| A valedictory This past Friday, I was honored to see off some good friends. It was a bittersweet gathering — a celebration of 20 years of local journalism down in Cortez, with the alt-monthly The Four Corners Free Press, but also a send-off, as co-owners Gail Binkly, David Grant Long and Wendy Mimiaga halted publication in February. I could detail the importance of the independent voice, along with the long-time community weekly, The Cortez Journal. (Disclosure, I once worked there. And Gail and David were kind enough to give me regular column space at the Free Press for several years after I left.) I'm not expecting anyone here to have heard of the Free Press (you can read about The End in this Colorado Sun piece) but the people in Montezuma County and southeast Utah have, and the publication meant something to them (even if not everyone was a fan). Gail, Wendy and David, along with many contributors, drilled deep on local issues; provided lively opinion pages and the unforgettable "Crime Waves," which was David's often hilarious take on the police blotter. (There was ample material, trust me.) The appreciation party Saturday came through the volunteer efforts of many, and was spearheaded by George Cheney. It featured speeches by Art Goodtimes, my high school English teacher, who will always be "Mr. Feela" to me, many friends and contributors, and Richard Ballentine, whose family publishes the Durango Herald and the Cortez Journal. For me, it was also something of a reunion with my old town. The second I walked in the door, a local sandwich shop owner instantly recognized me as "a Heidelberg," and told me the sign my dad painted for him 35 years ago was still up. I had to smile, because the last time I had visited Cortez, I had noticed it, and taken a picture. It is nice to see my dad's work still standing, more than 13 years after he left us. The day, though was for the Four Corners Free Press. I am sad to see the Free Press go — but the send-off at least matched the magnitude of Gail, David and Wendy's two decades of contributions. I'm not much of a drinker, but I will always raise a glass to local journalism.
Speaking of local … I don't know if you know about The Forum, but you should. It's a weekly gathering, free to all, at which selected topics are presented and detailed. The Forum meets 8 - 9 a.m. Wednesday's at CMU's Cascade Hall on South Third and Cascade. Sometimes, its announcements don't align with the Daily Press' deadlines, so I want to make sure no one misses what is coming up this Wednesday. It is a comprehensive, but accessible, look at the parks and open space administered by the city. Montrose Parks and Special Projects Superintendent Daniel Payne will fill your brains with the details about: 38 developed parks, 160 acres of open space and 1,000-plus acres of riparian/wildlands; the river corridor, paved trails, single-tack hiking and biking, Buckhorn Lakes and — believe it or not — Cerro Summit. It's free information, y'all! Come check it out. And put on your calendar the April 3 Forum: Artificial intelligence as used by the Montrose County School District.
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