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

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Columns: Arts, Books, Gardening, History, Library, etc.

Letters to Our Community – Urgent need for conservatives to run for D38 Board of Education

District 38 needs two conservatives to step up and run for Palmer Lake’s and North Woodmoor’s school board seats this fall. The need is urgent. As with most conservative communities across the country, we have organized progressives here with media-directed axes to grind. They are disproportionately vocal on social media repeating whatever propaganda is served to them, be it forced masking, the Covid jab, DEI, and, above all else, LGBTQ advocacy. If there’s a Facebook frame for it, they will believe it. And push it on the rest of us.

The grip the teachers union has on the country provides an infrastructure for their activism and a pool of volunteers and potential candidates for school boards. Conservatives don’t have this because they didn’t embed themselves into our education system. On the contrary, conservatives have been rooted out.

What a difference it would make if conservatives joined the fight. And our schools taught American exceptionalism instead of multiculturalism, individual responsibility instead of collective guilt, and virtue instead of hedonism.

Sitting back and waiting for the Facebook-frame people to produce your next two board members is a terrible idea. This town is full of intelligent, educated, perceptive, well-spoken conservatives. Please answer the call to help our community. Board members meet twice a month. Candidates need to pick up paperwork and collect signatures in August. Anyone interested looking for more information is free to reach me.

Derek Araje

Our Community News welcomes letters to the editor on topics of general interest to readers in the Tri-Lakes area. Guidelines for letters are found here. The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer. When there is more than one letter, the letters are arranged in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.

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Letters to Our Community – Scrub oak (Gambel oak), pine needles and other debris

Let me introduce myself. I have a BS in Forestry (1960) and a PhD in Forestry (1995), which included studies in wildland fire behavior. I first attended a U.S. Forest Service fire and lookout school at age 14 at my dad’s remote ranger station in the Idaho wilderness. That would not be possible today. I continued to attend through age 17 when I was hired as a wildland firefighter on two two-man fires and a 14-man fire. This was before my senior year of high school. I continued as a wildland fire fighter at a Forest Service ranger district in Montana while in college; this included very large fire in central Idaho and a one-man fire when the district ranger ran out of crew. While serving on a range survey crew for the BLM near Madeline, Calif., a fire started nearby on the base of McDonald Peak.

Since I was the only one with wildland fire experience, I became the leader of an ad hoc fire crew. We almost had the fire under control when the wind and sun came up resulting in a 50,000-acre fire. So, it can be said that I know a little about vegetation and wildland fire.

I live in North Woodmoor and it bothers me to see residents raking up pine needles and other debris, except to protect lawns, while continuing to let scrub oak grow. Scrub oak is highly flammable and a danger to our neighborhoods, while pine needles are not. Pine needles should be looked upon as mulch and long-term fertilizer.

John Schumaker PhD

Our Community News welcomes letters to the editor on topics of general interest to readers in the Tri-Lakes area. Guidelines for letters are found here. The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer. When there is more than one letter, the letters are arranged in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.

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Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Summer fun has begun

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“Summer’s Lease hath all too Short a Date”—William Shakespeare

It’s time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine! Whether you are a fan of staying close to home or traveling, any of these books will be a great companion. Included are titles that are fun activities for the kids.

Walk: Find Your Path to Happiness and Mindfulness in Nature

By Sholto Radford (Quadrille Publishing) $20

If you aren’t already hooked on the many pleasures of being outside in Colorado, Walk invites you to explore the benefits to be gained from the simple act of walking, hiking, and spending time outdoors. A great natural way to boost your mind, body and soul, walking is simple and free. Without the need for special equipment or personal training, it is just about the easiest way to become more active, lose weight, and get healthier. This book offers guidance and practical exercises to cultivate emotional and physical well-being

Wildflowers of Colorado Field Guide

By Don Mammoser with Stan Tekiela (Adventure Publications) $18.95

With the help of this field guide by professional nature photographer Don Mammoser and award-winning author and naturalist Stan Tekiela you can identify the wildflowers you see while on your walks. This backpack-size book has color photos of about 200 of the most common and important species found in our state. Organized by color, the full-page photographs provide visual detail needed for identification; fact-filled information on each species is included. This book is one of a series of field guides, including Birds of Colorado, Mammals of Colorado, Rocks & Minerals of Colorado, and others.

Family Camping: Everything You Need to Know for a Night Outdoors with Loved Ones

By Charlie Ess (Falcon Press) $25

The ultimate camping handbook—whether you’re with family or friends, camping, or in your backyard—Family Camping has everything you’ll need for a perfect experience. Part inspiration, part practical knowledge, this book is a whole lot of fun. Family Camping offers up food and drink recipes, family activities, nature hacks, expert know-how, and more for the outdoor-lover

Birding Colorado

By High Kingery (Falcon Press) $30

Birding Colorado is a guide to the best bird-watching sites in Colorado, from national parks and wildlife refuges to marshes, mountains, and canyons. Organized by region, each site description informs readers on habitats, visiting information, and birds you’ll encounter. What sets this book apart is the extra information on bird status and bird habitat that has made it more than a mere site guide and earned a place in the Denver Audubon’s curriculum.

Stargazing for Kids: An Introduction to Astronomy

By Jonathan Poppele (Adventure Publications) $13

Author, educator, and naturalist Jonathan Poppele presents a kids’ introduction to the night sky. Ideal for early- and middle-grade readers, this book conveys fascinating information for beginners. Kids gain an understanding of stars, our solar system, and deep sky objects. From there, readers are introduced to more than 25 constellations that are important to know and easy to locate. A season-by-season tour of the night sky provides advice to help experience success while stargazing—with practical tips on locating each constellation. There are also ideas for the entire family to enjoy, a wonderful way to turn stargazing into a shared hobby.

Where’s Waldo? Words on the Go!: Play, Puzzle, Search and Solve—a Hidden Object Activity Book with Crossword Puzzles, Word Search, and Search & Find

By Martin Handford (Candlewick Press) $15

Words, words, words! Get ready to try tricky crosswords and word searches, crack some codes, wrangle with riddles, and come up with puns and acronyms, all while searching for Waldo and his pals. This search-and-find wordplay book also boasts a matching-pairs card game suited for playing solo or with friends and is a great way to keep youngsters occupied while on a car or plane trip.

The Highlights Big Book of Activities for Little Kids: The Ultimate Book of Activities to Do with Kids, 200+ Crafts, Recipes, Puzzles and More for Kids

By Highlights (Highlights Press) $20

This book is packed with over 200 engaging, repeatable activities tailor-made for toddlers and preschoolers to share with their favorite grownups. These fun activities are expertly designed to help kids develop fine and gross motor skills, critical thinking, social-emotional skills, and more. Inviting questions are designed to spur thinking and conversation.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

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Palmer Lake Historical Society, June 15 – Father’s Day Ice Cream Social

Above: The Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS) Annual Father’s Day Ice Cream Social was held at the historic Palmer Lake Town Hall on June 15. The weather was perfect and the afternoon rains held so that families could sit outside in the Village Green and enjoy guitar playing by Nick Davey of Colorado Springs. Photo by Marlene Brown.
Above: Members of the society helped to serve free pie and ice cream to the public. From left are Heather Krueger, Barb Morehead, Kathie Lombardy, Arlene Olson, and Mary Sue Liss. For more information regarding membership and events held by PLHS, go to www.palmerdividehistory.org. Photos by Marlene Brown.

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High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Gardening with nature’s beautiful bouncers

By Janet Sellers

Here we are, mid-season for landscaping and garden beds. We need to know how to protect them. In our natural local ecosystem, plants and nature co-evolved to thrive. That is their job. But we humans make changes to places. Homes in tracts or ranches can severely imbalance natural spaces. Can we keep what we like and deter what we don’t, including pests of the insect and animal kind?

Key to success is keeping nature’s helpers in the landscape—they work around the clock:

  • Mint: The strong, fresh scent of mint is a well-known deer deterrent; garlic: The smell of garlic effectively keeps deer away. Lavender’s strong, floral scent is disliked by deer. The spicy smell of hot pepper flakes or cinnamon are scents deer, rabbits, squirrels (and cats) tend to avoid. Coffee grounds mask the scent of plants and deter invaders, too.
  • Deer avoid double fencing. Having a second 4-5-foot garden perimeter fence helps, since deer don’t want to get caught or stuck there.
  • Fenced yards with dogs can be a good resource. For millennia, canine companions have had the job of protection for communities, landscapes, farms, and homes. For example, in Scotland, the Sheltie dog had traditional jobs to “bark, herd, and deter,” protecting food gardens from sheep and other animals.

Plant bouncers, decoys, and enforcers

Knowing about plant helpers supports our landscapes amid the natural systems we live in. We need native plants for our places to thrive: milkweed, goldenrod, and so on. Finding the best native plants to add in our gardens is a win-win. They are ready to go to work, thrive, and bloom locally.

Natural insect bouncers function and are safe. (Man-made pesticides, which are actually insecticides, kill all insects, the good and “bad”). Nature already has our answers to issues we wouldn’t have if we actually knew how to do gardening with nature. Nicole Johnsey Burke of Gardenary.com, shares her tips for us such as:

Beautiful bouncers deter by scent: mint (use in pots or it goes all over), basil, lavender, rosemary, sage. Second are garlic and chives (which have gorgeous global flowers, by the way). Garlic can line up alongside the greens, marigolds, particularly the yellow, short French marigolds in the aster family, as good border control.

Decoys, sacrifice plants, feed pests that get through our bouncers: nasturtiums, zinnias, and sunflowers to name a few. Dill, fennel, and carrot family plants attract caterpillars and stop their entry to our favored plants.

We can attract what Burke calls the enforcers, good bugs that powerfully control pests: ladybugs, certain kinds of small parasitic wasps (not bad guys) and others that feast on the pests we don’t want eating our gardens. They are attracted to the flowers of the carrot family (cilantro, parsley, dill) and others, then feast on the bad bugs, larvae, and caterpillars. Adding in pollinator-friendly flowers with pollen such as cosmos, coreopsis, and zinnias attract our garden helpers, too.

Moles are carnivorous and eat insects and grubs, daily consuming up to 100% of their body weight in these. Their presence indicates an overabundance of pests—they are only after the pests. But their digging can damage the garden. Trap-and-release removal (far, far away from the ‘hood) works, but owning a cat that enjoys walking through garden beds is a very effective, historical deterrent to rodents—footsteps leaving predator pheromones and deterring garden pests. Castor oil in a dry spread made with a mix of a pound of clay cat litter and a cup of castor oil works well; repeat after rains. Low-tech methods: kids’ pinwheels placed here and there on the lawn or a homemade plastic bottle thumper with “finned” plastic bottles near a mole entrance.

Janet Sellers shares proven “lazy gardening” tips and ideas to help us thrive in our high altitude desert mountain climate. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

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Art Matters – The many benefits of outdoor art and arts events

By Janet Sellers

Public art creates stronger communities and can even help save lives.

Our local monthly Art Hop gives us the chance to make our community a fun place to live and connect with neighbors and visitors. On the fourth Friday of the month, 5-7 p.m., May through September, our Art Hop is a time to be in town and mingle with friends and visitors for hours of art and refreshment. Besides the sculpture park seen from Second Street, there are always numerous sculptures around town at the Monument Town Hall, along Beacon Lite Road and along the Santa Fe Trail and many other places in town. These are visible all the time, too.

Art in public places fosters connection, shared identity, and dialogue, turning spaces into gathering points. It can reduce isolation, inspire hope, and spark critical conversations about social issues. By humanizing environments and promoting inclusion, public art can strengthen communities, improve mental health, and even help prevent violence or despair.

Through art in public places, the way-faring and calming effects of having public art offer intriguing, powerful impacts for public safety and pride of place, especially in placemaking. Art in Public Places is a moniker for artworks available for the public to view outdoors or indoors. These often show diversity in style, imagery, materials, and techniques. Art in Public Places as a genre has a goal to merge the art experience into public spaces.

The art in public places’ official source for the Town of Monument is known as ArtSites, and we can download a phone application that informs about each artwork. The app is called Otocast and in the narrated audio guide, each artist tells in their own words about their artwork: https://app.otocast.com/guide/MonumentCO_ArtSites.

The ArtSites for the Town of Monument makes a call for artists each year, and a jury decides on the winners to be exhibited that year throughout the area. This year in June, new sculptures were installed and can be seen at the Monument Town Hall, along the Santa Fe Trail route as well as in the Sculpture Park lawns at Second and Jefferson Streets.

Many states, counties, cities, and towns mandate capital construction and renovation funds, usually 1% of those funds. For example, in Colorado, the “1% for Art” program, officially the Art in Public Places program, allocates 1% of state capital construction funds for new or renovated state buildings toward the acquisition of public art. This program, administered by Colorado Creative Industries, ensures that public spaces are enhanced with art and aims to support artists and enrich communities. Denver, Boulder and other cities also have their own “1% for Art” programs, which dedicate a portion of city-funded capital improvement projects to public art.

The benefits of the state and local programs provide access to art for all, activate public spaces, grow civic pride, and support artists, especially local artists. Art in public places offers a human scale to larger spaces, invites experiences and interactivity for people walking, illustrates or reflects a story or history of the place, and improves wayfinding. The qr code shown here goes to the link for Otocast and the stories of the artworks narrated by the artists themselves.

Janet Sellers is an artist, writer and speaker, offering talks, workshops, and art in public places for Colorado museums and communities. Contact Janet at JanetSellers@OCN.me.

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Snapshots of Our Community

Schwarz honored for playground

Above: Tamara Schwarz has been honored for all she’s done as executive director of Trinity Community Park in Monument. She’s been named a Daily Point of Light by the Points of Light global non-profit. Daily Point of Light Awards honor individuals and groups who create meaningful change to meet community needs. In Schwarz’s case, she was instrumental in creating the playground that’s described as “the most state-of-the-art inclusive park in the region.” She often volunteers more than 50 hours a week at the park, overseeing other volunteers, and working on expanding the playground. Photo by Kim Marlin.

Eagle Scout project statue dedicated

Above: It took three years, but Colin Saber finally got to dedicate the statue of a P-51 Mustang aircraft that helped earn him his Eagle Scout badge. Nearly 100 people attended the ceremony in front of the Monument Town Hall on a blustery day June 8. Saber raised $55,000 to move the statue from a site in Fort Collins to the front of the Town Hall. His goal was to honor Monument resident Col. Earl Depner, who flew 100 missions in the plane as an Army Air Corps pilot during WWII, as well as sculptor Robert Henderson who created the statue. Depner died in 2022, and Henderson died a year later. Veteran Matthew Giles told the crowd that Col. Depner was “likely smiling down from the stratosphere.” Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

D38 communications wins awards

Above: The School District 38 Communications Team won 11 awards at the Colorado School Public Relations Association (COSPRA) Conference June 4–6 in Breckenridge. Amy Matisek, communications director for Lewis-Palmer School District 38 is on the left. The team’s Social Media Specialist and Photographer Stephanie Gonzalez (right) was named Communications Rookie of the Year. The team’s other awards were for writing, design, photography, and video. The honors were chosen by school public relations professionals from across the country. Photo by Tyler Dumas.

Palmer Lake Fishing Derby, June 7

Above: A record number of young anglers turned out for the Tri-Lakes Lions Club Kids Fishing Derby at Palmer Lake on June 7. Lions Club volunteer Jim Hazuka says 352 children, ages 4 to 14, cast their lines into Palmer Lake. The winner in the 4-to-7-year-old category was Leo Kobeisi (below left photo), who caught a 13.5-inch fish. Among kids 8 to 11, the winner was Noomi Reiss (below middle photo). The top three finishers in that category all caught fish measuring 13.5 inches. A ticket was picked out of a hat to break the tie and name Noomi the winner. In the 12-to-14-year-old category, the winner was McKenzie Fribbs (below right photo), whose winning catch measured 12 7/8 inches. All the victors received a fishing rod, tackle box, hat and a gift card. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Jim Maguire Celebration of Life, June 13

Above: More than 400 people attended a celebration of life for longtime Monument resident Jim Maguire, “the Mayor of Maguireville,” also known to friends as “Jumpin’ Jimmy” and “Brushfire Maguire.” Maguire died May 3 at the age of 96. The ceremony was held outside at his home on a warm and sunny day . Maguire’s son Kevin remembered his dad as a “collector of friends and stuff.” A lot of stuff. Maguire collected thousands of pieces of memorabilia and stored them in his two barns that he named Maguireville. Kevin also had this to say about his father: “He was a hard worker. He was a good husband. He had a fun-loving spirit, and he truly did hate to miss a party. He had a great sense of humor. He was an easy man to like. He loved people. He was a thoughtful, caring, faithful friend to many. He was always interested in other people’s lives. He was a good father, a supportive husband. He had a mischievous twinkle in his eye.” Maguire’s grandson Tyler Powell also spoke, thanking his “grampy” for being an “inspiration to all of us.” Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Above: The ceremony ended with a riderless horse accompanied by members of the Pikes Peak Ranger Rider Pivots. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Hayward and McGrath booksigning

Above: On Saturday, June 14 at Covered Treasures Bookstore, George Hayward, left, author of Party Dolls: The True Tragic Story of Two Americans Attempted Escape from a 1969 Hanoi POW Camp, and Mike McGrath, author of Prisoner of War: Six Years in Hanoi, signed their respective books for patrons, chatted and exchanged many stories of their time in military service. McGrath, at the time a young Navy pilot who was captured in 1967 after being shot down over Vietnam, vividly presents a straightforward and compelling tale of survival, of years of suffering, and of the human will to endure. At the book signing, McGrath told of his time of six years in the POW camp known as the Hanoi Hilton, and of the dire circumstances and powerful comradery of those interned. His book is filled with stories of the courage to live, and his original drawings from that time, including how they saved bread to sculpt needed items albeit contraband to have, wrote notes on toilet paper, and even used a bone from soup to sculpt a religious cross. Hayward wrote stories of the men of The Party Dolls that tells the true, tragic story of an escape code-named the “Party.” The book was awarded the 2021 Best Indie Book Award winner for Nonfiction Military History. Also shown in the picture chatting with the authors on the right are Madeline VanDenHoek and her husband Eric. Photo by Janet Sellers.

Wildfire risk reduction, June 14

Above: Monument Fire Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction Jonathan Bradley led a June 14 presentation at The Barn in Woodmoor on wildfire risk in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)—the zone where development meets or mingles with undeveloped vegetation. Introduced by Woodmoor Improvement Association Director of Forestry Jason Hann, Bradley discussed vegetation management, forest health, evacuation planning, and the role of community participation in wildfire protection. He cited recent regional fires, including the Berry, Waldo Canyon, Black Forest and West Monument Creek fires, and addressed rising insurance costs tied to wildfire threats. Attendees received handouts, including a personal wildfire action plan and a residential safety checklist (bit.ly/wildland-rsg). Bradley also promoted Monument Community Connect (bit.ly/connect-moco), a tool for residents to share information that can help first responders during emergencies. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

WMMI getting new entrance

Above: In mid-June, the North Gate Boulevard improvement project continued at the intersection of Struthers Road. According to the EngageCOS, the City Projects website ((https://parks.coloradosprings.gov/projects), the project “will improve the roadway at the Struthers intersection, installing enhanced infrastructure (convey stormwater into the city’s stormwater system, curbs, water quality vaults, pipes, and swales) and providing fewer lane changes for motorists.” It will “increase roadway safety and remove conflict points for motorists and pedestrians.” An August 2023 demolition and utility plan of the project shows a relocation of the Western Museum of Mining & Industry’s (WMMI) entrance to the signal at North Gate and Struthers through a re-route of the museum’s present driveway and a roundabout on the museum property. WMMI Executive Director Grant Dewey said the museum “is so thankful and excited to receive a new entry as part of the City of Colorado Springs upgrading of North Gate Boulevard. This will provide an easier and safer entry to our cultural campus after 55 years of using our authentic ranch dirt driveway.” Dewey extended appreciation to the Colorado Springs Public Works Department and contractors such as Wildcat Construction for their coordination with the museum. The project is estimated to be completed in September. Photo by David Futey

County Commissioners, June 21

Above: On June 21, El Paso County commissioners Holly Williams, District 1, and Bill Wysong, District 3, held an informal meeting with constituents at Wesley Owens coffee shop in Monument. The commissioners represent Woodmoor, Gleneagle, Black Forest, Palmer Lake, and Monument. About 40 residents, including local board members, councilors, and trustees attended. Williams said the county’s budget is limited due to TABOR and must be shared with local municipalities. Public Works Director Jack Ladley noted it costs about $1 million to pave one mile of road. His budget is around $23 million annually and the county has 2,410 lane miles to maintain. He said inflation drives up costs and warned that conflict in the Middle East could raise oil and asphalt prices. The discussion also addressed how development affects quality of life, with residents saying developers often override community concerns. Attendees questioned aquifer depletion, limited water supply, and the lack of county residents input in town planning decisions. They also raised concerns about wildfire mitigation, evacuation routes, and the need to balance growth with public safety. The group explored solutions such as increased citizen engagement and alternative funding, and requested future meetings be held in a larger venue. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Legacy at Jackson Landing, June 19

Above: The Legacy at Jackson Landing developer and planners held a community meeting June 19 at the Tri-Lakes Chamber Meeting House. Community members spoke with professional engineers Carl Barton, left, and Noah Brehmer, as well as the developer, Chris Hake (not shown). Issues discussed included the color schemes (earth tones), safety for public walkways and parking, green areas, traffic considerations, and site plans and elevations that showed the general look and feel of initial schematic design and design developments. Legacy at Jackson Landing is a 30-acre commercial development which includes a 129,000-square-foot “major” retailer, a potential hotel, restaurants, and additional retail space. It is located next to I-25 just north of Baptist Road. For more information on the project, see wp.ocn.me/v25n6monpc/. Photo by Janet Sellers.

WMMI History Day, June 21

Above: On June 21, the Western Museum of Mining & Industry (WMMI) celebrated its annual History Day. WMMI visitors speak with a military re-enactor who provided information on the history of military rifles. The event was filled with a mix of activities and information from the museum and other organizations. Visitors could take hayrides around the property, ride in a soap box derby car provided by the Pikes Peak Soap Box Derby organization, review military equipment, watch a military re-enactment, speak with re-enactors from the Colorado Military Historical Group Inc. and U.S. Army 250, and learn about other museums such as the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center in Denver and McAllister House Museum located in Colorado Springs. The WMMI operated some of its outdoor equipment including the Yellow Jacket Stamp Mill and the Osgood Steam Shovel. Information on upcoming events at the museum is at www.wmmi.org. Photo by David Futey.

Art Hop, June 27

Above: Being an artist, Daryl Muncey, came up with a creative idea when a tree fell on his fence last year; he built a replica of a one-room schoolhouse where he could hang more of his paintings. The bright blue building even comes equipped with a school bell in front that he rang for people who visited during Art Hop on June 27. The building is part of his Jefferson Studios complex at 215 Chapala Plaza in an alley off Second Street. Photo by Michael Weinfeld

Above: There’s also an artist gazebo where Our Community News volunteer and artist Janet Sellers displayed her brightly colored mural. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Above: Fellow artist, Dan Rich, showed off his art. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Cops and Bobbers, June 29

Above and below: Members of the Monument Police Department (MPD) mingled with young anglers at Monument Lake in an event called Cops and Bobbers on June 29. The event has been held elsewhere in Colorado and other states, but this was Monument’s first shot at it. The hope is that it’ll become an annual event. The aim is to give kids a chance to mingle and get to know members of their local police force while fishing. The children also got to choose from various swag including a junior police officer pin with a flashing red light and an MPD slap bracelet. By the way, for those who aren’t familiar with fishing terms, a bobber is the float that suspends the bait in the water. Above: Community Resource Officer Kelly Reifle and Scheel’s Marketing Director Jacey Sharping stand behind the table filled with MPD swag. Below: One of the kids taking part in the event casts his line. Photos by Michael Weinfeld.

