Colorado Springs Independent: July 11, 2024

DO NO EVIL

A BUDDHIST MONK FACES THE DARK SIDE OF THE LAW

BY KATHRYN EASTBURN PAGE 10

IN THIS ISSUE: | POWER DOWN Demolition of Drake Plant Signals New Energy Era PAGE 06 | PAINT MINES Archaeological Wonder Being Loved to Death PAGE 09

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A Pikes Peak Media Company

"Ferrett Boy has become an example ..." COVER

PUBLISHER

Mackenzie Tamayo

by Adam Biddle

Ben Trollinger

PUBLISHING CONSULTANT

Fran Zankowski

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ben Trollinger

REPORTERS Noel Black, Andrew Rogers and Cannon Taylor

CONTRIBUTORS

Adam Leech, Lauren Ciborowski, Kathryn Eastburn, Richard Knight, Camille Liptak and Willow Welter

SALES

AD DIRECTOR JT Slivka

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Parker Sullivan, Monty Hatch and Erin Cordero

AD COORDINATOR

Lanny Adams

ART & PRODUCTION

SENIOR EDITORIAL DESIGNER

Adam Biddle

AD DESIGNER Catherine Higley

OPERATIONS

DIGITAL/SOCIAL

Sean Cassady

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Kay Williams

Young professionals with Switchback’s Mascot Ziggy| Credit: Jayne Mhono Dickey

POUT OF NOTHING

By BEN TROLLINGER • ben.trollinger@ppmc.live

utting out a newspaper, like any worthy pursuit, is a process of incremental improvement and persistent humiliation. The potential for failure is baked into it. Doing something in public, be it stand-up comedy or musical performance, puts you at risk. But the alternative, waiting until you’re perfect, is far worse.

Lorne Michaels once said about Saturday Night Live, “The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30.” That kind of pressure clarifies the mind. A commitment is a commitment—a deadline’s a deadline.

I once worked for an editor who claimed that putting out a paper was a kind of miracle. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I know what she meant — out of chaos comes some modicum of order, and it’s not exactly clear to anyone just how that ex nihilo transformation went down. We know for certain, however, that it was all the product of many people working together—sometimes in perfect synch, sometimes in cacophony.

The publication you hold today will bear little resemblance to the one you will hold a year from now. That will, of course, be a result of the feedback we’ve received from you, the reader, but it will also be the product of a group of people asking a simple question: How do we make it better?

We started this enterprise back in

April with a newsroom of exactly two people—a page designer and a reporter. It was a bit like trying to perform Frank Zappa’s “Black Page #1” with the glockenspiel from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but amazingly we’ve somehow pulled it off for a few issues. We weren’t ready, but we had a deadline after all.

I am happy to report that reinforcements are on the way. You’ll see on our masthead a few new names, and perhaps some familiar ones. Young gun Cannon Taylor joined us last month to cover arts and entertainment, and earlier this month Noel Black has come on board as our senior reporter. Old Indy-heads might remember him from back in the day, but the Colorado Springs native has most recently worked on a remarkable podcast for History Colorado called “Lost Highways.” If you take a listen, you’ll get some idea of his abilities as a storyteller. You’ll also see that one our contributors for this issue is none other than Kathryn Eastburn, one of the founding editors of the Independent. But we’re not stopping there. We’re also currently hiring a business reporter, for the relaunch of the Colorado Springs Business Journal, and a city hall reporter over the next few weeks. And, of course, we’re always looking for new freelance contributors. Send me an email if you’re interested. I might get back to you next week. I’m on deadline at the moment.

LETTERS .

ROAD WEARY

This is what happens with decades of neglect and underfunding leading to pothole-riddled, worn-out roads. Will the 0.57% sales tax solve this problem? Will a 10-year extension? Hardly. Today it will take approximately 37+ years to do one cycle of maintenance on existing roads up from 25-28 years due to annexations, with more in Colorado Springs' future unless the administration, city council and planning commission don't stop the unneeded annexations.

What's the solution? Make 2C a permanent funding stream at 2% sales tax. Require the latest road technology and performance warranties of 20 years on all roads either built or annexed into Colorado Springs by developers for materials and workmanship. Rebuild the roads. Don't just mill them. Chip and seal? Come on now. Be honest with the people and tell them how much is really needed to bring the roads up to quality. Billions?

The real question is, are you, as a citizen, willing to make 2C permanent or do you want to continue shelling out hundreds to your local front-end/tire shop? Psst! Don't tell anybody. It's cheaper to pay the 2%.

Gary Casimir Colorado Springs •

A BRIDGE TOO FAR

Re: June 13 letter “Going to pot,” by Terry Tandy Terry Tandy wrote a letter to the

editor complaining of the excessive number of potholes in Colorado Springs. Tandy wrote that there are maybe two crews filling potholes in our ever-growing city. I believe I can explain where a sizable portion of the road construction budget has been used this year — billions were directed toward the new superbridge outside of the Broadmoor’s Seven Falls entrance. As a resident in this area, I can verify that the amount of residential traffic that visits this corner of Colorado Springs is negligible. Nonetheless, it was a top priority and consumed a hefty chunk of our tax dollars. And for those few Springs residents that get to see it, it is impressive — far more impressive than a filled pothole.

Amy Linfield

Colorado Springs

•

TIRED COMPLAINTS

So bored with the same senseless complaints over and over and over again. The people who complain about potholes are the same people who whine about road construction. Our high-elevation climate that we love so much makes it a bitch to keep roads in good shape. If that’s what you want, move to Connecticut. We get laser-focused, super-arid blasts of 95-degree heat and then hail and then a freeze — in a week’s time. How is the city supposed to fix the potholes without the road construction? Sheesh.

Jennifer Bell

Colorado Springs

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

CORRECTION .

In the June 27 edition, we misstated the date of this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The race took place on June 23.

IN BRIEF

DOWNTOWN

Height

change approved for proposed downtown tower

A proposed mixed-use high rise in downtown Colorado Springs is moving ahead. The project, developed by Colorado Springs-based O’Neil Group and Kansas City-based VeLa Development Partners, was initially proposed to be 36 stories at the corner of Sahwatch and Costilla streets. The tower’s height now stands at 27 stories. The project sparked controversy over the original height, which led to a recent decision by the Colorado Springs City Council to not forward a question to voters to establish height restrictions in the downtown core. The building is set to have a total of 404 residenital units, 7,900 square feet of retail space and four levels of parking for private and public use. O’Neil Group founder Kevin O’Neil is the co-owner of Pikes Peak Media Company, the parent company of the Colorado Springs Independent

GOVERNMENT

SCOTUS ruling upholds homeless encampment laws

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling June 28 after hearing the case Johnson v. Grants Pass this spring. The case challenged whether city ordinances banning homeless encampments were constitutional. The court ruled 6-3 to uphold the lower court’s ruling that homeless camping bans were not an infringement on the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Colorado Springs has had an outdoor camping ban since 2018 that states campers can be moved only when there is enough bed space at the local shelters.

POWER DOWN

Drake demolition ushering in a new electric future for Colorado Springs

By ANDREW ROGERS • andrew.rogers@ppmc.live

The final smokestack from the Martin Drake Power plant came down June 13. The demolition marked a major change to the Colorado Springs skyline, where the plant has towered since 1925. In the years since the decommissioning of the legacy coal-fueled power plant was announced, the conversation shifted to what’s next for the site. However, the southern portion of downtown Colorado Springs is far from having a new development at Cimarron and Sierra Madre streets any time soon.

“So as Drake comes down, I want to give it the respect that it deserves. It was a cornerstone for this community. It was a cornerstone for growth,” said Colorado Springs Utilities CEO Travas Deal, during his 2024 State of the Utility address.

The vote to decommission the plant was made in 2020 and expedited the timeline for the plant to be taken offline. The plant had been set to be phased out in 2035 before that vote moved it to 2023.

“It was not very efficient, very heavy

on manpower requirements and on the startup time, meaning that you can't get instant results,” former City Council member Wayne Williams explained. Williams also served as the vice-chair of the Utilities Board and made the motion to expedite the closure.

“It's like an old charcoal furnace or old charcoal grill that just takes time to get adjusted to the level you want it to run,” he said.

Williams explained that the main drivers for the closure came down to three elements: economic efficiency, meeting state-mandated air-quality measures, and the growing renewal of downtown Colorado Springs that called for a better welcome sign along Interstate 25 than a nearly 100-year-old power plant.

“There might have been a time a hundred years ago when, ‘Hey, we have electricity' was a great thing to advertise as you come into a town. That's no longer the case. It's not unique to have electricity these days,” Williams said.

The $20 million demolition of the decommissioned coal power plant remains on schedule to be completed by the end of 2024. Once that happens, the long clean-up process will begin. However, any potential nonutilities development on the former Drake site is “years away — if it’s even possible.”

Deal explained that remediation of the site will involve state and federal agencies to ensure it’s no threat to Fountain Creek and nearby neighborhoods. Once the demolition is complete, Springs Utilities will take the site to what’s called “brownfield status,” replacing the plant’s footprint with several layers of dirt and native vegetation.

The environmental review of what lies beneath cannot begin until next year, at the earliest, once the plant is fully demolished. There is also no timeline for how long the review will take place.

“We have a lot of utility infrastructure that does have to remain there for the downtown area and really going all out

Demolition of the Drake Power Plant | Courtesy:Colorado Springs Utilities

west to the Broadmoor area,” Deal said.

Colorado Springs Utilities officials disclosed that if someone wanted to develop on a portion of the site, they would still have to navigate significant utility easements for the remaining six natural gas units on the site. Additionally, he said any other remediation of the area would ultimately be the responsibility of a private developer.

FULLY CHARGED

The Drake power plant had not been a major contributor to the Colorado Springs power grid for years. Steve Berry, the senior public affairs officer for Colorado Springs Utilities, said that the plant performed only as a peak load facility in its last few years, before ceasing operations in September 2022. The plant’s power output has been replaced with six modular natural gas units adjacent to the site.

Berry said that natural gas will remain the major power source for the foreseeable future. He argues that it’s the best way to manage customer costs while maintaining system reliability.

“We believe this path is the most responsible and cost-effective bridge,” he said.

In the meantime, the municipal utility is looking ahead to a future featuring more renewable energy sources. The goal is to reach an 80% carbon emissions reduction by 2030. Deal explained that the goal is driven by a combination of customer requests along with state regulation.

The six generators will also add to the reliability of the city’s grid as they can be activated within just 10 minutes and can also be powered by more than just natural gas. Other potential sources include diesel and hydrogen.

Deal notes that the city will also continue to invest in natural gas sources as the city grows and because another coalfired plant, the Ray Nixon Power Plant south of Fountain, is set to be decom-

missioned between 2029 and 2030.

Colorado Springs’ power portfolio currently is made up of 20% “noncarbon” sources such as hydroelectric, solar and wind. As an example, Deal pointed to the Pike Solar facility on the city’s southeast side.

“That is a huge facility, well over a thousand acres, and that can provide power for 46,000 homes,” Deal said.

Utilities forecasts that by 2030 it will have a power generation portfolio composed of 33% wind, 26% solar and 17% natural gas. Sixteen percent of the electric generation capability will be purchased from various utility markets or networks, and 5% will come from hydropower sources.

With Colorado Springs’ heavy urban footprint, Deal said it takes a large amount of acreage to generate power using solar and wind to meet demand.

“We have to look at [the] diversity of where we put solar. Colorado has a lot of microclimates. You'll have clouds covering different places, and it really causes your solar to swing rapidly,” he explained.

THE NEW GRID

Deal believes that the community's changing needs are leading the municipal utility to keep pace. He said that will include generating 2.5 times more electricity than the current rate.

“I'm sure a lot of people who've lived in Colorado Springs for any number of years probably didn't see many air conditioners but now you start seeing [more] air conditioners come online,” he said.

Deal believes that changing user demand, compounded with emerging technology like electric vehicles and athome battery storage, will change the way that power needs to be delivered across the city.

“That means a lot more substations, a lot more electric content when it gets in, from the substation, from our transformers—all of these things are going to really change as our customers' needs change,” Deal said.

One example of this is the new Central Bluffs Substation, which is currently under design and will be located near Austin Bluffs Parkway and Goldenrod Drive on the north side of Palmer Park. Berry said that is intended to meet the growing customer needs of the existing area of the city.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Police identify victim in city’s 21st homicide of 2024

Colorado Springs police were called to Remington Park near Peterson Road and Pony Tracks Drive just before 9 p.m. Monday, June 17, after a large fight resulted in a stabbing. Officers said that one man, later identified as 24-year-old Tadeo Francisco Villavicencio-Ramirez, was found dead at the scene. This marks the 21st homicide in Colorado Springs this year. There were 14 homicides in the city at this time last year. Police do not have a suspect in custody and are asking anyone with information to call CSPD at (719) 444-4000.

Police looking for volunteers for Victim Advocacy Unit

Colorado Springs police are looking for volunteers to staff their Victim Advocacy Unit. Police say the unit provides critical resources and support to crime victims across the city. After receiving 40 hours of specialized training, volunteers will work side-by-side with full-time staff members. Applications are being accepted through July 19.

