Lions Club Christmas Trees on Sale Now

Support your local Lions and get in the traditional holiday spirit with a real tree this year.

The Security Lions Club will be selling Christmas trees beginning Friday, November 26. They've set up shop on Hwy 85/87 at the Fountain Valley Shopping Center, between Independent Records and Albertacos.

Trees range in price from $30 to $80 depending on the type and size. Proceeds benefit the Security Lions Club. The Lions hope to sell around 300 trees between Black Friday and December 19th.

Flip them the bird!

God's Pantry, 102 N. Main Street in Fountain, CO is hosting a Turkey Dinner for struggling families in the area, but they NEED TURKEYS. If you can spare one, please make your donation to God's Pantry in downtown Fountain.

Turkeys are on sale just about everywhere right now. You can likely pick one up for between $5 and $7. For more information call God's Pantry at (719) 382-0643.

Tree lighting ceremony, Fountain Colorado, Friday, November 19th

The Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce will once again host the annual tree lighting ceremony at 7pm at Mayors Park (Caboose Park) on North Santa Fe Ave in Fountain (at Iris and Hwy 85/87, north of the middle school).

It's free to the public, and yes, there will be free cookies,hot chocolate and hot apple cider. Of course Santa Clause will be on hand as well.


For more information call the Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce office at 382-3190 (before 2pm)

American Airlines Awards Colorado Springs Airport Employees for Improved Customer Service

Saturday, 13 November 2010 (PR-Canada.net)

American Airlines employees in Colorado Springs celebrated their second customer service victory this year as American announced the top five airports to be honored for improved customer experience and innovative problem solving for the third quarter of 2010. The program is called the Customer Cup, and the winners are announced each quarter.

"We created the 'Customer Cup' to build competition between airport station teams who are focused on bettering processes, products and interactions to deliver an improved customer experience," said Mark Mitchell, American's Managing Director – Customer Experience. "A good customer experience is the foundation for building customer loyalty, and we recognize five stations each quarter that are making measured improvements in enhancing the travel experience for our customers."

Customer Cups are categorized and awarded by market size from largest to smallest stations according to flight activity. The award recognizes stations for their performance in serving customers at the airport across six primary customer touch points, including gate interactions, the boarding experience, delays and delay management, onboard interactions, baggage handling and baggage resolution. Colorado Springs was awarded the Customer Cup this quarter for significantly improving internal customer satisfaction ratings in several categories, including an 8 point increase in boarding efficiency and 3 point increase in delivering relevant information to customers at the gate. Other winners this quarter include Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Ohio, Liberia, Costa Rica and San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico.

This second victory marks consistent improvement and continued dedication from employees in Colorado Springs. Employees at the station focus on details that matter to customers at the airport, while taking time for personal customer interactions. The team works to provide frequent updates at the gate that keep travelers well informed of their flight's status and their options in case of delays.

"Winning the Customer Cup for a second time this year is a great honor because it comes right from the customer," said Lothar von Wolfseck, American's General Manager – Colorado Springs. "Our employees recognize the importance of providing exceptional service and we are working very hard every day to deliver on our standard of customer service. Our win this quarter gives us additional motivation to keep raising the bar for our customers."

The Customer Cup is part of a broader focus the airline has put toward improving the experience for its customers. With more than 250 employee teams across the network, the airline encourages all employees to bring forward ideas and solutions to improve the travel experience. With stations competing for the Customer Cup honor quarterly, employees who contribute earn network bragging rights and a party in their honor for working hard to improve the airlines' customer service rankings.

"Given the challenges the industry faces, the Cup is a great way to recognize the accomplishments of our employees," Mitchell added. "It's through their dedication and ingenuity we can deliver exceptional travel experiences of our customers."

Colorado Springs Recreation Center expands programming and events

press release

Providing the community with multiple recreation options

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The Colorado Springs Recreation Center has expanded it's programming and events to better serve the Colorado Springs Community. The Recreation Center opened this past September and is ideally located only 1.5 miles from Downtown in beautiful Memorial Park. The Recreation Center now boasts a plethora of programming designed to fit the Recreation needs of all ages.

The Recreation Center is one of three City facilities the Colorado Springs Swim School (CSSS) saved from closure due to City budget cuts. As part of an agreement with the City of Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Swim School also took over management of Wilson Ranch Pool and Portal Pool, originally scheduled to be closed due to City budget cuts.

