Fort Chambers plan released
A draft stewardship plan has been released for a Boulder open space property connected to the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. Troops who participated in the killing of Arapaho and Cheyenne peoples were trained at Fort Chambers, believed to have been located off 63rd Street in Gunbarrel.
The plan, created in consultation with representatives of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal nations, calls for ecological restoration along Boulder Creek, including the use of native plants; creation of a “healing trail” with signage and programming to explain the historical context of the site; restoration of a historic Queen Anne Victorian house on the premises and continued vegetable farming and irrigated agriculture.
A historic marker noting the location of Fort Chambers. Erected in 1959, it inaccurately referred to the Sand Creek Massacre — in which 230 people, mostly women, children and the elderly, were murdered by American troops in 1864 — as an “Indian uprising.” The marker was removed in 2023. Courtesy: City of Boulder
The 113-acre property was also previously home to a “poor farm,” where ill and indigent residents lived and worked. Boulder purchased the land in 2018. Last year, the city removed a historical marker that inaccurately referred to the Sand Creek Massacre as an “Indian uprising.”
“We would like to make this a success story for everyone,” said Chester Whiteman (Southern Cheyenne), in a city news release. “This is going to take healing on all sides, all of the Nations that are involved in this. Everybody has to work together to get to that point, and we need to come together to educate everybody that comes to this location.”
Open space staff will be available to answer questions about the plan from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 at 2520 55th St. Residents can submit feedback online through April 7: bit.ly/fort-chambers-plan.
Day shelter cleared to open
Boulder’s long-awaited homeless day services center has received city approval to open, the Daily Camera reported Monday. An opening date has not been set, a spokesperson from Boulder Shelter for the Homeless (BSH) said, but will likely “take a few weeks.”
“We were waiting on approval before hiring,” Andy Schultheiss wrote in response to emailed questions, “so [we] will be starting now.”
City Council in 2022 made a day shelter and services center a priority. After publicly announcing a standalone location in April 2023, Boulder’s agreement with the property owner fell through. BSH was announced as the new planned location in December.
The Shelter required a change to its land use and management plan to allow it to operate during the day. That change was approved by city staff last week.
Man found in Boulder Creek
The body of a man was found in Boulder Creek last week, according to a news release from the City of Boulder.
Officers and fire-rescue personnel were called to the area of Boulder Creek path bridge on 9th Street around 10:15 a.m. on March 22, responding to reports of a body in the water. The man was found deceased in the water.
The man has not been named and no identifying details have been released. The cause of death has not been determined. There is no suspicion of foul play, city officials said.
In animal news….
• Ospreys have returned to their nest at Boulder County Fairgrounds. Watch a live osprey cam at bouldercounty.gov/open-space/management/osprey-camera
• Superior is looking for photos of your furry, feathery or scaly friends for its SNAPS photo competition. Winning images will be displayed at the Superior Community Center. Enter by April 18: bit.ly/4atJcsG