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April 7, 2016
Dear Mayor Suthers:
I came to Colorado Springs to skate and train at The Broadmoor in 1974 and to attend Colorado College. I was in our beautiful city when it still felt like a small town.
Figure skaters from all over the world thought of The Broadmoor and Colorado Springs as a fairytale place and wonderland. What a delight and joy it was for me to enjoy beautiful Colorado Springs and to live in the Cheyenne Mountain area! Every day, I explored the area which felt like a paradise. I even learned how to ski at Ski Broadmoor.
After I graduated from CC and stopped competitive skating, I moved to southern California and met my husband Dan (whose brother attended CC). We were married on April 7, 1979 (exactly 37 years ago today!). We honeymooned at my family's condo in lower Skyway in Colorado Springs and knew then that Colorado Springs would be our home. It took awhile, but in 1991, we came back to Colorado Springs and have never left. Our three children were born and raised here.
It's been difficult for me to see the Broadmoor Hotel progressively feel not a part of my home. As a skater there, it felt like home and because I earned my US Figure Skating Gold Medal there, the hotel even allowed all Broadmoor Skaters who had earned that high honor to swim at the hotel pool. We'd walk around the lake, go to the drugstore, visit the flower shop, and go to the movies at the hotel too.
As the years have passed, the hotel has felt "off limits" to the locals and the idea of losing more of what feels like "home" makes me so, so sad.
Those who live in our city should always feel welcome in Cheyenne Canyon. The possibility of losing it feels like a tragedy is about to happen.
As a family, we've enjoyed the beauty of Colorado Springs and have especially enjoyed Cheyenne Canyon. The Strawberry Fields Open Space is a true gift and that gift must continue to stay open to the public.
Please reconsider this land trade proposal.
Sincerely,
JO ANN Schneider Farris
and
Dan, Joel, Rebekah, and Annabelle Schneider-Farris
and our dog Duchess
PS: Check out my blog post regarding this issue: Tragedy and Triumph: NO to Giving Away Strawberry Fields Open Space
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JO ANN Schneider Farris
About.com's Figure Skating Expert
JO ANN Schneider Farris
About.com's Figure Skating Expert
http://figureskating.about.com
About.com | Inspire.
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Futher Reading:
About.com | Inspire.
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Futher Reading:
- Sign the Petition - NO to the Broadmoor Land Swap. Our Historic Wildlife and Open Space is Not For Sale.
- Excellent Letter to Parks from Councilman Bill Murray - 4/3/16
- City refuses to release appraisals in Broadmoor land exchange; opponents start to mobilize - By Pam Zubeck, Colorado Springs Independent 4-6-16
- My Letter to Mayor Suthers - Colorado Springs Mayor 4-7-16
- Ask the Mayor to Stop the Swap
- Will Colorado Springs soon be called "The Broadmoor's Colorado Springs?"
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