La Veta – Cuchara Valley Blog

A Christmas Shopping Blog

Here’s blogging you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our Home to Yours. We just finished unwrapping our presents from one to the other – and it made me happy to realize that 99% of our gifts were found RIMBY – Right In My Back Yard!  Paper and ribbon is here and there! Weather station from True Value; Polar Fleece & T-shirts from Dakota Duke’s; Nuts, Fudge & Fruits from Charlie’s (as well as today’s Christmas Dinner & Breakfast), boots, jewelry, hats, gloves, soaps and jammies from North by Southwest, Desert Expressions and Valley Winds; Books Galore from Book Nook; Beautiful earrings for my sister from La Veta Fine Art Gallery. We also donated a La Veta Gift Basket to the recent fundraiser for the Cuchara Valley Recreation Foundation – it included items from Two Old Goats, Serado Valley, Ricky Tims, Gene Vories, Kathy Hill, Polly Harris, Kit Pogue, La Veta Coffee – What a great selection of gifts we have here in our La Veta/Cuchara Valley. We all try to shop at home through the holidays and into 2011! Money spent here with our local merchants keeps giving and giving!   Liz

See our Cuchara Christmas Story post at http://www.CucharaRealEstate.com

The Benefit to raise funds for the Cuchara Mountain Resort Foundation was a big success.  In a great evening of dancing and prancing, La Veta Inn was packed with locals, dignitaries and general supporters.  Cash Donations along with silent auction of  donated Art fetched us over $4,400 to contribute toward the Resort efforts.  Special thanks to all the contributor/donors.   Thanks also to Eric Bachman, Bob Reece, Ricki, Karen, Charleen, Liz, musicians, artists and everyone else that helped bring this effort together and to everyone that attended. 

This is truly the season to enjoy all the holiday cheer and gatherings that abound in our wonderful La Veta/Cuchara Community. Here is a quick holiday listing of some of the wonderful events coming up:

Sunday, December 12^th – House Concert at David & Annie Enke’s – featuring legendary Don Richmond. Also joining the concert will be Don Conoscenti. 5:30 p.m. – Potluck; 6:30 – Music begins. Bring what you enjoy (drink & food) and a little extra to share. Generous donations for the musicians will be gratefully accepted. 722 E. Francisco St, La Veta, CO – 719-742-5303

Hope you can join us – and we wish you all a Happy Holiday Season!

Liz & Jerry Henson

We decked ourselves out for last Saturday night’s Progressive Dinner sponsored by SPACe as a fundraiser for their current building expansion project. We purchased the last 2 tickets for this sold-out event – and what an event it was! We began with hors doerves at Pinon Hill Pottery – deliciously prepared by Theresa Quiroga. We then proceeded to SPACe gallery where the tables were beautifully set with candles, a crisp salad bowl to share with our tablemates and French music in the background. Here the food was prepared by many volunteers using recipes by Judith Baker-Montano and served by our local high school girls. With the cool evening weather, we all walked to La Veta Fine Art Gallery where we were served a fabulous array of desserts. Down the block at North by Southwest, The Savages played their music and Jill Whitmore served wine at The Silver Dollar Building where she has set up a temporary Christmas gallery of her glass art. Congratulations to everyone involved for another WONDERFUL beginning to the holiday season!  We had a great time!  Liz Henson

More positive steps were taken this past week for the Cuchara Mountain Resort. Huerfano World Journal reports that our Huerfano County Commissioners have given their preliminary OK  to the project by conditional approval on an  application for a smaller scale Recreation District.  Attorneys felt that was more appropriate than the previously considered Metropolitan District.  And The Signature reports that the Cantrells have indeed now officially Closed on the purchase and the Resort Deed has been recorded.  A design group has been hired to begin work on the recreational plans.

Sandra Dolak has recently been selected as one of only 200 National Grant Reviewers in the United States.  She has been involved in writing health related grants for a number of years.  Dolak was named Huerfano County Citizen of the Year in 2007.  Sandy also currently owns North by Southwest gift shop on Main Street here in La Veta.  Congratulations Sandy and thank you for all your work and contributions.

Well it’s that time again.  Rumors are flying around about the Cuchara Ski Resort.   Has it sold?  Will it reopen?  There are nearly always some  ongoing discussions between prospective buyers, principal shareholders, lien holders, lenders, tax authorities, Forest Service and other various parties in the ski mountain resort property.   Those discussions always have a potential to produce a change in stake-holder positions of ownership, control or influence.   We believe that to be the case right now.  New positioning  may become apparent in the near future, but this may not necessarily represent a formidable new buyer with new capital and a new operating plan.  At least not just yet.  But we remain hopeful and even optimistic.   April Fools Day is tomorrow, so anything could happen I guess.

Huerfano County Board of Commissioners will meet tomorrow, Dec.9 at 10:00 for the final vote to approve or reject the proposed Silver Mountain Wind Farm Project.  Planning & Zoning has recommended a denial of the Application, but Commissioners will have the final say.  A large crowd is expected (and encouraged) to attend.

The Timbers restaurant in Cuchara is back open.  After a 2-week close, they were serving their fine dining entrees again last night.  We took clients up for a great dinner and Tally and Taylor were providing friendly service in the relaxed atmosphere of the Timbers.   Glad to see them back in action again.

The Rural Property Owner’s Assn. and C.S.U. Extension will host a Noxious Weed Workshop this Saturday, June 20, at Huerfano County Community Center.  Our Spring rains have germinated weed seeds more than usual. While the Lupin and Leafy Spurge produce a pretty flower bloom, they are as noxious as the Thistle and can take over an entire pasture, choking out the grasses and starving the livestock and wildlife.