Loving the Springs

45: May 12 2026 - Smorgasbord of Colorado Springs Events

Get the scoop on a variety of area news and summer happenings, plus a report on the recent block party celebrating Richard Skorman and Patricia Seator passing the torch for Poor Richard’s to Joe Cole and Sarah Gibeau. Also, how many bikes do you think Carrie and Al each own? The role John Crandall and Old Town Bike Shop have played in the community. Are we ignoring Briargate? And what is the Meanwhile Block, anyway? 1:30 – Kids riding bikes to school 3:30 – Ditching the car and bicycling around town 4:26 – Bike to Work Day June 24 10:08 – Block Party for Poor Richards 15:47 – Farmers markets downtown 19:30 – Ride of Silence and safety for bicyclists 23:16 – Tacos & Tequila Passport 27:22 – Air Force Academy Visitors Center 28:49 – United We Rock festival 30:21 – City accepts Pikeview Quarry land 32:00 – News Update with Pikes Peak Bulletin 46:00 – What WE love about the Springs 50:39 – What is happening at Studio 809 Podcasts LINKS: Bike to Work Day: https://coloradosprings.gov/biketowork [https://coloradosprings.gov/biketowork] Gazette photos of block party: https://gazette.com/2026/05/03/photos-poor-richards-retirement-torch-passing/ [https://gazette.com/2026/05/03/photos-poor-richards-retirement-torch-passing/] Ride of Silence May 20: https://www.bikesprings.org/ [https://www.bikesprings.org/] https://www.meetup.com/colorado-springs-cycling-club/events/313247489/?eventOrigin=group_events_list [https://www.meetup.com/colorado-springs-cycling-club/events/313247489/?eventOrigin=group_events_list] Meanwhile Block: https://www.meanwhileblock.com/ [https://www.meanwhileblock.com/] Tacos & Tequila Passport May 15 – 31 (with May 14 kickoff at Golden Hour in the Mining Exchange Hotel): https://www.downtowncs.com/tacos [https://www.downtowncs.com/tacos] Feb 25 2025 – Planning to Make the World a Better Place – episode of LTS featuring Maréa Janae of Dream Catcher Weddings: https://studio809podcasts.com/dreamcatcher/ [https://studio809podcasts.com/dreamcatcher/] Support Studio 809 Podcasts: https://www.patreon.com/join/studio809 [https://www.patreon.com/join/studio809] MENTIONED: Generation Wild PikeRide La Casita Lionel Rivera Yemi Mobolade Steve Bach John Suthers Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort Trails & Open Space Coalition The N+1 Theory Pikes Peak Center Joe Cole Sarah Gibeau John Weiss The Catalyst Fund John Crandall and Old Town Bike Shop Tubby’s Turnaround Stephanie Vigil Julie Ott Lauren Ripko Colorado Springs Cycling Colorado Farm and Art Market Acacia Park Meanwhile Block Norwood Development Group Side Dish with Schniper Kelsey Swen SoCo Insider Colorado Craft Social The Golden Hour Icons Jax Fish House Latin Social Red Gravy T-Birds Tacos and Tequila The Brit Pub Wobbly Olive Zocalo Pikeview Quarry Carlos Perez Briargate Banning Lewis Ranch Manitou Springs WestFax Brewing Company Cerberus Brewing Company ICE Mel Flores Smokebrush Foundation Colorado Springs Utilities Ciara Guerrero Pikes Peak Diversity Council UCCS Black Student Union Dream Catcher Weddings League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region Homeward Pikes Peak Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging El Paso County Progressive Veterans Pikes Peak Women Colorado Spring Chamber & EDC Corvus Technologies Digital Beachhead Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest. Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs [https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs] or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

44: April 28 2026 - Joe Reagan, Man About Town Running for Congress

Joe Reagan shares his reasons for running, and how and why he thinks he can unseat GOP incumbent Jeff Crank to represent Colorado’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House. Get to know Joe as we explore his military service, history working in the nonprofit sector, and his time in Colorado Springs. We also get a few updates from Pikes Peak Bulletin Managing Editor Heila Ershadi: 43:38 - Appointment of Wayne Williams to serve as Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade’s chief of staff 50:47 - Development plans for the Union Printers Home, including Urban Renewal funding and adjoining neighborhoods’ effort to get a community benefits agreement. LEARN MORE: Joe Reagan’s Campaign Website: https://www.reaganforcolorado.com/ [https://www.reaganforcolorado.com/] Bulletin Sits Down with Mobolade, Williams to Discuss Coalition Building and Faith: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/bulletin-sits-down-with-mobolade-williams-to-discuss-coalition-building-and-faith/ [https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/bulletin-sits-down-with-mobolade-williams-to-discuss-coalition-building-and-faith/] Union Printers Home May Become Hotel Using Urban Renewal Funds. Neighborhood Group Says that Should Come with a Benefits Agreement: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/union-printers-home-may-become-hotel-using-urban-renewal-funds-neighborhood-group-says-that-should-come-with-a-benefits-agreement/ [https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/union-printers-home-may-become-hotel-using-urban-renewal-funds-neighborhood-group-says-that-should-come-with-a-benefits-agreement/] Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest. Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs [https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs] or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

