Access Point, a local outreach organization that addresses substance use, has their mobile services van parked nearby. Community Resources United, a local coalition focused on activism, sets up a table, taking donations by people who dropped off bags to help with the packing process.
Railroad workers fill bulldozer buckets with tree branches and others replace damaged ties along the railway. Fire trucks idled nearby. Dump trucks filled with litter, furniture and clothing create a pile of trash near the outreach tables. Large construction vehicles, police cars and ATVs weave back and forth. The sound of all the commotion makes it difficult to converse.
Periodically, a person carrying all of their belongings comes through the overgrowth, crossing the railroad tracks to the volunteers. Some volunteers run back and forth, helping a dog abandoned in the displacement get to safety or assist a woman struggling with a walker over the terrain and get to the tables. It is less than an hour into the first day of the cleanup, or unofficially called by
Stretched
to the limit, Pueblo’s unhoused population and support services must adapt again as city cracks down on encampments
volunteers and those affected by the clean up: the sweeps of the Fountain Creek encampment.
From the city council’s public camping ban to forced closures of densely-populated, inadequately kept hotels, Pueblo’s residents have seen many high-impact measures taken to address the rising concerns of litter and illegal dumping of trash, trespassing, property damage and other activities that can arise in areas populated by people without proper housing.
Though these measures, as well as the frequency of these actions paired with an apparent disregard to the aftermath of these measures, have sparked intense debate and concern.
On Sept. 3, the city via the Pueblo Police Department, Pueblo Municipal Court, Pueblo Parks and Recreation as well as Team Up to Clean Up and other organizations stepped in to help the private company, BNSF Railway, clean up the land along the railroad tracks near Fountain Creek, where a large encampment of people had set up shelters.
The associated organizations in this measure have been adamant about calling these measures a clean-up.
According to the Pueblo Police Department’s community engagement manager, Bianca Hicks, the purpose of this activity was to address the blocked drainage system and large amount of trash in the area as well as removing overgrown foliage for fire mitigation.
When asked if this activity would result in the displacement of the people living in the area, Hicks confirmed that “to the extent that city officials, during the cleanup activities, encounter people living on the property, those people will be required to vacate the property.”
As authorities moved in to clear the areas where many had lived for years – even decades -- the voices of those directly impacted tell a story of hardship, community and survival.
How the first day progressed
Prior to the clean-up, the public was informed that these efforts would be focused on the areas between Fourth and Eighth streets.
Project Apollo Street Medicine, an outreach organization that provides donations, food and medical care every Sunday to the two major encampments, has spent every outing informing the encampment residents of the impending displacement.
The City of Pueblo via the Pueblo Police Department, Pueblo Municipal Court, Pueblo Parks & Recreation as well as Team Up and other organizations stepped in to help BNSF Railway, clean up the land along the railroad tracks near Fountain Creek, where a large encampment of people set up shelters. Photos by Rory Harbert and Nico Grayson.
In the heart of Pueblo’s Hyde Park neighborhood, Jocelyn Martinez, founder of SoulSmile Health & Wellness, is revolutionizing the local food landscape. What began as a personal health crisis has transformed into a mission-driven journey to nourish her community. Martinez’s growth journey from a health coach to a local food pioneer is reshaping how Pueblo eats, lives, and thrives.
From Personal Health Struggles to Community Wellness
Martinez’s path to wellness began with a personal quest to overcome significant health challenges. In 2018, she embarked on a transformative journey to become a master health coach, initially focusing on her own recovery. Inspired by one of her mentors, her philosophy centers on the idea of healing oneself to empower others. This guiding principle led her to establish SoulSmile, a platform dedicated to promoting not just healthy eating, but holistic community well-being.
“I was the sick one going through a health crisis,” she recalls. “But through my training and healing process, I knew there were many others suffering. My purpose was to share my journey, show how nutrition and diet can affect health and healing, and
most of all, to serve and support our community through healthier eating.”
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
When Martinez’s original brick-and-mortar location was no longer an option, she saw it as a chance to innovate. Discovering a mobile kitchen trailer, she saw a chance at a fresh start and purchased it, parking it on an open lot on her family’s property in Hyde Park. This move, however, was not without its challenges. Establishing the mobile kitchen meant navigating the re-zoning process through the city, which involved overcoming a few hurdles including familiarizing herself with city planning regulations. Despite these obstacles, Martinez’s determination and vision turned this setback into a unique opportunity for collaboration and growth.
The rezoning process, crucial for the establishment of a permanent food truck in a residential area, demanded extensive collaboration with city planning, zoning, and health departments. “We couldn’t have imagined how hard it would be,” Martinez said. The seven-month closure was a difficult period, but Martinez’s resolve only strengthened.
The experience expanded SoulSmile’s capabilities, from increasing cooking capacity to enhancing ser-
Special thanks to: Colorado Housing & Finance Authority (CHFA), Rocky Mountain Realty, Al “Pama” Maisel, Family Care Specialists, Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, Photography by Lyss, Pueblo City-County Library District, Pueblo Puzzle Works, Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center, Karmic Konnection, Pueblo County Historical Society, Sure-Lock Locksmith, Fountain Creek Watershed District, Maria Martinez,
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JOCELYN MARTINEZ continued on page 6
Jocelyn Martinez in the mobile kitchen. Photos by Heather Robinson Hernandez.
WHERE TO TURN?
continued from page 1
While many of the residents at the encampment had preemptively moved, according to the Project Apollo volunteers, some either could not or wanted to wait it out, in case the plans fell through.
The Pueblo Star Journal witnessed over a dozen people visibly displaced by the clean-up, though our count cannot be accurate as we conducted interviews and documented the event rather than explicitly counting and confirming a headcount.
Nonetheless, this count still differs from Mayor Heather Graham’s claims during her report several days prior, who said in a Facebook post, that she “came across less than five individuals who were camped out there.”
The volunteer teams were split into two major sites, one at the end of Chester Avenue near Fourth Street and the other on Dayton Avenue. Bassett Construction Company permitted the groups to operate their volunteer table in front of the business. Eventually, between the dwindling numbers of people needing assistance and the increasing activity of construction vehicles, the teams reconverged at the Dayton Avenue tables.
Project Apollo’s secretary Jamie Cooke said that their organization and several other organizations had been invited to the city’s planning meeting earlier that morning, but were denied entry when their team arrived, aslong with Southern Colorado Harm Reduction and other organizations. Cooke said there was no explanation given other than it was law enforcement only.
