October 05
UPDATE: Apparently Mr. Therault got his facts less than straight. It’s actually the real estate co. that handles the property that threatened to evict camp casey because of zoning violations. See the comments for more.
Just got an email from Dave Therault that said that Colorado College, who owns the property where local video/music store Toons sits, has ordered Eric Verlo, owner of Toons, to demolish the local Camp Casey that’s been stationed in the parking lot of his business for two months now. If they don’t take the camp down, CC has said they’ll evict Toons and order his employees to take the camp down.
Please go to Toons and show your support for Verlo’s First Amendment rights to protest on property that he has legally and lawfully rented for, sheesh, is it 20 years now?
Here’s a link to Verlo’s Camp Case site and here’s the full text of the email:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Colorado Springs Peace Camp Ordered Torn Down by the
Colorado College, local businessman threatened with eviction
EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Dave Therault
719-459-6471
PRESS CONFERENCE/RALLY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2005
1 PM
802 NORTH NEVADA AVENUE
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
Colorado Springs — Wednesday afternoon, a property management company
representing the Colorado College demanded the demolition of Camp Casey
Colorado Springs
September 15 on land leased from the college by a local film and music
store.
The peace camp was established by a group of Colorado Springs veterans and
peace activists which traveled in August to Camp Casey in Crawford (TX) to
stand outside of George W. Bush’s ranch with Cindy Sheehan in protest of the
war on Iraq. During the past six weeks, the camp has hosted a memorial of
1900 crosses and been used as staging area for peace actions, rallies,
counter-recruitment in area high schools, and an art gallery.
“We have been sleeping in tents and maintaining our vigil for close to two
months now,” said Eric Verlo, proprietor of Toons Film and Music, which
leases the property from Colorado College, and who was with the group
traveling to Crawford. “Given the vehemence of the demand, this appears to
be an attack on our first amendment rights,” he added. “I would guess that
we wouldn’t have heard from the college administrators if I had put in a
outdoor reading café for my customers, rather than a peace park.”
Verlo also said he was informed by the Colorado College property management
of the college’s intention to file for immediate eviction action on his
business, and to use his employees to forcibly remove the camp site. “He
told me that ’several voices from the Colorado College administration’ had
complained about the presence of the peace camp,” said Verlo, “and told me
in very angry terms to tear down the peace camp. At one point he threatened
to have workers come and tear it down if we don’t remove it immediately.”
The camp organizers are gathering at 1:00 PM Thursday, October 27 at the
camp site, 802 North Nevada (Dale and Nevada) to reply to the demands made
by the Colorado College.
BACKGROUND:
Rocky Mountain News
College pulls plug on anti-war vigil in parking lot
Camp Casey has been set up since September in Colorado Springs
By Deborah Frazier,
October 27, 2005
–Camp Casey, an anti-war vigil in a video store parking lot in Colorado
Springs, may shut down today at the request of the landlord - Colorado
College.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_4189915,0
0.html
http://www.iraqwarmemorial.info
———————-30———————-
David Therault
dtherault@earthlink.net
719-459-6471
419-715-4420 (fax)
http://www.threshingmachine.blogspot.com
AOL and Yahoo messengers: bluesgeek
Posted by: darksandal in Uncategorized | Permalink
Comments
5 Responses to “Colorado College to Evict Camp Casey/Toons”
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What the hell is wrong with CC? The action taken here would be wrong, and possibly illegal, in any case, but to see this kind of abuse of First Amendment rights by a private college with a reputation as a liberal stalwart is disheartening. What’s CC’s public justification for the demand?
This is NOT TRUE. The CC Property manager went to talk to Eric at Toons about how to work around zoning issues, since Camp Casey is in violating a lot of zones. Eviction was never mentioned, and CC administrators have been working tirelessly to correct this too-hastily sent-out press release. Noel, please take this down or amend it. Thanks.
Here’s the post from CC’s digest. Get your facts straight.
Date Posted : 10/27/2005 4:42:31 PM
Posted by : jturnis@ColoradoCollege.edu
Subject : Toons/Camp Casey
Abstract :
RE: Camp Casey, the anti-war camp at Toons (on CC property): The
college has not threatened eviction of Toons. However, a property
manager employed by CC did ask the tenant to dismantle Camp Casey,
which is in violation of city zoning code. CC officials and Toons’
owner plan to meet to find a solution that hopefully pleases all
parties.
Full Message :
To clarify and respond to misinformation about Camp Casey, the anti-war camp
set up outside of Toons music and video store (which is on CC property):
The college has not threatened eviction or served an eviction notice on Toons’
owner. However, a property manager employed by CC did ask the tenant this week
to dismantle Camp Casey; the camp is in violation of a city zoning code
requiring a temporary-use permit for an outdoor display.
College officials and Toons’ owner talked Thursday and agreed to meet soon to
discuss the matter and hopefully find a solution that pleases all parties.
The college fully supports freedom of expression and First Amendment rights;
this matter is simply about legal requirements, not political issues.
For more information, contact the office of communications, (719) 389-6603.
Yeah, according to CC, no mention was ever made of eviction, but that doesn’t mean the property management company never mentioned it. It all sounds like spin to me.
If I may address the darksandal UPDATE: I’m not quite sure what is meant by “got his facts less than straight”. The press release issued by Eric Verlo (from my desk) clearly states it was the property management “company” which issued the threats to evict and to forcibly remove the protest. It may be a real estate company, but in this role it is Colorado College’s property manager.