Tag: community
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Local area Cinco de Mayo efforts are noticeably unique | Rachel Stovall
Every year in May, the same question is asked across America: What exactly is Cinco de Mayo? For some, it is just an excuse for restaurant specials, margaritas, and themed parties. For others, it represents cultural pride, family traditions, music, dance, food, and the celebration of Mexican heritage and resilience. Increasingly, social media turns the holiday into a battleground over cultural appropriation, commercialization,…
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GUEST COLUMN: Camping ordinance focuses on providing a solution
Every person living on our streets has value. No exceptions. No one plans to sleep under a bridge. No one aspires to addiction or untreated mental illness. If we lose sight of that, we lose our humanity. Before serving on City Council, I spent decades as a retailer. Early on, I thought success meant buying something at a good price and…
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GUEST OPINION: Generosity has defined Colorado for 150 years
What does it look like when a state takes care of its own? It looks like neighbors opening their homes to families displaced by wildfire. Volunteers standing shoulder to shoulder, offering food, clothing, and hope to people they have never met. It looks quieter too – a mentor showing up week after week, a coach teaching resilience,…
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Community effort saves holidays for many
I’m still ticked about the SNAP delay. I don’t understand why Colorado government lacked the funds to feed its families in need. They spend enough on stuff we don’t need! But my anger is giving way to admiration of our community. During the recent SNAP issues, Colorado Springs showed that when government systems fail, people…
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COLUMN: Letters to the editor show vast, differing opinions
There’s nothing like a good letter-to-the-editor (LTE) to remind you how much you love letters-to-the-editor. Just last week, Jose Pienknagura of Manitou Springs penned an instant classic. The best submissions feature a broad constellation of characteristics, and Jose’s letter checked all the right boxes. In lamenting the cost of parking in his mountain town, he…
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COLUMN: Rotarians set a precedent in helping the needy
During this unprecedented government shutdown, citizens all over our state are supporting one another. Let me tell you one of those stories. Today will mark a special celebration for around 100 people – a small group of citizens who recently made some big moves to help the homeless in the Colorado Springs community. This group…
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COLUMN: Community could step up to supplement SNAP
Around 600,000 Coloradans who rely on the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) will have to find other ways to put food on the table this month. About half of those affected are children. At the request of the Governor’s office, Colorado’s Joint Budget Committee has approved up to 7.5 million dollars for WIC – a…
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GUEST OPINION: Rooted in community: Local still matters in banking
In an era defined by consolidation and scale, it’s easy to assume that bigger is always better. Publicly traded financial conglomerates dominate headlines, boasting national reach, sophisticated platforms, and shareholder returns. But as someone who has spent a career in public service and community banking, I believe there’s a deeper story worth telling—one rooted not…
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GUEST OPINION: Rooted in community: Local still matters in banking
In an era defined by consolidation and scale, it’s easy to assume that bigger is always better. Publicly traded financial conglomerates dominate headlines, boasting national reach, sophisticated platforms, and shareholder returns. But as someone who has spent a career in public service and community banking, I believe there’s a deeper story worth telling—one rooted not…
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LETTERS: Health hazard and disgrace; penalty for solar producers
Health hazard and disgrace Have you noticed the crumbling, dilapidated gas station at the corner of Platte and Nevada? Do you know that it is embedded with the health hazard asbestos? Have you noticed General Palmer’s gaze facing away from this hazard and disgrace to our city? When I questioned City Council members about when…