Canyon Courier 050423

Bike park would pay taxes to Elk Creek Fire, county and

A dino-mite day to learn about fossils

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Dinosaurs spark the imagination of young and old alike.

at’s why a steady stream of visi-

tors learned more about dinosaurs and other animals that traversed the Morrison area millions of years ago during Stegosaurus Day at the Morrison Natural History Museum on April 29. e museum is a paleon-

tologist a cionado’s paradise with experts available to impart information and answer questions.

Morrison has a strong connection

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e proposed Shadow Mountain Bike Park likely will pay fees instead of property taxes to government entities in Conifer and the county if the development is approved by Je erson County and begins operations, but the question is how much.

According to the State Land Board, people who lease land it owns are subject to possessory interest taxes if the county decides to assess them. ese taxes are in lieu of property taxes since state property normally is not subject to property taxes.

Je co Assessor Scot Kersgaard said

more

If development is approved, Je co can charge possessory interest taxes

SEE BIKE PARK, P6

Charlie Bourque of Colorado Springs spent his 8th birthday with his grandfather at the Morrison Natural History Museum to learn more about dinosaurs. He works with Johnny Carter, a certified paleontology interpreter, to look at fossils buried in the stone.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

SEE FOSSILS, P3

Colorado Community Media sta wins 8 awards

BY STAFF REPORT COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Colorado Community Media sta netted eight awards during the annual Top of the Rockies contest hosted by the Society for Professional Journalists, or SPJ, in downtown Denver on April 22.

With 24 newspapers across the Front Range, CCM reporters competed in the “Large Newsroom” category, which included larger publications and outlets from Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming.

CCM had two rst-place honors. Evergreen/Conifer reporter Deb Hurley Brobst took the top honors in the category of Obit Reporting for her article on Mandi Evans, who “gave more to the community than great food.”

South Metro Editor elma Grimes took rst place in the Mental Health writing category for a series she and two high school interns wrote in 2022.

e “Need to Succeed” series broke down how the combination of college costs, social media and parent and societal expectations is costing kids their childhoods.

Several CCM sta members won second-place honors.

Luke Zarzecki took second place in the Feature: Long Form category for

his story titled, “Uprooting the American dream: Opinions changing about lush lawns.”

For general reporting in a series or package, several south metro sta members combined for a secondplace award. Former reporters Jessica Gibbs and Elliott Wenzler along with Grimes and current CCM reporter McKenna Harford took an extensive look throughout 2022 at the Douglas County School District’s termination of former superintendent Corey Wise.

In Enterprise Reporting, former Littleton reporter Robert Tann won for his in-depth look at police chases that span over Douglas and Arapahoe counties.

Arvada Reporter Rylee Dunn won third place for her in-depth look at parents in the Je erson County School District. Dunn’s article, “Inside Je co Kids First, and Ganahl’s furor over students,” won in the Education: News category.

For extended coverage, CCM’s Digital Editor Deborah Grigsby won third-place honors for her coverage of mobile home legislation in 2022.

In design, CCM’s Tom Fildey won third place for Single Page Design where he featured a photo page of a wild re impacting bighorn sheep.

New design, same commitment

To our valued readers:

If you have made it to this article, you already know that something feels a little di erent about this publication. We have redesigned our nameplate atop the front page, or the “ ag” as we call it in the newsroom.

As the primary symbol of our publication, our ags represent our values and mission. From time to time, we believe it’s important to update and refresh our identity to re ect the evolution of our company. But be con dent that the reliable and quality news you have come to expect has not changed; in fact, we’re working to make it better than ever.

e change to our nearly two dozen publications gives them a cohesive feel, and combined with a change to a more compact size in printing, allows the news content to take center stage, as it should.

Two years ago this week, our publications became owned by a new company, the Colorado News Conservancy. Its mission and purpose are right there in its name: to conserve local news, keep it in local

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hands and keep it vibrant. We recognized that folks get their news in di erent forms, not just in print, so this is just the rst stage in a project to demonstrate our commitment to innovation and progress.

We want you to feel proud and connected to whichever of our publications you receive. We hope you will appreciate the e ort and attention to detail that went into this redesign. We welcome your feedback and comments on our new look, and any part of our newsgathering. Your opinion matters to us, and we always strive to improve to meet your expectations.

Linda Shapley

ank you for your continued support and loyalty to our publication. We believe there are better days ahead.

— Linda Shapley, publisher, Colorado Community Media

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to the stegosaurus, which is Colorado’s state fossil. Dinosaur Ridge is the site of the rst-ever stegosaurus bone fossils found in the world. e bones were excavated in the mid1870s, and some of those original fossils are displayed at the Morrison Natural History Museum, along with a collection of tracks from adult and baby stegosauruses.

According to the museum, the plant-eating stegosaurus could grow to be as large as an elephant and was adorned with plates and deadly spikes on the tip of its tail. e small museum has rooms dedicated to the Jurassic, Cretaceous and Ice Age with plenty of hands-on items on display and tour guides to ll in the gaps.

On April 29, 5-year-old Miles Absher of Littleton was more than happy to impart his knowledge of dinosaurs, which he learned from dinosaur movies and books. As he colored a picture of stegosauruses, he talked about carnotaurus, a word that easily rolled o his tongue. A carnotaurus, he explained, is a therapod, which means it walks on two legs.

Miles’ dad, Max Absher, said the family loves coming to the museum, and they learn something new every time they’re there.

Matthew Mossbrucker, director

and chief curator at the museum, showed attendees a stegosaurus skull, saying researchers believe the dinosaur had a heightened sense of smell and large eyes.

“We believe they were not capable of higher thought,” Mossbrucker

said, “but we may be selling the stegosaurus short.”

For Cindy Brown of Littleton, the museum is a chance to indulge her love of paleontology and geology. She had many questions about the woolly mammoth and more as she

moved around the museum with her grandson.

“We are so lucky to have this in our beautiful state,” she said.

April 29 was Charlie Bourque’s birthday, and the 8-year-old enjoyed hearing the presentations and trying his hand at using a tiny drill to dig into a rock, so he could look

Grandfather Alan Bourque said they drove from Colorado Springs just so Charlie could take part in Stegosaurus Day. Charlie, Alan added, enjoys paleontology and knows more about dinosaurs than most people.

Charlie said he liked the hands-on drilling, noting that digging into the rock could net paleontologists new species of animals.

Johnny Carter, a certi ed paleontologist interpreter and technician, helped attendees use the drill, explaining how it worked and helping them chip tiny pieces of rock. He noted that the rocks were just as important as the fossils because rocks might be helping keep the fossils

“We are spoiled when it comes to paleontology in Morrison,” he said.

Jaxon Jones, 4, of Wheat Ridge loves dinosaurs, especially the stegosaurus, his mom, Jasmine Jones, said.

Jaxon explained that dinosaurs were fun.

“I like the spikes all over them,” he said. “ ey are so awesome and cool.”

Jaxon Jones, 4, of Wheat Ridge enjoys using a tiny drill to carve stone to look for fossils.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

RV resort proposed at I-70, C-470

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e owners of 36 acres on Rooney Road want to put an RV resort on the property — and this wouldn’t be an average RV park.

Westside Resort, which says it owns the property, wants to create a destination location including a 25,000-square-foot clubhouse with a ve-star restaurant, laundry, retail, tness space, gathering space and more, plus motorhome suites, a gas station and vehicle repair area, according to Marcus Pachner with e

Pachner Co., who represented the owners at a community meeting on April 25.

Pachner explained to 15 people on the Zoom call that the two parcels, most of which are across the street and north of the under Valley motocross park, would be a gateway destination for RV users. e property is nestled against Interstate 70 and C-470, so it would have limited visual impacts to any nearby businesses or homes, he said.

e community meeting is the rst step before the owners le a formal application with Je erson County to

rezone the property from agricultural to planned development. No one at the meeting expressed concerns about the proposal.

Pachner said since the pandemic, more people are traveling by recreational vehicles and want places with amenities to stay that can be used as bases as they explore the area. e location is the perfect place for RV users to visit outdoor areas in Je co and beyond, he said.

Rules would be in place so no one could stay more than 30 days, and caretakers would live on-site to monitor activities, Pachner said. Pets

would be allowed.

Pachner said Westside Resort would continue to be an owner in the development, though other partners would be brought in to help with the site.

Pachner said the owners want to work with neighbors to address their concerns about the development, noting that he was willing to meet with neighbors who want to discuss the proposal. Pachner can be reached at marcus@thepachnercompany.com.

This is a map of the proposed location for an RV resort between Interstate 70 and C-470. The Thunder Valley motocross park is at the bottom of the map. SCREENSHOT

This is the developers’ general idea of how the proposed RV resort would be developed. The developers want community feedback to incorporate concerns into the final SCREENSHOT

This is the developers’ general idea of what the clubhouse would look like. SCREENSHOT

Photo by Michael Pintar Photography

BIKE PARK

it was likely that the county would assess the fees, but it was too soon to tell since the proposed development has not gone to the Planning Commission for a recommendation or the county commissioners for a decision. If the bike park is approved and the possessory interest taxes are assessed, the county would distribute the taxes proportionally to the taxing entities where the property is located, he said.

is information counters statements from some Conifer residents who believe the proposed bike park would not pay any taxes to o set services from entities such as the Elk Creek Fire Protection District.

The proposal, concerns about EMS requirements

e developers of the proposed Shadow Mountain Bike Park led an application with Je erson County in January for a special-use permit to put the downhill mountain bike park on 235 acres of a 306-acre parcel owned by the State Land Board two miles up Shadow Mountain Drive.

e proposal has faced backlash from neighbors and support from mountain bike enthusiasts. e day-use bike park with a chairlift would operate generally from March 1 to Nov. 30. Estimates show about

300 daily visitors to the park with a peak of 700. e parking lot will have spaces for 300 cars.

In April, Chuck Newby, an Elk Creek Fire Protection District board member, expressed concern about how the proposed bike park would not pay taxes to the re department despite his contention that calls would increase. He wanted Elk Creek to determine how much emergency services calls cost the district and to develop the mechanisms to o set EMS demands from the bike park, ensuring district taxpayers “would be held harmless.” His motion was voted down 4-1 with other board members saying it

was premature because the proposal was in its rst referral phase with the county.

e issue is expected to be revisited at the next Elk Creek Fire board meeting at 6 p.m. ursday, May 11, at Fire Station 1.

