Indy - June 28, 2023 Vol 31. No. 25

Our mission is to deliver the truth, build community and engage citizens.

PUBLISHER

Fran Zankowski

EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Bryan Grossman

MANAGING EDITOR Helen Lewis

COPY EDITOR Mary Jo Meade

SENIOR REPORTER Pam Zubeck

CULTURE REPORTER Nick Raven

INTERN Marynn Krull

CONTRIBUTORS

Rob Brezny, Mike Littwin, Matthew Schniper, Andrew “Shaggy” Warren

SALES

AD DIRECTOR Teri Homick

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Felicia Anzaldúa,

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COVER PHOTO BY Sean Cayton

THE WIRE

Short- and long-term changes are coming to Downtown’s Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, beginning July 1. An eight-month, $6.2 million capital project will install a new HVAC system, carefully designed to preserve the integrity of the 1903 former county courthouse. But it will also bring changes to an existing gallery and add a new exhibit gallery and a workspace that lets the public watch as collection materials are processed and new exhibits created. On July 1, the Starsmore Center for Local History will shut down (services will resume after project completion), and the Gen. William Jackson Palmer exhibit will close. July 22 is the last day to visit, but on July 25 a museum annex opens at Plaza of the Rockies, 121 S. Tejon St., #100, with three new exhibits. For more information on the project, including other public impacts over the coming months and a list of project funders, see cspm.org/ahistoric-project; watch the Indy ’s Calendar for CSPM annex exhibit previews. — MJM

Rendering of the construction of the 1903 El Paso County Courthouse, by J. Mark Nelson ➔

Matter of Record

On July 29 and Aug. 5, COSILoveYou will host its 5th Annual Backpack Bash event at seven locations around El Paso County. The Backpack Bash involves some 70 local churches, businesses, nonprofits, schools and government partners to support 12,000 students, who receive a free backpack filled with new school supplies. To help, go to backpackbash.com.

Colorado Springs City Council was expected to approve reductions in energy rates on June 27, after the Indy ’s press deadline. The cuts will lower the typical residential bill by about $41 a month compared to this time last year, lowering it from $253.56 to $245.88.

Manitou Springs has become the world’s first certified municipal Pollinator District through an innovative partnership with Westminster’s Butterfly Pavilion. The title showcases the community’s commitment to protecting and preserving vital pollinators, a news release said.

The Springs-based Sachs Foundation, an organization that has supported Black Coloradans since 1931, announced earlier this month it’s awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships to 46 Black students over the past year.

Church For All Nations is seeking to dismiss its appeal of a lawsuit against the COS Owners Association, a hangar organization, after spending nearly $750,000 in various costs to secure a hangar. CFAN lost in District Court.

Colorado Springs Police Department graduated 42 recruits on June 21. The class was composed of 42 men and women. They’ll spend 15 weeks in field training before they respond to calls on their own.

MAYOR ORDERS REORG

Mayor Yemi Mobolade, who took office June 6, announced a bureaucratic reorganization on June 22 that adds a deputy chief of staff and elevates a program to department status.

Mobolade said in a release that the changes will “help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of City services.”

Ryan Trujillo will continue to serve as deputy chief of staff with a new focus on operations, overseeing the city clerk, Colorado Springs Airport, IT, Office of Innovation, Municipal Court, Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management, and support services. Trujillo will see a pay bump of 10 percent, to $202,834.

Travis Easton has been promoted from Public Works director to become the deputy chief of staff responsible for infrastructure and development. He’ll oversee economic development to include airport economic development; economic development; Housing & Community Vitality; Parking Enterprise; Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services; Planning; and Public Works. He will also work with the Urban Renewal Authority. Easton’s pay will rise by 10 percent to $232,672.

Steve Posey will serve as chief Housing & Community Vitality officer, as that entity becomes a separate department. It previously was a division of the Planning Department. Posey’s pay will go up by 10 percent to $160,657.

Finance, Communications, Human Resources and the two deputy chiefs will report to Chief of Staff Jamie Fabos.

The police and fire departments and the city attorney’s office will continue to report directly to the mayor.

Any other salary changes will be disclosed later, the city said. — PZ

FENTANYL CRISIS LOOMS

The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Colorado State Patrol and other agencies last week warned of the growing fentanyl problem in Colorado.

They said they’re seeing an influx of substances, more potent and deadlier than ever, being seized in Colorado in record amounts. Fentanyl pills in all colors, shapes and sizes; fentanyl in liquid and powder form; and fentanyl adulterated with Xylazine, a non-opiate sedative, analgesic, and muscle relaxant only authorized in the United States for veterinary use, are leading to an increased number of drug poisonings and overdoses throughout the state.

One Pill Can Kill is the phrase being used to warn people about how deadly these drugs can be.

Fentanyl remains the leading cause of drug-related deaths in Colorado, increasing by more than 70 percent throughout the state in 2021, they said. Fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams of fentanyl, just enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially lethal dose.

Pills are designed to look like Oxycodone or other legitimate medications. Fentanyl can come in powder or liquid form, such as a nasal spray. Some are made into multicolored pills with logos of Tesla, TikTok and Amazon.

Most of the drug seizures stem from Mexican cartel trafficking.

“Fentanyl in all its forms and variations is killing our children. It’s killing our families and neighbors. This is why disrupting drug trafficking organizations continues to be a top priority for FBI Denver,” Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek said in a release.

Meantime, El Paso County Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly tells the Indy via email that his office saw a 15 percent increase in accidental fentanyl deaths from 2021 (99) to 2022 (115), a slower increase than spikes seen in the prior five years. That represents a “flattening out.”

“The hope would be that this is the worst of it,” Kelly says, “and efforts could begin now to bring down the number of deaths.”

Read a longer version of this story at csindy.com. — PZ

Compiled by Mary Jo Meade and Pam Zubeck

Courtesy Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

THE SMASH BASH

A Q&A with Cody Burket about CCES’ Hall of Brawl charity tournament

BY NICK RAVEN | nick@csindy.com

IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT YOU SEE a charity video game tournament being promoted locally — and Colorado Community Esports wanted to change that. The nonprofit is throwing Hall of Brawl: a two-day, multi-bracket Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tournament at Pikes Peak Library 21c to benefit the PPLD Foundation. The Indy got to chat about it with Cody Burket, CCES’ president and chairman of the board.

What is Hall of Brawl?

Hall of Brawl is going to be a regional charity event for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate [players]. We’ll be giving a portion of the event proceeds to the PPLD Foundation because the library district has always been a big part of my life with the East Library and their teen center, but then Library 21c with all the technology they’ve been building for years. It’s been a great way for us to give back to the community that we’ve been a part of.

remember like Tekken and other games that are out there.

Smash has a really strong community behind it and it’s really inclusive for nonbinary and women as well, with the way that community interacts with each other. We decided to go with this as our first event as a nonprofit because [the community is] really what allowed us to found it after previous events we’ve held such as The Dungeon [Smash tournament] in 2020.

You held those other events as a for-profit. What advantage do you gain as a nonprofit?

It allows us to take donations, both for the event and for equipment to go into future events as well. It’s a little bit easier for us to bid for and get sponsorships from companies that are looking to give back to the community.

How will the tournament work?

prize pool bonus on top of the entry fees for the bracket. Doubles and Squad Strike have their own prize pools. Then we have giveaway items on top of that with a Nintendo Switch OLED as a grand prize. One of our sponsors, Metronet, will be giving out a Nintendo Switch Lite as well.

IF YOU GO:

PPLD’s Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Drive, June 30-July 1, spectators welcome, competitors can purchase tickets at coloradocommunityesports.com.

Are you streaming the tournament?

Yes, you can find us at twitch.tv/coloradocommunityesports and we’ll be livestreaming the entire event. You’ll be able to watch from the start of Ultimate Singles all the way up to the top eight. And then we’ll be streaming every match after that.

What’s the next event you’re planning for?

Why Super Smash Brothers Ultimate versus other competitive multiplayer games?

It’s one of the easiest games to get the equipment for and one of the easiest for beginners to get into the competitive scene. There isn’t a lot of frame-perfect data and combos that you have to

The main event will be Ultimate Singles, and that’s going to be one player fighting another player in a double elimination bracket. Then we have side brackets for Ultimate Doubles and then Squad Strike, which is another one-on-one mode where each player builds a team of five different characters to fight against each other with.

For Ultimate Singles, we have a $1,000

We’re looking at Hillside Community Center, Weidner Field and UCHealth Park to host what would essentially be an outdoor sports day with indoor activities. We would do a training session, a little bit of drills, a couple of things like that, [then] go in for lunch and do competitions on the video games themselves. At the end of the day, maybe we come back to do scrimmage games with some of the players and other community members being the coaches. That way we can really promote physical activity alongside the fun [indoor] games.

Cody Burket (left) volunteering in Colorado Springs

Courtesy Cody Burket

Courtesy Cody Burket

ON SHAKY GROUND

City wants to run power lines through Concrete Coyote, nonprofit says programs at risk

STORY BY MICHAEL BRAITHWAITE | PHOTOS BY SEAN CAYTON

FOR OVER 30 YEARS, CONcrete Couch has provided adults and kids in Colorado Springs with creative community workshops, events and classes from several locations. Its Concrete Coyote site, near Las Vegas Street in south Downtown, routinely hosts programs including summer camps, environmental workshops and outdoor-oriented classes and events. However, these opportunities could soon be in jeopardy.

As part of a plan to install high-voltage power lines throughout the city, Colorado Springs Utilities has been seeking private property easements, one of which cuts directly through Concrete Coyote, the nonprofit says, potentially disrupting its ability to host community events and raising serious health concerns.

According to the organization’s directors, this potential disruption could also set back years of progress on their most significant undertaking.

CONCRETE COUCH BEGAN AS AN idea in 1990. It would turn into a collection of teachers, artists and other community members orchestrating community-building endeavors.

Founded by then-recent Colorado College graduate Steve Wood — who’s still the organization’s executive director — the group operated for decades out of

garages, basements and offices, never having a permanent home.

“About six years ago, we realized, ‘Man, we really gotta find a place that’s our own,’” Wood says.

That place ended up being Concrete Coyote, then the run-down site of a former concrete batch plant on South Royer Street situated next to freight tracks that run through the city. According to Wood, those involved knew significant work lay ahead, but everyone was energized by the idea of bringing the community together.

After about 80 community meetings, the best way to use the new property was decided in April 2019.

“It’s been an effort to develop it and clean it up and engage the community,” says Wood. “We’ve hosted 1,700 classes since we’ve owned it — that’s a little more than one a day, and usually we don’t do Sundays.”

The site offers a variety of programs for a variety of ages, each directly aimed at addressing a specific need within the community.

“[The neighborhood] really wanted this area turned into a park because it had that kind of potential,” says Wood.

“They wanted job training programs for their kids, but also music and creativity and science.... So those are all the programs we’re running.”

In rich neighborhoods, they don’t do overhead power. THEY BURY THE LINES.

— Jorge Estevez

Wood added that Concrete Couch is primarily interested in establishing relationships with other organizations working with underserved populations in Colorado Springs, including community prep schools, juvenile detention centers and libraries, along with students, military families, LGBTQ+ individuals, and more.

OF CONCRETE COYOTE’S 8 ACRES, 7 are set aside as a park featuring paths, trails and other spaces for community use. The remaining acre is the nonprofit’s development zone, home to gardens, classrooms, playgrounds, a chicken coop and even a miniature soccer pitch.

