Issuu

YEAR IN REVIEW 4 | #NEWSCONEEDS 6 | JAVAS 10 | CSU PRESIDENT 19

Vol. 2 No. 11

DECEMBER 1, 2023

• DIG DEEPER •

A YEAR IN REVIEW Eleven issues. Three printers. One office. Nearly 112,000 Puebloans to serve.

PSJ’s second volume wraps up: reflecting on 12 months of Pueblo reporting as 2023 comes to a close

By Ben Cason

s we anticipate another ball drop announcing the new year, the Pueblo Star Journal reflects on the adventure that was 2023. There have been trials and triumphs, and we thank you Pueblo for going on that adventure with us. We announced plans to resurrect the PSJ in October 2021 with the goal of adding another platform for Puebloans to turn to in order to stay informed about their community. The community consisted of more than 150,000 people — yet, there was only one newspaper. Beginning in March to October 2022 the PSJ produced the first volume of the newspaper. Since the start, the issues were monthly, free and full of great stories informing the Pueblo community. They were dropped off to our pick-up locations around Pueblo for readers to enjoy. In October, the PSJ team underwent some changes, as new opportunities arose for some of the founders, during a seminal period for the newspaper. We took a break in producing our monthly papers until February to reconfigure our goals and plans in the upcoming year. Gregory Howell, the chairman of the Board of Directors for the PSJ said on our inaugural podcast: “It’s been an amazing journey and I’ve been trying to find a word, and the word that comes to mind is ‘reboot.’” I joined the team at the start of the new year. The board of directors and advisory board for the PSJ had a heart for Pueblo that could not be stopped. News is a hard business to start something and keep it going into 2023. The opportunity was there to move on from the PSJ, but the passion for our community couldn’t be quenched. Over the last year we have been proud to pro-

duce the second volume of our newspaper and dig deeper.

Volume 2

We expanded our offerings in 2023 with the launch of many new initiatives. Our emphasis has been on community listening and connecting with new partners in Pueblo. One of our major successes was getting a physical office space, moving into suite 101 of the Pueblo Economic Development Corp’s Business and Technology Center, located at 301 N Main St. This allowed us to have a base for our community to reach out to us, which proved its usefulness many times throughout the year. In February, we launched the “First Friday Art Guide” which sits directly in the middle of nearly every issue of volume 2. This guide can be pulled out of the paper and connect you with our arts scene in Pueblo. Our guide has events listings, First Friday location hubs, information on the Van Gogh Van and stories highlighting Pueblo’s magnificent art scene. We debuted the Performing Arts Review Squad in that same issue. Squad manager Kristen Skye Hoffman set up a team of local theatre-makers to attend each other’s plays and write a review, documenting the play in the paper as well as spotlighting a thriving niche in Pueblo’s art scene. The team promotes all performing arts in Pueblo and establishes lines of connection between different theater groups to the benefit of participating members and readers alike. Our health columnist debuted “Thrive! with Rachel” in February. In every issue, Fit Instincts CEO and wellness coordinator Rachel Kutskill has written about how we can increase quality of YEAR IN REVIEW continued on page 4

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Reporting is a balancing act: judging the worth of a story n the 1950s sitcom “I Love Lucy,” there is by its timeliness and how to an iconic scene where Lucille Ball’s titular best serve it with what will be character and her friend Ethel start working left behind with shifting the at a candy factory. attention to it. It is important, “I think we are fighting a losing game,” Lucy for both reporters and those says as she stuffs her mouth and pockets with who benefit from the news, to chocolate, coming all too quickly for the pair remember that, in the chaos to wrap neatly and place back on the conveyor of it all, news comes through belt. Rory Harbert that line. Reporting the news in the modern day often A moment of reflection acPSJ arts & news editor feels like a race to keep up with the onslaught knowledges the wins, the sucof news to serve the community, the future and cesses and the hard work done history in the making. by our community, who are the creators of the news It is easy to become so in the present, especially and whose interviews and insights help us to craft with this new evolution of journalism often run by these stories and shine light on truth; our contribuunderstaffed newsrooms, overstretched reporters tors whose perspectives feed our curiosity and open and underfunded papers, that it is easy to feel like up the conversation to different ideas; our PSJ, made something is missing or something has been neup of staff, board members, columnists, cartoonists, glected but having to press on anyway. What’s next? advertisers, reporters and all those who have worked What about next month? Did that get covered? Is towards this project thus far. there enough time? But, ultimately, reflection acknowledges the PSJ’s Sometimes though, I like to savor that chocolate. strongest ally: you. The one that marches on, that makes it back on the You: the person who has listened to our venture belt to be packed away and sent off to a store, onto into podcasting, our dip into broadcast, who has a shelf, into a basket and in the pocket of some indiread Volume 2, our previous issues, our articles or vidual happy to have a sweet for later.

GUEST COLUMN

even just this far into this one. You, having supported us on social media, made a donation, bought one of our mugs, bought an ad or visited us at our booth or office. It is this support, no matter how small or large, that keeps us writing history in the making, giving the voice to the voiceless, inciting action and change and uplifting the people who keep pushing Pueblo forward. So keep the conveyor going. Push it faster! We have people with a mighty sweet tooth to keep us going.

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Like a box of chocolates

PSJ arts & news editor reflects writing for a small paper in big ‘news cycle’ world

Flip to page 6 to find more details on how to support the PSJ. OR donate at pueblostarjournal.org/ donate.

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

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

Contributors: Patsy Kate Booth, Beth Bricker Davis, Kristen Skye Hoffman, Rachel Kutskill, Kyle Laws, Gary Markstein, Jocelyn Martinez, Amy Gillentine Sweet, Karen Wallace Special thanks to: Al “Pama” Maisel, Books Again, CHFA, Creek Week Cleanup, Colorado Media Project, CSU Pueblo, Damon Runyon Days, Historic Pueblo Star Journal, Karmic Konnection, Leigh Kite, Pueblo Zoo, Photography by Lyss, SRDA, Sure Lock Locksmith Looking for a meaningful cause to round out your charitable contributions for the tax year? Look no further than the Pueblo Star Journal and support local news. Rational Media Ltd dba Pueblo Star Journal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Make your donation by Dec. 31 to ensure that it can be deducted from this year’s taxes. EIN: ‍87-2723921 | Pueblo, CO, United States. Send donation checks to: Pueblo Star Journal 301 N Main St, Suite 101 Pueblo CO 81003.

or donate online: PuebloStarJournal.org/Donate

Illustration by Gary Markstein.

Photo by Ben Cason

DECEMBER 1, 2023

continued from page 1

Reaching out to the community is one of the many ways the PSJ works to connect meaningful with its current and future readers. Photo by Ben Cason.

