Canyon Courier 072023

Elk Creek Fire board member wants to disclose all proposed consolidation documents

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Je co to update short-term rental rules

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A group of foothills residents says Je erson County is moving too slowly in revising its short-term rental requirements, and it hoped a peaceful protest outside the Je erson County Courthouse would nudge o cials to take action.

On July 14, about 24 members of

the Foothills Community Action Group, wearing T-shirts that said “Homes Not Hotels,” handed out yers and cards, and carried signs showing their issues with short-term rentals in Evergreen and Conifer. ey said since an April 27 meeting in Evergreen attended by three Je erson County Planning & Zoning sta members, they haven’t heard of any movement to rewrite the short-

term rental requirements or enforcement of the rules.

“It’s been crickets,” said coalition member Dena Appleton. “We keep emailing asking for updates, and we have heard nothing.”

In response to the Canyon Courier’s request about the status of the regulations, Cassie Pearce, Je co’s

An Elk Creek Fire board member says he and other community members will le a Colorado Open Records Act request to obtain documents pertaining to the proposal to consolidate Elk Creek with two neighboring re departments.

Board member Chuck Newby said a CORA request would be forthcoming after the board on July 13 voted against his motion to make all documents pertaining to discussions on consolidation among Elk Creek, Inter-Canyon and North Fork re departments public. His motion

"Whetheryouthinkyoucanoryouthinkyoucan’t, you’reright."~HenryFord

Members of the Foothills Community Action Group picket outside the Je erson County Courthouse on July 14, hoping to get the county to revise rules for short-term rentals.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

SEE PROTEST, P3

Bandimere Speedway near Morrison is working on plans for a new location

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Bandimere family is providing more details about its plans to relocate Bandimere Speedway, which is set to close in October, as it hoste the Dodge Power Brokers Mile High NHRA Nationals last weekend.

e speedway along C-470 near Morrison has been operating in that location for 65 years, and company President John Bandimere Jr. said in April that it’s time to nd a better location.

e family has been looking for a new location for about a year, Bandimere Jr. has said, and it will take a year o from the racing busi-

ness and hopes to relocate to more acreage in the metro Denver area. A large tract of land near Denver International Airport is a possibility.

“I want to make one thing clear,” Bandimere Jr. said at a news conference on July 12. “Some people think we are being pushed out by housing. ere is no question they’re building a lot of houses here, but not one person has given us a bad time.

“I feel very comfortable with why we are leaving,” he said. “We just need more space.”

He said the current speedway doesn’t have running water, so he would like to see bathrooms in the new location along with better seating and more parking.

e current Bandimere Speedway can accommodate 28,500 spectators as it hosts more than 130 events a year. It has nearly 30,000 competitors each season, and it hosts one of the largest youth programs in the country, according to the Bandimere website.

According to Bandimere Jr., John Bandimere Sr. and his wife Frances originally opened the racetrack in Arvada in 1956 as an expansion of their automotive machining and auto parts business and to provide “a place for people, especially for young people, to enjoy the speed and performance of the automobile and to get o the streets.”

In 1958, because of noise and other concerns in Arvada, the Ban-

Deputy’s best friend

from his work and home life.

On Feb. 13, he lost his K-9 partner Gra t, who was killed in the line of duty while trying to apprehend a suspect.

new partner in K-9 Ragnar.

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

roughout the spring, Deputy Zachary Oliver felt like something — or rather, someone — was missing

Oliver missed his partner and friend in the long weeks that followed, describing how going to work at the Je erson County Sheri ’s Ofce wasn’t the same without Gra t.

But, thanks to tremendous community support, Oliver now has a

e Je co Sheri ’s O ce purchased two new K-9s, Ragnar and Rico, earlier this summer and introduced them during a special July 11 media event on the Federal Center campus.

e K-9s, who have been training with their deputy partners for six weeks, will be in training for 10 more weeks. Once done, they’ll be certied for narcotics detection, track-

dimeres moved to what at that time was a remote area west of Denver against the hogback. Fast forward to 2023, and the venue is looking for a new home to allow drag-race enthusiasts to continue to enjoy the sport.

“As we close this chapter, our family is taking the time to re ect on the hundreds, maybe thousands, of memories on under Mountain, and they are great memories,” Bandimere Jr. said in April.

“Our relationships with employees, racers, sponsors, sanctioning bodies, guests and service providers will remind us daily of what a privilege it’s been for my family to continue the legacy started by my parents.”

ing individuals and apprehending suspects.

K-9 Rico is working with Deputy Ryan Wagner, a new handler for Jeffco. Wagner has been with JCSO for four years, including six months as a decoy for the K-9 unit.

Deputy Jim Valbert, the K-9 unit’s trainer, said his unit is now fully sta ed again with seven dog-han-

SEE K-9, P24

Je co Sheri ’s O ce welcomes two K-9s thanks to community support

PROTEST

public a airs director, said: “At this point in the process, our focus is the identi cation of short-term rentals and the enforcement logistics for updated regulations. Ideally, those regulations will be adopted in early 2024.”

She said because community input was important in the revisions, the county will conduct meetings to get feedback. Aug. 16 and Sept. 12 will be virtual meetings, while an in-person meeting will be Aug. 30. Meeting details will be available shortly.

Coalition members said that the July 14 protest that Je co had not informed them of the meeting dates.

Learn more about the coalition

at Je coShortTermRentals.com.

e yer the coalition handed out told Je co o cials: “We need action, not bureaucracy. Where are you? Talk to us! Ask for our input. Hold public hearings.”

Coalition member Ilene Holcomb said it was important to inform others about issues with short-term rentals in the foothills because they don’t realize the problems they can cause.

e Foothills Community Action Group wants Je co o cials to understand that having a shortterm rental — known as an STR — in the foothills is di erent than having one down the hill. ey are concerned that STRs with hot tubs are using excessive water, hurting other homeowners’ wells and septic systems; that some absentee STR owners aren’t monitoring the properties or the people staying in them; and that out-of-town guests

don’t understand wild re risks, endangering neighbors.

ey also say that STRs are so lucrative that property owners would rather use houses as shortterm rentals rather than renting to people who work or live in the foothills and want longer leases, continuing the foothills’ problems with a lack of available housing. While the coalition would prefer that STRs be banned in the foothills, it wants to work with the county to strengthen the rules and enforcement to help solve some of the issues.

Among the rules in the current Je co STR regulations are that STRs must be on a minimum oneacre lot; adequate parking must be provided, equaling the number of bedrooms in the home plus an additional spot; defensible space requirements must be met; and there can be no more than ve

bedrooms.

Owners must go through an application process that includes a hearing before the county’s Board of Adjustment, and if someone complains about an unpermitted STR, one of the county’s four enforcement sta members tries to validate the complaint within three to four days. e operator will have 10 days to correct the violation.

e county believes there are about 900 homes operating as STRs in unincorporated Je erson County, though it is di cult to get data on exactly how many are operating, and only 28 of them have received county permits.

When someone at the April 27 asked why the county allows STRs in the foothills and what are the bene ts, Je co Planning and Zoning Director Chris O’Keefe noted that some believe STRs are important and good for the community.

Wearing “Homes Not Hotels” T-shirts, Foothills Community Action Group members talk with people at the Je erson County Courthouse about stopping short-term rentals in the foothills of unincorporated Je erson County. PHOTOS BY DEB HURLEY BROBST Betsy Slager of Evergreen holds a protest sign.

Evergreen library remodeling to start later this summer

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Final plans to remodel the Evergreen library have been submitted to Je erson County for permits, so construction can start later this summer.

e Je erson County Public Library board of directors approved the nal project and its costs in June, and the library on Highway 73 will be closed for about seven months. e closure date will be announced once the permits are obtained.  e library district is negotiating to rent space for a temporary library in Evergreen, according to Executive Director Donna Walker.

One of the redesign’s priorities includes keeping the quiet reading room with the replace in the back of the building the same. e entry will be opened up, and sta space will be recon gured with a smaller service desk that faces the doors, kiosks for self-checkout for patrons, a work room and a break room.

An open teen area will be in the southeast corner of the building, and the children’s area will be recongured with larger spaces for story times and other children’s activities.

e community room will be enlarged, and additional small-group study rooms will be in the northeast corner of the building.

In keeping with the community’s

wishes, the redesign will be in a traditional style that is warm, cozy, welcoming, light, natural and rustic.

ere will be no changes to the building’s exterior.

e project is about $500,000 over budget, which will be absorbed by the library system’s ve-year capital plan, Walker said, noting that she told the board that it was important to do the project right. However, some small changes will be made to areas not used by the community such as smaller windows to cut costs, she said.

e $5 million project includes the consultant who conducted surveys and meetings to determine what the community wanted in its library,

design and construction, furnishings and the temporary facility if the district can negotiate a contract.

e library has 55,000 books, movies, audiobooks and other materials, according to Walker, and all will be stored in the basement during construction.

e 17,000-square-foot building was constructed in 1993.

“A lot of resources are going up there,” Walker has said. “We are excited about this design. We began planning to redesign the Evergreen Library in 2011, and we’re going to get it done.”

e pandemic delayed plans to remodel the building, which will not be expanded as part of the remodel.

DIVERSIFY RETIREMENT STRATEGIES

These are the plans for the redesigned Evergreen library. Je erson County Public Library o cials hope the work begins in August. COURTESY IMAGE

The Evergreen library was built in 1993.

