Pueblo Star Journal - March 2023

Eye of hypnotizzy storm

By Taylor Blanchard

There remains a question in Pueblo, obscured from view generally but persistent nevertheless. It takes the form of a story, first told 67 years ago, about events taking place roughly 100 years before that. Confused already? We’re at the foot of a long bridge. In fact, to be told fully and properly, I must break stride with journalistic practice and tell this account firsthand. Come as you were…That’s what Morey would’ve wanted. The story, or at least the beginning of it, is about the Search for Bridey

Exploring how Pueblo sparked ‘50s hypnotism craze with ‘Search for Bridey Murphy’

Murphy, in which a woman recalls the events of a past life in astounding detail under hypnotic trance. It takes place mostly in Pueblo through the 1950’s. My own first impression of this tale was essentially a cosmic accident. I was working for another monthly news magazine, and was asked to run a deep edit on an article that had been submitted: to make it coherent and give it some substance. I couldn’t have known at the time that it was almost impossible! There’s simply too much here to fit in 1000 words or less. Around the time The Twilight Zone was

produced, some Pueblo businessman had written a book that reached international acclaim, which was subsequently turned into a movie, a Vinyl release, and briefly captured the attention of the American media at large. It was an extraordinary story about a series of experiments in past-life regression.

Life Magazine in March of 1956 described the phenomenon as a ‘Hypnotizzy’. The now-defunct Chicago American, as well as popular doctors and psychiatrists took special vengeance in investigating and debunking the whole ordeal. People hosted

Collection of photos of the primary documents from 1956 archived at the Pueblo County Historical Society, located at 203 W B St.

Photos courtesy of Pueblo County Historical Society

Welcome back, Galves strong generational ties reels in attorney, becomes advocate for Pueblo digital equity

GUEST COLUMN

In the late 1970s, there was a very popular television show entitled, “Welcome Back, Kotter.” It was about a young man who, after high school, left his hometown and then returned many years later as a teacher wanting to “give back” to his community. The iconic lyrics of the theme song for that TV show are quite applicable to Puebloan Fred Galves—who, like the TV character—left many years ago, and now has returned to engage his former community.

Fred Galves’ Pueblo roots run deep. He was born in St. Mary Corwin Hospital, attended Holy Family Catholic Church in his youth, and he is a 1979 graduate of South High School (and a 2011 South High School Hall of Fame Inductee). Before moving to the Southside, his family lived on “Bellevue,” in “The Blocks,” and he spent every weekend at his grandparents’ home on East 2nd Street, at the bottom of “Goat Hill.”

“Welcome back…Your dreams were your ticket out…

In 1983, Galves graduated from Colorado College, where he later taught Political Science courses and

was on the CC Board of Trustees. In the summer of 1985, Galves worked for Amnesty International in Santiago, Chile, on behalf of arrested political prisoners. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1986, Galves returned to Colorado to work as a judicial law clerk for Federal Judge John L. Kane, Jr., US District Court, in Denver. He then worked for five years as a litigator at Holland & Hart, a large prestigious Denver law firm. Although Galves had a very successful career as a Denver corporate attorney, he always loved teaching and academia, much like his uncle, the late Dr. Edmund Vallejo—a beloved teacher, educator, and former School District 60 Superintendent in Pueblo from 1985 through 1991. Inspired by his uncle, Galves became a full-time law professor in Sacramento, California, in 1993, and eventually became an “Evidence” legal textbook author. Galves has taught at various law schools across the country, including Fordham Law School in New York, UC Davis Law School in California, and Denver University’s Sturm College of Law, and he has taught in several international law programs in China, Guatemala, England, Chile, Germany, and Austria (where

he taught with Former US Supreme Court Justice, Anthony M. Kennedy).

Over the years, no matter where Galves’ many travels and experiences took him, he always remained connected to Pueblo, visiting family and friends, former teachers and coaches, and, of course, his mother, Kathy Galves, who worked at “Fashion Bar,” and Dillard’s, for many years and was a single mother who raised Fred, and his older sister, Viki, and older brother, Ken. In 2020, just before moving back to Pueblo, Galves was hired by the City of Pueblo to mediate the Christopher Columbus Statue dispute. Although the mediation did not provide a final solution to the disagreement, better mutual understanding was achieved, as the interested parties, along with City Council members, and Mayor Nick Gradisar, worked diligently to search for common ground and a possible solution to the controversy.

It was at that time, that certain members of City Council and the Mayor, along with some interested Puebloans, thought that if Galves were to move back, he would be a great asset to the Pueblo community, and to CSU Pueblo’s “Vision 2028” to connect more with the community. So, in late 2021, CSU Pueblo President Tim Mottet offered a newly-created position to Galves.

Board of Directors: Gregory Howell, Kennedy Pugh, Chantal Woodyard, Leslie Nazario

Advisory Board: Nicki Hart, Susan Wolf, Caroline Trani, Jayson Peters

News content, sports & podcast manager: Ben Cason Arts & News editor: Rory Harbert

Contributors: Taylor Blanchard, Patsy Kate Booth, Beth Bricker Davis, Kristin Skye Hoffmann, Rachel Kutskill, Hailee Langowski, Kyle Laws, Justin Morenz, Roxy Pignanelli, Brandon Samora, Karen Wallace, Danielle Whitaker

Special thanks to: Positive Content, Blo Back Gallery, David C. Russell, The Dig, EDCC, El Pueblo History Museum, Fuel & Iron, Goodnight Barn, Johnny’s Boiler Shop, Legacy Bank, Machinations Entertainment, MMK Real Estates, Pueblo Chieftain Printing, Pueblo City-County Library District, Pueblo Department of Health & Environment, Pueblo Electronics, Pueblo Food Guide, RE/Max of Pueblo, Summer Solstice Festival, Tuxedo Ranch, Watertower Place, Amy Matthew, Ryan McWilliams, Anthony Perko & Doug Reeder

Rational Media Ltd. dba The Pueblo Star Journal is fiscally sponsored by Positive Content. As a fiscal sponsor, Positive Content acts as an umbrella organization for our missionfocused work, and accepts and administers funds on our behalf. Positive Content is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which makes all donations to us tax deductible.

Send donation checks to:

Positive Content, c/o Pueblo Star Journal Fund

303 S. Santa Fe Ave., Pueblo CO 81003

Illustration by Justin Morenz, Special to The Pueblo Star Journal

GALVES continued on page 4

Special assistant for Community Engagement

Photo courtesy of CSU Pueblo

Galves

“This is just the beginning,” Acuna said, “as there is so much available grant funding out there, and now political will, on all federal, state, and local levels, to make meaningful and robust access to the internet, and full online integration and digital adoption, a real possibility in our communities.”

continued from page 3

“Well, the names have all changed since you hung around, but those dreams have remained, and now they’ve turned around... For just over a year now, Galves has had a multi-faceted job as the CSU Pueblo “Special Assistant to the President for Community Engagement.” Generally, he is responsible for identifying challenges in the Pueblo Community, including the Latino community, that the university can help mitigate through: (1) innovative programing; and, (2) partnering with Pueblo City and County officials, agencies, local school systems, and community groups in order to help drive and stimulate social, political, economic, and academic development in the region.

One appropriate and current example of his efforts is how Galves has been working diligently to try to bring more robust broadband internet services and digital equity, digital inclusion, and digital literacy to Pueblo. By involving CSU Pueblo as a conduit to receive federal grant money, Galves, along with his longtime friend, Salvador Acuna, a 1979 East High School Graduate, and owner of “Co-Create,” conceptualized and brought to fruition the “Adelante Connect” Broadband Grant program, where the City of Pueblo will benefit from a $3 Million grant to be administered by Galves, with the help and expertise of Acuna.

The CSU Pueblo “Adelante Connect” Grant program can boast of very extensive expertise and vast experience on the leadership team. Along with Galves, the Project Investigator (“PI”), and Acuna’s (Strategic Planning and Community Relations Director) “Co-Create” partner, Denise Shorey (Telecommunications Director), who is also the owner of “e-Luminosity” in Denver, who has wide-ranging experience working on internet grant programs. Assisting Galves at CSU Pueblo, is the Senior Director of Research Development John Williamson (Project Coordinator), with whom Galves has also collaborated on working on draft legislation creating the Southern Colorado Institute of Transportation Technology (“SCITT”) at CSU Pueblo, which Colorado Governor Lance Polis signed into law last year. Also, Galves and Acuna have another long-time Pueblo friend, Tim Piganelli, Digital Literacy Content Coordinator, who is a fellow 1979 graduate (from Central High School). Piganelli is the owner of his own Litigation Technology firm, in Phoenix, who will be assisting Galves in creating digital literacy learning modules. Galves and Piganelli team-taught a computer-assisted litigation course in various law schools in the past for about a decade, where they used such online learning modules to teach law students how to use and incorporate state-of-the-art litigation technology into law practice. Finally, and of critical importance, is Juanita Pena (Budget/Finance), the Chief Financial Officer and Controller at CSU Pueblo, who, along with her team, will be assisting with all financial and reporting requirements associated with CSU Pueblo grant programs, given her substantial experience in grant funding management.

“And who would have thought those dreams would lead you, back here where we need you?

In what is a very fitting coincidence, Galves has an additional CSU Pueblo community engagement office located in the newly refurbished Watertower

“It is now most appropriate, and very fulfilling to me at this point in my life, to be able to engage my hometown community.”

– Fred Galves

Place, on Santa Fe Avenue, which is the old Alpha Beta Meatpacking Plant. Additionally, the Watertower Place is a key community anchor for the Adelante Connect Broadband Program Grant and will help provide more access to the internet in the community neighborhoods near the Watertower Place.