TRANSPORTATION

Portion of Black Forest Road closed through end of July

Northbound Black Forest Road, between Woodmen and Vollmer roads, will be closed through the end of July for construction work including the removal of existing pavement and subgrade, as well as rebuilding and repaving the roadway. Southbound Black Forest Road will remain open during this closure.

“It is not aimed at growth; rather, it’s to fortify this portion of the electric grid in an already established area to meet changing customer demands,” Berry noted.

A similar project was recently completed at the Briargate substation, where Colorado Springs Utilities focused on improvements to the power transmission lines to also meet future demand.

“We are going see a significant amount of changes on the electric side,” Deal said.

“We’re leaving southbound Black Forest Road open and identifying multiple detours around the northbound closure to ensure people can get in and out of their neighborhoods and businesses safely,” said Mike Chaves, project manager for the City of Colorado Springs. Traffic heading from Woodmen to northbound Black Forest Road will be detoured using Cowpoke Road via Tutt Boulevard to the west or Marksheffel Road to the east. Access to Black Forest is also available from Research Boulevard.

Bus fare is ‘on the house’ through the end of August

Mountain Metropolitan Transit riders can ride the local bus service for free through August 31. The cost of the free bus fares is covered by a state senate bill that provides an “Ozone Season Transit Grant” to transit agencies statewide. The grant aims to encourage the use of public transportation and reduce the number of vehicles on the road during the summer.

Demolition of the Drake Power Plant | Courtesy: Colorado Springs Utilities

Primaries lock in general election ballots

By ANDREW ROGERS • andrew.rogers@ppmc.live

The Republican and Democratic primaries took place on June 25 and have set the matchups for November’s general election.

In the 5th Congressional District race, Republican Jeff Crank will take on Democrat River Gassen for the seat held by retiring Rep. Doug Lamborn. Crank garnered 65% percent of the vote compared to Dave Williams' 35%.

Crank is the regional vice president for Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political advocacy group founded by the billionaire brothers Charles Koch and the late David Koch. Crank also hosts a national podcast for the group and was a well-known radio talk show host on Colorado Springs’ 740 KVOR-AM. As an act of protest, he ended his 14-year run on the air when KVOR owner Cumulus Media issued a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for its employees. Crank previously served as a staffer for

former congressman Joel Hefley, Lamborn’s predecessor, and as the vice president of governmental affairs for the Colorado Springs Chamber.

The Democratic primary was much closer, despite having half of the turnout of Republican voters, with 40,819 Democrat ballots counted compared with the GOP race’s 85,955 ballots. River Gassen led unofficial results by just 482 votes before Joe Reagan conceded the race.

Gassen says she is running for office to “put the American dream within reach again.” After graduating with a master’s degree from UCCS in physics, she now teaches astronomy and solar energy science in the University of Colorado system. Gassen’s campaign website champions a progressive agenda focused on health care accessibility, economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, education reform, and

safeguarding civil rights and equality.

In the 4th Congressional District race, Republican Lauren Boebert will face Democrat Trisha Calvarese in November. Fourth District voters also elected Republican Greg Lopez in a special election to serve the remainder of former Congressman Ken

Buck’s term.

EL PASO COUNTY RACES

Incumbent 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, a Republican, will be challenged in the November general election by Jeremy Dowell, a Democrat and

Jeff Crank | Credit: Crank Campaign

River Gassen | Credit: Gassen Campaign

Fresh Coat for Paint

El Paso County master plan tackles vandalism, environment degradation and pet ferrets at Paint Mines Interpretive Park

By Cannon Taylor • cannon.taylor@ppmc.live

On one end of the leash was a pet ferret. On the other end, gripping the leash as he climbed up onto the ridge line of one of the ancient rock formations, was Ferret Boy.

“Ferret Boy has become an example of [how] you’re going to see the weirdest things out there,” said Ross Williams, an El Paso County park planner.

Paint Mines Interpretive Park, located near Calhan, has a strict no-pet policy — and that includes ferrets. The story of Ferret Boy is a prime example of the rule-breaking that consistently takes place at Paint Mines, either accidentally or deliberately. It’s a major problem for the small Paint Mines staff, who spend much of their time and resources politely directing people away from areas of the trail they are not meant to be in.

“Every single time I’m out there leading a program, I’m having to stop my program, and usually because there’s someone cruising parallel to the trails, off the trail, or there’s people up in the formations,” said Ryan Dorough,

program planner. “There are some areas that have some Native history … you want to keep those things protected, but I see people all the time in those areas.”

Even worse than the visitors straying off-trail are the ones carving their initials into or spray-painting on the fascinatingly shaped yet fragile rock formations that have formed over millions of years. These rock formations include tall, sun-orange hoodoos and colorful clays that Native Americans used to make paint. It’s estimated that the area has been inhabited by humans as far back as 8,100 B.C.

With so much geological and archaeological significance contained in Paint Mines, park planners said it is important to ensure that our small blips in history don’t leave a negative impact on these ancient rock formations. That’s why the El Paso County Parks and Community Services Department is developing a master plan to handle the problems posed by the high number of visitors. Williams explained that the park has

mizing the vehicle congestion the park is currently facing with an increased number of visitors.

The main area would feature an interpretive plaza and visitors center to offer more education about the Paint Mines than is currently possible with the number of interpreter-caretakers on staff.

The design also includes new toilets and a shade shelter to prevent visitors from overheating.

Also available would be an ADA-accessible overlook plaza, so those who are unable to hike the trails can take in the views of the beautiful rock formations.

“Right now, there’s no access,” said Evelyn Volz with DHM Design. “Being able to experience these places together is huge … so I think offering that is a game changer for this park. But I don’t think it’s ideal. It could be more.”

Unfortunately, providing ADA access on the trails themselves would involve creating switchbacks, which would leave an “enormous footprint” on the Paint Mines.

“It’s this balance of providing access without actually destroying the resource,” Volz said.

seen an uptick in attention since the COVID-19 pandemic because of the draw toward outdoor recreation after the lockdown. This attention is multiplied every time a visitor posts about Paint Mines on social media.

The master plan is funded by County Regional Park Fees and developed through a $200,000 contract with DHM Design, a Denver-based landscape architecture and land-planning firm. A public open house took place June 27 to present some of the concepts for the master plan and gather community feedback.

The Paint Mines staff has approached the problem of user-created social trails with signage and an honor system, but the signs are sometimes unclear to visitors, some of whom ignore them completely. DHM Designs has proposed more obvious methods of designating trails through low barriers, boardwalks, stone steps and defined end points.

DHM Designs has also developed a concept for a new parking lot and visitor area for the park. The new parking lot would add 73 parking spaces, mini-

The master plan also hopes to minimize vegetation degradation by moving trails out of sensitive habitats and eliminating vandalism through educational programs and signage.

The project will be in the concept design stage until September, with the master plan document being developed through the end of the year. Until then, El Paso County is asking for community feedback on the project. Anyone can provide feedback on Paint Mines Interpretive Park or the master plan through an online survey. A second public open house will occur sometime in 2024.

The cost and timeframe estimates for the implementation of the master plan document are yet to be determined. Construction may be done in one fell swoop or multiple phases.

The Paint Mines Interpretive Park will remain open for informative guided hikes throughout this summer.

For more information on the Paint Mines Interpretive Park Master Plan, visit the Parks and Recreation page on the El Paso Community Services website. Email PaintMinesMasterPlan@ gmail.com with questions or to stay informed on the project.

Concept design for boardwalk at Paint Mines Interpretive Park | Courtesy: El Paso County Parks and Community Services Department and DHM Design

NEWS

IBuddhist Teacher Stands Up to Civil Forfeiture Laws

By KATHRYN EASTBURN • Special to the

n November of last year, Colorado Springs-based Buddhist monk Thay Pho Khai — "Thay" is the Vietnamese word for "teacher" — was caring for an elderly friend and fellow Buddhist teacher who’d suffered a series of injuries due to falls.

Pho Khai decided to drive his friend to family members in Sugarland, Texas, and set off on a road trip that would change his life in ways he never could have imagined.

“I knew him for 10 years. I brought him here from his home in Oklahoma, and he stayed until November,” Pho Khai said.

“Then I took him to his family.”

Before he left Sugarland, the family gave Pho Khai a gift of $2,000, money that was added to cash in a box he carried with him when he traveled, assets of the temple where he serves as priest and lives as a monastic, claiming ownership of no earthly

goods. He headed north for the Zen Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he met his Buddhist Dharma brother and friend, Ivan Mayerhofer. (Dharma refers to Buddhist teachings.)

Pho Khai stayed for two wet, cold days in Ann Arbor, then stopped again en route to Colorado Springs to visit another Dharma brother.

On Dec. 3, near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he decided to exit the highway and have lunch before facing the nearly 800-mile drive home. Shortly after exiting, he was pulled over by a highway patrol officer in an unmarked black car.

“I was the only car on the road. I was not speeding. Later they told me I drove over the solid white line,” he said. “I stopped right away.”

Pho Khai showed the patrolman the con-

tract for the rental car he was driving and his Colorado driver's license. The patrolman then ordered him out of the car and asked if he had any drugs or weapons in the vehicle. Any money.

Pho Khai said he answered all questions truthfully. According to his account, the officer searched the engine compartment, the area of the car containing the spare tire and the interior passenger part of the car, tossing aside everything including Pho Khai’s brown monk’s robe. The officer could not, however, locate the cash box until Pho Khai handed it over to him.

“He counted the money, handcuffed me and said, ‘This is more than you said was there,’” Pho Khai remembered. He had never counted the money, he said, and assumed it amounted to several thousand dollars. In fact, it was a little over $19,000.

Two other patrolmen arrived on the

scene, arranged for the car to be towed to an impound lot and eventually brought Pho Khai to a building outside Sioux Falls he later discovered was an office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“I felt like trash. I felt like a criminal,” Pho Khai said.

A request to South Dakota’s Highway Patrol for an accounting of these events and procedures related to the highway patrol, Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection received no response as of press time.

•

Pho Khai lives on a busy road in Colorado Springs, behind a traditional wooden gate of Asian design he built himself. Since 2007, when he first landed at the foot of Pikes Peak, he has constructed various

Independent

Thay Pho Khai | Credit: Ben Trollinger

buildings of wood, concrete and cinder block in which he holds Buddhist services for the Vietnamese community of his adopted hometown and teaches meditation and tai chi. In the early years of the temple, he taught the Vietnamese language and Taekwondo. (He holds a black belt in the Korean martial art.)

At home he wears the traditional brown robe of a fully ordained Buddhist monk. The building he lives in is sparsely furnished and opens onto a worship and teaching space adorned with colorful statuary. An altar to ancestors stands nearby, holding a bowl of fresh fruit, a vase of cut flowers and sticks of incense below photos of the deceased.

Born in Vietnam, he came as a boy to the United States in 1983. An aunt in Seattle sponsored his family. After high school Pho Khai earned a degree in electrical engineering and worked in the field for three years before traveling to California where he attended a Buddhist temple and began training as a monk.

“From age 25 to 54, it’s been quite a journey,” he said. He believes karma brought him to Colorado Springs after a teacher in Compton, California, insisted that he go back to school at The Naropa Institute in Boulder, where he studied Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.

“I like the mountains,” he said, gesturing up the road to the eastern face of Pikes Peak, still dotted with snow in early June.

•

At the Homeland Security office in South Dakota, Pho Khai was questioned by a man in civilian clothes who told him this was “a conversation.”

“He read me my rights, and I signed away my right to have a lawyer present,” Pho Khai said.

Over the first hour of what turned out to be a nearly four-hour interrogation, the tenor of the conversation changed, according to Pho Khai.

“He said, ‘You’re lying.’ He said, ‘I’ve been doing this for so long, I know you’re hiding something,’” Pho Khai recalled.

The man claimed a dog at the scene smelled drugs. Pho Khai could only remember nearly tripping over the dog, well outside the car.

Confiscated from the car were the temple’s cash, an empty green duffel bag, an iPhone, an iPad and a wallet.

“I told him to call anyone in the contacts on my iPhone, that they would confirm who I am,” Pho Khai said. “But they weren’t there to verify that I’m a good person; they just wanted to get something from me.”

After four fruitless hours, Pho Khai was

released. He believes he was let go for two reasons: because he told the story of his teacher, another Asian man who’d been framed in another city by police who planted drugs in his car; and because he pointed out to the officers that they were not looking out for his safety, their sworn duty.

He left the Homeland Security building without his phone, the iPad, the money and the duffel bag. Shaken and confused, he found the rental car outside (he was charged a $250 towing fee) and waited in it for more than an hour before going back in to ask for his belongings.

He knocked on the door and someone he hadn’t seen before told him to wait, then brought back his phone and iPad. A yellow receipt identified the seized items left behind: $19,290 and a green duffel bag.

“I was shaking, so tired. I didn’t feel safe to drive in my emotional state,” he said.

•

In the coming days, Pho Khai learned more about U.S. laws regarding seizing and forfeiting assets than most Americans learn in a lifetime. He initially reached out by phone to his friend Mayerhofer, who counseled him and guided his actions following the incident with state troopers and Homeland Security.

“I told him to go find a place to eat and a place to stay until we figure out the next step,’ Mayerhofer said. “The first thing I thought was, 'We need to get a lawyer.'”

