The photos are arranged in the order they appeared in our August 2, 2025 issue. Click or tap on a thumbnail to view a larger version.
To return to the thumbnails, click or tap on the X in the image toolbar, which is above or to the right of the image. To view the captions, click or tap on the information icon (“i” in a circle ) in the image toolbar. To move between images, click or tap on the “<” and “>” symbols in the image toolbar or swipe left or right on the image. Click or tap on the full-screen icon to enter or exit full screen mode.
Above: The Silver Key at Tri-Lakes Senior Center has moved once again. They’ll take over their new location at the Monument Community Presbyterian Church at 238 Third Street on Aug. 4. The center was forced to move when the Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education voted to tear down Grace Best Education Center because it no longer met fire codes. The center has been at Grace Best for about three years. It started with the use of one classroom at Palmer Ridge High School. Then it was known as the Tri-Lakes Silver Alliance senior center and was in a modular building outside Lewis-Palmer High School. On July 14, more than 20 seniors attended a goodbye lunch at the center. In photo, volunteers remove furniture from the Grace Best building. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.
Above: At the July 10 Board of Trustees Meeting, Fire Chief John Vincent answered questions and had firefighter Jared Cabunoc demonstrate a new battery-operated jaws of life, or fire extrication device. Vincent said the old device that was donated by Monument Fire District had broken down. The device will be used to gain access to a patient when needed. Vincent said the department had a spare battery. Trustee Dreher said it would not be needed often but when it was needed it was very important. Pictured from left: Cabunoc, Vincent. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: At its rescheduled June 30 meeting, Police Chief Glen Smith announced that he had filled two open positions. One officer, Nick Hernandez, who had prior experience, was assigned to the midnight shift said Smith. The second hire was Officer Scott Horst who attended the meeting to take his oath of office.
From the left are Smith, Town Administrator Dawn Collins, and Horst. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: At the July 10 Board of Trustees meeting, outgoing Town Administrator Dawn Collins recommended that Erica Romero be named Town Clerk. Collins said Romero had completed two of the three years of certification and was in the process of completing the final year. The board unanimously approved the appointment, and Collins administered the oath of office which became effective July 18. Pictured from left: Collins and Romero. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: At the July 24 board meeting, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker and Director of Elections Angie Leath assured the town that it would assist in any way it could with the upcoming Sep. 9 recall and petition election. Schleiker confirmed that the town could not coordinate its election with the county’s November election as its charter only allowed coordination in odd years. He said the county was providing ballot boxes and chain of custody seals and would provide independent, trained election judges to assist with ballot counting. Pictured from left: Schleiker, Leath. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: Craig Carle was sworn in for his second term on Monument Academy’s school board by President Ryan Graham. Carle continues in his role as Treasurer and was appointed to the Finance and Resource Development committees. From left are: Board members Matt Ross, Jilinda Dygert, Carle, Graham, and Vice President Lindsay Clinton. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: At its July 17 workshop, Aaron Tolman, waste plant operator for Donala Water and Sanitation District (DSWD), gave a tour of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. The tour included a glimpse at the newly installed Programmable Logic Controller shown above that automates the plants functions, the digester that breaks down organic matter present in sludge, and the compactor that removes excess water from the biosolids before they are hauled away to landfills. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: The interior of the wastewater digester. Donala is a co-owner and operator of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. along with TriView Metro District and Forest Lakes Metro District. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: Ben Bowland led an Eagle Scout project assembling and installing three benches in The Preserve common area in South Woodmoor. He raised funds for materials and led a crew of six Boy Scouts to complete the work. At the July 23 Woodmoor Improvement Association meeting, President Brian Bush and Director of Common Areas Steve Cutler presented Bowland with a plaque and thanked him for his leadership. Pictured from left are Vice President Peter Bille, Cutler, Bowland, and Bush. Pictured from left: Cutler, Bowland, and Bush. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: A bench built as part of resident Ben Bowland’s Eagle Scout project provides a welcome resting place in The Preserve at South Woodmoor. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Above: Vintage wooden box cameras were on display courtesy of Bob Smith, Vintage Cameras. Photo by Diane Kokes
Above: From left: Dan Edwards, Author of the U.S. Forest Service Monument Nursery 1906-1965 and Jeannine Engel, president, Palmer Lake Historical Society. Photo by Diane Kokes
Above: Palmer Lake residents gathered June 28 to celebrate the return of a beloved local landmark—a red British telephone box—at a tea party hosted by Richard and Lindsay Willan. The Willans originally salvaged the booth from an antique warehouse and installed it outside their Tudor-style home, where it became a quirky navigation point for locals. A year ago, a neighbor lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the 2,000-pound cast-iron booth, destroying it. The neighbor, Larry Bobo, survived. The Willans’ nephew in England sourced a replacement and shipped it stateside where it was unveiled to neighbors and community members including the Palmer Lake Fire Department. Guests enjoyed a traditional British tea potluck accompanied by the jazz stylings of Johnny Long ((www.johnlongblues.com). From left are the Willans family members with Richard in the center in a tux and tails, flanked from the right with celebrity chef Gene Kalesti, Lindsay, and Mai Kalesti in yellow. Bobo is represented as a cardboard Superman inside the phone booth. Photo by Krista Bobo.
