1. 50Cents
Trinidad
Colorado
Proudly Serving Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico • www.thechronicle-news.com
~
Vol. 139, No. 6
Thursday
January8,2015
AREA SPORTS
BASKETBALL
THUR: La Veta @ Aguilar 5:30 p.m.
FRI: Florence @ Trinidad 5:30 p.m.
Hoehne @ Swallows Charter Academy
(Pueblo West) 4:30 p.m.
SAT: Trinidad @ Colorado Springs
Christian School 4 p.m.
Kim @ Primero 4 p.m.
Swink @ Hoehne 2 p.m.
WRESTLING
SAT: Trinidad @ Lamar (TBA)
SUN: Denver Broncos host Indianapolis
Colts in NFL Second Round Playoffs @
2:40 p.m. on CBS
SPECIAL NOTICE
The Chronicle-News 2014 Collec-
tor Mugs you’ve all been waiting for
are here and waiting for you to come
pick them up.
Today’s Quote
“Perfection is not
attainable, but if we
chase perfection we
can catch excellence.”
~Vince Lombardi
JANUARY 8
Autism Support Group
THURSDAY (6 p.m.) Autism Aware-
ness & Support Group for parents with
challenged children in any area will meet
at 315 E. Strong Ave. Refreshments will be
served. Info: Linda Thompson, 719-680-
2638.
New Evening Writers’ Group
THURSDAY (6 p.m.) The Trinidad
Writers’ Group will meet at 109 E. Fifth St.
Info: Dana Miller, 719-422-8352 or dan-
amiller65@gmail.com.
Trinidad Catholic Cemetery
THURSDAY (6:30 p.m.) Association
meeting will be at the Knights of Columbus
Hall, 205 S. Commercial St. The public is
invited to attend. Information: 719-846-
4934.
Raton Choral Society
THURSDAY & FRIDAY (6:30-8 p.m.)
& SATURDAY (2:30-4 p.m.) Auditions
for “Hello Dolly” will be held in the Shuler
Theater and the Isabel Castillo Performing
Arts Center. Information: Bill Crary, 575-
445-5682 or plainsongstudio@msn.com
Water Association
THURSDAY (7 p.m.) Greetville-Car-
bondale Board of Directors will meet at the
Century Financial Group, 109 W. Main St.
Information: Jeni Skalko, 719-846-2080,
ext. 116.
JANUARY 9
SPBC Fire District
FRIDAY (10 a.m.) The Spanish Peaks/
Bon Carbo Fire Protection District Board of
Directors will meet in the Century Financial
Group Building, 109 W. Main St. Info: Dana
Phillips, 719-846-2080.
Art Show Reception
FRIDAY (6-8 p.m.) Free opening re-
ception of the art show “Untouched Pure
Photography” by a number of artists at
Gallery Main, 130 E. Main St. Info: 719-
846-1441.
Art Show Gala
SATURDAY (5-7 p.m.) No admission
to the opening reception for the annual
Members’ Show to be held at the SPACe
Gallery, 132 W. Ryus, LaVeta, which will
run through March 1. Info: 719-742-3074.
SW Youth Art Show
SATURDAY (2 p.m. DEADLINE for
entries) The 3rd annual Shades of the
Southwest Youth Art Show opens at Ra-
ton’s Old Pass Gallery, 145 S. First St.
in Raton, on Tuesday, Jan. 13 and runs
through Feb. 1. Info: 575-445-2052.
Guadalupe Society
SUNDAY: Potluck dinner will be held
after 11 a.m. Mass and Rosary at Holy
Trinity Church with dinner at Holy Family
Hall. Questions, call Rose Mestas at (719)
846-3647.
Meditation Group
SUNDAY (11 a.m.) Free Meditation
Group will meet at the Lava Yoga Studio,
828 Arizona. Info: Noah Simpson, 719-
680-0109.
Spanish Club Fundraiser
SUNDAY (3-7 p.m.) Redwing Electric
is hosting a Mexican Dinner fundraiser
event for the THS Spanish III Club at Bue-
nos Restaurant on N. Commercial St. Info:
719-680-1715.
