tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87354512433267111162024-03-13T21:42:43.150-06:00Manitou Springs Street NewsCitizen Journalism from Manitou Springs, Colorado. We bring the word on the street, up to date, uncensored and fully independent.Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-84619442673112249542013-05-26T19:37:00.004-06:002013-05-26T19:55:20.085-06:00Why We Left Manitou Springs, Colorado<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Manitou Springs, Colorado is a beautiful place. I have called it home for ten years, and I have lived in the immediate vicinity for the majority of my life. That said, I have watched my home slowly disappear. The majority of the population is wonderful: it is truly a community in a world where that is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Unfortunately for Manitou, there is an extremely small but influential cadre of moneyed interests that would like to replace the community with a resort.<br />
<br />
The money is winning. There have been a series of grand improvements to the city infrastructure that are not designed for the current population. There have simultaneously been a series of legislative actions taken to criminalize the very things that define community - shared public spaces and the right to peaceably assemble.<br />
<br />
I have heard personally from anonymous, well placed individuals that the name of the game is to clear out the hippies to make way for the Cliff House expansion. I have heard from the same source that this is explicitly talked about behind closed doors by members of the city government.<br />
<br />
I was a regular attendee of the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force, and at the point when Matt Carpenter said, "Walking your dog doesn't exactly constitute <i>use </i>of the park, now does it?" I knew I had to leave. The issue at hand was how to create an ordinance that could be used against certain people and be freely violated by others. They had no shame because no records were kept.<br />
<br />
For the record, I am far from a hippie, and the issue for me is not one of personal persecution but one of social justice. It is not right for a the government of a city that is predominantly low to lower middle income to attempt to criminalize poverty.<br />
<br />
And with that being the core focus of a few members of City Council, I make my leave. I hope that the city can find a sense of equilibrium, but I know all too well that it will not. Goodbye, my home. Goodbye my friends. Goodbye mountains and springs, trails, deer and squirrels. </div>
Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-91450780725542452882012-08-21T08:27:00.001-06:002012-08-21T08:27:02.545-06:00Benson's Failed Experiment<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: white;">
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.49416525450895843" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><b><span id="internal-source-marker_0.49416525450895843" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The City has leased the lot from May 24 to October 1, <br />2012, in an effort to provide more parking capacity and to <br />determine if parkers will utilize the lot</span></b><span id="internal-source-marker_0.49416525450895843" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> -- press release issued by Manitou Springs City Administrator, Jack Benson</span></blockquote>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.49416525450895843" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Earlier this year, and well before the Waldo Canyon Fire obliterated
almost everyone’s ideal of a typical Colorado summer, Manitou Springs
city administrator, Jack Benson, decided to experiment with a parking
lot. His hypothesis: leasing a parking lot from the Tajine Alami Restaurant, in
conjunction to the COG Railway’s donation of a shuttle service to
transport people (at no cost to them) from the same parking lot, would
“provide more parking capacity.”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As it were, the local </span><a href="http://pikespeakbulletin.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pikes Peak Bulletin</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">,
not capable of asking critical questions and demanding evidence from
city officials, posted a blurb in its August 16, 2012 edition
(“Post-fire effects lead to end of free shuttle”) about the
discontinuing of Benson’s experiment. Instead of pointing out the fact
that the parking lot/shuttle service was an experiment, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, in typical cronyism fashion, called the parking lot </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">free.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Alas, alas, the parking lot was not free. In fact, if the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> had any decent journalistic aptitude, they would have simply used <a href="https://www.google.com/" target="_blank">Google</a>. Has anyone at the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ever heard of a search engine? Alas, alas, it doesn’t appear so.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A
quick Google search promptly reveals that, according to this <a href="http://inclinefriends.ning.com/profiles/blogs/parking-and-parking-and-parking" target="_blank">website</a>,
the city shelled out a princely sum of $1,500 per month for the parking
lot, beginning in May and lasting through October, a six month lease. In
other words, Jack Benson’s failed experiment with a parking lot cost the city
at least $9,000 - an expensive parking lot that sat empty for days and
weeks. And probably will remain so until October, based on the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin’s</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> blurb.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin’s</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
August 16 blurb contained the premise the termination of the shuttle
service was due to a lack of business in Manitou Springs due to the lingering effects from the Waldo Canyon Fire but omitted the
fact that the original agreement for the shuttle service from the COG
Railway was to run between June 16 to August 12.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That
means the original agreement expired and was not renewed, probably
because of a variety of factors, one of which was the fire. But to say
the shuttle service ended solely because of the fire without mentioning
the shuttle’s service expiration date is either lazy reporting or a
simple disregard for reporting facts.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jack Benson gambled and lost. Benson should apologize for wasting taxpayers' money. He should find a way to refund city businesses $9,000 and by businesses, that does not mean those only who work with and for the city government, which is pretty much any person who sets foot in the building that houses the <i>Bulletin</i>.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white; text-align: center;">
---</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-18100110536569679572012-08-08T13:38:00.000-06:002012-08-08T13:38:08.056-06:00City Council Writes Disregard for Constitution Into Ordinance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm not a big fan of boilerplate clauses. In any negotiation, they are basically an admission that insufficient research has gone into a venture, but people are choosing to move ahead anyway. They're a way of saying, "We may be wrong, we don't know, we don't care enough to find out. If you find out we're wrong, we will only admit to it on the specific line items you prove wrong."<br />
<br />
A recent Ordinance of City Council contains a boilerplate clause that is extremely troubling to me. <br />
<br />
"The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each part or parts hereof irrespective of the fact that any one part or parts be declared unconstitutional or invalid."<br />
<br />
Read that again. And again. Make sure you get what they just wrote into our Municipal Code.<br />
<br />
Do you see anything wrong with that?</div>Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-72126282345262424522012-07-30T10:54:00.000-06:002012-07-30T10:59:22.776-06:00Does the Bulletin Have An Identity Problem?<div style="color: white;">
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.1367556834551218" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The larger newspapers in the Pikes Peak region, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.gazette.com/" target="_blank">the Gazette </a>and the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Independent</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">,
do not cover government news or issues related to Manitou Springs and
its politics for the most part. It may be that the city is too small to
warrant considerable ink and page space devoted to the politics of a
small city with barely a burp over 5,300 souls.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pikes Peak Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
is generally considered Manitou Springs’ only newspaper. It has a
subscription list. It has vending machines for people to buy copies. It
has a front page, a sports section, classified ads, an op-ed section.
The </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> looks, smells, and seems like a newspaper in the same mold as the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gazette</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Independent</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, a weekly publication, in fact, shares one commonality with the bigger </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.csindy.com/" target="_blank">Independent</a> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(also a weekly) with the notable exception that the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Independent</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
is free and constantly updates their websites (Facebook, Twitter, etc),
providing a continuous stream of information, news, and updates to the
public. The daily <i>Gazette</i> also offers fresh news content and information on their websites as well.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meanwhile, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the<i> Bulletin</i> does not. It is true the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
does have a <a href="http://www.pikespeakbulletin.com/" target="_blank">website</a> but one must purchase a subscription to have access
to the contents (news, information, updates) within the website. Both
the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gazette</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Independent </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">do not have such restrictions.</span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.1367556834551218" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.1367556834551218" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, what is the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
then, if it is not a true journalism driven newspaper? A glorified
classified ads? A voice for city government? A propaganda tool?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">During the Waldo Canyon Fire evacuations, most city officials and residents left the city, including it seems, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.
Online, that fact was magnified once social media (Facebook, Twitter,
etc.) began informing the public of the happenings, news, and updates
related to Manitou Springs and the fire. It was as if the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
and city officials decided an evacuation was sufficient reason to
altogether cease the reporting of anything to city
residents, leaving them to fend for themselves amid a sea of confusion during the hours of that early Sunday morning when evacuations were ordered.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wander online today and you might discover a happy plethora of
websites devoted to Manitou Springs. Why, you can search Facebook and discover
the Chamber of Commerce’s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/visit.manitousprings" target="_blank">So Many Things in Manitou Springs</a> page
praising discounts offered daily by local businesses.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But
there is a huge void. The closest one can find in terms of news
content related to Manitou Springs and its government is the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pikes Peak Bulletin.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> As illustrated in last week’s post (<a href="http://manitouspringsstreetnews.blogspot.com/2012/07/bensons-croynism.html" target="_blank">Benson’s Cronyism</a>), and unfortunately, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
doesn’t seem interested or capable of doing investigative stories,
in-depth analyses, or anything remotely critical of city government and
officials.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Information
creates ideas and vice-versa. Information creates solutions to
problems. The competition of ideas is a long-held American process that
has created untold improvements for Americans. Debates and discussions
about information reported in news media are also part of an important
American tradition. We see this everyday online, on TV, at the coffee
shop when people discuss the latest talking points made by any
presidential candidate anytime within the last 15 minutes. Ideas and
information are at the heart of today’s modern world.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It
is generally and often noted by many involved in Manitou Springs’
political arena that the city’s residents are politically apathetic,
preferring not to vote or participate in elections in large numbers. One
reason for that may be the too-cozy relationship between the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and city government, reinforced by the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin’s</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
lack of a coherent identity (journalism or propaganda pet), and its
ability to produce one-sided political stories created by city
officials.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One,
obvious way to reduce the rampant political and voting apathy in
Manitou Springs is to increase the amount of information available to
residents. Today, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
provides outdated and mostly useless information about local government
to the public, forcing residents to look elsewhere. But there are no
other news media outlets dedicated to and located in Manitou Springs, a fact the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin’s</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> publishers and city officials seem to benefit from.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There
are more important issues to be reported about Manitou Springs than the
incessant whining on the part of a group of city officials who seem to
have nothing better to do with their time than engage in petty, dirty
politics.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Here are some ideas for the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
to consider reporting about and for residents to debate: reduce the
size of city government. Reduce taxes. Improve and increase
accountability and transparency for city government and officials.
