Colorado Springs Independent: August 8, 2024

CSINDY.COM | Vol. 1 Issue 7 | 08.08.2024 | FREE

BEND IT What doping, hormones and the Olympics can teach us about gender

BY NOEL BLACK | PAGE 10

IN THIS ISSUE: EMBIGGENED City approves a 3,200-acre annexation page 06

CALLING BLUFFS Proposed CSU power station rankles residents page 08

SUBSCRIBE: CONTRIBUTE: COMMENT: CRITICIZE:

August 8 - August 21 | 3

A Pikes Peak Media Company

" ... you have to at least try"

CONTENTS

08

COVER IMAGE by

Noel Black

via Firefly, Adobe’s AI art generator.

PUBLISHER

Mackenzie Tamayo

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ben Trollinger REPORTERS Noel Black, Andrew Rogers and Cannon Taylor CONTRIBUTORS Adam Leech, Lauren Ciborowski, Camille Liptak and Willow Welter

Rendering of Central Bluffs substation from Goldenrod Drive looking West.|Courtesy: Colorado Springs Utilities and Kimley-Horn

FEATURED. SALES AD DIRECTOR JT Slivka ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Monty Hatch, Erin Cordero AD COORDINATOR Lanny Adams

ART & PRODUCTION SENIOR EDITORIAL DESIGNER Adam Biddle

06 NEWS City closes in on 3,200-acre expansion

10

08 NEWS Power station rankles CS neighborhood 10 COVER The complex history of gender and sports 19 Arts Horror film explores Christianity and cowboys

AD DESIGNER Catherine Higley

OPERATIONS DIGITAL AND MARKETING MANAGER Sean Cassady DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Kay Williams

04 EDITOR'S NOTE

20 CIBOROWSKI

21 LEECH

22 MUSIC LISTINGS

24 EVENTS

31 OUTSIDE

41 NEWS OF

42 HOROSCOPES

Upstream, downstream ‘What you like, not what you’re like’

EMAIL Submit a letter News tip Calendar Editor Advertising Distribution Publisher

SECTIONS.

letters@ppmc.live news@ppmc.live calendar@ppmc.live editor@ppmc.live advertising@ppmc.live distribution@ppmc.live publisher@ppmc.live

Things to Do in the Springs

THE WEIRD

Ryan Swanson in ‘Varmint’.|Credit: Duncan Hollis

What’s in the box?

Elsie Palmer, of course Local and Statewide Shows Hiking Bob beats the heat

24

Sam Adams.|Courtesy: samadamsdoescomedy.com

4 | Colorado Springs Independent | CSINDY.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

DOWNSTREAM, UPSTREAM

By BEN TROLLINGER • ben.trollinger@ppmc.live

C

ora Lea Chittenden has lived in her home just off Austin Bluffs Parkway for close to 50 years. She’s witnessed the neighborhood grow up around her — homes, families, and especially the towering coniferous tree in her front yard that only recently died. Her affection for this place runs deep, even if it’s only a humble, working-class neighborhood made up of “seniors living on Social Security and young families with kids,” as she describes it.

It's no surprise that Cora Lea felt duty-bound to speak out when she

learned Colorado Springs Utilities was planning to build an electric substation nearby. She and other residents believe the project could damage home values and potentially threaten a beloved, but unofficial greenbelt along the Templeton Gap Floodway, where adults and kids alike “come into the peace of wild things,” as Wendell Berry puts it. (When I was there, however, a red-tailed hawk let it be known it was not at peace with me.)

Cora Lea, who is in her eighties, was front and center at a city council meeting last month. For the uninitiated, these meetings are scheduled at 10 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month — not exactly an ideal time for working-class families. You only make the effort to attend if you’re on a mission like Cora Lea and her neighbors, Rachel Schoaff and Allison Caley.

"DEFENDING YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND LAND IS AS HONORABLE AS IT GETS, EVEN WHEN, OR MAYBE ESPECIALLY WHEN, YOU EXPECT TO LOSE."

Standing before the council, they made a compelling and impassioned plea to relocate the project. Council members openly acknowledged the neighborhood was bearing the brunt of the proposed substation. But, in the end, that didn’t stop a unanimous vote in favor of the substation.

City councilwoman Nancy Henjum, who also serves on the utilities board, summed it up with brutal honesty: “Sometimes a sacrifice for a few serves the greater good.”

At the Independent, we feel it’s essential to give voice to those in the sacrifice zones of our city. That was one of the motivating factors in covering the Central Bluffs substation story the way we did (turn to Page 8 for Cannon Taylor’s story). By the time you’re reading this, the council decision in favor of the substation will be old news. And, if it’s not in your backyard, you might not care much at all.

However, it would be wrong to dismiss Cora Lea and her neighbors as NIMBYs, a phrase I loathe. Defending your family, friends, neighbors, and land is as honorable as it gets, even when, or maybe especially when, you expect to lose. We should applaud this kind of rootedness, especially in a time when the city continues to expand at a rapid clip (see Andrew Rogers' story on the Amara annexation on Page 6).

And remember another thing St. Wendell once said: “Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.”

I also hope you take the time to read Noel Black’s long-form narrative on sports and gender, our cover story for this issue. Regardless of where you fall politically, the story is a clear-eyed examination of the complexity at heart of the rancorous debate over gender and sports. The story deftly weaves together the history of women’s sports and Title IX, performance enhancing (and de-enhancing) drugs, hormones, and what we know, or think we know, about sexual difference and gender. It will push you to think more deeply about your assumptions, as good stories often do.

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

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NEWS

SOUTHERNLY EXPANSION Controversial annexation of 3,200 acres of land passes first city council vote

L

By ANDREW ROGERS • andrew.rogers@ppmc.live

ast month, the Colorado Springs City Council gave initial approval for a controversial land annexation located southeast of the city’s limits. La Plata Communities, the company behind the Amara development, aims to build a master plan community of 9,500 residential units and 2 million square feet of commercial space on 3,200 acres of land at the northeast corner of Squirrel Creek and Link roads. The land is bordered by Fountain and unincorporated El Paso County.

“We're hoping to create something similar to what we've done in Briargate in the south part of the metro area,” said Doug Quimby, CEO of La Plata Communities.

La Plata has built other masterplanned communities, primarily in northern Colorado Springs, including the Briargate, Pike Creek, Cordera, North Fork and The Farm neighborhoods. Quimby said that the move to the southern portion of the metro area was out of necessity as northern Colorado Springs has little land left to acquire. Most of the developable land within city limits is owned by the company Norwood Development Group.

LIMITING FACTORS The Amara project first sought annexation into the City of Fountain in 2018, but the request was shot down. Fountain officials said they did not have enough water or infrastructure to support the size of the development.

The developers also declined to create a metropolitan district in unincorporated El Paso County because of a lack of water. La Plata then took their annexation request to Colorado Springs in 2021.

After that announcement, city officials began discussing a ballot question that would allow Colorado

Springs voters to decide on water usage as it related to future land annexation. The proposed ordinance, which focused on tying annexations to water supply, was given strong support from Norwood, which at the time owned over 85% of the developable land in Colorado Springs.

“This water ordinance hit, which was really an antiannexation ordinance, and that put a stop to the project … we just waited until after the election of 2023,” Quimby said.

However, the initiative never made it on the ballot after a proposed Colorado Springs Utilities water policy was introduced that required all large annexations be contingent on available water. The

current and future needs in January 2023, which, in effect, cleared a path for the Amara project.

In 2023, in addition to the mayoral race, there were three City Council seats on the ballot. La Plata made financial contributions to three

"THE LAND ON WHICH IT SITS IS NOT A LOGICAL, CONTIGUOUS EXTENSION OF COLORADO SPRINGS. IT CREATES MASSIVE ENCLAVES THAT FOSTER CONFUSION AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WILL DEGRADE THE ALREADY OVERLY STRESSED LEVELS OF SERVICE FOR EXISTING FACILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS."

initial rule called for the municipal utility to have 130% of current and future water use before annexation could be approved. The City Council lowered that water buffer to 128% of

candidates elected to the City Council: David Leinweber, Brian Risley and Michelle Talarico. La Plata also donated to a pair of unsuccessful mayoral candidates, Longinos Gonzalez and Sallie Clark. In total, La Plata made $22,000 in political contributions during the 2023 election.

The annexation was approved with a 5-4 Council vote on July 23, with Risley, Leinweber and Talarico

among those voting in favor of the annexation.

“As a city if we didn't annex Amara and if we don't annex other areas that make logical sense adjacent to the existing city boundary, development can and will happen in unincorporated El Paso County,” Risley said.

City council member Randy Helms voted no initially, but changed his vote to yes for subsequent annexation votes for Amara. Council members Lynette Crow-Iverson, Mike O’Malley and Nancy Henjum also voted against the 5-square-mile annexation.

“The land on which it sits is not a logical, contiguous extension of Colorado Springs. It creates massive enclaves that foster confusion and, more importantly, will degrade the already overly stressed levels of service for existing facility and infrastructure needs,” Henjum explained in an email to the Independent. She also forwarded her responses to the Independent’s questions to La Plata. She said she did this to “build relationships,” as City Council members also serve on the Colorado Springs Utilities Board of Directors and will have to work with La Plata as the project moves forward.

“I still want to see this fail; the mayor has the right to veto this, and I hope he does,” Henjum said.

Henjum said that Colorado Springs currently struggles to provide the public services required to support the existing 200-square-mile footprint.

She also pointed out that the city’s public works department has a list of 6,000 unmet requests for sidewalk repairs.

Risley said that the far-flung location was not a major concern.

“In the north end of Colorado Springs, from 1978 on, there was a very similar pattern of development, where several annexations — Briargate, Flying Horse and others — were built out over time in such a way that initially, it did look like a weird appendage projecting off the north end of the city,” he said.

August 8 - August 21 | 7

NEWS.

UP THE FLAGPOLE The land annexation for Briargate, Flying Horse and now Amara was completed using a “flagpole annexation” strategy. Colorado requires land proposed for annexation to have at least one-sixth of its perimeter be contiguous with the annexing municipality. The flagpole approach is a legal way to end-around that requirement.

Such annexations have been used across Southern Colorado, including when the Air Force Academy visitors center was incorporated using I-25 as the flagpole connection to the existing city boundaries. Fountain used the method to annex the Walmart and Sam’s Club shopping center at Vennetucci and South Academy boulevards, again using I-25 as the connecting piece.

La Plata says that the flagpole for Amara to become contiguous to the city is Bradley Rd. The process for the City Council to complete the annexation was done in a series of 23 votes, approving the annexation of land plat by plat to grow that contiguous connection to the city.

UTILITY FEES During the annexation debate, Colorado Springs Utilities proposed a $8.79 fee that would appear on utility bills across the city to fund the estimated $150-$230 million in capital costs for the development.

That nearly $9 rider fee will only apply to the first year of development.

In subsequent years, the fee will vary depending on the growth of the Amara community. La Plata will pay to extend utility connections from the previous Colorado Springs boundaries to the new site. The municipal utility will pay for electric transmission, natural gas services, a water storage tank and treatment plant expansion for both water and wastewater within the new area.

Springs Utilities says that the proposed bill rider still requires City Council approval if the Amara annexation is passed on a second vote, which is set for Aug. 13.

City of Colorado Springs

n The Amara development is a 3,200-acre annexation primarily on the northeast corner of Squirrel Creek and Link roads, stretching north to Bradley Road. The two parcels are separated by land owned by the state of Colorado. The development will create a master plan comprised of 9,500 residential units including attached and detached single-family units, multifamily units and plans for over 2 million square feet of commercial use over the next twenty years

Amara annex

8 | Colorado Springs Independent | CSINDY.com

‘A SACRIFICE FOR A FEW SERVES THE GREATER GOOD’ The polarizing fight over Central Bluffs Substation Story by CANNON TAYLOR • cannon.taylor@ppmc.live •Photos by BEN TROLLINGER

Keith Johnson walks on the hiking trail past bike ramps created by neighborhood kids.

A

s Keith Johnson leads a small group down the hiking path next to the Templeton Gap Floodway, a hawk cries out a warning — You’re entering my turf. Johnson says that bears and mountain lions are said to pass through and even live in the area. Bats and owls, he says, overrun the night.

By day, the humans living in the nearby neighborhood, including Johnson, occasionally wander into this foreign

territory, hiking on user-made social trails. A group of thrill-seeking children on BMX bikes frequently come out to do tricks on ramps created by the previous generation of neighborhood kids. The entire area is voluntarily cleaned and maintained by neighborhood residents, and while there may be a few pieces of litter scattered about, it is surprisingly clean.

By the middle of 2026, both the wildlife and the

neighborhood residents will have to adapt to an addition to the landscape: a new electric substation.

On July 9, Colorado Springs City Council voted 8-0 to rezone these 8.1 acres of land for Colorado Springs Utilities to construct the new substation on the corner of Austin Bluffs Parkway and Goldenrod Drive.

Four neighborhood residents spoke against the substation during the city council meeting, but to little avail.

