August 4, 2022 Vol. 21, No. 36 Serving Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City and Lower Ute Pass
$100
Day ofFRIENDSHIP
August
12022
Questions for Friends who Doubt their Impact By Ashley Cornelius, Pikes Peak region poet laureate and Poetry719 co-director
Ashley Cornelius reads the poem she wrote for Manitou Springs.
Photo by Rhonda Van Pelt
Has anyone told you today, that you are a good friend? Not just good, but great Better than great, you’re exceptional, remarkable, incredible, sensational Let’s revel and celebrate the relationships you create I will tell you in perpetuity the gift of your compassion Your friendship is an incomparable warmth The feeling of deep connection growing from pitted stomachs into belly laugh blossoms You deserve to hear all the ways magic has transferred from inside jokes and warm embraces Bridged time zones and geography to foster connections far and wide
Do you know that you have saved lives with your presence? Your friendship is a life-giving Laughter jump-starting heartbeats back to a rhythm all their own Smiles bright enough to pull loved ones out of the darkness once thought impenetrable Listening makes a home for the wandering as a reminder that they are never lost in your company This is how you show up in friendship As we dance to the beat of our own drums You are the hype person Cheering on the swaying Chanting and exclaiming Welcoming our true selves to be honored and appreciated
See FRIENDSHIP/page 11
For pie contest results, see page 11. More of the celebration’s moments on page 16.
Council briefed on consulting firm’s analysis of water system By Rhonda Van Pelt and Cailean Anderson Manitou Springs City Council’s main topic at the Tuesday, Aug. 2, was a presentation on updating the local water system from Deputy City Administrator Roy Chaney and John McGinn, a representative of JDS-HYDRO Consultants. “A lot of these issues developed over 20-plus years, with a lot of deferred maintenance and some temporary fixes that just won’t do any more,” Chaney said. “We did produce quality water, but it’s time to tackle these issues.”
JDS-HYDRO inspected the water treatment plant and devised regular maintenance schedules for the city’s infrastructure. McGinn then presented the analysis by his company, which is Colorado Springs-based and specializes in municipal water and wastewater systems. He explained that the process began in late April and, working with city staff, focused on the most urgent needs: the city reservoir and the water-filter plant. “Out of this, we’ll be developing a longer
capital improvement plan that you guys will be able to look at and decide on where you want to go for the next several years,” he said. Manitou’s 1970s-era dam was last upgraded in the 1990s, but a state inspector found it to be structurally sound. The water treatment plant’s disinfection chlorination system will be upgraded and plant controls will be improved, probably in 2023. The
See COUNCIL/page 3
INSIDE CITY LAUNCHES ENERGY PROGRAM............................PAGE 4 TAKE ME OUT TO THE VINTAGE BALL GAME.................PAGE 5 COFFIN RACE T-SHIRT IDEAS NEEDED..........................PAGE 7