Determining possessory use taxes

Michael Krueger with the Colorado Department of Local A airs explained that the amount of possessory interest taxes the bike park would pay — assuming the development is approved by the county and the taxes are assessed — would be based on the amount of rent the developers pay to the State Land Board.

“ e (taxes are) based on the lease structure with the State Land Board,” Krueger said. “Typically, it’s not a lot of money.”

e taxes would be determined by taking the total yearly lease payment, multiplying it by the assessed tax rate, which in Je co is 27.9%, to determine the amount the bike park developers would pay. en the total would be given proportionally to the taxing entities such as the county, school district and re district.

Kristin Kemp, spokeswoman for the State Land Board, said the bike park developers would not apply to the land board to lease the property until a determination has been made by Je erson County on whether the bike park will be al-

The

lowed to operate.

“If the proposed project is approved and permitted at the county level through the county’s process, then the developers would need to apply for a production lease with the State Land Board through our public process,” Kemp said.

EMS calls

Newby said at the April 13 board meeting that a downhill bike park would mean accidents and injuries, and Elk Creek’s emergency responders would be overtaxed answering the additional calls. He said based on his research, Elk Creek’s EMS would respond to about 10 calls per week with the majority needing transportation to the hospital, which takes several hours and makes an ambulance and its crew unable to answer other emergency calls.

“ ere will not be EMS facilities provided onsite, so the burden falls to us,” Newby said. “ e bike park won’t pay any taxes (since it is on state-owned land) therefore Elk Creek taxpayers will take the burden. at is something we must do something about.”

Phil Bouchard, one of the Shadow Mountain Bike Park developers, refutes Newby’s claim that Elk Creek EMS would respond to 10 calls per week. Instead, he said, Elk Creek EMS would only be needed to transport seriously injured mountain bikers to a hospital because the bike park plans to provide on-site medical personnel that he called an EMS center to respond to incidents in the park. He plans to hire paramedics and/or emergency room nurses to work at the bike park.

“So many of the incidents we will be able to handle on our own,” Bouchard said. “It will potentially be a net decrease in the number of EMS calls.”

Riders frequent several area parks such as Flying J and Staunton, and when someone is injured, EMS personnel must hike in, bring the injured person to a safe location, administer medical attention and transport as necessary, Bouchard said. At Shadow Mountain Bike Park, the injured person already would be at the visitor center, so the time per incident if Elk Creek was called would shorten.

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If the Shadow Mountain Bike Ranch is approved by Je erson County, the developers can be assessed a fee similar to property taxes that would go to taxing entities such as the Elk Creek Fire Protection District.

FILE PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

King-Murphy 4th graders take on fire mitigation

Students work in the snow to get the area near their school safer

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Fourth graders from King-Murphy Elementary School got the chance to learn and take an active role in re mitigation — right on the property of their school.

Mary Gordon’s fourth-grade class headed outside with rakes and gloves on April 25, despite the snowy weather, and put their mitigation knowledge from Evergreen Fire/Rescue’s Risk Reduction Coordinator Einar Jensen to work.

is mitigation e ort was part of a semester-long partnership between Evergreen Fire/Rescue and Clear Creek School District. Jensen has been in the 4th-grade classroom throughout the last few months working with the kids on becoming junior wild re ambassadors.

“ is program is a way to engage and empower fourth graders,” he said.

April 25 was the rst day of bootson-the-ground mitigation, but Jensen has been in the classroom seven times this semester teaching about the environment, wild re risks and more. He said the kids were ready to work and treated around an eighth of an acre.

“ e kids were spectacular, they each brought a rake and work gloves,” Jensen said.

e junior ambassador program has been a great collaboration in the community between Evergreen Fire/ Rescue, the school district and the community, Jensen said.

Evergreen Fire/Rescue’s website has many resources for people learning about mitigation and how to do their part. Here are some tips on basic defensible space mitigation from the department:

or buildings, known as defensible space, involves three zones of space stretching from structures.

• Evergreen Fire/Rescue’s guide to home ignition zones recommends that zone one, which is space within zero to ve feet of a structure, be cleared of ignitable debris like pine

of a structure, it recommends to mow tall grasses, remove fuels like logs and mulch and remove diseased or dying trees.

• In zone three, within 30 to 100 feet of a structure,  it recommends

ese are only a few recommendations on defensible space mitigation, for a complete look at the guidelines, visit the Evergreen Fire/Rescue website.

The fourth grade class is hard at work raking.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LAURA JOHNSON

Momentous verdict, no minds changed

Iused to be an avid Fox News watcher and I particularly liked Bill O’Reilly. He was a moderating voice among more extreme voices at the station. At some point, I noticed that he was less than respectful to others on the show. His success, in my opinion, had made him arrogant, so I changed the channel. Sometime later, my observations seemed to be con rmed as he was forced out among sexual harassment allegations.

Fox serves an otherwise underserved market catering to conservative news watchers.  However, it seems that the network has moved from a news source to an advocacy outlet for conservatives. Shaun Hannity campaigned for Trump. Imagine Walter Cronkite or David Brinkley on the campaign trail. It never could have happened in an age of the fairness doctrine.

In a summary judgment, the Supe-

JIM ROHRER Columnist

rior court in Delaware acknowledged that Fox News did engage in disingenuous reporting even though they knew the information they were reporting was not true. It became obvious that Dominion Voting had a strong case as they sued Fox for defamation.

I was sure looking forward to the trial, but Fox settled the action for $787.5 million just before it was set to begin. It is being reported that this settlement is the largest ever for a defamation suit, yet many are disappointed they will not see the Fox executives and anchors dragged through embarrassing testimony. e truth is that this trial was always headed for a settlement.

e Dominion Voting Company has annual revenue of $17.5 million. So, a judgement of the size it will receive will be a huge multiple of the value of the company. It is owned by a venture capital rm whose goal is to invest in young promising companies supplying them with the cash necessary to grow. In return, they look for a future payday.

eir payday has arrived. Once the venture capital rm saw that it had a strong case and would probably win, it knew that by settling it would hit the jackpot. If they were to go to trial, even a win would probably have to go through a long appeal process that could take years.

As for Fox, the settlement will cost them about two thirds of the network’s 2021 net pro t. at won’t sink it, but it is a signi cant blow. It still faces another suit from Smartmatic, another voting system company. Smartmatic is in the enviable

position of having Dominion already having received a settlement. For those of us who were hoping to see Fox’s dishonesty made public, it will happen for those who get their news anywhere except Fox. ose who only watch Fox will likely not see much coverage on their channel. Even if they do see some coverage, they will not become less loyal. Remember that this started because Fox fans wanted their station to produce news that favored their views not the truth.  It’s likely that neither blue nor red minds will change concerning Fox News.

Jim Rohrer of Evergreen is a business consultant and author of the books “Improve Your Bottom Line … Develop MVPs Today” and “Never Lose Your Job … Become a More Valuable Player.” Jim’s belief is that common sense is becoming less common. Contact Jim at jim.rohrer2@ gmail.com.

Land exchanges serve the wealthy

In 2017, the public lost 1,470 acres of wilderness-quality land at the base of Mount Sopris near Aspen, Colorado.

For decades, people had hiked and hunted on the Sopris land, yet the Bureau of Land Management handed it over to Leslie Wexner, former CEO of Victoria’s Secret and other corporations, at his request. e so-called “equivalent terrain” he o ered in return was no match for access to trails at the base of the 13,000-foot mountain.

is ill-considered trade reveals how land management agencies pander to wealthy interests, do not properly value public land and restrict opportunities for public involvement. It’s an ongoing scandal in Colorado that receives little attention.

Since 2000, the BLM and the Forest Service have proposed over 150 land exchanges in Colorado. Last year alone, the agencies proposed to trade more than 4,500 acres of public lands, worth over $9 million, in three major Colorado land exchanges.

WRITERS ON THE RANGE

Land to be traded away includes pre-

playgrounds.

Often, the deals proposed sound good in terms of acreage. In the Valle Seco Exchange, for example, the San Juan National Forest in southern Colorado would trade 380 acres for 880 acres of prime game-wintering habitat. But the trade mostly bene ts the landowners pushing the exchange.

Public lands for trade in the Valle Seco Exchange include river access, corridors considered for Wild and Scenic River designation, wetlands, sensitive species habitat, and signicant cultural sites.

Alarmingly, the Valle Seco exchange also includes more than 175 acres of a Colorado Roadless Area, a designation meant to block development of high-quality land. e exchange would allow a neighboring landowner to consolidate those 380 acres with his 3,000-plus acre ranch, opening the door to development.

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But here in Colorado — and elsewhere around the country — this management tool has been usurped by powerful players who aim to turn valuable public lands into private

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

DONNA REARDON Marketing Consultant dreardon@coloradocommunitymedia.com

e Valle Seco Exchange follows a long-standing pattern. “Exchange facilitators,” people familiar with the land-acquisition wish lists of agencies, help private landowners buy

KRISTEN FIORE West Metro Editor kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

DEB HURLEY BROBST Community Editor dbrobst@coloradocommunitymedia.com

RUTH DANIELS Classified Sales rdaniels@coloradocommunitymedia.com

lands the agencies want. e landowners then threaten to manage and develop those lands in ways that undermine their integrity.  e Valle Seco proponents did this by closing formerly open gates and threatening to fence the 880 acres for a domestic elk farm and hunting lodge. is is blackmail on the range.   While catering to these private interests, the agencies suppress public scrutiny by refusing to share land appraisals and other documents with the public until afterthe public process has closed — or too late in the process to make it meaningful.  e proponents and their consultants have ready access to these documents, yet the public, which owns the land, does not. In Valle Seco, appraisals were completed in August 2020, but they weren’t released to the public until December 2021, just a few weeks before the scheduled decision date for the exchange. Advocates managed to pry the appraisals out of the agency only after submitting multiple Freedom

SEE ROSENBERG, P9

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Courier.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone. Email letters to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

‘Mental health is just as important as physical health’

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and this annual observance hits close to home for me, as a former single parent resident of Warren Village.

