Read why Virginia Sutherland, a second generation rancher in her 80's, feels that Tessera Solar (or anything similar) must not be allowed to be built in the San Luis Valley!

Trout Unlimited has signed a draft agreement with the federal government that would shield the group from liability in the cleanup of Kerber Creek in Saguache County. The agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would cover the group in its efforts to reclaim scattered tailing piles and waste rock on private land in a 17-mile stretch of the creek.

It’s official! Tessera Solar North America announced the submittal of an official application to Saguache County for the first concentrated solar project in the San Luis Valley. Others are rumored to be close on its heels. Until the application is deemed to be “complete” and is officially “accepted” by Commissioners, citizens are not allowed to make any comments or ask any questions.

Plans are in the works for a Southwest Bio-Regional Earth First! Rendezvous and Organizers' Conference, August 20-22, in the beautiful San Luis Valley of Colorado. The rendezvous site is near the town of Saguache, in the Rio Grande National Forest. Exact site location and directions will be released some time in early August. They are seeking teachers and trainers to help facilitate workshops in direct action, civil disobedience, forest defense, eco-defense, and more... We must build the skill sets and face to face relationships of trust and affinity necessary to effectively defend our bio-regions and land bases. The size and organization of this event will in many ways reflect our current state as a force to be reckoned with in the Southwest, which is to say that this will be a small gathering with less structure and organization than other rendezvous in bio-regions where the EF! presence is more established and experienced. Though an informal communal kitchen will be formed, please come prepared for self-sufficiency and inclement weather. Water for filtration or other purification is available on site. Contact southwestearthfirst@riseup.net for more info or to get involved or visit http://southwestearthfirst.wordpress.com/

The company proposing the largest solar plant in the San Luis Valley submitted its final permit application to Saguache County commissioners Tuesday. Tessera Solar is proposing to build a 200-megawatt plant on 1,526 acres that would sit roughly eight miles southeast of Saguache.

This weekend, Senator Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass) will be joined by Rep. Ed Vigil (D-Alamosa) and John Stulp, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, at several SLV events. Please join them!

SATURDAY:

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Morning get-together
Where: Lu's Main St. Cafe, 609 Main St., Blanca, CO

11:00 AM - Noon: Meeting Colorado Potato Administrative Committee with Commissioner Stulp
Where: CPAC Building, 1305 Park Avenue, Monte Vista, CO

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Town Hall meeting
Where: Carnegie Public Library, 120 Jefferson Street, Monte Vista, CO

SUNDAY:

10:00 AM: Open conversation with the public
Where: Wolf Creek Lodge (at the Wolf Creek Resort), Top of Wolf Creek Pass Hwy 160 E
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147

1:00 PM: 10TH ANNUAL Celebration of Ranching and Frontier Spirit
Where: Saguache Community Building, Saguache, CO

A West Virginia man is in custody after leading authorities on a 13-mile chase Sunday night in which speeds reached up to 100 mph.

One of the world's biggest solar companies withdrew its application to develop a power plant on federal land in the San Luis Valley, the Bureau of Land Management announced Monday.

Objectors to a proposed 2.4 square mile solar electric installation near Saguache met with Saguache County Commissioners Friday to discuss their perceptions of the project. The proposal by Tessera Solar of Houston, Texas, is for a 200 megawatt solar plant which would sell power to Xcel Energy. Tessera personnel conducted a public information meeting Nov. 24 regarding the project and it created concerns.

Tessera Solar continued its quest to gain public support Tuesday as it prepares to propel its proposed 200-megawatt solar facility through the Saguache county regulatory process. But locals told the company it hasn't addressed noise and how the project would effect neighbors, livestock and wildlife.

Saguache Downtown Renovation Project
The Saguache Downtown Renovation Project, with the assistance of HistioriCorps hosted a volunteer cleanup on Saturday, which ended with a barbecue dinner for all volunteers.

Foster to Serve Three More Years
Judge Martin Gonzales sentenced Ronald Foster, 50, to three additional years in prison Sept. 23 after deciding that the sentencing decision he was required to render involved aggravated circumstances from a previous offense.

A new volunteer organization aimed at sprucing up historic buildings will launch its inaugural effort Saturday. HistoriCorps, with an assist from Colorado Preservation, the Forest Service and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, will be removing and replacing rotting beams on buildings in the Forest Service's complex, along with scraping and painting windows.

Small towns often have to overcome the challenge of hearing people say, "There's nothing to do here!" But Chris Gydesen answered that call for the downtown of Saguache by purchasing and renovating Ute Theater on Fourth Street. The movie theater is now open for your enjoyment and use! Chris and her husband live just outside of Saguache, and have loved Saguache and the surrounding community for a long time. "The timing just felt right to me to do this," remarked Gydesen. "We're excited about the downtown revitalization plans for Saguache, we have a lot of ideas for different uses for the space and we believe there's a need for independent theaters to bring back a sense of community in these small towns." The theater sits in a building originally built in 1916 that was remodeled to accommodate a theater in 1947. It closed in 2005 and was in need of repairs when Chris purchased it. They have installed handicapped seating and new, comfortable seating in the middle section of a theater that can handle about 185 individuals. She painted the lobby in the same theme as the 1947 Manley popcorn machine that came with the building. "This baby still works, adds a lot of atmosphere on movie nights, and makes the best popcorn in the world!”