But Springs Utilities may install a new section of its power grid — 100 feet wide — through the middle of the development zone, potentially preventing Concrete Couch from going forward with plans, according to the organization’s directors.

Upon completion in 2024, Concrete Coyote’s development zone would feature a public restroom and a 1,200-square-foot caretaker’s residence, where an individual or family would be paid to live on-site and maintain the property year-round. Now this vision is threatened.

According to Education Director Caitlin Hannigan, the city’s easement would

WHEN YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT REAL ESTATE

— Steve Wood

affect Concrete Coyote’s summer camp, as well as many other programs. And families who know about the city’s plans have expressed concerns for their children’s safety, Hannigan adds.

Moreover, she notes that the construction of metal towers to support the power lines would mean removing numerous trees within the development zone, taking away vital shade.

“Shade is a [valuable] commodity; in this part of town, it gets very hot,” said Jorge Estevez, a Concrete Couch instructor. “The shady areas would get ravaged because at least half of each one of these tall trees would be chopped off.”

Power

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Concrete Couch’s Executive Director Steve Wood

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Springs Utilities knew that the city’s power grid would have to be reinforced somehow. The plant’s closure, in compliance with new federal regulations to shutter coal power plants by 2030, meant a significant loss of energy production for the city.

“As part of the shutdown of Drake, we have to build a more robust transmission system,” says Jessica Davis, land resource manager for Colorado Springs Utilities. “We just need to bring more power into Downtown, to where we’re not generating power anymore, and then that way we can serve the rest of the community from there.”

An approximately 5.5-mile proposed transmission line would travel from Kelker Substation on South Academy Boulevard to Martin Drake Power Plant on the southern end of Downtown. To provide a path for this line, Utilities has been exploring easements through private properties.

These easements effectively give the city the right to use private land for its own purposes. However, they are not cost-free. Each side would have the opportunity to receive an appraisal for the land from independent appraisers and then the condemning authority would negotiate for the property.

If negotiations break down, the condemning authority can provide a final offer, which, if not accepted, could lead that authority to file a “Petition in Condemnation,” exercising the power of eminent domain.

“We always have the option to do eminent domain if it’s for a public purpose — that is the last tool in our tool belt,”

tial offer was $69,000, whereas the nonprofit’s appraiser valued the property at $695,000. The discrepancy meant bringing in a neutral third party. When asked about that, Davis declined to discuss the specifics of an active negotiation.

HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER LINES live up to their name, transmitting electricity at 230 kV, approximately 1,000 times higher than the voltage carried on commercial or residential transmission lines, which are already powerful enough to kill. However, the city says it’s safe locating the lines near populated areas.

“If you drive around town, there are transmission lines and substations and distribution lines in every single part of this town; whether it’s commercial, residential, industrial — we have them,” Davis says.” Because, that’s how we serve our electricity, and that’s how we have for a really long time.”

However, Estevez, a former professor who has both a master’s and a doctorate in physics from the University of Minnesota, has concerns about the effects the high voltages could have on humans.

“The effects of radiation on the human body are not very well studied because the human body is so complicated,” Estevez says. “Humans are not lab rats — you cannot isolate them for three decades and do long-term effects studies.”

Estevez also notes that the ground is 2,000 times denser than air, and is more effective at dampening electromagnetic radiation. However, the city says the costs of burying the lines would just be too great.

“It costs four times as much to under

Moreover, the city disputes Estevez’s latter point, saying the ground does not better insulate the wires.

“It’s such a low frequency; you get more out of a cell phone, out of a microwave, everything like that,” says Ryne Solberg, project manager at Springs Utilities. “The more you distance yourself, the better you’re going to be.... Underground is obviously much closer than what overhead is. It’s safer going overhead.”

Springs Utilities personnel also made note that they are not currently concerned about any long-term exposure to high-voltage power lines.

“I grew up in this city, right near a transmission line,” Davis says. “As we become more electrified cities — we use electric cars and stuff — this stuff is going to be built all over the United States.”

Both Wood and Estevez are cautious about having the caretaker’s residence in close proximity to the location for the lines. They have had trouble finding an adequate area within the 1-acre zone to

uation might be different if the property had been located in

hoods, they don’t do overhead power.

They bury the

lines. They are trying to take advantage of us and do the cheapest method, which has health effects over decades and decades when they could just bury the lines, but they are too darn cheap to do so,” he says.

It’s worth noting, the World Health Organization’s official stance is that there is no evidence that low-level electromagnetic exposure poses any risk to human health.

While both Concrete Couch and the city confirm the organization has proposed multiple locations for the easement, the development zone is still on the list.

“We talked to them about moving it to a different spot,” says Hannigan, referring to the 7-acre park adjacent to the development zone. “If you have power lines in there, people don’t mind as much because they’re hiking really quick or riding their bike under there; they’re not getting exposed to them as much.”

Springs Utilities acknowledged eminent domain can be upsetting when it displaces people, but noted the work is for the betterment of the city as a whole.

“When I show up, I’m not there to say, ‘The city’s more important than you,’” Davis says. “I don’t want to come in as Big Brother and stomp my feet and say, ‘This is the way it’s gotta be.’ That’s not the way that we do things here.”

Concrete Couch’s Steve Wood fears programs could be at risk.

We always have the option to do eminent domain if it’s for a public purpose.

— Jessica Davis

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BY MATTHEW SCHNIPER

TODAY’S TEACHERS, TOMORROW’S CHEFS

SHOVEL READY JUST RELEASED ITS NEW SUMMER SEASONAL menu (tinyurl.com/ccc-culinary). Which offered the perfect opportunity for me to catch up with the folks behind the ambitious culinary program that underpins this public-facing vendor kiosk inside The Well food hall (315 E. Pikes Peak Ave., wellinthesprings.com). Methinks not everyone in town is up to speed on all that’s happening behind the scenes there. So let’s remedy that.

I first called Executive Chef and Lead Mentor Ben Hoffer for some background. I’ve been interviewing Hoffer on and off over the past decade-plus, dating back to when he was the wunderkind leading Craftwood Inn. Now 44, he’s been in the industry 25 years already — longer if you count the time he worked as a kid for his dad at Patsy’s Candies, he says. He went on to work for Altitude Hospitality for eight years, having a role in opening The Pinery, Sprig, Till and Café 36 at the FAC during that time. Most recently, out on his own, he operated High Rise Pizza Kitchen.

In his role at Shovel Ready, Hoffer develops recipes, handles all the costing and vendor relationships for menus, implements the apprenticeship curriculum and

Ben Hoffer (left) and an apprentice at Shovel Ready’s vendor kiosk at The Well

Courtesy Shovel Ready

works closely alongside students during their eightweek training. He’s supported by other talented chefs who’ve come out of roles in local kitchens to help train the next generation: Kate Doncilovic, sous chef and assistant lead mentor; and Sami Posey, junior sous chef and assistant mentor.

Shovel Ready’s an extension of Community Cultural Collective at City Auditorium. (Transparency note: They were a generous sponsor of my State of Plate podcast this past fall, in partnership with the Indy.) With support from the Pikes Peak Workforce Center — which funded a Social Return on Investment study on the Culinary Colorado Springs Facebook group I co-founded during the pandemic — CCC has obtained grant funding to pay for its Advanced Hospitality and Culinary Apprenticeship program. Meaning not only are the teachers paid, but 10 apprenticeship slots every eight weeks pay students $17.50/hour (the averaged total of base compensation plus a completion bonus) to glean industry skills. At graduation, they receive a locally made chef’s knife from Waters Forge plus assistance with job placement inside the independent restaurant community and monetary support toward continuing certifications such as ServSafe food handling and managing.

CCC Workforce Navigator Madison Ward, my second call, tells me the culinary program has been “remarkably successful” thus far, and shares success stories to prove it. They’re now midway through their fourth cohort, with a better than 90 percent placement rate from the first three. Each class has experienced some expected attrition, as the experience has helped some students realize this isn’t the career path they want to follow. (There’s value in learning that early, too.) “We’re seeking out folks with barriers in

their lives,” Ward says. “So we know we’ll lose one or two due to hardships.” The previous cohorts began with seven students for six-week trainings, but CCC adapted it based on feedback, extending it by two weeks. “We recognized the need for more training to ensure a higher success rate,” she says.

So far, all 10 in the current cohort have stuck around. Ward says the next class will consist almost entirely of recent high school graduates who got a taste of the culinary industry via ProStart programs at their schools. As for those success stories, Ward sends me a lengthy list of names and placements around town. I’m paraphrasing, but here’s an inspiring snapshot:

Shawn has gone to The Carter Payne; Nadia to Bird Tree Cafe; Haley to IV by Brother Luck (who’s a CCC culinary adviser); Nolan to Pizzeria Rustica (Chef/ Owner Jay Gust is also a CCC culinary adviser); Nicholas and Cruz both went to The Rabbit Hole; Joey has been placed at Bonny & Read; Addison at The Steakhouse at Flying Horse; Quentin at Shuga’s; Joseph at Red Gravy; Jonathan at The Garden; Helga at Black Forest Bistro; and Isabella stayed at The Well to work at Tossed and Tayler took a spot at Formosa Bites. Nova is heading next to Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and Elyssa is becoming a freelance baker, while Michelle plans to open her own restaurant.

Can I get a collective “wow”? Wow!

OK, so what does that look like for your next meal when you drop by Shovel Ready to show your support by dining there? Well, I stopped in recently to buy a couple plates to sample. I can confidently say this doesn’t smack of student food. And I say this

continued on p. 10 ➔

Mojo Grain Bowl

Matthew Schniper

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after having judged countless finals over the years at culinary schools and events. The trainers/mentors are always on hand for quality control, so nothing’s a giveaway that apprentices are making the meals. It’s seamless.

Hoffer says his credo is “We cook the food we love,” and believes that attracts others who’ll love it. He loves herbs and different flavor profiles, plus seasonality. “A lot of consideration must go into the menu, because first and foremost it’s about training points and hitting a lot of fundamental cooking techniques,” he says.

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He also sets a standard for supporting local producers — a major tenet for sustainability in an industry dogged by tight profit margins, meaning many kitchens buy what’s cheapest, not what’s best for the planet and people. I could go on about that, but just listen to Episode 5 of State of Plate, “Food Fight” at csindy. com/stateofplate for a thorough rundown. Anyway, he’s buying now from Frost Livestock, The Sourdough Boulangerie, Ranch Foods Direct (transparency: a June sponsor of my Side Dish Substack) and others such as Microvora.

Shovel Ready’s summer menu should run through August, so you have ample time to check it out. I ordered the Mojo Grain Bowl for my entrée and Matcha Strawberry Shortcake for dessert, with a side of Chef Doncilovic’s homemade ice cream — a lemon-strawberry swirl. Chef Posey talked me into the combo, doing a masterful front-ofhouse upsell at the register — and I say this as someone who used to proudly upsell the hell out of desserts back in my day as a server.

Anyway, I loved the bright acidity that punctuated the grain bowl, coming from multiple dimensions: the pico, pickled veg and mildly spicy crema. The pork was tender, juicy and welcoming to all the herbal accents and vegetal notes. It’s a nice clean summer dish, overall light on the palate and belly, but plenty big with flavor. Dessert was totally lavish, and I usually reserve that word for chocolate items because I’m a chocoholic, and not normally a cake guy either. The shortcake crumb is delicate and spongy and the strawberries are fresh and true, but the matcha whipped cream’s the star, pleasantly green tea-bitter and astringent, countering the underlying sweetness. That is, until I begin taking bites with that kick-ass lemon-strawberry ice cream, which moves the needle back over to happy sugar town. Damn, Doncilovic has her recipes dialed in. This one’s beautifully tart and faintly zingy but not in a bite-the-tongue sorbet way; it’s still creamy and rich, and complements the shortcake well.

