Hampden South

Winter Park Debate

Apr 11, 2001

The City forefathers bought Winter Park sixty years ago to serve as a winter playground for you the citizens of Denver. This special ownership relationship is invisible to most Denver residents. You the owners of Winter Park do not get any special deals or opportunities.
Is the City?’s ownership of Winter Park a unique problem or a unique opportunity? With the memory of the Columbine shootings fresh in our minds and with the recent copy- cat shootings, could teaching Denver?’s children to ski be an opportunity to discourage teen violence? Can we teach Denver?’s children to get ?“high?” on skiing and snowboarding and other winter sports instead of getting high on drugs and alcohol? Would you not prefer Denver?’s children to be spending their pocket money on lift tickets and a new snowboard rather than guns and violent video games? Why not develop a night skiing program to encourage Denver?’s kids to go night skiing instead of taking ecstasy at all night rave dance parties? Could the City and County of Denver, the Denver Public Schools, Winter Park and RTD form an intergovernmental agreement to teach every interested Denver teenager to ski, snowboard or snow shoe? Would that not create the market for increasing the skier visits and create a special love and loyalty for Winter Park? What do you think? If we do not take a stand on this issue, Denver?’s most precious asset Winter Park will be sold and as the cost of skiing increases, the opportunity to learn to ski will be out of reach of your children and grandchildren. Express your opinions: Attend a public meeting, write a letter to the editor or email to orrl@ci.denver.co.us