Increase community collaborations. Increase community-building. Improve
communication between residents and the city government in all aspects,
and on and on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And of course, the all-important one: is the <i>Bulletin</i> a news publication or an outdated form of glorified government spam?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-- --</span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-17091633773113278232012-07-24T10:35:00.000-06:002012-07-24T10:35:42.292-06:00Benson's Croynism<span id="internal-source-marker_0.6440380181461263" style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mere
weeks after a major fire threatened to erase Manitou Springs from
geographical maps in libraries around the world, it was a surprise and
disappointment to read in last week’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pikes Peak Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
that city administrator Jack Benson’s priorities are skewed. Compassion
and concern for residents seems to have been buried underneath the
political aims of city council - with the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin’s</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> help.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Apparently, and quoting <span style="background-color: white;"></span>the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin’s</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
July 19th article (“Council hopes ordinance deters Soda Springs stage
loiterers, vandals”), Benson told the Manitou Springs city council last
Tuesday, “We have to draw a line in the dirt on what we’re going to
tolerate and what we’re not going to tolerate.” Benson was referring to
his support of a new ordinance recently passed by the council that will
require people to obtain a permit to use Soda Springs park, in
particular, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">stage</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What’s the issue with the stage, then?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Initially,
the Soda Springs park dog-and-pony show began early this year when
officials complained too many people were loitering near the Triangle, a
popular area </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">near</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Soda Springs park. Then an issue was raised by city officials about crime on Ruxton </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">near</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> the Soda Springs park. Then came something about a proposed anti-smoking ordinance for and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">near</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Soda Springs park.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, and after all of that, when a resident pointed out the Triangle was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">near </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the park (and its stage), city officials such as Benson simply - and in figurative literalness - </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">moved</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
their rhetorical claims (crime, smoking, loitering) away from the
Triangle and towards Soda Springs park. Clearly, city officials are more
interested in escaping public scrutiny of their claims and actions by
constantly shifting lines in political dirt to suit their whims.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Benson claims there is damage to the stage but the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
did not print any evidence or at least seem interested in asking for
such proof from Benson. Instead, there’s only the implication that
because </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">certain people</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">loiter</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> in the park and the stage, there is damage to the stage.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Said
Benson, “I don’t care if it’s a juvenile or an adult, they shouldn’t be
damaging our property. We have to put something in place that deters
that kind of behavior.” And what is the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">damage</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, Mr. Benson? What kind of people are doing the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">damage</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">? What behavior by what people doing what damage to the stage? Again, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> doesn’t seem interested in asking for details.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It
serves little purpose to explore the dark, seedy side of Benson’s view,
other than to ostracize a class of people for their supposed and
alleged behavior. But the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin’s</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> story does raise an issue that has been altogether ignored: the too-cozy relationship between city officials and the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rather than ask for evidence or details, or present an alternative view to Benson’s, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> simply passed the political baton from Benson to Roger Miller, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">another city official</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">,
who simply repeated other city officials’ previous implications and
generalized statements and claims. Miller is the city’s Chamber of
Commerce operating chief.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And
what did Miller have to say about the stage? “From a personal
standpoint, I’m getting tired of cleaning up.” Cleaning up what? When do
you clean the stage, Mr. Miller? The story doesn’t say, and not
surprisingly, Miller didn’t offer any specifics to support his claim.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meanwhile,
sidewalks in town are cleaned daily by a crew of city employees. They
are paid to clean vomit off sidewalks, sweep cigarette butts off the
curbs, pick-up trash, and otherwise beautify the downtown area. And yet,
for some strange reason, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> makes no reference as to whether or not the same crews do (or do not) clean the stage in Soda Springs park.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If city employees </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">do</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> clean the stage, then that is what they’re paid to do, and Miller’s claim is pointless and moot. If they are </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">not </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cleaning the stage, then that warrants consideration as a possible solution to an untidy stage </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">before</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> proposing inane ordinances based on generalized claims and little or no evidence or facts. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meanwhile,
other city parks have dog waste dispensers that seem to be ignored by
certain people, probably city officials. Will the city council create an
ordinance that prohibits the public from using those parks without a
permit issued by city government?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
a time of witnessing heart-warming tales of compassion and caring by
communities affected by the Waldo Canyon Fire, it is disheartening to
see city officials openly and blatantly declare they “do not care” about
the people who live in our city. It is obvious that Benson, and even
Miller, do not seem genuinely concerned about Manitou Springs and prefer
to continue targeting classes of people they find undesirable.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulletin</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #bbbbbb; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">? It needs to stop serving city government and become its biggest skeptic.<span style="background-color: white;"></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-88175487145986856412012-05-12T09:44:00.000-06:002012-05-12T09:46:58.913-06:00Rock On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfpkUgKXgef-bdM_o7HGZNQ4C8hb1OMrPvS7Pn0qkGv4laliPRDWe7Vv4TQOZXaVIRDtUA3amRihTW4VnXfrmqijvS3REhYLzHQyQjqAmCxtUBoKUrd8nqmytbfM3dlsBrqq-syCUBd8/s1600/microwave.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfpkUgKXgef-bdM_o7HGZNQ4C8hb1OMrPvS7Pn0qkGv4laliPRDWe7Vv4TQOZXaVIRDtUA3amRihTW4VnXfrmqijvS3REhYLzHQyQjqAmCxtUBoKUrd8nqmytbfM3dlsBrqq-syCUBd8/s200/microwave.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Quartz rocks. You may have seen them, up on the hillsides and below your shoes, during your walkabouts in and around the area you call home. But what is quartz, really? I mean, if it looks like a rock, acts like a rock, and rocks when you bump it with your toe, it stands to reason that what you have discovered is likely to be a rock, and not—as your inscrutable neighbor would have you believe—a source of Great Power during times of economic uncertainty. <br />
<br />
Having spent considerable time and effort investigating similar phenomena, I found it excruciatingly easy to make the leap to quartz, and thence to other types of rock that refused to support my weight no matter how much I sniffed and dabbed at my eye. If there's one thing I learned from sandstone, it's that. <br />
<br />
Another thing I learned is that common household appliances can be pressed into service for all manner of scientific experimentation, but that doesn't necessarily mean the manufacturer will honor the warranty. What it does mean is that the 2.4 GHz frequency your microwave oven uses to warm leftovers is the same frequency used by your wireless router to contact the suspicious object hovering above your cottage. Cheese, too, can be converted to its liquid form using either of these microwave sources, but quartz is not cheese, at least in the dietary sense. Unlike cheese, quartz oscillates in the presence of electromagnetic frequencies—which often results in humanlike speech—hence my particular interest in kitchen appliances. <br />
<br />
As you might expect, this brings up the same question I asked in the third sentence, namely, what is quartz, really? I don't know, but I think it may be some sort of rock. Putting a chunk of it in the microwave didn't tell me anything, but that may have more to do with the extreme temperature of the fragment I held up to my ear after the explosion. <br />
<br />
On the other hand, incommunicado quartz is mysterious quartz. Dumb as a rock? I wonder.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-24500378629894225062012-05-11T07:00:00.000-06:002012-05-09T10:58:49.828-06:00Some Notices You Might Want to See<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-otSwy5wmUaA/T6QSfl6GIpI/AAAAAAAAAE4/0HdUmF5I-pY/s1600/P5015724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Shift Gears & Pedal June 2012 Manitou Springs" border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-otSwy5wmUaA/T6QSfl6GIpI/AAAAAAAAAE4/0HdUmF5I-pY/s400/P5015724.JPG" title="Colorado Bike Month" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pedal, pedal.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
June is Colorado Bike Month!</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwodF26fNFA/T6QS7RHwBvI/AAAAAAAAAFA/RFCSZ83hVCk/s1600/P5015725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Manitou Springs Bike 2 Work June" border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwodF26fNFA/T6QS7RHwBvI/AAAAAAAAAFA/RFCSZ83hVCk/s400/P5015725.JPG" title="Colorado Bike 2 Work Day" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike to work off those pounds you got sitting in front of a computer!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Wednesday June 27 is Bike 2 Work Day!</b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></h2>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rmcGatXk8BQ/T6QTaqYNheI/AAAAAAAAAFI/k9VFnJcZ68E/s1600/P5015722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rmcGatXk8BQ/T6QTaqYNheI/AAAAAAAAAFI/k9VFnJcZ68E/s400/P5015722.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Job opening at the Police Department as an Emergency Services Dispatcher.</b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></h2>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Notice is up in the window at City Hall - you can read it in full there, as well as apply.</b></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></h4>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2hRUMm8IEr0/T6qdU8nc5eI/AAAAAAAAAFw/5NkNwyZcM8k/s1600/P5015723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2hRUMm8IEr0/T6qdU8nc5eI/AAAAAAAAAFw/5NkNwyZcM8k/s400/P5015723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Job opening for a Seasonal Full-Time Parking Enforcement Officer - Must be 21 years of age.</b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></h2>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Notice is up in the window at City Hall - you can read it in full there, as well as apply.</b></h4>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-61364182195959191582012-05-09T10:32:00.000-06:002012-05-09T10:32:05.177-06:00Manitou's New Transformation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A local resident of Manitou Springs asked us to post this op-ed piece anonymously:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kfItRcyOht8/T6qaeRJIKlI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Z_J7c36-1gw/s1600/a+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kfItRcyOht8/T6qaeRJIKlI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Z_J7c36-1gw/s640/a+010.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on photo to see a larger image.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFPHExinRSQ/T6qamair2nI/AAAAAAAAAFk/5uSRYe3wfY0/s1600/a+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFPHExinRSQ/T6qamair2nI/AAAAAAAAAFk/5uSRYe3wfY0/s640/a+011.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on photo to see a larger image.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-13997043650109173982012-05-05T10:03:00.000-06:002012-05-09T10:32:48.801-06:00Letter from the Task Force - Do You See What I See?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>The following document is a letter I received concerning the May 9th meeting of the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force. Because the letter was sent to 30 people, under the Colorado Sunshine Law of 1972, it is open to the public. Because the meeting includes what is considered a quorum representing the City of Manitou Springs, the meeting is open to the public. Read on, and tell me if you see anything wrong here.</i><br />
<br />
This is a reminder that we will be having a meeting in Soda Springs Park
starting at 5:00 and going until 6:30p.m. At the conclusion of the
meeting for those who want, we will be having a potluck dinner at the
pavilion, the potluck is only for task force members. The meeting will
focus on environmental and design strategies for the park and
surrounding area of influence.<br />
<br />
Please bring your agenda from that
last meeting, it has the areas of concern that we will focusing on. We
will spend the first 30-40 minutes divided up into small working
groups, each looking at the list of possible environmental and design
strategies. The last half of the meeting will centered on each group
reporting back to the others what they see as possible strategies. We
will not be spending any time on root causes, ordinances, only
strategies.<br />
<br />
As a reminder to all,<b> this is not an open meeting to
the public</b>, it is intended to be for task force members only. There
will no discussion about the past meetings, or root causes, we have a
limited amount of time to focus on strategies. Please come prepared to
discuss and report on strategies. <br />
<br />
Potluck: I will bring
Plates, Spoons Forks and Knifes for the pot luck. I suggest that each
person bring their own food and drink. I will need to leave right after
the meeting portion for personal reasons.<br />
<br />
As you can see we will ONLY be focusing on environmental and design strategies for this meeting.<br />
<br />
<br />
Laurie
and I will compile the list of strategies, send them back out to you
for review and then give them to Chief Riberio, City Administrator, and
City Council for review and consideration. Once the Chief Ribeiro and
City have had time to review the list of strategies and add their
thoughts, we will reconvene the task force for further input.<br />
<br />
Please
remember the Soda Springs Task Force is only forwarding recommendations
and strategies for consideration, keep in mind that some may or may not
