Indy 08-19-2020

August 19 - 25, 2020

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VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES! 23

EVICTION NOTICE A COVID-19 housing crisis threatens Coloradans

By LJ Dawson /// 12

CONTENTS

August 19 - 25, 2020 | Vol. 28, No. 34 Xnatedawgx via Wikimedia

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COLORADO SPRINGS’ LARGEST LOCALLY OWNED MEDIA COMPANY CALL US: 719-577-4545 COLORADO PUBLISHING HOUSE

CHAIRMAN & FOUNDER John Weiss PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR Amy Gillentine Sweet EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bryan Grossman EXECUTIVE EDITOR EMERITUS Ralph Routon

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COVER DESIGN

BY Dustin Glatz with assets from Shutterstock.com

EDITORIAL

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alissa Smith COPY EDITOR Mary Jo Meade SENIOR REPORTER Pam Zubeck NEWS REPORTER LJ Dawson MUSIC EDITOR Bill Forman FOOD & DRINK EDITOR Matthew Schniper LISTINGS ASSISTANT Shannon Earl COLUMNISTS Collin Estes, Jim Hightower, Mike Littwin, Loring Wirbel CONTRIBUTORS Heidi Beedle, Rob Brezsny, Bridgett Harris, Ahriana Platten, Griffin Swartzell, Tom Tomorrow, Andrew “Shaggy” Warren ONLINE CONTRIBUTORS Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPeR), “Hiking Bob” Falcone

SALES

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jason Janc SENIOR ACCOUNT PLANNER Teri Homick ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Kristin DeCocq, Cate Elgin, Brandon Harn, Lucas Taylor ADVERTISING SERVICES MANAGER Lanny Adams ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Jamie Romero-Agrusa

ART AND PRODUCTION

EDITORIAL ART DIRECTOR Dustin Glatz PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Melissa Edwards GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Zk Bradley, Rowdy Tompkins, Elena Trapp

FEATURE

OPINIONS

FOOD & DRINK

12

WELLS RUN DRY: Without federal help, the housing crisis is likely to worsen

3

VOICE OF REASON

22

DINE & DASH/SIDE DISH

18

FAIR & UNBALANCED

27

APPETITE

EVENT HORIZON: Make your voice heard — and party

20 IN GOOD FAITH

32

Nov. 1-Dec. 31, 2020 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Barb Van Hoy COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Alicia Cover

NEWS IN BRIEF

6

VOTE LOCAL: Parks and tax measures on November’s ballot

7

“KILL EM ALL”: CSPD releases internal affairs investigation

8

THE ENEMY WITHIN: Investigation shows protests’ toll on law enforcement

10

COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT: Who applied for the police accountability board?

42 CANNABIZ

30 REVERB 31

RADIO GAGA’S WEEKLY BROADCAST

CANDY

22

34 CALENDAR

Griffin Swartzell

35

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

37

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

45 PUZZLE PAGE

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MUSIC

LOWDOWN

30 PLAYLIST

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NEWS

OPERATIONS

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August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | NEWS

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VOICE OF

REASON

EDITORIAL BOARD: REGAN FOSTER, BRYAN GROSSMAN, MARY JO MEADE, HELEN ROBINSON, AMY GILLENTINE SWEET

T HIS IS NO TIME

F OR A VACATION A

T THE END OF JULY, MILLIONS OF Americans — and about 10.4 percent of eligible workers in El Paso County — found themselves staring down hunger, loss of utilities, evictions and homelessness when federal assistance for the unemployed ran out.

And all the other programs to aid small businesses and keep people working have virtually dried up as well. The economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic threatens to get worse — as thousands of small businesses are closing or are at the end of their resources.

And Congress doesn’t care.

Republicans seem to think people without jobs are just lazy and want a government handout.

Democrats can’t seem to negotiate different benefits. Unable to come to a bipartisan agreement, they left for summer vacation as if none of their constituents were on the verge of losing everything they’ve built during their entire working lives.

And as usual, our own Congressman Doug Lamborn has been silent about coronavirus aid — and pretty much everything else that’s occurred this year. Seriously, has anyone seen Doug? Heard from him? Should we file a missing persons report?

And to add injury to insult, our president has decided that what unemployed people need is … a break from payroll taxes that help fund Social Security and Medicare. Businesses and employees pay both taxes, equaling around 12.4 percent.

The key here? You have to be employed to get the benefit of a deferred payroll tax.

The other thing to note: It’s a deferment, not necessarily a permanent holiday. So come January, people who didn’t pay those taxes from August to December could see a big chunk come out of their paychecks.

There’s little economic incentive to the president’s plan, combined with a lot of Constitutional uncertainty. Congress holds the purse strings, not the president. It’s a power grab to control revenue, and it shouldn’t go unchallenged.

And what about the millions of Boomers who rely on Medicare and Social Security? Can either of those programs survive without five months of revenue?

Doesn’t this plan, ill informed and misguided as it is, leave our oldest residents more vulnerable?

We know the president doesn’t care. He’s already said ending Social Security is one of his goals if he’s re-elected. He’s also said that older Americans don’t mind dying to save the Dow. He’s shown little concern and less knowledge about the lives of his constituents under this unprecedented, ongoing pandemic.

So it’s time for Congress to act, even as the president usurps more of its authority. Our elected officials need to return from their recess, negotiate, compromise and create a plan that keeps us all on even economic footing. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation’s economy. Main Street, not Wall Street, employs the majority of the workforce.

And it’s Main Street, not Wall Street, that needs assistance now.

Find a way to help businesses stay open, to aid workers without jobs and to help people who are struggling to feed, clothe and shelter their families.

It’s the job of our representatives; it’s why they get paid, why they enjoy long vacations, why they receive free health care and ongoing pensions.

So find Doug Lamborn and his colleagues and tell them to lead — after all, they still have jobs.

SERIOUSLY, has anyone seen Doug?

NEWS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

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COMPILED BY HEIDI BEEDLE, LJ DAWSON, ALISSA SMITH AND PAM ZUBECK LJ Dawson

THE WIRE

For more news go to csindy.com

MATTER OF

REC RD O

Gov. Jared Polis issued a proclamation declaring Aug. 14 Victor L. Vela and Marta Moreno Day. The two activists were honored for sparking a Latino movement in Colorado four decades ago when they created the activist group El Comité De Longmont in the wake of the shootings of two unarmed young Latino men

by Longmont Police officers. The group calls for justice within the Longmont community.

The state extended unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks Aug. 13 for Coloradans who exhaust both their allotted 26 weeks of regular state unemployment and the additional 13 weeks provided by the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program. Claimants need not take action; the Division of Unemployment Insurance will review claims to determine eligibility and notify claimants accordingly.

Gregg Deal of Peyton won $10,000 from the Art on the Streets program, a first-place award for his mural, “Take Back the Power.” Deal is an indigenous artist from the Pyramid Lake Paiute tribe. His 77-foot work at the northeast corner of 3 N. Tejon St. is a portrait of his oldest daughter. The red handprint on her face represents the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls who face disproportionate rates of murder and disappearance in America and Canada.

“This mural raises questions about the inherent invisibility of Indigenous people, specifically referencing the abnormally high rate at which Indigenous women, girls and twospirit individuals go missing or are murdered,” Deal said.

“With this portrait of my oldest daughter, I hope to move the viewer and open up dialogue within the local community.”

The 22nd annual Art on the Streets exhibit launched Aug. 7. — LD

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POST-HOSPITALIZATION COVID STUDY UCHealth, which operates cityowned Memorial Hospital, and students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Colorado Springs branch, are researching how COVID-19 patients fare posthospitalization. The study aims to identify how to improve care.

So far, more than 125 patients hospitalized at UCHealth in the Pikes Peak region have taken part in the research.

“These are our future doctors and medical leaders of tomorrow,” Dr. Renna Becerra, inpatient internal medicine liaison for the CU School of Medicine Colorado Springs branch and co-investigator of the project, said in a release.

“And the more experience we can give them in the pandemic today, the better equipped they will be to handle future pandemics.”

Dr. Robert Lam, emergency medicine physician at UCHealth Memorial and clinical assistant professor at the CU School of Medicine, said, “We’re learning that a lot of patients were struggling with anxiety and depression, and loneliness, after being discharged from the hospital.” — PZ

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | NEWS

Heidi Beedle

GREGG DEAL NETS ART ON THE STREETS AWARD

“A few” employees of the town of Monument tested positive for COVID-19, the town reported Aug. 13, and the Colorado Springs Police Department reported Aug. 14 that three employees at the Sand Creek Police Division’s investigations Unit have been infected.

The U.S. Senate confirmed and promoted Lt. Gen. Glen D. VanHerck Aug. 6 to the rank of general. VanHerck is commander of Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. It also confirmed Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark as the next Air Force Academy superintendent.

A communitywide COVID-19 testing facility opened at The Citadel mall Aug. 11, but those tested on that day were called back for a second test due to concerns over sample corruption due to improper storage temperatures maintained by the contractor, Mako Medical. Tests are free and are administered to anyone 2 years or older whether or not they have symptoms. No insurance referral is required and resources are available on-site for Spanish-speakers. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Gov. Jared Polis announced an extension of the mask mandate Aug. 14, requiring Coloradans wear face masks in public through mid-September, at least, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

El Paso County has partnered with nonprofit lender Colorado Enterprise Fund to process applications for CARES Act funds for small businesses and nonprofits.

Applications are open through Sept. 7 and can be submitted online via the CEF website: coloradoenterprisefund.org.

TAKE ACTION COLORADO SPRINGS MAN MAKES THREATS TO ICE AGENTS

Starting Aug. 10, Coloradans can apply to be commissioners on the new Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions.

Applications for both congressional and state legislative commissions are open at redistricting.colorado.gov, and will be accepted until Nov. 10.

Colorado Springs man Timothy Hummel pleaded guilty Aug. 10 to threatening to murder federal law enforcement officers. According to Hummel’s plea agreement, Hummel left two voice messages and sent one email Aug. 14, 2019 to the Denver Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO).

Hummel’s voice messages included explicit threats to agents, such as “If I see one of your agents on my street, I will find out who they are and personally fund the assassination of their fucking families,” and “I swear to fucking God that I will burn down every single last one of your fucking camps, every single office and murder every single agent that I can possibly get my hands on.”

Hummel also sent an email in which he stated “Every agent we find will be targeted.

Every family member. Every wife or husband, every child, every aunt and uncle will be a target, every grandmother will be a target.”

Meanwhile, ICE detainees in Teller County Jail began a hunger strike Aug. 10, demanding to be transferred back to the Aurora detention facility where, as the Indy has previously reported, the detainees were transferred without explanation in July. They allege poor conditions and racist comments from Teller County Jail’s non-ICE inmates, according to an Aug. 11 story published by Westword. — HB

Citizens are urged to donate to a GoFundMe to repair damage to the Pikes Peak Region Peace Officers Memorial in Memorial Park.

The damage was discovered in the latter part of June. Estimated repair cost is $50,000. See tinyurl.com/PeaceOfficerMemorial.

The Council of Neighbors and Organizations will host a webcast featuring Mayor John Suthers, who will talk about challenges and opportunities facing the city of Colorado Springs. Wed., Aug. 26, 10:30 a.m., bit.ly/2XLQDsx.

COS LANDS GOCO GRANTS

130,000 acres in Colorado have been affected by four still-raging wildfires: the Grizzly Creek Fire, Pine Gulch Fire, Cameron Peak Fire and the Williams Fork Fire.

Shutterstock.com

More than

Progress on the Prospect Land Beach House in Memorial Park recently got a boost from a $316,100 Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant.

The grant is part of GOCO’s Resilient Communities program, which helps advance outdoor recreation, stewardship and land-protection.

The beach house project suffered a budget cut due to falling city revenues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The project includes indoor and outdoor learning spaces, a fire pit with boulder seating, an indoor great room for community gatherings, and ADA-compliant beach access.

In addition, classroom spaces will prove useful during the pandemic, GOCO said in a news release, as Catamount Institute and other outdoor programming providers plan to host small group classes to supplement gaps in home schooling and remote learning. Outdoor learning spaces are safer than indoor, though the indoor space allows for social distancing.

Palmer Land Trust received a $303,700 GOCO grant toward its Southern Colorado Community Resiliency Project that will expand outdoor recreation opportunities and protect agricultural lands. — PZ

— Kamala Harris speaking to The 19th on Aug. 14 in her first interview since Joe Biden picked her as his running mate.

She is the first Indian American and first Black woman on a major party’s presidential ticket.

Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com

Every issue is a woman’s issue, and women’s issues should be everyone’s issues.

NEWS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

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WORSHIP SERVICES

NEWS

LOCAL ISSUES Colorado Springs City Council refers three measures to voters on revenue, parks

Can you find beauty in 2020?

BY PAM ZUBECK | zubeck@csindy.com

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Sunday Online Worship 8:30 & 9:30 a.m.

Suthers said a privately funded voter poll showed voters would support the three-pronged measure. “Voters understand, No. 1, it doesn’t involve a tax increase, and these [steps] are being taken to deal with the COVID downturn.”

Suthers said the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 5, the Police Protective Association and business

Casey Bradley Gent

OLORADO SPRINGS VOTers will decide in November whether to allow the city to keep revenue in excess of constitutional and city charter caps, and who will determine future conveyance of park land — City Council or voters.

On Aug. 11, Council referred three ballot measures to the Nov. 3 ballot.

firstprescos.org/watch

The Strawberry Fields land swap in 2016 gave rise to a parks protection measure.

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The first, adopted on a 7-2 vote with Councilors Don Knight and Andy Pico opposed, would allow the city to retain $1.9 million in excess 2019 tax revenue above the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) cap. Mayor John Suthers says the revenue will be spent on public safety.

The measure will also ask to retain any excess revenue from 2020, and reset the TABOR revenue and spending limitations for later years. A vote that would have split up the three components of the measure into separate questions in November — and possibly postpone a portion to the 2021 city ballot — failed.

“The Finance Department has determined that the city’s 2019 revenues have exceeded or will be determined to exceed these limitations by approximately $1.9 million, and that there is a potential for property tax revenues to exceed the property tax revenue limitation in 2020 due to the 2019 reassessment, unless the voters approve the retention and spending of such revenues,” the city administration said in a briefing to Council.

The revenue cap would be reset to 2019 levels, meaning a plunge in sales tax this year due to the coronavirus won’t cause the cap to be lowered in what’s been called the “ratchet down effect.”

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | NEWS

group Colorado Springs Forward are “prepared to put on a campaign regarding this issue,” and it will be simpler to push through the measure rather than campaign this fall for one aspect of it and next spring for the other components.

“We need to move it forward with one campaign issue, and not have a situation where voters would be confused by additional issues,” Suthers told Council.

The other two measures, both referred on votes of 5-4, will provide voters with conflicting proposals on how to protect the city’s parks from transfer, sale or trade.

Born from the city’s 2016 land swap with The Broadmoor that traded away 189-acre Strawberry Fields open space, the Protect Our Parks measure would require voter approval to dispose of park land.

POPs supporters argue that only the citizens should determine the sale or transfer of city park land and note that most cities in Colorado already follow that procedure.

In a last-minute plea to Council, POPs leader Kent Obee noted a majority of Council was willing to place a single measure on the November ballot regarding TABOR, and should take the same position by adopting only the “real POPs” measure, the “vote of the people POPs,” on the November ballot.

“Parks belong to the citizens and once they’re gone, they’re gone,” he said.

However, a competing measure, proposed by Councilor Wayne Williams, would require only an “extraordinary supermajority” of Council, 7-2, to dispose of park land. Williams’ version was endorsed by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and by the nonprofit Trails and Open Space Coalition.

“We think representative government is going to serve the parks system overall to the best degree,” TOSC director Susan Davies told Council.

Williams defended his proposal as more conducive to making improvements to the park system without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars consulting voters.

“We all want to make sure there’s a very high bar in conveying park land, so I hope there’s no blame on either side of this,” Council President Richard Skorman said. Skorman led a nonprofit, Save Cheyenne, in opposition to The Broadmoor land swap in 2016, but was elected to Council the following year and, as president, has been unable to fend off the competing measure that removes voter say-so on transfers of park land. (Save Cheyenne unsuccessfully challenged the land swap in court, taking the case to the Colorado Court of Appeals.)

Ballot order of the two parks measures will be determined by a lottery.

Bot h issues were referred on a vote of 5-4.

Opposing Williams’ measure were Bill Murray, Skorman, Tom Strand and Yolanda Avila. Opposing the POPs measure were David Geislinger, Knight, Pico and Williams.

A fourth measure, which would impose a fee for use of single-use plastic bags, was not referred to the ballot. The vote was 6-3 against referral, with Avila, Murray and Skorman voting in favor.

The Protect Our Parks measure would require voter approval TO DISPOSE OF PARK LAND.

NEWS

‘ KILL EM ALL’

Ivy Lindsey

Heidi Beedle

CSPD hands down 40-hour suspension but Colorado Springs Oversight calls for firing

BY LJ DAWSON | lj@csindy.com

C

wants the officer fired, and a petition OLOR ADO SPRINGS started in July has more than 3,000 sigPolice Officer Sgt. Keith Wrede, natures. found to have commented “The community doesn’t feel it is a suf“KILL EM ALL” and then ficient punishment. And we need some“KILL THEM ALL” on a livestream of thing to happen because right now that a June Black Lives Matter protest that that officer is just being moved to another blocked Interstate 25 traffic, has received place within the organization and contina 40-hour disciplinary suspension. ues to be a liability,” Martin Lewis, COS This comes after pressure from commuOversight founder says. The organization nity activists and an internal investigation also held a protest on Saturday, Aug. 15 that began in July. Wrede, a CSPD officer at the Mayor’s Office. for 20 years, regularly met or exceeded job Wrede said in a publicly released interexpectations the last six years, according view from the internal affairs investigato job evaluations from July 2014 to June tion that he was at home after his last day 4, 2020 that the Indy acquired through an of work before vacation when he wrote open records request. the Facebook posts under a pseudonym, All commentary on Wrede’s perforSteven Eric. mance was redacted The Facebook profile, from records due which was verified to be to Colorado Open Wrede’s by an internal Records Act, which investigation, displayed requires job perfora profile photo of a shirt mance ratings to be with blue text reading released but allows #policelivesmatter. some details to be W r e d e ’s comleft out. ments were made on a “Throughout his livestream of protesters 20-year career, Serblocking I-25 for over geant Wrede has pro— MARTIN LEWIS, COS an hour June 30, folfessionally served this OVERSIGHT lowing weeks of procommunity. While his tests sparked by George statements were harmFloyd’s death after Floyd was pinned ful and reprehensible, I cannot deprive under a police officer’s knee in Minnethe community of a good police officer apolis in May. and his services because of an isolated Wrede says in an internal investigaincident of an error in judgment,” Police tion’s interview that he commented Chief Vince Niski said in a news release.

“KILL EM ALL” in reference to MetalColorado Springs Oversight, a grasslica’s song, “Kill ‘em all,” which he lisroots organization focused on commutened to that day to on his way home nity-building and involvement, said the from work. He says he had no intention discipline wasn’t enough. The nonprofit

The community doesn’t feel is a SUFFICIENT PUNISHMENT.

GET SOCIAL WITH THE INDY!

Flyer calling for Wrede’s termination, and June protest on I-25.

of actually instigating violence.

The song was part of his “rage playlist” which included Metallica and Slayer, to which he listened to “push down anxiety.”

“This has nothing to do with Black Lives Matter; nothing at all. And I just want to be very clear about that. This is not motivated by race or bias,” he says. Redactions in the internal affairs document make it unclear what specific incident motivated Wrede’s Facebook comments.

In the internal affairs interview, Wrede says his anxiety grew over multiple and consecutive days of protest, adding he worked 16 days straight, 12 of them on protest duty, which took a toll on him. He points to the shooting of an officer’s car the second night of protests. An investigation into the shooting has yielded no new information.

According to Lt. James Sokolik, CSPD public information officer, armored glass was the only thing that saved an officer’s life that night.

Wrede says that the bullet hole in the officer’s window got “his anxiety going” because it brought him back to a 2017 incident where he was shot at from an apartment window with a “high-powered” rifle. He says the sound of thrown rocks triggered memories of the multiple times he’s been under fire while on duty. Wrede also responded to the 2015

Planned Parenthood shooting where an officer was killed. Wrede was awarded a Medal of Valor for “extraordinary heroism at imminent risk of serious bodily injury, demonstrating courage through [his] actions, in an extremely dangerous situation” as a result of his response to the 2017 shooting.

He says multiple times that he later realized the Facebook comments could “negatively affect that person’s trust in CSPD as an organization,” “could have been taken to imply that CSPD officers wish to kill members of our community,” and “could be taken to be inciting people to commit acts of violence against the protestors.”

Chief Niski wrote in the release, “We offer our organizational humility and a heartfelt apology to our entire community. Please make no mistake that I do not condone his actions, or attempt to minimize the severity of harm it has done in a time of rebuilding between law enforcement and the community.”

In addition to the 40-hour suspension, Wrede has been removed from his specialized unit and reassigned within the department. The new position will pay about the same but will come with fewer specialized opportunities. The department has not released specifics about the position due to concerns of public blowback stemming from his comments.

