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

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Articles from Vol 24 No. 2 - February 3, 2024

Palmer Lake Historical Society, Jan. 18 – Annual Potluck and Membership Meeting

By Marlene Brown

On Jan. 18, the Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS) held its Annual Potluck and Membership Meeting at the Palmer Lake Town Hall. Started in 1956, the PLHS, a 501C3 nonprofit, is in its 67th year. The mission of the PLHS is to preserve, protect, promote, and provide access to historical data, artifacts, and other items of significance relating to the Palmer Divide area and make resources available to the public primarily through the Lucretia Vaile Museum and annual programming. See palmerdividehistory.org for events.

The PLHS operates the museum, located at 66 S. Valley Rd., Palmer Lake. The PLHS board and members, including museum director, staff, and docents are all volunteers. The museum houses historical exhibits dedicated to the towns of Palmer Lake and Monument, Black Forest, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the Palmer Divide area. The staff works with the Town of Palmer Lake to facilitate events such as the annual Father’s Day Ice Cream Social every June and the Yule Log Hunt in December. The museum is open on Wednesdays 1-4 p.m. and Saturdays 10-2 p.m., with private tours upon request.

After the potluck dinner, Diane Kokes, 2023 vice president and acting president, presented a recap of the past year. Each month was dedicated to a presentation of historical significance such as the Awake the Lake Committee presentation on the history of Palmer Lake and a presentation by past President Jim Sawatzki on the Life and Times of Gen. William Jackson Palmer, founder of Palmer Lake in 1871.

Kokes then introduced John Spidell of the Spidell Foundation as the emcee for the board election. The past board for 2023 had agreed to serve another term for 2024. Kokes; Doug Lang, treasurer; and Patricia Atkins, secretary, were nominated. Spidell asked for any other nominations and as there were none, all three were nominated to continue and, by a show of hands, voted in unanimously to return for another term.

Jeannine Engle, who had agreed but was unable to attend, was nominated for the position of president. Engle has served as a director and docent for PLHS and the museum. The membership voted unanimously for Engle to become the 2024 president.

Above: Returning to serve for another year on the Palmer Lake Historical Society board are, in rear, Kathy Lombardi, left, and Barb Morehead. In front, from left, are Patricia Atkins, Wayne Russert, Heather Kruger, Doug Lang, and Diane Kokes. Incoming President Jeanine Engle is not pictured. Photo by Marlene Brown.

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Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month. The next meeting will be on Feb. 15, 7-8 p.m.; doors open at 6:30 pm. The presentation will be Union Printer’s Home: Past, Present and Future. For more information about future presentations and membership, go to palmerdividehistory.org.

Marlene Brown can be reached by email at marlenebrown@ocn.me.

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High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Colorado trades in grass for cash

By Janet Sellers

Snow adds nitrogen to our soil.

Nitrogen is abundant in the air, but it must be fixed in some way to be available to our soil. Both rain and snow can accomplish this. Called the poor man’s fertilizer, it really is Mother Nature at work. We don’t need additives when we understand how nature works. Snow brings a fair amount of nitrogen and sulfur, both important nutrients for soil. In our area, snow provides much-needed moisture that is slowly released into our soil. Unlike summer rains that can cause runoff of water and soil, snow soaks into and supports the land.

Are lawns a sign of prestige or disregard?

The American obsession with lawns stems from the idea that a person has the wealth or means to maintain it to perfection. Scientific American reports that lawns are indicative of success as socio-economic indicators. Even though the landscape of the New World settlers had already been greatly altered by Native Americans for the survival purposes of optimal hunting and fishing, the colonists’ grazing in place of farm animals actually decimated the native grasses to the point of livestock starvation.

In turn, the colonists had grass and clover seeds imported. Along with these, weed seeds including dandelions and plantain also showed up and spread across America. The green carpet lawn was a curiosity in England and France until the Palace of Versailles’ landscape became an elite influence. Lawns soon caught on in Europe, and the New World wealthy raced to copy this landscape fashion. We can’t eat lawn turf, but curiously, both dandelion and plantain are remarkable foodstuffs capable of supporting people lifelong.

