Ilike to think everyone who graces our cover is an extraordinary individual and contributor. Or, as it may be, an extraordinary team or organization, making a strong and positive impact in and around our lives in southern Colorado.
When you consider his origin 44 years ago in faraway Nigeria, Mayor Yemi Mobolade has achieved extraordinary feats and has defied a great many odds to become the chief executive officer of the 39th largest municipal economy in the United States.
The election is over. The messaging and posturing have faded. But the unusual thing that stood out about Yemi’s campaign in today’s political arena: His was based on a message and a view of what he could and would bring to the community as mayor.
He did not mud-sling, disparage, or manufacture any narrative about his opponents or their character. In many cases, he did not even respond to accusations or misleading comments about his persona or his beliefs. For most of the election cycle, he campaigned and concentrated on meeting as many people as possible and worked diligently to show that you can win an election without the subterfuge, character assassination, and rancor.
After two months in office, he’s headed confidently toward his first 100 days. Like many, I’m hopeful Mayor Yemi, his administration, City Council, County Commissioners, and countless other stakeholders can settle into the work ahead of them and build a safe, prosperous, healthy, exciting, and sustainable community of which we can all be proud.
Among those “countless other stakeholders” is us — the individuals and families in the community. We have real challenges in our city that we must overcome, and the only way that is going to be accomplished is by working together – intelligently, with compassion, and with an eye on the future, because in the end, we are all just guests here.
Several new contributing writers will join us this fall in writing about insights, specific recommendations, and knowledge about our region’s unique offerings, hidden jewels, products and services, places to experience, events, and more. We know you will find their pieces to be entertaining, informative, and fun. While we’re on the subject of new people, please welcome Geraldine Villanueva, our new senior graphic designer. She is most recently from the Air Force Association of Graduates and we are excited about her presentation plans for our NORTH readers!
Thank you for reading and sharing the contents of NORTH with your friends and family. Ours is an extraordinary place to live, work, and play. It is our sincere pleasure to provide a snapshot of the amazing things and people that are all around us.
Founder & Executive Publisher
Dirk R. Hobbs dhobbs@coloradomediagroup.com
Vice President Partnerships
John Lerohl jlerohl@coloradomediagroup.com
Partnerships Team
Jeff Mohrfeld, Josh Cafasso, Lyton Mare
Design & Production Editors
Dirk R. Hobbs, Geraldine Villanueva
Website Managers
Sterling McMannis, Angelina Pecoraro
Senior Graphic Designer Geraldine Villanueva
Senior Editor
Lee Ann Harper
Director of Photography
Don Jones, Studio 9 Photography
Senior Writers
Pam Bales, Jeanne Davant, Ally Gallagher, David Miles
August/September 2023 Writers & Contributers
Marquesa Hobbs, Amy Newland, Dirk Hobbs, Linda Weise, Michelle Bobart, AdriAnn Bossie, Dr. Chris O’Neal, Tom Stewart, Brent Thompson, Carriann Johnson, Joseph Ramos, M.D., J.D., Meghan McGuire, CFP, Charmas Lee, and Jason Watson, CPA, Meegan McCorkle, Suzanne Tulien, Trystan Brown, Chris Detone, Valentina Figueroa, Terri Hayes, Kate Laurence, Cameron Moix, Joel Rauser PT, Jeremy Snyder PT, Julie White
NORTH Partners
KKTV 11 NEWS, Salem Media, Visit COS, United States Air Force Academy Athletics, Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Springs Airport, YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region
Dirk R. Hobbs, Founder & Executive Publisher Colorado Media Group and Host of TrueNORTH – AM1460/101.1FM – The Answer
Choosing an accountant seems like a super boring thing to write about, but you might find some of this information resonates with you or perhaps even validates your thinking.
If you have routine tax complexity and you don’t mind spending an afternoon wrestling with TurboTax TM , then that is wonderful – truly. You likely don’t need an accountant, especially if your tax acumen is already high.
If you have routine tax complexity but you have better things to do than prepare your own tax return, then you want and therefore need an accountant. For a lot of people, needs and wants occupy the same space in the brain.
Ok, now what? How do you choose a tax accountant? Looks? Charm? Both? (sure, be greedy)
It has been said that a good tax accountant will ask you, “what is keeping you up at night?” But a great tax accountant will tell you exactly what is keeping you up at night. That is nonsense often pontificated at a business conference to impress the audience.
What do I mean? Anyone who tells you your anxieties and also provides a solution to them is a one-size-fits-all tax accountant. Think of a financial advisor who puts all their clients into the same investments regardless of individual objectives. Think of an interior designer who always uses the same colors or the same design concepts for all projects. Imagine if we all had the same haircut? So what do you want in a great tax accountant?
A great tax accountant will consult with you. Learn who you are. Learn your objectives. Learn your uniqueness. I commonly say a tax strategy is like a house where 70% of a house is the same for everyone – four walls and a roof. But the inside stuff, the 30% that is made up of paint colors, cabinets, floor coverings, etc., is unique to you and your home.
A great tax accountant takes a planning perspective to your tax strategy. Far too often I find prospective clients operating in crisis mode, and while at times crisis mode is unavoidable, it should not be considered planning. It is “fixing.” Also, a high-quality tax return comes from a good tax strategy which comes from a planning perspective. To illustrate, a tax return is the caboose on the tax planning train. It is the end, not the start.
Far too often I hear, “my last accountant wouldn’t let me deduct XYZ because it was too risky.” Risk is not your tax accountant’s decision – it is yours. Tax professionals must follow proper due diligence. Additionally, the tax position on a tax return must generally be able to survive on its merits – a tax position must be reasonable.
Does this mean that the IRS or a state revenue department will agree with you if they challenge your tax return? No. As a CPA, I am not afraid of an audit. I am not afraid of losing an audit. However, I am afraid of having an unreasonable tax position.
For example, my team has a lot of traveling medical personnel as clients where some find it easier (and more economical) to purchase a recreational vehicle to travel from town to town and state to state, completing short-term contracts. What’s a good position on an RV as a tax deduction for business purposes? While 100% is unlikely, 0% is off the table. Do we determine a comparable business lodging arrangement such as a short-term rental or hotel, and use that as a proxy? Perhaps. It is a facts and circumstances type of tax position.
Did you ever wonder if Walter White of “Breaking Bad” deducted his RV as a business expense? Perhaps 100% business use? Low 90s? But I digress.
To recap, your next amazing tax accountant should be a consultant who understands your situation thoroughly. Next, they should take a planning perspective of your tax world and not let you operate in crisis mode. Finally, a great tax accountant should present you with a series of options based on reasonable tax logic with varying risk profiles, step aside as you make your informed decision, and then execute the plan with professional detachment.
Oh, and they should be able to carry the 1 correctly and communicate effectively as a compassionate human.
Have you ever had a night tossing and turning while your mind races like you are driving on a winding mountain road in the dark, not knowing what’s lurking around each corner? You lay in bed contemplating the next turn, attempting to see what’s in front of you, while also being mindful of the precious cargo that’s along for the ride. These thoughts can vary from transitioning into retirement, to having a portfolio that is prepared for market volatility, to making sure you are preserving assets for your family, to the ever-increasing cost of higher education for yourself or those close to you. By the time you roll out of bed in the morning, do you feel like you need a nap?
You have likely thought about short-term and long-term goals you have for yourself and your loved ones. Translating those goals to your money may be easy for some and more difficult for others. That’s where experienced financial professionals
can assist you as they know how to navigate not only traditional planning, but also complex planning strategies including, keeping you informed of recent tax law changes, timely goal-based investment planning, alternative portfolio construction, and liability management to name just a few key areas.
It all starts with identifying what’s important to you and communicating that to your trusted planning advisor. Information is then gathered to identify where you currently are financially and set the foundation on which to build your plan from. Your planning professional can then analyze your current objectives and develop a plan that is specific to you needs, wants, and desires. By outlining where you are currently and determining what the destination looks like, your trusted advisor can help you determine what you can do now to send you on the road to achieve those goals that you may have thought weren’t attainable.
A plan assists you in taking charge of the things that you can control such as when do you want to retire; how much are you able to save and how much do you anticipate spending in retirement. Finding a balance that is unique to you and your situation is the start of a plan. You no longer need to benchmark yourself to the markets or someone else’s portfolio. You have a plan that is uniquely yours. Once created, developing a strategy to achieve those goals are key to success. Your advisor should be your best resource and your accountability partner, to hold you responsible for the choices and decisions you make.
The next crucial step is to implement the plan that you and your advisor agreed upon followed by evaluating your plan on a periodic
basis and revising as necessary. Checking the plan periodically assures you that you’re where you need to be. We know and understand that life happens and when it does that is what causes those sleepless nights. Most of those sleepless nights are caused by a job loss, an unfavorable medical diagnosis, divorce, or a death in the family. Having a decisive, well thought out plan will outline what that next chapter in life looks like by creating a map of what is important to you so you, can sleep comfortably at night knowing when those curves come, you’ll be ready.
Strategic investment planning isn’t something you can find in any book or a form you fill out on a website. By working with a professional you
will create a blueprint of what is important to you, your family, and your loved ones. It’s only with all those pieces, that a portfolio can be constructed to be the guardrails for the curves that were identified in the plan. The process is easy to follow and allows you and your advisor to regularly monitor where you are in the course.
As the stressors of life weigh you down, you need experienced professionals to assist and guide you along the way, while also helping you to keep some of the range of emotions on the sidelines. Talking with an investment planning professional can help you in identifying and achieving lifelong goals and remove the worry and stress that keeps you awake. Who do you call when you are left wondering, “What do I do now?” and “Where do I start?” It all comes back to a plan and the people in your life to help and support you as life happens. As Lewis Carroll famously said, “If you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t matter which path you take.”
Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) is laying the foundation for the digital future. Like building mainlines of its water and energy systems last century, it’s necessary now to build an upgraded, faster, more reliable city-wide fiber network to support modern utility systems.
Fiber is the foundation of secure, reliable telecommunications and an integral component in ensuring Springs Utilities’ ability to fully utilize existing assets and lay the foundation for improved connectivity with its customers.
Modernizing and expanding the utility’s existing fiber network will enhance operations, ensure better service for customers and meet the needs of this thriving community. This network will also increase data security, improve safety, bring more value to customers, and enable multi-gigabit internet connectivity to every home and business in the city.
Construction of the utility’s upgraded fiber network began in 2022, with the second build area expected to begin soon. The entire project is expected to be complete in 2028. As areas of the city are constructed, internet service will become available through a national fiber provider, Ting Internet. In fact, the first successful installation of Ting’s service occurred recently at one Colorado Springs home.
Construction activity will primarily be in the right of way in front of customers’ properties, between the sidewalk and curb, although crews may need to access additional
areas. Customers will receive advanced notification of the work being done in their neighborhood to modernize the utility system.
Springs Utilities is completing this project in a way that significantly offsets the cost of building the network through a lease agreement with Ting Internet, and possibly other organizations on its non-exclusive network. Rate increases are not planned related to this project.
When this fiber-optic network is complete, Colorado Springs will be one of the best-connected cities in the country. Every address will have access to the highest speed internet available, and enable Springs Utilities to deliver services more efficiently and effectively. Learn more about this project at csu.org.
Water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. up to three days a week. Follow the water-wise rules.
Today, when others choose to work with or trust you (as a client, partner, or employee), they are “buying into” you, not your products and services. They are buying into your “why,” your philosophy, your confidence, your demeanor, and the chemistry you create doing what you do.
Your brand is unique – as unique as your own DNA. When you discover even just a few of these core elements that make you, you – you can begin to leverage your personal brand P.O.W.E.R. and step fully into your potential, building exponential consistency, trust, and advocacy.
But don’t worry if you think you don’t have a brand. You already do. The real question you need to ask is, “Am I in control of it?” And if you haven’t formally identified, defined and aligned to your brand, you probably are not in control of it as much as you think.
Getting the clarity you need about your unique leadership brand is necessary before you can be aware, strategic, and deliberate enough to take more control of the leadership brand you want to be known for. The less clear you are about your brand, the more inconsistent you are. It is hard to have followers when you are inconsistent.