The reason that it is quite fitting that Galves is so connected now with the Watertower Place building, is because Galves’ brother, Ken, worked in the building for several years in the 1970s, when it was the “Alpha Beta” Meatpacking Plant. But his family’s connection to the building does not end there. Galves’ uncle, Ernest Smith, also worked in the meatpacking plant in the 1950s; and even Galves’ grandmother, Ernestine Bustos, worked in the meatpacking plant in the 1940s, reminiscent of “Rosie the Riveter,” where many women took on very demanding manufacturing/tough labor jobs when numerous men were fighting during World War II. And as if that were not enough, Galves’ grandfather, Anthony Smith, a Denver & Rio Grande Railroad machinist, sought refuge on top of the roof of the Watertower Place building (then known as the “McNichol’s Meatpacking Plant”) during the infamous 1921 Pueblo flood. Large black & white photos of the 1921 flood are featured outside of Galves’ Watertower Place CSU Pueblo office.

Historical events often have a way of coming full circle. It literally has been over a Century since Galves’ grandfather escaped the 1921 flood waters on the Watertower Place rooftop, and now Galves works in that same landmark building that so many of his Pueblo family members have worked in over the years. Only now, Galves works on behalf of CSU Pueblo and the Pueblo community, as he engages the Watertower Place building as a high-speed broadband internet community anchor in the “Adelante Connect” Broadband Grant Program. It is a microcosm of how over the last century, as time has marched on relentlessly, there have been incredible changes in technology, education, and progress, both in the world, and in our city.

Another example of Galves’ community work includes two businesses in the Watertower Place—International Engineering (high-tech manufacturing) and Silverback Consulting (cyber-security and IT), who are also partnering with two other Pueblo employers—CS Wind (wind energy) and The SCITT (with ENSCO Corp. and MxV -- high speed rail testing, electronic driverless vehicles, and other surface transportation) in seeking to provide apprenticeships for high school students. The apprenticeships will be administered by “Careerwise Colorado.” Galves has collaborated with Dana Lambert, CEO of Global Ed Solutions, so that high school online students can take concurrent enrollment courses at CSU Pueblo, in conjunction with working and receiving on-the-job training at the four business partner establishments. Through such innovative collaborations of Pueblo private businesses, high schools, CSU Pueblo, and the Careerwise apprenticeship program, real ground-breaking change and opportunities can happen.

“Was there somethin’ that made you come back again?

And what could ever lead you (What could ever lead you)

Back here where we need you? (Back here where we need you?)—

When asked what made him decide to come back to Pueblo, Galves said, “I have

deep family connections here in Pueblo, and I am so excited to be working in this position with CSU Pueblo at this later stage in my career. My goal has been to create a legacy as a community servant, and as an educator, in my own hometown, with college, and K-12 students, who now are just starting out, much like I did so many years ago, as a young person with an audacious dream about having a rewarding and meaningful educational pathway and future.”

He continued, “The idea is to ensure that students, struggling with so many obstacles that seem to persist, have numerous opportunities to succeed and thrive in this vibrant community.”

Galves concluded, “It is now most appropriate, and very fulfilling to me at this point in my life, to be able to engage my hometown community.”

As part of that work, Galves is also an active board member on the Pueblo Latino Chamber of Commerce and has just been appointed by former Denver Mayor, and former Secretary of Transportation in the Clinton Administration, Federico Pena, to the board of the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization (“CLLARO”)—a state-wide organization dedicated to empowerment through leadership development, advocacy, and policy research to strengthen Colorado. Galves is also an ex-officio member of the Board of the Chavez-Huerta Preparatory Academy Charter School.

And so to all of this, Pueblo extends a heartfelt, “Welcome Back,” Fred Galves! Pueblo is fortunate to have a Puebloan, like you, and like so many others in Pueblo’s history, who left Pueblo at some point in their lives, but still eventually found their way back home to help their community be a continued success.

So, if the “Welcome Back, Kotter” theme song has applicable lyrics for Galves as he has returned to Pueblo, then perhaps the final scene in “The Wizard of Oz” is just as applicable and appropriate to the long journey home for Fred Galves. Indeed, when Dorothy was asked what she had learned from her most incredible life adventure in the Land of OZ, she famously replied:

“… it’s that if I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard…THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.”

... Adelante!

Watertower Place has been a significant figure in Galves’ family for generations. Photo courtesy of Watertower Place’s offical website.

Photo courtesy of Watertower Place

Bridey

themed parties and created cocktail recipes, and everybody was talking about hypnotism and the possibility of reincarnation. Why were the people of Pueblo not shouting from the rooftops about this guy? I’d never seen him on any levee mural or museum placard growing up. Forget about Bridey Murphy, where’d Morey Bernstein end up after all of this?

See, Morey was an amateur hypnotist as well, having gotten into the hobby as the result of a strange and accidental coincidence. He and his father ran a company, founded by his grandfather in scrap metals. It had grown to become an industrial agriculture, machinery and supply wholesaler with several national accounts. He got a call early one evening in the 40’s. The cousin of one of his largest clients was stranded by a storm after flying into Pueblo. Obligingly, he picks the fellow up and takes him along to a cocktail party to be held that evening at the home of some friends.

What a whirlwind that was: his new guest would introduce him to hypnosis by entertaining the party with a live demonstration. Seeing himself as a skeptic and a rational man, he fervently took it upon himself to interrogate the hypnotist, and to suggest it was all ‘quack.’ Afterwards, speaking of the events and the unnamed woman who was put into trance, he writes, “I was beginning to realize that I was licked. I had always thought that the subjects of hypnotist were stooges-shills-or that the minds of the subjects were so simple that they could be shoved around at the will of the so-called hypnotist. But this girl was neither a fake nor a fool.”

Morey left that party and was irreversibly changed by the encounter. He had seen the power, and the potential, of hypnosis firsthand, saying “I ma-

chine-gunned a round of questions at our victorious hypnotist. If this thing is true, if this is a fact, then why is it not more widely used?...if the mind can be so detached, then aren’t the possibilities infinite?...Why is it not a ‘must’ for every psychiatrist?...And what about practical applications in the fields of education, law, business, dramatics, advertising, and almost everything else under the sun? Why hasn’t more been done about it? I got my answer. It was the same answer I was to get over and over again during the next 10 years. It was a shrug of the shoulders.”

He got to work, researching hypnotism vigorously, as though the subject were a business assignment. He pulled every book he could find both in Pueblo and the New York Public Library, and began a search for volunteers.

Morey’s search began as purely academic. He spends the first half of his book qualifying his initial interest as pragmatic, and arguing for the use of hypnosis as a tool for the common good. He had no interest in what was then termed ‘parapsychology’ (clairvoyance, clairaudience, ESP, telekinesis, etc.). Only after more dizzying encounters with the ‘average’ folks in his life was he forced to investigate what remains on the fringe. This is the nature of our question, and his. The topic is enticing, sure, but easy enough to walk away from as a mystery. There’s something in the subtext, though, that relays a relatively common experience of those that encounter parapsychology. The inquiry is external, almost like clues are left in the world for former skeptics. Searchers are overcome by an insatiable desire to find answers, though rationally they can sense it’s like looking through a hall of mirrors. There’s no end in sight.

From 1952 to 1956, Morey found subjects to expand his practice on. He started by effectively using hypnosis to cure his wife of migraines. At the behest of his friend, a medical doctor, he volunteered in outpatient therapy, consulting on particularly difficult and psychosomatic cases. Through tedious note-taking and preparation for sessions, he had some remarkable breakthroughs. It was during this time that he wrote and was encouraged to publish his book.

Morey Bernstein with his recorder.

“If this thing is true, if this is a fact, then why is it not more widely used?... if the mind can be so detached, then aren’t the possibilities infinite?”

-Morey Bernstein

Photo courtesy of Pueblo County Historical Society

Years went by mostly unperturbed, where he managed to keep up on his business ventures as well, until this question in parapsychology sprouted and grew to consume his mind. He’d been introduced to writings about Edgar Cayce, a regular Kentucky farmer, who under trance, accurately diagnosed the illness of thousands of people he did not know, nor who were even in the same town when these ‘health readings’ were performed. Cayce also has documented ‘life readings’, wherein patients’ current psychological distress could be attributed to events from their former lives. Morey flew to investigate Cayce’s files personally. More resources poured in; books and scientific journals mounting evidence that there remained something to be discovered on a proverbial third rail in medical science. What interested him primarily was the subject of reincarnation. Rather, that by accessing the subconscious, one could stretch back and ‘remember’ the events of a past life in the mind’s eye. Morey devised an experiment of his own, thus introducing the world to Bridey Murphy. Bridget Kathleen MacCarthy Murphy was the name of the woman who was allegedly brought back into existence by hypnotic regression. Through 6 hours of “testimony” under trance, Virginia Tighe (the subject) spoke with a noticeable Irish Brogue, and described in astounding detail what seemed to be another life. Bridey claimed to live from 1798-1864, and recalled the names of her father, mother, siblings, husband, and priest. She spoke of her marriage, a move from Cork to Belfast, her childhood and the circumstances of her death naturally and without hesitation. It seemed impossible to everyone who heard the tapes that this was all a clever invention. Firsthand accounts confirm that Tighe was in trance, and that she remembered nothing of the time she spent in that state.

The notion caught fire, prompting journalists from major news outlets, scraping line by line, to try to corroborate the events and people described. Some went to Ireland to search county records for the names of businesses, streets and people. Others investigated her language, whether some of the phrases, references and names she used were accurate to the time and place. Later, I’d find out that the movie, the scathing reviews and the debunkings had all missed the point of the book. The whole phenomena invites so much more than Bridey now, that her actual existence could remain comfortably in the same state of pseudonym as Socrates. The point wasn’t Bridey, though; she was just the hook. By the end of his life, Morey had become a recluse. His fortune was lost, and people say he’d gone mad.

That could’ve been the end of the story for me. I’d somewhat successfully surmised the bulk of the event that sparked national intrigue, that the guy who donated the land that the Pueblo Convention Center sits on went to some house parties

and age-regressed a young woman into a past life. The article I worked on would be published, and I could finally move on to the next one. Except, about a month later, an unusual call came into my office. It was a man looking to pass a compliment to the author of the “Bridey” story. He was so glad someone was covering it, he had not seen anything on it in years. He had some information to share. Turns out, he owned the house Morey Bernsein had lived in at that time. He’d become quite the collector as a result. We met that week and he showed me the front room of the house, and gave me my first copies of the book and the record. Both are notoriously difficult to find here.

