December 31, 2009
City of Colorado Springs – Calendar
COLORADO SPRINGS STREETCAR FEASIBILITY STUDY UPCOMING MEETINGS
Stakeholder and public input are essential to the successful completion of the Streetcar Feasibility Study and we need your help to ensure maximum attendance at both these meetings.
Please share this information with your constituents, co-workers, friends, family and anyone who has an interest in the future of public transit in Colorado Springs.
What: Stakeholders Meeting
When: Jan. 12, 2010, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Where: City Administration Building, 30 S. Nevada Ave.
Why: To continue the discussion of potential alignments and vehicle technologies.
What: Public Meeting
When: Jan. 12, 2010, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Where: City Administration Building, 30 S. Nevada Ave.
Why: To gather public input. Displays will be on exhibit from 7:30 to 8 p.m.; a Streetcar 101 presentation takes place from 8 to 9 p.m.
When I think of street cars, I picture the Main Street of Disneyland. I see families outside, having fun, and thoroughly enjoying their day. Could this vision be a future reality for the Downtown real estate area? I admit, it’s difficult for me to envision, but I love the possibility! How fun would it be to spend a Saturday afternoon on Tejon riding a streetcar from Colorado College through Old Colorado City, to Manitou Springs, visiting the shops, lounging in Acacia Park, and eating tasty food from any one of the restaurants located in the downtown area. Sounds like a good weekend to me!
One thought does cross my mind, though… How does a streetcar co-exist on Colorado Avenue or Tejon Street with the existing traffic? Certainly the experience of being downtown would be greatly improved with less car traffic and more pedestrian traffic. I think we have all felt like we were in a Frogger game at some point or another while trying to navigate the traffic on either street on foot. The big question is, will Colorado Springs residents be willing to give up the convenience of their cars for a more “urban” downtown experience? Only time will tell. If you would like to learn more about the potential for a streetcar in the Downtown real estate or have some thoughts to share with the City’s Community Development staff, don’t forget to stop by the City Administration Building on January 12th. It is sure to be an exciting event for envisioning the future of Colorado Springs!
Carbon Monoxide
Why should I open a window when I have a fire in the fireplace?
It’s important that your home has adequate outside air for combustion when you have a fire in the fireplace. Insufficient air for combustion may result in a backventing condition where outside air is pulled into the home through the furnace and water heater vents, spilling the products of combustion from these appliances into the room.
Newer homes in El Paso County have been required to have a fresh air duct from the outside to the cold air return of the furnace. This is designed to provide adequate air for the combustion process in the furnace and water heater. However, the air duct may not be sized to also provide sufficient outside air for a fire in the fireplace.
Therefore, when you have a fire in your fireplace, it’s important that you crack a window one to two inches.
With the weather being especially cold this winter, I am sure there are many Colorado Springs residents taking advantage of their fireplaces. After all, there is nothing like having a warm fire to come home to after work….especially when it’s snowing outside. One thing to remember, though, when lighting your gas or wood burning fireplace is carbon monoxide. The fireplace is suspect number one when it comes to carbon monoxide creation in the home and it is important to ventilate your home well while running any fireplace. In fact, it is estimated that nearly 200 people are killed each year due to fireplace-produced carbon monoxide. CO is created when the fire does not receive enough oxygen (due to poor ventilation). Instead of creating a bi-product of carbon dioxide, the fire produces carbon monoxide.
I love my fireplace and would never give it up. So how do you fix this carbon monoxide problem, you ask? It’s relatively simple. Firstly, have your fireplace inspected and cleaned each year to reduce the potential for carbon monoxide creation. Secondly, make sure your gas fireplace is properly sealed, leaving no chance for carbon monoxide to escape the fireplace system and infiltrate your home. And thirdly, you can crack a window while running your fireplace. Ventilation is the easiest remedy for carbon monoxide in the home. So, all that being said, I hope everyone in the Colorado Springs real estate area is keeping warm this winter and enjoying their fireplaces with a nice hot cup of hot chocolate!
One step closer to opening Manitou Incline
Money for a Master Plan means plans to open Manitou Incline can go forward. Great Outdoors Colorado is providing a $70,500 grant along with a $25,000 donation from philanthropist Lyda Hill for planning. Trails and Open Space Advocacy Director Bill Koerner is a member of the Task Force that will use the next six to nine months and come up with a plan for the “opening” process. The land is owned by Colorado Springs Utilities, the U.S. Forest Service and the Cog Railway. The Incline is not open to the public, although as many as 70,000 use it each year. The grants will be used for planning purposes. Opening the trail will likely require more money. The task force will work with Colorado Springs Trails,Open Space and Parks as well as Manitou officials. Their first meeting is January 14th and is not open to the public, although public meetings will follow.