Above: The Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 1 for Routes Outfitter. Routes continues to have beer and whisky on tap for visitors, just as the previously-named Trails End Taproom provided, but the space is now mostly dedicated to outdoor gear and rentals and bike repair. In photo, Routes Outfitter owners Kristin and Jason Mezey. Photo by Chris Jeub.
Above: On July 2, the Gleneagle Sertoma performed its annual placement of flags for the Fourth of July along both sides of Gleneagle Drive and around the roundabout at Struthers Road. Sertoma members typically place over 300 flags to put drivers and walkers in the Fourth of July spirit. Photo by David Futey.
Above: On a sunny Fourth of July morning, Knights of Columbus (KofC) Council 11514 hosted its annual Fourth of July pancake breakfast fundraiser on the St. Peter Church walkway. Bob Lynn, Grand Knight for Council 11514 and coordinator of this year’s breakfast, said over 1,400 people were expected to attend. For $10, attendees ate scrambled eggs, pancakes, two types of sausages and beverages. Volunteers for the event included KofC members and their families, Monument Boy Scout Troop 17, Veterans of Foreign Wars members and the Monument Hill Kiwanis. Lynn said, “This is a terrific event that Monument puts on every year, and we look forward to doing the breakfast. It’s our biggest fundraiser.” Proceeds support Tri Lakes Cares, Mater Filius at Saint Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts, Bakhita Mountain Home in Colorado Springs, and parish events. Photo by David Futey.
Above left: Members of the Tri-Lakes Runners, led by club owner Marc Johnson (left), were excited to race in the Palmer Lake Fun Run,
Above: right: Runners make their way around Palmer Lake just after the start of the Palmer Lake Fun Run. Photos by David Futey.
Above: The beginning of the Monument Hill Kiwanis Children’s Parade. Photo by David Futey
Above: Gloria Beasley and Joy Beasley used balloons for a festive bike decoration as they readied to join in the Monument Hill Kiwanis Children’s Parade. Photo by David Futey
Above: Bike riders in the Monument Hill Kiwanis Children’s Parade. Photo by David Futey.
Beginning of the Monument Hill Kiwanis Fourth of July Parade
Monument Cub Scout Pack 117
Girl Scout Troop 45230
Monument Boy Scout Troop 17
Girl Scout Troop 41354
Bill Kaelin, President, Monument Hill Kiwanis
Rich Hicks, Monument Hill Kiwanian of the Year
Lewis Palmer School District 38
Tri-Lakes Women’s Club
Palmer Ridge High School Cheerleaders
Palmer Ridge High School Football Team
Lewis-Palmer High School Poms
Lewis-Palmer High School Football Team
PRHS Bearbotics
Madison Finlay-
Wagner, El Paso
County Fair Queen
Air Force Academy Cheerleaders
Monument Fire Department
Above: Before and after the parade, people enjoyed the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Street Fair on the Fourth of July. Local businesses, non-profit organizations, food vendors and a variety of arts and crafts booths were available for browsing. Photo by David Futey.
Above: Jackson Creek Senior Living
(JCSL) sponsored a “Diners, Desserts
& Drives” event on July 12 with the
Tri-Lakes Cruisers local car club.
Vintage hotrods and restored cars
were displayed for residents of JCSL or
anyone else who stopped by. Right: A 1967 Dodge Charger restored by Larry
Sutton, a member of Tri-Lakes Cruisers. Photos by Steve Pate
Above: At the conclusion of the Monument Hill Kiwanis Fourth of July Parade, spectators made their way to Limbach Park for a family-friendly beer garden and live music. The opening band was the El Paso County Outlaw Band. Photo by David Futey.
Right: Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument celebrated its 32nd birthday on July 17 and to mark the occasion, owner Tommie Plank committed 32% of her sales that day to the Heart of Monument Play Park. The playground for all ages and abilities is a project of the Monument Hill Kiwanis Club in partnership with the Town of Monument and Monument Community Presbyterian Church. The promotion raised more than $800 for the park and Plank rounded the donation up to an even $1,000. Photo and caption bv Susan Davies.
Right: Covered Treasures Bookstore on Second Street in Monument hosted two authors for book signings on July 25. Both authors have written series for children. Nick Ishko, who lives in Monument, has written a series about Little John, The Little John Chronicles, that follows the character before he became part of Robin Hood’s band of merry men in Sherwood Forest. Gabriele Ewerts is also a children’s book author whose series of four books involve Sophie on her “portal” journeys. She also writes poetry and music. These children’s series are available at Covered Treasures. Photo by Steve Pate
Above: At Art Hop on July 25, at Jefferson Studios, artist Kristin Colvin shared her art in many media and talked with visitors about art and art making. Daryl Muncey, artist and Jefferson Studios gallery owner, introduced his newest mural. Muncy has created a village-like mini art campus with several areas to exhibit art. Photos by Janet Sellers.
Recent photo collections
- Vol. 25 No. 8 – August 2, 2025 – Photos (8/23/2025)
- Vol. 25 No. 7 – July 5, 2025 – Photos (8/23/2025)
- Vol. 25 No. 6 – June 7, 2025 – Photos (8/23/2025)