A member of Mayerhofer’s Buddhist

sangha, or community, was a lawyer in Chicago, who put him in touch with another lawyer who knew the names of two lawyers in Sioux Falls.

“The first one didn’t help us, but he talked to me for about an hour,” Mayerhofer said. “He was pretty astonished about what had happened. He gave me a few other names.”

Finally, Sioux Falls attorney Ryan Kolbeck took up the case. Mayerhofer, meanwhile, conferred with a friend in Colorado Springs who practices immigration law.

“He had a similar reaction as the first lawyer,” Mayerhofer said. “He said this was not unprecedented, but it was insane, that there was no legal case — no arrest, no charge, no evidence.”

Pho Khai spent two days in a Sioux Falls motel, another expense he couldn’t afford, then returned to Colorado Springs after securing Kolbeck’s legal representation.

A letter to Kolbeck from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, dated Dec. 21, 2023, cited laws related to civil assets forfeiture,

Top : Dharma Rain Buddhist Temple Bottom: Dharma Rain Buddhist Temple | Credit: Ben Trollinger

laws that, according to the U.S. government, are “designed to deprive criminals of the proceeds of their crimes, to break the financial backbone of organized criminal syndicates and drug cartels, and to recover property that may be used to compensate victims and deter crime.” According to civil asset forfeiture law, seizure of the temple’s cash didn’t require a criminal conviction or, in Pho Khai’s case, even an arrest or a charge.

His options, the letter explained, were to pursue a court proceeding to get his assets back or to file a Seized Asset Claim along with pertinent documents within a specific time frame. He was also informed of the option to forfeit his property to law enforcement.

Pho Khai and Kolbert decided to file a claim, costing Pho Khai $2,500 in lawyer’s fees.

For months, Pho Khai collected character references from friends and provided documentation of his status as an ordained Buddhist monk with a temple registered as a nonprofit with the State of Colorado.

On April 4, attorney Kolbeck received a letter from U.S. Customs and Border Protection informing him that a decision had been made to return Pho Khai’s assets seized Dec. 3 the previous year. Attached was another letter, a joint Department of Homeland Security and United States Customs and Border Protection document called a “Hold Harmless Release Agreement.” Had Pho Khai signed the document, he would have agreed to release the United States government from any future suits or claims related to the seizure and release of his property, to hold the government harmless and to reimburse the United States any fees incurred in the enforcement of the agreement.

He didn’t sign the agreement, nor did

he hold harmless the government officers involved in seizing his assets. He considered legal action against them, but friends and his lawyer advised him he had no legal recourse.

In early May, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling denied a new asset forfeiture standard that would have required prompt court hearings to retrieve seized assets in a timely manner. The case involved two Alabama women trying to reclaim cars that were seized in connection with crimes they didn’t commit.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented in the case.

“In short, law enforcement can seize cars, hold them indefinitely, and then rely on an owner’s lack of resources to forfeit those cars to fund agency budgets, all without any initial check by a judge as to whether there is a basis to hold the car in the first place,” she said. Substitute ‘cash’ for ‘cars’ in Sotomayor’s statement, and Pho Khai’s case is summarized quite accurately.

The temple’s money was returned to Pho Khai in May, just after the Supreme Court ruling and a full five months after he was pulled over for allegedly crossing the solid white line on a South Dakota highway.

•

During those months, Pho Khai was never certain the temple’s money would be returned. According to official procedure, the burden of responsibility fell on him to prove the cash was not intended for nefarious purposes and to prove that he was who he said he was.

“I was advised to ask people to confirm who I am,” he said. A human resource manager for the Colorado Department of Corrections affirmed in a letter that for a decade Pho Khai had provided volunteer services, including Buddhist teachings and enrichment courses in meditation and tai

chi, to incarcerated people and department staff.

“I had to prove to them I’m a good person,” he said. “They didn’t have to prove I’m a bad person.”

Ivan Mayerhofer, now associate chaplain for Buddhist Programs at Davidson College in North Carolina, vouched for his Dharma brother as well. In a letter, Mayerhofer said he’d known Pho Khai since 2010 when he first moved to Colorado Springs, met with him regularly at that time to learn Dharma and now checked in with him about every two weeks by phone to discuss Dharma and matters related to Pho Khai’s temple and life.

“There are many charlatans in spiritual endeavors,” Mayerhofer said in his letter. “Thay (the appropriate form of address for a Vietnamese monk) is a genuine practitioner, a true spiritual friend on this path. I do not say that lightly.”

Mayerhofer went on to explain that within the Vietnamese American Buddhist monastic community, it is entirely part of religious practice “to receive cash offerings and then have to transport those cash offerings as they travel from supporter to temple to home, whether within a state or within the country.

The indignity of being handcuffed, despite his full compliance, particularly rankled Pho Khai.

“He handcuffed me. It was the first time I’ve ever experienced this. I volunteer for the Department of Corrections, and I see inmates in handcuffs and shackles. I immediately felt like an animal,” he said.

Recalling the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minnesota at the hands of police officers, Pho Khai said he feared for his life while he was detained. And during the five months of uncertainty and beyond, he endured flashbacks and paranoia related to the incident.

"ACCORDING TO CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE LAW, SEIZURE OF THE TEMPLE’S CASH DIDN’T REQUIRE A CRIMINAL CONVICTION OR EVEN AN ARREST OR A CHARGE."

“Thay’s religious practices clearly explain why he had so much cash with him while he was traveling that day,” Mayerhofer said. “All of which raises the serious question to me of whether Thay’s religious freedoms as an American citizen were violated in relation to this case.”

During those months of waiting for the legal system to return the temple’s assets, Pho Khai relied on friends, including many in the Colorado Springs Buddhist community, and on characteristic frugality to survive. Financial difficulties were secondary, however, to the humiliation, disillusionment and terror suffered by a man who’d dedicated his life to teaching the tenets of loving-kindness, only to be mistreated, as he saw it, at the hands of public servants in whom and in whose mission he firmly believed.

“Those officers are sworn to serve and protect,” he said. “They took advantage of someone like me — a good person, an easy target, someone considered second class because they are not white.”

“When I’m driving and a black car pulls up behind me, I’ll pull into 7-11 or onto an unknown street, just instinctively,” he said. “My heart beats fast, and I get scared.”

Pho Khai knows that he is one of “the lucky ones” whose seized assets were returned. But the cost of losing faith and the trauma of what he considers a betrayal by men sworn to protect him and uphold the law has been heavy.

“I’m a monk but I’m human,” he said, expressing anger over the incident in South Dakota. “Don’t think someone in a monk’s robe is some kind of saint. I have feelings. I have emotions.”

For now, he can only turn to Buddhist teachings for comfort.

“I hope the officers will have a chance to shine the light back on their actions, on themselves,” he told a meditation group recently in Colorado Springs.

“Had I not followed the guidance of the Buddha and all the teachers who taught me, I might not be here,” he said. “People have said to me, ‘Never admit anything,’ and ‘Keep your mouth shut and get a lawyer.’ That’s a troublesome foundation for a country.”

When he was finally released in South Dakota, once he’d retrieved his phone and felt safe driving the remaining 800 miles home, despite returning without the temple’s money, Pho Khai said he was never so happy to see the gates of his temple, his home.

“The first thing I did after I drove into the gate, I walked into the main gate and bowed to the Buddha.”

Buddha Statue at Dharma Rain Buddhist Temple | Credit: Ben Trollinger

Reagan | Credit: Reagan Campaign self-described legal advocate and community leader.

The three El Paso County Board of Commissioners races are set: the District 2 race will feature Democrat Bernard “BJ” Byers taking on incumbent Republican Carrie Geitner; Bill Wysong is leading in a fourway Republican primary race for the District 3 seat and will take on Democrat Naomi Lopez; Cory Applegate is leading in the Republican primary for District 4 and will face Democrat Detra Duncan in November.

STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RACES

The race for the District 10 State Senate seat was decided in the primary as incumbent Republican Larry Liston won a threeway race and will advance to the office with no Democrat seeking the office. Republican Stan VanderWerf will advance in the District 12 race against Marc Snyder, who is seeking the senate seat after serving in the state house.

House District 14

• Incumbent Rose Pugliese (R) vs. Katherine “Kat” Gayle (D)

House District 15:

• Incumbent Republican Scott Bottoms (R) vs. Jeff Livingston (D)

House District 16

• Rebecca Keltie (R) vs. incumbent Stephanie Vigil (D)

House District 17

• Elizabeth Riggs (R) vs. incumbent Regina English (D)

House District 18

• James Boelens (R) vs. Amy Paschal (D)

House District 20:

• Jarvis Caldwell (R) vs. Democrat Arik Dougherty (D)

House District 21:

• Incumbent Mary Bradfield (R) vs. Liz Rosenbaum (D)

House District 22:

• Incumbent Ken DeGraaf (R) vs. Michael Pierson (D)

House District 56:

• Chris Richardson (R) vs. Alessandra Navetta (D)

The general election will take place Nov. 5.

Joe

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

More visitors, tourist revenue came to Colorado Springs

Visit Colorado Springs announced the results of the most recent study of Colorado Springs Tourism. The study, conducted by the market research firm Longwoods International, shows that the city welcomed 24.8 million visitors in 2023, an increase of 800,000 thousand visitors compared with the previous year. Doug Price, president and CEO of Visit Colorado Springs, said this marks the third year of yearover-year increase since the pre-pandemic high in 2029.

“In 2021, Colorado Springs was a popular choice due to the strength of our wide-open spaces and ample outdoor adventures that could be safely enjoyed,” he said. “In 2022 and 2023, domestic leisure travel returned at full force and continued boosting our visitation.”

The study also found that tourism contributed $2.9 billion to the city’s economy, an increase from $2.8 billion in 2022.

Colorado Springs car dealerships part of nationwide cyberbreach

On June 19, AutoNation learned that a third-party information system provider, CDK Global, experienced a cyberattack that impacted various systems, including the car dealer’s management system.

“While the outages of CDK’s systems and our DMS have been disruptive and adversely impacted our business, all of our locations remain open, and we are continuing to sell, service, and buy vehicles, and otherwise serve our customers, through manual and alternative means and processes, albeit with lower productivity,” a AutoNation spokesperson said in an email.

AutoNation has multiple locations in Colorado Springs, including AutoNation USA Colorado Springs, AutoNation Dodge/Ram and AutoNation Acura.

RIGHTING THE INTERNSHIP

Chamber program looks to sell young professionals on city

By ANDREW ROGERS • andrew.rogers@ppmc.live

Developing a young workforce is the goal of nearly every community nationwide, including Colorado Springs. That’s why the Colorado Springs Chamber and Economic Development Corp. recently announced their Hello Colorado Springs talent program.

“If we're going to be successful in our economic development efforts to recruit companies and help companies expand, the number one issue we hear from our existing businesses is, ‘I can't find the talent,’” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, president and CEO of the Chamber.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are 8.5 million job openings in the United States but only 6.5 million unemployed workers. The Colorado Springs Chamber estimates there are 16,000 open jobs in the region. Many of the post-COVID job shortages are driven by declining labor force participation rates, early retirements and an aging workforce.

To counterbalance these trends, the Hello Colorado Springs program is bringing in 40 young professionals to work as interns for 12 companies this summer with the hope of having the college interns choose the city as a forever home.

The program provides summer interns housing through a partnership with Colorado College and features social and professional programming by the Chamber, providing those new to the area with access to belonging. This year’s interns came to Colorado Springs from several states, including North Carolina, California, Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana, Tennessee, Hawaii, Maine and Washing-

ton state. The program also brought in interns from Canada and Iran.

Among this year’s group of interns is Lauren Gervais, a junior majoring in sports management at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, native is interning this summer with First Tee, a youth development organization focused on golf. While she’d visited portions of the Rockies in Western Canada, she said it does not compare to the Colorado Springs area. She notes that having the additional resources in a new city has made all the difference in her time locally.

“It's been great to have that kind of community while we're all here,” she said. “Having that opportunity to get to know other people who are in this same boat that you're in — it's been great to be able to go out and explore together.

The people that I've been introduced to have really made a compelling case — let's say — as to why people would want to live here and decide to settle down.”

The companies hosting the interns include the City of Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Bluestaq, Entegris, Boeing, Infinity Systems Engineering and Exponential Impact.

“I think it makes huge sense for organizations like ours that believe in getting good talent utilizing internship programs. They have an opportunity to fall in love with Colorado Springs,” said Vance Brown, executive director of Exponential Impact. “If you're going to bring in somebody from outside the city, you have to have housing, and they [interns] are not going to know anyone here. They don’t have community here. So that not only gives you housing, but it gives the programming and

instant community.”

Brown’s organization, Exponential Impact, is a commercial accelerator for high-tech companies. The group also has programs to provide low-interest loans and programming to small businesses across Colorado Springs. This is Exponential Impact’s first year participating in the program.

Cami Bremer, chairperson of the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners, said programs like Hello Colorado Springs hold a special significance. After all, it was an internship program through the U.S. Olympic Committee that brought her from southwest Georgia to Colorado Springs for the first time.

“During my final years of college, I wanted to find where the best of the best were, and at that time in the early 2000s, [Colorado Springs] was still very much a hidden gem. … When I got here, I met my husband, I fell in love with the mountains, the city and him, in that order,” she said.