Lastly, note that The Well just recently released a new summer cocktail menu for optional pairing with your eats. (Of course they still have beer, wine, mocktails and much more, too.) I enjoyed both the Cantaloupe Cooler and Pueblo Mágico: the first a refreshing mix of Chilean pisco, cantaloupe, lemon and mineral water, the latter a citrusy-floral blend of reposado tequila, vermouth, cherry-vanilla spice and orange oil for big aromatics.

Matthew Schniper is the former Food & Drink editor and critic at the Indy. You can find expanded food and drink news and reviews at sidedishschnip.substack.com.

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For 50 Years Edelweiss has brought Bavaria to Colorado Springs. Using fresh ingredients, the menu invites you to visit Germany. Support local business! We’re open and doing drive-thru and takeout with a limited menu that can be found on our website! www. edelweissrest.com.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT • 719.577.4545

PAID ADVERTISEMENT • 719.577.4545

SOUTHWESTERN/MEXICAN STEAKHOUSE

JOSÉ MULDOON’S

222 N. TEJON ST. | 719-636-2311 | 5710 S. CAREFREE CR @ POWERS | 719-574-5673

Since 1974. Features authentic Tex-Mex & Mexican fare in contemporary Sante Fe-styled establishment. Across from Acacia Park, and west of Powers & Carefree. Josemuldoons.com. Support local restaurants! We are open for delivery, carry out, and dine-in at both locations! Please check our Facebook page for hours daily, as they are subject to change.

THE FAMOUS 31 N. TEJON ST. | DOWNTOWN | 719-227-7333

Colorado Springs’ finest upscale steak house and lounge located in the center of downtown. Dine in an elegant and classic steak house environment. Award winning prime steaks, fresh seafood, premium wines, craft brews and piano bar provide a provocative mix of atmosphere and entertainment. Reservations suggested.

MACKENZIE’S CHOP HOUSE

128 S. TEJON ST. HISTORIC ALAMO BUILDING | DOWNTOWN | 719-635-3536

Offering half off all bottles of wine under $100! Voted Best Power Lunch, Steakhouse and Martini! Downtown’s choice for quality meats and mixed drinks. Mackenzieschophouse.com. Open Mon.-Fri. 11:30am-3pm for lunch, and 5pm- close every day for dinner!

PAID ADVERTISEMENT • 719.577.4545

PLAYING AROUND

WEDNESDAY, 6/28

Acoustic Hour, local musicians; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

A Carpenter’s Daughter, mountain folk rock/Americana; 7 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns/events.

Mark Autry, Zach Janzen, “beautifully simplified, stripped -back arrangements”; 8 p.m., ICONS, icons-co.com. Creeping Death, deathmetal, with Year of the Knife, Fleshrot, Saintpeeler; 6 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks. com.

The Jeremy Facknitz Band, folk-rock/ jazz; 6:30 p.m., Limbach Park, Monument, townofmonument.org/calendar. aspx?CID=14.

Cary Hudson, country blues/rock; 6:30 p.m., Front Range Barbeque, frbbq. com/events.

Manitou Library Lawn Concert: Tenderfoot Bluegrass Band, bluegrass; 6 p.m., Manitou Carnegie Library, ppld. org/library-lawn-concerts.

Psychedelegates, rock; John Wise & Tribe, New Orleans R&B/blues/jazz/ island; Sara Van Hecke, indie folk; 6 p.m., Hillside Gardens, hillsidecolorado. com/upcoming-events.

The SoapGirls, rock; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Springs Contemporary Jazz Big Band, jazz; 6 p.m. Bancroft Park, facebook. com/SCJBB/events.

THURSDAY, 6/29

719 Band, blues; 5:30 p.m., Bancroft Park, facebook.com/ColoradoSpringsBlues.

Blackthorn, traditional Celtic; 7 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns/events

The Flametrick Subs, psychobilly, with The Homewreckers; 8 p.m., Triple Nickel Tavern, facebook.com/triplenickeltavern/events.

Mike Maddux Jazz Quartet, traditional jazz; 8 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com/events.

One of These Nights, alternative rock, with Lucky by Choice, Blanket Slut; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Benjamin Paille Group, jazz; 7:30 p.m., Summa, dizzycharlies.com.

Paint the Town Blue: 719 Band, blues; 5:30 p.m., Bancroft Park, pikespeakblues.org.

Rafiel and the Roomshakers, soul/ blues/R&B/country/rock ; 6:30 p.m., Soda Springs Park; manitousprings.org.

The Upchucks, punk/metal, with Spit, Bad Anatomy; 7 p.m., Dog House, doghousecos.com.

FRIDAY, 6/30

The Bandulus, ska/reggae/soul, with Last Reel Hero, Knock Blockers; 7 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

The Black Rose Band, country/rock ; 5 p.m., First and Main Town Center, firstandmaintowncenter.com.

Cement Stage Series: DJ Dice, YDB, rap, with Devin Malloy, D-Stylz, High Key; 8 p.m., City Auditorium, communityculturalcollective.org/events.

The Country Music Project, country; 5 p.m., Pikes Peak Patio, thepromenadeshopsatbriargate.com.

Summer Dean, country, with Joe Johnson; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Faster Pussycat, hard rock/glam metal, with Burning The Feildz, Backstage People, Jason Charles Miller, The Bites; 6 p.m., Sunshine Studios, sunshinestudioslive.com.

A.J. Fullerton, American roots rock , with Ali McGuirk; 7:30 p.m., Brue’s Alehouse, bruesalehouse.com.

Magic Beans, “flavors of funk, R&B, rock, soul, and even some country,” with Moon Veil; 8 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs.com.

The Mitguards, folk ; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

The Mostly Don’ts, punk , with The Aholes, Nobody’s, The Short-T.E.R.M.; 8 p.m., Triple Nickel Tavern, facebook. com/triplenickeltavern/events.

Michael Reese, blues/rock; 1 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch. com/events

Rocket 88, retro rock/pop/dance; 7 p.m., University Village Colorado, uvcshopping.com/concert-series.html.

Chuck Snow, singer-songwriter; 8 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns/events.

Thunder and Rain, folk/country; 8 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs.com.

SATURDAY, 7/1

The Arcadian Wild, “y’allternative rock,” with The Canary Intitiative; 8 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs.com.

The Dreaded Laramie, power-pop/ femmecore, with Shadow Work, The Sum Beaches; 8 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs.com.

Dueling Pianos, sing-along; 7 p.m., Boot Barn Hall, bootbarnhallco.com.

Jeremy Facknitz, “jazz-infused folk rock”; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

Qoncert Festival: ITZKC, hip-hop/rap, with Top Flite Empire, Ha$h, Swizzy B; 6 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks. com.

SAMVEGA, “psychedelic instrumentation, to doom, to gypsy, to blues and anywhere in between,” with

Briffaut, Glass Parade; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Slopeside, rock/blues/pop; 2 p.m., Cripple Creek District Museum, cripplecreekmuseum.com.

SUNDAY, 7/2

Blue Frog with Caleb Powell, singersongwriter; 6 p.m., Front Range Barbeque, frbbq.com/events

A Carpenter’s Daughter, mountain folk rock/Americana; 5 p.m., Goat Patch Brewing Company, goatpatchbrewing. com/events.

Olivia Harms, country ; 7 p.m., Brue’s Alehouse, bruesalehouse.com.

Let’s Make a Scene: Vocal Arts Festival, Opera Theatre of the Rockies, opera; 3 p.m., Packard Hall/CC, operatheatreoftherockies.org.

New Horizon Band, jazz; 7 p.m., Soda Springs Park; manitousprings.org.

Reckless & Blue, blues; 1 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com/ events

MONDAY, 7/3

Little London Winds: Ode to America, wind ensemble; 7 p.m., Soda Springs Park, Manitou, littlelondonwinds.org/ concerts/2023/summer.html.

Zero 9:36, rock/hip-hop/electronic; 7 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks. com.

TUESDAY, 7/4

Festival on the Fourth, local variety ; 4 p.m., Palmer Lake, awakepalmerlake. org.

Fourth of July Party: Wirewood Station, Americana, with Ryan Flores, Rafiel and the Roomshakers; starts at noon, Red Leg Brewing Company, redlegbrewing.com.

Fourth of July Pre-Fireworks Party: Mark’s Midnight Carnival Show, Colorado rock; 5 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns/events.

Live at Limbach!, Colorado musicians;

The Community Cultural Collective’s Cement Stage Series, a free Friday music and film fest, launches Friday, June 30, on the south side of City Aud with YDB of the Wu-Tang Clan and DJ Dice — DJ for Method Man and Redman.

PLAYING AROUND

11:30 a.m., Limbach Park, townofmonument.org.

The Moldy Figs, jazz/swing; 6 p.m., Bancroft Park, occpartnership.org.

Soul School, dance/pop/funk/rock/ R&B; 6 p.m., Vista Park, banninglewisranch.com/news-events.

Star Spangled Symphony: Colorado Springs Philharmonic ; 4:30 p.m., Pikes Peak Center, csphilharmonic.org.

WEDNESDAY, 7/5

Acoustic Hour, local musicians; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

Manitou Library Lawn Concert: The Mitguards, folk; 6 p.m., Manitou Carnegie Library, ppld.org/library-lawnconcerts

The Mississippi Mudders, “Traditional New Orleans-style Dixieland band”; 6

THE U.S. OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC EXPERIENCE

p.m., Broadmoor Community Church, broadmoorchurch.org/music-ministry.

The Red Mountain Boys, traditional bluegrass; 6:30 p.m., Front Range Barbeque, frbbq.com/events

THURSDAY, 7/6

Vince Converse & Big Brother, blues; 5:30 p.m., Bancroft Park, facebook. com/ColoradoSpringsBlues.

Dalonious Funk, jazz/funk /fusion; 7:30 p.m., Summa, dizzycharlies.com.

Grass it Up!, bluegrass; 6:30 p.m., Soda Springs Park; manitousprings.org.

Ozomatli, salsa/ jazz/funk/reggae/hiphop/rock , with Ryan Flores; 7 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

Sunset Patio Session: School of Rock, acoustic; 6 p.m., Boot Barn Hall, bootbarnhallco.com.

BIG GIGS

Upcoming music events

Singer-songwriter/rapper Ashnikko, whose debut album Weedkiller drops Aug. 25, will play Denver’s Mission Ballroom on Oct. 16.

