Indy - Dec. 6, 2023 Vol 31. No. 48

Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | ALWAYS FREE

A PUBLICATION OF CITIZEN-POWERED MEDIA

County pays for Starbucks, Land’s End and barbecue, but it all appears to be legit

BY PAM ZUBECK

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CONTENTS

Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | Vol. 31, No. 48 Courtesy Macy Gray

Matthew Schniper

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KEEPING TABS: County pays for Starbucks, Land’s End and barbecue, but it all appears to be legit

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NEWS ‘A NEW DAY’: CSCCC turns to jobs training, while city vests City Auditorium’s future in a task force

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 6 6 7 8 10

PLAYING AROUND MACY GRAY BIG GIGS SIDE DISH CALENDAR

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YOUR TURN

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LOWDOWN

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PUZZLE PAGE

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ASTROLOGY

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NEWS OF THE WEIRD

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INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | NEWS

‘A NEW DAY’

CSCCC turns to jobs training, while city vests City Auditorium’s future in a task force, and pays CSCCC bills

BY PAM ZUBECK | zubeck@csindy.com File photo

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FTER CEDING CONTROL OF CITY Auditorium back to the city last month, the Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective will now focus exclusively on jobs training, the agency said in a news release.

The CSCCC hoped to overhaul the 100-year-old auditorium but bailed in November after the nonprofit failed to raise much money toward the $86 million renovation cost.

The city, meantime, has announced an 18-member task force to consider the way forward for the auditorium. The city also recently disclosed how the CSCCC spent $2.4 million in federal money on the auditorium project.

In its release, the CSCCC said it is “now solely focused on its workforce development programs,” rebranded as Opus Creative Industries.

The CSCCC, 127½ E. Bijou St., is looking for a location for Opus Creative Industries, the release said.

“It’s a new day for the Community Cultural Collective,” Linda Weise, head of Opus Creative Industries, who will continue to oversee the Opus programs, said in the release. “We’ve made a move away from City Auditorium to focus on helping connect the creative industries with workers.”

Linda Weise, head of Opus Creative Industries

Semple Brown Design of Denver and its subcontractors, records show. Other out-of-town companies hired for the project included CTL Thompson of Centennial; WEISE EXPLAINS THAT OPUS MEANS KL&A Engineers & Builders of Golden; Terracon of “work” in Latin, while the modern definition is specific Wheat Ridge; ME Engineers of Golden; and K2 Audiovito “any artistic work, especially on a large scale.” She sual, Acoustics & Technology Design of Boulder. says her goal is to provide “real time, earn-and-learn (The CSCCC also hired local firm Grundy Construceducational experiences....” tion Management and Consulting.)

The new name comes from the CSCCC’s shift from Personnel with the out-of-town firms billed the City Auditorium, Weise says. The CSCCC’s jobs proCSCCC for highway tolls, mileage, hotels and meals. grams include those for culinary and hospitality skills, Thousands of ARPA dollars were spent on “commuin its eighth cohort with plans to open nity engagement,” including a meal in Februa café in the El Paso County Citizens ary 2022 labeled as a “legislative breakfast” at Service Center at 1675 Garden of the The University Club of Denver that cost $838.

Gods Road next year; and Simple Several other meal expenses were incurred in Gift Schoolhouse, which partners Denver, including another in February 2022 with another provider to host kids at Maggiano’s restaurant that was marked on in playgroups twice a month at The the bill as “state capital mtg,” and cost $626 Hall at PPLD in Downtown Colorado for eight people, which included $157 for Springs. It also offers teacher trainwine. Someone subtracted that expense from ing, a television show and a series of that month’s invoice, noting the bill included books available to purchase. A media “alcohol,” records show. and theater technical arts program All told, from May 2022 through July 2023, will launch in February. the CSCCC submitted bills for payment with “We know there’s a real need in ARPA money that totaled $2,411,954.

— Linda Weise these fields for qualified people,” The last bill submitted for Semple Brown’s Weise says in the release. work, on June 30, 2023, showed the designer Weise abandoned the City Auditorium project, she was paid $2,823,980 for completing 59 percent of the conhas said, after she was unable to raise funds because tract, which, if completed, would have cost $6,148,722. big donors were reluctant to give large amounts, given Besides the ARPA money, and $250,000 the city that the city hadn’t committed its own funding and also ponied up in city funds in 2022, Weise has said the retained ownership of the building.

CSCCC raised $1.5 million. An accounting of that would But the city allocated $2.5 million to the auditorium have to be supplied by the CSCCC, city spokesman Max from its nearly $76.8 million share of the 2021 American D’Onofrio says. The CSCCC isn’t subject to state open Rescue Plan Act. (Other city ARPA funds went to the records laws, however.

Olympic & Paralympic Museum, $3.5 million; city golf Weise gave the city notice in August that she would course irrigation systems, $6.6 million; stormwater projpull the plug on the City Aud project, effective Nov. 1. ects; community center work and other projects.)

“We had to make some hard decisions, but we are set The city recently released documentation of how to move forward and continue to create purpose in peoCSCCC spent that money. Most went to design firm ple’s lives,” Weise says in her latest release.

We know there’s a real need ... for qualified people.

Weise’s Colorado Springs Conservatory performing arts school, 415 S. Sahwatch St., will present a “Holiday Extravaganza” on Dec. 16 at Ent Center for the Arts.

Weise also heads up Vortici LLC and the nonprofit Simple Gift Studio Foundation, state records show.

THE TASK FORCE APPOINTED BY MAYOR Yemi Mobolade includes community leaders and those directly impacted by City Auditorium. For example, the property lies within an Urban Renewal zone, so the executive director of the Urban Renewal Authority, Jariah Walker, is on the panel. The auditorium falls within the purview of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department, so that department is represented.

The task force, which began meeting in November, consists of: Chair Jariah Walker, Urban Renewal Authority; Co-Chair Dot Lischick, who formerly managed The Broadmoor World Arena; City Councilor Michelle Talarico; Susan Edmondson, CEO of the Downtown Partnership; Jeff Finn, with Norwood Development Group; local citizen Sally Hybl; Deb Mahan, Gazette Charities Foundation; Angela Seals, Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region; Deborah Hendrix, CSCCC board member; Tim Boddington, Historic Preservation Alliance; former Mayor Mary Lou Makepeace; Laura Neumann, with LN Business Consulting and city chief of staff under former Mayor Steve Bach; community member David Lord; Stu Davis, COSILoveYou; City Deputy Chief of Staff Ryan Trujillo; Kim King, with the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department; Henry Martin, the city’s support services division manager; and Catherine Duarte, with the city’s housing and community vitality department.

The “solutions team” is considered temporary and by year’s end is expected to deliver findings about sustainable uses of the facility and a capital improvement strategy.

The city of Colorado Springs hired Keen Independent Research to conduct a market analysis; the analysis was then provided to the task force.

NEWS | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | INDY

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W County pays for Starbucks, Land’s End and barbecue, but it all appears to be legit

Photo illustration, stock.adobe.com

BY PAM ZUBECK | zubeck@csindy.com

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HY WOULD EL PASO County pay a bill to Starbucks for $15.15? Or what about a payment made to Land’s End for $210.78? Not to mention $23,333.07 for Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. Those and hundreds of other expenditures appear once a month in the daily newspaper’s legal publications section.

It’s impossible to know how many residents review the expenditures, which usually cover more than a full newsprint page and appear in tiny type normally reserved for sports scores and stats.

“I am honestly not recalling ever being contacted by any citizen [about the expense report],” County Commissioner Stan VanderWerf, who’s held office since 2017, tells the Indy. “You’re the first one.”

Regardless, the monthly publication is mandatory under state law and has been for decades.

The listings published by counties reveal in detail how taxpayer money is spent — a requirement not mandated for other governments, such as the city of Colorado Springs. “We don’t have the same requirement as the county to show transaction-level spending,” says city spokesperson Vanessa Zink, adding that city financial data is available online but not in as much detail.

The Indy’s cursory review of the county’s October 2023 listing, which was published in the Nov. 6 issue of The Gazette, identified some strange expenses, such as the Starbucks bill, a tab from Old Navy for $497.64 and numerous bills from airlines.

The Indy gathered a sampling of 40 expenditures that appeared odd and asked the county to explain. County staff provided descriptions for each one, which tends to underscore the breadth of responsibility of county government.

“A lot of people don’t really know what counties do,” VanderWerf says. “It’s always important to do what we can to help citizens understand more about that.”

Besides the higher-profile functions of law enforcement via the Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office, the county also funds elections, property reappraisal for tax purposes, tax collections, El Paso County Public Health and the Department of Human Services, among other obligations.

“So much of county work has nothing to do with politics,” VanderWerf adds.

“It’s just practical things that a public agency [does] with the tax dollars provided to it.”

COUNTIES HAVE LONG BEEN required to publish monthly expenses in newspapers of general circulation.

According to the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, an attempt failed in 2015 to change the law to allow the

INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | FEATURE

information be posted online.

The online push was defeated after some lawmakers argued that newspapers are still a critical source of information and that, at that time anyway, not everyone had access to a computer or internet service.

The county used to publish the expenditure lists in the Fountain Valley News, but after that newspaper published its final issue in December 2022, the county solicited bids for its legal notices, and The Gazette won the bid, county spokesperson Mike Madsen says in an email.

Publication of the expenditure lists costs taxpayers about $11,000 a year, he says.

Tim Regan-Porter, CEO of the Colorado Press Association, says via email that publication of certain information by governments dates back centuries and was part of the first acts of Congress.

He says Colorado last updated the law in 2014 to require newspapers where these notices are placed to upload the notices to a statewide website repository, maintained by the Colorado Press Association at no expense to those placing the notices. Those are found at publicnoticecolorado.com, and represent something of a “one-stop shop” for such notices, Regan-Porter says.

“Governments are free to put this information on their websites but we don’t want this information scattered across hundreds of state, city, county and other websites of various reliability and visibility,” he adds. “Governments often push for that, but that would effectively hide much of this crucial information.”

Referring to VanderWerf’s claim of a lack of constituent calls, he says, “This is not the kind of high-profile information that generates water-cooler conversation and calls to officials.”

Rather, he adds, “Some watchdog reporters and citizens do pay attention.

I think it’s underutilized (and local government doesn’t get enough public attention in general), but it’s important that it’s there.” Moreover, he says, “this [iHRIS software tracker] information is used by voters, lawyers and courts, private companies and others every day.”

It’s also worth noting, Regan-Porter says, that local newspapers get more web traffic than government websites. “It’s where people turn to for information about their community, including their government,” he says.

ALTHOUGH VANDERWERF MAINtains that few taxpayers apparently pay much attention to the monthly itemizations of bills, they provide a window into the vast reach of county government.