be implemented after full a vetting process by City Council.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZANBl-oiLuV1PlQuoqKR3JXK6sELBCLqL54Udu0wXh1hvVdjX9Ci8l4G1QLSPX7ZDjYVfOH2psFDdUy5YX51wDDY5GqYbDZkPGJ8h5Mrf3U6bIOlamVORi94-wrR_zQ2NO4Y9L3OoFwbx/s1600/P4305709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZANBl-oiLuV1PlQuoqKR3JXK6sELBCLqL54Udu0wXh1hvVdjX9Ci8l4G1QLSPX7ZDjYVfOH2psFDdUy5YX51wDDY5GqYbDZkPGJ8h5Mrf3U6bIOlamVORi94-wrR_zQ2NO4Y9L3OoFwbx/s320/P4305709.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>The Task Force is open to the public. The part that says the meeting is not open to the public should not stand, and we hope that many from the community are present.</i><br />
<br />
<i>We should come to share our ideas and strategies, but we should also come in the simple name of democracy. It is bad form to discuss other people's future in their presence and not include them in the conversation.</i></div>Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-46064702753507259872012-05-02T09:40:00.000-06:002012-05-09T10:34:07.344-06:00Agenda of May 1st City Council Meeting and other Community Web Resources<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The following document is the agenda of the May 1st meeting of Manitou Springs City Council. We'll try to do our best in staying on top of these guys. As soon as the minutes are approved, we'll publish those here, too. In the future, we'll be video taping the meetings of council and offering them in their entirety (as well as highlights) here on the Street News.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dpNok9ZUz1b89ymqLFLDtWyPlSNkonvoU-v448r3QJKYvqnzQTF4ilHpr4ZqOJdxAye708GTZ9JnUN7ZCMFDriKDqBMPEsegLUxkCZgOaOKxBskKDc_BOnbxI2DO6gKKA62z2iyIGs7b/s1600/P4305708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dpNok9ZUz1b89ymqLFLDtWyPlSNkonvoU-v448r3QJKYvqnzQTF4ilHpr4ZqOJdxAye708GTZ9JnUN7ZCMFDriKDqBMPEsegLUxkCZgOaOKxBskKDc_BOnbxI2DO6gKKA62z2iyIGs7b/s320/P4305708.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.manitouspringsgov.com/library/documents/2012/meetings/council/2012-05-01_Council_Regular_Agenda.pdf">Click here for the minutes of the most recent Manitou Springs City Council meeting.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.manitouspringsgov.com/government/council/council-meetings">Click here for the city landing page for the activities of Manitou Springs City Council.</a><br />
<br />
Also, the city has a few different resources that I think might be beneficial if we have more community participation. iManitou, which is the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce, has put together a <a href="http://community.manitousprings.org/">Manitou Springs Community Page.</a> This could be a great forum and sharing ground for the people of our town. I'm a member personally, and I encourage other people to join up, too. We can share photos, videos and ideas with the community and help show what's REALLY going on in Manitou. There are a few active members, but if we bring more of the culture here, the people in positions of power will have a better idea of the things they're missing out on.</div>Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-46229240393219807812012-04-27T15:27:00.000-06:002012-05-12T09:30:50.009-06:00Crowning, Food, and Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pI3pTk5fKB4FOBLGlinlSab0stLUvTYo38ypoHOSTFKD51AMw44wj6gZlRCwWJY7Sgdm56aBuSirPKTpHABIthjy-DTA_j9RpEiLwE1JpderwmZyTs5f9IwyN4_PRkn8xN21eSoX_Pw/s1600/teapot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I'm a little teapot, short and . . . well, you know the drill. " border="0" height="177" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pI3pTk5fKB4FOBLGlinlSab0stLUvTYo38ypoHOSTFKD51AMw44wj6gZlRCwWJY7Sgdm56aBuSirPKTpHABIthjy-DTA_j9RpEiLwE1JpderwmZyTs5f9IwyN4_PRkn8xN21eSoX_Pw/s200/teapot.png" title="" width="200" /></a></div>
During a recent panning expedition atop Pikes Peak, I was forced to reflect on the many tourists staggering about in thin air just before they burst, like balloons in a vacuum, through the doors of the train that waits at the end of the line. My aluminum expedition clothing generally has that effect on tourists, especially in bright sunlight.<br />
<br />
Encouraged by their bursting, I decided to look around for inspiration of my own. My eye fell on the little town considerably below and slightly east-northeast of the summit, which slowed my inspiration on account of having to hike all the way down to retrieve my eye. If you've ever heard it said that inspiration is 9% polypropylene and 13% yerba mate, that's why. <br />
<br />
After regaining my composure on a nearby rooftop, I burst into song. Taking into account my vantage point<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">—</span></span>still above but now slightly north-southwest of the little town of Manitou<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">—</span></span>my outburst came as no surprise. Had it come, instead, as a quavering falsetto, I would have been forced to consider it a sign that I wasn't meant for singing, but it didn't. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
O Manitou<br />
Oy Manitou<br />
God shed her grace on thee<br />
And crown thy brood <br />
With healthful food<br />
And pots of roibos tea.</blockquote>
In case you wonder what happened to the drum solo, I would simply indicate that, where weight is the consideration, a harmonica is always the better choice.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-23938132397008184022012-04-27T10:57:00.000-06:002012-04-27T10:57:04.937-06:00Interesting Points from This Week's Task Force MeetingWe had a pretty good turnout of people who hang out down at Soda Springs Park on Wednesday. Some interesting things were said, so I took notes and will share those notes with you here.<br />
<br />
-A local named Justin Bailey came up with the idea of turning the triangle planter into a 3-way bench. At first thought, Steve Wood from <a href="http://www.concretecouch.org/" target="_blank">Concrete Couch</a> figured it would be too small. Adam Withrow, a writer for <a href="http://manitouspringsstreetnews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Manitou Springs Street News</a> and local construction worker, asked about the dimensions, which got Steve to think a little more about it and offer up the idea to bring chairs down and see if we could make it work.<br />
<br />
-Adam Withrow pointed out that the whole area concerned during these meetings happens to be our version of a town square. You meet people, get word on the street, find work, etc. "We should find a way to nurture our town square," instead of trying to eliminate it.<br />
<br />
-Steve Wood talked about how, in 20+ years of living here, he never really felt the "gauntlet" (a word used commonly to describe the bridge area in front of the <a href="http://www.matefactor.com/" target="_blank">Mate Factor</a>, because it is often hard to get through with all the people). He mentioned that after a while, though, he started hearing more people saying they were scared or disturbed by the goings-on down at the park. I, Amanda Lane, mentioned that it was because of the problem bums who were drunk on the street at 9am, demanding food and clothes and spare change from any poor soul walking by, that caused that. Those people are gone now, so we need to help people to understand that what they are afraid of is no longer there.<br />
<br />
-<a href="http://www.skyrunner.com/" target="_blank">Matt Carpenter</a>, City Council Ward 3 and <a href="mailto:mcarpenter@comsgov.com" target="_blank">Mayor Pro-tem</a>, talked about how he was scared to bring his daughter to the park and he saw "a drug deal go down ... with a pipe, a guy named Monkey climbing the poles and people all over the place climbing on the rails of the pavilion." Some of the people who were also at the park on the day he spoke of came to the table with their own opinions and common sense and shot holes in Matt's words. Matt Carpenter was asked repeatedly by a number of participants to be respectful.<br />
<br />
-Jan Johnson from <a href="http://www.manitouspringsgov.com/government/city-boards/parab" target="_blank">PARAB</a> has lived here since 1996 and spoke about how it does take a village to make a place safe. She applauds regulars of the park for setting the tone, as far as respect and behavior. She can see that people who care about Soda Springs Park are trying really hard to make it a really nice place to spend time. She does feel that some environmental changes, such as moving benches or eliminating rails, etc. would be a great idea.<br />
<br />
-Chris Nason, a street minister, spoke about how he and some member of his church have brought lemonade and cookies during the summers and hot cocoa and cookies during the winters to Soda Springs Park. They just finished their third winter. He said that all they do is hand out cookies and lemonade (or cocoa) and talk to people who wish to talk to them. They have only had 2 negative encounters in these 3 years, which was amazing to him, as he had done similar things in bigger cities. Most of the park occupants were very respectful, though he noted that he was also very respectful to them. He suggested that respect bred respect (hm, who knew?).<br />
<br />
-I mentioned that, if anybody took a look at the plan for the park, there would be less to talk about. Many of the so-called problems that we are facing will be entirely eliminated once the plan is executed (See the attached photo of the plan).<br />
<br />
-We agreed the next meeting should be a potluck at Soda Springs Park. So bring something good to eat and come down for an evening at the park on Wednesday, May 9, 2012. We will start the meeting at 5pm.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0L9W94Rgo4/T5rOxSIVbZI/AAAAAAAAAEs/HuoXaXysTKk/s1600/masterplan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Manitou Springs Soda Springs Park" border="0" height="254" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0L9W94Rgo4/T5rOxSIVbZI/AAAAAAAAAEs/HuoXaXysTKk/s640/masterplan.JPG" title="Soda Springs Park Master Plan" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Come one, come all, but most of all, respect.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-56487945880223263502012-04-26T15:00:00.000-06:002012-04-26T15:00:23.799-06:00Task Force Progress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Democracy is amazing. The system of government that we live in right now is one of the greatest social experiments in human history, and what makes it so cool is that we're still experimenting to this day. What makes people frustrated is that we tend to feel that we are <i>under</i> this system instead of <i>a part of it.</i> A little participation by a group of residents can turn the tide, though, and if we come together, we can think of the city government as "us" instead of "them."<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPFdN1wLVZVUsnsBfZqi5OLEBVATt0VaIRRTG4DOXbnYFOQPbfl8BlBYi5c3SD2S1d6C7-BbbC-m_yjDxd-dPZsNtj-FNQp5gXIMgXACCQCNqnATXijcQ_ArvZDZm3ermRTP3B-vCJcPm/s1600/Manitou+Springs+from+Undisclosed+Location+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPFdN1wLVZVUsnsBfZqi5OLEBVATt0VaIRRTG4DOXbnYFOQPbfl8BlBYi5c3SD2S1d6C7-BbbC-m_yjDxd-dPZsNtj-FNQp5gXIMgXACCQCNqnATXijcQ_ArvZDZm3ermRTP3B-vCJcPm/s320/Manitou+Springs+from+Undisclosed+Location+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
We're getting to the point where it doesn't matter what started the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force, we're helping to shape the outcome.<br />
<br />
It is very important that people continue to participate in this process, and some of the newcomers last night brought us to a level that we hadn't even approached up until then. One person has one voice, no matter who they are. If you find yourself being bullied into submission, bring your friends. The more witnesses there are, the more democratic the process can be. Non-participation has become the culture, and as a result, processes that are legally open to the public tend to be carried out by small groups of people with narrow agendas.<br />
<br />
The meeting started off as they always do: a reading of the norms of the meeting followed by an introduction of the people on the panel. The demographics in the meeting last night were much more diverse than in meetings gone by. After the introductions, we started to head into the agenda. This involved questions about what we're going to do about the triangle shaped planter in front of the Mate Factor. After kicking around a few suggestions, one of the newcomers to the meeting brought up an interesting point. The area in front of the Mate Factor is not the park. He wondered out loud to the committee what we were really trying to accomplish.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Z-sew6T9htH_xhY7kqVdOD-KRuqffxZUbRjR3vCTZEtL-rfTOhKVBbkviW7mMDP1CJUIJqWC3zdwy8urvq3zLIUgdiogJAabqebqR5QvehfRoF8Cnqdt2ZPhlYCgL9uBZLp3Ps0Ufcrp/s1600/through+the+ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Z-sew6T9htH_xhY7kqVdOD-KRuqffxZUbRjR3vCTZEtL-rfTOhKVBbkviW7mMDP1CJUIJqWC3zdwy8urvq3zLIUgdiogJAabqebqR5QvehfRoF8Cnqdt2ZPhlYCgL9uBZLp3Ps0Ufcrp/s320/through+the+ball.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
To begin with, this set off the usual round of explanations that amounted to little more than empty political rhetoric. They were basically using the language that framed the issue as a crackdown to try to say that that was not the purpose. The newcomer kept digging, and what ensued what a wonderful conversation about the real state of affairs at Soda Springs Park circa 2012. We talked about self-policing, and we talked about how we are actively working to ingrain that into our culture.<br />
<br />
We also talked about how our new police chief is cool enough to be fully accepted by all walks of the community. If we welcome him with open arms and help him <i>really</i> get to know our community, then he can offer a directive that can guide our police department in the right direction. <br />
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If we can introduce Joe Ribiero to the street scene with the respect he is due, he can issue a directive that helps alleviate our real problems without discriminating against any particular groups of people. If he gets more experience of the culture firsthand, he will better understand what our real problems are. We cannot help it that certain things are going to make people uncomfortable, and we have to be smart about what real crime is. We can't placate every person who complains because some of the complaints are more cultural grievances than criminal concerns. There is a concerted effort to say that it is a crime to be present in the park if someone is made uncomfortable. <br />
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This only applies, though, if certain people are made uncomfortable. "The rest of you will have to pay," they say. By participating in our democracy and getting to know the head of law enforcement, we can ensure that all people are truly represented, not just a vocal minority.<br />
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It is a joy to have youth that spend their time outside instead of in front of television or video games. When there is crime, we should address it. All in all, though, our problems are more social in nature than criminal.<br />
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It is not and can not be a crime to be different. What happens, though, is that it is possible to pass laws that "different" people commonly break and then urge police officers to enforce them primarily on the target demographics. On paper, there may be no discrimination, but in practice, a lot of times there really is. It's easy to say that it is not if a person is outside of the target group, but we are following a social and economic trajectory that is expanding the ranks of the "undesirables." More and more people are finding themselves in the difficult economic circumstances that make a person make other people feel uncomfortable. <br />
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In this day and age, if your clothes aren't new, clean, and in a certain range of styles, you will make people feel unsafe. In this town, though, it is OK to be a little gritty. That means that a certain segment of the population feels unsafe because the rest of us don't follow the dress code. <br />
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Beyond that, though, we strengthened bridges that this task force has helped to build. A street minister who was present at the meeting said, "We have the nicest bad kids I've ever seen." He also talked about how in three years ministering at the park, they have only had two negative encounters. We, for the first time, got to formalize the fact that we've got the same mission: to transform the culture through respect and positive teaching instead of force and imprisonment.<br />
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It is going to interesting to see how all of this goes.<br />
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<br /></div>Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-72167255355197996332012-04-22T18:34:00.002-06:002012-04-22T18:34:52.043-06:00Our New Police Chief, Joe RibeiroThis evening, we had an informal meeting with Joe Ribeiro, who will begin as Manitou Springs' new Chief of Police in two weeks. He was very low-key and easygoing. In fact, he met us at Soda Springs Park and he just chilled for a couple of hours, without looking for a problem or acting like anything other than a dude who wanted to hang out at the park.<br />
