Westside Briefs:
3 jazz concerts in Bear Creek Park

       For the first time, the Pikes Peak Jazz and Swing Society has scheduled concerts in its annual Jazz in the Parks series in Bear Creek Regional Park.
       They will be June 9, June 16 and July 28, all going from 6 to 8 p.m. The band will set up in the largest pavilion west of 21st Street, and listeners are invited to set out blankets or chairs on the grass around it, according to Todd Marts of County Parks.
       Admission is free, but donations are requested for the El Paso County Parks Department. Marts predicted a crowd of 300 to 400, based on attendance for previous bands in the park. No alcohol is allowed.
       The scheduled bands are the Springs Contemporary Jazz Big Band (June 9), John Turner Quintet (June 16) and Thin Air (July 28).
       For more information, call 520-6375.
      
Volunteers needed
       Volunteers are needed for a workday on the Westside's Mesa Wildlife Preserve Saturday, June 12, starting at 8 a.m.
       Owned and maintained as open space by the non-profit Palmer Land Trust (PLT), the 24-acre property is west of Mesa Road, off the north end of Oswego Street.
       According to the PLT website, “volunteers will map and remove noxious plants, pick up litter, and maintain trails.”
       The meeting place is at the end of Oswego Street, north of the intersection of King and 19th streets.
       Advance registration is requested by contacting Nathan Moyer, PLT stewardship program manager, at 632-3236 or nathan@palmerlandtrust.org.
      
Seeking food donations
       Silver Key Senior Services' emergency food pantry is low on peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables; including canned tomato products and sauces, and personal hygiene items, including unused travel sized personal products and toilet paper.
       Donations from the community would be appreciated. Times are Tuesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
       For more information, call 884-2300 or go to www.silverkey.org.
      
Youth tennis grant
       A grant will allow the El Paso County Parks Division to launch a youth tennis training program.
       The division will host two clinics, one beginning June 7 and the other July 12, at the Bear Creek Regional Park tennis center at 21st Street and Argus Boulevard. Open to ages 8-12, each clinic will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and run for three weeks.
       The cost of $40 per child is made possible by a grant from the United States Tennis Association and the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation, a press release states.
       Parents can register their children by calling County Parks at 520-6375.

Westside Pioneer/press releases