Tuesday, March 19

The Crestone Eagle is a nonprofit monthly newspaper serving Crestone and the San Luis Valley

Democratic caucus: Kinney on ballot with McCracken

By Anya KaatsPhoto Matt Lit.Crestone resident and Town Trustee Adam Kinney will run against incumbent County Commissioner Tom McCracken in the upcoming Saguache County Commissioner Democratic Primary for District 1. After announcing his candidacy, Kinney secured the required votes necessary to have his name placed on the June Primary ballot. At the March 5 Caucus and Assembly, Kinney secured 30 votes, and McCracken 20. “People deserve a choice,” Kinney explained. “One candidate is underwhelming and...

Sand Dunes meeting cancelled, Baca route rumor quelled

3/14/24 A planned meeting tonight to discuss traffic, parking, and other congestion issues at the Great Sand Dunes National Park (GSDNP) was cancelled due to inclement weather. The meeting was scheduled to take place at the Baca National Wildlife Refuge. There are no immediate plans to reschedule the meeting, although public comment is still welcomed online.  The rumors of a proposed northern route to the Sand Dunes through the Baca Grande using Liberty Road are false,...

Sales tax fix creates new sales tax error

By Anya Kaats Baca Grande residents received news about Amazon’s sales tax fix. That same fix created new woes for the Town of Crestone.  On March 1, Amazon removed the erroneous 3.5% sales tax that was being charged for deliveries in the Baca Grande. An intervention by Brandon A. Davis, Local Government Liaison at the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR), helped lead to the correction. However, in the process of trying to correct their mistake, Amazon also...

Our March issue is here!

A great horned owl flies out of a cottonwood forest in the Baca Grande, near South Crestone Creek, to start its nightly hunt. Owls are getting very active this time of year as the nesting season approaches. photo by Peter Ismert

From our current editions

Dymitro Vynogradov, pianist, performs March 24

By Peter Gyallay-Pap Welcome spring to the sound of music — like the artistry of the Ukrainian piano virtuoso Dymitro Vynogradov! He will perform works by Chopin, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, and a fascinating transcription for piano of Johann Strauss’ “the Blue Danube.”  He will play these luminous masterpieces at the Colorado College “amphitheater” 2 p.m. Sunday,...

Immigrant-owned Sand Dunes Mushroom Co-op launches crowdfunding campaign

ALAMOSA, CO — Sand Dunes Mushroom Cooperative, LCA, has launched a campaign to raise $20,000. The co-op will use the funds to purchase equipment and complete renovation of its warehouse.   After months of training on both the production side of growing specialty mushrooms and the business side of owning their own company, the eight...

Smoke: Multi-Agency Emergency Response in SLV

By Christina Lakish Hello Baca-Crestone Neighbors. In response to recent community questions, we, the first responders serving our community, would like to briefly share information about the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Incident Management System (NIMS). This system was developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to improve incident management interoperability and...

IndigiNews: Decolonizing the media, elevating Indigenous voices

This year The Crestone Eagle will be taking notes from the all-Indigenous-led newsroom, IndigiNews. The Crestone Eagle is grateful to be mentoring under IndigiNews Publisher, Eden Fineday, who will offer DEI council to staff, provide cultural sensitivity readings of published content and deepen our capacity for meaningful, sensitive, and accurate coverage of Indigenous topics.  By...

Baca Stables saddles up for children’s riding program

by Joanna and Eli Dokson. The Baca Grande Stables’ 2024 summer children’s riding program for children ages 6 to 15 is scheduled to begin the week of June 3. Following are the weekly sessions as currently scheduled: Session 1, June 3-7; Session 2, June 10-14; Session 3, June 24-28; Session 4, July 8-12; Session 5, July...

New Forest supervisor on Rio Grande National Forest

By Gregg GoodlandPublic Affairs OfficerRio Grande National Forest DEL NORTE, CO—Dennis Kuhnel has been appointed as Forest supervisor of the Rio Grande National Forest. Kuhnel began serving in the role on Feb. 12. A native of northwestern Nebraska, Kuhnel attended Colby College and earned graduate degrees from the Universities of Iowa, Nebraska, and a Juris Doctorate...

