REPORTERS Andrew Rogers, Cannon Taylor, Noel Black and Karin Zeitvogel
CONTRIBUTORS
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COPY EDITOR Willow Welter
AD DIRECTOR JT Slivka
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Monty Hatch, Josh Graham and Karen Hazlehurst
AD COORDINATOR
Lanny Adams
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Sean Cassady
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Goat Patch Brewing Co. won multiple Best Of awards. | Credit: Bryan Oller
Sabrina Carpenter |Credit: Amanda Charchian,
Hollywood
FTHE TURD TEST
WHY AI POLLUTION IS POISONING THE WELL
By BEN TROLLINGER • ben.trollinger@ppmc.live
or me, the comedian John Mulaney perfectly summed up life in the 21st century when he said, “You spend most of your day telling a robot that you’re not a robot.”
We’re all just potential replicants endlessly taking the Voight-Kampff test from “Blade Runner.” Instead of provocative questions about upturned tortoises in the desert, we identify bridges, stop signs or fire hydrants in grids of grainy photos. Then we dutifully check the “I’m not a robot” box before we peek at our bank balance or email.
Artificial intelligence has added fuel to this bonfire of reality that’s melting down the boundary between man and machine. It’s increasingly hard to distinguish content that was made by humans from something generated by AI platforms like ChatGPT. Of course, there are tell-tale signs for the trained observer.
The rule of thumb is this: AI content, in general, blows. Its images tend to be hallucinogenic, surrealist and feature disturbing anomalies like extra fingers and missing legs. Its writing tends to be bland, repetitive and riddled with violations of basic logic. Its videos can turn relatively innocuous subjects like, say, Major League Baseball into nightmarish, Kenneth Anger-like hellscapes. But to its credit, AI music is basically on par with most modern pop — which is to say quantized and soulless. So, a mixed bag.
AI has been touted as a revolution akin to the printing press. So far, this hasn’t amounted to the equivalent of Gutenberg’s Bibles. Rather AI is mostly being used to mass produce an ocean’s worth of nurdles. It’s informational plastic floating around in a Great Pacific Garbage Patch of digital filth. It’s a reeking TikTok retention pond twice the size of Texas.
In a phenomenon known as model collapse, this AI dump of detritus is polluting the Internet like an oil spill and then feeding back into itself, which leads to an eventual breakdown of the system. In terms of metaphor, AI is not exactly the ancient and elegant ouroboros symbol — the snake swallowing its own tail — but more like a dog eating its own you-knowwhat.
At the Independent, we’ve recently started using
"IF WE DON’T TRULY KNOW WHAT SOMETHING IS PROGRAMMED TO DO, CHANCES ARE IT IS PROGRAMMING US. ONCE THAT HAPPENS, WE MAY AS WELL BE MACHINES OURSELVES."
detection software to determine if stories are humanor AI-generated. In homage to Alan Turing’s famous thought experiment, I call it the Turd Test. And, unfortunately, we’ve caught a few of them floating in our little journalism punch bowl. (I won’t go into details there, but we were recently able to prevent this kind of digital wastewater from weaseling its way into the paper.)
I’ve caught plagiarism a few times in my career, but never did I think being a newspaper editor would require me to question whether a story was robot or not-robot. But over the last few weeks I’ve come to begrudgingly accept this new paradigm. True, some journalistic institutions have embraced AI (in the case of Sports Illustrated, without disclosing that fact to readers), but it’s hard for me to envision a future for the Independent that makes (too much) room for AI. And if we do use it, as we did to illustrate a story on gender and sports back in August, we will disclose it you, the reader.
As we grapple with the rise of AI, we should also pause to consider the challenge it presents for all of us in our quest to stay human.
As the writer Douglas Rushkoff said, “If we don’t truly know what something is programmed to do, chances are it is programming us. Once that happens, we may as well be machines ourselves.”
Pay attention to the programming.
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‘600 PAGES AND NOT A SINGLE ONE CONSIDERS YOU A PRIORITY’ Homeless speak out on city’s budget
By KARIN ZEITVOGEL • karin.zeitvogel@ppmc.live
They stood up one by one, some wearing the yellow T-shirts of the Colorado Springs Homeless Union, some with clerical collars, others in hoodies. Some held neatly typed speeches, some read from handwritten notes, and others shared unscripted emotions. Their message was, for the most part, the same: Many were or had been homeless and, while Colorado Springs proposed allocating funding for the police department’s Homeless Outreach Team, which the homeless and their advocates consider heavy-handed, the fire department’s Homeless Outreach Program, which they like, and shelter bed operations, those weren’t what they were asking for. They wanted to be able to use a bathroom or wash their hands before eating. They wanted “luxuries” like trash cans in parks so they can throw things away, rather than littering in the city they love and risking the outsized wrath of law enforcement and a fine they can’t afford to pay. They wanted some of the simple dignities that the council
members they were addressing probably take for granted.
‘I NEED US TO FIND HUMANITY’
Not everyone who spoke was homeless. Fitness studio owner Samantha Kelly told the council members at the special town hall about the budget on Oct. 21 how she gets to work at 5:30 a.m. to clean up outside her business.
“I clean feces, vomit, tampons, and it’s sad, it’s hard and it makes me angry,” she said. “It doesn’t make me angry with community members; it makes me angry … with us.
“I need us to find humanity and kindness and space in our budget. I got a phone call to say I was heard and there would be more pressure washers. I don’t want more pressure washers. I want people to be able to use the restroom. I want people to have dignity and feel human and have the basic dignity we enjoy on a day-to-day basis.”
Kandi Lewis, a member of the Colorado Springs Homeless Union, told the council members that being unhoused “crushes your spirit.”
“It is very demoralizing when you aren’t able to take care of basic needs.” she said, reading from a
handwritten speech.
“You eventually lose hope because you can’t find anything good to believe in.”
The homeless union was set up in November of last year, with these stated goals: policing reform, free public transportation, more affordable housing, more public restrooms, better maintenance of those restrooms and more public trash cans.
It has adopted a stretch of trail between Dorchester Park and America the Beautiful Park, where it does a clean-up the second Saturday of every month. But they have nowhere to put the trash they collect because the bins have been removed, she said, asking “the mayor and the City Council to please find a way to address and hopefully alleviate these issues instead of making things worse.”
“In the blink of an eye, it could be one of your family members,” she reminded them.
‘PEOPLE DESERVING OF DIGNITY’
As the town hall neared an end, Topacio Suarez Montano, who goes by Topaz, stepped up to the microphone, his arms
Unhoused person at Tejon and Nevada Park and Ride. | Credit: Karin Zeitvogel
folded across his brown T-shirt, as if in a supportive hug.
At 21, Topaz had just started his undergraduate studies in biochemistry at Colorado College, setting out late on the path to a degree after spending roughly 11 years of his childhood homeless. That’s more than half his life so far and the equivalent of being unhoused for almost all of elementary, middle and high school.
“I know firsthand how hard it is to not have access to bathrooms, to not have access to a trash can, when you have to look at other people your age and see that they have things that are human necessities and know that people in positions of power who could do something about it do not care that you do not have that,” he said.
“It’s incredibly hard to find a safe place to sleep, where you can go where you will not be attacked, where you will be warm, where you can use the bathroom, wash your face, brush your hair.
“It’s hard trying to go find a park to see if they will let you wash your hands so you can eat something that is clean. And it’s devastating to see that there’s 600 pages and not a single one considers you a priority,” he said, referring to the voluminous budget. His voice quivered, and the corners of his mouth arched downward as emotions overtook him, but he checked himself, took a deep breath and went on to describe how privileged he felt to have some of life’s luxuries — to him — today. Not things like a microwave, where you can heat up a snack of mac and cheese or some popcorn. Not a smartphone you can spend hours on, chatting with friends. Not a Netflix subscription so you can binge-watch the latest show. No, he was talking about having access to a bathroom at Colorado College. “And yet,” Topaz said, “I still see people who I consider my siblings, who I consider my family because we go through the exact
same things, and I see people who’ve never had to deal with any of that, and I know that they may never understand. But if they just had one minute to think about considering us as people deserving of dignity, people deserving things that they have access to, it could be fixed easily.”
Then he exhaled an audible “Oof,” and, his arms still folded in an immutable hug, thanked the councilors for listening, turned around and walked out of the Council chambers.
This year’s annual Point in Time Count, which tallies the unhoused on one night during the winter, found that 1,146 residents of Colorado Springs were homeless — the lowest number since 2015.
Despite the dropping numbers, Mayor Yemi Mobolade said in his State of the City address in September that he recognized that “homelessness remains a growing concern from the community and our local businesses.”
Council member David Leinweber said installing bathrooms around Colorado Springs was a possibility, but the city’s focus appears to be more on potholes and “stuff around parks.” And the cost of building and maintaining public restrooms might be an obstacle to seeing them installed widely around the city, he said.
The priorities set in Colorado Springs’ draft homelessness response plan include increasing outreach programs, boosting shelter options, enforcing laws and protecting people, the environment and property; providing work for the homeless and mental health care to try to prevent homelessness, increasing the availability of very low-income housing and homes with supportive services, and communicating transparently with the public. Restrooms and trash cans don’t get a mention.
New plaque at Air Force Academy honors ‘rock star’ B-52 gunner
by KARIN ZEITVOGEL karin.zeitvogel@ppmc.live
A plaque was unveiled in the shadow of Diamond Lil, the B-52D that sits uphill from North Gate at the U.S. Air Force Academy, honoring the late Airman 1st Class Al Broome, who shot down a MiG fighter jet from the tail of the very same B-52 during the Vietnam War. Broome’s aerial “kill” of a MiG was one of only two during the Vietnam conflict. He made the kill on Christmas Eve 1972 at age 18. The plaque honoring Broome, who became a truck driver after the war and died in 2009 at age 55, was unveiled Oct. 11 by his longtime friend, retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Pete Karjanis, and Airman 1st Class Erman Jepleting. “He was a rock star among gunners,” Karjanis said of Broome.
Bob Ashley addresses guests at an Air Force Academy ceremony honoring Broome, who shot down a MiG from the B-52D in the background. | Credit: Karin Zeitvogel
Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Pete Karjanis and Airman 1st Class Erman Jepleting unveil a plaque to B-52D tail gunner Al Broome. | Credit: Karin Zeitvogel
Unhoused person in alley off Nevada Avenue | Credit: Karin Zeitvogel
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SCREENSHOTS FIRED
Text messages from antiweed group take advantage of Democratic Party error
by KARIN ZEITVOGEL • karin.zeitvogel@ppmc.live
Atext message sent out last week with the logo of the El Paso County Democratic Party at the top — and a strip at the bottom saying it was paid for by the Colorado Springs Safe Neighborhood Coalition — urged residents of Colorado Springs to vote against Question 300, a ballot measure that would allow recreational marijuana to be sold in the city.
The message set alarm bells ringing in some heads because the Democrats and the coalition are usually poles apart on issues, including whether to allow sales of recreational marijuana in Colorado Springs. Meghan Graf, a spokeswoman for Citizens for Responsible Marijuana Regulation, said it was “disturbing to see our opposition mislead voters by any means necessary, even if it means impersonating an organization that, in reality, endorsed Question 300.”
The El Paso County Democratic Party called the text message “misleading” and referred to the Colorado Springs Safe
Neighborhood Coalition as “bad actors (who) do not represent our views and are part of the increasing trend of divisive and deceptive political tactics.”
But in an Oct. 15 email newsletter, they said a volunteer had “inadvertently shared incorrect language” about the Democrats’ position on recreational weed in Colorado Springs.
Before they could delete the flawed message, which also appeared on their Facebook page and spelled out why they were advising people to vote against Question 300, someone at the coalition saw it and took a screenshot.
“The El Paso County Democratic Party posted a detailed rationale for why people should vote against Issue 300,” Daniel Cole, a consultant to the coalition, told the Independent.
“We merely screenshot it and sent out a text message to people communicating what they had said. Obviously, we had no way of knowing that after we noticed
their statement and decided to use it, the Democrats would reverse course, remove the statement from their website, delete the Facebook post where they linked to that statement, and take the opposite position from the one they had so thoroughly articulated,” he added.
The coalition wants voters to pass ballot
“[IT WAS] DISTURBING TO SEE OUR OPPOSITION MISLEAD VOTERS BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, EVEN IF IT MEANS IMPERSONATING AN ORGANIZATION THAT, IN REALITY, ENDORSED QUESTION 300.”
issue 2D, which would amend the city charter to ban the sale of recreational marijuana in Colorado Springs, and defeat Question 300, Cole said.
The El Paso Democratic Party’s executive committee voted in February to support Question 300, it said in its Oct. 15 newsletter.
The Democrats’ message calling for a “no” vote on Question 300, and shared by the coalition before it was retracted, came hard on the heels of a video clip that was sent out to voters throughout the state, appearing to show Colorado Education Association President Kevin Vick giving his backing to Amendment 80.
The video of Vick had been doctored to give the appearance that he supports the amendment, which would, among other things, add language to Colorado’s constitution establishing a “right to school choice.”
In fact, Vick and the CEA have called Amendment 80 “a disastrous measure that could devastate funding for public schools,” the CEA said in a statement.
Rather than allowing parents to choose which school their kids attend — which they’ve been able to do for 30 years in Colorado — Amendment 80 “would open the door to diverting millions in (taxpayer dollars) away from the public schools that educate 95% of our kids and funnel it to private schools,” the statement said.
If the amendment passes, it would “devastate funding for already struggling public schools — particularly those in rural areas — by opening the door to a voucher system that would fund private schools with taxpayer dollars,” it said.
It is illegal under Colorado law to knowingly publish, broadcast or circulate a false statement designed to affect the vote on any issue submitted on the ballot in an election. A person convicted of violating that law would face up to a year in prison or a $1,000 fine, or both.
Dozens of groups, including at least nine school boards and the CEA, are asking Coloradans to vote against Amendment 80 when they fill in their ballots.
The screenshot shared by a group opposing Question 300. | Credit: Colorado Springs Safe Neighborhood Coalition
DONELSON CALLS FOR ANSWERS on pending library closure
by KARIN ZEITVOGEL • karin.zeitvogel@ppmc.live
Council member Dave Donelson (District 1) wants members of the board of Pikes Peak Library District to explain their decision to close the third-busiest library in the city, which lies in Donelson’s district.
At the Oct. 21 work session of City Council, Donelson called for the chair and CEO of PPLD’s board to attend a future work session, where City Council members discuss and review agenda items that might be included in future meetings, “to just have a friendly discussion and explain some of the reasoning that went behind” their decision to close Rockrimmon Library, which has been serving northwest Colorado Springs for 35 years.
The PPLD board announced on Oct. 17 that it had decided “with great difficulty” after “months of contemplation and examination” to close Rockrimmon Library at the
end of November.
But Donelson said the news caught him by surprise. He questioned whether the public was given sufficient time to give input about the closure.
The board gave several reasons for closing Rockrimmon Library, including flooding in 2023, a sinkhole near the book drop and cost savings — the lease for the library premises costs roughly $242,000 per year. The owner of the mall housing the facility has offered to cut the rent and cover any water damage the library might incur in future if the library will stay where it is.
“I recommended that (the board) accept that, like they take this year to figure it out,” Donelson said at the work session. “Don’t jump out of this boat before you have another one to jump into. And if they need to move, I asked to keep a library up there in the northwest.”
Council member Dave Donelson | Credit: Karin Zeitvogel
FREEDOM AS A MORAL STATE FREEDOM AS A MORAL STATE
By NOEL BLACK • noel.black@ppmc.live
The secret origins of House District 5, part II
Editor’s note: To read the first installment of this two-part story,“The Birth of A Parking Lot,” you can either pick up a copy of the Oct. 17 edition of the Independent or go to csindy.com.
It’s Saturday, Sept. 28 — a little over a month before the election.
Jeff Crank, the leading candidate to replace outgoing House District 5 Congressman Doug Lamborn, and a cohort of fellow Republicans, some of whom are also running for office or reelection, gather in the parking lot behind the IHOP in Fountain before a morning knock and talk.
Crank, a head taller than everyone else, leans against his black Ford F-150 and chats with Mary Bradfield, the silver-haired Republican representative of Colorado House District 21, which covers most of Fountain and Fort Carson. It’s just before 9 a.m., but it’s hot, and the tar lines that spiderweb across the pavement are already tacky.
El Paso County Treasurer Chuck Broerman, who came prepared for the heat in an American flag polo tucked into his black jean shorts, stares into his phone, charting their route a nearby neighborhood with an app called i360 that’s like Google Maps for locating undecided voters.
District Attorney Michael Allen, whose tidy grooming gives him a ready-for-thepress-conference-now look, gets his selfie stick out and tucks it under his arm as a circle forms in front of Crank’s truck, and an older woman in a knit shawl prays.
“Oh, Father God, what an honor to invite you in our midst today to walk with us, to knock on those doors, to have people respond to the need of the nation right now. Lord, bless every one of you that represents us, Lord, protect us all.”
Amens. A few talking points get tossed out. Allen offers that juvenile crime is out of control no matter what Gov. Jared Polis says.
“Oh, wait, and there is no Venezuelan
El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen takes a selfie of Republican canvassers before they set off from the IHOP parking lot to knock on doors Sept. 28. From left: (unknown), House District 21 State Rep. Mary Bradfield, Brenda Delgado Miller, retiring District 4 County Commissioner Longinos Gonzales, Allen, (unknown), Brenda Conrad, Peak County Treasurer Chuck Broerman, District 4 County Commissioner candidate Cory Applegate, Jeff Crank, Crank campaign scheduler Ashlee Springer, (unknown), Fountain Mayor Sharon Thompson. | Credit: Noel Black
The Gazette Telegraph.
Born and raised in Alliance, Ohio, in 1878 to a prosperous family, Hoiles hated school and came to believe that his early public education had crippled him intellectually.
gang!” someone chirps sarcastically, at which point Allen gets wonky.
“What’s actually happening is that, with COVID, crime went way up, and it’s slightly down from that high, but it’s still above what was happening before COVID. So, we’re not having a dip in crime. That’s why I always, when I talk about stats, I look at five-year spans, not one-year spans because you then can get away from the anomaly. So, this is a really important race, obviously, for public safety.”
Heads nod, and the Us vs. Them vibe seems to be in line with the broader MAGA mood of the country until Crank speaks.
COMPLETE COLD WAR MAKEOVER
In 1946, just before the closure of the Golden Cycle Mill marked the definitive end of Cripple Creek gold rush, a petulant scarecrow of a newspaperman named of Raymond Cyrus “R.C.” Hoiles moved to Colorado Springs and bought
Though he eventually got a degree in engineering, he had worked as a paperboy for much of his youth and never left the business. He and his brother owned a few local papers together in Ohio, and he eventually became a publisher. But the two parted ways over philosophies. While many other newspapers at the time had adopted professional journalism ethics and standards that aimed toward “truth,” “fairness” and “objectivity,” R.C. Hoiles believed that newspapers and their editorial pages should be vehicles for spreading the publisher’s moral beliefs and principles, come what may. And he believed, more than anything, that all taxes were wrong, and that governments should not be allowed to do anything that an individual was not allowed to do, i.e., forcing people to pay for schools, police, fire, even the military. All property should be private, and all services should derive from the free will and consent of the individual, not the majority.
His ideas, which fall under the broad banner of classical liberalism, or conservative libertarianism, had begun to congeal during the Great Depression as he chaffed at President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s government-driven New Deal economic policies.
In 1935, Hoiles moved his family to Orange County, California, bought the Santa Ana Register, and began to build a small empire of media outlets called Freedom Communications that would propagate his libertarian beliefs.
It’s hard to say exactly what Hoiles saw in The Gazette Telegraph when he
bought it from the El Pomar Investment Co. in the immediate aftermath of World War II. On one hand, he had an affinity for papers in smaller, still-developing communities with generally conservative politics. And Colorado Springs was just that. Created by Gen. William Jackson Palmer as a kind of real estate scheme/ resort colony for churchgoing teetotalers and posh east coasters, it leaned even further right after the Cripple Creek gold boom that made dozens of millionaires, the most prominent of which was Spencer Penrose. And it’s fair to say that Penrose’s deeply antiunion, capitalist economic beliefs had created fertile soil for the kind of antigovernment and antitax crusade that Hoiles had undertaken with Freedom Communications.1
But Colorado Springs in 1946 was a far different place than it had been when Penrose died in 1939. In 1941 it became, almost overnight, a military town, tied to the purse strings of the federal government.
Though The Broadmoor and El Pomar made it through the Great Depression relatively unscathed, Colorado Springs had foundered with the decline of the Cripple Creek gold economy. With no other industry to fall back on but tourism, city leaders began looking for a new economic anchor.
After Penrose’s closest friend and business partner, Charles Tutt Sr., died in 1909, his son, Charles L. Tutt II, became Penrose’s closest business associate. Penrose created the El Pomar Foundation in 1937 to oversee not only his philanthropic giving, but The Broadmoor and his many holdings as well. He named his best friend’s son as one of the first five trustees. After Penrose’s death, Tutt, along with a prominent banker named H. Chase Stone and a handful of other city boosters, lured a whole new “gold mine” to Colorado Springs: the U.S. military. Tutt and Stone used The Broadmoor Hotel to wine and dine The Pentagon’s top brass and convinced the city to purchase 35,0000 acres south of town. They offered it to the Army for a dollar. And in 1942, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Army created Camp Carson and brought 35,000 troops to Colorado Springs, transforming the city’s lagging tourist and postgold economy
almost overnight.
And that was just the beginning. As the Cold War intensified over the next decade, Colorado Springs offered even more land to the U.S. government under El Pomar’s leadership.
In 1951, after the widespread availability of streptomycin all but cured tuberculosis, the city bought the National Methodist Sanatorium just east of downtown and offered it to the Pentagon as the site for Ent Air Force Base.2 In 1954, H. Chase Stone spearheaded another massive land donation north of Colorado Springs to create the Air Force’s academy. And in 1958, drilling and construction began on Cheyenne Mountain Complex, which would be home to NORAD
With Dwight D. Eisenhower, a fivestar general, in the White House, and the nation’s fears trained on ideological and military threats from the communist Soviet Union, the newly militarized Colorado Springs quickly became the locus of an enormous amount of conservative power in the 1950s.
While R.C. Hoiles despised that the military was taxpayer funded, he found that the many soldiers and officers now living in and around Colorado Springs who’d endured the tedious machinations of government bureaucracy were often ready subscribers to his paper and his libertarian editorial philosophy.
And along with the rapid growth of The Gazette’s distribution, Hoiles was also ready to expand the reach of his libertarian ideology.
“Hey, thanks again to everybody for coming out,” Crank says, “It’s always heartening to show up here and see people start pulling in at 8:30. It’s like, hey, they’re here again — gluttons for punishment. But you know, this is important. We love our country.”
Crank has an almost Bill Clinton-like instinct for connecting with people and the physical ease of an animal that has no natural predators. Yes, he’s the de facto leader of this small group of campaigners by virtue of the status and near-certainty he’ll win the office he seeks, and he definitely doesn’t need to knock, talk or walk at this point (the Washington, D.C., political website The Hill had his chances of beating Democrat River Gassen at
95% this morning, and he jokes that he’ll have to work harder because he was at 97% yesterday), but he’s no less gracious.
Then he starts to tell a story about a woman who came up to him at a restaurant after a recent lunch.
“And she says, ‘Oh, I’m not voting for you. I’m a Democrat.’ And I just grabbed her hand, and I said, ‘Well, I appreciate that. But you need to know that as soon as I win, I will represent you and everyone else. If there’s anything you need, you know …’ and she kind of was shocked by it.”
“Did you commit an assault when you grabbed her hand?” Michael Allen interrupts to insert a partisan laugh in the middle of what’s feels like an otherwise sincere moment of counter-MAGA sentiment, especially given that this isn’t a campaign stop and his audience is all fellow Republicans.
“I invoke my Fifth Amendment rights here,” Crank jokes back without missing a beat, then returns immediately to his story as though it’s vital he make his point.
“But anyway, she, uh, she, you know, she was stunned by that. Because there’s so much nastiness and meanness in politics today. So, she was kind of stunned by that.
1 Shortly after taking control of The Gazette Telegraph, Hoiles quashed a strike by the International Typographers Union and managed to lock them out.
2 The U.S. Olympic Training Center now occupies what was originally Ent Air Force Base.
And you know what? She might actually vote for me! Who knows? But whether she does or doesn’t, she’s going to be welcome at our office. So anyway, thank you all for being here, and God bless you for everything you do.”
This soft, folksy message of inclusion wouldn’t have been shocking coming from a Republican, a Democrat or any politician before Donald Trump was elected in 2016. It’s the kind of centrist platitude that used to make many Americans feel like our differences were the exception. But there’s an almost radical feeling to it now, especially a week after Crank received Trump’s endorsement, even though he beat out Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams, the House District 5 MAGA standard bearer who had previously enjoyed Trump’s endorsement, in the primary. Even as he preaches to this seeming choir of Republican faithful, it’s clearly important to Crank to re-emphasize that he’s not what other people, including those here in the prayer circle, might think.
But what is he, then? And who is he? And does it really matter?
THE MAN FROM I AM
In 1956, with enough self-awareness
Front view of The Gazette Telegraph building on Pikes Peak Avenue (directly across the street from the Burns Theatre) in 1950, three years after R.C. Hoiles purchased it. | Credit: James and Helen McCaffery. Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District, 013-981
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to know how grating his own contrarian approach could be (he often referred to public school teachers as “prostitutes”), Hoiles hired a silver-tongued media personality with a history of hard-right sympathies named Robert LeFevre to be The Gazette’s editor.
According to the journalist Mark Ames, who wrote a long article about him in 2013, LeFevre (pronounced “Luh-FAVE”) was a natural born snake oil salesman of his time — “a hick-huckster-fascist … like a used car salesman … peddling freemarket extremism to corporate leaders.”
In his 20s, LeFevre worked with his father, a traveling salesman with anticommunist, antiunion, and antigovernment sympathies who took deposits on picture frames that he never delivered. LeFevre shared his father’s beliefs and his opportunism. Though he loathed FDR for what he believed were his socialist policies, and for taking the U.S. off the gold standard, he was desperate for work during the Depression and took a job at a radio station through one of Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. It was there, in the late ’30s, according to Ames, that LeFevre found his voice as a nascent libertarian with a microphone to amplify his opinions as he railed against his fellow radio workers who were unionizing around the country.
During this time, LeFevre got involved with one of the radio station’s sponsors — the I AM Movement.
I AM was a popular, nationalistic, anticommunist, quasi-religious pyramid scheme and cult founded in the early ’30s by a man named Guy Ballard, a selfproclaimed mystic who had a vision for the movement while hiking on Mount Shasta in the early 1930s.
According to historian Will Schultz, the I AM Movement “was very much like, ‘OK, you send us X amount of money, and we will reveal the secrets of the universe to you on the installment plan.’” Ballard, says Ames, taught LeFevre that unions and property taxes were “black magic evil.”
So, says Ames, LeFevre joined. “He starts traveling around the country with this cult and [the I AM Movement gets] crazier and crazier as World War II approaches, openly calling for the deaths of FDR and his wife. They lead these huge chants calling for the destruction of the soul of FDR, for his wife’s soul, and calling for help for the Axis powers.”
served in the Navy and later became the civilian commander at the Pueblo Army Depot. Like many Democrats with more conservative values at the time, his father became a Republican when Ronald Reagan ran for office in 1980, and Crank still considers himself a Reagan “conservative” (a term he uses far more than “Republican”), primarily concerned with limited government and lower taxes. He even calls himself a libertarian when asked directly. He’s a strong supporter of the First Amendment and of the freedom of the press, and he believes the media is an important part of a strong democracy. And, without the slightest hesitation, he calls former Vice President Mike Pence a friend and has said both that he would’ve voted to certify the results of the 2020 election and that he would vote to certify the results of the 2024 election if Kamala Harris wins the election on Nov. 5.
FREEDOM FROM …
LeFevre got close to Ballard and his wife, Edna, and eventually wrote a book called “I AM: America’s Destiny” in which he made his own claims to mystical authority.
“He claimed that he drove across the country for 25 minutes with his eyes closed while his soul was floating above Mount Shasta in California with St. Germain, who is some, like, illuminati ghost. I mean it’s so crazy I can’t tell you,” says Ames.
LeFevre’s involvement with I AM came to a screeching halt in the early ’40s when members were indicted by the FBI on numerous counts of mail fraud.
During the ensuing legal battle, LeFevre cooperated with the FBI, and charges against him were ultimately dropped.
While the Ballards went to prison, LeFevre joined the Army. He enlisted in 1942 and served until the end of World War II. He then made his way to Los Angeles, where he tried his hand in real estate and wound up taking possession of Falcon Lair, the lavish Beverly Hills mansion of silent film superstar Rudolph Valentino.
In the early 1950s, the FBI helped fund a TV and radio show that LeFevre produced “to promote McCarthy and promote J. Edgar Hoover as the saviors of America,” says Ames. “LeFevre starts persecuting everybody he can as a Red.
He even persecutes the Girl Scouts of America and wages this big campaign, which goes national, and says the Girl Scouts Handbook has something like 40 instances of subversive anti-Americanism in it.”
LeFevre’s attack on the Girl Scouts in 1954 earned him notoriety on the national stage, and he was ready to parlay that newfound stature in whatever ways he could. It also earned him the attention of R.C. Hoiles.
After Michael Allen takes a group photo with his selfie stick, Jeff Crank makes himself available for a long interview in a booth in the back corner of the IHOP, where he orders two eggs over medium with four pieces of bacon. Crank is affable and generous with his time. Though the interview was scheduled for 30 minutes, he gives an hour. And though his volunteer handler, Ashlee Springer, is there with him, she doesn’t manage him. And though he is consistent with his many publicly stated views, his responses don’t feel canned.