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NEWS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

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ᵪᵭᵴᵣᴾᵲᵰᵟᵧᵪᵱᵝ ᵪᵭᵴᵣᴾᵲᵰᵟᵧᵪᵱᵝ ᵡᶆᵿᶊᶊᶃᶌᶅᶃ ᶗᶍᶓᶐᶑᶃᶊᶄ ᶕᶆᶇᶊᶃ

NEWS ANALYSIS

ᵡᶆᵿᶊᶊᶃᶌᶅᶃ ᶗᶍᶓᶐᶑᶃᶊᶄ ᶕᶆᶇᶊᶃ

T HE ENEMY WITHIN

ᶑᶆᶍᶕᶇᶌᶅ ᶗᶍᶓᶐ ᶄᵿᶔᶍᶐᶇᶒᶃ ᶒᶐᵿᶇᶊᶑ ᶑᶆᶍᶕᶇᶌᶅ ᶗᶍᶓᶐ ᶄᵿᶔᶍᶐᶇᶒᶃ ᶒᶐᵿᶇᶊᶑ ᶑᶍᶋᶃ ᶊᶍᶔᶃᴿ ᶑᶍᶋᶃ ᶊᶍᶔᶃᴿ

ᵲᶆᶃᴾᵲᶕᶍᴾᵱᶆᶍᶃᶑᴾᵲᶐᶃᶉᴾᵡᶆᵿᶊᶊᶃᶌᶅᶃᴾ ᵲᶆᶃᴾᵲᶕᶍᴾᵱᶆᶍᶃᶑᴾᵲᶐᶃᶉᴾᵡᶆᵿᶊᶊᶃᶌᶅᶃᴾ ᶇᶑᴾᵿᴾᶒᶕᶍᴾᶕᶃᶃᶉᶃᶌᶂᴾᶔᶇᶐᶒᶓᵿᶊᴾ

ᶇᶑᴾᵿᴾᶒᶕᶍᴾᶕᶃᶃᶉᶃᶌᶂᴾᶔᶇᶐᶒᶓᵿᶊᴾ ᶐᶓᶌᶌᶇᶌᶅᴾᶃᶔᶃᶌᶒᴾᶄᶃᵿᶒᶓᶐᶇᶌᶅᴾ

PTSD impacts both protesters and police

ᵓᶉᵍᵏᵎᶉᴾᶐᶍᶓᶒᶃᶑᴾᵿᶌᶂᴾᵓᵍᵏᵎᶋᶇᶊᶃᴾ

LOVE TRAILS?

ᵓᶉᵍᵏᵎᶉᴾᶐᶍᶓᶒᶃᶑᴾᵿᶌᶂᴾᵓᵍᵏᵎᶋᶇᶊᶃᴾ

BY HEIDI BEEDLE | heidi@csindy.com

ᶐᶓᶌᶌᶇᶌᶅᴾᶃᶔᶃᶌᶒᴾᶄᶃᵿᶒᶓᶐᶇᶌᶅᴾ

D

ᶐᶍᶓᶒᶃᶑᴾᶄᶃᵿᶒᶓᶐᶇᶌᶅᴾᶁᶆᵿᶊᶊᶃᶌᶅᶃᶑᴾ

ᵪᵭᵴᵣᴾᵲᵰᵟᵧᵪᵱᵝᵿᶊᶍᶌᶅᴾᶒᶆᶃᴾᶕᵿᶗᵌ ᶐᶍᶓᶒᶃᶑᴾᶄᶃᵿᶒᶓᶐᶇᶌᶅᴾᶁᶆᵿᶊᶊᶃᶌᶅᶃᶑᴾ

ᵤᵧᵰᵱᵲᴾᵓᵎᵎᴾᵰᵣᵡᵣᵧᵴᵣᴾᵟᴾᵬᵣᵡᵩᴾᵥᵟᵧᵲᵣᵰᴾᴾ

tects civil society from the worst of humanᵤᵧᵰᵱᵲᴾᵓᵎᵎᴾᵰᵣᵡᵣᵧᵴᵣᴾᵟᴾᵬᵣᵡᵩᴾᵥᵟᵧᵲᵣᵰᴾᴾ ESPITE WIDESPREAD AND ᵡᶆᵿᶊᶊᶃᶌᶅᶃ ᶗᶍᶓᶐᶑᶃᶊᶄ ᶕᶆᶇᶊᶃ vocal calls for the termination of ity. Like the military, they are set apart, ᵿᶊᶍᶌᶅᴾᶒᶆᶃᴾᶕᵿᶗᵌ ᵵᵦᵣᵬᵘᴾᵱᶃᶎᶒᵌᴾᵓᶒᶆᵍᵔᶒᶆᴾᵄᴾᵱᶃᶎᶒᴾ Sgt. Keith Wrede, the officer who tasked with a demanding, difficult job. ᶑᶆᶍᶕᶇᶌᶅ ᶗᶍᶓᶐ ᶄᵿᶔᶍᶐᶇᶒᶃ ᶒᶐᵿᶇᶊᶑ ᵏᵐᶒᶆᵍᵏᵑᶒᶆ ᵵᵦᵣᵬᵘᴾᵱᶃᶎᶒᵌᴾᵓᶒᶆᵍᵔᶒᶆᴾᵄᴾᵱᶃᶎᶒᴾ commented “KILL EM ALL” on Wrede has had a 20-year career with CSPD. ᶑᶍᶋᶃ ᶊᶍᶔᶃᴿ ᵮᶐᶍᶁᶃᶃᶂᶑᴾᶀᶃᶌᶃᶄᶇᶒᴾᵲᶐᵿᶇᶊᶑᴾᵄᴾᵭᶎᶃᶌᴾ a June 30 livestream of a Black Lives Matter He claimed in the interview that he ᵏᵐᶒᶆᵍᵏᵑᶒᶆᵲᶆᶃᴾᵲᶕᶍᴾᵱᶆᶍᶃᶑᴾᵲᶐᶃᶉᴾᵡᶆᵿᶊᶊᶃᶌᶅᶃᴾ protest, Colorado Springs Police Departwas “having a couple of drinks with my ᵱᶎᵿᶁᶃᴾᵡᶍᵿᶊᶇᶒᶇᶍᶌ ᶇᶑᴾᵿᴾᶒᶕᶍᴾᶕᶃᶃᶉᶃᶌᶂᴾᶔᶇᶐᶒᶓᵿᶊᴾ ᵮᶐᶍᶁᶃᶃᶂᶑᴾᶀᶃᶌᶃᶄᶇᶒᴾᵲᶐᵿᶇᶊᶑᴾᵄᴾᵭᶎᶃᶌᴾ ment Chief Vince Niski announced in an wife, trying to decompress,” the night he ᵿᶌᶂᴾᵮᶇᶉᶃᶑᴾᵮᶃᵿᶉᴾᵰᶍᵿᶂᴾᵰᶓᶌᶌᶃᶐᶑ ᶐᶓᶌᶌᶇᶌᶅᴾᶃᶔᶃᶌᶒᴾᶄᶃᵿᶒᶓᶐᶇᶌᶅᴾ Aug. 10 news release that Wrede would not made the comments on Facebook, and ᵱᶎᵿᶁᶃᴾᵡᶍᵿᶊᶇᶒᶇᶍᶌ ᵓᶉᵍᵏᵎᶉᴾᶐᶍᶓᶒᶃᶑᴾᵿᶌᶂᴾᵓᵍᵏᵎᶋᶇᶊᶃᴾ Sponsored by: be fired (see p.

7 for details). that he was “having a very difficult time ᶐᶍᶓᶒᶃᶑᴾᶄᶃᵿᶒᶓᶐᶇᶌᶅᴾᶁᶆᵿᶊᶊᶃᶌᶅᶃᶑᴾ ᵿᶌᶂᴾᵮᶇᶉᶃᶑᴾᵮᶃᵿᶉᴾᵰᶍᵿᶂᴾᵰᶓᶌᶌᶃᶐᶑ ᵤᵧᵰᵱᵲᴾᵓᵎᵎᴾᵰᵣᵡᵣᵧᵴᵣᴾᵟᴾᵬᵣᵡᵩᴾᵥᵟᵧᵲᵣᵰᴾᴾ Colorado Springs Oversight is one of with the movement nation-wide and speᵿᶊᶍᶌᶅᴾᶒᶆᶃᴾᶕᵿᶗᵌ Sponsered by: the community organizations calling for cific actions that — very specific actions Sponsored ᵵᵦᵣᵬᵘᴾᵱᶃᶎᶒᵌᴾᵓᶒᶆᵍᵔᶒᶆᴾᵄᴾᵱᶃᶎᶒᴾ by: The Two Shoes ᵏᵐᶒᶆᵍᵏᵑᶒᶆ Wrede’s termination. Jasmine Marchthat occurred that night that unfortuman, co-founder of COS Oversight and nately made me see the protesters as Trek Challenge isᵮᶐᶍᶁᶃᶃᶂᶑᴾᶀᶃᶌᶃᶄᶇᶒᴾᵲᶐᵿᶇᶊᶑᴾᵄᴾᵭᶎᶃᶌᴾ an educator in Harrison School District 2, nothing more than a terrorist organizaa two weekend ᵱᶎᵿᶁᶃᴾᵡᶍᵿᶊᶇᶒᶇᶍᶌ helped organize protests in front of the tion that were out to kill the police, and virtual running ᵿᶌᶂᴾᵮᶇᶉᶃᶑᴾᵮᶃᵿᶉᴾᵰᶍᵿᶂᴾᵰᶓᶌᶌᶃᶐᶑ ᵰᶃᶅᶇᶑᶒᶃᶐᴾᵬᶍᶕᴿᴾ: https://runsignup.com/Race/CO/ColoradoSprings/TwoShoesTrekChallenge Colorado Springs City Administration they tried to kill the police the second Building calling for his firing. night when they shot at Troy Bauer.” event featuring Sponsored by: “As a community, it isn’t safe to have CSPD public information officer Lt. 5k/10k and 5/10mile routes police officers threatening our lives,” said James Sokolik confirmed with Indy ᵰᶃᶅᶇᶑᶒᶃᶐᴾᵬᶍᶕᴿᴾ: https://runsignup.com/Race/CO/ColoradoSprings/TwoShoesTrekChallenge Marchman during a July 22 protest. “I reporter LJ Dawson that Bauer’s vehicle First 500 receive a neck gaiter! would have lost my job if that happened.” was shot during the protest in the early Wrede’s comments came as activists and morning on May 31, and the investigacommunity members across the nation tion into that incident is ongoing. ᵰᶃᶅᶇᶑᶒᶃᶐᴾᵬᶍᶕᴿᴾ: https://runsignup.com/Race/CO/ColoradoSprings/TwoShoesTrekChallenge were — and still are — protesting and runsignup.com/Race/CO/ColoradoSprings/TwoShoesTrekChallenge demanding meaningful, systemic changes AS A VETERAN, I CAN EMPATHIZE to the practice of policing in the United with Wrede. I know what it is like to have States. In response to these protests, Colopeople try to kill you because of the unirado passed a sweeping police reform bill form you’re wearing. I know what it is and the Colorado Springs City Council crelike to be surrounded by explosions and ated a Law Enforcement Transparency and death and blood and chaos. I also know Accountability Commission (see p. 10). how incredibly difficult it can be to move Since the start of the protests, demonon from those incidents. The battalion I strators across the country have dealt with was assigned to during my first deployincreasing violence, not just from police but ment to Iraq was basically a case study from counter-protesters. While Niski notes in the effects of post-traumatic stress disthat “it was determined that [Wrede’s] order (PTSD), resulting in a number of comments were DUIs, murders and made off-duty out of dishonorable disfrustration and there charges. For many was no indication of veterans, the psychoany physical action logical damage of or intent to cause wartime service is a harm,” such explalifelong burden that Sponsored by nations seem hollow requires serious lifeto those who have style changes to manseen first-hand, and age. I left the military, survived, the very quit drinking alcohol, real violence that did a lot of therapy such attitudes have and learned to recog— JASMINE MARCHMAN, inspired. nize the symptoms CO-FOUNDER, COLORADO Niski made a and triggers of PTSD, SPRINGS OVERSIGHT redacted version which helps me manDo you know a woman creating a legacy of leadership?

Wrede’s internal age it today. I was relA difference maker, an advocate, effecting real change affairs investigation into his online comatively lucky; many are not. in her community? We'd like to know her too. Nominate ments available to the community. The Before beginning the healing process, I Aug. 1 through Sept. 18 and help us celebrate women IA interview provides additional insight did and said a lot of stupid, hurtful and who are dedicated, driven and leading our community. into the incident, and also illustrates the offensive things that I regret. Wrede’s IA massive divide between citizens and law interview was painfully familiar. enforcement professionals that has conThe widespread protests of the last tributed to our current crisis. three months have strained departments Law enforcement agencies are often across the country, and CSPD officers described as the “thin blue line” that procertainly felt the pressure.

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Courtesy CSPD

Sgt. Keith Wrede

“When I saw the bullet hole in Bauer’s car that night,” Wrede said, “I thought ‘Man, had that been my car I’d been telling [redacted] wife that he just got shot, you know what I mean?’ ... All this happened once I got home and had time to lay in bed and not sleep. The sound of the rocks hitting my Durango and the objects brought me back to that — that gun fire that night from Village Seven, that gun fire that day from Planned Parenthood.

So the anxiety of all of that, it just built and built and built.”

Wrede made the Facebook comments

the day before he was scheduled to take vacation.

Unstructured downtime is something a lot of PTSDsufferers struggle with.

Soldiers on leave get into trouble, a large number of military retirees commit suicide. A kind of neurotic Protestant work ethic becomes a coping mechanism for PTSD symptoms.

“The problem is when I get home when there’s no more tasks to accomplish,” admits Wrede, “you know what I mean, when I’ve just gotta lay in bed and think about a bullet hole in the window, you know?”

For many in law enforcement and the military, especially men, there is a stigma to taking a proactive approach to mental health issues. It’s easier to stay busy and ignore the problem. “I’m embarrassed to talk about it because I want to be resilient,” said Wrede, who went on to admit that “...

When my wife called [redacted], I should not have lied to him and said, ‘I’m fine, bro.

Don’t worry about me; worry about you.’”

While PTSD arguably played a role in the incident, so did the “us-versus-

NEWS ANALYSIS dent that drew accusations of excessive force from witnesses.

It is also important to note that law enforcement officers aren’t the only ones suffering from PTSD. Studies have shown that protesters in France and Hong Kong also showed PTSD symptoms following clashes with police. Protesters have lost eyes, suffered broken bones, and risked miscarriages and irregular menstrual cycles due to the use of teargas, which has been proven to be an abortifacient.

While widespread “burning and looting and property destruction” didn’t occur during the Colorado Springs protests, neither did the more serious cases of police violence, although protesters like Ashley Taylor have filed complaints regarding their treatment by CSPD. Off the streets, the conflict is being waged nationally in front of city councils, in city budget meetings, and in the kind of administrative actions groups like Colorado Springs Oversight is calling for, as prosecutors and law enforcement agencies continue to target protest organizers and leaders. Across the country, police and protesters view each other as combatants in warring armies, and many have the physical and psychological scars to prove it.

them” mentality among law enforcement officers, which tends to exacerbate preexisting tensions. Wrede referred to the protesters, the majority of whom, in my experience covering the protests, are local people of color in their early-to-mid 20s, as “terrorists.”

“Anybody that’s — goes against their values and morals of whatever the United States is based on is a terrorist,” said Wrede, “whether it be foreign or domestic. It just seems to me like terrorists [sic] acts; burning and looting and property destruction and the complete lack of disregard of anybody’s safety and personal safety and shooting guns in the street and shooting guns at the police, that’s — that’s not what America does.”

There has been no looting in the Colorado Springs protests, and while there was some vandalism and property destruction May 30, the violence May 31 through June 2 came during confrontations in front of the Police Operations Center, and was limited to interactions between protesters and riot police.

Wrede and Bauer were involved in an arrest on the morning of June 1, in which a man in an intersection was shot with pepper balls and then tackled and punched by five CSPD officers, an inci-

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NEWS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

9

NEWS

T HE SHORT LIST Police oversight committee attracts notable candidates

BY PAM ZUBECK | zubeck@csindy.com

A

The 114-name short list was culled from more than 800 applications seeking one of the 11 slots on the city’s soon-tobe-created Law Enforcement Transparency and Accountability Commission (LETAC). The commission will include at least one member from each Council district.

Griffin Swartzell

CALL FOR APPLICAtions to serve on the city’s first police oversight committee has drawn interest from several retired law enforcement officers, including a former chief, an ex-president of Colorado College, and the wife of a slain officer.

Dick Celeste

Protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death spurred creation of the committee.

presents

The number of applicants by district are: • Northwest District 1— 14 • North District 2 — 22 • Southwest District 3 — 29 • Southeast District 4 — 19 • Mid-city District 5 — 17 • Eastern District 6 — 13 So the largest numbers are from the city’s southwest and north sides, which often are seen as among the least diverse areas of the city.

The commission grew from the Colorado Springs police shooting of 19-year-old De’Von Bailey, who was Black, in August 2019, and subsequent protests after the May 25 death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death fueled the Black Lives Matter movement, inspiring weeks of protests locally and across the nation.

But numbers from districts alone don’t

tell the whole story of the commission’s applicants. The short list spans the racial spectrum, with about 39 percent being white, 32 percent Black and 24.5 percent Hispanic. Two or three Asian Americans also applied, as did one Native American.

(Not all applicants disclosed their race.)

Not surprisingly, several retired police officers want a seat at the LETAC table, most notably Luis Velez, former Colorado Springs Police Chief who retired in 2006 after a 31-year career.

In addition, Fletcher Howard, the first African American to achieve the rank of commander at CSPD, left the department in 2016 with more than $100,000 in a severance agreement. On his application, he wrote, “I have a [sic] extensive law enforcement background and I feel that I can bring sound reasoning to the group. I was there during racial, gender and other biases.”

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NEWS

She’s also a human resources diversity specialist in D-11.

Rachel Stovall, a writer and columnist for The Gazette’s editorial pages, also is in the running. She calls for “increasing positive communication” and “a data driven approach to municipal public Fletcher Howard policy.”

Dick Celeste, former Ohio governor and president of Colorado College who Retired CSPD Public Information Officer headed the $75 million fundraising Howard Black also has applied, saying, “It campaign for the Olympic & Paralymis heartbreaking to me that there are peopic Museum and Hall of Fame project, ple of color in our community who do not tossed his hat in the ring. “I consider the feel safe calling the police for help.... I am work of the Advisory Commission vital committed to listening to their concerns. in nurturing a safe and unified commuValuing all perspectives is the way for our nity,” he wrote on his application. community to find a way forward.”

Then there are the lesser-knowns, Rachael Flick, widow of El Paso County such as Brent Windebank, a student who Deputy Micah Flick, who was killed in a works as a grocery clerk and served as an shootout with a wanted felon in February organizer for the recent demonstrations 2018, noted she’s a licensed counselor who and helped draft the organizing proposal can remain calm under pressure. for the LETAC. “Wise, steady, capable leaders within “I have seen the pain from those I government, and their advisors, like know in minority and lower socioecothis board, are needed to guide constitunomic status communities,” he said on ents through this conflict into a space of his application. “I also see the pain of common ground and mutual respect,” the families of officers who died servshe wrote. ing this community. I want to see a A number of applicants have distincommunity working together for betguished themselves with community serter accountability, transparency, safety, vice, such as Joe Aldaz Jr., president of the and unity.” local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and James “Randy” Kennedy, who works former City Councilor Dawson Hubert. for Colorado Springs Utilities as a data Many from the field of education warehouse and business analyst, also applied: Jim Smith, assistant superinserves on the Catamount Wildland Fire tendent in Academy School District 20; Team. “I believe I may Charles Steele, hiswell represent the First tory professor at the Responder with regard U.S. Air Force Acadto many high stress emy; John Rogerson, situations,” he wrote. “I superintendent in believe I will represent Harrison School Disa valued perspective.” trict 2; Theresa Null, The final list was former member of chosen by Council the Colorado Springs members. Cou nc i l School District 11 President R ic ha rd board, and Terry Skorman called the Martinez, a retired process “exceptionschool principal who ally difficult,” given ran unsuccessfully the high caliber of for a City Council applicants. seat last year.

Council has given Applicant Rodney the candidates quesReed, who’s Black, t ion na i res, wh ic h works as a civil rights —BRENT WINDEBANK will form the basis investigator for the for another round of U.S. Department of cuts to choose those who will be interEducation. “I trained in mediation, team viewed. Council hopes to have the new building, conflict resolution, and I know I panel in place by late August or early can would [sic] bring insight and an openSeptember. minded perspective to the critical issues Council members will each recommend that are impacting the citizens, the police, 11 people from the questionnaire responsand the overall community,” he wrote on es. The interview process will be dishis application. cussed further at the Aug. 24 work session.

Fifteen Black women made the cut, Read all the applications, obtained including Janice Frazier, who chairs the by the Indy via a records request on our board of Urbanites Leading the Pikes website (tinyurl.com/LETACfinalists).

Peak Region (ULPPR), whose mission is The city blocked access to the candidates’ to promote equality and opportunities résumés, however. for the socioeconomically disadvantaged.

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NEWS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

11

A COVID-19 housing crisis threatens Coloradans

BY LJ DAWSON | lj@csindy.com

M

UCKING HORSE STABLES, FINDing yardwork, driving for Uber — 47-year-old Monument resident Jody Raye has spent the last five months in a desperate hustle to pay bills and hold onto his home.

A part-time junior high and high school music teacher who lost his job in March, he is one of millions of Americans — a number that grew since the federal enhanced unemployment aid ended last month — facing a housing crisis due to the economic downturn resulting from COVID-19.

