Most days, the little references about no longer living in Colorado City don’t bother me. But, occasionally, I do get slightly annoyed. As most of you know, we moved to be near our delightful grandchildren, ages ten, eight, six and four.
Pre-COVID, we were living in Colorado City and spending most weekends driving to south of Franktown, CO. That took about two hours each way.
After we moved and before COVID hit, we were in the Colorado City office on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, at least.
Then, with COVID, we were in the office – JUST we.
So, we closed the office and saved the overhead from those office expenses to help with the hit from COVID, and keep your local newspaper alive.
Anyway, back to my current frustration. On the face of an envelope which carried a renewed subscription (evidence that we were relevant), Colorado Springs was circled and written beneath it was: “Seriously? I thought this was a local paper.”
First, I assumed it was a joke, but it kept bothering me. So, I pulled out an issue of the newspaper produced just before they mailed their payment.
On the front page of that March 23 issue was a lead story by Colorado City Vietnam Veteran Jerry Collins about National Vietnam Veterans Day. To the right of that story was a special story for the View, written by Rye High School student Mason Ford and stating that the RHS Knowledge Bowl Team had taken second in the state in Class 2A.
The third front page story was authored by Shirley Pigg and dealt with the Verde Road wildfire. In case you don’t know Shirley, rumor has it that she and Father Time were born on about the same month and he went one direction and she moved to the Rye/Colorado City area.
Our history writer, who lives in the Rye area half the year, is currently investigating that claim.
My editorial in that issue dealt with Senate Bill 23-189 which, if passed, will hurt everyone in Colorado. I seldom write about something so broad; but some of the legislation is so alarming that our voices should be heard along with the voices of the entire state.
There were two Letters to the Editor that week, one from a local resident and one from a subscriber in Salida.
Please note the word subscriber.
Page Four is about events – most in the valley, some in the county.
Page five had a story by me about the Greenhorn Valley Chamber of Commerce Business EXPO (local), and a story about the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Volunteers for Community (local).
Shirley wrote a story on the most recent Colorado City Metro District Board of Directors meeting (local).
I do not write the Metro stories, and haven’t for almost eight years, because I serve on the Colorado City Metro District. My final, term-limited year ends in May, and I will probably write the stories again because I know more than most about the CCMD.
Pages six and seven were continuations of stories on earlier pages with a weekly column: Around Pueblo County. Shirley collects that information. Yes, I know, Pueblo County isn’t truly local. So those of you who never leave the city limits of Rye or Colorado City shouldn’t waste your time reading it.
Pages eight and nine are generally sports or sports and Rye High School events.
Shirley wrote a story on The RHS Future Farmers of America 7th Annual Oyster Fry. I wrote four RHS sports stories, and we did have room for one story about how the first day of spring is figured. Again, apologies, that covered most of the planet.
There was a full-page story on the K-12 Art Display and Concert at Rye and Craver Schools; and the rest of the paper: local history, local minister’s meditation, local obituary, recipes, garden tips, classifieds, and puzzles.
A couple of other thoughts and I’ll quit ranting. There would be no newspaper if ad revenue from Colorado City and Rye businesses, alone, supported it.
And subscriptions do nothing more than cover our postage, and possibly a fraction of the printing costs.
You be the judge: Are we a local newspaper, or not?