Warren Village is a Denver-based nonpro t organization that helps low-income, single-parent families achieve sustainable personal and economic self-su ciency. I moved in with my 4-year-old daughter in August of 2019, hoping to build a new life after leaving a domestic violence situation. Little did I know that this decision would not only provide me with a ordable housing and education opportunities, but also vital mental health services.

Before coming to Warren Village, I had already earned a certi cate in medical assisting, but was struggling to make ends meet. I saw the nonpro t as an opportunity to not only continue my education and pay low rent, but also access a range of services such as career development, housing and personal nance, child development and, of course, mental health counseling.

It was just before COVID-19 struck that I began meeting with Pam, a counselor at Warren Village. In response to the pandemic, we shifted to virtual sessions. Despite the challenges, this counseling proved to be life-changing for me. I was diagnosed with PTSD and ADHD, and being able to work with a professional to organize my thoughts and feelings was a game-changer.

ROSENBERG

of Information Act requests and taking legal action.

In another deal, the Blue Valley Exchange, the BLM also withheld drafts of the management agreements until just before releasing the nal decision. is is hardly an open and fair public process.

e federal government presents what are, in e ect, done deals. Development plans and appraisals are undisclosed and comment periods hindered. By prioritizing the proponents’ desires over public interests

GUEST COLUMN

Since leaving Warren Village, I now own a home and possess the necessary resilience and coping skills to prioritize other aspects of my life, such as decorating my new house and providing my daughter with quality possessions without relying on government aid. I consider myself lucky to continue receiving help from Pam through regular counseling sessions, and I will always be appreciative to Warren Village for facilitating this connection.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to prioritize your mental well-being. e recent pandemic has taken a toll on all of us, but particularly those who were already struggling with psychological issues.

So I urge all of us to take the time this month to focus on our mental health and well-being. It is not always easy to prioritize ourselves, but it is crucial to living a healthy and ful lling life. Seek help now instead of potentially having problems compound over time.

Let us remember that mental health is just as important as physical health, and work towards ending the stigma and ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need.

Jada Galassini is a resident of southeast Denver.

Howard C. Lysne, aka “ e Great Lizard”, passed away on April 17, 2023 at the age of 87. He resided in Redmond OR and Evergreen CO. e Great Lizard had many nick names throughout his life including Gramps, Machine Gun Lizard, Skipper, Old Blue Eyes.

Howard was born in Crookston MN on February 22, 1936, during the Great Depression, to Conrad and Blanche Lysne. He has three children (Desiree, Leanne and David), ve grandchildren, ve greatgrandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, two brothers, ve sisters. He married Flo Bang of Crookston MN in 1955, mother of his three children, who passed away in 2017. Howard graduated from Cathedral High School in Crookston MN and then went on to the University of North Dakota. After graduation he became a Naval Aviator and served on both active and reserve duty for 30 years including the Vietnam War.

As Commander of VP-60 (Sub Chasers) NAS Glenview IL, he led his squadron to earn two consecutive “Battle E” awards, the rst achieved by any Navy unit at that time. One of his peers said, “no matter how you cut it, Howard was a unique leader who did things his own way and always seemed to come out smelling like a rose”. After his success at the helm of VP-60, he was promoted to Captain and went on to command two additional units at NAS

Glenview.

In civilian life he was a pilot for United Airlines from 1968 to 1996 based out of Chicago and Denver. At United, Howard rose to the rank of Captain. He was a ight instructor and ew everything from the 707 to the 747. Flying was his biggest passion. He said he got his start by jumping o the roof of his garage using an umbrella. His second passion was hockey, which he played from age 5 to age 80 and lost a few teeth in the process.

Howard had many other passions like hunting, gun collecting, golf, cigars, reading, fast cars and women. He had many side hustles during his life like real estate, advertising, nutritional drinks, was a part owner in a boat marina, electronics company and was a substitute high school math teacher.

Howard had a personality the size of Dallas and was master of the “tall tale”. Fish tales, hunting tales, ying adventures, Safari hunting in Africa, he could spin the best yarn you ever heard. Everybody who knew him will miss his kindness, humor, grit and entertaining personality.

Howard is survived by his wife Carolyn, his three children, his sisters Joanne and Suzanne, his brother Myron, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, many loving nieces and nephews, and ever devoted family and friends. Services will be held in Colorado. Please visit inmemoriamservices.com for more details.

and process, the land management agencies abdicate their responsibilities.

e result is that too many land trades are nothing less than a betrayal of the public trust as the public loses access to its land as well as the land itself.

Erica Rosenberg is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonpro t that works to spur lively conversation about Western issues. She is on the board of Colorado Wild Public Lands, a nonpro t in the town of Basalt that monitors land exchanges around the state.

LYSNE

Howard C. Lysne February 22, 1936 - April 17, 2023

Denver Fashion Week returns to city’s runways

Everybody has an out t or two they love but don’t have the occasion or courage to pull out of the closest. Celebrating style like that — and providing an opportunity to bust out these gems — is one the main reasons Denver Fashion Week has continued to grow year over year.

“Denver Fashion Week is a great opportunity to step out of your comfort zone,” said Hailey Hodapp, the event’s runway director and producer. “We hope people look at the aesthetic and vibes of this year’s shows and nd something that speaks to them. And then they’ll have an excuse to wear something they’d never wear otherwise.”

Denver Fashion Week runs from Saturday, May 6 through Saturday, May 13 at  e Brighton, 3403 Brighton Blvd. in Denver, in the RiNo Art District.  is year’s event features six shows, each with an approach all their own:

Local Couture at 7 p.m. on Satur-

COMING ATTRACTIONS

day, May 6

Kids Couture at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 7

Sustainable at 5p.m. on Sunday,

Fashion Industry Workshop at 6:30 p.m. on Monday,

Ready To Wear at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9

Streetwear & Sneakers at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10

Guided By Humanity Fashion

Show and Fundraiser at 6 p.m. on ursday, May 11

International and Local Boutiques at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 13

Of note is the Sustainable show, an issue which Hodapp said has become increasingly important in the fashion world in recent years.

“How sustainable is it to buy a $20 shirt every other month? How does that impact our world?’ she said.

“We’re seeing the industry become more purposeful in its use of materials and more designers taking something old and nding ways to make it new again.”

While many people may not think of Denver as a major fashion hub, its reputation has been growing and one of the joys of Denver Fashion Week is the way it celebrates local creatives and matches them with talents from all over the country and world. at’s what makes the Fashion Industry Workshop and International and Local Boutiques important — they’re a bridge to a wider community.

“I hope people who attend this year are inspired and have their eyes opened to the creative industries,” Hodapp said. “It’d be great if more people understand and appreciate what goes into the clothes they wear. Because the inspiration can come from anywhere and people take that for granted. Designers put so much time and care into every stich.”  For full details and tickets, vis-

it www.denverfashionweek.com.

Get lost in Benchmark’s ‘Great Wilderness’

Samuel D. Hunter’s “A Great Wilderness” is the kind of story that shines on stages — it brings audiences in close as the characters tackle extremely complex and challenging questions about religion, identity and personal conviction.

Directed by Marc Stith, the show runs at Benchmark eatre, 1560 Teller St. in Lakewood, through Saturday, May 13. Performances are at 8 p.m. ursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

According to provided information, the show is about Walt, the leader of a Christian retreat that tries to “cure” gay teens. But just as he’s about to retire, a nal client causes him to question the work he’s been doing.

Get tickets for this moving show at https://www.benchmarktheatre. com/tickets-a-great-wilderness.

Clarke Reader

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

At e Alley in downtown Littleton, you might nd a musician who’s so into the music, they’ll get up and dance on the bar.

When a local band surprises the crowd with a stellar performance that no one saw coming, “it just knocks people’s socks o ,” said Mary Riecks, e Alley’s bar manager and a Littleton-area native.

e watering hole on Main Street doubles as a music venue that nds and helps grow local talent — and the shows are free. It’s one of the bars in the metro Denver suburbs that o ers a window into up-and-coming homegrown performers amid a music scene that one longtime bar owner says is growing.

“Twenty years ago when I opened up the bar, there were a few bars around that had live music,” said Doug Jacobsen, owner of Jake’s Roadhouse in Arvada.

Since then, he’s noticed that “all of these di erent bars” now o er space for shows, said Jacobsen, who has friends who perform at spots around metro Denver.

“ ere’s a lot of great musicians here,” Jacobsen said.

Here’s a look at places o the beaten path where you can catch some lesser known — and sometimes famous — music artists in person.

‘Something for everyone’ Wild Goose Saloon in Parker

o ers a bit of a di erent environment: It’s a bar but also a large event venue.

It aims to be “Colorado’s version of the Knitting Factory” — a unique, independent venue that hosts local and national artists, said Chris Dellinger, who serves as co-owner of Wild Goose Saloon with his wife.

ey’re both longtime musicians themselves — they perform in a band called Lola Black, garnered play on the radio and toured around the country — and have played Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre several times, Dellinger said.

ey take their knowledge of the industry to running the Wild Goose, which was built around the concept of serving as a music venue and has a bigger stage,

sound and lighting setup than most bars do, Dellinger said.

It’s “kind of like every musician’s dream to own their own venue at some place and time, and we just ended up being able to pull it o ,” said Dellinger, who lives in Aurora.

After opening in July 2021, Wild Goose has hosted some large country artists and “some `80s artists that are still big,” Dellinger said. National pop-rock act American Authors is set to play there in late April.

“My motto always is, ‘If you don’t like the music one night, that’s OK — it’ll be completely di erent the next night or the next week,’” Dellinger said. “So we really try to have something for everyone here.”

His venue tries to get exposure for local talent by letting them open for national touring acts. For the audience, the typical admission cost for a national artist’s show at Wild Goose sits around $25 to $30, but local artists’ ticketed shows can cost as low as $10, and most of the local artists’ shows are free.

Dellinger and his wife have

“snuck in” a performance or two at Wild Goose, he said — they were set to play there in late April with the Texas Hippie Coalition, an American heavy metal band. Keeping classics alive

You might also see Jacobsen, a guitarist himself, playing with a band at Jake’s Roadhouse in the north metro area every now and then.

