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Here’s where to cut your own Christmas tree near Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — If you’re looking for a way to get the family out of the house this holiday season, why not try cutting your own Christmas tree? Here’s what you need to know about tree cutting near Colorado Springs.

The first step is to decide where you’d like to go. The closest area to Colorado Springs is northwest of Woodland Park, in the Pikes Peak Ranger District.

There are also tree-cutting areas around Denver, South Park, Salida, Buena Vista, Leadville, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Wet Mountains, and Spanish Peaks. Tap here for details about each tree-cutting area.

Then, purchase a permit. For the first time, permits are available online through Recreation.gov. There won’t be any in-person sales in the Pikes Peak Ranger District this year.

Permits for the Pikes Peak Ranger District are $20 per

Recreation

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November 27, 2020

Colorado Mines Light Up for a Unique Colorado Christmas in Victor and Cripple Creek

Every holiday season, there’s a twinkle in the sky in the historic town of Victor. High on the giant mining headframes that dot the mountain landscape, massive images of candy canes and Saint Nick light up the night.

The Holiday Headframe Lighting Tour is part of the community spirit of Teller County’s Victor and Cripple Creek mining district. Sponsored by the local mining business and operated entirely by volunteers, the self-guided, drive-through tour symbolizes hope and goodwill. It comes at a time when the area, like so many others, is struggling to maintain some normalcy and cheer during the pandemic.

“Those ornaments are such a comfort to the community,” says Brad Poulson, Newmont Cripple Creek and Victor Mine community relations representative.

The Holiday Headframe Lighting Tour started back in 1998 as a way to bring tourism to the region. A few years after it started, the city decided to no

Recreation

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November 27, 2020

Fountain teens take on leadership roles in new youth council program | Colorado Springs News

A new program is helping Fountain youth take an active role in their community and local government.

Councilwoman Detra Duncan worked with City Manager Scott Trainor to develop the Fountain Youth Council, a program Duncan says will allow local teens to learn about and get involved in municipal government, gain leadership experience, represent and advocate for youth, build their resumés and make friends — all while improving their community. The Fountain City Council approved the program in April.

“During my campaign I had a lot of youth asking me, ‘What do you do?’ and ‘How do you run for office?’ So I decided we were going to start this program to teach them,” said Duncan, who was elected to the city council last year. “It’s really geared to train youths to be leaders who are educated and informed about their local government.”

To join, teens must be Fountain residents, attend

Recreation

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November 25, 2020

2020 Cyber Monday, Black Friday deals for Colorado ski resorts, hotels

One of the rooms at the Halcyon hotel in Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood. The hotel is offering a virtual spinning wheel of discounts and freebies this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (Provided by the Halcyon hotel)

You’ve canceled flights. You’ve cut down on the number of Thanksgiving dishes. You’ve found the spot in your home with the best lighting for family video calls. And now, you’re tired.

After these holidays wrap, you’re going to need a mini-vacation for you, yourself and perhaps the immediate members of your household.

With that in mind, here are some local hotels and ski resorts offering Cyber Monday deals this year.

And for the usual caveat these days: Make sure to check county coronavirus restrictions before your go; always wear a mask; stay 6 feet apart from one another; and do everything you can to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The Broadmoor

Colorado Springs

Vacation

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November 23, 2020

Best restroom in US is in Colorado park and self-cleans

title= — A self-cleaning restroom in Colorado was just named America’s best restroom. The bathroom at Bancroft Park in Colorado Springs gained popularity on TikTok.

Cintas Corporation

Can you think of the nicest bathroom you’ve ever been in? It probably falls short compared to this one.

A self-cleaning restroom in Colorado was named America’s best restroom on Thursday. The bathroom at Bancroft Park in Colorado Springs gained popularity on TikTok for looking like “something out of Star Wars.”

“The self-cleaning restroom in Bancroft Park is a welcome amenity for residents and visitors who are seeking a clean park facility,” Cintas, the company that named America’s Best Restroom, said in a news release. “It holds three restrooms, including an ADA-compliant option, and each comes with green, red and yellow lights to show availability.”

