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.” 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.

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.

“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 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

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.

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

$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/.

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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