But realize that leadership is not inherently good – leadership is about an ability to influence. Influencers have a unique style, know what makes them different, and understand how consistency is key to building a level of trust that enables others to follow.
So, what is branded leadership?
It’s the conscious, strategic, deliberate application of specific, authentic personal brand attributes expressed consistently through your decisions, actions, and behaviors – all while being perceived with a level of wisdom, expertise, and authority, as well as buy-in from others.
The perceptions you and others have of your leadership brand are contingent on your own clarity of what you want to become known for. With that clarity, you can cocreate, design, and discern your own experiences to be more congruent with who you know yourself to be. You become less reactive to your
environment and more internally driven by staying true to who you really are. True leadership starts within.
That is my Brand Byte for this issue – hope you didn’t get too full! For more information on step-by-step personal brand leadership development, go to www.brandascension.com, or call me at 719.660.2533
“Nothing more conclusively proves your ability to lead others than what you do on a daily basis to lead yourself.”
– Tom Watson, former IBM CEOSuzanne Tulien, Brand Ascension
Aristotle once equated the essence of life to serving others and doing good. While the philosophy seems like a fulfilling endeavor, it’s not alway practical with people’s super busy lives. Our already jam-packed schedules make it impossible to think of giving away our time and energy for free.
However, volunteering is beneficial for several reasons, and the best part is it doesn’t have to take much time or effort. The advantages of volunteering not only benefit the community, or people receiving the assistance – it also benefits the individual or the organization offering the help.
Volunteering has a huge impact on the community. Even helping with small tasks can make a significant difference to the lives of those in need. And it’s a two-way street: it allows organizations to connect with the community to improve it.
Volunteering allows employees to network with new contacts through shared activities. Employees from different companies meet for a common goal and form connections. These connections create an incredible opportunity to expand your business.
Scientists coined a term for the physiological effect of doing good deeds – the term is known as “helper’s high.” Volunteering promotes good physical and mental health by counteracting the effects of anger, stress, and anxiety and combating depression through maintaining regular
contact with others. It also increases self-confidence and provides employees with a sense of purpose, thus increasing employee empowerment.
When employees team up outside of the work environment for a worthwhile activity, they foster a sense of camaraderie. This helps employees build bonds that last, thus making for a renewed sense of commitment to the job and to one another. Organizations that integrate social impact into their daily processes can increase sales by about 20% and productivity by 13%. Such organizations also drastically reduce employee turnover while increasing the company’s value.
Volunteering lets employees use their already learned skills to better the community. They can also use the opportunity to acquire a valuable skill that may benefit them in the work environment. Employees develop or enhance their skills without the financial investment from their employers.
Organizations that help the community by working in new environments usually earn a positive reputation for their good deeds. People want to associate themselves with brands that are working to create change in society. Volunteering in new or familiar environments helps establish relationships with customers and build brand awareness and loyalty.
As a chamber of commerce, we have many members from the nonprofit world, as we give them the platforms to market their fundraising efforts, meet potential sponsors, and gain volunteers.
We promote that everyone should volunteer, in whatever way they can. For those who truly do not have the time, don’t fret – write a check. Nonprofits need financial resources as much as they need human ones.
The key to giving consistently is to find organizations that speak to you. There are over 20,000 nonprofits in Colorado, so each person can find a cause to align with their values and level of commitment.
With the obvious benefits of volunteering, we hope more enterprises increase their involvement in their communities. The more value we add to others, the better our world becomes.
Besides the obvious “hail season,” this time of year brings many conversations about insurance in our office. Whether it be for a vacation before summer ends, to host a wedding or festival, or to get your eager teen ready for college.
When planning a vacation, the last thing you want to think about is something going wrong.
Plans available will cover you in the event you need to cancel your trip, due to an emergency or simply a change of schedule. It also covers you if your baggage is lost or stolen and you need to replace your belongings. An added benefit to travel insurance is coverage if you get sick or injured while traveling and need medical care.
Special event insurance is available on a short-term basis to protect your investment for all types of special events. These could include a family reunion, festival, birthday party, business event, or wedding. Special event coverage can help with costs if you’re found responsible for property damage or an injury during your event, or if you need to unexpectedly cancel your event.
With kids going back to school, and some heading off to college, parents should check with their homeowners or renters policies to see if it covers their college student’s belongings in a dorm or off-campus apartment. You may want to consider a separate renter’s policy for your student while living off-campus to provide coverage for their belongings and liability. And life insurance for your child at this age has many benefits. Securing life insurance now guarantees they have coverage for both now and the future, locking in insurability. If your child has any debt (including student loans), protecting that debt with life insurance is a simple solution. The cost for life insurance at this age is VERY inexpensive, and often may not require a physical medical exam – and the cost is locked in for the length of the term!
Amy Newland, Amy Newland Agency, LLC
If you find yourself planning for any of these events, my team is here and ready to answer any questions you have!
719-208-3144 (Call or Text) amynewlandagency@amfam.com
“Travel insurance provides peace of mind, and protects you from unforeseen risks or expenses that may arise.”
If you are not sitting in History Class, you may appreciate a quick refresher on U.S. and Colorado History in 1901. Movie theaters did not exist Neither did vacuums You could cheer for the Cleveland Blues or the Boston Americans in baseball.
In August, Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Colorado Springs YMCA Less than 90 days later Teddy Roosevelt became President after President William McKinley was assassinated at the Pan-American Expo in New York
A few months later in November of 1901, the Comptroller of Currency issued charter #6030 to the First National Bank of Las Animas with $50,000 and our bank was approved 12 years before President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law.
At that Grand Opening we raffled off a Chrysler PT Cruiser People in town still talk about that purple car that was all the rage in 2002
We have been blessed in the last fifteen years to add locations in Fowler, Ordway, Rocky Ford, and in the Flying Horse area in Colorado Springs. While megabanks retreat from main street, we create places to serve our customers in the communities where they work and live.
In 2023 we updated our name to First National Bank Colorado to reflect the unity of all seven of our Colorado locations
We love this amazing Centennial State and we enjoy getting to know our Colorado customers.
At that time Las Animas was home to 4,500 residents and a hub of activity in the valley with new brick buildings rising from the ground Also rising from that soil was the now-famous Rocky Ford melons Farmed for generations by our customers in the valley.
When our bank opened its doors in 1901, we joined three other banks in Las Animas. Of the original ones, only ours remains today. We serve generations of some of the same families who joined us when we chartered over one hundred twenty years ago.
We marvel at the hard work and determination it took our founders to serve customers through the Great Depression and both world wars! But it doesn’t end there Our continued reliable, conservative approach provides solid footing when challenges arise, just like the more recent ones of the Agricultural crisis of 1980-1990, 9/11, the Great Recession in 2007-2009, and a worldwide pandemic
As the state grew, so did our desire to serve more Coloradans. In 1990 our bank acquired Otero Savings and a few years later opened our second location in La Junta Not quite ten years later we embraced an opportunity “ up north” to serve folks in the growing Tri-Lakes area
We may see you at the school play, the 4-H meeting, serving at the food pantry or animal shelter, or under the Friday night lights Our customers are our friends, our teachers, our neighbors, the people who build our homes, cut our hair, and grow our food. We work hard to honor our history and show our customers that our relationship with them matters a great deal to us.
We’ve come a long way since 1901 Our founders never could have imagined the technology we offer customers today, but they would recognize the same hardworking, resourceful people of Colorado and our desire to serve them with optimism and honesty.
We are grateful for our history, and we look forward to the future in this great state For
It’s the smile.
That’s the first thing you notice when you meet Blessing “Yemi” Mobolade. And, then that genuine warmth, kind eyes, and authenticity wrap up the whole package. If you haven’t met him yet, you may soon.
Citizens are meeting the new mayor of Colorado Springs at a record pace. Mobolade and his team are getting out of the City offices to connect with and listen to residents, neighbors, leaders, and other officials where they live, work, and play – much as they did during his unprecedented campaign.
Sworn in as the 42nd mayor of Colorado Springs on June 6, 2023, Mayor Yemi Mobolade is the first Black man and immigrant to be elected mayor of Colorado Springs and one of the youngest, at 44. “I’m already quite comfortable with my title as Mayor Yemi, not Mayor Mobolade. It’s who I am, and I want to be accessible to all our citizens, even in name,” says Mobolade.
“People born in the United States
often don’t understand just how amazing their country really is to those not born here,” explains Mobolade, who was born and raised in Nigeria. “When I came to the United States at 17 years old, I was following in my older brother’s footsteps. We had family friends in northern Indiana, and we were lucky enough to be able to attend Bethel University. Even growing up in a more middle class family in Nigeria, we did not have the abundance of this country. Walking into an average grocery store here stocked to the ceiling with food – food everywhere –was almost a shock.”
There is not an abundance of higher education in his home country either, he notes.
“Those who want to pursue a higher education degree take a national test to get into one of a few universities and trade schools in the country,” Mobolade explains. “I did pass the test, but the universities were on strike. My parents were adamant about higher education, and that’s how I ended up in Indiana.”
He’s happy about his Indiana landing, as he met and married the love of his life, Abbey, a native Hoosier. Plus, being close to Notre Dame University, Mobolade will always have a special place in his heart for American football. “Bethel students had access to Notre Dame’s library, so even though I didn’t understand football at all, I immediately bought a Notre Dame jacket and wore it proudly. I was able to go to many games, and the sport has since held a special spot in my heart.”
He was born to two bi-vocational pastors: Yemi’s father was in finance and his mother was a secondary education teacher. He took full advantage of his educational opportunity, gathering a wide range of knowledge. Mayor Yemi has bachelor’s degrees in business administration and computer information systems from Bethel University (Mishawaka, Ind.), master’s degrees in management and leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, Ind.), and theology-intellectual leadership degrees from the A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary, part of Simpson University (Redding, Calif.). Using his vast education, Mobolade embraced his journey to make something of himself in a country of unlimited opportunity, as he saw it.
“...I’VE EVEN ADDED SOME OF THE CANDIDATES WHO RAN AGAINST ME FOR MAYOR TO MY ADVISORY BOARDS. DEMOCRACY THRIVES THROUGH DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES.”
– Mayor Yemi
“We’re a nation of immigrants,” states Mobolade. “It can remind us of the best of who we are as Americans. Our founders had that hustle and drive — everyone has their own set of challenges, and it is up to each of us to hustle and show that we have the drive to succeed and contribute to our community,” exudes a passionate Mobolade. “The ability to make something of yourself when you are given this opportunity influenced the way I live and lead from an early age.”
Armed with a unique combination of talents, his first job after college was in manufacturing, with his IT degree. “I loved working in manufacturing,” says Mobolade. “It is the heart and soul of America, and I got to be right in the thick of it.”
While he and his wife were pursuing their American Dream, both participated in their church. “You have to remember, as the son of two pastors, it was only natural that being a part of a church was part of life,” explains Mobolade. Then life took an interesting turn.
In his 20s, Mobolade served as a pastor in a church in northern Indiana – a town of only 3,000 people. Though the town was small, the church was attracting nearly 3,000 people each Sunday, including many Amish residents of the area. As a local, Abbey knew this opportunity was highly unusual and exceptional.
However, after a few years in ministry, Mayor Yemi says he began to see the dark side of religion and had a crisis of faith. It was time to leave – they moved to Colorado Springs in 2010 to start a new chapter of their lives.
Now with a family, Mobolade jumped into his community feet first. “My siblings would tell you, I’m always starting new things,” explains Mobolade. “But I’m still cautious to look at all angles – I see this in my 4 year old [the youngest of the three Mobolade children] right now.”
And start new things he did.
As he began connecting into the Colorado Springs church community as a minister for First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs, he co-founded COSILoveYou. This nonprofit works with churches, businesses, and civic organizations to provide collaborative opportunities for
addressing the most pressing needs in Colorado Springs. He then embraced his entrepreneurial side, co-founding Wild Goose Meeting House at the tail end of the recession. The premise behind his first business — and then the second partnership as co-owner of Good Neighbor Meeting House — was to create an inclusive place for all to gather.
“Taking risks, leading change is the way we move our community forward,” explains Mayor Yemi. “Complaining really does nothing. I’ve always felt I need to be the change I want to see in the world.”
