Colorado media coverage

[Rocky_Green]

This was on page five of the front section of today's Boulder Daily Camera. Now everybody on the front range is talking about us.



'Rainbow' man accused in stabbing Gypsy group usually peaceful, gathering in Nederland

By Christine Reid, Camera Staff Writer
May 26, 2006

A member of the Rainbow Family angered over another family member's refusal to help him "regulate" others camping at Ruby Gulch stabbed him in the neck, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. Joshua Sunchild Silva, known by his Rainbow name of Karma Chip, is facing first-degree assault and felony menacing charges in the stabbing of Gilbert Hernandez, 31, Wednesday morning in the campsite near the 40500 block of Colo 72. Silva, 32, is being held in the Boulder County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond.

Hernandez was released from the hospital Thursday and returned to camp, according to authorities.

He told deputies that Silva woke him up to ask for his help, and when Hernandez refused, the two began arguing and Silva hit him in the face. Hernandez fought back, he said, and Silva retrieved a knife and stabbed him. Silva then followed Hernandez into a tent with the knife but was pushed out by another person, Hernandez told officers.

The Rainbow Family, also commonly known as modern hippies, began filling the Nederland campground about a month ago as part of their annual pilgrimage to the area. Authorities are expecting to see more than the 40 who are already in town as news spreads of the group's main gathering, which features art and music and is rumored to take place this summer somewhere on Colorado's Western Slope.

"Ninety-five percent of the (Rainbow) people are pretty good people," Nederland Town Marshall Ken Robinson said. "But there's always that 5 percent who are a complete drain on the system, and a drag to people camping near them."

Robinson said more minor crimes typically rise with their arrival, such as theft of food from grocery stores and drug and alcohol overdoses.

At a gathering in Modoc National Forest in northern California in 2004, one Rainbow member was jailed for allegedly beating another nearly to death with a shovel for driving too fast through a campground.

Robinson said it would be unfair to label all Rainbow people as trouble.

"After the stabbing, half a dozen helped (Hernandez), followed up with his medical care, cared for him and are helping him today follow up with treatment," Robinson said. "There were a lot of kind acts happening out of that one act of violence."

Boulder Sheriff Lt. Phil West said when Rainbow Family members do get in trouble, it can be a daunting task of identifying them because most have aliases. Silva identified himself to authorities as Joshua Marquedtson.

When deputies learned his real name it was discovered that he was wanted on a probation violation out of California on a deadly weapon assault conviction. West said California authorities are not planning to extradite him.



Copyright 2006, DailyCamera. All Rights Reserved.

[Rocky_Green]

I've been up to the Ned holding camp recently, so if anybody has questions...

By the way, I thought the town marshall used an interesting choice of words when he said certain people are a 'drain'.

[Gyva02]

Keep us postesd, thanks man...



Mike...

[drumminmama]

I think Ned's used to the freaks after all these years.
And grateful the "it's in Ned" rumours were pure BS.
and I'd bet he knows the Drainbow term.
Most of the community does. (I've freiends that have been town council)

[starkmojo]

recently a burner friend of mine said that burning man was the origin of the term "drainbow" in 1989... I laughed so hard that I nearly spilled my beer.

[Cales]

Ok is this holding camp still there or have they moved, does anyone know exactly how to get to a holding camp (or seed camp)?

[Rocky_Green]

Yeah, it's still there. I went out there today for a short visit, the so-called 'troublemakers' left and now there are a bunch of new faces in camp. They seem like decent enough folks, everyone I talked to was cheerful today, and the holding camp has been cleaned up a bit. They all seemed healthy and well-fed.
Seed camp hasn't started quite yet, mama.

[Rocky_Green]

More newspaper stories: this one is from the Rocky Mountain News
'Rainbow Family' to gather near Steamboat Springs

By Associated Press
June 10, 2006

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS - Routt County is bracing for 20,000 to 60,000 members of the "Rainbow Family" to converge on a site on national forest land for the group's weeklong annual gathering in July.

An advance party of about 150 people visited the area this weekend to look for a suitable site for the event, often described as a huge gathering of hippies. One of the advance party, who identified himself as Bodhi, said the group is looking at five potential locations.

"We need a fresh water source, one main meadow that is 100 acres or larger and about five to 10 square miles of hippie land," he told the Steamboat Pilot and Today newspaper.

"And we will need another large meadow to accommodate thousands of vehicles," he said.

Bodhi predicted 60,000 people would attend. Mike Zopf, director of the county health department, said the number would likely be closer to 20,000.

Routt County Sheriff John Warner said he has met with the advance group. He said he plans to assemble a law-enforcement team for the event that includes Steamboat Springs police and firefighters, the State Patrol, Routt National Forest rangers and others.

[Rocky_Green]

And this one is from the Steamboat Pilot Journal:

Over the rainbow

Naturalist group gathers for peace

By Allison Plean (http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/author_info/66), Arts and entertainment editor

Sunday, June 11, 2006

A temporary city -- comprised of tens of thousands of residents who go by one-word names such as Stone and Star -- will be erected next month in Routt National Forest.

The Rainbow Family of Living Light has decided to hold its Rainbow Gathering from July 1 to 7 on forestland in Northwest Colorado, most likely in Routt County. An advance group of 150 to 200 people are at the Hinman campground in North Routt County this weekend to determine the best site for what can best be described as the largest gathering of hippies in North America.

The Rainbow Family has been holding these gatherings on National Forest Service land since 1972 to promote world peace and keep the Bill of Rights alive. The only requirement to be a part of the family -- which claims to be the world's largest non-organization of non-members ı is to have a belly button. Among the clans that attend the annual gathering are the Magic Bowl Kitchen, Graceland Tea Mansion, Zipolites and Hare Krishnas.

"You will see a very functional city of 60,000 people existing in harmony and peace and showing an alternative to society," said Bodhi, one of the advance team members camping at Hinman this weekend.

Bodhi said the group is considering four or five sites within a 50-mile radius of the campground.

"We need a fresh water source, one main meadow that is 100 acres or larger and about five to 10 square miles

of hippie land," Bodhi said. "And we will need another large meadow to accommodate thousands of vehicles."

Gathering's impact

The public gathering during a major tourist week for both Routt National Forest and Steamboat Springs has grabbed the attention of area law enforcement and public health officials.

Mike Zopf, the director of the Routt County Department of Environmental Health, said the gathering is unlike anything the county has ever seen. Zopf attended a presentation about a previous Rainbow Gathering held in 1992 near Paonia in Delta County. Zopf anticipates 20,000 people -- not the 60,000 predicted by Bodhi -- will attend this year's gathering. "That's about the permanent population of Routt County," Zopf said. "It's not like anything we have ever hosted."

Sheriff John Warner has met with group members at the Hinman campground.

"There have been basically no problems up to now because we've established a good communication system," Warner said.

Law enforcement

Warner's biggest concern with the event is public safety. According to a report issued after the 1992 gathering in Colorado, there were two deaths (a married couple died of an overdose of muscle relaxers), three births, five reports of sexual assault, 310 citations issued and 43 arrests on charges ranging from child abuse to wildlife violations.

The Rainbow Family uses a method of self-policing at the gatherings. One such method is for a member to yell the word "shantacani" when someone is in need of help or conflict arises. At that time, those in the vicinity of the incident will link hands around the conflict until it is defused.

Area law enforcement will do its own policing at the event. Warner said the Sheriff's Office will put together an incident management team that will include members of the Steamboat Springs Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue, Routt National Forest Service and other agencies.

"We certainly want to work with them on a medical evaluation plan," Warner said. "No matter what kind of gathering you have, a possibility of illness or injury exists, and we need a plan to get paramedics and ambulances to them if needed."