His bar started o ering live music “right away” after opening near the end of 2003. Sitting in east Arvada close to Denver and Westminster, the venue o ers mostly cover bands and blues, and on Wednesday nights, bluegrass is on tap. Sometimes, artists play original songs, but it’s rare, Jacobsen said.

“Our people come in to hang out, and most original bands don’t have four hours’ worth of original music,” Jacobsen said.

But playing covers at Jake’s Roadhouse is one way to get a new artist’s foot in the door in the local music scene.

“We have bands that come to us all the time that can’t get these other bars to give them a chance to play because they haven’t played anywhere before,” Jacobsen said. He added: “We’re not like that. I know a lot of musicians around town, and we will give a band a chance to play just on the word of a friend.”

He feels that live music is im-

Local suburban bars a place for up-and-coming music talent in Denver metro area

FROM

PAGE

portant to promote — “especially nowadays.”

“I’m 68 years old, so I grew up with really a lot of good rock and roll from the `60s and `70s, and I think it’s important to keep that alive,” he said.

And there’s no ticket cost to watch the live music at Jake’s Roadhouse.

New talent in Littleton Music is always free to watch, too, at e Alley in Littleton on the southwest side of the Denver

suburbs.

e bar had its grand opening near the start of 2017 and has always featured live music, said Riecks, the bar manager.

“ ere were not that many places on Main Street here in downtown Littleton that featured live music other than karaoke or a DJ on the weekends, at least not regularly,” Riecks said. “If you did catch a live band, it was maybe one day a week.”

e Alley came in and established a consistent place for live music, leaning toward classic rock but offering a variety of genres including blues, jazz, folk and bluegrass. Most of the acts that Riecks books are

local. And among the original artists, performances typically include about 25% original songs and 75% covers, she said — catering to the crowds.

e small main-street outlet is still an ideal place where you can catch new talent: Some nights of the week are centered around new artists.

“If you come play my open mic night and the open mic host thinks you have some serious potential, they’ll send them to me,” and then the artist may be featured in “new talent ursday,” Riecks said. After that, Riecks may o er an artist a weekend spot — a paid opportunity to play from 8 to 11 p.m.

“So there’s kind of a ladder,” Riecks said.

Some well-known artists have played at e Alley, including Sean Kelly of e Samples, “which was a huge band in the `90s,” said Riecks, who added that she receives at least 40 to 50 emails a month from local artists and national touring acts.

A large part of e Alley’s crowd on any given night comes for the live music, Riecks said.

People can get a typical bar experience at many other places, she noted.

James Steinbach, lead guitarist of Float Like a Bu alo, performs at The Alley in downtown Littleton. Josh Blackburn, a local musician, performs at The Alley in downtown Littleton.

A band plays at The Alley, a bar that features live music in downtown Littleton.

Evergreen Nature Center moving east of downtown

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Evergreen Nature Center is moving to the Church of the Transguration campus on the east end of downtown Evergreen.

e center will be in the Bancroft House, which used to house the Evergreen Christian Outreach food bank, and will be open year-round starting in early June. e new space will allow the nature center, which is operated by Evergreen Audubon, to expand programs, according to Kathy Madison, Evergreen Audubon’s president.

e Nature Center had been in the warming hut at Evergreen Lake since 2008 and was open only from May to October.

e new location will have expanded exhibit space, a small gift shop, o ce space and storage, and access to classroom and meeting space in nearby Douglas Hall. For the rst time, the Evergreen Nature Center will have running water and plenty of parking, an announcement about the move said. Admission will remain free.

e goal of the Nature Center con-

tinues to be to foster enthusiasm and respect for the natural world among residents and visitors to the mountain communities. e center has exhibits highlighting the natural his-

Comprehensive cancer care that sets us apart.

day camps for school-aged children, partnership with Evergreen Library.

Madison said the larger space will allow more school groups to visit the center, plus it will o er more adult programming. e nearby Bancroft Meadow will allow the center to offer classes outdoors.

“Even though the warming hut was great, it was not as accessible as the Bancroft House is in terms of parking, ADA accessibility and those kind of things,” she said.

Madison said Evergreen Audubon hopes to have a series of open houses in June so people can see the new space. Details will be provided as the nature center sta gets settled into the new space.

Cory Vander Veen, the Evergreen Park & Recreation District’s executive director, called the Evergreen Nature Center an incredible way for the community to connect with nature and be educated about the area.

“ e displays that had been in the warming hut at Evergreen Lake had touch tables, photos, maps and other displays to connect in unique ways to nature,” he said. “We are ecstatic they have found a good spot to relocate the Nature Center. We are happy to support them in what their future looks like.”

Jill Alldredge, MD

Kian Behbakht, MD

Bradley Corr, MD

Lisa Marie Babayan, PA-C

Lindsay Brubaker, MD

Jaime Arruda, MD

Catherine Bouts, PA-C

Nicole Marjon, MD

Christine Walsh, MD

Carolyn Lefkowits, MD

Marisa Moroney, MD Saketh Guntupalli, MD

Spyridon Mastroyannis, MD

The Bancroft House on the east end of downtown Evergreen will be the new home of Evergreen Audubon’s Nature Center beginning in mid-June. The center will be open year-round.

COURTESY PHOTO BY CAROL BURDICK

Title lone

CONIFER – Angry and urgent, Husband called JCSO to say that Wife was “trying to steal the car.” Rushing to the scene, deputies spoke with Wife, who hasn’t lived with Husband for at least two months. Wife said the car she was “trying to steal” is her own, being registered in her name only, and that Husband had deliberately disabled it to prevent her from recovering her property. Husband told o cers the vehicle was “the family car” given to the couple by his father, that Wife had registered it in her own name simply because he’d been out of town at the time, and that he’d “removed a fuse” from under the hood to prevent her

from removing what he considered communal property. Alas, the law rests upon a rumpled bed of documentation, and after con rming that Wife stood alone on the vehicle’s title, deputies cited Husband for criminal tampering.

Circle jerk

PINE JUNCTION – When an unfamiliar “black Chevy pickup” parked in her driveway bright and early on March 24, she watched with interest. When a man got out and walked entirely around her house, she watched with unease. When he got back in his truck and drove away without touching anything, announcing his presence or reveal-

ing his purpose, she picked up the phone. Deputies reviewing home surveillance footage of the enigmatic orbiter found nothing criminal in his behavior, but advised her to let them know if he comes back for a second circuit.

In-come rental

PINE JUNCTION – Tenant called JCSO on the morning of April 3 to put the department on notice. Landlord had trespassed on his rightfully rented space, he said, and the next time she did it he’d be pursuing charges. Armed with a copy of his rental agreement, Tenant testi ed that Landlord had noti ed him of her intention to enter his habitation

WHAT IS SLASH?

and “work on the wood stove.” Tenant had counter-noti ed Landlord that he didn’t want her inside his home unless he was physically in residence. Landlord went in anyway, performing the repairs in his absence. Tenant wanted deputies to take Landlord to task, and to warn her against future unescorted entries. For her part, Landlord told o cers that Tenant has been consistently behind in his rent, and that she’d just begun eviction proceedings against him. Deputies told Landlord that, per the terms of the rental agreement, until Tenant is formally served with eviction papers she can’t enter without his leave.

Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes. Allows residents to dispose of the wildfire fuel on their property, creating defensible space around their home.

WHAT IS SLASH?

Organic debris such as tree limbs and branches, known as slash, contributes to the high risk of fire danger in Jefferson County. All slash is composted.

WHAT IS SLASH?

Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes.

Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes. Allows residents to dispose of the wildfire fuel on their property, creating defensible space around their home.

Allows residents to dispose of the wildfire fuel on their property, creating defensible space around their home.

Organic debris such as tree limbs and pine needles, known as slash, contributes to the high risk of fire danger in Jefferson County. All slash is composted.

Organic debris such as tree limbs and branches, known as slash, contributes to the high risk of fire danger in Jefferson County. All slash is composted.

WHAT IS SLASH?

Woody debris

Tree bark

Pine cones Logs: -Max length: 8 feet

-Max diameter: 6 inches

Household trash

Metal of any kind

Tree stumps

Yard waste/grass clippings

For

SEE SHERIF’S CALLS, P21

Conifer library analysis continues

Library board plans community-feedback meetings in May

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Je erson County Public Library board is moving forward with deciding whether Conifer will get a free-standing library.

After completing one-on-one interviews with 16 stakeholders, library o cials now are opening the discussion to the community. It is conducting two meetings in May –one in-person and the other virtual – to gain feedback. In addition, an online survey will be available later this month.

e in-person meeting will be at 10 a.m. May 13 at Conifer library, which is in Conifer High School, and a virtual meeting will be at 7 p.m. May 15 on Zoom. e Zoom link will be available at https://je colibrary.org/ conifer-opportunity/.

“ e (library) board loves to understand the community,” Donna Walker, the library district’s executive director, said. “ ere is a lot of opportunity (in Conifer).”

Conifer’s library has been in Conifer High School since the school opened in 1996. e 8,900-squarefoot library space is open to the public when school is not in session. With the change in start and end times at Conifer High School starting in August, the library will be open fewer hours each week. Currently, school ends at CHS at 3 p.m.; next year, school will end at 3:45 p.m. Walker said the changing school times precipitated the library board to look at other options for Conifer library.

e Conifer Area Council has been advocating for a free-standing library for several years based on feedback from community surveys it conducts.

Gathering feedback

Walker said the May community meetings will allow the library district to move to the next level by getting additional input, so it can develop a program of service for the Conifer area. She said it was too soon to know whether the library district wold move toward a free-standing library or some other library con guration.

“We are looking for what the community wants, needs and expects in their library,” Walker said. “ at will allow us to determine how much space we will need, so we can move forward.”

e library board put $2.5 million in its 2023 budget for the Conifer library, Walker said.

e library board will hear a report at its July 20 meeting about the results of the community meetings and survey, Walker said, and the library board should hear recommendations in August.

Stakeholder comments

e stakeholders in their interviews discussed the pros and cons of having a library in Conifer High School, according to a report provided to the library board in April. ey said the current hours of operation were not ideal, and daytime hours would allow more programs for young families such as story times.

ey said parking and access to the library were di cult because of stairs into the building and remote parking.

