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Colorado Parks and Wildlife Rebound From Hunting License Delays

DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife suspended sales of leftover limited licenses and over-the-counter with caps licenses for nearly three hours on August 5. An unprecedented volume of hunters purchasing various tags caused stress on the system and forced CPW officials to halt sales statewide. As sales resumed at noon, a record number of licenses were […]

City Receives North Gateway Park Grant

The City of Lamar’s grant application for funding for North Gateway Park improvements has been approved, but City Administrator John Sutherland and Parks and Recreation Director, Rick Akers said it will take several months before the City of Lamar receives funding for the Fishing for Fun grant.  Lamar was one of several Colorado communities that […]

Celebrate Statehood with Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) joins the celebration of Colorado’s acceptance into statehood with free access to all Colorado State Parks, Aug. 4. Colorado was first recognized as a state Aug. 1, 1876. The first Colorado State Park emerged some eighty short years later. “The preservation of beautiful places for everyone to enjoy is a uniquely […]

Tourism to Area National Parks creates over $1.5 Million in Economic Benefit

Report Shows Visitor Spending Supports 21  Local Jobs A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 23,324 visitors to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in 2013 spent $1.28 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 17 jobs in the local area.  The same report shows that 4,795 visitors to Sand Creek […]

Canyons & Plains Halts NHA Feasibility Study

Press Release As a result of public meetings held in June, Canyons & Plains of Southeast Colorado has decided not to proceed with the pursuit of a Feasibility Study for a National Heritage Area in Southeast Colorado. According to Rick Manzanares, Executive Director of Canyons & Plains, “While the Board of Canyons & Plains believes […]

LCC Students Get Their Hands on History While Earning College Credit at Bent’s Old Fort

The National Park Service, through Bent’s Old Fort, is generously supporting the local community by providing funding for students of Lamar Community College (LCC) to participate in a hands-on field school. From July 14th to August 14th, several students from Lamar Community College will be working with the facilities NPS staff at Bent’s Old Fort […]

Fallen Wildlife Officer’s Fundraiser Brings in Thousands for His Children’s Fund

DENVER – The Colorado Wildlife Employee Protective Association honored the memory of fallen Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s District Wildlife Manager Jon Wangnild by hosting hundreds of people, including 140 competitors, at the The Jon Wangnild Memorial Sporting Clays Shoot, June 29 in Brighton. The fundraiser brought in approximately $20,000 to be placed in a trust […]

Share the Spirit Foundation Plans October Cooking Class

The Prowers County Lodging Tax Panel approved $2,400 of a $6,000 request for marketing funds from Share the Spirit Foundation.  The philanthropic organization is hosting a New Orleans style cooking class and tasting event to raise funds for local children and throughout Colorado.  Through various events in past years, Share the Spirit has raised funds […]

Amtrak CEO Makes Whistle-Stop Visit to Lamar, La Junta

Joe Boardman, Amtrak President and CEO visited with Lamar Mayor Roger Stagner and City Administrator, John Sutherland and other well-wishers this past Friday, July 11.  Boardman was making a tour of several cities in Kansas and Colorado, meeting with local officials, regarding the future of the route of the Amtrak Southwest Chief between Albuquerque, New […]

Big Game and Turkey Licenses For Sale August 5

DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) offers big game licenses for elk, pronghorn, bear, deer and turkey, to residents and nonresidents, beginning at 9 a.m. (Mountain Daylight Time) Aug. 5. This is the first time all big game licenses (leftover, over-the-counter with caps, unlimited over-the-counter) are for sale at the same time. Leftover licenses are what remain […]

Evans’ “Proclamation to the Friendly Indians”

This article is part of a series by the National Park Service concerning the 150th Anniversary of the Sand Creek Massacre. As rising tensions and several murders contributed to war on the High Plains in the summer of 1864, Colorado Territorial Governor John Evans proclaimed that “the friendly Indians of the Plains” needed to go to […]

Lamar Receives Funding to Complete Sportsplex Fields

The Lamar Sportsplex, known at its origin as the Four-plex, has been funded for completion of the remaining two ball fields, according to Rick Akers, Lamar Parks and Recreation Director this past Wednesday, July 2.  Lamar’s application was one of several grants selected from nine made to Greater Outdoors Colorado for funding.  The 36 applications […]

The Fireworks Fall on Friday, the Fourth

  This year’s annual fireworks display at the Prowers County Fairgrounds will start at about 9:20pm, according to Lamar Fire Chief Marshall Cook.  The 4th falls on a Friday this year and fair skies have been predicted for that evening.  Cook said with all the recent local rainfall, there is not much of a chance […]

Part 2 of the Proposed Lamar Parks, Trails and Recreation Master Plan, Reviewed June 24

    Bicentennial Park is easily the most visible open space area in the City of Lamar, due to its proximity to Main Street, just south of the Municipal Building.  Except for some special occasions, the park is seldom used.  Last year, a locally produced mural was erected on the property as part of the […]

Packing the Park with Family Fun Day

The second annual, LiveWell Prowers County, Family Fun Day had a full crowd enjoying perfect summer weather this past Saturday, June 28 at Willow Creek Park. The Lamar Swimming Pool hosted residents of all ages for a free swim from 1 to 5pm, as families found the perfect way to stave off some of the […]

Lamar Parks, Trails & Recreation Master Plan Displayed

    The Lamar Parks, Trails & Recreation Master Plan was discussed Tuesday, June 24 in a public meeting at the Lamar Community Building and hosted in part by Britina Design and members of the Healthy Places Initiative.  The initial design draft was described as a mixture of challenges and opportunities, and much of the […]

July 4th Events at Sand Creek Massacre NHS

A hundred and fifty years ago, a conflict between settlers and the Cheyenne and Arapaho impacted the peoples of Colorado. This war, the peace initiative to end it, and the subsequent massacre at Sand Creek of about 200 people all impacted Indian Policy, Plains warfare, and the future of the United States. Today, Sand Creek […]

Celebrate July 4th “1840s-Style” at Bent’s Fort

Cannon firings, games, speeches and a parade headline the festivities at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site on Friday, July 4 as the park celebrates the great American holiday in 1840s fashion. Two flags that have flown over the fort will be given away and a piñata break will send kids scurrying for candy in […]

Getting on the Road for Main Street Development

  Kristin Cypher, Vice-President of Britina Design, led the public discussion during the Wednesday, June 25 morning meeting to discuss downtown Lamar improvements in light of future construction plans for Main Street by CDOT next year. This was a follow up meeting to review suggestions from residents to develop an open and friendly downtown area.  […]

Granada/Bristol & Wiley, Hot Fun in the Sun

  Temperatures climbed into the mid 90s this past Friday and Saturday for the annual Granada/Bristol and Wiley Hay Days.  Granada/Bristol residents lined their streets at 10am on Saturday for the parade which highlighted the 23rd annual festival.  The frog & turtle race, Argie’s Famous Flyover and horseshoe tournament rounded out the activities, as well […]