Lyle Lovett, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, June 28

Nita Strauss, Bluebird Theater, Denver, June 28

The Head and the Heart, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, June 29

Dirty Heads, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, June 30

Faster Pussycat, Sunshine Studios

Live, June 30

311, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 1

Brothers Osborne, Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Englewood, July 1

Dead & Company, Folsom Field, Boulder, July 1-3

Blink-182, Ball Arena, Denver, July 3

Zero 9:36, Black Sheep, July 3

Blues Traveler, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 4

Bryan Adams with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Ball Arena, Denver,

July 6

Ozomatli, Black Sheep, July 6

Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Pikes Peak Center, July 7

The Avett Brothers, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 7-9

Ricardo Arjona, 1STBANK Center, Broomfield, July 9

Cloud Nothings, Marquis Theater, July 9

Sparks, Boulder Theater, Boulder, July 9

An Evening with Esperanza Spalding, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, July 11

Disturbed, Ball Arena, Denver, July 11

Grip, Black Sheep, July 11

Al Green and the Colorado Sympony, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 12

Paramore, Ball Arena, Denver, July 13

Continued at csindy.com

ONLY RIGHT HERE IN OLYMPIC CITY USA! Take a tour of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center and get a glimpse of the day in the life of a Team USA Athlete training for Olympic and Paralympic glory. Want the full Olympic & Paralympic experience? Check out the Podium Package and save big on visiting the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum here in Colorado Springs!

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center 1750 E. Boulder Street Colorado Springs, CO 719-866-4618

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum 200 S. Sierra Street Colorado Springs, CO 719-497-1234

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Veteran owned & operated

• Year Round Adult & Youth Indoor Soccer leagues.

• Award winning Upper 90 Tavern serving some of the best food & brews in the Springs.

• Year round youth sports camps & programs.

• Host to a variety of special events and activities for the community

• Available for birthday parties, group outings, corporate events and trainings, and so much more!

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U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center

POP ART KRYPTONITE

The Amazing Art Expo lacked any actual superpowers

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY NICK RAVEN | nick@csindy.com

‘GROSS,” SAYS THE young woman next to me as rain dribbles through the leaky awning above us. Roughly 50 of us were queued up outside the Colorado Springs Event Center waiting for the Amazing Art Expo to open in advance of a massive downpour.

The three-day touring exhibition came to my attention in a weird way. Usually, promoters email us directly about their upcoming shows and exhibits, but this popped up on my personal Facebook feed as a series of separate events (littered with misspellings) that all took place at the same time in the same venue. The expo’s website explains that by attracting fans of DC Comics, Disney animation, Dungeons & Dragons, Harry Potter and Star Wars separately, they reach a larger audience. Digging a little deeper, Facebook reviews of the Lakewood, Colorado-based exhibitor were mostly spam for bitcoin trading “experts.”

Honestly, the whole thing looked kinda sketchy. I was in.

Unlike other pop culture conventions of this ilk, there were no booths for individual artists, crafters and authors nor were there spaces for celebrity panels. Instead, this was a pop-up store of massproduced shrink-wrapped prints and canvases created by Amazing Art Expo laid upon a sea of tables. Amidst the muffled announcements of the emcee, I managed to snap a few photos before noticing

the ubiquitous “no photography” signage indicating that offenders would be “banished to Azkaban.”

But wandering past rows and rows of superheroes, Disney princesses and countless other pop culture-inspired artworks, it didn’t take long for reality to set in: As both a lifelong nerd and someone who consumes capital-A Art on a regular basis, I can say this was a mostly abysmal show. I often found myself stifling a laugh at the countless template-made “fictional figures taking dumps near open windows” prints for sale.

No, seriously.

Voldemort was taking a dump while reading a Dark Arts for Dummies book. Superman, wearing Batman briefs, seemed to be taking an especially painful dump because raging laser beams streamed from his eyes while Funko Pop! figures of Marvel superheroes looked on. (This must be a regular occurrence in the Fortress of Solitude because Superdog slept undisturbed nearby.) Boba Fett and Darth Vader were taking back-to-back dumps on neighboring canvases. As if tracing over a crude sketch by Rob Liefeld, all of them had disproportionately large torsos and tiny legs, too.

If popular fictional figures taking dumps wasn’t your thing, nearly every other artwork was a Mad Libs composite of fictional figures. In a kitchen scene, Spider-Man wears an apron emblazoned with Superman’s crest while cooking for

Mindful Being

Mindful Creativity

Meditation 719 427

Come explore and embrace your creative potential with a selection of workshops to help you find your calm, downtown at Cottonwood Center for the Arts.

Mindful Business

EXCEL MINDFULLY

The Batman v. Superman director’s cut (above). The crowd (below) did show up, but the expo still gave off odd vibes.

his superhero guests. Here’s Guardians of the Galaxy ’s Groot on the dance floor reenacting Saturday Night Fever Oh look, it’s Batman and the Joker riding a tandem bike in a park. Watch out: Hogwarts’ Professor Dumbledore has a stamp of LSD on his tongue ready to trip hella balls.

These were not inexpensive works, either: Individual 8.5-by-11-inch prints went for $40 — although you got a discount if you bought more than one — and larger canvas prints were a standard $295.

The offerings weren’t universally cringe-worthy, but there was also a strong lack of genuine artistic expression. From Lord of the Rings prints that looked like painted-over frames from the Peter Jackson films to the smattering of Disney-related compositions, there was some sense that any number of these works could’ve been generated in part or in whole by AI with very simple parameters. Nearly everything on display was uniform in style with overly detailed, hypersaturated compositions loaded to the gills with unnecessary references to other popular properties. Maybe the most interesting things on display were Summit Dice’s bespoke wares for tabletop gamers. At a glance, these artistic game dice are beautiful pieces of cast metal, but as soon as I rolled one on their table, my excitement waned. Not only were their intricately detailed dice extremely difficult to read and their prices pretty extraordinary ($20-$40 each with sets around $80-$100 online), but their machine-spiked dice were shaped like caltrops. This made them not only difficult to decipher, but physically painful to pick up and use.

But at the core of it all, the show exposed some cultural vulnerabilities

were a few cosplayers here, but the vibe was more garage sale than comic con. Admittedly, the $6 Harry Potterthemed Butterbeers were a highlight and probably the cheapest reason to dig out a debit card.

The reality is that fans of superheroes and Harry Potter and The Lion King shouldn’t have to settle for this. Clever creatives have spent most of a century turning superheroes from cheesy caped figures that come with packs of gum to Academy Award-winning blockbusters with nine-digit budgets. Here, they’re cut back down to cheap Family Guy-quality sight gags.

It’s not hard to imagine a juried tribute to pop culture filling any number of Westside and Downtown venues, even if it drowns out the original stories that are already being curated there. But who’s thinking about exhibiting art on Academy Boulevard, much less Powers Boulevard, much less near the airport? Amazing Art Expo kinda filled that artistic void, for better and worse.

I’m not saying there isn’t a market for

Your guide to events in the Pikes Peak region CALENDAR

HEADS-UP 1

Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon St., is making big changes. For those doing research, the Starsmore Center closes July 1, as does the Gen. William Jackson Palmer exhibit. July 22 is the last day to visit CSPM before an eightmonth closure, but an annex opens July 25 — just north at Plaza of the Rockies — with brand-new exhibits (watch Calendar for details). Learn more at cspm. org/a-historic-project.

HEADS-UP 2

This week’s Indy comes out at the very end of June’s art shows, so the listings below are a mix of those exhibits and deets on July’s First Friday openings.

ART EVENTS

Green Box Arts Festival, “[a] multi-week, multi-disciplinary cornucopia of arts performances, exhibitions, classes, camps, conversations and parties.” It kicks off Friday, June 30, and runs through July 15 at venues all over Green Mountain Falls. On offer will be everything from watercolor painting to performances by the Paul Taylor Dance Company, from informational hikes to live music to astronomy and s’mores. Head to greenboxarts.org for more information.

Cement Stage Series, presented by Community Cultural Collective, is a free summer music and film festival, “[a]ccessible to all with family-friendly activities & vendors bringing energy to the downtown COS area!” The first event, Friday, June 30, at 6 p.m.: “DJ Dice (Official DJ for Method Man and Redman), YDB of the [Wu-Tang] Clan along with D-Stylz and High Key featuring local drummer Devin Malloy.” Gates open at 5:30 p.m.; films (supported by IFSOC) at 6 p.m.; live music starts at 8; south side of Colorado Springs City Auditorium, 221 E. Kiowa St.; see tinyurl.com/CCCollective-events for more info.

ART EXHIBITS

45º Gallery, 2528 W. Colorado Ave., Suite B, 719-434-1214, 45degreegallery.com. Works by wood artisan Thomas Conter and painter Lorraine Danzo. Opens Friday, July 7, 5-8 p.m.

Art 1eleven Gallery, 111 E. Bijou St., 719493-5084, facebook.com/Art1elevenGallery. Large abstract acrylic paintings by Jesse Stockwell. Opens Friday, July 7, 4-9 p.m.; music by Your Dad’s Old 45s, 6-8 p.m.

Bella Art & Frame, 251 Front St., #11, Monument, 719-487-7691, bellaartandframe. com. An Ode to Colorado, work by fine art photographer Andrew Bailey. Opens Saturday, July 1; reception Thursday, July 20, 5-8 p.m.; through July 28.

The Bridge Gallery, 218 W. Colorado Ave., #104, 719-629-7055, thebridgeartgallery. com. Assemblage/Found Art, 2D and 3D art made from everyday objects and materials by Chris Alvarez, Dave Armstanich, Michael Cellan, John Lawson, Bob LeDonne, Marc Shereck and Phil Vallejo Through July 1.

JULY FOURTH CELEBRATIONS

Family Fourth at Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, “[e]xperience what life in a Civil War encampment would have been like and enjoy some watermelon. Listen to the Pikes Peak Brass Band or the Strings and Things dulcimer band and play carnival games with your kids and learn how to play Chicken Bingo. ... Hear historic speeches by General Palmer, President Theodore Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony and Katharine Lee Bates.” Tuesday, July 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 3105 Gateway Road; rockledgeranch.com/event/familyfourth-2.

Star Spangled Symphony Fourth of July community concert, presented by the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, with “traditional crowd pleasers like the National Anthem and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture along with an expanded lineup of patriotic favorites and fanfares.” Tuesday, July 4, 4:30 (doors open at 3); free, but registration required at csphilharmonic. org/july4th; Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.

Fourth of July Block Party at Green Box Arts Festival, featuring a Western

Swing dance class with Ormao Dance Company, music by Carlos Washington’s Steel Horse Swing and the Lilli Lewis Trio, catered barbecue at 5:30 p.m., and a nighttime water lantern launch. Tuesday, July 4, 5-9 p.m.; Farm Stand on Lake Street, Green Mountain Falls; see tinyurl.com/GreenBoxFourth for tickets and more info.

Red, White & ZOO! Special holiday Stroller Safari for ages 1-4 with an adult, “using the country’s flag colors to guide our learning! Some of these colors are easier to spot in nature than others.” Saturday, July 1, 10-11:30 a.m.; Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road; see tinyurl. com/Stroller-Fourth for registration and more info.

Palmer Lake Fun Run, “Run, skip, hop, gallop, lollygag or moon walk on July 4th with your friends and family to support Palmer Lake Elementary School ... 4-mile race begins at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 4, at the Palmer Lake Sante Fe Trailhead and ends in Monument in time for the parade.” Virtual option available; see tinyurl.com/ PalmerPark-run23 to sign up.

FIREWORKS DISPLAYS IN THE PIKES PEAK REGION

(All July 4 except where noted.)

• Springs area map, tinyurl.com/fireworks-23

• Statewide map, tinyurl.com/CO-kaboom

• Cripple Creek, visitcripplecreek.com/event/gold-camp-4th

• Florence, cityofflorence.colorado.gov/fourth-of-july-festival

• Palmer Lake, tinyurl.com/PalmerLake-fourth

• Fountain residents’ July 1 fireworks, tinyurl.com/Fountain-Fourth

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, 30 W. Dale St., fac. coloradocollege.edu. First Friday Art Party, July 7, 5-8 p.m. (free admission). Performance from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. by movement-based artist Eiko Otake and violinist David Harrington, followed by an artist talk with Philip Bither, senior curator for the performing arts, Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis. Art in Deco Lounge by Alan Baccarella/Wild Art of the Rockies; Roma Ransom will be playing in the lounge from, 5:30 to 7:30.

