Momentum should be respected

The recent City Council and school board elections sent a clear message about the direction many Woodland Park residents want for the community.

In both elections, voters chose candidates by wide margins who emphasized stability, fiscal responsibility, professionalism, and moving beyond the division and conflict that have defined too much of local politics in recent years.

Election results are not just about personalities. They reflect priorities. The large vote margins suggest that a significant portion of the community wants Woodland Park focused on balanced financials, responsible leadership, caring for all residents, and protecting the long-term health of the community rather than continued political infighting, special interests, or costly lawsuits.

No city or school district will ever have complete agreement, nor should it. Healthy debate is important. But there is a difference between healthy disagreement and years of hostility that distract from the real work of governing.

Residents want leadership focused on practical community issues: maintaining financial stability, protecting water resources, supporting parks and open space, strengthening schools, addressing wildfire concerns, and preserving the quality of life that makes Woodland Park special.

The recent elections showed many voters are ready to move forward. That momentum should be respected and continued.

Julie Snyder, Woodland Park

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Vacant council seat

Recent letters and opinion pieces in the Courier have reflected something many Woodland Park residents want right now: stability, professionalism, and leadership that respects the direction voters chose in the last election.

The recent City Council election was competitive, with multiple candidates running for four open seats. Voters made their preferences clear. The four elected candidates each received strong support across the community, while another candidate received roughly half the number of votes.

That matters.

When a candidate loses by such a significant margin, it is reasonable to recognize that their priorities and vision may not align with the direction a majority of voters supported. Respecting elections does not end on Election Day. It also means respecting the broader message voters sent afterward.

A precedent has already been established locally when vacancies occur on boards and councils. Previous boards and councils have publicly stated they considered not only qualifications, but whether candidates would continue the direction and priorities voters had recently supported.
It is reasonable for the current Council to consider those same factors now. Doing so is not divisive. It is about consistency, stability, and maintaining public trust.

The appointment process gives Council an opportunity to continue moving Woodland Park forward in alignment with the vision voters already chose.

Jeralee Gonzalez, Woodland Park

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Be proud of Pride Above the Clouds

At its core, this event reflects a value many of us in Woodland Park already share: kindness, respect, and the belief that people should be free to live their lives peacefully. We may not all see the world the same way, and that’s perfectly okay. A strong community doesn’t require complete agreement—it simply asks that we treat one another with dignity and compassion.

Pride Above the Clouds is not about politics. It’s about people. It’s about neighbors, friends, families, and local residents coming together in a spirit of openness and acceptance. In a time when division can feel overwhelming, gatherings like this remind us that humanity and connection matter more than our differences.

Supporting this event doesn’t mean agreeing on every issue or perspective. It means recognizing the importance of creating a community where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and respected. Woodland Park is at its best when people are free to be themselves without fear of hostility or exclusion.

Respect is a two-way street, and communities grow stronger when grace and understanding guide us more than judgment. Pride Above the Clouds is a reminder that we can live alongside one another peacefully, support our neighbors, and still celebrate what makes each of us unique. That is something worth celebrating.

Kelli Bryant, Woodland Park

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Voters own elections

Your attack on Proposition 108 ignores a fundamental democratic truth: voters own elections, not political parties. When parties demand a taxpayer-funded primary to select candidates for a public ballot, they must conform to the rules set by the voters – the owners, who emphatically approved Prop. 108.

Prop. 108’s goal was to make candidates “more responsive to a broader range of interests” by including Independent voters – the majority in Colorado – in primaries. Parties must adapt to this reality, not the other way around.

Claims of “dirty pool” and “switching sides to pursue weak candidates” were proven baseless in the ruling unmentioned in your editorial. Judge Brimmer’s initial ruling confirmed the Republican Party failed to identify a single primary since 2016 where Independent votes corrupted the outcome or differed dramatically from registered party voters.

Suggesting that voters are “switching sides” for ill intent is a joke that would fall even flatter by closing primaries. Any committed partisan could change registration online today, vote, and switch back tomorrow. Until Colorado adopts a fully open primary system, the potential for “raiding” remains.

