To the editor: We would like to thank Manitou Springs city government for offering additional Chipper Days at the Public Works yard this past weekend! We truly appreciate the extra hours and work that city employees put into helping to clean up broken limbs around the community after the storm. It really was appreciated. Thank […]
In early March, I was sitting next to Manitou boys basketball coach Brian Vecchio and telling him something that was very relevant at the time. “The squad has taken some heavy losses this year.” I wasn’t talking about Vecchio’s basketball team or even a Manitou team in general. I was talking about us. Our group […]
The superintendent for Manitou Springs School District 14 seems to be under attack, ostensibly for the recent turnover. This is an educational issue. Employees are leaving education nationwide. See tinyurl.com/Schools- Facing-Mass-Exodus. Locally, the percentage of open positions are: • Woodland Park — 14 percent; • MSSD 14 — 13 percent; • D20 — 11 percent; […]
For the past 10 years, since my son started at Manitou Elementary, I have been a member of the Manitou Springs School District 14 community. We chose Manitou for the whole-child philosophy, small-town feel and excellent opportunities for the students. It was Manitou’s reputation and the relationships we had with administrators and teachers that attracted […]
Earlier this month, the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey brought considerable attention to the dire situation women’s health is in, yet again. The League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region (LWVPPR) joined other local groups and citizens at the Bans Off Our […]
It’s 9 o’clock Thursday night. I just spent the last couple of hours at Memorial Park, at the Drum Circle here in Manitou. Luckily for me, that’s just two blocks away from my house, so it’s an easy walk. Tonight’s Drum Circle mattered more to me than most, as I am going through a particularly […]
To the editor: Thanks to a mandatory reporting to the Public Utilities Commission, we now have the figures for the Cog Railway’s first year of operation after the three-year $100 million project to rebuild the tracks and replace and renovate equipment. Revenues increased by about 54 percent from the last previously reported year, from $12.8 […]
Dear readers of our community: As we approach the end of another magical year in Manitou Springs School District 14, we wanted to write this letter of appreciation and celebration of a job well done by our principal, Maria Masone. A longstanding community member, teacher, assistant principal, dean of students and advocate for all learners, […]
Hello, Manitou Springs parents! I’m a sixth grader at Manitou Springs Middle School. Before I start, I just wanted to say thank you to all the parents because parenting is so hard and, although we may not say it, you do a great job for us. As I get older, I am seeing behaviors from […]
Was something broken that needed fixing? This is the question I’ve asked myself recently, as the rumblings of turmoil within Manitou Springs School District 14 have gotten increasingly louder. I am the mother of two students who choice into MSSD14. I am a strong believer in public education and am the product of two public […]
I just watched the Manitou Volunteer Fire Department get after a wild fire near Cave of the Winds hill. It seems like they got it taken care of in short order. Makes you want to vote for the best darn fire machines around, or whatever it is the firefighters think we need to have. We are living […]
A couple of weeks ago, I found myself saying to the incoming Ute Pass Elementary principal, Jackie Powell, “You are going to have a blast in this job. This is an amazing place to work.” For 11 years, I have had the great honor and pleasure of serving UPES and the Manitou Springs school district. […]
Dear Manitou community: On Sunday, May 15, we will host the 2022 Graduate Parade, with the kind support of Manitou Springs School District 14 and the city of Manitou Springs. Started in 2020 as a way for families who could not attend graduation to celebrate their graduates, this is now the newest Manitou Springs tradition! […]
Last week, I wrote the first part of a two-part editorial. Here is the second part: One of my favorite responses from a reader/community member was from a woman who asked what she can do to advocate for the salaries/compensation of our staff. I love this focus. Additionally, Timothy Barrette’s editorial headlined “Financial Strains Forcing […]
As a result of recent concerns shared by members of the Manitou Springs School District 14 community, a group called Stand Up for Manitou has been formed. This group has garnered the attention of 40-plus families as it works to protect what we consider to be the heart of Manitou Springs School District 14: the […]
To the editor: I recently sent this to Dr. Elizabeth Domangue and would like to share my thoughts publicly: Thank you for sharing your thoughts in the Weekly Update for D14 families and the Bulletin. As both a district parent (MSES and MSMS) and a 15-year educator in a neighboring district, I agree with your […]
To the editor: A wise person said that a story known is only through the story told. I also once read “Stories bring us together. They are shared knowledge, shared legend, and shared history; often, they shape our shared future.” Concerned people have asked many questions about staff leaving the district. Although just a few […]
What a productive and exciting year 2022 has been! It is with pleasure that I would like to announce that for the first time in the city’s recent history, we are nearly at full staffing with only four positions left open. With the current job markets in the region and nation at large, this is […]
I had the most wonderful experience on Sunday, April 24. I was able to attend the Manitou Springs High School performance of “Fiddler on the Roof.” There are more performances this weekend. There have been some recent questions and comments regarding the number of staffers who have decided to leave Manitou Springs School District at the […]
I recently bought my first house with my mother-in-law’s assistance. It’s not that I am irresponsible; I have a master’s in history and I am on a trajectory to receive a Ph.D. In fact, the only way my wife and I could scrape up enough money to afford the payment was due to the pause […]
