JOAN MAY … It has been a singular pleasure to work with Joan on the County Board of Commissioners. She is bright, fair, of the deepest integrity and understands the difference between good governance and campaign posturing. Turns out we locals are not the only ones to notice. She has just been appointed to a prestigious U.S. Forest Service’s National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule (Planning Rule FACA Committee) … Both as a National Association of Counties subcommittee chair and as a friend of several members of USFS leadership, I’ve been strongly advocating that the Forest Service utilize the kind of citizen advisory help that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management uses with their Resource Advisory Councils. It’s wonderful to see the agency do exactly that with the Planning Rule and doubly great to have a local political leader chosen for membership on the 21-person group … The Planning Rule FACA Committee will advise and give recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Their duties will include 1) Review the content of and provide recommendations on directives related to implementation of the planning rule; 2) Offer recommendations on implementation of the planning rule, based on lessons learned and best practices; 3) Offer recommendations for consistent interpretation of the rule where ambiguities cause difficulty in implementation of the rule; 4) Offer recommendations for effective ongoing monitoring and evaluation, including broad-scale monitoring, for implementation of the planning rule; 5) Offer recommendations on how to foster an effective ongoing collaborative framework to ensure engagement of federal, state, local and Tribal governments; private organizations and affected interests; the scientific community; and other stakeholders; and 6) Offer recommendations for integrating the land management planning process with landscape scale restoration activities through implementation of the planning rule … This is a feather in the cap of Colorado, San Miguel County as well as Joan herself. It’s wonderful to see her receiving national recognition for the fine leader she is

MARK FISCHER … It was great to join Elaine Fischer, my other talented colleague on the County Board of Commissioners, past winner and this year’s contest judge Kiersten Bridger and Telluride Arts in honoring the late Mark Fischer with our 14th Poetry Prize in his name last week. The Steaming Bean hosted a great reading including local winners Elle Metrick of Norwood and Beth Paulson of Ouray, a Skype reading by a Colorado Springs winner, and the in-person word magic of first place winner Wayne Lee of Santa Fe.

ED QUILLEN … Ed died of a heart attack last weekend in Salida, where he and his wife and two daughters made their home over the last couple decades. A newspaper editor, founder of the monthly Colorado Central (still publishing), and a brilliantly witty rural columnist for the Denver Post, he cast a large shadow. His grasp of Colorado history was second to none. He successfully used humor to skewer right-wing ideas (and sometimes left-wing ones). He was uncompromising with the truth and unafraid to take positions at odds with many of his fellow citizens … For years he was one of the star speakers/participants in Western State College’s Headwaters Conference (the school is set to change its name to Western State Colorado University this summer). His hotel room, thick with cigarette smoke, was often the haven for long, late-night discussions on a wide-ranging assortment of topics. All of which Ed would expound on with unique perspectives and withering arguments … He and Martha were generous too. More than once they invited me to sleep at their home in Salida, and in spite of the haze (I detest cigarette smoke – having grown up with smoking parents) I would gather with others in fascination and awe around their kitchen table for more brilliant discussions … He’d cleaned up his act of late. Had stopped smoking (mirable dictu!). And begun to seriously exercise. But the hard-living life of a journalist with its deadlines, public debates and passionate opinions caught up with him … Colorado has a lost a great one. And many of us have lost a dear friend.

SHARON SHUTERAN … Telluride is still reeling from the sudden passing of a local icon – our good county judge. The memorial on Saturday drew a large crowd to the Palm as we all tried to deal with losing someone who was quintessential Telluride. From the government of Bhutan to words of friends and family and an elegant eulogy from Rick Silverman, it helped us face the loss of one who had married community involvement with judicial reserve, fairness with compassion … But, even with the ceremony, it’s still hard to believe we’ve lost her.

PEACE WALK … Join us Monday, June 11th at noon at the county courthouse for our monthly walk down Colorado Ave. for peace. Hard to believe two things – that we’re still doing this (it’s been over a decade!) and we’re still at war.

JEB BERRIER … Heard rumors that our local Douglas “Faux” Fairbanks roasted me at the Telluride School graduation, even though I wasn’t there to defend myself. The comedic cad! But who can take anyone seriously whose name rhymes with derriere? … Be on the lookout, actor man. Revenge is coming.

THE TALKING GOURD

Blue

Blue as the solid ice

in Shelf Lake early June,

hard as tourmaline stone,

Blue sends me sliding

to a gate I cannot open,

though a part of me

could knock it down

faster than a shot

of brandy on

a finger-numbing day,

after hours of climbing

in the snow.

Maybe time never

takes the steam

out of this hot drink.

Maybe there's a root

that digs below,

keeps growing.

Maybe it's just

the ice blue gate

of your eyes.

-Linda Keller

Denver