Now in his mid-50s, Crank was born in Pueblo, Colorado, into a Catholic, working-class, solidly Democratic household and attended Central High School, where white kids were the minority and where he “learned to get along with everybody.” His father
At the time Hoiles hired him to be the editor of The Gazette Telegraph, Robert LeFevre bought a property at the mouth of a box canyon just outside of Larkspur. With Hoiles’ backing, he modified and built a handful of log cabins and meeting halls and launched The Freedom School — a kind of libertarian boot camp where he could build a movement and train people in the antigovernment ideas that LeFevre was now calling the “Freedom Philosophy.”
“The definition of freedom was all about individual actualization and individual choice,” says Will Schultz. “He emphasized over and over again that a person must be free to choose their own path totally free of coercion.”
Sometimes calling it “voluntaryism,” LeFevre believed that freedom meant self-control and self-government. But it wasn’t anarchy because freedom, as he saw it, was a moral state — a good unto itself under which all other moral behaviors would flow.
American libertarianism, which has a wide range of iterations that stretch back to the late 18th century in England and across the political spectrum, had its origins in the writings of John Locke, the 17th century British political philosopher who is credited with articulating the virtues of liberty, private property and natural law that heavily influenced Thomas Jefferson and the framers of the Constitution. But Locke’s ideas,
Freedom School President and Gazette Editor Robert LeFevre and Secretary Ruth Dazey hold up the red, white and blue variation of the Gadsen flag, which was flown at the libertarian enclave in Larkspur on May 26, 1959. | Credit: Stanley L. Payne. Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District, 004-10507
Where the city meets the scene
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Credit: James and Helen McCaffery. Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District, 266-10140 ... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
particularly around individual liberty and private property, were weaponized in the mid-20th century by academic economists like Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises and others loosely associated with the Austrian School of Economics and the University of Chicago, and by popular writers like Ayn Rand, author of “The Fountainhead.” Friedman’s free market theories would famously influence Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Markets, they believed, like people, were best left alone and free from all regulation and manipulation. Markets, like people, would govern themselves.
With the Freedom School bankrolled by Hoiles, LeFevre was able to pay for these intellectuals to come to Colorado
and teach their philosophy and economic policies in the rustic log buildings of the campus — a setting that reflected the rugged, individualistic spirit that LeFevre believed that the school embodied.
Mark Ames says the school was, “an executive-level, extreme laissezfaire indoctrination camp for sons of corporate executives or young corporate executives.” It’s aim, says Will Schultz, was to teach them “why it’s OK for them to break unions and to pay low wages and to try to fight back against government regulation.”
Students could enroll in one- or two-week-long sessions to learn the principles of liberty and the virtues of private ownership of property. Despite
TOP: The Burns Theatre (aka The Chief) just before demolition in 1973. BOTTOM: Parking lot and bank drive-through where the Burns once stood, 1989. |
the relatively primitive setting, students in photographs can be seen dressed in the natty “Mad Men”-style suits and skinny ties of the time, which reflected the seriousness with which the ideas and principles behind the Freedom Philosophy were taken.
There were cocktail hours in the evening meant as much for honing one’s ideas through debate as they were for networking. But they were hardly bacchanals. Again, the expectation was always that the truly free man would selfgovern and naturally arrive at the moral behaviors of polite society.
Hoiles sent the members of his newspapers’ editorial boards for retreats before they started their jobs; Roger Milliken, the textile tycoon, sent his executives there; and a man named Fred C. Koch, an oil and gas engineer who came to hate communism after building refineries in Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union in the late 1920s and early ’30s, sent his son, Charles. Currently ranked the 23rdrichest man in the world, Charles Koch is now the president of Koch Industries and the cofounder (along with his late brother, David) of Americans for Prosperity, the “grassroots” libertarian political advocacy group that has employed former talk radio host and Republican House District 5 candidate Jeff Crank.
What starts to become clear during our long conversation at IHOP is that Crank is not a MAGA Republican, but nor is he disavowing Trump or the ultra-far right of the Republican Party. Though he doesn’t believe there would be the votes or the political will for it, he says he’d vote in favor of a national ban on abortion, which aligns with his Catholic upbringing, and his current “nondenominational” Christian views. He supports Trump’s anti-immigration stance, he believes in unfettered gun rights including assault weapons, and he rides with the proponents of school vouchers. And on the military, he says, he will do everything in his power to protect it and keep Space Force at Peterson.
But beyond those things, he says, “that doesn’t mean that I can’t go work with Democrats.”
Perhaps because the House District 5 seat is so nearly unassailable, Crank
is free to hold this awkward position as a not-quite Never Trumper, nor exactly a Reagan Republican, but a Reagan libertarian, or maybe a MACA: Make America Conservative Again.
PAVEMENT
LeFevre resigned from the Freedom School in January of 1973, the same time that William L. Armstrong (also a radio man) became the first congressman to represent Colorado’s newly created 5th Congressional House District, which now encompasses most of El Paso County. And just few months after that, on March 23, the theater that Jimmie Burns built with his fortune from the Portland Mine and Mill and opened only 60 years earlier, was razed.
Though it’s thought to be apocryphal, the story went that Burns built his opera house because the other theater in town at the time — The Colorado Springs Opera House, which was owned in part by Irving Howbert, an associate of Spencer Penrose — wouldn’t let him rent it out for a party. Whether it’s true or not, Burns was largely persona non grata among Colorado Springs’ mining elite and allegedly wasn’t ever invited to join The El Paso Club, the preferred meeting place of monied good ol’ boys to this day. If he was beloved by anyone, it was the mine workers he supported who, during the violent strike in 1904, gifted him a gold watch made entirely of Portland gold, and signed it “The Boys.”3
There was a massive public debate that played out in the editorial pages of The Gazette in the months after it was announced that the Exchange National Bank — adjacent to the Burns on the corner of Pikes Peak Avenue and Tejon Street — had decided to exercise a clause in the 99-year lease it held with Burns’ granddaughter that allowed them to tear it down.
Despite desperate pleas from the community, pleas from the director of the New York City Opera citing its world class acoustical qualities, an extensive engineering study done by the Colorado Historic Society confirming that the building was sound and of exceptional historical importance, and a 12th-hour National Historic Landmark designation, the Colorado Springs City Council at the time declined to let the voters to decide,
and the Exchange National Bank, citing disproven structural liabilities and the need for expansion, went ahead with the demolition.
The Burns Theatre was the last of the major historic downtown buildings to be demolished during urban renewal after H. Chase Stone and the El Pomar Investment Co. announced the demolition of the second Antlers Hotel in 1964 to build a starkly modern Antlers Plaza, which has had several makeovers in the years since but remains a largely unremarkable part of the downtown skyline.
And the parking lot across the street from the Antlers, where the Burns once stood, remains remarkable mostly for what isn’t there — an absence that’s endured almost as long as the Burns stood.
Whatever the Burns Theatre might have meant to the community as an arts venue or a point of civic pride had it been preserved is impossible to say. But as a symbol of the culture, its destruction and paving over was definitive.
It paved the way for the arrival of Doug Bruce, another Orange County libertarian
cut from the same contrarian cloth as R.C. Hoiles and Robert LeFevre, and whose Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights has kept a choke hold on government spending at both the state and local levels.
Along with a $4 million It paved the way for the way for the relocation of James Dobson’s Focus on the Family and the religious nonprofit industrial complex and hundreds of evangelical churches that followed, turning Palmer’s vision for “a city of churches” into “the evangelical Vatican.”
And more than anything, it paved the way for a city of pavement that now stretches out over 200 square miles and growing that still fills the pockets of developers first and foremost.
When we ask him how he thinks he might be different from his predecessor, Doug Lamborn, Jeff Crank says, “I think in some ways I’ll be more of a leader than him,” which he immediately qualifies by pointing out that he made sure that Lamborn wasn’t offended by that comment
The watch is currently on display in the lobby of the Pioneers Museum. One of the cherubs from the facade of the Burns is also on display there in the exhibition COS@150.
TRANSFORMATIVE FILMMAKING
Youth Documentary Academy celebrates a decade of diverse and empathetic storytelling
By CANNON TAYLOR cannon.taylor@ppmc.live
There exists an OCD stereotype in popular culture — the clean freak who worries about germs and needs everything nice and tidy. Fifteen-year-old Alex Welty is nothing like this stereotype, yet he has struggled with a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder called purely obsessional OCD for his entire life.
People with purely obsessional OCD frequently experience upsetting and unwanted intrusive thoughts. Thoughts can center around a variety of themes — sex, violence, relationships, religion and more — but often, the core of these thoughts is a fear that one might do something completely uncharacteristic.
The difference between OCD and purely obsessional OCD is the manifestation of compulsions. While someone with OCD might have obvious compulsions like checking, counting and hand-washing, someone with purely obsessional OCD exhibits mental compulsions like avoidance and rumination to try and contain their anxious thoughts.
Despite this, the term “intrusive thought” has catapulted into our digital language. It’s not uncommon to see a TikTok video of someone doing something impetuous or making a bawdy comment with a caption labeling the behavior as acting on an intrusive thought.
Welty is challenging OCD misconceptions through his Youth Documentary Academy film, “INTRUSIVE.”
Founded in 2014, the Youth Documentary Academy empowers youths between ages 14 and 20 to tell their personal stories through documentary film. Each year’s class of about a dozen filmmakers are mentored over 10 weeks in June and July by experienced documentarians, instructors and mental health professionals, learning the various aspects of documentary filmmaking (preproduction, workshopping, camera work, interviewing, editing, distribution and more) and creating their own brief narrative in the process.
The goals of the Youth Documentary Academy are multifaceted. Telling personal stories through film not only allows students to learn the ins and outs of film production, but also allows them to process their
The Youth Documentary Academy’s Class of 2024 during filming. | Courtesy: Youth Documentary Academy
individual traumas in a healthy way.
One of Welty’s biggest hurdles was actually attending the program. His OCD had progressed to a point where he couldn’t handle being around others and had switched to a mostly virtual education. Talking with others or even making eye contact with them would trigger an intrusive thought. But participating in YDA has allowed him to better handle his intrusive thoughts. After all, many therapists say that the best treatment for OCD is safe exposure to sources of anxiety.
“Having all these really supportive people that are open-minded and want to understand, mixed with my therapist doing just a great job … really helped me understand myself a lot more,” Welty said.
Founder Tom Shepard explained that translating their personal stories into film allows the filmmakers to create a distance between themselves and their traumas, allowing them to see themselves as the
sympathetic heroes of their stories.
Although YDA is not a mental health organization, they ensure their filmmakers approach the process in a safe and healthy way. They scaffold their programming with mental health professionals and ensure that their students create safety plans to use if their worst-case scenario comes to pass during production. The mentors also work closely with the filmmakers to ensure that their intended message is presented in a way that does not simply retrigger the traumas of filmmakers, participants and audience members.
These are valid concerns given the serious subject matters students choose to explore, including suicide, drugs, abuse and homelessness.
Family is a popular theme. Some parents come in thinking that supporting their kid in the program will entail packing lunches and driving them to and from classes before realizing that supporting their documentarian
child entails getting on camera.
“Nine times out of 10, the families, in the end, just feel a huge sense of relief that there’s been a way to facilitate,”
Shepard said. “And you would think, well, you know, just talk about this stuff at the dinner table. But ironically, it seems like bringing in cameras and sound recording equipment opens the door for more intimate conversation than families would have, left to their own devices.”
Starting conversations is a key objective of the YDA. After creating the films, the filmmakers go out into educational settings for screenings followed by discussions on subjects like colorism, disability and gender identity.
Shepard describes YDA’s documentaries as mirrors and windows educating viewers on experiences they hadn’t considered or allowing their experience to be reflected on-screen.
Religious fundamentalists from the Springs had written Amendment 2, which would make it legal to discriminate based on sexual orientation. According to the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, in 1992, a 53% majority of Coloradans voted in favor of the amendment. Colorado was dubbed “the Hate State” and became the target of nationwide travel and business boycotts before Amendment 2 was shot down by the United States Supreme Court four years later.
Shepard, who grew up in Colorado Springs, felt unwelcome as a gay man and “fled” to San Francisco when he came of age.
For him, the Youth Documentary Academy is a sort of “correcting of the record;” programming created by Colorado Springs filmmakers based on diversity and empathy. “I never thought I would be back here in a meaningful way,” Shepard said. “And I love it. I love the people that I’m meeting. I love the pluralism here and the diversity of backgrounds, and I honestly wouldn’t want to do YDA anywhere else.”
Films produced by the Youth Documentary Academy began to be broadcast on Rocky Mountain PBS in 2019 in the series “Our Time” — 12 documentaries across six
episodes. In 2022, the series was picked up by more than 80% of PBS stations
The acclaim is national, too. Graduates have won national film festivals, met with state politicians and even visited the White
“Youth in Colorado Springs are actually driving the conversation now across all of these different regions of the U.S. and that makes me very, very, very proud,” Shepard said. “These films are raising the profile of our youth across the country.”
Films by the Youth Documentary Academy’s Class of 2024 will premiere on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts at Colorado College. Tickets for a VIP reception at 5 p.m. are available, and all proceeds support YDA students. More information can be found at youthdocumentary.org. Seasons 1 and 2 of “Our Time” can be watched for free at pbs.org.
Documentary Lineup
Alexzander Welty: A personal view of OCD through the filmmaker’s own diagnosis.
Amelia Chavez: An exploration of what’s in a name.
Chad Moore: Addressing drug addiction through the director’s own journey.
Connor Strange: The filmmaker seeks reconciliation with his estranged biological father and comes to terms with who the heroes are in his family.
Cristian Perez: An exploration of the stories of unhoused people in Colorado Springs and the outreach work of Homeward Pikes Peak.
Eliana White: The filmmaker explores their own eating disorder and healing journey.
Khaleigh Reed: An exploration of motherhood through the voices of mothers.
Lillian Lugo: An experimental approach to understanding what memory means to the filmmaker.
Madeline McIntosh: An exploration of faith through the eyes of vastly different faith traditions.
Marcus Isaiah Salazar: A personal exploration of the filmmaker’s nontraditional family.
Michelle Peña: An exploration of birth order among three first-generation sisters.
Sierra Buah: The filmmaker shares her experiences in northern Colorado Springs being one of the only Black people in the room.
Yasir Carlon: The filmmaker humanizes the story of immigrants through his own family and their ties to Mexico.
COMING STORM
Rediscovering haiku with Dave Reynolds
by CANNON TAYLOR cannon.taylor@ppmc.live
If you ever had a unit on haiku in English class, the brunt of your effort reading and composing haiku was probably spent counting out the syllables: five-sevenfive across three lines. Local writer and Fountain Valley School English department Chair Dave Reynolds did the same when he began writing haiku. He quickly learned his mistake when he tried to submit his haiku for publication in Modern Haiku and received a response from the editor telling him to be more playful with his structure.
“What’s nice about the five-seven-five rule as a teacher, especially if you teach younger people, is that it gives you something to hang your hat on, sort of like the five-paragraph essay, and it gives you a form to follow,” Reynolds said, adding that contemporary English haiku doesn’t follow the form often.
The 17-syllable structure of haiku comes from the sounding out of Japanese phonetic units called on (“sounds” in English).
Syllables are not exact counterparts to on; in fact, one English syllable may include multiple on. This makes the five-seven-five structure an imperfect adaptation of the 17 on found in a Japanese haiku.
So, just what is haiku? Many define a haiku’s length by the ability of a reader to utter it in a single breath. References to nature and the seasons are common in Japanese haiku, but just like the 17-on structure, it’s a rule that has been broken time and time again.
Reynolds defines his haiku through the juxtaposition of two mental images. He doesn’t tell the reader how to interpret their relationship; instead, the reader acts as a “spark plug” creating meaning and emotional depth.
It’s a format Reynolds has mastered in over a decade of writing haiku. His work has culminated in “Coming Storm,” a collection of over 100 haiku from over the years. Reynold’s haiku range from ironic observations (“outside / the dementia ward / forget-me-nots”) to gentle snapshots of nature (“coming storm / we sit outside / one last time”). Each creates a vivid scene despite its brevity — perhaps because each word choice is incredibly intentional.
“One of the problems with most writers is they’re wordy,” Reynolds said. “No one ever wishes something was wordier. I think we all wish something were said more succinctly. And haiku really pushes you to trim down.”
Reynolds compared haiku to chocolate truffles — brief but rich sensory experiences. Reynolds’ culinary comparison makes sense; after all, the everyday moments haiku try to capture are the spice of life that make the dish flavorful.
“One of the goals of haiku is to help us live in the present,” Reynolds said, “to treasure and hang onto those little things, the contradictions and juxtapositions in life that make it sort of spicy.”
“Coming Storm” can be purchased online from redmoonpress.com or by emailing dreynolds@fvs.edu, or in person at Poor Richard’s or Hooked On Books.
Dave Reynolds with his collection “Coming Storm” | Courtesy: Dave Reynolds
Where the city meets the scene
ARTS&CULTURE
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THIRD TIME’S A CHARM?
W.I.P. IT
By LAUREN CIBOROWSKI
We were in the weeds, as they say in the industry. The cocktail lounge and the dining room were both full up; and with just two of us bartending, it was quickly becoming a nightmare. The sound of the bar printer churning out the drink orders was a relentless bark, a jarring, screeching sound that still enters my nightmares on occasion years later. Wine and beer were easy — a relief, a quick pour, and that was that. Complicated cocktails were anxiety producing. And the customers who sat at the bar that night were not impressed with our service, despite their front-row-seat view of our travails. The loungey sounds of the Sylvan Esso Pandora station were in stark contrast to my rising blood pressure. Sometime in the midst of all this, a woman with a haircut that looked like a Christmas tree from the back decided to tell my manager that she had waited too long for her drink, her anniversary was ruined, and it was all my fault. And so I found myself fired on the spot and marched out the door.
I don’t think this was the story that Joseph Coleman wanted me to tell July 2023 in front of a room of potential investors in the then-newly hollowed-out Blue Star. (He had asked for everyone’s most indelible memories of the spot). But tell it I did, and the looks on the collective faces were mic-drop memorable. I am, however, not a total bitch, so I did finish out the story on a more positive note. The truth of the matter is that although I was frantic and not sure how I would live without that job at the time, Coleman was, in the first place, kind enough to hire me with little experience and (unwittingly) train me for future bartending gigs. And at the end of the day, I’m grateful I had that opportunity. Especially because I now feel a smug sense of understanding and camaraderie when watching “The Bear” with my husband. A little history: The Blue Star first opened in Old Colorado City in 1995 and quickly became a favorite go-to fine-dining place here
in the Springs. They moved to their South Tejon location in 1998 and closed in 2017, shortly after (or because?) I was working there. Many thought it to be one of the best and most consistent high-end restaurants in the Springs … until it wasn’t. By the by, the reboot of The Blue Star aims to address this issue by creating “excellent and consistently excellent food,” said Coleman. “If food is inconsistent, it is inhospitable.” But more on that in a bit.
I was thinking back to that July meeting when I once more had the opportunity to enter the shell of the former Blue Star earlier this week. Although they’ve had their ups and downs and many interminable delays, the Blue Star Group still plans to reopen, hopefully as soon as the summer of 2025. Since I first learned of the project over a year ago, the once-hoped-for rooftop patio has been nixed due to soil issues. Otherwise, it seems to me to have the same impressive scope. Which is to say, a 98-seat dining room, 52-seat lounge/bar area, and unlike the previous iteration, a private event space and commissary kitchen which will be available for rental by food trucks and the like. And the menu? In the past, Coleman confessed, they fell prey to changing the menu constantly. But he swears they know better now. For one thing, Coleman is stoked to already have six of his intended seven kitchen staff hired, with talented chef Will Merwin at the helm. And I was lucky enough to have a sampling of the “greatest hits” menu that they’re planning on serving, including the much-beloved white bean hummus, corn chowder and crab cakes. Each bite was delicious and packed with nostalgia. Mm. Nostalgia. It was also fun to see the designs, color palettes, plates and utensils that the team has been toiling over.
At the conclusion of the evening, I asked Coleman what he would most like people to know, and he repeated a plea he had made earlier for investors. He wants to talk to anybody who would like to play a role in the return of The Blue Star. Although they have a commitment for a bank loan, due to the current high interest rates, they would “greatly prefer to partner with private investors to reach our projected goal,” as the prospective investor one-sheet states. As for me, I hope it all works out. We could use another great restaurant in the Springs, and if it comes to fruition, you’ll find me at the bar — waiting very patiently for my drink if need be. You need art. Art needs you.
Lauren Ciborowski writes about the arts and music in every issue. W.I.P. stands for Works in Progress.
Welcome to the 31st edition of the Best of Colorado Springs. Since we relaunched the Independent under new ownership back in May, we’ve had to decide which traditions to carry over from the previous iterations of the newspaper and which ones we leave behind. We never once considered shelving Best Of. It’s just too much fun to see what community members think about the vast array of businesses, big and small, in the Springs. To be clear, we did not pick the winners in these categories. It was the result of an online voting process this summer. You may not agree with all of the winners (we certainly don’t), but the outcomes will no doubt spark a conversation, or more likely, an argument. In the end, that’s what Best Of is all about.
BARBECUE FRONT RANGE BARBEQUE
frbbq.com
If Colorado has its own style of barbecue (and we’re not saying it doesn’t), Front Range Barbeque in Old Colorado City is definitely one of its defining restaurants. Putting its own Rocky Mountain twist on Southern barbecue favorites like pulled pork, ribs, brisket, burnt ends, catfish and the like, they also have a fantastic selection of house sauces, great sides and an always-evolving craft beer menu. With a growing array of patio spaces that include a year-round tent, the front porch vibe and the Wednesday night bluegrass/folk/country/western concerts add a warm and inviting flavor to this much-beloved corner of the west side. Oh, the key lime pie — don’t forget the key lime pie!
SILVER: THE CHUCKWAGON 719 chuckwagon719.com
BRONZE: RUDYS rudysbbq.com
Front Range Barbeque| Credit: Bryan Oller
JAPANESE/SUSHI DOZO SUSHI
dozosushico.com
On the landing page of their website, Dozo Sushi, without the slightest hint of apology, states: “We are dedicated to take dining to a higher level. Not just here at Dozo, but throughout Colorado Springs and Colorado. This is the first step, we hope, to make standards much higher in the Colorado Springs area.” “Who do they think they are?!” you might think as you shake your fist at the heavens. But then you’ll try their sushi at this 8th Street hideaway, and you’ll agree! Generous portions, a lively atmosphere on any given evening and great prices make this fan favorite a popular stop for Colorado Springs foodies aspiring to higher standards.
SILVER: FUJIYAMA fujiyamasushi.com
BRONZE: DOKI DOKI finddoki.com
CATERER
PICNIC BASKET CATERING CO. pbcatering.com
Picnic Basket Catering Co. has been a go-to for catering needs across the Pikes Peak region since 1989, when two friends, Kathy Dreiling and Michelle Talarico, combined their love for food and fun. Over the decades the company has grown into three distinctly different divisions in answer to the needs of their clientele; Picnic Basket Catering Co., Buffalo Gals Grilling Co. and Cravings Catering & Five Star Events. Last year, the Picnic Basket covered over 30,000 miles along the Front Range, catering over 2,100 events and feeding over 135,000 guests.
SILVER: FRONT RANGE BARBEQUE frbbq.com
BRONZE: LUCHALS eatluchals.com
CHINESE COAL MINE DRAGON
coalminedragoncs.com
Coal Mine Dragon on West Uintah Street is so old-school that they could’ve invented takeout. When COVID-19 hit four years ago, they were among the few businesses uniquely positioned to help their customers connect with the flavors of the world outside their homes. Nothing broken to fix here; just good old-fashioned fried rice, sesame tofu, broccoli beef, chop suey, chow mein, lo mein, moo shu pork and everything in between, including some Thai classics to boot — all packaged up in the little white boxes and bowed plastic bags that all say, “No one’s doing dishes tonight, thank you.” Nothing wrong with dining in, either. Grab a booth and some toasted rice tea and pretend it’s Christmas Eve on the Lower East Side of Manhattan any day of the week except Sunday (hey, it is Colorado Springs!).
SILVER: SHANGRI LA shangrilacs.com
BRONZE: WOK IN WOK OUT wokinwokoutco.com
ITALIAN PARAVICINI’S ITALIAN BISTRO
paravicinis.com
Paravicini’s Italian Bistro bookends the many excellent Old Colorado City eateries on the west end in a charming, historic brick building on what’s now a lively corner at all hours with The Sluice just across the way. It’s the kind of Italian atmosphere you expect from a Coppola or Scorsese movie: red leather booths and/or white tablecloths, lots of photos of paisanos on the walls and food to match. Though the seafood dishes are a specialty, you can’t go wrong with the classics: rigatoni carmella, chicken picatta, eggplant parmigiana, and the list goes on. You’ll likely catch a glimpse of the doting chef Franco Pisani, and, trust us, you’ll feel like you just got done bingeing “The Sopranos”!
SILVER: LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
BRONZE: RED GRAVY redgravyco.com
DOUGHNUTS AMY’S DONUTS amysdonuts.com
There probably hasn’t been a proper euology written for the death of the 24-hour doughnut shop. As a close friend once asked, rhetorically, “You know what time’s a good time for a doughnut?” (“Anytime” is, of course, the answer to the only question on the quiz.) Amy’s Donuts, which now has two locations in Colorado Springs, as well as a smattering of other locations throughout the Southwest, may not be open all night for your drunken, closing-time, diabetic-coma needs, but they’ve got you covered from 5 a.m. to midnight, which is pretty darn good these days. The doughnuts are, of course, as legendary in their variety as they are in flavors: cherry fudge, orange creamsicle, almond banana caramel, Andes mint, Lucky Charms (that’s right!), and on and on. Their “chocolate round” and other fillable donuts can be pumped full of goo before your very eyes, but I would like to remind them, as my son once pointed out, that a Boston cream without the filling is just a Boston.
SILVER: MOCHI THAI’M mochithaim.com
BRONZE: KRISPY KREME krispykreme.com
GERMAN
EDELWEISS GERMAN RESTAURANT
edelweissrest.com
Edelweiss is one of those Colorado Springs restaurants that’s been around so long that it’s easy to take it for granted, or even forget that it’s there, tucked away in a quaint chalet in the Ivywild neighborhood in a bubble outside of time. But the best thing about forgetting is remembering! It’s like discovering a new restaurant all over again. And when you do, you go and truly do feel transported to Germany circa 1969. They’ve got your wiener schnitzels your jäger schnitzels, your rahm schnitzel and your zigeuner schnitzel. And we haven’t even gotten to the bratens! The spätzle is to die for, and all the tortes and strudels on the dessert menu will require strategic distribution of sharing forks. Prost!
SILVER: SCHNITZEL FRITZ facebook.com/SchnitzelFritzRestaurant
BRONZE: WIMBERGERS wimbergers.com
Dozo Sushi | Credit: Bryan Oller
OVERALL RESTAURANT
LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
La Burla Bee is a multiple gold winner. See Page 35 for more.
SILVER: SHUGA’S shugas.com
BRONZE: THE RABBIT HOLE rabbitholedinner.com
SANDWICH CHEBA HUT chebahut.com
Cheba Hut has been making sure their sub sandwiches have been “toasted” since 1998. The chain, which started in Tempe, Arizona, has since moved into the Colorado Springs market with three locations in the city, all of which celebrate the counterculture, with over 30 signature sandwiches, salads and a variety of Rice Krispy treats and other “munchies.” Fitting in with the theme, the sandwiches are also broken down by sizes ranging from a nug (4 inches), pinner (8 inches), and blunt (12 inches). Get it?
The Omelette Parlor has been a staple in Colorado Springs for years at the corner of Fillmore and Institute streets. The homey interior has welcomed hordes of visitors for the all-day breakfast and stacks of fan-favorite pancakes. The homey nature is bolstered by the fact that the building was originally the home of Ruth Etting, a popular singing star from the late 1920s, who first turned the home into a restaurant with her husband during her retirement.
SILVER: URBAN EGG urbanegg.com
BRONZE: WADE’S CAFE wades-cafe.com
BRUNCH URBAN EGG urbanegg.com
Urban Egg is a multiple gold winner. See Page 30 for more.
SILVER: DENVER BISCUIT CO. theatomiccowboy.com
BRONZE: SHUGA’S shugas.com
BURGER SKIRTED HEIFER skirtedheifer.com
BAKERY BOONZAAIJER’S DUTCH BAKERY dutchpastry.com
Be sure to buy a pastry, slice of cake or cookie if you venture into Boonzaaijer’s. The aroma of baked goods will stay with you after you leave and you’ll regret exiting the shop emptyhanded. They also do coffee, sell European treats and will do cakes for special occasions if you send them a design. Baking has been a Boonzaaijer family tradition and skill for generations, starting when Karel Hendrick Boonzaaijer I opened a bakery in the Netherlands in 1896. Boonzaaijer’s Dutch Bakery came to Colorado Springs in 1999 and has been continuing the family tradition, titillating taste buds and noses — and winning prizes — ever since.
SILVER: MARIGOLD CAFÉ AND BAKERY marigoldcoloradosprings.com
BRONZE: NIGHTINGALE BREAD nightingalebread.com
There’s something ingenious about a skirted cheeseburger that probably doesn’t need words to justify it, but we’ll try anyway. Imagine, if you will, the origins of the universe. Whether you see the big bang or God’s magical finger reaching out into the void before light and dark, imagine that part of the destiny of all creation is to live in a solar system that’s home to spectacular planets, one of which has a particularly stunning, rainbowlike ring around it, and another that has oceans and continents and an atmosphere’s that’s home to life in all its wild diversity, including humans who thought to make a burger with a giant ring of crispy grilled cheese around it that makes you think about the creation and mysteries of the universe while you eat it. Because it’s just that good.
