Tag Archives: Courier

Letters to the Editor – August 2, 2023

From the 8/2/2023 Courier:

Spirited, partisan debate is nothing new in our country. Nor are constructive differences of opinion about issues, policies, values, and election outcomes. But I want to join those Teller County voices that are brokenhearted by how our conversations on social media platforms like Facebook pages and NextDoor, our comments in public meetings, and even when we confront each other in stores or the park, now sound like we are demonizing and dehumanizing anyone who thinks differently than we do. The tone of dialogue is tinged with sarcasm and snarkiness with a dash of “holier than thou.” Whatever happened to love your neighbor as yourself?

I absolutely love this town, and I cannot accept that we are moving toward becoming a divided, combative, and self-destructive community. It has to stop! Let’s work to reverse this trend. Let’s call on our Teller County leaders, our neighbors, and ourselves to transform our attitudes and our debate. We don’t need to agree with each other or compromise our own deeply held beliefs. But we do need to reclaim our ability to have constructive and civil conversations, and maybe even find common ground in our shared humanity.

We’re witnessing a real-time, rapidly widening fracture in Woodland Park. Each one of us either contributes to the problem or can become a part of holding Teller County together.

Becky Darrow, Woodland Park

Thank you for your exquisite piece of journalism entitled “Woodland Park Woman’s Acquittal Brings Vindication.” The article demonstrates the power of what Edmund Burke called the fourth estate to bring truth to the people. We in Teller County are truly blessed to still have a real local newspaper.

Ed Biersmith, Divide

Couldn’t help but notice David Illingsworth had one hour and fifteen minutes of “… had no involvement of any kind with the police investigation, charging decision or prosecution of the case …” advising the arresting police officer how to escalate a misdemeanor charge to a felony. Really? No involvement? For one hour fifteen minutes?

John Capaci

I was greatly disappointed to read that the Woodland Park Police Department would allow themselves to be influenced by a prominent public official on whether to bring charges against someone reporting a possible crime. What happened to “If you see something, say something?” Does this mean if I call the police to report suspicious activity, that I could be charged with felony false reporting if it turns out to be nothing? This series of events shows a disgraceful lack of credibility for the Police Department. I am a 30-year resident and am thoroughly disgusted.

Leslie St. Onge, Woodland Park

Letters to the Editor – June 14, 2023

Here are a couple letters to the editor from the recent Courier:

Local teachers know and reflect the values of our community

In the May 31 Courier, an article titled “Colorado teachers union adopts anti-capitalist polemic” was included. Our local teachers association, WPEA, has a 40+ year history of working collaboratively with the school board for the betterment of both students and educators, amicably and productively. All our work is focused on local education issues, our local students, and Woodland Park teachers.

When CEA released its resolution regarding capitalism, WPEA members collaborated to release our own statement, May 9th: “Recently, the delegate assembly of the Colorado Education Association released a resolution regarding capitalism. The Woodland Park Education Association, which is made up solely of local teachers and school employees, is governed locally by its own elected board. WPEA does not support the CEA resolution as it does not reflect the values of our members or our local community. We support and benefit from our local economy. Our schools are supported through our local sales tax initiative, which was passed with strong support in 2016, and was the result of a collaborative effort between our school board, teachers, parents, and community. As an association, we are focused on working to create the best possible schools for our students and the educators who work tirelessly to support them.”

I encourage our community to talk directly with Woodland Park teachers to learn about this issue. Students, parents, teachers, and the school board working together, and listening and learning from each other, is the best hope we have for continued growth and success for our students.

Nate Owen, WPHS Teacher and WPEA President (source)

Also, a guest column:

Change happens. At age 16, my friend and I worked as maids at the Wishing Well Motel in Crystola. In the afternoon we would ride our horses up the pass and tie them up at the only place in town to get a soda. We knew everyone’s name and everyone’s story. Needless to say, Woodland Park — and all of Teller County — looks very different today.