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Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Let’s get cooking!

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“The secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”—Mark Twain

Start the summer off with some fun cookbooks! Whether you are cooking for one person or for the whole family, here are some you will want to explore.

The Complete Cookbook for Teen Chefs: 70+ Teen-Tested and Teen-Approved Recipes to Cook, Eat and Share

By America’s Test Kitchen (America’s Test Kitchen Kids) $22

For the first time ever, America’s Test Kitchen Kids is bringing its rigorous testing, kitchen knowhow, and hands-on learning to teenagers in the kitchen. Fiercely independent and searching for culinary adventure, teen chefs are ready for exciting, global recipes made to share with friends and family—with the support of fundamental kitchen techniques and approachable instruction. This book is filled with over 70 recipes that have been tested and approved by thousands of teens from across the country.

Easy Weeknight Dinners: 100 Fast, Flavor-Packed Meals for Busy People Who Still Want Something Good to Eat

By Emily Weinstein (Ten Speed Press) $35

For busy people who want something good to eat, culinary powerhouse New York Times Cooking makes meal planning easy, with thousands of recipes to explore in the app. In Easy Weeknight Dinners, editor-in-chief Emily Weinstein has curated some of the greatest hits—100 favorite dishes that you can make in as little as 10 minutes. Whether you’re seeking a standout meal for one, crowd-pleasers for picky kids, or something special for company, Easy Weeknight Dinners offers versatile, flavor-packed meals for busy lives.

Super-Italian: More Than 110 Indulgent Recipes Using Italy’s Healthiest Foods

By Giada de Laurentiis (Rodale Books) $35

From the day Giada De Laurentiis started cooking professionally, her fundamental formula for making meals memorable has not changed: Good cooking = technique + ingredients + ambience. This same formula is the key to good health when you choose ingredients that promote wellness, cook them simply, and eat them joyfully. In her skillful hands, a pantry of Italian superfoods is the starting point to better health and longevity. By using carbs and fats mindfully and amplifying vegetables, lean proteins, and flavor-boosting superfoods at every meal, De Laurentiis shows how easy it is to eat like an Italian. With 100 stunning photographs of finished meals and their superfood components, De Laurentiis teaches us that when you start with truly excellent, minimally processed ingredients, simply prepared, you can have your pasta and eat it too!

Pretty Delicious: Simple, Modern Mediterranean, Served with Style

By Alia Elkaffas (Clarkson Potter Publishers) $33

This debut cookbook from social media sensations The Food Dolls, with more than 110 simply sophisticated, fresh, and vibrant dishes with a Mediterranean twist. Originally from Egypt and now living in the Midwest, sisters Alia and Radwa Elkaffas created their Food Dolls platform to answer the question of how to put an exciting and healthful meal on the table without spending hours in the kitchen. Fresh, streamlined, healthful, and proven family-friendly, Pretty Delicious will inspire you with dozens of ingenious ways to level up dinner.

Half Baked Harvest Quick & Cozy

By Tieghan Gerard (Clarkson Potter Publishers) $33

In her fourth cookbook, Gerard returns with a collection of more than 120 recipes that reflect the way she cooks now: simple ingredients, easy to get on the table, short on time yet big on flavor. This collection leans into the comfort food she’s known for, but with an eye toward getting it ready in a hurry. With many recipes doable in one pot or pan, most in under 45 minutes, and a more-is-more focus on flavor (but not ingredients), you’ll be feasting fast.

Cooking for One: Scaled Recipes, No-Waste Solutions, and Time-Saving Tips

By Kate Morton (Mariner Books) $20

Cooking for One helps you make cooking for yourself special without becoming a chore with unfussy yet utterly appealing meals that rely on ingredients you already have on hand. Taking care to prepare a meal for yourself is a different experience than cooking for others. It can be a fun, casual, and (of course) delicious affair, but there are challenges, from avoiding a fridge full of half-used ingredients to ending up with leftovers that become boring after the third reheat.

Until next month, happy reading.

The Covered Treasures Bookstore staff can be reached at books@ocn.me.

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June Library Events – Summer Adventure reading program begins, special programs offered

By Harriet Halbig

The annual Summer Adventure presented by Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District began on June 2 and will continue until July 31. This year, all ages including adults are welcome to participate with a variety of exciting grand prizes and registration prizes.

This year’s theme is Color Our World.

Upon registration, children up to age 12 receive a book of their choice and teens receive a book or journal. After completing 30 days of reading, creating, and exploring, those up to 3 receive a bath toy and entry to grand prize drawing, ages 4 to 12 receive a reading award medal, teens ages 13-18 receive an additional book or journal, and those 19 and older receive a packet of wildflower seeds, a can cooler, and an entry into the grand prize drawing.

The grand prizes this year are exciting and family oriented, including four-packs of tickets to Air Force Academy athletic events, family memberships to the YMCA, passes to Skate City, and a variety of gift cards to Dave & Buster’s, Scheels, Poor Richard’s and restaurants.

To register for the program, go to the district website, ppld.org., or in person at the library. To track your progress, you may pick up a game card at the library or print one from the website.

At the Monument Library from 10:30 to 11:15 on June 13, there will be a Peter Rabbit program presented by Theatre Across Borders. This program is for all ages and features a story about Peter Rabbit and his adventures in Mr. McGregor’s garden. No registration is required but space is limited so you are advised to arrive early.

On June 16 from 4:30 to 5:30 teens and tweens will design their own terrarium featuring Animal Crossing characters and stickers. Registration is required. Please call 719-488-2370 or register online at ppld.org, events and happenings, and choose Monument Library.

On June 18 from 3 to 4:30, there will be a teen program (ages 13 to 18) titled Faerie Magic and Lore Workshop. Learn about the origins and how to encounter faeries, pixies, brownies, and other creatures. Learn to understand the different types and how to interact with them. Registration is required.

On June 19 from 3 to 4:30, there will be a teen program to create a fantasy map and paint a playable Dungeons and Dragons figurine. Each participant will leave with their own map and figurine. Registration is required

On June 21 from 11 to 12:30, will be a program for adults addressing artificial intelligence and how it works. Registration is required.

On June 23 from 5:30 to 6:30, there will be an adult class addressing protection orders. Colorado Legal Services will provide a general overview on Civil Protection Orders and when they may or may not be necessary. Registration is required.

On June 27 from 10:30 to 11:15, there will be a family program featuring Katherine Dines and her Hunk-ta-Bunk-ta music on a summer reading adventure. No registration required.

Palmer Lake Library programs

On June 19 from 10:30 to 11:15, those up to age 12 are invited to the Palmer Lake Library to meet some friendly animals from Wishing Star Farms. This is an outdoor program.

On June 20 from 3 to 3:45, kids ages 5 to 12 are invited to an Idea Lab addressing bridge science. Explore the science behind bridge building and engineer your own bridge. Accept the challenge to build a bridge that will support as much weight as possible over a 16-inch span.

On June 25 from 11 to 12:30, there will be an adult class to make woven picture frames. Create and decorate your own loom and learn how to weave pictures into it for a unique way to display photos. Please bring a few photos for the project (we will make copies to use in the project) and weave these memories into a masterpiece. Registration is required.

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Please note that all Pikes Peak Library facilities will be closed on July 4 in observance of Independence Day.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbi@ocn.me.

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Palmer Lake Historical Society, May 15 – Author recounts life of Nikola Tesla

By Marlene Brown

At the May 15 meeting of the Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS), the topic of the evening was Nikola Tesla and Why He Chose Colorado Springs by author and historian Patric Ryan, who moved to Colorado Springs seven years ago and has been researching Tesla. He is writing a book series and a play, Mark Twain and the War of Wizards, written about Tesla’s rivalry with Thomas Edison, narrated by Mark Twain, who happened to be one of Tesla’s good friends.

Ryan said that Tesla’s (1856-1943) family left Serbia under the Ottoman empire for Croatia, which was part of the Austrian Empire. Born at midnight on July 10, 1856 during a lightning and thunderstorm, the midwife declared, “He’ll be a child of the storm” and his mother responded “No, of light.”

While growing up, Tesla had several flashes of inspiration which led to many discoveries and inventions. He began to work on the alternating current (A/C) theory while studying engineering and physics at the university, and he worked at several electrical plants and power houses before becoming employed at the Edison Works in Ivry, a suburb of Paris. After unsuccessfully raising money to work on his A/C motor, he secured passage to New York. Two days after landing he was working for Thomas Edison at Edison Works. The next several years was spent working and troubleshooting for several companies, including Westinghouse, and developing his own inventions such as wireless transmission.

Ryan said Westinghouse won the electrical contract for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Tesla had an exhibit there demonstrating several of his inventions and was introduced as the “Wizard of Physics.” After the World’s Fair, he moved on to Colorado Springs to construct a wireless station for scientific research.

In 1899-1900 Tesla built his research station on Knob Hill, which was all prairie at the time, near where Pikes Peak Avenue would be (North Foote Avenue and Kiowa Street) between the School for the Deaf and the Blind (built in 1876) and the Union Printers Home (built in 1892). After nine months of experiments, Tesla was ready to increase power for his magnifying transmitter.

When he gave the signal to his assistant, Kolman Czito, to throw the switch, there was a rumble that grew to a roar that could be heard 15 miles away. There was total blackout by the El Paso Electric Co. in Colorado Springs. Tesla had short-circuited the generator, and the power station was on fire. They had a second back-up generator on-site. The electric company told Tesla it was up to him to fix the generator and they would bill him for the additional damage. Though it has been said that Tesla left Colorado Springs without paying the bill, Ryan showed PLHS a copy the “paid” invoice.

Ryan said Tesla went back to New York to continue his work and lived to be in his 80s. He appeared on the cover of Time in July 1931. Although many of his ideas would be dismissed, a hundred years later many of his inventions and discoveries are being used today, wireless telephone, x-ray, fluorescent lighting, and remote control, according to Wikipedia.

Above: Patric Ryan, author and historian, presented Nikola Tesla and Why He Chose Colorado Springs to the Palmer Lake Historical Society on May 15. Photo by Marlene Brown

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PLHS will hold a Father’s Day Ice Cream Social on Sunday, June 15, 2-4 pm at the Palmer Lake Town Hall and Village Green. It is free and open to the public. Bring family and friends, lawn chairs, and blankets and enjoy music, ice cream, and pie. Tables will be set up inside the Town Hall. This event is sponsored by John Spidell of the Spidell Foundation. PLHS meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at 7 to 8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at the Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent St. Free and open to the public. For more info regarding memberships and future programs, go to www.palmerdividehistory.org/events.

Marlene Brown can be contacted at marlenebrown@ocn.me.

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High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Enjoying nature in summer, high altitude landscaping, and weed control

By Janet Sellers

“We often forget that we are nature. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we’ve lost our connection to ourselves.”—Andy Goldsworthy

With recent much-needed rains, many landscapes—especially at our high altitudes—are flourishing, along with an abundance of weedy grasses. Controlling these grasses is crucial for fire safety and reducing pests like ticks and fleas. Fortunately, safe, natural, and inexpensive methods are available that protect families, pets, and local wildlife. Mowing and weed control are essential steps.

One effective approach is biodynamic gardening, which is gaining popularity for its simplicity and productivity. Rooted in traditional practices, biodynamic farming views the garden as a self-sustaining organism, integrating soil, plants, animals, and humans. European vineyards using biodynamics—just 1% of farmland—win 60% of wine prizes, showing the method’s impact.

Biodynamic methods avoid synthetic chemicals, relying instead on composting, mulching, and natural preparations made from herbs and minerals. These practices build long-term soil fertility, reduce effort over time, and support a thriving ecosystem. They also align with natural growth and decay cycles, creating a closed-loop system that boosts plant health naturally.

In contrast, synthetic herbicides like glyphosate, though widely used, pose serious risks. Glyphosate harms soil microbes, reduces beneficial fungi and bacteria, and contributes to herbicide-resistant weeds. The World Health Organization’s IARC classifies it as “probably carcinogenic to humans” raising concerns especially for children and pets exposed via skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion.

Instead, gardeners can turn to natural weed control methods like vinegar and mulch. White vinegar, particularly with 10-20% acetic acid, acts as a desiccant, breaking down plant cell membranes and effectively killing many broadleaf weeds—especially in hot, dry weather. Adding dish soap helps the solution adhere to leaves for better results. While household vinegar (5% acetic acid) is less potent, it can still work with repeated applications. However, like chemical herbicides, vinegar is non-selective and must be applied carefully to avoid damaging desirable plants.

Washington State University’s Linda Chalker-Scott confirms vinegar’s effectiveness as a natural herbicide, supporting its use as an eco-friendly alternative. These methods help reduce environmental impact and safeguard health.

Mulch, however, remains one of the most effective and long-lasting weed control methods. It blocks sunlight, conserves moisture, and suppresses weed germination. Another lesser-known method is steam weeding, which uses intense heat to kill weed cells. This is especially effective in larger areas like parks, playgrounds, and organic farms, and even small-scale steamers like carpet cleaners can be useful for home gardeners.

For a relaxing, low-effort summer garden, integrated natural methods—such as mowing, mulching, vinegar application, and biodynamic principles—offer a safe, sustainable way to control weeds and reconnect with nature.

Janet Sellers is an avid lazy gardener who follows nature’s lead. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

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Art Matters – On being a sketchy person in the art and cultural sector

By Janet Sellers

“Art in schools shouldn’t be sidelined… it should be right there right up in the front because I think art teaches you to deal with the world around you. It is the oxygen that makes all the other subjects breathe.”

—Alan Parker, filmmaker

Much of art learning includes sketching, the ability to draw out ideas visually. Sketching is integral to design, painting, sculpture, architecture—almost all creative visual efforts—and even includes movies and town planning. As an artist, I support being a sketchy person in that creative vein. And being an artist is integral to the trillion-dollar economy of the art and cultural sector. That sector grew more than twice the rate of the total economy between 2022 and 2023, according to new data from the Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA), a product of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

Studying and seeing art helps us generate new ideas and connect disparate concepts, unlocking ideas and innovations that can be brought to fruition in the material world. With art study and going out to appreciate art in the real world, we activate our “novelty brain” for creative potential and problem solving. Using fine motor skills in art creation, we activate many areas of our brain—our internal antenna—to make connections, find and solve creative problems, and apply the solutions to real-world problems. This has also been found to improve human performance all around, including academic performance and much more.

The stamped-in learning model of STEM is seeing an exploding industry interest (think: Google and Alphabet Inc.) for very creative science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEaM) creatives for user experience (UX). Google and Alphabet focus their creative labs on pushing creative boundaries and exploring new ideas.

This team includes roles like Creative Technologist, Visual Designer, and Social Creative/Copywriter. They use Creative Technology and Development to combine creativity with technical skills to prototype interactive experiences and explore new technologies. Building Google’s brand involves creating engaging content that reflects its core values and mission.

Our area is home to myriad artists and art opportunities that include arts events such as art fairs, classes, and art groups. Our monthly Friday Art Hops (the next one is June 27) are one source of art exposure, and coming up this summer there will be more with our local Chautauqua, the Hummingbird Festival of Arts, and other events with the Palmer Lake Arts Council. Stay tuned with the Our Community News calendar section for events, updates, and calls for artists.

Janet Sellers is an artist, writer, and speaker, offering talks, workshops, and art in public places for Colorado museums and communities. Contact Janet at JanetSellers@OCN.me.

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Snapshots of Our Community

Bearbotics at World Championships

Above: Monument’s robotics team (in photo) made it to the World Championships in April. Coach Eric VanDenHoek says the Bearbotics team had never made it that far. Their performance “exceeded our season goals.” Bearbotics traveled to Oklahoma to compete against 48 other teams. Their showing earned them a trip to Houston to compete against 601 of the best teams in the world. They finished 82nd out of 3,690 teams. They ranked 63rd out of 2,927 teams in the U.S. and second in Colorado. Student Carter Grizzle says it was “a life-changing event.” Photo courtesy of Eric VanDenHoek.

Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares fundraiser

Above: On May 14, Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) held its annual Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares, a major fundraiser for the 41-year-old nonprofit, at Spruce Mountain Events in Larkspur. This year’s sold-out event was supported by 27 sponsors and attracted 400 paid attendees who sampled cuisine from 14 Tri-Lakes and Colorado Springs area restaurants. Racquel Garcia, founder and chief innovation officer of Hard Beauty, a whole-life drug and alcohol substance recovery organization and new owner of Lake & Lantern in Palmer Lake, delivered a moving keynote presentation regarding TLC, the support it provided to her at a difficult time in her life, and the subsequent collaborations to support the community in need including the 2013 Black Forest Fire. Chef Shane Lyons, a Los Angeles-area chef and son of Tri-Lakes Cares Director of Development & Planning Bill Lyons, performed cooking demonstrations using TLC pantry items and provided information on food waste, stating 40% of grown food is wasted each year with the most preventable food waste occurring in the household. The evening concluded with a paddle raise fundraiser that generated an initial donation of $30,000 followed by increments down to $50 with a goal of raising $125,000. TLC Executive Director Haley Chapin expressed “gratitude for all the support the event received from the participating restaurants, sponsors of the event, and the attendees.” Pictured are, front row, from left, Shelly Ruedin, Kelly Epstein, and TLC Executive Director Chapin. In the middle row are Indy Frazee, Derek Wilson, and Mark Steinberg. In the back row are Benny Nasser, board President Rich Schur, and Carol Foster. Not pictured: Kim Anderson-Grigg. Photo by David Futey.

High School artists honored, May 14

Above: Lewis-Palmer High School honored graduating seniors who intend to continue their fine and performing arts studies in college. The seniors were recognized in a May 14 ceremony similar to the ceremonies held for senior athletes who signed letters of intent to pursue sports in college. Interim Superintendent Amber Whetstine says the event “represents the significance of the arts in the Tri-Lakes community.” Arts Education Advisory Council member Theresa Phillips told the students their talents are “inspiring.” Their teachers were also honored. The students will study a range of subjects including theater, sound engineering, music business, and film production. One student, Jaithan McEchron, will study both violin and chemistry. Front row from left to right are Hope Muldoon, Abigail Sjobeck, Chloe Howver, Isadora Hayes, Bella Kappel, Tabor Hayes, and Penny Stafford. Back row from left to right are Sophia Schulz, Ashley Forsyth, Annabelle Erminger, Isabel Doyle, Luke Bridges, Keegan Owen, Jaithan McEchron, Sky Swenson, and Elliot Swiatek. Photo by Tyler Dumas.

Lake and Lantern Grand Opening

Above: In the space once occupied by Speedtrap Bistro, a new venue held its grand opening on May 17. The Lake and Lantern, owned by Racquel Garcia, opened its doors to serve food and non-alcoholic drinks to a full house. Charlie Searle and his band and ASHTONZ provided music to help launch the live music season. Photo by Steve Pate. See video clip below.

Art Hop Book Signings, May 23

The first Art Hop of the season featured two book signings at Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument on May 23. Michael Weinfeld and John Howe signed copies of their book Shootouts, Killings, and War Heroes: The History Hidden in Monument’s Cemetery. They were invited back after a very successful signing last November. Also at the store for Art Hop was Karen Koepcke Morgan, who signed two of her children’s books, Can You Hide Like a Chameleon? and Are You Stronger Than an Ant? Photos by Charlie Searle. In upper photo, seated from left, are Howe and Weinfeld. From left in the back are bookstore owner Tommie Plank, store manager Paula Primavera and employee Claire Deeds. In the lower photo, Karen Koepcke Morgan with her children’s books.

Palmer Lake sculpture installation

Above: The Palmer Lake Arts Council (PLAC) facilitated its first-ever installations of two sculptures for the art year 2025-26 on May 23, with two artists new to the program: Diego Harris and Bill Bunting. Attending Palmer Lake Arts Council members are, from left, Lynn Roth, Amy Hudson, and Tim Brannaman (starring as event welder) shared the happy event with sculptor Harris and his steel sculpture, Serpent Obelisk. Harris makes steel sculptures in Weathering steel, a process that forms its own patina when exposed to the elements. This eliminates the need for painting and offers enhanced corrosion resistance. Harris’ sculpture is available for purchase, with portions of the funds supporting the PLAC. Bunting, cowboy poet and sculptor, shared his sculpture Love for the Land with his poetry. Bunting created the steel sculpture by cutting small pieces of steel and welding them together into the plow shape. He included his poems about the sculpture, both honoring the stewards of the lands of the West. Photo by Janet Sellers.

Memorial Day in Monument

The skies were gloomy, befitting the somber occasion, as a few hundred people attended the Memorial Day ceremony in Monument Cemetery on May 26. The rain held off as local and state officials spoke and the names of veterans buried in the 5 acres of land were read aloud, each name followed by the ringing of a bell. The ceremony ended with the playing of taps by Michael Carlson on his bugle. This is Carlson’s last year performing at the ceremony. He’ll be attending college in South Dakota next Memorial Day. Above: Members of VFW Post 7829, American Legion/Tri-Lakes Post 9-11, Boy Scout Troop 17, and others salute the flags. Photo by Michael Weinfeld. See video clips below.

Pikes Peak Soap Box Derby

Above: On June 1, a portion of Higby Road in Monument was converted into a downhill racecourse for the 20th annual Pikes Peak Soap Box Derby. This is the first time the derby has been in Monument; previous years it was held on Costilla Street in Colorado Springs. Race Director Jim Taylor said, “We have a total of 43 racers from across the state, from Pueblo, Denver, Centennial, Woodland Park, Longmont, Brighton, and Colorado Springs.” Taylor was very appreciative of the supportive response from sponsors, the Town of Monument, and the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD). Taylor said TMD General Manager “James McGrady was instrumental in securing permits, coordinating the Higby Road closure for 3 1/2 days and assisting with the course setup.” The course was 650 feet in length with racers clocked at speeds up to 22 mph. The winning racer in the dual heats sometimes came down to thousandths of a second. The Stock division (ages 7-13) winner was Blake Elston and the Super Stock division (ages 9-18) winner was Ethan Elston after a double elimination bracket was conducted in each division. The brothers will head to Akron, Ohio in July to compete in the Soap Box Derby World Championship. Photo by David Futey. See video clips below.

PLAG annual scholarship awards

Above: On May 23, Bella Art and Frame Gallery hosted the Palmer Lake Art Group’s (PLAG) annual celebration of young artists with scholarship awards. From left are Clyde Smith of the Scholarship Committee, event judges Mark Dixon and Bonnie Sands, scholarship recipient Isadora Hayes, and events coordinator Rita Bates. Photo by Janet Sellers.

Above: From left, Micaela Cimino, co-owner of Bella Art and Frame Gallery, and scholarship winner Isadora Hayes stand near Hayes’s winning artworks at the PLAG scholarship exhibition celebration on May 23. Photo by Janet Sellers. Bonus photo not included in the printed copy of the OCN.

