The Manitou Incline is officially, legally open
Published on Monday, 01 April 2013 18:10 | 
| 
Press Release (City of Colorado Springs)
After years in the making, the Mt. Manitou Incline is officially open for recreational use. Senator Michael Bennet, 
Congressman Doug Lamborn, Colorado Springs City Council President Scott Hente and Manitou Springs Mayor Marc Snyder officially dedicated this popular trail at dedication ceremony this morning at the base of the Incline, located on Ruxton Avenue.
Surely one of the most challenging recreation sites in the nation, the Mt. Manitou Incline is a former cable-car route turned trail located at the former site of the Mt. Manitou Scenic Railway in Manitou Springs, Colorado. The trail is a one-mile ascent with an elevation gain of 2,000 feet. The average grade is 41%, reaching 68% at the steepest point.
For the past two years the Cities of Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs have been working collaboratively at the local and federal level on issues that needed to be addressed prior to authorizing recreational use of the Incline. Actions required prior to this authorization included multiple agreements between agencies; a US Forest Service Special Use Permit that required federal legislation – pushed through Congress by Senator Michael Bennet and Congressman Lamborn – to officially abandon the corridor as a railroad; important safety improvements to the Barr Trailhead, Base of the Incline Trailhead and the trail itself including debris and hazardous rebar removal and tie stabilization; and parking management and regulations. In addition, a citizen advocacy and fundraising group, The Incline Friends, was created in 2011 to implement education and fundraising efforts surrounding the Incline.
Free seasonal shuttle to the Incline
Beginning May 19, a new seasonal Manitou downtown shuttle will provide free rides from Memorial Park to all the surface parking lots in downtown Manitou Springs and will loop around at the Iron Springs Chateau on Ruxton Avenue, just below the Incline trailhead. The Shuttle will run every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily though September 7. The shuttle is funded by a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement grant from the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments to the City of Manitou Springs and is operated by Mountain Metropolitan Transit. The funding will allow the seasonal shuttle to operate for two years.
The Incline Friends Fundraising Efforts
The Incline Friends will be hosting several fundraising events during 2013 to raise money to make repairs to the incline, including an “ask” breakfast with Olympic athletes on Wednesday, April 17. Enjoy a breakfast of champions among world class athletes and fellow Incline enthusiasts. Join the Incline Friends at the Double Tree World Arena from 7 to 8:30 a.m. to help preserve and enrich the Incline experience. The Incline Friends is a 501(c)(3) organization. More information can be found at www.inclinefriends.com.
History of the Mt. Manitou Incline
Completed in 1907, the Manitou Incline was a 1-mile cable tram built to support the construction of a hydroelectric plant and its waterline. After performing this service the railway was then purchased by Dr. Brumbach and turned into a tourist attraction. The Incline boasted a 16-minute ride to “scenic splendors”, 10 miles of hiking trails in Mount Manitou Park, and claimed to be the “longest and highest incline on the globe.”
Despite being substantially privately owned with public access prohibited, the Incline is one of the most popular hikes in the region attracting an estimate minimum 350,000 user trips annually. This popularity continues to grow. Nearly 20 years of unmanaged trespass and use of the Incline have resulted in significant erosion on the mountainside, dangerous trail conditions, user/neighborhood conflicts, and traffic congestion and uncontrolled parking. In 2010 the three property owners, Colorado Springs Utilities, the COG Railway, and the US Forest Service, and the Cities of Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs agreed that serious safety and liability issues as well as the trail’s conditions and impacts on nearby neighborhoods called for development of a Site Development and Management Plan to address these issues, to allow the Incline to open for legal use and to capitalize on the Incline’s benefits. After two years of working together locally, with legislative support at the federal level from Senator Michael Bennet and Congressman Doug Lamborn, the Incline is now officially open and legal for recreational use.
MacVan's new Colorado Springs wall maps now available
Published on Monday, 01 April 2013 17:57 | |
MacVan Map Company of Colorado Springs, Colorado, announces an updated wall map for Colorado Springs and surrounding region, with street index book, is now available.
The map is printed on high-quality paper with sharp, full-color detail and pale blue border. ±It shows all streets, roads and highways as well as section lines, city and county boundaries, zip codes, school districts, schools, hospitals, parks, golf courses, commercial centers and government
lands. The map grid and street indexes match the newly released 28th edition Colorado Springs Regional Street Guide.
