🚫 Restaurant Shutdowns 👵 Free Tax Help 🥾 Monument Valley Park 🛍 $1 Bargain Box Deals

Issue #26-016 1/16/26

Author

Sandy Zuniga
16 Jan • Reading Time: 18 minutes

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COS Town Tidings #26-016

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🤣 Today’s Chuckle

📰 Seniors: Free Tax-Aide Is Back 👵

📰 COS Earns Military-Friendly Honor 🇺🇸

📰 2 Restaurants Shut Down By Health Inspectors 🚫

Recipe: 🥗 Broccoli Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing

🛍 Bargain Box - $1 Items

📆 Local Events + Concerts, Fairs/Festivals, Activities

🌤 COS Weather - Partly cloudy, cooler temps with high winds

Recreation: 🥾 Easy Nature Walk, No Mud

 

Don't get in line behind Lucifer at the tax office

👉The devil takes many forms 🤣

Laughing Out Loud Lol GIF by Minions

 

 

👵 Seniors: Free Tax-Aide Is Back

Seniors: Free Tax-Aide Is Back

From Feb 4 through April 15, AARP Tax-Aide volunteers will be offering free tax preparation assistance at Silver Key on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9am to 3pm. Appointments are required and can be scheduled either by phone or online, allowing residents to choose a time that works best for them.

This long-running program is especially helpful for older adults looking for reliable, no-cost tax help during a busy season, without the pressure or confusion that often comes with filing on your own.

Need additional Tax help? Read our spotlight on Laurie's Bookkeeping & Tax Service

 

🛍 Bargain Box: This Week's Hot Deals! (Through Sat, Jan 17)

Bargain Box: This Week's Hot Deals!

A new week means new treasures! We're giving you a first look at the incredible finds and amazing sales hitting the floor through Jan 17 ($1 Items). Watch now to see what's waiting for you!

Located at 405 S Nevada Ave, Open Tues - Sat 10am-2pm. (719) 475-1029

 

🇺🇸 COS Earns Military-Friendly Honor

City of Colorado Springs has been recognized as a Silver Military Friendly® Employer and Military Friendly® Spouse Employer,

The City of Colorado Springs has been recognized as a Silver Military Friendly® Employer and Military Friendly® Spouse Employer, reflecting years of intentional support for military-connected employees. Nearly one in five city employees are veterans, and the City works closely with major local employers and military installations to help military spouses and veterans transition into civilian careers. These include Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and the United States Air Force Academy.

Through collaboration with organizations like Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, the City supports job fairs, workshops, and career resources that strengthen both families and the regional workforce.

 

 

🚫 2 Restaurants Shut Down By Health Inspectors

Mimi's Café 55 📍 7133 N Academy 🚫 19 violations | Closed Jan 13, 2026

This round of inspections was a mixed bag and honestly, a surprising one. Seeing Mimi's Café 55 temporarily closed caught many locals off guard. Another closure followed the same day, while one popular diner is scheduled for a re-inspection soon.

As always, re-inspections are part of the process, giving restaurants the opportunity to correct issues and demonstrate compliance.

❌ Temporarily Closed – What Went Wrong

These closures don’t mean permanent shutdowns, but they do indicate issues serious enough that inspectors required immediate action before reopening.

  • Mimi's Café 55

    📍 7133 N Academy
    🚫 19 violations | Closed Jan 13, 2026

    • Unsafe food temperatures (coolers not holding food at 41°F or below)

    • Cross-contamination risks between raw and ready-to-eat foods

    • Poor sanitation of food-contact surfaces and equipment

    • Plumbing and facility issues, including clogged drains, leaks, missing tiles, and standing water

    • Inadequate food safety oversight, including lack of certified food managers and staff training

       

  • El Rincon Catracho

    📍 1853 S Academy
    🚫 11 violations | Closed Jan 13, 2026

    • Pest activity leading to food and single-use item contamination

    • Unsafe food handling and storage, including unprotected bulk ingredients

    • Improper hot and cold holding temperatures

    • Handwashing sink and sanitation failures

    • Food safety training and chemical handling violations

⚠️ Re-Inspection Required – Still Open, But Watched Closely

This location remains open for now, but must address specific issues before inspectors return.

  • Black Bear Diner

    📍 1340 Garden of the Gods Rd
    🔄 5 violations | Re-inspection scheduled Jan 20, 2026

    The concerns here were more targeted than severe. Inspectors noted:

    • Gaps under a rear receiving door that need sealing

    • Required follow-up verification (VCS)

 🥇 Top Scores! On the positive side, several restaurants passed with minimal or corrected issues. Ricos Café and Wine Bar stood out in particular, earning an almost perfect inspection and continuing its reputation as a reliable downtown favorite.

Rico’s Café and Wine Bar

✅ High Scores:

  • Rico’s Café and Wine Bar ⭐ Featured Pass
    📍 324 ½ N Tejon St
    ✅ Only 1 minor violation | Nearly perfect
     

  • Narai Siam Cuisine
    📍 120 E Cheyenne Mountain Blvd, Ste 120
    ✅ 1 minor violation corrected onsite
     

  • Kura Japanese Restaurant
    📍 3478B Research Pkwy
    ✅ 4 minor violations corrected onsite
     

  • Trainwreck
    📍 812 S Sierra Madre St
    ✅ 3 minor violations | Passed

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. 

 

Kristen Nielsen

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

 

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Baskin Financial Planning

 

🥗 Broccoli Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing

Chickpea Apple Broccoli Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing

Recipe by ambitious kitchen

Healthy apple broccoli salad with chickpeas, dried cherries, carrots, pecans, and fresh herbs. Toss everything together in a homemade, light honey Dijon dressing to bring this salad together. Easy to make, great for lunch or parties, and makes excellent leftovers!

 

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Colorado Springs Weather

 

🥾 Easy Nature Walk, No Mud

Easy Nature Walk, No Mud - Monument Valley Park

Stretching along Monument Creek near downtown, Monument Valley Park blends history, gardens, and recreation into one of Colorado Springs’ most beloved green spaces. Designed in the early 1900s, the park’s paved and soft-surface trails connect to the Pikes Peak Greenway and wind past formal gardens, shady groves, stone bridges, and open lawns.

Along the way, you’ll spot birds, enjoy seasonal color, and find plenty of spots to pause and recharge. With playgrounds, sports courts, and quiet walking paths all in one place, it’s an ideal go-to when you want something restorative without heading into the backcountry.

Location: 70 W. Cache La Poudre St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Hours: Open daily from 5am – 9pm.
Parking: Multiple lots and street parking available near major entrances and amenities

 

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