Indy - Oct. 18, 2023 Vol 31. No. 41

Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | ALWAYS FREE

A PUBLICATION OF CITIZEN-POWERED MEDIA

Colorado Springs has the talent, equipment and world-class setting. So where’s all the action?

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CONTENTS

Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | Vol. 31, No. 41 Jared Davis

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

FILM COS: Colorado Springs has the talent, equipment and world-class setting. So where’s all the action?

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PUBLISHER

Fran Zankowski

NEWS COVER DESIGN BY Zk Bradley

EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Bryan Grossman MANAGING EDITOR Helen Lewis COPY EDITOR Mary Jo Meade SENIOR REPORTER Pam Zubeck CULTURE REPORTER Nick Raven CONTRIBUTORS Rob Brezsny, Kathryn Eastburn, Bill Forman, Jim Hightower, Mike Littwin, Matthew Schniper, Tom Tomorrow, Andrew “Shaggy” Warren ONLINE CONTRIBUTOR “Hiking Bob” Falcone

SALES

AD DIRECTOR Teri Homick ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Monty Hatch, Sean Cassady, David Jeffrey

ART AND PRODUCTION

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Zk Bradley, Rowdy Tompkins

D11: Some D11 board members hire PR firm with public funds ERASED: Racist covenant dating to 1941 stricken from record

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 11 12 12 13 14 17

GOCA’S NEW BOSS PLAYING AROUND FOO FOR THOUGHT BIG GIGS SIDE DISH CALENDAR

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OPINIONS 20 22

FAIR & UNBALANCED LOWDOWN

Nick Raven

Matthew Schniper

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CANDY 23 24 25

PUZZLE PAGE NEWS OF THE WEIRD ASTROLOGY

OPERATIONS

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Lanny Adams DIGITAL/SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Sean Cassady EVENTS, MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR Tracie Woods

Citizen-Powered Media Board PRESIDENT Ahriana Platten SECRETARY Ralph Routon EX OFFICIO John Weiss

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27 Check out content from this week’s Colorado Springs Business Journal and be sure to visit csbj.com for more...

CORRECTION: The Oct. 11 issue of the Indy incorrectly reported that the city’s police training academy ballot measure is a continuing increase in the city’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights cap.

The measure is a one-time retention request and, if voters approve, would not change the city’s TABOR cap. The Indy regrets the error.

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INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | NEWS

SPIN DOCTORS

Some D11 board members use public funds to hire PR firm ahead of elections

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T’S COMING UP ON A MONTH since Sept. 27’s contentious Colorado Springs School District 11 school board meeting, where board member Al Loma called a district parent names and told him he “should run for dog catcher.” The conflict arose over some members of the D11 board hiring an untested, politically connected public relations firm to boost positive opinions on board performance through election season.

Concerns within the district about those board members spending public funds — as well as their intentions behind the secretive PR firm hire — have only grown since.

During public comment at September’s meeting, Chris Wallis, D11 parent and former board director, excoriated “a select few members of the board” for joining with Superintendent Michael Gaal to pay out $40,000 of district discretionary funds (Gaal’s budget is $100,000) for a three-month public relations campaign running from August to just before the November election, when four D11 board seats are up for grabs. Those include the seats of board President Parth Melpakam and controversial board Vice President Jason Jorgenson. (Jorgenson last year faced calls for his resignation and was forced to apologize for posting an offensive transphobic meme, and has defended his anti-LGBTQ stance.)

Tsogt Research & Consulting LLC, the public relations business awarded the $40,000 contract, it turns out, was only incorporated in April and lists a residential address as its business location. District parents have raised concerns about the unknown firm’s qualifications and associations. “[This] certainly has the appearance of being ethically dubious when one scratches beneath the surface,” Wallis said in his public comment. “First, the firm allegedly has ties to political operatives and a specific political agenda. As board members, your commitment is to students first and politics never, should be unquestionable and beyond reproach.

“The period for which this firm was hired to do their work — and the fact that it perfectly aligns with the election cycle for which the board president and vice president are facing reelection — is a clear indicator that this effort is not about promoting our school district but about promoting a partisan school board,” Wallis added. “... D11 already has a fully staffed communications department that is more than capable of promoting the district in a positive, ethical and nonpar-

File photo

BY KATHRYN EASTBURN

Some called for Al Loma’s resignation in 2022 for alleged racist remarks.

tisan manner. The idea that the district has so much money that they are able to pay for allegedly political operatives for their own self-promotion — instead of investing those dollars in our students and teachers in the form of school supplies, recognition, or literally anything else — is appalling.”

As soon as Melpakam invited reports from board directors, Loma, who wasn’t named in Wallis’ comments, jumped in, calling Wallis “a sore loser.” (Wallis, who was appointed to fill a vacated board spot, lost his bid for election to the board in 2019.)

Loma’s comments can be seen in full in the online version of this story, and include the following. “Well, again, you know, when I seen the kids earlier, it makes me feel like I’m going to miss this when I’m gone, right? But things like that happened today, when you have, um, people come up here — I think is the same Chris Wallis who lost the election and came back up and attacked all of us?

Sound like a sore loser? Is that the same guy? Yeah I think it is. ... ” Loma complained about Wallis’ wish for schools to comply with CDC guidelines on masks and vaccines during the COVID pandemic, then continued, “You know, he probably couldn’t win a board election but you should run for dog catcher. ... I’m also surprised that you’re now carrying the water for the [National Education Association], for the [teachers] union, you make a good water boy. The NEA you know, who supports trans, um, changing our boys to girls and girls to

boys? That’s the one you’re carrying the water for? ... So, when I hear you’re talking and attacking two fine gentlemen who are running for reelection, it just kind of um, not surprised. You know, sore losers do that, so I just thought that I would share that because I kind of felt like I needed to.”

Melpakam didn’t challenge Loma’s personal attack, despite having spoken at length about rules of decorum banning “personal attacks and disparaging remarks” just a few minutes earlier.

CONTACTED BY PHONE AND asked about the $40,000 contract and the public relations campaign on behalf of the school board, Michael Tsogt (the only contact for Tsogt Research & Consulting LLC) first said he was too busy to talk but he’d get back to the Indy. Later he texted: “Regarding the proposed interview from this morning, as a contractor to the district that wouldn’t be appropriate for me to engage in.”

Pushed to confirm whether he had worked on the most recent newsletter that went out from the board to D11 parents, Tsogt confirmed that “yes, we helped put that together,” then declined to answer further questions, including who composes “we.”

The newsletter in question, titled “D11 Board of Education: October 2023 Updates,” includes glowing praise of the district’s post-pandemic progress over the past two years, declaring it raised itself in the ranks of 178 Colorado school districts from 158th to 79th in grade-level

proficiency in English and math, “a giant leap in the right direction.” The declaration cites The Gazette as its source, referring to reporting and “analysis” by the daily.

The Colorado Department of Education doesn’t officially rank districts in that fashion and the ranking of 79th is based on the board’s own evaluation of data. In a letter to the Indy, Rhonda Heschel, a D11 parent and district chairman of the public education advocacy group Neighbors for Education, put it more starkly: “One might ask, 78th [sic] in what? No one can answer this question.

I contacted the Colorado Department of Education and the CDE does not rank districts. Simply, Melpakam and Jorgenson have made up these numbers to bolster their chances for re-election.”

Social media searches offer little information about 23-year-old Tsogt, except that he’s associated with Springs-based Joel Sorensen who, in a February Facebook post addressed to the El Paso County Republican Central Committee, identified himself and Tsogt, among others, as “Young Guns Sparking a Conservative Revival.” Among the group’s accomplishments? Aiding numerous Republican U.S. Senate, congressional and presidential campaigns as well as Republican state House and Senate campaigns.

The group has worked to set up farright community groups to fight equity in schools, and “[managed] an effort that got 9 conservatives elected in three El Paso County school boards in the 2021 election.”

One of those boards was D11’s. Dark money from local Republican operatives helped elect Loma, Sandra Bankes and Lauren Nelson to the board in 2021 campaigns that raised critical race theory — which is not taught in D11 schools — and COVID protocols as key issues.

Sorensen works for Cole Communications, a local firm run by Republican political consultant Daniel Cole, former communications director for the Colorado Republican Committee.

Since 2021, Cole has been best known in D11 circles as manager of the opaque Springs Opportunity Fund, which raised $180,000 from undisclosed sources to elect the abovementioned nine conservative board candidates in local Districts 11, 20 and 49. Those candidates all won their races, and in D11 that meant a flip to a conservative majority board. The new board got to work, promptly dissolving the district’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion team, overseeing the departure of continued on p. 4 ➔ NEWS | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

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➔ continued from p. 3

contract includes tighter and more timely messaging from the Board through newsletters, visioning of and consultation on regular press conferences to share the District’s wins/accomplishments, the conceptualization of TikTok/ Instagram like video summaries of the Board’s work, guidance on student-facing back-to-school experiences, and develop strategies for improving the public’s perception of the District through the use of mass media including print, TV, radio, and internet,” he wrote.

At a Sept. 9 board work session, Melpakam claimed the timing of the contract coincided with the seating of a new board that could then decide whether to extend it or not. This is despite the fact the contract ends before the election.

former Superintendent Michael Thomas and ushering in Gaal to replace him.

In 2022, Cole told the Colorado Springs Business Journal, the Indy’s sister publication, that his job is to craft and execute strategies to win races, including choosing and supervising vendors who provide creative and other services to campaigns.

Did Cole supervise Michael Tsogt’s work or choose him to do PR work on behalf of Superintendent Gaal and the D11 board? The Indy reached out to Cole but received no response before press time.

In an email exchange, Melpakam chose to ignore that question, saying only that the district doesn’t ask contractors about political affiliations or friendships and that the contract falls well within existing board policies and protocol.

Melpakam said the Tsogt contract “supports high-level District/Board communications and strategy.”

He also said he didn’t recall any confrontation at the Sept. 27 meeting.

REAL EXCELLENCE SPEAKS FOR itself, Wallis told the Sept. 27 school board meeting, and doesn’t need a public relations firm to spin it.

The contract for a $40,000, three-month campaign to promote the board’s work and achievements first came to light at a Sept. 6 board work session (all work sessions are closed to the public). At the end of the four-hour-long meeting, Melpakam announced to the board that he’d hired a firm to help the board market itself and its work. Melpakam referenced a work session in June when he first

DISTRICT 11’S COMMUNICATIONS & Marketing Department has 15 employees, according to the District’s website.

Chief Communications Officer Devra Ashby declined to comment on the outside contract, telling the Indy to email the board.

Melpakam responded.

“In particular, the scope of the Tsogt

floated the idea of outsourcing board communications.

But board member Julie Ott, at the Sept. 6 work session, appeared to be blindsided and expressed concern that she and the rest of the board weren’t consulted about the contract with Tsogt before it was formalized — not because it went against board or district policy, but because it was done secretively.

“Since we never talked about contracting with anyone, and we have a Communications staff that has increased by one staff member over the past year, I’m really surprised that you just took it upon yourself with the red tape and didn’t consult us,” Ott said. She went on to say it was a trust issue, that if the board was indeed a team, then members needed to be informed before the president took unilateral action.

Wallis says when he joined the board in 2019, it was clear there was a left side and a right side among board members, but back then those sides represented

individual convictions, not political affiliation. Then came the 2021 election.

“Money poured into the election two years ago — dark money, six figures — that recalibrated what it takes to win a school board election,” Wallis says. “A lot of good people in this community won’t run now.”

The current board, he says “is constantly creating an image of trust and transparency while doing things in a dishonest, nontransparent way.”

As for his comments at the Sept. 27 meeting, Wallis feels his words were harsh but not uncivil.

“I took it as a feather in my cap, a badge of honor, to know that I’ve drawn the contempt of the contemptible,” he said, referring to Loma, who has drawn condemnation for his personal attacks on D11 constituents over the past 18 months, including saying from the dais that he wanted to “gangster slap” a constituent, and for calling a community group of Black men “barking Chihuahuas” and “thuggish.” Loma has said he will not run for reelection.

[This] certainly has the appearance of being ethically dubious.

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INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | NEWS

LEARN MORE

ERASED

Racist covenant dating to 1941 stricken from record

BY PAM ZUBECK | zubeck@csindy.com Pam Zubeck

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NEARLY FOUR-YEAR EFFORT BY A small band of people in Colorado Springs to erase an 82-year-old racist covenant from the public record succeeded on Oct. 6 when El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker ordered his staff to remove it.

In his order for removal, Schleiker cited a state law provided by Realtor Haelee Swanson, who has led the effort against the covenant since handling a home purchase by a biracial couple in late 2019 in the neighborhood in question, located southeast of Downtown.

The state law was provided to Swanson by an attorney who consults for a homeowner’s association, one of many sources Swanson engaged in her fight to remove the covenant.

The covenant, which bars people of color other than servants from living in the subdivision, was imposed by developer Peter J. Paoli in 1941 when he developed an area of about 45 homes in the roughly three-block area bordered by Cucharras Street to the north and the alley south of Vermijo Avenue to the south, and Hancock Avenue to the east. The subdivision ends four lots west of Cedar Street. (Paoli died by suicide in 1955.)