Monument Farmers Market

Above: The first Monument Hill Farmers Market of the season opened May 24 under threatening skies. Lucky for the vendors and the large crowd that turned out, it didn’t rain, though it got very windy at times. The market is open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend to early October. It’s held in front of Big Red at 66 Jefferson St. in Monument. Mike and Sherree Hrdlichka first opened the market in 2007. In the photo, from left are Filter Press Publisher Julie VanLaanen, and authors John Howe and Michael Weinfeld at their booth promoting their book Shootouts, Killings and War Heroes: The History Hidden in Monument’s Cemetery. Photo by Tia M. Mayer. See ad on page 5.

New sidewalk in Monument

Above: Walking into downtown Monument from the west side is safer now. There’s finally a sidewalk from the corner of Mitchell Avenue and Second Street across the train tracks to the Limbach Park parking lot. No more having to choose between navigating a ditch or walking on the road. Town Manager Madeline VanDenHoek says the project had been in the works for “many, many, many years,” but it finally happened because of the “persistence” of Civil Engineering Inspector Tom Martinez of the Monument Public Works Department. Martinez was able to “work something out” with the BNSF Railway so that the town didn’t have to pay $50,000 for permits and other things. The $60,000 cost of the project was covered by leftover federal grant money for drainage improvement. Drainage pipes were installed beneath the sidewalk. VanDenHoek hopes the sidewalk will eventually begin at the crosswalk on Mitchell Avenue. Photo by Michael Weinfeld. See the video clip below.

USAFA Graduation, May 29

Above: They missed out on the traditional flyover and air show, but the more than 900 Air Force and Space Force cadets went home with something more important—their diplomas. The graduation ceremony on May 29 at Falcon Stadium at the US Air Force Academy (USAFA) ended with the traditional hat toss (in photo), but not a performance by the Thunderbirds who were grounded by fog and low-lying clouds. Spectators did get to see the acrobatic flight team practice the day before. Dr. Troy E. Meink, the 27th secretary of the Air Force, was the main speaker at the graduation. Photo by Michael Weinfeld. See video clips below.

Palmer Lake Farmers Market

Above: On Sundays, the Palmer Lake Farmers Market welcomes the public with food, goodies, gifts, and music in its fun, festive atmosphere. Here, on June 1, a stand offered lemonade made fresh on site, sweetened to taste. The market is open Sundays 10-2 all summer at the lake near the bandstand. The market is also accepting new vendors. Details at Calvertsminimarket.com. Photo courtesy Stephanie Calvert. Caption by Janet Sellers. See ad on page 2.

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May Library Events – Craft programs, Dungeons and Dragons, book groups

By Harriet Halbig

Two craft programs are offered at the libraries during May.

Felted Crafts will be hosted at the Palmer Lake Library from 11 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, May 21. Learn the possibilities of felt in wall hangings, coasters, place mats, and more. All materials and instruction are provided. Bring your imagination to create a personalized item. Registration is required at 719-481-2587 or online at ppld.org. Go to the events and happenings tab and choose the location of the program. Ask to see the event and click on register.

The Monument Library will offer a program about Mixed Media Fusion Journals from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 29. Journaling is a great way to collect experiences and use your creativity. We will use tools to create using mixed-media and fabric fusion techniques to make your journal a personal masterpiece. Registration is required. Call 719-488-2370 or follow the instructions above.

Book groups

There are now two daytime book groups for adults. The First Friday Friends of PPLD Book Group will meet from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday, May 2. The May selection is Demon of Unrest by Eric Larson.

The Third Friday Friends of PPLD Book Group will meet from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The May book selection is The Engineer’s Wife by Tracey Emerson Wood.

Dungeons and Dragons

The Tween Dungeons and Dragons Club will meet from 4 to 5:30 on May 3 and 17. Play Dungeons and Dragons with other tweens, led by our own Dragon Master, Dustin. New members are always welcome and no experience is required. This club is open to patrons aged 9 to 12. Registration is required at 719-488-2370 or follow the instructions above to register online.

Recurring programs

Recurring programs include:

  • German Conversation Group meets each Monday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. This is a lively conversation group for intermediate and advanced German speakers.
  • Socrates Café meets each Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. This adult group discusses all kinds of subjects such as philosophy, religion, politics, morality, and the common threads of humanity. All are welcome to attend this well-moderated and thought-provoking group.
  • Paws to Read on Tuesdays from 4 to 5 invites children to read aloud and improve fluency by sharing a story with one of our lovable volunteer Paws to Read therapy dogs.

Mountain of Authors

The annual Mountain of Authors event offers an opportunity for readers and local authors to network and hear from notable authors as well as learn more about the craft of writing and trends in publishing. The keynote speaker is author Pete McBride. Visit the program website at PPLD.org for more information. This free event is open to all. It will take place from noon to 4:30 p.m. at Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hill Drive.

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Please note that all Pikes Peak Library District facilities will open at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 16 due to staff training and will be closed on Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

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Palmer Lake Historical Society, April 17 – Women of the Colorado gold rush era

By Marlene Brown

The Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS) featured at its April 17 regular monthly membership meeting author J.v.L Bell, who co-wrote Women of the Colorado Gold Rush Era. The book features women who lived and worked in Colorado before 1865. Many made their way west and their fortune by themselves, in a time where men still owned everything, including slaves and women. The following is a few of the women highlighted at the meeting.

Clara Brown, an African American pioneer, was born a slave and had no form of education. Being freed in 1857, she headed west and became a successful businesswoman. She set up a very successful laundry business and bought several properties in Denver, Central City, Georgetown and Boulder.

Katrina Murat is thought to be one of the first Anglo women to arrive in the Pikes Peak area. She sewed the first American flag to fly over Cherry Creek and was known as the “Betsy Ross of Colorado.” Murat and her husband later retired in Palmer Lake and built a cottage below Sundance Mountain.

Maria Dolores Ballejos, a citizen of Spain, living in Spain’s New World territory. In 1821, after Spain recognized Mexico’s independence, she was a Mexican citizen, and after the Mexican-American war she lived in the Territory of New Mexico and was citizen of the United States. She had never moved out of the area, and then the San Luis Valley became part of the Colorado Territory.

Special acknowledgement to Maria Clara Martinez, who is the great-great-granddaughter of Maria Delores and lives in the San Luis area. She researches her and other families’ genealogy and was able to share information with the author. I had the great pleasure of spending a few days with Maria Clara in Taos in summer 2024.

The book holds many stories of the women of the early days of Colorado. J.v.L (Julie) Bell is a 1973 Lewis-Palmer graduate and won the 2024 Colorado Book Award. Julie is with Filter Press, which also published Shootouts, Killings, and War Heroes: The History Hidden in Monument’s Cemetery written by Michael Weinfeld and John Howe, speakers at the March 2024 PLHS meeting.

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At next month’s presentation May 15, Patric Ryan will discuss Nikola Tesla. PLHS usually holds its regular monthly meetings on the third Thursday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 pm) at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent St. Free and open to the public. For more information about PLHS, go to palmerdividehistory.org.

Marlene Brown can be contacted at marlenebrown@ocn.me.

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High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – May: new trees from tree branches, plant partners, bee kind

By Janet Sellers

Air-layering favorite trees for propagation

In the air-layering technique, you peel back the bark and add some rooting hormone and then cover the bark peel area. You’ll primarily need unmilled sphagnum moss (some people use a container of compost with soil for a large branch up to an inch in diameter), a sharp knife, clear plastic wrap, twist ties, and optionally, rooting hormone and a container for the moss or soil. The moss/soil holds moisture, the plastic wrap or bucket helps retain the soil and humidity, and the ties secure everything in place.

The tree will root out at the site after a number of months, depending on the size of the branch. The bucket of soil needs watering, the plastic wrapped area stays moist; both methods should be checked for retaining moisture to keep the rooting branch alive. Small (half-inch or less) branches take several months to be ready to replant, while larger (1 inch to 1½ inches) can be left for half a year or more. It is much faster to get a tree for the garden with this method than from seed or even a small, purchased plant. Air layering works best from early spring when the tree has the whole summer to grow roots.

For fruit trees, especially new purchases, many gardeners recommend “head cutting” for stronger growth and easier harvests. Heading cuts in fruit trees are important for several reasons. They promote branching, increase the number of fruiting buds, and help maintain the tree’s size and shape. By removing the terminal bud (the bud at the tip of a branch), heading cuts encourage growth from the buds below, resulting in more fruiting wood and potentially more fruit.

Plant partners

Plant partners that help each other grow:

  1. Onions – kale, turnips, mustard greens
  2. Radishes – summer peppers, basil, snap beans
  3. Peas – pole beans
  4. Potatoes – broccoli, cabbage, collards
  5. Spinach – annual herbs
  6. Carrots – kale, turnips, mustard greens
  7. Lettuce – beets
  8. Asian greens – Swiss chard
  9. Kohlrabi – zukes, cukes.

Bee kind

If you see a bee of any description on the floor or not flying other than on a flowering plant, it is starving! You can help: mix two parts sugar to one part water and offer the syrup to the bee on a teaspoon. You’ll see her (they are mostly ladies) little black tongue as she drinks. It will take about 10 minutes for her to convert the syrup to energy, but she will fly away if you’ve helped her in time. The feeling you get on seeing her recovery and flight is well worth your time. No honey please—Disease can be spread easily from colony to colony through this practice and you will do more damage than good. White sugar and water only please.

Janet Sellers is an avid “lazy gardener” looking to Mother Nature for simple, effective garden success. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

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Art Matters – May Art Hop and art on the street

By Janet Sellers

May gives us sun, rain, and snow. We also get our very own art evenings in Downtown Monument. Our community-friendly annual art season is a great way to bring family, guests, and friends to town for a casual evening. Everybody needs some art and fun in the summer—let’s start by bringing home the art finds. Real art lasts for life and makes wonderful gifts and souvenirs of fun summer memories.

Our Art Hop season kicks off on May 23, 5-8 p.m. It’s our monthly event on fourth Fridays, May through September. The convivial event includes local art, shopping, food trucks and family fun in Downtown Monument. We walk through town, taking in the sculpture park, visiting friends old and new, and adding a playful note to our summer evenings.

This season looks to offer a variety of themes and unconventional art venues to invigorate our creative sights and sounds for artists and our community. Artworks, artists, and art demonstrations as well as ephemeral street chalk art are things that will be offered over the season. You might see optical illusions and 3D effects like false holes in the ground, a river of water, or creatures popping out of the pavement, so show up and see what’s in store each time.

Local art galleries including Bella Art and Frame Gallery and Jefferson Studios will have their May art exhibits on view. New to the Jefferson Studios art venue is the log cabin gallery, along with the Chapel Art Gallery and the Open Studio venues. Around town, shops and sidewalks will host artists for the evening, often with demonstration artists, all amid the live music and family fun to enjoy.

Each Art Hop event offers a unique theme and set of activities, providing a fresh experience every month. For instance, the event on May 23 will feature an outdoor sound bath, local artists, and craft vendors at Faery Grove at 251 Front St. Ste. 4.

Janet Sellers is an artist, writer and speaker, offering art, workshops, cultural talks, and local mindful forest walks for all ages. Contact her to find out more at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

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Snapshots of Our Community

D38 CIC Wallbreaking, Mar. 31

Above: On March 31, School District 38 hosted a Wall-Breaking Ceremony to begin renovations on its Career & Innovation Center (CIC) at 1200 Synthes Ave., set to open for the 2025–26 school year. The center will provide secondary students with work-based learning opportunities, connecting high school education to in-demand careers. Students can earn certifications and prepare for college and the workforce. Over 100 attendees, including students, staff, school board members, and partners, celebrated the milestone. Guests, equipped with safety gear, participated in wall demolition. Phase one programs will feature Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Skilled Trades. Phase two will add hands-on learning in Healthcare and Information Technology. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Hop Out Hunger, Apr. 5

Above: On April 5, Bethesda Gardens Senior Living Center held its third annual Hop Out Hunger pancake fundraiser benefiting Tri-Lakes Cares. Balloons and bunnies adorned the event, which featured a $10 breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage, fruit, coffee, and orange juice. Proceeds support Tri-Lakes Cares in providing food, household items, and financial aid to those in need. Bethesda Director Jackie Lyons and staff brought their children, dressed in Easter attire, to join the festivities. Pictured from left are Ember, Eden, and Luliana. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

PLAG’s April Color Splash Show

Above: The Palmer Lake Art Group held its annual Color Splash art show in April at Library 21c branch of Pikes Peak Library District. Right (L to R): Anne Dye, first place winner, with presenter Rita Bates.

Above: Anne Dye’s winning artwork, Beside Still Waters. Photos courtesy Palmer Lake Art Group.

Wildlife overpass under construction

Above: Work has begun on a huge wildlife overpass that will cross I-25 near the Greenland Interchange between Larkspur and Monument. The overpass will be 204 feet wide and will span six lanes of the highway, making it one of the largest wildlife overpasses in the country. It’ll allow elk, mule deer, and pronghorn to have access to 39,000 acres of habitat on both sides of the highway. Most of the $15 million cost will be covered by a federal grant. The overpass is predicted to reduce the number of crashes caused by wildlife by 90%. Motorists can expect delays throughout the construction project, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Photo courtesy of CDOT.

Recall petition signing, Apr. 5

Above: On April 5, Palmer Lake residents began petitioning to recall Trustees Shana Ball, Kevin Dreher, and Dennis Stern. Braving wintry weather, Herb Preslier bundled up to staff a booth outside Calvert’s Mini-Market, a small business in Palmer Lake that has voiced concerns over Buc-ee’s potential impact. The recall committee cites key issues of transparency, responsibility, and ethical leadership. Residents also discussed initiating a separate petition to require voter approval for future annexations. Petition signings continued at various community locations throughout the 60-day petition period. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Monument Lake Regrading, Apr. 8

Above: It’s just as much a sign of spring as boaters returning to Monument Lake. On April 8, the town’s Public Works Department filled the deep potholes that had formed over the winter at the lake’s parking area and beach. Dump trucks emptied dirt which was smoothed out by road graders. Then, rollers came along to pack down the dirt. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Friends of Black Forest, Apr. 12

Above: People brought chainsaws, chippers, and gloves to help tackle beetle-infested trees, chipping slash to help slow the infestation, on a Black Forest property that had already been devastated in the 2013 fire. Friends of Black Forest is a big family even though they don’t all know each other yet. This huge project was organized by Terry Stokka, who said, “this is the kind of spirit that I want to foster in Black Forest, neighbors helping neighbors.” Participants said it was fun to band together and work as a team. If you live in the area and want to be added to Friends of Black Forest email list, write to terry@friendsofblackforest.org. Photo by Lisa Hatfield.

Soap Box Derby clinic, Apr. 5

Above: On April 5, the Pikes Peak Soap Box Derby (PPSBD) held its first of two clinics in April at Family of Christ Lutheran Church. The clinics provided derby racers an opportunity to build their cars for the upcoming derby. Pictured from left are PPSBD steering committee member Brandie Scott with Brent DeMatteo providing guidance to Oliver DeMatteo on installation of an axle on his car. This year the derby race will be held on Higby Road in Monument after over 20 years in downtown Colorado Springs. Practice day and final car inspection are scheduled for May 31, with the race occurring on June 1. Race Director Jim Taylor said, “We are expecting 37-40 racers this year with participants coming from Denver to Fountain and locations in between.” The race is open to anyone between the ages of 7 and 20. The racecourse is 650 feet long on Higby between Cloverleaf and Bowstring Roads. Higby will be closed for four days to accommodate the racecourse setup and the race. Taylor said, “The focus of the derby is to provide families an opportunity to build the car together and the enjoyment of having racers compete locally and nationally.” Information on PPSBD and the race is at www.ppsbd.org. Photo by David Futey.

TLWC Checkered Table Talk, Apr. 8

Above: The Tri-Lakes Women’s Club’s (TLWC) new Checkered Table Talk series is off to a strong start. TLWC says the first talk on April 8 was sold out. Those attending heard Mike Thiessen, assistant coach at the Air Force Academy, speak about “learning, love, and leadership.” Guests brought picnic baskets and ate lunch on tables covered in checkered tablecloths. The next talk will be held May 8 featuring the President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Nathan Newbrough. Photo by Kelly Trop.

LPHS staged The Lightning Thief

Above: Lewis-Palmer High School (LPHS) Theater staged The Lightning Thief on April 10-12, portraying Rick Riordan’s first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series on stage. The musical follows Jackson, a modern teen who discovers he’s the son of a Greek god and must retrieve Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt to restore peace to Mount Olympus. Students played teenage demi-gods and Greek gods, including a lighthearted portrayal of Poseidon in a Hawaiian shirt. The production explored themes of abandonment, friendship, and inner strength. In the photo, The Lightning Thief cast and crew take a bow. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

TLC greenhouse construction

Above right: Mr. Vrieze’s Carpentry 1 and 2 classes at Lewis-Palmer High School built a greenhouse for the Tri-Lakes Cares produce garden and set it up in April. The greenhouse was received with sincere thanks to Mr. Vrieze (pictured above left) and the student volunteers whose contributions made this project possible; supplies were donated by Harbor Freight’s Tools for Schools program. The garden still needs seeds and perennials: rhubarb plants, berry plants, tomato and other food plants, and summer volunteers to help weekly for planting, weeding, and harvesting. Contact Molly at MollyS@trilakescares.org or Janet at JanetSellers@ocn.me. Photo by Janet Sellers.

D38 Art Awards, Apr. 15

Above: On April 15, School District 38 held its Arts Awards ceremony at the district administration building, recognizing top student artists from all district schools, Monument Academy, and the Home School Enrichment Academy. First-, second-, and third-place winners earned certificates, ribbons, and cash prizes. Student artwork, displayed at Lolley’s Tasting Room for two weeks prior, highlighted the talent celebrated at the event. Sponsors included Integrity Bank & Trust, D38 Foundation, Air Academy Credit Union, Lolley’s Ice Cream, Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts, and Palmer Lakes Arts Council. Pictured from left are Communications Director Amy Matisek and Amanda Staman, Palmer Lake Elementary art teacher and event organizer. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

100+ Women Who Care, Apr. 16

Above: On April 16, 100+ Women Who Care Tri-Lakes gathered at The Woodmoor Barn to choose a local nonprofit to receive the group’s donations. Members of the group, who each contribute $100 each twice a year, heard three-minute presentations from nominees Tri-Lakes Cares, the D38 Foundation, and Kiwanis for the Heart of Monument Playpark. After voting, Tri-Lakes Cares was selected as the recipient. Tri-Lakes Cares supports families and individuals in northern El Paso County, striving to make a positive impact. Learn more at tri-lakescares.org. Girls on the Ridge, the October 2024 recipient, provided refreshments at the April meeting and shared how their funds supported Palmer Ridge High School women’s sports, providing tools for performance, safety, and confidence. Visit girlsontheridge.org for details. The next meeting is set for Wednesday, Oct. 15. For more information, visit 100womenwhocaretrilakes.com. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

PRHS staged Radium Girls

Above: The Bear Necessity Theatre Company presented Radium Girls by D. W. Gregory in the Palmer Ridge High School auditorium April 17-19. The play is based on the lives of young women who worked at the U.S. Radium Corp. in the 1920s in New Jersey who became ill and died after being exposed to radioactivity while painting radium onto watch faces, etc., that made them glow in the dark. The girls were instructed to use their lips to put a fine point on their radioactive brush points so they could paint precisely. This procedure led to a condition called “radium jaw,” or radium necrosis, and many became sick and died. The young women and their friends and relatives fought to make workplaces safer in the U.S. and Europe. Pictured from left are Bella Pemberton as Kathryn Schaub, Jocelyn Langlois as Grace Fryer, Krew Sloan as Tom Kreider, and Lucy Cavin as reporter Nancy Jane Harlan. Caption by Jackie Burhans. Photo by Steve Pate.

Friends of Fox Run Park, Apr. 22

Above: Members of the Board of Friends of Fox Run Park set up an informational table for Earth Day on April 22 in Fox Run Park at the Roller Coaster Road Trailhead. They greeted hikers and runners and wished them a “Happy Earth Day.” Many of the park-goers stopped and visited with them, including a horse named Hey Gal. One of the core initiatives of the Friends group is to promote working with El Paso County on volunteer projects in the park such as trail building, painting, fence repair, and general landscape cleanup. If you would like to join the Friends of Fox Run Park on one of their projects, please email FriendsofFoxRunPark@gmail.com. Photo by Marlene Brown.

D38 students display their art

Above: Student artists of all ages displayed their work at Lolley’s Tasting Room in Monument. Elementary school students were featured from April 1-6 while middle and high school student artwork was on display April 8-13. Palmer Ridge student Everleigh Larsen won Best in Show in the high school category for her white charcoal and color pencil piece of a skull surrounded by flowers. Middle school Best in Show went to Lewis-Palmer eighth-grader Danae Archuleta’s sushi tic-tac-toe board made of clay. Kindergartner Hans Luebbert from Prairie Winds Elementary earned Best in Show in his age group for his mixed media creation Hedgehog Hearts. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

D38 multi-lingual night, Apr. 17

Above: School District 38 hosted a multilingual family night on April 17 at Lewis-Palmer High School, featuring resource tables, a family survey with a raffle, entertainment, and food, including potluck dishes and the Antojitos Juruilta food truck. Multilingual Learning Specialist Dr. Katie Scott organized the event to foster connection and celebrate culture, showcasing Ballet Folklorico, student and teacher spotlights, games, and refreshments. Family Liaison and Spanish interpreter Mency Dillenbeck provided simultaneous translation. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Young Marines honor WWII vets

Above: Jackson Waters of Monument was among 12 Young Marines from across the country who traveled to Guam and Iwo Jima to honor the 80th anniversary of the WWII Battle of Iwo Jima. They raised a flag on Mount Suribachi, the site of the famous flag-raising by Marines during the battle of Iwo Jima. Sergeant-Major Waters is a member of the Mountain View Young Marines in Centennial. The Young Marines is a national youth program for boys and girls, ages eight through high school, focused on leadership, citizenship through community service, self-discipline, and living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. Waters is standing fourth from right in the photo. Photo courtesy of the Young Marines.

Slash-mulch program, Apr. 19

Above: The Black Forest Slash and Mulch Committee (SAMCOM), a Colorado nonprofit doing business as the Black Forest Slash and Mulch Program, held its annual meeting at the Black Forest Community Center on April 19. Working in conjunction with Colorado State Forest Service, the Black Forest Fire and Rescue Department, and El Paso County, the program promotes wildfire mitigation through reducing hazardous fuels on private property. The 2025 program begins May 3. Please see bfslash.org for a schedule of drop-off and pick-up of slash and mulch. Pictured are Carolyn Brown and Jeff DeWitt, directors of the program. Photo by Marlene Brown.

Buc-ee’s Open House, Apr. 24

Above: From left, Daniel Higgins and Gerald Hatfield staff one of the information tables at the Buc-ee’s Open House held by Tri-Lakes Preservation at the Palmer Lake Elementary School Cafeteria on April 24. Brochures were available discussing water, environmental, local impact, and legal issues with the proposed annexation and construction of a Buc-ee’s travel center. Photo by Mike Cimino.