To that end, he served as the vice president for business retention and expansion at the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, and as the small business development administrator at the City of Colorado Springs.
Courage, empathy, and humility are the core values Mobolade lives by. Armed with those values, he has now entered the next chapter of his career – politics. A self-described “serial collaborator,” Mobolade believes the time is right for positive change in Colorado Springs.
“People have asked me – did you always want to be mayor? Uh, no!” laughs Mobolade. “But I believe the opportunity is ripe to disrupt politics and business to lead our community in the best possible direction we can — for all people, not just select groups.”
He’s only a few months into his first mayoral term, but Mobolade shares his approach to balance in his life.
“I practice what I preach — literally,” he says. “I’m not a micromanager. I pick the best people I can find and watch them shine. I’ve even added some of the candidates who ran against me for mayor to my advisory boards. Democracy thrives through diverse perspectives.”
Mayor Yemi is an avid gardener in his spare time, and relies on a group of twelve people who help him stay grounded – mentors, spiritual directors, leaders, friends — he counts his wife, Abbey, as the most important. “We also have a village – you know, the friends that become your family. Many transplants to Colorado have experienced this wonderful tradition. Our ‘friend family’ has been and will continue to be there for me and for my family.”
“TAKING RISKS, LEADING CHANGE IS THE WAY WE MOVE OUR COMMUNITY FORWARD.”
During a “rambunctious” campaign with 12 candidates vying to be Colorado Springs’ 42nd mayor, there were things said, published, and advertised about Mayor Yemi that need some clarification –
FICTION: Mayor Yemi Mobolade is a socialist, far-left politician.
Mayor Yemi is a first-time politician who identifies as an independent based on his pragmatic beliefs, not those of a specific political party. He does not identify as a socialist.
FICTION: Colorado Springs is not broken and doesn’t need to be fixed.
While the economy is generally good in the city, Mayor Yemi points out that life is not great for every person here. There are neighborhoods that have been left out of the conversations of economic prosperity. He went to those places, met with those residents, and listened to those constituents to find out what else can be done to ensure all Colorado Spring citizens have access to opportunities.
FICTION: Mayor Yemi has no practical experience in running a city the size of COS.
While few have that kind of experience, especially coming into the job the first time, Mayor Yemi has executive leadership
experience. That relevant experience includes quality control management, pastoral leadership, and serving as a vice president with the Colorado Springs. Chamber & EDC. Also, he co-owns and has run two successful local businesses, and co-founded one of the most inclusive nonprofits in Colorado Springs –COSILoveYou. He’s also a former city employee having served in the Economic Development division as the small business development administrator.
FICTION: Mayor Yemi will let special interests ruin Colorado Springs.
Not true. Mayor Yemi believes in the courage to do the right thing, collaborate with others in the city and the county, and be true to the community he’s called home for more than 12 years. His loyalty lies with the city of Colorado Springs – he believes we are all Colorado Springs.
FICTION: Now that Mayor Yemi is in power, he can ignore the other political parties.
He believes that what makes democracy work is welcoming diverse perspectives and discussing those ideas with civility. He consistently welcomes the input of his political competitors and has already invited at least two of his contenders to serve on his team. This was a political genius of Abraham Lincoln – a leader Mayor Yemi deeply admires and tries to emulate in his own leadership style.
BY DAVID MILES, Senior Writer
emilio Padilla says he never envisioned himself transitioning from a Marine into a men’s fashion designer, but one day he walked into INHERENT Clothier in downtown Colorado Springs to buy a suit and struck up a conversation with the company’s founder, Taylor Draper. That chance encounter ended up changing the arc of Padilla’s career.
“I basically walked out with a parttime sales job,” Padilla recalls.
After an informal apprenticeship, Padilla started doing custom designs for INHERENT and has been its head clothier since 2021. The 25-yearold designer says he hopes to get a younger demographic interested in men’s fashion.
“My personal goal is to get guys my age into suits,” Padilla says.
Padilla provides custom fittings for a wide variety of menswear, including suits, shirts, and shoes. Upon walking
into the store, customers are welcome to pour themselves a drink, listen to their favorite music, and even get a haircut at INHERENT, Padilla says.
Padilla uses a 47-point measurement system to create a one-of-a-kind suit that compliments each client’s skin tone, hair color, and eye color, as well as their unique style. Using high-quality materials means that INHERENT suits can last for decades, making “slow fashion” custom design more environmentally sustainable, Padilla notes.
to be closer to his daughter. At the time, Padilla was in the midst of a divorce and benefited from monthly men’s mental wellness meetings and four weeks of free therapy sessions sponsored by Foundation by INHERENT, a nonprofit organization launched by the menswear firm.
Padilla recently designed a navy blue pinstripe suit for Mayor Yemi Mobolade to wear for his inauguration event. Padilla says, while he was thrilled for the opportunity, he did not treat the mayor’s custom fitting any differently than any other client’s.
“It was really cool,” Padilla says. “It’s an honor to have him trust INHERENT with his special day.”
Padilla, a native of Taylor, Texas, moved to Colorado Springs in 2021
Ten percent of INHERENT’s profits go toward its nonprofit foundation to provide men with counseling, therapy, meetings, and other mental wellness resources, Padilla says. Mental wellness is paramount to Padilla, who says he stays active by running, meditating, and practicing yoga to promote his mental health.
“I’m really excited about everything that we’re doing here,” Padilla notes. “We’re really making differences in the lives of men.”
Clients may book a custom fitting at INHERENT online at www.thisisinherent.com or in the store at 123 N. Tejon Street.
“At INHERENT, we don’t follow trends,” Padilla remarks. “Our goal is to create pieces that are timeless.”Photo credit: Steven De La Roché
You may know Thomas Dawson as the keyboard player and musical director for the legendary Commodores. Bet you don’t know that he’s also on the cutting edge of healing.
Dawson has entertained hordes of people with his performances with the Commodores and other bands, as well as his weekly appearances at Springs Orleans restaurant at The Mining Exchange, a Wyndham Grand Hotel. While he loves to entertain, he sees healing through music as his true calling.
Music therapy is an established, evidence-based field, widely recognized for decades for its value in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and mental health conditions. But working with pioneering practitioners like Dr. Bambi Nickelberry and sound therapist Regina Murphy, Dawson is taking it to new dimensions by incorporating healing frequencies into music.
While he’s advancing the frontiers of music therapy, Dawson also is continuing his role with the Commodores, with whom he’s played for 34 years. Between gigs, he is vice president of audio at Production Point studios, where he produces records, scores films, and conducts audio postproduction.
With two recording studios, sound stages, video suites, photography studios, and full-range audiovisual production services, Production Point has the potential to play an important role in the film industry, Dawson says. “We have the opportunity to create something that’s unique for Colorado,” he says.
Dawson was born to be a musician, displaying the innate ability to pick up and play instruments as a young child. He grew up in a small Louisiana town, where his father was the high school principal and his mom taught at the junior high school. His first professional gig was playing bass with a gospel band at age 12. The plan was for him to go to college, then return and become the high school’s band director. But Dawson made other plans when he was asked to join the Isaac Greggs Jazz sextet. While still in school at Southern University and for three years after graduation, he toured the world with the group.
After leaving the group, he served as music director for a touring play. At its Los Angeles engagement, he met Perry Sanders, who would go on to own The Mining Exchange and Antlers hotels. The two became friends and developed a successful studio, production company, and jingle-writing business. In 1985,
Dawson moved to Nashville, where he wrote songs, played sessions and met many top national musicians. But he always wanted to return to Los Angeles, and in 1988, he did. “It was an eye-opening experience,” Dawson says. Although he had contacts with top touring and studio musicians, “it was a lot tougher than I thought.”
After selling Steinway pianos for a year and a half, he heard through a friend that the Commodores were auditioning keyboard players. He won the job over seven other players when he asked for the band’s show tapes and promised to learn all the songs.
In 2012, he moved to Colorado Springs at the behest of Sanders, who wanted him to play at Springs Orleans.
Dawson always knew music was more than just entertainment. He could see that his performances relaxed people, and he knew he had some sort of gift, but he didn’t know what it was. His first inkling came when a friend who was a chiropractor told him, “Every time you play, I see colors. You are a healer, and you’re going to have to deal with that.”
Another friend introduced him to Regina Murphy, a Las Vegas therapist who uses tuning forks and vibroacoustic music — the practice of transmitting sound waves into the body. Dawson began writing
musical compositions infused with frequencies known to affect various health conditions.
To be sure, patients treated with sound therapy often also receive more conventional treatment, and practitioners don’t claim that their therapy alone can cure disease. But to Dawson, the results speak for themselves.
The first patient for whom he composed was a Parkinson’s patient who was confined to a wheelchair and barely responsive. Six or seven minutes into the first treatment, he started to lift his head – and three weeks later, he was back at work, participating in board meetings. The next patient was a 12-yearold boy who had glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. After three weeks of treatment, the tumor had disappeared, and three years later, the boy was still cancer-free.
With Dr. Nickelberry, Dawson co-founded the Center for Harmonic Health and Healing in Los Angeles to continue the work there. He foresees a bigger role for music therapy in the future of healthcare. “God has expanded my platform,” he says. “I know that I’m put here to do that.”
In fact, Dawson sees no limit to what music can accomplish. “If music can heal individuals, can it heal the world?” he asks.
Dawson always knew music was more than just entertainment. He could see that his performances relaxed people, and he knew he had some sort of gift...
BY ALLY GALLAGHER, Senior Writer
Seven years ago, Zach Langston moved to Colorado Springs right out of college to work with a church ministry. When he started doing landscaping work on the weekends, he never imagined how it would grow.
“[My side hustle] grew a tremendous amount — way too much,” says Langston. “We were running 12 to 15 people as a side business on the weekends. We took that and formalized it in March of
2019, so we’re just over four years in the business now.”
Now, Freedom Landscapes has 23 full-time and part-time employees. Since starting the landscaping company, Langston has focused on creating a quality customer experience. Specializing in functional outdoor spaces – from patios, to retaining walls, to walkways –Langston wants customers to not just see a project completed, but to have an experience.
“What we’ve done is really turn landscaping into more of a craft, and created an experience of being able to go through the process with us,” Langston says.
With a full-time designer on staff, Freedom Landscapes also offers custom projects like pergolas, outdoor kitchens, fencing, and lighting.
“That’s really what we specialize in as far as casting a vision and designing that space,” he explains.
“We are the last person on every job site – landscapers are the last thought in building a home or even in remodeling a home. Landscaping is typically the last thing that gets done, so, with that said, we leave things as perfect as we can,” Langston says. “We’re just very passionate about that being a magazine-ready space.”
In Colorado, outdoor living spaces are highly desired, but climate can present challenges when creating those spaces. Langston says identifying microclimates is the first step to mitigating those challenges.
“We’ve got Black Forest, Peyton, downtown Colorado Springs, Fountain, the west side up in the hills; we’ve got this fertile red clay. There are 15-20 microclimates around Colorado Springs and understanding the microclimate that you’re in is very important,” Langston said.
Freedom Landscapes also deals with something a little less predictable in Colorado Springs –weather. The company’s operations run year-around, adjusting projects in the winter, and adding finishing touches once the weather warms in the spring.
Langston says his highest priority as owner of the business is to ensure potential and current clients receive the best care possible. This includes being involved in steps of the process like lead generation, appointments with potential clients, follow-up meetings, and “casting a vision.”
He says it’s about the client feeling heard about their desire for the space. “We want people to walk away feeling like they were the center of the project,” Langston says. “Ultimately what I want them to walk away with is: we didn’t push our agenda, but we accomplished their goal.”
Zach Langston, Founder, Freedom Landscapes freedomlandscapes.co
Over the course of a decade, the Henley family — parents, Alan and Ghislaine, and their sons, Shawn and Daniel — was torn apart by addiction. Recovering addicts and alcoholics themselves, Alan and Ghislaine tried everything they could think of to prevent their sons from falling into addiction. But Shawn and Daniel were unable to resist the lure of drugs and descended into a hell from which many people don’t return.
