Nancy Lofholm

Contributor

Nancy Lofholm has been producing and reporting stories for Colorado Public Radio since 2016. Previously, she was a staff writer for The Denver Post for 17 years, covering general assignment stories on the Western Slope. She has been a journalist on the Western Slope for more than 40 years, an opportunity that allowed her many occasions to write about wild animals, desperados, and small-town foibles. In her "retirement," she also freelances for a number of magazines and digital publications. She has won numerous state and regional awards for her reporting over the decades.

Marion Konishi Camp Amache

From behind barbed wire, a hopeful valedictory speech

In 1943, Marion Konishi was her high school class’ valedictorian. Held captive at the Camp Amache internment camp, she had countless reasons to despair over the state of her country. Yet her speech, “America, Our Hope Is In You,” struck an optimistic chord. With Amache just having joined the National Park Service, we had an actress read the speech. Then, Granada High School social studies teacher John Hopper on keeping the story of Amache alive.
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Outdoor ‘lab’ a testing ground for the best gear

The choices are endless for people looking for outdoor gear and items like skis, bikes and rain jackets are often very expensive. To help consumers, a company called Blister Review tests a variety of gear to take some of the question marks out of making purchases. The company partners with engineers from Western Colorado University in Gunnison and CU Boulder to come up with its recommendations.
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Colorado’s skiing history includes horses, miners, and hidden hills

Colorado’s ski history is as deep as its powder and as full of surprises as a black-diamond bump run. Caryn and Peter Boddie have spent nearly a decade uncovering interesting historical nuggets in this state’s long love affair with skiing. They have written two books on the lost ski areas of Colorado and continue to add new skiing yarns on their Lost Ski Areas of Colorado blog.

One couple aims to prove anyone can sing

When we sing, we may not hit all the right notes but Grand Junction vocal teachers Graham and Stefani Anduri can find harmony with others. They believe singing offers us all a glimpse at the essence of who we are. That’s the core of ‘Sing for Your Lives’ classes led by the couple. The classes are for those who may not think of themselves as singers but want to use their voices musically. The Anduris, who are married and both have doctorates, used to teach voice at Colorado Mesa University. They left in 2020 to teach this different way of singing fulltime.

‘Tis the season for apple cider

With the fall apple harvest underway, it’s cider season! Pilgrims drank the stuff like water. Prohibition nearly snuffed it out. And more recently, artisanal hard cider — a boozy cousin of apple juice — has proliferated, with cideries popping up across Colorado– meeting the demand for this farm-to-table beverage.

Opera Takes A Bike Ride Through Western Colorado Time

Miles and miles of bike trails weave through the Grand Valley and cycling events draw locals and tourists alike. But you don’t even have to enjoy riding to get in on this one — a bike opera. “One Bike” is an opera based on a book by Grand Junction bike shop owner Chris Brown. Local music educator Scott Betts turned Brown’s story into what he calls a folk/jazz opera.