Letters to the Editor - The Journal

No ‘compassionate conservatism’

News flash: Today’s GOP can no longer claim the compassionate conservatism of the Reagan/Bush years. The party that you’ve always voted for seeks to end democracy. I repeat end democracy. T...

DATE: Oct 7, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Boebert off on ‘liberty’

I have been a public school educator – with the Department of Defense and in two Colorado towns – for 25 years. Mostly, I've taught math, but I know a bit about civics. Lauren Boebert talks ...

DATE: Sep 30, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Make America great again’

Before you vote on Nov. 8, don't be side-tracked and misled by false and distorted statements promoted by the radical far left and the fake news media against the Republican's position on ab...

DATE: Sep 30, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

McLachlan’s results ‘not good’

I recently read a letter to the editor lauding the accomplishments of Barbara McLachlan and pleading to support her reelection. Though a laundry list of McLachlan’s sponsored bills was provi...

DATE: Sep 30, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Thank you, senators, for NCA

If you ask any longtime boater in Southwest Colorado their favorite local river, chances are they will tell you the Dolores River. With soaring terracotta sandstone cliffs and towering old-g...

DATE: Sep 30, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Which candidates do you prefer?

Do you prefer candidates who, in order to advance their personal political ambitions, promote or refuse to disavow Trump’s Big Lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen? Do you pref...

DATE: Sep 30, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Residents ‘stepped up for teachers’

This summer, hundreds of Montezuma County residents stepped up for our teachers by supporting Initiative 63. That measure would have let Coloradans vote to increase funding specifically for ...

DATE: Sep 21, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

'Don’t let Texan gain office’

Texas is attempting to export its unrepresentative and repressive government into Colorado. Do we want doctors to risk jail for saving the life of a pregnant woman? Vote for reproductive fre...

DATE: Sep 21, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Frisch ‘advised to act like Republican’

It's quite entertaining to watch Lauren Boebert's opponent Adam Frisch try so hard to be a moderate conservative, especially since his worldview is shaped by his time in Boulder, New York an...

DATE: Sep 21, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

McLachlan ‘a unifier, not divider’

Barb McLachlan is the type of legislative candidate we can all support. McLachlan is experienced. She works hard and listens well. She works well with her colleagues in the Colorado House, ...

DATE: Sep 20, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Senate race: ‘Don’t change horses’

The expression “don't change horses in the middle of the stream” applies to this year's U.S. Senate race. The horse is the highly capable Michael Bennet, whose values align with most Colorad...

DATE: Sep 20, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Shaw ‘will succeed as people’s’ rep

One strength that I admire in people is self-awareness of what they know, and what they still need to understand as it motivates them to continue to seek information. This strength is especi...

DATE: Sep 20, 2022 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Photos/video: Galloping alongThe Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No.5

The Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No.5

Check out hundreds of snakes on the 'Colorado RattleCam'Located near Fort Collins, this mega den is said to have as many as 2,000 rattlesnakes

Across northern Colorado, flowers are blooming and the snow is melting. With the spring also comes the return of rattlesnakes and a popular webcam that captures a massive den of one of Colorado’s most spotted snakes.Located somewhere near Fort Collins, this mega den is said to have as many as 2,000 rattlesnakes. The webcam is part of a research project called “Project RattleCam.”

Researchers from California Polytechnic State University and Dickinson College in Pennsylvania are behind the project. According to their website, the biologists are working to “raise awareness about rattlesnakes, their behavior, and their importance in the ecosystem.”Two cameras are part of the project. One is in Northern Colorado at an undisclosed location. Researchers say this is to protect the den and the animals that call it home. The other is in California, which is still hibernating at the moment.The cameras allow researchers to study the animals without disturbing them. It’s also a way to gain the public’s support by sharing the feed online.In Colorado, many of these snakes will be pregnant through the summer and await giving birth. Unlike other snakes, rattlesnakes give birth to live babies. They then spend weeks caring for their young and helping to keep them warm. Typically, snakes live alone, but during this period, they live in a den, which becomes a nursery or “rookeries.”“If you have a whole bunch of expectant mothers together, they don't all give birth exactly at the same time,” Scott Boback, professor of biology at Dickinson College and co-leader of Project RattleCam, told NPR last year. “Essentially, what you have is the opportunity for other mothers to babysit for the mother that actually has given birth to those pups.”The California camera is expected to be operational by July.To read more stories from KUNC, visit www.kunc.org.

