Ms. Holland's Opus

In recent budget talks, Ivywild Elementary School was designated by District 11 as one of the least cost efficient schools in the district. But one day in Sandy Hollands fifth-grade class reveals that the orderly, warm and stimulating learning environment fostered at Ivywild has not been factored into D-11s cold calculations.

• by Kathryn Eastburn

City: No cash for relocated Lowell renters

The city of Colorado Springs urban renewal board may be pulling back relocation benefits once promised to some renters who must make way for the Lowell School redevelopment area.

• by Malcolm Howard

Kempf estate closed for business

The family of the late Starr Kempf will have to stop promoting and selling the artists sculptures from their home in the prestigious Broadmoor neighborhood under the terms of a ruling issued this week by 4th Judicial District Judge Edward Colt.

• by Malcolm Howard

Owens plays hooky with his GOP pals

Experiencing firsthand how hard state tests are to pass, several lawmakers said they are rethinking Gov. Bill Owens "crackdown" on public education.

• by Bob Campbell

Colt's resignation welcome

We are pleased that Joanne Colt decided to do the right thing by handing in her resignation on Wednesday. But we are dismayed that Colt has spent the last week spreading the blame around for her decision to involve herself in a stock market manipulation scheme.

The Outsider

Ive followed the trials and tribulations of the Republican party with interest and its almost been enough to make me a Democrat. Except that Im not interested in shedding one set of embarrassing in-laws for another.

• by John Hazlehurst

Aim High

Ed Rasimus and I couldnt be more different. Hes conservative. I lean left. Ed sides with the National Rifle Association; I despise it. Eds a PC guy; Im a Mac chick. Now, though, Ed and I are gunning for the same target: attempts to force public institutions to filter the Internet.

• by Donna Ladd

Sandy Halby

Sandy Halby, a U.S. Air Force civilian employee, mother and pet lover, enjoys the various social benefits of being a Mensa member.

• by Kristen Sherwood

IQ: Time to wake up for school, Beav!

District 11 is in a bind: administrators want to keep spending all that money on administrators and new schools, but constituents are really mad about the idea of closing down neighborhood schools to save money.

• by Matthew Fullen

Umbrella Rocks: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

In the early 1950s, my father brought his young family to the rock formations in Woodmen Valley for picnics. It was a magical realm we didnt think about who owned it or questions of access.

• by Pat Musick

wwjd on the 10th

Jumpin' Off the High Dive

Tasty, fiery and delicious food doesnt warrant the exceedingly poor service and atmosphere at the Korean Village Bar & Grill.

• by MB Partlow

Juicing for joy

The A&M Juice Bar and Café has an impressive array of fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies, in addition to great soups, sandwiches and salads.

• by Suzanne Becker

Oxman Cometh

In his fourth CD recording, saxophonist Keith Oxman experiments with more complex song writing and records with a little help from 150 of his sixth-grade band students.

• by Malcolm Howard

Playing Around: Rockin' Jake

This week we highlight Rockin Jake, winner of the Best Blues Hamonica award at 1995 New Orleans Music Industry Awards, who will be performing at Tres Hombres, on Saturday, March 11, 9 p.m.

• by Kristen Sherwood

The Playlist

Reviews of Beachwood Sparks self-titled album, Mary Lou Lord and Sean Na Nas split EP, and Becks Midnite Vultures .

Demonic Pursuit

The Ninth Gate is an extremely well-crafted and entertaining horror film.

• by Cole Smithey

Wonder Dog

My dog begged me to go to My Dog Skip. Word had hit the canine grapevine that Skip, played by a whole passel of Jack Russell terriers, was up for the Oscar (Meyer Weiner) award. Always one to keep my dog happy, I went, and I didn't regret it.

• by Andrea Lucard

Cello sweet

Renowned solo cellist Lynn Harrell performs pieces by Dvorak, Haydn, Tippet and Faure with the Colorado Springs Symphony.

• by Malcolm Howard

Sally Forth

Buntporte, a Springs-based theatre company, remakes Quixote with an exemplary experimental chalk board based set design, and fast- paced, carefully choreographed action at the Denver Civic Theatre.

• by Owen Perkins

A Fine Whine

Joe Queenan, a humorist and social critic, has taken upon himself a task so odious that we can only be thankful to him for going there in our stead, and then telling the tale: He dived naked into the cesspool of bad popular American culture to see if it's as bad as they say. It is.

• by Michael Salkind

A Review of Boy With Loaded Gun

• by Kathryn Eastburn

Event Listings

If there's something going on, we've got it listed here.

Seven Days

What's happenin' this week in the big city highlights from our listings.

• by Kristen Sherwood