The Palmer Lake Art Group, a community dedicated to fostering artistic connection in northern El Paso County, hosted a silent auction this past Saturday to raise additional funding for its long-running scholarship program aimed at supporting graduating high school seniors who plan to pursue art.

Since the 1970s, the group has awarded scholarships to high school seniors in District 38 who have demonstrated a commitment to art and plan to continue their studies. The program has awarded more than $90,000 total, typically distributing two or three scholarships each year.

"Just this last year, we had two students who were awarded those scholarships, one at Lewis Palmer High School and one at Palmer Ridge," said Kathleen Seelye of the Palmer Lake Art Group.

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"We believe that the investment into these young students is so important in helping them see an opportunity for art in their career," Seelye said.

This year, the group added a silent auction to its typical funding efforts, with members donating art and art supplies to benefit the program. The goal is to grow the auction format year over year and eventually open it to the public.

"We'd really like to be able to grow beyond the three to five thousand dollars a year that we give in our programs, and this is one of those vehicles that we think we could do that with," Seelye said.

Former scholarship recipient Micaela Cimino said the award helped launch her career. Now, more than two decades later, she owns a gallery and frame shop in Monument.

"I used that money to go to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, [a] very good art school, which was super fun and amazing, and it kind of got me my start to a whole world and lifetime now of doing art for a living, which has been great," Cimino said.

Cimino said the scholarship also gave her an early opportunity to share her work with the public.

"That was the first time that I got to showcase my work to the public, and you have this confidence boost because you did win," Cimino said.

Today, she gives back to the same program that helped her get started.

"Yeah, you just pay it forward, but they're the best. I think that what they're doing is really important for kids and for the future of artists, and just giving them representation and confidence and a little financial support," Cimino commented.

More information about the scholarship program and the Palmer Lake Art Group is available here.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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As we sprint full-speed into pumpkin patch season, we're taking a look at the Colorado Pumpkin Patch in Monument which offers 20 acres of autumn-themed activities for families to enjoy.

News5 reporter Jon McMichael has more on what people can expect in the video below:

Activities abound at the Colorado Pumpkin Patch in Monument

The Colorado Pumpkin Patch, owned and operated by the Colorado Kids Ranch, runs from mid-September through the end of October and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; the space offers a wide array of activities, including:

Pumpkin patch (to pick out your pumpkins) Outdoor games Slides Swings Laser tag Enormous jumping pads Farm animal petting area Tractor 'hay-rides' And more

According to Aubrey Chapman, manager of the Colorado Kids Ranch, the organization also operates a program aimed at expanding the financial accessibility of their pumpkin patch offerings.

"We have this program called Johnny Pumpkinseed," Chapman stated, "and it's where we offer special needs kiddos and foster care [children] the opportunity to come in free of charge, and they also get a pumpkin with that."

Families attending alongside children that qualify for the program also receive a steep discount ($8.00) for admission to the pumpkin patch.

Prices vary throughout the season; for all but the last four days of October, the price of admission is $20 for everyone (with $2.00 discounts for active or retired military members, seniors, and first responders) while children ages three-and-under can visit for free.

Additional pumpkin patch opportunities on the north side of Colorado Springs and northern El Paso County are listed below:

Fall Mountain Farm - Located in Monument - Open each Thursday through Sunday - Operating through Oct. 31 Miners' Pumpkin Patch - Located in Northern Colorado Springs - Open each Saturday - Operating through Oct. 31

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Woodmen-Roberts Elementary in Academy School District 20 has earned a recognition for teacher collaboration and professional development shared by only three other schools across Colorado during 2026.

The honor comes from Solution Tree, the organization behind Professional Learning Communities (PLC), and is awarded to schools that demonstrate at least three years of student growth and achievement. Woodmen Roberts is only the second school in El Paso County to receive it; the first was in 2018.

For about the past six years, Academy School District 20 has been shifting its educational philosophy to incorporate PLCs as part of its core programming. That means more teacher collaboration, vertical learning integrations, and occasional two-hour delays on Fridays.

The past three years of that focus at Woodmen-Roberts have paid off. Solution Tree provides strategies to help educational districts meet their goals, and at this school that has meant creating additional collaborative space for teachers including 90 minutes each Friday, along with 12 two-hour delayed start days interspersed throughout the school year, where educators come together to discuss strategy.