However, stakeholders agreed that maintaining a relationship between the library and the high school was a bene t.

e stakeholders advocated for a free-standing library, though they disagreed on what that should look like: a new building, renting space in a retail center, combining a library and recreation center, or making changes to Conifer High School to keep the library there.

According to data presented to the library board, the library service area for Conifer has about 5,000 households with about a third of them using the Conifer library.

Conifer Area Council survey

e Conifer Area Council conducts a survey every four years, and the 2022 survey results showed that out of 650 responses, 53% said they found the library in Conifer High School inconvenient, and 66% said they would more likely use the Conifer library if it were open from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. in its own location.

In addition, 43% said the shortened hours at Conifer library starting in August would limit their use of the library, and 76% said they would like to see the library district create a free-standing, full-service library in the Conifer area, perhaps by leasing or purchasing vacant retail space.

Karen Heydman, one of our 25 for 285 who are building our new nonprofit

Meetings are planned in May to gather community feedback on what they want in their library. FILE PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

EVERGREEN PARK & RECREATION BRIEFS

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

New equipment for rec district fitness rooms

e tness rooms at Evergreen’s two recreation centers will get upgrades.

e Evergreen Park & Recreation District board of directors on April 25 approved spending about $70,000 to replace and add to the cardio and weight equipment o erings. e expenditure will exceed the $40,000 originally budgeted for equipment.

e Buchanan Park Recreation Center, which received upgrades a few years ago, will get six pieces of equipment. e Wulf Recreation Center will get 10 pieces of equipment, with other changes planned for the weight room including the removal of a glass partition.

e rec district sta had planned to put arti cial turf on the patio area outside the Buchanan Park pool, but that has been scrapped until the district nishes its strategic plan.

Brian Tucker, the rec district’s recreation manager, said some of the treadmills and other cardio equipment are at the end of their life, needing major upgrades, so it made

sense to replace them. Other equipment has been requested by patrons, he said.

“We are taking into consideration said, adding that the rec district has competition from area athletic clubs

EPRD Executive Director Cory

Wulf Recreation Center’s weight and cardio room will be getting new equipment.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

SEE EPRD BRIEFS, P19

Vander Veen reminded the board that this expenditure was only a short-term x for the rec district’s tness rooms.

No donation to mural fundraising campaign

e Evergreen Park & Recreation District will not contribute to an effort to raise money to put a mural on the CenturyLink building in downtown Evergreen.

Leadership Evergreen, which is spearheading the fundraising e ort, asked the rec district to contribute $5,000 to the project, and the district’s name along with other contributors’ names would be on a plaque near the mural.

While a vote was not taken on the expenditure at the April 25 EPRD board meeting, two board members expressed support for the donation, saying it was important for the rec district to work collaboratively with other organizations. ree board members said it wasn’t right to spend taxpayer dollars on something outside the rec district’s scope of service.

Board member Peter Eggers said supporting the arts was part of the rec district’s past master plans. Eggers and board member Betsy Hays agreed that the donation would make a statement that EPRD sup-

ports the arts and Leadership Evergreen.

“If we don’t donate the money,” Eggers said, “it sends a (negative) message to those who think EPRD’s mission is broader than sweat. It raises a ag … to our community on what we truly support.”

Board members Monty Estis, Don Rosenthal and Mary McGhee said the district should not spend the money.

“As much as I love public art, I don’t think it’s an appropriate use of our funds,” Rosenthal said. “We don’t have a broad mandate. We’re a special district with a focus on recreation. I think (the donation would) go outside our mission.”

McGhee added: “EPRD’s mission is to provide a wide range of excellent, nancially responsible park and recreation facilities. It says parks and rec, not arts and rec. Our mission is not to prop up other nonprofits.”

Estis’ idea to donate a token amount to the fundraising e ort and McGhee’s idea for board members to individually donate $1,000 to the e ort on EPRD’s behalf did not gain traction.

Strategic planning meetings May will be strategic plan month for the Evergreen Park & Recreation District board.

e board will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, at the Buchanan Park Recreation Center in a work session to hear the results of a statisti-

cally signi cant survey about what constituents want the rec center to provide.

e board will meet again at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, at the Buchanan Park Rec Center to begin prioritizing projects for the district to undertake in the next three to ve years, looking at project cost, community wants and what the district can a ord.

e public is invited to attend both meetings to hear the discussion, though it will be up to the board whether to allow public input since that will not be on the agenda.

Board members have been discussing whether to ask voters for a bond increase in November to pay for projects and/or to ask voters to continue paying the same amount of property taxes after a bond is paid o in 2025.

In 2022, the board decided to undertake creating a strategic plan, with the rst step determining what constituents want and need from the district. It began with listening sessions and followed up with a survey.

All households in the rec district were mailed postcards with codes to access to the survey. ose living outside the district or a second person in the household could answer the survey through evergreenrecreation.com.

Mobile recreation trailer

A mobile recreation trailer may be coming to an Evergreen Park & Recreation District park near you.

e district has partnered with the

Wilmot Elementary School PTA to stock a 15-foot trailer with carnival games, a bounce house, a projector that can be used for movies in the park and more. e rec district is providing the enclosed trailer, and the PTA is buying the rst round of games.

Cory Vander Veen, the rec district’s executive director, hopes that each year, organizations will add to the trailer o erings.

“ e intention is for it to be used by the entire community,” Vander Veen said. “We’re going to start small and focus on partners and events we already have. We can expand it to whatever we want it to be.”

Sta housing Plans are moving forward for the Evergreen Park & Recreation District to turn the ve houses it owns in Buchanan Park into housing for district employees in an e ort to retain and attract them.

Executive Director Cory Vander Veen has said creating employee housing stems from the district having di culty lling some positions and not retaining employees because they can’t a ord to live in the foothills.

Vander Veen said at the April 25 board meeting that sta are working on creating an application and lottery system to determine who will get the housing. He said there’s been a lot of sta interest in having units that they can a ord in the community.

Rock-throwing homicide suspects’ a davits paint grim portrait of April 19 events

Suspect

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arrest a davits — including statements from two of the three suspects — in the rock-throwing death of Alexa Bartell suggest that suspects Joseph Koenig, Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak have a history of throwing projectiles at cars, photographed Bartell’s car after throwing a fatal rock through her windshield, and discussed plans to deny involvement in the crime. Koenig, Karol-Chik and Kwak — all 18-year-old residents of Arvada — were taken into custody by Je erson County sheri ’s deputies on the evening of April 25, almost a week after the murder of 20-year-old Bartell, who was one of seven motorists whose vehicles were hit by large landscaping rocks on the night of April 19.

While Koenig declined to be interviewed by investigators, Karol-Chik and Kwak gave somewhat con icting accounts that point to a repeated pattern of throwing projectiles at moving vehicles. Karol-Chik told investigators that he and Koenig had been involved in throwing objects — including a statue and other rocks — on “at least 10 separate days” since at least February.

e following account is based on the allegations in the a davits: On April 19, Karol-Chik and Koenig bought a “project” car, according to Karol-Chik, around 4 or 5 p.m., after which Karol-Chik moved the car to a friend’s house, drove to Kwak’s house to pick him up, and then continued to get Koenig.

Karol-Chik’s statement says that he and Kwak both collected landscaping rocks from the Walmart on 72nd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, loading them into the bed of KarolChik’s pickup, a Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

A fourth man said he was with the trio at the Walmart, but asked to be taken home when he suspected the group might be preparing for trouble. e fourth man said the group was loading up “as much (rocks) as they could carry” into the vehicle, and said Koenig frequently participates in disruptive behavior because he likes to cause “chaos.”

Investigators used cell phone data and crime reports to determine that the rock that killed Bartell was one of seven incidents of landscaping rocks being thrown at cars in a large, semi-circular area stretching from Highway 72 in the south, Highway 93 in the east, Highway 128 in the north and Indiana Street in the west.

Kwak’s statement claims that while the trio was traveling around, Koenig was driving the vehicle, Karol-Chik was riding in the front passenger seat, and Kwak was in the back row behind Karol-Chik. Kwak said KarolChik was using “marine terms” as the rocks were thrown, such as “contact left” before Koenig would throw a rock at a car to the left of theirs.

Kwak said Koenig threw the rock

Kwak took a picture of Bartell’s vehicle. He told investigators that he thought Karol-Chik or Koenig would want it as a memento.

Karol-Chik said all three suspects threw rocks at cars. He claimed

that Kwak threw the rock that killed account that the trio turned back toward Bartell’s car so that Kwak could take a photo. Karol-Chik said that at this point in the night, he felt “a hint stated that they could never speak of the incident. Kwak also said that Koenig came to his house the next day to get their stories straight, speci cally to deny any involvement in the events of the previous night.

Alexa Bartell

statements describe planning, taking photo of victim’s car after attack, coverup of ‘blood brothers’ actions

We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit www.canyoncourier.com/calendar/ and post your event online for free. Email dbrobst@coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the print version of the paper. Items will appear in print on a space-available basis.

THURSDAY

Evergreen Audubon meeting: Evergreen Audubon will meet at 7 p.m. ursday, May 4, at Evergreen Christian Church or via Zoom.  om and Lisa Fisher, the driving research forces behind Escalante Resources Group, will present “ e Geology of Evergreen: e First 100 Million Years.” For program information, including location details or zoom access, visit www.EvergreenAudubon.org

Free legal clinic: A free legal clinic for people with no attorney will be from 2 to 5 p.m. ursday, May 4. Volunteer attorneys will answer questions, help ll out forms, and explain the process and procedure for all areas of civil litigation. Preregistration for individual 15-minute appointments is available by calling 303-235-5275.

Women in Business luncheon: e Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business luncheon will start at 11 a.m. May 4 at Mount Vernon Canyon Club. For

SHERIFF’S CALLS

FROM PAGE 15

SAW

EVERGREEN – Picking up construction supplies in El Rancho on the afternoon of April 4, he was puzzled to note two young men in a blue Toyota Highlander giving him “mean looks…like they wanted to beat me up.” Ba ed, but busy, he proceeded to a Bergen Park eatery for a bite of lunch, an otherwise pleasant meal that turned to ashes in his mouth when a woman came inside and asked “Does anybody

more information and to purchase tickets, visit evergreenchamber.org.

Defensible space, home hardening presentation: Evergreen Fire/ Rescue will provide a seminar on defensible space and home hardening to prepare for wild re at 6 p.m. May 4 at the department’s Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway.

