Colorado Springs Independent: May 30, 2024

PUBLISHER

Fran Zankowski

EDITORIAL

EDITOR IN CHIEF Ben Trollinger

REPORTER Andrew Rogers

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Cannon Taylor, Adam Leech, Lauren Ciborowski and Jonathan Toman

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Sean Cassady

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Kay Williams

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Editor’s Note

THE CITY OF SURPRISE

By BEN TROLLINGER • ben.trollinger@ppmc.live

Back in late March, during my first week as editor of The Independent , I was basking in the morning light near the entrance of Loyal Coffee on Nevada Avenue. I was soaking up the convivial vibe and waiting for a table to open up. One soon did, and I pounced, worried I’d get outflanked by a newer, faster model. And sure enough, I converged on the table at the same time as another patron, who could have passed as my younger, but significantly taller brother.

“Do you want to share?” I asked, feeling rather smug in my generosity.

For a time, we both sat in silence, productively staring into our laptops, as one does in the 21st century. Out of my peripheral vision I noticed my table mate had walked over to the water station. He brought back a bottle and two glasses—one for him and one for me. He passed the glass across the table and filled it up for me. A small gesture, I know, but it’s been a while since I’ve been the flatfooted recipient of an act of everyday decency. These micro-kindnesses (the less-publicized cousin of micro-aggressions) have piled up since I rolled into town. And they’ve just kept coming.

For the past 12 years, I’ve been living in Summit County, and things there are … different. Beautiful, inspiring, but different. Maybe it’s the elevation or the economic inequality, but people there (me included) tend toward the taciturn, the guarded, and the grouchy. But here in the so-called City of Hate and

Bigotry, I’ve found something that has truly surprised me—possibly the friendliest city I’ve ever visited or lived in. When I bring this up to people here—usually with a Gomer Pyle, golly-gee-whiz inflection—they smile politely and raise an eyebrow, as if to say, “You poor thing.”

As I write this, I realize there’s nothing more banal than to declare a city friendly. It’s like saying, “Wow, you guys have trees and streets and plumbing and everything!” I grew up in a big city, but a long season deep in the High Country has turned me into a bit of a country bumpkin, or a gaper, as we say up in ski country. What was I expecting exactly? The city was recently named the 3rd Best Place to Live by US News and World Report (turn to the story on page 7). I can attest to the claim that it’s a great place to live, but I wasn’t prepared for the warmest of welcomes, mostly by people who have no idea who I am or what I do, or maybe primarily because they have no idea who I am or what I do.

And yet, friendliness and neighborliness are not hallmarks of journalism. We tend to focus on the problems. The seedy underbelly, the dark side. The controversies and the crime. That’s where the drama is. Journalists feel it’s our vocation to face harsh realities. And that can sometimes lead to a casual and caustic kind of cynicism. All of that positive stuff? Put it on a billboard near the city limits, why don’t you?

But that cynicism can also act as a counterbalance to the self-congratulatory boosterism that often benefits a city’s most privileged residents, the ones that bask in the morning light in a beautifully designed coffee shop.

I concede that all of this is an attempt to cushion the blow. This is not an “It’s Always Sunny in the Springs” kind of issue. The centerpiece story by Andrew Rogers (turn to page 8) offers a tough look at the current state of the city’s intractable homelessness crisis. We felt this story was especially newsworthy as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule this summer on city ordinances across the country that ban homeless encampments.

It occurred to me while editing the story that for all the sweetness and light I’ve experienced since moving here, there is work to do. After all, there’s more than enough kindness to go around.

Ben Trollinger is the editor-in-chief of Pikes Peaks Media Company. Email him at ben.trollinger@ppmc. live.

LETTERS

WELCOME BACK

With only our one daily newspaper and few other credible print/on-line news sources locally, the existence of the Colorado Springs Independent is critical to the social and political health of our region. Yes, it is important to have another editorial voice besides the conservative Gazette’s. But even more valuable is the ability of a weekly paper like the Independent to hire reporters who are able to take the necessary time to do in-depth research and write longer stories on complex regional issues. I am grateful and excited that the Independent will once again be available in the Pikes Peak area. We would not be the same without it.

Richard Skorman, Former four-term Colorado Springs Council Member and co-owner of Poor Richard’s, Little Richard’s and Rico’s

•

I was surprised and genuinely overjoyed when I received the first issue of the new Colorado Springs Independent in the mail. As an avid reader of the publication since moving here in 2004, I could regularly be found pouring over articles during lunch at my favorite downtown eateries. It represented the only local, divergent publication available in my adopted home. Although it never provided a diverse point of view… sorry, but it didn’t, the Independent was informative, entertaining and gave a socially liberal insight into local affairs not adequately covered by other media outlets. Thank you for keeping the Independent alive and sharing it with the larger Springs community.

Chris Meyer

Upland Road

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must be signed with full name and include daytime phone number, full address, or email address. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. We reserve the right to edit all submissions.

EMAIL ADDRESS: letters@ppmc.live

News. HEADLINES

COLORADO SPRINGS MOVES UP LIST OF BEST PLACES TO LIVE

Olympic City USA is on the podium, once again, in US News and World Report’s list of the “Best Places to Live.” Colorado Springs is the #3 city overall in the annual ranking, up six spots from last year’s ninth-place finish. The city, once again, took the top honor for most desirable place to live, continuing with the trend as the city has gained that ranking in five of the last six years.

“Colorado Springs is indisputably one of the best places to live in our great country, and we are proud to again rank as one of the top cities in this reputable list,” said Mayor Yemi Mobolade.

The publication measures 150 of the country’s top cities based on several factors including how well they meet Americans’ living expectations, including value, job market, desirability and quality of life. Naples, FL took the top spot.

GENETIC GENEALOGY USED TO CLOSE 47-YEAR-OLD CASE

Colorado Springs Police used genetic data to solve a cold case stemming from the 1970s. Maria Loraine Honzell, 14, was found dead at an apartment in the 5400 block of North Nevada Avenue on February 7, 1977. The case was ruled a homicide, but no suspect was ever found. Police credited advances in DNA technology that eventually linked scene evidence to a person of interest identified as William C. Kernan, Jr. who died in 2010.

By ANDREW ROGERS • andrew.rogers@ppmc.live

The Colorado Springs Fire Department could assume emergency medical services under a proposal currently before the Colorado Springs City Council. The city’s current contract with American Medical Response (AMR) is set to expire in April 2025. On May 13, the city and the fire department made the case for the change to the city council during a work session.

“The time is right to place the responsibility of EMS transport in the hands of those who are most capable to manage risk and who are tasked to do so by city code—our fire department,” said Mayor Yemi Mobolade.

The mayor admitted that he was initially skeptical of having the fire department run the ambulance service when the idea was proposed last August. At the time, he

cited growing the size of the city government as his chief concern. However, in recent weeks, Mobolade changed his mind.

According to the fire department’s proposal, the move to a city-run emergency services enterprise would improve response times and provide increased resources dedicated strictly to 911 response.

“I truly believe this is in the best interest of the public safety of our community,” said Fire Chief Randy Royal.

American Medical Response arrived late to over 33,000 calls for service over the past three years, the proposal noted. Due to that high number of late calls, the private company had to pay the city just over $5.5 million in damages for not

provided by CSFD

CITY WEIGHS PROPOSAL TO MOVE AMBULANCE SERVICES UNDER FIRE DEPARTMENT’S CONTROL

meeting the standards within the current contract. The late fees are assessed after an ambulance is at least four minutes late to a scene.

The move to have EMS services handled by the city would put Colorado Springs in line with many other large cities across the state and nation. Colorado Springs is just one of four of the nation’s 40 largest cities to rely on privatized ambulance services. The other cities include Portland, OR, Las Vegas, NV, and Fresno, CA. Within Colorado, Colorado Springs is the largest community to not have its ambulance services handled in-house.

The city council is expected to have its first vote on the proposed change on June 10 and the final vote is tentatively scheduled for June 25.

Photo

News.

A ROUNDABOUT FOR GENERAL PALMER AN D DIABLO?

The intersection of Platte Ave. and Nevada Ave. has been the long-time home of a statue of the city’s founder, General William Jackson Palmer, and his horse, Diablo. Traffic accidents and other safety concerns plague the intersection. In early May, the city commissioned a feasibility study to explore if a roundabout could and should be installed at the intersection. Due to safety concerns around the landmark, the city has already restricted lefthand turns from eastbound Platte to Nevada. Studies provided by the city show that roundabouts help reduce fatal crashes by 90% and pedestrian crashes by up to 40%. This feasibility study is expected to take a year to complete and will look at the actual process of building the roundabout as well as the community impact and cost.

PROJECT AIMS TO EASE I-25 TRAFFIC INTO DOWNTOWN

Construction traffic impacts will be seen in both directions of South Nevada Avenue between Brookside Street and Interstate 25. The project aims to improve the flow of traffic off the southbound I-25 exit and minimize traffic impacts along South Nevada Avenue headed to northbound I-25. The project will also include the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Cheyenne Creek, signal upgrades at four intersections, and improved signage along the corridor. The project carries a price tag of $9.1 million. It’s funded by the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority. The project is expected to wrap up in February 2025.

GUILTY VERDICT REACHED IN FOUNTAIN POLICE DEATH

32-year-old Devon Bobian of Pueblo was found guilty of murder for his role in the events leading

to Fountain police officer Julian Becerra. A jury returned the guilty verdict on all five counts Bobian faced, 2nd-degree murder, aggravated robbery, vehicular eluding, felony menacing and car theft. On February 2nd, 2023, Officer Becerra was part of a chase between south Colorado Springs and Fountain of three suspects, including Bobian, that ended on a bridge over South Academy Blvd, just east of I-25. Officer Becerra fell from the bridge and died due to that fall. Bobian could face between 16 and 96 years when sentenced later this year. The longer sentence could be due to Bobian being charged as a habitual offender.

NEW DOG PARK OPENS DOWNTOWN

A ribbon cutting was held on May 16 for the Antlers Park Dog Park. The park, located at the corner of Pikes Peak Ave. and Sierra Madre St., sits directly to the east of

the Antlers Hotel. The park will feature two separate play areas designed for large and small dogs, synthetic turf, a sitting area, play amenities, and a dog water station. The $510,000 in improvements were funded by the voter-approved ballot issue 2B in the November 2019 election, which allowed the city to keep $7 million in excess 2018 Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) revenue.

FIRE DEPARTMENT BREAKS

GROUND FOR NEW FIRE STATION

The Colorado Springs Fire Department broke ground Wednesday, May 15 on a new fire station. Fire Station 24 will be located on Interquest Parkway and New Life Drive in northern Colorado Springs. The location is in response direct to the continued growth in the area. It will also firefighters to maintain the department’s response time goal of having an engine arrive to a call for service within eight minutes or

less 90% of the time. The station is expected to be open the end of 2024 or early 2025.

INDEPENDENT CO-SPONSORS CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE

The Colorado Springs Independent , Fox21 and Cumulus Media will be hosting a Republican congressional debate ahead of the June 25 primary vote. The debate, between Jeff Crank and Dave Williams, will be moderated by Donna Nelson from Pike Peak State College and include panelists Austin Sack of Fox21, Richard Randall of KVOR, and Independent Editor-in-Chief Ben Trollinger. Crank and Williams are vying for the GOP nomination after the announced retirement of longtime 5th District Representative Doug Lamborn. The debate will be held on the evening of June 6 at Boot Barn Hall. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. A Democratic debate is also being scheduled.

Photo by Andrew Rogers

News.

HOMELESSNESS & THE HIGH COURT

Colorado Springs camping enforcement policy in question as SCOTUS decision looms

Story & photos

by ANDREW ROGERS •

andrew.rogers@ppmc.live

For almost 10 years, Debra Cain lived out of her 2005 Kia Sedona. It was better than camping on the streets, but a life without regular access to the basics, like a place to take a shower or cook a meal, took its toll.

“Homelessness is not easy for anyone,” said Cain.

Today, the 65-year-old works with the Colorado Springs Homeless Union as an advocate for the city’s unhoused. She finally has a place to call home again, but the road back to stable housing has been long and arduous.