Growth and modernization is inevitable. It’s a change I can live with. What breaks my heart is the enormous change in how we treat each other. Senior citizens in Teller County all remember a time when we had no clue about other people’s politics. We based our friendships and actions on shared interests and shared needs. When we engaged in family feuds or fought over local issues back then, it was using our own “inventive venting” often followed by a joint effort at a common solution.

I believe what I see happening in our community today is something new and pernicious and divisive. Today’s feuds are fought in Letters to the Editor, over Facebook pages, on Next Door, and at community board meetings using media-generated phrases coined by conflict entrepreneurs because outrage sells. It feels like we’re creating a climate based on “winners” and “losers”. Tribalization will not only stand in the way of relationships; it will stand in the way of progress.

Surely, I can’t be the only person who is both sad and scared by the polarization that has come to our community.

I can’t be the only person who is tired of seeing the same names and the same name-calling. I can’t be the only person who is frustrated by what appears to be a total lack of desire to work together or to really listen to one another.

I desperately want to believe there is a silent majority of Teller County residents who are disheartened by all the invective. A silent majority who hunger for respectful dialogue rather than diatribes whose only impact is to further polarize us. A silent majority who believe that there is a place for respectful listening and productive compromise. And likely we’re also the exhausted majority — fed up with the craziness and ready for something else.

It’s time for us to stand up and speak out. Let our friends, our neighbors, our community organizations and our leaders know this is not who we want to be. That we demand respectful and concrete dialogue that’s solution-oriented and focused on the uniqueness of our local issues., using personalized and productive conversation rather than language provided by national pundits with their own agenda. Let’s show that we’re out here and let’s work to depolarize Teller County. If we don’t, we will all lose.

A nation divided against itself cannot stand. Neither can a community.

Billie Donegan (source)

Letters to the Editor – March 22, 2023

Here are some recent letters to the editor about our schools:

The dangers of the American Birthright curriculum

I am writing to express my concerns about the American Birthright curriculum and its potential dangers for young people. While it is important to teach our youth about the history and culture of our country in ways that do not bring shame or internalized hate to today’s youth, the way in which this specific curriculum approaches these topics is problematic.

I have only reviewed the social studies section for 11th grade and 12th grade. At first, I thought this was a more thorough and pervasive curriculum than I remembered from my own excellent high school education in the 1970’s because of the breadth of original documents included. I opened my mind to the possibility that this wasn’t so bad after all….

It is, however, obvious that much has been skewed toward one perspective of history with minimal minority views. In fact, so far I have found only three speeches and two African-Americans represented. The American Birthright program presents a narrow and one-sided perspective on American history, emphasizing only the positive aspects and ignoring the darker parts of our past. This can lead to a distorted understanding of our nation’s history, ultimately hindering our ability to learn from past mistakes and create a better future. History does, in fact, repeat itself if we don’t learn from the past. Germany carries the legacy of Hitler. Rather than ignore it, German schools teach deeply about what happened so that it can never happen again.

What is this school board and some religious zealots so afraid of about accurate history and different but equally valid perspectives?

Additionally, the program seems to promote particular religious and political agendas, often advocating for conservative views on social and economic issues, promoting Bible passages and religious interpretation of the Founding Fathers without a fair and balanced representation of all the Founding Fathers and their arguments about the role of religion in society. The FF were consensually clear that no religion should rule the land, yet this American Birthright program indicates a different conclusion. This curriculum not only limits critical thinking and analysis but also reinforces societal divisions and prejudices.

Finally, the program’s lack of diversity and inclusivity also raises concerns. The curriculum fails to acknowledge the contributions and experiences of marginalized groups, leaving minority students and girls feeling excluded and invalidated. No. Small. Thing. Self-image is radically volatile for teenagers without feeling marginalized.

