October 20, 2022 Vol. 21, No. 48 Serving Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City and Lower Ute Pass
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Redevelopment plan for former Cheyenne Village clears hurdle By William J. Dagendesh A request to demolish three structures at 183 Crystal Park Road, the former Cheyenne Village, dominated the Oct. 18 Manitou Springs City Council meeting. Council voted 7-0 to uphold a recommendation to demolish the buildings, finding it economically impractical to rehabilitate or relocate the structures. Also, council voted 7-0 to approve the major development plan in accordance with the City Planning Commission and staff recommendations, with the following conditions: • A Public Facilities and Service Impact Report shall be submitted and reviewed in conjunction with a Major Subdivision application; • The required future Major Subdivision application shall be raised to the review authority of the City
Painting the Town Organizers and volunteers work on the Hiawatha Gardens mural on Tuesday, Oct. 18. It’s 106 feet long, and is inspired by a vintage postcard featuring the building’s history as a dance hall. From left: Becca Sickbert of the Creative Alliance Manitou Springs; K8e Orr, a project organizer and designer; and volunteer Nicole Riggio.
Just about a half-block away, work on the Turtle Project was occurring at a crosswalk on El Paso Boulevard in front of SunWater Spa. The mother turtle — about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle — and her babies are intended to slow down drivers in the area. From left: Vince and Leilani Coleman, Manny Pulido and Kat Tudor.
See COUNCIL/page 3
Photos by Rhonda Van Pelt
Parents voice turnover concerns to D14 school board By William J. Dagendesh Concerns over the departure of numerous staff and teachers highlighted the Oct. 17 Manitou Springs School District 14 Board of Education meeting. Held in the Middle School Media Center, the meeting heard comments from a packed house of frustrated parents and former D14 educators who want to know why more than 50 staff members, many of them teachers, left D14 during the past almost three years.
Earlier this year, D14 parents formed the group Stand Up For Manitou to investigate what caused the turnover. The group is challenging D14 by insisting they fix the alleged high personnel turnover. The group wants to understand how decisions
(Editor’s note: See the story that begins on page 5.
being made impact students, why personnel have not returned to work and how parents can ensure that D14 remains the region’s most desirable district. About 60 D14 families comprise the group. Some parents said they had noticed many of their favorite teachers were leaving one right after the other. As a result, the group conducted an exit survey that pointed to culture and leadership as the possible reasons for the departures. See SCHOOL BOARD/page 5
INSIDE CITY ADMINISTRATOR GIVES UPDATE........................PAGE 7 TAKE A HEALING HIKE IN NATURE...............................PAGE 9 SPORTS SEASONS WINDING DOWN................ PAGES 10, 11