By Mike Rosso
Outside my window the sun is shining. The lawn is revealing signs of green and the lilac bushes are cautiously budding. This past winter came and went, not like a lion, but a lamb. Sure, there were a few snowy days here in Salida, but they were the exception. The snow shovel barely saw any action, nor my snow boots (this may still change – after all, this is Colorado).
Even my wood pile, which by now is usually getting quite thin, still has stacks of good seasoned fuel, which will go back in use next fall.
I’ve skied a few times this winter and hope to go at least once more before the lifts cease to run, but am always grateful for the arrival of Spring. It is by far my favorite season. Longer, warmer days, plant life coming out of hibernation and baseball practice at the school next door.
Soon it will be goodbye to coats and hello to sandals and T’s. Also, hello to flies and mud. I can’t wait.
We’re introducing a new column this month; Eye on the 5th, written by veteran reporter Daniel Smith, which will keep tabs on the doings of our own Fifth District congressperson Doug Lamborn. The former Kansas lawyer has managed to hold onto his seat since 2007, despite an impressive array of talented and qualified election opponents.
Since the congressman rarely makes visits to his constituents in Central Colorado, we thought it would prudent to begin following his legislative agenda, such as his never-ending quest to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, all of which he apparently feels are terrible dangers to society and prevent us from making America great again. If you haven’t been following the doings of this career politician, you might be in for some surprises.
[InContentAdTwo] This brings up an interesting topic in these times of “fake news,” reality TV and journalists under attack by the king of Mar-a-Lago. A few weeks ago I was surprised to hear a friend remark that he didn’t think I was going to get political when I took over this magazine from Ed and Martha Quillen. They were not ones to shy away from political discourse and, in an effort to keep continuity in the publication, I decided to keep political reporting as part of the monthly content. What I have said is that I prefer not to use Colorado Central Magazine as my personal soapbox but, what we choose to write – and not write – about does reflect this publication’s particular ideological leanings.
Unlike a local newspaper, we are a periodical, not a paper of record, and do not shy away from publishing the opinions of our regular and guest contributors. We rarely prompt them on a given topic. The editorial content comes about in a more organic matter, often related to the big stories of the day. Opinion columns are submitted, subjected to standard copy editing and proofreading, and printed as-is.
On occasion I’ve reached out to folks I know on the other side of the political spectrum to contribute commentary reflecting their own views but as of yet have had no takers. With all the polarization we are witnessing in our country today, I firmly believe that merely “preaching to the choir” will not help us resolve our differences or find much needed common ground. Today, it is easy to cloister ourselves in an informational echo chamber to reaffirm our own opinions and biases. It is more difficult to hear other sides or even to determine what is truth and what is fiction.
Our perceived political leanings at Colorado Central may have lost us some subscribers but have likely gained many more to make up for those losses. The last thing I wanted to do was neuter this publication and avoid any controversial topics in order to appeal to the largest common denominator. For those folks, there is always Cat Fancy magazine. We will continue to offer meaningful content that directly impacts our readers, for better or worse.
