OCN Our Community News Happy Holidays! from the volunteers at
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Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area Issue #118 — Volume 10 Number 12 — Saturday, December 4, 2010
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MONUMENT, CO PERMIT NO. 32 **ECRWSS**
Postal Customer
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Upcoming Local Events See pages 35-39 for details of these and many other local events. Historic Monument Small Town Christmas, Dec. 4
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Downtown Monument. Enjoy a day full of holiday activities.
RMMA FREE Concert, Dec. 4
Three of the artists who once played in the popular Da Vinci String Quartet will perform piano quartet music with Dr. Michael Baron starting at 7 p.m., Forestgate Presbyterian Church, 970 Northgate Rd.
Kiwanis North Pole at Tri-Lakes Craft Show, Dec. 4-5
Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Lewis-Palmer Middle School, 1776 Woodmoor Dr.
Palmer Lake Yule Log Pot Luck Dinner, Dec. 7
Tue., 6 p.m., Palmer Lake Town Hall. Please bring a potluck dish to share and place settings for your family.
Gleneagle Festival of Lights, Dec. 11
Sat., 5-8 p.m., Gleneagle Golf Club. Bring the whole family for a hayride to view decorated homes. Chili supper and hot beverages will be available at the clubhouse, with cookies provided by the Gleneagle Women’s Club. Tour price: $2, children 4 and under ride for free.
Annual Yule Log Hunt, Dec. 12,
Sun., Palmer Lake Town Hall. Trek up the mountain in search of the Yule Log. Hunt participants should arrive 11 a.m.-noon. Non-hunters can stay warm indoors with Christmas carols and stories.
Santa on Patrol, Dec. 18
Sat., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. To donate to Santa on Patrol, bring unwrapped new toys or gift cards to the Monument Police Department, the Palmer Lake Police Department, Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Department fire stations or the administration building, or any District 38 elementary school.
In this issue Fire District News 1-4 School District 38 News 5-12 Water and Sanitation Districts 12-17 Palmer Lake News 18-22 Monument News 22-25 WIA News 25 Weather 26 Letter 26 Books, Birds and Arts 27-29 Snapshots of Our Community 30-32 Library Events and Branding 33 Historical Society Events 34 Special Events and Notices 35 Our Community Calendar 36-39 OCN information 38, 39
Above: (L to R) Dylan Eaton, J.C. Coulter, Faith Robertson, and Peyton Coulter pack gift boxes for the Tri-Lakes Networking Team project “Caring for Our Soldiers.” The children are all from Journey Chapel. This year, the team adopted four platoons of soldiers with 20 to 30 men and women per platoon. Right: Merchants and volunteers helped make the project a great success. Photos by Bernard Minetti.
Volunteers pack gift boxes for soldiers By Bernard L. Minetti On Nov. 7, the Tri-Lakes Networking Team project “Caring for Our Soldiers” was set in motion at the Sundance Mountain Athletic Center. Volunteers, merchants, donors, and others gathered to facilitate filling gift packages to be sent overseas to service men and women for the Christmas holiday season. Networking Team President Janine Robertson said that “TNT,” as they call themselves, was formed by local businesswomen in the early 1990s. They enjoy networking, building relationships, and
supporting each other in their business and personal lives. They welcome all businesswomen to join their team. The goal of the group is to help each other to succeed in business by building relationships with each other and to make a difference in the community. Robertson said they had estimated that about 40 care packages would be assembled. At last count, she reported that there were 100-plus packages being assembled. She said that they were extremely appreciative for all the volunteers’ efforts and for all the goods
donated to be included in the care packages. For further information, Robertson may be contacted at 719-266-0246 or at oasisangelstudio@gmail.com. Bernard Minetti can be reached at bernardminetti@ocn.me.
The Red Kettles are here
Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District Board, Nov. 15
Tri-Lakes firefighters receive 3 percent pay raise By Bernard L. Minetti At the Nov. 15 Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District meeting, Director Roger Lance reminded the board that the 3 percent raise for firefighters had been delayed from earlier in the year. Board President Charlie Pocock said that the ballot issues that delayed the consideration of a pay raise and that would have impacted district funding had been voted down and were no longer a threat. Lance then made a motion to raise firefighters pay by 3 percent effective Jan. 1, 2011.
The vote for approval was unanimous. Treasurer John Hildebrandt presented the treasurer’s report. He stated that the total ambulance revenues, which now amounted to $475,580, had already reached 103 percent of the annual budgeted amount for this line item. Total revenue income for the district had reached 96.49 percent of the budgeted total. He said that the excess salary expenditures had been reduced from the previous month’s 7.99 percent overage to October’s
Above: Jim and Marian Taylor of Monument Hill Kiwanis are ringing bells for the 2010 Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign at the Monument Safeway. Last year, kettle donations in the Tri-Lakes community totaled $37,014.43. One hundred percent of the money collected is given to the Salvation Army and used to help those in need in the Pikes Peak area. (Continued on page 2) Photo by Mike Wicklund.