The need to grow economic vitality across the region is something that Bremer and her fellow commissioners hear about regularly from several local employers.

“We have a wide net of opportunity for skill sets from basic entry level to highly technical and top-secret clearance—everything from HR to basic operations to finance,” she explained.

Kleymeyer said that when companies are looking to invest in the Pikes Peak region, they are commonly asked about the availability of workers. She says that programs like Hello Colorado Springs can fill a need that many companies simply cannot.

“They're trying to sell them on the company,” she said. “They're trying to sell them on their benefits. We're here to sell them on why they should love our region.”

Young professionals listen intently during the 2024 Hello Colorado Springs program launch | Credit: John Mortland Photography

A FAIRER EXCHANGE

Hotel facelift looks to celebrate building’s history while keeping an eye to the future

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

The Mining Exchange Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs recently completed a multi-million dollar facelift that embraces the history of the 122-yearold property while adding a slew of updated amenities. Renovations started in December of 2022 and wrapped up this June.

“When our owners bought the hotel approximately two years ago, the vision was really to reinvigorate what was already, and has been, a staple in the community,” said Gus Krimm, general manager of the Mining Exchange Hotel, which is located at the corner of Nevada Avenue and Pikes Peak Street.

Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners, a third-generation hotel family based in Memphis, TN, purchased the property in 2022 from Perry Sanders, a Colorado Springs attorney who first envisioned a hotel in the building that once housed the turn-of-thecentury mining exchange. The building was constructed in 1902 by Winfield Scott Stratton and initially housed a gold and silver stock market for the mining companies that fueled the area's early growth.

The building had sat vacant for years before Sanders purchased the building in 2012 and first developed the hotel to meet the growing demand for upscale lodging downtown.

The latest renovations feature a redesigned lobby and 11 additional rooms. Krimm said

Colorado medical staff provider looks to serve military facilities

Matrix Providers, a Denver-based medical staffing provider for the U.S. government, is working to fill 67 fulltime medical positions at military treatment facilities in Colorado, including Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever SFB, the U.S. Air Force Academy and Denver’s Buckley SFB. Dr. Bill Rivard, founder and CEO of Matrix Providers, said this comes at a time when the country is experiencing a shortage of medical professionals.

“Our servicemen and -women and their families depend on highly qualified doctors, nurses and other essential health care staff at our Military Treatment Facilities, and we are committed to partnering with the government to ensure these critical positions are filled promptly and with the very best medical professionals,” he said.

maintaining the character of the original mining exchange operation was at the heart of the project.

“There's always some unexpected Easter Eggs, if you will, when you're working through these projects, but one of the things that was really appealing to our ownership about this particular property, despite the fact it's 122 years old, physically, the conversion to a hotel just happened twelve years ago…luckily for us, a lot of those sort of unknowns have already been discovered within the last decade and a half,” he said.

New food and beverage options are also open, or in the pipeline, for the hotel property, including the BLK MGK (Black Magic) coffee shop and Golden Hour cocktail bar in the hotel's lobby.

Krimm also said that the area that housed the recently closed Springs Orleans, a popular local Cajun restaurant tied to the hotel, will be reopened as an upscale Italian concept. Meanwhile, the former MX Market will become a honkey tonk-themed bar. Both are set to open in the first quarter of 2025.

“Colorado Springs has been slowly growing in the food and beverage scene and it's spearheaded by a handful of really great entrepreneurs in the city, but as the city continues to grow, more and more of those kinds of outlets are desired,” Krimm said.

Matrix Providers received $37.1 million in U.S. Department of Defense funding this spring, and it’s the largest task order the military health care staffing firm has secured to date.

Entegris semiconductor re

ceives

$75M in CHIPS funding

Entegris has received upward of $75 million in direct funding to develop a state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing facility in Colorado Springs. The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in August 2022 to boost American semiconductor research, development and production. Entegris’ facility in Colorado Springs is set to open in 2025 and is expected to create 600 new jobs.

Ribbon-cutting

A ribbon-cutting was held June 27 for a new faculty for Specialty Appliance on Zeppelin Road near Powers and Astrozon boulevards.

Top: Historic-themed keys. Left: New sign on the exterior of the building.

Gus Krimm with historic safe in lobby.

2024 Lineup

OneRepublic | August 9, 10, 11

The Beach Boys | August 16

Walker Hayes | August 17

Iration and Pepper | August 18

Lauren Daigle | August 23

Primus | August 24

John Fogerty | August 27

Dierks Bentley | August 30

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss | August 31

Jim Gaffigan | September 13

Pentatonix | September 15

Cage The Elephant | September 19

Barenaked Ladies | September 21

Steve Miller Band | September 27

ZZ Top & Lynyrd Skynyrd | September 28 for KING + COUNTRY | September 29

Ivan Cornejo | October 4

Godsmack | October 17

Experience the Suite life

Book a VIP fire pit suite for your favorite show

Tipping Point

What the increasingly ubiquitous tip line tells us about the economy

By ANDREW ROGERS • andrew.rogers@ppmc.live

At restaurants, coffee shops and bars, consumers are accustomed to seeing a tablet screen swiveled in their direction with a familiar prompt: Leave a tip? Increasingly, however, the tip line is showing up in more unlikely places—like largely automated car washes. Several Mister Car Wash locations in the Pikes Peak Region are now soliciting customers to provide a tip after paying for their largely automated service.

I was recently prompted to tip while buying a concert tee shirt at Ball Arena and it appears that I am not alone in my surprise. A thread on the social media site Reddit asked users, “What’s the weirdest places you’ve been prompted to tip?” Users provided a wide range of responses, including movie ticket counters, vape shops, auto mechanics and even a dermatologist’s office. A study conducted in March by the financial website Wallethub shows that 74% of those polled believe that tipping culture has gotten out of control. 25% of the study’s participants went as far as to say that they tip less when presented with a suggested tip screen during their transaction.

“I'm annoyed by it too, sometimes, I guess my feeling about the economics is that that they're trying to find a way to compete in the labor market and offer more compensation without raising their headline prices,” said Dr. Bill Craighead, director of the UCCS Economic Forum.

WHERE TO TIP

Part of the growing tipping anxiety involves the rise of new point-of-sale technology, those confrontational touch-

screens that put you under the watchful eyes of the would-be tip recipient.

“There is a tipping anxiety out there because people aren't sure about what to tip. Generally speaking, if you go to a restaurant, you tip 15 to 20 %,” said Candace Smith, an etiquette expert based in Colorado Springs.

Despite the anxiety, Smith says customers generally understand the difference between rising prices and added gratuity.

“We are paying for the service we experienced and acknowledging the person who provided it,” she says. While acknowledging that providing a tip is entirely up to the consumer, Smith said that when it comes to providing that extra money, she suggests 10% at a buffet if staff refills drinks or provides other services. If it is completely self-service, you should provide some tip for the staff members who bus tables, maybe extra if you’re dining with small children who leave behind a mess. Smith says that 15% is an acceptable tip for a lunch counter, while in coffee shops and bakeries, a few bucks in the tip jar is acceptable.

The jury is still out on tipping etiquette for automated car washes.

CHANGING MINDSET

Restaurants have historically been associated with employees receiving tips, so much so, that in many states, including Colorado, tipping is used to justify a lower minimum for servers.

Dr. Craighead said that the economy saw faster than average wage growth in predominantly service industry jobs, like restaurants, bars and coffee shops in the years immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, which led other employers to find ways to improve compensation to retain employees.

“I think their calculation is this, this will annoy our customers less than it would if we just raise the price… but it will mean the workers will say, ‘Oh, well, I also get tips at this job, so I'm taking home more,’” Dr. Craighead said.

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MUSIC

LIGHTNING IN A RECORD

Local musician archiving and rereleasing Colorado Springs underground music

By CANNON TAYLOR • cannon.taylor@ppmc.live

Music can be ephemeral. An aspiring musician can sing an original song all alone in their bedroom, and once that melody dissipates into silence, it is never heard again. A small band can play a few gigs without anyone recording it, and eventually the catchy tune stuck in an audience member’s head the following morning is forgotten forever. This is part of the beauty of music — while some instances of music are recorded, played and cherished for centuries after their original composition, others strike like lightning, a blip in the here and now that only a chosen few get to witness.

Local musician Danny Stewart is attempting to go back in time and capture those forgotten lightning strikes by rereleasing music from Colorado Springs’ local underground scene ranging from the 1980s to the 2000s.

“It’s fun to put it all together and have

something that’s an encapsulated moment in time, for somebody to go, ‘This is what it was like in this span of time,’” Stewart said.

Stewart is the bassist in shoegaze band Glass Parade and owner of record label Pete’s 9mm Rec Hords. He has released various albums from local underground bands from before the turn of the millennium, the most recent being “Lost At 7:30” by early 90s punk band Nine Twenty Nine.

He has also released two compilations of “Colorado Springs Underground 19831994.” The genres cover a wide range including punk, metal, ambient, gothic and industrial music. He is currently working on the third compilation, with a fourth on the way, which will expand the date range to 1981-2000.

Stewart’s project was born during the COVID-19 pandemic. He started by digging through old tapes and reaching

out to people he knew on the scene when he was younger.

“I ran around beating on doors and calling, ‘Give me your tapes, give me your tapes!’” Stewart joked. It’s a process that allowed him to get in touch people who haven’t worked as musicians for 30 years, having left that phase long behind them.

In Stewart’s view, the musician life isn’t for everyone. “You’ve got to make it out of the [town] borders in order to be something … And basically, you’re just selling your soul for it. Because who wants to sleep in a van? Who wants to sleep in a … motel room? Who wants to wake up and have your drummer spooning you?” Stewart joked.

“It’s that fire that gets lost, too, and whether you have the chemistry to keep it going,” Stewart said. “Some do, some don’t.” So, is the archival project a sad graveyard for dreams of stardom? Stewart doesn’t think so, because fame isn’t all

it’s cracked out to be.

“The thing you lose the most out of it is your anonymity … Someone like Taylor Swift can’t go walking into a mall as she pleases. If somebody realizes who she is, it’s over with. So, you’ve got to disguise yourself. Is it really worth the trouble?”

Being an underground musician allows the focus to be on the music without all the distracting factors that come with fame.

“Humble’s nice. Being down-to-earth is nice. Burning your own dinner is nice, as opposed to somebody else burning it for you,” he said.

Colorado Springs Underground 19831994 can be listened to on major streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. Physical and digital copies of Stewart’s releases can be bought at petes9mmrechords.bandcamp.com.

Springs Underground 1983-1994, Vol. 1” and "Self-Titled EP” by Night Gallery were released under Pete’s 9mm Rec Hords| Credit: Cannon Taylor

MUSIC .

FROM MAN-TOWN TO DOWNTOWN

WHAT’S GOING ON?

By ADAM LEECH

Welp, it’s been “going on” a couple of months with all this “What’s Going On” nonsense, and I’ve got to admit, I have been having myself a real hoot digging up all my past trauma and dumping it out on paper, to the public, for future generations to dig up and hold against me. I mean, it’s really nice knowing that, if or when (definitely when) a massive catastrophic event plunges us into a post [dis]information-age-apocalypse, there will always be a paper trail documenting my impressive emotional and cognitive decline. ’Tis truly an honor, though, and I hope you are all enjoying absorbing it as much as I am enjoying expunging it. Besides, I never even wanted to be mayor!

Moving on to “What’s Going On” It has also been a couple of months since Lulu’s, Manitou’s most beloved cavernous tavern, made the brave move from down the stairs in “Man-Town” to up the stairs in downtown. I, for one, was saddened to hear of the closing of easily one of the coolest rooms in the Tavá Kaavi, also known as the Sun Mountain; formerly known as the Pikes Peak region (you’ll get used to it, or, at the very least, get over it!). See, it’s getting easier already!

While it’s true we lost the “Twin Peaks"esque” basement swingers lounge that lore tells half-century ago saw such cultural icons as Ray Charles, Chubby Checker and Tina Turner — and more recently Cracker, Robin Hitchcock, and one of the more emotionally transcendent performances I’ve ever witnessed, Bonnie Prince Billy — we have regained the downtown hot spot formerly known as 32

Bleu. It's located at the corner of Tejon Street and Colorado Avenue, right above the recently christened Illegal Pete’s burrito shack.

Those of us serving longer sentences will remember the exceptionally impressive stage ensconced by both balcony and mezzanine—a truly impressive canvas on to which Lulu’s has adhered an adequately improved and increasingly interesting décor, which I can only assume will grow more endearing once time ravages its newly polished interior. But the main thing to remember is that the room has some history of its own. In the early “aughts,” it was the location of auditory outbursts by the likes of Modest Mouse, The Decemberists, Built to Spill, Skinny Puppy, Thrice, Shadows Fall, and a ton of rap and hip-hop legends such as Kool Keith, De La Soul, Del the Funky Homosapien, The Pharcyde, Wu-Tang … the list goes on and on. Couple all that with the track record of Lulu’s, we have much to be excited about. For starters, they will henceforth be hosting a veritable who’s who of local talent. Friday On July 12, for instance, Upon a Fields Whisper headlines a fundraiser for One Dog at a Time, a local “group of women committed to rescuing dogs and finding them loving forever homes.” The very next night, Lulu's will showcase the infectiously endearing sounds of Dear Rabbit, a perennial Colorado Springs favorite, led by the perpetual resplendence of Rence Liam, whose smile and songs light up the room with the luminescence of a million diodes. The next weekend shifts its gravity toward the inescapable force of nostalgia, barreling down the tracks in the form of Steely Dead, and which I am sure you can infer is a clever tribute to the compositions of the Grateful Dead and Steely Dan, which is certain to compel you to pull the tie-dye out of the mothballs and get you “Reelin’ in the Years” down on “Shakedown Street.”