In conclusion, while the American Birthright and its supports have good intentions, its narrow focus and potential political biases are harmful to young people’s education, development, and ability to be critically and practically ready for the “real world.” It is crucial that we provide our youth with a well-rounded education that encourages critical thinking skills and diverse perspectives. Faith can withstand critical analysis. Freedom can only stand if people are free to explore, consider, and express themselves.

As a community, I’m begging school board members and community members to listen to the experts, your state’s board of education, so many parents. I hear a lot of prayer and scripture being quoted during board meetings, but when I hear from parents and teachers? It’s to steer clear of this program and stop stifling our brilliant students, scaring (and firing or sidelining) teachers, and let teachers get on with being teachers.

Trina Hoefling, Florissant

Loss of programs will harm students

Thank you for revealing that the Woodland Park School District is cutting programs to support students’ well-being. This is one more decision the board had hoped to slide quietly through without informing parents or the community.

Grant applications that have been frozen include over a million dollars and fund a total of eleven counselors and social workers district wide. The district has also decided not to participate in the universal free lunch program that was passed in November. Citizens are paying for this food through state taxes and should not be denied access to it.

There is clear evidence the programs funded by these grants improve academic achievement; they help students focus, cope with challenges and be ready to learn.

Eliminating or reducing these services will harm the students and families most in need. If your children don’t experience a family crisis, suffer from stress or anxiety, and if your family has not been impacted by inflation and your children know they will have plenty of food at each meal, your family probably won’t miss this support.

But we know some students in this district feel sad every day, need help coping with loss and family crises, need safe and healthy supervised activities during school breaks and need access to healthy lunches without the shame or pressure of applying for charity.

In his message on the school webpage, Superintendent Witt promised to create a “positive and transformative learning environment for all students”. Other board members have promised to protect students and make their safety and well-being a top priority. The decision to eliminate these services is a direct violation of those promises and needs to be reversed.

Holly Sample, Florissant

Obsession with fake dangers

In response to Mr. Grina’s letter of March 8, I have to wonder if he lives in the area. He seems to think that the local schools spend their time teaching “questionable use of the 1619 Project, the (Ta-Nehisi) Coates book ‘Between the World and Me,’ staging drag queen shows, and encouraging teachers to conduct discussion of gender transition.” As a list of right wing fear-mongering it hits all the talking points, except didn’t use the word “grooming.” But to represent the teaching of children in public schools in Colorado, or Teller County specifically, it is complete fantasy. Anyone know the last drag queen show in a school in the County? Maybe if the local high school staged “Some Like it Hot”, which I doubt has ever happened.

This obsession with fake dangers to our kids is just impossible to countenance. They are pure fiction, and all part of a campaign to control the education of kids to strictly (very recent definitions) of conservatism, which hides uncomfortable facts, inconvenient history, and denies the value of empathy and discourse. That is what education is, especially the critical subjects of history and social studies! Teaching the ability to process information, both the good and bad, assess it’s impact on our surroundings, and to engage with others is vital. Trying to purge all uncomfortable subject matter is a disservice to our future as a region and nation. That’s why it is so amazing that today we have one side claiming that the other is engaged in censorship, while they purge instructional material, ban artistic expression, criminalize speech and ostracize those not in their political circle. Hypocrisy is not a strong enough word.

Mr. Grina says he just wants the other side to calm down, asserting that the “campaign” he disagrees with are combative, illegal or even violent, it shows that a discussion of reality is not really the goal. It is pushing an agenda in response to a fantastical progressive education system that does not exist. No, “gender transition” has never been in the curriculum, and there has not been a single drag show or Critical Race Theory (CRT) course taught in county or state primary schools. That is the problem: the critics of a full history or social studies curriculum can’t actually point to real issues, they have to create a false “woke” agenda that doesn’t reside on schools, educators or textbooks. Only then can they try to assure others that they are the reasonable ones, just trying to “protect the children”. No. They want to control the allowable subjects, and purge anything that opens the minds of students to other perspectives and lives. That is about control, not education.