Back in 2005, she lost her home in Millington, Tennessee during Hurricane Katrina. Before that, she thought she had it made.

“By the time I was 40 years old, my house was paid for,” she said.

But without flood insurance, she lost everything and decided to head west to Colorado Springs, where she’d lived previous-

ly as a self-described Air Force brat.

“I love Colorado and was doing fine when I first came,” she said.

In 2012, it was easy for her to find an apartment for $500 a month.

“Then [the city] started growing, and things started growing out of control and I didn’t have the money to pay what they wanted in rent,” she said.

She started to fall behind. One thing led to another, and Cain suddenly found herself without housing. She soon found that life on the street was a hunter-gatherer’s existence—find food, find a bathroom, find shelter, stay safe, survive another day.

Although Colorado Springs has three shelters, many of the city’s unhoused, including Debra Cain, have opted instead to camp in violation of controversial local laws that some have called unconstitutional.

“It’s not a crime to be homeless and we can’t make it a crime,” Cain said.

JOHNSON V. GRANTS PASS

Whether city ordinances banning homeless encampments are constitutional or not is at the heart of a case currently before the United States Supreme Court. The court heard arguments in the Johnson v. Grants Pass case in April and is expected to make a ruling this summer. The case could have sweeping ramifications for how cities like Colorado Springs address the nation’s growing homelessness problem.

According to data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the national homeless population grew by nearly 5% between 2018 and 2022. The HUD data showed that in 2022, 18 out of every 10,000, or 582,462 people nationwide, were considered homeless. The 2023 federal data has not been published.

Shopping cart at Tejon Park & Ride

Like Colorado Springs, Grants Pass, a Southern Oregon city of 38,000, banned outdoor camping to address its spiraling homeless problem. Grants Pass, however, did not have “low-barrier” shelter beds to offer to the unhoused it was rousting from illegal encampments. According to The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a low-barrier shelter provides immediate, year-round access to services for unhoused people. They also do not have requirements such as sobriety and income thresholds that could potentially disqualify someone from using the shelter.

Gloria Johnson, one of the plaintiffs in the case before the Supreme Court, claims her constitutional rights were violated by the Grants Pass’s anti-camping laws, which given the lack of local shelter beds, left her with nowhere to go.

The case made it to the Supreme Court after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that anti-camping laws violated the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”

If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs in the suit and strikes down the Grants Pass law, it could have a major impact on cities nationwide. Colorado Springs city staff declined to comment on the pending ruling.

KEEPING COUNT

Unlike Grants Pass, Colorado Springs has a stipulation in the law that says campers can only be moved when there is enough bed space at the local shelters. To strike that balance, the city keeps close tabs on the local homeless population.

In 2018, when Colorado Springs city leaders first hammered out the outdoor camping ban, the city had a homeless population of more than 500, according to a “Point in Time” count conducted each year in January. According to the most recent survey, however, there were about 1300 persons experiencing homelessness locally in 2023.

However, some Colorado Springs homeless advocates dispute that figure, saying it minimizes the scale of the issue.

Westside Cares CEO Kristy Milligan said the 2023 estimate is a fraction of the actual homeless population in the city. She said that the potential undercount can be attributed to a variety of factors: the count taking place in the winter, hospitalizations, or heightened camp sweeps leading up to the count.

“If someone happens to be lucky enough to have a motel room on the night of the count, if someone got a couch to surf on for that one night if someone is in jail or the hospital—they are not [eligible] to be counted,” Milligan said.

She estimates the city’s homeless population is closer to 2,000 individuals at any given time. She said a summer count could help provide a clearer picture.

Debra Cain said she witnessed increased camp sweeps every year leading up to the count.

“They like to do sweeps because they don’t like for you to know how many people are really out there,” she said.

Colorado Springs Police Sergeant Olav Chaney supervisor of the six-member CSPD Homeless Outreach Team, or HOT team, said that the team addresses trespassing or outdoor camping concerns consistently throughout the year. However, he did say that during the cold winter months, the team will run campers for warrants.

“If they’ve got warrants, then we take them to [jail] and that makes us feel better know-

ing that they may not lose a limb or some toes or fingers,” he said.

Chaney said that while the count is by no means perfect, the factthat it takes place every year at the same time can provide a general idea of how the population is growing.

Even with a potentially undercounted homeless population, the local shelters say they have a surplus of beds.

“We have a capacity of 450 shelter beds,” said Travis Williams, chief development officer for the Springs Rescue Mission. “We

have never had to turn anyone away due to shelter capacity.”

The Salvation Army’s R.J. Montgomery Center has 31 beds or units for families experiencing homelessness. The Place has a total of 20 beds for its youth population. That gives the city approximately 501 beds for the homeless population. Even taking the last homeless headcount of 1300 at face value, the city has bed space for just 38% of the homeless population. That means many are choosing to rough it instead.

ENFORCING THE LAWS

In 2006, the law enforcement strategy regarding homelessness shifted in response to a growing number of camps throughout Colorado Springs. The camps were spread across a wide swath of downtown. Permanent encampments had become fixtures in downtown parks like Dorchester, Monument Valley and Antlers Parks. The city trail network along Fountain Creek was also a well-known quarter for the city’s unhoused.

“Because of all the issues that we were having with the campers, the trash, the stuff along

Sgt. Olav Chaney

Debra Cain

the creeks and everything like that, and all the trespassing on private property, we directed our mission to law enforcement,” said Sgt, Olav Chaney, supervisor of CSPD Homeless Outreach Team.

Sgt. Chaney said that the main goal of the team is to balance law enforcement needs with compassion.

“There’s always that first-time warning for someone who’s never been given a warning before or doesn’t know the laws that we have in the books,” he said.

Chaney said that the HOT team will visit between 20 and 25 camps in an average week and tends to interact with a core group of 400 to 500 homeless individuals. The team has several community partners that often respond to calls with them in the hope of connecting the homeless community with local resources, including shelters, housing lists and substance use programs.

The biggest win is the “one guy that’s we convinced to go into substance use program or to get off the street,” Chaney said.

Enforcement of encampments in the city relies primarily on four ordinances:

Public camping: “They get a 24-hour [notice] to remove whatever they need to take,” Chaney said. After that time frame, which can also be much longer due to the availability of resources, city cleanup crews will come through and address whatever is left behind.

Camping in a riparian zone (one hundred feet of a waterway): Due to environmental and public health concerns related to contaminated water and the potential risk to people and property from flooding, camping in these areas is addressed more quickly.

“That’s a 1-hour [notice,]” Chaney said of the notice for campers to vacate. Those waterways include streams, channels, canals, streambeds, drainage ways, floodways, reservoirs, lakes, and ponds.

Camping in parks: That, Chaney said, is grounds for immediate removal. “There’s no camping in any parks in the city, but there’s no camping in the city at all when it comes right down to it.”

Trespassing: Trespassing on land or rights of way owned by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado Springs Utilities, and private owners is strictly prohibited. Chaney said in those instances campers are subject to immediate removal as well.

Chaney said that removing encampments under these ordinances boils down to public safety. Some of the campers, he said, have criminal records and could be a danger to others. He’s seen active warrants among the homeless community ranging anywhere from homicides to motor vehicle theft, sexual assaults, and more.

“We sometimes have to take a step back and remind ourselves that some of these are criminals… pretty dangerous criminals,” Chaney said.

He also pointed to the drug element in some of the camps. “Very few times do I not see a syringe at a campsite,” he said.

In 2023, the Homeless Outreach Team either made arrests or cleared more than 300 felony warrants and 2,200 misdemeanor warrants among the Colorado Springs homeless population. Many were misdemeanors for camping, but others were for more serious

crimes like shoplifting, domestic violence and assault.

Homeless advocates, however, believe that it is the goal of the local police to issue as many tickets as possible as a form of harassment.

“Colorado Springs had 890 citations last year for people experiencing homelessness, trespassing or camping, related to acts of survival,” Milligan said. She claims that number far outpaces the 14 similar citations in Denver. The Public Information Office for Denver PD confirmed that 5 people were jailed for unauthorized camping in 2023 and 9 people were cited and released for the same charge.

Chaney said that his team does have a “low-tolerance approach” to enforcing camping laws because a core group of the unhoused population is involved in some form of drug use or crime.

“They need to conform to the ordinances

of the city and the state laws,” he said, reiterating that the main goal of the team is to convince campers to get off the street and get into shelter or rehab.

SEEKING SHELTER

The city’s outdoor camping ordinances can be summed up as, you don’t have to go to the shelter, but you can’t stay here. When the local ban became law, the city allocated $500,000 in funding to provide shelter beds as a mechanism to justify using police to break up the encampments.

The Springs Rescue Mission provided shelter to a total of 3,362 guests in 2023. Data provided by the Rescue Mission shows an average of 442 guests a night and the average length of time in the shelter at 38 days. The local faith-based non-profit served 202,641 meals to those in need during 2023, along with 34,577 showers and 11,096 loads of laundry.

Travis Williams said that the local shelter has removed as many barriers as possible to provide access to the shelter.

“There are very few reasons that somebody can’t find shelter at the rescue mission,” he said, adding that anyone is welcome if they are not causing harm to themselves or others.

Debra Cain never stayed at the local shelter during her time on the streets. She said she’d heard several stories from others within the homeless community about what happens behind the shelter walls—everything from having medication taken away to having personal items stolen.

Travis Williams said that there is no policy to have medications taken from people at the mission. He said that several hundred homeless men and women receive their prescription medications through the mail using the rescue mission’s address.

Many in the camps, the ones who have not been to the mission, spread what Williams describes as inaccurate information about what happens at the shelter on Tejon and Las Vegas streets.

“We’ve had people tell us, I don’t go to the rescue mission because they won’t let me take my drugs in there,” said Chaney.

Williams said that he’s heard those concerns before.

“You can come to the rescue mission… you just can’t do drugs on campus,” he said. There is an “amnesty box” in the intake area

Tent under no trespassing sign at Tejon Park & Ride

of the mission where people can dispose of any drugs or drug paraphernalia without fear of legal recourse.

And yet, many in the city’s unhoused population continue to live on the streets, even during the frigid winter months. Cain claims that more than 90 homeless people died in Colorado Springs in 2023 due to exposure. The El Paso County coroner’s office couldn’t confirm this number because they have yet to compile data for 2023.

Even with the recent expansion of the services and offerings at the Springs Rescue Mission over the years, there are additional challenges that could prevent certain members of the homeless population from using their services.

“We’re not a medical facility,” Williams said. He said that if homeless guests can sustainably care for themselves medically, they stay at the mission.

Kristy Milligan, of Westside Cares, said that even with enough beds, she believes that the city needs more options for sheltering the diverse homeless people who don’t fall into the qualifications of the three main shelters.

“We’ve got people in wheelchairs, maybe they can’t accomplish their activities of daily living, who literally can’t go to Springs Rescue Mission,” she said.

She added that in many cases there are few

options for homeless individuals with chronic medical conditions because “the hospitals will kick them out after a couple of days.”

In response to those claims, UCHealth spokesperson Cary Vogrin said that their

policy is to discharge patients when they are medically cleared and no longer require hospital care.

WATCHING AND WAITING

The United States Supreme Court is expected to have a ruling in the Johnson v. Grants Pass case before the end of their session on June 30.

With the local impact of this ruling still largely up in the air, many local homeless advocates are watching closely.

“I hope that we can centralize the humanity of the human beings who are experiencing homelessness,” Milligan said.

Debra Cain has her fingers crossed.

“I wish people would take a step back and say, ‘what if that were me out there?’ and try to understand what’s going on,” she said. “Don’t make their life any harder with camp sweeps.”

Chaney, on the other hand, said his team will continue to follow city code.

“It’s going be interesting to see how that plays out, in the meantime, we’re just going to enforce our laws and do what we have to do to keep our city safe,” he said.

Dining facility at the Springs Rescue Mission

Westside Cares CEO Kristy Milligan

Business. BIZLINES

COLORADO SPRINGS COMPANY BRINGING

WHOLE 30 PREPARED FOODS TO RETAIL

Prepared foods based on the ‘Whole 30’ diet and lifestyle program are being distributed to retail outlets by Colorado Springs-based Roth Brands. Roth Brands acquired a licensing deal to provide prepared foods that align with the tenets of the diet.

