Pueblo Star Journal - August 2023

not normal, is it?’

Legendary Southern Colorado climber reflects on incredible career, soaring achievements, family

By Ben Cason

It’s dangerous, you could die, you spend all your money and you don’t work as hard as you should. But for me it was full tilt.” Climbing legend Jimmie Dunn has done it all, from climbing the Black Canyon in Gunnison, to accomplishing history on the cliff face of El Capitan at Yosemite National Park. Now Dunn lives in Pueblo West, chronicling his many accomplishments.

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Dunn has been climbing since he was 17; the now 74-year-old is still climbing and is active in the southern Colorado climbing community.

“In the Pueblo area there is some great rock climbing,” Dunn said. “I did a little bit of it 30 years ago but now I’m getting reintroduced to it. I’ve been jumping on the bandwagon lately and getting my butt kicked.”

When he first started, “climbing was life” for Dunn. He learned from a friend and progressed into tougher and tougher climbs.

Dunn said: “One of my friends in college was into minerals and he sold his car to

buy a rock. All of his friends asked him how he could sell his car for this rock? His answer was; ‘there’s a lot of cars to buy and only a few great rocks to buy.’ There were a ton of cars then, and I could buy a car for $50 and have more money to climb up at Yosemite. That was my attitude.”

23-year-old Dunn and his group of friends made numerous trips around the country to find new climbs. In 1972, on spring break from college in Colorado Springs, Dunn made his way to Yosemite Valley with plans to attempt a new line on El Capitan.

El Capitan is a vertical rock formation that rises about 3,000 feet from it’s base to the summit. The cliff face was first climbed by a group in 1958 in 47 days. They climbed “The Nose” route, which Dunn was able to climb in 1970 with a partner. He climbed two other routes in 1971.

Photo by Rory Harbert

‘It’s

Photos courtesy of Jimme Dunn

Zero Fare For Better Air

Ride Pueblo Transit & Citi-Lift FREE All Summer Long in June, July & August!

Special Pueblo Transit summer shuttles:

Care & Share: June 28, July 26, August 23

Pueblo Pride: August 20

Colorado State Fair: August 25-31

A happy challenge

GUEST COLUMN

Iremember going to my first Pueblo Pride over a decade ago. The Pueblo mid-August heat radiated from the asphalt of the parking lot next to Lake Elizabeth as around a dozen vendors set up their popups. There was a unique energy in the air - a strong sense of community and a buzz of enthusiasm. I had been to Denver Pride before and felt lost in the crowd, but this was different. These were friends and neighbors and I felt welcome, accepted, and loved.

Flash forward to August 21, 2022. I arrived at Mineral Palace Park before daybreak to prepare for the crowds of folks that would be filling the park in a few short hours. I reflected back on my first Pueblo Pride and compared it to the one to come. So much has changed but the heart and soul of Pueblo Pride is the same.

Time and again, I hear similar messages from people who attend Pueblo Pride. I’ve heard a story about a grandmother that frequently walked Mineral Palace Park and happened across Pueblo Pride. She was welcomed in and had a fantastic time. I hear from youth in our community that they look forward to Pueblo Pride as one of the only free events where

Colorado Equality Alliance’s president welcomes community, neighbors to celebrate Pride

they feel safe and welcome. Sometimes I can’t believe how much Pueblo Pride has changed over the years. The Southern Colorado Equality Alliance, the organizer of Pueblo Pride, has been overwhelmed in recent years by the interest and support. Every year we have more and more generous sponsors of Pridecommunity partners and businesses that see the value of Pride and want to support our local LGBTQ+ Community. We are challenged every year to determine how to arrange vendors so that increasing numbers can participate. We work to bring new and exciting entertainment to add to the festival and more food trucks than ever before.

This year, we’re again holding a Pride Art Show opening on the evening of Friday, August 4 at The Ethos (615 E. Mesa) and running all month. We’re also excited to have partnered with El Pueblo History Museum (301 N. Union) to bring History Colo-

rado’s “Rainbows and Revolutions” exhibit with a Pueblo focus to our community museum, opening Saturday, August 5 at 5:00 p.m. Pride Prom, a free and all ages event, is returning this year on Friday, August 11 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at The Ethos.

It’s important for us to remember that Pueblo Pride is more than the vendors, sponsors, and entertainers. It is a celebration of our shared visionthat no matter what you look like, who you love, or how you express yourself, we are all included in our community.

I hope to see you throughout August at our many Pride events leading to Pueblo Pride itself on August 20, 2023 in Mineral Palace Park. The parade kicks off around the park at 10:30 a.m. followed by entertainment, vendors, community resources, food trucks and more until 4:00 p.m. Please know what all are welcome and I hope you come and experience this unique and wonderful Pueblo event.

More information about Pueblo Pride and our other events can be found on our website at socoequality.org.

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: Tommy Farrell, Gary Markstein, Jocelyn Martinez, Karen Wallace, Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center

Special Thanks To: Al Maisel “Pama,” Betsy Morgan, Beulah Arts and Crafts Festival, Books Again, City of Pueblo, Colorado SBDC, Cosmic, Karmic Konnection, Pueblo Greater Chamber of Commerce, Photography by Lyss, Pueblo City County Library, Pueblo Heritage Museum, Pueblo Pride, Pueblo Transit, Sangre De Christo Arts and Conference Center, Sure-Lock Locksmith, Ted Puls, Visit Pueblo, The Ethos

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

301 N. Main St, Suite 101, Pueblo, CO 81003

or donate online: PuebloStarJournal.org/Donate

Illustration by Gary Markstein.

Southern

Tommy Farrell SCEA President

Photo courtesy of Tommy Farrell

“It is a celebration of our shared vision - that no matter what you look like, who you love, or how you express yourself, we are all included in our community.”

– Tommy Farrell

Inspiring scholarship

By Gregory Howell

CSU Pueblo’s annual summit focusing on ‘The Mestizaje Connection’ uncovers Southwest

The Aztlan Research Center Summer Institute, held annually at CSU Pueblo, continues to be a beacon of excellence and collaboration, drawing researchers, academics, thought leaders, creatives and students from across the region. The sold-out event, running Aug. 2-3, saw an unprecedented influx of participants eager to engage in this year’s theme: ‘The Mestizaje Connection.’

This year Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy And Research Organization and the Latino Action Council joined forces with the Aztlán Research Center.

The Aztlán Research Center is dedicated to the study of Chicanx, Latinx and Indigenous Peoples and Environments of the Southwest. This Center sponsors research, lectures and events, as well as community outreach. The focus of these activities is to advance knowledge on the campus related to the culture and history of the region, encourage the teaching of Southwest Studies and to broaden the base of potential students for Chicanx Studies courses. Named after the homeland of the Aztec empire, the Aztlán Research Center honorsPueblo’s history as the gateway to the Southwest and the indigenous people of the region. The Aztlán Center furthers CSU Pueblo’s Vision 2028 goal of becoming the people’s university of the Southwest by educating the community about the history of the region and aligns with CSU Pueblo’s goals as a Hispanic-serving institution.