Warner said traffic issues and conflicts between the Rainbow Family and other users of the public land also are of significant concern. "They will be here during the busiest weekend in Steamboat and Routt County," he said.

Public health

Zopf has had discussions with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Like Warner, he will put together a team of three people who will visit the gathering daily. Zopf said the team's focus will be on environmental health issues such as sewage disposal, solid waste disposal, water supply and food service sanitation.

"The (Rainbow Family) has done this over many, many years, and they are fairly well-organized," Zopf said. "They have addressed many of the concerns -- the basic premise of the group is to be gentle to the land, and the ideals of the group are to minimize the impact on the environment. But obviously, that's somewhat counter to holding a gathering of this size in the National Forest."

Anytime there is a gathering of more than 75 people using National Forest land, Kent Foster, the acting district ranger for the Hahn's Peak/Bears Ears district of the Routt National Forest, wants to make sure they are provided for in a safe and healthy environment.

"Their activities should not put them at risk for retribution of anyone else. Public safety and protection of the environment is the main goal," Foster said. "Anytime you have that many people in one area, there is the potential for resource damage."

Every account Foster has read indicates the family works hard to restore the land to after the gathering ends. The report on the 1992 gathering said the family did a good job with clean-up and that lasting environmental impacts were minimal.

"They may be practicing some civil disobedience, but hopefully we'll respect one another, and that will be it," Foster said.

Economic impacts

Any large gathering of people needs food and other goods. Foster thinks this need will help local businesses.

Bodhi suggests that stores stock up on sleeping bags, tarps, tobacco and candy bars. Once at the gathering, participants rely on the barter system.

"The only things you need to bring are shiny rocks for trading and a cup, bowl and spoon," he said.

The report on the 1992 gathering said the economic impact of the event was mixed.

"The large influx of people resulted in unusual lines at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores," the report states. "Crowds congregated in downtown Paonia during the period before the main gathering. There were complaints of public urination, public nudity, panhandling and loitering. Similar complaints were reported in Delta and Hotchkiss."

Several local stores saw a brief boost in business, particularly a natural foods store and a local hardware store. One restaurant was able to exchange free meals for building improvements done by gathering participants.

However, the economic costs of the 1992 event also were high. The cumulative cost to agencies that assisted with handling the gathering -- the Colorado State Patrol, Division of Wildlife, Delta County, National Forest Service and hospital and ambulance services -- totaled $573,000. That's about $750,000 in 2006 dollars.

The celebration

Bodhi said he attends the Rainbow Gathering every year for the spirituality.

"I can go to all of these different camps and experience great spiritual benefits," Bodhi said. "There's a reason why everyone is here -- to find their source of spiritual growth."

Most of the ceremonies and rituals practiced by the family are based on Native American culture. For example, during the spring council, members sit in a circle and pass a feather, which signifies the holder's permission to voice his or her opinion about the site selection.

The main ceremony of the gathering, the prayer for peace, takes place on July 4. After a morning of silence, participants will go to the meadow at noon to hold hands in a large circle, Bodhi said.

"You can hardly see the person in front of you," he said. "Then we start to ‘ohm.' It's a very powerful experience."

After about 40 minutes, a children's parade comes through to break the circle and everyone celebrates.

"I enjoy the prayer for peace because of the amazing amount of tranquility you get inside," said Ceraphin, another member of the Rainbow Family. "We all come here for peace and to save ourselves and the earth."

Despite the numerous concerns regarding any large gathering, Foster said he isn't worried.

"It's going to be an interesting event that we will talk about for a long time."

[Rocky_Green]

This one is from New West-voice of the Rocky Mountains (I'm not familiar with New West and I don't know if it is a print newspaper or an online journal)

http://www.newwest.net/index.php/main/article/9182/

Gathering the Tribes

Rainbow Family to Touch Down in Colo.

By Richard Martin, 6-12-06

If you were in the Steamboat Springs area over the weekend you might have seen a group of slightly gnarly-looking, generally longhaired folks passing through wearing looks of beatific contentment and slightly bemused disregard for their surroundings. In common parlance, hippies.

This was an advance guard of about 150 members of the Rainbow Family (http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/), and they were scouting the area for a much larger "gathering of the tribes" planned for Routt County the first week in July.

Then, the annual North American Rainbow Gathering is expected draw at least 20,000 (according to Forest Service officials) and up to 60,000 (according to Bodhi, the Rainbow member (http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4765791,00.html) interviewed by the Steamboat Pilot Journal) to a spot that has "a fresh water source, one main meadow that is 100 acres or larger and about five to 10 square miles of hippie land," Bodhi explained.

It's easy to ridicule the Rainbowers, with their harlequin garb, their anarchic millenarian ideals and their bogus Native American prophecies. In general they seem to have wandered out of the last Grateful Dead concert before Jerry died and to now have too much time on their hands.

Since the Family are live-off-landers, the Rainbow gathering doesn't contribute to the local economy like biker fests, and it lacks the pseudo techno-cool of Burning Man, which has pretty much taken over as the wild and crazy annual alternative crowd scene to make. And local bureaucrats, of course, see them as a drug-crazed horde descending on some unsuspecting rural community as inevitably every year as boll weevils.

In truth, a fair number of the Family are bourgeois in their 51-week-a-year lives. And they are quick to point out that in some ways the Rainbow Family resembles other unworldly groups with wacko spiritualist beliefs who broke off to seek a better way of life in the West, that the drug use at the Gathering is no higher per capita than at your average Bonnie Raitt concert, and that local law-enforcement invariably comment afterward, with some surprise, on how accommodating and pleasant the Rainbowers are. The Rainbow Family ran an active and long-lived Hurricane Katrina relief effort (http://www.remarelief.net/).

Some Forest Service apparatchiks conduct a running battle with the Family, saying that they need official approval to gather in such numbers on federal land, but the Rainbow Gathering organizers (to the extent there are any; Rainbow philosophy believes that no one speaks for the tribe) adamantly refuse to sign any permits (http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/info/whynot.html), saying they are simply exercising their First Amendment rights.

Living in Boulder, I feel like I get plenty of exposure to the Rainbow tribes, and I do not envy the fulltime residents or the police officers of Steamboat this summer. Regardless of weather it's going to be a long hot July in Routt County.

But I'm kind of glad they're going to be out there.

[Gyva02]

"Since the Family are live-off-landers, the Rainbow gathering doesn't contribute to the local economy like biker fests"

They'll be singing a different tune when its over. I remember the story of that one store in Montanna 2000 that was about to go bankrupt, and they got enough buissness to save their store in the end... Gotta love a happy ending....



Mike...

[shaina]

please keep us posted about anything screwed up happening

[hippiestead]

"Since the Family are live-off-landers, the Rainbow gathering doesn't contribute to the local economy like biker fests"

They'll be singing a different tune when its over. I remember the story of that one store in Montanna 2000 that was about to go bankrupt, and they got enough buissness to save their store in the end... Gotta love a happy ending....



Mike...
Somebody ought to do a survey of businesses of Gatherings past & find out how many businesses have benefitted from us hippies and our spending habits! we heard the folks at the hot springs by NV'89 retired cuz of Rainbow & handed the business off to their kids. Bet there's other happy endings too. Had a guy from near the TX '88 Gathering (which some may know was one of the hardest Gatherings to get too...Billy Ball out to end Rainbow...the Promise Land & Berlin, hippies being snuck in by the Rainbow Navy...) anyway this guy stopped by our booth in Austin one day & said the locals up there want us back; said the forest was way cleaner after we left! (clean-up crew is soooo awesome! & TX crew has a very limited time to do clean-up!)

[willow_11]

The Martin piece is good for some laughs.

Ms. Plean has written a great piece otoh. I sent thanks to her editor at the Pilot.

