Meet a Westsider:
Rev. Ann Dyer Smith

Profession/Occupation... I am an ordained minister with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), but not currently serving a congregation. I still do some pulpit supply, filling in for other ministers, and occasionally I perform weddings or funerals. My main job now is running my own book distribution business, called Cougar Press. I sell books about Colorado and the Southwest, mainly to public libraries. What I like most about the Westside is... people seem to stay put longer, so you get to know your neighbors better than in some areas of Colorado Springs. I also love being close to the mountains. My husband, Ken, and I have lived in Pleasant Valley for 20 years and never want to leave! If I could change anything about the Westside, it would be... to add more stop lights. The traffic is getting crazy on 30th and 31st streets! Our two daughters are grown now, but we still worry about the neighborhood kids. A good movie I’ve seen recently is... “Inception,” with Leonardo DiCaprio. Fast moving and very exciting. I need to see it a second time, though, to make sense of it all! I'd like to discover... someone who would donate a building so that Westside CARES could relocate and expand! Anyone have a lot of money?? If I could meet someone famous, I’d like to meet... Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a long-deceased Christian pastor and theologian who was executed for his resistance to Hitler’s regime. I’ve read everything he has written, but would still love to sit and chat... The next time I travel, I’m going... on a 25th anniversary trip with my husband! We would love to take a train trip out of Vancouver and across Canada. My favorite childhood memory is... camping and fishing with my dad. That, and climbing trees. I was quite a tomboy. My favorite fall pastime is... walking outside in Garden of the Gods and Rock Ledge Ranch. I love the smells and colors of fall! Something good I’ve read is... “Have a Little Faith” by Mitch Albom. Great food for thought and discussion. My pet peeve is... able-bodied people who don’t put away their grocery carts!!! They are the same people who would get mad if a loose cart dented their car. If I didn’t have to work for a year, I would... I am blessed to not be the major bread-winner in our house, so I volunteer at my church, Gateway Presbyterian, and with Westside CARES, helping to raise funds, organize food drives, and increase community awareness of this ministry. I’m on the Board of Directors now, but want to stay very involved even after I go off. Meet a Westsider” is a regular feature in the Westside Pioneer. If you would like to be a Meet-a-Westsider (or know someone who should be), please give us a call at 471-6776.