The two-day-long program kicked off with keynote speaker Nick Saenz, associate professor of history at Adams State University. Saenz’s thought-provoking address centered around exploring the Mestizaje connection to the Southwest landscape and planning for the future. Saenz was followed by Estevan

Rael-Gálvez, executive director of Native Bound-Unbound: Archive of the Indigenous Enslaved. As an anthropologist, historian and cultural consultant, Rael-Gálvez is creating a centralized, digital repository centered on the lives of the enslaved Indigenous people across the Americas. The initiative is hoped to inspire new forms of creative expression, while advancing new scholarship to serve educators, scholars, storytellers and artists.

The Summit agenda also included performances byDerek Lopez, Tonio LeFebre and Sam Gallego. Day two included keynote speakers: representative Elizabeth Velasco from House District 57, Coloradoanattorney and politicianFederico F. Peña and senator Michael Bennet.

As the curtains drew on the Aztlán Research Center Summer Institute, participants departed Pueblo with fresh perspec tives, new con nections and a sense of excitement. The impact of this gathering extend far beyond the two-day event, as collaborations formed here are destined to generate lasting partnerships to promote research and develop knowledge of the Southwest and its unique culture, history and environment.

The affliates of the 2023 summit came together in dedication to expanding education on Southwest studies. Photo courtesy of CSU Pueblo et. al.

The summit, this year, focused on “our Mestizo roots.” Photo by Gregory Howell.

Photo by Gregory Howell

Soon to be former

Shortly after Gannett’s announcement of the Press closure, PSJ received this message from an employee

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Pueblo Star Journal received this submission for publication on June 15, two days after The Pueblo Chieftain’s article announcing Gannett’s decision to end the commerical printing press and list the paper’s building on 825 W. Sixth St. August marks the last month that the printing press will run under the Chieftain’s name. The PSJ editorial staff made the decision to publish this column anonymously, as requested by the guest. The PSJ determined that confidentality was warranted in this unique situation and granted anonymity becuase of the risk posed to the guest’s employment and the insider knowledge granted to PSJ readers through this perspective. The PSJ remains a neutral party in this publication and the decision to print this column does not indicate endorsement of any opinions or ideas posed by the guest.

GUEST COLUMN

“I am not authorized to speak on behalf of Gannett or the Pueblo Chieftain, you can email any questions you may have to pr@gannett.com.”

That’s the quote employees of The Chieftain were told to regurgitate if anyone asks how they feel about being laid off yesterday. I will speak on behalf of myself and other Pueblo Chieftain employees.

Aug. 14 marks the end of an era at The Pueblo Chieftain. No more will they be printing ANYTHING at the building. No whirring belts, no more roaring inserting machine, no snapping strapper machine binding papers bound for carriers, no more Chieftains being birthed right here in Pueblo.

They called a meeting by posting a note on the time punch the morning of, saying mandatory meeting at 5. We were called in to what used to be the circulation room. The staff there was laid off four years ago. Complaints are now handled in India, I’m told. They only recently cleared out the cubicles and emptied the large space. No chairs were brought in or offered, everyone just grabbed some wall.

Two corporate stuffed shirts came in to tell everyone, “This isn’t a reflection on you or your performance.” An angry man from the print press exclaims “But it is! You picked Denver over us!” The stuffed shirts talk over him and tell us to hold all outbursts or questions till the end.

When they dropped the news that everyone would be laid off, a woman sagged to the ground against the column she was standing near. She’d been with the company for nearly 30 years, practically her entire work-life has been spent in the concrete walls of The Pueblo Chieftain.

Another woman leaned on her husband for awhile before disappearing to cry in private. They’d just closed on a house the week before. They both were panicked about their job prospects and the huge financial obligation they’d just signed up for.

A man from the warehouse has a sour expression on his face, this wasn’t a huge shock but it’s disappointing. He grew up coming in to work with his parents, who worked at The Pueblo Chieftain too. For him it seemed all roads led back to the Chieftain, until now.

Most folks had a shocked, but not surprised feeling. Our thoughts have been that this had been a long time coming. A series of poor Distribution Managers, enabled by a poor District Manager, have run the place into the ground. Much of the equipment is on its last leg. There’s a vast difference between The Chieftains’ sorry belts, ancient print press, and finicky inserting machine and the state-of-

the-art machinery at The Denver Post. It was just a matter of time for the decision to be made to kill the Chieftains’ presses for good.

Print media is dying and unfortunately for us Gannett/Pueblo Chieftain employees it dies Aug. 13. The paper will still be printed at The Denver Post and trucked down for distribution. I hope the paper carriers will get a better manager, otherwise it may also be a matter of time before The Pueblo Chieftain is digital only.

A (soon to be former) Chieftain Employee

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

To the reporters and staff of the PSJ:

I’m deeply touched by the July 7, 2023, PSJ articles by Jayson Peters (the “ink-stained wretch”), Rory Harbert, and Ben Cason regarding the looming closure of the Chieftain Commercial Press. While I understand Luke Lyons’s article, I can’t agree that “local journalism is on its last leg.” Such a thought is too terrible to think about right now. To me, print journalism is about the experience of reading the reporters’ work while holding the newspaper in my hands and hearing the whisper of the pages as I turn them. Reading a newspaper is a tactile experience along with truly learning something (as silly as that might sound). Newsprint is about texture. And it’s about the physical appearance of the newspaper itself. I had a passion for the Rocky Mountain News and the Colorado Springs Sun years ago--here, I’m giving away my age.

Believe me, reading a newspaper touches all the senses down to the almost imperceptible aroma of the ink and paper.

The texture and the physical presence of the paper are also why I read books (in addition to the content of the book itself). While computer technology is here to stay, it is flat-screen technology; there’s no texture, no depth perception, no intimacy. Certainly the trees needed to make paper are precious, but there are other ways of saving paper in addition to planting more trees.

Any talk about the end of print newspapers would mean the permanent loss of this experience of reading I’ve just described. Also, the sudden absence of the newspaper from the rack in the store, the shop, or the library would feel like a family member or close friend has died--a loss that can be avoided.

---Tamara M. Teale--Scholar, writer, and poet in Pueblo.

A notice was placed to Chieftain employees indicating that all commentary on the press closure was directed to press closure.

Gannett quietly lists Pueblo Chieftain building for sale

By Rory Harbert

Five weeks after the news of The Pueblo Chieftain’s commercial printing service closing, Gannett quietly listed the property, housing the three-story printing press, for sale.

The building, located at 825 W. Sixth St., has been listed for $3,600,000 through Bell Cornerstone, a commercial real estate company based in New York. This listing is represented by Bell Cornerstone partner Aidan Cleghorn and account manager Dan Lynch.

