Rainbow Family hippies arrested for camping on top of the library

**Dakota Valkyrie** · July 28th, 2009, 10:24 AM

Joshua Cole, 21, Aaron Waldeck, 19, Christine Hodge, 22, Eli Dworkin, 19, Kirstin Humason, 21, Thaddeus O’Hail, 18, and Salvatore Gelosos, 22,

Seven self-proclaimed members of the Rainbow Family — and one Boulder resident who’s not part of the traveling hippies — face municipal fines after police found them sleeping on the roof of the Boulder Public Library.

A custodian spotted the inventive campers on top of the 1001 Arapahoe Ave. library about 6:10 a.m. Wednesday and called police. Officers found eight people passed out in sleeping bags with their belongings scattered around and with two small dogs, said Boulder police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley.

“There is no easy access onto the roof, so they would have had to climb up the side of the building and use landscaping,” Huntley said.

Initially, police calls to the campers went unanswered, and they asked the Boulder Fire Department to help them get the campers down. Three police officers climbed fire truck ladders to get on the roof, where Huntley said they immediately saw a man and woman sleeping next to each other in sleeping bags.

Nearby they found more campers “sound asleep” among their belongings, along with the small dogs, Huntley said...

Seven of the suspects told officers they belong to the Rainbow Family — a band of hippies that preaches love, tolerance and peace and holds gatherings every July — and said they’re just passing through Boulder after the annual event in New Mexico.

They told police they had taken some illegal psychedelic drugs before climbing on the library roof, Huntley said.
[...]

A member of the Rainbow Family, who’s staying in Boulder and knows the people arrested for sleeping on the library Wednesday, said they’ve recently been spending time on the Pearl Street Mall and playing music near the corner of Pearl and 11th streets.

“I don’t know what they were thinking to climb on a public building with seven dirty hippies and two dogs,” said the man, who would only give his hippie name, Crystal Biscuit.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009...g-boulder-lib/

Ahhhh... to be young again.... I'm sorry, I find this all terribly funny.

**carolinablue** · July 28th, 2009, 10:33 AM

been there. done that.

**carolinablue** · July 28th, 2009, 10:39 AM

but i looked a hell of a lot cuter than that when I did it ..and cleaner!!!

**Dakota Valkyrie** · July 28th, 2009, 10:43 AM

I was never a hippie or slept on a library roof. Did get rousted for sleeping on the beach a few times. Does that count?

**thehesbomb** · July 28th, 2009, 10:56 AM

Hmmm...I bet Christine is the one who isn't part of the travelling group. One of these things is not like the other...

I dabbled in being a squatter, traveled and slept under a couple bridges. I was at least this dirty. But cooler cause I was punk rock.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · July 28th, 2009, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by thehesbomb

Hmmm...I bet Christine is the one who isn't part of the travelling group. One of these things is not like the other...

I dabbled in being a squatter, traveled and slept under a couple bridges. I was at least this dirty. But cooler cause I was punk rock.

Actually, the Wheeler dude didn't get his picture taken. He got a ticket and was sent on his way because he's a local guy. According to the article, he just saw the hippies going up the library and joined in. I don't think he thought the library gig was as cool as the other offerings of the group.

I was of the hippie area - it's just that ND wasn't a big hippie haven. So we pretended, partied hard at any one of the many local beaches, and hoped they would let us spend the night there. Lame-o.

**MC30** · July 28th, 2009, 11:11 AM

when i lived in mena,ar the rainbow people came to stay for a minuet....i guess one was trippin on something pretty hard cause he went to some guys house nekkid and wouldn't leave...the guy ended up shooting him in the ass.

**carolinablue** · July 28th, 2009, 11:11 AM

<<<<<<I was never a hippie or slept on a library roof. Did get rousted for sleeping on the beach a few times. Does that count?>>>>>>>>>>>

absolutely!! if the popo were involved you were definitely flying a freak flag.

**DogMom** · July 28th, 2009, 11:22 AM

camping on top of the library

That's illegal??? A library is public property.

**Lazlo** · July 28th, 2009, 11:32 AM

The Man has no sense of humor! And the hippies climbed up there but the cops couldn't? Had to get the Fire Dept. to help? LMFAO! Maybe if they laid off the donuts...?

