EDITOR’S DESK: Big highway, big headline
Big headlines are subjective things. What makes one news story more important than the other? Well, that's a philosophical
discussion for another day.
![]() What I know for sure is that when I saw where the state of Colorado was heading with Westside Highway 24, I knew this issue would have the biggest headline the Westside Pioneer has ever had. Let as many people know as possible. The sky may not be falling, but I think it's news when they're talking about putting a slab of asphalt through the Westside that's going to be as wide or wider than I-25, complete with one or more interchanges. Good-bye, numerous locally owned businesses all along the 6 1/2- mile stretch to Manitou Springs. Put a stake in the heart of residential neighborhoods off 14th, 21st and 26th streets. I'm sorry, I respect the engineers who worked on this. They mean well and are just doing their jobs, looking ahead to the year 2030. And of course, federal funding won't come our way if all we want is an unobtrusively inserted lane addition, perhaps east of 21st Street where it's truly needed. Yes, I'm sorry and all that, but this is an outrage. Slicing and dicing the Westside - the only place of size left in this burg that doesn't look and feel like everywhere else - makes no sense at all. I urge you to take the time to go to the open house where these plans will be displayed Thursday, Nov. 10 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the West Intergenerational Center. Remember, there is a no-build option. Apparently, it's never been used before on a road project in Colorado. But supposedly it could happen if impacts prove to outweigh benefits... which seems awfully plausible here. At the very least, maybe we can cut this plan down to size. And give me a better headline. - K.J. |