Gonzo journalist’s widow co-edits Woody Creek mag
Woody Creek – The first issue of The Woody Creeker, a magazine co-edited by Anita Thompson, debuts today on the anniversary of the death of her husband, gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
The magazine will be available first to people in Woody Creek, where he lived, and will go out to subscribers later this week, Anita Thompson said Sunday.
Hunter S. Thompson shot himself in his home Feb. 20, 2005, following health problems. In August, friends and family held an elaborate private memorial service at his farm. His ashes where shot out of a 15-story cannon in the shape of a fist.
On Sunday, Anita Thompson made public a rarely seen photograph of her husband at his website, gonzostore.com. She has said she was offering the photo as a free download to fans who had asked her about marking the anniversary of her husband’s death.
“Thank you so much for your letters, cards, and e-mails this past year,” she said in a note posted Sunday on the site. “I read them and I cherish them. I hope I can repay the favor over the next few years by making more of Hunter’s work and life available to you.”
AVON
Gondola developer decries city’s delays
The developer of a proposed gondola connecting Avon with Beaver Creek says its schedule is being imperiled by delays in the town approving it.
East West Partners wants to build a gondola to entice people to buy or lease property on 18.9 acres of land it owns along the Eagle River. The company hopes to have the gondola, which would connect to Beaver Creek’s Mountain Express chairlift, ready for the 2007-2008 ski season.
Spokesman Chuck Madison said the gondola should have been ordered in January to meet the proposed schedule and that the final deadline is March 1.
The Town Council has twice tabled the project and will take it up again on Feb. 28.
“There’s still a lot of open items,” Councilman Mac McDevitt said. “And if you don’t table it, you’ve got to put in a whole lot of stipulations. So I thought it was better to table it.”
FORT COLLINS
Study shows satellites track invasive plants
Satellites can be used to track plant invasions, according to a new report by NASA and U.S. Geological Survey scientists in Fort Collins.
Thomas Stohlgren, an ecologist with the survey, compared NASA satellite data with field test results on tamarisk, an invasive plant. Stohlgren and his colleagues found that they could not only map the current distribution of tamarisk using satellite data, they could also identify areas vulnerable to the spread of the invasive species.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified tamarisk – also called saltcedar – as one of the most harmful invasive plants in the country. The plant’s deep roots tap into underground aquifers and rivers, affecting the amount of water available for other species.
The research appears in the February edition of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
STATEWIDE
Offices close, parking is free for holiday
Today is Presidents Day, a federal holiday. Most federal, state, county and municipal offices will be closed. There will be no mail delivery.
Parking meters are free in Denver.
Call ahead if you’re uncertain about a holiday closure.
DURANGO
Man convicted in Ute reservation slaying
A man accused of killing another man on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.
A federal jury also convicted Eric Lopez on Friday on two counts of using a minor to commit a crime of violence, but he was acquitted of second-degree murder.
Lopez, of Towaoc, was accused in the beating death of Tracy Lopez, also of Towaoc. The men were not related.
Investigators said Eric Lopez believed his wife, Gloria Lopez, was having an affair with Tracy Lopez. Gloria Lopez had told the FBI that she was having marital problems and was living with Tracy Lopez.
Prosecutors said Eric Lopez and two male teenagers went to Tracy Lopez’s home late April 3, and that Eric Lopez struck the victim in the head with a tire iron. The defense argued that one of the teens, a 16-year-old, struck the fatal blow.
Both teens pleaded guilty to lesser charges in exchange for testifying against Eric Lopez, according to statements made in court.
Eric Lopez faces up to 30 years in prison, Assistant U.S. Attorney James Candelaria said.
Defense lawyers had not yet decided whether to appeal.