Cash for grass

We live in a high desert climate where our pine forests have learned to thrive, grow and conserve water resources. Due to water and resource needs, Colorado is now headed from turf lawns to restorative gardens with a state funded turf replacement program aimed at nonessential turf to reduce outdoor watering. The program seeks to convert grass to more water-efficient landscaping.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board has been providing funds to eligible entities (local governments, water districts, nonprofits and others) in grants to replace turf with low water landscaping as a key tool for water conservation. Colorado approved a $2 million bill to support turf replacement in 2022 and looks to increase that amount to $5 million this year.

Non-native grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass (native to Europe, Asia, and Africa) guzzle nearly half of all the water in Colorado cities. 2023 saw Colorado approve $92 million in funding for water conservation that included a variety of irrigation and planning projects. Streams and wetlands that are affected by road building and construction also have legislative protections in the works at the state level.

Turf replacement can include mulch and ornamental grasses, berm landscaping, and various groundcovers. Groundcovers are any low-lying plant that you can walk on. Native groundcovers, shrubs, and trees provide water-wise alternatives that benefit pollinators and our ecosystem. When carefully planned, water-wise landscaping offers beauty and low-maintenance and does not require the fertilizer, pesticides, and labor needed with turf lawns.

Janet Sellers is an avid “lazy gardener” letting Mother Nature lead the way for natural growing wisdom. Reach her at JanetSellers@OCN.me.

Other High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) articles

Art Matters – Ikigai: connecting to creative genius

By Janet Sellers

The concept of humans looking for something that imbues a purpose for life is as ancient as humankind. It’s called “Ikigai” in Japanese. “Iki” means life, “gai” means result, fruit, and benefit. We can creatively look into our own Ikigai through the arts by making things, by connecting with the arts thoughtfully and by using strategies to improve our days. Research shows that our ikigai powerfully affects our health and well-being.

“It has been suggested that the practice of meditation is associated to neuroplasticity phenomena, reducing age-related brain degeneration and improving cognitive functions. Neuroimaging studies have shown that the brain connectivity changes in meditators .…” (National Library of Medicine (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6312586/). The study throws light on how mindfulness may play a role for preventive strategies in memory processes, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and other pathologies.

We don’t have to be an artist to be creative for improving our quality of life, but some of the tools artists use are helpful for everyone. Meditative practices have been very instrumental in creating a personal space for health and well-being. For decades, many artists and creatives in the media and film industries have used things like the workbook The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron to create their own thoughtful framework for daily living.

When we listen to our intuition and not our inner critic, we can solve problems and of course create good things in our life at any age. In teaching The Artist’s Way for many years, I offered three shareable strategies in workshops to help people make daily creative living habits. The goal was to create a pathway to Ikigai. We all know that taking a walk for 20 minutes a day is very healthy for our bodies but it’s also healthy for our minds. The repetitive action of walking balances us and we are able to access our body and mind holistically.

Artist Pages are a form of journaling or sketch-booking that help us to clean up the clutter of our mind and put on paper thoughts and feelings instead of carrying them around in our head. It unloads a lot. After about three weeks of doing this, a person often finds they’re able to leave their concerns on the written page or sketchbook. Instead of a person merely activating hormones for “fight or flight” in their day, downloading concerns to a page prompts a creative way of thinking and problem solving.

The Artist Date is something that is known from ancient times. People need a weekly “something” planned and created to look forward to, then do it, and look back at that pleasant time for the rest of the week. This is a very healing activity that develops innovative thinking and builds neural pathways for optimizing habits and changing our lives for the better.

