contract writer - Crestone eagle

  Cinco de Mayo means “Fifth of May” in Spanish, and to lots of people that simply means a day to party with Mexican beer and food. But to those who understand its history, it means a day to honor and celebrate Mexican-American heritage, and the values and contributions of brave men and women who stood for freedom and independence. Approximately 45% of the San Luis Valley (SLV) identifies as Hispanic, or Hispano (descendants of the valley’s original Mexican families.) Many of the towns and communities throughout the SLV bear Hispanic names, and today still maintain the architecture, style, culture, and traditions of their Spanish or Mexican origins. It is not surprising, then, that the SLV will host numerous celebrations for Cinco de Mayo.

Celebrations in the Valley 

Saguache- Saguache will be hosting its eighth annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Block Party on Main Street from 5pm to 9pm on Friday, May 5th. Dinner will be served, and guests will enjoy music, dancing, and local preschoolers will be performing the “Mexican Hat Dance.” Laurie Vigil from HEART of Saguache/KV is organizing the event and states, “Cinco de Mayo is important to Saguache to honor and engage our Hispanic community. We have had great success since 2016 celebrating the unique cultural heritage of Saguache.” Vigil notes that every year the number of participants grows, and that many families come from quite a distance to join local relatives in the festivities. 

Saguache resident Laura Abeyta commented, “Some community members enjoy collaborating, promoting ethnic consciousness, and building community engagement in festivities. In our little community, it comes down to the practice of preparing Mexican dishes, keeping the culture alive while enjoying family time, and handing down generations of recipes and memories.”

Monte Vista- The OptiMystics Citizens Action Network is hosting the third annual Cinco de Mayo Street Festival from 11am until 8pm on the 100 and 200 blocks of Adams Street. As the holiday falls on a Friday, many kids will be out of school, so there will be many kid-friendly activities such as face painting, a bounce house, Hall’s Way Escape Room, and lots of fun games. Local businesses will be offering specials, and there will be food trucks, over 45 craft vendors, dancers, a beer garden, a car show, and a low rider car cruise to honor our veterans. There will be a DJ to get people dancing in the streets, and at 5pm live music will kick off with the maraca-style music of Moonshadow Marauders, followed by Mariachi San Luis. 

Alamosa- Julie Chacon, Executive Director for the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area, is overseeing the annual Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Cinco de Mayo Block Party which will be held between San Juan Avenue and Main Street from 4:30pm to midnight in Alamosa. Festivities will include dancing and dance instruction, food and beverages, live music, and much more. “Our annual Cinco de Mayo Block Party is a great opportunity to get out and learn traditional and cultural dances and music of our ancestors,” says Chacon. “Our ancestors used to get together for celebrations under the night sky through dancing, listening to music and being amongst friends.” The event will be coordinated with Alamosa’s First Fridays, a monthly celebration of art, entertainment, shopping, and dining. Businesses will be offering specials and will stay open late, and there will be vendors along the Market on Main.

Crestone- Celebrate the Cinco de Mayo on the dancefloor with reggae artist Pato Banton. Hosted at Crestone’s Cloud Station, doors open at 8pm. 

Why do we Celebrate Cinco de Mayo?  

The Cinco de Mayo holiday commemorates the victory of a small volunteer army of Mexican soldiers over 6,000 French troops at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. The following year, Latino men and women in southern California began to observe the day to show support and solidarity with Mexico against French rule. With the American Civil War taking place, it was a way to express their views on democracy, freedom over slavery, and racial equality. By the 1930’s the observance had spread into other areas of the US, and by the 1960’s it had become a widely celebrated holiday among Mexican-Americans, especially the student and social movements of the time. These celebrations often needed sponsorships, and alcoholic beverage companies took notice and began to use the holiday as an opportunity to sell Mexican beer and other beverages. Thus, the party spirit of the holiday was established.

While the holiday is celebrated in the state of Puebla, Mexico, it is not a notable holiday for most of Mexico. In the United States, however, it has become a distinctively Mexican-American holiday and a way to celebrate Mexican heritage with traditional foods, folkloric music and dancing, battle reenactments, and community gatherings.

Some people erroneously mistake Cinco de Mayo for Mexico’s Independence Day. That day, however, is September 16th. National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place September 15th to October 15th as a celebration of the histories, cultures, achievements, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. 