The soap, water, toilet paper dispenser and hand dryer are all sensor-activated, and the restrooms self-clean after every 30 uses,

Recreation

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November 21, 2020

Colorado universities issue guidance to help prepare students for holiday travel amid the pandemic

DENVER — From online classes to in-person learning and back, this year, college students’ patience has been put to the ultimate test. Now, with remote learning on the agenda for the remainder of the semester, some students are packing up and heading home.

Sarah Watamura, a psychology professor and COVID-19 coordinator at the University of Denver, says with many students planning to travel for the holidays, they’re reminding them about the importance of quarantine and COVID-19 testing before traveling.

“We have testing capability, so we have made that free,” Watamura said.

It’s no secret the number of cases of the novel coronavirus has surged across the state. During a news conference Friday, Governor Jared Polis said about 1 in 110 people in Colorado are estimated to currently have the coronavirus.

Watamura said they’ve been testing for the new respiratory disease since school started and will continue through the weekend. She

Travel

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November 14, 2020

Denver Westword | The Leading Independent News Source in Denver, Colorado

By Storyhub

From the moment you arrive in Estes Park, it’s clear that this mountainside community is unlike anywhere else in America. With its crisp mountain air, magnificent views, and abundant amenities, the Colorado town is a Rocky Mountain paradise.

For more than a century, Estes Park has been welcoming visitors as a four-season destination, offering the best of both worlds with its breathtaking wilderness and vibrant and charming downtown. Peaks stretch as high as 14,000 feet surround the town, giving you the sense of being nestled in the palm of the iconic Rocky Mountains. Despite being able to provide every amenity you could want, Estes Park has maintained its small-town feel, making for a peaceful getaway you’re sure to fall in love with.

A Stunning Gem in the American West
The Rocky Mountains are one of the nation’s most magnificent natural wonders, treating visitors to views of snow-capped peaks

Adventure

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November 12, 2020

Gov. Jared Polis. Sen. Michael Bennet, Rep. Joe Neguse discuss road money under Biden | Colorado Politics

Gov. Jared Polis and a cadre of lawmakers on Tuesday morning talked about the flow of traffic and money in northern Colorado, as the region hopes to keep the long-needed improvements for Interstate 25 on track.

“Northern Colorado is a driver in our state’s economy,” Polis told the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance’s annual Issues Summit, held online this year.

The issues included: energy jobs, environmental activists, wildfires and traffic jams from Denver to Fort Collins, as local and state leaders try to find the federal dollars to keep work going on the region’s spine, I-25.

“Supporting transportation infrastructure is not only an important way to stimulate the economy, it is truly important to our state’s competitiveness,” Polis told the chamber leaders, citing quality of life, commercial centers and access to recreation.

Last week, when the governor presented his budget recommendations for next year, he included a one-time state stimulus package

Recreation

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November 11, 2020

Barstool Opening First Retail Sportsbook in Colorado

Ameristar, a massive hotel and casino in Black Hawk, is about to make a big splash in the Colorado sports-betting pool: On November 5, the casino, which is operated by Penn National Gaming, will open the country’s first retail sportsbook with the Barstool brand name.

“We know that sports betting is a younger demographic than our casino demographic. This really gives us an opportunity to introduce ourselves to new guests, new players,” says Sean Demeule, Ameristar general manager.

Penn owns 36 percent of Barstool Sports, an online sports and pop-culture company that has tens of millions of loyal followers — many of them young and male.

Ameristar’s Barstool Sportsbook will be something of a sports bettor’s paradise. Next to where fans can place bets in person, there will be seating for 196 people (75 or so in the COVID era), in front of a 24-foot digital screen and 800-inch TVs.

Hotel

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November 5, 2020

Survey shows support for community center | Western Colorado

A survey done to help Grand Junction develop its Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan shows strong support for a community center, but that the community has questions on how to fund it.

Pat O’Toole with Greenplay LLC, the consultant helping the city with the plan, presented the findings of a statistically significant survey to the City Council on Wednesday. Parks and Recreation Director Ken Sherbenou said the perspective of the community is important as they develop the plan.

“My big line is, this is the community’s master plan. It really is driven by community input and feedback,” Sherbenou said. “The best way to capture that and represent that is in this survey.”

Around 6,000 surveys were mailed out to the community with around 1,000 returning the surveys. The city also put out an online version of the survey that anyone could fill out and got around 1,500 responses

Recreation

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October 25, 2020