A lot of people write off Bridey Murphy as a hoax or some scheme, if they even know about it. But it remains fun to bring up randomly in conversation. It’s just one of those neat Pueblo history stories that one collects living here. It’s taken this long for me to realize that stones remain unturned. Morey left a goldmine of information strewn through footnotes and appendices in his book, ranging from resources on hypnosis to arguments for the existence of “extra-sensory perception.” He took painstaking care to defend his position, and to explain why he was driven to conduct the experiments in the first place. Texts that he referenced in the book that were long out of print, soon were republished as the public began its own search for answers.

As a result, an exceptional hypnotic candidate leads to an unfinished inquiry on the nature of the mind. Does Reincarnation exist? Are we capable of seeing other

“Hypnosis makes it easier to experience suggestions, but doesn’t force you to have certain experiences.”

-Cleveland Clinic, on autonomy under hypnosis

Morey Bernstein performing a hypnosis with a candle.

Photo courtesy of Pueblo County Historical Society

times and places through the lens of our subconscious?

What control do we have over our physiological selves as can be accessed by somnambulistic (deep, almost sleeping) trance?

These are all facets of the question, expressed in his concept of “the long bridge.”

It’s a journey of inquiry, often beginning with a single question. The funny thing is, it differs for every person it encounters.

In 2023, hypnotism has been more widely studied and utilized, though it still carries the weight of a bad reputation. Popular culture would have us believe that hypnotists are snakes, who cause people to act outside of their own self interest or put themselves in dangerous situations. Refuting this assertion, the Cleveland Clinic website states, “Your hypnotist or hypnotherapist guides hypnosis, but hypnosis is something you do for yourself. You can’t be made to do anything against your will. You won’t reveal any information that you wished to remain secret. You don’t lose control over your behavior. Hypnosis makes it easier to experience suggestions but doesn’t force you to have certain experiences.”

It is evident, whether for therapeutic use or entertainment, that hypnosis is a powerful tool, and more so that its methodologies have been long used to capture our attention and cause us to act on suggestions. It was effective as recently as

the last time you bought anything because you saw it in an advertisement. This, to me, is the reason “The Search for Bridey Murphy’ remains relevant.

Morey engaged in a search through his own mind as well. Hypnotists and skeptics make for bad hypnotic subjects, as their conscious mind will reject any suggestion that it can scrutinize. He subjected himself to novel and somewhat vdangerous procedures to attempt to enter trance. Some listed were shock therapy, controlled CO2 poisoning and mind-altering pharmaceutical cocktails. He was ultimately unsuccessful, but there is a lesson for us in his efforts.

Our daily lives are constantly bombarded with suggestions, which we often, unknowingly and passively, accept. Our unhealthy standards for beauty and food, our encouraged material excess and fast consumption, all root from effective and sometimes insidious marketing efforts, which are rooted in discoveries from hypnosis. To study it, then, encourages a general mental resilience. We can learn to identify when efforts are made to subdue our rational filters and reject what does not serve us. This is increasingly important as new content is delivered to us at a breakneck pace through technology.

Though not able to undergo hypnosis himself, Morey took sizable steps on the long bridge. He speaks of dreams that acted as premonitions and of meaningful events in his life that could not be explained away. He opened that door for us with a story that rattles most who read it. He profited handsomely, though that was never his intention, and was met with public scrutiny and derision. Religious groups and, notably, the media powerhouse of William Randolph Hearst made efforts to defame him, which we will explore in later issues.

Opportunity abounds to dig deeper into the “Search for Bridey Murphy” and the introspection it asks of us. A generation of first-hand witnesses remain in Pueblo, as well as a trove of archived records and unheard commentary surrounding the real people involved. The advent of neuropsychology alone gives cause to reconsider the physical and metaphysical boundary lines of the mind. The search in that regard may never be over, as it has essentially been attempted by the human race since our first creation myths. Bridey Murphy has yet to be fully proven, or disproven, as evidence of reincarnation. In upcoming articles, we will explore the legacy of this story and the people involved, as well as the reasons it nearly faded into obscurity. I invite you this year to explore the broader question with me, and take your own first steps in the search.

Comments, questions and leads/tips can be sent to bridey@pueblostarjournal. org.

Virginia Tighe, also known as Ruth Simmons, who claimed to an incarnation of Bridey Murphy.

“The advent of neuropsychology alone gives cause to reconsider the physical and metaphysical boundary lines of the mind.”

-Taylor Blanchard

Photo courtesy of Pueblo County Historical Society

HYPNOTIZZY

The reach of the ‘Bridey Murphy’ craze

1956 film “The Search for Bridey Murphy” starred Teresa Wright, Louis Hayward and Nancy Gates.

Come-as-you-were parties became a trend, where attendees dressed as their previous incarnations.

FILM

A wave of debunking articles were published after LIFE refutes the claims, in a follow-up article in their June 25 issue. The articles appear in the Chicago American, San Francisco Examiner and New York Journal American, which were all owned by Randolph Hearst.

Cartoonists published comic strips based on the trend.

The grandfather in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1986 film “Peggy Sue Got Married” mentions reading a book about a Colorado woman who lived in Ireland 150 years earlier.

LIFE magazine publishes “Bridey Murphy puts nation in a hypnotizzy” by Herbert Brean in March 19, 1956.

culture

Reincarnation cocktail. See recipe on page 10.

“The Ballad of Bridey Murphy” by Fran Allison.

media

MUSIC

“The Love of Bridey Murphy” by Billy Devroe’s Devilaires.

“Do You Believe (In Reincarnation)” by Lalo Guerrero.

A 1974 pop group, which briefly included Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, was called Bridey Murphy.

Several books cited by Bernstein during his research on hypnotism were rushed into reprint.

Lalo Guerrero in 1950. Courtesy of Mark Guerrero.

RESEARCH

Movie poster for “The Search for Bridey Murphy.” Courtesy of IMDB.

Photos courtesy of the Pueblo County Historical Society.

Photo from a part that followed the trend. Courtesy of LIFE magazine.

REINCARNATION COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

1 jigger 1/2 jigger

capful

vodka

maraschino liquer

lemon juice

crushed ice

rum

In a shaker, pour mixture of vodka, maraschino liquer and lemon juice over crushed ice. Shake vigorously, then pour into glass. Splash a capful of rum in. Garnish and enjoy.

Flaming rum is tradition, but best to leave that to the professionals.

Pics from the past

Morey Bernstein collection at PCHS

The Pueblo County Historical Society has a curated vault of primary documents pertaining Morey Bernstein, his research and the titular Bridey Murphy. This issue barely scratches the surface of what has been collected and carefully organized by the PCHS. The PSJ staff extends our thanks to the volunteers who have archived this interesting and colorful part of Pueblo history. This collection of photos highlights this moment in history and exemplifies the importance of archivists. It is easy to forget history, even with its guardians; without them, it would be lost.

Photos courtesy of the Pueblo County Historical Society.

Photo courtesy of LIFE magazine circa 1956.

Photo by Gregory Howell

Power of creation

GUEST COLUMN

What is possible when we acknowledge the past mistakes, move forward with humble grace and a bold motivation to heal the damage we have created? How can creativity act as a medicine for our community to find Oneness?

As an authorship and creativity coach, community leader and mother, these are questions I ask myself in my reflection practice. I sometimes find myself overwhelmed with the crises we have co-created on Earth. Then, I take a deep breath and remind myself: we have all the solutions. One of many solutions is every person experiencing their version of radical self expression and conscious creativity.

I was born and raised here in Pueblo. I am so grateful for the Pueblo Star Journal. It is the epitome of everything I stand for. Self expression. Transparency. Creating platforms for collaboration and allowing our local community to shine.

My intent as an author and creator is to use the power of language and create visions for what we most deeply desire to magnetize forth those timelines of unprecedented possibilities for Earth and our Cosmos. Subtle and intentional language shifts can shift our entire reality. I stopped using the word “busy” to refer to the experience of myself or others many years ago and replaced it with the word “active.” Immediately, I noticed a shift in my reality and my experience of time. I found that our experience of time is shifted by our perception of it, which we create through our language.

Standing with the power of language is the power of creation. This could be the creation of books, art, clothing, community events and more. It can be a potent tool for transformation and even getting through challenging times. My authorship journey began as a declaration on September 6th, 2020. I was crying waterfalls of tears after receiving news the father of my son had died by suicide. I had already been writing a book, Cosmic, which dreamed a world where we dissolved the concept of suicide. While my sister held me, I declared even as I struggled to get the words out:

“Cosmic is being published…this year.”

Then I did it. Sometimes waking up at 2 am after falling asleep with my son, I would write and process my grief through writing. Published December 2020, Cosmic is a “fictional” story of seven women who unveil an ultimate

truth for humanity. It is inspired by my story and stories of friends. One of the truths illuminated in the novella is that we can harmonize the ancient and indigenous wisdom with the modern tools of technology.

Humans once lived in perfect harmony with nature. Then, the gift and curse of technology and “advanced” thought grew within us. Language and creativity is a technology. The Manifest Destiny was a powerful linguistic force for humanity to move forward, however the declaration was mired with the philosophy that our species was somehow entitled and divinely guided to take over new lands for the sake of human progress - at whatever cost. Often, that cost even included hurting and killing our fellow beings or humans. The Industrial Revolution began the road to more advanced technology (which can possibly help us live in harmony with Earth, with loving intent), but contributed to the mass extinctions of vital species of animal people, plant people and indigenous human people.

We have found ourselves on either end of a delicate balancing act. Now, we have the opportunity to find the equilibrium as Earthlings. The golden, redeeming opportunity is clear: humans can definitely be a vital part of the sacred economy of nature, when we can see our part in the “circle of life” and be stewards of Earth.