But this story is not just about the pain this family suffered. It’s a story of their journey out of those depths, the bumpy highway to recovery, and the inspiration they found to create a solution for others who are struggling. Shawn and Daniel are the CEO and COO, respectively, of Red Rock Recovery Center, a nationally recognized substance abuse treatment center based in Lakewood which has helped hundreds of people and saved lives. Alan and Ghislaine are happily retired and are very proud of their sons. But it wasn’t always that way.
“For over a decade, I was an IV drug user and daily drinker,” Alan says. “I am a pharmacist; basically I went into the profession so I could have access to drugs.”
Ghislaine had her own struggles with alcoholism. By the time their sons were in school, they had become sober, and they warned Shawn and Daniel that, because of their parents’ history, they would be vulnerable. “Addiction is a family disease,” Alan
says. But that did not stop the boys from falling into drug use – or help the parents recognize that it was happening. Shawn, the older brother, first drank when he was 12 years old.
“It really did come out of a desire to fit in,” he says. As he moved through high school, Shawn tried other substances. An injury in 2008 accelerated his addiction. “I was put on prescription painkillers,” he says. “It didn’t take long for me to become physically dependent.”
Unsuccessful in tapering off the medication, he turned to heroin he scored on the street.
Daniel followed in his brother’s footsteps. As a young teen, he tried weed and psychedelics, then went on to self-medicate with opiates and heroin.
“It was all justified by a young adult trying to have fun,” Daniel says. “But around the age of 18 or 19, it was more of a dependence than a lifestyle.” Getting drugs, he says, was easier than getting alcohol. And the alternative to going without drugs — the sickness that’s unlike anything else — was unbearable.
“In the end, Dan and I were supporting our drug habits by selling things that we owned,” Shawn says. “I pawned my truck and some of my most prized possessions. We would steal from people [including their parents] and sell items that we stole.”
For several years, Alan and Ghislaine tried everything they could think of — interventions, rehab,
threats. Nothing worked. “It got to the point where we couldn’t help them,” Ghislaine says. On Christmas Eve 2009, they kicked the boys out of the house.
Their struggle continued until they realized that they couldn’t quit on their own. An overdose — one of many — was the terrifying rock bottom. Shawn woke up with paramedics, law enforcement, and Dan standing over him.
I knew that I was going to die if I kept using, and that Dan was following closely behind me,” Shawn said. “I had a thought that if I went to treatment, maybe Dan would follow suit.
Dan found a treatment center in Arizona that helped him see that he had the capacity to take responsibility and become a contributing, productive person, “and all the while, making it fun and attractive,” he says.
As part of his treatment, and in 12-step recovery, Shawn found a purpose in helping other people who had struggled as he had. He began working in a treatment facility in New Mexico, and had worked himself up to director of operations, when a friend with whom he had gone through treatment invited him to help expand a recovery residence and treatment program in Colorado. They formed a partnership and created Red Rock Recovery Center 10 years ago, modeling their holistic program on the treatment that had been successful for them, offering evidence-based therapeutic, clinical, and experiential services within a supportive recovery community.
“[Shawn and Dan] have turned into beautiful men, good fathers, good husbands, good bosses, and good friends,” Ghislaine says. “That’s all a mother can hope for.”
Alan has gone on to research, write, and conduct workshops in treatment centers about the role of the human ego in addiction and alcoholism, and has written two books. The Henleys’ story serves to remind us that addiction can strike anyone, regardless of economic or social status, potential, or good intentions.
“Recovery is possible for anyone,” Shawn says. “For anyone who thinks it’s not possible, or they’re scared because of what others might think about them, or what the consequences might be — take the step in reaching out for help.”
“I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO DIE IF I KEPT USING, AND THAT DAN WAS FOLLOWING CLOSELY BEHIND ME,” SHAWN SAYS.”
Music venue and hospitality company Notes Live has inked a deal with global entertainment presenter AEG Presents for the forthcoming $55,000,000 outdoor music coliseum Sunset Amphitheater in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In a true owner-operator partnership, AEG Presents will exclusively book the acts and run day-today operations while Notes Live will continue to own the venue. The unique terms of the ten-year agreement underscore the exceptional nature of this collaboration The agreement is a ten-year term Construction on The Sunset is already underway, on schedule to open in 2024.
“I can't express the magnitude of our excitement as we embark on this incredible journey alongside AEG Presents. This partnership not only solidifies and validates our business model but also represents a truly exceptional alliance ”
“We are looking forward to bringing World Class entertainment to Colorado Springs with the addition of the Sunset Amphitheatre and our new partnership with J.W. Roth and his team at Notes Live. This entertainment destination will be a crown jewel in the community, for artists and fans to enjoy for years to come ”
Named last fall to Billboard’s “Venues to Watch” list, The Sunset will host some of the largest touring acts in the country in style and comfort on the same campus as Notes Live’s current mid-sized music venue Boot Barn Hall. Designed by industry renowned architects, The Sunset will offer an unparalleled view of the sun setting over Pikes Peak, America’s mountain, right behind the stage as each concert begins, flanked by the United States Air Force Academy stadium on the left and the iconic Air Force chapel on the right, as well as amenities like 92 VIP luxury firepit suites, and a $20,000,000 signature fine dining seafood and chophouse with a magnificent rooftop bar, carrying over 150 of the rarest bourbons in the world.
Notes Live has plans to begin construction in a half dozen markets by the end of 2023 or early 2024, with expansions to six additional markets planned over the next five years.
In 2022, Notes Live, Inc. announced new music and entertainment complexes in the emerging markets of Colorado Springs, CO; Gainesville, GA and Murfreesboro, TN. The company identifies markets in regions with growing populations but a dearth of high-quality music and entertainment venues, and offers premium concert experiences, complete with unbeatable sound and sightlines as well as elevated food and beverage offerings
In addition to having two Notes Live venues named to Billboard's "2022 New and Renovated Venues List," JW Roth was named a "VenuesNow 2022 All Star."
-- JW ROTH FOUNDER, CEO, & CHAIRMAN OF NOTES LIVE
The U.S. Air Force Academy welcomed a new commander of the 10th Air Base Wing during ceremonies on Thursday, July 6. Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark presided over the change of command from Col. Christopher Leonard to Col. Amy Glisson.
In her new role, Glisson will be responsible for security, medical, engineering, logistics, communications, personnel, and other key services for more than 25,000 military, civilian, family, and retired service members at the Academy. Her previous role was as commander of the 86th Mission Support Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Glisson graduated from the Academy in 2001.
Leonard now heads to Ramstein Air Base, where he will serve as the director of logistics, engineering, and force protection at U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa.
Back in elementary school, Kaela Rowe had an “aha” experience. The Discovery Canyon high school senior says, “Attending the D20 School in the Woods fourth grade program has had the biggest influence on my life. Becoming a naturalist through that program has taught me that I want to focus on environmental studies in college.” At School in the Woods in Black Forest, Kaela and her classmates spent a year studying in the outdoors, with a particular focus on natural sciences.
Following her passion for the natural world, Kaela also volunteered with the San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society. In middle school, she assisted by walking dogs and playing with them at Petco, helping to get those dogs adopted. Kaela’s personal philosophy is that all animals have a purpose on the planet. She’s also considering zoology, but whatever she studies and wherever life takes her, Kaela wants to work with animals in some capacity.
Sports have been a main focus in high school also – Kaela loves being on a team and competing. She has been a varsity basketball player since sophomore year and is currently recovering from an injury suffered during the season. She works hard on her physical therapy regime, hoping to play basketball again during her senior year. Kaela has also participated in volleyball and track and field at DCC.
In the school senate, Kaela has learned about the importance of leadership and building relationships. She appreciates the friendships she has formed with people she might not have gotten to know otherwise, as well as being involved in many different aspects of school. Kaela also dedicates time each month to volunteer with National Charity League, Colorado Springs Chapter, alongside her mom, Kristin. The philanthropic activity she enjoys most is ushering for plays at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.
Kaela’s future is wide open – with her determination, heart for service, and love for the environment and animals – she’s off to a great start.
The Colorado Springs Chapter of National Charity League is made up of mothers with daughters in grades 7-12, who are committed to community service, leadership development, and cultural experiences. Visit www. nationalcharityleague.org/chapter/coloradosprings for membership information.
I swam the Long Bridge Swim in Sandpoint, Idaho. It’s a 1.76 mile swim on Lake Pend Oreille.
Out of all of the NCL philanthropies, I like ushering for the Fine Arts Center the best – I enjoy spending time with my mom and watching the performances.
One of my favorite animals is the wolf – people need to understand that they play an important role in our ecosystem.
Diane grew up in a small Dutch village in southwest Minnesota, where every event was a church function and every conversation rounded back to the goodness of God. But the faith that was instilled in her as a child took on new meaning upon the death of her newborn son.
“The good Lord Jesus keeps me going,” she says. “He’s my best friend. He will always be number one in my life.”
Diane and her husband moved the family to Colorado Springs for a new start, but they divorced shortly after. The loss of their child put an incredible strain on their marriage.
“We moved out here, having gone bankrupt and lost a child together,” she says. “We still had two children together, so we had a good reason to remain friends and supportive of one another. It’s been 35 years and we’re still friends.”
After retirement and a series of financial difficulties, Diane lost her condo and lived in her car for 18 grueling months.
“One night it was below zero and I was wearing a heavy parka and several blankets but still didnʼt know if I’d survive through the night,” she says. “It was really scary because I could barely move my limbs in the morning. Eventually someone led me to Springs Rescue Mission, and Iʼve been slowly moving up.”
Diane — with her positive, can-do attitude and midwestern work ethic — became an active member of the Missionʼs vocational training program and worked with staff to secure housing. After eight months in the women’s shelter, Diane was approved for an apartment at Greenway Flats, an SRM-sponsored permanent supportive housing complex.
“Iʼm looking forward to taking the next step to getting back on my feet,” she says. “I have joy today because of the wonderful people in my life and the help Iʼve gotten here. It means a lot to me.”
BY CAMERON MOIX, Public Relations LeadMore retirement-age women than ever before seek shelter and services at Springs Rescue Mission. Thanks to the generous help of community members, they find safety, security, and support.
“Homelessness is a hard life,” Diane says. “It’s mentally and physically one of the hardest things you could go through...Iʼm very thankful for the help Iʼve received.”
You can help a neighbor like Diane overcome homelessness by becoming a monthly Good Samaritan Sponsor. Visit springsrescuemission.org/gss to join today!
Carlos Figueroa has weathered several dangerous situations in his life — virtual kidnapping, deployment to Afghanistan and a severe case of COVID-19. He survived, he says, only through the grace of God.
Figueroa’s childhood in Central California was rough. The son of a single mother who was always working, he managed to finish high school while taking care of his siblings. After graduation, he started entering bodybuilding competitions and worked as a personal trainer and manager of a sports store.
When he was 19, an acquaintance persuaded the naïve young man to move to a Latin American country by promising him money, partying, and girls. It was, in fact, recruitment into an organized crime ring.
“I would almost call it trafficking,” he says. “I kind of got trapped in that life.” Four years later, he was married with a baby daughter due imminently. “I knew I was going to end up getting killed or put in jail,” he says.
He had planned to do one more job for his employers to earn the money to get his family back to the United States. But just before leaving, he touched his wife’s stomach. “My daughter kicks me, and this feeling came over me saying, ‘Don’t do what you’re going to do,’” he says. He picked up a Bible and then a telephone to call his mother, who sent them money to come to California.
Once there, he met an evangelist and preacher, and dedicated his life to God. He joined the ministry and worked with thousands of children while also owning a business. But in 2008, he was forced to sell his business and join the Army. He survived a difficult deployment to Afghanistan and suffered from PTSD when he returned. In 2012, Figueroa was sent to a startup unit at Fort Carson, where he was far away from his buddies in the military.
“I was alone,” he says. “I started drinking a lot.” He left the Army in 2014 and drank virtually every day for the next six years. The once-fit soldier gained 120 pounds and became ill with diabetes. Finally, he asked God to help him stop drinking.
“You’ve got to be careful what you pray for,” he says wryly, “because I ended up getting COVID.” Because of his poor physical condition, he was hospitalized, and after three weeks the doctors told his wife he wasn’t going to make it. She had been praying for him every day, but that day was different, Figueroa says.