Youth Sports Camps - Starting with the Thanksgiving Holiday season (Nov 22-24 & 26) and continuing through the winter holidays, the Recreation Center will offer Youth Sports Camps. Youth Sports Camps, scheduled during local school holidays are an ideal alternative to Day Care. Designed to both introduce and build new sport and activity skills, children will spend a fun-filled active day with us. The camps are designed for school-aged children between 5-12 and are scheduled between 8:30am-3:30pm with options for early drop off and late pick up.

Parent's Night Out is being held the third Friday of every month and is designed to provide parents the opportunity to spend an evening out without their children. Parent's Night Out is from 5:00pm-8:30pm and children will be treated to a fun evening of sports and recreational activities under the watchful eyes of the Recreation Center Staff. The next two Parent's Night Out will be held November 19 and December 17 serving as an ideal time for some holiday shopping without the kids. Children ages 6-weeks to 12-years are welcome.

Aquatic Turkey Trot and Turkey Trot Predict - Two great events on the same day, November 20. These two events will take place in and around the Recreation Center and are fun ways to ward off those unwanted holiday pounds before the big meal. The Aquatic Turkey Trot (9:00am) will be a fun water workout taking place in the Recreation Center Pool, and the Turkey Trot Predict (10:00am) will take place outside the Recreation Center utilizing the park's trail systems.

Aquatic Fitness - Multiple aquatic fitness workouts are now being offered at the Recreation Center. From Ai Chi, to Low Impact Aquatic Exercise, and Monthly Back to Basics classes, the expertise of the Colorado Springs Swim School staff is able to meet the aquatic fitness needs of a wide range of fitness individuals.

Child Care in the PlayRoom - Starting on Monday, November 15, the Colorado Springs Recreation Center will begin offering Child Care in the PlayRoom. Child Care will be offered from 7-11am Mon-Friday and is for children 6-weeks of age and older. Call the Recreation Center at 719-385-5984 for more details.

Learn-to-Swim Lessons - The staple of the Colorado Springs Swim School, our Learn-to-Swim lessons boast the smallest student to teacher ratio (3:1 for 3-5 yr. olds and 5:1 for 6+) of any group lessons in the community. Parents learn why CSSS is a Swim School, and not just another facility offering lessons. School Holiday lessons are now available on the Swim School site at www.csswimschool.com.

Masters Swimming - Every weekday morning, the Recreation Center hosts Coached Masters Swimming workouts. The Masters Swimming workouts are designed for adult (18+) swimmers of all abilities. Workouts take place from 6:00-7:30am.

Holiday Drives - The Colorado Springs Recreation Center is an official drop off location for Care and Share and Toys for Tots. Please bring non-perishable food items and new unwrapped toys to the Recreation Center and let's all help those in need in our community.

American Red Cross GuardStart, Lifeguard and CPR classes are now offered at the Recreation Center. Registration is available from the home page of the Colorado Springs Swim School. CPR classes will be held the 2nd Thursday of every month at 5:00pm.


About the Colorado Springs Recreation Center
The Colorado Springs Recreation Center opened in September of 2010 under the management of the Colorado Springs Swim School. Designed to offer the Colorado Springs community with and abundance of recreational opportunities, the Recreation Centers mission is "Keeping our Community Healthy, Fit and Safe."
About the Colorado Springs Swim School
The Colorado Springs Swim School is the City's leading Learn-to-Swim School. Established in 1992, CSSS has taught thousands of individuals how to swim and better enjoy all things aquatics, and is responsible for providing the residents of Colorado Springs with the only outdoor public aquatic facilities. CSSS is devoted to "Enriching Lives through Aquatic Programming and Instruction."

South Side Business News adds Safeways and Valeros to distribution locations

Beginning with the December 2010 issue, the South Side Business News will be available in three Colorado Springs and Fountain Safeway stores - 6520 S. Academy, 6925 Mesa Ridge Parkway (Fountain) and 1920 S. Nevada Avenue. It will also be adding 5 Valero (Diamond Shamrock) convenience store racks, 1801 Main Street and 205 Main Street in Security, 1740 Jet Wing Drive, 1760 S. Nevada Ave and 715 Cheyenne Meadows Road in Colorado Springs.

The monthly paper, which spotlights the area's small business community is already available in 12 south side 7-11's and over 100 other local businesses and offices. You can also access the paper and archives, online at www.SouthSideBusiness.com (no registration required).

Community Honors CVB President & CEO Terry Sullivan

Colorado Springs Colorado – November 11, 2010 - On Wednesday, November 10, 2010, the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau commemorated President & CEO Terry Sullivan’s retirement along with his 20 years of service to the tourism industry. The theme of this grand event was “Celebrating Mr. Tourism: A World of Thanks for Terry Sullivan.” As Mr. Sullivan will officially retire on December 31, 2010, more than 500 local, regional and national industry partners, colleagues, friends and family gathered to honor Mr. Sullivan and his contributions throughout his years of service.