National Wildlife Refuge Elk Hunting Permits

The drawing for the regular season is complete and the hunter lists have been created. If you did not apply for drawing, there is still a chance that you could hunt on a refuge. Please call the Monte Vista office at 719-587-6900 to be added to the refuge list. Higel SWA and Subunits Permits Thank you...

Sunflower’s column now available for online subscription

By The Crestone Eagle staff. Thousands from around the world have been enjoying Out & About with Lori Sunflower in The Crestone Eagle for the last eight years and now this treasured collection of Crestone residents has been an online version of this column with the introduction of outandaboutcrestone.com. Each month, Lori Nagel (Sunflower) interviews...

Local children enjoy the opportunity to connect with horses and riding at Baca Grande Stables. photo courtesy Baca Grande Stables

The Mad Hatter's Ball was a public event this year and a huge hit with the community. Photo by Lori Nagel
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The March, 2024 issue is on sale now! Get the full story with the full edition. $3 digital download.

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Utility Maintenance Field Technician

Come join our team!! The Baca Grande Water and Sanitation District is accepting applications to fill a full-time position for a Utility Maintenance Field Technician I, II or III. Under general supervision the...

Administrative Assistant

Come join our Team! Baca Grande Water and Sanitation District is accepting applications for a full time Administrative Utility Billing Assistant. Candidates must have excellent customer service and organizational skills, proficient use of...

Crestone Charter School Special Education Coordinator

The Crestone Charter School seeks a part- to full- time Special Education Coordinator / Interventionist to start immediately.  Wages range from $40,000-59,500 with excellent benefits and professional growth opportunities. The position includes direct...

Crestone Charter School Office Assistant

The Crestone Charter School seeks a part- to full-time office assistant to start immediately.  Wages range from $16.50-$18.00 per hour with benefits and professional growth opportunities. Team member will be a welcoming face...

Part Time Bookkeeper Needed

The Baca Townhouse Association (BTA) needs a part-time bookkeeper (5-10 hours per month).  The BTA bookkeeping is simple.  No payroll, no inventory, or accounts payable.  Just these items: Monthly entry of income and expenses Monthly...

Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor criteria:
We’re glad you’re part of this community. Here’s how it works:
Max Length: 350 words. If your letter is longer than this, we will return it to you to trim.
Must include: author’s name, town/city, organization affiliation (if relevant), contact information in case we have a question. Contact information will not be published with your letter. The decision to print any letter to the editor is completely at the discretion of The Crestone Eagle editor, and we reserve the right to edit all letters. Letters considered libelous, obscene, in bad taste, or containing personal attacks will not be printed. Form letters and letters containing long lists of names will not be printed. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Thank-you letters are welcomed and encouraged, and letters regarding local news and issues will be prioritized.

Send letters to editor@crestoneeagle.com by the 16th of the month.
Thank you.

Commentary: Solutionaries VII : The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act

By Nathan Good with Heather D’Alessio. This month we explore how our news has been critically affected by H.R.5736, aka the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 (SMMA). This law permits the federal government to feed you its agendas through press, paper publications, radio, motion picture, the internet, and other information media including...

Commentary: The Last President’s Day 

An op-ed by Carew Papritz, the award-winning author of The Legacy Letters. I wasn’t around to see the end of the passenger pigeon. One day there were three billion. Over one third of the bird population of the planet. And within a lifespan, they were no more. The last passenger...

Commentary: State of the Town

By Carl Cole. Hello Crestone, You may remember me for initiating a recall election against Mayor Danforth in 2021. I tried to present a factual, direct, and open campaign, based on the issue of mismanagement. Today, every town office employee has resigned, the budget is blown, and the community is debating the...

Halls Of Justice Amendment XIV, Section 3

The constitution of the United States is our nation’s document in which elected and confirmed officials take an “Oath of Affirmation.” Times have evolved since its creation. One thing remains; people have bled in upholding their duty and honor for this country’s constitution. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment...

