dog Training Class
Sponsored by WP Parks and Recreation and held on Jan. 8, 22, 29 and Feb. 5 and Feb. 12. This class is designed to teach your dog good manners and basic skills. It is taught by Ragan Shaw, an expert in animal training. Call 719-687-5225 for more information.

Gem and Mineral Club
Lake George Gem and Mineral Club teaches kids about rocks, minerals, fossils and related topics. The sessions are held at the Lake George Community Center from 6-6:45 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. The program is free to students 8-18. Each session discusses. For more information, call 719-748-5010 or 719-748-3861

Free Tai Chi
Join instructor Jim Lyon for free Tai Chi sessions at the CC Parks and Recreation Center (Henry C. Hack Arena). Drop in and see how Tai Chi can work to calm the mind and improve flexibility and balance. Jim teaches the 37 movements of Yang Style Tai Chi, which is one of the most popular and widely-practiced forms of Tai Chi in the world. Classes are scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-6 p.m.

Yoga
The Florissant Grange #420 now has yoga classes. Weekly classes are scheduled every Monday evening from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and on Tuesday mornings from 9-10 a.m. Senior classes are scheduled Tuesday mornings from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Come to the old School House in Florissant and get in shape the yoga way. Call 719-748-3678 for more information.

Children’s Theater Workshops
Offered for children from 4 years old to 5th grade on Nov. 19, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10. The classes are sponsored by the WP Parks and Recreation and are taught by Amy Elmont. The cost is $10 per workshop.

Open Skating
Get some friends together and skate or roller blade for only $2, including skates, at the Cripple Creek Parks and Recreation facility every Friday through Sunday from 1-4:30 p.m. Pool, air hockey, football and other fun activities are available in addition to skating, along with popcorn and cotton candy.

Fitness Membership
Get in shape with a Cripple Creek Parks and Recreation fitness membership. Our facility offers Paramount equipment, free weights and fabulous Nautilus equipment. You can schedule a personalized fitness orientation and/or have an individual workout program designed especially for your fitness needs. The monthly membership fee is only $10 per person. Non-members can drop-in and use the fitness facility for only $3 per workout session. Purchase a ten-visit fitness punch card for only $15. Individuals ages 16+ are welcome to become fitness members. Corporate memberships are also available. Please call Cripple Creek Parks and Recreation at 719-689-3514 for more information.

Nutritional Education Wellness
Workshops of about an hour in length will be held the first and third Thursdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Henry C. Hack Community Center. They will deal with a variety of topics, with the goal of promoting health and wellness. For more information, call 719-689-3514.

Woodland Park to Outlaw Legal Weed Outlets

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Add Woodland Park to the growing list of cities in Colorado who are saying “no way” to the idea of opening their municipal doors to future medical-marijuana dispensaries.

In an informal vote, the Woodland Park Council last week unanimously decided to give City Attorney Erin Smith the go-ahead to proceed with plans to draft a new law prohibiting medical-cannabis outlets and pot-related grow centers within the city limits. A public hearing, finalizing this ban, may occur within the next month and a half. If the council reaffirms its “no medical-marijuana outlets, period” stand, this would make Woodland Park permanently off-limits for any future dispensary or commercial grow center.

However, the city can’t snuff out marijuana smoke altogether.

In fact, the city still can’t prohibit caregivers or eligible medical-marijuana patients from growing a certain amount of cannabis plants at their residences, if they meet the requirements of the law. Colorado voters authorized the use of a limited amount of medical-marijuana by valid patients who are suffering from certain health ailments and serious diseases in 2000. The issue didn’t become controversial until the summer of 2009, when the federal government announced plans to no longer pursue prosecution of many marijuana cases in states that authorized the medical use of the drug. This led to an explosion of hundreds of dispensaries throughout the state, especially in sections surrounding Colorado Springs and Denver.

The council’s anti-marijuana action was not unexpected and comes as local leaders face a pending deadline for deciding what course it must take in the complex arena of regulating medical-cannabis outlets. The council held a closed-door executive session on this topic at the beginning of last week’s meeting.

