We had two of our eight grandkids come and spend some time with us. We had some fun times and made some wonderful memories. Every morning came early and every evening ended quickly. Now we a re used...

Dear Editor: I am responding to your "Firing fallout" article regarding the Ouray Schools superintendent. A similar incident occurred some years ago in Moore County, North Carolina, where I reside mos...

Dear Editor: We are living through an unprecedented moment of crisis in our history. During this public health crisis, your county governments are on the front lines of the response to and recovery fr...

The joy of eating out after a long day, the fun of meeting friends for a drink or the convenience of buying a cup of coffee on the way to work have disappeared from our lives for a while. Gov. Jared P...

Dear Editor: So now our leaders are struggling to find a qualified candidate to fill the road boss job. Let’s pay a recruitment firm sci,ocio to do their job for them. Here is a thought: Let’s up the ...

Dear Editor: With our schools closed and families sheltering in place, we want to remind everyone that you can still participate in the 2020 Census. The 2020 Census is now available online and via you...

It’s been a dire news month, given the COVID-19 global pandemic on our doorstep, leading otherwise mostly sane people to doom surf the latest statistics at bedtime and sleep badly later on. In Ouray, ...

I’ve always been a dreamer, and I hope that never changes. Sixty-three years ago I was daydreaming in a first grade classroom in Ridgway while the teacher said blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Twelve yea...

We are living in extraordinary times. If you think that’s an overstatement, consider the last time you were unable to take a dip at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool or you couldn’t find an item at the groce...

Dear Editor: We would like to respond to two pieces in the most recent edition of the Plaindealer. First, the feelings expressed by Mr. Hellman in his letter to the editor are understandable, especial...

Recently I was fortunate enough to travel to New Zealand. I tell you this not to make you envious (you should be though, it’s an amazing country), but to of course bring to light new driving tips. Now...

District 59 constituents are vocal, regularly letting me know how they think, and what I should do about it. By far, the issue concerning them most, generating the most heat and presenting the most co...

The month of March on the ranch is jumping with activity. All the tractors are in use feeding hay to the cows and horses. The heavy equipment is in use clearing snow piles and diverting muddy runoff f...

Dear Editor: In a recent letter to the editor entitled “What kind of country do we want to be” Debra Menger claimed to be a fiscal conservative. I wonder if she was in favor of the tax bill that favor...

What were you doing in third grade? Mike was among the denizens of Dartmouth Elementary School in Aurora dutifully learning multiplication tables and sentence diagramming, while longing to play outsi...

Living in Ouray County affords us with countless opportunities to enjoy the surrounding beauty simply by walking out the front door. It also means, however, that we may spend more time than we’d like ...

Dear Editor: To those people who are concerned about socialism, I would like to point out that both the public library and the public schools meet the definition of socialism. I like them both and wou...

Slow progress on education funding More than ever, I am hearing about the struggles with Colorado’s school funding formula. Educators want a livable wage, administrators want more safety precautions a...

Dear Editor: Colorado's economy continues to grow every year, yet the state is near the bottom of the list of states in funding K-12 education and teacher pay, according to the Colorado Education Asso...

Editor’s note: We hope you enjoy the first column from our newest contributor, Willie Richardson of Ridgway. Willie is a natural storyteller who has translated his ability to mesmerize audiences by a ...