SILVER: GREEN LINE GRILL greenlinegrillco.com
CAJUN
LUCHALS
eatluchals.com
BRONZE: BINGO BURGER bingoburger.com
Part of the COATI collective food hall on South Tejon Street, Luchals is dedicated to allowing residents to “indulge in Southern seafood excellence.” The restaurant also expanded to a standalone space in Fountain. Owners Chantal Lucas (the chef) and Travares Lucas have been bringing various Southern flavors that resonate with the soul since 2016. The eatery also features a wide range of gluten-free options and focuses on sustainably sourced ingredients.
SILVER: THE JUICY SEAFOOD thejuicyseafoodcs.com
Boonzaaijer’s
CARIBBEAN
RASTA PASTA
realrastapasta.com
Save money on your next vacation by taking your taste buds on a fusion-fueled trip to the islands by way of Italy along South Tejon Street at Rasta Pasta. The unique blend of flavors has blown away thousands of Colorado Springs residents since 2009, along with the likes of Food Network star Guy Fieri. Each dish is made to order and blend the jerk flavors of the Caribbean along with savory Italian staples.
SILVER: JAMAICAN FLAVOR js-jamaican-flava.com
CHEAP EATS
LA
CASITA MEXICAN GRILL
lacasitamexigrill.com
If you’ve lived in Colorado Springs for as long as some of us have (too long), La Casita needs neither an introduction nor awards. The pink-stucco fast-food icon could make a case for itself as being a city-defining cuisine. The fajitas, in particular, might be inseparable from the culture that defines whatever it is that this rapidly growing city is becoming. The tender strips of skirt steak, the mound of grilled onions and pepper beneath guacamole and cheese, the smoky ham hock pintos — and all of it rolled up in those oddly thick flour tortillas that come tucked in aluminum foil to keep them hot. There’s something traditional yet not … something perfectly off about it all. Who knows? Who cares? They’re amazing. Bathe them in the dark red roasted salsa. Down them with an horchata. Now doesn’t that taste like Colorado Springs?
With a catchy name like his, Brother Luck was born to be a celebrity. Eight years ago, he appeared on “Beat Bobby Flay” and did just that. Since then, he’s opened a variety of restaurants in Colorado Springs. There’s Eleven18 on Colorado Avenue, a Latin tapas bar offering everything from Octopus ala Plancha to pork belly chicharron tacos. And then there’s Four on Tejon Street, a Southwestern restaurant inspired by the Four Corners states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. Enjoy a four-course meal ranging from jalapeño poppers to smoked pumpkin bisque. In recent years, Luck has broken into motivational speaking, mental health advocacy and writing. We’re all wondering what Luck will do next — and happy it’s happening in our hometown.
BRONZE: GEORGE BLACKFORD (LA BURLA BEE) laburlabee.com
CHOCOLATIER/CONFECTIONS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHOCOLATE FACTORY rmcf.com
COOKING CLASS
THE FRENCH KITCHEN
tfkcc.com
The French Kitchen’s cooking classes will turn you into a local Jacques Pépin or, at the very least, make you very popular on your block. Learn in an hour to make a baguette that people will think you bought in France, or in three hours to make creamy concoctions with cheese — just two of the options they offer. There are courses for kids and grown-ups, and you can book the cooking school, which is on the same premises as where they bake their own patisseries and bread, sell popular French fare like quiche, cassoulet, specialty butter, different mousses and more. The flour they use is real French flour, and you can taste the difference. “Vive la difference,” as they say in France, and bon appétit.
SILVER: BROTHER LUCK chefbrotherluck.com
BRONZE: PATSY’S CANDIES patsyscandies.com
DESSERT MENU
MARIGOLD CAFÉ AND BAKERY
marigoldcoloradosprings.com
It’s no secret that if you want an amazing cake, or piece of cake, that you didn’t bake yourself (presuming you’re capable of baking an amazing cake), that Marigold Café and Bakery is the place to get it. It’s hard to get a great cake. These cakes aren’t baking themselves! Marigolds is baking them, though. Double chocolate mousse cake, German chocolate mousse cake, chocolate raspberry mousse cake, Black Forest chocolate cake, triple chocolate mousse cake … and that’s just the chocolate and the flour cakes. They’ve got cheesecakes; they’ve got eclairs; they’ve got tortes, tarts, tiramisus and brulees. You want it. They’ve got it.
SILVER: EDELWEISS edelweissrest.com
BRONZE: MELTING POT meltingpot.com
DINER
KING’S CHEF DINER
kingschefdiner.com
What else can or needs to be said about a diner in a little purple castle inside of which lives a king that is a breakfast burrito that wears a crown that is made out of green chile, who was very happy inside his little purple castle on Costilla Street with his court full of loyal courtiers like French toast and The Grump and the open-faced green chili cheeseburger, but alas it was not big enough to share all of its purply benevolence with the people of the realm, and so he expanded to the corner of Nevada Avenue and Bijou Street, and everyone who ate there lived happily ever after unless the green chile was a little too spicy for them, in which case they might be happy if a little uncomfortable for a few hours afterward?
SILVER: WADE’S CAFÉ wades-cafe.com
BRONZE: GUNTHER TOODY’S gunthertoodys.com
A staple of the childhood of every Coloradan for 43 years, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has more than just local appeal. Opened by Frank Crail in Durango, Colorado, the franchise has expanded throughout the United States and even into the Philippines and Panama. The legions of travelers who have munched on a mouthwatering, apple pie-flavored caramel apple while waiting for a flight or bought a stuffed bear to bring home while eyeing the Brown Bear caramels at Denver International Airport alone is a testament to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s far-reaching appeal. It creates a sense of state pride to know that the name of the Rocky Mountains is now associated with all things sweet and sugary. The first store still stands in Durango if you’re up for the drive (and the insane amount of money you’ll spend on “souvenirs” that will end up in your belly the next day).
SILVER: CACAO CHEMISTRY cacaochemistry.com
BRONZE: PATSY’S CANDIES patsyscandies.com
FINE DINING
THE RABBIT HOLE rabbitholedinner.com
The Rabbit Hole is known for its sleek, subterranean space and the lack of strict dress codes or other five-star stereotypes. Joe Campana opened the restaurant’s door leading under the streets of downtown Colorado Springs in 2011. The gothic charm of the space comes from the history that the location once housed the city’s morgue and leans into the macabre, featuring works by local artists Phil Lear and Douglas Rouse. The menu, despite the higher-end quality, doesn’t need a pronunciation guide and features new American fare and cocktails that won’t be easily replicated.
SILVER: THE FAMOUS STEAK HOUSE famoussteakhouse.net
BRONZE: EPHEMERA ephemeradinners.com
FOOD TRUCK
CHEF BOB’S LOBSTAH TRAP thelobstahtrap.com
Look, these rolls aren’t cheap. Lobster rolls aren’t cheap. But even if you’re some kind of Maine-native lobster roll snob who knows that lobster rolls aren’t cheap, you’re still going be shocked by how much lobster Chef Bob’s Lobstah Trap truck puts on their lobster rolls. Chef Bob’s Lobstah Trap puts a lot of lobster on their lobster rolls. Say that 10 times fast while you wait for it, your mouth watering for the delicious lobster roll you’re about to eat. You won’t care about the price for long. It’s a lotta lobster. And it’s good. Trust us.
SILVER: THE CHUCKWAGON 719 chuckwagon719.com
BRONZE: DOKI DOKI finddoki.com
FRENCH
LA BAGUETTE FRENCH BISTRO
labaguette-co.com
La Baguette is an Old Colorado City institution — the kind of place you walk into at any hour on any given day and know that when you order the French onion soup or the special turkey and swiss croissant (baked in), or get a fondue with a ficelle, or pain au chocolat, with more chocolate than they’d every put in a pain au chocolat in France, or just a baguette, that’s it’s gonna get you there. And by there, we mean flavor town. So much of La Baguette’s greatness is that it’s always going to be exactly the way it always is and always has been: amazing and comforting and French in that way that every corner in the city of Paris smells like a fresh baguettes and coffee at 6 a.m.— you’re never going to get tired of it.
SILVER: MARIGOLD CAFE AND BAKERY marigoldcoloradosprings.com
BRONZE: PARIS CREPE facebook.com/pariscrepe.cos
FROZEN TREAT
JOSH & JOHN’S joshandjohns.com
“You’ve got to try Josh & John’s while you’re here” is a classic, played-out phrase that’s come from the lips of just about every Colorado Springs resident when family or friends visit. The relationship we locals have with Josh & John’s ice cream is multifaceted. While we adore the regular flavors, we all have a long-lost seasonal flavor from years past that we wake up craving in the middle of the night. For some, it’s Rocky Mountain Road. For others, it’s Nilla Vanilla. Still, we love going to Josh & John’s and trying to forget our first loves with classic flavors like Colorado Cookies and Cream and sleeper hits like Purple Mountain Majesty. In the past year, their dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan options have expanded, becoming permanent staples instead of rotating offerings. They’re all tasty, too — the sorbet-like Orange Creamsicle, the snickerdoodle-esque Cookie Butter Crumble, the incredibly dark and rich Chocolate Peanut Butter and the thankfully bug-free Grasshopper. They’re all worth trying even if you don’t have dietary restrictions — the flavors will surprise you so much you’ll forget about the lack of lactose.
Monse’s Pupuseria is one of a handful of locally owned restaurants like Shuga’s or the late Urban Steam for which a good part of the appeal is how “hidden” they feel, like a secret to those in the know. The garage door patio and bamboo fence around Monse’s behind the public parking lot off the avenue in Old Colorado City just adds to the sequestered charm. But charm will only take you so far if the food isn’t part of it. And Monse’s authentic El Salvadoran pupusas most definitely are part of the whole package. Everything is made to order with fresh, organic ingredients on their choose-you-own adventure menu of fillings, plantains, yucca fries, El Salvadoran street corn and more. And don’t forget the seasonal aguas frescas. You’ll be back!
SILVER: TAPATERIA tapateria.com
BRONZE: LUCHALS eatluchals.com
GREEN CHILE KING’S CHEF DINER
kingschefdiner.com
King’s Chef Diner is a multiple gold winner. See Page 27 for more.
Cerberus is the name of the three-headed canine that guards the gates of hell in Greek mythology, so it’s fitting that this Colorado Springs brewery allows dogs. This year, they won the Dog-Friendly Restaurant category as well as Best Brewery/Brewpub. One-headed pooches are more than welcome, provided you pick up after them, they’re well-behaved, on a leash and with you at all times.
SILVER: LAZY DOG lazydogrestaurants.com
BRONZE: LEBOWSKI’S TAPROOM lebowskistaproom.com
The happy hour menu at Shuga’s offers reduced-price cocktails, in pitchers or individual glasses, and snacks, sweet and savory, to go with them. Snacks (“tapas,” if you want to be posh or are trying to impress someone) start at $7, and alcoholic beverages at $6. Happy hour is from 4 to 6:07 p.m., and they have a night-cappy hour from 11 p.m. to midnight. Shuga’s also took top honors in the Craft Cocktail Menu and Lunch categories.
SILVER: LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
BRONZE: COLORADO MOUNTAIN BREWERY cmbrew.com
HAPPY HOUR MENU SHUGA’S shugas.com
IRISH
JACK QUINN’S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT jackquinnspub.com
Jack Quinn’s is as much of a culture as it is a restaurant and pub, with their Tuesday running club, their trivia night, their traditional Irish music Sundays and the many local bands that play there every week. They’ve got a snug. They’ve got bangers and mash and traditional Irish breakfast. They’ve got Guinness (and the Guinness is good here!). If you’re looking for a place to be Irish, feel Irish or just be near Irishness, you can’t go wrong at this warm and inviting downtown mainstay.
SILVER: ABBY’S IRISH PUB abbysirishpub.com
BRONZE: ALCHEMY alchemypub.com
MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EASTERN HEART OF JERUSALEM
heartofjerusalemcafe.com
During his 28 years of service in the Air Force, Hussein Abukhdeir was transferred to Colorado Springs. Feeling a hunger for authentic cultural cuisine from his homeland of Jerusalem, Abukhdeir was disappointed with Colorado Springs’ offerings — so he decided to open a restaurant. 17 years after their opening in Manitou Springs, Heart of Jerusalem has relocated and expanded to three locations dotted around Colorado Springs and two more in Winter Springs, Florida. Offering everything from marinated lamb to mouth-watering grilled vegetables in dishes ranging from kabobs and plates to salads and sandwiches, Heart of Jerusalem is the perfect place to take your large family or friend group with a variety of desires and dietary restrictions. As their website proudly advertises, Heart of Jerusalem offers “genuine Middle Eastern cuisine made with heart” — their falafels are even heart-shaped.
SILVER: JAKE & TELLY’S jakeandtellys.com
BRONZE: PURPLE ONION purpleoniongrill.com
MEXICAN CRYSTAL PARK CANTINA
crystalparkcantina.com
It might seem like heresy to assert that Crystal Park Cantina is the best Mexican restaurant in the Pikes Peak region, but only if you haven’t been there. Tucked away in the log cabin district of Manitou at the base of Crystal Park, the charming little restaurant is owned and operated by Manitou’s Armour family (co-owner Justin Armour was the star quarterback of the town football team and went on to Stanford and the NFL, where he finished his five-year career with the Broncos as a wide receiver). While the margarita menu is definitely signature — with 13 flavor varieties to choose from that include grapefruit, habanero watermelon, a variety of fruits, beer and 291 bourbon — their food is what will keep you coming back. From the delicate house-fried chips and salsa to the saffron rice and family-recipe pinto beans, every dish has a twist on it that you wouldn’t have expected. We’re partial to the chiles rellenos, which could easily be mistaken for light chimichangas until you bite into them. Whether you get them bathed in green or red chile (both excellent), they’re crispier than their battered counterparts at other restaurants, and the generous house cheese blend is … cheesy! Whatever you order, you’ll have a hard time deciding. And if you can’t decide, the mixto plate lets you taste a little bit of everything.
SILVER: EL RAY DEL TACO 2 facebook.com/p/El-rey-del-taco-2-100057646141252/
BRONZE: SEÑOR MANUEL MEXICAN CUISINE senormanuels.com
LATE-NIGHT DINING THE RABBIT HOLE
rabbitholedinner.com
The Rabbit Hole is a multiple gold winner. See Page 28 for more
SILVER: CHIBA BAR chibabar.co
BRONZE: LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
KOREAN SEOUL KOREAN BBQ
seoulbbqco.com
Seoul Korean BBQ has worked to provide some of the most authentic, mouthwatering and uniquely crafted Korean dishes available across the state of Colorado. Seoul Korean BBQ’s adherence to quality, tradition and the best-quality ingredients available makes it a one-of-a-kind experience. Seoul Korean BBQ’s chef and owner, Mr. Lee, has two decades of restaurant experience starting in his native Korea before he moved to the United States, where he’s opened over 20 restaurants using his family’s recipes.
Shuga’s is a multiple gold winner. Turn to Page 28 for more.
SILVER: POOR RICHARD’S poorrichardsrestaurant.com
BRONZE: LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
NNEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT — WEST PARAVICINI’S ITALIAN BISTRO paravicinis.com
Paravicini’s is a multiple gold winner. See Page 25 for more.
SILVER: 503W 503w.co
BRONZE: FRONT RANGE BARBEQUE frbbq.com
NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT — SOUTH
THE PUBLIC HOUSE
thepublichouseco.com
“The word ‘pub’ comes from the reference of old British taverns typically referred to as a ‘Public House.’ Opposed to a private house, this meant it was a place for locals and travelers alike to eat, drink and be merry. It was often considered the heart of the village and could always be counted on for a good time,” proclaims The Public House on their website. They have three locations in Colorado Springs now, but the original location near Highway 115 and East Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard is nearest and dearest to the hearts of south-siders as a place to gather and be public. Plus, they have burgers like the Candied Caliente Burger with jalapeño jam, applewood smoked bacon, cilantro, microgreens and cotija cheese; green chili mac and cheese; and pickle chicken pizza.
SILVER: ROLL UP rollupcos.com
BRONZE: FELIPE’S 109 felipes109.com
NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT — EAST SLICE 420
www.slice420.com
Slice 420 is a multiple gold winner. See below for more.
SILVER: WOOGLIN’S DELI wooglinsdeli.com
BRONZE: WOBBLY OLIVE wobblyolive.com
NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT — NORTH ATMOSPHERE GASTROPUB
atmospheregastropub.com
The United Kingdom word “gastropub” might be an unfamiliar term to us here in the United States. No, a gastropub is not a pub with food that gives you gas; it’s a pub serving restaurant-quality dishes. It’s perhaps fitting that Colorado Springs — a town with frigid, pathetic weather rivaling London’s — is carrying on the tradition with Atmosphere Gastropub. Don’t come in expecting a simple burger or pizza; at Atmosphere Gastropub, you’ll probably end up ordering an appetizer of black garlic shishito peppers followed by a main course of crab cake sliders with a side of duck poutine fries. Truly, Atmosphere Gastropub is the place to go if you want to try something out of the ordinary. After you’ve gobbled your meal with delight, wash it down with one of their many cocktails, mocktails or sweet drinks, which are similarly inventive, from the Pumpkin Espresso Martini to the Thyme Traveler. Opened by Mike and Megan Davis, who own Back East Bar & Grill, Atmosphere Gastropub only makes one wonder what the pair will do next.
SILVER: THE PUBLIC HOUSE AT THE ALEXANDER thepublichouseco.com
BRONZE: LAZY DOG lazydogrestaurants.com
PATIO
PATTY JEWETT BAR & GRILL
pjbarandgrill.com
The Patty Jewett Bar and Grill is another of Colorado Springs’ “hidden” treasures that’s been hiding in plain sight since … well, the golf course was opened in 1898, and then the clubhouse opened in 1914. Let’s just say that Patty Jewett is either the second- or the third-oldest municipal golf course west of the Mississippi, and Greg Howard and Lance Martinez have had the contract to operate the bar and grill since August 2019, when they purchased it. They’ve since opened up the menu and reached out to the neighborhood and wider community to remind them that it isn’t just for golfers. The patio has a new veranda cover, new flooring and heaters, and it’s open year-round (weather permitting). Specialties on the menu include the club sandwich and cobb salad on the traditional side, and poke bowls on the less traditional. Plus, there’s all-you-can-eat snow crab legs on Wednesdays for around $60, and you can crack them while you enjoy the sea of greens around you and what Howard calls “one of the best views in town.”
SILVER: SHUGA’S shugas.com
BRONZE: THE MARGARITA AT PINE CREEK margaritaatpinecreek.com
LUNCH SHUGA’S shugas.com
The Shuga’s lunch menu includes boards, bruschetta, soups, salads and sandwiches. There’s also quiche and a kids meal, and you can add a small salad, a cup of mac and cheese and soup to your order, if you’re feeling particularly hungry. Shuga’s also won the Craft Cocktail and Happy Hour menu categories.
SILVER: POOR RICHARD’S poorrichardsrestaurant.com
BRONZE: MARIGOLD CAFÉ AND BAKERY marigoldcoloradosprings.com
LOCAL/REGIONAL CHAIN URBAN EGG
urbanegg.com
Though Urban Egg now has nine locations in Colorado and Kansas, it has maintained the warm, inviting feel of a local breakfast and lunch eatery with the kind of mouthwatering menu that makes it clear the Rocky Mountain Restaurant Group hasn’t sacrificed quality with its growth. From their fantastic natural juice blends to the pancake “flights” and the cinnamon rolls that almost always sell out to their maple bacon and bacon jam, you’ll want to visit often just so you can try it all.
SILVER: CHEBA HUT chebahut.com
BRONZE: LA CASITA lacasitamexigrill.com
The story of Slice420 is well-known to regulars. Owners Christian and Stefany Patriarca had a successful New York-style pizzeria in Florida before their daughter, Sophia, was diagnosed with quad spastic cerebral palsy at age 2, causing her “up to 100 seizures a day.” Unable to help her with traditional medical and pharmaceutical treatments, they “relocated to Colorado in order to gain legal access to a full plant alternative medicine in an effort to save her life.” Thus, the “420” in their name, which does not mean that their pizzas are in any way infused with marijuana. They are, however, infused with enormous amounts of care and as many high-quality, locally sourced ingredients as they can find. And the slices don’t lie. From their signature Sophia, a Detroit-style deep dish pizza with hot peppers, ricotta and spicy honey, to their roasted garden slices, their pizza delivers!
SILVER: LEON GESSI NEW YORK PIZZA leongessipizza.com
BRONZE: FAT SULLY’S PIZZA theatomiccowboy.com
Slice420 | Credit: Bryan Oller
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN BURROWING OWL
burrowingowllounge.com
“Peace, love and plants” is the motto of the Burrowing Owl. Whether you’re in the mood for a vegetable-heavy meal like the Caesar wrap or a dish that’ll make you wonder how they made the fake meat taste so authentic, Burrowing Owl is the place to go to fill any herbivore’s stomach. They have plenty of dessert options, allowing the friend with celiac disease to get in on the fun of cake and cookies for once, and a wealth of drink options to wash it down. Committed to non-aggression, natural rights and positivity, the Burrowing Owl supports a variety of nonprofits monthly, from the Cottonwood Center for the Arts to Wikipedia. Their website invites you to come in and “dine, drink, discourse… and do it all over again” (provided you debate civilly, of course).
A staple of the Colorado Springs food scene for years, Saigon Café has undergone some changes recently under the new ownership of Monse and Tim Hines. The couple, who own the Salvadoran restaurant Monse’s Pupuseria, bought Saigon Café from the Truong family after learning they were planning on retiring and closing the business. Now, they’re carrying on the tradition and making their own changes. Among the new dishes is the bánh mì, a Vietnamese sandwich stuffed with protein and vegetables. Their everpopular pho bowls are a heartwarmingly delectable delight. Given Saigon Café’s win, it seems like the new direction is paying off — and not scaring off too many longtime customers.
SILVER: PHONOMEMAL phonomenalrestaurant.com
BRONZE: PHO LU’U skiplinow.com/shop/949486o
SEAFOOD
BONNY AND READ
bonnyandreadseafood.com
Eating seafood can be a difficult and occasionally nauseating venture in a landlocked state like Colorado. Thankfully for Colorado Springs residents, we have Bonny and Read, which offers seafood shipped by the eco-conscious Seattle Fish Co. and stamped with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Marine Stewardship Council certifications. The restaurant is named after the English pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who plundered merchant ships in the early 1700s and delayed their executions by feigning pregnancy. Three centuries later, Bonny and Read offers oysters, crab, clams, lobster, shrimp, halibut and more, giving Colorado Springs patrons a glimpse of the extensive menu the pirates were surrounded by on the open sea.
SILVER: JAX FISH HOUSE & OYSTER BAR jaxfishhouse.com
BRONZE: THE JUICY SEAFOOD thejuicyseafoodcs.com
THAI
ELEPHANT THAI
elephantthaicos.com
A night of fine dining at Elephant Thai will probably have you feeling like an elephantine Heffalump from “Winnie the Pooh” by the end of it — completely stuffed. Boasting Thai street food and traditional dishes alike, along with a wealth of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, Elephant Thai is the go-to for noodles, curries, teriyaki, fried rice, egg rolls and more. Herbs and spices are imported straight from Thailand to Colorado Springs, elevating the authenticity of the cultural cuisine. Chef Suwanna Meyer and crew relocated to a new address on North Academy Boulevard in July, so don’t get lost next time you go. For more tasty Thai dishes in the Springs, visit Chaang Thai, Elephant Thai’s sister restaurant.
With two locations — one on 8th Street and one on Flintridge Drive — you don’t have to be sad about the ever-widening gulf of sprawl in Colorado Springs that separates so many great restaurants from huge swaths of diners from their respective gastronomical universes. When it comes to Nepali and Indian flavors, Little Nepal has got your long-simmering favorites covered — from chicken tikka masala to lamb korma and a variety of saags, vindaloos, tandooris and biryanis. The dal is hot, the naan is fresh, the samosas are flaky, and the pakoras are crispy. What else could you want?
SILVER: URBAN TANDOOR theurbantandoor.com
BRONZE: MIRCH MASALA mirchmasalaa.com
Burrowing Owl | Credit: Bryan Oller
NEW RESTAURANT (SINCE 7/1/23)
THE CHUCKWAGON 719 chuckwagon719.com
The Chuckwagon 719 started its life as a family-owned and operated food truck, serving authentic, Texas-style barbecue across the Pikes Peak region. The popularity of the smoky, savory offerings led to a full-time brick-and-mortar location on Omaha Boulevard in May 2024. Outside of the traditional barbecue staples, The Chuckwagon 719 also offer fan favorites including the smoked brisket burger and brisket elote. All of their meat, brisket, ribs and the like are smoked fresh daily on handmade offset smokers, and, in keeping with Texas barbecue tradition, they only use post oak wood to create the rich but not overpowering smoke flavor.
SILVER: ELEVEN18 eleven18cos.com
BRONZE: ILLEGAL PETE’S illegalpetes.com
WINGS
O’FURRY’S ofurryscs.com
O’Furry’s and its sister restaurant, The Omelette Parlor, have stood the test of time by providing great food and a great time. O’Furry’s has become a local favorite for lunch, dinner and late-evening outings with a great neighborhood-oriented atmosphere. Their wings are always delivered fresh and can be a fantastic traditional-style wing outing. Those who are a little more daring are encouraged to be double-dip — no, not the ranch or blue cheese, but having their wings deep fried then dipped in a unique blend of either spicy or teriyaki sauces before being kissed by flame on a grill.
SILVER: WINGSTOP wingstop.com
BRONZE: BUFFALO WILD WINGS buffalowildwings.com
TACOS
MONICA’S TACO SHOP monicastacoshop.com
You’d be hard-pressed to argue that the recent opening of the fourth Monica’s Taco Shop in the old Arby’s location downtown (and the late, great Sencha before that) isn’t a major victory for local, family-operated eateries and the health of our downtown restaurant ecosytem over the corporate chains. Not all fast food is created equally! And Monica’s tacos are created with fresh ingredients every day and delivered with the kind of customer service you’d expect from a restaurant that’s been part of the community for the past 25 years. Give them a try at their new location, or at one of their three others on Fillmore Street, Palmer Park Boulevard or Jamboree Drive.
SILVER: DOS SANTOS dossantostacos.com
BRONZE: ZOCALO zocalocolorado.com
RESTAURANT FOR TOURISTS GARDEN OF THE GODS MARKET & CAFÉ
godsmarketandcafe.com
This place isn’t just for tourists, although a lot of out-of-towners come here for a bite to eat. It’s also more than just a cafe. There’s a refrigerator containing fresh food when you enter the marketplace and an array of delicious-looking baked goods in front of you, both available for takeout. Or, if you have a moment to linger, you can relax on the covered terrace or dine indoors. In its guise as the Garden of the Gods Market and Café, this establishment does breakfast and lunch. For tourists (and locals) who happen to be in downtown Colorado Springs in the evening, the indoor dining area changes its name to Till and offers a menu different from the cafe’s, and out back becomes a wine bar that serves gourmet snacks
SILVER: FARGO’S PIZZA CO. fargospizzacompany.com
BRONZE: LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
STEAK
THE FAMOUS STEAK HOUSE famoussteakhouse.net
“Famous” is certainly the word to describe Colorado Springs’ favorite steakhouse. Simply sitting in one of the wraparound leather booths while listening to a live pianist is bound to make you feel like some sort of Manhattan royalty despite being about 2,000 miles away from the Big Apple. If you want to feel even more like a New Yorker, order the juicy New York Strip; you are what you eat, after all. Then, visit the bar and pretend to be a disillusioned jazz singer nursing a red wine … just me? Once you’re done goofing off, you’ve got to try the Oysters Rockefeller. And as you leave, don’t forget to tip the piano man.
SILVER: TEXAS ROADHOUSE texasroadhouse.com
BRONZE: COWBOY STAR cowboystarcs.com
NATURAL
FOOD STORE SPROUTS sprouts.com
Sprouts caters to every dietary restriction or eating trend, be it veganism or keto and paleo diets. Scouring search results and squinting at the list of ingredients can be a pain for anyone with a dietary restriction, so Sprouts makes it easy to filter based on diet on their website. The pricing isn’t bad either, especially if you’re an extreme couponer.
SILVER: MOUNTAIN MAMA NATURAL FOODS mountainmamanaturalfoods.com
BRONZE: TRADER JOE’S traderjoes.com
Shuga’s | Credit: Bryan Oller
DRIVE-THRU COFFEE DUTCH BROS.
dutchbros.com/locations
CRAFT COCKTAIL MENU
SHUGA’S shugas.com
Head to Shuga’s for a rendezvous with a Hot Frenchman, the Girl from Ipanema or a Naked Beekeeper — all of which are the names of cocktails featured on their menu. Sorry to disappoint you if you were expecting to meet the real thing, but your deception will last only until you touch your handcrafted drink to your lips and it crosses your discerning palate. There are a dozen or so more cocktails to choose from, and if you really like one of them, Shuga’s serves them in pitchers as well as individual glasses. Shuga’s also won the Happy Hour Menu and Lunch categories.
SILVER: THE RABBIT HOLE rabbitholedinner.com
BRONZE: LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
DISTILLERY AXE AND THE OAK DISTILLERY
axeandtheoakdistillery.com
There are more than a dozen Dutch Bros. coffee drive-thrus in Colorado Springs, including the one at North Union Boulevard and East Platte Avenue, where a “broista” (that’s what they call them …) named Drew made us a delicious cappuccino. You order and pick up your 100% arabica cuppa at a little house with windows on either side to keep traffic and coffee flowing. They use real espresso machines to craft your favorite beverage — not a machine where you push a button and, voilà — a coffee with frothy milk! If you prefer coffee without flavors, don’t be put off by their website. Even as the days grew distinctly cooler, it was showing only iced drinks in a bevy of colors, but, rest assured, they do the full gamut of hot and cold coffee drinks, and the one we had was excellent.