Arbor Day, Apr. 25

Above: The Town of Monument celebrated Arbor Day, April 25, by planting a tree in front of the Monument Sanitation District office on Second Street. The 12-foot chokecherry replaced a locust tree that died. The event was instructional as well as functional. Parks Superintendent James Schubauer (in blue shirt) gave tips on how to plant a tree. The key, he said, was not to bury the root ball too deep. The roots should be planted 6 to 8 inches below the surface, he said. Schubauer warned that if you plant them too deep, the roots won’t get any oxygen, and the tree will die. After the planting, Parks and Trails Planner and Program Manager Cassie Olgren gave out free ground-covering plants to the crowd. The first Arbor Day was observed on April 10, 1872, with the planting of an estimated 1 million trees in the mostly treeless grasslands of Nebraska. By 1885, Arbor Day became a legal holiday, celebrated on April 22. In 1970, President Richard Nixon changed the official date to the last Friday in April. Caption by Michael Weinfeld and Janet Sellers. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Chamber winners announced

Above: John Howe and Michael Weinfeld of Our Community News were named Volunteers of the Year at the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce annual awards gala April 25. In addition to volunteering at the newspaper, Howe and Weinfeld spent years updating the town’s cemetery files resulting in a book about the cemetery. Interim Town Manager Madeline VanDenHoek won Business Person of the Year. VanDenHoek is expected to be named town manager this month. Gabrielle Traenkner of Sherwin-Williams was named Employee of the Year, Leann Hemenway of Herring Bank won Ambassador of the Year, and the Monument Warriors won Non-Profit of the Year. The Warriors are a Special Olympics team based in Colorado Springs. The gala was held at the Polaris Hotel at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. From left, Weinfeld, VanDenHoek, and Howe. Photo by Allen Alchian.

WMMI Super Saturday, Apr. 26

Above: On April 26, the Western Museum of Mining & Industry (WMMI) held its annual Super Saturday event. This year’s event featured a variety of activities where visitors could pursue artistic expression. Museum Marketing Coordinator Hunter Hall, front, and Museum Rentals Coordinator Kelsey Bailes are shown as they try acrylic painting with vendor Brush Crazy. Besides Brush Crazy, visitors found art activities through other vendors including Pebble Pups, Yellow Couch Creative, and the Embroiderers Guild. The museum staff also demonstrated a variety of the museum’s steam engines, and visitors could try their hand at gold panning. Information on upcoming museum events like Picnic N Planes and lectures is at wmmi.org. Photo by David Futey.

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Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Celebrating Poetry Month and Earth Day

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere”—Laura Ingalls Wilder

April is National Poetry Month. The first four books listed are by Colorado poets, and the first three authors will sign their books at Covered Treasures on April 5. We also recognize Earth Day in April with a few great titles.

Mountain: Go on a Grand Tour of the Highest Places on Earth (Earth’s Incredible Habitats)

By Jason Bittel (DK Publishing) $25

Young nature enthusiasts can learn all about the impressive mountains of the world through clearly labelled illustrations breaking down each one. Each of the four chapters covers a different type of mountain: plateaus, volcanoes, mountain ranges, and tepuis, with a selection of both famous and less-well known places. Every mountain or range is explored in detail, with intriguing information about its geography and flora and fauna alongside detailed photography. Marvel at the towering Matterhorn in the Alps, mountain goats scrambling across cliff faces in the Rockies, and the tiny sandwort flowers that bloom high up in the Himalayas.

The Search for Me: Poems

By M. E. Johnson (M.E. Publishing) $15

The Search for Me is a collection of 39 poems and a short story masquerading as a poem. Sections are broken out in themes consisting of existentialism, finding and losing oneself, love and loss of love, familial pain/love/loss, plus current affairs and opinions along with silliness thrown throughout. Each one to make you think, perhaps laugh, possibly cry, and often times all three. This is M.E. Johnson’s first book of poetry.

Daughter of Breath: Poems

By Grace E. Kelley (Synthesis Press) $18

Daughter of Breath is a timely voice calling those lost in the wilderness to grieve, heal, and reclaim their authentic voices. Born from the ache of deeply personal yet all too common experiences, the poems in Daughter of Breath will help you create space to name what aches; to grieve the harm that has been caused to you; to reclaim your divinely given identity as Beloved, just as you are; and to move into the world with the power, freedom, and joy that only come from being your whole self.

The Visible Speaking: Catching Light Through the Camera’s Eye

By Kathryn Winograd (The Humble Essayist Press) $25

The surprise gift of a camera during the COVID lockdown sent Kathryn Winograd on a journey through the intersections between written and visual images. The images in The Visible Speaking give rise to meditations on love and loss and beauty, and on the voices of those early explorers of the daguerreotype and the photograph who, dazzled and wary, learned to fix the world in light.

Shoreline of the Heart

By Joseph Murphy (Shanti Arts LLC) $13

A perfect volume for the seeker and philosopher, this third collection from poet Joseph Murphy offers impressionistic expressions of day-to-day experiences viewed through the spiritual lens of Zen Buddhism. “In such a place, to be / meant no longer being bound / to where or when.”

Hello, Earth!: Poems to Our Planet

By Joyce Sidman (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers) $19

From the molten cracks below to the shimmering moon above, Hello, Earth! explores the wonders of the natural world. This young reader’s book of imaginative poems will encourage boundless curiosity, with stunning paintings that capture the beauty of earth’s ecosystems, creatures, and powerhouse plants. The book concludes with extensive scientific material to foster further learning about how the earth works, from water cycles to plate tectonics to the origin of ocean tides.

The Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of our Future

By Daniel Lewis (Avid Readers Press) $20

Scientists, ethnobotanists, indigenous peoples, and collectives of all kinds are closely studying trees and their biology to understand how and why trees function individually and collectively in the ways they do. Lewis takes us on a sweeping journey to plant breeding labs, botanical gardens, research facilities, deep inside museum collections, to the tops of tall trees, underwater, and around the Earth, journeying into the deserts of the American West and the deep jungles of Peru, to offer a globe-spanning perspective on the crucial impact trees have on our entire planet.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

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April Library Events – Monument Library 50th anniversary; programs for all ages

By Harriet Halbig

All are invited to attend a 50th birthday party for the Monument Library from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. There will be fun activities, historical displays, and cake for all to commemorate this anniversary. Please join us!

Activities for all ages

The youngest patrons can attend Toddler Time on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10 or 10:30 to 11. Songs, rhymes, and stories are featured for ages 1 to 2 and their parents or caregivers.

Storytime on Tuesdays from 10:30 to 11 is for children ages 3 to 7 and their parents or caregivers.

For Tweens (ages 9-12) there will be meetings of the Dungeons and Dragons Club from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on April 4 and 19. Play Dungeons and Dragons with other tweens, led by our own dragon master, Dustin. New members are always welcome. Registration is required online at ppld.org, events by location or 719-488-2370.

Also for tweens there will be a Tween Party Games event on Friday, April 25 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Enjoy cup stacking, tackling a mine field while blindfolded, and other games including Minute to Win It challenges. No registration required.

For teen patrons, attend the meeting of the Teen Advisory Board on Thursday, April 10 from 5 to 6 p.m. Learn leadership skills, earn volunteer hours, and give your input on what happens at the library. Regular attendance is recommended, and you must fill out a volunteer application to participate.

For older patrons, join the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) Book Group sponsored by the Tri-Lakes Friends of PPLD. The April meeting will be on Friday, April 18 from 10:30 to 12:30. New members are welcome.

An Art for Older Adults Class will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 10. This class inspires a sense of self-reliance for older adults, even when the participant may be reliant on a partner for help with materials use. This will be a monthly opportunity to produce high-quality art projects that respect their wealth of life experiences, skills, and innate capacity to create. All supplies are provided and registration is required. Go to ppld.org, events and happenings and Monument Library to register or call 719-488-2370.

Homeschool families or those considering homeschooling are invited to attend the annual Homeschool Resource Fair at Library 21c on Friday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This fair features a wide variety of exhibitors offering educational and extracurricular opportunities for homeschooling families. Chat with representatives from organizations and businesses that offer services and support, including arts and science activities, sports groups, enrichment programs, tutoring, and more. There will also be fun activities for kids throughout the building.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

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Palmer Lake Historical Society, April 21 – General Palmer’s life explored

By Marlene Brown

The Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS) held its regular membership meeting at the Palmer Lake Town Hall on March 21. The guest speaker was “Gen. William J. Palmer,” founder of Palmer Lake and Colorado Springs, portrayed by David Harmon.

Palmer began by telling us he was born in 1836 to John and Matilda Palmer. The family was of the Hicksite sect Quakers. He was born on the family farm, near Leipsic, Kent County, Delaware. Hicksite Quakers believed that there is an inner light in each of us, and they were committed to peace and nonviolence. Their religious beliefs would cause conflict later with William and his family when he joined the army.

Palmer’s early school days were spent in Pennsylvania where he went to private school and public school. Private school is where he received an engineering degree, though he never graduated. He had always been fascinated by trains. He was able to save and go to school in Europe, and that was where he studied railroads, mills, and coal mines. Returning to the States, he was hired by his uncle to work the Westmoreland Coal Co. as the secretary and treasurer. The following year he was hired as the private secretary for the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, where he met Thomas Scott, who was later appointed as assistant secretary of war.

Palmer’s upbringing taught him to detest slavery and war, though when the Civil War began he enlisted with the Pennsylvania volunteers and took a commission in the Union Army. At age 25, he was a captain and they gave him a regiment of 1,000 men. Later that year, dressed in civilian clothes and scouting for places for the Union Army to recross the Potomac River back into Virginia, Palmer was captured and incarcerated for four months. He was released in a prisoner exchange and in February 1863 was able rejoin his regiment. In 1865 he received the Medal of Honor for his actions as colonel of the 15th Pennsylvania Regiment.

After the war, the 30-year-old Palmer went back to railroads. While in Colorado Territory, he had a vision of a railroad running south from Denver to Mexico City. He built the first section going south from Denver, across the Palmer Divide and to Colorado Springs by 1871. He was married in 1870 to Mary Lincoln (Queen) Palmer. They had three daughters, and Mary passed away in 1894 at the age of 44.

In 1906, William fell from a horse and was left paralyzed. He was forever confined to a wheelchair. Unable to travel after that, veterans of his 15th Pennsylvania Regiment had their annual reunion in 1907 at Glen Eyrie. He provided a special train for 208 of the surviving veterans. Palmer passed away on March 13,1909. The mayor of Colorado Springs said that Palmer was “a soldier, builder of an empire, philanthropist, and friend of the people whose life was a blessing.

Harmon graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1973. He and his wife Julie have three grown kids and have lived in Colorado Springs since 1981. Many attendees at the meeting came to Harmon afterward with more questions about Palmer.

Above: At the Palmer Lake Historical Society meeting, Vice President Diane Kokes stands with Gen. William J. Palmer, portrayed by Dave Harmon.

**********

PLHS meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 pm) at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent St. Meetings are free and open to the public. For more information regarding memberships and future programs, go to palmerdividehistory.org/events.

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

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High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Earth Day and the joys of gardening

By Janet Sellers

Every year on April 22, Earth Day reminds us of our responsibility to care for the planet. First observed on April 22, 1970, it was proposed as a way to have an educational day devoted to protecting our Earth. An estimated 20 million participated in rallies, teach-ins, and demonstrations across the country.

The event was instrumental in gaining support for environmental legislation in the 1970s, including the Clean Air Act (1970) and the Endangered Species Act (1973) and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to the growing concerns over pollution and the welfare of the environment. We can do our part with our landscaping and home gardens.

No deer landscaping

Marigolds are a go-to flower that comes in sizes from 6 inches to a couple of feet high and deters bugs, rabbits, and even deer. Surprisingly easy to grow and acknowledged deer-deterrent plants include chives, lemon balm, parsley, thyme, dill, sage, mint, yarrow, allium, garlic, echinacea, chamomile, and more. And these easy plants are herbs we can use for meals or just for tea.

Black Forest Mulch program

We tried out the multi-size mulch from the Black Forest Slash and Mulch Program this past year. It will be available again in May and it’s free. We were amazed at its performance. We had a new garden bed with plenty of seeds planted and, as an experiment, we let Mother Nature do all the work for watering and weed control, etc.

Without any additional watering or work, just the mulch, that flower garden flourished. (I had to water some newly planted flowering bushes late in the season; we’ll see if they come up this year.) The seeds and all of the plants in the garden bed with the mulch thrived all summer without touching it. We planted seeds in June but August was when they decided to show up and flower. This year I’m planting seeds in April and May under the mulch, because seeds will use their own intelligence for growing. Indoor seedlings can be started in April, but we have to wait until the end of May to put them out safely, unless we have protection like cloches or cold frames.

Due to our late snows and cold temperatures, most plants are not particularly interested in doing much until they can rely on warmth, water, and of course good, garden-prepared soil. Earth Day is a perfect time to start a new garden project, volunteer at a local green space, or simply appreciate the beauty of nature. The Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) food garden needs volunteers to help plant, care, and harvest vegetables this year. Contact me or TLC at tri-lakescares.org to learn more.

Janet Sellers is an avid “lazy” gardener, letting Mother Nature lead the way for permaculture gardening. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

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On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Monument Hiking Group planning session

By Steve Pate

Above: Monument Hiking Group planning session led by Lisa Loeber. Photo by Steve Pate.

The Monument Hiking Group (MHG), led by Lisa Loeber, held a planning session at the Monument Barn Community Center on March 30. The group of about 25 local hikers met to discuss options for planning some long hikes as well as close-in treks in our local area.

For example, a local hike is now scheduled for April 8 at 8:30 a.m. The group will meet at the “Windsock” parking lot off of Red Rock Ranch Road located just north of where Mount Herman Road meets the gate leading up to Mount Herman. The plan is to carpool up to the 716 Trailhead on the west side of Mount Herman, hike to the Limbaugh Overlook, and return by way of Raspberry Mountain/Mount Herman to the 716 Trailhead. It will be about a 4-mile round trip with about 1,200 feet of elevation gain and should take about three hours. This time of year, participants should bring micro spikes and be prepared for weather conditions.

The group will plan extended hikes later this year which could include 14ers (14,000-foot mountains) of which Colorado has 58. Several of the experienced hikers in this group, including Randy Phillips, have summited all 58 14ers. The group may also conduct training sessions on how to use devices such as InReach, a satellite-connected safety device or others such as Zoleo.

While you may choose to hike our local trails, it’s best to plan off-trail adventures and bushwhacking to see hidden local points of interest with someone who knows the terrain and location of places like old mines, cabins, etc., such as Kerry Paige, a.k.a. “Saxsquatch” (a local saxophone player who knows our local mountains.

Others discussed planning hikes that require more endurance and could involve overnight stays. If you are interested in participating in either regular local hikes or those requiring overnight or longer travel, follow the Monument Hiking Group on Facebook. You could also seek advice from Al Andersen, who helped set up this meeting and has led many hikes over the years.

Steve Pate may be contacted at stevepate@ocn.me.

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Art Matters – Contemporary art: The return of bold beauty

By Janet Sellers

“What any true painting touches is an absence—an absence of which without the painting, we might be unaware. And that would be our loss.” —John Berger, The Shape of a Pocket

Art appreciation is subjective. One person may see beauty in the sunrise, a blade of grass, or glistening drops of dew on a spider web. Another may ignore these and go about their day unaware of small splendors. A key factor in all of this is awareness and the moment of awareness; art may reach one person and not another. The close inspection of the bark of a tree holds an abstract beauty without us ever seeing the whole tree. Likewise, the splashes of paint on a canvas may inspire thoughts of energy, excitement, and freedom.

In The Shape of a Pocket, art critic John Berger wrote about painters like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Francis Bacon, as well as lesser-known or anonymous artists, emphasizing how their works capture the struggles and dignity of everyday people. Throughout, Berger’s writing reinforces a belief in art’s power to connect people across time and space.

A reflection of the maker

Contemporary art has long been considered a reflection of the artist instead of a reflection of who paid for it to be made, as was the case in Renaissance patronage. The decline of aristocratic patronage after revolutions (French and American) led artists to find new ways to sell their work. Salon exhibitions and art dealers emerged, helping independent artists gain recognition. The Impressionists (late 19th century) painted modern life—cafés, streets, and leisure—breaking from historical and religious subjects.

With Modernism and Abstract Expressionism, artists became completely independent, exploring personal and social themes. Galleries, collectors, and museums replaced churches and monarchs as the primary buyers of art.

Contemporary art often grapples with complex social, political, and cultural issues, reflecting the diverse and rapidly evolving world we live in. In contemporary art, ideas often matter more than technical skill and focus on meaning rather than imitating reality. Art questions and critiques reality, and even distorts it. Our world is reflected in many kinds of art, expressing contrasts of beauty, chaos, environmental issues, and even digital culture.

Artistic autonomy: a chosen beauty

Art market interests have begun a return to art as beauty and refreshment. Perhaps now, in contemporary art, instead of portraying what has been paid for by a controlling hierarchy, be it religion, governments, advertising and money, art as a true human expression is making its return. Art materials are easily obtained, and anyone with a pencil or brush can make something and exhibit it.

Many artists are embracing vivid colors, organic forms, and detailed craftsmanship again, balancing abstraction with recognizable beauty in dreamlike landscapes and soft, emotional portraits, or using light and space to create immersive experiences. Beauty is making a comeback, in bold, fluid and perhaps even unsettling ways.

Janet Sellers is an artist, writer, educator, and speaker and offers local forest meditation hikes. Contact her at
janetsellers@ocn.me.

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Snapshots of Our Community

Lewis-Palmer D38 Chess Tournament, Mar. 8

Bunco Night Fundraiser, Feb. 22

Above: Area residents rolled the dice Feb. 22 to raise more than $4,500 for a future meditation garden at Trinity Community Park in Monument. More than 60 people took part in Bunco night hosted by the park and Tri-Lakes Dynamic Rotary Club at Trinity Lutheran Church. The proceeds will go toward the garden that will include benches, sculptures, wind spinners, birdhouses, a labyrinth, and Rotary Peace Poles that display the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” In photo, Debby Jeroslow came dressed for the occasion. Photo by Laurie Beasley.

Lake and Lantern opened, Feb. 26

Above: Lake and Lantern Café opened on Feb. 26 in Palmer Lake at the former Speedtrap restaurant. It serves breakfast and lunch daily and aims to create an alcohol-free space for connection. Their offerings include zero-proof beer and mocktails. CEO Raquel Garcia leads the café with her son Jordan as chef, her husband Chris handling operations, and her son Jayden as cook, server, and mocktologist. Other family members contribute as needed. Lake and Lantern, with the motto “life, lit differently,” will host in-person recovery meetings by HardBeauty starting April 2 at 7:30 pm, offering hot coffee but no food. CEO Raquel Garcia, founder of HardBeauty and the HardBeauty Foundation, supports these efforts through the café. For more details, visit www.lakeandlantern.com or call 719-300-8013. To learn more about HardBeauty and the HardBeauty Foundation, check out www.hardbeauty.life and www.hardbeautyfoundation.org. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Roundabout alternatives, Mar. 5

Above: El Paso County hosted a community presentation on March 5 to discuss its Intersection Study for Woodmoor Drive and Lake Woodmoor. County Project Manager Alissa Werre introduced project managers John Moscovich and Michael Romero from Benesch. While presenters received positive feedback on a temporary roundabout, concerns about its proximity to Highway 105 led to the evaluation of three potential full-size roundabout locations (shown in inset): Woodmoor Drive and Lake Woodmoor, Woodmoor Drive and the Park & Ride entrance, and Woodmoor Drive and Monument Hill Road. Once a decision is finalized, the design phase is expected to take 12-18 months, with construction slated for late 2026 or early 2027. Based on traffic studies and the achievable level of service (LOS), the county favored the roundabout option at Woodmoor Drive and the Park & Ride. Attendees raised questions and concerns, which were documented, and additional input was welcomed until March 21. From left on stage are Romero, Werre, and Moscovich. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Monument Lake restrooms coming

Above: The thousands of people who visit Monument Lake each year soon won’t have to use a porta potty when nature calls. Ground was broken in February on what will be permanent restroom facilities. The inset photo example of what the building might look like was provided by Parks and Trails Planner and Program Manager Cassie Olgren. It has two unisex bathrooms with plumbing. She says she hopes the facility will be ready for use by the end of June. About 75% of the cost will be picked up by a $117,000 grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Photo by Tia M. Mayer.

Taste of Life expands shop, Mar. 1

Above: On March 1, the Taste of Life store, 18965 Base Camp Road, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its expanded retail shop. The shop has moved to the front of the building and features homemade meals for those too busy to cook, gluten-free options, and keto options. The store was packed for the event, which was covered by Fox 21 news. For more information, see www.tasteoflifestores.com. Inset: Donna Poelstra, owner of Taste of Life, greeted the crowd at the grand reopening. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Rock House ready for Easter

Above: On an early spring day, March 23, families and friends enjoyed lunch and/or ice cream at the Rock House ice cream shop, 24 Highway 105, Palmer Lake. Shown from left are Jeff Goldman, owner of the Rock House, Lynda Pate, Claire McFadden, Logan Downey, and Kristen McFadden (Claire’s mother). The Rock House also features house-made fudge, chocolate, and popcorn as well as lunch and dinner items. The Easter bunny atop the dinosaur appeared to be enjoying the ride. Photo by Steve Pate.

PLAG portrait workshop

Above: Members of the Palmer Lake Art Group (PLAG) enjoyed a club portrait workshop session in March. PLAG members, from left, Wilhelmina Steenbergen (modeling), Anne Dye, and Mark Dixon join the Plein Air Artist of Colorado winter indoor drawing program at Library 21c in the Create Space. PLAG members are invited to join this twice-a-month event where artists paint or draw in short gesture or long pose sessions. For information, visit PalmerLakeArtGroup.org. Photo courtesy of Palmer Lake Art Group.

Stars of Tomorrow winners, Mar. 16

Above: Two pianists, three Broadway-style singers, and a ballet dancer who played the drums won the top prizes at the Monument Hill Kiwanis Club’s Stars of Tomorrow talent show held at Palmer Ridge High School in Monument on March 16. Pianist Annabelle Carter, a homeschooled high school junior, earned the top prize of $2,000. In second place among high schoolers was singer Ruby Taylor, a Palmer Ridge junior, who took home $1,000. The third-place prize, worth $500, went to another singer, Winn Sienkowski, a Palmer Ridge High School junior. Among middle-schoolers, Aubrey Davis, a sixth-grader at Palmer Lake Elementary School, came in first for her performance that combined ballet and playing the drums. She earned $750 while singer Lila Brown, an eighth-grader at Lewis-Palmer Middle School, was second, earning $500. Finally, the elementary school winner was pianist Thomas Carter, who took home $500. Pictured from left to right: Thomas Carter, Ruby Taylor, Winn Sienkowski, Annabelle Carter, Aubrey Davis, and Lila Brown. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Whitecaps on Palmer Lake, Mar. 17

Above: On Monday, March 17, the Tri-Lakes area including the lake at Palmer Lake was affected by 55-plus mph wind gusts. The gusts created very choppy waters in a northerly direction with whitecaps. Near-blizzard conditions affected the area the following day and into Wednesday morning. Photo by David Futey.

Monument cemetery talk, Mar. 21

Above: The team of Michael Weinfeld and John Howe has been nominated for the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce honor of Volunteer of the Year. They’ll compete against other nominees and will learn who won at the chamber’s annual awards gala on April 25. Weinfeld and Howe gave two presentations about their book Shootouts, Killings, and War Heroes: The History Hidden in Monument’s Cemetery. They spoke at the Tri-Lakes Senior Center on March 21 (in photo) and the Monument Hill Kiwanis Club on March 22. Photo by Tia M. Mayer.

