Never Summer/Icelantic

Never Summer/ Icelantic

By: Dylan Fabian and Phillip Ward

Never Summer Industries has been designing and building snowboards since 1982. Since then they have been able to create a positive reputation for themselves as a company that works their hardest to bring you quality in their products and superiority over the competition. That is why Icelantic Boards has also chosen the same path of excellence as Never Summer by having NS create their well-built skis for them.
Tim and Tracey Canaday began their career creating a company called Swift Snowboards in 1982 until 1991, when they changed their name to Never Summer. They have a distinction for hand making all of their boards in the United States unlike most of their competition who have moved to Europe , Canada or China for cheaper labor. Never Summer snowboards are crafted exclusively in Denver , Colorado with the utmost precision. These facts all contribute to making PCTV take a visit to the NS factory, and Icelantic to get a first hand look at the process of how they manufacture their products.
Icelantic boards got started about five years ago in Ben Anderson’s garage located in Evergreen, Colorado . The trio of Travis Cook, Ben Anderson and Travis Parr pressed and built their own skis. When their small company began to grow, they went to other small Colorado-based companies to press for them.
We traveled to both companies to interview executives there and find out their ethics on business, their company, and their competition. We made our way to Never Summer Industries first to meet up with Tracey Canaday and get the grand tour of the downtown Denver factory. The brick building has barely any signs or indication that it is the headquarters of NS Industries, and most would find it hard to believe that a large, successful company like this would be running out of such a hidden place. We entered to be met by Tracey Canaday, co-owner of NS, as he gave us the rundown on what he would be showing us and a brief history of the company. Here we were taken behind the office area into the huge factory that is the core of Never Summer in which every board and Icelantic ski is designed and crafted by hand. Dozens of employees were hard at work cutting, painting, sanding, and designing fresh new skis and snowboards as huge pieces of machinery buzzed all around us. Tracey was kind enough to tour us around to every workstation and give us a detailed explanation of what was being done. There we truly learned how much work goes into their art. The real pinnacle of our outing was getting to get a sneak-peek at the unreleased 08-09 season lineup. After our experience in the factory was all said-and-done, we sat down with Tracey in the office for a personal interview, given by Dylan Fabian, where he gave us his opinions on the business and advice for snowboarders looking for his sponsorship. We said our goodbyes and were off on our next venture to Icelantic Boards to get a look at the skiing world.
Instead of finding a dark industrial factory scrambling with employees working away, we walked into the much lighter environment of an art gallery, the art being Icelantic’s handcrafted skis. The gallery was brightly lit with sunlight from the large windows as intricately painted skis hung on the wall for everyone to see along with large framed pictures from the same artist. Travis Cook was there to answer our questions about the relatively new independent Denver-based skiing company Icelantic Boards and give us a sit-down interview. He enlightened us on the company’s start only a few years ago as we surveyed the ’06-‘07 and ’07-‘08 season lineups displayed before us which consists of Scout, Pilgrim, Nomad, and Shaman. Every set of skis are unique in their own way, each helping to tell the story of Icelantic through the elaborate artwork of Travis Parr. While most companies are concerned with only the flashiest design, the skis here are canvasses, each embodying a certain significance and ethic of the Icelantic corporation. We learned a lot through our thirty-five minute interview given by Phillip Ward from Travis Cook who seemed to have an answer to every question we threw at him. Icelantic Boards is already preparing for their hopefully thriving 08-09 season which we couldn’t get a look at, but we can rest assure that they have worked their hardest to bring to everyone skis of the highest craftsmanship and superiority.
Through our experience of industrial factories, offices, and galleries, we have learned many things such as the amount of work and dedication it takes to bring us products that we enjoy throughout the winter season. Tracey Canaday and Travis Cook were both knowledgeable, friendly hosts for our visits to Never Summer Industries and Icelantic Boards and we can’t wait to see what they will bring us next season.