The covenant arose while the 2019 sale was pending and required the title company to write an exception in the title insurance policy, noting that discrimination as stated — Haelee Swanson in the covenant is illegal under both federal and state law.

The covenant had no impact on the deal and it closed as planned, but the discovery prompted Swanson to undertake an effort to have it permanently wiped from the public record.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which took root the next year, temporarily sidelined her campaign, but she revived the effort this summer.

Swanson and the others who helped her were in the midst of an effort to gather signatures from a majority of landowners in the subdivision to present to the county clerk to have the covenant removed when Schleiker made his order.

We did it!

We need to celebrate!

THOUGH THE COVENANT IS UNENFORCEABLE because it’s illegal to discriminate in housing based on race, Swanson wanted it removed.

Initially, Schleiker said the covenant, though void, had to remain part of the county’s permanent record.

But Swanson’s efforts led her to connect with an array of lawyers and others, including attorney Lenard Dean Rioth of Colorado Springs who does legal work for HOAs and others. He directed her to the state law that reads in part, “Any attorney, title insurance company, or title insurance agent authorized to do business in this state may remove by recording a new instrument any restrictive covenants which are based upon race or religion, or reference thereto, which are contained in any deed, contract, security instrument, or other instrument

Haelee Swanson (left) and Maddison Engel speak with a homeowner in September about the covenant.

affecting the transfer or sale of, or any interest in, real property and which ... [a]re held to be void and unenforceable by final determination of the supreme court of the state of Colorado or the supreme court of the United States....”

Schleiker wasn’t aware of that law, he tells the Indy, and so when he learned of it on Oct. 6, he ordered his staff to act.

“I would like for you to research and remove the covenant associated with the Pikes Peak Park neighborhood,” Schleiker said in an email to his staff. “This covenant once barred people of color from living there....

It was filed by then developer Peter J. Paoli, and the covenant states, ‘No persons of any race other than the Caucasian race shall use or occupy any building or any lot, except that his covenant shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of a different race domiciled with an owner or tenant.’ We know due to Federal, State, and Local laws this covenant is not enforceable.”

In response, Recording Manager Jimmie Van Buskirk wrote to Schleiker, “Yes, we will work on removing this document from [the] record. Since this covenant was recorded in the 1940’s, we will have to remove it off of microfilm. It’s not in our recording system because our index only goes back to 1980. It may take a little bit of time to remove off of all rolls of film (image and index

rolls). In addition, we will need to check with State Archives to see if they have this roll of film.”

TO SAY SWANSON AND HER HELPERS WERE ecstatic is an understatement.

In the midst of arranging for a weekend signaturegathering effort in mid-November, Swanson notified her team via text message, saying, “The booth is cancelled! Thank you all for all you have done to make this happen.... We did it! We need to celebrate!”

She then sent an email to the Indy, saying, “I really want to stress that this was far from a one man show.

Your continued support, coverage, and connections were instrumental in getting the right people to hear about this story.

“I could have never knocked all the doors or spoken to all the neighbors without my whole team of agents and close friends helping with that task,” she adds.

“And please give credit to Jennifer and Jason James, who used their lawyer and HOA connections to connect me to Lenard Rioth of Anderson, Dude, & Lebel P.C., who directed me to the Colorado Statute which allowed these changes to be made. As with most things, it really does take a village. I am so very excited we were able to get this removed so that nobody has to feel the impact of those words ever again.”

NEWS | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

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FILM COS

Hudson Hintze

Colorado Springs has the talent, equipment and world-class setting. So where’s all the action? BY NICK RAVEN | nick@csindy.com

Clay Bowen, who faces no shortage of work in Colorado Springs, frames a shot.

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INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | FEATURE

A

T ONE POINT, IT WAS EASY TO believe that Colorado Springs could become a popular filmmaking destination.

In 2013, production on Furious 7 took over the Pikes Peak Highway for two weeks to shoot an elaborate downhill action sequence.

Not long after, Kevin Bacon was randomly spotted around the region during the production of Jon Watts’ crime thriller Cop Car. Then Netflix’s Our Souls at Night — based on the novel by Kent Haruf and starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda — shot over two months in Old Colorado City.

And then things went quiet.

With its cinematic history and current capabilities, why hasn’t Colorado Springs become the production base of more movies and television programs like Chicago or Atlanta? Where are the sound stages and celebrity sightings? Taking inventory of what the Pikes Peak region offers filmmakers, it’s hard to understand why our city isn’t a cinematic center of attention.

The Colorado Springs Film Commission pitches the region as an ideal filming location year-round with a variety of settings and vistas within a short distance. The new Production Point facility in Northgate offers high-end audio and video production services, echoing the legacy of the Alexander Film Company that produced thousands of commercial films near Fillmore Street and Nevada Avenue before ceasing operations in 1974.

Entry-level city trivia involves knowing that Colorado Springs serves as the birthplace of silent film actor Lon Chaney and that Cassandra Peterson — better known as TV horror personality Elvira — graduated from Palmer High School.

But for those who are formally educated and creatively driven, local opportunities to create films are limited; employers tend to be religious nonprofits, news stations and ad agencies, not film studios crafting narrative fiction.

To understand the state of filmmaking in Colorado Springs as an art form, we started small.

DULCINEA “DULCIE” HARRISON had never considered making films before being accepted into the Youth Documentary Academy program. YDA teaches filmmaking to underserved teenagers in the Pikes Peak region in an eight-week program, with professional equipment and experienced professionals. At 14 years old, Harrison was one of the program’s youngest students when she joined this year.

She loves reading young adult books, she dabbled with making videos with her computer’s webcam and says The Force Awakens is her favorite Star Wars film — something her adoptive father Clint jokingly shakes his head at. But Harrison says she had wanted to be a lawyer when she grew up.

“When I heard about the YDA, I applied [and] that completely changed my view of what I wanted to do with my life,” she says.

CLAY BOWEN STAYS REALLY busy.

When he’s not working as a full-time video producer for an agency in Denver, he can be spotted freelancing with a camera at any number of local events or working on short films around the area.

“I don’t remember a time where I didn’t have a camera in my hand,” Bowen says.

The son of artistic parents, he had access to a lot of creative tools from a young age and was encouraged to use them. At age 5, he was using his parents’ MiniDV camcorder and an iMac with iMovie. At 9, he created his first YouTube channel.

“I started because I wanted to make tech videos,” Bowen says. “I remember the first video I uploaded was about Safari for Windows. I thought it was the coolest thing.”

Courtesy Youth Documentary Academy

Harrison recalls she reduced the admissions board to tears by simply pitching her life story among several other ideas she had in mind.

Harrison was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and was abandoned on a church step. She suffered from hydrocephalus, a medical condition that caused a buildup of fluid in her brain, leaving her with an enlarged head.

Ethiopian doctors would have drilled into her skull to remove the fluid, which could have killed her, Harrison says.

But her adoptive parents brought her around the world to Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver, where doctors successfully resolved the issue.

Her film about her childhood, adoption and life in a theraputic foster home, I CHOOSE YOU, premieres alongside her YDA classmates’ on Nov. 4 at Colorado College’s Cornerstone Arts Center. The program provided not just hands-on experience and training, but also taught her legally-permitted usage of home footage of the nearly 70 children her parents fostered, each of whom needed guardian approval before being included in her film. Once bullied by her classmates, Harrison says her experience has turned her into a social butterfly.

“My friends are like, ‘Call me when you become the next Steven Spielberg,’” she says. “’I want to be there when you’re getting your Oscar.’”

YDA succeeds by taking students with genuine, heartfelt stories and giving them the tools to tell those stories through film, even if they hadn’t considered film a viable storytelling medium before.

While YDA has been successful in gaining clout as a respected, award-winning entity in its first decade of operation, 12 students per year is a small class.

For those with filmmaking ambitions, higher education is the attractive option.

Once planning to be a lawyer, Dulcie Harrison (right) says her time with YDA inspired her to become a filmmaker.

For Bowen, who had cinematic aspirations even as a kid, the smaller, shorter format of YouTube videos changed what filmmaking could be.

“A lot of people wouldn’t see it as traditional filmmaking and I always disagreed with that,” Bowen says. “I would see these little vlogs that iJustine put out as way more than a little informational YouTube video: There was a story arc, it was a whole production. I was obsessed with the idea of telling stories in such a miniature format because you get to tell so many more.”

At 13, he got his first paid gig, producing a Kickstarter pitch video for one of his dad’s friends. He doesn’t think much of that specific video these days, but the experience inspired him to think of it as an actual career. Bowen began to ping friends and family for any video work they wanted done and he built a client base of locals doing everything from corporate videos to weddings.

When it came time to choose a school

to formalize his filmmaking education, he considered the University of Colorado at Boulder and traditional film schools, but he was deeply associated with UCCS. His father had attended the university in its earliest days when it had “two buildings” — and he still teaches there today as a drum instructor, Bowen says.

fessors or what I was directly learning, but everyone around me. There were so many people who just chose that degree on a whim or were taking his classes because they had to. I was one of the most committed students. I think it was really easy to find the couple of people in each class that actually cared and were really putting their all into it.”

“I had [Clay] for one of my classes and he was phenomenally talented,” says Matt Morgan, assistant professor in UCCS’ Digital Filmmaking program. “It’s — Dulcie Harrison wonderful to see that we have talent here and some people who are Bowen graduated from UCCS in 2022 really gifted, but you’ve got to be willing and says he’s happy with his education to combine that talent with the grind if there — one of the premier places locally you really want to have it pay off.” to learn about the craft of filmmaking.

Morgan’s story is similar to Bowen’s: But in retrospect, he sees the flaws of He grew up in Colorado Springs and going to a non-film school to learn film dreamed of film school. He attended production.

UCCS before it had a film program — “The toughest thing that I experienced although local cinema legend Kimball [was] a lack of commitment from other Bayles served as a guest lecturer — and students,” Bowen says. “It wasn’t the procontinued on p. 8 ➔

“When I heard about the YDA, I applied [and] that completely changed my view of what I wanted to do with my life.”

FEATURE | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

7

left town as an undeclared student for CU Boulder, where he earned his bachelor’s in film studies. Wanting a more practical education, he left for Texas, where he studied production at the University of Texas at Austin. He began his career in Los Angeles as an editor before returning to Colorado Springs in 2007 to start a family. Morgan freelanced, then launched his own production company before his predecessor at UCCS called with a need for working professionals to teach film production.

“I had always planned to [teach],” says Morgan. “Because I wouldn’t have had the career I had without the teachers and the education that I was given formally on top of my career training. So I bit and a few years into it, I was hooked. I love it.

I love it so much.”

Bowen learned a lot about traditional film at UCCS, but both he and Morgan acknowledge that UCCS is a starting point for true film education, not a destination.

“I’ve told [my students], ‘We’re giving you the foundational skills here. Now what do you want to do with them?’”

Morgan says. “’If you want to have a career in this industry, my hope is that you’re willing to take some risks and do something similar to what I did, which is look at a larger market where there’s con-

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INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | FEATURE

Jamie Osman

➔ continued from p. 7

Clay Bowen (left) built a career on commercial film work, but still shoots short films, too.

tinuous work and a variety of work. That doesn’t mean you get to travel to Los Angeles, Chicago, New York or Atlanta and get a job Day One. You’re gonna have to go through the struggles that everybody goes through, but you’re gonna build your network in an environment that has an abundance of opportunity.”

Bowen shoots for and submits to local film festivals while networking with as many local filmmakers as possible. He’s happy doing commercial work even if he’s not making feature-length films and can’t regularly produce the YouTube content that mirrors his early education and ambitions in his youth. But in graduating

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from UCCS rather than a regular film school, and by knowing so many people, Bowen is happy to be a big fish in a small pond — a sentiment echoed through many Indy interviews regarding not just film in Colorado Springs, but the visual and performing arts as well.

“I think there’s a value in going to a school where you have to prove yourself as one of the people who are really committed and when a professor notices that, they’ll really run with you and help you out,” Bowen says. “I think at a place like [the University of Southern California], everyone has had to fight to get in there or has a ton of money, so they’re already in that position.”

One of those USC students is Meg Hartung, a 2021 YDA graduate who, when given an opportunity to attend the nation’s No. 1-rated film school, took it.

Her YDA film, In the Pit, is a flashy and kinetic tribute to her love of punk music that addresses misogyny in punk culture. She incorporates interviews with friends and family, but also Colorado punk band Cheap Perfume which features female members.

“My mom showed me the application for YDA and I had not done anything film-related before,” Hartung says. “I was into graphic design at that point and I thought I was going to go into animation, but all of a sudden, I was like, ‘You

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know what? I want to do film.’”

Hartung reflects fondly on her time at YDA and the passion and dedication of her fellow students. She doesn’t have much of an appetite for documentary films — horror films are her favorite — so leaving town felt necessary.

“I did want to get out of Colorado Springs because I had a lot of negative memories with the place,” Hartung says.

“I wanted to change. I wanted to experience college life in a different city and a new city. I wouldn’t be here without YDA — I wouldn’t [have] even known to apply to USC without YDA — and I hope to bring that back to my community in Colorado Springs.”

“You get it out to festivals and you build a name for yourself.”

