A Literary Life

By Kate Jonuska

Writing is usually a solitary endeavor, requiring just a person and a pen ― or, more likely today, a computer. But in order to nurture literature and help the aspiring become published, Author Fest of the Rockies pries writers away from their desks and gathers them in Manitou for a two-day event with more than 50 published authors, editors, illustrators, poets and publishers from throughout Colorado.

“One part of the mission of Manitou Springs as a city is to nurture the arts, and in those arts, we talk about not just the visual or performing arts, but the literary arts, too,” says Laura Ettinger, chair of the event and vice president of the Friends of the Manitou Springs Library, the organization now hosting Author Fest for its fourth and largest year Oct. 2-3 at The Cliff House.

“For aspiring writers and poets and illustrators, anyone interested in the written and spoken word, it’s great to see there are other people out there doing what they are doing, for one,” she says. “It’s extremely useful in helping them take their work to the next level and providing information they might not have access to, showing them where the resources are to further their work.”

More than 40 workshops cover a variety of topics of interest to aspiring writers including creative nonfiction, attracting publishers, memoirs, freelance writing, manuscript editing and character development. But Author Fest has broadened their scope with interesting courses on promotion through social networking, how to read aloud for the public, reading critically, how to start a book club and more.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in The Gazette on Oct. 2, 2009.

By Kate Jonuska

We don’t want to get off on a rant here, but fans of comedian and political pundit Dennis Miller  should seize the opportunity to attend a rare live performance in Colorado Springs, on Saturday at Arnold Hall Theater on the Air Force Academy. Known for his ranting and a laid-back yet cerebral style, Miller looks forward to taking the stage in such a patriotic venue.

“I revere these guys, and to be able to knock off Gitmo and the Air Force Academy in one six-month period will be an honor,” he says, speaking of his performance at Guantanamo Bay in June. “We would not have in this country the right to be half as screwed up as we are without (the troops). I often view some of these fracases that go on and I think, ‘Thank God there is a group of men and women out there to help us when we miss the point as badly as we do.’”

Miller rose to fame in the 1980s on Saturday Night Live, served as commentator for Monday Night Football and won five Emmy Awards for his talk show “Dennis Miller Live.” While he currently broadcasts the nationally syndicated “The Dennis Miller Show” and is a regular guest on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor,” the self-proclaimed conservative libertarian still considers himself a comedian to the bone.

“It’s sort of a sardonic, rat-a-tat delivery with obscure references and a little indignation,” he says of his comic delivery. “But I’m not a haranguer. I don’t want them walking out of there thinking, ‘What was that I was supposed to think?’ I want them to walk out saying, ‘Jesus, my ribs hurt.’”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Gazette’s GO! section on Sept. 18, 2009.

By Kate Jonuska

On a runway, you need to move forward. You rarely stand still.

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that “Flaunt: Fashion Under the Bridge,” one of the region’s hottest art-fashion shows, has evolved.

After a hibernation in 2008, on Saturday the space under the Colorado Avenue bridge will present the metamorphosis of this popular fundraiser for FutureSelf.

Now called “Flaunt: Evolution,” the multimedia, collaborative, one-night-only art exhibition benefits FutureSelf, the Gallery of Contemporary Art and TheatreWorks.

“It’s FutureSelf reinvigorating ‘Flaunt’ and also building community with other arts organizations,” says Amber Coté, executive director of FutureSelf, a nonprofit that strives to introduce the power of art to underprivileged youths.

Featuring performance art, video, music and installation pieces in addition to fashion, the new incarnation of “Flaunt” will “push (the audience’s) perceptions a little bit and help them see how much they can like other forms of art, how much they can be intrigued by art.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Sept. 11, 2009 GO! section of The Gazette.

By Kate Jonuska

It’s always been big.

But this year’s Colorado Balloon Classic has taken a huge hop in scale with the return of the 16-story-tall Energizer Bunny Hot Hare Balloon. It’s being promoted as the biggest hot air balloon in the world.

It’s hardly the only thing that’s made the Colorado Balloon Classic a highlight of the region’s Labor Day weekend activities for 33 years.

Running Saturday through Monday at Memorial Park, the festival will fill the sky with 83 balloons from all over the country.

“We’re the largest air show in the state of Colorado,” says event organizer Heather Benavidez. “Being held in the Pikes Peak region — with Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, the Air Force Academy — from the sky, it’s an amazing sight. It’s a great place to fly.”

The festivities begin every morning at 6, followed by the mass ascension at 7, weather permitting, and live music at 8.

“The morning flights are incredible, and it’s really fun to have the spectators come out and interact with the pilots and crews,” Benavidez says. “We are one of the few events in the Rocky Mountain region that allow for spectator interaction, where they can actually go up to the baskets and talk to the pilots and crews, and see everything first hand.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Sept. 4, 2009 Gazette GO! section.