FILE PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

Pine Grove library fights to preserve history

Nearly 5-decade-old

BY MAYA DAWSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

In the 1990s, a school bus would stop at the Pine Library in Pine Grove twice a week. Students would meet with their homework groups or use the computers, which had some of the only internet access in town. e bus doesn’t drive down to Pine Grove anymore.

Fewer school-age children live in the area now, and some older patrons have stopped checking out physical books, instead choosing to download e-books.

“Really, in the last ve to 10 years, things have changed quite a bit,” said North Fork Library Association President Patty Mcllvaine. “We talk a lot at our meetings about trying to stay relevant in the digital age.” e library has always been a nonpro t organization, sta ed entirely by volunteers. Facing a shortage of volunteers, the library recently shifted from being open three days a week to two.

“Growing and having the community use (the library) more would be

ideal,” library volunteer Carly Martin said. “But obviously, just keeping it alive,” she added, would be enough.

To increase library access, a series of outdoor bookshelves on the side of the building are always open to the public, with books for sale for

$1 or less, paid through the honor system to a drop box at the front of the library. e library also o ers free WiFi 24/7.

“Sometimes we’re not even open, and people are parked and using our internet, which is ne,” Mcllvaine

said. “ at’s what it’s there for. We want to be a community service.” e library has been serving the communities of Pine Grove and the neighboring Bu alo Creek since

Outside the library there are a series of bookshelves with books for sale for $1 or less. These shelves are left unlocked 24/7 to increase library access. All proceeds from the books sold go towards supporting the costs of operating the library.

PHOTO BY MAYA DAWSON

library tries to stay afloat in the digital age

SEE PINE LIBRARY, P7

ELK CREEK FIRE

asked that the documents be made available to the public by Aug. 4. It included a wide-ranging list of documents, emails, meeting minutes, contracts and any other documents pertaining to consolidation from the re chief, the consolidation committee, the re board and the two consulting rms hired to help with consolidation e orts: Magellan Strategies and Turn Corps Commu-

nications Strategies.

Other board members said Newby’s motion was too broad and would be burdensome to ful ll. In addition, many of the meetings to discuss consolidating the departments have not been public as de ned by the Colorado Open Meetings Law, such as meetings of the three re chiefs and of the consolidation committee, which consists of two members of each of the three re boards.

Colorado Open Meetings Law says a public meeting is a meeting with three or more members of an

elected public body. Public meetings are required to have minutes taken and provided to the public.

After the vote, Greg Pixley, president of the Elk Creek Fire board, said he would take Newby’s concerns to the consolidation committee, and the group would start to address some of the concerns Newby brought up.

“We can get more information out for everyone,” Pixley said.

Newby responded: “It’s ne for you to do that, but we will get this information. I … and the public are going to request formally through CORA

that this broad level of information be disseminated.”

Newby, who has voted against the pre-consolidation agreement and other issues regarding consolidation, has said that consolidation would severely diminish re and emergency medical services to Elk Creek residents.

Board member Dominique Devaney, who abstained in the vote, said she did so because she believed contracts, available meeting minutes and documented discussion items

Elk Creek Fire Chief Jacob Ware, right, explains the meaning of red fire helmets that o cers wear during a promotion ceremony at the Elk Creek Fire board meeting on July 13. Promoted are firefighters, from left, Andrew Beckwith, Station 3 lieutenant, Ken Shine, volunteer captain, Trevor Jones, Station 4 lieutenant, and Colt Thiel, Station 2 lieutenant. Fire board President Greg Pixley helps at the ceremony.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

SEE ELK CREEK FIRE, P20

The Pine Library in Pine Grove features a large children’s section, as well as many history and fiction books.

PINE LIBRARY

1975 when a group of women who regularly met to play cards and trade books gained the building in an effort to give back to the community.

e library is home to an incredible collection of Pine Grove history, including interviews with dozens of Pine Grove residents, who talk about how the community has changed since the 1960s. Residents talk about stories from their grandparents, who arrived to the area on covered wagons, as well as daily life in the community.

Transcriptions and VHS recordings of the interviews are available, which can be played on the library’s

VHS player.

For Pine Grove residents, these interviews tie the present to the past. Volunteer Carly Martin moved to the area two years ago and has spent her recent volunteer shifts at the library mining through these interviews for any mention of the cabin she now lives in, which was built in 1890.

e library is open from 3-6 p.m. ursdays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, and will also be holding a large book sale from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 2 as part of a Pine Grove community celebration. All funds raised at the sale will go toward improving the library’s outdoor bookshelves and storage shed.

“When you’re coming through Pine Grove, if the open sign is out there, come in and say hi,” McIlvaine said.

PHOTO BY MAYA DAWSON

As I’ve aged, I’ve wryly commented on, as you might have about your own, my diminishing physical capabilities, plaintively decrying I can’t do such and such — running, skiing, climbing —l ike I used to. And like you might’ve, I’ve occasionally spouted George Bernard Shaw’s lament that youth is wasted on the young.

Our bodies usually peak in our mid to late twenties. By our early thirties, muscle starts to weaken, and the hard work of staying t becomes increasingly challenging. And from then on, it’s an exercise to exercise, an inexorable decline with the going getting tougher as our capabilities ebb.

Like every living being, we humans have a shelf life. ough I can’t speak for other sentient beings, I believe that as we mature, like them, we grow wiser. In conjunction with that, our perspective and attitude about our abilities and interests usually grow. For those relishing and thriving on physical activity, dedication to keeping t and maintaining strength deepens. But paradoxically, that mature attitude sets in shortly after our physical growth spurt ends and our bodies begin to decline.

en, as we approach forty — the dreaded marker for middle age — fear sets in because we know we’re at the point when unpleasant stu

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Like I used to

— e.g., bifocals — seriously kicks in, and we have become keenly aware that people eventually die. e coup de grâce is that we know too there is nothing we can do about either. ere are no exceptions. In the not-too-distant future, we know the bell will toll not for thee but for me.

JERRY FABYANIC Columnist

It’s kind of depressing to think about, but as it is with much in life, it’s a matter of perspective. If one looks at having been born — given life —not as a right but as a privilege, that gloomy perspective can ip.

One of the wisest insights I gained is that life is a journey. Like any journey, it can be a blasé one — a prepackaged, sanitized, structured cruise — in which the traveler follows the herd and dutifully does what is expected of them, or it can be an extraordinary one in which they follow their own path. When they do that, they lick their chops not at nding the anticipated but at chancing upon or discovering the unanticipated. If one chooses the latter path and separates from their this-is-what-is-expected-of-you world, crosses the threshold, and ventures into the unknown, psy-

No to Shadow Mountain Bike Park, yes to Evergreen Gateway at El Rancho

We as a community need to expressly inform the EPRD board that we do not want our tax dollars to go towards small niche special interests like a dog park, ice hockey rink or a skatepark. It seems ridiculous that people move to Evergreen and immediately want us to pay for their child prodigy’s hobbies at great expense. I will be leading the e ort to stop any new taxes the EPRD tries to pass. Continuing the current bond to cover deferred maintenance should be the priority. But not one cent should go to a skatepark or dog park. We need to also continue to apply pressure to the authorities to stop the shadow mountain bike park. It is a clear threat to public safety as the Elk Creek Fire District cannot cover its medical needs.

chic energy transforms them. ey become attuned, even addicted, to that life. In time they realize there’s no quitting, no going back to the safety net of their launch point and birth tribe and that their adventure will end with their last breath. And they’re good with that.

When they reach their elderly years however, they face a conundrum. It slowly dawns on them they are slowing down and can’t do stu like they used to. eir problem is they know no other way. Despite their declining physical abilities, the siren of the journey still calls to their soul. It beckons them forth. Whether it’s the old man and the sea or the old man of the mountain, their place — the sea, the mountain, the desert, or wherever the place might be — has been etched into and become an indelible aspect of their being.

One of my favorite stories is “Jeremiah Johnson,”the Robert Redford lm about being a mountain man. Each time I watch it, I am awestruck not only at the magni cence of the setting and the superb performances rendered by Redford, Will Gear (Bear Claw), and the other actors but also by the story itself, its tale and structure. e story line follows the hero’s path from beginning to end.

e last character he encounters is Paints His Shirt Red, the Crow chief he encountered after he initially made his way into the mountains.

It will also cater to low volume low interest special interest group.

We also need to support the development of Hilltop. It is important to point out that the re district cannot stop it. Fire code only allows it to require sprinklers wider access roads and turnarounds and increased water supply. e metro district can meet the water supply needs. e roads can be widened. Hilltop has always been the slum of Evergreen. It is time to bring it into modern times.

Evergreen can and needs to encourage further development. We need the Evergreen Gateway at El Rancho. We need to develop hilltop. We can build out our commercial, light industrial and residential parcels. We can easily support another 2,500-3,000 homes. We need multifamily even if

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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

Watching it now through the lens of an old man of the mountain, I am struck by the ending: ough it doesn’t end ambiguously, it wraps only sort of conclusively. Yes, he’s been accepted and forgiven for his sacrilegious trespassing, but then what? Can he return to trapping and live out his days doing that? Where does he go? He can never return to civilization, nor does he want to. And he’s alone. All those he met and accompanied him on his journey are gone. So how does he spend his remaining years? It’s intriguing to consider, but the answer is really quite simple: He goes on and continues to do everything like he used to. Maybe more slowly and not as well, but with the same spirit — elan— he approached life when young, strong and full of moxie. As it is with me. So I can’t do it — ski, run, move rocks in my garden, and so on — like I used to, but I can go on like I used to and do many of the many activities I used to. Slower, but with the same excitement, thrill and enthusiasm I had when I started my journey. Just because my body is slowing and falling apart doesn’t mean I have to.

Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.

we have to go up.

Nate Marshall, Evergreen Bravo, first responders!

A huge shout of thanks for the army of rst responders and emergency personnel who came immediately to the scene of a fuel tanker rollover at Kerr Gulch and Piney Ridge Road at dusk on July 6.

As residents just uphill from the accident, we observed the almost instantaneous gathering of more than a dozen vehicles with lights ashing and the semi’s wheels in the air at the intersection.

Evergreen Fire & Rescue, Je co Sheri , West SEE LETTERS, P9

Hmakes around part annual event the of recreation Northglenn. just have participating. we’ve tournament west Avenue a.m. made will volleyball day, a glory adults kids have such

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Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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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.

Mudapalooza splashes back at Northglenn

Has anyone ever really not had fun playing in the mud? It’s not something most of us get to do very often, which makes the opportunity to splash around pretty rare. at could be part of the reason why Northglenn’s annual Mudapalooza volleyball event has become such big hit in the area.

“Nobody else really puts this kind of event on,” said Roman A. Ortega, recreation sports coordinator with Northglenn. “We started out with just eight to 12 teams and now we have so many return teams that love participating. I think the most teams we’ve had in one tournament is 63.”   e 15thannual Mudapalooza tournament will be held at Northwest Open Space, East 112th Avenue and Ranch Drive, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 22.

Participating co-ed teams are made up of eight to 12 adults who will play at least three games of mud volleyball each. At the end of the day, the winning team will receive a trophy, some cool prizes and the glory of claiming victory.

“While the tournament is for adults only, as it winds down you see kids playing around in the pits that have emptied out,” Ortega said. “It’s such a fun event, especially when

LETTERS

Metro Fire’s Hazmat Team, Evergreen Metropolitan District, Denver Water and the Colorado State Patrol were all on hand to facilitate the safe transfer of 8,000+ gallons of fuel from the overturned vehicle. Some leakage was mitigated by O en Petroleum, which laid booms in small Anderson Creek, which ows into Bear Creek.

ese crews worked all night long and throughout the next morning before the tanker was hauled away and the road cleared. We residents are deeply grateful to these people who handled the accident and kept our neighborhood safe from re and further mayhem.

P.S. Fortunately the driver reportedly was not injured, but why a loaded fuel tanker semi was driving down a narrow, winding road through a wooded residential neighborhood is a disturbing question in itself.

Pat Jurgens, Evergreen

285 tra c

Angry Driver: I’m mad. Why is trafc always backed up here?

Mr. Tra c Engineer: You’re doing it wrong.

Angry Driver: I know how to drive. It must be those idiots from down

COMING ATTRACTIONS

you see everyone out there playing.

at’s what the day is about — having fun with a unique game that’s not played every day.”

HARDESTY John Wesley Hardesty

April 25, 1941 - May 22, 2023

John passed away peacefully at home on May 22, 2023. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Carolyn, brothers Paul, Don and sister Pat.

they needed. Beyond the bead shop, John loved his dogs, reading, taking walks and road trips.

e all-day event isn’t just a eld day for those in the pits — there will be a food truck, drinks and other vendors on hand to make the watching more delicious. All beer sales will bene tA Precious Child.

John graduated from Englewood High School in 1959. Afterwards, he served in the Navy until 1966 which included a stint on the USS Agerholm.

Clarke Reader

In all, the aim is to create an exciting summer’s day out.

“We love giving back and highlighting the sports community,” Ortega said. “When we play, it’s an opportunity to have a brief getaway from life. It’s a chance to get away from our daily routines and even do something a bit out of our comfort zone.”

Find all the details at www.northglenn.org/mudapalooza.

MCA Denver explores Indigenous Absurdities

ere are few better ways to connect with someone than to make

SEE READER, P10

the hill.

Mr. Tra c Engineer: Actually, most of you are doing it wrong. You only notice when there are more cars on the road, let me explain.

Angry Driver: Hold on honk! honk! someone is trying to cut me o !

Mr. Tra c Engineer: at is how it is supposed to work, tra c should use both lanes up to the merge point and then “zip” together. Wherever cars try to get into one lane, that is where tra c slows. If cars keep stacking up in one lane at random points, that lane will keep getting slower.

Angry Driver: But the sign says merge, and there are arrows on the road. If we don’t get in line now it will be chaos!

Mr. Tra c Engineer: Are there two lanes with a line in the middle?

Angry Driver: Yes…

Mr. Tra c Engineer: en you haven’t reached the merge point yet. ere should be tra c in both lanes.

Angry Driver: But I’ve been in this lane, and the other lane moves while I’m stopped. I’m forcing this guy to get behind me.

Mr. Tra c Engineer: You know, he’s going to be right behind you until the next passing lane.

Angry Driver: I’ll speed up at the passing lane, that’ll show him!

Mr. Tra c Engineer: You’re doing it wrong.

Greg Diefenbach, Pine

John’s careers spanned foam manufacturing, logging, excavating, and addiction counseling. After he entered recovery from addition, John found his passion in jewelry, stones, and crystals. is led him to open Flip Flop Bead Shop where he built beautiful friendships and helped people nd just what

He is survived by children Amanda (husband Tony), Jenni (husband Matt), and Patrick, grand-children Alex and Abbey, great-grandchildren Freyja and Zander, sisterin-law Marlys, sister Sandy (husband Mike), brother David (wife Nancy), nieces Sharon and Elizabeth and nephews Mike, James, Joe, Brad, Mitch and Andrew.

ere will be an open house to celebrate John and Carolyn at Zoka’s in Pine from 5 to 7pm on July 16th.

Born 5 December 1939 in Adel a, Bari Province, Italy. Died 22 June at home in Evergreen. She immigrated to California in 1954 with her father but her mother came later. Married Chester Bowling September 1962. She received a bachelor’s degree in home economics from East LA City College. Rosa has three children: Henry,

Trifone and Stefano and ve grandchildren: Nikki, Luca, Rose, Leah, Tekele. Her funeral was at Christ the King Church in Evergreen and entombment at Archdiocese of Denver on 29 June. In lieu of owers, please consider a contribution to the Martha’s at Christ the King Catholic Church.

BOWLING

Rosa Rizzi Bowling

them laugh. Even if that laugh stings a bit.

Anna Tsouhlarakis’ exhibition, Indigenous Absurdities, captures that humorous and incisive approach beautifully. On display at MCA Denver, 1485 Delgany St. in Denver, through Sunday, Sept. 10, the show is focused on Indigenous knowledge systems and ways of teaching. Using a range of mediums, including video, performance, sculpture, photography and installation, the work “challenges and expands the boundaries of aesthetic and conceptual expectations for Native artmak-

ing to reclaim and rewrite their de nitions,” according to provided information.

Visit https://mcadenver.org/exhibitions/anna-tsouhlarakis for all you need to know.

Pick your fighter — ‘Barbie’ or ‘Oppenheimer’

If you’re not keeping up with the lm community, you may not be aware that the weekend of July 21 is the biggest weekend of the year in 2023 — it’s the release day for Greta Gerwig’s“Barbie”and Christopher Nolan’s“Oppenheimer”. It’s been built up as a kind of clash of the titans or cinephile’s Christmas, depending on who you ask, but either way, we’re getting two of the year’s most anticipated lms on the same day.

So, which will you see? And if you do a double feature, what is the proper order? Do you start your experience with the neon-pink fun and satire of “Barbie,” or the mindblowing visuals of “Oppenheimer”? ere’s no right answer, but I hope to see plenty of discussion about both options and the lms. So, head over to your local theater and I’ll see you at the movies.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Je Tweedy at the Boulder Theater

If you’ve followed the great Chicago band Wilco over the years, then not only have you been treated to a lot of great music, but you’ve been able to witness frontman Je Tweedy’s journey from enigmatic songwriter to beloved cultural gure. He’s made his own

music, written three books and even acted a few times. No matter what he’s doing, I always nd his work rewarding and worth the time.

All this makes it incredibly thrilling to have one of indie rock’s leading gures out and about on his own, and Tweedy will be performing at the Boulder eater, 2032 14th St. in Boulder, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 21. is tour is being billed as intimate performances and with opener Le Ren on hand, this is bound to be a special evening.   Secure tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@ hotmail.com.

School board approves pay increase for Je co educators

BY JANE REUTER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Eligible Je erson County educators will get a 5.25% pay increase and more money for medical bene ts in the upcoming school year — two of several bene ts included in a recently approved agreement between the Je erson County Education Association (JCEA) and the Je erson County School Board.

Most educators will receive an additional salary bump based on the amount of time they’ve worked in the district.

Despite those increases, JCEA President Brooke Williams said Jefferson County teacher salaries are low compared to many surrounding districts.

“Our goal is always to ensure we can keep the best educators in Je co to serve our students,” said Williams, who is also an art teacher in the district. “ ough we were hopeful to secure a deal that would keep our district more competitive among others in the Denver metro area, we are not done ghting for the competitive compensation loyal educators deserve. We made it clear to our district that they need to reward our educators with the most experience, and we desperately need Je co to commit to invest new funding into its employees.”