Janet Sellers is an artist, writer and speaker who makes and shares her artworks locally and nationally via galleries, writing, and talks on art and making things. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

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Snapshots of Our Community

Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic

Above: About 1,1100 people bundled up to watch the 3rd Annual Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic on a frozen Palmer Lake on Jan. 6. The temperature was around 20 degrees when the Palmer Lake Star was lit, and fireworks brightened the dark sky to mark the start of the high school tournament. There were fire pits to warm the crowd and several food trucks offering a variety of treats. Pine Creek beat Palmer High of Colorado Springs 3-2 to take home the championship trophy. Lewis-Palmer finished third by defeating Chaparral 3-1 in the consolation final. The event proceeds covered all of Lewis-Palmer’s hockey team’s fees for the season. Photo by Michael Weinfeld

Early round at the Palmer Lake Outdoor classic (19 sec)

Fireworks at Palmer Lake Outdoor classic (16 sec)

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Color guard at Palmer Lake Outdoor classic (30 sec)

Palmer Lake’s version of the Zamboni at the Outdoor Classic (15 sec)

Ice fishing in a blizzard, Jan. 8

Above: No heat, no hut, no problem. This ice fisherman didn’t let sub-zero temperatures and wind-blown snow stop him from trying his luck on Monument Lake on Jan. 8. Of course, it didn’t stop this reporter from walking his dog, either. The Tri-Lakes area got several inches of snow. Windchills were in the double digits below zero. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Ignition-resistant gardens

Above: Waterwise landscaping and foundation plantings can also be resistant to wildfires, said Cassie Olgren, Monument’s Parks & Trails planner and program manager, to the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club Garden interest group. She described a safe, sustainable approach to landscaping to reduce the risks of homes catching fire where grassland, forests, and human development overlap and we are vulnerable to wildland fires. The keys are regular yard and vegetation maintenance; choosing the right plants, fences, and mulches; and designing your landscape to include fire breaks. See Olgren’s “Firewise Landscaping” presentation full of beautiful examples at townofmonument.org/524/Gardening-and-Landscaping-Videos-and-Cla . Visit the town’s Waterwise Garden on the northwest corner of Adams and Second Street. Olgren is searching for community groups to get involved with town gardening and the Heart of Monument Play Park projects. Contact her at colgren@tomgov.org . For information on Tri-Lakes Women’s Club activities, see trilakeswomen39sclub.wildapricot.org/ . Photo by Lisa Hatfield.

Winter storm preparedness

Above: At the Monument Hill Kiwanis meeting on Jan. 13 at the “Big Red” D 38 administration building in Monument, Lisa Hatfield, author of To Melt a Snowdrift, presented guidelines to avoid traveling in severe winter weather and ways to prepare that could help one survive if caught out. She was accompanied by Dr. Gayle Humm, who, after her military service, was part of El Paso County Search and Rescue and shared some of her experiences rescuing hikers and others stranded in severe conditions. See Emergency Preparedness Guide at epc-assets.elpasoco.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/OEM/PPROEM-Preparedness-Guide-Final-Feb2023.pdf. Photo by Steve Pate.

Robotics competition, Jan. 13

Above: Bear Creek Elementary School (BCES) hosted a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Competition on Jan. 13. The event was organized by D38’s Bearbotics Robotics Teams and BCES in collaboration with Colorado FIRST. More than 60 volunteers helped put on the event. The competing teams were from schools and communities across the Front Range. All three Bearbotics FTC Teams, Ragnarok Team 19541, Theta Team 19970 and Sigma Team 20771 made it to the playoffs. This competition was a qualifier for teams to receive tickets to the Colorado State Championship. Teams competed in the Centerstage Robot Game that was revealed in September and were judged in areas of Inspire, Connect, Motivate, Think, Innovate, Controls, and Design. Bearbotics FTC Ragnarok Team 19541 won the Connect Award and Bearbotics FTC Theta Team 19970 won the Motivate Award. All three Bearbotics Teams will compete in their second qualifier on Feb. 10 at Severance High School in Severance, Colo. Caption by Jeanette Breton, executive director, Monumental Impact. Photo by Steve Pate.

Donkeys in Downtown, Jan. 20

Above: Jake, Tin Cup, and Louie went for a run Jan. 20 and caused many a head to turn. The donkeys were running through downtown Monument with owner Joe Polonsky and his friends Jon Roberts and Roland Brodeur. They came from the nonprofit Double Rainbow Ranch in Monument, down Second Street to the Santa Fe Trail. The animals are being trained for pack burro racing, a sport where humans race with donkeys while guiding them with a rope. From front to rear, Brodeur with Tin Cup, Polansky with Jake, and Roberts with Louie. Photo by Jeanette Lamb.

