We get important perspective on the value and meaning of Black History Month from a remarkable young Black man who lives and breathes civic engagement. Chauncy Johnson has worked in the Colorado State Capitol, pitched in on important initiatives, and run for Colorado Springs City Council in 2025. He is currently seeking the Democratic Party nomination for Colorado State Representative in House District 17.

Pikes Peak Bulletin Managing Editor Heila Ershadi also updates us on the Mill Street Community Benefits All Coalition’s efforts to get a community benefit agreement related to construction of a luxury Catbird Hotel south of downtown Colorado Springs.

LINKS:

Chauncy Johnson for HD17: https://chauncyjohnsonforhd17.com/

$10.3 Million Subsidy for Luxury Hotel Must Come With Community Benefits Agreement, Neighborhood Coalition Says: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/10-3-million-subsidy-for-luxury-hotel-must-come-with-community-benefits-agreement-neighborhood-coalition-says/

Church’s Pride Banner Removed. Again.: https://pikespeakbulletin.org/news/churchs-pride-banner-removed-again/

Pikes Peak Bulletin Listening Tour: https://www.facebook.com/events/2456923024770015

MENTIONED:

Leah Withrow

Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

Conejos Neighborhood

William Jackson Palmer

The Tuskegee Airmen

Donald Trump

Rep. LaMonica McIver

Don Lemon

Elijah McClain

Breonna Taylor

George Floyd

The Olympic Games

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Laila Edwards

Juneteenth

Fiestas Patrias

Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off

OneBodyENT

Citadel Mall

Norris Penrose Event Center

America the Beautiful Park

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum

Norwood Development Group

Mill Street Community Benefits All Coalition

Manitou Art Center

Freedom to Thrive: The American Experience in Colorado Springs

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

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

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center

The 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...

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