According to Colorado Public Radio, Westminster, Cherry Creek and Adams 12 Five Star districts all o er higher starting salaries than Je erson County. e starting salary in Je co for the upcoming academic year is about $52,700.

Je co is also struggling with the impact of declining enrollment, caused in large part by a falling birth rate. ose changes led to a November 2022 decision to close 16 elementary schools and a more recent board vote to consolidate a middle and high school.

School funding is tied to enrollment, so the declines have putnancial pressure on the district — at a time in which educators say higher

view, the fact remains that over the past two years, district spending on teachers’ total compensation has increased by 18%, while achievement results have continued to decline, and learning losses have not been recovered,” she said. “We have limited nancial resources and they are getting more shallow. I am concerned we are spiraling with our nancial investment.

“We’re going to have to gure out how to talk to our community about that investment and the return on that investment,” she continued.

Board member Paula Reed praised those who negotiated the agreement but agreed the funding formula makes the process tough.

“ e JCEA and Je co have had over ve decades of negotiating

together, and I think it’s a history we think we remain in this sort of tense

serve for the work they do and being

“I think we are going to have to do some work as a district to gure out the revenue side so we can ease that tension a little bit and have more room for the compensation piece of negotiation,” she continued. “But I think we’re all trying to pull in the same direction, which feels really good.”

Je Co teachers said the issues of both compensation and academic performance are multi-layered and linked.

“A real concern of JCEA educators is the increasing cost of living in the Denver area, especially in Je erson County,” said JCEA Vice President Dale Munholland, who’s also a Pomona High School social studies teacher. “Furthermore, over the next decade, there is going to be an exo-

dus of teachers from the classroom due to retirement as well as teachers leaving the profession early because of the increasing demands and stress. Compounding this problem is that fewer and fewer young people are going into education due to low pay and increasing workload.”

Munholland added that if Je co wants to increase achievement, it cannot be done with overcrowded classrooms led by overworked teachers.

“It can only be done by keeping and attracting educators with a compensation package that keeps up with surrounding districts,” Munholland said.

JCEA Treasurer and Golden High School English teacher Andrew Gitner thanked the school board for the added compensation.

“When I started working in Je co in 2014, I was paid just over $29K per year,” he said. “ e only place I could a ord to live was not legally allowed to be called a bedroom. I’m grateful that the majority of Je co parents and the community have voted for School Board Directors who care enough to invest in educators and students. Valuing educators less than every comparable metro district is not a solution to any problem.”

Highlights of the agreement include:

• A 5.25% cost of living increase

• An added $20 per month toward the medical plan of the employee’s choosing

• An increase from 1% to 2% to the stipend for educators who work in Title I schools

• A class size relief fund for classes that exceed contractual guidelines. is will allow the district to provide paraeducator support or hire another teacher when students are in large classes.

• e expansion of non-contact days for planning time to include middle school educators.

• Additional stipends for Career and Technical Education and Elementary Art Music and PE teachers.

Despite a recent salary increase for Je co educators, JCEA President Brooke Williams said Je erson County teacher salaries are low compared to many surrounding districts. PEXELS

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

They proudly call themselves the B.O.B. from the 303, bringing the Big Easy up to high altitudes with their soul-gripping blend of music stylings with New Orleans jazz.

Known for its vibrant nightlife and colorful buildings is the French Quarter. e French Quarter is the heart of New Orleans, and jazz is its heartbeat.

Breathing life into Bourbon Street are the sounds of brass instruments and drums continuously owing out of numerous jazz clubs. With just a trumpet, clarinet, berry sax, alto sax, trombone, snare, bass drum and tuba, the Brothers of Brass are bringing that one and only soulful heartbeat to Colorado.

“It’s a cultural tradition that most of the country doesn’t have,” said Armando Lopez, a member of the Brothers of Brass.

e group’s repertoire is a simmering mix of slow and angsty tunes and fast-paced tempos with a kick of familiar melodies. e Brothers of Brass blend of other genres like R&B, hip hop and psychedelic jam rock into each set.

A day after a tornado hit Highlands Ranch in late June, the Brothers of Brass dished out a much-needed evening of fun for the community. Soon, everyone went from clapping

to full-out dancing, allowing concertgoers a chance to relax.

“It was nice to see so many kids, like, actually getting up out of their seats and the older people getting up and dancing and enjoying the music,” said Khalil Simon, who is originally from New Orleans. “It’s not so often that we get to play like New Orleans brass music for a crowd like this and appreciate it, that’s pretty unique.”

Not only did the band members interact with one another on stage throughout the night, they got the crowd involved by singing along and repeating after them. Although it was an outdoor concert, there was no excuse for the crowd not being loud enough.

Among some crowd favorites were “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr., and “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers. And of course, they couldn’t call themselves a brass band without playing the beloved spiritual hymn “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

In true New Orleans fashion, each band member was called out to do a solo, each one emoting a di erent feeling.

As the music continued and the sun began to set, the crowd let the good times roll as more children and adults came to the front of the stage, dancing as if it were Mardi Gras.

Just when the sun went behind the buildings, the Brothers of Brass were kind enough to strap on their instruments for an encore, playing “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child.

e strong, powerful notes of brass instruments and the beautiful harmo-

The Brothers of Brass playing at Civic Green Park in Highlands Ranch.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

BRASS

nizing of the members’ voices encapsulated the feeling of the Crescent City.

“ ey say a lot with very little,” said Lopez. “When you play the horn, there’s a lot of emotional information in your tone quality — you can literally play one note and instantly captivate somebody and that is not always taught.”

When two street performers collide

Just like their voices, the members of the Brother of Brass is a blended group.

On the streets of Atlanta, Georgia in 2014, Simon and a couple of his friends were busking — playing music on a public street for voluntary donations.

When the groups of friends rst started playing, they were sharing horns until they had saved up enough money to get horns for each member. ey called themselves the Brothers of Brass.

e group quickly learned that busking at event egresses was a better way of making money, so they began playing with baseball egresses but expanded to playing outside of concerts and events that drew large crowds.

When baseball season came to a close, the group decided to travel across the country in search of other venues to perform.

Lopez continued to share his love for music after moving to Denver from Los Angeles. Having received a music education in jazz, Lopez brought that in uence into street music.

Once in Denver, Lopez played the saxophone on 16th Street Mall and, in 2013, Jake Herman joined in on drums and a small funk and jazz band ensemble was formed called Nimbus.

e group busked on 16th Street Mall, Boulder’s Pearl St. Mall and at e Denver Arts District’s rst Friday Art Walk, often including a rotating lineup of local musicians to play with them.

On a random day in April 2015, Lopez heard the deep bass of a tuba while playing on 16th Street Mall. He followed the sound to nd Simon playing the tuba. e two groups ended up playing together at the nearby Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

“ ey showed us a new way of playing,” said Lopez.

Until Simon moved to Denver in 2016, the two groups continued to collaborate whenever the Brothers of Brass were in Denver, eventually transforming into a full sized

brass-band and bringing the New Orleans culture to Colorado.

“You don’t really see a lot of actual brassbands outside of only there (New Orleans),” said Simon. “So I gured I’d bring it here and to see people receiving it so well, it feels so good.”

Social justice through music

With aspirations to become a nonpro t organization, the Brothers of Brass began the Black Brass Initiative a few years ago, calling it a “de facto” cultural exchange program between the deep south and the Denver metro area.

e inspiration of the initiative goes back to when Simon began to travel while busking the streets. e initiative is responsible for the housing, transportation and food of black musicians from Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana.

“It’s nice to spread that culture here in Colorado, it’s kind of why I moved here, cause eventually places like New Orleans are not gonna exist anymore due to climate change and that’s where all this stu [music] came from and it’s mostly only there right now,” said Simon.

e band has been using the wealth generated by performing to reinvest in the black

communities in the south, where these musical traditions originated.

As stated on their website: “ e hope is that bringing gems of this culture to e Colorado Front Range will create a pipeline for cultural and educational enrichment for both the people of Colorado and the lineage of these musicians.”

Looking toward the future

From performing at a Mardi Gras party at Meow Wolf to playing the Red Rocks Amphitheater, the Brothers of Brass have no intention of slowing down.

For the rest of the summer, the Brothers of Brass will be playing at various locations throughout the metro area, including Cly ord Still Museum’s Lawn Concert, History Colorado Museum and the Bluebird eater.  ey can also be heard on the streets of Denver as they liven up the crowds.

e band will be releasing an upcoming album and can be followed on social media.

“By making this music, I’ve gotten farther and seen more of the world and people than doing anything else,” Simon said.

Armando Lopez, in the middle, playing two instruments.

The B.O.B. from the 303 bucket to collect voluntary donations. PHOTOS BY HALEY LENA

Khalil Simon playing the tuba in the middle while other members sing.

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when you shop, bring your bag

scan to learn more about our collective effort

Fun, education combine at Evergreen’s Family Fun Day at the Ranch

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Family Fun Day at the Ranch was a lot of fun mixed with a little bit of education about living with wildlife. e event at the Lucky Penny Ranch in Evergreen on July 14 brought 150 people of all ages to pet goats and horses, swing into a pile of hay, see birds of prey brought by HawkQuest. Plus they learned about a barbed-wire removal program, a new bear club and how to live with wildlife, all part of the mission of Wild Aware, which organized the event.

Wild Aware is a nonpro t formed in 2019 to try to curb the number of wildlife-vehicle accidents on Evergreen Parkway. e organization has branched out, creating an outreach program where volunteers explain the behavior of elk and other animals at Evergreen Lake in the spring

and summer, working to curtail the number of bear encounters with humans, and more.