What's up at Platte in March

Jumper Review

Jumper Review

By: Kyle Grabowski

What if you had the power to go anywhere and, essentially, do anything? That is the premise of 20th Century Fox’s new film, Jumper. Based on a 1992 book by Steven Gould, Jumper is a fast-paced thrill ride starring Hayden Christensen and Jamie Bell. Critics have been harsh to this film and I can understand why. Most of the plot can be predicted through foreshadowing and a general knowledge of film. In the beginning of the film, David (Christensen) has a crush on a girl named Millie ( Bell ). She has a list of places she wants to visit taped inside her locker. Later in the film, David uses the money he obtains by robbing banks to take her to Rome , the top of her list. Most critics have chastised the film’s special effects for being “lackluster.” While they may not be over-the-top spectacular like Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean, the effects in Jumper are still very well done. The physics of the “jump” are accurately re-created in all instances and the ability of the director to effectively portray such a difficult concept is impressive. Hayden Christensen’s performance may leave something to be desired out of a lead role, but the supporting cast covers up for some of it and is able to make the world feel believable. Samuel L. Jackson in the role of a villain is one that should not be missed. As far as the film goes, if you are interested in a deep, moving universe, this film is not for you. If you want a good action film to spend a weekend with, go out and see Jumper.

Fidel Castro's Cuba

Fidel Castro’s Cuba
By: Dylan Romphf

With the recent news out of Cuba I thought it necessary to go into some background of the island nation’s dictator of more than forty years. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz and a small group of followers seized power on January 1, of 1959 after the old dictator, Fulgencio Batista, fled the country. He has remained the dictator of communist Cuba until resigning Tuesday February 19, outlasting ten US presidents and becoming the world’s longest ruling head of government.
The US and Cuba have had many tense moments between them with Castro in control. Most notably perhaps is the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, which many agree is the closest the world has come to a nuclear war. It began as Soviet Russia and Cuba became friendly, and Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev gave Cuba many nuclear missiles which they preceded to point at the US . President Kennedy did not take this blatant threat lightly, quickly assembling an elite team to advise him in the countries best interests. The world teetered on the brink of nuclear war as tensions rose even higher. Luckily, after two weeks of high alert the soviet leader took back the nuclear arsenal on terms that the US would not invade Cuba .
The US also has a trade embargo on all shipments to and from Cuba for many decades now with the goal of hurting their economy. The idea was to place Cuba ’s citizens in a position to take action against Cuba ’s government. However some have argued that it just gives Fidel a scapegoat to his slowly declining economy.
Cuban and American clashes have made a big impact on both American and Cuban citizens and as Fidel Castro resigns it has given hope of change for thousands. However with his resignation, many speculate as to any major change towards a democratic government, or even any change in the current communist government. Even with a new face in Cuba ’s dictatorship do not expect any exciting news any time soon.

Toll For Free Cash?

Toll For Free Cash?

By Tyler Graves

Senator Chris Romer seems to believe that if he puts up a fine/toll for early bird skiers, he can liquidate some or at least most of the ski traffic on Interstate 70. He wants to make it so that during a certain time of the day when skiers go up they have to pay. He believes that this idea will limit traffic on the highway. Here’s a thought of a side effect: what if everyone then chooses not to pay the toll and wait until the “curfew” is lifted? His excuse to this proposal was so he can have the FIRST Wikipedia bill. All of the ski traffic will probably be built up and redirected to the new time frame, therefore not making much of a difference. If Romer wants to find a way for the traffic levels on I-70 to decrease, he should probably try these alternatives. Build a specific truck lane and chain up/off areas for truckers to actually pull over on to, and have a million signs before the ski area exits such as Winter park , Vail, and the passes. When I get up at 5 o’clock in the morning to go boarding to beat the crowds, there are no crowds. The problems that I encounter while driving that stall or bring traffic to a complete stop, are the idiots that don’t know where they are going, and the fact that they are cutting across traffic to get to their exit, therefore slowing traffic just to cross two or three lanes. So here’s an idea man, know your fact before you try to change something for better or worst.