In order to be a part of this circle, we must become “prosumers,” where we create as much as or more than we consume. Creating doesn’t need to be a physical product, it can also be a poem that you courageously speak at an open mic. It can be creating a space of listening for your friend who is going through a tough time. Creation can be opening up space for your self care and rest. Baking a cake or creating a delicious meal. Planting a garden. Dancing. Singing. Playing pretend with your kids. Writing a heartfelt email or letter appreciating your co-workers. Speaking words of gratitude to your family.

Creativity can be anything that empowers you. Often, when we hear creativity we think of an artist in their studio for hours with a giant canvas. While this is a powerful form of creativity, this is not the only outlet. What is most important is that we view ourselves as inherently creative, since we are literally creation in motion. We don’t need to earn the title of being creative. We are creative just by being alive!

If you were moved by this writing, then it’s time to share your gifts. Remember: creativity and self-expression are the hidden keys to our collective community empowerment. Imagine a community where everyone feels fully self-expressed and safe to share their uniqueness. How can we co-create a community where self-expression is a top priority?

Know this: Your voice matters. Your story is meant to be told. Your creative gifts are needed. A creating community is a thriving community.

Author speaks on how self-expression can empower a community

Meral Doe Renée

Jones

“Creativity can be anything that empowers you.”

– Meral Jones

“Cosmic” was published by Jones on December 24, 2020 (photo/Amazon).

THRIVE! with Rachel

By Rachel Kutskill

Up. up. Down. Down. Left, right. Left, right. B. A. Start.

If we were in the Nintendo game “Contra,” this code would give us infinite lives, infinite possibilities for strategy and to navigate the world experiencing successes and failures with unlimited potential. Consequences and repercussions cease to exist here, and we obtain this glorious capability to eliminate the fear of failure.

Some core desires in humans have stayed the same through the years, to do our very best with the best possible outcome, to achieve high levels of success, to feel good, to be happy, to win —essentially, to thrive.

Take a moment to reflect on your wins, your successes and achievements in life so far.

Every one of us has different areas and directions in life that we enjoy and find important. This is where we thrive and feel that child-like awe of infinite possibilities and unlimited potential. But there are times when the fear of failure lures us into a dire choose-your-own-adventure game, where we are stuck on a path that does not support the quality of life we deserve.

Restart.

Up. up. Down. Down. Left, right. Left, right. B. A. Start.

Poof! You now have the ability to try again; learn from last time. Choose optimal paths, choose happiness, choose experience, choose success, and to feel really good about your achievements. So let us explore a genre that has become a focus of many, an obsession to some and has many stigmas surrounding it. With this, many of us have felt failure at one point or another, restarted multiple times, strived to achieve that desired win and may have hoped for another chance.

Eating food.

EXPERIENCE.

The Pueblo Star Journal (PSJ) Happiness Index will rate our suggestions in terms of:

Social support- Does this help connect us as a community and is it inclusive?

Healthy life expectancy- Does this potentially prolong life to a high standard of living and without harm or risk? Freedoms making life choices - Is this free from imposition on others or ourselves? Generosity - How cost effective is this for others and ourselves?

Notice: I didn’t say dieting. Restart.

In order for the body—a network of systems— to thrive, we need to provide it with some very basic things: food, water and air. How we do these things is where the importance and also confusion has come into play. When it comes to food: what is healthy for one individual, doesn’t work for someone else’s system. It can, and has been, frustrating for many.

Restart. What if we focused on how we eat instead of what we eat?

We connected with Pueblo local, Dr. Amber Golshani, ND, to help us learn about what may be a new experience for some of us and an opportunity to succeed.

PSJ: Dr. Amber, with all the confusion around food and optimal health—how—should we eat?

Dr. Amber: I once had a patient from France whom I asked , “How do you eat?” Meaning to inquire about her habits around meals. She leaned forward, looked me in the eye and said, “I do not eat. I dine.”

What a distinction! Eating can just mean shoveling food in our mouths. Dining implies a relaxing

To whatever degree we can, before eating, I recommend taking time to slow down and access our parasympathetic nervous system to support better digestion. We can start to do this as simply as closing our eyes and taking three deep slow breaths before we eat.

In an ideal world we would all be able to enjoy our meals at a table reserved just for eating, with soft lighting, soothing music, good company, no distractions and no time constraints. We would start the meal with a bitter aperitif or apple cider vinegar (like Fire Cider) to stimulate the digestive process, thoroughly chew each bite until liquid, while putting down our forks between each bite. We would have such exquisite attunement with our bodies that we stop eating at 80% fullness. Taking a slow walk after the meal helps with digestion and blood sugar impact.

PSJ: What are the benefits of slowing down while eating?

Dr. Amber: Optimal digestion and absorption needs peace and calm! Our autonomic nervous system (the part of our nervous system that operates and adjusts on its own like our heart beating, lungs breathing or intestines moving) primarily moves between more sympathetic tone or parasympathetic tone.

When we are in sympathetic tone our bodies are preparing for fight, flight or freeze reaction in response to perceived threat or stress. Blood flow gets shunted away from the internal organs to the peripheral muscles so we can outrun our threat or put

Sure

The benefits of eating intentionally by slowing down, enjoying your meal

SOUTHERN COLORADO SECURE ONE DOOR AT A TIME"

Dr. Amber Golshani

THRIVE TIP:

up a fight. If we are in danger, our bodies do not care about digestion, instead it cares about escaping.

When we eat fast, in the car, with our kids bickering around us (or maybe we are the ones bickering), while distracted and scrolling on social media or while watching a murder mystery, is it any wonder we experience digestive problems? Our bodies aren’t making the appropriate digestive acids and enzymes needed to break down and absorb our food. There is less blood flow to the intestines to receive and distribute the nutrients to the rest of our body.

The parasympathetic nervous system is the opposite of the sympathetic. It is more active in times of low stress, when we sleep or are at rest and it is when our bodies can do repair and healing work. Parasympathetic dominance is necessary for proper digestion. Unfortunately, in our chronically stressful society, it takes intention and attention to experience a sense of peace, so we can access the wonderful healing capability of the parasympathetic mode.

Eating too fast can lead to problems such as indigestion and other stomach discomfort (1): weight gain (2), disconnection from normal body sensations such as hunger and fullness and chronic metabolic diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and belly fat (3). In the United States of America, one out of every 5 meals is eaten in the car (4), which gives a pretty good idea of how fast-paced our life is.

Restart. Let’s slow it down.

Let’s focus on something we can do, something where we can be successful. If we adjust our mindset and understand we have multiple tries, many

Jocelyn Martinez, CHC, CWBC is a certified Health, Gut Health, and Empowered Wellbeing Coach who is on a mission to show that healthy food is healing, delicious and affordable. She is the Owner/Founder of SoulSmile Health & Wellness, LLc which is a health based food company that focuses on gluten free and dairy free eating, vegan, special dietary needs, and creating eating experiences with all of our services in a stressless way. Jocelyn utilizes her chef and health background to educate, support, and inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle. SoulSmile Health & Wellness offers individual and family style meal prep, catering, private chef events, Chef for in/out of town retreats, and more. For more information please visit our business page https:// go.thryv.com/site/SoulSmileHealthWellness/livesite.

times to fail, opportunities for success and many wins in this game of life, we can focus on quality of life and what it feels like to really thrive.

Dr. Amber is providing us with March’s THRIVE TIP: Take three, slow deep breaths before every meal and eat with full attention on the present moment, without major distractions.

PSJ Happiness Index: 3.5/4

• Social Support - 4/4 Anyone is able to participate, anywhere in the world.

• Health - 4/4 Being mindful during activities can produce higher levels of success.

• Freedom - 2/4 It has become more normal to eat while on the go, in the car, at an event, standing over the sink, and we often use lack of time as the reason. We have busy lives and so how we eat is impacted, sometimes by things outside of our control. It’s okay. Just restart for the next meal when you have time available to dine.

• Generosity - 4/4 FREE for anyone to try.

References:

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003260.htm

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26100137/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29996822/ Stanford University. “What’s for Dinner?.” Multidisciplinary Teaching and Research at Stanford.

http://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Marist-Poll_ New-Years-v-Summary-of-Findings_1912201400.pdf

TAKE THREE, SLOW DEEP BREATHS BEFORE EVERY MEAL AND EAT WITH FULL ATTENTION ON THE PRESENT MOMENT, WITHOUT MAJOR DISTRACTIONS.

Jocelyn Martinez

‘According to Rumour’

By Kristin Skye Hoffmann

What could be better than spending a windy, Sunday afternoon at the theater? As soon as I arrived at The Impossible Playhouse, I realized I wasn’t the only person who had that idea. I joined the matinee’s lengthy cue to buy my ticket and took a moment to marvel at just how many folks in Pueblo still love attending live theatre. Puebloans who are fans of “The Imp” know that their theater is housed in a Gothic building that was once the former Christian Science Reading Room. I have always considered a theater to be similar to a church so this location seems only appropriate.

Today’s performance was “According to Rumour,” a British farce by playwright Robert Scott and produced by Pueblo’s oldest community theatre group, The Impossible Players. The crowd had great energy and I could tell they were ready to laugh while they enjoyed freshly popped corn from the concession stand, along with a surprise treat: exclusively British candies imported especially for the occasion! (I recommend Cadbury’s Curlywurlys, or for the purists, the delicious Dairy Milk chocolate bars.)

The play follows the recently divorced Carter (Taylor Cardinal) who we meet the morning after an evening of drunken mourning/celebration, which has left him extremely hungover with some serious gaps in his memory. Along with his bumbling best friend, Roger (Elijah Aguilar), a strange, naked woman named Kitty (Lisa Boleman) who has slept over, which wouldn’t be so much of a problem except that it is 8am and his mother, Harriet (Kadi Johnson), his sister, Emma (Amanda Cardinal), and her new fiancé, Logan (Jeff Garman), are on their way over. The house is a bachelor-style disaster and there just happens to be a mysterious bag filled with £50,000 cash in the ice box!

