Frogs, Toads and Salamanders
Aren't All in Magic Potions

The Colorado Division of Wildlife has developed a new brochure to make it easy for the public to identify the amphibians and reptiles found in our state. The Quick Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of Colorado (or Colorado Herpetofaunal Atlas) will be available to the public at DOW offices throughout the state.

The brochure can be used in conjunction with the Colorado Herpetofaunal Atlas web page, which helps researchers collect information from the public about the distribution, abundance, and population trends of amphibians and reptiles. It's hoped that the new brochure can help the public help the experts who observe our wildlife.

 To access more information and the Colorado Herpetofaunal Atlas visit: http://ndis.nrel.colostate.edu/herpatlas/coherpatlas/

What Should They Expect?

"What's a pregnant woman to do?" a headline in the Leadville Herald-Democrat questioned, after the St. Vincent Hospital Board voted "to suspend obstetric care," at least temporarily.

So does that mean pregnant women should move elsewhere? Or that women about to give birth will be turned away?

Unfortunately, no answers to that question were forthcoming. Instead the Board discussion and the newspaper article revolved around finance and staffing problems. But the matter will apparently be up for public discussion at St. Vincent's July 28 board meeting.

In other business, St. Vincent Hospital is currently building a 18,500 square-foot medical clinic in Buena Vista to replace the current 2,000 square-foot facility there. It will include twelve examination rooms, along with private office spaces, a nurses' working area, an ambulance bay, an urgent care area, several waiting rooms, and home health care and physical therapy centers.

And when we went to press, the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida was still reviewing sites for a new hospital, and had made no announcements.

Write Your Representative?

High Country News warned readers that government officials don't necessarily pay much attention to their mail these days. If you want to air your views on a current issue, HCN contends, mass e-mails and form letters don't mean much at all, and even postcards aren't as effective as they used to be. The publication warns that government organizations often ignore missives that aren't "substantive," meaning letters that don't contain new information, and correspondence that merely reflects opinion. But despite such problems, HCN concluded, "The bottom line, say organizers, is that sending in something is always better than sending in nothing."

For those of you who feel that this is just another example of government arrogance, we have to admit that even Colorado Central is sometimes targeted by mass mailing campaigns, and is thus forced to ignore some mail -- because if we didn't all of our time and space would be devoted to curbing stem cell research.

HCN says that the BLM got 65,000 responses to a draft environmental impact statement released in December, and most of those responses were e-mails and printed postcards sent by environmental groups. So what kind of weight should an agency give such repetitive missives?

We have no idea, because even though citizen opinion is clearly paramount to conducting a democratic society, a lot of mail doesn't necessarily mean more supporters; it merely means that some political organizations are very determined -- and lobbyists have extensive mailing lists.

Local Highs and Lows

The Fallen Biker Motorcycle Rally at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds over the Memorial Day weekend was a success, and Salida's 57th Annual FIBArk Festival was the best ever, with downtown merchants reporting record sales. The Denver Post's annual Ride the Rockies bicycle event and the Bicycle Tour of Colorado both stopped overnight in Salida this June and Salida's Art Walk fared well. The annual Brewer's Rendezvous in Riverside Park on July 2 drew 1,800 visitors, and even weekdays have been busy. So all in all, summer sales and crowds have reportedly been much better than average this year.

But the Rocky Mountain Iron Motorcycle Rally, which was supposed to bring as many as 10,000 bikers into Salida over the July 4th holiday weekend, was a bust with only a few hundred arriving. Bikers claimed that the festival fell apart because of the massive police presence in Salida. But the police countered that their ranks wouldn't have looked nearly so abundant if the predicted number of bikers had shown up.

Chaffee County Sheriff Tim Walker and Salida Police Chief Mark Mathies told The Mountain Mail that they had merely assembled a standard-sized force to handle a crowd of thousands (and had actually started dismissing extra patrolmen as soon as it became clear that the gathering wouldn't warrant them).

Despite a pallid motorcycle turnout, however, merchants throughout Central Colorado seem very enthusiastic about this summer season - except for those who think "it's too damned crowded."

Noncompliance

In 2002, the Colorado State Parks Board passed a regulation requiring that people using inner tubes, air mattresses, or similar devices in the Arkansas River Recreation District must wear personal flotation devices. But lots of people apparently aren't, so AHRA rangers are actively enforcing the regulation by issuing citations.

Rangers would clearly rather have river recreationists safe rather than sorry, though, because recently there have been several local newspaper stories to warn people about the rules and potential citations.

Heat Wave

Parts of Colorado broiled in the 100s, Salida baked in the 90s, and even Gunnison simmered in the upper 80s in July. Aside from feeling more like global searing than global warming, the heat has created dry conditions and a lot of worry about wildfire. But rain has arrived and the weather men are predicting more -- whereas just two years ago many seemed convinced that it might never rain here again.

SPC Leaves For FBI

Mark Mathies, the Salida Police Chief, resigned his post in early July to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Mathies told the Mail he had struggled with the decision to go to the academy for some time, but "it is not an opportunity that will ever come again, and thus I have accepted their invitation." Mathies became Salida's Police Chief in December 2002.

Delinquent Driving

In an attempt to improve teen driving and reduce tragic driving statistics, Colorado state law changed July 1. The new law prohibits drivers under 18 from carrying passengers under 21 in their car until they've had a valid licence for six months; teens can't drive between midnight and 5 a.m. until they've had a valid license for one year; and drivers under 21 cannot have more than one passenger in their car for at least one year, although the law exempts parents and guardians, along with immediate family members under 21 if they're wearing seat belts, and situations where there's a medical emergency or there's an adult driver in the car who's held a valid license for over a year. The law also outlines exemptions for teens driving to and from school or work.

On August 10, Colorado law will make it illegal for teens under 18 with learner's permits to use cell phones while driving. But it will still be legal for experienced teen drivers and adults to distract themselves with phone calls and thereby endanger other drivers.

Reporter Dead

Michael David Reed, a Salida resident and former Mountain Mail reporter, was found dead in his cell at the Frémont County Detention Center; where he had apparently hung himself using sheets. Reed was charged with several counts of sexual assault on a child, and had been transferred to the facility for a court appearance.

Frémont County Coroner Dorothy Twellman said, "This is the second apparent suicide at the Fremont County Detention Center in as many years."

Quotes

"In the midwest we would simply wash our car or hang the laundry on the line to make it rain. In Buena Vista, apparently all it takes to receive much needed moisture is to schedule a balloon festival."

Letter from Rick Gaus to the Chaffee County Times.

"Will a blanket water augmentation plan that has the potential for allowing sprawl growth hurt or help the Valley's beauty?"

Bud Piquette, manager of the Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District, responding to an Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District proposal.

"Trib Got the Columbias Mixed Up; the Point is Here; the Peak's in the Collegiates"

Wet Mountain Tribune headline over a letter by Cindy Howard which explained that 14,073 ft. Mt. Columbia in Chaffee County was not named to honor the tragic space flight -- even though 13,980 ft. Columbia Point in Custer County was.

"Like many dogs, mine loves to munch on carrots."

Amber Dolan in an Ark-Valley Humane Society column.

"Do The Full Monte - Stay, Eat & Shop in Monte Vista"

The Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce website.