Developer proposes moving El Rancho restaurant, building a QuikTrip in its place
Opponents say truck tra c and other impacts would be ‘disastrous’ for neighborhood
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
An Evergreen developer has a unique plan he says will save and revitalize the historic El Rancho restaurant, while also bringing a QuikTrip to Evergreen. But not everyone is on board with those plans.
Evergreen resident and developer Jack Buchanan proposes moving the El Rancho restaurant at U.S. Highway 40 and Evergreen Parkway across the highway to a site he plans to develop. at would clear the way for the construction of a QuikTrip at the long-time restaurant site. Buchanan says moving the 76-year-old building would give it better mountain views and visibility from I-70, and a spot next to a planned new hotel. e relocated restaurant would also have a smaller footprint, a new foundation and kitchen, he said, all factors that would make it more e cient and draw new customers.
“ e hard reality is that making
El Rancho pro table has been next to impossible in recent years,” Buchanan said, adding that “some of the best operators in the state have tried to make it work.”
In El Rancho’s place, Broom eldbased engineering consultant Kimley-Horn proposes building a convenience store and gas station. e company submitted a pre-application package for the 5.4-acre site to Je erson County Aug. 7.
If the proposal doesn’t move forward, Buchanan said El Rancho will be demolished.
“Opponents of relocating El Rancho — and opposing any development at all, really — are unwittingly forcing the worst possible outcome, which is demolition of El Rancho,” he said.
Jack and Sherry Buchanan of Northstar Ventures own the 6.5 acres on which he proposes the relocation. e site was home to the longvacant Observatory bar, which was demolished in early 2024.
Opposition to restaurant relocation and convenience store construction is stacking up quickly.
Nearly 600 people have signed a petition opposing the Quik Trip proposal. While the El Rancho building currently has no historic status, the Je erson County Historical Commission submitted a memo to the county Aug. 28 voicing their opposi-
tion to demolishing or moving it.
“It is a signi cant historic building that would be eligible for the county’s historic designation, as well as likely eligible for state and national designation,” the memo states. “JCHC strongly disagrees with demolishing or moving the El Rancho hotel and restaurant from its current location and strongly recommends that the building and surrounding area be preserved.”
Kim Teschke-Timm is among a group of homeowners who live near El Rancho and oppose Buchanan’s plans.
“ e QuikTrip would be disastrous for the El Rancho neighborhood — the lights alone and the trucks,” she said. “Highway 40 going west is not built to handle semis on a regular basis. Plus, we already have a gas station across the street, and a huge convenience store called Wal-Mart.
“I understand where the Buchanans are coming from. ey’re probably in a bind nancially with this building, and it may not be viable as a huge restaurant anymore,” she continued. “We should save the building. But I would like to see it be repurposed for something else that would t with the neighborhood.”
A QuikTrip representative says its Evergreen project will be developed with care and promises to launch a public website about its proposal.
“ e project intends to meet or exceed the requirements in the Evergreen Area Plan by maximizing the landscaped area through bestin-class design and functionality,” Kimley-Horn project manager Coy Williams wrote in his submittal to Je erson County. “For example, although the Evergreen Area Plan allows for buildings up to three stories, the project (proposes) a single-story building with an anticipated height of 20 feet in order to create and preserve view corridors of the Continental Divide.”
Buchanan says QuikTrip, which is under contract to buy the El Rancho site, will be an asset to the area and occupy about half the space El Rancho currently does.
“QuikTrip is not building a truck stop,” he said. “Calling QuikTrip a truck stop is like calling Peyton Manning a baseball player. QuikTrip is a convenience store that sells gas, and it’s well known for its immaculate cleanliness, fresh food o erings, and very a ordable gas prices.”
He also said JCHC didn’t contact him before submitting their memo to the county.
“It’s important to note that their objections refer to demolishing El Rancho — something that is not our plan,” Buchanan said. “To save El
With the Market Shifting in Buyers’ Favor, Selecting the Right Listing Agent Is Key
Last week, I wrote about what skills and knowledge you should expect your real estate agent to possess. This week, with the shift from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market, I want to write about the importance of selecting the right listing agent.
You’ll probably want to know their level of experience, competence and success in selling homes similar to your own, hopefully within your city or neighborhood.
agents to list their homes? Many, I suspect are friends and family every agent’s biggest “competitor.”
Like you, I monitor the real estate activity where I live. The best way to do that is to ask an MLS member like my broker associates or me to set up a “neighborhood alert,” whereby you receive an automated email from the MLS whenever a home in your area is either coming soon, newly active, price reduced, newly under contract, newly sold, or even newly withdrawn or expired without selling. Send an email to info@GoldenRealEstate.com and I’ll make sure the most appropriate broker associate (or me) responds to set up an alert like that for you.
In my own neighborhood, I’m always astonished how many homes are listed by agents I’ve never heard of. As I write, there are 36 active or coming soon listings within 2 miles of my home, represented by 33 different agents from 27 different brokerages! No agent has more than two listings. And despite practicing real estate here for 22 years, I only recognize the names of 10 of them. This is typical of every city. Where did the sellers find all those different
In some cases, the seller had already gone under contract for their replacement home elsewhere and was convinced by the listing agent of that home to list their current home. If that agent is on the other side of the metro area, that is not the best decision, because that agent will be unfamiliar with your neighborhood, lives far away, and is unable to show the home on short notice, answer questions from buyers, or keep your brochure box well stocked.
Every homeowner, it seems, gets letters or finds a note taped to their door from a broker claiming to have a buyer for their home. That tactic may earn him or her an interview in your home, but I’d bet dollars to donuts that the broker then says, “That buyer found another home, but I’m sure I can find you another buyer if you list with me. Sign here.”
Let’s say, however, that you want to interview listing agents and make a rational hiring decision. Good idea! Let me suggest some questions you might want to ask, some of which might not be obvious or that you know you could ask.
First, however, you need to choose the agents to interview. I suggest basing your search on their location and experience in your neighborhood or city. Second, study their active/sold listings to see (1) their geographic distribution and (2) how well their listings are presented on the MLS.
Since this column is printed in 24
Kim Taylor’s New Listing in Cedaredge
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weekly newspapers around the metro area, my broker associates and I may not be the best choice based on that first question, but, with my access to the MLS, I can identify the best candidates to interview. Full disclosure: that costs you nothing, but I will get a referral fee if you choose an agent I recommend.
You can also do this on your own by visiting www.Nestfully.com, the consumer-facing website of Denver’s MLS, where you can search for active listings in your area. Click on one or more of them to see how well the listing agent described the home on the MLS. Did they list all the rooms, not just bedrooms and bathrooms, and did they provide dimensions and descriptions of each, or just enter the mandatory fields?
Always keep in mind that the best indicator of how a listing agent will serve you is how they have served previous sellers.
Looking at those listings will answer the most important questions which you’d ask in person, but you won’t have to take their word the truth is there in front of you. You’ll learn, for example, whether they did point-and-shoot pictures or had a professional photographer shoot magazine quality photographs, and whether they created a narrated video tour or just a slide show with music.
Having chosen who to interview that way, ask these questions of those you invite into your home for an interview:
What commission percentage do you charge? Keep in mind, there is no standard commission. It’s totally negotiable, and the industry average is in the mid -5’s, not 6%. It used to be that that commission included the co-op commission paid to a buyer’s broker. As I explained in a previous column (which you can read at JimSmithColumns.com), that has been reworked so that the seller offers whatever buyer agent compensation he or she wants, and that amount, if paid, is deducted from the listing com-
mission same net effect, just reworked to comply with the NAR Settlement prohibiting shared listing commissions.
See whether the agent volunteers that they reduce their commission when the seller doesn’t have to pay the offered compensation to a buyer’s agent. That’s standard with my broker associates and me. If you have to ask for that provision, consider it a red flag. They hoped you wouldn’t ask.
Ask the agent whether he or she will discount their commission if you hire them to represent you in the purchase of your replacement home. That, too, is standard with my broker associates and me.
Hopefully the brokers you interview will have researched the market and will make a well-supported recommendation of listing price. Beware of agents who inflate their suggested listing price so you will list with them.
When setting the appointment, ask the agent to bring a spreadsheet of their sold listings with dates, days on market, listing price and sold price. They can produce that spreadsheet quickly on the MLS. (If they don’t know how, that’s a big red flag!) Here’s an example (mine):
That’s to show you what it looks like. If you want to read it, it is bigger at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com
EL RANCHO
Rancho, we have to relocate it a few hundred feet away, and we look forward to working with the commission as these plans take shape.”
The Buchanans have been working to develop the 6.5-acre Evergreen Gateway property for years, and neighbors and other concerned residents — who formed the Save El Rancho Campaign to monitor development proposals there — have been keeping watch for just as long.
In 2021, Northstar Ventures proposed a hotel, retail and restaurants on the RTD Park-n-Ride, Foothills Fire, Alpine Rescue and
former Observatory properties, and building a new fire station on the west end of the property. They have since backed away from including the Foothills Fire property in their commercial development.
Opponents then expressed concerns about the impact of the development on water pressure needed for fighting fires, water use and increased traffic congestion, as well as the density and scale. The newest proposal is not an improvement, they say.
“When we saw that (QuikTrip) proposal, our heads kind of exploded,” said Teschke-Timm. “It went from bad to worse.”
Pre-application is not a formal development application, said Jefferson County planner Alex Fowlkes, but an optional step that helps
23rd Annual Arvada Art Studio Tour set for Sept. 21 and 22
STAFF REPORT
Every fall, artists and studios across Arvada open their doors to the community so that folks can experience the creative endeavors of the community’s painters, photographers, sculptors and other visual artists. is year’s iteration is set for Sept. 21 and 22 and will be open from noon to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is free to the public. More information about the participating artists and a map can be found at https://www.arvadaart.com/.
IT’S PATIO FURNITURE REPAIR SEASON
The 23rd Annual Arvada Art Studio Tour is Sept. 21 and 22. COURTESY IMAGE
Annual event draws thousands but maintains smalltown feeling
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Morrison’s biggest event of the year returns Sept. 28. Ciderfest typically draws up to 4,000 people for live music, cider press demonstrations, hayrides, food and beer, but it began as a one-woman effort to create a bit of community.
irty-three years ago, longtime resident Jamee Chambers took her cider press to the front lawn of Prestige Care Center.
IMAGE
“It’s the biggest gathering space we have,” Chambers said of the nursing home’s grassy expanse. “My idea
Ciderfest returns to Morrison
was to have people in town bring their apples to the cider press. Partly it was seeing apples fall o the trees; I didn’t want them to go to waste.
“And I just thought it was a good excuse for us to have a community thing,” she continued. “ e people in the nursing home get to meet the town people, and vice versa. What a great fall thing to do.”
Year by year, the event grew. Chambers asked local residents to bring their tractors and line them up on the lawn, drawing more attendees.
“It became the tractor show and cider fest,” she said. “Most of the people in the nursing home had roots in rural areas and were thrilled.”
In 2006, the town lent its support and Ciderfest became a large annual festival. Today, it’s led by a committee and has a long list of sponsors. e day-long event, which runs from 10 a.m. til
dark, includes kids’ activities, 25 arts and crafts booths, a silent auction, hay rides, four bands, food trucks and beer tents and hard cider tastings.
It also still includes Chambers, who goes by the name Apple Annie during the event and does cider press demonstrations and tastings.
