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Rosco the donkey grazes (far left) and two
members of Jupé and the Gemini perform (far right) during the Fun Day in Blunt
Park the afternoon of May 6.
Mild times at first-time Fun Day organized by OWN, CONO in Blunt Park
Tom Gallivan (center) lets fly with a bean bag in
the cornhole tournament during the Fun Day in Blunt Park May 6.
Westside Pioneer photo
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Enjoying the sunny weather, 60-some people dropped by Blunt Park for a two-hour Sunday “Fun Day” May 6.
Featuring live music, a cornhole tournament and face painting, the free, first-time event was sponsored by the Organization of Westside Neighbors (OWN) and the Council of Neighbors and Organizations (CONO) as part of CONO's “Neighbor Up Week.”
Blunt Park is in the 2300 block of West Verijmo Avenue.
Among those on hand were County Commissioner Stan VanderWerf (competing in the tournament); first-year CONO Chief Executive Officer Diane Loschen; and Tony White, owner of Rosco's Coffee House, with his donkey Rosco.
OWN's volunteer board members oversaw the Fun Day activities and set out cookies and lemonade.
Through tournament entries, OWN raised $80 and gave prizes from local businesses for first, second and third place, according to Sara Vass, a
Lisa Kohlway (left) and Dylan Hazlett perform
as Jupé and the Gemini during the Fun Day in Blunt Park May 6. Between them,
under the canopy in the background, Stephanie Adams of Paintin' Faces COS
applies color to the
visage of a youthful event attendee.
Westside Pioneer photo
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OWN is a long-time neighborhood advocacy group for Westside residents. The group also organizes an annual Westside picnic, which is scheduled this year July 15. CONO represents neighborhood organizations as part of an affiliation with the city.
Fun Day was one of 15 events that CONO helped organize through its Neighbor Up Week May 4-13. In partnership with Colorado Springs Parks, CONO started working with groups in February to plan block parties or reserve parks for Neighbor Up. CONO's help to neighborhoods included waiving city fees, taking on liability insurance and filling out permit paperwork.
In addition, CONO staff delivered barricades for the block parties “and stopped by all the events,” Vass said. She added that “CONO now owns 100 barricades with the CONO name on them. CSU [Colorado Springs Utilities] and the city bought them for CONO to use year-round.”
Vass said the feedback from the events has been positive. “From what Diane and I are hearing so far, neighborhoods loved the block parties and picnics and want to do another one later this year, do a cleanup and continue to connect with neighbors.”
Westside Pioneer article
(Community:
Neighborhoods)
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