This was not the only barrier that Cooke said the volunteers faced. According to Cooke, volunteers were told weeks ago that they would be able to cross the tracks to help people move their belongings or navigate the terrain to leave the BNSF’s property.
On the day of, they were told to not be within 150 feet of the railroad tracks.
Police officers on ATVs patrolled the area, monitoring movement across the tracks.
This rule seemed to loosen as the day went on and more people came up from the tracks. Volunteers would more frequently make the trek across as they were requested for help, until it became an accepted consequence of the day.
Cooke said that their organization’s concern is being able to provide continuity of care, which is significantly more achievable when their location is predictable. Project Apollo has spent months working to build relationships, gain trust and
establish connections with the residents there to adequately address their concerns.
“Folks are scared to come up,” Cooke said, emphasizing the delicate nature of effective outreach.
The displacement not only affected those who sought shelter on the private property, but their animals.
Project Apollo volunteers have long been familiar with the number of animals residing in the encampment, with many of the residents taking care of multiple pets. Litters are common in the area as strays are taken in, without easy access to veterinary care.
Pueblo Rescue Mission, a shelter for the unhoused, requires their clients to not have a pet; it’s a liability the shelter cannot take on right now. Many people chose to stay homeless rather than risk losing their pets. Some made the difficult decision to leave them behind.
A Great Dane mix puppy was left at the volunteer table. Another dog ended up in police care as a man was removed from the property near Chester Avenue. A litter of kittens were rescued by volunteers in purple hi-vis vests. A beloved dog named London Rose was taken in by Access Point program manager Sarah Money.
Volunteers expressed concern about why the city would not provide services for both people and animals displaced in this activity.
Brandon Porter, with Access Point, spoke with a couple who were displaced. He said they told him they had a miscarriage several weeks ago, so they had made a grave near their shelter. They were grieving losing access to the plot.
Volunteers react
Jimmy Duffner, a well-known advocate for unhoused individuals, has been working tirelessly alongside organizations like Project Apollo to support those affected by the encampment sweeps.
“We’ve been doing outreach here for almost a year now,” Duffner said, explaining how his team provides medical care, food, clothing and essential supplies to those living along the creek.
Duffner’s advocacy is fueled by his personal connection to this predicament.
“I’ve been doing this for about seven years because I have lived experience,” he said.
His understanding of the challenges faced by the homeless allows him to build trust with the community—a critical factor in helping them access services and fill out housing applications.
“These people have a lot of trust issues,” Duffner said. “When they’re able to build a relationship with people that are there for them, it’s a lot easier to talk to them, get them into services and fill out housing applications.”
But even with this support, the situation remains dire. As Duffner highlights, the outreach is not enough to meet the overwhelming needs of the unhoused population in Pueblo.
“It’s summertime, and they need a lot of water,” he said, emphasizing the harsh conditions faced by those living outdoors.
John Lane, the new director of Pueblo Rescue Mission, just started his position at the end of July. He is also concerned about the harsh conditions these people will be facing.
“Coming out of the creek bed, up to the asphalt … it’s a huge temperature difference.” Lane said.
He spent the prior week walking into the Fountain Creek encampment and informing people of the vacancies at the shelter available for them to utilize.
“Most have pets, so I’ve been coming up empty-handed,” Lane said.
He said one of his priorities is working on providing temporary placement for pets, but that is grant dependent and can get complicated.
According to Lane, the policies of no pets and no drugs are barriers to filling beds at the shelter. Though, they do accommodate people going through withdrawal, allowing people who are coherent and managing well enough to sleep it off within the shelter and move on to recovery from there.
The Pueblo Rescue Mission provides shelter from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., though the shelter opened earlier that day to encourage people to take advantage of their facility.
Additionally, people who have stayed at the shelter are eligible for residency that allows for extended hours at the Mission. They have gotten nearly 90 people in the last year into sustainable housing with four clients receiving housing vouchers.
Kevin Howard, has been with Pueblo United for four years, shared his experience the morning of Sept. 3. He and his daughter had been helping alongside the other volunteers to assist people with carrying their valued items elsewhere, guiding them to free food and water provided by the organizations and other means of aid.
“It has been sad and depressing, watching them get displaced,” he said. Howard was homeless for nearly a decade, from ages 14-25 in St. Louis, Missouri. He said he remembers begging for change and making a bag of chips last for a week.
Howard expressed doubt that this action would result in the reduction of crime that its supporters believe it would: “It’s kicking a hornet’s nest.”
He said this would drive people to squat in abandoned buildings, especially with the camping ban.
Howard sees a flaw in how the Pueblo Rescue Mission, the only shelter available for unhoused people in the city, operates currently: “We need more shelters with less regulations and rules.”
He conceded that felons and violent offenders are “not rule abiders,” but that
does not dissuade him from believing they deserve shelter.
“We all get mad; we all change,” he said. “Treat us like animals, we act like animals—it’s human nature.”
How are the people directly affected by these measures responding? Hear their stories below.
First-name-only anonymity was granted by the Pueblo Star Journal on the basis that their responses are valuable to readers and privacy was warranted to interviewees.
Wendy’s story: ‘It’s Hard, More Than Hard’
Wendy, one of the residents affected by the sweeps, describes the challenges she faces daily.
“If it wasn’t for crazy faith and the good people that just volunteer, we wouldn’t make it,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration and sadness.
Wendy highlights a critical issue: While support often increases during sweeps, it is inconsistent at best.
“They only give us water anymore when this happens,” she said, pointing to a lack of sustained support from city authorities and organizations.
Wendy’s experience underscores the precariousness of life on the streets.
“You gotta have something you can’t remember,” she said, struggling to articulate the depth of her situation.
The lack of consistent resources, coupled with the stigma faced by the homeless community, creates an environment where survival is a daily battle.
Mental health is another pressing concern Wendy raises.
“Some people don’t need to be at home, and they don’t have facilities to help them,” she said.
Wendy said there is a lack of mental health resources available to those who need them most.
“It’s not right,” she said. “They should be helping them, because that makes them think that we’re all bad.”
Samurai’s story: ‘This Is Our Family’
For Samurai, a long-time resident of the Fountain Creek encampment, the sweeps are not just about losing a place to stay—they are about losing a community.
“We’re getting thrown out of our homes that most of us been there for well over 5-10 years,” he said.