SATURDAY

Evergreen Audubon’s Dawn Chorus: Evergreen Audubon will host the Dawn Chorus beginning at 6 a.m. May 6 at Evergreen Lake. Enjoy

Wildlife Watch training: Evergreen Audubon, Denver Parks and Recreation and Evergreen’s Wild Aware are teaming up to continue the Wildlife Watch project. Volunteer training will be from 10 a.m.-noon May 6 at Evergreen Lake. Volunteers teach visitors at the lake about wildlife. Register at evergreenaudubon. org/events/wildlife-watch-teamvolunteer-training-2023.

Fire department consolidation community meetings:  e three 285 Corridor re departments — Elk Creek, Inter-Canyon and North Fork — deciding whether to consolidate will host community meetings for the public. e meetings will be 3-5 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at North Fork

May 7, at St. Laurence Episcopal Church, 26812 Barkley Road, Conifer.  e concert will feature performances of chamber music from ECO musicians and friends. For more information and tickets, visit evergreenchamberorch.org.

WEDNESDAY

EMERGE meeting: EMERGE (East Mount Evans Resources, Growth and the Environment) is holding its spring meeting on May 10 at KingMurphy Elementary School starting at 6 p.m. with presentations starting at 6:30 p.m. County o cials, re department representatives and others will attend and will focus on health services available to Eastern Clear Creek County residents.

UPCOMING

Station 1, 19384 County Road 126, Bu alo Creek; 3-5 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Elk Creek Station 1, 11993 Blackfoot Road, Conifer; and 3-5 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at InterCanyon Station 3, 8445 U.S. 285, Morrison.

early morning birdsong with fellow birders and bring a dish to pass. For more information, visit www.EvergreenAudubon.org.

here own a blue Toyota Tundra?” He did, of course, and somebody in the parking lot had just seen a guy crawling out from under his Tundra “with a power saw.” He could think of no good reason for anybody to be under his Tundra with a power saw, and only one bad one. Sure enough, rushing to investigate he found his catalytic converter almost completely severed and dangling by “the emission sensor.” Observing that they’d been observed, the scowling scoundrels had ed the scene in a blue Toyota Highlander, leaving him with the impression that he’d been targeted and a substantial repair bill. e case remains open as deputies

SUNDAY

Evergreen Chamber Orchestra series nale recital: Evergreen Chamber Orchestra’s series nale recital will be at 3 p.m. Sunday,

try to round up video evidence of the brazen bandits’ identities.

SAW II

EVERGREEN – Meanwhile on Evergreen Parkway, a tree-trimming company employee called JCSO to report a sharp pain in his exhaust train. Firing up a company truck that morning, he’d been startled by “a loud noise” which, he subsequently discovered, is what the scourge of catalytic converter theft sounds like. Since the truck had been parked for the previous three weeks, it

“Poppy” book signing: e Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society will host Jack Maher for a presentation and signing of his book “Poppy” at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 20, at Hiwan Museum. e book is about Eric Douglas, an in uential author, curator and expert on Native American art whose family helped create the community of Evergreen. He championed indigenous artists and art in various museums, signicantly impacting the eld of museology.

Community Wild re Forum: Ev-

SEE HAPPENINGS, P22

wasn’t clear exactly when the theft occurred. e case remains open pending new information.

Sheri ’s Calls is intended as a humorous take on some of the incident call records of the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce for the mountain communities. Names and identifying details have been changed. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty.

30456 Bryant Drive

303.674.4803

ergreen Fire/Rescue will sponsor a Community Wild re Forum from 6-8 p.m. May 23 in the Evergreen High School auditorium. Local, county, state and federal agency wild re mitigation and preparedness experts will provide information on reducing the risk and preparing for wild re.

Puppies and Pizza: Puppies and Pizza will be from 10 a.m.-noon Friday, May 26, at Vertical Skills Academy, 32156 Castle Court, No. 201. e school will work with the Evergreen Animal Protective League to adopt puppies while raising funds for VSA.

Defensible space, home hardening presentation: Evergreen Fire/ Rescue will provide a seminar on defensible space and home hardening to prepare for wild re at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 3, at the department’s Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway.

Medlen School Days: Medlen School Days allows elementary school-aged children to experience what a mountain school was like in the 1920s during three-day camps, sponsored by the Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society. Medlen School is a one-room schoolhouse built in 1886 on South Turkey Creek Road o U.S. 285. Camps are available on June 6-8 and June 13-15, and cost $30. Download an application at emahs.org to register. Contact Jo Ann Dunn at 303-503-5978 for more information.

EARC meeting:  e Evergreen Area Republican Club (EARC) will meet at 6 p.m. June 7 in the Evergreen Fire/Rescue Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway. Speaker will be Erik Aadland, former District 8 candidate. Independents and una liated welcome. Pizza available. Check evergreenarearepublicanclub.org for additional information.

Barbed wire removal: Wild Aware is sponsoring volunteer barbed wire removal days at DeDisse Park from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on June 17, July 22 and Aug. 19. For more information,

LOST Medical Injured Dog Needs medical care

visit wildaware.org.

Camp Comfort Weekend Camps: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice’s Camp Comfort for children 6-12 who have lost a loved one will be June 16-18 and July 7-9 at the Rocky Mountain Village Easter Seals Camp, 2644 Alvarado Road, Empire. Cost is free for all children thanks to donors, but a $25 deposit is required per child to hold their spot. Visit campcomfort.org for more information and to register.

Crow Hill Insurance Shred-athon: Crow Hill Insurance will host its 12th annual community ShredA- on from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 17, at 460 County Road 43, Bailey. Dispose of documents that contain sensitive information. e event is free, though donations to the Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity are accepted. Habitat’s delivery truck will be on site to accept select reusable/resalable furniture and housewares.

ONGOING

EChO needs volunteers:  e Evergreen Christian Outreach ReSale Store and food pantry need volunteers. Proceeds from the EChO ReSale Store support the food pantry and programs and services provided by EChO. ere are many volunteer options from which to choose. For more information, call Mary at 720673-4369 or email mary@evergreenchristianoutreach.org.

Mountain Area Democrats: Mountain Area Democrats meet the fourth Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. through April at United Methodist Church of Evergreen, 3757 Ponderosa Drive, Evergreen. For more information, email MountainAreaDems@gmail. com.

LGBTQ+ teen book club: Resilience1220 is o ering a LGBTQ+

teen book club that meets from 4-6 p.m. the fourth Monday at the Resilience1220 o ce next to the Buchanan Park Recreation Center. e group’s rst book is “Hell Followed With Us.” For more information and to register, visit R1220.org.

Hiwan Museum winter hours: Hiwan Museum has shortened winter hours for tours, open ursday and Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and weekends from noon to 4:30 p.m. Private tours of large groups may be accommodated when the museum is closed by calling Erica Duvic at Hiwan Museum at 720-4977653.

Community Bible Study: Several community Bible study groups are available — women (in person and online), co-ed young adults, school age, preschool & babies. is year’s study covers six books of the Bible: Philemon 1, 2, 3, John, Jude and Revelation. In-person classes are ursday morning at Rockland Community Church in Genesee, Tuesday night at Bergan Park Church in Evergreen and Wednesday morning at Conifer Community Church in Conifer. More information is available at cbsclass. org/evergreengolden.

ESA EverGREEN Re ll Station: EverGREEN Re ll Station (re ll your laundry detergent, lotions, soaps and more. We have many sustainable products available).  e Re ll Station is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m. It is located upstairs in the Habitat Restore in Bergen Park, 1232 Bergen Parkway.

Support After Suicide Loss: Heartbeat andResilience1220 o er Support After Suicide Loss from 5:30-7 p.m. the fourth ursday of the month for ages 14 and older. Join in-person or online. Suggest

donation is $15. For location, visit R1220.org.

History Happy Hour:  e Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society will host a History Happy Hour from 4:30-6:30 p.m. the second Friday of each month at Hiwan Museum. Join us in a round table discussion on any and all aspects of history with topics driven by the attendees.

Sensitive Collection: Resil-

ience1220 o ers a monthly workshop for highly sensitive people to help them live healthy and empowered lives from 3:30-4:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month via Zoom. Visit R1220.org for more information.

Caregiver support group: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice o ers a monthly group to provide emotional support services for caregivers helping ill, disabled or elderly loved ones. An in-person support group meets every third Monday from 4-6 p.m. at 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen. For more information, visit mtevans.org/services/ emotional-support/.

Parkinson’s disease support group: A Parkinson’s disease support group meets the rst Friday of the month from 1-3 p.m. at Evergreen Christian Church, 27772 Iris Drive, Evergreen. For more information, email esears@parkinsonrockies.org.

Mountain Foothills Rotary meetings: Mountain Foothills Rotary meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays both in person at Mount Vernon Canyon Club at 24933 Club House Circle, Genesee, and via Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting at https://us02web. zoom.us/j/81389224272, meeting ID 813 8922 4272, phone 346-248-7799.

Beyond the Rainbow: Resilience1220 o ers Beyond the Rainbow, which is two support groups that meet from 7-8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. One is a safe group for those 12-20 and the other is group for parents and caregivers wanting support for raising an LGBTQ child. To RSVP, contact Lior Alon at lior@wisetreewellness.com.

Polis signs 4 gun bills into law

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER THE COLORADO SUN

Gov. Jared Polis signed four gun measures into law Friday in what’s likely the most consequential tightening of gun regulations in Colorado history.

e bills expand the state’s red ag law, raise the minimum age to purchase all guns to 21, impose a three-day waiting period on rearm purchases and make it easier for people to sue the gun industry.

“Coloradans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, our grocery stores, night clubs and everywhere in between,” Polis said before signing the bills.

Still pending in the legislature, and expected to pass soon, is a fth bill that would ban the creation and sale of unserialized rearms, also known as “ghost guns.”

Here’s what each of the bills signed into law Friday would do:

Red flag law expansion

Colorado’s red ag law, which allows judges to order the temporary seizure of guns from people deemed a signi cant risk to themselves or others, was created in 2019. But only family members and law enforcement have been able to petition a judge to issue a seizure order.

