Colorado Springs City Councilor Gold was reprimanded recently, for comments “in violation of the rules and procedures of City Council,” when in fact her comments were an example of the civility and decorum council rules strive to achieve. We share what went down in the January 13, 2026 Colorado Springs City Council meeting – in which faith leaders made comments about Martin Luther King Jr. Day which incited City Councilor Dave Donelson to walk out, refusing to participate in a photograph commemorating the mayor and council’s proclamation. Councilor Kimberly Gold reminded the room that, “Doctor MLK was a fiery person. He had to be in order to create change. And we need that same fiery spirit today and beyond to create the continued change that we need in our country.”

At its next public meeting, City Council heard from several citizens who praised Gold’s behavior and comments. In this episode we speak with Kimberly Gold to get her take, and we discuss the incident, the reprimand, and subsequent events with Pikes Peak Bulletin Managing Editor Heila Ershadi.

LINKS:

Pikes Peak Bulletin Coverage:

Councilmember Gold Reprimanded for MLK Proclamation Remarks:

https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/councilmember-gold-reprimanded-for-mlk-proclamation-remarks/

Juicy Public Comments on No Black History Month Proclamation, Gold Reprimand, ICE:

https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/juicy-public-comments-on-no-black-history-month-proclamation-gold-reprimand-ice/

Discover Downtown Pass: https://downtowncs.com/pass

2026 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Celebration: https://usopm.org/gamesexperience/

Nike Team USA Collection: https://www.nike.com/w/medal-stand-collection-7q64t

Downtown Colorado Springs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downtown_cs/

Downtown Colorado Springs on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownColoradoSprings

MENTIONED:

City Councilor Kimberly Gold

City Council President Lynette Crow-Iverson

City Councilor Dave Donelson

Rev. Josh Rumple

First Congregational Church

Rev. Candace Woods

Seth Palmer Harris

League of American Bicyclists

Bicycle Colorado Springs

PikeRide

2026 Winter Olympics

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum

U.S. Olympic pommel horse champion Stephen Nedoroscik

Galentine’s Day

Good Intentions

Novis Mortem Collective

Painting With a Twist

Comfort & Joy Cat Café

Fine Arts Center

Local Motive

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it...

Our beloved Trails and Open Space Coalition is sure to be up to something you didn’t already know. Executive Director Glenn Carlson shares his vision, what TOSC has been up to since he took the reins, and exciting news about a new web tool that will help us all enjoy our trails, parks and open spaces that much more.

We also get tips for trail etiquette when mud is the order of the day. Great news that TOSC is looking into bringing Starlight Spectacular back to life – but reimagined. Plus, Heila Ershadi, managing editor of the Pikes Peak Bulletin, shares an interesting story about a proposed new luxury hotel and what the Mill Street neighborhood is trying to do to avoid the gentrification shuffle.

LINKS:

Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC): https://trailsandopenspaces.org/

Colorado Springs Parks Assessment and Master Plan: https://coloradosprings.gov/ParkSystemMasterPlan

Downtown neighborhood seeks dialogue with Norwood Development – Pikes Peak Bulletin story: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/downtown-neighborhood-seeks-dialogue-with-norwood-development/

MENTIONED:

Susan Davies

Mesa Ridge High School

Widefield

Colorado College

Arrow Electronics

Running for Colorado Springs City Council

The Legacy Loop

Allen Beauchamp

Botanic garden

Denver Botanic Garden

Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

Garden of the Gods Foundation

Garden of the Gods Dog Park

Pikes Peak

Blodgett Open Space

Pikeview Quarry

Timberline TrailCraft

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

Spoken word artist, idealist, and entrepreneurial cheerleader Judy Pearring shares some of her poetry and explains the vibe we love at The Next Us. The Next Us is home to Studio 809 Podcasts’ community podcast studio, as well as a family of extraordinary entrepreneurs. “We’re all the weirdos,” she tells us, and she means it with affection and respect. We also find out Carrie is a “recovering poet,” and Al wants to take one of Judy’s poems to Burning Man.