Samurai’s story reflects the resilience of those living on the margins.
“This is our family,” he said, emphasizing the bonds formed among those living in the encampment.
Despite the challenges, Samurai and his community have built a life together, one defined by mutual support and care.
“We all look out for each other, no matter what,” he said. Yet, the sweeps threaten to dismantle this fragile support system, leaving many without a place to go.
“Most of us are educated down here,” he added, challenging the stereotypes often associated with homelessness.
With a doctorate in theology, Samurai is a well-known figure in Pueblo, yet he feels misunderstood and misrepresented by the broader community.
“I would just like for them to be more courteous,” he said, calling for a more compassionate approach to those living without permanent shelter.
“We’re real people, you know. We’re just like everybody else.”
JOCELYN
continued from page 3
vice offerings, all while maintaining a strong client base through consistent communication and engagement. “Our entire focus was on our clients. Not being able to provide our meal prep service was hard, but we retained 80% of our clients after reopening,
which was a blessing,” she said. This unwavering focus on customer relationships illustrates her commitment to community and her goals to increase access to healthy foods in Hyde Park.
Building Community Through Collaboration & Outreach
Martinez connected with the Pueblo Food Project through their Entrepreneur Development Program in 2021. This program supports local food entrepreneurs by providing essential resources, training, and networking opportunities. “Jocelyn quickly became our go-to for catering events. She creates such variety in her menus while being diet-friendly,” said Megan Moore, program manager at the Pueblo Food Project.
In the same year, the Pueblo Food Project was awarded a grant from the City of Pueblo’s ARPA funds to establish the Community Garden Sustainability Program. This initiative aims to create more gardens around town and improve infrastructure
at existing gardens. Now funded by the Colorado Health Foundation, the program supports general programming and operating expenses.
Her Westside neighbors and partners played a crucial role in planting the garden, starting with asparagus, making this collaborative effort transformative for both Martinez and the community. The establishment of the community garden will not only improve access to fresh produce but also foster a sustainable food environment. Martinez’s success with SoulSmile Health & Wellness exemplifies the positive impact of the Pueblo Food Project’s efforts to empower local businesses, stimulate innovation, and address food insecurity in Pueblo.
Martinez’s outreach is particularly effective because she approaches every initiative with heart, according to Moore. Her deep commitment to community is evident in her actions, making her efforts resonate on a personal level. As a member of the Westside Community Group and a health-focused business owner based in the heart of the area, Martinez leverages her position to influence the local food culture and landscape. She consistently finds ways to give back, enhancing food accessibility and improving the overall well-being of her neighbors.
One standout initiative has been the addition of a community garden, which provides accessible, nutritious food to neighbors in need, in addition to enhancing food security and providing a space
Mobile kitchen trailer at Hyde Park.
licious, diet-friendly meals. These events serve as vibrant community gatherings, where residents can come together, share stories, and build connections over healthy food. Martinez’s enthusiasm for these initiatives is evident, as she views them as integral to her mission of making healthy food accessible and enjoyable.
a variety of options to cater to different tastes and dietary needs. All foods are sourced seasonally and locally, ensuring the freshest ingredients while supporting local farmers and producers.
to build community relationships. “Adding a community garden has allowed connections to be made while also providing some yummy food to neighbors who may need it,” Moore said. Martinez’s involvement in the Westside Community Group allows her to connect deeply with her neighbors, reinforcing her commitment to local well-being.
In addition to her work with the community garden, Martinez actively promotes other local businesses by showcasing their products. For example, she features JoJo’s Sriracha, made with Pueblo green chilies, and ensures all her food is sourced locally, further supporting the local economy and promoting sustainable practices. Furthermore, SoulSmile’s food truck season, with pop-up events scheduled from June through October, offers more than just de-
Beyond providing food, Martinez is deeply invested in education. Her role as an educator in the Pueblo Food Project’s family-focused cooking classes highlights her dedication to health education. These classes equip families with practical knowledge about healthy eating, proving that nutritious food can also be delicious and accessible. One of the most rewarding aspects of her work is witnessing families adopt healthier habits. “When parents tell me their kids are excited to eat vegetables or try new foods because of our classes, it’s incredibly fulfilling,” Martinez said.
Nourishing Community Through Services
Martinez is thrilled about the “GOING OVER THE EDGE” event where she volunteered to rappel off the Thatcher Building for CASA of Pueblo. This daring event underscores her philosophy of showing up for the community—whether through meal prep, catering, or public service. Her ongoing commitment to providing health-focused, accessible culinary experiences reflects her belief that healthy eating should be a universal right, echoing the principles that inspired her to start SoulSmile Health & Wellness.
SoulSmile offers a diverse range of services, meticulously designed to be both flavorful and nutritious. These include:
Gluten-free and Dairy-free Meal Delivery Programs: Catering to those with specific dietary needs.
Special Dietary Meal Prep: Custom meals for those with unique dietary restrictions.
Family-Style Dinners: Convenient, wholesome meals for families.
Catering Events: Available for both small and large gatherings.
Private Chef Events: Personalized culinary experiences.
Each service underscores the belief that healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland or restrictive. With a menu that changes monthly, SoulSmile provides
For those too busy to prepare meals or those on their own health journey, SoulSmile offers a vital lifeline. Martinez’s services are tailored to meet the needs of busy professionals, families, and individuals seeking nutritious, convenient meal options. “Our meal service helps people understand that what is healthy can also be incredibly delicious,” Martinez said, reinforcing the values that guided her through her own health journey.
Martinez’s engagement with the community extends far beyond food. By contributing seasonal recipes and health tips to the Pueblo Star Journal, she continually educates and inspires her readers. Her active participation in various local organizations further underscores her dedication to uplifting the community. “We love working with so many in the community,” Martinez shares, reflecting on collaborations with the SBDC, Pueblo Zoo, Pueblo Health Department, Pueblo Food Project, Pueblo Chamber, Pueblo Latino Chamber, BNI Business Builders, and more.
Jocelyn Martinez’s SoulSmile Kitchen is more than just a food service; it’s a movement toward a healthier, more connected Pueblo. As she continues to break barriers and cultivate growth, both in gardens and in lives, Martinez’s story stands as a powerful testament to resilience, service, and genuine nourishment. From her personal health struggles to her community initiatives, Martinez exemplifies the impact of innovative problem-solving in addressing community challenges. Her unwavering commitment to her community shows that with passion and determination, adversity can be transformed into opportunity.
