It’s not a sugar mill; change the project’s name while you can
I attended the March 2 public virtual discussion regarding the sugar factory development. I am excited about the project and the meeting was handled well.
As a lifelong resident that was born in the community in the ’50s, I believe I have an obligation to speak up about the proposed name. I feel keeping Longmont’s agricultural history alive and accurate is very important, especially as we celebrate our 150 years.
The name for the development being used at the moment is Sugar Mill + STEAM. To be historically accurate, the name should be Sugar Factory + STEAM. A mill is generally a process for grain; sugar beets were not milled. Great Western Companies called it a factory or plant, not a mill.
Pages 74-78 in the wonderful book “Longmont: The First 150 Years,” written by our Longmont Museum curator of history, Erik Mason, provide details of the sugar factory.
In my opinion, now is the time to reconsider the name as the project is just getting “off the ground.”
Kathy Wood Pillmore
Longmont
Surge of apartments is part of progressive left’s vision
Why the surge in apartment complexes being planned for Longmont? It’s important to look at the underlying precepts of the progressive left, a mindset that has completely taken over Longmont City Council in recent times. Our newly elected, rabid anti-fracking mayor only exacerbates the problem.
Enviro-socialist theory is that of anti-suburbs, anti-car and anti-fossil fuels. They want to cram people into high density cities for greater indexing and control of individual lives. Walking, bicycling or use of public transportation is desired as opposed to having the freedom to drive wherever you want in your own vehicle.
The traditional single family home with yard in a housing development is also taboo. It all comes down to being part of a controlled collective and a resultant loss of personal freedoms.
In an open forum letter after the 2021 City Council elections, I lamented that the Longmont political scene was truly becoming Boulder 2.0. Voter directed heavy taxation in Boulder since the 1960s created a wall of open space with very strict city growth control. Green Boulder liberals got their panacea, but at what cost of unintended consequences?
Most obvious, due to basic supply and demand, was the average cost of homes in Boulder surging to $1.5 million, twice greater than the rest of metro Denver. How is the quality of life so desirable in Boulder if the average worker can’t afford to live there in the first place?
Another related consequence has been 60,000 commuters in and out of Boulder each work day, creating dreadful traffic and increased carbon footprint. In effect, the local progressives shot themselves in the foot with their own green extreme policies.
If it isn’t too late already, perceptive Longmonters must not allow our city to go down the same path as we’ve seen in Boulder.
Dave Larison
Longmont
Retired Col. Shawn Smith is a conspiracy theorist
Who is Retired Col. Shawn Smith?
Forum writer Don Cage would have us believe Smith is some expert in election fraud. In reality, he is a conspiracy theorist on par and associated with and employed by the wacky My Pillow guy, Mike Lindell.
His organization is called U.S. Election Integrity Plan, and he is president of Cause of America that trumpets all the “big lie” and unproven tropes of the election being stolen. And surprise! He is associated with another whack job, Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. Smith is also involved with Elbert County Clerk Dallas Schroeder who the Colorado secretary of state said was possibly involved in a security breach.
Smith has accused Colorado Clerks Association Director and former Arapahoe Clerk Matt Crane, also a Republican; Crane’s wife; and even former GOP Secretary of State Wayne Williams of being all involved in rigging Colorado’s election results. This was an election in which both Crane and Williams lost. That would make them not only criminals but also stupid.
Smith, referring to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, said, “I think if you’re involved in election fraud, then you deserve to hang.” That’s an interesting comment from someone that can be seen in the Jan. 6 sedition riot.
That’s who Shawn Smith is.
Jim Davies
Longmont