[WanderingturnupII]

This from Friday's Pilot:

"Two members of the Rainbow Family were given verbal warnings Wednesday afternoon for loitering in front of City Market and 7-Eleven. A 23-year-old transient woman was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of loitering because she reportedly was harassing convenience store patrons for money at 7-Eleven. "

At least it wasn't conspiracy to commit agravated loitering....

[Bumble]

no matter what scene you're in you run into shady people. I used to be all about the rave scene (i'm currently very jaded about that scene), but there are shady people in that scene. I don't understand why people are arrested or warned when they are simply asking for spare change. There will be bad apples everywhere you go and the media feeds on them. See you all out in CO! Look for me!

[Rocky_Green]

Another story from the Steamboat Pilot:
A Rainbow discussion

Officials bracing for impact of group's gathering on Steamboat

By Alexis DeLaCruz (http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/author_info/60)

Friday, June 16, 2006

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Members of the Rainbow Family of Living Light already have arrived in Routt County, and Steamboat Springs officials have begun ramping up for the tens of thousands still to come.



U.S. Forest Service officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 members of the Rainbow Family will gather in Big Red Park in North Routt from July 1 to 7.

The Rainbow Gathering is an annual event held around the July 4 holiday. It began in 1972. Last year's event in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia drew an estimated 15,000 people, the Forest Service reported. The 2004 event peaked at 19,000 people in the Modoc National Forest in California.

Forest Service officials said Thursday that the more than 74 members that have arrived in North Routt have not submitted a special use permit and are gathered illegally.

A permit is required for noncommercial group use of U.S. National Forest land for any gathering or activity of 75 or more people. The permit is free.

A forum is planned for June 23 to inform the public about the potential impacts the group may have on the city and how residents can best be prepared to handle the situation.

Public Safety Director J.D. Hays said officers with the Steamboat Springs Police Department, Routt County Sheriff's Office and employees of the Routt County Office of Emergency Management have started discussions about what might happen in the city with the arrival of an additional 20,000 people during the Fourth of July weekend.

"Law enforcement plans to gear up and modify shifts to deal with the situation," he said. "At this point, we're not anticipating having any kind of problems that we wouldn't expect to see with any group of this size."

Police officers already have issued a few tickets to individuals who have been caught loitering or panhandling in front of convenience, grocery and retail stores.

Two members of the Rainbow Family were given verbal warnings Wednesday afternoon for loitering in front of City Market and 7-Eleven. A 23-year-old transient woman was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of loitering because she reportedly was harassing convenience store patrons for money at 7-Eleven.

Police Capt. Joel Rae said the issues officers have been handling haven't been taxing yet, but he anticipates the loitering, panhandling, overnight camping and thefts to increase as more members of the family reach Routt County.

"What we're seeing now is indicative of things to come," he said.

Rae said members of the Rainbow Family need to be aware of the city's municipal ordinance that makes "loitering for the purpose of begging" and camping overnight within city limits illegal.

"This is going to be a no-tolerance situation," he said. "Those who do beg will be issued tickets, as will those who are caught camping in city parks, or anywhere in the city."

While police have safety and legal concerns, other city officials are concerned with the impact on local residents and business owners.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Denise Ottaviano said she does not think the members of the Rainbow Family will be spending much time in Steamboat Springs because their purpose is to be outside in nature.

However, Ottaviano said residents should be aware that the members of the Rainbow Family will visit Steamboat Springs and surrounding municipalities to get supplies, which could cause some strain on business owners or patrons. To access the gathering site, participants must travel through Steamboat Springs.

"We really don't anticipate them being in town, other than to get supplies," Ottaviano said. "They will be in town at some point to get groceries or other supplies they'll need."

Sandy Evans Hall, executive vice president of the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Assoc-

iation, said she is encouraging local businesses to recognize that several thousands of people may be patronizing their businesses and that they should be prepared.

"We want to make sure all of our businesses are prepared for this. Stock up on inventory and staffing levels," she said. "Stock up the customer service levels."

Interim city manager Wendy DuBord said Wednesday that the city always has invited visitors and that she hopes the residents of Steamboat Springs will understand that there might be strains on transportation as the members of the Rainbow Family come through the city.

"We've always been a very welcoming community," she said. "We open our doors to people who are here for the same reasons we are.

"We would like to stress that the local citizens and visitors alike should take it easy that (Fourth of July) weekend. Traffic might be more congested, and there might be longer wait lines at restaurants, but I encourage everyone to just slow down and enjoy the scenery and the weekend."

George Krawzoff, the city's director of transit and transportation services, said some of the traffic issues that inevitably will arise can be soothed if people pay attention to parking limits and use alternative transportation.

"As more people and more cars come to town, it's important to recognize the two-hour parking limits on the streets," he said. "Don't try to rub the chalk off your tires, move your car and then come back. You'll still be ticketed.

"It's important we have these spaces available to accommodate everyone."

Krawzoff said he encourages everyone to take advantage of the Main Street Steamboat Springs shuttle and free Steamboat Springs Transit bus system during the Fourth of July weekend.

[lonewolf313]

Somebody ought to do a survey of businesses of Gatherings past & find out how many businesses have benefitted from us hippies and our spending habits! we heard the folks at the hot springs by NV'89 retired cuz of Rainbow & handed the business off to their kids. Bet there's other happy endings too. Had a guy from near the TX '88 Gathering (which some may know was one of the hardest Gatherings to get too...Billy Ball out to end Rainbow...the Promise Land & Berlin, hippies being snuck in by the Rainbow Navy...) anyway this guy stopped by our booth in Austin one day & said the locals up there want us back; said the forest was way cleaner after we left! (clean-up crew is soooo awesome! & TX crew has a very limited time to do clean-up!)

I'm a journalist that's going to be there this year, so I might just do that, I could write a story about it...

[Rocky_Green]

Details on the town meeting:
What: Community forum regarding Rainbow Family of Living Light
Where: Citizens Meeting Room, Centennial Hall, 124 10th St.
When: 9 a.m., June 23
Call: City of Steamboat Springs, 879-2060


Also check out the public forum on the Steamboat Pilot website. Some locals sound like they are getting agro already. Here's the link:


http://www.steamboatpilot.com/forum

[hippiehillbilly]

man that one dood in them forums sure stirs the pot..

we just browsed it..

should make for some interesting reading when i have time..

thanks.. love n light..

[hippiehillbilly]

oh an if ya run across local news video,,.. please post if able..

thanks.. love n light..

[drumminmama]

no matter what scene you're in you run into shady people. I used to be all about the rave scene (i'm currently very jaded about that scene), but there are shady people in that scene. I don't understand why people are arrested or warned when they are simply asking for spare change. There will be bad apples everywhere you go and the media feeds on them. See you all out in CO! Look for me!
because a bunch of towns have no panhandling ordinances.

[Rocky_Green]

This just in from the Steamboat Pilot Journal:

Concerns in the forest

Officers issue citations to Rainbow Family; fire a threat

By Dave Shively (http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/author_info/67), Sports writer

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Gigi, the self-appointed Rainbow Family of Living Light gatekeeper, could do nothing Monday to stop the convoy of U.S. Forest Service law enforcement sport utility vehicles from rolling down Forest Service Road 505 to enter the Rainbow gathering's main camping area.

"They have been coming up all day since yesterday, in and out, with mounted officers too," Gigi said before the 6 p.m. patrol that immediately shut down the road into the gathering.

Routt National Forest supervising forester Kent Foster said a squad of 30 law enforcement officials was brought in from across the country to prevent resource damage and enforce rules and regulations.

"Our biggest concern is fires," Foster said. "I checked things out the other day; they have their own internal fire watch to check untended fires, but I don't know how effective that is."

