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

OCN > 2312 > Snapshots of Our Community – Tri-Lakes helping those in need

Snapshots of Our Community – Tri-Lakes helping those in need

Above: John Howe, in his signature Hawaiian shirt, could not help but smile as he rang the bell while smiling crowds approached Safeway for Thanksgiving groceries. Some commented that it was too early for “Merry Christmas,” so John changed to “Happy Thanksgiving” and the response was likewise. As in previous years, the Tri-Lakes community was generous as the Red Kettle was quickly filled each day. The funds raised stay in the community in which they were donated and are used to support local Salvation Army programs for people in need. Caption by John Howe. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

John Adams at TLCA, Oct. 28

Above: On Oct. 28, John Adams brought his John Denver Tribute concert to the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts (TLCA) stage. Adams, performing solo this day, is a perennial favorite at the TLCA, having performed there over a dozen times throughout the years. Starting the concert with Rocky Mountain High, Adams proceeded through Denver’s well-known and lesser-known songs. The song list included Ain’t It Good to be Back Home Again, Sunshine on My Shoulders, Grandma’s Feather Bed, Rhyme and Reason, and Fly Away. As Adams switched between playing 6 and 12 string guitars during the evening, the audience contributed vocal support to many of the songs, creating an engaging and entertaining atmosphere for all. Information on upcoming events at the TLCA is at www.trilakesarts.org. Photo by David Futey.

AARP donates to PPLD

Above: Black Forest AARP Chapter 1100 awarded a grant of $905.85 to the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) on Oct. 31. The district will use the money to provide six active-motion stools with 12-inch-high seats and three ADA-compliant desks for wheelchair access. The adaptive furniture for children will be used by the three largest libraries in the district. From left are Lance James, chief development officer for the Pikes Peak Library District, and Candace Lehmann, president of AARP Chapter 1100. Photo by Stan Beckner.

Black Forest Arts & Crafts Fall Show

Above: The 59th Annual Black Forest Arts & Crafts Guild (BFACG) held its Fall Show at the Black Forest Community Center on Nov. 1-5. The BFACG is the longest, continuously running Craft Guild West of the Mississippi River. The Spring and Fall Craft Shows raise money for its scholarship fund. The BFACG annually awards a graduating senior attending high school within the Black Forest area. For more information, go to www.bfacg.org/scholarships. Photo by Marlene Brown.

Bearbotics teams win, Nov. 11

Above: School District D38’s Bearbotics team, Hampterlotols, (in photo) won the Champion Award at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League Challenge on Nov. 11 in Fountain. The robotics team of Lewis-Palmer Middle School (LPMS) students earned a Golden Ticket to the state championship in Denver on Dec. 9.
Above: The LPMS Sour Patch Robots won first place in the Robot Design category, also earning a Golden Ticket to the state championship.
Above: The Oversized Elmos team made up of Bear Creek Elementary School (BCES) students came in second place in robot performance.
Above: The Gladiators from BCES won second place in robot design. The teams were coached by Vicki Nalley and Noreen Griffin. Emma Beery, Keira Griffin, Keith Flesher, Susie Beery, and Rob Lambrech were mentors. Photos by Ben Griffin.

Kiwanis Club Harvest of Love

Above: As part of The Harvest of Love, Monument Hill Kiwanis Club picked up 11,535 pounds of food at schools in District 38 and delivered it to Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) on Nov. 1 and 3. TLC filled holiday food bags with turkeys or hams, stuffed animals, and loaves of bread baked by the Girl Scouts. They started delivering them last month and are continuing this month. Harvest of Love is a program conducted and coordinated by Kiwanis Service Leadership student clubs, school student councils, and other school organizations at individual schools. In photo, Kiwanian Jim Murphy sorts canned goods being delivered to volunteers who store it for distribution. Photo by Bob Harrigan.

Empty Bowls benefits TLC

The Empty Bowls event earned nearly $9,000 for Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC). From left, on Nov. 11, Monument Hill Kiwanis Club President Scott Ross presented a check for $8,580.59 from net proceeds of ticket sales to Haley Chapin, TLC executive director, Christine Bucher, TLC special events coordinator, and Dave Bailey, Kiwanis project manager for Empty Bowls. Photo by Warren Gerig.