Hidden

Hidden

By: Jalene Stringfellow

My parents are some of the most important people in my life. They divorced when I was only 6 months old. I didn’t know what was going on, but as I grew up over the years I realized that sometimes having divorced parents is not so easy. I hear people talk about how they wished their parents would get a divorce, but as I have experienced that is not always the best thing. Sometimes I was glad that they separated because they were not together and would still argue with each other. Other times I wished there was some way I could bring them back together and have them love one another like they once did before, and at times I wish I could be put up for adoption. I always wanted to know why they separated, but every time I asked I never got a straight answer to why. I went back and fourth between my mom and dad. On some days I wanted to live with my dad and on other days I wanted to live with my mom. My dad received full custody of me when I was little. I saw my mom every other weekend. When I was young it did not have that much of an impact on me because I didn’t fully understand what happened. As I grew up and started to reach my young teenage years and middle teenage years I realized that this was the time I needed both of my parents more then ever. I prayed and prayed almost every night that one day they would get back together and we would be a happy family again. But were we ever a happy family at one point in life? What made my family separate? I wanted to know if my brother and I were the reason our parents decided it was time to separate and move on with their lives. As I look back in my child hood and my teenage years, I think about how my parents divorce has made me who I am today and made me as strong as I am. If I would have never went through the obstacles I would not be a strong willed person. Hitting rock bottom many times through my life has impacted me in both awful and superior ways. I realized that sometimes life takes you on a different road then what you want. You could be heading towards one direction and in seconds you could be heading towards another. I had to pick up the pieces when I would hit bottom and move on in my life. My dad had custody of me until the end of my 8 grade year in school and then I moved to Bailey to live with my mom. I lived with her until half way through my 10 grade year in high school and then I went to live back with my dad. Two months into my junior year I moved back with my mom. I went back and fourth between both of my parents. I always felt guilty when I moved to live with my opposite parent. I felt like I always had to pick between my mom and dad. It was a challenge because I knew every time I picked someone would get hurt. It tore me apart, but those are the challenges I went through that made me a tough person. I can say that it does anger me and hurt me inside to have my parents separated. I try not to let the pain show or let it effect me, but when I think about it and wrote about it, all the emotions on how I really feel started to come out. I took the time to sit down with a counselor to talk about teens and how a divorce can impact them. I learned that the hardest thing for teens that have gone through a divorce or are going through one, their self esteem is the biggest concern and give away that something is going on. Teens can lose their self esteem and become depressed in situations like a divorce. Keep your heads up high and try to look into the future and not so much in your past. At times it can become hard, but just remember your friends and family are there for you and will help you in anyway they can.

Ready, Set, Play ball!

It’s Baseball Season Again
By Evan Campbell

Across the highway a softball field is under construction. What about the High School’s Baseball team? Last year a new coach, a new team, and a first happened. Coach Greg Cooper came to coach after the year the baseball team was basically non-existent. The coach before him was horrible, and he did home run derbies instead of working on the basics. However, Cooper changed that and created a team that went to districts. District is one place the team never has been to in while. The last time was in the 1970’s with a win at the Championship.
The baseball team was about 17 players last year. This year Coach Cooper had decided to hold tryouts for 40 players he predicted will show up on the first practice. Mandatory practice started February 19th; however, Cooper started a non-mandatory practice in January for those who feel that they needed help on their skills. The practice in January was open to anyone wishing to play baseball for the school. Now that Practice has started numbers have dropped from what Coach Cooper was hoping for. Practices for the first two weeks are three practices from five to eight o’clock. After that they will drop down to two and half hours practices
Right now the baseball team has about two seniors, seven juniors, five sophomores, and five freshmen. The first varsity game is a doubleheader against Salida on Thursday March 5. Currently the team is playing at Burland Ball fields on a completely dirt field. The field has earned nickname, the Burland Bounce, from all of the rocks on the field. Right now the team is practicing in the B Gym of Platte Canyon High School. Coach hopes to be out on the field by third week of practice.
Come out and support the baseball team at all of their home games.

Star Wars: The Beginning?

Star Wars: The Beginning?
By Nigel Kelly

Last week, the press was abuzz over the events concerning a U.S. spy satellite in a deteriorating orbit and the government’s plan to destroy it by firing a missile. On Wednesday, February 21st at 3:26am, the spy satellite, drastically out of control and carrying a deadly fuel, was shot down by the USS Lake Eerie. The debris rained down through the atmosphere and burned upon reentry.
The satellite, ten tons of the United States’ top secret technologies, lost power soon after entering orbit and has lost altitude steadily ever since. If left to its own, the satellite would probably not burn up completely in the atmosphere all the way and land anywhere, showering lethal fragments of wreckage capable of causing millions of dollars in damage. Also, if recovered by potential enemies, confidential technologies could be studied and put to use against the United States. It is good news that this dangerous object did not have the opportunity to harm anybody or anything. Or is it?
Last month, China knocked out an aging weather satellite with a kinetic kill missile. This action showed that China has the power to bring any modern country to its knees, thus sparking much controversy over the security of space and the valuable satellites that lurk in it. Technically, China has the ability to cripple the United States infrastructure by destroying its communications satellites. That means there will be no satellite TV, and no communication between the brass in the White House and the troops overseas. Opposition to this drastic action came unilaterally across the world. The only problem is…China wasn’t the first country to do this. Ours was. Way back in 1985, the United States flaunted its ability of space dominance by shooting one of its own aging satellites.
So is this recent spy satellite instance merely a coincidence? Many believe that the humane reasons that the United States gave for shooting down this satellite are not entirely accurate. Some even believe that the US was sending a message to China saying "We still have the capability to destroy space infrastructure and we’re not afraid to use it".
China, a country on the verge of becoming a superpower, was one of the many countries opposing the spy-satellite takedown. But last month they did practically the same thing. A little hypocrisy there I think? The whole issue has caused an international outcry against the abuse of space. If this does turn into a war, it’ll be way over our heads. Literally.

