Lights out, but night life's abuzz in Springs

   It was cards by candlelight for Hillary Hand and friends on Saturday evening.

   The group of stylists from the J Gregory Salon in Colorado Springs gathered for an unconventional house party and game night in the dark on East Pikes Peak Avenue - but in spirit they joined people from all over the world in celebrating Earth Hour, a voluntary blackout meant to focus attention on energy use.

   "I think it's going to get people thinking about how they can conserve," said Hand, 20, adding that the group would continue their celebration in the dark beyond the prescribed hour, which ran from 8 to 9 p.m.

   Hundreds across Colorado Springs had a similar idea, encouraged by students from area high schools who worked with Imagination Celebration to circulate word about the event and enlist participants.

   More than 40 businesses pledged to dim lights. Several restaurants held candlelight dinners, The Citadel mall cut power where it could, and lights on the summit of Pikes Peak went dark, a city spokeswoman said.

   "I think everybody here likes it," said Beatrice Trezevant, who enjoyed wine and the company of a friend at Rico's Cafe and Wine Bar, 322 N. Tejon St.

   Candles flickered at each table in the packed house, creating an intimate atmosphere as Bill Snyder and Jim "Jimbo" Adam ran through a selection of acoustic blues numbers. On the other side of the building, at Poor Richard's Bookstore, the darkness encouraged soft conversation among diners, and a few readers even risked eyestrain to join in the fun.

   One of them, Greg Block, 21, pushed a tiny candle near a tome the size of a cinder block.

   "It's Tolstoy by candlelight," he said with the grin. "It doesn't get any better."

   Elsewhere, servers made do in the dark. Erica Patterson, a bartender at Jack Quinn Irish Alehouse and Pub, said she adjusted quickly enough and even heard one customer call the gesture thought-provoking while picking up his tab.

   "It's a little difficult to read the tickets, but we're making it work," she said.

   Students at Colorado College were also encouraged to participate, said John Lauer, director of Residential Life and Housing, who also sits with students and faculty on the college's sustainability committee.

   The Earth Hour event fits in nicely with the committee's half-semester project to save energy on campus by getting students to turn off lights when not in use, shut down computers at night, air-dry clothes and unplug appliances, he said.

   The first Earth Hour was last year in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million people turned off lights, cutting energy consumption by 10.2 percent that hour.

   This year, more than 400 cities across the globe are taking part.

   Utilities officials say they expect to know Monday how the voluntary blackout affected energy use.
 

  The Associated Press contributed to this report.