Located near Fort Collins, this mega den is said to have as many as 2,000 rattlesnakes

Photos: Protests held Saturday in Cortez and Durango

Play ball: Demons in action at homeDurango High School baseball wins over Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday

Durango High School baseball wins over Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday

Photos: Hozhoni Days at Fort Lewis CollegeTribal members come together for two days of celebrating their Indigenous heritage

Tribal members come together for two days of celebrating their Indigenous heritage

Cortez gathers to honor Orly Lucero at celebration of lifeLucero was known for his catchphrase ‘Living the dream’Following his death on March 7, David Orlando (Orly) Lucero, 67, was laid to rest on Friday after a celebration of life at the Cortez Recreation Center. Rather than flowers, his family requested that donations be made in his honor to the American Cancer Society.Lucero served as the mayor of Cortez from 2002 to 2010 and a member of the Cortez City Council from 2014 to 2022. He worked as a staking engineer at Empire Electric Association Inc.

Lucero was also known for his Christmas light display around the holidays. One of his blowup Santa decorations welcomed community members at the door of the Cortez Rec Center as they arrived to pay their respects.People of all ages crowded inside the rec center gym as a photo slideshow of Lucero began to play while “Vaya Con Dios” by Freddy Fender and “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson played in the background.Pastor Todd Erlandson of Grace Fellowship Church welcomed attendees by reading John 14:1-6 and Psalm 23. Following the reading of the Bible passages, “You Raise Me Up,” by Josh Groban played before Mayor Rachel Medina addressed the family and friends of Lucero.Medina honored the former mayor by speaking of his dedication to public service and his part in multiple projects in Cortez, including the rec center, new high school, the relocation of Walmart and more during his time of public service. He also served on multiple boards, including the Cortez Fire Protection District, Housing Authority, the RE-1 School District, and more.“He lent a helping hand whenever he could,” Medina said.The next speaker was Lucero’s niece, who shared she was still trying to “come to terms” with his death. She spoke fondly of the many stories he would tell.“All I can think of are his stories,” she said. “How many people have that many stories?”She told a humorous story of a time Lucero told her that Mohammed Ali was in the airport while they were traveling, but she didn’t believe him. She ended up missing the opportunity to see Ali in person.She noted that Lucero had impacted countless people in his life by always making them laugh and feel loved, saying she hoped others would always remember Lucero when serving their communities and decorating for the holidays.“You knew exactly who he was, because he always lived fearlessly,” she said.Before Erlandson closed the celebration of life, “Horses in Heaven” by Randy Travis was played.Erlandson spoke of how Lucero’s yard was always decorated for Christmas, and that his proudest moment was when his daughter, Felice, had graduated from pharmacy school.Erlandson also shared a poem called “The Dash” by Linda Ellis, and how it reminded him of the way Lucero had lived his life. The poem focuses on the dash between a person’s birth and date, and how we can forget how vastly important that little dash is.“For it matters not, how much we own/ the cars, the house, the cash/ What matters is how we live and love/ And how we spend our dash,” the poem said.While in chemotherapy, another man in treatment recognized Lucero, and the two struck up a conversation, further emphasizing his impact on others.“Orly lived his dash well,” Erlandson said. “It’s OK to grieve and mourn.”He urged those in attendance to celebrate Lucero’s life, how lived the dream and lived out the words of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13.“Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor,” Erlandson said. “Then you’ll be living the dream.”After a closing prayer and thanking attendees for their part in the celebration of life, pallbearers wearing Dallas Cowboy T-shirts escorted Lucero’s casket to be taken to the Bayfield Cemetery.

Lucero was known for his catchphrase ‘Living the dream’

Durango man charged with officer shooting waives preliminary hearingElias Buck to remain in San Juan County jail through trial

A Durango man accused of shooting a police officer was transferred from federal prison to the San Juan County Detention Center to face charges.“We transferred (Elias Buck) here to face the local charges,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Decker said. “We brought him here from Otisville, New York.”Buck, 26, is charged with aggravated battery upon a peace officer causing great bodily harm, a third-degree felony in connection to the Jan. 7, 2022, shooting of officer Joseph Barreto of the Farmington Police Department.Buck waived his preliminary hearing in Farmington Magistrate Court, and the case was bound over to the 11th Judicial District Court with an arraignment set at 8 a.m. March 24 in front of District Judge Stephen Wayne.Buck is serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence is running concurrent to a two-year sentence for charges of escape, assault and aggravated vehicle theft in La Plata County, Colorado.The prior felony of attempted possession of methamphetamine for sale in Arizona in 2019 barred him from possessing a firearm.