YEAR IN REVIEW

life with ideas, outings, adventures, tools and many other wellness methods with a holistic approach. This includes the PSJ Happiness Index, which rates suggestions in the Thrive column to maintain quality and consideration of these tips. Alongside this column, local chef Jocelyn Martinez created monthly recipes for readers to try in line with her business Soul Smile and its motto of health and wellness. We partnered with the Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center in July to create Pueblo Veterans’ Voice. This column allows veterans to share their stories and for veteran events to be shared for the Home of Heroes. Amy Gillentine Sweet

of Mt. Carmel has taken the lead on writing the column. Additionally, The PSJ added the Poet Corner, which allows local poets to share their work and connect with readers. We also created an extensive faithbased organization listing directory. With all of these community connections added, the newspaper has expanded to a consistent 32-page offering. This allows us to write longer form stories that are more timeless in nature. We believe in the power of good writing and look to provide top quality journalism for Pueblo. Our small team writes consistently. We contract freelance Pueblo journalists and photographers for quality, local work. The year brought the launch of podcasting to the PSJ, another of pillar of news for our community. We launched the Voices of Pueblo podcast in order to dig deeper on our cover stories. We thought offering an audio component would help not only expand our coverage, but reach people who do not get their news consistently from print. We have recorded episodes on Bridey Murphy, the hypnotizzy of the 1950’s. We dove in with Jimmie Dunn, iconic southern Colorado climber. We even spoke with members of the Pueblo Chemical Depot team about the project of destroying the United States’ last mustard gas stock, processed in Pueblo. This is only naming a few of the brilliant audio stories we were able to tell. We launched “45 Degrees,” a mini series zooming in on the Pueblo Levee Mural Project. We spoke with the artists about the entire process of designing, applying for and then painting their murals. They have to paint on a 45-degree slope on the levee over the Arkansas river, leading to incredible stories of overcoming obstacles. For the first time the PSJ created a sports podcast called Pueblo Star Sports, which looked into the high school and college games in town at a deeper level. We have created a podcast studio in our Main Street office that is available to book for your podcasting needs. This opens up the opportunity for the PSJ to be a major hub for Pueblo audio storytelling. In 2023, we were fortunate to be a part of the Hearken Engaged Elections cohort, which was a collaboration of newsrooms working towards improving election coverage. We created the Your Voice, Your Vote campaign which will expand further in 2024, focusing on young voters. With the guidance and the motivation of the cohort opportunity, we recorded podcasts with all of the mayoral candidates on the ballot to discuss the issues that mattered most to the Pueblo community. Our podcast miniseries was created to help inform the community and change the way we cover elections. We also created a helpful election guide in our November issue, the only time we interrupted the First Friday guide, highlighting how to vote and what the issues were on the ballot. “Reboot” was the word Gregory chose in January to describe where the PSJ was moving, and in 2023 we were able to create many new endeavors. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken, but even in the successes we had struggle. In May, I wrote an article on the hard work the Pueblo Chieftain Commercial Printing Press staff was doing for southern Colorado news. They were printing for over 60 newspapers, including the PSJ. Just one month after the article was published, Gannett announced they were shutting down the printing press. We were put into a situation where we needed to scramble to find somewhere to print our newspapers. Thankfully, we have worked out a solution by printing in Sante Fe, New Mexico. But the closure of the press in Pueblo has been a major obstacle.

Check out the Voices of Pueblo podcast as we discuss our Year in Review. voicesofpueblo.podbean.com or use the QR code on the back page of this issue. Listen on any platform!

How you can help

In September, the PSJ announced its official recognition as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. We are committed to chronicling the Pueblo community—and doing so without a paywall. We are steadfast in our belief in providing a print newspaper, as well as expanding further into digital platforms. Even though we do not charge for our newspaper, that does not mean we do not need your help. We are a small team who loves this community and are working to be a community asset. Please help us in that mission if you can. You can support our journalism this holiday season, to help us chronicle the Pueblo community while championing accountability, stimulating curiosity and supporting connections. We are so thankful and excited to be a part of the Colorado Media Project’s matching gift campaign for 2023. From November 28 to December 31, CMP will match new monthly donations or double one-time gifts up to $1,000 for a total of $5,000 in matching funds. Your dollar will go a long way this holiday season to help us keep going and expanding.

Most excitingly, we are working towards expanding into broadcast. In the same way not everyone gets their news from print, we acknowledge that audio is not always the alternative. We are working to create video content that is usable on a broadcast and in quick-form social media platforms like TikTok The importance of local journalism cannot be overstated. It is what keeps our community informed and connected, day after day, and is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Pueblo is too big of a city to only have one platform for its voices. You can help us give a voice to others in our community. We took major steps in 2023, you can help us do more in 2024. Give today to strengthen our local news in Pueblo. We need your help! “It really was this heart of the community that was beating for this publication to continue in a manner which was genuine and authentic,”our board director said on our first podcast. This is a paper created by Puebloans for Puebloans, and we thank you for making us a part of your 2023.

DECEMBER 1, 2023

With the new initiatives and expansion of our staff in 2023, we are in a spot where we are scraping by financially. We are so thankful for our advertisers and community partners for their support of nonprofit news in Pueblo.

To support the PSJ, flip to page 6 to find more details on #newsCOneeds and a donation slip. You can also donate at pueblostarjournal.org/donate.

Our goals for 2024

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

We have goals in 2024 to expand our election coverage to a citywide campaign to encourage young Puebloans to vote. We are working on the production of the Pueblo Food Guide, which will highlight food by neighborhood. The Dig, a lecture series on the history of Pueblo, will return through our efforts. Podcasting will continue to expand as we create the Pueblo Podcast Directory and offer rental of our podcast space to uplift more voices.

DECEMBER 1, 2023

DECEMBER 1, 2023 The Pueblo Star Journal was created in the early 20th century and printed until 1984. These historic pictures of the PSJ’s campaign around their improvements to the printing press in 1903 were designed reach more readers through new technology. We are doing the same in 2023 as we look to new technologies and platforms to share local news coverage and to meet people where they are. Photos courtesy of the historic PSJ files.

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

Pics from the past

The origins of the Pueblo Star Journal

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Mayoral runoff race

T received: 21% of votes. total: 5,604 votes.

Nick Gradisar

Heather Graham

Incumbent mayor, city council president face off in January election: PSJ expands on podcast episodes

received: 22.6% of votes. total: 6,073 votes.

By Ben Cason

he race for Pueblo mayor is headed for a January runoff election between the top two candidates on January 23, 2024. The candidates will be incumbent Nick Gradisar and Pueblo City Council President Heather Graham. Graham received 22 percent of the votes, to lead the class of nine candidates. Gradisar finished second with 21 percent of the votes. Since no candidate reached 50 percent of the total vote there will be a runoff election. Chris Nicoll finished third with 13 percent of the votes. Randy Thurston and Dennis Flores rounded out the top five with 12 percent of the vote each. Regina Maestri, Larry Atencio, Tom Croshal and Deryk Trujillo failed to reach 10 percent. 23,839 votes were received, 33.24% of the registered voters in Pueblo. Mark Aliff won the City Council At Large seat with 43 percent of the vote. Brandon Martin had 33 percent of the vote and Elvis Martinez had 24 percent, neither of whom will be on the City Council this year. Joe Latino won a close race for the City Council District 2 vote, he had 34 percent of the total vote. Tom Carrigan, Gerald Pete Madrid and Samuel Hernandez Jr. were able to top 20 percent of the votes, but didn’t defeat Latino. Roger Gomez claimed the City Council’s District 4 seat, defeating the incumbent Vicente Martinez Ortega with 59 percent of the vote. Ortega had the remaining 41 percent. With the runoff race coming for the Pueblo Mayor election, we look at some of the answers Heather Graham and Nick Gradisar gave in their podcasts recorded by the Pueblo Star Journal. You can listen to the full episodes now on your favorite podcast platform!

