2022 Tri-Lakes Guide

2022

Tri-Lakes Guide

MONUMENT BUSINESSES GROW DURING PANDEMIC

PALMER LAKE’S TIGHT-KNIT RESTAURANT SCENE

BLACK FOREST OLD LOG SCHOOL MARKS 100 YEARS

Tribune The

TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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Greetings If you are new to the area, welcome! Or if you have been here a while, I know you will be discovering new aspects of our community.

The Tri-Lakes area is truly a special place.

We have experienced considerable growth over the past 10 years. However, that growth has only enhanced our sense of community because we are all still neighbors wanting the same thing: a safe, healthy, happy home for our families.

This Northern El Paso County evolution is no Terri doubt because of our locaHayes tion right between the two largest cities in the state, Denver and Colorado Springs. In addition, the close proximity to I-25, our great school district and the sense of small town are all must haves that people relocating to our community are all looking for.

Residential growth has spurred a momentum of commercial endeavors, from great

mom and pop businesses to a new UPS distribution center that will be bringing jobs to the community. Several hundred businesses serve our growing region, making us a consumer-based economy.

We have business owners in the community who have been here for decades. We also have brand new business owners, with new, fresh ideas and energy. This guide is a wonderful piece to keep all year long, with its wealth of information. Please support the businesses featured here as well as all the Tri-Lakes area businesses. They need you as much as you need them. Let’s help them thrive!

We are thankful to be able to be here to assist our businesses, nonprofit organizations and towns. In return, we have a sincere appreciation and gratitude for the continued support of the Chamber by the community.

There is so much going on here. For a list of community events, visit TriLakesChamber.com. Or come by 166 Second St, Monument, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and pick up brochures on

businesses, local sites, social services and hiking trails. Need a recommendation? Feel free to give us a call at 719-481-3282; we love to help out our neighbors.

If you own a business or work for one that you think would benefit from joining the Chamber, reach out. We would love to talk to you! A Chamber’s mission is creating an environment in which businesses can prosper.

We are a wealth of information. We are here to help you stay in business. We help create a great working environment by sharing information, making introductions, working with the towns so that your experience as a business owner is a good one. Plus, we have a zest for problem solving not just for businesses, but for the community as a whole.

We are looking forward to a great 2022!

Terri Hayes President & CEO Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Corporation and Visitor Center Terri@TriLakesChamber.com

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TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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Tri-Lakes Guide an introduction There’s a word that’s featured prominently in each of the stories you’ll read in this magazine: community. The Tri-Lakes area isn’t just a geographic designation for a group of municipalities clustered around or near three lakes, it’s a tight-knit community of caring people that includes and supports a variety of businesses and nonprofit organizations.

In this annual magazine, we take you on a trip through portions of three of the TriLakes area’s population centers: Black Forest, Monument and Palmer Lake.

In Black Forest, a one-room schoolhouse that opened in 1922 to serve the needs of the growing community is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. The Black Forest Old Log School, 100 years after being erected from the ponderosa pines that

are native to the area, still serves the community with tours and open houses. The community staple will soon be feted during an upcoming Backyard Market at Black Forest. See story beginning on Page 29.

In Monument, we look at businesses that made the unlikely-seeming decision to open or expand during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. Turns out it was a wise gamble for the likes of A Better Hearing Center, Jarrito Loco, Lolley’s Ice Cream and Lori Lynn’s Cookies and Cream, all of which are running strong despite the uncertain times that surrounded their openings (or re-opening, in the case of Jarrito Loco). See story beginning on Page 9.

And in Palmer Lake, we survey a number of restaurants and shops that have

TRI-L AKES GUIDE 2022 PRESIDENT/ PUBLISHER Chris Reen

WRITERS William J. Dagendesh Benn Farrell

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER Rich Williams

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Jim Broyles

EDITOR, THE GAZETTE Vince Bzdek EDITOR, PIKES PEAK NEWSPAPERS Michelle Karas EDITOR, TRI-LAKES GUIDE Michelle Karas GRAPHIC DESIGNER Michael Hayes

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING OPERATIONS Karen Hogan DIRECTOR OF LOCAL MARKET DEVELOPMENT Traci Conrad ADVERTISING SALES Nikki Dirks Linda Famula Sue Williams

The 2022 Tri-Lakes Guide is a supplement to The Tribune, a publication of Pikes Peak Newspapers Inc. (pikespeaknewspapers.com).

