Local Blogs You Might Want to Read…
01 Mar
Posted by admin as Commentary, Community Development, Economics, Jan Verhoeff
There’s always so much going on here in Lamar, I thought I’d post a few blog feeds you might want to add to your own regular reading. These blogs are always interesting and have local content, written by local people.
Of course, there’s the Back Roads of Yesterday – and whatever happened out by the Oris George place along the Arkansas River.
There’s all the stuff that happens around the local Coffee Clatter, meaning what have the locals been up to these days?
Jan Verhoeff keeps things hopping on her blog, whether she’s writing about grandbabies arriving, kids tattooing the neighborhood with graffiti or the local coyote problem messing up the parks.
Or you could be reading up on the latest activities of U.S. Senatorial candidate, Cleve Tidwell, on Cleve Notes.
Any blog you’d like to read can have an rss feed generator created the same way. Just visit ACE Writers to find out how to generate a feeder like this.
Pat Palmer – Bringing the News Home
20 Feb
Posted by admin as Big Timbers Museum, Commentary, Community Development, Crossroads of Connection, Jan Verhoeff, Local Business, Santa Fe Trail, Tourism, Tourists, Travel
On those rare occasions when I do get back to Lamar these days, I stop at the Pit Stop for a Beef and Cheddar Sub. Palmer’s Pit Stop is truly the only place to find that flavor across the country. I’ve been to a lot of sub shops, both franchises and local stops, but the only place I’ve found that particular combination of flavors is right here at home, in our local favorite. I’ve never been able to decide if it’s the bread (which I lean toward this choice) or the company at the Pit Stop. Invariably, I run into Palmer, TJ Sanders, or one of the other many friends who work there when I stop in for a sandwich. Or even more likely, I run into one of my many friends from around the area, stopping in for gas or a sandwich and we get to chat for a moment, catch up on each others lives and remind ourselves why living in a small town is the “best”.
Pat Palmer, the owner of The Pit Stop, has become a local celebrity over the years. His participation in all things historical gives him an air of distinction, a Pennsylvania Pioneer who transplanted himself to the area just long enough back to have acquired a heart for southeastern Colorado, yet recently enough to maintain his Pennsylvania roots and at least a hint of the New England accent. Tourists often ask about his tours and historic activities. Local citizens take advantage of his talents and his historic knowledge.
If you ask anyone locally what Pat Palmer does, they’re likely to share his interest in restoring the Star School west of Lamar on Highway 50, or building signs and installing them for the Big Timbers Museum, or tell you about his trail tours to historic sights around Prowers and Bent Counties. They may share his efforts to promote DECA a Lamar High School service organization. Or they might tell you that he restores and builds old wagon wheels and has spent countless hours working to get the new museum construction completed to protect the County’s Wagon Collection.
So, why is it that a write up in the Lamar Ledger (or at least on their website) gave Palmer a whole single paragraph and skipped the opportunity to mention the vast majority of Palmer’s activities promoting the community of Lamar, Colorado and the huge number of historic activities that would actually draw people to this community on the Santa Fe Trail?
Instead, they mention the one item that Lamar has done over the past many years to drive tourists away from the community to hotels and motels on either side of the community, the great Prowers County Lodging Tax. So, there, now you have it, the drive of the Lamar Ledger – to create a vast empty space in town, when they could have been a driving force for bringing tourists into town. Folks, it’s okay, the Lodging Tax is only a penny or two more per stay in a town where there’s so much to do that you’ll have trouble deciding which activities are more exciting.
If in doubt, visit the Pit Stop, ask for Pat Palmer and he’ll tell you which ones are going on right now, and give you a calendar of events for the next most important event to add to your vacation list. Guaranteed, if you need a tour guide for this crossroads of connection, he’ll have someone in mind to show you the lay of the land around town.
Turncoat to LUB Reality – What will it cost?
19 Feb
Posted by admin as City of Lamar, Economics, Energy, Power Plant
After my phone ringing off the hook for the past month, I decided to look at the paper and see if I could figure out why everyone is calling me. There’s a new petition out, to shut down the power plant. That seems to be the reason they’re calling me, but there had to be more…
What’s up with LUB that has their dander up again?
I’d noticed the shift in policy of what was being tossed in the local landfill. That should make those on the road to the landfill happier, if not complacent… But I doubt it settled much dust in that area.
I noticed raises in fees for surrounding communities because of transport costs. That should calm the fears of those who complain about rate hikes to transport power to outlying areas… But I doubt the prices are dropping any.