And if you were wondering, I still haven’t heard from Conan about the Red Rocks gig, but you’ll be the first to know when I do! That’s all for now, kids.

Smell ya later!

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

MUSIC .

'DUM VIVIMUS, VIVAMUS'

W.I.P. IT

By LAUREN CIBOROWSKI

Ilost a friend last night, but I have hardly any right to write about it. You see, we hadn’t spoken in a while. She was a big supporter of my former gallery, and we saw each other much more in those days, but my iteration of The Modbo has been closed for a few years now. I nevertheless find myself deeply affected by her passing. She was a sparkly and sarcastic soul, which I resonated with deeply. She was always first in line at The Modbo’s Small Works Show in December to buy family gifts locally for the holidays. She had an incisive and acerbic wit — and I could relate. When I moved into a little rental during my divorce eight years ago, she unexpectedly brought me a pot of succulents. They live on. She does not.

I haven’t spoken to my therapist in a while, but we had a good hourlong session last week. It wasn’t about the deceased — in fact, it’s crazy to think of, but I didn’t even know she was fighting cancer until a few short days ago. Horrifyingly, it claimed her life in a manner of months. I spoke instead to my therapist about some life issues I was dealing with, and her advice was, reassuringly, the same as always. Be present. What is happening now? What is affecting you now? All there is, is now. This is excruciating advice when you’re in the murky depths of something (sorry, therapist). But also, of course, she’s exactly right (you’re welcome, therapist). And so I’m left to ponder my Now. Right now, I’m riding a high from three weeks of Colorado College’s Summer Music Festival. I got to be in the presence of talented young fellows, undergrad and graduate students from Juilliard, Eastman, Oberlin, you name it. I got to hang out with faculty who teach in those hallowed institutions and more. I got to experience being fully present and awash in some of the most glorious

music ever written. But if I could name my favorite moment out of the dozen concerts I saw, it would be this.

Although I gravitate toward performing these days, I do still have a few students. I invited one of the kids in my studio, along with his family, to a concert, knowing that they hadn’t really seen chamber music before. They had been to a Philharmonic pops concert, but this is a bit different, so I invited them to meet me in the Packard courtyard before the show. I talked to them about what differentiates chamber music from orchestral music, when to clap (and so many of you have asked me about this since my earlier column that perhaps I need to really elaborate in print), what the significance of the movements is, how to read the program notes and why some musicians are occasionally sniffing loudly (spoiler: It’s not that they have a habit).

My 9-year-old student listened to my preconcert lecture intently, but seemed to have another question. When prompted, he solemnly produced a pouch from his pocket and asked if the musicians would have a tip jar, as he had brought some change from home.

This interaction pretty much made my whole year.

You see, having been more enmeshed with the festival this year, I realized anew how unglamorous these musicians’ lives actually are. They toil — and I mean toil — to perfect their craft. The smiling demeanors and beautiful outfits we see onstage are just a very, very, very small tip of an iceberg, with so much hard work underneath.

I’m sure some of these famous classical musicians would get a kick out of a tip jar, but of course, that’s not de rigueur for a festival of this nature.

None of this is specifically pertinent to my departed friend. But all of it brought me into the present moment. Which, I understand more and more, is all that we have. You’ve all likely walked past our town clock downtown, on the corner of Pikes Peak and Tejon, even if you don’t remember. It’s lovely and has greenish glass and it says, “Dum Vivimus, Vivamus.” This means, “While we live, we should live!” And so may we all, carrying coins for tips in our pockets just in case.

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.

AMERICAN

AMERICAN

Mackenzie’s Chop House

Mackenzie’s Chop House

128 S. Tejon St. Historic Alamo Building / Downtown / 719-635-3536

128 S. Tejon St. Historic Alamo Building / Downtown / 719-635-3536

Offering half off all bottles of wine under $100! Voted Best Power Lunch, Steakhouse and Martini! Downtown’s choice for quality meats and mixed drinks. Mackenzieschophouse.com. Open Mon-Fri. 11:30a.m.-3p.m. for lunch, and 5p.m. - close every day for dinner!

Voted Best Power Lunch, Steakhouse and Martini! Downtown’s choice for quality meats and mixed drinks. Mackenzieschophouse.com. Open Mon-Fri. 11:30a.m.-3p.m. for lunch, and 5pm every day for Dinner. https://www.MackenziesChopHouse.com

https://www.mackenzieschophouse.com

Tony’s Downtown Bar

Tony’s Downtown Bar

326 N Tejon St. / (719) 228-6566

326 N Tejon St. / (719) 228-6566

Winners of 80+ Independent “Best of Awards” in 25 years. A great Midwestern Tavern with warm beer, lousy food & poor service!!! Pabst, Fried Cheese Curds, Leinenkugle’s, Walleye Fish-fry, cocktails, burgers and more. 11am-2am daily. HH 3-6.

GO PACK GO!

Winners of 80+ Independent “Best of Awards” in 25 years. A great Midwestern Tavern with warm beer, lousy food & poor service!!! Pabst, Fried Cheese Curds, Leinenkugle’s, Walleye Fish-fry, cocktails, burgers and more. 11am-2am daily. HH 3-6. GO PACK GO! https://tonysdowntownbar.com

https://TonysDowntownBar.com

GERMAN

Edelweiss

Edelweiss

GERMAN

34 E. Ramona Ave. / (South Nevada & Tejon) / 719-633-2220

34 E. Ramona Ave. / (South Nevada & Tejon) / 719-633-2220

For 55 years Edelweiss has brought Bavaria to Colorado Springs! Using fresh ingredients, the menu invites you to visit Germany. Voted Gold Best German, Silver Dessert Menu and Bronze Best Patio by Indy readers! Reservations and the menu can be found online at https://Edelweissrest.com.

For 55 years Edelweiss has brought Bavaria to Colorado Springs! Using fresh ingredients, the menu invites you to visit Germany. Voted Gold Best German, Silver Dessert Menu and Bronze Best Patio by Indy readers! Reservations and the menu can be found online at https://EdelweissRest.com.

JAMAICAN

Rasta Pasta

JAMAICAN

405 N Tejon St. / (719) 481-6888

Rasta Pasta

405 N Tejon St. / (719) 481-6888

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Happy Hour daily 3-5 PM. Italian-Jamaican Fusion Cuisine, unlike anything else! Caribbean inspired pasta dishes, fresh and fun Salads, full bar with local drafts and rum specials, ridiculously good desserts. Lively atmosphere and friendly service. http://realrastapasta.com

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Happy Hour daily 3-5 PM. Italian-Jamaican Fusion Cuisine, unlike anything else! Caribbean inspired pasta dishes, fresh and fun Salads, full bar with local drafts and rum specials, ridiculously good desserts. Lively atmosphere and friendly service.

MEXICAN

http://RealRastaPasta.com

José Muldoons

MEXICAN

222 N. Tejon St. / 719-636-2311 / 5710 S. Carefree CR @ Powers / 719-574-5673

José Muldoons

222 N. Tejon St. / 719-636-2311

Celebrating 50 years! Authentic Tex-Mex & Mexican fare in a Contemporary Sante Fe-styled establishment. Across from Acacia Park Downtown. Award winning Queso, Chili Rellenos, and Mean Green Chili. https://JoseMuldoons.com

Since 1974. Features authentic Tex-Mex and Mexican fare in a Contemporary Sante Fe-styled establishment. Across from Acacia Park, and west of Powers and Carefree. Josemuldoons.com. Support local restaurants! We are open for delivery, carry out and dine-in at both locations! Please check our Facebook page for hours, as they are subject to change. https://josemuldoons.com

Springs SCENE

THURSDAY, JULY 11

Live Music, July 11 through July 24

Black Forest Summer Music in the Park: Kicks Big Band | Big band performing at the Black Forest Community Center. 12530 Black Forest Rd. 5:30 p.m.

Jazz Thursdays | Free, live jazz music at the Mining Exchange Hotel. 8 S Nevada Ave. 5 p.m.

Jazz 93.5 Ad-Lib Lab | Jazz ad-lib opportunity at The Carter Payne. 320 S Weber St. 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 12

Absolute Queen: Ultimate Tribute to Queen | Queen tribute band performing at Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Dr. 7 p.m.

Bettman & Haplin | Americana folk duo performing at The Black Rose Acoustic Society. 12530 Black Forest Rd. 6 p.m.

Boris and Alin Allakhverdyan | Clarinet and piano duo performing at the Ent Center for the Arts at UCCS. 5225 N Nevada Ave. 7 p.m.

Hot Boots Duo | Live rock, country and pop music at Back East Bar and Grill Briargate. 9475 Briar Village Pt. 7 p.m.

Jazz in the Garden presents TREO | Jazz-fusion trio performing Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. 531 N Tejon. 7 pm.

Mike Ippolito | Acoustic musician performing at The Black Rose Acoustic Society. 12530 Black Forest Rd. 5 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 12

Six One Five Collective | Pop band performing at University Village Colorado Shopping Center as part of free summer concert series. 5246 N Nevada Ave. 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 13

Collective Groove | Funk and soul band performing at Greenways at Sand Creek Park as part of a free summer concert series. 3641 Greenways Main Blvd. 1 p.m. Grizzly Gopher | Live music at Frankie’s Bar & Grill. 945 N Powers Blvd. 8 p.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 14

Front Range Big Band | Free big band concert at Bancroft Park. 2408 W Colorado Ave. 2 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 15

The Little London Winds: Pops Concert | Free live concert in Soda Springs Park, Manitou Springs. 1016 Manitou Ave. 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

10 Years | Metal band performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

Countywyde | Bluegrass band performing at Front Range Barbeque. 2330 W Colorado Ave. 6:30 p.m.

Hillside Gardens Summer Concert Series | Live music at Hillside Gardens. 1006 S Institute St. 5 p.m.

Leilani Kilgore, Dirty Kings | Live blues and rock music at Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 18

Jazz Thursdays | Free, live jazz music at the Mining Exchange Hotel. 8 S Nevada Ave. 5 p.m.

Black Forest Summer Music in the Park: Swing Factory | Swing band performing at the Black Forest Community Center. 12530 Black Forest Rd. 5:30 p.m.

Katie Hale and the P-47s | Swing quartet performing at Rico’s Café and Wine Bar. 322 1/2 N Tejon St. 6 p.m.

SofaKillers | Rock band performing free summer concert at Vista Park Pavilion. 8833 Vista Del Pico Blvd. 6 p.m.

Sage Francis, Metermaids, Blackliq, Jivin’ Scientists | Hip-hop and rap acts performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 19

Jason Aldean | Country musician performing at Weidner Field. 111 W Cimarron St. 5 p.m.

Hazel Miller & the Collective | Jazz band performing at Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts. 304 Highway 105. 7 p.m.

Soul School | Pop band performing at University Village Colorado Shopping Center as part of free summer concert series. 5246 N Nevada Ave. 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 20

Stevie Stone | Rapper performing at Sunshine Studios Live. 3970 Clear View

Jeff Rosenstock at Black Sheep, July 23, photo courtesy of jeffrosenstock.com.

Frontage Rd. 6 p.m.

Dog Party, The Raton 3 | Live music at Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

Jonas Brothers | Pop trio performing at Weidner Field. 111 W Cimarron St. 7 p.m.

Futuristic | Rapper and singer performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 21

Long/Last, Lie For Fun, Suitable Miss, Series Break | Live alternative music at Vultures. 2100 E Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 22

The Little London Winds: “Maestro” | Free live concert in Soda Springs Park, Manitou Springs. 1016 Manitou Ave. 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JULY 23

Emily Nenni | Country singer performing at Oskar Blues Grill & Brew. 118 N Tejon St. 7 p.m.

Jeff Rosenstock, Chris Farren | Alternative musicians performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E Platte Ave.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24

Hillside Gardens Summer Concert Series | Live music at Hillside Gardens. 1006 S Institute St. 5 p.m.

Banjo Joe and Danielle | Bluegrass duo performing at Front Range Barbeque. 2330 W Colorado Ave. 6:30 p.m.

Hurricane Dave & the Storm Chasers | Blues and jazz band performing in Triple Nickel Tavern. 26 S Wahsatch Ave. 8 p.m

Road SHOWS

Statewide Live Music, July 11 through July 24 MUSIC .

The Roots at Mission Ballroom, July 20, photo courtesy of theroots.com.