Financial assistance through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, local unemployment aid and eviction bans have largely protected Americans, including people in El Paso County, from eviction. Without an end to the virus in sight and lacking any guaranteed lifeline from the federal government, housing advocates and experts warn that the country could face the displacement of millions who cannot pay rent.

A REPORT THIS MONTH FROM ASPEN INSTItute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit think tank, predicts that without an extension of federal aid, 25 to 36 percent of Colorado households are at risk of eviction. Those estimated 500,000 Coloradans are a drop in the bucket compared to the 19 to 23 million renters

12

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | FEATURE

nationwide risking eviction by the end of 2020.

In Colorado, a United States Census Bureau survey meant to measure the impact of the pandemic, found in mid-July that 14.8 percent of state residents had no confidence in their ability to pay rent.

The impacts of the housing crisis are disproportionately impacting women and people of color. In Colorado, 3 percent of white people weren’t confident they could pay rent compared to more than 27 percent of Latino people and 8.9 percent of Black people, according to the last week of the Census survey. Five times as many women than men responded that they had no confidence in their ability to pay rent, and almost 50 percent of respondents reported a loss in employment income, the survey found.

Numbers of eviction filings have grown since the June expiration of a moratorium issued by Gov. Jared Polis, but they still represent a fraction of normal preCOVID-19 levels. Federal and state aid helped people pay rent, and those who couldn’t pay could not be kicked out immediately due to the moratorium and lengthy eviction process, which can take an average of two months and up to four months from the date of nonpayment until the Sheriff’s Office forces tenants to move out.

It may be late this year before the county and state see an increase in evictions due to the end of federal aid in July. Since March, the El Paso County

Sheriff’s Office has processed 268 court orders for evictions. The Civil Unit enforced 38 between July 25 and Aug. 12.

Despite the relatively low number of eviction filings in the state and El Paso County, Census data shows that people continue to struggle to pay rent.

But the city, county, nonprofits and some landlords are working hard to prevent evictions through yet-tobe-distributed CARES Act grants, lower negotiated payments, federal aid and state assistance programs.

An increase in evictions benefits no one, but the fight is daunting since the need for assistance will extend beyond the return to “normal.” And when the pandemic will end is anyone’s guess.

COLORADO AND THE NATION WERE FACING an affordable housing shortage before the pandemic. The most recent El Paso County assessment in 2014 predicted a lack of more than 26,000 affordable housing units by 2019. The city’s 2020 Annual Action Plan reported that there are 15,000 households at risk of homelessness due to housing costs; more than 4,000 of those households have a child 6 years old or younger. The cost of a two-bedroom apartment in Colorado Springs has increased by 8.3 percent in the last year to $1,300, according to a national report by Zumper, a rental listing company.

Most Coloradans have less than a thousand dollars

File photo

in savings, which makes it difficult to survive even a three-month crisis, according to Zachary Neumann, founder of the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project and a contributor to the Aspen Institute’s August report.

“We have a system where, for so many Americans, their ability to pay rent depends on full-time employment and never missing a paycheck. They have no buffer,” Neumann says.

Limited access to credit, no savings and income tied to full-time employment led to a reliance by many on enhanced unemployment payments after shutdowns began in the spring. That additional $600 a week has run its course.

Tri-Lakes Cares has seen an increase in demand.

“Now, they’ve run out of options,” Neumann says.

The Aspen Institute’s report shows that even with government aid, renters have resorted to taking out personal loans, borrowing cash, using credit cards and shifting budgets away from other necessities to pay for housing. Thirty million Americans reported in the Census survey in mid-July that they did not have enough food. Jody Raye, who asked not to use his full name due to a pending employment opportunity, has relied on a Monument-based nonprofit, Tri-Lakes Cares, to survive the first stage of the pandemic.

He burned through his savings in April after losing his teaching job to school closures and due to medical bills related to chronic back issues and hypertension. He does not have insurance and did not qualify for unemployment. Jody Raye has not received unemployment aid since March, though he is still disputing the decision, he says. He has not received an update.

Jody Raye says he’s never been “rich,” but this is a level of difficulty unlike any before. In April he began considering living without utilities, internet and a phone to make rent. But without a phone, he couldn’t find work. His life was simple before the pandemic — going to church, volunteering, hiking at Palmer Lake and traveling to softball tournaments to support his two granddaughters. His life has completely changed.

“I’m poor and desperate. There are moments where I realized, ‘Wow, normal is not normal anymore.’ My new normal is poverty,” Jody Raye says.

Tri-Lakes Cares has paid for Jody Raye’s car repairs, medical expenses, groceries and multiple months of rent. He hasn’t stopped trying to find work, and just made business cards with the hope of securing a source of income.

“I’m looking, you know? I’ll take any job,” he says.

Over the past months, he has been lucky to make $100 a week — more often its nothing.

“We stand on the brink of an unprecedented housing crisis, unlike we’ve seen since the Great Depression,” Neumann says.

And the loss of housing can negatively impact longterm economic wellbeing and physical health.

“When someone’s evicted, basically every indicator of human wellbeing starts to decline,” he says. Not everyone who is evicted becomes homeless — some move in with family or to a cheaper home — but others move to hotels, homeless shelters and the streets.

“I think displacement from current housing is going to be incredibly significant, but it is not too late,” Neumann says. He thinks a bill passed by Congress that would put the majority of aid in the hands of tenants could avert a “good chunk” of the crisis.

Federal and local aid since March prevented mass evictions, but landlords without federally backed properties have been paying mortgages with no rental income.

DAVID HANNUM, AN ATTORNEY WHO LEADS the Colorado Springs office for Robinson & Henry P.C., a law firm that specializes in representing landlords, says he has not seen a huge spike in clients filing evictions since August began. There has been an increase in termination agreements (where two parties agree to a lower payment for outstanding rent and end the lease early) between landlords and tenants in commercial and residential leases.

But Hannum acknowledges the demand may change in the coming months now that the federal unemployment aid has ended.

He primarily represents landlords who use rent from their rental properties to pay mortgages as well as people who count on the monthly payments as their primary income.

Evicting a tenant is expensive for a landlord. The process is long and drawn out and often leaves landlords without any rental income for months. Due to Gov. Polis’ order that lengthened eviction notices from 10 to 30 days, it now can take even longer. (See sidebar, right.)

Most of Hannum’s clients were forced to pay mortgages without income from tenant’s rent, he says.

Some clients are considering selling their properties.

We stand on the brink of an

HOW IT GOES

DOWN Eviction process for a nonpayment of rent lease violation in El Paso County: Tenant fails to pay rent Landlord action within 5-15 days

Landlord delivers formal failure-to-pay notice 30 days (temporarily extended from 10)

Note: This can only happen if the property is not impacted by a moratorium

Landlord files eviction order with county court Hearing held within 7-14 days

The hearing results in a trial or ruling

UNPRECEDENTED HOUSING CRISIS,

unlike we’ve seen since the

GREAT DEPRESSION — ZACHARY NEUMANN, FOUNDER OF THE COVID-19 EVICTION DEFENSE PROJECT.

“Mom-and-pop” landlords own more than 45 percent of home and apartment rental units nationally, according to the Aspen Institute. More than half do not have access to lines of credit for emergencies such as a pandemic.

Another eviction moratorium or a rent freeze without financial assistance would lead to a wave of foreclosures, Hannum says, adding, “That’s not helping anybody in the long term.”

An increase in foreclosures would affect all sectors of the economy and could lead to an increase in urban

Eviction trial: If the landlord wins a judgement, then a writ of restitution, which orders the tenant to leave, is delivered Within 48 hours of ruling

Sheriff’s Office initiates eviction Within 49 days of eviction order

Total time elapsed from failure to pay to eviction of tenant 45-120 days

continued on p. 14 ➔

FEATURE | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

13

Faith Miller

➔ continued from p. 13 Posey says the assistance so far has worked, “and we have some money in the bank ... that we are going blight, a reduction in public resources to be able to distribute to these housing agencies over and a negative impact on public safety. the next 90 to 120 days.” The high rate of rental payHannum would like to see consistency ments, he says, is proof that the financial aid is being in future government-distributed housused for housing. ing aid. “Hopefully, what“I think the community needs ever comes around is more to understand that the nonprofit thought-out and more clear housing providers, the apartand concise and gives people ment association, property a consistent, predictable path,” managers, apartment owners he says. and community development — Almost 1,500 evictions have been we are all very focused on keepfiled in El Paso County from the ing people housed,” Posey says. start of 2020 to Aug. 10. More than “We absolutely do not want to 75 percent of this year’s eviction filsee a large number of people ings happened before March, with end up getting evicted.” a huge drop off during the federal Posey is worried about and state moratoriums. the long-term impacts of the The data does not show evicCOVID-19 downt urn and tion case outcomes, but rather the the already widening gap in number of evictions filed in court household income versus cost by landlords. of living in the city. He is also July saw 180 filings, and 31 evicconcerned contractions in the tions have been filed in the first job market could exacerbate 10 days of this month. If there is an eviction tsunami approaching, Steve Posey, HUD Program Manager. inequity.

Posey says tenants unable to it has not hit the courts and will make rent payments should talk with their landlord not result in a mass number of people being forced and take advantage of the many resources available. from their homes for months yet.

Steve Posey, community development division TRI - L AKES CARES , THE NONPROFIT manager for the city of Colorado Springs, says it is assisting Jody Raye, has seen a steep increase in up to Congress to decide whether another “broadneed for services since COVID-19 began. There’s based” stimulus package is passed. been a 275 percent increase in housing assistance The city and county governments are distributing requests, and a 300 percent increase in requests for $1.8 million of Department of Housing and Urban utility assistance.

Development funding and recently received almost Haley Chapin, executive director of Tri-Lakes $6 million in Emergency Grant Solution federal Cares, says the nonprofit has seen an uptick in those funds for use over the next two years. who have reached out for August rent assistance There is also increased funding available through since the federal aid ended. the state’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program Her organization is also struggling to pay staff (EHAP) and Property Owner’s Protection Program and overhead costs due to increased COVID-19 pre(POP), which draws from more than $19 Million in cautions and demand for their services. The funding CARES Act money. they have received has been directly for clients and does not help cover higher operational costs.

Some Tri-Lakes clients, while still receiving assistance from the nonprofit, are attempting to find other ways to make money. Some have sold blood plasma, scrap metal and personal possessions online — partly because there is a limit to the rent assistance that Tri-Lakes can provide.

“We can’t pay your rent for six months in a row,” Chapin says.

She is also seeing a new group in need of help — some of the nonprofit’s donors have become clients.

“You just don’t know how close somebody is from being minutes away from getting a bill in the mail that —STEVE POSEY, COLOROAD SPRINGS they can’t pay, from being minutes away from losing COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION their job and then not being able to provide for their AND HUD PROGRAM MANAGER family,” Chapin says. “Because right now so many more Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.”

And according to the Colorado Apartment AssoShe does not see an escape for the flood of tenants ciation, 96.3 percent of Colorado renters paid rent on facing eviction. “I absolutely think that it’s inevitatime in July. ble, and we’re starting to see it. We are seeing it with “Rent payments have remained high, in the midthe increased rental requests that we’re getting right 90 percentages, all through the COVID closures,” now,” she says. says Mark Williams, executive vice president of the Colorado Apartment Association. “While evictions HOUSING ADVOCATES ARE ADAMANT THAT may creep closer to normal rates in August, the numit’s not too late to prevent the eviction crisis from ber of evictions is far, far below Colorado’s averages, exploding, but only if a second federal aid package and we attribute this to the way the community has is approved. The likelihood of that, howevr, is slim. stepped forward to help renters.”

WE ABSOLUTELY DO NOT

want to see a large

number of people end up

GETTING EVICTED.

14

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | FEATURE

The House passed an extension of aid in May — the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act — but the Senate has yet to make a move on it four months later. Talks between Republicans and Democrats have stalled, and the president’s executive orders are mostly symbolic and do not provide immediate relief.

“For this chapter right now, I’m surviving,” Jody Raye says, adding he never received federal assistance. All of his financial support came through TriLakes Cares. And as grateful as he is for the help, he doesn’t feel like he can ask for more.

Jody Raye also says he doesn’t see his job as a music teacher returning anytime soon. He wants to work, needs to, but doesn’t know when he’ll be able to find a job. Without insurance, he pays for his chronic medical issues out of pocket. A recent back epidural cost him almost $500.

He can no longer afford to travel to see his two granddaughters play softball, and he doesn’t have funds to cover necessities like prescription medications for high blood pressure.

“I’m starting to feel my hope being carved out a little bit,” Jody Raye says, adding that he has no idea how he’s going to pay next month’s rent. “I’m thinking, ‘OK, what am I going to do?’ You know, I don’t know what the future holds. And it’s weird to lose hope.”

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A red-hot market Despite a floundering national economy, experts say the local residential real estate sector and related construction are as active as ever.

page 16

Aerospace Corporation expands O

By Heidi Beedle

n July 22 the Aerospace Corporation announced a planned $100 million expansion to their existing facility at the Colorado Springs Airport’s Peak Innovation Park. The research and development facility is scheduled for completion in spring 2022, and will add 200 technical employees to its workforce, according to a press release.

Aerospace Corporation is a nonprofit, which sets it apart from other defense contractors, like its Innovation Park neighbor Northrop Grumman. “Aerospace operates as a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC),” said Jean Michael, general manager of the Space Enterprise and Warfighting Division in Colorado Springs. “As an FFRDC our job is to assist and advise the government on technical matters across the space enterprise.”

The company has been involved in America’s space missions since 1960, when it was tasked with converting the Atlas, Titan and Minuteman missiles into space boosters. “Aerospace brings 60 years of expertise and experience in the challenge of advancing the nation’s missions in space, solving the hardest problems, and our presence in Colorado Springs dates back to the 1970s in support of what is now Schriever and Peterson Air Force Bases across various programs, and we see this work not only here locally, but across the nation growing,” said Michael.

See the full story at CSBJ.com

Photo by Melissa Edwards

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15

Focus

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Residential Real Estate

Photo by Melissa Edwards

Single-family and patio homes stayed on the market for an average of 20 days in July.

COVID-19 fails to dampen housing market

By Jeanne Davant

STRONG SALES

he single-family housing market in the Pikes Peak region remains red-hot, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Real estate and economic development experts cite several reasons for this, but mostly they boil down to this: People still want to live here and are continuing to move in.

“We have had positive net migration to the Pikes Peak region year over year for quite a while,” said Cecilia Harry, vice president, economic development with the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC. For the past several years, the average has been 1.5 percent positive net migration, Harry said, indicating that more people are moving into the area than are leaving it.

“You have to have the housing supply to meet that, so I think the market continuing to be tight makes a lot of sense,” she said.

According to the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors, 1,978 single-family and patio homes were sold in July, along with 263 townhomes and condos. Sales topped July 2019, that year’s peak month, when 1,661 single-family and patio homes and 252 condos were sold.

In July of this year, there were 1,969 new listings of single-family and patio homes, exceeding the number of July new listings in 2016 through 2019.

Homes are selling quickly as well.

Single-family and patio homes stayed on the market for an average of just 20 days in July, compared with 23 days in July 2019. Sales in April, May and June 2020 were similarly brisk, selling in an average of 20, 21 and 18 days, respectively.

Home prices also continued to rise in July.

According to PPAR’s figures, the median price for a single-family or patio home stood at $377,000, while the av-

T

16

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | FEATURE

erage price rose to $427,593. A year ago in July, homes were selling for an average price of $372,607, and the median home price was $332,000. Those numbers represent a 14.2 percent increase in average price and a 13.6 percent jump in the median price.

Home prices have risen sharply since May of this year, with the median increasing $20,000 and the average price jumping by more than $28,000 between May 1 and July 31.

Although the majority of single-family homes sold in July (1,800 of 1,978 total) have been existing homes, builders are continuing to supply homes for the Springs market.

“2020 got off to an extremely hot start, and the construction industry is still going strong,” said Greg Dingrando, public information officer for the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department.

Year-to-date, single-family home permits are up about 14 percent over 2019, Dingrando said, pointing out that the

figures include detached single-family homes, townhomes and condos.

“July was a very strong month, with 399 single-family home permits,” he said.

“That’s an 18 percent increase over July of 2019.”

Although townhomes make up a fairly small percentage of single-family home permits, townhome permits jumped in July. Of the 399 permits pulled, 56 were for townhomes.

Single-family permits totaled 373 in April (350 detached and 23 townhomes); 350 in May (329 detached and 21 townhomes), and 374 in June (349 detached and 25 townhomes).

Although development of new homes is ongoing, it’s not happening at a dangerous rate, said Jacob Curbow, owner of Curbow Real Estate and board chair of the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors.

“I don’t feel [developers] have ramped up and overbuilt like they did in 200607,” Curbow said. “Demand still has not caught up.”

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TRANSPORTATION MOVING UP, DOWNSIZING

furnishings such as TVs, couches and throw rugs.

Curbow doesn’t expect the single-family market to slow down any time soon.

“Unless something tragic happens, we’re going to continue up that path for another year to 18 months,” Curbow said.

An influx of people moving out of the Denver area and local buyers looking to move up or downsize are fueling the single-family housing market.

“For a little while, move-up buyers had stopped,” because they were not finding the houses they were looking for, Curbow said. Now inventory has increased and COMMERCIAL MARKET buyers have more choices; that’s help- EFFECTS ing to motivate move-up and downsizing Holly Trinidad, owner and managbuyers. ing broker at Hoff & Leigh, thinks that Curbow said the area is seeing more the pandemic and stay-at-home recomlocal buyers and fewer buyers from out mendations have benefited the housing of state. market.

“A lot of that has to do with the fact “People have the mindset that they’re that [military] people who would nor- going to be staying home,” she said. “I mally be transferred in, generally didn’t thought we would see the market tank, see transfers in April and May. It’s crazy but housing has become so much more that the market’s still hot with that not important to people because they’re stayhappening,” he said. ing home.”

But interest rates are low and rental With 30-year fixed mortgage rates markets are tight, inducing some frus- hovering around 3 percent, people are trated renters to start looking to purchase thinking now is the time to buy, she said. homes, he said.

Trinidad has a client Curbow said real estate who owns a multimillionagents “were all scared” dollar home that sat on when the stay-at-home the market for a year. order went into effect in “But during the main March.

COVID shutdown, he had “We couldn’t have like four people tour the open houses, we weren’t house. It’s because people allowed to show properare wanting more space ties, and we weren’t sure and they’re thinking, about inspections,” he ‘I’m going to be spending said. “We felt like we were more time at home and I going to get completely need to have the perfect — Holly Trinidad shut down.” home.’”

Most real estate agents Because prices have are independent contractors, Curbow gone up so much, people have a lot of said, and many were able to take advan- equity in their homes. tage of expanded unemployment benefits “In theory, you’d be able to trade into or find other jobs temporarily. a nicer house,” she said.

“But as an association and an MLS, our In comparison with across-the-board population hasn’t really decreased,” he strength in the housing market, the comsaid. “Our industry is known for people mercial real estate market, Trinidad’s spegetting out, but we’ve added just as many cialty, has been impacted unevenly by the as have left.” pandemic. “In 2008, the entire housing Now that restrictions have been loos- market crashed, and then, as a byproduct ened, real estate businesses are following of that, so did the commercial market — careful procedures to keep employees, and it was the entire commercial market, homeowners and potential buyers safe. including the industrial sector,” she said.

They are scheduling residential show- “So far, there are only sectors of the comings so that they don’t overlap and limit- mercial real estate market that have been ing the number of people on a property to hit really hard.” one agent and two people. Masks, gloves, Retail, hospitality and senior and hand sanitizer and disinfectants are com- student housing have been negatively monly in use. affected, but the industrial sector “is “One of the things we have adopted as chugging along like nothing is going on an office — we are asking, after the last in the world,” she said. “That’s primarshowing, that [homeowners] stay out of ily because a lot of those businesses are their home for a couple of hours,” Curbow logistics companies that are delivering said. Agents use that time to clean fre- goods and services to people’s homes.” quently touched areas, such as doorknobs Even though offices are only half full, and cabinets.

“I haven’t heard of any tenants wanting Curbow said virtual tours of properties to renegotiate office leases yet,” she said. are continuing.

That could change, though, if busi“We opened up virtual staging as well,” nesses decide to continue work-at-home he said. His company works with Pixel policies and want to downsize their 360 Solutions, a real estate photography spaces. company that produces virtual tours, to “It’ll be interesting to see what happens measure rooms and add correctly scaled in another three months,” Trinidad said.

“Housing has become so much more important to people because they’re staying home.”

QUALITY HOUSING CHOICES Although Colorado Springs’ housing market is still short on affordable homes, the market presents a variety of homes for in-migrants and local buyers to choose from, including a large stock of existing homes.

“The region has consistently made what could almost be like timeless housing investments that continue to be appealing as long as they’ve been maintained,” Harry said.

“We have a lot of desirable neighborhoods across the region that have different price points and speak to different sorts of individuals and families, depending on what lifestyle they want and where they are in life,” she said.

“Some of the neighborhoods around the downtown area, where a lot of those homes are older and smaller, are definitely appealing to a certain demographic who’s willing to pay a good price for a home with character, close to downtown amenities and that sort of thing,” she said.

“And then we’ve had different developments that have really made their mark in terms of their footprint in the community.

“You have some families that are very interested in being closer to the mountains. And so the neighborhoods in the west are of interest. And then for families

looking for affordable new homes, the eastern part of the region has been very popular.”