The large map measures 48" x 72" and is shipped rolled. the map includes a separate Street Index Book for the entire area shown on the map. The small map measures 35” x 46”, and also is shipped rolled. It also includes a separate Street Index Book for the entire area shown on the map.
Laminated versions of both large and small Colorado Springs wall maps available soon and will be priced at $150 for the large map, and $75 for the small map.
For more information call MacVan Map Co at 719-633-5757, or visit the website at MacVanMaps.com.
Scam Alert - Colorado Springs residents offered fraudulent positions as “mystery shoppers”
Published on Saturday, 30 March 2013 18:10 | |
from the Southern Colorado Better Business Bureau
The lure of being paid to shop is often irresistible to consumers --and scammers know it. That’s the impetus behind the latest round of mailings in Colorado Springs from LS Management, a company based in LaVergne, Tennessee that offers those looking for work the opportunity to become a “consumer service evaluator.”
It’s a traditional scam where the company – in this case LS Management – sends the consumer a counterfeit check and asks them to deposit it into their bank account, wait for the funds to clear and become available, and then use that money to buy goods at various retail establishments. It sounds like a dream come true to the person looking to earn extra money.
Here’s the catch: to get the actual assignment, the consumer is asked to go to a website and wire money to purchase training materials, send excess funds back to the original issuers of the check or wire money to various third parties. Consumers do this because they believe the check is legitimate. However, it can take banks weeks to actually collect the money from the issuer of the check and in these types of scams, the check is fraudulent. The result: the consumer withdraws and wires money they don’t actually have in their account. Instead of making money, the consumer is overdrawn and has spent money they don’t have.
Editors Note: This is a variation of a common scam, often used on Craigslist or Ebay, where a buyer "accidently" sends you a check for way too much. They'll tell you to go ahead and deposit the check and just send them back a check for the difference. They draw their check on an account that they know will take your bank up to several weeks to clear. If your bank's policy is to hold funds for just a few days, they'll make the funds available to you, but when the bogus check doesn't clear, you are on the hook for any of the nonexistent money that you may have spent.
Lucky Dog Rescue seeks sponsors for 2013 Lucky Dog Jog
Published on Saturday, 30 March 2013 17:54 | |
Lucky Dog Rescue will hold their Lucky Dog Jog fundraising event on August 24, 2013 at Bear Creek Regional Park in Colorado Springs.
Last year's event had about 50 participating businesses. Lucky Dog hopes to triple that number this year. Vendor space is available for $50 (10' x 10') or $10 for SCAC members. Sponsorship packages are available starting at $100, and of course you can make a contribution of any size.
For more information, including details of vendor and sponsor opportunities and a sponsorship/vendor space order form, download the pdf here.
Griffis/Blessing Adds Vectra Bank to Facilities Maintenance Portfolio
Published on Thursday, 28 March 2013 23:29 | |
Press Release
Griffis/Blessing, Inc. is pleased to announce its selection by Vectra Bank Colorado to provide facilities maintenance 
services at its ten Southern Colorado locations in Woodland Park, Pueblo, Pueblo West and Colorado Springs.
"Important factors for the bank were our broad geographical coverage, experience in providing first class service and twelve-person maintenance staff that is available 24/7," said Rick Davidson, CPM®, Senior Vice President of Griffis/Blessing Commercial Property Services. "We have staff in each of these communities, which limits the response time for after hours calls."
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, with an additional office in Denver, Griffis/Blessing, Inc. currently manages over 100 commercial properties totaling more than 4.1 million square feet and over 5,000 apartment units located along Colorado's Front Range. The company has provided award-winning property management and real estate investment services throughout Colorado since 1985. For more information, visit www.griffisblessing.com.
Now open in Fountain, Colorado - IHOP Restaurant
Published on Thursday, 28 March 2013 19:47 | |
By Ed Duffy
IHOP is now open at 6450 S. Hwy 85 in Fountain, Colorado (next to Applebees).
IHOP is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Their breakfast menu is available at all hours. They also serve burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads and a dinner menu, including fried chicken and T-Bone steaks.
For more information about IHOP and their menu, visit www.IHOP.com. You can reach the new Fountain restaurant at 719-392-1900.
Is there a new business in your Colorado Springs, Security, Widefield or Fountain neighborhood? Let us know at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