According to Chieftain, without offering commercial printing, the over 38,000-square-foot building is “now excessive for our needs.”

Printing just ended For sale

The Pueblo Chieftain is outsourcing its printing needs to Denver. The Chieftain says it maintains a “digital-first” approach to journalism; as of June 29, there are “no plans … to (go) digital-only, nor to reduce print frequency at the Chieftain.” (The newspaper already publishes a digital-only edition on Saturdays.)

The offering memorandum, included with the listing on LoopNet, a commercial real estate site, provides information and data on the building, Pueblo and other insights for potential buyers. The brochure includes a disclaimer that the summary on this property is to “establish a preliminary level of interest” and is “not a substitute for a thorough due diligence investigation.”

The memorandum features interior and exterior photos of the property, including the printing press itself. Though, there is no direct mention of whether the press will be included in the sale.

Property Facts

Address: 825 W. Sixth St.

Price: $3,600,000

Square footage: 74,835 square feet ($48 per square foot)

Year Built: 1960 (renovated in 1974)

Lot Size: 4.66 acres

Property Type: Flex Number of:

The 1960 property, renovated in 1974, features 120 surface parking spaces, rail access and is classified as a flex property, meaning that it can function as an office and an industrial space. The facility rests on nearly 5 acres, close to the Midtown Shopping Center. It features two loading docks and three drive-in doors.

Todd Albo, the only employee in the printing department to not be laid off, was tasked with informing the other 51 employees that they had only 60 days left of employment. Albo said he believes that if a buyer acts fast, Pueblo could retain these commercial jobs. But the risk of losing these employees, with experience in maintaining these machines, increases as they accept positions elsewhere to prevent a gap in income as the end of operations date approaches.

“There is still money to be made,” Albo said. “I am afraid someone will come in too late.”

The last day of press operations will be Aug. 13. The decision for this closure comes from Gannett, the media company that owns The Pueblo Chieftain, which also owns USA Today.

While the Chieftain is not closing down, a common misconception after the announcement, more than 50 employees were laid off due to the cessation of this service. Over 80 different outlets, including the Pueblo Star Journal, worked with Chieftain Commercial Printing to publish in southern Colorado. The press averaged over 22 print runs per day.

According to the Pueblo News Guild, in a statement responding to the initial announcement of the press closure, since Gannett merged with GateHouse Media in 2019, half of all the jobs across the company have been cut. The guild notes in its release that the Chieftain had “more than 30 journalists but is now down to five news reporters and one sports reporter.” According to the release, three employees represented by the guild are included in this layoff relating to the printing press closure.

Parking spaces: 120 Dock-High Doors/Loading: 2

Drive In / Grade-Level Doors: 3

DUNN

continued from page 1

By 1972 there were about seven lines established on the cliff face according to Dunn.

“I was in college and I remember in class looking at maps of El Capitan and planning my route.” There was talk of the new route, but no one had completed it yet.

Dunn’s partner he originally planned to climb it with fell at Rocky Mountain National Park weeks earlier and broke his leg. Dunn planned to do the climb with his friend, Billy Westbay.

As they began the ascent they heard yelling from the base. Dunn said, “There were maybe eight, 10, 12 climbers telling us; ‘you better get down, you’re going to die up there.”

The group had plans to be the first to finish the climb, and threatened to throw Dunn and Westbay from the top of El Capitan if they succeeded. Dunn wanted to continue, but his companion wanted out of the climb, so they returned to the bottom.

Jim Bridwell, who Dunn called ‘The King of Yosemite’ threatened to break whoever first climbed the new route’s arms and legs, because he wanted to do it first.

Dunn still wanted to do the climb and looked for a new partner. He tried another friend, but he took a bad fall getting started on the ascent and broke three fingers. Dunn said, “he had tears running down his face because he knew he was finished.” After trying one more partner unsuccessfully, Dunn faced a choice.

“That’s when I decided to solo it,” Dunn said. “I have an old $115 car, I don’t have any money, I quit school and didn’t have a job. I decided I’m not leaving.”

Solo climbs on El Capitan were extremely rare, and no one had solo climbed

a new line on the cliff face.

Solo climbing meant Dunn didn’t have a partner with him, which meant he was using pitons, cliff hangers and occasionally used stirrups. It can be slow going since there isn’t much margin for error. One day Dunn took 18 hours to go up 100 feet.

It was a cold climb, with occasional rain. Dunn did the whole climb with his warm winter jacket on.

On the first day of the climb, Dunn dropped his sleeping bag; on the second day he took a long fall; on the third, his hammock tore.

“I have never spent that much time alone in my life,” Dunn said, “I started to talk to the rock like it was completely normal. I was apologizing for thinking I could get up it. It was much harder than I thought.”

Dunn described thinking about all the great climbers who had done this route and decided to turn around. Dunn said at one point he told himself, “I will die before I come down.”

As the days passed and Dunn made progress up the face, a crowd gathered to watch him climb.

Dunn said, “There were several hundred people who wanted to see if it was true I was up there. There was a lot of jealousy, envy and pissed off people that I was doing it, but also admiration.”

Dunn was forced to sleep standing up at night as he continued the climb. One time later in the climb he fell again, but caught himself on his rope. He cut his hand open, making the last stretch of the climb even harder.

“I started talking to the rock,” Dunn said. “I started talking to my haul bag like it was a person. You don’t think at the time that it’s weird. I was talking to insects, asking how they were doing.

After nine days and almost 3,000 feet of climbing, Dunn summited El Capitan, making history. He couldn’t close his hands at that point and was so exhausted he left his pack at the top of the mountain.

“Nowadays everyone it so in shape, it’s like an army of samurai warriors. My son’s just gotten into climbing and he’s already two or three grades better than me.”

-Jimmie Dunn

Jimmie Dunn was the “Colorado Springs Man” of 1972, soloing El Capitan. Photo courtesy of Jimmie Dunn.

“The first thing I saw at the top was a peregrine falcon,” Dunn said, “then it hit me that I just soloed a first ascent on El Cap.”

Jim Bridwell was the first person Dunn saw after the climb. Bridwell had threatened climbers of the new route. Dunn was worried he’d be angry, “He came up and shook my hand and said, ‘I’m impressed, let me cook you supper.”

Dunn let Bridwell name the new route, he chose ‘Cosmos.’ Cosmos is now one of over 150 known routes on El Capitan. It’s located on one of the steeper sections of the southwest face. It’s described by the topo (climb description) as being harder than the Shield route. In 2023 the average climb takes seven days on

Cosmos.

Dunn would go on to conquer many classic routes in Utah and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison with his friends. And perhaps more striking than the individual achievements, is the longevity of Dunn’s career, which spans more than 50 years.

“Nowadays everyone it so in shape, it’s like an army of samurai warriors,” Dunn joked. “My son’s just gotten into climbing and he’s already two or three grades better than me.”