August 8 - August 21 | 9

NEWS. Credit: Cannon Taylor

A hawk in the Central Bluffs open space.

Hoodoos near the border of the substation zone.

“We put in everything we could,” resident Rachel Schoaff said. “It just wasn’t enough to go against the Utilities.”

Chittenden has enjoyed the peaceful stability of her friendly neighborhood for 49 years, ever since hers was one of the only houses in the area. She’s embraced a lot of change to the neighborhood in her time but is not prepared to accept a substation that will lower property values.

space.

sensitive to electrical disruption.

She also voiced concerns about the deer and other animals who use the Templeton Gap Floodway as a passageway from Palmer Park.

Caley added that older generations were taught to invest in their homes. “That was their legacy. That’s what they were going to sell and leave to their families and that’s what they were counting on,” Caley said.

“Are they going to be losing out on their retirements, and are they going to live how they plan to live and how they plan to retire?”

“We did not have to purchase this wooded area,” Colorado Springs Utilities CEO Travas Deal said at the July meeting.

“We did that just to ensure that excessive buffer between our infrastructure and those homes.”

While the substation may only take up 3.5 acres of land, Colorado Springs Utilities maintains the right to expand and build on the rest of the property.

PROPERTY VALUES Neighborhood residents are largely concerned with how the construction of an electric substation will impact their property values. Allison Caley, a licensed real estate agent who lives in the neighborhood, conducted a real estate analysis of the homes near the Flying Horse substation. She found that homes with a direct view of the substation are priced at $20,000 to almost $100,000 less than their neighbors.

“I’ve had clients request views of Pikes Peak, the city, trees, open space; not once has anyone asked me if they could please have a view of an electrical substation to go with their morning coffee,” Caley said during the city council meeting.

Caley later explained that it is not just the homeowners with a direct view of the substation that will be affected, but the entire neighborhood. Because property values are determined comparatively, the entire neighborhood can expect lower values, not just the homes with a direct view of the substation, she explained.

Of the younger people moving into the neighborhood, Caley spoke to how many have plans to upgrade their older homes and turn them around for a profit. She worries that this may no longer be possible for them.

Caley sees the future of her neighborhood as rental properties — homes divided into two or three apartments rented out to UCCS students.

“It doesn’t cost them to hurt our property value,” Schoaff said. “It only costs us.”

Even neighborhood residents who want to jump ship now must disclose that there is an electric substation being constructed in the area when they sell their homes, Caley said.

Colorado Springs Utilities has stated that they are not aware that the values of Colorado Springs properties adjacent to a substation have decreased or will decrease in the future.

Resident Cora Lea Chittenden described the neighborhood as “seniors living on Social Security and young families with kids” who can’t afford to take a hit financially.

OPEN SPACE Of the 8.1 acres owned by Colorado Springs Utilities, only 3.5 will be used to construct the electric substation. The remaining 4.6 acres will remain as open

Allison Caley looks toward her future view of the substation from her backyard.

“They keep working it like, ‘Well, we don’t currently have plans to do anything there.’ But there’s nothing limiting them from putting something there in the future,” Schoaff said.

Colorado Springs Utilities has promised that the open space area will be kept open for recreation, though an area may be closed off temporarily during construction for safety reasons.

Colorado Springs Utilities has promised to find a nonprofit organization to maintain the green belt. Schoaff, however, believes that the community maintenance of the open space is more than enough. “We don’t need a nonprofit to come in and tell us how to care for it,” she said. “It’s a source of pride to those of us who keep it nice back there.”

WILDLIFE The Central Bluffs area is full of wildlife.

One resident has bats living in her attic.

Another had a black bear break down his fence. A third keeps a hummingbird feeder in her backyard for her frequent visitors.

Schoaff worries for the bats, owls, hawks and hummingbirds, all of which are

“Are those animals then going to be trying to cross Austin Bluffs at a different section that’s more dangerous for the animals, or more dangerous for drivers?” she said.

Colorado Springs Utilities has promised to only remove trees that are necessary for the project. They will not remove any trees with nests in them during nesting season as mandated by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Colorado Springs Utilities has reported not finding any existing migratory bird nests in the project area during an initial nesting survey and has put in place mitigation measures to limit favorable nesting habitat for birds and bats in the existing buildings on the property before they are demolished to make way for the substation.

Colorado Springs Utilities has found that the project area is not in any threatened or endangered species habitat, critical habitat or migration corridors. The wildlife habitat review accounted for deer, bears, mountain lions, bats and migratory birds, including owls.

Further wildlife, EMF and sound studies will be conducted as soon as the final designs for the substation are completed later this year or early next year.

WHY HERE? Despite resident pushback, Colorado CONTINUED ON PAGE 29 ...

10 | Colorado Springs Independent | CSINDY.com

NEWS.

WHAT IF

WE’RE ALL

WRONG?

By NOEL BLACK • noel.black@ppmc.live

What doping, hormones and the Olympics can teach us about gender

S

ince the 2024 Olympics began at the end of July, Colorado Springs native Carly Johnson and her daughter, Alana (not their real names), have been watching the women’s soccer matches with a keen interest. Alana, who’s 13 now, is a really good soccer player. In fact, she was just selected for an elite soccer development program, and it’s not inconceivable that she could be playing for the U.S. when the Olympics return to Los Angeles in 2028. Many kids dream of going to the Olympics and of playing sports professionally. But for Alana and her mom, the dream now feels palpable. It will, of course, take enormous amounts

of hard work and a mountain of luck. For Alana, it may also take something far more daunting: a complete change in the understanding of gender science among everyday people, politicians and the governing bodies of elite international sports.

Alana is transgender. And right now, only she and her mom and a handful of close friends know. But everything’s about to change: Alana, who has outwardly identified and presented as a girl since she was in first grade, is on the cusp of puberty. Depending on what choices she makes in the coming months, her body could change in ways that might shatter her Olympic dream.

August 8 - August 21 | 11

NEWS. ◄█► For one thing, she didn’t know that there was any such thing as being transgender. We didn’t know any people who were trans. But she just had, like, a storm cloud over her. It felt like she was just a really unhappy kid. And she would say things like, I’m not really a boy. I’m a girl. And we would laugh because we thought she was just playing with language, which she did a lot. She was a really verbal kid. I think she had like 100 words at age 1 or something. And we thought it was just that she was being funny. But then it just got more persistent over the years. And I remember tucking her in at night and asking her why she was so unhappy. And she said sort of under her breath, "Because I want to be a girl."

And I could barely make out what she said. And it was, "I want to be a girl."

And then she put a sign on her little playhouse outside that said, 'No boys allowed" when she was like 4 or 5. We started realizing that this was more than just a kid kind of playing with ideas about gender. It wasn’t about like dressing up in girl clothes at school just to see what that felt like. There was something more deeply bothering her about her gender. And at her school one day, I think in kindergarten — she goes to a pretty progressive school — and she saw a Transgender Day of Visibility sign on the wall. And she came home and was like, “What does'transgender' mean?” And I explained it to her and she said, “I think that’s me.” ◄█► In the summer of 2021, swimmer Lia Thomas made headlines and blew up social media when she became the first transgender swimmer to win the NCAA 500-meter freestyle¹. There have been other elite-level transgender athletes before her: Caitlyn Jenner is probably the most obvious and famous, but she didn’t transition until long after she’d won gold in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics; then there was tennis player Renée Richards, who successfully sued the U.S. Tennis Association to be able to play on the women’s tour when she was in her 40s, but never managed to 1

win a tournament against her much younger, cisgender female opponents.² Gender — particularly where transgender women are concerned — has been a flagship wedge issue in America’s political and culture wars for much of the past decade. Two thousand twenty-three, for example, saw the introduction of 563 bills addressing trans issues in 49 states across the country. Compare that to the mere 19 bills introduced just eight years ago in 2015, the year after Obergefell v.

Hodges legalized gay marriage, and it’s clear how preoccupied Americans have become with transgender politics.

For better and worse, Thomas became the face of America’s growing, largely bipartisan anxiety about trans issues.

Sure, conservatives like Lauren Boebert came out against Thomas, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came out against her on X. But there were countless lesbians and feminists on the left as well — many of whom had previously denounced

"WHERE IS MY KID SUPPOSED TO PLAY? IF SHE CAN’T BE ON A GIRLS TEAM — AND IN MANY STATES, LEGISLATORS ARE MAKING IT ILLEGAL FOR KIDS TO PLAY ON THE SPORTS TEAM THAT ALIGNS WITH THEIR GENDER IDENTITY" Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling for her many statements on X asserting that trans women aren’t, and can never be, female³ — who joined the chorus of opponents of transgender athletes. And the crux of it all, as people on all sides of the political spectrum have claimed, is that transgender female athletes are

physically different; they’re stronger; they went through male puberty; they have an advantage.4 Right?

Maybe ... but how much of a difference? And how much of an advantage does Thomas, or any other transgender athlete have, if any? And, if they do, what kind of advantage is it? ◄█► Where is my kid supposed to play?

If she can’t be on a girls team — and in many states, legislators are making it illegal for kids to play on the sports team that aligns with their gender identity — where are they supposed to go? That’s what I want to say to people who are challenging the right of Lia Thomas to swim and compete against women. Because the truth is, when she started taking estrogen, she lost her strength and her speed. She may still have some physiological advantages from having been through a puberty with testosterone, but it’s not the same as competing against other men. So I just think it’s thorny. And I don’t know, I don’t have all the answers, but I certainly think that kids who have not gone through puberty should be allowed to play wherever they think they belong. If you’re a trans girl, and you take puberty blockers, and then you start taking estrogen when you’re old enough, and you never go through a male puberty — like, why would you be any different than the cisgender girls on your team? ◄█► To get a better understanding of how advantages and differences are defined in sports, I contacted Joanna Harper, PhD. Harper is transgender and a competitive runner. She’s also the author of “Sporting Gender: The History, Science, and Stories of Transgender and Intersex Athletes.”

Where elite amateur and professional sports are concerned, says Harper, there are two kinds of advantages: competition advantages and category advantages.

“Competition advantages are those advantages that are part and parcel of any given competition,” Harper says.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 ...

She also happened to be the first openly transgender swimmer to win a competition at that level.

Later in life Richards also came to believe that had she transitioned when she was in her early 20s that she would have been unstoppable as a female tennis player, and ultimately came out against transgender women competing against cisgender women.

2

3

Search “J.K. Rowling comments on trans women” for any number of complete recaps of the controversy.

4

T hese were my own mother’s comments about the Lia Thomas controversy at the time. And though she would never call herself a TERF — a transexclusionary radical feminist — she’s definitely a lesbian and a feminist.

ON USING AI IMAGES

Poetry prepared me for AI. Twenty-five years ago, a poet and computer engineer named Alex Cory created a webpage with an algorithm that wrote poetry. Whenever you went to the page, you’d see the poem being written by the algorithm in real time. To paraphrase the Greek philosopher Heraclitus: You never saw the same poem twice. You could take a screen grab or a photo of the site, but the poem wasn’t meant to be permanent. The algorithm was, in many ways, the poem. And what it generated, for me, was surprise and wonder and delight more than any feeling of doom or obsolescence. As far as the arts go, poetry’s never been much of a moneymaker, which makes it an amateur’s (lover’s) pursuit.

It's fascinating to me now, 25 years later, that AI art sites like Chat GPT, Mid-Journey and Firefly are generating art from what is, to me, poetry. For this story about a young transgender soccer player who had to remain anonymous for safety reasons, I was stumped as to how it could be visually illustrated. I wanted this story to move beyond the cultural ideas and stereotypes we have of transgender athletes because, as sports science shows us, they are not so very unusual. But differences have a way of becoming magnified when we fear them. The classic Marvel comic book "X-Men" took a novel approach to human differences and inverted them to show a way they can be beautiful, powerful and heroic. Elite athletes are already revered in our culture, and the Olympics, with its ancient Greek origins, invites us to see the athletes as mythical heroes. What if instead of seeing transgender athletes as people with differences to be feared, I wondered, we tried instead to see them as different heroes — heroes like the X-Men? And so I turned to poetry and played with words in the prompt box of Firely, Adobe’s AI art generator, and entered: “Transgender mythical creature holding soccer ball,” and “Transgender mythical creature sprinting in Olympic stadium,” etc. The results were not only surprising, but surprisingly beautiful. I hope readers, too, no matter what their feelings or opinions are about matters of gender, will be surprised by the science, and open to seeing the ways the myths we create can shape how we see the world.

—Noel Black

12 | Colorado Springs Independent | CSINDY.com

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NEWS. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 ...

A 7-foot-tall basketball player, for example, or a left-handed pitchers in baseball, have competition advantages.

“So, it’s a competition advantage to be left-handed, but it’s not necessary to create a whole [separate] category. So there’s not left-handed and right-handed baseball,” she says. “Then there are category advantages, where the advantage is so large that we need to separate people into categories based on this advantage. If we look at boxing, size is such a difference that a little boxer cannot beat a big boxer. So, we have weight categories in boxing.”