LINKS:

The Next Us: https://thenextus.spaces.nexudus.com

Clean & Safe Pilot Program - episode 23 of a Place for everyone: https://studio809podcasts.com/clean-and-safe/

Studio 809 Podcasts: https://studio809podcasts.com/

Get Involved. Get Engaged. - Episode 61 of Elevating Pikes Peak Women: https://studio809podcasts.com/get-involved-get-engaged/

MENTIONED:

One Million Cups

First Fridays

AI

TEDx

Open Mic Night at Rico’s

Downtown Colorado Springs

Sara Vaas and Dizzie Charlie’s Live Jazz

Acacia Park Bandshell Renovation Project

Eleven Mile Canyon

The “Manitou River”

The Clean & Safe Program

Homeward Pikes Peak

Pat Rigdon

Beth Roalstad

Mary Lou Makepeace

Melissa Marts

Brenda Morrison

Marcy Morrison

Burning Man

Cottonwood Center for the Arts

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

This active young citizen is leading People Centered Colorado Springs, advocating for safer streets, and in her spare time running for Congress. Zuri Horowitz hopes to be chosen as the Democratic Party’s candidate for U.S. Representative in Colorado Congressional District 5. She wears her values on her sleeve, and has a very clearly delineated platform. She is a local champion for safer streets – designed for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders as much as for motor vehicles. She is also an advocate for affordable housing. She has served on the Colorado Springs Citizens Transportation Advisory Board since 2022. Her platform includes universal healthcare, affordable child care, and getting corporate money out of politics.

LINKS:

People Centered Colorado Springs: https://www.peoplecenteredcos.org/

COS Cars Kill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coscarskill/

Beautiful Colorado Springs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautifulcoloradosprings/

Zuri Horowitz for U.S. Congress: https://www.zuriforcd5.com/

Updating the Downtown Master Plan - episode 16 of Loving the Springs with Chelsea Gondeck: https://studio809podcasts.com/updating-downtown-plan/

MENTIONED:

4H Club

Waymo

Downtown Colorado Springs

Chelsea Gondeck

Elevate Downtown plan

New CSPD Mobile Speed Safety Cameras

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

Carrie and Kelsee from the Downtown Partnership talk with Renee Behr from Behr and Behr Real Estate Team about holiday traditions in Downtown Colorado Springs - from ice-skating and parades, to shopping and experiences. If you’re still looking for the perfect holiday way to engage with friends and family for the holidays, you’re gonna want to give this special episode a listen. We talk holiday season — gift giving and beyond!

LINKS:

Skate in the Park: https://downtowncs.com/skate

Holiday Coupon Book: https://downtowncs.com/coupon

Behr and Behr Team: https://behrandbehr.com

Good Intentions: https://www.goodintentionscos.com

MENTIONED:

Cronk Art & Curiosities

Toodles Tearoom

PikeRide

Bristol Brewing Company

Adventures Out West - Cozy Coach and the Holly, Jolly, Christmas Trolley

Sparrow Hawk Gourmet Cookware

The Mining Exchange

The Platinum Group, Realtors

Acacia Park

Green Mtn Haven

Pikes Peak Center

Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale

Pikes Peak Lemonade – Cocoa Bar

Solar Roast Coffee

Story Coffee

Bloom Ultra Lounge

RM Soap Market

Terra Verde

Savory Spice

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar

Yobel

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

Cast member and UCCS theatre professor Birgitta DePree and Ent Center for the Arts Executive Director David Siegel fill us in on the Ent Center, Theatreworks, and an exciting 50th season of professional theatre. The Importance of Being Earnest opens in a few days. It’s “a trivial comedy for serious people.” David and Birgitta give us all the colorful details.