WMMI Geology Day, Mar. 22

Above: During the Western Museum of Mining & Industry’s (WMMI) annual Geology Day on March 22, WMMI Curator Jaime Gorrell assists museum visitor James Bolding with one of the activities. Bolding built a mineshaft structure made of toothpicks and marshmallows. To test the structure’s strength, it is placed in sand with wax paper over it then sand over top. A camera directed underneath the wax paper and attached to the adjacent laptop shows how the structure holds up under the weight of the sand. Besides this activity, visitors had the opportunity to interact with a variety of organizations, including the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society, the Phoenix Gold Mine, SSR Mining from Cripple Creek & Victor, Lafayette History Museum, and Maptek staff demonstrating a Lindar scanner. WMMI Executive Director Grant Dewey said he “greatly appreciates the exhibitors enhancing the museum’s visitors’ educational experience and understanding of geology.” Photo by David Futey.

Wildfire risk reduction, Mar. 17

Above: Wildfire hazard management, forest health, and safer ingress/egress routes were described by Jonathan Bradley, Monument Fire’s division chief of Community Risk Reduction, on March 17. He spoke to residents of Pleasant View Estates, Sun Hills Estates, and the nearby Raton neighborhood. He urged all homeowners in the area to make each house and the zone around it less flammable, so it could not be ignited by flying sparks and burning embers. Residents should cut back trees and fuel from the right-of-way in front of each property so that in a wildfire, flames have less chance of blocking the escape route for residents and access for firefighters. For more “home hardening,” “fuels reduction,” and emergency planning ideas, search online for Colorado State Forest Service Home Ignition Zone brochure or see Ready, Set, Go! evacuation ideas at www.wildlandfirersg.org/. Photo by Lisa Hatfield.

WWII Vet Jim Clemmons’ 100th

Above: About 100 people, one for every year of Jim Clemans’ life, attended
his centennial birthday party at Jackson Creek Senior Living in Monument on
March 22. Clemans is a Navy veteran who served during WWII aboard the
escort carrier Wyndham Bay. He saw action at Iwo Jima and the Battle of
Okinawa. Clemans was also active in the Monument Hill Kiwanis Club, serving
as grand marshal in the Fourth of July parade in 2023. Asked by an OCN
reporter what tips he could give for reaching 100 years of age, Clemans said,
“Just relax and don’t worry about it.” Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

TLWC donates baby products

Above: Volunteers with the Tri-Lakes Women Club (TLWC) donated 507 pounds of diapers and wipes to Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) on March 24. The donation was needed because TLC can give women only seven diapers a week and as any parent will tell you, that’s not nearly enough to keep a baby dry. In addition to the baby products, TLWC raised nearly $500 to donate to TLC. TLC still needs other donations. To find out what else they could use, visit https://tri-lakescares.org/current-pantry-needs/. In the photo are TLWC volunteers Maureen Morgan (in front) and Kayleen Jackson. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

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Letters to Our Community – Grace Best demolition

D38 is using stagecraft to justify destroying a politically inconvenient school building. After years of complaining about Grace’s maintenance and repair costs, they are now using a fire marshal inspection that the building supposedly failed to leave the impression that “the fire department condemned the building.” Their descriptions of the building’s actual status are suspiciously vague and inconsistent.

The problem with this narrative is that D38 got a surprise windfall last year that could have paid to fix the problems. D38 convinced the state to let them spend $8 million of their reserves. Instead of fixing Grace, they’re spending it all to purchase and renovate a 37-year-old building for a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) center—”transforming an open warehouse into a space for learning that mirrors a Google or Facebook workplace.” They’ll have to pay another $3 million to complete the buildout. The administration provided cost estimates for the project and for building new but estimates for transforming Grace into the CTE center weren’t presented. It wasn’t even discussed.

Worse yet, if you have a building the fire marshal wants to shut down until certain repairs are made you don’t jump to spend $1.3 million to demolish it. You try to sell it as-is. To save yourself $1.3 million. But D38’s board didn’t even discuss selling the building, let alone check if anyone might be willing to take it off their hands. By the district’s own calculations, the land the building sits on is only worth $700,000. Why spend $1.3 million to clear land that’s worth $700,000?

All their narrative-building has left them scrambling to find a home for the homeschool and special needs transitions programs housed at Grace Best. It’s clear that making sure taxpayers cannot use this space for a school in the future is more important to them.

Derek Araje

Guidelines for letters

Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer. When there is more than one letter, the letters are arranged in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.

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Letters to Our Community – D38 chaos

The D38 Board of Education took the unusual action to “accept” Dr. Datteri’s resignation after about six months on the job and post out a confusing severance package which includes a large cash payment that varies from $224,000 to about $84,000 depending on if more staffing changes occur or more resignations come in.

This chaos needs to be solved with well-justified plans to be resolved before June 30 to start a new superintendent search or hire from within D38 from several candidates (old and potentially new), which could be expected.

Sound chaotic to you? During this time of unexpected staff turbulence and transition, we are fortunate to have D38 quickly declare Amber Whetstine as interim superintendent pending June 30.

At the February D38 Working Session, the 5-0 unanimous hiring decision was declared a failed decision, and now several paths forward are being discussed with the next milestone decision scheduled for June 30 (4.5 months from now).

Right now D38 does not have an assistant superintendent but we do have an interim superintendent. Do we also need declared an “interim” assistant superintendent?

How will that new senior staff member salary costs impact “savings” from Dr. Datteri’s resignation salary avoidance?

Gordon Reichal

Guideline for letters

Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer. When there is more than one letter, the letters are arranged in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.

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Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – March mystery madness

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“If I had a bookstore, I would make all the mystery novels hard to find.”—Demetri Martin

Check out the following titles for an engaging mystery.

Head Cases

By John McMahon (Minotaur Books) $28

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. Gardner and his squad of brilliant, quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, brought in for cases that no one else can solve. When DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer long presumed dead, the team springs into action.

Presumed Guilty (Presumed Innocent No. 3)

By Scott Turow (Grand Central Publishing) $30

Rusty is a retired judge living in the rural Midwest with his wife, Bea. But the peace that’s taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea’s son, Aaron, disappears. Aaron eventually turns up and his girlfriend is discovered dead. Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first-degree murder. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent—it’s whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty.

All the Colors of the Dark

By Chris Whitaker (Crown Publishing Group) $30

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Mo., girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, a most unlikely hero emerges. With a missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, and a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.

The Oligarch’s Daughter

By Joseph Finder (Harper) $30

Paul Brightman is a man on the run, living under an assumed name in a small New England town with a million-dollar bounty on his head. When his security is breached, Brightman is forced to flee into the New Hampshire wilderness to evade Russian operatives who can seemingly predict his every move. Six years ago, Paul was a rising star on Wall Street who fell in love with a Russian oligarch, and the object of considerable interest from several U.S. intelligence agencies. Now, to save his own life, Paul must unravel a decades-old conspiracy that extends to the highest reaches of the government.

We Solve Murders

By Richard Osman (Pamela Dorman Books) $30

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigative work, but his days of adventure are over. Adventure is daughter-in-law Amy’s job now. Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. Working in private security, every day is dangerous. She’s currently on a remote island protecting mega-bestselling author Rosie D’Antonio, until a dead body and a bag of money mean trouble in paradise. As a thrilling race around the world begins, can Amy and Steve outrun and outsmart a killer?

Death in a Darkening Mist: A Lane Winslow Mystery (Lane Winslow Mystery No. 2)

By Iona Whishaw (Touchwood Editions) $20

On a snowy day in December 1946, Lane Winslow, a former British intelligence agent, is introduced to the local hot springs. While there, she is astonished to overhear nearby patrons speaking Russian. The investigation points to the Soviet Union, where Stalin’s purges are eliminating enemies. Her complicated relationship with the local police inspector is intensified by the perils of the case. It all comes to a frantic and shocking end with a perilous nighttime journey along treacherous snow-covered roads.

Night Watch

By Jayne Anne Phillips (Vintage) $18

In 1874, in the wake of the Civil War, 12-year-old ConaLee finds herself on a journey with her mother, Eliza, who hasn’t spoken in more than a year. They arrive at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia. In the asylum, they get swept up in the life of the facility—the mysterious man they call the Night Watch; the orphan child called Weed; the fearsome woman who runs the kitchen; the remarkable doctor at the head of the institution. Epic, enthralling, and meticulously crafted, Pulitzer Prize-winning Night Watch is a stunning chronicle of surviving war and its aftermath.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

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March Library Events – Adult Reading Program continues; special programs; jigsaw puzzle swap

By Harriet Halbig

The 2025 Winter Adult Reading Program continues through March 31. Participants who read 30 minutes per day or participate in specified district programs for 30 days will receive the annual program mug and a coupon for a dessert from Crumbl. Upon registering, participants receive a program tote bag while supplies last. To see a list of programs which qualify for credit, please go to ppld.org/winter-reading.

Special programs in March

Homeschool students ages 5 to 12 are invited to Explore the Natural World on Wednesday, March 12 from 2 to 3 p.m. Experience this on-the-road version of Pikes Peak Library District’s Educational Resource Center at the Monument Library. The program includes resources to explore the natural world of plants and animals and the human body.

On Saturday, March 8 from 11 to noon, adult patrons are invited to a program called Strange Colorado, exploring urban legends and stories of the odd, spooky, or the macabre. Join author and paranormal investigator Erin Taylor to discover tales from her book Strange Colorado. Some of the lore includes the Pikes Peak Highway’s Phantom Hitchhiker, Tommyknockers in the mountains, and aliens in the San Luis Valley. Offered as part of the Winter Adult Reading Program.

The Tweens Dungeons and Dragons club will meet from 4 to 5:30 on Saturday, March 8. Play Dungeons and Dragons with our own Dragon Master Dustin. New members are welcome and no experience is required. Open to ages 9 to 12. Registration is required. Go to ppld.org and look under programs by location.

Teens are invited to learn leadership skills, earn volunteer hours, and give input on what happens at the library by attending meetings of the Teen Advisory Board and working on projects. Regular attendance is recommended and you must fill out a volunteer application to participate. The meeting will be on Thursday, March 13 from 5 to 6 p.m.

Come to the Monument Library’s Jigsaw Puzzle Swap on Saturday, March 5 from11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Give a puzzle, get a new-to-you puzzle in exchange. Only gently used puzzles accepted.

The Friends of the PPLD Book Group will meet from 10:30 to 12:30 on Friday, March 21. All are welcome. The March selection is Sooley by John Grisham.

This year’s special program for spring break is Cool Science Super-sized Science on Tuesday, March 25 from 10:30 to 11:15. Join Cool Science as it runs simple but cool science experiments, tricks, and demonstrations that you can do at home with everyday materials. Watch them super-size it for super-sized excitement.

Teens age 12 to 18 are invited to Escape Room: Travel to the 80s on Thursday, March 27 from 3 to 4 p.m. Welcome to 1986. Here you will find cutting-edge technology from the 1980s that you will need to use along with your knowledge of all that was rad in the 80 to get yourself back to the present day. You only have 45 minutes before you are stuck in the past forever. Registration is required by calling 719-488-2370 or go to ppld.org and check programs by location.

See ppld.org for regularly occurring library events and programs by location.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

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High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Wild outdoors: pine needle bread, gardening in March

By Janet Sellers

March is the first month we can, maybe, plant some things outdoors, but only with special care and covering. I have used pine needle mulch with success to protect plants. Indoors, we can start seeds (tomatoes and other favorites) and even harvest crops from pots. Easy indoor food crops include radishes, lettuces, bok choy, and other short root plants. The fastest crops come from the cut-and-come-again kitchen scraps planted and kept in moist soil: onions, carrots, bok choy, celery, cabbage, and so on.

Starting slips of yams, potatoes, and sweet potatoes now will get a head start for earlier harvests, and they practically grow themselves into plants just by inserting them in a pot or bag of soil as long as they are protected with thick mulch outside or grown indoors until the last frost. I have a cart to wheel mine indoors if the weather gets below 40 degrees, and last fall I just popped a bunch of purple potatoes in my garden bed to see what happens for spring.

This is wild: Pine needles are not just for mulch

Pine needles have been used to create yeast to make bread—pine needle bread! Most pines can be used to make tea from the needles which have a lot of vitamin C and other antioxidants. Blue spruce pine needle yeast bread can be made using spruce tips, flour, yeast, water, and other ingredients such as beer. The needles can add flavor to the bread. (Caution: Ponderosa, Monterey, and lodgepole pine are reported to be toxic and Norfolk island pine, balsam fir, and yew pine are not really true pines and not for cooking either).

A study last year from the University of Helsinki reported that incorporation of green needle and twig extracts enhanced functional, nutritional, and technological properties of bread; the bioactive compounds showed good stability, with some showing increased content during storage. During forest logging, trees are harvested for timber or pulpwood, often leaving their branches on-site to decompose. Green needles are an underutilized reservoir of valuable polyphenols.

Helpful safe hints for spring pests

To deter hornets and wasps from places you don’t want them, deter them with a paper bag or more around the home. A crumpled brown lunch bag looks like a wasp nest and can deter a queen from nesting 200 feet away from it. I have tried this, and it works if I get the bags out in March. The fake nest traps are also available online. If you can reasonably avoid them for a season, the problem will resolve itself with the first freeze, as hornets will abandon their nests and find a new place to start fresh next year.

European hornets eat harmful insects like caterpillars, flies, and grasshoppers. They can also help control the population of other stinging insects, like yellow jackets. And European hornets are important pollinators. Yellow jackets eat caterpillars and harmful flies that can damage gardens and crops, protect tomatoes and kale from garden pests, and are a source of protein for migrating birds. They help keep insect populations balanced in natural ecosystems. These are useful to us when they live where we need them, we just need to tell them where.

The easiest (and greenest) way to deal with hornets? Soap and water spray (on individual insects). Just add a teaspoon of liquid soap (not detergent) to a quart spray bottle of water and shoot. The soap gets through their “armor” and drowns them in minutes.

Janet Sellers is an avid “lazy gardener” letting Mother Nature lead the way to easy gardening. Send your garden tips to JanetSellers@OCN.me.

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Art Matters – Amateur: art just for the love of it

By Janet Sellers

“Every artist was first an amateur.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Amateur is a word from the late 18th century, from French, from Italian amatore, from Latin amator “lover,” from amare “to love.” A person that does something for the love of it is an amateur. What a wonderful and happy moniker!

In art, an amateur can challenge what art could or should be without the constraints of professional norms and create outside the mainstream, the orthodox, and the conventional. It is a freedom deeply connected to personal fulfillment. It also allows an artist to be authentic and adventuresome, since there are no trends or expectations placed upon them, and offers a freedom of play and exploration not often available to professional artists who often must keep their art tied to its commodification, for its buying and selling value. And often professional artists face public scrutiny for their lives and art that an amateur will never have to consider.

Art for human expression has made its art path from ceremony to religion to historical record and commodity. This traces human creative history, useful technologies, and commerce. Some of our most profound discoveries and pleasures arise from the love of doing something fulfilling in many fields.

We humans have been making art for a very long time, and it has been a central part of our culture and technical development. Even before that, when we consider the Neanderthals and modern humans are both hominids that have made art, Neanderthals created the oldest known cave paintings in the Spanish caves of La Pasiega, Maltravieso, and Ardales. The paintings date back at least 64,000 years and include abstract images of animals, dots, and geometric signs. Neanderthals may have made jewelry, such as eagle talon pendants, from the Krapina Neanderthal site in Croatia. These pendants date back about 130,000 years.

What separates an amateur from a professional in the arts, and is that important? Professionals often have a deeper understanding of their medium and more developed technical skills. Formal education with an artist or in art school can offer training that might take a lifetime to acquire on one’s own. Professionals tend to have a greater output, quality, and consistency for their art, largely because it is their livelihood and career.

Importance of the professional vs. amateur depends on perspective

To be a professional in the arts can carry importance in terms of credibility, respect, and market value. The term “art professional” can carry a certain value; the professional has to keep the intended audience, intent and output (collectors, galleries, the public, art history, and even critics) in mind, whereas the amateur has the freedom to make art at will. The true value for either exists within the authenticity and commitment of the artist. But the lasting value lies within the art itself. We will protect and keep what is valuable to us and our lives. We take care of what is meaningful to us.

Janet Sellers is an artist, writer, educator, and speaker specializing in creative endeavors for health and communities through her indoor and outdoor sculptures, landscape, and nature art, and offers local forest bathing hikes. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

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Snapshots of Our Community

Lake of the Rockies fire mitigation

Above and Below: As detailed in the photo caption on the front page, the Lake of the Rockies community fire mitigation project was necessary because three acres of dense stands of scrub oak and ponderosa pines behind the community and south of the Monument Lake dam were considered a “high hazard area.” A powerful machine called a “masticator” (pictured below) was used to chew up small trees, oak brush, and debris on the floor of the forest to open up space beneath the pines. Now that the project has been completed, it will be less likely a fire could spread to houses (visible in the background in the photo). The project cost nearly $11,000 and was paid for with a grant from the Pikes Peak Regional Council of Governments. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

PRHS football signing, Feb. 5

Above: In a formal ceremony held in the Palmer Ridge High School (PRHS) auditorium on Feb. 5, three graduating student athletes signed commitments to attend college and continue their football experiences. Coach Earl Carlton expressed his appreciation for the contributions made by these young men and wished them well in their coming adventures. Seated during the signings are, from left, Aiden Cohen to play football at Colorado Mesa University, David Brodeur, Ave Maria University, and Isaac Burks, Saint Ambrose University. Photo by Steve Pate.

Arndt wins PLAG show blue ribbon

Above: Donna Arndt was the blue ribbon winner of the Palmer Lake Art Group’s annual winter show with her Garden of the Gods, After the Storm, 2025, acrylic palette knife painting, 16” x 16”, created in 2025. This year the exhibition was held at the Garden of the Gods visitor center all month in February. Arndt, a local artist of several mediums, is also the sculptor for the statue, Come, Dizzy! in Palmer Lake at the Town Hall. Dizzy was the construction helper for the Palmer Lake star, fetching tools up and down the mountain. Dizzy fetched such things as hammers, nails, wires, light bulbs and more for the workers upon the mountain when the star was being built nearly a hundred years ago. Photo by Janet Sellers.

Bella Art has new owners

Above: On Feb. 16, the new owners of Bella Art and Frame gallery invited their gallery artists and clients for a meet-and-greet gathering. From left are Joseph Jesse, gallery artist Bonnie Sands, and Micaela Cimino. Jesse and Cimino are the new owners who said they will continue to offer art, art events and picture framing at Bella Art and Frame Gallery. New for the venue will be art and artist events, planned for Saturdays starting in March, including open studio hours with art instruction available. The various events will be open to the community. Cimino was a Palmer Lake Art Group high school scholarship award winner and went on to study at Pratt Institute in New York. After working in New York as an illustrator for many years, she has returned home to the Monument area with her family to continue her support of the arts locally. Photo by Janet Sellers

Stone wins Stars and Stripes Award

Above: On Feb. 16, Isabelle Stone of Monument was presented with the Stars and Stripes Award, the highest honor given by American Heritage Girls. Friends, family, and supporters attended the ceremony at the Ascent Church in Monument. Isabelle earned the award by partnering with the nonprofit group Sarah’s Home to remodel a storage room for books used in the group’s curriculum. The room had been in disarray (left photo). Sarah’s Home provides a sanctuary for teenage girls who are survivors of sex trafficking. Over the last 13 years, Isabelle has earned 97 badges and performed 1,295 hours of community service with American Heritage Girls, a group that teaches girls 5-18 years old perseverance, self-reliance, and leadership. She’s been a member of three different troops across the country since she was 5. She currently attends weekly meetings of Troop CO2017 at the Ascent Church. Caption by Lilyan Gardner. Photos by Rebecca Stone.

Stars of Tomorrow auditions, Feb. 22

There was music, comedy, poetry, magic—even a ballet dancer who played the drums. More than three dozen area students tried out for the Monument Hill Kiwanis Stars of Tomorrow talent show on Feb. 22. The students are competing for cash prizes. The elementary school winner will take home $500, and the middle school winner will earn $750. There will be three high school winners. The top prize will be $2,000, second prize will be worth $1,000, and third prize $500. Students who pass their auditions will compete in the talent show on March 16. Photos by Michael Weinfeld.

Above: Claire Baldwin, a 6-year-old first-grader from LPES sang a song.
Above: Julianna Ward, a 16-year-old PRHS student, sang a Broadway tune.
Above: Carmen Claudio, a 13-year-old LPMS student, dressed like Little Red Riding Hood and came equipped with trees and a basket to sing a song from Into the Woods.
Above: Ruby Taylor, a PRHS student, sang a song.

Above: Miriam Beasley, a LPMS student, sang a song while doing sign language.
Above: Winn Sienkowski, a 17-year-old PRHS student, sang a song.
Above and Below: Aubrey Davis, an 11-year-old sixth-grader at LPMS,
played the drums after dancing a ballet.

Above: Lila Knapp (left), a 13-year-old Lewis-Palmer student, played clarinet and Brooke Tuck, a 14-year-old Lewis Palmer Student, played French horn.
Above: Penelope Hall, a 12-year-old seventh-grader at Lewis-Palmer Middle School, did a comedy routine.
Above: Lewis-Palmer student Thomas Carter played the piano.

Other Snapshots of Our Community articles

Letters to Our Community – Thanks to OCN for its support

As we reflect on the wonderful turnout for our recent book signing of Shootouts, Killings, and War Heroes: The History Hidden in Monument’s Cemetery, we wish to express our gratitude to OCN for its coverage as we presented our research and photos to local community groups prior to the printing of the book. Folks at Covered Treasures Bookstore were amazed when they saw 70 books were sold in two hours of the November book signing. Our thanks to OCN and all who came to congratulate us on our endeavor as well as to purchase the book.

John Howe and Michael Weinfeld
Authors

Click here for Guidelines for letters.

Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer. When there is more than one letter, the letters are arranged in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.

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Letters to Our Community – Wildfire call to action

As I have watched the events of the last several days unfold in Southern California, I have been reflecting on what more we can do as a community with our wildfire preparedness and mitigation efforts. A wildland-urban interface conflagration is the greatest threat to lives and property within our jurisdiction. We need only look back to 2021 to recall the devastation wrought by the Marshall Fire in Boulder County that killed two people and destroyed 991 structures, becoming the most destructive fire in Colorado history.

In recent years, Monument Fire District (MFD) has proactively been doing the following:

  • Hiring firefighters.
  • Purchasing wildfire-specific fire apparatus.
  • Developing wildfire preplans.
  • Partnering with the U.S. Forest Service to conduct a prescribed burn.
  • Writing a grant-funded community wildfire protection plan (CWPP) to include a partnership with the Town of Monument on a wildfire mitigation demonstration area adjacent to Monument Lake.
  • Free wildfire home inspection program.
  • Expanding our chipping/mitigation efforts with 23 homeowners associations.
  • Utilizing state of the art technology/software for real-time incident notification/evacuation.

And yet, I think we need to do more.