Christie Greene, president and founder of Wild Aware, was pleased with the large turnout on a beautiful summer day. She hoped families would get involved in Wild Aware’s programs as a result of the fun event.

About Wild Aware

Another Wild Aware initiative is to make fences wildlife-friendly, including removing old barbed wire, modifying existing decorative fencing and more.

Greene is happy that the organization received its rst grant — $5,000 from the Lauren Townsend Memorial Wildlife Fund — that will be used to develop a plan to remove barbed wire from private property. e grant will expand on the barbed-

Two-year-old Ella Reveley enjoys having the opportunity to pet Maizy the Nigerian dwarf goat at Family Fun Day at the Ranch on July 16, flanked by grandparents Ann Finley and Chris Reveley. The family-friendly event was a fundraiser for Wild Aware.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

Trailhead improvements coming to Elk Meadow Park

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen is getting some upgrades, including improved trailheads that will accommodate more visitors to the popular park.

Je erson County Open Space, which owns the park, also plans to open the area on the south side of Stagecoach Boulevard that formerly was the o -leash dog park next year and to improve trails near Evergreen Parkway to help those with mobility issues use the park.

“We are working to improve different components of the park for everyone’s enjoyment,” said Matt Robbins, a spokesman for Je erson County Open Space or JCOS, which hosted a virtual community meeting last month to highlight the changes.

Elk Meadow with 1,658 acres and 14.7 miles of trails has two trailheads, one on Stagecoach Boulevard and the other on Bergen Peak Drive.

Both trailheads will see improvements, Robbins said. e trailhead o Bergen Peak Drive will get an additional 25 parking spaces and two additional oversized parking spaces, plus JCOS will formalize parking areas on the shoulders of the access road. at work is expected to be completed later this year.

e Stagecoach trailhead will get

a makeover with an additional 19 parking spaces, a new vault restroom and a crossing area to get to the southside of Stagecoach. at work is expected to be started in spring 2024 and be completed by spring 2025.

Trailhead work will be done in stages so park users can continue to access the park, he said.

e former o -leash dog park south of Stagecoach Park will be open by next summer, and the existing trails are being improved, plus a

new trail has been created leading south to Jenkins Peak. Robbins said rehabilitation of the former dog park has gone well in the ve years since JCOS closed the dog park.

JCOS is improving the Elk Meadow, Painters Pause, Meadow View and Founder’s trails, including three miles of hardened surfaces. ese trails are generally visible from Evergreen Parkway.

Robbins said while the trails won’t be completely ADA accessible, JCOS is dedicated in the last few years to

making trails more usable by those with mobility issues.

JCOS hopes to partner with the Evergreen Park & Recreation District to house accessible tricycles at the Buchanan Park Recreation Center, so they can be reserved by those who need them to experience Elk Meadow. He said including everyone so they can experience JCOS parks was important, and JCOS is planning to add climbing and equine experiences at the park.

JCOS also will continue re mitigation in the park as it helps the area prepare in case of wild re. Robbins said Elk Meadow has the secondhighest wild re danger rating of all of Je co Open Space’s parks.

The Elk Meadow Park trailhead on Bergen Peak Drive will get additional parking spots this summer. COURTESY IMAGES

The Elk Meadow Park trailhead on Stagecoach Boulevard will be reconfigured to add parking spots and more.

WILD AWARE

wire removal program the organization has in conjunction with Denver Mountain Parks at Dedisse Park.

In fact, volunteers will be removing barbed wire at Dedisse Park on July 22 and Aug. 19, and community members are invited to participate.

Connie and Ted Ning, longtime Evergreen residents, are starting an o shoot of Wild Aware that they are calling Bear Club for now, and Connie said they would get more creative with the name after the group gets started.

Connie said it would be a social group that watches documentaries and read books about bear and have social activities with the ultimate goal to brainstorm for Ever-

green to be designated a Bear Smart Community.

Get Bear Smart works to minimize the number of bears killed because of bear-human con icts, and to keep people and property safe, according to the bearsmart. com website.

Connie said anyone interested in getting involved with the Bear Club should email her at conniening@ msn.com.

Family fun

e youngsters had fun petting goats, with parents and grandparents enjoying watching the children.

“Ella loves animals,” said mom Lauren Reveley as her 2-year-old daughter giggled while petting Maizy the Nigerian dwarf goat. “She’s never been able to pet a goat before.”

Maizy was happy to get the atten-

tion, along with Willy the goat, who was getting attention from 2-yearold Hudson Kuehl.

Mom Laura Kuehl said they liked to keep their toddler busy, and Family Fun Day t the bill. Laura organizes events for the Mountain Mamas group, and Family Fun Day was a good option for families, she noted.

Max Stau er, 6, was in the barn, helping attendees pet Flicka the miniature horse.

“I’m helping people know how to work with horses and how to ride horses so they don’t get hurt,” Max explained. “It’s for safety.”

e four birds of prey that HawkQuest brought to Family Fun Day were a hit with adults and children alike. ey learned that Makowa the bald eagle was 18 years old and had been found in Anchorage, Alaska, with her wing impaled by a branch. She was taken to a rehabilitation

facility. Although her wing healed, she was never going to be able to y again, said HawkQuest volunteer Joe Makofski, which is how Makowa ended up with HawkQuest.

HawkQuest volunteer Kelly Key showed visitors Casper the great horned owl, who had been hit by a car in Wyoming, and because of her injuries, she became part of HawkQuest.

Katie Cooley, 4, was fascinated by the fox and coyote pelts at the Evergreen Audubon table. She touched them gingerly as dad Ian holding Carl, 15 months, watched.

“ is is a great thing to do with kids,” Ian Cooley said. “Katie was excited to pet the goats and horses.”

He said he was impressed with Wild Aware’s work and Family Fun Day at the Ranch.

“ e idea of keeping the integrity of the environment is so important,” he said.

Henderson is Hiring and Investing in Colorado!

Henderson has operated in Colorado since 1976 and is investing nearly $150 million into our operations to enable future production. We are committed to our employees and our community and are currently hiring new employees to join our 360 strong! Further, the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, recently announced more than $300,000 to Henderson Operations Social Investment Grant recipients in 2022. Learn more about the recipients below:

• Clear Creek County: Clear Creek County Health and Wellness Center – $100,000 (second payment of a $500,000 commitment) This will support the building and launch of the first collaborative care center in Clear Creek County.

•Clear Creek County: DLD Sub-Area Planning Grant – $60,000 Funding supports a planning process to strategically identify enhanced community, land use and infrastructure proposals to provide new sustainable revenue streams and improved services.

•Clear Creek County School District: Career-Connected Learning Project – $10,000 When combined with a $10,000 match of Henderson employee donations through Mile High United Way, it will support increasing opportunities for students to engage in career-connected experiential learning.

•Grand County Rural Health Network: Grand County Multisector Resource Hub – $25,000 Funding will support a collaborative planning process around the development of a multisector resource hub that would provide a one-stop resource for marginalized community members of Grand County.

•Grand County Search and Rescue: Mission Control Vehicle – $46,000 The vehicle will replace an inoperable multipurpose avalanche response, complex mission and command truck for Grand County.

•Middle Park Medical Foundation: Kremmling Wellness Center Gym – $75,000 Funding supports the development of a modern community recreation space with a goal of improving the overall health of the community by creating more opportunities to engage in recreational activities.

Congratulations to the recipients!

Since 2012, more than $1.6 million has been invested through the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation in Clear Creek and Grand counties. The funds have been awarded to programs and projects that build community resilience and capacity.

For more information on hiring visit climaxmolyjobs.com and for more information on community investment grants visit FreeportInMyCommunity.com

BY STAVROS KORONEOS

Let’s Make a Deal CONIFER – Coming to the rocky end of a tumultuous two-year relationship, Portia moved out and told Ellen she’d come back with a U-Haul to get her stu . Portia came back with a U-Haul, but Ellen wouldn’t let her go inside and get her stu until she coughed up $475 for unpaid bills. Portia called JCSO and complained that her stu was being held hostage. Deputies asked Ellen what it would take for Portia to get her stu . Ellen said it would take $475, Portia’s set of house keys, and Portia’s garage-door opener. Deputies asked Portia what it would take for her to hand those particulars over to Ellen. Portia said it would take the o cers’ assurance that she could then get her stu . Assurance was given, demands met, stu gotten, and peace restored.

Boosted mobile CONIFER – Call it a new low in employee-employer relations. According to the unhappy employee, at his new employer’s instruction he’d used his own money to pur-

chase two iPhone 14 Pro smartphones, $350-worth of service contracts and a $275.00 usage package. He then turned both phones over to his employer, who wasted no time becoming unreachable by any medium. e employer was aided in his anonymity by the fact that the employee didn’t know his employer’s name, address, or anybody who might. He was, the employee told deputies, “just happy to nd a job.” Verizon cancelled the new phone numbers, but employer and electronics remain incommunicado.