PUBLIC SERVICE
SW Youth Art Show
JANUARY 17 (1 p.m.) Opening re-
ception for the 3rd annual Shades of the
Southwest Youth Art Show will be held at
Raton’s Old Pass Gallery, 145 S. First St.
in Raton. Show runs through Feb. 1. Info:
575-445-2052.
SUPPORT YOUR HOMETOWN
SHOP LOCAL: Dine out and shop area
and downtown merchants for special Jan-
uary sales and promotions. Help Trinidad
thrive!
Doggie Donations!
And kitty too — the Noah’s Ark pantry
can always use dog and cat food supplies,
which will be used to help elderly and in-
need residents maintain their pets. If you’d
like to make a donation of food or funds
stop by the animal shelter at 224 N. Chest-
nut St. or call 719-846-8578.
TheFinePrint
WeatherWatch
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near
53. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east
northeast in the afternoon. Night: A 10 per-
cent chance of snow between 11 p.m. and 2
a.m., then areas of snow and freezing drizzle.
Areas of freezing fog after 2 a.m. Mostly
cloudy, with a low around 18. North north-
west wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Areas of snow and freezing drizzle
before 11 a.m. Areas of freezing fog before 11
a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly
sunny, with a high near 34. South wind around
5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.
West southwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near
48. West wind around 5 mph. Night: Partly
cloudy, with a low around 21. West wind
around 5 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near
46. West wind around 5 mph. Night: Mostly
cloudy, with a low around 21. Calm wind be-
coming west around 5 mph after midnight.
RiverCall
Purgatoire River Call as of:
01/07/15. Elmoro ditch: Prior-
ity # 8 --- Appropriation date:
11/15/1862.
Trinidad Reservoir Accounting:
Release .02 AF
Inflow 51.02 AF -- 25.72 CFS
Evaporation 0 AF
Content 15,100 AF
Elevation 6,176.03
Precipitation 0
Downstream River Call / John
Martin Reservoir: 12/31/1948.
TheChronicleNews
Artwork by Trinidad artist
Paula Little is featured on the
2014 Collector Mug Series from
The Chronicle-News
DILIGENT FIREARM SAFETY
TSJC becomes first NRA Certified Training Center
By Greg Boyce
Special to The Chronicle-News
Trinidad State Junior College
is pleased to announce a partner-
ship with the National Rifle As-
sociation to launch the first ever
NRA Certified Training Center
in February of 2015. Approved by
the Department of Education and
the Higher Learning Commission,
this affiliation allows students to
use federal financial aid, the GI
Bill and Vocational Rehabilitation
benefits to help pay for their fire-
arms safety training.
Five classes teaching the es-
sentials necessary to earn NRA In-
structor Certification credentials
will begin on February 19, 2015.
“More than 100,000 NRA Cer-
tified Instructors teach nearly
1,000,000 students the basics of
safe, effective use of firearms ev-
ery year,” said NRA General Op-
erations Executive Director Kyle
Weaver. “Partnering with Trini-
dad means America’s longstand-
ing tradition of gun ownership has
never been more secure.”
Trinidad State President Dr.
Carmen Simone expects to receive
applications from all over the
country. “It’s about education and
gunsafety,”saidSimone. “Andwe
have a great opportunity to train
the trainers who teach people how
to properly handle firearms.”
Classes are divided into two
groups: Basic and Instructor. To
gain a NRA Firearms Safety
Instructor Certificate,
students must com-
plete 18-credit
hours. The classes
include basic
pistol shooting,
followed by an
instructor level
pistol shooting
class. Other class-
es cover rifles,
shotguns and muz-
zle loading firearms.
A public speaking class
is required along with a practice
teaching course.
“The thing that most people
don’t know is the NRA’s primary
business since they started was
education and safety train-
ing,” said Gunsmithing
Instructor and Asso-
ciate Dean of Career
and Technical Edu-
cation Keith Gip-
son.“We’veworked
a long time to get
this together.”
