50 Centstrinidad Colorado

Proudly Serving Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico • www.thechronicle-news.com

~Vol. 139, No. 6

thursdayJanuary 8, 2015

AREA SPORTSBASKETBALLTHUR: 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.WRESTLINGSAT: Trinidad @ Lamar (TBA)SUN: Denver Broncos host Indianapolis

Colts in NFL Second Round Playoffs @ 2:40 p.m. on CBS

SPECIAL NOTICEThe 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 8Autism Support GroupTHURSDAY (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’ GroupTHURSDAY (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 CemeteryTHURSDAY (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 SocietyTHURSDAY & 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 9SPBC Fire DistrictFRIDAY (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 GalaSATURDAY (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 ShowSATURDAY (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 SocietySUNDAY: 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 GroupSUNDAY (11 a.m.) Free Meditation

Group will meet at the Lava Yoga Studio, 828 Arizona. Info: Noah Simpson, 719-680-0109.

Spanish Club FundraiserSUNDAY (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 SERVICESW Youth Art ShowJANUARY 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 HOMETOWNSHOP 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.

the Fine Print

Weather WatChThursday: 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.

river CallPurgatoire River Call as of: 01/07/15. Elmoro ditch: Prior-ity # 8 --- Appropriation date: 11/15/1862.

Trinidad Reservoir Accounting:Release .02 AFInflow 51.02 AF -- 25.72 CFSEvaporation 0 AFContent 15,100 AFElevation 6,176.03Precipitation 0

Downstream River Call / John Martin Reservoir: 12/31/1948.

the ChroniCle neWs

Artwork by Trinidad artistPaula Little is featured on the

2014 Collector Mug Series from The Chronicle-News

DILIGENT FIREARM SAFETY

TSJC becomes first NRA Certified Training CenterBy Greg BoyceSpecial 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 gun safety,” said Simone. “And we 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’ve worked 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.

The new curriculum aligns well 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 photoMembers 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 projectBy Steve BlockThe 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-NewsCounty 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.

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Courtesy of Gallery Main and Michelle GoodallThe 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 MonsonNews EditorThe 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

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