To the Editor:

Why is the Town of Winter Park in an expensive protracted legal battle for a underpass that was agreed to in 2004 as part of the 75.60 acre Annexation of Leland Creek and disconnection from Fraser?

At the recent candidate’s forum, numerous concerns were raised about the underpass and the potential closing of Kings Crossing.  Many residents are worried about having a safe access across the Union Pacific Rail Road and what will happen if Kings Crossing is closed.  The 2004 Leland Creek annexation was a partnership agreement between the Town and Developer. It anticipated the need for connectivity and safely crossing the railroad tracks and provided some preliminary plans.  The project took a little longer than expected because of the 2008 recession. The majority of the lots in Leland Creek were sold and homes built, the Town is receiving its fees and taxes, and now the developer wants to complete their commitment to build the underpass.  It’s time for the Town to hold up to their end of the bargain.

The existing Council members need to bury the hatchet and work to reconcile their differences with Fraser and the Developer.  They can not keep defending their past decision and being obstructionist. The underpass is in the best interest of both communities.   Maybe it’s time for term limitations, or maybe new Council members need to lead the way to an agreement with our neighbors. There are a lot of issues that both small communities can agree on and work together on, i.e. affordable housing, work force housing, mental health and addiction, water, transportation, Fraser river improvements, open space, trails, arts, marketing the Fraser Valley, etc..

Let’s look forward to Peace in the Valley, and ending this disagreement for the benefits of all residents.

Gary Behlen
Winter Park

Oh my! Today at Safeway, a customer demanded that I be fired because, although the self checkout was working just as it should, it wasn’t what he thought it should be.  He is, after all, “an engineer and I know how things work”. Because he didn’t get the response he thought was appropriate from the asst manager and the manager he is calling corporate.  

 

Why are people so unhappy?  They are on vacation and we service people know where our bread is buttered.  We want to make their experience good. This is my 21st spring break. It is different this year.  A customer told me about some out of state people who shouted at and threw a beverage at the young man at the McDonald’s drive up window.  He doesn’t know what he did wrong. Last week there was a customer who was so angry that I closed self checkout he started throwing things and seemed to follow me around the store.  A co-worker walked me to my car. I can’t believe these are happy people who come to our beautiful valley with wonderful people and become unhappy.

 

Eileen Waldow

Fraser, Colorado

 

Thank You for Helping Protect Conservation Easements!!


Thanks to your action in contacting state legislators, all three of the bills proposed to cripple environmental easements failed. Three anti-environmental state legislators proposed bills that our state of Colorado representatives were required to vote on. The three measures would have gutted Colorado’s very successful land trust and conservation easement program. Passage of these measures would have damaged our environment for the forseeable future and cost many locals who are trying to protect our rivers and lands thousands of dollars. Many thanks to all of you who contacted people on the committee and encouraged them to kill the bills!
You’re encouraged to keep an eye on future anti-environment proposals from the primary sponsors of the three bills: state representative, Kimmi Lewis, and two state senators, Jerry Sonnenberg and Vicki Marble. All three are known for their anti-environmental leanings.

 

Jerry Nissen

Fraser Colorado