I noticed more stories about Rick Rigel in the local paper, telling about his consultation with Leon Sparks, a trusted member of the community. That should actually calm the fireworks over the construction of a coal plant in Lamar… But I don’t see a calm coming anytime soon.
The storm keeps building and the people of Lamar just keep watching it grow, build and develop right there over the north east corner of town, wondering what will happen next.
The same issues keep being raised, time and time again. If you’re still looking around the area, wondering what’s coming next, you may have noticed these needles of impurity that just continue to grow.
- Housing in the power plant area is still under siege of one kind or another. Residents can’t afford to leave and they can’t stay because of the noise, lights and health risks.
- Noise from power plant take offs, steam releases, and shut downs rob local citizens of their peace of mind, rest and comfort zones.
- Cost of utilities isn’t going down. The economic failure of this project just continues to grow and absorb more and more of the local economy.
- Disruption of life in the blow-zone continues to be frustrating for citizens and those who have already left because they gave up on the only thing local government should be doing — protecting the citizens.
Calling local community leaders didn’t reveal any better information. In fact, the local leaders seem confused and befuddled by the unreasonableness of lawsuits that continue to cost money. Anger and frustration came through loud and clear, but the worst of it came from those who have a lingering trust of the EPA and environmental representatives. They’ve all heard the loud chatter about the cost of environmental changes, the fraud of global warming and cap and trade lies. The people know that President Obama’s Global community planning failed miserably and continues to fail. But… Do they understand that the cost of shutting down a coal plant that has already been built will have no positive solution for the community?
With Lamar beginning to look like a ghost town due to the local economy, the vast difference of shutting down the power plant as a means of protecting the people may not be a positive solution. The community, the city of Lamar, and the people at the Power Plant need to seriously consider the options and find solutions for the people who are faced with common endangerment from the atrocities of the plant.
The Savages are PC Offenders
27 Jan
Posted by admin as City of Lamar, Commentary, Community Development, Economics, Jan Verhoeff, Kids, Local Business
In a ludicrous act of ignorance and stupidity, once again the Senators are wasting their time and our tax money on the names and mascots of football teams around the nation. Would it hurt anyone to make the Savages Politically Correct and change the mascot to some cute little prairie dog? No, but then the next team of idiotic political wanna-bes will be complaining about the illegal use of the prairie dog image.
Can we get real for a moment?
There are serious ILLS in the world that need to be repaired. Our senators and congressmen, governors and presidents have better things to do with their time than be offended by the name of some high school football team. If they don’t, they’re wasting our time and money and should find themselves a real job. The article in the Denver Post portrays the teams as the offender when in reality, there’s a different problem going on here.
Those wonderful Native American peoples who assume representation by the name “Savages” have missed out on the positive views of the Savages. The mascot view of a Savage is that of a warrior, strong, sure and bold, taking in his hand the ability to overcome limitations and difficulties to make life better for himself and his people. He’s a fighter for what he believes. He’s a winner.
When Crystal Sallee Terrell brought to my attention this incredible act of selfish insecurities, I realized that there are bigger issues here than what a football team calls or recognizes as their mascot. These misinformed persons lack the initiative to pursue the whole perspective, instead they choose to take personal offense at the use of a name and mascot. Are the insecure and lacking self esteem or personal integrity? Do they really NOT understand that the SAVAGE Lamarites relate to has a power and strength, inner integrity and resourcefulness that reflects the priorities of the Indians who first settled the area, the Spaniards who claim to have conquered the land, and the Pioneers who later took advantage of the prosperity available here in Southern Colorado.
There is nothing defamatory or derogatory about the Savage name or mascot. There is however, something wrong with political representatives of the people of this fair community and state, wasting our tax dollars barking up the politically correct tree to bite themselves in the butt during a political election year to ridicule such a fine upstanding brand as the SAVAGES has become for the Lamar School District. Not only should the people of Lamar be standing up, voicing their dislike of politicians wasting our tax dollars, but they should be fighting mad or Flippin PISSED as Crystal stated on her facebook page, that our elected officials are wasting their time on such insignificant and ludicrous stupidity as changing the name of our community ICON.
If every time an individual feels offended, the rest of the world has to become so politically correct as to not offend that person, there will never be peace or rest in the world. We’ll all be too busy trying not to offend anyone to get anything of real importance accomplished. What ever happened to people taking some serious responsibility for their own emotional reactions to life?
Visit Jan Verhoeff for more commentary on the idiocy of choosing to feel offended by the actions of others.
IF Ben Nighthorse Campbell chooses to be offended by the name of our football team or the team mascot, that would be HIS problem, not mine.