“I just stood back and let it happen and it took o ,” Chambers said. “ ere are thousands who attend now. It isn’t just a townie thing anymore, but it still has that small-town feel to it.”
is year’s lineup of bands includes the Morrison Town Band at 10 a.m., Pennies on the Track at noon, at Damn Sasquatch at 2 p.m. and Vamos Pest at 4 p.m.
Admission to the event at 100 Summer Street is free, with vendors selling food and beer and ticketed hardcider tastings available.
For more information, visit morrisonciderfest.org.
Big Chili would like to thank all of the sponsors for their support at this year’s Big Chili!!
CommonSpirit
DCMC Driveway Restoration
Sayler & Sons Excavating
Coldwell Banker
ROI Fire & Ballistics Equipment, Inc.
Asphalt Artistry
Clear Creek Cidery
ep Wealth Solutions
Evergreen National Bank
First Bank, Evergreen Branch
Himmelman Construction
State Farm - Brian Himmelman
Tommy Knocker Brewery/Coors US Bank
Foothills Auto & Truck Parts/NAPA
Senor Gordon’s
Keller Williams Foothills Realty
Alpine Peaks Team
Altitude Electric
Brookdale Pinehurst Park
Dastardly Deeds
Evergreen Metropolitan District
Life Care Center of Evergreen Platte Canyon Little League
Robert & Associates, LLC
Cactus Jack’s
Colorado Community Media
Jesse James, CPA
Tuscany Tavern
Rocky Mountain Bottled Water
Mountain Safe Exterior
Evergreen Liquors
Morrison resident Jamee Chambers, who started Ciderfest 33 years ago, plays the role of Apple Annie during the annual event as she conducts cider press demonstrations.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MORRISON CIDERFEST
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Arrest a davit: Georgetown man confesses in death of Paul Peavey
Sergio Ferrer admits to investigators he used Peavey’s own 9mm handgun
BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
During multiple interviews with investigators, Sergio Ferrer of Georgetown admitted he shot Idaho Springs resident Paul Peavey to death. And, Ferrer used Peavey’s 9mm handgun, according to court documents obtained by the Clear Creek Courant.
In a convoluted arrest a davit, Frerrer told Clear Creek County Sheri ’s O ce investigators a variation of stories, but all ended with him shooting Peavey to death.
Ferrer is being held on·charges of rst-degree murder, felony murder and aggravated robbery in connection with Peavey’s death, according to the Clear Creek County Sheri ’s O ce.
Peavey was well known for breeding Dobermans, according to locals, who said he had a real passion for his puppies, which were missing when his body was found.
“ ose dogs were his life, I mean, his entire world revolved around those dogs of his and those puppies,” Idaho Springs resident Gary Burke said.
Friends of Peavey led a missing person report on Aug. 21 after he had been missing for days.
More than a dozen locals and friends of Peavey organized and executed a search Aug. 24 after what Burke called “inaction” from the sheri ’s department.
“We found his (Peavey’s) body within the rst ve minutes of searching,” he said. He said the body was found about 75 yards from his camper/home and about 25 yards down a hill. e body, Burke said, was partially covered by brush.
On Aug. 25, sheri ’s deputies, the Summit County Sheri ’s O ce and Colorado Bureau of Investigation searched Ferrer’s home in Georgetown with a warrant.
Inside Ferrer’s home, investigators found a black bag containing jewelry that belonged to Peavey, a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun, four metal detectors
that belonged to Peavey and a cellphone with Paul Peavey’s name on it, according to the a davit.
Several items of clothing with “possible blood” were also seized, according to the a davit.
Investigators told Ferrer the 9mm handgun matched the weapon used to kill Peavey. Ferrer responded, “ en I took the wrong fu**ing 9mm and I’m really fu**ed,” according to the a davit.
In his changing stories in the a davit, Ferrer claimed to investigators that Peavey shot at him rst in a dispute over drugs. Ferrer also told investigators Peavey kept “18 keys (kilos),” a reference to illegal drugs, on the property for a “cartel,” but the drugs were missing. Ferrer claimed Peavey accused him of stealing the drugs, adding that Peavey told him he had “orders” and pulled out a Derringer pistol and red a single shot at him. A “Derringer pistol” has not been recovered by investigators, according to documents.
Ferrer then told investigators he pulled out Peavey’s 9mm handgun and said he shot Peavey but he “did not know how many times he shot.”
When asked about the Doberman puppies raised by Peavey that were missing when his body was discovered and if they had been taken and sold, Ferrer told investigators, “I didn’t sell
nobody a pup.”
Ferrer then told investigators “he covered up Peavey’s body and that he did it ‘out of respect,’” according to documents.
Concern over Peavey prompted concern locally and led to a mea-culpa statement from Clear Creek County Sheri Matt Harris, who apologized for his o ce’s initial response to the missing person report nearly a week before Peavey’s body was found.
Harris said the sheri ’s department failed to take key steps in the case.
“ ese steps include a more thorough search of Mr. Peavey’s property, sharing his information on our social media sites, and participating in the organized search for Mr. Peavey,” he said.
Harris added: “Unfortunately, during our initial assessment upon the report of a missing person… our response failed to meet our professional standards. How we handled the initial call is not acceptable.”
e investigation into Peavey’s death and the missing puppies continues.
More: e Clear Creek County Sheri ’s O ce is seeking information about the case at its tip line at 303-670-7567 and via email at crime_tips@clearcreeksheri .us or anonymously at https://bit.ly/CCSOCrimeTips
Paul Peavey with his prize winning Doberman at the Colorado Kennel Club. FILE PHOTO
BY STAVROS KORONEOS
INDIAN HILLS – e
camp employee was relaxing in her car on July 31, serenely celebrating her afternoon break with long, luxuriant pulls on a cigarette. Observing her ick some ashes out the window, the nearby resident descended upon her like pyroclastic ow, angrily ordering her to cease and desist on account of “ re restrictions.” Employee called JCSO, asking deputies to charge Resident with “yelling, cussing, and harassing me.” Speaking for the defense, Resident said he’s already complained to camp managers about perilous pu ng on the property, the result being that most of its workers “moved to the post o ce to smoke.” He’d confronted Employee in incendiary fashion because “I don’t want to see Indian Hills burn.” O cers didn’t see cause for charges, but documented the incident against future are-ups.
A house sub-divided
SOUTH JEFFCO – Son called JCSO to report tenant trouble, of a sort. According to his complaint, Mom is in the habit of letting random persons op on the premises “for a fee,” on one recent occasion billing as many as 15 lodgers for a space on the family room oor. While Son appreciated Mom’s desire to maximize their home’snancial utility, he didn’t appreciate it at all when he returned from a recent week-long trip west to discover his Sony wireless PlayStation controller and top-of-the-line Lego set missing from the living room/ hotel lounge. Knowing that many of Mom’s boarders are drawn to drugs, he suspected a temporary tenant of the thefts, although he couldn’t name a particular suspect because any number of them could have anonymously come and gone during his absence. Deputies left the case open, like Mom’s rental policy.
Accessing for trouble
EVERGREEN – Augusta Lynkes called JCSO on the morning of July
28 to accuse her neighbor, Royal, of trespassing in her back yard. Displeased, but discreet, Augusta wouldn’t give responding deputies Royal’s last name, only his address. By a miracle of modern science, o cers were able to use that address to identify the man as Royal Payne, who told them he’d been in Augusta’s back yard seeking an “alternate route to the golf course” for Augusta and her family. Backing up, deputies learned that Augusta uses the golf cart path running next to her property to access the golf course. August believes the golf cart path is on land controlled by her HOA. Royal believes the golf cart path is on land belonging to his HOA, and that it’s “not authorized access to the golf course.” Royal said he feared what Augusta’s unauthorized comings and goings could mean for his “grass and utility lines.” Deputies advised Royal to stay out of Augusta’s yard and address his concerns through civil channels. ey advised Augusta to hang a No Trespassing sign.
And pick up some milk EVERGREEN – Leaving her husband sitting alone in the parking lot, Wife marched into the JCSO substation bright and early on July 30 and cornered the rst available deputy. “I want (Husband) out of my car,” she said. Husband has no car, Wife explained, and no legal right to occupy hers. “It’s my car. I own it.” Stepping outside for Husband’s side of the story, deputies learned that Wife had been taking him to a job interview that morning, but he’d “run late getting out of the house” and now she was determined to maroon him in town. “She knows I can’t go anywhere without a ride.” Deputies o ered to give Husband a ride back to his house. Wife asked them to tell Husband she’d be home “around 2 o’clock.” 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.
Jack Buchanan, again. For three and a half years, the real estate speculator has been pedaling scenarios for a commercial development between US 40 and I-70 at El Rancho. From the beginning, he has asserted that Evergreen needs a “gateway” and that he was here to build it. We are now nding out what his vision of an “Evergreen gateway” really is: a truck stop and fast food mecca on U.S. 40.
is time, Buchanan and managing partner Travis McAfoos, as 1948 Holdings LLC, have contracted with QuikTrip, the would-be purchaser, to submit a pre-application to Jefferson County proposing to demolish or move the ca. 1948 El Rancho restaurant building and combined with the former ca. 2008 First Bank property, build a 5-acre service center with a 20-bay gas station, 10 diesel pumps for semi trucks and a 7,318 square foot convenience store – a typical QuikTrip footprint.
Now for an historical vignette: At the Feb. 21, 2023 Foothills Fire Protection District board meeting, Buchanan unleashed for over an hour into the public record, including explaining his involvement with the purchase of El Rancho.
“For most of my career I’ve reno-
VOICES
COMMUNITY VOICES:
Evergreen needs a truck stop like it needs…
GUEST COLUMN
Kathryn Mauz
vated old buildings and something like El Rancho is something that I dig and love to do. So we jumped into it and day one we wanted to preserve it,” he said.
He also said, “What they did is they put together, made up a story, they fabricated a story, and said that we were gonna tear down El Rancho and put a truck stop there.”
(Fact check: When El Rancho was entering bankruptcy in summer 2022, rumors were indeed circulating that a group was interested in the location as a truck stop; it was not a fabricated story.)
However incongruous, Buchanan portrayed himself as the rescuer of El Rancho from an unnamed threat, its would-be preserver, and he denied, in so many words, that he had planned to do then exactly what he is proposing to do now.
Not two years ago, in November 2022, Buchanan and McAfoos signed a promissory note for $2.1 million of the $2.7 million purchase price, at 10% interest. Over the 18-month term of the loan, they made only interest payments; in May 2024, they obtained a 6-month extension, with the loan due in full in November. e lender and a sec-
ond entity hold liens on the property.
To the FFPD in February 2023, Buchanan said, “And day one we got connected with Frank Bonanno and his group and we made that, the only way we’re gonna do this deal is with Frank Bonanno.” e owners had signed a 10-year lease with two 5-year options with restaurateur Bonanno Concepts (see Canyon Courier, 11/15/2022). After 15 months in operation, in April 2024, Buchanan terminated the Bonanno’s lease. In June 2024, Buchanan named himself the restaurant manager (as El Rancho BOCO LLC); in August 2024, he closed the restaurant.
