“I always felt the world would be a better place if we all played music,” says Rick Vokt, a Manitou Springs resident who owns the Colorado Piano Warehouse in downtown Colorado Springs. Despite growing up with a piano in the house since elementary school, Vokt didn’t enjoy playing piano until he left home for college. […]
Remember walking into the Manitou Springs Heritage Center on a sunny day, when the old garage door was open? Remember feeling a little claustrophobic while moving through the space crammed with display cases and dividers, all under dim lights dangling from the ceiling? Well, not any more. After months of work, the tired old building […]
To the editor: Re: May 3 article headlined “Perspectives vary about night of 2022 shooting in Manitou.” I read this article regarding this tragic event, and my condolences to Mr. Deweese’s family. I would like to give my perspective. I was a witness to this shooting. I work in the service industry, mostly sweeping up […]
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As the first issue of the new Colorado Springs Independent hit the streets, I was reminded of the little rag that debuted on Aug. 8, 1993. It was all of 24 pages — spirited, contrarian, fun, feisty and original. John Weiss, the publisher and co-founder (with Kathryn Eastburn) of the original Independent, figured that there […]
Walk into Sanctuary Inspired Goods in Old Colorado City and you’ll likely be greeted by one or both of the owners, Lori Vafiades and Sarah Joy. A mural of wings — stand before them, and you’ll look like an angel — is just one of the whimsical, colorful works that fill the space, along with […]
Meg the pup is nervous. She’s getting her hair cut at Good Dog Manitou Dog Grooming, and she isn’t sure about the man wielding the clippers and razor. She doesn’t need to worry, though. Everette Andrews knows what he’s doing — more importantly, he absolutely loves animals. “I’ve just always felt like I can communicate […]
Calling all farmers, artisans, and musicians — and everyone who loves a good farmers market! The first Manitou Springs Farmers Market is set for 2-7 p.m. Sunday, June 2, at Soda Springs Park. The market will take place Sundays at the same time and place from June through September. Founded and organized by husband-and-wife team […]
This was the hardest and best thing we’ve ever done The First Year: April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2023 In March 2023, a small group of people from Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City and the lower Ute Pass communities banded together for the sole purpose of reviving the 100-plus-year-old Pikes Peak Bulletin by April. […]
Business consultant Neale Minch, a Manitou resident, presented his analysis of Manitou Springs’ 2023 sales tax to City Council at its May 14 work session. According to Minch, sales tax for December 2023 showed that traditional business, particularly lodging, went down 5 percent. A decline has been seen across Colorado — although Manitou Springs tourism […]
The Manitou Springs Community Foundation (MSCF) has unveiled two initiatives aimed at bolstering bonds within the community. These endeavors, the Manitou Springs Giving Circle and the Manni Neighborhood Connection parties, provide residents with opportunities to engage with neighbors, champion local causes and cultivate a collaborative ethos. Launching this June 13, the Manitou Springs Giving Circle […]
Manitou Springs High School didn’t have to look very far to find its next boys basketball coach. In fact, athletic director Cameron Jones just opted for a different branch of the same tree. Nick Nunley has been named the new coach of the Mustangs after serving as the c-team coach last season. Nunley previously worked […]
Born and raised in Missouri, Mark Lee Gardner’s lifelong fascination with history and the American West has dictated his entire writing career. “We took off every summer … for the classic family vacation. My parents were both history buffs and I don’t think we ever missed a historic house or site,” said Gardner, who lives […]
It’s Tuesday night at Kinfolks and Molly Boyles is grooving on her bass, a smile on her face brighter than any of the light fixtures. Her boyfriend, Roger Anderson, plays drums, and their friend Angelo Valdez is on electric guitar as they charge through a raucous version of Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4.” The […]
Residents of Manitou Springs can consider themselves lucky. Not every town has responded so swiftly — or at all — when a local newspaper has gone out of business. Colorado Media Project, an organization advocating for a healthier local news and information ecosystem where I help conduct research, has identified 52 newspapers that have closed […]
On April 11, 2022, Wilford Deweese, a 67-year-old unemployed accountant from Florida, drew a gun on a bartender at the Royal Tavern bar in Manitou Springs. Later, when confronted by Levi Hoover and Jeffrey Schuelke from the Manitou Springs Police Department and deputies Ronnie Hancock and Daniel LeBaron of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, […]
Local news forms the bedrock of community life in small towns, playing an essential role that transcends the mere dissemination of information. This is particularly true in the diverse locales of Colorado, where local media not only informs, but actively contributes to, the fabric of community identity, governance and economic vitality. Hyper-local media outlets like […]
Old Colorado City residents like to claim that theirs is a unique Colorado Springs neighborhood, and not without reason. Founded in 1859, Colorado City was briefly Colorado’s capital city and was a stand-alone city until annexed by Colorado Springs in 1917. Much of its romantic past lingers today in OCC’s intact 19th and early 20th […]
Remember a few years ago when serial entrepreneur Perry Sanders announced his plans for a 115-story downtown building? It didn’t trigger warnings from residents who feared that it would destroy downtown’s friendly ambiance, or lead to the erection of multiple 100-story view blockers. That’s because few people thought that Sanders could pull it off, and […]