Commonwheel Artists Co-op, 719-6851008, 102 Cañon Ave., Manitou Springs, commonwheel.com. Cheers! Drink Up! — clay drinking vessels in four categories: Beer, Coffee, Tea and Spirits “More

than 20 potters from all over the state of Colorado contributing to this celebration of the drinking vessel.” Opening reception Friday, July 7, 5-8 p.m.; through July.

Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave., 719-520-1899, cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com. Forgive My Pop Heart, for it hides such vacuous sorrow, by poet and artist Jacqueline Viola Moulton. A solo “pop art show exploring that deep and still place underneath the shiny and palpable veneer of the exterior face that we present to the world.” Opening reception Friday, July 7, 5-8 p.m.; through July 29.

G44 Gallery, 121 E. Boulder St., 720-9510573, g44gallery.com. Windows by Shannon Mello: “Negative space is so often overlooked. The spaces between people

COMMUNITY FESTIVALS

Cripple Creek, all-day family activities, vendors, live music, donkeys, food and drink, all along Bennett Avenue; fireworks at about 9:30 p.m. — visitcripplecreek.com/event/gold-camp-4th.

Florence, with Wet n’ Dry Parade on Main Street at 10 a.m. (bring a water gun); duck derby at noon; live music, food and drinks and pool party from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Pioneer Park at East Third Street and North Pikes Peak Avenue; fireworks at 9 — cityofflorence. colorado.gov/fourth-of-july-festival.

Palmer Lake Festival on the 4th, with a beer garden, wine booth, food and gift vendors, kids’ dance party, face painting and cornhole; entertainment from the Renaissance Festival Street performers and live music by the Air Force Academy Band, Pikes Peak Highlanders Bagpipers and Mojo Filter Band, and a visit from the Air Force falcon and falconer. 4-10 p.m. (fireworks about 9:15 p.m.); free; Palmer Lake Centennial Park — awakepalmerlake.org/festival-on-the-fourth.

Tri-Lakes, all-day fest includes pancake breakfast, parade, street fair, beer garden and live music — townofmonument.org/338/Tri-Lakes-4th-of-July.

Woodland Park: Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration, with food, games, patriotic music by Woodland Park Wind Symphony, beer and cocktails. July 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; free; Memorial Park, 200 N. Park St. — tinyurl.com/WoodlandPark-4th.

in this room, ... spaces between trees and their branches. There are perfect little frames all around us creating these small viewfinders of a whole new world of composition.” Bird Brain by Robert Lococo: “The phrase came to being because it was assumed birds lacked intelligence. But there is beauty to being a cuckoo or a boob.” Opening reception, Friday, July 7, 5-9 p.m.; artist talks Thursday, July 20; 5:30 p.m.; through July.

Gallery 113, 125½ N. Tejon St., gallery113cos.com, 719-634-5299. July’s show features Irv Middlemist’s mixed-media paintings and Mary Gorman’s paintings on silk Opening Friday, July 7, 5-8 p.m.

The Garfield Gallery, 332 E. Willamette Ave., 719-227-8836, garfieldgallery.com.

July’s show features works by Pikes Peak Arts Council members in multiple mediums. Opening reception Friday, July 7, 5-9 p.m.

GOCA (UCCS/Galleries of Contemporary Art), Xi Zhang/Exit: Childhood, “affords an opportunity to take stock of the enormous evolution in Zhang’s work through the single largest collection of paintings from within the Metallic Leaf Garden series delivered to the public to date.” Closes July 1; Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave., 719-255-3504, gocadigital.org.

Kreuser Gallery, 125 E. Boulder St., 719464-5880, kreusergallery.com. Playful Resistance: Play and Beauty as Acts of Creative Resistance — the batik work of Beth and Jonathan Evans and sculpture by Maria Battista. Murmurations, new work by April Dawes , “acknowledges the human need for connection and confronts the haunting loneliness, loss and longing for community in my life, over the last several years.” La Soma, works by Foster and Daniel Romano. Artist talks: July 19, 5:30 p.m., Maria Battista, Beth and Johnathan Evans; July 27, 5:30 p.m., April Dawes and Daniel and Foster Romano. Opening reception: Friday, June 7, 5-9 p.m.; through July 28.

The Look Up Gallery, 11 E. Bijou St. (inside Yobel), thelookupgallery.com. New works by Rachel Dinda, “a multidisciplinary artist who draws inspiration from graffiti, art nouveau and marine biodiversity.” Opening reception Friday, July 7, 5-9 p.m.

Manitou Art Center, 513/515 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, 719-685-1861, manitouartcenter.org. Hiraeth: A Longing for Home That Never Was, K8E Orr’s “stories of being raised by an untreated schizophrenic mother.” In the Hagnauer Gallery through July 1.

Portraits of Manitou by C.H. Rockey, features original town views and significant historical buildings. Manitou Springs Heritage Center, 517 Manitou Ave.; manitouspringsheritagecenter.org; through November.

Surface Gallery, 2752 W. Colorado Ave., surfacegallerycos.com. 4D Vision: A capsule exhibit by Claire Swinford: “Her current bodies of work explore, respectively, feminist world-building and liminality through the trope of textiles; and deconstructing the concept of a shared past through the nostalgic visual cues of Kodachrome slide decks.” Fear & Fortitude: A Journey in Geometric Abstraction by Rachel Espenlaub (artist talk July 18): “a collection of paintings about determination and overcoming fear.” Opening reception, Friday, July 7, 5-9 p.m.; through July 28.

Through Our Eyes, art from the frontlines of the foster care system, featuring artwork from Kids Crossing foster youths, foster families/parents, caseworkers, therapists and home coordinators. Opens Saturday, July 1, and runs through July 31; PPLD’s Penrose Library 21c, 20 N. Cascade Ave., 719-531-6333, kidscrossing.com.

CALENDAR

True North Art Gallery, 31 E. Bijou St., 210842-2476, truenorthartgallery.com. True North After Dark, “all new work by 16 member artists.” Friday, July 7, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

UCCS Downtown, 102 S. Tejon St., downtown.uccs.edu/our-space. Pikes Peak Arts Council member show with tattoo artist/ painter Sole Junkie. Opening reception Friday, July 7, 5-9 p.m.

ZoneFIVE, 1902 E. Boulder St., zonefivecs.com. Idiom: Works by Warren Arcila, “a collection of paintings, drawings, and sculptures created throughout the years.” Opening reception, Friday, July 7, 5-8 p.m.; through August.

FILM

Indie Spirit Film Festival, 60 films across three days, Friday-Sunday, July 7-9, spread over two venues — Ivywild School Gym, 1604 S. Cascade Ave.; and Millibo Art Theatre, 1626 S. Tejon St. “ISFF is about filmmakers, audiences and film professionals establishing a relationship and supporting independent film.” See tinyurl.com/ Indie-Spirit-23 for the schedule, tickets and more info.

KIDS & FAMILIES

Pikes Peak Culture Pass program, use your Pikes Peak Library District library card to get discounts or free admission to area attractions — everything from Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum to the Space Foundation Discovery Center to ProRodeo Hall of Fame. See ppld.org/ Discountdays for more info.

PPLD Summer Adventure, Pikes Peak Library District offers a truly massive list of activities for young people ages 0 to 18. Runs through July 31; register an individual, family, class or group for free at ppld.org/ summerkids or download the app.

Summer of Discovery: Back to the Moon, workshops best suited to kids ages 6-12. Saturdays through Aug. 5. Space Foundation Discovery Center, 4425 Arrowswest Drive; see discoverspace.org/summer-ofdiscovery for fees and other info.

OUTDOOR REC

Dreama Team, a documentary about Dreama Walton — “a mom, employee and ultrarunner, as she reflects on the value of ‘Struggle’ while competing in America’s biggest 100-mile race.” Premieres Wednesday, July 5 at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers; Chapman Recital Hall, Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave.; see tinyurl.com/Dreamatickets for tickets and more info.

Star Party at Mueller State Park, “The Colorado Springs Astronomical Society will bring their telescopes and give you a fabulous tour of the night sky! Bring a chair and blanket.” Friday, June 30, 8:3010:30 p.m.; meet at the visitor center; park entrance fee required; 21045 Highway 67 South, Divide; 719-687-2366, cpw.state. co.us/placestogo/parks/Mueller.

continued on p. 18 ➔

CALENDAR

THE NIGHT SKY

Astronomy & S’mores, at the Green Box Arts Festival: “The Colorado Springs Astronomical Society returns with their state-of-the-art telescopes. Join the experts for some informative stargazing, then retreat to the fire circle at The Outlook Lodge to make your own s’mores.” Friday, July 7, 9-10:30 p.m.; Lakeview Terrace, 10580 Foster Ave., Green Mountain Falls; see greenboxarts.org/events/astronomy-smores-2023 for registration and more info.

➔ continued from p. 17

SOUNDS WEIRD, I’M IN

Six Feet Under Horror Fest, the birth of Horror Shorts, “this celebration of emerging cinematic visionaries features over 3 hours of the absolute best in independent horror cinema curated by the founders of Six Feet Under — interactive entertainment, scary movie trivia, creepy prizes and Q&As with filmmakers.” Hosted by Dr. Leon Kelly and Dr. Dan. Sunday, July 9, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Roadhouse Cinemas, 3030 N. Nevada Ave.; see sixfeetunderhorrorfest.com/ for tickets and more info.

Glowing Paddleboard Yoga (GLOWGA), “class begins with the setting sun and concludes with starlight. We illuminate our boards with colorful LEDs to light our way on the lake. You can change the colors! During the practice, you will be guided through a gentle, flowing yoga sequence that connects movement with breath.” Friday, June 30, 7 p.m.; Quail Lake, 915 Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.; see dragonflypaddleyoga.com for more info.

THEATER

Taming of the Shrew, “Will’s original battle of wills, staged in an Elizabethan England every bit as stylized and strict as we always imagine it, with one key difference:

This society is a matriarchy.” Brought to you by Theatreworks, July 6-30; outdoors on the Ent Center lawn, 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays; indoors on Fridays, 7 p.m.; $10; Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater, 5225 N. Nevada Ave.; see entarts.org/tamingoftheshrew for tickets and more info.

Free-For-All: Pericles, PPLD and Theatreworks’ traveling (through July 1) production of the Shakespeare play: “a fast-paced journey of heroes, villains, shipwrecks, pirates, jousting and more.” Partial schedule of upcoming outdoor shows: George Fellows Park on behalf of East Library, Saturday, July 1, 10:30 a.m., 5550 N. Union Blvd. Green Box Arts, Saturday, July 1, 1 and 4 p.m., Mountain Corner, 10125 Chipita Park Road, Cascade.Kinship Landing, Friday, July 7, 6:30 p.m., 415 S. Nevada Ave. See tinyurl.com/TW-Pericles23 for more info.

All Trains Lead to Home, or Training Spaces, “the age-old story of a railroad town, Pleasant Creek, that is threatened by the shuttering of the railroad.” Iron Springs Chateau’s summer melodrama, which includes sing-alongs and a vaudeville-style musical revue. You can boo the villain and cheer the hero Friday and Saturday evenings through Sept. 23; 444 Ruxton Ave., Manitou Springs; ironspringschateau.com.