Few dispute that the sex differences between male and female athletes is also a categorical advantage. Harper herself doesn’t dispute it. But what makes us male and female is another matter entirely where hormones and the role they play in defining our sex (regardless of our gender) are concerned.

A lot of this seems like common sense, but the line can get blurry. And pretty much all forms of doping are considered an illegal categorical advantage by most world sports authorities. But things get a lot more complicated when gender and hormones enter the arena, says Harper.

“And so, the question, especially around transgender women in particular, is: Are the advantages — and trans women undeniably have some advantages over cisgender typical women — so great that they are category advantages? Or are these advantages small enough that they can be considered competition advantages?” ◄█► For most people, there’s no need to question the binary nature of gender. There are girls and boys, pink and blue, women’s restrooms and men’s restrooms. There’s no reason to question or doubt this binary because our culture and our language have enshrined it. And most of humanity fits neatly into this binary, says Harper. In fact, it’s estimated that somewhere between 98 and 99 percent of humanity fit neatly into either male or female categories. But for that 1 to 2% of the population, science and our biology, she says, tell a more complex story.

“One and a half percent of humanity equals 100 million people. And that’s a lot of people on the planet who don’t fall

DHT5. And DHT is, neatly into the sex/ among other things, gender binary.” responsible for the Harper says that formation of male most of those genitalia,” Harper 100 million can says. “So if you broadly be sorted have a deficiency in into two other 5-Alpha Reductase, categories: people then your body can’t with what are process testosterone called Differences into DHT. And of Sexual very often these Development (DSD) people are born and transgender with female-typical people. People with genitalia.”

DSD have some sort As such, they’re of chromosomal often assigned and/or physical female at birth. characteristics “that But because they somehow blur the have undescended line between male testes, they still and female.”

There are multiple Caster Semenya of South Africa | go through “a manifestations of Credit: Bob Ramsak, via Wikimedia Commons testosterone-fueled masculinizing DSD. A relatively puberty.” common one, says ◄█► Harper, is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), where the adrenal glands don’t Probably the best-known athlete with work the same way as they do in other 5-ARD is the South African middlepeople. distance runner Caster Semenya. As “And it can lead to substantial levels a teenager, Semenya quickly became of androgens in people with XX dominant in international competitions. chromosomes who we would normally call She took gold in the 800-meter event at women, and they can develop some fairly the 2009 World Championship in Berlin. masculine characteristics,” Harper says.

But shortly after she won, the International Androgens are hormones. And the most Amateur Athletic Federation, which is common androgen is testosterone. But now known as World Athletics, demanded women born with CAH don’t normally that Semenya submit to a genetic sex have testosterone levels high enough to verification test to prove that she was matter where elite sports are concerned. female. When the test revealed that Less common, but of more interest to Semenya was XY and had 5-ARD, she was sports, are people with so-called XY ordered to take estrogen if she wanted to DSD, or “people who are born with a continue to compete as a woman.

Y chromosome and hence with testes, In other words, World Athletics decided but are [also] born with external female that Semenya had an unfair categorical genitalia.” The testes, says Harper, usually advantage over her fellow female athletes. remain undescended, and so despite their And after Semenya won gold at the Y chromosomes, these people “get sorted 2018 Olympics, World Athletics banned into the female bin.” These individuals are female athletes with DSD who didn’t commonly referred to as “intersex.” lower their testosterone levels below 5 There’s a spectrum of these XY DSDs nanomoles per liter. But they were only that fall under the intersex umbrella. But banned from the 400, the 800, the 1500 the most controversial one where elite and the mile — events that Semenya sports is concerned is called 5-Alpha competed in. Semenya sued multiple times Reductase Deficiency, or 5-ARD. but ultimately lost. Then, in 2023, they “5-Alpha Reductase is an enzyme that’s lowered the testosterone threshold even used to process testosterone into another further to 2.5 nanomoles per liter. androgen called Dihydrotestosterone, or In some ways, World Athletics seemed

to be saying that athletes with DSD were inadvertently doping and required them to take performance de-enhancing drugs.

Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency in Colorado Springs, oversaw the Lance Armstrong doping investigation, among other highprofile cases. He says Semenya’s case is particularly difficult.

“Look, I think it’s [World Athletics] trying to provide fairness for this category of female runners based on what they think is the right way to define what fairness looks like within that category. And that’s what sport is all about — it’s defining these rules. Not everybody’s going to like them.”

For Semenya, following the rules meant taking estrogen to make things fair. And for her it was like a 7-foot-tall basketball player being asked to compete on their knees. In an op-ed for the New York Times in 2023, Semenya acknowledged that World Athletics believed that what they were offering — that she lower her testosterone or compete in different events — was fair. But for her, the implications were unacceptable.

“Both of these suggestions are insulting,” she wrote. “I am not a man. I have spent years in legal battles, fighting to be able to race without restrictions. But today I could compete only if I altered my hormone levels. For me, participating in a third category of human gender identity would be accepting being othered, accepting the discrimination that I had fought against. It would mean giving up the identity I’d been born with and had never questioned to take on a new one I didn’t believe.”

Semenya’s case raises a host of seemingly irreconcilable issues around gender and hormones in sport that shed a curious light on the Lia Thomas debate: First, Semenya doesn’t in any way identify as transgender or intersex.

Nevertheless, World Athletics used her DSD to categorize her natal body in a gender limbo that defies the binary divisions of men’s and women’s sports.

Second, World Athletics’ requirement that Semenya lower her testosterone level in order to compete is a de facto definition of gender in sports that’s based on hormone levels alone6.

Third, despite defining Semenya as a man based on her hormone levels, World

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 ...

5

DHT is also responsible for male-pattern baldness.

6

A s of the writing of this piece, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and the professional-level National Women Soccer League both allow for transgender women as long as they live and present themselves as women and have testosterone levels at or below 10 nanomoles/liter, which is slightly above the high end of the range of the average cisgender women’s testosterone levels. Many sports governing agencies are also allowing transgender women who never went through male puberty to compete in the same categories as cisgender women. However, World Athletics still bans transgender women in many sports, and bans women with DSD unless they lower their testosterone to 2.5 nanomoles/liter.

14 | Colorado Springs Independent | CSINDY.com

August 8 - August 21 | 15

NEWS. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 ...

Athletics did not object to the potential category advantages that Semenya’s testosterone levels might have given her even if she lowered her testosterone, which is the primary objection to trans women competing against natal women even when they’ve lowered their testosterone and raised their estrogen to within the normal female range.

Finally, when Semenya did lower her hormone levels in order to compete, she was still an elite-level athlete, but no longer held a significant advantage over her female competitors, which would suggest that lowering one’s testosterone does, in fact, level the playing field, turning what might otherwise be unacceptable categorical advantages into acceptable competitive advantages.

So, shouldn’t Lia Thomas, by Word Athletics’ definition, be allowed to compete if her testosterone and estrogen levels fall within normal female range for at least six months before she would compete even if she does have certain physical advantages gained by going through male puberty?

And what about young trans athletes like Carly’s daughter, Alana, who hasn’t even gone through puberty yet, and may take puberty blockers or begin taking estrogen?

What will the rules look like for her when she’s old enough to play for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team? And will she have to be the one to challenge those rules?7 ◄█► Initially, I was very afraid when my daughter started playing on a girls soccer team for the first time that somehow people would suspect or challenge her right to be there or say something rude. I was personally afraid she would get hit in the balls. And what do you do if you’re a girl and you display something that people aren’t used to happening to girls like terrible pain getting kicked in the groin?

And none of that happened, thank God. She, for all the world, looks like a girl and she is a really good soccer player. There are other good technical players on her team, but she stands out. Not in a way that anyone has, so far, pulled us aside and challenged us. But I think as decisions get made about puberty and as more of her teammates go through puberty, it’s going to be something that comes up more. And we have to figure out how to navigate it. ◄█► 7

Joanna Harper calls this “athletic gender.”

Joanna Harper says Carly’s daughter is unlikely to have any significant or noticeable biological advantages over her fellow soccer players at this point. And if she does take puberty blockers, or begins to take estrogen, it’s possible that there would never be a significant difference in her abilities. But what makes a person transgender aren’t the hormones, says Harper.

“In a mental sense, it could be said that you have a boy body and a girl brain, or a girl body and a boy brain,” she says. “It would be an oversimplification of this, but there are definitely brain sex differences that occur in trans people so that our sense of who we are varies from how we were assigned at birth.”

In other words, the hormones that transgender people are prescribed, whether testosterone or estrogen, only help to bring the person’s body into alignment with the gender of their brain. Or at least, that’s the theory, says Harper.

“The theory is that male-female differentiation, physical differentiation, starts in about six weeks, and it’s based on a signal from the SRY gene that sends boys down the boy path,” Harper says. “And if you don’t get the signal, then you go down the girl path, physically.”

But there are other testosterone surges during fetal development.

“And, presumably, some of those surges affect the brain because there are wellrecognized differences between male brains and female brains,” she says. “And so it’s certainly possible that a human being could get the signal to go down the boy path at six weeks physically, but not get the signals later on to go down the male brain development path. And so this is the theory of how that happens.”

While this theory has yet to be proven, says Harper, “it may in some sense, at some point be possible to tell somebody’s gender identity at birth just by doing a brain scan.”

But will it be possible to detect anything or everything in between? Could an athlete like Caster Semenya be both intersex and transgender? And what about Carly’s daughter, Alana, who sees herself as transgender, but doesn’t act or present as a typical girl?

The lack of clarity around these issues is a major part of what makes so many people uncomfortable with the whole question of gender fluidity and the wide CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 ...

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spectrum of gender expression that’s become increasingly visible over the past 10 years, which raises the question: How did we arrive at the whole notion of binary gender categories of male and female for sports in the first place? ◄█► The first time I took her shopping for clothes that would signal to the rest of the world that she was a girl, I really broke down and could barely do it because it felt weird to me to buy a skirt or a dress or something pink for this child that I saw as my son. And then I felt guilty about that because I was subscribing to, you know, gender stereotypes and maybe a little of my own internalized misogyny.

And so, you know, as much as we tried to always be supportive, I think we — and maybe me more than my husband — really struggled internally with this thing that was becoming so obvious we couldn’t ignore it. It was between kindergarten and first grade when we had heard from some experts, like, to give her a chance.

Maybe if we went out of town to try on this other identity and see how it went. And so, you know, hastily bought a couple of clothes that seemed right. And we went to visit some friends out of town and she dressed like a girl. I put a barrette in her really short hair and it was like a total transformation. The cloud lifted. She looked so happy. And, you know, when we got back, we asked is, do you want to keep doing this? And she said, yes, I mean, unequivocally. So we hastily wrote a letter to her teacher and she started first grade socially identifying as a girl. And her name was easy to make a feminine version of.

And everyone got behind that as quickly as we could. And so that was the social transition. ◄█► Donna Hoover (now Sorensen) was a sophomore at Golden High School in Golden, Colorado, when she started playing soccer for the boys team in 1976.

“It was really just in pick-up games like after school and weekends with some friends of mine who were all guys, and we were just, you know, informally kicking the ball around,” she says. “Nothing sanctioned. … It was the only team we had in the school, so it was all boys. I was the only girl on the team, but didn’t really think anything about it.”

The coach, Tracy Fifer, was fine with it. And the parents were fine with it.

But, according to CU Denver professor

Sarah Fields, author of the book “Female Gladiators: Gender, Law, and Contact Sport in America” — the Colorado State High School Athletic Association, or CHSSA, was not.

“It’s a contact sport. Therefore, you cannot play. We have banned girls from playing contact sports, which [CHSSA] could do under the rules of Title IX,” Fields says.

Fields says that competitive elite sports are a relatively modern “reinvention.”

“We can go back to the ancient Greek Olympic Games, and that’s organized sport and exclusively male. There were parallel games, Hera games, but they weren’t nearly as big or dramatic, and they didn’t survive historically.

So, from the very beginning of organized sport, we see a gender segregation.”

Modern organized sports, says Fields, didn’t begin until the Industrial Revolution.

“With the Industrial Revolution comes leisure time, and with it also comes a shift in labor. Labor stops being agrarian, which requires strength and physical activity, and starts being more intellectual, bankers, numbers, things like that.”

And that led to what was called “the muscular Christianity movement,” which promoted sports as a way for these men who no longer worked with their hands to prove their masculinity. Sports also became a way for urban do-gooders to keep working class boys off the city streets, especially after child labor laws were enacted.

“You have all these kids, and if they’re not working in factories, their fear was they’d be delinquents and cause trouble, especially poorer kids,” Fields says.

Most organized sports leagues and sports facilities in the first half of the 20th century were created by churches and the playground associations, and they were almost exclusively for boys.

“Nobody was terribly concerned about gangs of young women running around and causing trouble,” Fields says.

There were some exceptions.

“One of the things that happens in this time period is what we sometimes call 'the skirt rule,' which is if a woman can participate in the event in a skirt, it’s OK for her to do so,” she says.

Tennis, for example, was one of the sports where women could participate and excel.

But beyond these exceptions, says Fields,

| Credit: Noel Black via Firefly sports were generally thought of as “a guy thing” — a perception that largely persisted until 1972 when Title IX passed as part of a massive omnibus education package.