"We invest in our teachers, and we know our teachers learn best when they have time to collaborate and work together to talk about student achievement. So we're able to gather together, and we're able to align ourselves," said Nate Hansen, principal at Woodmen-Roberts Elementary School.

According to Brittany Graham, a fourth-grade teacher at Woodmen-Roberts, part of the collaborative model involves vertically aligning lesson plans across grade levels, with teachers from different grades working together to identify what students need.

"What do they need more in fifth grade, or what do third graders need to come up to us just understanding a little bit more," Graham said.

The two-hour delayed starts have also made broader, school-wide collaboration possible, rather than individual grade-level teams working separately.

"The two-hour late starts have really made it possible for us to meet as a whole team, not just fourth grade in our little bubble, but the fact that we're able to meet with everybody means we're able to go further with the kids," Graham added.

According to Hansen, the school's state testing scores have improved since implementing PLCs, along with scores in math, science, and English language arts.

"The last five years, as we look at our overall student achievement and growth results, kids are starting the year higher, and they're ending the year higher. So we've seen that progress over time, so we know the work our teachers are doing is really making a difference in student learning," Hansen said.

For additional information regarding PLCs and the recent recognition of Woodmen-Roberts Elementary School, click here.

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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Road improvements to a stretch of Higby Road in Monument measuring 5,500 feet in length were completed near the end of September by the Triview Metropolitan District. Modifications and reconstructions included everything from new asphalt to lighting, as well as two brand-new roundabouts.

Work on the improvement project, which was slated to start in 2025 and wrap up in November of 2026, started in March of this year and finished in late September. Triview Metro reports that to make up for lost time, extra crews were brought out to speed up the construction.

"It came in at about $12.5 million dollars," stated James McGrady, district manager of Triview Metropolitan District. "And the budget for the project was $12.6 (million), so we were able to complete it in record time and under budget."

The improvement project included a wide range of installations, reconstructions, and safety improvement goals, including the following items listed on the District's website:

<ul><li>Adding two roundabouts to increase traffic flow and provide traffic calming roundabouts reduce fatal and injury crashes by ~80%.</li><li>Creating pedestrian crossings for students and others.</li><li>Adding a 5-foot sidewalk on the north side of Higby and an 8-foot multi-use trail on the south side.</li><li>Providing shared bicycle lanes and center islands to prevent dangerous left turns.</li><li>Providing greater access in the event of a wildland fire.</li></ul>

The improvement project also included the installation of street lighting along the corridor, newly placed asphalt, widened roads, improved utilities, new stormline infrastructure, and the addition of raised medians throughout the project space.

The most noticeable additions are likely the two roundabouts, one of which was added directly adjacent to the main entrance of Lewis-Palmer High School.

"Before, traffic was coming by at 40-45 miles per hour. With the roundabout, it's a much slower speed and much safer," McGrady said.

KOAA reached out to Lewis-Palmer and received the following statement from Principal Jeff Zick.

The completion of the Higby Road construction project has enhanced road safety near our Lewis-Palmer High School campus. From the widening of the road, adding two roundabouts, and new shared bike lanes, the improvements will help ensure the safety of our students. We are grateful for the collaboration with Triview Metropolitan District on the project, and appreciate the patience of our students and families while the work took place.

For additional information regarding the project, click here.

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The last weekend in September marked the start of the 100th season for the Colorado Springs Philharmonic; according to the organization, it's a time to look back at the past century of performances and also, more importantly, look forward to the plans, opportunities, and music to come.

"This centennial season is not just a history lesson," stated Nathan Newbrough, president and CEO of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, "it's not just a birthday party, we're looking forward to the next 100 years."

That "looking forward" mentality is taking several forms this season; one exciting, new development is the introduction of the Philharmonic's first composer-in-residence, Eunike Tanzil.

The announcement coincides with the Philharmonics milestone 100th season, for which Tanzil has been commissioned to write a new orchestral work. This marks a fitting collaboration between one of classical musics most compelling compositional voices and an orchestra entering its second century.

While the Philharmonic will perform a number of the Tanzil's compositions throughout the season, they are planning a world premiere of her new orchestra work for mid-April, 2027.

Another, significant effort being made by the Colorado Springs Philharmonic is focused around providing educational opportunities for students across the region; these efforts are being led by a division of the Philharmonic, which was got its start about 18 months ago, known as the Center for Future Audiences, "...and that is a collection of projects and programs starting with grade kindergarten and going into high school," said Newbrough, "and even college students can take part."