While a half-dozen YDA films from 2022 graduates are screened, there are several Colorado Springs-based documentary and scripted shorts that make it into Short Circuit, too. Cremains Unknown is a documentary short film by Jake Dagel and Megan MacGrath about how the unregulated funeral home business in America affected a Gold Star widow in Colorado Springs. Without her knowledge, her husband’s body was cut up and sold and shipped to places as far away as Saudi Arabia. Ideal Husband is a comedic short by director Amy Tompkins, who co-wrote it with actor Nico Yan Yez. It’s about a woman who mail-orders a hus“WHENEVER SOMEBODY SAYS band and the hijinks that ensue when she to me, ‘Oh, there’s nothing going on in receives the wrong one. this town,’ I’m thinking, ‘Boy, you’re Giordano also keeps tabs on the feawrong,’” says Ralph Giordano, a New ture-length independent films being proYork University film school graduate and duced here, one of which — Sirona — is indie film booster in Colorado Springs available on VOD and can be spotted on for 35 years. “We are thriving. I always billboards around town. say that there’s this independent film He introduces us to John Schuermann, renaissance that’s been owner of The Screengoing on for the past ing Room AV — a 10 years. Almost every high-end home theater weekend, somebody’s store in Downtown making a short film.”

Colorado Springs — Giordano isn’t just and a film composer experienced behind the in his own right. He camera, he’s the fasthad just shot scenes talking salesman of the in Aurora the previlocal film scene. He can ous weekend for his chat passionately about first feature film, The the New Hollywood Ascendants, a sciencemovement of the ’70s as fiction thriller about… a lecturer at UCCS, but vampires — vampires he can also immediately that could plausibly hand you off to two or exist. Schuermann three indie filmmakers says the film’s strong he thinks would make “science versus supergreat collaborators as he stition” theme is what races off to make more attracted the private connections. When local equity investor who filmmakers win awards, allowed the film to he’s there to celebrate leave the pages of his — Ralph Giordano with them. original screenplay to Giordano says he’s become filmed reality. been involved with But producing such every local film group since he landed an indie film locally, according to Schuerhere in the late ’80s. As co-founder of mann, has been difficult — the perfect Peak Film Forum, now part of the local storm of a first-time writer, director and Independent Film Society of Colorado, producer meeting Colorado Springs’ lack Giordano can be spotted promoting and of institutional supports for more commanaging a variety of film festivals in plex productions like his. town, including the Indie Spirit Film COVID compliance would cost more Festival, the Three Nights of Horror Film than simply delaying production, which Festival and the Short Circuit Film Festiit did, but it also prevented him from val. It’s that last one where we meet the building relationships with his producsilvering Giordano at Ivywild School, tion crew; they never had a table read; the where short films screen in the venue’s production took place over too many locagymnasium. tions across Colorado and New Mexico; “Short Circuit was created for short his director of photography spent most films and [we] encourage our young of their time shooting master shots with filmmakers and our students at these little to no time for coverage, making it schools who are thinking, ‘Well, where look like a theater production. Colorado do I go after here?’ Well, you make a Springs has few professional professional film. That’s what you do,” Giordano says. continued on p. 10 ➔

“Whenever somebody says to me, ‘Oh, there’s nothing going on in this town,’ I’m thinking, ‘Boy, you’re wrong.’”

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FEATURE | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

9

Nick Raven

IFSOC’s Ralph Giordano (left) and YDA’s Tom Shepard highlight local filmmaking talent while supporting their development. ➔ continued from p. 9

filmmaking crewmembers available, so production staff had to be hired out of Denver; those same Denver crew members were easily poached when another production was willing to pay slightly more; as a passionate creative, Schuermann was ready to work very long days to bring his vision to reality, but his union crew maintained regular hours and mandatory breaks and lunches.

“We were ready to reshoot the sequence we shot last weekend [back] in June,” Schuermann says. “We didn’t shoot it until a week ago because the people who are good are in demand.”

Despite all his troubles, Schuermann expects the film to be completed by the end of the year and he can’t help but sing praises for Giordano and his support and advocacy.

“He’s the glue that holds all this together,” says Schuermann.

AS IT STANDS, COLORADO Springs’ film scene is like a bubbling cauldron. Small groups come together through networking, produce something feasible and typically small, then cycle back into the reservoir. The scene is growing, gradually. From time to time, it produces a louder popping sound and you can hear the low-level churn, but the people who notice it are typically the ones in the midst of it. Unfortunately, many of these individual efforts are disconnected and uncoordinated.

Local jobs in film production are largely commercial work born out of necessity. Businesses need ads, so they employ locals who can use a camera, properly light scenes, record and mix audio, then 10

INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | FEATURE

edit it all together with motion graphics.

TV stations need camera operators. Per the Colorado Springs Film Commission, permits are only required in the city if you’re shooting in a public park or need to close streets or sidewalks. According to the city, the vast majority of the 16 filming permits issued so far in 2023 were for commercial productions.

“The film industry is an incentivedriven business.”

— Arielle Brachfeld

But Colorado Springs isn’t alone — it’s a statewide issue. Yes, Denver has more production staff because they have dedicated film schools and a much larger population to draw from. Yes, snowboarding companies set up production companies here because Colorado’s slopes are a natural setting.

The reason why Colorado Springs and most any other city in Colorado can’t lure filmmakers is simple: a lack of tax incentives.

“The film industry is an incentivedriven business,” says Arielle Brachfeld, deputy film commissioner for the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media.

“It’s a part of most films’ budgetary planning, so by being able to offer incentives for production to film in Colorado, it can make a big difference — especially on local or indie productions — in terms of their film being successful.”

As an Emmy-nominated filmmaker

and producer, Brachfeld understands that film productions go where it’s cheaper. Movies and TV shows set in Colorado will be filmed in nearby Arizona, New Mexico or Utah because of the incentives in those states.

While Colorado does offer film tax incentives — and 12 states don’t offer any film tax incentives at all — we rank among the lowest in terms of benefits.

Several states like Georgia, which has become a major motion picture powerhouse in the past few years, offer no cap on tax incentives for productions made in the state. California has an annual cap of $330 million. Missouri, which just introduced a film incentive last year, has a $16 million annual cap. Arkansas? $4 million.

Colorado? $750,000.

The Colorado Film Commission, as part of Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade, also offers incentives for video game production and support for 60 film festivals statewide. This requires them to make some tough calls on which productions to support, but it also limits Colorado’s appeal for films or TV shows that provide longer-term economic benefits to the state. As a local production, Schuermann says, The Ascendants qualified for an incentive, but when a Hollywood movie like Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight wins incentive money and gets filmed in southwestern Colorado, few jobs are created because many of their experienced crew have to be flown in from out of state. Building a film production hub and enough experienced production talent to support it requires regular, repeated investment.

For those who think tax incentives are

merely an easy handout to wealthy Hollywood movie studios, Brachfeld provides a counterargument: Not only do tax incentives require multiple mandatory audits, but for every dollar given in tax incentive, Colorado receives $18 back in economic benefit.

A bipartisan task force was created to examine the issue here, enlisting production unions SAG-AFTRA and AFL-CIO in the process, which ultimately recommended an annual $15 million incentive for five years. During the 2023 legislative session, Colorado passed HB-1309, a bill that was dramatically smaller: $5 million for one year.

Why the decrease? Partly because of Colorado’s highly restrictive Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights — which creates permanent revenue shortages — and other legislative priorities dictated by TABOR. Additionally, Brachfeld explains that even though the bill was signed into law

by Gov. Jared Polis, the bill’s language needed to be tweaked regarding existing tax rebates before implementation, requiring the new benefit to be delayed a year at the very least, pending the results of the 2024 legislative session.

“If we did have the tax incentives, I think we would be extremely friendly [for film production],” says Morgan. “We like to brag about the number of days of sunshine that we have. We have Fort Carson here because of the variety of geographical terrain for our soldiers to train on. Those things are analogous to production. We can represent the world in a number of ways here.”

Those dreaming of Colorado Springs becoming a production hub for largebudget films on a regular basis will have to wait a bit longer. For the vast majority of locals, filmmaking will continue to be a hobby or part-time pursuit, which is still common in states with much larger tax incentives for film production.

But for filmmakers like Bowen, being the Steven Spielberg of car dealership commercials is a fine lane in which to be.

IF YOU GO: Three Nights of Horror Film Festival City Auditorium, 221 E. Kiowa St., Oct. 20-22, tickets available at horror. eventive.org.

Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival Colorado College, Oct. 20-22, visit rmwfilm.org for tickets, venues, schedule and more.

Youth Documentary Academy 10th Anniversary World Premiere Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave.; Nov. 4, 4:30 p.m. (VIP reception), 6 p.m. (general admission); info and tickets available at youthdocumentary.org.

THE JOY OF GOCA

Armstrong brings plenty of museum experience and local perspective as GOCA’s new director

F

ILLING A NEARLY YEAR-LONG VAcancy, Joy Armstrong begins work Nov. 1 as director of UCCS’ Galleries of Contemporary Art. Armstrong returns to museum curation having previously served as development director at Inside Out Youth Services and, before that, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, a post she held for nearly a decade.

A transplant to Colorado Springs in 1985, Armstrong fell in love with the arts early in life — music, visual arts, theater and more. Artists themselves, her parents were supportive, but encouraged her to pursue arts education rather than toss everything in a suitcase and bail for the bright lights of Los Angeles or New York City. She studied film and video production at the University of Denver, but says she was bitten by the curation bug while working on her graduate degree in art history at Kent State University in Ohio.

“As immersed as I’ve been in the arts my entire life, I’m not an exceptional artist and I never have been,” Armstrong says. “It’s been something that has been soul filling. I feel like I’ve found my people through the arts and it’s become such an integral part of my identity.”

Instead, Armstrong found her strength in a producer-like role by building relationships with artists and allowing them to thrive over two decades of curating art. Ahead of her first day at GOCA’s base at the Ent Center for the Arts, the Indy spoke with Armstrong about what’s coming next.

In your new role, what’s the balance between continuing the legacy of Daisy McGowan [GOCA’s previous longtime director] and crafting your own take on what GOCA should be?

I started working with Daisy when I was serving on the advisory board of GOCA years ago and I was on the board for about five years. We continued to work together as collaborators during the remainder of my years at the Fine Arts Center. I have been in awe of Daisy and the power, passion and energy with which she approaches curation, education and community engagement. There are so many threads that I want to continue pulling, with the acknowledgment that I need to pull them in my own way.

For me, one of the great pleasures of being on a campus [...] is that we’re in a place where higher education is about exploration and experimentation. That is a big part of the fun of an environment like this. I would like to infuse some fun and some humor and have a good time and see what people respond to. I also find that capital-A art may be prone to taking itself too seriously and that can be a further detriment [to] people being willing to experience something that might be completely unfamiliar.

I think that the spirit of Daisy will certainly live on in GOCA. How can it not?

What do you take away from your role at Inside Out supporting the LGBTQ community as you return to curating the arts?

I learned so much at Inside Out about being inten-

tionally, radically welcoming and inclusive, but [also] how people in general, myself included, can learn how to be better allies across all relationships and communities.

What I’ve experienced there is a community of folks who have come together in love and a desire to build a more beautiful future for young people by supporting their dream. They know what they want and what needs to happen better than we do, even if they don’t know how to articulate it or [they] can’t point to a thing that stirs them in some way and be able to explain why.

I think my job is to capture that imagination and transform it into an experience. At Inside Out, I learned that nothing that is meaningful, innovative, or will influence change in a significant way happens in a vacuum. It doesn’t happen as a result of one person or one organization’s work.

I’ve learned to bring relationships into everything that I do. There’s always a way to collaborate with someone and to find common ground. I’d like to bring that into my work here because that’s what [happens] at Inside Out — [it serves] young people to try and make life better for them and I love being in that service role.

What is your dream for GOCA? Have you been thinking about exhibits? Because those can obviously take a long time to come together.

There is at least one other exhibit — that I’m aware of — that has been in the queue. Initially, I want to dive into that exhibition, learn what the vision was behind that, be in touch with everyone who’s involved and make sure that that process is moving forward smoothly.

Outside of that, my intent right away is to start meeting with students, faculty, community members and stakeholders of various types to get a sense of how GOCA has been serving the community and the campus. What are the things we should really lean into that have been working well and we can expand upon? Where are any perceived gaps where we can be better meeting the needs of campus and community?

[I’m] learning as much as I can about the people who have already been in GOCA’s orbit in one form or another. Then I like to take an approach to research and relationship-building that leverages relationships as insiders, starting with the people who know GOCA, but then… who do you think would have some thoughts about our creative community and how we can be doing better in Colorado Springs?

I genuinely want to meet you [the reader] one on one to hear what inspires you, what excites you and what feels important. In a role like this, in a place like this, I am but one person who has my own lived experience [and] my own ideas of things that I would like to do, but that doesn’t make it meaningful or relevant to anybody else, potentially. I want to get to know [people] and find out what drives them, what stirs their souls and how we can fan that flame through a visual, performing [or] any type of creative arts experience.