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TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

found ways to stay alive and flourish, even in the most difficult and challenging times, due to their collective sense of community.

Several business owners in this small town banded together during the challenges of the pandemic to help keep each other going and support each other. See story beginning on Page 17.

We’ve also included a calendar of some of the bigger events in the region for the remainder of 2022, to help you plan out your next few months.

The stories we showcase here highlight just some of the things that have happened in your community over the past year and into the future.

We hope you enjoy this, our annual supplement to The Tribune.

— Michelle Karas, Editor

ON THE COVER Photographer Jeff

Kearney took this photo of the colorful “Spikey Shovelus” steel sculpture by Pine, Colo. artist Michael Mladjan.

It can be found in Santa Fe Trail Sculpture Park, between Second and Third streets, in Monument. The sculpture was installed as part of the Tri-Lakes Views ARTSites 2019 annual public art exhibition.

2022

Tri-Lakes Guide

MONUMENT BUSINESSES GROW DURING PANDEMIC

Tribune The

PALMER LAKE’S TIGHT-KNIT RESTAURANT SCENE

BLACK FOREST OLD LOG SCHOOL MARKS 100 YEARS

Tribune The

TRI-LAKES GUIDE | WEDnESDAy,

PikesPeak

MARch 23, 2022

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2022 TRI-LAKES CALENDAR OF EVENTS APRIL 2 All Stars Annual Awards dinner — presented by Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, 6-9 p.m., The Antlers, A Wyndham Hotel, 4. S. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs (80903). Tickets: $80/ chamber member; $95/nonmember. Info: trilakeschamber.org.

Spaghetti Dinner — 4-8 p.m., Black Forest Community Center, 12530 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs (80908). Dawn Sciarrotta from Louie’s Pizza is making authentic spaghetti sauce and providing pasta. Please bring a bread, salad, or dessert to share. Feel free to bring your own wine or beer. Suggested donation: $5 per person. Info: weareblackforest.com.

• • • APRIL 9 3rd Annual Bryson’s Chase Casino Night — 5 p.m. to midnight, Cheyenne Mountain Resort, 3225 Broadmoor Valley Road, Colorado Springs (80906). Featuring cocktails, dinner, auction, gaming, DJ and dancing. Presented by Lisa Pflugh with Tava Homes Group at RE/Max Properties benefiting Children’s Hospital Colorado. Tickets: $200. Info: brysonschase.org.

• • • APRIL 24 Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup — Beginning at 9 a.m., multiple sites, including New Santa Fe Regional Trail & 3rd Street Trailhead, Monument (80132), info: events@ tom.gov; Monument Cemetery, 800 Beacon Lite Road, Monument (80132); Monument Lake, Monument (80132), info: events@tom.gov; Palmer Divide Trail, Woodlake Road & Hodgen Road, Black Forest (80106), info: rvmock@gmail.com. Trash bags and safety vests will be provided. Participants under 16 must be supervised. Additional info: jennifercummings@elpaso.com.

• • • APRIL 27-MAY 1 58th Annual Spring Show — Black Forest Arts and Crafts Guild of Colorado. Location: Black Forest Community Center, 12530 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs (80908). Hours: 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 27; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 1. Info: bfacg.org.

• • • MAY 7 Cinco de Mayo Celebration — 5-7 p.m., Black Forest Community Center, 12530 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs (80908).

A taco bar in honor of Cinco de Mayo! Please bring a bread, salad, or dessert to share. Feel free to bring your own wine or beer. Suggested donation: $5 per person.

• • • MAY 18 Taste of Tri-Lakes Cares — 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (doors: 5:30 p.m.), Boot Barn Hall at Bourbon Brothers, 13071 Bass Pro Drive, Colorado Srpings (80921). The signature fundraising event for Tri-Lakes Cares combines food with interactive games designed to highlight the nonprofit’s programs and services.

