Colorado
Nikki Haley, contrasting her 'hope' with Trump's 'chaos,' stops in Colorado – Colorado Newsline
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told a crowd of a couple hundred Colorado supporters Tuesday that she’s still running so younger generations can have hope for the future.
“Imagine a country where we can strongly disagree, but we don’t have to hate each other,” Haley said. “Imagine a country where our kids don’t have stress and anxiety, but they have hope for the future. That’s the country I want for your kids and mine.”
The former governor of South Carolina appeared at a rally that drew a crowd of voters to Wings over the Rockies Exploration of Flight in Centennial, where she focused on changes she’d push for if elected as well as the dangers the country would face if former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner in the race, returned to the presidency.
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Haley said Trump put the U.S. into more debt in four years than any other president, adding $8 trillion to the country’s debts. She also decried Trump’s rhetoric around Russia and said the president should voice support for the nation’s allies, not those who threaten them.
“We need a president who understands the No. 1 job is to prevent war, period,” Haley said. “America needs to go back to understanding what it means to have peace through strength. We should never be so arrogant to think America doesn’t need friends.”
Haley mentioned states like Michigan and Minnesota that previously had Republican control, but have since seen Democrats take over the governorship and state legislatures after Trump came into the picture.
“Now I’m in Colorado, and I’m looking at the fact that no Republican has gotten over 45% statewide since Donald Trump was president,” Haley said.
At one point during the rally, members of the crowd started chanting “don’t quit” to show their support for Haley despite primary results so far. Haley just lost the primary in her home state, and in Nevada, she lost to the “none of these candidates” option on the ballot.
Suzanne Staiert, a former deputy secretary of state and former Republican candidate for Colorado state Senate, introduced Haley and said she couldn’t imagine “a better candidate to lead us out of this abyss” than Haley.
“I’m just so excited to have a candidate that is going to concentrate on actual issues instead of settling personal scores,” Staiert said. “A candidate who is not going to get caught up in all the drama and make this her family industry. A candidate that cares about our children and cares about our future and is running because she wants us to have a choice.”
I’d like to go back to the Republican Party someday, and if this woman is nominated by the Republicans, I’ll be first in line.
– Gary Schnell, Nikki Haley supporter
Haley said she wants to bolster the middle class to stop the rich from getting richer and the poor from getting poorer. She also said she wants to make tax cuts for small businesses permanent and hold Congress accountable to create a balanced budget on time without risk of a government shutdown. Haley, who is married to a combat veteran, also said the federal government needs to improve its support for veterans.
Haley touted a South Carolina immigration policy she signed into law as governor that faced legal challenges from the federal government. Federal judges blocked certain parts of the policy, but Haley still considers the legislation a win and said she wants to grow the concept nationally. She also said she’d want to defund sanctuary cities.
“Denver has had more illegal immigrants come here, more than any other city in America per capita,” Haley said. “We can’t wait one more day to pass a strong immigration bill. We’ve got to get it done. Congress needs to do their job, and Trump needs to stay out of it, period.”
About 40,000 migrants have arrived in Denver since the end of 2022.
Gary Schnell drove about an hour and a half from Eaton to attend the rally. He wore a Haley-branded shirt that says “barred permanently,” which is a reference to a Trump comment saying anyone who donates to Haley’s team is “permanently barred from the MAGA camp.”
“I’ve been a Republican all my life until about two years ago when I quit the party because that lying, immoral a**hole got the nomination and now controls the Republican Party,” Schnell said. “So I have to do something else. I’d like to go back to the Republican Party someday, and if this woman is nominated by the Republicans, I’ll be first in line.”
Schnell said the GOP is no longer a political party, but is rather “a cult” devoted to supporting Trump. He said the Colorado Republican Party’s move to endorse Trump in the primary is “totally out of line” and “contrary to their own, fundamental beliefs.”
The state GOP endorsed Trump in early January.
While Schnell said he supports Haley and already voted for her, he said he’s “a realist” and doesn’t see her winning next week’s Colorado presidential primary election. He said he’s not looking forward to seeing the results of the primary.
“I think it’s great that somebody with her stamina, understanding, perseverance, will stick in there and call out Donald Trump for what he really is,” Schnell said.
Gretchen Anderson came to the rally from Parker to support Haley because she focuses on what she actually wants to get done in office, “not putting down other people,” Anderson said. She said Haley is polished and intelligent, and that she’s more impressed by Haley every time she hears her speak.
