Westside Briefs:
Encore for Washburn’s fall festival

       A year ago, pumpkins grown from seed by children at the Ruth Washburn Cooperative Nursery School, 914 N. 19th St., were stolen. This led citizens to donate hundreds of pumpkins, which inspired the school to hold a “Fall Harvest Festival” as a thank-you and to give away the excess.
       The event turned out to be so much “fun, a nursery press release states, that “we're doing it again this year.”
       The no-charge festival will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Along with free pumpkins for attendees, there will be children's activities such as pumpkin painting, face painting and sack races.
       For more information or to donate pumpkins, call 636-3084.
      
       The Council of Neighbors and Organizations (CONO), which has been holding forums around town to discuss the city's financial situation, has scheduled its third in that series Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the West Center, 1628 W. Bijou St.
       Free and open to the public, the forum will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
       Speakers will include Dave Csintyan, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce; and Jan Doran, past president of CONO. There will also be small- and large-group discussions, a press release states.
       For more information, call CONO President Dave Munger at 337-5838.
      
       People have until Oct. 23 to send in comments on the update of the Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan for the Colorado Springs Attainment/ Maintenance Area.
       Comments can be sent by mail to Rich Muzzy of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) at 15 S. Seventh St., by e-mail to rmuzzy@ppacg.org, by phone at 471-7080 x109, or at the PPACG board meeting Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 9:00 am at PPACG.
       Before commenting, people can review the Maintenance Plan and Technical Support Document for the Colorado Springs Attainment/ Maintenance Area
       According to the PPACG, the region is currently in compliance.
       “Carbon monoxide concentrations in Colorado Springs have remained at about 30 percent of the state and federal standards for the past five years and could even go lower,” a press release reads. “The last violation of carbon monoxide was in 1988... This Plan will not delete or recommend any control strategies... It is presumed that existing measures will keep the area in attainment.”
      
       The Bear Creek Garden Association will hold a sale of decorative cornstalks Saturday-Sunday, October 10-11, with proceeds going to the weed- eating goat fund.
       Gardeners will be on hand from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $5 a bundle.
       The garden is off Creek Crossing southeast of 21st and Rio Grande streets.
       For more information, call 473-5827.
      
       Colorado Springs City Council member Jan Martin will speak at the October meeting of the Mesa Springs Community Association Tuesday, Oct. 13, starting at 7 p.m. at the Mercy Center, at 1440 N. Cooper Ave.
       Martin is the author of Question 2C on the Nov. 3 city election ballot, which seeks property tax increases through the year 2013. Also, she urges people to oppose city resident Douglas Bruce's Measure 300, which, if passed, will phase out all payments to the city from city enterprises such as the Utilities Department and Memorial Hospital.
       “Over the past months we've all been deluged with information - not all of it accurate - about these matters,” writes association Vice-President Steven Schwartz in an e-mail to association members.

Westside Pioneer/press releases