CRIME

Gradisar: We’re trying to hire more police officers since I’ve been the mayor, I’ve hired 70 new police officers. We’re still about 50 police officers short. Since January 1 of this year, we have increased the starting pay for patrol officers by 28 percent. So you can now make more as a police officer in the city of Pueblo than you can in Colorado Springs, we hope that will attract people to be police officers. Police officers are sort of the key to keeping crime down because now with the shortage of officers we have, they’re just sort of running from call to call, don’t have a chance to be proactive, if you will. Although we have established a DICE team, two DICE teams, which is two officers each that are proactive. They don’t respond to calls all day long. They go out and interact with the homeless people, people on the streets with the business people and try to be a little more proactive. We’ve also, because of the shortage, set up SOS program where instead of sending some officers to respond to certain calls, we send a mental health professional, an EMT and a peer to somebody who for instance might be sleeping in the park. You know, you don’t need a police officer to respond to that call. They can take care of the serious calls, but somebody’s got to go out there. So this team was established about six weeks ago. Graham: Right now we’re down about 60 cops, or we’ll be down about 60 cops by the end of the year. So on the City Council, I’ve worked on several initiatives to try to incentivize and recruit police officers. But I think our biggest problem that we have is it takes a long time to hire cops. You know, right now we’re hiring for the May Academy. So, you know, we’re six to eight months out before we’ve been hiring to get people on the street. This year we’ve only graduated and hired five officers. And so I think we need to make the process faster. We have a Civil Service Commission, and that does take up a lot of time. I think we’re one of only three cities that has a civil Service Commission on this side of the Mississippi. So I think that we really need to look and see if that’s hurting us more than it’s helping us. And I think we have to do a mass hiring of police officers right off the bat.

HOMELESSNESS

Gradisar: Homelessness in Pueblo is a complicated problem. The actual number of homeless hasn’t increased that much in the last four years. I think the last count I saw was that in the HMIS system, the number was actually down. The agencies are required to keep track of the numbers, but the point in time count between 2021 and 2023, I think the number of homeless people just increased by 30 people. So this idea that homelessness is doubling, tripling every

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Gradisar: We’re working with developers. One of the things we did that I

DECEMBER 1, 2023

think, it won’t happen overnight, but it’ll have an effect on housing as we pass the vacant property registration system. So that if you have a house that nobody lives in for more than 30 days in a year, you have to register it with the city. And if you don’t you’ve got to pay a fine. So it’s about $1000 a year you have to pay to keep that house vacant. I don’t want them to be kept vacant because they’re, you know, the ones there in our old neighborhoods are boarded up. Homeless people break into them. They set them on fire and they create a nuisance in the neighborhood. So we’re putting these liens on the houses. We’re offering those liens for sale to the public. You’ll see another 25 of those liens come up here in the next couple of weeks I hope. We’re hoping they’ll buy the liens, foreclose the liens, they’ll become the owners of the property. And they’ll be able to go in and rehab the property that the current owner hasn’t been willing to do. The other thing we’re exploring at this point is taking some money and actually going out and buying those houses from some of these owners and US hiring contractors that can go in and rehab them for some of these houses for $150,000-$200,000. You can turn them into pretty nice living quarters if you have the wherewithal to do that. Graham: I would like to see some kind of property tax rebate go back to landlords that have dilapidated buildings that they’re trying to get rid of, or houses. So they get a little something for being able to provide housing for a lower cost. We know that the poverty level is very high. In Pueblo, you have a lot of generational poverty. And so I think it’s really focusing on people that own these houses that don’t have anybody living in them, and trying to incentivize them to either fix them up or sell them at a cost to allow somebody else to fix them up. The county collects property tax, but the city gets a portion of it and that goes into our budget. And so if we look at ways to give, you know, tax rebates to people who are willing to sell their property to the city to rehab it, to transfer to urban renewal, to build, you know, workforce housing or whatever kind of housing they want to build on it. And I think that that’s where you can start.

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

year. That’s just not true. One of the things that we found in Pueblo, is that the number one condition that are afflicting the homeless people here is a mental health disorder. That’s above drug addiction, above alcohol addiction, above physical disabilities. It’s a mental health disorder. And I think that we’ve got to get more aggressive on our mental health outreach and get some of these people treatment for their mental illnesses before we’re going to make a real dent in the homeless problem. Unless they’re in touch with reality, you can put them in a house or an apartment. They’re not going to stay there. They’ll tear it up. You’ve got to get them back in touch with reality. And it’s unfortunate that our civil mental health system has sort of deteriorated. We closed all the beds at the Mental Health Institute Parkview just earlier this year. They closed their health wards. So we’re hoping that we can get some of those beds reopened so that we have a place to take people and get them back on their medications and get them stabilized so that they’re able to live. Graham: We have a significant problem with the homeless, it’s kind of touching every neighborhood now, I don’t think that our current shelter that we have is adequate. It only has 90 beds in it and with the amount of homeless individuals that we have on the street, I don’t think that that’s sufficient. And so I’d like to erect temporary shelters, where people are able to get resources that they need in a quick manner in one location. If we come across resource resistant individuals, I think that we need to hold them civically accountable and say you have to take what we’re offering you, or you need to move on your way. or eventually you’re going to have to face some kind of consequence. I mean,if you or I were on the street smoking meth or, you know, whatever, It would be a problem. And I think that we need to hold civic accountability to all. And it’s about pushing people to be better. We want puebloans to be better, so let’s help them to help them get on track.

DECEMBER 1, 2023

A new evolution brews

By Rory Harbert

he smell of tea leaves brewing and the rich oil of coffee wafts through a communal space. A murmur of conversation, hushed to not disturb the balance of peace and productivity, goes hand-in-hand with the aroma. Behind the counter, a person seems to conjure exactly what the patron needs to keep working or stay sane. Did a library or a cafe come to mind? The team behind the Pueblo City-County Library District recognized how the two spaces go hand-in-hand, making sure, when planning the now-completed renovation project, to include a coffee shop on the main level of the Robert Hoag Rawlings Library, at 100 E Abriendo Ave. Five months after the original shop had to withdraw from the well-marketed cafe space, another local business has taken up the mantle. Mindy Collins, the owner Gypsy Javas, an already established coffee shop located down the block from the library at 119 Broadway Ave., applied to the open call to fill in the position.

Becoming the “Library Cafe”

About two months after renovations were officially completed, the locally-owned coffee shop, PJ’s Coffee, announced that it would be closing. After the announcement library staff would stop at the Broadway location of Gypsy Javas. According to Collins, they would ask her to put in a bid for the space. “That kind of was a first push of ‘maybe it’s a good time to see,’” she said. “It was the right timing, it was the right path… with having the best support that I could have at the coffee shop at the time. For the staff to basically step in and run it for me, while I was over here for the month of October, getting it up and ready to open.” The staff at each of the locations are equipped to work the front and back of the house, meaning that each hire can make pastries, serve coffee and any other task for the cafes. “We do as much as possible from scratch,” Collins said. “All of our baked goods were made from scratch at the coffee shop. So we continue that here at the library. We use quality ingredients with our coffee and our flavorings and syrups, and we’ve just continued that here, and our customer service as well.” The expansion to the library is just that: an extension of the values and service from the Broadway location to the Rawlings. “Everything that we had in a nutshell at the coffee shop we’ve brought here to the library,” she said, “We think we’ve created such a community in the coffee shop that just expanding here to the same neighborhood and reaching more people made sense for us.”