Nick Raven

BY NICK RAVEN | nick@csindy.com

I GENUINELY WANT TO MEET YOU [THE READER] ONE-ON-ONE TO HEAR WHAT INSPIRES YOU, WHAT EXCITES YOU AND WHAT FEELS IMPORTANT. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

11

PLAYING AROUND

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Sat, Oct. 22 - 6:30pm

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YOUTH FOUNTAIN STRUNG SHORT, THE DRAWN OUT

FOO FIGHTERS

@ Empower Field at Mile High

B

Y THE TIME YOU’RE reading this, tickets to the Foo Fighters’ 2024 Everything or Nothing at All Tour’s Denver date will already be long sold out.

Of course, if your name happens to be StubHub or Viagogo, you’ve already bought yours — hundreds of them, in fact — and are reselling them to the rest of us for whatever the market will bear. As of this writing, StubHub is selling tickets in Row 33 of the uppermost upper tier for $2,060 each.

Granted, that may seem like a lot. But when you consider the fact that comparable tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which is currently making its way through South America, start at $6,628, it’s

Ben Houdijk / Shutterstock.com

SHOW PREVIEW

a total bargain!

For hardcore fans who decide to get by with a few less paychecks, the return on investment will be the opportunity to experience a band that, after 30 years, have managed to keep the archetypal arena-ready rock dream alive.

Dave Grohl, the ’90s grunge era’s most charismatic survivor (sorry, Eddie), will once again be accompanied by a lineup that includes guitarist Pat Smear and bassist Nate Mendel, both of whom have been with the band since the beginning, as well as guitarist Chris Shiflett, who joined not long after. Also along for the ride is Josh Freese, who — having played with The Vandals, Guns N’ Roses, A Perfect Circle and Devo — jokingly describes

himself as “the blue-collar freelance drummer to the stars.”

Together on the current tour, they’ve been playing, on average, 2½ hours a night, with some shows topping the 3-hour mark.

Sets have included songs from their latest album But Here We Are as well as the majority of their hit singles, including “Everlong,” “My Hero,” “Learn to Fly,” “Monkey Wrench,” “Breakout” and “The Pretender.”

And, of course, there will be cover songs, a long-held Foo Fighters live tradition, that has recently included Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop,” Queen’s “Under Pressure,” Nine Inch Nails’ “March of the Pigs,” and the Focus single “Hocus Pocus,” a Top 10 hit that somehow managed to combine a heavy metal guitar riff with entirely yodeled vocals.

All of which is a far cry from Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged rendition of “In the Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?),” a mournful Appalachian folk song that includes, among other things, a verse about a railroad man’s accidental decapitation.

But following in his former band’s footsteps was never the point. Grohl put Foo Fighters together in the aftermath of Kurt Cobain’s suicide because he wanted, and needed, a fun diversion. The fact that he was able to turn it into a lifelong career — and still has fun doing it — is all the more rewarding — Bill Forman

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12

WEDNESDAY 10/18 Acoustic Night, local musicians; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

Cal Scruby, rap; 8 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

Tim Costello, American jam session music; 3 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook. com/jackquinns.

Countywyde, bluegrass; 6:30 p.m., Front Range Barbeque, frbbq.com/events.

The Marshall Tucker Band, Southern rock; 7 p.m., Pikes Peak Center, pikespeakcenter.com.

THURSDAY 10/19 Brendan Abernathy, singer-songwriter; 8 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs.com.

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

Alice Cooper, shock rock; 8 p.m., Pikes Peak Center, pikespeakcenter.com.

The Lost Junction Band, “a couple of high schoolers with a dream”; 7 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

OverTime x Crucifix, country/rock/ rap/hip-hop, with Sean P East, Big Murph, Grim; 7 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Shadow Work, “dark, indie psychrock,” with Tiny Tomboy, InTheTeeTh; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Wirewood Station, Americana; 6 p.m., Creekwalk Amphitheater, creekwalkcos.com.

FRIDAY 10/20 Taylor Ashton, singer-songwriter, with Eliza Edens; 7:30 p.m., Brues Alehouse, Pueblo, bruesalehouse.com.

Barely Garcia, Garcia/Dead cover band; 8 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Big Bubble Rave, underwater theme; 9 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks. com.

Dante Elephante, indie pop, with Bleak Mystique; 7 p.m., Oskar Blues, coloradosprings.oskarbluesfooderies.com.

Exit West, country/classic rock; 6 p.m., Whiskey Baron Dance Hall & Saloon, tinyurl.com/whisk-dh.

Face Vocal Band, a cappella rock band; 7 p.m., Stargazers Theatre, stargazerstheatre.com.

Gateways: Opening Doors to the Choral Art, Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble and Air Academy High School Chamber Singers; 7:30 p.m., St. Mary’s

Cathedral, cvae.org/concert-season.

Manitou Strings, roots/Americana/ rock; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

Mark’s Midnight Carnival Show, indie rock; 7:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Ovira, metal, with Suitable Miss, Capture This, Get The Axe; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Playing for Ukraine, fundraiser for local charity Ukraine Power; 7 p.m., Millibo Art Theatre, themat.org.

RADO, psych rock/improvisational jams, with Sqwerv; 8 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs.com.

Silver Moon Riders, Americana; 7 p.m., Crystola Roadhouse, Woodland Park, crystolaroadhouse.bar.

Theatrical Tribute to Michael Jackson; 7 p.m., Boot Barn Hall, bootbarnhallco. com.

Totem Colloquium, funk jam band; 7 p.m., Summa, dizzycharlies.com.

SATURDAY 10/21 Colorado Springs Jazz Party with Tony Exum Jr., with Tidal Breeze; 7 p.m., Stargazers Theatre, stargazerstheatre.com.

PLAYING AROUND Colorado Springs Philharmonic: Mozart and Prokofiev; 7:30 p.m., Ent Center for the Arts, tickets.entcenterforthearts.org.

Edith Makes a Paper Chain, folk/indie pop; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

Family Elephant, roots rock; 9 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Kevin Gates, rap, with BigXthaPlug hosted by DJ Chose; 8 p.m., Broadmoor World Arena, broadmoorworldarena. com.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre, psychrock, with The Asteroid No. 4; 7 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

The McDeviants, Celtic pub music; 7:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Neo Tokyo Philharmonic, “Dotcom era techno-utopian dreamwave,” with John Baldwin, Painted City; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Nube Nueve, Latin jazz; 6 p.m., Summa, dizzycharlies.com.

Parish House Baroque: From Then to Now; 7 p.m., First Lutheran Church, parishhousebaroque.org/boxoffice.

Playing for Ukraine, fundraiser for local charity Ukraine Power; 7 p.m., Millibo Art Theatre, themat.org.

SofaKillers, cover band; 8 p.m., Buzzed Crow, facebook.com/sofakillers/events.

Stoop Kids, indie/pop/funk/metal; 7 p.m., Oskar Blues, coloradosprings.oskarbluesfooderies.com.

Center, pikespeakcenter.com.

Halloween Party with Harry Mo & The CRU, roots reggae; 6:30 p.m., Front Range Barbeque, frbbq.com/events.

Locoween 2023 with Lucked Out (appearing as Hatebreed), with Series Break (appearing as Paramore), Summer Stars (performing emo hits), Civil Disobedience (appearing as Bolt Thrower), Liars Club (appearing as Green Day); 6 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Deirdre McCarthy Band, violinist/vocalist; 6:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Peak FreQuency: Soundmarks with pianist Kelly Zuercher; 7:30 p.m., Ent Center for the Arts, tickets.entcenterforthearts.org.

THURSDAY 10/26 Acoustic Night, local musicians; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

Carlos Barata, Portuguese American singer-songwriter; 7 p.m., Axe & The

BIG GIGS

MONDAY 10/23 Tidal Breeze Jazz Quartet; 5:30 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

TUESDAY 10/24 Fall Intermezzo Concert: The Escher String Quartet; 7 p.m., Packard Hall/ CC, tinyurl.com/Fall-at-CC. Youth Fountain, emo/pop-punk, with Strung Short, The Drawn Out; 7 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

WEDNESDAY 10/25 The Black Jacket Symphony: Eagles’ Hotel California; 8 p.m., Pikes Peak

Jennifer Audiffred

Mexico’s “#1 deejay” Jessica Audiffred will deliver an evening of high-energy bass music at The Ogden Theatre Feb. 10.

Goblin, Paramount Theatre, Denver, Oct. 18 Hozier, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Oct. 18 Marshall Tucker Band, Pikes Peak Center, Oct. 18 Cal Scruby, Black Sheep, Oct. 18 SZA, Ball Arena, Denver, Oct. 18 Alice Cooper, Pikes Peak Center, Oct. 19 Brendan Abernathy, Lulu’s, Manitou, Oct. 19 Overtime and Crucifix, Black Sheep, Oct. 19 Porno for Pyros, Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Oct. 19 Anthony Jeselnik, Paramount Theatre, Denver, Oct. 19-20 Face Vocal Band, Stargazers, Oct. 20

FUNDRAISER FOR UKRAINE POWER

Playing for

Ukraine 7pm FRI-SAT

OCT 20-21

Two performances of Circus, Song, and Comedy will raise funds for the work of locally based charity Ukraine Power.

Help the good cause of providing heat, power and light to Ukrainians on the front lines of the conflict. www.ukrainepower.org

The MilliBOO!

Upcoming music events

SUNDAY 10/22 Colorado Springs Philharmonic: Mozart and Prokofiev; 2:30 p.m., Ent Center for the Arts, tickets.entcenterforthearts.org.

Grayscale, alternative rock; 6:30 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

Little London Winds: Autumn Concert; 3 p.m., First Christian Church, littlelondonwinds.org/concerts.html.

The Major Chordyceps, Latin jazz/reggae/funk; 1 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Parish House Baroque: From Then to Now; 3 p.m., First Lutheran Church, parishhousebaroque.org/boxoffice.

Sad Park, alternative emo punk, with Nautiloid, Flora de la Luna; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Soul Songs for Hope & Restoration, Renewal & Healing, with Judith Piazza; 10:30 a.m. to noon, Red Crags Arts & Agriculture House, Manitou, smokebrush.org.

Traditional Irish music; 3 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Oak Distillery, facebook.com/imwithcarlos.

Long Beach Dub Allstars, dub/ska/reggae rock, with Passafire, Mindstate; 6 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks. com.

Colin McAllister Trio, Latin jazz; 7:30 p.m., Summa, dizzycharlies.com.

Deirdre McCarthy & Friends, singersongwriter/fiddle/violin; 7 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

John McEuen & The Circle Band, founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; 7 p.m., Stargazers Theatre, stargazerstheatre.com.

Nerea the Fiddler, “crazy fiddle lady”; 7 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Weald & Woe, “the majesty of the medieval era with the ferocity of classic black metal,” with Upon a Field’s Whisper, Victim of Fire; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Ludacris, Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Oct. 20 MOE., Ogden Theatre, Denver, Oct. 20 SNBRN, Temple, Denver, Oct. 20 Acid Mothers Temple, Hi-Dive, Denver, Oct. 21 The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Black Sheep, Oct. 21 Kevin Gates, Broadmoor World Arena, Oct. 21 Liquid Stranger, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Oct. 21 Neo Tokyo Philharmonic, Vultures, Oct. 21 San Pacho, Club Vinyl, Denver Oct. 21 Telykast, Temple Nightclub, Denver, Oct. 21 Mozart and Prokofiev/Colorado Springs Symphony, Pikes Peak Center, Oct. 21-22 Black Tiger Sex Machine, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Oct. 22 GAYLE, Bluebird Theater, Denver, Oct. 22 Grayscale, Black Sheep, Oct. 22 Travis Scott and Teezo Touchdown, Ball Arena, Denver, Oct. 22 The Dear Hunter, Gothic Theatre, Englewood, Oct. 23 Shane & Shane, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Oct. 23 Blonde Redhead, Gothic Theatre, Englewood, Oct. 24 Gryffin, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Oct. 24 The Black Jacket Symphony, Broadmoor World Arena, Oct. 25 Teton Gravity Research, Boulder Theater, Boulder, Oct. 25 P!NK, Ball Arena, Denver, Oct. 25 Marc Rebillet, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Oct. 26 Continued at csindy.com

Enjoy sing-along music from Eric West and laugh-out-loud comedy magic from Scott McRay. Fun for all ages!

Costume Contest, Hat Giveaways and Special Treats are included.

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OCT 28

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INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Smoky black bean flautas on the My Neighbor Felix’s brunch menu

B

ACK IN EARLY JULY, I FORETOLD THE COMING OF MY NEIGHbor Felix at The Promenade Shops at Briargate (1645 Briargate Parkway, #203, myneighborfelix.com/colorado-springs).

Do you like how I made that sound like I read the future from tea leaves or something, instead of a press release I was sent? (Yeah, me too. Makes me sound smart and important, like “this guy really knows his stuff.”)

Anyway, to briefly recap: It’s the fourth location for the brand, with the other three in LoHi Denver, Boulder and Centennial. MNF’s a sister outfit to ViewHouse. It features “cuisine inspired by all seven regions of Mexico,” and the outfit makes a sizable sustainability pledge.

I missed an initial media preview several weeks ago, so I did a makeup visit for brunch shortly thereafter. (Transparency note: A media rep comped my meal, though I tipped accordingly and spent a good deal of time speaking with staff, gathering notes.)