Chefs from area restaurants are invited to participate. Each receives a basket of food items and must use them to make a dish for sampling, a la the TV show “Chopped.” Tickets: $40 per person. No door sales. Info: tri-lakescares.org.

• • • MAY 28-30 MeadowGrass Music Festival — lineup includes Ranky Tanky, Darlingside and Marc Broussard, La Foret Conference & Retreat Center, 6145 Shoup Road, Colorado Springs (80908). Admission: $118.99-$178 for adults, free for ages 12 and younger. rockymountainhighway.org.

• • • MAY 30 Memorial Day Ceremony — 10 a.m., Monument Cemetery, 800 Eight St., Monument. Free and open to the public. Info: 6

TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

JERILEE BENNETT, THE GAZETTE

The Tri-Lakes Kids Fishing Derby is set for June 4 at Palmer Lake. Kids ages 4-14 and their families are welcome to join.

townofmonument.org.

• • • JUNE 4 Kids Fishing Derby — 8-11 a.m., Palmer Lake. For ages 4-14 (must be accompanied by adult). Hosted by Tri-Lakes Lions Club. Entrance fee is a donation of non-perishable food items for Tri-Lakes Cares. Tournament prizes donated by Bass Pro. a limited number of poles and bait will be available for participants. Educational fishing safety tips will be included. Info: tri-lakescares.org.

• • • JULY 4 4th of July Street Fair and Beer Garden — Washington and 2nd streets in downtown Monument. This rain-or-shine, all-day town-wide celebration attracts more than 10,000 participants.

Info: trilakeschamber.com.

Tri-Lakes 4th of July Celebration — 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Monument. Included: Annual parade through town. Info: townofmonument.org.

• • • CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

2022 TRI-LAKES CALENDAR OF EVENTS AUG. 12-13 2022 Black Forest Festival Weekend — Black Forest Community Center, 12530 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs (80908). Festival Biergarten will be from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12.

All proceeds go toward the “Raise the Roof” campaign to help provide a new roof for the community center. A full day of events is planned on Saturday, Aug. 13, starting with the annual Pancake Breakfast, followed by the parade, Outhouse Race, live demonstrations, music, kids games, food, and an artisan and business booth fair. A Family Biergarten will feature non-alcoholic drinks and snacks. Admission: free; some events carry a nominal charge or donation. Info: weareblackforest.com/festival2022/.

• • • SEPT. 10-11 Log Schoolhouse 100-year Celebration — Black Forest Old Log School, 6770 Shoup Road, Colorado Springs (80908). Info: bflogschool.com.

• • • SEPT 24-OCT. 8 9th Annual Creek Week Clean Up — multiple sites. The largest watershed-wide cleanup in the state of Colorado! Creek Week volunteers pick up litter along a creek, trail, park or open space throughout the watershed. Info: fountaincreekweek.com • • • NOV. 2-6 Black Forest Arts & Crafts Fall Guild Show — Black Forest Arts and Crafts Guild of Colorado. Location: Black Forest Community Center, 12530 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs (80908). Info: bfacg.org.

• • •

DEC. 3-5 Trails End Christmas Market — Trails End Taproom Monument, 252 Front St., Monument (80904). Hours: Friday: 3-10 p.m; Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Info: facebook.com/TrailsEndTaproomMonument.

• • • DEC. 4 16th Annual North Pole at Tri-Lakes Arts and Crafts Fair — 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Info to come: monumenthillkiwanis.org Monument Tree Lighting Ceremony — Activities begin at 3 p.m. in Limbach Park, Monument. Bring a canned food item for Tri-Lakes Cares or a new, unwrapped toy for Santa on Patrol.

Info: townofmonument.org.