And some of the costs of that reach seem odd on the surface. For example, these expenditures caught the Indy’s eye: • Colorado Springs Philharmonic, $55,278.

Some watchdog reporters and citizens do pay attention.

children and [youths] are in safe environments.

“Other expenses may arise during emergency involvement,” Iodice says, such as “when a caseworker purchases a meal for a child or sibling group. Such emergency purchases may also include clothing.”

For example, the $15.15 paid to Starbucks was for a meal for a child in DHS custody awaiting foster placement, Madsen says, and $497.64 spent at Old Navy purchased “clothes for children in EPC custody/out of home placement,” the county said.

Specifically, Madsen says, “The clothing was for two boys who were placed in foster care with no clothes besides what they were wearing at the time of placement.”

The October listing also included a payment of $1,975 to Stone Canyon Apartments, which the county described as being for “DHS child welfare.”

Says VanderWerf, “In conducting the processes necessary for justice to be proffered, you’ve got the 4th Judicial District functions, the Sheriff’s Office functions, such as extradition. The county has these obligations. Most are driven by statute, but in the end, they’re still an obligation on our part.”

A few flights were used by county officials for official business, such as the Workforce Center’s Becca Tonn to travel to Nashville, Tennessee, for a communications conference; Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker to travel to Seattle for a ballot printing audit, and John Cole with Solid Waste Management to travel to Phoenix for a conference on hazardous waste materials management.

Madsen says the county doesn’t capitalize on frequent flyer benefits because the county doesn’t use a single airline and the same people don’t fly repeatedly.

Thus, “The County books all work-related flights with whichever airline provides the County with the best value.”

Another staff expense relates to 11 employees of El Paso County Public Health incurring three-night stays at Keystone, Breckenridge and Vail resorts for a public health conference, which totaled $7,424.

REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF expense, the county follows an approval and documentation procedure, El Paso County Chief Financial Officer Nikki Simmons says by phone.

The department must submit an original invoice, which has been signed off on by someone within the department authorized to do so. The invoice must match the price the county had earlier agreed to pay, she says.

If the expense exceeds $150,000, it must have undergone a competitive bid process, Simmons says. Purchases below that amount require a less formal pro-

Colorado Springs Airport

• Pioneers Museum, $10,856. was struggling amid the COVID pan• Pikes Peak Library District Foundademic.) tion, $4,439.

Other October 2023 recipients of ARPA • Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Allimoney the county was allocated were ance, $5,307. the Donala Water and Sanitation District, • U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, which received $613,949 to retrofit a fil$130,275. ter control, and UCCS, which was given Those payments stem from the coun$1,300 for its Resiliency Institute that ty’s enterprise zone program run by its focuses on public health.

Economic Development Department.

SOME BIG-TICKET ITEMS SHOW It allows citizens to donate to qualified up in the monthly report. nonprofits located in Enterprise Zones In October, for example, $719,499 was and receive state tax credits, Madsen paid to Structures Inc., for replacement says in an explanation of spending in of the Ellicott Highway Bridge, and response to the Indy’s records request. $664,626 was paid to Garland DBS for “These are purely pass-thru funds roof maintenance of the Pikes Peak Cenfrom donors, and have no tax dollars ter for the Performing Arts. The Downassociated with them,” he says. town venue, at 190 S. Cascade Ave., seats EZ contributions fall into two categoabout 2,000 and is owned by the county ries: capital campaigns for community and operated by the nonprofit organizafacilities, workforce housing, tourist tion, The Broadmoor World Arena. attractions and infrastructure; and secAnother large payment, of $151,182, ond, operations for business assistance, went to Chief Petroleum Co. for fuel for economic development organizations, the county’s fleet, including sheriff’s job training programs, visitor events and vehicles. attractions and health care, the county’s Speaking of the Sheriff’s Office, it’s website says. responsible for a good share of the The Colorado Economic Development roughly $20,000 paid to United Airlines Commission has approved a list of 43 during October. But it wasn’t for pleaprojects and organizations cited on the sure. Rather, eight flights were necessary county’s website, which are viewed as to extradite criminals from other jurishelping with the economic development dictions to El Paso County, the county goals of the region. Individual taxpayers says. and businesses can make contributions The county spent another roughly and obtain the tax credit, which is 25 per$20,000 on flights with Delta Airlines, cent of the monetary contribution and American Airlines and Southwest Air12.5 percent of in-kind contributions. lines. Almost all of While the Olympic those flights stemmed Museum received $130,000 from the Department of in enterprise zone money, Human Services’ need it’s worth noting that it to provide a means for also received $200,000 court-ordered visitain 2022 from the countion for children in ty’s allocation under the their custody to see American Rescue Plan family members elseAct. Grants were awarded where. (Children can to nonprofits to address be removed from their community needs in the homes due to neglect or areas of counseling, subabuse, and county offistance use, mental health/ cials must follow a legal behavioral health, suicide process to do so.) prevention, employment — Tim Regan-Porter As Madsen explains, assistance, financial counthose visitations someseling, legal aid to prevent times include a caseworker if the child is eviction or homelessness, and food insetoo young to travel alone. curity, Madsen says.

Kristina Iodice, public information “The [museum’s ‘Becoming Your Perofficer for DHS, says via email that DHS’ sonal Best’ program is an evidence-based Division of Children, Youth and Family program developed in conjunction with Services must provide a broad range of the Colorado Health Foundation and services and programs that are focused focuses on improving mental health in on “safety, permanency and wellbeing of youth,” Madsen says. “There is no operachildren and youth.” tional funding included in this agreeThus, “Responsibilities such as child ment and only increased expenditures protection incur an assortment of expendirectly related to implementing this ditures,” she says, including the need for program are covered.” caseworkers to travel out-of-state with (In 2021, the county provided the children to place them with relatives. museum with $500,000 under a “sponThese trips result from judges’ orders sorship agreement” that gave county for visitations and placements with famemployees discounted admissions. The ily members, she adds, “to make sure gift came at a time when the museum

The county pays for many flights.

cess in which officials obtain three bids in writing.

Exempted from that process is engagement of a sole source vendor, defined as a provider that is uniquely qualified to provide the product or service, she notes.

When it comes to airlines, Simmons says county employees must find “best value” for a flight that meets the required schedule.

October’s listing of expenses included the Land’s End payment of $210 and a $941 bill paid to Boot Barn. Both went toward outfitting county employees, the former for three work shirts and three jackets for Pikes Peak Office of Emergency Management workers, and the latter for “steel toed boots/shoes for six Public Works employees,” the county’s explanation given to the Indy says. Simmons says the county requires workers to wear steel toed boots; thus, the county funded the purchase, as it does safety vests.

Another employee-related expense was incurred with Dickey’s Barbecue for $23,333.

“This was [for] the food for our annual employee appreciation event which happened in the summer of 2023,” Madsen explains. “This event recognized the service of over 1,900 employees.

“Part of our County’s strategic plan is to have a qualified and engaged workforce, and recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of these employees is crucial to success,” he adds, noting the meal cost about $12.28/person.

Simmons adds that the county tried to keep the meal’s expense as low as possible, so officials bypassed more posh eateries. “If somebody would have suggested [a high-end restaurant],” she says, “I definitely would have said no.”

Simmons says she’s been contemplating posting the monthly bills-paid list online and she’s closing in on plans to do that.

“I think we should have that on our website,” she says.

FEATURE | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | INDY

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PLAYING AROUND SHOW PREVIEW

A RONIN’S TEST - DEC 28 (ON SALE NOW) FLESH DIGEST NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH DEC 31 (ON SALE NOW) NATIONAL PARKS - APR 5 (ON SALE FRI) Thu, Dec. 7 - 6:00pm

THE DIVINE INNER TENSION TOUR

HAIL THE SUN

TSOSIS, GLASSLANDS, SEMIFICTION Fri, Dec. 8 - 8:00pm, Ages 18+

TAYLOR’S VERSION: A SWIFTIE DANCE PARTY Sat, Dec. 9 - 6:00pm

A KILO 45 YEARS OF ROCK SHOW

WEDNESDAY13 GEMINI SYNDROME, INFECTED RAIN, BLACK SATELLITE

Thu, Dec. 14 - 7:00pm

2ND ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE

MINDLESS VITALITY CELL 23, CLEMENTINE, STRUNG SHORT Fri, Dec. 15 - 7:00pm

JON WITH WAYNE & THE PAIN SPECIAL GUESTS Sat, Dec. 16 - 7:00pm X103.9 HOLIDAY BASH

THE BEACHES THE DRAWN OUT, JAKE’S A GENTLEMAN Sat, Dec. 23 - 7:00pm, Ages 21+ BACKROADS TOUR

JOURNEY TO BACKWOODS AT MULBERRY MOUNTAIN ILOVEMATEO, KBRON, & MORE! Thu, Dec. 28 - 7:00pm

MACY GRAY

@ Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, Denver

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ACY GRAY HAS HAD A LONG AND COMplicated history when it comes to the American flag and the nation for which it once stood.

Back in 2001, the raspy-voiced neo-soul artist was invited to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game in her native Canton, Ohio.

For Gray, it was already shaping up to be a great year. A few

months earlier, she’d been called up onstage during the Grammy telecast to collect the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Award for her breakthrough single “I Try,” which had also received nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

That appearance went very well, but this one didn’t. “I’ve never stood in the middle of a football field with 25,000 people watching, with planes flying over me,” she told the local daily.

“I blanked and I couldn’t believe I forgot the words. I have total respect for that song.”

Gray still has respect for the national anthem, which she reprised at last year’s NBA All-Star Game in a style more akin to Billie Holiday than Christina Aguilera. But the flag that the song celebrates is a different matter, especially in the wake of its weaponization during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

In a Juneteenth MarketWatch op-ed, Gray likened it to the Confederate flag: tattered, dated, divisive and incorrect.

“It’s as precious to me as anyone else, but to me it was violated,” she wrote. “It was used as a weapon at the insurrection.

I think when other countries see that, they’re like, ‘What is America all about, then? The American flag represents trying to hang the vice president?’”

Gray, who started a nonprofit to provide financial and psychological support for families of police brutality victims, released her 10th album, The Reset, earlier this year, complete with a cover image of a reimagined flag, with two extra stars (one for Washington, D.C., the other for Puerto Rico) and a different color scheme, as well as politically charged tracks like “PTSD,” “Mr. Policeman,” “America” (no, not that one), and a rendition of Ice-T & Body Count’s “Cop Killer.”

Onstage, Gray and her band, The California Jet Club, are taking a relatively upbeat approach, performing the hits and fan favorites alongside covers that range from Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” to Radiohead’s “Creep” and Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.”