I won’t write a formal review here, as it was mere days into the restaurant’s opening and too early to nitpick — though I will say MNF gave me little reason to criticize anything. It was pretty impressive overall.

Nick O’Maley, the location’s sous chef, told us the menu was created by chef Jose Guerrero. He’s a graduate of Puerto Vallarta’s Alberto Perez Gonzalez Restaurant Group and part-owner of ViewHouse, according to 303 Magazine. The menus are mostly uniform among locations, with minor differences based on location size — Centennial’s is the largest, though ours doesn’t feel small at 6,300 square feet that includes a 1,200-square-foot patio. O’Maley says this Springs spot will still bang out around 500 covers a day (which is a lot).

When I ask for specific names on the sourcing to check the sustainability claim, he cites Beeler’s Pork, RedBird chicken and Aspen Baking Company and says they

The goddess hibiscus chips

get whole Alaskan fish that they break down in-house. He also mentions grass-fed beef from Kansas through US Foods, which doesn’t exactly jibe with what’s on the website (which notes Denver-based Frontière Natural Meats and pork from Corner Post Meats, which currently has itself listed as dormant.) So I’m not sure if there have been updates, if he was misinformed, or if anything’s slightly greenwashed (I hope not, though I’m always on guard).

Anyway, I also came to learn that Denver Beer Co. brews exclusive ViewHouse and MNF beers, and I get a few taster sips of the 1858 IPA, Peach Buzz Blonde Ale and Que Pasa Lager. They’re all good but the latter’s our favorite; it finishes with a clean cucumber taste.

Other highlights: • Interesting tortilla chips: the house goddess chips made with hibiscus (which gifts a pink/purple color) cinnamon and agave, we’re told.

• A kick-ass Muy Fuego Hot Sauce (made and bottled by MNF) with no BS preservatives or crap ingredients, leading off with morita and pequin peppers.

• Really delicious cochinita pibil as an add-on to our grain bowl.

• Steady cocktails, balanced, not oversweet and offering ample top-shelf options.

• Tequila shrimp tacos, rightfully recommended by several staffers as one of their favorite items. They’re adobo-marinated with jalapeño-avocado coleslaw, cilantro crema, cotija and fresh radish and cilantro.

• The over-easy eggs bleeding yolk down our smoky black bean chorizopotato flautas. We don’t normally order flautas but we’re glad we did here.

• Cinnamon donut holes for dessert with quality dipping sauces: chocolate, caramel and house churro cream.

MORE MEXICAN • Sofia’s Antojitos has opened a second location at 4037 Tutt Blvd., expanding from its original 1035 N. Academy Blvd. eatery. That’s in less than two years of being open in the Springs. I gave the spot a favorable writeup in the Indy back in July 2022. You should drop by

either location if you’ve never been. There’s a cup of churros over ice cream with your name on it.

• The former Rancho Alegre at 1899 S. Nevada Ave. is under new ownership, with a new menu and under the new name Mexico Real (mexicorealfamrestaurant. com). Mexico Real has also taken over the former Carniceria Las Lomas at 3802 Maizeland Road. The frontman for the eatery is Miguel J. Dávila, who cites 22 years’ industry experience.

BITES AND BITS • The former Tejon Eatery, which I didn’t love when I first reviewed the food hall around this time a couple years ago (it served an inexplicable $19 pastrami sandwich and closed in October 2022), has become Avenue 19 (avenineteen.com). It hosts Go Fish Food Truck and Firebird Chicken sandwiches (another former food truck), and entities named Taco Trouble, Upstate Pizza, Garden & Spoon and Midtown Grill, with The Joint Vegan Street Food (another truck heading into brick-and-mortar) set to open Oct. 18. The overall enterprise is coming from Phil Duhon (partnered with John Goede, who’d partnered with Perry Sanders on The Antlers and Mining Exchange hotels).

Duhon also owns Burnt Toast and was the longtime proprietor of Oscar’s Oyster Bar Downtown. Look for happy hours weekdays, 3-7 p.m., with $4 margs, well drinks and house wine and half-priced beers. The spot’s on my planning calendar for a deeper dive.

• A couple months ago, I reported on the long-in-theworks plans for Suki’s Cantina at 106 Pueblo Ave. continued on p. 16 ➔

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

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Carnelian Coffee’s co-owners Kate Firoved and Colton Klauss ➔ continued from p. 15

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INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Downtown. The project remains incomplete for launch (beyond a projected opening date at the time of my interviewing). Meanwhile, a GoFundMe has been launched to help “finish our concrete work, electricity, [HVAC], and plumbing. Everything has been installed, we just need the finishing touches!” I reached out to owner Ian Perez from Suki’s for comment and have not heard back yet.

• Sober Soiree, a fundraiser for Homeward Pikes Peak (homewardpp.org), takes place from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21. Head to their website for ticket details and more.

KARMA, KARMA, KARMA CARNELIAN

O

K, CHEERS TO ME FOR THE WORST HEADLINE OF THE YEAR on this one, but hey, you can hear the song in your head now, right? You’re welcome.

Anyway, completely unrelated to the hit ’80s Culture Club song, Carnelian Coffee represented beautifully at Taste of OCC a few weeks ago. That afforded me a chance to catch up with the outfit since my initial reporting back in mid-2017. Here are my takeaways: • As tasted at the event, their house pastry game is strong. Samples of a peanut butter bar, sweet and savory scones and a killer cookie illustrated excellent textures and flavors, nothing too sweet, everything super coffee friendly.

• The light-roasted House Blend features a mix of Javan and Brazilian beans, both natural processed, and is described as having “notes of raspberry, almond, and dark chocolate.” (I don’t always pick up on all listed aromas, etc., but I did enjoy my sips of this quality coffee.)

• Co-owner and GM Kate Firoved long ago bought out her former partner in the venture, and her husband/co-owner/roaster and house chef Colton Klauss has come aboard since. Firoved, a Springs native, formerly worked in the coffee industry in Seattle and Denver. Klauss is a Memphis native who prior to Carnelian was cheffing at an all-inclusive lodge in Montana.

• Klauss roasts on a zero-emission Bellwether Coffee system. These things are expensive, and badass.

• They scratch-make just about everything, including house syrups. They curate gluten-free items and offer ample vegetarian and vegan options.

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.

CALENDAR ART EVENTS October is Arts Month, when we’re all invited to gorge ourselves on this year’s 31day buffet of cultural events in the Pikes Peak region. Go to artsoctober.com/ events and mark your calendar (be sure to enter this year’s sweepstakes to win the “ultimate Arts prize package,” tiny url .co m /A r t s sweep).

Arts Month Poetry Picnic, bring a blanket, a poem to share and potluck sips/ snacks. Saturday, Oct. 21, 3-4:30 p.m.; all-ages, free; Prospect Lake, Memorial Park, 1605 E. Pikes Peak Ave.; tinyurl.com/ poetry-picnic.

ART EXHIBITS 45º Gallery, 2528 W. Colorado Ave., Suite B, 719-434-1214, 45degreegallery.com.

Acrylic paintings by Carlos Salazar Arenas and hand-blown glass by Danielle Park.

Academy Art & Frame Company, 7560 N. Academy Blvd., 719-265-6694, academyframesco.com. East and West: Classic and New Perspectives, works by faculty and students at Sheppard Arts Institute. Open through Oct. 30; reception Friday, Oct. 20, 4-7 p.m.

Your guide to events in the Pikes Peak region Anita Marie Fine Art, 109 S. Corona St., 719-493-5623, anitamariefineart.com. Storied Places, oil paintings that share the intimate emotional relationship between artist and place. Works by Chuck Mardosz, Richard Dahlquist and Joanne Lavender.

Paintings on display refreshed regularly through Nov. 9.

The Bridge Gallery, 218 W. Colorado Ave., #104, 719-629-7055, thebridgeartgallery.com. Liz McCombs’ Desert Dreams “highlights the remarkable resilience and tenacity of life in arid landscapes.”

Through Oct. 28.

Bosky Studio, 17B E. Bijou St., boskystudio.com. The Jane Doe Project: Studies and Sketches by Lindsay Hand, whose “deeply researched work — focused on power structures and the human spiritual experience — is frequently presented in partnership with institutes and entities outside of the traditional gallery experience.” Through Nov. 17.

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, 30 W. Dale St., 719-6345581, fac.coloradocollege.edu. Mi Gente: Manifestations of Community in the Southwest, with works from the FAC collection; through Feb. 3. FAC museum free days: Oct. 20, Nov. 11 and 17.

Commonwheel Artists Co-op, 102 Cañon Ave., Manitou Springs, 719-685-1008, commonwheel.com. From Earth to the

Sky, with three artists — painters Jean Pierre DeBernay and Hedy DuCharme and photographer Steve Shugart — sharing their personal interpretations of Colorado. Through Oct. 30.

Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave., 719-520-1899, cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com. Ghosts (And Other Manifestations of Grief) by Aaron Graves — “...Ghosts are an absence and a void that isn’t easy to fill, or even come to terms with. But recognition of them can be key in understanding how humans grieve and how we can begin to go through that process….” Through Oct. 28. Art on the Mesa, works by Lauren Lang, live music and nibbles. Thursday, Oct 26., 5-7 p.m.; Gold Hill Mesa Community Center, cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com/art-on-the-mesa.

Disruptor Gallery, 2217 E. Platte Ave., shutterandstrum.org. Not One or the Other by Maria Fetterhoff, who works mostly in acrylics and whose work is filtered through her Mexican heritage.

G44 Gallery, 121 E. Boulder St., 720-9510573, g44gallery.com. Lori DiPasquale’s You Are the Sky (see above). Marisa S White’s Above/Below — “Each organism, no matter how small or insignificant, plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems. ... I explore these patterns and connections in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the world around us and our place within it.” Artist

“Receding Tide” by Lori DiPasquale

ART EXHIBIT

Lori DiPasquale’s You Are the Sky — “Our experiences, emotions, and external situations are like passing weather patterns. They may bring turbulence or tranquility, joy or sorrow, uncertainty and challenges.” G44 Gallery, 121 E. Boulder St., 720-951-0573, g44gallery.com. talk Thursday, Oct. 19, 5:30 p.m.

Gallery 113, 125½ N. Tejon St., 719-6345299, gallery113cos.com. Paintings by Gayle Gross and Karen Standridge inspired by the changing seasons and the shifting mountain light of October.

GOCA (Galleries of Contemporary Art, UCCS), Marie Walsh Sharpe Gallery, Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave., gocadigital.org. Martha Russo’s Caesura

continued on p. 18 ➔

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CALENDAR ➔ continued from p. 17 — “her sculptural investigations appear at once fragile and potentially dangerous, cautioning one away while hypnotically drawing one in — ever closer — for intimate examination.” Through Dec. 2.

Hunter-Wolff Gallery, 2510 W. Colorado Ave., 719-520-9494, hunterwolffgallery. com. October’s featured artist: Ed McKay, who works in oils and acrylics — landscape, wildlife, still life.

Kreuser Gallery, 125 E. Boulder St., 719464-5880, kreusergallery.com. Photographer Matt Chmielarczyk’s PAIROSCOPES — During COVID, he says, “Pairoscopes are the things we often overlook. Things that exist in our world to amaze those who make the time to observe and absorb.”

Also by Chmielarczyk — Dia de Muertos, “A visual journey through Oaxaca’s sacred conversation with death.” Home,

by Valerie Lloyd, “A half-empty mug, a curated shelf, a carefully arranged vase of flowers, a forgotten pile of laundry, an unmade bed: all of these small moments are markers of the people who last interacted with them.” Through Oct. 27; artist talk Oct. 18, 5:30 p.m.

LightSpeed Curations, 306 S. 25th St., 719-308-8389, lightspeedart.art. Welcome to Your Nightmares — “a gallery showing of the dark arts” — with works

by Nat Feather, Boogiavelli, Sherri Gibson, Lawson Barney, Daphna Wilker, Cat Everington, Jay Newskool, Sean Harvey, Noah Segura, Senor Trash and Valerie Bradley.

The Look Up Gallery, 11 E. Bijou St. (inside Yobel), thelookupgallery.com. An October Arts Month Collaboration with works by artists from the gallery’s first year of solo shows: Leila Davis, Jes Moran, Isaac “Focus” Cisneros, Rachel Espenlaub, Becca Day, Shannon Mello, Jon Francis, Nathan Travis, Nichole Montanez, Clay Ross, Rachel Dinda and Brian Tryon.

Manitou Art Center, 513/515 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, 719-685-1861, manitouartcenter.org. Manitou: The Art of the Great Spirit, “art celebrating artists who work, create and Live in Manitou Springs.”

Through Oct. 28.

Pikes Peak State College Faculty Exhibition will be up through Oct. 20. Gallery at

Studio West, 22 N. Sierra Madre St.; see tinyurl.com/PPSC-fac for gallery hours.

Platte Collections, 2331 E. Platte Place, 719-980-2715, plattecollections.myshopify.com. Featured artist Elizabeth Morisette “brings upcycled art with texture, imagination and a touch of nostalgia.”