SILVER: HUMBLE COFFEE humblecoffeecolorado.com
BRONZE: HUMAN BEAN thehumanbean.com
STORE FOR CRAFT BEER CHEERS LIQUOR MART
cheersliquormart.com
Cheers to Cheers Liquor Mart for winning in three categories: Best store for spirits, craft beer and wine. The store is cavernous and has more wine, craft beer and spirits than you could sensibly shake together in a cocktail shaker (which would not be a good idea, anyway, for a number of reasons). The staff are very knowledgeable about the rows upon rows of wines they have, ranging in price from $5.99 to at least 10 times that price. Craft beers have their own refrigerated section at the back of the store, and the selection of different types of high-proof alcohol, from gin and tequila to whiskey and vodka, is extensive.
SILVER: COALTRAIN FINE WINE, CRAFT BEER & SPIRITS
coaltrainwine.com
BRONZE: WEBER STREET LIQUOR instagram.com/weberstreetliquor
BREWERY/BREWPUB
CERBERUS BREWING CO.
cerberusbrewingco.com
The raison d’être of Cerberus Brewing Co. is making and drinking craft beer. They offer two dozen draft beers, and four in cans — two of those gluten-free and two without alcohol. There are also seasonal brews, periodic collaborations and limitededition batches, and an ever-changing menu of pub food for discerning taste buds. Should you have any questions about the best brew for you, the bartenders at Cerberus have all passed at least the first level of Cicerone Beer Server certification, which means they’re well-versed in beer and how to serve it. Cerberus — which is the name of the three-headed canine that guards the gates of hell in Greek mythology — allows dogs, and won the Dog-Friendly Restaurant category, too.
Founded by three friends in 2013, Axe and the Oak has won numerous awards for its bourbon and rye whiskeys, gins and vodka. One of our favorite features of the distillery is their half-day Wednesday bottling parties, where community members and tourists help to put beverages in bottles. The idea germinated when Axe and the Oak didn’t have the money, manpower or equipment to bottle all the spirits they were producing, and has grown into a tradition where participants learn about whiskey-making, meet like-minded individuals, get to sample some fine bevvies, are treated to lunch and get to take home a bottle of Axe and the Oak’s spirits. They also won the Tasting Room category.
SILVER: 1350 DISTILLING 1350distilling.com
BRONZE: 3 HUNDRED DAYS DISTILLING 3hundreddays.com
LOCAL COFFEE SHOP LOYAL COFFEE
loyalcoffee.co
Loyal Coffee is a barista-owned and -operated coffeehouse, named for its loyalty to Colorado Springs and the people who live and drink coffee here, a barista at the downtown coffee shop told us. The beans they use are sourced from coffee growers in places like Ethiopia and Colombia and roasted in the heart of Colorado Springs in the old Ivywild School, on the south side of downtown. Most roasts are medium to light, a barista said. Have your coffee to go or to enjoy in-house, and if you want to replicate the Loyal Coffee experience in the comfort of your own kitchen, they sell beans.
SILVER: DUTCH BROS. dutchbros.com
BRONZE: THE EXCHANGE theexchangeontejon.com
LOCALLY PRODUCED BEER BRISTOL BREWING
bristolbrewing.com
Colorado Springs is a brew-loving city, so there were several beer-related categories. Bristol Brewing won this one. A family-owned business based in the old Ivywild School, they were doing 18 different beers when we checked — draft, bottled, in kegs or in cans, from IPAs to stouts to lagers to wheat beer and more. Ask them what you should pair your pint with and you might get a wisecrack answer. Their six-pack carrier return and reuse program is just one way they’re aiming to achieve one of their goals: Besides making great beer, they want to make the brewery business sustainable.
SILVER: FH BEERWORKS fhbeerworks.com
BRONZE: ATREVIDA BEER COMPANY atrevidabeerco.com
MARGARITA
CRYSTAL PARK CANTINA
crystalparkcantina.com
Choose your tequila, your add-ins, whether rocks or straight up, and the Crystal Park Cantina will make you one of the best margaritas in the area. They do classic ’ritas and ’ritas with added ingredients like Mexican beer, ginger syrup, jalapeños and cilantro — not all in the same margarita — to name a few. The restaurant is in a beautiful part of Manitou Springs, allowing you to sip in a sumptuous setting.
SILVER: THE LOOP theloopatmanitou.com
BRONZE: DOS SANTOS dossantostacos.com
BEST SMOOTHIE/JUICE BAR
OLA JUICE BAR
olajuicebar.com
Likening Ola Juice Bar to a gas station might not be the most flattering comparison at first glance, but their goal is the same – to refuel a vehicle and get its motor running. Where Ola Juice Bar diverges from a gas station (aside from the clear lack of hot dogs spinning on a roller) is what they are refueling. Ola Juice Bar is all about taking the bounty of the earth, blending it to a liquid and filling the tanks of human bodies. Their offerings are varied: protein-filled energy bites, mushroom coffees and citrusy and sour smoothies and acai bowls. You can even “enhance” your smoothie with various ingredients to increase your stats like a Dungeons & Dragons character: ashwagandha for focus, spirulina for immunity, maca root for balance and more. Whether you came to buff your critical rate or just refuel your tank, there’s something for you at Ola Juice Bar.
A veteran-run business, this taproom had 14 beverages available this fall, including a spiced ale made with pumpkin (because it’s pumpkin spice season), and a traditional fall German lager. In addition to making and serving great brews, including glutenand alcohol-free varieties, the people at Goat Patch Brewing are heavily invested in the community and raise money for good causes by selling pints and holding special events. If you get peckish while sipping your brew, a different food truck comes by each day of the week.
BRONZE: TRAILS END TAPROOM AND EATERY trailsendtaproom.com
WINE BAR UVA WINE BAR
uvawinebarcos.com
A veteran-owned, family-run business, Uva Wine Bar has well over 200 bottles of wine to choose from, to suit every taste. They also do wine by the glass and wine flights consisting of three, 2-ounce glasses of different wines. A carefully conceived menu suggests different foods to go with whatever wine you choose, and vice versa. And if you enjoy a bottle enough to want to take it home, you’ll get 35% off what you pay at the wine bar. Don’t head there Monday or Tuesday: They’re closed.
SILVER: SWIRL RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR swirlismybar.com
BRONZE: VINE & WHEEL vineandwheel.com
TASTING ROOM (SPIRITS)
AXE AND THE OAK DISTILLERY axeandtheoakdistillery.com
Axe and The Oak Distillery and Whiskey House is a multiple gold winner. See Page 33.
SILVER: DISTILLERY 291 distillery291.com
CASINO
BRONCO BILLY’S
broncobillyscasino.com
Things are lookin’ a little bit Vegas up in Cripple Creek these days with the Chamonix resort, restaurant and casino. But don’t get it twisted, Bronco Billy’s, which owns and operates Chamonix, keeps it real with old-time Cripple Creek-y vibes. Slots galore, every table game you can imagine, and wall-size flat screens for all your sports book needs. Get your snack on and your drink on at The Home Cafe, Baja Billy’s Cantina, or The Steakhouse and ride into the night on the cacophony of coins and drinks clinking and bleepblorps blooping. When you’re done, kick off your boots at the history-themed Carr Manor Hotel. If you could still smoke inside legally, drink whiskey from unmarked amber bottles you have to uncork with your teeth, and play cards with a six shooter on the table, Bronco Billy’s is where you’d want to do it.
SILVER: BRASS ASS triplecrowncasinos.com/the-brass-ass/
DIVE BAR TONY’S
tonysdowntownbar.com
Let’s just say that Tony’s is the bar where locals who’ve moved away go to meet their friends who didn’t. If it isn’t the official dive bar of downtown Colorado Springs, it most definitely should be. Celebrating 25 years in business, Tony’s served Pabst before it was hipster champagne, and even then it wasn’t as cool as Leinekugel and fried cheese curds. Owner Eel Anderson and his business partner, Tony Leahy, are among the pantheon of downtown business owners like their neighbor Richard Skorman who’ve made and kept Tejon Street local. Stop in and watch a Packers game or meet a friend for a game of pool. You will feel at home among the neon, old photos and brick walls that are as warm as Tony’s is unpretentious.
NEIGHBORHOOD BAR — WEST MOTHER MUFF’S KITCHEN & SPIRITS
mothermuffs.com
Few things epitomize Old Colorado City’s particular brand of scruffy, late night good times like Mother Muff’s. Whether you’re looking for an all-day breakfast menu and a “specialty curfew extender coffee cocktail” to get your morning started at midnight, or want a bloody Mary for breakfast, Mother Muff’s has that Sin City corner-bar vibe that Colorado Springs disavowed when the teetotaling Gen. William Jackson Palmer founded it in 1871 as a dry resort for the east coast doily set. Plus, they have trivia nights, live music, karaoke nights and a jam band brunch on Sundays — everything the miners of yore who frequented OCC would be doing were they alive today minus the brothel hopping. Squint your eyes at the jean-jacketed smokers on the brick sidewalk in the lamplight in the wee hours, and you can still see the ghosts of their coal-dusted faces! Rob Hirt, who has owned the bar and restaurant with his wife, Susan Hirt, for the past 10 years, credits the whole neighborhood for their success. “The west side is a big team effort, and the whole strip of Colorado Avenue is unique as hell, and I’m just happy to be a part of the whole thing.”
SILVER: ALCHEMY alchemypub.com
BRONZE: BENNY’S bennyscos.com
NEIGHBORHOOD BAR — DOWNTOWN
LA BURLA BEE
laburlabee.com
La Burla Bee is a multiple gold winner. See right.
For the past 19 years, the Black Sheep has hosted some of the biggest names to pass through Colorado Springs: Imagine Dragons, Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, Twenty One Pilots and more. “Whoever’s opening the show you came to see could be that next big band,” said Geoff Brent, owner. Brent has been with the Black Sheep since the beginning, becoming the owner in 2019. Brent and the rest of staff have been fine-tuning the venue since the pandemic: additions to the PA, improved parking and more. “Pick a thing; it used to be way worse than it is now,” Brent joked. The Black Sheep isn’t preoccupied with an elaborate presentation; it’s a big black box of a venue with a bar in the back and benches to the sides. This means the venue can focus on providing consistent quality in the basics: sound, lights, staff and even security (which is so robust that it gets compliments). For the Black Sheep, it’s all about cramming hundreds of ecstatic fans into the box for some hell-raising yet intimate times.
SILVER: HILLSIDE GARDENS hillsidecolorado.com
BRONZE: LULU’S DOWNTOWN lulusmusic.co
It’s hard to overstate how radical it still is that downtown Colorado Springs is home to an underground burlesque bar that throws open its doors and defiantly celebrates and makes space not just for the queer and trans community that has often been the target of so much hate and violence, but also for all others who need a place to feel welcome and invited. While there have always been a gay bar or two in town, La Burla Bee transcends the genre and pulses like a lifesaving heart transplant for downtown. Owner Bunny Bee describes it as “a place for inclusivity, a place to just be you. We’re welcoming to all. As long as you’re good to us, we’re good to you.” Plus, you can enjoy cocktails named after burlesque folk heroes in the rounded leather lounge chairs and nibble some Italian bits while you enjoy the show and feel transported to a place you can always feel free to be.
SILVER: SHUGA’S shugas.com
BRONZE: JACK QUINN’S jackquinnspub.com
HAPPY HOUR LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
The Black Sheep | Credit: Jacki Vitetta
NEIGHBORHOOD BAR — EAST VULTURES
vulturesrocks.com
When Black Sheep owner Geoff Brent noticed a nearby bar feeding off his customers, he thought he could do a better job of that. This directly led to the opening of Vultures in October 2021, a music venue in the same vein as the Black Sheep but with a higher emphasis on the bar experience, with an ever-changing drink menu, crazy drinks and cheaper options. Brent said people tend to be “amazed” when they walk in — it’s a dive bar for sure, but a pristinely kept and ornately adorned one. Brent describes Vultures as a “place to breed new talent,” set aside for musicians who would rather sell out a smaller venue than only reach 25% capacity at the Black Sheep. Vultures may be a more laid-back experience than the sardine can mosh pit that is the Black Sheep, but that doesn’t mean it’s all coffee shop indie acoustic musicians — metal and rap acts frequently play the venue. Just try not to spill your drink while you’re headbanging.
SILVER: WOBBLY OLIVE wobblyolive.com
BRONZE: CAREFREE BAR AND GRILL carefreebarandgrillco.com
NEIGHBORHOOD BAR — NORTH GOOD COMPANY goodcompanybar.com
Good Company is, in many ways, like a college party that never ends. Sure, they’ve got food and drink and sports and family-friendly vibes that’ll make almost anyone feel relaxed and comfy, but then they take it up a notch. They don’t just have karaoke, they’ve got “Bandeoke,” in which you actually get to sing in front of a live band. And they don’t just have a Halloween party, they also have a zombie night, where customers and staff get all deaded up. Plus they put the “good” in “Good Company”: Every year they host a big benefit for St. Jude’s Children Hospital. “It’s a fun, exciting atmosphere, everybody is friends, and no drama,” says manager Kristi Ross, but you know she’s playing it down — it’s great company.
NEIGHBORHOOD BAR — SOUTH THE PUBLIC HOUSE thepublichouseco.com
The Public House is a multiple gold winner. See Page 30. SILVER: TOKKI tokkicolorado.com
BRONZE: C’MON INN facebook.com/cmoninnbar
PLACE FOR COMEDY LOONEES COMEDY CORNER looneescc.com
It’s hard to believe Loonees Comedy Corner has been around for more than 30 years. Even as comedy became the new rock and roll, and even Ellen Degeneres can get a Netflix special, it’s changed very little (they’ve still got a caricature of George Burns in their logo!). And why would you change when all you need is a spotlight, a microphone, a room full of tables and two-drink minimum? As Loonee’s has long been fond of touting: IT’S A GOOD DEAL. “LAUGHTER IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY, right?” Doug Stanhope, Christine Levine, Eddie Griffin and Daniel Tosh are just a few of the names who’ve stopped off at Loonees while making their names in the business
SILVER: LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
BRONZE: VULTURES vulturesrocks.com
BEST SPORTS BAR TONY’S tonysdowntownbar.com
Tony’s is a multiple gold winner. See Page 35. SILVER: TRAINWRECK trainwreckco.com
BRONZE: BUBBA’S bubbas33.com
NIGHTCLUB LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
La Burla Bee is a multiple gold winner. See page 35.
SILVER: COWBOYS cowboyscs.com
BRONZE: BLONDIES blondiescs.com
Tara Bush was DJing and Michael Anderson was bartending on the night of the Club Q shooting on Nov. 19, 2022. Following the tragedy at Club Q and the fire that closed Icons, there were few queer safe spaces in Colorado Springs. Dedicated to rebuilding those spaces, Bush and Anderson opened The Q in Satellite Hotel earlier this year. Aiming to create a safe environment, The Q’s code of conduct emphasizes inclusion, consent and zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment or hate speech of any kind. The Q regularly hosts events ranging from drag shows to costumed balls. Beyond their work at The Q, Bush and Anderson have met with politicians and activist organizations alike to discuss LGBTQ+ equality and gun reform issues..
SILVER: AFTER DUSK AT SALAD OR BUST saladorbust.com/after-dusk
vulturesrocks.com
La Burla Bee | Courtesy: La Burla Bee
BEST ANNUAL EVENT PIKES PEAK PRIDE FESTIVAL
pikespeakpride.org
Behind the parade, activities, live entertainment and vendors of Pikes Peak Pride is a team of unpaid volunteers scurrying about, making the event possible. “We have a little contest of how many steps we do between us,” said Jessica Laney, director. “We average around 30,000 steps a day.” Laney jokes that she “suckered” each of her phenomenal volunteers into reviving the festival after it fizzled out under previous ownership during the pandemic. It’s only been two years of Laney and her team running the festival, but it’s been a successful transition, with roughly 25,000 attendees crowding downtown Colorado Springs this June. The volunteers are dedicated to making Pikes Peak Pride a happy and inclusive space for attendees — after all, Pride should be a positive, sometimes transformative, experience. “My first time coming out and being my authentic self was at a Pride event,” Laney explained. “That was the first time I’d really been outside and felt the sunshine on my face with zero judgment coming from anybody. … The joy of being there and that experience and what I felt is what I want others to be able to experience whenever they come to this event.”
SILVER: HILLSIDE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
hillsidecolorado.com
BRONZE: COLORADO SPRINGS LABOR DAY LIFT OFF coloradospringslabordayliftoff.com
BEST DANCE COMPANY
LA BURLA BEE BURLY SCOUTS laburlabee.com
It’s perhaps a symptom of the staying power of the Burly Scouts that they won best dance company despite disbanding earlier this year. The Burly Scouts was a burlesque troupe for performance veterans and new-bees alike. Led by the incomparable Madame Gem, the Burly Scouts gave rookie burlesque artists mentors, including La Burla Bee’s Bunny Bee. These mentors were, essentially, a more glamorous version of Jedi Masters. (Do you think Yoda could pull off the feathers and rhinestones?) In their heyday, the troupe hosted a “Burly Scouts’ Burlesque Camp” for beginners, workshops and more. They even offered fully paid scholarships to participate in their initiatives. The Burly Scouts disbanded earlier this year; these days, troupe leader Madame Gem is focusing on raising her two young kids.
SILVER: ORMAO DANCE CO. ormaodance.org
BRONZE: STRIPPED: A VALDEZ PRODUCTION vdez83.wixsite.com/strippedburlesque
BEST BAND SOFAKILLERS
facebook.com/sofakillers
SofaKillers is spur of the moment. Sometimes, a mistake turns into a surprisingly elegant ad-lib. Often, unmediated antics unfold onstage. It’s in this improvisational spirit that SofaKillers has retained its popularity despite the departure of their lead vocalist, Tim Glenn, last year. These days, you can hear Stony Jamal belting with bravado at shows. Lead guitarist Richard Lawson said Jamal brings “innovation” and “new ideas” as the band embarks on a new era. As a cover band, SofaKillers aims to get people dancing with youthful nostalgia. Infectious energy is the key ingredient to their band’s performances. Lawson shared that the band is a getaway for its members, keeping them sane in a crazy world. You can certainly tell by the way they let loose with gusto onstage. As for the future of SofaKillers, Lawson joked, “We’re just gonna keep pushing on until nobody wants to hear us anymore.”
SILVER: GLITTER PORN glitterporn.bandcamp.com
BRONZE: TEJON STREET CORNER THIEVES cornerthieves.com
BEST ARTIST BUNNY BEE
laburlabee.com/meetbunnybee
Bunny Bee grew up in Trinidad and has lived in Colorado Springs for 22 years — the town where her origin story as a burlesque performer began. “Burlesque is known as the art of the tease, and it’s about expression and empowering people today,” Bunny Bee explained. She joined a troupe in town about 16 years ago and quickly shot to international recognition. She’s sat on the Bord of the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas for ten years, acting as the chair from 2021 to 2023 and modeled with wellknown photographers and companies, including Playboy. These days, she runs La Burla Bee, Colorado Springs’ sole cabaret. For Bunny Bee, the key to a good performance is simple. “Perfection is the key and is most of the time not attainable. It’s live art,” she said. “So really, truly, what makes a perfect performance for me is that I have entertained the audience for what they have come to see.” With her consistent wins in the Best Artist category since 2022, it’s clear that she’s doing something right.
SILVER: ROMEO UNCAGED instagram.com/romeouncaged BRONZE: ASHLEY CORNELIUS ashleycornelius.com
BEST ART GALLERY MANITOU ART CENTER
manitouartcenter.org
For 36 years, Manitou Art Center has been a community hub for artists to hide and whittle away at their work. On top of the meeting spaces, which host over 200 events a month, the art center offers printmaking, lamp working, screen printing, papermaking, a dye lab, 3D printers, laser cutters, design software, a welding area, a ceramic studio, forging, blacksmithing and more. No matter the medium, artists can find the tools they need in the Manitou Art Center — and all for free with a Pikes Peak Library District card. Since their partnership with the library, membership has jumped from 100 to 2,500, says Executive Director Natalie Johnson. The Manitou Art Center is labyrinthine. Outside sits an ominously gigantic red chair, a mascot created by a Colorado College student three decades ago and donated to the art center some years later. Inside, you’ll find two art galleries: the Intemann Gallery, which hosts the 1st Amendment Show (an unjuried community gallery for anyone to submit their art), and the Hagnauer Gallery, typically booked out by experienced artists. Turn a corner, and you’ll find room after room of half-finished art projects and tools. “We welcome you to come here, check things out, but hopefully, everyone that comes here sees themselves using the space in some say,” Johnson said.
SILVER: ULTRA FLAT BLACK GALLERY instagram.com/Ultraflatblackgallery
BRONZE: FINE ARTS CENTER fac.coloradocollege.edu
BEST ESCAPE ROOM 21 KEYS ESCAPES
21keysescapes.com
At 21 Keys Escapes, groups can become outlaws escaping a bank after a heist, immerse themselves in the intellectual battle between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison or investigate a derailed train car on a starry night in the forest. “[We] even try to cover up the ceilings. We don’t want anything to take you out of the experience of the room,” said Eric Johnson, owner. The business isn’t associated with any chain and doesn’t buy any of their rooms. When you visit 21 Keys Escapes, you’re experiencing a room found nowhere else in the world. Each room is constructed by hand by Johnson using DIY knowledge, from carpentry to electronic wiring. Their newest escape room opened last year, and while the horizon is hazy, things are promising for 21 Keys Escapes. “As far as Colorado Springs as an escape room community, we’re not really competitors,” Johnson said. “You do all seven of mine, and if you still want to do more escape rooms, you go to all the other ones in town.”
SILVER: ESCAPED IN TIME escapedintime.com
BRONZE: CODEBUSTERS codebustersescaperoom.com
BEST FOOD AND/OR DRINK EVENT HILLSIDE GARDENS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
hillsidecolorado.com
Wednesday nights May through October are a magical time at Hillside Gardens, when they host their weekly summer concert series. Featuring three bands and multiple food trucks and drinking options throughout the gardens, it truly is a choose-your-own-adventure-type experience. You can party on the pavilion to a cover band with rowdy Gen Xers, devour a lobster roll while thoughtfully listening to jazz music or get away from the crowd and marvel at the botanic beauties and the oddities hiding among them with a cocktail in hand. There’s certainly been an expansion on the summer concert series under the new ownership of siblings Donavan and Ashlee Kennedy; under its previous owners, the summer concert series featured a measly two bands and six bars. The Kennedys screamed, “Not enough!” and arranged a third band and an extra three bars for good measure, offering beer, tequila, espresso martinis, spritzes, wine, whiskey, coffee and more. “There’s nothing like it in the Springs,” said Ashlee Kennedy. “We’ve had a few people say, ‘This does not feel like Colorado Springs. This feels like Portland or something.’” Be sure to catch the summer concert series when it comes around again next May.
SILVER: TASTE OF PIKES PEAK tasteofpikespeak.com
BRONZE: PIKES PEAK PRIDE FEST pikespeakpride.org
BEST SPECIAL EVENT VENUE/BEST WEDDING VENUE HILLSIDE GARDENS & EVENT CENTER
hillsidecolorado.com
Hillside Gardens has been Colorado Springs’ premier wedding location for two decades: a botanic garden hidden away in downtown Colorado Springs. “People just love that there’s so much space and so many little nooks and crannies everywhere,” said Ashlee Kennedy, co-owner. Wandering through the gardens can make you feel like Alice in her Wonderland, marveling at the odd decorations: a basin full of bowling balls, a giant lizard on a roof and a disused water tower are just a few of the adornments that can be found in the garden. It’s this sense of wonder and exploration that makes Hillside Gardens such a popular venue for weddings and other events. “We’ve had a lot of people come from New York, Texas and have destination weddings,” Kennedy said. The size of the beautiful garden, the connected ceremony and reception areas and wealth of bar options only increase the appeal. It’s not just weddings, either; Hillside is frequently rented out for corporate events. Still, that enchanting feeling Hillside Gardens creates is definitely best experienced with the love of your life by your side.
SPECIAL EVENT VENUE, SILVER: GOLD HILL MESA goldhillmesa.com
SPECIAL EVENT VENUE, BRONZE: STARGAZERS THEATRE stargazerstheatre.com
WEDDING VENUE, SILVER: PINERY AT THE HILL thepinery.com
WEDDING VENUE, BRONZE: GARDEN OF THE GODS CLUB gardenofthegodsresort.com
WARS
Since Antlers Hotel’s construction 141 years ago, through the fire that destroyed it 15 years later and its two reconstructions in 1898 and 1967, one element has remained: quality customer service. The Antlers Hotel was constructed in 1883 by William Jackson Palmer and named for his extensive collection of deer and elk trophies, which he displayed in the hotel. “He wanted to open up a luxurious hotel at the foot of the Rockies for people from England to come over here and experience the same luxury they’re accustomed to in Europe,” explained Arron Duff, general manager. These days, the Antlers Hotel is known for its 27,500 feet of banquet space, adored by conventions and transient business alike. The Antlers Hotel is currently owned by John Goede, who took sole ownership of the hotel this year, and Duff promises exciting things to come — including a full renovation of the rooms and lobby and restaurant concepts. “It is the diamond in the center of downtown,” said Duff. “I think that people want to come experience that.”
SILVER: THE BROADMOOR broadmoor.com
BRONZE: THE MINING
After Dylan Newman went to Dart Wars, an indoor Nerf battle arena, with his son, he was taken with the concept. “You can go to laser tag, run around for 10, 12 minutes and just keep shooting the same kid over and over again … it gets old quick,” Newman said. What Dart Wars was offering was a new experience every short round, fostering teamwork between parents and children alike. When Dart Wars went out of business a few months later, Newman bought the brand and recreated the experience. As a retired veteran, Newman wasn’t a fan of the “militaristic,” “their way or the highway” attitude of Dart Wars’ old regime. Although the employees’ strictness was only meant to ensure customers were being safe and following the rules, Newman felt that rule-following and joy didn’t have to be mutually exclusive. For five years, Newman’s Dart Wars has focused on customer service and fun amid the safety measures. “I got first-time job seekers and first-time employees,” Newman explained. “I empower them to make decisions in the best interest of the customer and to be upbeat, to be professional.”
SILVER: ROADHOUSE CINEMAS roadhousecinemas.com
BRONZE: TOP GOLF topgolf.com
Hillside Gardens & Event Center. | Credit: Andrew Rogers
ARTS, NEIGHBORHOOD & COMMUNITY
BEST OUTDOOR FAMILY FUN/BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO
cmzoo.org
There’s a lot to love about Cheyenne Mountain Zoo – from the summer camps and classes to the multitude of events allowing guests to do everything from paint, drink and even trick-or-treat in the zoo – but, of course, the main draw is the animals. From the adorable mountain tapir to the surprisingly territorial hippopotamuses, there’s always something cute and awe-inspiring at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “As one of the country’s only nonprofit zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that does not receive tax support, our community’s support has a huge impact on us,” said Rachel Wright, public relations and social media manager. “Seventy-five cents of every zoo admission goes to our Quarters for Conservations program, through which our guests and members have raised more than $5 million for conservation since 2008, just by coming to visit the beloved animals who live here.” Over the years, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has developed conservation projects to benefit vulnerable species like Amur tigers, giraffe and black-footed ferrets.
BEST OUTDOOR FAMILY FUN
SILVER: GARDEN OF THE GODS gardenofgods.com
BRONZE: PIKES PEAK PRIDE FEST pikespeakpride.org
BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION
SILVER: PIKES PEAK COG RAILWAY cograilway.com
BRONZE: LA BURLA BEE laburlabee.com
BEST RUNNING CLUB OCC BREWING RUNNING CLUB
facebook.com/groups/pprrcommunitycup
When a group of avid Colorado Springs runners began gathering together four years ago, athletes flocked to the club for a variety of reasons. “Some teams are really competitive, and other teams are just there for the beer,” running team captain Kim Reece joked. The running club, sponsored by OCC Brewing, offers members discounts on running gear, food and drinks. Accumulating points as part of your team involves everything from visiting a local brewery to volunteering to clean up trails. At the end of the year, a trophy is awarded to the team with the most points, and the contest starts all over again. It isn’t all about the competition, though. “A lot of my teammates, we get together at 5:30 in the morning and we go for a run on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and we’ve invited other teammates from other teams to go with us,” Reece said. “We cheer for other teams to do well.” Interested runners can visit the 2024 Community Cup Competition group on Facebook for more information.
SILVER: ORANGETHEORY orangetheory.com
BEST PLACE FOR
THRILL-SEEKERS MANITOU INCLINE
manitousprings.org/where-to-play/manitou-incline
Hiking the Manitou Incline’s grueling 2,768 stairs may seem like an agonizing, masochistic experience to most, but to many, it’s their second home. The wooden steps that take athletes up 2,000 feet in elevation over just one mile were not designed for human legs, but the wheels of a machine. The incline originally began as a cable car track, first taking materials up the mountain, then tourists. When the cable car was shut down in the early 1990s, a crazy few looked at that land mine of potential injury and decided it was perfect for their morning runs. These runners first began as trespassers on the property risking their lives (or at the very least, their lungs) before an effort was made to rebuild the incline and open it to the public. These days, you need to make a reservation to climb the ever-popular tourist attraction. You’ll see all types at the incline — young adults climbing on hands and knees like dogs, middle-aged people zooming past with headphones on and maybe even someone on a pogo stick — but you won’t see anyone climbing down the incline’s many steps. After all, that would be a very long, and very painful fall.
SILVER: CAVE OF THE WINDS caveofthewinds.com
BRONZE: OVERDRIVE RACEWAY overdriveraceway.com
BEST THEATER COMPANY MILLIBO ART THEATRE themat.org
Since its opening in 2001, the Millibo Art Theatre has been a place for the fringe. “Part of that is due to our backgrounds as performers,” explained Jim Jackson, who owns the theater with his wife, Birgitta De Pree. De Pree is a well-seasoned thespian who received her master’s in performance from the National Theater Conservatory. She now teaches at UCCS. Her husband is a former circus clown and acrobat. As such, the couple tends to gravitate towards the weird: acts put on by “beautiful clowns,” opera performances for kids, election-themed comedy and silent, one-man plays. Because the Millibo is a sanctuary for young artists to workshop and stage their plays, there’s always something novel, local and intensely imaginative. “We really go in for stuff that has an original intention, something that you don’t run into with a lot of plays that are sort of talking heads on couches. They look and sometimes feel like sitcoms or things that you would see on television,” Jackson said. “We both have a very strong belief that live theater should be, really, live, and should affect people in a way that movies and TV cannot.”