Programs run the gamut from sending conductors to local classrooms, tailoring concerts to students, hosting clinics and a masterclass series, to even providing professional development opportunities for teachers.

"We're in the schools, we're working with kids, and we're talking about that next generation of citizen," stated Newbrough, "not just listener, not just audience member, that citizen who is going to come next and who is going to be leading this community in 50 years."

The Colorado Springs Philharmonic's season runs through late May, for additional information and to find out more about programming and other opportunities throughout the season, click here.

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Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates is working on a new trail that will connect a neighborhood south of Monument to the nearby, well-used Mount Herman trail network; the work has involved years of planning, reviews, assessments, and this summer the group was able to initiate construction.

Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates is a nonprofit dedicated to building trails, advocating for trail access, and preserving public lands; in 2022, the group began collaboration with the Forest Lake Metro District (FLMD) and the housing development company working to build along Mesa Top Drive in Northern El Paso County to construct a trail dubbed Forest Lakes #7 (FL7) that would serve the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

Following approvals from the groups listed above, Medicine Wheel set about building FL7 in 2023 and opened their initial 1.5-mile-long trail in 2024. The group says that another phase of FL7 trail construction is still underway.

Learn More About the Project in the Player Below

Following the approvals and initial construction work on FL7, Medicine Wheel then determined that due to the trail's (and the community's) proximity to the nearby Mount Herman trail network, a connector trail should be built to join FL7 with the nearby United States Forest Service (USFS) Trail 715, which connects into the Mount Herman trail system.

This proposed 1.5-mile-long trail would not only serve to connect the community to a larger trail network, but help to mitigate the appearance of detrimental 'social trails' that can crop up when people find their own ways across a piece of land.

Medicine Wheel says that social trails can damage local wildlife and cause increased erosion in an area.

The major hurdle is that this new, connector trail would need to cross USFS land; the work to get that done involves a federal, environmental review and planning process for the proposed trail that can often be long and costly.

With the assistance of partners, Medicine Wheel was able to secure a $45,000 state grant in order to hire a natural resource firm to complete the necessary environmental review and assessments.

Medicine Wheel reports that the findings from their assessments indicate that their proposed connector trail would not only generally alleviate erosion and wildlife habitat degradation, but would specifically assist in maintaining the habitat of a local, threatened species known as the Preble's meadow jumping mouse.

Following the completion of the necessary environmental review and assessments, Medicine Wheel reports that USFS approved their trail connector; the nonprofit began marking and clearing the new trail in spring of 2026 and hosted its first volunteer workday to assist in the effort on September 26, National Public Lands Day.

Medicine Wheel hopes, weather permitting, to complete construction on this trail, dubbed the 715 Connector by the USFS, in late Spring of 2027.

Click the following links for additional information regarding Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates or the ongoing efforts being made to construct the 715 Connector.

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The last Saturday of September saw around a dozen volunteers show up in Palmer Lake to clear out debris from North Monument Creek and remove noxious weeds from Centennial Park as part of larger Creek Week efforts taking place across the Fountain Creek Watershed District.

Sponsored by the Fountain Creek Watershed District, Creek Week runs from late September through early October and annually sees hundreds of residents volunteering their time to clean up creeks, parks, trails, and public spaces throughout the watershed district.

The district encompasses 927 square miles and is largely situated in El Paso and Pueblo Counties with a smaller portion located in Teller County. The primary municipalities that fall within the district are listed below:

Palmer Lake Monument Woodland Park Manitou Springs Green Mountain Falls Fountain Pueblo Colorado Springs

According to the Fountain Creek Watershed, in 2025 more than 1,500 volunteers participated across the region and were able to collect approximately 16.5 tons of trash over a period of nine days.

This year, volunteers in Palmer Lake split into two groups, one dedicated their efforts towards learning about and removing noxious weeds found around Centennial Park while the other team removed trash and debris from North Monument Creek.

"I mean, we want people to enjoy the Creek and the Lake," commented Reid Wiecks, chair for the Palmer Lake Parks and Trails Commission, "and if we can make it a better experience for them by making it prettier for them and making the water flow unimpeded for them through the canyon, we feel we're doing our part."

Creek Week started in 2014, for additional information, click here, to sign up to participate, click here.

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