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Celebrating Marie West’s 100th
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Monument Town Council, Feb. 6 and 21 – Beacon Lite business withdraws annexation request after concerns from new board
By Chris Jeub Monument Town Council business in February included filling its last council seats and gifting the town staff with additional paid vacation. Resolutions and ordinances surrounding the development of property on Beacon Lite Road were voted upon, reconsidered, and ultimately tabled to alleviate concerns expressed by new councilmembers and neighbors over traffic, safety,…
Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, Feb. 21 – Board president resigns; budget and draft calendar discussed
By Harriet Halbig The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education accepted the resignation of board President Chris Taylor and discussed the process for seeking and appointing a replacement at its Feb. 21 meeting. There also was a detailed discussion of the current state of the district budget, plans for the 2023-24 school year, and potential changes…
Family and Community Advisory Committee, Feb. 7 – Committee learns about Lewis-Palmer Elementary School, legislative issues, and title programs
By Harriet Halbig The School District 38 Family and Community Advisory Committee (formerly the District Accountability Advisory Committee) discussed a wide variety of subjects at its Feb. 7 meeting at Lewis-Palmer Elementary School (LPES). School Presentation Principal Davonne Johnson delivered an engaging presentation about LPES, introducing committee members to the aspects of school culture, which…
Monument Academy School Board, Feb. 9 – Board hears finance and mid-year COO updates
By Jackie Burhans Correction In the Feb. 4 edition of OCN, the MA article misstated that Graham was term-limited. In March 2022, the board amended its bylaws to clarify term limits and Graham can run for a second term. OCN regrets the error. At its Feb. 9 regular meeting, the Monument Academy (MA) board heard…
Palmer Lake Board of Trustees, Feb. 9 and 23 – Board hears proposals for Elephant Rock property
By James Howald and Jackie Burhans In February, the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees (PLBOT) heard four proposals for how to use portions of the Elephant Rock property (ERP). The Board of Trustees, the Planning Commission and the Parks Commission all had new members appointed. The board considered two issues regarding the taxation of cannabis,…
Black Forest Fire/Rescue Protection District, Feb. 15 – Audit officer search continues; replacement firefighters hired
By Natalie Barszcz At the Black Forest Fire Rescue Protection District (BFFRPD) meeting on Feb. 15, the board approved the hiring of a new auditor and heard that replacement firefighters had been hired. Some of the logistics duties performed by recently retired Deputy Chief James Rebitski could be handled out of district. Also, the board…
Monument Fire District, Feb. 22 – Community outreach/public information officer position approved
By Natalie Barszcz At the Monument Fire District (MFD) meeting on Feb. 22, the board approved a new staff position and heard the fire technician position would be filled. The board requested a review of snow removal costs and received a presentation on three future station remodels and an update on the district training center.…
Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Feb. 13 – Board permits Monument Academy to build road to ease traffic
Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Feb. 13 – Board permits Monument Academy to build road to ease traffic By James Howald At its Feb. 13 meeting, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board granted Monument Academy (MA) permission to build a road on MA’s property that crosses a WWSD easement. The board considered an…
Monument Sanitation District, Feb.15 – Board appoints new director
By Jackie Burhans and James Howald At its Feb. 15 meeting, the Monument Sanitation District (MSD) board appointed a new director to take the seat previously held by Director Laura Kronick. General Manager Mark Parker told the board about his meeting with an engineer working for Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) to discuss its…
Continue Reading Monument Sanitation District, Feb.15 – Board appoints new director
Triview Metropolitan District, Feb. 16 – Assistant manager hired; district receives $3.4 million
By Natalie Barszcz At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Feb. 16, the board was introduced to the recently hired assistant district manager, heard about a large net in tap fees and public works fees, and declared a board director seat vacancy. The board received multiple updates to include the Northern Delivery System (NDS)…
Donala Water and Sanitation District, Feb. 16 – Donala to lease water to Martin Marietta
By James Howald and Jackie Burhans At its February meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) considered a request from Martin Marietta to lease water from the district. A construction contract for a pipeline from Well 16A was approved and the board heard operational reports. The meeting ended with an executive session. Martin Marietta…