Rolling Hills Camp – Icon & Founder Passes
29 Dec
Posted by admin as Community Development, Crossroads of Connection, Local News, Stuff Happens
Founder of the Rolling Hills Camp, Frank “Rowdy” Martin, went home to meet Jesus on Christmas 2009. Rolling Hills Camp, a Christian tent camp with an annual attendance of local regulars, newcomers and children who participate in nightly meetings preached by Steve Cody, with music by O.V. Keith, but hosted by the Martin family. More recent years have meant more active involvement by younger members of the Martin clan, Jack and Caroline Martin prepare meals, set up tents and welcome guests and attendees with a smile, a hug and a warm handshake. No matter how little his involvement, everyone knew when Rowdy Martin showed up, he was the ultimate hand in the stew pot. His touch was everywhere on the camp.
This past summer, Rowdy appeared for only a part of the services, his health preventing him from participating in the full camp. Those appearances brought back memories of other camps, reminded regulars of his active participation in previous camps.
“I just want to see more souls brought to Christ.” Rowdy’s words echo yet across the prairie. He had only one mission in creating a church camp, bringing men, women and children to Christ. That was his only purpose, and he took none of the credit, giving it all – instead – to Christ.
Rowdy will be sadly missed by his family and his many, many friends.
Christian Censorship – STOP it!
22 Dec
Posted by admin as Commentary, Crossroads of Connection, Opinion, Political News
There’s no doubting the attack on Christ and Christmas, this season being especially full of vitriol by the left. Below is my letter to the editor in response to local theories that Christ was the product of rape by a liberal pastor/columnist:
It’s no stretch of the imagination to see why so many feel emboldened to practice the opposite of what they preach (tolerance) in regards to Christianity since we now have the most liberal president in American history who has appointed numerous Maoists, Marxists, atheists, and eco-tyrannists to his cabinet and administration. In order for them to exert their agenda on all Americans religion is just another thing that must be attacked, marginalized and minimized.
I can hear it now, “But what about all the atrocities that have occurred in the name of Christianity?” My response to that is the simple comparison of the rise of fascism and communism and the hundreds of millions killed in the name of atheistic enlightenment and the progressive liberal agenda that has been the catalyst for those controlling regimes. The lives lost in the pursuit of fascism and communism completely dwarf those lives lost in the crusades, inquisition and other events constantly thrown in the faces of people of faith.
U.S. government statistics prove that people of faith are the largest contributors to charity and the largest group that volunteer in their communities. People of faith believe it is their responsibility to take care of others. The progressive liberal left believes that it’s the responsibility of the government to do so.
The moral imperative is often used by the progressive left in regards to their agenda, and they believe it should be placed upon Americans by the government, all the while abdicating personal responsibility. People of faith acknowledge the moral imperative placed upon them by God, and take personal responsibility for their fellow man out of compassion and concern.
Who mans the soup kitchens? Who runs the majority of homeless shelters? Who stocks and runs the food pantries? The answer isn’t the government, it isn’t the progressive liberal intelligentsia, but the people of faith they continually malign. A large part of that people of faith demographic is those whose lives have been touched and transformed by the timeless message of Christ.
We are bombarded daily by the censorship of political correctness in regards to virtually every other culture and demographic. How about a bit of PC support for the Christian culture and belief system that by the way has a far greater adoption and sense of value for most Americans?
Guy Pacot
Frisco, Colorado
This man isn’t from Colorado, but we need men with this kind of personal character and strength to run for office in Colorado. 2010 is a defining moment for the United States, we must be willing to strike up the patriotism to speak up for freedom and liberty and STAND UP behind that fight.
Tidwell Comments on American Values
08 Dec
Posted by admin as Cleve Tidwell, Commentary, Community Development, Economics, Guest, Tax
Cleve Tidwell
You Can’t Have Our America
It’s time for a reality check in America. Last week the Obama administration gathered a flock of folks with nearly zero job creation experience to set a plan for job creation. Who was invited in and who was left out should sound an alarm for all workers.
Government does NOT create real jobs. “Real jobs” are created by private business, period. In fact, small businesses are responsible for 80% of all jobs in our country. Government is not a business; government is force. Business creates wealth; government drains it.
The Obama administration wants you to believe their magic potion for job creation—take taxpayer money and spend it for work paid with taxpayer money. This is not job creation; it’s theft.
Government exists through the sole financial support of our labor, our production, OUR money, and government’s appetite for OUR income has become insatiable. The White House and Congress have lost all respect and reality of money, and why shouldn’t they? It is money they did not earn. It is easy to spend what you have not earned; to them it is “just money” with the back-story of family sacrifice behind the paycheck completely disregarded.