Main gathering and dining area at Hyde Park.
More gardening at Hyde Park.
Vegetable garden at Hyde Park.
From the streets to visionary The journey of Javier Quiñones
By Molly Cottner
At nineteen, theft, of all things, landed Javier Quiñones behind bars. It was a minor offense but a pivotal moment in a life already etched by the contours of the street. This incident marked the start of his quest to forge a different path in a culture that nurtured and imprisoned him.
Years later and nearly 1,100 miles removed from the outer Chicago neighborhood of his youth, Quiñones sits across from me at a high-top table in a downtown Pueblo café. A kaleidoscope of colors swirls in his rainbow-colored superfood drink while the café’s industrial-sized fans wage a losing battle against an unyielding July heatwave. A sign on the door announces an early closure due to air-conditioning problems. “They’ve been battling this for days,” Quiñones sighs, running a hand through his short, dark hair. Tall and lean, with a calm presence that belies his turbulent past, his eyes are a mix between blue and green, a characteristic that adds to the intensity of his passion. His deep connection with the community is evident in the countless people who greet him as they pass through.
Having moved to Pueblo in 2015, it hasn’t been long since he was the new guy in town. Now, his calendar is a dizzying array of festivals, youth programs, a side business in photography and a broader mission to enrich community life. This makes it challenging to pin him down. His dedication has earned him a reputation as a tireless advocate, activist and community organizer. But pointing out his popularity only elicits humble confidence. He is comfortable with praise from others but rarely takes full credit for himself.
Quiñones’ journey to this café was anything but linear. It has been forged from a determination and stubbornness that few possess. It is a drive to keep moving despite life’s detours and roadblocks. And it is a story that could have been bleak but stands as a beacon of what can be.
Quiñones has always been a kinetic force. As a kid, sports—baseball, basketball, football—were an outlet, a way to escape his neighborhood’s shadows. Javi was a good kid,” his mom, Jane, said nostalgically. “But there was a lot of gang activity where we lived.” The family lived in poverty, and with his older brother Star, already a Latin King, it wasn’t long before that life came calling for him. Once I got into high school, that’s when most of the trouble started happening,” Quiñones said. As the lines between right and wrong blurred under survival pressures, he found street culture both a refuge and a trap.
A complex interplay of forces shaped Quiñones’s trajectory. His brother’s warnings never to join the gang and his parents’ tireless community work to keep kids like him from taking the wrong turn all offered protection. However, the undertow of his neighborhood was relentless.
Quiñones was thirteen when he started drinking and smoking weed. Later, he would run with a pseudo-crew of troublemakers that would sell drugs and tag buildings. “I was 100 percent a knucklehead,” he said. “I look back at the things I’ve done, and I wasn’t the worst, but I wish I was a better person.”
Living next to what he calls “the projects,” he suffered a brutal beating at the hands of a neighborhood gang, The Vice Lords, that could have killed him. His brother, too, bore the scars of bullets that entered his body at the hands of gang violence. But skipping court for that theft charge was the final blow. sitting in his cell, he promised himself to find a way out. It sucked. It was the absolute worst. There were fights, the water was freezing cold, and the food tasted like poison. It was just really, really depressing,” he said.
Quiñones’s resolve to change found an anchor in faith. Well, that and hiphop. A belief in something greater, coupled with rhythmic poems created by lyrics and beats. The undeniable pairing of the Bible and Wu-Tang Clan was essential to how Quiñones reinvented himself. His initial introduction to Pueblo was through a friend in Denver. Upon arriving, his mission was less about civic
duty and more about personal fulfillment. As a seasoned rapper and MC with multiple albums, he sought out fellow artists and a space to hone his craft. Phil’s Radiator provided both and became the incubator for the hip-hop shows and events he produced.
subsequent ventures, like a successful skateboard competition, revealed a burgeoning talent for fostering connections. Quiñones realized a deeper need as these gatherings grew—to create spaces where the community could coalesce around culture and shared experiences. He also saw the necessity for programs that kept kids off the streets.
Thus, his personal journey morphed into a communal mission.
Almost a decade after convincing his family to join him on a whim and move to Pueblo West (he now lives in Pueblo), his work is potent. In mid-July, his second annual Hip-Hop Festival thrived as a living testament to his promise and the unity that thrums under the surface of the place he now calls home. Twice, torrential downpours threatened to shut it down, but people refused to leave. Through it all, breakers windmilled into puddles, DJs battled the storm, and graffiti artists incorporated the cacophony into their canvases.
Like many American cities, Pueblo grapples with crime, poverty, and violence—issues that resonate deeply with Quiñones’s own experiences. But these challenges seem to evaporate within the bubble of his events, where a shared purpose prevails so profoundly that security is never a line item on the budget.
It has not been easy, though. Funding is chronically scarce, forcing Quiñones to often dip into his coffers—a considerable sacrifice given his meager income. Every dollar raised is immediately reinvested in programming. Relying on a patchwork of volunteers and donors, he’s stretched his resources and, at times, himself to the brink. Like Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, he believes they will come if he builds it. Yet, instead of cornfields and baseball diamonds, Quiñones cultivates community centers, art spaces and public parks.
And his hopes for the future continue to evolve.
In 2024, he introduced graffiti and breakdancing programs for Pueblo youth.
Javier with the skateboard competition participants. Photos courtesy of Javier.
With fashion design and DJing on the horizon, he aims to provide more safe spaces for kids to explore themselves creatively. The ultimate goal is a centralized cultural center where everything exists collectively. “I want to create opportunities,” he said, with quiet intensity. “Because I know that when people have opportunities, positive things happen. They become more passionate and can be themselves without being judged.”
Quiñones also remains steadfast in his pursuit of personal growth. In 2020, he completed his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and reconnected with his artistic roots. He shares his poetry as a spoken-word artist on local stages. He said he wants to get back into writing lyrics—something he has neglected—and regularly hits the gym to enhance his body and mental focus. Photography remains a significant part of who he is and how he expresses himself. He is often found with a camera around his neck, teaching others the proper ways to shoot and the right lighting to use.
A dreamer, Quiñones believes that every day is the best day. His confidence in the unexplored potential is his most magnetic quality. His optimism and drive— shaped by a life filled with uphills and sharp curves—are infectious, reflecting his past experiences and future aspirations. Through it all, Quiñones believes in leaving places better than he found them and is committed to serving wherever that need exists. As we exited the stifling café, stepping into the furnace-like heat, we casually discussed his upcoming Multi-Cultural Festival on October 5. And, before we parted ways, I asked Quiñones one last question. What would he want written on his epitaph? With an enthusiastic smile, as he walked away, he said, “Here lived a man who cared about his community enough to make a difference.”
