Publisher's Notes Summer 2004

Welcome to Telluride, Colorado, a resort town that celebrates the natural life. Telluride is a place that is brawny and bold and agile and nimble. It’s a town high up in the San Juan Mountains that is the embodiment of the Rocky Mountain’s pristine waterfalls, rivers, lakes and wildlife sanctuaries. It is a place that responds to the cry of the eagle as well as the marvelous sights of wildflowers, billowing clouds and iridescent sunsets. Telluride’s Victorian charms are the ultimate incarnation of a “natural town,” that intricately connects to the rhythms and benevolent qualities of nature. Just as nature innately reacts to the perpetually changing environment, so too, do the citizens of Telluride acclimatize to their political surroundings. In a word, Telluride is a town that takes on the spirit of the nation. Telluride’s overall magnetism is that it is highly passionate. Telluride’s strong patriotic character is best personified in our Fourth of July parade. En mass, Telluridians and their families and friends line the streets to celebrate the soul of America. As a tribute to all those who have contributed to the prolongation of freedom’s sweet chimes, we dedicate this issue. As our Red, White and Blue issue, please take time to read our Fourth of July article on page 70, the lead-in to High Style on Ambassador Richard Holbrooke on page 114, and Seabiscuit, America’s beacon of hope during the Depression Era, on page 60. Lawyers Jim Craft and John Horn, postman Jim Looney, publisher Wendy Rodriguez, teacher Carlotta Horn, entrepreneurs J. Michael Brown, Shawna Hartley, Jack Wesson and so many other stories in TellurideStyle ceaselessly speak of the self-determination of our people.
Someone in the great state of Wyoming said to me a couple of summers ago, “If I were to die tomorrow, I want my children and grandchildren to know the most important gifts in my life have been my family and the Constitution of the United States of America. I would go to my grave for either.” I don’t remember the gentleman’s name who said this to me, but I do remember the fervor in which he said it. Imagine, he implied, being part of a country where to merely voice your opinion, you could be burned at the stake. Imagine, if you were a woman who simply looked into a man’s eyes the wrong way, you could be maimed. Further, imagine being part of one of the countless societies where education, public debates and freedom of press are not basic rights, but rather the hunting ground for malevolent predators to crush ideas, filch dialogue and forcefully compel everyone to assimilate into their narrow-minded notions. Institutionalized thinking not only breeds mediocrity, it contracts the minds of individuals, rendering them incomplete and ignorant. The vivacious soul of America’s society thrives on those caring enough to reject what assaults their psyche and abuses their personal liberties. Tried and true Americans don’t wear blinders, seeing and hearing only what they want. Selective hearing is not part of their being for they are not programmed to be resistant to other ideas, religions and cultures, but rather know America’s fundamental principles are to do what is good and fair for the whole, as we are a nation of nations.
For all intents and purposes, America is about checks and balances, about personal liberties, the right to pursue happiness and the respectful acknowledgement for others to put into practice their belief systems without condemnation or threat. Intelligent Americans, in my opinion, are not dormant or sluggish; they are levelheaded citizens who act as arbitrators of the diverse. They understand and respect the leanings of the left and of the right, but act judicially, carrying forth their state of mind. It is in this state of mind, that we become artful citizens endowed with the glory of expression. As predators are to prey and the sun is to the moon, America needs the ying and yang of both parties, Democrats and Republicans. It is with this state of mind, we become part of a natural community; one that grows with the tides of times; one that remains in balance with ebbs and flows; one that is respectful of the inner-workings of the multitude, yet knows when it’s time to take a stand.
When you leaf through TellurideStyle absorb the sensations our fabulous town emits. Pick up on the vibrations of Telluride’s fantastic “red, white and blue” character. From the shopkeepers to the myriad of service providers, first and second homeowners and outdoor enthusiasts, we are sure you will find Telluride’s beauty is much more than meets the eye. It’s a natural, national gem that is jam-packed with one-of-a-kind festive opportunities.
Enjoy and be at one with an entire host of outdoor diversions, lifestyles and events.