“She said, ‘Nope, my God is bigger than that; he’s not going anywhere,’ and she described seeing angels in the room.” Figueroa, who was paralyzed and in a coma, started convulsing. But later that evening, his condition began to improve.
“God showed me what would have happened if I kept drinking,” he says. When he woke up, he vowed never to touch alcohol again and promised to change his life. A month after he was admitted to the hospital, he walked out. The next day, he got on a treadmill and started walking, a minute at a time. Two months later, he was running.
“I got back into my bodybuilding and fitness life and just serving the Lord,” he says. Now Figueroa has become a certified nutritionist and fitness trainer and consultant. He owns NUTRISHOP Colorado Springs, a sports nutrition and fitness store, as well as a roofing company. He and his wife, Valentina, founded Emunah Ministry International, which aids homeless mothers and children in South America.
“I was literally just touched by the grace of God because I was healed,” he says. “I feel if God took the time to come heal me, I can give it all that I can here on earth for Him.”
Nolan Connery (age 2) has a smile that lights up a room – he likes to go outside, and he loves minions (from “Despicable Me”). Nolan also has cerebral palsy, autoimmune encephalitis, and a traumatic brain injury from experiencing seizures and cannot stand without assistance. His mom, Lena, says, “He is working so hard to regain the abilities he lost when he incurred brain damage.”
For a toddler, playing is not only fun, it’s essential to learning. Research shows that independent mobility is linked to cognitive, social, motor, language and other developmental benefits in young children.
When Nolan goes outside, he uses a gait trainer to practice taking steps. Recently, he was one of four area children given keys to a tiny car made just for them! The GoBabyGo! program is designed for children like Nolan. Hosted by The Resource Exchange, a local nonprofit that coordinates care and case management for the disability community, GoBabyGo! provides motorized, ride-on cars to toddlers with disabilities so they can move around independently, most of them for the very first time.
Volunteers, therapists, and NuMotion technicians adapt a vehicle for each child. Families are involved too –Nolan’s family added a foam minion, stickers, and yellow accents to complete his minion-themed jeep so Nolan could take it for a spin in style.
Lena says, “I loved seeing Nolan in his jeep for so many reasons! The smile on his face was contagious, and it
was so great to see him doing an activity that other kids get to do – he has been practicing every day since we brought it home.”
Lena adds, “Nolan loves going to the park but gets discouraged that he can’t go on playground equipment like all the other kids there, so I am hoping to bring this car to the parks so he can play in his own way.”
Economists with the Mortgage Banker’s Association, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac are predicting that we will be seeing rates below 5.5% before the end of 2024 (Colo. Assn. of Realtors)
Impressive: About 40% of homeowners nationwide currently own their homes outright (no mortgage). This group, and other owners with record amounts of equity, aren’t worried about facing a future foreclosure since they can walk away with a profit if they have to sell (KPMG)
Not As Impressive: In a country with more than 330 million people, there were only 70,000 new homes available for sale in May in the US. And with total active resales in America near all-time lows, that is all we had for completed units for sale a few months ago
(Housing Wire)
As If We Didn’t Know: We have not seen the traditional uptick in new listings from existing homeowners, so undersupply of housing will continue to heighten market competition and put pressure on prices in most regions (Corelogic)
Big Picture. High mortgage rates – low inventory is strangling the housing market. Builder confidence for new home demand is high as existing homeowners feel compelled to wait and hold on to ultra-low mortgage rates they refinanced into during the pandemic (Market Watch)
Standing by: A bi-partisan bill called the “More Homes on the Market Act” hopes to incentivize homeowners to sell. If it goes through, it would increase the tax exclusion to $500,000 for single filers and $1 Million for joint filers (currently $250,000 and $500,000) (Housing Wire)
During a three month period this year, Denver had the 8th-highest net outflow in the country when it came to locals looking to leave the city, with 3,900 more residents seeking to leave compared to the number looking to move there (Redfin)
Space Available: Recently, the Denver metro office vacancy rate was listed at 22.6% (& Central District at 28.6%). Companies are using newer, amenityrich buildings to lure employees back, making the vacancy rates at old office buildings higher than average (Denver Bus. Journal)
Don’t Move Yet: There are more than 700 mobile home parks in Colorado and, as private equity and national real estate investors “gobble up” these communities across the country, Colorado is passing laws to boost protections for the tens of thousands of park residents (Denver Post)
Prices Still Rising: Metro Denver homebuyers were hit with a one-two punch of both higher mortgage rates and higher home prices last quarter… unexpected blows that could test their stamina in the weeks ahead (DMAR)
Not Just Granny Flats: Denver recently made it easier (on owner occupied properties within Denver city limits) to add Accessory Dwelling Units adjacent to homes as a way to increase the housing supply and affordable housing in the Denver Metro area (Denver Bus. Journal)
We’re Number Two! In Colorado, the percentage of the population age 25-34 is second highest in the U.S. Colorado is also expected to have the second fastest job growth in the country over the next five years (Emsi)
We Knew We Were Special: Colorado Springs might just be a quick, one-hour drive from the state’s capital, but our city has a housing market all its own. According to one Housing Market Index, it’s the sixth-strongest market in the nation (U.S. News and World Report)
We’re Number One Again! Colorado Springs was recently tagged as the number 1 market for college graduates in the country…based on rent-toincome ratio, average salary for recent college graduates, job openings, and percentage of the local population in their 20s (Zillow)
Way Up North: In northern El Paso County, average monthly apartment rents are around $1,564 for a onebedroom, $1,840 for a two bedroom, and $2,204 for a three-bedroom, which is $300-$400/month higher than rents citywide (City of C.S.)
Affordability Still Low: For a year we have had to deal with rising interest rates and lower home affordability. And home prices have still held relatively steady in 2023, which continues to keep home affordability low, especially for first time buyers (Integrity Financial)
Some Interesting Stats: A year ago, the average home in El Paso County took 11 days to sell…today it’s averaging just over 30 days, and we have around 1.4 months of housing supply on the market. A six-month supply is considered a healthy market (various sources).
A Little History: While Colorado Springs was the #1 destination for relocations from the Denver Metro area between 2015 and 2019 (12,361)…the Denver Metro area was also the most common destination during that period for relocating C.S. residents (6,798) (Stacker)
When we look at how wealth is distributed throughout the U.S., we see that the Baby Boomer generation holds a whopping 53% of U.S. wealth in 2023. Furthermore, we see real estate assets make up a healthy portion of each generation’s wealth.
When investing in real estate, research, planning, and execution are the keys to maximizing the benefits of your investment. Although a majority of homeowners and property investors take advantage of traditional mortgage programs, there are many nontraditional mortgage products that may be better to boost the effectiveness of your real estate investment.
Source: Survey of Consumer Finances and Financial Accounts of the United States
One nontraditional tool that is often overlooked is the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), also known as a reverse mortgage. These mortgages have become a good option for homeowners 62 years and older looking to supplement their income during retirement years. As Americans live longer, extending their retirement period, it is necessary to consider all options to provide the resources required during this phase of life.
An HECM provides many advantages to homeowners who meet the program criteria. Instead of making monthly mortgage payments to a lender, the lender makes payments to the borrower, eliminating the budget stress of a mortgage payment. An HECM can be leveraged for a refinance on a current primary residence or to purchase a new primary residence and does not rely on debt-toincome ratios or credit scores for qualification.
The loan is repaid when it’s time for the home to be sold. Borrowers or their heirs have the option to pay the balance of the mortgage to keep the home, to sell the home to repay the balance, or to deed the
home to the lender.
HECMs are federally insured, which protects both the borrower and the lenders who fund them.
Beginning in 2017, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development started making changes to the HECM program to improve its financial health and ensure it remains a stable resource for seniors. These changes also ensure that seniors and their families will not be stuck with a large bill if the HECM mortgage balance is higher than the home value when the time comes to repay the mortgage.
As with any mortgage program, it is important to understand all the pros and cons before committing to financing. Call my new office number today at 719-820-3533 to schedule a complimentary mortgage consultation – we can review your real estate strategy and determine if a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage is a tool that would benefit you. By integrating Guaranteed Rate’s cutting edge mortgage technology platform into a well-executed plan, we will pave a successful path to build and maintain your wealth for future generations.
Michelle Bobart is a certified mortgage advisor with Guaranteed Rate and is licensed in all 50 states.
You can reach her at 312-953-7365 For more information visit nmlsconsumeraccess.org
“In my 25+ years in the mortgage industry, I’ve partnered with over 3,500 clients and real estate agents to create customized mortgage solutions to fit each individualized portfolio in every economic situation.”
Ibelieve I can speak for many of us when I say that life is expensive! Inflation has affected all of us and prices on everything continue to rise. So I think it’s time for a reality check – we can use these from time to time. In our Amazon/Starbucks/have-it-now kind of life, ask yourself, “What’s really important? What truly brings joy?”
As of 2021, there were approximately 2.3 billion homes in the world. The American home size continues to swell, however, this is not the case in other countries. According to shrinkthatfootprint.com, in Hong Kong, the average home size is 484 square feet, while Australia is in the lead with 2303 square feet. And, here in the U.S., the average home size is 2164 square feet. These were somewhat shocking statistics to me.
Because I am an interior designer, you might think I only appreciate big, fancy, well designed homes. And while I do, I have come to appreciate every size of home! In over 20 years of designing spaces, I have learned that it is not the size of the home that matters, but how the home is used. It’s about the quality of the lives of those who reside within it. I have found that one’s happiness does not change by the amount of square footage or the grade of granite countertops. I have learned that at the end of the day, we are all really the same – we want spaces that are extensions of who we are, that embrace us, that are comfortable, and that serve their purpose. And those things are not dependent on square footage!
I consistently work with people who want bigger spaces, more elaborate finishes, quality name brand furniture, upgraded kitchens, and all the latest trends in their home. And while this opinion may not be popular,
in my experience, once people have those things, their happiness doesn’t change. Their focus simply shifts –they move on to other areas of their lives where they see a need for change.
Homes are a lot of work. Whether you live in a 9,000-square-foot estate or a 500-square-foot apartment, they all require maintenance. They require cleaning, painting, organizing, improving, and care. So for the love of our homes, my encouragement to you is this:
Regardless of the size of your home, embrace the season you are in. Embrace your space for what it is. As with everything in life, perspective is key.
So, embrace what’s important.
Do your best to personalize your spaces this summer season but do it within your budget. Don’t compare your home to others. There will always be a larger home or a smaller home. Focus on the memories you’re creating! Let your home be the backdrop to the laughs, smiles, tears, and personal moments that create the blueprint of your life.
When you’ve been in the world of remodeling for nearly a quarter of a century, you see firsthand where money is saved when homes are built, good or bad. Carpeted bathroom floors (hey, at least your feet stay warmer), postage stamp-sized decks built out of fir, and MDF boxes in kitchens fitted with golden oak facing, portrayed as cabinetry.
But let’s not forget that seldom-used inefficient recessed opening in your living room, providing a nice draft during the winter months, likely accentuated with red bricks and better known as a fireplace. Prior to recent energy efficiency requirements, we can safely say that those fireplaces were little better than those of our forefathers.
With so many of these inefficient fireplaces installed in so many homes, perhaps your home’s fireplace is in need of an upgrade. However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you’re venturing down that path.
Most local fireplace retailers focus on fireplace sales and installations only. Homeowners are, for the most part, on their own when it comes to fireplace remodeling. And many who replace their fireplace also need to update the surround: the hearth, mantel, brick, or stone.
Other remodeling options could include things like masonry, tile, cabinetry, countertops, lighting, flooring,
drywall repair, and painting. Some of the most important aspects of the job can be demolition, framing, electrical work, and building permits.
When considering the multitude of these remodeling aspects, design help is essential. Stewart Remodel Design Build has employed interior designers to work with our clients on all remodeling projects, including fireplaces, since 2014. We have updated many fireplaces over the years, sometimes as one-offs and other times as part of a larger remodeling project, like a kitchen reno or a whole house remodel.
Stewart recognized that there is a gap in the fireplace remodeling industry – installation of fireplaces while also remodeling the area around it –so we have made this niche a focus by hiring Kevin Fields. Kevin has decades of experience in the fireplace, outdoor heater, and barbecue industry.