Michelle Sarubbi, a Forest Service law enforcement officer brought in from California, explained the stakes at the forest service road block.

"This is dead serious. I've done way too many evacuations, and what worries me is that there's only one way in and one way out," Sarubbi said. "There's no other means for fire and rescue. If there's a heart attack or stroke, your golden hour is gone."

Sarubbi said law enforcement teams moved methodically around campsites in the morning to gauge fire pits' proximity to dead trees, whether there was water and shovels nearby and to ensure that campers were aware fires needed to be monitored continuously and completely extinguished.

"If there's no fires or problems, then it's worth every word and every second spent," Sarubbi said.

The timing of enforcement teams' fire checks coincided with a National Weather Service Hazardous Weather Outlook Red Flag Warning issued Monday for eastern Utah and western Colorado. According to the service report, the combination of high temperatures, 30- to 40-mph wind gusts and low humidity created "critical fire weather conditions."

Much of the Routt National Forest also is filled with the dry fuel of dead trees affected by the pine beetle epidemic.

"There's an area stand that's 60 to 70 percent dead just east of where they are, some folks are already camped there," Foster said.

Inside the gathering, Rainbow campers at the centrally located supply site near the main water source were not concerned. Christopher and Blackfoot, a holistic medicine man, were tending a fire they used to boil stream water for portable use into "anything with a lid."

"We've got a shovel and a rake. I was here all last night watching (the fire). The weather's not going to be bad," said Blackfoot, who has attended and treated patients at Rainbow gatherings for 29 years.

"The law enforcement officers have been kind," Christopher said. "This gathering's for everyone, even them. We all have to behave to get along."

The cordial feelings may not last. Starting with Gigi, officers moved into the gathering area Monday evening, issuing illegal-gathering citations that require a mandatory summons before a federal magistrate. The officers also applied notices to vehicles informing participants they are in violation of federal regulations.

The Rainbow Family traditionally has resisted signing the Forest Service's free special-use permit for groups of 75 members or more.

"They see the permit as a way for us to control them," Sarubbi said. "The control is to protect the resources and to help them have a better experience and a better forest when they leave."

The Forest Service estimates there are from 200 to 500 people at the gathering, with a constant flow of participants driving and hitch-hiking up to the forest roads north of Hahn's Peak Village.

[Rocky_Green]

Steamboat Pilot Journal: we been bumped to the front page of the newspaper:

Tensions run high in forest

Forest Service abandons checkpoint after incident with Rainbow group

By Matt Stensland (http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/author_info/64)

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

CLARK — The Rainbow Family peace gathering turned hostile Tuesday when a group of attendees began hurling rocks and sticks at law enforcement officers, U.S. Forest Service officials said.

The incident forced the officers to abandon a checkpoint they had established near the entrance to the Rainbow gathering campsite in North Routt County, Forest Service spokeswoman Diann Ritschard said. Officers had not returned to the checkpoint as of Tuesday afternoon.

The incident happened at about 11 a.m. and involved Forest Service officers who were manning the checkpoint set up to issue citations to anyone attempting to enter the gathering. Citations were being issued because Rainbow Family members had not signed a free Forest Service special-use permit, which is required for gatherings of 75 or more people.

Before the Tuesday morning incident, Forest Service officials were blocking people from entering the gathering and telling them to "turn around," Forest Service spokeswoman Denise Ottaviano said.

Officials said a group of about 100 people -- some of whom already were inside the gathering area -- participated in the incident. Other participants included people waiting outside the checkpoint who were told they could not enter the gathering, Ritschard said.

No arrests were made, and the officers left the scene because they did not want to escalate the situation, Ritschard said. No officers were injured.

"This incident will be investigated, and we're not exactly sure what course of action will be taken," Ritschard said. "The Forest Service is deciding what action to take."

In addition to Forest Service law enforcement officers, a Routt County Sheriff's Office deputy also was at the checkpoint at the time of the incident, Ritschard said.

"The Forest Service is very serious about the safety of our officers and cooperators," Ritschard said.

Also Tuesday, an incomplete special-use permit application was submitted to the Forest Service, Ritschard said. She said the application contained profanity where the applicant was supposed to write the location of the gathering. The application can't be accepted as submitted, Ritschard said.

Between 60 and 70 illegal gathering citations had been issued to Rainbow gathering attendees as of Tuesday morning. As many as 20,000 people are expected to attend the official peace gathering from July 1 to 7. About 500 people already have arrived.

Citations will be issued to people who use the closed trails or ignore other regulations, including:

■ Public nudity

■ Camping within 150 feet of any running stream or body of water

■ Placing kitchen facilities, food preparation areas, gray water pits or slit trenches within 300 feet of any running stream or body of water

■ Placing kitchen facilities, food preparation areas, gray water pits or slit trenches within 150 feet of any open road

■ Cutting any standing trees in the area described as: north of Forest Road 505, west of Forest Road 498, south of the private property in Big Red Park and east of Forest Road 500.

Also, about 15 miles of National Forest system motorized trails (numbers 1204 and 1199) near the Rainbow gathering have been closed. Ritschard said the trails were closed to keep the public away from the gathering.

"Most people would enjoy (trails) more at a place that is less congested," Ritschard said.



___Throwing rocks, huh? that's not what I've heard from eyewitness acounts. Rainbow kids say that they Om-ed the feddies away. FS says people threw rocks at them. Who's version of the story do you believe

[WanderingturnupII]

Slightly different article from the Denver Rocky Mountain News, with comments from His Robness:

"Peace flees somewhere over the Rainbows ...

Forest Service says communal group menaced officers

By Charlie Brennan, Rocky Mountain News
June 21, 2006


It's not starting out with an abundance of peace and love.

Federal forest officials Tuesday clashed with members of the Rainbow Family north of Steamboat Springs, where the free-spirited tribe plans to hold its annual summer gathering of as many as 20,000 celebrants next month.

The 35th annual Rainbow Gathering of the Tribes for World Peace & Healing is to be held July 1-7 in the Routt National Forest but so far hasn't gotten a special-use permit.

Denise Ottaviano, an information officer for the National Incident Management Team, said about 15 U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers were forced to abandon a safety-and-information checkpoint after being encircled in a hostile manner by more than 200 Rainbows.

The conflict was sparked by the U.S. Forest Service's decision to start issuing citations to early-bird Rainbow campers entering the Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District - roughly 30 miles north-northeast of Steamboat Springs - without a special-use permit.

Ottaviano said the permit is required for a gathering of more than 74 people on Forest Service land.

About midday Tuesday, Ottaviano said, "a group of between 60 to 80 Rainbows started approaching the law enforcement officers from the interior of the gathering area in a very hostile manner.

"They broke up into groups and started surrounding the law enforcement officers at the checkpoint, and that incited the group of about 200 that was outside of the gathering area to then also approach and join in with the group that was already there, and start surrounding the law enforcement officers."

Ottaviano said that when the officers saw they were encircled, they drew their weapons but did not fire. They were then able to get into their cars and leave.

News of trouble in a planned paradise 10 days before the start of the Rainbows' mass summer reveries didn't sit well with Rob Savoye. He's a 47-year-old Rainbow Family member who lives near Nederland and helped locate this year's gathering site. He wasn't present at Tuesday's confrontation.

The problem with securing the required permit for the use of the federal land, Savoye said, is "nobody is in charge (of the Rainbows), and so nobody can sign a permit.

"We always say, anybody who looks like they're in charge, obviously isn't."

That reasoning won't wash with the feds.

"They have the constitutional right to gather on national forest system land, as does any group for any reason," Ottaviano said. "But they also have the legal responsibility to obtain the free special-use permit."

The Rainbows' permitting conflict has been played out for several years in a row, Savoye said.