Anderson said she wished the Colorado Republican Party would be more open-minded instead of backing Trump. She said she’d go home after the rally and reach out to friends to encourage their participation in the primary.
“This was nowhere near a big enough crowd,” Anderson said. “Even though Colorado is generally a Democratic state, I know that the south Denver metro for sure has a lot of Republicans, and I don’t see them.”
Haley said Republican voters can’t complain about what happens in the general election if they don’t participate in the primary. She said she doesn’t see the country surviving another four years under Trump’s leadership, noting that all he does is talk about himself.
“This is not personal for me with Donald Trump. I voted for Donald Trump twice,” Haley said. “I was proud to serve America and his administration. But the truth of the matter is chaos follows him. Everywhere he goes, chaos follows him.”
The primary election in Colorado is March 5, known as Super Tuesday, when 15 states conduct their presidential primary elections.
Colorado
Colorado neighbors lament likely closure of Roxborough library; $22 million regional library breaks ground nearby
For 22 years, the Roxborough library in Roxborough Village has served the entire Roxborough Park community. But that chapter might be coming to a close, as Douglas County Libraries prepares to break ground on a near-$22 million library in a growing master-planned Colorado community nearby.
A new regional library will be built near the intersection of West Titan Road and Taylor River Circle across from the incoming Douglas County School District elementary school in Sterling Ranch. It will also serve communities such as Louviers, Chatfield, Solstice and the greater Roxborough Park community.
“It’s an opportunity for this whole development to centralize a little bit,” said Alex Taylor, president for Sterling Ranch Community Board District No. 2
Taylor was among the first 100 residents to live in Sterling Ranch, and he can’t wait to take his two sons to the library when it opens near their home.
“Having an additional space for the kids to go and find the new set of books,” Taylor said. “Creating a centralized space for everybody in all of the various communities in this region to be able to congregate.”
The 18,000-square-foot library will break ground in Sterling Ranch this summer. But this developing situation does not satisfy everyone in the community.
“Don’t take ours to give them theirs,” community member Denise Martinez said.
Seven minutes away at the Roxborough library, some neighbors don’t want to say goodbye to their longstanding community hub. But the library board has set the lease to terminate next year.
“It would be devastating to this community on so many different levels,” Martinez said.
Martinez says the smaller Roxborough library is one of the only shared amenities in the community and is walkable for many.
“I truly believe that this is the hub of the community,” Martinez said. “This is the gathering spot.”
“Our community has been here for over 40 years, and people have paid into the library system for that amount of time,” said Ephram Glass, president of Roxborough Village Metropolitan District. They’ve been paying their property taxes. The library has been accumulating all this funding, so that they could build a new facility for Roxborough, and now for that money to then go to a brand new community that hasn’t been paying in for decades, I think a lot of people will be very pissed off.”
Glass and Martinez both enjoy taking their children to the library. They say it’s a close walk or bike ride from Roxborough Primary and Intermediate School and worry about children losing accessibility to the library.
“It would take an hour and 16 minutes walking to the new facility from this one, or a 25-minute bike ride. There’s really no shoulder,” Martinez said. “This doesn’t give our kids access at all. I mean, they will ultimately not be able to go to the library unless they have a ride.”
“I imagine some kids will take the e-bikes over. Many will just not go,” Glass said.
Glass is a member of the Roxborough Village HOA, which he says offered to donate a parcel of land near the existing Roxborough library with no strings attached.
“The board chose the Sterling Ranch site as the best site,” said Bob Pasicznyuk, executive director at Douglas County Libraries.
Pasicznyuk says there have long been plans to open a larger library in the area. He says DCL chose the other site, which was donated by the Sterling Ranch developer, partially because it was centrally located in northwest Douglas County.
“Ultimately around 35,000 people will live just in Sterling Ranch alone. The audience base would then go up to say (50,000) or 60,000. Right now it’s about half that many,” Pasicznyuk said.
Pasicznyuk says the all-in cost of the library in Sterling Ranch will be $21.6 million. That includes $250,000 for an outdoor porch, $200,000 for an outdoor children’s play area and $450,000 for other outdoor improvements, including a seating area, trellis and event and trail space.
Martinez is upset those outdoor amenities will come at the cost of the library and not the Sterling Ranch developer.