As for new builds, “I think we have a lot of savvy developers in the region who are watching … the positive net migration happening here year over year, consistently enough for it to be a trend we can expect to see into the future,” she said. “It makes sense that new developments and new builds will continue to come online.”

The pipeline of projects that will bring all of those buyers into the local housing market is still strong, Harry said.

“We have not seen or heard of many projects at all, coming to a dead stop to the pandemic,” she said. “We’re very busy in that area. … Some of the projects that we announced in 2019 are still in the pipeline, but there are going to be lots of quality jobs associated” with them.

She points to primary employers like In-N-Out Burger, which is locating its regional headquarters on a 20-acre tract southeast of Interquest and Voyager parkways.

Those jobs will be coming online within 18-24 months, and those employees will need places to live.

“Regardless of your family’s income, you still need a quality place to call home,” she said. CSBJ n

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17

FAIR & UNBALANCED

BY MIKE LITTWIN | Courtesy The Colorado Sun

A UNITED FRONT?

I

time for political purity— see: Sarandon, Susan. For Democrats, this a virtual, in both senses of the word, do-over.

No one outside Trumpworld can fail to understand the threat Trump presents each day to what we like to call the American experiment. He has taken a Bunsen burner to a couple hundred years’ worth of that experiment. And he was actually considering giving his acceptance speech at Gettysburg. Everyone would have more than little noted and remembered what he said there.

Kim Wilson / Shutterstock.com

T WILL BE FASCINATING — OK, mildly interesting, unless you’re a junkie like me — to see what kind of virtual conventions the Democrats and Republicans can pull off over the next few weeks.

It’s definitely a challenge. No balloons, no confetti, no silly hats, no in-person conventional roll call, no hands thrown up in solidarity, no chanting by cheerleading delegates (which in the case of, say, “lock her up” won’t be missed), no smoke-filled rooms as if smoking were

With every “nasty” remark, President Donald Trump further unites the Dems.

still allowed inside rooms, no red-meat speeches reinforced by an applauding crowd, no applause at all unless they bring in that fake crowd noise some sports teams use when playing in empty stadiums or arenas, no, well, people, although I’m guessing Trump will bring with him at least a smallish audience.

But maybe the strangest thing about the Democrats is not the people-free, Zoomed convention itself, but how unified the party is this year, even as delegates are spread across the country. Anyone who can remember as far back as the summer of 2016 — yes, children, there was a time when Trump was not yet president — knows just how divided the Democrats were, along the progressive vs. moderate, Bernie vs. Hillary lines.

The reason for the near-unanimity this time around requires just one word: Trump. We’ll see Bernie Sanders speaking at the convention. We’ll see AOC, if briefly. Most progressives who think Biden is too centrist and Harris not sufficiently progressive — both fair positions if you’re a progressive — seem to be on board this time. In 2016, Trump was seen as a no-chancer and therefore, for some, a

18

They, whoever they are, always tell you not to fight the last war, but that’s exactly what Trump is doing. And with every racist dog whistle, Trump unites Democrats. With every call out to “suburban housewives” — are there still any suburban housewives? — threatening that you-know-who might move next door, pushed there by Cory Booker, Trump unites Democrats. And with every “nasty” woman remark, he unites Democrats. And with every time he calls protesters thugs and mainstream Democrats radicals, he unites Democrats. The GOP base loves Trump. The polls say the base, at this point, is about 8 to 10 points short.

So, let’s get to it. How disgusting is the Trump-embraced, racist birtherism 2.0 now targeting Kamala Harris, who just happens to be Black. Thanks to a Newsweek piece contending that Kamala Harris, born in Oakland, California, is not eligible to be on the ticket because her parents were visiting immigrants, or some such genuine frontier gibberish.

There may be no there there in Oakland, but it’s still America last I checked. As for Trump, he said he heard something about it on social media, as if the presi-

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | OPINIONS

dent of the United States needs to rely on Twitter for his intelligence.

As expected, as was all but certain, Trump jumped on the idea because, of course, he’d jump on it, just as he was a leading purveyor of the racist Obamaas-Kenyan birtherism phony theory. Just as he has now requested an absentee ballot for the November election, to be mailed presumably, after threatening to withhold money from the Post Office in order to make voting-by-mail impossible.

Because, you know, otherwise the election will be rigged.

The other day, Trump said the quiet thing out loud, as he so often does, on Fox News, “Now they need that money in order to make the Post Office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” he said. “But if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting, because they’re not equipped to have it.”

The voting-by-mail, as we know in Colorado, works. Trump is setting up the idea of rigged election as insurance against losing an election. It may be mocked, but it’s all there.

Meanwhile, the ineligibility assertion is not only widely mocked, at least outside the White House, but the concept comes courtesy (h/t Ernest Luning) of John C. Eastman, a law professor who also happens to be the University of Colorado’s “Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy.” If the concept behind that job is not a laughingstock, it should be. The article certainly is. So let’s all congratulate CU for the role it is playing in helping to usher in a new round of birtherism.

As the polls show, Trump has had a difficult time framing Biden in the way he did Clinton. And now Republicans are struggling to figure out how to attack Harris. (Hint: Birtherism isn’t going to work this time.)

They can’t decide whether she was too tough on crime or too soft on crime when she was San Francisco district attorney or California attorney general. Trump is now calling her a “madwoman,” which he adds on to “angry” and “nasty.”

For those who saw her speak when Biden announced her candidacy, you

can see the problem. She may have had trouble as a presidential candidate — she never figured out a place between the Bernie/Warren wing and the Biden wing and she never found an audience in the Black community — but she has real charisma, real speaking talent, represents nearly every kind of diversity Democrats could hope for, and, for Biden, she couldn’t have been a better choice. She attacked Trump on COVID-19, on the economy, on his lack of leadership in school reopening, on the plight of small businesses. You heard her attack line on the economy — “And then, like everything else he inherited, he ran it straight into the ground” — and I’m guessing you’ll hear it again at the convention. It would get a standing ovation if anyone were there to stand.

So, now to the conventions. Republicans will call Democrats radicals and Biden an over-the-hill (they won’t put it quite so nicely) captive to the movement.

And Democrats will delight in reminding us of the QAnon-friendly House candidates the Republicans have nominated and the full-on believer Trump has embraced.

At the Democratic convention, both Obamas will get big speaking roles.

They’re the homerun hitters that Republicans lack and that Biden, who needed one, added in Harris. I don’t think George Bush, not exactly a power hitter anyway, will be speaking at the GOP convent ion.

Neither will Mitt Romney. The Republican power hitter is Trump and Trump alone, along with maybe the Trump children.

Maybe, though, they can get Kanye West to show up.

I’d expect the conventions to play out in the same way the election will almost certainly play out.

Trump will dominate both conventions just as he’ll dominate the election up until Election Day. And I doubt, in either case, Democrats will mind at all.

She has real charisma, real speaking talent, REPRESENTS NEARLY EVERY KIND OF DIVERSITY Democrats could hope for.

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

THE FINA

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y ’s 27th d In e th in s e it r cal favo tween e VOTE for your lo b s g in r p S o d olora a n n u a l B e st O f C er 1st. b m te p e S d n a August 12th a ballot t u o ll fi r o M O Visit CSINDY.C e 2 02 0 th e id c e d to e u s in the weekly is Springs. o d a r lo o C f O t Bes

OPINIONS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

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IN GOOD FAITH Conversation at the crossroads

What role should religion play in calling for social justice?

JEFF SCHOLES - AGNOSTIC

Jeffrey Scholes, Ph.D., is an associate professor of philosophy and the director of the Center for Religious Diversity and Public Life at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

At first blush, very little about religion, West or East, is concerned with social justice. Religion today seems to rely either on supernatural revelation to secure a belief system or on a belief in something metaphysical. And if the issue of justice is entertained, it is usually cast in terms of the individual. Yet much of the content found in sacred texts, whether prophetic declarations or alarms sounded for the state of the poor, tells a different story. A deep concern about injustice that occurs on a societal level exists in all of the great world religions — the question is how is the divine marshaled to act on behalf of those who seek to speak truth to power and whether the powerful agree to relinquish some of it.

BENN MAC STIOFAN - DRUID

Benn Mac Stiofan is a practicing Druid who speaks Irish and has deep respect for the spiritual, ethical, and mystical teachings rife in Celtic myth and legend.

When someone is starving, homeless or in pain, peace, joy and fulfillment are nearly impossible to attain. How can anyone profess to take care of the spirit and ignore the body? Justice means giving everyone a seat at the feast. Religion helps justice by ending its justifications for excluding people. Not only is exclusion from the feast bad for the excluded, but can those seated at the table truly enjoy their prosperity? As long as religious leaders teach exclusion as a virtue, justice is a faraway thing.

DAWUD SALAAM - MUSLIM

Dawud Salem hails from Macon, Georgia. He is a school social worker, graduate of the University of Denver and is a poet and spoken-word artist. He regularly delivers sermons at the Mosque in Colorado Springs.

I am of the opinion that religion should play a prominent role in calling for social justice. Justice permeates throughout the religion of Islam. On all levels, Muslims are commanded to be just. In a translation of the Quran, Allah says, “O you who have believed be persistently standing firm in justice… even if it be against yourselves or parent, and relatives.” 4:136. Muslims are thus obliged to stand for justice and not retreat to their mosques and centers with heads in the sand as injustices are happening near and far. Muslims who adhere to the above-mentioned commandments must stand for justice, particularly on the side of the oppressed and marginalized.

BRUCE CORIELL - EARTH-BASED CHRISTIAN

Bruce Coriell served as an interfaith chaplain in colleges and universities for over 35 years. These days you are most likely to find him off wandering rivers and mountains.

Let’s not pretend that all religious traditions are the same. Yet when it comes to the pursuit of social justice, each of our traditions calls for mercy, compassion and love — while insisting on fairness, equity and America’s Newspapers is a national association supporting justice for all. Our sacred texts are full of such teachings, our history recalls great acts journalism and healthy newspapers in our local communities. of sacrifice for others and our leaders have inspired social transformation. But let’s be Find out more at www.newspapers.org or follow us on Twitter @newspapersorg or on Facebook @americasnewspapers. honest. Sometimes our traditions are the very source of injustice — discrimination and bigotry, social exclusion and persecution, corruption both inside and outside of our organizations, and even tyranny and brutality. So, let’s all take an honest look in the mirror and make some changes, so that we can encourage others to join us in coAmerica’s Newspapers is a national association supporting creating the world for which we yearn. journalism and healthy newspapers in our local communities.

CSINDY.COM

Find out more at www.newspapers.org or follow us on Twitter @newspapersorg or on Facebook @americasnewspapers.

Join the conversation at InGoodFaithConversations.org 20

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | OPINIONS

LOWDOWN

BY JIM HIGHTOWER

FIGHTING FOR THE VOTE

E

VERY NOW AND THEN, someone comes along whose work is so productive, honest and inspirational that they ought not be allowed to die. That’s how I felt last month when I heard that John Lewis had slipped away from us.

Throughout his exemplary life, this civil rights icon and progressive leader had hurled his heart, soul and head (literally!) into fighting for the voting rights of all Americans. In 1965, he was among the marchers on the front line in Selma, Alabama, with Martin Luther King Jr. who had their heads busted by state troopers for daring to insist that African Americans be allowed to vote.

is an act.” If We the People are to control our own destiny, we have to stand together against the moneyed and political elites who keep imposing their plutocratic control over us. We have to be willing, as John Lewis put it, to get into “good trouble. Necessary trouble.”

Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

AS LEWIS WARNED, YOUR RIGHT to vote “is not guaranteed. You can lose it.”

You see, it’s one thing to “have the right” to cast your ballot, but it’s quite another thing to be able to exercise that right. During the past decade, Republican officials and operatives have become experts at voter suppression, using legal technicalities, poll closures, fraud, fearmongering and plain old thuggish intimidation to shut out voters who’re inclined to support Democratic candidates.

Rather than winning votes, their game is preventing votes.

And now comes Donald Trump with a pernicious scheme to keep millions of us from having our say in November’s election. Here’s the story: Because of the spreading COVID-19 health crisis, a majority of Americans are reluctant to risk their lives by votThe late John Lewis fought for equity his whole life. ing in crowded polling places.

Shouldn’t be a problem, though — just let everyone who’s concerned use That bloody encounter led to passage our nation’s excellent, reliable, trusted of America’s historic 1965 Voting Rights postal service to cast their votes by mail.

Act, which empowered grassroots orgaBut such a sensible solution panicked nizers to usher in a remarkable era of Trump. Eeeek, he shrieked, mail-in-votpolitical progress. Black voter registraing will increase turnout, and that’s bad tion jumped nearly 70 percent the next for me! Yet, he can’t just ban voters from year, and Black citizens began getting using the mail. So he came up with a elected, including Lewis, who later won maniacal Plan B: Simply defund the U.S. a Georgia congressional seat.

Postal Service so it can’t do its job, thus The importance of Lewis, though, was forcing everyone to vote in that he didn’t just sit person — or give up their in that seat, he put it voting rights. to use daily, battling Sure enough, in March, what I call the 6Bs he personally killed a — the bosses, bankbipartisan provision in the ers, billionaires, big national economic rescue shots, bastards and package that would’ve BSers who keep assured timely delivery of trying to knock our mail. Then, in May, he down the middle — JOHN LEWIS installed one of his partisan class, hold down the mega-donors as Postmaster poor, and tear down General, and he is now sabpeople’s democratic otaging delivery times by arbitrarily slashrights. Most significantly, he inspired ing the hours of postal workers. ordinary people to recognize their own Like a tin-hatted third-world potentate, strength and common interest, rallying us Trump is willing to destroy this prized to unify and organize around the values national asset to cling to power. To help of fairness and respect for human dignity. save our public post office — and our right His lasting message was simple, direct, to vote, go to: USMailNotForSale.org. and true: “Democracy is not a state. It

Democracy is not a state.

IT IS AN ACT.

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2020 Leadership Lessons

4:30-6 p.m. • Virtual event hosted on Zoom • $25/person GINA CIMINO

Sept. 9

Gina Cimino was born in Colorado Springs and channels her love of the community through efforts to aid veterans while also helping grow its commercial sector. She is president and broker of Kip Hampden Properties and is president of Mt. Carmel of Colorado, a nonprofit that assists veterans with centers in Trinidad and Colorado Springs. Gina will talk about her role in the family business, Phil Long Dealerships and her vision for the future growth of Mt. Carmel.

RSVP at CSBJ.com/Events OPINIONS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

21

DINE & DASH

Quick takes on food and drink COMPILED BY MATTHEW SCHNIPER AND GRIFFIN SWARTZELL

TASTE BUD RESCUE Mobile business, 646-8016

This food truck, a converted ambulance, has done a hell of a branding job. Its logo incorporates a fork, spoon and knife in white on a blue star of life, a great nod to emergency medical services semiotics. TBR and head chef Steven Richardson have been turning out barbecue and soul food for five months when we find them. We get two combo plates, one with catfish and one with pork ribs.. The fish comes in a crisp cornmeal batter that’s got ample pepper, big fish flavor, moisture to spare and enough salt to drown whatever other seasonings went into it. While those ribs lack the pink smoke ring, they’re tender as can be and covered with a sauce that goes from sweet to tangy to smoky. Each comes with two sides: The mac and cheese sees cooked-to-mush noodles in a rich, cheesy sauce; the dirty rice has so much salt and black pepper that we only get a bare celery hint on each bite; the cole slaw has a great tang and crunch, and sweet baked beans scan as canned. But the sweet potato pie,, a rare thing on the menu in summer months, I’d put on my own Thanksgiving table. It’s not too sweet, perfectly spiced and beautifully smooth on a crisp pastry crust. — GS

FALA-FILO 6050 N. Carefree Circle, 358-7865, fala-filo.com

SIDE DISH

Fala-Filo pretty much blew me away when I first reviewed it in early 2019 after it’d just opened. It introduced me to the Jordanian national dish, Mansaf, lamb cooked in fermented, dried goat yogurt — a stunning treat. When I return in late July, owner/chef Simood Gorguis has the dining room closed for dine-in, with everything staged neatly for pickup. Some tables have turned into workspaces for her beautiful mandala-like art, which adorns the walls. This visit, I order an Iraqi lamb plate named Bamia, a baby okra and halal lamb shank serving over basmati rice that she says is the second most popular dish back home. She starts the dish by seasoning the lamb with cardamom, clove, nutmeg, anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, salt, pepper and crushed red peppers. She renders its fat in a pan and sears fresh garlic with it, and then cooks the okra in lamb drippings and adds in tomato paste and more seasoning. It all comes together with a small salad, pita wedges and a couple plump falafel balls for a mound of food that easily feeds two for $20. The meat slides right off the bone and the spices show up strongly, taming the gaminess and standing up to the tomato tartness; like the Mansaf,, it’s pretty phenomenal and possibly unique in town, well worth an exploration. — MS

22

Annapurna Mead Co. (annapmead.com) has coopened The Refreshment Lab — a small retail tasting room for grab-and-go sales — at 40F Mount View Lane, in a warehouse district off North Nevada Avenue. The Lab also serves as a tasting and sales spot for local kombucha makers CoS’bucha (facebook.com/ CoSbucha) and NEKTR. Craft Kombucha (facebook. com/DrinkNektr).

“It makes sense,” says Annapurna owner/meadmaker Patrick Dobbins, “because kombucha and mead have similar acid and flavor profiles, and a similar consumer, often a gluten-free drinker or someone looking for a healthier drink.”

Guests are able to taste products before committing to a bottle or can to-go; COVID currently limits consumption of full pours on-site, in part because it’s a very small space that’s attached to the larger production facility.

Annapurna’s meads are sold in four-packs typically at liquor stores, but here patrons can purchase 750ml swing top releases, six-packs or mixed 12-packs. NEKTR. is offering 32-ounce howlers from its lineup of seven flagship flavors and CoS’bucha sells 12-ounce bottles in four-packs from its expansive lineup. For its part, Annapurna will also showcase special one-off releases for fans that won’t be available for purchase elsewhere — flavors like a blackberry-fig or chipotle-pumpkin aged on oak.

Visit csindy.com to learn more about the Lab and each business, plus read tasting notes from my recent sampling. — Matthew Schniper

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | FOOD & DRINK

TWO SWEDES GLÖGG twoswedesglogg.com

As far as wine drinks go, it’s more typical to drink sangria in summer and mulled wine in winter. But Springs-based spirit blenders Two Swedes have bucked that tradition with a new, unique product: Summer Glögg. It’s a blend of white wine sourced from Grand Junction with spices and cherries soaked in brandy from Peach Street Distillers in Palisade. We pick up a bottle from Cheers Liquor Mart for $15, though it’s available at many liquor stores in town and across the state, listed on the Two Swedes website.

Color-wise, it’s a beautiful blush pink, with a dry, faintly spiced nose.

Our first impression on sipping it at fridge temperature — per on-bottle recommendation — is “damn, that’s good.” It’s sweet, but neither saccharine nor sticky and candy-like.

Right off, we get ginger and stone fruit over white wine crispness. It works straight up, over ice and hit with a splash of seltzer. Were this a summer of brunches instead of quarantine, a bottle of glögg over ice would be dreamy. — GS

PLEASE VOTE!

We'd love your vote!

We’re here to help find the right senior living solution for you.

359-8371 gentleshepherdhomecare.com

PlayTime Pet Sitters & Dog Walkers When You’re Away, Your Pets Get To Play!

719-667-5360

NEIGHBORHOOD/ COMMUNITY Art Gallery

RULES

FINAL VOTING: Print and online voting will be open from Aug. 12-Sept. 1. To find out who won, pick up the two 2020 Best Of issues — Oct. 21 “Food, Drink & Nightlife” and Oct. 28 “Shopping & Services, Community and Cannabis.”

BACK TO BASICS:

1. One ballot per reader, including online. Paper ballots for final voting must be postmarked by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1. Online ballots must be submitted before midnight Sept. 1. Paper ballots must be sent via U.S. Postal Service. Faxed, hand-delivered or photocopied ballots will not be accepted.

2. You must vote in at least 20 categories for your ballot to count.

3. For verification purposes, ALL BALLOTS MUST INCLUDE NAME, ZIP CODE, PHONE NUMBER AND A VERIFIABLE EMAIL ADDRESS. 4. Cheaters never prosper so don’t even think about it. We see you and you’ll be excommunicated from future Indy love.

When categories specify a region (North, South, East, West, Downtown), vote based on these boundaries in order for your vote to be valid: North/South dividing line: Pikes Peak Ave.; East/ West dividing line: Cascade Ave.; Downtown: between Uintah St. and Fountain Blvd. and from Wahsatch Ave. to I-25.

