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

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Snapshots of Our Community

Santa and Elf visit Palmer Lake Chili Dinner, Nov. 30

Above: On Nov. 30, Santa Claus and his elf arrived in style, trading in his magical sleigh for a Palmer Lake fire truck with lights flashing and sirens sounding. Children were able to visit with Santa and share their wishes for the holidays. The 89th annual Chili Supper and Star Lighting welcomed visitors from far and wide for the annual event. Inset: The Palmer Lake Firefighters Association welcomed attendees and served chili. Serving are Fernando Hernandez on the left and Jared Cabunoc on the right. Plenty of desserts were also available. In accordance with tradition, a drawing was held and the winner, Jack Yavanian, lit the Palmer Lake Star for the season. The star lighting is a decades-old tradition, serving as a symbol of hope for all throughout the holiday season. Photos by Janet Sellers.

WMMI honors departing staff

Above: On Oct. 30, Western Museum of Mining & Industry Executive Director Grant Dewey, far right, and the museum held a reception to honor three staff members departing the museum. From left, Lauren Knight, Richard Sauers, and Loretta Howden made significant contributions to further the museum’s mission and visitor experience. Knight was education coordinator for over three years and is departing to accompany her military spouse who is being transferred. Sauers and Howden are retiring after lengthy terms of service at the museum. During his 12 years at the museum, Sauers acted as executive director and then curator, being responsible for refining and advancing the museum’s collection. He also guided the grant funding and renovation process for the Reynolds Ranch Farmhouse located at the front of the museum property. Howden served the museum for over 20 years in a variety of capacities, starting as a volunteer then segueing to staff positions as marketing coordinator and operations manager. Information on the museum is at www.wmmi.org. Photo by David Futey.

Harvest of Love donates food

Above: Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) received 11,045 pounds of non-perishable food collected by D38 schools as part of the Harvest of Love program. The Monument Hill Kiwanis Club was originally scheduled to pick up the food on Nov. 6 and 8, but the pickups had to be postponed because of the snowstorm. The food was finally delivered on Nov. 15. TLC helps feed economically disadvantaged families during the holidays. In the photo, students from Bear Creek Elementary School pose in front of boxes of food. Photo by Dean Snow.

Gobble Squabble, Nov. 23

Above: Local robotics students took part in the fourth annual Gobble Squabble on Nov. 23. They took part in various competitions at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, including a scrimmage with 10 teams and a Robot Chaos competition with 14 combat robots. The three local teams called the Circuit Sharks, the 3rd Turtle, and Bionic Badgers will now compete in a qualifier tournament on Dec. 4 at Chatfield High School in Littleton. In the photo, the local teams scrimmage with their alliance teams. Photo by coach Jeanette Breton.

Cemetery history book signing

Above: Dozens of people, including most of the Monument Town Council and Mayor Mitch LaKind (on the left), lined up at Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument on Nov. 30 to get a book on the history of the town cemetery signed by the authors. Local residents Michael Weinfeld and John Howe signed copies of Shootouts, Killings, and War Heroes: The History Hidden in Monument’s Cemetery the day the book was officially released. Customers were treated to pieces of a cake with a photo of the book on top (see photo on page < 1 >) as well as cookies baked by Howe. The event was part of Small Business Saturday. The book contains stories of the people buried in the cemetery as well as fun facts about the graveyard and the town. Copies will be available at the bookstore, the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce in Monument, and the Lucretia Vaile Museum in Palmer Lake, as well as on Amazon. Photo by Anikka van Zoeren.
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A big crowd greeted Michael Weinfeld and John Howe at their book signing at Covered Treasures (17 sec)

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Michael Weinfeld and John Howe signed their book at Covered Treasures on Nov. 30. (45 sec)

Kiwanis delivers Empty Bowls check

Above:The Monument Hill Kiwanis Club (MHKC) delivered a check for $11,700 raised during the annual Empty Bowls dinner to Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) on Nov. 2. MHKC, Lewis-Palmer School District 38, and Tri-Lakes Women’s Club help organize the Oct. 3 event. The money will benefit TLC’s various programs that help economically disadvantaged households in the area. From left are Kiwanis Project Manager Dave Bailey, TLC Director of Development Bill Lyons, and MHKC President Bill Kaelin. Photo by Bob Harrigan.

John Adams at TLCA, Nov. 2

Above: On Nov. 2, the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts (TLCA) welcomed TLCA favorite John Adams. Adams ushered in the holiday spirit as his first set was Christmas-themed songs. That was followed by a set of John Denver songs. Adams performed traditional Christmas songs such as Away in the Manger and Silent Night, in which he sang verses in German, Dutch, and English. He also performed songs Denver sang on Christmas albums and at concerts. These included The Peace Carol by Bob Beers, which Denver sang with the Muppets during a 1979 Christmas special, Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream written by Ed McCrudy, a poem by Robert Bridges titled Noel: Christmas Eve 1913, Christmas for Cowboys, written by Denver’s lead guitarist Steven Weisberg, The Marvelous Toy by Tom Paxton, and Aspenglow written by Denver. Information on upcoming events at the TLCA is at www.trilakesarts.org. Photo by David Futey.

Roth donates turkeys to TLC

Above: From left, Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) volunteers Andra Kneip, Rick Pohlman, Wilma Steenbergen join TLC Food Programs Manager James Russell and volunteer Dan Willemyns with the food donations at TLC. The man behind the Ford Amphitheatre in Colorado Springs donated 250 turkeys to TLC on Nov. 19. TLC Executive Director Haley Chapin said J.W. Roth has been donating turkeys “for years.” She said TLC asked Roth for more turkeys than usual this year and “he didn’t hesitate.” The group distributed the turkeys along with corn, green beans, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy and pie to 234 families on Nov. 19 and 21. That’s an increase of 47 families from a year ago. Photo by Nora McKay.

Elison at TLCA, Nov. 23

Above: Eric Elison’s Christmas with Bing show premiered at the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts on Nov. 23 to a capacity crowd. The final show will be at the Black Forest Community Club on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at christmaswithbing.com. Pictured from left are Eric Elison, Evie Valentine, Natalie Jensen, and Ava Grace. Photo by Chris Lennon.

Woodmoor Nordic opens

Above: Thanks to the early November snowstorm, Woodmoor Nordic Nonprofit groomed its ski trails early and had many local skiers enjoying the snow on Nov. 9. This is its earliest opening to date. The last time it opened in November, it had a record-breaking 60-plus days of local skiing. The ski area is open to the public, and day or season passes are available, along with rentals by online reservation. More details can be found here: www.WoodmoorNordicNonprofit.org. Photo by Michael Brothers.