Surface Gallery, 2752 W. Colorado Ave., 719-359-6966, surfacegallerycos.com. The Space Between, a curated photography group exhibit. “Ten art photographers captured their own interpretations of this phrase” — Nate Cuccaro, Allison Daniel, Robert Gray, Abigail Kreuser, Heather Oelklaus, Karen Scheffe, Richard Seldomridge, Denny Welker, Nancy Welker and Marisa White. Through Oct. 27.

True North Art Gallery, 31 E. Bijou St., 719471-3809, truenorthartgallery.com. Lil’ Late Grand Opening Party — yeah, they’ve been open for a while, but they never got to celebrate properly. Wednesday, Oct. 25, 5-9 p.m.

UCCS Downtown, 102 S. Tejon St. #105-a.

An art show collaboration presented by UCCS Downtown, Pikes Peak Arts Council and Colorado Springs School District 11.

FILM Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, the longest-running women’s film festival in the Western Hemisphere, returns to Colorado College for its 36th year with a slate of new films by, for or about women. Friday-Sunday, Oct. 20-22; Cornerstone Arts Center/CC, 825 N. Cascade Ave.; see rmwfilm.org for tickets and info on the many festival events.

KIDS & FAMILIES Balloonacy, “a red balloon drifts through the window of a solitary old man’s home.

But then some serious silliness begins....”

Oct. 28-Nov. 19; Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., fac.coloradocollege.edu.

Miners’ Pumpkin Patch, with a hay maze, games, vintage apple press, hayrides, gold panning, food trucks. Saturdays, Oct. 21 and 28, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Western Museum of Mining & Industry, 225 North Gate Blvd.; tinyurl.com/pumpkins-wmmi.

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INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ART EXHIBIT

“Scrambled Minds” by Vale Yang

Daydreams and Night Lights, a juried photography exhibition presented by Radiant Aberration and ZoneFIVE that “explores the creative imagination. What oddity or mirage do you picture during the day? Have you captured apparitions or things that go bump in the night?” Through Nov. 30; ZoneFIVE, 1902 E. Boulder St., zonefivecs.com.

Venetucci Farm’s Pumpkin Fest, includes the pumpkin patch, hayrides, games and pick-your-own flowers. Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Oct. 29; craft fair and farm animal visits Saturdays and Sundays.

LAUGH OUT LOUD Killer Komics From Outer Space, ‘“a loosely alien-themed comedy show.” Friday, Oct. 20, 9 p.m. (doors 8:30); Ultra Flat Black Gallery, 603 W. Colorado Ave.; tinyurl. com/KillerKomics.

POETRY & PROSE Poetry 719 Festival, through October: disability awareness open mic, Friday, Oct. 20, 6:30 p.m., UCCS; virtual storytelling workshop, Sunday, Oct. 22., 11 a.m. See details for these events and full events list at tinyurl.com/p719-festival23.

Dark Praise: Falling in Love with the Dark, performance/album release with poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer and guitarist Steve Law: “Some growth and beauty is possible only in the dark.”

Thursday, Oct. 26., 5 p.m. True North Art Gallery, 31 E. Bijou St., 719-471-3809, truenorthartgallery.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS Sober Soirée, a alcohol-free evening and fundraiser for Homeward Pikes Peak featuring Chef Brother Luck, with small plates from Springs restaurants, music and a mocktail competition. Saturday, Oct. 21, 6-9 p.m.; Meanwhile Block Barrel Building, 114 W. Cimarron St.; homewardpikespeak.org/events.

Night at the Library, the inaugural Pikes Peak Library District Foundation fundraiser, with after-hours access to Library

21c, a cocktail reception and scavenger hunt, followed by a multi-course seated dinner and program. Saturday, Oct. 21, 5:30 p.m.; 1175 Chapel Hills Drive; ppld. org/night-at-the-library.

THEATER & STAGE Playing for Ukraine, an evening fundraiser filled with music, comedy and circus benefiting Ukraine Power. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 20-21, 7 p.m.; Millibo Art Theatre, 1626 S. Tejon St.; themat.org.

Misery, based on the Stephen King novel, “follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his ‘Number One fan,’ Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home.” Through Oct. 29; Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St.; fac.coloradocollege.edu/theatre/#currentseason.

Ask the Actors, “a curated discussion with the cast and creatives,” Sunday, Oct. 22, 3:30 p.m.; free.

Gilgamesh, presented by Counterweight Theatre Lab — “King Gilgamesh discovers joy and loss which send him on a journey outside of the world itself to find the answer to the ultimate question: Why do we die?” Oct. 19-29; True North Gallery, 31 E. Bijou St.; tinyurl.com/counterweight-g.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, presented

by Funky Little Theater Co., tells Washington Irving’s classic tale of superstitious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the Headless Horseman. Oct. 20-28 at Westside Community Center, 1628 W. Bijou St.; and Nov. 3-4 at Ute Pass Cultural Center, 210 E. Midland Ave., Woodland Park; tickets, tinyurl.com/ Funky-Ichabod.

FOR FULL EVENT LISTINGS, AND TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN EVENTS, GO TO CSINDY.COM!

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October 28–November 19

Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival, a Manitou Halloween tradition, with a parade, the races, vendors and an after party at Soda Springs Park with live music. Saturday, Oct. 28, see full schedule at manitousprings.org/emmacrawford-coffin-races; in the 900 block of Manitou Ave. and the park, 1016 Manitou Ave.

The Fear Complex, with four haunted adventures — Haunted Mines, 3D Carnevil, Sinister Manor and Sanitarium. Through Nov. 4; 2220 E. Bijou St.; thefearcomplex.org.

Ba

By

Coroner’s Aud Ball Halloween Party, with El Paso County Coroner Leon Kelly.

“Immerse yourself in the decaying and alien monster-invaded building, where every corner holds a new surprise and every moment leaves you breathless.”

Saturday, Oct. 28, 6 p.m. to midnight; for “freaky, funny, and weird fanatics” (ages 18-plus); Colorado Springs City Auditorium, 221 E. Kiowa St.; tinyurl.com/ AudBall-23.

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Ko rn

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show shadowcast, “The original 1975 Cult Classic is back with live shadowcast, audience participation, sets, and more raunchy call-backs than ever!” Oct. 28-31, doors at 7 p.m.; Lulu’s Downstairs, 107 Manitou Ave.; tinyurl.com/Rocky-23.

Boo at the Zoo, family-friendly evening with treat stations, lighted pumpkin patch, haunted house, animal visits, spooky graveyard and pirate cove. Oct. 20-22, 27-29 and 31, 4-8:30 p.m.; Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road; cmzoo.org.

Haunted Lantern Tour: Journey into Fear Director’s Cut, “wind your way deep inside Cave of the Winds and hear spine-chilling ghost stories.” Saturdays-Sundays through Oct. 31; Cave of the Winds Mountain Park, 100 Cave of the Winds Road, Manitou Springs; caveofthewinds.com.

Children’s theatre at the Fine Arts Center is back!

HellScream Haunted House, delivering “heart-pounding moments of horror.”

Sept. 22-Oct. 31, see hellscreamhaunt.com for more info and tickets; 3021 N. Hancock Ave. Sunday Night Frights at the Museum: Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla, from 1952. A mad scientist (Lugosi) conducts experiments in evolution on the island of Cola-Cola. Sunday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m.; free but register at tinyurl.com/Manitoueeek; Manitou Springs Heritage Center, 517 Manitou Ave. Three Nights of Horror Film Festival, from Frankenhooker to The Wolf Man. Oct. 20-22, see full schedule and ticket info at horror.eventive.org; City Auditorium, 221 E. Kiowa St. Ghost Stories of Old Manitou, walking tours by THEATREdART “tell the stories of real people from Manitou Springs’ history.” Through Oct. 27; tickets and more info at tinyurl.com/Ghosts-Manitou.

FOR FULL EVENT LISTINGS, AND TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN EVENTS, GO TO CSINDY.COM!

Tickets: (719) 634-5583 fac.coloradocollege.edu ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

19

FAIR AND UNBALANCED

By Mike Littwin Courtesy The Colorado Sun

We can’t agree on anything, Flickr World Economic Forum Manuel Lopez

INCLUDING RULE OF LAW all Muslims for the acts of Islamist terrorists.

There isn’t exactly unanimity among Democrats, either. Although most on the American left have expressed support for Israel, there are, as you might have heard, some outliers on the far left. And among many progressives, there is the belief, with some evidence, that American policy under Biden and other presidents has been one-sided.

Where should the blame lie? It’s complicated.

I’m not exactly a foreign policy expert, but I haven’t seen a good explanation for what Hamas hoped to accomplish with its untethered killing spree, of which Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote, “Not since the Holocaust have more Jews been murdered on one day.”

The simplest explanation for the invasion I’ve heard is that Hamas, which doesn’t recognize Israel’s right to exist, felt it was being ignored while Israel was negotiating with its Arab neighbors. But does that explain the massacres?

A further explanation could be that Iran pushed the invasion to scuttle a possible understanding between Israel and Saudi Arabia, both of them Iran’s enemies.

American officials say they don’t yet have firm evidence of Iranian involvement.

In a White House speech last week in which Biden once again renewed his “unwavering support” for Israel, he didn’t go for complexity. He put the blame for the terrorist attack on “sheer evil.”

He was angry, and not simply because politics demanded it. And not just because, as of press time, at least 30 Americans have been killed and certainly more captured. Who wouldn’t be angry at this point?

You can, as I do, think that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and its blockade of Gaza have been a moral disaster. You can, as I have, think that we give lip service to the two-state solution but know that Netanyahu has no interest in pursuing one.

Biden was clearly shaken by what he called the “stomach-turning reports” of babies being killed, of Israeli women stripped naked and paraded, of parents killed while trying to protect their children, of a Holocaust survivor among the dozens of people Hamas has kidnapped, of the uncertain fate of as many as 150 hostages.

If you’ve seen the reports from the music festival where armed fighters slaughtered at least 260 people, you understand.

If you’ve seen the horror at Kfar Aza, a kibbutz not far from the Israel-Gaza border, you understand.

If you heard Israeli Major Gen. Itai Veruv describe the scene in Kfar Aza — “It’s not a war, it’s not a battlefield. It’s a massacre.” Some victims were decapitated,

There is no easy way out of this.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a politically divided country, much like the United States.

M

OST OF US CAN AGREE, I BELIEVE, on at least two things involving Hamas’ horrific assault on Israel.

One, the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestinians is endlessly complex.

Two, the endless complexity does little to explain — and absolutely nothing to excuse — the barbarity of the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas, the group that controls Gaza and whose terrorist incursion is now rightly being called Israel’s 9/11.

And there’s maybe a third thing, too. After 9/11, if you remember, we experienced a brief moment of unity.

I’m pretty sure we haven’t had one since, and I wouldn’t expect that to change now, even about the attack on Israel, even after the details of the atrocities have been revealed in their full horror.

In Israel, there is unity in grief and in blame. From what I’ve read, most Israelis blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the country’s shocking intelligence failure that allowed Hamas to massacre Israeli civilians 20

INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | OPINION

in numbers that are unprecedented in Israel’s history.

In America, there may be unity in grief and in outrage, but not in blame. It’s the political season, and so Republicans, starting with Donald Trump, are blaming Joe Biden for whatever is happening.

For supposedly being weak in the face of enemies — except, of course, when being strong in his support for Ukraine, which many Republicans oppose.

For having — in Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-South Carolina) words — “funded these attacks on Israel.” Meaning that Biden released $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets as part of the exchange for release of American hostages. It turns out, though, not a penny of that money has yet reached Iran, which is, yes, a sponsor of terrorism, including that of Hamas. And it’s since been widely reported that Iran no longer has access to that money, based on a decision by Qatari and U.S. officials.

And Trump, as you may have heard, is now calling for a new ban on Muslims. After 9/11, George W. Bush, in maybe his finest moment, asked Americans not to blame

he added. “I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’ve served for 40 years” — you understand.

“These were the homes of the people of pre-1967 Israel, democratic Israel, liberal Israel — living in peaceful kibbutzim or going to a life-loving disco party,” the Israeli writer Ari Shavit told New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.

So, yes, it was a provocation. The question is what should the reaction be in a time of rising antisemitism, in a time when misinformation is rife on social media. My grandchildren’s school has warned parents not to let their kids see horrifying videos on certain social media sites of hostages begging for their lives.

In Israel, they’ve called for a complete siege of Gaza, cutting off electricity, food and water; a massive bombardment has been ongoing and Israeli officials have called for Gaza citizens to leave the area. But for many, there’s no way out.

Most expect Israel, which has called up 360,000 reservists, to launch a ground attack on Gaza. But there is concern that the war could widen to include Hezbollah and factions in the West Bank.

There is no easy way out of this. You can blame Hamas terrorists, who with their actions baited Israel into making a full-on attack.

In his speech pledging full support for Israel, Biden also said he told Netanyahu that terrorists like Hamas target civilians and that democracies like the United States and Israel are “stronger and more secure when we act according to the rule of law.” That’s the same oft-indicted Netanyahu, of course, who has been desperately trying to weaken Israel’s Supreme Court.

You’d like to think everyone could agree with Biden on that.

But then you’d have to believe that in America, we can agree on anything, up to and definitely including the rule of law.

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.