On May fifth, when you’re enjoying that early summer cervesa and a tasty plate of the great Mexican food available in the San Luis Valley, take a moment to acknowledge the many contributions the Hispanic culture has brought to the area. Whether it’s your own family, or the family of your neighbor, the San Luis Valley has been enriched by the talents and efforts of the Hispanic community. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo as the fun and festive holiday that it is today and remember that it is based on the belief in freedom, equity, and democracy. 

  In the early morning hours on Tuesday, April 18, what is believed to be an electrical fire began in the Reptile Barn of the Colorado Gators Reptile Park. An employee living nearby noticed his power was out and went inside the Reptile Barn where he discovered the fire. The fire department arrived within 20 minutes and as they moved in to fight the fire, they found themselves tripping over tortoises. It quickly became an effort to grab up all the terrestrial turtles they could find and carry them to safety. Despite heroic efforts by the first responders, more than 180 animals were lost in the fire.

Of the several dozen lizards living in the Reptile Barn, only one survived. A caiman lizard aptly named “Phoenix.” The day after the fire, Erin Young found a tortoise named “Thing 4” which had survived the fire. These small victories were cause for celebration among so much sadness and loss.

It could have been much worse, however, as the fire remained contained to the single structure. “The Mosca-Hooper Volunteer Fire Department did a fantastic job of saving our other buildings,” commented Lynne Young. “They also called in Alamosa and Center departments. We are extremely grateful to all of them.”These efforts saved hundreds of other animals, and no alligators are known to have been injured during the fire.

In the aftermath of the fire, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called for Colorado Parks and Wildlife to investigate the park and revoke its permit to prevent it from reopening. PETA has frequently targeted what it calls “roadside zoos” as having unsafe and unhealthy living conditions for animals, and cited previous occurrences where alligators died due to a clogged hot water pipe during cold conditions. 

CPW responded to these allegations and is allowing the Gator Farm to continue operations, stating in a comment to KRDO.com that, “The Colorado Gator Farm is a licensed zoological park. It is subject to inspections from CPW, has met all the minimum requirements to maintain its license and has accommodated additional recommendations made previously by CPW. Through its inspections, CPW has found no prior violation that would have led directly to this fire…”

This is a heartbreaking time for the Gator Farm, but it is only one chapter in a long history of hard work, dedication, and service to animals and community. 

In 1974, Erwin and Lynne Young came to the San Luis Valley (SLV) with their four young children and a “live haul” truck full of tilapia, a type of African perch popular in many culinary dishes. They had experience raising fish in Texas, and Erwin had studied the geothermal waters of the SLV and had decided that raising tilapia to sell live to restaurants would be just the ticket for his family’s future. After purchasing an 80-acre farm with geothermal wells, they began raising fish commercially and were soon faced with the dilemma of how to dispose of the remains of fish that came with the process. Enter the alligators. 

They started with about 100 yearling alligators in 1987, which thrived in the warm ponds created from the property’s geothermal wells. Curious locals began sneaking into the property to see if the rumors of gators were true, and the Young’s saw an opportunity to share their work with the public. Colorado Gators opened to the public in 1990 and quickly became a favorite destination for visitors. Today, the park welcomes around 40,000 people each year, and some of those first gators have now grown to over 12-feet and weigh over 600 pounds. 

As the Gator Farm became established, people started dropping off exotic pets such as snakes, tortoises, lizards, and other animals that they could no longer care for. Domestic animals were also taken in. At one point, nearly 60 abandoned emus, who were near-death, were brought to the Park by local authorities. The work of the Park expanded from fish production to animal rescue.

The Youngs found themselves caring for animals that were dangerous or even illegal as pets and educated visitors about what makes a good vs. deadly pet. Erin Young shared, “Some of the animals [that we rescue] are legal to keep as pets, but don’t make good pets, such as the sulcate tortoise, which is adorable as a baby, but can grow to 250-[CP6] pounds and live to 150 years.” 

The Youngs are also active in community and civic activities and have served on the SLV Tourism Association for years, donating their time and business services to promote tourism for the entire Valley. 

The fire that swept through the Reptile Barn was a heartbreaking blow to the Young family and the staff who care for the animals. Nonetheless, Jay states, “As devastated as we are, we still have 500 animals to care for, and they rely on us.” Even with all the loss they are coping with, the Gator Farm continues the work of animal rescue. Just days after the fire, they accepted a uromastyx lizard named Mu Shu that was in need of a new home. 

