MEETING WITH CITY STAFF
Join neighbors on Thursday, January 8th from 5 : 30-7: 00 pm at Edison Elementary to speak with City staff to share your concerns and ideas for the neighborhood parks. The City will provide updates and has confirmed there will be time for public comments. We are looking forward to the continued working relationship with City staff so the community can provide input for our parks. Higher attendance likely means higher prioritization from the City.
PARK INPUT – MONTHLY MEETUPS
Neighbors met last month in preparation for the upcoming meeting with City Staff. We discussed establishing a “Friends of the Parks” group, a strategy that has been successfully used by other parks to support park stewardship and advocate for improvements. Neighbors suggested that this group could help with the funding of a portable restroom at Flanagan and hosting future events at the park. We had a great discussion of ideas and opportunities to collaborate. We also agreed to the supporting community principles of:
Inclusion – Everyone has a voice
Empowerment – Community will control its destiny
Cooperation – Working together for a shared vision
Accountability – Community participation and shared power
Neighbors will be meeting monthly on the 3rd Wednesday at Storybook Brewery at 6 pm. These are informal meetups to stay connected, discuss ongoing neighborhood projects, and socialize with neighbors. We look forward to seeing you at a neighbor meetup this year!
PAPETON HISTORY
Did you know that Colorado Springs was an international destination for wellness from 1880-1940? Colorado Springs had dozens of sanatoriums for tuberculosis (TB) patients. Before UCCS was established in 1965 it was originally built as Cragmor Sanatorum for TB patients. Rumor has it Papeton residents produced home-made alcohol and sold it to the patients at Cragmor Sanatorium.
A local doctor, Charles Fox Gardiner designed and built many TB huts, some are still present in Papeton, with one fully restored and located at Penrose hospital.
For more history about Colorado Springs, we recommend Profiting from the Peak (2021) by John Harner, a UCCS professor.