Gobble Squabble, Nov. 18

Above and below: The third annual Monumental Impact for Technology, Engineering and Entrepreneurship (MITEE), the business arm to Bearbotics, was held at Grace Best Elementary School on Nov. 18. The Gobble Squabble competition included First Technology Challenge (FTC), First Robotics Challenge (FRC), advanced categories, and instruction on how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create art. Jeanette Breton, who founded the Bearbotics program in D38 and organized the volunteers for this event, said 11 teams with five to eight participants each competed in various categories including “Battle bots” in “cage-fighting,” and the FRC competition in which robots picked up and moved hexagonal pieces (“pixels”) in timed events. This competition included local high school and middle school students, students and adults from Denver and other schools in Colorado, including a senior from Colorado School of Mines in Golden. Winners will advance to regional competition and possibly to national competition. Photos by Steve Pate.

Tri-Lakes Women’s Club Holiday Joy fundraiser, Nov. 17-18

Above: The Tri-Lakes Women’s Club held its annual Holiday Joy home tour on Nov. 17-18. Participants bought tickets for the fundraiser and enjoyed five homes to visit, with a key home designer at each property. It was a fun way to raise funds for local nonprofits and showcase the holiday décor. Much of the décor is available through the designers’ studios or local shops. Co-chairs of the annual event were Jill Markworth and Gail Wittman, with many members volunteering at the homes and behind the scenes to make the event a delightful start for the holiday season. It is the main fundraiser of the year for the club, which raised over $24,000 in 2022 for their grants to local nonprofits in the Tri-Lakes area.
Above: One venue even had Santa riding to the home. Photos by Janet Sellers.

Chamber Non-Profit Night, Nov. 21

Above: The Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce hosted the Business After Hours/Non-Profit Night at the Tri-Lakes YMCA on Nov. 21. Local nonprofit organizations set up displays to inform guests of their missions and how volunteers might contribute. Exhibitors included Tri-Lakes Kiwanis, Bearbotics, Palmer Lake Historical Society, Tri-Lakes Cares, the Gleneagle Sertoma Club, Silver Key, and others. If you are interested in contributing to these or other local organizations as a volunteer, they would be happy to hear from you. You may contact the Tri-Lakes Chamber website for a list of exhibitors at the event: https://www.trilakeschamber.com/contact.html. Photo by Steve Pate.

Flags retired, Nov. 11

On Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, U. S. Flags were properly “retired” by Scout Troop 17 at Jackson Creek Senior Living (JCSL). The ceremony for worn flags was requested by Laura Hale, Sales director for JCSL who worked with Mike Saber, Scout leader, to organize the event. The ceremony involves properly handling flags and preparing them for burning. Prior to the ceremony, Scouts built a fire pit on the south lawn of JCSL and will cover the area for future ceremonies. Scott Mitchell took over Scoutmaster duties from Frank DeLalla this year and said that Scouts also placed flags on veteran’s gravestones at the Monument cemetery earlier the morning of Nov. 11 and will remove them Nov. 12. Mike Saber, led a preliminary ceremony inside JCSL and explained to the residents and others in attendance how the process works. He began by quoting a speech by President Harry S Truman and was followed by Scouts Charlie Bucheit and Colin Saber and Cub Scout Luke Stoctenberg. Several residents at JCSL are veterans. Many flags were collected from sites in the Tri-Lakes area, including the Monument Police Department, Fire Station No. 1, and the Palmer Lake library. If you have a worn flag and wish to have it properly retired, you may drop it off at these and other area locations. Representatives of the Monument Police and Fire Departments were present.

Above: Scouts introduced the US flag retirement process to residents of JCSL. They are pictured with one of the flags to be retired. Above: Scouts from Troop 17 conduct proper US flag retirement ceremony. Photos by Steve Pate.
Above: Scouts from Troop 17 conduct proper US flag retirement ceremony. Photos by Steve Pate.

Local authors sign books, Nov. 25

Above and below: Local authors Diane Sawatzki (above) and Lisa Hatfield (below) were at Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument on Nov. 25 to sign copies of their latest publications. Hatfield just released her second novel, To Melt a Snowdrift, which addresses preparation for surviving when stranded in blizzard conditions along with family stresses in such a situation. She also wrote To Starve an Ember that deals with wildfire mitigation and preparation. Sawatzki signed her latest book in the Once Upon Another Time trilogy, The Land of Now. Her previous novels are Once Upon Another Time and Manyhorses Traveling. The three novels involve time travel that goes back as far as 1863. All these books are available at Covered Treasures. Photos by Steve Pate..

Above: Lisa Hatfield says her new book helps people prepare for natural disasters (18 sec)

Above: Lisa Hatfield says her new book in the 2nd in a series. (30 sec)

Scouts placed flags for veterans on Veterans Day, Nov. 11

Scouts from local Troop 17 placed flags on veterans’ headstones at the Monument cemetery on Veterans Day, Nov 11. According to Scout leader Mike Saber, the flags were placed early on Veterans Day and were removed the next day, Nov. 12. Photo by Steve Pate.

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