Dear HCN,
I do not want to tell you
that Ed Quillen’s article about Mel Coleman (HCN, 4/1/02: The
‘Niche West’ reconnects us to the land) was worth the price of this
year’s subscription, but it’s some of the best work he or you has
done. You can remind me of that next time I complain about
left-wing-ism.
I did not know Mel Coleman well,
but do know the son and daughter-in-law (via her mom). Mel was a
valued, dedicated trustee for The Nature Conservancy, and also
served on TNC’s local San Luis Valley advisory board, which I do
also.
Quillen’s article put the man and his work
in the proper context. I really appreciated his comments on honest
work compared with endless tourism, especially the “gymnasium”
recreation types. Too often, the preservationist-recreation folks
forget, or don’t care, that real people with really good regular
lives populate the mountains, and care deeply for the land. Thanks,
Ed Quillen. I will give copies to my friend and her
daughter.
Margy
Robertson
Monte Vista,
Colorado
P.S. As one who
missed out on doing anything fitting on April 1, page 3 was a
triumph to read. Good work, kids.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Kudos for Quillen.
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