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THRIVE! with Rachel
By Rachel Kutskill
The history of Pueblo, Colorado is understandably rich with an array of people, cultures, ethnicities and food. The depths at which we developed first, as Fort Pueblo, and transitioned into a modern day version of burroughs, is very unique and enticing for the generations that have lived through it. Each diverse pocket of town is affiliated with regional tastes, smells and traditions, that have been passed down since the mid 1800’s, that have thrived all these years.
I am not a native Puebloan, but I have always loved the melting pot of our town. Case in point, I am sandwiched between a Korean neighbor and a Mexican neighbor. All of us garden and share our soil secrets with one another, and have nurtured some beautiful produce through the years. While one neighbor shares tomatoes and peppers for salsas and chile, the other shares cabbage and radishes mostly in the form of homemade kimchi. Food has brought us together many times, and we all seem to share the common thread and pride of harvesting and creating a dish to share with one another.
I previously wrote of the alluring Pueblo Chili and my first encounter with the tantalizing smells of roasted peppers this time of year, and I am yet again, drawn to the story of our food and cultural representations.
September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month which recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. In 1842, Fort Puelo was founded as a trading post with very little activity until 1870 when Pueblo was incorporated as a city. From there, our town steadily grew as the Denver and Rio Grande railway
We are all different — and, we are Pueblo.
came through in 1872, followed by Steel Mill and 25 years later, the Nuckolls Packing Co. Throughout this time, the border between the United States and Mexico changed from the Arkansas River to the Rio Grande in 1848, with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This border relocation moved an economic and political line from point A to point B, and yet generations of families still remained, thankfully.
“Yo No Cruse La Frontera, La Frontera Me Cruzo” (I didn’t cross the border, the border crossed me)
During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, University
Photography by Lyss
Natural light photographer in Pueblo Colorado & surrounding areas.
Alyssa Vallejos Photographer 719-250-1762
www.photographybylyss.com
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?
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"
El Pueblo History Museum. Photo by Jeff Lopez.
of Southern Colorado anthropology professor William G. Buckles and his students closed in on the location of the original Fort Pueblo. Their discoveries yielded promising evidence, and in 1991 the Fariss Hotel, which they had been excavating the basement of, was torn down by the city of Pueblo to solidify the archaeological advancements. Buckles and his team discovered signs of the El Pueblo structure, as well as hundreds of related artifacts such as trade goods, rifle balls, and stone tools. Today, El Pueblo History Museum sits on the original site and a replica of the fort has been created to give visitors an incredible view into the past.
As we take these four weeks to walk around our town in appreciation for the many Hispanic families that helped build Pueblo from the ground up, remember to take in as much of the culture—and food, as possible. It may mean a tortilla wrapped chili pepper, at the Chili y Frijoles festival September 20-22, watching grupo Folklorico dances, taking family to visit El Pueblo History Museum, engag ing in the 6th Annual Multicultural Festival on Oc tober 5th, or chatting with a neighbor and learning about their family roots while exchanging green chili recipes. Keep in mind that we built this town from blood, sweat and tears—generations using the best resources they had available and with as much love they could give. We have been connected through it all, with the sense of pride and steadfast nature to thrive beyond all doubt.
We are all different— and, we are Pueblo.
PSJ Happiness Index: 3.9/4
• Social support 4/4 - This is available for anyone to participate. We can celebrate Hispanic her itage through free festivals, low cost museums and cooking aromatic and tasty cultural dishes.
• Healthy life expectancy 3.8/4 - My beliefs are that the more we engage with our immediate community, the happier and healthier we are as we age. Create those bonds now, and cherish them for the rest of your life.
• Freedoms making life choices 4/4 - While you may love sharing this with others, you can also do it on your own without causing imposition to anyone around you.
• Generosity 3.8/4 - Most of the offerings we have around town are free or low cost, making it very inclusive to celebrate some of the heritage that our town was built on.
EXPERIENCE OUR TOWN AND ITS RICH HISTORY BY ENGAGING IN HISPANIC CULTURE FROM SEPTEMBER 15TH
THROUGH OCTOBER 15TH. VISIT AN EVENT OR PLACE THAT YOU HAVEN’T BEEN TO YET, AND BRING A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER.
Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl, except apples and almonds. 1. Add the apples to the mixture and mix until incorporated fully 2.
Wrap the inside of a 8in baking pan in parchment paper 3.
Pour everything into the baking pan that you have pre-wrapped 4.
Garnish with the almond slivers 5.
6. Let stand for 30 minutes to cool 7.
Bake 60 to 80 minutes – check after 45 min to make sure the cake is cooking properly, no burning. If it looks like it is getting too dark, you can lightly place some foil on the top while finishing the bake.
Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar 8.
Serve with whipped cream and enjoy 9. Certain apple varieties thrive in the summertime! Apples have a crisp texture and a blend of sweetness and tart.
JOCELYN MARTINEZ, CHC, CWBC, HEALTH CHEF
OWNER
Grow & Prosper with SBDC
By Brian Estrada
Greetings!
This month we want to talk about the Outdoor Industry. Colorado is known for its breathtaking landscapes, ranging from the Rocky Mountains to vast plains and roaring rivers. This natural beauty has not only shaped the state’s identity but has also established the outdoor industry as a vital part of Colorado’s economy and culture. Here’s why the Colorado outdoor industry is so important:
Economic Impact
Revenue Generation: The outdoor recreation industry is a significant contributor to Colorado’s economy. It generates billions of dollars annually in consumer spending on outdoor activities, equipment, and travel.
Job Creation: The industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in the state. These jobs range from those in retail and manufacturing of outdoor gear to roles in tourism, hospitality, and guiding services.
Tax Revenue: The outdoor industry contributes substantial tax revenue to the state and local governments, which can be reinvested in public services and infrastructure.
Tourism
Attraction of Visitors: Colorado is known for its diverse outdoor recreational opportunities, such as skiing, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and camping. These activities attract millions of visitors annually, both domestic and international, bolstering the state’s tourism sector.
Support for Rural Economies: Many of Colorado’s outdoor activities are located in rural areas. Tourism related to these activities supports local businesses, from restaurants and hotels to gas stations and retail shops.
