PALMER LAKE — If you've come to Palmer Lake, it's hard to miss Joseph O'Malley's Pub.
"We're a genuine scratch kitchen," said Joseph O'Malley's Pub Owner Jeff Hulsmann. "The community is not going to get much bigger. There just is not enough room."
Hulsmann said his town of about 2,000 people relies on the people passing through Palmer Lake.
"The idea is, bring people in, let them spend money here, accumulate sales tax dollars which helps our town grow," he said.
But even with visitors coming to town, in terms of cost of living, it's become more of a burden for those here year round.
"In the year I've been open, it's already doubled," said Calvert's Market Owner Stephanie Calvert. "I mean, the townhouses seem to be around the same, but the houses have just skyrocketed."
Contrary to Hulsmann's restaurant that's been open since the '80s, Stephanie Calvert's family run market opened a little over a year ago. It's a grocery store filled with products with the Colorado flag on it.
Calvert says this time of year can be especially challenging.
"January through March tend to be what they call the holiday hangover," she said. "What's key in surviving those months is really listening to your customer base."
So, aside from tourist's tax revenue, how does Palmer Lake keep up, especially in these slower months?
Hulsmann says they fund raise with events unique to the city that benefit the city.
"We raised $40,000 last year," he said. "For town fixtures, in a sense, the pickle ball courts, which are across the street, basically, were built by all volunteer funds raised by events like the .5k"
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Local Colorado Springs School Shut Down Over Unsafe Conditions
The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) notified Colorado Springs School District 11 of structural concerns at Jenkins Middle School just before the holidays in December.
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