What's ahead for the Springs in 2010

If you’re a stickler for such things, 2010 isn’t actually the start of a new decade. That moment will come Jan. 1, 2011. But it is the start of a new year, and while we can’t predict the news, we’re expecting local news to develop on various fronts throughout 2010.

Economically, it feels like 2010 could hardly be worse than 2009, and there are some signs of life that could continue to strengthen during the new year.

Cutbacks to government services, which are funded by tax revenues that rise and fall with economic activity, will be Story No. 1 throughout 2010 as the local and state governments try to close huge gaps between previously anticipated spending plans and the tax money available to pay for them. Throughout 2010, the headlines also will tell the somewhat unusual story of local governments learning how to regulate the sale of medical marijuana.

The never-ending story of the homeless, already magnified by hard economic times locally, will gain new urgency in 2010 as the city contemplates -- or punts -- measures that would attempt to regulate where and how they gather.

Already the year has dealt a surprise: Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, who had said he would retire from his ministry empire, plans to launch a new, if not altogether different, radio ministry here in Colorado Springs in March. It may deal another one Sunday if the Broncos -- with the help of several major planets moving into alignment -- find themselves in the NFL playoffs.

We can hope. That’s the gift of a new year.

BUSINESS
 
On Monday, US Airways will end its four daily round-trip flights between Colorado Springs and Phoenix.

Verizon Wireless will begin operations this year in a data center it is building in the former Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. plant off Garden of the Gods Road.

Interior work on the U.S. Olympic Committee’s new downtown headquarters building is supposed to be finished March 1.

Some local economists expect home sales to improve modestly in 2010. Reasons: an extended and expanded homebuyer tax credit, and more soldiers arriving at Fort Carson. Area new-home construction should improve modestly, economists at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs say.

Contractors who say they’re owed about $19 million for work on the massive and unfinished Colorado Crossing project on Colorado Springs’ north side go to court in April.

Retail will get a boost this year when Lowe’s, the home-improvement megastore, and Kohl’s, the department store, open at University Village Colorado on North Nevada Avenue. Another Lowe’s is expected to open at the revamped Citadel Crossing shopping center on North Academy Boulevard.
 
ARTS & CULTURE

Jan. 6 • Robert Earl Keen — Not many singers are known for thoughtful wordplay and rowdy good humor, but Keen is the godfather of such stuff.  And to see him perform in a local bar? Don’t miss it. The Black Sheep, 2106 E. Platte Ave., www.ticketweb.com or 1-866-468-7621.

Jan. 21-24 • Walking With Dinosaurs — A spin-off of the eponymous BBC TV series, this prehistoric extravaganza of 15 life-size dinos is both a jaw-dropping spectacle and a history lesson. World Arena, 3185 Venetucci Blvd.; www.ticketswest.com or 576-2626.

Jan. 22-Feb. 14 • “Sweeney Todd” — The New York Times said this Tony-winning work wields a “poisoned seductiveness of a campfire storyteller who knows what really scares you.”  Throw in Stephen Sondheim’s exquisite words and music and that’s a big night at the theater. Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St.; 634-5583 or www.csfineartscenter.org.

Jan. 22 • LeAnn Rimes — A teen phenom of the late ‘90s, Rimes was first pegged as a successor to the rich vocal tradition of Patsy Cline. Over the years, though, she’s veered into pop hits like “I Need You.”  Arnold Hall, Air Force Academy; 333-4497.

Jan. 29 • John Hammond — The blues doesn’t get much grittier or honky-tonkin’ than Hammond’s. Prepare to tap your feet. Colorado College, Armstrong Hall, 1021 N. Cascade Ave.; www.amusiccompanyinc.com   

Feb. 3 • “Art, Culture, Politics: An Evening with David Henry Hwang, Tony Kushner and Suzan-Lori Parks, moderated by Laurence Maslon” — A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear three of America’s greatest living playwrights — winners of both the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize — in an intimate setting. After the panel discussion, the authors of “M.Butterfly,” “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” and “Topdog/Underdog,” respectively, will sign books. Colorado College, Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave., www.tinyurl.com/y8p4aq8.

Feb. 27-28 • “The Magic Flute” — After rave reviews for their collaboration on a semi-staged “La Bohème,” the Opera Theatre of the Rockies and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic join forces again to present a fully staged production of Mozart’s fantastic romp. Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; www.pikespeakcenter.com or 520-7469.

March 2 • Los Lonely Boys — Although this trio of brothers is known for its Tex-Mex roots, the hit “Heaven” and others demonstrate the band’s skill with pop balladry. Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; www.pikespeakcenter.com or 520-7469.

March 5 • Le Grand Cirque — Not quite Cirque du Soleil, but the same ingredients — from the crazy costumes to the death defying acrobatics to the dancer’s mind-boggling bendability. Arnold Hall, Air Force Academy; 333-4497.

March 16-17 • “Avenue Q” — Critics raved about this puppet-driven musical. Now the touring company brings the Tony-winning Broadway show, which is smart, funny and, despite all the brightly colored felt, deeply human, to our stages. Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; www.pikespeakcenter.com, 520-7469.

April 1 • David Allan Coe — A singer-songwriter known for his run-ins with the law and unpredictability in concert, Coe never really made it into the mainstream. Still, he can rock his own version of the country songbook. Cowboys, 25 N. Tejon St., www.cowboysdowntowncs.com.

April 18 • Glenn Miller Orchestra — “Moonglow?” “String of Pearls?” “Pennsylvannia 6-5000?” The man may be gone but the music lingers on. Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; 520-7469, www.pikespeakcenter.com.