What she won’t be performing is “Cop Killer” or the national anthem, which is probably for the best. — Bill Forman

Macy Gray, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 8 p.m., Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St., Denver, $50, ages 18 and over, opheliasdenver.com; listen at tinyurl.com/Gray-Ophelia

A RONIN’S TEST EP RELEASE SHOW

A RONIN’S TEST LAST CHANCE FOR FIRST PLACE, ALMOST DECENT, DEATHRIDE, INTERROBANG Fri, Dec. 29 - 7:00pm

THE IRON MAIDENS DIRTY KINGS Sat, Dec. 30 - 8:00pm, Ages 21+

GIMME GIMME DISCO A DANCE PARTY INSPIRED BY ABBA Sun, Dec. 31 - 6:00pm

NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH FEATURING

FLESH DIGEST DEATH UPON THE IGNORANT,

SKIN DANCER, THE GUISE OF A DEMON Thu, Jan. 25 - 7:00pm

GUTTERMOUTH BRICHEROS JAN 26 - GASOLINA REGGAETON PARTY JAN 27 - VEIL OF MAYA JAN 31 - CHARLIE FARLEY FEB 2 - CATCH 22 FEB 16 - EARLY EYES FEB 23 - THE GREEN, MIKE LOVE FEB 25 - GIDEON MAR 1 - DEXTER AND THE MOONROCKS

1-866-468-3399

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WEDNESDAY 12/6 Blue October, rock; 8 p.m., Pikes Peak Center, pikespeakcenter.com.

Hip Hop Is Dead, “classic hip-hop and the music of the Grateful Dead”; 6:30 p.m., Front Range Barbeque, frbbq. com/events.

Psyclon Nine, industrial metal, with Clockwork Echo, Guillotine, Corvin’s Breed; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks. com.

UCCS Chamber Music Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., Ent Center for the Arts, tinyurl. com/uccs-chamber.

Jordan Yewey, singer-songwriter; 6:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Bluegrass Ensembles Concert; 7 p.m., Packard Hall/CC, tinyurl.com/cc-blue-23.

Exodus & Impact: Jewish Culture and the World, ArtSong Colorado; 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church; tinyurl. com/ArtSong-CO. Hail the Sun, post-hardcore, with Tsosis, Glasslands, SemiFiction; 6 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

Home Free for the Holidays, country a cappella group; 8 p.m., Pikes Peak Center, tinyurl.com/homefree-23.

The Major Chordyceps, Latin jazz/reggae/funk; 7 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

The Sleeping Giants, traditional Irish/ Celtic; 6 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook. com/jackquinns.

THURSDAY 12/7

FRIDAY 12/8

Always Something Sings: Songs and Poems to Heal and Inspire, ArtSong Colorado; 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, tinyurl.com/ArtSong-23.

Steve Barta Jazz Trio, holiday benefit for Citizens Project; 8 p.m., Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, tinyurl.com/Citizens-jazz23.

Trace Bundy: Acoustic Holiday, with The Accidentals; 7 p.m., Stargazers Theatre, stargazerstheatre.com.

Mike Clark & The Sugar Sounds, rock/ soul; 9:30 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs. com.

John Craigie, folk musician/storyteller,

INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

with Madeline Hawthorne; 8 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs.com.

From Ashes to New: Blackout Tour Part 1, rock, with The World Alive, Catch Your Breath, Ekoh; 6 p.m., Sunshine Studios Live, sunshinestudioslive.com.

Grass It Up, bluegrass; 7 p.m., Black Forest Community Center, blackroseacoustic.org.

Imagine Peace Concert: Remembering John Lennon; 6-9 p.m., Rockledge Lodge/Smokebrush, Manitou, tinyurl. com/Lennon-23.

Knuckleball, psychedelic rock; 8 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

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

The Shackletons, rock, with Nautiloid, Fathom All the Animals; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Taylor’s Version: A Swiftie Dance Party; 9 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks. com.

Tribe, blues/R&B/island/jazz; 7:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

PLAYING AROUND Pikes Peak Center, tinyurl.com/AFAholly23.

TUESDAY 12/12 CC Chamber Orchestra; 7 p.m., Packard Hall/CC, tinyurl.com/CC-Chamber23.

Holly and Ivy, Air Force Academy Band, six performance teams; 7 p.m., Pikes Peak Center, tinyurl.com/AFA-holly23.

WEDNESDAY 12/13

SATURDAY 12/9 David Arkenstone, composer/multi-instrumentalist; 7 p.m., Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts, trilakesarts.org.

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

Clay Cutler, covers; 6 p.m., Mash Mechanix, mashmechanix.com/events.

Zella Day & Jess Woods as CHAPARELLE, indie/singer-songwriter; 8 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs.com.

Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow, rock circus; 6:30 p.m., Sunshine Studios Live, sunshinestudioslive.com.

Holiday Hayrides & Songs with George Whitesell; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

Iron Lung, powerviolence/grindcore, with Cadaver Dog, 908, Louse; 7:30 p.m., What’s Left Records, whatsleftrec.com.

Barrett Martin: Singing Earth tour, producer/percussionist/composer; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Anthony Russo, rock/R&B; 7:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

UCCS ElectroAcoustic Ensemble; 7:30 p.m., Ent Center for the Arts, tinyurl. com/ent-electroacoustic.

Wednesday 13, performing MURDERDOLLS, with Gemini Syndrome, Infected Rain, Black Satellite; 7 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

SUNDAY 12/10 Handel’s Messiah Sing-along; 3 p.m., First Christian Church, firstchristiancos. org/upcoming-music-events.html.

HOLI-Sleigh with J. Chang-Tablada, solo holiday concert; 2 p.m., Community Congregational Church, Manitou Springs, tinyurl.com/Tablada-23.

Shades of the Blues; 1 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

The Sounds of Christmas, Woodland Park Wind Symphony; 4 and 6:30 p.m., Ute Pass Cultural Center, woodlandparkwindsymphony.com.

Source, progressive metal, with Cleanse the Destroyers, Triune; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

MONDAY 12/11 Jeffrey Alan Band, country/classic rock; 6 p.m., Whiskey Baron Dance Hall, tinyurl.com/whisk-dh.

Tom Fowler and Friends, jazz jam; 6 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Holly and Ivy, U.S. Air Force Academy Band, six performance teams; 7 p.m.,

Acoustic set; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge, bicycleresort.com.

The Fab Four, Rubber Soul album and greatest hits of The Beatles; 7:30 p.m., Pikes Peak Center, pikespeakcenter. com.

Grapefruit Moon, acoustic duo; 1 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Mindless Vitality, “rocking loud,” plus toy drive for Christmas Unlimited, with Cell 23, Clementine, Strung Short; doors 7 p.m., Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

Nerea the Fiddler, fiddle/stepdance; 7 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Dylan Teifer solo piano, jazz improv/ originals; 7 p.m., Summa, dizzycharlies. com.

Upcoming music events

Canadian indie-rock sister act The Beaches will play The Black Sheep on Dec. 16.

The Slackers, Oriental Theater, Denver, Dec. 6 American Aquarium, Fox Theatre, Boulder, Dec. 6 Shanin Blake, Larimer Lounge, Denver, Dec. 7 Hot Tuna, Paramount Theatre, Denver, Dec. 7 John Craigie and Madeline Hawthorne, Lulu’s, Dec. 8 Hamdi, Fox Theatre, Boulder, Dec. 8 Grace Potter, Mission Ballroom, Denver, Dec. 8 Evanoff and Eminence Ensemble, Fox Theatre, Boulder, Dec. 9 OTR, Larimer Lounge, Denver, Dec. 9 Wednesday 13, Black Sheep, Dec. 9 TV Girl, Mission Ballroom, Denver, Dec. 12 Deafheaven, Summit, Denver, Dec. 13

Santa’s Elves present

Who’s Got Talent?

Refurbish the Elf and his dog visit the North Pole for a Holiday Talent Show.

Fun for the whole family!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

DEC 9-23

Yule Be Naughty

BIG GIGS

Becca Hamel

John Cragie brings his “humorous storytelling/serious folk” to Lulu’s Friday night.

BJ Estares, acoustic/blues/singer-songwriter, with Route 61; 6:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

CC Tiger Jazz Concert; 7 p.m., Packard Hall/CC, tinyurl.com/Tiger-jazz23.

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

Jazz 93.5 Ad Lib Lab Jam Session; 5:30 p.m., The Carter Payne, jazz935.org/ events.

THURSDAY 12/14

The Menzingers, Mission Ballroom, Denver, Dec. 13 Son Little, Fox Theatre, Boulder, Dec. 13 The Fab Four, Pikes Peak Center, Dec. 14 Mac Powell, Pueblo Memorial Hall, Pueblo, Dec. 14 The Lil Smokies, Bluebird Theater, Denver, Dec. 14-16 The Edge Band, Fox Theatre, Boulder, Dec. 15 Alexandra Kay, Oriental Theater, Denver, Dec. 15 Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Ball Arena, Denver, Dec. 15 Jimkata, Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, Denver, Dec. 15-16 The Beaches, Black Sheep, Dec. 16 Howlin’ Goatz, Fox Theatre, Boulder, Dec. 16 DeVotchKa, Bluebird Theater, Denver, Dec. 22 Tape B, Ogden Theatre, Denver, Dec. 22 Gasoline Lollipops, Fox Theatre, Denver, Dec. 31 Itchy-O, Summit Music Hall, Denver, Dec. 31 Christmas Symphony/Colorado Springs Symphony, Pikes Peak Center, Nov. 24-26 The Iron Maidens, The Black Sheep, Dec. 29 Elephant Revival, Boulder Theater, Boulder, Dec. 30 Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Hi-Dive, Denver, Dec. 30 Neal Francis, Ogden Theatre, Denver, Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve/Colorado Springs Symphony, Pikes Peak Center, Dec. 31 Continued at csindy.com

...One More Time!

Join an all-star cast as we sing, dance, circus, and poke fun at the trials and tribulations of this most Merry Season.

TH-FR-SA 7:30pm

DEC 14-23

Bubbles,Bubbles, Bubbles!

Soap bubbles, aerial acrobatics, animal tricks and belly laughs galore!

NEW YEAR’S EVE SUN

11am 2pm 4pm

DEC 31

Support The Millibo!

www.givepikespeak.org

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | INDY

7

Appetizers PAID ADVERTISEMENT | TO PLACE YOUR ENTRY CALL 719-577-4545

AMERICAN TONY’S

326 N. TEJON ST. | 719-228-6566 | TONYSDOWNTOWNBAR.COM OVER A QUINTILLION SERVED

SERVING COLORADO SPRINGS SINCE

THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

Winners of 70+ Independent “Best of Awards” in 20 yrs. A great Midwestern Tavern with warm beer, lousy food & poor service!!! Pabst, Fried Cheese Curds, Leinenkugle’s, Walleye Fish-fry, cocktails, burgers and more. 11am-2am daily. HH 4-6. GO PACK GO!