“I just think that it’s ridiculous to build a park and a veranda and even insist upon those things,” Martinez said. “I just do not understand what that really has to do with literacy or books or the library. I was kind of shocked by that actually.”
Despite terminating the lease, Pasicznyuk says the library board has not voted to close the Roxborough library just yet, but admits they have always consolidated smaller libraries when larger ones open.
“We’ve been 22 years in the second-floor strip mall rental, and while we’ve been glad for the opportunity, it’s going to be an amazing opportunity to move into a freestanding library with all the amenities that we have,” Pasicznyuk said.
“It isn’t good for this community. If you’re here to serve the community, why would you shut this down?” Martinez said.
Martinez started a Change.org petition to “Save Our Roxborough Library.” She now has more than 1,400 signatures.
“We need this. This is vital for our community,” Martinez said. “We just feel like we’re being absorbed.”
“It’s a prized amenity, so it makes sense that they want to keep it,” Pasicznyuk said. “I’ve never seen a reaction other than people love their library. So, even though you’re opening a new library, and I can describe 10 things about it that might be improvements over what we have today, people are going to, because they love their library, wish to keep what they have.”
Meanwhile, Taylor is excited for the library to open in Sterling Ranch next year.
“I’m absolutely empathetic to the fact that somebody might be disappointed that a library would move a few miles away from them versus where it’s historically been,” Taylor said. “The library will be something that everyone can enjoy. It’s going to be a library in Sterling Ranch, but not just for Sterling Ranch.”
Taylor says he’s been working with Sterling Ranch’s developers and the library on a partnership with the nearby Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve. They are hoping to bring some artifacts or replicas into the library and use a mammoth hunter-gatherer theme for the children’s areas.
“It is a major archeological site in this region that there is evidence of mammoth activity and human activity going back possibly as far as 9,000 years ago,” Taylor said.
Roxborough-area residents say they plan to attend the next library board meeting on June 24 to make their voices heard.
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Organizers for the Pikes Peak or Bust Parade announced on Friday, June 19, that due to a lack of resources, the parade has been canceled.
Originally scheduled for July 11 in Downtown Colorado Springs, parade organizers said they could not secure the resources needed to produce the event at the level the community deserves.
“We know many of you were looking forward to the parade, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who offered their time, support, sponsorship, and enthusiasm,” said organizers.
While the parade will no longer be taking place on July 11, organizers said the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo will return on July 14 through July 18, and tickets remain on sale.
Organizers hope to see the Colorado Springs community at the rodeo, and they remain hopeful that the beloved tradition can return in the future.
Denver Post writers have explored Colorado’s many corners and offer ways to find fun, relaxation or something new for summer. Take a look at how you can expand your possibilities this season if you’re keeping travel close to home this year.
In the mountains
Colorado’s 10 most popular hikes, according to AllTrails
Colorado waterfall hike: Copeland Falls best this time of year in early morning
This hiking trail near Red Rocks will help you get in shape for 14er season
Gorgeous Colorado hike reopens this summer with new rules for hiking, camping, human waste
An Estes Park getaway can be about more than just the outdoors
Camping
Gorgeous Colorado hike reopens this summer with new rules for hiking, camping, human waste
Forest service now charging $20 for dispersed camping in Homestake Valley
Within driving distance
These adult summer retreats can help Coloradans escape burnout
Big balloons will rise above Colorado’s heat this summer; watch ’em soar or take a ride
Looking for beach vibes? Here’s where to find them in landlocked Colorado
Movie-theater hotel adds vintage Airstreams, Quonset huts in San Luis Valley
Sleep in a treehouse, hike with llamas, stargaze and more summer whimsy
Pick your own flowers at these farms and garden centers in Colorado
Is city fishing safe? Yes, experts say, but there are updated guidelines to follow.
Big balloons will rise above Colorado’s heat this summer; watch ’em soar or take a ride
Here’s where to fish with kids near Denver
Summer fun
Biodegradable pickleballs, size-inclusive skorts made in Colorado and other sports gear we love
More women are playing padel than ever — and for good reason
Meet the Boulder dogs cast in this summer’s Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Gravel biking events are a hot commodity in Colorado this summer
Want to get off your phone? Learn blacksmithing or floral design at these Colorado classes and makerspaces.
Beyond Colorado
10 tree-house hotels in the U.S. for you to commune with nature in comfort
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