“I know folks that have done Whole 30,” said Roth Brands CEO Mitchell Roth. “For me, it was really an opportunity to bring the best-in-class health and wellness brand to a category that essentially has been devoid of modern health and wellness brands.”

The meals will feature 30 grams of protein, fewer than 300mg of sodium, zero sugar, zero dairy, zero legumes, zero grains and will be certified gluten-free. Refrigerated readyto-eat meals based on the Whole 30 program are being tested in Costco locations in the Southeast U.S. and Roth believes that they’ll be available nationwide by the end of the year. Roth Brands was founded by J.W Roth, the co-owner of Pikes Peak Media Company, the parent company of The Colorado Springs Independent.

REEFER SANITY

Local retailers applaud the federal reclassification of cannabis, but doubt it will solve industry challenges

Story & photos by ANDREW ROGERS • andrew.rogers@ppmc.live

Dispensaries across Southern Colorado are applauding as Attorney General Merrick Garland provided a formal notice to reclassify cannabis at the federal level.

“It never made sense for cannabis to be at Schedule I and we do know that there are medicinal benefits and this recognizes that the potential for abuse is much less than that of a Schedule I or II substance,” said Liz Zukowski, director of policy and public affairs for Native Roots Cannabis.

Instead of being grouped under the Schedule 1 umbrella—which includes heroin, methamphetamine and LSD—cannabis would, under the Biden administration plan, be classified as a Schedule III substance along with codeine-laced Tylenol, steroids and testosterone. That opens the door for an expansion of medical research but could also provide a host of positive

effects for El Paso County’s dispensaries.

Mason Tvert, a partner in a cannabis industry consultancy, said the largest impact of rescheduling will come down to tax policy. Marijuana businesses are currently subject to an IRS code that requires a tax on gross profits because of the Schedule I classification.

“Under Schedule III, Colorado cannabis businesses will be able to deduct ordinary business expenses like any other legal business, and that will allow them to retain significant revenue which they can reinvest in their community,” he said.

Zukowski said that changing the tax structure could be a major boost to profit margins. She noted that despite headlines suggesting a boom in marijuana revenue, the industry runs on very thin margins due to the current federal tax code surrounding

the Schedule I substance.

“Right now, our federal tax rate is upwards of 70%,” she said.

Bill Conkling is the Founder and CEO of Maggie’s Farm, which has recreational and medical dispensaries across Southern Colorado, including in Manitou Springs, Colorado Springs and Pueblo West. He said that the reclassification could open marijuana businesses to tax breaks common to other small businesses, including tax deductions for building rent, marketing and payroll.

In 2012, Colorado voters made the state the first in the union to legalize the sale and use of recreational cannabis to adults, an unprecedented experiment that flew in the face of federal laws regarding the drug. Colorado’s marijuana industry has grown into

STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP

City’s cost of living outpacing wage growth by a wide margin

By ANDREW ROGERS • andrew.rogers@ppmc.live

On a sunny Friday morning at the Walmart Supercenter at Vennetucci and South Academy, Rodrigo Ama is loading a modest number of groceries into his car. He says that while the items inside the cart aren’t changing, the cost at the checkout stand is.

The prices are “bumping up it feels like every six months,” he said.

He estimates that his family of three is spending nearly $500 a month on groceries. But it’s not just groceries putting a financial strain on his family.

“Everything I feel is going up,” he said. He pointed to increased utility costs as also having an impact on his family’s bottom line. “We don’t go out as much, don’t go to the movies like we used to.”

While the pinch is undeniable, federal data shows that inflation is cooling down—but only slightly. The Consumer Price Index, updated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on May 15 showed an increase of 0.3% in April. While April saw a slightly smaller increase compared to the 0.4% growth rate recorded in March and February, the year-over-year inflation rate in April sat at 3.4%.

Federal data also shows that when it comes to food prices, the cost of groceries dropped by 0.2 % while the cost of eating out rose by 0.3% between March and April.

The most recent inflation report showed that in April the largest price jumps came down to shelter and gasoline, contributing to a combined 70% month-over-month increase. Utility costs, on average, are also 3.6% higher than in April of last year, despite a slight 0.7% drop between March and April.

Dr. Tatiana Bailey, a Colorado Springsbased economist, said even if inflation was closer to 2%, the Colorado Springs area is still being squeezed on both ends.

“We have the lower wages and the higher cost of living,” she said.

According to the Cost-of-Living Index, Colorado Springs is about 7% more expensive than the average U.S. city.

According to data compiled by Bailey, the minimum salary to be considered a living wage for a single full-time worker with no children in El Paso County is $29,994 a year. When it comes to a hypothetical family with two working adults and two children, that salary pushes up to $63,211 for each worker—or a combined household income of $126,422.

“You would think wages would be on par at least in the U.S., maybe not Denver, but they’re not,” said Bailey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the average weekly salary in Colorado Springs is $1,212 ($63,336 annually), which is 1% lower than the $1,334 weekly ($69,368 yearly) nationally.

“One job isn’t enough to stay afloat anymore,” said Erica Romero, business relations manager with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics states that 8.4 million people, or 5.2% of the workforce, hold multiple jobs.

Romero said that many of the clients at the workforce center are turning to the socalled gig economy for that second job.

“It creates flexibility for people to take those second jobs,” Romero said.

Because wage growth has fallen behind the rate of inflation, Romero said some employers are putting more emphasis on non-salary offerings.

“They’re thinking about health care benefits, retirement benefits. They’re also thinking about [employee] schedules,” she said.

Employers are also highlighting scheduling flexibility, hybrid options, and educational benefits to compensate for lower wages.

Dr. Bailey did say that the current climate could end up being a benefit for the local economy in the long run. She suggested that the tightness of the labor market could create more leverage for workers seeking higher pay.

When asked how Ama and his family are dealing with the ever-constant increases, he said, “just got to work! 40 hours, overtime, [that’s] the only way, hard work.”

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO CEO ANNOUNCES PLANS TO RETIRE IN 2026

Bob Chastain has been at the helm of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for the past twenty years as the zoo’s president and CEO. Chastain said that he will retire in 2026, which also will mark the zoo’s 100th anniversary. Chastain has led the zoo through a period of sustained growth to now being the most visited paid attraction in the Pikes Peak region, with an average of 800,000 visitors annually. Chastain is credited with forging a strong staff culture with training programs for emerging zoo leaders as well as creating opportunities for staff to participate in field conservation and find ways to advocate for their own conservation passion projects. The zoo’s board of directors will search for a new president and CEO while Chastain focuses on finalizing major zoo renovations over the next two years.

DOWNTOWN COFFEE SHOP THE PERK CLOSES DOORS

After 16 years in business, the owners of The Perk decided to close their doors. Citing a challenging post-pandemic business recovery, the owners announced on May 14 that they’re going to retire. The Perk’s last day of business was May 26. The owners set up a GoFundMe page to gather public donations for the businesses’ baristas following the sudden announcement.

NEW VENTURE CAPITAL DEAL TARGETS DEFENSE INDUSTRY

A new partnership makes $400 million in venture capital funding available for defense sector businesses statewide. Colorado Springs-based ONE Funds, a small business investment company, signed a strategic partnership with Cherry Creek-based Bow River Capital. The new venture will be known as ONE Bow River.

“Together as ONE Bow River will give us a powerhouse to help Colorado’s economy build in the defense space,” said ONE Funds founder Kevin O’Neil.

Bow River CEO Blair Richardson said that the timing of this partnership is paramount when it comes to funding the defense sector.

“The world is always a very complex environment, but this fund is going to be a problem solver,” he said.

O’Neil said the fund aims to serve entities like Colorado Springs-based Space Command, along with the six military branches and defense sector customers nationwide and internationally.

By joining forces, O’Neil and Richardson said this partnership will also for more shared resources to enhance the ability to attract capital from a broader investor base.

O’Neil is the co-owner of Pikes Peak Media Company, the parent company of the Colorado Springs Independent.

a $15 billion business since the first recreational sales took place in January 2014. Other states soon followed suit, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) since 1971. The Schedule I classification is intended for drugs described as having no accepted medical use along with a high potential for abuse. A Schedule III reclassification would put cannabis in the same classification as certain medications and treatments.

BOOM, BUST AND BANKS

Colorado’s marijuana industry has seen a decline in revenue over the past years, seeing its pandemic-fueled peak in 2021 of $2.2 billion, followed by a steady decline in the following years, $1.7 billion in 2003, and 1.5 billion in 2023.

ER Banking Act currently being debated in the US Senate. The proposed legislation would provide protections for federally regulated financial institutions that serve state-sanctioned marijuana businesses.

CHANGING PUBLIC PERCEPTION

Tvert, Conkling and Zukowski all agreed that rescheduling marijuana will continue to destigmatize the drug.

“The recognition of cannabis has medical benefits and the fact that it’s not as harmful as people have long been led to believe,” Tvert noted.

Liz Zukowski with Native Roots said that removing those long-held stigmas could also lead to a potentially wider customer base.

“There could be people who see the change and decide to try cannabis and see the benefits who would have otherwise would never think of trying it,” she said.

Conkling, meanwhile, believes the pharmaceutical industry will work to get wider cannabis use approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in various stages.

“They will likely start by passing inhalers, then move on to other products in time,” he said.

Liz Zukowski said that it’s not likely that the state will see those COVID-19 era numbers again, noting that the pandemic caused a higher demand that won’t likely be replicated. She also said that the overall financial picture is continuing to be impacted by the 23 other states that legalized marijuana as well.

“Since that time, we’ve seen more states come online, which is a good thing, but that definitely impacts the high levels of cannabis tourism that we once saw in our state,” she said.

Many assumed that a federal reclassification would ease the banking restrictions on an industry where the main product remains federally illegal, and many large national banks are federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC.) Conkling said that still may not be the case.

While rescheduling does not change current federal banking policy, Tvert said that it could lead to more support for the SAF-

Zukowski noted that the additional health research could lead to more studies of the effectiveness of marijuana for PTSD and other mental health concerns, which could be a big benefit for the Colorado Springs veteran community.

“Rescheduling to Schedule III will allow a lot more research which will positively impact the entire industry. More knowledge and more accessibility will be a good thing,” she said.

While there is no announced timeframe for rescheduling to take effect, Conkling said that as Colorado’s marijuana industry embarks on its second decade, he expects to see the industry continue to mature into a much more “traditional industry,” with profits thinning out and coming in line with other sectors.

Food & Drink RAW DATA

CDC warning over bird flu outbreak worries raw milk dairies in Colorado

By Ben Trollinger • ben.trollinger@ppmc.live

At the confluence of the Arkansas and Huerfano rivers sits a 130-acre dairy farm called Larga Vista Ranch. Contented cows, a mix of Jerseys and Brown Swiss, graze on thick, deep-rooted tufts of rye grass, alfalfa and orchard grass. Every day at around 8 a.m. the cows lumber into the milking parlor. Their milk is then filtered, flash cooled, bottled and distributed directly to the 200 or so families who own a share of the herd. The milk is never pasteurized before reaching consumers.

Doug Wiley, the owner and operator of Larga Vista, believes that last step would be detrimental to the nutrition and popularity of his product.

“Once we were convinced of the value doing it all on grass—we feed no grain to our cattle— the milk we’d produce became like medicine,” the 63-year-old said. “You can just taste it. Nutrition has a flavor.”

Located in Boone, Colorado, Larga Vista also sells beef, pastured pork and organic vegetables to a devoted customer base. The land has been in Wiley’s family for more than 100 years— and they have always milked cows there. Today, Wiley continues that tradition along with two older brothers and his two teenage sons.

After rejecting industrial methods back in the 1990s, Wiley now views his farm as a living organism—a biodiverse ecosystem of soil, fungi, microbes, perennial grasses, trees, cultivated

fields, birds, insects, assorted small mammals, humans, and, of course, dairy cows. He doesn’t apply pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers to his fields. Instead, he seeks to foster a balance within the system that creates a positive feedback loop of fertility. Soil health, he says, is at the foundation of all that he does. Healthy soil means healthy grass, and healthy grass means healthy cows—that’s how Wiley sees it.