El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Feb. 16 – Board adopts budget, awards testing contract
By James Howald At its second regular meeting, the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority (EPCRLWA) held a public meeting on its budget and awarded a contract for the water quality testing needed to establish a baseline for upcoming design work. The board discussed hiring a project planning and workflow manager and a request…
El Paso Board of County Commissioners, Feb. 7 and 21 – Citizen voices concern with county land development policy
By Helen Walklett During February, a citizen voiced concerns about land use policy with the El Paso Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The commissioners also made decisions relating to the Highway 105A project and the Jackson Ranch subdivision. Concerns repeatedly raised over county land use policy In recent months, El Paso County resident Tom Martin…
Woodmoor Improvement Association, Jan. 30, Feb. 1 and 23 – Annual meeting, reorganization, and signage
Woodmoor Improvement Association, Jan. 30, Feb. 1 and 23 – Annual meeting, reorganization, and signage By Jackie Burhans The Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) board met on Jan. 30 for its annual meeting to elect new board members, review 2022 accomplishments, state 2023 goals, and recognize good neighbors. The board met on Feb. 1 to certify…
February Weather Wrap
By Bill Kappel Overall, February was pretty close to normal, but it took a winding road to get to normal. Temperatures overall came out right about normal, with high temperatures slightly warmer than normal and lows right at average. Snowfall was slightly above normal as several of the snowstorms occurred with very cold temperatures and…
Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – March mystery madness
By the staff at Covered Treasures “Good books don’t give up all their secrets at once.”—Stephen King March is a month of basketball and spring break. It’s also a great time to hunker down with some good mysteries, whether you are staying at home or traveling. Standing Dead By Margaret Mizushima (Crooked Lane Books) $28.99…
Continue Reading Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – March mystery madness
March Library Events – Enjoy our annual quilt display,
March Library Events – Enjoy our annual quilt display, participate in adult reading By Harriet Halbig As in many years past, the Palmer Divide Quiltmakers will display many of its creations in the library during March. The quilts will hang from the ceiling and be mounted on the walls throughout the library. A printed guide…
Continue Reading March Library Events – Enjoy our annual quilt display,
Palmer Lake Historical Society, Feb. 16 – Awake the Lake Committee describes mission
By Marlene Brown On Feb. 16, the Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS) meeting led by Vice President Diane Kokes heard from the Awake the Lake Committee. Members of the committee explained the mission of Awake the Lake is to salvage, restore, and recreate the natural majesty of the namesake of the town. Palmer Lake is…
High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Colorado in March is full of nature’s surprises
By Janet Sellers Every spring, I write about the dandy dandelion and its health benefits to eat as well as the benefits to our local soils and our planet. After a long winter of letting our landscapes as nature intended for our ecology to “nest in place” the dandelion is one of the first greens…
Art Matters – Artists know how to share the visible and the invisible
By Janet Sellers “I don’t know why people are so keen to put the details of their private life in public; they forget that invisibility is a superpower.”—Banksy Our imaginations are invisible but powerful. We take in what we see and hear—and use all our senses—to make sense of our world and who we are.…
Continue Reading Art Matters – Artists know how to share the visible and the invisible
Snapshots of Our Community
Celebrating Marie West’s 100th Above: Longtime Monument resident Marie West celebrated her 100th birthday on Feb.18 with a party at Trinity Lutheran Church, where she’s known as Grandma because of all the kids she’s taken care of. About 300 friends and relatives attended the party including her three daughters, all eight of her grandchildren and…
Our Community Notices
By Janet Sellers Although we strive for accuracy in these listings, dates or times are often changed after publication. Please double-check the time and place of any event you wish to attend by calling the information number for that event. Please notify us if your event listing needs to be updated. Student video contest The…
Our Community Calendar
By Janet Sellers Although we strive for accuracy in these listings, dates or times are often changed after publication. Please double-check the time and place of any event you wish to attend by calling the info number for that event. Please contact calendar@ocn.me with changes and additions. GOVERNMENTAL BODIES Forest Lakes Metropolitan District, Pinon Pines…