Under Senate Bill 170, one of the

four bills signed by Polis on Friday, the list of people who can petition a judge to order a gun seizure now includes health care providers, mental health providers, district attorneys and teachers. e bill also requires the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to create an education campaign around the red ag law.

“If I hear one more time, ‘It’s not the gun, it’s the person’ but then you don’t support this law, then maybe you don’t really mean it,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, a prime sponsor of the bill. “Because that’s what we’re addressing here.”

Finally, the bill creates a hotline run by the Colorado Department of Public Safety to help the public get information about how to request gun seizures and to connect people with relevant resources.

e measure is aimed at increasing use of the red ag law, which hasn’t been used much in its rst few years compared to other states with similar laws, according to a Colorado Public Radio analysis.

e bill’s other prime sponsors were all Democrats, including Sen. Tom Sullivan, Senate President Steve Fenberg and Rep. Mike Weissman.

Requiring that people be 21 to purchase a gun

Senate Bill 169 raises the mini-

mum age to purchase any rearm in Colorado to 21. e new law also makes it illegal to sell any gun to someone younger than 21.

“It’s just the truth that young people are far more likely to commit gun violence than their older counterparts,” said Sen. Jessie Danielson, a Wheat Ridge Democrat and prime sponsor of the bill.

It was already illegal for people under 21 to purchase handguns.

e new law makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor to buy a gun if you are younger than 21 or for a private dealer to sell a rearm to someone who is younger than 21. Licensed dealers who sell to someone younger than 21 could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.

e law has exceptions for members of the military and law enforce-

WORSHIP DIRECTORY

ASCENT CHURCH

“Real people pursuing a real God”

All are Welcome Sundays at 10am

In-person or Online www.ascentchurch.co

29823 Troutdale Scenic Drive, Evergreen

BERGEN PARK CHURCH

Bergen Park Church is a group of regular people who strive to improve ourselves and our community by studying the Bible and sharing our lives with each other.

On Sunday mornings you can expect contemporary live music, Children’s Ministry that seeks to love and care for your kids, teaching from the Bible, and a community of real people who are imperfect, but seek to honor God in their lives. We hope to welcome you soon to either our 9:30AM or 11:00AM Sunday service.

Search Bergen Park Church on YouTube for Livestream service at 9:30am 31919 Rocky Village Dr. 303-674-5484 info@bergenparkchurch.org / www.BergenParkChurch.org

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH SERVICES

28244 Harebell Lane

Sunday Service & Sunday School 10am

Wednesday Evening 7:30pm, Zoom options available Contact: clerk@christianscienceevergreen.com for ZOOM link

Reading Room 4602 Pletner Lane, Unit 2E, Evergreen

OPEN TUE-SAT 12PM - 3PM

CHURCH OF THE CROSS

Please join us for Sunday worship at 28253 Meadow Drive, Evergreen or visit www.churchotc.com

8:30am Traditional Service

10:30am Contemporary Service

Communion is served every Sunday at both services. All are welcome! Visit our website at www.churchotc.com for info on church activities. 28253 Meadow Drive, Evergreen • 303-674-4130 • o ce@churchotc.com

CHURCH OF THE HILLS PRESBYTERIAN (USA)

Serving the mountain community from the heart of Evergreen Worship 10:00 a.m.

Reverend Richard Aylor

O ce Hours: Tu-Thur 9:00 - 4:00; Fri 9:00 - noon Bu alo Park Road and Hwy 73 www.churchofthehills.com

CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION EPISCOPAL

In-Church: Sunday Communion Quiet Service 8:00 am & with Music 10:15 am 10:15 am only Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86017266569

In-Meadow: 2nd Sunday of the month at 9:30 a.m.

--June through September—

27640 Highway 74 – ¼ mile east of downtown Evergreen at the Historic Bell Tower www.transfigurationevergreen.org

CONGREGATION BETH EVERGREEN (SYNAGOGUE)

Reconstructionist Synagogue

Rabbi Jamie Arnold

www.BethEvergreen.org / (303) 670-4294

2981 Bergen Peak Drive (behind Life Care)

CONIFER CHURCH OF CHRIST

“Doing Bible Things in Bible Ways”

11825 U.S. Hwy. 285, Conifer, CO 80433

Sun: 9:00a.m. Bible Study-10:00a.m. Worship; Wed: Bible Study 7:00p.m.

EVERGREEN CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)

27772 Iris Drive, Evergreen - 303-674-3413

www.EvergreenChristianChurch.org - eccdoc01@gmail.com

Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m., with communion every Sunday

We are an inclusive faith community and welcome you to join us in our new ministry journey.

DEER PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Pastor Joyce Snapp, Sunday Worship 10 AM

Located one mile west of Pine Junction just o Rt. 285 966 Rim Rock Road, Bailey (303) 838-6759

All are welcome to our open/inclusive congregation!

EVERGREEN LUTHERAN CHURCH

5980 Highway 73 + 303-674-4654

Rev. Terry Schjang

Join us for Virtual Worship on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EvergreenLutheranChurch

Sunday Worship uploaded by 10am.

www.evergreenlutheran.org + All Are Welcome!

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY CHURCH – EPC 1036 El Rancho Rd, Evergreen – (303) 526-9287

www.lomcc.org – o ce@lomcc.org

Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m., with communion every Sunday

“Real Church In An UnReal World”

A community empowered by the Holy Spirit which seeks authentic relationships with God and others to share the good news of Jesus with Evergreen, the Front Range and the world. Come as you are, all are welcome!

MOUNTAIN REVIVAL CHURCH

“Baptizing the Mountains in Jesus Name”

Sundays 11:00 am & Wednesdays 7:00 pm

Location: Aspen Park Community Center 26215 Sutton Road, Conifer, CO 80433

(Additional parking at the Park & Ride next to Big O Tires) 720-770-0380 Call, Text, or Just Drop In www.mountainrevival.org

PLATTE CANYON COMMUNITY CHURCH

Located: 4954 County Road 64 in Bailey. O ce hours MWF 8am-1pm 303-838-4409, Worship & Children’s Church at 10am

Small group studies for all ages at 9am

Transitional Pastor: Mark Chadwick Youth Pastor: Jay Vonesh

Other activities: Youth groups, Men’s/Women’s ministries, Bible studies, VBS, MOPS, Cub/Boy Scouts.

ROCKLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH

“Connecting all generations to Jesus”

Please check our website, www.Rockland.church, for updated service times ¼ mile north of I-70 at exit 254 17 S Mt. Vernon Country Club Rd., Golden, CO 80401 303-526-0668

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF EVERGREEN

Rev. Sarah Clark • 303.674.4810 • www.evergreenumc.org 3757 Ponderosa Dr. across Hwy 74 from Safeway in Evergreen

Join us in person

Gov. Jared Polis signed four gun bills into law on April 28.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

SEE GUN LAWS, P31

TRIVIA

1. GEOGRAPHY: How many U.S. states border Canada?

2. THEATER: e musical “My Fair Lady” is based on which play?

3. SCIENCE: Who was the rst person to win Nobel prizes in two di erent sciences?

4. MOVIES: Which 1997 movie featured a character named Jack Dawson?

5. TELEVISION: What is the name of Ross’s pet monkey in “Friends”?

6. LANGUAGE: How many languages exist worldwide?

7. FOOD & DRINK: Which country produces Manchego cheese?

8. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many track and eld events are in a decathlon?

9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president had the most children?

Solution

10. MUSIC: What is the title of Britney Spears’ rst album?

Answers

1. 13.

2. “Pygmalion,” by George Bernard Shaw.

3. Marie Curie, physics and chemistry.

4. “Titanic.”

5. Marcel.

6. More than 7,000.

7. Spain.

8. 10.

9. John Tyler, who fathered 15 children.

10. “... Baby One More Time.”

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

CLASSIFIEDS

Career Opportunites

Now hiring for Summer 2023!

Career Opportunites

Now Hiring

Idaho Springs, CO - Canon City, CO

We pride ourselves in having excellent employees, providing good working conditions, compensating well and in having a friendly atmosphere for our staff. Call us today for more information. Positions open May-August, 2023

OFFICE STAFF

Be a vital component of our organization. You will: answer phones provide information, take reservations, greet guests, take money, sell and stock merchandise and do misc. paperwork. You must be: enthusiastic, organized multi task orientated have an interest in outdoor recreation and possess basic computer skills and good communication skills. We will train applicants who demonstrate an aptitude for fast-paced, high-energy work.

RIVER GUIDES

Looking for experienced guides with positive attitudes! Please be prepared to provide a river log.

BUS DRIVERS

We need experienced bus drivers with a Class B P2 Endorsement.

Questions? Call 303-567-1000 or email work@clearcreekrafting.com

Are you seeking more than a paycheck on your new adventure?

The Town of Georgetown wants to bring to your attention 2 positions that we currently have open here in Georgetown.

GEORGETOWN - UTILITY WORKER

Seasonal summer position (mid. May thru August, possible extension).

Skills and knowledge desired in equipment operation and maintenance, excavation, water/wastewater plant, line and manhole maintenance, and general repair. With a focus on Hydrant Flushing and Sewer Line Jetting.

Wage rate is $20.00 per hour to start.

ASSISTANT TO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR

Salary: $50,000-$75,000 plus bene ts package - DOQ

Provides professional level assistance to the Town Administrator and support to administrative sta and Commissions. Performs a variety of public administration duties to include highly responsible, con dential, and complex assignments, ongoing tasks as well as overall responsibility for speci cally assigned projects that require experience in public administration, project management and Land Use Planning. Maintains expert levels of internal and external communications, working with and for administrative sta and various Commissions to ful ll projects and duties. Oversees all Design Reviews, Land Use, Building Permits, and miscellaneous projects and activities for the Town government.

Full job description and application form are available at Town Hall, 404 6th Street, Georgetown and online at www.townofgeorgetown.us/employment.htm.

For more information call 303-569-2555 extension 3. Application deadline is until positions are lled.

Clear Creek Advocates is currently recruiting for an Associate Director

• Would you like a fulfilling career serving survivors of crime and trauma?

• Do you have the ability to listen and a strong sense of empathy and compassion?