“It’s amazing how many people seek it out for health reasons,” he said. “People are adamant that drinking raw milk is dangerous, but that is so far from reality. I haven’t been without raw milk in years. Without it, my immune system doesn’t work right.”

But one man’s superfood is a government agency’s disease vector.

In early May, the Centers for Disease Control issued a warning against raw milk consumption after an avian flu virus known as type A H5N1 was detected in more than 40 dairy herds across nine states. Inactivated remnants of the virus were also found in pasteurized milk sold in grocery stores. The infected herds were part of larger industrial operations and not small raw milk dairies like Larga Vista, many raw milk advocates have pointed out.

Nevertheless, CDC officials cautioned consumers that raw milk infected with the avian flu strain could, in theory, infect those who drink it and then potentially pass on to other humans. No cases of such an infection have been reported so CONTINUED ON PAGE 20..

Cows and calves at Callicrate Cattle Co.

Photos courtesy of Mike Callicrate

THE JUICE IS LOOSE

ALCOHOL TO-GO IS HERE TO STAY IN COLORADO

On May 10, a Colorado State Senate bill that permanently legalizes the sale of alcohol for takeout and delivery from restaurants was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis at Cactus Flower Restaurant in Pueblo, Colorado.

The bill authorizes a permanent policy shift for alcohol to-go, creates certainty for Colorado hospitality businesses, raises additional revenue for state and local governments, and allows patrons to continue to enjoy this convenient approach to alcohol-beverage sales.

“Restaurants lost more than $3 billion in revenue during 2020 alone, and have struggled with inflationary pressures, labor shortages, and operational uncertainty ever since,” said Sonia Riggs, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association. “Alcohol to go from restaurants is a win-win; it’s extremely popular with the public and provides restaurants with a measure of confidence, knowing they can factor in this additional revenue stream as they make plans for the future. We’re delighted that alcohol to-go is now permanent in Colorado.”

This decision follows in the footsteps of well over a dozen other states that have already made alcohol to-go a fixture since COVID measures were enacted in 2020.

Emillio Ortiz, partner and general manager of 503W Open Kitchen + Craft Bar in Colorado Springs, explains that “during the pandemic to-go alcohol was a major contributing factor for getting us through,” and “was comforting for patrons knowing they could get wine, beer or to-go cocktails without having to leave their house while still supporting us at the same time.”

Among those plugged into the restaurant and bar scene, the continuation of this

By DIONNE PASSACANTANDO

policy seems like a no-brainer, serving as a helpful add-on for businesses to properly rebound and even thrive during what continues to be a challenging economic period.

“There is no doubt that this can only be good for the on-premise hospitality industry,” says Ortiz. “In particular because of its promotion of increased revenue, competition and creativity. Plus, it gives us the ability to provide our patrons with more choices.”

Now that the legalities of this progressive shift are addressed, it properly allows businesses to streamline their to-go ordering and offers customers the warm and fuzzy feeling that there is a protocol intact to make takeout experiences just as rewarding and reputable as dining in.

“If it answers the question of convenience and quality, then we are in good shape,” said Ortiz. “To have a careless approach to it could really dissuade patrons. It should be about safety, quality and consistency.”

Our recommendation for a to-go cocktail at 503W is the Passion Fruit Margarita, served in a sealed, 8 oz. glass bottle that accounts for two libations when poured into highball glasses with ice. Dehydrated lime garnishes are included. In addition, 503W sells a variety of their most popular in-house cocktails in the same convenient, pre-labeled format for maximum at-home enjoyment.

Dionne Passacantando is a freelance writer and chief correspondent at Rocky Mountain Food Report, an independent online media publication rockymountainfoodreport.com and social media brand (@rockyfoodreport) based in Colorado Springs, that represents food culture, tourism, travel and lifestyle content.

Friday, June 7th

IN MANITOU SPRINGS

Friday, June 7th

Our

Our 150th Grand Gala Birthday Party with Dining & Dancing 4-Course Gourmet Dinner Including Wine Pairings TWO

Our 150th Grand Gala Birthday Party with Dining & Dancing 4-Course Gourmet Dinner Including Wine Pairings

Dancing

Dancing

Teddy

TWO SEATINGS: 5PM & 7PM

Dancing Entertainment Provided by Collective Groove:

Teddy Roosevelt Returns with Music by The Moldy Figs

June 8 th & 9 th • Three-Course Dinner Show @ 6:30pm June 9 th • Chuckwagon Buffet Matinée @ 1:00pm

Friday, June 7th LEARN MORE

Saturday & Sunday Afternoons:

Free Slide Presentations on The

FREE

FREE PARKING IN MANITOU SPRINGS? YES! 3-hour complimentary valet parking when you dine at The Cliff House

Food & Drink

far, but officials say it’s better to abstain until more is known about the new bird flu strain. Despite the warning, or seemingly because of it, the sales of raw milk have spiked by as much as much as 65% year over year, according to NielsenIQ, a market research firm. Still, raw milk sales represent a tiny fraction of overall dairy sales. Citing NielsenIQ’s research, the Associated Press reported that more than 4,000 units of raw milk were sold in the U.S. during the week of May 5. In that same time, more than 66 million units of pasteurized cow’s milk were sold.

For years, raw milk has been at the forefront of the so-called “food freedom” movement in Colorado and across the country. Critics argue that unpasteurized milk is one of the riskier foods to consume and should be regulated rigorously. Between 1998 and 2018, the CDC reported that raw milk sickened 2,645 people, resulting in 228 hospitalizations and three deaths.

Advocates, however, say those numbers pale in comparison to other more common foodborne illnesses. The CDC estimates that 128,000 people get food poisoning every year, resulting in approximately 3,000 deaths. Raw milk proponents argue that small dairies focused on grass-fed production create a

healthier environment for cows that offers a far better alternative model to the industrial operations that place dense herds into feedlots and feed them a steady diet of cheap grains and antibiotics.

“It’s no wonder that their cows get sick,” Wiley said. “The way a commercial dairy is run to produce milk as cheaply as possible puts a tremendous strain on cows and their immune systems. Any dairyman who doesn’t understand that is hiding from reality. To produce a different kind of milk, it costs more and you have to keep the animals in a less stressful environment.”

Wiley admits that raw milk comes with inherent risks, including harmful pathogens like E. coli and salmonella. Back in 2016, he had to address with a campylobacter outbreak that sickened 17 of his customers.

“We had an issue and we tested and figured it out immediately,” he said. He said he didn’t take a hit to his customer base.

Willey fears that the bird flu outbreak could lead to onerous regulations down the road. He said he’s willing to fight back.

“I feed families—that’s my business,” he said. “Being the cynic I am, I know there are many out there that just want raw milk to

go away. I think part of me, when I got into this, feels that I was at the forefront of food freedom movement. I willing to step up and fight for it. And now I’ve got 200 families who will back me up.”

Mike Callicrate, the owner of Colorado Springs’ Ranch Foods Direct stores, will be right there with him if push comes to shove. In addition to selling grass-fed and pastured meats since 2000, Callicrate’s business features a pick-up location for more than 100 customers of Hi Plains Dairy, a raw milk purveyor in Calhan.

“I drink half a gallon a week myself,” Callicrate said. “These viruses that might impact the big dairies might not impact the small ones, where cows are healthy and not in a stressful environment.”

Callicrate, 72, believes the media’s emphasis on raw milk in its coverage of the avian bird flu outbreak is a diversion tactic cooked up by multinational corporations.

“These big companies never miss an opportunity to try to get an advantage and protect their totally expensive and inefficient price gouging model,” he said.

Jan Megarry grew up on a dairy farm and beef ranch in Coalville, Utah, a tiny rural

community near the Wyoming border. From a young age, raw, unpasteurized milk was her drink of choice.

The 72-year-old is retired today, having spent the better part of a 40-year career as a teacher for disabled students. For 19 of those years, she taught science to middle school and high school students at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind in Colorado Springs.

Today, she lives just outside Falcon. Since living in Colorado Springs, she hasn’t always had access to raw milk, but she abstains from pasteurized.

“It upsets my stomach terribly,” she said. About five years ago, she found out that she could obtain raw milk from Hi Plains Dairy at Ranch Foods Direct.

“My digestive system and my body seem to be so much better than what it was before,” she said.

She said she isn’t scared off raw milk because of the CDC warning. She has faith in her dairy farmer.

“I feel like I can trust them,” she said. “They handle the milk correctly. They take care of the animals.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18..

Raw milk at Ranch Foods Direct pickup point

Calendar.

ARTS

Magical World Of Glass

Ending Monday, June 3rd, Commonwheel Artists Co-op, 102 Canon Ave., Manitou Springs 7 incredibly talented local artists who work with glass in our May Gallery show. Their spectacular creations will come together in our Creek Side Gallery

Beginning Watercolor Classes with Kris Gideon

Wednesday, June 5th, 2450 Montebello Square Dr., 10:30 am: Local artist Kris Gideon put together this beautiful hummingbird to kick off our Pollinator Month festivities! She will teach you how to paint this lovely Hummingbird during her 2.5hour beginning Watercolor Class. Due to the popularity of classes and small class sizes, Kris has agreed to do 2 classes for us! All materials are provided in the cost of the class. Class cost is $47 and registration is required at www. krisgideon.com/classes

Hương Ngô: Ungrafting

Wednesday, June 5th, El Pomar Galleries 30 W Dale St., 10 am: Time is crucial to Hương Ngô, who investigates the resonances of colonial histories in the present day. She explores various aspects of Vietnamese resistance to French colonialism through archival research, and activates the historical record via imagery, language, and material matter. Through July 27.

First Friday ArtWalk

Friday, June 7th, Colorado Springs, 5 pm: Browse Old Colorado City’s art galleries, artist studios, boutiques, shops and eateries on the First Friday of each month. Over 20 Art Galleries. Hundreds of works of art. Meet local artists and artisans. Enjoy live demonstrations, entertainment, complimentary refreshments, as well as special offers and events at shops and boutiques. Visit www. shopoldcoloradocity.com for monthly details.

Amoré

Friday, June 7th, 8 E Bijou, 6 pm: Join us in sharing some amazing artists work curated by the Pikes Peak Arts Council. While listening to live music by Amore. Amoré is a 2-piece to 5-piece band, featuring Americana originals and favorites as well as world sounds. The primary members are Julia Brochey and Joe Taylor who are based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Julia Brochey has been singing, performing, writing, painting, and enjoying nature and art since childhood.

Kathy Beekman

Friday, June 7th, Wolff Gallery 2510 W. Colorado Ave., 5 pm: Learn how Kathy’s past has inspired her preferred subject matter: barns, clouds, open spaces and streams and why her style has developed to include mountains and vast landscapes. Her pastel style has a simplified graphic quality with a quiet reflective mood characteristic of all of Beekman’s paintings.

‘Out of Our Minds’: Magic and Mind Reading

Friday, June 7th, 1045 Garden of the Gods Rd. Unit 1, 7 pm: “Out of Our Minds” was written and designed to encourage audience input which affects the outcome for the evening. Continuing in our tradition of storytelling, light and fun presentation and comedy, this show includes brand new, original material created specifically for this performance. The audience will even participate in telekinesis (moving objects with your mind) during the performance!

Pirates of the Carabiner

Friday, June 7th, Iron Springs Chateau, 444 Ruxton Ave. Manitou, 7:30 pm “Pirates of the Carabiner… or…The Search for Booty” is a musical, comedy melodrama set at the Island of Tortuga in the mideighteen hundreds. The Captain of the Minnie Pearl, Capt. Mack Sparrow, is in search of his family’s long lost buried treasures. But he may not be up for the challenges

posed by the Dread Pirate Robber, a villainous character who has somehow become the governor of beautiful Tortuga.

Pride Month Art Show

Friday, June 7th, What’s Left Records, 2217 E Platte Ave, 5 pm: Join us this June for a vibrant art exhibition honoring Pride Month! Experience a diverse collection of artworks that celebrate love, identity, and the LGBTQ+ community. From powerful paintings to thought-provoking installations, each piece tells a story of pride and resilience. Come support and uplift LGBTQ+ artists in a space where creativity knows no bounds.