When the Bonannos left, Buchanan blamed their automatic gratuity policy. Now, he blames the restaurant business in general. is latest failure of the restaurant, as with that in 2022, were the result of owner inexperience and nancial mismanagement, if not this time also premeditated strategy.
e present owners’ nancial straits (and there are other looming debts of public record) do not justify wanton destruction of Evergreen’s entirely unique, irreplaceable heritage, or imposing such a radical transformation of the use of those
parcels. e mountain residential neighborhoods that grew around El Rancho would be tainted forever by this interstate exit-style, truck stoporiented development, while the entire Evergreen community – everyone who uses Highway 74 to access I-70 – would bear the profound and permanent impacts to historic resources, scenic values, tra c circulation, light and noise pollution and community character. ere is no true impediment to these buildings being sold or leased, and a historically sensitive, nancially responsible operator could return El Rancho to service. at would be a legacy be tting a true historic preservationist. is proposal is purely expedient for the current owners and is motivated by nothing but personal (not historic) preservation.
Kathryn Mauz, Evergreen & El Rancho
Editor’s note: We believe in the importance of sharing the community’s voices in our opinion section. Anyone with a di ering viewpoint on this issue is welcome to submit a Community Voices editorial or letter to the editor to be considered for publication by emailing k ore@coloradocommunitymedia.com.
How to identify di erent types of plastics and know what’s recyclable
Since it is “unpredictable” as to where your curbside recycling ultimately ends up, I have a solution to o er those of you who are committed to ensuring that your recyclable materials are being collected and shipped to legitimate end markets…that is to say that they don’t simply end up land lled.
Word on the street is that our trash hauling companies are no longer taking our curbside recycling materials to the MRFs (materials recovery facilities) but taking everything to the land ll. at includes, by-theway, haulers that come by in two
separate trucks.
Nice optics, huh?
We have only one recycling option here in Evergreen – EDS Waste Solutions, located in Bergen Park, directly behind the King Soopers market. EDS is open ursday-Monday, closed TuesdayWednesday. e hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. ursday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Monday.
ey accept No.1 & 2 plastics, the most common types of plastic containers and the most easily recyclable. No.1 plastics include bottles or containers that once held a liquid and clamshell containers.
No. 2 plastics include rigid containers that usually have a milky or solid color such as milk jugs, detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, vitamin bottles, etc.
Something to keep in mind is that all lids must be discarded. Fun fact: Your liquid laundry detergent likely comes in a No. 2 plastic container, though the lid is a No. 5. ere are no end markets to ship No. 5 plastic to,
so they must be tossed. No. 3 plastics are NOT recyclable and include materials such as PVC pipes.
No. 4 plastics include stretchy plastic lm such as single use plastic grocery bags, dry cleaning covers, newspaper sleeves, coverings for toilet paper/paper towels, case coverings (such as water bottle case coverings), bubble wrap, Amazon mailers if the labels are cut out, etc. No. 5 plastics are NOT recyclable and include items such as laundry detergent bottle lids, prescription
THE BAG
SANDLER
medication bottles, yogurt containers and cottage cheese containers.
No. 6 plastics include Styrofoam and are accepted at EDS Waste Solutions
No. 7 is a recycling code that refers to a catch-all category of plastics that are not made from No. 1-6 resins. As mentioned above, the numbers inside those chasing arrows are called RIN, or “resin identi cation numbers” and, interestingly, do not, as we’ve all been led to believe, necessarily mean that an item is recyclable! In fact, the “chasing arrows” was a design created in 1970 by 23 year old art student, Gary Anderson, who won a design contest sponsored by the Container Corporation of America, asking contestants to come up with a symbol that would represent the paper recycling process. Anderson’s design won and he was awarded $2,500 for what he called “a day or two of work.”
e (paper) industry wasn’t able to get a patent on the original symbol and it became public domain. e popularity of the design spread quickly and grew into a national symbol to represent recycling.
In 1984, the Society of the Plastics Industry created the Resin Identication Code which was invented to aid manufacturers in identifying what type of polymer or plastic was used in the manufacturing process. e codes incorporate Anderson’s design by placing a number (1-7) in the middle of the arrows.
What’s the takeaway? e chasing arrows (or recycling) symbol has brought awareness to our society about recycling. On the other hand, it has also created a misconception
that because an item has a recycling symbol, this means it can be recycled, which is a myth.
OK then, what else is accepted for recycling at EDS Waste Solutions?
• Aluminum cans, such as rinsed out steel soup cans, cans of fruit/vegetables, most of the canned items in your pantry, etc. (if a magnet sticks to the can, it is recyclable)
• Clean/dry cardboard
• Clean dry mixed/white paper
• Glass (no, the labels do not need to be removed!)
• Styrofoam
• Clean/dry stretchy plastic lm.
e listed items are the only materials that are currently accepted and will absolutely be recycled when handled this way at our local recycling facility. is local drop-o also ensures that what is collected is not contaminated (collections that include items that are not acceptable), such as most of the curbside bin collections.
e drop-o fee is $7/carload. If you’re only dropping o stretchy plastic lm, there is no charge. is stretchy lm is collected, baled and shipped to TREX, (outdoor decking and furniture manufacturer) to be used in the creation of its popular products.
As always, please be reminded that I encourage any questions, thoughts or ideas you may have. Email me at debbie@sandlergroup.net.
Deb Sandler wrote a recurring recycling/sustainability column in San Diego which ran in the Solana Beach Sun, Del Mar Times, Rancho Santa Fe Review, and Carmel Valley News. She has spent the past 16 years helping to educate people on how to responsibly divert from land lls, waterways and roadsides. Visit bagladyoftherockies. com for more information and resources.
ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:
• Email your letter to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.
• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.
• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.
• Letters should be exclusively submitted
to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.
• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.
MILLER
OBITUARIES
Rufus Jeffris Miller
January 13, 1957 - August 29, 2024
Rufus Je ris Miller was born in 1957 in North eld, Illinois, the fourth of ve siblings in the Miller family. He attended Middlefork and Sunset Ridge schools before moving on to New Trier West High School. In his senior year, when his parents relocated to St. Louis, Rufus transferred to St. Louis Country Day School, where he enjoyed an exceptional year. He participated in several sports and won the Missouri State Championship in wrestling.
Rufus continued his education at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he discovered his lifelong passion for rock climbing. After graduating, he worked as a drilling uids engineer on oil rigs for several years. When the oil industry su ered a downturn, he relocated to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where he met the love of his life, Blair Parry. e two were married in 1984 and began a life of adventure together, skiing, biking, running, and climbing in Steamboat Springs. Rufus and Blair later moved to Durango, before eventually settling in Indian Hills. ey welcomed two beautiful daughters—Bree in 1990 and Leighton in 1992. Both girls were raised in Indian Hills, imbued with the adventurous spirit their parents shared.
Rufus transitioned into a career in education, earning his teaching certi cate and eventually a master’s degree. He spent 31 years teaching in Denver Public Schools, primarily at Lincoln High School, where he taught college-level computer science courses and coached soccer. roughout his career, he made a lasting impact on countless students, earning the a ection and respect of both his students and colleagues.
Rufus was a man who put others at ease with his warmth, o ering bear hugs and always arriving with a chainsaw or tool kit in hand to help friends and family with projects. His only “fee” was camaraderie and the joy of sharing a cold beer once the work was done.
Rufus was an avid climber throughout his life and became a beloved gure in the climbing community, particularly on the Morrison Cli s. His friendly presence was a xture at any crag, and his passion for climbing led him to explore and document new routes, sharing them with others on the Mountain Project site. He was also a dedicated cyclist, known for riding everywhere. Local friends and family will fondly remember his friendly face and brain teasers at Buchanan Recreation Center, where he worked after retiring from teaching.
Rufus is survived by his devoted wife of 40 years, Blair, his daughters Bree and Leighton (Edward), his siblings Marion (Bob), Lynn, Roys (Brad), and Jackie (Hal). He was a cherished uncle to his nieces and nephews, who will deeply miss their “super cool” Uncle Rufus, as will his many grand-nieces and nephews, cousins, and close friends. Rufus will be remembered for his irreverent sense of humor, his kindness, and his adventurous spirit.
e family wishes to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Search and Rescue volunteers for their expertise, professionalism, and support during the di cult search for Rufus. He was climbing and camping in one of his favorite spots near the Middle St. Vrain Trailhead when he tragically passed away in a climbing accident. ough heartbroken, his family takes comfort knowing he was doing what he loved most.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 5th, from 6pm-9pm at Buchanan Park Recreation Center in Evergreen, Colorado.
In lieu of owers, donations in Rufus’ memory can be made to the following organizations:
Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue
Foothills Animal Shelter
Majestic Canine Rescue
Evergreen Animal Protection League
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HAPPENINGS
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 jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the newspaper. Items will appear in print on a space-available basis.
UPCOMING
Taste of Evergreen: 5 p.m.Sept. 17, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Food, drinks, music. Tickets: evergreenchamber.org
Weekday Bird Walk for Beginners: 9 a.m. Sept. 18, Roxborough State Park, 4751 Roxborough Dr, Littleton. Event is free, but you must register. evergreenaudubon.org
“Hard Hats & High Heels”: 6 p.m. Sept. 18, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity fundraiser. bluesprucehabitat.org.
“Man of La Mancha”: Weekends through Sept. 29, Center Stage, 27608 Fireweek Dr., Evergreen. Tickets starting at $20. Ovationwest.org
Bergen Elementary grand opening celebration: 4 p.m. Sept. 19, 1422 Sugarbush Dr, Evergreen.
Seniors4Wellness Friday Cafe: 11:30 a.m. Sept. 20, Christ the King Church, 4291 Evergreen Pkwy, Evergreen.
Evergreen Audubon Nature Art Sale: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 21 & 22, Evergreen Nature Center, 27640 CO74, Evergreen. Nature-themed artwork priced below their value. Proceeds bene t Evergreen Audubon and Evergreen Nature Center. More info: evergreenaudubon.org
Seniors4Wellness Bingo & Games: 12:30 p.m. Sept. 25, Bergen Park Church, 31919 Rocky Village Dr, Evergreen.
Buchanan Park Family Movie Night with “Blue Beetle”: 6 p.m. Sept. 27, Buchanan Park, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. evergreenrecreation.com
Tesoro Cultural Center’s annual Rendezvous at e Fort: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 21-22. Demonstration of 1840s skills, American Indian history, ceremonial song and dance demonstrations, kids’ scavenger hunt, storytelling, music, art. Tickets and information: tesoroculturalcenter.org
Evergreen Oktoberfest: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21, Buchanan Park, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. Fundraiser for Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice. evergreenoktoberfest.org.
Morrison Ciderfest: 10 a.m. to dark, Sept. 28,150 Summer Street, Morrison. Live music, beer, hard cider, kids events, silent auction. morrisonciderfest.org.
Walk For Alopecia: 8:30 a.m. Sept. 28, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Rd, Evergreen. Register ahead online and/or donate at https://support.naaf.org/ team/586016.
Evergreen Fire/Rescue Health & Safety Day: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 28, 1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen. Free pancake breakfast, educational booths, touch-a-truck, re ghter skills demonstrations, and lessons in both hands-only CPR and Stopthe-Bleed.
Evergreen Newcomers and Neighbors annual open house: 10 a.m. Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. Buchanan Park Rec Center, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. evergreennewcomers.com
ONGOING
Evergreen Farmers Market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday, Hiwan Heritage Park, 28473 Meadow Drive, Evergreen.
