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

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Letters to Our Community – D38 elections—know who you’re voting for

I am writing to express my concerns about Tom Olmstead as a candidate for the Lewis-Palmer School District (D38) Board of Education, District 2 director.

Based on my research, I believe that Tom’s track record and positions are not aligned with the best interests of our community.

Tom’s lack of experience in education and unfamiliarity with the challenges faced by our teachers and students are a significant concern. It is crucial to have a board member who understands the intricacies of our education system and can make informed decisions that positively impact our students.

Furthermore, Tom’s past actions have raised questions about his commitment to transparency and accountability. As community members, we deserve a board member who is open and honest with us, and who will prioritize the needs of our students over personal or political interests. Because he has chosen to align himself with others in our community that clearly have an agenda against the town and school districts in general, we will never really know who is speaking; Tom or those pulling his strings.

In addition, Tom has no experience on critical issues such as curriculum development and student support services. We need a board member who will advocate for a well-rounded education that prepares our students for success in an ever-changing world.

Given these concerns, I cannot endorse Tom Olmstead for the Lewis-Palmer School District, Board of Education, District 2 director. I believe that we need an experienced candidate who is committed to the success and well-being of all students in our district.

Vote Patti Shank for District 2 director, Lewis-Palmer School District Board of Education.

Mitch LaKind

Other Letters to Our Community

Letters to Our Community – Ethics Commission takes up complaint against mayor as “non-frivolous.”

In May 2023, I wrote a letter to OCN stating that Monument taxpayers were going to pick up the tab for Mayor Mitch LaKind’s personal attorney fees to the tune of $21,000 under the guise that it was “in the Town’s interest.” That “interest” was actually an inappropriate sexual comment LaKind made to a female trustee—discovered in the December investigation of illegal electioneering by current Town Council members. LaKind hired and announced at a taped trustee meeting that this was his personal attorney.

I argued in May that the taxpayers should never be paying for an elected official’s legal counsel for inappropriate behavior. Apparently, on Aug. 15 the Colorado Ethics Commission agreed with me. In a unanimous vote, the Ethics Commission said the complaint is “non-frivolous” and will take up the ethics complaint.

By having his cronies vote with him to pawn his legal fees onto the Monument taxpayers, the mayor personally benefitted from the vote. When the mayor’s Town Council colleagues vote to relieve his personal debt because they all ran for office together, each of those colleagues now “own” the mayor and to some degree, his vote. He is forever compromised—no matter how he blathers on that he’s “passionate” about Monument or any purposeful misinformation the council gives you.

Whether you look like Stormy Daniels, Lizzo, or Twiggy, sexually inappropriate comments to any woman is a bad idea. What the mayor should be passionate about is holding his tongue when inclined to offer sexual harassing remarks and repay the taxpayers for the offense.

A link to the Ethics Commission complaint: Complaint 23-17.pdf (https://colorado.gov).

Amy Stephens

Other Letters to Our Community

October Library Events – New programs for Teens and Tweens; Culture Pass for Pikes Peak Highway

By Harriet Halbig

This October the library will host several seasonal activities for teens and tweens.

On Oct. 13 from 2:30 to 5:30 there will be a Teen Spooky Movie Marathon with titles to be chosen by the teens in attendance (ages 13 to 18). Registration is not required.

On Oct. 16 from 4:30 to 5:30 tweens (ages 9-12) are invited to bring a favorite spooky story to share. Complete your experience by making s’mores and a fun memento to take home.

There is a new tween Dungeons and Dragons Club meeting once a month at the Monument Library. The next meeting will be on Nov. 3 from 4 to 5:30. Registration is preferred but not required. All are welcome to join and no experience is required.

From now until April 30, 2024, cardholders can get free access to the Pikes Peak Highway through the district’s Culture Pass program. The pass will admit two adults and two children. For more information and to get your pass, please go to ppld.org/culture pass. Passes are also available to many local museums and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Monument Library has recently added a new playhouse in the children’s area. Come and see!