Dunn and his wife Hellen had been living a life constantly on the road. Dunn said, “We spent ten years living in a van going climbing all over the country. Things changed and she got into teaching. The best thing I can do is support her because she supported me going around the country living like dirtbags.”

Hellen has a passion for art. She does performance art, pottery and sculpting large rocks.

Dunn said, “She wanted to build an art studio in Colorado Springs, it was just a hassle. She was talking coming back and said, ‘wait a minute something came up on my phone, let me pull over. There’s this really cool place in Pueblo.”

They looked at the house in Pueblo West and fell in love. Dunn said, “I looked at it and said, ‘Hellen, let’s buy this tomorrow. Whatever it takes, let’s buy this tomorrow.’”

As Hellen pursues her art with a home with a studio space, Jimmie is working to write down details from his adventures.

Dunn said, “If I don’t do that, details get forgotten. Things like being in a 1972 yellow Volkswagen Bug, AM radio no FM, it’s drizzling out, things like that. Every midwest station called for 100 percent chance of rain, I said we’re doing it 100 percent no matter what.”

Dunn is full of great stories of adventure, “I remember one time I was in a sleeping back driving and my friend was using our camping stove to defrost the window, and he fell asleep and caught his sleeping bag on fire. It’s not normal, is it?”

“I’m hoping to do a book,” Dunn said. “If I don’t then all the individual details aren’t written. A lot of times I go places and people ask me about the things I’ve done. My pictures are more important than money to me. Dunn joked he has a better memory for handholds and footholds than he does for addresses and bank accounts.

51 years after El Capitan, Jimmie Dunn shares his passion for climbing with his son, Charlie Joe. Photos courtesy of Jimmie Dunn.

Photos courtesy of Jimmie Dunn

“If I don’t do that, details get forgotten. Things like being in a 1972 yellow Volkswagen Bug, AM radio no FM, it’s drizzling out, things like that. Every midwest station called for 100 percent chance of rain, I said we’re doing it 100 percent no matter what.”

– Jimmie Dunn

Photo Contest Photo Contest

Running June-September 2023

Visit Pueblo challenges YOU to get out and enjoy all that Pueblo, Colorado has to offer! Including local events, outdoor recreation, museums, arts & culture, farmers markets, local flavor and much more!

Document your adventures with photos or videos and post on your social media pages with Hashtags #visitpueblo #summerbucketlist

*Weekly prizes for best tagged photos/videos will include tickets for Local Events, Attractions and Gas Cards! Learn

Pics from the past

Southern Colorado rock formations

You don’t have to drive out to Yosemite to see great rock formations! Looking back and even now people have enjoyed St. Charles Canyon in Beulah and Graneros Gorge in Colorado City. There was a balanced rock in Beulah that is similar to to the one in Garden of the Gods.

Photos courtesy of the Pueblo City County Library.

Felicia Gallegos Pettis, Carlos Crull, and Mireya Rinna

VOCALISTS: Avalajn Wiggins

KEYBOARD:

PERCUSSIONIST: Wayne Wilkinson GUITARIST: Michael Beck

THRIVE! with Rachel

By Rachel Kutskill

We blinked and the hot days of summer are here and now, waning. Parents are buying back to school supplies already, kids are enjoying their last long evenings of summer freedom, and in Pueblo, we know that means the excitement of the State Fair and of course, roasted chiles. In Pueblo we have an amazingly long growing season to supply us with so many delicious, fresh foods, and it has been this pairing with our natural waterways that has allowed us to thrive for so long.

As with many of us here now, I am not a native to Pueblo. I moved permanently in 2015, and I can still remember the very first time I smelled Pueblo green chiles roasting on a hot summer day. I was still getting acquainted with our town, and I would find myself driving around, looking and feeling for things, stores, people and places to draw me in. I would often stop, look at maps of neighborhoods, then meander through and pause at local shops, to talk with those who have lived here for generations. The people in those places would talk about the best things in Pueblo and where I needed to go next. They were as excited as I was to learn all that our town has to offer.

our chiles taste better than any chile I’ve ever tasted, even those grown a bit more south of our border.

THRIVE TIP

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?

As I drove up Elizabeth during an excursion one day, to see what was on the Northside of town. I passed 20th street, and I remembered an aroma came through my car that piqued every sense in my body. I could taste the smell and smell the taste. My salivary glands started to perk up. I could hear someone calling out in the distance, surely selling something, and then I could hear the roasting machine whirring, and the sound of chiles rolling through the screen. I was captivated by it all.

I pulled into the K-Mart parking lot to see what had captured my total attention, and soon learned about the famous Pueblo green chiles and roasting season. It was at that moment that I learned about our farms in the county, that I could visit them and buy food directly from them, including but not limited to, Pueblo green chiles. I felt like I had been let in on the secret food of our region, that as an outsider, I was allowed to partake in this tradition of roasting, and eating, the best green chilis ever known. It is with a grin I write this, knowing

That was it for me. The next opportunity I had, I was driving to the county to stop in at every farm I could. With a list of names and vague directions given by locals who lived here long enough to say things like, “you’ll go past where the old so-and-so used to be…then turn where so-and-so’s house was…” which inevitably ended with, “you can’t miss it.” I was excited to find my way to fresh, tasty, local food, grown by the people who built this town. For those of you wondering, yes, google maps would also take me to these places, but I love traveling by given directions, finding my way, and in the words of my father, “you are never lost, just finding a new way to get somewhere.”

Boy did I find the way. From Palisade peaches, to Rocky Ford cantaloupes and, of course, the famous roasted Pueblo chiles, I was in produce paradise. I came home with bags and bundles of freshly-picked food and created food pairings I had never tried before. Sweet and spicy together was not common where I grew up, at least not in the ways of the southwest. I remember thinking I would wait a season until I tried my own version of green chile, and I should properly taste test all the best places in town first. I asked people about their recipes and how else they use chiles. I loved every taste test and new recipe, even those I didn’t get quite right.

Here I am, eight years later, with my own green chili recipe, “secret ingredient” included, a love for fried eggs, with roasted green chiles smothered in cheese for breakfast, and a post-Labor-Day tradition to visit the “pork chop lady” with a dear friend, wondering how many tortilla-wrapped pork chops is too many to eat in a single sitting. It feels like I belong to these foods, as if the traditions, textures and tastes have accepted me. It is joyful to share these foods with friends who are now family, bringing them to holiday gatherings and cookouts. Food has forever brought us together, to share in the delight of something new, something that was created, a dish that has been passed down through generations, time given to the Kitchen Gods to create something to be proud of.

Sure

THRIVE Tip:

Visit one of our many local farms and buy fresh produce directly from our farmers. Bonus if you buy a bushel of roasted Pueblo green chiles and use them before the year is up.

PSJ Happiness Index: 3.9/4

• Social Support -3.8/4 While everyone is welcome to visit the farms, transportation getting to and from may be a hindrance. Check with bus schedules, bikeable paths and convince a friend to carpool if you do not have transportation.