The Manitou Incline is hard to miss. All you have to do is look west and notice the vertical scar running from the Manitou Springs real estate area up to the base of Pikes Peak. It’s a Colorado Springs legend that has claimed a certain celebrity throughout the entire country. Did you know that it is not technically open to the public though?
The Trails and Open Space Coalition has been working toward making the Incline a public trail for several decades. They were finally awarded a substantial grant this year to develop a masterplan that will include a Task Force whose sole purpose will be to develop a strategy to open the trail to the public. They have several challenges ahead of them in that the Incline runs through three separate properties that are owned by the Cog Railroad, Colorado Springs Utilities, and the U.S. Forest Service. Their first meeting will be in two weeks, and I can’t wait to see the results of their efforts. The Manitou Incline is a treasure to the entire Colorado Springs real estate area. It blends the history of Colorado Springs with the active outdoor lifestyle that Colorado Springs residents crave. The Incline should be preserved and officially opened to the public. I wish the Task Force good luck, and look forward to seeing you on the Incline this spring!
Free Coffee to Designated Drivers on New Years Eve – KRDO.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News, Weather and Sports
COLORADO SPRINGS – Dutch Bros. Coffee will ring in the New Year by offering free drinks to designated drivers on Thursday, Dec. 31. From 6 to 10 p.m., designated drivers will receive one, 16 oz. drink courtesy of Dutch Bros. Coffee.
“We want to show a little Dutch “luv” for those keeping everyone safe on the road on New Year’s Eve,” said Travis Boersma, co-founder of Dutch Bros. Coffee. “Being a designated driver is so important, especially on a night when a lot of people will be celebrating. We want to extend our thanks to those ensuring our loved ones get home safe and sound.”
Participating locally-owned and operated Colorado Springs locations include 301 E. Colorado Ave. and 1802 E. Platte Ave.
Again this year, 7-Eleven stores in Colorado (including those in Colorado Springs) will serve free 12-ounce cups of coffee or hot beverage, between 12 midnight, Dec. 31, 2009, and 6 a.m., Jan. 1, 2010, for late-night drivers and as an end-of-the year thank-you to customers. Stores participating in the overnight coffee give-away will display a 81/2″ x 11″ card on their counter announcing the free-coffee program.
I hope everyone in Colorado Springs has a happy and safe New Years Eve! It is a night for cheerfulness, fun, and looking to the future. And businesses all over the country are contributing to the festivities by providing coffee to those dedicated to keeping everyone safe this New Year’s Eve. If you happen to be in the Colorado Springs Downtown real estate area, make sure you take advantage of the FREE COFFEE being offered by both 7-11 and Dutch Brother’s Coffee. This New Year’s Eve is sure to be exciting as we all put the last year behind us and move forward towards economic recovery and the upcoming spring. Let’s start the New Year out right by being safe and thoughtful of others on the road. Enjoy the coffee and have a fantastic New Year!
Tours | Content | Team USA
Located within the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., the $8 million Olympic Visitor Center hosts approximately 140,000 visitors each year. It is the primary facility providing the general public with information about the U.S. Olympic Committee, U.S. Olympic Training Centers and the Olympic Movement.
The Center includes the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Rotunda, the U.S. Olympic Store, indoor/outdoor patio eating facilities, a 225-seat auditorium and meeting facilities. It also features numerous art exhibitions that change several times a year. Other Olympic memorabilia displays are scattered throughout the Visitor Center including interactive kiosks at which guests can obtain information on all American Olympic athletes. Just outside, the Carol Grotnes Belk Sculpture Garden features four bronze sculptures and a 12-foot-tall Olympic Ring Wall amidst a landscape of flowers and foliage. Overhead, the rooftop terrace has an Olympic flame display and offers panoramic views of the entire complex and the Irwin Belk Olympic Path.
The Vancouver Winter Olympics are just around the corner and there are only 43 days left until the torch is lit. Are you ready? Taking a tour of the Olympic Training Center located in the Colorado Springs Downtown real estate area is a great way to get in the Olympic spirit! And the best part….the tour is free! The majority of the tour is outside, however. But the weather is supposed to be amazing this weekend reaching nearly fifty degrees and sunny. And I can’t think of a better outdoor activity to do just before the games begin.
The facility provides a training ground for some of the top US athletes and has enabled thousands of youths to achieve their goals by providing mentor-ship and training opportunities for athletes from all over the world. The center includes not only training facilities, but also housing and dining for the approximately 550 of the country’s top athletes. The Olympic Training facility truly is a valuable asset to not only Colorado Springs, but the entire country. So take advantage of this weekend’s beautiful weather and check out the Olympic Training Center in Downtown Colorado Springs. It’s definitely a Colorado Springs must see attraction!
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