After the fire, a GoFundMe account was set up and quickly raised close to $60,000. Private donations and support poured in from across the SLV, the country, and the globe, with words of support from adults and youth who fondly remembered their visits. Insurance will not come close to the actual costs to rebuild the Reptile Barn, and much more support will be needed to revive the Colorado Gator Farm.

The Colorado Gator Farm was able to reopen just ten days after the fire, and continues to welcome guests as demolition and rebuilding work allows. It is advisable to call before visiting the park (719) 378-2612), or check with their Facebook page (Colorado Gator Farm), website (coloradogators.com), or by email (colog8rs@gmail.com.) 

 In early June, self-described citizen mycologist Tylor Berreth arrived at my home with four big plastic bags filled with what looked like moldy sawdust. As an amateur mycologist myself, it was a bucket-list day as Tylor helped to inoculate my very own mushroom garden in a narrow, shady, unused portion of my property. We made a “fungi lasagna” in the space, layering cardboard, cultivated pearl oyster mycelium, leaves, and wood mulch. Now, I just water occasionally and wait. This mushroom garden is tribute to the many incredible health and ecological benefits that fungi have to offer. 

Tylor and his wife Danielle are the owners of Alpine Valley Mushrooms, a Saguache-based farm producing organic culinary mushrooms. Early on, Tylor had dreams of being a professional snowboarder, but multiple head injuries and hospitalizations resulted in struggles with depression and anxiety. Unable to find relief in traditional medicine, Tyler began researching other options, including alternative medicines and nutrition. His studies at MSU Denver’s Integrative Health Care program introduced him to the science of mycology, and the research being done on treating illnesses with medicinal mushrooms. Tylor became obsessed with the concept of “Food as Medicine” and his life passion turned to mycology, the study of fungal biology. 

For thousands of years, humans have been foraging mushrooms for food, medicine, psychedelic use, and even utilitarian purposes such as starting and transporting fire. Many cultures associate eating mushrooms with living a long and healthy life, and today science is backing that claim. Mushrooms are remarkably nutritious, containing essential amino acids as well as vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Studies have shown that regular consumption of culinary mushrooms may have major health benefits, such as boosting immunity and improving brain health.

Sometimes overlapping with culinary mushrooms, medicinal mushrooms are offering very promising medical advances. According to renown mycologist Paul Stamets, “humans share nearly 50% of their DNA with fungi, and we contract many of the same viruses as fungi. If we can identify the natural immunities that fungi have developed, we can extract them to help humans.” As scientists study the mechanisms that fungi utilize to defend themselves, they are uncovering components that support the human body’s immune system. Notable benefits are being discovered in brain health, Type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety, auto immune diseases, cancers (especially breast cancer), cardiovascular health, and many more.

Fungi also play an important role in environmental health. Mycelium networks, made up of tiny webbing from a fungal organism, supports the connection and movement of carbon, water, and nitrogen between individual plants. Peter Wohllenben, author of “The Hidden Life of Trees” described “the Wood Wide Web” which allows trees to communicate with each other by sending electrical signals through the mycelium, allowing the trees to learn, remember, warn of threats, and share resources. These mycelium fibers are so tiny that one cubic inch of soil can contain enough to stretch for eight miles. They can also be massive – it is believed that the largest organism on earth, and one of the oldest, is a type of fungus sprawling over 2,500 acres (about four square miles) in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. 

Fungi are also helping with the problems humans have created on the planet. “Mycoremediation” is the technique of using mycelium to repair damaged soils and habitats, such as in areas of wildfire. Because the enzymes produced by a mushroom are efficient in breaking down a lot of different pollutants, they are being utilized to decontaminate soils and waters of pesticides, heavy metals, and petroleum.

In fact, Tylor with Alpine Valley Mushrooms is working with Saguache County Commissioners to explore the possibility of lining the next landfill cell with a strain of mushroom known to break down plastics and other waste materials, with the goal of significantly less material accumulating over time. This is just one of many concepts that could put mushrooms to use to improve the economy and environment of the San Luis Valley.

Since the earliest days of life, dating back some 1,300 million years ago according to research by Penn State, fungi have been making life on Earth possible. They provide humanity with essential nutrients, medicines, and strategies for adapting to climate change. So, the next time you take a walk outside, think about the trillions and trillions of fungi doing their fungi thing under your feet, and send a little thank you their way. As Tylor Berreth is fond of saying, “Where there is mycelium, there is hope.”