Vol. 26 No. 6 - June 6, 2026

OCN Our Community News Celebrating 25 Years - Details in Section B! N

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Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area ocn.me/social

Our website is OCN.ME. Audio is posted for most of the articles and videos for some events. In the paper, events with videos are marked:

Issue #303 — Volume 26 Number 6 — Saturday, June 6, 2026

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Memorial Day at the Monument Cemetery, May 25

Local Events Readers should assume that event information published in this issue is subject to change and information should be confirmed a day or two before the event by calling the information number or checking the organization’s website.

See page B.12 and page B.13 or check www. ocn.me/events for event locations and other details of these and many other local events.

• Town of Monument Concerts in the Park, Every Wed. June 3 -July 29 except July 1, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm.

• OCN mailing days, Thu., June 4 & July 2, approx. 7-8:30 am. If you can help, even for an hour or two, getting the papers ready to mail, contact AllenAlchian@ocn.me or (719) 488-3455.

• Mountain View Electric Annual Meeting, Thu., June 4, 5 pm-8 pm. See ad on page A.12.

• Monumental 147th Birthday Bash, Thu., June 4, 5 pm-10 pm.

• Goat Patch Brewing Monument Summer Music Series, Every Sun., 2 pm-5 pm.

• Meet Terri Carver, Tue., June 9, 6 pm-8 pm.

• Tri-Lakes Cares Summer Snack Pack Distribution, Wed., June 10, 11 am.

• Academy School District 20 (D20) Budget Hearing, Thu., June 11, 5 pm-8 pm. See ad on page A.9.

• Western Museum of Mining and Industry - History Day, Sat., June 13, 10 am-2 pm. See ad on page 10.

• Elephant Rock Experience Open House, Sat.-Sun., June 13-14, 11 am-8 pm • YMCA Fall Youth Sports Registration Begins, Mon., June 15. See ad on page A.6.

• Encore Community Arts Commercial Acting Camp, Mon.-Fri., June 1519, 9 am-12 pm.

• Art Hop, Thu., June 18, 5 pm-8 pm. See ad on page A.3.

• Palmer Lake Historical Society, Thu., June 18, 7 pm-8 pm • Jackson Creek Community Garage Sale, Fri.-Sat., June 19-20, 8 am-5 pm.

• Monumental Impact - Networking Night, Thu., June 18, 5:30 pm-7 pm.

See ad on page A.3.

• Cops and Bobbers, Sat., June 20, 8 am-12 pm.

• Monumental Impact - Orientation, Sat., June 20, 2 pm-3 pm. See ad on page A.3.

• Music Camp at The Church at Woodmoor, Mon.-Fri., June 22-26, 9 am-12 pm. See ad on page A.5.

• Lewis-Palmer School District 38 (D38) Budget Hearing, Mon., June 22, 6 pm-9 pm. See ad on page A.6.

• Tri-Lakes Church of Christ Illumination Station VBS, Mon.-Wed., June 22-24, 6:30 pm-8:30. See ad on page B.14.

• St. Matthias Episcopal Church Annual Garage Sale, Fri.-Sat., June 2627, 8 am-2 pm. See ad on page A.3.

• Bent Tree, Charter Pines Garage Sale, Fri.-Sat., June 26-27, 8 am-3 pm.

See ad on page B.6.

• Monumental Impact - Maker Showcase, Fri., June 26, 4:30 pm-6 pm. See ad on page A.3.

• Front Range Makers' Market, Sat., June 27, 9 am-4 pm. Sun., June 28, 10 am-3 pm. See ad on page B.14.

• Palmer Lake July 4th Fun Run, Sat., July 4, 6 am-10 am. See ad on page A.11.

• St. Peter Knights of Columbus 4th of July Pancake Breakfast, Sat., July 4, 7 am-10 am. See ad on page A.2.

• OCN Publication, Sat., July 4 • Palmer Lake Arts Festival, Fri.-Sun., July 24-26, 6 pm-9 pm. See ad on page A.11.

In this issue Palmer Lake News A.1-5 Fire District News A.1, A.5-7 HOA News A.1, A14, B4-5 Monument News A.7-8 D38 News A.8-11 Water & San District News A.12-14 OCN 25th Anniversary B.1-4 Letter & Columns B.5-7, B.11 Snapshots B.8-10 Notices and Calendar B.11-13 OCN Info A.1, B.12-13

Above: American Legion Tri-Lakes Post 9-11, VFW Post 7829 presents the colors. It was a beautiful sunny day with highs in the 70s when a few hundred people attended Memorial Day ceremonies at the Monument cemetery. Mayor Mitch LaKind, a Navy veteran who was celebrating his birthday, was the MC. As is tradition, Army veteran Max Williams rang the bell as names of veterans buried in the cemetery were read aloud. Boy Scout Nickolas Silva played taps, replacing Michael Carlson, who had the honor for years before graduating from Palmer Ridge High School last year. Photo by Michael Weinfeld. Right: Mayor Mitch LaKind, left, and Mayor Pro Tem Steven King, right, wrapped in the words of retired veteran Air Force Maj. Darby Kelly as he recalled all who gave their lives, as well as their family sacrifices, while honoring the heart-strong belief of our veterans in their defense of our freedoms. The sounds of taps at the Monument cemetery ceremony’s conclusion may have echoed away with the wind, but the memory of this day will remain clear for decades to come. Photo by Gordon Reichal.

Palmer Lake Board of Trustees, May 14

Whitmer resigns as town attorney

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans The Palmer Lake Board of Trustees (PLBOT) met on May 14, and on May 24, Town Attorney Kent Whitmer sent the Town of Palmer Lake his resignation. The board meeting scheduled for May 28 was cancelled due to a lack of quorum.

At the May 14 meeting, Trustee Atis Jurka tried but failed to terminate Interim Town Administrator Glen Smith. The board discussed a process to remove a town official from office. It debated whether the roles of town administrator and chief of police should remain combined. Trustee Roger Moseley accused Smith of overstepping his authority by hiring an attorney to oversee an investigation of Moseley for allegedly harassing town staff.

Trustee Tony Beltran was appointed mayor pro tem. The board debated whether to pay an invoice from the town’s auditor and discussed hiring

SAFEbuilt to provide land use and planning advice. The board passed ordinances and resolutions addressing graywater systems, water conservation, and hazard mitigation.

Whitmer out after two months

Many voice opinions on court petition

surer, provided a detailed review of MFD’s financial performance year-todate, with the news that MFD is on target for its Effective Cost Management performance according to plan.

Also, as required by the state, the

By David Futey During the Gleneagle Civic Association (GCA) board meeting on May 12 at Antelope Trails Elementary School, an open forum regarding the board’s petition to the district court dominated the proceedings. The petition seeks to have the GCA’s amended and restated declaration of covenants and short-term leasing amendment approved under a Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (CCIOA) statute.

Neither achieved the 67% approval in the 2025 GCA membership vote as required in the present covenants.

The statute provides a means to have both approved through a court order after it has been determined that the petitioner, the GCA, has taken certain steps. More than 60 community members attended this meeting.

Board members Mark Connell, president and Roads, Signs and Ditches chair; Glenn Leimbach, vice president and Open Space Manager; Steve Kouri, treasurer; and Ray Micklewright, secretary, were present.

Jeff McLemore, Architectural Review Committee (ARC) chair, was unable to attend.

To begin the open forum, Connell provided a summary of the declaration of covenants update and the related voting process in 2025. He said the board identified early in that year that the declaration of covenants needed to be updated, as most of it dates to 1983.

The board began the process with town hall meetings to provide an opportunity for GCA members to provide input and feedback on amending the declaration of covenants and two related amendments on short-term leasing and an increase in the annual fee assessment. The board received feedback and answered questions directed to it through email and other correspondence from community members.

Connell said there were “dozens and dozens of changes made to the declarations draft based on feedback from the membership.” The updated

MFD (cont. on A.5)

GCA (cont. on A.14)

In his resignation, Whitmer said his decision to quit was due to the “strife and turmoil” engulfing the town’s Board of Trustees. His role as the town’s attorney was negatively impacting his other clients, as well as his home life and his health, he said.

Whitmer was hired to replace attorney Scott Krob, who resigned in January. The board decided to hire Whitmer after law firm Wyatt Hamilton Findlay withdrew its proposal to provide legal services to the town.

In a press release responding to Whitmer’s resignation, Mayor Dennis Stern said: “My concern is not limited to one resignation. My concern is the long-term damage being done

PLBOT (Cont. on A.2) Monument Fire District, May 27 and 29

Fitzgerald named new fire chief

By Gordon Reichal The Monument Fire Department (MFD) announced on May 29 the selection of candidate Colin Fitzgerald as the new MFD chief. He brings more than 30 years of fire and emergency services experience to this role.

He currently serves as chief of the Leawood, Kan., Fire Department and has been with that organization since 2012, including service as chief since 2020. Before joining Leawood, he served with the Lenexa, Kan., Fire Department from 2001 to 2012, advancing through positions of increasing responsibility. His academic and professional credentials include a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology Administration, an Associate Degree in EMS and Fire Science, and completion of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program.

On May 27, the MFD board convened to provide updates on fire district activities. The meeting was called to order at 4:31 p.m. and adjourned at 5:50 p.m. for an executive session.

Steve Phillips, newly appointed trea-

Gleneagle Civic Association, May 12

Above: On May 29, the Monument Fire District board named Colin Fitzgerald the next MFD chief. He will assume his position on Aug. 1. Photo courtesy MFD.

Read, download, search, and listen to OCN content at our mobile-friendly website OCN.ME

Page A.2

PLBOT (Cont. from A.1)

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to the town’s ability to retain qualified professionals willing to serve Palmer Lake. Palmer Lake cannot continue down a path where public service becomes untenable for the very people working to keep this town functioning.”

Whitmer’s resignation leaves the town unable to proceed with the 44 open legal issues that have accumulated in recent months.

Attempt to fire Smith fails

At the May 14 board meeting, Jurka moved to terminate Smith as town administrator, effective immediately.

Moseley seconded the motion and said he had sent Smith a list of 15 complaints. He offered Smith a chance to resign.

Smith responded by asking if the board was seeking to let him go for cause, and he requested a hearing, arguing that the town’s code requires a cause for dismissal and a hearing.

Moseley said the discussion underway at the board meeting was a hearing.

Whitmer said he read the town’s code, and it requires specific charges in writing and a hearing. He added that the town ordinance references a state statute with the same requirements. Moseley refused to accept Whitmer’s legal opinion, claiming it did not distinguish between elected officials and appointed officials such as Smith. Whitmer insisted the state statute referenced in Palmer Lake’s code said an appointed official could be dismissed for cause, but not without written charges and a hearing.

Whitmer said he did not recommend moving forward with Smith’s termination at the meeting. Stern said he did not think “railroading this is prudent.”

Vol. 26 No. 6

Smith said he was willing to answer any charges given enough time and due process.

Trustee Beth Harris agreed that written charges and a hearing were required, but the statute was not clear what “written charges” meant.

Whitmer said the charges needed to be written by the entire board, not a single trustee.

Harris said she had heard many complaints about Smith’s conduct from residents, but she did not want to rush the process. She pointed out that the board had been working with Whitmer to draft an ordinance to govern the removal of officials from office, and she wanted that process in place before terminating Smith.

Jurka said he had concerns about possible criminal activities by Smith and did not feel comfortable with Smith continuing as town administrator. This provoked a heated response from Smith, who demanded that Jurka provide the details behind his claim. Jurka did not provide details but said he had used the word “possible” in his claim.

Smith said there is a process for handling criminal charges, and Jurka should follow it. Jurka said he had reached out to the Colorado attorney general and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) about the legality of Smith hiring an attorney to oversee the investigation of Moseley for harassing town staff. Smith said he would be happy to hear from the attorney general or the CBI. Trustee Mike Beeson said he also had heard complaints about Smith and suggested that all the trustees should pool their concerns with Smith.

Resident Martha Brodzik said appointed officials like Smith did not deserve the same provisions as elect-

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Saturday, June 6, 2026 ed officials. She claimed, “The town has been crooked for years ... we are being dragged down.”

Resident Darren Fike cited the legal case of Mitchell v. Town of Eaton, in which the Colorado Supreme Court held that towns have the power to discharge employees at any time without notice. Whitmer said an official could be removed by a majority vote of the board, but not without due process before the vote.

Stern said he did not want to go forward with Jurka’s motion to terminate Smith because he felt it was retaliatory.

Trustee Tony Beltran read a letter from resident Amy Hutson commending Smith for his willingness to take on the workload of town administrator in addition to his role as chief of

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police. She also praised Town Clerk Erica Romero.

Romero said, “We have to understand the process and follow the process.”

At this point, Moseley withdrew his second to Jurka’s motion. Stern asked for another second and, hearing none, declared Jurka’s motion dead.

Smith asked the board if it intended to hold a hearing on his possible dismissal. Stern said the board would revisit the issue at its next meeting.

Process to remove officials postponed

At a previous meeting, in light of the investigation against Moseley for harassment, the board asked Whitmer to draft an ordinance governing the removal of officials, including the removal of a trustee. At the May 14 meeting, Whitmer presented the board with his legal analysis of the issues and an outline of an ordinance.

Whitmer said there were few legal precedents addressing how to remove an official. He recommended a quasi-judicial approach that would include charges written by at least four trustees, a hearing, a special counsel to present evidence and make arguments, a hearing officer, and an attorney, paid for by the town, to represent the official being charged.

Stern suggested a workshop to review Whitmer’s approach.

Christi Birkeland, the town’s management specialist, said the process for removal affected her personally. She said the town’s employee handbook guarantees the right to work free from harassment.

Employees must report issues to the town administrator, who has a responsibility to investigate promptly and can discipline an employee but not

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Vol. 26 No. 6

an official. She cautioned against revictimizing the victim and asked, “Where is the justice?”

Administrative and police roles should separate

Stern said the previous town administrator, Dawn Collins, had recommended that the roles of town administrator and chief of police be temporarily conjoined when she resigned in July of 2025, and the board had agreed. He asked if the board wanted to make it illegal to combine those positions.

Jurka said combining the roles should not be illegal but was not ideal. Smith agreed, saying he agreed to take on both roles, but with the expectation of holding both positions for a few months, not for a year. Stern agreed that two director-level positions should not be combined and pointed out that the search for a permanent town administrator stopped when the town had no legal representation following Krob’s resignation.

Harris suggested a workshop to discuss the issue.

Labor attorney hiring sparks charge of embezzlement

Jurka said he put the hiring of attorney Linda Getches on the agenda because he didn’t know who she was.

Smith explained that Getches is a labor attorney whom he hired to manage the investigation of the complaints against Moseley by town staff. The investigation required an independent lawyer, Smith said.

Moseley said the board did not authorize Smith to hire Getches, that Smith violated the town code, and the hiring constituted embezzlement. He demanded the contract with Getches be canceled and redone “the legal way.”

Smith insisted he did have the authority to hire an outside attorney to manage the investigation, and the cost did not exceed his signing authority.

Whitmer told the board he had written a legal analysis of the investigation of Moseley, which concluded it is the town administrator’s responsibility to investigate complaints from staff, and the town’s legal defenses would be compromised if no investigation is carried out. He added that procurement policy is an exemption from pre-authorization.

Moseley disregarded Whitmer’s opinion, insisting Smith was not authorized to spend money or to sign a contract with Getches.

Harris read a portion of the town’s code requiring the board to approve contracts over $25,000 but exempting legal services.

Moseley did not accept Harris’s conclusions regarding the town’s code. He said 26 contracts had come before the board, and only two had not, establishing practice, knowledge, and standing. Smith pointed out that none of those contracts involved misconduct by a board member.

The board took no action following the discussion. Whitmer’s opinion on the Moseley investigation can be found on the town’s webpage here: https:// www.townofpalmerlake.com/media/21626.

Beltran to serve as mayor pro tem

The board voted unanimously to appoint Trustee Tony Beltran to serve as mayor pro tem. The lack of a mayor pro tem has been discussed by the board since Stern’s nomination of former Trustee Tim Caves to fill the position failed in October 2025.

Auditor’s bill debated

Romero explained that Hinkle & Co. P.C. had been hired to audit the town’s 2024 finances for $18,000.

Hinkle & Co. was hired on an emergency basis when another auditor failed to meet the state’s deadlines required for the 2024 audit. Hinkle & Co. completed the audit on an expedited basis, and the board was happy with its work.

When Jim Hinkle, managing partner at the firm, presented the audit report, Moseley had questions, and a workshop was scheduled to address them.

Hinkle, Moseley, Beeson, and Trustee John Marble attended the 90-minute workshop, along with town staff.

Romero told the board that following the workshop, the town received an invoice from Hinkle for $2,415 for the work done to answer Moseley’s questions, including the workshop. This amount was in addition to the contracted price of the audit, and Romero asked the board to approve payment on the invoice.

Beeson asked if the contract addressed whether

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Saturday, June 6, 2026 follow-up tasks would be included in the cost of the audit or billed separately. Whitmer said the contract gave an estimated price, and he found no “not-toexceed” language.

Moseley said, “We don’t owe him that money.

He owed us that hour.” He denied asking for a workshop. Brodzik pointed out that Hinkle offered to come back for further discussion of the audit and said Moseley only requested an offline conversation.

Romero pointed out that the auditor works for the board, not just one trustee, so a public forum was appropriate. She said Hinkle took phone calls regarding the audit at no additional charge.

Stern moved to approve payment of the invoice.

The motion passed, with Beeson, Beltran, Harris, Marble, and Stern voting in favor. Moseley and Jurka voted no.

SAFEbuilt to provide planning services

Smith recommended that the board hire SAFEbuilt to provide land use planning on an interim basis and could reconsider once the town hires a permanent Town Administrator. SAFEbuilt offered a range of services at an hourly rate, Smith said.

Materials in the board packet show that SAFEbuilt provides services to Larkspur, Kiowa, Foxfield, and Mancos.

Following the discussion, the board did not take

MFD (Cont. from 1) MFD Emergency Reserve fund for contingency event support remains fully funded to carry on all operations should a disruption in state funding arise.

Financial audit

a vote on the issue.

Graywater, water conservation, and hazard mitigation

The board adopted Ordinance 02-2026, which prohibits the installation of new graywater systems while grandfathering in existing systems.

Ordinance 05-2026 was approved, granting the water supervisor and town administrator the authority to modify outdoor water schedules as needed without requiring a vote of the board.

At Fire Chief John Vincent’s recommendation, the board approved Resolution 23-2026, adopting the 2026 Pikes Peak Regional Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which ensures the town remains eligible for future federal and state disaster mitigation grants. ********** The next regular board meetings are scheduled for June 11 and 25. See the town’s website at www. townofpalmerlake.com to confirm times and dates of board meetings and workshops. Meetings are typically held on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at the Town Hall. Information: 719481-2953.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

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Page A.5

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING LEWIS-PALMER SCHOOL DISTRICT 38 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET Notice is hereby given that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Education of Lewis-Palmer Consolidated School District No. 38 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. The proposed budget document is available for public inspection at the District Administration Office or online at www.lewispalmer. org/financialtransparency.

A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held during the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education of said District at the Administration Office, 146 N. Jefferson Street, Monument, Colorado on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 6:00 pm. Such proposed budget will then be considered for adoption at the same meeting following the public hearing.

Any person paying school taxes in said District may at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget file or register their objections thereto.

Dated: May 20, 2026

/s/ Ginger Schaaf, Secretary Board of Education Lewis-Palmer School District No. 38 Monument, Colorado 80132

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initiated last year and well received by the community. The team is training in area wildland fire mitigation, familiarizing themselves with MFD’s unique vehicles and equipment for “chipping/slash” operations, and connecting with Neighborhood Ambassadors to schedule individual days and times to provide neighborhood fire safety and risk reduction actions. If you or your community is interested, contact Aaron Wood, MFD Community Risk Reduction Specialist at MFD, 719-484 0911.

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Vol. 26 No. 6

to occur. Specifically, the hours of 10 a.m.-2 p.m. have higher call rates, and in April, 299 total calls for service occurred where 10 required response support to or from surrounding community fire districts under mutual aid agreements. ********** Meetings are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of every month. The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 24 at 4:30 p.m. at Station 1, 18650 Highway 105. For Microsoft Teams virtual joining instructions, agendas, minutes, and updates, visit www.monumentfire.org or contact Director of Administration Jennifer Martin at 719-484-0911.

Gordon Reichal can be reached at gordonreichal@ocn.me.

Black Forest Fire Rescue Protection District, May 16

Fire mitigation Town Hall

By Judith von Ahlefeldt “Mitigation” means to proactively make the occurrence of an event less severe, dangerous, painful, harsh, extensive, or damaging. That was the aim of the May 16 Town Hall meeting hosted by Black Forest Fire and Rescue District (BFFR), as it welcomed the public with wide-open doors to the large fire truck bays of Station 1 on Teachout Road.

Note: Highlights are presented online as a recap of the meeting on the fire district’s website (www.bffire.org) and social media. Be sure to see the Black Forest Wildfire Preparedness Community Survey on that website.

The Town Hall meeting featured speakers and displays with useful mitigation information to the fire district’s property-owner constituency on many topics, including Fuel Reduction and Fire Risk Mitigation, Home Ignition Protection and Defensible Space, Emergency Preparedness, Family Evacuation Plans, Emergency Notifications, Pikes Peak Office of County Emergency Management Services (PPOEM) advice, Ready, Set, Go Evacuation readiness for people and animals, and mitigating tree kill damage from the current outbreak of mountain pine beetle (MPB).

There are links to these and many other items, including the State Forest Service website, on the updated Black Forest Fire District website.

The “new” fire chief, David Rocco, greeted attendees. Rocco emphasized enhanced public outreach and communication and thanked people for coming. Future programs are expected to be organized by Rocco, Deputy Chief Tony Cerrone, and the firefighter and administrative staff, including Rachel Dunn, Marina Fine, and Cody Poole.

Speakers also included Dan Schroeder, systems reliability supervisor, Mountain View Electric Association (MVEA), who explained the efforts and challenges faced by MVEA in forested and prairie areas to provide safe overhead and underground electrical service.

Of particular concern was the work MVEA does to protect overhead wires by trimming or removing hazardous trees. Removal is preferred over delimbing or pruning in pine tree forests because pines do not react as well to pruning as deciduous trees and present special safety hazards.

Fire Adapted Colorado (FACO), an organization that originated in southwestern Colorado and works directly with neighborhood groups to mitigate forest-based issues and connect citizens with appropri-

Above: Left: BFFRPD Chief David Rocco welcomes the public to the Town Hall meeting. Right: Andre Mouton, a volunteer for FACO (Fire Adapted Communities of Colorado), explained how the nonprofit supports residents to work with the local fire districts such as Monument Fire and Black Forest Fire.

Photos by Judith von Ahlefeldt.

ate resources, was described by Lara Thomas, FACO director of Training and Network. Volunteer FACO Ambassador Andre Mouton of Monument explained how FACO had formed several neighborhood groups in the Monument Fire District, which brought neighbors together to solve local problems and stand ready to help Black Forest. Cody Poole will be Black Forest’s Fire District ambassador for the Black Forest FACO neighborhood programs. See: www.fireadaptedco.org/contact and www.fireadaptedco.org/join/ Judy von Ahlefeldt, entomologist/ecologist and longtime resident, brought posters on the ongoing mountain pine beetle outbreak and gave an update on its extent and intensity, and what to do about it.

See www.bffire.org/mountainpine beetle.

Carolyn Brown and Scott Palmer represented Black Forest’s Slash/Mulch program and explained the changed hours this year (Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.; no Sunday hours through Sept. 12 for slash drop-off), and the continuing need for volunteers and contributions (www.bfslash.org.).

After the presentations was a question session.

Deputy Chief Tony Cerrone also gave a strong review of what Black Forest Fire District’s capabilities, limitations, and procedures are for firefighting. The district always welcomes volunteers.

Peak Alert Program operates the Digital Emergency Notification Phone System for El Paso and Teller Counties per the Everbridge App. This was previously called El Paso-Teller 911. The meeting provided a way to check whether your phone number was in the Peak Alert Notification System, and to sign up if it wasn’t.

CERT, the Pikes Peak Region Emergency Response Team, staffed by volunteers, had great handouts from the National Fire Protection Agency and

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Page A.7 Judith von Ahlefeldt can be contacted at Judithvonahlefeldt@ocn.me.

Watch for future Town Hall meeting notifications, and look online for more information at www.bffire.org.

Monument Town Council, May 4 and 18

Growth, infrastructure among meeting topics

By Marlene Brown The May 4 and 18 Monument Town Council (MTC) meetings focused on growth management, infrastructure planning, municipal governance, and community services. At both meetings, council members considered updates to long-range engineering standards, acted on land use and code matters, reviewed financial and hazard-mitigation planning, and discussed new initiatives ranging from a town celebration to the adoption of an artificial intelligence policy for staff use.