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OPINION | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

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HEARING AIDS: The cure for GOP loopiness?

NEW films + red carpet gala

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SAT. NOV 4 4:30 PM

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION All ticket holders are welcome to the lobby party with a cash bar. Celebrate films past & present while networking with local media, academic leaders, & community non-profits.

6:30 PM | DOORS OPEN AT 6:00 FILM PREMIERE + DISCUSSION Watch NEW documentaries and engage in moderated discussions with filmmakers.

4:30 PM VIP RECEPTION Intimate reception with filmmakers of past & present. Wine and hors d’oeuvres included.

Saturday, November 4

Cornerstone Arts Center 825 N Cascade Ave, Colorado Springs

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COLORADO COLLEGE FILM + MEDIA STUDIES

22

INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | OPINION

By Jim Hightower jimhightower.com

ERE’S MY SUGGESTION for stopping the ultra-rightwing loopiness coming out of the mouths of Republican officials: Hearing aids.

I’m convinced that the wacko blatherings of Florida’s Rep. Matt Gaetz, the ravings of the QAnon cult, Donald Trump’s tantrums and so many others are the result of a tragic neurological disconnect.

This affliction lets their tongues wag impulsively, but their ears don’t pick up the noise, so they’re unaware that they are prattling nonsense.

The current chaos in Congress’ Republican caucus is one embarrassing example of this eardrum contagion, but it has also spread throughout the country, even to local right-wing officials. In Shasta County, California, for example, the Republican-controlled board of supervisors recently lurched into full-tilt screwballism, frenetically warning that Japanese forces are weaponizing mosquitoes to be “flying syringes” to mass-inject Americans. See — no way they would’ve said that if they could hear themselves.

Which brings us to the fount of present-day right-wing goofiness: Texas state officials. Their latest tone-deaf ploy is by Gov. Greg Abbott, who wants to divert our people’s tax dollars from public schools to exclusive private academies, subsidizing the rich class he serves. He’s tried to do this before, but he failed — since even conservative Republicans in rural counties don’t want their public education turned over to profiteering corporate chains. So, this time Greg is hyping privatization as a “religious freedom” issue, piously preaching that “God created us to have family units — not state bureaucrats — make decisions for families.”

Sheesh, does Abbott even have ears?

Or maybe he’s hoping that we don’t have memories, for we have heard him howling constantly that the state — not families — must make every woman’s personal reproductive decisions. Let’s buy a hearing aid for him, and set it on constant replay.

MEANWHILE ... OVER TIME , words with beautiful meanings occasionally get degraded into ugliness. “Gentle,” for example.

Originally meaning good-natured and

kindly, it was twisted into “gentry” in the Middle Ages by very un-gentle land barons seeking a patina of refinement. Then it became a pretentious verb — to “gentrify” — meaning to make something common appear upscale. And now the word has devolved to “gentrification,” describing the greed of developers and speculators who oust middle- and low-income families from their communities to create trendy enclaves for the rich.

The latest move by these profiteers is their meanest yet, targeting families with the most tenuous hold on affordable shelter: People living in mobile home parks.

Some 20 million Americans — especially vulnerable senior citizens, veterans, the disabled and immigrant workers — make their homes in these inexpensive parks.

Right-wing crazy: Japanese forces are weaponizing mosquitoes to be ‘flying syringes.’

Well, “inexpensive” until the vultures sweep in, including multibillion-dollar Wall Street powerhouses like Blackstone Group, Apollo Global Management and Carlyle Group that’re buying up hundreds of trailer parks across the country.

These are easy for unprincipled speculators to grab — while tenants might own their mobile home, they rent the lots, and the first sign that a huckster has taken over a neighborhood park is an unwarranted spike in everyone’s rent. Residents are captive tenants, for these homes are not really mobile, and even if one can be moved, the cost can top $10,000. New Yorker magazine notes that today’s typical mobile home park has been called “a Waffle House where customers are chained to their booths.”

Corporate predators can collect everrising rents and fees, while cutting amenities, steadily driving out lower-income families. Then the business model can switch to gentrification, remaking the parks to attract upscale owners of million-dollar mobile homes.

And where do former tenants go?

Away. Out of sight, out of mind.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

From bbs.amuniversal.com

Edited by David Steinberg Themeless Sunday 56 by Taylor Johnson and Rafael Musa

Across 1

Hermit ___

5

Eight bits

9

"The Lion King" baddie

13 Massive concert venue 14 ___ and aahs 15 Leader of the Holy See 16 Needing an emotional bond for physical attraction

42 Fully supportive response 46 "Funny!"

47 Brawl 48 Breads that can be stuffed

13 Sponsored spots 17 Brand of dry-erase markers 21 Events with a single occurrence 23 Barbie or Ken

50 Swampy area

25 CPR pros

52 "The Secret World of ___ Mack" ('90s Nickelodeon show)

27 Centerpiece of some spring celebrations 29 Down for the count, briefly

18 Roman moon goddess

53 Gravity-defying part of a roller coaster

19 ___ Paulo

55 Stuff in a horror movie

20 Apply, as pressure 21 Lubricated

56 Photo that needs sharpening

22 Word before "puddle" or "pie"

57 Goes on a tirade

31 Sellers of decadent pastries with cream cheese frosting

58 Head and neck docs

32 Plotting together

24 Here and now

59 Meh

26 Playback speed

60 Awesome, slangily

33 "The ___ of Pleasure" (2023 Janelle Monae album)

28 Tom and Jerry?

Down

30 Famed Silk Road traveler

29 Marsupial whose male has a scent gland on its chest

1

Vanilla-flavored pop

35 Browse, as the internet

2

Sauce in Louisiana Creole cuisine

36 "I'm down!"

40 Boasts, colloquially

30 Very, in Italian

3

Name within "Daniela"

41 Barely

31 Org. headquartered in Langley

4

Acid's counterpart

42 Perceived appearance

5

Athlete in a ring

43 Honeydew, e.g.

34 Unexpectedly rewarding

6

"Really, though?!"

44 Vigilant

37 Actor Daniel ___ Kim

7

"False!"

8

Course for some native Spanish speakers: Abbr.

45 Person who might give you a crash course?

38 Pucker, as lips 39 Yard feature appreciated by pet owners

9

49 One may live in Belgrade

Impressive spreads?

51 Google Maps tech

10 "It's the least I ___ do!"

53 Bulk section units: Abbr.

40 "May the ___ be with you"

11

41 Hatha yoga posture

12 "You good to go?"

Common sleep disorder

54 Language spoken in Vientiane

Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer

President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC

Hear Johnna share the future she sees for Colorado Springs’ business and economic development and how her passion for community influences her leadership.

Nov. 8

4:30 - 6 p.m.

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Find the answers on p. 24 CANDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

23

Photo illustration assets from stock.adobe.com

News of the

WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Armed and clumsy

As Michael Gardner, 62, officiated a wedding in Denton, Nebraska, on Sept. 30, he inexplicably tried to get the attention of the guests by shooting a handgun into the air, CNN reported. Instead, Gardner wounded his 12-year-old grandson in the shoulder. Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office Chief Ben Houchin said Gardner wanted to “start the wedding with a bang. When he decided to cock back the hammer of this revolver, it slipped.” The ammunition was a blank, but Gardner had apparently “put black powder into the casing and then glued it,” Houchin said. “The glue is what injured the child.” Gardner was charged with child abuse. “The act was not very smart,” Houchin said.

The continuing crisis

• Maybe it’s time to pay teachers more.

Brianna Coppage, 28, an English teacher at St. Clair High School in St. Clair, Missouri, was put on leave on Sept. 27 after district officials discovered she was creating and sharing pornography on the website OnlyFans. The St. Louis PostDispatch reported that Coppage claimed she joined the site over the summer to supplement her income. “I knew this day was coming,” she said. “The district says they haven’t made a decision yet, but I’m just kind of putting the pieces together that I am not coming back,” she added.

She said she made an additional $8,000 to $10,000 per month from the site. “I can’t control what people think of me. ... I’m not doing anything illegal. I am a good

friend. I am a good family member. That is all I can think about right now,” Coppage said. She has since resigned from teaching.

• The Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City has had enough of bad behavior on the subway, The Messenger reported. On Oct. 3, the MTA launched its Courtesy Counts campaign, hoping to encourage riders to practice common decency. You know, things like: Don’t leave your trash on the train. Don’t block the doors. Use headphones when listening to music an podcasts. And of course, that Emily Post mainstay: Wait until you get home to clip your nails. “In our busy lives, it’s easy to forget that your own individual behavior can have an impact on your fellow riders’ commute. The goal isn’t to lecture anyone,” said Shanifah Rieara, MTA senior adviser.

Halloween is coming!

Tim Perry of Cranston, Rhode Island, has an over-the-top way of celebrating Halloween, WJAR-TV reported. His favorite horror movie, House of 1,000 Corpses, inspired him to create “House of 1,000 Pumpkins” — but this year, his collection will grow closer to 1,400. Cranston carves about 200 more craft pumpkins each year, starting around Oct. 1, to add to the display outside his home. “Everybody thanks me for doing it,” Perry said.

“They look forward to it every year. The kids go nuts.” Through a Facebook fundraiser, he also collects donations to help families affected by cancer.

A SHARP MIND

T

HE MINISTRY OF HEALTH IN THE SAKHALIN REGION OF RUSSIA revealed on Oct. 2 that an 80-year-old woman had been discovered to be living with a 1-inch needle in her brain, Insider reported. Radiologists had found the needle with an X-ray; doctors believe it has been there since her birth, when her parents may have tried to kill her because of war and famine. However, the woman survived and never suffered headaches from the object. She is being monitored by a physician.

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Crossword

Find the familiar phrase, saying or name in this arrangement of letters.

MINI SUDOKU X

Deviate

24

INDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | CANDY

Complete the grid so that every row, column, diagonal and 3x2 box contain the numbers 1 to 6.

SUDOKU X

Complete the grid so that every row, column, diagonal and 3x3 box contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Free Will ASTROLOGY LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I’m not enamored of Shakespeare’s work. Though I enjoy his creative use of language, his worldview isn’t appealing or interesting. The people in his stories don’t resonate with me, and their problems don’t feel realistic. If I want to commune with multifaceted characters dealing with fascinating dilemmas, I turn to French novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850). I feel a kinship with his complex, nuanced understanding of human nature. Please note I am not asserting that Shakespeare is bad and Balzac is good. I’m merely stating the nature of my subjective personal tastes. Now I invite you to do what I have done here: In the coming weeks, stand up unflinchingly for your subjective personal tastes.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): As much as I love logic and champion rational thinking, I’m granting you an exemption f rom their iron-grip supremacy in the coming weeks. To understand what’s transpiring and to respond with intelligence, you must partly transcend logic and reason. They will not be suff icient guides as you wrestle with the Great Riddles that will be visiting. In a few weeks, you will be justified in quoting ancient Roman author Tertullian, who said the following about his religion, Christianity: “It is true because it is impossible.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): As a Sunconjunct-Uranus person, I am fond of hyperbole and outrageousness. “Outlandish” is one of my middle names. My Burning Man moniker is “Friendly Shocker,” and in my pagan community, I’m known as Irreverend Robbie. So take that into consideration when I suggest you meditate on Oscar Wilde’s assertions that “all great ideas are dangerous” and “an idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea.” Oscar and I don’t mean that interesting possibilities must be a risk to one’s health or safety. Rather, we’re suggesting they are probably inconvenient for one’s dogmas, habits and comfort zones. I hope you will favor such disruptors in the coming days.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Some people might feel they have achieved the peak of luxury if they find themselves sipping Moët & Chandon Imperial Vintage Champagne while lounging on a leather and diamond-encrusted PlumeBlanche sofa on a hand-knotted Agra wool rug aboard a 130-foot-long Sunseeker yacht. But I suspect you will be thoroughly pleased with the subtler forms of luxury that are possible for you these days. Like what? Like surges of appreciation and acknowledgment for your good work. Like growing connections with influences that will interest you and help you in the future. Like the emotional riches that come from acting with integrity and excellence.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There are over 20 solutions to the riddle your higher mind is now contemplating. Several of them are smart intellectually but not emotionally intelligent.

Others make sense from a selfish perspective but would be less than a blessing for some people in your life. Then there are a few solutions that might technically be effective but wouldn’t be much fun. I estimate there may only be two or three answers that would be intellectually and emotionally intelligent, would be of service not only to you but also to others, and would generate productive fun.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Naturalist John Muir didn’t like the word “hiking.” He believed people ought to saunter through the wilderness, not hike. “Hiking” implies straight-ahead, no-nonsense, purposeful movement, whereas “sauntering” is about wandering around, being reverent towards one’s surroundings, and getting willingly distracted by where one’s curiosity leads. I suggest you favor the sauntering approach in the coming weeks — not just in nature but in every area of your life. You’re best suited for exploring, gallivanting and meandering.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): JooHee Yoon is an

BY ROB BREZSNY

illustrator and designer. She says, “So much of artmaking is getting to know yourself through the creative process, of making mistakes and going down rabbit holes of research and experimentation that sometimes work out — and sometimes don’t.” She adds, “The failures are just as important as the successes.” I would extend this wisdom, applying it to how we create our personalities and lives. I hope you will keep it in mind as you improvise, experiment with, and transform yourself in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Sometimes, we droop and shrivel in the face of a challenge that dares us to grow stronger and smarter.

