Author: The Gazette Letters
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LETTERS: 911’s impact; e-bike issues on the roads
A far-reaching impact Gazette writer O’Dell Isaac’s personal story was so powerful and moving. It just brings home the far-reaching impact of the 9/11 attacks. Multiply his story by thousands, and you begin to realize how truly devastating this event was. Congratulations and thanks to him for sharing his perspective and his grief. Best wishes…
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LETTERS: 9/11 Anniversary; awareness about puppy mills
Awareness about puppy mills Sept. 19 is Puppy Mill Awareness Day, a good time for our community to remember that many puppies sold online or through pet stores come from high-volume commercial breeding facilities where profit often comes before animal welfare. Puppy mills can keep breeding dogs in poor conditions for years, while puppies may…
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LETTERS: Hunting opposition; holding officials accountable
Hunting opposition Anyone who thinks the Jared Polis/Marion Reis-appointed CPW commission is not using subterfuge and deception to eliminate all forms of meat consumption, especially hunting, is willfully deceiving themselves. Simply look at interim commissioner Rebecca Niemiec, appointed in June by Polis/Reis, who introduced a nonagenda item the day of the last public commission meeting,…
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LETTERS: Expired license plates; using taxpayer funds
Expired license plates Every day, we see vehicles driving on our streets with severely expired registrations. This isn’t just a minor administrative oversight; it is a direct drain on our community. Registration fees fund vital public infrastructure. When drivers skip out on paying their fair share, essential local entities like our fire districts, school districts…
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LETTERS: Explain the decision; Proposition NN
Explain the decision Academy District 20 asked community members to apply for a vacant Board seat. What followed looked less like a serious evaluation than a predetermined sorting exercise. There was no public discussion of applicants, no comparison of qualifications and no disclosed criteria or scoring. Board members simply arrived with their preferred candidates. The…
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LETTERS: Compromising the planning process; politicizing the conversation
Compromising the planning process On Aug. 27, the El Paso County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to overturn staff’s administrative determination, clearing the way for a 74,000-square-foot mega-travel center to proceed under C-1 neighborhood commercial zoning. Having attended and spoken at the appeal hearing, I watched with growing concern as standard principles of quasi-judicial land-use…
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LETTERS: Support for State Patrol; road improvements
Support for State Patrol On behalf of the Colorado State Patrol, I want to express our profound gratitude to the Woodland Park community for the outpouring of support following the recent shootings of our troopers. Over the last week, the kindness and solidarity shown by our residents, local businesses and neighboring departments have been a…
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LETTERS: Water usage; state and local subsidies
Water usage questioned So Buc-ee’s won their zoning appeal to be called a convenience store. What a joke! I guess this means that Costco, Sam’s Club, King Soopers, Safeway, Walmart, Target etc. can also be called a convenience store when that argument works for them. Buc-ee’s is clearly a travel center anyway you look at…
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LETTERS: Combine the best of both worlds; a different way of life
Combine the best of both worlds I am writing as a Cimarron Hills resident whose property directly borders the Rock Island Trail corridor. First, I want to express my strong support for the construction of the new 210-foot Sand Creek pedestrian bridge and for connecting the trail across Powers Boulevard. Linking our community to the…
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LETTERS: Students, families deserve better; plant better seeds
Students, families deserve better The controversy in District 11 shouldn’t be over teacher Stacy Adair’s T-shirt, worn on a day when no students were present. The controversy should be over the school administration’s actions and the school board’s failure to take responsibility. An adult wearing a shirt stating a biological truth is not a threat…