Additionally, we acquired a mechanical license from the building department so we could perform all fireplace-related work in-house, including the installation of gas lines.
Lastly, we have established accounts with multiple fireplace man-
ufacturers, like Regency, Majestic, and Heat and Glo, to name a few. This allows us to buy direct from the manufacturer, helping to reduce costs. Winter will be here sooner than any of us would like, which makes it a great time to reach out to Stewart Remodel Design Build to get a head start on that fireplace remodel.
n the midst of the mid-year real estate landscape, there is good news to report – housing is normalizing after the unprecedented “unicorn years” (the unique circumstances during the pandemic that significantly shifted the housing market). Normalization presents in buyer demand and in prices. While this is a positive development, it is important to note that supply still lags behind historical trends and buyer demand. However, seasonality is making a comeback, which is a step towards a more normal market compared to the unconventional conditions of the past two to three years. Affordability, with higher interest rates ranging between 6 and 7%, continues to be a central theme driving many buyers to be more selective in their search for their first or next home.
Compared to a year ago, the number of homes for sale has decreased. Many home sellers have been less motivated to list, which has influenced the trajectory of median listing prices. Some homeowners are unwilling to sell after locking in historically low mortgage rates, and they financially can’t make the math work at the current higher interest rate. At the same time there are certainly people who have life events, life stages, and new circumstances which dictate a
change in their living situation.
New listings in June for single family & patio homes are lower than they have been over the past five years:
• 2019 -- 2,053
• 2020 -- 2,020
• 2021 -- 2,078
• 2022 -- 2,350
• 2023 -- 1,695
The listing price often serves as the starting point that buyers encounter when they first start their home search. In a slower market, or if a house is not priced appropriately for the market or its condition, prices may decline. Additionally, homes are spending more time on the market, which is a positive indicator for market health – although they still sell relatively quickly.
Here are statistics for homes sold in the Pikes Peak area for January 1 through June 30, over the past five years:
• 2019 -- 7,583
• 2020 -- 7,200
• 2021 -- 8,147
• 2022 -- 8,315
• 2023 -- 6,210
It is important to remember that lower inventory does play an important role in how many homes are sold in a time period. Our home inventory is lower today, and fewer homes have sold to date. Of course, the
higher interest rates and affordability affect that as well.
The average days a home is on the market in our area, before going under contract, has decreased over the past few months after peaking in February. Compared to other markets in the country, the Pikes Peak area does enjoy a lower average of days on market, as you can see below:
• June 2022 -- 10 Days
• Sept 2023 25 Days
• Feb 2023 54 Days
• April 2023 39 Days
• June 2023 23 Days
The national average is currently 43 days on the market, so the Pikes Peak area is about half the national average – and double what it was a year ago! We continue to see people relocating here, largely for the quality of life and opportunities afforded to our community. Additionally, we have a large military presence, and many who serve choose to return here to retire.
As some worry about a housing market crash, it is important to understand how vastly different the situation is now than in 2007. Homeowners today have significantly more equity than ever – 68.1% have at least 50% equity or own their home free and clear of a loan. This provides
countless options and more financial freedom than they have had in the past.
market, with increased activity and prices during the spring and summer months. Many have been surprised by pricing stabilizing while momentum is increasing.
Many experts are very optimistic about the future. In fact, David Stevens, former president/CEO of Mortgage Bankers Association, states, “This nation is standing on the front doorstep of the largest wave of homebuying demand in U.S. history.”
We are finding our new normal after the recent unicorn years, and it is evident that the market is rebounding while consumer confidence is increasing. In summary here is what to remember at this mid-year check-in:
In Colorado Springs, we enjoyed appreciation of 10.3% in 2019, 13.7% in 2020, 18.3% in 2021, and 5.1% in 2022. Homeowners in our area are thrilled to see how the value of their homes has increased over the years!
As for listing prices, there has been a moderation followed by a pick-up, as buyers reentered the market while supply remained constrained. By May 2023, prices were not far off from the peak seen last June. This trend reflects the normal seasonal patterns of the
Housing is normalizing after two unprecedented “unicorn years”
• Return of seasonality is a welcome sign
• Prices are rebounding
• Homeowners have limited options between rates & inventory
• New listings are still declining
• Affordability remains primary challenge
• New construction is growing, offering more options for buyers and sellers
• Expect a moderately active summer season
I am optimistic about the second half of 2023, especially in the Colorado Springs/Monument area. If you have questions, or would like to discuss the market value or your home value, or tour new communities, please reach out!
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America! But it comes with a cost.
Each year the injury rate of pickleball has nearly doubled, with the risk of injury increasing for players 50 and older. With my 50th birthday on the oh-so-close horizon, and an interest in learning more about pickleball with my beautiful bride, I researched the common injuries that “picklers” experience and how to better prepare and warm up to reduce the chance of an injury.
In an article published in 2021, researchers analyzed pickleball injuries that required an emergency room visit over the last two decades. The two most common injuries were sprains or strains to the wrists and ankles. While it’s also possible to experience back pain, shoulder pain, elbow and knee injuries, you can reduce your chance of an ER visit by focusing on strengthening your ankles to improve balance, and making sure your wrists are flexible and strong.
Single-leg exercises to strengthen your leg muscles include: swinging the free leg in a pendulum fashion. Also tap the court with your racquet
in different spots around you, while also maintaining your balance. Jumping activities are good to help prepare your ankles and knees for play: jump on a single leg, both forward and backwards, and then side to side. Wrist stretching for your flexors and extensors can help improve wrist and elbow flexibility. One last tip that is good for any sport – your risk of injury increases as you get tired and your reaction times start to decline. While easier said than done, take a break or plan a set time to finish play well before you “hit the wall” so you can stay on the court and out of the ER.
For free video content by local medical specialists on pickleball exercises and warm-ups:
• pickleball-injury.com/warmup
• pickleball-injury.com
• injepijournal.biomedcentral. com/articles/10.1186/ s40621-021-00327-9
To some degree, stress is a normal part of life for everyone, however, studies have shown that women are more likely than men to experience stress. And that stress can have a greater impact on women’s physical and mental health.
Let’s look at this condition plaguing our society: what it is and how to treat it. First, women are more likely to experience chronic stress – the kind of stress that goes on for a long period of time and can have a cumulative effect on our health. Second, women are more likely to experience emotional stress – which comes from our relationships, work, and personal lives. It can be just as harmful to our health as physical stress.
Stress can affect women’s health in a number of ways. It can lead to heart disease – stress can raise blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems. It can trigger depression and anxiety or worsen them. These serious mental health conditions can lead to a number of physical and emotional problems.
Stress can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep, which can lead to fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. It can cause stomach aches, diarrhea, constipation, and other digestive problems. Stress can lead to overeating or undereating, triggering weight gain or weight loss, both of which can have a negative impact on health. It can also worsen pain – this is especially true for headaches, migraines, and back pain.
My husband, Carlos, and I opened Nutrishop Colorado Springs with a mission to help people achieve their wellness goals through a wide range of services (including personal workout programs and nutrition counseling) and supplement sales. We have been in this ever-evolving industry for the last 20 years, and we are passionate about helping people reach their full potential and live healthier, happier lives.
At Nutrishop Colorado Springs, we carry Alignment™ and RESTŌR™– two supplement products that have been tried and tested among women and men in Colorado
Springs. Alignment™ by Katalyst Nutraceuticals® is an ultra-comprehensive formula which boasts vitamins, minerals, and other vital botanicals, like the clinicallystudied amount of KSM-66® Ashwagandha, to help support occasional stress, balance mood, and improve energy levels. Alignment™ contains additional supportive nutrients like myo-inositol, DIM, chasteberry, wild yam extracts, PABA, and more.
RESTŌR™ by Katalyst Nutraceuticals® may be just what you need to feel cool, calm, and collected throughout your day. RESTŌR™ features key patented ingredients and critical minerals and herbs to help control occasional stress and promote optimal health and well-being for both your body and mind. The botanicals Bacopa monnieri, lemon balm extract, and Eleuthero extract, along with L-theanine and the patented ingredient of SerinAid® called phosphatidylserine, round out this innovative stress-support product.
The bottom line is that stress is bad for everyone but it’s especially compromising to women’s health. At Nutrishop, we are committed to providing clients with the highest quality of care and service. Our team of experts will work with you to create a personalized plan that meets your individual needs to help live your best life.
Get enough sleep: when you’re wellrested, you’re better able to cope with stress.
Exercise regularly: exercise is a great way to relieve stress and improve your overall health.
Eat a healthy diet: the right diet gives you the energy you need to cope with stress.
Spend time with loved ones: social support can help you feel less stressed and more connected.
Learn relaxation techniques: techniques such as deep breathing and meditation can help you calm stress.
Strength, mobility, and recovery play vital roles in enhancing a golfer’s game. As a physical therapist and personal trainer, I suggest three targeted strategies that hit a hole-in-one for your fitness and performance.
A golf swing demands a powerful core and rotational strength, which this exercise delivers. Mimicking the twisting motion of a swing, it builds strength in the abs, obliques, and lower back.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the ball at your chest. Rotate your torso, then explosively throw the ball against a wall. Aim for three sets of 3-5 throws each side. A good rule of thumb is to use a ball that is about five to ten percent of your body weight.
Golfers need fluid hip movement for a smoother swing and more distance off the tee. The banded hip stretch increases hip flexibility, reduces stiffness, and improves your range of motion. With a heavy band looped around your upper thighs, start on your hands and knees (tabletop position), and gently sink your hips back toward your feet, keeping the band taut. Hold for 1-2 minutes and complete two or three sets.
Golfers are no strangers to shoulder discomfort. Dry needling is when a very thin needle is inserted to stimulate underlying tissues. It is a recovery strategy worth considering as it relieves muscle tension and speeds recovery time, ensuring you’re back on the tee box in no time. Always consult a licensed professional for dry needling.
Enhance your golf game with the right blend of power, mobility, and recovery. The medicine ball rotational throw, banded hip stretch, and dry needling are the triple threat your fitness regimen needs to elevate your performance and keep swinging with precision and ease.
For medicine ball exercises, it’s good to use a ball that is about five to ten percent of your body weight.
BY TRAVIS BOCKENSTEDT, Contributing Writer
When it comes to offering employee benefits, most companies choose traditional insurance carriers as a means to deliver healthcare to their workforce. While traditional insurance plans do provide coverage for major medical events, they may not always guarantee that employees have easy access to ongoing affordable, quality, and well coordinated care. Unfortunately, there are many roadblocks between the insurance carrier and employees receiving essential health benefits from primary care physicians.
First, employees are often tasked with the challenge of finding a primary care provider who is “in-network.” This process involves calling numerous providers in the hope that they are still accepting patients and then sifting through the available options to identify those with the shortest wait times for an appointment. In some
cases, individuals may have to wait three to six weeks or more just to establish care with a primary care physician. The next obstacle may be paying for primary care visits. Despite the guarantee of an annual wellness exam under traditional plans governed by the Affordable Care Act, many individuals still receive surprise medical bills for “covered” services.
The consequences of these obstacles can be significant. When faced with such challenges, employees often forgo establishing care with a primary care physician and instead resort to using urgent care facilities or emergency rooms as a patchwork solution to meet their healthcare needs. However, this over-utilization of emergency care and urgent care services contributes to higher costs for employees and can result in higher premiums for employers in the long run.
Case in point: the top six chronic disease factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and mental health, lead to a loss of $36 billion in workplace productivity each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To address these issues and promote employee well-being, many employers are turning to the rapidly growing direct primary care model. This model offers a better primary care experience that focuses on fostering strong doctor-patient relationships, providing convenient access to care, and offering costeffective treatment options.
Similar to a gym membership, the direct care model does not require insurance, copays, or office visit fees. Instead, members pay a fixed monthly membership fee that grants them unlimited access to their primary care providers. By reducing wait times, this model simplifies and streamlines the process for employees to access the most crucial part of the healthcare system — their primary care physician.
