SandBoxBlogs: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "Project aims to spruce up concert pavilion"

Who ya gonna call?

81601 small businesses, marketing and economic development have needed a hero for a very long time.

Breaking the glass ceiling of 81601 and surrounding areas,  in order to really get any ability to act with full community involvement on ideas, concerns, concepts and actual manifestation of viable tourism infrastructure,  has been a long slog and uphill climb for many. 

The stringent hold on public cash flows, the hopelessness (at times) brought on by entrenched politics and complacent media, strong and growing more apparent as valid allegations of cronyism that serves only a few,  have only begun to be overcome by individuals and small groups over the past three years.

A rise in small groups of business folks, tourism related folks and leaders really showed up in earnest over the past six to seven years.  With a growing trend towards sub-groups and organizations seizing opportunities to "do something" about each of their own special interest needs.  Just like the guys shown in this article that are taking on the restoration of the pavillion.

One of the assets of 81601, that 'big power' has refused to look at cultivating, is Two Rivers Park.  And the stretch of the Colorado River from that point and down to Exit 114, the related geothermal asset and that prime visual appeal in that area to I-70 and the entrance into East Glenwood Canyon. 

Two Rivers has the potential to be a huge year-round tourist and local economic draw. 

A few years back, a guy by the name of Jason Carey and his River Restoration organization said to 'heck with it',  and near single-handed (with a background bunch of Tourism Lions poo-poo'ing the concept) built the whitewater park at Exit 114.  Now one of our biggest draws and doubling Carey's cred as a very popular local hangout.  Of course, and long after the fact, now an extremely popular marketing push with the 'Lions' and their tourism marketing.

Imagine a world, where the City of Glenwood Springs city council did an immediate 180 degree turn and decided to just stop.  Just stop the tunnel-vision, entrenched in  the past politics and back-stroking.  Seized hold and full control of where every dime of tourism and economic development funds is spent, ceased and eliminated non-producing promotions and ads that do not yield 100% + actual cash in business pockets returns.  Not pie-in-the-sky sales pitches.  Sat down and took a page, from some of the most successful in the Rocky Mount region destination resorts, and actually invested financially in the building of tourism and economic related infrastructure. 

'Build it  and they will come'. 

Imagine a world where right now, they went after GOCO grants and all resources out there that would feed money into an organization such as the 'Two Rivers Pavillion' group, then enjoined the combined financial strength into manifesting our assets, like Two Rivers Park, into a stand alone destination that would thrive as a natural draw when completed.

In the meantime, the folks will rely on these guys, and all the others like them that are actively, each and every day with their own strengths and focuses, pounding cracks into that glass ceiling of 81601.  Hopefully, it won't be too many more years before that ceiling is shattered and tossed out, leaving equal balance for the entire community behind.   Sunlight, fresh air and an unobstructed view of the entire community of Glenwood Springs.

Who ya gonna call? 

Just look at these shining faces in the PI photo.  We have another group of local heroes.  

(whisper...whisper... (yes, this is a "whispering campaign"...)....folks:  pay special attention to the last snippet of Stroud's...whisper...whisper....)

John Stroud:
"GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — A group of local music enthusiasts and designers are working to draw up and raise money for some long-needed improvements to the outdoor music venue at Two Rivers Park, including a roof extension over the stage.

After the final concert of the 2011 Glenwood Springs Summer of Music series with rhythm and blues singer Hazel Miller got rained out last August, Glenwood Springs residents Matt Soltesz and David Darling took it upon themselves to launch the Two Rivers Pavilion Project.

Soltesz and Darling are both members of the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts' Summer of Music Committee. They also both work professionally as lighting designers and audio technicians for various music events around the area.

“Our goal is to have a more reliable, more functional space that people can use for a variety of events,” Soltesz said. “It is a unique facility, located right on I-70, that could host some larger events in the future if it can be modernized.....

.......“We want to make this a community project, and open it up to anyone who would like to help,” Darling said......."  (Read more?  Click title)

"What we each personally believe, comes forward from our perceptions throughout our lifetime. What we think we see, becomes what we believe. What we actually see, comes from what we perceive."