New names, new places, same service

In terms of branding, the library location is its own entity: as “The Library Cafe.” Pivoting from the marketing PJ’s Coffee had from the Library, which was clearly branded as a PJ’s establishment, PCCLD took the opportunity to create a unique marketing campaign for its own white-label coffee shop of sorts. The new agreement still includes partnering with an existing company but using PCCLD branding instead. “[The Library Café] is how we really want people to recognize it,” Collins said. “We put Gypsy Javas on there so people would know that they’re getting the same quality and customer service and care that they get at the coffee shop.” The Library Cafe is not the only location to get a rebrand. Collins shared with the Pueblo Star Journal that she will be renaming and rebranding Gypsy Javas. She has not settled on a name yet, with three names still in the running, but

A month after launching Library cafe, coffee shop owner shares expansion journey a formal announcement will take place at the start of the year. “It’s just kind of scary, especially if you have thousands of cups with a logo and a name,” Collins said. Collins’ business was not always her own. Started by two women, bought by Collins and her then-husband, and is now solely hers. Through all these changes, the name stayed. Collins said the change “makes sense.” “Now that it’s fully my own, and we’re expanding and growing, not just with the library but with the shop as well, it’s time to really make it my own,” she said. According to the AsThe Pueblo Library Cafe opened at the start of November, launching the new logo for the space with it. Photo by Rory Harbert. sociated Press, reporters are advised not to use the word “gypsy” as it is an offensive term used to refer to the Romani people. The word is often used to generally describe “free spirits,” or those who “wander freely.” The connection stems from the Romani people and their traditional roots of traveling across Europe. The group has faced discrimination and persecution throughout history, often because of this lifestyle and culture. Collins is aware of the controversy surrounding the name. “A lot of people refer to it as just the coffee shop, or ‘let’s meet at Javas,’ you know?,” she said. “And that’s completely understandable. I know everyone has their beliefs and feel on it, and I hope that people can just continue to focus not on the name, but more on the quality of service and products that they are receiving and hopefully that they will be excited as much as I am to make it my own.”

Starting established

When Collins first looked towards opening a business in Pueblo, it was clear that going with an already established shop like Javas was an ideal scenario. Collins graduated from culinary school in 2006 and then owned and operated an up-scale, fast-casual restaurant in Boulder for four years. Afterwards, she was a pastry chef for three and a half years. She and her ex-husband were living in Denver, where she was doing consulting work for new businesses in the food industry, when she had her twin boys. Collins and her family moved to Pueblo from Denver because she had family that lived here. “After the boys were born, I knew that I needed to be closer to them,” she said. Collins compared finding her coffee shop like a movie “meet-cute” as Javas was listed at $2.4 million on the real estate listing, which Collins swore had to be a misprint. Convinced, she reached out to the owners despite the price being entirely out of budget. Her instincts were correct. Javas started as a joint business venture by two women, who had run the shop

Growing alongside a business

In 2022, Collins became the sole proprietor of the business, when she and her husband split. Collins said that both of them had put in a lot of time and effort into Javas together. She said that the shop made it through the pandemic, “largely due to our staff and our customers” but also through their joint effort towards the business’ success. “He’s still here, and we co-parent our boys,” she said. “We have a really great relationship. He works remotely, which is really nice because he gets to spend time just with the boys, which was really important to us.” It was clear that for the next phase in the coffee shop’s evolution that, with her passion for culinary arts and hospitality, she would be the one to continue with the coffee shop. “Last year was a big transition, but I feel so lucky because I honestly have been blessed with the most amazing, amazing staff,” she said. “I mean, since the day we purchased it with the existing staff to the new staff and our current staff, we have just had amazing people work for. I’ve been really lucky that I currently have an amazing, amazing staff to allow me to expand and grow the business. That they care just about they care just as much as I do about what’s in that drink and what’s on that plate and the quality and care that goes into each thing that we make. And I think that’s what really sets us apart.” Collins has been working towards tailoring the business—that was once another’s and then a joint venture—into her own, starting with cultivating an unique menu with her team of chefs, bakers and baristas. “We’ve really created our own niche from the coffee that we source from, Coda Coffee, to the drinks and the flavors and the syrups that we’ve created,” she said. The breakfast and lunch menus have also been refreshed since the original owner’s menu. Throughout her career, Collins learned the value of mentorship. “I love baking, and I learned so much on the pastry side of things,” she said. “I had some great mentors and people who not only continued my education in cooking, but actually took me under their wing and fostered that.” One of Collins’ most recent hires, pastry chef Rain Pavasko, has played a huge role in crafting the menu at the Rawlings location. Pavasko moved to Pueblo from Georgia at the start of November. He contacted Collins with his resume and came by with samples of his work: a variety of kolaches, a Polish or Czecho-

DECEMBER 1, 2023

slovakian pastry treat that can have sweet or savory fillings. “I knew instantly it was something that Pueblo would love because we don’t have kolaches here—definitely not on a regular basis,” Collins said. Collins fell in love with his kolaches and added it to the Rawlings menu with Pavasko tailored the traditional pastry for the clientele’s palate. “Traditional kolaches are fun,” he said. “But I quickly noticed people at the library were not interested as much in the traditional-shaped kolaches.” He changed the recipe to make the kolaches open-faced, or nested, to show the filling, which resulted in more sales than the traditional bun-shape. “Instead of doing the traditional bun, I just immediately started making everything nest,” he said. “I’m not going to be a stickler for traditional. If this gets people more interested, and they enjoy it, whether it’s visually, aesthetically or just taste preference...” Pavasko said he did not anticipate being able to bake for a living. “I had the misconception that If you didn’t go to school for it, then you couldn’t do it,” he said. “Then I quickly learned that was not true.” Pavasko started baking professionally when he was hired by a cafe in Savannah, Georgia called the Henny Penny three years ago. For him, baking started as an interest that developed into a passion. He learned on the job to make the pastry that eventually brought him into Mindy’s kitchen. “I actually went to art school for 10 years to do comic books,” he said. “I was looking for a day job that felt artsy that I could do during the day while I did my art at home… And so when I had reached out to the Henny Penny in Savannah, they gave me an interview and asked why I was interested. and I was like, ‘I spend a lot of my free time, when I’m drawing, watching baking videos, so I think I could be good at it.’ And then I was actually really good at it.” Collins is excited to move forward with her team, her family and the community with this new development for her business. “It just keeps evolving,” Collins said. “It’s just this great, little hidden gem in Mesa Junction.”

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

for four years. In July 2019, the previous owners announced a transfer of ownership. Collins and her ex-husband purchased the business from them. “Those two young ladies, they put in a lot of time and energy and hustle,” Collins said. “And when we relocated here, I had twin boys who were only eight months old. So starting something from scratch was pretty much out of the question. But the neighborhood really just welcomed us there at Gypsy’s, and we just continued to become more involved with the community and Pueblo itself.” With a clientele built and branded supplies already in stock, Collins would be leagues ahead of where she would be if she had started completely fresh. “It just made sense with our lives to take on an established business, so we can continue to spend time with the boys and then grow it as well,” she said. After the purchase, they had decided to continue serving the many menu items that customers had grown to love under the previous management. For Collins, Pueblo helped her get the family support she needed in raising twins and the community support she needed to pursue a new business venture. She said she loves it when she brings her boys into the coffee shop because people ask about them. “It’s a really great place, and that’s the one thing that we have noticed, with the coffee shop in the last five years, how communal it really is,” she said. “It is a place where people gather every day. I mean, even here, just in two weeks, we’ve seen the same people everyday, and it’s fantastic. You know them by name, you know their coffee order. It’s really a sense of pride and community that we’ve created, and it’s nice to feel like we are a true neighborhood coffee shop.”

