April 15, 2015 VOLU M E 5 4 | I S S UE 1 5 | 7 5 ¢
PikesPeakCourier.net T E L L E R C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Festival to feature paranormal, steam power, mining Steampunk fashion, gadget and art events held throughout weekend of Apr. 24-26
the site, conduct interviews and perform background research prior to their investigation. Although considered to be a pseudoscience, investigators utilize a variety of tools to expose and explore the existence of the spirit world. New technology such as EMF meter, digital photography, night vision and infrared have made inroads into detection of this phenomena.
By Sonja Oliver
Contributing writer The 2015 Victor Steampunk Resurgence Festival will feature a paranormal investigation of the Lowell Thomas Museum at a “Who Goes There” event on Friday, April 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. The “Who Goes There” event is part of the Steampunk Resurgence Festival, now in its third year. Looking for paranormal activity has made a re-emergence in popularity in that last few decades with reality series such as Ghost Hunters and the hit 1980s movie, “Ghostbusters.” Fascination with death and the afterlife was prevalent during the Victorian era with seances being conducted for the purpose of communication with the dead. The paranormal investigation of Victor’s Lowell Thomas Museum will involve a team of “ghost hunters” who will attempt to col-
INSIDE THE COURIER
STEAMPUNK AND VICTOR, A CONVERGNCE OF PAST AND FUTURE
Steampunkers watch as electrical current travels up and across “Jacob’s Ladder,” with 50,000 volts emitted from a transformer at the 2014 Steampunk Festival. Photo by Sonja Oliver lect evidence supportive of paranormal activity. The Lowell Thomas Museum, located at the corner of Third Street and Victor Av-
enue in Victor, is housed in an 1899 brick structure that once was a hardware store, newspaper office, hotel and furniture store. Ghost hunters will look into the history of
CUSP receives award from Colorado State Forest Service. Page 4
Small sections of Teller County are surrounded by Woodland Park
Business Buzz. Page 8
By Norma Engelberg Contributing writer
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OFFICE: 1200 E. Highway 24 Woodland Park, CO 80863 PHONE: 719-687-3006 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Teller County, Colorado, the Pikes Peak Courier is published weekly on Wednesday by Colorado Community Media, 1200 E. Highway 24, Woodland Park, CO 80863. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WOODLAND PARK, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 11 a.m. Legal: Thurs. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 10 a.m. GE T SOCI AL WITH US
P LE A S E R ECYC L E T H I S C O PY
Festival continues on Page 19
FILLING IN THE HOLES
Fire season starting early. Page 2
PIKES PEAK COURIER
Victor, Colorado, is a historically significant 1890s era mining town in a unique mountain setting with turn-of-the-century Victorian architecture. Known as “a city stuck in time,” Victor grew up during the steam and industrial era, lending itself historically and aesthetically to the Steampunk movement, a phenomena that originated in the 1980‘s from “speculative fiction,” a literary sub-genre of science fiction and fantasy writing. Steampunk incorporates the social or technological aspects of the 19th century
Woodland Park sits in a 6.5-square-mile area. Although it’s shaped like an amoeba with most of its body located north of U.S. 24, if one were to imagine it as a doughnut, one would see that it has holes. These holes, county properties that are completely surrounded by city, are officially known as enclaves. By state law, the city could forcibly annex single-lot enclaves but Planning Director Sally Riley said that isn’t the city’s policy. “We don’t force people to be annexed because we want them to want to live in our city,” she said. Any property owner whose land shares at least one-sixth of its boundary with the city can ask to be annexed. Larger, owners of multilot properties within the city and subdivisions that border the city can ask for annexation if a simple majority of them vote to approve the annexation request. Riley said water is often the determining factor when the city decides
whether to annex a property or not. The city’s water-tap management plan determines and guides growth; if the property uses city water, it’s already part of the plan and annexation wouldn’t change the equation. Other factors supporting annexation include economic and/or community benefits. The city annexed the Charis Bible College property and Teller County Waste because of these benefits, Riley said, adding that other properties might not offer such benefits. Also the city is unlikely to approve an annexation if roads and other infrastructure don’t meet city standards. Riley said this could be a problem, for example, if residents of the Sunnywood subdivision, where streets are mostly gravel, were to request annexation. Riley said it always pays to make a complete evaluation of pros and cons before making annexation decisions. She and her staff are available to help property owners explore their options. Call the planning department at 719-687-5202 or email Riley at sriley@city-woodlandpark.org. A list of pros and cons, most submitted by Councilmember Bob Carlsen, follows:
PROS
CONS
• Water — nonresident city water/wastewater customers pay double the city’s residential rates. Annexation would decrease these rates. • Taxes — All city and county property owners pay Teller County taxes but city property owners also pay city taxes. If the additional property tax is less than the cost of water and sewer, it might pay to request annexation. • Elections — city residents vote in city elections and have a say in who governs and how the city services they use are funded. • Services — it’s only fair that everyone who uses services, such as police response, parks and recreation and street maintenance, pay for them through taxes. • Infrastructure — if a subdivision’s infrastructure meets city standards, owners’ taxes rather than maintenance fees would pay for snowplowing and street repair. • Covenants — Homeowners’ Association covenants would remain enforceable. Some residents might like this. • Design standards — the city has stringent design standards for new construction. Some people like this.
• Water — well water users would have to give up their wells and connect to city water. They wouldn’t have to connect to city sewer as long as their septic system remains adequate. • Taxes — Woodland Park residents also pay a 1 percent city sales tax on any vehicle purchased anywhere in the state. They might also pay a 3 percent sales tax for online purchases. • Elections — some people might not want to be bothered with elections. • Services — why should a nonresident feel obligated to pay for services they receive without extra charge? • Infrastructure — if a subdivision’s infrastructure meets city standards, owners’ taxes rather than maintenance fees would pay for snowplowing and street repair. • Covenants — if there are no covenants in place, no additional covenants would be imposed. • Design standards — the city has stringent design standards for new construction. Some people won’t like this.