News Briefs

Faces of Black Forest

If you asked Shari Conley to name the two most important things in her life, she would probably say family and community.Conley, age 58, is a family woman who has lived in Black Forest, Colorado, for 31 years. Born in Honolulu, Conley grew up in a military family with five other siblings. She has moved throughout the country ó and lived in England as well ó but she chose to raise her family in Black Forest.Retired from the United States Air Force Reserves, Conley served 10 years active duty with the U.S. Air Force, and another 12-and-a-half years in the reserves. She first heard about Black Forest during her initial assignment at the Los Angeles Air Force Base, where she often overheard her classmates – many of them graduates of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs – talking about Black Forest as a way to ìget away from it all.îRob Conley, a USAFA graduate and classmate of Shariís who would eventually become her husband, was among those who spoke fondly of the area.ìMy second assignment was at Schriever Air Force Base (Colorado Springs) in 1985, so (Schriever) was just a few years old,î Conley said. ìMy husband and I bought land in Black Forest and said weíd build a house and weíd be there four years. Well, we ended up staying.îWith three daughters born and raised in Black Forest, it is the familyís hometown, Conley said.She exemplifies her community pride in several ways, most notably through her volunteer service with the annual summertime Black Forest Festival.She first became acquainted with the event in 2000 when she worked as a co-leader of a local Girl Scouts Troop participating in the parade. The next year, organizers asked Conley to help run the parade. In 2002, they asked her to chair the festival. ìIt was a wonderful experience, but it is such an undertaking. I decided I wouldnít get involved in such an enormous project until my kids were grown,î Conley said.She kept her word; three years ago, Conley came back to organize the festival, this time with the help of all three daughters.ìIt became sort of a family tradition,î said Conley, who just finished organizing the 2017 event -her third in a row.ìItís quite a far reach for a festival to influence the way people think about Black Forest, but that was one of my goals these past three years Ö Iím hoping that showcasing our identity will help people value it. Specifically, my goal has been to add more of an emphasis on our independent local business owners, local crafters and artisans, 4-H animals and projects, alpaca ranchers, local farm products, the Black Forest Together tree donation program; and, of course, the historic outhouse races!îConley also said she likes to play tennis and mountain bike with her family; plus, she loves to garden.ìI give credit to the Black Forest Victory Garden Club for that,î Conley said. ìItís hard to garden in Black Forest, but theyíve figured out how to do it!îConley answered a few fun questions from the NFH.NFH: What or who has been the biggest influence on your life and why?Conley: My father: He was a very special person; a captain and a pilot in the Navy. He was very inspiring. At 17, he hopped on a bus, applied to be a Navy pilot and succeeded. He passed away a few years ago, but we still carry him in our hearts ó we being myself, my five siblings and our mother.NFH: Name something on your bucket list.Conley: There are several things on my bucket list! I really want to go, with my husband, on an extended mountain bike ride, complete with a crew that sets up a campsite at the end checkpoint for each day. Weíd like to do that in Utah, and Iíd love to do that in Europe.NFH: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?Conley: Sweet potato casseroleNFH: Name three words that describe you.Conley: Iím quiet. Iím also passionate about nature and living in a community like Black Forest. I love that I can be in the dirt and amongst the trees, and my daughter can ride her horse. Iím also passionate about the people that I volunteer with here in Black Forest. Lastly, I love to learn!NFH: Where would you travel to if money wasnít an issue?Conley: I would go to all four Grand Slams: Wimbledon, the French Open, the Australian Open and the U.S. Open.NFH: What do you see for Black Forest in the near future?Conley: Since the fire (in 2013), there have been a lot of people whoíve come together to help each other. I want to see that type of synergy continue. … I will say I would hope that Black Forest and the surrounding areas can come up with a sensible solution for water usage in this area.Also, Iíd really hope that some features can be improved and/or stand the test of time: a sustainable forest, lots of trails, grassroots independently owned businesses and the ingredients for a rural lifestyle for residents – current (low) speed limits, a minimum of 5-acre or equivalent density properties and healthy aquifers to draw from.†††The features recently added to the Black Forest Festival highlight these great aspects of living in the forest, and maybe by doing so show the value of carrying them forward.

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