Small Town Christmas — Beginning at 10 a.m. in downtown Monument. Info: downtownmonument.org • • • SPRING AND SUMMER Downtown Art Hop — 5-8 p.m., Third Thursday of the month, May through September, multiple locations thorughout downtown Monument. Enjoy special events, book signings, live music, more during these special days dedicated to art. Info: downtownmonument.org • • • SUMMER/FALL Backyard Market at Black Forest — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, 12530 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs (80908), adjacent to the Log School Park & Pavilion on the northwest side of the Black Forest Community Center Property. More than 50 vendors gather at this outdoor market to sell wares from produce to baked goods and craft items.

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Lolley’s Ice Cream, 175 Second St., Monument, is pictured Feb. 26.

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

THRIVING IN MONUMENT

Community support key for businesses through pandemic

BY BENN FARRELL

MONUMENT • An argument can be made that opening or renovating a business during a global pandemic may not be the easiest or most lucrative business decision.

However, when a local business continues to be supported by residents who bear a desire to patronize businesses in their own community, not only do local restaurants, retail and service industries continue to survive in pandemic times — they can also thrive. This was the case for several businesses in Monument.

For example, A Better Hearing Center in Monument had a rib-

bon-cutting event with the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce last year during pandemic ups and downs. Owner Jim Strobaugh said the community rallied around the center through COVID-19 regulations.

Many of the center’s patients say they are eager to support local businesses, Strobaugh said.

“We pride ourselves on offering premier care and services,” he said. “Our patients have commented about how much this is appreciated and many have shown their appreciation by offering homemade breads and sweets.”

Strobaugh said the center has made changes to its business plan since the advent of the pandemic as well. It has incorporated curbside appointments, telehealth appointments and appointment-only office visits for patients.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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THRIVING IN MONUMENT

“We are quite prepared to keep our patients safe and cared for should there be an additional pandemic in the future,” Strobaugh said.

During the pandemic, Lolley’s Ice Cream in Downtown Monument started a massive renovation of its 130-year-old building, which gutted the interior down to the shell and included removing multiple layers of flooring and asbestos mitigation. Pandemic restrictions held up renovation efforts for about 12 weeks before they could be com-

pleted and the new creamery could open its doors in January 2021.

“We’ve felt so much love and encouragement from the Town of Monument as we grappled with opening a brand new business in the midst of a global pandemic,” owner Shelley Sapp said.

Lolley’s has gone from from having a single ice cream flavor to presently offering 12 core flavors, a rotating selection of 4-5 seasonal flavors, a bakery case full of delicious fresh baked cookies, bundt cakes, brownies

from Taste of Life, and a selection of espresso drinks and other hot beverages.

An example of support from the community was the turnout for Lolley’s celebration of Ice Cream for Breakfast Day in February, which featured special made-from-scratch breakfast sundaes with Belgian waffles, French toast, mini donuts and crumbled bacon.

“There was a line stretched around the CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

ABOVE: During the pandemic, Lolley’s Ice Cream in Downtown Monument started a massive renovation of its 130-year-old building, which gutted the interior down to the shell and included removing multiple layers of flooring and asbestos mitigation.

Pandemic restrictions held up renovation efforts for about 12 weeks before they could be completed and the new creamery could open its doors in January 2021.

BENN FARRELL, THE TRIBUNE

RIGHT: Owner Shelly Sapp of Lolley’s Ice Cream poses in front of the shop in downtown Monument in March 2021.

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TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

THRIVING IN MONUMENT

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TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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THRIVING IN MONUMENT

The pedestrian bridge in Palmer Lake, pictured here Feb. 26, was installed in January 2021.

block and everyone was incredibly gracious,” Sapp said of the store’s opening. “I think ice cream puts a smile on their face and we are more than happy to help make those smiles a reality.”

Sapp said changes to the business over the last year have been good ones, including having to hire more employees to keep up with the demand.

Also in the putting-smiles-

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

Jim Stobaugh, hearing specialist and owner of A Better Hearing Center.

on-faces business, Lori Lynn’s Cookies and Cream, a specialized mobile kitchen featuring ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookies, launched in May 2021 during the pandemic.