**RaVen Blackehart** · July 28th, 2009, 11:36 AM

Hippie grandchildren! I love it. They're all just so cute i could just pinch their cheeks.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · July 28th, 2009, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by DogMom

That's illegal??? A library is public property.

No camping except in designated areas LOL

**carolinablue** · July 28th, 2009, 11:54 AM

[mommacrazy30]when i lived in mena,ar the rainbow people came to stay for a minuet....i guess one was trippin on something pretty hard cause he went to some guys house nekkid and wouldn't leave...the guy ended up shooting him in the ass.[QUOTE]

hmmmm, stoned and nekkid in public, ass shooting, creating a public nuisance...if this happened in looziana, mizz'zipi, or texas, i'm probably related to 'em.

**thequeenofsorrow** · July 28th, 2009, 12:06 PM

wow a few of them i had trouble telling if they were male or female by picture alone. that's HAWT!

**Dark Star** · July 28th, 2009, 12:32 PM

My family!!!! Rainbow people are so kind and earthy. Gotta love the freaks, man. I've camped with Rainbow folks a few times...great peeps. I'm pretty sure I know Joshua. lmao

**cubby** · July 28th, 2009, 01:09 PM

My mother wouldn't let me be a hippie....
And I wanted to be one soooooooooo bad!!!!
It would be so cool to sleep on top of the liberry!!!!

**carolinablue** · July 28th, 2009, 03:00 PM

cubby, it's NEVER too late to have a happy childhood ...or teenagehood!

**Dakota Valkyrie** · July 28th, 2009, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by carolinablue

cubby, it's NEVER too late to have a happy childhood ...or teenagehood!

Is it too early to have a happy elder-hood? Cuz I'm starting now!!!!

**MichaelJCheaney** · July 28th, 2009, 04:20 PM

The only thing I wanna know is:

Can they read?

**nurseronda** · July 28th, 2009, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by Hippiepoet

My family!!!! Rainbow people are so kind and earthy. Gotta love the freaks, man. I've camped with Rainbow folks a few times...great peeps. I'm pretty sure I know Joshua. lmao

Whew....I thought this post was about my Hippiepoet...sounds like something she would do. Library...Hippies...

**Rawrehz** · July 28th, 2009, 08:37 PM

theyre sooo young tooo!! i wanna join!! where do i sign up for a new family?!

**Chaindrive** · July 28th, 2009, 11:31 PM

I have no idea how one can be a hippie these days. Too much population and too many cops with nothing to do (cuz they can't be bothered to catch rapists and murderers).

**Tazzzz** · July 29th, 2009, 02:39 PM

LoL , her name was Crystal Biscuit!!!!

Too funny, I have been to a few of the gathering in NM, on the Hopi reservation. Ate some of thoughs red mushrooms with the white dots on it and woke up nakid in the woods. I remember danceing nakid with a bunch of people around a big bon fire but not much else. Never found my clothes I was wearing. Good thing what happens at a gathering stays at a gathering.

I think I even did a Ghost dance one night.

**sodom** · July 10th, 2011, 02:38 PM

Filthy motherfuckers..........The whole library is contaminated now. BURN IT DOWN!

**Kaylara** · July 10th, 2011, 06:11 PM

Whoa... Thread necromancy...

**Robynne** · July 11th, 2011, 01:13 AM

I could totally picture the hubby up there. Too funny, the cops are assholes. They were tired, damn it.

**mirele** · July 11th, 2011, 12:14 PM

I remember a story (teh Google says this was in 1988) how the Rainbow Family wanted to camp in one of the National Forests in East Texas, and the Forest Service was, nope, not gonna have you. It ended up in the late Federal judge William Wayne Justice's court in Tyler and the Rainbow Family had to make an appearance. The marshals were ready with navy blue polyester suit coats for the male Rainbow Family members--after all, you have to keep up decorum in the Federal courts. Judge Justice ruled that only 5000 people could gather at any one place in the National Forest and they had to guarantee there would be 15,000 gallons of water per day on hand.

The idea that the Rainbow Family had to wear suit jackets to conform to the US District Court dress code amused me at the time. Still does.