The celebration held at Cheyenne Mountain Resort featured Mr. Sullivan’s tales of challenges and accomplishments beginning in June of 1990 and ending this December of 2010. Mr. Sullivan’s two children, Ryan Sullivan and Deirdre Campbell, paid comical tribute to their father and CVB Board Chair Susan Edmondson presented Mr. Sullivan with the Tourism Industry Award. A bench in America the Beautiful Park was dedicated to Mr. Sullivan, as known fondly as Mr. Tourism, by the City of Colorado Springs. Mr. Sullivan will hold his final Board meeting on Tuesday, November 16, 2010. Photos of the event can be viewed here and are available in high resolution upon request.

The CVB would like to thank event sponsors Cheyenne Mountain Resort, The Broadmoor, Miller Lite, Coca-Cola, Outlets at Castle Rock, Ent Business Banking, DocuMart, Texas Monthly, Internet Honey, Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association, Marvel’s Cake Boutique, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corporation, the Colorado Tourism Office, MMG Worldwide, Crowne Plaza Colorado Springs, M & C, Successful Meetings, Marco Hernandez Creative, Efficient Media Solutions, Pikes Peak Lodging Association, Colorado Restaurant Association, Colorado Springs Marriott, A.S. Enterprise, Colorado Springs Airport, Schneider Publishing and Antlers Hilton Colorado Springs.

New Colorado Springs Company offers Armed Defense Training

image - Daniel C. Lanotte, Carpenters Mate Consulting

Colorado Springs - (Proforma Mark-It Pros) Carpenter’s Mate Consulting, Personal Protection Group serves the citizens of El Paso County in the areas of basic firearms instruction and personal protection. The offer courses which concentrate on safety and proficiency in firearms use.

Instruction is client paced, ensuring each student is comfortable with the information presented. Many students are experiencing shooting for the first time, while some are experienced shooters who need to satisfy the requirement for the Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit. Whichever the case, each student receives the personal attention required.

Personal Protection In the Home is taught in a home setting. If desired, this training can be done in the student’s home, allowing the client to develop strategies in his/her personal residence, providing the ideal situation to brainstorm and enact various scenarios for safety and feasibility. The additional range work is designed to be as realistic as possible.

Personal Protection Outside the Home is a true concealed carry course. All range work is performed from a concealed carry purse or a holster and a covering garment . Clearly, it’s best to avoid altercation; however, if that is not possible, students can learn a variety of strategies to mitigate the threat.

A new area of concentration for the Personal Protection Group is that of Business Watch. The company consults with business groups to assist them in learning how to reduce crime in their areas.

Personal Protection Group also speaks to Neighborhood Watch groups to assist in their mission to reduce crime in the local community. It seems that every day there is a new report about another break-in, home invasion, or abduction. Neighborhood Watch groups have proven to drastically reduce these and other crimes in neighborhoods.

The two “Watch” programs are not intended to supplant law enforcement involvement but rather to augment it.

One course that is still in development is Church Security Team Training. Unfortunately, many houses of worship have found it necessary to develop their own Safety and Security programs. This is an area in which few churches have any expertise. Personal Protection Group can assist in compiling the governing guidelines and policies and then establish training programs in line with the adopted plan.

For more information, please contact Daniel C. Lanotte at Carpenter’s Mate Consulting, dlanotte@carpmateconsulting.com
(719) 661-1318

Expressions of Hope 2011: Clients’ Artwork on Display in Annual Calendar

AspenPointe press release – “Expressions of Hope,” the 2011 art calendar featuring paintings by consumers of ASPENPOINTE, is now available online.

The artwork is created as part of the organization’s creative expression programs, which help adults as well as children cope with a variety of ailments. This year’s calendar also includes the artwork of wounded soldiers from Fort Carson, who take classes through a collaboration with the Bemis School of Art at the Fine Arts Center of Colorado Springs.

All proceeds from the sales will go back to the creative expression programs and help with the purchase of supplies.

“Sometimes people associate mental illness with crazy ideas; treat it as a negative,” says art therapist Kim Nguyen. “But (the clients) are full of creativity and an abundance of beauty. With the right direction, they can flourish.”
Such was the case with Tisha Gutierrez. For several years, she battled the stigma and denied herself treatment out of fear of retribution and losing her four children. After a nervous breakdown in 2004, Gutierrez started treatment at ASPENPOINTE and one of her most effective treatments is paint and canvas.

