Downtown 2020

Imagine a day when you could wake up in the morning, walk out the door and hop on a streetcar or walk to work.

• by Noel Black

A brief history of downtown

Founded in 1871 by Gen. William Jackson Palmer, Colorado Springs was originally planned and designed to live up to its ultimate nickname as "Little London" -- a small urban epicenter of culture and civility in the otherwise Wild West.

• by Noel Black

One nation, under laws

ACLU challenges pledge requirement

• by John Dicker

Divine diagnosis

Springs minister takes heat for calling homosexuality a 'disorder'

• by Terje Langeland

Farewell to arms

Council narrowly backs gun restriction in city buildings

• by Terje Langeland

Indy Birthday Bash

Thousands of people turned out to help the Independent celebrate a decade in the Springs at an all-day bash last Friday on the lawn surrounding the Pioneers Museum downtown.

• by Cara DeGette

And now a word from the National Alliance

A few weeks back, we detailed the National Alliance's organized ongoing campaign to distribute anti-black, anti-Latino and anti-Jewish literature throughout Colorado Springs.

• by Cara DeGette

Bring on The Terminator

Here's a simple truth: Journalists and columnists love good drama. We're not vultures -- we cover events like Columbine, 9/11, and the Iraq war because it's part of the job. But in reality, we like passionate, colorful, sprawling, combative stories that illuminate our times, make a difference, and don't involve violent death.

• by John Hazlehurst

Salt on the snap peas

There's no need to travel to Creole country to get your zydeco on because the gritty, sweat-drenched, nonstop, rockin'-accordion-spoon-scrape-on-the-scrubboard sounds of Buckwheat Zydeco will enlighten fans at the Navajo Hogan Roadhouse on Saturday.

• by Aaron Menza

Take this jobless recovery and shove it

In the larger scheme of President Bush's agenda, it's people like me who don't really matter. And why would I? I'm no CEO of a big monied corporation. I'm neither a fund-raiser nor a politico.

• by Genevieve Roja

Vaquero verse

Black to wax at the Pikes Peak Center

IQ: Growing pains

Most of us have trouble envisioning life two months from now, much less two decades.

• by John Dicker

Home is where the phone is

For your 10th birthday you want a telephone. The family has moved and you have a room of your own. You want a pink "Princess" telephone, slim and oval and modern with a clear plastic dial.

• by Kathryn Eastburn

We don't need no stinking gluten!

It seems like people everywhere are getting very picky about their diets these days.

• by MB Partlow
• Tags: Appetite, Outside the Breadbox

Playing Around: Purple Buddha

If youve ever had fantasies that the Peanuts Gang formed a jam band, well, Purple Buddhas kinda like that.

• by Noel Black

Still weird after all these years

As one who stakes no claim to the high church of indie rock respectability, I can proudly state that the best rock experience of my life occurred at a "Weird Al" Yankovic show.

• by John Dicker

Chemistry's set

Dancing is one of the top two forms of exercise on Earth.

• by Orange Peel Moses

Take the plunge

Plot and character development, however, have never been big parts of his celluloid workout, and his latest release, Swimming Pool, is no exception.

• by Noel Black

Unexpectable

Manifestation of the Sacred reveals young, local talent

God & blood: an eternal marriage

A review of Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

• by John Dicker

Event Listings

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

• by Kristen Sherwood