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATTHEW SCHNIPER

ASIAN FUJIYAMA

22 S. TEJON ST. | 719-630-1167 COLORADO’S FINEST JAPANESE CUISINE & SUSHI BAR

Beautiful, award-winning downtown restaurant with a full-service bar.

Enjoy authentic sushi & creative rolls, teriyaki, tempura, udon & more! See our ad or call for great lunch, Happy Hour, & Ladies night specials! Fri. & Sat. 11am-2:30pm lunch & 5-10pm dinner. Sun. 5-9pm dinner.

BBQ BIRD DOG BBQ

3 LOCATIONS + CATERING | BIRDDOGBBQ.COM | 719-573-7671

Bird Dog now offers online ordering from the location of your choice!

Order and pay online, then skip the line when you pick it up! Visit our website at www.BirdDogBBQ.com and click ORDER ONLINE to place your order. We also offer our award-winning catering services in individuallyboxed meals! Call 719-573-7671 for details.

GERMAN EDELWEISS RESTAURANT

34 E. RAMONA AVE. | (SOUTH NEVADA & TEJON) | 719-633-2220

For 55 Years Edelweiss has brought Bavaria to Colorado Springs! Using fresh ingredients, the menu invites you to visit Germany. Voted Gold Best German, Silver Dessert Menu and Bronze Best Patio by Indy readers!

Reservations and menu can be found online at Edelweissrest.com.

SOUTHWESTERN/MEXICAN JOSÉ MULDOON’S

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

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

STEAKHOUSE THE FAMOUS

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

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

MACKENZIE’S CHOP HOUSE

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

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

PAID ADVERTISEMENT • 719.577.4545 8

INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PHANTOM CANYON CELEBRATES AT 30 Phantom Canyon’s Charles McManus (left) and Manny Coss

T

HE WEEKEND AFTER THANKSGIVING, PHANTOM CANYON Brewing Company (2 E. Pikes Peak Ave., phantomcanyon.com) celebrated its 30th anniversary with a public birthday party that included a buffet-style feast of throwback menu items prepared by house banquet chef Manny Coss.

Head Brewer Charles McManus already had a batch of special-release beers on tap for the occasion — a total of five brews that included an outstanding 30th Anniversary French cognac barrel-aged barleywine. I know this because I was able to sample it ahead of time with McManus while also enjoying a menu preview with Coss (who especially wowed me with his tiramisu and panna cotta renditions at dessert, but also reminded me of what a treat Phantom’s Dos Lunas Mexican Lager beer cheese soup is).

Speaking of the 30th Anniversary, McManus (Phantom’s seventh head brewer, who’s been with the company 10 years) says “it’s the community that got us this far, and community is built here at Phantom as well.” And in explaining the other four special beers that compose his Legacy Beer Series, he says “it’s to honor our longtime employees; each has their own story and impact. This place wouldn’t have happened without them… they came in and brewed with me… none had brewed before. These are my friends and co-workers; we’re a family unit.”

Each beer on the menu notes the name of the contributing employee, who got to choose the style they wished to brew. Visit sidedishschnip.substack.com for details on

each, including background on the featured employee (like one who’s been at Phantom since Day One!) as well as style and tasting notes.

McManus says he and his tiny team are on track to brew 1,200 barrels of beer in 2023 (each barrel equates to 31 gallons), all sold on-site. Translation: Business is good.

He seems happy: “I get as much experimental license as I want, here,” he says. Only four of the 16 beers on tap at a given time are flagships, leaving him three-quarters of the menu to play with as he sees fit. That should keep Phantom — the Springs’ longest-standing brewery just ahead of Bristol Brewing Co. — interesting for many more years to come.

MUNCHIES TURNS 1, RELEASES NEW MENU

O

N NOV. 26, MUNCHIES (122 N. TEJON St., munchies719.com) celebrated its oneyear anniversary. To mark the occasion, Chef Chuck Thomas released an updated menu featuring around 20 new items. His wife MaryAnn and her front-house team also refreshed a list of colorful cocktails. A quick refresher in case you’re new to the outfit: Chuck is a Springs native and longtime chef in kitchens that include the former Tejon Street Old Chicago and Ivywild School in its early days. Munchies originally started as a food truck in the fall of 2019 before joining on at Triple Nickel, then relocating to the former Michelle Chocolatiers’ space.

In the front half of the eatery, they outfitted their own vintage soda fountain-style ice cream shop that also serves house-baked cookies and muffins and the like. In the rear half there’s a full bar and dining area appointed

Chuck and MaryAnn Thomas

somewhat like an old-school diner.

At a menu preview I attended, Chuck highlighted how almost half of the new plates are vegan (or adaptable) which somewhat lightens up the oversized, heavy comfort food vibe at Munchies.

Look for a new selection of flatbread mini pizzas made atop rounds of fairly sizable naan bread. Chuck has also concocted four new burgers, including a classic Pueblo Slopper featuring Colorado beef and Munchies’ very capable pork green chile. There’s also a new chicken and waffle plate composed with a thick rosemary and cheddar waffle topped in crispy chicken pieces and bacon strips drizzled with blackstrap molasses. Plus a new Nashville hot chicken sandwich spin, plated on Texas toast with simple mayo for sauce

Munchies’ new chicken and waffle plate

and dill pickles for extra acidity.

A couple things to remember: 1) Munchies stays open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, otherwise closing at 9 p.m. weekdays. 2) Saturday and Sunday mornings mean a dedicated brunch menu until 1 p.m.

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.

Full-service catering of life’s special moments.

See our holiday menus at www.pbcatering.com

719.635.0200

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | INDY

9

CALENDAR

Your guide to events in the Pikes Peak region

ART EXHIBITS

from original artwork/prints to glass and metal art to wearables to soaps and candles. Through Dec. 28.

Academy Art & Frame, 7560 N. Academy Blvd., 719-265-6694, academyframesco. com. 16th Annual High School Students Ceiling Tile Competition, judged by the public at the gallery or at tinyurl.com/ student-tiles. Artists’ reception Friday, Dec. 15, 4-7 p.m. Joni Ware’s The Beauty of the Earth show continues through December.

Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave., 719-520-1899, cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com. Sew Subversive : A Textile and Fiber Installation answers the question “What can you say with fiber that you can’t say with other mediums?”

Through Dec. 22.

Anita Marie Fine Art, 109 S. Corona St., 719-493-5623, anitamariefineart.com. Storied Places, oil paintings by Chuck Mardosz and Richard Dahlquist. Through Dec. 21.

Bosky Studio, 17B E. Bijou St., tinyurl.com/ Bosky-SmallWorks. 14th Annual Small Works Show — “Hundreds of pieces of art created by talented local artists hung floor to ceiling for your viewing pleasure.”

The Bridge Gallery, 218 W. Colorado Ave., #104, 719-629-7055, thebridgeartgallery. com. Small works “in clay, photography, painting, fiber and mixed media. Invited artists are Darla Slee, Clyde Tullis, Nancy Burton, Alan Burton, Rui Haagen, Rob Watt, Karla Lee, Lori Nicholson, Peter Marchand, John Lawson, Dave Armstrong, Michael Cellan, Deena Bennett, Betty Atherton.” Through Dec. 16.

The Colony, 2 S. Wahsatch Ave., #100, thecolony.studio. A creative holiday market offering work by local artists and artisans

WHEN YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT REAL ESTATE

BOBBI PRICE

719-499-9451 JADE BAKER

719-201-6749

www.BobbiPrice.com bobbipriceteam@gmail.com Member of Elite 25 and Peak Producers

10

Disruptor Gallery, 2217 E. Platte Ave., shutterandstrum.org. What Kinda Brown Are You? Works by Jasmine Dillavou, Avery Chatmon, Ashley Cornelius, Christopher Beasley and Kevin Persaud.

Courtesy Festival of Lights

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

Festival of Lights Parade, a Downtown Colorado Springs holiday tradition with accompanying activities (downtowncs.com/holidays), including TubaChristmas (tinyurl. com/BringYerTuba). Parade starts Saturday, Dec. 9, 5:50 p.m.; Tejon Street from St. Vrain Street south to Vermijo Avenue; coloradospringsfestivaloflights.com.

— jewelry, paintings, lino prints, handbound art sketchbooks and holiday ornaments. Saturday, Dec. 9, noon to 5 p.m.

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, 30 W. Dale St., 719634-5581, fac.coloradocollege.edu. Another Way Is Possible, organized by RAWtools, “contains items that tell the story of the transformation of guns to garden

G44 Gallery, 121 E. Boulder St., 720-9510573, g44gallery.com. Annual Holiday Show features work by more than 100 local artists and artisans. Closing reception Jan. 5, 5-7 p.m.

tools, art, jewelry, and other lovely things. ... RAWtools is a local organization dedicated to helping people solve their problems without guns and violence.” Through Jan. 28. Museum free days, Dec. 9 and 15.

Gallery 113, 125½ N. Tejon St., 719-6345299, gallery113cos.com. In the Spirit of the Season, artworks by the gallery’s 17 local member artists — wildlife and landscape photography, jewelry, pottery, handturned wood, hand-painted silk and leather creations.

Commonwheel Artists Co-op, 102 Cañon Ave., Manitou Springs, 719-685-1008, commonwheel.com. Holiday Market with works by 32 Colorado artists — everything

Hunter-Wolff Gallery, 2510 W. Colorado Ave., 719-520-9494, hunterwolffgallery. com. Jewelry and newly released bronze sculptures by Maria Battista.

113 Steep Road – Crystal Park - $100,000

5632 Sonnet Heights – University Park - $450,000

Build your dream home on this totally private 0.7 acre lot in Crystal Park. Hard to find flat building site surrounded by towering trees & 360 degree views of the city, mountains, & rock formations.

Electricity is by the lot & driveway is cut in. Less than 1 mile from the stocked fishing lake, club house, heated pool, & tennis & basketball courts. MLS# 9785523

Immaculate & updated rancher townhome in University Park.

2680 sq ft. 4 beds, 3 baths. 2-car attached garage. Handicap features including a totally remodeled kitchen & master bath. A/C. Security with cameras.

Hardwood flooring.

Vaulted ceilings, plan shelves, and rounded corners. Like new condition. Full of light & sunshine. MLS# 9526587

1404 Ledge Rock Terrace – Pinon Bluffs Town Homes - $525,000

1295 Winterhall Point – The Enclaves at Bayfield - $549,900

Westside 3436 sq ft 4 bed, 3 ½ bath 1 ½-story townhome with total 1-level living. Beautiful mountain & Pikes Peak views. Huge trees. Across the street from Ute Valley Park. A/C. Security system.

