COS Town Tidings Issue #24-053

📰 Traffic Woes: South Academy Project Extended 🚧
📰 Vets Missing Out on Gov't Contracts & How to Fix It
📰 From Laughter to Learning: Downtown Transition 🎭

🤝 Affordable Advertising

📚 Explore Careers: D49 Hiring Fair!

📆 Local Events

Recipe: 🥘 Slow Cooker Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Casserole

🛍 Local DEALS
🌦 COS Weather - Possible flurries, little to no accumulation

What's the road construction worker's equivalent of a plumbers crack?

👉 An asphalt 🤣

🚧 Traffic Woes: South Academy Project Extended

The completion of the South Academy Boulevard project, initially scheduled for 2025, now extended until 2026 due to unexpected groundwater challenges and poor underground conditions dating back to the 1950s and 1960s.

Acting public works director Gayle Sturdivant explained that deep trench work and additional safety measures are necessary to replace old storm water drainage pipes, leading to traffic reductions to one lane in each direction between Bijou Street and Airport Road. While this may inconvenience businesses and residents, the project aims to enhance safety, mobility, pedestrian access, and utility infrastructure along South Academy Boulevard.

📃 Vets Missing Out on Gov't Contracts & How to Fix It

The certification process for veteran-owned small businesses shifted from the VA to the SBA last year, potentially causing some vets to overlook recertification and miss out on government contracts. Certification is crucial for businesses to qualify for contracts and subcontracting opportunities at local, state, and federal levels. If this affects you or you know of a veteran-owned business, reaching out to organizations like the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) can help navigate the process.

🎭 From Laughter to Learning: Downtown Transition

Downtown's 3E's Comedy Club recently closed its doors due to challenges with attracting patrons. The owner cited low foot traffic and parking issues among the reasons for the closure. Despite this setback, he is moving forward with plans to open a new comedy club, 3E's Comedy Club North, in the Victory Ridge development area later this year.

Meanwhile, the space vacated by 3E's will be repurposed by the nonprofit Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective (CSCCC) for its Opus Creative Industries workforce programs. These programs, including culinary training and media arts, aim to revitalize downtown by offering job opportunities and community engagement.

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📚 Explore Careers: D49 Hiring Fair!

District 49 is hosting a Hiring Fair on March 9 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at The Campus in Colorado Springs (6113 Constitution Ave), offering over 150 job openings including positions like teachers, bus drivers, and custodians. Attendees can meet with representatives, have same-day interviews, and enjoy child care services and food trucks. Click for details and registration link.

📆 Local Events

• Feb 22nd-25th, 2-5 PM: 3-Hour Original Colorado Springs Food Tour @1 Tejon St $69-$87

• Feb 22nd-25th: Ice Castle @Cripple Creek $21-$27

• Feb 22nd, 6-8 PM: Singo Music Bingo: 90's Party Vol 4 @Goat Patch Brewing, 2727 N Cascade Ave, Suite 123 FREE to play

• Feb 22nd, 7-9 PM (every Thurs): Trivia Night @Bell Brothers Brewing 114 N Tejon St #100 FREE

• Feb 23rd & 25th (every Fri & Sat), 3:30 PM: 2.5-Hour Cocktails & Canapés Walking Tour @1 N Tejon St. $79 per person Must be 21+

• Feb 23rd-25th, 7 PM (Fri) 2:30 PM (Sat & Sun): She Loves Me, by First Company Theatre @First United Methodist Church - 420 North Nevada $15-$18

• Feb 24th, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Senior Resource Fair and live music @Goodwill Possibilities 1460 Garden of the Gods Rd FREE

• Feb 24th, 10 AM-12:30 PM: Tamale Making Class @Lebowski’s Taproom, 3240 Centennial Blvd $45

• Feb 24th, 1 PM: Homebuying 101 Lunch and Learn @Colorado Springs Pies and Grinders, 5490 Powers Center Point #180 FREE

• Feb 24th, 1:30-3:30 PM: Hungry Little Bunny @Painting With a Twist, Downtown $40-$49

• Feb 25th, 10 AM - 2 PM (every Sun): Backyard Market at Park Union @108 W Cimarron St FREE

• Feb 25th, 11 AM-1 PM: Floral Gnome | $10 Bttmlss Mimosas All Wknd @Painting With A Twist, Powers Blvd $35-60

• Feb 26th, 3:30-4:30 PM: Beginning & Intermediate Yoga @Rockrimmon Library, 832 Village Center Dr FREE

• Feb 27th, 3-4:30 PM: Southeast Community Outreach @ Sand Creek Library 1821 S Academy Blvd FREE

🥘 Slow Cooker Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Casserole

Created by local Colorado Springs chef, Christine Miller at Season Two Taste. This recipe offers a hassle-free way to enjoy enchiladas without the rolling. It's a cheesy and flavorful casserole, stacked like lasagna, and gluten-free thanks to corn tortillas. Perfect for busy days, it can be prepared in advance, portioned, and frozen for later enjoyment.

Access the complete recipe with tailored modifications to suit your dietary requirements, along with convenient print options.

🛍 Discounts, Specials & More

Want to let us know of local deals you want us to add? [email protected] 

• Songbird Orchards, Feb 22nd-24th, 14% off all bird seed, suet, feeders & more! 2204 W. Colorado Ave. 719-475-1700 (M-F 9:30 AM-4 PM, Sat 10 AM-5 PM, closed Sun)

  • Spotlight: Mystery Blooms 🌸: What Julie Wants You to Know!

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