Art111 Chavez Gallery Fine Arts Center Cottonwood Center for the Arts Kreuser Gallery

Artist

Liese Chavez Jasmine Dillavou Erin Gillespie Shannon Mello John Mendoza

Local Band

Chain Store Collective SofaKillers Tejon Street Corner Thieves WireWood Station Woodshed Red

Museum

Fine Arts Center Pioneers Museum Edward C. Rochette Money Museum National Museum of World War II Aviation Western Museum of Mining & Industry

Tourist Attraction

Cave of the Winds Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Garden of the Gods Manitou Incline Pikes Peak

Place for Adrenaline Junkies

Cave of the Winds CityROCK Manitou Incline Pikes Peak Pikes Peak International Raceway

Indoor Family Fun

CityROCK Great Wolf Lodge Sky Zone The Summit Interquest WhirlyBall

Outdoor Family Fun

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Garden of the Gods Lost Island Adventure Park Pikes Peak Red Rock Canyon Open Space

Colorado Ballet Society J & J Hip Hop Dance & Performing Arts Company Ormao Dance Company Peaks and Pasties Summit Danceworks

SOLARROAST.COM

Special Event Venue

The Black Sheep The Broadmoor World Arena The Gold Room Stargazers Theatre The Pinery at the Hill

Mail completed ballot to: Best Of Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs Independent 235 S. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903 · Or vote online at csindy.com

Pancake House

Dance Company

RETAIL & WHOLESALE

NAME _____________________________________________________ CITY ________________________ STATE _________ ZIP _________ DAYTIME PHONE ___________ EMAIL ___________________________

Uncle Sam’s

The Broadmoor Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort Great Wolf Lodge Hotel Eleganté The Mining Exchange

THANKS FOR YOUR VOTE!

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Vote us Best Breakfast!

Hotel

Vote Us Best Barber Shop!

Get a Haircut & a Brew Too!

Theater Company

Fine Arts Center Funky Little Theater Company Millibo Art Theatre Peaks and Pasties TheatreWorks

Nonprofit

Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado Happy Cats Haven Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region Inside Out Youth Services OneBody Ent

Media Personality

K Cheeba Matt Meister Rob Quirk Heather Skold Elizabeth Watts Local Radio Station

KIBT 96.1 KILO 94.3 KRCC 91.5 KRDO 105.5FM/1240AM KRXP 103.9 LOCAL TV Station

KXRM KKTV KOAA KRDO Rocky Mountain PBS Neighborhood

Broadmoor Gold Hill Mesa Old Colorado City Old North End Patty Jewett Food and/or Drink Event

Fiddles, Vittles and Vino Manitou Springs Wine Festival Moonlight on the Mountain Taste of Pikes Peak Territory Days FOOD Overall Restaurant

503W Colorado Mountain Brewery Marigold Café & Bakery Odyssey Gastropub O’sae Sushi Ramen Bistro The Rabbit Hole

Vote Gold Hill Mesa for Best Neighborhood

Chef

Ashley Brown Brother Luck Pete Moreno Franco Pisani Luis Young Fine Dining

Carlos’ Bistro The Famous, A Steak House MacKenzie’s Chop House Penrose Room The Peppertree New Restaurant (since 7.1.19)

Dozo Sushi and Bar Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar Mood Tapas Bar Parry’s Pizzeria/ Sliceria Stellina Pizza Cafe Caterer

Bird Dog BBQ Collette’s Catering, Pueblo Garden of the Gods Catering Picnic Basket Catering Salt of the Earth Catering Curbside Pick-up/ To-Go

503W Cerberus Brewing Co. Colorado Mountain Brewery Roll Up Food Truck The Skirted Heifer Neighborhood RestaurantDowntown

Atomic Cowboy Jack Quinn’s Odyssey Gastropub Shuga’s The Skirted Heifer

Neighborhood Restaurant-North

Arlene’s Beans Atmosphere Gastropub Back East Bar and Grill Colorado Mountain Brewery Piglatin Cocina Neighborhood Restaurant-South

Burrowing Owl Edelweiss German Restaurant Hatch Cover Bar & Grill The Public House Walter’s Bistro Neighborhood Restaurant-East

Abby’s Irish Pub Colorado’s Rib & Chop House Frankie’s Too O’sae Sushi Ramen Bistro The Wobbly Olive Neighborhood Restaurant-West

503W Cerberus Brewing Co. Mother Muff’s Mountain Shadows Paravicini’s Restaurant for Tourists

Colorado Mountain Brewery Fargo’s Pizza Phantom Canyon The Rabbit Hole The Skirted Heifer Breakfast

Mountain Shadows Omelette Parlor Wade’s Café Western Omelette Uncle Sam’s Pancake House Urban Egg

Thanks for your vote!

111 E. Bijou St. • 719-471-3438 www.artgallerycoloradosprings.com

501 W. Colorado Ave | 719-635-8383 www.bladesnbrews.com BEST OF | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

23

Thank YOU for your BEST OF votes: Japanese/Sushi Lunch · Happy Hour

22 S. Tejon · 630-1167 fujiyamasushi.com

Brunch

503W The Broadmoor Denver Biscuit Company Odyssey Gastropub Urban Egg Lunch

Cheba Hut Toasted Subs Colorado Mountain Brewery Marigold Café & Bakery Poor Richard’s Restaurant The Skirted Heifer Happy Hour Menu

Colorado Mountain Brewery Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop José Muldoon’s The Rabbit Hole The Wobbly Olive Late-Night Dining

Chiba Bar Hatch Cover Bar & Grill Mother Muff’s The Rabbit Hole The Skirted Heifer Local/Regional Chain

Bingo Burger Colorado Mountain Brewery Drifter’s Hamburgers The Skirted Heifer Urban Egg Diner

Black Bear Diner Gunther Toody’s Rock City Café Rosie’s Diner Wade’s Café

Cheap Eats

Alfonso’s Mexican Food Fuzzy’s Taco Shop La Casita Mexican Grill The Green Line Grill Roll Up Food Truck Food Truck

Chef Bob’s Lobstah Trap Lucy, I’m Home Piglatin Food Truck Roc and Ro Sushi On The Go Roll Up Food Truck Patio

Louie’s Pizza would love to be your BEST OF again.

ü VOTE BEST CATERER French

Korean

La Baguette (Westside) La Baguette French Bistro La Baguette (Downtown) La Tartine The French Kitchen Marigold Café & Bakery German

Edelweiss German Restaurant Schnitzel Fritz Uwe’s German Restaurant Wimberger’s Old World Bakery & Delicatessen

KBop Korean Fusion Cafe Korean Garden Happy Time Dine In San Chang House Tong Tong Latin American

Dos Santos Havana Grill Lucy, I’m Home Monse’s Pupuseria Piglatin Cocina

Thai

Bakery

Eim Thai NaRai Thai Thai Basil Thai Mint Thai Satay Vietnamese

Pho & Grill Pho Lu’u Pho-nomenal Saigon Café Saigon Springs

Cajun/Southern

English Dockside Momma Pearl’s Cajun Kitchen Oskar Blues Grill & Brew Po’ Brothers Springs Orleans Caribbean

Havana Grill Piglatin Cocina Rasta Pasta Ricky’s Island Café Spice Island Grill Chinese

China Town Restaurant China Village Coal Mine Dragon (8th St.) Coal Mine Dragon (Uintah) Silver Pond

Japanese/Sushi

AI Sushi & Grill Fujiyama Jun Japanese Restaurant Kura Japanese Restaurant Nara Sushi & Grill

Vote us Best Indian food

Bonbon Bombardier Cacao Chemistry Patsy’s Candies Radiantly Raw Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

Frozen Treat

BJ’s Velvet Freez Frozen Gold Josh & John’s Ice Cream Rita’s Rizuto’s

Abby’s Irish Pub Alchemy Jack Quinn’s McGinty’s Wood Oven Pub O’Malley’s La Bella Vita Ristorante Italiano Luigi’s Paravicini’s Italian Bistro Red Gravy Roman Villa

Chocolatier/ Confections

Amy’s Donuts Dunkin’ Horseshoe Donuts Hurts Donut Co. Shipley Do-nuts

Irish

Italian

Boonzaaijer’s Dutch Bakery Coquette’s Bistro & Bakery The French Kitchen Marigold Café & Bakery Nightingale Bread

Donuts

Amanda’s Fonda Bambino’s Urban Pizzeria Indian Cerberus Brewing Co. Everest Nepal Colorado Mountain Little Nepal Brewery Mirch Masala Edelweiss German Shri Ganesh Restaurant Urban Tandoor

Dessert Menu

Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern

Heart of Jerusalem Jake and Telly’s Mediterranean Cafe Sahara Café Taste of Jerusalem Mexican

3 Margaritas Amanda’s Fonda Crystal Park Cantina José Muldoon’s Señor Manuel

Please vote

24

Thanks for your vote!

Barbecue

Billy Sims Barbecue Bird Dog BBQ Buffalo Gals Grilling Front Range Barbeque Rudy’s Bar-B-Q Burger

Bingo Burger Colorado Mountain Brewery The Green Line Grill The Public House The Skirted Heifer

BJ’s Velvet Freez Boonzaaijer’s Dutch Bakery Decadent Edelweiss German Restaurant Marigold Café & Bakery Gluten-Free Friendly

Bambino’s Urban Pizzeria Cafe Red Point Coquette’s I.C.Bing Cafe & Market Outside the Breadbox

Please vote!

BEST TACOS!

BEST NEW BAR!

26. E.Kiowa · 375.3376

218 N Tejon #120 info@districtelleven.com

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | BEST OF

ONLY AUTHENTIC NEAPOLITAN PIZZERIA CERTIFIED IN SOUTHERN COLORADO AND ONE OF ONLY 90 IN THE WHOLE UNITED STATES!

VOTE US BEST PIZZA!

Green Chile

El Taco Rey La Rosa Southwestern Dining Odyssey Gastropub Mountain Shadowst Western Omelette

Pizza

Bambino’s Urban Pizzeria Basil & Barley Leon Gessi Louie’s Pizza Pizzeria Rustica Slice420

Steak

Bonny and Read Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop The Famous MacKenzie’s Chop House Prime 25

Seafood

Bonefish Grill Bonny and Read Chef Bob’s Lobstah Trap Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar Krabby’s

Tacos

Dos Santos El Taco Rey Fuzzy’s Taco Shop Piglatin Cocina T-Byrds

Vegetarian/Vegan

Adam’s Mountain Café Bambino’s Urban Pizzeria Burrowing Owl Ola Juice Bar Santana’s Vegan Grill

DRINK Smoothie/Juice Bar

Cafe Red Point Keva Juice Ola Juice Bar Nékter Juice Bar Nourish Organic Juice

Drive-Thru Coffee

Dutch Bros. Coffee Humble Coffee Kangaroo Coffee MoGlo Espresso Serranos Coffee Co.

Local Coffee Shop

Building Three The Exchange Java Punk Coffee Loyal Coffee SwitchBack Coffee Roasters Urban Steam

Barista

Charlie Claus Jackson Craft Jeannie Frisbie Annette Moon Jeff Sanderson

Coffee Roaster

Barista Espresso Building Three Inertia Coffee Loyal Coffee Solar Roast Switchback Coffee Roasters

Taphouse

The Brass Tap Colorado Craft N3 Taphouse The Public House Trails End Taproom

Brewery

Bristol Brewing Cerberus Brewing Co. Colorado Mountain Brewery Goat Patch Brewing Company Red Leg Brewing Company

Local Tap Beer

Elysium IPA, Cerberus Hazy IPA, Goat Patch Laughing Lab, Bristol Panther IPA, Colorado Mountain Brewery Sticky Paws, FH Beerworks

VOTE

Best New Restaurant!

218 N. TEJON • 422-9712

VOTE! • Used Furniture • Old Stuff (antique store) • Weird Stuff (eclectic shop) • Used Stuff (thrift shop) • Music, Movies & Video Games • Comic Shop

E ROBERT ANDREWS VOTW Laser & Medical Aesthetics O N UR T YO L G OU BRIN EAUTIFU B

BEST MEDICAL SPA

Injectables and Fillers | Laser Services | Cosmetic Surgery | Anti-Aging Treatments | Ultimate Skin Care

(719) 434-3075 | RobertAndrewsMedical.com | 7610 North Union Blvd, Suite 140

Store for Craft Beer

NIGHTLIFE

Overall Bar Cheers Coaltrain The Bar at Prime Liquor ALMAGRE Veterans Wine and Brooklyn’s on Liquor Boulder Weber Street Liquor Shame & Regret SuperNova Wine Menu Trails End Taproom Cork & Cask

D’Vine Wine Swirl Wine Bar TAPAteria Wines of Colorado

Store for Wine

New Bar/Brewery (since 7.1.19)

Armadillo Ranch The Bar at ALMAGRE Blackhat Distillery The Block Bar & Grill District E11even

Cheers Coaltrain Downtown Fine Spirits & Wines Sovereignty Wines Bartender/ Weber Street Liquor Mixologist Dave Baumgartner Wine Bar Seth Boyce Cork & Cask Ashlee Choi D’Vine Wine Montana Horsfall Ristorante Di Sopra Philip Taylor Swirl Wine Bar Vino Colorado Winery Neighborhood Bar(at Sweet Elephant) Downtown Distillery

Axe and the Oak Blackhat Distillery Distillery 291 Lee Spirits Co. 3 Hundred Days Distilling Store for Spirits

Brooklyn’s on Boulder Chiba Bar Odyssey Gastropub Shame & Regret Supernova Tony’s Neighborhood Bar-

North Cheers Atmosphere Coaltrain Gastropub Downtown Fine Back East Bar & Spirits & Wines Grill Prime Liquor The Bar at Weber Street Liquor ALMAGRE Craft Cocktail Menu Good Company Bar The Archives Wyatt’s’s Pub & Grill Underground Neighborhood BarLibations South Axe and the Oak Axe and the Oak Brooklyn’s on Bristol Brewing Boulder Burrowing Owl Shame & Regret The Hatch Cover Shuga’s The Wobbly Olive The Public House

MAKE US A TRIPLE GOLD WINNER! CRAFT BEER • WINE • SPIRITS

Neighborhood BarEast

Abby’s Irish Pub Blackhat Distillery FH Beerworks On the Boulevard The Wobbly Olive Neighborhood BarWest

Alchemy Benny’s Mother Muff’s Thunder & Buttons Trails End Taproom Upscale Bar

Casino

Black Sheep The Gold Room Lulu’s Downstairs Stargazers Sunshine Studios

LIV WELL.

Karaoke

Cowboys Dublin House Hatch Cover Storybook Brewing Thunder & Buttons

Located on Circle, Nevada & Murray LivWell.com

Running Club

Brass Brewing Brewer’s Cup Pikes Peak Road Runners Jack Quinn’s Trails End SHOPPING & SERVICES Grocery Store

King Soopers Mountain Mama Safeway Sprouts Trader Joe’s

VOTE Bronco Billy’s

BEST CASINO

Mountain Metropolitan Transit Rocky Mountain Ride Turtle Palace Shuttle Uptown Limousine Service Funeral Services

Angelus Chapel Funeral Directors Lasting Paws Pet Memorial Services Return to Nature Funeral Home The Springs Funeral Services Swan-Law Funeral Directors

The Independence Center Paragon Culinary School Paul Mitchell Pikes Peak Community College The Salon Professional Academy Naughty Business

Fascinations HUSTLER Hollywood Romantix Seductions Voodoo Leatherworks Tattoo Artist

Mandie Doom Robert Duran Kara Kozlowski Aaron Moore Chris V

DESIGN YOUR JEWELRY! THANKS FOR YOUR VOTES!

A TRUE COLORADO STYLE CASINO & HOTEL

330 W. UINTAH (AT I-25) | 719-475-9700

COALTRAINWINE.COM

DISPENSARY

Tattoo Shop

Ent Credit Union Fallen Heroes Navy Federal Credit Tattoo Union Iron Head Tattoo Security Service Pens & Needles Federal Credit Union R U Tattooed USAA Financial Center Cooking Class West Side Tattoo Wells Fargo Four by Brother Luck Piercing Shop Financial Services The French Kitchen Freaky’s Gather Food Studio Law Firm The Hive COS Vegan Cooking Franklin D. Azar & Pens & Needles Academy Associates Paravicini’s Skin Evolution Tattoo Law Offices of West Side Tattoo Local Transportation/ Clifton Black Shuttle Jewelry Store Hammond Law Group Groome Eclectic CO. Law Office of Transportation Johannes Hunter Jeremy Loew Luisa Graff Law Office of Greg Jewelers Quimby Revolution Jewelry Higher Education Works Colorado College Terra Verde BE WELL. Colorado State Bike Shop University Ascent Cycling Pikes Peak Bicycle Village Community College Criterium Bicycles Regis University Old Town Bike Shop UCCS Ted’s Bicycles Trade School

Sports bar

The Bench The Public House The Rabbit Hole Shame & Regret The Wobbly Olive

Bank/Credit Union

BEST NEW

VOTE!

Benny’s Johnny’s Navajo Hogan O’Furry’s Supernova Tony’s

Happy Hour

Mountain Mama Natural Grocers Sprouts Traders Joe’s Whole Foods

Music Venue

Dive Bar

Back East Bar & Grill The Bench Mother Muff’s Overtime Sports Bar Tony’s

MARKETPLACE Natural Food Store

The Brass Ass Bronco Billy’s Double Eagle Midnight Rose Wildwood

Brooklyn’s on Boulder Cork & Cask Prime25 Shame & Regret The Wobbly Olive

AMERICAN CLASSICS

VOTE US

BroncoBillysCasino.com

Christy Sports Epic Mountain Gear Mountain Equipment Recyclers Mountain Chalet The Ski Shop

Adventure Shop (Local Sports Store/ Outdoor Outfitter)

Angler’s Covey CityROCK Mountain Chalet Mountain Equipment Recyclers Routes Outfitter

Garden Supply/ Nursery

Good Earth Phelan Gardens Rick’s Garden Center Spencer’s Lawn & Garden Sunset Greenhouse

Ace Hardware Big R Harbor Freight Woodland Hardware

Homebuilder

Alliance Builders Classic Homes Keller Homes Oakwood Homes Vantage Homes

Landscaping Services

719 Landscape Design Colorado Stoneworks Randy’s Sprinkler & Landscaping Pioneer Landscape Centers Timberline Landscaping

Flower Shop

Bloom Bar & Co. He Loves Me! Flowers Platte Floral Skyway Creations Springs in Bloom

Bookstore

The Bookman/West Side Stories Books for You Covered Treasures Hooked on Books Poor Richard’s

Weird Stuff (Eclectic Shop)

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APPETITE

D OWN TO DETAILS Denver-born, outwardly opulent Ambli Global Cuisine joins University Village with diverse tasting menus best paired with wine

BY MATTHEW SCHNIPER | matthew@csindy.com

Matthew Schniper

S

ALIENT DETAILS, SMALL elements that say in a glimpse much more about the bigger picture, are often a restaurant critic’s favorite tool for relaying the spirit of something without belaboring every last ingredient. We tend to work in broad brushstrokes, grabbing onto fleeting flavors and contextual observations as tangible witness marks to restaurateurs’ and chefs’ visions. At worst, we overread and add our own interpretations, narratives and biases as we rate food and drink.

At best, we glean the true intention and a sacred exchange happens wherein we feel we “get it” with no words actually spoken between the kitchen and table, yet a whole conversation has taken place.

My first impressions at Ambli stem from its modern, palatial decor, involving striking, oversized chandeliers and murals and portraits of jungle animals, expansive curved booths of dark wood and creamy vinyl, ornate stamped metal dividers, gold-colored adornments, and mirrored subway tile around a chef’s table counter facing on open kitchen reveal. It all impresses, but the salient detail I hang up on, as we’re seated on the southwest-facing patio, is how the eatery has bothered to also cover the outdoor area’s floor with cool slate-gray tiles rather than leaving generic concrete, such that you feel you’re lounging outside someone’s lavish home more than simply dining al fresco. Simply put: They spared no expense.

Ambli has just recently opened inside University Village, the latest Denver concept to expand south. Denver’s alt weekly Westword called Ambli “a sexy, sophisticated space with an international menu that picks and chooses its flavors carefully rather than rushing from one continent to the next” in 2016, two years into business. In an early 2018 review of that same original South Holly Street location, a short time after a second location opened at Belleview Station, the paper’s reviewer summed it up as “a goodnatured crowd-pleaser” and especially commended its fine service. The original spot has since morphed into Ambli Mexico (because they realized they were cannibalizing their own business, they tell me), and the Tech Center location plans to stay shuttered the rest of this year because, as a note online explains, “A majority of our guests were business

A poblano scallop ceviche plate marries sweet and citrus tastes, and comes with side tostadas for scooping.

clientele... Until the business environment changes, it’s very expensive for independently owned businesses like us, to open and operate.”

Indeed COVID colors everything these days, and Ambli co-owner Pariza Mehta says it certainly factored into how she and co-owner Kelly Morrison and executive chef Ricardo Morffin designed this current menu, updated from Denver’s with some classic dishes intact but different treatment to other staple items. Morffin hails from Mexico City and it’s clear from bite one that he’s a hell of a saucier, incorporating international flavors into divine sauces that ironically he doesn’t like to call “fusion.” Instead, he told Westword his food is “traditional, but with new flavors.” Many of those are courtesy of

Mehta, of Persian heritage, who grew up in her parents’ restaurants in Tanzania after they’d moved from India.

(Ambli means “tamarind” in India’s Gujarati language.) In all of its outward branding, Ambli prides itself on “the guest experience,” and not in that empty, cloying, chain restaurant way, but authentically as far as we can see.

Like Ambli’s owners, our server Dillon Means moved to the Springs to devote himself to the new location. He’s working on his Level Two sommelier certification and he decides the wine pairings for the multi-course tasting menu we share, along with some happy hour starters.

Ambli customizes menus for $85 to $99 per person with wine pairings or $45 to $50 sans vino. Basically it’s like going omakase at a sushi restaurant, and we tell

Mehta we’re in her hands as she’s departing for the evening and handing us off to Means. By then, a mutual industry friend who’s a wine rep, also seated on the patio when we arrive, has tipped off Mehta that I’m a critic. (In vino veritas, I suppose...)