Though few would have known it then, Title IX would become a tidal wave of change for women’s sports that started deep in the middle of an ocean of legal text. It’s only 37 words, and it says: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

And those 37 words got very little attention at the time.

“The New York Times, when they reported on the passage of the whole bill, gave one sentence to Title IX out of a twopage spread,” says Fields Title IX also didn’t mention sports at all.

Its inclusion in the Omnibus Education bill was meant to ensure that women had equal access to education. Up until that point, women were frequently denied access to all manner of educational programs and teaching opportunities.

“And only after it gets through did somebody think, ‘Oh, crap, all of our sports programs are run through our educational programs,’” says Fields.

The United States was (and still is) unique in the way its sports opportunities are largely organized through schools. And this presented a huge dilemma for public high schools in particular, which had invested heavily in football. Football, says

Fields, was already vying to be America’s favorite sport, and it was expensive. And using tax dollars to pay for it meant it had to be justified as an educational experience.

“And if it’s an educational experience, then we have to open it to girls. And so there was a kind of, oh, crap moment where Congress promptly tried to figure out how to shut the Title IX door on sport,” Fields says.

And at first, says Susan Ware, professor of history at New York University and the author of Title IX: A Brief History with Documents, that Title IX door seemed to open into a world where everything in education would be treated as gender neutral.

“The model is that, all right, so you just get rid of these distinctions between the sexes,” Ware says. “You do a gender-blind approach to equality, which was the way that they wrote the civil rights laws. And that’s what most of Title IX does.”

That meant that everybody would be able to try out for the football team, says Fields.

But that didn’t happen.

“There was an amendment offered in the Senate that passed, which basically said that the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, which was charged with figuring out how to implement Title IX, that they should just keep in mind that certain sports were super important to Americans,” she says.

Gym classes, which were intended primarily for health and recreation, could be co-ed. But once it became apparent that competitive school sports like football

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 ...

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ARTS

‘VARMINT’ A DIFFERENT BREED OF HORROR Indie film combines cowboys, Christianity and community

E

By CANNON TAYLOR cannon.taylor@ppmc.live

very weekend, a group of Colorado Springs creatives abandon their roles as nurses, hairdressers and insurance salesmen to huddle around in an old barn in Black Forest and film cowboys brawling and rolling around in the dirt.

“By the end of the day, we’re all just hacking up a lung,” said Dana Kjeldsen, local filmmaker.

This grimy barnyard setting has been the weekend getaway spot for Kjeldsen and his talented cast and crew since July 5, when filming began on indie horror film “Varmint.”

“Varmint” follows the Denton gang of outlaws as they hide in a barn during a rainstorm following a failed bank robbery.

When they discover a young man left for dead in the barn, an unnatural force makes itself known, and the gang becomes cornered by paranoia and the past.

Kjeldsen sees the horror in the Western and the Western in the horror. Both cowboys and final girls must struggle to survive in lawless lands. The theme of survival is emphasized when you snatch the cowboy off his horse, trap him in a barn and prevent him from riding off into the sunset.

Inspired by similar one-location films like “The Thing,” Kjeldsen is using the isolated setting to deconstruct the hypermasculine idea of the cowboy and, in turn, masculinity itself.

“You have your John Wayne in your head any time you think of a Western. But what does it actually mean to be that kind of man?” Kjeldsen said.

Also central to the film is the theme of forgiveness, as each of the eight members of the Denton gang grapple with the hurt that has been inflicted on them, as well as the hurt they’ve inflicted on others.

Kjeldsen, a lifelong Christian, has been interested ideas like atonement even

Cowboy James Perez braves the rain. | Credit: Duncan Hollis longer than he’s been interested in horror.

Kjeldsen’s faith is a strong influence on his artistry, yet he’s heard sermons about the demonic nature of horror movies at church ever since his grandmother introduced him to the genre. He finds that viewpoint ironic, coming from people who have sanitized the image of the cross, a torture device, to wear around their necks.

Recalling playing Jesus Christ in the play “The Thorn,” Kjeldsen compared carrying a cross through the theater in a loincloth, covered in fake blood and screaming, to a horror scene.

“There’s some form of a paradox, in-between faith and art, in finding the beauty in the grotesque, and about finding redemption in the horror,” he said.

Unimpressed by the black-and-white messaging of most Christian filmmaking, Kjeldsen prefers to present morally ambiguous characters to the audience and let them come to their own conclusions.

“The whole point of being an actor is exploring your empathy for other people,” said Kjeldsen, whose day job is in mental health and addiction recovery.

The empathy certainly seems to shine through on set. Actor Ben Darby recalled seeing crew members in tears behind the camera as they watched the actors play off each other in an emotionally driven scene.

Darby believes that a driving factor creating these powerful, vulnerable performances is the collaborative nature of Kjeldsen’s filmmaking. In film, actors

Angel Valentino ponders behind Ryan Swanson and James Perez. | Credit: Duncan Hollis are often paid to say their lines and leave.

Meanwhile, Kjeldsen takes a much more theatrical approach to filmmaking, rehearsing the material extensively ahead of filming, discussing character motivations with actors and allowing them to bring their own ideas to the table.

The collaborative nature extends to the crew as well as the cast; everyone brings outside expertise to the film. Costume designer Amy Haines is finishing her PhD in Wild West history and has used that knowledge to provide input on the accuracy of the props and set as well as the costumes. The first assistant director, Bethany Houk, is a full-time nurse, ready to leap into action in the case of injury.

Technical director Lyn Huff is using their fire safety training to keep an eye on the period-accurate lanterns decorating the barn. The set designer, Robert Lighthall, provided script notes, helping Kjeldsen fix the finale of the film.

It's not just a collaborative community environment, but a supportive and fun one as well; it has to be, to survive the long days and dusty lungs. The cast and crew help each other combat the aesthetically pleasing (but pulmonically difficult) dust with masks and Liquid I.V., and even manage not to get sick of each other during the 15-hour filming days.

“All of us are still choosing to go over to one of our actor’s houses for lunch together,” Kjeldsen said. “We still want to

A heated exchange between Angel Valentino and Ryan Swanson. | Credit: Duncan Hollis

spend those two hours together… no one feels the need to get away from each other for part of the day.”

“Varmint” will wrap up filming by the end of August, which will be followed by post-production. Kjeldsen is hoping for a summer 2025 premiere and success at local film festivals. The first round of crowdfunding raised $6,000. A second round of crowdfunding will occur closer to the release date. Those interested in the project can follow Great Dane Productions on Facebook for consistent updates.

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She had been volunteering at the museum 35 years ago, around the time that Elsie underwent a restoration process. It was interesting to hear that pre-glow-up, Elsie’s lovely, white,

By LAUREN CIBOROWSKI pleated dress was dingy and the wood panhe lighting in this particular back room eling behind her was so dark as to be nearly at the Fine Arts Center was not exactly inscrutable. influencer level — I doubt anyone had We also learned that assistant registrar Chriseven considered a ring light. The product? tian Valvano was, in essence, Elsie’s chauffeur Well … it was not the most up-and-coming thing in any category that I can think of. And for this long journey, following her whether the influencers themselves: a carefully gloved, by truck, freight or boat to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, then the Tate in London, motley crew of fine art museum administrathen home. Under Valvano’s watchful eye, tors. and sometimes the eyes of security guards, But the box — the box was formidable.

Elsie was painstakingly packed, repacked, Wooden, sturdy, “like a battleship,” as appreand transported under controlled conditions ciatively described by exhibition preparator to each of the stops on her adventure. Today’s Jonathan Dankenbring. It’s maybe 2 feet unboxing was partially to ascertain that she deep by 7 feet tall by 5 feet wide and weighs had incurred no damage along the way. There several hundred pounds. were a few tense moments as a powdery As you may have surmised by now, this box substance was detected on the back of the was not the result of an Amazon Prime order, wooden frame, but it was quickly determined and the audience of 50-some-odd people was to be paint from the walls of the other musenot about to see the latest antiaging serum. ums. And so, after about an hour’s worth of This box contained art, the beloved “Portrait work, she was deemed unscathed. of Miss Elsie Palmer” by John Singer Sargent, home from two far-flung jaunts to other muse- Those of us who were lucky enough to be in attendance were then allowed to get a closer ums after having been on loan. look before the curators placed Elsie back If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing this on a nearby wall. They had also laid out an beloved oil painting, let me, um … paint you X-ray of Elsie’s face, showing that Sargent a picture. It’s a whopping 6-ish by 4-ish feet had originally painted her with a toothy smile. in size and depicts a 17-year-old Elsie Palmer I for one am glad he settled on the more Mona (daughter of Colorado Springs’ own Gen. Lisa-esque grin of the finished product as we Palmer), staring winsomely at the viewer, know it. wearing a high necked, bell-sleeved, pleated Heading out, I stopped for a minute to chat white gown. with the new executive director of the FAC. The afternoon had been kicked off with a “We love having Elsie back,” enthused Nicole lively Q&A by Director of Visual Arts and Museum Michael Christiano. Current number Herndon. “She has such a special history and memories in the community.” Kudos to the of pieces at the FAC? Some 18,000. Most Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorarequested artwork by current Colorado College students for coursework? Floyd Tunson. do College for this new event. It was such a Length of time it took Sargent to paint Elsie? cool opportunity to see the exacting, fascinating work that goes into getting a piece of art About a year, starting in 1889. from crate to wall. Welcome home, Elsie!

After a careful inspection of the outer wooden crate, two preparators gingerly tipped it on You need art. Art needs you.

T

W.I.P. IT

its side, and then lowered it gently all the way Lauren Ciborowski writes about the arts and to the floor. Next came the removal of a few music in every issue. W.I.P. stands for Works dozen screws, and with that, the lid was pried in Progress.

August 8 - August 21 | 21

MUSIC

SHALLOW AS A KIDDIE POOL

Gordon/Robyn Brooks (played by John Cusack/ personal expression — granted to us by the Zoë Kravitz, as written by Nick Hornby) in the First Amendment and backed by the opinion monumental book/film/TV show “Hi Fidelity,” of multiple Supreme Court rulings (back “What really matters is what you like, not what when it actually mattered) — that allows us you are like. ... Books, records, films — these to connect to other like-minded people. How acrobatic, booty-shakin’ drag shows by Potted things matter. Call me shallow but it's the else are you supposed to walk up to a complete Plant, and some surprises not yet public — all f****n' truth.” stranger and scream “Cockaroo!” unless they of which will invariably help you on your And if that seems shallow, then call me are wearing a Conan O’Brien T-shirt? With quest to be cool and make and do cool things!

MF-Kiddie-Pool because, as a semi-fictional, shirt — new best friend. No shirt — punched Admission is free, and consumables and record store-owning hopeless romantic, I am in the face. Believe me, this I know! Sure, it imbibables are cheap! shallow AF and truly believe that the books, can be perceived as pretentious, pompous and And if Sundays don’t work for you because, records and films that you consume and enjoy shallow to judge someone for their T-shirt, but like, church or whatever, you can catch similar are as inextricably woven into the fiber of your it is also an extremely efficient way to meet vibes every third Saturday of the month at spiritual being as the food, medicine and drugs people and make new friends.

Bancroft Park in Old Colorado City. Prethat you consume to create the very flesh and And in the spirit of making cool new friends sented by my other friends (see what’s happenblood of your physical being. In the personally whilst bonding over cool records, fashion and ing, here?) from the vintage/resale collective mind-altering words bestowed upon us by the pop culture, I’d like to invite you all to check Electric Goodies (501 W. Colorado Ave.), late Earl Nightingale in his magnum 1956 out some kick-ass new events being thrown “Goodies and Grooves” is a monthly market

By ADAM LEECH book/record “The Strangest Secret,” “You around town — starting with my friends Erica with vintage clothing vendors, live local music are now, and you do become, what you think Rose and Missa Webb of Vintage and Vinyl and food trucks. “The heart of this is how local hat up, britches!

Anything interesting happen over about.” Simply stated, if you want to be cool, Co., who have recently opened a (you guessed it feels,” says E.G. owner Colleen Andrae. the last two weeks? El-Oh-El? Es- you have to think about cool things. Further it) vintage and vinyl shop and are throwing “It’s direct support to small businesses, upEm-Aitch? Eff-Em-El … Seriously, though? to the point, he states unequivocally, “Nothing Weekly Summer Markets at Coati Uprise and-coming food trucks and local musicians.”

Anything?ll, then, since nothing of significance great has ever come without inspiration,” and (514 S. Tejon St.) every Sunday through Translation: Even more friends! on a national/international/universal and/or I think you’d be hard-pressed to argue that September. The markets feature a gaggle of Maybe, just maybe, if Conan O’Brien would metaversal quantum dysto/utopian space time music, cinema and literature aren’t some of the over 25 independent vendors (i.e., new friends) come down and hung out with us, he wouldn’t continuum has transpired in the last month/ most inspirational forms of artwork humans and are packed with all manners of cool have to make a silly podcast to trick celebrities week/day/minute, I’ll just wax poetic on what have ever created. things. Add to that a rotation of kick-ass “disc into being his friend! Just sayin’ Coco, just truly matters in this “mixed up, muddled up, Taking it a step further, I would argue that sayin’. … Smell you later. jockeys”: DJ Piranha Non Grata, DJ Joe shook up world,” and according to fictional equally important to the development and Slivik, DJ Gravity and a possible appearance Adam Leech is the proprietor of Leechpit Records & record store owner and helpless romantic Rob dissemination of “cool” is the freedom of by some jerk named “Professor” Leechpit), Vintage at 3020 W. Colorado Ave.

