| A TALE OF TWO COMMUNITIES Manitou Springs is a small town sitting at the foot of Pikes Peak, a rugged region of distinctive rock formations, steep canyons, and unique mineral springs. The community is plunked in a bowl of foothills, between the sweeping plains below and the montane regions of the higher slopes. Manitou has been visited and honored by Native American tribes for thousands of years. As far back as history tells, Manitou has been a special place. The first people came for healing and revitalization, attracted by the mineral waters. They put aside differences and weapons to create a place of peace. In those past times, forage and game were plentiful. Clear, clean water flowed off the Peak and bubbled up from below. Native land surrounding Manitou holds a bountiful bouquet of flora and fauna. Indigenous plant species of the foothills are hardy. Hot, dry slopes find relief in the shade of, ponderosa, juniper, pinyon, yucca and scrubby oaks. Mountain mahogany, chokecherry, wild rose, and red cedar scatter about as they choose. Spruce and Douglas fir enjoy cooler, moister areas of the shaded canyons and northern faces. Peach leaf willows and cottonwood follow the creeks and riparian areas as they always have. Berries and currants grow in hidden places, known to only a few who quietly collect their bounty. Various grasses, wildflowers, cacti and sages spread across the open hillsides. Each season blooms with color. Moving from springtime and spring rains, the wildflowers bloom and retreat on the hillsides in summer. Autumn foliage paints the hills in a colorful mural. Even winter shows off with red rocks and yellow grasses against a backdrop of evergreen. Plant communities on the slopes give way in the town to cultivated plantings. Flower gardens prosper. Wildlife is abundant, supported by native plants and open spaces. Bird populations bulge in spring and summer with migratory birds flying in just as tourists begin to appear in town. Small mammals like fox and beaver live in riparian drainages. Mule deer are everywhere. Mountain lions and coyotes skirt the perimeters, keeping their distance. Brown bats fly about on warm summer evenings. These hillsides allow wildlife to live close to the village people. The hillsides represent the wild community, the wild side. The tame side, where the people live, shows off Victorian homes, mountain cabins and custom arty abodes. Manitou Springs is home to both communities. It is not uncommon for residents to have chance encounters with wilder denizens. Downtown, where lovely old shops line the streets, raccoons wander up from the creek; deer startle and run across the Avenue. Bears lumber nonchalantly down the street in the wee morning hours. Well known, too, are squirrels and the lowly skunks. All choose to live here. Each experience with the wild community of Manitou enhances and enriches the villagers¹ lives. Tucked at the very toes of Pikes Peak, this little hamlet is home to many different people of many different strokes. Multi generational families live here. Some folks live in their Great Grandfather¹s house. Many live in Œstarving artist¹ rentals. Cabins perch on the hillsides. Many present day homes and older town buildings display Victorian architecture from Manitou¹s early days. Of course, the artist community is much loved, appreciated and celebrated. Beyond the painters, sculptors, and potters, Manitou boasts creative chefs who serve up the the local menus, musicians and drummers gather together to create their energetic art so the rest of us can dance. Creative spirit flows like clouds over the Peak. This town of widely diverse people manages to remain small town and community-oriented. Manitou is a haven for artists and crafts people, along with many alternative healing practitioners, environmentalists and independent common folks. Mainstream suburbanites, health-oriented runners and cyclists, earth-loving gardeners, aging hippies, leather- clad bikers, rich and poor; all live here in a peaceful harmony. We choose to be here. Manitouans, often called Manitoids, are the local folk of the mineral springs. When time allows I let go my work schedule to escape downtown and check up on my friends. I have my favorite stores. Strolling down the Avenue, locals, artists, shopkeepers and summer visitors become a river of people. Manitou holds an interesting mixed bag of people. We are a unique village, close knit and friendly. We are familiar with one another. I can walk through a crowd of slow moving vacationers and pick out local villagers in a minute. Time is well spent catching up with good friends and acquaintances. In sharing this place we are connected. Shop windows bloom with summer color and display. Merchants are good neighbors and another part of the tame populace. Restaurants, pubs and all the stores and shops are the cement of the community. Enjoying a cup of coffee at the local coffee counter, whether winter or summer, is a favored pastime. We chat about local issues and maybe grouse about things as well. Sitting at the table of a gardener hangout, I look out the window at Manitou¹s streetscape. Huge willows line the creek and create a green backdrop for the little shops. Green and red foothills, push up above the town. Wildlife, rushing creeks, bubbling springs, trees, trails and open space are all part of the whole. Two communities live here, embraced by natural beauty. I walk out my door and it¹s all around me. Pikes Peak and the foothills are beautiful because they hold wild community. The wild is just outside. Manitou depends on the wild community to sing the music and set the stage for each day. The wild brings Nature and all her bounty to our town, and in turn, depends on villagers for the protection of their home ground. Manitou Springs, as the tame village, has an ethical responsibility to preserve space for wild community: plants and animals. The wild community has intrinsic rights that we must honor. Two communities live in this little cup of valley, the wild and the tamed. And these communities live side-by-side in considerable peace. Wild ones live protected within the canyons¹ slopes and forage on the hillsides, while tamer villagers live their daily lives. I know I am blessed to live here in this sanctuary. With awareness, care and stewardship of the land, two communities and the peaceful life shared together, can continue to be. c becky elder 6-2003 |