Blue Book

The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce has published a Blue Book outlining the three initiatives that will be on the November ballot along with arguments for and against each.

Voters can pick up a copy of the Blue Book at the Chamber of Commerce at 210 E Midland Avenue in Woodland Park or view it online at www.woodlandparkchamber.com.

Breit Awards

The 8th annual Breit Awards Banquet will be held on Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. at the Ute Pass Cultural Center.

The Teller Historic & Environmental Coalition annually honors founding member, Dee Breitenfeld, by also honoring individuals and organizations who work to preserve local history.

This year’s honorees are Merry Jo Larson, the Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and the Friends of Mueller State Park. The Breit Awards Banquet is a fundraiser and an opportunity to recognize these honorees. To make reservations, call (719) 650-4089.

Community concert

The Ute pass Cultural Center’s October Community Concert will feature the Mike & Bertye Mountain Music Duo. The free concert will be on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m.

“The Mike and Bertye Mountain Music Duo play an exciting and hot blend of original and contemporary bluegrass, folk, and classic country,” UPCC said. “Primarily focused on traditional and original songs from bluegrass, folk and classic country, they create an entertaining show that appeals to a diverse and enthusiastic audience.”

Career pathways

The Woodland Park School District is among several districts that will be participating in the Fall 2025 Regional Career Pathways Summit from 4-6:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 at Vista Ridge High School. The public is invited to attend.

The event convenes all eight Career Pathway Advisory Boards—from health sciences and advanced manufacturing to IT, business, and the arts—bringing together educators, business leaders, students, and community partners in a collaborative effort to strengthen the region’s talent pipeline.

“This summit is where meaningful conversations happen between industry and education,” said Bob Gemignani, director of PPBEA. “By bringing leaders together regionally, we are creating long-term solutions to prepare students for high-demand careers.”

Scam alert

If you receive a text message claiming your tax refund has been processed and approved and then asks for your banking information, it’s likely a scam.

The Colorado Department of Revenue is warning taxpayers of a new text-based scam that is spreading across the country. The text messages often claim your tax refund has been processed and include a link in the message stating you must submit “required payment information” by a fake deadline, otherwise you won’t receive the refund.

“The Department of Revenue encourages Coloradans not to respond or click links in text messages allegedly sent by the department,” the department announced in a news release Friday.

The department noted that it will not send unsolicited text messages asking for personal data or to update banking information.

The text messages often direct people to fraudulent websites designed to look legitimate so they can steal personal and banking information, the department said.

Sports roundup

Football

The Panthers were off this week. They play Rye at home on Sept. 26 in the school’s homecoming game.

The homecoming parade will be on Sept. 24, beginning at 6 p.m. The route will be along Baldwin Road, beginning at Woodland Park Jr./Sr. High School and ending at Merit Academy. It will be followed by a bonfire.

The homecoming dance will be on Sept. 27.

Softball

Woodland Park lost two games to TCA 14-1 and 20-2.

Volleyball

A busy week of volleyball saw Woodland Park sweep James Irwin and South Park 3-0. Clara Levingston had nine kills and four service aces against James Irwin.

The week began with a five-set classic against La Junta where the Panthers came up short 15-12 in the final set.

Soccer

After opening the season with a 4-1 record, the Panthers dropped two matches this past week. Woodland Park fell to Widefield and Vanguard by identical 1-0 scores. The Vanguard loss came by way of a penalty kick.

Roundup by Sawyer Kettler and Doug Fitzgerald