Courtesy Green Box

FAIR AND UNBALANCED

By Mike Littwin Courtesy The Colorado Sun

THAT BOEBERT-GREENE CAT FIGHT

IN NORMAL TIMES — IF SUCH times ever actually existed — the recent confrontation on the House floor between Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene would hardly qualify as news.

We’ve seen it all before. Playing to the crowd, especially when a TV camera — even if it’s only a C-SPAN camera — is nearby, is what they do. It’s who they are. And, according to Boebert, it’s basically the job — at least when it includes impeaching Joe Biden, for which God has chosen her. (God, as Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank noted, was not immediately available for comment.)

The reason it matters is not because Greene called Boebert “a little bitch,” although she did. Come on, it’s not as if swearing, or ugly confrontation for that matter, is unheard of in the House chamber.

you. But you’ve been nothing but a little bitch to me,” Greene apparently told Boebert on the House floor. “And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to co-sponsor them.”

Instead of joining with Greene, Boebert did introduce her own articles of impeachment. Not only did she introduce her own articles, she used what is called a “privileged resolution,” a parliamentary tactic that forces the House to vote on a resolution within two days.

Greene — who split with Boebert by siding with Kevin McCarthy when Boebert was trying to derail his bid to become speaker — called her a “copycat” as well as the B-word. When asked about it, Boebert replied that she was no longer in middle school. (And, yes, she did go all the way through middle school.)

Greene, along with Rep. Elise Stefanik, introduced bills Thursday that would expunge Trump’s impeachments. In other words, the bills would unimpeach Trump. I’m surprised that neither used House privilege. Maybe they’re saving that for future bills trying to expunge Trump’s indictments.

And not because there are still people — misogyny alert here — who enjoy watching two women engage in what would inevitably be called, at least on my Twitter feed, a cat fight.

It matters only once you understand why Boebert and Greene — once allies in the cause of creating right-wing spectacle — were at each other’s throats as their House colleagues looked on in either horror or, just guessing here, barely stifled amusement.

Here goes: It turns out, as Greene would later confirm, they were fighting over which one should get credit for forcing an impeachment vote against Biden, this time for the alleged chaos on the Southern Border. Greene was angry that Boebert, using a legislative parlor trick, had jumped in front of her in line.

Yes. Of course. What else?

The fight was not over whether one had the better case to make against Biden — it would be difficult, given that there is no such case — but who would get the headline, and the coveted Fox News/ Breitbart/Newsmax interviews and the resulting fundraising bonus.

“I’ve donated to you, I’ve defended

Boebert’s stunt was absurd, of course. It would mean an impeachment vote without any committee hearings. Without any testimony. Without any evidence. Without any smoking gun, although Boebert does have a wide range of weaponry in her personal armory to choose from.

It would basically be an admission that Republicans didn’t believe they had to have an actual case against Biden, much less one involving high crimes and misdemeanors, in order to impeach him.

Mostly, it would be an admission that these are not, as Logan Roy would say, serious people.

WE ALL KNEW THAT ONCE

Republicans took control of the House, they would attempt to exact revenge for Donald Trump’s two impeachments by impeaching anyone in sight — especially, but not exclusively, Biden. Greene, who first introduced articles of impeachment against Biden on the day after he was inaugurated, actually has put forth five impeachment resolutions during this session of Congress alone.

But Boebert’s move was an impeachment step too far. Speaker McCarthy persuaded Boebert to back down on the vote by promising her that he would send her resolution to the House Oversight Committee. Which the House did the next day with a straight party-line vote.

Meanwhile, McCarthy stood by as

If you think impeachments are a contagion, just wait. It won’t be long before the House’s rightwing Freedom Caucus begins a run of privileged resolutions, grabbing control from McCarthy as to what legislation makes it to the floor. It was already used to censure Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff — just before Boebert offered her resolution — for his part in investigating Russia’s role in Trump’s 2016 election.

Boebert called backing down a win, and McCarthy, who is hanging on to his speakership by a handful of votes, was in no position to say otherwise.

The truth is a vote on Boebert’s resolution would have amounted to little more than embarrassment. Not for Biden necessarily, but mostly for those House Republicans from swing districts where full-on lunacy isn’t necessarily appreciated and for whom a blind impeachment vote, whichever way they decided to go, would be a lose-lose proposition.

And while Boebert is beyond embarrassment, could this latest grab for attention, just possibly, just maybe, put her seat in jeopardy, too?

Am I being overly optimistic here? I don’t mean that this particular stunt, or the confrontation, would bring matters to a head. I mean that Boebert, as you’ll recall, won reelection last November by just over 500 votes against Adam Frisch, who ran with almost no help from national Democrats.

If you don’t remember, after the vote was counted and then recounted, Boebert, looking at her close call, said she hoped to turn down the temperature this term. And yet, in the summer swelter,

she’s still all about turning up the heat, even as Democrats are now targeting her seat in the 2024 election in their attempt to regain control of the House.

What can voters in Boebert’s Republican-leaning 3rd Congressional District be thinking? How much is too much? Are there any limits?

Let’s just say that Boebert is apparently willing to see. She has said that if the Oversight Committee slow-walks her resolution, she will be back on the floor with another privileged impeachment resolution.

In fact, as she left the House floor last Wednesday, she said she would bring back her resolution every day until the House agrees to act. Day after day after legislative day.

Of course, there could come a time — not that you should bet your house on it — when, for Boebert, those days may have come and gone.

Mike Littwin’s column was produced for The Colorado Sun , a reader-supported news organization committed to covering the people, places and policies of Colorado. Learn more at coloradosun.com.

Right-wing spectacle-monger Rep. Lauren Boebert: How much is too much?

The fight was [over] WHO WOULD GET THE HEADLINE, and the coveted Fox News/ Breitbart/Newsmax interviews...

Gage

Skidmore

Bob McLaughlin, executive director of Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center and a 28-year military veteran, will share the challenges of overseeing a

July 12 4:30 - 6 p.m.

2460 Montebello Square Drive

Scan QR code above to purchase tickets or visit CSBJ.com/events

Presented by:

LOWDOWN

By Jim Hightower jimhightower.com

SUPREME COURT FINANCIAL ETHICS:

‘TRUST US’

YEARS AGO, A TEXAS lawmaker got caught using his official position to enrich himself by taking money from special interests in exchange for voting their way. The culprit did not deem this corrupt, but just the normal ethic of an enterprising business transaction: “I seen my chances,” he explained, “and I took ’em.”

But Thomas knew damn well that it was improper, corrupting and disgusting. After all, during the last three decades, he has consistently voted for court rulings to make such obvious graft legal. For example, he has voted again and again to drain common sense from our anti-corruption laws, declaring that it is legal for a corporation to keep a public official on private retainer, that it’s OK for political officials to sell access to their offices, that the “appearance of corruption” is not corrupt — and, directly relevant to Harlan Crow, Thomas voted that it is technically not bribery to try influencing public officials by bestowing a series of gifts to them over time. [Read more about Clarence Thomas’ undisclosed gratuities at propublica.org.]

This is the Clarence Thomas code of ethics. As has been widely reported, this Supreme Court judge (who reliably rules for corporate supremacy over the people’s interests) has secretly been on the take for years from a billionaire corporate right-winger. Real estate tycoon Harlan Crow, an extremist activist for plutocratic government, has been lavishing millions of dollars’ worth of luxury vacations, private jet travel, family housing, school tuition and other gratuities on Thomas.

Yet, this supposedly supreme lawyer says he detected no whiff of bribery, nor did he see any need to inform us commoners of it. He simply seen his chances and took ’em.

ONE

BOTTOM-LINE MEASURE

OF character that is central to the court’s integrity is financial ethics. This simply requires the judges to file annual reports to reveal any sources of outside income and gifts, thus providing some minimal assurance to regular folks that their eminences are not taking personal payments from moneyed interests seeking favorable court rulings.

But unlike all other top government officials, Supreme Court justices have a loosey-goosey system for reporting financial conflicts of interest. It’s called: “Trust us.”

Take Chief Justice John Roberts, who poses as a paragon of judicial independence while aggressively pressing an agenda of corporate supremacy over the Common Good. While he’s not known to take payments from corporate interests — his wife does. Jane Sullivan Roberts has been paid millions of dollars in commissions to recruit lawyers for firms that have business before Justice Roberts. Yet, until this special interest enrichment of his family was recently uncovered, Roberts never mentioned it in his annual reports.

Every federal official must agree to abide by a code of ethical behavior — with the exception of nine officials who have exempted themselves, saying “Trust us.”

Since the court refuses to fix itself, the people must. Go to fixthecourt.com.

Orhan Çam / stock.adobe.com

nonprofit tasked with serving those who’ve served.

PUZZLES

All words to be constructed pertain to the topic to the right. To your advantage one word has already been traced. You must trace the three remaining words, using only the letters designated by the darkened circles. Words may begin and end from either column but each letter can only be used once.

Each puzzle has a difficulty rating (right). Four stars signify the highest degree of difficulty.

Given to the right are the point values for each word. Your words must correctly match these point values.

MINI SUDOKU X

SUDOKU X

58 Rapper with the 2010 hit “No Hands” 63 High point 64 “___ we there yet?” 65 Spiteful feeling 66 Headquarters 67 Dedicated poem

68 Where to find the starts of 17-, 28-, 45and 58-Across?

Down

1 Parts of some smiles

2 You can open it with a twist

3 Peddle

4 “Haha”

5 Cheer for a matador

6 Khmer temple

7 Phrase of clarification

8 Ideal scenario

9 Toadstool topper 10 Product of solar steeping 11 Nook in a church 12 Academic acronym

13 ___ d’oeuvres

18 “The Banana Boat Song”

19 Last thing to go in a pocket, one hopes

23 Big name in speakers

24 Plastic grass

25 Group whose “Butter” video was the fastest to reach 100 million views on YouTube (2021)

27 Obama health legislation, for short

28 Dead duck

29 Yuzuru ___, first skater to successfully land a quadruple loop in competition

30 Bat an eye, say

31 Certain explosive, informally

32 Assert

33 Otherwise

34 Funky bit of noodling

38 Something agreed upon by consenting sexual partners

40 Greek god of love

43 Word with angry or flash

44 Cartoon frame

46 Alpine climber’s tool

47 Bit of hair

50 Home test kit component

County north of San Francisco 52 Just gets (by) 54 Beverage brand whose mascot is a polar bear in a sweater 55 Mangle, e.g. 56 Community pool org. 57 “I’ve ___ thinking …” 59 Dweller on the Mekong River 60 Bass booster 61 Sky safety org. 62 Inc. cousin

News of the WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Thong and cheek

Protesters at the Massachusetts Statehouse bared more than their souls as they demonstrated against climate change on June 15, according to an NBC-10 Boston report. Shouts began to rain down from the public gallery just after 1 p.m. from eight members of Extinction Rebellion, an international environmental movement, followed by a warning: “We are going to be mooning you ... You can look away if you wish.” At that point, the octet turned their backs on the senators and dropped trou, revealing pink thongs and bare buttocks emblazoned with the words “stop passing gas.” The protesters continued with chants of “You’re a senator, not an ass, why are you still passing gas,” and “Butts out for climate” for about an hour before they were arrested and escorted out of the chamber.