Major rager

EVERGREEN – On the morning of June 19, several alert citizens called JCSO to complain about a motorist “tail-gating” and “road-raging” other drivers in Turkey Creek Canyon. About half an hour later, Road-rager called JCSO himself, complaining that when he pulled into work one of those alert citizens pulled in after him and “punched” him in the puss. As proof, Roadrager directed o cers’ attention to an angry red mark on his left cheek. Called for comment, Alert told deputies that while Road-rager had certainly posed a clear and present danger to everyone on

Highway 285 and Parmalee Gulch Road, it was only by chance that he’d happened to park near Roadrager in downtown Evergreen, and he’d merely taken that opportunity to ask Road-rager why he’d been “driving so aggressively.” e way Alert told it, Road-rager responded with pure aggression, “yelling” and “cussing” and “chest-bumping” him, although Alert said he never punched Road-rager, pointing out that, as a southpaw, any damage he might have done would have been on Road-rager’s right cheek. Faced with con icting and equally plausible statements, deputies told Road-rager that, if he insisted on pursuing charges, they would issue disorderly conduct citations to both parties. Further enraged, but realistic, Road-rager relented.

Robbery roundup

EVERGREEN – Sometime during the night of June 18, two 4Runners were ri ed in the Stanley Park area. Stolen from one vehicle were AirPods and a wallet containing a credit card and insurance card. e AirPod tracker pinged somewhere on E. 40th Avenue in Aurora, and APD will attempt recovery. Missing from the other were a purse, a

wallet, spare keys, Ray-Ban sunglasses and an assortment of notyet-presented presents. e gifts were found discarded elsewhere in the neighborhood, but the rest remains Gone Johnson. At about the same time, somebody broke into a Tacoma parked in front of a Hiwan Hills home and made o with a loaded suitcase and a “survival knife.” A Google Nest doorbell camera caught images of a hooded man using a cellphone ashlight to loot the vehicle. e suitcase was subsequently found lying nearby “in the middle of the road,” but the knife is still in the wind. Finally, a late-model luxury SUV boosted that same night from a Hiwan Hills driveway was discovered the following afternoon abandoned on York Street in Denver. e license plates had been removed, and there are no suspects in the theft.

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, including the writer’s name, which is a pseudonym. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty.

ELK CREEK FIRE MILL LEVIES IN ELK CREEK

should be made available to the public, but she was opposed to the wide-ranging request for documents that would put a burden on sta , the three elected boards and others to try to compile all of the documents. She also was concerned that some of the data collected — in particular for the survey of residents in the three re districts — was private, and she didn’t want that disseminated to the public.

Pixley and board members Sharon Woods and Melissa Baker voted against Newby’s motion with little discussion.

Two questions about whether the three departments should consolidate are planned for the November ballot. e re boards from the three departments still need to approve the bond language.

Reason for the

request

Newby said there have been many behind-the-scenes discussions about the potential consolidation, and the public knows nothing about what was discussed and decisions that were made.

“Some members of the public have requested information and have been given some information, but there has not been complete disclosure,” he said. “I think in the interest of transparency to the public, what

Some members of the Elk Creek Fire board are concerned that if voters don’t approve consolidating the department with two neighboring districts and the corresponding property tax increase in November, the department will lose revenue thanks to a sunsetting mill levy override.

They asked their attorney at the July 13 board meeting whether the ballot question could be written in such a way that the district could keep the consolidation property tax increase if approved by voters even if voters didn’t approve consolidation. That’s because Elk Creek has a 2.5 mill levy increase approved in 2013 that is only in e ect for 10 years, so that money won’t be paid by property owners starting in 2024.

The district expects to ask voters for a 5.97 mill levy increase on the November ballot as part of the two questions regarding consolidation: the first will ask whether Elk Creek should consolidate with North Fork and Inter-Canyon fire departments; the second will ask Elk Creek voters to approve the 5.97 mill levy increase. Voters in all three fire districts must approve both questions for consolidation to take place.

Board members said while that increase sounds high, Elk Creek voters have already been paying 2.5 mills of the 5.97 mills for the past 10 years.

Attorney John Chmil explained that because of Elk Creek’s pre-consolidation agreement with the other two fire districts, Elk Creek would need to ask a separate ballot question if it wanted voters to approve continuing the 2.5 mills if consolidation failed. The Elk Creek board will look at the final ballot language at its Aug. 10 meeting, and board members did not ask Chmil to generate ballot language for the sunsetting milllevy increase.

Final ballot language is due to Je erson County to be put on the November ballot by Sept. 8.

According to Fire Chief Jacob Ware, 2.5 mills brings in about $750,000 or about 14% of the department’s $5.38 million budget.

If the consolidation vote fails, Elk Creek will not have a way to recoup the money the 2.5 mills bring in until another election when it could ask voters for additional funding.

I’m asking for here is that we make available to the public all of the documents that we have received and reviewed.”

For example, he asked why the headquarters for the consolidated re department, to be called the Conifer Fire Protection District, would be along U.S. 285 at the Inter-

Canyon Fire Department’s Station 3, which is scheduled to be rebuilt.

“Why build a new re station in Morrison when the population center is in Elk Creek?” he asked. “What were the conversations, what were the tradeo s, how was the rationale developed? None of that information has been disclosed to

the public. Not only does it need to be disclosed, it has to be.”

Newby said he was interested in the methodology Magellan Strategies used in creating a survey of residents in the three re districts to gauge their interest in consolidation because it goes to the results’ validity.

e survey found between 69% and 80% of respondents favored the three re departments consolidating, and when the survey provided additional information on what consolidation would mean, those percentages increased slightly.

e board’s attorney, John Chmil, said he looked at Newby’s motion the way he would look at a CORA request.

“From a practical standpoint, do we have an idea of what this entails, how long it will take and what is realistic,” he said. “… e request needs to be realistic and have clarity to it.”

According to the Colorado Open Records Act, the government entity has three work days to respond to a records request. e government entity can ask for a seven-day extension if the records request is large. Chmil noted that some of the documents Newby is asking for may not exist and may not be required to be made public based on CORA.  CORA allows a government entity to charge for copying costs and charge a fee for the time it takes to assemble the documents.

Meet our BIG puppies they are 4mo and 35+ pounds already - OMG what breed are these giant packages of u y playfulness? With legs for days? Let’s start the guessing with Schnauzer & Terrier. Other guesses, Irish Wolfhound, Bearded Collie (maybe?) The puppies are in foster homes with dogs & humans of all ages.

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.

WEDNESDAY

Skate park meeting: e Evergreen Skatepark Coalition is hosting a meeting from 5:30-6:30 p.m. July 19 near the skate park at Wulf Recreation Center to discuss new skate park ideas. Pizza will be provided. For more information, visit skateevergreen.com.

THURSDAY

Connections & Cocktails: e Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce will host Connections & Cocktails at 4:30 p.m. July 20 at Blackbird Cafe and Tavern in Kittredge and at 4:30 p.m. July 26 at the Hiwan Golf Club. For more information, visit evergreenchamber.org.

SATURDAY

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

Triple Bypass: e Triple Bypass Bike Ride is on July 22 starting in Evergreen and ending in Avon. For more information and to register, visit www.triplebypass.org.

Dog wash:   e TallGrass Spa Super Sudsy Dog Wash will be from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 22 at Ambary Gardens, 26479 Highway 74 in Kittredge. A $20 donation includes a wash by volunteers for one dog and a CBD spritzer for its owner. Proceeds support Evergreen Animal Protective League. For more information, contact TallGrass at 303-670-4444 or info@TallGrassSpa.com.

Cars and Co ee: Cars and Coffee, a show for car enthusiasts, will be from 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays until Aug. 26 in front of Olde’s Garage on Evergreen Parkway. ere’s no registration fee. Bring your classic car or stop in to check out the vehicles. Free co ee and doughnuts. Donations bene t Mount Evans Hospice.

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY

Public input on Evergreen Fire/ Rescue master plan: Evergreen Fire/Rescue is hosting a meeting to get the community’s input on the future of the department at 6 p.m. July 25 and July 26 at the department’s Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway. For more information, visit evergreen rerescue.com.

WEDNESDAY

EPRD summer concert series: e Evergreen Park & Recreation district has two concerts remaining starting at 4:30 p.m. this summer: July 26: May Be Fern at Evergreen Lake; and Aug. 9: Cass Clayton Band at Buchanan Park elds.

UPCOMING

Mad Hatters fundraiser: Evergreen Animal Protective League’s Mad Hatters fundraiser will be from 4-9 p.m. July 27 at Cactus Jack’s. For more information, visit eapl.org.

“Footloose the Musical”: Stagedoor eater will perform “Footloose the Musical” directed by Jo Gerlick July 28-Aug. 6 at the theater, 25797 Conifer Road, Conifer. Performances are at 7 p.m. July 28-29 and Aug. 4-6, and at 2 p.m. July 30 and Aug. 6. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for seniors, educators and students. For more information and tickets, visit stagedoortheatre.org.

Evergreen Jazz Festival: e Evergreen Jazz Festival will be July 28-30 at several venues in Evergreen with bands from around the country playing swing, blues, Dixieland and

more. For information on bands, performances and tickets, visit EvergreenJazz.org.

Summerfest: Center for the Arts

Evergreen’s 43rd annual Summerfest will be from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 29-30 at the Buchanan Park elds. Admission is $5, payable at the door. Visit artist and artisan booths, while listening to live music and visiting food trucks. For more information, visit evergreenarts.org.

Elevation Celebration: Conifer’s Elevation Celebration will be from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. July 29-30 along Sutton Road. Music, vendors, family activities and more highlight this street fair. For more information, visit elevationcelebration.goconifer. com.

e Evergreen Area Republican Club: e Evergreen Area Republican Club will meet at 6 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Evergreen Fire/Rescue Administration Building, 1802 Bergen

SEE HAPPENINGS, P22

Parkway. e speaker will be Antonette Smith, deputy state director of Americans for Prosperity. Visit evergreenarearepublicanclub.org for more information.