Roll Bike Art Festival

Friday, June 7th, 2 El Paso Blvd., 5 pm: Roll Bike Art Festival is a yearly celebration of the bicycle through all mediums of art. The exhibit showcases artworks from all over, with themes ranging from the history and aesthetic of bicycles to modern cycling culture. This year’s theme is Cirque du Bike, and we’ll be featuring circus themed bicycle artwork and classic bikes, as well as local vendors and circus performers, with live music and food trucks to round out the night.

Blue Hands Festival

Saturday, June 8th, 513 Manitou Ave., 10 am: Spend time with us indigo dyeing during this unique event. Learn some easy shibori techniques and dye some beautiful

pieces in indigo for you to take home and show to friends and family. Bring your own natural fiber tee shirts or use ours, supplies are limited. Have something small, like washcloths or a tired pair of linen pants, you’d like to overdye or change? Bring it and make it beautiful. If you have any questions, please contact Melanie at manitoutextiles@gmail.com $10 for adults and kids are free. Covered Treasures Bookstore Saturday, June 8th, Covered Treasures Bookstore 105 Second St., 1 pm: Regional historian, Linda Wommack will be at Covered Treasures Bookstore on Saturday, June 8 from 1-3 signing her two latest books, Women of the Colorado Mines and Warrior Woman: The Story of Mo-Chi A Southern Cheyenne. Stop by to see Linda and pick up a book on Colorado history.

Feast of Saint Arnold Family Friendly Beer Festival

Saturday, June 8th, 8 4th St., 12 pm: Featured Events Pilgrimage of Pints pre-festival beer tour of participating craft brewers highlighting brew styles from the days of St. Arnold Colorado’s best craft beers, wines and distilled spirits Dedicated VIP Area For Beer Tasting and Catered Lunch Family Fun Zone for kids activities Appearance of St. Arnold Continuous music featuring top local musicians and bands T-shirts

Mirasol: Looking at the Sun is a new film that explores water scarcity, land, and local food by following a multi-generational Italian and Hispanic farming community living on “The Mesa” in Pueblo. The film’s next screening is on June 25th at the SCP Hotel. See listing for more detail. Photo credit: Courtesy of Ben Knight

and event glasses available Lots of good food, deserts, and refreshments.

Impossible Things

Saturday, June 8th, 1045 Garden of the Gods Rd. Unit I, 7:30 pm: Enjoy world-class sleight of hand right under your nose, performed by one of the world’s top sleight of hand artists. After 20 years in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, native Coloradan Cosmo Solano returned home, opening “Cosmo’s Magic Theater LLC” in 2017, to rave reviews! Enjoy a fun and elegant evening of comedy and magic, in a beautiful Victorian parlor setting. Enjoy light desserts and refreshments before the show. Spend a little time with the performer(s) before and after the show.

DramaLab hosted by Funky Little Theater Co

Tuesday, June 11th, 1628 W. Bijou St., 6 pm: A place for playwrights to be heard. Everybody is welcome! Come read or listen to new plays in progress. Offer feedback and share time with other theatre lovers. No charge.

Turn the Page with Colorado Matters: “Our Moon”

Wednesday, June 12th, Fine Arts Center 14 East Cache La Poudre St., 6:30 pm: No one ever talks about how the moon SMELLS, except maybe science writer and KRCC contributor Rebecca Boyle: “On the moon, after you got used to the smell of constant fireworks, you would notice the unceasing dryness.” Boyle, who lives in Colorado Springs, has written Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed The Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are.

Impossible Things

Friday, June 14th, 1045 Garden of the Gods Rd Unit I, 7:30 pm: Enjoy world-class sleight of hand right under your nose, performed by one of the world’s top sleight of hand artists. After 20 years in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, native Coloradan Cosmo Solano returned home, opening “Cosmo’s Magic

Theater LLC” in 2017, to rave reviews! Enjoy a fun and elegant evening of comedy and magic in a beautiful Victorian parlour setting. Enjoy light desserts and refreshments before the show.

Artisan Alley Market

Saturday, June 15th, 427 E Colorado Ave., 11 am: Dive into a world of creativity at Artisan Alley Market. Picture this: Local artists showcasing their masterpieces. Thrifters offering one-of-a-kind treasures. Makers crafting unique goods Live entertainment filling the air with music and excitement. Delicious aromas wafting from food trucks serving up tasty treats.

COMEDY

Brian Regan

Friday, June 7th, Pikes Peak Center 190 S Cascade Ave., 8 pm: Having built his 30-plus year career on the strength of his material alone, Brian’s non-stop theater tour continuously fills the most beautiful venues across North America, visiting close to 100 cities each year.

Tickets, which range in price from $49.50 to $69.50 plus applicable fees available online at AXS.com or in person at the Pikes Peak Center box office.

Dude Dad: On Thin Ice Comedy Tour

Saturday, June 8th, Pikes Peak Center 190 S Cascade Ave., 7:30 pm: Dude Dad is bringing his On Thin Ice Comedy Tour to Colorado Springs. Tickets which range in price from $29.50 to $59.50 plus applicable fees tickets are available online at AXS.com or in person at the Pikes Peak Center box office.

An R-Rated Magic Show

Sunday, 9th, Pikes Peak Center 190 S Cascade Ave., 8 pm: This is not your grandfather’s magic show. Side-splitting comedy and mindblowing magic are brought into the spotlight as comedy magician Grant Freeman brings his unique, raunchy show full of surprises to Colorado Springs! Recommended 18+. Tickets, which range in price

from $32 to $64 plus applicable fees, available online at AXS.com or in person at the Pikes Peak Center box office.

Saturday Night Improv

Saturday, June 15th, 1581 York Rd., 7:30 pm: If you like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” you will love our show! Fast paced improv comedy, you help with suggestions and we then create the fun. Bring the family or make it a date, it will be a fun night out.

EVENTS

Pikes Peak Pride

Saturday, June 8th and 9th, 215 S Tejon St., 10 am: Pikes Peak Pride 2024 is a two-day community event expected to gather thousands of visitors together from across the state and Pikes Peak Region into downtown Colorado Springs. There will be two full days of vendor booths, food trucks, beer garden and high energy entertainment to include a fabulous parade on Sunday. Our desire is to foster a festival where people feel safe, accepted and supported while raising awareness for issues facing LGBTQ+ people living in the Pikes Peak Region Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium Virtual Symposium

Saturday, June 8th, East Library 5550 N Union Blvd., 9:30 am: Discover engaging research and insights into our local history at the 20th Anniversary of the Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium. This year’s theme, “Turning Points,” delves into the pivotal moments that have profoundly influenced the region and its people. The Pikes Peak Region, with its rich tapestry of people, institutions, and landscapes, offers compelling stories of triumph, trouble, and transformation. Come discover the watershed moments that made us who we are today.

FILM

Independent Film Series

Tuesday, June 4th, Ivywild School, 1604 S Cascade Ave., 6:30 pm: Have Experience the joy of film with friends and fellow cinephiles, as

we share the best in independent movies, often first run and always the quality you have come to expect from Rocky Mountain Women’s Film! We encourage you to come early and enjoy the food vendors offered at the Ivywild School marketplace. When you’re done, grab a drink from the Principal’s Office and join us in the gym. We’ll provide the popcorn!

Screening of MIRASOL at SCP Hotel

June 25th, SCP Hotel 2850 S Circle Dr, 5 pm: MIRASOL explores a national issue, magnified in the American West, around water scarcity, land, and local food, following a multi-generational Italian and Hispanic farming community living on “The Mesa” in Pueblo, CO. Shedding light on their history and heritage, each family shares their agricultural lineage which is under threat due to rapid development and climate change. For more information, mirasolfilm. com

KIDS & FAMILIES

Barnyard Buddies

Thursday, June 6th, Rockledge Ranch 3105 Gateway Rd.,1 10:30 am: Designed for preschoolers, Barnyard Buddies is an educational initiative of the Ranch to engage early learners with fun and engaging storybooks about farmyard animals—all while enjoying the company of the Ranch’s very own farmyard animals. Join us at Rock Ledge Ranch on the first Thursday of every month for storytime, crafts, and a snack in the Barn Read a book, make a craft, and participate in an activity at the Ranch! (Intended for children six years old and younger).

Kite Festival

Saturday, June 15th, 10990 Eastonville Rd, Falcon, 10 am: All are invited to Falcon Regional Park to celebrate Mother Nature’s gift of wind and help us fill the sky with color! This is a free event for everyone and is open to people of all ages.

A LOVE LETTER TO THE CC SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

W.I.P. IT

By LAUREN CIBOROWSKI

The year was 2003. I was about to begin my senior year at Colorado College, and I was mired in the fi rst real heartbreak of my life. You know, The First Real Big One.

I was weeping while slinging slightly charred, over-frothed lattes at Montague’s (may it rest in peace), trying to work on my thesis, when a friend off ered me tickets to some classical concert I’d never heard of. I was privy to the classical music world at the time, but mostly as a student. This was some festival at CC. How odd to be off ered tickets for a thing I’d never heard of at the very school I attended.

I accepted, numbly, and coerced a friend into attending with me. It was crowded, and these were the cheap seats, so my friend and I ended up in the balcony that was, at the time, upstage right over the performers. I only mention this because you can now picture that as I sobbed during the entire performance, all of Packard Hall could see me if they just looked up.

The performance? Dvořák trios, best I remember. The memory? Life-changing. Little did I know what I had morosely stumbled into: One of the most amazing chamber music festivals in the country … and right here! Downtown! In Colorado Springs!

(Side note: If you don’t know what chamber music is and would like to be vaguely well spoken at cocktail parties, here’s the deal. It’s classical music by a smaller group of musicians meant to

be performed in a smaller setting (a chamber), versus an orchestra of lots of people performing in a big hall.)

Turns out this festival off ers the best of both worlds, and in a way that I now, as a grown adult, realize is quite rare. This three-week festival in June off ers a rare combination of chamber music by its faculty, as well as orchestral concerts by the young student fellows who come in just for the festival. In other words, these 20-somethings arrive in early June on some sheet music and a prayer and form an amazing orchestra under the guidance of famed conductor Scott Yoo (of PBS’ “Now Hear This” fame). It’s truly a sight to behold.

I went on to attend more and more of those concerts, initially procuring tickets in exchange for selling program ads as a poor post-grad. And I legitimately proselytized lots of non-classical people, including my then husband. He and I went on to create amazing collaborative events between the festival musicians, the festival faculty and local bands in the small alley galleries we then owned. Fast-forward to now, and I’m on the advisory board. I’m also now bringing my appreciative second-and-fi nal-husband to the concerts. And I now have the absolute and utter joy of taking our 4-year-old to the free children’s concert they off er every year, and sometimes the free Music at Midday concerts as well. I love nothing more than seeing an orchestra through his young eyes, even if we have to mitigate some extreme stage whispering.

This festival is seriously an embarrassment of riches, and I wish you would check it out. It runs from June 5 to 21. The free kids’ thing is on the 13th. You can look it all up at coloradocollege. edu/musicfestival. And if you have questions about classical music and etiquette and all that, hit me up. I’ll totally tell you when to clap. It’s a thing.

You need art. Art needs you.

Lauren Ciborowski writes about the arts and music in every issue. W.I..P. stands for Works in Progress.

Arts & Culture

THURSDAY, 5/31

Carnival (Summer Music Festival Class) | Students will create illustrations for the presentation of The Carnival of the Animals at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival. Drawing skills are required as well as a love of making art. Ages 8-12. Supplies will be provided. 818 Pelham Pl. 5 p.m.

Lindsey Meyers | Live acoustic, 112 E Boulder St., 5 p.m.

Mistura Bela | Mistura Bela means “beautiful mixture” and their music certainly is that! Barbara Ernst sings with true authenticity the romantic Spanish ballads and Brazilian Sambas & Bossa Novas, and brings her own unique touch to some of our Jazz Standards. Chocolate and Wine Bar 322 N. Tejon. 5 p.m.

Singo Music Bingo: Girl Power Vol. 1 | 2727 N. Cascade Avenue, #123. 5 p.m. Fever Pitch | 3970 Clear View Frontage Rd. 6 p.m.

