The end of Gategate?

Mark Franklin asserts his innocence, pleads 'no contest' two years after being charged with livestock endangerment for closing a corral gate in San Juan County.

Rumor Mill: Construction in Cow Canyon

A Canyon Echo reader writes, "I noticed today (April 1, 2019) that there is a line of orange/white cones alongside the west edge of US 191 down Cow Canyon. I also see heavy equipment blading and trenching in the US 191 western shoulder. Is this for the fiber optic line (Emery Telecom)?" Sources familiar with … Continue reading Rumor Mill: Construction in Cow Canyon

Lefty’s Soap Box: Aphids and Ladybugs (March 1996)

Aphids are nasty little critters. Their joy is ganging up on the flowers of chiles and sucking all of the life out of them. Outdoors, at least in Bluff, aphids are seldom a problem. Sometimes they cluster on the flowers of the Siberian peas, but they are easily sprayed off with a hose, or the wind blows them off, or the ladybugs get them.

Spring Fever: The gardening bug bites (March 1996)

By Linda Richmond The days have been warm and sunny, the crocus and daffodils are blooming, the elm trees bloomed weeks ago, and local gardeners have the urge to plant something. In the vegetable garden, peas, lettuce and carrots can go in now. Surveying my meager compost pile, I wondered if I could plant a … Continue reading Spring Fever: The gardening bug bites (March 1996)

Bluff Beekeepers Calendar: March

Wes, KB, and I have spent the rest of March cleaning old frames, checking for wax moths, and getting our sites ready (wind break, some shade) for new colonies.

Letter: Turkey vultures return for the summer

Dear Editor, A sure sign of spring is the return from the south of our resident flock of turkey vultures. I started keeping notes almost 30 years ago when I realized our soaring neighbors returned to Bluff on almost the Vernal Equinox every year and after keeping track for a couple of years could predict … Continue reading Letter: Turkey vultures return for the summer

Excerpt: A Traveler’s Guide to Monument Valley (1993)

Through numerous western movies and, more recently, a multitude of commercials and advertisements, millions of people from around the world readily recognize the monoliths of Monument Valley. Despite the region's incredibly diverse topography, ranging from yawning chasms to saw-toothed, alpine mountains, it is Monument Valley’s red sandstone buttes, mesas, and pinnacles that most people consider the quintessential image of the American Southwest.

Arches Sutra (Poem)

Walk with me into the borderless kiln of tenderness; all we know and are is this clay.

SITLA representative answers questions about proposed solar farm in Bluff

Bryan Torgerson, resource specialist for Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), attended the Bluff Town Council meeting on Tuesday night to discuss a proposed solar farm on the Bluff Bench. Community members joined the council in asking Torgerson questions about the proposal. Torgerson said the advertising period where companies could submit lease proposals … Continue reading SITLA representative answers questions about proposed solar farm in Bluff

San Juan County Commission Fails to Pass Resolution in Support of Oil and Gas Leasing on Archaeologically Rich BLM Lands

An investigative report by Reveal magazine stated recent sales in San Juan County include the “most archaeologically rich parcels ever offered for industrial use.” In 2015, the Obama administration deferred numerous leases in the area because of concerns over cultural resources.