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OCN

OCN

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

OCN > 2602 > Vol. 26 No. 2 – February 7, 2026 – Photos

Vol. 26 No. 2 – February 7, 2026 – Photos

February 6, 2026

The photos are arranged in the order they appeared in our February 7, 2026 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.

Alpenglow on Mount Herman two minutes before sunrise on January 18, 2026. Taken from the intersection of Red Rock Ranch Drive and Highway 105.
On Jan. 29, the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual “State of Tri-Lakes” event with updates on the national, regional, and local economy as well as presentations by county and town leaders on resources, direction, and strategy for the region. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
On Jan. 22, Lt. Adam Lundy administered the oath of office to the newest Palmer Lake police officer, Alan Dominguez. In the foreground are Dominguez and Lundy. In the background, from left, are Police Chief and Interim Administrator Glen Smith, Deputy Town Clerk Grant Massey, Trustees Atis Jurka and Roger Moseley, Town Clerk Erica Romero, and Mayor Dennis Stern. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Employees of the Year for the Town of Monument received recognition at the Town Council’s meetings in January, Pictured are Connie Driedger-Planning Department, Town Manager Madeline VanDenHoek, and Police Corporal Rachael Hoeh. Photo courtesy of the Town of Monument.
At the School District 38 board meeting on Jan. 26, Max Hawkins, a seventh-grader at Lewis-Palmer Middle School was recognized for being selected to attend the U.S. Soccer National Training Camp in California next month. He’ll also represent the U.S. in Belgium, where he will face top youth club athletes from around the world. Front row, from left, are board member Tim Bennet, Superintendent Amber Whetstine, Hawkins, board Vice President Patti Shank, and board President Ron Schwarz. Back row, from left, are board Treasurer Todd Brown, board Secretary Ginger Schaaf, and Lewis-Palmer Middle School Principal Courtney Harrell.Photo courtesy of D38
Above: At the School District 38 board meeting on Jan. 26, Max Hawkins, a seventh-grader at Lewis-Palmer Middle School was recognized for being selected to attend the U.S. Soccer National Training Camp in California next month. He’ll also represent the U.S. in Belgium, where he will face top youth club athletes from around the world. Front row, from left, are board member Tim Bennet, Superintendent Amber Whetstine, Hawkins, board Vice President Patti Shank, and board President Ron Schwarz. Back row, from left, are board Treasurer Todd Brown, board Secretary Ginger Schaaf, and Lewis-Palmer Middle School Principal Courtney Harrell.Photo courtesy of D38
At the Jan. 26 annual meeting, Woodmoor Improvement Association president Brian Bush reviewed 2025 highlights and accomplishments and 2026 goals. He also fielded questions from attendees on a variety of community concerns. WIA and Woodmoor Public Safety staff were also available to answer questions and meet residents. Photo by Jackie Burhans.
Don Bowie, musician from Franktown, played ragtime music at the Palmer Lake Historical Society Annual Membership Meeting on Jan. 15. Photo by Marlene Brown.
A flock of birds fly by during sunset on January 12, 2026. Taken from the Monument Whataburger parking lot with an iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Hardy local fishermen braved the cold temperatures to pitch their ice-fishing tents on Monument Lake in January. Ice fishing fans can walk to their spot and fish; they don’t have to take a boat, and proponents say that fish are usually schooled up better and that winter fish taste better due to no algae in the water. Photo by Janet Sellers.
After a week’s delay because the lake hadn’t frozen, the Fifth Annual Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic got off to a good start on Jan. 17 when the loudspeakers blared the news that the Broncos had beaten the Bills 33-30 in overtime. The crowd of about 1,200 had even more to cheer about when the Lewis-Palmer Rangers made it into the championship round by getting past Liberty High School of Colorado Springs 4-1. But the Rangers lost to Chaparral High School of Parker 4-2. The Chaparral Wolverines took home the Star Trophy that’s shaped like the Palmer Lake Star, which was lit for the tournament. The event raises money for the Lewis-Palmer hockey team. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.