"The last several years, somebody - most of the time unbeknownst to the rest of us - typically just jumps out of the woodwork to sign a permit, to save everybody from harassment," said Savoye, who describes himself as the Rainbows' "self-appointed Web site maintainer."

The Rainbows' literature describes the purpose of their annual summer communing with nature and one another as "expressing our sincere desire that there shall be peace on earth, harmony among all people."



brennanc@RockyMountainNews.com (brennanc@RockyMountainNews.com) or 303-892-2742"

[hippiestead]

Wonder when the LEOs & FS are going to realize that the fire danger of the Gathering area is going to drop once them hippies get all that dead wood cleaned up? Many kitchen & fire watch folks were in WY and helped fight that big fire; our kitchen folks developed newer & safer cook stoves every year after that. The cook stove in MT was all rock, 2 1/2 feet of the ground with wind protection on 3 sides and plenty of clear ground in the cooking room (the kitchen was so big in MT that we had a cooking room, a prep room, a kid room & a front room, plus the bliss pit & 2 hidden supply tents!)

[drumminmama]

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3960887
page one of an inside section... jump break was just after "I hate hippies" comment. Great layout, guys [/sarcasm], but a nice send 'em home zinger.

Feddies end checkpoint:
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3964660

[Normlzach]

Refering to a No shirt, No shoes, No service sign.
"I had to put it up," Saari said of the sign. "You can't come in here with no shoes. This is an old country store - my floor couldn't take it."

I've had to stop going barefoot in my house, because I kept putting holes in my floor, my feet are dangerous. I wear combat boots to bed now, they are less destructive.

[soaringeagle]

wow it sure starts off negative & way way down towards the bottom turns positive with the store ownders saying how nice & freindky we are & how they plan on going to the gathering
wonder how many locals read past the 1st few paragraphs though

[*Foxy*]

___Throwing rocks, huh? that's not what I've heard from eyewitness acounts. Rainbow kids say that they Om-ed the feddies away. FS says people threw rocks at them. Who's version of the story do you believeSomehow I don't think a bunch of people saying Om would be enough to make FS leave.

[hippiehillbilly]

Somehow I don't think a bunch of people saying Om would be enough to make FS leave.
no my guess is there was a permit signed tween then an now.. :H

[soaringeagle]

Somehow I don't think a bunch of people saying Om would be enough to make FS leave. it certainly could, theyre threattened by offers of hugs & 200 people united in an om would scare the shit outta them
i've seen them chased away by hugs before

[hippiehillbilly]

hhehehhehe they want hugs without bugs!!

heheheheehehehhe

[hippiehillbilly]

wow something we have in common.. there uniforms just make them not understand..

[soaringeagle]

outta uniform theyre no different then us, ya gotta remember that.
leavin cali we stopped at a convienience store 4 states away (driver was real sick ..ocpd..& needed to get to er) we asked a cop to call us an ambulance & the cops like "hey, dont take this the wrong way, but are you guys commin from a rainbow gathering?" we were shocked by the question being so far from cali at this point & he goes on to say "i worked a gathering a few years back & i just cant wait to go back to one outta uniform, you guys are all so vcool, sure ya might smokealil weed & muncha buncha shrooms but ya'll are so peavceful, i just loved it" really made ya think..these guys in these uniforms are jst people with belly buttons doin a job they may hate, acting the way they are told to act
they maybe pricks in uniforms syure, but you many times get from them what u give em, u act confrontational or be an asshole to em & ya get beat up & dragged away in cuffs, but if u treat em with the respect & courtesy & freindliness u do all your brothers & sisters they do respond toit & they leave feeling the ol rainbow love we all feel..its theyre gathering too, make it good for them even if they're there to make it bad for you (dont worry they cant possibly riun it)

[hippiehillbilly]

Amen

[WanderingturnupII]

From the Colorado Springs Independant, too long to cut and paste into here:
http://www.csindy.com/csindy/2006-06-22/cover.html

[soaringeagle]

From the Colorado Springs Independant, too long to cut and paste into here:
http://www.csindy.com/csindy/2006-06-22/cover.html

best article so far, & the only 1 i've seen that did any real research & approached it trying to understand all sides

[hippiehillbilly]

goodness me goodness me,, ya meen mouse is famous now???:rolleyes:



http://www.hipgallery.com/photopost2/data/500/289shantesenanlaw.jpg

man that article at a quick browse took my ass home an made me smile!!

ill read it thru,, well not right now,,..
luvin you turn up..

hehheehhee

[wild_juniper]

Ahh, I also give big thanx! With all this talk of trouble from the leos I was getting a little scared I wasn't going to get home, but to read this and see the pics made me smile and my soul can't wait to be home Sunday!!!

[hippiehillbilly]

just remember yer not home till ya are..


them that are paid to C tuit that ya have no home will do there best to see toit that ya dont get there..;)

no worrries..

if ya have none..:p

love n light..

[Normlzach]

From the Steamboat Pilot

Rainbow Family settles in

Campers set up medical tents and communal kitchens

By Mike Lawrence (http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/author_info/63)

Monday, June 26, 2006

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — The farther in you go, the nicer it gets.

At the annual gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light, taking place this year near Big Red Park, 35 miles north of Steamboat, there is a lot more going on than the occasional road block and disputes with U.S. Forest Service officials.

Amid the logistical squabbles about forest-use permits, citations, trash removal, fire safety and water sanitation, many participants in the nature-celebrating, peace-oriented gathering are setting up camp and doing their best to create a temporary home for other members of "the family."

Communal kitchens, sheltered bathrooms, a medical tent, running water spigots and a large "kids' village" are intermingled with colorful tent sites that sprawl across more than two miles of Routt National Forest land.

Walking on a packed-dirt trail toward campsites Sunday, Sunny Adams of Las Cruces, N.M., carried his 10-month-old daughter, Anoka, on his back. Adams praised the kids' village as a safe, friendly environment for young people at the event, which officially runs from Saturday to July 7, but already has drawn a crowd of more than 1,000.

"There can be serious craziness out here, but they always keep the kids away from it," Adams said. "It's separated by a big meadow."

The kids' village lies at the most inward point of the gathering, at least two miles from Forest Service Road 505. The meadow Adams referred to is a wide, hilly area lying between the village -- which contains play areas and a large communal kitchen that served rice and beans for lunch Sunday -- and most of the Rainbow tent sites.

The meadow soon will become the focal point of the gathering. Organizer Rob Savoye, a Nederland resident, said that on the morning of July 4, participants will fill the meadow in silence and form a giant circle to meditate or pray together.

"If you've never heard thousands of people ‘Om' at once, it's really something," said Brandy Stark, a 28-year-old Wisconsin woman camped near the kids' village. "Om" is the first syllable of a meditation mantra used by several religions, including Tibetan Buddhists.

"People will start forming (the circle) around sunrise," Savoye said.

You get all kinds

The relative calmness of the meadow and kids' village is a sharp contrast to a visitor's first impression of the Rainbow gathering.

Shortly after turning onto F.R. 505, cars arrive at "A-Camp," the first campsite of people at the Rainbow event. "A" stands for "alcohol."

Stark said that by "family consensus," alcohol at the Rainbow Family gathering usually is consumed only at A-Camp, which is more than a mile from the main camping area.

"For most people, it's alcohol-free," she said.

A look at Rainbow campsites Sunday afternoon showed that Stark is probably right. On a warm summer day, water and coffee were much more common drinks than beer and liquor. Virtually no one was drinking alcohol.

Marijuana use, however, was easy to spot. As law enforcement and forest officials from various agencies -- including the U.S. Forest Service and Routt County Sheriff's Office -- walked through the gathering, Rainbow members yelled "Six up!" to one another, a warning that law enforcement was nearby.