Medical error

Relatives were mourning Bella Montoya, 76, at her wake in Ecuador on June 9 when they heard strange sounds coming from the coffin. “There were about 20 of us there,” the woman’s son, Gilberto Barbera, said. “After about five hours of the wake, the coffin started to make sounds.” The supposedly deceased had been declared dead the Martin Icaza Hospital in Babahoyo earlier that day, but that evening, “my mom was wrapped in sheets and hitting the coffin, and when we approached we could see that she was breathing heavily,” Barbera said. Mon-

toya was rushed back to the hospital, but the Associated Press reported that she died after seven days in intensive care. Ecuador’s Health Ministry has launched an investigation into the incident.

Up in smoke

A dispensary in Baltimore faces fines for blowing smoke ... literally. WMAR-2 in Baltimore reported that the Cookies dispensary opened May 27, only to be shut down less than a week later after a surprise inspection revealed a laundry list of violations, including “large plumes of medical cannabis smoke being blown from a large gun apparatus into the mouths of persons outside the dispensary,” according to the suspension notice. Cookies is part of a franchise, and Cookies San Francisco was the first to utilize a “Flame Thrower” smoke blower, created by Jeff Dick of Colorado. The blower has since become part of the Cookies brand.

Money movers

Police in Clintonville, Ohio, are on the hunt after brazen thieves used a U-Haul truck to rip a safe out of a drive-thru ATM in the early hours of June 15. WCMH-TV reported that the suspects used a chain secured to the truck to pull the safe free of the machine, then absconded in a getaway vehicle, leaving the U-Haul behind. Authorities had no description of the other vehicle or how much money the thieves stole, but they believe at least two suspects were involved.

WHITE’S BEST MOVE?

Ww________w ákdwdwdsd] àdsdsdsdw] ßsgwdNdwd] Þdpdqdpdw] Ýs)wdsdpd] Üdsdwdw)w] ÛNdwdwdsI] ÚdQdwdwds] sÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈs

BLACK’S BEST MOVE?

CHESS QUIZ

ORKERS FOR AMERICAN PLATE GLASS IN SUNAPEE, New Hampshire, learned an important lesson about locking up their valuables on June 14, but it wasn’t at the hands of the typical thief, and the valuables weren’t the usual tools or construction materials. Curtis Fidler was working on-site when he noticed movement in his peripheral vision: “I turn and it was a bear nonchalantly just having lunch in the front seat of the truck.” The bear enjoyed all of the snacks it could find, left the truck and disappeared into the woods. Fidler FaceTimed his mother-in-law, Melinda Scott, who watched the encounter live and later told WHDH-7 News that “There is not a single scratch on the box truck. He did no damage. He just had lunch and took a nap.”

Hint: Better than Qxe7ch. Solution: 1. Qc5ch! Ka4 2. b3 mate!

Hint: Force checkmate. Solution: 1. ... Qd2ch! 2. Kh1 Qh6ch! 3. Kg2 Qh3 mate.

CHESS QUIZ w________w ásdsdsdsd] à0pdshs0p] ßsdwdpdsd] Þdsdsds!w] Ýsis)wdsd] Üdsdsds)s] ÛP)sdsdKd] Údsds1wds] sÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈs CHESS QUIZ CHESS QUIZ

w________w ásdwdwdsd] à0sdwisHs] ßPdwhwdsd] Þdpds0pdp] Ýw)w0wdb)] ÜdwdPdB)w] ÛsdsdwIsd] Údwdsdwdw] sÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈs

w________w áwdwdkdwd] àdw)bdw0w] ßpdw!w0w0] ÞdwdBdwdw] Ýwdwdw)wd] Üdw)wdwdq] ÛwIPdwdwd] Údwdwdwdw]

WHITE HAS A CRUSHER Hint: Unleash the c-pawn. Solution: 1. Bc6! (threatening c8=Qch) etc.

Tuesdays 7-10PM • Acacia Apts 104 E Platte • 685-1984

w________w árdwdrdwd] àdbhn1wgk] ßpdwdw0pd] Þdwdwdwdp] ÝwdBdPHw)] ÜdwHwGwdw] Ûw)wdw!Pd] Ú$wdwdRIw] sÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈs

Free Will ASTROLOGY

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): Hexes nullified! Jinxes abolished! Demons banished! Adversaries outwitted! Liabilities diminished! Bad habits replaced with good habits! These are some of the glorious developments possible for you in the coming months, Cancerian. Am I exaggerating? Maybe a little. But if so, not much. In my vision

of your future, you will be the embodiment of a lucky charm and a repository of blessed mojo. You are embarking on a phase when it will make logical sense to be an optimist. Can you sweep all the dross and mess out of your sphere? No, but I bet you can do at least 80 percent.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the book Curious Facts in the History of Insects, Frank Cowan tells a perhaps legendary story about how mayors were selected in the medieval Swedish town of Hurdenburg. The candidates would set their chins on a table with their long beards spread out in front of them. A louse, a tiny parasitic insect, would be put in the middle of the table. Whichever beard the creature crawled to and chose as its new landing spot would reveal the man who would become the town’s new leader. I beg you not to do anything like this, Leo. The decisions you and your allies make should be grounded in good evidence and sound reason, not blind chance. And please avoid parasitical influences completely.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I rebel against the gurus and teachers who tell us our stories are delusional indulgences that interfere with our enlightenment. I reject their insistence that our personal tales are distractions from our spiritual work. Virgo author A.S. Byatt speaks for me: “Narration is as much a part of human nature as breath and the circulation of the blood.” I love and honor the stories of my own destiny, and I encourage you to love and honor yours. Having said that, I will let you know that now is an excellent time to jettison the stories that feel demoralizing and draining — even as you celebrate the stories that embody your genuine beauty. For extra credit: Tell the soulful stories of your life to anyone who is receptive.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the Mayan calendar, each of the 20 day names is associated with a natural phenomenon. The day called Kawak is paired with rainstorms. Ik’ is connected with wind and breath. Kab’an is earth, Manik’ is deer, and Chikchan is the snake. Now would be a great time for you to engage in an imaginative exercise inspired by the Mayans. Why? Because this is an ideal phase of your cycle to break up your routine, to reinvent the regular rhythm, to introduce innovations in how you experience the flow of time. Just for fun, why not give each of the next 14 days a playful nickname or descriptor? This Friday could be Crescent Moon, for example. Saturday might be Wonderment, Sunday can be Dazzle Sweet, and Monday Good Darkness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): From 998 till 1030, Scorpio-born leader Mahmud Ghaznavi ruled the vast Ghaznavid empire, which stretched from current-day Iran to central Asia and northwestern India. Like so many of history’s strong men, he was

obsessed with military conquest. Unlike many others, though, he treasured culture and learning. You’ve heard of poet laureates? He had 400 of them. According to some tales, he rewarded one wordsmith with a mouthful of pearls. In accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you to be more like the Mahmud who loved beauty and art and less like the Mahmud who enjoyed fighting. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to fill your world with grace and elegance and magnificence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): About 1,740 years ago, before she became a Catholic saint, Margaret of Antioch got swallowed whole by Satan, who was disguised as a dragon. Or so the old story goes. But Margaret was undaunted. There in the beast’s innards, Margaret calmly made the sign of the cross over and over with her right hand. Meanwhile, the wooden cross in her left hand magically swelled to an enormous size that ruptured the beast, enabling her to escape. After that, because of her triumph, expectant mothers and women in labor regarded Margaret as their patron saint. Your upcoming test won’t be anywhere near as demanding as hers, Sagittarius, but I bet you will ace it — and ultimately garner sweet rewards.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricornborn Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) was an astronomer and mathematician who was an instrumental innovator in the Scientific Revolution. Among his many breakthrough accomplishments were his insights about the laws of planetary motion. Books he wrote were crucial forerunners of Isaac Newton’s theories about gravitation. But here’s an unexpected twist: Kepler was also a practicing astrologer who interpreted the charts of many people, including three emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. In the spirit of Kepler’s ability to bridge seemingly opposing perspectives, Capricorn, I invite you to be a paragon of mediation and conciliation in the coming weeks. Always be looking for ways to heal splits and forge connections. Assume you have an extraordinary power to blend elements that no one else can.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Dear Restless Runaway: During the next 10 months, life will offer you these invitations: 1) Identify the land that excites you and stabilizes you. 2) Spend lots of relaxing time on that land.

3) Define the exact nature of the niche or situation where your talents and desires will be most gracefully expressed.

4) Take steps to create or gather the family

you want. 5) Take steps to create or gather the community you want.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’d love you to be a deep-feeling, free thinker in the coming weeks. I will cheer you on if you nurture your emotional intelligence as you liberate yourself from outmoded beliefs and opinions. Celebrate your precious sensitivity, dear Pisces, even as you use your fine mind to reevaluate your vision of what the future holds. It’s a perfect time to glory in rich sentiments and exult in creative ideas.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Visionary author Peter McWilliams wrote, “One of the most enjoyable aspects of solitude is doing what you want when you want to do it, with the absolute freedom to change what you’re doing at will. Solitude removes all the ‘negotiating’ we need to do when we’re with others.” I’ll add a caveat: Some of us have more to learn about enjoying solitude. We may experience it as a loss or deprivation. But here’s the good news, Aries: In the coming weeks, you will be extra inspired to cultivate the benefits that come from being alone.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The 18thcentury French engineer Étienne Bottineau invented nauscopy, the art of detecting sailing ships at a great distance, well beyond the horizon. This was before the invention of radar. Bottineau said his skill was not rooted in sorcery or luck, but from his careful study of changes in the atmosphere, wind and sea. Did you guess that Bottineau was a Taurus? Your tribe has a special capacity for arriving at seemingly magical understandings by harnessing your sensitivity to natural signals. Your intuition thrives as you closely observe the practical details of how the world works. This superpower will be at a peak in the coming weeks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): According to a Welsh proverb, “Three fears weaken the heart: fear of the truth; fear of the devil; fear of poverty.” I suspect the first of those three is most likely to worm its way into your awareness during the coming weeks. So let’s see what we can do to diminish its power over you. Here’s one possibility: Believe me when I tell you that even if the truth’s arrival is initially disturbing or disruptive, it will ultimately be healing and liberating. It should be welcomed, not feared.

HOMEWORK: Find a way to sing as loudly and passionately as possible sometime soon. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.

to

to check out Rob Brezsny’s EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES and DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPES. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

Pathways Focus Military

The city is ripe with opportunities for veterans transitioning to civilian life

BY SARAH MCMAHON

Every month, roughly 500 active-duty military members transition from service into civilian life here in Colorado Springs. For those service members, finding employment is a critical step in the process — and not always an easy one. With a growing number of training programs, internships, college credits and resources, veterans now have clearer paths toward civilian careers.

Local institutions like Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center and Pikes Peak State College provide a variety of services and educational pathways as well as assistance in job training and placement for vets. But, a number of locally owned businesses and organizations do the same.

With the vast need for employees in all fields, now is a good time for veterans to pursue new career goals. Employers recognize the qualities that come with military service — character, community and discipline — and report wanting more veteran employees.

“Veterans make good employees. They just have that grit that people who haven’t served that are young, often don’t have — that comes with some life experience,” says Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, psychiatric nurse practitioner and founder of Mentally STRONG, a mental health center.

There are many potential avenues in the community for veterans, but here is a focused look at a few growing career tracks.

MENTAL HEALTH

Bundukamara knows firsthand the challenges that come with military life and living with grief. A veteran herself, and someone who has suffered multiple family traumas, Bundukamara has transformed her healing process into a breakthrough practice — the Mentally STRONG method — in her mental health center of the same name.