Your vote matters at caucus

My friend Meryl likes to say: “We can’t do everything. But we can do everything we can.”  Complaining about the divides in US politics has become a national pastime. Some feel like “the whole government” is too broken to warrant participation. But your vote matters. And it yields more influence...

Support for Festivals

Dear community,  I am writing in support of festivals in the town of Crestone with amplified music. I believe that the town trustees and the mayor considering the proposal to remove festivals with amplified music is a huge mistake that will lead to development of the Crestone ghost town. The festivals...

Keep the music playing

Dearest Crestone Community, When a town honors a few complaints regarding music-related events and the applause associated with it, there should also be an honoring of complaints regarding an unbalanced amount of silence, activity, and the lack of music-related events and applause associated with it. If complaints receive priority over requests...

A Letter from Adam Kinney

Editor’s note: The Crestone Eagle does not endorse political candidates and is publishing this candidacy letter for equal access of all candidates to the community.  Crestone/Baca Neighbors, and Beyond... My name is Adam Kinney, and I am running for the office of Saguache County Commissioner, in District 1, as a Democratic...

RE-ELECT COMMISSIONER MCCRACKEN 

Editor’s note: The Crestone Eagle does not endorse political candidates and is publishing this candidacy letter for equal access of all candidates to the community.  Editor’s note:  According to the Secretary of State’s website March 5, 2024 is: First day to circulate minor party candidate petitions. (First Monday in February in the...

Features from our B Section: "Living on the Earth"

Cactus Hill Farm: Upholding a six-generation sheep farming legacy

By Anya Kaats. Elena Miller-ter Kuile was studying International Agricultural Development (IAD) at Cornell when she had a life-altering realization: “I thought working in IAD was going to help save the world, but then I realized, wait a second, the United States isn’t great when it comes to agriculture. Why would I go to other countries to tell them how to live when my own country also needs help figuring out how to do things better?” After her realization, Kuile returned home, determined to continue her family’s legacy of sheep farming, which stretches back six generations. Kuile’s ancestors were some of...

Is it a scooter? Is it a bike? e-bikes offer new alternative

By Wade Lockhart. Are e-bikes part of the new transportation revolution?  During the warmer months, and even year-round when the roads are not icy, one sees them. These bikes sometimes look like scooters with their smaller wheels and headlights, but many look just like a mountain bike. Most e-bikes are hybrids, meaning they are pedal powered, battery powered, and a combination of both called pedal assist. They usually weigh a bit more than a regular bicycle, maybe 30 pounds more depending on the battery, and their travel range before recharging depends on their use and battery capacity:  www.electrek.co/2020/06/12/how-far-can-an-electric-bicycle-really-go-on-a-charge Venues for purchasing  In The Crestone...

IndigiNews: Decolonizing the media, elevating Indigenous voices

This year The Crestone Eagle will be taking notes from the all-Indigenous-led newsroom, IndigiNews. The Crestone Eagle is grateful to be mentoring under IndigiNews Publisher, Eden Fineday, who will offer DEI council to staff, provide cultural sensitivity readings of published content and deepen our capacity for meaningful, sensitive, and accurate coverage of Indigenous topics.  By Eden Fineday IndigiNews Publisher My name is Eden Fineday. I am a Cree woman (nehiyaw iskwew). I live above the imaginary line that was drawn across the continent back in 1846. I come from Treaty 6 Territory, which is an agreement made by my people and the...

SLV language: Rare 16th-century Spanish dialect spoken

By Anna Lee Vargas. Nestled between expansive mountain ranges and the Río Grande, the fertile lands of the San Luis Valley (SLV) have always been a point of contact between cultures and races.  The SLV represents a multicultural tapestry, including Native Americans, Hispanic, Mormon, Asian, and other rancher-settlers, while also encompassing the most extensive wetlands system in the Southern Rocky Mountains. This long and rich history dates back to the Paleo-Indians who lived here 13,000 years ago. Our people’s Indigenous, Spanish, and Mexican roots have played a major role in influencing our food, farming practices, religion, art, culture, and language.  For example,...