The answer to job creation is tax cuts—for workers and for businesses—and this answer could be employed today if the administration was serious about creating jobs.
We must let producers produce; remove the noose of regulations from industry. Let consumers be consumers. Let businesses succeed. Let businesses fail. No company is too big to fail; just as today’s small business may be tomorrow’s largest employer. Consumers are the best regulators for business. It’s called free market enterprise and government is working to kill it.
If we continue to allow the government to gorge itself on the coffers of the people, we will all end up at the trough of dependency. Our economy is being eroded by men who have, for the most part, never held a “real job” let alone created one. How then are we to believe they have any tangible answer for unemployment and our economy? We either must believe in magic or embrace reality.
I choose to live in reality, the same place you live. Government is on course to tax us into imprisonment. Freedom requires that government spending stop and the scissors of tax cuts be exercised. It is not magic it is common sense, business sense, and our dollars and cents.
Government needs to be extricated from private industry and corralled back into the limited boundaries designed for itself in the service of liberty. This then will bring economic prosperity; this then will create jobs.
Fleagle Gang Artifacts Included at Big Timbers Museum
01 Dec
Posted by admin as Big Timbers Museum, History, Local News, Santa Fe Trail, Stuff Happens
Colt .38 Special revolver taken from W.E. Garrett during the famous 1928 robbery of the First National Bank in Lamar Colorado now on extended loan to Big Timbers Museum. The museum standing on the KLMR curve since the mid 1900’s offers an excellent presentation of the robbery which has been written down in history due to many “firsts” in solving a crime. This Robbery was the first in which a single fingerprint actually solved the crime and convicted the murderer.
==========Public Service===========
Enjoy the history of the state, locations and events along the Santa Fe Trail, right in the middle of Historic Colorado’s Homesteads, at Lamar, Colorado.
http://bigtimbersmuseum.org
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The Colt .38 Special, currently owned by a nephew of W.E. Garrett, J.D. and Mary Kay Pittman, was found under Everett A. Kissinger’s body, one of the victims kidnapped in the robbery, later found dead in Liberal, Kansas was later returned to the owner. The gun stunk so bad that it was kept in the garage for many years, discoloration on the barrel of the gun may have been caused by blood stains from the victims.
Power Plant Upheaval & Confusion
16 Nov
Posted by admin as City of Lamar, Economics, Energy, Home Improvement, Opinion, Power Plant, Wind Generators
Beating a different drum… The power plant issue has come full circle, from a multi-million dollar deal to build a power plant in Lamar, to the destruction of a home owned power plant. Where’s the logic?
Constant function has something to do with the process of building a power source that is constant, without fluctuation, providing consistent level power that meets the needs of local citizens. The power grid indicates a bigger source of power interactive throughout a section of the country, making the most of the power sources, by interactive association. Circular networks provide consistent power and energy flow.
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Wind generated power isn’t consistent, because the wind doesn’t always blow at the same rate of speed. Water generated power isn’t always consistent either, there are high tides and low tides, ebs and flows of speed, and no, water doesn’t always run downhill at the same speed. So, the invention of working electrical plants that generate what should be consistent power, transformed into holding sites (batteries?) and transported to the end client (usually my computer) creates a whole different source of problems and refocuses the generative authority of power.
I’m not convinced the world’s supply of power is finite. I don’t believe climate warming theories are even valid, let alone sufficient enough to cut off a whole 200 plus years of technological development, and limit the use of power to the wealthy (who can afford to buy energy credits). I do believe that people need to be responsible about designing power plants and creating new sources of power.
The health of the people in an area is important. If a power plant is putting out massive doses of mercury, or unstable chemicals, the detrimental value of the power plant may be more important than the power generated.
==========Public Service===========
Scenic Colorado — Enjoy the views from a personal perspective as Keith Mosher shares his view of the Colorado Rockies
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/jt8KC7cF
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I would be interested in knowing how long it takes to build a power plant, in other environments – besides Lamar. Perhaps there’s a study of how long it takes to build a power plant, and how many times the plant starts up and stops, before actually coming online. The problem with the current plant located in Lamar is that there seem to be no real information links for the people to get knowledge about the plant, and many of those links are non-qualified to provide the answer.
People often use the newspaper as a source of information in a small town. Current articles in the news paper offer little or no information about the actual safety and real operation or expectations of the plant. If the power plant wants people to be comfortable living within the Blow Radius, they should be providing regular documentation and information about the process of operations and how the people would be effected by the chemicals that are escaping. The biggest issue is, the people want honesty, without the lies that “you’ll be fine”. We want to know what the actual chemicals are and how badly our area is being contaminated. Then we want to know what the health risks are.
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