The La Plata County Jail escape charge is directly tied to the alleged shooting of Barreto.Buck was arrested by the Aztec Police Department on suspicion of motor vehicle theft Nov, 27, 2021, and extradited to Colorado. While at the La Plata County Jail, he climbed a perimeter fence and escaped Dec. 27, 2021.Buck resurfaced in Farmington Jan. 7, 2022, with then-girlfriend Victoria Hernandez Rossi.He allegedly was driving drunk at 10:17 p.m. “in the drive-thru at Starbucks,” located at 2900 E. Main St. Buck reportedly was driving a 2009 black Cadillac passenger car “traveling at a high rate of speed,” according to the affidavit for arrest warrant.Police found the Cadillac unoccupied at 10:32 p.m. in the Carl’s Jr. parking lot, and three minutes later, Barreto located Buck and Hernandez Rossi walking in the area of 10th Street and North Fairview Avenue, the affidavit states.The couple claimed they were “running from a dog,” when Barreto asked them to sit down, the affidavit states.Buck asked if he was being detained and when Barreto said yes, Buck allegedly “reached into his waistband, backed up, asked why he was being detained and shot the officer,” according to the affidavit.

Buck and Hernandez Rossi fled Farmington after the shooting, and were apprehended at a convenience store in Maricopa County, Arizona.The San Juan County Regional Shoot Team investigated Barreto shooting, on Jan. 8, 2022, and reportedly found a 9 mm Beretta handgun, a wig and a hoodie worn by Buck near a dumpster behind a business at 2324 E. Main St., according to an affidavit.Farmington Police took custody of the Cadillac and searched the vehicle, reportedly finding a 30-round Glock magazine, narcotics, wigs, ammunition and multiple cellphones, according to the search warrant inventory sheet.In February 2022, Farmington Police traveled to Maricopa County Jail, where they took into custody gray Nike shoes with white soles and blue boxer shorts, which according to the search warrant matched what Buck was wearing during the shooting.Buck will remain in the San Juan County Detention Center until the police officer shooting case is completed, according to Decker.

Elias Buck to remain in San Juan County jail through trial

DENVER – Thieves nabbed a pair of high-priced bulldogs from a Colorado pet store after a man alleged...

Photos: Winter storm leaves over a foot of snow

‘Clown Sex Ed’ comes to Sunflower Theater in Cortez‘It’s an exploration of the very broken sex education system in America,’ actor saysSix years ago, two friends were reflecting on sex education and realized something: Their teachings – and teachers – were incredibly inadequate. From there, conversation compounded. They spoke of sex, relationships, pleasure, intimacy. The kinds of things “I wish I could have told my early 20s self or teenage self” to not feel shame around, specifically in regards to “sexual expression and pleasure,” said Tara Demmy, a co-writer and actor in the show. Demmy and Zachary Chiero, who acts and co-wrote the show with Demmy, were in Philadelphia at the time, in theater together, and brainstorming a new show idea. It was there that “Clown Sex Ed” was born. “It’s an exploration of the very broken sex education system in America and all the hilarious and cringey moments that is provided through the lens of these very naive clowns,” Chiero said. The clowns are not only naive, they’re innocent. Purposefully innocent. “I was studying the red-nose theatrical clown. and it’s ... very deeply connected to childhood,” Demmy said. “So wouldn’t it be great to have these clowns, these really innocent forms, interacting with four sets of teachers during the show.” Plus, the clowns resonate. “Tara and I are both clowns,” Chiero said. “Half the show is kind of a clown show, with these two clowns kind of exploring their sexuality. The other half of the show is sketches where we play different sex educators.” The pair plays parents, gym teachers, a couple of nine and even nuns.

Chiero remembered how, in a past show, they were performing as nuns while a thunderstorm roared outside. “The nuns are speaking about sex and then suddenly thunder comes in,” Chiero said. “It was the kind of thing you couldn’t plan, and it stopped the show for two minutes because people were laughing.” Over time, the show has changed and progressed. There’s updated ideas from “sexperts” and live music by Conor Sheehan, said Dallas Padoven, the rehearsal director and producer. Recently, “Clown Sex Ed” was in Durango, where all the actors now live. The show is coming to Cortez’s Sunflower Theater on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. It’s 75 minutes long, and tickets are $20. You can purchase tickets here. The recommended audience is 18 years and older, but it’s “probably OK” for a high school student to go with a parent. “This is sex ed meets circus meets sketch comedy meets live concert,” Demmy said. “It has a bunch of different elements.” “I’m not going to spoil anything,” Chiero said. “But there are moments in the show that are actually really going to touch you, and it’s going to make you a bit more introspective.”After the show, the audience can talk with the “sexperts” and/or submit anonymous questions about sex, intimacy and the like.

‘It’s an exploration of the very broken sex education system in America,’ actor says