All Neighbors in Telluride, CO
Top Neighbors: The magic behind the mirrors
You will never have to pay to be listed as a top neighbor. Period. That important detail clarified, let's discuss how we arrive at two "top neighbors" for a given region:
Localism is a bustling collection of hyper-local communities, and the top neighbors should reflect those members who are most active. When ranking users in a given region, several factors are considered. To get your foot in the proverbial door, you need to have posted at least one "Localism" article or photo for the region.
The very best way to quickly rise to #1 is to post high-quality local content. Unlike the vast majority of "community" sites that rely on dry automatic algorithms, Localism employs a team of crack editors who approve the best content. Having your posts and photos consistently approved will massively tilt the scales in your favor.
"Legacy" content is also considered when ranking top neighbors. We don't want to leave the early adopters of Localism in the cold, and we're working hard to process that backlog.
What doesn't count toward the top neighbor ranking? ActiveRain points and community sponsorships. The top neighbor spots will always go to the most active members in a region. We want to create a level playing field that encourages the growth of communities — talent and dedication are required to win the day.
Now
there were a lot of mines operating around that time ultimately
digging over 350 miles of interconnecting tunnels through the
mountains. But one problem they all had in common was how to power
them. See, many of them were built above timberline like the Sheridan
Crosscut, the Tomboy, the Smugglers Union and the Gold King, which
meant all timber for buildings, homes and to shore up the mines had to
be hauled in by mule or ox team. Wood or coal to generate power to run
the mines and mills also had to be hauled in and it was pretty
expensive, not to mention downright difficult in the winter.
In
1889 LL traveled back east and had a sit down with 
As
you might imagine, Edison was against this the whole way as he owned
the rights to DC power. What was referred to as the "Edison Gang' liked
to portray AC power as unstable and deadly, taking some pleasure in
frying small animals with 'the juice' to show just how dangerous this
newfangled stuff was. Regardless, the venture soon proved itself out
and in October of 1891 the power line was extended to Telluride, making
this small town 
Ten
years later, Nunn and his brother Paul along with Westinghouse and
Tesla built the largest hydro-electric generating plant in the world
modeled off his original plant at Ames. This new plant was built for
the Ontario Power Company at a sight known as 
Amazingly
that original 
There's
nothing quite so quintessentially American as a
The
4th here always starts with a bang - a big bang called the Powder
Monkey Breakfast. The firemen - who have been up most of the night
tending to the 100's of pounds of beef roasting in an underground pit,
wake up the rest of the town by lighting off a few sticks of dynamite
around 6 a.m.. 
Naturally
we have jets fly over and there are floats of all types. 
Someone
loaded a bunch of kids on a pontoon boat; the ice hockey team rode
their Zamboni; there's always an old Prospector or two handing out
'honest-to-God gold' samples to the tourists; several ladies always pay
tribute to the original denizens of 'Popcorn Alley', the old red light
section of town; this year we had a ragtag New Orleans funeral marching
band; and as usual we salute 'Men Who Can't Dance' who come variously
themed as Elvis or Michael Jackson and dance down the street as only
men can't. 
After
the parade most folks make their way over to the Town Park where the
firemen serve up a delectable meal of that roast of beef, potato salad,
baked beans, corn on the cob and watermelon. 
The
past few years we've not braved the crowds at the park but have opted
for a smaller pot-luck at the Elks Club. Many old-timers who come back
to town for this day gather to visit, reminisce and remember those who
passed on. 
While
many cities did without this year due to a plant explosion in China
that destroyed a good portion of the world's supply of firecrackers,
Telluride Firemen order their stock a year in advance so
there was no shortage in this spectacular display. 
If
you're looking for a great place to celebrate next 4th of July, bring
your family to enjoy a healthy slice of small-town American
Independence Day. I saw Leon Russell perform the night before, Jonny
Lang gave a FREE performance the day after, most everything is FREE
except the BBQ, which'l set ya back $12 bucks. Come on up. It's a great
time and you'll make memories that'll last a lifetime. 