WHAT’S GOING ON?

W

MEST - SEP 24 (ON SALE NOW) JULIE - OCT 12 (ON SALE NOW) PAIN OF TRUTH, DYING WISH OCT 18 (ON SALE NOW)

ARCHERS - NOV 5 (ON SALE NOW) SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS NOV 10 (ON SALE NOW) KING BUFFALO - DEC 6 (ON SALE NOW)

Fri, Aug. 9 - 7:00pm

Fri, Aug. 16 - 7:00pm

INDIE 102.3 PRESENTS

BEN NICHOLS OLIVER PECK, KENNY FEIDLER Sat, Aug. 10 - 7:00pm

BANDWAGON PRESENTS - END OF SUMMER SENDOFF

AFROMAN

AFFLICTION MUSIC, HOLY SMOKE, SHANEATHAN, DAVIDSOLDOUT Wed, Aug. 14 - 7:00pm

THELASTREDCHANCE JUMPSUIT APPARATUS FOR FIRST PLACE, SAINTS OF NEVER AFTER Thu, Aug. 15 - 7:00pm

THEHAYWARD CRANE WIVES WILLIAMS AUG 28 - MICHAEL MARCAGI AUG 29 - OHGEESY W/ 310BABII AUG 30 - GREY DAZE SEP 4 - PLUSH SEP 6 - LEVELS HOUSE PARTY SEP 7 - ITCHY-O SEP 11 - ROBERT JON & THE WRECK SEP 12 - BUMPIN UGLIES SEP 14 - TAYLOR’S VERSION

SEP 15 - BADFISH SEP 19 - KELLER WILLIAMS SEP 20 - TROPIDELIC SEP 21 - GALACTIC EMPIRE SEP 22 - BRUJERIA SEP 24 - MEST SEP 25 - RICHIE KOTZEN SEP 26 - ZULU + CANDY SEP 28 - THEE SINSEERS, THE ALTONS

MAC SABBATH TEJON STREET CORNER THIEVES, SPACEMAN BOB

Sat, Aug. 18 - 7:00pm

A REGGAE-INFUSED TRIBUTE TO THE GRATEFUL DEAD

GRATEFUL DUB ROOTS OF CREATION Tue, Aug. 20 - 7:00pm

RED WANTING BLUE JUNO ROSSA Fri, Aug. 23 - 8:00pm LIL PEEP EDITION

SAD! - AN EMO RAP THING THE EMO NIGHT TOUR Sat, Aug 24 - 8:00pm, Ages 21+

OCT 1 - TAYLOR ACORN OCT 2 - SLENDERBODIES OCT 3 - TURNOVER OCT 6 - CKY OCT 8 - THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT OCT 9 - ATLAS GENIUS, ROBERT DELONG OCT 12 - JULIE OCT 16 - OSEES

1-866-468-3399

22 | Colorado Springs Independent | CSINDY.com

MUSIC.

Springs SCENE

Afroman plays the Black Sheep on Aug. 10 | Courtesy: The Black Sheep

Local Live Music, Aug. 8-21 THURSDAY, AUG. 8

Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Drive. 7 p.m.

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

Dead Floyd | Tribute band performing at Sunshine Studios Live. 3970 Clear View Frontage Road. 7 p.m.

Black Forest Summer Music in the Park: Front Range Big Band | Jazz quintet performing at the Black Forest Community Center. 12530 Black Forest Road. 5:30 p.m.

Fleece, Krew, Anthony Ruptak | Pop bands performing at Lulu’s Downtown. 32 S. Tejon St. 7 p.m.

Creekwalk Summer Concerts: Spinphony | Electric swing quartet performing at Creekwalk. 100 E. Cheyenne Road. 6 p.m.

Harbor & Home | Indie band performing at Oskar Blues Colorado Springs. 118 N. Tejon St. 7 p.m.

Mitchell Ferguson | Indie singer performing at Vultures. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

Clint Black | Country musician performing at Pikes Peak Center. 190 S. Cascade Ave. 7:30 p.m.

OneRepublic | Pop band performing at Ford Amphitheater. 95 Spectrum Loop. 7:30 p.m.

The Sweet Lillies | Bluegrass band performing at Lulu’s Downtown. 32 S. Tejon St. 7 p.m.

Afroman | Rapper performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUG. 9

Blue Frog Sunday Summer Series | Weekly performances by Blue Frog at Front Range Barbeque. 2330 W. Colorado Ave. 6 p.m.

Chad Traxler | Singer-songwriter performing at Rico’s Café and Wine Bar. 322 1/2 N. Tejon St. 6 p.m.

The Burroughs & Lowdown Brass Band | Soul and brass bands performing at Lulu’s Downtown. 32 S. Tejon St. 7 p.m.

Eli Lev | Singer-songwriter performing at Crystola Roadhouse. 20918 E. U.S. Highway 24. 7 p.m.

Jazz in the Garden: Paul Musso Quartet | Jazz guitarist/vocalist performing at Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. 531 N. Tejon St. 7 p.m.

Nik Parr & The Selfless Lovers | Americana band performing at University Village Colorado Shopping Center. 5262 N. Nevada Ave. 7 p.m.

The Non-Renewed, Stoney, Qori | Indie bands performing at Vultures. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

Paizley Park: Tribute to Prince | Tribute band performing at Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Drive. 7 p.m.

OneRepublic | Pop band performing at Ford Amphitheater. 95 Spectrum Loop. 7:30 p.m.

Ben Nichols with Your Host Oliver Peck | Indie musician performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUG. 10 BoDeans | Rock band performing at Boot

SUNDAY, AUG. 11

Platte Ave. 7 p.m.

The Shivas | Rock band performing at Lulu’s Downtown. 32 S. Tejon St. 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, AUG. 15 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: Triple Play | Jazz quintet performing at the Black Forest Community Center. 12530 Black Forest Road. 5:30 p.m.

Eagles | Tribute band performing at Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Drive. 7 p.m.

Nube Nueve | Latin jazz band performing at Summa. 817 W. Colorado Ave. 7 p.m.

Hot Boots Band | Variety band performing at Back East Bar and Grill. 9475 Briar Village Point. 7:30 p.m.

Walker Hayes | Country singer performing at Ford Amphitheater. 95 Spectrum Loop.

7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUG. 18

OneRepublic | Pop band performing at Ford Amphitheater. 95 Spectrum Loop. 7:30 p.m.

Alan Parsons Live Project | Progressive rock band performing at Pikes Peak Center.

190 S. Cascade Ave. 7:30 p.m.

Blue Frog Sunday Summer Series | Weekly performances by Blue Frog at Front Range Barbeque. 2330 W. Colorado Ave. 6 p.m.

MONDAY, AUG. 12

The Crane Wives | Indie band performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

Iration and Pepper with Denm, Artikal Sound System | Reggae rock band performing at Ford Amphitheater. 95 Spectrum Loop. 6 p.m.

Tribe | Blues band performing at Gazebo Lake Park, Green Mountain Falls. 100 Lake St. 6 p.m.

The Little London Winds: People’s Choice | Free live concert in Soda Springs Park, Manitou Springs. 1016 Manitou Ave. 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, AUG. 13 A Giant Dog | Rock band performing at Vultures. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14 Hillside Gardens Summer Concert Series | Live music at Hillside Gardens. 1006 S. Institute St. 5 p.m.

Triple Play Quartet | Jazz quartet performing at Bear Creek Regional Park. 245 Bear Creek Road. 6 p.m.

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

Micky and The Motorcars | Country band performing at Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Drive. 7 p.m.

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus | Rock band performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E.

FRIDAY, AUG. 16 Front Range Big Band | Big band performing at Soda Springs Park, Manitou Springs.

1016 Manitou Ave. 6 p.m.

IDOL X: The Billy Idol Live Experience | Tribute band performing at Boot Barn Hall.

13071 Bass Pro Drive. 7 p.m.

Beach Boys | Surf rock band performing at Ford Amphitheater. 95 Spectrum Loop.

7:30 p.m.

Mac Sabbath, Tejon Street Corner Thieves, Spaceman Bob | Parody metal band performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUG. 17 Music on the Mesa with 4th Infantry Division Band of Fort Carson | Variety band perfomring at Gold Hill Mesa Community Center. 142 S. Raven Mine Drive. 4 p.m.

Sunny Sweeney | Country singer performing at Lulu’s Downtown. 32 S. Tejon St. 5:30 p.m.

The Long Run: Colorado’s Tribute to The

Grateful Dub: A Reggae-Infused Tribute To The Grateful Dead | Tribute band performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

MONDAY, AUG. 19 Nube Nueve | Latin jazz band performing at Gazebo Lake Park, Green Mountain Falls.

100 Lake St. 6 p.m.

The Hooten Hallers | Rock band performing at Vultures. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

TUESDAY, AUG. 20 Red Wanting Blue, Juno Rossa | Rock bands performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21 Hillside Gardens Summer Concert Series | Live music at Hillside Gardens. 1006 S. Institute St. 5 p.m.

The Falconaires Alumni Band | Live music at Bear Creek Regional Park. 245 Bear Creek Road. 6 p.m.

August 8 - August 21 | 23

MUSIC. The Marías play Mission Ballroom on Aug. 15. | Courtesy: Atlantic Records

Road SHOWS Statewide Live Music, Aug. 8-21 Arlo Parks | Denver Botanic Gardens, Den-

Santigold | Mission Ballroom, Denver, Aug.

ver, Aug. 8

14

Killer Mike with Hippo Campus | Ogden

Gregory Porter | Denver Botanic Gardens,

Theater, Denver, Aug. 8

Denver, Aug. 15

Mt. Joy | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison,

The Marías | Mission Ballroom, Denver, Aug.

Aug. 8-9

15

Orville Peck with Jaime Wyatt | The Fillmore

$NOT with Cochise | The Fillmore Auditori-

Auditorium, Denver, Aug. 8

um, Denver, Aug. 15

Sons of the East | Aggie Theatre, Fort

Twenty One Pilots | Ball Arena, Denver, Aug.

Collins, Aug. 8 49 Winchester | Gothic Theatre, Englewood, Aug. 9 Chief Keef | The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Aug. 9 Cults | Marquis Theater, Denver, Aug. 9 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival | Planet Bluegrass, Lyons, Aug. 9 Ryan Adams | Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Aug. 9-10 JPEGMAFIA | The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Aug. 10

Mt. Joy play Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Aug. 8 and 9 |Andrew Keyser, courtesy Shore Fire Media

Slightly Stoopid with Common Kings, Fortunate Youth | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Aug. 10 Switchfoot with Blue October, Matt Nathanson | Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre, Englewood, Aug. 10 Bruce Hornsby | Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Aug. 11

15-16 Bay Ledges | Gothic Theatre, Englewood, Aug. 16 Cody Johnson with Tracy Byrd | Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, Englewood, Aug. 16-17 Sierra Ferrell with Nick Shoulders | Mission Ballroom, Denver, Aug. 16 Spoon | Belly Up, Aspen, Aug. 16 America | Paramount Theatre, Denver, Aug. 17 Big Wild with Poolside | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Aug. 17 Jhené Aiko with UMI, Kiana Ledé | Ball Arena, Denver, Aug. 17 Joy Oladokun | Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue, Aug. 17 Tyler Childers | Folsom Field, Boulder, Aug. 17 Fitz and the Tantrums | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Aug. 18 Ginuwine | Amphitheater at Las Colonias

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | Paramount Theatre,

Park, Grand Junction, Aug. 18

Denver, Aug. 11

Phil Wickham with Hulvey, Brandon Lake |

The Head and The Heart | Red Rocks Amphi-

Ball Arena, Denver, Aug. 18

theatre, Morrison, Aug. 12-13

Shakey Graves | Dillon Amphitheater, Dillon,

Joss Stone | Chautauqua Auditorium, Boul-

Aug. 18

der, Aug. 12

Nathaniel Rateliff with Futurebirds | Red

Alice Cooper | Mission Ballroom, Denver,

Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Aug. 20-21

Aug. 13

The Struts with Barns Courtney | Mission

Banners | Marquis Theater, Denver, Aug. 13

Ballroom, Denver, Aug. 20

I Prevail with Halestorm, Hollywood Undead

$uicideboy$ with Denzel Curry, Pouya |

| Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre, Englewood,

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, Englewood,

Aug. 13

Aug. 19-20

The Revivalists with Spoon, Whitney | Red

Rhye | Bluebird Theater, Denver, Aug. 21

Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Aug. 14-15

24 | Colorado Springs Independent | CSINDY.com

EVENTS ART EXHIBITIONS Atomic Age Thursday, August 8, Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave., 10 a.m.: The Atomic Age refers to an era of world history that started with the explosive end of WWII and spanned the race to explore space. As we approach 90 seconds to midnight on the Doomsday Clock, as well as unprecedented tech advances enhancing daily life, this call for entries asked artists to use the aesthetic of the Atomic Age as a point of inspiration/departure to express an idea or composition pertinent to their experience. Through August 31. cottonwoodcenterforthearts. com.