The WP elected leaders opted for the simplest solution and one that has been endorsed by nearly 50 towns in Colorado. But by pursuing this course, the city basically nullifies the detailed work of the planning commission, which last spring recommended where these medical-marijuana shops could be located and outlined various land-use regulations pertaining to this issue.

However, the planning commission action, according to Smith, occurred before the state legislature gave Colorado city and county governments the right to enact year-long moratoriums and to prohibit dispensaries in local communities. Last summer, Woodland Park issued a year-long moratorium for future dispensaries and current applications, in an effort to see how the controversy would play out.

“I think we did the right thing by taking our time,” said Mayor Pro Tem Jon DeVaux, who made the suggestion last week to proceed with action to prohibit medical-pot shops throughout the city.

The entire council agreed and made few public comments. At the same time, several leaders noted they will leave the door open for those who favor these outlets to voice their opinions during a forthcoming public hearing.

The council’s anti-marijuana verdict was influenced by information, indicating that the extra revenue the city could receive in extra sales taxes from these businesses would not cover the additional expenses for enforcement. “It is pretty hard to break even,” said Mayor Steve Randolph at last week’s meeting. “I don’t see a reason to bring these (medical-marijuana dispensaries) to Woodland Park.”

“You are doing the right thing,” yelled resident Tom Brazil from the audience.

Plus, DeVaux noted that the needs of medical-marijuana patients are being met by several nearby outlets in the unincorporated sections of Teller and El Paso counties, along with dozens of outlets in Colorado Springs.

More importantly, DeVaux, in a later interview, maintained that the far majority of citizens are against opening the doors to dispensaries in Woodland Park. “I haven’t had one person come up to me and say they want to see one of these businesses open up in Woodland Park. We don’t want this,” said DeVaux. “There is just so much abuse with medical-marijuana.”

During a Colorado Municipal League conference last summer, DeVaux said leaders received a hefty dose of horror stories regarding enforcement problems regarding certain medical-marijuana hubs that violated building codes. “It’s like battling meth labs in some cases. We don’t have the resources for this,” said DeVaux.

And from a business standpoint, the mayor pro tem doesn’t see why future dispensary operators would want to open an outlet in Woodland Park and pay higher sales taxes and fees.

County rules still up in the air
With the council’s forthcoming medical-pot ban, the Teller County government could become a major player in determining the future of these types of businesses in the area.

According to Teller County Commissioner Jim Ignatius, the Teller Planning Commission plans to officially start addressing this issue in the spring of 2011. The commissioner said the county’s intent has been to finalize its rules by the end of June. That’s when a moratorium declared on new applicants will be lifted. “We are in the process of researching this issue and waiting until the state finalizes its regulations,” said Ignatius, in an interview last week.

Ignatius stressed that the county needs to decide how it will regulate these businesses from a land-use perspective and if it wants to license these new establishments. The latter decision is significant, as the county currently doesn’t license any business other than liquor establishments.

According to Ignatius, the upcoming process will permit plenty of public input from residents during hearings before the planning commission and then the board of commissioners.

“We are looking forward to dealing with this,” said Ignatius, who cited finalizing rules for current and future medical-marijuana businesses as one of the county’s top issues for 2011. Teller currently only has two current medical-marijuana dispensaries, one located just outside the Woodland Park city limits and another outlet in Divide. How they will be impacted, if at all, is still unclear.

Despite the controversy over the issue, Ignatius said the commissioners have received hardly any input regarding the subject of medical-marijuana outlets.

Ignatius stressed that the county doesn’t want to deny the rights of eligible patients to access this medicine, citing the fact that the original constitutional amendment was approved by a comfortable margin. In addition, county leaders have expressed no desire to implement a ban on future establishments or have a local vote.

Unlike cities and towns in Colorado, the results for counties trying to prohibit medical-marijuana dispensaries have produced mixed results. Proposed medical-marijuana ban attempts were rejected during the November election in both Park and El Paso counties.