During the May 4 meeting, the council heard public input emphasizing the importance of stronger design standards that reflect Monument’s natural character. The council also recognized National Police Week, honoring the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers.

A major focus of the meeting was the introduction of a draft Roadway Design Standards Manual, the town’s first comprehensive update to roadway and pavement standards since 2010. Staff explained that the revised manual is intended to modernize engineering practices, create clearer expectations for future development, and strengthen the town’s ability to manage construction impacts through new permit requirements for activities such as haul routes, encroachments, special transport, and excavation.

Note: The draft has been posted to the town’s website at www.townofmonumnent.org/documentcenter/ view/5318/draft-2026-Roadway-andPavement-Design-Standards-RDSManual for public viewing and comments and questions. Send comments to planning@tomgov.org by June 30.

The final version of the manual is scheduled for approval at the July 20 MTC meeting.

The council also approved the Final Planned Unit Development (PUD) plan and Final Plat for the Alpine Buick GMC dealership at Falcon Commerce Center. Discussion centered on signage and exterior materials, with

the applicant agreeing to Monument signs in place of a taller pylon sign and clarifying the proposed use of architectural metal panels. Planning Commission Director Jenna Gorney explained that the items of concern to the council had been addressed and put into the final plans.

In other business, the council updated Title 9 of the municipal code to align it with the Town Charter and formally approved the renaming of a street off Old Denver Road to Doc Close Road. There was a ceremony on May 22 for the family and friends of Dr. Close, who was a physician and pharmacist in the early 1900s.

The council adopted the Pikes Peak Regional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. The adoption will preserve eligibility for Federal Emergency Management Administration grant funding.

The meeting concluded with a first-quarter financial report showing a strong performance, including an increase in sales tax collections and substantial interest earnings on town investments.

At the May 18 meeting, the council reviewed plans for the inaugural Monumental Birthday Bash, a family-oriented community celebration scheduled for June 4 at Limbach Park.

The event emphasizes local entertainment, food vendors, and activities designed to mark the town’s 147th birthday.

The council also held a public hearing on a proposed Paid Parking Kiosk Program at Monument Lake intended to support maintenance costs.

After hearing concerns from nearby residents about overflow parking in surrounding neighborhoods, residents are requesting a yearly sticker that may be purchased. Council members voted to continue these matters to a future date for additional consideration.

The meeting included several significant policy and infrastructure items. The council approved the town’s

first formal artificial intelligence use policy, establishing guardrails for staff use of tools such as Microsoft Copilot and reinforcing the need for human review and protection of sensitive information.

Members adopted the 2026 Stormwater Master Plan to guide long-term capital improvements and reduce flood risk, and they discussed a broad update to the town’s Water Standards Manual, including changes aimed at improving reliability and reducing failures in residential service lines.

After moving into and returning from the executive session, no actions were taken. ********** Regular meetings are typically held on the first and third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, located at 645 Beacon Lite Road, Monument. If the meeting falls on a holiday, it will be held the following Tuesday. See townofmonument. org for agendas and supporting documents.

Marlene Brown can be reached at marlenebrown@ocn.me.

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Monument Planning Commission, May 13

Planners eye data center limits

By Janet Sellers At the May 13 meeting of the Monument Planning Commission, local officials indicated they are moving to protect Monument’s finite natural resources from the booming digital infrastructure industry. The commission held a lengthy debate over how to regulate “hyperscale” data centers before they can strain the town’s power grid and non-renewable aquifers.

The discussion was triggered by

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Massive resource demands

The core issue facing the commission is the resource footprint of these facilities, which require continuous elec-

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Furthermore, Monument’s location within a WildlandUrban Interface (WUI) and its reliance on regional fire protection services highlight the critical importance of understanding whether local emergency response training, battery boundaries, and infrastructure can safely support this unique type of specialized development.

Chair Ray Egley, drawing on his professional background in the construction industry, put the town’s vulnerability into sharp perspective. Egley noted that a single large-scale data center has the potential to consume as much power as the entire Town of Monument, a scenario that would force massive, costly upgrades to local electrical substations.

Commissioners also pointed to existing digital facilities near the Interquest area to the south, questioning whether Monument’s current broadband and fiberoptic networks could even handle such intense technical demands.

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The most alarming data came from Commissioner Valerie Balmer, who presented evidence showing that standard data centers consume 300,000 gallons of water daily, while largescale “hyperscale” facilities can guzzle up to 5 million gallons every single day.

Balmer characterized the industry’s water demands as an “absolute risk” to the town’s long-term sustainability, warning that highvolume pumping could rapidly deplete Monument’s finite, non-renewable groundwater supplies under the region’s strict water sufficiency rules.

Commissioners noted a lopsided return on investment for the community, pointing out that data center developers typically demand massive property tax exemptions to build, gener-

Vol. 26 No. 6

Above: At the May 13 meeting, Senior Planner Jenna Gorney. briefs the Monument Planning Commission on the need for data center regulations. Screenshot from video of the meeting courtesy the Town of Monument.

ate zero sales tax, and require very few long-term employees relative to their massive infrastructure footprint.

While the commission heavily debated enacting a temporary moratorium on all data center applications to buy time for code drafting, they ultimately chose a more measured path. Because local utility providers cannot currently issue a “will-serve” letter due to capacity limits, the town has a natural buffer.

The commission reached a consensus to delay immediate code bans or moratoriums.

Instead, town staff was directed to continue deep data research and look at integrating specific data center land-use standards alongside the upcoming Title 18 code updates and the Comprehensive Plan rollout this fall.

Water tank rezone approved under strict state deadlines

The commission held a public hearing regarding the recently annexed 1.5-acre Beacon Lite Road water tank site. Following a multi-year land and easement acquisition effort, the town was required by state statute to formally apply a zoning designation within 90 days of the March 26 annexation effective date, facing a hard deadline of June 24.

The parcel was unanimously approved (6-0) for a rezone to the “Public” (P) district to properly match its long-standing, real-world use as a municipal water facility.

Responding to questions from Commissioner Donna Hatch, town staff clarified that while Monument has assumed ownership of that portion of the Beacon Lite Road right-of-way under an active improvement agreement with El Paso County, the “Public” zoning applies

strictly to the parcel boundaries, not the road itself.

Commissioner Trujillo pushed for a guarantee on the record that the rezone wouldn’t act as a blanket authorization for rapid, unvetted infrastructure intensity expansions in the future, which staff confirmed is not on the table.

The vote also marked a defensive shift in local government procedures. Under a newly implemented practice designed to strengthen the legal backing of town decisions and protect them in a public forum, the vote wasn’t just a simple roll call.

Instead, all six commissioners—Egley, Peterson, Balmer, Hatch, Parr, and Trujillo—individually took turns stating their explicit rationale on the record, tying their approval directly to the town’s official legal “findings of fact” under Land Development Code Section 18.03.140D. The recommended rezone will now move forward to the Town Council for final approval. Staff also noted they have collected the commission’s unified questions regarding metal buildings and materials to forward to the Town Council ahead of an upcoming joint workshop. ********** The Planning Commission usually meets on the second Wednesday of each month.

The next meeting is scheduled for June 10 at 6 p.m. For further information, please visit www.townofmonument. org/263/Planning-Commission-Board-of-Adjustment or contact 719-884-8028. A recording with a transcript of each meeting is also available online.

Janet Sellers can be reached at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

D38 PCAC, May 12

CIC report; academic excellence; 2026-27 budget

By Harriet Halbig The Lewis-Palmer D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee (PCAC) met at the district’s Career and Innovation Center (CIC) on May 12 to conduct end-of-school-year business and receive an introduction to the facility.

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CIC presentation

Director of Innovative Programs Amy Sienkowski reported that the CIC currently offers programs in welding, homebuilding, advanced manufacturing, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, and civil engineering.

The building features the only full-size robotics field in the state and is the home to the Bearbotics team and programs for younger students.

In the future, career pathways in biomedical sciences, computer science, and business will be offered. Sienkowski distributed information on these pathways.

Regarding the biomedical pathway, Sienkowski said that she will speak with LabCorp and hospitals about the potential for health certification in various specialties.

Note: For more information on the CIC, please go to the district website, lewispalmer. org, and select Career Technical Education as the department.

A future feature will be a Pathway to Distinction, which is similar to a minor in college and will appear on students’ transcripts. To qualify for Pathway of Distinction, a student in CTE (career and technical education), visual, or performing arts needs to complete a certain number

Saturday, June 6, 2026

OCN dicates participation and scores. Brom anticipates slightly greater participation, 85% for English Language Arts and Math, 77% for science, and 78% for social studies. There is a performance framework for each school and one for the district as a whole.

Draft budget report

Above: Director of Innovative Programs Amy Sienkowski during the CIC Showcase May 4. Photo by Gordon Reichal.

of classes in the pathway, have a 3.5 GPA in the pathway, and complete one or more extra activities. Teachers are working on a menu of activities for students to choose from. This feature is expected in the fall.

The district Transitions program, also housed in the building, sponsors a coffee and snack cart to teach customer service, how to make change, and how to keep an inventory.

During the summer, a greenhouse and flower boxes will be added to the site.

Teachers at the CIC are all LewisPalmer or Palmer Ridge High School teachers. There were 175 students enrolled at the CIC this year, with an expected 320 next year.

A shuttle picks up students from both high schools in the morning and delivers them to the CIC. It picks them up midday and brings them back to the school, bringing a second group to the CIC until the end of the school day, when they are returned to the schools.

The shuttle is free of charge.

Academic Excellence

Director of Assessment and Curriculum Dr. Michael Brom distributed information on the results of the spring assessments. The results for the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests for grades 3 to 11 were scheduled to be available beginning on May 29 in the Pearson Family Portal. Results from the PSAT 9, PSAT 10, and SAT student results were available beginning May 14 in students’ College Board accounts via the College Board Student Score Reports portal. There is no parent portal for College Board Results.

Brom said the school performance framework for 2025-26 will be available in September. This document in-

Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway reported on development of the district’s draft budget for the 2026-27 school year. State law requires that a proposed budget be prepared by May 31.

Ridgway reported that 90% of the district budget comes from the School Finance Act. He predicts that there will be a decrease of 164 students in the 2026-27 school year, and the perpupil operating revenue (PPOR) will remain flat at $1.120, resulting in a reduction of $2 million in funding from the state.

The proposed budget includes $2.5 million in capital investment. The health benefit cost will not increase as the district has devised a way to selffund this benefit, thus avoiding a 16% increase in cost.

Ridgway said he hopes to pare $2.9 million from costs through “rightsizing” of staff and supply expenses.

He said that as of January 2026, there were no new-hire bonuses and only positions that proved hard to fill after being offered for a long period would possibly involve bonuses.

The district will also wait longer than in the past before hiring additional teachers due to anticipated class sizes.

There will be no layoffs of staff, Ridgway said.

Districts within the area are reporting compensation increases of 0 to 4 %. In D38, there will be an across-the-board increase of 2.03%, with those at the lower end of the pay scale receiving a higher percentage than those at the top.

work session. They explained the new interactive method of discussion and asked that the board notify them of subjects they wish to discuss.

It was decided at the April meeting to form a subcommittee to review and update the committee’s bylaws.

Volunteers were sought for the subcommittee.

Two new co-chairs will be needed in the fall. Dr. Lori Benton, who is a parent and a longtime previous district employee, volunteered to cochair beginning in the fall. One additional volunteer is needed.

Financial Transparency Committee update

Kristin Henry-Dallager reported on subjects recently discussed by the Financial Transparency Committee.

These included planning for funding of health care for district employees in the coming year and implementing the right-sizing of staff and supply purchases.

When discussing the Monument Athletic Complex on the site of Grace Best Education Center, it was noted that Douglas County approved in April the construction of Zebulon

Page A.9 Regional Sports Complex, a 500-acre complex located in the Sterling Ranch Area. The project will offer ice rinks, basketball courts, soccer fields, and an Olympic-size pool, with operations to begin in late 2028. The committee will monitor its progress.

As a comment, Renee Butler asked whether there were a more equitable way to determine transportation fees for families with multiple children. The district is required by law to provide free transportation to disabled students and those on free or reduced-cost lunch. Ridership is currently down 20%.

There will not be a mill levy override committee this year. ********** The Parent and Community Advisory Committee meets six times per year.

Locations vary. This was the final meeting of the 2025-26 school year.

To view the schedule of meetings for the upcoming year, please see the district website lewispalmer.org, family resources, district committees. The schedule should be available by late July.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

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Communications Director Amy Matisek was unable to attend the meeting. Superintendent Amber Whetstine reported that the Communications Department will work over the summer to improve the district website, making it easier to find information.

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End-of-year business

PCAC Co-chairs Renee Butler and Kristen Zook made a presentation to the Board of Education at its May 5

Monument Academy School Board, May 7

Bonds refinanced; board members selected

By Jackie Burhans The Monument Academy (MA) board met on May 7 to discuss refinancing its bonds, name new board members, hear the preliminary 2026-27 budget, update committee bylaws, and take board actions on the school calendar, fee increases, and third-party agreements. MA postponed its first reading of policy KFA-MA Public Conduct on School Property until its next meeting to allow for additional legal input.

MA also held a special meeting on May 18 to hold an executive session on personnel issues.

Bonds refinanced, supplemented by capital campaign

Finance Director Laura Polen announced that the bond refinancing had closed the morning of the meeting, and funds were confirmed at UMB Bank for MA’s series 2026 bonds, which replace both the 2014 bonds for West Campus and the 2019 bonds for East Campus.

The bond has a maturity date of June 1, 2035, a 10-year “bullet” where the principal is repaid in a single, lump-sum payment. The bonds are eligible to redeem or refinance in June 2030, a four-year call date.

Polen said that issuance of $4.65 million for the track and field area was delivered, and MA had received reimbursement for track and field expenses they had been discussing. Expenses from now on will be paid by UMB, the bond trustee, she said.

Polen reminded the community that MA would be using proceeds from the bonds and donations for the track and field at the 2024 gala to construct the track, field, scoreboard, discus area, and lighting. However, the Legacy in Motion capital campaign is still underway, hoping to raise money for bleacher seating, a concession stand, restrooms, and a press box structure.

Board President Ryan Graham

said that for six years, the debt structure had been an albatross around MA’s neck, and now MA is out from underneath it. He thanked Polen for her efforts, and later the board unanimously approved a one-time $5,000 stipend as a bonus for Polen to recognize her work.

Board members selected

Graham recapped the board election timeline, noting that two seats (his and that of Matt Ross) were open and four applications were received. One candidate withdrew before the candidate forum, and another withdrew afterward, leaving two candidates for the two open seats. He recommended the board proceed with a vote of acclamation since no election was needed.

The board unanimously approved the motion, and the two candidates, Joe Fantocone and Adam Fisher, will be sworn in at the June meeting, and their terms will begin on July 1.

2026-27 preliminary budget

Polen reviewed the preliminary budget development assumptions, highlighting changes to next year’s budget. At the time, she said the state had not yet finalized its Per Pupil Revenue (PPR) number. While there may be an increase in PPR, she said that with the election there would be a change in the governor and there might be a mid-year rescission that could lower the PPR. She noted that K-12 is one of the largest items in the state budget, which has faced significant deficits.

There will be a ballot issue for a bracketed income tax, which, if it passes, should help. But if it doesn’t pass, the state could bring back the Budget Stabilization (BS) factor and decrease PPR. MA is being conservative by predicting a flat PPR in its preliminary budget. She noted that with the refinancing of the bonds, MA could defer some of the principal payments in the first couple of years.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FY 2026-2027 PROPOSED BUDGET ACADEMY DISTRICT 20 EL PASO COUNTY, COLORADO Notice is hereby given that the proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Education of Academy District 20 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. This budget is available for public review at www.asd20.org. The proposed budget may also be viewed at the Academy District 20 Education and Administration Center, 1110 Chapel Hills Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The Board of Education will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget during a meeting on June 11, 2026, that begins at 5 p.m. If you would like to comment on the 2026-2027 proposed budget at the June 11, 2026 Board Meeting, please visit www.asd20.org to sign up. You must sign up to speak between 12 p.m. on June 10 and 12 p.m. on June 11. Speakers must be present in-person and available to speak at the podium when called upon.

Comments may be up to two minutes in length.

The public can virtually attend the meeting, starting at 5 p.m. Those who view the meeting virtually are not able to provide public comment. The link to join the meeting is posted on www.asd20.org.

For anyone unable to attend the Board meeting in-person, written comments may be submitted via the public comment signup form. The form will prompt commenters to input their comments after selecting that they will not attend in-person. All comments submitted in this manner are provided to the Board.

The Board will either adopt the budget during its meeting on June 11, 2026 or by the June 30th deadline established in State Statute.

Any person paying school taxes in Academy District 20 may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget, file or register their objections.

BOARD OF EDUCATION El Paso County School District 20 Chad Isley, Board of Education Support Specialist

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Polen said that enrollment numbers are extremely positive thanks to the hard-working registrars. Registrar Lena Gross was comfortable predicting 1,100 students, an increase of 53.

She said that in a cohort of other finance directors and chief financial officers, a lot of other schools are freezing salaries. MA is already in a salary freeze but is proposing to use its savings on deferred principal to provide a 2% bonus in September for staff. After the October count, election results, and any PPR adjustments, MA will know if the state will rescind money or not, and can then evaluate whether to approve a recurring salary increase for staff in the mid-year budget.

Polen requested a special meeting at the end of May with the final PPR to get approval on the budget. Graham suggested May 18 or 19, and she said that might be doable given that the last date of the legislative session would be May 13.

Graham said he and board Treasurer Craig Carle were comfortable with the preliminary budget presenta-

tion and he gave credit to the marketing team working behind the scenes for the strong enrollment numbers.

Carle gave kudos to Polen for using conservative numbers, saying it put the board at ease in making decisions.

Board actions

The board approved adjustments to 2026 school calendars presented by Executive Director Collin Vinchattle, adding days to the Universal Pre-Kindergarten calendar to build a cushion for missed days and adding the last day of school for teachers to the elementary and secondary calendars.

The board approved increases to both the student fees and athletic fees, noting the increase in the cost of consumables, assessments, insurance, and technology. Vinchattle noted that fees were last changed in 2018. The board approved student fee increases from $175 to $200 for elementary students, and from $285 to $310 for secondary students who have access to more experiences. Athletic fees were previously a flat $150 for secondary school, but costs had increased, in-

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cluding referee fees and stipends for high school coaches who have a longer season. He recommended increasing the athletic fee to $175 for middle school and from $195 to $225 for high school. Vinchattle noted that costs are higher for football and golf and said MA’s fees were still lower than those of surrounding schools and districts.

The board approved moving both the Shurley Grammar and the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) curricula into the parent review phase at the elementary campus. Vinchattle said that Shurely had been used previously up to 2018, but due to the time lapse needed to be reviewed. He said that MA would provide a sample curriculum online to parents. Vinchattle said that IEW has been used at MA’s middle school for over 10 years, and this would bring the elementary curriculum in alignment proving the same language, routine, and processes for consistency.

Vice President Lindsay Clinton said that a review form would be provided along with the website access.

She supports both curricula and appreciates giving parents a chance to review, and hopes people will provide feedback.

Vinchattle said that Operations Manager Jake Dicus had met with the Monument Police Department to discuss the numbers for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for school resource officers (SROs) for the 202627 school year. Dicus also discussed overtime for SROs at off-campus events and MA’s contribution to new vehicles every five years. Vinchattle said the cost would be the same as last year, and Polen said she had budgeted this. The board approved the MOU. The board approved an agreement with Minga Education to run its High Performance Program (HPP), which supports high-performing students who need flexibility to accommodate the demands of elite training, travel, and competition schedules.

HPP students receive full PPR funding. The original agreement was a fee of 10% of PPR with a projection of 25 students in the first year. Since only 15 HPP students enrolled, MA did not pay Minga any fees in the past year. The new agreement calls for a flat $1,000 per student fee, which is a little over 7% of PPR, Vinchattle said. The HPP program received positive feedback from most participants, and to date he has taken on any additional duties required, so it has not impacted staff.

Graham requested that the board approve another year of financial services by Interim Chief Financial Officer Glenn Gustafson. While he has been taking a step back and giving Polen more of the day-to-day operations, he would be available as a safety net or backstop to help MA through some of the bigger issues it may see in the next school year. Carle moved to approve the agreement, and the board unanimously passed the motion.

Board member Jilinda Dygert noted that the Student Accountability and Advisory Committee (SAAC)

Vol. 26 No. 6

bylaws were written when MA only had a West Campus. East Campus had been using those bylaws but realized they needed to be rewritten to reflect a two-campus school. The board unanimously approved the revised bylaws.

Highlights

Board meeting highlights include: • Executive Director. Vinchattle noted that it was an exciting time with lots of ceremonies and graduations. He acknowledged the show choir, which received a rating of 1 at a CHSAA event, and wished students taking finals and Advanced Placement (AP) tests well.

• Finance Director. Polen presented March financials by school level and by fund, highlighting where revenues and expenses compared to the budget in the ninth month or 75% of the school year. She noted the net income or loss, including the impact of planned deficit spending reimbursable upon bond refinancing. She announced the formation of Fund 43 to hold and disburse donated funds for the new Performing Arts Center, noting that design development documents were complete and construction documents were underway. Finally, she said the audit company had completed MA’s 990 forms, which are posted on MA’s website.

• Curriculum West. Clinton reported that the committee had met earlier that day to focus on the writing curriculum and the field trip request process.

• Curriculum East. Clinton said the committee had met on April 30 to focus on high school curriculum review and refining that process.

• SAAC East. Dygert said the committee had elected a new chair and worked on the bylaws.

• Finance. Carle reported that the committee met on April 30. The big highlight was the bond refinancing, he said, thanking Graham for his leadership. He noted that enrollment remains the main trigger for the opportunities MA will have.

• Resources and development. Clinton thanked all who attended or donated items to the gala event.

• Upcoming meeting dates. The board unanimously approved moving the June regular meeting to the 4th and holding the board retreat on July 14, followed by the regular meeting on July 15 to accommodate the schedules of incoming board members. ********** The MA School Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular board meeting has been moved to June 4, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Campus. The agenda and packet are available at tinyurl. com/ma-boarddocs.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, May 18

Student and staff recognitions, CIC update, student fees

By Harriet Halbig The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education celebrated the achievements of several students and staff at its May 18 meeting. An update on the ongoing programs at the Career and Innovation Center was also received.

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Student recognition

Two district high school seniors were named National Merit Scholarship Finalists.

Nicholas Berthelotte from LewisPalmer High School and Rhett Jones from Palmer Ridge High School were selected after a rigorous examination of test scores, interviews, essays, and staff recommendations.

This honor recognizes exceptional academic talents and a strong combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in college studies.

Berthelotte and Jones each made brief remarks and will both be attending the University of Alabama in the fall.

Teacher of the Year nominees

Director of Communications Amy Matisek introduced 14 individuals who have been nominated for the Teacher

of the Year award. Individuals were nominated by their schools and can apply for consideration at the state level. Matisek read a brief statement from the principal of each school The nominees are: • Angela McNett, Bear Creek Elementary • Nicole Prichard, Bear Creek Elementary • Alison Pulford, Bear Creek Elementary • Colleen Roy, Lewis-Palmer Elementary • Rachel Showalter, Lewis-Palmer Elementary • Amanda Staman. Palmer Lake Elementary • Jennifer Rowedder, Prairie Winds Elementary • Mike Howard, Ray Kilmer Elementary • Lisa Morgan, Lewis-Palmer Middle School • Amy Robinson, Lewis-Palmer Middle School • Melissa Kavanaugh, Lewis-Palmer High School • Monica Tupper, Lewis-Palmer High School • Tyler Dall, Palmer Ridge High School

OCN

Saturday, June 6, 2026

Above: Two D38 seniors were recognized by the board for being named National Merit Scholarship finalists. From left are Superintendent Amber Whetsine, Rhett Jones of Palmer Ridge High School, Nicholas Berthelotte of Lewis-Palmer High School, and board President Ron Schwarz. Photo courtesy of D38.

High School.

Sienkowski enumerated grants that are in progress and the Enterprise Zone tax credit offered to those who contribute to the center’s development.

Note: To view Sienkowski’s presentation, please see BoardDocs.

Board President Ron Schwarz asked for further information about how the CIC is seeking partnerships, how we know if we are providing training that is needed in the industry, and whether we determine what partners need from us when we first contact them.

Superintendent Whetstine praised Sienkowski for her efforts in opening the CIC in such a short period of time and developing new programs.

Policy discussions

Above: The Board of Education recognized 14 individuals who had been nominated by their schools for Teacher of the Year.