By Rachel Kutskill

The Pueblo Star Journal (PSJ) Happiness Index will rate hen the days shorten and Old our suggestions in terms of: Man Winter is finally at our doorstep, we find ourselves Social support- Does this help connect us as a community hibernating with the world. and is it inclusive? Suddenly, movies and Netflix marHealthy life expectancy- Does this potentially prolong life athons seem like a sufficient way to to a high standard of living and without harm or risk? spend a Friday evening in. All under Freedoms making life choices - Is this free from the comforts of blankets, pillows, kids, imposition on others or ourselves? pets and popcorn. Our bodies have Generosity - How cost effective is this for others and spent thousands of years perfecting ourselves? “hibernation mode” and settling in for a restful period has a certain draw to it, along with staying warm. referred to as thermogenesis and I grew up in the Midwest where winter was cold, is largely responsible for keeping dark, wet and full of salt. Salt on EVERYTHING. our body warm when introduced The roads are salted to keep ice to a minimum, black to a cold environment or stimulus. ice being one of the scariest road dangers. When According to an article published people from Michigan retire, they move to Florida in the National Library of Medor South Carolina, someplace warm where winter icine, “Promotion of BAT activican be dodged for all eternity. ty…is associated with in vivo cold I know there are some readers who have a similar tolerance, increased energy exloathing opinion of the dark, early skies and cold- penditure, and protection against ness in the air, and I wanted to give winter a fair obesity and type 2 diabetes.” With Frosted hair can be fun. This photo was taken in three-degree weather. Photo by Talpa Rain. shot at ranking higher on someone’s seasonal list. In these other observations, we can in possible BAT activation and thriving in a winter my opinion, there are glorious ways to thrive in each look at brown fat as being someseason, and to focus on those aspects encourages a what of a powerhouse in our bodies with exception- wonderland, is movement. One of my favorite winter activities is hiking with sense of gratitude for what the upcoming weeks will al health benefits that activate when we are just a bit my pup in the mornings. There is a quiet unlike othbring us. ‘cool’. er times of the year. When nature makes a sound, To start with, it is possible to gain a better winter So how do we increase the amount of brown fat and cold tolerance. In order to stay warm, you gotta’ cells in our bodies to help us keep warm and thrive it seems to cut the air in a way that only happens at be cool. Our bodies are fascinating and intelligent all winter long? Some studies indicate a person can 9 degrees, the temperature when snot freezes inside vessels equipped for survival at every length, and we do just this by lowering the temperature of the body our nose with each breath. While we wait for our are born with a substance called brown adipose tis- in small increments, such as cold showers and ice bodies to activate more BAT, we can stay cozy with sue (BAT), in other words, brown fat. Brown fat’s baths. Because BAT is rich in iron, you can add proper clothing. For walks and enjoyment in the main job is to activate just before we feel cold, just foods such as leafy green vegetables, beans, and sea- outdoors during winter, there are a few basic rules before we start to shiver. With activation, BAT in- food which have a higher iron content. Essentially to keep warm. If there is a chance you may work creases our core body temperature by breaking down a well-balanced diet that avoids processed and fried up a sweat, or be exposed to water, avoid cotton. blood sugar and molecules of fat. This process is foods supports whole body health. One final factor When cotton gets wet, it stays wet and pulls the heat from your body. Our brown adipose tissue won’t be

Photography by Lyss Natural light photographer in Pueblo Colorado & surrounding areas. Alyssa Vallejos Photographer 719-250-1762

Photo by Joseph Kutskill

THRIVE! with Rachel W

fully embrace winter, adapt to colder temperatures

www.photographybylyss.com

Sure Lock Locksmith Specializing in commercial, residential and auto locksmith services.

Locally owned, family business Daniel Sandoval/Owner 719-251-2925 www.surelocklocksmith.com

"KEEPING SOUTHERN COLORADO SECURE ONE DOOR AT A TIME"

able to keep up. Start with wool or merino wool. If that irritates your skin, pair a synthetic tank top under the wool layer. Use thin layers so you can add or subtract as your movement takes shape, with the heaviest layer on top. Scarves, hats and gloves help to protect delicate skin from exposure, and the small effort of adding these layers pays off tenfold. Wool leggings and flannel lined pants are an excellent option for our bottom halves, along with wool socks and waterproof shoes. If you don’t have water proof shoes, you can simply put Wonder Bread bags over your feet before inserting them into your boots. This method has been tested and proven to work by anyone over the age of 35. This type of clothing (minus the Wonder Bread bags) can be found new in many stores, or used at our local thrift stores. Movement of any form, walking, jogging, biking, stretching, playing, shoveling, sledding, skiing are all beneficial to our overall health and ability to thrive in winter. Find activities that you love in the summer, then layer up and try it out in the winter. Find some friends crazy enough to go outside and play like kids again. Build a snowman, try your skills with a snow arch, make snowballs for neighborhood kids, walk and watch your breath heat up the air, laugh when you get crystals on your eyelashes, enjoy the sunshine and most of all, have fun with whatever you choose. Find a time this winter to thrive, comfortably, in the outdoors. Appreciate what this season has to offer, even if it is mostly the feeling of warming back up inside, under blankets, with pillows, pets, kids and popcorn, watching your favorite movie. THRIVE TIP: Take time to find an aspect of winter that makes your heart happy this season. Layer up with appropriate clothing to find comfort in spending time outdoors, especially in the colder weather. Practice brown adipose tissue activation with a cool shower! PSJ Happiness Index: 3.65/4 Social support 3.8/4 - This is available for anyone to participate with access to adequate clothing, a cold shower, and an intention to find a special part of each season. Healthy life expectancy 4/4 - Since BAT activation also shows to help with weight loss and insulin

regulation for diabetes, we could assume that movement in the outdoors could prolong our lifespan and create happiness along the way. Freedoms making life choices 3.8/4 - We may find it difficult to be comfortable in a cold setting. Proper preparation can ensure our time outside can be enjoyable and memorable. Generosity 3/4 - The cost of proper clothing can

DECEMBER 1, 2023

TAKE TIME TO FIND AN ASPECT OF WINTER THAT MAKES YOUR HEART HAPPY THIS SEASON. LAYER UP WITH APPROPRIATE CLOTHING TO FIND COMFORT IN SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS, ESPECIALLY IN THE COLDER WEATHER. PRACTICE BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE ACTIVATION WITH A COOL SHOWER!

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

THRIVE TIP:

add up, and some of us may have to buy individual pieces at a time. Our local thrift stores carry many varieties of wool, merino wool, down clothing as well as water proof boots. References: • Anna Fenzl, Florian W Kiefer “Brown Adipose Tissue and Thermogenesis” National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubMed. 2014 Jul;19(1):25-37. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25390014/) Accessed 11/28/2023. • Van Marken Lichtenbelt WD. “Human Brown Adipose Tissue-A Decade Later”National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubMed. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021 Jul; 29(7): 1099–1101.Published online 2021 May 17 (https://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8360096/) Accessed 11/28/2023.

