SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "ACRA to decide on U.S. Chamber membership during private meeting"

(See related links to story along with public commentary here)

Andrew Travers:
"The board of directors at the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) will go behind closed doors to make its long-awaited decision on its controversial membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

ACRA is expected to take a final vote on the issue during a board retreat on Monday, April 23. The press and public — including chamber members — will not be permitted to attend the 45-minute discussion on the U.S. Chamber or any other portion of the daylong board retreat at The Gant.

Though 49 percent of ACRA’s budget comes from local tax dollars and public funds, the chamber is a nonprofit membership organization, and not legally considered a public body. So, it is not bound by Colorado’s open meetings laws. Those laws require public boards, like county commissions and city councils, to post notices for meetings and abide by strict rules controlling when and why they can exclude the public and press from meetings........

.......Chamber president Debbie Braun said Wednesday that board members want to speak openly without fear of having their views broadcast publicly through the media, as they make a final decision on this long-simmering and divisive issue.

“We want to have an honest dialogue,” Braun said. “We want to hear from everyone on the board, and we don’t want them to think they might get caught with a pull-out quote in the newspaper.”...." (Read more?  Click title)


"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: City of Glenwood Springs "DRAFT AGENDA: REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 19, 2012"

Update May 14, 2012:
http://www.ci.glenwood-springs.co.us/Packet/agenda.htm


The subject of whether or not COGS 'leases' the marketing gimmick of 'Glen Wood' back from their hired tourism marketing vender GSCRA,  has been moved from agenda to agenda for months now.


Will this be still yet another publicly funded tourism marketing related topic that gets either shoved under the rug or secreted back behind the closed, bolted and security guarded doors of GCRA as so many similar issues have for over 25 years?


Where is COGS?  Do they care that public perception is so negative out there?  Or are they still influenced by the ludicrous spin that it is all the conspiracy plot of a 'pushed agenda' by a few that 'hang out on a certain (very popular) blog?


Either way, it is absolutely undeniable after over two decades of this kind of nonsense that our elected officials that run the City of Glenwood Springs are out of touch with public need for transparency and accountability. 
______________________________________________________
(See wk. of April 16 change by city council to move "Glen Wood" topic to meeting of  May 3, 2012)

(See public commentary on related story here)

OK, 'kids'.  Per your request, 'gws44 and glenwoodsprings 22'; here is your post on the upcoming city council meeting.

City of Glenwood Springs:
"Item #8:  Discussion and/or Action on Approval of License to Use Advertising Materials (Re: Glen Wood) with Chamber Resort Association...."  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "The new cradle of civilization"

Updates:  See related stories and public commentary here, here and here)

Steve Skinner:
"I was just looking over a list of Pitkin County nonprofits and it struck me. In many ways these groups, hundreds of them, account for a significant, if not the biggest, part of our valley economy. For me personally, I have found meaningful work in community radio at KDNK. This was a real relief because the commercial sector was outsourcing, maximizing profits and abandoning creativity.

That kind of thing is what spurs nonprofits to rise and grow in the first place. People are eventually repulsed by outsourcing, maximizing profits and abandoned creativity. Better yet, despite all the distractions, people want more than just stuff, and that’s where the nonprofits often come in. From human health services to Pica protection, thankfully, there is someone on it.

Nonprofits mostly do their special work in the background: protecting kids from abuse, suicide prevention, hospice, solar energy training, after-school programs, veteran’s programs, disabled services, pet shelters, clay, art, justice, environmental protection, writing, music, poetry, theater, volunteer groups, senior support, language assistance and on and on...."  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: PR Web "New Tourism Director Takes the Helm in Glenwood Springs, Colorado "

"Lisa Langer is ready to get down to the business of marketing Glenwood Springs, and she isn’t wasting any time. The former Executive Director of the Spearfish, South Dakota, Chamber of Commerce is on a reconnaissance mission to learn all she can about the river and mountain town, situated between the ski resorts of Aspen and Vail. Her hit-the-ground-running enthusiasm, coupled with extensive experience in tourism marketing and strong leadership skills, made her the obvious choice for Vice President of Tourism Marketing for the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association. In her inaugural year, Langer has big plans for America’s Most Fun Town.