This subject is not going away, and as the heroes of censorship and control expand their national profile for elected office, it will only get more shrill. The only defense is an informed citizenship, and students taught to approach subjects with a critical eye, and an open mind.

Michael Eaton, Divide

Neither silent nor the majority

Thank you for posting the many letters regarding WPSD withdrawing the book “Between the World and Me” from their curriculum. I read a very thoughtful response from Jerry Paul ( March 8) who actually experienced many of the crimes of Nazi Germany and gives a clear perspective of racial biases which America is leading into. He says this is exactly how Nazi “Brown shirts” controlled the public’s opinion pre WWII.

The letter by Curt Grina (3/8/23) disturbs me and I say this “politely” since he accuses people with different views to be “aggressive.” I would like to ask him what he means by “ the status-quo people “ since he referred to that three times. He also claimed that he is part of the “silent Majority” and I would like to say that he is far from “silent” nor is he the “majority”, His very defensive stance seemed to be attacking and full of hot air. He denies any “banning” yet in the original article written by Jameson Dion, that term is used several times. If we have “Freedom of Speech” in this country we MUST embrace ALL opinions and encourage children ( who will soon be adults) to Think for themselves, to embrace the Declaration of Independence and equal rights for ALL. Denying that this country has every had or has racial prejudice is like living in a bubble which some day may burst. Thank you Courier for being a wonderful newspaper where people can still express themselves!

Pamela Deck, Florissant

Original article: https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/letters-to-the-editor-march-22-2023/article_3a6fd890-c1eb-11ed-94a1-0bac5420deee.html

It’s not a battlefield, it’s a school district | From the Editor

This article was originally published in March of 2022 but is worth bringing up again as it’s a reminder of what this district has been going through for the past year or so. Things have only gotten worse since this was published.

https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/its-not-a-battlefield-its-a-school-district-from-the-editor/article_be9d1514-a23a-11ec-a1ce-c7872ee20f33.html?fbclid=IwAR1AC-Bd9lY-Wph36vAELiL8Wc-0BjgUJVyo4zUBoG69FIoAu-7pjwBYvtQ

Banning books is for bullies | Writers on the Range | Pikes Peak Courier | gazette.com

Some people have become so alarmed by what children might read in school or in libraries that they want books they don’t like removed — immediately. The targeted books include
— Read on https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/banning-books-is-for-bullies-writers-on-the-range/article_34d7c554-9db6-11ed-8d25-cb9a566cc720.html?fbclid=IwAR1zfhKHPusA50ruYBTm4jgfwO0QxtrtVjU3EXiPdKtF-v-w0hJI0xDYces

Woodland Park School District RE-2 pulls course material after critical race theory complaint | Pikes Peak Courier | gazette.com

Woodland Park School District RE-2 is pulling material from a high school course following a complaint that it teaches critical race theory concepts.
— Read on https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/woodland-park-school-district-re-2-pulls-course-material-after-critical-race-theory-complaint/article_a5aadc5c-a195-11ed-bbfc-17926d9f7a45.html?fbclid=IwAR1TRN_LRoVN6nxrCd0M7luG58mCrpGbJppxJBI_SP5Ou56gvISUgqkv1Xw

Letter to the Editor by Curt Grina

Local resident and charter school supporter Curt Grina (he donated money to Merit via the Pikes Peak Regional Education and Health Association he’s a director on), submitted this letter to the Pikes Peak Courier…and surprisingly, the Courier actually published it, with its incendiary language:

Continue reading →

Dr. Neal responds to comments from Wommack

Superintendent Neal is having to play damage control with comments made by local cult leader Andrew Wommack, who does have quite the following in this town with his bible study school (sorry dude, it’s not a real college). The Pike Peak Courier covers it well in this article.

I call on our school board to issue a resolution condemning the remarks made by Wommack. Rusterholtz is already quoted in that article opposing those statements…but those words are weak, we need a formal resolution from the board to send the proper message to our students and community.