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I really liked a lot of what he had to say, including that he will be working to train the police force not to profile. Mr. Ribeiro said that it would be ideal if a police officer could be basically blind when it comes to who they enforce. If a yuppie is doing something against the law, the law will be enforced. If a dirty hippie isn't doing anything wrong, the police officer will say hello and keep walking.<br />
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I have to say that if he is true to his word, this is a major improvement in the Manitou Springs Police Department. I spoke with a woman today who is in her 60s and she told me that for as long as she can remember, Manitou Springs has been a laughingstock, as far as police departments go, of the entire county. Police harassment has been rampant for many years and Manitou has been famous for it. If Joe Ribeiro can break that pattern, all of the inhabitants of the town will be much happier and relaxed. No more threats of being tazed if someone says they refuse to be unlawfully searched!<br />
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Let's all keep our eyes out and our minds open to a cool Police Chief and report what we find, good or bad. Until he starts his new job, I hope he enjoys his vacation he's planning on taking.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-86905210449738714282012-04-21T17:57:00.008-06:002012-05-12T09:30:10.234-06:00What Ails Manitou<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiraK_xJkF5q11HXAKwYLx25eG_6aNve9fZEOz99wsq-f5rTNwdbs36w8TXRXdPz6r5yyXHMSefuwCLshrRTPA4zVJUfU_A7E83cxHiVMX_QfOuE7YrmeSOVmyAm4smXaV0WVu5ibhBqM/s1600/no_peeps.png"><img alt="A common problem" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734009127640988882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiraK_xJkF5q11HXAKwYLx25eG_6aNve9fZEOz99wsq-f5rTNwdbs36w8TXRXdPz6r5yyXHMSefuwCLshrRTPA4zVJUfU_A7E83cxHiVMX_QfOuE7YrmeSOVmyAm4smXaV0WVu5ibhBqM/s400/no_peeps.png" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 294px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 302px;" /></a>Having been invited to contribute to the new citizen journalism venture you see here, I feel an obligation of sorts to come clean on my reasons—by which I mean agenda—for agreeing to such a thing in the first place. Ordinarily, receiving an invitation indicates a certain commonality of goals; it's tempting to assume that I'm sympathetic to the cause.<br />
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I am not. I don’t even live there. In fact, I avoid Manitou like the plague, having seen <em>The Shining</em> and one or two other films that made me laugh and cry at the same time. A long time ago, I got a typewriter because that's what Stephen King was using, but when I saw what happened to Jack Nicholson's character I decided to go back to the computer instead. It isn't smart to retype the same line over and over. That's what copy and paste is for.<br />
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Anyway, after reviewing the concerns and solutions outlined on the virtual pages here, I'm left with the same sense of déjà vu I experienced the second time I read this stuff, which may say something about memory loss, though I'm not exactly sure what because my hearing isn't what it used to be either. This brings me back to the point I was trying to make before, which was that hippies have taken over the town. As I recall, the same thing happened in the late sixties, the early seventies, and during the eighties-nineties timeframe, so it isn't difficult to imagine what might have allowed them to gain a foothold during the so-called double-zip-to-zip-eleven period, which may have set the stage for the current rash of sightings in the downtown area.<br />
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To be fair, hippies aren't the only problem facing the town right now, which is why everyone in Manitou Springs should be guillotined. This would not only avoid the political suicide that so often results from the appearance of favoritism, but would give Manitou the opportunity to start over with a fresh crop of eight-, six-, and four-legged inhabitants, none of whom would be likely to allow things to get out of control a second time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-53430863644752090412012-04-19T19:01:00.001-06:002012-04-19T19:22:20.206-06:00This is What We'll Lose if City Council Bans Unauthorized Use of the Stage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is Dylan. He hangs out in town quite a bit, and he just happens to be a great musician. This is a great song, and a proposed ordinance from Manitou Springs City Council would render this performance illegal.<br />
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It is sad to hear <a href="http://manitouspringsstreetnews.blogspot.com/2012/04/proposed-ordinance-2.html">that the City of Manitou Springs, Colorado is considering banning unauthorized use of the stage</a>. That includes playing music. This is a terrible idea, and I think the community ought to weigh in with their feelings about it. What kind of a society makes you get a permit to play your guitar in the park?<br />
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If you feel the way I do, get involved. Call your City Councilor and tell them not to support the ban of the use of the stage.<br />
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A person should not need a permit to play a song, nor should they need one to sit down. Under that law, a "habitual offender" would eventually be arrested for any use of the stage. This puts law enforcement in a really unfair situation as well as the artists themselves.<br />
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Why should a cop need to warn someone to stop using a stage? I'm sure most police officers would rather be fighting crime than fighting art! Let's promote the art and bring more positive people to the rough and rugged world of Soda Springs.</div>Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-91120091276030934012012-04-16T19:37:00.000-06:002012-04-16T19:37:18.666-06:00Letter From Our New Chief of PoliceI have come across, by an anonymous source, a letter from the new Chief of Police. Comment with your opinions, dear readers....<br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">"I believe it is important to establish a good precedent with this project. The ordinances can be two edged swords and we should approach carefully and with an open mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">In one respect, it establishes the community's rules and boundaries for acceptable behavior along with the ability to communicate that to residents and visitors in many ways, signs, flyers, personal conversation, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">We need to be clear about what the community expects of the PD. We are already working to overcome the perception of being heavy handed "enforcers" and do not want to be tasked with "strict enforcement" of extremely minor violations which would further damage our image.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">If we view the ordinances as an opportunity to engage people in conversations and help them learn about our community standards, we have an "in" for positive public relations if done right. The PD can also use the ordinances as a way of legitimately contacting potential troublemakers, drug dealers, and the like since smoking seems to parallel. Again this must be done with tact and respect for the individual and community. Onlookers should see an officer (initially) contacting a potential drug dealer with the same tone and respect as he would an unknowing tourist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ultimately, this is a quality of life issue for the community and makes sense that there are no smoking rules and reasonable hours for use of our parks. I support the group bringing the ordinance discussion to the Council forum and having further community input. I am interested in other's views on the matter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">On the whole, we also need to view our approach to these issues as a means to completely resolve the issue and not just move it to another part of the City." -Joe Ribeiro, Manitou Springs Chief of Police</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-47046120549444349722012-04-15T20:06:00.001-06:002012-04-15T20:06:43.626-06:00We All Know It, Someone's Gotta Say It.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There has been a deliberate, concentrated effort to turn Manitou Springs, Colorado into Vail Junior, Colorado.<br />
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There have been actions, both legislative and economic, to push the current population out of town and replace us with rich, jet-set outsiders. I wish I could believe that the improvements to the sidewalks and such were done for us, but it is apparent from my recent dealings with the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force that this is not the case. These improvements are being done for the people who are slated to replace us.<br />
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It's not just lower class people that I'm talking about. This is going to effect everyone. If these people have their way, after about the next 18 months, we will be past the point of no return from the yuppietization of Manitou Springs. This place is set up to be a place where people's "other houses" are.<br />
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Let me start somewhere concrete, literally concrete, and try not to wander too far from there. Did you move to Manitou Springs for this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posh curio shops and Custard?</td></tr>
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Or did you move to Manitou Springs for this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDwblYa_IZsM_JHkBEyBk4ogb5UN5R2RPbCrBQet0IkLLFC56jRZST5Nej5zPNMyRnxps7Dpfta6d6aeL_Aihn9cysMeXJkzbLdcs_R7bWKBVUrAWM9j9jHiJP9kZHk9ekgKNoF_xPgaL/s1600/a+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDwblYa_IZsM_JHkBEyBk4ogb5UN5R2RPbCrBQet0IkLLFC56jRZST5Nej5zPNMyRnxps7Dpfta6d6aeL_Aihn9cysMeXJkzbLdcs_R7bWKBVUrAWM9j9jHiJP9kZHk9ekgKNoF_xPgaL/s640/a+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweeping views?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O1hI0hKSunWGhnACCweDIdkmt5M4D6bkl_uao1jOwUQZQJ330YfduxPaatytejIE4tXLC3cLdAS85zUIpXKX2pnt2csdodiFIT0TnrpUHVGKwPixJEMilIJdLswlI536OakZ1nnwu2rI/s1600/Panoramic+of+Navajo+&+Manitou+Ave+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O1hI0hKSunWGhnACCweDIdkmt5M4D6bkl_uao1jOwUQZQJ330YfduxPaatytejIE4tXLC3cLdAS85zUIpXKX2pnt2csdodiFIT0TnrpUHVGKwPixJEMilIJdLswlI536OakZ1nnwu2rI/s640/Panoramic+of+Navajo+&+Manitou+Ave+003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historic charm?</td></tr>
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The fact is, we knew what this town was when we fell in love with it. Most of the population of Manitou Springs moved here because they love Manitou, not because they have some dream of bulldozing everything and replacing it with condos.<br />
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Unfortunately, because we love this place how it is, a lot of us have trusted our government enough to not even register to vote.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgueqWHv0ntyqCkyfHhFlXr9BugdFtGyO_lbsOePIRvkht5NFMfxG_0_VQGrSZJsBxuzBDv_wBTcDB-vqs7BdrrrgpD6t-VQflw47fdOKxyAfTEudj6Obn4wg6EeOA0GrMsRxVPLWr36jk4/s1600/P4135615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgueqWHv0ntyqCkyfHhFlXr9BugdFtGyO_lbsOePIRvkht5NFMfxG_0_VQGrSZJsBxuzBDv_wBTcDB-vqs7BdrrrgpD6t-VQflw47fdOKxyAfTEudj6Obn4wg6EeOA0GrMsRxVPLWr36jk4/s640/P4135615.JPG" width="161" /></a>Our trust has been abused. The current City Council in Manitou Springs has completely collapsed under pressure from developers, and they are now trying to "clean up" the town for their target clientele.<br />
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Problems with traffic?<br />
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Run out all the poor people! When I say poor people, I'm including doctors and lawyers. Make it prohibitively expensive for our current locals and tourists! Screw these Subarus, we could have Benzes instead! Just think: If the "standard" residents are wealthy enough, they will be too busy on vacation to Fiji to clog up our streets. Not only that, but the square footage that currently houses thousands of people could eventually house a few hundred. <br />
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Never mind all of the businesses who have been here for decades! We can replace them with couture clothing outfits and cigar bars! Sales tax revenues will probably take a major hit, as the "locals" will prefer to do their shopping worldwide. Don't worry, though, there will be so much more collected in property tax!<br />
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Problems with panhandlers?<br />
<br />
Don't worry! We'll make it illegal to be dirty! We'll make it illegal to wear tie-dye! We'll outlaw smoking, and we'll prosecute marijuana like it's crack! We'll make it illegal to sit on the stage! That'll keep those "undesirable" people down enough to get them out of sight! We'll make it illegal to exhibit any signs of counterculture or poverty! All actions taken to alleviate this problem will criminalize large amounts of both citizens and tourists.<br />
<br />
What a great place to live.<br />
<br />
With the rezoning of that lot on the 1300 block of Manitou Avenue to commercial, the dominoes are lined up to fall. That end of the Ave is almost entirely made up of affordable housing. There may be as much as 5% of the population of Manitou Springs within 5 blocks of that lot. It should be noted that the zip line that this rezoning was done for will cost $85.00 per ride, or $60.00 for locals. That is prohibitively expensive for everyone in the neighborhood.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjIwkjjJks5SqMeEEsQWvZ1rjv-siFywKig_ndphJpG6mnaeEvRxRQ1JsD-haUFV00xmMNhYe_mxi4obujzJUqT9pdxPNhgWu2X8vaayJnFdYABy2fkKLSIGUDaWxnnrFBP5Bx18_VzT-/s1600/P4135621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjIwkjjJks5SqMeEEsQWvZ1rjv-siFywKig_ndphJpG6mnaeEvRxRQ1JsD-haUFV00xmMNhYe_mxi4obujzJUqT9pdxPNhgWu2X8vaayJnFdYABy2fkKLSIGUDaWxnnrFBP5Bx18_VzT-/s640/P4135621.JPG" width="192" /></a></div>
Our current City Council will rubber stamp zoning and building permits for that area, so the commercial speculators will be here in no time after the zip line opens. Property values will skyrocket with the speculation, and many of the property owners in the area are already under pressure to "clean it up."<br />
<br />
If we don't do something, we can expect the end of Manitou Avenue to go from affordable housing to cookie cutter yuppieland shops. There are no plans for any affordable housing to replace what is on the chopping block. Sure, we may see more loft-type development where limited, expensive housing is available above the shops, but current residents of the west end of Manitou Avenue are set to be displaced by commercial development.<br />
<br />
A couple of years of this sort of pressure, and we can expect a major demographic shift in the population of Manitou Springs. The vibrant atmosphere that is created by such a crossroads of cultures will be replaced with the homogeneous, sycophantic plastic world of Everywhere, USA. The people who live here are not considered because there is already an underclass in Colorado Springs to feed off of, so it is not necessary for there to be working class accommodations in Manitou Springs. <br />
<br />
There is a systemic push to bully lower income people into silence. Many people have directly felt the burn from this, both in sessions of City Council and in its committees and other subsidiary bodies. Undue pressure is put on the police to harass people who are deemed undesirable, and ordinances are currently in the works to criminalize normal behavior.<br />
<br />
If we, the people of Manitou Springs, do not get registered to vote and raise some candidates, we can kiss this place goodbye. </div>Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-38807423749512124002012-04-13T11:50:00.001-06:002012-04-13T17:34:46.071-06:00Proposed Ordinance #3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bhwfDiI2m1s/T4hor7pHcYI/AAAAAAAAACw/ynxN7LBW-Lc/s1600/smoke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bhwfDiI2m1s/T4hor7pHcYI/AAAAAAAAACw/ynxN7LBW-Lc/s400/smoke.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice sentiment, but does it cut back crime or piss locals off?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Manitou Springs City Council has proposed three(3) ordinances to the
Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force. These ordinances are supposed to
make the park safer for everyone, cut down on crime, etc. If the Task
Force accepts any of the ordinances, it will then go to Council and they
will vote during the next City Council Meeting.