Kiwanis donates to Salvation Army

Above: Monument Hill Kiwanis Club presented a check for $36,550 to the Salvation Army on Jan. 20. The money was raised by volunteer bellringers during the holiday season. Kiwanis members and their partners, Tri-Lakes Women’s Club and Lewis-Palmer District 38 Key Club members, spent 521 volunteer hours ringing the bells at three locations in Monument. The hourly rate worked out to be three times the national average. From left, front row are Kiwanians Jeff and Heidi Baker, Mark Zeiger, Salvation Army representatives Greg Mitchell, Capt. Doug Hanson, and Tri-Lakes Women’s Club representatives Pam Perry and Shelly Pruitt. Back row are Kiwanians Rob Knoth and Mahlon Lang. Photo by Warren Gerig.

“Push-in” first MFD wildland engine

Above and below: Driver Engineer Shaun Leonhardt is positioned behind the wheel of the Monument Fire District’s first Wildland Type 3 engine, as El Paso County Commissioner Holly Williams, board directors, residents and Monument Fire District firefighters assist with the time-honored tradition of “pushing-in” the engines at the Station 1 bay on Jan. 27. The district received the Wildland Type 3 engine 541 and a replacement ambulance in December. Fire Chief Andy Kovacs said the ambulance will be placed into service in early February and engine 541 will be the first of its kind within the district. Engine 541 is designed to navigate rough terrain, hold a large capacity of water, and has pump and roll capability. The engine will be operated by the district’s dedicated wildland crews and, besides tackling local fires, could deploy to wildland fires outside the district and state. The ceremony of “pushing-in” apparatus dates back to the 1800s, when fire departments used horse-drawn steamer engines to put out fires. After fighting the fire, crews would ready the horses in the stable for the next call, but because horses will not walk backward when they are under load, crews would push the apparatus back into the narrow station bay. The time-honored tradition continues nationwide, whenever a department is lucky to receive new apparatus. Photos By Natalie Barszcz.

Sertoma donates to Home Front

Above: The Gleneagle Sertoma Club donated $10,000 to the Home Front Military Network (HFMN) at the club’s Dec. 6 meeting. The money was raised by the annual Patriot Golf Benefit Tournament on Aug. 23. HFMN Executive Director Kathleen Hatten and Development Director Jennifer Wilson say the group has had a great impact on military and veteran families in the Pikes Peak region and all across Colorado. From left, Sertomans Pete Peterson and John Coyle present the check to Hatten and Wilson. Photo by Victoria Wynn.

O’Bryant named Sertoman of the Year

Above: At the Sertoma Christmas dinner on Dec. 13, Donna O’Bryant was named Sertoman of the Year. O’Bryant has been a Sertoman for 30 years. Photo by Victoria Wynn.

Other Snapshot Sections

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.

Voyager Pkwy near Spectrum Loop will close

Voyager Parkway near Spectrum Loop is closed as part of the ongoing Powers Boulevard Extension Project. The project to build an overpass for the future extension of Powers Boulevard started Monday, Nov. 20. The closure is expected to last into fall 2024. The goal is to get the bridge in place to alleviate traffic impacts once the Sunset Amphitheatre opens in the Summer of 2024.

Wildfire Neighborhood Ambassadors

Wildfire Neighborhood Ambassador training class is coming Feb. 21-Mar. 27 online. This year’s six modules will be presented by Fire Adapted Colorado for free to residents of neighborhoods that already have established slash chipping programs and want to build more depth in their Firewise volunteer group. For information, call Lisa Hatfield 719-339-7831 before Feb. 14.

Children’s Literacy Center

The center provides free one-on-one literacy tutoring to Tri-Lakes children in grades 1-6 who are reading below grade level! Tutoring is at the Tri-Lakes Senior Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 pm, and the Summer Session will run through Aug. 14. For more information, to become a volunteer tutor or to enroll your child, visit www.childrensliteracycenter.org or email Christine Jeffson at Christine@childrensliteracycenter.org.