Millibo Art Theatre | Courtesy: Millibo Art Theatre
BIKE SHOP
OLD
TOWN BIKE SHOP
oldtownbikeshop.com
“Old Town Bike Shop is a perennial Best Of award winner, according to readers of the Colorado Springs Independent. Jim Crandall, the owner of Old Town Bike Shop, credits much of that to his sales staff and a wide array of products. “I’ve never liked to be subjected to high-pressure sales. So right from the start, I designed this to make sure my customers were not subjected to high-pressure sales and that every employee could spend as much time as they wanted to with every customer,” he said. Old Town Bike Shop opened their doors on Sept. 1, 1976, and that mindset has helped them weather the influx of larger national chain stores moving into the city that also offer bikes and bicycle service.
SILVER: CRITERIUM BICYCLES criterium.com
BRONZE: ELEVATION WHEEL COMPANY elevationwheelcompany.com
AUTO REPAIR SHOP
PHOENIX AUTO REPAIR
phoenixautorepairco.com
Phoenix Auto Repair was founded with the idea that everyone deserves reasonable pricing, honesty and respect. The shop features exceptional service with state-of-theart equipment. Ryan Masterson opened the shop in 2021, knowing that drivers across the city work hard for their money and could benefit from a shop that will work just as hard for their clients. “My love of fixing motorized vehicles began in my grandparents’ backyard, with sand rails and dirt bikes. My grandpa, dad and uncles would have us get tools for them while they were fixing whatever it was they’d broken in the desert,” Masterson said.
SILVER: HEUBERGER SUBARU bestbuysubaru.com
COMIC SHOP
KAPOW COMICS & COFFEE kapowcomicsandcoffee.com
According to KaPow Comics & Coffee co-owner Martin Davidson, there are more comic shops in Colorado Springs per capita than anywhere else in the country. That means you must do something to stand out. KaPow, a consistent winner of best comic shop in Colorado Springs, does so through quality coffee and quality service. Readers and collectors can enjoy a pop culture-inspired drink as they flip through comic books. Davidson cleans, grades and presses comics and is known to chat with fellow nerds about comics and provide advice using his decades of expertise. Meanwhile, his sister Laura runs the business side of things using her business know-how. “My whole philosophy when we opened up this place is, ‘I want repeat customers.’ I don’t want people leaving mad. I want to make them happy so that they’ll come back,” Martin said. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job at that.””
SILVER: MUSE COMICS musecomics.com
BRONZE: ESCAPE VELOCITY COMICS
HEAD SHOP ALPINE ESSENTIALS
alpinemj.com
Alpine Essentials is a multiple gold winner. See Page 49 for more.
SILVER: MYXED UP myxedup.com
BRONZE: ABSOLUTE VAPOR absolutevaporcs.com
GROCERY STORE KING SOOPERS kingsoopers.com
Colorado’s Kroger brand has a large and loyal following. With over a dozen locations across the Pike Peak region and growing, Southern Colorado consumers have become accustomed to filling their pantries and refrigerators with fresh food options from King Soopers.
Quality child care is a scarce commodity. UCCS’s Family Development Center has developed a reputation as an education launchpad to lifelong learning — not just a babysitter for kids ages 1 through 5. The year-round program is accredited.
SILVER: LITTLE SUNSHINE’S PLAYHOUSE AND PRESCHOOL littlesunshine.com
BRONZE: YMCA OF THE PIKES PEAK REGION ppymca.org
Old Town Bike Shop | Credit: Andrew Rogers
CLOTHING BOUTIQUE
TERRA VERDE BOUTIQUE terraverdestyle.com
You don’t have to look further than the “Accessorize It!” exhibit at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum to see how people dressed for success in the West more than 100 years ago. Chapeux, parasols and petticoats were fine for back then, of course, but they might draw unwanted attention is this modern age of fast fashion. That’s why a boutique like Terra Verde stands out. With a focus on quality, long-lasting garments and accessories, the women-owned business aims to serve the sartorial needs of the Springs’ most discerning clothes horses, including men, women and children.
SILVER: ECLECTIC CO. shopeclecticco.com
BRONZE: MOUNTAIN STANDARD GOODS mstgoods.com
FLORIST
PLATTE FLORAL platteflorist.com
In summer, the Colorado Rockies explode with a vibrant display of wildflowers. One day in early June you see the first of the prairie crocus and then, in what seems like a flash, the parade is over by autumn. If you need your flower fix 365 days a year, Platte Floral is there to help with expertly crafted arrangements. Established in 1920, the shop offers a variety of services, from weddings and funerals to gifts and hail Mary relationship savers.
Even though we can see Pikes Peak rising above our skyline, sometimes it’s easy to get sucked into the urban environment of the Springs and forget about our rugged surroundings. Since 1968, Mountain Chalet has been there to remind you to get off the couch and venture forth into the vast expanses of the Rocky Mountains and into the peace of wild things. You might just become a Chaletan after you marvel at the store’s deep inventory of gear for climbing, camping, snow sports and hiking, as well as outdoor clothing for men and women.
SILVER: SCHEELS scheels.com
BRONZE: REI rei.com
TATTOO SHOP WEST SIDE TATTOO
westsidetattoo.net
With nearly 20 tattooists on staff, West Side Tattoo is more like a artists’ collective than a run-of-the-mill ink parlor. To start, just look at the business’s iconic mural for proof. But inside is a group of dedicated artists who strive to provide patrons with photorealistic work, vibrant colors, intricate line work and stunning portraits. Check the website to book an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome.
Terra Verde is a multiple gold winner. See above for more.
SILVER: ECLECTIC CO. shopeclecticco.com
BRONZE: MOUNTAIN STANDARD GOODS mstgoods.com
ADULT STORE HUSTLER HOLLYWOOD
hustlerhollywood.com
Many decades ago in San Francisco, a small “clean, well-lit store for sex toys” named Good Vibrations broke the mold of what a “dirty bookstore” could be. It was clean, well-lit, and the staff was mostly women who were there to educate and help their customers enjoy their bodies in safe, nonjudgmental ways. Though Good Vibrations faded into retail history, its mission has spread to “adult” stores across the land. Hustler Hollywood, a brand once associated mostly with free speech advocate Larry Flynt’s skin mag, is among those who’ve updated their business model to cater to women and couples . “Our purpose is to erase the shame,” says manager Darcie Wilson. “The store is clean, bright and organized; we classify ourselves as a boutique for adults, the place where adults can shop for their sexual wellness preference, and I have a very friendly, knowledgeable staff who love to build that rapport with our customers. Customer service is our No. 1 focus.”
SILVER: FASCINATIONS fascinations.net
BRONZE: ROMANTIX romantix.com
ANTIQUES
STORE AMERICAN CLASSICS MARKETPLACE
americanclassicsmarketplace.com
Sure, you could just head north to IKEA and pick out a few oddly named items to accent your brand new Ektorp. You know, the same ones everyone else has? Or you could go antiquing in your own backyard and find one-of-a-kind treasures that will set your home decor apar. New to the game? American Classics Marketplace is a logical place to start. It’s full of surprises and has a constantly changing inventory.
SILVER: SWEET WILLIAM ANTIQUE MALL
sweetwilliamantiquemall.com
BRONZE: PLATTE FURNITURE plattefurniture.com
AUTO AND TRUCK (USED) PHIL LONG DEALERSHIPS
phillong.com
Phil Long has 17 locations across Colorado and with that massive footprint representing a dozen different manufacturers, their staff is well-equipped to speak to nearly every used vehicle on their respective lots. “Phil Long has been in business for 79 years, and I think that the business and the industry has changed a lot, but I don’t think the fundamentals of used cars have changed that much. The quality of service, selection and value,” said Kevin Shaughnessy, president and CEO of Phil Long Dealerships. “We’ve been here [for] 79 years and we’re an established business, we’re not trying to make our living off of each car sale,” Shaughnessy said.
Pikes Peak Harley-Davidson first started selling the iconic motorcycle brand out of a humble 3,500 square-foot dealership known as Colorado Springs Harley-Davidson in 1934 near Motor City and has grown to an over-40,000 square-foot facility now located off of I-25 and North Nevada Avenue. Whitney Wettsten, marketing director for the dealership, says there is a significant focus on making the dealership feel like a home away from home. “Whether it’s for an event or getting their bike fixed, we want to make sure that this dealership feels like a second home to them somewhere they can come and hang out with like-minded riders and somewhere they’re going to get taken care of.”
SILVER: APEX SPORTS apexsportsinc.com
BRONZE: PIKES PEAK INDIAN MOTORCYCLE pikespeakindianmotorcycle.com
AUTO AND TRUCK (NEW)
HEUBERGER SUBARU bestbuysubaru.com
“We’re not here to sell cars,” said Sherri Heuberger, owner of Heuberger Subaru, “This is a people business, and we’re here to concierge people … and pair them with the car that they’re going to be happiest with,” she said. Heuberger also said that besides providing a customer-focused sales experience for a brand tailored to Southern Colorado’s outdoor lifestyle, Heuberger Subaru is also committed to several community efforts, following suit with Subaru’s “spread the love initiative” including sponsoring outdoor events like the Pikes Peak Marathon, Pikes Peak Apex mountain bike race, the Bear Creek and Fox Run dog parks and partnerships with other local non-profit organizations like Victory Service Dogs and Special Olympic Southern Colorado.
SILVER: PHIL LONG DEALERSHIPS phillong.com
BRONZE: MIKE MAROONE AUTO mikemaroonecolorado.com
FUR BABY SERVICES
HOUSE OF HOUNDS GROOMING facebook.com/HouseofHoundsGrooming
Jenna Kempton has been grooming dogs of all shapes and sizes for over a decade and set up shop in Colorado Springs in 2016. She says that her goal is to provide our four-legged family members with the same care and level of service as we’d expect to receive from a salon or dentist. “My goal is to really take my time with them and show them that grooming doesn’t have to be scary or rushed,” she said. Kempton aims to treat her clients dogs just like her own fur babies. “I promise to treat any dog that comes through my door with the same kindness.”
SILVER: REPUBLIC OF PAWS republicofpaws.com
BRONZE: PLAYTIME PET SITTERS & DOG WALKERS playtimepetsitters.com
STORE FOR MUSIC WHAT’S LEFT RECORDS whatsleftrec.com
The Ostrow brothers opened What’s Left Records in August 2020 using their stimulus funds after a friend told them about the perfect building for a store. “We’d probably end up buying records with it anyway, so we just bought records for a store and … opened up a store,” Bryan Ostrow said. What’s Left Records’ plan for longevity is to be customerand community-oriented. The back half of the store is wholly dedicated to a stage area, with a raised platform for musicians and plenty of room for an audience to gather round. What’s Left hosts shows regularly, with voluntary donations by audience members going directly to the musicians.
SILVER: LEECHPIT RECORDS & VINTAGE leechpit.com
BRONZE: EARTH PIG MUSIC facebook.com/earthpigmusic
ECLECTIC SHOP
ECLECTIC CO.
shopeclecticco.com
Eclectic CO. is a cooperative retail space that first started as a pop-up holiday shop in 20018 in Old Colorado City. After expanding to Downtown Colorado Springs, Eclectic CO. now provides space for over 80 artisans across the Front Range as well as housing dozens of businesses focusing on social impact in areas including community improvement, environment and social justice. The shop’s mission focuses on products that are local, sustainable and handmade. “Our spaces are curated for an excellent shopping experience and we pride ourselves on truly connecting with every person that comes through our doors. We have goods for every person in your life, and you’ll feel great about supporting the local economy at the same time,” said Peri Bolts, co-owner of Eclectic CO.
SILVER: TERRA VERDE BOUTIQUE terraverdestyle.com
BRONZE: CRONK ART & CURIOSITIES cronkartco.com
PLACE TO BUY SKIS AND SNOWBOARDS THE SKI SHOP
theskishopinc.com
While Colorado Springs doesn’t have its own ski area, you can equip yourself for a reasonable price at The Ski Shop before heading to the state’s tony resort towns like Breckenbridge, Vail or Aspen. The business has been family owned and operated since 1952. Wolf and Julie Uhl bought the establishment in the 1980s and eventually handed the reins over to their son Rick Uhl, who was soon joined by his brother Scott. Their wives also pitch in, along with a few of the kids. What’s not to love for a skier trying to steer clear of an increasingly corporate sport?
SILVER: MOUNTAIN CHALET mtnchalet.com
BRONZE: REI rei.com
What’s Left Records | Credit: Ben Trollinger
JEWELRY STORE
TERRA VERDE BOUTIQUE terraverdestyle.com
Carrie Hibbard and Leah Riehl, co-owners of Terra Verde, say their store is an opportunity to highlight the natural beauty within each customer and create a truly special moment. Hibbard and Riehl purchased the 6,000-square-foot boutique on South Tejon Street after working as managers of the store in 2020. The store features a wide array of jewelry options to fit any style imaginable.
SILVER: REVOLUTION JEWELRY WORKS revolutionjewelryworks.com
PIERCING SHOP THE HIVE thehivepiercing.square.site
Before the tech bros came along to ruin body modification with dorky AR glasses and brain implants, there was The Hive, which specializes in good, old-fashioned piercing, with an emphasis on safety and service.
People are particular about their pets, especially when it comes to their healthcare. Westside Animal Hospital has established a reputation as one of the city’s best. The
VAPE SHOP CHIEF VAPOR chiefvapor.com
Looking to quit smoking or just searching for some community. Chief Vapor, founded in 2015 and featuring multiple locations, has become one of the top spots for supplying the city’s vaping needs.
SILVER: MASTER VAPORS mastervapors.co
BRONZE: ELEV8 GLASS GALLERY elev8glassgallery.com
THRIFT STORE
ARC THRIFT STORES arcthrift.com
Colorado Springs is a thrifter’s dream, and arc Thrift Stores are often the go-to spot for those on the hunt for a bargain. You can also feel good that you’re helping the environment by forgoing fast fashion and that arc is one of the country’s top employers for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
SILVER: GOODWILL OF COLORADO goodwillcolorado.org
GARDEN SUPPLY/NURSERY
RICK’S GARDEN CENTER ricksgarden.com
Started in 1948 by Dwight “Rick” Richner from Pennsylvania and his wife, Jackie, Rick’s Garden Center has only been owned by two other couples in its 75 years of existence. It offers indoor and outdoor plants, mulches, soils, compost, gardening tools and personal advice on how to make your little corner of paradise — and yourself — grow. They offer military discounts, have a very informative blog on their website, staff who know their manure and a nursery, open from spring through the fall, where you can buy trees, shrubs and perennials that have been selected for the Springs’ climate.
SILVER: PHELAN GARDENS phelangardens.com
BRONZE: HARDING NURSERY hardingnursery.com
STORE FOR
HOUSEPLANTS PHELAN GARDENS
phelangardens.com
For nonflowering, flowering, cacti and succulent plants, head to Phelan. They have plants to purify the air in your home or office, beautify your personal or workspace, and that won’t kill the pet cat or dog, if that’s potentially an issue. They’ll help you choose houseplants that will thrive in the natural light in your home, and look good on the piece of furniture you have to put that new creeping fig on. Heck, they’ll even repot your houseplants so you don’t have to. And in addition to the usual houseplants, they carry a variety of miniature, slow-growing plants that would be ideal for a fairy garden or terrarium.
SILVER: RICK’S GARDEN CENTER ricksgarden.com
BRONZE: THE LIVING ROOM thelivingroomplants.com
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR
WIRENUT HOME SERVICES
thewirenut.com
A family-owned and operated business, Wirenut has been helping Coloradans replace fuses, repair outlets, install lights and fans, hook up residential electrical services, embrace the future of transportation with an EV charger, and other electrical services for more for 20 years. They also do plumbing and HVAC, if that’s what you need. Upfront pricing reduces the risk of unwanted surprises, and the technician will let you know they’re on the way half an hour before they’re due to arrive. Plus, their workmanship and the products they install come with ironclad warranties.
SILVER: GADDIE ELECTRIC gaddieelectric.com
BRONZE: FLOW RIGHT PLUMBING, HEATING, COOLING AND ELECTRIC flowrightphi.com
INTERIOR DESIGN AND DECOR
FOOTPRINT HOME EXPERTS
footprinthomeexperts.com
Footprint Home Experts is a family-run business that builds decks, pergolas, patios, coverings and other outdoor structures that will withstand Colorado Springs’ weather. They also offer interior painting, kitchen, bath, basement and other remodels and outside improvements including concrete, gutters, landscaping, and more. They can arrange 0%, 24-month financing, or low-percentage (but not 0%) loans over longer periods..
SILVER: JULIE KAY DESIGN STUDIO juliekaydesignstudio.com
BRONZE: 719 STAGING & DESIGN 719staging.com
FLOORING COMPANY OSUNA HARDWOODS
(719) 210-1886
Lars Osuna is the sole proprietor of Osuna Hardwoods LLC and won the Independents Best Of in 2023 as well. He knows with a team of him and one other installer, that his customers get the best crews he can send for every job. “No matter what, my best guys are there and we’re getting the job done. There are no errors that go on that I don’t know about that we don’t address all right away,” he said. Osuna said that his main focus is on real hardwood flooring and refinishing, which he says that he’s seeing a resurgence in after many customers opted for laminate flooring over the past few years. “You can’t refinish it like you can’t feel hardwood. So I think people are starting to realize more bank your buck to get real hardwood initially and pay the price upfront than having to pay it in the long run later,” he said.
Ace has been the place with the helpful hardware folks since 1924 and features nine locations across Colorado Springs. Ace’s commitment to being a part of the community is built on their network of independent local store owners. Whether it’s hardware, paint, tools, garden products or barbecue and barbecue accessories, local customers know they can turn to their neighborhood Ace location to find what they need with the assistance of friendly staff members who often times go above and beyond to make sure every need is met.
SILVER: HOME DEPOT homedepot.com
BRONZE: LOWES lowes.com
hvacsolutionscoloradosprings.com
Osuna Hardwoods | Courtesy: Osuna Hardwoods
USED FURNITURE
PLATTE FURNITURE
plattefurniture.com
Since 1978, Platte Furniture has been taking in high-end couches and chairs and turning them around for bargain prices. It all began when teacher and coach Dick Kelly began selling furniture out of his garage. Platte Furniture expanded into a 36,000 square foot storeroom housing furniture of all kinds, be it Danish modern or shabby chic. Familyrun since the beginning, Kelly has overseen plenty of family members as employees. Walk in the store any day of the week, and you’ll find Kelly’s mother-in-law, Dot Boone, in the back working on the books. Today, Kelly runs the store with his son, Kyle.
SILVER: THE ARC thearcppr.org
BRONZE: AMERICAN CLASSICS MARKETPLACE
americanclassicsmarketplace.com
KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS
JULIE KAY DESIGN STUDIO
juliekaydesignstudio.com/portfolio
Julie Kay Design Studio is a full-scale design studio, whose services run the gamut of consultations to design to turning your dream kitchen or bathroom into reality. The company’s founder, award-winning interior designer Julie Riggin, takes into account your personality and how you intend to use the room she’s working on and crafts an end-product exclusively for you. Her designs combine simplicity and elegance and let her clients’ lifestyles shine through.
SILVER: HOMEFIX homefixcos.com
BRONZE: MOUNTAIN HIGH APPLIANCE mountainhighappliance.com
DECK BUILDER
FOOTPRINT DECKS & DESIGN
footprintdecks.com
See Page 45 for more about the Footprint business, a multiple gold winner.
WINDOWS AND DOORS
NEX-GEN WINDOWS AND DOORS
nexgenwindowsanddoors.com
At Nex-Gen Windows and Doors, you’re getting service from experts. Company owner Brent Rajewski trained under his father, Ted Rajewski, to learn the ways of replacing windows and doors before opening Nex-Gen in 2007. Serving the entirety of Colorado and parts of Wyoming, the people at Nex-Gen Windows and Doors understand local concerns like harsh weather, hail damage and temperature fluctuations. That’s why their windows and doors are designed to withstand rain or shine. And if they don’t, it’s no sweat if you have the Nex-Gen Peace of Mind Warranty, which covers all maintenance and repairs for as long as you own your home.
SILVER: FOOTPRINT HOME EXPERTS
footprinthomeexperts.com
BRONZE: RESTORE pikespeakhabitat.org
REMODELING CONTRACTOR
FOOTPRINT HOME EXPERTS
footprinthomeexperts.com
Footprints Home Experts is a multiple gold winner. See Page 45.
SILVER: OAKLEAF CONSTRUCTION
oakleafcos.com
BRONZE: WINDS OF CHANGE woccinc.com
ROOFING COMPANY
FOOTPRINT HOME EXPERTS
footprinthomeexperts.com
Footprints Home Experts is a multiple gold winner. See Page 45.
SILVER: PETRALI ROOFING petraliroofing.com
BRONZE: RELIABLE ROOFING myhappyroof.com
SUSTAINABLE/ENVIRONMENTAL HOME / IMPROVEMENT COMPANY
FOOTPRINT HOME EXPERTS
footprinthomeexperts.com
Footprints Home Experts is a multiple gold winner. See Page 45.
Footprints Home Experts is a multiple gold winner. See Page 45.
SILVER: PETRALI ROOFING petraliroofing.com
BRONZE: RELIABLE ROOFING myhappyroof.com
HAIR SALON
THE STYLE EMPORIUM
styleemporiumcs.com
Want to bid hairwell (sorry …) to the phobia you developed after going for a trim or blowdry and coming out with messed-up tresses that felt like they’d been deep fried? Head to the Style Emporium, where owner Kelly Lunney and her staff listen to what you want before they add extensions, give you a spiral perm, or whatever you’re after to enhance your look and turn heads. Consultations are free for dozens of services, including $20 kids cuts, for which they get rave reviews. Walk-ins are welcome, and you’ll walk out looking fab. They also won gold in the Barbershop category. Tell the men in your life.
SILVER: VEDA SALON AND SPA coloradoveda.com
BRONZE: ANGELA MARIE ARTISTRY angelamarieartistry.glossgenius.com
IN-HOME CARE PROVIDER
AMAZING CARE
amazingcare.com
Home health care isn’t just for older people; you might need it after surgery, or for an infant or child, for instance. But whoever you need it for, you’ll want assurances that you’re getting caring, compassionate service. That’s where Amazing Care Home Health Services comes in. The care they provide starts with an assessment of what your health issues are and what you need in terms of care. From there, they devise a plan for collaborative, therapeutic and rehabilitative home health care that works for you. And they deliver it with compassion, in the comfort of your home.
CHIROPRACTOR
MANITOU CHIROPRACTIC
facebook.com/manitouchiropractic
When Manitou Chiropractic took top honors in this category in 2021, Dr. Thomas Mauzy’s patients weren’t surprised. The clinic in Manitou Springs has a family-friendly atmosphere and care is provided in a welcoming and healing environment, one patient said. Visits are $25 for established patients and $50 for new patients. They only take walk-ins, but patients say they never have a problem getting in to see the doctor.
SILVER: LOWENSTEIN CHIROPRACTIC CENTER lowensteinchiropractic.com
BRONZE: CODY FRIE LMT
DAY SPA
VEDA SALON AND SPA
coloradoveda.com
Get a haircut, perm or color, or — why not? — all of the above at any of Veda Salon and Spa’s three locations in Colorado. Or have bridal beauty and styling sessions before and on your big day, get your nails done, or have one of half a dozen body massages and an equal number of facials to help you look and feel on top of the world. You’ll need to set aside at least a couple of hours for one of their pièce de resistance spa packages, if only for how relaxed and rejuvenated you’ll feel afterward.
SILVER: SUNWATER SPA sunwaterspa.com
BRONZE: BEAUTY BAR beautybar-inc.com
DOCTOR
TIE: DR. CHER MOSEMAN, OB/GYN, & DR. LAUREL VERANT, DO uchealth.org | kaiserpermanente.org
There was a tie for the Best Of medical doctor this year, with obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Cher Moseman and primary care physician Dr. Laurel Verant, DO — which stands for doctor of osteopathic medicine — sharing the top step of the metaphorical podium. Verant is affiliated with Parkview Medical Center, and Moseman practices at the Front Range OB/GYN clinic, which is part of UCHealth. Contact them to see if they’re taking new patients and to make an appointment.
SILVER: DR. SUSAN HEFFLEY mountain.commonspirit.org
MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY ALPINE ESSENTIALS alpinemj.com
Shop for medical marijuana in-store or online, renew your medical marijuana card or get one for the first time at this dispensary, voted the best of the rest by Best Of readers, and which also won the Recreational Marijuana category. Work with a bud tender in the store, which is located between Castle Rock and the Springs in Palmer Lake, or buy online and head there to pick up your order. Must be at least 18 and a resident of Colorado to get a medical card in the state.
SILVER: BUKU LOUD bukuloud.com
BRONZE: EMERALD FIELDS emeraldfields.com
MEDICAL SPA TIMELESS AESTHETICS LLC timelessaestheticsllc.com
Where day spas provide personal care focused on relaxation and improving beauty and health, med spas offer medical-grade treatments to correct skin conditions including pigmentation, acne, cellulite, broken capillaries and more. In Colorado, services must be performed by physicians or advanced practice nurses. Timeless Aesthetics offers Botox injections, chemical peels, microneedling, underarm sweat reduction, weight loss care and more. Owner Susie Reese is an aesthetic registered nurse and skincare expert with more than 17 years’ experience.
SILVER: GENESIS MEDSPA genesis-medspa.com
BRONZE: MED SPA BY BEAUTY BAR medspabybeautybar.com
It’s been 10 years now since recreational marijuana was legalized in Colorado, and the buds have had plenty of time to separate from the shake, as it were. With Colorado Springs’ ongoing ban on recreational retail stores, the consumer choices in El Paso County are few, but the competition is fierce. Alpine Essentials recreational and medical dispensary and cultivation operation in Palmer Lake has risen to the top among discerning Independent readers who partake. Owner Melissa Woodward credits her incredible staff, especially the bud tenders, and her “happy hour” pricing for the strong customer satisfaction. “It’s all about the team,” says Woodward. Alpine Essentials started recreational cultivation in 2014 and currently has the only recreational cultivation operation in El Paso County. Happy hours (which are sales, not social hangouts!) go from 1 to 4 p.m. on weekdays, with “wake and bake” happy hours from 9 to 11 a.m. on weekends.
SILVER: MAGGIE’S FARM maggiesfarmmarijuana.com
BRONZE: EMERALD FIELDS emeraldfields.com
Cambio Yoga’s mission is to make yoga accessible to everyone. Classes cater to a variety of ages and needs, from little kids to those with a physical disability or impaired mobility, and lots in between. Payment is on a donation basis — you pay whatever works with your budget, be it $2 or $20. If you want to strike the warrior pose at a live class, you need to register at least 48 hours in advance and will be prompted to donate at least $10. But if you can’t stretch to that, just email erika@cambioyoga.com, donate what you can afford and get ready to be part of the class. A monthly membership, starting at $79, will allow you to take part in however many regularly scheduled in-person, streamed or on-demand classes your heart, tendons and spinal cord desire.
SILVER: BALANCED STUDIO balanced-studio.gymdesk.com
BRONZE: ROOT CENTER FOR YOGA AND SACRED STUDIES rootdownandgrow.com
NAIL SALON THE NAILS STUDIO facebook.com/nailsbyJQ
The Nail Studio describes itself as a cozy, laid-back nail salon that offers a more pampering and personalized experience than big nail salons. They offer everything from gel, regular and dip manicures, nail repair, acrylic soak-offs and acrylic fills, and kids’ nail care. Or treat your feet to a spa or detox pedicure using lavender to soothe, rose to calm and relax, cucumber to moisturize.
SILVER: VEDA SALON AND SPA coloradoveda.com
BRONZE: A TOTAL NEW YOU SALON atnysalon.com
YOGA
CAMBIO YOGA www.cambioyoga.com
Cambio Yoga | Courtesy: Cambio Yoga
PLACE FOR EYEWEAR ARCHDALE EYECARE
archdaleeyecare.com
For eye exams, eye health and vision evaluations, or treatment of diseases that affect the eyes, Archdale Eyecare wants to be Colorado Springs’ reference point. They’ve been providing eye care in Colorado Springs for nearly three decades and are committed to personalized, compassionate health care. Visit them for glasses or contacts, near- or far-sightedness or for diagnosis and treatment of conditions including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and the effects of diabetes on eye health, including diabetic retinopathy.
SILVER: COSTCO costco.com
BRONZE: ROCKRIMMON VISION SOURCE
visionsource-rockrimmonvision.com
RETIREMENT & ASSISTED LIVING
MOUNT ST. FRANCIS NURSING CENTER
stfrancis.org
Nestled in the foothills, Mount St. Francis Nursing Center is one of few facilities that provides care for older adults that gets a five-star rating from Medicare. It provides 24-hour nursing supervision and skilled care that prioritizes health, spiritual and social needs. Family members are encouraged to maintain and deepen relationships with their
CANDIDATE SURVEY NOVEMBER 2024
October 28 is the last day citizens may register to vote or update their voter record at GoVoteColorado.gov.
After October 28, citizens must register to vote or update their voter record and receive their ballot at a Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC). They may do both through Election Day November 5.
November 5 – Election Day Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Postmarks do not count.
Note: Responses are not edited for content, style, punctuation, or grammar. They are printed as the candidates submitted them.
