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Prairie Blues Concert Coming to Mancos Opera House

August 22, 2024

The Mancos Opera House is holding a prairie blues concert featuring Michael Hurwitz with opener Shane Queener on Friday, August 23rd. Don’t miss the Cortez Cultural Center’s local exhibit with art by Erny Zah and Benton Yazzi. Sally Dziedzic, owner and general manager of Mesa Verde Motel, won the Frontline Hospitality Tourism Worker Award from the Colorado Governor's Office of Tourism for her contribution to Colorado’s tourism industry. The City of Cortez is encouraging residents and local businesses to register their security and door cameras with Crimewatch. By Rachel Hughes. This story is sponsored by Hospice of Montezuma and Keesee Motor Company.

Learn More...

Mancos Opera House - https://www.facebook.com/MancosOperaHouse/  

Cortez Cultural Center - https://cortezculturalcenter.org/  

Erny Zah - https://www.zahphotography.com/  

Benton Yazzi - https://bentonyazzie.com/  

Cortez Police Department - https://cortezpd.org/  

Mesa Verde Motel - https://mesaverdemotel.com/  

Colorado Tourism - https://www.colorado.com/  

State of Colorado - https://www.colorado.gov/  

City of Cortez - https://www.cortezco.gov/

Hospice of Montezuma - https://hospiceofmontezuma.org/

Keesee Motor Company - https://www.keeseemotorcompany.com/

Read the Full Transcript

August's end-of-month events include a concert at the Mancos Opera House and a Native American photography and illustration exhibit at the Cortez Cultural Center. One of Mesa Verde Motel's owners won an award for hospitality and tourism. The City of Cortez is seeking to reduce crime through registering security cameras. You're watching the Local News Roundup, brought to you by Hospice of Montezuma and Keesee Motor Company. I'm Connor Shreve. The Mancos Opera House is holding a Prairie Blues Concert featuring Michael Hurwitz on Friday, August 23. Doors open at 6:30, with the opening show starring Shane Queener starting at 7:30. Tickets are $20. Don't miss the Cortez Cultural Center's local exhibit with art by Erny Zah and Benton Yazzi. The exhibit is themed Glimpses of Native America and will feature photographs by Zah and illustrations by Yazzi. Both artists capture the blend and contrast of Native American traditions and modern society. Sally Dziedzic, co-owner and general manager of Mesa Verde Motel in Mancos, won the Frontline Hospitality Tourism Worker Award from the Colorado Governor's Office of Tourism for her contribution to Colorado's tourism industry. Dziedzic will be recognized by the governor in Crested Butte at the State Tourism Conference in September. The City of Cortez is encouraging residents and local businesses to register their security and door cameras with Crime Watch. The Crime Watch website allows the Cortez Police Department to know where cameras are located to aid in investigations. The police department will not have access to the cameras, only their locations. The goal of the initiative is to better deter and investigate crimes, vandalisms, and thefts. A camera registration link can be found on the department's Crime Watch website. Learn more about these and other stories online at montezumalocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of the Local News Roundup. I'm Connor Shreve.

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April 29, 2026

Voices of the Past: Saving a Castle in the Clouds (Part 1)

Beverly Rich was born in Silverton in 1950 and has been involved with the local Historical Society since she was 14 — making her one of the most dedicated keepers of San Juan County's storied past. In her article, Rescuing Relics: Extreme Preservation and the Old Hundred Boarding House, she reflects on what made Silverton remarkable from the very beginning. Few people realize that Silverton is nearly ten years older than Durango, and that without Silverton, Durango wouldn't exist. In its heyday, this remote mountain town was the Silicon Valley of its era — a hub of technological innovation, incredible wealth, and relentless ambition. But like all mining towns, Silverton rode a cycle of boom and bust, its fortunes tied closely to World Wars and commodity prices. The hardest blow came in 1991 when the Sunny Side Mine shut down, taking half the town's population with it. What followed was a period of honest reckoning — and visioning. Silverton leaned into its two greatest assets: spectacular scenery and fascinating history. Today, for the first time ever, Silverton is no longer primarily a mining town. It has become a thriving high-mountain destination, with a booming recreation industry, rising property values, and a new generation discovering what Beverly Rich has known her whole life — this place is something special. The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage. This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel
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