COS Town Tidings #25-206

📖 READ ONLINE

🤣 Today’s Chuckle

📰 Weekend Detour You’ll Want to Know🚧

📰 Chef’s Secrets for Better Produce🍅

📰 Clean Eats or Code Violations?🍽️

Recipe: 🥒 Easy Oven Roasted Zucchini

💡 AI vs Reality: Debunking 5 Common Myths About Artificial Intelligence

📅 SAVE THE DATES! Personal Invitation

📆 Local Events + Free Concerts & Farmers Markets

🌦 COS Weather - Hot with isolated PM T-storms

Recreation: 🥾 Reflections & Quiet in Briargate

What's a comedians favorite wrestling move?

👉The Knee Slapper 🤣

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🚧 Weekend Detour You’ll Want to Know

Heads-up, the eastbound ramp from East Platte to southbound Powers will be closed this evening, July 25, through early Mon morning, July 28, for paving work related to the Powers and Airport Road interchange project. A signed detour will take drivers along Troy Hill Rd and Airport Rd, with a temporary all-way stop set up at the intersection.

The westbound ramp will remain open, and crews expect to have the closure cleared before Monday’s morning commute. CDOT reminds drivers to slow down in the work zone—fines are doubled.

🌡️ Neighbors Are Raving About This Local Company
How to 🧊 Hack Your Home to Stay Cool

🍅 Chef’s Secrets for Better Produce

Chef Janon offers practical guidance for picking top-quality produce this summer. For tomatoes and peaches, she emphasizes checking for color, firmness, and fragrance. Her onion tip? Choose ones with dry, papery skin and look for a shiny inside when peeled. She also demonstrates how to cut an onion without tearing up.

Her simple strategies will help anyone shop smarter and cook easier this season. Full Story

🍞 Fresh Baked Sourdough breads, pastries 
📍3312 Austin Bluffs (Inside The Cupcake Doctor): 
M-Sat, 9am-6pm & Sun, 10am-2pm 

🍽️ Clean Eats or Code Violations?

A Popeyes restaurant on Hwy 85/87 in Fountain was temporarily closed after raw sewage surfaced in the men’s restroom and a total of 10 health violations were reported, including unsafe food temps, smoke in the kitchen, and flies. This is part of a wider pattern — five Popeyes locations in El Paso County have failed inspections in 2025 so far.

Others with Failing Scores:

• Pikes Poke Bowl - 9290 Highland Rdg Hts

• Mama Poke - 3502 Hartsel Dr

• Cheba Hut – 5697 Barnes

Meanwhile, several restaurants earned perfect or near-perfect scores, including but not limited to, the Barnes Rd Noodles & Company (a test kitchen for the chain), Paris Crepe on S Tejon, and Swirly Cow Frozen Yogurt on Meridian Market View. Full Story

Health inspection results across El Paso County are available online for those wanting to check their favorite spots.

*Note: Most local restaurants take food safety incredibly seriously. In fact, many owners respond to violations swiftly and thoroughly, often making fixes the same day while they wait for reinspection.

🎯 The Secret to Financial Confidence You Deserve

🥒 Easy Oven Roasted Zucchini

With all the wonderful Farmers Markets around and fresh produce you can make roasted zucchini that’s never mushy—just golden, tender, and packed with flavor! With a few simple ingredients, it’s a quick, healthy side you’ll want to make on repeat.

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

💡 AI vs Reality: Debunking 5 Common Myths About Artificial Intelligence

Let's talk about AI. There's a lot of buzz, hype, and sometimes, downright misinformation floating around. As your trusted guide, I want to set the record straight and bust some common AI myths.

Myth #1: AI is only for tech experts.

❌ Reality: False! AI is becoming increasingly user-friendly. Tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are designed for everyone, regardless of their technical background . You don't need to be a coder to leverage the power of AI.

✅ Think of it this way: You don't need to understand how your car engine works to drive it, right? Same with AI!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s AI Myth or get the full list in our new, FREE AI For Everyone Community.

🤗 AImagination Experience!

AI Curious?🤔

😎 BACK, by popular demand! My "AImagination Experience" demystifies AI & shows you how to build solutions you can use today. This is your personal invitation!!

RSVP by clicking the date below - can't wait to see you there!!