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me

Other Library articles

High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Gardening with cinnamon; fall tool care

By Janet Sellers

“It’s amazing how many worries are lost while gardening.”—”The Empress of Dirt”

Cinnamon is good for people and gardens

I’ve used cinnamon for flower pots and veggie beds to keep out critters with success, but I recently learned about the wide range of how it helps gardening. Cinnamon has gotten more expensive recently, so I have also used pepper flakes and cayenne powder instead—which started with trying to keep our kitten off the Christmas tree branches. It worked great for that.

Cinnamon protects soil and plants from fungi, rot, and more. It deters houseflies, aphids, moths, ants, and spiders even from our closets. I put cinnamon oil or powder on pine cones in a dish or on a shelf—even on a ribbon to dangle by the door. Cornell University cooperative extension reports pesticidal uses include insecticide and acaricide. Repellent of cockroaches, mosquitoes, dogs, and cats. Nematicide for plant parasitic nematodes. Fungicide for disease control in edible mushrooms and more.

The website www.realmissolliesoakland.com/ reports, “… Cinnamon has lots of eugenol, a popular insect-repellent ingredient. The spicy heat and strong aroma of cinnamon can also disrupt insect pheromones, separating them from their fellow bugs and disrupting communication.” It is very good for human food since it has iron, calcium, fiber, various vitamins, and manganese. It also contains carbs, fats, lipids, and proteins.

Tool care in fall in our high desert climate

The Empress of Dirt website (a fun favorite of mine) offers advice for good fall routines: Paint the ends of tools bright colors, rinse off tools in diluted household bleach (4 teaspoons bleach for quart of water) for one minute and then dry well.

Kevin at the Epic Gardening website has rusty tool hints: Clean pruners in a white vinegar bath. Just put the tool in a jar that fits the tool head, add vinegar up past the rust area, and next day the rust is in the vinegar. Then tackle the rest with a kitchen scrub pad and get all the rust and crud off. Then lube and protect with 3-in-1 oil. I clean my hands with Dawn dish soap, but many use Lava soap which has scrubbing pumice in it.

Wooden handles: Sand and protect with boiled linseed oil. Protect moving parts with 3-in-1 oil or WD-40 (check with the manufacturer’s instructions). I use a sponge sander for the handles. I spray WD-40 on cutting tools and use folded 400 grit sandpaper in a back-and-forth motion to sharpen tools. (I dip things like shovels in a bucket of sand to clean them off, and the sand also seems to help the edges). Many people take their tools to a pro for this.

Janet Sellers is an avid “lazy” gardener, letting Nature lead the way for fun kid-and pet-safe gardening. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

Other High Altitude and Nature Gardening articles

Snapshots of Our Community

Table of Contents

Fox Run Park trail work

Above: Volunteers from the Friends of Fox Run Park worked on the trails in Fox Run Regional Park in August and September. After over 60 days of rain in the area, the trails were heavily damaged. Thanks to the El Paso County Parks Department providing the gravel and road base, several volunteers worked to build water bars and fill some of the ruts caused by the rains. Pictured are, from left, Katie Lenger, Barb Heidmous, and Albert Koscienlny. For more information on volunteering, email friendsoffoxrunpark@gmail.com. Photo by Marlene Brown.

Bye Bye Summer!

Above: There were plenty of ways area residents could say goodbye to summer on Labor Day, Sept. 4. Monument Lake was full of boaters, paddle boarders, parasailers, sunbathers, and anglers. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Gleneagle Sertoma raises $40,000

Above: Gleneagle Sertoma’s 22nd annual Patriot Golf Benefit Tournament raised over $40,000 on Aug. 23 at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. The money will help local law enforcement and military assistance programs. The event started as a way to honor the first responders who died on 9/11. The tournament began when 126 golfers left the clubhouse in a procession of flag-decked golf carts. In photo, a banner pays tribute to the fallen officers whose families have received significant contributions from past tournaments’ proceeds. Photo courtesy of Gleneagle Sertoma Club.