El Rancho Farmers Market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday, El Rancho, 29260 US 40, Evergreen.
Growing Out West Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ursdays through Labor Day. Cactus Jack’s, 4651 County Hwy 73, Evergreen.
Evergreen Cars & Co ee: 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday through Aug. 31, 3639 Evergreen Parkway, Ever-
green.
Evergreen Audubon Weekly Preschool Adventures Program: 9 to 10 a.m. every ursday starting May 16, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Free & no registration required. Bring your child aged 2-5 years old to the Nature Center each week for nature exploration. All children must have an adult in attendance. Dress to explore the outdoors. More info at evergreenaudubon.org.
Evergreen Nature Center Monthly Family Program: 11 a.m. to noon, every last Saturday, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Monthly topics could include native wild owers and seed bombs, dissecting owl pellets, live animal encounters, and more. evergreenaudubon.org
e American Legion Evergreen Post 2001: Meets every fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m., Evergreen Church of the Trans guration, 27640 Highway 74, Evergreen. Serving all military veterans in the foothills communities. Email evergreenpost2001@ gmail.com
Evergreen Camera Club: Meets every second Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Evergreen Fire/Rescue auditorium, 1802 Bergen Pkwy, Evergreen. Club is for people who share a passion for all photography, from beginners to professionals. Attend in person or via ZOOM.
Golden Optimist club hosts regional convention
Optimists from all over Colorado and Wyoming packed into the Golden Hotel last month to discuss their shared goals of improving their communities and supporting local causes.
e Golden Optimists, known for providing and repairing bicycles for locals, hosted the Colorado/Wyoming Optimist Convention Aug. 9-10.
irty- ve district clubs were represented at the convention. eir annual work spans from mentoring students, lling backpacks, awarding scholarships, placing wreaths on veterans’ graves and supplying food banks.
Many also have Junior Optimist Clubs to facilitate youth to be leaders and team players.
Optimist International is a world-
wide volunteer organization comprised of more than 2,100 local clubs whose members work each day to make the future brighter by bringing out the best in children, their communities and themselves. Optimists conduct 65,000 community service projects each year and spend $78 million in their communities. Annually, Optimist programs help 6 million children.
For more information on local groups go to “Find a Club” at optimistcowy.org.
Je erson County Food Policy Council named a finalist for national award
People are asked to vote for the Jefferson County Food Policy Council, which has been named a nalist in the 2024 Newman’s Own Foundation Food Justice for Kids Awards.
Up to $1 million will be awarded to nonpro ts, public schools and Native American tribes that are working to improve food justice, nutrition education and school food programs across the United States.
Based on public voting, JCFPC could receive a $10,000 grant. Recipients will be announced online at 4 p.m. MT Sept. 10.
Up to ve nalists in each category will also get a chance to receive up to $50,000 in October.
Alex Amouyel, Newman’s Own Foundation chief executive o cer, commented: “Supporting e orts that address food justice and enhance nutrition education for children has been the heartbeat of Newman’s Own since its inception in 1982, and we’re honored to be able to carry on that
legacy today. We hope everyone in the community will join us in the philanthropic process by attending our pitch event and voting for their favorite organization.
Je erson County Food Policy Council is comprised of more than 270 parents, food workers, farmers, businesses, food pantries, nonpro ts, schools and others who are working to create a positive change in Je co’s food system. It was founded in 2015 by Je co Public Health to develop policy changes around child nutrition programs, and became its own community organization in 2022.
To vote for JCFPC or any of the other nalists, visit newmansown. org/news/vote-for-newmans-ownfoundations-ccca-and-join-our-foodjustice-pitch.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
BY THE COLORADO
In recent months, we asked readers to take surveys asking what they think candidates for political o ces should focus on as they compete for their votes. e top answer from Colorado Community Media readers across the metro area sounded like something from a civics class: “democracy and good government.”
Our readers said they want the candidates to focus on solutions, even if it means compromises.
As Lisa Anne Bresko, a self-described moderate and business owner from Evergreen, told us, democracy and good government are foundational if our leaders are going to solve the many pressing problems facing our communities.
“I feel there’s very little respect and no more compromise,” Bresko said. “It’s ‘My way or no way’ on a lot of topics. at’s not the way to run a country or get anything done. I feel all of the name calling, the pointing of ngers, the disinformation
about the people you’re supposed to be working with toward common goals is hurting the ability to get things done.”
More than 400 (and counting) Colorado Community Media readers have lled out our Voter Voices surveys using links in our newsletters and stories or QR codes from newspapers and yers. Our reporters and editors have been using the results to help form the questions we ask politicians in the two dozen Denver-area cities, towns and suburbs we cover.
We are partnering with 60 newsrooms across the state in this endeavor. Overall, there are some 6,000 responses.
In the surveys, voters are asked to rank their top three issues among 13 categories, revealing their importance. e surveys also allow voters to elaborate in their own words on what they think candidates should focus on.
Additionally, our Colorado Community Media reporters reached out directly to many survey
respondents of all political persuasions to speak to them about their surveys and more. We also went into the community to connect with younger voters, an underrepresented category in the data.
More than 37% of our readers who took the survey cited democracy and good government as their top issue. More moderates and liberals cited it as a top issue than conservatives, but the surveys revealed that it is an important issue regardless of political inclination. Readers’ other top issue was the economy and cost of living, which was cited more by conservatives as their No. 1 issue, yet readers across the political spectrum said it was a top issue.
Phillip McCart, a liberal from Littleton, told us that candidates should focus on ways to help people who are struggling. One way candidates can do that, McCart said, is to work to reduce housing costs by creating more housing density.
Colorado Community Media’s newsroom has already used the results of the Voter Voices surveys we have received so far.
During the primaries, we incorporated readers’ concerns about democracy and good government and the economy into questions we asked Republican and Democratic candidates for Congress in our primary forums for Colorado’s 4th District. e forums were co-sponsored with the League of Women Voters Colorado and KUNC public radio.
We plan to do the same for more forums we’re co-sponsoring this fall.
And, our Question and Answer surveys of candidates, which are widely read in print and online ahead of the November elections, will include Voter Voices-inspired questions and themes.
We also got to speak directly to voters and our reporters were met with appreciation in their e orts. is is just the start. We intend to keep the conversations with you going and we’re looking for ways to localize our connections with survey respondents. Watch for that.
Readers also told us they appreciated the opportunity to elaborate on their views and see our journalists as advocates for getting their voices into the process, given our unique access to leaders and candidates.
We have more work to do in terms of outreach, especially when it comes to younger voters and another category underrepresented in our results – people of color. Watch this space for future stories about them as we consider Voter Voices a starting point.
COMMUNITY MEDIA NEWSROOM
VOTER VOICES
“Housing costs are destroying the hopes and dreams of everyone,” McCart said. at view was echoed many times in the surveys we gathered. For instance, one moderate Je erson County voter – who wished to remain anonymous – wrote in her survey, “We have a severe lack of a ordable and workforce housing in the metro area, and it is not improving.”
Evergreen resident Norm Sherbert, a conservative on scal issues and moderate on others, told us that everyone, regardless of income, should be concerned that many people across the metro area are struggling.
“I think it a ects us all,” he said. “I see it in my utility bills, the price of gas, grocery bills — and it just keeps climbing.”
Sherbert worries that the Social Security system might not be intact for future generations and believes strong, bipartisan leadership is needed to
tackle such problems. He is not impressed by President Biden or the Democratic and Republican nominees for president, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
“I’m not a Trump fan, and I’m surely not a Biden or Harris fan,” Sherbert said. “It’s a shame we do not have the candidates out there that can really make something happen in the country. I hope we come back to the center and realize it’s not the candidates that are going to drive this country, it’s the issues and how they’re solved.”
Similar views were espoused around our coverage area, which spans from Fort Lupton, Brighton and Commerce City in the north to Je erson County in the west, Idaho Springs in the mountains, Arapahoe and Douglas counties in the south, and Parker and Elbert County in the east.
About half of the readers who responded to our survey consider themselves moderate. About a quarter identify as conservative and another quarter as liberal. About 60% of re-
spondents are women and 40% are men.
Many readers told us that partisanship has become a never-ending soap opera – with sides squaring o against each other leaving compromises, and the potential solutions to long-standing problems, in the dust. Many shared a feeling that the country has an urgent, almost desperate need for candidates who will talk about issues, especially divisive ones, calmly instead of attacking and dismissing each other. e stakes, readers say, are just too high given a long list of concerns, from crime to climate change to in ation to immigration to national security. One of the most eye-opening insights from readers is their disdain for grandstanding by candidates, bitter attacks and empty promises.
Michael Wilson, a 65-year-old conservative in Je erson County, said he would like political candidates to talk about what they will do if they are elected.
“I don’t need to hear them try to run down their opponent,” Wilson said. omas Gibbons, a
moderate who lives in the Highlands Ranch area, said property taxes, local crime and reducing gun violence are important to him, but the problems associated with them can’t be solved if elected leaders are not focused on good governance.
“Elected o cials must nd a way to work together in bipartisan cooperation,” said Gibbons.
Littleton resident Porter Lansing, who identi es as liberal, said he would like to see candidates address the wealth gap between the metro area’s richest and poorest residents, citing concerns about unemployment and in ation. Lansing, who is 70 and disabled, said he lives mainly on his Social Security income.
“Everything’s so expensive, and everything’s going up,” he said. “I don’t want politicians to forget people way down here just because we don’t have money to contribute to their campaigns.”
It’s not just Coloradans who feel the government must improve.
VOTER VOICES
Across the country, positive views of political and governmental institutions are at historic lows, according to the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. Many Americans say they are underwhelmed by candidates and 28% of Americans express unfavorable views of both the Democratic and Republican parties, the highest share in three decades of polling, with a comparable share adding that neither party represents their interests well.
In Voter Voices surveys, newsrooms across Colorado received strikingly similar ndings to ours, with good government and the economy coming out as top issues, closely mirroring the results of our readers. Other important issues cited by survey respondents included the environment, climate and natural resources, immigration and abortion.
e vast majority of respondents identi ed as older than 45. at prompted Colorado Community Media to reach out to younger people directly. A reporter and our summer reporting intern used social media to promote the Voter Voices survey on Instagram, tweeting on X and even texting friends and colleagues for help reaching more voters in their 20s and 30s online and in person. Many of the younger voters shared the same concerns as older voters, particularly regarding good government and the economy.
Ben Warzel, 25, of Littleton, was at a Denver restaurant as he expressed frustration over how can-
didates attack each other.
“(Candidates) can have their little pageantry, but we know that they’re not really doing anything,” Warzel said. “It’s just becoming dangerous, the people that we’re having to choose between.”
Some young people spoke about the intersection that the high costs of college and wages play out in their lives.
“I would like to see candidates talk about pay wages, especially with degrees and the cost of college,” a 24-year-old Voter Voices respondent from Arapahoe County who wished to remain anonymous wrote. “I think the cost of college is becoming una ordable even for people who are more well o .”
“Cost of living has not gone down at all over the years,” a 24-year-old respondent to our survey wrote.
Joshua Glenn, 28, of Aurora, said he hopes candidates will focus on a raft of issues – from the economy to the safety of all Americans.
“I would like candidates to focus on climate issues, economic future, abuse of power and the environment,” Glenn said. “Social justice is very important to me as well. As an African-American, and a contributing member of society, I want to feel safe in all parts of the country.”