Colorado House of Representatives/Senators
John Hjersman
Office: State Senate, District 10
Email: jchjersman@gmail.com
Website: none
Phone: (719) 330-6684
Education: BS, Marine Engineering, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
1. Availability of energy at the lowest cost with minimal significant environmental impact. Fossil fuels are still the most economical source of energy now and in the near future. Development of alternatives is an important strategy for the future but it is foolhardy to plunge headfirst into it as if it is imminently ready to provide our energy needs.
2. Defense of the U.S. Constitution against fad-driven, offensive legislation.
3. Oppose the nonsense wording, “without raising taxes,” to disguise new taxes which by any other name would smell as foul. The public is owed transparency by the people that they elect to public office.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
By defending the rights of all, I hope to minimize any perception of favoritism. Being open to visit with anyone other than lobbyists and available as I can be to attend public gatherings is the best I can offer.
This article represents only a sample of the questions and answers. The full list of questions is included in each section. To read all of the answers, scan the QR code:
Larry Liston
Office: State Senate, District 10
Email: llliston16@q.com
Website: friendsoflarryliston.com
Phone: 719-649-9742
Education: BS, Business Finance, Colorado State University
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
1. To advance the possible use of nuclear energy here in Colorado.
2. To work with law enforcement to crack down on “Smash and Grab” thefts and
3. To ensure a fair and equitable system of property taxes for business and individuals. To achieve these goals, I will HAVE to work with members of the majority party since they control all the levers of power from top to bottom.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
I am fortunate that most of senate 10 is fairly homogenous and that there are no huge differences between the well to do and the middle class. I will continue to be open and accessible to my constituents just like I have always been during my tenure in office. The people of my district know me, they trust me which is why they have consistently voted for me.
All CO House of Representatives / Senators questions:
1. What is the most important responsibility of a State Senator/Representative? (100 Words)
2. What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them? (150 Words)
3. How do you plan to address Colorado’s affordable housing crisis? What specific policies would you support to increase housing availability and affordability? (100 Words)
4. Given Colorado’s current budgetary limitations due to TABOR and an unprecedented growth rate, how do you plan to increase revenue in the state? (100 Words)
5. How would you approach improving Colorado’s education system? Please respond in terms of funding, accessibility, and quality. (100 Words)
6. What are your plans to increase Colorado’s revenue while addressing the needs of various sectors, such as infrastructure, social services, and public safety? (100 Words)
7. What is your stance on criminal justice reform, and what reforms would you support to improve the system in Colorado? (100 Words)
8. How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process? (150 Words)
Ryan Lucas
Office: State Senate, District 10
Email: ryan@sd10lucas.com
Website: sd10lucas.com
Phone: N/A
Education: BS, Sociology & Anthropology, Lake Forest College
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
1. Transportation and Infrastructure - creating (and leading by example) the necessary changes to spur the greatest economy in the country.
2. Housing and Affordability - establishing economic tools that empower communities to grow in a smart, affordable way.
3. Artificial Intelligence regulation - protecting our children and vulnerable industries from potentially destructive tools that cheapen our human experience.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
We return to question 1. I grew up in a conservative family in Arkansas. I know how to discuss issues with people that I don’t agree with. I have no problem with discussing issues fully and with earnest, but also sincerity. I’ve started that process within this campaign and I was the LAST candidate on the ballot due to the vacancy appointment process – in fact, most organizations didn’t know I was running until September. I’m here and I want to meet every voter willing to sit down and talk about the issues. I’m a Democrat; maybe you’re a Republican, Democratic Socialist, American Constitution, or Unity Party member. Maybe, like the majority of this district, you’re unaffiliated. We can agree on a path forward for this state. I encourage you to visit sd10lucas.com and let me know how we can meet – I bet we’re closer than you or I can imagine.
CANDIDATE SURVEY
NOVEMBER 2024
Marc Snyder
Office: State Senate, District 12
Email: marc@electmarcsnyder.com
Website: snyderforcolorado.com
Phone: (719) 233-1272
Education: JD, Emory University School of Law
BA, Political Science, Emory University
BA, Economics, Emory University
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
1. Building a more robust /equitable economy. I plan to work with industry to help create betterpaying jobs in our district. We’ll create a probusiness culture while protecting workers’ rights. Colorado residents need sustainable employment for future success.
2. Ensuring that our public schools are fully funded. We eliminated the budget stabilization (BS) factor last year. We must ensure that we never again have to balance the state budget on the backs of our children. This requires taking a hard look at the total budget when we have budget shortfalls to find other places to reduce spending.
3. Continuing the fight to lower healthcare costs. I will work with stakeholders to lower prescription and treatment costs. We need transparency in our medical billing systems across the industry. We must also address the inflated costs of prescription drugs due to pharmacy benefit managers that seek to manipulate market forces that would drive down prices.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
Senate District 12 is home to a very diverse community. We have voters who are part of the working class and voters who live in multi-million dollar homes on the west side. Every constituent deserves equal access and equal representation from their legislative elected officials. I strongly believe in remaining accessible to my constituents. I hold town hall meetings throughout the year and provide my cell number on literature and emails. I encourage leaders and members from diverse communities within my district to reach out to me and share their needs and concerns. I have worked with many organizations throughout this election cycle who represent families, workers, teachers and students, and industry leaders. I hope that these organizations will send their members my way when they are faced with obstacles or believe that legislative change is needed. It has always been my honor to hear and serve voters in my district.
Jeff Livingston
Office: CO House District 15
Email: jeffproffessional124@gmail.com
Website: committeetoelectjefflivingston.com
Phone: (256) 679-7142
Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Oakwood University and Electrical Engineering at CTU
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
1. My number one priority is making sure voters know how much their voice means and give them a voice by making sure voting is as easy and secure as possible.
2. My second priority is making everyday workers paycheck mean more by reducing price gouging and increasing take home pay for local workers especially and starting with our teachers.
3. My third priority is increasing Coloradan’s access to individual home and community based solar and other renewable energy infrastructure to reduce energy bills and increase robustness and versatility of the grid.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
Listening to and representing the issues of everyone of all races, colors, creeds, backgrounds starts with listening to them and being able to translate those experiences to those who do not share them. I have spent most of my life as a black person in a white neighborhood translating my experience into language that makes sense to others and I can bring that experience to the capitol in order to make more comprehensive and empathetic legislation for everyone.
Stan VanderWerf
Office: State Senate, District 12
Email: s.vanderwerf@comcast.net
Website: stanvanderwerfcoloradosenate.com
Phone: (719) 640-8879
Education: BS, Industrial Engineering, Purdue University
MA, International Relations, University of Dayton
MS, National Resource Strategies, Industrial College of the Armed Forces DoD Top line Acquisition Certifications
Harvard University Senior Executives Class on State and Local Government
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
From District polling, the top three issues are immigration (public safety), inflation, and economy. These include fentanyl, human trafficking, and the cost of immigrant care. Economic challenges include increased energy, housing, and food costs, and increased state regulatory burdens. I support increased penalties for fentanyl and human trafficking. We need to remove or modify HB19-1124 to allow local law enforcement to work with ICE. I will work with our federal delegation who I know well to address border security and immigration reform. Current Colorado energy policy is overly restrictive and expensive. I support an “all source” approach including natural gas, oil, wind, solar, nuclear and geothermal.Finally, I will reduce state regulatory burdens on citizens and businesses. I have unique skills as an Industrial Engineer to reduce compliance and implementation costs as I did in EPC. We doubled road repairs, increased parks, and increased emergency reserve funds without raising taxes.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
Great question! As an El Paso County Commissioner, I have a demonstrated record of working with people from across the political and socioeconomic spectrum. They have all blessed me with their perspectives. I have Democrats supporting my election to State Senate including a mayor and a County Commissioner from the Denver area. They want balance in the legislature and they know I will fight to protect local government from state unfunded mandates.
My race is very important to ensure balance and prevent any one party from achieving too much power. Balance will better serve diverse communities. Indeed Governor Polis himself appointed me to the State Board of Health to represent Congressional District 5.
My approach is simple, I will work with anyone who treats me with respect. Diplomacy and Statesmanship is part of who I am. I learned this while a Colonel in the US Air Force.
Steph Vigil
Office: CO House District 16
Email: info@stephanievigil.com
Website: stephanievigil.com
Phone: (719) 297-3210
Education: some college • “This is an excellent rectangle.” ~ Ron Swanson
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
Continuing to address housing and transportation needs in tandem, as these two issues are inextricably linked: we need to leverage once-in-a-lifetime funding opportunities for transit to promote housing and expand safe, affordable, and convenient transportation choices.
Worker empowerment: the way we work is changing, and it is critical to hold big tech accountable, and support ordinary people in taking our power back from corporate consolidators.
Community health and safety: Colorado continues to struggle with behavioral health challenges, and I am especially interested in tackling the suicide rate. I will reintroduce a bill in 2025 to bring suicide prevention training opportunities into workplaces, and start building the broad awareness and education that we need to effectively save lives.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
Since getting elected to this seat two years ago, I’ve taken special care to develop best practices for constituent services and community engagement, and I’ve very much enjoyed this aspect of the job. My office has resolved countless administrative hiccups and bureaucratic challenges for constituents, and earlier this year I was even able to get a critical urban trail reopened that had been blocked by a highway project. I’ve held ten town halls during my first term, I send regular newsletters, and I’ve also put in the time to directly develop my relationships with local leaders. The institutional norm is to go through lobbyists for these things, which would be less work for me, but I feel like the extra effort is worth it. We all serve the public, sometimes with a lot of overlapping constituencies, and we need to get better at working collaboratively.
CANDIDATE SURVEY
NOVEMBER 2024
Dr. Regina English
Office: CO House District 17
Email: staterep.reginaenglish@gmail.com
Website: reginaenglish.org
Phone: (719) 388-3695
Education: Associate degree in Drug and Alcohol Counseling/ Chemical Dependency. Bachelor’s degree in management Master’s in public administration. Doctorate in Organizational Leadership.
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
My top three legislative priorities will be criminal justice reform, mental health, and education. First, I will advocate for comprehensive criminal justice reform, focusing on reducing recidivism through rehabilitation programs and promoting restorative justice practices. We can create a system prioritizing rehabilitation over punishment by working with community organizations and law enforcement.
Second, mental health is a critical issue that affects many in our community. I will push for increased funding for mental health services, ensuring access to treatment for all, particularly in schools and underserved areas. This will include expanding crisis intervention training for law enforcement.
Finally, I will prioritize education by advocating for equitable funding for schools and enhancing support for teachers. I will keep our students’ mental health and safety at the forefront of my legislative mission, promoting school resources that address emotional well-being and creating a safe environment for learning.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
To effectively engage and represent the diverse communities within my district, I plan to implement a multi-faceted approach that prioritizes inclusivity and accessibility. First, I will continue to hold regular community conversation meetings in various neighborhoods to ensure open dialogue with residents from different backgrounds. I will also establish advisory councils that reflect the district’s diversity, including underrepresented groups, to provide direct input on critical issues. Also, I will leverage digital platforms for virtual meetings and surveys to gather feedback from constituents who may face barriers to attending in-person events. By fostering these open communication channels, I will ensure that all voices are heard and reflected in the legislative process, enabling me to advocate for policies that represent the district’s needs and values.
Liz Rosenbaum
Office: CO House District 21
Email: info@lizrosenbaumco.com
Website: LizRosenbaumCO.com
Phone: (719) 661-5108
Education: BS, Secondary Education, Social Sciences, Regis University
AA, Anthropology, Social Sciences, Pikes Peak State College
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
My first bill will address the excessive costs working families are burdened with because of ambulance charges during emergency situations. Ambulance companies negotiated out of no-surprise billing, which is harming rural people the most. My other bills will focus on continuing environmental justice for areas harmed by chemicals so working families will have rights above those of corporate interests.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
I will host at least one in person townhall a month during the legislative session and supplement it with additional virtual meetings during bills our community needs to pass or fail so I am getting the insight of our communities so we will all finally have the input our community needs. The intentional lack of town halls here is causing harm and it shows in the way our community aesthetically appears and in the lack of funding for our schools. I have the experience from leading our community fighting against PFAS poisoning to show I am a person of inclusion for viable solutions. This district is one of the youngest and largest military communities, affordable housing. We have a high priority to solve the health care desert here as well.
Amy Paschal
Office: CO House District 18
Email: info@amyfor18.com
Website: amyfor18.com
Phone: (571) 733-0778
Education: BA, Computer Science, Macalester College
MS, Computer Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Certificates: Fullstack Web Programing, Fullstack Academy
Data Analytics, University of Denver
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
As your state house representative my priorities will be:
First, an economy that works for everyone. Our local economy is growing and vibrant, yet many in our community struggle to make ends meet. Prices are clearly too high, and wages too low. As a former small business owner, I understand what it takes to build wealth and to ensure everyone has a chance at success. I’m committed to building an economy where we all can thrive with well-paying jobs, quality schools, affordable housing, and accessible healthcare.
Second, infrastructure that catches up and keeps up with growth in a sustainable manner, both economically and environmentally.
Third, the environment and clean energy. Colorado must continue to move forward towards clean energy but at a pace that keeps energy prices affordable and maintains well-paying jobs.
I plan to address economic issues first by focusing on increasing the supply of affordable housing.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
I plan to represent diverse communities by listening to their concerns and perspectives.
As a candidate, I am holding town hall events at local libraries three Saturdays in October, knocking on doors in neighborhoods across my district, and have an open door through email, phone, and mail to any who wish to speak with me.
I work with local and statewide community organizations passionate about the issues that matter most to my district, from healthcare reform and economic development to clean energy and K-12 education.
As a representative, I plan to continue direct communication with my constituents through email newsletters during legislative sessions, town halls and policy development events throughout the year. I believe that my most important role as a representative is to effectively represent the interests and needs of my constituents, and produce results for them. I cannot do my job without engaging with the communities I represent.
Mary Bradfield
Office: CO House District 21
Email: Mary.Bradfield.house@coleg.gov
Website: marybradfield.com
Phone: (719) 330-6732
Education: BS in Education
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
My priorities are affordable housing, behavioral health, and public safety. Any of these topics lend themselves to possible legislation.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
I am well aware that my district is made up of many diverse groups. Since I do not believe that one size fits all, I am always aware of what I support and make sure that it is a concern of all or most of the constituents.
CANDIDATE SURVEY
NOVEMBER 2024
Daniel Campaña
Office: CO House District 22
Email: daniel@danielforcolorado.com
Website: www.DanielforColorado.com
Phone: (719) 357-5019
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
I’m going to sneak a fourth in because the foundation of our policies creates the acronym H.O.M.E.
H - Housing, Economy, and Infrastructure
O - Officers, First Responders, and Veterans
M - Mental Health
E - Education
These are all issues near and dear to my heart, and the heart of my community in District 22. As a small business owner and mental health advocate, these issues hit close to H.O.M.E.
I’m already collaborating with local mental health leaders and elected officials to bring forward new ideas and policies that will help our most vulnerable populations and especially our youth.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
As the campaign with the most grassroots effort and a large bipartisan coalition of community leaders, we’re excited to endeavor to becoming the most engaged and accessible legislator in Colorado. From knocking on more than eight thousand doors to innovative technologies engaging community feedback, we’re always going to work the hardest the ensure every voice is heard.
We’ve also already begun policy roundtables on every issue from Education to Housing with subject matter experts and community leaders to ensure every policy is vetted by experts and stakeholders.
Michael Pierson
Office: CO House District 22
Email: mike@pierson4co.com
Website: pierson4co.com
Education: BA, Political Science, University of Cincinnati MA, Journalism, The Ohio State University
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
I will champion legislation that will require CDOT to make plans for improvements to the Constitution and Dublin intersections along Powers Boulevard in eastern Colorado Springs for better safety and traffic flow.
I will push for legislation that works with developers, non-profits, industry groups and others to find innovative solutions to the crisis in affordable housing in Colorado. This may mean grants and tax breaks for organizations and communities willing to try new solutions which may include more modular, manufactured and even 3D-printed homes
I will work to modernize Colorado’s labor laws to make it less difficult for workers to organize. Current laws are based on century-old anti-labor attitudes and do not reflect the modern economy or our highly educated and skilled workforce.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
I promise to represent everyone in my district, not just the people who vote for me. Everyone’s voice and viewpoint are important, and I promise to listen to everyone. I will hold office hours in person or by Zoom in my district at least once a month while the Legislature is in session. I will gladly accept speaking engagements and attend community events. I’ve enjoyed meeting so many people from all over my district during this campaign! I’m looking forward to meeting all of you soon.
Ken deGraaf
Office: CO House District 22
Email: ken.deGraaf.House@COLeg.gov
Website: kendegraaf4hd22.com
Phone: (303) 866-2927
Education: BS, USAFA, Engr Mech, Aerospace Structures, (distinguished grad) MS, Columbia University, the Dynamics of Indeterminate Structures, (Guggenheim Fellow)
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
1. De-list CO2 as a pollutant. A foundational molecule for all life, CO2 is about 4/10,000’s of the atmosphere and contributes less than 10% to the atmospheric energy. There are over 3200billion tons of CO2 in the atmosphere; 300million US citizens contribute approximately 5. The individual contribution to atmospheric energy less than (10%)(5/3200)/300M—less than ½ of 1-trillionth, which is the same as ½ of 1-drop in 20 Olympic swimming pools full of drops. Globally, 8 billion ½-trillionths is 4/1000, so the climate effect of spending trillions on NetZero would be about (4/1000)2C = 0.008C.
2. Restore recognition of personhood to all Coloradans. HB13-1154 stripped personhood from the unborn and HB22-1279 authorized feticide by “ANY MEDICAL PROCEDURE, (any) INSTRUMENT, (any) AGENT, OR (any)DRUG.” Stripping personhood is a historically dangerous precedent for all.
3. Civil asset forfeiture reform to require 5A&14A due-process conviction prior to state confiscating property (hb24-1023)
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
As a second-generation US Citizen, this is close to home. By adhering to the values of our founding that has welcomed and integrated immigrants for over two centuries, appreciating the positives of all cultures and celebrating their uniqueness. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” and that it is the role of government “to secure these Rights,” not to guarantee outcomes which can only be done by the imposition on, and to the resentment of other individuals, predicated on some imposed vision of fairness. While “equity” sounds lofty, it really means “equality in misery,” because it can only be attained by reducing one to the level of another instead of clearing the path for all to ascend.
Chris Richardson
Office: CO House District 56
Email: Chris@Richardson-HD56.com
Website: Richardson-HD56.com
Phone: (720) 443-0527
Education: University of Pennsylvania, BS, Mechanical Engineering /US Army Command & General Staff College, Organizational Leadership & Resource Management
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
As a first-term legislator, I am in listening mode. With over 700 bills introduced last session and over 500 becoming law, I believe much of the General Assembly’s work aims to fix issues from previous legislation. It’s time to slow down and fully assess each bill’s impacts before passage. My focus is on providing a government that:
• Secures the rights and freedoms of all Coloradans,
• Respects citizens’ autonomy in personal, business, and family matters,
• Reduces the burden on taxpayers.
Achieving this will require open, honest discussions on the state government’s proper role and opposing legislation that strays from that role. Government cannot be everything to everyone; it must prioritize available resources to fulfill its constitutional obligations, maintain an adequate social safety net, and provide services beyond the private sector’s scope.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
To effectively engage with and represent the diverse communities within my district, I will prioritize accessible and ongoing communication. This includes hosting regular town halls across the seven counties of the district, holding remote listening sessions for those unable to attend in person, and establishing an informal advisory board that represents various backgrounds and interests. By meeting with local leaders, business owners, educators, and nonprofits, I can increase my understanding of diverse concerns and gather ideas for legislation that addresses unique needs. I will maintain an open-door policy, inviting constituents to share their perspectives through calls, emails, and meetings. Additionally, I’ll send regular updates on legislative actions to keep everyone informed and actively seek feedback on district issues. By fostering these channels of engagement, I aim to ensure that all voices are heard, and that my legislative actions genuinely reflect the needs and priorities of the communities I serve.
CANDIDATE SURVEY
NOVEMBER 2024
El Paso County Commissioners
Bernard Byers
Office: County Commissioner District 2
Email: bbbforcc@outlook.com
Website: bernardbyersforcc2.com
Phone: (719) 242-6694
Education: BS, Communications, Colorado State University-Pueblo
What is the most important responsibility of a County Commissioner?
I believe that the main responsibilities of a County Commissioner are to make choices that best represent the wants of the people, finding ways to enhance the living experience of all residents and building connections between others to create a prosperous and safe living area. Commissioners should be vocal advocates for the constituents they represent. They should be proactive with pending opportunities for improvement and accessible to all for feedback.
What are your top three priorities for improving our county, and what specific actions would you take to achieve them?
Creating a game plan for community development along with the neighborhoods I would represent. I would create subcommittees/town halls meetings of local citizens that I would meet with monthly to make sure their needs are being met. This way they can hold me accountable for action-oriented items and I can build local relationships that will make me a better leader.
2) Mental health awareness and resources must be enhanced for all communities. Finding ways for local government to partner with mental health organizations to help others with a variety of needs. This would include expansion of ongoing efforts like Pikes Peak Rising for example. 3). Expansion and an increase of exposure of local nonprofits in the Colorado Springs area. I believe local government should be doing a better job collaborating with non-profits in the area, helping to highlights some of the magnificent work done in the community.
Naomi López, MS, CCC-SLP
Office: El Paso County Commissioner, District 3
Email: naomiforelpasocommissioner@gmail.com
Website: votenaomilopez.com
Phone: (719) 290-6164
Detra Duncan, PhD
Office: County Commissioner District 4
Email: detraduncan4ctycommdist4@gmail.com
Website: detraforcountycommissionerd4.com
Phone: (719) 640-0152
Education: Human Nutrition & Food
Master’s in Public Health Administration
Doctoral degree in Organizational Management
What is the most important responsibility of a County Commissioner?
The Board of County Commissioners are a policy making and administrative body for the County. They approve budgets, oversee spending, and hire county employees. They oversee the management of our county parks. They also oversee pensions for county employees. I feel that the budget is the most important responsibility because budget expresses all the key policy decisions and priorities and aligns with the County’s strategic plan. It determines who is taxed, how much, and where we spend money for programs and services in areas such as transportation, public safety, disaster recovery, social services, housing and economic development.
What are your top three priorities for improving our county, and what specific actions would you take to achieve them?
My top three priorities are public safety, housing, and wildfire mitigation for improving our county. Public Safety, I would support training for our officers to increase community trust through improved communication and transparency. Ensure that our Public Safety Officers are making a competitive wage and develop partnerships to support community efforts to improve the health and safety of residents. Housing - My goal would be to partner with nongovernmental organizations to develop strategies to lessen the impact of housing affordability and homelessness. Wildfire Mitigation - I plan on having a collection of practices that minimize property damage and protect our firefighters. Collaborate with the fire chiefs to create defensible spaces to implement early detection systems that protect lives and help us live more safely with wildfires. I plan to address the wildfire system holistically, with a goal of creating communities and landscapes that are resilient to wildfire.
Education: Masters in Speech Language Pathology, University of New Mexico; Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communications, New Mexico State University
What is the most important responsibility of a County Commissioner? County Commissioners are primarily responsible for acting as trusted representatives for all residents in the administration and management of all county functions, including approving the over $438 million yearly budget. Managing growth responsibly, protecting public health and safety, and maintaining vital social services are central to the role. Commissioners must engage and work with the community, listen to diverse perspectives, and act with integrity to find solutions that work for everyone. Commissioners also hold immense power in advocating for the county’s needs at both the state and federal level. Commissioners sit on intergovernmental authorities and appoint members to various boards.
What are your top three priorities for improving our county, and what specific actions would you take to achieve them?
Affordable Housing & Homelessness: I will partner with state and federal legislators, developers, economists and non-profits to find solutions to creating more accessible housing options, with a focus on transitional housing programs. I will join the current reexamination of our zoning codes and building regulations to see where cuts to building costs are feasible without risking safety standards.
Public Health & Safety: Expanding access to mental health care and addiction recovery services is critical to improving public health and safety, especially for our youth, elderly and veterans. I will also work for the county to uphold the State’s ERPO gun law.
Economic Development: By supporting local businesses, improving infrastructure, and encouraging investment in green industries, we can drive sustainable growth. My focus will be procuring a workforce for these local and innovative industries by increasing the partnerships the County has with our local school districts’ work-ready programs.
All County Commissioner questions:
1. What is the most important responsibility of a County Commissioner? (100 Words)
2. What are your top three priorities for improving our county, and what specific actions would you take to achieve them? (150 Words)
3. What strategies would you implement to promote economic development and attract businesses to the county? (100 Words)
4. What are some long-term solutions to end houselessness and the affordable housing crisis in Colorado Springs? Please describe the way(s) you would partner with the state legislature and/or community organization(s) in your response. (150 Words)
5. How do you currently engage in the community and ensure that the voices of all county residents are heard in the decision-making process, especially traditionally underserved communities? (100 Words)
6. What initiatives would you support to manage growth responsibly while supporting county services such as health services, education, and social support programs? (100 Words)
7. How would you address public safety and emergency preparedness in the county? (100 Words)
CANDIDATE SURVEY
NOVEMBER 2024
US House of Representatives
River Gassen
Office: US House of Representatives - CO District 5
Email: river@riverforcolorado.com
Website: riverforcolorado.com
Phone: (303) 601-1821
Education: MS, Physics, University of Colorado (UCCS)
BS, Physics & Energy Science, University of Colorado (UCCS)
AA, Economics, Arapahoe Community College
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
• Codifying the protection of women’s reproductive healthcare and the right to an abortion with a federal bill. Abortion is part of healthcare and should be a protected human right.
• Addressing inflation and the high cost of living by reducing housing and healthcare expenses, holding corporations accountable, and promoting sustainable practices that protect the environment while strengthening the economy.
• Ensuring the safety of our national security. Ensuring that we treat our veterans with the respect and dignity they deserve, and fighting for the mental wellbeing of those returning home presently is essential to ensure the continued strength in our nation. Younger generations watch how we treat our veterans and I believe it is impacting recruitment.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
Engaging with and representing the diverse communities within my district is a top priority. I plan to hold regular town halls, community forums, and listening sessions in every neighborhood, ensuring that all voices—especially those often overlooked—are heard. I will establish advisory councils composed of representatives from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds to provide continuous feedback and guidance on key issues. Additionally, I’ll maintain open communication through newsletters, social media, and accessible office hours, making it easy for constituents to share their concerns and ideas. I am committed to actively seeking out and amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, including communities of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ individuals. By advocating for policies that reflect their needs—whether in education, housing, or criminal justice reform—I will ensure they have a seat at the table. My legislative decisions will be driven by the concerns of my constituents, with equity and inclusion as guiding principles.
All US House of Representatives questions:
1. What is the most important responsibility of a Senator/Representative? (100 Words)
2. What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them? (150 Words)
3. How do you plan to address Colorado’s affordable housing crisis? What specific policies would you support to increase housing availability and affordability? (100 Words)
4. Given Colorado’s current budgetary limitations due to TABOR and an unprecedented growth rate, how do you plan to increase revenue in the state? (100 Words)
5. How would you approach improving Colorado’s education system? Please respond in terms of funding, accessibility, and quality. (100 Words)
6. What are your plans to increase Colorado’s revenue while addressing the needs of various sectors, such as infrastructure, social services, and public safety? (100 Words)
7. What is your stance on criminal justice reform, and what reforms would you support to improve the system in Colorado? (100 Words)
8. How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process? (150 Words)
Joseph O. Gaye
Office: US House of Representatives - CO District 5
Email: jgayesr@gmail.com
Website: JosephGaye4Congress.com
Phone: (303) 929-7024
Education: BA Finance and Business Management
What are your top three priorities for legislation if elected, and how do you plan to achieve them?
AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE
• Our politics & our economy is making our country & community sicker, poorer & less tolerant of each other.
• Wealth is creating wealth at an accelerated pace & the working class is getting left behind. Both Democrats & Republicans are responsible for “NORMALIZING” the ECONOMIC POLICIES that allow this to happen.
• Capitalism is the best economic system in the world and we can & mustmake it work for everyone.
NATIONAL SECURITY
• We may have come to this country on different ships but we’re all here in the same boat now… and the threat from Russia, China & Iran has never been greater than it is today. We canot fight this threat as a divided Nation with our democracy teetering on the edge. We need to come together, pullback from the edge and focus on strengthening & preserving the guardrails of our democracy.
DEMOCRACY
• If democrats really believe Trump is a clear & present danger to democracy - I urge Democrats to rally behind a qualified unaffiliated Independent that can actually win. A candidate that represents the views of 52% of the community.
• I urge Republican leaning unaffiliated voters who believe in “The Peaceful Transfer of Power to Join Us.
How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse communities within your district, and ensure their voices are heard in the legislative process?
I would duplicate Mayor Yemi’s listening tours but I would be present the entire session not just at the end to hear the conclusions/recommendations.
• In these listening sessions I would make it a point to make loud & proud declarations PROCLAIMING & CELEBRATING the diversity of our community.
• I would take every opportunity to point out & emphasize - as a country & community - our diversity in strength AND our diversity is our greatest asset. ● And I would constantly reiterate“We must ignore the voices of those who strive to drive us apart”.
CU Regents
CANDIDATE SURVEY
NOVEMBER 2024
Axel Brown
Office: CU Regent, CD-5
Email: michaelbrown656@gmail.com
Website: Axel4CU.org
Phone: (719) 213-0639
Education: Masters in Social Work, UCCS
How do you propose addressing tuition affordability and student debt at the Colorado University System?
I plan to propose a need based tuition structure that needs students where they are at. I believe every student should be able to get the education they deserve without being saddled with debt, and it is my mission to ensure that the tuition structure reflects that belief.
What steps would you take to enhance visibility for marginalized communities within the university structure?
To increase visibility in the university structure, I’d work directly with the communities themselves. I can be an advocate as much as possible, but only the communities themselves know what best suits their needs. To ensure these needs are met, I would use my position to uplift and empower marginalized communities and do anything in my power to make sure they never feel unsupported again.