Environmental Stewardship and Conservation
Conservation Efforts: The outdoor industry often advocates for the preservation of natural spaces. Many companies within the industry actively engage in environmental stewardship, supporting policies and initiatives that aim to conserve public lands and waterways.
Sustainable Practices: There is a growing emphasis on sustainability within the industry, which includes promoting responsible recreation and the use of eco-friendly products and practices.
Innovation and Industry Growth
Innovation Hub: Colorado is home to a vibrant outdoor industry cluster, with numerous companies engaged in the design and manufacturing of outdoor gear and apparel. The state is an innovation hub for developing new products and technologies related to outdoor activities.
Brand and Identity
State Identity: Colorado’s image as a premier outdoor destination helps shape its identity and attractiveness as a place to live, work, and play. This branding is crucial for attracting businesses, talent, and investment to the state.
Educational and Research Opportunities
Academic Partnerships: Colorado’s outdoor industry collaborates with educational institutions for research, internships, and academic programs focused on outdoor recreation, conservation, and business, fostering a pipeline of talent and knowledge.
Overall, the outdoor industry is a cornerstone of Colorado’s economy, culture, and way of life, making it a vital sector for the state’s continued growth and sustainability.
Here at the Southern Colorado Small Business Development Center we want to do our part in showcasing this important industry.
We are hosting the Outdoor Industry Summit in Canon City Colorado September 19 -21, 2024. This event is to help elevate your knowledge, expand your network, and experience unique outdoor adventures.
You can check out the entire line-up at our website: https://www.southerncoloradosbdc.org/outdoor-industry-summit/
We hope you can join us in Canon City! If you have only seen Canon City from the highway there is so much more for you to see, we look forward to seeing you at the summit!
Brian Estrada is the Executive Director Southern Colorado Small Business Development Center.
The Roots of Wreaths Across America
This is a story for anyone who has ever wondered if one person could make a difference in the lives of millions.
Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was a 12-year old paper boy when he won a trip to Washington D.C. It was his first to our nation’s capital and one that would change the trajectory of his life and the lives of millions of others across the country. Seeing the hundreds of thousands of graves and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery made an especially indelible impression on him. It was to be an experience that would follow him throughout his life and successful career, reminding him that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of his nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe (ret), arrangements were made for the surplus wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older cemetery sections that had been receiving fewer visitors each passing year.
As plans were underway to transport the wreaths to Washington, a number of other individuals and organizations stepped up to help. James Prout, owner of local trucking company Blue Bird Ranch, Inc., generously provided transportation all the way to Virginia. Volunteers from the local American Legion and VFW Posts gathered with members of the community to decorate each wreath with traditional red, hand-tied bows. Members of the Maine State Society of Washington D.C., helped to organize the wreath-laying, which included a special ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
For over a decade, this annual tribute went on quietly and privately. Everything changed in 2005, when a photo of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths and covered in snow, circulated around the internet. Suddenly, the homespun tribute from a small town in down east Maine was receiving national attention. Thousands of requests poured in from all over the country from people wanting to help purchase and lay wreaths at Arlington. Thousands more wanted to emulate the Arlington project at their local National and State cemeteries. Still others simply desired to share their stories and thank Morrill Worcester for honoring our nation’s heroes. Many were surviving family members of some of those heroes.
Unable to donate thousands of wreaths to each state, Worcester began sending seven wreaths to every state: One for each branch of the military and an additional wreath to pray tribute to POW/MIAs. In 2006, with the help of the Civil Air Patrol and other civic organizations, simultaneous wreath-laying ceremonies were held at over 150 locations around the country. The Patriot Guard Riders volunteered as escorts for the wreaths going to Arlington in the beginnings of the annual “Veterans Honor Parade,” a convoy that now travels the east coast every year in early December.
The annual trip to Arlington and the groups of volunteers eager to participate in Worcester’s simple wreath-laying event grew each year until it became clear that the desire to remember and honor our country’s fallen heroes was bigger than he could have imagined possible at the outset. The movement had grown beyond Arlington and bigger than this one company in Harrington, Maine. In 2007, the Worcester family, along with the support of veterans organizations and a variety of other groups and individuals who had helped with their annual vet-
erans wreath ceremony in Arlington, formed Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, to continue and expand this effort, and support others around the country who wanted to do the same.
The simple mission of the organization was established: Remember. Honor. Teach.
Just one year later, over 300 locations held wreath-laying ceremonies in every state, Puerto Rico and 24 overseas cemeteries. Over 100,000 wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves. Over 60,000 volunteers participated. And that year, December 13, 2008 was unanimously voted by the United States Congress as “Wreaths Across America Day.”
In 2014, a goal of placing a veteran’s wreath on every grave marker was met with the sponsorship and placement of 226,525 wreaths.
In 2018, a delegation of volunteers and supporters were invited by the American Battle Monuments Commission to hold a wreath ceremony to honor the nearly 10,000 heros interred at Normandy American Cemetery in France.
In 2022, Wreaths Across America and its national network of volunteers placed more than 2.7 million sponsored veterans’ wreaths on headstones of our nation’s service members at 3,702 participating locations. This was accomplished with the support of more than 5,000 sponsorship groups, corporation contributions, and in-kind donations from the transportation industry across the country.
The wreath-laying that began more than 30 years ago is still held annually, on the second or third Saturday of December. WAA’s annual pilgrimage from Harrington, Maine to Arlington National Cemetery has become known as “the world’s largest veterans’ parade.” Every year the convoy of trucks, local law enforcement, staff and supporters stop at schools, monuments, veterans’ homes and communities along the way to talk about the Wreaths Across America mission and remind people how important it is to remember, honor and teach.
Morrill Worcester, founder and executive director of Wreaths Across America, reflects for a moment after placing the two-millionth wreath by the headstone of U.S. Army Pvt. William Henry Christman during the Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Dec. 13, 2014. Christman was the first soldier to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Wreaths Across America is committed to teaching all generations about the value of their freedoms, and the importance of honoring those who sacrificed so much to protect those freedoms. In 2022, the organization launched its expanded TEACH program and collaboration with like-minded organizations focused on character development and service projects for young people of all ages, with lesson plans for all grade levels and learning abilities.