• Health - 4/4 Buying fresh produce as close to the day it is picked, provides the highest nutrient supply to our bodies. Healthy bodies are happy bodies.

• Freedom - 4/4 We are so fortunate to have many farms available to us, with the ability to visit them all. Not only does this provide feelings of happiness as we walk through a place that produces live sustaining food, but the gratitude from our local farmers perpetuates that shared feeling. It is how we thrive together.

• Generosity -3.8/4 Fresh, local produce is often times more affordable than what you buy at the grocery store. Look to buy food in-season and try new recipes to help you utilize foods you may not have as much experience with.

Rachel Kutskill picks up roasted green chiles every season. Photos courtesy of Rachel Kutskill.

Photos courtesy of Rachel Kutskill

Poet Corner

CELTIC EARTHING = TRUTH

Planet Earth does not belong to us

We belong to her

As we enjoy, marvel at, cherish, Celebrate and abuse her

Wise to keep in mind

In the Universal equation of things

We, as a species, are The non-essential component

Karen Wallace

CELTIC EARTHING = TRUTH

by Karen Wallace

Artist, Poet and Cultural Anthropologist, Karen Wallace, blends the disciplines into cross-cultural impressions of the world around us. Australian born, Karen travelled the planet, lived in many different settings and now resides in Pueblo, Colorado, USA She lives in an old adobe home which also houses her Earth Tribe Art Works studio. The high desert environment, bright blue sky and brilliant light are crucial to her work. Karen's work reflects an appreciation and respect for all Spiritual paths and ethnic backgrounds expressing her in-depth study of opening to Spirit

Photo by Rory Harbert

First Friday Art Walk GUIDE

Hip-hopping

On July 22, the Pueblo com- munity gathered in Mineral Palace Park for MadFresh Productions’ Inaugural Hip- Hop Festival, organized by Javier Quiñones. Quiñones founded MadFresh, a nonprofit organization, to create a platform for the performing arts. This event marks an annual tradition of celebrating hip-hop and related forms of expression such as breakdancing and graffiti.

Photos by Ben Cason.

Photos by Ben Cason

ARTS & CRAFTS

Beulah Arts and Crafts Festival

10 a.m.-8 p.m., Aug. 4-6, Beulah School of Natural Sciences, 8734 Schoolhouse Lane

Books Again Half-Off Summer Sale

Friends of the Library Members only Aug. 10, general public Aug. 11-12, Books Again, 622 S. Union Ave. Info: booksagain-pueblo.com

Colorado State Fair

Aug. 25-Sept. 4, 1001 Beulah Ave. Info: coloradostatefair.com

INKWELL: Analogue’s Creative Writing Open Mic

7-9 p.m., second Thursdays, Analogue Books & Records, 216 N. Main St.

AUGUST

Aug. 4 - Friday

First Friday: Latka & Razo

5-9 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com

Aug. 5 - Saturday

Rainbows & Revolutions Exhibit Opening

5-8 p.m., El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union Ave. Info: calendar.time.ly/63iq9y15/event/el-pueblo-history-museum-rainbows-revolutions-exhibit-opening

Spyderland, Church Fire and guests live

6:30-9 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com

Cody Cozz and Dan Marshall

7:30 p.m., Pueblo Ice Arena & Events Center, 100 N. Grand Ave. Info: puebloicearena.com

IDEA Con 2023

Aug. 12, Rawlings Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave. Info: pueblolibrary.org/ideacon

Paint Your Inner God/dess

11 a.m.-1 p.m., Karmic Konnection, 125 E. Abriendo Ave. Info: karmickonnection.com

DJ Sinistarr live

9-11:45 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St.

Info: $11 presale at blobackgallery.com, $15 at the door

To listen to our podcast on the Levee Mural artists, go to: voicesofpueblo.podbean.com

Available on all platforms!

Aug. 11 - Friday

Pride Prom

6-10 p.m., The Ethos, 615 E. Mesa Ave. Info: ethospueblo.com

Underground Improv

6:30-9 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com

Aug. 12 - Saturday

IDEA Con 2023

Aug. 12, Rawlings Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave. Info: pueblolibrary.org/ideacon

Paint Your Inner God/dess

11 a.m.-1 p.m., Karmic Konnection, 125 E. Abriendo Ave.

Info: karmickonnection.com

DJ Sinistarr live

9-11:45 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St.

Info: $11 presale at blobackgallery.com, $15 at the door

Aug. 17 - Thursday

PID Tour launch show (punk)

7-9:15 p.m, Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St.

Info: blobackgallery.com, $6 at the door

Aug. 17 - Thursday

PID Tour launch show (punk)

7-9:15 p.m, Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St.

Info: blobackgallery.com, $6 at the door

Aug. 18 - Friday

Blue Tongue funk power trio and It’s a Trade Thing live

6:30-9 p.m, Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St.

Info: blobackgallery.com, $10 at the door/online

Song of Pueblo

7 p.m., Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave.

Info: www.sdc-arts.org/performances

Aug. 19 - Saturday

Pueblos Cortez and guests

7-9:30 p.m, Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com, $10 at the door (all ages)

Aug. 20 - Sunday

George Strickland Artist Workshop

Noon, Yellow Pine Ranch, 15880 CO-12, La Veta

Aug. 25 - Friday

Jeffrey Dallet Live Music at Analogue Records

7-9 p.m. Aug. 25, Analogue Books & Records, 216 N. Main St.

Aug. 26 - Saturday

Southern Colorado Fashion Fall Showcase and after party

6-10 p.m, Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: southerncoloradofashion.com, $15

Provocative Puppet Power

By Rory Harbert

Two makers, armed with three office spaces, a lot of craft foam, felt and contact cement, have one month to make 20 new puppets for a cast and crew prepping to shock Pueblo.

Wynot Productions and Pueblo’s Producers Group are teaming up to present “Avenue Q,” a puppet-tastic musical comedy that won 2004’s Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Original Score, this September at the Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center.

“Avenue Q” follows Princeton, a recent college graduate, who moves to an apartment on Avenue Q for the cheaper rent. Much like Sesame Street, there is a community of humans and puppets, but two stories deviate greatly as the “Avenue Q” residents sings about how it is okay to be gay, that everyone is a little bit racist and that the internet is not as innocent and academic as Kate Monster, the girlnext-door type, may think.

Wynot Productions is a Pueblo-based specialty props, costume and puppet fabrication company that has been open for over six years. Sammy Gleason, a Colorado Springs-based actor, costume designer and artist and recent Henry Award winner, and Cory Moosman, a prominent figure in the Pueblo theatre community who has taught at Colorado Music Fest, The Colorado Springs Conservatory, CSU Pueblo and the Bemis School at the CFAC, make up the Wynot Productions team.

This is not the first time this unique story of a group of felted neighbors with a parental discretion warning has graced Pueblo. In 2016, Wynot Productions put on this adult-humor, “Sesame-Street”-parody musical.