Gas log fireplace. Former model with vaulted ceilings. Tons of glass & sunshine. MLS# 1911501

Stucco & stone end unit 3068 sq ft 4 bed, 3 bath rancher townhome with amazing mountain & city views. Master suite with 2 walk-in closets & 5-piece master bath.

Open kitchen with wrap around bar. 2 gas log fireplace. Built-ins.

12x12 covered Trex deck & 12x12 patio. Walkout basement with large family & wet bar.

2-car finished garage. A/C. HOA takes care of everything outside for you. Move-in ready! MLS# 7912985

INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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

CALENDAR

GET SOCIAL WITH THE

CSINDY.COM

DISCOVER A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF TASTE.

HOLIDAY PARTIES IN ENOTECA RUSTICA EMAIL INFO@PIZZERIARUSTICA.COM

“TittoSpoon” by Don Goede

ART EXHIBIT

Don Goede: “Release of the Trammels is my coming out of the mental health closet art exhibit. It will be filled with a small fraction of neurotic and anxiety-riddled artwork and what I have deemed therapeutic manifestations of the Hypomanic variety.”

Kreuser Gallery, 125 E. Boulder St., kreusergallery.com.

Kreuser Gallery, 125 E. Boulder St., 719464-5880, kreusergallery.com. Shifting Reality by Lori Goede: “paintings that capture the profound connection between individuals in classical literature.”

Release of the Trammels by Don Goede: “With the exception of a few pieces, it is work that I am finally finishing after 30+ years. I hope to curtail an unhealthy attitude that if I don’t finish art I don’t have to deal with selling, sharing, or distributing it.” Atmospheres and Orbits by Nancy Roach: “paintings done in oil and cold wax depicting an attitude of experimentation and play.” Artist talks: Nancy Roach, Dec. 8, 5:30 p.m.; Don and Lori Goede, Dec. 20, 5:30 p.m.; closing reception Jan. 5, 5-8 p.m.

The Look Up Gallery, 11 E. Bijou St. (inside Yobel), thelookupgallery.com. Distortion, a collection of “new large-scale, abstract scenery works” by local artist Ben Bires.

Manitou Art Center, 513/515 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, 719-685-1861, manitouartcenter.org. Studio Artist and Makerspace Member End of Year Show. Through Dec. 30, tinyurl.com/MAC-dec23.

Pikes Peak State College Fall Student Exhibition, reception Friday, Dec. 8, 5-7 p.m.; awards 5:30-6 p.m., through Jan. 19; Gallery at Studio West, 22 N. Sierra Madre

COMMUNITY

HEALTH

St.; tinyurl.com/PPSC-Fall23.

SAVES

Platte Collections, 2331 E. Platte Place, 719-980-2715, plattecollections.myshopify.com. Water Rites by Shannon Dunn, who explores “water in all its forms ...

From the tears in our eyes to the blood in our veins ... Drought and flood. Freeze and thaw.”

LIVES

Surface Gallery, 2752 W. Colorado Ave., 719-359-6966, surfacegallerycos.com.

Per Annum 2023, a group holiday show featuring the work of 50-plus local artists — multiple media including painting, collage, sculptural and handmade jewelry.

Through Jan. 19.

DANCE A Dragonfly Nutcracker: You’ll find Dragonfly Aerial Company’s version of the holiday classic up in the air! Saturday, Dec. 9, 3 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 10, 2 and 6 p.m.; The Dragonfly Theatre, 5780 E. Woodmen Road; dragonflyaerialco. com/nutcracker.

A Colorado Nutcracker, a Colorado Ballet Society performance. Clara is transported to 19th-century Colorado Springs for Christmas Eve with city founder Gen. William Palmer and his family. Tuesday,

continued on p. 12 ➔

Learn more about the COVID-19 Vaccine We’re here to help. Visit peakvista.org/COVID.

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

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | INDY

11

LOOKING TO QUIT SMOKING? Visit the Professionals at Chief Vapor.

CALENDAR ➔ continued from p. 11 Dec. 19, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2 and 7 p.m.; Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave., danceinthesprings.com/tickets.

KIDS & FAMILIES Winter Wonderland at Panorama Park, “family activities, games and crafts, eat s’mores, visit with surprise guests.” Saturday, Dec. 9, 2-4 p.m.; free; 4540 Fenton Road; tinyurl.com/Pano-winter.

719-434-1547 • CHIEFVAPOR.COM

LIVE ON STAGE NOV. 30–DEC. 31

Santa’s Elves Present: Who’s Got Talent? A family-friendly show wherein “Refurbish the Elf returns to the North Pole just in time for the annual Talent Show judged by the Big Guy himself.” Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 9-23, see themat. org/the-most-magical-gift-2 for times and tickets; Millibo Art Theatre, 1626 S. Tejon St. Nature Hikes with Santa, with an interactive reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas, a hike with Santa, crafts and music. Saturdays, Dec. 9 and 16, 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m.; $5/$4 members, prepaid registration at tinyurl.com/epcofun; Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Lane, Fountain.

TOWN HALL “How to Have a Bright Future Instead of a Dead Planet” — “meet presidential candidate Dave Gardner, learn about his plan for our nation to stop making dead planet decisions and start providing a bright future for our children. Be part of a live audience as Dave records an episode of the Dave the Planet podcast, ask him tough questions and give him a piece of your mind!” Monday, Dec. 11, 6-8 p.m.; Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, 4 El Paso Blvd.; tinyurl.com/DaveThePlanet.

SPECIAL EVENTS

the musical

Music by Matthew Sklar | Lyrics by Chad Beguelin Book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan Directed by James Bruenger-Arreguin

TICKETS & DINNER RESERVATIONS fac.coloradocollege.edu · (719) 634-5583

Sponsored by The Tiemens Group at Morgan Stanley 12

INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wintersong, “combining music and spoken word and spanning the centuries from medieval to modern. Exploring mystery, timelessness, the intersection between light and dark, and the beauty of the natural world as it is revealed in winter.” Friday-Saturday, Dec. 15-16, 7:30 p.m.; Shove Chapel/CC, 1010 N. Nevada Ave.; tinyurl.com/Wintersong-23.

Cripple Creek and Victor: A Whoville Christmas in the Gold Camps, includes a deep list of holiday activities, with Victor’s Christmas parade on Friday, Dec. 8, and Cripple Creek’s on Dec. 9; visitcripplecreek.com/event/christmas-in-thegold-camps.

Electric Moonlight, for adults 21-plus, “festive holiday lights with indoor sampling areas featuring beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks while tasting delicious eats from area restaurants.” Thursday, Dec. 7, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road; advance tickets only, at cmzoo.org/ events.

Holiday Evening at Rock Ledge Ranch, includes wagon rides, live music, barn dancing, Victorian celebrations in Rock Ledge House, and Edwardian festivities in Orchard House. Saturday, Dec. 9, 4-8

THE YULE BALL

stock.adobe.com

Pikes Peak Library District’s sixth annual Yule Ball for witches, wizards and all other magical (and non-magical) beings.

“Get sorted into your Hogwarts House, participate in magical crafts and activities, mingle with fellow fans, and dance the afternoon away. Costumes and cosplay are encouraged.” Saturday, Dec. 16, 2-4 p.m.; The Hall at PPLD, 20 W. Pikes Peak Ave.; registration required at tinyurl. com/YuleBall-23. p.m.; 3105 Gateway Road; tickets at rockledgeranch.com/event/holiday-evening.

THEATER/STAGE The Seafarer — “It’s Christmas Eve in Dublin, Ireland. In the rundown house where Sharky cares for his blind brother, old acquaintances gather for a card game — joined by an ominous stranger.

As the booze flows and the game intensifies, Sharky discovers he is playing for his soul.” Through Dec. 17; 2409 W. Colorado Ave.; springsensembletheatre.org.

The Little Prince “follows an aviator who crash-landed in the Sahara Desert where he meets a little prince who loves a rose from a distant world.” By Theatreworks with local actors and puppetry. Through Dec. 7, Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave.; entcenterforthearts.org/ theatreworks/current_season.

ELF The Musical, “Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth.” Through Dec. 31; Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., tinyurl.com/FAC-ELF. Modbo Ho-Ho, a naughty local Christmas tradition (adults only!) with “lots of tawdry songs, a few dances, and perhaps a guest appearance by the big man himself.” Dec. 8-9, 7:30 p.m.; Millibo Art Theatre, 1626 S. Tejon St.; tickets at themat.org.

Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland, a family-friendly extravaganza that delivers “acrobats, aerialists, hilarious hijinks and holiday cheer.” Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.; Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; pikespeakcenter.com.

Yule Be Naughty: Millibo’s Annual Holiday Cabaret, “join Babette and an all-star cast as they sing, dance, circus, and poke fun at the trials and tribulations of this most Merry Season.” Dec. 1423, adults only; see themat.org for times and tickets; Millibo Art Theatre, 1626 S. Tejon St.

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

YOUR TURN

By Dylan Craddock

THE ARTS CREATE BETTER COMMUNITIES

T

HE PIKES PEAK REGION IS IN A TIME of unprecedented expansion. Colorado Springs is regularly voted one of the best places to live, and its population has exploded as a result. At the same time, we see national examples of great cities facing unprecedented challenges from changing populations and rapid development. How do we grow with the times while maintaining our celebrated quality of life? Turbulent markets demand innovative and creative thinking, and we should look to the arts and culture sector as a vital tool to safeguard and expand regional prosperity. Arts and culture are not a fun “perk” of the Pikes Peak region, but rather an investment in economic and community well-being.

To realize and leverage these opportunities, we need robust data. Enter the Arts and Economic Prosperity Study. Since 2006, the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region has participated in this nationwide study to quantify the economic impact of arts nonprofits and their audiences. Over that time, AEP has continued to refine its model to better reflect not only the economic, but the social — and intangible — impact of the arts.

This is where we come to understand the unique value proposition the arts bring to our region.

In 2022, Pikes Peak region organizations made a total of $184.6 million in economic impact. These dollars have a ripple effect, staying hyper-local due to the nature of arts and culture work. Tellingly, Americans for the Arts designed a custom economic impact calculator for our region to explore this impact in action: For every $100,000 spent by an arts and culture nonprofit locally, the following happens: • Two jobs are created in the nonprofit sector, meaning more full-time staff that can respond to the needs of the people they serve.

• $64,656 in household income is generated, showing dollars stay hyper-local.

• Local government receives $1,574 in income, which goes to services such as firefighters, police, public health and trails.

• State government receives $1,910, which goes to initiatives such as improving our infrastructure and helping families in need through statewide social programs.