However, owner Lori Morrissey said the first year since the truck’s rollout was fantastic and grossed over $80,000 in sales despite still being a fledgling CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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THRIVING IN MONUMENT LEFT: The owners of Jarrito Loco expanded during the pandemic into a building that previously housed a Village Inn in Monument.

Renovations were completed Jan. 20, 2021.

FAR LEFT: Angel Jimenez, owner of Jarrito Loco, sits among the last of the renovations of the restaurant’s 315 Highway 105, Monument, location in January 2021.

BENN FARRELL, THE TRIBUNE

TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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THRIVING IN MONUMENT business.

“This is a great start considering the pandemic and all that continues with it,” Morrissey said.

Like other businesses, Lori Lynn’s Cookies and Cream saw a decline in sales with COVID’s omicron variant prevalent around the winter holidays, but Morrissey says perhaps the winter months will always be slow for the mobile business. She said that was anticipated.

Given the truck can be booked for special events, the coming spring and summer seasons are already starting to look bright.

Morrissey said she is already booking for weddings, birthday parties, teacher and employee appreciation events, and other special gathering around El Paso County. With the early success of the

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business, Morrissey is planning to leave her 20-year career in the communications industry to operate the mobile business full-time starting in April.

“We can’t wait to be back full-time on the truck,” Morrissey said.

For Monument restaurant Jarrito Loco, not only did initial pandemic regulations not affect the business’s sales, the restaurant was able to expand to its new location near the intersection of Highway 105 and I-25. However, when the omicron variant started to spread, Jarrito Loco sales fell about 20% and remained at that level through the winter months and inclement weather, owner Angel Jimenez said.

Jimenez said the community’s love for the restaurant has kept it going strong, despite these recent challenges. In fact, last winter, when the new building, which was previously occupied by a Village Inn, was in need of a heating system overhaul, members of the community offered to loan the owners the money to fund it without interest. Jimenez said luckily they did not have to take anyone up on the offer, but that it was a good example of the love and support the community has shown Jarrito Loco.

“We live in a wonderful community. They love us and we love them,” Jiminez said.

He said the main adjustments the restaurant had to make to its business model over the past two years were probably the same as any restaurant business needs to do when sales are down: micromanaging costs and digging in heels. He said during those times, the owners will jump in and work side-by-side with staff to help keep costs down. He also said there is more focus on marketing.

“The thing for us to do has been to focus on what we do best and try to do it better,” Jiminez said. “We try to get more people to know where we’re at, who we are and what we do.”

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O’Malleys Steak Pub, 104 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, serves up steak and American pub fare for lunch, dinner and late-night dining as well as daily specials.

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

PALMER LAKE: A DINING DESTINATION Food and beverage businesses band together to survive

BY BENN FARRELL

PALMER LAKE • As Palmer Lake continues to become a small-town destination for outdoor activities, community events and the arts, it has also become known as a hotspot for locally owned eateries for the region.

While the amount of commercial real estate space is limited in Palmer Lake, the establishments that offer food and beverages that line Highway 105 through town make the roadway a high-profile stretch for dining out.

In just a short stretch of the highway, you’ll find 105 Social House, Bella Panini, La Rosa Southwestern Dining, O’Malley’s Steak Pub, Rock House Ice Cream, and Speedtrap, among other establishments. There’s quite a variety for this small town.

However, what makes this community of restaurants unique is how the group of restaurateurs have banded together to help each other in not only marketing and operations, but also to support each other to get through the changes and challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the restaurants in Palmer Lake account for the bulk of the Town of Palmer Lake’s sales taxes, even though they may be operating with very limited financial CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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PALMER LAKE: A DINING DESTINATION

The Palmer Lake community supported 105 Social House, 75 Highway 105, through the pandemic and a fire at an attached residence that temporarily closed the business in 2021.

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

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TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

PALMER LAKE: A DINING DESTINATION

ABOVE: Bella Panini, 4 Highway 105 Palmer Lake, serves traditional Italian entrees, pizza and, of course, panini.

LEFT: As you drive into Palmer Lake from Monument and round the bend on Highway 105, at least three dining establishments come into view. In the distance, see Bella Panini, left, Speedtrap, center, and La Rosa Southwestern Dining, right.