May 8 • “‘Hotel California’: Music of the Eagles” — With the help of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Pops, Eagles impersonators Jeans ‘n Classics resurrect “Hotel California” in its entirety and much more., Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; 520-7469, www.pikespeakcenter.com.

EDUCATION
 
School budgets will take huge hits as the state cuts back on school funding. Expect Gazette coverage of the reductions and how districts cope.

More districts are looking at pay for performance for teachers. We’ll be covering the local battles as they come up, including the Colorado Springs, Falcon and Harrison districts.

RELIGION

The criminal trial of the Rev. Don Armstrong, formerly of Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and now facing felony theft charges, begins Feb. 22.

James Dobson hosts his last radio show for Focus on the Family on Feb. 28 and then will retire from the organization -- only to begin a new, separate radio ministry in March, called “James Dobson on the Family.”
 
HEALTH

As the flu season moves into its ebb at the start of the year, the El Paso County Health Department will attempt to face the rest of 2010 with a slim budget.

Federal health-care-reform legislation may, or may not, mean changes to Colorado Springs. Either way, it will be news.

Medical marijuana is permitted by Colorado’s constitution. Local governments will continue to scramble to bring their ordinances and codes in line.

 
SOCIAL SERVICES
 
Homelessness will continue to be an issue. The number of homeless families continues to grow, stressing agencies that serve them. The City Council will consider an ordinance to outlaw homeless camps. Advocates will press for creation of a “sobering bed” unit to provide overnight housing for those unable to meet the strict sobriety requirements at shelters.

Social service agencies likely will see more families and individuals living on the bubble: not homeless or jobless, but not making enough to make ends meet.

COLORADO SPRINGS GOVERNMENT

Supporters of a petition drive to recall Mayor Lionel Rivera and Vice Mayor Larry Small have until mid-January to collect thousands of signatures.
 
Deep cuts made to the proposed 2010 budget become reality, and impacts will be felt widely. City recreation centers and other facilities will get funding for the first three months of 2010, then will have to find funding of their own. Dozens of employees have been laid off.
 
Outgoing Assistant City Manager Mike Anderson called the city’s financial obligations to the police and fire pension plans a time bomb. The City Council has asked for a report on what’s down the road for the plans.
 
There’s been talk of creating special districts or regional authorities for parks, transit and stormwater drainage. The question is whether any proposals will land on the November ballot.


EL PASO COUNTY GOVERNMENT

2010 is an election year, and in El Paso County, Republicans will posture to see who secures the offices of treasurer and clerk and recorder and who will fill two commission seats. Five Republicans and one Democrat will vie for the seat to be vacated by the term-limited Jim Bensberg.
 
The county’s budget will continue to dominate the agenda, as the value of the property-tax base declines. One strategy has been to explore contracting such government duties as plowing streets to private businesses, but there is much debate whether it would save money.
 
STATE GOVERNMENT

Colorado lawmakers convene Jan. 13 and immediately will confront a $1 billion budget deficit. Proposals to fill the crater include a mix of tax hikes, including $90 million in business taxes. Schools may take their first major budget cuts in more than a decade.
 
By summer, election season should hit high gear. Republicans Scott McInnis and Jane Norton hope to unseat Democrats Gov. Bill Ritter and rookie U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, respectively.
 
At least three citizen initiatives are headed to the ballot. Amendment 60 would roll back property taxes. Amendment 61 would prohibit the state from borrowing funds and severely restrict local governments from borrowing money. Proposition 101 would reduce the state income tax rate and cut motor vehicle registration fees and taxes as well as fees and taxes associated with cell phones, pagers and Internet and satellite services.
 
 
PUBLIC SAFETY

As is the case everywhere in government, the issue will be the budget. The City Council last year contemplated outright layoffs of police and fire personnel in 2010 but decided against them. Still, retirees and people who have left won’t be replaced for the most part, resulting in 50 fewer police officers and 15 fewer firefighters on the streets this year. The public can expect slower response times and, in some cases, not the same level of service. The police already have grounded their two helicopters for good.

SPORTS

One of the year’s big local sports moments happens Sunday: The Denver Broncos take their mathematically minuscule playoff chances to Invesco Field to play the Kansas City Chiefs. A postseason berth hangs in the balance.

The Winter Olympics will be held Feb. 12-18 in Vancouver, British Columbia. This month, final teams are named after competitions including the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Wash., and Winter X Games in Aspen/Buttermilk. On Feb. 4, the U.S. women’s hockey team faces Finland at World Arena in a final Olympic tuneup.

The rest of the sports year:

February • 5 - Air Force visits CC in hockey. 6 - DU visits Air Force. 7 - The Super Bowl takes place in Miami
 
March • 4 - The Rockies open their final exhibition season in Tucson, Ariz. 5 - CC visits DU. 6 - CC hosts DU
 
April • The Nuggets and Avalanche hope to be in the playoffs. 5 - Rockies open the regular season at Milwaukee. 8 - Sky Sox open at Tacoma. 9-10 - World synchronized skating championships, World Arena. 18-19 - U.S. Figure Skating College Championships, at CC’s Honnen Arena
 
May • 27-30 - Senior PGA championship, Colorado Golf Club, Parker

June • 27 - Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. 11-July 11 - Soccer’s World Cup takes place in South Africa
 
July • 30-Aug. 1 - Rocky Mountain State Games in the Colorado Springs area
 
October • 20 - Annual Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at World Arena