I understand that the ponderosa pine and vegetation are, in part, what attracted all of us to live in North El Paso County. However, fuels thinning and removal, planting fire-resistive fuels, and use fire-resistive materials in our home construction will make our community more resilient to wildfire. Today is a call to action to join our efforts to help prevent another Marshall Fire, Black Forest Fire, Waldo Canyon Fire, and what we have witnessed this week in Southern California.

I am asking each of you to help by establishing a chipping program in your community, become a FireWise community, mitigate your personal property, building or remodeling your home with fire-resistive materials in mind, have a free home inspection performed by MFD personnel, signing up for Peak Alerts, support removing vegetation from rights of way, and advocating wildfire preparedness to your neighbors.

We cannot do it without you! Please visit www.monumentfire.org or call 719-484-0911 to learn how to get involved.

Andy Kovacs
Fire Chief, Monument Fire District

Click here for Guidelines for letters.

Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer. When there is more than one letter, the letters are arranged in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.

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Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Books that showcase love

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too”—Paulo Coelho

February is the time to feel the love. Check out these titles that offer a wide variety of ways for people of all ages to reflect on love as it relates to family, friendships, self, and/or community.

Publicity Stunt

By Bernadette Marie (5 Prince Publishing and Books) $20

Despite their on-screen chemistry, co-stars Graham and Christina share no love off-screen. When rumors surface in the entertainment media suggesting they’re romantically involved, their managers seize the opportunity to capitalize on the speculation, offering incentives to enhance their fake relationship. Graham and Christina reluctantly comply, but unexpectedly, their pretend romance evolves into genuine affection.

A Winter’s Wedding

By Sarah Dressler (5 Prince Publishing and Books) $18

While on assignment in Las Vegas, America Greene gets a surprise visit from her fiancé, Leo. Their whirlwind romance becomes part of the story when they accidentally get married. With a wicked winter storm bearing down, their flight home is canceled and they set off on a cross-country road trip, determined to make it back to home for their dream wedding. As the snow piles up and temperatures drop, will they make it home in time or will their plans be frozen in snow?

How to Love (Mindfulness Essentials No. 3)

By Thich Nhat Hanh (Parallax Press) $10

How to Love is a unique gift for those who want a comprehensive yet simple guide to understanding the many different kinds of love, along with meditative practices that can expand the understanding of and capacity for love. Appropriate for those practicing in any spiritual tradition, whether seasoned practitioners or new to meditation, How to Love includes meditations you can do alone or with your partner to go deep inside and expand your own capacity to love.

Time of the Child

By Niall Williams (Bloomsbury Publishing) $29

Doctor Jack Troy was born and raised in Faha, Ireland, but his responsibilities for the sick and the dying mean he has always been set apart from the town. His eldest daughter, Ronnie, has grown up in her father’s shadow and remains there, having missed one chance at love—and passed up an unsuitable offer of marriage. But in December of 1962 their lives are turned upside down when a baby is left in their care. As the winter passes, father’s and daughter’s lives, their understanding of their family, and their role in the community are changed forever.

Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine

By Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (Yearling Books) $7

Nate the Great hates mushy stuff. But when he spies a big red paper heart taped to the outside of Sludge’s doghouse, Nate knows he must help out his favorite pooch. Who has left Sludge a secret valentine? This children’s book is a fun valentine read.

Share Your Love

By Susan B. Katz (Bala Kids) $19

A playful, rhyming book for kids ages 3-7 on how to send loving, kind thoughts to yourself and others to make the world a better place. This book teaches young readers that even from far away, you can wish others happiness, good health, peace, and safety. Starting with the individual child and extending outward to the whole universe, the rhyming couplets and beautiful art carry the reader through the thoughtful process of extending love and kindness to yourself and all those around you.

Guava and Grudges

By Alexis Castellanos (Bloomsbury YA) $20

This young adult romantic comedy is about two teens from rival Cuban bakeries who create a recipe for disaster when they start to fall for each other. This is a heartwarming story about falling in love with a future that is chosen rather than a future imposed by others. It’s a perfect combination of food, romance, and treachery.

Answers to Dog

By Pete Hautman (Candlewick Press) $18.99

This heartwarming book for middle-grade readers explores friendship like no other—and the universal truth that dogs make life better for some people, especially for underdogs. Narrated in alternating viewpoints, this relatable contemporary novel has classic coming-of-age themes and is a satisfying read for animal lovers.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

Other Covered Treasures Bookstore articles

February Library Events – Winter Adult Reading Program

By Harriet Halbig

The 2025 Winter Adult Reading Program (WARP) will begin on Feb. 1 and run through March 31. This year’s theme is Color Our World and programs feature art, colorful food and drinks, and colorful parts of Colorado history.

Registration opens on Feb. 1, and those who register online or in person will receive the annual ARP tote bag while supplies last. After completing 30 days of reading or other qualifying activities, participants will receive the annual WARP coffee mug and a coupon for dessert from Crumbl, and an entry for the grand prize of a $100 gift card from Natural Grocers or $60 in Crazy Cash for use at Brush Crazy.

Library employees are not eligible for the grand prize.

To register for the program, please go to the library website ppld.org.

Programs include Paper Marbling at the Monument Library on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 1:30 to 3. Create one of a kind greeting cards, note cards, and stationery. All supplies are included.

Harriet Halbig can be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

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Palmer Lake Historical Society, Jan. 16 – 2024 events recalled

By Marlene Brown

The Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS) held its Annual Potluck Supper and Membership Meeting on Jan. 16 at the Palmer Lake Town Hall. Members recapped their monthly meeting events and presentations for 2024 to include: The Monument Cemetery, Father’s Day Ice Cream Social, Life and Times of Gen. William J. Palmer, walking tours of historical sites in the area, and a field trip to The Trolley Museum in Colorado Springs.

PLHS is a 501C3 nonprofit that was formed in 1956, dedicated to the idea of education and preserving the history of the Palmer Divide. The Palmer Divide area includes Palmer Lake, Monument, Tri-Lakes, School District 38, the U.S. Air Force Academy and east to Table Rock, including Black Forest.

The Mission of PLHS is to preserve, protect, promote, and provide access to historical data, artifacts and other items of significance relating to the Palmer Divide area. See palmerdividehistory.org. Another purpose of the society is to maintain and ensure the continuance of the Lucretia Vaile Museum, located in the Palmer Lake Library building at 66 S. Valley Rd., across the street from Palmer Lake Town Hall. Open Wednesdays 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Private tours available with reservation. Call the museum at (719)559-0837 for more information.

There are volunteer opportunities at the museum and sponsored events. Memberships are available online at palmerdividehistory.org or you can submit your application by mail at P.O. Box 662, Palmer Lake, CO 80133. Some of the benefits of becoming a member are: meet new people who share an interest in local history, emails regarding the monthly events, and invitations to members-only walking tours and field trips.

Above: Palmer Lake Historical Society 2025 board members are, from left: Diane Kokes, vice president; Patricia Atkins, secretary; Jennine Engle, president; and Doug Lang, treasurer. Photo by Marlene Brown.

**********

Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent St. They are free and open to the public. The Feb. 20 program is a presentation by Nikki Stratton about her grandfather Donald Stratton, survivor of the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

For more information about PLHS and future programs, go to palmerdividehistory.org

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

Other Palmer Lake Historical Society articles

High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Fermented February, cocoa mulch, and a chocolate “workout”

By Janet Sellers

Cocoa mulch can be toxic to pets, especially dogs. It contains theobromine, a chemical found in chocolate that is poisonous to dogs and other animals. A commonly used mulch, organic cocoa mulch, contains nitrogen, phosphate, and potash and has a pH of 5.8, adding beneficial nutrients to the soil. Using cocoa hulls in the garden is an excellent way to increase soil vitality and is an attractive top cover for flower beds and vegetable patches. Because this mulch is a byproduct of the chocolate-making process, it gives off a chocolate aroma that usually lasts two to three weeks from the time of application.

Hot cocoa, on the other hand, helps create stem cells for humans. A study conducted at the University of California, San Francisco found that individuals who drank a chocolate beverage containing high levels of cocoa flavanols twice daily for a month had significantly higher stem cell counts in their blood compared to a control group, suggesting that consuming chocolate with high cocoa content can potentially increase stem cell levels in the body; this is often attributed to the antioxidant properties of flavanols present in cocoa. Eating dark chocolate may also help your body make new stem cells. Dark chocolate contains compounds called flavanols and proanthocyanidins that can stimulate stem cell production and movement.

The explanation? Cacao! The main ingredient in chocolate, cacao, contains bioactive compounds that may improve stem cell function, and here is some of the good stuff it offers. Flavanols: These compounds interact with cellular pathways, potentially stimulating stem cell production. Proanthocyanidins: These compounds cause stem cells to act more vigorously, similar to giving them a workout. Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cacao is rich in polyphenols and magnesium. Stem cells: These cells are found in various places in the body, including bone marrow, under the skin, and lining of the intestines. They repair, replace, and regenerate worn out and dead cells.

Fermented February

Fermented February is a movement with many homesteaders and home gardeners. Fermented February is a social media campaign that encourages people to ferment foods and drinks in February to optimize good health. People share their recipes and fermentation tips on social media platforms like YouTube.

Homemade soda from pine needles? Yep. It’s citrusy, fresh, and filled with antioxidants for good health. I saw that people like to use the young “spruce tips” of blue spruce to infuse the flavor into the soda base, similar to how you would use other pine needles like white pine or fir needles. I have eaten the blue spruce tips in salads and they are yummy. Some homesteaders report they just collect spruce tips off the tree, wash and ferment in water with sugar for “wild fermentation” using what is on the pine needles already. They place the washed, dried and clipped (remove the papery fascicle) green needles in a flip-top bottle, fill with water, add some sugar (4 tablespoons to about a quart of the needle batch), shake, and leave to ferment, and in about two weeks it’s bubbly and ready to drink. Be sure to find a recipe of your choice. I found some online with a search, and I’ll try it out for Fermented February.

Carrot greens are tasty and free

We can eat carrot greens! Carrot greens are nutritious and contain lots of vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and phytonutrients. They also contain dietary fiber, which can help with digestion and blood sugar regulation. Carrot greens taste a little like parsley and carrots and are a little bitter. Cooking them softens the bitterness. Greens from younger carrots are milder than those from older carrots. Carrots are biennial—they take two years to grow from seed. Most carrots we buy are roots, and the tops can be planted for seed in its first year in our gardens.

We can get carrot greens by regrowing carrot tops from the grocery store. Favorites include: Pesto: Use carrot greens in a pesto with olive oil, walnuts, and parmesan cheese. You can use pesto as a pasta sauce or spread it on toast. Salads: Toss carrot greens with other salad greens. Soups: Stir carrot greens into soups. Smoothies or green juice: Blend carrot greens into smoothies or green juice. Veggie burgers: Add carrot greens to veggie burgers. Herbs: Use carrot greens in place of parsley or basil. Chimichurri: Make a chimichurri with carrot greens, oregano, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic, white wine vinegar, and olive oil. Breakfast strata: Use carrot top pesto in a breakfast strata, which is like a savory bread pudding.

Janet Sellers is an avid “lazy gardener” letting Mother Nature lead the way to easy gardening. Send your garden tips to JanetSellers@OCN.me.

Other Gardening articles

On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Monument Hiking Group to Ice Cave Cliffs and Cap Rock

By Steve Pate

Lisa Loeber organized members of the Monument Hiking Group (MHG) to make a hike to Ice Cave Cliffs on Jan. 16 along the Ice Cave Creek trail connecting with the Swank Trail north to a ridge that connects with the Ice Cave Cliffs trail before the “polar vortex” extreme cold snap. Three of the group hiked to the Ice Cave Cliffs and climbed Cap Rock. Included here are some photos taken by Randy Phillips, an experienced local hiker, which give a sense of the beautiful scenery in our Tri-Lakes area.

Eight hardy souls made the trek, a bit over seven miles round trip with an elevation gain of about 8,000 feet. The photos show MHG members at various segments of the hike showing the terrain along Ice Cave Creek, a section of the Swank Trail, and some views from atop Ice Cave Cliffs and Cap Rock.

Steve Pate may be contacted at StevePate@OCN.me.

Above: Brian Caldwell leads the way and Kerry Paige brings up the rear ascending Ice Cave Creek Trail. All photos by Randy Phillips.
Above: A rest stop on the Ice Cave Creek Trail. Front to back, Terri Walters, Ned Kraushaar, Wendi Renee, Brian Caldwell, and Kerry Paige.
Above: Ned Kraushaar leads with Kerry Paige bringing up the rear on Swank Trail.
Above: Mount Herman from Cap Rock.
Above: The final climb to Cap Rock. Photo by Randy Phillips.

Other On the Trail articles

Art Matters – The arts as medicine; Palmer Lake Art Group plans new venues

We all can enjoy the arts. Creativity and its expression are for everyone, from the visual arts to music, poetry, writing, jewelry, religious relics, and more. Media in myriad forms are constantly being created for human expression since humans began. Our area is fortunate to have many artists and art events represented throughout the year, and preparations for these are also year-round.

The Arts as Medicine

“Thinking of the arts as medicine, arts as healing is innate… In indigenous languages in the country, to my understanding, there is no specific word for art because we live it. How do we remove these institutional silos and recognize the interconnectedness? How do we reconnect what has been disconnected? We operate in these different capacities. We’re all part of a living, connected system. We can’t segment the spirit from the body, from the being, from the community.”—Justin Huenemann, the First Peoples Fund, caucus member, the White House Domestic Policy Council and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

An arts and cultural event, Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities held on Jan. 30, 2024, was co-hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. It offered innovative insights to explore artists’ and arts organizations’ contributions that benefit communities and “invigorate physical spaces, fuel democracy, and foster equitable outcomes.”

At the summit, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said, “… music can, in a matter of seconds, make me feel better.” He spoke from the Constitution Center in Washington, D.C., adding, “I’ve prescribed a lot of medicines as a doctor over the years. There are few I’ve seen that have that kind of extraordinary, instantaneous effect”.

Palmer Lake Art Group announcements and Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts closure

Palmer Lake Art Group (PLAG) announced a new lineup for shows and exhibits throughout 2025. In its recent newsletter it announced that in light of the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts sale and closing, the PLAG board has been busy networking with other artist groups and exhibit locations. Commitments have been made for expanded opportunities for the members to exhibit their work in well-established locations and community events. The PLAG flagship exhibit Winter Art Show is being held at the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center in Colorado Springs. The exhibit starts on Feb. 1, and the opening reception is Friday, Feb. 7 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Visitor Center, 1805 N. 30th St., Colorado Springs.

Coming up in March, we will have some updates on our local arts venues and locations, so stay tuned!

Janet Sellers is an artist, writer, teacher, and speaker specializing in creative endeavors for health and communities through her indoor and outdoor murals, landscapes, and nature art, and offers local forest bathing hikes. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me

Other Art Matters articles

Snapshots of Our Community

Above: Fireworks ended the Fourth Annual Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic. More than a thousand people saw Pine Creek High School beat the Lewis-Palmer Rangers for the second straight year in an overtime shootout. The score was 3-2. The Eagles took home the Star trophy, shaped like the Palmer Lake Star that was lit for the tournament. The event raises money for the Lewis-Palmer hockey team. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

TLWC helps Christmas Giveaway

Above: On Dec. 14, 40 members of the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club (TLWC) gathered at the Colorado Springs Event Center located at Academy Blvd and Palmer Park and rotated throughout the afternoon helping our community neighbors’ select gifts as part of the Bob Telmosse Christmas Giveaway. There were thousands of people, many of whom spent a long time lining up during the overnight hours to enter when the doors opened at 9 am. The event started in 1983 as a result of a prank. Someone ran an ad in the Gazette Telegraph saying Bob Telmosse’s business was giving away free food. When people come to his business, Bob explained the mistake and had them come back the next day and provided them with food from his own resources. It has continued every year and now is sponsored by the the Bob Telmossé Foundation (santa-bob.org). There is more information on the TLWC at https://tlwc.net.

New WMMI exhibit, Dec. 21

Above: The Western Museum of Mining & Industry (WMMI) has a new exhibit. A Moment in Time: The Nevada Northern Railway chronicles the photographic journey of Charles W. Case who used a Hasselblad 500C/M camera and Zeiss lenses to capture the railroad’s stark beauty. Jaime Gorrell, WMMI museum curator, opened the exhibit on Dec. 21. Museum volunteers Gary Steffens (in photo) and Steve Berry spoke to the pre-opening attendees about their experiences with railroading. Berry drove steam locomotive No. 40 on a recent trip to the railway museum in Ely, Nev. The exhibit runs through April 15. Photo by Allison Robenstein.

Monument tree light removal, Jan. 2

Above: With the holidays in the rearview mirror, it was time to take down the lights at Limbach Park in Monument on Jan. 2. Workers from Savatree of Colorado Springs used poles that could extend 24 feet as well as cherry pickers to take down the lights that had been on since Dec. 7. The lights surrounding the park’s bandshell were still lit as of Jan. 2. Photos by Michael Weinfeld.

Kiwanis bellringing check presented to the Salvation Army, Jan. 11

Above: Monument Hill Kiwanis Club (MHKC) presented a check for $32,212.50 to the Colorado Springs Salvation Army (CSSA) on Jan. 11. The money was raised by Kiwanis bellringers during the holiday season. Members rang the bell for a total of 392 hours. Rob Knoth led all volunteers with 47 hours of bellringing. Heide Baker was second with 21 hours and Mark Anderson was third with 19. MHKC thanked residents of the Tri-Lakes community, the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club (TLWC), and Lewis-Palmer District 38 middle and high school Service Leadership programs for their help in reaching this goal. From left are Maureen Morgan and Kathy Sera-Budney of TLWC, Rich Couch of the Colorado Springs Kiwanis, Maj. Steve Ball of the CSSA, Mark Zieger from MHKC, Jeane Turner of the CSSA, Anderson and Knoth (MHKC), and Kiwanis President Bill Kaelin. Photo by Warren Gerig.

Geese at Big Red, Jan. 19

Above: On a frigid Jan. 19 afternoon, over 50 geese found a bit of warm sunshine on lawn at the D38 administration building (Big Red). Photo by David Futey.

TLWC receives Kiwanis award

Above: Monument Hill Kiwanis Club (MHKC) gave Tri-Lakes Women’s Club (TLWC) a Community Service Award on Jan. 11. TLWC member Maureen Morgan, left, and co-President Kathy Sera-Budney accepted the award. MHKC honored TLWC for its continued long-term support of Kiwanis’ bellringing. Photo by Warren Gerig.

Monument Employees of the Year

Above: James Schubauer and Joe Castellano are Monument’s Employees of the Year for 2024. Schubauer, far right, is the parks superintendent and Castellano, middle, is the streets foreman. Interim Town Manager Madeline VanDenHoek, left, says the two were recognized by both their co-workers and the town’s leadership team for their “dedication, contribution and commitment to our community.” They were recognized at the Jan. 21 Monument Town Council meeting. Photo by Tina Erickson.

TLWC accepting grant applications

Above: On Jan. 15, Tri-Lakes Women’s Club’s (TLWC) started accepting grant applications for 2025. Organizations eligible to apply include nonprofits, public service organizations, and public schools that serve the Tri-Lakes area. This year’s grants are worth up to $3,000, $1,000 more than before. The application package includes instructions as well as other important qualifying information. Applications must be submitted by Mar. 15. The TLWC program focuses on smaller organizations that typically do not have the staffing or resources to pursue grants from major granting foundations. Since 1973, TLWC has provided over $1 million in grants to local organizations including Palmer Ridge High School (PRHS), which bought an Automated External Defibrillator with the money. In the photo is Annie Vandenbussche, a school nurse consultant at PRHS. Photo by Amy Matisek.

Foggy fishing, Jan. 26

Above: The fog rolled in the morning of Jan. 26 making a mysterious scene on Monument Lake. The frozen lake was covered with ice fishing huts, and the trees were frosted white, making for a beautiful, though, cold morning. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic, Jan. 21

Above: Fireworks ended the Fourth Annual Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic. More than a thousand people saw Pine Creek High School beat the Lewis-Palmer Rangers for the second straight year in an overtime shootout. The score was 3-2. The Eagles took home the Star trophy, shaped like the Palmer Lake Star that was lit for the tournament. The event raises money for the Lewis-Palmer hockey team. Photo by Michael Weinfeld. See also the photo on page < 1 >.

Other Snapshots of Our Community articles

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.

Do not remove trail blazes/markers

You will be seeing some trail markers in Fox Run Regional Park on trees. The trail markers help protect the delicate forest ecosystem because we can stay on the trail and not damage the ecosystem underneath our feet or with bicycles or horses, etc. These are traditional trail markers, especially useful and necessary in snowy, icy weather when we cannot see the actual trail. Our high desert forest clime is dependent on its skin of soil and plants to survive. When we honor this part of the forest we cannot see, the part we can see has a better chance to thrive amid us humans, the invasive species. Please be a good citizen and help us to protect our park from unnecessary erosion. Fox Run Regional Park is heavily used and is located in a fragile ecosystem vulnerable to serious erosion when the forest duff is disturbed. Please respect and protect the park for everyone’s enjoyment by staying on marked and well established trails. A very obvious trail in the summer becomes surprisingly invisible after a moderate snowfall. In winter, a wrong turn taken by the first visitor after a snowstorm can quickly become a misleading scar on the landscape. The silver and light blue rectangles that you see attached to trees serve to identify the only trails to use in the park. Please don’t tamper with or remove trail blazes/markers as they are placed on the trees to identify and distinguish trails and help locate the trails after a snowstorm.The main loop trail uses light blue and silver rectangles. Sub-loops will eventually be marked in different colors to help visitors unfamiliar with the park to find their way and recognize which loop they are on.

Get Help in Larkspur

Larkspur Church has a Food Bank and Care Center that offer a good variety of non-perishable food items, as well as clothing for men, women, and children, some household items available too. We’re here to help. If you are in need, or know someone who is, please reach out to Jeff at gethelp@larkspur.church. If you would like to donate contact Jeff by the same email to arrange a pick up.

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 https://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 https://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.

Palmer Lake Parking Restrictions during snow

When there is an accumulation of two inches or more of snow, the parking restrictions are in effect. No person may 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 must take immediate action to park the vehicle lawfully. Parked vehicles must 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.

Palmer Lake requirement to keep sidewalks and adjacent areas clean

It is the duty of all owners or occupants of every premises to keep the entire area between (a) the edge of the sidewalk closest to the building and (b) the gutter free and clear of snow, ice, mud, dirt, debris, rubbish, and filth. The area to be cleared includes, but not be limited to, the sidewalks and curbs in front of the building, graveled areas, bricked areas, and areas around planters, benches, trees and bushes. The area to be cleared does not include flowerbeds, elevated planting areas, or other similar elevated areas. The area to be cleared must be cleared of snow and ice within 24 hours following the snowfall or accumulation of a snowdrift or ice. Details of the town requirements: TownofPalmerLake.com.

Driver’s License Renewal By Seniors

With the implementation of the Driver’s License Electronic Renewal By Seniors Act (HB21-1139), Colorado seniors now have the permanent ability to renew their driver license or identification card online. Information is online via mycolorado.gov. Some restrictions apply to ages 21-80; drivers over age 80 require a special doctor statement. Coloradans who are concerned about an elderly family member’s ability to drive should email dor_mvhelpdesk@state.co.us.