Gydesen hopes to rent out the theater for private parties, meetings and trainings, live theater, plays and other community events. Members of a local community theater group just finished their first talent/variety show in late August and they have a melodrama called “A Golden Fleecing” coming up. It will be at the theater on Saturday, September 19th at 4:30 p.m. to coincide with Saguache’s Fall Festival. It will also be performed at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 20th and donations will be accepted at the door.

Chris met Donna Wehe, Director of the Small Business Development Center, through her involvement with the Saguache County Sustainable Environment and Economic Development group. SCSEED and the SBDC are offering business support services to anyone who is in business or wants to start a business in Saguache. After touring the renovated theater, Donna was impressed by every detail - especially the attractive lobby area and the foreign/independent film offerings. One of the challenges for independent theater operators is that they often don't know which film they will be showing until just a few weeks before show time. The third Thursday of every month is when Chris is showing foreign films with English subtitles or Independent Films at 7:30 p.m. The next one showing on September 17th will be Lorna’s Silence, which is the new film written and directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Belgian brothers whose highly recognizable, frequently imitated style has won them recognition nearly everywhere in the world. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every weekend at 7:30 p.m. they show a new release. The phone number for the Ute Theater is 719-655-6300. The voicemail will let you know which movie will be showing as well as remind you that there are a lot of choices in the concession stand.

Motivational Speaker
Well-known Colorado motivational speaker Craig Conrad hosted a two-hour speaking engagement at Mountain Valley School Monday, addressing high school students on the topic “Unstoppable You.”

Lyn Miles Honored
Last Wednesday evening, friends, family and co-workers gathered at the Oasis Restaurant for a buffet dinner to honor Saguache County Sheriff’s Office secretary Lyn Miles for 30 years of faithful service.

Rio Grande National Forest officials hope to learn a few things about how wild their wilderness is this weekend. More than 100 students from Colorado College will began scouring two of the forest's wilderness areas in an effort to survey human impacts such as ground disturbance, unofficial trails, noxious weeds, tree damage and litter.

The first $87 million of a half-billion-dollar state program to build better schools in Colorado will be used for five projects in San Luis Valley. Funding also has been allocated to Costilla and Saguache counties for projects ranging from new school construction to roof replacement.

The Sangre De Christo elementary school was originally built in 1922. It's been the educational starting place for many of the community’s families, several of which have children who are third and fourth generation students at the school. Inside, cast iron radiators are the schools sole source of heat. The second floor drinking fountain doesn't work, and hasn't for several years. The scoreboard in the original gym still hangs on the wall, the score stuck at Home 79 Visitors 98, even though it has long since been converted into office space, a library, and a computer lab.

Mountain Valley has been busy making sure the 2009-10 school year will be one to remember. With the aid of grant money lots has been accomplished from roofing projects to new courses, to computer programs that will enhance learning. The school has been looking at numerous projects and adding and enhancing them all. Construction is still going on as the placement of a new roof is being completed on the school. This is to ensure that school will not have to be cancelled every time it snows. This is a project that has been ongoing for 2 years and will be complete by the end of August. The cafeteria will benefit the most from the new roofing project which replaces the old leaky roof currently on the building. There is a new preschool playground complete with swings, a slide, climing equipment, tricycles and wagons.

State Senator Gail Schwartz, who co-sponsored the legislation that created the program, said the new energy-efficient school buildings would keep funding in the classroom as opposed to paying heating bills.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sprinkled nearly $136,000 in federal stimulus funds on three San Luis Valley Head Start programs Friday. Head Start programs in Saguache County, Del Norte and Monte Vista each received funding to aid their mission of providing economically disadvantaged children with preschool education.

Most movie lovers get their fix with the price of a ticket or a click in their Netflix account. But Chris Gydesen went another route. Gydesen purchased and renovated the Ute Theater in Saguache and threw open the doors last month. The theatre shows top-run movies at 7:30 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and a foreign film feature every third Thursday of the month.

Saguache Court Clerk Lynne Thompson has seen some amazing changes in how the county’s court system works during her career and has made her own contributions to bringing the courts into the 21st century. Now she will be retiring after 14 years.

The San Luis Valley has won a fair share of the latest Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Lottery grants. In Rio Grande County, the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust (RiGHT) received $520,000 to conserve River Bend Ranch. A $200,000 grant went to La Jara in Conejos County for a sports complex and The Fort Garland Park project in Costilla County netted $43,410. Saguache County received $191,940 for the Vista Grande Parkland acquisition.