How Do You See God? Thursday, August 8, Academy Art & Frame Company, 7560 N. Academy Blvd., 10 a.m.: “How Do You See God?” is an exhibition that asks our artists to share their thoughts and beliefs through unique works of art. And we create a unique tabletop book of all the images! This is the 14th year of the exhibition and will be our 13th edition of the book. Through August 31. academyframesco.com.

Work in Progress: Re-Envisioning the Collection Thursday, August 8, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, 30 W. Dale St., 10 a.m.: Work in Progress is an experimental series of collection-based installations designed to explore new ways of presenting and understanding the collection. Participate in the process by contributing your response to each installment through interactive activities. New works of art will be presented throughout the series in response to questions and ideas related to the upcoming reinstallation of the collection galleries. Through September 21. fac.coloradocollege.edu.

Aatika Rehman Thursday, August 8, Surface Gallery, 2752 W. Colorado Ave., 12 p.m.: My name is Aatika Rehman and I am a modern abstract painter exploring the relationship between art and healing. My goal is to create an emotional stimulation which is calming, healing and joyful. Through August 14. surfacegallerycos.com.

Anonymous Thursday, August 8, Auric Gallery, 125 E. Boulder St., 12 p.m.: An exhibit featuring over 100 artists and 200 works, all

10”x10”, all priced the same. Anonymous will be presented with no title tags! This will be a cash and carry exhibit. Through August 30. auricgallery.com.

Atmosphere: Sarah Wright Thursday, August 8, Surface Gallery, 2752 W. Colorado Ave., 12 p.m.: Sarah Wright is an abstract artist focusing on crisp lines and bold colors to express her works. This body of work explores the expression of all things pertaining to atmosphere and light.

Through August 30. surfacegallerycos. com.

Celebrating Colorado Wildflowers Thursday, August 8, Laura Reilly Fine Art Gallery and Studio, 2522A W. Colorado Ave., 12 p.m.: "Celebrating Colorado Wildflowers” will let you share the long hot dusty hikes Laura took with her paints and sketchbook to find the high country reds, gold, yellows and blues tucked into secret places. Opening July 5th during Old Colorado City’s First Friday Artwalk, the boldly colorful impressionist paintings are full of the heavily textured movement and lush color that are Laura’s signature.

Through August 31. laurareilly.com Creature Emporium: Alix Garcia Thursday, August 8, Surface Gallery, 2752 W. Colorado Ave., 12 p.m.: In Creature Emporium, Garcia designs and fabricates a menagerie of beasts inspired by cryptids, mythologies, and nature. She combines whimsical imagery with commonplace and everyday experiences in order to make interactive/semi-functional, wacky sculptures. Through August 30. surfacegallerycos.com.

Four Solo Exhibits Thursday, August 8, Auric Gallery, 125 E. Boulder St., 12 p.m.: Auric Gallery is proud to present the work of Heather Oelklaus, Nancy Roach, Annaliese Allen and Tara Kelley-Cruz. Through August 30. auricgallery.com.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

Thursday, August 8, Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum, 517 Manitou Ave., 12 p.m.: an exciting tribute to the 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Hall of Fame inductees, Clint Vahsholtz, Ari Vatanen, Ted Foltz and Beck Bechtelheimer. See the Hill Climb’s Hall of Fame members and many other exciting race photos taken by Pulitzer Prize winner, Robert Jackson. Watch our collection of PPIHC videos including the award winning “The Ari Vatanen Climb Dance.” Through September 15. manitouspringsheritagecenter.org.

In Depth: Nichole Montanez

Mark Masters Comedy, August 11 | Courtesy: markmastersco.com Thursday, August 8, Surface Gallery, 2752 W. Colorado Ave., 12 p.m.: In Depth is a return to figures but does not completely abandon the flower. Rather, the two join forces to tackle some of the harder conversations, lending each other color and strength. Through August 30. surfacegallerycos.com.

“Van Briggle Pottery” and “Garden of the Gods Pottery” Thursday, August 8, Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum, 517 Manitou Ave., 12 p.m.: See dozens of beautifully designed pottery creations crafted by Van Biggle Pottery, America’s longest-running pottery works, and The Garden of the Gods Pottery, founded by early Colorado Springs craftsman Eric Hellman. Through December 31. manitouspringsheritagecenter.org.

Journey of a Portrait: The Life and Legacy of Elsie Palmer Friday, August 9, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, 30 W. Dale St., 5:30 p.m.: Discover the fascinating story behind Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer, or A Lady in White by John Singer Sargent. This lecture coincides with the return to the FAC of “Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer,” or “A Lady in White” by John Singer Sargent after being loaned for exhibitions at other museums across the world. fac.coloradocollege.edu.

PERFORMING ARTS Comedy Show with Sam Adams Thursday, August 8, Boot Barn Hall, 13071 Bass Pro Drive, 7 p.m.: On the pages and the stages, Sam Adams is a unique and talented storyteller who has earned high praises as an award-winning

August 8 - August 21 | 25

comedian, journalist and speaker. Ages 14+. bootbarnhallco.yapsody.com.

Impossible Things Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 17, Cosmo’s Magic Theater, 1045 Garden of the Gods Road Unit 1, 7:30 p.m.: Enjoy a fun and elegant evening of comedy and magic in a beautiful Victorian parlor setting. cosmosmagictheater.com.

Magic and Mind Reading Saturday, August 10 and Friday, August 16, Cosmo’s Magic Theater, 1045 Garden of the Gods Road 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. Weekly performances throughout 2024. cosmosmagictheater.com.

Mark Masters Comedy Sunday, August 11, Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, 118 N. Tejon St., 7:30 p.m.: Mark Masters headlines Sunday Free Comedy Night at Oskar Blues Grill & Brew in downtown Colorado Springs. oskarbluesfooderies.com.

Saturday Night Improv Saturday, August 17, Yoga Studio Satya, 1581 York Road, 7:30 p.m.: If you like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” you will love our show! 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. fun@improvcolorado.com.

Jim Breuer Saturday, August 17, Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave., 8 p.m.: Jim Breuer is coming to Colorado Springs. The freewheeling, New York bred comic storyteller – who made the list of Comedy Central’s “100 Greatest Standups of All Time” – is hotter than ever, a global touring sensation and regular presence on radio and television. pikespeakcenter.com.

FOOD & DRINK CFAM Downtown Farmers Market Wednesday, August 14 and Wednesday, August 21, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon St., 3 p.m.: The Wednesday Farmers Market is a vibrant weekly event that brings together local farmers, artisans and community members in a lively and welcoming atmosphere. Held every Wednesday, the market offers a diverse selection of fresh locally grown produce, handmade crafts, baked goods and specialty foods. Visitors can enjoy live music, family-friendly activities and the opportunity to connect with local producers. farmandartmarket.com.

Comedy Show with Sam Adams, August 8 | Courtesy: samadamsdoescomedy.com

Food + Function: Dumplings Friday, August 16, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, 30 W. Dale St., 5:30 p.m.: Dive into the delicate art of dumpling making! This hands-on course will teach you how to craft dumplings from scratch, create delicious fillings and master the dumpling folding technique. When it’s time for the taste test, you’ll get to pick out a custom platter made by CC clay artists to eat your dumplings on and take home. artschool. csfineartscenter.org.

Heritage Brew Festival Saturday, August 17, Memorial Park Manitou Springs, 502 Manitou Ave., 12 p.m.: Bands, brew and Manitou! Early entry at noon. All proceeds benefit the Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum. manitouspringsheritagecenter.org.

COMMUNITY EVENTS Summer Market Thursday, August 8, Commonwheel Artists Co-op, 102 Canon Ave., Manitou Springs, 10 a.m.: Commonwheel Artists Co-op will be featuring over 20 Colorado Artists in our Summer Market. The Creek Side Gallery will be filled with unique hand-crafted gifts throughout the month of August. commonwheel.com.

Urban Market Thursday, August 8 and Thursday, August 15, 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 May through

September. bicycleresort.com/events-activities.

39th Annual Mountain Arts Festival Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11, Memorial Park, N. Park St. & W. Lake Ave., Woodland Park, 9 a.m.: There will be something for everyone, including a heaping dose of local and national art talent, live music, face painting, and some great local eats. themountainartists.org.

ManiPalooza Saturday, August 10, Soda Springs Park, 1016 Manitou Ave., 12 p.m.: Gear up for a day of family fun at ManiPalooza, the ultimate summer extravaganza in Manitou Springs! Embrace the vibrant spirit of our community at this all-day event, where music fills the air, pop-up shops line the park and tantalizing aromas waft from local food trucks. Originally known as the Silent Disco & Food Truck Rally, ManiPalooza has blossomed into a full-blown festival for all ages. manitousprings.org/ manipalooza.

Salute to American Veterans Rally and Festival Friday, August 16 and Saturday, August 17, Memorial Park, 412 N. Park St., Woodland Park, 10 a.m.: Veterans Rally attendees can expect many of the usual traditions including the awesome vendor show, live music, beer garden and amazing guest speakers. The Saturday POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony is the centerpiece of the event and is not to be missed. The annual POW/MIA Recognition Ride is billed as “Colorado’s largest procession of motorcycles.” theveteransrally.org.

Great Fire Days Saturday, August 17, The Black Monarch Hotel, 301 Victor Ave., Victor, 10

Mystic Forest Infrared” by Casey Chinn, 39th Annual Mountain Arts Festival, August 10-11 |Courtesy: The Mountain Artists and Casey Chinn a.m.: Take a step back in time with us to celebrate all things antique as we commemorate the 125th anniversary of The Great Fire - a fast-acting terror that tore through the town in 1899 and turned her to embers. This two day festival is a fundraising event for the Victor Volunteer Fire Department. We will have fire safety demonstration, hose pulling competitions, fundraising relays, fire performances after dark, and antique car clubs. The streets will be filled with pinup and vintage fashion, vendors, and family friendly fun across the board! victortourism.com.

Artisan Alley Market Saturday, August 17, 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-of-a-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 Paint. Sip. Safari.

Wednesday, August 14, 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/.

26 | Colorado Springs Independent | CSINDY.com

NEWS.

| Credit: Noel Black via Firefly CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 ...

would have to be included under the law, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare put forward two options: segregate sports by gender or make all sports available to everyone.

However, the feminist movement was overwhelmingly opposed to all sports teams being open to everyone. There was widely held assumption that if you just combined men’s and women’s sports, “that the girls would be totally frozen out and the boys would dominate,” says Ware.

“Whether that assumption should have been probed a little more at that point, very few people raised it … [it] was just unimaginable that you wouldn’t keep men’s and women’s sports separate,” she says.

And so, “they went with the gender segregation,” says Fields.

This, however, presented another problem: If there was going to be a high school football team for boys, then there’d have to be a high school football team for girls too. And that would be expensive.

The solution to this, says Fields, was to exempt all contact sports from Title IX. “And the argument is that all boys, all males, are bigger, faster and stronger than all girls and all females, and, therefore, the girls and females will be injured or harmed by playing the boys.”

But that wasn’t the only reason. It was

also thought that, “if a girl actually, by some fluke, is better than a boy, it’ll destroy the boy’s confidence and identity as a man, and they will quit,” Field says.

And because of that fear, the contact exemption allowed schools not to offer football, basketball, baseball or soccer to girls. And there was yet another caveat: There also didn’t have to be equal funding.

“There’s nothing in Title IX that says that the money has to be equal at any level for anything,” says Fields. “And the word that sometimes gets thrown around is ’equitable,’ which is different than equal. … It says if you pay the men’s coach, you have to pay the women’s coach. It doesn’t say you have to pay him the same amount, and nobody does.”

And so, with the contact exemption, boys sports were protected from girls. Or, as some thought, girls were protected from boys sports. But either way, the money for boys sports was definitely protected from girls sports. But that was just the beginning. ◄█► By the time Donna Hoover began to play for the Golden High School Junior Varsity Boys Soccer Team in 1976, the decision to separate school sports by sex and by contact had already faced several legal challenges.

Because baseball involved minimal

contact, and was an enormously important part of American identity, it was seen as symbolically vulnerable to legal challenges.

But it was Hoover and her case against the Colorado High School Athletic Association in 1976 that most fundamentally changed the landscape of girls sports in schools and universities in America.

Teacher and coach Tracy Fifer was new at Golden High School that year.

“I became the coach in 1976,” he says. “I knew that there was a girl on the team, so I went to the athletic director for the school district. His name was Mel Schwartz. And I asked him, I said, you know, 'What do I do? I have a girl on the boys soccer team.

Can she play?'”

Schwartz said no.