Bathroom or Restroom?

Bathroom or Restroom?
By: Jalene Stringfellow

When talking about going to the restroom or bathroom which word do you use? Many people use both. Why is it called a restroom when technically you don’t go there to rest, that would be your bedroom. A bathroom is what you should use because you do bathe in most bathrooms. I looked up the definitions for both and the restroom definition was: a room or rooms (in a public building) equipped with toilets, wash bowls, etc. A bathroom is: a room to bathe in, etc. 2. A toilet. So shouldn’t you say bathroom instead of restroom? I guess it depends on which way you think is the correct and proper way. I don’t think it should be called a restroom because you don’t rest there.

Driveway or Parkway?

Why do people call their driveway a driveway when you park there? I do not understand the logic behind it. You don’t really drive your car on your driveway until you are trying to park your car. So shouldn’t your driveway be called a parkway instead? You park your car, not drive your car. A driveway is: a path, as for automobiles, leading from a garage or house to the street. 2. A road for automobiles. A parkway is: a broad roadway edged or divided. So your driveway should be called a parkway because you park cars, not drive them!

County Rd. 43 Repairs

County Rd. 43 Repairs
By Tyler graves

I live on the back roads by Harris Park, and let me tell you, County Road 43 is falling apart. Three quarters of the way from my house there are pot holes that take up half the road and you have to drive into the other lane just too barely avoid it while hoping you don’t hit an oncoming car. Personally, I think that county Rd. 43 should just be all dirt so we don’t have to deal with the man made road conditions. Every year construction workers come in and repair the eroded spots, the pot holes, and cracks with loose chip and occasionally actual pavement. Every winter the snow and ice causes frost heaving, a process which the water freezes underneath the road and eventually expands and thaws causing the road to literally blow apart, demolishing 43.
My proposal would be to tear out the entire slice of pavement and turn the road into dirt. If the road were dirt, then there will be no pot holes, cracking, or "warping". If County Rd. 43 was stripped of pavement the road would only suffer from washboards and some occasional erosion. Washboards are no big thing though, yes they try to rattle the car apart, but they are easy enough to get rid of, just take a grader and a blade to swipe them away. Erosion on the other hand, would cause the road to slowly get smaller over time, but it’s fixable. The actual back roads where there is no pavement seem to hold up better than the asphalt ones. They don’t ever break apart, not even if they tried too. The only problem with dirt roads is when huge amounts of water decide rut the road from run off. Let’s now talk about snow and ice on the roads. The ice on pavement tends to stay around longer than it does on the back roads. The ice melts during the day and then freezes all over again once the sun goes down. On the back roads, once the ice melts, the water will just be absorbed by the dirt and will be done with it. When morning arrives again, all of the water thaws and the roads breaks some more. So why should we continue to spend all of this money on a broken road? I just think it’s a waste.

A B-2 Bomber B-Gone

A B-2 Bomber B-Gone

By: Evan Campbell

On Friday, February 23, 2008 a United States Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, the Sprit of Kansas, crashed on Guam shortly after take off from Andersen Air Force Base. It is the first time a B-2 has ever crashed in its history in the arsenal of the USAF and it is also the most expensive single plane crash ever. Causes are unknown, but a board of officers will investigate the crash. The crash happened when four B-2s were on their way back to Whiteman AFB, Missouri after a four month tour of security in the Asian-Pacific area. With the bulk of the United States military focused on the Middle East, the Air Force has been doing rotations of B-2s, B-1 Lancers, and B-52 Stratofortresses at Anderson Air Force base on Guam. Whiteman AFB is the home base for the 509th Bomb Wing and the fleet of twenty remaining B-2 Bombers. With the recent crash of the B-2, Brigadier General Garrett Harencak, commander of the 509th, placed all B-2s on suspension to make sure no other issues will arise with the twenty remaining planes. The B-2s will fly only in the case of a dire emergency operation.