43: April 7 2026 – State of Downtown Colorado Springs

Downtown population doubled, retail sales broke a half-billion dollars, and more than 800 arts/culture/sports events took place downtown in 2025. These are just a few highlights of the highlights Downtown Partnership CEO Chelsea Gondeck shares from the State of Downtown Colorado Springs 2026 Report. Note: we discussed the “rumored” sale of Poor Richard’s in this episode, apparently just minutes before the sale was announced. LINKS: 2026 State of Downtown Report: https://downtowncs.com/sod [https://downtowncs.com/sod] Front Range Passenger Rail Community Q&A: Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs: https://www.mobilize.us/ridethefrontrange/event/927199/?followup_modal_context=email_shift_followup_other_events [https://www.mobilize.us/ridethefrontrange/event/927199/?followup_modal_context=email_shift_followup_other_events] April 17, 5:30 to 7 pm at Kinship Landing Become a patron of Studio 809 Podcasts: https://www.patreon.com/join/studio809 [https://www.patreon.com/join/studio809 ] MENTIONED: Condo defect legislation OneVeLa 27-story high-rise apartment project Cottonwood Center for the Arts Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Fan Fest Parade of Lights Pride Fest Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off CSPD Elevate Downtown Plan Revel: The Urban Arts Party AdAmAn Alley Mom’s Day Out Acacia Park Dizzy Charlie’s Music & Events Downtown Rotary Club Front Rail Passenger Rail District Kinship Landing Windsor Loveland Castle Rock Peregrine Briargate Ski Broadmoor Sharktooth Ski Area U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum Switchbacks FC Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Poor Richard’s Richard Skorman Kimball’s Peak Three Chuck Murphy Thunderball Bingo Burger Borriello Brothers Pizza Eric Brenner Red Gravy Perry Bolts Eclectic CO Yobel Emily and Clay Ross Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest. Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs [https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs] or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

42: March 23 2026 - WasteLessCOS

Learn how the City of Colorado Springs has been studying our garbage and laying out a plan to divert a lot of that trash away from the landfill and into recycling and composting. Kurian, the City’s project manager for its new Waste Diversion Action Plan shares study and survey results, and explains next steps in the project. We also get a festival preview from Music Director Steve Harris about the upcoming MeadowGrass Music Festival, which happens every Memorial Day weekend in Black Forest. Name the train: the Front Range Passenger Rail District invited the public to vote for their favorite of four finalists to name the passenger rail line planned to run up and down Colorado’s front range. That survey closes the day this episode drops, March 23. We briefly discuss the project. Look for one more public meeting in Colorado Springs very soon. Independent reporter Pam Zubeck shares background and highlights of her reporting in the Pikes Peak Bulletin on Colorado Springs Utilities. Also on the table – ways we can trim our gas bills now that a gallon of gas is fetching close to $4.00. LINKS: WastelessCOS: https://coloradosprings.gov/WastelessCOS [https://coloradosprings.gov/WastelessCOS] Sustainability In-Box: COS-Sustainability.SMB@ColoradoSprings.gov [COS-Sustainability.SMB@ColoradoSprings.gov] Circular Action Alliance: https://circularactionalliance.org/circular-action-alliance-colorado [https://circularactionalliance.org/circular-action-alliance-colorado] Producer Responsibility program: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hm/epr-program [https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hm/epr-program] Waste and Recycling in Colorado – Episode 96 of Peak Environment: https://studio809podcasts.com/waste-and-recycling/ [https://studio809podcasts.com/waste-and-recycling/] The Garbologists: https://www.lindsayjoelle.com/the-garbologists.html [https://www.lindsayjoelle.com/the-garbologists.html] Name the Train: https://ridethefrontrange.com/namethetrain MeadowGrass Music Festival: https://meadowgrass.org/ Pikes Peak Bulletin utilities reports: Data Centers Come Knocking. Are Local Power and Water Supplies Available?: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/data-centers-come-knocking-are-local-power-and-water-supplies-available/ [https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/data-centers-come-knocking-are-local-power-and-water-supplies-available/] Springs Utilities Out $5.35 Million in Settlement With Fiber Project Contractor: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/springs-utilities-out-5-35-million-in-settlement-with-fiber-project-contractor/ Utilities CEO Says ‘Gloves Will Come Off’ if Senate Bill Doesn’t Delay Closing Nixon Coal Plant: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/utilities-ceo-says-gloves-will-come-off-if-senate-bill-doesnt-delay-closing-nixon-coal-plant/ [https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/utilities-ceo-says-gloves-will-come-off-if-senate-bill-doesnt-delay-closing-nixon-coal-plant/] CSU’s Non-Compliant Gas Lines To Cost Consumers: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/csus-non-compliant-gas-lines-to-cost-consumers/ [https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/csus-non-compliant-gas-lines-to-cost-consumers/] Utilities Reporting Elsewhere: Exhaust Concerns Threaten $650M Utilities Power Project – by Wayne Heilman: https://socodigest.com/2026/03/04/breaking-exhaust-concerns-threaten-650m-utilities-power-project/ [https://socodigest.com/2026/03/04/breaking-exhaust-concerns-threaten-650m-utilities-power-project/] Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort 10 Year Anniversary Special – episode 38 of Pedal the Springs: https://studio809podcasts.com/buffalo-lodge-10-year-anniversary/ [https://studio809podcasts.com/buffalo-lodge-10-year-anniversary/] Colorado Springs State of Downtown Report: https://downtowncs.com/sod [https://downtowncs.com/sod] MENTIONED: PikeRide Tejon Street Corner Thieves Vultures Thrashers Antivirus Trepanned La Foret Conference & Retreat Center Goat Patch Brewing Company ALO Jack Johnson String Cheese Incident Kyle Hollingsworth Band Nershi Hann Trio Shook Twins Daniel Rodriguez Elephant Revival Sturtz Banshee Tree Folk Alliance International Grant Sabin Broken Compass Emily Hicks Goodnight Moonshine Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative Root Center for Yoga and Sacred Studies Distillery 291 Southern Colorado Business Forum & Digest Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest. Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs [https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs] or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