PSJ director kicks off theatre series with Impossible Players play review

What unfolds is a performance filled with mystery, wordplay, misunderstandings, a wide array of dialects and twist after comedic twist. Co-Directors Jenn Jaco and Bill Wright have assembled a fun and energetic cast. Cardinal does an excellent job as the straight man, but never shies away from the physical comedy the role requires. In fact, 90% of the cast must go all-in on some impressive physical buffoonery that really does what it is designed to do: make the audience laugh! Aguilar is absolutely a standout in that department. Boleman shines as Kitty, the seductive and hilarious femme fatale. She plays a wide variety of energetic levels which really keep the story moving. Equally seductive is Johnson’s portrayal of Harriet. She did excellent work, fully committing to the confusion in which she is caught up.

The set design, which is the front room of Carter’s home, could have used a bit more detail, and the sound levels could have used a bit more tweaking, but overall the technical elements did a good job supporting the action on stage.

I’d love to share more specifics but it would be a true shame to spoil any of the lovely surprises

To get involved with the Pueblo Performing Arts Review Squad, email squad@pueblostarjournal.org.

Friday March 3 @ 7:30pm

Saturday March 4 @ 7:30pm 1201 N Main St. Pueblo, Co. 81003

For reservations: call (719) 542-6969 or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/according-to-rumour-629979

and hilarious recurring comedy bits this team has put together for you. “According to Rumour” has two more performances so if you’re looking for some entertaining foolishness, do yourself a favor and get over to The Impossible Playhouse this weekend.

Amanda and Taylor Cardinal in “according to Rumor” at The Impossible Playhouse, located at 1201 N Main St. Photo courtesy of Jenn Jaco.

Photo courtesy of Jenn Jaco

“According to Rumour” Showings

First Friday Art Walk

Beauty in the mud

a look into installation process at Blo Back Gallery

By Rory Harbert

Alarge swath of rust-colored mud poured into one third of the narrow hall: this pueblo-clay mixture will dry out over the duration of the exhibition. The installation will be displayed for the entirety of March and begin to crack, creating a constantly transforming exhibit. In addition, a mural will be painted on the opposite wall. It depicts an androgynous figure rising into a blue sky. This mural will also be covered in clay. At its foot, a framed trough will be filled with the same clay and sprinkled with alfalfa and broccoli seeds. Over the month, the sculptural and performance artist will pour water over the top of the mural, letting the muddy water run down the wall which, if all goes as expected, will erode the clay, revealing the mural, and provide water to the seeds to sprout in the mud at the figure’s feet.

The “Cracked Earth-Rising Blue” installation by Helen Eberhardie Dunn opens at 6 p.m. on March 3 at Blo Back Gallery, at 131 Spring St.

Dunn is the director of Sky Soul Studio, where she creates her art, as well as offers private classes and one-on-one tutoring. Dunn has a Master of Fine Arts from the Royal College of Art in London. It was there she started incorporating performance art and other mediums in her artistic style. She teaches as an adjunct professor at Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo Community College and Pike’s Peak Community College.

Dunn was inspired by how the mud had cracked in a culvert near her house, where she and her family worked to get a plaster of this ephemeral sighting before any water washed it way—as it did a week later in a flood.

For this exhibit: there are many processes that will evolve over its time installed at the gallery. Many separate processes will contribute to the monthlong evolution of Dunn’s exhibit. Once the gallery is open to the public, she cedes control to the natural change in the elements that comprise her work.

“That’s the key: change over time,” she said.

With careful planning and a lot of trial-and-error, Dunn can only make predictions about how this will work out. She has experimented with how the clay will crack by creating different mixtures of locally sourced clay and the perfect amount of water. Cutting the Pueblo red clay with a more in-

continued on page 18

Photo by Rory Harbert

Photo courtesy of Helen Dunn

Union Avenue Historic District

ART WALK SCHEDULE

First Friday Art Walk

4-6 p.m. Sangre de Cristos Arts and Conference Center, 210 N. Union Ave.

4-7 p.m. El Pueblo History Museum, 302 N. Union Ave.

5-7 p.m. Liminal Space Gallery, 107 S. Grand Ave.

continued from page 15

dustrial variety from Summit Brick Company, located on 13th Street, she can adjust the color, consistency and, most importantly, dry time. Once she was confident of the consistency, she and her son set to fill around 30 large, commercial buckets of wet clay in their driveway the Saturday before the exhibition opens.

Mud cracks are a process of desiccation and “only form where wet sediment is exposed to air” and typically form patterns of polygons, according to the Geological Society of America. This unique effect is an important part in determining the presence of water on Mars.

“I find these patterns so beautiful,” Dunn said. “They mark the passage of time and the interplay of earth and water. Insects leave their footprints.”

Dunn says her goal in this exhibit, and in most of her art, is to create an “immersive” experience and create a change in physical sensations by incorporating the elements. For example, she often hangs her art from the ceiling to conjure thoughts of air and flow. Though, she explains that she is most personally connected with water.

“We’re water, carbon, heat and air,” Dunn said. “But predominantly we are water.”

In a way, Dunn said she feels that this art is how she processes the reality that “we have less water and that the earth is warming.” She explained that this art is a process of grief.

“The Earth will adapt and survive, and we might not,” Dunn said, with hurt in her voice.

She said she is experiencing “solastalgia” which is a way to describe a form of grief for changes in environment or home. She described her heart as being “full of tears” at the thought of losing humanity by means of our own destruction. Dunn said she hopes that as she processes this grief via her art, it will help others grieve as well.

“I’m not some special being,” Dunn said. “Traditional views of the artist have them being gifted or blessed with special skills—or more, cursed—to have empathy… I need to somehow make a change… It would be a lot easier not to do this… Maybe this is the best I can do—this is my offering.”

She also draws inspiration from an “important dream” she had. She said felt she was inexplicably rising into the sky but was tethered by children clutching onto her. This dream inspired the figure in her mural.

Dunn moved to Pueblo West from Colorado Springs with her husband Jimmie, a famous rock climber, and their 17-year-old son in 2019. Prior to having their son, the couple lived in a Volkswagen van from 1997, the year they met, until 2004 when they learned of her pregnancy.

She taught kindergarten through eighth grade, eventually stepping away for her mental health. She said she needed to focus on her passion.

“I’m a very empathetic person,” Dunn said. “I became like their earth mother. But I started getting sick.”

Dunn’s “original love,” as she calls it, is carving stone. A large Carrara marble statue sits under a gantry hoist. Dunn says that the piece should go for over $100,000 to the right buyer which depicts her interpretation of the tantric heart, or the eastern practice of the “divine embrace.” She was 17 years old when she started carving stone which she described as “life-changing.” Dunn turned to pottery as it was a more efficient way to make money from her skills and fund her more close-to-heart projects.

Dunn has performed at Blo Back Gallery before, where she used the opportunity to protest the repeal of Roe v. Wade via her art.

Dunn would like to thank Mark Jesik at Summit Bricks; her family, Jimmie and CJ; Bob Marsh, Matte Refic and Julie Kim at #SCAPE, the Spontaneous Combustion Arts Performance Ensemble; and the School of Creativity and Practice at Colorado State University Pueblo. Dunn has a performance art show for the 2023 faculty art exhibition at 6 p.m. on March 10 in Gallery 101 in the Art Building on the Colorado State University Pueblo campus.

ART EVENTS

Arts & Chats with Kimberly Sewell

4 p.m. Sundays, at the ArtHub at Pueblo Arts Alliance, 107 S. Grand Ave.

Info: kimberly@puebloarts.org

Art History for Kiddos

1 p.m. every other Sunday, Pueblo Arts Alliance, 107 S. Grand Ave.

Info: 602-281-5558

PERFORMING ARTS

“The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy”

7-9 p.m. March 9-11, 2-4 p.m. 12, Pueblo County High School, 1050 35th Lane

“Bye Bye Birdie”

7 p.m. March 15-17, Pueblo West High School, 661 W. Capistrano Ave.

MUSIC

Line Dancing

EZ 4 p.m., Country/Classic

6-7 p.m.

Wednesdays, Eagleridge Event Center, 805 Eagleridge Blvd., Suite 170

Info: facebook.com/PuebloDanceCompany

Cocktail Hour with Live Music

7-9 p.m., Analogue Bar, 222 N. Main St.

Info: facebook.com/AnalogueSolar

Open Mic at Blue Cactus

6-9 p.m. Thursdays, El Nopal’s Blue Cactus Room, 1435 E. Evans Ave. Info: 719-564-9784

Karaoke Night at The Fallout with KJ Mikey D.

9-11 p.m. Fridays, 1227 S. Prairie Ave.

Info: facebook.com/PuebloFallout

MARCH

March 3 - Friday

The Treasure of Art Show

5-8 p.m., Steel City Art Works, 216 S. Union Ave.

March 4 - Saturday

Donate to Skate

1:30-3:30 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com

Morgan J. Cox and Ashlynn

Young perfom

7 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com

March 8 - Wednesday

“Legally Blonde: The Musical”

7 p.m., Memorial Hall, 1 City Hall Place

Info: $42-$90, pueblomemorialhall.com

March 9 - Thursday

Mary Shelley Chautauqua

6-9 p.m., Pueblo Community College, Hoag Theater, 900 W. Orman Ave.

Mar 10 - Friday

FlowRate performance art

6-7 p.m., CSU Pueblo, Gallery 101, Art Building, 2200 Bonforte Blvd.

March 11 - Saturday

World Ballet Series: Cinderella

7 p.m., Memorial Hall, 1 City Hall Place Info: $35-$95. pueblomemorialhall.com

Metal Show

7-9 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. info: $10, blobackgallery.com

March 12 - Sunday

A Synesthete’s Atlas

6:30-8 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. info: $5-10 suggested donation, flashing lights warning; blobackgallery.com

March 17 - Friday

Benise - Fiesta!