• July 31, 2025 11am-noon (Thurs) @Sand Creek Library, 1821 S Academy

• Aug 5, 2025 1:30-2:30 pm (Tues) @Cheyenne Mountain Library, 1785 S 8th St, Ste 100

• Sat morning date possible - let me know if you would attend

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🎉 Events Calendar! (More events including FREE, click here) 

Have an event to share? Reply and let me know (include link)

📆 Sample Local Events

For more weekend Events, click here

*Weather Permitting

• July 25-27: Hadestown Teen Edition by Youth Repertory Ensemble @Fine Arts Center, 30 W Dale St $21 (Limited Seats Available)

• July 26-27 (every Sat & Sun through Aug 1): Renaissance Festival @Perry Park Ave, Larkspur $30-$32

• July 26, 10:30am-5pm: Cat Fest CO Springs @Norris Penrose Event Center $20-$40

• July 26-27, 1-4 PM: 3-Hour Original Colorado Springs Food Tour @1 Tejon St $69-$87

• 🎭 Aug 16, 7pm: Shermy's Backyard Bash (Benefit Springs Rescue Mission) @Peak Improv Theater, 3440 N Carefree $10 donation

• July 26-27, 7pm: Ice Cream Theatre THE RINGMASTER`S ATTIC @The MAT, 1626 S Tejon $16.50

• Aug 1-3: Colorado Springs Conservatory Presents - The Prom @ENT Center for the Arts, 5225 N Nevada $22.75 (Limited seats left)

• Aug 9, 6-9pm: Murder Mystery, Dirty Money @Great Wolf Lodge, 9494 Federal Dr $54.96 (18 tickets left)

• Aug 16, 5pm: Velvet Hills Chorus Presents: A Million Dreams @ENT Center $20

• Aug 24, 7-9pm: Crystal Gayle @Phil Long Music Hall $45-$87 (age 14+)

👩‍🌾 Farmers Markets - Weather permitting

🍑 Palisade Peaches are now available at various markets!

• July 25, Noon-4pm (Every other Fri thru Oct 3): UCCS Farmers Market @3942 Regent Circle

• July 26, 7am-1pm (Sat's thru Oct 11): OCC Farmers Market @2407 W Colorado Ave

• July 26, 8am-2pm (Sat’s thru-Oct 4): Monument Hill Farmers Market @66 Jefferson St, Monument

• July 26, 9am-1pm (Sat’s thru Oct 11): Backyard Market @Black Forest, 6845 Shoup Rd

• July 26, 10am-2pm: CFAM (Sat's thru Oct 3): The Margarita at Pine Creek, 7350 Pine Creek Rd

• July 27, 10am-2pm (Sun’s thru Aug 31): Cordera Farmers Market @11894 Grandlawn Cir, COS

• July 30, 9am-2pm (Wed’s through Sept 24): Briargate Farmers Market @7610 N Union Blvd

• July 28 & 30, 10am-5pm (Mon & Wed): Summer Farmers Market @ Western Museum of Mining & Industry, 225 N Gate Blvd

• July 30, 3-7pm (Wed’s): Colorado Farm and Art Market (CFAM) @Pioneers Museum, 215 S Tejon

• July 31, 5-8pm (Thurs thru Aug 28), Manitou Made Market @Manitou Art Center

  • —>Nature’s Start Bread Company Special at this market only! Friends & Family - BOGO Free on all breads and pastries (Limit one free per customer)

• July 31, 6-8pm (Thurs thru Aug 28): Summer Market at the Lodge @Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, 2 El Paso Blvd, COS 80904 (Manitou)

• Aug 2, 9am-1pm (Sat’s thru Sept 27): Homestead Yard Farmers Market @The Yard at The Homestead Collective, 9633 Prominent Point COS

• Aug 3, 9am-2pm (Every other Sun, thru Oct 26): COS Sunday Market @Acacia Park, Downtown

• Aug 3 (2x/mth, Jun-Oct), 11am-3pm: Southeast Farmer's Market (Food Coalition) @Stompin' Groundz, 2050 Jet Wing Dr

🎶 Summer Concert Series - Weather permitting

• July 25, 5-7pm: Martini Shot @First & Main Town Center Park, 3305 Cinema Pt FREE

• July 25, 7-8:30pm: University Village Colorado Summer Concert Series - The Burroughs @5246 N Nevada (North Plaza next to Hacienda) FREE

• July 25, 7-8:30pm: Jazz in the Garden @Grace and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 601-631 N Tejon FREE

• July 29, 5:30-7:30pm (Tues’s thru Sept): Music in the Park: @Bancroft Park, 2400 W Colorado Ave FREE

• Aug 2, 4-7pm: Music on The Mesa - RAFIEL & THE ROOMSHAKERS @Goldhill Mesa, 142 S Raven Mine Dr FREE

🥾 Reflections & Quiet in Briargate

Recommended hike from our friend Heath at Colorado Fan Club who was just here.

Sometimes the best escapes aren’t miles away—they’re just around the corner. Tucked behind Library 21c and hidden near the bustle of Research Pkwy and Chapel Hills Dr is a peaceful reflecting pond that most people drive right past. But for those in the know, it’s perfect for morning walks, quick coffee breaks, or just sitting still for a few quiet moments.

The paved loop is about a third of a mile, with benches along the way for journaling, birdwatching, or just breathing. Though the pond is technically on private property, it’s open to the public and easy to access. There’s even sidewalk access and easy parking nearby.

This little oasis in Briargate is a gentle reminder that nature isn’t something you have to go find. Sometimes it’s been waiting for you all along.

Check out Heath’s newest book: Colorado Springs: The Most Significant Sites in the City

Location: 640 Chapel Hills Drive

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