Langer understands the significance of winning a national designation like the Most Fun Town in America, a title Glenwood Springs captured in July 2011. Her now former state of South Dakota won a Most Patriotic Town in America award in the same round of competition, sponsored by Rand McNally and USA Today.

“Winning a title like this is huge. It launches your product onto the national stage. As tourism marketing director, one of my goals is to make Glenwood Springs, Colorado, synonymous with America’s Most Fun Town,” said Langer.

But Langer is just getting started; Glenwood Springs also has a new mascot, Glen Wood, a lanky, good-natured fellow who loves nothing more than experiencing all the varied adventures and activities available in his namesake town, like skiing at Sunlight Mountain Resort, rafting the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers, soaking in the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, exploring at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and catching the wave on a stand-up paddleboard or in a kayak at the Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park, to name but a few. Langer anticipates Glen Wood will be making the rounds locally at festivals such as Strawberry Days in Glenwood Springs, at events in the surrounding region, and at trade shows and tourism events at the state level. The introduction of Glen Wood is a key strategy to identify and grow new prospects and markets for Glenwood Springs with a fresh new image while maintaining the polished, well-established “soak it all in” brand...."
(Vicky Nash via PR Web)

(Learn more?  Click title. Comment to discuss)

SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "ACRA going global with new revenue"

Don't look at how much more money ASCRA has to work with than GSCRA does down here in Glenwood Springs.  It's depressing.  The folks up in Aspen trust their tourism marketing decisions and ASCRA has shown by proven performance, that they are doing the right marketing for Aspen.  So much trust that they actually voted to raise taxes accordingly and give ASCRA more to work with.  How many times have we heard the 81601 folks chat up that they would be thrilled to do the same but first need to see both control and performance of the money we  already have?

Do look at  the detailed breakout.  Set the difference in monetary values aside.

My word, they sure do get a more balanced plan and practical, diversified approach  than GSCRA offers, don't they?

Could we even just piggyback off some of these promotions and events?  Please?  Pretty, please?

The folks are pretty desperate out here, 81601 tourism leaders.

just sayin that surely with this stark of a contrast, aren't there any light bulbs flipping on?

(Read what Aspen has going on?  Click title.  Comment to discuss.)

SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent/Your Letters "Chamber shouldn't take up CMC gallery space"

A special thank you to Cynthia Thomas of Glenwood Springs for having the courage to speak up on this Chamber related issue.

Taking the most prime location left in downtown and turning it from a viable gallery and retail space into a spot for the Chamber of Commerce to house themselves has more than just those in the shadows riled up.

There has been talk for years of getting the Visitors Center away from the upper Grand Ave. location of the chamber and housing that information in kiosks downtown. 

Spread it out a bit and put the whole thing in locations that aren't going to charge us $70,000 a year, are maintained by volunteers and the businesses who advertise in them and all in high visible locale where people can actually find our Visitors Center. 

There has never been any real talk of bringing the chamber downtown.  With the overall lukewarm relationship the chamber has always had with downtown merchants, the idea is not a hot one all of a sudden.

If the idea does fly, then the chamber needs to not take up viable retail space and instead lodge themselves somewhere that suits what they are.  A business environment.  Not a sales environment.

Again, a thank you to Cynthia for not only speaking up but doing so honestly and bluntly enough so that her voice gets heard above the corporate stranglehold:

"This letter is in regard to the Post Independent article of Oct. 20 about the chamber negotiating to move into the new CMC building.

I am all for our chamber having a presence downtown, but not at the expense of the CMC Gallery. There was to be a gallery in the new building, a rather nice one, but in these days of “corporate greed rules,” CMC has decided to rent that space to the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association.

Where would the gallery go? Maybe in the library in 2013 or 2014? If they build it and there is room.

There is a perfectly good space that CMC is vacating where the present gallery would make a wonderful chamber kiosk. The space is very visible downtown, right on the corner of Ninth and Grand where all of the tourists could see the chamber literature through that huge glass window.

Why sell that building and then take space away from the gallery to squeeze another business in, and then try to figure out where to put the gallery? It just doesn't make sense.

