Westside Briefs:
Bighorns back; Copies of Guidelines in

       The public is invited to the fifth annual Bighorn Sheep Day Saturday, Feb. 13, with activities mainly at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center, 1805 N. 30th St.
       The event is free. The times are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
       The same weekend, the center will kick off its free Winter Lecture Series, starting Sunday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. with a presentation about energy efficiency by a local nonprofit, Conservation Hardware.
       Inspired by the proximity of a bighorn herd in the area, the Bighorn day will include guided walks, presentations, children's activities and sheep viewing opportunities.
       A shuttle bus from the center will also be available to and from a sheep-viewing turnout on Mesa Road and overflow parking at the nearby Rock Ledge Ranch parking lot, according to Jeanne McElderry of the Visitor Center.
       The other two presentations in the center's Winter Lecture Series, both also at 2 p.m., will be Sunday, Feb. 21 (”The Beginners Vegetable Guide for Success,” by Larry Stebbins of Pikes Peak Urban Gardens) and Sunday, Feb. 28 (”What You Should Know About Home Energy Audits,” by Phil Anthony).
       For more information, call 634-6666.
      
       Based on turnouts at the first two public presentations on the “Historic Westside Design Guidelines” book, there should be plenty of copies left over after the third and last meeting Tuesday, Feb. 9 from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.
       The city printed 300 copies of the book. Every presentation attendee gets a free copy, but fewer than 30 people have attended the first two. The Feb. 9 meeting will again be at the Westside Community Center, 1628 W. Bijou St.
       Assuming there are still dozens left over after Feb. 9, Dave Hughes of the Old Colorado City Historical Society (OCCHS) has volunteered to house extra books at the OCCHS' History Center, 1 S. 24th St., starting Feb. 10. Steve Obering, architectural consultant/chief author of the book, said after the second presentation Feb. 1 that he would be willing to take a box of extras over to the History Center.
       The book, 127 pages plus an insert listing the addresses of “contributing” properties, provides detailed information about the prevailing historical architectural styles and forms on the older Westside, along with reference materials and do's and don'ts for the various types of exterior remodeling.
       The Guidelines are not law. The Organization of Westside Neighbors (OWN) is seeking to create a historic overlay zone in which the Guidelines would become legal standards for property owners seeking tax credits for large historical-façade improvements, but the city sees overlay creation as a “low priority” with no staff at this time to administrate that effort, city official Lisa Bigelow said at the meeting Feb. 1.
       Hughes said he thinks it makes sense for the books to be at the History Center, because of the Guidelines' historical tie and the center's easy accessibility to Westsiders. Otherwise, people would have to go to City Hall downtown and ask for a copy, and few people are likely to do that, he said.
       For more information, call the History Center at 636-1225.
      
       The Colorado Springs Fire Department is accepting donations of new or “gently used” large (four-man size or bigger) tents and/or tarps to send to Haiti. They can be dropped off through Monday, Feb. 8 at fire stations citywide, including Westside stations 3 (922 W. Colorado Ave.), 5 (2830 W. Colorado Ave.) and 9 (622 W. Garden of the Gods Road).
       For more information, call 492-8454.

Westside Pioneer/press releases