Western Skies: December 2012, “Retrospective”

We covered a lot of ground this past year with Western Skies, and this month we’re spending some time revisiting those stories and conversations.

You can listen to the entire episode, or download here:

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You can also head to the individual segments by clicking any of the links below.

Roundtable: “Can’t a Kid Just be a Kid Anymore?”
Exploring the Independent Music Scene
Examining the Relationship between Gaming and Mining
Getting to the Root of Trinidad-area Earthquakes
A Ditch Runs Through It

Western Skies is a collaboration between KRCC News and The Big Something.

Roundtable: “Can’t a Kid Just be a Kid Anymore?”

L-R: Julian Flores, Andrea Chalfin, Chris Telk, Stacey Gliniewicz. Photo: Craig Richardson

We’re starting with a roundtable with Julian Flores, co-founder and managing director of Atlas Preparatory School, a charter school in Harrison District Two; Stacey Gliniewicz, an Education Specialist with AspenPointe; and Chris Telk, the Executive Director of Urban Peak, which helps provide services for homeless and runaway youth.

Listen to the edited version here, which begins with Julian Flores addressing the questions of “Can’t a kid just be a kid anymore?” and, “What is normal for kids these days?” (about 20 minutes)

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You can also listen to the full conversation here (about an hour long):

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From the May episode, “Youth Issues.”

Exploring the Independent Music Scene

The local, independent music scene in Southern Colorado has a lot of momentum right now. From the Haunted Windchimes’ high profile Prairie Home Companion appearance last October, to the success of the first annual Florence Americana Music Festival in August, local bands and musicians have been gaining exposure and coming together in exciting new ways. KRCC’s Jake Brownell spoke to some of the people and visited some of the places at the heart of this bourgeoning scene and has this story.

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Featured Music:

The Broken Spoke — “Burning Blue” (Colorado Springs, CO)

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We Are Not A Glum Lot — “Chandler” (Colorado Springs, CO)

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Mike Clark — “Smooth Sailing” (Colorado Springs, CO)

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Grant Sabin — “God’s House” (Colorado Springs, CO)

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Haunted Windchimes — “Waiting for a Train” (Pueblo, CO)

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The Flumps — “Severance” (Florence, CO)

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Edith Makes A Paper Chain — “Small Waltz” (Colorado Springs, CO)

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Interviewed in this piece:

Conor Bourgal — The Changing Colors, Blank Tape Records

Chuck Snow — The Lo-Fi Cowboys

The Kings of Space

Heather Browne — I Am Fuel, You Are Friends Blog

From the September episode, “Arts.”

Examining the Relationship between Gaming and Mining

Cripple Creek is a gold-mining town, since the first lodes were found in the 1890s until the present day. It’s also a gaming town, with limited-stakes gambling approved by voters in 1991. KRCC’s Kate Jonuska investigates these two industries’ complex relationship with the city and with each other.

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From the June episode, “Mining.”

Getting to the Root of Trinidad-area Earthquakes

When people think about earthquakes, Colorado may not exactly be the first place that comes to mind. But in the past couple decades, the Trinidad region has experienced a surprising number of seismic events. Scientists and locals alike are wondering just what is causing them. KRCC’s Michelle Mercer reports.

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An article from Reuters this past spring looked into an abstract of a report studying the relationship between drilling and earthquakes. They write that the number of quakes near places where oil and gas drillers pumped wastewater underground are on the uptick. The article goes on to say the abstract doesn’t explicitly link the two activities. As specifically related to the Trinidad-area earthquake, Reuters reported that the tremor was pretty close to wastewater injection sites. The Natural Gas Alliance told Reuters they are committed to monitoring the issue, but suggested they couldn’t make conclusions based on the abstract.

From the March episode, “Mother Nature.”

A Ditch Runs Through It

You won’t hear much disagreement among the residents of Pleasant Valley on the West Side of Colorado Springs when you ask their opinions about the roughly mile-long concrete ditch that runs down the middle of their West Side Neighborhood at the foot of Garden of the Gods Park. The Big Something’s Noel Black takes a closer look in this piece, “A Ditch Runs Through It”

A Ditch Runs Through It

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The Pleasant Valley residents quoted at the beginning of this piece were: Star Ballier (pronounced Bal-yay), James Corcoran, Steve Burger and Joel Lee. Music is by Lagos Disco Machine.

From the March episode, “Mother Nature.”