Colorado media coverage

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.

 

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'.

 

Keep us postesd, thanks man...



Mike...

 

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.

 

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)?

 

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.

 

More newspaper stories: this one is from the Rocky Mountain News
'Rainbow Family' to gather near Steamboat Springs[font=&quot][/font]

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.

 

And this one is from the Steamboat Pilot Journal:

Over the rainbow

Naturalist group gathers for peace

By Allison Plean, 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.

[font=&quot]"It's going to be an interesting event that we will talk about for a long time."[/font]

 

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, 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 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.

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, 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.

 

"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...

 

please keep us posted about anything screwed up happening

 

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!)

 

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.

 

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....

 

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!

 

Another story from the Steamboat Pilot:
A Rainbow discussion

Officials bracing for impact of group's gathering on Steamboat

By Alexis DeLaCruz

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.

 

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...

 

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

 

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..