We also chat briefly about:

Our first live, on-location episode (Brit Pub Grand Opening, episode 31)

Bicycle speed limit signs going up on area trails

Colorado Springs Vibes played their last season

New offices for Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPR)

A noteworthy new episode of Pedal the Springs podcast

LINKS:

Ent Center for the Arts

https://entarts.org

Brit Pub Grand Opening, episode 31 of Loving the Springs

https://studio809podcasts.com/brit-pub/

Westside Bicycle Service – episode 36 of Pedal the Springs podcast

https://studio809podcasts.com/westside-bicycle-service/

MENTIONED:

Oscar Wilde

UCCS

Ent Center for the Arts

The Next Us

Theatreworks

Bee Vradenburg Foundation

Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services

Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPR)

Green Box Arts Festival

Grass It Up

Mango fan Django

Jeremy Facknitz Band

Auric Gallery

Chriz Alvarez Gallery & Art Studio

The Sluice in Old Colorado City

Cottonwood Center for the Arts

Millibo Art Theatre

LART

Lulu’s

Poor Richard’s

Galleries of Contemporary Art

Cabaret

The Importance of Being Earnest

Romeo and Juliet

The Garbologists

Max Shulman

Kathleen Fox Collins

Manitou Springs

Brit Pub

Weidner Field

Downtown Colorado Springs

Experience at Epicenter Apartments

Ivywild School

The Principal’s Office

Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort

Pedal the Springs podcast

Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates

COS Racing

Terry Gross

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

Bundle up and follow the twinkle of Downtown’s lights where shop windows glow, and every block feels like a snow globe come to life. Even big downtown fans like us were amazed at the vast array of events, experiences and shopping options revealed in this conversation – as Kelsee Swenn, Marketing Manager for the Downtown Partnership and shop owner of Good Intentions, joined Carrie in the studio for a special Downtown holiday episode. More than 85 charming boutiques, galleries, and specialty shops offer treasures big and small: cozy sweaters, clever gifts, unique jewelry, artful keepsakes, and perfect stocking stuffers.

Looking for memory-making experiences? Come down for the holiday parade, character stroll, festive events and even outdoor ice skating. And, when it’s time to warm up, choose from more than 130 spots to dine, drink, and celebrate, from festive cocktail lounges to cozy coffee shops. Carrie advises us to create our traditions in Downtown Colorado Springs.

LINKS:

Downtown Colorado Springs: http://downtowncs.com/

MENTIONED:

Festival of Lights Parade

Terra Verde

SparrowHawk

Mountain Standard Goods

Eclectico

Little Richard’s Toy Store

Savory Spice Shop

Cacao Chemistry

Abbey Mobolade

Auric Gallery

Vintage Relics

Yobel

Pure Elegance

Oak and Axe

The Trolley Block

Ashley’s Attic

Paint Splatter Room

Good Intentions

Comfort and Joy Cat Café

Teller County Animal Rescue

Novis Mortem Collective

Toodles Tea Room

Provision Bakery

Third Wave Chocolate

Chocolate Café on Friday Nights

Pikes Peak Center

Shop Local, Win Local (SLWL)

Bank of Colorado

Warm lemonade at Pikes Peak Lemonade

Skate in the Park

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

Sure, PikeRide puts ebikes you can borrow at over 90 rental hubs throughout central Colorado Springs and Manitou, but did you know they also have programs to make it affordable for low-income residents to get to work? This treasured community nonprofit is on a mission to close the transportation gap. Learn all about PikeRide as we visit with Executive Director Tara McCarthy.

More than a bikeshare program, PikeRide is a catalyst for change. They provide low-cost, sustainable transportation that empowers people to show up for job interviews, keep steady employment, maintain housing, and access vital services like healthcare and education. They also help reduce traffic, improve air quality, and foster community connections through access to places like libraries, community centers, and local events. Right now, during the annual Give campaign, it’s an especially great time to make a donation to PikeRide: https://www.pikeride.org/give

And…in this episode, Carrie offers to take anyone on a PikeRide, anytime. Listen to get the tea.

LINKS:

PikeRide: https://www.pikeride.org/

MENTIONED:

Garden of the Gods

Colorado College

Trader Joe’s

UCCS

Manitou Springs

Old Colorado City

The Exchange

University Village

The “ebike smile”

Taylor Swift

Downtown Colorado Springs

KRCC

Will Toor

Colorado Energy Office

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com