"It means six bullets in a gun," said Barry Summers, a 46-year-old North Carolina resident who is helping out with logistics at the event.

Second breakfast

In a communal kitchen dubbed "Shut Up and Eat It," a New York woman named Jesse tended to a fire beneath two large covered pans Sunday afternoon. The pans contained water, which needed to be boiled because Rainbow gatherers had not finished installing a system to filter and transport water from a nearby spring.

"Anyone who drinks non-boiled water, it's on their own discretion," said Jesse, who declined to give her last name. "And no one drinks water without going on a water run first."

Over the same fire, 28-year-old Zac Monstar of Georgia stirred a big pot of spaghetti sauce. Meals at "Shut Up and Eat It" are served nearly around the clock, he said.

"We're on a ‘Hobbit' schedule," Monstar said, referring to fictional characters created by author J.R.R. Tolkien who eat numerous meals a day. "We do first breakfast, second breakfast, ‘elevenses,' lunch, snacks, dinner, supper ... and fried chocolate treats at night."

In between meals, a daily routine at the Rainbow gathering likely involves a lot of walking around, socializing, and relaxing.

"We do what we're doing right now," said Bellejo Howell of Idaho, as he helped a friend carry supplies to a tent.

"The gathering kind of plans itself," Savoye said, adding that a talent show is scheduled for later this week. Stark said some campsites offer yoga classes. A "trade circle" area, near the medical tent, is a bazaar-style marketplace where people spread out various goods -- including handmade jewelry and clothing -- for sale or, more likely, for barter.

And crowds are still flowing in for the Rainbow event.

"Usually around the 28th, we're kicking into high gear," said "Hawker," an electrical engineer from North Carolina who helped set up water systems for the event.

To reach Mike Lawrence, call 871-4203

or e-mail mlawrence@steamboatpilot.com

[Normlzach]

Here's another



Rainbow technicians cover fire and water logistics

By Dave Shively (http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/author_info/67), Sports writer

Monday, June 26, 2006

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — U.S. Forest Service officials don't believe that a "non-organization of non-members" has the professional capacity to handle natural disasters and care for starving masses, as the group members claim.





Foresters denied issuing the Rainbow Family of Living Light a special-use permit last week because of extreme fire danger at the proposed site near Big Red Park in the Routt National Forest, about 35 miles north of Steamboat Springs.

But for 26-year Rainbow gathering veteran Rob Savoye, the family's fundamental "non-organizational" nature is precisely what allows its volunteer base to thrive in chaotic conditions.

"When we got to (Hurricane) Katrina, they were excited because we brought instant relief with mobile kitchens, a fully trained medical staff and a functional communications center," Savoye said. "We were treating people in the streets in August two blocks from the French Quarter and feeding the National Guard. We can coordinate as individuals. We don't fall apart in the chaos, we just fall together."

Savoye, 47, operates a computer-consulting business in Nederland. He said he was putting 30 years of search-and-rescue experience, Emergency Medical Technician certification and a degree in outdoor-recreation leadership, to work at the gathering.

"We have several dozen medics operating in the core communications group," Savoye said about the 35 to 40 members linked on repeater-capable modified ham radios.

The network of professionally trained technicians, midwives, retired and vacationing doctors and ex-military medics work based out of the Center for Alternative Living and Medicine, or C.A.L.M. camp, assembled directly adjacent to the large meadow where the gathering's main event, the July 4 prayer circle, is tentatively scheduled.

"We're really triage-oriented. We determine the criticality and then decide to pull the stops for an evacuation with our drivers waiting at" Forest Service Road 505, Savoye said.

Routt National Forest supervising forester Kent Foster was touring the facilities and spreading the fire-prevention message Sunday with members of the interagency Northwest Colorado Wildland Fire Program. He was concerned with the bigger evacuation issues surrounding a forest fire.

"Beetle kill's our main concern, with all the dead and dying, there's serious potential," Foster said, adding that Routt County and Routt National Forest officials should be enacting fire-burning restrictions early in the week.

Forest Service spokeswoman Kimberley Vogel reiterated that the gathering area has experienced numerous fires beginning in July, when dry lightning precedes summer afternoon showers. Such lightning started the Mount Zirkel Complex, a blaze that consumed 38,000 acres of the Routt National Forest on July 12, 2002.

The gatherers are also concerned that the site they selected sits in a fire corridor.

"Our plan would be to contract up Silver Creek and evacuate out the valley while we dig a defensive fire line and wait for the Forest Service," Savoye said. "We're part of the resource available to fight the fire. This is our home now. ... It was an amazing thing at the 1994 gathering in Snider Basin, Wyo., to see 3,500 people on a fire line a mile long beat an 8-acre fire to death in an hour and half."

Collective interest in forest welfare eased Savoye's concerns about smaller internal fires, such as the one ignited Thursday that gatherers and Forest Service officials said they quickly extinguished.

Gatherers also rely on self-appointed "firewatch" members, such as "Circus Maximus," a "firewalker" who patrols for unattended fires at night with his Pulaski firefighting ax in hand. The patrols ensure that community fires are contained in rock-lined areas and enforce the family consensus rule that prohibits personal campfires.

Work continued Sunday for other members who were taking charge of logistical tasks to support a projected community of 20,000 for the gathering, which officially begins Saturday.

"Hawker," a 38-year-old electrical engineer from Asheville, N.C., acts as an instrumental volunteer helping to construct an elaborate gravity-feed filtration system.

Without a U.S. Forest Service road block in place, "Hawker" and the Rainbow utility forces were able to bring in the large 400-foot coils of 3/4-inch irrigation tubing to start linking the higher elevation springs to two-stage ceramic filters and then to various kitchens. "Hawker" estimated that after the "primitive high-tech" system is complete, six to eight miles of water line would be installed.

-- To reach Dave Shively, call 846-1129

or e.mail dshively@steamboatpilot.com



More in News (http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/news)

[Normlzach]

LAST ONE

Kathy Darden: Meet the Rainbows

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Holy cow, I don't know where to start.




OK, how about the "bathing in the misters" bunk. Use your brain, does that really make any sense to you? Do you have such a closed and hateful mind about this whole thing that you are willing to latch on to and spew every ugly rumor that has ever been spread about any and all rainbows.

How about this, apparently one of your golden little Colorado boys thought it was great fun to heat clothes hangers and brand the bottoms of his classmates. Am I to now assume that every citizen of Colorado has a stockpile of "branding hangers" and all of your little kids have branded rears?

And how about those terrible statistics from the previous gathering. A total of 27 people were arrested -- that would be a whole lot less than are typically arrested in a town of 20,000 people in a three-week period. Why don't you go and see how many people were arrested in Steamboat during the weeks of May 1-21. Just randomly chose that because the filthy hippies hadn't gotten there then.

A huge percentage of the Rainbow Family have full-time jobs and take their two week vacation to go to the gathering. As was reported in an article in this paper, there are doctors, nurses, social workers, lawyers, teachers, mill workers, computer specialists and farmers.

People of every occupation you can imagine will don their tie-dyes and become hippies for a couple of weeks. And you won't be able to tell who is who or who does what. And that's one of the main points. Family, bonded together by a common ideal, love of peace, love of the land, and love of their fellow human.

Then there is a small percentage who are bums, users, thieves, con men and mentally impaired. And as was also mentioned in an article in this paper, there are the young punks who have no idea what Rainbow is all about. They think it will be a wild drugged-out, naked party and they can just come and be jerks. They can't. The Rainbows have a very experienced crew who "police" the gathering. Violence is not allowed. They will do all they can to stop any bad things from happening, and if they can't control it, they call in the local police.

When some idiot kid who has got some nasty drugs from somewhere uses those drugs at the gathering, and goes crazy, there is an experienced team who will literally sit on the kid, make sure the kid is safe, give them water, keep them warm, and get them through it. They won't hesitate to call for an ambulance if needed.

