Fri Jul 31 – Sun Aug 2, 2015

Each year, OLT opens its gates to celebrate its devoted members and all their support. Anyone can become a member and no members are turned away. With so many fun-lovin' folks, we ask everyone to park off-site and be especially mindful of one another and our delicate space. Our supply of ice is limited and we encourage sharing tent spaces whenever possible.
Enjoy live music at the Pavilion.

The Gumbo Jets will play Friday night

and

Hippies with Blondes perform Saturday night

MORE DETAILS COMING...

Stay tuned!

by Scott McCumber

Friday, April 10, in the late afternoon, the crew of Weaver’s Level Best, connected the waste water pipe from the Valley View bathrooms, showers, and sinks to the new system. After more than six years of planning, permits, engineering, and coordinating, the new waste water treatment plan is now operational. The engineer has been here for his final inspection, the contractors pulled all their equipment out and peace and quiet returned to the neighborhood.

Working with the crew, Clayton, Steve, and Eli, was a pleasure. Their diligence, attention to detail, and knowledge helped the job go smoothly and quickly. The hillside is a bit raw, but with some spring rain or snow, the newly planted grass will green things up and it won’t be long until the recovery takes hold. OLT wants to extend hearty thanks to Weaver’s Level Best for a job well done. Attaboy!

We appreciate your patience and tolerance during the dust and noise. The weather was nice this spring and we had quite a few visitors come to soak. Hopefully, it was not too disruptive. The project that we worked so long and hard to implement is now complete and summer will be free of the hum and aroma of the old system. Thanks to everyone for the donations that help pay for the project! The OLT community is strong and healthy.

Friday night, April 24, 2015, there was a party at the Denver Art Society at Seventh and Sante Fe in Denver. The space that we had was big, had scuffed hardwood floors, and high ceilings with old tin panels. The walls were covered with the works of the artists whose studios are at the Denver Art Society. There was beer on tap, generously provided by Renegade Brewery of Denver. My favorite was the Coffee Oatmeal dark beer, although the pale ale was also very good. There was wine provided by Vino Salida; two reds, a rose, and a chardonnay. We also had a table laden with food, some from the Ethiopian Restaurant next door and some vegetable trays and chips with salsa and guacamole. Caravan X, a band from Salida provided some great music. We had a great time and enjoyed visiting with artists, pedestrians passing by, as well as familiar faces from Valley View. Thanks to everyone who ventured out into the Friday night traffic to spend some time celebrating the completion of the big project and enjoying the artwork of the Denver Art Society.

OLT would like to give many thanks to the generous people and organizations that participated. Special hats off to: Renegade Brewery and Laura Vande Zande, Ambassador of Beer Enjoyment, Vino Salida and their delicious wines, Caravan X for great music and good humor, and the Denver Art Society for the venue and the prolific, stimulating, and intriguing art work that gave the room such a creative flair. Attendance at this fun event was less than hoped, but it was a great OLT “community builder!” Thanks again to all those OLT members who did come!

Kids! Science Camp is coming. This year the dates will be July 19 – 24. Bring your curiosity, your scientific method, and your sunblock. Monday – Friday half the day will be spent learning from the 4 scientists: geologist / hydrologist; plant and animal specialist at the ranch; biologist; and bat specialist. The other half will be day-camp type experiences for discovery, fun, and relationship building with the organizer of the science camp. Normal hours will be from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., except for a bat tour one evening and star gazing with the astronomer with the telescope one evening.

There is a registration fee of $50, which will be returned on Friday. OLT is not trying to make money on this, but we do want to know for sure who is coming, and we want to know that participants will be there for the whole event. Families will need to make normal arrangements for camping or lodging. You can download a registration form below or phone the office with your information.

Join OLT at Poor Richard’s Back Patio in Colorado Springs, June 7, 2015 from 4 – 9 pm when musician and OLT board member John Standish will be playing the piano with accompaniment by OLT volunteer Mark Allen and others. Advance tickets on sale now, please RSVP to or call 719-298-2289. Tickets are $10 and we are suggesting a donation of $40 per person to support all of OLT’s programs. Members are encouraged to bring a friend or prospective OLT member. The back patio at Poor Richard’s is a great place to relax and enjoy the summer weather but it is small so capacity is limited. This will be OLT’s first Colorado Springs event (that I can remember). Thank you John and Mark!

Poor Richard's Downtown
324½ N. Tejon St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Phone: 719-578-5549

Attention! This is not the annual report. There may be a few numbers-minded people that are wondering what happened to the annual report. The last annual report went out in the Fall of 2013. Last Fall, 2014, we thought that it was time to write the next version. Then we realized that the financial report wouldn’t be complete until the end of the year. The auditor was here the last week of March and we will have the results of the 2014 audit in a few weeks. When that information is available, we will produce the next printed annual report. In the meantime, we will continue to email a monthly e-newsletter. The annual report will include the audit for 2013 and 2014. That should get us back on track for an accurate and complete annual report every year in late spring that provides the details for the year most recently completed.

“SHAPES OF VALLEY VIEW”

ART BENEFIT FOR ORIENT LAND TRUST
At the Denver Art Society

Unique body sculptures of Valley View members formed out of painted packing tape (believe it or not) will be on display. The artists will mold your personal body sculpture at the Event for a small donation.

We are inviting all musicians to bring their instruments and talents to jam in between sets by a local favorite Salida band, Caravan X.

The OLT Land Conservation Program will receive all donations.

Beverages and light refreshments will be available for purchase.

Y'all come. Invite many, please.

This project is going well. The crew is top-notch. The noise isn’t too disruptive, though the late sleepers might disagree with that statement. We have given the contractor the green light to move along at the pace that works well for them. Thank you for your patience as we upgrade this necessary infrastructure. As of March 29: the 22,000 gallon tank is set and bedded. Ten of twenty infiltrator galleries have been dug, infiltrators installed and the first covering of dirt has been replaced. The next week should see the rest of the twenty courses finished. There will be some details like setting up the pump, the controls, and the monitoring system. Inspections and sign-offs from the designer and state will also need to be done. We are anticipating having the new system on-line by mid-April (knock on wood).

The construction crew installing the new wastewater treatment plant arrived yesterday and started digging. Some people may be annoyed by the noise and activity and we want to give everyone notice. We would have told you sooner had we known the exact start date. This project is weather dependent and the contractor had to find their own window. Some people might want to come and see the progress. If you do want to take a look, please stay well away from the construction zone and watch from a safe distance. Others may want to avoid the noise and bustle. It's going to be a busy few weeks.

This is a real milestone. We've been planning this for at least six years. It's happening at last. When the project is complete, it means less odor, less noise, and a less disturbing treatment system for decades to come. Yay! Let's celebrate!