Woody Creeker and winemaker Kevin Doyle was winding his way through Telluride in February as he marketed his Woody Creek Cellars around the state. Curious about signs that were posted in the town that declared it a “Bill of Rights Safe Community,” Kevin picked up a copy of the town’s resolution.
Kevin brought the sample resolution back to the Woody Creek Caucus, suggesting to us that, “As they take our rights, unless we fight to get them back, they’re gone forever.”
Feeling really happy with ourselves for having one of our members bring us such a juicy issue, we voted to take it to the next step. Dwight Shellman volunteered to write up a draft of a resolution, which the Caucus unanimously approved at the March meeting (see Dwight’s column “All Politics is Local’ in this issue).
As Dwight says, “The Caucus is this combination of sort of town hall meeting and SOS,” the place, where the will of the people can be put into words and resolutions that can be used to call on the government to take action:
“lt’s in neighborhoods that constituencies can be built. The neighborhood caucus system basically re-plumbs the power system. People can feed ideas in from the bottom. The infusion of ideas moves up the system.”
George, Peg, and Steve presented the Woody Creek resolution to the Pitkin County Board of Commissioners, which has agreed to take it to their work session on May 16. Put it on your 1 calendar.
Other good news for the Caucus is that our recommendations to Pitkin County for slowing traffic on our roads has moved forward. As neighbors, we are alarmed at the bicycles, cars, and trucks that disregard speed limits and behave rudely when driving through Woody Creek. It looks like we’re talking multiple speed bumps, rumble strip, dips, signage, and enforcement. We’ve asked for broken glass, wires, and burning tires, but haven’t received any encouragement from the county in that area.
Several Caucus members attended the site visit at the gravel mining operation in connection with Elam’s annual review. Of great concern to the Caucus is the expansion of the mining operation, and the impact it will have on the Woody Creek Road itself, and the residents who reside on it. Among those residents are the nests of Blue Herron, Great Horned Owls, Bald Eagles, and Red Tailed Hawks. The Caucus will take it up again at the May meeting. Remember that the Woody Creek Caucus area includes W/J, all of Lower River Road up to the Old Snowmass Bridge, lower Woody Creek, Little Woody Creek, the Woody Creek valley as far as Lenado, then back down, including the Mobile Home Park and the Elam Gravel Pit.
Anyone living in this neighborhood should attend the Caucus meetings and exercise their democratic right to a voice in local decisions. We meet the last Thursday of every month, in The Woody Creek. Store. Coming up in May will be the beginning of our potluck suppers at each meeting in the summer.
At the annual meeting in March, new officers were elected. They are: Peg O’Brien and Steve Prudden. Co-Moderators, Ann Owsley, Secretary, and Janet Schoeberlein, Treasurer.
The Caucus sends heartfelt gratitude to George Stranahan who has retired as Co-Moderator after many years both serving and retiring, often.