Being out of control at a gathering is not acceptable. You will be taken to the parking lot and turned over to local authorities. Yes, this is done only as a last resort, but it is done when it needs to be. In fact, it is likely that some of those 27 arrests that were mentioned in your article, were initiated by the Rainbows.

So, why don't you get up and go out and meet the folks. They would never hurt you, they would welcome you. Even if you screamed nasty things at them, they would ask you to sit and have some coffee, and get to know them. ‘Cause that's just how they are.

Another FYI is that there are several kitchens at the gathering. No person ever goes hungry there. And none of that food is obtained from Dumpsters. There is "Lovin' Ovens" who bake fresh bread, hundreds of loaves every day. There is "Instant Soup" from a guy who comes all the way from Florida and sets up his kitchen to provide soup to everyone with fresh food that he buys. There is a kitchen that makes vegetarian burritos with produce and beans that they buy, fresh. And those are just a fraction of the services that the Rainbows provide for the gathering. There are numerous water stations and coffee, made with potable water.

The final thing I'd like to address is your forest. For more than 30 years, the Rainbow Family has been doing these gatherings. And never, not even one time, has any Forest Service representative done anything less than praise the way the forest has been left. As was stated in an article in this paper, not even one cigarette butt is left behind.

No matter how many unconscious young punks, no matter how many transient bums, no matter how many unthoughtful people join the gathering, the core of the Family will not leave the site until every trace of the gathering is removed.

Kathy Darden

Brownsville, Calif

[soaringeagle]

wow!!! god these are amazing articles!
finaly the media is really taking notice of the truth ...

[Normlzach]

Open fire ban announced

By Mike Lawrence (http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/author_info/63)

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — If you want to cook hot dogs over a campfire this holiday weekend, you'll need a designated campsite with a provided and approved fire grate.













Fire officials have banned open fires, effective today, in eight counties across Northwest Colorado. They cited bone-dry vegetation and unseasonably warm temperatures as the primary cause of the ban. The restriction includes all state, federal and county lands in Routt, Moffat, Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Larimer, Rio Blanco and Summit counties.

"Current fire and fuel conditions are about a month ahead of normal," said Fire Management Officer Cliff Hutton of the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit, which announced the sweeping ban Tuesday.

Lynn Barclay, spokeswoman and fire mitigation specialist for the Bureau of Land Management, said that although individual agencies will set their own specific fire guidelines, Tuesday's announcement indicated that restrictions will be put in place across the region today.

"That was a broad message indicating to people that there will be some kind of fire restrictions," Barclay said. "The broad stroke is that there will be no open fires anywhere."

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Diann Ritschard said Tuesday night that though she didn't yet know the particulars, fire restrictions for the Routt National Forest will be made effective today.

Also on Tuesday, Routt County Commissioners enacted a countywide ban on open fires, effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

"It's been getting progressively drier," Chuck Vale, director of the county's emergency management department, told commissioners. "We're afraid that we won't have enough (fire suppression) resources if something gets started. We're just barely wetter than we were in 2002."

In that year, the state's Department of Local Affairs reported 36 wildfires in Colorado, including the Mt. Zirkel Complex fire 25 miles north of Steamboat Springs. The Burn Ridge and Hinman fires combined to form the Mt. Zirkel Complex fire, which burned 31,016 acres, injured 14 people and cost $13.3 million.

The complex fire, started by lightning, occurred in the same area as the current Rainbow Family of Living Light gathering, which so far has drawn an estimated 4,000 people to Routt National Forest land near Big Red Park in North Routt County. The gathering ends July 7, but many participants are expected to linger in the area. The Hinman Fire started July 12, 2002.

Barclay said regional fire restrictions allow fires at "campgrounds maintained and established by the Forest Service that are identified and named."

Rainbow participants have created several large, communal kitchens throughout the gathering area. Many of the kitchens include large cook fires in deep fire pits.

Barclay said those fires would likely be prohibited, because the sites are not maintained by the Forest Service.

Routt County's fire ban, similar to the larger, eight-county ban, prohibits the following activities:

■ Building, maintaining, att�--ending or using any fire to burn trash, debris, fence rows or vegetation. Any campfire, warming fire or charcoal grill, except in designated campgrounds, picnic areas or developed recreational sites. Charcoal grills at private residences are not banned.

■ Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.

■ Operating a chain saw without a USDA or SAE approved spark-arresting device properly installed and in effective working order. A chemical pressurized fire extinguisher and a round pointed shovel are also required for chain saw use.

■ Welding or operating an acetylene torch or other torch with an open flame, except within an area that is barren or cleared of all flammable material for at least 10 feet on all sides from the equipment.

■ Using explosives requiring fuse blasting caps.

The following activities are exempted from the fire ban in Routt County:

■ Any fires contained within liquid-fueled or gas stoves, fireplaces within buildings, and permanent fire pits or fire grates located in developed picnic grounds and campgrounds.

■ Burning of irrigation ditches located within and completely surrounded by irrigated farmlands, where such burning is necessary for crop survival and a specific written permit has been granted in advance by the Routt County Sheriff.

Routt County's fire ban will be in place until county commissioners remove it, upon the recommendation of Vale and Routt County Sheriff John Warner.

[hippiehillbilly]

now that will make this gathering VERY VERY interesting..

i see someone getting a ticket...

[hippiehillbilly]

■ Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.

Wow ,, so hehehe,, im not goin there..

should be some happy campers by the end of this movie...

[Normlzach]

Gray areas in Rainbow clash

Forest Service says officers were hurt in Monday confrontation

By Alexis DeLaCruz (http://www.steamboatpilot.com/section/author_info/60)

Thursday, June 29, 2006

The U.S. Forest Service estimates almost 5,000 people are in the Routt National Forest for the annual Rainbow gathering, which starts Saturday.

It is also estimated that up to 20,000 will attend the gathering, which is near Big Red Park about 35 miles north of Steamboat.

About 250 citations have been issued to Rainbow Family members since officers began citing the members for not having a special-use permit, Forest Service spokeswoman Denise Ottaviano said.

Ottaviano also said officers used pepper spray and nightclubs Monday to clear a large group of Rainbow Family members who surrounded them.

Ottaviano said one Rainbow Family member was arrested in the incident, although she did not know the person's name or what he or she was charged with. Ottaviano said three Forest Service officers sustained minor injuries in the confrontation.

Ottaviano said the incident began at about 5 p.m. as 15 Forest Service officers walked through the gathering. Ottaviano said the officers were attempting to contact group members about growing fire concerns when a group of more than 100 Rainbow participants surrounded the officers. Some of the officers were shoved by family members, she said.

Ottaviano said no Rainbow Family members were injured in the incident.

Forest Service officers have been accused of undue violence, as well. Marie Jensen, 50, a former child advocacy lawyer and current Steamboat Springs resident, said she witnessed an "extremely disturbing incident" on her way to visit the Rainbow gathering at about 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

Jensen said as she drove up to a Forest Service roadblock near the gathering site, a young woman, likely a Rainbow participant, was sitting cross-legged on the side of the road, with her hands behind her head and fingers interlaced. Jensen said a female Forest Service officer picked the young woman up by the belt loop and shirt collar, then "physically threw her into the ground, face-first."

"It was the most awful thing I've ever seen," Jensen said. "I couldn't believe this Forest Service lady was throwing this girl around. The officer was using unreasonable force in response to the situation -- it was way over the top. There was no eminent danger; there was nothing threatening."

Forest Service spokeswoman Diann Ritschard said Tuesday that she had "not heard one word" about the incident, and "had no idea" whether it happened.

Ottaviano said Forest Service officials will continue to patrol the camps and enforce fire bans.