She was a United States Army medic before completing nursing school and becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner in 2000. She encourages vets who gravitate toward the mental health field to pursue their interest because veterans make good mental health practitioners.

“Veterans are very resilient by nature, and they could potentially learn how to take care of themselves,” Bundukamara says. “I am passionate about teaching people how to take care of themselves.”

While some avenues in behavioral and mental health may require advanced degrees, not all do. The field is vast, and there are positions available with short training programs, certifications or licensing.

“One area you could probably go straight into without a degree is ABA, which is applied behavioral analysis,”

Bundukamara says. “It’s a 40-hour training. I know that there’s plenty of places in town that are looking for behavioral technicians.”

Other possibilities include psychoeducational counselors, nursing assistants, psych techs and medical assistants. For those pursuing the higher-education track, Bundukamara’s center hires students who are working toward their advanced degrees. Mentally STRONG will also hire medical assistants they train to be nursing assistants.

“I think that I think the biggest thing is to not give up. Oftentimes, we you know, we get all of these resources from us and we try one or two and it maybe doesn’t necessarily work for us,” Bundukamara says. “But don’t give up on your personal journey of joy and happiness. It’s a huge transition out of the military.”

CYBERSECURITY & COMPUTER SCIENCE

Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center specializes in behavioral health and wellness, supportive services, connection to community resources, and hosting safe events. It also provides job training and employment assistance for transitioning service members.

Cybersecurity is a burgeoning field that hasn’t found its limit yet, and Mt. Carmel works with local entities and hosts educational programs that can help vets get into the industry.

“We’re partnered with a lot of organizations that do cyber,” says Bob McLaughlin, executive director of Mt. Carmel. “And as you can imagine, people think about the word cyber, they don’t understand that the vastness that encompasses with computers, software and making sure systems are working and making sure they’re protected, especially in the defense industry. It’s pretty significant.”

For veterans interested in computer sciences, Mt. Carmel offers a list of licensing programs: technical support specialists, computer user support specialist, network support specialist, information security analyst, senior technical project manager, and computer hacking forensic investigator.

“Many of our partners are looking for military,” McLaughlin says. “They don’t have to be experts, but they can train them. There’s all kinds of levels of training and programs that we do here to help vets get trained in that specific arena.”

For McLaughlin, one of the biggest attributes of military service is the creation of character. “Anyone who has served adopts the values of duty, honor, respect for others,

personal courage, selfless service — those are ingrained in military members. And I would say that’s different than then your normal citizen,” he says.

“You can take the character of a military member and train them to be competent in whatever skill you need them to do. So, to me, that’s a good thing. And people should be encouraged by that.”

MARKETING

One way veterans can enter the marketing landscape is through Mt. Carmel’s service-to-communications program. Partnered with marketing firm, AdPro, Mt. Carmel provides the internship opportunity for vets to work for AdPro with the possibility of gaining full-time employment.

“We’ve had great experience with veteran employees and interns,” says Camille Blakely, president of AdPro. “Veterans and active military are a very significant part of our community. And therefore, you know, figuring out how to reach veterans and reach the military is an important part of any marketing plan here for any kind of client.”

Marketing is a wide and growing field, and there are many roles to fill. Programs in graphic design and communication are available at local colleges, but not all positions require degrees.

“The nice thing about marketing is really if you are a good communicator, and you can write and if you have other skills in the visual arts, whether it’s graphic design, or video, or audio work or social media, those are really excellent skills to have,” Blakely says.

For educational routes, Blakely recommends graphic design or digital marketing. “The graphic design department at Pikes Peak State College has a lot of people who are active in the marketing community in Colorado Springs,

continued on p. 27 ➔

stock.adobe.com

GOD BLESS AMERICA

REMEMBER THE 56

Celebrate them on Independence Day

July 4th

Of those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned, in each case with brutal treatment.

Several lost wives, sons, or entire families. One lost his 13 children. Two wives were brutally treated. All were at one time or another the victims of manhunts and driven from their homes. Twelve signers had their homes completely burned. Seventeen lost everything they owned. Yet not one defected or went back on his pledged word.

The 56 signers of Declaration of Independence proved by their every deed that they made no idle boast when they composed the most magnificent curtain line in history. “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY FROM ALL OF US AT

and so that’s a great place to get connections and get training,” she says.

Blakeley also recommends certificate programs in digital marketing, which can be done privately online. Google even has one.

“There’s a lot of opportunity here. As our community has grown, the advertising and marketing world has grown with it,” she says. “And because we have so much talent in this town, fewer clients are feeling the need to go to larger cities like Denver, and they’re finding all the talent they need here, which presents a lot of great opportunity for veterans here.”

HOSPITALITY

The local population boom is creating many positions in the hospitality industry. Melissa Svenby, director of operations at Altitude Hospitality Group, says they have many open positions and are willing to provide on-the-job training to the right employees.

Altitude Hospitality Group owns a number of restaurants and event centers across the city, providing job and staging opportunities for those interested in culinary arts and service: Garden of the Gods Market and Cafe, Garden of the Gods Catering and Events, Till, Till Express, Trainwreck, Vine & Wheel, The Pinery at the Hill, and The Pinery North.

Military experience can translate nicely into the hospitality field. For example, many military cooks can find solid employment in catering, as it is a special skill to feed large crowds. Hotel, restaurant and event security are other areas where military experience can be invaluable.

And Svenby says she’d be happy to see more veterans in AHG’s various restaurants. “I feel that people coming out of the military have a great discipline,” she says.

“I can’t speak for all, but the majority of the veterans that I have known are selfless. And I would assume to be in the military, you have to be able to multitask, have empathy, be a problem-solver — all of those things,” Svenby says.

“So, I think those skill sets can easily transform into food and beverage because hospitality is truly caring and taking care of others. And they’ve done that in the highest form. So, this is just a different avenue,” she says.

MILITARY EXPERIENCE TO COLLEGE CREDIT

Pikes Peak State College offers a Prior Learning Assessment program that awards college credit for work experience published on service members’ and veterans’ Joint Service Transcripts.

The PLA policy is part of the larger Colorado Community College System effort to offer veterans college credit for previous experience and training. The program has been in practice since 2015.

Gary Walker, director of Prior Learning Assessment at PPSC, shares his personal experience. “I always tell my own story, how I got out of the Navy and had no clue I could ask for credit for anything in college, much less get it approved,” he says. “I ended up receiving one physical education credit for completing Navy basic training, and I had to fight for that. It’s a much different world now for military students, thankfully.”

During their first semester, veterans can provide their JSTs to be reviewed by faculty in any discipline to be awarded college credit for prior experience.

“Due to the nature of military occupations and training, the vast majority of credits that are awarded from Military PLA are in the Career and Technical fields,” says Gail Bicknell, Fort Carson program manager and assistant direc-

tor of military and veterans programs at PPSC.

Selecting a degree program related to prior military occupation or training can fast-track students through programs. “Up to 75 percent of a degree course credit requirements can be fulfilled with PLA and/or transfer credits, with 25 percent of the credits required to be taken through PPSC,” Bicknell says.

“Our Military and Veterans Programs folks do an amazing job shepherding our military students through the process and helping them understand their options to get their requests to our registrar and eventually to our faculty,” Walker says.

MVP is currently working with the Colorado Springs Police Department to help veteran applicants earn PLA credits toward their Police Academy work. In addition, “the City of Colorado Springs Human Resources department has indicated they have a high number of veteran applicants,” Bicknell says, “and several have taken advantage of this opportunity to meet their career goals.” n CSBJ

Editor’s note: Starting next week, the Colorado Springs Business Journal will be partnering with Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center and Veterans Voice News Service to expand business coverage specifically for the local military community. Check back for more beginning July 5.

Disclosure: Sarah McMahon is employed by Pikes Peak State College.

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WHEN YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT REAL ESTATE

Don’t give up on your personal journey of joy and happiness.

— Dr. Cristi Bundukamara

BY AMELIA ALLEN |

5 Questions: Dylan Craddock

Dylan Craddock is the new program manager of creative economy at the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region — and the first person to hold the role. A graduate of Rhodes College and former Fulbright Scholar, Craddock was a fellow at El Pomar Foundation from 2021 to 2023, developing the skills — research, community development, project management — that will enhance her work at COPPeR.

What drew you to this position at COPPeR?

I really feel like Colorado Springs is an exceptional place for young professionals to not only find great careers, but also find thriving recreation and arts opportunities. That’s what really drove me to this position — because I want to help other people see this as a place where they can have not just a great job but a really high quality of life. You know, ‘Am I going to see a performance with my friends this weekend?’ Or, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn’t know there were so many free concerts all summer!’ Also, on another level, growing cities are the way of the future, specifically midsized cities. As a young professional I can address changes on the systemic level because there’s more opportunity to rethink development and ask, ‘What can a city look like as it grows?’

How do you see COPPeR, an arts and culture organization, impacting the growth of Colorado Springs?

Before working at COPPeR I worked as a fellow at El Pomar Foundation. One of the events that I designed from top to bottom was on demographics — specifically, bringing the State Demographer here to Colorado Springs, where she talked about census data and how different people can interpret it. You can have the numbers to prove you’re growing, but what does that growth actually mean? I think some people think of growth as a binary: You can be either anti-growth or pro-growth. But I think there’s probably a place in the middle, where you’re understanding that growth is potentially inevitable. We need to think about it differently so that people who live here are satisfied with their lifestyle, but also how are we going to think about it so

that people who are moving here want to stay here, and feel good about it, and find a community that includes them?

How do you think your past job experiences will translate into your new role at COPPeR?

I have been pretty much in nonprofit my entire career. But I’ve worked across the sector. My degree was international studies and Spanish. Nonprofit to me felt like the best way to do direct client work but also start to work at some systemic problems. I’m really driven by community development, which is why I was in social work roles. I don’t do social work because I have the skills to, I’m doing this because we’re in this together and we’re trying to solve problems. You know — walking with someone rather than in front of them.

You changed your plans from Peru to Colorado Springs when the pandemic hit. What was that like?

The pandemic totally threw my life out of whack. I tried to move to Peru — I had a Fulbright grant to teach English. I was going to do some research and I really saw my life moving towards more NGO think tank sort of work. That didn’t happen and I’m really glad it didn’t. March of 2020 I had to flee Peru and I worked at The Broadmoor, of all places. The reason I applied for the fellowship [at El Pomar] is because I was intrigued by being a really large grant maker but still having a program that was community development focused — the Regional Partnerships

Program. I also just knew that it would hopefully give me a better view of Colorado Springs because I didn’t go to college here.

You’re a Colorado Springs native. How have you seen the city change from your childhood to now?

[Back then] I wouldn’t have thought of Colorado Springs as somewhere that was particularly culturally vibrant. I definitely wouldn’t have thought of it as somewhere where you could get a lot of arts and entertainment opportunities. Outside of Old Colorado City and Downtown I wouldn’t have thought of it somewhere that you would find amazing art and shopping opportunities and restaurants and business opportunities. Then I moved back and COATI opens, Downtown Ventures started the [Holiday] Pop-Up Shop program, and Southeast Colorado Springs residents have accomplished so much with their advocacy efforts. I was fortunate enough to work on the opening of Panorama Park. I think people are thinking more about what a community can feel and be like. n CSBJ

“People are thinking more about what a community can feel and be like.”

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