TMI

TMI (Too Much Information)
Bathroom permission at PC

By: Harmony Beck

Who would have thought that at the age of fifteen to eighteen high schoolers would still have to ask for permission to go to the bathroom? This is an uncomfortable situation for the student and the teacher. The conversation between teacher and student always consists of the question and the response. When a student uses improper grammar or tense the teacher will usually correct the student. For example, if the student says, "Can I use the restroom," the teacher will reply, "I don’t know, can you?" This creates an awkward situation for the student and overall annoyance that should be avoided. This comment can degrade the student and makes him or her feel like second grader. Nevertheless, teachers would rather be in control for the time the students are allowed to leave the room. To decide the proper time to leave for a bathroom break, is up to the students and will help them to determine when the correct time will be to exit the room. Time is crucial, if a student asks to use the bathroom right after the bell rings it’s too early, and before the bell rings is too late. Students are not allowed to go while teachers are lecturing and if the class is working on something important don’t even think about it. This is an issue that needs to be solved because it is time for a change.

Saying Goodbye

Farewell

By: Cassie Whit

Fellow students, you may or may not know that this is Mrs. Smith’s last year at Platte Canyon High School ; she will be retiring at the end of the year. For those of you who do not know her, she is one of our English teachers and has been here for 17 years. This is her story: She was born in the state of Oklahoma , where in third grade she aspired to become a teacher. When Mrs. Smith turned 18, she studied secretarial science, after that she attended Oklahoma University to become a teacher. She did not always want to be an English teacher; she considered teaching elementary school kids, but Mrs. Smith attended only one year of college after high school and she didn’t go back until she was 34. She spent four years at Metro College in Denver . Now she’s made her home in beautiful Colorado with her husband and her black lab named Gracie. When Mrs. Smith is not in school or grading papers, she enjoys going out to dinner and going camping with her husband and dog too. She also enjoys making quilts, hiking, gardening, and spending as much time with her family as possible. So to allow you students and members of the facility who know her, let’s give her a year she will never forget. Mrs. Smith is not only a teacher, but a friend to all of us here at PCHS. She is always willing to work with us no matter what our situation is, so to you Mrs. Smith I hope you will have a wonderful retirement and I know you will always have a special place in all of your student’s hearts; we’re going to miss you

Distruction of homes chages your life

My home town

By: Brittany Mapes

On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the southern states Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. The areas from New Orleans, LA to Biloxi, MS got the worst of the storm. It was one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit the United States. It was a category 5 hurricane, which is the highest class. There were more than 2,000 lives lost and some people are still "missing". There are parts of the coast that are still being rebuilt and cleaned up. Thousands of people are still being affected by this disaster. I’m one of those people and I don’t think I’ll ever really get over it. This is probably one of the hardest things for me to talk about, let alone write about. I grew up on Biloxi Beach. I miss it more than anything.
A few weeks before the hurricane struck the coast, we moved to Bailey. My mom said she had a bad feeling about staying in Biloxi for much longer. When we moved to Bailey I found out about a hurricane brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. The weather reporters said it was going to go to Florida so I wasn’t too worried about it. Before it knew it, it went from a tropical depression to a category 2 hurricane overnight. It also shifted its track. It aimed right for New Orleans. When I found that out, I literally became numb. On August 28th, I was a nervous wreck. I knew that Katrina was going to make landfall sooner or later that night and everything that was there then, wouldn’t be there tomorrow. The next day after having the hardest night, I watched the news. The damage to Biloxi was so bad that I couldn’t even recognize it. The aftermath of Katrina, left many of my friends homeless. I felt like I couldn’t help at all because I was in Colorado. Also, a part of me felt guilty because I had a home and a shelter whereas people that were a huge part of my life were left with out. The videos and pictures were overwhelming and I could hardly look at them. New Orleans, which was also another place I basically lived, was under water. The entire experience has taught me a huge lesson in life. Appreciate the people around you, and where you live because it can all be taken away from you within a blink of an eye.

Biloxi, Mississippi used to be one of the most beautiful places; it had so much to it. Now, I feel lucky to have the memory of Biloxi before any of it happened. That’s a luxury most people don’t have anymore.