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Hi-yo, Civic Center away!
Wednesday, October 24 at 12:00 PM

This Speakout has not been edited.

By S. Williams

A gang of bandits is circling Civic Center Park, and the sound of hoofbeats mingles with warning shots. It is surrounded by thugs on all sides, the City and County over there, and the State right in front. The big muscle in Denver wants to take part of the park and build a museum in it. The People have been caught off guard, they can’t believe that this part of the National Registry of Historic Places, their green refuge, is under siege - and more, that it looks likely to fall. But wait, their last hope, the one who defends the vulnerable, who steps up and does battle with the powerful and greedy, where is the Lone Ranger? Where is the Colorado Historical Society?

The Lone Ranger is tossing off a shot of whiskey with the gang. They have promised him a piece of the action, and he has laid down his six-shooter.

When the people come to him with their hands clasped in a plea to save the park, he sneers at them like Dick Cheney. He is a law unto himself. There will be no glorious last-minute rescue, no reining in the runaway greed that covets Denver’s jewel, the People’s park. The Lone Ranger has sold out. Worse, he may have planned the whole thing.

The stated mission of the Colorado Historical Society, which runs the Colorado History Museum, is to ‘collect, preserve, and interpret the history of Colorado for present and future generations.’ Civic Center Park (accent on the PARK) is in the most important historic district in the state. So the Colorado Historical Society is going to take care of the park alright—it’s going to move in and spread out, in the misguided hope of boosting sagging attendance at the Museum. The City will not protest because it believes, by some unfathomable logic, that this will move the transients out of the park (it will?). The State will not protest, as it needs to slot this institution somewhere central in Denver, difficult in so expensive, so densely settled an area. Can’t you just see them looking out the window at that huge “unused” expanse of trees and lawn right in front of them, saying ‘Hey, we could kill two or three birds with one stone here: Not only do we solve the problem of where to relocate the Museum, but we overcome any objection by the Historic Preservation Committee of the CHS by giving it to them. Brilliant! Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

Who’s left to defend the Park? Only the People. And the People are being asked to vote on some bonds soon, bonds for “maintaining civic center park” (Issue No. 1E) and refurbishing city buildings (Issue No. 1F). Could that be where the money for the museum relocation project is hiding? You want to keep your park, People? Then you know what to do. You, the People, are the new, the true Lone Ranger now ...

S. Williams is a resident of Lakewood.


READER COMMENTS

S. Williams, you are not a denver resident, you don't have a say. Somebody else's taxes pay for civi center park.

Posted by b on October 25, 2007 07:42 PM

October 24, 2007--

" Please, be reminded The Day 75,000 Marched For Latino Immigrants."
~eli chairez-clendenin

Posted by eli chairez-clendenin on October 24, 2007 05:00 PM

Is that your park, Williams? If so, then when are you and your "people" going to start defending your "green refuge," "the people's park" by booting out all those bums, street urchins, dopers and derelects? Clean-up that Tobacco Road and lose The Grapes of Wrath, Williams. Your park looks more like a WW II refugee camp and its a neglected disgrace. And those are not pigeons, Williams, those are flying rats.

Funny how people can scream and whine about a few totally neglected acres that are occupied by hobos and dope dealers. God forbid that may change for the better. Does Williams and his people actually sit on a park bench in this "green refuge," feeding the pigeons and getting in touch with Mother Natutre? Maybe the CHS can help to bring much needed, and long overdue, change to this blight.

What better home for the CHS than in "the most important historic district in the state? " And I belive the unnecessary and snide (actually ignorant) remark Williams made about Dick Cheney tells me all I need to know about his mental condition and where he sleeps at night.

Hi-Ho Silver...!


Posted by Hank on October 24, 2007 02:36 PM

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