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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PALMER LAKE: A DINING DESTINATION resources.

Jeff Hulsmann, owner of O’Malley’s Steak Pub, said attracting people to Palmer Lake is key for all the restaurants and businesses in the town. The town itself is too small to support the number of restaurants there, he said.

“By banding together, we have created a restaurant destination,” Hulsmann said. “Each restaurant provides a unique food experience. We are proud of the numerous options and quality of our products. There is really something for everyone in Palmer Lake.”

In fact, the collaboration among these establishments led to the formation of the Palmer Lake Restaurant Group about 11 years ago. The group currently has 9 members and works with other organizations in Palmer Lake to help attract visitors and create a spotlight for the culture, dining or otherwise, of the town. Fundraisers like the “Taste of Palmer Lake” raised money for Christmas lights to be put up throughout town; and the group has worked in conjunction with Awake Palmer Lake and the town parks committee on

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

Rock House Ice Cream, 25 S. Highway 105, Palmer Lake, is open seasonally. During the warmer months, you’ll find over two dozen flavors of ice cream and other treats.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

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PALMER LAKE: A DINING DESTINATION

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

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PALMER LAKE: A DINING DESTINATION

“By banding together, we have created a restaurant destination.

Each restaurant provides a unique food experience.

We are proud of the numerous options and quality of our products. There is really something for everyone in Palmer Lake.”

Jeff Hulsmann, owner of O’Malley’s Steak Pub

Perfectly Elevated Cafe and Gallery, 11 Primrose St., Palmer Lake, is open daily (except for Wednesdays) for coffee drinks, fresh fruit infused teas and more.

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

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PALMER LAKE: A DINING DESTINATION

Members of Palmer Lake Restaurant Association • 105 Social House • Bella Panini • Catering by Nikki • La Rosa Southwestern Dining • O’Malley’s Steak Pub • Perfectly Elevated Cafe & Gallery • Rock House Ice Cream • Sasquatch & Yeti Taqueria • Speedtrap

many events.

The group of restaurateurs are all active in supporting local schools as well, Hulsmann said.

All the restaurants in Palmer Lake are independently owned and operated. Most of them are located in historic buildings that have been updated, which enhances the charm of the dining experiences in Palmer Lake, said Rock House Ice Cream owner Jeannine Engel.

The original Rock House building was built in 1903 and added onto in the following years. In 1927, more additions were built and the business became the White Kitchen Cafe and Truck Stop.

“History has played an important part in Palmer Lake,” Engel said. “Newcomers to the area are drawn to Palmer Lake because of its uniqueness and to experience something different from chain restaurants. Palmer Lake has a wide variety of concepts from fine dining to our local pub to the little CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Speedtrap, 84-2 Highway 105, Palmer Lake, offers cuisine with a French flair for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

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PALMER LAKE: A DINING DESTINATION ice cream shop.”

The summer months typically bring a high volume of out-of-towners to enjoy lake activities and local trails, and this influx of visitors patronizes the local food and beverage establishments. However, it’s the yearround community that remains in support of the businesses throughout the year.

“The locals are my most faithful customers,” Engel said.

Engel said what helps the food and beverage businesses in Palmer Lake is the available parking. With a large public parking area along Highway 105 near the railroad track pedestrian bridge, as well as public parking near the baseball fields within walking distance of downtown area, it is important for visitors to know parking is plentiful and free, she said.

Restaurant owners in Palmer Lake see themselves as compatriots as opposed to competitors, sharing advice and information about repairs, servicepeople, purveyors, professionals and more with each other, Hulsmann said. The Palmer Lake Restaurant Group serves as a support group for owners/proprietors who are in need of a particular product or need to borrow a particular piece of kitchen equipment until deliveries can be received or repairs can be made.

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

Wilson’s Corner, with Speedtrap on the far right corner, is pictured Feb. 26.

“We all do our best to help the others succeed,” Hulsmann said. “We believe as a group that joint success is in our own self interest.