Should old acquaintance be forgot…

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It’s never easy losing a friend but sometimes it’s for the best and other times it simply can’t be avoided.
I want to tell you about three close friends I’ve lost. Despite the previous disclaimer, all of these incidents have been my choice. I could have done the “Grin and bear it” routine. I made the conscious choice not to do so.

Let me tell you about my old friend Rick Mungo. Many of you already know Rick as the former director of USAFA’s Farish Recreation Area for over two decades.

Rick and I met at Farish around 1985. Two old Vietnam vets fightin’ bureaucratic insanity tooth and nail. For virtually everything positive we tried to do for the facility there were 10 Academy bureaucrats ready to tell us why we couldn’t do it. After awhile, Rick simply stopped asking and started DOING. To say that approach worked well would be the ultimate understatement.

Can you say “Voted NUMBER ONE FACILITY IN THE *WORLD* Air Force wide!”?

Thanks to Rick and a superb – albeit tiny – staff, Farish quite literally became “THE KINGDOM OF FARISH”(a HAPPY PLACE where STRESSED OUT TROOPS COULD GO FOR A MINI-VACATION) and was even referred to as such by numerous Commanding Generals, the Secretary of the Air Force and many more.

The Farish motto hung prominently on the office check in wall: “If you wanted STRESS and BS, you’d STILL BE AT WORK!”

When Secretary of the Air Force, Shiela Widenall, came to tour the facility, Rick agonized over rolling out the RED CARPET for her only to determine our budget wouldn’t all for a red carpet.

And it was Rick who suggested we could get TWO RED CARPET *SQUARES* and GLUE THEM TO HER FEET.

Yes, to visit The Kingdom of Farish was to walk straight into a hybrid cross between M*A*S*H and a MARX BROTHERS MOVIE.
Witness the (and I‘m not kidding) “Robert MacNamera Memorial Fish Cleaning Station.

After being informed by an Academy bureaucrat that we can’t have fish blood IN THE LAKE, we dummied up a photo replacing the fish cleaning tray with THREE URINALS…

Good times – so very many good times, as Rick and I became the closest of friends. Shoulder to shoulder. Never, ever a cross word between us.

My son spent tons of time with Rick since he, like everyone else, just immediately adored him. Come to think of it, I don’t recall ANYONE who didn’t fall in love at first sight with his wry sense of humor and farm boy smile. Perhaps it was exactly that popularity that led us to where we are today.

Among his many talents and laurels, Rick is an ordained minister. Aside from that, he’s a former Special Forces Captain who suffered horrendous injuries in Vietnam. Still, he ran marathon after marathon, pushing his body to the limit.

We put in a lot of hours together over the years. After eight years, I could no longer stand the stupidity and endless crap from Acada-Crats whose only purposes in life were to draw a paycheck and stand in the way of anything resembling progress and/or logic. I left for what I figured was a two week writing stint with the High Mountain Sun (Now, nearly 18 years later, the MOUNTAIN Jackpot.)

Meanwhile, Rick remained in constant demand from any and everyone. When in doubt, CALL RICK MUNGO.
We still visited often but Rick became increasingly tied to his parents’ failing health. I was busily dealing (or perhaps not) with my son’s drug addiction. The gap between Rick and I slowly widened.

Rick conducted the funeral service when my son overdosed and killed himself.

Honestly, I can’t tell you which of us Ken’s death hurt more.

Finally, like an extended nightmare, Rick’s parents passed on, ending his seemingly endless trips to California. Even then, EVERYONE STILL HAD THINGS FOR RICK TO DO. PLACES TO GO. PEOPLE TO SEE.

And I could literally feel the toll this was taking on my friend.

So I bowed out. Slacked off. You see, even with as little time as we were spending together, I wanted THAT TIME TO GO TO RICK – ESPECIALLY FOR RICK.