Black Forest Log School needs your help

Please help preserve the historic school for another 103 years! New exterior damage was discovered. It has exceeded the budget renovation funds. Friends of the Black Forest Log School, a 501c3 corporation, appreciates your donation. Please send a check or bring cash to Black Forest Community Foundation, 6770 Shoup Rd, Black Forest Colorado 90808. www.bflogschool.com

Highway 105A Update

El Paso county construction is expected to continue into spring 2025. The project extends the four-lane section of Highway 105 just east of Jackson Creek Parkway to Lake Woodmoor Drive providing greater mobility by accommodating more traffic. The new configuration will be two lanes in each direction with left and right turn lines; the project also includes multi-use shoulders and pedestrian improvements, sidewalk connectivity, replacement of the traffic signal at Norwood Boulevard, a new underground drainage system and water quality pond, and a new roundabout at the Knollwood /Village Ridge Point intersection. The new roundabout, constructed by Monument Academy, is designed to keep traffic moving and reduce the traffic backups on Highway 105 that previously occurred in this area.

Monument Academy traffic

To ensure a smoother experience for non-school traffic, it is recommended finding an alternate route if possible that avoids this area during the school drop off pick up times Mon.-Thu. 7-8:30 am and 2:45-4 pm and Fri 7-8:30 am. and 11:30 am-1 p.m.

WMMI needs volunteers

The Museum of Mining and Industry is currently recruiting for Visitor Services Associates and Guides. Please consider sharing your time and expertise. Volunteers must be 18 and older and pass a background check. For information about volunteer opportunities, please call 719-488-0880 or email at volunteer@wmmi.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.

Looking for something fun to do?

Space Foundation Discovery Center: www.discover space.org. See ad on page < 12 >.

MVEA outage notifications

Please add your phone number to your MVEA account to streamline outage reporting and restoration notifications. To report an outage please call or text “OUT” to (800) 388-9881. Visit MVEA’s Outage Center before the storm. There is information about preparing for outages, electrical safety, outage reporting, a link to the outage map, and more.

Neighborhood safety

What qualifies as suspicious activity? “If you see something, say something.” It’s vital to report to local law enforcement. Suspicious activity can refer to any incident, event, individual or activity that seems unusual or out of place. Some common examples of suspicious activities include: A stranger loitering in your neighborhood or a vehicle cruising the streets repeatedly. Someone peering into cars or windows. Here’s what local authorities and Colorado Department of Public Safety says is needed information: Who did you see; what did you see; when did you see it; where did you see it; why it is suspicious. Call 911 or your local law enforcement agency.

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. https://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! https://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. https://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. https://bocc.elpasoco.com/volunteer.

Other Notices articles

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

  • Academy Water and Sanitation District board meeting, Wed., Feb. 19, 6 pm. Usually meets third Wed. Public can join the Skype meeting: join.skype.com/PAcujKTn7Nrh. Check the website for a link: academywsd.colorado.gov/notices-and-alerts. Meets third Wed. Info: 719-481-071119. academywsd.colorado.gov.
  • Black Forest Fire/Rescue Protection District board meeting in person or via Zoom. Regular meeting is scheduled for Wed., Feb. 19, 7 pm. Usually meets third Wed., Visit http://www.bffire.org for updates and the agenda listing the Zoom joining codes or contact 719-494-4300.
  • Donala Water & Sanitation District board meeting, Thu., Feb. 20, 1:30 pm, 15850 Holbein Dr. In 2023, meets third Thu., Check the website for the access code for the electronic meeting. Info: 719-488-3603, www.donalawater.org.
  • El Paso Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting, usually every Tue., 9 am. View agendas and meetings at www.agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso. Meetings are held at Centennial Hall, 200 S. Cascade Ave., Suite 150, Colo. Springs. Info: 719-520-643. BOCC land use meetings are held the second and fourth Thursdays of the month (as needed) at 1pm Centennial Hall.
  • El Paso County Planning Commission meeting, Thu., Feb. 6 & 20, 9 am. Regional Development Center, 2880 International Circle, Colo. Springs. Meetings are live-streamed on the El Paso County News & Information Channel at www.elpasoco.com/news-information-channel. Normally meets first & third Thu. (as required). Info: 719-520-6300, https://planningdevelopment.elpasoco.com/planning-community-development/2025-hearings-schedule/
  • El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority meeting, Thu., Feb. 20, 9 am, Monument Town Hall Boardroom, 645 Beacon Lite Rd. Normally meets third Thu. Info: 719-488-3603. www.loopwater.org.
  • Forest Lakes Metropolitan District, Pinon Pines Metropolitan Districts 1, 2 & 3 board meetings, usually meets quarterly on the first Mon., 4 p.m., via teleconference only. For dial in access and updates, visit www.forestlakesmetrodistrict.com.
  • Lewis-Palmer School District 38 board meeting, Mon., Feb. 17, 6-10 pm, 146 N Jefferson St, Monument. Meets during the school year on third Mon. The Board of Education meeting will be live-streamed on the district’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/LPSDCommunity, agenda, and supporting documents at https://go.boarddocs.com/co/lewispalmer/Board.nsf/vpublic. Contact Vicki Wood. Phone: 719.481.9546 Email: vwood@lewispalmer.org Website: www.lewispalmer.org.
  • Lewis-Palmer School District 38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee meeting (now PCAC, formerly DAAC), Meets six times a year. Usually meets monthly, second Tue., They will meet in October, November, January, February and April. Contact info: tmckee@lewispalmer.org.
  • Monument Academy School Board meeting, Thu. Feb. 13, 6:30 pm, East Campus gym, 4303 Pinehurst Circle. Usually meets the second Thu. Info: 719-431-8001, www.monumentacademy.net/school-board.
  • Monument Fire District board meeting, in person or via Microsoft Teams. Wed., Feb. 26, 4:30 pm, Station 1, 18650 Highway 105. For up-to-date meeting information, visit www.monumentfire.org for updates and the agenda listing the Microsoft Teams joining codes, or contact 719-488-0911.
  • Monument Planning Commission meeting, Wed., Fed. 12, 6 pm Town Hall Board Room, 645 Beacon Lite Rd., Monument. Usually meets the second Wed. To see the options for remote public participation in each meeting, visit www.townofmonument.org/263/Planning-Commission-Board-of-Adjustment. Info: 719-884-8028. www.townofmonument.org.
  • Monument Sanitation District board meeting, Wed., Feb. 19, 9 am, 130 Second St. Zoom meeting. Find joining instructions on the website. Meets third Wed. Info: 719-481-4886, www.colorado.gov/msd.
  • Monument Town Council meeting, Mon., Feb. 3 & 17, 6:30 pm, Town Hall Board Room, 645 Beacon Lite Rd., Monument. Normally meets first and third Mon. Info: 719-884-801, www.townofmonument.org/260/Board-of-Trustees for remote attendance links.
  • Palmer Lake Board of Adjustments meeting, Tue., Feb. 4, 5 pm, 28 Valley Crescent St., Palmer Lake. Normally meets first Tue., as needed.
  • Palmer Lake Board of Trustees meeting, Thu., Feb. 13 & 27, 6 pm, Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent. Usually meets second and fourth Thu. Info: 719-481-2953. www.townofpalmerlake.com.
  • Palmer Lake Sanitation District board meeting, Wed., Feb. 12, 9 am, call-in only: 650-479-3208, Access Code 76439078, 120 Middle Glenway. Meets second Wed. Info: 719-481-2732. www.plsd.org.
  • Palmer Lake Town Planning Commission meeting, Wed., Feb. 19, 6 pm, Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent. Meets third Wed. Info: 719-481-2953, www.townofpalmerlake.com.
  • Tri-Lakes Wastewater Facility Joint Use Committee meeting, Tue., Feb. 11, 10 am , 16510 Mitchell Ave. Meets second Tue. Info: See tlwastewater.com/index.html.
  • Triview Metropolitan District board meeting, in person or via Zoom. Thu., Feb. 20, 5:30 pm, 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302, Monument. Usually meets third Thu. Visit www.triviewmetro.com for updates and the agenda listing the Zoom joining codes, or contact 719-488-6868.
  • Village Center Metropolitan District, meets monthly, the third Tue., 4 pm. Details and updates: https://wsdistricts.co/village-center-metropolitan-district/. Serrano’s Coffee Shop, 625 CO-105, Monument.
  • Woodmoor Improvement Association Board Meeting, Wed., Feb. 26, 7 pm, Woodmoor Barn, 1691 Woodmoor Dr. Usually meets fourth Wed. Info: 719-488-2693, www.woodmoor.org.
  • Woodmoor Water & Sanitation District board meeting, Mon., Feb. 10, 1 pm, 1845 Woodmoor Dr., Monument. Normally meets second Mon. Info: 719-488-2525, www.woodmoorwater.com.

WEEKLY & MONTHLY EVENTS

  • AARP Black Forest #1100, second Wed., noon. In-person Black Forest Lutheran Church, 12455 Black Forest Rd. All ages welcome. Info: www.aarpchapter1100blackforest.weekly.com.
  • AARP Local Senior Social, fourth Wed. In-person Black Forest Lutheran Church, 12455 Black Forest Rd. Info: www.aarpchapter1100blackforest.weekly.com.
  • A.A. Big Book Study, every Thu., 7 pm, Family of Christ Lutheran Church, 675 W. Baptist Rd. Call 425-436-6200, access code 575176#.
  • Alcoholics Anonymous, every Tue. & Thu., 7:30 p.m. Black Forest Lutheran Church, 12455 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80908. AA is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. Join us with your questions. Info: bflc@bflchurch.org.
  • Al-Anon for family and friends of alcoholics, every Tue. & Thu., 7:30 p.m. Black Forest Lutheran Church, 12455 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80908. Al-Anon members are people, just like you, who are worried about someone with a drinking problem. Join us with your questions. Info: bflc@bflchurch.org.
  • Al-Anon Zoom Meeting, Just for Today Online, every Mon., 9-10 am Zoom Meeting ID: 889 4142 7446, Password 349309.
  • Al-Anon meeting: Letting Go, every Thu., 9-10:15 am at Ascent Church, 1750 Deer Creek Rd., Monument. For additional information go to www.al-anon-co.org.
  • Al-anon Meeting: Monument, every Thu., 7-8 pm, Ascent Church, 1750 Deer Creek Rd., Monument. Info: MonumentSerenity@gmail.com.
  • Amateur Ham Radio WØTLM (Tri-Lakes Monument ham radio Association), third Mon. (except December). All amateur ham radio operators or those interested in becoming one are welcome. Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Building, 166 2nd Street, Monument. For details, contact Bob Witte, bob@k0nr.com or www.W0TLM.com.
  • American Legion Tri-Lakes Post 9-11, second Wed., 6:30pm, Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Community Meeting House, 300 CO Hwy 105, Monument. New members welcome. Info: Visit website at www.trilakespost9-11.org.
  • Art: Open Studio painting, first Wed., 9:30-noon. Donations welcome, Tri Lakes Senior Center, 66 Jefferson St., Monument.
  • Benet Hill Monastery: Let us pray with you, walk in the forest, walk the labyrinth, come and visit prayer sites, Group retreats. Every Sun. 10:15 am worship service, 3190 Benet Lane, 80921.
  • Bingo night, American Legion post 9-11 Tri-Lakes, 2nd and 4th Sat., 6-9 pm, Kings Deer Golf Club, 19255 Royal Troon Dr, Monument.
  • Children’s Literacy Center, every Mon. & Wed., 5:30-6:30 pm. Provides free one-on-one literacy tutoring to Tri-Lakes children in grades 1-6 who are reading below grade level. Tutoring is at Grace Best Education Center, 66 Jefferson St. Monument. For more information, to become a volunteer tutor, or to enroll your child, visit www.childrensliteracycenter.org or contact Rachel Morin, Tri-Lakes Senior Center Coordinator, CLC 610-246-1047 (cell).
  • Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild Listening Club, third Wed. Free virtual event. Maestro Wilson will conduct monthly hour-long programs. RSVP at www.cspguild.org.
  • Dementia Caregiver Support Group, second Sat., 9:45-11:15 am. Meets in-person, First National Bank Monument ( 581 Highway 105, Monument, CO 80132). Meets monthly, 2nd Sat. Contact: Registration is required, call 800-272-3900 or email khare@alz.org to register.
  • Essential Tremor Support Group. Meets quarterly at Colorado Springs Public Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80920. For details, contact: Jim Sanchez, 719-660-7275; jimdjs22@gmail.com.
  • Fellowship of Christ Church, every Sun., 9 am. Monument Academy East Campus, 4303 Pinehurst Circle 80908.
  • Friends of Fox Run Park, Zoom meeting, fourth Thu., 7 pm, email friendsoffoxrunpark@gmail.com, they will email you the link the day of the meeting. Join the growing group to learn about volunteering and supporting the park for forest safety, trails, trees, education, special events, and more. Special events and more, stay tuned! Info: friendsoffoxrunpark@gmail.com.
  • Fuel Church Sunday Service, every Sun. Service times, 11am live service, streaming service at www.fuelchurch.org at 11 am. Mountain Community Mennonite Church, 643 Hwy 105, Palmer Lake. Nursery and kids’ service. Non-denominational, spirit-filled. Need prayer? Email us at info@fuel.org. See ad on page < 5 >.
  • Gleneagle Sertoma, first and third Wed., 11:45 am to 1 pm. Gleneagle Sertoma is the longest continuously active civic service organization in northern El Paso County. Our regular program presenters address local topics of interest to include local developments, community planning and projects, as well as opportunities to serve your community. Contact Harvey LeCato for meeting location and club information at mbca@comcast.net or 719-331-1212.
  • Gleneagle Women’s Club, membership luncheon, third Fri., (Sep.-June), various venues, 12 activity groups, i.e., hiking, bridge, etc. Guests welcome. For information contact Bev Selby, 719-600-1451.
  • La Leche League breastfeeding support group, second Thu., 12:30 pm. Partners and helpers welcome (and babies and kids, too) so we can meet our breastfeeding goals together. Homestead Direct Primary Care Clinic, 15455 Gleneagle Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. For more information, contact RachelKLangley@gmail.com.
  • Lions Club Bingo, every Sat. (except the first Sat.), 8:30 am-1 pm and first Mon., 5:30-10 pm Tri-Lakes Lions Club’s portion of the proceeds benefit those in need in the Tri-Lakes community. Updated info and location: Jim Naylor, 719-481-8741 or www.trilakeslionsclub.org.
  • Monument Hill Kiwanis Club meeting, every Sat., 8 am. www.MHKiwanis.org, MonumentHillKiwanis@gmail.com for details, guests are welcome. Service leadership clubs, Key clubs, Builders Club, and K-kids at D38 schools. Memberships are open to the public. Info: RF Smith, 719-210-4987, www.MHKiwanis.org.
  • Monument Homemakers, bring a dish to share and your own table service, meet at Chamber of Commerce building, noon. 166 2nd St. Monument. Info and more about the club: Linda Case, 719-354-6575 for reservations.
  • Monument Life Recovery Group, every Mon., 6:30-7:30 pm, The Ascent Church, 1750 Deer Creek Rd. This faith-based support group is for those seeking freedom from all hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Daycare for children under age 11. Info: 303-946-2659, www.liferecoverygroups.com/meetings/life-recovery-group-3/.
  • Neighborhood Net Ham Radio, every Sat., 10 am. Amateur ham radio operators practice for emergencies on weekly repeater nets so neighbors can help neighbors. Sign up at www.mereowx.org/neighborhood-net or contactus@mereowx.org.
  • Northern El Paso County Coalition of Community Associations (NEPCO), Sat., Mar. 8, 10 am–12 pm., Woodmoor Barn, 1691 Woodmoor Dr. Members of local HOAs are welcome. Usually meets bi-monthly (Jan., Mar., June, July, Sep., Nov.) on the second Sat. of the month. www.nepco.org.
  • Palmer Divide Quiltmakers, first Thu., 6:30-8:30 pm at Monument Chamber of Commerce building, 166 2nd St, Monument, CO.
  • Palmer Lake Art Group, second Sat. A variety of art programs are offered after the social gathering and business meetings. Guests welcome. 300 Hwy 105, NE corner of I-25 and 105. 9:30 am. Info: 719-460-4179, www.palmerlakeartgroup.co.
  • Palmer Lake Historical Society, Thu., Feb. 20, 7-8 pm (doors open at 6:30), Palmer Lake Townhall, 42 Valley Crescent. Guest speaker Nikki Stratton tells the story about her grandfather Donald Stratton, survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack. The meeting is regularly held on the third Thu. of the month. Contact Kokesdm@yahoo.com. or see palmerdividehistory.org for more information.
  • Pikes Peak Genealogical Society Class, Sat., Feb 1. 12:30-3pm. ZOOM Meeting. Program: Elaine Fraser will talk about Getting The Most Out of Find A Grave. For ZOOM Meeting details contact education@ppgs.org. Information is on https://PPGS.org.
  • Ridgeview Baptist Church, meets every Sun., 10:30 am, temporarily meeting at 9130 Explorer Dr., Colorado Springs, 80920. Info: 719-357-6515 or www.ridgeviewcolorado.org. See ad on page < 6 >.
  • Senior Bingo, third Wed. Silver Key Senior Services, Space is limited to 16. participants. RSVP & info: info@silverkey.org
  • Senior Book Club, second Fri., 11 am-noon, Silver Key Senior Services, all are welcome. Coffee & snacks. RSVP & info: info@silverkey.org
  • Tri-Lakes United Methodist Church, every Sun., Contemporary 9 am; Traditional 10:30 am. A live stream is available at www.tlumc.org/live. Watch live or replay: www.facebook.com/tlumc, www.youtube.com/tlumc.org. Info: 719-488-1365, www.tlumc.org. 20256 Hunting Downs Way, Monument.
  • Tri-Lakes Church of Christ Wednesday night fellowship classes, every Wed., 6-7:30 pm, 20450 Beacon Lite Road, Monument (corner of Beacon Lite & County Line Roads). Info: 719-488-9613, gregsmith@trilakeschurch.org, www.trilakeschurch.org.
  • Tri-Lakes Cruisers, first Wed., 7 pm. A nonprofit car club. Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce community room, with numerous activities and events each month. Club membership applications are now being accepted and are available on the website: tl-cruisers.weebly.com.
  • Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Networking breakfast, first and third Thu., in person or via Zoom 166 2nd Street Monument 7:30-9 am free registration at www.TriLakeschamber.com .
  • Tri-Lakes Dynamic Rotary Club meeting, monthly first and third Thu. 6 pm-8 pm. First Thursday via zoom and third Thursday in person at the Chamber of Commerce, 166 2nd St., Monument. Details: www.tlrotary.com, Trilakesdynamicrotary@gmail.com. Guests welcome. We are a service club serving Tri-Lakes. Memberships open to the public. Info: www.tlrotary.com.
  • Tri-Lakes Parkinson’s Disease Support Group, third Sat., 10 am-noon, Monument Community Presbyterian Church, 238 Third St., Monument. Info: Syble Krafft, 719-488-2669; Barry (group president), 719-351-9485. If you need any help, please call Syble or Barry.
  • Tri-Lakes Women’s Club (TLWC) monthly meeting, third Fri., 11:30 am. Eisenhower Golf Club, USAFA. To become a member, or learn about the club, visit our website at www.tlwc.net Contact Info: Tri-Lakes Women’s Club membership@tlwc.net.
  • Women’s A. A. Step Study, every Mon., 6:30 pm, meeting remotely, check for details. Family of Christ Lutheran Church, 675 Baptist Rd. Park in the west lot. Info: 866-641-9190. Al-Anon Zoom Meeting, Just for Today Online, every Mon., 9:00 – 10:00 am Zoom Meeting ID: 889 4142 7446, Password 349309.
  • Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7829, third Wed., 7 pm, Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce community room, 166 2nd St., Monument. New members welcome. Info: Post Commander and POC Bruce Beyerly, Bruce.Beyerly@gmail.com.
  • VFW Auxiliary to Post 7829, third Wed., 7 p.m. Meets at Victory Baptist Church, 325 2nd Street, Suite X, Monument. Guests are welcome to join; if you are a relative of a veteran who served on foreign soil during war or other military actions, you June be eligible. For more information please contact Kathy Carlson, 719-488-1902, carlsonmkc@gmail.com or Linda Lyons, 303-579-8114, lindalyons7829@gmail.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS

  • Donala Water and Sanitation District, election to waive director term limits, Tue., Feb. 4, 7 am-7 pm. at the Donala office,15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921.
  • Kiwanis Monument Hill club Stars of Tomorrow talent competition applications deadline Sat., Feb. 8. See ad on page < 10 >.
  • Funky little theater: live theater Love Letters, Fri.-Sat., Feb. 14-16, Palmer Lake Town Hall. See ad on page < 2 >.
  • Super Saturday geology day at the Western museum of Mining and Industry Sat., Feb. 22. March: Spring STEAM camp. See ad on page < 12 >.
  • Love Shop: restyle your fur event, Mon.-Tue., Feb. 24-25. See ad on page < 8 >.
  • School district 38 Chess Tournament, Sat., Mar. 8, Bear Creek elementary School. Pre-register each student at: https://tinyurl.com/mtscjsfd. Chess sets provided. Children should bring their own snacks, some refreshments will be for sale. Details: Steve Waldmann, Tournament Director/ Bear Creek Elementary Chess Club Coach, at huskerco@gmail.com; interested adults who would like to be one of our Tournament Referees contact Mr. Waldmann.
  • MVEA board nominations, questionnaire due, Thu., Mar. 13. To be nominated please contact the MVEA board nomination information line at 719-494-2528.
  • Updated Monument History talk, Fri., Mar. 21, 11-12:30 pm, hosted by Silver Key Senior Center. Presentation by Michael Weinfeld and John Howe. All are welcome, Grace Best Education Center, 66 Jefferson St.
  • Spring STEAM Camp at the Western museum of Mining and Industry Tue.-Thu., Mar. 25-27. See ad on page < 12 >.
  • Affordable Flooring Connection, special offers. See ad on page < 2 >.
  • Borders decks, special offers, see ad on page < 8 >.
  • Eagle Wine & Spirits, special offers. See ad on page < 3 >.
  • Gleneagle Candle Company Valentine’s sale. See ad on page < 24 >.
  • Mesa Health and Aesthetics, special offers. See ad on page < 8 >.
  • Mile High canine massage, special offers. See ad on page < 4 >.
  • Monument Cleaners, special offers. see ad on page < 5 >.
  • Monumental Med Spa, special offers. See ad on page < 7 >.
  • Mountain view electric association rebates available. See ad on page < 9 >.
  • Noel Relief Centers, special offers. See ad on page < 7 >.
  • PeakView Windows, special offers. See ad on page < 24 >.
  • Plumb Smart plumbing services, special offers. See ad on page < 3 >.
  • Routes Outfitter: ski and bike service, special offers. See ad on page < 5 >.
  • Sharpest Cut: firewood sale. See ad on page < 4 >.
  • Stubby’s dog wash and grooming salon, special offers, see ad on page < 2 >.
  • Tri-Lakes Collision and Auto Service Center, special offers. See ad on page < 5 >.
  • Tri-Lakes Paint Company, special offers. See ad on page < 4 >.

