What a Celebration!
The TOSC staff enjoyed meeting many new folks at Saturday’s 150th anniversary party. Thanks for playing our “TOPS Properties guessing game.” Some of you are receiving our weekly “Trail Talk” for the first time – welcome! Many of you had questions about local trails and parks. Our Get Out Spread Out initiative is a great place to find trails, parks and open spaces in your area. We have 150+ to choose from. Check them out.We also hope you’ll consider joining the Coalition to add your voice and support to our advocacy and stewardship efforts. If you are new to the community, it’s a great way to take advantage of “member only” hikes and bike rides. Plus our annual member celebration is just around the corner. Bottom line, TOSC is committed to carrying on our Founder’s legacy: a city where parks, trails and open space are some of our greatest assets.
PARK AND TRAIL News
Sinton Trail UpdateWe thank all of the trail users that have used the detour for the Sinton Trail between North Chestnut Street and Holland Park Blvd. At a recent Trails Team meeting, the City’s Stormwater Enterprise Program Manager provided a progress update on the work being done to restore and improve this creek channel. As many of you know, this area has struggled through many storm cycles and the trail has suffered severe damage, requiring periodic closures and unplanned emergency repair. The Stormwater Team has reconstructed the failed section, and is proactively tackling stabilization projects downstream to lessen the trail impact during future storm activity. We are happy to report that this work will also provide approximately 600 feet of improved concrete trail surface! Paving the way for a future asphalt to concrete conversion for the rest of the trail through the Holland Park neighborhood. This valuable urban trail connection between the Pikes Peak Greenway and the Garden of the Gods area, will be reopening soon. We will keep you posted.
Adaptive Cycling ResourceOur colleagues at Bicycle Colorado take the mission of being more inclusive seriously and have been working diligently on creating a web page resource providing information, education and links to the many adaptive cycling organizations, businesses, and events that people using adaptive cycles can connect and take part in. We at TOSC firmly believe that our parks, trails, and urban bikeways should be accessible to people of all ages and abilities and we applaud the team at Bicycle Colorado for putting this statewide resource together for our residents and countless visitors. A special shout out to the City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Therapeutic Recreation Program staff who have been putting on a regularly occurring Adaptive Cycling Ride in Colorado Springs since the latter part of 2008. If you’ve been out on the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail on a Saturday morning between the Sinton Trail and Criterium Bikes, you’ve likely encountered the many perma-grins that their riders consistently wear as they pedal along our urban trail network.
To check out the new Bicycle Colorado Adaptive Riding page.
To find out more about COS Parks Therapeutic Recreation Program and the Adaptive Cycling Ride.
Photo from Cruisin’ Pueblo weekly ride, a very inclusive pedaling event. Find out more on Facebook.
Pennies for Parks
In July, the TOSC Board of Directors unanimously voted to support the TOPS Ballot Initiative.
On August 10th City Council will vote to place the TOPS Initiative on the November ballot. Please contact your Council member and tell them why TOPS (Trails, Parks and Open Space) matters to you!
People ask how much will the increase cost? Trust for Public Land crunched the numbers and found that increasing TOPS from 0.1% to 0.2% will cost the average family an additional $14 per year. 117 pennies per month! That’s how many pennies are in this jar. That’s why we call this “Pennies for Parks – Small Change for a Big Gain!”
In the weeks to come we’ll highlight some of the projects that become possible if TOPS passes in November.
TOSC
Two Shoes Trek Challenge
Sat. Sept 4 – 11, 2021
This event showcases several county and city trails throughout our unique and beautiful landscape. Participants will run a 5-mile, 10-mile, or 15-mile course virtually on September 4, 5, or 6 in either Monument Valley Park or Palmer Park. The following weekend a live event will be held in Fox Run Regional Park. Participants will have the opportunity to run a 5k, 10k, or 30k. All proceeds from these events will go directly back into the Colorado Springs community for park and trail maintenance and to help PPRR with its mission of cultivating health and fitness in the Pikes Peak region through a community of runners and friends.
TOSC Member Celebration
Tue. Sept 14, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Save the date for our Annual Member Party. Members and Partners are invited to join us as we celebrate the generosity of our members, who make our work possible. Invitations with further details will be forthcoming.
Not a member? Join the Coalition today!
Community
PureWater Demonstration Project
Aug. 5, 10, 14, 25 and 31
Colorado Springs Utilities has a long history of
planning for our future. The tour of the PureWater
Colorado Direct Potable Reuse Mobile Demonstration will showcase one potential optionto provide healthy and viable water. This project is a collaborative effort between Springs Utilities, the Colorado School of Mines, Carollo Engineering, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The PureWater Colorado Demonstration is a mobile unit that shows the advanced purification process behind direct potable reuse: cleaning recycled water to a level that meets or exceeds all drinking water standards. Through use of a multi-barrier purification process, PureWater will demonstrate how to make safe and sustainable drinking water from locally controlled resources.
Select a date and time that fits your schedule. Tours are limited to 24 participants, age 9 years or older, on a first-come-first served basis.
More info and tour registrations available at www.csu.org.
Work Day at Palmer Park
Sat. Aug 7, 8:00 – 12:00 PM
Do you use and love Palmer Park? Help keep it clean, safe and enjoyable for all by volunteering with the Guardians of Palmer Park (GoPP). You can fix trails, pick up trash, cleanup graffiti or help with a special project like documenting the natural environment.
Connect with GoPP on Facebook or visit gopalmerpark.org to learn more and register.
Panorama Park Art Project
During the month of August, there will be FREE tile art workshop’s at pop-up events throughout the community. Put your personal touch on Panorama Park through the tile art project, all supplies provided. You do NOT need to register, it’s first-come, first-served. It should take 5-10 minutes to decorate a tile for the Panorama Park art project.
Next POP-Up Monday 8/9 4:45 – 6:30 PM @ Turman Elementary
Learn more at calendly.com/panoramaparktileart
Happy TrailsFri. Aug 20, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Join El Paso County Parks at Fox Run Park for the 12th Annual Happy Trails Fundraiser! This year’s event will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of El Paso County Parks and raise funds for a new Northern El Paso County Nature Center! Attendees will enjoy delicious Buffalo Gals BBQ dinner, drinks and decadent desserts that are a staple of this beloved event. Wirewood Station will fill the lakeside space with their special Americana sound. This is sure to be a magical evening in a breathtaking outdoor space as we celebrate and raise funds for a great cause! Registration closes Aug 12th.
Register online or call 719-520-6388.
Pikes Peak Bigfoot Hike & Hunt
Sat, Sept 18, 10:00 – 3:00 PM
Hunt for Bigfoot along part of the Ring the Peak trail, more specifically Mt Esther/Crow gulch Trail. This is a laidback hike, prizes for the first 3 participants to find Bigfoot. All hike-and-hunt registrations will receive a grab bag of goodies from Manitou Springs / West side merchants. 100% of registration fees goes directly to BARR CAMP INC. 501C nonprofit. Post-hunt festivities 6:00-8:00 PM at Lulu’s Downstairs enjoy good music, food/drink, fun and more prizes!