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OCN

OCN

Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

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Our Latest Issue – Vol. 25 No. 5 – May 3, 2025

NEW! Click here to listen to or download an AI-generated podcast giving highlights from our May 2025 issue

Download a 43 Mbyte PDF of this issue

NEW! Click here to listen to or download an audio newspaper podcast reading the news articles from our May 2025 issue

  • Palmer Lake Board of Trustees, April 10 and 24 – Second Buc-ee’s annexation eligibility hearing scheduled
  • Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, April 22 – Board announces finalists for superintendent, approves construction and location of Home School Enrichment Academy
  • OCN launches exciting new podcasts to keep you informed
  • D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee, April 8 – Discussion of Priority 2 academic excellence, superintendent search
  • Monument Academy School Board, April 10 and 24 – Proposed high school dress code draws concerns
  • Monument Town Council, April 7 and 21 – Monument Town Council mourns loss of Jim Romanello
  • Monument Planning Commission, April 9 – Two recommendations for approval; high school students offered seat at the table
  • Monument Fire District, April 23 – Station 3 financing approved; board president recognized
  • Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, April 14 – Board moves accounts to Integrity Bank and Trust
  • Monument Sanitation District, April 16 – District plans for Buc-ee’s impact
  • Triview Metropolitan District, April 17 – Economic development incentive approved for retail development
  • El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, April 17 – Pumps and pipeline proposal out for bids
  • Donala Water and Sanitation District, April 17 – Workshop covers finances, water supply
  • El Paso County Board of County Commissioners, April 10 – Two local projects approved by the county
  • Woodmoor Improvement Association, April 23 – Resident sparks Firewise® discussion
  • May Library Events – Craft programs, Dungeons and Dragons, book groups
  • Palmer Lake Historical Society, April 17 – Women of the Colorado gold rush era
  • High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – May: new trees from tree branches, plant partners, bee kind
  • Art Matters – May Art Hop and art on the street
  • Snapshots of Our Community
  • Our Community Notices
  • Our Community Calendar

Read our E-Editions

This is our mobile-friendly website containing our most recent issues. Our archive website containing all prior OCN issues back to 2001 is at www.ocn.me.

Upcoming Event Highlights

Readers should assume that event information published in this issue is subject to change and information should be confirmed a day or two before the event by calling the information number or checking the organization’s website.

See page < 22 > and page < 23 >  for event locations and other details of these and many other local events.

  • OCN mailing day, Thu., June 5, approx. 7-8:30 am. Become an OCN reporter! We will train you! Call 719-488-3455.
  • Space Foundation National Space Day, May 3. See ad on page < 12 >.
  • Puzzle swap and speed jigsaw puzzle competition. Mon., May 19, 6:30-8:30 pm. See ad on page < 4 >.
  • Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares, Wed., May 14, 5:30-8:30 p.m. See ad on page < 8 >.
  • Silver Key Senior Summit, Thu., May 15, 8 am-2 pm. See ad on page < 2 >.
  • Braver Angels & Reclaiming Civility hosting summer workshops to promote respectful dialog, Thu. May 15. See ad on page < 9 >.
  • Art Hop, Fri., May 23, 5-8 pm, fourth Fri. May through Sept. See ad on page < 2 >. Includes Monument Cemetery book signing at Covered Treasures Bookstore.
  • Monument Hill Farmers market, every Sat. starting May 24, 8-2 pm. See ad on page < 5 >.
  • Palmer Lake Farmers Market, every Sun. starting May 25, 10 am-2 pm. See ad on page < 2 >.
  • Town of Monument Memorial Day ceremony, Mon., May 26, 10 am. Monument Cemetery, See ad on page < 4 >.
  • WMMI Picnics and Planes, USAFA graduation airshow event, Thu., May 29. See ad on page < 12 >.
  • Monument Hill Foundation, grant applications deadline May 31. See ad on page < 3 >.
  • Pikes Peak Soap Box Derby, Final race car inspection and practice day Sat., May 31. Race, Sun., June 1, Higby Road in Monument.
  • MVEA annual meeting. Thu., June 5, PRHS. See ad on page < 8 >.
  • Front Range Maker’s Market, Sat.-Sun., June 7-8. See ad on page < 24 >.

Our Community Calendar

Our Community Notices

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Our Community News (OCN) is a unique all-volunteer monthly newspaper that is mailed free to all the residences and businesses in the Tri-Lakes area of northern El Paso County, Colorado from County Line Road south to Northgate Road and from Palmer Lake east to Highway 83 and now includes over 1,800 mailboxes east of Highway 83. Our mailed circulation each month is over 23,400. We also put more than 700 papers each month in stacks at shops and offices throughout the area. Our current print run is over 24,000 making OCN one of the largest circulation newspapers in El Paso County.

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Primary Sidebar

Due Dates for Our June 7 Issue

OCN comes out the first Saturday of each month. Look for our next issue Sat., June 7, 2025. If you live outside our free distribution area, read all the content on this website or click here to subscribe.
Ad space reservations for the next issue are due by Fri., May 16th. Finished ads in electronic format are due by Fri., May 23rd. Click here for information on advertising.
Letters to the editor for the next issue are due Fri.,  May 23rd. Click here for our letter guidelines.
Items and updates for Our Community Calendar are due Fri., May 30th.

Recent Photos

Above: Friends, relatives, and co-workers are mourning the death of Jim Romanello. The Monument Town Council member was killed in a motorcycle accident on April 12. Romanello was 60 years old. Council members released a statement saying they were “heartbroken.” They called Romanello “a valued colleague, a dedicated public servant, and a committed member of our community who brought passion and thoughtfulness to his role on the Town Council.” They ordered flags to be flown at half-staff for five days in his honor. Mayor Mitch LaKind joined Romanello on the council in 2020. He said he had deep respect for Romanello’s “commitment to public service, his thoughtful leadership, and his unwavering dedication to the people of Monument.” Romanello was the council’s longest-serving member at the time of his death. He was first elected as a trustee in 2018. He was re-elected in 2020 for a four-year term and began serving his second four-year term last November when the Board of Trustees became the Town Council after the town switched to home rule. Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Terri Hayes said a sudden death like this is a reminder that “you never know when something unexpected might happen, so hug those close to you every chance you get.” Photo above by Michael Weinfeld. Photo on the right courtesy the Town of Monument.
Jim Romanello

RECENT PODCAST EPISODES

  • Vol. 25 No. 5 – May 3, 2025 Audio Articles Video (computer-generated)
  • Vol. 25 No. 5 – May 3, 2025 Highlights Video (AI generated)
  • Vol. 25 No. 5 – May 3, 2025 Highlights (AI generated)
  • Vol. 25 No. 5 – May 3, 2025 Audio Articles (computer-generated)
  • Vol. 25 No. 4 – April 5, 2025 Audio Articles (computer-generated)

Recent Comments

  • Allen Alchian on Snapshots of Our Community

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