Recently, Manitou Springs residents have experienced a juxtaposition of events that emphasize, yet again, what a great, interconnected community this is.
Losing Chuck Englund on Sept. 28, Morgan Stone on Oct. 11 and Pam LeGrande on Oct. 16, it’s been a tough time. All three made a difference through their love for friends, neighbors and Manitou itself, and will never be forgotten.
One of the Bulletin’s missions — maybe the most important one — is to reflect the concerns (and heartbreak) of the community. What you feel and think, and what you need to know, will always have a place in these pages.
On the upside, the Candidate Forum on Thursday, Oct. 19, was an encouraging reminder of how passionate people are about Manitou’s future. That goes for the people at the head table and those in the audience. Kudos to the candidates, who are willing to give their time, energy and thought to the community, and to the voters, who want to make the right decisions.
Many thanks to our moderator, Ralph Routon, for his “steady hand on the tiller” and to the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region for ensuring the logistics went smoothly. Let’s not forget Janice Montoya and the Briarhurst staff for their hard work and culinary skills.
YOU ARE THE REASON we do this work.
Remember, you can watch the forum livestream at tinyurl.com/BulletinLWVPPR2023forum. Check pikespeakbulletin.org/category/local-politics to refresh your memory about the candidates’ experience and goals.
So, we are here for you; you are the reason we do this work. Just look elsewhere on this page or visit pikespeakbulletin.org/contact-us if you need to share a news tip, ask a question or get something off your chest. We simply don’t have the staff we’d need to go out looking for information or even to monitor social media.
In turn, we need you to support us so we can continue this vital work. Even though we have only one full-time staffer (me), it takes a lot of money to keep this endeavor going. As a nonprofit, we’re eligible for grants dedicated to preserving local news, but it takes a lot of work from our dedicated board of directors to find and apply for those.
Also as a nonprofit, we’re eligible to participate in this year’s Give! campaign. Watch these pages for news about Give-related events in November and December, and for other ways you can support the Bulletin throughout the year.
I’ve told people that this is the most challenging and rewarding job I’ve ever had. That’s still true, more than ever before.