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April 23, 2014
75 cents Teller County, Colorado | Volume 53, Issue 16 A publication of
pikespeakcourier.net
Cripple Creek donkeys given free rein for another season Filming for reality show ‘demo-reel’ to be conducted through Aug. 7 By Sonja Oliver
Contributing writer The City of Cripple Creek passed its annual ordinance allowing the small herd of donkeys roaming rights throughout the mining district from Apr. 15 through Oct. 15. During the cold winter months, the donkeys are kept on a ranch. Each year, the city renews the ordinance dating back to 1977, addressing “livestock at large” pertaining to the donkeys. However, in addition to the renewal this year, the council amended the ordinance to limit the herd number in the future not to exceed 20 donkeys. Currently the herd consists of 16 donkeys and is believed to be made up of several direct descendants of donkeys that were used to work the mines in the
Cripple Creek and Victor mining district in the early years of the gold camp. When miners left the district, the donkeys were left behind to fend for themselves. In recognition of the donkey’s historic place in the formation of Cripple Creek and Victor, the city passed an ordinance allowing the distant relatives of the original donkey herd to roam throughout the gold camp area. Today, the Two Mile High Club, which maintains the free-roaming herd, is dedicated to the donkey’s health and welfare. According to their website, the club is the oldest incorporated civic organization in the State of Colorado and hosts Donkey Derby Days, now in its 83rd year. The origins of this popular Colorado donkey festival dates back to 1933, when two local businessmen came up with the idea of holding a Donkey Derby in Cripple Creek to encourage tourism. The donkeys are no longer ridden, but races are held by leading the donkeys through a series
Donkeys in Cripple Creek are allowed by ordinance have free rein on the city’s streets from Apr. 15 through Oct. 15. The herd of 16 donkeys is owned by the Two Mile High Club and are descendants of the donkeys that worked the gold mines. Photo by Sonja Oliver of obstacles on Bennett Avenue. Proceeds from the weekend are used by the club to provide feed and veterinary services for the herd. This years’ Donkey Derby Days will be held over the weekend of June 27-29 and features a Western Pack Burro “ASS-ociation” race between the cities of Victor and
Cripple Creek. Reality show to feature Cripple Creek? City Administrator Ray White presented a “Confidentiality and Exclusivity Agreement” between the city and PSG Films which states that Cripple Creek will not talk to any other filming company regrading a reality show from
now until Aug. 7. PSG Films is a subsidiary of PSG Motion Pictures and produces popular reality series on National Geographic, Discovery and Travel Channels including “Alaska State Troopers,” “Blood and Oil” and “The Long Haul,” to name a few. According to the agreement dated Apr. 7, 2014, PSG Films is looking at the city for a possible reality series and will be conducting “reality-program style videotaping in connection with the production of a demo-reel... and any subsequent series, program, pilot or episode based on the (demo reel). The agreement was approved for the requested duration.
Other council action In other Cripple Creek business the city council made three appointments to the Historic Preservation Commission. Local 20-year resident Melissa Trenary Donkeys continues on Page 15
Semi-new WP council sworn in Saying goodbye to Eric Smith, new Mayor Pro Tem chosen By Norma Engelberg Contributing writer
The first thing a Woodland Park City Council does at its first meeting after a regular municipal election is to say goodbye to out-going members and swear in newly elected or reelected councilmembers and the mayor. It then choses a new Mayor Pro Tem and assigns councilmembers as liaisons or voting members to boards, commissions and committees. Doing that took up more than half of council’s April 17 meeting. Before the meeting started, the city provided a farewell buffet for Eric Smith, who decided not to run for reelection. He served as a planning commissioner for six and a half years before being appointed to city council where he served a total of six years. He has decided to concentrate his time and energy on developing new construction projects, which means he will not become a stranger to council. He will be appearing on future agendas as an applicant. In fact, later in this meeting he appeared at the podium on an item that pertained to his development of the Trail Ridge Apartment complex off Sheridan Avenue. Once the meeting was underway, Mayor Dave Turley and the other councilmembers had good words to say about their service with Smith. In turn, he thanked them, saying it has been an honor and privilege to serve with them. He asked council to prioritize three items: build a municipal reservoir, continue supporting the Downtown Development Authority and get the aquatic center built. As a going away present, Smith received POSTAL ADDRESS
New Woodland Park City Councilmember Noel Sawyer, left, is welcomed by Councilmember Bob Carlsen before the April 17 council meeting. Mayor Dave Turley recognizes four of Woodland Park’s five administrative professionals in honor of National Administrative Professionals Week. From left, are Christie Huber who mans the city’s front desk, Judy Bundy from parks and recreation, Suzanne Brown from public works and Beverly Hodges from the Woodland Park Police Department. Not pictured is Deirdre Arnold from planning. Photos by Norma Engelberg a framed photograph of Pikes Peak. His 12-year-old-son Parker received flowers to give to his mother, who had to leave early. After that, Turley was sworn in for a second 2-year term as mayor. Ken Matthews and John Schaffer, who were incumbents on the April 8 election ballot, and the new face on council, Noel Sawyer, also were sworn in. Councilmember Carrol Harvey is now Mayor Pro Tem and Sawyer has been named an alternate to a committee at Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments where Turley also serves, and council liaison to the Woodland Park Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. He has also been tasked with restarting the city’s Youth Advisory Board. Once all the assignments were made, council’s next order of business was to appoint Don Sloan and Anna Weiland to the Keep Woodland Park Beautiful committee.
Council also unanimously approved three ordinances on first reading: a conditional use permit to convert a model home in a neighborhood commercial zone into a residential property, a conditional use permit to change the Tabeguache Steakhouse, located in a community commercial zone, into an Arby’s Restaurant and an ordinance accepting a utility easement and temporary construction permit by Peoples National Bank to add an eastbound rightturn lane on U.S. 24 at Sheridan Avenue. It was on this last ordinance that Smith spoke. Developers in Woodland Park pay a transportation impact fee whenever one of their projects will impact traffic on highways eligible for federal funding, including U.S. 24 and Colo. 67. Smith, as co-owner of Trail Ridge Apartments, has paid for transportation impacts as have Peoples National Bank and the owners of the Keller
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Woodland Park Mayor Dave Turley, left, and former Mayor Pro Tem Eric Smith hold the city’s traditional gift to outgoing mayors and councilmembers. Smith’s last meeting as a councilmember was on April 17. Williams office. “The bank is a heavy traffic generator and so is the office building,” he said. “We (the apartment complex owners) want to be treated the same way they’ve been. We paid $53,000 in transportation impact fees that can be used for this right lane.” The improvements at Sheridan and U.S. 24 are slated to cost about $170,000, which, if the ordinance is approved by council, will come out of the transportation improvement fees fund. All three ordinances will be heard in public hearing at the May 1 meeting.
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