Elliott Hood
Office: CU Regent, CD-5
Email: elliot@hoodforcolorado.com
Website: hoodforcolorado.com
Phone: (312) 607-9295
Education: BA, CU-Boulder BA, Political Science, Northwestern University JD, Northwestern University School of Law Relations
How do you propose addressing tuition affordability and student debt at the Colorado University System?
It is several times more expensive to attend CU as an in-state student than it was when I graduated 20 years ago. We need to slow the pace of tuition increases and prioritize tuition assistance for in-state and lower-income students, who are more likely to take out debt to finance their education. Beyond tuition, we need to lower the cost of an education at CU by making housing, books, and materials more affordable. Given how little our state spends on higher education–mostly due to TABOR–we need to roll up our sleeves and find creative ways to save students money.
What steps would you take to enhance visibility for marginalized communities within the university structure?
The most important thing we can do as regents is to enforce the comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion policy the regents established this past year and hold university leadership accountable for results. As part of that process, we must work harder to attract and retain a more diverse student body and faculty, hiring more people of color and those from historically underrepresented populations in leadership positions across the university, elevating the voices of marginalized groups in university decision-making. I strongly support teaching and implementing anti-racism initiatives and will advocate for funding these programs within CU’s budget. While regents do not dictate the curriculum, I will push to ensure each campus has the flexibility to design diversity programs tailored to its unique needs.
Eric Rinard
Office: CU Regent at Large
Email: eric@rinardforregent.com
Website: rinardforregent.com
Phone: (303) 931.9675
Education: BS, Electrical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder
How do you propose addressing tuition affordability and student debt at the Colorado University System?
Upward pressures on tuition costs are relentless, starting with inflation. And like inflation, many of the factors driving tuition hikes are outside of control of the University. The cost of housing is one area where the university might have opportunities for innovation. University endowment assets could be used to build additional low-cost student housing without dramatically reducing
T.J. Cole
Office: CU Regent at Large
Email: tijani.cole@gmail.com
Website: tjcole4curegent.com
Education: JD Law, PhD Secondary Ed, PhD Hon. Humanities, MA Judicial Studies, MA International Relations, BA Political Science
How do you propose addressing tuition affordability and student debt at the Colorado University System?
As a board of Regent I will collaborate and build partnerships with school districts to expand and increase their ASCENT and other precollegiate programs which will allow high school students opportunities to gain a year or more of free tuition. By utilizing fiscal savings we will be able to hold current tuition costs stable reducing student debt considerably.
What steps would you take to enhance visibility for marginalized communities within the university structure? I will work hard to build relationships and support for all groups on campus. I will support policies that increase opportunities to be seen on campus and in the community. A small example would be increasing the native american presence by hosting more pow wows and conferences. This would be true for other groups as well. CU should be a hub for public forums and discussions.
Ken Montera
Office: CU Regent, CD-5
Email: ken@monteraforregent.com
Website: monteraforregent.com
Phone: (719) 249-4863
Education: BS, Business, CU Leeds School of Business Marketing/International Business
How do you propose addressing tuition affordability and student debt at the Colorado University System?
As Vice Chair of the finance committee I review all campus budgets and capital expenditures. I work closely with our Chancellors to ensure we are challenging all expenditures and that our budgets are producing the greatest value for our students. My background as a C suite executive that over saw a $12 billion budget uniquely qualifies me to develop strategies that will keep our costs affordable.
What steps would you take to enhance visibility for marginalized communities within the university structure? I have been Vice Chair of the board for three consecutive years, in that time we have done fourteen outreach trips throughout Colorado meeting with students, families, principals and school superintendents with a focus on under represented students. It is imperative that these populations understand that there is a welcomed place for them at one of our four campuses and that we can help them navigate the path to get there both financially and administratively. Its not only important to help them become enrolled but also retain them. We have established programs at every campus to offer support for student success and community and we are seeing significant improvement in both enrollment and graduation rates.
principal value. As Regent, I will investigate these and other novel ideas to reduce tuition. Students should be provided information on prospective salaries and what their debt repayment schedule might be upon graduation. I will support financial counseling assistance for students.
What steps would you take to enhance visibility for marginalized communities within the university structure? Every individual has value and deserves respect and support. I believe in the natural rights of individuals and have been known to “stand up” in support of aggrieved individuals who challenged their treatment by a power structure, typically the management of a company employing that individual. This advocacy was focused on ensuring that the individual received a fair hearing, and that any dispute or infraction was objectively verified and any sanction imposed was both fair and proportionate. If these procedures are followed, the marginalization of any individual is preventable.
CANDIDATE SURVEY
NOVEMBER 2024
District Attorney
Michael J. Allen
Office: District Attorney
Email: michael@michaelallen4da.com
Website: MichaelAllen4DA.com
Phone: (303) 437-5373
Education: Bachelors from the University of Northern Colorado Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law
What is the most important responsibility of a District Attorney?
To put it simply – work with area law enforcement agencies and other community leaders to ensure public safety is upheld. This necessarily includes delivering justice for victims and the community at large. Administrative duties of the role require hiring qualified staff and attorneys and equipping them to meet the challenges presented by the always evolving trends in crime. As District Attorney I’ve launched unique programs designed to meet the evolving nature of crime. This includes Intelligence Driven Prosecution, a dedicated Domestic Violence prosecutor, creation of the Organized Crime Unit, and an attorney specifically targeting Motor Vehicle Theft.
How will you engage with the community to ensure the DA’s office is transparent and responsive to public concerns? I work every day to ensure transparency and responsiveness to community concerns. I prioritized enhancing transparency through our Intelligence Driven Prosecution effort that included the launch of publicly available data dashboards that can be accessed 24 hours per day. The data presented through those dashboards replicates up-to-date data every 15 minutes, ensuring members of the community have access to the data in near real time. I also ensure we have regular interactions with the community through town-hall events, presentations to school and parent groups, and hold timely press conferences to communicate information on breaking high-impact crimes.
All District Attorney questions:
1. What is the most important responsibility of a District Attorney? (100 Words)
2. How will you engage with the community to ensure the DA’s office is transparent and responsive to public concerns? (100 Words)
3. What is your approach to addressing racial and socioeconomic disparities in the criminal justice system? (150 Words)
4. How do you plan to balance the need for public safety with the rights of the accused? (100 Words)
5. What strategies would you implement to improve collaboration between the DA’s office and local law enforcement agencies? (100 Words)
6. How do you propose handling cases involving mental health issues or substance abuse, both in terms of prosecution and diversion programs? (150 Words)
7. What is your plan for addressing and reducing the backlog of cases and ensuring timely justice for both victims and defendants? (100 Words)
All CU Regents questions:
1. What is your vision for the future of the Colorado University System, and how do you plan to achieve it? (100 Words)
2. How do you propose addressing tuition affordability and student debt at the Colorado University System? (100 Words)
3. How would you handle potential conflicts of interest or external pressures from political or business interests in university governance? (100 Words)
4. What steps would you take to enhance visibility for marginalized communities within the university structure? (150 Words)
5. What are your views on the role of Colorado University in addressing local and state community needs, and how would you strengthen those ties? (150 Words)
About Citizens Project
Mission
Citizens Project is a fearless, bold advocate and an engaging voice that empowers and challenges our entire community to embrace equity, inclusion, and justice.
We have been a historical leader in turning inclusion into powerful and impactful policy change for the collective well-being of all citizens. Our mission will always revolve around community.
Goals
Citizens Project works to educate and empower people in the Pikes Peak region to embrace all members of our community, regardless of race, economic status, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, or physical or mental ability. Through our outreach, we seek to promote equity in our public spaces and challenge community members to uphold this value.
Citizens Project promotes active civic engagement.
A vibrant democracy requires that voters be informed, have access to elected leaders, and participate in shaping public policy. Citizens Project ensures protection of our local democracy through protecting the right to vote, hosting educational forums, publishing voter guides, and working collaboratively with the community to promote equitable and just public policy. We envision a Pikes Peak community that is a vibrant democracy in which individual rights are protected, differences are respected, and people fully participate in civic and community life.
Promise
Citizens Project promises to create a culture where we advocate for the equitable policies that benefit the entire community specifically the underrepresented. We will, as we have done historically, create inclusion by intentionally reaching and inviting marginalized communities to a collective table.
Staff
Executive Director: Michael Williams
Program/Operations Manager: Shay Dabney
Development Manager: Christopher Davis
Communications Manager: Lori MacMath
Translator: Sami Lorca
Board
Board Chair: Patience Kabwasa
Vice Chair: Kevin Replinger
Board Members:
Dr. Christina Leza
E.J. Mason
Mary Coleman
Victoria Lipscomb
Courtney Sutton
A RECORD-BREAKING INAUGURAL SEASON
IN OUR SHORT 3-MONTH SEASON WE`VE HOSTED
20 SHOWS &
102,972
MUSIC FANS
ONEREPUBLIC | THE BEACH BOYS | WALKER HAYES | IRATION AND PEPPER | LAUREN DAIGLE | PRIMUS | JOHN FOGERTY | DIERKS BENTLEY | ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS | JIM
GAFFIGAN | PENTATONIX | CAGE THE ELEPHANT | BARENAKED LADIES | STEVE MILLER BAND | FOR KING + COUNTRY | FOREIGNER | IVAN CORNEJO | GODSMACK AND MANY MORE TO COME
THE FANS BEHIND THIS EPIC SEASON
WE RECEIVED SO MANY INCREDIBLE SUBMISSIONS THAT WE JUST HAD TO SHARE MORE! YOUR STORIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA WERE NOTHING SHORT OF INSPIRING!
Photo by Jeff Nelson : OneRepublic show at Ford Amphitheater.
Photo by Krys Fakir @kfellc : Steve Miller Band show at Ford Amphitheater.
Photo by Krys Fakir @kfellc : Foreigner concert at Ford Amphitheater.
FOR KING AND COUNTRY
“FROM THE PYROTECHNICS, A.K.A. FIRES IN THE LOUNGES, TO THE MOUNTAIN SCAPE VIEW BEHIND THE VENUE, TO THE KINDNESS OF THE CREW AND THE TEAM - OUR TIME AT FORD AMPHITHEATER WAS EVERYTHING WE HOPED IT WOULD BE AND MORE.” 09.29.2024
DON STRASBURG
PRESIDENT OF AEG PRESENTS ROCKY MOUNTAINS
“IN EVERY WAY, FORD AMPHITHEATER EXCEEDED OUR LOFTY EXPECTATIONS. THE COMMUNITY NEEDED THIS INCREDIBLE SPACE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ONGOING SEASONS WITH THE WONDERFUL FORD AMP TEAM.”
Photography by Josh Bourgeois
A SEASON OF MUSIC, MEMORIES & INCREDIBLE FANS
102,972 FANS STRONG. THANK YOU, COLORADO SPRINGS, FOR MAKING MUSIC HISTORY WITH US!
Dear Colorado Springs,
As the first season at the Ford Amphitheater comes to a close, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our relentless community of music fans. It has been a groundbreaking inaugural season, and we couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of the Colorado Springs community.
In our short 20-show season, we hosted spectacular nationally renowned shows and welcomed 102,972 music fans from all 50 States and 5,220 unique zip codes - all right here in our thriving city.
These milestones are just the beginning of what we hope will be a long legacy of unparalleled entertainment experiences.
Our dream of building a world-class venue, bringing luxury live entertainment to the Pikes Peak region, and making Ford Amphitheater a gathering place for fans and artists alike would never have been possible without you. Your passion, your enthusiasm, and your continued support have been the foundation of everything we’ve achieved this season.
As we look toward the future, we are excited to continue this journey with you.
Together, we will make Ford Amphitheater a beacon for music and entertainment in the region and beyond.
Thank you for an unforgettable season, and here’s to many more ahead!
And as always, see you at the show!
JW ROTH Founder, Owner,
&
CEO,
VENU Holding Corporation
Photo by Jeff Nelson : OneRepublic at the Grand Opening of Ford Amphitheater.
the first time he said it in a debate. His obvious discomfort with the question of how he might change the quiet conservative vigilance that’s defined the House District 5 seat is, whether he’s conscious of it or not, a big part of his appeal to voters. And for most leaders in Colorado Springs who support him, that’s not only OK, it’s exactly what they want.
We spoke with several Crank supporters with deep ties to the El Paso County and Colorado State Republican Party who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, and they all said that they were uncomfortable with the disruptive tendencies of the MAGA movement and see Crank as a continuation of the status quo that House District 5 is, and needs. If what that means is still unclear, you can see the history right there in the endorsements on Crank’s website:
There’s Bill Hybl, trustee emeritus for Penrose’s El Pomar Foundation, which
Crank serves, on its Pikes Peak Regional Council.
There’s The Gazette, now owned by Phil Anschutz, who also owns The Broadmoor Hotel.
There’s a list of dozens of retired Air Force and Army top brass, including Gen. Wesley Clark.
And there’s Americans for Prosperity Action, started by Charles Koch, who studied at R.C. Hoiles and Robert LeFevre’s Freedom School, and for whom Crank has worked for the past 14 years.
And there’s Joel Hefley, of course.
And there’s Lamborn.
And on Nov. 5, Jeff Crank will likely add his name to the short list of his House District 5 predecessors since 1972.
The car will be different, but the parking lot will remain the same.
Note: Kevin O’Neill and J.W. Roth, owners of the Colorado Springs Independent, both contributed to Crank’s campaign.
After the gold rush: aerial view of the Golden Cycle Mill on what is now Gold Hill Mesa, circa 1945, with 21st Street at the top and Fountain Creek at the bottom | Credit: Art W. Van Lopik. Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District, 013-9552
RUNOFF
Local metal band discusses digital fame and guilty pleasures
By CANNON TAYLOR • cannon.taylor@ppmc.live
The first thing I noticed about Runoff was the hypnotic pull of the constant screaming, rhythmic switch-ups and random breakdowns. One minute, I was listening skeptically, thinking, “This is a bit loud. I hope I don’t get a headache,” and a few songs later, I awoke from a stupor to find myself subtly headbanging at my desk.
The second thing I noticed about Runoff was the insane production value of their music videos. The quality suggested record label funding, not DIY filmmaking performed by one of the members. Although bassist and videographer Thomas Helvenstine left Runoff to focus on his career as a videographer for the Switchbacks, the band hopes to snag him on a free day to record music videos. Right now, the Switchbacks’ impressive performance is keeping Helvenstine busy.
“I’m hoping for the Switchbacks’ downfall, honestly,” vocalist Tommy Gates joked.
The pleasing visual presentation seems to have paid off. Most of Runoff’s music videos sit at around 30,000 views on YouTube — an impressive feat for a local band that began as a fanciful thought between a group of friends playing video games and chatting on Discord during the COVID-19 pandemic. As soon as they could leave the house, they started making music.
An EP of six songs followed in 2023, and the reception has been positive — and not just locally, either. It’s all thanks to the money the band spent on digital advertising on social media. It’s a far cry from the old method of amassing a following — playing a series of shows in small town venues before breaking out into the mainstream — and comes with its own risks.
“There’s a lot of times where I’ve run into bands that have, like, 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, then you go to a show and there’s like, five kids in the crowd,” drummer Caden O’Brien said.
It’s about finding a good balance between local and wider acclaim. After all, a band of Runoff’s size can’t support a world tour, despite the constant online pleas of one fan for the band to come to Uruguay. Still, there are positives of targeting a wider audience, such as catching the attention of larger bands. Runoff met rock band Chrmng, through a mutual connection
with mixing engineer Seth Munson, and before long, Chrmng, asked Runoff to feature on one of their songs. “BASELINE,” which was released in August, is decidedly different to Chrmng,’s usual bedroom pop-influenced fare; none of Runoff’s heaviness has been lost translation. Vocalist Avi Kabir had been listening to a lot of Turnstile and wanted to write something in the same vein. Apparently, Kabir consistently takes Chrmng, into uncharted territory based on his whims.
Runoff has taken notes from Chrmng,’s flaunting of genre conventions. Gates’ vocals alternate between rage-induced screams, polished melodies and the dog whines of pop punk. The band’s influences are broad and unexpected. Gates grew up in a household torn between death metal and opera, but these days, he spends a lot of time listening to EDM and pop hits.
“I’ve always been a big advocate for just not having a guilty pleasure band. If you like it, then listen to it,” Gates said. “Like, I literally love Taylor Swift. I love Chappell Roan. I love Charlie XCX. Like, all the big shit right now — I love it all, and it’s honestly because it is just undeniably insanely good songwriting. You don’t make it to that level without writing stuff that is just burned into people’s brains the second they hear it.”
While Runoff’s members adore creating hardcore music together, it’s not their go-to for easy listening. After all, it’s hard for a novelist to enjoy a casual read without thinking about how they would write the book differently.
“The more I expose myself to it, the more I’m like, ‘OK, I have to write stuff that sounds like this because
this is what’s cool, this is what people are listening to, this is the thing,’” guitarist Devin DeLeon said. O’Brien added, “I don’t want to be trying to copy something that I love. I want to take that inspiration from it and then color what I write with that inspiration.”
Runoff’s second EP, which is currently being mixed and mastered, abides by these rules (or rather, lack of them). The EP features both the brightest and gnarliest songs Runoff has ever written.
The band is excited to get things into full swing with the addition of two new members, bassist Tanner Bishop and guitarist Trevor Lemmond (who also plays in local band Lava Gato). When I spoke with Runoff, the band had had their first practice as a five-piece only two days prior, but things sounded promising.
“I’m personally excited to play with another guitarist. This is the first time I’ve got to jam with someone else in the lineup for like, five, six years,” DeLeon said. “I’m used to always playing lead and rhythm, trying to, like, interweave both parts into one guitar. But now there’s a lot more dynamicism.”
Runoff has only played two shows this year, but with the addition of new members, they’re finally ready to emerge from hibernation.
“This is the most excited I’ve been about the band since we started it,” Gates said.
Runoff will be playing at the Volt of Vultures Third Anniversary Show on Nov. 1 in a lineup of local bands. They will also play the Black Sheep on Nov. 16. Stream Runoff’s 2023 EP “Shimmer” on all major streaming services and be on the lookout for new music soon.
Tommy Gates, Caden O’Brien and Devin DeLeon of Runoff | Credit: Cannon Taylor
THURSDAY, OCT. 31
SpringsSCENE
Jazz Thursdays | Free, live jazz music at the Mining Exchange Hotel. 8 S. Nevada Ave. 5 p.m.
Poet The Band and NDGO | Rock bands performing at Sunshine Studios Live. 3970 Clear View Frontage Road. 6 p.m.
Dawson Hollow | Indie folk rock band performing at Oskar Blues Grill & Brew. 118 N. Tejon St. 7 p.m.
Krizz Kaliko, Dizzy Wright, Whitney Peyton, KMC, Kenny Blare | Rappers performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 7 p.m.
Michael Jackson Experience | Michael Jackson tribute singer performing at Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Drive. 7 p.m.
Tommy Saxman Foyer | Saxophonist performing at Manhattan Room Tapas Kitchen. 1895 Democracy Point Suite 100. 7 p.m.
Vultures Halloween Party | Cover bands performing at Vultures. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOV. 1
Relate, Nautiloid, Krew, Same Dude, The Amber Gene, Runoff, Broth, Socalled | Bands performing at Vultures’ third-anniversary celebration. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 5 p.m.
Amoré | Americana band performing at Salad or Bust Deli, where art curated by the Pikes Peak Arts Council will be on display. 8 E. Bijou St. 6 p.m.
Another Shade of Hate and Deathride | Metal bands performing at Sunshine Studios Live. 3970 Clear View Frontage Road. 6 p.m.
Dave Mensch | Acoustic singer-songwriter performing at Frontline Social Club. 3255 Cinema Point. 6 p.m.
Matthew Clark | Singer-songwriter performing at Holy Trinity Anglican Church. 13990 Gleneagle Drive. 6 p.m.
Carnifex, Cryptopsy, Mental Cruelty, Organectomy, Heavy//Hitter | Metal bands performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 6:30 p.m.
Flash Cadillac | Rock band performing at Stargazers Theatre. 10 Parkside Drive. 7 p.m.
Peas in a Pod: Duo Night | Classical performances by students and mentors at Colorado Springs Conservatory. 415 Sahwatch St. 7 p.m.
Celebrate Día de los Muertos | Colorado Springs Philharmonic performing at Pikes Peak Center. 190 S. Cascade Ave. 7:30 p.m.
Dirty Side Down Band | Rock cover band performing at The Buzzed Crow Bistro. 5853 Palmer Park Blvd. 8 p.m.
The Fretliners | Bluegrass band performing at Lulu’s Downtown. 32 S. Tejon St. 8 p.m.
Big Sky | Blues band performing at Armadillo Ranch. 962 Manitou Ave. 9 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
Total Cult, Solar Point, Reminiscent Wounds, Townies, Night of the Living Shred, Gunk!, Sponge Cake, Glitter Porn | Bands performing at Vultures’ third-anniversary celebration. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 5 p.m.
The Jeffrey Alan Band | Country band performing at The Whiskey Baron Dance Hall & Saloon. 5781 N. Academy Blvd. 6 p.m.
Ornaments of Delight | Baroque music at the Peel House at First Lutheran Church. 1515 N. Cascade Ave. 7 p.m.
Ryan Wilcox & The Sunday Shakes, Shea Abshier & The Nighthowlers | Country rock bands performing at Oskar Blues Grill & Brew. 118 N. Tejon St. 7 p.m.
Zepparella | Led Zeppelin tribute band performing at Stargazers Theatre. 10 Parkside Drive. 7 p.m.
Celebrate Día de los Muertos | Colorado Springs Philharmonic performing at Pikes Peak Center. 190 S. Cascade Ave. 7:30 p.m.
Grizzly Gopher | Variety band performing at Avenue 19. 19 N. Tejon St. 8 p.m.
Julia Cole | Country singer performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.
Stryper | Christian metal band performing at Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Drive. 8 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
Ornaments of Delight | Baroque music at the Peel House at First Lutheran Church. 1515 N. Cascade Ave. 3 p.m.
Back Lip, Contorted Self, Cortez, Flak, RVBOMB, A Moment of Violence, Writeinfear | Bands performing at Vultures’ third-anniversary celebration. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 7 p.m.
Carrellee | Synth-pop singer performing at
MONDAY, NOV. 4
Bachman-Turner Overdrive | Rock band performing at Pikes Peak Center. 190 S. Cascade Ave. 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, NOV. 5
Archers, Long/Last, Dark Surface, Project Vela | Metal bands performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 7 p.m.
Stony Jam | Reggae band performing at Armadillo Ranch. 962 Manitou Ave. 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6
Ivalas String Quartet | String quartet performing at the Ent Center for the Arts. 5225 N. Nevada Ave. 5 p.m.
Cigarettes @ Sunset | Rock band performing at Vultures. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 7 p.m.
The Home Team, Arrows In Action, Palettes | Alternative bands performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 7 p.m.
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
Jazz Thursdays | Free, live jazz music at the Mining Exchange Hotel. 8 S. Nevada Ave. 5 p.m.
Jazz 93.5 Ad Lib Lab | Free jazz jam session at The Carter Payne. 320 S. Weber St. 5:30 p.m.
E J R M | Ambient instrumentalist performing at Ohana Kava Bar. 112 E. Boulder St. 7 p.m.
EKOH | Hip-hop artist performing at Sunshine Studios Live. 3970 Clear View Frontage Road. 7 p.m.
Starburn | Rock cover band performing at The Buzzed Crow Bistro. 5853 Palmer Park Blvd. 7 p.m.
The Heavy Devils | Jam funk band performing at Armadillo Ranch. 962 Manitou Ave. 8 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOV. 8
Dave Mensch | Acoustic singer-songwriter performing at Falcon’s Edge Bar & Grill. 7685 McLaughlin Road No. 150. 6 p.m.
Haley Reinhart | Singer-songwriter performing at Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Drive. 7 p.m.
The Romantic Voice | Mezzo-soprano vocalist performing at the Ent Center for the Arts. 5225 N. Nevada Ave. 7 p.m.
Tony Exum Jr. | Jazz saxophonist performing at Stargazers Theatre. 10 Parkside Drive. 7 p.m.
Grizzly Gopher | Variety band performing at Good Company Bar. 7625 N. Union Blvd. 8 p.m.
MAUL, Polish, Aleister Cowboy, Victim Ritual | Metal bands performing at Vultures. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.
Riding Carpets | Psych rock band performing at Armadillo Ranch. 962 Manitou Ave. 8 p.m.
William Elliott Whitmore | Folk singer performing at Oskar Blues Grill & Brew. 118 N. Tejon St. 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
Exit West | Country band performing at The Whiskey Baron Dance Hall & Saloon. 5781 N. Academy Blvd. 6 p.m.
David Vogel | Christian vocalist performing at Grace Brethren Church. 2975 Jet Wing Drive. 6 p.m.
Billy Dean | Country musician performing at Boot Barn Hall. 13071 Bass Pro Drive. 7 p.m.
Crown Magnetar, Extortionist, Extermination Dismemberment, Atoll | Metal bands performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 7 p.m.
Bart Budwig and Jeffrey Martin | Country musicians performing at Oskar Blues Grill & Brew. 118 N. Tejon St. 8 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOV. 10
The Romantic Voice | Mezzo-soprano vocalist performing at the Ent Center for the Arts. 5225 N. Nevada Ave. 2:30 p.m.
Straight No Chaser | Acapella group performing at Pikes Peak Center. 190 S. Cascade Ave. 7 p.m.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Convictions, Last Chance For First Place | Rock bands performing at the Black Sheep. 2106 E. Platte Ave. 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, NOV. 12
APPLAUSE by Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale | Youth singers performing at Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale. 1409 Palmer Park Blvd. 7 p.m.
Not My Weekend, rosecoloredworld | Rock bands performing at Vultures. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13
Letdown. with Jager Henry | Alternative indie bands performing at Vultures. 2100 E. Platte Ave. 8 p.m.
Frisky’s Venue/Bar. 103 S. Wahsatch Ave. 8 p.m.
Straight No Chaser play Pikes Peak Center on Nov. 10. | Courtesy: sncmusic.com
Burning Witches | HQ, Denver, Oct. 31
Cloonee | ReelWorks, Denver, Oct. 31
Destroy Boys | Gothic Theatre, Englewood, Oct. 31
Jacquees | Stampede, Aurora, Oct. 31
The Red Clay Strays | Mission Ballroom, Denver, Oct. 31
SunSquabi | 10 Mile Music Hall, Frisco, Oct. 31
T-Pain with Lil Jon | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Oct. 31
Tokimonsta | The Summit Music Hall, Denver, Oct. 31
Yoke Lore | Ogden Theater, Denver, Oct. 31
Blxst | The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Nov. 1
deadmau5 | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Nov. 1-2
Michael W. Smith | Union Colony Civic Center, Greeley,
Exodus with Havok, Candy | Ogden Theater, Denver, Nov. 11
Sabrina Carpenter plays Ball Arena on Nov. 1 | Credit: Amanda Charchian, courtesy Hollywood Records
THE LOCO SCENE
WHAT’S GOING ON?
By ADAM LEECH
Where were we? Or should I say, “Then, when were we?” Last we spoke I’d just returned from my mystic Memphian meanderment, and my chance airport encounter with a couple of Rip Off perma-teenage idols — Messieurs Shane White and his accomplice, Greg Lowery (whose other ’90s band, Supercharger, unleashed thee greatest song ever, “Sooprize Package For Mr. Mineo”), who I neglected to mention was seated in close proximity on my return flight to Denver. So damn cool. Which leads me to my current sub-mission; to extol the virtues of music, both live and recorded, ostensibly surrounding the local scene, hereto-after referred to as LoCO. And when it comes to LoCO, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more vivacious vicinity (lively locale?) than the 2100 block of East Platte Avenue The Black Sheep has been a singular hot spot for national tours for the better part of two decades, while the “new kids on the block” at Vultures have taken up the mantle with the preferred dive/chic tavern for those of questionably discerning tastes.
Coming up on their three years-iversary, the “kids,” Aspen and Mike Nipp, have taken no prisoners in their campaign to bring some grit ’n’ glamour to our sometimes celibate, saccharine scene. To celebrate the occasion, they will present a three-night showcase of the “who’s who” and the “so and so’s” of LoCO, the complete list of which would exceed my word count. But some of the names most recognizable include nightly headliners Relate (post-pop punk), Total Cult (dark, doper punk), and Backflip (719 violence); and also Same Dude, The Amber Gene, Townies, Night of the Living Shred,
Gunk!, Sponge Cake, Glitter Porn, et-al-cetera. This spectacular soirée takes place Nov. 1-3, with tickets available while extremely limited supplies last. The place is small, very small, and with that many bands (and members), I suggest you jump, or should have, on the “bandwagon” earlier, lest you live to regret it. At least mark your calendar for next year, or better yet, just start a band and get on next year’s bill!
Speaking of living (or unliving) with regret, of the many thousands of bands I never saw live, The Ramones are positioned well toward the tippy, tippy top. Thankfully, Vultures cut a deal with the devil to reanimate their undead cadavers for one night only (Halloween night. You probably missed it). According to my sources, they “sold their souls to resurrect the Ramones, and this is totally legit and most definitely the real thing, so you should (have) buy (bought) a ticket before we have (had) to cash in our souls!” This undeniably not-fraudulent affair takes (took) place on Halloween night (which is why you really SHOULD read this “fake news” rag on print day, ya slackers!), and also includes(ed) performances by the completely not fake bands The Misfits, The Cure and The Pixies. I even heard a rumor that I started that Conan O’Brien will be (was) there. NOT FAKE*!
*My editor has just informed me that for legal purposes I must elucidate in no uncertain terms that the reanimated corpses of The Ramones and regularly animated meat bodies of The Misfits, The Cure and The Pixies will not be at Vultures on Halloween night but that the local bands Pinheadz, Astrozombies, Antigen Y and Solar Rae Fae will be performing in TRIBUTE! And let’s be real; if you’ve seen the Misfits lately you know — even when they are who they are, you kinda wish they weren’t. Dig?