Wreaths Across America would not be successful without the help of volunteers, active organizations and the generosity of the trucking industry, which offer invaluable support to WAA’s mission to remember the men and women who served our country, honor our military and their families, and teach our children about our freedom and those who protect it. There are many ways you can helplearn more about how you can get involved by perusing our site, signing up to receive our newsletter and/or visiting the Wreaths Across America Museum in Columbia Falls, Maine.
What does it mean to Remember, Honor, and Teach?
While we have Veterans Day in the fall and Memorial Day in the spring, our servicemen and women sacrifice their time and safety every single day of the year, to preserve our freedoms. In many American homes, every day there is an empty seat for one who is serving or one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and never came home. That is why the Wreaths Across America mission to Remember, Honor and Teach lasts all year long, far beyond the single day in December when we coordinate wreath-laying ceremonies. All throughout the year, Wreaths Across America works in a number of ways to show our veterans and their families that we will not forget-we will never forget. Read on to see the many ways we Remember and Honor our veterans, and Teach the next generation to do the same.
Who We Remember
From the Civil War to present day conflicts, our veterans are devoted sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers. They come from all backgrounds in life to place their lives on the line for our freedoms. There are numerous stories to tell. Roselawn Cemetery is the final resting place of 4,000 veterans who have served in the Civil War, Spanish American War, WW1, WW11, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm. Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan and our goal is to have a wreath placed on every grave of the 4,000 veterans who have been laid to rest on our sacred grounds.
“To be killed in war is not the worst that can happen. To be lost is not the worst that can happen.......to be forgotten is the worst.”
Piere Claeyssens (1909-2003)
Lucille Corsentino
Roselawn Foundation
Collection of images from the December 16, 2023 Wreaths Across America event at Roselawn Cemetery, Pueblo, Colo. Images courtesy of Gregory Howell.
Pueblo’s Veterans’ Voice
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.
Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Chris Robles wore many hats throughout his life. He was a dedicated soldier, a community leader, a friend to many, and a father, husband, and uncle.
His legacy deserves the attention of the entire Pueblo community—and the nation. In the military, his years of service included fighting in the Global War on Terror.
He served honorably—and well. Throughout his 32 years of service as an intelligence noncommissioned officer, Chris received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal three times, the Army Commendation Medal twice, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal three times, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and the Army Superior Unit Award. He also earned the Army Good Conduct Medal ten times, the National Defense Service Medal twice, and the Southwest Asia Service Medal with a Bronze Service Star. He served in the Global War on Terrorism, received the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, and five Overseas Service Ribbons. He also earned the Combat Action Badge.
These awards only tell part of his story. They don’t reflect his rise to sergeant major, the thousands of young men and women who learned from him, the family moves, the long absences, or the hardships of war.
Nor do they show the commitment he had for the city of Pueblo, where he served his community as honorably as he served his nation. Immediately after retiring from the military and returning to his hometown of Pueblo, he became the vice president of the Steel City Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #3367. He was
“He served honorably - and well. His service included fighting in the Global War on Terror.”
– Sgt Maj. Chris Robles
also president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, Pueblo Council; an advocate with the Pillars of Unity Pueblo; and a veteran advisor for the Roselawn Cemetery Historical Committee.
“Familia - A U.S. Army Sergeant Major is never forgotten, for their legacy is woven into the very fabric of the soldiers they led and the missions they accomplished. As the backbone of the Army, they embody resilience, leadership, and unwavering commitment, ensuring that every soldier under their care is prepared, disciplined, and motivated. Their wisdom, drawn from years of experience, shapes the future of the Army, leaving an indelible mark on those who follow in their footsteps. The impact of a Chris as a Sergeant Major transcends the battlefield, living on in the lessons they impart, the lives they touch, and the standards they set, ensuring they are remembered with the highest respect and honor. Chris embodied every single Army Value, Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. We LOVE you, Chris.”
Chris was a great friend to veterans, always keeping them close in his actions. He was a supporter of the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, past commander of the American Legion Post 203, and heavily involved in the Retired Enlisted Association.
Chris passed away recently, and he is missed by those who knew and loved him. He is remembered by countless family members, soldiers, Pueblo friends and neighbors, and the community organizations he led.
Whether it is to work through the trauma of war, to apply for disability assistance or other benefits through the VA, veterans work with staff members who have also served and who understand the military experience.
For assistance, go to veteranscenter.org or call (719) 772-7000.
Sgt Maj. Chris Robles wore many hats throughout his life. He was a dedicated soldier, a community leader, a friend to many, and a father, husband, and uncle. Photo courtesy of Mt. Carmel Veterans service center.
Sgt Maj. Chris Robles, pictured in uniform, Photo courtesy of Mt. Carmel Veterans service center
FIBER ARTS FOCUS
By Bree Anne Pappan
Ithink we could all recall a time or moment when we were in the presence of fiber arts, textile arts or both through our lifespan. Maybe your grandmothers, aunts, or even your mothers were quilting, or perhaps seeing family member’s creating embroidered, woven, crocheted, needle-pointing or use of fiber or textiles through craftsmanship or pure craft. Maybe you even participated in creating something with a family member or spent time learning about it. Quilting Bee’s are known to bring people together socially whose common thread is the love of creating with fiber. Traditional weaving techniques and communal creation of rugs, wearable textiles and material cultural items made of fiber are things that are not only ancestral but have come to be the historical basis from which generations are able to sustain and support their communities. In the fine arts realm, visibility for fiber artists continues to surge and in this region, a well defined group of artists in both traditional and contemporary senses has been contributing to some fantastic, thought provoking displays which have redefined how we see this medium.
Beginning in 1974 at Southern Colorado State College, now CSU-Pueblo, an interest in fiber and textile arts was ignited by textile artist Shirley Barr. As a teacher at the college she offered weaving classes in textile and fiber arts there as well as at the newly opened Sangre de Cristo Arts Center. Through this emerged enough interest and diversity to bring together a group that consisted of 17 members that would become the Handweavers Guild of Pueblo. Since its establishment, the guild has aimed to promote weaving, spinning and all manner of fiber arts as well as encourage many traditional techniques such as tapestry and complex weaving, quilting and master textile construction. Throughout its history the HGP has funded awards in the Fine Arts and Creative Arts categories at the Colorado State Fair and several members have been part of national juries for Fiber Arts events and shows. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Handweaver’s Guild of Pueblo of which will be celebrated with various events and exhibits, beginning in September where the guild will welcome renowned textile artist, author and textile historian Amanda Robinette for a presentation and lecture about the centuries old technique of Sakiori or Japanese rag weaving.