“Sam and I had talked, for years, that it would be fun to revisit ‘Avenue Q,’” Moosman said. “‘Let’s do it bigger; Let’s go to town; let’s puppet up this thing. Let’s redesign all the puppets and build new puppets.’ We have the puppets from

before, and we could have used them, but… let’s do something new.”

The choice to remake the puppets for this run marks a pivot from their erring-on-the-safe-side approach to the traditional, felted cast to a “Muppets Take Manhattan” atmosphere, flexing their craft skills in both quality and quantity.

Gleason said that to create the feeling of a bigger world of puppets within the story, they decided to extend the cast to have a “bit more puppet presence on the stage” during the ensemble numbers, for example. Gleason said this is achieved without deviating from the script, which is not within their rights to change, by adding to the number of supporting puppets that “wouldn’t necessarily be in the cast if you were doing it to the script” and “don’t necessarily have named characters.”

This decision was made to make their run of “Avenue Q” unique and “hopefully a lot more immersive than the “Avenue Q” as it is traditionally shown.” Moosman added that he had never seen a big, extended-puppet-cast version of “Avenue Q” done before.

“You are always driven by the script, and obviously you can’t change dialogue, but within the world with any production, you have a fair amount of latitude as to how you create that world and how it looks,” he said. “That’s kind of the fun part of doing live theatre. You can see six different versions of a production and each one will be different and have different elements to them.”

Now armed with advanced puppet-making skills gained in the seven years since they first tackled “Avenue Q,” Wynot Productions is not only greatly extending how many puppets will appear on stage, but also expanding the different types of puppeteering, to help create an immersive world of felt and heart for their Pueblo audience.

“Our ability as builders and designers is vastly different from what it was seven or eight years ago,” Moosman said.

Cory Moosman was tasked with crafting the mouthplates and base heads of the 20 puppets planned for the show. Photo by Rory Harbert.

Wynot Productions still have the puppets from the 2016 run of “Avenue Q,” but are opting to remake the puppets as a challenge and a showcase of their improved skills in crafting. Photo by Rory Harbert.

“Our ability as builders and designers is vastly different from what it was seven or eight years ago.”

– Cory Moosman, Wynot Productions co-owner

Behind’s Pueblo refreshed production of the raunchy, heart’felt’ ‘Avenue Q’

Photos by Rory Harbert

Gleason was tasked with working on neck sleeves, which look like the legs of small gym shorts with its black mesh lining and white stripe of twill tape down the side for structure. According to Gleason, these are critical to puppeteering, though not as exciting to make. A neck sleeve allows for an easy access tunnel for puppeteers to slip their hands inside the puppet without fighting any loose strings, clawing through the foam body. The moisture-wicking fabric helps the puppeteers stay as cool as they can under stage lights and a puppet body on their arms.

While many of the puppets used in this production come in the most familiar form, a doll with access to a moving mouth and rods to help with gestures, Wynot Productions is not stopping at felt to add to the puppetry mayhem.

Katy Williams, president of the Rocky Mountain Puppetry Guild and a board member of Puppeteers of America, is the puppet captain for this production and is highly skilled at shadow and blacklight puppetry. Shadow puppetry uses intricately cut, dynamically posed forms against a light to cast sharp shadows in a silhouette. Blacklight puppetry uses a blacklight to obscure a black-clad puppeteer from view and allow the puppet to glow and take a life of its own to viewers.

“When we brought her on,” Gleason said.”We were like, ‘We would love to be able to bring other styles in to expand what ‘Avenue Q’ could be and really hone in on some of the things that are her specialty.’”

Wynot Productions’ first run of “Avenue Q” relied on trial-and-error, as they learned how to construct a puppet that can last multiple showings (or beatings, as Moosman and Gleason joked), which meant that they took on only the puppets required to tell the story for the project. This meant that the two of them made at least 15 puppets, six of which make up the main cast, in one month for the first time.

The 2016 production saw about 1,000 people in attendance during its run. With the acclaim of “Avenue Q,” those behind the production expect 500 to 800 more people in seats, with the Sangre de Cristo offering more seats than their previous venue in 2016. Additionally, the technical staff available to assist with the show at Sangre de Cristo is better equipped to handle a more elaborate production, and Wynot intends to make use of this opportunity.

“Even though it’s adult—hard-R at times—it’s still a good story, and really that’s all I care about,” Moosman said. “Just tell a good story. I will go along for anything, as long as it’s a good story and it’s got heart to it. It could be a production for kids, as long as there is truth in the storytelling.”

The 2016 production of “Avenue Q” was what pushed Moosman to pursue puppet-making.

Moosman aims to feed his inner “10-year-old- self” in his craft, maintaining

that wonder and joy of a child and producing works that he would like himself. He is drawn to the wacky, the heartfelt, the strange and the genuine themes of his favorite works. He cites creators such as Jim Henson and Guillermo del Toro and works like “The Thing” and “Blazing Saddles” as his inspirations. Wynot Productions’ office space reflects this whimsical draw to the successful merging of the unusual and risky with the lively and earnest storytelling champs with immense memorabilia of cherished franchises such as “Star Wars,” “The X-Files” and “The Muppets.”

This passion for storytelling coincides with his childhood interest in special effects and movie monsters. To him, these interests, including his later passion for theatre, have “circled back” inevitably to puppets and props. While Moosman has extensive experience in physical performance, he enjoys puppeteering because the focus is not on how someone looks but “it’s voice and how you perform.”

For Gleason, live theatre is an artform that can put a spotlight on talent from any place or any person, so local theatre being of lesser value is a grave misconception.

They have one request: “Come out and see something that’s being locally produced in this town.”

“I think that, theatrically, across the state, there are certain areas that get a lot of the attention, and that automatically translates to people’s minds to better talent than places that don’t get as much attention,” they said. “I think the level of talent that exists in this city, and what we’ve been able to collect together to produce a show, belies what a lot of folks think exists here. I would encourage them to come out, not to see a great show or to see a great production that’s put together well, but to see that talent, that is homegrown here in Pueblo and exists here, that blows folks away.”

This production of “Avenue Q” will have 2 p.m. matinees and 7 p.m. evening shows every Friday, Saturday and Sunday of September from Sept. 1 to Sept. 16 at the Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave.

Photo by Gregory Howell

Wynot Productions create small-scale, clay mockups of puppet characters, which are coated in latex, scanned and resized for pattern-making. These patterns are used to piece together foam that makes the base of the puppets. Photo by Rory Harbert.

Wynot Productions co-owner Sammy Gleason explains how the neck sleeve works inside a puppet and why its a critical component in the construction. Photo by Rory Harbert.

Use the QR Code below to purchase tickets or go to sdc-arts.org/exhibition/ avenue-q.

