Expect another week of frostless mornings in the Great San Luis Valley. The mercury hit 70 on Nov. 3 and 68 on Nov. 4 to set new record highs for those dates. Daytime temperatures will not be as warm this week, but warm enough to make it feel like the cold may never come. But it will. Here’s more to get Monday going:
1. Distrust of the feds
The Colorado State Land Board is scheduled to take final action this week on the proposed sale of the La Jara Reservoir and surrounding acreage. On the table is the “transfer” of 21,821 acres of state land holdings to the U.S. Forest Service; 21,704 acres to U.S. Bureau of Land Management; and 2,427 acres to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, acreage that makes up La Jara Reservoir. What once seemed like a “done deal” is now in question out of concerns for the Trump Administration and whether it’s a trustworthy partner in the transaction, as well questions the state land board – with a new director and two new board members – has for options it has once the federal government pays the $43.5 million for its portion of the transaction. A long list of individuals has signed to comment on the proposed transaction when the state land board meets Nov. 13.
2. After the verdict
A Costilla County jury on Friday determined there was no workplace harassment based on race or sex that Addelina Lucero faced in working for The Acequia Institute and its then-Executive Director Devon Peña, but fallout from the four-day trial remains. Peña and The Acequia Institute have been implementing a strategy that reintroduces food grown that is native to the region – corn, beans, squash – and uses the San Luis Peoples Market and next-generation farmers to sustain it. The accusations and resulting trial have had the effect of splitting the town of San Luis to the point where some are boycotting the market and leaving its future viability in question. That’s too bad. For all the controversy and bad blood that’s spilled from the project initiated through a $1.5 million grant from the Colorado Health Foundation, the San Luis Peoples Market has turned out to be a fine small town grocery store worthy of shoppers. Whether the 600-700 residents of Colorado’s oldest community see it that way is the question that remains after the verdict.
3. The Valley Pod: Rebuilding
Max Walker-Silverman, the writer and director of the newly-released movie “Rebuilding” goes in-depth on the making of the movie in the San Luis Valley in this episode of The Valley Pod. “The truth is,” Walker-Silverman said, “this movie owes the debt of gratitude to people and places in the Valley so deeply it truly was just made by so many people here.”
4. Veterans Day 2025
The American Legion Post 113 Honor Team is the only one that provides a Military Funeral Honor ceremony for veterans in the San Luis Valley. At the Homelake Veterans retirement home in Monte Vista on Saturday, a Lights of Valor ceremony raised nearly $1,000 for the American Legion Post 113 Honor Team to continue its work. The Lights of Valor event was among several tributes to military veterans ahead of Veterans Day on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The Alamosa Veterans Memorial Park Project 5K run, a parade and ceremony honoring veterans in Monte Vista, and a renaming of the American Legion Post in the town of San Luis after veteran Ernest Serna are among the ways Valley communities are marking Veterans Day 2025.
5. Vigilantes are back
Adams State won the men’s NCAA DII South-Central region cross country team title on Saturday on the strength of Kidus Begashaw and Julian Campos, who finished second and third in pacing the Grizzlies. At the conclusion, a beaming Begashaw let it be known that the “Vigilantes are back” in reference to the domination of the Joe I. Vigil years coaching Adams State cross country. At the start of this season, Coach Damon Martin encouraged his runners to dedicate the season to the late Vigil in its own efforts to reclaim the mantle as the nation’s top cross country program. The Adams State men’s program hadn’t won a conference title since 2018 before it won the 2025 RMAC crown, and haven’t been in the hunt for a NCAA DII title since its runnerup finish in 2021. Saturday’s race at CSU-Pueblo, where Adams secured the regional title, sets up the Grizzlies to reclaim national glory when the NCAA DII Cross Country Championships are held in two weeks at Kenosha, Wisc. It’s then that we’ll for sure if the Vigilantes are indeed back.
6. ASU Women’s dynasty
Meanwhile, the Adams State women’s program continues its own dominance while building a dynasty under Martin. Tristian Spence, a junior runner from Grand Junction, won her second straight women’s individual title and teammate Ava O’Connor, running for the first time this season, was runnerup at the South-Central regional meet, which the Grizzlies won as a team. Now Adams State runs for its fifth national team title in the last six NCAA DII competitions. Grand Valley State has been a nemesis and will be a team the Grizzlies watch out for when the starting gun of the national race sounds on Nov. 22.
7. More from the Sports Page
Monte Vista, Centauri, Sanford and Sierra Grande all advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Colorado High School state football playoffs, while Alamosa lost its opening round game to end its season. Monte Vista faces Limon and Centauri plays Highland in Class 1A quarterfinal matchups. In the 8-man quarterfinals, Sanford will play Dayspring Christian Academy, and Sierra Grande and Idalia square off in the 6-man quarterfinal round.
8. Send us your photos
This time of year, the Citizen is reminded how generous the universe has been to us. We live in a beautiful place, full of good people. So we are asking our readers to take turns around the virtual Thanksgiving table and share – in a photo – what they are grateful for about life here in the Valley. Snap a photo of your favorite place, something or someone you love. Even when times are tough, it’s good to be thankful.
DEADLINE for entries is Monday, Nov. 24, at noon.
We will post the best submissions on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Upload your picture and why you’re thankful with THIS LINK.
Or, email your photo with a description HERE.
9. Today is a good day to support the Citizen
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It’s been our mission to keep the San Luis Valley informed and engaged. Thanks for trusting us to do that.