One leading provider of membership-based healthcare in the greater Colorado Springs area is Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care. They cater to over 150 employers and are renowned for their expertise in
employee wellness. In recognition of their efforts, they have been acknowledged as leaders in the industry, receiving accolades such as the 2023 Best in Business award from the Colorado Springs Business Journal and the 2022 Chamber Champion award from the Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
TO LEARN MORE about how Pinnacle can help your company prioritize employee well-being, visit their website at www.pinnacleapc.com or reach out to them via email at tbockenstedt@pinnacleapc.com.
Following any type of trauma (car accident, slip and fall, work injury, etc.), a headache is a common symptom that begins within minutes to days after the incident. While it makes sense for a direct blow to cause the head to hurt, it’s not uncommon for people involved in accidents to wonder why they have a headache after an incident where their head didn’t come in contact with any hard surface (the inside of the vehicle, the ground, etc.).
From a physiological perspective, it’s important to understand that pain is a mechanism that the brain and nervous system use to communicate with the body that something’s wrong, and that steps need to be taken in order to fix the issue. In the case of headaches related to trauma, there are three major causes that lead to pain in the head:
Direct trauma to the head: If the head hits a hard surface, the impact can cause damage to the muscles, skin, and other tissues covering the skull. The irritation to these tissues and the potential damage to the brain inside the skull can lead to headaches located either at the site of impact, or head pain that has a “generalized” distribution.
If the head is either impacted directly or is “whipped” in a backand-forth fashion (also known as cervical acceleration/deceleration or “whiplash”), the brain can “bounce” against the inside of the skull which creates a concussion. A primary symptom of concussion is a headache that can be located at the front of the head or the temple areas, and can be triggered by light or sound, and can be accompanied by nausea. The common name for this type of headache is “migraine” and these need
to be treated very skillfully to prevent them from becoming chronic in nature.
When the head and neck undergo trauma, the muscles and ligaments in the cervical spine (neck) can be damaged in what is known as a sprain/strain complex. A headache can result from a sprain/strain complex; oftentimes located at the base of the skull, they can radiate from there to other parts of the head. Common locations for these types of headaches are the temples and the areas above and behind the eyes.
Regardless of what type of headache someone experiences following a trauma, it’s very important that they get their symptoms evaluated and treated by a healthcare provider trained in diagnosing and treating headaches. For most headaches, chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, and acupuncturists work great. In some cases, pain management specialists and neurologists need to be involved in order to provide treatments and medications directed at specific headache generators.
If you’ve been involved in trauma and have questions about your headaches or other symptoms, call Ramos Law at 719.309.3000 and we’ll talk about your situation to see how we can help you.
We are winding down summer (which most of us can agree started way too late given the rainy weather we had in June) and that means the Medicare annual enrollment season will be here very soon. The commercials on TV will continue, the phone calls from call centers will be even more frequent, and the mailbox will be jammed with Medicare advertisements.
Since my last couple of articles focused on enrollment periods and what they mean, I wanted to take a step back and dedicate this article to Medicare 101. Everyone knows the word Medicare but very few know what it really means or how it works. It can actually be a scary word to some because they know it’s something they must have in retirement but really don’t know anything about it. And, with a few exceptions, all of us will go on Medicare at some point.
So let’s dive into what Medicare is and what it means to you once you become eligible. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for individuals who are aged 65 and older and for younger individuals who are disabled or have certain health conditions. Everyone is entitled to Medicare and it is not based on income. However, some individuals may pay higher premiums based on their income and some low income individuals may be eligible for additional assistance.
When we are working and are covered by health insurance through our employer, once a year we get to look at the insurance options that have been pre-selected by the employer and usually pick an HMO or a PPO and that’s it. Medicare has different parts and that is what is confusing to most of us.
In Original Medicare you have Parts A, B, and D.
Part A is referred to as Hospital Insurance and is premium-free if you have worked a minimum of 10 years (or 40 quarters) during which you paid into the Medicare system. It covers inpatient hospital care including skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, and hospice services.
Part B is referred to as Supplemental Medical Insurance and covers a broad range of outpatient services, including doctor visits. Everyone pays a premium for Part B (unless you are a low-income individual and get assistance with your premium from the state). Part B has a standard premium rate that is adjusted yearly by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). Higher income earners will pay a higher premium called an IRMAA (income-related monthly adjusted amount) which is based on your tax return. Parts A and B are paid by the Medicare system at 80%. As the beneficiary, you are responsible for the remaining 20%. For those who choose to go with Original Medicare for their health insurance needs, you may also choose a Medicare Supplement or Medigap policy. These are administered through private insurance companies and are standardized policies that help pay the 20% cost share the Medicare system does not cover.
Part D is prescription drug coverage and is required by Medicare unless you have other credible coverage such as VA or TriCare for Life. It is administered through private insurance companies and the IRMAA also applies to Part D plan premiums.
plans, which are also known as Medicare Advantage, are regulated by Medicare and administered through private insurance companies. These plans combine Parts A, B and D into one plan that is typically co-pay-based, as opposed to the co-insurance of original Medicare. These plans typically offer some additional benefits not covered under Original Medicare such as vision, dental, and hearing benefits. They are most commonly HMO or PPO plans that work very similarly to employer coverage. In our local market, most of these plans have no or a very low premium and no deductibles to be met before the co-pays start.
So, in a nutshell, you have two options when it comes to your Medicare health insurance coverage: Original Medicare with or without a Medigap policy and a stand-alone drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan. Hopefully, this explanation helps you understand what Medicare is and how it works. As always, I am here to help determine which option is best for your individual needs. I will sit down with you and take as long as necessary to make sure you completely understand both options – that way you can make the most informed choice for you.
AdriAnn Bossie works for Senior Insurance Solutions and can be reached at adribossie@gmail.com
*We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
With a combined 56 years of experience, the Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group Spine Center encompasses a unique practice that allows for distinguished collaboration and the most renowned patient care available in Southern Colorado. As the only group in Colorado Springs with four fellowship-trained spine surgeons, they understand the intricacies of the spinal anatomy and are dedicated to providing world-class care for any conditions, including the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
• Spine Oncology
• Scoliosis
• Spine Trauma
• Adult Spinal Deformity
• Bulging or herniated discs
• Spinal Stenosis
• Degenerative Disk Disease
• Sciatica
• Whiplash
• Slipped Vertebrae
• Stress Fracture
• SI Joint Pain
James Bee, MD
Born in Lansing, Michigan, Dr. Bee is a fly-fishing enthusiast and stays active by mountain biking, running, and snowboarding. His specialties include the full range of spinal disorders of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Dr. Bee is highly skilled in the
treatment of scoliosis, degenerative disk diseases, and spinal fractures from osteoporosis, as well as many other conditions.
Robert Harper, MD
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, he and his wife are the proud parents of twins. They love skiing, hiking, biking, and reading. Dr. Harper is fellowship trained in orthopedic spine surgery and specializes in the full spectrum of spine surgery. His skills in complex surgery include that of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. His focus is on minimally invasive and motion-preserving techniques whenever possible, to allow for faster recovery and return to normal activities.
Paul Stanton, DO
A board-certified orthopedic surgeon with surgical expertise in all aspects of spinal surgery; including minimally invasive approaches and complex reconstructive techniques for the cervical spine, adult spinal deformity, and degenerative scoliosis. During his fellowship training, Dr. Stanton was involved in clinical research, investigating less invasive lateral approaches to the thoracic and lumbar spine for spinal deformity. He has a special interest in minimally invasive reconstructive procedures for adult spinal deformity, and he actively continues his research efforts.
Robert Sung, MD
Dr. Sung is a fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in cervical and lumbar surgery, microsurgery, and minimally invasive surgery. He has practiced in Colorado Springs since 2000 and joined The CSOG Spine Center in 2007. He also performs complex spine reconstruction via minimally invasive techniques and specializes in alternatives to spine fusions, including artificial disc replacement, stem cell therapies, and spinal cord stimulation.
“Every patient is different, and no two issues are the same. I always start my patients with the most conservative, non-operative approaches because most spine problems can be treated without surgery. If those don’t work, we come up with a surgery option together that is right for them.”
– James Bee, MD
As one of the most established nonprofits in this community, the YMCA is a place where you not only better yourself and your family but the entire community. When you join the Y, you become part of an organization dedicated to strengthening your community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility for all. Membership means more at the YMCA. Join today and help move our community forward.
JOIN ONLINE TODAY!
Charmas is the co-owner of Believe and Perform like Champions, a business that specializes in creating winning organizations, cultures, and mindsets. Charmas Lee is has been challenging individuals to transform their lives through his dynamic brand of facilitated introspection, motivation, and personal development.
Charmas has co-authored and published 7 books, written various technical articles for the national publication of USA Track and Field and has twice been a TEDx speaker. Charmas Lee is a high-performance coach, professional speaker, author, and sports and fitness professional.
charmas@charmaslee.com
719-237-6058 | 719-351-3834
This is the second article designed to help you develop your very own high performance leadership success formula.
In the previous article, I told you about an excerpt from the book, Nerves of Steel, by former Southwest Airlines pilot Tammie Jo Shults. Using the skill of active listening, Shults turns five strangers into a team in five minutes or less. Captain Shults provided us with the first non-negotiable component in developing our own high performance leadership success formula and that is communication! Effective communication at a personal level is key to creating unparalleled success.
In Oren Harari’s book, titled The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell, Powell states that “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped
leading them. They have lost their confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” To me this statement reinforces the importance of communication and active listening.
Let’s take a look at what I believe could be the next component in a high performance leadership success formula.
A leader must possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform their duty. Commitment, dedication, a positive attitude, and a good work ethic are the entry level attributes of leaders who have achieved marginal levels of success. However, those who desire success at unparalleled levels look a little further and dig a little deeper.
Optimism is a leadership quality that will inspire others to achieve beyond their perceived potential and into an area I describe as the
unrealized potential. Optimism is a necessary ingredient in the make-up of leadership. Great leaders make optimism an organizational priority and people become more optimistic if three conditions exist.
They are informed and involved.
They feel they have the power and authority to take action.
They are committed to a compelling direction and inspiring vision.
Great leaders set the tempo and ensure these three conditions are present. This is one way the great ones stoke the fires of optimism. We follow a positive leader who can inspire us with hope and confidence!
There is clear evidence that people resonate with leaders who offer positive messages. I highly encourage you to read the book Learned Optimism by Dr. Martin Seligman. Dr Seligman examined the presidential elections between 1900 and 1984 and concluded that American voters chose the candidates with the more optimistic message in 18 out of 22 elections.
• makes things happen.
• is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
• prepares the ground for inspiration.
• is a good predictor of career ascent and other things.
• spurs bold action that leads to extraordinary results.
• creates a climate of passion and enthusiasm.
In his book Boundaries for Leaders Results, Relationships and Being Ridiculously In Charge, Dr. Henry Cloud reminds us that “We get what we create and what we allow.” In other words, it’s up to us to create the environment that yields optimum results. It is important to set boundaries around negativity and pessimism. Dean
Becker, a colleague of Seligman’s, shares that “Pessimists have a way of permeating the atmosphere with dark clouds and ominous forecasts, all of which are hazardous to performance, morale, and teamwork.” Cynicism, doubt, and negativity are motivation killers. Leaders who consistently see the world through a negative lens tend to demoralize and demotivate, ultimately undermining the effectiveness of their colleagues and employees. Well, my friends, I am of the opinion that optimism trumps pessimism every time so that will be the second component of our formula.
Check back next time for the third and final component of our high performance leadership success formula. Wishing you the best of everything, my name is Charmas Lee, and I build champions.
Early in his first term in office, Governor Jared Polis set a goal to transition to zero-emission vehicles and to accelerate the use of electric cars, buses, trucks, and vans to reduce air pollution and preserve the vistas of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. He asked for a total of 940,000 light-duty electric vehicles in the state by 2030.
Phil Long Ford of Chapel Hills heard the call and responded. The dealership is one of 1,600 Ford dealers — out of 2,941 total — in the country that opted to sell Model E, Ford’s version of electric vehicles. Innovation has long been a watchword at Phil Long, and Ford of Chapel Hills is no exception.