99

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“Owners have their own particular challenges. No matter what type of restaurant CONTINUED ON • PAGE 28

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PALMER LAKE: A DINING DESTINATION

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TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

you operate, the issues that owners face are often very similar.”

In addition, the restaurant group will occasionally lobby the Town of Palmer Lake to encourage the adoption of both business and consumer friendly attitudes and policies, Hulsmann said.

While all restaurants struggled to maintain sales through pandemic restrictions, there wasn’t much the group could do about the effects except commiserate together, he said. For example, O’Malley’s provided an outside picnic area on the east side of Highway 105 for all of the restaurants in town to utilize when takeout was the only option allowed.

While some restaurants in Palmer Lake have closed over the past year, other food and beverage businesses have taken the opportunity to become a part of the small town’s dining hotspot. While The Depot has closed, a new coffee shop, Perfectly Elevated, has opened in its location. Soon it will be the site of a new restaurant. And the building where Charritos House 2 was located is now home to Sasquatch & Yeti Taqueria.

This illustrates the desirability of Palmer Lake as a destination for food, drinks and a dining experience unique to the Tri-Lakes area, thanks to the group of dedicated restaurateurs who work together to make it so.

A LESSON IN HISTORY Black Forest Old Log School celebrates centennial

BY WILLIAM J. DAGENDESH

Nestled in the hills of Black Forest is a one-room log school where a U.S.

flag sporting 48 stars once snapped in the warm breeze as children gathered inside to study reading and writing.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

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monumentpharmacy.com TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

29

BLACK FOREST OLD LOG SCHOOL

MARGARETTA M. BOAS PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION, COURTESY OF PIKES PEAK LIBRARY DISTRICT, 001-2207

Cars park on a snowy road in front of a log building. The photo is identified on back as “Black Forest School — 6770 Shoup Road. Sunday School Meeting — 1928, 1929.”

ON PAGE 30: The interior of Black Forest Old Log School is pictured Aug. 14, 2020, in a photo posted on the Friends of the Black Forest Log School Facebook page.

FACEBOOK.COM/FRIENDS-OFTHE-BLACK-FOREST-LOG-SCHOOL205220116207917/?FREF=TS

That same flag will fly again this summer when the Black Forest Old Log School celebrates its centennial of community service during an event scheduled to be held Sept. 10 at the Backyard Market, 12530 Black Forest Road. As part of the celebration, a quilt show fundraiser will be held Sept. 11 at Black Forest Community Club. Dates and times for both events will be announced at a later date.

Located at 6770 Shoup Road, the 32-foot by

the living room

22-foot log building was built in 1920-21 out of an educational need in the area, as the closest school at that time was located four miles away.

“Black Forest was part of the original District 38. The only school was in the south, about four miles south of the center of Black Forest,” said former Black Forest resident Carrie Robertson.

According to “History of the Black Forest CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

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BLACK FOREST OLD LOG SCHOOL Family owned to serve you since 2001

JEFF KEARNEY, THE TRIBUNE

The Black Forest Old Log School this year will celebrate its centennial anniversary. A U.S. flag sporting 48 stars will hang on the flagpole out front to honor the time period in which the school was constructed.

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488-9525 487-8690 1947 — El Paso County converted the building to a home used by the employee who maintained the county roads.

1981 — The county road department vacated the property and local volunteers took up the cause of saving the building.

1992 — The Black Forest Log School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1996 — The restoration began when the roof was replaced with the aid of a grant from the Colorado Historical Fund. “The School Brought Us Together” was published with grant support.

Nine Locations throughout El Paso County 1997 — The foundation was replaced with another grant and CDC advises that the dry cleaning process is effective matching funds from members of the community. on most viruses, (cdc.gov/coronavirus2019-ncov) 1998-2000 — Restoration of the interior was completed, and local residents donated items to furnish the 1930s schoolroom.

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31

BLACK FOREST OLD LOG SCHOOL

THE GAZETTE FILE

The Black Forest Log School was first built by volunteers in 1922 for the children of the then-small community of Black Forest.