Hot Boots Duo | Rock, Country, Pop, Jazz, and Latin! Wear your hot boots, bring your friends, and let’s have a fun evening! 6 p.m.

Tommy Saxman Foyer | Tommy Saxman Foyer plays a unique mix of jazz, R&B and pop music from Fleetwood Mac, Motown R&B, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Buffett, Ed Sheeran to Big Band swing and more. Sing-alongs and dancing begin once Tommy gets the audience in a happy mood. 606 S Santa Fe Ave., 6 p.m.

Spring Tour 2024 | Join Kenny & Claire at Black Forest Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO! A potluck will be held at 5:30 PM before the concert. A love offering will be taken for the artist. 12455 Black Forest Rd. 6:30 p.m.

Dirty Side Down Band | Good Company Restaurant and Bar. 7625 N Union Blvd

Dueling Pianos & The Andrews Brothers | Dueling Pianos! Bring your song requests and get ready to Rock & Roll! Request your favorite songs & sing along with the fabulous Denver Piano Shows players. Denver Piano Shows is Colorado’s most popular Dueling Pianos show. They have been entertaining crowds for over 20 years.

MUSIC | COSaSCENE

Ages 14+ Boot Barn Hall .13071 Bass Pro Dr. 7 p.m.

Jazz in the Garden: Henrique De Alamieda and the Truth Project Band | Professor De Almeida holds a degree in music performance and jazz composition from the University of Southern Mississippi and the Berklee College of Music. He is the leader of three jazz groups, including The Truth Project Band, presenting his truth in music. Stephen’s Episcopal Church 631 N Tejon St. 7 p.m.

YellaCatt | This event is 18 and over. Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

Kobthebuilder | 2106 E Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

Alpha The Musical Folk/Guitar Style

Live Music by | Alpha The Musical. 112 E Boulder St. 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, 6/1

Songs of Celebration, Inspiration, and Hope | Songs of Celebration, Inspiration, and Hope will be directed by Jonathan Faires, Douglas Grogan, and Eric Wicks. Each day our news is filled with stories of conflict, distress, and heartache. Our goal is that this concert is uplifting experience as we combine our voices and bells together by presenting some of our favorite composers and songs. 420 N Nevada Ave., 2:30 p.m.

Tommy Saxman Foyer | Tommy Saxman Foyer plays a unique mix of jazz, R&B and pop music from Big Band Swing, Smooth Jazz, Fleetwood Mac, Motown R&B, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Buffett, Ed Sheeran and more. Singalongs and dancing begin once Tommy gets the audience in a happy mood. 1895 Democracy Point Suite 100. 6:30 p.m.

Aligned In Ruins, Premier Colorado Metal In Concert | All ages metal show

Saturday, June 1st featuring Colorado Springs groove metal band Aligned In Ruins with special guests A Ronin’s Test and Apocalypse Born. 118 N Tejon

St. 7 p.m.

Hot Boots Duo | Jazz, Latin, country, rock, and pop music by the Hot Boots Duo!

2409 Colorado Ave. 7 p.m.

Rock Bottom String Band, Yes

Ma’am, Joe Johnson | 2100 E Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

The Emo Night Tour | The Black Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave., 8 p.m.

Alastair Greene | Alastair Greene and his power trio return to this amazing venue!

Stargazers. 10 Parkside Dr. 7 p.m.

Westrock | 11627 Black Forest Rd. 9 p.m. Sunday 6/2

Blue Frog | They will be bringing special guests weekly to join Dylan Teifer, Tim Costello & Rick Starkey. First up... Rob Landreth!

Front Range BBQ. 2330 W Colorado Ave. 6 p.m.

Happily Ever After | Presented by the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale. Prepare to embark on an enchanting journey through the realms of timeless tales.5225 N Nevada Ave 3 p.m.

Taunt, Tulpa, The Hivemind | Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave. 7 p.m. Tuesday 6/4

Dikembe, Tiny Stills, Aren’t We Amphibians | The Back Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

The French Irish Coalition, Bourbon Man, Tinker’s Damn | Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

YS Tour Farewell Concert | 5225 N Nevada Ave. 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, 6/4

Grass It Up | Grass It Up is an awesome group blending bluegrass, folk, ragtime, rock and country for their own unique brand of Americana! Front Range BBQ .2330 W Colorado Ave. 6:30 p.m.

Hillside Gardens Summer Concert Series | Summer Concert Series is for patrons ages 16 and up. No outside

food or drink is permitted. No pets allowed. Come on out and enjoy! 1006 South Institute St. 5 p.m.

Open Mic

We have guitars, mics, a piano, a sick stage and great folks just dying to hear you! Jives. 16 Colbrunn Ct. 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, 6/6

The Long Run | A Tribute to the Eagles thelongrunband.com Banning Lewis Ranch. 8833 Vista Del Pico Blvd. 6 p.m. Abrams, Oyarsa, Trepanned | Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave. 7 p.m. Uncle Lucius | The Black Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, 6/7

Eric Elison | Honoring Gordon Lightfoot and his Songs! Stargazers. 10 Parkside Dr. 7 p.m. Hot Boots Band | Hot Boots Band is a variety band playing rock, country, pop, and jazz. 7 p.m.

The Martini Shot | University Village Colorado. 5262 N Nevada Ave. 7 p.m. Michael Palascak | 32 S Tejon St. 8 p.m.

Sons of Genesis | Inspired by the incredible live performances from Genesis’s past, Sons of Genesis delivers a truly genuine experience for the audience complete with hit songs, deep cuts, extended medleys, and yes, even two drum kits because our “Phil” plays too. Ages 14+ Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Dr. 7 p.m.

Taylor’s Version: a Swiftie Dance Party | The Black Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave. 9 p.m.

Tommy Saxman Foyer | Unique mix of jazz, R&B and pop music from Big Band Swing, Smooth Jazz, Fleetwood Mac, Motown R&B, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Buffett, Ed Sheeran and more. 6820 N Academy Blvd. 8 p.pm

SATURDAY, 6/8

Jeffrey Alan Band | Triple Nickel. 5781 N Academy Blvd. 6 p.m.

Cosmic Psychos, Zeke | The Black Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

Hip Hop Is Dead | 182 E Cheyenne Mountain Blvd. 7 p.m.

Paranoid Image | Dive into the vibrant world of Paranoid Image where music

transcends boundaries and every performance is a fun creative musical journey! Oskar Blues Grill & Brew 118 N Tejon St., 7:30 p.m.

Pressure Drop | Joined by Bad Timing, Cortez, PLAYN FOR KEEPS, RV Bomb Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave. 6 p.m.

Smokin’: Tribute to Boston & More!

| This six-piece tribute band will take you on a journey through the music of Boston, Kansas, Journey, ELO, Uriah Heep, and REO Speedwagon, with all the classic hits that defined an era. You won’t be able to resist the urge to sing along and dance like nobody’s watching! Ages 14+ Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Dr. 7 p.m.

Reid Poole & the Night Owls | 103 S Wahsatch Ave. 8 p.m.

SUNDAY 6/9

Cody Jinks | Change The Game Tour with special guest Ward Davis. Cody Jinks is a trailblazing independent musician and one of music’s most respected artists. Broadmoor World Arena. 3185 Venetucci Blvd. 6 p.m.

Matt Lynn, Alone At The Movies, Dallas Lyle | Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave. 6:30 p.m.

Bywater Call | The Black Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, 6/12

Eli Lev | Rising singer-songwriter and global citizen Eli Lev is making the world a smaller place, one song at a time. Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. 21 S Tejon St. 7 p.m.

Joe Johnson & Friends | Mix of folk, bluegrass and country tunes.

Front Range BBQ 2330 W Colorado Ave. 6 :30 p.m.

Wayne Hancock | Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave 7 p.m. 21+ show

THURSDAY, 6/13

Joe Nichols

A 21st-century traditionalist, Nichols is an artist who is both timely and timeless-one who has racked nearly 2 billion music streams including a halfdozen Number 1 singles and ten Top 10 hits. Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Dr. 7 p.m.

WHAT’S GOING ON

By ADAM LEECH

When it comes to the fi ner things, you just never forget your fi rst. Your fi rst kiss. Your fi rst Choco-Taco. Your fi rst bowl of dirt weed lit by match on the bandstand of Acacia Park. Your fi rst concert at the world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.

My fi rst was September 21, 1992, when my secretly subversive and insanely cool older brother, Ben, took me to see two of my then favorite bands, Primus and Sonic Youth , who were fatefully supported by one of my soon to be favorite bands ever-of-all-time, Mudhoney , and the heretofore unbeknownst to me, Pavement !

It was the fi rst concert I went to not escorted by my dear Ma or Pa, who had taken me to my fi rst fi rst concerts ever, Black Uhuru and Arlo Guthrie (respectively) at Colorado College’s Packard Hall sometime around 1985/86ish? That was a few years before the infamous Dead Milkmen debacle at the Fine Art Center, and my coincidentally life changing discovery of a misplaced Dead Milkmen Beezlebubba cassette tape that I rescued from the gutter in front of Mr. Peabody’s Ice Cream Cart , where I was attempting to secure yet another delicious Chaco-Taco with proceeds from my semi-lucrative lemonade concern (it ain’t easy being an overtly enterprising latch key kid on the mean streets of Ye Olde North End! )

But I digress. It was a crisp autumn evening in the middle seats of the middle rows of the Rocks of Red, and I had my fi rst solid contact high. I had just witnessed a sun-blazing set of shoegaze/ indie (Sh-ugazi?) and super “fuzzy” big “muff y” garage punk, and was eagerly

Arts & Culture

anticipating Sonic Youth and Primus (who are set to hit the soon to be christened Sunset Amphitheater on Aug. 24th). At the time, I had absolutely no comprehension of the global signifi cance of the famed venue. Built by the famed socialist Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” program, the sacred grounds have been graced by the likes of some of the greatest bands of all time! Have you heard of this “Fab” quartet, “ The Beatles ?” Apparently, they are really something else, but don’t worry parents, those long-haired freaks will no doubt trim those mop-tops and straighten up into nice clean-cut lads well before they can have any lasting infl uence on little Jack and Janie!

Ever since that fateful day I have dreamed most longingly of three things in regards to Red Rocks . Dream, the fi rst, is pure fantasy—to someday grace the stage in performance (though my days of strumming the git-tar are likely well behind me). Dream, the second, is both aspiration as well as quite literal as I have thrice been taunted by slumbering visions of befriending the almighty Conan O’Brien in the secret “signature” tunnel underneath the venue. There we banter ad nauseum as I beguile him with both wit and whimsy, and I am even able to make him and his esteemed accomplices, Sona Movsesian and Matt Gourley , chuckle and chortle most exuberantly as we sink our collective sweet teeth into a veritable smorgasbord of delectable Choco-Tacos . Although merely a fl ight of fancy (being that the heartless Good Humor-Breyers Corporation discontinued my most favored frozen confection in July of 2022), it is one I am unashamedly pursuing. Therefore, please do look forward to my indubitably inevitable and unquestionably eventual appearance on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend Podcast, and/or perhaps on the hit new “ Max ” (formerly HBO Max ) docu-series Conan O’Brien Must Go , fi lmed and recorded live at Red Rocks ! (Hey, it could happen!)

Which leads me to my third and fi nal dream, and the point of all these otherwise aimless bloviations… Over the last

three decades I have witnessed countless concerts as diverse and amazing as The White Stripes , The Pixies , The Violent Femmes , Leon Bridges , W eird Al with the Colorado Symphony , and The Flight of The Conchords (to name but a few) and for every single one of those events I was the unlucky S.O.B. that had to drive everyone home! Until, that is, the launch of Rocky Mountain Ride !

The brainchild of wife and husband duo Brittany and Nicholas Merchant , RMR can be commissioned (for nary a “shmeckle” more than the price of your ticket fees) to deposit you and your “motley crew” directly at the base of the imposing amphitheater, and afterwards quickly whisk you safely away without the unpleasant need to prematurely eject your F.F.G. (Freshly Fuzzed Grin) so as to navigate safely the infi nitely tedious hour and a half back home.

