COS Town Tidings #25-287

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🤣 Today’s Chuckle

📰 Medicare Open Enrollment Alert 🩺

📰 Need a Gig for the Holidays? 🔔

📰 Change, Growth & Challenges - Council Chat 💬

💲 Your Money Matters 💸 Eric's no-nonsense financial tips

🖼 Trivia Time: COS’ Hidden Wild Side—Captured by This Woman

📆 Local Events + Concerts, Farmers Markets & Fall Fairs/Festivals

⛅ COS Weather - Crisp temps and AM fog then warming up with isolated sprinkles possible

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Navigating health coverage can feel overwhelming—especially during open enrollment—but there might be some good news. UCHealth has expanded its in-network partnerships for 2026, giving more Coloradans access to care through Medicare Advantage and Connect for Health Colorado plans. Starting Jan 1, patients can visit UCHealth hospitals and providers under plans from Select Health, Aetna, Anthem, Humana, United Healthcare, and some Kaiser options (in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and metro Denver). Those shopping through Connect for Health Colorado will find UCHealth covered under Select Health Value and Anthem Pathway (except Essentials plans).

Please note, UCHealth will NOT be in-network for Cigna Medicare Advantage or Devoted Health plans in 2026. Open enrollment begins Oct 15 for Medicare and Nov. 1 for Connect for Health Colorado. Make sure your plan includes the care you count on.

If you're looking to earn a little extra this holiday season while spreading some good cheer, The Salvation Army is currently hiring seasonal bell ringers for its Red Kettle Campaign, running Nov 17–Dec 24. The positions pay $16/hr and offer flexible shifts—perfect for students, retirees, or anyone wanting to make a difference in their community.

Hiring events will take place this month at two Salvation Army locations in Colorado Springs and Fountain. Applicants must be 18+, bring a valid ID, and one other form of documentation such as a birth certificate, Social Security card, or passport.

The Salvation Army, 908 Yuma St. Colorado Springs:

The Salvation Army, 208 Cunningham, Fountain:

If you’ve been searching for a way to serve and support your budget this season, this might be an opportunity. Full Story

💸 Watch Eric's no-nonsense, 60 second financial tip (updated monthly)

If you’re interested in the City Council’s perspective, here’s an in-depth interview we came across with Councilman David Leinweber. This conversation offers insight into his current focus areas — including mental health advocacy, trail and open space improvements, local business support, and community activation. Note: we’re simply here to pass along the information. We are not taking a political stance or endorsing any specific viewpoint — we’ll share more voices from the council as they become available.

Leinweber highlights positive momentum around youth suicide prevention and mental health initiatives, while also calling out gaps, like the lack of a dedicated mental health hospital for the region’s most vulnerable. He talks about launching "neighborhood gatherings" to build stronger community ties, and shares his long-term vision for a more accessible Pikes Peak — balancing conservation with recreation. As a local business owner and founder of the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance, he ties tourism, outdoor recreation, and economic growth together in practical terms. Finally, he calls on all of us to "donate a day" to lift up the community — whether that’s helping on trails, checking in on neighbors, or getting suicide prevention training. Full Story

Did you know one of Colorado Springs’ first nationally recognized artists helped the world see our landscape as something worth preserving—before tourism even existed? Alice Stewart Hill moved to Colorado Springs in 1871. Fascinated by our wildflowers, she hiked into the mountains—often above the tree line—to study each plant in its natural habitat. Her delicate watercolor paintings were so accurate that botanists used them for reference.

Alice Stewart Hill was famous for painting wildflowers—but what made her botanical artwork especially unique for the era?

In 1894, she opened her own art studio and teaching school downtown, offering classes in watercolor, oil, and drawing—decades before the Broadmoor Art Academy. Her studio became one of the city's earliest cultural hubs, inspiring residents to see the beauty of Colorado Springs not just with their eyes, but with imagination and pride.

She even co-published “The Procession of the Flowers in Colorado” with renowned botanist Alice Eastwood, blending art and science in a way that was groundbreaking for the time.

Answer: She painted them from live specimens she collected in the mountains *Source, *Source2

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