What is it that they are not telling us? Are they really planning to make this permanent? Why else would they rent the space out that they have already earmarked for the gallery?..."
(Cynthia Thomas)

(Read the entire letter?  Click title and comment to start discussion)

"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent/Local News Briefs "Biz-Opoly trade fair emphasizes ‘buy local' options"

The latest gimmick from the 81601 tourism marketing vendor: Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association, previously met with such scathing negative reviews all over the region in  commentary; SandBox Nanny almost took pity on the concept by not tossing up the launch to the kids today.

Here's what changed her mind:

First, the population of 81601 was 'sold' on using the current marketing plan through the use of a lot of 'Big Talk'.  And the simultaneous oxymoron 'reality' of not having a public vote.  Just like so many things in Glenwood Springs such as medical marijuana, 'back-in' parking, The Ghettos 'improvements' and continued development, Midland Avenue, public art, 200 large+ spent on the concept of 7th Street's 'Sea World', the debacle of how poorly the construction is on the Community Center, traffic calming on Grand, the 'political statement' of the city's comprehensive plan, capital improvement projects using tens of millions of dollars of borrowed 'good deal' money in the middle of the first worst recesssion in history and the ongoing issues of major public relations problems; the folks really don't have any say at all in how they are led or how their tax dollars are spent.  Not really.  Not in Glenwood Springs.

The conclusion of her first point? 'Big talk' is not only paid 'Big Money' to perform; as a vendor trying to play in the same 'Big Leagues' as all the thriving tourism promoters surrounding 81601; the logical assumption is that they are "Big Kids" who should not be sheltered from the review of the general population they serve.

Nanny's second point, is that there are no city screened checks and balances on tourism marketing performance in Glenwood Springs.  We have no media that is not 'owned', we have a fledgling city council that is just finding its sea-legs in standing up to the rigors of performing sworn duty, we have a partially strong citizens tourism board that is heavily seeded with special interests, we hold the now three year rank of the lowest in the region when it comes to tourism and sales revenues (and) we can go nowhere in prosperity until we clear  a minimum 60% deficit in our tourism performance.

Simplistically, her point sums up to: 

Where, exactly, are the folks supposed to go in order to speak up freely if she doesn't toss this up out of her sincere feelings of pity on the cartoon concept of 'Glen Wood'?

As one more of her long-standing in the community business friends, recently decided they had no choice but to close their doors due to inability to withstand the continued 'year' of reckoning' here in Glenwood Springs...SandBox Nanny thinks it's best, now that the ink is nearly dry on the 'Big Deal', to let 'Big Kids' finally begin to first-time ever face the shock of being treated just like the rest of the business community.

A word of caution to commentators:

There is so much fodder in the truth here on this article, you have no reason whatsoever to get overly personal at any one individual.  You are being moderated closely on this one.  Stick to public information and public viewpoints only.

(Learn more?  Click title and comment to start discussion)

"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "Glenwood sales taxes up 3 percent for August"

You're right, 'anonymous'.

It takes patience beyond measure.

One of SandBox Nanny's fav sayings, given to her long ago by an unlikely sage, is:  "What I hear you saying..."

She thinks that once again, she is being left by John Stroud with no other choice than to leave the PI, The City of Glenwood Springs and our local tourism marketing efforts in the hands of the 'kids'.

What she will do for Mr. Stroud, on this article, is use the tool of an unlikely sage:

"What I hear you saying, is that it is way too difficult to simply grab the statistical data that breaks down both the city sales tax numbers (and) the lodging/accommodations tax numbers; and post them up in the only daily newspaper 81601 has.  Because it is way too difficult to do that, you believe it best to continue to antagonize the folks who want to get down to the facts instead of the 'gild on the lily' as they are so fond of saying."

SandBox Nanny will add that she is very pleased to see the change in reporting that Mr. Stroud has made.  More and more we see just the facts and that is sincerely appreciated.

Congratulations to the City of Glenwood Springs on what looks like on the surface, a cresting over the peak.

'Kids', what can you do to help John Stroud hear you?

(Learn more?  Click title or comment to start discussion)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."