In her 1932 autobiography “Heritage of Years” Francis Wolcott wrote a telling sentence in her prologue. “If there be but two passions that survive old age – gambling and gardening – the first I have never tasted, but the making of gardens has still a beckoning hand. It has the cult of beauty, the mystery […]
So here we are, just a few weeks into the Trump/Musk duopoly and many of us are uncomprehending, alarmed, scared, angry, fearful and resentful. As a longtime political junkie, I bounce between all of these – but mainly, I’m fascinated. In my 85th year, I’ve lived during the presidencies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman, […]
Last week’s miserable weather gave us few options for amusement. Hitting the bars, or enjoying a meal at your favorite restaurant? Too cold, unless you could find a parking place within a block – so why even try? Tidy up the house and do minor repairs? Not if you have three unhappy dogs who, like […]
Dear Mrs. Hughes, I would like to write you about an issue that has been worrying me lately. I had the same job for 33 years as a teacher in an elementary school. I loved everything about my job, but as I approached retirement age, I began to get excited about retiring. So much so […]
Every February, our nation celebrates Presidents Day, honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays on Feb. 22 and Feb. 12, respectively. For my family, these days hold even more meaning as my wife shares a birthday with Washington, and I share a birthday with Lincoln. These shared birthdays provide a chance to celebrate and reflect […]
Newspapers are mortal. They’re born, they grow and hopefully they thrive. Comparatively few make it for 10 years, even fewer to 20, and only a handful to 40 or more. Let’s look at the Colorado Springs newspaper business at several points in time, beginning with the founding of Colorado City in 1859. In 1859 a […]
OK. I admit it. I’m addicted. For 32 years I’ve been getting my fix every morning after retrieving my drug from my driveway. But now, the soaring cost of this addictive substance might thwart my continued reliance on it. I’m talking about the Colorado Springs Gazette, a daily newspaper where I worked for 16 years […]
How can we best describe our local elected officials? With a couple of exceptions, a single word will suffice: boring. They’re serious, thoughtful, and in their own way dedicated to doing whatever is best for the city. Usually. But if a comfortable majority of voters approve more outlets for us dimwitted residents to buy the […]
My finger hovered over the “unfriend” button. How many of us have done the same? I knew this guy, Mike, as a work-related acquaintance for about 25 years. Never knew his political affiliation. Never asked. Never cared. But here he was, commenting on some post of mine on Facebook that urged faith in the face […]
After a couple of weeks of madness, some think that our democracy is threatened by the antics of septuagenarian President Trump and his fellow scammers. Republican, Democrats or unaffiliated – we’re all aboard the U.S.S. Donald Trump, steaming recklessly to an unknown destination. Think of Botany Bay, the destination for English convicts sent to serve […]
Dear editor and fellow citizens of Manitou Springs, Amid the bustling charm and mountain vistas of our beloved town lies a spirit that doesn’t just reside in the heart – it sings, it flourishes, it invites us into a dance of unity. The Manni Awards, as Heila Ershadi wonderfully expressed in last week’s Pikes Peak […]
So now what, as another self-regarding, soon-to-be-octogenarian moves into the White House? We can only hope that the executioner’s axe doesn’t fall on our fair city, that our nation survives and maybe even thrives, and that rookie Congressman Jeff Crank can persuade President Trump to keep all existing military bases here in reliably Republican Colorado […]
Watching media reports of the tragic California fires, it all seemed so familiar. The wind-driven fire started slowly in dryland forests adjacent to comfortable and long-settled communities and suddenly exploded into an unquenchable firestorm. Residents had to leave – and leave right now! They had minutes, not hours or days. To dawdle was to die. […]
Did you know the last multifamily apartment complex in Manitou Springs was built 51 years ago in 1973? That’s the Fountain Creek Apartments (459 El Paso Blvd.). Manitou Springs has a housing affordability crisis and limited growth opportunities with little vacant, unconstrained land for development. Due to this, the high costs of development and Manitou […]
Growing up in Colorado Springs in the ’40s and ’50s, the Gazette-Telegraph ruled the world of events and information. The city’s population in 1950 was 45,472, a 23.6% increase from the 1940 census. It had grown rapidly during and after the war, but it was still a small town, and its long-established newspaper devoted many […]
Eliza Pratt Greatorex (1819-1897), a leading 19th century author/artist/traveler and historic preservationist, is almost unknown today. I became interested in her because she published a slim illustrated volume of her adventures in the Pikes Region in 1872 entitled “Summer Etchings in Colorado.” I read the book, but didn’t realize at first that she was a […]
It’s reasonable to say that Linda Weise has had the same impact on Colorado Springs as skyrockets on the 4th of July – without her passion, vitality, curiosity and confidence, our city would be sadly diminished. She’s attracted to difficult (even impossible!) projects, such as renovating the grand old City Auditorium. She succeeded in revivifying […]
As I sit safely ensconced in my second-story office/library/spare bedroom in our beloved Westside home, it’s a bright and sunny December morning. The dogs are quiet and content, Karen and I are both in reasonable health and nothing needs immediate repair so I should be cheerfully optimistic. Yet I’m not, and most of my friends […]
It’s good to see that the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is actually re-engaging with its illustrious past, beginning with an exhibition titled “A People’s History of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.” Curated by Pat Musick, it opened on Dec. 6 and will be open through January. It’s designed to include public contributions; “stories, […]
In the course of my four score years plus four, I’ve learned a few simple lessons about politics, the media and our strange infatuation with the imperfections of those whom we have elected to local, statewide and national office. Let’s consider the banner headlines of both the Gazette and the Bulletin last Friday. The Gazette: […]