41: March 11 2026 - Jessica Killin Wants to Represent You in Congress

The odds have never been better that a Democrat will represent Colorado’s 5th District in U.S. Congress next year. Meet the woman who may just send Jeff Crank packing, Jessica Killin. Jessica is one of a field of 5 vying for the Democratic Party nomination to represent Colorado Springs and environs. Get to know Jessica as we ask her about her history in Colorado Springs, her military experience, her experience at our nation’s capitol, and what she thinks Congress can do during the last two years of the Trump administration. Also vying for the CD5 nomination are Joe Reagan, Zuri Horowitz, and Justin Lord. We also get an update from Pikes Peak Bulletin’s Heila Ershadi on the archives of the defunct Colorado Springs Independent. Dirk Hobbs of Colorado Media Group has possession of the data, but is finding it very challenging to restore online access to this treasure trove of over twenty years of community history. Heila also updates the saga of the Moreno and Cascade Urban Renewal Plan, recently approved despite efforts of the Mill Street Community Benefits All Coalition to hold out for a community benefit plan with Norwood Development Group. Other Studio 809 podcasts featuring CD5 congressional candidates: Two Women, One Primary, Big Ideas – Jessica Killin and Zuri Horowitz on episode 65 of Elevating Pikes Peak Women: https://studio809podcasts.com/two-women-one-primary/ [https://studio809podcasts.com/two-women-one-primary/] Running for Congress with Joe Reagan - episode 24 of Badly Needed & Long Overdue: https://studio809podcasts.com/24-joe-reagan-for-congress/ [https://studio809podcasts.com/24-joe-reagan-for-congress/] People Centered Springs with Zuri Horowitz – episode 36 of Loving the Springs: https://studio809podcasts.com/people-centered-zuri/ [https://studio809podcasts.com/people-centered-zuri/] LINKS: Jessica Killin campaign: https://www.killinforcolorado.com/ [https://www.killinforcolorado.com/] Indy archives (very limited, 2023 so far): https://socoinsider.com/archives/ [https://socoinsider.com/archives/] ‘A Complete Mess’: Indy Archive Restoration Proves Difficult: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/a-complete-mess-indy-archive-restoration-proves-difficult/ [https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/a-complete-mess-indy-archive-restoration-proves-difficult/] Over Objections from Neighborhood Group, City Council Approves Public Money for Hotel Project: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/over-objections-from-neighborhood-group-city-council-approves-public-money-for-hotel-project/ [https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/over-objections-from-neighborhood-group-city-council-approves-public-money-for-hotel-project/] Pikes Peak Bulletin: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/ [https://pikespeakbulletin.org/] MENTIONED: Colorado Congressional District 5 El Paso County Democratic Party Jeff Crank UNC Lahara, Colorado Carver Elementary Sabin Junior High Pikes Peak Elementary Falcon Middle School Stetson Hills Horizon Middle School Falcon High School United States Air Force Academy Fort Carson Peterson Field CU Boulder Army ROTC University of Tampa SMU Operation Joint Endeavor / Operation Joint Guard NATO Poland Ukraine Xi Jinping Colorado Springs Airport Costco Pikes Peak Pikes Peak Housing Network Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC Dirk Hobbs Colorado Media Group SoCo Insider FBI Trump Epstein Files Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Pikes Peak Library District The Poynter Institute Knight Foundation Pam Zubeck Corey Hutchins Inside the News in Colorado Colorado College The Washington Post The New York Times Colorado Springs Gazette Moreno and Cascade Urban Renewal Plan Norwood Development Group Mill Street Community Benefits All Coalition Nancy Henjum Kimberly Gold Dave Donelson Max Kronstadt Union Printers HomeLoving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest. Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs [https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs] or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com