STANDARD BLADE B R I G H T O N
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903
75cI
VOLUME 117
Issue 32
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2021
Adams County Fair back, but not as usual Music, food and fun at center with some COVID accomodations BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
and stuff and science to the library,” she said. “What we wanted to build that moment of wonder and recovery and healing and the connection to nature that you get walking in nature, as opposed to learning about rocks and whatnot.” She said they were intrigued by Fann and his previous works. “We found we had similar ideas,” she said. “He’s worked with other groups around the country that believe in play and ecosystems. And so, we hired him, and the experience now is becoming part of the creative process.” Fann’s works will become permanent features at the library branches. He’s completed installations at the Wrights Farm branch in Thornton, the branch in Bennett and was planning to finish the Brighton branch’s project in the first week of August. Then, he’ll return to his California studio and return in a few months with pieces
The 116th version of the Adams County Fair is going to be a little different just because it follows 2020. “Yeah, life has changed dramatically,” said Casandra Vossler, Adams County fair and special event’s manager. “It’s been an interesting year, not just for this industry but for the world at large. There are staffing shortages, supply shortages. It’s been crazy.” COVID-19 convinced Adams County to close down the bulk of the fair’s events in 2020. Only the 4H animal and crop contests went forward last year. “We were lucky enough that a lot of the artists and vendors that we’d planned to have in 2020 just rolled things forward to 2021,” Vossler said. “But what we thought would be a really easy year to plan wasn’t that easy.” A number of contractors and performers the fair wanted to bring in this year waited to confirm their appearances until the last couple of weeks. “There wouldn’t commit because Colorado was a state that closed down last year,” Vossler said. “There were states that didn’t close down and they were able to work there. But they wouldn’t commit to us right away until they knew for sure we were going to be open.”
SEE ANYTHINK, P5
SEE FAIR, P6
A towering nest built out of Eucalyptus stalks and sticks in the back area of Anythink Library District’s Wrights Farm branch in Thornton. Artist Jayson Fann designed and built the structure and two others at Anythink branch libraries this summer and PHOTO BY SCOTT TAYLOR plans to return to Colorado with two more, and a sixth mobile nest, later this year.
Anythink installations aim to bring nature closer Architectural artist Jayson Fann wrapping up work on new explorable spaces BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The new art structures at the back of three of Anythink Library’s branches may be made from vastly different kinds of wood but they share one thing - a sense of wonder with natural patterns. “Each kind of wood has its own vocabulary in terms of how it moves and the kinds of things you can do with it,” Artist Jayson Fann said. “Eucalyptus saplings are very flexible when they are green. You can bend them and shape them and when they dry, they dry rock hard.” Fann is wrapping up the first part of his summer Spirit Nest residency at the library district, building three different wooden
sculptures meant to be climbed on and explored at the Brighton, Wrights Farm and Bennett library branches. At least three more of his works are in progress, all part of the library district’s “mySummer” program. The idea for the library district’s summer program began last fall while the state was still in the midst of the COVID-19 shutdown and pandemic quarantines. McGowan said Anythink staff begins planning the next summer’s reading program each September, and September 2020 presented some challenges for them. “Last year, with the pandemic, we gave out more of an activity kit and that was very popular,” McGowan said. “This year, our intention was to have a connection to nature and art in a way that was different. We didn’t know what was going to happen but we wanted to focus on getting outside.” Anythink has hosted dozens of back-to-nature programs, she said. “But it’s one thing to bring birds
Follow us at: facebook.com/brightonblade
Contact us at 303-566-4100 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
OBITUARIES LOCAL CALENDAR SPORTS LEGALS CLASSIFIEDS
LOCAL
2 • Adams County adopts 3 stricter oil drilling rules 7 12 • Page 4 15 18
SPORTS • Athletes find college demands take time
• Page 12
WWW.THEBRIGHTONSTANDARDBLADE.COM