Here is the third ordinance that was proposed by Matt Carpenter (Mayor
Pro-Tem, City Council Ward 3):<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
COUNCIL BILL NO. ____<br />
<br />
ORDINANCE NO. ____<br />
<br />
ORDINANCE<br />
<br />
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING HOURS OF USE FOR THE CITY’S PUBLIC<br />
PARKS<br />
______________<br />
<br />
WHEREAS, the City Council understands the need to limit the hours of use of the City’s<br />
public parks; and<br />
<br />
WHEREAS, limiting the hours of use of the City’s public parks is beneficial to the safety and<br />
welfare of the citizens of the City of Manitou Springs; and<br />
<br />
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to revise the hours of use of the City’s public parks.<br />
<br />
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE<br />
CITY OF MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, THAT:<br />
<br />
Section 1:<br />
[Existing Code:<br />
12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited.<br />
Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between the<br />
hours of eleven p.m. and six a.m.<br />
<br />
Strategy 1:<br />
Dusk to Dawn. (Dusk to Dawn has legal meaning and has been used for other<br />
ordinances.)<br />
<br />
Strategy 2:<br />
Summer Hours/Winter Hours.]<br />
<br />
Section 12.24.010 of the Manitou Springs Municipal Code is hereby repealed and re-<br />
enacted as follows:<br />
<br />
12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited.<br />
<br />
Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between<br />
XXX and XXX [***from XXX to XXX and between XXX and XXX from XXX<br />
to XXX***].<br />
<br />
Section 2:<br />
<br />
Section 3:<br />
<br />
If any article, section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of the ordinance is<br />
held to be unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect<br />
the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portion of this ordinance. The<br />
City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each<br />
part or parts hereof irrespective of the fact that any one part or parts be declared<br />
unconstitutional or invalid.<br />
<br />
The repeal or modification of any provision of Manitou Springs Municipal Code<br />
by this ordinance shall not release, extinguish, alter, modify or change in whole or<br />
<br />
Section 4:<br />
<br />
in part any penalty, forfeiture or liability, either civil or criminal, which shall have<br />
been incurred under such provision. Each provision shall be treated and held as<br />
still remaining in force for the purpose of sustaining any and all proper actions,<br />
suits, proceedings and prosecutions for enforcement of the penalty, forfeiture or<br />
liability, as well as for the purpose of sustaining any judgment, decree or order<br />
which can or may be rendered, entered or made in such actions, suits, proceedings<br />
or prosecutions.<br />
<br />
This ordinance shall take effect five (5) days after final approval and adoption on<br />
second reading.<br />
<br />
Passed on First Reading and Ordered Published this XXX day of XXX, 2012.<br />
<br />
/s/ Donna Kast<br />
City Clerk<br />
<br />
A Public Hearing on this ordinance will be held at the XXX XXX, 2012 City Council meeting.<br />
The Council Meeting will be held at 7:00 P.M. at City Hall, 606 Manitou Avenue, Manitou<br />
Springs, Colorado.<br />
<br />
Ordinance Published: XXX, 2012 (in full).<br />
City’s Official Website and at City Hall <br />
<br />
_________________________________________<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm sorry, but I don't know what smoking cigarettes has to do with cutting back crime and vandalism in Soda Springs Park. This is another law-enforcement nightmare. If locals get cited for smoking in the pavilion or park, those locals will immediately call the police whenever a tourist or rich person lights up a cigarette there. Our police force is needed elsewhere in Manitou Springs - they really don't want to be driving down to Soda Springs Park every 5 minutes for a smoking violation.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-55402561283217836682012-04-13T11:42:00.001-06:002012-04-13T17:36:22.363-06:00Proposed Ordinance #2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osbMDvpRPDA/T4h-RRJJBeI/AAAAAAAAAC4/FmeLEPTF0zs/s1600/parkfenced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osbMDvpRPDA/T4h-RRJJBeI/AAAAAAAAAC4/FmeLEPTF0zs/s320/parkfenced.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, Charlie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Manitou Springs City Council has proposed three(3) ordinances to the
Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force. These ordinances are supposed to
make the park safer for everyone, cut down on crime, etc. If the Task
Force accepts any of the ordinances, it will then go to Council and they
will vote during the next City Council Meeting.
Here is the second ordinance that was proposed by Matt Carpenter (Mayor
Pro-Tem, City Council Ward 3):<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
COUNCIL BILL NO. ____<br />
<br />
ORDINANCE NO. ____<br />
<br />
ORDINANCE<br />
<br />
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE MEANS FOR USE OF THE [***PAVILIONS<br />
IN SODA SPRINGS PARK AND MANSIONS PARK ***] or [***STAGE IN SODA<br />
SPRINGS PARK***]<br />
______________<br />
<br />
WHEREAS, the City Council is concerned about the ongoing vandalism taking place in the<br />
City Parks; and<br />
<br />
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to require a permit to use the [***Pavilions in Soda<br />
Springs Park and Mansion Park***] or [***stage in Soda Springs park***].<br />
<br />
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE<br />
CITY OF MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, THAT:<br />
<br />
Section 1:<br />
[Existing Code:<br />
None<br />
<br />
Strategy 1:<br />
Limit the use of the pavilions in Soda Springs Park and Mansions Park. This is what is<br />
done at America the Beautiful park in Colorado Springs.<br />
<br />
Strategy 2:<br />
Limit the use of the stage in Soda Springs Park. This is what is done at Bancroft Park in<br />
Old Colorado City.<br />
<br />
Section 12.24.005 of the Manitou Springs Municipal Code is hereby added as<br />
follows:<br />
<br />
12.24.005 – Use of facilities—Permit required.<br />
A permit is required in order to use the [***pavilions in Soda Springs Park and Mansions<br />
Park***] or [***stage area in Soda Springs Park***].<br />
<br />
Notes: In the case of the pavilions something that states that passing through a pavilion<br />
does not constitute a use or go with time limits like 30 minutes or an hour.<br />
<br />
Section 2:<br />
<br />
Section 3:<br />
<br />
If any article, section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of the ordinance is<br />
held to be unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect<br />
the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portion of this ordinance. The<br />
City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each<br />
part or parts hereof irrespective of the fact that any one part or parts be declared<br />
unconstitutional or invalid.<br />
<br />
The repeal or modification of any provision of Manitou Springs Municipal Code<br />
by this ordinance shall not release, extinguish, alter, modify or change in whole or<br />
<br />
Section 4:<br />
<br />
in part any penalty, forfeiture or liability, either civil or criminal, which shall have<br />
been incurred under such provision. Each provision shall be treated and held as<br />
still remaining in force for the purpose of sustaining any and all proper actions,<br />
suits, proceedings and prosecutions for enforcement of the penalty, forfeiture or<br />
liability, as well as for the purpose of sustaining any judgment, decree or order<br />
which can or may be rendered, entered or made in such actions, suits, proceedings<br />
or prosecutions.<br />
<br />
This ordinance shall take effect five (5) days after final approval and adoption on<br />
second reading.<br />
<br />
Passed on First Reading and Ordered Published this XXX day of XXX, 2012.<br />
<br />
/s/ Donna Kast<br />
City Clerk<br />
<br />
A Public Hearing on this ordinance will be held at the XXX XXX, 2012 City Council meeting.<br />
The Council Meeting will be held at 7:00 P.M. at City Hall, 606 Manitou Avenue, Manitou<br />
Springs, Colorado.<br />
<br />
Ordinance Published: XXX, 2012 (in full).<br />
City’s Official Website and at City Hall<br />
<br />
<br />
_________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<br />
My opinion on this one is that if they fence it off, it will make tourists even more uncomfortable - fenced-off areas in a city signal crime. Kids may well just jump the fence and continue to use the facilities or they will just move to somewhere else in town and the task force name will change to go with it. If the city doesn't fence it off, if they just post signs, they will have a "law-enforcement nightmare" as Jack Benson put it on Wednesday night. So I don't think that this ordinance will work for anything - I feel like it will cause more problems, instead.<br />
<br />
What is YOUR opinion on this one? Leave a comment and let us know! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-46268207355404572342012-04-13T11:28:00.000-06:002012-04-13T17:38:05.046-06:00Proposed Ordinance #1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r2Lf3NwmSBw/T4hlQ7ra-BI/AAAAAAAAACo/CPkMEnDURV0/s1600/1280px-Manitou_Springs_City_Hall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r2Lf3NwmSBw/T4hlQ7ra-BI/AAAAAAAAACo/CPkMEnDURV0/s320/1280px-Manitou_Springs_City_Hall.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silly ordinance, it was agreed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Manitou Springs City Council has proposed three(3) ordinances to the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force. These ordinances are supposed to make the park safer for everyone, cut down on crime, etc. If the Task Force accepts any of the ordinances, it will then go to Council and they will vote during the next City Council Meeting.
Here is the first ordinance that was proposed by Matt Carpenter (Mayor Pro-Tem, City Council Ward 3):<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
COUNCIL BILL NO. ____<br />
<br />
ORDINANCE NO. ____<br />
<br />
ORDINANCE
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING HOURS OF USE FOR THE CITY’S PUBLIC PARKS
______________<br />
<br />
WHEREAS, the City Council understands the need to limit the hours of use of the City’s
public parks; and<br />
<br />
WHEREAS, limiting the hours of use of the City’s public parks is beneficial to the safety and
welfare of the citizens of the City of Manitou Springs; and<br />
<br />
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to revise the hours of use of the City’s public parks.
NOW,<br />
<br />
THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, THAT:
Section 1:
[Existing Code:
12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited.
Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between the
hours of eleven p.m. and six a.m.
Strategy 1:
Dusk to Dawn. (Dusk to Dawn has legal meaning and has been used for other
ordinances.)
Strategy 2:
Summer Hours/Winter Hours.]
Section 12.24.010 of the Manitou Springs Municipal Code is hereby repealed and re-
enacted as follows:
12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited.
Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between
XXX and XXX [***from XXX to XXX and between XXX and XXX from XXX
to XXX***].
Section 2:
Section 3:
If any article, section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of the ordinance is
held to be unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect
the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portion of this ordinance. The
City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each
part or parts hereof irrespective of the fact that any one part or parts be declared
unconstitutional or invalid.
The repeal or modification of any provision of Manitou Springs Municipal Code
by this ordinance shall not release, extinguish, alter, modify or change in whole or
Section 4:
in part any penalty, forfeiture or liability, either civil or criminal, which shall have
been incurred under such provision. Each provision shall be treated and held as
still remaining in force for the purpose of sustaining any and all proper actions,
suits, proceedings and prosecutions for enforcement of the penalty, forfeiture or
liability, as well as for the purpose of sustaining any judgment, decree or order
which can or may be rendered, entered or made in such actions, suits, proceedings
or prosecutions.
This ordinance shall take effect five (5) days after final approval and adoption on
second reading.
Passed on First Reading and Ordered Published this XXX day of XXX, 2012.
/s/ Donna Kast
City Clerk
A Public Hearing on this ordinance will be held at the XXX XXX, 2012 City Council meeting.
The Council Meeting will be held at 7:00 P.M. at City Hall, 606 Manitou Avenue, Manitou
Springs, Colorado.
Ordinance Published: XXX, 2012 (in full).
