Clear Creek Courant 051823

Loveland says ski-you later to 2022-23 season

Loveland Ski Area closed for the season on May 7

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In a season stretching from Nov. 3, 2022 to May 7, 2023, Loveland Ski Area o cially closed the slopes until next season.

On the last day of the season, skiers and riders enjoyed live music, après ski and sunny conditions. Many took to the runs in fun costumes, making their mark on the ski area until they return next season.

According to the ski area, there were 283 inches of snow this season. Loveland representatives said the area hopes to open mid-late October for the upcoming season.

Working together to fight wildland fires

Evergreen Fire/Rescue hosts training for six entities

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e phrase “It takes a village” is true in re ghting, especially when it comes to attacking wild res.

About 80 re ghters from multiple agencies learned more about working together and wild re- ghting techniques during an all-day training hosted by Evergreen Fire Rescue on May 13. Joining EFR were Clear Creek, Genesee, Foothills and Indian Hills re departments plus the Highland Rescue Team and Je co Open Space.

It’s important that re departments have established a rapport and know how to communicate especially since departments request mutual aid if res grow, according to Einar Jensen, a spokesman for Evergreen Fire/Rescue.

“ is is a great opportunity to do mountain training, especially up here,” Capt. Dan Noell with the Clear Creek Fire Authority said. “ ese are the departments who are going to

SEE TRAINING, P4

Chet’s Dream Lift is now closed for the season.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DUSTIN SCHAEFER

A panda hits tricks one last time in the terrain park.

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Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado

Week of May 8, 2023

Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado

Week of May 8, 2023

A local National Weather Service volunteer observer makes temperature and precipitation observations each day at about 8 a.m. at the Georgetown Weather Station. Wind observations are made at Georgetown Lake. “Max” and “Min” temperatures are from digital displays of a “MMTS” (“Maximum/Minimum Temperature System”); “Mean daily” temperature is the calculated average of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is inches of rainfall plus melted snow. “Snowfall” is inches of snow that accumulated during the preceding 24 hours. T = Trace of precipitation. NR = Not Reported. “Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake” is the velocity in miles per hour and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred during the 24 hours preceding the observation time. Historic data are based on the period of record for which statistical data have been compiled (about 54 years within the period 1893-2022). Any weather records noted are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set.

A local National Weather Service volunteer observer makes temperature and precipitation observations each day at about 8 a.m. at the Georgetown Weather Station. Wind observations are made at Georgetown Lake. “Max” and “Min” temperatures are from digital displays of a “MMTS” (“Maximum/Minimum Temperature System”); “Mean daily” temperature is the calculated average of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is inches of rainfall plus melted snow. “Snowfall” is inches of snow that accumulated during the preceding 24 hours. T = Trace of precipitation. NR = Not Reported. “Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake” is the velocity in miles per hour and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred during the 24 hours preceding the observation time. Historic data are based on the period of record for which statistical data have been compiled (about 54 years within the period 1893-2022). Any weather records noted are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set.

A skier clad in an eagle costume heads down the mountain. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DUSTIN SCHAEFER

The patio at Loveland is filled with skiers celebrating (or mourning?) the end of the season.

Spring avalanche danger looms as record-high deaths in Colorado approach

BY PAOLO ZIALCITA COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Conditions across the state are warming, and in the mountains, that means more avalanche hazards.  e chance of “wet avalanches” increases when snowpack melts in the springtime. ose types of avalanches occur when layers of snow beneath the surface become unstable due to increased moisture. Colorado’s snowpack is 38 percentage points higher than the median for this time of year, according to the National Water and Climate Center. at means there’s even more potential runo than normal.

Brian Lazar, deputy director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, said the high amount of snow that’s fallen this winter has contributed to the high risk of wet avalanches. e state’s high-elevation areas have received snowfall as recently as the nal week of April.

