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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

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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