Classic movie night: Center Stage is hosting monthly classic movie nights with acclaimed lms from the silent era to the golden age of cinema. It will show “A Dog’s Life” (1918) starring Charlie Chaplin and “Sherlock, Jr.” (1924) starring Buster Keaton at 6:30 p.m. ursday, Aug. 3, at the theater, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen. Single tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for students. For more information and tickets, visit ovationwest.org.

Free legal clinic: A free legal clinic for people with no attorney will be from 2 to 5 p.m. ursday, Aug. 3. 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.

Dam Ducky Derby: Downtown Evergreen’s Dam Ducky Derby will be from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, with the duck drop at 1 p.m. First place duck gets $1,500, second place

$1,000 and third place $500. Purchase ducks at downtown businesses and get more information or purchase ducks online at downtownevergreen. com/events/dam-ducky-derby.

Evergreen Town Race: e Evergreen Town Race will be Aug. 6 in downtown Evergreen. Register for the 5K at Big R and register for the 10K near the Xcel building on Evergreen Parkway. e race is a fundraiser for the Alpine Rescue Team. Both the 5K and 10K courses wind gradually down Upper Bear Creek, with a nish near Evergreen Lake. For more information and to register, visit www. evergreentownrace.org/.

sects and other ying creatures. e gallery is open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit www.shadowmountaingallery.com.

ConiferFest: ConiferFest music festival will be from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Aug. 12 in the open space adjacent to Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church in Conifer. Tickets are $10 at the gate, and food from food trucks, and beer, wine and margaritas are an additional cost. Parking is free. For more information, visit coniferfest. com.

Moonlight Soiree: e Moonlight Soiree sponsored by Mount Evans Home Health Care and Hospice will start at 5:30 p.m. ursday, Aug. 17, at the Evergreen Lake House. Black tie is optional. Tickets are $350 or $4,000 for a patron table seating eight. For more information and tickets, visit mtevans.org/support-mount-evans/ moonlightsoiree.

ONGOING

needed: Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers. A variety of opportunities and exible schedules are available on new construction sites as well as for exterior minor home repairs. No previous construction experience needed. Contact volunteer@bluesprucehabitat.org for information.

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.

“Spirited Flight”: Shadow Mountain Gallery in downtown Evergreen next to Java Groove will host “Spirited Flight” with ight-related art until Aug. 12. e show features birds, in-

Adult grief support group: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice is o ering a seven-week in-person adult grief support group. e next group starts June 1 and runs every ursday through July 20, with no session on July 6. e group will meet from 2-3 p.m. at the Mount Evans ofce, 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen. Reservations are required. Call 303-674-6400 to sign up.

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 summer hours: Hiwan Museum is open for tours from noon-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from noon-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Outdoor self-guided tours are available at any time. Large groups are encouraged to call 720-497-7653 to make arrangements.

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Floyd Hill work will mean delays, some closures of I-70 with a vision for a safer ride by 2028

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As you make your way down Floyd Hill on westbound Interstate 70, there is a tree you should take a look at.

e tree marks the location of the future highway to be completed in 2028.

It’s here, at this tree, where westbound I-70 will launch 60 feet above the mountains on a twisting path leading back to the Veterans Memorial Tunnels. Supported by steel and concrete caissons, this elevated section of road is designed to address several existing problems with what experts say has been a hazardous design for decades. e planned forgiving and wider turns will improve sight and stopping distance.

Kurt Kionka with the Colorado Department of Transportation says the current curves are rated for 45 mph. Many drivers, said Kionka, CDOT Floyd Hill Project director, “clearly exceed that safety limit.”

Kionka and Austin Knapp, the construction manager and general contractor with Kraemer North America, will lead this historic project.

It represents the next ve years

of interstate construction in Clear Creek County. Eastbound work is already underway. Expect concrete barriers to be in place soon on the south side to protect tra c and workers as they carve 40 feet from the mountain to allow for additional lanes.

Approximately $700 million in state and federal dollars will be spent. is includes the largest single grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to Colorado: $100 million.

It is a massive engineering and construction project that will be split into three phases. Work has started on the east section of the project, a four-mile stretch that spans from County Road 65 to the bottom of Floyd Hill.

Over the summer, crews will focus on building the work zone, excavation, wall construction, drainage work, and rock scaling and blasting to create room for roadway improvements.

During rock scaling and blasting, motorists should expect daytime tra c holds in both directions of I-70 starting in late-July or early August on some days of the week. Crews will perform rock blasting

and scaling for 20 minutes and then reopen the roadway. In all, motorists can anticipate up to 45 minutes of delays.

Blasting is anticipated to occur two times per week through early 2024. Motorists can stay in the know on when blasting activities are planned by signing up for text alerts by texting oydhill to 21000.

Several crude wooden markers are already in place. is simple stick along the walking and biking trail adjacent to Clear Creek on the south side will be replaced in the near future. It marks the spot where westbound I-70 will eventually cross over the creek and rejoin existing I-70 west. Today, it’s a stick. In 2028 it will be an elevated overpass on one of the most critical interstates in the United States.

Also note, the walking and biking path will be replaced as part of the overall project. e old pavement will be removed and new concrete laid in its place. e grade of the path will also be brought to Americans with Disabilities requirements, according to Kionka.

According to CDOT, the ultimate goal of the project is multilateral and multifold.

e I-70 Floyd Hill Project will:

• Add a third westbound I-70 travel lane in this two-lane bottleneck. is new lane will be a full-time, tolled express lane from just west of Homestead Road (Exit 247) through the Veterans Memorial Tunnels to Colorado Blvd./Idaho Springs (Exit 241);

• Rebuild bridges damaged due to use, wear and tear, and heavy usage;

• Construct a missing two-mile section of the frontage road between U.S. 6 and the Hidden Valley/Central City Parkway interchanges, which will improve emergency response;

• Build an extended on-ramp from U.S. 6 onto eastbound I-70 for slowmoving vehicles to have more room to merge;

• Improve tra c ow and access at interchanges and intersections;

• Improve sight distance and safety by straightening roadway curves;

• Improve the Clear Creek Greenway trail; and

• Implement environmental mitigation to enhance wildlife connectivity, air and water quality, stream conditions and recreation.

Check the Canyon Courier for the latest news on this project.

dler pairs and one decoy. Six dogs — including Ragnar and Rico — are dual-purpose for narcotics detection and patrol. e seventh is a bombsni ng dog for the courthouse, he said.

e K-9 unit responds to an incredibly large call volume, including helping local agencies that don’t have their own K-9 units.

“We stay busy,” Valbert continued. “ … (Being fully sta ed) keeps us at 24-7 coverage.”

Valbert, Oliver and Wagner all emphasized how this wouldn’t have been possible without the tremendous community support JCSO received after Gra t’s death.

Companies and individuals from Je co and beyond donated money, dog treats, and more in Gra t’s honor. e monetary donations enabled the o ce to buy the two new K-9s — each of which was $20,000 including training and travel — along with ballistic vests and other crucial equipment.

Oliver thanked everyone for their support and donations, saying, “I felt like I wasn’t alone, that the community cared about (Gra t) too.”

While Oliver stressed that no one could replace Gra t, he said it was great to have a K-9 partner once

more. He and his family members feel better now that he has someone going to work with him again.

Ragnar, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, is adjusting to home life well.

He has “a good on-o switch,” Oliver described, saying he’s always excited to go to work.

Oliver was among the JCSO personnel who went to California to scope out new K-9s. ey were looking for dogs that were at least a year old and that would be good ts for the sheri ’s o ce and their respective handlers.

Oliver liked how methodical Ragnar was, saying, “He’s focused, calm and clear-headed.”

For Rico and Wagner, the last six weeks of training have been a fun, new journey together.

“He’s a puppy still,” Wagner said of the 14-month-old Belgian Malinois. “He’s always wanting to play and work.”

To help Rico di erentiate between home and work, Wagner said he has separate collars. So, when Rico gets his work collar on and jumps in the patrol vehicle, Wagner said he knows he’s going to work.

Rico’s been solid in training, Wagner said, describing how he’s been especially quick on the narcotics detection side thus far. e pair should be fully trained by late September, he anticipated.

“He’s willing and quick to learn,” Wagner said of his new K-9 partner.

For K-9 Gra t

In the early hours on Feb. 13, Oliver and Gra t responded to a call near the Colorado School of Mines campus in Golden.

A suspected drunken driver had evaded police, reportedly pointing a gun at a Golden Police o cer during the incident, and was last seen running toward the Mines campus.

According to court documents, Oliver and Gra t tracked the suspect to a wooded area, with Oliver releasing Gra t with commands to apprehend. e suspect, later identied as 29-year-old Eduardo Romero, then reportedly shot Gra t, killing him.

Gra t, a 10-year-old German shepherd, had been with the Je co Sheri ’s O ce since 2015. He was honored with a procession from the site, temporary memorial sites at JCSO headquarters and the Mines campus, and a Feb. 27 memorial service.

Romero was later arrested without incident and charged with several counts, including aggravated cruelty to animals, class-6 felony. is is the lowest-level felony, and carries a sentence of up 18 months in jail and a ne of up to $100,000.

Romero’s scheduled to enter a plea at 1 p.m. Aug. 7 at the Je erson County Courthouse.