“As that cold snow warms up and sees sun after the storm leaves, it will tend to sheet o the underlying crust and produce kind of long-running wet avalanche activity, which is also what we saw over the last couple

days,” Lazar said.

Lazar said wet avalanche activity will likely drop o once higher temperatures become more consistent and snowpack melts, but there will still be plenty of risk for backcountry skiers and other outdoor recreators in the coming weeks. He said anyone going out into the snow should

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be extra careful.

“Outside of checking your forecast, you want to make sure you’re still carrying your minimum required rescue gear, which includes an avalanche transceiver, a shovel, and a probe,” Lazar said.

A man died near Breckinridge over the weekend after he was caught in a

slide, becoming Colorado’s 11th avalanche fatality this snow season. One more recreational fatality will tie the state’s all-time record, set in 1993.

is story via Colorado Public Radio, a Colorado Community Media content partner.

Avalanche blast warning sign on the west side of the Eisenhower Tunnel under the Continental Divide on March 12.

PHOTO BY HART VAN DENBURG / CPR NEWS

TRAINING

respond.”

Foothills Fire Chief Rod Cameron said the face-to-face training was bene cial, so re ghters know each other and are familiar with di erent departments’ routines.

e re ghters moved through three training sites: laying hoses to ght a wild re, digging lines around a wild re and assessing structures to determine whether they could survive a wild re.

Since teamwork was the goal of the day, the three groups of re ght-

ers had representatives from all of the departments, so they worked together on the tasks. ere were no actual ames involved in the training. Nonetheless, re ghters imagined how they would react if a wild re was moving in their direction.

Laying hoses

Fire crews practiced laying hoses in Elk Meadow and running the pumps necessary to get water to a wild re. Jensen said using the pumps to get water from tenders, which are re trucks that haul water to a scene, is crucial since many areas in the foothills don’t have hydrants.

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He explained that wildland hoses weigh less and the smaller, so they can be moved longer distances more easily.

Matt White, Evergreen Fire/Rescues re and fuels coordinator, told crews that they have learned that not all departments have compatible connectors between hoses, an issue that can easily be xed. He also said crews shouldn’t wait to get water onto the re while more hoses are being connected.

Assessing structures

As a wild re approaches, re departments use a triage approach to look at structures and determine which can be saved and which can’t.

A team of re ghters comes to homes, and in 15 minutes, assesses whether they likely could survive a wild re, whether it could survive with minimal or a large amount of work from re ghters, or whether there wouldn’t be enough time before the wild re arrived to make the home able to survive a wild re.

Fire ghters look for whether there are faucets and hoses near the house, whether the house has been prepared in case of wild re called home hardening and whether mitigation has been done around the home. Jensen said driveways also are a concern, especially if they are steep, have curves or if there’s a gate across it.

Of special concern are propane tanks, whether small tanks for grills or large tanks for home heating,

since they are highly combustible. Fire ghters also are looking to see whether rewood is stacked next to a home.

In addition, they want to make sure there’s a safety zone for reghters in case a wild re comes upon them as they are ghting the blaze.

Four homeowners in the Pine Valley neighborhood in Clear Creek County volunteered their homes to re ghters to assess, and after di erent teams performed their assessments, they compared notes on what they found or didn’t nd.

Digging lines

At the Beaver Brook trailhead, crews used a variety of tools to dig lines and learned about how to coordinate their e orts.

Jensen noted that wildland reghting is a lot of digging to help create a break to slow down wild res.

“It’s a lot easier on everyone if we work together,” Capt. Peter Greenstone with Genesee Fire Rescue told a crew.

He suggested that the wildland crews nd tools that are comfortable to use since they likely will be digging lines for many hours.

Lt. Mike Amdur with Foothills Fire and Rescue said that if crew members know the area, they should bring that local knowledge to the rest of the re ghters.

“Even if this is your rst season (on the crew), if you have an idea, share it,” Greenstone added.