• Federal tax revenue is $14,451, which again goes back into our community through schools, police, local government programs and more.

And that’s just the nonprofit impact! Consider what these local numbers would be when you expand to the whole creative economy: our music venues, galleries, local restaurants, maker spaces, etc. Nationally, the arts and culture sector (including for-profit entities) makes up 4.4 percent of the nation’s GDP (that’s larger than transportation, agriculture, and construction). The creative sector is an economic driver.

What other sectors make up that proportion of America’s GDP, but also dramatically improve quality of life? In our region, arts nonprofits deliver programs that support a variety of powerful social and emotional outcomes that help us all. Look at Poetry Heals, a local nonprofit whose model has been proven to reduce thoughts and incidence

of self-harm among critically stressed populations such as at-risk youth and people experiencing homelessness.

Or Ballet Folklorico de Barajas, a family-run organization that uses traditional Mexican dance to help young people build self-esteem, support healthy families, and promote crosscultural exchange. Or consider Bemis School of Art’s classes for veterans and active-duty military, which have been nationally celebrated for promoting healing and reconnection. Over 87 percent of Arts and Economic Prosperity survey respondents here in the Pikes Peak region said the arts inspire pride in their neighborhood or community.

National statistics reflect this: “Residents living on a block where community-based art projects took place were 1.6 times more likely to report they felt more connected to the neighbors.” In divisive times, the intangible values of social cohesion, togetherness, and community development are created and reinforced through arts programs.

We often talk about economic impact in terms of dollars in, dollars out, but what the arts broadly — and this study uniquely — shows is that we miss something important if we’re only assessing this metric. A strictly revenues-based model fails to consider so many of our

region’s greatest assets and the significant impact they have on our economy and quality of life. Whether we are talking about trails and parks, small businesses, or artists and musicians, we need to assess, invest, and plan for the future of our region with these irreplaceable assets in mind. Those assets help us be a “best place to live,” and have shown lasting power as indicators for community well-being. Their return on investment is proven across the United States, and here in the Pikes Peak region.

Communities along the Front Range, across Colorado, and across the country are directing more public and private dollars into their creative economies than we do locally, and enjoying the competitive advantage that the arts provide to their economies and quality of life. Our arts organizations invest in us. Let’s invest more in them — and compound the benefit from their proven impact!

In 2022, Pikes Peak region organizations made a total of $184.6 million in economic impact.

Dylan Craddock is program manager, creative economy, at the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

OPINION | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | INDY

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KILL THE HUMANITIES The right-wing’s ‘shriveled view’

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HE FAR- OUT RIGHTwing’s latest political ploy takes extremism to the extreme.

Escalating their divisive series of “culture wars” (banning books, suppressing women’s rights, whitewashing history, demonizing teachers, etc.), their current idea is to declare war on ideas! Specifically, they’re going after state university programs that teach creative arts and social studies, including history, languages, music, civics, literature, economics, theology, and other courses in the humanities that explore ideas, foster free-thinking and expand enlightenment.

We can’t have that, can we? Thus, GOP lawmakers in North Carolina, for example, are eliminating funding for top humanities professors in their universities, shifting those funds to programs in high-tech and engineering that are favored by the corporate hierarchy. Likewise, public universities in Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and elsewhere are being made to cancel their humanities programs and puff up their departments of business, finance and marketing.

The right wing’s shriveled view is that a university education is not about expanding one’s horizon and enriching America’s democratic society — but solely about training students to fit into a corporate workforce, sacrificing the possibility of a fuller life for the possibility of a fatter paycheck. As a Mississippi Republican official explained under this minimalized and monetized concept of higher education, state spending on college degree programs will require that they match the needs of the economy.

What? Is America nothing but its economy? Is the value of students measured only by the size of their future paychecks? Is public spending only worthy if it serves corporate interests?

Ironically, the politicos trying to cancel teaching of the humanities are proving that such courses are essential — after all, the humanities strive to humanize today’s social order of corporate domination, exploitation and inequality. The

value of that vastly exceeds its price. In fact, the humanities are priceless.

FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN TRAILer parks, can anything be scarier than the sound of a roaring tornado? Yes: Most frightening is seeing slick real-estate gentrifiers prowling around.

For some 20 million low-income Americans, being able to park a mobile home in a trailer park is their only affordable refuge from homelessness. But while they own their mobile homes, a landlord owns the land they’re parked on. So here come high-finance hucksters backed by Wall Street — rapaciously buying out local landlords, then casting out the powerless trailer owners so developers can build luxury condos for the rich on that land.

It’s an especially contemptible case of corporate greed stomping on human need. Indeed, these are among America’s most vulnerable people, being stripped of their homes. But what can they do?

Ask the residents in Riverside Terrace trailer park, located near downtown San Antonio. Many had previously been evicted from a nearby mobile home facility that was converted into a high-dollar apartment complex owned by an out-ofstate hedge fund. So they panicked when word spread that Riverside Terrace had been put up for sale by local owner Travis Cummings.

But then came a New Hampshirebased advocacy group named ROC — “Resident Owned Communities.” It contacted Cummings and Riverside’s lowincome residents about forming a co-op.

Then the group provided expertise and arranged financing so Riverside’s tenants could create, control and collectively manage a co-op that is now the official owner of the 46-unit park. Valerie Valenzuela, who works evening shifts at a Home Depot and was elected to the new co-op’s board, proudly notes that the residents — who mostly have incomes under $30,000 a year — are now “not just tenants,” but homeowners.

Today, some 1,000 mobile home communities are resident-owned. For information, go to rocusa.org.

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INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | OPINION

DIRECTIONS

By Jim Hightower jimhightower.com

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Edited by Adrian Johnson | Themeless Sunday 63 by Adrian Johnson and Taylor Johnson

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45 Part of IHOP: Abbr.

9

Leafy green with a "dinosaur" variety

47 Chest press target, for short

12 Site with a "Wedding & Party" category 13 Discharged, in a way

49 Chap

15 One not easily convinced

50 Cheer at the Copa Mundial

16 Arcade fiend's bagful 22 Confused state

51 (Gross!)

24 They sell spots on TV

54 One side of the world's longest land border

26 Most foxy

18 2011 animated film, or a Brazilian city's nickname

56 Exact

29 Damage, as a car

60 Shark diver's apparatus

30 Chowed down

19 Skywalker of "The Force Awakens"

61 Sharp falls 62 Savage of "MythBusters"

33 Hoth in "Star Wars", e.g.

13 20th-century "sprint" to the moon 14 Tons (of) 15 Teacher's request of a slacking student 17 Prepares to pray

20 Airport gate abbr.

21 Device used in conjunction with CPR, for short

35 Eid al-Fitr, for one

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2

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40 7-10 is a notoriously hard one

3

Train hidden in "surface layer"

43 Break away (from) 45 Homeric epic

4

Rented out

46 "Loving" actress Ruth

5

(Go away, you scary mail carrier!)

48 Sleeveless garments, informally

36 Wishy-washy reply to "Will you?"

6

Doro ___ (Ethiopian stew)

50 Black-and-white ocean predator

37 "E.T. ___ home"

7

Big name in laptops

52 Reasons against

38 Canyon sound effect

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53 Pretzel shape

39 "Little Fires Everywhere" author

___ Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice

9

Actor Penn

57 Skirt's edge

25 Advanced degs.

27 Break up, in a way 31 Work hard 32 "You're one to talk!"

41 Loud bell sound 42 "We don't need all the details!"

55 Bossa ___

10 Dream interruptor, often

58 Wanders around an airport, for short?

11

59 She/___ pronouns

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GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY

37 After-school grp.

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Free Will ASTROLOGY SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Among our most impressive superpowers is the potency to transform ourselves in alignment with our conscious intentions. For example, suppose you feel awkward because you made an insensitive comment to a friend. In that case, you can take action to assuage any hurt feelings you caused and thereby dissolve your awkwardness. Or let’s say you no longer want to be closely connected to people who believe their freedom is more important than everyone else’s freedom.

With a clear vision and a bolt of willpower, you can do what it takes to create that shift. These are acts of true magic — as wizardly as any occult ritual. I believe you will have extra access to this superpower in the coming weeks. Homework: Identify three situations or feelings you will use your magic to change.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The eminent Capricorn philosopher William James (1842– 1910) is referred to as the “Father of American Psychology.” He was a brilliant thinker who excelled in the arts of logic and reason. Yet he had a fundamental understanding that reason and logic were not the only valid kinds of intelligence. He wrote, “Rational consciousness is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted f rom it by the f ilmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different.” This quote appears in his book The Varieties of Religious Experience.

In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to investigate those other types of consciousness in the coming months. You don’t need drugs to do so. Simply state your intention that you want to. Other spurs: dreamwork, soulful sex, dancing, meditation, nature walks, deep conversations.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 -Feb. 18): Are people sometimes jealous or judgmental toward you for being so adept at multitasking? Are you weary of dawdlers urging you not to move, talk and mutate so quickly? Do you fantasize about having more cohorts who could join you in your darting, daring leaps of logic? If you answered yes to these questions, I expect you will soon experience an enjoyable pivot. Your quick-change skills will be appreciated and rewarded more than usual. You will thrive while invoking the spiritual power of unpredictability.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Romantic relationships take work if you want them to remain vigorous and authentic. So do friendships. The factors that brought you together in the first place may not be enough to keep you bonded forever. Both of you change and grow, and there’s no guarantee your souls will continue to love being interwoven. If disappointment creeps into your alliance, it’s usually wise to address the issues head-on as you try to reconfigure your connection. It’s not always feasible or desirable, though. I still feel sad about the f riend I banished when I discovered he was racist and had hidden it from me. I hope these ruminations inspire you to give your f riendships a lot of quality attention in 2024. It will be an excellent time to lift the best ones up to a higher octave.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I will cheer you on as you tenderly push yourself to be extra exploratory in the coming weeks. It’s exciting that you are contemplating adventures that might lead you to wild frontiers and half-forbidden zones. The chances are good that you will provoke uncanny inspirations and attract generous lessons. Go higher and deeper and further, dear Aries. Track down secret treasures and lyrical unpredictability. Experiment with the concept of holy rebellion.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In January, I will tempt you to be a spirited adventurer who undertakes smart risks. I will invite you to consider venturing into unknown territory and expanding the scope of your education. But right now, I advise you to address your precious needs for stability and security. I encourage you to take extra good care of your comfort zone and even add cozy new features to it.

