It can’t be bought

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It looks a lot like Christmas.

It looks a lot like El Niño nicknamed Bruce Lee is becoming a reality.

Fortunately, last week’s storm didn’t fall on a Wednesday, when we were trying to get the newspaper out.

Last week, on printing day, a control board went out on our printing press. We were right in the middle of printing The PREVIEW when it stopped. Dead.

Yes, we print our own newspaper right here in Pagosa Springs. We are the last printing presses still operational in Southwest Colorado.

When the press shuts off in the middle of a run with no warning at all, you start to worry. And wonder what you are going to do.

Head Pressman Robert Penton and Assistant Pressman Brian Maurer-Townsend did all they could do to get the press rolling again, to no avail. Buck Pierce even stopped in to help test the control board.

Unfortunately, when the press goes down, finding someone who can print our size of newspaper is a challenge. Thankfully, Publisher Sammy Lopez and his crew in Farmington, N.M., at the Daily Times, came to our rescue.

We are one of the last newspapers still printing on wide newsprint. There were challenges in converting to Farmington’s specifications, including that some readers received a 36-page PREVIEW, which we had printed before the press stopped, while others received one with 40 pages.

Shari Pierce led the charge to get the entire paper converted over to print in Farmington, along with the millions of other things she always does around here.

The full version of this story is available in the print edition and e-edition of the Pagosa Springs SUN. Subscribe today by calling (970)264-2100 or click here.