Connor Mackay with Clear Creek Fire Authority collects the hose as the group finishes training in Elk Meadow in Evergreen during a multi-agency training on woodland fire

PHOTOS BY SARA HERTWIG

Members of Clear Creek Fire Authority arrive at Elk Meadow Park for training with other area departments.

Steve Garran with Foothills Fire and Rescue joins other area firefighters during a multiagency training on hoses at Elk Meadow in Evergreen on May 13. Evergreen Fire/Rescue hosted the training.

Stories from a horrific era in history

Holocaust survivor speaks to Denver students, community

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Paul Galan has vivid memories. He remembers the numerous beatings he took in school because Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler were determined to wipe out Jews. He remembers Jewish stores being looted. He remembers Jewish families being kicked out of their homes, often put on trains bound to concentration camps.

Galan, 87, who came to the United States in 1951, was born in Czechoslovakia. He is a Holocaust survivor.

“I have vivid memories of the whole experience: e separation, the family, some really horrible experiences,” Galan said. “I just had to deal with it. I dealt with it as an adult, not as a child, and put it all into perspective.”

Today, Galan travels extensively to give pro bono presentations about antisemitism and what his family went through before somehow trickling back to their home, one by one, as World War II wound down.

Galan has been giving talks since

2006, when he retired from a career of making documentary lms. He’s traveled across the U.S. — even as far as Alaska — to deliver his message.

“I’ve traveled with students to Poland and Israel six times,” Galan said.

One such talk took place on April 19 at Denver’s RedLine Contemporary Art Center. Galan spoke in front of about 170 people, a mix of students and community members.

Galan’s talk was part of the 42nd annual Governor’s Holocaust Remembrance program. e Anti-Defamation League served as program convener, its 42nd year in that role.

Amer Randell, who teaches a Holocaust history class at RiseUp Community High School, helped arrange Galan’s talk in Denver.

“As a history teacher for more than two decades, there is nothing that can parallel learning from a primary source, especially from a person who lived this horri c era in our history,” Randall said. “I hope it gave (the students) a greater sense of empathy for something that happened to a fellow human being — feeling ‘othered,’ the feeling of extreme fear and cruelty — juxtaposed with his belief that all people can be good or bad, not to hate.”

Galan told about going to a forced labor camp, and waking up one morning to the news that the camp

had been liberated. He described the long journey he and his family took, on foot, into the mountains in unstable weather in attempts to escape the Nazis.

ere were times when Galan’s family, desperate for a good night’s sleep and a long way from home, wound up sleeping in the same room as German soldiers who didn’t suspect that they were Jews. Somehow, they got through those times undetected. He recalled that when his family received permission to change their

last name so that they wouldn’t be suspected to be Jewish, his antisemitic teacher announced the name change in class, then turned around and stayed that way while several students beat up Galan.

“I spent my whole life recalling terrible things,” Galan said. “But I put it into perspective, with the rest of my life, that I wanted to do something useful. I decided I was going to teach young people.”

And the reactions he gets from young people, he said, “are just amazing.”

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Paul Galan, 87, a Holocaust survivor, tells his story during an April 19 presentation at Denver’s RedLine Contemporary Art Center.

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

Georgetown Book Group: e Georgetown Book Group will meet at 3 p.m. ursday, May 18, at the John Tomay Library or virtually. e group is discussing “Kindred” by Octavia Butler. To join, email libby@ cccld.org.

Canine on the Creek: Canine on the Creek 5K and fun run will start at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20, with the starting line at a new location: the old church parking lot where event parking is also located, 445 W. Dumont Road, Dumont. e race will still nish at Charlie’s Place. e event is a fundraiser for Friends of Charlie’s Place, the Clear Creek and Gilpin County Animal Shelter, and Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation Center youth programs. ere’s a canine costume contest before the run and walk start. For more information and to register, visit runsignup. com/Race/CO/Dumont/CanineOntheCreek.