Kamara Maxie, 24 of Denver, said the cost of living and abortion are the most important issues she wants candidates to address this election. Maxie also said gun safety is an issue that candidates should address.
“I believe having legal guns is important for protection reasons, however, I don’t think we should have weapons of war,” Maxie said.
ere were also familiar divisions among conservatives and liberals. For instance, many conservative readers, like Eric Tyrell, who lives in Douglas County, cited immigration and tax policy as important issues. He would like to see candidates close the southern border and cut government spending.
“Government is too big and is still getting bigger every year,” he said.
Meanwhile, many liberals, like Kathy Mendt in Adams County, said abortion policy is important.
“Politicians need to keep their laws o women’s bodies,” Mendt said.
She also wants to see candidates who care about the environment.
“How willing are they to address climate change?” Mendt said.
Mary Wylie, an Arvada voter who identi es as a liberal, said climate change is a pressing problem.
“I think climate change is essentially the ballot, depending on who ends up winning the presidency and has control of the government,” Wylie said.
Many survey respondents have similar litmus tests for candidates. For instance, they want to know: Does a candidate support the overturning of Roe v. Wade? Does a candidate support U.S. funding for Israel? Does a candidate believe that Donald Trump won the 2020 election?
Our readers also listed a hodgepodge of local issues. ey included inadequate roads and cell phone “dead zones” in Je erson County, a desire to see more conversation around local control issues, the e ects crime has on businesses and how safe people feel in certain parts of the metro area, among other issues.
And, some said perceptions of communities as conservative or liberal doesn’t provide an accurate re ection of reality.
“Douglas County is a red county, but it’s growing a little more blue, especially where I live in northern Highlands Ranch,” Alex Miller, a 60-year-old Highlands Ranch man who identi es as a liberal, told us. “Based on the yard signs in the last election, my neighborhood had as many Biden signs as Trump signs. I think it’s a mistake to write o the county as lost to Republicans.”
Candidates can improve by focusing on the issues instead of attacking each other, many survey respondents said.
“ e negativity and the bashing, I think, is just very divisive and drives us further apart,” Wylie said.
Jane Dvorak, a moderate from Je erson County who listed democracy and good government as top concerns, said, “ e lack of respect for di ering opinions/ideas is scary.”
“It’s time to take a hard look at how we talk to each other, make decisions and what is best for the whole, not one person/group,” Dvorak wrote.
To voters like C. Michael Litzau,
a 65-year-old moderate Adams County voter, the integrity and ethics of political candidates matters as much as their stance on issues.
“What has their experience been like working with groups during di cult circumstances, and how do they resolve con icts?” Litzau said. “A priority for my evaluation of candidates for elected o ce is their ability to act civilly, even in a time of disagreement.”
RESULTS
A big next step for us will be to work with groups of survey respondents to create a Voter Voices Citizens Agenda for our newsroom that helps guide our every interaction with public ofcials and candidates for political o ce.
Until then, tell us what we’re missing by adding your voice to our Voter Voices survey. Here’s the link: https://tinyurl.com/ mv6jxw7w or scan our QR code below with your phone.
Our door is always open.
Michael de Yoanna, editor-in-chief
Arvada Center’s 2024-25 season opens with ‘Waitress’
Musical brings a slice of
and pie — to Arvada
BY LILLIAN FUGLEI
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Mix sugar, butter, our, 35 fake pies, a live band and one dinerinspired set. Combine with an allfemale creative team, sprinkle in the music of Sara Bareilles. e result: Arvada Center’s “Waitress.”
“Waitress” — a musical based on a lm of the same name — follows Jenna, an expert pie maker and wait-
ress in her small-town diner. When Jenna is faced with an unexpected pregnancy while trapped in a rocky marriage, she turns to her fellow waitresses — and a handsome doctor — for help.
e Arvada Center kicked o its 2024-25 season on Aug. 30 with the pie- lled musical, which runs through Oct. 13 at the venue, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. in Arvada. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, as well as at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s the story of a woman trying
to nd her true self, using her arch, which is baking, to try to unlock her life and nd her way,” Director Lynne Collins said. “It’s very much a story about friendship, especially female friendship, and how women help and support each other in their lives.”
e show — which features a book by Jessie Nelson, and music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles — has always been steeped in telling women’s stories. However, the Arvada Center’s production takes it one step further with an all-female creative team.
“It’s great to have an all-female
creative team,” Collins said. “When you direct a musical, it’s a real collaboration with your musical director and your choreographer. And in the case of this show, it’s a team of three women, which is correct for this particular piece.”
“Waitress” tells Jenna’s story through what she knows best — pie. Many scenes feature Jenna concocting a new pie as she describes her problems to the audience, pouring ingredients into the bowl and whisking it together on stage. Of course,
In the Arvada Center’s “Waitress,” the diner comes to life as patrons and waitresses dance across the stage, toting pies and menus.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMANDA TIPTON PHOTOGRAPHY
“Waitress” follows Jenna as she navigates life working at her small town diner.
Winning strategies for supporting teen mental wellness
WAITRESS
FROM
PAGE 15
since real food doesn’t have a place on stage, it was up to the props department to create some enticing fake pie.
“ ere are tons of di erent kinds of batters and liquids and eggs and our and sugar that we had to gure out with the show,” said Director of Scenic Design and Properties Brian Mallgrave. “None of it’s actually the real stu , because food doesn’t look good on stage. We had to gure out how to make formulas that are mostly oil-based so that when the batter ows it all looks really pretty and elegant.”
After “baking” the pies onstage, the nished pies appear — sporting names that re ect Jenna’s mood, like “I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie.” ese nished pies were carefully sculpted by the props department, using materials like foam so they could be danced across the stage during performance after performance.
“It’s really funny to nd out how intriguing fake food is,” said Mallgrave. “ e more realistic you make it, the more interesting it is for people because everybody kind of relates to food, especially these sweets and desserts like pie.”
With sweet treats aplenty, the show has something for everyone.
“ ere’s some people who love to laugh,” Collins said. “ ere’s great laughs. ere are people who want to weep a little bit. ere’s some nice weeping. It’s just got a lot of emotional notes that I think makes it accessible and interesting to most any audience. It’s a little sexy, too.”
At its core, Collins believes that what makes the show so great for any audience is its humanity.
“I feel like these characters are relatable and human,” Collins added. “For musicals, sometimes that’s hard to nd, and I feel like this fabulous cast has really brought that (humanity).”
For Collins and Mallgrave — along with the rest of the cast and creative team — the show opening means months of work paying o .
“What we do takes a great team of artisans, and it’s always quite challenging, and people are seeing the nal product,” Mallgrave said. “It’s so exciting to know that we’re being supported by the community through our challenges and all of the craziness that it takes to put a big, huge show like this together. It’s just nice to know that people in the community will be a part of the audience.”
More information and tickets can be found at https://arvadacenter. org/events/waitress.
Jenna bakes pies onstage — which proved to be a challenge the props department could rise to. Many of the pie ingredients are replaced so they look better to the audience, such as sugar being swapped for salt.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA TIPTON PHOTOGRAPHY
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LIFESTYLES
ADVERTISING SECTION
The 23rd Annual Open Door Studios Tour:
A Glimpse into Artists’ Creativity and the Opportunity to Acquire Tangible Pieces of ‘Forever’ Treasures
FEATURE OF THE MONTH
By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles
On September 21 and 22, 2024 participating artists of the 23rd Annual Open Door Studios (ODS) Tour look forward to welcoming you into their working studios from 10:00 am-5:00pm on Saturday and Sunday to share with you their world, their processes, and their inspirations. e fun- lled Evergreen, Colorado weekend launches with a 6:00-8:00pm reception on Friday, September 20 in the Community Room at Center of the Arts Evergreen at 31880 Rocky Village Drive. e ODS Tour, which is always held on the third weekend in September, is a well-advertised/well-attended free-to-the-public two-day art event that greets people from all over Colorado and nearby states such as Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico.
Evergreen’s Open Door Studios Tour, a juried event, requires interested artists to apply in order to be able to participate. ese artists (painters, sculptors, photographers, ceramicists, painted furniture artists, glass blowers, jewelers, etc.) bring their visions to life in oil, pastel, watercolor, acrylic, gouache, bronze, glass, wood, clay, stone, steel, aluminum, found objects, silver, copper, gold and more.
Open Door Studios Tour sponsors for 2024 include: primary sponsor Evergreen Glass (www. EvergreenGlassInc.com), Center for the Arts Evergreen (www.EvergreenArts.org), Evergreen National Bank (www.ENBColorado.com), and Daniel Diamonds (https:// danieldiamonds.com/)
“On behalf of all the artists involved in this year’s tour,” said Jeannette Stutzman who has been the ODS Tour Coordinator since 2011, “we express our heartfelt gratitude to the people/businesses who have given their
Robyn
support to our event as sponsors, advertisers, and volunteers.” For a list of participating artists and their mediums, tour sponsors, and advertisers, visit the ODS Tour website (www. EvergreenOpenDoorStudios.com).
Located just 35 minutes from the Denver area, Evergreen boasts many services and places of interest within its community boundaries including local hotel/lodging options, restaurants, shops, and art galleries that will make your visit an exciting and memorable experience. As you drive from studio to studio, you can also enjoy a scenic tour of the Evergreen mountain area during the fall color season. Get ready for a weekend lled with hours
of colorful visions. Get set to embark upon a self-guided tour using your GPS and a free ODS Tour Book that will lead you to the Evergreen home studios or designated studio locations of this year’s twenty-seven local and incredibly talented participating artists. en go and celebrate the uniquely di erent experience of being able to participate in one-on-one interaction with these artists in order to get answers to your most perplexing art-related questions and help you better understand what motivates these artists and fuels their passion to bring their visions to life. A full-color tour book is available at Evergreen Glass on Industrial Way, many local area shops, and the ODS Tour website (www.EvergreenOpenDoorStudios. com). e free tour book o ers a tour location
Gia Nold #12
Delicious Meals, Delightful Drinks, Decadent Deserts and Beautiful Mountain Sunsets are on the Fall Menu at Evergreen Bread & Cocktail Lounge
By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles
Centrally located in Evergreen’s Bergen Village Shopping Center at 1260 Bergen Parkway (second oor) and boasting ample parking, Evergreen Cocktail & Bread Lounge o ers breakfast favorites and delicious meal selections including hot/cold sandwiches, soups, salads, breads and pastries made daily onsite in its openview bakery, specialty co ees, teas, and beer/wine/cocktails. is delightful food and bakeshop features indoor community room seating where people can come together at two large banquet-style tables with friends and others and a dog-friendly patio area where you can enjoy Evergreen’s skyline, including the
‘Our ‘Alcohol to Go’ Program not only includes bottled wines but also cocktails, which can be purchased to go in sealed plastic containers.’
beautiful mountain sunsets of fall.
Evergreen Bread & Cocktail Lounge is closed on Mondays, but its friendly sta serves customers from 8:00am-6:00pm Tuesday-through-Saturday (Sunday 8:00am-3:00pm).
If you have not already visited
Tyler Butler. General Manager
Evergreen Bread & Cocktail Lounge, you will surely want to put this mouth-watering eatery on the top of your September to-do list. Start your morning o with one of their many breakfast choices (served 8am-2pm) including egg dishes or sour dough French toast baked fresh in-house served with fresh fruit, powdered sugar, house whipped cream and real maple syrup.