City’s Official Website and at City Hall<br />
_________________________________________<br />
<br />
All those X's, as well as the "Solutions" are because this is a rough draft. I know what you're probably thinking: "What will changing park hours do? People don't commit crime during certain hours, they will commit crime either during park hours or after park hours, so what will this fix?<br />
<br />
We brought that up at the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force Meeting on Wednesday and the ordinance was thrown out, after a lot of hemming and hawing.<br />
<br />
So the park hours will remain as they are.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-88200813613000991042012-04-12T18:57:00.001-06:002012-04-12T19:37:36.681-06:00Thoughts on Last Night's Task Force Meeting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.5021320654261388" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The following document is considered the minutes from the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force meeting. I find it to be a little sparse for a meeting that lasted an hour and a half. After the "minutes," I'm going to give my impressions of what is going on in Manitou Springs right now. </span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.5021320654261388" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.5021320654261388" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Soda Springs Task Force 4/11/12</span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5pm – opening, revisit of rules and expectations of the meeting, introductions</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5:05 – Roger sets agenda for the evening (agenda printed)</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5:10 – Ordinances introduced </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- Park hours introduced by Matt Carpenter</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- Use of Pavilion</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- Smoking in pavilions or possibly city parks as a whole</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></i></div>
<ol style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-roman; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Park Hours</span></i></li>
</ol>
<ol style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><ol>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Exact Time verses “Dusk to Dawn”</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reasons for hours explained by Matt </span></i></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<ol style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><ol><ol>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Park needs to be tied to the sound ordinance (7am to 10pm) (current hours are 6 to 11)</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People are sleeping in the park</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thought process is to tie to noise ordinance or not do anything</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Remove this ordinance from recommendation, leave hours as is</span></i></li>
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</ol>
</ol>
<ol start="2" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-roman; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Facility Usage (a lot of discussion)</span></i></li>
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<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2 pavilions and 7 Minute gazebo</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Focus on stage area for “off-limits unless in use”</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Enforcement will bring up more complaints and use of force</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Put this off for discussion until next week.</span></i></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<ol start="3" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-roman; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Smoking in the Park and/or Pavilion</span></i></li>
</ol>
<ol style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><ol>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Could we have a designated smoking area at Soda Springs?</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our purpose re-stated is to make the park the most enjoyable to the most people (Laurie)</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We are not here to pass ordinances but to make recommendations to the city council</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Laurie and Justin will get solid data on the effects of smoking for next meeting</span></i></li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Recommendation to the city council for no smoking in city parks too be considered by city council and the public.</span></i></li>
</ol>
</ol>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></i></div>
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<li style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: upper-roman; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For next week review environmental recommendations for next week. Printed and everyone has one. </span></i></li>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meeting closed at 6:30</span></i></div>
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To say this first, I apologize, on behalf of the people of Manitou Springs, Colorado, to Jack Benson and Roger Miller. They are the newly appointed City Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of iManitou, and they are both very cool people. They are highly qualified, motivated people who have the abilities and experience to help Manitou become the city that we all dream it to be.<br />
<br />
I apologize because you have walked into a mess. I would love to see what you guys could do if you were working with a cooler City Council. I hate that your talents are being wasted on a crackdown in your early years. I hope you'll stay with us into the future, and I hope you don't let a few bad apples spoil you on the whole bushel. If we could revive democracy in this town and bring in a council that represents the spirit that this community is famous for, you two could help us navigate through the mazes that will still lie ahead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3Enx8weUaa1_vO4pQrY_CLJyjQ4TGRL9qDxWIHQoJ9q_VMrBjmyl1xyI9BeXxu6WbdGCFZmV2M1DLDkl8xldvVvzd6d8R9EWvzBGEEiyNXM7PNYP95rGPmQqQ0ZW_xuGfcW49P-vLd6h/s1600/Manitou+Springs+Carnivale+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3Enx8weUaa1_vO4pQrY_CLJyjQ4TGRL9qDxWIHQoJ9q_VMrBjmyl1xyI9BeXxu6WbdGCFZmV2M1DLDkl8xldvVvzd6d8R9EWvzBGEEiyNXM7PNYP95rGPmQqQ0ZW_xuGfcW49P-vLd6h/s320/Manitou+Springs+Carnivale+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Right now, there is a very bizarre movement happening in Manitou Springs. This is, in itself, nothing new. Manitou is full of bizarre movements, gyrations and other wacky activities. That part of what the place is famous for, and it's part of why a lot of us love to live here.<br />
<br />
This movement appears to be a targeted attempt to marginalize a very specific group of people and turn them into criminals. It's not an attempt to coerce people into committing crimes. It is an attempt to outlaw what is currently lawful, peaceful behavior.<br />
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I wish I could say I wonder what this is all for, but the writing is on the wall all around us.<br />
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We're a small city that is dealing with normal, cyclical problems that all small cities deal with. The local hang out spot is under fire for a cycle of poor behavior. This is nothing new in any city of this size, and it is something that always sorts itself out on a cultural level.<br />
<br />
In our case, we've all learned to be a little more careful when discerning a "traveler" who is a bum and an actual traveler. We've learned not to feed the bums, and we've learned to recognize people with histories of aggressive panhandling and harassment. We've learned to give those characters the cold shoulder, and a lot of them have learned that they are not welcome here anymore.<br />
<br />
We also learned how to help those who are struggling get back on their feet. We got them jobs, got them homes, and got them away from the people who were bringing them down. Some are now residents, and others still come back and visit the place that saved their lives. <br />
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We all know that summer of 2011 was nowhere near as bummy as the summer of 2010.<br />
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We, the people of Manitou Springs, even people who don't know each other at all, ran out that crew of bums together. Right now, there are none of them here. We have a few schizophrenics that wander around, and a few elderly people with slight dementia who do the same. That's all part of life. It's written about in the histories of every ancient culture on earth, and it is going to be a part of the future. We will neither medicate or arrest our way out of the onset of mental illness or age. Finding legal "tools" to run people out of town is not the answer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQSJFI52p-tcXSRq0E2WdughGoGUoNmNRvpCadvjEVqerSC31OPj1rvRjw1nVDMnr3JDw9KOXVUQQfZmoKhKIR1XJkE7rZjD-B9QcSGlcNko6dpmQLXXVqCeWvfIEDOy0AYI3pSvnALzn/s1600/Manitou+Springs+Carnivale+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQSJFI52p-tcXSRq0E2WdughGoGUoNmNRvpCadvjEVqerSC31OPj1rvRjw1nVDMnr3JDw9KOXVUQQfZmoKhKIR1XJkE7rZjD-B9QcSGlcNko6dpmQLXXVqCeWvfIEDOy0AYI3pSvnALzn/s320/Manitou+Springs+Carnivale+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not rich, but hardly dangerous.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That brings me to what's troubling me. I'm worried that a vocal minority is trying to run all of the poor people out of Manitou. They'd like to see it be a bit more like Vail. I am a long time resident of Manitou Springs, and I am one because it is affordable for working people to live here. I always manage to make a decent living, but I don't manage to get rich doing the things I do. The same goes for a lot of residents of Manitou Springs. <br />
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There shouldn't be a financial cut-off for who lives here, but certain developments in the near future are causing pressure to make that happen. There are economic and legislative moves afoot that will criminalize poverty and make it very expensive to live here.<br />
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OK, public opinion question: Who wants Manitou Avenue to look like the Lofts? You know which ones I'm talking about. The pink ones. Across from the Townhouse. Do you want this town to <i>be</i> like that?<br />
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Let's take a look a small part of this and see if you can see where I'm coming from. The Cliff House has purchased the Wheeler House, and they are scheduled to essentially demolish it and convert it all into a luxury resort hotel. Soda Springs Park will now be the front doorstep of the Cliff House.<br />
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Certain people feel that the culture of Soda Springs Park will seem unsightly to our (choose your own adjective) new guests. Our newly appointed executives are more sensitive to local issues than our elected officials. They are new, educated, impartial, and able to make their own decisions. They are not entrenched in the Manitou power cliques, so they can see what's going on. I bet that if their jobs weren't on the line for it, they'd say they see the same thing that I'm seeing. No real consideration is being taken on the side of the council for the existing culture. They are not mentioning the Cliff House deal, but instead fanning fear among small groups of vocal and influential people about a major crisis.<br />
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There is no crisis. <br />
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The fact is, they are stoking fear about non-existent problems based on a few isolated incidents in order to push an agenda that has nothing to do with public safety.<br />
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This has to do with removing the "undesirables" before the rich people show up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZji8Bh_oCjsnIM9xzemEssygN0M09nCCJPBle4iP8s_GnRmIIwNIhcSgNPQRhnLuafS1W6no5wPJI2bBfGrN8E5qO5sDwVHpy95cNbWU0GbWnpXEt3VFl2S9dJ0p53TxGOVrZoWZL2c8/s1600/Manitou+Springs+Carnivale+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZji8Bh_oCjsnIM9xzemEssygN0M09nCCJPBle4iP8s_GnRmIIwNIhcSgNPQRhnLuafS1W6no5wPJI2bBfGrN8E5qO5sDwVHpy95cNbWU0GbWnpXEt3VFl2S9dJ0p53TxGOVrZoWZL2c8/s320/Manitou+Springs+Carnivale+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That makes Ptolemy sad.</td></tr>
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They are attempting to criminalize sitting on the stage in Soda Springs Park. This is absurd, and clearly a discriminatory policy targeting alternative hair and clothing styles. They are attempting to criminalize smoking in all public parks. Under the guise of safety, they will ban behaviors that are now legal because they know that they are behaviors of people they don't like.<br />
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I am not against the Cliff House, nor am I against their clientele. People have the right to spend their money how they wish. What I am against is the underhanded attempts by the Manitou Springs City Council's representatives to use fear as a tool to remove people they don't like from town. I certainly hope the rest of City Council is not on the <a href="mailto:mcarpenter@comsgov.com">Matt Carpenter</a> bandwagon, but I'm secretly afraid they are. Mr. Carpenter likes to use bullying tactics in the public forums to prevent people from speaking. He tries to silence "undesirable" comments through <i>ad hominem </i>attacks and rudeness. He wants to intimidate or discredit all opinions that are not like his own, and then say, "The people have spoken."<br />
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Manitou Springs Street News will start recording as much of this as we can, so the citizens can see how this man behaves in office. He invited surrogates to last night's meeting who also attempted to use rudeness to silence intelligent voices.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We don't want this, now, do we? Or do we?</td></tr>
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I have repeatedly heard laws be referred to as "tools" to be used against people they don't like. Last night, we heard members of City Council ask the Police if it was OK to enforce the law only on certain people. They don't say it directly, but they try to paint a subtle picture of who they deem arrest worthy.<br />
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They were talking about park hours, and what they wanted was to shorten the park hours, but only for certain people. They were trying to find ways to get away with things that them or their friends might do while getting their targeted people arrested. Legal for me, but not for you. WHAAAT??<br />
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They were asking law enforcement to make holes in the law for themselves and their friends. <br />
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I applaud Mr. Benson, the City Administrator, for speaking some reason to these people when they refused to listen to my own. He explained that this creates a law enforcement nightmare. Arrests go up, reported crimes go up, and complaints go up, too. Nothing is solved. So what is the law for again?<br />
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I also applaud the Manitou Springs Police Department for their level of professionalism through all of this. The city owes you guys an apology as well. A lot of people do. Sgt. Gillis explained how officer discretion works, and how no amount of pressure can make that logic go away. They don't have time to be evaluating all of the little nuances that these people are asking for so that the targeted group can be arrested. The Police Department is understaffed as it is. We need to give these guys a break and deal with this in a civil manner. There was a murder recently in this town, and I'm much more worried about a murderer than I am a skateboarder.<br />
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Sorry Jack, sorry Roger, that your first assignment was this debacle. You two are solid people, and I hope your reputations are not stained by this. I hope that you don't get stuck with "crack down" resumes and have to do this to people again.<br />
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<h1>
On the lighter side, Summer Concert Series comin' up! And we don't mean the Little London Winds!</h1>
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<br /></div>Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-50204804538374989332012-04-11T11:31:00.002-06:002012-04-11T12:11:27.571-06:00My Suggestions to the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h1>
Citizen Strategy Recommendations for Perennial Issues in Manitou Springs, CO.</h1>
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First, admit that this is a town-wide issue. We had a murder on El Paso, and we are constantly hearing about car break-ins on Crystal Park Blvd. Incidence of crime is by no means centered around the park.<br />
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Second, understand that homeless and transient people are a symptom of the current economic conditions we all live in. Local policies will not effect a national crisis unless they are policies that also help alleviate the true crisis: poverty. Criminalizing all signs of poverty and developing legal tools to banish the poor from town will not address the issue.<br />
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The main trouble that comes around Soda Springs Park and gives it a bad name is in the form of homeless, travelling youth. Not all homeless youth are part of this problem. Many are employed and clean-cut, and they blend well into the population. At the same time, the culture of Manitou allows a person to be unkempt, so dirty clothes or greasy hair are not necessarily signs of homelessness.<br />
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This town has already criminalized homelessness to the fullest extent that it can. A person can be arrested anywhere in city limits for sleeping, whether day or night, for camping.<br />
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This town has also already criminalized aggressive panhandling to the fullest extent it can. <br />
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It is not in our best interests to criminalize poverty as well. <br />
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What we are moving toward, in the public perception, is a criminalization of all activities except dining and shopping. We see a series of economic moves being made that will drive all affordable housing out of Manitou, and we see these laws as a way to mop up any stragglers.<br />
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If all activity aside from shopping and dining are banned aside from government sanctioned events, what does that mean?<br />
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If the point is to curb the behavior of the "undesirables," who gets to decide who that is?<br />
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There are a lot of people that I see as undesirable, but I have no right to tell them they can't live here. Neither does anyone else.<br />
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What we need is clearer communication between the city and its people about what we expect from life in our town. That said, we also think the city needs to understand that whatever decisions are made here will inadvertently effect a large portion of the citizens of this town.<br />
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Matt Carpenter has said directly to me, "I have to deal with people like you, and citizens like this that I represent."<br />
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I am a citizen, as are all of the "people like me." I have lived in or around Manitou for most of the last 24 years. I spend money at local businesses every day. There is a portion of my budget called "minimum daily spending" that is devoted entirely to local business. This is something that a lot of "people like me" do.<br />
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I'm not quite sure who it is he represents, and I know that people out here, even people who are not "like me," would like to know just who he represents. We'd also like to know just what people are trying to stop here.<br />
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What we are going to do centers on a few simultaneous activities. In order to crack down on something and actually succeed, you need to find positive outlets for some of the percieved problems.<br />
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<h1>