Icicle on Mount Herman’s summit mid afternoon January 10, 2026. Taken with an iPhone 14 Pro Max.
On Saturday, Jan. 17, the surface of Palmer Lake was finally frozen enough for enthusiasts to play ice hockey at the Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic’s rescheduled events, which ranged from learning sessions to games over the course of the weekend. Photo by Janet Sellers.
The Tri-Lakes Women’s Club (TLWC) is looking for groups that qualify for grants. TLWC’s Grant Application Program for 2026 is available Jan. 15 through March 15 on the club’s website www.tlwc.net. The program focuses on smaller organizations that typically do not have the staffing or resources to pursue grants from major granting foundations. Grants are a maximum of $3,000. Organizations eligible to apply for a grant include nonprofits, public service groups, and public schools that serve the Tri-Lakes area. Since 1973, TLWC has provided more than $1 million in grants. An example is Palmer Ridge High School student Addie Seymour, who used a TLWC grant to revive an unused aquaponic greenhouse to grow fresh produce (in photo). Addie and her team donated about 269 bags of lettuce to Tri-Lakes Cares last year as part of her 4-H project. Photo by Lisa Seymour.
Above: Members of the Tri-Lakes Dynamic Rotary Club heard authors Michael Weinfeld and John Howe talk about the history of Monument Cemetery at their Jan. 15 meeting. Weinfeld and Howe told the group about many of the people buried in the cemetery as well as other bits of information about how they gathered information for their book Shootouts, Killings, and War Heroes: The History Hidden in Monument Cemetery. After the talk, the group assembled Blessing Bags (in photo) for the local police department that will be distributed to people in need. The bags are filled with hats, gloves, socks, toothbrushes and toothpaste, granola bars, crackers, fruity snacks, and water bottles. Photo by Steve Eaton.
On Jan. 22, Lindsay Willan and Kat Tudor, EcoSpa owners and partners, broke ground for the ERock Experience project that hopes to open this year. Elephant Rock is the name of the 28-acre town-owned property in Palmer Lake that was deeded to the town after the Living Word Fellowship abandoned the site in 2021. The ERock Experience, by developers Lindsay and Richard Willan, is slated to be a full-service wellness and community destination. The project will renovate the abandoned concrete swimming pool and pool house to create the spa and will operate under a lease-to-own agreement. From left are Lindsay Willan and Tudor. Photo provided by Lindsay Willan.
School District 38 parents, students, staff, and school board members gathered Jan. 29 near the district’s “Big Red” administration building for the groundbreaking of the new Home School Enrichment Academy (HSEA) facility. Communications Director Amy Matisek emceed the event, which included remarks from board Vice President Patti Shank, Principal Julie Jadomski, Superintendent Amber Whetstine, and fifth-grader Ellie Torres. Students, led by music teacher Michael Norris, sang before attendees donned hard hats and broke ground. Pictured: From left are Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway, board Treasurer Todd Brown, Whetstine, Shank, and Director of Planning, Facilities, and Grounds Melissa Andrews. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Recent photo collections

  • Vol. 26 No. 3 – March 7, 2026 – Photos (3/4/2026)
  • Vol. 26 No. 1 – January 3, 2026 – Photos (1/1/2026)
  • Vol. 25 No. 12 – December 6, 2025 – Photos (12/4/2025)
  • Vol. 25 No. 11 – November 1, 2025 – Photos (10/31/2025)
  • Vol. 25 No. 10 – October 4, 2025 – Photos (10/2/2025)
  • Vol. 25 No. 9 – September 6, 2025 – Photos (9/5/2025)
  • 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)
<- OCN Newsletter #50 – Feb. 6, 2026 – Buc-ee’s withdraws their application, Feb. 7 issue and podcasts posted, Check which districts you’re in, Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic Hockey videos posted
-> Palmer Lake Board of Trustees, Jan. 8, 22, and 30 – Attorney Krob forced out without replacement

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