“And I remember asking him: 'What would happen if she did play?' And he told me he would fire me,” Fifer says.

Fifer continued to let Donna practice with the team anyway. And after the first varsity games of the season, he let Donna play with the JV team.

“We were playing Green Mountain.

And one of the Green Mountain parents called afterwards, and said, 'Why is this girl playing on Golden High School [boys team]?’ So, the school administration and Mel Schwartz from the county told me that she couldn’t even practice. So I told Donna, I’m sorry. The school district is not even allowing you to practice.”

After that, a young woman at the school wrote an article about it for the local paper, and, says Hoover, “that’s when all the uproar began about a girl playing on the team.”

Donna’s mom was having none of it. She invited one of the local TV news stations to come do a story. After the story aired, Donna was formally kicked off the team.

“The athletic director [said] that it was to protect me, that it was a contact sport, and playing with the boys would be harmful for me,” she says.

Again, “contact” was the issue everyone seemed most concerned about. Women and girls were often seen as fragile, even in sports with as little contact as soccer or baseball, where incidental contact could occasionally lead to injuries.

“So we fought that,” says Hoover. “I had two sisters, and [we were] raised by a single parent. And she taught us to pursue the things that we really wanted to do.”

Donna’s mom hired a lawyer, but the ACLU got wind of it and picked it up as a

8

The full story of Hoover v. Meiklejohn trial can be heard on the Lost Highways podcast “The Unfairer Sex” from History Colorado.

9

The first national collegiate women’s soccer championship was held just a few years later at Colorado College in Colorado Springs in 1980.

sex-discrimination case shortly after that.

Hoover v. Meiklejohn is its own fascinating story8. And when it was over, the judge ruled in favor of Hoover and gave the Colorado High School Activities Association three choices: They could either make soccer a coed sport; provide an equally funded separate girls team; or quit offering soccer as a sanctioned sport in all of the high schools throughout Colorado.

And that’s what CHSSA did — they got rid of all boys soccer teams throughout Colorado.

“I really got some interesting letters after that,” Hoover says.

“It was an emotional year for her. It was very hard. Especially after they decided to get rid of soccer. She felt so guilty.

Because now nobody was playing soccer,” says Fifer, her former coach, who did eventually lose his job for allowing Donna to play with the JV team.

“I thought, 'What have I done?!'” says Hoover.

She was worried she’d done the wrong thing and “felt like history had put a big black mark next to my name.”

But the outcry against CHSAA was massive, says Fifer, and “it was only a month or two [and CHSSA was] pressured to bring it back.”

And when they did, they sanctioned boys teams and girls teams.

The Golden High School girls soccer team became one of the first sanctioned girls soccer teams in the United States shortly after the lawsuit was settled. It happened just in time for Donna to play varsity soccer her senior year.

Although her case has largely been forgotten, Sarah Fields says that the decision was a key factor in the growth of women’s soccer in the U.S. after Title IX went into effect in 1978. Not long after the decision, women’s soccer programs exploded at the collegiate level9.

The rapid growth of soccer that started with Hoover, says Fields, ultimately led to the 30-year international dominance of the United States Women’s National Team, which won the first Women’s World Cup against Norway in China in 1990 — a feat never achieved by the US Men’s National Team in the 96 years since the Men’s World Cup began in 1930.

But again, the spectacular rise of women’s soccer also served to reinforce the gender binary in sports. ◄█►

August 8 - August 21 | 27

NEWS. We legally changed Alana’s name a couple of years after [she first transitioned in first grade], when it was clear that this was not temporary. She went to the same school and still goes there today. Mostly they shrugged. You know, kids are amazing.

They have a lot to teach us. There were a couple of them, I think, who were a little taken aback. One of her cousins was really sad because they were really good buddies.

And I think he thought if she was a girl, they couldn’t be buddies anymore, which she soon learned was not true, that she’s still the same kid with the same interests.

And, you know, there were a couple of instances of kids using her old name in a mean way, or outing her to new kids. But for the most part, I think the kids and her teachers handled it really well. People are, I think, surprised that young children have such a sense of themselves. But I mean, how do you know that you’re a boy? How do I know that I’m a girl? I’ve known that since I first could speak. And so I think we have to listen to our children and believe them when they tell us who they are. ◄█► Joanna Harper doesn’t think we’ll do away with the gender binary in sports anytime soon. But she does think it’s likely that hormone level standards and testing will continue to play a central role in determining gender eligibility, if only in certain sporting events.

“In general, if you allow a trans woman who’s been through masculinizing puberty to compete in women’s competition without suppressing testosterone, then you’re going to have a huge competitive imbalance. But in endurance events, I think it is probably true that, overall, there’s

not going to be this huge difference in competitive placings.”

Caster Semenya, as Harper sees it, would still need to take testosterone-suppression drugs to compete fairly. She also thinks swimmer Lia Thomas probably shouldn’t compete against cisgender women since she did not transition before puberty.

However, she’s careful to note that Thomas is, with her NCAA victory in the 500 meters, thus far, one of the most successful female transgender swimmers in the world, and that few trans-feminine athletes have ever made it onto the podiums at the highest levels of elite sport10.

“We talk about the advantages that transwomen have, and they certainly exist,” Harper says. “But trans people in general, including trans women, face huge disadvantages — psychosocial disadvantages — and so on. You know, the idea that it’s all one way that trans women only have advantages, it certainly isn’t true. And when we’re crafting rules, I think we need to consider that, you know, these we’re dealing with a very marginalized population. As I mentioned, trans women in general do not tend to participate in sports.” ◄█► Travis Tygart of the United States AntiDoping Agency can’t say how he thinks sports governing bodies will resolve the gender dilemma in elite sports.

“I think what you have is a smash potentially between two fundamentally important concepts and values,” he says.

As far as what’s fair, Tygart could only offer that USADA doesn’t make the rules; it enforces them.

UCCS sociology professor Jeffrey Montez De Oca, the founding director of

the Center for Critical Sports Studies and the author of the book "Doping in Elite Sports," thinks we’re largely missing the point.

“For me, as a sociologist, these are not biological questions; these are social questions. And it’s a lot harder to work through these social questions,” he says.

The larger problem with sports, particularly in Western culture, says Montez de Oca, is that we mistake our ideals of fairness with our cultural values, which the rules of sports tend to reinforce.

“It just so happens the sports that we adopted in the 20th century really favor bodies with greater upper body physicality,” he says. “And so the sports that we embrace are constantly proving what we already believed: that male bodies are superior to female bodies.”

And while the explosion of women’s sports after Title IX is undoubtedly a net positive for women, says Montez de Oca, it doesn’t change the fact that our society is organized around the male/female gender binary. And when transgender athletes or athletes with differences of sexual development arrive at the doorstep of elite sports, their bodies call that whole binary, including Title IX, into question.

“And so that leads to these tremendous debates about which bodies should be allowed in which sporting spaces,” he says.

And these debates unearth our deepseated cultural anxieties, which “force us to question the fundamental institutions that organize our world,” says Montez de Oca. Trans athletes’ bodies force us to ask, “What else in our world is in question?

What else in our world is in transition?

And that’s terrifying to think that the world

we live in may not be as solid as we think it is.”

Tygart sees things more pragmatically.

For him, fairness isn’t necessarily that the rules work for everyone equally.

“I think sport, you know, should set rules that create as level and fair of a playing field as they possibly can. And those rules hopefully aren’t arbitrary. Hopefully they’re published in advance. You know, they have to be robustly enforced. And, of course, you hope there’s some opportunity to challenge those rules.”

For Lia Thomas, Caster Semenya, and other trans and DSD athletes, challenging the rules was inevitable if they wanted to participate in sports defined by gender categories that don’t fit their bodies.

For Carly and Alana, barbed question marks will continue to hang over their heads as they face a host of monumental decisions about development, hormones and fertility that will define not only who she dreams of being, but what the sports she dreams of will allow her to be. ◄█► It’s like, where do you draw the line? How much testosterone is too much. And are you going to penalize someone for the way they were born? I mean, what makes someone good? You know, if I didn’t have another kid, I might just be like, “Oh, well, maybe it’s because my kid was born male.” Like, maybe just because she was socialized as a boy for a couple of years. But I have a cisgender daughter who’s also really awesome at soccer. You know what makes them good? It’s complex. Certainly not my genes. Must have got it from somewhere else.

Harper notes in her book, "Sporting Gender," that very few trans women participate in sports. Of the few that do, only a small handful have ever become champions. Michelle Dumaresq, a professional downhill mountain biker from Canada, won the 2002 Canada Cup Series and the 2006 UCI Masters World Championship, but otherwise struggled at the international level. She is quoted as saying, “I have found that as a trans person it’s acceptable to compete but you don’t dare win.”

10

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August 8 - August 21 | 29

NEWS. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 ...

There are tentative plans to return the Templeton substation area to open space once the substation is decommissioned. The Cragmoor and Candlewood substations may also be repurposed somehow once they are decommissioned. Decommissioning the three substations will occur after the Central Bluffs substation’s estimated construction completion date of spring 2026.

Colorado Springs Utilities chose this site after three years of evaluation of 11 potential sites. According to Colorado Springs Utilities, some reasons for this site choice include its proximity to existing high voltage transmission lines, least amount of community impact, multiple safe access points and space for operational flexibility to meet current demands and incorporate

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Deal explained that decarbonization mandates by the state, laid out in the recently updated Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap, have led to a stress on the electric system, creating a need for updated and new electric substations.

The Central Bluffs substation will replace three substations built in the 1950s and 60s that are currently serving the area: the Templeton, Cragmoor and Candlewood substations. According to Jessica Davis, land manager for Colorado Springs Utilities, combining the three existing substations into one will create more reliable electricity, increase safety for staff and reduce expenses on operation and maintenance.

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Colorado Springs Utilities acquired seven parcels (four commercial, two residential and one vacant) for the proposed substation in 2022 and 2023, relocating 33 businesses and one residential customer and their family in the process.

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Springs Utilities’ view is that this is the best site for the substation.

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Cora Lea Chittenden in her home. future technologies.

One option considered was the expansion of the Templeton substation adjacent to Palmer Park. However, Colorado Springs Utilities discovered that the Templeton substation had been built illegally in the 1950s on Palmer deeded land. This made new construction on the site impossible due to deed restrictions.

Colorado Springs Utilities’ preferred development site was on UCCS land, but UCCS had development plans on this site and rejected Colorado Springs Utilities’ suggestion. Since Colorado Springs Utilities and UCCS are both public entities, all land transactions must be consensual, making it impossible for Utilities to seize land from UCCS through eminent domain.

UCCS suggested an alternate site near their communications towers, but it was too far away from Colorado Springs Utilities’ transmission line to be effective, posed

construction challenges and raised safety concerns due to limited access.

Davis said during the city council meeting that delaying the construction of the Central Bluffs substation would pose a liability concern in the area, meaning that customers being provided electricity by the existing three substations would not be able to reliably expect electricity until a new plan was laid out.

WHAT’S NEXT? The negative impacts on neighborhood residents are so undeniable that several city council members acknowledged the existence of them before voting in favor of the rezoning.

“The neighbors, if this passes, will be dramatically impacted in a negative way. I think there’s no question about that. And the responsibility of this council is to look at the entire city as well, so I have no choice but to vote in favor of this,” said City

ner

Bluffs

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Palmer Park

Locator map of zone change and substation.

Councilwoman Nancy Henjum. “Sometimes a sacrifice for a few serves the greater good.”

Recalling that statement, Caley said, “I understand that, but it doesn’t feel good when you’re the one being sacrificed.”

Now that the rezoning has been approved, Colorado Springs Utilities is going full steam ahead with the Central Bluffs substation. Still, members of the opposition are grateful that they were able to act as the voice of opposition for their neighbors, many of whom are unable to spend $176 on an appeal or show up for a city council meeting held at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday.

“I have a 7-year-old daughter and I just wanted to show her that you have to at least try,” Schoaff said.

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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 Foreigner | October 2 Ivan Cornejo | October 4 Godsmack | October 17

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August 8 - August 21 | 31

OUTSIDE BEAT-THEHEAT HIKES

I

By BOB “HIKING BOB” FALCONE

t might be the second week in August, and September is just around the corner, but as anyone who has spent any time in the Pikes Peak Region knows, there are plenty of really warm days still ahead before fall sets in.

Here are a couple of hikes to do in the dog days of summer, when the heat is just too much. They were chosen because of their shade-producing tree cover, their elevation or both.

PANCAKE ROCKS TRAIL The hike to Pancake Rocks is almost entirely in shade, with the exception of when you get to the iconic rock piles that the trail is named after. It’s not a particularly easy hike with about 1,900 feet of ascent in the 3.3 miles from the trailhead to the rocks. Some reworking of the trail was completed in 2023 that added a few switchbacks on the lower portion of the trail and also eliminated some steep inclines on the upper portion, both of which also helped reduce erosion and make the trail more sustainable. The views from Pancake Rocks are expansive and gorgeous, and if you don’t get to do this in the summer, be sure to go in the fall to take in great views of the fall colors. As a bonus, you can take the side hike to Horsethief Falls for a much shorter and easier hike. However, the falls are best viewed in the spring during the snow runoff season.