7 p.m., Memorial Hall, 1 City Place Info: pueblomemorialhall.com

A look at deepest playoff run

By Ben Cason

The CSU-Pueblo Thunderwolves men’s soccer team smashed through many school records in 2021. They won a then-clubrecord 15 games and hosted the first NCAA tournament game at Art & Lorraine Gonzalez Stadium in Pueblo. They were beaten by the eventual champion California State Los Angeles in the round of 32, knocking the Pack out of the playoffs. This was the furthest a Pack soccer team had ever advanced.

Entering 2022, expectations were high for the Thunderwolves. CSU-Pueblo was projected No. 3 in preseason RMAC rankings and ranked No. 22 in the country entering the season. They returned under the leadership of Head Coach Oliver Twelvetrees, who joined the program in the 2020 season.

“This is a new group of players,” said Head Coach Twelvetrees, “there’s not a huge amount of returning players.”

The club lost their top two goal scorers from 2021, Vincent Zingel and Josua Hall, and their starting goalkeeper Garret Wild. The Thunderwolves fielded a younger, less experienced team.

As the season got underway, the Pack quickly found their groove winning 7 of their first 9 games. Key new players emerged for the Pack in all facets of the game. The Thunderwolves defense quickly became a strength. The Thunderwolves only allowed 11 goals all regular season.

The headlining star was senior defender Shjon Andrews. Andrews had spent four years at CSU-Pueblo, starting in 2019. He only played a total of four minutes entering 2022. Despite this, he won his starting spot on the backline early in the year. Andrews became one of the signature players on the record-setting Thunderwolf squad. Andrews earned the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year award and was named First Team All-Conference.

Leading the offense was junior transfer Gabriel Campora. Campora, the club’s center forward, would lead the Thunderwolves with 16 goals. Campora and Andrews were selected as D2CCA All-Americans.

Brazilian midfielder Caio Olivera and defender Lamar Bynum also earned First Team All-Conference honors. Midfielder Mario Sandoval was selected as a Second Team member. New goalkeeper Nils Roth was an honorable mention.

The Pack entered the playoffs at 14-3-1 and held the No. 3 seed in the Western Region.

“To be able to lose so many of those guys that got us to the promised land, and then get back is a testament to their ability and a testament to everybody’s hard work in the program,” Twelvetrees said.

The Thunderwolves opened up the playoffs with 2-1 win at home against Cal Poly Pomona in front of a packed stadium. Gabriel Campora’s penalty kick goal in the second half would prove to be the decider.

“The fans have been unbelievable, the best fans I’ve seen in all my college career,” Twelvetrees said, after the game.

The Thunderwolves then traveled to San Antonio to face the No. 2 team in the region, St. Mary’s in the Round of 16. The Pack had lost earlier in the year to the Rattlers. This time the Pack won 2-1, with Campora breaking the tie in the 61st minute. Reggie Nicolas assisted the deciding goal.

With the win, the Pack faced the upstart Northwest Nazarene with a chance to win the Western Region. Again Gabriel Campora broke a scoreless tie in the 87th minute. He received a penalty kick chance and scored it to give the Pack the lead. CSU-Pueblo held on to win 1-0 and clinch the program’s first final 4 appearance.

With a spot in the championship game on the line, CSU-Pueblo took on the Barry

CSU Pueblo’s men’s soccer team go furthest in program

Buccaneers in Seattle. The Thunderwolves, playing in the biggest match in program history, played in a defensive slugfest. With the game knotted at 0, CSU-Pueblo’s goalkeeper Nils Roth was removed from the game with a head injury. With 20 minutes left in the first half Will Whitworth, a sophomore who had only played six games all season, was called on to hold the Buccaneers in check.

Until the 89th minute the game was tied at zero. Whitworth made two key saves to keep the Thunderwolves in the game.

“Every time the whistle blows it’s an opportunity for that next person to step up and make a difference for this team,” Twelvetrees said.

With less than a minute left, the Pack had a chance to steal the win. Caio Olivera setup from midfield for a free kick. He lofted a pass downfield into the box, Shjon Andrews leaped to meet it.

“Perfect ball from him (Olivera),” Andrews said, describing the final volley. “I jumped up in the air and I knew I was going to head it across. I didn’t know who was going to be there to be honest.”

He passed the ball across to Gabriel Campora, who headed it into the center of the net to give the Pack a lead with 29 seconds left on the clock.

“In these games sometimes you just need one clear one, and if it goes in it’s enough to win the match,” Campora said. Campora scored the deciding goal in all four Pack playoff wins.

“I hit the ground and I hear everyone cheering then I see Gabo (Campora) running to the corner,” Andrews said, “It was a beautiful moment.”

The Thunderwolves held on to win and move on to the program’s first national championship game.

“It’s a special group of players, they deserve this moment,” Twelvetrees said. “They work so hard, and they’re excellent in all facets of being a student athlete. I couldn’t be prouder of them for earning the opportunity to play for the national championship. I came to Pueblo with the opportunity to build champions, which is our Athletic Department slogan. I was excited by the challenge, and I knew we could do it. We’ve built a fantastic program because of our athletic department, our support and our wonderful group of players.”

The Pack were defeated 2-0 in the championship by Franklin Pierce. They finished the season with a 19-4-2 record and by far the deepest playoff run in the history of the program.

Most of the players on the thunderwolves team are new, according to Coach Oliver Twelvetrees. Photo by Tyler Shown.

Launching: ‘Pueblo Star Sports’

By Ben Cason

Pueblo sports are a tradition unlike any other in Pueblo. This community is home to a rich and vibrant sports culture with its own deep history and exciting rivalries. When you first meet anyone in Pueblo, one of the questions you’ll hear is ‘which high school did you go to?’

Puebloans are deeply connected to their schools and the sports they play. Centennial and Central’s rivalry is the oldest running west of the Mississippi River. Every year they play the Bell Game at Dutch Clark Stadium in front of nearly 10,000 fans. It’s not just the football rivalry, they go toe-to-toe in all sports. Central boys’ basketball made the final four in 2022, and are currently playing in the elite eight of 4A.

The Cannon Game between East and South has gained popularity and importance over the years. Since 2014 the two schools have four football state championships between them, and countless deep playoff runs to add on top.

Shannon Lane has turned Colts boys basketball into perennial playoff contenders. They have clinched their spot in 5A’s elite eight for basketball. East’s wrestling team won their second straight state championship this year, continuing their dynasty.

Pueblo West has a long-time winning pedigree in all sports, specifically girls’ basketball where they went undefeated in South Central League play again this year. County has a terrific wrestling and baseball team. Swallows, Dolores Huerta and Rye also have teams that make noise year after year in Pueblo.

There aren’t just high school games in Pueblo. The CSU Pueblo Thunderwolves play a variety of NCAA Division 2 sports and have had many great teams. In 2014 the Thunderwolf football team won the NCAA Championship.

With the newly renovated Rawlings Field, the

PSJ announces new weekly series on local sports

Pack baseball and softball teams are getting going into their new season. The Division 2 Track and Field Outdoor Championships are coming to the campus in May. Men’s soccer went on a run to the championship game, and women’s soccer begins their season right around the corner.

On top of all the school sports, the Pueblo Bulls hockey club has become a phenomenon in Pueblo. The Bulls first season was in 2019. Fans flock to the Pueblo Ice Arena to watch the United States Premier Hockey League. The team is a mix of Pueblo locals and players recruited from around the country and world to play junior hockey.

I’ve been incredibly honored to cover sports in Pueblo since 2017, and I’m

incredibly excited to announce the Pueblo Star Journal’s new weekly sports podcast, ‘Pueblo Star Sports.’ I’m hosting the podcast with Brandon Samora. We are a weekly sports talk show focused on only Pueblo stories. We are doing interviews as well as keeping you informed on the sports happening in town.

It’s easy to miss when big games are coming, so we give a preview of the three biggest sporting events in Pueblo each week, so fans know where to go to see the game. Brandon also highlights a Pueblo player every week, called “Samora’s Star of the Week.”

Listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts by searching ‘Pueblo Star Sports.’ Or you can visit pueblostarsports.podbean.com. The show releases every Monday morning!

Brandon Samora and Ben Cason record the PSJ podcast “Pueblo Star Sports” weekly.

Photo by Gregory Howell.

Photo by Gregory Howell

Interviewing levee muralists

PSJ’s 45 Degrees podcast discusses thrill of art

Please enjoy a sneak-peek excerpt from the upcoming 45 Degrees podcast episode with artist Jennifer De Groot. You can listen to the full podcast episode March 17 by searching Voices of Pueblo on your podcast platform! In the meantime, listen to the first two episodes of 45 Degrees with Cynthia Ramu and Shannon Palmer.

Rory Harbert: “What was the importance of making sure to include the indigenous aspect of that (the mountain)?”

Jennifer De Groot: “So, I am a white woman of German, French and British heritage. Moving to Pueblo has been amazing for me. Going from the Maryland and Pennsylvania area has opened my eyes to the variety of culture that I have yet to experience. For me to put a mountain up on a wall, that’s one thing, but to name it after an indigenous term that I don’t identify with and wasn’t raised with, that’s another.

I felt like I really owed it to the communities around me and my friends who are indigenous to give it the proper naming, and to take their opinions into account, and honor the original creation stories. Not the colonizers who just came in and named it the Spanish Peaks, because this is not Spain, we do not live in Spain. There are communities, the Ute and the Comanche, who still live there and they still call it Wahatoya and I wanted to be very respectful of that during my process. And I wanted to be very self-aware of myself coming in as an outsider.

Harbert: What drew you to ‘Wahatoya,’ or the Spanish Peaks?

