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The mountain area’s newspaper since 1958
est. 1958
WEEK OF JANUARY 20, 2022
VOLUME 63 ISSUE 11
NOW SERVING EVERGREEN, CONIFER, BAILEY AND PINE
75 CENTS
Conifer is Colorado’s new population center
Riding high
Calculations put the center west of Deer Creek Canyon Park BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
district as it moves students to more hands-on, authentic learning. Inman said students think about riding their bikes, but they don’t think about the maintenance. “It’s one more passion for them to pursue,” he added. Inman, a CCHS graduate himself, said he never thought the school would offer something like Project Bike Tech. “When they were talking about this class, I thought it would be fun,”
Colorado’s population has shifted north since 2010, and the east end of Conifer is the state’s new population center. According to census data, the exact coordinates of Colorado’s current population center is +39.534747, -105.185361. It is along the western edge of Deer Creek Canyon Park. The population center of Jefferson County lies at +39.723690, -105.130309. It is near Sixth Avenue and the Denver Federal Center. To compute the population center, the census uses the point whose latitude and longitude can successfully solve two complex equations. According to Elizabeth Garner, Colorado’s state demographer, we can think about it in a simpler way. “Think about it as everyone is sprinkled throughout the state, and if each person is equally weighted geographically, where would that center be? Where would you put that dot down?” she said. Garner said this northern shift since 2010 is due to growth around
SEE BIKES, P3
SEE POPULATION, P4
Project Bike Tech teacher Brian Inman works with sophomores Dominic-Carl Troia and Xander Taylor to fix a bike during a recent class. PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST
CCHS’ Project Bike Tech teaches bike maintenance BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
If experience is the best teacher, then the Project Bike Tech program at Clear Creek High School is creating bike-savvy geniuses. Project Bike Tech is a national program that creates a school district/community partnership in
which students learn how to tune and repair bicycles in a special classroom at the school. Teacher Brian Inman calls the program, which is in its second year, a win for students because it teaches them skills to use in an internship or job, or for a recreational activity. “I thought it would be great to have more classes like this that students can do as a trade, but it’s also a life skill for those interested in bikes,” he explained. Project Bike Tech is one of the first programs implemented by the
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Obits Arts
2 Ice Melt barrel 7 Opinion
4 Fire briefs 8 Happenings
5 Sheriff’s Calls 11 Classifieds
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