Things you need to know: This is an insanely popular trail, and the very limited parking quickly fills up on weekends, so consider going on a weekday when it’s not nearly so busy. Much of this hike from the trailhead to Pancake Rocks is

Mason Reservoir South Slope Recreation Area | Credit: Bob Falcone an uphill climb, so give yourself plenty of time and bring plenty of water. There are no restroom facilities available. As this is a U.S. Forest Service trail, there are no fees. From the trailhead, take Trail 704 for about 1 mile and turn right at the wellmarked turn on Trail 704A to Pancake Rocks. Total round trip is 6.75 miles and 1,930 feet of ascent. For more information: https://tinyurl.com/yjknz395 To get there: From the traffic light at U.S. Highway 24 and Colorado Highway 67 in Divide, go south on Highway 67 for a bit more than 9 miles to the trailhead on the left side of the road. The trailhead is right around a bend in the road immediately past a now-closed tunnel, so use caution approaching the trailhead and turning into the parking area. The trailhead is clearly marked. Motorized vehicles are not permitted on the trail.

BLACKMER AND COUGARS SHADOW TRAILS While many of the trails in the nearest state park to Colorado Springs are in the wide, sunbaked open, these two easy-to-moderate trails are solidly under shade. They are also high above much of the park, with wide views to the east, and due to their location and relatively lower use, you are more likely to see wildlife — wild turkeys especially seem to like this area — than in other parts of the park.

Start this hike from the amphitheater parking lot, near the Raptor Glen campground, about a mile up the park road from the park’s entry booth. The Cougars Shad-

ow trail loops off of the Blackmer Trail, reconnecting to it after about a mile. The Blackmer Trail loop is just under 4 miles when done from the amphitheater parking lot, and about a quarter-mile longer if you opt over to the Cougars Shadow trail.

Download a trail map here https://tinyurl.com/3w9fm9nw or at https://trails.colorado.gov/ Things you need to know: Entry fees do apply, or an annual Colorado State Parks Pass is required. Dogs and equestrians are not permitted on most trails in the park, including these trails — leave your pup at home. Motorized vehicles are not permitted. Water refill stations are available in all buildings in the park that are open to the public. Visitors Center hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. year-round.

To get there: Cheyenne Mountain State Park is on Highway 115, across from the entrance to Fort Carson, about 2 miles south of South Academy Boulevard.

And finally, as a follow-up on my last column, here is another hike you need to do before summer ends: SOUTH SLOPE The South Slope Recreation Area, located at three of Colorado Springs Utilities' reservoirs on — as the name suggests — the south side of Pikes Peak, is a special place to visit. But you have to want it, since it’s a long drive and hours are very limited, as are the required reservations.

This is not a place to decide to visit at the last minute.

The reservoirs are open to fishing (fish-

ing license required), but no other aquatic uses, and two trails — the approximately 2.5-mile-round-trip McReynolds Trail or the 9-mile-round-trip Mason Trail, offer great views of Pikes Peak, Almagre Mountain and three reservoirs. The air is crisp and clean, and due to the visitor limits in place, you’re unlikely to run into too many people on the trail. I have done the Mason Trail to the Boehmer Reservoir, and, despite its length, none of it is difficult. The South Slope Recreation area has a very short season, and according to Pikes Peak-Americas Mountain manager Skyler Rorabaugh, the South Slope season is expected to end on Sept. 28.

However, the final date depends on the weather, so it is possible that it could close earlier.

Things you need to know: South Slope is only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the gates are closed and locked. You must be out the gate no later than 3. Advanced reservations are required. For more information and to make reservations: https:// coloradosprings.gov/southslope Be good. Do good things. Leave no trace ...

Bob "Hiking Bob" Falcone is a retired career firefighter, USAF veteran, an accomplished photographer and 30-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.

IS BACK!

ECONOMIC UPDATE

Featuring DR. TATIANA BAILEY & MR. BRYCE COOKE The Colorado Springs Business Journal is back and excited to host Dr. Tatiana Bailey of Data-Driven Economic Strategies (DDES) and Bryce Cooke, Chief Economist at the Colorado Office of State Planning and Budgeting.

Their presentations will provide a comprehensive overview of the U.S. economy. Mr. Cooke will provide an in-depth analysis of the Colorado economy, including a legislative update, while Dr. Bailey will discuss the economic landscape of Colorado Springs.

Following the presentations, attendees are invited to network and share ideas during happy hour. Tickets are limited.

Three continuing education (CE) real estate credits available to attendees.

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August 8 - August 21 | 33

Best of

VOTING HAS STARTED From August 1 to August31, vote for your favorites to determine who is the Best Of Colorado Springs! Submit your digital ballots at vote.csindy.com. Vote in at least 20 categories for your votes to count. Winners will be announced in the Best Of magazine inserted in the October 31 Independent.

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PUZZLES!

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KenKen® is a registered trademark of KenKen Puzzle LLC. ©2024 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Andrews McMeel. www.kenken.com 8-25-24

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FUN&GAMES

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FUN&GAMES

News of the

WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

GREAT ART The Welsh town of Ruthin, Denbighshire, is struggling to embrace a 43-foottall inflatable figure of a laughing man in an odd squatting position, resting on a ball. Wales Online reported that the installation is related to the Ruthin International Arts Festival and was created by Chinese artist Yue Minjun, known for his self-portraits. Locals aren't impressed; some say the "sickly pink color of the piece" is frightening children, and one woman said, "Oh please. He looks constipated. Monstrosity!"

EYEWITNESS NEWS Remarkably, two brothers out fishing off the coast of Rye, New Hampshire, on July 23 caught a once-in-a-lifetime experience on video: A 30-foot-long humpback whale breached nearby, throwing itself onto the back of a boat where Ryland Kenney, 44, and Greg Paquette, 54, were fishing.

As the front of the boat rose into the air, Kenney and Paquette were thrown into the water. "As it collapsed onto the boat, the mouth closed and smashed the top of the motor and I heard a big crunch," Kenney told The New York Times. "I had three seconds to act. I wasn't scared, I didn't have time to be scared." Colin Yager, 16, who took the video, and his brother, Wyatt, rushed over to pull the men, who were unhurt, out of the water.

Kenney said he'll take some time away from the water to work on his boat, which will include a radar system that can detect nearby whales.

AWESOME! Kai McKenzie, 23, was surfing off New South Wales, Australia, on July 23 when a 10-foot-long great white shark bit off his leg, the BBC reported. When he was washed back to shore, an off-duty police officer applied a tourniquet, and a few minutes later, McKenzie's leg also washed up. Onlookers put the severed limb on ice and transported it and the surfer to the hospital, where doctors are evaluating whether they can save it. McKenzie is in serious but stable condition.

EWWWWWW!

Gizmodo reported on July 19 that a few days before in Portoviejo, Ecuador, doctors removed an obstruction from a 24-yearold woman's stomach that had caused her pain, vomiting and difficulty eating.

The object was a 16-inch-long hairball that weighed 2 pounds, Verdi Cevallos Balda General Hospital announced. The mass was so large it could be detected "by touch from the outside," said lead surgeon Pedro Lovato. It had started to move into her intestines, but doctors said it had not caused serious injury to her stomach and she would recover. The hairball was likely caused by trichophagia, a form of disordered eating where people swallow their hair. The patient is receiving comprehensive treatment.

REALITY NO MORE Reality show contestants Spencer "Corry" Jones and Oliver Dev were booted from USA Network's production of "Race to Survive" after an incident involving a protected New Zealand bird, BoingBoing reported on July 23. Jones said he knew he was breaking a rule when he caught, killed and ate the flightless weka bird during episode eight, but he was "desperate and hungry. Survival in the bush of New Zealand is not easy," he noted. Punishment for killing the bird could be up to two years in prison or a fine of about US$60,000.

FLORIDA!

The Walton County Sheriff's Office had to remind Floridians on July 18 not to "approach black bears at any time," United Press International reported. The bear in question was hanging out near Highway 98 in Santa Rosa Beach, looking "depressed," and onlookers were getting too close for comfort trying to take a selfie with it. Deputies borrowed a song title, "If Not Friend, Why Friend Shaped?" to discourage residents from cozying up to the sad-looking guy. A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist visited the scene, but the bear wandered back into the woods.

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

CREME DE LA WEIRD

I

n China, the highly competitive practice of "mukbang" — eating large quantities of food for viewers' enjoyment — is a wildly popular streaming subject, Oddity Central reported. Successful mukbang streamers make good money and are showered with gifts from their followers. The trend took a sad turn on July 14, however, when 24-year-

old Pan Xiaoting, a former server, lost her life during her mukbang livestream. As Pan's following grew, she took her overeating to greater extremes, pushing her weight to around 650 pounds. An autopsy reportedly showed that her stomach was full of undigested food and her abdomen was severely deformed.

FUN&GAMES SOLUTIONS. Whatzit? Solution Likewise

42 | Colorado Springs Independent | CSINDY.com

Horoscopes

Astro-logic

BY CAMILLE LIPTAK, COSMIC CANNIBAL

M

ercury Retrograde landed Aug. 4, messing up messaging and communications. Technology is also glitching out until Aug. 28. So back up your files, don’t text your ex and read your bi-weekly horoscope to see what other snafus, snags and successes may be in store for you. Want more astro-logic from Cosmic Cannibal? Social Media @cosmiccannibalcamille, Substack cosmiccannibal.substack.com and the web cosmiccannibal.com.

ARIES Around Aug. 15, your mental gears grind to a halt. Whether due to your cluttered email inbox or the constant influx of text notifications, communications feel overwhelmingly exhaustive. This leaves your thoughts feeling sluggish. Clear your mind by ditching projects that don’t excite you. Prioritize a break and focus on what truly fuels your fire …

CANCER Come Aug. 19, the full moon illuminates the funds, contracts and/or resources you share with others. A risky joint venture could finally pay off, or you hedge your bets on both stocks and bonds. Either way, there’s a wild card in the deck. Whether you change direction or “draw four” depends entirely on your hand …

LIBRA Laugh at the mishaps currently pranking your life; humor isn’t just medicine, it’s a coping mechanism — and one you’ll desperately need Aug. 15-17. Travel plans get sticky and tricky, and the duties of your daily grind feel as limiting as reality itself. Chuckling at these impossibly frustrating obstacles will actually help you bust through them …

CAPRICORN Could it be you’re falling in love?

Around Aug. 9, a forgotten travel plan or long-range goal may make you all misty-eyed with longing. Beginning Aug. 14, you’re back to your business-y self, once again number-crunching contracts and credit card statements. The full moon on Aug. 19 helps you emancipate your finances and personal stock …

TAURUS The full moon on Aug. 19 marks a peak moment in your career and public-facing life, but it comes with a few strings.

Something is being shaken awake, drastically grabbing your attention and ushering in a professional and personal revolution. Your mission — should you choose to accept it — is to embrace and enact radical but necessary changes …

LEO Look back at the ideas, plans and goals you haven’t finished. By Aug. 14, you get a second chance at setting these into motion. (Aug. 18 is an especially potent moment of clarity!) The full moon on Aug. 19 marks the end of a collaboration, and this may unexpectedly shock your career for the better …

SCORPIO Starting Aug. 14, you’re getting a second chance at a career power move.

Maybe you spruce up your résumé or just add some razzle-dazzle to your desk. Regardless, Aug. 18 is a day to proclaim your professional prowess to the world. The full moon on Aug. 19 brings a surprise conclusion to a home venture …

AQUARIUS Apart from potential disruptions at home, with family or about your living space, Aug. 19 marks a meaningful full moon for you. It’s concluding a personal project or life outlook that you’ve been growing since mid-February. The spotlight is on progress — not only your desire for it, but also your commitment to it today and tomorrow …

GEMINI Going off in several directions? Well, from Aug. 15 to 17, you could find yourself hitting multiple major roadblocks.

These blockades don’t just stymie your forward motion, though; they actually bring an opportunity to consolidate your energy and get serious about a single goal. That, or you finally decide on the project you want to pursue …

VIRGO Verbalizing your needs is easier Aug. 9; it’s a brief day of sweetness that is, unfortunately, usurped by a career-partnership standoff Aug. 15-17. Should you stay, go, or keep on trucking elsewhere? The Aug. 19 full moon adds to the frustrating indecision. Don’t fret: Sometimes the best decision is letting life decide for you …

SAGITTARIUS Slow down! Misunderstandings are running amok — both at work and within your partnerships — so, pausing to reflect on the why behind the communication breakdowns only works to prevent future confusion and burnout. Between Aug. 15 and 17, you want to face the reality of your situation and any limitations you feel stemming from your family or home life …

PISCES Pause. From Aug. 15 to 17, your home/ family life is bustling, but it may feel more aggravating than stimulating.

Maybe a move isn’t going the way you’d like or a family member is more of a burden. Either way, you feel a heavier-than-usual responsibility. Stopping, reflecting and talking things out will release your weighty frustrations …

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