So, Halloween or not, put on your spookiest garb and get ready to gargle down some mock/cocktails and cut a rug, roll it up with a dead body inside and throw it off a bridge because there’s a job to be done and some fun to be fun. This scene ain’t gonna resurrect itself!
I’ll leave you with a joke that I just made up. What did the Vulture say to the Leech? “I may eat trash, but at least I don’t suck!” (Groan.) Smell ya later, decomposers!
Adam Leech is the proprietor of Leechpit Records & Vintage at 3020 W. Colorado Ave.
CALENDAR&EVENTS .
ART EXHIBITIONS
October Art Exhibit
Ending Thursday, Oct. 31, Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Peppergrass Lane, 4 p.m.: Take a walk at Fountain Creek Nature Center, and then stop in to see fiber arts created by Mary Madison. communityservices.elpasoco.com/nature-centers/fountain-creek-nature-center
“I’ll Be There”
Ending Thursday, Oct. 31, Academy Art & Frame Co., 7560 N. Academy Blvd., 6 p.m: This powerful exhibition of local artists shines a light on mental health and suicide awareness. academyframesco.com
“Alhamdu: Muslim Futurism”
Thursday, Oct. 31, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, 30 W. Dale St., 10 a.m.: “Alhamdu” is an evolving multidisciplinary exhibition and archive featuring a variety of work that explores five themes: imagination, identity, community, resistance and liberation. Through Jan. 11. fac.coloradocollege.edu
“The Aspen Show”
Thursday, Oct. 31, Laura Reilly Fine Art Gallery and Studio, 2522A W. Colorado Ave., noon: “The Aspen Show” is Laura Reilly’s annual tribute to the changing seasons. Her canvases shimmer with brilliant colors, textures and energy. Through Nov. 3. laurareilly.com
“Historic and Contemporary First Nation Images”
Thursday, Oct. 31, Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum, 517 Manitou Ave., noon: These First Nation Images are representative of the photographers’ tribes, families, friends and landscapes and depict their way of life and communities. Through May 1. manitouspringsheritagecenter.org
“Manitou Rails!”
Thursday, Oct. 31, Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum, 517 Manitou Ave., noon: The exhibit explains the role railroads have played in the development of our town’s history through our presentation of images, artifacts and video. Through Dec. 31. manitouspringsheritagecenter.org
Manitou Springs High School — “Then and Now”
Thursday, Oct. 31, Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum, 517 Manitou Ave., noon: The exhibit features Manitou Springs High School stories which focus on
“Then and Now” themes and community building. Through Dec. 31. manitouspringsheritagecenter.org.
“Van Briggle Pottery” and “Garden of the Gods Pottery”
Thursday, Oct. 31, Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum, 517 Manitou Ave., noon: See dozens of beautifully designed pottery creations crafted by Van Briggle Pottery, America’s longest-running pottery works, and Garden of the Gods Pottery, founded by early Colorado Springs craftsman Eric Hellman. Through Dec. 31. manitouspringsheritagecenter.org
November Exhibits
Friday, Nov. 1, Auric Gallery, 125 E. Boulder Street, noon: “Preserves: Recipes for Domestic Rituals” by Ashley Andersen and Deborah Schoen, “The Spontaneous Gesture” by Patricia Coughlin, “Tapestries and Looking Sideways” by Carol Dickerson, “Hidden Strength” by Julie Kirkland and “Dropping In” by Carol Mordecai Myers. Through Nov. 29. auricgallery.com
“Beauty Reborn”
Friday, Nov. 1, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, 5 p.m.: A captivating art exhibit that showcasing the iconic works of Salvador
First Friday of every month. shopoldcoloradocity.com
“Sacred Feminine”
Friday, Nov. 1, Green Horse Gallery, 729 Manitou Ave., 5 p.m.: Feeling the feminine spirit to be a woman and an artist, Tina Riesterer has been inspired by the feminine nature of mother, lover, warrior. Through Jan. 1. riestererart.com
Guided Tour: CREATEing in Colorado Springs
Saturday, Nov. 2, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon St., 10:30 a.m.: From the dramatic silent film performances of Lon Chaney to the contemporary beadwork of Southern Ute artist Debra Box, guests are invited to explore the creativity, complexity and diversity of the Pikes Peak region. Through Dec. 21. cspm.org
Dalí and Pablo Picasso. greenthumb-initiative.com
“Dreams: Behind the Veil”
Friday, Nov. 1, Disruptor Gallery, 2217 E. Platte Ave., 5 p.m.: Digital art and photography by the Peak Digital Imaging Society exploring the concept of dreams. Through Nov. 29. shutterandstrum.org
“Golden Autumn Light”
Friday, Nov. 1, Gallery 113, 125 N. Tejon St., 5 p.m.: Gallery 113’s featured artists for November bring autumn’s golden light to life in their depictions of the season. Through Nov. 30. gallery113cos.com
“Ofrendas”
Friday, Nov. 1, Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave., 5 p.m.: Juan de Dios Morales’ foundation is built on graffiti and an extensive background in automotive prep and paint. His artistic style infuses bold colors, intricate details and a touch of urban flair. Through Nov. 30. cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com
First Friday ArtWalk
Friday, Nov. 1, Old Colorado City, 23002800 W. Colorado Ave., 5 p.m.: Visit dozens of shops and galleries representing hundreds of works of art by local artists.
The Art of the Tibetan Sand Mandala Monday, Nov. 4, Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave., 10 a.m.: Tibetan Buddhist Monks from the Ngari Institute of Ladakh, India, will create a Tibetan Sand Mandala with dissolution a ceremony over five days. Through Nov. 10. manitouartcenter.org
Blue Hands Club
Friday, Nov. 8, Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave., 5 p.m.: Dye some beautiful pieces that signature indigo blue. manitouartcenter.org
Display of Recycled Material Manitou Saturday, Nov. 9, Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave., 3 p.m.: We will be making a multimedia sculpture of Manitou as though it were a towerlike building, including a parking lot around the base, using recycled materials. manitouartcenter.org
Professional Artist Development 101 Saturday, Nov. 9, Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave., 3 p.m.: Students will learn how to price their artwork, maximize consistency across bodies of work and create a legal certificate of authenticity and art prints. manitouartcenter.org
Intro to Natural Dyes
Sunday, Nov. 10, Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave., 10 a.m.: This class teaches students the fundamentals of using natural plants and natural plant extracts to color fabric. manitouartcenter.org
“Election Day — The Comedies!” through Nov. 3 | Courtesy: Millibo Art Theatre
PERFORMING ARTS
“Election Day — The Comedies!”
Thursday, Oct. 31, Millibo Art Theatre, 1626 S. Tejon St., 7:30 p.m.: A fresh and mischievous evening of short plays and monologues that explore the ups, downs and all-arounds of casting that precious vote. Through Nov. 3. themat.org
Brandt Tobler
Friday, Nov. 1, Boot Barn Hall, 13071 Bass Pro Drive, 7 p.m.: Denver-based comedian Brandt Tobler visits Boot Barn Hall. bootbarnhall.com
“The City Dog and the Prairie Dog”
Saturday, Nov. 2, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, 11 a.m.: “The City Dog and the Prairie Dog” is a bilingual play about a prairie dog pup exploring the world, learning new things and coming home again. Through Nov. 24. fac.coloradocollege.edu
Saturday Night Improv
Saturday, Nov. 2, Peak Improv Theater, 3440 N. Carefree Circle, 7 p.m.: Improv Colorado is guaranteed to bring laughter to any date night, girls’ night out, meetup event or solo outing!
fun@improvcolorado.com
Magic and Mind Reading
Saturday, Nov. 2 and Friday, Nov. 8, 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. Weekly performances throughout 2024. cosmosmagictheater.com
Brad Williams
Sunday, Nov. 3, Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave., 7 p.m.: One of the most in-demand comedians working today, Brad has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and in the films “Little Evil,” “Mascots” and “Reno 911: It’s A Wonderful Heist.” pikespeakcenter.com
“The Old Maid and the Thief”
Wednesday, Nov. 6, St. Paul Catholic Church, 9 El Pomar Road, 5 p.m.: Immerse yourself in the captivating tale of love and intrigue while supporting Pikes Peak Opera League’s mission to enrich the cultural landscape of our community. pikespeakoperaleague.org
“The Snow Queen”
Wednesday, Nov. 6, Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave., 7:30 p.m.: Grand Kyiv Ballet’s performance of the world-famous fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. pikespeakcenter.com
“The Thanksgiving Play”
Thursday, Nov. 7, The Fifty-Niner, 2409 W. Colorado Ave., 7:30 p.m.: Four theater artists attempt to devise a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving pageant for Native American Heritage Month. As the characters grapple with issues of political correctness, privilege and representation, the production exposes the pitfalls of performative activism with humor and biting wit. Through Nov. 24. springsensembletheatre.org
Joe Gatto’s “Let’s Get Into It”
Friday, Nov. 8, Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave., 7 p.m.: Joe Gatto is a comedian best known from hit TV shows “Impractical Jokers” and “The Misery Index.” pikespeakcenter.com
“The Dinner Detective” Comedy Mystery Dinner Show
Saturday, Nov. 9, Great Wolf Lodge, 9494 Federal Drive, 6 p.m.: Solve a hilarious mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. thedinnerdetective.com
David Sedaris
Tuesday, Nov. 12, Broadmoor World Arena, 3185 Venetucci Blvd., 7 p.m.: With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. broadmoorworldarena.com
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Wednesday, Nov. 13, Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave., 7:30 p.m.: Neil deGrasse Tyson analyzes depictions of science in film in his talk “An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies.” pikespeakcenter.com
John Hastings
Wednesday, Nov. 13, through Friday, Nov. 15, Loonees Comedy Corner, 1305 N. Academy Blvd., 8 p.m.: John Hastings has told jokes on BBC Radio 4, BBC 1, BBC 3, Comedy Central, CTV Australian Comedy Channel and CBC The Comedy Network. looneescc.com
FILM
“Reflections on the Living Dead”
Friday, Nov. 1, Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave., 7 p.m.: A feature-length ’90s doc on the making of the seminal horror classic “Night of the Living Dead.” ifsoc-docs.eventive.org
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
Sunday, Nov. 3, Lulu’s Downtown, 32 S. Tejon St., 7 p.m.: Whether you’re a seasoned Rocky Horror enthusiast or a first-time attendee, you can shout lines, throw props and dance along during the screening. lulusmusic.co
CALENDAR&EVENTS .
27th Annual African Marketplace
Thursday, Nov. 7, Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, 33 N. Institute St., time
TBD: A festival of films by young deaf and hard-of-hearing filmmakers to coincide with Rocky Mountain Deaf Film Festival in Aurora. rmdff22.wixsite.com/rmdff
Warren Miller’s “75”
Saturday, Nov. 9, Stargazers Theatre, 10 Parkside Drive, 4 p.m.: Get ready for unbelievable action and unexpected stories from a diverse lineup of filmmakers and athletes. warrenmiller.com
WRITING
Small Steps, Giant Leap
Tuesday, Nov. 5, Space Foundation Discovery Center, 4425 Arrowswest Drive, 9:30 a.m.: Join author Roxanne Troup for a special read-aloud in our Science On a Sphere theater of her new book, “Reaching for the Stars.” discoverspace.org
The Chico Basin Connection
Saturday, Nov. 9, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon St., 2 p.m.: “Artus Van Briggle at Chico Basin Ranch” by Kathy Hornea and Kenneth Talmadge Stacks showcases the last five years of Van Briggle’s life. cspm.org
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Black Forest Arts and Crafts Guild Fall Show and Sale
Thursday, Oct. 31, Black Forest Community Center, 12530 Black Forest Road, 9 a.m.: The show will feature new and unique gifts, fine art and decor for your home, and a huge selection of culinary delights. Through Nov. 3. bfacg.org
8th Annual Family Fall Festival
Thursday, Oct. 31, The Anchor Church, 802 Bonfoy Ave., 5 p.m.: The festival is a safe and fun place for people within our city to gather on Halloween, costumed or not. theanchorchurch.co/events
Saturday, Nov. 2, Hillside Community Center, 925 S. Institute St., noon: The marketplace will feature unique cultural art, clothing and crafts and performances by poets, spoken-word artists, storytellers and African drummers. Free community event. cospringskwanzaa.com
Colorado Springs Record Show
Saturday, Nov. 2, Antlers Hotel, 4 S. Cascade Ave., 9 a.m.: Dig through tens of thousands of records, cassettes, T-shirts and more from new and returning vendors from across the state and region. Prices start as low as $1. coloradorecordshow.com
Noche de los Muertos
Saturday, Nov. 2, Lulu’s Downtown, 32 S. Tejon St., 6 p.m.: A vibrant Day of the Dead celebration honoring ancestors with live music, traditional altars, colorful costumes, dancing and beautiful, candlelit, traditional ceremonies. lulusmusic.co
Succulent Church
Sunday, Nov. 3, Manitou Art Center, 513 Manitou Ave., 10 a.m.: A class that demystifies the complexities of succulent care and provides a no-nonsense approach that ensures these stunning plants not only survive but thrive. manitouartcenter.org
OUTDOOR REC
Paint. Sip. Safari.
Wednesday, Nov. 6, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road, 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. cmzoo.org
Barnyard Buddies
Thursday, Nov. 7, Rock Ledge Ranch, 3105 Gateway Road, 10:30 a.m.: Designed for preschoolers, Barnyard Buddies is an educational initiative of the Ranch to engage early learners with farmyard animals through storybooks and animal interaction. First Thursday of every month.
rockledgeranch.com/barnyard-buddies
Rocky Mountain Deaf Film Festival Junior
“The Thanksgiving Play,” through Nov. 24 | | Courtesy: Springs Ensemble Theatre
VOLUNTEERS POWER THE COLORADO TRAIL
By DAVE MARSTON
The Colorado Trail, an iconic, 567mile, high-elevation trail that crosses the Rockies, owes its existence largely to Gudy Gaskill, a charismatic, 6-foot-tall woman who could make tough things seem easy.
Gaskill not only carried out the vision of a state trail, beginning slowly in the late 1970s but also gave birth to it. In 1972, she lobbied Congress, along with forester Bill Lucas, credited with the Colorado Trail idea, to change federal law so that volunteers could be allowed to build trails on public land.
Volunteerism was so potent an idea, that when, in 1984, writer Ed Quillen broke the story about Gaskill’s efforts to revive trail building that had foundered under the Colorado Mountain Trails Foundation, people were energized to join her. Soon, thanks to fundraising, she had 350 volunteers coming each summer to join trail crews she often led herself.
She made creating the Colorado Trail seem like a privilege: You camped out in beautiful backcountry, ate great food and found stamina you never knew you possessed.
In 1985, caught up in the story, my father, Ed Marston, then publisher of High Country News, volunteered my sister, Wendy, 15, and me, 13, for a week of trail building. That’s how we learned how to swing those axe-like tools called Pulaskis on the Molas Pass to Durango section.
Gaskill herself led our crew, setting out early with orange ribbon to mark the trail. She was efficient and tireless, and in just
a few hours, older, urban and young volunteers became trail builders with blisters to prove it.
It was exciting to work on a trail that unfurled along the rooftop of Colorado. Typical trails in those days led up mountains or over steep passes. The Colorado trail rejected peak-bagging and offered a moderate route of weeklong, 70-mile sections, neither losing nor gaining elevation rapidly, though often charting a route above tree line.
I joined a trail crew to revisit my childhood adventure this summer, and from Aug. 7 to 11, Denver friend Jeff Miller and I worked to repair trail in Chaffee County’s Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. In wilderness, if there’s a tree to fell, you use a handsaw. We needed to move big rocks, so two of us yoked ourselves together in nylon harnesses to do that. We divided labor this way: Men hauled big rocks, and women wielding rock hammers smashed the rocks into gravel. Trail work has changed a lot in 39 years. Back then we built water bars to stop erosion from runoff. Logs anchored into
slopes sluiced water off trails but required annual maintenance. Now, water moves off trail through “grade reversals.” The trail swoops below grade, efficiently shunting water off the path, then swoops back up to level grade. Drains are large versions of grade reversals.
My fellow volunteers were largely thru-hikers, skilled backcountry voyageurs who spend their holidays hiking the trail from Denver to Durango in one go. Mark Stephenson, 26, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was one of the trail’s most ardent fans.
He arrived on the trail via Greyhound bus with $40 in his pocket, saying, “This is a place where money doesn’t matter.”
Thinking a reported 2 1/2-mile hike to camp would be easy, my friend and I arrived at the trailhead loaded up with both front and back packs. I confess to having done the shopping. My friend was optimistic: “I can carry anything 2 1/2 miles.”
But our camp had moved 6 miles away and 2,700 feet uphill. We made it, slowly, and once at camp, we quickly became free-store proprietors. But there was anoth-
er problem: I’d left my tent poles at home. Crew leader Matt Smith, an engineer from Golden, easily came up with a fix: He used parachute cord to rig up the tent fly, then added a tarp to ward off the rain that soaked us every afternoon and night.
I don’t recall meeting thru-hikers in the mid-1980s, but today they seem to dominate hiking culture. I could only listen as the rest of the group talked about trails known by acronyms, including the famous A.T. — Appalachian Trail.
“You’re doing great work!” hikers told us as they passed by. Crew leader Smith offers this perspective today: “19,000 volunteer person-hours go into trail improvement every year.”
We owe thanks to those original trail stalwarts — forester Bill Lucas, journalist Merrill Hastings and of course, Gudy Gaskill. Their vision created of one of the state’s wonders.
Dave Marston is the publisher of Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He lives in Durango, Colorado.
Jeff Miller and Dave Marston, Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, Gunnison County | Credit: Matt Smith
HIKE THIS LOOP IN GREEN MOUNTAIN FALLS
The town of Green Mountain Falls, west of Colorado Springs, is a small town with a robust hiking trails system. Nestled deep into the Ute Pass corridor, most of its trails climb steeply up to the north side of the Pikes Peak massif, the most popular among them being the Catamount Trail, which starts at the base of Catamount Falls.
A favorite hike for many is to ascend past the falls, and then go through the “Garden of Eden” and the “Flume” up to Pikes Peak’s north slope recreation area and reservoirs. However, a years-long construction project at the South Catamount reservoir and dam has closed access to the north slope via the trails coming up from Green Mountain Falls. For details on the project, go to the Colorado Springs Utilities website, https://tinyurl.com/39z46ed8.
My personal favorite hike in town is a loop made up of the Mount Dewey, Bratton and Catamount trails, along with a few town roads to complete the loop. This hike climbs to the top of Mount Dewey, and then starts a long, gradual downhill on the Bratton Trail — named after the late, legendary Dick Bratton, who was the force behind the building of many of the local trails —
to where it intersects the Catamount Trail. From there a left turn descends steeply to the falls. At about 5 miles and 1500 feet of ascent, much of it the steep climb to the summit of Mount Dewey, it’s “just right” for a fairly short and quick afternoon hike. For details, see the custom route I created in COTREX, https://tinyurl.com/ eszydf25, and for more trails in the area, check out the area map from local mapmaker Pocket Pals at https://tinyurl.com/326as6nb.
There are other trails in town, and their website has plenty of maps, hiking and parking information: https://tinyurl.com/3w678wk4.
The town is very hiker- and visitor-friendly, but there have been issues in the past with visitors parking on the narrow neighborhood streets. Be a good visitor and park only in the designated places, don’t be loud while walking through neighborhoods to and from the trailheads and patronize the local businesses.
Be Good. Do Good Things. Leave No Trace.
Bob “Hiking Bob” Falcone is a retired career firefighter, USAF veteran, an accomplished photographer and 30year 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 his time hiking 800 or more miles each year, looking for new places and trails to visit, often with his canine sidekick, Coal.
By BOB “HIKING BOB” FALCONE
Bratton Trail Sign | Credit: Bob Falcone
View from Dewey Trail | Credit: Bob Falcone
PUZZLES!
News of the WEIRD
BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION
SAW THAT COMING
An unnamed woman in Kitsap County, Washington, admitted to authorities that she’d been feeding about “a dozen” raccoons in her yard over the past 35 years, The New York Times reported. Several weeks ago, more raccoons started showing up, and on Oct. 3, the homeowner had to call 911 when about 100 animals arrived and became more aggressive. “Anytime she comes out of her house,” said sheriff’s department spokesperson Kevin McCarty, “they swarm her until she throws them food. ... The new ones showing up scare her.” The woman fled her home, and local trappers were going to charge $500 per animal to remove the raccoons. So the state department of fish and wildlife stepped in, suggesting that she simply stop feeding them. “The raccoons appear to have started dispersing now that they are no longer being fed,” the department said.
IRONIES
When cops in Portland, Oregon, pulled over a 1994 Ford Taurus that had been stolen on Oct. 9, they met Reginald Reynolds, 35, and Mia Baggenstos, 37, along with their toys: a loaded .357 Magnum, a bag of methamphetamine, $1,360 in cash, three white pills that Baggenstos said were OxyContin and a meth pipe. The Smoking Gun reported that a vehicle search yielded more meth, two scales and a “brown bag that said on it, ‘Definitely not a bag full of drugs.’” Inside, they found more meth — a total of about a half-pound. Both were charged with multiple felonies. In Stadtallendorf, Germany, on Oct. 16, a state-of-the-art fire station that had been open less than a year ... burned to the ground, The Guardian reported. The fire started in a vehicle and quickly spread, destroying 10 fire engines and causing between 20 and 24 million euros’ worth of damage. “It is a nightmare for a firefighter,” said district fire inspector Lars Schafer. He went on to say that the station was not required to have fire alarms because it was classified as a building holding equipment.
Schafer said the building would be reconstructed quickly, for safety and for local morale.
OOPS!
In early October, The New York Times reported, passengers aboard a Qantas flight from Sydney, Australia, to Tokyo were treated (or not) to an R-rated film with “sexual material and brief graphic nudity” on their seat screens — and it couldn’t be turned off. Because of technological problems, passengers weren’t able to choose their entertainment, so the crew queued up “Daddio,” starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn, and let it run for about an hour before switching to something more family-friendly. “It was super uncomfortable for everyone,” one Reddit user wrote. “We apologize to customers for this experience,” a Qantas spokesperson said. The BBC apologized on Oct. 10 after releasing a weather forecast predicting winds in London of 13,000 miles per hour, Yahoo News reported. Matt Taylor, a meteorologist for the network, soothed concerns: “Hurricane Milton hasn’t made it to us here in the U.K.!”
He added that a data glitch had caused the extreme forecast, also warning of overnight temperatures of 759 degrees Fahrenheit in Nottingham. “Folk are working to solve the issue,” Taylor assured Brits.
UNCONVENTIONAL WEAPON
In Port St. Lucie, Florida, on Oct. 14, police responded to a report of an explosion, WPBF-TV reported. As they arrived at the scene, Joseph Moreton, 39, began yelling at them from his backyard, then came into the front yard holding a flamethrower. Police asked Moreton to drop the weapon, but he wouldn’t. Luckily, one officer was close enough to grab it out of his hands. Moreton then moved inside his house and got a flashlight, which he tried to blind officers with. Law enforcement shocked him with a Taser, and he was taken into custody. Moreton was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and resisting an officer.
FIELD
At the annual World Conker Championship in Southwick, England, on Oct. 13, veteran player Dave Jakins, 82, won the men’s tournament, the Associated Press reported. (Conkers is a traditional game played using the seeds of horse chestnut trees threaded on string. Players try to strike and break on another’s conkers.) But controversy followed when
Jakins was found to have a steel conker in his pocket. His opponent, Alastair Johnson-Ferguson, said his own conker “disintegrated in one hit” after Jakins struck it. “He was very closely watched by four judges,” said St. John Burkett, chair of the event’s organizing committee. “It looks like it was absolutely impossible for him to cheat.” Jakins has denied cheating.
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Many people believe in the existence of ghosts. If you’re not yet one of them, you may be soon. The spirit world is more open than usual to your curiosity and explorations. Keep in mind, though, that the contacts you make might not be with “ghosts” in the usual sense of that term. They might be deceased ancestors coming to deliver clues and blessings. They could be angels, guardian spirits or shape-shifting messengers. Don’t be afraid. Some may be weird, but they’re not dangerous. Learn what you can from them, but also be discerning. Halloween costume suggestion: one of your ancestors.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When you attended kindergarten, did you ever share your delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich with friends who didn’t like the broccoli and raw carrots in their lunch boxes? If so, you may capitalize on the disguised opportunities that are now in your vicinity. Your generous actions will be potent catalysts for good luck. Your eagerness to share your resources and bestow blessings will bring you rewards. Your skill at enhancing other people’s fortunes may attract offers that redound in your favor. Halloween costume suggestion: philanthropist, charity worker or a kid who gives away peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): For you, dear Gemini, November could be the least superstitious month ever. There will be no such thing as bad luck, good luck or weird luck. Fears rooted in old misunderstandings will be irrelevant. Irrational worries about unlikely outcomes will be disproven. You will discover reasons to shed paranoid thoughts and nervous fantasies. Speaking on behalf of your higher self, I authorize you to put your full trust in logical thinking, objective research and rational analysis. Halloween costume suggestion: a famous scientist you respect.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Which is the sexiest sign of the zodiac? Smoldering Scorpios, who are so inherently seductive they don’t even have to try to be? Radiant Leos, whose charisma and commanding presence may feel irresistible? Electrifying Aries, who grab our attention with their power to excite and inspire us? In accordance with current astrological omens, I name you Cancerians as the sexiest sign for the next three weeks. Your emotional potency and nurturing intelligence will tempt us to dive into the depths with you and explore the lyrical mysteries of intimate linkage. Halloween costume suggestion: sex god, sex goddess or the nonbinary Hindu deity Ardhanarishvara.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In ancient Egypt, onions were precious because they symbolized the many-layered nature of life. Just as some modern people swear oaths while placing a hand on a Bible, an Egyptian might have pledged a crucial vow while holding an onion. Would you consider adopting their practice in the coming weeks, Leo? It is the oath-taking season for you — a time when you will be wise to consider deep commitments and sacred resolve. Halloween costume suggestion: a spiritual initiate or devotee.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Two of the world’s most famous paintings are the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.” Both were made by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), one of the world’s most famous painters. Yet the brilliant artist left us with only 24 paintings in total, and many of those are unfinished. Why? Here are two of several reasons: He worked slowly and procrastinated constantly. In the coming months, Virgo, I feel you will have resemblances to the da Vinci who created “The Last Supper” and the “Mona Lisa.” Some of your best, most enduring work will gradually bloom. Halloween costume suggestion: Leonardo da Vinci or some great maestro.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “When you are faced with a choice between two paths, it’s always better to take the most difficult one.” What?! No! That’s not true! A shamanic psychotherapist gave me that bad advice when I was young, and I am glad I did not heed it. My life has been so much better because I learn from joy and pleasure as much as from hardship. Yes, sometimes it’s right to choose the most challenging option, but on many occasions, we are wise to opt for what brings fun adventures and free-flowing opportunities for creative expression. That’s what I wish for you right now. Halloween costume suggestion: a hedonist, a liberator, a bliss specialist.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio painter Pablo Picasso has been described as a “masterfully erratic pioneer.” He influenced every art movement of the 20th century. His painting “Guernica” is a renowned antiwar statement. He was a Communist yet amassed great wealth. Today his collected work is valued at over $800 million. By the way, he was the most prolific artist who ever lived, producing almost 150,000 pieces. His full name was Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno de los Remedios Crispín Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruíz y Picasso. I nominate him to be your role model in the coming weeks. You are due for a Season of Successful Excess. Halloween costume suggestion: an eccentric, charismatic genius.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Sagittarian Keith Richards, guitar player for the Rolling Stones since 1962, is a gritty, rugged man notorious for his rowdy carousing. Lots of observers predicted he would die young because of his boisterous lifestyle, yet today he is 81 years old and still partying. But here’s his confession: “I never sleep alone. If there is no one to sleep next to, I’ll sleep next to a stuffed animal. It makes me feel secure and safe. It’s a little embarrassing to admit it. It’s important to me, though.” I bring this up, Sagittarius, because I feel that no matter how wild and free you are, you will be wise to ensure you feel extra secure and supported for a while. Halloween costume suggestion: a stuffed animal or a lover of stuffed animals.
BY ROB BREZSNY
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Halloween offers us a valuable psychological opportunity. We can pretend to perform our shadowy, wounded and unripe qualities without suffering the consequences of literally acting them out. We can acknowledge them as part of our makeup, helping to ensure they won’t develop the explosive, unpredictable power that repressed qualities can acquire. We may even gently mock our immature qualities with sly humor, loosening the grip that any dead-serious self-sabotage can have. All that’s a preamble for my Halloween costume suggestion for you: a dictator or tyrant. If you have fun playing with your control-freak fantasies, you will be less likely to express them in real life.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Paganism and astrology have key affinities. For instance, they both understand that our personal rhythms are connected to the Earth’s cycles. I bring this to your attention because we are in the season that pagans call Samhain, halfway between the equinox and solstice. For Aquarians, this festival marks a time when you are wise to honor and nurture your highest ambitions. You can generate fun and good fortune by focusing on goals that express your finest talents and offer your most unique gifts. How might you boost your passion to make your mark on the world? Halloween costume suggestion: your dream career.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I like how you are opening, widening, thickening and heightening! Keep up the good work, Pisces! I am cheering you on as you amplify, stretch, augment and burgeon. Here’s a small alert, though: You may be expanding so fast and so far that it’s a challenge for less-expansive people to keep up — even your allies. To allay their worries, be generous in sharing the fruits of your growing spaciousness. Let them know you don’t require them to match your rate of growth. You could also show them this horoscope. Halloween costume suggestion: a broader, bigger, bolder version of yourself.
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