A variety of sour dough toast menu items, grain bowls, soups, salads and hot and cold sandwiches (French dip, spicy Italian, chicken salad on a croissant, and others) are served all day.
Manager Tyler Butler. “Our ‘Alcohol to Go’ Program not only includes bottled wines but also cocktails, which can be purchased to go in sealed plastic containers.”
All food (meals, European breads, pastries, and desserts) created and served at Evergreen Bread & Cocktail Lounge are made from scratch using select ours, the freshest locally sourced micro-greens and produce, and only the nest ingredients.
While the restaurant o ers food catering for home parties and o site business events, its private room can be rented for parties (up to thirty people), or the entire restaurant can be rented (120 people maximum) for family gatherings or corporate/company meetings.
HOTTEST SPOT FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH & HAPPY HOUR IN THE FOOTHILLS.
e restaurant also celebrates Happy Hour Tuesday-through-Saturday from 2:00-6:00pm and all-day Sunday from 8:00am-3:00pm with a special menu featuring charcuterie boards, small plate items, scratch-made pastas/house-made sauces, Detroit-style Pizza with a thicker crust and several topping options—and decadent desserts (Fruit Pavlova, Mango Cheesecake, Raspberry Chocolate Torte, and seasonal tarts). Evergreen Bread & Cocktail Lounge (303-862-7993) o ers take-out and online ordering. Visit the website (https://evergreenbreadlounge. com/) for the full menu—and more.
“We have recently added some new white (prosecco, sauvignon Blanc, chardonnay) and red wine selections to our wine portfolio and for a limited time we are featuring a $30/per bottle dine-in or to-go wine special,” stated General
“We are also o ering discounts to local Evergreen businesses that place larger catering orders from breakfast favorites and/or sandwich platters to large banquet orders (homemade Chicken Marsala, pasta with Bolognese sauce…),” said Butler who stated that with only a 48-hour notice the restaurant can cater a variety of breakfast and/or sandwich items and even customize a special menu that is just right for your speci c event. Interested businesses can contact Tyler Butler at the restaurant for more information.
Evergreen Bread & Cocktail Lounge (https://evergreenbreadlounge.com) changes its menu about three times per year so check the website for new seasonal selections. Also, because holiday times are rapidly approaching, you will want to place your catering orders and/or book your event space sooner rather than later. Evergreen Bread & Cocktail Lounge can take pre-orders for holiday breads and pies and ordering forms, as well as catering/wholesale bakery information, can be found on its website. Gi cards can also be easily purchased in-store or online for birthdays, holidays, and all gi -giving occasions with options to deliver the gi in person or via email.
Act NOW To Save Thousands!
Some things are simply timeless, like the sensational experience of throwing a log on a crackling re. And some things get even better with time! Today’s wood burning appliances are the most e cient they have ever been, meaning you get more heat from each log added to the re. Now, there’s even more reason to switch to wood burning, with the added incentive of a government tax credit. You can receive up to $2000 back on your entire project cost with a qualifying appliance! Additionally, we have many woodburning appliances in stock now that qualify for the tax credit and come with in stock savings!
Now that you know why this is such a hot trend, let’s talk about how it can be done in your home- it is simpler than it sounds! Your outdated replace and chimney is completely removed and replaced. Add some new nishing material, and you have just transformed the look of your living room and the way you heat your whole home.
If you have a large replace and want to take advantage of the tax credit but avoid any demo, we can install a tax credit qualifying insert into your existing replace opening. It is also possible to add a wood burning replace or stove where there wasn’t one before. No more chilly addition or den in your home!
New wood burning hearth appliances are also safer for your home. ey are installed as a complete UL listed system
Only the most e cient, clean burning wood-fueled appliances in history can qualify for this tax credit. is is a huge win for your wallet in several ways. You’ll be heating your home more e ectively while burning less wood. You’ll also increase your home’s attractiveness, safety, energy independence, and environmental sustainability. ere is no better option than good ol’ wood burning!
that is designed and tested to be safe at the high temperatures of a wood-fueled re. Additionally, if you have an older replace system, the years of use or improper care can be degrading the safety of the unit itself and putting you at risk of a chimney or structure re. With the high e ciency of newer wood burning replaces comes a cleaner burn. is means less creosote is accumulating in your chimney, which is what burns in a hostile chimney re.
If you already have a replace in your home that you love, now is a great time for your annual service! Sweeping away the accumulated creosote and soot every year is necessary for the optimal performance and safety of your solid fuel appliance. Our annual service appointments also include a complete inspection, which evaluates the rebox, damper, and chimney system; we also get on your roof to clean and inspect your cap,
and we evaluate the exterior portions of your chimney. At the end of the service, we write everything up so you have documentation of safety, or if there’s something we recommend repairs on.
You’re invited to see our variety of wood burning appliances in our showroom at 7001 Highway 73 in Marshdale. We have a large assortment of sizes, shapes, and styles for your home; many of which are in stock at our warehouse now and come with additional savings! We have more qualifying replaces, stoves, and inserts on display than any other replace store in the entire Denver Metro area. Come visit us from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, and 8am-4pm Saturdays. You can also see our products and portfolio of work on our website at www.MtnHP.com or reach us by phone at 303-679-1601, and email at O ce@ MtnHP.com.
Call us today to upgrade your woodburning stove, insert, or replace. Ultra high-e ciency appliances qualify for the IRS Biomass tax credit, up to $2000 back on your project cost! And there’s bonus savings on our qualifying appliances in stock now!
303-679-1601 www.mtnhp.com 7001 Highway 73
From Page 2
map, artists’ bios, and photos of their work so visitors can then choose which studios they want to visit.
“All studio locations are within a 10-mile radius of downtown Evergreen so all who attend can be sure that they will be able to visit each and every artist’s studio within the allotted two days of the event,” stated Jeannette Stutzman.
Art lovers frequently wonder why artists create what they create, what powers their inspiration, and what process guides them to achieve their creations. e answers can be complex based not only upon factors like the relationships between artists and their processes and/or artists and the art they create, but also upon an entirely separate/ di erent relationship between the artist and the viewer and the viewer and the art. Nonetheless, the 23rd Annual Open Door Studios Tour o ers attendees a rare opportunity not only to see these local artists at work in their own studio environment (through time-permitting demonstrations), but also to ask questions about the artists’ preferred medium, style/techniques, talent, passion, and their time and commitment to their artistic endeavors.
e artist’s existence is a lifelong pursuit of learning, studying, evolving, and growing. Visual artists sometimes convert a 2D object into a 3D object and vice versa. Most o en, artistic pursuits involve physics, mathematics, understanding mechanics and how things function, color theory, and more.
Because people o en wonder how artists arrive at the monetary value or worth that they place upon their artwork, they frequently ask each artist how long it takes to produce their speci c piece of art. But su ce it to say that the value of any art piece is determined not only by its production time but also by many other factors, including but not limited to the overall investment of the artist as it relates to the cost of materials (which are usually of archival quality), the size of the art piece, the artist’s education, notoriety/reputation, and so forth.
JulieLeidel
OPEN DOOR STUDIOS
From Page 6
While the purpose of décor is to adorn a room or space, a ne art piece usually provokes an emotional or intellectual reaction and o en brings people together (the connection), which is something that AI art simply cannot do. erefore, in order to better understand the human elements and emotions that drive artists’ creativity, those who attend Evergreen’s 23rd Annual Open Door Studios Tour might ask themselves the following questions, the answers of which can lead to more meaningful dialogue between you and the participating ODS artists: 1) What do I see? (beauty, grandeur, balance, discord…); 2) How do I feel? (tranquil, energized, enlightened…); and 3) What do I think about when I see the artist’s work? (a memory, love, togetherness…).
Whether you are an impassioned art a cionado or simply someone looking
to nd an extraordinarily enjoyable weekend activity to pursue, mark your calendars for the 23rd Annual Open Door Studios Tour on Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22 (10:00am5:00pm). If you are moved by innovative expressions of the imagination, enjoy the visual vibe experience of viewing and appreciating artful beauty in all forms, and nd yourself eager to understand the workings of artistic minds in relationship to their journeys through their individual creative processes, then you will certainly want to be part of this “art and soul” celebration of creativity. No purchase is necessary to enjoy this fabulous two-day art- lled extravaganza. However, ODS artists will o er pieces for sale within a range of prices so there is an abundance of art for everyone should you be so inclined to take something home for yourself and/or to give as gi s. You may even score a sale item or win a drawing for a giveaway art piece! If you have questions about the tour, you can call or text ODS Tour Coordinator
Jeannette Stutzman (720-320-3929) for additional information.
Remember, when you support community artists, you are also supporting local small business owners. Further, the reality of the matter is that for less than the price of various electronic products that eventually wear out and need to be replaced, or even the cost of a good meal at a fancy restaurant that o ers no tangi-
ble investment return, you can purchase a variety of original art pieces that will hold and even increase their value in subsequent years. ese heirloom-quality pieces can be passed through families and enjoyed from generation to generation. So, if a particular work of art “calls your name” and tells you that you would like to “take it home,” listen to your inner voice.
Susan Wechsler #14
Margo Carter #15
Paul isted #2
Native American fashion, artwork focus of new Golden History Museum exhibit
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLOROADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
“Native Americans are all extinct.” It’s something people have told Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand, a Sicangu Lakota and Cherokee artist, when she’s explained her background.
Unfortunately, it’s an experience many others of Native American descent share.
So, Maldonado Bad Hand and fellow members of the Golden History Museum’s Native American Advisory Board put together an exhibit reminding everyone that, not only are Native American people still here, but they are active and thriving in the Denver area and beyond.
Golden History Museum patrons and sta celebrated a new exhibit “We Are Still Here: e Endurance of Native Jewels” at an Aug. 22 open house and reception. e four cocurators and contributor Lynette Grey Bull also hosted a panel describing their experiences putting the exhibit together, emphasizing how they wanted to share their cultures’ stories, traditions and artwork.
“Our story is yet to be told correct-
‘We are still here’
Raelene Whiteshield attends the Aug. 22 open house for “We Are Still Here: The Endurance of Native Jewels” at the Golden History Museum. Whiteshield, a member of the museum’s Native American Advisory Board, was one of the exhibit’s four cocurators.
ly,” Grey Bull said of Native American peoples.
‘We must live in harmony to move forward’
While there are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States, the “We Are Still Here” exhibit focuses on plains tribes from the central United States, including Colorado.
e exhibit includes traditional regalia found among plains tribes, as well as more modern pieces of clothing, jewelry and artwork. Except for three pieces on loan from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science,
everything in the exhibit was made by or is on loan from the co-curators and their families.
e co-curators described how important the pieces are not only to their cultures but also to their individual families.
Erlidawn Roy, who grew up in Denver, recalled making the women’s traditional northern-style dress with her mom when she was a teenager.
“It taught me the patience of sitting down and creating legacy items,” Roy said.
Grey Bull loaned a traditional girl’s dress made from velvet, bone, elk teeth and silk ribbon that was likely made in the 1950’s. She recalled wearing it to dances when she was a girl, saying ve people in her family have worn it over the generations and that it’s been mended several times.