Officers are "intermittently" manning a checkpoint at the entrance to the Rainbow gathering near Forest Service roads 500 and 550. Officers will continue to advise those who pass through the checkpoint that the gathering is illegal because the Rainbow Family's special-use permit was denied last week.

-- Reporter Mike Lawrence

contributed to this report.

[Normlzach]

Sound off: June 25

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Excessive enforcement





Note to Forest Service law enforcement officials: If you really feel that strongly about the Rainbow gatherers having a "free" permit prior to their official permit dates, then maybe you could escort old Grampa Rainbow himself back to your offices to fill out the necessary paperwork. Don't you think your current enforcement actions are being just a little, OK, a lot excessive? Personally, I'm not a big fan of hordes of hippies congregating in my local national forest. But from what I've seen so far, any conflict that has arisen from this gathering is the direct result of your no-tolerance approach.

Glad you're here

A sincere and heartfelt welcome, Rainbow Family, from one Steamboat old-timer. Or welcome to a Steamboat Springs of the past, when all visitors were welcomed equally. That was a Steamboat of live and let live, when tolerance was a family value and law enforcement officers didn't force confrontations or draw their weapons on unarmed crowds.

Believe it, pedestrians walked around intoxicated, lazy dogs acted like speed bumps in city streets, kids happily skateboarded everywhere, we rode bicycles in the dark without headlights, and people played with dogs in their yard -- unleashed -- without our neighbors calling the cops to report such things.

Stranger still, Steamboat is deliriously happy to welcome up to 28,000 people the last week in December and thousands every week for Triple Crown, many of whom won't even buy groceries here. If you ride snowmobiles or ATVs in the forest, come on up -- we want you in the forest, even the roadless areas. So, there it is. Steamboat has changed. Some of us welcome you and are glad you are here. Peace be with you.

Makes me wonder

I never heard of the Rainbow group until they arrived in Steamboat on their way to the festival. I am sure that most are peaceful, loving souls just trying to enjoy this celebration. However, the few rotten apples that tag along with the group and come into Steamboat to steal, etc., are not welcome. The residents of Steamboat are protective of this beautiful city and will not tolerate this behavior.

Also, I don't see what the problem is with signing a permit to camp if there are over 75 people. That's the law. Abiding by the laws is part of being a conscious, spiritual person. They could have bypassed the whole incident that occurred with them throwing rocks and sticks and guns being drawn by the Forest Service officers if one person in their group took the initiative to sign the permit. It seems as if the Rainbow group is creating their own problems due to a lack of cooperation. Makes me wonder.

[WanderingturnupII]

From Today's Pilot:

"Law enforcement: On June 26, while law enforcement officers walked the gathering to discuss resource concerns, gathering participants attempted to surround their position and became verbally abusive. When officers began questioning the individuals and attempted to obtain their identification, the individuals became uncooperative and ran from the officers. As the officers where in the process of apprehending the suspects a confrontation ensued. Fifteen Forest Service law enforcement officers were surrounded by a hostile crowd of approximately 200+ people from within the gathering. Individuals from the crowd assaulted three officers, pulled the suspects away, and piled on top of one of the suspects to prevent his apprehension. Officers were forced to defend themselves with the use of pepper spray and batons. Three officers received minor injuries that required medical attention including a female officer who was elbowed in the face and chest. Officers were able to escape the hostile crowd and take one person into custody."

[mariecstasy]

what an amazing article....and it made my partner feel so much better. his daughter is there with his "stuck in the moment" ex-wife and is worried about his baby because he hasn't heard a word. we assume there is no communication means there. but as i read the article to both he and myself, i was covered with goosebumps.


of course the media is making note. there is a consciousness so strong moving across the globe that its leaking into everywhere. even our media. lets hope sooner than later it gets in our rulers. but well money will always lead some people instead of love. but LOVE is spreading. i feel it and i know you do too:) even if there is fucked up shit going on in the world, when you dont listen to the reports but "be the change you want to see" you see so much truth passing into peoples consciousness. least that has been my experience. many people arent aware of it yet....but its happening.
LAST ONE

Kathy Darden: Meet the Rainbows

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Holy cow, I don't know where to start.




OK, how about the "bathing in the misters" bunk. Use your brain, does that really make any sense to you? Do you have such a closed and hateful mind about this whole thing that you are willing to latch on to and spew every ugly rumor that has ever been spread about any and all rainbows.

How about this, apparently one of your golden little Colorado boys thought it was great fun to heat clothes hangers and brand the bottoms of his classmates. Am I to now assume that every citizen of Colorado has a stockpile of "branding hangers" and all of your little kids have branded rears?

And how about those terrible statistics from the previous gathering. A total of 27 people were arrested -- that would be a whole lot less than are typically arrested in a town of 20,000 people in a three-week period. Why don't you go and see how many people were arrested in Steamboat during the weeks of May 1-21. Just randomly chose that because the filthy hippies hadn't gotten there then.

A huge percentage of the Rainbow Family have full-time jobs and take their two week vacation to go to the gathering. As was reported in an article in this paper, there are doctors, nurses, social workers, lawyers, teachers, mill workers, computer specialists and farmers.

People of every occupation you can imagine will don their tie-dyes and become hippies for a couple of weeks. And you won't be able to tell who is who or who does what. And that's one of the main points. Family, bonded together by a common ideal, love of peace, love of the land, and love of their fellow human.

Then there is a small percentage who are bums, users, thieves, con men and mentally impaired. And as was also mentioned in an article in this paper, there are the young punks who have no idea what Rainbow is all about. They think it will be a wild drugged-out, naked party and they can just come and be jerks. They can't. The Rainbows have a very experienced crew who "police" the gathering. Violence is not allowed. They will do all they can to stop any bad things from happening, and if they can't control it, they call in the local police.

When some idiot kid who has got some nasty drugs from somewhere uses those drugs at the gathering, and goes crazy, there is an experienced team who will literally sit on the kid, make sure the kid is safe, give them water, keep them warm, and get them through it. They won't hesitate to call for an ambulance if needed.

Being out of control at a gathering is not acceptable. You will be taken to the parking lot and turned over to local authorities. Yes, this is done only as a last resort, but it is done when it needs to be. In fact, it is likely that some of those 27 arrests that were mentioned in your article, were initiated by the Rainbows.

So, why don't you get up and go out and meet the folks. They would never hurt you, they would welcome you. Even if you screamed nasty things at them, they would ask you to sit and have some coffee, and get to know them. ‘Cause that's just how they are.

Another FYI is that there are several kitchens at the gathering. No person ever goes hungry there. And none of that food is obtained from Dumpsters. There is "Lovin' Ovens" who bake fresh bread, hundreds of loaves every day. There is "Instant Soup" from a guy who comes all the way from Florida and sets up his kitchen to provide soup to everyone with fresh food that he buys. There is a kitchen that makes vegetarian burritos with produce and beans that they buy, fresh. And those are just a fraction of the services that the Rainbows provide for the gathering. There are numerous water stations and coffee, made with potable water.

The final thing I'd like to address is your forest. For more than 30 years, the Rainbow Family has been doing these gatherings. And never, not even one time, has any Forest Service representative done anything less than praise the way the forest has been left. As was stated in an article in this paper, not even one cigarette butt is left behind.

No matter how many unconscious young punks, no matter how many transient bums, no matter how many unthoughtful people join the gathering, the core of the Family will not leave the site until every trace of the gathering is removed.

Kathy Darden

Brownsville, Calif

[drumminmama]

quick update: post had an article about a federal court filing by an attorney at the "steamboat Star Chamber" (the fire house cum courthouse).
Seems he was NOT allowed in until his clients were called...WTF: we have OPEN court here aside from family court.