• Can you recognize problems and the willingness to participate in a team problem-solving culture? www.clearcreekcountyadvocates.com

Call or email us for more information or to get an application. 303-679-2426 jalbers@clearcreekadvocates.us

Careers

Help Wanted

General Manager for Argo Inn And Suites (Idaho Springs, CO): Resp for pln’ing & implmnt’ing operational policies & procedures, overseeing gen ops of the facility in providing lodging & other accom, & reporting to upper mgmnt; observing & monitoring staff perf to ensure efficient ops; managing budgets & optim’ing expenditures; monitoring & eval’ing biz rev; perfm’ing marketing & PR actvty; & handling q’s & complaints from guests. ($91,624/yr) Bach in biz admin, hospitality, or rltd req. Mail resume to Han Sung West, Inc., 15230 E Crestline Ave, Aurora, CO 80015.

Clear Creek County is hiring with new higher pay rates! Apply at: 403 Argentine Street in Georgetown.

Market Place

Merchandise

Lawn & Garden FREE MULCH

LAM TREE SERVICE 30476 Bryant Drive 303.674.8733

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Inflation is at 40 year highs

Interest rates are way up. Credit Cards. Medical Bills. Car Loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call National Debt Relief to find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote: 1-877-592-3616

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DIRECTORY / REAL ESTATE

To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 91 Colorado newspapers for only $300, contact your local newspaper or email Colorado Press Association Network at rtoledo@colopress.net

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Public Notice

GUN LAWS

ment.

e measure originally also would have banned possession of rearms for those under 21. at provision was removed in March. e bill also originally would have allowed people under 21 with a hunting license to purchase some rearms, but that element was also dropped.

e bill’s other prime sponsors were all Democrats: Sen. Kyle Mullica, Rep. Monica Duran and Rep. Eliza Hamrick.

Three-day waiting period

House Bill 1219 requires that people wait three days after purchasing a gun before they can take possession of the weapon. e measure is aimed at preventing heat-of-themoment suicides and homicides. If a background check takes longer than three days, purchasers would have to continue waiting to access their weapon until the check is com-

plete. Violations are punishable by a ne of $500 for the rst o ense and increase to $5,000 for subsequent o enses.

e legislation also allows local governments to impose longer waiting periods for gun purchases.

Nine states and the District of Columbia already have waiting periods for gun purchases, according to Gi ords, a group that pushes for tougher rearm regulations, though the policies di er from state to state.

Republicans in the legislature attempted to amend the bill to exempt victims of assault and attempted homicide from the waiting period, but those proposed changes were rejected. ere are exceptions for antique rearms and for military members soon being deployed who are selling a rearm to a family member.

e bill’s prime sponsors were Democrats Rep. Meg Froelich, Rep. Judy Amabile, Sen. Tom Sullivan and Sen. Chris Hansen.

“Our waiting periods bill puts distance between emotional distress and access to a rearm,” Froelich

Public Notices

Legals

Metropolitan Districts

Public Notice

NOTICE AS TO PROPOSED 2023 BUDGET RRC AUTHORITY

JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Sections 29-1-108 and 109, C.R.S., that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the RRC Authority (the “Authority”) for the current year of 2023. The Authority is an entity established pursuant to Section 29-1-203.5, C.R.S., by that certain RRC Authority Establishment Agreement among RRC Metropolitan District Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 dated April 6, 2023. A copy of the proposed 2023 budget is on file in the office of the Authority’s Accountant, Simmons & Wheeler, P.C., 304 Inverness Way South, Suite 490, Englewood, CO 80112, where such is available for public inspection. Such proposed 2023 budget will be considered at the organizational meeting of the Authority to be held on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.

1. To attend via Zoom videoconference, use the following link, or e-mail csorensen@specialdistrictlaw.com to have the link e-mailed to you: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85140026636?pwd=ak s1NnNwZndiUUF3VjBLZGRFSUovZz09

2. To attend via telephone, dial 1-719-359-4580 or 1-253-215-8782 and enter the following additional information:

(a) Meeting ID: 851 4002 6636

(b) Passcode: 122149

Any interested elector within the Service Area of the Authority may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the 2023 budget, inspect the 2023 budget and file or register any objections thereto.

RRC AUTHORITY

/s/ Paula J. Williams McGEADY BECHER P.C.

Attorneys for the Authority

said during the bill signing event.

Making it easier to sue the gun industry

Senate Bill 168 rolled back the state’s extra protections for gun and ammunition manufacturers and sellers against lawsuits.

A 2000 Colorado law — passed about a year after the Columbine High School massacre — granted the rearm industry some of the toughest civil legal protections in the nation. It required plainti s to pay defendants’ attorneys’ fees in all dismissed cases, and only allowed people to bring product liability lawsuits against gun makers, sellers and importers.

Senate Bill 168 eliminates the requirement that plainti s automatically pay the legal fees of gunindustry defendants when cases are dismissed, and it makes the industry susceptible to lawsuits under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, the catchall policy governing business in the state.

“We nally, after 23 years of waiting, can open up Colorado courtrooms to gun violence victims

Legal Notice No. CC 1256

First Publication: May 4, 2023

Last Publication: May 4, 2023 Publisher: Canyon Courier

delivering more cost-effective and efficient fire protection and related services and providing recommendations on future Authority needs, to include the following:

1. Evaluating the effectiveness, efficiency and performance of current CCFA operations;

2. Analyzing personnel and staffing needs to include a review of the volunteer model, the use of full-time employees or a hybrid of each;

3. Reviewing the current financial status of the CCFA to include existing revenues and projections over the next five years, indirect costs and contractual obligations and additional funding options;

and survivors seeking justice,” said Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Boulder County Democrat and a prime sponsor of the bill.

e bill initially included a speci c code of conduct for gun manufacturers and sellers. e code would have required the gun making industry to “take reasonable precautions” to ensure its products aren’t sold to a retailer that “fails to establish and implement reasonable controls.” It also would have required that gun makers don’t create or market products that can be easily modi ed into something illegal or something that is targeted toward minors or people who are barred from purchasing a gun.

e governor’s o ce asked for that part of the bill to be removed, and it was taken out at their behest. is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Scope of Services

Deliverables

Draft and final organizational analysis report

• Recommendations for long-term personnel and staffing needs and the appropriate model moving forward

• Projection of long-term financial needs based on recommended staffing model

• Evaluation of and recommendation for a Title

32 District Recommendations for policies, regulations and other plans identified by the overall organizational analysis

RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

COMPREHENSIVE ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE CLEAR CREEK FIRE AUTHORITY

Pieter Christian Castle be changed to Pieter Atlas Castle Case No.: 2023C566

/s/ Mary Ramsey Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. CC 1254

First Publication: May 4, 2023

Last Publication: May 4, 2023

Publisher: Canyon Courier

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Clear Creek County and its incorporated municipalities of Empire, Georgetown, Idaho Springs and Silver Plume are seeking competitive proposals from qualified firms to conduct a comprehensive independent organizational analysis of the Clear Creek Fire Authority that would evaluate all aspects of the organization. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate alternatives for delivering more cost-effective and efficient fire protection and related services and providing recommendations on future Authority needs. Submittals should be made in accordance with all terms, conditions and specifications as set out in this Request for Proposal (RFP).

The selected firm shall specialize in the review and organizational analysis of fire and emergency services agencies, as defined in the Scope of Services. Proposing firms must demonstrate that they, or the principals assigned to the project, have successfully completed engagements similar to those specified in the Scope of Services section of this RFP and to organizations similar in size and complexity. All proposals submitted must remain valid for a minimum period of ninety (90) days after the date of the proposal opening.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The contractor shall perform all Services described in this section and all obligations set forth in the professional services agreement (Attachment A).

The contractor will conduct a comprehensive independent organizational analysis of the Clear Creek Fire Authority, evaluating alternatives for

4. Evaluating the governance structure and its effectiveness to include Board of Director-Executive staff efficacy;

5. Evaluating the option for transitioning to a Title 32 District;

6. Conducting a level of service analysis to include workload, call volume and activity, training needs and the potential for increased CCFA-Clear Creek County Emergency Medical Services collaboration;

7. Reviewing response area characteristics, fire and non-fire risk assessments and response strategies and planning within the Authority and current efforts towards engineering solutions for fire protection such as inspections, fire prevention, etc.;

8. Reviewing current and future capital needs; and,

9. Reviewing current strategic plans, rules, regulations and personnel procedures.

The Contractor must provide regular progress reports to the CCFA Organizational Analysis Committee (COAC). The Contractor will meet as needed with the Committee and/or its assigned representatives. The Contractor will meet individually with Clear Creek County and its incorporated municipalities of Empire, Georgetown, Idaho Springs and Silver Plume to ensure the appropriate involvement of key stakeholders through the course of completing a comprehensive organizational analysis.

The firm shall submit one electronic copy of their response to this Request-for-Proposal.

Submit one electronic copy of the proposal. (in Microsoft Word or in pdf format). The following information should be listed in the subject line of the email:

1. Proposer’s name and phone number

Proposals must be received at the Clear Creek County Manager’s Office, 405 Argentine St., by 5:00pm, May 23, 2023. Late proposals will not be accepted.

The deadline for submitting a Response is 5:00 p.m. local time on May 23, 2023.

Request-for-Proposal Contact: County Manager, Brian Bosshardt bbosshardt@clearcreekcounty.us

Legal Notice No. CC 1255

First Publication: May 4, 2023

Last Publication: May 11, 2023

Publisher: Canyon Courier

Name Changes

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on April 26, 2023, that a Petition for a Change of Name of a an Adult has been filed with the Jefferson County Court.

The Petition requests that the name of

Public notice is given on April 26, 2023, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Jefferson County Court.

The Petition requests that the name of Charles David Bullard be changed to Charles David Holiday Case No.: 23C591

/s/ Mary Ramsey Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. CC 1257

First Publication: May 4, 2023

Last Publication: May 4, 2023

Publisher: Canyon Courier

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on April 10, 2023, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Jefferson County Court.

The Petition requests that the name of Raymond Edwin Susott be changed to Raymond Edwin Morris Case No.: 23C401

/s/ Stephanie Kemprowski

Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. CC 1252

First Publication: May 4, 2023

Last Publication: May 4, 2023

Publisher: Canyon Courier

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Canyon Courier Legals May 4, 2023 * 2

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Call to claim this OFFER 1

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