So, some of our treatment that follows could have been extra, so to speak, but we actually experience some stumbles that humanize the place and expose the skeleton crew navigating the odd COVID situation facing all restaurants.

We start with a summery, nicely undersweet blueberry ginger mojito and Turkish Old Fashioned infused with figs and finished with garam masala, served in beautiful glassware and tasting as good as it sounds. The 101 Bubbles Argentinian Grüner Veltliner arrives with promised continued on p. 28 ➔

FOOD & DRINK | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

27

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Saigon Café

20 E. Colorado Ave. 719-633-2888 coloradosaigoncafe.com

Open for Lunch and Dinner Mon-Sat. Welcome to the Saigon Café the award winning Vietnamese restaurant in Colorado Springs. Our cuisine is cooked with fresh vegetables, herbs and meats in authentic Vietnamese style.

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August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | FOOD & DRINK

APPETITE ➔ continued from p. 27

green apple notes and high sparkling acidity to match a velvety, vibrant Thai red curry broth poured tableside over puffy fried lobster dumplings placed in sake cups as likable “lobster shooters.”

Next we’re into a bowl of crispy Mongolian beef that makes me think of Mexican carne seca, as the thin-cut flank steak pieces are dry in the mouth, tangy with high sodium and mind-tingling umami.

By contrast, a poblano scallop ceviche plate leads light with scantly seared and lime-cured baby scallops swimming in a phenomenal poblano-lime broth, topped with sweet corn kernels, Mandarin orange, mango and grapefruit segments (think citrus, acid, sweetness and bitterness layered) plus garnishing green onion and radish slices. Side guacamolesmeared tostadas make for rich scoopers.

We meet our favorite new-to-us Pinot Noir in the form of 2016 Emeritus from California’s Russian River Valley (a $24 glass or $96 bottle). Means says it’s masculine enough for a softer wine to still stand up to our pairings of Colorado lamb kofta and duck gyoza, and it more than does. The oiliness of the fried dumplings’ duck confit interior gets lightened by fresh cabbage, carrot, fennel and scallion bits and a sweet chile sauce takes it back into the Thai realm from China and Japan. Otherwise fine garlic polenta underlying the ground lamb meatballs needs to be hotter, seeming to have languished in the window awaiting its protein, and the meat leans dry and in need of its topping cucumber-tomato raita (cooling Indian yogurt sauce).

ESSENTIALS • Ambli Global Cuisine • 5278 N. Nevada Ave., #160, 308-5579, amblidenver.com/ambli-colo-springs • 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; brunch 10:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. SaturdaySunday; happy hours 2:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, until 6 p.m.

Wednesday-Friday

For our final pairing of plates, we receive airy tempura cauliflower florets bathed in a lemon-garlic chile de árbol sauce (read: veggie heaven); notably sweet elote (Mexican street corn on the cob) coated in cotija cheese and tajín seasoning and an aioli made with the pungent medicinal herb epazote (often added to beans); and a larger bowl of Spanish shrimp and house chorizo, actually Portuguese tiger prawns butterflied and served in a bath of garlictomato-apple cider vinegar broth with toast points. Again, the sauce stands out, and I’m sure it’s a great dish when the shrimp aren’t overcooked to toughness and not tasting their freshest — the biggest stumble of the evening.

Matthew Schniper

Ambli boasts modern, sleek decor.

Meanwhile we’re sipping on a lovely Merlot-dominant, Bordeaux-style super Tuscan blend entertainingly named Tenuta di Arceno Il Fauno di Arcanum, which carries us into a dessert course of a not-gourmet-sounding ice cream sandwich paired with a pour of Maurin Quina, a dessert white wine fortified with color-gifting cherries and bittering quinine. It leads tart, crisp and refreshing to the palate after the lengthy flavor tour we’ve been on. And that humble-sounding ice cream sandwich is actually heavily browned (perhaps a touch too much so) puff pastry layers divided by espresso ice cream over a puddle of chocolate-hazelnut ganache, complete with raspberry and strawberry garnishes.

I’m always happy to finish with the flavors of chocolate and coffee, here accentuated by the dry cherry wine. And by now we’ve been sitting for almost a few hours, long enough to hear some songs repeat on the overhead patio music. The bill arrives and we survey the damage for carefree tastings decided by our hosts, and no single line item seems unreasonable, except for maybe $20 on the shrimp since it didn’t execute and $18 on the Mongolian beef (which we loved, and beef prices have significantly increased).

The wine pours (which we shared, so I could drive) total a well-worth-it $36 and all the little plates add up as they do for a final bill post-tip that breaks $200. Call that average considering the $85 to $99 per person wine-paired tasting menu, although you can easily keep the bill down by going à la carte.

There remains much on the menu I would love to try, so I’ll likely make my own choices next time. But we depart feeling like we got the promised guest experience above just a meal. Ambli has a distinct personality, certainly eclectic but grounded in authenticity.

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29

PLAYLIST

MUSIC

MUSIC REVIEWS BY LORING WIRBEL

Backstage Flash Photography

W

hen last we heard from Oxford (UK)’s psychedelic pop-soul ensemble Glass Animals, in 2016’s How to Be a Human Being, the band was offering detailed vignettes of random humans, real and imagined. As befits a homebound pandemic year, the band is turning its gaze inward in the new Dreamland (Polydor/Republic), offering sober personal tales while preserving a taste of pop sparkle. Vocalist Dave Bayley’s use of falsetto begs comparison to The 1975, but stark lyrical references to guns in high school classrooms give Glass Animals a greater gravitas. The album’s tales of personal despair work to a great extent, though the band has to tread carefully to avoid the sense of self-importance and profundity often seen in bands like Muse or U2.

Glass Animals has suffered multiple tragedies in the last four years, including the near-death of drummer Joe Seaward in a 2017 accident. The final mixing of Dreamland took place during spring’s lockdown, serving as an exclamation point to the 16 tracks. If a few of those tracks don’t quite hit home, Bayley was more concerned with preserving some rhythms and riffs than with drowning the listener in despair.

ALSO NEW & NOTEWORTHY Diane Cluck, Common Wealth (Bandcamp) – Diane Cluck made several visits to Colorado early in the century, when she was at the forefront of New York’s anti-folk movement. Since moving to rural Virginia, Cluck has strived for more directness and transcendence in both vocals and arrangement, though the addition of cello and unusual percussion shows she doesn’t equate homegrown with simplicity. The dozen songs here range from near-bluegrass in “Float a Cuppa Tea” to stark a cappella strangeness in “Red August.” Cluck is now everyone’s spirit mother.

Cary Morin, Dockside Saints (Cary Morin Music) – Fort Collins-based Morin has won a national reputation for unadorned finger-style blues guitar, but here he brings in producer Tony Daigle and a wealth of New Orleans musicians to give his writing a taste of Bourbon Street. Opening track “Nobody Gotta Know” hints at an album of high-octane blues, but songs like “Chosen Road” and “Blue Delta Home” recall Morin’s slow-burn style — albeit with a touch of Zydeco accordion from Corey Ledet.

30

Itchy-O’s parking lot extravaganza might be just what it takes to let you slip the surly bonds of Earth.

REVERB

BY COLLIN ESTES

I

’M ALWAYS HESITANT TO USE the phrase “the new normal” because it’s inherently understood as a qualifier of restriction and disappointment — as the great Bruce Cockburn said back in 1983, “the trouble with normal is it always gets worse.”

So, while it certainly seems like we all have to settle for worse in various aspects of life, there’s no need to take it lying down.

For instance, the most feasible way to take in live music (aside from a virtual, livestreamed experience, the novelty of which is likely wearing thin for both performers and audiences) is in different spatial circumstances than we’ve grown accustomed to... socially distanced, limited-capacity, and generally outdoors. If anyone can take those parameters and produce something artful and meaningful out of it, however, Denver’s wonderfully eclectic drumcorps, taiko drum and electronics-fueled performance collective Itchy-O seems well poised to take up this mantle.

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | MUSIC

Itchy-O will be taking over the parking lot adjacent to Denver’s Mission Ballroom at 4242 N. Wynkoop for the weekends of Aug. 21-22 and Aug. 28-29 (following the kick-off performances last weekend) for “Itchy-O’s Sypherlot Drive-In Radio Bath.” Marrying CDCrecommended public health guidelines and all the spectacle of the interactive, psychedelic “happenings” of yesteryear, this looks to be a whole new take on the drive-in concert.

To hear Itchy-O describe it, through their website, “In the wake of pandemic-delayed performances, the time is right to launch a cosmogenic conflagration, laying waste to notions of concerts in ‘the new normal’ by ushering in a joyful bath of postapocalyptic unifying magic.”

Well, I couldn’t state it better myself. Although, me, I’m still waiting for someone to seize on the whole “demolition derby as mosh pit” concept; perhaps offering junker rentals at a subsection of the merch table. There’s always tomorrow — ITCHY-O for dreams to come true, I suppose, and Itchy-O is clearly laying the groundwork for that glorious new dawn.

In the wake of pandemic-delayed performances, the TIME IS RIGHT TO LAUNCH A COSMOGENIC CONFLAGRATION.

BACK ON EARTH, MEANWHILE, there’s some good news for some of Colorado Springs’ favorite terrestrial

music venues. Firstly, The Black Sheep is now open for limited capacities. Yes, the return of live performances to the Black Sheep stage is still yet to come, but the venue’s doors are open and, following a safe and successful re-opening on Aug. 7, now is the perfect time to stop in for a drink and DJ set and resume local support of the Sheep.

It’s also probably well worth the advance notice that the postponed Black Sheep stop of folk-punk standouts AJJ (formerly known as Andrew Jackson Jihad), Xiu Xiu and Emperor X has been rescheduled for June 10, 2021, and all purchased tickets will be honored for this new date. Until we get there, AJJ’s latest LP, Good Luck Everybody, feels like required listening for our current sociopolitical moment, provided you don’t mind gazing into the abyss for a while.

But let’s face it, you’re probably reading this online right now, and that means you’re already gazing into the abyss.

Also, in an unusually positive thrust of the endless news cycle, we didn’t have to wait too long for a bit of good news after eulogizing the untimely passing of the Zodiac, as Zodiac owner Gentle Fritz and Triple Nickel Tavern owner JJ Grueter have announced their plans to launch a new venue “combining the attributes of [their] former locations.”

So, RIP also to the Triple Nickel, another casualty of COVID-19’s reign of terror against performance spaces via rent increases. Fritz and Grueter are raising funds for their new, multi-level space through a GoFundMe campaign, have stated their intentions to retain “as many staff from both venues as want to join” and hope to open in the autumn or early winter.

SEND NEWS, PHOTOS AND MUSIC TO COLLIN@CSINDY.COM

MUSIC

ALL WE HEAR IS

RADIO BLAH BLAH Lady Gaga debuts her weekly talk-radio show with mixed results

BY BILL FORMAN | bill@csindy.com

‘I

Happy

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’M THE WORST THING AND the best thing that’s ever happened to all of you,” declares Lady Gaga in the premiere episode of Gaga Radio, a weekly interview show that Apple Music describes as a “celebration of dance music when we need it most.”

The series debuted on Aug. 7 with a lengthy discussion between Gaga and BloodPop®, a copyright-protected artist who clearly understands that one’s name, as any Artrepreneur subscriber will confirm, is a corporate asset with real tangible value. (See Lady Antebellum/Lady A.) BloodPop® also happens to be the producer of Lady Gaga’s latest album, which turns out to be the show’s sole topic of conversation.

“Chromatica, for me, was the portal that you and I opened in the studio,” says Gaga. “We would open the portal and I’d go, ‘Okay, talent, creativity, voice from above, sign from above, come inside me, tell me what to say, tell me what to do.’ And most all of it was what I was truly feeling.”

To give listeners a chance to take all that in, these interview segments are interspersed with a heavy-on-the-house dance mix that includes Sylvia Striplin’s “Give Me Your Love,” Todd Terry’s “Samba” and EC Twins’ “Disco’s Not Dead,” as well as remixes of crossover hits like Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and Gaga’s own “Stupid Love.”

While the show clocks in at just under an hour, it offers little to no insight into the creation of the music itself. That’s kind of a shame, really, given the fact that Chromatica was three years in the making, involved boy-band Svengali Max Martin and a dozen other producers, and features guest appearances by K-Pop sensations Blackpink, post-teen idol Ariana Grande, and Gaga’s longtime mentor Elton John.

Instead, the conversation fixates on Lady Gaga’s emotional state at the time, as she would spend hours alone chain smoking on the balcony and wake up in the morning wishing she was someone else. But once she started coming into the studio in “full Gaga wardrobe,” BloodPop® and the rest of the gang knew everything was going to be alright!

Lady Gaga: What’s your favorite memory on making Chromatica with me? Even though I feel like we’re still making it.

BloodPop®: I think maybe the first time we played you [the song] “Rain on Me” with the new bass line. Because you had come to the point where you’re like,

“The name of the album is Chromatica.

I’m finishing it. I’m doing this, I’m doing that,” and you were just fully geared up ready to go to [the title song] “Chromatica.” Then we did this major change.

We weren’t sure if you were going to ...

Because it was quite a big change and ...”

Lady Gaga: It was a huge change.

BloodPop®: I just remember you playing it super loud and you’re like, “That bass line. The bass line.” That was a good day, and you and Ari cutting “Rain on Me” and you’re like, “What if you tried this take with some dancing?” She was like, “Huh?” Lady Gaga: She was like, “Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Gaga, Gaga, Gaga. Oh my God, Gaga.”

BloodPop®: That was amazing too.

Maybe you just had to be there.

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“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Gaga, Gaga, Gaga,” she said.

For those of us who may be more interested in dance music than Lady Gaga, one consolation prize is that each show will be accompanied by an hour-long deejay mix that, based on this first episode, is worth checking out. And since Gaga’s selfreplenishing supply of “Little Monsters” is still going strong, Apple Music can also count on a legion of fans to tune in to both shows each Friday night.

Meanwhile, if you’re still not quite sure which camp you fall into, here’s an exchange that may help you decide:

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MUSIC | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

31

Event Horizon Compiled by Brigett Harris

August 29

Respect My Vote

W

ITH THE NOVEMBER ELECTION MERE months away, local community advocacy group Be the Change 719 is hosting “Respect My Vote,” a fun, inspiring and informative event designed to empower everyone to make their voice heard this fall through registering to vote.

Be the Change 719 co-founder Latrina Ollie says that attendees can expect a family event that is intended to bring the community together and help get people registered.

“It is important for everyone to feel like their voice is being heard,” says Ollie. “We are bringing the resources to the community.”

The afternoon will include guest speakers, live performances, food trucks, vendors, voter registration and census booths, as well as activities for kids. DJ Shield will be spinning their signature clean, family-friendly hits throughout the afternoon and saxophonist Tony Exum Jr. will also be performing. Attendees are advised to bring their own blankets or lawn chairs.

While it is a public, in-person event, Ollie and fellow organizers intend for it to be a safe experience for all.

“We want everyone to enjoy themselves and get excited to vote,” says Ollie. “We will practice social distancing and gloves and face masks will be available on-site.”

Be the Change 719 member Yevgeniya Tsyganok, who also moderates the group’s Facebook page, is excited for the upcoming opportunity to engage.

“Change starts within the community,” says Tsyganok. “We are committed to providing community activities that all residents can engage in.”

Be the Change 719 was co-founded by Ollie and Sharise George to create change in the community, and has already been busy as a relatively new organization. In addition to the upcoming voter registration drive, the group has performed community clean-ups on the south side of Colorado Springs.

“I joined them after their first event because I know we can do great things,” says Tsyganok. “We are just full-time working moms trying to make the world a better place.”

Noon to 3 p.m., Van Diest Park, 1520 Chelton Road, free, tinyurl.com/y5u8nprq.

32

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | CALENDAR

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IKE MANY A POP CULTURE PHENOMENON BEFORE it, Fortnite has rabid fans, dismissive foes and a whole lot of people wondering what the fuss is all about. Whatever camp you’re in, this online video game has captured the hearts of many gamers since its release in 2017, and those of the younger generation in particular. Fortnite seasons tend to start and end with a bit of mystery, but developer Epic Games’ recent lawsuit has fans rejoicing with a nearly definitive start date for its fourth season: Aug. 27. What’s in store for the new season? As per usual, leaks are minimal in comparison to fan speculation but last season’s introduction of vehicles has set the stage for new possibilities.

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UTHOR AKWAEKE EMEZI HAS WOWED CRITICS and fans with every new project they have produced, and their latest book, The Death of Vivek Oji, is no exception. When a young man named Vivek is found dead on his mother’s doorstep, his family is left behind to grieve a child whose life they never truly understood. As his mother attempts to unravel the mystery of his death, his friends try to protect the secrets of the life he led away from home.

Emezi lets the truth of Vivek’s identity unfold through flashbacks and multiple perspectives, each moment putting another piece of the puzzle into place. Set in Emezi’s home country of Nigeria, the novel tells the story of grief, secrets, identity and denial, all woven together with Emezi’s signature poetic prose. As difficult as it is to know how Vivek’s life will end, Emezi’s tale of the tragic beauty of his life is worth the heartache.

Watch Lovecraft Country

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LEMENTS OF CLASSIC LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR pervade Lovecraft Country, a brand-new series from HBO that also takes a bold, unflinching look at the experience of Black Americans in the 1950s. Based on the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, the story follows Atticus Freeman as he searches for his father and encounters monsters both human and supernatural along the way.

Lovecraft Country is one solution to a persistent problem in the present day: How do we reconcile popular art with the transgressions of the artist? In this series, the answer is to reveal and rebuke those transgressions while examining and embracing the positive aspects of their creation.

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HE TALENTED INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS AT Reveal provide an incredible roster of stories covering everything from homeschooling and historic housing crashes to art forgery and espionage. Some stories can stretch on for weeks while others are encapsulated in a single episode, but all of them are educational and entertaining. If you’re a podcast-binger, there’s also great news — their archives date back to 2016, so you’ll have hundreds of hours of content to consume in addition to each week’s new episode. Their most recent episode delves into the history of Confederate monuments and the enduring and erroneous Southern mythology that continues to justify their existence. Available on most podcast platforms.

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CALENDAR | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

33

CALENDAR

Your guide to events in the Pikes Peak region ART EVENTS AHand2Hold Project, Whose hand would you like to be holding right now? Sophie Thunberg wants to know. This virtual project needs your “hand selfie”. Let’s honor our mentors’ teachings, by sharing pieces of perspective that’ve been imparted to you, to extend a hand to others and uphold a culture of care. Stories of a time when you felt truly held are welcome. Submit as many hand portraits for consideration as you wish. Ongoing, noon. Virtual, ToHoldAHand@gmail.com, ahand2holdproject.com.

We Are In It Together: A Collaborative Art Experience, a short video about collaborative work, created to demonstrate what we are all going through right now — not only in the representation of the final piece, but mostly in how it was produced. Project includes six child artists ages 10-16, and six adults ages 40-58. Ongoing. Free. 719-2011870, chadekeith@gmail.com, tinyurl.com/ InItTogetherCOS.

ART EXHIBITS

ART EXHIBITS

Ambushed by Frank McCarthy (1968)

Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave., Pueblo, 719/295-7200, sdc-arts.org.

Difficult History, an exhibit considering how artwork can shape our opinions of people and history. The works in this exhibit are from the permanent collections of the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center. Through Nov. 28. Glass Art from Around the Region, showcasing four accomplished artists who work, show and sell their art a little closer to home: Tom & Jean Latka, Jason Dunks, Jannine Scott and Dylan Kelley (DBK Glass). Through May 8. INSPIRATION: Dale Chihuly, James Mongrain and Vintage Venetian Glass From The George R. Stroemple Collection, internationally recognized as one of the most significant collections of artwork documenting the studio glass movement in the Pacific Northwest. Through May 8.

Academy Art and Frame Company, 7560 N. Academy Blvd., 719-265-6694, academyframe@gmail.com, academyframesco. com. How Do You See God?, an exhibit that invited all artists to share their thoughts and beliefs through unique works of art. It is open to all faiths and beliefs, as well as all media and all ages. Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; through Aug. 28.

Arati Artists Gallery, 2425 W. Colorado Ave., 719-339-0715, dzombola@gmail.com, aratiartists.com. August Featured Artists, showcasing the work of Jan Oyler, Peggy

Cook, Barb McAdams, Jerry Thompson, Marilyn Kirkman and Diana Zombola. “Stop

by Arati to see the new art we’ve created during the shutdown.” Fridays-Sundays, 1-5 p.m.; through Aug. 30.

The Bridge Gallery, 218 W. Colorado Ave., 719-629-7055, thebridgegallery@gmail. com, thebridgeartgallery.com. Fiber, featuring fiber works by artists Betty Atherton, Michael Cellan, Rachael Delaney, Liz Kettle, Theresa Leasure, Cass Mullane, Lori Nicholson, Jeanne Steiner and Rob Watt.

Saturdays. through Aug. 29.

Commonwheel Artists Co-op, 102 Canon Ave., Manitou Springs, 719-685-1008, marketing@commonwheel.com, commonwheel.com. Western Exposure, an invitational show representing Colorado in fine art. Participating artists including: Jean Cuchiaro, Kathy Sullivan, Sheila Gioia, Kevin Quillen, Linda Newton, Leti Wesolowski, Lynn Lee, Arlene Wood, Tina Rodholm and Nancy Lindenmier. Through Aug. 31.

Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave., 719-520-1899, media@ cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com, cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com. 1985 | TAKE ON ME, a juried exhibition composed of artists from across the Pikes Peak region, working across every size and medium, within the theme of the spirit of 1985.

Through Aug. 30.

Gallery 113, 125 1/2 N. Tejon St., 719-6345299, Gallery113cos@gmail.com, gallery113cos.com. August Featured Artists, showing new work by member artists Karen Standridge and Matt Atkinson. Standridge

continued on p. 36 ➔

Friday, August 28

8:00 - 9:30pm

World Arena Parking Lot

3185 Venetucci Blvd, Colorado Springs Reservations Required:

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Space is limited.

Gates open at 7:00pm.

All cars receive a gift bag.

34

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | CALENDAR

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

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Magic lies in challenging what seems impossible,” says Leo politician Carol Moseley Braun. I agree with her, but will also suggest there’s an even higher magic: when you devise a detailed plan for achieving success by challenging the impos-

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Joy is a mystery because it can happen anywhere, any time, even under the most unpromising circumstances,” writes author Frederick Buechner. What he doesn’t say is that you must be receptive and open to the possibility of joy arriving anywhere and any time. If you’re shut down to its surprising influx, if you’re convinced that joy is out of reach, it won’t break through the barriers you’ve put up; it won’t be able to land in your midst. I think this is especially important counsel for you in the coming weeks, Virgo. PLEASE make yourself available for joy. P.S. Here’s another clue from Buechner: “Joy is where the whole being is pointed in one direction.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “I transformed stillnesses and darknesses into words,” wrote Libran poet Arthur Rimbaud. “What was unspeakable, I named. I made the whirling world pause.” In accordance with current astrological potentials, I have turned his thoughts into a message for you. In the coming weeks, I hope you will translate silences and mysteries into clear language. What is unfathomable and inaccessible, you will convert into understandings and revelations. Gently, without force or violence, you will help heal the inarticulate agitation around you with the power of your smooth, resonant tenderness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Your desires, whether or not you achieve them, will determine who you become,” wrote author Octavia E. Butler. Now is a fertile time for you to meditate on that truth. So I dare you to take an inventory of all your major desires, from the noblest to the most trivial.

Be honest. If one of your burning yearnings is to have 100,000 followers on Instagram or to eat chocolate-covered bacon that is served to you in bed, admit it. After you’re through tallying up the wonders you want most, the next step is to decide if they are essential to you becoming the person you truly want to be. If some aren’t, consider replacing them with desires that will be a better influence on you as you evolve.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you can manage it, I recommend taking a break from business-as-usual. I’d love to see you give yourself the gift of amusement and play — a luxurious sabbatical that will help you feel free of every burden, excused from every duty, and exempt from every fixation. The spirit I hope you will embody is captured well in this passage from author Okakura Kakuzo: “Let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the

sible, and then actually carry out that plan.

Judging from the current astrological omens, I suspect you’re in an unusually favorable position to do just that in the coming weeks. Be bold in rising to the challenge; be practical and strategic in winning the challenge.

soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle.

Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Rapper Eminem advises us, “Never take ecstasy, beer, Bacardi, weed, Pepto-Bismol, Vivarin, Tums, Tagamet HB, Xanax, and Valium in the same day.” What’s his rationale?

That quaffing this toxic mix might kill us or make us psychotic? No. He says you shouldn’t do that because “It makes it difficult to sleep at night.” I’m going to suggest that you abide by his counsel for yet another reason: According to my analysis, you have the potential to experience some wondrous and abundant natural highs in the coming weeks. Your capacity for beautiful perceptions, exhilarating thoughts and breakthrough epiphanies will be at a peak. But none of that is likely to happen if you’re loaded up with inebriants.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Everyone who has ever built a new heaven first found the power to do so in his own hell,” declared philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

That’s a rather histrionic statement! But then Nietzsche was a Maestro of Melodrama. He was inclined to portray human life as a heroic struggle for boldness and liberation. He imagined us as being engaged in an epic quest to express our highest nature. In accordance with your astrological potentials, I propose that you regard Nietzsche as your power creature during the coming weeks. You have a mandate to adopt his lion-hearted perspective. And yes, you also have a poetic license to build a new heaven based on the lessons you learned and the power you gained in your own hell.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Here’s some knowledge from author John le Carré: “In every operation there is an above the line and a below the line. Above the line is what you do by the book. Below the line is how you do the job.” According to my analysis, you have, at least for now, done all you can in your work above the line. That’s great! It was crucial for you to follow the rules and honor tradition. But now it’s time for a shift in emphasis. In the coming weeks, I hope you will specialize in finessing the details and massaging the nuances below the line.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “We never know what is enough until we know what’s more than enough,” said Aries singer Billie Holiday. I don’t think that applies to everyone, although it’s more likely to be true about the Aries tribe than maybe any other sign of the zodiac. And I’m guess-

ing that the coming weeks could be a time when you will indeed be vivid proof of its validity. That’s why I’m issuing a “Too Much of a Good Thing” alert for you. I don’t think it’ll be harmful to go a bit too far and get a little too much of the good things; it may even be wise and healthy to do so. But please don’t go waaayyyy too far and get waaayyyy too much of the good things.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus author Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850) took many years to write The Human Comedy, an amalgam of 91 intertwined novels, stories and essays. For this vast enterprise, he dreamed up the personalities of more than 2,000 characters, many of whom appeared in multiple volumes. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because I believe that the next 15 months will be an excellent time for you to imagine and carry out a Balzac-like project of your own. Do you have an inkling of what that might be? Now’s a good time to start ruminating.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Not until the 19th century did humans begin to take organized actions to protect animals from cruelty. Even those were sparse. The latter part of the 20th century brought more concerted efforts to promote animal welfare, but the rise of factory farms, toxic slaughterhouses, zoos, circuses and cosmetic testing has shunted us into a Dark Age of animal abuse. I suspect our descendants will look back with horror at our barbarism. This problem incurs psychological wounds in us all in ways that aren’t totally conscious. And I think this is an especially key issue for you right now. I beg you, for your own sake as well as for the animals’, to upgrade your practical love and compassion for animals. I bet you’ll find it inspires you to treat your own body with more reverence.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian literary critic Harold Bloom bragged to The New York Times that his speed-reading skills were so advanced that he could finish a 500-page book in an hour. While I believe he has indeed devoured thousands of books, I also wonder if he lied about his quickness. Nonetheless, I’ll offer him up as an inspirational role model for you in the coming weeks. Why? Because you’re likely to be able to absorb and integrate far more new information and fresh experiences than usual — and at a rapid pace.

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HOMEWORK: Meditate on the possibility that you could gain personal power through an act of surrender. FreeWillAstrology.com.

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

CALENDAR | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

35

CALENDAR ➔ continued from p. 34 is displaying new pieces in alcohol ink on ceramic tile, canvas, and yupo. Atkinson has new oil on canvas work on display.

Through Aug. 30.

Kreuser Gallery, 125 E. Boulder St., 719464-5880, kreusergallery@gmail.com, abigailkreusergallery.com. Hōyō and The Space Between Us, new works by Suz Stovall, who says: “I think of my work as dance between instinct and spontaneity.

By letting go of desired outcomes, I open myself to a world where anything is possible.” Thursdays-Saturdays. through Aug. 28.

AUDITIONS & ENTRIES Bar-K, is accepting submissions of artwork from people of color, with special emphasis on Black artists. Art will not be juried or censored; when one piece is sold, another will go up in its place. Artists receive 100 percent of the sale of their work. Through Dec. 31. Bar-K, 124 E. Costilla St., 358-7788, curatorgallerybelow@gmail.com, barkcocktails.com.

BUSINESS & TECH A+, Network+, Security+ training, offered

by Goodwill, which is a CompTIA autho-

Courtesy Pikes Peak Blues Community

CONCERTS

Paint the Town Blue Presents The Cleveland Experiment, a musical project fronted by former USA Records recording artist Sandi Cleveland. Together with her husband John on guitar and several talented musicians, they offer up a unique blend of classic R&B, soul, jazz and blues. Thurs., Aug. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Thorndale Park, 2310 W. Uintah St., 719-231-9001, pikespeakbluescommunity@gmail.com.

Laura Reilly Fine Art Gallery, 2522A W. Colorado Ave., 719-650-1427, laura@laurareilly.com, laurareilly.com. Seeing is Believing, art by Laura Reilly that playfully reinterprets Colorado’s familiar scenery with bold impressionistic color and thick luscious brush strokes. Collection can be viewed online or in person. Through Aug. 31.

Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, 719-685-1861, manager@ manitouartcenter.org, youtu.be/vfXZfLJz9Uk. August Exhibits, featuring printmaker John Odlin in the Hagnauer gallery, and new work in the First Amendment Gallery.

Contact the MAC to book a private tour.

Through Aug. 31.

The Modbo, 17C E. Bijou St., 719-633-4240, themodbo@gmail.com, themodbo.com.

Modern Storytellers, new art by Gregg Deal, a provocative contemporary artist who challenges Western perceptions of Indigenous people, and JayCee Beyale, who hopes to share his beliefs by celebrating the fusion of technology and Indigenous culture. Open by appointment. Through Aug. 28.

rized training academy for these certifications. Call or email for details. Ongoing, noon to 8 p.m. Free. Discover Goodwill Garden of the Gods, 1460 Garden of the Gods Road, 719-551-0208, jmullally@discovermygoodwill.org.

COS Live Networking Events, a partnership of Support the Springs and the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC. These virtual events consist of 20 minutes of education from a local speaker, then 30 minutes of virtual networking in small breakout groups. See registration and login instructions on website. MondaysFridays, 4-5 p.m. Free. Virtual, 719-5754329, emitchell@cscedc.com, coloradospringschamberedc.com.

CONCERTS Itchy-O’s SYPHERLOT Drive-in Radio Bath, enveloping, multimodal performance theatrics at this drive-in concert series unlike any other. Fridays, Saturdays, 7:309:30 and 9:30 p.m.-midnight through Aug. 29. $100-$125. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver, pr@mettlestudios. agency, itchyo.eventive.org.

JL Goes Vegan

FOOD & DRINK

Flavor Profiles for Plant-based Cooking, a Colorado Springs Vegan Cooking Academy online cooking class, where you’ll learn how to use flavor profiles to add variety to your plant-based cooking. Registration required. Sun., Aug. 23, 1-2 p.m. Sliding scale. 719-4459107, jl@jlgoesvegan.com, jlgoesvegan.com.

Starburn, a high energy rock band playing the music of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

Sat., Aug. 22, 7-9 p.m. $20/section (up to four guests). Stargazers, 10 S. Parkside Drive, 719-476-2200, Stargazerstheatre@ gmail.com, stargazerstheatre.com.

Virtually Live in the Lounge, live from the Distillery 291 tasting room. Dylan Teifer on Mondays, Ryan Flores on Tuesdays, Grant Sabin on Wednesdays, Snake and the Rabbit on Thursdays, Desirae Garcia on Fridays, Roma Ransom on Sundays, 7-8 p.m.

Virtual, 719-323-8010, info@distillery291. com, facebook.com/distillery291/live.

FILM Virtual Community Movie Discussion, with Pikes Peak Library District supplying a movie list. Each week will feature several movies from PPLD’s streaming movie service, Kanopy, then folks can join curated discussions about the selected movies. Register via PPLD’s website to receive Zoom link. Fridays, 4 p.m. Virtual, 719-3898968, ppld.librarymarket.com.

VOICES BEYOND THE VEIL: The Story of God, Humanly Speaking, presented by Village Arts, uniting stage and screen with

YOUR FIVE-DAY FORECAST

• Extensive children's section • Homeschooling materials • Book club selections • Wide selection for teens & adults

continued on p. 38 ➔

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

91/60

92/59

91/60

92/58

93/59

• Greeting cards Wed.-Sat. 11am-5:30pm Sun. 11am-4pm 24 E. Rio Grande • 313.9187

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• Stuffed animals • Puzzles & toys

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | CALENDAR

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

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

KAREN NOT KAREN

D

OMINO’S PIZZA RESTAURANTS IN New Zealand were forced to end a promotion to give free pizza to women named Karen “that aren’t, well, Karens,” the promotion announcement read. United Press International reported that customers named Karen were invited to fill out an application for one of 100 free pizzas, but people objected online, suggesting the chain offer food to minorities or people who have been impacted by COVID-19.

“We wanted to bring a smile to customers who are doing the right thing — Karen the nurse, Karen the teacher,” the company posted on Facebook, but “people interpreted this in a different way.”

Government in action

About 176 Rhode Island taxpayers waiting for their refund checks got a surprise when the checks they received in late July arrived bearing the signatures of “Mickey Mouse” and “Walt Disney” instead of state officials. State Department of Revenue chief of staff Jade Borgeson told WPRI that the division of taxation uses the signatures on dummy checks for internal testing, and the test image files were mistakenly added to real checks. “Corrected checks will be reissued to impacted taxpayers within one week,” Borgeson said.

Incompetent criminals

• Edward Thomas Schinzing, 32, was charged July 28 with arson for allegedly setting fires inside the Justice Center in Portland, Oregon, on May 29, beginning two months of protest in that city. The Oregonian reported the shirtless Schinzing stood out among about 30 people who broke into the building around 10:59 p.m., vandalizing offices and setting fires, because of the large tattoo of his last name clearly visible across his shoulders on surveillance images, according to court documents. Schinzing, who was on probation at the time for domestic violence assault, is being held at the Justice Center.

• Pueblo, Colorado, police were intrigued to find a young man sleeping in a car parked behind a motel on Aug. 2, “since motels have rooms, with beds, that you can sleep in,” said Capt. Tom Rummel in a tweet. Upon running the car’s license plate, he continued, the officers found it had been stolen in an armed carjacking, and “there on the front seat was a sawed-off shotgun, just like the victim said was used yesterday!” KKTV reported the sleepy thief, a juvenile, was taken into custody and the car was returned to its owner.

Police report

A 26-year-old man in Plymouth, England, was detained on July 9 after officers

Shutterstock.com

working nearby heard a commotion and looked up to see the man struggling with a seagull and biting it. “He sunk his teeth into it before throwing it to the floor,” a police spokesperson told Plymouth Live.

The man told police the seagull had attacked him, trying to get his McDonald’s meal, and also “volunteered ... that he was under the influence of drugs ... The seagull was clearly injured by the incident but flew off before we were able to check on its welfare,” police said.

Awesome!

Father’s Day in Taiwan is celebrated on Aug. 8, and EVA Air wanted to make it special, so working around global travel restrictions, it announced a Hello Kitty flight to nowhere, Travel & Leisure reported. The anime character-decorated airplane took off from Taipei Taoyuan Airport and flew over the coasts of Taiwan for three hours at 25,000 feet, then land again at the same airport. Guests received a special goody bag, enjoyed a seafood feast created by a Michelin three-star chef and got the opportunity to purchase Hello Kitty duty-free products at a big discount.

Revenge

An unnamed man in Cairns, North Queensland, Australia, posted notices offering a $100 prize to the person able to best impersonate Chewbacca from Star Wars, but the contest turned out to be a hoax designed to harass the woman who dumped him. The posters listed the woman’s phone number and invited contestants to call and deliver their best Chewbacca roar. The woman, identified only as Jessica, told 9News: “I’m getting phone calls at really strange hours of the night. ... I thought it was quite funny, actually, a good joke.” However, she drew the line when the ex abandoned his car, without tires, in her driveway, blocking her in.

“The police ... are going to do something about it,” she said.

CALENDAR | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

37

CALENDAR ➔ continued from p. 36 this production by local playwright Phil Ginsburg. Actors from around the world perform from their own homes to bring this stageplay directly to you. Ongoing.

Minimum $5 per household. 719-345-2878, contact@villagearts.org, villageartscs.org/ new-va-virtual-performance.

FOOD & DRINK Colorado Farm and Art Market, a locally sourced market with high-quality products and a community feel. Includes live music and products like hand-dyed scarves, pottery, wood-carving, soaps, pastries, preserved foods and fresh seasonal fruits and veggies. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; through Oct. 14. Free. Margarita at Pine Creek, 7350 Pine Creek Road, 719-640-6154, farmandartmarket@gmail.com, farmandartmarket. com. Wednesdays, 3-7 p.m.; through Oct. 14. Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon St., 719-640-6154, farmandartmarket@gmail.com, farmandartmarket.com.

SOCO Virtual Farmers Market, a truly authentic farmers market with fresh, locally grown food and beautiful, handmade products to order from the safety of your home.

Shop online, pick up on the weekends.

Mondays-Thursdays. Virtual, 445-7556, SOCOVirtualFarmersMarket@gmail.com, SOCOVirtualFarmersMarket.com.

Trivia Night at Dueces Wild Taproom, with award-winning beer, a food truck and the best trivia game around. The questions are random and cover everything from pop culture to history to baking. Prizes for the top three finishers. Dueces Wild Brew-

ery on T Gap, 3352 Templeton Gap Road.

Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. 719-374-5806, dueces@dwbbrewery.com, facebook.com/ trivialitythelivegame.

GET INVOLVED Community Conversation: Building Police and Community Relations, a virtual community conversation on how to build police/community relationships in the midst of these important national conversations.

Program will include panel discussion with Stephany Rose Spaulding, Yolanda Avila and Leslie Herod. Thurs., Aug. 20, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. 719-531-6333, ppld.org/communityconversations.

Webcast with Mayor Suthers, talking about challenges and opportunities facing the City of Colorado Springs, including taxes, city parks, and other issues. Participants will be able to ask the Mayor questions. Wed., Aug. 26, 10:30-11:30 p.m. Free. lmckinney@cscono.org, bit.ly/2XLQDsx.

HEALTH & WELLNESS CoronaCare: A Weekly Zoom Meeting, for anyone wondering “what’s next?” Starheart Innertainment will discuss what moving forward in the “new normal” can mean for you as an individual and a member of society. Fridays, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Virtual, 505-231-8639, mm@beyond12step.co, zoom.us/j/91260017796.

Journey Into Self: A Weekly Free Meetup, virtual meetings to discuss the psychospiritual lessons and callings we have and

continued on p. 40 ➔

ART EVENT

Time to Get Outside!

Grill season is here!

C u r b si d e p ic k u p ava il a b le .

B u y lo c a l!

1228 E. Fillmore • 473-2306 4635 Town Center Drive

www.RanchFoodsDirect.com 38

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | CALENDAR

Linda Bridges

Liquid Acrylic Pour Art Class, learn to use acrylic paints in a new way with the Liquid Pour method, with instructor Linda Bridges, author, artist and children’s storybook illustrator.

Sat., Aug. 22, 1-4:30 p.m. $45. Academy Art and Frame Company, 7560 N. Academy Blvd., 719-272-1947, academyframe@gmail.com, academyframesco.com.

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

CANNABIS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

39

GROW

CALENDAR ➔ continued from p. 38 continue to receive during this pandemic.

How have we changed? Cameras optional.

Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free. mm@ beyond12step.co, zoom.us/j/99193065623.

KIDS & FAMILY

your client base by advertising to Indy readers

Call 577-4545 for details

Summer

DEALS

Adventures in Art, putting guests in the roles of archeologists and explorers as they uncover mysteries of Ancient Egypt and learn about life after the Dark Ages. Timed tickets available on website. Must wear face mask. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; through Jan. 9. $8-$10. Buell Children’s Museum, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave., Pueblo, 719-295-7200, mail@sdc-arts.org, sdc-arts.org.

Children’s History Hour: Big Ideas, discover how big ideas led to amazing creations and possibilities in Pikes Peak regional history. How will your ideas impact our community? For children ages 3-6. Wed., Aug. 19, 10:30-11:30 a.m. and Sat., Aug. 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon St., 719-3855990, COSMuseum@coloradospring.gov, cspm.org.

Wag that Tail, with Denise Gard and her puppy Kira, presenting stories that “make you bark, leap and beg for more!” Sat., Aug. 22, 1-2 p.m. Dinosaur Resource Center, 201 S. Fairview St., Woodland Park, 719-6861820, custserv@rmdrc.com, rmdrc.com.

LECTURES & LEARNING Palmer’s Travel Journal Challenge, an opportunity to help the Colorado Springs Pio-

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Downtown Art Hop in Monument, hosting two local authors. Jean Alfieri will be signing both her Zuggy the Pug rescue series and her new guided journal, Blessed to be Me. Susan Mathis will sign the second installment of the Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, Devyn’s Dilemma along with her other titles. Thurs., Aug. 20, 5-8 p.m.

Free. Covered Treasures, 105 Second St., Monument, 719-481-2665, covrdtreas@aol. com, coveredtreasures.com.

Writers’ Night, where aspiring writers can come to have their questions answered, and experienced authors can rub shoulders with their peers and lend their expertise.

See website or Facebook for Zoom link.

Mon., Aug. 24, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. 719244-6220, ncepr@pikespeakwriters.com, pikespeakwriters.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS 5th Annual Charity Car Show, with Colorado Car Addicts. All donations benefit Wellspring Community. Enjoy cars, music, food trucks, and conversations with other car enthusiasts. Outlets at Castle Rock, 5050 Factory Blvd., Castle Rock. Sat., Aug. 22, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $25 suggested donation.

303-688-4495, info@outletsatcastlerock. com, outletsatcastlerock.com.

The Story of Us: Y is for Your COVID-19 Story, an opportunity to share how you have been impacted by COVID-19 with the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. A portion of submissions will be shared in the Story of Us digital exhibit. Through Dec. 1.