Each year the Handweavers Guild of Pueblo (HGP) holds a show and sale of incredible artistic creations by their members, who are now 50 strong. This year is no exception. Beginning in October the
guild members will exhibit and sell pieces in a curated group show at the Sangre de Cristo Art and Conference Center called “Art of the Loom”. The show will run through November 23rd and will not only showcase creations by such longtime guild artists as Marilyn Hoisington, Cathy Coatney and Joanne Cauldwell but will offer a look at the diversity and skill mastery of the guild as a whole.
Kimberly Sewell, a highly visible multi-media fiber artist in recent shows at both Bloback Gallery and Liminal Space Gallery at the Pueblo Arts Alliance has turned to Fiber and Textile arts as her medium of choice. She has chosen to focus on her fiber arts work from the standpoint both as a personal journey and as a rediscovery of a form of expression that she was introduced to early in life and that she continually develops. She has completely embraced fiber arts not only as a medium but to a fully immersive practice through spinning, dying and learning different methods of working with the medium. Fiber arts, as a medium has both challenged her and brought a produced a narrative about sometimes sensitive subjects which she transformed into a visual platform. In an online interview with Kim I asked about how she was first introduced to Fiber Arts;
Celebrating 50 years of the Handweavers Guild of Pueblo 50th
Arts Alliance and since she had learned to spin yarn, had become really absorbed in the experience of touch in art.
“...because the textures of fiber arts are so yummy, but also because there’s something slightly subversive about being invited to touch art in a gallery or museum space. I wanted to draw people in and let them feel the art!”, states Sewell
“My first intro to fiber arts was probably similar to a lot of people. I had a babysitter/family friend that we called Gramma Dee who taught me how to knit. I didn’t stick with it and was then retaught knitting in college by a friend. Then I picked up crochet (which I prefer to knitting). I resisted fiber arts as a main medium for a long time because I had this sort of backwards feminism idea that they were “women’s work” and as such not “real” art forms. It took a long time to deconstruct that belief and ask myself why I thought that and who benefited from me believing it. I think the person who initially made me challenge those ideas was Donna Stinchcomb, who at the time was curator of the Buell Children’s Museum. She really loved fiber arts and helped me learn to appreciate them as art objects. I picked up needle felting because I won a silent auction kit donated by the Felted Dog (now owners of Curated Pueblo). I taught a lot of needle felting classes through my job at the library from there and I just really love how versatile it is with such simple foundational skills! In my MFA I mentioned being intrigued by spinning yarn to my cohort and one of my cohort members is an avid spinner and she gifted me a drop spindle and fiber!”
More recently Sewell had the opportunity to participate in an immersive installation at the Pueblo
Through Fiber arts, Sewell has been shown the value of community and sharing knowledge. In every fiber and textile art form she has learned has been through someone she knows who is sharing their knowledge and love of the craft with her.
Sewell also not only examined and reimagined the sensory expereinces of fiber arts but also the hisorical and cultural cues;
“I took this idea into a show I did this summer: Queer Fibers which was all about queer history and culture told via fiber arts. I challenged myself to include as many fiber art forms as possible and touch on how fibers interact with that history. And watching people interact with the show and get to touch the art was so rewarding I wanted to continue to explore how I can bring fibers into the work I do.”
For her most recent show at Blo Back Gallery, “GREAT NEWS YOUR LABS ARE NORMAL”, Sewell’s goal was tell her personal story and use it as a way to invite people to empathize with the experiences of chronic illness, mental health and medical gas-lighting and if they saw themselves or a loved one in any of it to learn to advocate for their own care.
“Chronic illness and mental health are two subjects that can be depressing or can be a really depressing subject and I was mindful of trying to not wallow too much, not only because that’s not good for my
mental health, but because that sadness can translate to guilt or lead the viewer to be guarded, I didn’t want anyone to feel shut out.”
Kim further agrees that Fiber Arts are an inherently warm and approachable medium as an integral and ubiquitous part of life and culture, so there’s something immediately familiar and comforting about it. The texture and volume of fibers also lend an element of visual complexity that mirrors the complexity of dealing with chronic illness and navigating healthcare spaces.
“I also consider this show to be something of a self portrait. Being chronically ill and disabled is an integral part of who I am and fiber arts have become an integral part of my artistic practice and personal community. So, by including fiber arts in these pieces I’m sharing another layer of who I am and how I experience the world!”
regional
FIBER ARTS FOCUS: Celebrating 50 years of the Handweavers Guild of Pueblo, how Fiber Arts and Textile artists are at the forefront of local and
representation. Images: “Pots” (left) and “ADHD” (right) multi-media fiber pieces from “GREAT NEWS YOUR LABS ARE NORMAL” visually portraying diagnosis that Kim Sewell chronicled on her medical journey.(photos by B. Pappan)
ARTS & CRAFTS
Portraits of Nature: Myriads of Gods exhibition
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday through Jan. 11
Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave.
Info: sdc-arts.org
HISTORY & CULTURE
Ghost Walk
5-8 p.m. Sept. 27-28, Oct. 4-5, 11-12, Fuel & Iron Food Hall, 400 S. Union Ave.
Info: Walking tours leave every 15 minutes
The id @ The Ethos
Second Thursdays, The Ethos, 615 E. Mesa Ave.
Info: ethospueblo.com
War Memorial Ghost Tours
8 p.m. first Saturday of each month, Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, 31001 Magnuson Ave.
Info: pwam.org
FAMILY EVENTS
30th annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival
Sept. 20-22, Downtown Pueblo, Union Ave.
Info: pueblochilefestival.com
Pueblo Chile Balloon Fest Launch
6:45 a.m. Sept. 20-22,Langoni Sports Complex, 1600 W 24th St.
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
Pueblo Oktoberfest
Sept. 27-28, Walter Brewing Company, 126 S. Oneida St
FUN & GAMES
Tabletop Game Night
6-9 p.m. first Wednesdays, The Ethos, 615 E. Mesa Ave.
Info: ethospueblo.com
Just a Regular Pool Night
4:30-11 p.m. second and fourth Wednesdays, 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.
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.
7 p.m. Nov. 17, Memorial Hall, 1 City Hall Place Info: pueblomemorialhall.com
DECEMBER
Pueblo Municipal Band free holiday concert
2 p.m. Dec. 22, Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave. Info: sdc-arts.org
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