Burkart/Raper wedding, Sept. 16

Above: Our Community News volunteer Audrey Burkart married Ryan Raper in front of more than 100 people in Colorado Springs on Sept. 16. It was a costume wedding with an adventure theme. Burkart and Raper wore purple outfits made by her mother to go for a “regal look.” Burkart embroidered them herself. The couple met online 3½ years ago. Raper proposed on New Year’s Eve 2022. After the ceremony, Burkart and Raper went on a 15-day honeymoon in Venice, the Dolomite mountains in Italy, and then a cruise from Venice to Croatia, Montenegro, and Greece. Caption by Michael Weinfeld. Photo courtesy of Audrey Burkart.

Bines and Brews, Sept. 16

Above: OCN volunteer Chris Jeub and his son enjoy beer samples Sept. 16 at the annual Bines and Brews Beer Fest in Monument, organized by the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce. Twenty breweries and several vendors joined in the fun. Photo by Chris Jeub.

Acoustic Eidolon at TLCA, Sept. 16

Above: OCN volunteer Chris Jeub and his son enjoy beer samples Sept. 16 at the annual Bines and Brews Beer Fest in Monument, organized by the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce. Twenty breweries and several vendors joined in the fun. Photo by Chris Jeub.

Last 2023 Art Hop, Sept. 21

Above: On Sept. 21, poets Janet Sellers, left, and Mary Barrett Brown read from their poetry books at the season’s ultimate Art Hop event at Bella Art and Frame gallery. Amid the festive atmosphere, the poets read their works each hour, complete with large onscreen images personally created by the artist-poets. Brown read from her book, The Book of Divine Love, her published book of heart-opening poems of love and personal connection. Sellers read from her artist’s handmade imagery and haiku book, Immersion: Haiku Poems about her memories and adventures of her life near the Pacific Ocean told in short haiku form. Photo courtesy of Tom Brown.

Monu-Palooza, Sept. 3

Above: The seventh annual Monu-Palooza, billed as Monument’s Hometown Music Festival, was held during Labor Day weekend on Sept. 3 at Limbach Park. This year’s music lineup included local bands Skin & Bones, Missy & The Dirty Secrets, Mojo Filter, Ashtōnz, WireWood Station, and The Country Music Project from Denver. Monu-Palooza organizer Charlie Searle said, “This has been the best one yet, the weather has cooperated, the bands are terrific, and we have added a street fair and more food trucks and sponsors” for concert-goers to enjoy. Guitarist and singer Billy Flynn of Mojo Filter said Monu-Palooza is “a beautiful event arranged by Charlie and a nice end to the summer season.” Photo by David Futey.

American Legion honors 9/11

Above: American Legion Post 9-11 held a solemn ceremony at Monument Fire Department’s Station 1 on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Flags were raised then lowered to half-staff at the time the first plane hit the World Trade Center in New York. Palmer Ridge High School student Ruby Taylor sang the National Anthem and Post 9-11 Padre Jim Bergeron led the crowd in prayer. Members of the Monument Police and Fire departments and town officials attended the ceremony. From left are Police Chief Patrick Regan, American Legion Post 9-11 historian Ray Kinder, and Monument Fire Chief Andy Kovacs. Photo by Arleen Kinder.

Run4Hope, Sept. 16

Above: These children took off like lightning when the Run4Hope started. Run4Hope 5K for Schools is a competitive 5K run and 2-mile color-fun run/walk to celebrate hope and healing in our community. There were 500 pounds of colored chalk, games, music, vendors, and a pancake breakfast for the Sept. 16 run. The event, supported by the Ascent church and many sponsors, raises money to support the social and emotional wellness of our youth through various programs in local area schools focusing on suicide prevention—along with mental health awareness and suicide prevention training in El Paso County. As of 2022, the church had raised over $140,000 in support of these programs, including funding of the Sources of Strength program for D20 and D38 high schools. See https://run4hope5kforschools.com/ to donate or volunteer for next year. Photo by Janna Finn.

Business After Hours, Sept. 19

Above: The Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce held its Business After Hours gathering on Sept. 19 at the Searle Ranch in Monument. This gathering is an opportunity for networking and getting to know more about businesses in our area. Texas Roadhouse provided food. Photo by Steve Pate.