I wanted him to climb aboard a yacht and GO SAIL THE HELL AROUND THE WORLD! HAVE AN ADVENTURE! HAVE HIS LIFE BACK! I wanted his BIGGEST WORRY TO BE KEEPING THE HAIR OUT OF HIS EYES IN THE SALTY SPRAY OR DOUBLE CHECKING HIS LOGISTICS TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS ENOUGH ICY MEXICAN BEER IN THE GALLEY. MAKE DR. HUGO QUACKENBUSH AND I PROUD OF HIM!

Now, some years after Rick’s retirement and the fall of The Kingdom of Farish – after all, nothing lasts forever – I find my old friend has not only married, but recently undergone life threatening surgery. DANGEROUS ENDEAVORS. BOTH.

Would I do the same thing again? Oh yeah. One of the primary things about being a friend is to know when to let your friends go on to a better life.

And I love him, think about him and miss him nearly every single day.

I always will.

A toast. To Absent Friends!

O’Donnell Memorial Service Set

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A memorial service for Mary O’Donnell will be held on Saturday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m. at CC-V High School in the cafeteria.

Anyone who wants to help should contact St. Andrew’s church (who is asking for cookies) or Mary Bielz at the Aspen Mine Center.

The Grinch Who Stole New Year’s

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It became the “Grinch Who Stole New Year’s” for the Cripple Creek gaming community, which recently found itself confronting a new losing gambling card: Bogus and exaggerated weather reports.

Colorado Springs television stations reported the city getting shut down on the eve of the town’s annual end-of-the-year celebration, traditionally one of the more prosperous evenings for local casinos, due to a severe Arctic invasion. This news and associated snow storm footage from other parts of Colorado left many gaming establishments with much smaller crowds and leaner slot action than past years. And the ugly reporting barrage continued non-stop, with Colorado Springs video accounts of a 20-plus-car neighborhood pileup turning into a national sensation, adding insult to injury for Creek casinos and other area businesses that feature big New Year’s Eve bashes.

As a result, the New Year’s weekend became a bust for some local gaming establishments. That development was a definite byproduct of the Arctic temperatures and high winds, creating white-out conditions, along with an invasion of overblown, media weather accounts.

Faced with these kinds of odds, several elected leaders last week sought some way to initiate media damage control in the future, even if it includes not publicizing certain reports pertaining to Cripple Creek closures.

Sorry, but these reports are done for the benefit of public safety, concluded City Administrator Ray White. “It has a commercial impact,” admitted White, who didn’t see much of an alternative for the town to explore, other than to assure the information being broadcast by TV stations is accurate. The administrator agreed that recent reports indicating that government offices and even the entire city were closed Dec. 30 due to a devastating snow storm, weren’t helpful. In reality, the storm didn’t pose as many problems as predicted, but did lead to a few temporary highway closures and accidents.

In addition, the television footage of a bizarre pileup in Colorado Springs on New Year’s Eve, filmed by a Springs college student, created more perception problems for New Year’s Eve parties in the Creek, especially with the large number of revelers who usually come from the Springs. The scenes of cars colliding into each other in the area commanded national medial attention on all major cable outlets. “That didn’t help,” admitted White.

And some leaders wonder if certain public service weather announcements, which appear on Colorado Springs television stations, are necessary.

“That really affected the New Year’s Eve up here,” stated Councilman Steve Zoellner, in discussing the television announcements of Cripple Creek government closures. He questioned what action the city could initiate to counter negative weather reports. In many cases, the weather is much better in Cripple Creek than in Colorado Springs, when storms hit the Pikes Peak area.

“It’s a Catch 22,” added Zoellner. “We are really doing a disservice to the casinos.” He asked if the city could downplay government closure information, since most people frequenting these offices are from the district. Or if city workers could call a certain number to check on whether they have to work the day of a major storm.

But according to White, these announcements are done for the sake of the traveling public. “It is really for the safety of the public,” said the administrator.

White stated that the city could explore other ways to relay more accurate, up-to-date weather information.

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