DECEMBER 1, 2023

The Laramie Project

DECEMBER 1, 2023

PSJ Theatre Review Squad: Centennial students perform for social change

By Kristin Skye Hoffmann

early 24 years ago, playwright Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project released the landmark play “The Laramie Project.” They put it together as an answer to the brutal and cruel killing of a Wyoming college student, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, in 1998. Shepard was lured away from a local bar in Laramie, Wyoming, and driven out to the deserted prairies by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. They tied him to a split-rail fence along the road, where they robbed and brutally assaulted him, leaving him to die alone in the cold October wind. After 18 hours of Shepard clinging to life, a bicyclist happened upon his crumpled body, nearly mistaking it for a scarecrow. He brought help, but Shepard’s injuries were too severe and, after five days in a coma, he died in a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. Shepard was targeted because he lived an openly gay lifestyle in a place where that can be a death sentence. The troupe went to Laramie, about two hours north of Denver, and interviewed many of the locals there. Witnesses, law enforcement officers, cab drivers, reporters, doctors, friends of Matthew’s, as well as the friends of his murderers and more shared their experiences and opinions with these artists with a clear understanding that the information they gave would be adapted into a theatre piece. What Kaufman and his team constructed is a well-known and highly respected piece of political theatre, made up mostly of monologues written from those interviews. It is not a traditional play in terms of structure, and it is performed quite often at the university level. Less often, it is performed by high school students. The drama students at Centennial High School in Pueblo performed it earlier this month. The 17-member cast portrays dozens of characters, which is no easy task. Finding ways to differentiate each person, represented in truthful and distinct ways, that is also clear to the audience is challenging for even the most seasoned performers, especially when the characters one is portraying have such different points of view. Eric Griffin and Joshua Rudnik did quite a bit of the heavy lifting in the production, portraying many of the characters. Griffin delivered skilled technique with the small nuances he found in each of his roles. Rudnik was especially effective during his moving monologue as Dr. Cantway, the ER doctor who first treated Shepard. His delivery was natural and honest, emotionally connected, and had me hooked on every word from start to finish. Kaito Wright as Matt Galloway, the bartender who was working the night of Shephard’s attack, did some great work. Wright’s interpretation was clear,

Photo by Leigh Kite

The Centennial High School drama club kept the set design minimalistic. Photo by Leigh Kite.

easy to follow, and earnest through and through, which is not a simple task. Ky Burton did an excellent job portraying the distinct differences between Romaine Patterson, a friend of Shepard’s who is also an LGBTQ rights activist, and a friend of one of Shepard’s murderers. Both interpretations seemed quite real in spite of their drastic differences. Also, shout out to Victor Montoya Perez’s performance as Doc O’Connor. Montoya Perez was always present in his performance and never failed to find the humor in such a serious text, which is much appreciated and always needed in a dramatic play like this one. Bravo to the full ensemble for doing such important work. The three-person directing team made up of Aubrey Krengel, Leigh Kite and Mark Pacheco made the smart choice of a minimal set on an essentially bare stage. Scenes consisted of a few set pieces brought on stage now and then. A projection with the title of the play remains up for the duration. Perhaps the troupe is still getting used to the nuances of their beautiful new theater space. The frequent opening and closing of the large curtain between scenes was often LARAMIE PROJECT continued on page 18

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

• DIG DEEPER •

First Friday Art Walk GUIDE

DECEMBER 1, 2023

John-Deaux Galleries 221 S Union Ave Pueblo, CO 81003 TEL 719.545.8407

Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center 210 N Santa Fe Ave Pueblo, CO 81003 sdc-arts.org TEL 719.295.7200

Heritage Center 201 W B St Pueblo, CO 81003 theheritagecenter.us TEL 719.295.1517

The Arts Alliance & Liminal Space Gallery 107 S Grand Ave Pueblo, CO 81003 puebloarts.org 719.242.6652

Fuel & Iron Loading Dock Gallery 400 S. Union Ave Pueblo, CO 81003 fuelandironfoodhall.com

Steel City Art Works Gallery 216 S Union Ave Pueblo, CO 81003 steelcityartworks.org TEL 719.542.6838

First Friday Mineral Palace Park location hubs Mesa Junction

Blo Back Gallery 131 Spring St Pueblo, CO 81003 blobackgallery.com TEL 970.749.1211

Artisan Textile Company 121 Broadway Ave Pueblo, CO 81004 artisantextilecompany.com TEL 719.744.6696

Pueblo Art Guild 1500 N Santa Fe Ave Pueblo, CO 81003 TEL 719.543.2455

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

Grove Neighborhood

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Union Avenue Historic District

Downtown

DECEMBER 1, 2023

LARAMIE PROJECT continued from page 15

distracting, and I believe the performances would have been better served had they remained open for the duration, or perhaps not pulled completely open for each new scene. That could have helped keep their momentum going. Using even fewer set pieces would have helped as well, as the moving on and off interrupted the flow of the play, both visually and audibly. This is a text that leans heavily on the performances and sometimes props, costumes, and set pieces can get in the way. School District 60 and Centennial High School administration should be commended for allowing this production to be performed without edits. There was a time when an important piece like this being done in a high school would be subject to extensive edits, cutting out mature content like curse words, descriptions of violence and even the mere mention of homosexuality. Instead, this production allowed the text to remain intact, honoring the writers who created it, and the real people who lived it. “The Laramie Project” examines how community members react to individuals who deviate from what society considers “normal.” If anyone can relate to those experiences it is high school students, and it is inspiring to see them perform a play that helps them express the feelings born from that lived experience. When horrible things like this happen, people often try to find a reason for such a tragedy. In Matthew Shepard’s case, it seems the reason is clear: The awful act of hate that resulted in his death reached into communities across the country and inspired a group of artists to create a piece of drama that would live on well past his death. Congratulations to the entire team behind “The Laramie Project” at Centennial High School for continuing to deliver the message of hope, love and tolerance in a time when those things can be difficult to come by. The full run of the play was only three performances, so be sure to get tickets early for the Centennial High School drama club’s next production in the spring.

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

Our podcast, 45 Degrees, follows the Pueblo Levee Mural Project and its artists. To listen, go to: voicesofpueblo.podbean.com Available on all platforms!

DEC. arts events THEATER

com

“White Christmas” 2:30 p.m. Dec. 3, 10, 17 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1-2, 9, 15-16, 22-23 Steel City Theatre Company, Chief Theatre, 611 N. Main St. Info: steelcitythreatre.org “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” 11:30 a.m. Dec. 16 and 23, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9, 16 and 23 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7-8, 17, 21 Steel City Theatre Company, Chief Theatre, 611 N. Main St. Info: steelcitythreatre.org “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 and 2 p.m. Dec. 3, Memorial Hall, 1 City Hall Place Info: pueblomemorialhall.com

ARTS & CRAFTS Bells of Christmas craft sale 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 3, Colorado State Fairgrounds, 1001 Beulah Ave. PCC Fall 2023 Student Art Show 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 6-12 (weekdays) Pueblo Community College, San Juan Gallery room 205, 900 W. Orman Ave. Half-Off Christmas Sale at Books Again 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 7 for Friends of the Library members, Dec. 8-9 for general public Books Again, 622 S. Union Ave. Info: booksagain-pueblo.

Gift Certificate Half-Off sale 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 11-16, Books Again, 622 S. Union Ave. Info: booksagain-pueblo.com Indoor Makers Market Second Thursday of each month through March, 330 Lake Ave. in gymnasium Info: Text Angel at 719-601-7578

DECEMBER Dec. 1 -Friday Rejoice in Art opening reception 5-8 p.m., Steel City Art Works, 216 S. Union Ave. Info: steelcityartworks@gmail. com/719-542-6838 Saturday, Dec. 2

Dec. 3 - Sunday Holiday gift boutique 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Pueblo Convention Center, 320 Central Main St.

