by Mike Rosso
Here it is, our final issue of 2014. Looking back, we’ve covered quite a bit of ground – geographically, culturally and historically. Along the way, we’ve sadly lost a few of our readers as well as a valued contributor, but we’ve also gained new subscribers and some brand new voices to the magazine.
Our website got a makeover earlier this year and is full of great content dating back to the very beginning, 1994. Oddly enough, our Facebook “likes” have just exceeded our actual subscription base. Not sure what that really means, but we do seem to have quite a few fans out there.
In this issue, we explore the “twin” or sister city designation of Salida and Lago, Italy, the ancestral home to many area residents. This designation is exciting for many reasons, among them being the opportunity to visit Lago and enjoy the wonderful food, wine and culture that Italy has to offer. The designation is also close to my own heart as all of my grandparents emigrated from Italy, with my mother’s side coming from Calabria, the same region as our new sister city. Like many of the early Salida settlers, they arrived in a strange new land seeking new opportunities, where they had to learn a new language and new customs while striving to maintain some of their old and familiar ways. The scenario is still being played out here in the U.S., with immigration reform making the headlines just this month.
Only one other community in our coverage area has a sister city, and that is Fremont County which shares that designation with Kahoku, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan and Valday, Russia. We’ll take a closer look at those communities in a future issue.
We’re featuring a new column beginning this month: The Real Deal Music Review, in which Salida musician Brian Rill reviews new albums by regional musicians. Artists interested in having their CDs reviewed should send them along to us at P.O. Box 946, Salida, CO 81201. As a “string plucker” myself, I’m very excited for the opportunity to promote and feature the many talented musicians found in the Central Colorado region.
I’d also like to give a big thanks to all of the gifted artists who have contributed great cover art for us over the years. As the gateway to all the content within, the high-quality artwork we’ve been fortunate to run helps us to maintain a level of quality we strive for every month, not only in art but in the writing as well.
Thanks again for reading Colorado Central. See you in 2015!