ISSUE 1: Crowds of young people at Manitou & Ruxton.</h1>
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Hold a daytime summer concert series highlighting local musicians and performers. This will draw the crowd into the pavilion, and the formalized setting and amplified sound will help the tourists understand what is going on.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public menace or cool scene created by a thriving business? Almost every person here has a job.</td></tr>
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Post signs saying, "Take a hike!" with arrows pointing out some of the awesome trails near the park. If the kids have a reminder of the beauty in the area, they will go take a walk. The concerned crew at the park has already been promoting hiking to the kids again. It is a great place to meet up for adventures, and we need to focus on that and bring it back. The park really is a social hub, but the turf wars that resulted from the bum wave of 2007-2011 caused a lot of people to stick around the stage to make the bums feel unwelcome so they'd leave. We're over that now, and we, the users of the park, have a desire to revive the cultural phenomena that had us fall in love with the place to begin with.<br />
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We still feel that it is culturally beneficial to have people "holding it down" at the stage. It creates a remarkably welcoming setting for people who are brave enough to say, " hello". At the same time, it keeps the pulse of the town. We get newsflashes every day just by coming down to the park. The street news in the park covers everything from global and national politics, health food crazes, local politics and current events, and issues people have like weirdos and bums.<br />
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It would be beneficial for the city to continue the liaison program that Roger Miller has pioneered. By having such a direct line of communication with a civilian member of city government, we are able to hear the concerns of the city and brainstorm how to get through. This conversation is the best interaction between a government and its people that I have seen or heard of, and it would be great for it to continue.<br />
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<h1>
ISSUE 2: Panhandling.</h1>
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What we generally do with panhandlers has a lot to do with our individual personalities. The tendency to say, "Fuck off, bum, get a job!" is strong, but we need to be a little more straightforward when we handle them. From now on, the central group of concerned citizens is going to actually have talks with the bums and tell them that you can't do that here.<br />
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We have a few homeowners that are setting up open-source gardening projects to help these people find constructive activities that require them to stay sober. When we meet travelling kids who truly want to change their lives, we can bring them into open source gardening projects and test their mettle as workers while training them in marketable, rewarding skills that they can use in the future.<br />
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These open source gardening projects are connected with employers in the area, and we can help some of these troubled youths get jobs, houses, and try to beat their addicitons in the process. <br />
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These projects do not pay money, and there's not much guarantee beyond an honest day's work and a full belly. This helps them stay off the street and keeps them from buying booze.<br />
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<h1>
ISSUE 3: Obstruction</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQTQi2_kmPx68II4N42tCTNScPzflb3BAi4oFn6hZX_etOp54T-SI72NR9avHHdnI7XZLA6MhyphenhyphenyW_4mRzxWuInbThBy3kDWEFX0xqgAkf1TPX639JsSPu-pOv4O1TICDiOsDtmswG1ydb/s1600/Pictures+of+Ptolemy+and+Manitou+Stuff+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQTQi2_kmPx68II4N42tCTNScPzflb3BAi4oFn6hZX_etOp54T-SI72NR9avHHdnI7XZLA6MhyphenhyphenyW_4mRzxWuInbThBy3kDWEFX0xqgAkf1TPX639JsSPu-pOv4O1TICDiOsDtmswG1ydb/s320/Pictures+of+Ptolemy+and+Manitou+Stuff+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No Police contact, obvious and prolonged obstruction.</td></tr>
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Moving the benches in the pavilion was a wonderful start, and getting rid of the triangle planter is a great next step. We do need to take a closer look at what is called "obstruction," though, and realize that just because someone is "undesirable" does not constitute a real obstruction.<br />
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<br />
The sidewalk in front of Patsy's is constantly obstructed, yet the law is never enforced there. I am not suggesting that we start to crack down on Patsy's, I am only suggesting that we be honest with ourselves. No one has raised any major concerns, yet a true obstruction is present. Likewise, the Custard Shop often has lines that stretch back to block the sidewalk on busy days, and it is followed immediately by the bottleneck in the sidewalk next to Shoshone spring.<br />
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Remember what the sidewalks were like before they got redone? This whole City should have gotten daily obstruction tickets for its design.<br />
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We are aware of the concerns of business owners on Ruxton Avenue who feel that business on their street is adversely effected by people hanging out in front of the Mate Factor. Take a look from a visitor's perspective, though, and you might see something else entrely.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBUeyRRhaeSIp4by6tLS_rBrOssP9Xm3tZeSL4cCyYyw_DEPAlNMoGK9n9EcpgU90N7PAsJ1C7vJNnohDb70PKPWqJNthBY9E0V5398-d-yy6x1-fp1tmdhxcXCpfkDis5c1HD9BpkkZw/s1600/Pictures+of+Ptolemy+and+Manitou+Stuff+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBUeyRRhaeSIp4by6tLS_rBrOssP9Xm3tZeSL4cCyYyw_DEPAlNMoGK9n9EcpgU90N7PAsJ1C7vJNnohDb70PKPWqJNthBY9E0V5398-d-yy6x1-fp1tmdhxcXCpfkDis5c1HD9BpkkZw/s320/Pictures+of+Ptolemy+and+Manitou+Stuff+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People get ticketed for this, but these are "desirables."</td></tr>
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The drops in business on Ruxton Avenue coincide with the bum wave, but they also coincide with the renewal of the sidewalks throughout downtown.<br />
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We now have a homogeneous "business district" look that stretches from City Hall to Ruxton Avenue. At Ruxton, the "business district" look goes away. When you head further west on the Ave or back up Ruxton, it looks to an outsider like the business district is over. As the improvements continue to the end of the Ave and up Ruxton, business will rebound, and most likely surpass pre-2007 levels.<br />
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This will also be tied to more domestic travel as we come out of the recession. We've all got to admit that when the bubble burst in 2007-2008, everybody got pinched a little bit. It took longer than some than it did for others, but soonder or later, we all got our chance to feel it.<br />
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For some, the only way that they feel the recession is by seeing poor people. This is unsightly to them, and the impulse is to take action to get this unpleasant fact of reality out of sight. This can not work for longer than a short while. As the global economy shifts away from oil, the United States is going to fall from its #1 position, and we are all going to feel a change of status. Believe it or not, this is most likely going to happen in the next decade, and we will all be affected by it.<br />
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One point to remember is that as long as we have a tourism centered economy, we will have panhandlers. We should think about diversifying our economy, and there is a coalition of citizens working towards a sound proposal to bring forward to council. We are envisioning a legislative framework that will enable us to move beyond oil and tourism, and we will bring this forward as the years go by.<br />
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Many people feel as though obstruction is a discriminatory tool that is used to crack down on certain segments of the population. We have photographic evidence of obstructions being committed by "desirables" that are not prosecuted,ticketed or even warned. This includes people sitting on the bridge, standing in the roundabout, and even on hands and knees on the street.<br />
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If an "undesirable" does any of these things, they are ticketed, searched, handcuffed, and oftentimes arrested.<br />
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No one is above the law. If these laws are to stand, they need to be enforced evenly. If they are not to be enforced evenly, they need to be repealed. Remember that as lawmakers, you have the equal power and responsibility to protect people's rights as you do to take them away.<br />
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<h1>
ISSUE 4: Graffiti</h1>
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<br />
Let's look at this in a historical context. If you register to climb and go up the rocks in the Garden of the Gods, you will find settler graffiti from the 1800's. It is a piece of history. It is a human impulse.<br />
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If you go further back, you can see cave paintings done thousands of years ago. They are archaeological treasures. They were probably done by teenagers, and their parents were probably pissed.<br />
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It's a human impulse, and it is not going away. <br />
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Let's find a way to work with it. The stage stayed unvandalized for a very long time. At that same time, the Mate Factor used to have a table that all of the graffiti ended up on. That was destruction of property, but it worked.<br />
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Let's have a few designated graffiti areas. Post signs that say, "If you want to tag, do it over there"<br />
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If people have a place that they are allowed to tag and they know it, that's where they're going to do it. The contemporary graffiti artist understands the ephemeral nature of their work, and they know that it will be gone over. <br />
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As far as the specific incident involving orange spray paint and horrible vilgarity, let's admit that the park was closed, and so was the Mate Factor. If the Mate was open, there would have been a cooperative, credible witness.<br />
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If the park was open, someone would have seen it and possibly tried to stop it.<br />
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Because it wasn't, no one knows who did it to this day. There are rumors, but there are rumors about a lot of things in town. That is hardly actionable intelligence. If law abiding citizens were allowed to be around, they would have been able to point the finger. People who hang out at the park were extremely angry. We would love to know who did it, and we would love to see them brought to justice. <br />
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There is no code of silence. If we see a true crime, we report it. If we see activity that prude moralists disapprove of, however, we don't say anything. Weirdness should not be punished. Even if a certain somebody doesn't represent "people like that."<br />
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<h1>
ISSUE 5: Skateboarding & Bikes in the Pavilion</h1>
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This is something that people are starting to feel is a discriminatory policy. It is similar to the obstruction issue in that it is only enforced against "undesirables". We often times have mountain bikers come down from Williams' Canyon who ride through the pavilion at high speeds, and they are not ticketed, even if police are on foot patrol. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj533EHxN17JQUrVlnpAB8xgAgwoLaBcUuHgfPziiXyZnSNLNEa0_6hTC-Resn6Jk8K9PsaTGoZo7HsXTUaG0j1R3S2t040mhGwxvm0JoFgK_-IgGUtGn1PBjD2NfUcZ73p5dZW2it_Vxig/s1600/Pictures+of+Ptolemy+and+Manitou+Stuff+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj533EHxN17JQUrVlnpAB8xgAgwoLaBcUuHgfPziiXyZnSNLNEa0_6hTC-Resn6Jk8K9PsaTGoZo7HsXTUaG0j1R3S2t040mhGwxvm0JoFgK_-IgGUtGn1PBjD2NfUcZ73p5dZW2it_Vxig/s320/Pictures+of+Ptolemy+and+Manitou+Stuff+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The law doesn't say, "If you dress the right way."</td></tr>
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We have photos and videos of "desirables" riding bikes and skateboards in the pavilion with impunity, while "undesirables" can be ticketed for standing next to a skateboard.<br />
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This is discrimination. It is illegal. There is no dress code, and no dress code can be enforced by binding law. Using other "tools" to enforce the dress code is illegal.<br />
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Breaking the law to get one's way is called crime. There is a mountng body of evidence that systemic discrimination is happening, and we would like to reverse the tide instead of pressing the issues in courts.<br />
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We recommend either evenly enforcing the law, whether or not a person is "desirable", or repealing or softening the law. One proposition is to open limited bicycling and skateboarding in the pavilion, but to limit grinding and ollieing off the stage. Another possibility is to develop a mini skate park in the mid town area. The other skate park is too remote from downtown, and skaters who live in the city center WILL skate there. If we give them a downtown spot, they will feel like they have a vested interest in the whole thing, and they will behave in a manner that will protect their new-found privilege. Skateboarding is not a crime, but using a skateboard in a manner that destroys public property is. We need to find this distinction, or we need to enforce the law equally.<br />
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Again, no one is above the law. I have had major issues with runners being rude and shoving people out of the way. I do not want to see running banned, though. This is the same as skateboarding or riding a bicycle. If liability is the issue, though, I highly recommend a ban on long distance training. There are so many marathon trainers at some point that I have a hard time walking down the street. Some of them are exceedingly rude and condescending, and they hog the trails as though they are their own.<br />
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You can see where this is headed.<br />
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What is the difference?<br />
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This is a little long winded, no doubt, and I hope that you read through it enough to understand where this is all coming from. The first couple meetings of the Task Force were held in violation of the law. There are many other things that are happening that are violations of both state and federal law, and I think we need to step back from the brink.<br />
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We don't have a problem as much as we have a vocal minority with an agenda that does not include a good portion of the citizens of this town.<br />
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People have confused their square footage with their percentage of representation in our democracy. I hope that some on council have the courage to consider everyone. The number of single unit dwellings in five inner city blocks far outnumbers the number of single unit dwellings in Crystal Hills. The people have not registered to vote because they were happy with how things are going. This Task Force has raised more hackles than one might realize.<br />
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We all know how certain economic strategies in the right legislative framework can run all of the poor people out of Manitou. <br />
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Keep in mind that you will be running the soul out as well. The country club atmosphere is full of envy, backstabbing and mistrust. Those people who you view as first-class citizens view you as second-class. These economic and legislative moves will cause major demographic shifts, but when they're done, you will be the poor people.<br />
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They may consider you the "undesirables." Using a ratcheting down effect, they can use the precedents that you are setting now to run you out of town.<br />
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Living next door to a rich guy doesn't make you rich. <br />
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Either way, they will be smug and condescending towards you, just a certain legislator is toward us.<br />
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As of now, we consider you "people like us". We don't see a situation of "us" and "them". It's just us here. We really hope you can work with us so we can all stay here.<br />
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I don't mean saying, "We've all got to make sacrifices," while making policies to target certain people. That is empty rhetoric, and while it is the neo conservative style these days, we, the "other" people of Manitou Springs, expect better from our elected officials.<br />
<br /></div>Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-20037924280273670892012-04-07T11:55:00.001-06:002012-04-07T12:03:57.971-06:00Cancellation of Regular Election...?I went to Manitou Springs City Hall yesterday and found a notice on the front window....<br />
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What is very interesting about this notice is that I had heard no news previously that they were looking for candidates at all! I read the <a href="http://www.pikespeakbulletin.com/" target="_blank">Pikes Peak Bulletin</a> every week. The <a href="http://www.pikespeakbulletin.com/" target="_blank">Pikes Peak Bulletin</a> is the local newspaper that has all of the <a href="http://www.manitouspringsgov.com/" target="_blank">city government</a> news, as well as a police blotter, strange news stories and middle school/high school sports coverage.<br />
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If there had been more coverage of the need for a candidate, I know of many people who would like to run for the position, and they would have been able to do so. Unfortunately, the election was cancelled two months prior and there is now a candidate elected with no votes or knowledge from the community. I have nothing against <a href="mailto:rhodges@comsgov.com" target="_blank">Randy R. Hodges</a>, don't get me wrong. He owns a beautiful <a href="http://www.avenuehotelbandb.com/" target="_blank">Bed & Breakfast</a> right next to the <a href="http://manitousprings.colibraries.org/" target="_blank">Manitou Springs Public Library</a> and he is very nice, at least when I pass him on the street. However, I wonder why there was so little news coverage about this.<br />
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<a href="http://manitouspringsstreetnews.blogspot.com/" title="Manitou Springs Street News - Citizen Journalism from Manitou Springs, Colorado" target="_blank">Manitou Springs Street News</a> will attempt to stay on top of this, but if things keep coming in after the fact, we're going to have a little trouble.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8735451243326711116.post-51432149289922024712012-04-06T14:22:00.000-06:002012-04-14T18:46:32.416-06:00Manitou Springs Newsflash: Informal, Intergenerational Council Forming to Build Trust Between the Generations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There has been a strange hullabaloo in Manitou Springs, CO, lately.<br />
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We might even venture out and call it a controversy, but as the dust temporarily subsides, it is showing itself to be a failure to communicate. We live in one of the most beautiful, peaceful places on Earth. But something's not quite right. A lot of things aren't quite right, and we're all trying to figure out how to set things straight again.<br />
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<a href="http://www.csindy.com/colorado/a-lighter-approach/Content?oid=2450209" title="A Lighter Approach - Colorado Springs Independent - Another Take on the Safety Task Force">The Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force</a> is a symptom of the problem, and it is looking more and more like it is also turning into the cure.