Controlled burn, Sept. 25-27

Above: Large plumes of smoke were visible in Monument from the prescribed burns on Sept. 25-27. The U.S. Forest Service and the El Paso County Wildland Fire Group carried out the three-day controlled burns in Ensign Gulch near Rampart Range Road, and Forest Service Road 314. The burn covered almost 400 acres and is part of an ongoing effort to reduce forest fire fuel in the area. Caption by Natalie Barszcz. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Zettlemoyer earns Gold Award

Above: Colorado Springs Girl Scout Jillian Zettlemoyer, 18, (in photo) built a sandbox for the new Trinity Community Park in Monument. Zettlemoyer spent about eight months planning and building the project to earn the Scouts’ Gold Award. Fewer than 6 percent of Girl Scouts earn that award. She got help from her parents and some Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets. The playground is fully compliant with the American With Disabilities Act. It’s located behind Trinity Lutheran Church at 17750 Knollwood Drive. Photo by Tamara Schwarz.

Chapin honored

Above: Tri-Lakes Cares Executive Director Haley Chapin has been selected as one of four honorees for the Colorado Health Foundation’s Nonprofit Sabbatical Program. The program awards Colorado nonprofit executives with a three- to four-month sabbatical while offering charitable funding to help strengthen the organizations they lead. Chapin will take sabbatical various times next year. Director of Operations Julie Keim will take over for Chapin when she’s gone. Photo courtesy of Tri-Lakes Cares.

Teens learn preparedness

Above: The emergency preparedness club at Palmer Ridge High School tested solar oven cooking as an alternative energy source to use when there is no power, either after a blizzard or when going camping. In this demonstration, the club baked banana muffins in a commercial solar oven (successfully) and hard-cooked eggs in a solar oven made out of a reflective car window shade (which would have been successful with another hour of cooking). Lessons learned: You can’t rush it when doing solar cooking, and it only works when the sun is shining and it’s not too windy. Coming up this year, the club members will do hands-on learning about first aid, car emergencies, wildfires, and lots more, with the support of sponsor Eric Wall. Caption by Lisa Hatfield. Photo by Gayle Humm.

Presentation at the Senior Center

Above: Nearly 20 people attended a talk about Monument Cemetery at the Silver Key at Tri-Lakes Senior Center on Sept. 26. The presentation by Monument residents Michael Weinfeld and John Howe included almost 50 photos of the local cemetery as well as cemeteries in Denver and Silverton, Colo., Taos, N.M., and Bridgeport, Conn. The audience heard about the history of the cemeteries and how Weinfeld and Howe updated the cemetery files in Monument Town Hall. Howe worked on the project for 13 years and Weinfeld for five years. Photos by Tia M. Mayer.

Above: Michael Weinfeld reveals at Silver Key at Tri-Lakes Senior Center the cemetery’s oldest marked grave (19 sec)

Above: Michael Weinfeld tells Silver Key at Tri-Lakes Senior Center about murder victim buried at cemetery. (18 sec)

Above: John Howe at Silver Key at Tri-Lakes Senior Center says ground penetrating radar found some graves. (1 min 25 sec)

Above: John Howe at Silver Key at Tri-Lakes Senior Center says some graves were found by “poking around.” (1 min 37 sec)

Military retirees, spouses honored

Above: Chapter 1100 of AARP in Black Forest was one of 55 groups that took part in Military Retiree and Spouse Appreciation Day at Petersen Air Force Base on Sept. 23. This was the first time in five years the event was held because of restrictions during the pandemic. Perhaps because of that, this year’s attendance was bigger than usual. Those in attendance represented community service and military retirement groups from all branches of the Armed Forces as well as insurance, medical, banking, and other groups. A military brass quintet serenaded the large turnout. Photo by Stan Beckner.

Super Blue Moon

Above: A super blue moon rose above a high school soccer match at Don Breese Stadium on Aug. 30. A blue moon isn’t actually blue. It just refers to the fact that it was the second full moon in the same month. The phenomenon is so rare, it’s the source of the phrase “once in a blue moon.” The next super blue moon won’t rise until January 2037. The celestial event wasn’t a lucky one for Palmer Ridge High School. The Bears were shut out by Coronado 2-0. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Other Snapshots of Our Community