Trinidad State’s
affiliation with the
National Rifle As-
sociation dates back to
1977. For 37 years, students
have signed up for nine weeks of
gun-related summer classes. More
than 20 additional classes are on
this year’s agenda thanks to the
new NRA partnership.
Thenewcurriculumalignswell
with Trinidad State’s renowned
Gunsmithing school; a two-year
program that trains individuals to
become professional gunsmiths.
Trinidad State also operates Pra-
tor Gun Range, a shooting com-
plex located six miles southeast of
downtown Trinidad. The complex
offers trap and skeet shooting as
well as multiple rifle and pistol
lanes. Lectures for the new classes
will take place at the range and the
main campus.
For questions or to register,
contact Donna Haddow at 719-846-
5541, 1-800-621-8752 ext. 5541 or don-
na.haddow@trinidadstate.edu.
Classes scheduled for the
spring of 2015 are listed at nra.
trinidadstate.edu.
The Chronicle-News file photo
Members of Trinidad State’s Prator
Gun Range located east of Trinidad
frequently meet for target practice at
the popular range.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Photog Show ‘Untouched’
opening at Gallery Main
Bids come in
high on airport
striping project
By Steve Block
The Chronicle-News
Las Animas County’s Board of
Commissioners had hoped to get
new striping on the runway area
at Perry Stokes Airport, which
is located east of Trinidad. The
County budgeted $10,000 in Colo-
rado Department of Transporta-
tion (CDOT) funding for the strip-
ing project, but at Tuesday’s Board
meeting it was revealed that the
only bids received projected costs
of more than twice that amount
and the Board and County employ-
ees considered other ways to im-
prove the striping at the airport.
County Administrator Leeann
Fabec said that Eric McClure, the
County’s airport consultant, had
gone out to bid on the striping proj-
ect on behalf of the County, but one
of the bids received was for $25,000,
and the other came in at $29,000.
Fabec said that McClure had told
her that 75 cents per square foot
was a typical price for airport
striping projects, and the $25,000
bid was consistent with that cost
per square foot. The $29,000 bid
had a cost of approximately 90
cents per square foot. Both bids
came from companies in the Den-
ver area, and each would have
charged a $5,000 mobilization fee
to come to Las Animas County to
do the work.
The County plans to repave the
runway in 2016, using funding pri-
marily from the Federal Aviation
Administration and the CDOT’s
Aviation Division. Fabec said Mc-
Clure’s concern was to get striping
installed that would last until the
repaving project was completed.
“McClure’s question to us was
could we come up with the extra
$15,000 for this striping project,”
Fabec said. “He had one sugges-
tion that would have eliminated
some of the new striping and saved
us about $5,000, but we would still
need $10,000 to $15,000 out of the
County’s improvement funds.”
Commissioner Gary Hill asked
Fabec if there was anyone in the
local area who could complete the
striping project, and thus avoid
that $5,000 mobilization fee. Fabec
said she would ask McClure that
Steve Block / The Chronicle-News
County Administrator Leeann Fabec addressed the County Board of Com-
missioners about the runway striping project at Perry Stokes Airport. Com-
missioner Anthony Abeyta is to the left and Administrative Assistant Kathee
Adams is to the right.
Continued on Page 4 ...
Courtesy of Gallery Main and Michelle Goodall
The two prints above are from a collection by local photographer Michelle
Goodall that will be part of the new exhibit ‘Untouched’ at Gallery Main.
By Eric John Monson
News Editor
The Chronicle-News
“It’s a great thing to feature lo-
cals and photography. Photogra-
phy gets overlooked a lot I think.
And yes, it’s always inspiring to
see what others do,” says Michelle
Goodall one of the featured local
artists in an upcoming photogra-
phy show opening Tuesday, Jan.
16 at Gallery Main on Main Street
in Trinidad.
The show, organized by the
Trinidad Area Arts Council
(TAAC), is titled “Untouched” and
is billed as a “pure” photography
show that features unaltered pho-
tographic images by local photog-
raphers such as Goodall and local
artist Peggy Westmorland. For
area photographers interested in
entering the show, time is running
CREATIVE DISTRICT
Continued on Page 4 ...