I recently had the pleasure of “living the dream” after an absolutely epileptic evening with Nine Inch Nails , and it was quite literally the best ride home I ever had. The journey smooth, the snack and drink plentiful, and as I drifted into pleasant slumber, visions of Trent Reznor ’s “sugarplums” danced in my head. When I awoke, I was safely nestled all snug in my bed (slight exaggeration), and life, my friends, was never to be the same.

To yourself live this dream, simply book your own adventure and pick one of their snicker-inducing chariots (I like “ Vanny Devito ,” but “ Vangela Lansbury ” and “ Jean Claude Van Damme ” are also great!) at myrockymountainride.com , and follow @ rockymtn_ride wherever you follow your “@’s!”

And if you’ve got a kid brother, take them to see Primus , buy them a freaking Choco-Taco (rumored to soon to be back on the market), and defi nitely don’t let them smoke dirt weed in Acacia Park !

Until next time, my friends, smell ya later!

Adam Leech is the proprietor of Leechpit Records & Vintage at 3020 W Colorado Ave.

News.

At Least 14 People Died on Slopes this Ski Season

All of the deaths that resulted from collisions and falls happened on intermediate or beginner slopes

By Jason Blevins • The Colorado Sun

At least 14 people, aged 14 to 78, died on Colorado’s ski slopes during the 2023-24 ski season.

Six deaths resulted from collisions with trees. All of the deaths from collisions or falls happened on intermediate or beginner slopes. Ten of the fatalities were males, including a 14-year-old boy. Seven of the ski resort visitors who died were not from Colorado. Six of the deaths involved medical events, including a 43-year-old dentist from Kentucky who suffered a brain hemorrhage following an accident that broke his arm at Vail. Four of the deaths from medical events were skiers from out-of-state.

Ski areas do not release cumulative details or reports about deaths at resorts. Many resorts only reveal a fatality when asked, offering emailed statements that “extend our deepest sympathy.”

Resorts also do not discuss or detail injuries at ski areas, even though emergency rooms in resort communities treat thousands of injured skiers and snowboarders every season.

The Colorado Sun annually surveys 16 county coroners across the state to compile a list of skier deaths at ski resorts each season.

Colorado coroners reported at least 17 deaths at ski resorts in the 2022-23 ski season, an increase over previous seasons but below the record of 22 fatalities in the lowsnow season of 2011-12. The 2022-23 season in Colorado included two teenagers killed while sledding in the closed halfpipe at Copper Mountain, four medical issues and five collisions with trees. The 2022-23 season was the busiest ever for Colorado’s ski resorts, with 14.8 million visits. The U.S. ski resort industry also logged a record number of visits — 64.7 million — in the 2022-23 season.

The National Ski Areas Association reported 46 deaths at U.S. ski areas in 2022-23, which included 42 males, 37 skiers and 19 fatal accidents on intermediate runs. The national association does not count fatalities involving medical events in its annual reporting of resort deaths.

The National Ski Areas Association fatal incident rate — based on a 10-season average — is 0.74 deaths for every 1 million skier visits. In Colorado that would equate to 11

deaths in seasons with 15 million skiers visits, but again, that national rate does not include medical events.

Colorado Ski Country, the trade group that represents 20 of the state’s 30 ski areas, counted only three deaths at its member resorts in 2023-24. The group’s member resorts do not include any Vail Resorts ski areas — like Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail, three of the busiest ski areas in the country, that accounted for seven ski area deaths in 2023-24.

Colorado Ski Country, like the National Ski Areas Association, only counts trauma-related deaths and does not include medical events like heart attacks. The trade group does not release statements on skier deaths. Here’s the list from 16 Colorado county coroners:

Photos provided by Author

• Dec. 28, 2023 Vail ski area. Roger Kim Porter, a 69-year-old Vail ski instructor, died in a Denver hospital on Jan. 3, 2024 following what the coroner called an “acute health event” on Dec. 28 at Vail on the intermediate Born Free ski run before the ski area opened to the public.

• Jan. 2, 2024 Breckenridge ski area. Gavin Scott, 47, from Colorado Springs, suffered multiple blunt force injuries after hitting a tree while snowboarding on the intermediate Monte Cristo trail. He was wearing a helmet.

• Jan 5., 2024 Copper Mountain. Stephen Kintigh, 53, from Frisco died from heart failure and natural causes.

• Jan. 27, 2024 Aspen Highlands. Eileen Sheahan, a 22-year-old senior at the University of Michigan was killed after colliding with a tree on the intermediate Exhibition run. It is unclear if she was wearing a helmet.

• Jan. 29, 2024 Breckenridge. James Bright, 78, of New Hampshire, died of a heart attack.

• Feb. 1, 2024 Breckenridge. John Rubio, 52, of Miami, suffered multiple blunt force injuries after colliding with a tree on the intermediate Duke’s run. Rubio was not wearing a helmet.

• Feb. 1, 2024 Vail. Ryan Brown, a 43-yearold from Somerset, Kentucky, died Feb. 5 from a brain hemorrhage stemming from a clinical condition after breaking his left arm at the ski area.

• Feb. 12, 2024 Purgatory. Richard “Rick” Boebel, a 73-year-old Durango resident from Louisiana, who suffered blunt trauma to his neck while skiing the Lower Peace trail, an intermediate run. He was wearing a helmet.

• Feb. 16, 2024 Loveland. Trina Pappas, 22, of Dyer, Indiana, was killed after colliding with a tree while skiing the beginner Zig Zag run.

• Feb. 26, 2024 Winter Park. A 62-year-old man from Pennsylvania died of a heart attack. The Grand County Coroner has not released his name.

• March 2, 2024 Keystone. Levi Hudson Inama, a 14-year-old snowboarder from Monument, died March 4 in a Denver hospital after suffering head injuries from colliding with a tree on the beginner Two Sled trail. He was wearing a helmet.

• March 14, 2024 Keystone. Oleksandr Piguliak, 58 of Silverthorne, suffered fatal neck injuries following a collision with a tree while skiing the intermediate Flying Dutchman trail.

• April 8, 2024 Winter Park. A 47-year-old female snowboarder from Miami died at a Denver hospital on April 12 following a traumatic brain injury after a fall on a beginner slope. She was wearing a helmet. The Grand County Coroner has not released her name.

• April 13, 2024 Arapahoe Basin. William Tanner, a 64-year-old from Canfield, Ohio, suffered a fatal heart attack.

State Matters

Colorado Becomes First State with Law Regulating AI

Task force aims to guide the rollout of the law by February 2026.

By Tamara Chuang • The Colorado Sun

A contentious bill adding guardrails for companies that use artificial intelligence to make big consumer decisions was signed into law Friday by Gov. Jared Polis.

But Polis also took the extra step of writing a letter to lawmakers about his reservations.

“This bill is among the first in the country to attempt to regulate the burgeoning artificial industry on such a scale,” the Democrat wrote. “I appreciate the sponsors’ interest in preventing discrimination and prioritizing consumer protection as Colorado leads in this space.”

But, he added, “I am concerned about the impact this law may have on an industry that is fueling critical technological advancements across our state for consumers and enterprises alike. Government regulation that is applied at the state level in a patchwork across the country can have the effect to tamper innovation and defer competition in an open market.”

There was speculation at the Capitol that Polis may veto the bill, but he said earlier this month that he felt comfortable with the measure because it won’t go into effect for a few years, leaving time for tweaks.

“I’m confident that will leave ample time for any improvements that need to be made prior to it becoming effective,” he told reporters.

Senate Bill 205 aims to reduce discrimination consumers could face when applying for a job, a loan, housing or other services when a machine-based AI system is used to make a “consequential decision.” While other laws exist to protect people of any race, color, gender or other characteristic from intentional discrimination, this law regulates AI systems regardless of intent. A concern is that generative AI systems popularized today by companies like OpenAI don’t always provide accurate answers.

The new law doesn’t go into effect until Feb. 1, 2026.

House Bill 1468, which was also passed by the General Assembly this year, requires the legislature’s Joint Technology Committee to grow its Artificial Intelligence Impact task force to 17 members from 15 and expand its mission to study issues around AI and technology bias. The panel now must include someone who is an expert in generative AI and a person who is an advocate for individuals who have historically experienced discrimination by artificial intelligence and facial recognition technologies

Many in the Colorado technology community spoke out against Senate Bill 205, including the Colorado Technology Association, which represents more than 300 technology companies in the state.

CTA shared a letter with The Sun that it sent to Polis on Thursday that called the lawmaking “rushed” with “very little opportunity for the industry to pressure test and provide input.”

CTA remained concerned by the broad defi-

nition of AI, which could describe all software, and an amendment allowing appeals by consumers who received an adverse decision. Since consumers won’t know if a decision was the result of algorithmic discrimination, they could appeal any that they don’t like “simply because it was adverse.” That would be a burden on companies and a disincentive for developers to do business in Colorado.

“Many of these requirements are vague and very broad, and no one seems to have a good understanding of what their application will look like in practice,” the letter said.

The 1,450-member Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group, which was started after OpenAI’s Chat-GPT4 launched an AI chatbot that responded to questions much like a human, also spoke out against the bill as it made its way through the legislature.

“RMAIIG members are still against the law and we’re disappointed it was passed and signed,” Dan Murray, the organization’s founder, said in an email. “We are hopeful, however, that legislators will robustly engage with Colorado’s vibrant AI/tech/startup community over the next 1-2 years to ensure the bill won’t dampen the important tech economy in our state.”

Consumer advocates wanted even greater consumer protections because AI-based discrimination was already occurring — including background checks and resume screening and adjusting auto insurance premiums.

“There are definitely still parts that I don’t like, including what I consider very weak enforcement provisions, a small business ex-

emption that I think is way too broad, and a trade secret exemption that still leaves quite a bit of room for companies to make mischief,” said Matt Scherer, senior policy counsel for the Center for Democracy & Technology, a nonprofit that fights to advance civil rights and liberties in the digital age. “That said, I understand why the bill landed where it did on each of those things, and I think that this bill is as good as I could hope for given that it basically has its origins in model legislation written by an HR tech company.”

Officials with the HR technology company, Workday, said they had engaged with lawmakers in Connecticut and other states but not Colorado. Colorado’s bill was influenced by Connecticut’s, according to one of the bill’s main sponsors, Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver.

But the bill in Connecticut failed, reportedly after a veto threat from the state’s Democratic governor.

In an email, Chandler Morse, Workday’s head of public policy, congratulated Polis on the bill’s passage as “a first-in-the-country approach to regulating AI that balances both trust and innovation and aligns with Workday’s vision for a regulatory framework supporting responsible AI.”.

“While we agree with the Governor about there being room for improvement before the law is implemented,” he said, “Senate Bill 205 represents a critical first step with which we hope other states will align for a much-needed common approach to AI regulation.”

News. State Matters

Voters Decide in November Whether to Further Protect Abortion Access

Initiative 89 would remove nearly 40-year-old ban on state funding

By Jesse Paul • The Colorado Sun

Colorado voters will decide in November whether to protect abortion access in the state constitution after elections officials Friday verified signatures collected for a ballot measure backed by abortion-rights groups.

The initiative would also lift the state’s nearly 40-year-old constitutional ban on state money being used to pay for abortions.

Democrats in the state legislature passed a bill in 2022 guaranteeing abortion access in state law. But that measure could be overturned or undermined by a simple majority vote in the General Assembly, or by the passage of a statutory ballot measure, which also only requires a simple majority to pass.

Initiative 89 would go a step further by putting the nearly unfettered right to get an abortion in Colorado in the state’s constitution, which, if passed, could only be overturned by a 55% vote of the people.

The measure also requires the support of 55% of voters to pass.

To get on the ballot, supporters of Initiative 89 had to collect signatures from about 125,000 Colorado voters, including at least 2% of the registered voters in each of Colorado’s 35 state Senate districts.

The measure says that the government “shall not deny, impede, or discriminate against the exercise of the right to abortion, including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion.”

Abortion access is already effectively unrestricted in Colorado. Other than the constitutional ban on public money being used to pay for abortions, the only real barrier to access is a law that requires health care providers to notify a parent or guardian of a minor at least 48 hours before the child is

scheduled to get an abortion.

Colorado has become a haven for people living in other parts of the country where there are strict limits on when a pregnancy can be terminated. The restrictions proliferated and became more stringent after the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade, the court’s 1973 decision protecting the right to an abortion without excessive government restriction.