Community volunteers

Many students need volunteer hours for scouting, civics classes, clubs, or would just like to volunteer for the good of it. Friends of Fox Run Park will have some openings for student volunteers (and grownups, too) most of the year for various tasks. Besides tasks, the group offers information and skills demonstrations for each 2-3 hour session, and celebrates volunteers at the park with annual community events. The Tri Lakes Cares on-site garden in Monument also needs volunteers in Fall, Spring and Summer. Gardening tasks include preparing garden beds, weeding, sowing seeds, and developing the compost. Bring gardening gloves, some tools will be provided on the workdays. Contact Janet Sellers at JanetSellers@ocn.me or Marlene Brown at MarleneBrown@ocn.me for more information.

Palmer Lake Parking Restrictions

When there is an accumulation of two inches or more of snow, the parking restrictions shall be in effect. No person shall stop, stand, or park any vehicle on any portion of a snow route, or leave, abandon, or permit to remain stalled any vehicle, which is stalled on any portion of a snow route and take immediate action for placing the vehicle to be parked lawfully. Parked vehicles shall be removed from all streets within the town, including those which are not designated snow routes. Parking information details: www.townofpalmerlake.com/pw/page/parking-restrictions-during-snow.

Tri-Lakes Cares needs your support

Tri-Lakes Cares is the only food pantry and human services organization serving northern El Paso County through emergency relief and self-sufficiency programs. The community-based, volunteer-supported center is a critical resource for our neighbors in need. The best way to help support Tri-Lakes Cares is to donate. Visit tri-lakescares.org/donate to learn how to donate money, medical items, personal supplies, or food. Please check the web for current needs in our food pantry at tri-lakescares.org/donate/current-needs. Donation drop-off hours are Mon.-Thu., 9 am-4 pm. For more information about Tri-Lakes Cares or how you can help, contact Tri-Lakes Cares at 719-481-4864 or info@tri-lakescares.org.

Silver Key at Tri-Lakes Senior Center

Silver Key at Tri-Lakes Senior Center, formerly known as the Tri-Lakes Silver Alliance Senior Center, has been providing exciting programs and activities to area seniors who have a zest for fun and learning. As the older adult population is growing, our services are in high demand. 719-884-2300 66 Jefferson St, Monument.

Volunteers needed for student tech makerspace

Monumental Impact (MI) organizers are building a community of mentors and volunteers to enable and support high school students interested in technology, engineering and entrepreneurship. MI manages a makerspace in Monument in partnership with D38 school district. MI offers internships to high school students for industry experiences and hosts D38’s competitive robotics team, Bearbotics, in the makerspace and organizes various events to share projects and to compete. Contact Jeanette Breton at Jeanette@MonumentalImpact.org or volunteer@monumentalimpact.org for more information.

Can you volunteer today?

  • Links to local organizations with an immediate need for volunteers are listed on the county’s website, www.elpasocountyhealth.org/volunteering-and-donations, for groups like Care and Share, Crossfire Ministries, blood donations, Early Connections (volunteer from home opportunity), foster an animal, Medical Reserve Corps of El Paso County, Salvation Army, Silver Key, and United Way (ongoing opportunities).
  • The Colorado State University Extension office in El Paso County has several opportunities for individuals interested in volunteering. elpaso.extension.colostate.edu/volunteer-opportunities/
  • El Paso County volunteer-based and nonprofit organizations rely on the hard work of individuals like you. Find out how you can play a part by becoming a volunteer in El Paso County. Get involved in El Paso County volunteering non-profits and organizations! www.americantowns.com/el-paso-county-co/volunteer-organizations/.
  • The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Program is composed of a collective citizens group with a true and common desire to partner with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office by volunteering their services while learning more about the internal workings of the law enforcement community. www.epcsheriffsoffice.com/volunteer-program-0.
  • The El Paso County Volunteer Program is a wonderful opportunity for citizens to learn about the various functions of county government as well as give back to the community. The County’s numerous boards and commissions need your experience, talents and time. bocc.elpasoco.com/volunteer.

Other Community Notices articles