Our community calendar carries listings on a space-available basis for Tri-Lakes events that are sponsored by local governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations. We include events that are open to the general public and are not religious or self-promotional in nature. If space is available, complimentary calendar listings are included, when requested, for events advertised in the current issue. To have your event listed at no charge in Our Community Calendar, please send the information to calendar@ocn.me or Our Community News, P.O. Box 1742, Monument, Colorado 80132.

Other Calendar articles

Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore Ring in the New Year with a Book

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day..” …Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The new year is a wonderful time to focus on health and self-care or to find inspiration. Take a look at these titles for 2025.

The Little Frog’s Guide to Self-Care: Affirmations, Self-Love and Life Lessons According to the Internet’s Beloved Mushroom Frog

By Maybell Eequay (Summersdale) $12

With its mushroom hat and endless collection of fabulous footwear, this adorable amphibian is here to be your new best friend. Whether you need an emotional boost, some friendly encouragement or an honest view on the world, the little frog will be your guide.

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

By Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu (Avery Publishing Group) $28

In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama’s home to celebrate His Holiness’s 80th birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecedented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

By James Clear (Avery Publishing Group) $27

Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for providing practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. The author draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible.

What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

By Caroline Chambers (Union Square & Co.) $35

This book is brimming with efficient recipes that take the guesswork out of dinner. The recipes are organized by the amount of time they take to cook, so whether you have 15 minutes to throw together something or a little bit more time on your hands, dinnertime is totally doable. Most importantly, these recipes include swaps, tips, shortcuts, and more to be sure they work best for you, helping you save money, improvise, and even learn a thing or two.

Priceless Facts about Money (Mellody on Money)

By Mellody Hobson (Candlewick Press) $20

This fun children’s book sheds a friendly light on a daunting subject, from the meteorites that created the first mineral deposits to the ancient Maya who used chocolate as currency to the beginnings of the banking system itself. Readers learn about bartering, profit and loss, the origins of credit, ATMs, and even fun facts about money around the world.

The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood

By Heather R. Younger (Berrett-Koehler Publishing) $22

When employees, colleagues, and customers are not being heard, organizational culture, employee happiness, and overall organizational success will suffer. How well do you listen? Active listening is the doorway to increased belonging, loyalty, profitability, innovation, and so much more. It is the difference between thinking we understand what people want and knowing what they want. Want to build stronger relationships, avoid misunderstandings, and anticipate problems before they surface at work?

Red Birds in a Tree

By Valerie Shereck (Austin Macauley) $8

Red Birds in a Tree is a collection of poems written, over a span of many years, about a woman as she moves her way through life. It is about love, loss, sorrow, nature, beauty, aging, resilience, joy, family, and relationships. The broad range of topics in this thought-provoking collection by a Colorado author will appeal to many readers.

Stretching: 40th Anniversary Edition

By Bob Anderson (Shelter Publications) $27.99

Local author Bob Anderson’s book is always worth revisiting at the start of a new year. The benefits of stretching are bountiful, from increased blood flow and better range of motion to improved physical performance and decreased risk of injury. Step-by-step illustrations make this book user-friendly, and the section titled “Stretches for the Digital World” presents stretches for people using mobile phones and/or computers, as well as tips for better posture and stretches to do in an office environment.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

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January Library Events – Programs for all ages; virtual genealogy

By Harriet Halbig

The new year will bring a variety of activities for all ages at the Monument and Palmer Lake libraries.

On Wednesday, Jan. 8 from 10:30 to noon, patrons ages 19 and up are invited to create a decorative bucket list at the Palmer Lake Library. This is a bucket list in a jar. Use collage materials to decorate a jar with ideas, words, and pictures of items on your bucket list. Fill out slips of paper with things you want in the new year and put them in the jar. Pull them out throughout the year and get them done. Registration required at ppld.org, see programs by location, or call 719-531-6333 ext. 7007.

Patrons ages 5 to 12 are welcome at the Idea Lab: Exploring Constellations program at the Monument Library. Explore constellations with activities such as making a star projector, creating a “magic” toothpick star, constructing toothpick constellations, and playing constellation games. No registration required.

Patrons ages 12 to 18 are invited to join the Teen Advisory Board at Monument Library. The group will meet from 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9. Learn leadership skills, earn volunteer hours, and give your input on what happens at the library. You will earn volunteer hours by attending meetings and working on projects for the library and engage in leadership development opportunities. Regular attendance is encouraged. Registration is required. You must fill out a volunteer application online to participate. Go to the bottom of the ppld.org home page in the blue area and click on volunteer to find the application.

The Teen Dungeons and Dragons group will meet at the Monument Library on Friday, Jan. 17 from 4 to 5:45. The group is limited to ages 12 to 18. Join your fellow teens on an adventure in the world’s greatest role-playing game. New players and veterans are welcome to participate. Space is limited to eight participants. Registration is required. Go the ppld.org website and programs by location to view a calendar. Click on the name of the program to register.

Regularly scheduled programs continuing into the new year include the German Conversation Group meeting on Mondays from 1:30 to 3:30, Socrates Café adult discussion group on Tuesdays from 1 to 3, Paws to Read from 4 to 5 on Tuesdays, Monument Library Storytime on Tuesdays from 10:30 to 11 or at Palmer Lake on Fridays from 10:30 to 11 (for children ages 3 to 7 with a parent or caregiver), and Toddler Time at Monument on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10 and 10:30 to 11.

For further information on programs, please see the ppld.org website, programs by location to view a calendar.

Genealogical research

If you want to pursue genealogical research, there are a number of virtual resources available to you through your library. Some examples are a class on PPLD Genealogical resources and a class on Ancestry Basics. For further information, go to the website under programs by location, virtual library. Click on the name of the class and scroll down to register. Upon registration, you will be provided with a Zoom link to attend.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

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Palmer Lake Historical Society, Dec. 19 – Palmer Lake holds 91st annual Yule Log Hunt

By Marlene Brown

On the slopes of Sundance Mountain and under the deep-blue sky of Colorado, the Town of Palmer Lake, with the support of the Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS), held the 91st Yule Log Hunt starting at the Palmer Lake Town Hall on Dec. 19. It is the longest-running yule log hunt in the United States. It was started by Evelena Macy, pastor of the Little Log Church in the 1930s, and Lucretia Vaile, one of the original pioneer residents of Palmer Lake and a charter member of PLHS.

You can visit the Lucretia Vaile Museum in Palmer Lake, operated and curated by PLHS, at 66 Lower Glenway St. See palmerdividehistory.org for hours and more information.

Each year, Palmer Lake villagers have donned their red and green capes (made by the local cape committee) and greeted hundreds of visitors from all over Colorado and the U.S. to partake in the annual Yule Log Hunt jollification. Everyone gathers at the Town Hall, and at 1 p.m. the trumpeter calls for the hunt to begin. Participants run up Sundance Mountain to find the log and then the finder rides the log back to town. The log is pulled by the other hunters to the Town Hall.

The log is then cut in half with hand bandsaw. Half will be saved for next year’s hunt and the other half is added to the fire in the massive fireplace, built especially for the Yule Log Hunt. Then the finder is served the first drink of traditional wassail (made with apple cider, spices, and fruit). Everyone is invited to partake in a cup of wassail and cookies, followed by a sing-along of Christmas carols. Gallons of wassail are made by the “wassail committee” and are offered for sale after the hunt.

Recipe for wassail to make at home: 2 quarts of apples cider, 1 lemon, 1 orange, 1/4 tsp. of ground cloves, 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg, 2 baked apples, ½ tsp, of finely chopped cinnamon bark, ½ – 1 cup of sugar (to taste). Heat cider and spices to boiling, add finely chopped fruit and serve hot.

**********

The next PLHS meeting will be the Annual Potluck Supper Membership Meeting on Jan. 16, 6 to 8:30 p.m. (supper starts at 6:15) at the historic Palmer Lake Town Hall, 42 Valley Crescent. Please bring a dish to share. The program includes an overview of 2024 programs, an update of 2025 programs, and the election of the 2025 Board of Directors. Membership can be renewed at that meeting. For more information about membership and ways to contact PLHS, see palmerdividehistory.org.

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

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High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – January is a seed starter month

By Janet Sellers

With the last frost date of late May and first frost date of mid-October, we can have plenty of time to grow most veggies as desired. Starting seeds needing long maturation periods at the end of January indoors will have them ready for the outdoors in April or May. Caveat: Our plants will still need protection from our random weather patterns of snow, frost, desiccating windy weather (and resident deer, rabbits, squirrels and underground varmints) and we need to plan for that. There are some things we can easily do even without a greenhouse.

Laziest, best winter tip

An autumn preparation of a 6-inch layer of multi-sized wood mulch is the most natural way to protect the garden bed and soil and seeds. (I’ve even put it down in winter on warmer days.) The sprouts emerge in their due time, ready for the season.

Cloches

Many report using translucent milk or water gallon jugs (bottoms cut off) over tender plants in spring. Some have reported they use a jug cloche as a mini cold frame with the jug cut in half as a lid and the base with soil and sprouts. Seed trays are sold many places and are ready to use on a shelf or sunny windowsill.

Cold frames

A cold frame is a transparent enclosure, usually close to the ground, that traps sunlight and makes a slightly warmer microclimate for plants. The top is usually inclined sunward, to maximize sunshine, and can be at different levels for air circulation. They are used season long or for seedlings and transplanting. Some cold frames can be made almost free with recycled glass doors or windows; plastic ones sell for $50 to $100 at hardware stores. They keep the soil warm and protect plants from wind and frost. Cold frames should work to protect our growing plants from deer and rabbits. In summer, change out the tops for window screens or the like for protection, especially from hail and wind.

Castor oil

I share this easy tip every year because it’s so effective and safe. Underground varmints can be deterred with castor oil. I have cats that keep that population down along with gleefully chasing away squirrels and rabbits, but my kitties don’t deter deer.

Castor oil spread over the lawn or a few feet away from veggie garden beds deters pests all season: A cup of castor oil mixed with a pound or two of plain clay cat litter and scattered over the garden or lawn deters them because the castor oil affects the plant roots and they cannot digest the treated plants. I’m not sure how the castor oil would affect our edibles for us humans, so I put the mixture out a couple of feet from the garden beds of edibles. It’s fine closer to flowers and ornamentals.

Janet Sellers is an avid “lazy gardener,” letting Mother Nature teach landscape success. Send your high-altitude garden and nature tips to JanetSellers@ocn.me.

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Art Matters – Art, energy sites, and hugging hormone

By Janet Sellers

Will a painting class make your date fall in love with you?

When viewing or creating art, the brain’s reward system releases oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, which can trigger feelings of pleasure and positivity. One study reported by Neuroscience News indicated that when couples play board games together or take a painting class with each other, their bodies release oxytocin—sometimes dubbed the “hugging hormone.” But men wielding paintbrushes released twice as much or more than the level of women painters and couples playing games, a Baylor University study has found.

Just as research has shown that art making or viewing increases the happy health hormones, research also suggests a potential link between sacred sites and increased oxytocin levels. Visiting these places can often trigger feelings of connection, belonging, and awe, which are all associated with the release of this “love hormone” in the body, potentially enhancing the spiritual experience at such locations. Creating artworks does this and is not location dependent but stimulates the levels, and the electrical and magnetic energies of sacred earth sites have the energy currents moving through them and to be accessed at these special places.

Many ancient and also modern cultures acknowledge sacred earth sites with placemaking and megalithic markers. While stories relate to these markers as art or myth, the science shows the facts involved. Whether we call them by ancient names or modern scientific monikers, the energies and benefits are still available, and we can seek and access them. That may be an additional reason for the markers, to show us where these are. Energy moves through our Earth and us and affects our well-being, offering us its benefits.

Positing a connection between art, sacred sites and health technology

Some megaliths appear as abstract formations, some appear as real-world creatures, and in Western cultures they have been considered decorative art forms or for ceremony and not related to a scientific use. But megaliths were used for astronomical observations, vital to maintain the continuity of harvest and crop. Other megalithic constructions are thought to be erected for funerary purposes, and served as individual or collective burial chambers; still others are thought to support health and healing, such as the Odin stone of Scotland, and Stonehenge of England due to its astronomical alignments.

Throughout the ages, we have been curious about the effects of these sites and the benefits of them as creative works of art that actually hold productive impacts with favorable influences for people and thereby cultures. While these impacts have been suppressed in Western cultures, indigenous cultures are more apt to avail themselves of the benefits. Modern scientific research is rediscovering some of the positive aspects of natural formations and art on human well-being as a therapeutic tool. Numerous studies have documented the positive impacts of nature exposure on various health metrics, including lowered cortisol levels, decreased blood pressure, and reduced anxiety.

We are lucky to have some amazing monoliths here in our area, such as Elephant Rock and Garden of the Gods. Elephant Rock has extraordinary and recognizable details of a mammoth or elephant, as if it were made as an intended creative work and not by chance. It could be interesting to learn more about the energies in such places. Our ancients were keenly aware and attuned to the Earth, creativity, and connectedness for well-being, and included sacred sites and sacred arts for beneficial connections.

We don’t know how they discovered sacred sites or art creation, but we have some reminders right here in Colorado. We can avail ourselves of these connections for our benefit and share them with others and our community. We can take an art class, visit our art galleries, and sign up for hikes or take a hike at the sacred places that are all around us. Sometimes a gentle walk in our pine forests is enough to restore us, too.

Janet Sellers is an artist, writer, teacher and speaker, specializing in creative endeavors for health through her indoor and outdoor murals, landscapes and nature art, and offers local forest bathing hikes. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

Other Art Matters articles

Snapshots of Our Community

Student signing day, Nov. 13

More than two dozen student athletes from School District 38 signed national letters of intent to play their sport at the collegiate level on Nov. 13. Above: From left are Lewis-Palmer High School students Drew Boyarko (baseball, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs), Hunter Morgan (baseball, Dodge City Community College), Maddie Sanderson (volleyball, University of Montana), Abigail Perry (swimming, Ohio State University), Kate Kleinsmith (soccer, Seton Hall University), and Gwen McAllister (soccer, University of South Carolina Upstate).
Above: From left are Palmer Ridge High School students Myra Newman (volleyball, University of Mary), Lauren Clawson (volleyball, Fort Hays State University), Amara Langstaff (girls lacrosse, Slippery Rock University), Mia Hansen (volleyball, Southern Methodist University), Ryan Eells (lacrosse, University of Delaware), Channing Howarth (field hockey, Belmont Abbey College), Danielle Wilke (volleyball, Missouri Science and Tech), Haley Inscoe (soccer, Drury University), and Sydney Fisher (soccer, University of Nebraska at Kearney). Photos courtesy of D38.

Skoog honored by Sertoma, Nov. 20

Above: Daryl Skoog received the Service to Mankind award from the Gleneagle Sertoma Club on Nov. 20. Sertoman Donna O’Bryant says Skoog was honored for his “tremendous work ethic and dependability” as a transportation volunteer for Silver Key for the past four years. She says he put in more than 2,000 volunteer service hours giving more than 2,000 rides to more than 2,500 seniors. Skoog has also acquired vehicles for homeless families as a member of the group Family Promise. In addition, Skoog volunteers to help the prison ministry population. From left are Skoog, Jayme Holligan of Silver Key, and Sertoman Harvey LeCato. Photo by Dr. Vicki Wynn.

Kiwanis North Pole Craft Fair, Dec. 7

Above:The Monument Hill Kiwanis Club’s annual North Pole Arts & Crafts Fair was held in the Grace Best Education Center Auditorium on Dec. 7 with over 2,000 people attending. Booths included baked goods made by local churches and food and handmade crafts made by vendors. Live holiday music and free pictures with Santa were featured. The fair is a fundraiser for Tri-Lakes Cares and 4KidzSports. For more information, contact monumenthillkiwanis@gmail.com. Photo by Marlene Brown.

Classic Monument Mercantile Santa

Above: Among the many Santas around Monument before Christmas, the tallest Santa greeted people at Monument Mercantile. Painted by Bing Flanery, the grandfather of Brody Love and father of Michael Love, co-owners of the Mercantile, around 1990 in Grand Prairie, Texas, this wooden Santa welcomed people into the Mercantile store. Shown with Santa on Dec. 12, from left, are Brenda Spiker, Brody Love (co-owner with Michael Love), Lynda Pate, and Chuck Spiker. Photo by Steve Pate.

Santa at annual tree lighting, Dec. 7

Above: Santa and Mrs. Claus might’ve been sweating in their red suits the night of the Monument tree lighting. It was unusually warm for a Dec. 7 with highs in the 50s. The lights on the trees and the bandshell seemed more elaborate this year. The annual event featured the Lewis-Palmer Middle and High School choirs, games, and food trucks. As usual, the event ended with Santa hearing suggestions from kids on what they wanted for Christmas. In photo, 3-year-old Noah Gaspar meets Santa and Mrs. Claus. Photo by Pam Braverman.

Arkenstone at TLCA, Dec. 7

Above: On Dec. 7, the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts (TLCA) and a capacity audience welcomed A Winter’s Eve with David Arkenstone and Friends. Arkenstone, with five Grammy nominations, 20 billboard hits, and over 800 compositions, played keyboard and guitar and was accompanied by Josh Gilgoff (percussion), Laurann Angel (violin), Cecilia Caughman (cello), and Kimberly Zaleski (flute) this evening. The festive song selection included I Saw Three Ships, Carol of the Bells, Deck the Halls, The Ice Palace, a song inspired by a story told by his grandmother, Tchaikovsky’s Arabian Dance from the Nutcracker ballet, and The Jumper, a Norwegian folk song. The second set song selection was performed entirely with acoustic instruments and in an intimate stage setting. It began with a Christmas song medley that included O Little Town of Bethlehem and The First Noel. Information on the TLCA is www.trilakesarts.org. Photo by David Futey.

Energy at Sacred Sites book signing

Above: Author Heidi Wigand-Nicely signed her newest book, Energy at Sacred Sites at Covered Treasures bookstore on Dec. 15. In the book, she shares stories of her hikes and travels, interviews and explorations with interested persons that include Native American Elders and scientists of both Western and indigenous native sciences. She offers special exploration hikes several times each year. Photo by Janet Sellers.

Other Snapshots articles

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.

Do not remove trail blazes/markers

You will be seeing some trail markers in Fox Run Regional Park on trees. The trail markers help protect the delicate forest ecosystem because we can stay on the trail and not damage the ecosystem underneath our feet or with bicycles or horses, etc. These are traditional trail markers, especially useful and necessary in snowy, icy weather when we cannot see the actual trail. Our high desert forest clime is dependent on its skin of soil and plants to survive. When we honor this part of the forest we cannot see, the part we can see has a better chance to thrive amid us humans, the invasive species. Please be a good citizen and help us to protect our park from unnecessary erosion. Fox Run Regional Park is heavily used and is located in a fragile ecosystem vulnerable to serious erosion when the forest duff is disturbed. Please respect and protect the park for everyone’s enjoyment by staying on marked and well established trails. A very obvious trail in the summer becomes surprisingly invisible after a moderate snowfall. In winter, a wrong turn taken by the first visitor after a snowstorm can quickly become a misleading scar on the landscape. The silver and light blue rectangles that you see attached to trees serve to identify the only trails to use in the park. Please don’t tamper with or remove trail blazes/markers as they are placed on the trees to identify and distinguish trails and help locate the trails after a snowstorm.The main loop trail uses light blue and silver rectangles. Sub-loops will eventually be marked in different colors to help visitors unfamiliar with the park to find their way and recognize which loop they are on.

Get Help in Larkspur

Larkspur Church has a Food Bank and Care Center that offer a good variety of non-perishable food items, as well as clothing for men, women, and children, some household items available too. We’re here to help. If you are in need, or know someone who is, please reach out to Jeff at gethelp@larkspur.church. If you would like to donate contact Jeff by the same email to arrange a pick up.

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 https://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 https://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.

Palmer Lake Parking Restrictions during snow

When there is an accumulation of two inches or more of snow, the parking restrictions are in effect. No person may 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 must take immediate action to park the vehicle lawfully. Parked vehicles must 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.

Palmer Lake requirement to keep sidewalks and adjacent areas clean

It is the duty of all owners or occupants of every premises to keep the entire area between (a) the edge of the sidewalk closest to the building and (b) the gutter free and clear of snow, ice, mud, dirt, debris, rubbish, and filth. The area to be cleared includes, but not be limited to, the sidewalks and curbs in front of the building, graveled areas, bricked areas, and areas around planters, benches, trees and bushes. The area to be cleared does not include flowerbeds, elevated planting areas, or other similar elevated areas. The area to be cleared must be cleared of snow and ice within 24 hours following the snowfall or accumulation of a snowdrift or ice. Details of the town requirements: TownofPalmerLake.com.

Driver’s License Renewal By Seniors

With the implementation of the Driver’s License Electronic Renewal By Seniors Act (HB21-1139), Colorado seniors now have the permanent ability to renew their driver license or identification card online. Information is online via mycolorado.gov. Some restrictions apply to ages 21-80; drivers over age 80 require a special doctor statement. Coloradans who are concerned about an elderly family member’s ability to drive should email dor_mvhelpdesk@state.co.us.

Black Forest Log School needs your help

Please help preserve the historic school for another 103 years! New exterior damage was discovered. It has exceeded the budget renovation funds. Friends of the Black Forest Log School, a 501c3 corporation, appreciates your donation. Please send a check or bring cash to Black Forest Community Foundation, 6770 Shoup Rd, Black Forest Colorado 90808. www.bflogschool.com

Highway 105A Update

El Paso county construction is expected to continue into spring 2025. The project extends the four-lane section of Highway 105 just east of Jackson Creek Parkway to Lake Woodmoor Drive providing greater mobility by accommodating more traffic. The new configuration will be two lanes in each direction with left and right turn lines; the project also includes multi-use shoulders and pedestrian improvements, sidewalk connectivity, replacement of the traffic signal at Norwood Boulevard, a new underground drainage system and water quality pond, and a new roundabout at the Knollwood /Village Ridge Point intersection. The new roundabout, constructed by Monument Academy, is designed to keep traffic moving and reduce the traffic backups on Highway 105 that previously occurred in this area.

Monument Academy traffic

To ensure a smoother experience for non-school traffic, it is recommended finding an alternate route if possible that avoids this area during the school drop off pick up times Mon.-Thu. 7-8:30 am and 2:45-4 pm and Fri 7-8:30 am. and 11:30 am-1 p.m.

Donate any unused books for the Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs. Any unused book donation is welcome. Kate Ulmer, a senior at Palmer Ridge High School, is working on a service project to collect new/unused books for Children’s Hospital. Drop off books or cash donations at Covered Treasures (105 2nd Street) or email Katiebugu@icloud.com for pick up!

WMMI needs volunteers

The Museum of Mining and Industry is currently recruiting for Visitor Services Associates and Guides. Please consider sharing your time and expertise. Volunteers must be 18 and older and pass a background check. For information about volunteer opportunities, please call 719-488-0880 or email at volunteer@wmmi.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.

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. See ad on page < 2 >.

Looking for something fun to do?

Space Foundation Discovery Center: www.discover space.org. See ad on page < 12 >.

MVEA outage notifications

Please add your phone number to your MVEA account to streamline outage reporting and restoration notifications. To report an outage please call or text “OUT” to (800) 388-9881. Visit MVEA’s Outage Center before the storm. There is information about preparing for outages, electrical safety, outage reporting, a link to the outage map, and more.

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. https://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! https://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. https://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. https://bocc.elpasoco.com/volunteer.

Other Notices