Please see the article for a list of their names and schools. Also in the photo are board Vice President Dr. Patti Shank in the first row on the left, board Secretary Ginger Schaaf in the second row on the left, and Superintendent Amber Whetstine in the second row on the right. Photo courtesy of D38.

•

Brady Hanson, Palmer Ridge High School

Staff recognition: Teacher Leadership Academy graduates

The district launched the Leadership Academy this year to recognize and develop staff who want to make a bigger difference. The academy included book study, guest presenters, and a Capstone project completed by each participant. This year’s academy included 12 participants.

These are: • Alyssa Call, Bear Creek Elementary • Angela McNett, Bear Creek Elementary • Cristina Mogey, LewisPalmer Elementary • Colleen Roy, Lewis-Palmer Elementary • Kris Scarsbrook, LewisPalmer Elementary • Sandra Wood, Prairie Winds Elementary • Rebecca McGlinchy, Palmer Ridge High School • Nicole Schwinghammer, Palmer Ridge High School • Janine Dellinger, LewisPalmer High School • Wendi Westfall, LewisPalmer High School • Jennifer Coopman, Transition Services • Janna Strahan, District Office

Other recognitions

In her Superintendent Spotlight, Superintendent Amber Whetstine also recognized Ray Kilmer Elementary School as being designated a John Irwin School of Excellence by the Department of Education. This designation celebrates a school exceeding expectations in the performance framework.

Lewis-Palmer Elementary School’s team was the champion in this year’s Battle of the Books, where students read a number of books and answer questions about them.

Several track and field champions were also recognized, as were student achievements in the performing and visual arts.

Note: For details, please see BoardDocs under the Board of Education tab on the district website, lewpalmer.org.

Choose the meeting date, select view the agenda, and click on the item you wish to view.

Career and Innovation Center update

Director of Innovative Programs Amy Sienkowski reported on the inaugural year of the Career and Innovation Center (CIC) and plans for

the future.

This first year saw 175 student participants in 10 course sections. The Bearbotics robotics team is also housed in the CIC, which features the only full-size robotics field in the state. The Transitions Program is also housed in the CIC until a permanent home can be determined.

The Transitions students founded a coffee and snack cart called Common Grounds, which will help them learn to make change, manage inventory supplies, and offer good customer service. In celebration of this service, engineering students offer Waffle Fridays for Transitions students.

In the 2026-27 school year, it is forecast that there will be 320 students in 14 sections in pathways including aerospace, electrical engineering/advanced manufacturing, welding, Home Build, construction 2, civil engineering/architecture, engineering design/development, and robotics engineering.

Visitors to the center this year included Rep. Jeff Crank, Attorney General Phil Weiser, and several special events, including a meeting of regional Career and Technology Education directors, a regional superintendent meeting, a Kiwanis meeting, and the meeting with Tri-Lakes faith leaders.

Sienkowski also spoke of programs during the summer and late spring and the addition of new pathways, including computer science, health care, and exercise science, now offered at Palmer Ridge

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The board approved several policy revisions in the areas of staff leave, public conduct on district property, sexual harassment, student dress code, and student health services. This was the second reading of these policies. To view them, please see BoardDocs.

Curriculum approval

The board voted to approve materials for English Language Arts in grades 6-8 and grades 9-10.

Financial planning

Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway spoke briefly about the development of the proposed budget for the 202627 school year. He said that the proposed budget must be completed by May 31 and a final budget must be submitted to the state by June 30.

Ridgway explained the various documents, pointing out that one area that will need further definition is the

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offer of a self-funded health program, which will help avoid an otherwise 16% increase in healthcare costs.

Student fees approved

Ridgway presented recommendations for student fees in the 2026-27 school year.

Both academic and non-academic fees were presented.

Note: To view this document, please see BoardDocs.

Board Treasurer Todd Brown commented that these decisions are not easy and that he himself is paying fees for his children in the district.

Superintendent goals

The board met before the regular meeting to discuss goals for the next year with Superintendent Whetstine.

Note: To view the list of

goals, please see BoardDocs.

The board approved the goals.

Future meetings

Schwarz reminded the board that the June meeting will be on June 22 rather than June 15. ********** The Lewis-Palmer D 38 Board of Education usually meets in the Bauman Learning Center, 146 Jefferson St., at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of each month except July. The June meeting is scheduled for June 22 due to a scheduling conflict. For further information, contact vwood@lewispalmer. org.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

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Vol. 26 No. 6

Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, May 11

2025 finances audited

By James Howald The Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board heard an audit presentation at its May meeting from Uli Keeley of Prospective Business Solutions. The board heard financial and operational reports, and the meeting ended with an executive session.

2025 audit finds no issues

Keeley commended the district staff for their work in preparation for the audit. She told the board that her audit of the district’s 2025 finances found no issues and included a clean, unmodified opinion.

Keeley found no significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the district’s processes.

Keeley found the district’s net position—what it owns minus what it owes—to be

$72.4 million, an increase of $1.2 million over the previous year. She noted a decrease in total cash over the previous year due to the use of reserves to cover major capital projects. In terms of capital assets, Keeley said construction that was in progress was now completed, and the board should expect to see depreciation expense increase as a result. The district has $9.7 million in bond debt, scheduled to be repaid by 2031. Leaving aside the district’s use of reserve funds, Keeley found actual revenue was $2.4 million less than estimated, because of lower-than-expected water use and tap fees. Keeley said revenue was $1.8 million greater than expenses.

Financial and operational reports

In his financial report, board Treasurer Dana Franzen re-

viewed finances through the end of March and said that reserves have risen. Water revenue and tap fees are ahead of schedule, and March showed a profit of $1 million.

Operations Superintendent Dan LaFontaine said Chilcott Ditch began delivering water to partners. Calls on Chilcott Ditch water from the holders of senior water rights have been moderate, LaFontaine said, adding he expected to be able to lease water from the ditch to the Arkansas Groundwater and Reservoir Association (AGRA) once the Division of Water Resources completes its transit loss model. LaFontaine mentioned that a drilling company had drilled through a water main on Bowstring Road due to an error by a locator.

In her report, District Engineer Cydney Saelens said

the project to eliminate a lift station on Lost Arrowhead Drive was substantially complete. District Manager Jessie Shaffer mentioned that KOAA reporter Peter Choi had reported on the project, highlighting a resident’s concerns about tree removal. Shaffer said the contractor preserved as many trees as possible.

Saelens said she was working on issues related to two traffic roundabouts El Paso County is planning to install on Woodmoor Drive, one north of the Park and Ride and one adjacent to Deer Creek Road. She mentioned the Town of Monument is planning to widen the northbound lane of Jackson Creek Parkway from Higby Road to Highway 105. WWSD will need to move sewer lines to allow for the parkway to be widened.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session for the board to receive legal advice regarding potential agreements with Rex Colorado Corp., Quantum Group, and JUWI Inc. No action was taken following the executive session. ********** The next meeting is on June 8 at 1 p.m. Meetings are usually held on the second Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at the district office at 1845 Woodmoor Drive. Please see www. woodmoorwater.com or call 719-488-2525 to verify meeting times and locations.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Monument Sanitation District, May 20

2025 audit shows good financial health

By Jackie Burhans and James Howald The Monument Sanitation District (MSD) board met May 20 to hear an audit report on its 2025 finances from Derek Watada of Olson, Reyes & Sauerwein LLC, the district’s auditor. District Manager Mark Parker gave the board a report on operations.

2025 finances get “clean” opinion

Watada told the board that the audit process went well and there were no challenges working with the district’s staff. He noted that separation of duties was a challenge

for MSD due to the small size of the district’s staff. Watada said he tested the credit card review process and did not find a formal review process for those transactions. He recommended having credit card transactions reviewed by a member of the board.

Watada gave an unqualified opinion on the district’s financial statements and said the board could file his report following a vote. The board voted unanimously to approve the draft 2025 audit report.

Watada’s report said MSD’s actual revenue exceeded budgeted revenue

by about $95,000. User fees were $128,000 greater than the budget, and income interest was $235,000 greater than the budget. Tap fees were $304,000 less than the budget.

On the expense side, the report noted actual expenses were below the budgeted amount by about $1.53 million. The 2025 budget included $1.4 million for capital improvements, but none of this was spent in 2025. Sludge removal was $52,000 under budget, and $100,000 in contingency funds was not used.

Budgeted repairs exceeded actual repairs by about

$58,000, and pension contributions were under budget by $48,000.

Watada’s report listed the district’s net position as $17.5 million.

Manager’s report

Parker told the board he was continuing to meet with El Paso County regarding the work being done on Beacon Lite Road. He said he was attending Board of County Commissioners’ meetings to stay on top of developments in the north end of MSD’s service area. He anticipated requests to include properties on Raspberry Lane and Washington Street in the district’s

service area. ********* Monument Sanitation District meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month in the district conference room at 130 Second St., Monument. The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 17. See MonumentSanitationDistrict.org. For a district service map, see www.MonumentSanitationDistrict.org/ district-map. For Information: 719-481-4886.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Donala Water and Sanitation District, May 21

Board hears 2025 audit

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans The Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board met in May to hear the results of an audit of its 2025 finances from Jessie Sibert, audit manager at Hoelting & Co. The board appointed

John Kuosman, the district’s newly hired general manager, to represent it on the board of the Loop Water Authority.

The board heard operational reports from Deputy General Manager Christina Hawker and consultants Brett Gracely of Plummer and Roger Sams

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2025 finances earn clean opinion

Sibert said she began the district’s audit by testing internal controls and then basing her audit report on the results of those tests. She said the district’s staff was well-prepared to help her. Her audit resulted in an unmodified, clean opinion, an indication that DWSD’s financial statements are materially correct.

Siebert’s audit report shows that at the close of 2025, the district’s net position—its assets minus its liabilities—was $52.2 million, an increase of $2.5 million from the previous year. Capital assets net of depreciation increased by $1.5 million over the previous year, and long-term debt decreased by $584,000. DWSD’s total revenues were $10.5 million, and its total expenses were $8.1 million. Operating revenue, at $6.8 million, showed an increase of $403,000 over the previous year. Operating expenses were $7.8 million, an increase of $726,000 over 2024. Capital expenditures, at $3.4 million, showed an increase of $2 million over 2024, due to spending on new wells and well maintenance. Tap fees for 2025 were $190,000.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere said that, given the impact of inflation and the many projects the district completed in 2025, the financial results were notable. The board voted unanimously to accept Sibert’s audit report.

Kuosman to serve on Loop board

The board voted in favor of Resolution 2026-3, which appoints General Manager John Kuosman as the district’s representative on the board of

the Loop Water Authority. Before joining DWSD, Kuosman served as the Loop’s Workflow Manager and coordinated the work of the engineering companies that began the design of the Loop’s proposed infrastructure. Hawker will continue to serve on the Loop board as DWSD’s second representative. Water Operator Cade Pennington will continue as DWSD’s alternate representative on the Loop board.

Operational reports

In her Manager’s Report, Hawker told the board that water revenue at the end of April was “a little behind,” but she expected it would catch up during the summer months. She reported that the fire mitigation project on the district’s Willow Creek Ranch had been scoped, and Requests for Proposal have been drafted and will be published by early June. The goal for the mitigation project is to begin during the summer and be completed by fall.

Hawker updated the board on her efforts to find public relations companies to help DWSD educate its customers regarding the district’s need to increase its debt limit to allow it to move forward with large capital improvement projects. Magellan Strategies and Bachman PR submitted proposals, she said.

Magellan Strategies proposed conducting surveys of district customers to determine support for a potential ballot issue for $15,500. Bachman PR proposed a 12-month campaign including surveys, websites, presentations to customers, and articles in newsletters, for $70,000 to $95,000.

Hawker asked for direction regarding the amount of debt increase the bal-

lot measure put to voters.

Vanderschuere said the ballot measure would specify the maximum amount the district could borrow, but the board could borrow less.

The amount would need to be enough to address “capital projects that we can’t see right now,” including possible upgrades to the Upper Monument Creek Waste Water Treatment Facility, he said.

Hawker said she had received calls regarding how a discussion of the North Monument Creek Interceptor (NMCI) project at a previous DWSD board meeting had been reported in Our Community News (OCN). The OCN article said, “NMCI does not provide a way for participating districts to reuse their treated wastewater.” Hawker said the article was accurate, but she wanted to clarify the board’s understanding of NMCI. She asked Gracely to give an engineer’s perspective on NMCI. Gracely said NMCI is a wastewater conveyance project that will collect wastewater from the Air Force Academy Visitor’s Center, and from any sanitation districts in northern El Paso County that elect to participate, and move it to the J.D. Phillips Water Resource Recovery Facility (JDPWRRF) near Garden of the Gods Boulevard for treatment. Triview Metropolitan District and Forest View Metropolitan District have joined NMCI, Gracely said. NMCI does not affect water rights or ownership, and the participating districts must do their own water rights accounting and manage the treated effluent released from the JDPWRRF through exchanges or any other method they choose.

Sams told the board that

Saturday, June 6, 2026 construction had started on a Subaru dealership within the DWSD service area west of the My Place Hotel, near the traffic circle on Struthers Road.

The plans for the dealership will need to accommodate some DWSD easements and infrastructure, and the district will need to monitor their wastewater. Sams said the dealership’s water usage would be high due to its car-washing operation.

OCN Sams also mentioned Santa Fe Meadows, a residential development Classic Homes is planning south of the Falcon Commerce Center and west of I-25. DWSD has a pipeline that lies underneath the development. The site will need to be graded, and that will affect the depth of coverage over the district’s pipeline, Sams said. He suggested inspecting the pipeline before construction begins.

Finally, Sams said the Latrobe water storage tank would be taken offline the week following Labor Day in preparation for recoating. ********** The next board meeting is on Thursday, June 18, at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawa-

Page A.13 ter.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, May 12 and 21

Executive director appointed

By James Howald The El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority (EPCRLWA, or the Loop) held a special session on May 12 at which it selected an executive director, hired a new firm to audit its 2025 finances, approved agreements regarding the design of pumps and pipelines and the expansion of the Calhan Reservoir, and discussed administration of the engineering services contracts the Loop has with companies responsible for aspects of the overall Loop project.

At its regular meeting, the board heard a summary of available grants from Interim Workflow Manager Rebecca Hutchinson, decided to opt out of Colorado’s FAMLI program, and heard a financial report. The meeting ended with an executive session, followed by a vote regarding the employment agreement for the executive director position.

Executive director appointed

At the May 12 special session, board President Jessie Shaffer said that the finalists for the position of executive director had been posted on the Loop’s website, and a consensus had been reached among the board members that Anthony White was the best available candidate for the position.

Shaffer asked the board to appoint White and said an employment agreement would be worked out if White accepted the position.

Nicole Peykov, the Loop’s attorney, suggested completing the appointment process at an executive session at the board’s next regular meeting.

Peykov said that an employee handbook had been adopted to provide a framework, including benefits, for the executive director position and recommended drafting a contract only if White requested one.

The board voted unanimously to appoint White as executive director, subject to his acceptance and final negotiations.

The May 21 meeting ended with an executive session to consider negotiations related to the employment agreement with the executive director.

Following the executive session, the board voted unanimously to authorize Shaffer to continue negotiations with White, and, in the event White declines the Loop’s offer, to extend an offer of employment to Jason Hann.

New auditor hired

Shaffer asked the board to approve an engagement letter with Sorren CPAs P.C. for that firm to audit the Loop’s 2025 finances. The letter estimated that base audit procedures and financial preparation would cost $8,500 to $10,600, depending on the complexity of the work to be performed and the quality of the Loop’s financial records. The board voted unanimously to approve the letter.

Engineering agreements approved

The board voted to approve two engineering services agreements: the first with JVA Inc. to complete the final design of the pump stations and pipelines required by the project, and the second with CDM Smith for the final design of the enlargement of the Calhan Reservoir to hold 750 acre-feet of water.

The agreement with JVA details a list of tasks beginning with the creation and management of a schedule for the work, including data collection and environmental studies, and ending with the procurement of equipment requiring long lead times.

The agreement with CDM Smith includes addressing deficiencies with the Calhan Reservoir dam and construction of a diversion point to draw water from the Chilcott Ditch, a sedimentation basin and a means to convey water from the reservoir to the Advanced Water Treatment Plant.

Shaffer said the agreement addressed two potential designs for water conveyance, one gravity-based and the other requiring pumping stations.

Engineering service contracts discussed

The board discussed how to manage engineering service contracts until a new executive director joins the team

and gets up to speed. Shaffer said the board could approve changes to contracts with engineering companies or it could delegate those decisions to the design teams currently overseeing the engineering companies. The design teams are made up of subsets of the Loop’s board members, each team focused on a major component of the Loop project.

Director Christina Hawker argued the board should oversee contract changes until White can take over.

Director Dan LaFontaine suggested the design teams could make contract changes up to a $25,000 limit, above which amount decisions would go to the board. The board voted to authorize the design teams to approve change orders costing less than $25,000 in total, to make any changes to the scope of contracts that do not affect price, and to approve schedule changes of less than 90 days. Hutchinson agreed to log all contract changes.

Board reviews grants

Hutchinson presented three grants and a loan for the board to consider: • A grant from the Bureau of Reclamation, with a maximum of $30 million.

• A grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with a maximum of $20 million.

• A grant from the Colorado Water Plan Act, with a maximum of $1 million.

• A loan through the Water Infrastructure Finance Act, which could cover up to 80% of the project cost.

Hutchinson said that all the grants were competitive and required some amount of matching funds. National Environmental Policy Act compliance was also required, she said.

John Kuosman, who recently accepted a position as the general manager of the Donala Water and Sanitation District, a participant in the Loop, mentioned an Emerging Contaminant Grant, available through the state of Colorado, which might be available due to the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) in Foun-

tain Creek. That grant provides up to $10 million per year for three years, Kuosman said.

Board opts out of FAMLI act

In determining the benefits offered to the executive director, who will be the Loop’s only employee, the board was required to decide whether to participate in Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. FAMLI is a state-run paid leave program that provides workers with income replacement when they need time off for qualifying family or medical reasons, funded through payroll premiums split between employee and employer. The board voted not to participate in the program.

Financial report

Corbin Fromm, of Fromm & Co. LLC, the Loop’s accounting firm, told the board invoices totaling $499,000 had been received in April. Shaffer noted that Merrick had billed the Loop for two months’ work. The board authorized payment. He said the El Paso Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), which administers the funds the Loop received for the American Recovery Plan Act, had reimbursed the Loop $597,000 for its Q4 2025 expenses, and he had submitted an invoice to the BOCC for $612,000 to cover the Loop’s Q1 2026 expenses.

Fromm said the Loop had spent 10% of its budget for 2026, and its cash reserves were $723,000 at the end of April. Shaffer asked Fromm to invoice the participating districts for half of their annual financial commitment to the Loop.

The board voted unanimously to accept the financial report. ********** The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 18 at 9 a.m. Regular meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Monument Town Hall at 645 Beacon Lite Road. Please see loopwater.org or call 719-488-3603 to verify meeting times and locations.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Triview Metropolitan District, May 21

Northern Monument Creek Interceptor project financing restructured

By Erin Poole At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) regular meeting on May 21, the board reviewed proposed amendments to the Northern Monument Creek Interceptor (NMCI) bond resolution 2026-06. The board also received updates on TMD operations, a milestone water delivery, weed mitigation efforts, and NMCI construction updates.

The board held an executive session regarding economic development and the Colorado Revised Statutes on intergovernmental agreements (IGA) with the Town of Monument to review positions and strategies for future negotiations.

NMCI bond resolution amendment

At the April board meeting, a resolution was reviewed and approved establishing revenue bonds for participation in the NMCI project. An amended resolution, 2026-07, addresses how financing was structured through 2026-06 to issue the new bonds as parity debt in alignment with bonds issued in 2018 and 2020. Upon further review, it was determined that a debt parity arrangement would not work primarily because the tap fees collected by TMD over the last several years, though available to pay down debt, cannot be used in the calculation to establish parity of the bond.

Tom Peltz, partner at Kutak Rock Law, created an amended version of the bond resolution addressing this issue, which was provided to the board for review. In an effort to make the bonds as equal as possible, the new

resolution identifies the district’s existing outstanding bonds as first lien, or first position, series and prohibits any additional first lien bonds in the future or any other obligations being put in front of the bonds being issued through resolution 2026-07, which are considered second lien series bonds.

The amended resolution includes language that the Monument IGA, sales tax revenue imposed in 1990 as ballot initiative 2A and intended to be used for water infrastructure, will specifically be pledged to the second lien series bonds. A portion of the Forest Lakes IGA revenues will also specifically be pledged to the second lien series bond repayment as the Forest Lakes share, which is about 20% of the project.

Andrew Ma, broker with Piper Sandler, reports that the restructure of the financing through the addition of the Monument sales tax and Forest Lakes IGA note and creation of a second lien, reduces the amount of debt repayment from about $74 million to $72 million over a 30-year term. Interest rates for the project could be locked in mid-June.

The board unanimously approved resolution 2026-07.

American Rescue Plan Act grant tank project update

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said the reimbursement paperwork for the final payment of $299,000 of the $1 million American Rescue Plan Act grant put toward the new water storage tank has been submitted. Phase 2 of the project is the installation of

pipework needed to support the tank, to be completed this summer. The tank will be installed as phase 3 in the next one to two years.

The Venison Creek Park project is complete. It was slightly over budget because of the need to redo some concrete work to make it ADA compliant. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the park is being planned.

Milestone water delivery

Water Treatment Superintendent Gary Potter updated that in a historic milestone, the first water was delivered from Bale Ditch to Pueblo Reservoir.

The process from purchasing to utilizing water rights has taken a lot of time and persistence, he said.

A water trade was made with the Arkansas Groundwater and Reservoir Association, which moved water from Big Johnson to Pueblo Reservoir with almost no water loss thanks to strong relationships with partners, which is especially important in times of drought.

The Consumer Confidence report for 2026 is completed and a notice will be sent to customers with their May bill.

Potter reports that more well water will be used this year to save money and retain stored water in case of a sustained drought in the next year.

Well water use will be closely managed to prevent overuse.

Noxious weed mitigation

Parks and Open Spaces Superintendent Matt Rayno said selective applications of herbicide are being made to reduce and control noxious weeds at Chicago Springs Ranch and other lo-

cations throughout TMD. Commercial applicators are used to target weeds and minimize the spread of herbicide.

Monitoring for invasive weeds in TMD is part of a 10-year revegetation plan.

NMCI pre-construction meeting

District Manager Jim McGrady attended a pre-construction meeting for the NMCI, as the northern entities representative. Other representatives at the meeting included the Air Force Academy (AFA), EPA, Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU), and Garney Construction, project contractor. Due to the tremendous efforts of CSU and other partners, McGrady said, the project has received the permits needed and is close to starting. CSU completed much of the prework, saving TMD a significant amount of money and time.

Construction of NMCI was slated to begin June 15 at the north end of the project. A “trailer farm” will be created adjacent to the parking lot of Compassion International to support construction and staff for the project.

Construction will be close to the New Santa Fe Regional Trail from the AFA Visitor Center south for the near future.

McGrady spoke with Jenny Bishop, a project engineer with CSU, who supported the convey, treat, and deliver contract with TMD. The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District (SCWCD) board recently approved CSU to sell and deliver water outside the SCWCD boundaries, which includes TMD. The Colorado Springs City Council was scheduled to review the proposal to sell and convey

Read, download, search, and listen to OCN content at our mobile-friendly website OCN.ME

Page A.14

Vol. 26 No. 6

beyond SCWCD on May 19. If approved, TMD will be able to renegotiate the convey, treat, and deliver contract from a 25-year term to a 99-year term, as well as delivery rates and amounts. TMD discussions with CSU are expected to take place after the May 19 decision.

The board moved into an executive session at 7:15 p.m. ********** Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at the district office located at 1641 Baja Drive, West Baptist Road, with access via Terrazzo

Drive. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for June 18 at 5:30 p.m. For Zoom meeting joining instructions, meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

Erin Poole can be reached at erinpoole@ocn.me

GCA (Cont. from A.1)

amended and restated declaration and the proposed limited amendment to the declaration. This last step means that at least 33.5% of the lots (more than half of the required two-thirds vote currently required to amend the declarations) have voted for the proposed amended and restated declaration and the proposed limited amendment to the declaration. In Exhibit A of the petition, information was provided to demonstrate that those steps were met.

According to the court petition, 38% (270 of 704 lot owners) approved the amended declarations, and 36% (251 of 704 lot owners) approved the short-term amendment. Thus, both approvals were above the 33.5% threshold required in the petition. The amended declarations had 396 recorded ballots, and the short-term amendment had 399 recorded ballots. About 300 lot owners did not submit a ballot. There were recorded ballots that lot owners chose not to vote on all three ballot measures.