Faith-based organizations Eastside

FINDING COMMUNITY IN FAITH

The Pueblo Star Journal shares its second entry of a four-part series focusing on faith-based organizations in each cardinal direction. For August, we focus on the Eastside. Look out for our comprehensive directory on the Southside in our next issue!

Adulam Amigos De Jesus

2002 E. 11th St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-545-3811

Central Christian Church

1902 N. Hudson Ave., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-544-9822

Service: 10:00 a.m. Sunday

Christian Growth Center

1906 N. Hudson Ave., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-924-5155

Service: 9:30 a.m. Sunday (English), 2:30 p.m. Sunday (Spanish), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Iglesia Revive Church

2845 E. 11th St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-822-1350

Service: 11:30 a.m. Sunday

Gloria De Sion Church

2211 E. Fourth St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-544-0415

Good Shepherd Fellowship-Pueblo

1216 E. Beech St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-545-3872

Service: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses

2203 E. 13th St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-542-8450

The Lord’s House of Pueblo

2006 E. 11th St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-924-8405

Service: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, 6:30 p.m. Friday

Redemption @ Pueblo

1127 E. Fourth St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-369-4048

St. Leander Church

1402 E. Seventh St., Pueblo CO, 81001 719-544-8411

St Anne’s Catholic Church

2701 E. 12th St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-545-2644

Tabernacle Baptist Church

2002 E. Eighth St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-545-4043

Service: 10:45 a.m. Sunday

Trinity Life Center

36 Merritt Court, Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-543-7000

Service: 10:00 a.m. Sunday

Park Hill Christian Church

1401 E Seventh St., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-544-6349

Service: 10:30 a.m. Sunday

Victory World Outreach Pueblo 1316 US-50, Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-564-7435

The Vineyard of Pueblo

1320 N. Kingston Ave., Pueblo, CO, 81001 719-696-9646

Service: 10:00 a.m. Sunday

DID WE MISS YOUR ORGANIZATION?

submit to: faith@pueblostarjournal.org

Photo courtesy of Pueblo Shares

Pueblo’s Veterans’ Voice

Each month, Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center in Pueblo will feature a veteran and their military experience — and how they continue to serve after transitioning from the military.

Meet Michael Sumida, a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Army veteran and Mt. Carmel volunteer. Sumida has been married for 47 years and lives in Pueblo, 10 houses from four of his six grandchildren.

Tell us a little about your military career.

I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1974 with a degree in aerospace engineering. I was a member of the National Champion Parachute team and served in Special Forces. I was a pilot and flew as part of the Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission, Desert Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. I received the Bronze Star with valor and have Air Force Parachutist Wings with more than 600 federal jumps. I retired 16 years ago, and then worked at Lockheed Martin for 16 years.

What was your experience transitioning from the military?

I had no transition issues going from military active duty (from 1974 - 1980) to civilian life. I separated and was immediately hired into Martin Marietta Space Systems Company in Littleton, Colorado, using my aerospace engineering degree on various space programs. I simultaneously flew in the Air Force Reserves from 1983 to 2007.

How are you involved with Mt. Carmel?

Veteran volunteer support is a key part of my retired life. Mt Carmel has been a great benefit for Pueblo veterans and has provided another avenue for me to be involved with veteran support. I consider Mt Carmel to be one of the best veteran support organizations in Pueblo.

What benefits did you gain from military service?

Learning detailed planning. In combat, it is best to be prepared in detail, including for possible unplanned events. I was also given training, responsibility and experience to command people (1,600 in a Combat Air Wing) and get complicated things done (Commanding a daily schedule of 20+ combat missions a day in Afghanistan and sustaining a self-contained city that included base security, air traffic control, housing, power, civil engineering, transportation, medical including surgery capability, food, aircraft maintenance, fuel for those daily missions, communication, legal, contracts, laundry, personnel welfare, etc.) Being a wing com-

Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center spotlights: ‘Michael Sumida’

MT. CARMEL REACHES VETERANS

Mt. Carmel Veteran Services Center in Pueblo started in 2021 to expand outreach from Colorado Springs to the Steel City’s 14,000 veterans. Today, it works with partners across the spectrum to meet the individual needs of every veteran who needs services — from employment assistance to behavioral health support.

And it’s not just the big things that Mt. Carmel can help with. One veteran needed new truck tires; Mt. Carmel was there. Another needed a wheelchair ramp; Mt. Carmel responded. From services large and small, Mt. Carmel strives to serve those who served our country.

mander is like being a city manager and combat commander at the same time.

Do you have any advice for service members seeking to leave the military?

Get an education that will get you a job before you separate, not in a panic right before separating. Figure out what you want to do before you separate from the military. Make a plan. If you separate before the 20-year point, I highly recommend joining the Reserves or National Guard. Stay in contact with those who have gotten out and get advice and discuss your plans with them before getting out.

In June, the nonprofit organization expanded its partnership with UCHealth’s Next Chapter, a state-funded wellness program designed to reduce stress and anxiety from life’s challenges to reduce the veteran suicide rate. In its first year in Colorado Springs, the veteran suicide rate dropped nine percent — a proven success. The goal is to duplicate that success in Pueblo and save the lives of those who sacrificed on behalf of the nation.

To learn about the full spectrum of services available at Mt. Carmel in Pueblo, go to veteranscenter.org and click on the Pueblo link. To reach out to someone in Pueblo, please call Sal Katz at 719-309-4719 or 719-360-6567. He can be reached via email at skatz@mtcarmelcenter.org.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR PUEBLO VETERANS:

August 5

CSU-P Poker Run & Veterans Upward Bound

Starts at Pueblo Community College and ends at CSU-P Pavilion. For more information, contact 575-528-8705.

August 8

La Junta Veterans Affairs Regional Office holds Southeast Colorado PACT briefing.

August 9

Deadline to apply for PACT Act

Contact veteran service officer, Eric Moncibais at Pueblo County for more information.

August 11

Military Affairs Committee meeting

8:30-9:30 a.m., second Friday of every month, 302 N. Santa Fe Ave.

August 25

State Fair Parade.

10 a.m. Downtown Pueblo.

For information about participating in the parade, call Terri Kallish at 719-542-1704. August 25-Sept. 4: Colorado State Fair, 1001 Beulah Ave, (Aug. 25-Sept. 4).

August 26

Sangre De Cristo art expression program

For more information and to register, go to sdc-arts.org.

August 30

Celebrate end of chemical munitions in Pueblo Chemical Depot.

2 p.m. Pueblo Convention Center.

August 31

Deadline to participate in the American Legion Post #2 Homeless Veterans Standdown Scheduled for Sept. 29.Email: jem.amlpost02@outlook.com.

Michael Sumida

Air Force Academy & Army veteran

Photo courtesy of Mt. Carmel

ARTS & CRAFTS

Wesley Rummage Sale

8-a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 4-5, Wesley United Methodist Church, 85 Stanford Ave.