Sometimes, we try our best to handle a pivotal riddle with aplomb but fall short. Neither of these two scenarios will be in play for you during the coming months. I believe you will tap into reserves of hidden power you didn’t realize you had access to. You will summon bold, innovative responses to tantalizing mysteries. I predict you will accomplish creative triumphs that may have once seemed beyond your capacities.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini novelist Meg Wolitzer suggests that “one of the goals of life is to be comfortable in your own skin and in your own bed and on your own land.”

I suspect you won’t achieve that goal in the coming weeks, but you will lay the foundation for achieving that goal. You will figure out precisely what you need in order to feel at home in the world, and you will formulate plans to make that happen. Be patient with yourself, dear Gemini. Be extra tender, kind and accommodating. Your golden hour will come.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Some astrologers say you Crabs are averse to adventure, preferring to loll in your comfort zones and entertain dreamy fantasies. As evidence that this is not always true, I direct your attention to a great Cancerian adventurer, the traveling Chef Anthony Bourdain. In the coming weeks, I hope you will be inspired by these Bourdain quotes: 1) “If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move.

As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.” 2) “What a great way to live, if you could always do things that interest you, and do them with people who interest you.” 3) “The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know, how much more there is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough — to know there is no final resting place of the mind.” 4) “Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Iain S. Thomas writes, “The universe is desperately trying to move you into the only spot that truly belongs to you — a space that only you can stand in. It is up to you to decide every day whether you are moving towards or away from that spot.”

His ideas overlap with principles I expound in my book Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings. There I propose that life often works to help dissolve your ignorance and liberate you from your suffering. I hypothesize that you are continually being given opportunities to grow smarter and wilder and kinder.

In the coming weeks, everything I’ve described here will be especially apropos to you. All of creation will be maneuvering you in the direction of feeling intensely at home with your best self. Cooperate, please!

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Never do anything that others can do for you,” said Virgo novelist Agatha Christie. That’s not a very Virgo-like attitude, is it? Many astrologers would say that of all the zodiac’s signs, your tribe is the most eager to serve others but not aggressively seek the service of others on your behalf. But I suspect this dynamic could change in the coming weeks. Amazingly, cosmic rhythms will conspire to bring you more help and support than you’re accustomed to. My advice: Welcome it.

Gather it in with gusto.

CANDY | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | INDY

25

26

COLORADO SPRINGS BUSINESS JOURNAL | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | CSBJ.com

Focus

Banking Courtesy ANB Bank

Todd Crowley ANB Bank

BY KATHERINE ATHERTON

T

odd Crowley began his career in banking in 1991, moving from Wichita, Kansas, to Colorado to pursue a management trainee position at First Bank. Now, he takes the reins as president of ANB Bank and the Sturm Financial Group Inc., the bank’s holding company.

An active member of several nonprofits, Crowley is currently serving on the board of the Colorado Homeownership Coalition and as a member and past president of the Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association’s Board of Governors. With more than 30 years of expertise in the field, he focuses on sound banking practices and volunteerism. He talked with the Business Journal about the post-pandemic banking landscape — everything from deposits and mortgage rates to equity in lending — and what’s ahead.

FDIC data show deposits in Colorado Springs-area banks were down by about 7 percent in the 12 months ending June 30 — and while inflation has slowed and wages have increased, real wages are still down. What are you seeing, and how is it impacting deposits, savings and use of credit?

I think what you’re seeing in the Colorado Springs market is what we’re seeing industry-wide. If you think about deposit growth over the last few years, there was tremendous deposit growth throughout the pandemic, with all of the government stimulus and various programs. At some point that growth in the money supply is inflationary, and as the Federal Reserve began to react to that and increase interest rates to bring inflation down, their actions also bring deposits out of the banking system.

So when you look at the deposit runoff in the Colorado Springs market, that’s probably about what ANB is experienced as well. Nothing really significant, but a little bit of runoff. What we’re seeing with our customers is they are spending down the pandemic funds, and that’s a big cause of the runoff.

As far as lending, activity is still fairly strong. The housing market, while it’s slowed a bit, its values have not declined all that much. We’re relatively stable there.

We are continuing to see good demand, really across all product lines.

How are climbing mortgage rates affecting ANB Bank and the industry in Colorado more broadly?

They’re affecting demand for mortgages to a degree for ANB. They’re affecting the broader mortgage industry pretty dramatically, and that’s been a big challenge for the

mortgage industry as a whole.

[At ANB], we do some commercial real estate, we do some agricultural lending, we do some general commercial and small business lending. It’s a very diverse portfolio and a very diverse product mix, so rates are not impacting us to the degree that they might be impacting some others because of that diversity in our product mix.

From a mortgage rate standpoint, all other rates are going

up as well, so we’re certainly impacted — but again, I think our customers have been able to withstand that, and the economy is still pretty resilient. Our borrowing customers are generally able to absorb the cost of higher rates so there has not been a big impact from a credit quality standpoint.

We’ve seen some fall off in demand, but that seems to have recovered recently. We are doing pretty well overall. continued on p. 29 ➔

CSBJ.com | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | COLORADO SPRINGS BUSINESS JOURNAL

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➔ continued from p. 27

You started your career with a focus on mortgage operations and most recently were responsible for all creditrelated matters for ANB. How have you seen those areas change over that time, and what does that mean for the future?

The mortgage industry, since I started back in the early ’90s, has changed pretty dramatically. There is much more reliance on technology for processing mortgages. There’s been a lot of regulatory change over that time period, which I think generally has been good, and I think overall that the process of getting a mortgage is much more convenient for people now. While it can be document intensive, the technology around that is much better than it used to be.

I think the same is true across other types of lending as well. We are a very people-focused business and we want to deal with customers directly, but we try to support our teams and support our customers with good technology to facilitate the process. We never want to lose that face-toface customer interaction. Sometimes, now, it’s on Zoom or Webex, but we have great technology to support our bankers and I think that’s one of the biggest changes that we’ve seen over time.

When you look at technology in general, things just continue to develop and I think there are a lot of opportunities to improve the customer experience. I don’t know what those will necessarily look like in the future, but anything that we can do to improve the customer’s interaction, and their experience with the bank, is a good thing. That’s what we will continue to develop over time.

How is ANB working toward equity in credit and lending?

We have a big focus on fair lending, and we pay a lot of attention to community development lending in particular.

What we’re very focused on is affordable housing.

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, that finances a lot of affordable housing, and multifamily housing. We’re also a big participant with local nonprofits and housing authorities. We’ve done, just in the past few years, several hundred million dollars in affordable housing loans for the construction of new affordable housing, and we are very proud of that. It’s a big, big focus for us. That’s one of the things that we do that I think really promotes fair lending and equity.

The other thing that we’re really focused on, particularly in our mortgage and small business lending, is just good outreach.

We are not a huge organization with a big branch footprint, so we work hard to make sure that we’re reaching out to the underserved communities near our branches and work with kind of a targeted approach from both a marketing and a branch staff outreach perspective. We work really hard at that.

on their mortgage, and it’s been very successful over the years in keeping people in their homes and keeping people in their homes long term.

I’m excited about that organization; I’ve been involved with it since January of this year. Affordable housing is just a huge need across the nation, but certainly, there has been a great need in Colorado for some time. I think anything that we can do to foster the development of more affordable housing is really important. I am very passionate about affordable housing and think we just need to continue to find ways to solve that issue.

As far as lending, activity is still fairly strong.

Tell us about your work with the Colorado Homeownership Coalition.

They are really focused on providing foreclosure assistance. We raise money, we have a process to evaluate applications, we work with a lot of nonprofits and housing counselors to provide funding for people that have a temporary hardship, but they’re facing foreclosure — and we help these people get back to being current [on their mortgage payments]. Maybe they’ve had a job loss. Maybe they’ve had an illness that just put them behind for a bit of time. We can come in and provide some support in catching them up

What changes would you like to see in customers’ relationships with their banks?

I don’t know that I can answer that for the industry as a whole, but for our customers I am very happy with the relationships that we have. We work hard to provide great technology around that, but I think the important thing is to have that connection with people — and to me, that’s having great bankers that are really well trained, focused on providing great service and really being able to craft good solutions for our customers.

That’s what we’re about.

We’re just not transactional. I think a lot of banks, particularly some of the larger banks, have a more transactional model, and we have a more relationship-driven model. To us, that’s really important. That’s what makes us successful and what helps enable us to help our customers be successful. Maybe that’s what I would change as an industry, but I think ANB is already there. CSBJ

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WHEN YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT REAL ESTATE CSBJ.com | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | COLORADO SPRINGS BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Front

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The

Resilience and wellness saves lives

K

risten Christy travels the globe talking about resiliency and wellness — while she’s not a professional counselor, she does have personal experience about what it’s like to face devastating losses and recover.

Kristen’s first husband, Don Christy, took his own life just days before officially becoming a colonel in the United States Air Force. Kristen still Bob McLaughlin remembers answering the door to a chaplain and the El Paso County coroner, delivering the terrible news. His death devastated the entire family, including their two sons, Ben and Ryan.

For years, the family mourned their loss, and the impact of Don’s death rebounded in their lives in different ways.

In the aftermath, Kristen turned to the community for support, a response she learned as a military child when her family moved every two years. Today, she still struggles to understand — but she also works tirelessly to make sure other families don’t experience the same loss and pain she went through.

She tells her story over and over. Of the voicemail her youngest son left sobbing about his dad, about the struggles of her other son’s substance abuse and bipolar disorder. He disappeared in 2015.

She’s brutally honest about her losses and her life, hoping her message of hope and resilience helps others struggling silently with their own mental health and depression.

Kristen is one of several speakers at Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center’s first Resiliency and Wellness Summit, which focuses on providing support services and conversations for military members, veterans and their families.

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The event, running from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 3 at The Antlers hotel in Downtown Colorado Springs, features interactive conversations about courage, compassion and connection from Home Field Advantage. Dr. Kevin Basik, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran and a leader at the Medal of Honor Museum in Dallas, will discuss becoming the best version of oneself — and how service to others is a vital part of mental wellbeing.

Damian McCabe of Next Chapter and I will speak about t he prog r a m t hat addresses the stresses of everyday life — financial and health concerns, food insecurity, behavioral health — that can lead to despair.

Next Chapter, a program of UCHealth, is state-funded and one of Mt. Carmel’s resilience and wellness partners. Next Chapter recently expanded to Pueblo and is aiding people with life’s challenges there.

Nicole Weis, from UCCS’ Greater Resilience Information Toolkit program — or GRIT — will talk about how individuals can come together to build resilience across neighborhoods, towns and cities.

The day will wrap up with a panel that includes Nate Boyer, a United States Army Green Beret, football player and actor. He went through multiple tours in Afghanistan before walking onto the University of Texas’ Division I football team, despite never having played a game.

COLORADO SPRINGS BUSINESS JOURNAL | Oct. 18 - 24, 2023 | CSBJ.com

Resiliency and wellness are vital to the success of any community.

He went on to join the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. In 2017, Boyer appeared in the Madden NFL 18 video game’s story mode. He also played a secret agent in the 2018 film Den of Thieves and now hosts Discovery Channel’s reality television show, Survive the Raft.

Resiliency and wellness are vital to the success of any community. Importantly, with more than 120,000 veterans in the state of Colorado, building a healthy, resilient community is paramount. This summit, with its important conversations, is the start of a long-term discussion in Colorado Springs about healing and removing the stigma of mental health support. It’s about creating connections, having the courage to ask for help (or to ask if someone needs help) and about showing compassion for others no matter where they are in their journey.

Families like Kristen’s shouldn’t have to struggle alone — and thanks to this conversation, we can provide the right resources at the right time to help military members, veterans and first responders.

Bob McLaughlin is a retired Army colonel who served as garrison commander at Fort Carson. He is now the executive director of Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center.

The Front is a collaboration between the Colorado Springs Business Journal, Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center and its partners.

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CONGRATULATIONS 2023 Better Business Bureau® of Southern Colorado Excellence In Customer Service Award Recipients Your BBB has recognized Southern Colorado businesses for superior customer service since 1995. Businesses that promote best practices in customer service ultimately make our community a better place to live.

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New to A Night of Excellence this year are the Summit Awards. Out of nearly two thousand Southern Colorado Accredited Businesses, 33 businesses will be receiving recognition for their dedication, activity, and BBB business profile interactions on the local BBB.org website:

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Phil Long Ford Motor City, D-3/A-OK Appliance Service Inc, Planet Duct, Diamond Express Transportation, Rampart Roofing, Inc., Dr. Kells’ Weight Loss, Regal Custom Builders, Inc., Ent Credit Union, Rooter Town Plumbers, Foundation Professionals of Colorado, Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical, Grande Natural Companies, The Discount Vending Store, Home Heating Service Inc, The Paint Doctor Inc, Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC, Visiting Angels Living Assistance Service, J & J Construction Inc, Wirenut Home Services Mortgage Solutions Financial, Olson Plumbing & Heating, Parkey’s Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing Inc,

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