Home of the Happy Yak

Chokurei Yak Ranch faces change after 16 years of stewardship By Zaylah Khundmiri  photographs by Matt Lit. When Kyle Grote, a video producer from Ohio, first came to the San Luis Valley (SLV) in 2006, he was looking for a quiet place where he and his wife Teanna could raise their family. He never would have expected that he would soon be the new steward of 2,400 acres of highly sought after land in the remote SLV. Bidding on water  It all began at an auction in 2007. Stretching between Moffat and Crestone, 2,400 acres of undeveloped land, previously the Weiss Ranch, was being sold...

Nourishing the Valley: The SLV’s food system

By Ameille Warner. For over 10,000 years, the people of the San Luis Valley (SLV) have been sustained by the bounties of this land — hunting, foraging, and cultivating all they needed thanks to the fertile soil and abundant water. Agriculture in the Valley continues to play a vital role in Colorado’s economy, ranging from the mighty SLV potato to diverse crops and livestock, contributing nearly $490 million and standing as the region’s largest private employer. Despite this rich agricultural heritage, modern times have created complex obstacles within the SLV food system. Barriers to local producers include the growing export model,...

The maroon robes of Crestone

By Rich Klein. Nestled at the foot of high mountain peaks, with acid-test-light-show skies, unpredictable weather, and authentically wild wildlife, Crestone is a place where life is pretty much defined by the strange and unusual.  But natural beauty is not the only thing out of the ordinary here.  Crestone is famously home to a variety of exotic spiritual and religious groups. Fostered by the land grant program of the Manitou Foundation, they are mainly Eastern in origin, with Tibetan Buddhism being the most widely represented.  Karma Thegsum Tashi Gomang, Vajra Vidya, Yeshe Khorlo, Pema Chöling, Yeshe Rangsal, Mangala Sri Buti, Dharma Ocean, Chama Ling,...

Rio Grande fish species make move from Baca to Medano

by John Livingston, Colorado Parks and Wildlife , Southwest Region  Public Information Officer MOSCA, Colo.—A decades-long effort to establish new populations of imperiled Rio Grande chub and Rio Grande sucker fish in Colorado’s San Luis Valley led to a historic day on the Medano Ranch of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) collaborated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Park Service (NPS) this fall to translocate a population of Rio Grande chub and sucker from Crestone Creek in the Baca National Wildlife Refuge to Big Spring Creek in the Medano Ranch.  More than...
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From our columns...

Moffat Archers participated in the 2024 NASP Colorado State Virtual Tournament on Tuesday, February 27th, with 30 students participating. This is the most important tournament of the season for our archers. Competitors will shoot 30 arrows to score. Scoring officials will submit results to the State NASP Coordinator and...

Moffat sports 

By Ziah Knight-Pesqueira  Moffat Boys Basketball: The Moffat Cowboys have finished the regular season with a 13-6 record; solidifying themselves a place in the regional playoffs. The Cowboys most recently faced the Sierra Grande Panthers in a district play-in tournament. Unfortunately, the team came short, taking a 48-43 loss in a...

Phone policy reins in use

By Ziah Knight-Pesqueira  The phone policy in CCS has been a major topic throughout previous months of the school year. Earlier in January there was a discussion about the phone policy throughout the school, particularly for high school and middle school students.  In the January CCS Eaglet an informal survey of...

CCS students activities

Student trip to capital Middle School students recently took a trip to the Colorado State Capital.  Students visited as representatives of the Crestone Charter School on Advocacy Day and meet with Senator Cleave Simpson and Representative Matthew Martinez, bringing to their attention the need for a Recreation Center for Crestone. In...

Shorter weeks for ‘24-‘25

By Sequoia Sirois. Crestone Charter School students will return this fall semester with a big change. In February the CCS governing council approved a four-day school week.  Results from a spring-semester survey about the four-day versus five-day school week indicated a preference for the shorter school week from parents and teachers....

Moffat sports: New season starts  

By Ziah Knight-Pesqueira. Boys’ basketball in first The Moffat Cowboys have been very successful in their previous five match ups; outscoring each of their last four opponents by 20 or more points. The team — despite taking a loss to Centennial — has worked their way to an impressive 11-2 (wins-losses)...

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