Free. 719-385-5990, cspm.org.

SPIRITUALITY Buddhist Meditation and Teaching, based on traditional Buddhist mindfulness. Two 20-minute sits, followed by a short lecture and then discussion. See event updates at bodhimindcenter.org. Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Virtual, ., ., 719-822-1999, bodhimindcenter@gmail. com, zoom.us/j/213-979-416.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENT Event listings are a free service we offer to our readers. Events are included on a space-available basis; we can’t ever guarantee a listing will make it into print. If you’d like to list your event with the Indy, you must submit details at csindy.com no later than Wednesday at noon, seven days before the desired publication date. If you’d like to guarantee placement in the Indy, you can purchase an ad by calling 577-4545. Questions? Email alissa@csindy.com.

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August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | CANNABIS

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August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | CANNABIS

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C ANNABIZ

BY JESSICA KUHN

LOCAL CBD COMPANY RECEIVES CANNABIS MANUFACTURER OF YEAR AWARD A Colorado Springs CBD wholesaler is being recognized as the cannabis manufacturer of the year.

Hemp D e p ot received the award during the fifth annual Colorado Manufacturing Awards presented virtually this year, according to a press release from CompanyWeek, an online news outlet covering manufacturing that co-hosted the Aug. 6 award presentation with Manufacturer’s Edge.

Strawberry Fields’ Pueblo kiosk lets you shop safely.

“COVID reminds us again of the importouch-screen menu or browse online tance of U.S. manufacturing,” Bart and then pick up their order with a Taylor, CMA founder and CompanyQR code from the vending machine Week publisher, said to kick off the inside the dispensary, the release event, according to the release. “And states. with so many positive developments “This allows dispensaries and CBD underway here, there’s never been a retailers to service customers while better time to recognize the people adhering to today’s social distancand companies that are leading a ing guidelines,” the release says. striking transformation of the sector.”

The other self-checkout kiosk in The program honored 13 other Colorado went to Starbuds in southcompanies from across the state east Aurora. in their respective industry and achievement categories. Hemp Depot is the only Colorado Springs REC CANNABIS SALES company to net one of these awards.

NOT IMPACTED BY Visit ColoradoManufacturingAwards.com for more information.

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Strawberry Fields’ Pueblo Central location received one of two customizable, self-checkout systems delivered to Colorado last week from Boston-based technology company anna, according to an Aug. 11 press release from the company.

“The retail technology available to dispensaries has inhibited the cannabis industry’s path to normalization,” Matt Frost, founder and CEO of anna, says in the release. “In many traditional retail industries, self-checkout transactions are standard.”

Customers will have the option to shop in-store using the kiosk’s

MONTHLY RECORD

Recreational cannabis dispensaries appear to be immune to the decrease in consumer spending some industries are battling.

June brought the highest total monthly sales for recreational cannabis in state history, according to data from the Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division.

The data released this month show Colorado recreational dispensaries netted $158,102,628 in June, which is about a $10 million increase from May — the state’s previous monthly record-setter.

Meanwhile, medical cannabis sales dipped in Colorado from $43 million in May to $40 million in June.

According to tax data released this month by the state’s marijuana regulatory division, July brought in even more retail cannabis revenue ($36,129,738) than June ($33,624,609).

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August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | CANNABIS

PUZZLES

Test your wit with these mind tingling puzzles! Find the answers on page 47.

All words to be constructed pertain to the below topic.

To your advantage one word has already been traced.

You must trace the three remaining words, using only the letters designated by the darkened circles. Words may begin and end from either column but each letter can only be used once.

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.

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

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

KenKen® is a registered trademark of KenKen Puzzle LLC. ©2020 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Andre

1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 8-16-20 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. ● Each row and each column produce the target numbers 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must www.kenken.com contain the numbers 1 in the top-left corners.

KenKen is a registered trademark of KenKen Puzzle LLC. ©2020 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Andrews McMeel. through 4using (easy) the or 1 given throughoperation 6 must combine (in any order) to ● Freebies: Fill in single-box 8-16-20 (challenging) without repeating. produce the target numbers in the top-left cages corners. with the number in ● The numbers within the heavily ● Each row and each column the top-left corner. produce the target numbers 3 Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the outlined boxes, called cages, must contain the numbers 1 in the top-left corners. through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 must combine using the given top-left corner. ● Freebies: Fill in single-box ®

(challenging) without repeating. operation (in any order) to KenKen® is a registered trademark of KenKen Puzzle LLC. ©2020 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by® Andrews McMeel. cages www.kenken.com with the number in KenKen is athe registered of KenKen Puzzle LLC. ©2020 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Andrews McMeel. www.kenken.com The numbers within heavily trademark the top-left corner. outlined boxes, called cages, 8-16-20 8-16-20 must combine using the given operation (in any order) to

●

● Each row and each column

1

2

3

4

5

14

15

17

18

20

6

7

31

37

1 5 10 14

23

15 16

26

27

33

38

ACROSS operation (in any order)46 to ___ rock (Queen’s onetime musical style) 47 Start of many volcano names 48 Line at an airport 49 Mustang, e.g.

51 A bug might produce one 53 “Now!”

17 Place

28 32

34

39

35

36

42 45

43

46

48

49

28 Pointy features on Vulcans and elves

54

27 Facility

29 Info on a flight board, in brief 32 Text of gratitude

56

57

60

61

63

64

34 They’re often stored in towers

55 58

65

59

37 Commercial district in Tokyo known as a fashion center 39 Actress Kristen of the “Twilight Saga” series

62

41 Off-white shade

66

42 “Can’t you see, people are trying to work!”

44 British sailor, in slang 45 Film ratings org.

From NYT Syndicate

Food also known as ladies’ fingers

57 Informal “yes” 59 L x w x h

33 Pitcher’s asset

53

“___ we forget”

20 Tennis player with a Career Golden Slam (winning all four majors and an Olympic gold)

47 52

___ commentary

55 Things drawn with compasses

26 Military formation

51

Actor Schreiber

19 It might send you to the moon

44

50

Big skiing destination

54 O’Connor’s successor on the Supreme Court

22 Digitize, as a document

40

Lead-in to boy or follower of yoo

18 Charlie follower

24 Hangs tight

41

produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

must contain the numbers 1

outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given

19 22

● Each row and each column

through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 ● Freebies: Fill in single-box ● Freebies: Fill in single-box (challenging)CROSSWORD without repeating. cages with theTHE number NEW in YORK TIMES cagesPUZZLE with the number |in Edited by Will Shortz 10 within 11the heavily 12 13 ● The numbers the top-left corner. ● The numbers within the heavily the top-left corner. outlined boxes, called cages,

16

25

30

9

produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

must combine using the given operation (in any order) to

21

24

29

8

must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

56 Yak

60 ___ B. Wells, co-founder of the N.A.A.C.P. 61 Western range 62 Kerfuffle 63 Little part of a big wheel 64 Grants may come out of it 65 The youngest host in its history is Drew Barrymore (age 7): Abbr.

66 Lepidopterist’s need DOWN 1 Fancy balls 2 Video game character with an “L” on his hat 3 Bugged no end 4 Often-chocolaty dessert 5 Avoiding the press 6 Division of the Danish krone 7 Surfer’s destination?

8 “Let’s ___” 9 Creative works made of recyclable parts 10 Some shortcuts for ships 11

Body position in yoga

12 Great ___ National Park 13 Brand of figure-shaping underwear 21 Spreader of frosting or plaster 23 ___ Soprano (Edie Falco role) 25 Alternative to five-card draw 26 Toys that can be dangerous 29 Madrid’s country, in the Olympics: Abbr.

30 Popular Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera 31 Accessory that’s good for changing times?

34 Mobile home?

35 Business casual, e.g.

36 Where hogs go wild?

38 Cheer at an opera house 40 Author Cather 43 More pious … or more moth-eaten 48 What you need to solve sudoku 49 “Ixnay!”

50 Sometime adversary of Godzilla 52 Letter-shaped opening for a bolt 57 Middle of many metaphors 58 Fashion monogram

CLASSIFIEDS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

45

CLASSIFIEDS

Every Classified ad is featured every week online at www.csindy.com | Businesses call 577-4545 for rates

R E AL E STATE 397 S. Tejon Ln. $384,900 2058 Las Flores Dr. $376,500 Custom rancher under construction on 1 acre.

3920 total sf w/ 1960 sf finished. 3 beds, 2 baths, & oversized 3-car garage.

Stucco w/ metal roof.

Granite throughout. A/C. Open great room concept. High end finishes throughout. Short drive to Pueblo West saves you thousands. MLS# 5559047 (Pueblo West) SOUTH. Call Bobbi Price.

The Platinum Group. 719499-9451.

OFFER A HOME SERVICE? Get it in this week’s Independent for less than $20 per week! CALL 577-4545

Pueblo West new construction on 2.47 acres. 1-level 2338 sq. ft. 3 bedroom rancher on 2.47 acres zoned for horses. Open concept floor plan. Stucco with metal roof. 3-car garage. Granite throughout.

Vaulted 9’ ceilings. Central air. Gourmet kitchen. 77’ covered rear patio & 44’ covered front porch. Office. Formal dining. Arches. Horses welcome. Views everywhere. Can pick all interior finishes.

MLS# 1938545 (Pueblo West) SOUTH. Call Bobbi Price.

The Platinum Group 719499-9451.

SELL YOUR HOME NOW Get it in this week’s Independent! CALL 577-4545

WHEN YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT REAL ESTATE CALL THE BOBBI PRICE TEAM

499.9451

www.bobbiprice.com

7041 Otoole Dr. $59,900 Flat level & meadowed 5 acre lot on paved road 10.6 mi from Hwy 24 & Falcon Hwy. 15 min from Falcon Town Center. Easy drive to Peterson or Schriever AFBs. Mountain & Pikes Peak views.

Horses allowed. Double wide on permanent foundation allowed but no mobile homes. MLS# 9012791 (Calhan) EAST 1210 Woodland Valley Ranch Dr. $94,900 0.68 acre lot backing to golf course. Beautiful flat, easy to build on south-facing lot with mountain & Pikes Peak views.

Lightly treed w/ towering pines & great southern exposure. Easy access on all paved roads only 5 min from downtown Woodland Park. No HOA fees.

MLS# 8864152 (Woodland Park) LAND FOR SALE New Concept Homes $243,500-264,500 1620 sq. ft. 2-story homes to be built. 12 floor plans to choose form ranging from $234,500 to $253,500. 0.34 to 1 acre lots available. 2x6 construction. Stucco. Metal roofs.

A/C. Granite throughout. Pella windows. 2-car garages. Single family & duplexes. Call for more details. (Pueblo West) SOUTH 3838 Happy Jack Dr. $354,900 Updated 4 bed 2-story.

2126 sf. Walkout finished basement. Vaulted & open floor plan. New carpet & paint. Fully landscaped.

Central air. 3-sided gas log fireplace. Deck & covered patio. MLS# (North Range at Springs Ranch) EAST

46

MARKETPLACE

739 Watermelon Dr. $243,900

213 Coffee Pot Dr. $75,000

Duplex to be built in Pueblo West. 1620 sf stucco duplex with metal roof on ¼ acre lot. Main level unit is 1008 sf w/ 2 beds, 1 bath, & 2-car attached garage. Upper level is 612 sf w/ 1 bed & 1 bath. 2 full kitchens & laundries. 50’ cement driveway. Central air. Buyer can pick out everything. 5 months build time. Live in one & rent out the other or rent them both out. MLS# 5704083 (Pueblo West) SOUTH. Call Bobbi Price.

The Platinum Group. 719499-9451

Private 0.6 acre lot in upper Crystal Park. Safe gated mountain living to build your dream home on. Mtn & city views.

Flat easy lot to build on. Not far from stocked fishing lake, club house, pool, tennis courts & playground. Situated on 2000 acres w/only 360 home sites, surrounded by national forest & open space. Perfect mtn living close to town, located just outside of Colorado Springs.

MLS#2965585 (Crystal Park West) LAND FOR SALE. Call Bobbi Price.

The Platinum Group. 719-499-9451

840 S. Waterleaf Pl. $249,500 To be built 1620 sf 3 bed, 2 bath 2-story w/ 2-car garage on 12,429 sf lot.

Stucco w/ metal roof.

A/C. Slab granite counters & 9’ ceilings throughout. High efficiency furnace & continuous hot water. Pella windows. 2x6 exterior walls. 12 different floor plans to choose from. 5 month build time. Save thousands for an easy commute to Colorado Springs. MLS# 2919987 (Pueblo West) SOUTH. Call Bobbi Price.

The Platinum Group. 719499-9451.

New Concept Homes Duplexes $325,000$348,000 Drive 40 min to Pueblo West & save thousands.

2148 sf rancher with 2 beds, 2 baths, 2-car garages (one on each side).

Stucco, metal roof, high efficiency furnace, continuous hot water, Pella windows, granite counters, high quality finishes to attract better tenants.

2x6 exterior construction. 0.29 acre lots to be built on. You choose it all. Also have a 3 bed, 2 bath, 2-car garage ranch floor plans. (Pueblo West) SOUTH. Call Bobbi Price.

The Platinum Group. 719499-9451

2 INCOME PROPERTIES Good condition. East and Central. OWC w/20% down. 719-550-0010

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | CLASSIFIEDS

124 Neeper Valley Rd. $48,000 Private forested 0.7A lot in lower park. Locate approximately 6 mi from security gate. Privacy & views. 360 city & mtn views. Pines, aspen, & rock outcroppings. Situated on 2000 acres w/ only 360 home sites, surrounded by national forest & open space. Stocked fishing lake, club house, pool, tennis court, basketball court, play ground, & 3 heliports. MLS# 9859104 (Crystal Park West) LAND FOR SALE. Call Bobbi Price, The Platinum Group 499-9451

132 Upper Sun Valley Lane $49,900 Beautiful private lot in middle of Crystal Park.

0.5 acre forested lot with mountain views & lots of privacy. Located mid Crystal Park 8 minutes from gate. Lakes, pool, club house & tennis courts. Hard to find lots that are not in the upper park. Build your dream home & enjoy true mountain living without having to drive up into the mountains.

Community is 10 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs. MLS# 1774086 (Crystal Park West) LAND FOR SALE. Call Bobbi Price, The Platinum Group 499-9451

1655 & 1715 Aldrin Pl. $65,000 each Only 2 lots left in Park Ridge. 2 beautiful cul de sac lots of 2 ½ acres each. Sweeping mountain views. Paved roads in an upscale neighborhood just west of Schriever AFB. Natural gas. No mobiles, modular, or horses.

Seller is giving $10,000 credit at closing for cost of well. MLS# 4741874 (Park Ridge) LAND FOR SALE. Call Bobbi Price.

The Platinum Group. 719499-9451.

HOME FSBO Advertise your home in the Indy. Reach over 142,000 readers! Call TODAY 577-4545

282 Eagle Mountain Rd. $120,000 Beautiful & easy to build on forested lot in upper Crystal Park. Huge pines, aspen, scrub oak, rock formations. & little creek with waterfall. Flat building sire w. dirt driveway to the best place to build. Walk to the lake, club house, tennis, & basketball. Gated community close to town. MLS# 2349099 (Crystal Park West) LAND FOR SALE. Call Bobbi Price. The Platinum Group.

719499-9451

316 Summit Ridge Rd $75,000 Beautiful, flat, & easy to build on 0.7 acre cul de sac corner lot. Towering pines, scrub oak, & rock formations. Pikes Peak & mountain views. Capped well. Driveway & survey done. Situated on 2000 acres w/ only 360 home sites surrounded by National Forest & open space. Stocked fishing lake, club house, pool, tennis court, basketball court & playground along. Year round activities. MLS# 1751191 (Crystal Park) WEST LAND FOR SALE. Call Bobbi Price.

The Platinum Group. 719499-9451.

READY-SET-ACTION! “Heaven never helps the man who will not act.” ~Sophocles. Take action today! Place your ad in the Independent and reach over 142,000 readers. Call 577-4545

319 Forest Rd. $75,000

Very private 0.6 acre lot in upper Crystal Park only ½ mile to lake, pool, clubhouse, & basketball courts. Safe gated mountain living to build your dream home on. City & mountain views. Easy terrain for building. Seller paid $120,000 for this lot several years ago. Crystal Park is an easy commute situated on east side of Manitou Springs. MLS# 9679752 (Crystal Park) LAND FOR SALE. Call Bobbi Price. The Platinum Group. 719-499-9451.

SELL MORE HOUSES

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SERIOUSLY INJURED

ADOPT DAISY Daisy is looking for a quiet spot in your garden to bloom! This shy gal would love to find a mature, experienced family to help her come out of her shell.

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Place an ad in the Independent Real Estate section & reach 24% of the People planning to buy a home. Call 577-4545

R ENTALS Rentals Central DOWNTOWN SENIOR LIVING THE ALBANY HOTEL APARTMENTS. FURNISHED EFFICIENCY STUDIOS WITH UTILITIES INCLUDED, SECURED BUILDING. TWO BLOCKS FROM CITY BUS DEPOT. CALL 6344841

Basement for Rent Furnished 1BD, living room/office with W/D. No refrigerator no stove. $700 per month, $200 deposit. Call 719-354-4957

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NEED TO RENT YOUR HOME? Advertise it in the Independent TODAY! Call NOW 577-4545

142,000

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We’re both rather shy and need a patient and gentle family who can help us learn to be brave! HappyCatsHaven.org or 719362-4600.

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Be a SURVIVOR “Companies who not only survived but did well & grew during the Great Depression are those who continued to act as though there were nothing wrong and that the public had money to spend. In other words, they advertised.” Get your business in front of 142,000 Independent Readers. Call 577-4545

in an AUTO ACCIDENT? Let us fight for you! Our network has recovered millions for clients! Call today for a FREE consultation! 1-866-991-2581 (AAN CAN)

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Need IRS Relief $10K - $125K+ Get Fresh Start or Forgiveness Call 1-855-399-2890 Monday through Friday 7AM-5PM PST (AAN CAN)

SAVE BIG on HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies. Get a quote within minutes.

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Anyone thatdecker was inapdouble propriately touched by blank a Scout leader deserves justice and financial compensation! Victims may be eligible for a significant cash settlement. Time to file is limited. Call Now! 844-896-8216 (AAN CAN)

TOUCH THE CROWD! 142,000 Await You. From Monument to Colorado Springs to Pueblo touch ’em with the Independent.

We are the South-Central Front Range Alternative.

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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS! Tell them you saw their ad in the INDEPENDENT.

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New relief programs can reduce your payments.

Learn your options. Good credit not necessary.

Call the Helpline 888670-5631 (Mon-Fri 9am5pm Eastern) (AAN CAN)

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If you have deli experience making sandwiches and salads and want to work at a fun, cool, new locally-owned small business, please call 719.203.4743.

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BULLETIN

BOARD DEADLINE MONDAY, 2:30 P.M. | CALL 577-4545

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Bring in your equipment for a FREE complete check and external cleaning. Get ready for Summer pictures now.

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SHOP

...the Indy classifieds from handymen to homes, psychics to pets, art to acupuncture, etc. New every Wednesday and online at csindy.com.

Colorado Springs Chess Club ~STARTING AT $49/ MONTH! Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save! Call: 855-569-1909. (AAN CAN)

LET US GUIDE YOU To your potential customers and prospective employees. Advertise in the Independent. Call 5774545

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too!

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FSBO Get it in this week’s Independent! CALL 577-4545

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S E RV I C E S

Rosie’s Commercial Cleaning and Housekeeping Covid sanitize, free estimate (mask and gloves worn) call 719308-8904

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” ~Frank Loyd Wright. Make things hap-

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

pen, advertise in the Independent! 577-4545

We’re never trash.

Recycle.

WHITE WINS THE QUEEN Hint: Key is a knight fork.

Solution below

Solution below

STINAR ZENDEJAS & GAITHE, PLLC

offers cost-effective legal advice and representation for businesses and individuals.

Employment, Business, and Insurance Matters such as: HR Advisement, Business Contracts, Indep. Contractor Agreements, Discrimination and Wage Claims, Insurance Claim Denials, and Administrative Agency Responses

Call Christopher G. Wilhelmi

719-635-4200

Where: Time: Phone: Website:

LUCE RESEARCH 5086 LIST DR Colorado Springs CO 80919 10 am to 4 pm 719-272-7200 x203 www.luceresearch.com/apply/job

Please be ready to interview!

No previous experience required.

PUZZLE ANSWERS

0 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Andrews McMeel. www.kenken.com 0 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Andrews McMeel. www.kenken.com 8-16-20 8-16-20

Onsite at our facility, or work from home

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AUTO INSURANCE

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CLASSIFIEDS | CSINDY.COM | August 19 - 25, 2020

47

THANK YOU A huge Indy thank you to all our Burger Week participating restaurants and you, our incredible readers!

The Indy’s second ever Burger Week saw 13 partner restaurants, hundreds of bun-loving posts and ultimately one claim to fame as top beef! #COSBurgerWeek

#COSburgerwe

Congratulations to

for earning the distinction of Burger Week's best burger, having served over 69 burgers, 36 jalapenos, 10 lbs. of bacon, 13 lbs. of cheese curds and countless happy bellies.

1

2

3

Look for the Indy's #COSBurgerWeek again next year!

AND A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS: e

n C u i s i

Armadillo Ranch

&

C r a f t

AUGUST 5-11, 2020 | COSBurgerWeek.com 48

August 19 - 25, 2020 | CSINDY.COM | CLASSIFIEDS