The petition, if approved, also states that for future amendment approval, “The Owner consent requirement for future amendments would be lowered from Owners of 2/3 of the Lots in the Subdivision to Owners holding at least 51% of the total Association vote.”

As stated in the petition, it “can be defeated by: (a) written objection filed by any declarant entitled by the Declaration to vote on the Proposed Amended and Restated Declaration and the Proposed Limited Amendment to the Declaration; or (b) written objections filed by 33% or more of the Owners entitled by the Declaration to vote on the Proposed Amended and Restated Declaration and the Proposed Limited Amendment to the Declaration.” The hearing is scheduled for June 9 at 8:30 a.m. in the El Paso District Court on Tejon Street in Colorado Springs.

next to impossible to get that.” Micklewright said, “We’ve never had a quorum for anything—ever. I think what people are doing is misquoting what the previous board president said because I was at those meetings, and I was not a member of the board, but I think what he was saying that we want to hear from you whether you vote for it or against it, because in our position as the board we need to make a decision because we have a fiduciary duty to the community. I think people have mistaken the fact that technically not voting counts as a no vote, but I don’t think people were told that was an option for them.”

Later in the forum, Leimbach said, “We keep hearing about Jimmy, our past president who resigned after moving to Denver. I called him last night and said Jimmy, you made this quote that if you don’t vote in actuality, it would be a no vote. I asked, “Can you explain that?” He said, ‘You know the math. If somebody doesn’t vote, there is no way you can get enough people,’ and that is what he meant. There is a huge difference between a no vote and somebody that says, ‘I’m not voting.’” Ballots not submitted impact a vote as the covenant requirements for membership participation and potential approval cannot be attained. In the present GCA covenants, “Owners of at least 2/3 of the Lots in the Subdivision may amend the 1993 Covenants of the Declarant (Gleneagle Associates, Ltd)” and “60% of Owners of Lots is required for a meeting quorum.”

• A community member stated, “Why were those two things (declaration and short-term rentals) put in this action with the court? Connell said, “Both meet the minimum threshold in the law.” The community member continued that she wanted to know how many voted against the short-term rentals. Connell referred her to the petition where the vote count is noted. The community member then stated, “I understand updating, update away. If you want to go to court to do that, absolutely. Once you go there and get these voting numbers changed, then do the vote, and then ask if people want that. Some people voted no, and now it is going through regardless of what we voted.” Mickelwright summarized the voting stipulations required to satisfy the statute, and that adding the shortterm amendment to the petition “made sense because that passed the threshold too.” The community member said, “So, you had enough votes to say the judge can make a decision?”

Micklewright said, “Yes.” • The next community member to speak said, “This is the first time that a board has sued the majority, because 67% is still the majority, there were no 51% votes. So, you can’t say the majority of people, of owners, voted 51%. The majority of votes was sent in. It was specifically said, and I swear 100% on that, and I know a lot of other people heard it said if you don’t agree with this, I asked, so, if I don’t send it in because of whatever reason I have, it is going to be a no vote. You guys all said, or whoever was the communication person or speaker up front said absolutely it’s a no vote.”

• The next community member said, “I keep hearing you talk about the amount of people that did not vote. But what about the people that did? Like that doesn’t mean anything? You can’t control people that are not going to vote.

But for the people that do vote, it’s almost like a slap in the face. For me personally is how I feel. All I keep hearing you say is we didn’t have enough votes. There are people that voted and the numbers said what they said with the votes that you got.”

• A community member stated, “In that last meeting that we had prior to the vote. I was online and that specific question was brought up if you do not vote then that is counted as a no vote. And Jimmy said that is correct, but we do not want to encourage people not to vote. So basically, the conversation we are having, the legalities that are being taken, what the association is paying for against the voter. This is building a big mistrust in this board. That is where I am at.”

In response, Micklewright said, “We have the right to be wrong. We could be wrong. The judge could say there are sufficient people who have filed an answer to the petition that they don’t want the changes that I am under law, just like if there weren’t those objections, I would be required to approve them, I would now disapprove them. So, we don’t need to argue about it anymore.” A judge will determine whether there is sufficient cause to either approve or disapprove the declaration of covenants and short-term amendment.

Micklewright later continued, “It is not us against you. It is about consolidating for today and for future boards and people in the community, a set of declarations that make[s] sense and are consistent with law and that can be explained to people who purchase your property if you decide to sell.

Right now, the law is moving toward making full disclosure of the declarations a requirement to sell your property. I can push that burden on you, and I can tell you, when I have to go through those things and understand where they are, let alone what they

declaration of covenants document and two amendments were completed in September. The board started the election on Oct. 22 with a voting window lasting 60 days, until Dec. 22.

Connell stated, “Unfortunately, we didn’t meet the prescribed number of responses,” according to the existing declarations. He continued, “We emailed the membership to please vote, called many, many people, and went door to door on almost every street within the community asking the membership to please vote.” He said, “That was the goal of the board, to get people to vote, and yet we weren’t able to get a sufficient number.”

Connell continued that given the present declarations are 43 years old with many updates, the readability is difficult in the present covenants as “it points one direction then another.” The resulting amended declarations document improved the readability and is what was voted on in 2025.

In January 2026, the board learned of a provision in CCIOA (Colorado statute 38-33.3-217) that allows for the amending of existing declarations of covenants. Connell said, “This petition allows for non-voting behavior. What do you [do] as a board if you cannot get the required number of votes in order to pass declarations that are 43 years old?”

The board engaged Altitude Community Law P.C. to first assess whether certain thresholds in the declarations of covenants updating and voting process were met to satisfy the statute. Once confirmed, Altitude developed a petition for court submission, requesting the Colorado District Courts to approve the amended declaration of covenants and shortterm lease amendment. The court cannot rule on the annual assessment amendment.

Background

The court petition was sent to all GCA members by Altitude after the petition was filed and a court date was set. The petition states that the statute “allows Colorado District Courts a special restricted ability to approve amendments to the Restated Declaration of Covenants, Restrictions and Charges for Gleneagle.”

It also states that the statute “allows the Petitioner to apply to the District Court to amend the existing Declaration, by Court order,” after the Petitioner has taken four steps. With the petition being filed, it is now up to a judge to determine if those steps have been met, and the declarations of covenants and short-term lease amendment can then be approved by court order if so.

The statute steps that need compliance for approval are in summary: a proposed amendment to the existing declarations has been prepared; all owners have been sent at least two notices (consistent with the Colorado Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act) of the proposed amendments from the association; petitioner (GCA) has held at least one meeting to discuss the proposed amendments called in accordance with the petitioner’s governing documents; more the half the owners required under the existing declaration have voted for the proposed

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Public Forum

Connell opened the forum to attendee comments after the board conducted its meeting agenda. The open forum consumed 55 of the 65 minutes of the board meeting. A summary of the back-and-forth comments and responses follows.

• During the open forum, several community members asked for information and questioned the costs of the voting process and the hiring of an attorney to submit the petition. Connell said the overall cost was $20,000. The 2025 vote and the development and filing of the court petition by Altitude was $7,000. He said the costs were approved by the board and posted in the financials, stating, “It’s very transparent.” Kouri said the $20,000 included an attorney’s flat fee and other attorney fees, mailing the ballot to lot owners, and providing the self-addressed stamped envelope for returning the ballot.

• Later in the forum, a past GCA board member in attendance stated, “For people who are concerned about 20 grand last year and the seven grand (for the petition), there wasn’t anyone concerned about the 35 grand that we spent on a newsletter that was mailed out two or three times a year for well over a decade. That was before we had the HOA get titled to our open space.”

• Community members raised concerns about understanding the language in the petition and how different the amended declarations are from the existing declarations. Micklewright stated there is no significant difference between the old and new declarations as “they’re in basically the same kind of language.” Connell and Micklewright spoke of the improved readability and ease in finding information in the amended document as opposed to the present covenants on a couple of occasions during the forum.

• At various points during the forum, community members “wanted clarity whether or not it was made clear that abstaining or not sending in your response was equivalent to a NO vote” and related statements attributed to past GCA board President Jimmy Owenby made during a 2025 town hall. They interpreted his statements as that a ballot not returned would be considered a no vote, with one member stating they felt “misdirected.” A community member said, “Some people might not have voted because they thought it would be a nay. That lack of participation, based on an assumption, is now being used to validate getting a $20,000 lawyer to validate we have a non-voting community.” Connell clarified the $20,000 was for the 2025 voting process, and the petition submission was $7,000.

Addressing the nonvote being considered a no vote, Connell said, “Please vote was the consistent message to the membership (by the board). Leimbach added, “If you look at the numbers, we said 67% had to approve it. Then look at the participation; we had 60% of the community vote. That’s yeas, nays, and abstentions. You needed 67% of yeses. It’s

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GCA (Cont. on B.4)

25th Anniversary Edition

OCN Our Community News Informing the Tri-Lakes area since 2001!

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Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

Above: More than 40 past and present volunteers with Our Community News and their guests celebrated the paper’s 25th anniversary with a party at the Barn in Woodmoor on May 3. Publisher John Heiser addressed the crowd via a video hookup. He said he was “deeply grateful” for all the hard the work the volunteers had put in the past quarter century. He pointed out how OCN progressed from a four-page newsletter to the current broadsheet newspaper that goes out to nearly 22,000 residences and businesses in the Tri-Lakes area. He expressed confidence that OCN will continue serving the area for “many years to come.” Photo by Kateri Kerwin..

Our Community News celebrates 25 years

By Michael Weinfeld While more than 3,300 newspapers have folded nationwide since 2001, Our Community News has managed to survive. It’s celebrating its 25th anniversary this month.

The free Monument-based monthly started in response to the fallout from a proposed development that divided the town of Monument, just like Buc-ee’s is doing to Palmer Lake and the Tri-Lakes area today.

The batch plant battle

In 1998, two concrete batch plants were proposed for North Washington Street in Monument, near where the dump is today, that would’ve been adjacent to residential housing.

In a phone interview on May 5, OCN publisher John Heiser said, “That didn’t sound right.”

Residents were concerned about pollution and heavy truck traffic. Heiser said the plants would’ve needed a lot of water, “maybe a million gallons a month, maybe more.”

Heiser, a retired engineering consultant, helped form a group called The Coalition of Tri-Lakes Communities that was opposed to the plant. He said the group testified before the Monument Board of Trustees, which rejected the plan 4-3.

“It divided the town certainly. It divided the Board of Trustees,” Heiser remembered.

The Trustees who favored the batch plant were not re-elected.

The recall election

When the new board fired the popular police chief, ballot measures were filed to recall most of the trustees and the mayor.

The Tri-Lakes Tribune, which Heiser said “was the local paper in town,” was running editorials in favor of the recall. Heiser and others sent letters to the editor opposing the move. Although Heiser’s letter was run, other opponents of the recalls reported that the paper refused to run their letters. The opposition group tried to place ads in the paper, but they were rejected.

“It was a real problem if you couldn’t get your message out in the Trib,” Heiser said.

The opponents of the recalls even entertained the possibility of buying the Tribune, but that didn’t

pan out.

Heiser said, “We got the notion that we ought to be able to start a paper, like a weekly community paper in competition with the Trib. …How hard can it be to start a newspaper?”

The group of about 16 people started small with a newsletter that came out every couple of weeks.

The first name for the newsletter they came up with was Just the Facts, but that didn’t stick. Other names proposed were The Tri-Lakes Record and The Tri-Lakes Herald. They finally decided on Our Community, which was used in the first issue. By the second edition, it became Our Community News.

The newsletter contained four to six pages on 8.5-by-11-inch paper that was printed by Tri-Lakes Printing and sent via first-class mail to 1,500 registered voters in Monument. The group wound up sending seven issues.

Costs were covered by donations.

“The whole point of the newsletter really was to get out the message opposing the recall,” Heiser said.

The first issue came out in June 2001. The entire front page reprinted Heiser’s letter opposing the recall. Inside, there was an article on a hearing held about the validity of the signatures on the recall petitions, as well as details on Monument’s Fourth of July celebration, a calendar of upcoming events, and a mission statement that said the newsletter promised “to bring you facts, issues, and viewpoints all too often ignored or suppressed by the local onesided media.”

Six issues of the newsletter were published before the recall election, and one was published after the election. The election result was that the mayor and all but one of the trustees were recalled from office.

A newspaper is born

The first newspaper edition of the OCN came out in November 2001. It was eight pages long. Four thousand copies were printed by Signature Offset in Colorado Springs and delivered door to door. By December, 8,000 copies of a 16-page paper were delivered, all by volunteers.

“I brought them home in the back of my car,” Heiser explained, “We had people going door to door … some of whom were on bicycles, and some were just walking door to door, some were driving around.”

Many houses had newspaper tubes for the Denver Post and the Gazette next to their mailboxes, so some copies of the OCN were put in there. Other copies were tossed on driveways.

The most common problem was the copies would sometimes get wet, “so we bought a whole slew of red plastic bags” and put the paper in them.

Wind was also a problem, so many of the issues were held down with rocks.

It was decided early on that the OCN wasn’t going to be written like a traditional newspaper with the “who, what, where, when, and why” informa-

“Now what do we do?”

This wasn’t the first time Heiser had been an activist.

“When I was in L.A.,” he recalled, “I was involved in some of the community activism there regarding new subdivisions that were proposed on areas people thought were going to be open space. …I learned a lot of lessons from that.”

Journalism classes in junior high also helped.

“That was kind of fun,” he said, “I enjoyed that.”

Once the final issue of the newsletter went out, “we had a meeting where we said OK, now what do we do? We had not very many dollars left from the donations.” They figured they’d have to sell ads to cover their costs.

They got advice on how to put out a newspaper from the people behind the Gleneagle Civic Association’s quarterly newsletter, The Eagle’s View, that was printed on newsprint and distributed door to door by volunteers.

“That was very helpful,” said Heiser.

Early volunteers George and Judy Barnes

Above: Jim Kendrick reporting on a Monument Board of Trustees meeting. Photo by Lisa Hatfield.

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Vol. 26 No. 6

updating the website, and all the myriad other tasks required to keep the community informed.

Even though they’re called “volunteers,” they do get a small stipend every six months that’s determined by how much money from ad sales is left over after expenses. “It doesn’t come close to compensation for the efforts people put in. It’s just a way to say thanks.”

Serving the community’s needs

Above: On Sept. 6, 2011, OCN received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Town of Monument. Pictured: OCN volunteers (L to R) Ronald Henrikson, Jim Kendrick, Paula Kendrick, Bernard Minetti, John Heiser, Janet Sellers, Dave Futey, Susan Hindman, Chris Pollard, Candice Hitt, Natalie Barszcz, and Joyce Witte. Photo by Carolyn Henrikson.

tion topping the articles.

“It came out of our experience with the Trib, how every article in the Trib reflected the publisher’s bias … we were recruiting volunteers who may have no journalistic experience.” So, reporters were told to stick with “what was discussed and what was decided.”

“If you just get down those two things, then that will help people who didn’t attend the meeting,” Heiser explained.

From the beginning, it was an all-volunteer operation. There was no money to pay salaries.

“To save expenses, we’re not going to get an office. Everybody will work from home, use our own computer equipment … we went to saturation mailing and using the post office. That helped a lot getting the paper into the mailboxes… That was in May 2003.” Circulation increased to 10,000 papers, and within five years, it increased to 13,000.

Today, about 22,000 OCN papers are printed by

the Denver Post each month.

Behind the scenes

Publishing the paper is a nearly full-time job for the retired Heiser.

He spends an average of about four hours a day on the paper. Every day. Seven days a week, with some breaks a few times a year when there are five weeks between issues. He uses that time to catch up on accounting work.

Once the paper is put to bed, Heiser starts working on the next issue “virtually immediately.” He might get “a couple of days off. That’s about it.” The website has to be updated, and then he reminds advertisers to get their ads in.

Over the 25 years, Heiser estimates a total of about 240 people have worked for the paper. At any time, there are typically 40 to 50 volunteers reporting on meetings, writing columns, taking photos at local events, contacting potential advertisers, bookkeeping, delivering stacks, preparing the mailings,

Heiser said he’s gratified by the fact that the OCN has survived where so many other papers have folded.

“It’s been a long road. I remember how excited I got the first time I was in a meeting, I think it was the Monument Board of Trustees, and somebody came in and they held up a copy of the OCN, and they said, ‘It’s right here in the paper!’ That was the first time we were the paper. That was pretty nifty.”

Looking ahead, Heiser said he feels confident OCN will be around to celebrate its 30th anniversary and beyond. As long as people keep coming forward to volunteer, “there’s a good chance we can keep this going for a good long time.”

After all, there’s always going to be a Above: Stacey and Alex need to know what’s Paxson's children reading going on in the TriOCN. Lakes area, and as Heiser said, “If you want to have information, the OCN’s the best place to get it.”

Michael Weinfeld can be contacted at editor@ocn.me.

Note: OCN always needs new volunteers to report on Tri-Lakes government meetings, take snapshots of local events, talk to businesses about advertising in the paper, update the website, and help with mailing day.

We will train you! Contact John Heiser at 719-4883455 or johnheiser@ocn.me to find out more.

Above: Our 2014 crop of volunteers included, from left, Nancy Wilkins, Mike Wicklund, Wayne Claybaugh, RaeJean Claybaugh, Lisa Hatfield, Allen Alchian, James Howald, Jackie Burhans, Harriet Halbig, John Heiser, Chris Pollard, Arjun Gheewala, Janet Sellers, Mark Aggers, and Bernard Minetti. Photo by Wayne Claybaugh.

Right: John Heiser working on newspaper layout. Photo

by John Heiser.

How OCN gets to your home

By Michael Weinfeld It takes dozens of volunteers to make sure you get your copy of Our Community News every month.

It starts with determining how many households per ZIP code will receive a copy and how many postal bins (we call them tubs) we’ll need to transport the papers to the post office. Labels are printed out for each tub indicating what route the papers will be delivered to.

On the first Wednesday of the month, OCN volunteers pick up the empty tubs from the post office and deliver them to the Monument Sanitation District (MSD) conference room on Second Street

where volunteers scrape off old labels from the bins and insert new ones.

Then, on the first Thursday of the month, volunteer John Howe arrives at the MSD conference room around 6:30 a.m. to make sure it’s set up with the necessary tools for volunteers.

Around 7 a.m., Patrick Fitzgerald of The Denver Post arrives with several pallets full of about 22,000 copies of OCN. Volunteers then remove the papers from the pallets and carry them bundle by bundle into the conference room, where volunteers fill each tub with up to 180 papers.

The filled tubs are then stacked on dollies and wheeled into a rental truck that’s driven to the Monument Post Office first. Papers bound for Monument houses are removed from the truck.

This step is repeated at the Briargate post office.

Howe drives the Palmer Lake papers to the Palmer Lake post office in his car.

OCN is then delivered to your home as early as Thursday night.

Michael Weinfeld can be contacted at editor@ocn.me.

Above: Mike Cimino loads empty postal bins.

Above: Patt Kupka scrapes old label off postal bin.

Above: Denver Post driver Patrick Fitzgerald unloads a pallet of papers from his truck.

Photos by Michael Weinfeld.

Far Left: Volunteers count out the right number of papers to fill a postal bin.

Left: Patt Kupka wheels a stack of postal bins into the truck to give to Dave Futey.

Above: From left, Jim Wagnon, Kim Wiescamp, Allen Alchian, and Bill Davis unload papers at the Monument Post Office.

OCN

Saturday, June 6, 2026

Page B.3

25th Anniversary Celebration, May 3

Photos by Kateri Kerwin and Michael Weinfeld

Managing Editors former and current: Lisa Hatfield and Michael Weinfeld

John Howe and Allen Alchian

Janet Sellers

Marlene Brown

James Howald

Jackie Burhans

Tia M. Mayer and Lynda Pate

Sue Wielgopolan

Bill Davis and Douglas Shoback

Standing: Tommie Plank Seated (L to R): Kristen and Mark Aggers, Gordon Reichal

Patt and Ken Kupka

Harriet Halbig

Steve Pate

Chris Jeub

Jim Kendrick and Jackie Douglas

Skip Morgan

Jim Wagnon

Mike Cimino and Dave Futey

Jim Hazuka

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Read, download, search, and listen to OCN content at our mobile-friendly website OCN.ME

GCA (Cont. from A.14) say, it’s a hell of a job. You are going to have to do that on your own; you are going to have to pay your realtor or lawyer to do that. We are trying to save that money for folks coming to the community and to understand the rules and regulations that are in one place.” The community member stated, “You are spending homeowner association funds to overthrow the vote,” following the response.

• To a continuing follow-up concern about the board “earning distrust by blowing the vote off and not having a forum,” Connell said, “We spent almost an entire year of meetings and making changes to the documents, is that not a demonstration of good faith?”

• A community member stated in support of the board that “There were people that got out and voted, there were people that were part of the effort, and we were really disappointed when we couldn’t make strides to go into the 21st century.” She continued, “I am not going to approach the subject of why someone decided not to vote because it was fully encouraged.”

• A community member stated that they appreciated a red-line version of the changes that were posted on the website, to help follow the amended declaration changes. She said, “The biggest reason I voted for this (updated declarations) is it talks about the maximum annual assessment that’s ever going to be allowed being capped at $200, whereas before it wasn’t capped at all. And if you looked at the covenants, the board could have just kept saying, oh, we had a fire in the open space, and we’re going to assess everyone 10K. This is huge. By doing this (capping the annual assessment), it would get us into a smaller HOA under CCIOA and a smaller grouping of rules.”

Relative to a possible special assessment the community member alluded to, Leimbach said, with the present and amended covenants, “You would have to get 67% of the homeowners to approve it (a special assessment). Nearly impossible. Let’s say we need $100,000. Look around Gleneagle and what could possibly garner an assessment of $100,000?

The storm water system is so over-engineered and overkilled, it’s unreal. What other than the open space is a huge looming liability? I don’t see it.”

• A previous GCA board member in attendance said, “I served as secretary and got intimately familiar with our covenants. Our covenants need to be updated simply to get consistent with today’s law” and “are easier to understand.” He then cited examples where the board he served on was sued and lost in court because of statements in the covenants and that the covenants contain illegal statements. He stated that he submitted changes to the board last year.

• A community member asked, “Is the most efficient way to take care of it all in one sweep, dissolve the covenants, and get rid of the HOA?” The previous GCA board member responded, “No, because without that, then we have nobody responsible and accountable to maintaining our open spaces because it’s not just the 90 acres that we have that used to be the golf course. It’s also all the islands. It’s also enforcing the covenants so that we all have neighbors that, you know, we kind of appreciate. We have

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a small community, and we all agreed to the covenants when we bought our house. We all had to sign and say, ‘We read these covenants and we agreed to them.’”

A community member who has attended board meetings since the golf course tried to sell the driving range to repair their sprinkler system, said, “I have seen the first three boards that were anti-open space. Non-transparent. Lie to your face in the meetings. Since then, we’ve had better boards. They’re working at better communication.” He continued that “we finally, finally, have a board to step up and do something about it (the covenants) after 10 or 20 years. I trust this board more than any board, ever.”

A community member who voted for the declaration and amendments asked about the assessment and concern, had it passed, that it was an open-ended increase. Connell said, “The community took on a responsibility of 90 acres of open space. Unfortunately, at the time, there was no real study of how much it would cost to take care of 90 acres.” The open space has been maintained on a budget basis and with volunteers’ efforts “putting in hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to build trails, to remove slash” and update pavilions. Connell reiterated that the assessment amendment is not part of the petition.

A community member asked for clarity on the short-term lease amendment. Micklewright said, “The Airbnb provision is a notice provision, meaning you have to notify the board that you’re in fact going to let out your property for less than 30 days and be a good steward of your tenants.” Leimbach said, “We wanted the tenant and the landlord to come and say, I’m going to Airbnb my house on Gleneagle Drive. No problem. There are two avenues, as there are people that hate Airbnb’s next door to them, then there’s the guy that wants to rent his house out.

I have a right to rent my house out. Okay, we’ve got two dissenting groups here. We have to make something equal. Landlord, you can rent your establishment out, but you have to be a good steward so the neighbor can sleep at night and isn’t awakened at two in the morning with people throwing beer at each other. By registering and if the landlord does not abide by the covenants and noise control, they get a check.

If they get turned in three times for being a bad landlord, we will take your permit away for six months. And that, I think, is a pretty good compromise between them, the landlord’s rights, and the neighbors’ rights.” Leimbach said noise and other issues cannot be legislated with covenants because once the noise stops, the issue ceases to exist. If EPCSO [the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office] is called out for a noise issue, they cannot do anything if the noise stopped before their arrival. The permit is a permission to identify who the landlord is, who to contact, and the structures being rented short-term.

