A fire early Thursday consumed much of Cano’s Castle, a folk art landmark in Antonito near the New Mexico border, officials said. Dominic “Cano” Espinoza, the castle’s builder, is safe, and no other injuries were reported, Antonito police officer Olga Cortez said. The cause of the fire remained under investigation Thursday morning. Espinoza could not […]
Antonito
New Mexico marijuana legalization poses a serious threat to Colorado’s lucrative border-town pot shops
TRINIDAD —When Colorado legalized the retail sale of marijuana in 2012, savvy entrepreneurs saw an opportunity beyond setting up shop in population centers like Denver and Boulder. They realized if they opened cannabis businesses in small towns along the state’s borders, they could attract customers from Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, where […]
A historic San Luis Valley locomotive will tug passengers again thanks to a coal lot of love
ANTONITO – When Engine 168 chugs away from the station here in late June with about 60 passengers ensconced in four refurbished 19th century train cars, it will be the culmination of years of dreams, historic preservation work and an investment of nearly $4 million. And perhaps less visible but surely onboard will be the […]
San Luis Valley ranchers see dividends in saving water for fish. Are they on to something?
Nathan Coombs, a burly alfalfa farmer in the San Luis Valley, never imagined he would trust an environmentalist enough to have a beer with one, much less partner with one to improve habitat for fish in the region’s rivers and streams. As manager of the Conejos Water Conservancy District, Coombs cares first and foremost […]
In southwest Colorado, high tech plays in the mud to produce ecologically sound architecture — and art
In the middle of Colorado’s San Luis Valley, a progressive architecture and design firm is proving that everything old is new again. Also, that the future is mud. Combining indigenous mud-based building materials with 21st century robotics, California-based Rael San Fratello created the oddly beautiful structures of “Casa Covida,” their “proto-architectures” that connect high- and […]