Aventura | Ball Arena, Denver, July 11

Portugal. The Man | Dillon Amphitheater, Dillon, July 11

Trampled by Turtles with Josiah and the Bonnevilles | Red Rock Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 11

Whethan | Bluebird Theater, Denver, July 11

Billy Joel | Coors Field, Denver, July 12

PARTYNEXTDOOR | The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, July 12

Three Dog Night | Pueblo Memorial Hall, Pueblo, July 12

Vampire Weekend | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 12 & 19

Yelawolf | Mission Ballroom, Denver, July 12

Ben Platt with Brandy Clark | The Buell Theatre, Denver, July 15

Ziggy Marley with Lettuce | Gerald R Ford Park, Vail, July 15

As I Lay Dying with Chelsea Grin | The Summit Music Hall, Denver, July 16

Mayday Parade with The Wonder Years |

The Maine, Mission Ballroom, Denver, July 16

Missy Elliott with Busta Rhymes, Ciara | Ball Arena, Denver, July 16

Fruit Bats | Fox Theatre, Boulder, July 17

Lindsey Stirling with Walk Off the Earth | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 17

Lucky Daye | Ogden Theater, Denver, July 17

Slash with Keb Mo, Samantha Fish | Mission Ballroom, Denver, July 17

AJR with mxmtoon | Ball Arena, Denver, July 18 & 20

Dr. Dog | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 18

Wheeler Walker Jr. | Belly Up, Aspen, July 18

YG | Mission Ballroom, Denver, July 18

Cooper Alan |The Amphitheater at Philip S. Miller Park

mike. | Marquis Theater, Denver, July 19

Niall Horan with Del Water Gap | Ball Arena, Denver, July 19

NOFX | National Western Complex & Stockyards Event Center, Denver, July 20-21

The Roots with Digable Planets | Mission Ballroom, Denver, July 20

Lake Street Dive with Colorado Symphony Orchestra |Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 21

A Day To Remember with The Story So Far, Four Year Strong | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, July 22

jxdn |Gothic Theatre, Englewood, July 22

Watchhouse | Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, July 22

Ben Howard | Ogden Theater, Denver, July 23

Chris Brown | Ball Arena, Denver, July 23

Slash at Mission Ballroom, July 17

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

EVENTS

ART EXHIBITIONS

Hu'o'ng Ngô: "Ungrafting"

July 11, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, 30 W Dale Street, 10 a.m.: Time is crucial to Hu'o'ng 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. fac.coloradocollege.edu.

"Tapestry" by Tish Lacy Reed

July 11, Surface Gallery, 2752 W Colorado Ave., noon: Collage and mixed-media work by local Colorado Springs artist. "Tap·es·try": Used in reference to an intricate or complex combination of things or sequence of events. Perhaps a tapestry of cultures, races, customs or even beliefs. Through July 27. surfacegallerycos.com.

"You Are Here": Lupita Carrasco

July 11, Surface Gallery, 2752 W Colorado Ave., noon: You Are Here is an observation and appreciation of the spaces we all share seen through the eyes of an artist. Through July 26. surfacegallerycos.com.

Blue Hands Festival

July 13, Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave., 10 a.m.: 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 T-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. $10 for adults, free for kids. manitouartcenter.org/textiles-classes.

PERFORMING ARTS

"Emperor of the Moon"

July 11, Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N Nevada Ave., 7 p.m.: When the eccentric Doctor Baliardo grows convinced of an advanced society on the moon, he insists that his daughters accept no earthly suitors and instead hold out for moon-men. In the time-honored tradition of young lovers, the daughters do what any of us would: recruit some bumbling servants, dress up as interstellar emissaries, and set out to con their way into Baliardo’s blessing as hijinks ensue! Aphra Behn’s Restoration romp sprinkled with a dash of classical commedia dell’arte farce will be set outdoors against the

Urban Market at Buffalo Lodge, July 11 and 18, photo courtesy of Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort.

backdrop of the Colorado Springs summer. Through Aug. 4. entcenterforthearts.org/ emperor-of-the-moon.

"Impossible Things"

July 12, and Saturday, July 20, Cosmo’s Magic Theater, 1045 Garden of the Gods Rd., Unit 1, 7:30 p.m.: Enjoy world-class sleight-of-hand right under your nose, performed by one of the world's top sleightof-hand artists. Enjoy a fun and elegant evening of comedy and magic in a beautiful Victorian parlor setting. cosmosmagictheater.com.

"Pirates of the Carabiner"

July 12, Iron Springs Chateau, 444 Ruxton Ave., 7:30 p.m.: “Pirates of the Carabiner … or … The Search for Booty” is a musical comedy melodrama set at the Island of Tortuga in the mid-1800s. 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. Through Aug.3. ironspringschateau.com.

Magic and Mind Reading

July 13, and Friday, July 19, Cosmo’s Magic Theater, 1045 Garden of the Gods Rd., Unit 1, 7:30 p.m.: 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 be "taught" and participate in telekinesis during the performance! Weekly performances throughout 2024. cosmosmagictheater.com.

Saturday Night Improv

June 15, Yoga Studio Satya, 1581 York Rd., 7:30 p.m.: 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. improvcolorado.com/events/ saturday-night-improv.

Jamie Kennedy

July 19, and 20, Loonees Comedy Corner, 1305 N. Academy Blvd., 7 p.m.: Live comedy show by Jamie Kennedy, best known for playing Randy Meeks in the “Scream” franchise and his show “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.”

FILM

Horror Shorts Volume 2

July 14, RoadHouse Cinemas, 3030 N Nevada Ave., 11 a.m.: Join us for an electrifying afternoon of horror shorts handpicked by our demented hosts as they guide you through a labyrinth of fear and laughter. With 21 spine-chilling films on the lineup, ranging from the hair-raising to the hilariously grotesque, there’s something for every horror fanatic. ticketleap.events/ tickets/sixfeetunderhorrorfest/ horror-shorts-volume-2.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Urban Market

July 11, and Thursday, July 18, Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, 2 El Paso Blvd., 5:30 p.m.: Our enchanting seasonal urban market will be set up in the serene backyard area, offering a delightful array of handcrafted goods from local artisans and makers. Once you've found your favorite finds, step inside the Lodge to savor Colorado's finest brews, wines or spirits while enjoying live music from 6-8 p.m. Every Thursday through September. bicycleresort.com/events-activities.

Urban Market

June 29 and Sunday, June 30, 301 Victor Ave., Victor, 10 a.m. Features live music,

pet-friendly vendors and a dog parade. Staff from TCRAS will be there to provide information about their TNR (trap, neuter and release) program and vaccinations, as well as to discuss all the ways they provide support as our Teller County's only animal shelter. victortourism.com/ event-details/pet-rock.

Taste of Pikes Peak

July 18, Downtown Colorado Springs, 1 Tejon St., 6 p.m.: Taste of Pikes Peak is the largest culinary event in Southern Colorado, offering a unique opportunity to taste an array of dishes and flavors from some of the most celebrated chefs and restaurants in the Pikes Peak region. Alongside the food, local breweries, wineries and distilleries provide tastings of their finest offerings. Perfect for food lovers and those looking to experience the local culture and cuisine in an engaging and delicious way. tasteofpikespeak.com.

Artisan Alley Market

July 20, Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave., 11 a.m.: Dive into a world of creativity at Artisan Alley Market. Picture this: Local artists showcasing their masterpieces. Thrifters offering one-ofa-kind treasures. Makers crafting unique goods. Live entertainment filling the air with music and entertainment. Delicious aromas wafting from food trucks serving up tasty treats. wreckdcollective.com/artisanalley.

OUTDOOR REC

Barnyard Buddies

July 11, Rock Ledge Ranch, 3105 Gateway Rd., 10:30 a.m.: 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! rockledgeranch.com/ barnyard-buddies.

Paint. Sip. Safari.

July 17, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd., 6 p.m.: Join us for an adults only program where you not only get to create memories but a painting of one of our amazing animals as well. Spend the evening at the zoo strolling through animal exhibits, enjoying an adult beverage, meeting animals up-close and creating a masterpiece! cmzoo.org/events-programs/camps-classes/adult-programs/ paint-sip-safari-adults-only-21/.

By BOB “HIKING

North Cheyenne Canon Park is one of the pre-eminent jewels in the Colorado Springs city parks system. It’s long history as a recreational destination goes all the way back to the very beginning of Colorado Springs, not long after General Palmer and some associates drove a stake into the ground in what is now downtown, and created a thriving city where hiking, cycling, camping, and even paragliding, along with other forms of outdoor recreation, are the number one source of recreation for visitors and residents alike.

For many years, North Cheyenne Canon Park has been a place with a great trail system, but it also had a great flaw—most of the trails were “out and back.” Want to hike up the Columbine Trail from the Starsmore Visitor Center to Helen Hunt Falls? You would be in for a great 4-mile hike to the falls, but unless you wanted to hike back down the road—generally a bad idea due to its lack of shoulders and the amount of traffic on the road—you’d have to hike back down the same trail; the same if you wanted to hike up to Mt Cutler. There wasn’t much in the way of loop hikes within the park. I don’t know about you, but I prefer loop hikes, because the scenery is always changing, and they are often more challenging. The addition of the Sweetwater Canyon property to North Cheyenne Canon

North Cheyenne Canon Park creates new hiking options GETTING LOOPED IN OUTSIDE

Park a few years ago led to the development of new trails in the park, and also made it easier to do loop hikes of a variety of distances and difficulty. With the addition of the new trails, you could now hike in circles both great and small. More recently, the city parks department announced the opening of the 2.5mile Ladders Trail in the upper section of North Cheyenne Canon. Roughly speaking it parallels the north side of Gold Camp Road, starting at the Chutes and Gold Camp Trail trailhead, and ends on the Mid-Columbine Trail, just a bit west of where the Spring Creek Trail meets Mid-Columbine. The Ladders Trail also connects with the Captain Morgans trail, which has been designated as a one-way, bike only trail and the multi-use, multi-directional Penrose Trail, both of which were unofficial rogue trails, but have now been adopted into the city trails inventory. The Ladders Trail also connects with the long-established Captain Jacks trail and the north end of the Spring Creek Trail, near the top of tunnel #1 on Gold Camp Road. At its west end, the trail crosses

Gold Camp Road west of tunnel #1 and then ends at the Mid-Columbine Trail.

The addition of the new trail opens the door for many loop or “lariat” hikes on the north end of the park that previously only could have been done by hiking or cycling on Gold Camp Road.

If you want to get a taste of the Lad ders Trail and do it as a (mostly) loop and take in some nice scenery, try this hike:

From the Mid-Columbine Trailhead, hike up the trail (west), past the Spring Creek Trail, and then turn onto the Ladders Trail. Cross Gold Camp Road, and follow the trail east, taking in the views across the canyon of Cheyenne Mountain. Follow the trail across tunnel # 1 and at the intersection with the Spring Creek Trail, bear right. Follow the Spring Creek Trail to the Mid-Columbine Trail, and turn left to return to the trailhead. Total distance is little over 3 miles, and around 760’ of ascent. The first half-mile or so from the trailhead on the Mid-Columbine is the most difficult, with steep switchbacks, and sections of deep, loose scree due to the

crumbly Pikes Peak granite that makes up much of the canyon.

After you’ve done that, try other parts of the new trail and create your own loops.

Bob "Hiking Bob" Falcone is a retired career firefighter, USAF veteran, an accomplished photographer and thirty-year resident of Colorado Springs. He has served on boards and committees for city, county and state parks in the Pikes Peak region, and spends much of this time hiking 800 or more miles each year, looking for new places and trails to visit, often with his canine sidekick Coal.

BOB” FALCONE

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES LAGS BEHIND IN THE OUTDOORS

By TATIANA FLOWERS • The Colorado Sun

Leaders at Wanderland Outdoors, a new Black-owned Colorado excursion organization, curate nature experiences in a personalized way to promote fun and inclusion.

When guests reserve a spot on a tour, Angel Massie and her husband ask what’s important to the participant such as if they prefer special meals related to their culture or ethnicity or if they need special accommodations because they have a disability.

“We’re not targeting a specific demographic,” said Angel Massie, who co-founded the organization with her husband, Bobby Massie, a former Denver Broncos offensive lineman who spent 10 seasons in the NFL. “What we want to do is uplift Black and brown, and all people, differently-abled people and folks who identify across different sexualities. We believe nature can be the great unifier, and that is really important to us.”

Wanderland Outdoors, which began offering outdoor excursions to families, individuals and corporate groups in May, focuses — for now — on leading fly fishing, yoga, mindful hiking, horseback trail rides and culinary experiences. By the end of this summer, the outdoor outfitter may begin hosting Fly Fishing 101 clinics in Vail, Angel Massie said.

“We’ve been embraced by folks who want to experience the outdoors, who are experts, and folks who have entrusted us with their first experiences on the water or on horses as well,” she said.

Demographics are changing quickly in America but the outdoor recreation market has lagged behind — failing to reflect those changes.

New and young participants, women, people of color and seniors are driving growth and diversity in the outdoor recreation sector, and engaging diverse and casual recreationists more frequently is a key way to promote equitable access to the outdoors and maintain longevity in the industry, according to the 2024 Outdoor Participation Trends Report compiled by the Outdoor Foundation and the Outdoor Industry Association.

In 2023, the outdoor recreation participant base grew 4.1% to a record 175.8 million people, the report says. That same year, 7.7

million Americans tried one or more outdoor recreation activities for the first time.