Tara Deer-Gover, who’s originally from Oklahoma, said she made one of the breastplates in the exhibit when she was 16, and Raelene Whiteshield described how she made a pink skirt and wore it to an event to honor her grandpa. She said the woman depicted on the skirt represents “waiting for the warrior to come home.”
Whiteshield said the more modern pieces are items she and her colleagues might wear to special events or just in day-to-day life.
Deer-Gover also emphasized how colorful all the pieces were, describing how the co-curators wanted to
Golden History Museum visitor examines the new “We Are Still Here: The Endurance of Native Jewels” exhibit Aug. 22. The exhibit features both historical and modern pieces of Native American
move away from the bland, gray boarding schools their parents’ generation attended.
Along with the fashion pieces, Maldonado Bad Hand described the photo collage in the center of the exhibit, above the doorway to the museum’s large meeting room. e photos include many of the co-curators’ family members and friends, as all the photos were donated by Native American community members.
Overall, the panelists emphasized the need for “collaboration, harmony and togetherness” among community members of all backgrounds. ey also encouraged people to support Native American artists and uplift Native American voices whenever possible.
Grey Bull added: “We must live in harmony to move forward.”
Executive Director Nathan Richie said the Golden History Museum is continuing its work in that regard through the Indigenous Connections Project. Upcoming events include dedicating its forthcoming Native American arbor in the history park this fall and the annual Autumn Fest from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 6.
“Indigenous people are not just a part of Golden’s past, but very much a part of its present and future,” Richie said.
e Golden History Museum is free and open from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information about the “We Are Still Here” exhibit, the Indigenous Connections Project and other e orts, visit GoldenHistory.org.
PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
A
‘Don’t be daunted’:
Expert tips on where to start, breaking misconceptions and more
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Perhaps a more captivating piece of evidence that humans truly descended from apes is our natural inclination to climb. We see something big and we want to conquer it, stand on top of it and say that we did. From ascending neighborhood trees as children to summiting mountains when searching for ourselves in our 20s, something about reaching the top is awe-inspiring.
A big misconception about rock climbing, according to a local expert, is that it’s much more di cult than hiking — not everyone can do it, or it’s too hard, requires experience, etc. But Golden Mountain Guides founder and owner Ben Coryell said that is “totally false.”
Coryell also is a chief guide; something he’s been passionate about since he opened the company’s doors in 2016.
“Everybody comes into climbing with a preconceived notion with what they’ve seen recently with Netix movies, like the Alex Honnold movie (‘Free Solo’) or some of the older Hollywood ones like ‘Cli hanger’ with Stallone or “ e Eiger Sanction.’” Coryell said. “And it’s really a beginner-friendly activity. ere are routes that can be catered towards any skill no matter where you’re at as an absolute beginner to have been climbing for 30 years.”
He describes Golden Mountain Guides as a “holistic mountain guiding company.” at means guided hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing, backcountry ski tours and more. ere are also classes for beginner climbers, self-rescue classes, wilderness rst-aid and avalanche education.
After working in the business along the Front Range for years, Coryell said he was fed up with bad business ethics and not following proper legal
Why climbing in Colorado is for everyone
and safety procedures through other companies. His wife encouraged him to go out on his own.
“So, I picked up one permit and I picked up a small insurance premium, and the rst six months of being open I took out 192 di erent trips myself. ree trips to the mountains a day,” he said. “I pretty quickly hired somebody after that. You could say I underestimated the current market need for it. It’s just been pretty steady growth since then.”
Now it’s a steady in ux of people wanting more of the outdoors. Coryell said roughly 30% of his customers are rst-time climbers or hikers. e other 70% are people focused on learning or getting better, whether they’re breaking ground on previously daunting or di cult routes or taking an avalanche safety class.
But climbing intimidates people, Coryell said. ey build it up in their head and feel it’s more intimidating than it has to be.
“I think there are misconceptions about how strong you have to be to do it. It’s de nitely not an arm activity; it can be if you do it the wrong way. But it’s all legs. So I think people come into it with kind of this misconceived notion of what it really is,” he said. “It can be mentally challenging, physically challenging, emotionally challenging … but I think that’s our job as professional guides to help mitigate some of those struggles that people are inherently going to face when rock climbing.”
It’s also a very niche sport that people might not be exposed to as often as hiking or jogging. But with familiarity comes comfort, he said.
It’s also very expensive, which can be a barrier to entry for some people, like with skiing or snowboarding.
“Climbing equipment is expensive, to say the least. But it’s expensive for a reason because our life is worth every penny of it,” Coryell said. “For people who are rst starting out, it can feel overwhelming. It can feel daunting. And it does get easier as we start to learn more about how to move our body, about how to trust the gear, about how to build anchors and tie knots. So, it does get easier.”
Coryell believes climbing is for ev-
eryone. It’s one of the more human things you can do, he said, and it’s a unique way to experience nature and learn about oneself.
“I think that climbing is the vehicle for equity,” he said. “ e climbing community is very open. We’re all very vulnerable when we’re out there. Everybody ts together within kind of the tribe of the climbing culture. People are very encouraging and very open. Overall, it’s a very welcoming community.”
For more from Coryell, read the brief Q&A below.
Colorado Community Media: On guided climbs, do you take beginners to easier mountains to climb or just easier routes on those mountains?
Coryell:North Table Mountain just out the window here is kind of the classic example. It’s one big solid cli band and there’s routes ranging from beginner all the way up to advanced, all next to one another. at being said, our job as professional guides is to read the room and see where people are at. Oftentimes we don’t follow what the guidebook says. We kind of tell the guidebook where the routes are because we have the technical skills and the knowledge to be able to facilitate that.
CCM: What’s an example of needing to abandon the guidebook in favor of your expertise?
Coryell:For example, oftentimes ‘beginner climbs’ aren’t truly beginner climbs. ey might be a little bit too hard for folks. With all of our guides, we undergo rigorous training so that we can look at that piece of terrain and put them on something even easier than the easiest thing that the guidebook says. Because nobody wants to feel defeated … Climbing should be fun and you should feel successful at the end of the day.
CCM: Aside from the packing list you provide, what should people bring to a guided rock climbing outing?
Coryell: I think the big thing folks should show up with is a willingness to learn, a willingness to be vulnerable because climbing makes us inherently vulnerable. We’re not programmed as humans to be hanging on the side of a cli . In terms of gear, we can provide all that for folks. In terms of personal gear or personal kit, just the willingness to learn how to take care of yourself in the outdoors in a medium you might not have ever been in. When we climb, we tend to exert a little bit more mental energy. So oftentimes having little creature comforts, like chocolate bars or a thermos full of warm tea, can help to recharge the mental batteries.
CCM: Should people start climb-
From rock climbing to ice climbing, Golden Mountain Guides provides an opportunity for first-time climbers to get their feet wet in the sport safely. Guided climbs range from beginner to advanced and everything in between.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLDEN MOUNTAIN GUIDES
CLIMBING
ing indoors before tackling mountains?
Coryell: It just boils down to the person. When I rst started climbing, we didn’t have gyms. I think we had like two in the entire state of Colorado. And we just learned outside. at’s just what we did. I think the bene t of learning outside is that it really puts things into perspective with your entire look at climbing, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually … and it’s just more fun.
CCM: What are the bene ts of going with a guide rst instead of friends, etc.?
Coryell: Hiring a guide nowadays is probably the most economically bene cial way you’ll ever go about doing it. e day is catered towards you. It’s just a guide and you working on the skills, so you get a lot more time in the driver’s seat. You get a lot more of the industry standard best practices behind things. You get the hundreds and hundreds of guiding collective years that we’re all trained with that stand behind the decision-
making process we’re giving to people.
CCM: What should people know or achieve before climbing on their own?
Coryell: Every person learns at their own speed. Some of us are kin-
esthetic learners. Some of us are auditory or visual learners. I think it really boils down to the person. ere are a lot of things that could potentially go wrong in climbing. I think having that foundation in terms of knots, in terms of movement, in
terms of technical skills such as belaying and anchoring. I think those are the foundations that need to be solidi ed before folks start to branch out on their own.
Visit www.goldenmountainguides. com for more information.
A climber ascends a frozen waterfall in the winter. Golden Mountain Guides provides guided rock and ice climbing, as well as mountaineering, regular hiking and tackling 13ers and 14ers.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLDEN MOUNTAIN GUIDES
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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 9:00AM or 10:30AM Sunday service.
Search Bergen Park Church on YouTube for Livestream service at 9:00am
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 7:00pm, 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 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
WORSHIP DIRECTORY
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)
DEER PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Reverend Dr. Knut Heim, pastor, Sunday Worship 10 AM
Located one mile west of Pine Junction just o Rt. 285 966 Rim Rock Road, Bailey (303) 838-6759 deerparkumc.org
All are welcome to our open/inclusive congregation!
EVERGREEN LUTHERAN CHURCH 5980 Highway 73 + 303-674-4654
Rev. Terry Schjang
Join us for worship in person or on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EvergreenLutheranChurch Sunday Worship held at 9am. 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!
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
SHEPHERD OF THE ROCKIES LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod. 106 Rosalie Road, Bailey, CO 303-838-2161 Pastor Pete Scheele Sunday Worship Service; 9 a.m., Fellowship Time; 10:15 a.m., Sunday School & Bible Class; 10:45 a.m. www.shepherdoftherockies.org
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THE ELECTRICIANS LLC
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TYRA LYNN FORBES-URKOSKITraining &
363.34 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO MEDICINELitigation Support Services1,416.00
UNUM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA Voluntary Life Insurance29,228.86
URBAN DRAINAGE & FLOOD Drainage System
CONTROL DISTRICT Construction 600,000.00
US DISTRIBUTING INC DENVERVehicle & Equipment Parts2,592.64
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VILLE 4735 LLC Service of Process Fee Returns 174.00
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Jefferson County Warrants
RAVEN
RINGCENTRAL INC Telephone Services 32.88
RPS PLAN ADMINISTRATORS INCFlex Child Care 409.17
RPS PLAN ADMINISTRATORS INCFlex Medical Insurance3,721.03
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ULINE SHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTSFurniture & Equipment - Non Capital 141.00
ULINE SHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTSGeneral Supplies (Other) 634.27
UNUM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA Voluntary Life Insurance4,422.36
WAXIE SANITARY SUPPLY Janitorial Supplies3,099.50
Xcel Energy Heat & Power 39,524.16
Library Fund Total 543,234.87
BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY INCLibrary Books & Materials-Print5,790.63
BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY INCLibrary Books & Materials-Audio Book 46.95
Library Fund TABOR Revenue Grants Total 5,837.58
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HEALTHCARE UHC Medical Claims732,111.22
UNUM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA Voluntary Life Insurance(28,571.84)
UNUM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANYLong-Term Disability OF AMERICA (LTD) Premiums75,928.95
UNUM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA Short Term Disability 37,732.42
UNUM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA Life Insurance Premiums58,940.79
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BONDADOSA LLC General Assistance 13,515.59 ETAIS FOOD Food Supplies 419.33
EVERGREEN CHRISTIAN OUTREACH General Assistance 21,214.95 Irving Molina Mileage 79.06
LEGALSHIELD Employee Legal Services 15.76
MANATRON INC Miscellaneous DBA AUMENTUM TECHNOLOGIES Contract Services1,225.00
MARKETABILITY Consultant Services2,720.00
PUBLICATION PRINTERS CORP Professional & Technical Services (Other) 445.16
Public Notices
Legals
City and County
LEGAL NOTICE
According to the Liquor Laws of Colorado Atlanta North Indian Catering, Inc. dba Bhojanic has requested the licensing officials of Jefferson County to grant a Hotel and Restaurant License at 5120 CO RD 73, Evergreen, CO 80439.