16

INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | CANDY

BY ROB BREZSNY

Here’s a suggestion: Grab a pen and paper, or open a new file on your favorite device, then compose a list of everything you can do to feel exceedingly safe and supported.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) was an American Black leader who advocated a gradual, incremental approach to fighting the effects of racism. Hard work and good education were the cornerstones of his policies. Then there was W.E.B. Dubois (1868–1963). He was an American Black leader who encouraged a more aggressive plan of action. Protest, agitation, pressure and relentless demands for equal rights were core principles in his philosophy. In the coming months, I recommend a blend of these attitudes for you. You’ve got two big jobs: to improve the world you live in and get all the benefits you need and deserve from it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I periodically get a big jolt of feeling how much I don’t know. I am overwhelmed with the understanding of how meager my understanding of life really is. On the one hand, this is deflating to my ego. On the other hand, it’s wildly refreshing. I feel a liberating rush of relief to acknowledge that I am so far from being perfect and complete that there’s no need for me to worry about trying to be perfect or complete. I heartily recommend this meditation to you, fellow Cancerian. From an astrological perspective, now is a favorable time to thrive on fertile emptiness.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Have you reached your full height? If there were ever a time during your adult life when you would literally get taller, it might be in the coming weeks. And that’s not the only kind of growth spurt that may occur. Your hair and f ingernails may lengthen faster than usual. I wouldn’t be shocked if your breasts or penis got bigger. But even more importantly, I suspect your healthy brain cells will multiply at a brisk pace. Your ability to understand how the world really works will flourish. You will have an increased flair for thinking creatively.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I like Virgo author Cheryl Strayed’s thoughts about genuine togetherness. She says, “True intimacy isn’t a cluster fuck or a psychodrama. It isn’t the highest highs and lowest lows. It’s a tiny bit of those things on occasion, with a whole lot of everything else in between. It’s communion and mellow compatibility. It’s friendship and mutual respect.” I also like Virgo author Sam Keen’s views on togetherness. He says, “At the heart of sex is something intrinsically spiritual, the desire for a union so primal it can be called divine.” Let’s make those two perspectives your guideposts in the coming weeks, Virgo.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): According to my interpretation of your astrological prospects, you now have the capacity to accelerate quickly and slow down smoothly; to exult in idealistic visions and hunker down in pragmatic action; to balance exuberant generosity with careful discernment — and vice versa. In general, Libra, you have an extraordinary ability to shift moods and modes with graceful effectiveness — as well as a finely honed sense of when each mood and mode is exactly right for the situation you’re in. I won’t be surprised if you accomplish well-balanced miracles.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Dear Goddess — Thank you a trillion times for never fulf illing those prayers I sent your way all those years ago. Remember? When I begged and pleaded with you to get me into a sexy love relationship with You Know Who? I am so lucky, so glad, that you rejected my prayers. Though I didn’t see it then, I now realize that being in an intimate weave with her would have turned out badly for both her and me. You were so wise to deny me that misguided quest for “pleasure.” Now dear Goddess, I am asking you to perform a similar service for any Scorpio readers who may be beseeching you to provide them with experiences they will ultimately be better off without.

Photo illustration stock.adobe.com

News of the

WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Devil’s in the details

The Saucon Valley School District in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, and The Satanic Temple have come to an agreement, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Earlier in 2023, the district had banned the temple from using its facilities at Saucon Valley Middle School to host the After School Satan Club (motto: Educatin’ With Satan). But on Nov. 16, the district agreed to cover the temple’s attorney fees and give the club the same access to facilities as “comparable groups.” However, The Satanic Temple noted that they do not run the clubs in districts where there are no Christian-based religious programs; since the district’s Good News Club appears to be defunct this year, the After School Satan Club will be on hold.

Elvis has left the building

At an adoption event on Nov. 11, the Anti-Cruelty Society, a Chicago animal shelter, had just one dog left: Elvis, a “3-year-old meatball,” People reported.

So the ACS took to Facebook to appeal for Elvis’ placement: “Elvis was the only dog that didn’t find a home during our Fall in Love adoption week. He met a lot of potential adopters... Help us find Elvis a family to love!” Three days later, Elvis’ dreams came true in a serendipitous way: Loren Michael Agron — who used to work as an Elvis Presley impersonator — and Drew Wilhelm took Elvis home.

“Elvis has LEFT the building,” the ACS announced. “We couldn’t be happier for Elvis, who finally got his happily ever

after!” The couple report that the canine king of rock has settled in nicely: “His personality is shining through so much.”

He may be nothin’ but a “Hound Dog,” but Elvis is not “Lonesome Tonight.”

The holiday sneezin’

Angela Presti of Parma, Ohio, was so excited to bring home her first real Christmas tree and decorate it with her daughter, WKYC-TV reported. But a few hours later, she noticed her face was swollen and “My cheek was hot and itchy,” she said. “My tongue, I felt like I could swallow it, except I couldn’t swallow and my throat started closing and my breathing was wheezy.” Presti called her dad, who rushed her to the emergency room. She said medical staff weren’t surprised that it might be the tree; about 7 percent of the population suffers from Christmas Tree Syndrome, caused not so much by the tree itself as the mold that grows on it in the sales lot.

Presti’s doctor suggested she go back to an artificial tree.

High and dry

Thieves made off with a questionable booty on Nov. 20 in Philadelphia, WPVITV reported. While a tractor-trailer was parked in a Target lot, six men broke the locks on the back of the trailer and stole multiple cases of talcum powder, police said. The driver was in the cab at the time but was unaware of the burglary until he started to drive away.

CATCH, RELEASE... CATCH

T

HREE UNNAMED MEN WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN ST. Louis, Missouri, on Nov. 16 after accidentally locking themselves in a city jail known as the Workhouse, KSDK-TV reported. The Workhouse, a mediumsecurity lockup, has been empty for more than a year; the trespassers had to call 911 after getting themselves trapped inside. After being sprung, they were arrested for property damage, burglary and stealing.

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Crossword

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

MINI SUDOKU X

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.

CANDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | INDY

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INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | CANDY

Health Care stock.adobe.com

Focus

Nurse staffing struggles persist post-COVID

Demand, however, remains high

BY AMANDA MILLER LUCIANO

H

iring and retaining nurses and other health care workers has become moderately less challenging than during the height of the COVID pandemic and years immediately following, but it’s unlikely hospitals and other providers will be fully staffed anytime in the foreseeable future, say area hiring experts.

Nationally, health care hiring led labor force growth, and health care wage increases outpaced those in other fields, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hiring and retaining health care staff has evolved dramatically for providers and recruiters over the last four years.

“Our role as recruiters is changing,” says Alicia Wellington, CEO of Colorado-based recruitment firm WSI Healthcare Personnel. “We’re more focused on sourcing talent and placing talent.”

Prior to the pandemic, Wellington says her firm was very relationship-based,

working with employers and finding the candidates that fit the requirements. Wellington says she would build whole teams and stand up health care units including nurses, techs and administrative staff.

“During COVID, we were very much order-takers,” Wellington says. “It was more transactional.”

Today, health care professionals are in high demand, especially nurses. When WSI works with a qualified candidate, they can identify a few different employers that need that talent and help match workers and employers.

Workers are able to ask for more money and certain schedules or terms.

“There’s been an evolution,” Wellington says. “Employers take the talent and cater to what the talent needs. The talent gets to drive a lot.”

But that’s only true to a degree. Employers would pay whatever they had to pay in order to staff up during the worst of the

pandemic and in the following years, but pay is beginning to level off and even come down in some fields, though it remains sticky, Wellington says.

“Someone who was making $30 an hour in 2019 could get $50 during the pandemic,” Wellington says. “Now they won’t work for less than $45.”

That discrepancy in the wages employees want and the wages employers are willing to pay has been the biggest source of hiring challenges in recent months, Wellington says.

That said, Wellington says her firm has seen more applications from health care workers this year than in any of the last three years.

“We aren’t applicant-poor anymore,” she says.

Taking a leap

For UCHealth, hiring is definitely still a challenge, says Tamera Dunseth Rosen-

baum, the chief nurse officer and interim chief nurse executive at UCHealth.

“First and foremost, we have to make sure our pay practices are in keeping with the market and that we’re competitive in regard to salary,” Dunseth Rosenbaum says.

She says the network of hospitals does market surveys three to four times a year to ensure the pay offered to existing employees is competitive, and has given substantial raises to employees in recent years.

“UCHealth took a leap this year,” Dunseth Rosenbaum says. “We stopped doing sign-on bonuses. As a long-term strategy, it’s not sustainable.”

She confirmed that Children’s Hospital Colorado and CommonSpirit (formerly Centura Health), which operates Penrose and St. Francis hospitals, has been offering $20,000 sign-on bonuses that require staff to commit to a year. She says staff have left the four local UCHealth hospicontinued on p. 21 ➔

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lege to create a pipeline of qualified new nurses and techs. She says UCHealth offers a nursing residency program that gets the tals, including Memorial Central, Memorial new graduates into the UCHealth facilities, North, Grandview and Pikes Peak Regional and the four local hospitals typically hire Hospital in Woodland Park for the sign-on more than 200 freshly graduated nurses bonuses. in a year. Of those new graduates, 90 per“We find that they usually leave to get cent come from the local degree programs, the sign-on bonus, stay for a year and come Dunseth Rosenbaum says. back to us,” Dunseth Rosenbaum says.

UCHealth also offers “Our employees like workfull up-front tuition reiming for us.” bursement for staff purOne of the biggest chalsuing degrees or further lenges with sign-on bonuseducation in the health es, especially really sizable care field. That benefit ones that could entice new is meant to grow talent talent, is making sure that within the organization. existing employees felt She says many PCAs are valued, Dunseth Rosenpursing registered nurse baum says. credentials.

I n stea d of sig n- on Hiring and retaining in b onu s e s , UC He a lt h i s southern Colorado is more focusing on creating a challenging than in the better working environnorthern part of the state, ment for nursing staff and Dunseth Rosenbaum says. on creating a pipeline of But it’s not as competitive new nurses to work in the — Alicia Wellington as the Denver market. hospitals, Dunseth Rosen“Right now, in our city baum says. The hospital — what I’m seeing in my four facilities, is has created a new position it calls patient a stabilizing workforce,” Dunseth Rosencare assistant. The position requires a baum says. “It’s very nice to see because we high school degree and includes about have not seen that since COVID.” eight weeks of in-house training to serve She says there were very few, if any, travas a bedside tech to help nurses with lesseling nurses in the facilities in 2019. During technical tasks and patient care. The role is the pandemic, staffing was extremely diffisimilar to that of a certified nursing assiscult and Dunseth Rosenbaum had to rely on tant, but it’s more carefully catered to the highly paid traveling nurses to fill the gaps. hospital needs.

She still has some traveling nurses and still UCHealth has experimented with some has to pay a premium to get nurses to take units where they raise the nurse-to-patient extra shifts in some cases, but it’s improvratio from 4/1 or 5/1 to a ratio of 5/1 or 6/1, ing and stabilizing. but have PCAs at about the same ratio to Of course, stabilizing doesn’t mean there help nurses, as opposed to the typical 15/1 is a shift in supply and demand.