Outdoor recreating became more racially and ethnically diverse in 2023, but not by much, the report says.

The percentage of Black outdoor participants increased to 10.3% in 2023, up from 9.4% in 2022.

The percentage of Latino people participating in the outdoors increased to 13.4% in 2023 compared with 12.6% in 2022. In 2023, the percentage of white participants decreased to 69.7% in 2023, from 71.2% in 2022.

Members of the LGBTQ community comprise 11.3% of the outdoor participant population, or 19.9 million people, and continue to be the most active adult demographic in the outdoors, according to the report.

And for the first time ever, more than half of all American women are participating in outdoor recreation, according to the report.

“Nature — including everything from national parks to pools — has historically not been welcoming to people of color,” Angel Massie said. “There were official and unofficial laws on the books that barred us from being in those spaces, and they did become spaces that were unfamiliar to us because of us being excluded. It’s important for us to use nature as a catharsis.”

Wanderland Outdoors was founded not only because the Massies are longtime lovers of the outdoors but also because the couple had several experiences on outdoor excursions in years past that didn’t offer a sense of welcoming or accommodation, Angel Massie said. “We didn’t feel the guide was interested in creating a good experience.”

On Juneteenth — the day Americans commemorate when the last enslaved people found out they were free in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation — Wanderland Outdoors guides hosted morning hiking and fly fishing excursions followed by a “Fish and Fry” lunch prepared by Bobby Massie at Abell River Ranch in Lake George.

The Massies observe Juneteenth each year and wanted to celebrate their organization’s inaugural year by hosting a media event that included Wanderland guides and others who have supported the business, Angel Massie said.

See yourself in the guides and in the outdoors

Wanderland Outdoors has 12 guides, including some who are Black, Native American and Tongan. The organization elevates guides of color and encourages participants of all kinds to venture into some of Colorado’s most beautiful settings. Each voyage begins with a land acknowledgement and often includes historical information about the Native Americans who lived on the territories where the organization’s tours take place now.

“We are able to talk about the history of the land with people and make sure they know why we’re able to enjoy the spaces we’re in,” said Keegan Seeman, a mindful-hiking guide, who is white. “A lot of people don’t know that, literally, this entire state was once inhabited by millions of Native Americans who had their own language and culture and songs. I feel it’s important, when I take people out, to give them that information because it helps people connect to the land more and be able to sense the energy that is around them.”

Seeman led a hiking tour and breathing exercise at Eleven Mile State Park for the group that gathered for the Wanderland event on Juneteenth.

Hikers were receptive to the land acknowledgement, breathing exercise and pace of the walk, Seeman said. “I think it went great. I had a really great time,” he said.

On the hike, he encouraged participants to use all of their senses.

“That’s one thing I feel like a lot of people are missing when they come outdoors,” he said. “They’re not leaving as much of their daily life stress behind and focusing

on what’s in front of them. What I hope people get out of it is more of a connectivity to the land — that they know they can sit down in silence and listen to all the sounds of nature and take those benefits and skills anywhere with them.”

Wanderland Outdoors is planning to expand in 2025 to include hunting on its list of guided activities. Organization leaders are in the process of acquiring land and a few guides are working on getting certified to begin offering the activity soon, Bobby Massie said.

“And we also want to add off-roading as an excursion,” he said. “Each year, we want to add a little bit more of everything this great state provides. The outdoors is for everybody.”

As the organization grows, the Massies said they hope to expand to other locations such as Florida, Wyoming and Alaska to increase their number of offerings to people in other regions.

The first tour offered by Wanderland occurred in May with a 60-person corporate group that participated in fly fishing, mindful movement and hiking.

The first individualized tour occurred the following weekend with a family of three who went fly fishing at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Since then, Angel Massie said, Wanderland Outdoors has stayed busy offering tours to clients frequently.

“We have a good number of participants every weekend,” she said. “We’re rocking and rolling.”

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, nonprofit news outlet that covers our state. Learn more and sign up for free newsletters at coloradosun.com.

Credit: Adobe Stock

Who We Are

Encounter Alaska with an unparalleled fishing and wilderness experience in the majestic, rugged beauty of Ketchikan & Prince of Wales Island at Sportsman’s Cove Lodge Our passion has always been to create unforgettable moments through authentic experience and time spent outdoors.

Experience Alaska

Experience the thrill of catching Salmon and Halibut in the pristine waters of Southeast Alaska Unwind in our comfortable, high-end accommodations, nestled on the remote Prince of Wales Island. Discover the untouched beauty of Alaska, a haven for fishing enthusiasts and nature lovers alike Our dedicated team ensures an unforgettable fishing adventure, combining expertise with a love for the sport.

STATE MATTERS .

STATE HEADED TOWARD LATE SUMMER DROUGHT

Much of Colorado could be pushed into drought by late summer thanks to hot, dry conditions

By SHANNON MULLANE

The Colorado Sun

Colorado has seen an average water year so far, but looking ahead, climate experts say much of the state could fall into drought conditions and struggle to find relief.

Colorado’s very average snowpack has officially melted away from all 115 federal snow monitoring stations in the state, as of this week. Reservoir levels are at 94%, just slightly below average, while precipitation was at exactly 100% of the 30-year median, according to a Water Conditions Monitoring Committee meeting Tuesday.

Heat, however, has been on the rise. Even summer showers may not be enough to combat its effects, or to keep the state away from drought.

“Really the entire state is at risk of developing drought this summer,” Assistant State Climatologist Becky Bolinger told listeners during the meeting. “A strong monsoon would be really helpful. It would limit that risk of worsening drought, particularly over the Four Corners. … For now, it’s looking like that is not as likely, and that it’s going to be a pretty rough summer.”

Climate experts track precipitation, temperature, soil moisture and other factors year-round to gauge water supplies and storage for farmers, city utility managers, reservoir operators and residents around the state.

This year’s outlook has some of those water users looking out for impacts to fish populations, recreation opportunities, irrigation supplies and wildfires.

“Without much rain, wildfire will

definitely be a pretty serious concern,” said Adrian Bergere, executive director of the San Miguel Watershed Coalition in southwestern Colorado.

The period from October 2023 through May ranked in the top 10 warmest time periods across a significant majority of the state when compared with a 129-year historical record, Bolinger said.

Areas of southeastern Colorado, like Lamar and La Junta, have already reported 20 or more days over 90 degrees. The Front Range has already had 10-15 days over 90 degrees. Most of the country is also likely to be hotter than usual for the rest of the summer, she said.

That’s quite the switch after last year, which started out with cooler-than-average months, Bolinger said.

The hotter temperatures are likely to continue for the rest of the summer. Western Colorado and the Four Corners area have a 70%-80% chance of above-average temperatures — a very high degree of confidence, Bolinger said.

Colorado’s stream and river levels are receding after a normal runoff year, and incoming precipitation will be increasingly helpful for water users in the late summer and early fall. Although the state has seen average precipitation so far, there’s a 40%-50% chance rainfall will tumble below normal levels for July through September.

Some areas, like Fort Collins and Burlington, have seen less-than-average rainfall so far. Even with some rain in the near-term forecast for early July, it will be hard for these areas to end the water year, which closes Sept. 30, at the average level, Bolinger said.

The combination of hot and dry weather

could make it harder for areas of the state that are already experiencing drought conditions to recover, and it could mean that more areas fall into drought, she said.

About 16% of the state is experiencing drought conditions. That is vastly better than in late 2020 and early 2021, when the entire state was in drought and over 20% was in the most severe drought category. At that level, agricultural and recreational economic losses are large, reservoirs are low, large fires can develop and mandatory water restrictions are often implemented, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“There is a slightly increased risk for drier extremes in the southern part of the state, which really means there would be a low likelihood that any drought that worsens or develops in the summer is not going to see relief through the fall,” Bolinger said.

In the Upper Rio Grande River Basin, aquatic biologist Estevan Vigil is keeping an eye on the water temperatures and water levels on the Rio Grande and Conejos

when water is about 50 degrees but struggle when it rises above 70 degrees. At that level, their immune systems become stressed, and catch-and-release fishing can lead to higher fish mortality.

If stream levels fall below 50% of the norm, and if temperatures rise above 70 degrees, Vigil may implement voluntary or emergency fishing closures.

“In the (San Luis Valley) since 2019, we’ve probably done it twice,” Vigil said. “I’m anticipating having to do it this year.”

A strong monsoon season would help keep rivers flowing and fishing access open, he said.

Several city water managers said their reservoir storage supplies were looking good during the water conditions meeting. Colorado Springs Utilities reservoirs were at 85% of their capacity, and Denver Water’s reservoirs were 97% full.

The lack of monsoons would heighten concerns over wildfire risk or lead to a shorter rafting season for boaters, Bergere said. Less-than-average rainfall could also leave sections of the river dry as water gets pulled for other uses, like irrigation and municipal supplies.

Water users in the San Miguel River Basin know how to endure fluctuating supplies, Bergere said.

“What we’re looking at there is not amazing, but it’s something we’re pretty used to down here,” he said. “Without much rain, wildfire will definitely be a pretty serious concern.”

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, nonprofit news outlet that covers our state. Learn more and sign up for free newsletters at coloradosun.com.

The Engineer Pass Road through the alpine tundra | Credit: Hugh Carey, The Colorado Sun

STATE MATTERS . NEWS .

SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF THE MONOLITH

By PARKER YAMASAKI

The Colorado Sun

BELLVUE — On top of a hill prickly with dry grass and cacti is a four-sided structure that looks like the sky, the hills and the small crowd of people standing next to it, but it’s none of those things. It’s not a riddle, it’s a monolith. Perhaps the 247th spotted worldwide since 2020.

It appeared unexpectedly on Sunday in Bellvue, northwest of Fort Collins, on the expansive property of Rob and Lori Graves, who own Morning Fresh Dairy Farm, a Noosa Yoghurt factory, and the Howling Cow Cafe. A cafe manager spotted the structure in the distance as she arrived at work in the morning, but didn’t think anything of it until a customer came in and asked to be pointed toward “the alien structure.”

The Howling Cow has been part of the farm property since 2014, and has become a popular cycling stop that serves the dairy’s fresh creams and yogurts. As of Monday, though, it’s become a gathering place for bagel sandwiches and hypotheses about alien life.

On a chalkboard menu, drink names have been given an extraterrestrial spin. Order the “Beam Me Up” for a cold brew with a double shot, or a “Radio Wave” for an Italian soda with cold foam. The monthly ice cream flavor, orange juice shake, has been relabeled the “Cow Abduction.” Alien figures drawn on the menu have thought bubbles that read: “beep beep boop beep.” “They probably just weren’t getting enough business,” one diner offered.

Marketing ploy or not, the shiny metal monolith, bolted to a slab of concrete, certainly hasn’t hurt business.

By 11 a.m. Thursday a line had formed in the cafe from the counter to the door, a dozen customers long, and didn’t let up until well after noon. A second rush arrived around 2 p.m.

“Been busy?” a customer asked a barista from the line.

The barista nodded and laughed. “Where’s the monolith?” she said mockingly. Then she softened. “Actually, it’s kind of cool. I just can’t say that word anymore.”

Then she pushed a milky green beverage onto the counter: “Crop Circle!” she yelled into the crowd, the cafe’s new name for a matcha latte with vanilla.

MONOLITH #1

The monolith mysteries began in November 2020, when a crew from the Utah Department of Public Safety was flying over remote, desert backcountry counting bighorn sheep. They spotted an unusual metal gleam deep in a slot canyon, and landed the helicopter to investigate. There they found the first mysteriously placed monolith, a roughly 10-foot-tall prism lodged into the red earth.

Photos and videos from the incident were posted to the agency’s blog. “Please don’t try and visit the site as the road is not suitable for most Earth-based vehicles,” the Utah BLM tweeted.

But this was late 2020, six months into deep pandemic isolation. Internet sleuthing was at an all-time high and the prospect of visiting a remote site in the desert where few people had been, and were unlikely to be, was simply too tempting.

A subreddit sprung up, r/FindTheMonolith, and more than 3,000 people joined it to theorize about its origin and locate the Utah phenomenon. In less than 24 hours a location was pinpointed and posted to Reddit, and some users used Google Earth imagery to determine that it was placed sometime in late 2015 or early 2016. To some, the timeline added to the appeal of the piece. It was still possible, in an age of satellite imagery and social media stunts, to leave a mark that went completely undetected for years.

Less than two weeks after its viral debut, the monolith was gone — hauled away in the night by a group of four men concerned with the environmental impact of so many visitors on the delicate Utah backcountry. But while the men trucked the monolith out of the desert, something strange was happening halfway around the world — the same day the Utah monolith came down, a second monolith was reported on a plateau near Piatra Neamt in Romania. Days later a third popped up in Atascadero, California. Over the course of 2020, dozens more monoliths were reported to monolithtracker. com, a mix of hastily placed copycats and “S-Class” monoliths, or “significant monoliths, well made, with zero explanations of appearance,” according to the website’s sixpart classification system. The original Utah monolith and the quick Romanian follow-up are two of three “S-Class” monoliths in the

world. The third appeared in Spain in April 2021.

According to The Associated Press, the Bureau of Land Management is still actively investigating the Utah case.