De Groot: When I first moved here, I did a hiking trip up the west peak of Wahatoya. We left Pueblo at 4 am to make the drive. Since we were driving due south to reach the peak, I got to watch the sunrise unfold across the faces of the mountain. The beauty of that moment just stole my heart, it was so early in the morning and I didn’t get any sleep the night before. Almost everyone else in the van was asleep, I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to as I saw that sunrise unfold. It was so beautiful. I just hope that my design conveys the joy and the love I felt in that moment for what was unfolding in front of me. And I had just moved to Pueblo, so I was seeing big mountains for the first time in my life. That was probably my first mountain sunrise, real mountain sunrise. The eastern faces of Wahatoya were lit up with these amazing gold and pink hues, the western side was still in the deep purple shadow, kind of like the purple mountain majesty. So that all really went in to my color choice, also I wanted to represent my queer community with a symbol of pride with nature.

Jennifer De Groot’s “Wahatoya” mural took a team to complete. Photo by Tyler Shown.

Photo by Tyler Shown

Rawlings renovations wrap up

By Rory Harbert

Four floors, a ballroom, an outdoor amphitheater and 12.5 million dollars later, the Rawlings library renovations will officially be complete by the end of March.

Pueblo City-County Library District will celebrate the completion of the revamping with a grand opening week filled with events. The week starts with self-guided tours on March 20, an open house from 3-8 p.m. on the 21st, the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. on the 22nd, a cornerstone and time capsule ceremony at 1 p.m. on the 23rd and a Pecha Kucha, a 20-slide presentation with 20 seconds of commentary per slide, from each department at 6:30 p.m. on 24th.

Renovations to the largest library in Pueblo started in August 2021. The library has stayed open throughout the entire 18-month-and-going timeline, navigating the obstacles of providing services around construction.

Sherri Baca, the newly-appointed executive director, said that this renovation is meant to last the public 20 years.

“The Rawlings Library is a key amenity in Pueblo, and I am pleased that after nearly two decades of heavy public use, we are revitalizing this library, so it remains a key community asset for many years to come,” said retired executive director, Jon Walker, when PCCLD announced the start of renovations.

PCCLD community relations and development director

Nick Potter, the director of community relations and development for PCCLD, has been a part of the renovation project from its beginning when they hired the building development firms, Humphries Poli Architects and HBM Architects, in 2018, to arranging the ribbon-cutting ceremony, in which Colorado

Rawlings Library

Grand Opening Week

Monday,

Tuesday,

Wednesday,

One floor left, grand opening week kicks off later this month

Gov. Jared Polis has been invited to attend.

Potter was the primary fundraiser for the Your Future Library capital campaign, which meant he oversaw raising $2.5 million in private funding. A $500,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities makes up a fifth of those funds. But, as it had a matching-funds stipulation, Potter and the library had to raise at least $1.5 million in addition to receive that one grant. From there, Potter worked on naming rights for the donors, which means that donors could choose the name of rooms or areas in the library. For example, one of the study rooms is called the NAACP Study Room located in the teen section that corresponds with a collection on display near the space.

Focus groups for these renovations were chosen after hiring the architects, prompted by community feedback about the PCCLD facilities in 2019. Outreach was done through several methods: website announcements, social media campaigns, surveys, public forums and outreach to active community members who have participated in other library groups.

“It wasn’t something that was just done in a vacuum, and that’s not how we do anything here,” Potter said. “We really go out to the community, we’re very open, we’re very transparent, we get that voice and then we come back and try to make plans before we present those plans back out to the community for feedback and then we start the project normally is kind of how we how we operate.”

For Potter, open communication is key for the library to serve its patrons, and he is confident in the effort to ensure the community has been heard throughout this process. The key part, to him, is that the library district approaches these changes with transparency.

“It creates this great collaboration with us in the community,” he said.

Completed so far

Frequent patrons of the library would be familiar with the current changes made to the Rawlings library, as the renovation timeline focused on working from the ground up. The first to change was the outside of the building. A loop was added for easier drop-off at the front entrance. An ampitheater now sits where a road sat, that served as a throughway bisecting the library campus. The water feature at the front entrance has been empty and will continue to be until construction is fully over to prevent debris from damaging the mechanism.

Work then started on the main floor. Potter said this was the hardest level to work on, as it affected the public the most. During the construction, in effort to mitigate interruptions to the services the library provides, there was a game of “musical chairs,” as he describes it. Whole sections of the library were displaced to continue public access and still accommodate for a safe user experience away from the construction. Temporary changes were made; such as special collections were moved to the old makerspace, strange areas were housing books that did not before, etc.

The main floor was re-opened in spring of last year, but to prevent complete closure, Potter explained that they created “tunnels” or access ways to allow passage through the incomplete parts of the floor.

“The real trick that we’ve had with this is making sure that for those that have mobility issues that the construction was it,” Potter said. “So, what we’ve had is a phone number, for those that have mobility issues, to call and we bring them up through a staff entrance and then link to the collection, so that they can have access to the facility.”

This floor now includes most notably the revamped InfoZone and PJ’s; the New Orleans’ themed coffee shop was originally located in Pueblo West. The coffee shop is available, but not exclusively, for catering throughout the meeting spaces in the building and other designated spaces where you can eat.

The second floor houses the children, teen and adult fiction sections.

“All the traditional library services have been brought up to this floor,” Potter

said.

He explained that this allows for families to be able to use the library independently and their guardians to still be able to confidently provide supervision due to the open layout.

The third floor houses the Hispanic resource center, which includes English as a second language resources, Spanish-language materials and a familiar painting depicting the story of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The artwork is now safely hidden from the sun and is no longer at risk for fading. It was also revamped to add a more secure, more interactive special collections space. It includes a humidity-controlled space that is larger than the previous collections space, and a closed viewing room. The library now has a digitization lab to help transfer analogue materials like family VHS tapes to digital files.

The fourth floor is all that is left to be finished before the grand opening. The Ryals Grand Event Space is wrapping up construction. This space is a ballroom with a cocktail area and a warming kitchen. Baca said that this space will have a fee to rent, but “will be affordable.”

InfoZone Revamp

Transformed from the oft-overlooked InfoZone museum, the fourth floor has now become a dedicated event space.

Potter worked with CSU Pueblo’s former mass communications director Jennifer Mullen to update the InfoZone museum, which had been strictly about the history of journalism. In the renovation, , PCCLD took the opportunity to update the information being displayed. The new focus: media literacy and the history of communication. The museum explains the importance of understanding search engine optimization and vetting sources when researching or finding new information in the digital age. Not only does the museum discuss modern communication, it also offers interactive displays on early communication such as local art.

The linotype machine that had long been displayed was removed by crane from the fourth floor, through a window, and placed next to the Friends of the Library conference room. According to Potter, the library wants to bring more items out of the special collections vault and into the eye of the public. In addition to the typesetting machine, they are now displaying a pen used by 35th U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Children’s section

This area includes family study rooms with adult and children furniture to create a more blended space. This, for example, allows parents who need access to laptops or study to stay near their children and for the children to be occupied in a space meant for them.

According to Baca, the space implements a variety of skills children need to learn during development within the play space.

A sensory or quiet room is in the space for children and/or parents to utilize to calm down or be in a space with less stimulation.

“They put a sink in there because a lot of the kids that are having issues... find

running water really helps them,” Potter said. Tech

Th library no longer has traditional desktop computer stations. PCCLD added several laptop vending machines that allow patrons to check out a laptop for two hours and use it throughout the library. There are 72 laptops available throughout the Rawlings library. There are several wireless access points throughout the building, which has increased the internet speed.

Any of the rooms can be booked online and utilize a code to check in that will be sent to the patron. The code changes for each booking.

RAWLINGS continued on page 25

The Youth Section (top) was completed in fall, and the Hispanic Resource Center finished at the start of the year. Photo courtesy of PCCLD’s Facebook.

Photos courtesy of PCCLD

Rebranding PCCLD & updating other libraries

According to Baca, PCCLD intends to work on renovating the rest of the libraries over the next decade. It is to be decided which will be renovated first, but Barkman and Lucero libraries are on the roster to be renovated. The two buildings will have an additional third of the current floor plan added to the square footage post-renovation. Focus groups have already started for what these projects entail. Then afterward, Pueblo West would be up for consideration.

In the meantime, some major changes are already in the works, and not just for the Rawlings library. PCCLD has already implemented its updated logo and is launching the updated website early this month.

For more information about what is to come for Pueblo’s libraries, check out the PCCLD Libraries Facility Master Vision plan, which is located at pueblolibrary.org/about/reportsandplans. If you are interested in participating in a focus group, contact Nick Potter by phone at (719) 562-5605 or by email at nick.potter@pueblolibrary.org.

Looking back: from render to reality

These images come from the orginal building plans prior to the start of the renovations. Photos courtesy of the Pueblo City-County Library District.