Dec. 15 - Friday Tinsel, Tidings and Thank You Art Show and Sale 5-8 p.m., Steel City Art Works, 216 S. Union Ave. Info: steelcityartworks@gmail. com/719-542-6838

Dec. 16 -Saturday “This Little Piggy” Ceramic Bank Workshop 2-4 p.m. Dec. 16, Grand View Church, 8326 CO-78, Beulah

SUBMIT EVENTS TO: PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG/EVENTS/ SUBMIT

“I have always admired the hard work, dedication and commitment of the faculty, staff and administrators of CSU Pueblo. Now, I get the opportunity to serve students and the community as part of their team.” -

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

Photo courtesy of CSU Pueblo

lows the announcement of a finalist before formal deliberations on employment arrangements. In mid-December, the n a pivotal announcement marking a significant shift board of governors will convene to deliberate on the formal in leadership, the board of governors of the Coloraappointment of Valdez as the president of CSU Pueblo. do State University System unveiled Armando ValValdez’s career spans significant milestones, including a dez as the solitary finalist for the president of CSU tenure at Adams State University, where he garnered recogPueblo. This move comes as the institution prepares nition for his teaching prowess and contribution to various for the imminent departure of outgoing President Timprograms. Valdez has earned degrees from Colorado State othy Mottet, set to step down on Dec. 31. University in business administration and an MBA, Valdez Mottet, who was named the university president in pursued a Doctorate of Philosophy in education and hu2017, announced his intention to resign in May. At the man resource studies. time, a joint statement from the CSU System chancelValdez’s engagement in community service and leaderlor Tony Frank and Valdez, the former chair of the ship roles within Conejos County adds to his qualifications board of governors, credited Mottet with strengthening beyond academics. the school’s financial accountability, expanding private “I am tremendously excited about this unique opportufundraising efforts and working to ensure student sucnity,” Valdez said. “During my time on the board of govcess. CSU Pueblo presidential candidate Armando Valdez. ernors, I have always admired the hard work, dedication and Valdez’s appointment follows a national quest to deter- (Photo courtesy of CSU Pueblo). commitment of the faculty, staff and administrators of CSU mine an ideal candidate, culminating in a decision to sePueblo. Now, I get the opportunity to serve students and the lect Valdez. A seasoned academic and former emeritus professor at Adams State community as part of their team.” University, Valdez presently serves With Armando Valdez on the cusp of assuming the presidency. pending the as the state director for USDA-Rural board’s official endorsement, CSU Pueblo stands to name their 16th president, Development in Colorado. He also is succeeding Timothy Mottet. involved in managing Valdez Land & Livestock, LLC, a family-operated farm and ranch in Capulin, Colo. The Board’s choice of Valdez stems from his ties to Southern Colorado, an impassioned dedication to CSU Pueblo’s mission and his comprehensive understanding of the university’s challenges. John Fischer, the newly appointed chair of the CSU System – Armando Valdez, board of governors, highlighted Valdez’s unwavering commitment to higher education, particularly for underrepresented students. “Anyone who knows Armando knows how passionate he is about the transformative potential of higher education – especially for first-generation and hispanic students,” Fischer said. “Anyone who knows him knows how committed he is to the success of Southern Colorado and CSU Pueblo. And so, anyone who knows him would likely not be surprised to hear that during these reflections, Armando reached the decision to resign from the Board of Governors so that he could be interviewed and considered by the board for the role of CSU Pueblo president.” Before resigning, a 14-member search committee brought forward three candidates who were interviewed by the board members. After members decided none of the candidates were a fit for the position, Valdez stepped down to be considered for the role. He was interviewed in a manner identical to the interviews of the initial candidates. “In Armando, we have a solid leader who knows this campus and community really well, and is 100% invested in the future of Southern Colorado,” Frank said. “Above all, we heard from the Pueblo campus that they don’t want to lose momentum or continuity during the presidential transition. And, Armando will be able to step in on day one with the knowledge and experience to keep the campus on track and moving forward.” In accordance with Colorado state law, a mandatory 14-day waiting period folBy Ben Cason

DECEMBER 1, 2023

‘A solid leader’

University president candidate finalized, former chair of CSU System board of governors to be confirmed post waiting period

DECEMBER 1, 2023

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

DECEMBER 1, 2023

DECEMBER 1, 2023

By Amy Gillentine Sweet 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. eteran-owned businesses in Pueblo now have a new resource — and access to dozens of other resources — thanks to the Colorado Veteran Business Outreach Center. The VBOC, as it’s called, opened in May through a partnership with Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center. The organization, an arm of the Small Business Administration, serves to help veterans, transitioning military members, and their families achieve their business dreams. “We can connect businesses with funding, create a business plan, developing marketing messages and provide resources for startups and for existing businesses,” said Kia Palmer, director of the VBOC.” It’s a vital resource for the Pueblo County and rural Southern Colorado,” she said. “We understand that people have business dreams, but sometimes need to know exactly how to start them,” she said. “We can help with that. We can also help businesses that are ready for that next stage – how to scale up, when to make the move and how to finance it.” Pueblo is fourth in the nation for veteran-owned businesses for cities of similar size, according to recent reports. According to hireahelper.com, nearly 9.3 percent of businesses in Pueblo are owned by military veterans. That makes the VBOC presence in Pueblo vital to the local economy. Palmer said the VBOC services are open to any veteran, of any era, regardless of length of time served or the type of discharge. “Our programs – Boots to Business for people transitioning from the military; ReBoot for people who have been out for a while – are available to all veterans,” she said. “We can also help military spouses and family members of veterans.” VBOC started in May, taking over Colorado’s veteran-owned businesses from neighboring New Mexico. It was one of 28 centers awarded across the nation this spring and created VBOCs in all 50 states for the first time. The VBOC can even help rural ranchers and farmers get started or grow, Palmer said. “So often, people have the land and they have the dream, but that business acumen, the business knowledge, that’s what they need,” she said. “And that’s what we are here for. We can help with every stage of a business.” Since its inception in Colorado, Palmer has been traveling the state, making sure business owners, transitioning military and veterans understand everything the VBOC can do. The current goal is to make sure that businesses that are certified as veteran-owned, disabled veteran-owned or disadvantaged veteran-owned businesses are all recertified under the SBA. Known as VetCert, the program moves the certification from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the SBA. Without the certification, businesses aren’t eligible for the 7 percent sole-source, set aside contracts from the VA, or the 3 percent set aside contracts from the rest of the federal government. “Businesses have until January to move their certification from the VA,” Palmer said. “If you hold any federal contracts, it’s vital to make this change or lose the opportunity to compete for contracts set aside specifically for veterans.”

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Pueblo’s Veterans’ Voice

Business outreach centers supports local veteran entrepreneurs

Kia Palmer, the director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center. Photo courtesy of Mt. Carmel.