A community member asked, “What happens when the judge gets a counter proposal that we all got at our mailboxes. We all got a letter saying, if you don’t agree with this, send a petition to the court. So, what happens with that?”

Micklewright said, “The judge is going to look at it and say, ‘Are the numbers there for a valid

Vol. 26 No. 6

objection?’ Then maybe he will make a decision in favor of the objection and maybe he won’t, based on the quality of the objection.”

In board actions before the open forum, the board approved the March 18 meeting minutes. The minutes will be posted on the GCA website (www.gleneaglehoa.org).

Kouri provided a brief financial report and will be posting a financial summary to the GCA website.

He said, “We are only two months into the new year, as assessments were due February 1 this year. We only have 20 homeowners that have not paid their assessment yet. I think this is great improvement over years past. Still, we have 20, and we’ll get those caught up by next month.” Kouri then discussed the property tax related to a small piece of land located behind a house on Westchester near the swale. The property was not annexed with the rest of the golf course development by the developer. Kouri said, “We talked about this last month. We are going to keep it under our name and just pay the $25 property tax on it once a year.”

E-motorcycles

Under new business, Connell brought up the e-motorcycle issue occurring on the Ray Berg Open Space (RBOS), an article in the May issue of Our Community News (OCN), and a board notification sent to the membership related to it. Connell said, “It is a culmination and a pattern of behavior that started with some kids trespassing, and then it progressed to damaging the open space.” He said, “We’ve got evidence of the damage and have involved the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. They’ve received our reports and notifications” but still need probable cause.

Connell then described an “attack” by the emotorcyclists in the open space that occurred on Micklewright and his wife. Connell said, “Some kids basically surrounded Ray and his wife and knocked them to the ground.” A report was filed with the Sheriff’s Office.

E-motorcycles are prohibited in the RBOS. Connell asked those in attendance to help identify the e-motorcyclists and suggested members call the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line if an incident is witnessed. He will also be contacting other associations to determine if they are experiencing a similar issue.

Regarding the RBOS, Leimbach said the stormwater system gets inspected about every three months, and corrective recommendations are usually suggested. He said there are four basins, with the largest one being by Stone Eagle, with water exiting Gleneagle to the southwest. This basin generally requires the most attention. Leimbach said he is “in need of volunteers for a committee, two or three people to be volunteer coordinators.” The coordinators would gather volunteers with certain expertise.

He would submit open space needs to the coordinators, who would then seek volunteers to address the project.

Leimbach said the board is also seeking two community members to act as volunteer coordinators to restart the GCA welcoming committee. He said, “A welcoming committee has been lacking for about a year,” and to contact him if interested.

The meeting concluded at 7:35 p.m.

David Futey can be reached at davefutey@ocn.me.

Northern El Paso County Coalition of Community Organizations, May 9

Water supply an ongoing quest

Above: Model of Aquifers made by Roy Martinez. Photo by Marlene Brown.

Above: Craig Stewart and Roy Martinez. Photo by Marlene Brown.

By Marlene Brown The Northern El Paso County Coalition of Community Organizations (NEPCO) held its general membership meeting on May 9 at the Woodmoor Barn. NEPCO’s purpose is to facilitate communication between member homeowners associations and residential areas in northern El Paso County and to provide meetings with government and quasi-government entities that their members also have an

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interest in communicating with.

There were 21 member community associations at the meeting, which was a quorum. After the business meeting with the members, which included the treasurer’s report and an amendment approval, a wildfire prevention pamphlet was handed out.

The guest speakers were staff from the Colorado State Department of Water Resources and Roy Martinez, a board director of the Woodmoor Water & Sanitation Department (WWSD).

Dave Betzler, NEPCO board member and Communications director, introduced Wenli Dickinson, P.E., Water Resource engineer and Denver Office Team 4, 5, 6 Supervisor, and Ariel Hacker, Water Resource engineer.

El Paso County is in Division 2 of the seven water divisions in Colorado. Division 2 administers the Arkansas River Basin in Southeast Colorado.

Water rights are approved by the Water Court, which has jurisdiction over water matters, and then issues decrees for the water rights. The division office administration includes well permitting, construction oversight, and documenting water usage. For more information on well permit forms

and documentation, go online to dwr.colorado.gov.

Martinez, on the board of WWSD and a TriLakes resident, had worked as the director of the Water Works Foundation, as a senior staff member at the Water Research Foundation, and at HDR Engineering, among other water-related jobs.

Martinez explained that most of the water districts in the Tri-Lakes area are looking for sources of water through groundwater and surface water. He has built a Denver Basin Aquifer Model of how the cross-section of the several water basins in this area would look. Any questions about the water availability in this area should be directed to woodmoorwater.com/contact attn: Roy Martinez. ********** The next NEPCO meeting will be on July 11 at 10 a.m. at the Woodmoor Barn, 1691 Woodmoor Dr. Meetings are typically held on the second Saturday bi-monthly. For more information regarding future presentations and membership information for HOAs in the area, go to nepco.org.

Marlene Brown can be contacted at marlenebrown@ocn.me.

OCN

Saturday, June 6, 2026

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Woodmoor Improvement Association, May 27

Revised rules and regulations

By Jackie Burhans The Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) board met on May 27 to update its rules and regulations and to hear director reports.

Rules and regulations

Forestry Director Jason Hann reported that the board had met in executive session to revise the rules and regulations for WIA. He moved to adopt the updated rules and regulations, with the final verbiage to be sent to the board at the end of the week. The board unanimously approved the motion.

WIA’s rules and regulations can be found at its website www.woodmoor.org under Documents.

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Director highlights

Vice President. Peter Bille reported that the staff is doing a great job moving forward with the new system and that the phones have been fixed.

Community Outreach. Director Rick DePaiva attended the NEPCO meeting, whose speakers included representatives from the state Division of Water Resources and from the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District. DePaiva said the presentation applied more to people drilling wells. Presentations and meeting minutes are available in the member area of www.nepco. org.

Treasurer. Homeowners’ Association Adminis-

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trator Denise Cagliaro reported for Treasurer Pete Giusti that WIA is running 3.3% under budget. There are 174 unpaid accounts, with around 20 that are more than one year in arrears. Liens will be filed on June 1.

Covenants: Director Jennifer Davis reported 16 covenant items with three violations issued pertaining to trailers and RVs. There were no unfounded complaints, and 29 issues were resolved with friendly communications. There were 11 HOA checks and no covenant hearings in May, but there will be two hearings on June 11.

Public Safety. Director Brad Gleason reported that one of the Woodmoor Public Safety (WPS) officers had left, and interviews are starting to find a replacement.

Architectural Control: Ed Miller reported 55 project submissions in April, 46 of which were approved administratively. Seven projects were approved by the architectural control committee, and two were denied. There have been 127 projects submitted year to date, which is a 3.2% increase from 2025, with a 97.6% approval rate.

Forestry: Hann noted a huge increase in interest in Firewise mitigation. There were seven Forestry and Firewise visits last month, with 10 more in the pipeline. The last grant packet

was submitted and approved, with the check expected shortly. He noted that chipping days are scheduled for June 20 and 21 as well as July 18 and 19 at Lewis-Palmer High School. Due to construction and the closure of Higby Road, the logistics and traffic flow will be updated and marked with signs. He also noted that Black Forest Slash/Mulch is open and has information at www.bfslash.org on acceptable refuse.

• Common Areas. Steve Cutler reported that the sprinklers have been turned on at The Barn and the flower bed has been planted. A contractor will start mowing the common areas in June, weather permitting.

• President. Bille, on behalf of Bush, who was excused, asked residents to take their trash cans in after pickup. ********** The WIA Board of Directors usually meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Barn at 1691 Woodmoor Drive, Monument. The next meeting will be on June 24.

The WIA calendar can be found at www.woodmoor.org/events/. Once approved and posted, the WIA board meeting minutes can be found at www. woodmoor.org/board-of-directors/.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Our Community News Winter Weather Summary

The Winter That Wasn’t

By Bill Kappel, meteorologist and local resident This past winter was one for the record books, but not in a good way, at least if you like snow and cold.

Record-low snow amounts in many regions of Colorado and Utah were the result of a strong ridge of high pressure that dominated the region, enhanced by a La Niña pattern in the equatorial Pacific regions.

This kept weather systems and cold air shunted off to our north and east from October through April.

Of course, the reason we have weather is that Mother Nature is always trying to bring into balance the uneven amount of energy received across the Earth’s surface. If one location is warm and dry, then another is equally cold and wet. That was the case this winter, while Colorado and Utah were experiencing record low snow totals, many regions of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast were on the cold and wet side of the pattern and experienced well above normal snowfall.

Focusing back on Colorado, as of April 1, 2026—the traditional benchmark date for assessing mountain snowpack ahead of spring runoff—the statewide average snow water equivalent (SWE, the liquid water content of the snow) stood at just 3.3 inches across 115 SNOTEL stations. This equals only 22% of the 1991–2020 median for that date.

For context, the previous lowest April 1 value in the SNOTEL record (2012) was 9.1 inches—meaning 2026 had less than 40% as much water stored in the snow as the prior record low.

The snowpack peaked unusually early and low at 8.55 inches on March 9 (51% of the normal peak of ~16.7 inches, which typically occurs around April 7–8). It then plummeted nearly 5 inches in the second half of March alone—the fastest two-week pre-April decline on record.

The statewide SNOTEL SWE graph below shows the 2026 season (thick black line) tracking far below every other year since 1987. It peaks early and low in March, then drops sharply—well under the green median band and even the historic minimum shading.

17, at 9.1 inches of SWE. Median peak is April 12, at 17.3 inches, which is 26 days early.

• North Platte Basin: Peak looks to be March 17, at 14.1 inches of SWE. Median peak is April 22, at 24.6 inches, which is 36 days early.

The record-low snowpack continued to decline rapidly through April due to persistent warmth. By late April/early May, many SNOTEL sites had melted out 30-50+ days early, with statewide SWE dropping to around 18%-25% of median in mid-to-late May (as of May 23, ~18% of median at many reporting sites). A notable early May snowstorm (May 5-6) brought significant relief to the Front Range and mountains—dumping 5-10+ inches in Denver/ Boulder areas, up to 2+ feet in higher elevations, and marking one of the largest May snow events in decades. However, this late addition was insufficient to meaningfully offset the seasonal deficits, as much of the snowpack had already melted or was at very low levels.

Why it occurred: record warmth plus a lack of snowstorms

The primary drivers were persistently record-warm temperatures throughout the water year (October 2025-March 2026) combined with a lack of significant winter storms.

• October-February 2025-2026 was Colorado’s warmest such period on record (by a large margin); December 2025 was the warmest December in 130+ years.

• Much of the limited precipitation fell as rain rather than snow, especially at lower/mid elevations.

• A persistent high-pressure ridge blocked Pacific storms, keeping the state abnormally dry and warm.

March 2026 delivered the final blow with unprecedented heat that triggered rapid melt and sublimation. March was the warmest on record statewide (3-4°F above any prior March in 132 years of data). Many locations saw seven or more days with highs warmer than any March day in the previous 75 years; plains areas hit 99°F (e.g., Burlington on March 25).

early, rapid melt—will lead to earlier runoff peaks, lower summer streamflows, heightened drought risk, and challenges for water supply, agriculture, recreation (many ski areas closed weeks early), and wildfire potential.

But there is good news with all this. First, keep in mind, weather is almost never “normal.” Any given area is usually either warmer or colder or wetter or drier than normal. “Normal’ is simply the mean between the extremes. Therefore, for us to get back to “normal” after a winter like this year, we will need significant above-normal winters and cold weather. So be patient, as that is a likely outcome for next winter.

Next, the chances that we will see a winter as warm and dry as this year anytime soon are very unlikely. And to help things along, an El Niño pattern has developed in the equatorial Pacific region and is likely to strengthen through the summer. This usually leads to above normal precipitation for us and will be helpful in bringing us out of this record dry and warm winter.

Bottom line, the climate is never stable; it is always changing and swinging between extremes.

And because Colorado is in the middle of the continent at high elevations and away from the moderating effects of oceans, our swings between extremes are even more pronounced.

Bill Kappel is a meteorologist and Tri-Lakes resident.

He can be reached at billkappel@ocn.me.

Letters to Our Community Our Community News welcomes letters to the editor on topics of general interest to readers in the TriLakes area. Guidelines for letters are on page 23. The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer. Letters are arranged in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.

Solving Colorado’s water crisis

Basin-level data (as of late March/early April) showed uniformly dire conditions, with most major basins well below 50% of median and some (e.g., Upper Rio Grande, Gunnison) in the 10%–35% range before the final melt.

• South Platte Basin: The peak appears to have been March 18 at 8.5 inches of SWE. Median peak is April 25 at 16.1 inches of SWE. This is 38 days early.

• Colorado Headwaters: Peak looks to be March

Map from theclimateadaptationcenter.org 2026 Southwest U.S. Record Heat Wave— Climate Adaptation Center This U.S. temperature-ranking map for March 2026 (since 1895) shows Colorado and much of the Southwest in the darkest red shades—indicating the warmest March on record.

A weak La Niña and natural variability played roles. This produced a persistent area of high pressure over the Southwestern U.S. This blocked storms and cold air from the region. Conversely, the Pacific Northwest, upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and New England regions were on the cold and wet side of the pattern, with many of those areas experiencing cold and record snowfall. This is the typical pattern for a La Niña. This year was unusual because other weather pattern teleconnections were in place that enhanced and strengthened these normal patterns, https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensocycle/nawinter.shtml.

This record-low snowpack—coupled with the

I recently heard Sen. Hickenlooper claim that Colorado’s water crisis can be solved with “conserve, conserve, conserve.” Coming from someone with a geology degree, that’s remarkably shortsighted.

The real solution requires a smart, multi-pronged approach: 1) Renegotiate or exit the outdated 1922 Colorado River Compact and build new reservoirs on the Colorado River to secure water for residential, industrial, and agricultural use. The conditions that existed a century ago no longer apply.

2) Strongly encourage California to desalinate seawater and meet its own massive water needs, given its long Pacific coastline.

3) Import desalinated water through pipelines and store it in underground aquifers as a strategic reserve for dry years.

4) And yes—continue aggressive conservation efforts.

It’s baffling that so many Coloradans continue voting for Polis, Hickenlooper, Bennett, Griswold, and the rest of the progressive “leadership” (not to be confused with effective operational leadership that we see in companies and the military). Under their watch, our state has seen rising crime, exploding cost of living, continued water shortages and wildland fire risks, and general overall decline. At some point, voters have to recognize the pattern and stop repeating the same mistakes.

If you’re not enthusiastic about the conservative candidate in this election cycle, at least leave that race blank on your ballot. Don’t reward continued failure with another vote.

Wake up, Colorado!

Will Steuben

Page B.6

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Vol. 26 No. 6

Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore

Thinking about a summer escape?

By the staff at Covered Treasures What better year than this one, the 250th birthday of our country, and the 150th of Colorado, to explore this magnificent land and our beautiful state? Here are a few books that might help spark that wanderlust and get you planning your summer road trip.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” — Ursula K. Le Guin Best Road Trips USA; Escapes on the Open Road By various contributing authors (Lonely Planet) $24.99 Welcome to the USA! From the Florida coast to the Pacific Northwest, from the Rockies to the Great Plains, the 51 road trips in this book are like a roadmap to the soul of America. From one-day escapes to multiweek adventures, this collection of 51 amazing drives is sure to start you daydreaming of getting behind the wheel and exploring. With trips all across the country, from Route 66, (it is its 100th birthday, after all) to shorter adventures closer to home, this book gives you all the information you’ll need.

America’s National Heritage Areas

By Robert Manning (Globe Pequot) $24.95 There are 55 National Heritage Areas (NHAs) scattered across the U.S. and they continue to grow in number and diversity. Though they’re not officially national parks, their conservation, education, and recreation related objectives echo those of the national parks: to conserve nationally significant natural and cultural landscapes and to make them available to the public for purposes of education, recreation, and sustainable tourism-related economic development. While both national parks and NHAs are established by Congress, national parks are generally large areas of public land that are owned and managed by the National Park Service. NHAs are composed primarily of private lands; they’re living landscapes where participants reside, work, and play. Each chapter in this guidebook describes the remarkable natural and cultural resources that define NHAs, highlighting nearby visitor attractions, enticing readers to visit NHAs and to enjoy and ap-

preciate the attractions they offer.

Great American Rail-Trail; Highlights of America’s First Cross-Country Multiuse Trail

By Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (Wilderness Press) $21.95 The Rails to Trails Conservancy is a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to converting former railroad corridors to public, multi-use recreational trails that offer easy access to runners, hikers, bicyclists, skaters, wheelchair users, and equestrians. Designed to connect coast to coast, this ambitious trail will one day stretch uninterrupted across 12 states and the District of Columbia. More than half of the trail is complete and ready to explore. This book showcases 50 of the most scenic, significant, ready-to-use segments. If you prefer exploring by foot or bicycle, this may be the book for you!

Backroads & Byways of Colorado; Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions

By Drea Knufken & John Daters (Countryman Travelers) $22.95 This book invites readers to hit the road to experience Colorado’s most breathtaking byways, mile by mile. It guides the reader to the pinnacles of the Rockies, the sandstone valleys of the Western Slope, and the windswept prairies of eastern Colorado. The carefully crafted itineraries invite you to ski, hike, or camp in the 2.3-million-acre White River National Forest; navigate frontier paths and long-abandoned ghost towns; explore ancestral Puebloan settlements and Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved through road in North America. This practical guidebook includes the authors’ expert insights into the state’s must-see sites, memorable meals, and cozy lodgings. This is the perfect way for residents to delve deeper into the history and magic of Colorado.

Colorado Day Trips by Theme

By Aimee Heckel (Adventure Publications) $16.95 Discover Colorado’s unique attractions—hot springs, mountain peaks, museums, national parks, and more. This comprehensive guide is jam-packed with more than 170 of Colorado’s top spots for fun and entertainment, and its handy size makes it perfect for taking along on road trips. Destinations in the book are organized by themes, such as Annual Festivals, Craft Beer & Distilleries, Outdoor Adventures, and Ski Towns, so you can decide what to do and then figure out where to do it. Useful for singles, couples, and families—visitors and residents alike— this guide encompasses a wide range of interests.

Roadside Geology of Colorado

By Felicie Williams and Halka Chronic (The Geological Society of America) $28 The third edition of this popular guide is now in full color. (A state with places like the Painted Wall, the Florissant Fossil Beds, and the Maroon Bells deserves a color edition, after all) A great addition to the travel gear of any rock enthusiast, the updated text includes information about more recent discoveries, such as the mastodons and other Pleistocene fossils found at Snowmass. This is a must-have book for any Colorado rock enthusiast.

Are We There Yet? Activity Deck; Games & Activities for When You’re on the Go with Kids in Tow!

By Suzi Barrett (Knock Knock) $20 Anxious to get the kids’ eyes away from their screens? This activity and game deck for all ages is packed with games, thought-provoking questions, and challenges—no pencils, batteries, or screens required. It’s sure to have them interacting with the other people around them—perhaps they might even notice the scenery!

Travels with Charley

By John Steinbeck (Penguin Books) $14 Perhaps re-reading this classic is another way to “travel” the roads of our country. To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the light—these were John Steinbeck’s goals as he set out, in 1960, at the age of 58, on the iconic road trip to rediscover the country he had been writing about for so many years. With Charley, his French poodle, Steinbeck drives the interstates and the country roads, dines with truckers, encounters bears at Yellowstone and old friends in San Francisco. Along the way, he reflects on the American character, racial hostility, the particular form of American loneliness he finds almost everywhere, and the unexpected kindness of strangers.

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”—Gustave Flaubert Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.

May Library Events

Palmer Lake Town Hall postponed; Summer Adventure begins

By Harriet Halbig The meeting at Palmer Lake Town Hall scheduled for May 6 has been postponed until June 3 due to snow. Details will appear in next month’s article.

The agenda includes a discussion of details on the hybrid library model and library budget planning.

Registration is required for attendance.

The 2026 Summer Adventure program runs from June 1 to July 31. All ages are invited to participate and win prizes by reading, creating, and attending qualifying library programs.

Participants up to age 18 will receive a prize on registration and another on completing 30 days of activities or reading. Adults will receive a book light or clip-on light upon completion and an entry into the grand prize drawing.

For details on prizes and how to register, please see the library website, ppld.org.

Regularly occurring programs will continue through the summer. They are: • Storytime each Tuesday from 10:30 to 11:15.

• Socrates Café adult discussion group on Tuesdays from 1 to 3.

• Paws to Read on Tuesdays from 4 to 5. Increase fluency by reading to a Paws to Read therapy dog. Recommended for kids up to age 12.

• Toddler Time on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10 and 10:30 to 11 for toddlers 1 to 2 and their parent or caregiver.

Tuesday, June 9, from 10:30 to 11:15, there will be a special Summer Fun program on Rocky Mountain Wildlife. Join Nature’s Educators as we explore a diverse group of wildlife and their ecosystems. You

Garage Sale

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Fri.-Sat., June 26-27, 8 am-3 pm Teacher/school items, housewares, dishes, furniture, tools, books, women’s, children’s costumes, bedding, and more.

Info: 719-481-6219.

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will meet animal ambassadors that are native to the Rocky Mountain area. This program is recommended for children up to age 12. If you have a group of 10 or more, please call the library ahead of time to ensure that there will be space.

Thursday, June 11, from 10 a.m.to 1 p.m., there will be a level 1 sewing class for patrons age 9 to adult. You will learn the basics of machine sewing and create a simple project. Participants will be taught to wind a bobbin, thread the machine, and navigate the interface of a computerized sewing machine. Then, you will learn basic stitches.

Registration is required at 719-531-6333 ext.

7005. Patrons under 18 will need a signed Creative Space Agreement to use the makerspaces. You are encouraged to bring the agreement with you to the class. To access the form, please go to ppld.org, events and happenings, choose Monument Library, and the calendar. Click on the program, and a detailed description will appear with a link to the use agreement.

The Teen Advisory Board will meet from 5 to 6 on Thursday, June 11. This group allows you to earn volunteer hours and help plan library activities.

Membership is open to those 13 to 18.

On Monday, June 15, from 5 to 6, the Teen Craft Group will meet. Bring a project to work on while socializing with crafters your age. This group meets on the first and third Monday of each month.

Thursday, June 18, from 11 to noon, there will be a Device Drop-In event for those who need help with a laptop, smartphone, tablet, or the new PPLD website. Drop in anytime during this hour for assistance.

Thursday, June 18, from 10:30 to 11 at Palmer Lake Library, and Tuesday, June 23, from 10:30 to 11:15 at Monument, join us for a Summer Fun Program called Winnie the Pooh presented by Theater Across Borders. The program for kids 1 to 12 features Christopher Robin and Pooh for an adventure for young audiences. If you have a group of 10 or more, please call ahead to be sure there is room.

Thursday, June 18, from 4 to 5:30, there will be

a program for ages 16 to 24 and adults on DIY Chain Mail. If you are a fan of historical fiction or fantasy novels, you will enjoy learning a new skill as we teach you the historic European 4-1 pattern to make a fun slip-on chain mail cuff bracelet. Registration is required at 719-531-6333 ext. 7005.

The Third Friday Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District Book Group will meet from 10:30 to 12:30 on Friday, June 19. All are welcome to this group sponsored by the Tri-Lakes Friends of the Library.

The June selection is A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst.

On Friday, June 19, from 4 to 5, there will be an Idea Lab program on Pinch Pots for ages 6 to 12.

Pinch Pots are a wonderful introduction to creating with clay. Get a feel for working with clay and begin perfecting your technique. If you have a group of 10 or more, please call ahead to the library to make sure there is space.

The Teen Dungeons and Dragons group will meet from 3:30 to 5:45 on Saturday, June 20. New players and veterans ages 13 to 18 are invited to participate. Space is limited to eight players, and registration is required at 719-531-6333 ext. 7005.

The Monument Fiber Arts Group for ages 18 and up will meet on Friday, June 26, from 10:30 to 12.

This is a chance for those interested in knitting, crochet, and other fiber arts to socialize while working on their projects.

Come to the Palmer Lake Library from 11 to 12:30 on Wednesday, July 1, to enjoy a hands-on craft program where you will make a set of four distinct coasters to take home, perfect for a small gift or to add personality to your own table. This program is for adults and seniors, and registration is required. Please call Athena at 719-531-6333 ext.

6242.

Please note that all library locations will be closed on Saturday, July 4, to celebrate Independence Day. Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

Palmer Lake Historical Society, May 21

Authors describe Park-to-Park Highway

By Marlene Brown The Palmer Lake Historical Society held its regular membership meeting May 21 at Palmer Lake Town Hall. The presentation for the evening was by authors Lee and Jane Whitley, The Playground Trail: The National Park-to-Park Highway, a history of the highway system that was started in the 1920s to connect 12 of the national parks.