By Kate Jonuska

Several times a year, including Veterans Day and Memorial Day, we gather together to honor the soldiers of the past. But the Red, White and Brave Welcome Home Parade is different, instead celebrating the dedication and sacrifice of our current armed forces, those just returning home from battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, those who are keeping us safe right here, right now.

“There are not very many of us not separated by a few degrees to a family with a soldier doing a tour ― or for many of them, multiple tours ― overseas,” says parade organizer John O’Donnell. He also worked on the first-ever parade in 2004, which was highly successful. “Five years ago, we were so much closer to Sept. 11 and the initial combat, and we had watched the body count go from zero to 44 when they came back. This time, the situation is much different and soldiers have given so much more since then.”

Not intended to be a yearly event, the second staging of the Welcome Home Parade was spurred by the return of the Fourth Infantry Division to Fort Carson, though organizers are expecting more than 4,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines representing all five local military installations. Major General David G. Perkins, commander of Fort Carson will act as Grand Marshall and Lt. General Michael C. Gould, superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy, will be a special guest.

Twelve military and civilian bands, eight floats, groups of antique military vehicles and up to 60,000 spectators will also be attendance at the event.

“I think the main attraction is the soldiers, getting that close to that many soldiers,” says O’Donnell. “Last time there was barely a dry eye in the house. Even the troops were in tears.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the August 28, 2009 edition of the Woodmen and Cheyenne editions.

Blondie live performances continue to wow audiences
By Kate Jonuska

Blond never goes out of style. And neither does Blondie, one of the great pop bands of the late ’70s new wave scene, fronted by platinum-locked icon Deborah Harry. While known at the time for modeling the hippest clothes and the coolest hairstyles, Blondie’s catchy hooks, punk aesthetic and timeless lyrics continue to enthrall audiences, and their summer tour — stopping at the Pikes Peak Center Aug. 25 — has been one of the hottest tickets of the season.

“The shows have been fun. (The fans) are always really excited to see us. It’s kind of like when you do a show, you’re paying a visit to your fans,” says drummer Clem Burke, who explains that Blondie still enjoys touring together and performing live. “It’s like a summer vacation. You’re just like a traveling circus.”

Originally formed in 1974, the New York-based group achieved popular success first in the United Kingdom and then in the United States, and were launched into stardom with the 1978 album “Parallel Lines,” which contained hits like “Heart of Glass,” “One Way or Another” and “Hanging on the Telephone.” The album eventually sold more than 20 million copies, and was followed up with other chart-topping songs like “Dreaming,” “Call Me” and “The Tide is High.”

“When we started in the ’70s, we were the antithesis of what was going on in popular music at the time. That music has carried over quite a bit,” says Burke. “The hit music is our legacy, and it still feels very contemporary … The style of music we’ve assimilated has become a Blondie sound, a New York urban sound.”

Clem explains that the live Blondie experience will be a vibrant show, consisting of their biggest hits, deeper cuts from the Blondie catalog, new music, and the same fun, striking personality that endeared Blondie to millions of fans. Deborah Harry who, if anything, is more fabulous and spirited than when she first came on the scene, never fails to connect with fans and knock socks off.

After more than 30 years, Blondie still feels fresh to its members, who continue to be inspired by and committed to one another. The band is working on a new album set to release next year, a follow up to the successful 30th Anniversary Edition of “Parallel Lines” released in 2008.

“We feel we’re lucky we can come out and still play for our fans,” says Burke. “Whether you’re playing for 200 people or 20,000 people, it’s all about continuing to be a musician and being creative … If you’re not performing live as a band, you’re not really a band.”

CLICK HERE to view this article, which published in the GO! section Aug 21, 2009.

By Kate Jonuska

Artists as subjects, artists as creators, the process of creation intrinsic to the art produced. Such is the interlacing journey undertaken by Brett Andrus and Lindsay Hand in their exhibit “The 30-Day Portrait Experience,” opening tonight at the ModBo gallery, where both artists will reveal 10 portraits of Colorado Springs artists completed in the last 30 days.

“Making it under a certain 30-day timeframe, it becomes kind of a game show. We’ve both really enjoyed it,” says Andrus of the experience, which was conceived as a way to focus the eyes of the Colorado Springs artistic community on itself, to forge community bonds. “It will be nice though when the show is hung to be able to stop painting for a second.”

The exhibit features local artists from various genres and of various personalities, including opera star Judith Shay Burns, multimedia artist Tom Mcelroy, writer Frances Gomeztagle, visual artist Shannon Dunn, artist/musician Don Goede, artist and restauranteur Drew Livigni, and artist/musician Lauren Ciborowski. Jjust to add another layer of artistic communication, Andrus and Hand have painted separate portraits of each subject — plus one of each other and one of themselves.

