Let's start with the Fourth of July. At a meeting of the Old Colorado City Associates (OCCA) merchants board several months
ago, long-time caricaturist Bill Crowley presented an interesting idea: "Create a week-long celebration making Old Colorado
City the Star-Spangled Town to go to in early July." He included a laundry list of potential activities, including a kids' bicycle-
decorating contest, a small parade, chalk art, a pie-eating contest and sidewalk art - all with patriotic overtones. Unfortunately,
this proposal did not take form this year, but it sure seems as if it could be successful. As Crowley pointed out, no area locale
(other than Monument) has much happening on the Fourth. And Old Town could use another summer draw.
Now on to topic 2. The chipseal work in the Midland area has captured a lot of people's attention this week - including this Midland resident. OK, so here I go again with horn-tooting, but it truly was gratifying to find the city engineers receptive to the Pioneer's suggestion that streets with a strong potential for faster traffic (21st, 26th and Broadway) ought to get the added "fogseal" treatment that binds the rock chips to the oil better. And yes, we live on 26th Street. But the speeding situation is no invention. Sometimes being a citizen and being a news guy undeniably intersect.
Topic 3: I hope you enjoy the "In their own words" interview with Westside old-timers Neil Luehring and Bob Edgar. Their recollections conjure images of such a different Westside - one in which young boys rambled about, exploring and thinking up things to do. What a contrast with the frequent "indoor-itis" of modern youths. A way to change that? Go back to this column's topic 1.
- K.J.