Date of application: April 15, 2024. Public hearing on the application will be held by the Liquor Licensing Authority Board on October 3, 2024, at the hour of 9:00 A.M. Hybrid at 100 Jefferson County Parkway Hearing Room one and through a WebEx virtual meeting platform, the event information for attendees:
Citizens may receive a call back by providing a phone number when joining the event online; or calling into the public hearing by dialing 1-408418-9388 and entering meeting Access Code 2485 715 3047.
Event address for Attendees is: https://jeffco.webex.com/jeffco/j.php?MTID=mea9612634a63bb2218cf8b3e1c0a2d14
Event Password: PPmp6PT27Jh (77676782 from phones and video systems)
Additional details for accessing the public hearing will be posted at the following, https://www.jeffco. us/events. Please note that citizens who would like to comment during the liquor hearing must be in person or access the hearing through the WebEx computer platform and use the chat feature to let the host know you would like to make a public comment.
The name(s) and address(es) of the Officers:
NAME ADDRESS
Archna Becker 28384 Kinnikinnick Rd., Evergreen, CO 80439
By Order of Liquor Licensing Authority of the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado.
Legal Notice No. CAN 1646
First Publication: September 12, 2024
Last Publication: September 12, 2024 Publisher: Canyon Courier
Bids and Settlements
than Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 3:00 PM local time:
• Upload an electronic copy to an online submittal folder assigned to each Prospective Bidder that registers with the County;
•Register as a Prospective Bidder via: Email: scanada@clearcreekcounty.us, Subject line: RFB RC 24-04
The Project includes the following Work: Culvert slip lining of 96-inch Spirolite pipe on Upper Bear Creek Road and side-by-side culvert replacement of two 42-inch RCP on Fall River Road. Other features include riprap end treatments, asphalt patching, striping, shouldering, dewatering, and traffic control.
Obtaining the Bidding Documents Information and Bidding Documents for the Project can be found at the following designated website: https://www.clearcreekcounty.us/bids.aspx
The RFB may be downloaded from the designated website. The designated website will be updated periodically with addenda and other information relevant to submitting a Bid for the Project. Plans and specifications will be made available to Prospective Bidders who register as described above.
Instructions to Bidders.
For all further requirements regarding bid submittal, qualifications, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Instructions to Bidders that are included in the Bidding Documents.
This Advertisement is issued by: George Marlin, Chair Board of County Commissioners
Legal Notice No. CAN 1647
First Publication: September 12, 2024
Last Publication: September 12, 2024
Publisher: Canyon Courier
Public Notice
ADVERTISEMENT FOR REQUES FOR PROPOSALS
WTP IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT EVERGREEN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
The Evergreen Metropolitan District (Owner, District, EMD) is soliciting proposals for a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) firm for the WTP (Water Treatment Plant) Improvements Project (Project). Emailed copies of each Proposal are required but are limited to a maximum size of 20MB. Electronic submittals must be received by 2:00 P.M. on October 11, 2024, to the e-mail box listed below. Submittals sent to any other e-mail box will NOT be forwarded or accepted. Bidders are encouraged to utilize delivery-receipt and/ or read-receipt features to ensure the email is successfully received.
Email: ktraxinger@jvajva.com; reference as "EMD WTP Improvements Project –CMAR Proposal" in the subject line.
Proposals received after the above stated time will be deleted. Under no circumstance will any bid be accepted by fax or physical mail. There will be no exceptions made for any late, corrupted, lost, undelivered, or misdirected submittals. Proposals that are not prepared and filed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Request for Proposal will not be considered for evaluation.
The CMAR RFP will be available on September 11, 2024. For an electronic copy of the Request for Proposals, please contact the Engineer (JVA. Inc.), attention Kelsey Traxinger at ktraxinger@ jvajva.com.
A Non-Mandatory, but strongly encouraged, Pre-Proposal Meeting will be held on September 17, 2024, at 9:00 AM at the EMD WTP located at 4671 County Road Highway 73, Evergreen, CO 80439. Please note the parking at the EMD WTP is limited and attendees are encouraged to park in downtown Evergreen `and use the walking path along Bear Creek to get to the site. The purpose of the Pre-Proposal Meeting is to present the project scope, budget, and schedule, and to answer questions from interested parties. A site visit of the WTP will follow the Pre-Proposal Meeting. Interviews of select CMAR firms will be held on October 21, 2024, timing to be determined.
Qualification statements and other submittal requirements are outlined in the Request for Proposals.
The scope of the proposed Project includes the following:
1. Renovation of the existing operations building main and basement levels including the following: demolition of process piping, railings, and any ancillary equipment in the basement level, removal of old filter media and troughs, raising the floor level of the pipe gallery in the basement level of the building to match the remaining level, partial demolition of interior walls, and construction of a restroom, kitchenette and office walls.
2. Removal and disposal of the following chemical feed systems in the chemical building: potassium permanganate, sodium fluorosilicate, aluminum chlorohydrate, chlorine gas, and polyphosphate.
3. Interior wall demolition in the existing chemical building.
4. Installation of replacement chemical feed systems for the following chemicals in the existing chemical building: aluminum chlorohydrate, polyphosphate and onsite sodium hypochlorite generation. Also install associated equipment including chemical storage tanks, chemical feed pumps, an emergency eyewash and shower, and all associated process piping, valving and appurtenances.
5. Construction of a restroom in the existing chemical building.
6. H-occupancy upgrades to the walls and ceilings of the room housing the feed system for potassium permanganate in the existing chemical building.
7.Install fire suppression sprinklers throughout the existing chemical building.
8. Process demolition of the combined filter effluent piping in the existing membrane building.
9. Replacement piping and valving for the reconfigured combined filter effluent in the existing membrane building.
10. Installation of all electrical wiring, instrumentation and HVAC.
11. Demolition of the southwest entry gate and installation of a new remote-controlled entry gate.
12. Modifications to the existing lift structure to the chemical building.
The District reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, to waive any informality or technicality, and to accept any Proposal which it deems advantageous. All Proposals shall remain subject to acceptance for 90 days after the Notice of Award(s).
Legal Notice No. CAN 1648
First Publication: September 12, 2024
Last Publication: September 12, 2024
Publisher: Canyon Courier
Summons and Sheriff Sale
Public Notice
DISTRICT COURT, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO 100 Jefferson County Pkwy, Golden, CO 80401
Plaintiff: Cindy Rogers v.
Defendants: Ryan Siavelis, U.S. Bank National Association, Evergreen National Bank, and all unknown persons who claim any interest in the subject matter of this action. Case Number: 2024CV31030 Div.: 2
Attorney for Plaintiff: James R. Silvestro, #43982 IRELAND STAPLETON PRYOR & PASCOE, PC 1660 Lincoln Street, Suite 3000 Denver, Colorado 80264
Telephone: (303) 623-2700
Fax No.: (303) 623-2062
E-mail: jsilvestro@irelandstapleton.com
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:
You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the Complaint filed with the Court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this Court an answer or other response. You are required to file your answer or other response within thirty-five (35) days after service of this Summons upon you. Service of this Summons will be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the Complaint may be obtained from the clerk of the Court.
If you fail to file your answer or other response to the Complaint in writing within thirty-five (35) days after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the Court for the relief demanded in the Complaint, without any further notice.
This is an action to quiet the title of the Plaintiff in and to the real property situated in Jefferson County, Colorado (the “Property”) as more particularly described on Exhibit A, attached to and made a part of this Summons by this reference.
Dated: August 22, 2024. Respectfully submitted, IRELAND STAPLETON PRYOR & PASCOE, PC /s/James R. Silvestro James R. Silvestro Attorney for Plaintiff Cindy Rogers
THIS SUMMONS IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO RULE 4(g), COLORADO RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE. THIS FORM SHOULD NOT BE USED WHERE PERSONAL SERVICE IS DESIRED.
Exhibit A
As set forth in the Complaint, this action relates to specific real property located within Jefferson County, Colorado, and more particularly described as the “existing roadway fifteen (15) feet to each side of the center line of said roadway” (as more particularly described in the Personal Representative’s Deed recorded on May 2, 1977 at Reception No. 873909 in the real property records for the Clerk and Recorder of Jefferson County, Colorado) along and across the following real property, and the improvements thereto, situated in Jefferson County, Colorado: 3973 Creek Ridge Trail, Evergreen, Colorado 80439 a/k/a 30863 Upper Bear Creek Rd, Evergreen, CO 80439, as more particularly described by the following legal description:
THE LAND REFERRED TO HEREIN BELOW IS SITUATED IN THE CITY OF EVERGREEN, IN THE COUNTY OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF COLORADO, AND IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
A portion of property previously described in Book 2105 at Page 54 of Jefferson County, Colorado records and located in the Northeast¼ of the Southeast¼ of Section 5, Township 5 South, Range 71 West of the 6th P.M. and particularly described as follows:
Commencing at the Northwest comer of the Northeast ¼ of the Southeast¼ of said Section 5; Thence South 5 Degrees 23 ½ Minutes West along the Westerly boundary thereof, 409.68 feet to a point on the Northerly boundary of a currently dedicated Jefferson County 60 foot wide road right of way;
Thence South 59 Degrees 05 Minutes East, 45.0 feet to the True Point of Beginning; Thence North 5 Degrees 23 ½ Minutes East, 185.35 feet; Thence South 89 Degrees 21 Minutes East, 414.61 feet; Thence South 60 Degrees 11 Minutes East, 92.7 feet;
Thence due South, 254.19 feet to the most Northerly comer of previously described Parcel A; Thence South 43 Degrees 65 Minutes West along the boundary thereof, 72.8 feet; Thence South 10 Degrees 25 Minutes East, 197.24 feet to the aforementioned County Road Northerly boundary;
Thence South 76 Degrees 16 Minutes West, 6.83 feet to a point of curvature to the right, whence the radius point thereof bears North 13 Degrees 44 Minutes West, 670.69 feet; Thence along the arc of said curve, 134.22 feet; Thence South 87 Degrees 44 Minutes West, 12.29 feet to a point of curvature to the right, whence the radius point thereof bears North 2 Degrees 16 Minutes West, 153.74 feet; Thence along the arc of said curve, 174.13 feet; Thence North 27 Degrees 22 Minutes West, 240.48 feet to a point of curvature to the left, whence the radius point thereof bears South 62 Degrees 38 Minutes West, 200.04 feet; Thence along the arc of said curve, 107.23 feet; Thence North 58 Degrees 05 Minutes West, 24.67 feet to the Point of Beginning. County of Jefferson, State of Colorado. (the “Property”).
Legal Notice No. CAN 1642
First Publication: September 5, 2024
Last Publication: October 3, 2024 Publisher: Canyon Courier
Lutheran Hospital.
From new life, through your entire life, the new Lutheran Hospital can now offer better access to more critical treatments, no matter what happens. Our expanded services, advanced technologies, and unsurpassed compassionate care mean that although we’ve moved, we’re still here for you, and we always will be. Our new location is now open at I-70 and Highway 58!