The National Park System was formed by President Theodore Roosevelt during his presidency of 1901-09. By the end of this term, he had reserved 12 natural areas to include: El Morro in New Mexico and Montezuma Castle, Petrified Forest, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The National Park Service was created in 1916. Many national monuments remain as they were originally established. (www.nps.gov)

OCN

Saturday, June 6, 2026 Paving the Way, a PBS documentary details the story of 12 motorists who took a 5,000-mile epic road trip before there were gas stations and fully paved roads. In 1920, the inaugural tour of the Parkto-Park Highway connected all 12 National Parks in the American West and came through Palmer Lake.

During the early days of the automobile, when cars got stuck in the mud, they were still being towed out by horses, and gravity-fed fuel lines caused problems up steep grades. Only the rich could afford to travel by train or by horse to the national parks, but the 1920 inaugural tour opened the door for the “everyman,” with the newly affordable automobile.

Three years in the making, Paving the Way combines poignant imagery with a classic American

story. “The viewer is treated to a cake with many layers and allowed to savor each piece,” says Associate Producer Jane Whitley. The film recreates the 1920 tour “through the old movie clips, dedication tour photos, modern views, and the small stories nestled within each section—giving us, the viewers, a definite sense of being there.” https://www.montanapbs.org/programs/PavingTheWayTheNationalParkToParkHighway/ This and other books authored by the Whitleys regarding the National Parks System are available at abebooks.com. ********** Next month’s meeting will be on Sunday, June 21.

It’s the Annual Father’s Day Ice Cream Social, free

Page B.7 and open to the public at the Palmer Lake Town Hall Village Green. Music by Nick Davey. 2-4 p.m. Please bring lawn chairs to enjoy this outdoor event.

PLHS meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month, 7-8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent St. Free and open to the public. For full descriptions, dates, and times for future programs and information on memberships or to donate to the PLHS, visit its newly updated website: https:// palmerdividehistory.org.

Marlene Brown can be reached at marlenebrown@ocn.me.

The Nature of Our Community

The long reach of mountain pine beetles

By Dr. Judith von Ahlefeldt, ecologist Mountain pine beetles (MPB) have a long reach back in time with ponderosa pine forests. Sporadic and agile, lethal outbreaks play an important role in diversifying forest structure.

But in 2026, in local overstocked forests, the beetles create conflicts of what they have been doing for eons, with what humans want. The result is massive tree loss, economic damage to infrastructure, and a temporary increased wildfire damage risk.

North America MPB outbreaks have been recorded since the mid-1800s when the “Black Hills Beetle” was the culprit, killing large swaths of ponderosas in South Dakota in the 1890s. An estimated 10 million trees in South Dakota died in an extended outbreak. The most recent Black Hills MPB outbreak lasted from 1996 to 2016 and affected over 400,000 acres.

Canada’s ongoing immense lodgepole pine MPB outbreak began in about 1996 as beetles migrated northward, crossed the Continental Divide from British Columbia, and moved east into Saskatchewan. Now, MPB likely may move north into the Canadian boreal forest and jack pine forested areas of eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. Most pine species can be on the MPB host tree menu, but in Colorado the two most common species colonized are lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine. Lodgepole pines in Colorado mountains died by the millions from 1996 to 2014 as the climate warmed.

The intense MPB Colorado lodgepole infestation decreased during wet years of 2015-16, but is now shifting to lower elevation ponderosa pines pri-

marily in nine Colorado counties, according to the State Ponderosa Front Range Mountain Pine Beetle Task Force—Boulder, Clear Creek, Douglas, El Paso (including Black Forest), Gilpin, Larimer, Jefferson, Park, and Teller—and counties on the Western Slope as of the 2025 data. Elbert County has lower infested acres east of I-25, but also faces the same local population increases driven by factors stressing lower timberline ponderosa forests.

The 2025 Colorado Forest Health Report (based on tree mortality) released May 19 by the Colorado State Forest Service, annually reports acres of trees killed in forested areas of Colorado by various insects or other natural biological causes. See: https://csfs.colostate.edu/forest-management/forest-health-report-2025/ and https://csfs.colostate. edu/forestry/science/.

The 2025 data (from trees infested in 2024 and faded in 2025) show dramatic increases in dead trees infested by MPB. This does not report what will happen in the summer of 2026 from trees infested in the fall of 2025, but it points to a trend of catastrophic potential.

Ponderosa trees infested during last summer/ fall’s extended flight season were still green in spring (April-May) 2026 but will fade soon as beetles mature and fly. From years of work done mainly on lodgepole pines at higher elevations, the MPB flight season usually begins in mid-July and lasts through the onset of cold weather.

But field experience in the past four years, and examination of current under-bark larval development stages south of the Palmer Divide in Black Forest, suggest that flight season may begin four to six weeks earlier than “the usual” mid-July time.

Higher populations result in successful infestations by exploitation of extensions of both ends of the growing season from warming temperatures, mild winters, and drought stress on weakened trees.

In summer 2025, the west end of the Palmer Divide (Tri-Lakes, Monument, Palmer Lake) had low MPB infestation levels, but from the Fox Run Park area east to Eastonville Road, and especially south of the Palmer Divide, there are many areas at high risk with larger patches and thousands of dead trees since 2022. There are at least two major “hotspots” south of the Palmer Divide in Black Forest that appear on the 2025 Tree Mortality maps in the 2025 Colorado Forest Health Report by the State Forest Service.

Once a new tree is attacked, nothing can be done to save it. Beetles can be deterred from highvalue trees by spraying with pesticides (use a licensed contractor) and/or using Verbenone pheromone repellent pouches. Infested trees must be cut (base to 6-inch trunk diameter) and delimbed.

Infested trunkwood with bark on can be removed to Rocky Top Resources for immediate grinding, or buried immediately to mitigate population spread this year. Do this by mid-June.

Mastication and covering with plastic are not useful to control MPB this late in their development cycle. Planning ahead? Successful tree infestations this year (pitch tubes and blue stained) can be identified and removed starting in December.

For additional local information, please visit the Black Forest Fire Protection District website: www. bffire.org/mountain pine beetle.

Dr. Judith von Ahlefeldt can be contacted at Judithvonahlefeldt@ocn.me.

On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins)

Limbaugh thrills and spills

By Tim Watkins The following are excerpts from one of the original On the Trail columns written by Tim Watkins from our Sept. 4, 2004, issue of OCN. Watkins was an avid mountain biker and worked to maintain and develop trails in the local Front Range area and owned Balanced Rock Bike and Ski shop in Monument. He was shot and killed in September 2017 while riding in the Limbaugh Canyon area: ********** Living here is great! We have access to some very special terrain and landscape that is unique and gorgeous. Some of the trails here flow through, around, or near some special landforms, wonderful vegetation, and sweeping vistas. Some of the vistas are changing due to growth and a rapidly expanding population.

Many trails are now impacted by increased and changing usage. One of the all-time favorite trails has seen the most impact recently. The trail has always been accessed by crossing private land. The landowners generously allowed that. When some of the land was recently developed, it effectively shut down the exit of the Limbaugh trail to the south.

Some folks who have been using the wonderful access saw fit to try to rectify the situation and unintentionally wreck-ti-fied more than they planned.

An attempt was made to build a trail on private and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land without first gaining permission. Both public and private owners

Above: Limbaugh Canyon near where Tim Watkins was murdered. Photo by Randy Phillips.

vene at Guadalajara’s patio around 4:30 for a free glass of beer courtesy of The Wine Seller.

There are some other projects to participate in, like the monthly trail maintenance work by the Friends of Monument Preserve (the Forest Service work center/fire center trail maintenance). Want to do more than learn about the issues and needs?

For more information on all these activities, contact Balanced Rock Bike and Ski, 488-9007, or Dirk at The Wine Seller, 488- 3019. This is our house; let’s make it last and keep it right. ********** As you can see, Watkins was active in maintaining and developing trails in our area. Friends of Monument Preserve was also active over 20 years ago and still organizes trail maintenance in the Monument Preserve. Check FOMP.org if you would like to help with trail work, usually the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m.

If you would like to participate in the “Ride for Tim” in September, please check the OCN calendar to be published in early September. And if you have any new information that would help lead to the identification of the person who killed Tim Watkins, please contact the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Jennifer Bucholz, Criminal Investigator, at 719-5207227.

Steve Pate may be contacted at StevePate@OCN.me.

reacted by more effectively closing down the south access, as is their right. The USFS doesn’t want any new trails. The long-term plan does not allow for any trail construction along this part of the Front Range.

Dirk at The Wine Seller has a plan to do some cleanup and trail work. Volunteers will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 19 at Balanced Rock Bike and Ski, and at noon will ride up Mount Herman Road for an easy and fun ride. Hikers are encouraged to truck/ carpool up Mount Herman and meet the mountain bike riders around 1:30 p.m., when cleanup and trail maintenance will commence. Afterward, we’ll 1/2 page for the February 2025 Monthlies (7.5" wide x 5.0" high) run/ride/walk to Palmer Lake, where we will reconParadise Outdoor Design & Landscaping

High Altitude Nature and Gardens

Nature and gardening are a two-way conversation

By Janet Sellers I use a device known as a psychogalvanometer to listen to plants. It measures Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)—the same technology utilized in biofeedback and polygraphs—to detect micro-fluctuations in electrical conductivity on a leaf’s surface. The device then translates these live electrical “pulses” into MIDI notes. When a plant “sings” differently in response to an opera singer versus a casual conversation, it is actively reacting to the vibrational frequency of the sound waves hitting its leaves.

Historically, we used to say “spirit”; today, we say “electricity.” In academic circles, the term is biosemiotics—the study of how living things interpret signs (vibrations, chemical aromas, electrical shifts) and give them meaning. When a plant shifts its melody, a biosemiotician would say it is interpreting an acoustic signature as a biological signal.

Dr. Monica Gagliano, a pioneering research professor, has successfully bridged Western science with these “voices” of plants. Her landmark studies proved that plants can “hear” the sound of water

moving through pipes and will actively grow toward these experiments bridge the gap between my artisit. Furthermore, her work with Mimosa pudica dem- tic practice and the “science of awe,” proving that onstrated that plants can learn and remember, es- gardening is not a chore, but a deeply artistic, reciprocal relationship. tablishing them as intelligent “subjects” rather than Let our luxury landscapers work with you to take your A practitioner of “lazy gardening,” Janet Sellers passive objects. living space and lifestyle to a whole new level! uses permaculture to let Mother Nature lead the This direct, sensory experience is precisely what way. She is a professional artist, writer, and speaker scientists like Dr. Gagliano and Dr. Stefano Mancuso, who translates the science of awe into everyday life author of The Revolutionary Genius of Plants, are through local nature walks and forest bathing tours, now validating in top-tier scientific journals. While and community gardens that restore both the soil traditional laboratories often focus solely on chemithe soul. Contact: JanetSellers@ocn.me. cal triggers, my work in the garden utilizes biofeedParadiseand Outdoor Design back technology to listen to the electrical language & Landscaping of our local flora. th When a plant shifts its melody in response to the human voice, we are witnessing a genuine biosemiotic exchange—the very conversation that physicist Jagadish Chandra Bose pioneered over a century ago when he proved that plants possess a vibrant electrical response to the world around them. Memories for over 30 years.

Creating Retaining Walls, Waterfalls, Patios, Utilizing these MIDI devices (pioneered by commuRetaining Walls, Waterfalls, Patios, Pits, Outdoor Kitchens... nities like Damanhur in Italy) provides direct, live Fire Pits,Fire Outdoor Kitchens… data that purely theoretical study misses. Ultimately,

Happy 25 Anniversary, OCN!

Call Today!719.481.2355 719.481.2355

Page B.8

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Vol. 26 No. 6

Snapshots of Our Community Introducting Hatch the Robot

Above: Members of Bearbotics 4068 showed off their 115-pound industrial-size robot Hatch at the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition on April 24. The competition was part of Lewis-Palmer Elementary School’s STEAM Night to promote STEM education and inspire interest in robotics throughout the Tri-Lakes community.

During the outreach event, team members demonstrated Hatch for the 2026 “REBUILT” FRC season, while introducing students and families to the world of FIRST Robotics. Students got to “feed” Hatch “fuel,” soft yellow foam balls used as this season’s game piece. Hatch then launched the balls into the “hub,” a raised goal used for scoring points during competition matches. In the photo, student Dax Anderson shows off Hatch to elementary school students. Photo by Natalie Bauernfeind.

Bearbotics captain honored Right: Bearbotics 4068 Team Capt. Katherine Dalton was selected at the FIRST FRC Pikes Peak Regional as a Leadership Award Finalist. She traveled to FIRST Worlds, held from April 29 to May 2 in Houston, to represent her accomplishment. This award recognizes 10th- or 11th-grade students for their passion, technical expertise, and leadership.

In Colorado, one or two students are selected from each of two Regionals, resulting in 150 student finalists out of 93,000 worldwide program participants. The FIRST Leadership Award is considered one of the highest individual accomplishments in FIRST Robotics Competition. Photo by Amy Dalton.

LPES celebrates STEAM, Apr. 24

Above: On April 24, Lewis-Palmer Elementary School held its annual Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) night. Students, families, and the community were invited to visit stations and play a clue game searching for the LPES Eagle mascot. Stations included a Rollin’ Rainbow Studio, Splendid Spaghetti Span, Shake It Until You Make It, Polygon Playground, Magnet-OMunch Challenge, and Buoyancy Battle in various rooms of the school. Special guests included Colorado Springs Utilities and Bearbotics. The event featured a special display of moon rocks, hosted by Kelle Parks, dressed as Mrs. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. Parks is a lunar and meteorite certified handler, which allowed her to borrow and display the materials from the Johnson Space Center.

NASA has a 46-page document on how to manage astromaterials loaned for research, education, and display, which includes the requirement of a security plan to prevent theft and restrictions on media coverage for a period of time. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

John DeFrancesco spotlighted

Buffalo soldiers visit BCES

Above: On May 1, the Front Range Buffalo Soldiers visited Bear Creek Elementary School (BCES) for a special presentation. Dressed in period costumes and riding horses on the BCES playground, the group showcased the history of Buffalo Soldiers and their role in helping the country expand westward in the late 1800s.

Students watched displays of horsemanship and other skills used by the Buffalo Soldiers. This event had been scheduled in previous years and had been canceled due to the weather. Front Range Buffalo Soldiers was founded by retired Lt. Col. Terrance Beasley of Monument to share this history through parades, rodeos, and school presentations. For more resources, including information on how to book the re-enactment team at an event, see www.frontrangebuffalosoldiers.org. Photo

by Jackie Burhans.

Black Forest Arts & Crafts Show Above: John DeFrancesco was the Palmer Lake Arts Council’s spotlighted artist for May. DeFrancesco has been a local painter for over 30 years. His art focuses on the natural beauty of plants and gardens. DeFrancesco said he’s “driven to record nature emotionally, not simply artistically.” He continued, “I work to capture, not just an impression of what I see, but an interpretation of what I feel.” He was influenced

by Manet and his uncle Andy, who was a commercial artist in New York. DeFrancesco has won many awards, including from the Palmer Lake Arts Group, the Pikes Peak Library District, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. His art is on display at Bella Art and Frame in Monument. Photo

by Tati McAlister.

Above: The Black Forest Arts & Crafts Guild held its 2026 Spring Show April 29May 3 at the Black Forest Community Center. The members showcased their work of fine arts, arts and crafts, indoor and outdoor decorative items, and culinary talent, such as baked goods and award-winning jams and jellies. The guild is a nonprofit organization that annually donates to its Scholarship Fund, which awards a scholarship to a graduating senior attending high school in the Black Forest area.

For more information regarding the scholarship, or to be put on the reminder list for the spring and fall shows, go to bfacg.org. Photo by Marlene Brown.

Right: At the 2014 Art Hop, award-winning local artist John deFrancisco unveiled his painting of the Catriona Cellars building as he made it a gift to Catriona Cellars.

Photo by Janet Sellers.

Saturday, June 6, 2026

OCN

CIC Showcase, May 4

Page B.9

New MFD ambulance, May 4

Above: On May 4, Monument Fire District (MFD) received delivery of a new ambulance. MFD EMS Coordinator Rachael Peters shared her excitement for this new emergency vehicle, contributing to the MFD mission of “Proudly Serving the Tri-Lakes Region.” Photo by Gordon Reichal.

Above: On May 4, the D38 Career Innovation Center (CIC), 1200 Synthes Ave. in Monument, offered a community tour of the new facility. Starting with the 2026-27 school year, Lewis-Palmer and Palmer Ridge High School students passionate about a pathway in Innovative Programs, visual or performing arts, can graduate with a Pathway of Distinction after completing a certain number of courses in the pathway, having a 3.5 GPA within the pathway, and completing one or more extra activities. Amy Sienkowski, director of Innovative Programs, and D38 teachers are working on a menu of options for students to choose from to complete the requirements. Sienkowski showed off the student welders’ creation of a dancing human tree and some robots as part of their innovation in welding project art. Photo

by Gordon Reichal.

Kilmer students donate blankets

Below: During the D38 CIC open house, teachers and students demonstrated the functionality of their robotics. The students designed and built the hardware and manually navigated their device through a maze and an obstruction-littered floor plan. The path was recorded by the robot, and it is capable of repeating the journey without direct human guidance. Photo courtesy of D38. Caption by Gordon Reichal.

Gardening at TLC, May 10

Above: On May 10, volunteers ages 8 to nearly 80 helped prepare the Tri-Lakes Cares garden beds with soil and mulch and planted seeds for greens and squash.

Janet, Rocky, Henry, Emily, Arden, Rochelle, and even baby Josephine were good helpers doing tasks at their level, which included mulching, watering, adding the environmental organism soil enrichment inoculant, preparing hoses, and planting.

Next, they will put up the frost cloth over the hoops and continue planting. Donations of seedlings and new starts—and if anybody is dividing their seedlings or perennial food plants—are needed. The garden is particularly in need of tomatoes and perennial plants like berries and rhubarb, and herbs such as thyme, basil, lemon balm, dill, chives, parsley, cilantro, and celery. Photo by Janet Sellers.

Above: Members of Kilmer Elementary School’s Student Leadership Program (SLP) donated a dozen, two-sided blankets to the Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs on May 7. Each school in D38 has an SLP that’s sponsored by the Monument Hill Kiwanis Club (MHKC). Students organize and determine their own projects and raise the money to purchase the necessary materials. Becky Moulden from the Kilmer staff and Offie Lopez and Candy Mowrey from MHKC are available to provide support and encouragement when it is appropriate. Photo by Candy Mowrey.

Monument Lake Road regrading

Above: Monument Lake got a facelift on May 12 to prepare for the summer. Heavy equipment scraped the surface of the parking area and filled in the potholes that formed over the winter. Other equipment wet and tamped down the dirt to make a smooth surface. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

400 attend Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares

Lolley's opens second location

Above: Lolley’s isn’t just in Monument anymore. It opened its second location at 216 N. Tejon St. in Colorado Springs on May 16. A large crowd showed up for the ribbon-cutting that occurred five years after the first Lolley’s opened on Second Street in Monument. Owners Dustin and Shelly Sapp are friends with Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, who showed up for the event. Mobolade told the crowd, “Ice cream makes life better.”

After the ceremony, a long line formed to enter the shop and sample the ice cream and various pastries. Right: From left, Dustin and Shelly Sapp, and Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade.

Photos by Michael Weinfeld.

Above: Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) Executive Director Haley Chapin addresses the 400 attendees on May 13 when it hosted its annual and always much-anticipated Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares fundraiser. Held at the Spruce Mountain Events Center, 11 Tri-Lakes and Colorado Springs area restaurants and food retail establishments treated the attendees at the sold-out event with an eclectic array of main courses and dessert samples. Chapin said, “This event is imperative for communicating our message and fundraising efforts that support our Tri-Lakes neighbors in need.”

The only other sources of funding for the non-profit are individual donations, grants, and planned giving. In 2025, TLC provided a variety of services to neighbors in need and distributed 361,682 pounds of food and sundries with support from staff, over 200 volunteers that accumulated 11,048 volunteer hours, and over 60 community partners. Troy Price, owner of Axe Sauce & Sausage and two-time winner of the event’s People’s Choice Award, said: “We participate in this event to support the community and the other local restaurants as we each pour our heart and soul into our food.” Chapin said she greatly appreciated the support from the restaurants, 26 sponsors, and 17 Friends of TLC “that made the event happen.” The event concluded with a fundraising “auction” that generated three initial donations of $10,000, followed by donation increments down to $100. Photo by David Futey.

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USAFA Visitor Center opens, May 16

Above and right: The new Hosmer Visitors Center outside the North Gate entrance to the U.S. Air Force Academy opened on May 16. It took nearly three years to build the 34,000-square-foot center that has a roof in the shape of fighter jets taking flight. Exhibits focus on cadet life from the first day to graduation. The highlight is a 108-foot atrium with a spiral staircase that provides a close look at a glider suspended from the ceiling. The center is open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free. Right: The atrium features a spiral staircase and a glider suspended from the ceiling. Photos by Michael Weinfeld.

Meadowgrass Festival, May 22-24

Above: The 17th Annual Meadowgrass Music Festival by the Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative was held at LaForet in Black Forest, May 22-24.

Musicians and festival goers from the Pikes Peak region and all over the world camp out and enjoy world-class music. For more information, go to rockmountainhighway. org. Below: Native American Sacred Trees and Places (NASTAP) had a booth at Meadowgrass Festival at LaForet and held guided hikes on the property. There are several culturally-modified trees on the property. The LaForet property is believed to have been a major encampment for the Ute Indians during the summer months, with possibly up to 500 teepees and families camping there. Pictured is Norma Brough, a member of the Advisory Board for NASTAP. For more info, go to nastap. org. Photos by Marlene Brown.

Vol. 26 No. 6

Art Hop, May 21

Above: At the May Art Hop, photographer Lynn Roth chatted with guests at Bella Art & Frame Gallery. He will give the artist talk at the Art Hop on June 18, planned for 6 to 7 p.m., and he will share stories about his extensive photography fieldwork.

Photo by Janet Sellers.

Denise Gard booksigning, May 21

Above: Denise Gard, a graduate of Lewis-Palmer High School class of ‘91, signed copies of her new book, When the Rooster Crows, at Covered Treasures Bookstore during the first Art Hop of the season on May 21. Her sixth-grade teacher, Jan MacDonald, was present. Gard showed MacDonald the copy of the book, The Secret Garden, that MacDonald gave Gard, which inspired her to become a writer.

From left are MacDonald and Gard. Photo by John Howe.

USAFA Flyover, May 28 Doc Close Road ceremony, May 22

Above: Catherine McGuire’s voice cracked with emotion when she told a crowd of a dozen relatives, as well as town officials, how much it meant to her that there would be a road named after her grandfather, Dr. Thomas Close, who was a physician and pharmacist in Monument in the early 1900s. McGuire was given a sign that read “Doc Close Road” at a ceremony in Monument Town Hall on May 22. McGuire won a contest the town held to rename Crossing Road, that’s off Old Denver Road as part of a Conexus development. McGuire said she started screaming, “I don’t believe it!” when she got a text right before bedtime telling her she’d won. McGuire’s entry was picked from among 160 names submitted by 60 people who entered the contest. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Monument Lake Electric surfboard

Above: People hanging out at Monument Lake on Memorial Day couldn’t take their eyes off this man riding an electric surfboard. The board, powered by a batteryoperated motor, sails anywhere from a few inches to a foot above the water and can reach speeds of 18 to 36 mph. What you see in the back of the board is not a traditional rudder. It’s a jet drive or motorized thruster that’s propelling the board forward. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Above: This year’s U.S. Air Force Academy graduates watched the Thunderbirds fly overhead as they tossed their hats in the air but missed out on the half-hour-long air show because of bad weather. It was the second year in a row the Thunderbirds had to cancel their air show. Last year’s grads didn’t even get a flyover because of rainy weather. A total of 931 cadets graduated this year. They heard Vice President JD Vance speak at the ceremony. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.

Congratulations Our Community News on 25 years informing the Tri-Lakes area!

Making a ^ Difference for Youth and Our Community

OCN

Saturday, June 6, 2026

Page B.11

Art Matters

The modern artist’s Desilu Moment is good math

By Janet Sellers What Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz fought for in 1950, a proposed Colorado framework could soon be formalized into state law.

For centuries, artists have succumbed to a “oneand-done” economy. We spend weeks, months, or years pouring our physical velocity and conceptual ideation into a canvas or a sculpture. We find a buyer, exchange the work for a check, and wave goodbye. Under the federal “First Sale Doctrine,” our financial connection to that work is severed the moment that check clears. If a collector sells our painting 10 years later for 10 times what they paid, we get exactly zero dollars. In the business world, that is called “bad math.”