But the VBOC can do more than just guide businesses through the federal certification and registration process. It can also provide networking opportunities, chances to learn from other veteran-owned businesses to develop networks and shared opportunities. In January, VBOC will offer Franchise Friday for veterans who own franchises — or those interested in learning more about franchises and the benefits of owning an established brand. It will also start bimonthly conversations about entrepreneurship, mental health and resilience. “For so many people, owning a business can be draining,” she said. “It’s their dream, but they need to understand it’s a marathon. We want to provide resources so they can achieve their dream without burnout.” The VBOC’s offices are in Colorado Springs, at Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center at 530 Communication Circle and at Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation, where it shares offices with the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center. Pueblo business owners can attend classes at Mt. Carmel in the Springs or make an appointment to meet with Palmer and her team. “We are very excited to expand our services in Colorado,” Palmer said. “And if you are interested in meeting with us, we’ll come to Pueblo or invite you to classes in Colorado Springs. Our goal is to help your business — and we want to let people know we are here and available to help.”

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

“So often, people have the land and they have the dream, but that business acumen, the business knowledge, that’s what they need. And that’s what we are here for. We can help with every stage of a business. -Kia Palmer., VBOC director

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Deck the courts On Nov. 21, Pueblo County’s courthouse lighting ceremony was held. It featured fireworks, lasers, food trucks and first responder vehicles. Colton’s Heroes and Brad Riccillo’s Super Team flipped the switch.

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

Photo by Ben Cason.

DECEMBER 1, 2023

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

DECEMBER 1, 2023

PUEBLO RIVERWALK

THEATER “White Christmas” 2:30 p.m. Dec. 3, 10, 17 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1-2, 9, 15-16, 22-23 Steel City Theatre Company, Chief Theatre, 611 N. Main St. Info: steelcitythreatre.org “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” 11:30 a.m. Dec. 16 and 23, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9, 16 and 23 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7-8, 17, 21 Steel City Theatre Company, Chief Theatre, 611 N. Main St. Info: steelcitythreatre.org “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 and 2 p.m. Dec. 3, Memorial Hall, 1 City Hall Place Info: pueblomemorialhall.com

ARTS & CRAFTS 28

Bells of Christmas craft sale 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 3, Colorado State Fairgrounds, 1001 Beulah Ave.

PCC Fall 2023 Student Art Show 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 6-12 (weekdays) Pueblo Community College, San Juan Gallery room 205, 900 W. Orman Ave. Half-Off Christmas Sale at Books Again 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 7 for Friends of the Library members, Dec. 8-9 for general public Books Again, 622 S. Union Ave. Info: booksagain-pueblo.com Gift Certificate Half-Off sale 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 11-16, Books Again, 622 S. Union Ave. Info: booksagain-pueblo.com Indoor Makers Market Second Thursday of each month through March, 330 Lake Ave. in gymnasium Info: Text Angel at 719-601-7578

HISTORY & CULTURE Celebrating All Things Slovene 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 INKWELL: Analogue’s Creative Writing Open Mic 7-9 p.m., second Thursdays, Analogue Books & Records, 216 N. Main St. War Memorial Ghost Tours 7-9 p.m. first Saturday of each month, Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, 31001 Magnuson Ave. Info: pwam.org

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

PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG/EVENTS/SUBMIT

Pueblo Rocks in the Park Noon-2 p.m. Fridays, Ray Aguilera Park, 840 W. Northern Ave.

FOOD & DRINK Broncos Watch Parties Sundays, Fuel & Iron Food Hall, 400 S. Union Ave. Info: fuelandironfoodhall.com

FUN & GAMES Mario Kart Tournaments 5:30-8 p.m. Dec. 2 and 16, The Ethos, 615 E. Mesa Ave. Info: ethospueblo.com 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.

MUSIC & DANCE Square Dance Lessons 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays through Dec. 12, First Congregational Church, 228 W. Evans Ave. Info: First two dances free, after that $8/person; icstrs@comcast.net 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 First Thursday Open Mic Night

6:30-9:30 p.m. first Thursdays, The Ethos, 615 E. Mesa Ave. Info: ethospueblo.com 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

DECEMBER 1, 2023

ElectricCritters Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 10 and daily Dec. 15-27 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) Info: pueblozoo.org

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.

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

SPIRITUALITY Interfaith meditation and service 10-11:30 a.m. Sundays, Center for Inner Peace, 740 W. 15th St. Info: 719-543-2274

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@srda.org Yoga: Hun Yuan Qi Gong 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Anahata Healing Yoga Studio, 3942 Ivywood Lane

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

FAMILY EVENTS

Photo courtesy of Pueblo Zoo

ELECTRIC CRITTERS AT THE PUEBLO ZOO

$5/class; Wednesdays and Thursdays on Zoom (no charge); Sundays at City Park Ballroom, George L. Williams Pavilion, 801 Goodnight Ave.

Info: renyogaflow.com

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

Essentrics fitness classes 10-11 a.m. Dec. 4, George L. Williams Hall, Pueblo City Park, 801 Goodnight Ave. Dec. 7, 12 and 14 at Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave. Info: Katie at 719-470-3017, essentricswithkatiefarmer@gmail.com, /www.essentricswithkatiefarmer.com

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

Vibration meditation 6-7 p.m. Wednesdays, Ren Yoga Flow, 110 W. Fifth St. Info: renyogaflow.com

DEVELOPMENT

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

Free leadership development pop-up training Through Dec. 15 at Pueblo Community College, 900 W. Orman Ave. Info: PuebloCorporateCollege.com

Prenatal Workshop and Support Group 6-7 p.m. last Wednesday of each month, Phoenix Massage, 105 W. Fifth St. Info: socodoulaco@gmail.com

DECEMBER

Inner alchemy 6-7 p.m. Thursdays, Ren Yoga Flow, 110 W. Fifth St.

Dec. 1 -Friday Rejoice in Art opening reception 5-8 p.m., Steel City Art Works, 216 S. Union Ave. Info: steelcityartworks@gmail.com/719-542-6838 Saturday, Dec. 2

Holiday gift boutique 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Pueblo Convention Center, 320 Central Main St.

Dec. 14 -Thursday 12th annual Festival of Trees 5-8 p.m., Union Depot, 132 W. B St. Info: business.pueblolatinochamber.com/events/ details/12th-annual-festival-of-trees-588

Dec. 15 - Friday Tinsel, Tidings and Thank You Art Show and Sale 5-8 p.m., Steel City Art Works, 216 S. Union Ave. Info: steelcityartworks@gmail.com/719-542-6838

Dec. 16 -Saturday “This Little Piggy” Ceramic Bank Workshop 2-4 p.m. Dec. 16, Grand View Church, 8326 CO78, Beulah

Jan. 13 - Saturday Winter Queerformal Ball 7 p.m., Pueblo Convention Center, 320 Central Main st. tickets $15 online/$20 at door, VIP packages available, ages 21+. Proceeds support Southern Colorado Equality Alliance. info: socoequality.org

Jan. 20 - Saturday SCF Winter Showcase 4 p.m., Classic Q’s, 1715 S Prairie Ave dress code: white attire. info: southerncoloradofashion.com/tickets

FEBRUARY Feb. 3 - Saturday Soul of the Sirens blues show 7-10 p.m. Copper River, 395 S Angus Ave, Pueblo West Info: soulofthesirens.com

Feb. 5 - Monday

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS ONLINE - FREE

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Dec. 3 - Sunday

JANUARY

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

“Chicago” 7 p.m. Feb. 5, Memorial Hall, 1 City Hall Place Info: pueblomemorialhall.com

| PUEBLOSTARJOURNAL.ORG

Activate Your Goddess Gene 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Ren Yoga Flow, 110 W. Fifth St. Info: renyogaflow.com or momence. com/s/97510504

DECEMBER 1, 2023