The commitment goes further — the dealership is in the second phase of its current remodel, which will include developing a dedicated electric vehicle building with a specialized staff well versed in the abilities and range of the Model E to provide an easy, transparent buying experience.
Ford has the largest charging network in the country as well as a partnership with Tesla’s charging network to make it easier for EV owners to find places to fully charge their vehicles. Ford of Chapel Hills dealership is doing its part with customer-facing charging stations.
Electric vehicles are the latest in a series of changes for the car industry. Cox Automotive (Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader, Dealer.com) forecasts one million EV sales in 2023, more than double the number sold in 2021. But it’s still easy to get confused by so many options – how to know which vehicle to choose!
Phil Long Ford of Chapel Hills is planning a series of community workshops, as well as ride-and-drive events, to help people understand how these new electric
automobiles operate. The first events are scheduled for August 24 and 25. Interested customers can learn about federal rebates (up to $7,500) available to people who purchase EVs. Test drives are also available to fully experience how well EVs handle and accelerate. Customers also have the chance to learn about how these vehicles reduce air pollution.
The Phil Long family of dealerships is built around a legacy and mission to create strong communities. At Phil Long Ford of Chapel Hills, that means providing options for all tastes and lifestyles — and going the extra mile to provide information, service, and support.
BY TRYSTAN BROWN, Sommelier at Vine & Wheel
This might sound like a modern or futuristic term, when in fact “new world wine” simply refers to one that is not produced in one of the oldest wine regions in the world. “Old world” almost exclusively refers to European countries; therefore, wines from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America are said to be “new world wines.”
Although this might seem like a simple definition, its meaning and outcome run deep. Where “old world wines” have been the cumulative work of history, culture, and trial and error over thousands of years, new world wines have been produced and developed over only a few hundred years, making them exceedingly early in the journey of developing a great product.
There is a caveat, however, to this explanation. New world wines are today some of the best in the world, so how has wine quality risen to a comparable level to Europe over a lesser period of time? In short, science and technology.
Being a new world wine country absolutely comes with this perk of rapidly increasing quality. In fact, a graph of overall wine quality in the past 75 years for any one of these countries would show a direct upwards correlation to the improvements in technology and the discoveries in science.
But let’s not rule out something critical here: wine is art. It is a reflection of a personality, a region, a climate, or a story. New world wine countries have progressed so far in such a short length of time by weaving together these artistic elements with the incredible developments of the modern age. A perfect cohesion of the left and right hemispheres of the wine-making brain.
If you would like to taste your way through wines of the new world, as always, come visit me at Vine & Wheel.
The importance of a good location remains a vital aspect of real estate, and the same can be said for remodeling. As a remodeling expert in Colorado Springs for over 25 years, I have observed unique trends compared to the rest of the country. Although clients in some areas of the city do incorporate modern trends, we also hear from clients who are seeking a more traditional, classic style for their remodeling needs.
Clients who decide to remodel their homes often desire a timeless look to their newly renovated space. The goal is for the design to remain in fashion for a considerable amount of time and allow for flexibility with trendy accents. Since remodeling is such a substantial investment for your home, we understand you will want to relish the outcome for the foreseeable future. While a painted shaker kitchen will remain a timeless choice, today’s market sees homeowners trading cool grays and whites for warm taupes and creams. The texture and warmth of wood continues to keep it a top contender, and we are seeing light and whitewashed stains join the ranks of their dark counterparts.
An open concept has been a widespread trend for several years and continues to be a favored option. Its usual implementation involves the removal of walls, even those that bear weight, to form a more extensive environment. Incorporating larger windows and installing accordion doors to expose the kitchen to outdoor living areas or our beautiful Colorado skyline while maximizing usable space.
A product’s sustainability can be attributed to a range of sustainable products and concepts. By opting for LED recessed lighting, a versatile source of light with an extended
lifespan and lower energy consumption, one can achieve excellent supplementary lighting. Moreover, materials such as quartz countertops incorporate recycled elements, while European Style frameless cabinets use less wood for their production. Furthermore, refacing cabinets is a cost-effective way to give them a new look, without the need for a complete overhaul.
Kitchens have embraced the ever-evolving world of electronics. The market now has appliances armed with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities that give users the power to control and troubleshoot with ease. This modern convenience proves to be valuable for homeowners looking for ways to streamline their complex daily routines. In addition, faucets have also expanded to include touchless alternatives. The prevalence of docking stations has increased as one of the most frequently utilized areas of households.
Schedule time to visit our showroom, our designers are ready to help you create the space you may not only need but also want to enjoy for years to come – a trend that never goes out of style.
www.dreammaker-remodel.com
Finding the right Assisted Living environment can be the best thing to help you or your loved one live a long healthy life. But making the move can oftentimes feel like a monumental task. As the director of sales and marketing, I find there are often many questions about what Assisted Living is and the care that we provide.
At Liberty Heights, we provide residents with spacious private apartments with private ensuite baths, which allow residents to maintain dignity and privacy. Residents participate in their individualized care plans, which can include assistance completing daily living tasks such as bathing, dressing, and medication management. Each resident has their own unique plan, specific to them and there are no two alike. In Assisted Living, residents are provided with three hot meals a day, served restaurant style, so they always have a choice in food options.
We also provide weekly housekeeping and laundry services so you or your loved one can focus on things that matter like exercise classes, social hours, and games. Residents in Assisted Living are free to come and go as they please and, if transportation is a concern, we have community transport to help get residents to their medical appointments and even shopping excursions.
The calendar of events is quite robust too, providing residents with opportunities to go out into the community on shopping trips and special
events like picnics in the park. Residents can also enjoy restaurants around the Colorado Springs area through our unique dine-in program, offering residents the opportunity to have their favorite restaurant deliver a meal to enjoy with their peers without ever having to leave the community. These opportunities allow residents to build meaningful relationships with their peers and we all know connection is the key to long-term emotional stability in life.
To schedule your private tour of our unique community, feel free to contact me directly at 719-481-5009.
“I moved to Liberty Heights Assisted Living three years ago and I have enjoyed every part of it. There are so many things to do – I’m never bored!”
- Mary Lou S.
These dining options are located in Victory Ridge, southeast of the intersection of Voyager and Interquest Parkways. Reservations are available on opentable.com
cansanoitaliansteakhouse.com 719-884-2865
The cuisine draws on the beautiful flavors and techniques from the Abruzzo region and Central Italy. Our fresh and dry pastas will be showcased in the pasta room adjacent to the restaurant’s entrance. Our custom stone pizza oven will produce classic Neapolitan pizzas and our aging cabinet will display local prime cuts of beef, dry aged in-house. The wine program will highlight Italian greats with hints of new world wines.
This family-oriented oasis embraces the California surfer lifestyle, highlighting fresh Coastal Mexican cuisine that draws influence from West Coast healthy eating. Tacos are highlighted with fresh salads, appetizers, and regional classics, with refreshing cocktails rounding out the experience. Fresh-squeezed lime and real sugarcane are the foundation of our signature margaritas. Come enjoy your next staycation with us, bring your furbabies too…they are welcome on our seasonal outdoor patio. Of course, surf boards are always welcome.
manhattantapas.com
719-884-2864
This is a unique culinary experience in global tapas, inspired by a love for connecting with people through food, drink, and hospitality. From our charcuterie boards and serrano jamon croquettes to our large plates such as our crispy pork shank, everything goes well with our carefully crafted classic cocktails and large wine selection. You will find our dishes are perfect for date night or a social evening with friends or family. A sultry yet sophisticated setting lets you relax and immerse yourself in the moment while listening to live music.
Pause with us and satisfy your cravings with classic dim sum, sashimi, sushi, nigiri, and hand rolls prepared right in front of you. We draw on modern and classic techniques while using the freshest Pacific Ocean seafood. Pause Ultra Lounge features an exciting, creative vibe with innovative cocktails that complement your culinary experience. Sit back on our rooftop deck by one of three firepits surrounded by cozy couches. You can listen to rhythmic and electrifying music from our DJs while enjoying Colorado’s night sky.
Join us every other Wednesday for FREE Playgroups at the City Auditorium! Based on the nationally televised children’s program Simple Gift Series, playgroups include music, movement, art, special guests, and snacks. Groups are for young children, birth – 5 years old, and their grandparents, parents, caregivers or favorite adult. Spanish speakers, homeschooled families, and children with disabilities are welcomed and embraced. Adults must supervise their children during the groups.
Join us on Thursdays as the Pikes Peak Area Theatre Organ Society (PPATOS) returns to the City Auditorium with the Sack Lunch Serenade. Bring your own lunch or purchase a lunch provided by the Community Cultural Collective’s culinary students from Shovel Ready at City Aud. Bring family, friends and neighbors for fun and music! No admission charge. Lunch must be purchased online by 10:00am the day of the event to be delivered.
This FREE Summer Music & Film Festival is back on July 21st! The gates will open at 5:30 PM with a variety of films supported by the IFSOC at 6:00pm and live music starting at 8 PM. On July 21st, join us for The Reminders and local artist Lady Los. And close out the summer with us on August 18th!
AUG
25-26
The first annual Downtown COS Music Festival will highlight venues that will host live music like downtown shops, restaurants, & galleries. Spanning over two days, it will bring all of Colorado Springs to the downtown area. For the grand finale performing at the Aud, a headlining act will attract people from across the region.
SCHEELS is known as a sports retail destination, but we look to collaborate with various community partners and events that expand outside of sports. This was a perfect opportunity to do just that, and support the arts and cultural expansion of Colorado Springs. The City Auditorium is a project that cultivates a variety of outlets for the ever-growing community that we are in and brings new life to the history that the auditorium has - we are honored to be a part of this project.
Shannyn
Wong, Colorado Springs SCHEELS, Community Relations Lead
The Broadmoor and its culinary team proudly support the Shovel Ready workforce development initiative. We value our community and encourage grassroots efforts to grow interest in the culinary arts. This initiative lays the groundwork for individuals to pursue their careers and join The Broadmoor Culinary Apprenticeship Program.
Jack Damioli, President and CEO, The Broadmoor
We at Classic Homes recognize the significance of a flourishing cultural center for our community, and it’s an honor to extend our support to the Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective. The commitment and vision of this organization in restoring and preserving the City Auditorium’s history and beauty is not just a boon to today’s artists, but it also paves the way for future generations. When corporate entities, organizations, and creative minds unite for such a distinctive and crucial endeavor, the sky’s the limit. We see a bright future for the Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective and we wholeheartedly urge local businesses and organizations to champion this creative project. When communities flourish, so does business.
Kim Sandoval, Classic Homes Director of Corporate MarketingI remember attending numerous events at the City Auditorium while growing up in Colorado Springs. Now being back here, leading the bank’s efforts in the community, I’m excited to see the City Auditorium take its grand stage in the downtown community.
Matthew
Hanson,Alpine Bank’s Market President for Colorado Springs
Alpine Bank is proud to support the efforts to activate and restore the City Auditorium in downtown Colorado Springs. It is an honor to be involved with preserving the history and public use of the City Auditorium. Being a part of this community is inspiring, supporting the creation of a cultural hub for the people of this city is an integral part of our community’s success.
Laura Lyman, Alpine Bank’s Vice President for Colorado SpringsAUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023
Air Force Athletics
Altitude Hospitality/The Pinery North/Trainwreck
Ambassadors for Hope Golf Tournament
Amy Ward Agency
Boot Barn Hall/Notes/NOTES Live!
City Auditorium
COS Orthopaedic Group
COS Sports Corporation
COS Utilities
First National Bank Colorado
Force Broadband
Forest Lakes
Flying Horse Realty
The Club at Flying Horse
Garden of the Gods Resort
Grass365
Guaranteed Rate
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce/Adelante/La Vida
KKTV 11 NEWS
Liberty Heights
Marquesa Hobbs, Realtor/Platinum Group Realtors
National Charity League
New Altitude
Phil Long Ford
Pine Creek Dental
Ramos Law
Rocky Mountain Vibes Baseball
Salem Media/Q102.7
Safe Passage
Shops at Briargate
Senior Insurance Solutions
Springs Rescue Mission
Strata at Garden of the Gods
Stewart Remodeling
TING
Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce
Vine & Wheel
WCG Accounting
YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region
