Concerns about Black History Month

Colorado Springs City Council announced a proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month at Tuesday’s meeting, two weeks after a first attempt at a proclamation was rejected by the body.

That recognition is appropriate and overdue. However, another major public institution in our community has quietly abandoned this observance altogether: the Pikes Peak Library District.

The last time PPLD recognized Black History Month was in 2024, when the district offered author events, genealogy workshops, educational resources, and community programming. Since then, the Board of Trustees has allowed that commitment to disappear without explanation.

This is not the first time the Board’s actions have raised concerns. Trustee Aaron Salt has been at the center of multiple controversies: the October 12, 2024 vote not to renew the Rockrimmon Library lease; his 2022 appointment to the Academy District 20 school board after expressing interest in banning books; the resignation of former head librarian John Spears; the April 2024 hiring of a senior HR director with ties to an extremist organization; and the August 2024 push for book bans and pride flag bans in District 20 schools.

Given this pattern, the Board’s silence on Black History Month is not just an oversight—it is a decision. And the people of Colorado Springs deserve to know why.

The PPLD Board of Trustees owes this community a clear explanation for its failure to recognize Black History Month and for the direction in which it is steering one of our most important public institutions.

Deana Kamm

Colorado Springs

Promises must be kept

Whether we came to Colorado by choice or were raised here, we share a deep love for this state and its natural beauty. Our communities thrive because we value clean air, open landscapes, and a future worth protecting. That is why promises made to Coloradans must be promises kept.

The Ray Nixon coal plant continues to harm both our environment and our public health. From air pollution linked to lung disease and cancer to broader conflicts with Colorado’s environmental goals, the plant raises costs while lowering our quality of life. Its emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides degrade our air quality and contribute to long-term societal and environmental damage.

We, the people of Colorado Springs, demand a commitment to clean energy, clean air, and responsible business practices. What matters to everyday residents may differ from what matters to those in power, but this decision is bigger than a boardroom vote—it is a choice that affects all of us.

Lauryn Saunders

Colorado Springs

County’s election procedures

Letter writer Ron Robbins is correct about one foundational principle: elections must be secure to be legitimate.  On that point, we agree.  My comments here are focused specifically on El Paso County, where extensive safeguards already exist to ensure both security and transparency.

Every voter in Colorado votes a paper ballot.  There are no direct-recording electronic voting machines used without a voter-verifiable paper record.  Every ballot is retained for 25 months in accordance with state and federal law, meaning every vote cast in El Paso County exists as a physical document that can be recounted and audited.

In addition, Colorado law requires voter identification.  Voters must present acceptable ID when registering and when voting in person.  For mail ballots, bipartisan teams, both Republican and Democratic, of trained election judges conduct signature verification against signatures on file.  If there is a discrepancy, voters are notified and provided an opportunity to cure their ballot. 

Beyond statutory requirements, El Paso County has implemented significant security upgrades over the past three years.

All tabulation equipment used in El Paso County is prohibited from connecting to the internet or to any external network.  The equipment contains no network interface cards, Wi-Fi capability, or wireless communication components.  These systems are air-gapped by design.

The central processing units associated with tabulation equipment are physically hardened.  Ports are secured with tamper-evident locks and serialized security tags.  External devices such as thumb drives, pigtails, or unauthorized removable media cannot be connected or installed.  Access points are locked and monitored.

Each tabulation unit is housed within its own locked computer enclosure.  Access is restricted strictly to credentialed personnel.  The rooms containing this equipment are protected by cipher-locked doors, alarm systems, and 24/7 video surveillance. Trained security personnel regularly patrol the outside of these secured areas.  Chain-of-custody documentation is maintained at every step.

Transparency is equally important.  El Paso County provides public access to ballot-level review through the CIVERA ballot verification system.  CIVERA allows any citizen to review ballot images and compare them to the corresponding Cast Vote Records (CVRs), down to the precinct level.  Any race, ballot question, or total can be independently reviewed by members of the public.  This level of transparency is rare nationally. 

Colorado also conducts mandatory risk-limiting audits after every election.  These statistically rigorous audits compare paper ballots to reported results to confirm accuracy.  They are conducted in public view and includes a hand count of selected races.

Election security in El Paso County is not theoretical, not is it partisan.  It is procedural, physical, technological, and transparent.  Our responsibility is to ensure every lawful vote is counted accurately, and that the public can verify that it was.

Constructive dialogue is always welcome, and my office is always open to questions.  We routinely provide tours of our election facilities and processes so citizens can see firsthand how their elections are conducted and safeguarded, if interested, please contact me directly at 719-520-7306, or email steveschleiker@elpasoco.com.

Steve Schleiker

El Paso County Clerk and Recorder

American by choice

It was great reading the letters from Sarah Liu and Ron Robins in Wednesday’s opinion page. I read Erik Lessing’s letter the other day and I agree. It was pleasant reading about Irving Berlin’s journey to America.

I came to this country from Canada and have no intentions of returning to Canada.. I served in the army of this country and I’m proud of my service.. I am Canadian by birth and American by choice. Ron Robins has it right. The majority of Americans are in favor of same day voting and showing ID.. I would gladly show my certificate of citizenship if I had to.

I wish more people were as proud of being U.S.  citizens as I and Sarah are and Ron, whom I  believe was born here. This is the greatest country to live in and if there are those who don’t think so I say pick a better place to live in if you can.

Eric DesPres

Calhan