Meanwhile, Colorado’s semi-open primary is working as intended, giving Independent voters a voice without subverting democracy. Independents are not corrupting the primary process; they are enriching it.

The real “shenanigans” are your baseless accusations aimed at disenfranchising the majority of Colorado voters. For our democracy to work, the political parties must adapt to inclusion, not campaign for exclusion. That begins by accepting the inclusive primary system mandated by the people.

Kent Thiry, Denver

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Positive future focus

For the last few years, Woodland Park has experienced deep division, constant conflict, and public hostilities that have taken a toll on our community. Disagreement is part of civic life, but eventually communities must decide whether they want to remain stuck in conflict or begin moving forward. The recent City Council election showed voters are ready to turn the page.

By wide voter margins, residents strongly supported candidates who emphasized stability, financial accountability, and positive practical leadership over those who’ve engaged in constant fighting and political drama. As City Council considers appointing a new member, this is an opportunity to recalibrate the temperature in our community rather than reigniting old divisions.

Instead of appointing Mary Sekowski, who lost the council race with a dismal half the votes of other candidates and is currently in a lawsuit against the city, the council needs to appoint a member who’ll focus on rebuilding trust, strengthening alliances in Woodland Park, and serving the broader interests of the city—not personal agendas or continued conflict.

This decision would not be an effort to silence differing opinions. Healthy communities need diverse viewpoints. But there’s a difference between constructive disagreement and years of fostering bitterness for self-serving agendas that leave communities exhausted and unable to focus on the future. Woodland Park has too many important issues to remain consumed by division. Our citizens deserve leadership focused on collaboration and problem-solving that will continue in the positive direction that voters clearly supported.

Barry Harden, Woodland Park

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Standing together in Woodland Park

Watching a wave of division sweep across our country in 2021, the harmful impact on marginalized groups quickly reached Woodland Park. I saw firsthand the visible toll on my neighbors, particularly our LGBTQ+ population. Our community’s strength is rooted in the depth of our compassion and the commitment we share to elevate one another. Rather than let division define us, there was an opportunity to rise above.

That summer, a neighbor and I hosted a small “PRIDE, Equality & Civil Rights Celebration” at Memorial Park. We weren’t sure what to expect, but when nearly 100 people attended, it was clear our community was hungry for connection. To commemorate the day, we shared buttons featuring a reproduction of a beautiful mural painted by a local high school student. While that artwork had been silenced elsewhere, our neighbors wore it proudly, affirming that every child and family in Teller County deserves to be seen.

Visibility matters. LGBTQ+ youth thrive when they feel the support of their local community, and PRIDE Above the Clouds was born to ensure every resident knows they belong. What started as a simple picnic has blossomed into a joyful gathering and annual tradition of activities, vendors, live music, and family-friendly fun for all ages!

Join us at PRIDE Above the Clouds on Sunday, June 7, from 10am to 3pm at Memorial Park. Let’s celebrate our community’s strength and spirit of kindness by standing together in Woodland Park.

Janet Stoddard, Woodland Park

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Freedom to choose

I read your recent article in the Courier about Republicans not wanting to send ballots to Independents and I have a couple thoughts on it.

You wrote, “They should get that voice by registering with a political party”. And I ask you sir, wouldn’t that no longer make them Independents?

If they have the freedom to choose to vote based on “their brains”, why do Republicans so badly want them to pick a side and register with that party? And by pulling the “shenanigans” of not sending Independents primary Republican ballots, don’t you think trying to force their hand will cause Republicans to lose votes to the other side?

I would love to know a sound and concrete reason as to why it matters so much that Independents register with a party. One that sites real impacts it has on elections, not just conjecture about how sides meddle by running negative ads against the other to encourage voting one way or the other; sides are always going to politic.

I think Independents do generally try to vote “with their hearts and their brains” and that is why they don’t predetermine what side they are going to be on. They want the freedom to choose! Our two-party system forces picking a side and it keeps us divided. Maybe there should be more Independents or more options, and maybe more voters would start voting with “their brains” – when they have to think through and decide between more choices.

Cecil Sellars, Florissant