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Wednesday letters: coke ovens, propaganda, holiday baskets, Boebert

History help needed

The recent vandalism of the Cardiff Coke Ovens in south Glenwood Springs, reported in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, has created a new awareness of an important piece of our local history. In 1887, Cardiff was a thriving community of 250 people.

The significance of this site is not only local but national, too, and dates to the late 1800s when coal was mined in several nearby locations then superheated in these ovens to produce material from which steel is made. Today, just 50 of the original 249 coke ovens remain under the ownership of the Glenwood Springs Historical Society.



It’s not easy to get a property on the National Register of Historic Places. And once on the register, acquiring funds to save a place is even more difficult. The vandalism occurred as the Glenwood Springs Historical Society was preparing an application for a National Park Service (NPS) grant to help stabilize the coke oven site, install signs and a parking lot, and clean the site of unwanted vegetation. The grant is due Dec. 14.

The grant requires a one-to-one match and in-kind contributions, such as surveyors, engineers, masons and other professionals. For every dollar requested, we must match that dollar with money we have raised and in-kind work. The historical society is requesting help from citizens who care about history.



We need your help. Visit GlenwoodHistory.com and look in the upper right corner of the homepage. If you want to make a one-time contribution to help save the coke ovens, click on Donate. Not a member? Click on Membership. You can also send a check to the Glenwood Springs Historical Society, 1001 Colorado Ave., Glenwood Springs, 81601. Be sure to put “Save our coke ovens” on the memo line.

Your contribution will allow us to increase our commitment to saving the Cardiff Coke Ovens so that they remain a part of our local history. Give us a call at 970-945-4448 or email archivist@rof.net if you think your skillset can serve as an in-kind contribution.

Bill Kight

executive director

Glenwood Springs Historical Society

Whose propaganda?

The far-right has finally devolved into child-like behavior. Big Bird had the audacity to state that he had received the COVID-19 vaccine, and his wing was a little sore. According to Business Insider: “Texas Senator Ted Cruz critically responded to Big Bird’s tweet, accusing the character of promoting propaganda.” Newsmax, Fox and other right-wing pundits tweeted criticizing the Sesame Street character, calling it propaganda also. No one had an issue in 1972 when Big Bird got a measles shot, but Nixon was the president, and Fox, Newsmax, etc., didn’t exist.

This got me thinking about “promoting propaganda.” I have a number of clients and acquaintances that have told me they “home school” their children as they don’t want them “indoctrinated” by public school. When I asked them if they sent their children to Sunday or Bible school, they said “yes.” They didn’t or don’t get the irony and hypocrisy.

A search for Bible School lessons will give you over

71 million results. There are programs for preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, teens, tweens, girls, etc. If I recall correctly from catechism exposure at an early age, the “teaching” went something like this: “Who made you? God made me. Who made the world? God made the world.” When I asked “Who made God?” I was told I couldn’t ask that question. Don’t get me started on Noah, Hell, The Rapture, Satan or Fear of God or women’s rights. Question: “What’s your definition of propaganda?”

Big Bird encouraging children to get measles or COVID-19 vaccinations on top of the other multiple vaccinations that are required to go to school is not propaganda. It’s common sense. Ted Cruz’s children attend St. John’s School in Houston. They require seven vaccinations, covering 11 diseases. Unfortunately, not the COVID-19 vaccine. Not yet.

Craig S. Chisesi

Rifle

Support Holiday Baskets effort

The Holiday Baskets Program has been supplying new gifts, toys and food to people in need in our valley for 40 years. This program, run entirely by volunteers, is a wonderful community effort with numerous groups and individuals assisting. We serve approximately 250 families, over 1,000 people.

The Holiday Baskets program often gives the only gifts families will receive for the holidays. People are referred to the program by 13 local social service agencies and are then “adopted” by individuals, the faith community, schools, businesses and other groups. The Adopting Angels buy toys, gifts and/or gift cards for each member of the family.

There are always more families in need than are adopted. The gifts for these families are contributed by people who choose a gift tag and then purchase the requested gift. All these gifts are gathered at the Aspen Chapel and St. Peter’s Church in Basalt, where they are sorted and wrapped for individual families. In addition to gifts, each family member receives a generous City Market food gift card.

To adopt a family or an individual person, please send an email to rfvholidaybaskets@gmail.com.

We also gratefully accept donations which are used to purchase food gift cards for over 1,000 people. Checks may be sent to Holiday Baskets Program, PO Box 2192 Basalt, CO 81621. You may also donate on our website: HolidayBasketsProgram.com.

Thank you to all for your continued support of this program.

Anne Blackwell, chairperson

Carbondale

Apologizing for Boebert

Dear Rep. Ilhan Omar:

I apologize for the words and actions of my representative, Lauren Boebert.

Ms. Boebert does not reflect the views or beliefs of the vast majority of western and southern Colorado. Throughout her adult life, Rep. Boebert has displayed that her only priority is her own notoriety and fame. The examples are far too numerous and egregious, and seem to only multiply without consequence.

I cannot stand by and allow Ms. Boebert to continue to use tragedies, false narratives, racism and bigotry for her own personal gain at the expense of western and southern Colorado. Her attacks on you are in line with her history of anti-Muslim bigotry and her deeply ingrained xenophobia. The vast majority of the good people of Colorado do not share her misguided beliefs.

I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, and Michigan is home to the sixth-highest proportion of Muslim Americans in the nation. Growing up in a largely Muslim community, I’ve seen firsthand how anti-Muslim rhetoric harms families and encourages dangerous acts of violence.

These behaviors would and should be immediate fire-able offenses in any other job. She believes, as she has her entire adult life, that she will suffer no consequences for her words or actions. We must prove this belief unequivocally false. I believe the constituents of Colorado’s 3rd District will prove this on Election Day 2022, and in the meantime I am proud to stand with you and others in Congress holding her to account.

Very truly yours,

Colin Wilhelm

candidate for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District

Glenwood Springs

 

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