“You can get two paintings with different takes on the same person, in two different spots in the room and two different painting styles,” Andrus says, admitting that the process has been a slightly competitive match of dueling brushes. But the spirit is more one of cooperation between the two painters, an exercise in the spirit of artistic communication the show represents.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Aug. 14, 2009 GO! section of The Gazette.

Marketplace Web site Etsy.com widens customer pool, simplifies running a business
By Kate Jonuska

In the current economic climate, starting your own business can be a risky and expensive affair, especially when dealing in so-called luxuries goods such as art, jewelry, clothing or accessories. But creative souls all over the world, including dozens in the Pikes Peak region, have found a way to make a full-time living or supplement their salaries through the online marketplace Etsy.com.

“I wanted to be part of a marketplace where I could get a lot more eyes on my work,” says local jewelry designer Jennifer Hunt, who owns Jennifer Hunt Designs and runs the store jacksoncreede on Etsy. While she’s offered her work in local stores and sold to wholesalers for many years, when she joined Etsy, “I went from, through my Web site I had up, getting five views a day and maybe one sale a week to, with Etsy, getting hundreds of views a day and one to five sales a day.”

Hunt is one of more than 250,000 sellers on the 2005-founded Web site, which boasts more than 2.5 million users/registered customers and clocked $87.5 million in sales in 2008. Through May, their 2009 gross sales total $58 million, putting them on track for significant growth in a challenging year.

“My business model had to change or it was going to die,” says graphic designer Brinda Hammel of Etsy shop Brinda Kay Design, who once worked solely in paper goods. Now she’s
shifted her business focus toward accessories and her marketing focus online, though she maintains a presence in one local brick-and-mortar store.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Gazette Business section on July 23, 2009.

Cripple Creek Honors America’s Armed Forces offers tribute, fun to service members and their families
By Kate Jonuska

To the city of Cripple Creek, a few scattered holidays didn’t seem like nearly enough time to truly celebrate the men and women who keep this country safe, at least, not how the festive and patriotic city would prefer to celebrate their service. That’s why for one weekend a summer, the city gives itself over to the Cripple Creek Honors America’s Armed Forces event, this year running the weekend of Aug. 7-9.

“Cripple Creek and its residents have a huge history of military service going back to the Civil War,” says Cripple Creek Mayor Dan Bader. “The event is our yearly shot at paying tribute to these people who are doing such an amazing job for us.”

The weekend of celebration begins on Friday with a banquet, a guest speaker and live entertainment with all proceeds supporting Home Front Cares, which provides support for local military families impacted by deployment. Then the sunny summer morning kicks off on Saturday with a free breakfast provided by the volunteer fire department, an opening ceremony and the much anticipated parade, with floats and bands representing all branches and generations of the armed services.

“Everyone enjoys a good military band,” says city administrator and retired colonel Bill McPherson, one of the driving forces behind the event. Of course, everyone loves a good battle re-enactment, too, and the event offers a World War II-themed dramatized skirmish of American versus German troops, replete with weaponry and vehicles for each force, both Saturday and Sunday. He jokes, “Of course, we all know in advance who is going to win, but we enjoy it anyway.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the July/August 2009 edition of Colorado Springs Style.

Endangered animal finds support through local couple’s Cheetah Foundation
By Kate Jonuska

From an office in Sedalia, Colorado, Bobby and Renee Hartslief buy and restore historic buildings, raise their two children, and attempt to save an entire species of animal quickly disappearing from the wild: the cheetah.

As surprising as it may be for the Pikes Peak region to have so direct a link to the world’s fastest mammal, whose range stretches from Africa through the Indian subcontinent, it was just as unexpected of a career choice for the couple.

“My wife Renee was born in Norman, Okla. We met in South Africa, married and moved to a bankrupt dairy farm,” explains Bobby Hartslief. Renee was running a multi-racial Montessori preschool on the property when Bobby attended an animal auction in a nearby town and found himself thinking, “It would be so cool to have these kids see the indigenous animals. So I bought our first animal, a giraffe, who was actually named First.”

Dozens of other species of animals came second, and the bankrupt dairy farm was soon a 4,000-acre game preserve called the Savannah Africa with 25 species of animals — including the cheetah, which seemed fitting considering it’s the animal mascot of the Free State province of South Africa, where the preserve is located.

“It was a natural thing that we got into cheetah,” says Hartslief, who started breeding the animals for captivity in 2001, sending them as far as Toronto, Miami and Tokyo. But he quickly learned that such methods were not truly aiding the animal, whose beauty and personality had stolen their hearts.

“You start with very pure intentions,” he explains. “But then when you actually see this animal you brought into the world sitting in a cage, you start thinking, ‘Hang on. Are we really, seriously helping this animal?’”

And thus the Cheetah Foundation, dedicated to maintaining and increasing the population of cheetah in the wild, was born.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the June 14, 2009 Gazette newspaper.