Photos courtesy of PCCLD

Four Elements of Sun Soil Water Ag Summit

Pitch Competition, Friday 17th, 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Southern Colorado Innovation Link and the Pueblo Food Project are hosting a pitch competition for food and agriculture related businesses in Colorado Pitch your idea to a nationally recognized judging panel Compete for $20,000 worth of prizes

2nd Annual Pueblo Food Systems Leadership Awards*, Friday 17th, 6:00pm - 9:30pm

Join us for an evening of celebration as we honor leaders in the Pueblo Food System and announce our pitch competition winners We will enjoy local food, drinks, and music Sponsorship packages are available Sun Soil Water Ag Community Led Summit, Saturday 18th, 8:30am – 6:00pm

We will gather to learn, share, inspire, and catalyze community food systems change This day-long conference will include key note presentations, panel discussions, hands-on breakouts, and delicious food to enjoy All are welcome Topics this year will cover: regenerative agriculture, water, foraging, herbal medicine, local food economy, labor in food systems, and others

Makers' Market and Idea Fair, Saturday 18th, 8:30am - 6:00pm

Conference participants will get to explore ideas, try products, and support local food business at the Maker’s Market and Idea Fair See what’s happening with local foods and take home some goodies to share with family and friends Makers and Community organizations interested in a table are welcome to participate for free

March 17th & 18th at Pueblo Community College

For more information and to register visit:

pueblofoodproject.org/sunsoilwaterag or email info@pueblofoodproject.org

Crossword: The World of Bridey Murphy

Down

1 Opened in 1890 in Pueblo by the Bernstein family

2 Played Ruth Simmons in the 1956 film

3 Young Bridey shopped at this grocer

4 ‘The Search for Bridey Murphy’ is available on this channel today

5 This writer published the first account of Bridey Murphy in a series of articles in the Denver Post

7 Main ingredient of a Reincarnation cocktail

9 First magazine to present the search for Bridey Murphy in September 1954

12 Life Magazine coined this term for the spell of Bridey Murphy

14 Bernstein is an alumnus of honor at this business graduate school

16 Childhood hometown of Ginni Tighe

17 Production company of 1956 film

20 Morey Bernstein goes beyond hypnosis to alleviate the symptoms of headaches and these seasonal inflictions

21 This show on WGN-TV Chicago hosted a psychiatrist who shared derogatory remarks against the Bridey book (later issuing a full retraction)

22 Early cause of Bridey Murphy’s slow death

25 ‘Come as you were ’ was a popular theme for these events

27 Location of Bridey Murphy’s childhood wooden house in Cork

28 The Bernstein Brothers Parapsychology Foundation was established in this city to investigate the elimination of pain electronically

Bridey book

13 Morey Bernstein in the 1956 film 15 Publisher of the first edition of the book 16 Reconnecting with the subconscious part of the mind

18 ‘Welcome back’ was a recurring theme in these features found in newspapers and magazines

19 Name of a popular cocktail of the times

23 Country of Bridey Murphy’s previous life

24 Bernstein lived alone in one of these units at the Abriendo Arms when he died

26 Psydoneum surname of Ginni Tighe

29 Bridey Murphy inspired a Hollywood reincarnation in this 1977 film featuring a girl named Audrey

30 Morey Bernstein ended each letter of correspondence with this salutation: ‘Many happy "

31 Performed as a parlor trick in the 1940s in Pueblo

32 Thick Irish accent

33 Scrooge and Donald Duck were hypnotized in a 1957 cartoon series and became these characters in a previous life

ART & HISTORY

“You Should Have Seen It: Pueblo’s Mineral Palace”

10 a.m.-4 p.m daily through April 1, El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union Ave. Info: historycolorado.org

War Memorial Ghost Tours

7- 9 p.m. first Saturday of each month, Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, 31001 Magnuson Ave.

Info: pwam.org

Arts & Chats with Kimberly Sewell

4 p.m. Sundays, at the ArtHub at Pueblo Arts Alliance, 107 S. Grand Ave.

Info: kimberly@puebloarts.org

Art History for Kiddos

1 p.m. every other Sunday, Pueblo Arts Alliance, 107 S. Grand Ave.

Info: 602-281-5558

What’s the Buzz? The life of the Honeybee

Through May 13, Buell Children’s Museum at Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave.

Info: sdc-arts.org

FAITH

Interfaith meditation and service

10-11:30 a.m. Sundays, Center for Inner Peace, 740 W. 15th St.

Info: 719-543-2274

FAMILY EVENTS

Pueblo Rocks in the Park

Noon-2 p.m. Fridays, Ray Aguilera Park, 840 W. Northern Ave.

GAMES

Chaos Games & More

4065 Club Manor Drive

Info: chaosgamesandmore.com

Pokemon, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40k, board game nights and more. Weekly game schedule available on website.

Game Knight Games

1839 S. Pueblo Blvd.

Info: gameknightgamesllc.com

Pokemon, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Keyforge, My Hero Academia, board game league and more. Weekly game schedule available on website.

MUSIC

Line Dancing

EZ 4 p.m., Country/Classic 6-7 p.m. Wednesdays, Eagleridge Event Center, 805 Eagleridge Blvd., Suite 170

Info: facebook.com/PuebloDanceCompany

Cocktail Hour with Live Music

7-9 p.m., Analogue Bar, 222 N. Main St.

Info: facebook.com/AnalogueSolar

Open Mic at Blue Cactus

6-9 p.m. Thursdays, El Nopal’s Blue Cactus Room, 1435 E. Evans Ave.

Info: 719-564-9784

Karaoke Night at The Fallout with KJ Mikey D.

9-11 p.m. Fridays, 1227 S. Prairie Ave.

Info: facebook.com/PuebloFallout

Check out PSJ’s First Friday Art Walk Guide on page 15 for events specific to Pueblo’s art scene.

SKY SOUL STUDIO

Photo by Rory Harbert

PERFORMING ARTS

“The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy”

7-9 p.m. March 9-11, 2-4 p.m. 12, Pueblo County High School, 1050 35th Lane

“Bye Bye Birdie”

7 p.m. March 15-17, Pueblo West High School, 661 W. Capistrano Ave.

WELLNESS

Seniors: Riverwalk Walking Group

Meets 10 a.m. Mondays in front of Senior Resource Development Agency (SRDA), 230 N. Union Ave.

Info: 719-553-3446 or richmond@sdra.org

Yoga and Cocktail Night

5:30 p.m. second Tuesdays, Ren Yoga Flow, 110 W. Fifth St., Analogue Books & Records, 216 N. Main St. Info: renyogaflow.com

Wellbrierty Support Meeting

9-10:30 a.m. Wednesdays, Center for Inner Peace, 740 W. 15th St. Info: 719-543-2274

Prenatal Workshop and Support Group

6-7 p.m. las Wednesday of each month, Phoenix Massage, 105W. Fifth St. Info: socodoulaco@gmail.com

Yoga: Hun Yuan Qi Gong

10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Anahata

Healing Yoga Studio, 3942 Ivywood Lane, $5/ class; Wednesdays and Thursdays on Zoom (no charge); Sundays at City Park Ballroom, George L. Williams Pavillion, 801 Goodnight Ave.

Ladies Night Out Self-Defense Training

6-8 p.m. first Friday of the month, Rocky Mountain Empowerment Center, 330 Lake Ave. Info: $39, 800-748-2074

MARCH 2023

March 3 - Friday

The Treasure of Art Show

5-8 p.m., Steel City Art Works, 216 S. Union Ave.

March 4 - Saturday

Gut Health + Yoga Workshop

Noon, Ren Yoga Flow, 110 W. Fifth St. Info: renyogaflow.com

Donate to Skate

1:30-3:30 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com

1000 Shadows at the Blue Cactus Room

7 p.m., El Nopal, 1435 E. Evans Ave.

Morgan J. Cox and Ashlynn Young perfom

7 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com

March 8 - Wednesday

“Legally Blonde: The Musical”

7 p.m., Memorial Hall, 1 City Hall Place Info: $42-$90, pueblomemorialhall.com

March 9 - Thursday

Mary Shelley Chautauqua

6-9 p.m., Pueblo Community College, Hoag Theater in Davis Academic Building, 900 W. Orman Ave.

Info: pueblolibrary.libnet.info/event/7858256

Books Again Book Club: “The Dictionary of Lost Words”

9 a.m., Books Again, 622 . Union Ave. Info: booksagain-pueblo.com/events.html or 719553-0340

Mar 10 - Friday

FlowRate performance art by Helen Dunn of Sky Soul Studio, bob Marsh, Matte Refic and Julie Kim

6-7 p.m., CSU Pueblo, Gallery 101, Art Building, 2200 Bonforte Blvd.

March 11 - Saturday

Model Casting & Workshop

11 a.m. -noon, Love & Withstand, 197 W. Legend

Drive, Pueblo West

Info: 720-653-2660

World Ballet Series: Cinderella

7 p.m., Memorial Hall, 1 City Hall Place

Info: $35-$95. pueblomemorialhall.com

Metal Show

7-9 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. info: $10, blobackgallery.com

March 12 - Sunday

A Synesthete’s Atlas

6:30-8 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. info: $5-10 suggested donation, real-time cartographic improvisations using projected, manipulated digital maps by Eric Theise, in live collaboration with Bob Marsh’s SCAPE, the Spontaneous Combustion Arts Performance Ensemble. The performance will last 50 minutes and will occasionally introduce strobing effects that may affect photosenstive viewers; blobackgallery.com

March 17 - Friday

Sun Soil Water Ag Summit

8 a.m. -5 p.m. Pueblo Community College, 900 W. Orman Ave.

Benise - Fiesta!

7 p.m., Memorial Hall, 1 City Place

Info: pueblomemorialhall.com

March 18 - Saturday

Sun Soil Water Ag Summit

8 a.m. -5 p.m. Pueblo Community College, 900 W. Orman Ave.

Meet the Author: Brad Bowers, “Steel & Stone”

1-3 p.m. Books Again, 622 S. Union Ave. Info: booksagain-pueblo.com/events.html or 719-553-0340

APRIL 2023

April 13 - Thursday

Books Again Book Club: “Neither Wolf Nor Dog”

9 a.m. Books Again, 622 S. Union Ave. Info: booksagain-pueblo,com/events.html or 719-553-0340

April 14 - Friday

Selena the Show

7:30 p.m., Memorial Hall, 1 City Place Info: pueblomemorialhall.com

April 15 - Saturday

Steven Curtis Chapman

7 p.m., Memorial Hall, 1 City Place

Info: pueblomemorialhall.com

April 23 - Sunday

Broway Theatre League: “Anastasia”

7:30 p.m., Memorial Hall, 1 City Place Info: $42-$90, pueblomemorialhall.com

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS ONLINE - FREE

All submissions must be a specific event with a start time and date. We do not include regular business listings. If you have a question about whether or not your listing qualifies, just ask. We’re glad to help.

Please do not submit the same event more than once. Check first to see if it's already posted, or ask us. If someone beat you to it and there are issues you'd like to correct, let us know.

Event listings are free. We will also offer paid display advertising in print and online that may suit your events better. If you have specific needs, let us know how we can work with you.

All events are screened before they appear online and in print. We reserve the right to refuse to publish any event, for any reason.

PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG/EVENTS/SUBMIT