PCA ratio.

“In the state of Colorado, they’re predictDunseth Rosenbaum says those units ing a deficit of 8,200 registered nurses by have seen better nurse retention and 10 2030,” Dunseth Rosenbaum says. “I think percent higher patient satisfaction. hiring and retaining nurses will remain a She says UCHealth also works closely challenge for the foreseeable future.” CSBJ with UCCS and with Pikes Peak State Col➔ continued from p. 19

We’re more focused on sourcing talent and placing talent.

n

CSBJ.com | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | COLORADO SPRINGS BUSINESS JOURNAL

21

BEHIND THE NEWS | Design by Zk Bradley

Sources: National Retail Federation, Deloitte, Consumer Growth Partners, i2c, PYMNTS

U.S.

Shopping ∙ The National Retail Federation predicts 2023 holiday sales will increase 3% to 4% over 2022. That’s similar to Deloitte’s prediction of 3.5% to 4.6% growth, and more optimistic than Consumer Growth Partners’ prediction of 2.1% growth. ∙ NRF also expects online and non-store sales to grow 7% to 9% this holiday season. ∙ Student loan payments restarting will drive holiday budgeting — 48% of people with student loans plan to cut back on what they spend this December. ∙ 62% of consumers plan to use a credit card to cover holiday expenses. ∙ About 39% of Gen Zers will use BNPL* over the holidays compared with 21% of Gen X consumers and 9% of baby boomers. * Buy Now Pay Later is a short-term installment loan that lets you pay for purchases over time with no interest.

∙ Despite belt-tightening, holiday retail and online sales are projected to make up 18% of the full-year sales for 2023.

22

COLORADO SPRINGS BUSINESS JOURNAL | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | CSBJ.com

stock.adobe.com

∙ 37% of shoppers plan to buy gift cards this season — making them the secondmost popular retail category, after clothing.

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WHEN YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT REAL ESTATE CLASSIFIEDS | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | INDY

23

Little Girl Blue

ARTIST SERIES SERIES PRESENTS PRESENTS ARTIST

Mariachi Herencia DECEMBER 20 + 21, 2023 de México SEPTEMBER 26,Laiona 2023 Join Broadway star, Michelle for an exclusive showing of her new musical, Little Girl Blue. Based Little Girl Blue on the life of Nina Simone, the show is an intimate DECEMBER 20 + 21,Blue 2023 Little Girl portrait of the late chanteuse, filled with all of Nina’s CABARET CLUB PRESENTS

CLUB PRESENTS Latin GRAMMY-nominee Mariachi LatinCABARET GRAMMY-nominee Mariachi Herencia Herencia de de México México presents presents Herederos Herederos (the (the “Heirs”).

“Heirs”).

Simultaneously honoring the past, celebrating the present, and creating the Simultaneously honoring the past, celebrating the present, and creating the future future of of mariachi mariachi music, Mariachi Herencia de México presents an unforgettable night of virtuosic Mexican music, Mariachi Herencia de México presents an unforgettable night of virtuosic Mexican music music and and Join DECEMBER Broadway star, Laiona Michelle for an exclusive culture.

20 + 21, 2023 culture. hits.ofDirected by television Kim Fields, Little showing her new musical, Girlstar, Blue.

Join Broadway star, LaionaLittle Michelle for an Based exclusive Girl Blue at The ClubGirl us a glimpse into on the lifeCLUB ofof Nina Simone, the show isoffers anBlue. intimate CABARET CLUB PRESENTS showing her newCabaret musical, Little Based CABARET PRESENTS portrait ofdevelopment theoflate chanteuse, filled with all intimate of Nina’sit heads the of a the new musical before on the life Nina Simone, show is an hits.portrait Directed by television star, Kim Fields, Little of the lateDon’t chanteuse, with all oftoNina’s to Broadway. miss filled this chance experience Girl Blue at The Cabaret Club offers us a glimpse into hits.

Directed by television star, Kim Fields, Little musical theater royalty up close and personal on the DECEMBER 20 +musical 21, 2023 the development ofCabaret a new Club before it headsinto Girl Blue at The offers us a glimpse Award-winning Nina Simone bio-musical recently off Shockley-Zalabak stage!

Award-winning Nina Simone bio-musical recently off Broadway.

Broadway. Written Written by by and and starring starring actor actor and and to Broadway.

Don’t miss experience the development of a this newchance musicalto before it heads creative Laiona Michelle and directed by actor Kim Fields, Little Girl Blue offers audiences aa glimpse at creative Laiona Michelle and directed by actor Kim Fields, Little Girl Blue offers audiences glimpse at to Broadway.

Don’t miss this chance to experience musical theater royalty up close and personal on the the activist, activist, the the classical classical musician, musician, the the woman, woman, the the lover, lover, the the performer performer that that Nina Nina Simone Simone was. was. the musical theaterstage! royalty up close and personal on the Shockley-Zalabak Shockley-Zalabak stage!

Little Girl Blue MUST MUST MUST SEE SEE SEE SHOWS SHOWS SHOWS The Little Prince Steel Magnolias The Little NOV 24 - DECPrince 17, 2023 The Little Prince SEPT 21 - OCT 15, 2023

Adapted the 15, timeless classic book for dreamers SEPT 21 NOV 24-from -OCT DEC 17, 2023 2023

YOURYOUR DESTINATION FOR FOR YOUR DESTINATION FOR DESTINATION YOUR DESTINATION FOR

EXTRAORDINARY EXTRAORDINARY EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES EXPERIENCES

NOV 24 - DEC 17, wit, 2023 With iconic characters, razor sharp and all the Southern With iconic characters, razorclassic sharpbook wit, and all the Southern charm you you can can fit fit on on one one stage, stage, Steel Steel of all ages, The Little Prince follows an aviator whocharm Adapted from thethe timeless forfor dreamers Adapted from timeless classic book dreamers Magnolias brings heart, warmth, tears, and side-splitting laughter to the Dusty Loo this fall.

In Magnolias brings heart, warmth, tears, and side-splitting laughter to the Dusty Loo this fall. In the the of allofcrash-landed ages, TheThe Little Prince follows anDesert aviator who in Prince the Sahara where he meets all Truvy ages, Little follows an aviator who words of Jones, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” words of Truvy Jones, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” crash-landed in the Sahara Desert where hehe meets a little prince who loves a rose from ameets distant world. crash-landed in the Sahara Desert where a little prince who loves a rose from a distant world. a little prince who loves a rose from a distant world.

LITTLE SHADOWS OF SLEEPY HOLLOW Told through puppetry, drawing, music andTHE magical THE LITTLE PRINCE PRINCE SHADOWS OF SLEEPY HOLLOW ToldTold through puppetry, drawing, music and magical through puppetry, drawing, music and magical Saturdays in October Downtown Colorado Springs November Saturdays in Octoberthis - Downtown Colorado Springs is directed November 24 24 -- December December 17, 17, 2023 2023 stagecraft, imaginative production stagecraft, this imaginative production is directed stagecraft, this imaginative production is directed Explore wintery wintery stories stories through through the the magic magic of of A stage stage adaptation adaptation of of aa beloved beloved illustrated illustrated book book for for Explore A by -Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans (Lumberjacks in

by Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans (Lumberjacks puppetry this year with spooky twist! all ages. ages.

by Artistic Director Lowans (Lumberjacksinin all puppetry - this year with aaCaitlin spooky twist!

Love), in collaboration with the delightful Love), in collaboration with delightful puppet puppet Love), in collaboration with thethe delightful puppet artistry ofWilliams Katy Williams Design (Snowy artistry of Katy Williams Design (Snowy Tales). Tales). artistry of Katy Design (Snowy Tales).

NEXT UPUP NEXT UP NEXT THE 23-24 Martha Russo: caesura IN IN THE 23-24 Pleasure & Protest Pleasure & Protest &DECEMBER Protest SEASON IN 2023 SEASON ONPleasure VIEW THROUGH 2, 2023 in Contemporary entarts.org/2023 ENTARTS.ORG/2324 inin Contemporary entarts.org/2023 VISITING ARTISTS & ENTARTS.ORG/2324 VISITING ARTISTS & CRITICS CRITICS LECTURE LECTURE Contemporary FigurePainting Painting Figure Figure Painting Thurssday, Thurssday, September September 28, 28, 2023 2023 6:00 6:00 -- 7:00 7:00 pm pm Chapman Recital Recital Hall, Hall, Ent Ent Center Center for for the the Arts Arts Chapman

JAN - MAR16, 16,2024 2024 JAN 2525 - MAR Artists: Jackie Gendel, Lovie Olivia, Yana Payusova,

MEMENTO: PLACES PLACES AND AND PERSPECTIVES PERSPECTIVES MEMENTO: Artists: Jackie Gendel, Lovie Olivia, Yana Payusova, On view through September 23, Alexis Pye, and Keer Tanchak. Guest Curator, SaraOn view through September 23, 2023 2023 Alexis Pye, and Keer Tanchak.

Guest Curator, SaraArtists: Jackie Gendel, Lovie Olivia, Yana Payusova, GOCA Project Space Jayne Parson.

GOCA Project Space JayneAlexis Parson.Pye, and Keer Tanchak. Guest Curator, SaraFor the first time ever, experience the creative

JAN 25 - MAR 16, 2024

OPENING RECEPTION Jayne Parson.

OPENING THURS,RECEPTION JAN 25, 2024, 5:00-8:00 P.M.

THURS, JAN 25, 2024, 5:00-8:00 P.M.

OPENING RECEPTION

VISITING ARTISTS & CRITICS LECTURE THURS, JAN 25, 2024, 5:00-8:00 P.M. WED, JAN 24, 2024, 6:00 P.M. - Sara-Jayne Parson VISITING ARTISTS & CRITICS LECTURE THURS, 14,6:00 2024,P.M. 6:00- P.M. - ArtistsParson WED, JAN 24,MAR 2024, Sara-Jayne

THURS, MAR 14,ARTISTS 2024, 6:00& P.M. - ArtistsLECTURE VISITING CRITICS

For the first time ever, experience the creative work work of of the the staff staff and and students students who who make make GOCA exhibitions possible.

From photography GOCA exhibitions possible. From photography and and scultpture scultpture to to painting painting and and embroidery embroidery -this this team team does does it it all! all!

WED, JAN 24, 2024, 6:00 P.M. - Sara-Jayne Parson THURS, MAR 14, 2024, 6:00 P.M. - Artists

24

INDY | Dec. 6 - 12, 2023 | CLASSIFIEDS