Beulah Arts and Crafts Festival

10 a.m.-8 p.m., Aug. 4-6, Beulah School of Natural Sciences, 8734 Schoolhouse Lane

Books Again Half-Off Summer Sale

Friends of the Library Members only Aug. 10, general public Aug. 11-12, Books Again, 622 S. Union Ave. Info: booksagain-pueblo.com

Colorado State Fair

Aug. 25-Sept. 4, 1001 Beulah Ave. Info: coloradostatefair.com

INKWELL: Analogue’s Creative Writing Open Mic

7-9 p.m., second Thursdays, Analogue Books & Records, 216 N. Main St.

HISTORY

Celebrating All Things Slovene

Extended through Dec. 22, Pueblo Heritage Museum, 201 W. B St.

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

10 a.m.-4 p.m daily through April 1, 2024, 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.

SOUTHERN COLORADO FASHION AT BLO BACK GALLERY.

Photos by Rory Harbert & Gregory Howell

Info: pwam.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. Wednesdays, 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

Live Music Fridays

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

Karaoke Night at The Fallout with KJ Mikey D.

9-11:30 p.m. Fridays, 1227 S. Prairie Ave. Info: facebook.com/PuebloFallout

Alt Night at Analogue

7-9 p.m. last Saturdays at Analogue Books & Records, 216 N. Main St.

FOOD

Pueblo Farmers Market

7 a.m.-noon Fridays, Mineral Palace Park, 1600 N. Santa Fe Ave.

8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through September, Pueblo Mall, 3429 Dillon Drive (JCPenney parking lot)

Food Truck Union

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays through October, Mineral Palace Park, 1600 N. Santa Fe Ave.

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays through October, City Park, 800 Goodnight Ave. Info: facebook.com/thefoodtruckunion

WELLNESS

Trauma Informed Yoga: six-week series

6-7 p.m. Fridays July 14-Aug. 18, Ren Yoga Flow, 110 W. Fifth St. Info: renyogaflow.com

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@srda.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

Wellbriety 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. last Wednesday of each month, Phoenix Massage, 105 W. 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 Pavilion, 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

AUGUST

Aug. 4 - Friday

First Friday: Latka & Razo

5-9 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com

Aug. 5 - Saturday

Rainbows & Revolutions Exhibit Opening

5-8 p.m., El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union Ave.

Info: calendar.time.ly/63iq9y15/event/el-pueb-

lo-history-museum-rainbows-revolutions-exhibit-opening

Spyderland, Church Fire and guests live

6:30-9 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St.

Info: blobackgallery.com

Cody Cozz and Dan Marshall

7:30 p.m., Pueblo Ice Arena & Events Center, 100 N. Grand Ave.

Info: puebloicearena.com

Aug. 11 - Friday

Summer Fun Days with Girl Scouts: Princess Tea Party

12:30-1:30 p.m. Aug. 11, Rawlings Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave. Pride Prom

6-10 p.m., The Ethos, 615 E. Mesa Ave. Info: ethospueblo.com

Underground Improv

6:30-9 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com

RAINBOWS & REVOLUTIONS EXHIBIT AT EL PUEBLO HISTORY MUSEUM.

Photos courtesy of El Pueblo History Museum

Aug. 12 - Saturday

IDEA Con 2023

Aug. 12, Rawlings Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave.

Info: pueblolibrary.org/ideacon

Paint Your Inner God/dess

11 a.m.-1 p.m., Karmic Konnection, 125 E. Abriendo Ave.

Info: karmickonnection.com

Connect with Your Spiritual Realm

2-3:30 p.m., Karmic Konnection, 125 E. Abriendo Ave.

Info: karmickonnection.com

DJ Sinistarr live

9-11:45 p.m., Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St.

Info: $11 presale at blobackgallery.com, $15 at the door

Aug. 15 - Tuesday

New Moon Breathwork & Gong

7-9 p.m. Aug. 15, Ren Yoga Flow, 110 W. Fifth St.

Aug. 16 - Wednesday

Pueblo West Chamber luncheon

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 16, Pueblo Convention Center, 320 Central Main St.

Info: puebloconventioncenter.com

Aug. 17 - Thursday

Author Meet and Greet: G.G. Walker, ‘Someone to Believe In’

Author presentation 1 p.m. at Rawlings Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave.

7-9:15 p.m, Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St.

Info: blobackgallery.com, $6 at the door

Aug. 18 - Friday

Summer Fun Days with Girl Scouts: ‘My Little Pony’

12:30-1:30 p.m. Aug. 18, Rawlings Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave.

Blue Tongue funk power trio and It’s a Trade Thing live

6:30-9 p.m, Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com, $10 at the door/online

Song of Pueblo

7 p.m., Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave.

Info: www.sdc-arts.org/performances

Aug. 19 - Saturday

The Fool’s Journey class

10:30 a.m.-noon, Karmic Konnection, 125 E. Abriendo Ave.

Info: karmickonnection.com

Pueblos Cortez and guests

Book signing

2:15 p.m., Books Again, 622 S. Union Ave.

Info: booksagain-pueblo.com

PID Tour launch show (punk)

7-9:30 p.m, Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: blobackgallery.com, $10 at the door (all ages)

Aug. 20 - Sunday

George Strickland Artist Workshop

“THE FOOL’S JOURNEY” CLASS AT KARMIC KONNECTION.

Photos courtesy of Karmic Konnection

Noon, Yellow Pine Ranch, 15880 CO-12, La Veta

Aug. 25 - Friday

Jeffrey Dallet Live Music at Analogue Records

7-9 p.m. Aug. 25, Analogue Books & Records, 216 N. Main St.

Aug. 26 - Saturday

Opening & Expanding the Heart: A Transformational Workshop

10 a.m.-5 p.m., Karmic Konnection, 125 E. Abriendo Ave. Info: karmickonnection.com

Southern Colorado Fashion Fall Showcase and after party

6-10 p.m, Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St. Info: southerncoloradofashion.com, $15

Legislative BBQ

5-8 p.m., Colorado State Fairgrounds, 1001 Beulah Ave.

Aug. 30 - Wednesday

Honoring our Commitment: Chemical Weapons Stockpile Destruction Complete in Colorado

2 p.m. Aug. 30, Pueblo Convention Center, Fortino Ballroom, 320 Central Main St. Info: www.peoacwa.army.mil

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 15 - Friday

Kip Moore with special guests The Cadillac Three

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

Sept. 21 - Thursday

Travis Tritt with special guest Cody Cozz

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

Sept. 22 - Friday

29th annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival

3 p.m.-midnight Sept. 22, 10 a.m.-midnight Sept. 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 24, Downtown Pueblo along Union Avenue Info: pueblochilefestival.com

Sept. 23 - Saturday

Rob Schneider: The Narcissist Confessions

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

Sept. 30 - Saturday

Pueblopalooza

Noon-9 p.m. Sept. 30, Analogue Books & Records, 216 N. Main St. Info: analoguepueblo.com Info: pueblomemorialhall.com

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