COLORADO’S MONOLITH CULTURE

In Colorado, three monoliths have been spotted and reported to the site. The first showed up in December 2020 at the Spaceport in Watkins. It was reported to have been fabricated by Bill Zempel, the owner of neighboring Mile High Aircraft Services, making it a “K-Class” monolith, or a monolith of “known origin.”

The next two showed up days later, at Sunlight Mountain near Glenwood Springs and Chautauqua Park in Boulder. Though their origin hasn’t yet been determined, they are deemed “Q-Class,” or “questionable monoliths,” likely to be knockoffs “considering their origin or appearance.”

Monolith spotting slowed down into 2021 and the site went all but dormant until March this year, when one showed up in Wales. Earlier this month, a second monolith appeared outside of Las Vegas, but was promptly removed by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department — just a day before the one showed up at the dairy in Bellvue. The Las Vegas and Bellvue monoliths have not been classified yet.

“I know a lot of people are in a hurry to get here because they’re afraid it’s going to disappear,” Graves said. “I kind of hope it stays, I mean it’s kind of pretty.”

There are a lot of maybes that hover around monoliths. Maybe it’s an ad. Maybe it’s a TV prop. Maybe it was placed there by a prankster, an artist, a mischievous neighbor, the U.S. government. Maybe it was placed on Earth by aliens. Maybe we’re the aliens. Of course, part of the fascination depends on not having the answer to its origin. The most likely “maybe” with the monoliths is that maybe few people want to know in the first place.

By Thursday afternoon Graves was getting reports that some Instagram commenters had turned against the monolith. “Not so favorable posts,” one of the baristas texted her. “I didn’t even know we had a picture of it on our Instagram,” Graves said.

Meanwhile, a steady stream of visitors made their way up the hill, took photos with it, speculated about whether it would be struck by lightning or start a wildfire.

The baristas, for their part, were feeling worked, despite having bumped their staffing up to accommodate the weeklong rush. They were out of sandwich bread. A compressor was on the fritz. “We can’t really sustain this,” Graves said. “I think it’s going to be a blip.”

But until the hype dies down or the pillar gets beamed up, the Howling Cow Cafe will keep serving Monolith Mochas.

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, nonprofit news outlet that covers our state. Learn more and sign up for free newsletters at coloradosun.com.

The monolith off of County Road 25 | Parker Yamasaki, The Colorado Sun

Ditch ‘inefficiencies’ give us wetlands

By RICHARD KNIGHT Writers on the Range

Imagine Westerners waking up one morning only to discover that many of their most cherished wetlands have dried up, gone. This is not fiction during these times of determining the true value of water.

Most wetlands in the arid West owe their existence to the “inefficiencies” of unlined irrigation canals and flood irrigation. But when well-intentioned urban folks insist that irrigation companies use water more efficiently by piping their ditches, the result may be more about loss than water “saved” for rivers.

One of the least-known truths in the West is that many of our wetlands are the result of irrigated agriculture. For example, an irrigation company in northern Colorado irrigates about 24,000 acres, thanks to 146 miles of ditches.

The area served by the irrigation company also has approximately 1,300 acres of wetlands, and it’s no accident that most of those wetlands lie below a leaking ditch. A study by Colorado State University discovered this connection using heavy isotopes to create hydrographs of groundwater wells, ditch levels and precipitation. This is a West-wide issue. We all know that climate change has been causing hotter, drier weather, and that helps reduce the flow of the Colorado River that 40 million Westerners depend on. In the Laramie Basin of Wyoming, 67% of its wetlands are attributed to agriculture. In North Park, Colorado,

close to 75% of all wetlands are byproducts of irrigated agriculture.

Decades ago, Aldo Leopold wrote, “There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One, you think that heat comes from the furnace and two, you think that breakfast comes from the grocery store.”

May I add a third? We don’t know much about the water we depend on.

Farmers and ranchers produce two “goods,” a private good and a public good. They’re compensated for the private one by producing food. Their public goods, ecosystem services, are not compensated, though they include wetlands, biodiversity and plants sequestering carbon.

But knowing that rural agriculture uses 79% of the Colorado River’s water, our urban neighbors tell their rural counterparts to conserve water or, better yet, sell it to them.

Meanwhile, the environmental community would like rural agriculture to use less water so more could stay in the rivers to help fish and provide recreational opportunities.

Clearly, there are too many demands for the West’s diminishing water supply. Drinking water, ag water, river health. Where do wetlands fit in?

Wetlands cover 1% of the West’s land surface, yet half of our threatened and endangered species rely on them. Wetlands serve a similar function to our kidneys: They filter out impurities from human land uses, making our environment healthier.

Perhaps it’s time for all of us to wise up a little. Many of these wetlands are human created; that is, they were created by farmers and ranchers and are not “natural.” Many will disappear in the pursuit of water conservation. Must it be water conservation and efficiency at all costs?

Will we prioritize water for urban uses, including urban sprawl? Or will we support more water staying in our rivers to create a healthier environment? Will water for food production be considered a necessity? Do green lawns trump healthy rivers and wetlands?

With more informed conversations about our region, talks between rural and urban neighbors, perhaps we could pursue a triple bottom line: water for food production, water for urban uses, and, yes, water for our region’s rivers, streams and wetlands

Wouldn’t we all like that? Let’s figure out how to make that happen.

Rick Knight is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit that seeks to spur lively conversation about the West. He works at the intersection of land use and land health in the American West.

Since 1917, five generations have lived along the Animas | Richard Knight, Writers on the Range

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News of the WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

Calling Agent 99! Samsung is channeling the 1960s TV series "Get Smart" with its newest tech release: the Shortcut Sneaker, with which one can make phone calls. Gizmodo reported that the phone is operated with discrete foot movements, recognized by motion sensors in the soles. Sadly, you're not likely to get your dogs into them anytime soon: The company is making just six pairs, available only to Samsung members in the Netherlands who enter to win by July 9.

WEIRD IN THE WILD

Scientists studying African elephants at Kenya's Samburu National Reserve and Amboseli National Park have discovered that the pachyderms call to each other and respond to one another using individual names, the Associated Press reported on June 10. The names are expressed in low rumbles that can be heard over long distances -- by elephants. Many of the noises are low enough not to be heard by humans. When scientists played recordings to individual elephants, they responded energetically to those that contained their names. "Elephants are incredibly social, always talking and touching each other," said co-author George Wittemyer. "We just cracked open the door a bit to the elephant mind."

THE PASSING PARADE

As part of the annual Italian Market Festival in Philadelphia, one contest involves competitors climbing a greased pole to claim bags of meat and cheese tied at the top, United Press International reported. This year, however, the dangling delectables were left hanging, and nearly a month later, they're still there. Festival organizers are trying to arrange for a crane to gather the leftovers, which visitors claim aren't stinky -- yet. With the oncoming heat dome across the United States, that might change.

JUST COULDN'T HELP HERSELF

Tara Bjork, a server at Charlotte, North Carolina's Restoration Hardware Rooftop Restaurant, knew she was overstepping the rules on May 27 when she posted a video to

TikTok while at work. "I need you guys to see what just came in the door," she said to the camera before panning to a table where a man was sitting across from a blowup doll. Canoe.com reported that Bjork observed him "feeding" grapes to the doll, but later it was revealed that the man had finished last in his fantasy football league and the restaurant visit was his punishment. Bjork was fired from the restaurant for making the post but said it "wasn't too much of a shock, thank goodness."

BUT WHY?

State Rep. Jim Carroll of Bennington, Vermont, released two videos to local news outlets in June depicting his colleague, Rep. Mary Morrissey, pouring water into Carroll's tote bag as it hung on a hook in his office, NBC5-TV reported. The incidents took place in April. "I want to say how very, very sorry I am for my actions of pouring water in Jim Carroll's tote bag," Morrissey said. "Quite honestly, I don't know why I did it. I was not meaning to hurt him." Carroll decided to release the video, which he took, because he believed not doing so would draw even more attention to the events. Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski told Morrissey, who's been a member of the House since 1997, that she would not be eligible to serve on conference committees.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Here's a term you might not know: A "cryptic pregnancy" occurs when a woman is pregnant but doesn't realize it until labor begins. So it went with Tayvia Woodfork, 26, of Mississippi, who experienced stomach pains while dining at a Golden Corral restaurant in North Little Rock, Arkansas, on May 6. Fox News reported that Woodfork went to the restroom, where she delivered 6-pound Tamaar Kylon Corral Woodfork, a boy. Yes, that third name is a tribute to the restaurant. Golden Corral shared news of the birth on their Facebook page and even gifted the new mom a $200 gift card, among other items. Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Alexander Morris, 53, filed a lawsuit against Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan, on June 10 over an incident that took place last year, NBC News reported. Morris, the lead singer of the Motown group the Four Tops, went to the hospital with "clear symptoms of cardiac distress" in April 2023. While there, Morris told nurses and security staff that he was concerned about stalkers and fans -- but they didn't believe that he was with the Four Tops and ordered a psychological examination, which delayed his treatment. He was physically restrained,

he said, for at least 1 1/2 hours -- "a terrifying experience to be in the middle of a medical emergency," Morris said. The suit, which seeks $75,000 in damages, alleges negligence, racial discrimination, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Morris' ordeal finally ended when he showed a nurse a video of him performing at the Grammys. He was offered a $25 gift card to a Meijer grocery store as an apology, which he refused. "I never imagined I would become a victim of 'being sick while Black,'" Morris said. The hospital had no comment on the suit.

Mountain Manifest

MARIES

BY CAMILLE LIPTAK, COSMIC CANNIBAL

id-month’s astrology—a full moon, a seasonal shift, and a volatile conjunction—conspire to incite a surge in both temperatures and emotions. Nothing gets too hot to handle. Heck, it might not even impact you. Or will it? Read on to find out.s. Want more astro-logic from Cosmic Cannibal? Social Media @cosmiccannibalcamille,Substack cosmiccannibal.substack.com and the web cosmiccannibal.com

CANCER

All month, you’re yearning to revel in a plethora of summer activities. Beginning July 20, you get the incentive to go frolic in your local scene—parks, community swimming pools, etc. July 21 could bring a welcomed completion to a project or aim at work, and July 22 cranks up your hunger for having fun…

TAURUS

Tact is needed these next few weeks, but especially on (or around) July 15. A heated conversation or out-of-the-blue news could send tempers flaring to wildfire levels. Challenging as it may feel in the moment, summon patience and keep your cool. Because let’s be real: adult tantrums aren’t fun for anyone—especially not the adults…

GEMINI

Gab is your gift (and sometimes your curse). Beginning July 20, your mind (and mouth) move a mile a minute, as you feel an influx of energy, incentive, and get-up-and-go. Use this rush of motivation by channeling it into the projects that need a little extra oomph—and maybe a little P.R…

Comfort is one of your top concerns, and right now it’s easier than usual to feel solaced. But the Full Moon on July 21 draws your attention to the lack of comfort you feel in your relationships. A confrontation about security (money, food, etc.) or lack thereof seems way more important than it is…

LEO

Likeability is on your mind, but it quickly disappears July 15. There may be a testy professional or public shakeup, an ego eruption which prompts you to get loud. In doing so, you risk shattering your so-called “likable” reputation. By July 22, Leo season begins and you stop caring about your approval ratings altogether…

VIRGO

Volatility surrounds July 15, but it’s lowkey good. Because sometimes you need to get keyed up about things to actually do something about them. Surprises may be in store for your beliefs, travel or university plans. By July 20, you’re back to the grind with a newfound sense of energy, enthusiasm, curiosity, and chattiness…

LIBRA

Leo season starts July 22, putting the spotlight on your networks. Before all that, you’re still nurturing a time-sucking work project, tending to it like a gardener in a greenhouse. By July 20, another bout of wanderlust creeps in, and it's all you can do not to play hooky to explore the great outdoors…

SCORPIO

Spontaneous disagreements may sprout up around July 15. Instead of going head-to-head with your perceived adversaries, try to keep calm. Heated discourse is healthy; vindictive discord is not. On the plus side, career matters run smoothly for most of the month. You may get a gold star from higher-ups, which keeps your ego placated…

SAGITTARIUS

Starting July 20, your competitiveness surges—and your relationships take the brunt of it. Chatty, curious, and ohso opinionated, you’d think you were trying to win a gold medal in verbal sparring. Question is: do your partners know they’re competing? By July 22, you’re ready to skip town and find a new audience of admirers…

CAPRICORN

Consider all the goals you sought to achieve this year and give them a thorough audit. In what ways can you be open to other people’s assistance? The second full moon in your sign happens July 21, and it’s a good day to celebrate everything that you’ve accomplished, both by yourself and with others…

AQUARIUS

An ambush of uncharacteristic anger arrives July 15. This grizzly bear attitude is camouflaging something deeper: unspoken grievances about your home / family situation. The good news? You’ve got the courage to actually talk about what’s eating you. By July 22, the Sun shines on your partnerships—business or otherwise—and a new social season begins…

PISCES

Part 2 of the double-Capricorn Full Moons happens on July 21, and it brings another round of magnification to your hopes and friend groups. A collective (or social media!) endeavor may finally wrap up. By July 20, your home life sees bursts of restless activity. Family could arrive. Or, you might be changing residences…