It's hard to figure out the causes of some of the unease, but in other cases, it's a snap. Let's take a look and see what has come out so far.<br />
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<h1>
A Laundry List of Complaints; A Troubled Search for Solutions</h1>
It's hard to ignore some of the complaints coming out of Soda Springs Park over the last few years. On the lighter side of things, there was what has been called a "bum wave" in the local vernacular. It appears to have subsided for at least the moment, but for a period that stretched into years, we really did have a problem with pesky, drunk vagrants. It's true that we have a kind and giving culture here, and it is also true that Manitou Springs is a very accepting community.<br />
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Some people take kindness for weakness, though, and we all became victims of that. When I am confronted with human suffering and I have the means to alleviate that suffering, it is in my nature to do what I can to help. That is a cultural cornerstone of Manitou, and it is something that was jeopardized by a small band of "travelers" who forgot to keep traveling.<br />
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We are peaceful people, so most of us do not feel right confronting another human being about the error of their ways. "Judge not" is practically a law around here, and the more compassionate a person is, the more they are willing to tolerate before finally saying that another person is a problem. There are many strange and eccentric people here, but wild actions and benign nuisances are a large part of why people say "Keep Manitou Weird."<br />
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Because we care, most of us do not view intoxication to be a crime. We see it as a disease. We see the addicts, even pesky, drunken scallywags, as sick people who need help.<br />
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And we try to help them. A certain tribe of these folks fell in love with the compassion of the locals and the frivolous "generosity" of some of our guilt stricken visitors. They saw that we would clothe them, feed them and shelter them, and they saw that our visitors would fund their addictions.<br />
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They began to feel as though the corner of Manitou & Ruxton was their territory, and they became more and more belligerent and violent as time went on. They sat directly in front of the Loop and pestered exiting guests for their leftovers. The made out in front of the Mate Factor in puddles of vodka saturated vomit. There was a point where they got a lynch mob mentality and actually tried to gang up on one of the local artists. There were a few altercations, most of which were not reported to the Police because the situations were too dangerous for anyone to stick around.<br />
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We, the community, were shocked.<br />
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Believe it or not, a few of those skirmishes, coupled with the actions of law enforcement, eventually eroded the support structures that the bums had become dependent on and ran them out of town. This was a full community action, but not many of us realize how we all worked together to make it happen.<br />
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It took almost four years. The wave started in 2007, and by 2011, the message was clear: We, the people of Manitou Springs, will not tolerate such flagrant disrespect to our community and our guests. We will run major disruptions out of town. We come together when we need to.<br />
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Something happened in those years, though. The community's perception of Soda Springs Park has been stained. The behavior down there got so bad over those years that many people quit coming down to the park all together. Certain things have just gotten out of hand. The stage used to be respected. The wood on the stage used to be respected. You'd hear 15 year old kids telling people not to damage it or litter.<br />
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You hear that a little now, but because of the wretched behavior that a lot of us had seen during the "bum wave," we just got jaded towards petty things like graffiti and weed smoking. At least there aren't 15 hobos with a few gallons of cheap whisky pestering everything that moves for change and cigarettes.<br />
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But then another thing happened.<br />
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A local photographer who has been snapping anonymous street portraits for years was attacked for photographing someone. In a move to cut the strap on his camera and take it away, one of the assailants cut the man's hand. This is a guy that we've all seen around here. He blends into the local landscape like a lilac bush, that's how much a part of this town he is. He probably has volumes and volumes of photos where you can see generations of people growing up in Manitou Springs.<br />
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The people who cut him had no idea what they just messed with. Not who they messed with, but what.<br />
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Manitou Springs, Colorado is historically a non-violent place. People have laid down their arms for thousands of years to share the healing waters that bubble up from the Earth. Now and then, Manitou does claim a life through violence, but this is a place where people are supposed to feel safe.<br />
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That sanctity was broken in broad daylight, and the anomalous activity of a pair of fools is branded on an entire generation of people who hang out here. It falls from the public eye that the criminals were apprehended, but it sticks to us that this was even allowed to happen. What were we supposed to do? How does a community anticipate such a random act of insanity?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJGY4YmBk_xwj_8Q8y_l4ierBqVwZouqWcUk5H0T0Ntvp14nLkLZChcaPKOeywxPwxx26-7M26qHrCMzi0bJJ9RTry866YNgAek4nEERoRWIsnof4jTc-Joove_X7LCL5XwUOj2vzjgAW/s1600/P4045540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Manitou Springs, CO"><img alt="Manitou Springs, Colorado" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJGY4YmBk_xwj_8Q8y_l4ierBqVwZouqWcUk5H0T0Ntvp14nLkLZChcaPKOeywxPwxx26-7M26qHrCMzi0bJJ9RTry866YNgAek4nEERoRWIsnof4jTc-Joove_X7LCL5XwUOj2vzjgAW/s320/P4045540.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I like to go to the city center every day, and I have a good feel for what's going on in town. I did not see this coming. There were no warning signs. There was no crazy or erratic behavior from either of the perpetrators in the time leading up to the incident. It all just happened at once.<br />
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This further alienated Soda Springs Park from the community. If you don't come down, and you just read the papers, it sounds like a bad place to go. The multigenerational crowd that hangs out there disagrees, but there has been no forum for this dialogue. When people hear of violent crime, they seldom want to go to the scene to figure out the causes.<br />
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What daily park goers view as a fluke is reported as though it is a spiraling pattern.<br />
<h1>
Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force</h1>
We'll pass over the rumor mill here about the exact causes that brought together the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force, and we'll get right into what appears to be happening.<br />
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The City is coming up with "solutions" for the Soda Springs Park "problem."<br />
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Don't let the quotation marks turn you off completely. Some of what is going on is awesome, and some of what is going on is somewhat puzzling. To say it outright, some citizens feel as though the Task Force has been assembled to come up with discriminatory policies to weed out "undesirables." In a way, they are right. The three proposals for ordinances that have come forth from City Council are, in my opinion, misguided.<br />
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1) Shorten park hours, at least on a seasonal basis.<br />
Objections: It takes five seconds to spray paint an offensive message. If the park had been open during that last graffiti incident, citizens would have stopped the crime or reported it in time to actually porsecute. Because the park was closed, the only people in the park were the criminals. On the other end, the old man was cut in the middle of the day. Closing the park two hours earlier at night would not prevent this. This will only punish legitimate users of the park and leave it open to major crimes for longer periods. Shortening the hours during the winter will do nothing to inhibit bum activity, as bums are only active here in summer.<br />
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2) Close the pavilion to reservations only.<br />
Objections: That immediately makes the public park, which is dedicated to all future generations of residents and guests, into a pay to play situation. People who have more money will be able to use the park at will, and those who are broke will not. This is not how public places work. On top of that, we can see now that this law will be enforced in a discriminatory manner, as the present bike in the pavilion laws already are.*<br />
What are the odds of the Police bothering a tourist for sitting down in the pavilion as opposed to a local? I'd imagine that all calls for people in the pavilion without a permit will only be enforced on people who do not fit the "dress code." I doubt people in polo shirts with khaki pants and comb overs will be bothered.<br />
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*Daily, riders on expensive bikes coming down from Williams' Canyon pass through the pavilion at speeds in excess of 20 mph. They are never ticketed, even if Police are present.<br />
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3) No smoking in the Pavilion.<br />
Objections: This is another law that will be selectively enforced. If I call the cops on a tourist for smoking a cigarette, what are the odds of them actually being ticketed? If a local resident of 25 years with long hair, dirty clothes and a beard smokes a cigarette, what are his odds?<br />
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These proposed laws have been described by Task Force members as "tools" to be used against "undesirables." This is discrimination, and it is unacceptable in a democratic society. It is the wink wink, nudge nudge, understanding of certain parties that these laws will only selectively be enforced in order to rid the city of people that are demographically not wanted.<br />
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"They're not breaking the law?!? Well let's pass one that they're already guilty of!"<br />
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Let's not go that route, people. <br />
<h1>
The Positive Effects of the Task Force</h1>
There are some major positive developments to come out of the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force. The first one is that we, the different segments of Manitou Springs society, got to get together at a round table and talk about this. We were able to speak to each other and express what we feel, and we were all left with the impression that this isn't really a problem, it's an opportunity for the city to get some of its internal affairs in order.<br />
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Within the task force, we are able to talk to each other in a civil manner, and ALL perspectives are heard. I could tell that some of the people that I spoke with were surprised that I could even speak English, let alone form a coherent thought. And I was surprised that they were nice, rational people and not Nazis hoping to have us all imprisoned. <br />
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Elderly citizens who are feeling fear were able to express their fears, and the younger people who they were so afraid of got to express their fears as well. It turns out that most of us are really cool people, we just need to get to know each other better. We need to find mutual projects that we can work on to mitigate this misunderstanding and chart a positive course toward the future.<br />
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Manitou Springs, Colorado has a friend in Roger Miller. He is the new COO at iManitou, and he is an awesome moderator for such a touchy forum.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRyLkvQ4zNM0Nh73FLMq-IFFWnM2GZwF7GNBesKJO_HuEju9S3HHUfKARRMpvvfzW-5mfLbACZ_3VVKmGDHICj5ICHGG0OuK-NlMvZfv5gIRSrGP39tea8PIw-HdsghzeTFFDpG6OvC6c/s1600/P4045563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Manitou Springs, CO"><img alt="Manitou Springs, CO" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRyLkvQ4zNM0Nh73FLMq-IFFWnM2GZwF7GNBesKJO_HuEju9S3HHUfKARRMpvvfzW-5mfLbACZ_3VVKmGDHICj5ICHGG0OuK-NlMvZfv5gIRSrGP39tea8PIw-HdsghzeTFFDpG6OvC6c/s320/P4045563.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Instead of cracking down with draconian measures and hoping we can arrest our way out of this, Roger Miller sees a future where the City and its citizens work together to nurture what is so unique and positive about Manitou. Instead of finding ways to limit musicians' ability to play in the street, Mr. Miller is working with local artists to promote the best of the best. This year, we're going to try to give them the spotlight.<br />
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Instead of seeing the music in the park as a nuisance that must be controlled, Roger sees it as a community asset that needs to be uplifted to the world class status that it deserves. This, and other productive measures that will be addressed at the next meeting, are our alternatives to passing more laws outlawing more stuff to create criminals out of people who are currently breaking no laws.<br />
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That round table discussion is one of the most positive experiences I've had involving our municipal organization. Compared to a certain infamous session of Council, this is a breath of fresh air.<br />
<h1>
So, Let's Get Together Again</h1>
I have a feeling that we're going to reach a peaceful, productive resolution at the end of the Task Force. The mood is too good. The local summer concert series already has a buzz. If you weren't buzzing before, start now. Dylan James, Caleb Powell and James Galloway, Animus Invidious, Charlie Milo Trio and a few unannounced super surprise secrets will be gracing our daytime soundwaves. We'll try to bring out painters, weavers, permaculture workshops, massages, and just about every other weird thing Manitou has to offer.<br />
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We don't need any new laws, we just need to continue the discussion. Soda Springs Park is the topic of contention, and I think we'd all gain from moving the conversation out of City Hall and into the city center.<br />
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Let's start brainstorming about the future. Let's get together and help chart the course before everything gets too expensive and most of us have to leave. Let's listen to the 85 year old lady, and let's listen to the 16 year old skater. I bet we agree on more than any of us realize.<br />
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When the Task Force ends, let's take those relationships that we're building and keep them alive.<br />
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Let's keep <a alt="Manitou Springs, CO - Wikipedia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitou_Springs,_Colorado">Manitou</a> weird, so we don't end up living in Vail Junior.<br />
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</div>Adam Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01965620583088065991noreply@blogger.com10