Travel back (way back) in time along the Trail of the Ancients, a National Scenic Byway. This route showcases the archaeological and cultural history of the Native American peoples in the Four Corners...

I'm writing this column on my 71st birthday. Now that I'm a full-fledged, certified, card-carrying member of the social security crowd, I want to inform the younger generations of what they have to lo...

Robert “Bob” DeJulio was one of many locals who worked on the classic western movie, “True Grit,” in 1968. He was a “sign painter” when he got the gig of his life turning the little ranching town of R...

50 YEARS AGO May 6, 1971 - Reorganization to combine the Ouray and Ridgway school districts was defeated Tuesday by only 50 votes, 258 to 208, in one of the heaviest school elections in either Ouray o...

My grandfather was a mover and shaker in the Colorado sugar beet industry with Great Western Sugar, and he was also a professor of agriculture at Colorado State University. But the ag roots my brother...

Morning birdsong, tiny bees, blooming apricots, sprightly daffodils, thick green grass – the wonder that is April finally arrived. The first 15 days of the month were bone-dry, though. Luckily, since ...

Not knowing how much time I have left on Earth, I want to share some of my favorite sayings. Some are my originals, but most are quotes from family and friends. Mostly nonsense, but if you look deep, ...

50 YEARS AGO April 8, 1971 - The Ridgway Town Council had received a letter from Mr. and Mrs. Pastore requesting a public dance permit for the Fort Smith Tavern and Little Chef Cafe. Mr. Tom Van Arsda...

50 YEARS AGO April 1, 1971 - It just may be that phone users will find the lines much busier than usual around the Ouray area this weekend, if too many people are playing with the new direct distance ...

Dear Editor: Greetings to members of the Ouray County Health Department and all volunteers who have assisted in providing the important vaccinations for COVID-19. My wife Margaret and I think of today...

Dear Editor, How long is a victim supposed to wait for their case to be heard? How long should the accused be able to kick their court case down the road? How long should the public allow the District...

50 YEARS AGO March 25, 1971 - Editorial: How come in these days of environmental concern, the cretinous “all terrain” adult toys continue to be manufactured? New types are developed every year, advert...

50 YEARS AGO March 18, 1971 - It may or may not be true, as some country folk claim, that America’s growing army of snowmobile enthusiasts is comprised chiefly of city folk too lazy to ski. But it is ...

50 YEARS AGO March 11, 1971 - Low numbers of deer and an elk population that is not increasing as fast as the elk hunting pressure were the basic considerations on which the Colorado Game, Fish and Pa...

The spring thaw will be quickly upon us. The irrigation ditches will need to be readied to accept the glorious flow of water. To ensure the hay meadows receive the optimum amount of precious water, so...

50 YEARS AGO March 4, 1971 - Anyone who is interested even in a small way, in preservation of Ouray County’s history and artifacts, should make a firm commitment to be at the meeting next Sunday, Marc...

Dear Editor: It pains me that we are engaging in a heated political debate over a giant new American flag in the valley. C’mon folks, can’t we save our brain power and passion for other, more pressing...

Ouray reached a climatological and human tipping point last weekend. Cabin fever had settled in quite nicely after 12 days of mostly cloudy weather, including to continuous snow days. Some was the ult...

50 YEARS AGO February 18, 1971 - Student Editorial from “The Voice of Troy” - Prejudice is a dangerous disease which is afflicting America today. It seems that the majority or dominant group do not su...

Ridgway is 130 years old next month. Ridgway’s story is also a railroad tale, so let’s look back. Silver and gold were found in the San Juans in the years following the Civil War, and newcomers “rushe...