“Once I get it out on the canvas, it’s not trapped,” she says. “It’s put on the wall and not stored away in my mind.”

Gutierrez’s work is again featured in the 2011 calendar. It can be purchased for $10 and viewed online at www.AspenPointe.org or by clicking here.

To order by phone, and for more information about creative expression and other ASPENPOINTE programs, call (719) 572-6100

Excellence in customer service workshop, November 17th, Colorado Springs

From the BBB

What’s one of the best ways to ensure a successful business?

Customers!

Statistics show it costs more to attract a new customer than it does to keep the ones you already have. Treat your customer’s right and they will continue to patronize your business. Treat them wrong and they may never return.

The Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado’s Foundation has a program to help. It’s called Excellence in Customer Service (EICS) and is designed to help companies analyze and improve their customer service processes.

Those who wish to participate must submit an application. In order to make it easier for you, we will be holding an application writing workshop to walk you through the process.

Below are the details for the EICS workshop:


Date: Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Time: 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Location: Colorado Technical University

4435 N. Chestnut St., Colorado Springs


RSVP: www.BlackTie-Colorado.com/rsvp

Event Code: BBBWriting

For more detailed information on this event, please contact Cat Eli at

(719) 636-5076 ext. 100, (866) 206-1094 ext. 100, or eics@bbbsc.org.

First Annual Fountain Valley Business Expo sells out exhibitor spaces

The Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce will host its first annual Fountain Valley Business Expo on Monday, November 15th, 2010 from 10am to 4pm. Denise Owen of the Chamber reports that all available exhibitor space has now been sold.

Local businesses will be showing off their wares and providing information about their companies, products and services, as well as promotional items like pens, buttons, free samples, coupons and more. There will be food and drinks available, and one can enter for a number of door prizes as well.

The event is open to the public. Admission is $5 at the door, but you can pick up a complimentary ticket before hand at the Chamber office, at Easy Street Designs or download one from online at http://www.southsidebusiness.com/Fountain%20Valley%20Expo%202010.html.

Participating exhibitors include: Pavestone - Big R - Colorado Springs World Arena – Achievement Gallery – Fountain Valley El Paso County News - Southside Business News – Easy Street Design - Assist2Sell – Fountain Valley Senior Center - Culver’s Restaurant – Black Hills Energy – City of Fountain – Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce - Fountain Library District – Bill Crowley Caricature Artist – New Generation Homes – Reflective Comfort - Merit Reality – i9 Sports Youth Sports League – Keller Williams Realty – Edward Jones Financial Advisor – Gift of Touch Massage – MyJerkyShop – Lion’s Pride Framing – Kerri Moffit Photography – Tax Man to You – The Master’s Group – Chap’s Enterprise – Schramek Landscape Materials - Shelf Genie – Dove-Witt – Henslee, Halle Associates CPA – Windows of Hope Counseling – UMB Bank – Lucky Dog – Security Florist – Fountain Valley YMCA – Springs Computer Solutions – Fountain Chiropractic – Cowboy Expresso - Custom Concept Exteriors – Carson Bluffs Self Storage and UHaul, and Land of Ahs Kennel.

Colorado Springs Women’s Express Network Monthly Luncheon

Colorado Springs (CO) –Calling all professional individuals who wish to develop enriching and empowering relationships with other community leaders.

Colorado Springs Women’s Express Network is a chapter of American Business Women’s Association, connecting professionals of diversity.

The next luncheon is Friday November 12, 2010 at 11:30 AM. The featured speaker will be senior trainer; Steve Black from Brian Tracy’s coaching team. For more info on Mr. Black, visit: www.theproductivitypeople.com/steveblack.htm

For more information regarding this event, please visit www.cswen.org or call (719) 632-4410.

Coat & Can Drive 2010

(Harris Group Realty)

Once again this year, Harris Group Realty, Inc. is teaming with the Springs Rescue Mission for its’ 6th Annual Coats & Cans Community Drive. Please help us assist needy families throughout Colorado Springs. We’ll be collecting new or gently used clothing, coats, mittens, sweaters, scarves, snowsuits, hats and non perishable food items thru November 15th, 2010.

Items can be dropped at our office at 2950 Professional Pl, Ste. 205 in the Kissing Camels Office Park, just east of Coronado High School on Fillmore from 8:30 to 4:00 M-F or at a south location at Easy Street Designs, 109 Kiva Road in Security from 8:30 to 6:00 M-F and 10:00 to 2:00 Saturday. Thank you in advance for helping us help those in need this holiday season. For more information, please call us at 227-9900