But what if we stopped selling the originals and started managing the assets? Back in the early television days, what Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball had to build out of sheer determination and contract leverage in 1950 with Desilu Productions—retaining 100% ownership of their film prints to pioneer the television rerun—the Colorado Legislature is at-

tempting to formalize into state law.

The state Legislature recently passed SB26-133, the Colorado Artist Company Act. If enacted by Gov. Jared Polis, it would make Colorado the first state to establish a specialized “Artist Corporation” (A-Corp) business entity. Structurally designed as a distinct tier within the state’s existing LLC framework, the pending legislation requires that the practicing artist retain a mandatory 51% ownership stake and ensures that copyrights automatically revert to the creator upon corporate dissolution.

How the “Super-LLC” works

Beyond its immediate advantages for creators, this framework offers a compelling economic blueprint for the broader Colorado public. By enabling remote, out-of-state creators to incorporate online, Colorado establishes a seamless revenue stream through business filing fees, turning the state into a national administrative hub for intellectual property. Concurrently, for physical collectives like independent film crews, design firms, and game studios, the law provides a powerful incentive to relocate

entirely. These physical transplants bring direct economic stimulation, anchoring long-term commercial leases, creating jobs, and utilizing local legal and financial services.

Ultimately, this structural duality ensures that whether an artist registers remotely from New York or opens a physical studio locally, the state wins.

By stabilizing regional creative districts (a Certified Creative District is a legally recognized, geographically defined area designated by the state to drive economic growth through the arts), this ensures that the rights to local art assets remain with creators rather than out-of-state creditors. The framework preserves Colorado’s contemporary cultural identity, adding a resilient, diversified layer to the modern state economy.

Janet L. Sellers is a professional artist, art consultant, and educator developing nature-based “architecture of awe” prototypes for healthcare, well-being, and public environments. She can be contacted at JanetSellers@ocn.me.

Wildfire Preparation Tips

Reduce chances of fire damage

By Lisa Hatfield June’s wildfire tips: You can reduce the chance your house will burn down when a wildland fire comes back to the Tri-Lakes area. Here’s practical advice for property owners to reduce how much fuel your home and yard provide for the fire, based on Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) principles.

• In homes and townhomes, increase resistance to flying embers by screening all roof vents with 1/8-inch metal mesh.

• Clear needles and leaves from the roof and gutters and under the deck.

• Wooden decks and steps should be freshly stained, not dried out.

• Make sure up to 5 feet around the house foot-

print has no flammable material.

Rake out leaves from under the front steps.

Take out junipers and wood mulch.

• In the 5-30 feet around the home, mow grass since it is a fine, dry fuel just like kindling.

• Clean up Gambel oak due its extreme flammability.

• If you have ponderosa pines, avoid live ponderosa cutting in the summer, because this can attract the mountain pine beetle. See page B.7.

• Continue thinning of other tree species so the remaining ones can resist attacks.

For more ideas, look online for Colorado State Forest Service’s The Home Ignition Zone: A Guide to Preparing Your Home for Wildfire and Creating Defensible •

Space, and ask your local fire district for site-specific guidance.

Lisa Hatfield can be reached at LisaHatfield@ocn.me.

Our Community Notices

By Janet Sellers Although we strive for accuracy in these listings, dates or times are often changed after publication. Please double-check the time and place of any event you wish to attend by calling the information number for that event. Please notify us if your event listing needs to be updated.

Black Forest slash drop off, mulch program

Slash Operation: $10 fee for each load dropped off.

Through Sept. 12 — Tue. and Thu. evenings: 5 to 7:30 pm, Sat., 8 am to 4 pm. Mulch is available while supplies last. Mulch loader schedule: Saturdays only — 8 am to 4 pm. Loader fee is $5 per bucket. Shoup Rd & Herring Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80908

Prepare now for wildfires

You need to prepare your property for when wildfire comes close. See Colorado State Forest Service’s booklet - The Home Ignition Zone: a guide to preparing your home for wildfire and creating defensible space. https://tinyurl.com/homeignitionzone. It’s up to you to reduce the risks on your private property by analyzing where the fuels are - easy things like getting pine needles out of your gutter will help.

The booklet has ideas for homes in prairies, forests, or suburban areas.

MFD seeks your help

Monument Fire District residents and businesses can create a secure account at Community Connect which firefighters can access in emergencies to find out about people with special needs, aggressive or anxious pets, gate or garage codes, hazardous materials in use, etc. that will make it easier for them to help. www.communityconnect.io/info/co-monument.

Coyote Safety

June 8 Deadline for Property Tax Appeals

Colorado law requires the county assessor to hear objections to real property classifications and valuations beginning May 1, 2026. Objections to the valuation or classification of real property must be postmarked, delivered, or presented in person to the county assessor's office no later than June 8, 2026.

For additional information, contact the county assessor’s office at 719-520-6600 or email ASRWEB@ elpasoco.com. For online filings, please visit https:// assessor.elpasoco.com/appeals.

El Paso County Property Protection Program

El Paso County has launched a new Property Protection Program to help prevent fraudulent deed transfers and real estate scams. The program alerts property owners whenever a document is filed using their name on any property, so owners can quickly verify whether the filing is legitimate or the result of attempted fraud. Residents may register multiple name variations and household members. At this time, the program can only monitor filings made after you enroll, but officials are exploring options to expand coverage. Property records can also be reviewed in person at the County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. To learn more or register, visit the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Property Protection Program webpage. For more information on the PPP program, go to this link: https://clerkandrecorder. elpasoco.com/recording/property-protection/

With coyote activity on the rise in our neighborhoods, please stay alert to keep our community, children and pets safe.

• Stay Vigilant: Keep a close eye on small children during outdoor activities.

• Pets: Keep dogs on short leashes and avoid leaving them unattended, especially at dawn and dusk.

• Secure Attractants: Keep trash bins sealed and do not leave pet food or water bowls outside.

• Practice Hazing: If you see a coyote, don't run.

Stand tall, wave your arms, and make loud noises to scare it away.

Let’s work together to respect local wildlife while keeping our households secure.

School Bus Safety

Drivers who pass a stopped school bus with its stop arm extended and flashing lights constitute a dangerous and life-threatening violation of traffic laws.

In Colorado, you must (A) stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, stopping at least 20 feet away, unless you are on the opposite side of a highway divided by a physical, raised, or depressed median; (B) On a two-lane road or one where painted lines, but no physical barrier, separate lanes, you must still stop; (C) After stopping, you must remain stopped until the bus’s lights stop flashing and it begins to move again. Colorado school buses are increasingly being equipped with automated stop arm cameras to record and catch drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus. Recent legislation allows for the installation and use of these systems by school districts. Academy School District 20 in Colorado uses school bus cameras, including the stop arm camera system and interior cameras, to enhance student safety and to document drivers who pass a stopped school bus with flashing lights and an extended stop arm.

DUI Expressed Consent

Refusing to comply with Colorado’s Expressed Consent law, which requires drivers to provide a breath or blood test upon arrest for a DUI, means increased consequences.

In addition to $13,500 in costs, refusal to comply will result in additional penalties, which can include: extended time without a driver’s license, longer interlock requirements, designation as a Persistent Drunk Driver or increased alcohol education requirements. codot.gov/choosetotest.

Tri-Lakes Cares needs your support

Tri-Lakes Cares is the only food pantry and human services organization serving northern El Paso County through emergency relief and self-sufficiency programs. The community-based, volunteer-supported center is a critical resource for our neighbors in need. The best way to help support Tri-Lakes Cares is to donate. Visit https://tri-lakescares.org/ donate to learn how to donate money, medical items, personal supplies, or food. Please check the web for current needs in our food pantry at https:// tri-lakescares.org/donate/current-needs. Donation drop-off hours are Mon.-Thu., 9 am-4 pm. For more information about Tri-Lakes Cares or how you can help, contact Tri-Lakes Cares at 719-481-4864 or info@tri-lakescares.org.

Get Help in Larkspur

Larkspur Church has a Food Bank and Care Center that offer a good variety of non-perishable food items, as well as clothing for men, women, and children, some household items available too. We’re here to help. If you are in need, or know someone who is, please reach out to Jeff at gethelp@larkspur. church. If you would like to donate contact Jeff by the same email to arrange a pick up.

Forest and gardening volunteers needed

Friends of Fox Run Park has openings for student volunteers (and grownups, too) most of the year for various tasks. Besides tasks, the group offers information and skills demonstrations for each 2-3 hour session, and celebrates volunteers at the park with annual community events. The Tri Lakes Cares onsite garden in Monument also needs volunteers in Fall, Spring and Summer. Gardening tasks include preparing garden beds, weeding, sowing seeds, and developing the compost. Bring gardening gloves, some tools will be provided on the workdays. Contact Janet Sellers at JanetSellers@ocn.me or Marlene Brown at MarleneBrown@ocn.me for more information.

Neighborhood safety

What qualifies as suspicious activity? “If you see something, say something.” It’s vital to report to local law enforcement. Suspicious activity can refer to any incident, event, individual or activity that seems unusual or out of place. Some common examples of suspicious activities include: A stranger loitering in your neighborhood or a vehicle cruising the streets repeatedly. Someone peering into cars or windows.

Here’s what local authorities and Colorado Department of Public Safety says is needed information: Who did you see; what did you see; when did you see it; where did you see it; why it is suspicious. Call 911 or your local law enforcement agency.

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State and County Volunteer Opportunities

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The Colorado State University Extension office in El Paso County has several opportunities for individuals interested in volunteering. https:// elpaso.extension.colostate.edu/volunteer-opportunities/

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Program is composed of a collective citizens group with a true and common desire to partner with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office by volunteering their services while learning more about the internal workings of the law enforcement community. https://www.epcsheriffsoffice.com/volunteer-program/.

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Vol. 26 No. 6

The El Paso County Volunteer Program is a wonderful opportunity for citizens to learn about the various functions of county government as well as give back to the community.

The County’s numerous boards and commissions need your experience, talents and time. https://bocc.elpasoco.com/volunteer/.

Our Community Calendar

By Janet Sellers Although we strive for accuracy in these listings, dates or times are often changed after publication. Please double-check the time and place of any event you wish to attend by calling the info number for that event. Please contact calendar@ocn.me with changes and additions.

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G O V E R N M E N TA L B O D I E S

Academy Water and Sanitation District board meeting, Wed., Jun. 17, 6 pm-9 pm. Usually meets third Wed. Public can join the Skype meeting: Monthly board meeting is on Skype at this link https://join.skype.com/ OfBkDyhucmep Info: Steve Callicott (President) 719-3259039 https://www.academywsdco.gov.

Black Forest Fire/Rescue Protection District board meeting, Wed., Jun. 24, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm.

Usually meets fourth Wed. Visit http://www.bffire.org for updates and the agenda listing the Zoom joining codes or contact 719-495-4300.

Donala Water & Sanitation District board meeting, Thu., Jun. 18, 1:30 pm-4:30 pm. Meets third Thu. Check the website www.donalawater.org for the access code for the electronic meeting. Info: 719-488-3603 El Paso County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting, Tue., Jun. 9, 9 am-10 am; Tue., Jun. 16, 9 am-10 am; Tue., Jun. 23, 9 am-10 am; Tue., Jun. 30, 9 am-10 am. Usually every Tue. View agendas and meetings at www.agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso.

Meetings are held at Centennial Hall, 200 S. Cascade Ave., Suite 150, Colo. Springs. Info: 719-520-643. BOCC land use meetings are held the second and fourth Thursdays of the month (as needed) at 1pm Centennial Hall.

El Paso County Planning Commission meeting, Thu., Jun. 4, 9 am-12 pm; Thu., Jun. 18, 9 am-12 pm; Thu., Jul. 2, 9 am-12 pm. Normally meets first & third Thu. (as required). Regional Development Center, 2880 International Circle, Colo. Springs. Meetings are livestreamed on the El Paso County News & Information Channel at www.elpasoco.com/news-information-channel.

Info: 719-520-6300 El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority meeting, Thu., Jun. 18, 9 am-12 pm. Normally meets third Thu. No meeting in Dec. Monument Town Hall Boardroom, 645 Beacon Lite Rd. Info: 719-488-3603 or https://www.loopwater.org.

Lewis-Palmer School District 38 board meeting, Mon., Jun. 22, 6 pm-9 pm. 6 pm. Normally meets in the school year, third Mon. 146 N Jefferson St, Monument.

The Board of Education meeting will be live-streamed on the district’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/ LPSDCommunity, agenda, and supporting documents at https://go.boarddocs.com/co/lewispalmer/Board.nsf/ vpublic. Contact Vicki Wood. Phone: 719.481.9546 Email: vwood@lewispalmer.org Website: www.lewispalmer.org.

Lewis-Palmer School District 38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee (PCAC), Tue., Jun. 9, 6 pm-8:30 pm. Formerly known as the District Accountability Advisory Committee (DAAC). Meets six times a year at a different school each month. Check D38 website for location or contact tmckee@lewispalmer.org Monument Academy School Board meeting, Thu., Jun. 4, 6:30 pm-10:30 pm. Usually meets the second Thu. East Campus gym, 4303 Pinehurst Circle. Info: 719431-8001 or https://www.monumentacademy.net/schoolboard.

Monument Fire District board meeting, Wed., Jun. 24, 4:30 pm-6:30 pm. Meets 4th Wed. in person or via Microsoft Teams. Station 1, 18650 Highway 105. For up-todate meeting information, visit www.monumentfire.org for updates and the agenda listing the Microsoft Teams joining codes, or contact 719-488-0911.

Monument Planning Commission meeting, Wed., Jun. 10, 6 pm-9 pm. Usually meets the second Wed. Town Hall Board Room, 645 Beacon Lite Rd., Monument.

To see the options for remote public participation in each meeting, visit www.townofmonument.org/263/PlanningCommission-Board-of-Adjustment. Info: 719-884-8028.

Monument Sanitation District board meeting, Wed., Jun. 17, 9 am-12 pm. Meets third Wed. In-person at 130 Second St. Also available on Google Meet. Find joining instructions at https://www.monumentsanitationdistrict. org/. Info: 719-481-4886 Monument Town Council meeting, Mon., Jun. 15, 6:30 pm-9:30 pm. Normally meets first and third Mon. Town Hall Board Room, 645 Beacon Lite Rd., Monument.

Info: 719-884-801 for remote attendance links. www. townofmonument.org/260/Board-of-Trustees Palmer Lake Board of Trustees meeting, Thu., Jun. 11, 6 pm-9 pm; Thu., Jun. 25, 6 pm-9 pm. Usually meets second and fourth Thu. Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent. Info: 719-481-2953 or https://www. townofpalmerlake.com.

Palmer Lake Sanitation District board meeting, Wed., Jun. 10, 9 am-12 pm. Meets second Wed. Call-in only: 650-479-3208, Access Code 76439078, 120 Middle Glenway. Info: 719-481-2732 or www.plsd.org.

Palmer Lake Town Planning Commission meeting, Wed., Jun. 17, 6 pm-9 pm. Meets third Wed. Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent. Info: 719-481-2953 or https://www.townofpalmerlake.com.

Tri-Lakes Wastewater Facility Joint Use Committee meeting, Tue., Jun. 9, 10 am-1 pm. Meets second Tue. 16510 Mitchell Ave. Info: See tlwastewater.com/index.html.

Triview Metropolitan District board meeting, Thu., Jun. 18, 5:30 pm-8:30 pm. Usually meets third Thu. In person or via Zoom. 1641 Baja Drive, Monument. Visit www.triviewmetro.com for updates and the agenda listing the Zoom joining codes, or contact 719-488-6868.

Village Center Metropolitan District Board Meeting, Tue., Jun. 16, 4 pm-7 pm. Normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Serranos Coffee Shop. If the meeting time/location changes, it will be updated on the District’s website: https://villagecentermd.colorado.gov Woodmoor Improvement Association Board Meeting, Wed., Jun. 24, 7 pm-10 pm. Usually meets fourth Wed. Woodmoor Barn, 1691 Woodmoor Dr. Info: 719-488-2693. www.woodmoor.org Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District board meeting, Thu., Jun. 11, 1 pm-5 pm. Normally meets second Mon. 1845 Woodmoor Dr., Monument. Info: 719488-2525. www.woodmoorwater.com.

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W E E K LY & M O N T H LY E V E N T S

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A.A. Big Book Study, Thu., Jun. 4, 7 pm-9 pm; Thu., Jun. 11, 7 pm-9 pm; Thu., Jun. 18, 7 pm-9 pm; Thu., Jun. 25, 7 pm-9 pm; Thu., Jul. 2, 7 pm-9 pm. Every Thu., 7 pm, Family of Christ Lutheran Church, 675 W. Baptist Rd. Call 425-436-6200, access code 575176# AARP Black Forest #1100, Wed., Jun. 10, 11:30 am-1 pm. Second Wed., In-person Black Forest Lutheran Church, 12455 Black Forest Rd. All ages welcome. Info: http://www. aarpchapter1100blackforest.com AARP Local Senior Social, Wed., Jun. 24, 1 pm-4 pm.

In-person Black Forest Lutheran Church, 12455 Black Forest Rd. Info: http://www.aarpchapter1100blackforest.com Al-Anon for family and friends of alcoholics, Thu., Jun. 4, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Tue., Jun. 9, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Thu., Jun. 11, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Tue., Jun. 16, 7:30 pm9:30 pm; Thu., Jun. 18, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Tue., Jun. 23, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Thu., Jun. 25, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Tue., Jun. 30, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Thu., Jul. 2, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm.

Every Tue. & Thu., 7:30 pm, Black Forest Lutheran Church, 12455 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80908. Al-Anon members are people, just like you, who are worried about someone with a drinking problem. Join us with your questions. Info: bflc@bflchurch.org.

Al-Anon meeting: Letting Go, Thu., Jun. 4, 9 am10:15 am; Thu., Jun. 11, 9 am-10:15 am; Thu., Jun. 18, 9 am-10:15 am; Thu., Jun. 25, 9 am-10:15 am; Thu., Jul. 2, 9 am-10:15 am. Every Thu., 9-10:15 am at Ascent Church, 1750 Deer Creek Rd., Monument. For additional information go to www.al-anon-co.org.

Al-Anon meeting: Monument Serenity, Thu., Jun. 4, 9 am-10:15 am; Thu., Jun. 11, 9 am-10:15 am; Thu., Jun. 18, 9 am-10:15 am; Thu., Jun. 25, 9 am-10:15 am; Thu., Jul. 2, 9 am-10:15 am. Every Thu., 7 pm, The Church at Woodmoor, 18125 Furrow Road, Monument. For additional information go to www.al-anon-co.org..

Alcoholics Anonymous, Thu., Jun. 4, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Fri., Jun. 5, 12 pm-1 pm; Tue., Jun. 9, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Thu., Jun. 11, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Fri., Jun. 12, 12 pm-1 pm; Tue., Jun. 16, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Thu., Jun. 18, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Fri., Jun. 19, 12 pm-1 pm; Tue., Jun. 23, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Thu., Jun. 25, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Fri., Jun. 26, 12 pm-1 pm; Tue., Jun. 30, 7:30 pm9:30 pm; Thu., Jul. 2, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm; Fri., Jul. 3, 12 pm-1 pm. Every Tue. & Thu., 7:30 pm Black Forest Lutheran Church, 12455 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80908. AA is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. Join us with your questions. Info: bflc@bflchurch.org.

Amateur Ham Radio WØTLM (Tri-Lakes Monument ham radio Association), Mon., Jun. 15, 6 pm-10 pm.

Third Mon. (except December). We will open the doors at 6:00 PM for Connect Time, where members can socialize, meet new people, seek out help, or connect with an Elmer.

The business meeting will start at 7:00 PM – a brief business session followed by an educational presentation. Our meetings provide: (1) Information about public service and fun activities, license classes, emergency support, and more.

(2) Technical presentations to advance your knowledge of diverse Amateur Radio topics. All amateur ham radio operators or those interested in becoming one are welcome.

Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Building, 166 2nd Street, Monument. For details, see www.W0TLM.com.

American Legion Tri-Lakes Post 9-11, Wed., Jun. 10, 6:30 pm-9:30 pm. Second Wed., 6:30 pm, Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Community Meeting House, 300 CO Hwy 105, Monument. New members welcome. Info: Visit website at www.trilakespost9-11.org.

Benet Hill Monastery Sunday Worship Service, Sun., Jun. 7, 10:15 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jun. 14, 10:15 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jun. 21, 10:15 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jun. 28, 10:15 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jul. 5, 10:15 am11:30 am. Every Sun., 10:15 am worship service. Visit prayer sites. Walk the labyrinth in the forest. Individual and group retreats. 3190 Benet Lane, 80921. Info: (719) 6330655. www.Benethillmonastery.org. See ad on page A.8.

Bingo night, American Legion post 9-11 Tri-Lakes, Sat., Jun. 13, 6 pm-9 pm; Sat., Jun. 27, 6 pm-9 pm. 2nd and 4th Sat., 6-9 pm, Kings Deer Golf Club, 19255 Royal Troon Dr, Monument.

Dementia Caregiver Support Group, Sat., Jun. 13, 9:45 am-11:15 am. Meets monthly, second Sat., 9:45-11:15 am. Meets in-person. Free and open to the public. The Oct. 2025 through Feb. 2026 meetings will be at Falcon’s Nest at Jackson Creek Senior Living, 16601 Jackson Creek Parkway, Monument, CO 80132. Jackson Creek Senior Living has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter to host a six-month in-person support group for families, spouses and caregivers of individuals living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. The prior meeting place was the First National Bank Monument ( 581 Highway 105, Monument, CO 80132). Registration is required, call 800-272-3900 or email khare@alz.org to register.

Friends of Fox Run Park, Thu., Jun. 25, 7 pm-9 pm. Zoom meeting, fourth Thu., 7 pm. Join the growing group volunteering at the park: forest safety, trails, trees, education, special events, more; stay tuned! Email friendsoffoxrunpark@gmail.com. We will email you the link the day of the meeting.

Gleneagle Service to Mankind (Sertoma), Wed., Jun. 17, 11:45 am-1 pm; Wed., Jul. 1, 11:45 am-1 pm.

First and third Wed., 11:45 am to 1 pm. A chapter of Sertoma International, Inc., this is the longest continuously active civic service organization in Northern El Paso County.

“Serving Together, Growing Community.” First and third Wednesday lunch meetings include a program speaker of current local interest. Community service projects, sponsoring hearing health programs, youth activities and our national heritage. For meeting location write to contactus@gleneaglesertoma.org.

Gleneagle Women’s Club, membership luncheon, Tue., Jun. 16-Wed., Jun. 17. Third Fri., (Sep.-June), various venues, 12 activity groups, i.e., hiking, bridge, etc.

Guests welcome. For information contact Marcie at 520205-0578.

Lions Club Bingo, Sat., Jun. 13, 8:30 am-1 pm; Sat., Jun. 20, 8:30 am-1 pm; Sat., Jun. 27, 8:30 am-1 pm.

Every Sat. (except the first Sat.), 8:30 am-1 pm and first Mon., 5:30-10 pm Tri-Lakes Lions Club’s portion of the proceeds benefit those in need in the Tri-Lakes community.

Our Community Email Newsletter For the latest Tri-Lakes area news and upcoming events: wp.ocn.me/newslettersignup

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Updated info and location: Jim Naylor, 719-481-8741 or www.trilakeslionsclub.org.

Mind Quest - Breakfast Club, Fri., Jun. 26, 7:30 am-9 am. Mind Quest Puzzles and Games. 872 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, CO. 80133. Come puzzle and chat! Info: 719623-7494 mindquestpuzzles.com. Email mymindquest@ gmail.com to sign up. See ad on page A.4.

Mind Quest - Bunco Game Night, Tue., Jun. 9, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm. Mind Quest Puzzles and Games. 872 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, CO. 80133. Info: 719-6237494 mindquestpuzzles.com. Register at https://www. mindquestpuzzles.com/products/bunco-game-night-2ndtuesday. See ad on page A.4.

Mind Quest - Game Time, Sun., Jun. 7, 1 pm-5 pm; Sun., Jun. 14, 1 pm-5 pm; Sun., Jun. 21, 1 pm-5 pm; Sun., Jun. 28, 1 pm-5 pm; Sun., Jul. 5, 1 pm-5 pm. Mind Quest Puzzles and Games. 872 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, CO. 80133. Info at 719-623-7494 and mindquestpuzzles. com. Come play games with us – bring your own or use ours! See ad on page A.4.