More than 25 million women ages 15 to 44, or about 2 in 5 nationally, now live in states where there are more restrictions on abortion access than there were before, according to The Associated Press.

“In this time of uncertainty, we need to secure abortion rights and access in the Colorado Constitution, beyond the reach of politics and politicians. This initiative will secure that right for present and future generations,” Karen Middleton, president of the Colorado abortion-rights group Cobalt, said in a written statement Friday.

Cobalt was a part of Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom, the umbrella group backing Initiative 89. It gathered signatures both by using paid circulators and volunteers.

The Colorado Reproductive Health Rights and Justice Coalition also includes the

ACLU of Colorado, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, New Era Colorado, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, and ProgressNow Colorado.

Amendment 3, Colorado’s constitutional prohibition on state dollars being used to pay for abortions, was narrowly passed by voters in 1984. Among its effects, the amendment blocked Medicaid recipients and state employees from having their abortions covered by their insurance.

This year’s general election will be held Nov. 5.

Courtesy Adobe Stock

Opinion

By Ted Williams

Unlike the rest of modern wildlife management, killing bobcats is unregulated, driven not by science but by fur prices. We’re stuck in the 19th Century when market hunters, for example, shot boatloads of waterfowl with 10-foot-long, 100-pound “punt guns.”

Now, there’s a campaign in Colorado—via a November 2024 ballot initiative—to ban hunting and trapping of bobcats, Canada lynx and mountain lions, though lynx are already listed by the state as endangered and supposedly protected.

As a lifelong hunter and angler, I’m told by a group called the Sportsmen’s Alliance that it’s my duty to defend bobcat trapping and hunting against such “antis” as those pushing the ballot initiative.

But a true sportsmen’s alliance of ethical hunters—Teddy Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, William Hornaday, Congressman John Lacey, and other Boone and Crockett Club members—got most market hunting banned in 1918.

It persists today as commercial trapping and hunting of bobcats. Ethical hunters eat what they kill. Bobcat trappers and hunters discard the meat and sell pelts, mostly for export to China and Russia.

Yet the Sportsmen’s Alliance warns me that, after bobcat trapping gets banned, “hunting ... and even fishing are the next traditions in the antis’ crosshairs.”

I don’t buy it. I’ve heard this mantra since the 1970s, including from my then-colleagues at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife who, like me, were fed and clothed by fishing, trapping and hunting license dollars.

This from veteran bobcat researcher Dr.

BOBCATS NEED PROTECTION not killing for their pelts

Mark Elbroch of the native cat conservation group Panthera: “Colorado treats bobcats pretty much like they’re treated throughout the West” (except for California where killing is banned without a special permit.)

“There are hardly any regulations in any state. No bag limits, no data on how many are out there. The hunting community gets super excited about what it calls the ‘North American Model of Conservation,’ and one of the tenets is you don’t kill for profit or trade,” Elbroch continued. “Trapping violates that model in every way. Bobcat trapping is the extreme—selling fur for luxury items. It’s sickening.”

From December through February, Colorado bobcat hunters and trappers may kill as many bobcats as they please. And hunters are permitted to pursue bobcats with hounds, an inhumane practice for both cats and hounds.

Bobcat traps are also unselective, catching other species such as Canada lynx, raptors, otters, foxes, martens, badgers, opossums and skunks. “Lynx, a close relative to bobcats, are naturally attracted to bait set for bobcats and are harmed, injured or killed when caught in traps,” said Colorado veterinarian Christine Capaldo.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife attempts to rebut such reports with: “No lynx in Colorado has ever been reported as accidentally trapped by bobcat fur harvesters.”

Of course not. What bobcat trapper would jeopardize permissive regulations by filing such a report?

So, in addition to an estimated 2,000 bobcats, how many non-target animals are killed by the roughly 4,000 bobcat traps annually set in Colorado? No one has a clue.

Colorado requires “humane” live traps. But they’re scarcely more humane than legholds and less humane than quick-kill conibear traps.

by Ted

During winter, bobcats keep warm by finding shelter. In live traps they’re immobilized and exposed to cold, rain, snow and wind. Traps must be checked every 24 hours, but there’s virtually no enforcement, so live-trapped bobcats sometimes suffer for days. When traps do get checked bobcats get bludgeoned or strangled.

Before European contact, bobcats prospered throughout what are now the contiguous states. Caucasian immigrants quickly set about rectifying this with an all-out war on the species, behavior that flabbergasted the Indigenous and for which their only explanation was that the pale faces were insane. By the early 20th century, bounties and government control had extirpated bobcats from much of the U.S.

Now bobcats are slowly recovering in every contiguous state save Delaware. That’s

an excellent reason not to kill them.

Bobcats belong to all Americans, the vast majority of whom prefer them alive. But they’re managed for the very few people who kill them for profit. And from a strictly financial perspective, live bobcats are more valuable than dead ones.

A study published in 2017 in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation, based on money spent by wildlife photographers, set the value of a single live bobcat at $308,000. Today the average bobcat pelt fetches $100.

Ted Williams is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring conversation about the West. He writes about fish and wildlife for national publications.

Photo

Williams

Opinion

By Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region Staff

Springtime in the Pikes Peak region is an annual era of renewal—not only of our beautiful outdoor surroundings, but also of our spirits that have been weathered by winter.

Local arts and culture help provide that renewal. Supercharge your spring by choosing to be curious—by attending local events, shopping creative businesses, choosing local arts groups for your financial support, and participating in the arts yourself.

Admittedly, those are big goals. It’s tough to find the time and motivation to break out of our rhythms, especially these days when everything can seem so…stressful. Our habits are familiar and safe, and in an era of seemingly constant change those stabilizers are important.

But as our region grows, there are more arts and entertainment options springing up around us, too. Whether you’re new to town or have been here for decades, you can experience something new this spring and summer. It’s the perfect time to be adventurous and experimental in the arts experiences you choose to explore, whether that’s jamming to live music at the new Lulu’s location in downtown or exploring the makerspace at Library 21c.

“Our arts and entertainment scene evolves to meet demand,” says Angela Seals, executive director at the Cultural Office, “so if we want more amazing festivals, live music in the local park, funky markets, a lively stand-up comedy scene, then we need to be adventurous audience and show up for them when they happen.”

But how do you know where to find the

BE CURIOUS ABOUT LOCAL ARTS THIS SPRING

newest opportunities and perennial favorites in local entertainment? Fortunately, our community has one website where you can unlock the creative potential of the season ahead, if you know to use its many tools: PeakRadar.com.

Invite friends and family along: Spring and summer is when family or friends come to visit us. One of the most powerful things you can do is invite them to attend an arts event with you, as the visitors that you bring to the region play a critical role in our economic vibrancy. Along with PeakRadar.com and the thousands of local events that you can find here every year, make sure to explore COSCreativeStays. com to see the personal recommendations of 13 diverse local creatives who can help answer the age-old “what should we do tonight?”

Annual Events Guide: Whether you’re

brand new to the region or have lived here for decades, there’s always one event each year that we seem to miss and we think to ourselves, “man, I wish I’d known about that sooner! I’ve been meaning to go!” That’s where the Peak Radar Annual Events Guide comes in. Find it under the “Features” tab on PeakRadar.com.

Classes & Workshops: Supporting the arts can also mean trying them yourself! Under the “Resources” tab on PeakRadar. com you’ll find dozens of local organizations that host performing, visual, or even wellness offerings.

Free Outdoor Summer Concerts: One of the unique things about the arts in our region is the vivid combination of amazing scenery and amazing artistic experiences. Nowhere is this more evident than in our offerings of free outdoor summer concerts, which can be found in parks throughout

the region, including in your neighborhood.

Opportunities Board: Volunteer for a cultural festival, or enter things you make at home into an upcoming local market to get more deeply involved in the creative community. Click “Opportunities” from PeakRadar.com to see current volunteer calls, creative jobs, auditions and calls for artists.

Be an economic engine: When you attend local events and shop local creative businesses, you also contribute to a strong economic driver in the region and support small businesses. The nonprofit arts & culture sector alone generates $184.6 million in annual economic activity.

Put a spring in your step and head out this season to something new, creative, and inspiring!

Flying Horse Concert, photo by Stellar Propeller Studio

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Fun& Games

News of the WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

INTERNATIONALS BEHAVING

BADLY

Artist Benediktas Gylys went live with his installation “Portal” on May 14, United Press International reported. “Portal” is a live video stream connecting New York City with Dublin, Ireland. But it was switched off the same day because of “instances of inappropriate behavior” that have been “amplified on social media.” The naughty actions included swearing, nudity and displays of images from the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. “I thought the people of Dublin deserved to see my two New York homegrown potatoes,” said Ava Louise, who bared her breasts to “Portal.” Governments on both sides of the pond are considering actions to take to curb the bad behavior.

IT’S A MYSTERY

On April 25, an employee at the Avalon Theater in Marysville, Ohio, who had noticed a person acting suspiciously the night before, discovered a treasure in the restroom: $25,000 in cash, WBNS-TV reported. Two days later, $12,000 turned up in a KFC restroom. “I would absolutely say they are connected in some way,” said police Capt. Nate Sachs. Authorities determined that the money is legitimate. “One is just weird in and of itself,” Sachs said, “but two times in one week is definitely another level.” He encouraged citizens to call police if they find any more cash to “help us with our investigation.”

YETI IN THE YARD

Firelands Elementary School in Henrietta Township, Ohio, was locked down on May 1 after a sasquatch was spotted running past classroom windows, WKYC-TV reported. Superintendent Michael Von Gunten said a person in a Bigfoot costume parked in one of the district’s lots, “crossed our campus and caused the district to enter into a lockdown.” Kids outside on recess were quickly moved indoors. Bigfoot never made it inside any of the buildings; the Lorain County sheriff’s office revealed the person in the costume was a parent pulling a prank. The parent was

pulled over in a traffic stop, but no charges have been filed yet.

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME

Middleburg Heights, Ohio, residents who were hoping to do business at the Social Security office there were turned away in early May, News 5 reported on May 2. It wasn’t computer issues or flooding that shut the office down, though. Michael Murphy, president of the Local 3448 of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the problem was raccoons. “There’s urine stains on the tiles. The smoke detectors came falling down. ... (A)pparently the animals may be eating through the wiring.” When 25% of the lighting went out, employees got in touch with Murphy. “These employees were reporting concerns of noises above the ceiling as early as January,” he said. The SSA released a statement saying the office would reopen “as soon as possible.”

NO LONGER WEIRD

The last four years have brought about 700 reports of orcas attacking boats. On May 12, in the Strait of Gibraltar, a 49-foot-long vessel called Alboran Cognac sank after repeated blows from a group of orcas, Reuters reported. The yacht carried two people, who felt the shocks before water started seeping in. They alerted rescue services, and a nearby oil tanker took them in. Researchers don’t know why the animals attack ships.

AWESOME!

World War II veteran Roger Wonson of Beverly, Massachusetts, turned 100 years old on April 20, CBS News reported. Wonson celebrated with his family and friends and a custom cake -- and by playing drums with his band, The Current Voltage, at his senior living facility on April 24. Wonson also played saxophone during the performance. He said his brother got him into drumming: “When he was 18 and I was 12 ... I said, ‘Gee, can I practice on the drums?’ and he said, ‘Sure.’ So that’s the way it started.” The Current Voltage includes some of his fellow residents and staffers from the facility.

NEW WORLD ORDER

“Father Justin,” an AI priest created by Catholic Answers, a Christian group in San Diego, was defrocked on April 24 after claiming to users that he was a real member of the clergy and performing sacraments, the New York Post reported. Holy Justin told users he was a priest in Assisi, Italy. He shared his views on sexual issues and took confession, concluding with, “Go in peace, my child, and sin no more.” He also advised one user that they

could use Gatorade to baptize their child. Christopher Check, president of Catholic Answers, explained: “We chose the character to convey a quality of knowledge and authority ... Many people, however, have voiced concerns about this choice.” The avatar was rebranded as Virtual Apologist Justin, minus the cassock and collar, after an uproar about his behavior. “We won’t say he’s been laicized,” Check said, “because he was never a real priest!”

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