In the wake of Gra t’s death, Oliver and JCSO partnered with state lawmakers to increase the penal-

ties and nes in aggravated animal cruelty cases.

House Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, and Representative Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud, sponsored House Bill 1286, which was signed June 2.

According to the nal language, anyone convicted of aggravated animal cruelty toward service animals, police dogs or police horses must pay a mandatory minimum ne of $2,000 and complete an anger management treatment program. ey must also make restitution to the owner or agency, including veterinary expenses and/or replacement costs.

In April, Armagost told Colorado Politics how many states have enacted harsher penalties for killing a K-9. Armagost also detailed how replacing a K-9 isn’t about just the dog itself, but the breadth and intensity of training the dog has completed. Oliver described how he testi ed in favor of House Bill 1286, saying he wanted to see harsher penalties for anyone who hurts or kills a service animal or working police animal.

He again thanked community members for all their support, saying he and Wagner are excited to serve Je erson County with their new K-9 partners.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for us,” Oliver continued.

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

1. WEATHER: What is the name of the hot wind that blows from the Sahara Desert to the southern coast of Europe?

2. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the name of the condition of seeing human faces in random or ambiguous objects or patterns?

3. GEOGRAPHY: What is the only country that borders the United Kingdom?

4. THEATER: Which Broadway play features a helicopter on stage?

5. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude”?

6. MEDICAL: What is the common name for the ailment called epistaxis?

7. TELEVISION: Which TV comedy popularized the phrase “Yabba Dabba Do”?

8. MOVIES: What is the nickname that Steven Spielberg gave the mechanical shark in the movie “Jaws”?

9. HISTORY: When did the Boxer Rebellion take place in China?

10. MATH: Which number doesn’t have a corresponding Roman numeral?

Answers

1. Sirocco.

2. Pareidolia.

3. Republic of Ireland.

4. “Miss Saigon.”

5. Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

6. Nosebleed.

7. “ e Flintstones.”

8. Bruce.

9. 1900.

10. Zero.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Contact Ruth, 303-566-4113

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Notice of Vacancy Town Clerk

The Town Clerk serves the public, elected o cials, the Mayor of Silver Plume, the Silver Plume Board of Trustees, and other Town Departments by providing a variety of administrative services. Dayto-day duties include record keeping, bookkeeping, and overseeing o cial correspondence and communication on behalf of the Town of Silver Plume. Additional responsibilities include serving as the Liquor License Authority as well as the Election O cial for the Town of Silver Plume. Responsible for preparation, facilitation, and documentation of all Board Meetings. Oversees all aspects of Utility Readings and Billing. The successful candidate must be self-motivated, responsible, courteous & require minimal supervision. They will report directly to the Town Personnel Management Committee regarding day-to-day job activities to serve the needs of the Town as directed by the Mayor & Town Board of Trustees. The job is full-time (40 hours/week). Salary $47,500-$60,000. Please contact Town Hall for a more detailed job description before submitting your resume or application letter, proof of valid driver’s license, & up to three (3) letters of recommendation by August 1st, 2023.

Town of Silver Plume, Drawer F, Silver Plume, CO, 80476. 303-569-2363. clerk@silverplumetown.com

Careers

On Line Bookstore

ChesslerBooks.com is an Evergreen based, 39 year old on-line bookstore offering books related to mountaineering. We are looking for an intelligent, well read, computer literate associate who can list and describe books on our website. The job also entails packing the books and taking them to the post office. Must be able to occasionally carry 40 lbs. Over age 50 is okay. Flexible hours 16-24 hours a week, salary competitive. This job is stress free and no commuting! Phone 720 5604963 or email info@chesslerbooks. com.

85 room Hotel located in the foothills west of Golden, I-70 and Evergreen Pkwy. just 15 minutes west from 6th Avenue and I-70, is seeking an experienced Maintenance Engineer. Specific hotel experience desired with a minimum of one year experience in multi-unit or hotel. Days would be Saturday through Wednesday 8:30am-5pm with 30 minutes for lunch. Please send resume to information@goldenevergreenhotel. com or swing by to fill out an application.

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

Careers

Clear Creek School District is now accepting applications for our Interim Superintendent position for the 2023-2024 school year, with an anticipated start date of September 18, 2023. Applications accepted through July 31, 2023. The salary range for this position is $150,00 - $165,000.

For more information please visit our website or to apply directly on the McPherson & Jacobson L.L.C. website. https://www.ccsdre1.org/superintendent-search https://macnjake.com/

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Public Notices

Legals

Districts have filed a consolidation resolution and concurring resolutions proposing the consolidation with the Jefferson County Court.

A court hearing to determine whether the consolidation should be referred to voters in November, 2023 will be held in Jefferson County District Court, Division 2 on the date listed below in case number 1948CV6431.

Hearing Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 1:30 pm

Any eligible elector, property owner, county, or municipality which desire to oppose the consolidation or the inclusion of property or territory within the proposed consolidated district shall file a written and verified petition with the Court no later than the filing deadline listed below.

Opposition Filing Deadline: Friday, July 21, 2023

Petitions opposing or objecting to the proposed consolidation are limited to (i) the failure of any of the Districts to comply with the statutory consolidation process; or (ii) the provision of new and unwanted service to the petitioner's property by the proposed consolidated district. §32-1-602(2)

(d), C.R.S.

At the hearing, the Districts will be seeking a Court Order setting an election in each of the Districts for voters, on November 7, 2023, to consider whether to approve the proposed consolidation and related mill levy increase to enable the consolidated District to collect a mill levy up to 16 mills. The proposed consolidated District would be called the Conifer Fire Protection District, if formed, and would provide fire protection and emergency response services throughout the area currently served by the Districts.

Legal Notice No. CC 1297

First Publication: July 20, 2023

Last Publication: July 20, 2023 Publisher: Canyon Courier Bids and Settlements

Public Notice

NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT

JEFFERSON COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO

Pursuant to C.R.S. Section 38-26-107, notice is hereby given that on the 1st day of August 2023 final settlement will be made by the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado to: B&M ROOFING OF COLORADO INC. PO BOX 1078 ERIE, CO 80516 hereinafter called the “Contractor”, for and on account of the contract for Human Service Building Emergency Roof Repair project in Jefferson County, CO.

1. Any person, co-partnership, association or corporation who has an unpaid claim against the said project, for or on account of the furnishing of labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by such Contractor or any of said work, may at any time up to and including said time of

such final settlement, file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim.

2. All such claims shall be filed with Heather Frizzell, Director of Finance Jefferson County Colorado, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden CO 80419-4560.

3.Failure on the part of a creditor to file such statement prior to such final settlement will relieve the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado, from any and all liability for such claim. County of Jefferson, State of Colorado Andy Kerr, Chairman Board of County Commissioners

Legal Notice No. CC 1292

First Publication: July 13, 2023

Last Publication: July 20, 2023

Publisher: Canyon Courier ###

Rotary’s Youth Services

Young Rotary

EHS Young Rotary is an Evergreen High School Club dedicated to making the Evergreen community a better place through leadership and community service.

Young Rotary are the youth leaders of Evergreen, assisted by the Evergreen Rotary. They want to inspire our community to create positive change. During the 2022/2023 academic year they carried out several service projects, and look forward to becoming more active in 2023/2024. You are invited to join Young Rotary in August of 2023 at the EHS Activities Fair.

Rotary Youth Exchange. Would You Like to Study Abroad?

Rotary Youth Exchange provides students between 14 and 18 years old with the opportunity to experience a cultural exchange and to develop as leaders who promote peace and justice around the world.

These study-abroad programs give young people the opportunity to spend anywhere from a few weeks to a full year as an international student hosted by the Rotary Club of Evergreen. Our year-long programs send students overseas and we also host students here in Evergreen. It is life changing for the students, as well as the families who host them. Summer programs include Family to Family Exchanges for two like-minded students to stay in each other’s homes for a few weeks in each location. If you are interested, please contact Scott@denvermachine.com for more information.

RYLA/YRYLA—Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

This intensive leadership experience is life-changing as it helps middle school and high school students develop their leadership skills, in an atmosphere of trust and respect, while at the same time having fun and making connections. This summer, Rotary hosted eighteen students who attended two one-week camps for high school sophomore and junior students and one one-week camp for 7th grade students. The camps were held at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. Anyone interested in learning more about next year’s camps should contact Larry Fitzsimmons at tzylls@comcast.net.

Our club has more than 100 members from all walks of life. We like to have fun and we organize social functions throughout the year.

• We meet once a week at Evergreen Country Day school; Fridays at 7.00 a.m. for breakfast. There is no meeting commitment – attend as many or as few as you like.

• Our meetings, events and speaker schedules can be found at EvergreenRotary.org, along with details about our local and international committees and projects.

• Dues are $38 monthly.

Questions? Email us at info@EvergreenRotary. org and we’ll get back to you.

We are PROUD to support Evergreen’s YOUTH. With the rise of natural disasters, we are pleased to continue to insure homes in our mountain community. Please feel free to stop by our o ce at 3112 Evergreen Pkwy to discuss questions you may have regarding your insurance policies.

We are open M-F 9:00AM-5:00PM.

Sunrise at the RYLA leadership camp

RYLA leadership camp at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park

Our recent Exchange Student, Pavel

Young Rotary making the Evergreen community a better place through leadership and community service.

Michele Vanags & Team (Britt, Karla, Janet, Amanda, Leann, Logan and Pam)