Mind Quest - Jigsaw Puzzle Chess, Wed., Jun. 10, 5 pm-8 pm; Wed., Jun. 17, 5 pm-8 pm; Wed., Jun. 24, 5 pm-8 pm; Wed., Jul. 1, 5 pm-8 pm. Mind Quest Puzzles and Games. 872 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, CO. 80133. Info at 719-623-7494 and mindquestpuzzles.com. Free. See ad on page A.4.

Mind Quest - Jigsaw Puzzle Meet-Up, Mon., Jun. 8, 10:30 am-12:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 15, 10:30 am-12:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 22, 10:30 am-12:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 29, 10:30 am-12:30 pm. Mind Quest Puzzles and Games. 872 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, CO. 80133. 719-623-7494. See ad on page A.4.

Mind Quest Speed Puzzling Competitions - Pairs, Mon., Jun. 8, 5:45 pm-8 pm. Check-in: 5:45 pm, Start Time 6 pm. Solos – First Mon., Pairs – Second Mon., and Teams – Third Mon. Two hours to complete a 500-piece puzzle. Info and registration at mindquestpuzzles.com. Events held at Mind Quest Puzzles and Games. 872 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, CO. 80133. See ad on page A.4.

Mind Quest Speed Puzzling Competitions - Teams, Mon., Jun. 15, 5:45 pm-8 pm. Check-in: 5:45 pm, Start Time 6 pm. Solos – First Mon., Pairs – Second Mon., and Teams – Third Mon. Two hours to complete a 500-piece puzzle. Info and registration at mindquestpuzzles.com.

Events held at Mind Quest Puzzles and Games. 872 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, CO. 80133. See ad on page A.4.

Monument Hill Kiwanis Club meeting, Sat., Jun. 6, 8 am-10 am; Sat., Jun. 13, 8 am-10 am; Sat., Jun. 20, 8 am-10 am; Sat., Jun. 27, 8 am-10 am; Sat., Jul. 4, 8 am-10 am. Every Sat., 8 am. www.MHKiwanis.org, MonumentHillKiwanis@gmail.com for details, guests are welcome. Service leadership clubs, Key clubs, Builders Club, and K-kids at D38 schools. Memberships are open to the public. Info: RF Smith, 719-210-4987, www.MHKiwanis. org. See ad on page A.10.

Monument Life Recovery Group, Mon., Jun. 8, 6:30 pm-7:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 15, 6:30 pm-7:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 22, 6:30 pm-7:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 29, 6:30 pm-7:30 pm.

Every Mon., 6:30-7:30 pm, The Ascent Church, 1750 Deer Creek Rd. This faith-based support group is for those seeking freedom from all hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Daycare for children under age 11. Info: www.liferecoverygroups.com/ meetings/life-recovery-group-3/ Neighborhood Net Ham Radio, Sat., Jun. 6, 10 am-1 pm; Sat., Jun. 13, 10 am-1 pm; Sat., Jun. 20, 10 am-1 pm; Sat., Jun. 27, 10 am-1 pm; Sat., Jul. 4, 10 am-1 pm.

Every Sat., 10 am. Amateur ham radio operators practice for emergencies on weekly repeater nets so neighbors can help neighbors. Sign up at www.mereowx.org/neighborhood-net or contactus@mereowx.org.

Palmer Divide Quiltmakers, Thu., Jun. 4, 6:30 pm8:30 pm; Thu., Jul. 2, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm. First Thu., 6:308:30 pm (doors open at 6 pm) at Monument Hill Church, 18725 Monument Hill Rd, Monument, CO 80132.. Note: Dec. 4, 2025 meeting 5:00-7:30 pm at the Woodmoor Barn Community Center, 1691 Woodmoor Dr, Monument, CO 80132. https://palmerdividequilters.com.

Palmer Lake Art Group, Sat., Jun. 13, 9:30 am-11:30 am. Second Sat., 9:30 am. 300 Hwy 105, NE corner of I-25 and 105. For art programs, social gathering and business meetings. Guests welcome. Info: 719-460-4179, https:// palmerlakeartgroup.co..

Palmer Lake Historical Society, Thu., Jun. 18, 7 pm-8 pm. The PLHS normally meets (open to the public) on the third Thursday at 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 42 Valley Crescent St. Guest speakers, free to the public. Info: Kokesdm@yahoo.com, or visit www. palmerdividehistory.org Pikes Peak Genealogical Society, Wed., Jun. 10, 6:30 pm-9:30 pm. Zoom meeting, second Wed., 6:30pm: Zoom hangout. 7 pm: meeting starts. Monthly special speaker programs. For zoom meeting details contact: president@ ppgs.org. Info: www.ppgs.org. On June 10, Christine Cohen will talk about Naturalization and Citizenship.

Relentless Recovery, Recovery Gathering, Mon., Jun. 8, 7:30 pm-8:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 22, 7:30 pm-8:30 pm. 2nd and 4th Mon., 7:30-8:30 pm, hybrid zoom and in person at Lake & Lantern Cafe, 84 CO-105 #2, Palmer Lake.

“All humans welcome.” To register: https://hardbeauty.life/ dyr/.

Ridgeview Baptist Church, Sun., Jun. 7, 10:30 am-12 pm; Sun., Jun. 14, 10:30 am-12 pm; Sun., Jun. 21, 10:30 am-12 pm; Sun., Jun. 28, 10:30 am-12 pm; Sun., Jul. 5, 10:30 am-12 pm. Every Sun., 10:30 am, 5740 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, 80918. All are welcome. Info: 719357-6515 or www.ridgeviewcolorado.org. See ad on page A.6.

St. Matthias Sunday Services, Sun., Jun. 7, 10 am11:30 am; Sun., Jun. 14, 10 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jun. 21, 10 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jun. 28, 10 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jul. 5, 10 am-11:30 am. 10 am. Join us at St. Matthias Episcopal Church, 18320 Furrow Road, Monument.

Traditional worship and meaningful fellowship in a loving church community. https://www.saint-matthias.org. See ad on page A.3.

The Renovation Church, Sun., Jun. 7, 10 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jun. 14, 10 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jun. 21, 10 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jun. 28, 10 am-11:30 am; Sun., Jul. 5, 10 am-11:30 am. Service every Sun., 10 am. Phil Long Music Hall, 13071 Bass Pro Dr., Colorado Springs. A Place to Belong. Real people with Real problems serving a Real God who Really loves us. www.TheRenovationChurch.org Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast, Thu., Jun. 4, 7:30 am-9 am; Thu., Jun. 18, 7:30 am-9 am; Thu., Jul. 2, 7:30 am-9 am. First and third Thu., in person or via Zoom 166 2nd Street Monument 7:30-9 am free registration at www.TriLakeschamber.com Tri-Lakes Cruisers, Wed., Jul. 1, 6 pm-8 pm. First Wed., 6 pm. A nonprofit car club. Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce community room, with numerous activities and events each month. Club membership applications are now being accepted and are available on the website: https://www. trilakescruisers.com.

Tri-Lakes Dynamic Rotary Club Meeting, Thu., Jun. 4, 6 pm-8 pm; Thu., Jun. 18, 6 pm-8 pm; Thu., Jul. 2, 6

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pm-8 pm. First and third Thu., 6 pm-8 pm. First Thursday via zoom and third Thursday in person at the Chamber of Commerce, 166 2nd St., Monument. Details: www.tlrotary. com, Trilakesdynamicrotary@gmail.com. Guests welcome.

We are a service club serving Tri-Lakes. Memberships open to the public. Info: www.tlrotary.com.

Tri-Lakes Parkinson’s Disease Support Group, Sat., Jun. 20, 10 am-12 pm. Third Sat., 10 am-noon, Monument Community Presbyterian Church, 238 Third St., Monument.

Info: Syble Krafft, 719-488-2669; Barry (group president), 719-351-9485. If you need any help, please call Syble or Barry.

Tri-Lakes Women’s Club (TLWC) monthly meeting, Fri., Jun. 19, 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Third Fri., 11:30 am. To become a member, or learn about the club, visit our website at www.tlwc.net Contact Info: Tri-Lakes Women’s Club membership@tlwc.net.

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7829, Wed., Jun. 17, 7 pm-10 pm. Third Wed., 7 pm, Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce community room, 166 2nd St., Monument.

New members welcome. Info: Post Commander and POC Rodney Fetterman, rwfette@gmail.com.

Women’s A. A. Step Study, Mon., Jun. 8, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 15, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 22, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Mon., Jun. 29, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm. Every Mon., 6:30 pm, meeting remotely, check for details. Family of Christ Lutheran Church, 675 Baptist Rd. Park in the west lot. Info: 866-641-9190.

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Academy School District 20 (D20) Budget Hearing, Thu., Jun. 11, 5 pm-8 pm. The proposed 2026-2027 budget has been submitted to the Board of Education of Academy District 20 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. This budget is available for public review at www.asd20.org.

The proposed budget may also be viewed at the Academy District 20 Education and Administration Center, 1110 Chapel Hills Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. See notice on page A.9.

Art Hop, Thu., Jun. 18, 5 pm-8 pm; Thu., Jul. 16, 5 pm-8 pm; Thu., Aug. 20, 5 pm-8 pm. Third Thursdays, May through September, 5-8 pm, Downtown Monument.

Art, Music, Authors, Galleries, and More. See ad on page 2.

Bent Tree, Charter Pines Garage Sale, Fri., Jun. 26, 8 am-3 pm; Sat., Jun. 27, 8 am-3 pm. Teacher/school items, housewares, dishes, furniture, tools, books, women’s, children’s costumes, bedding, and more. Info: 719-4816219. See ad on page A.6.

Cops and Bobbers, Sat., Jun. 20, 8 am-12 pm.

Monument Lake 80132. Directions: Cross I-25 on Highway 105. Continue west on 2nd St. Turn left onto Mitchell Ave for 0.1 mi. Turn right onto Lake of the Rockies Dr. Go 295 ft. A fun, family event at Monument Lake for kids 13 and under to interact and fish with Monument Police Officers.

Info: Monument Police Officer Kelly Reifel, Community Resource Officer, 719-508-2942, kreifel@tomgov.org, or www.townofmonument.org.

Elephant Rock Experience Open House, Sat., Jun. 13, 11 am-8 pm; Sun., Jun. 14, 11 am-8 pm. 350 State Hwy 105, Palmer Lake, Colorado 80133. Info: 719-4818205.

Charlotte@elephantrockexperience.com. www. elephantrockexperience.com Encore Community Arts Commercial Acting Camp, Mon.-Fri., Jun. 15-19, 9 am-12 pm; Encore Community Arts is proud to present its summer acting camps for ages 7-13 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 17750 Knollwood Drive, Monument 80132. Campers will work with pre-written TV commercials, learning how actors bring scripts to life while building confidence, expression, and stage presence in a fun and supportive environment. $200 for the week.

Sign up at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/encorecommunity-arts-presents-commercial-acting-camp.

Front Range Makers' Market, Sat., Jun. 27, 9 am-4 pm; Sun., Jun. 28, 10 am-3 pm. 125+ Local Makers.

Lewis Palmer High School. Info can be found at https:// frmakersmarket.com/. See ad on page B.14.

Goat Patch Brewing Monument Summer Music Series, Every Sun., Jun. 7-Aug. 23, 2 pm-5 pm; 1756 Lake Woodmoor Dr.. Goat Patch Brewing Company will offer a diverse lineup of live musical talent at the Summer Music Series at the newly rebranded Goat Patch – Monument locations this spring, summer, and fall. There is something for everyone— from acoustic sets to multi-piece bands that range in genre from rock to punk to funk, mixed with jazz, country, and dance throwbacks that span the eras, plus more.

Info: https://www.goatpatchbrewing.com/ monument-events.

Jackson Creek Community Garage Sale, Fri., Jun. 19, 8 am-5 pm; Sat., Jun. 20, 8 am-5 pm. This community has about 1200 properties. Many of these homes will be hosting garage sales in their driveways. Info: 719-2007387 or https://www.trilakesrealestateinc.com/jacksoncreek-garage-sale Lewis-Palmer School District 38 (D38) Budget Hearing, Mon., Jun. 22, 6 pm-9 pm. The proposed 20262027 budget has been submitted to the Board of Education of Lewis-Palmer School District 38 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. The proposed budget is available for public inspection at the District Administration Office or at www.lewispalmer.org/financialtransparency. A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held during the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education of the District at the Administration Office, 146 N. Jefferson Street, Monument, Colorado 80132 on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 6:00 pm. Such proposed budget will then be considered for adoption at the same meeting following the public hearing. Any person paying school taxes in District 38 may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget, file or register their objections.

Meet Terri Carver, Tue., Jun. 9, 6 pm-8 pm. Wesley Owens Coffee & Cafe, 1744 Lake Woodmoor, Monument.

Terri Carver, CO Senate District 9 Republican candidate will be available to describe her plans and answer your questions. Food and drinks will be available. Hosted by Rich & Shannon Schur, and Mitch LaKind. Info: Rich Schur 719210-6230.

Monumental 147th Birthday Bash, Thu., Jun. 4, 5 pm-10 pm. Limbach Park, 151 Front Street, Monument 80132. Monument’s 147th Birthday. Music, Food Trucks, Family Fun. Live music with Wirewood Station and the Joey Fletcher Band. Free.

Support Our Community Advertise in OCN!

Our Community News (OCN), with a circulation over 21,000, is a unique allvolunteer monthly newspaper mailed FREE to every resident and business in the Tri-Lakes area. OCN is a primary source for Tri-Lakes area news that gives advertising preference to Tri-Lakes area businesses. OCN’s contractfree low ad rates and monthly publication schedule help stretch your ad budget while supporting an important Tri-Lakes-focused effort to present factual, comprehensive news to all Tri-Lakes area residents.

For advertising information, contact

John Heiser, (719) 488-3455, ads@ocn.me, or visit wp.ocn.me/advertise

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Monumental Impact - Maker Showcase, Fri., Jun. 26, 4:30 pm-6 pm. Welcoming guests to see projects from our community of makers, mentors, and entrepreneurs — a relaxed end-of-quarter community showcase. Monumental Impact is a nonprofit enabling a community of makers, artists, tinkerers, entrepreneurs sharing a co-working collaboration space and equipment resources like 3D printers, lasers, CNCs, and more. Hosted by Monumental Impact. 866 Hwy 105, Palmer Lake. Info: https://monumentalimpact.org Monumental Impact - Networking Night, Thu., Jun. 18, 5:30 pm-7 pm. Welcoming guests interested in talking with our community members. Monumental Impact is a nonprofit enabling a community of makers, artists, tinkerers, entrepreneurs sharing a co-working collaboration space and equipment resources like 3D printers, lasers, CNCs, and more. Hosted by Monumental Impact. 866 Hwy 105, Palmer Lake. Info: https://monumentalimpact.org Monumental Impact - Orientation, Sat., Jun. 20, 2 pm-3 pm. Community Makerspace (“a space to make”) and how to get involved. A nonprofit enabling a community of makers, artists, tinkers and entrepreneurs sharing a coworking collaboration space and equipment resources like 3D printers, lasers, CNCs, and more. Welcoming guests interested in learning about our programs, equipment and workspace. Hosted by Monumental Impact. 866 Hwy 105, Palmer Lake. Info: https://monumentalimpact.org Mountain View Electric Annual Meeting, Thu., Jun. 4, 5 pm-8 pm. Registration will begin at 5 p.m. The business meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Limon Public Schools building in Limon, 912 Badger Way, Limon, CO 80828. The purposes of the meeting are (1) To elect two directors for the Association: One from District 2 and one from District 7; (2) To approve the minutes of the 2025 Annual Meeting of Members; 3) To report on financial transactions during the 2025 calendar year; and 4) To conduct any other business.

District 2 consists of Simla, Matheson, and a portion of the surrounding areas (incumbent Rick L. Gordon). District 7 consists of Monument, Woodmoor, and a portion of the surrounding areas (incumbent Jim Riggins). Free event.

RSVP encouraged by Friday, May 15. 800-388-9881. RSVP and info at mvea.coop/community/annual-meeting-ofmembers/ Music Camp at The Church at Woodmoor, Mon., Jun. 22, 9 am-12 pm; Tue., Jun. 23, 9 am-12 pm; Wed., Jun. 24, 9 am-12 pm; Thu., Jun. 25, 9 am-12 pm; Fri., Jun. 26, 9 am-12 pm. At The Church at Woodmoor, 18125 Furrow Rd, Monument 80132. Celebrating 250 years of America.

Learn songs. Decorate 4th of July float. Guest musicians.

Short plays. $30 first child registered. $15 each additional child. Info: 719-488-3200 and thechurchatwoodmoor.com/ post/music-camp. See ad on page A.5.

OCN Publication, Sat., Jun. 6-Sun., Jun. 7; Sat., Jul. 4-Sun., Jul. 5; Sat., Aug. 1-Sun., Aug. 2. We are all volunteers at OCN and need YOUR help. Become an OCN reporter! Help us report ‘What was discussed and what was decided.’ Contact me TODAY! JohnHeiser@ocn.me or (719) 488-3455.

Palmer Lake Arts Festival, Fri., Jul. 24, 6 pm-9 pm; Sat., Jul. 25, 9 am-5 pm; Sun., Jul. 26, 9 am-5 pm. Palmer Lake’s Centennial Park. Features art classes and demos, live bands, food trucks, children’s activities, a stargazing party, and more. Information at PLArtsCouncil.org. This is a free community event celebrating local art and artists.

719.460.4179. palmerlakeartscouncil@gmail.com. See ad on page A.11.

Palmer Lake July 4th Fun Run, Sat., Jul. 4, 6 am10 am. 44 Years Running! Join the Tradition. Come for the race. Stay for the celebration. Start in Palmer Lake and run or walk four miles along the Santa Fe Trail to Monument.

Registration includes bus ride back to the start. All proceeds benefit Palmer Lake Elementary School. Participants will receive a shirt, finisher’s medal, and commemorative bag.

Info: july4funrun@gmail.com and www.july4funrun.com.

See ad on page A.11.

St. Matthias Episcopal Church Annual Garage Sale, Fri., Jun. 26, 8 am-2 pm; Sat., Jun. 27, 8 am-2 pm.

18320 Furrow Road, Monument. Info: www.saint-matthias. org. 719-426-9809. See ad on page A.3.

St. Peter Knights of Columbus 4th of July Pancake Breakfast, Sat., Jul. 4, 7 am-10 am. 55 Jefferson St. Monument 80132. Adults: $10, Children 5-13: $5, Children 4 and under: FREE. Active-duty military and first responders in uniform: FREE. petertherock.org. See ad on page A.2.

Town of Monument Concerts in the Park, Wed., Jun. 10, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Wed., Jun. 17, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Wed., Jun. 24, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Wed., Jul. 8, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Wed., Jul. 15, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Wed., Jul. 22, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Wed., Jul. 29, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm.

Every Wed. June 3 -July 29 except July 1. Limbach Park.

Info: https://www.townofmonument.org/568/Concerts-in-

Content

Articles in Our Community News focus on the deliberations of Tri-Lakes area governmental bodies such as the Monument Board of Trustees, Palmer Lake Town Council, and many of the local water, sanitation, fire, and school district boards.

Unlike papers that try to figure out what the “story” is and then get quotes on each side to presumably lead the reader to conclude what the “truth” is, OCN’s role is to report in detail on public meetings of local governmental entities. We report what was talked about and what was decided supplemented with board packet information. By reading OCN, you can find out what you might have learned if you had attended those public meetings.

In this context, “truth” is that the articles accurately represent what transpired at the meetings.

The content of ads, inserts, and letters to the editor in OCN is solely the responsibility of the advertisers and authors who place those ads, inserts, and letters. The appearance of an ad, insert, or letter in OCN does not imply endorsement of the ad, insert, or letter’s content or purpose. While OCN does not knowingly run false ads, inserts, or letters, we do not research the accuracy of that content.

Readers are encouraged to do their own research prior to committing to use the products or services offered or accept the conclusions of letters to the editor. Readers with concerns about the content of an ad, insert, or letter should take up those concerns with the advertiser or author.

Contact John Heiser, Publisher, at johnheiser@ ocn.me or (719) 488-3455 with any questions.

Look for our next issue

Saturday, July 4

Ad space reservations due: Fri., June 12 Finished ad artwork due: Fri., June 19 Letters to the editor due: Fri., June 19 Calendar items due: Fri., June 26 Visit our website to read, download, and search all the back issues at WWW.OCN.ME

Page B.13

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the-Park.

Tri-Lakes Cares Summer Snack Pack Distribution, Wed., Jun. 10, 11 am; Wed., Jun. 24, 11 am-1 pm.

Limbach Park, 151 Front Street, 80132. While Tri-Lakes Cares provides snack packs to local students during the school year, we’re proud to continue this support into the summer months—because hunger doesn’t take a vacation.

While supplies last. Info: Open to anyone in the community.

Help us spread the word! Point of Contact: James Russell 719-370-1314 Info: Nora McKay noram@tri-lakescares.org, 719-481-4864. https://tri-lakescares.org.

Tri-Lakes Church of Christ Illumination Station VBS, Mon., Jun. 22, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Tue., Jun. 23, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; Wed., Jun. 24, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm.

20450 Beacon Lite Road, Monument, CO 80132. Monday – Wednesday 6:30pm To 8:30pm. Activities & Classes. 2 Years – 5th Grade. Parents Welcome. http://trilakeschurch.org/ vbs/. See ad on page B.14.

Western Museum of Mining and Industry - History Day, Sat., Jun. 13, 10 am-2 pm. 225 Northgate Blvd, Colorado Springs 80921.Our guided tour offers a unique blend of storytelling, machine demonstrations, and Colorado history that brings our mining heritage to life! Experience working with machinery with experienced guides, each with a special story to share. Engage with unique exhibitors to unlock pieces of history. Machine demonstrations will occur twice throughout the day! wmmi.org. info@wmmi.org.

719-488-0880. See ad on page A.10.

YMCA Fall Youth Sports Registration Begins, Mon., Jun. 15-Tue., Jun. 16. Early registration begins June 15.

Registration ends Aug. 9. Practice begins week of Aug. 24.

Season Sept. 12-Oct. 17. Ages 3-14. For questions or more information: ppymca.org/sports. See ad on page A.6.

Our Community Calendar carries listings on a space-available basis for Tri-Lakes events that are sponsored by local governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations. We include events that are open to the general public and are not religious or self-promotional in nature. If space is available, complimentary calendar listings are included, when requested, for events advertised in the current issue. To have your event listed at no charge in Our Community Calendar, please send the information to calendar@ocn.me or Our Community News, P.O. Box 1742, Monument, Colorado 80132.

Paul’s Asphalt Service

Top-quality asphalt paving and maintenance A+ rated by the BBB and great on-line reviews!

Hot mix asphalt paving • 5 types of asphalt sealcoating Hot rubber crack sealant/asphalt patch • Recycled asphalt paving

Paul Williams, Jr.

719-453-4477 Monument Asphaltserviceonline.com Letters to Our Community

Our Community News welcomes letters to the editor on topics of general interest to readers in the Tri-Lakes area. We do not knowingly print letters that are substantially the same as letters that have been submitted to other publications. To ensure that OCN contains a variety of viewpoints, each letter writer is limited to a maximum of one (1) letter per issue and six (6) letters within a twelve (12)month period. To submit a letter, please: • Email your letter, preferably as an attached Microsoft Word document, to editor@ocn.me or mail a copy to Our Community News, P.O. Box 1742, Monument, CO 80132-1742.

• Identify your submission as a letter to the editor and confirm that it has not been submitted to any other publication.

• Include a suggested headline or title that summarizes the topic you are addressing.

• Limit your letter to no more than 300 words including your suggested headline and closing.

• Include your full name, home address, phone numbers, and email address, if you have one.

Only your name will be published.

• Submit your letter so we receive it no later than midnight, Friday, two weeks prior to the publication date.

If you have not received an acknowledgement two days after your email submission or one week after you mailed your letter, please contact John Heiser, Publisher, at (719) 488-3455 or editor@ ocn.me. At OCN’s sole discretion, we may ask you for clarification of your statements. Include references, such as website links, in your letter for any facts and figures you cite. OCN does not guarantee every letter will appear in print or on-line and does not guarantee a publication date. The number of letters printed on a particular topic or in a particular issue may be limited. Letters containing personal attacks or endorsements for or complaints about individually-named commercial products or services will not be published.

OCN is published on the first Saturday of each month by Colorado Cooperative Association Our Community News, Inc. John Heiser, President (719) 488-3455—FAX: (828) 649-2720 Advertising: ads@ocn.me Back issues: www.ocn.me Editorial content: editor@ocn.me Event information: calendar@ocn.me © Copyright 2001-2026 Our Community News, Inc. P.O. Box 1742 Monument, Colorado 80132-1742 All rights reserved.

Page B.14

Read, download, search, and listen to OCN content at our mobile-friendly website OCN.ME

Vol. 26 No. 6

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Happy 25th, OCN!

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