The building served as a school for the children of the area until the mid 1940’s. It was only appropriate that volunteers would also help in the constructing of a new foundation many decades later. These volunteers worked alongside with workers from Werner Co. in moving the house onto its new foundation on an October morning in 1997. First, a few logs needed to be replaced near the bottom of the schoolhouse. Because the Colorado Historic Fund was paying for most of the cost, they required that the work be done like it would be done when the schoolhouse was built originally so as not to compromise the historical integrity.

Hand saws, chisels and hammers were used to make the hand hewn logs fit into place. Pictured above: In the foreground, Norm Robertson (left) helps Victor Freeman with Werner Co. put one of the logs into place.

lic meeting center.

“It was the only public building and used for various events such as clubs, dances, church,” Robertson said.

Children from first to eighth grades were taught in the one-room school beginning in

32

TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

the fall of 1922.

On Sundays, the building was used for church services and summer Bible school.

However, in 1945 the school closed as a result of Colorado consolidating school districts.

Converted into a two-bedroom home, the building housed a county road maintenance employee and his family from 1948 to 1977.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

BLACK FOREST OLD LOG SCHOOL

FACEBOOK.COM/FRIENDS-OF-THE-BLACK-FOREST-LOG-SCHOOL-205220116207917/?FREF=TS

Visiting the log school is like stepping inside a time capsule. The glass windows date to the schools’ inception, and a collection of period toys and school supplies, quilts and lanterns hanging from the wall and ceiling, and a pot-bellied stove also bring visitors back to the era when the school bustled with young students. Photo taken in August 2020.

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33

BLACK FOREST OLD LOG SCHOOL “My brother was born there in 1950, and I moved out after I got married in 1955. Dad died there two days before his retirement,” said Willis Roe, 87, whose family lived in the building more than 20 years.

In 1981, the county abandoned the property and “local volunteers took up the cause of saving the building,” states bflogschool.com.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, which qualified it to be eligible for a grant for restoration that started in 1996. By then, poor drainage had eaten away at the buildings’ structure, which required moving and constructing a new foundation, and removing multiple layers of roofing materials.

Residents donated labor and funds, and Colorado Historical Fund grants paid for the more critical work. The Log School Committee restored the building, and volunteers saved most of the original floor and inside wall paneling. The project was completed in 2000.

Since then, the school has been host to community events. A group called the Friends of The Black Forest Log School Inc. was formed in May 2009 to save and restore the building.

Visiting the log school today is like stepping inside a time capsule.

The glass windows date to the schools’ inception, and a collection of period toys and school supplies, quilts and lanterns hanging from the wall and ceiling, and a pot-bellied stove also bring visitors back to the era when the school bustled with young students. Even the old outhouse has been preserved.

Tin pails take up permanent residence atop a cloak room shelf, and books, a black slate chalkboard, old-fashioned desks, an upright piano, U.S. map and painting of the nations’ first president, George Washington, also have a home here. The flag’s 48 stars pays homage to the period when the school was constructed.

A modern addition to the school property is a Little Free Library on

$3400 Flat List Fee

“The School Brought Us Together,” written by Linda Cozart and Carrie Robertson, was published in 1996.

The collection of information and stories about the Old Log School of Black Forest won the Colorado Historical Society’s Caroline Bancroft History Award in 1997. It’s one of two books published about the old log school available for purchase as blkfst.com.

The other book is “Black Forest Opus” (2007), by David D. Hageman.

FACEBOOK.COM/FRIENDS-OFTHE-BLACK-FOREST-LOG-SCHOOL205220116207917/?FREF=TS

the fenceline, encouraging passersby to take a book or leave a book.

Free tours of the school house are planned starting in April and running through October. The building also will be open to visitors during the 2022 Black Forest Festival on Aug. 13.

Follow The Tribune for updates on the centennial plans, or visit bflogschool.com.

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TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Colorado’s only USDA Certified Organic Salon & Spa “Everything we put in and on our bodies must be nutritious and safe.”

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1729 Lake Woodmoor Drive, Monument • ravissantesalon.com TRI-LAKES GUIDE | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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