Mount Evans Scenic Byway, Guanella Pass:  e Mount Evans Scenic Byway and Guanella Pass are set to open for the season on Friday, May 26, weather permitting.

at Loveland Ski Area and ending in downtown Georgetown. e course includes dirt and paved roads, leading participants through beautiful wetlands, natural waterfalls, stunning views of the Continental Divide and historic mining remnants. Register at slackerhalfmarathon.com.

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

Friday Matinee: Children can watch “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” from 12:30-2:30 p.m. May 26 at the John Tomay Memorial Library in Georgetown.

Rip It at the River Golf Tournament: Clear Creek Rotary 2000 is hosting the Rip It at the River Golf Tournament on Friday, June 9, at Keystone River Golf Resort, 155 River Course Drive, Keystone. Registration starting at 7:30 a.m., with a shotgun start beginning at 9 a.m. Lunch and awards will be from 2-5 p.m. at Guanella Pass Brewery, 501 Rose St., Georgetown. For more information, visit ClearCreekRotary. org.

Slacker Half Marathon:  e Slacker Half Marathon, Relay and 4-Mile Races will be June 24 starting

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

Mount Evans Hill Climb:  e Bob Cook Memorial Mount Evans Hill Climb, sponsored by Team Evergreen, will be July 8. rough the proceeds of the Bob Cook Memorial Hill Climb, Team Evergreen has donated $3 million to local nonpro ts including Bicycle Colorado, Colorado Mountain Bike Association, Special Olympics, Boy Scouts and more. For more information and to register, visit www.bicyclerace.com.

Georgetown Plein Air Event:  e sixth annual Georgetown Plein Air art event will be July 28-29 in downtown Georgetown. e event includes a Quick Draw in historic downtown. e exhibit and sale will run through Aug. 13. Artists can register at www.eventbrite.com/e/ plein-air-2023-artist-registrationtickets-466470875947.

Walk-in vaccine clinics: Walkin vaccine clinics for adults and children needing u and other vaccines are available from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays at the Clear Creek Health and Wellness Center, 1969 Miner St., Idaho Springs. No appointments required for the vaccines, though you can pre-register by calling 303-670-7528.

Resilience1220 counseling: Young people 12 to 20can get free counseling through an Evergreen-based organization called Resilience1220. Comprised of licensed therapists, Resilience1220 serves individuals and groups in the foothills including Clear Creek County. ey also facilitate school and community groups to build life skills in wellness and resilience among youth. For more information or to schedule a counseling session, visit R1220.org, email Resilience1220@gmail.com or call 720-282-1164.

Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meetings: Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meets at 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Marion’s of the Rockies. 2805 Colorado Blvd., Idaho Springs. For more information, email loe er806@comcast.net.

Support after suicide loss: Heartbeat andResilience1220 o er Support After Suicide Loss from 5:30-7 p.m. the fourth ursday of the month for ages 14 and older. Join inperson or online. Suggest donation is $15. For location, visit R1220.org.

Rapidgrass Bluegrass Festival:  e Rapidgrass Bluegrass Festival will be Aug. 4-5 at the Shelly/ Quinn ball elds in Idaho Springs. Friday night is free, though a limited number of tickets are available. Early-bird tickets for Saturday’s event are $25 until June 1. For more information, visit rapidgrassfestival. com.

ONGOING

Blue Spruce Habitat volunteers needed: Blue Spruce Habitat for Hu-

Storytime with Miss Honeybun: Storytime with Miss Honeybun is at 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays at the Idaho Springs Public Library and at 11:15 a.m. ursdays at the John Tomay Memorial Library in Georgetown.

Sensitive Collection: Resilience1220 o ers a monthly workshop for highly sensitive people to help them live healthy and empowered lives from 3:30-4:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month via Zoom. Visit R1220.org for more information.

Will nuclear energy arrive on time and at cost?

Oliver Stone has a new movie, “Nuclear Now,” that made its Colorado debut in Boulder on May 1. In it, Stone argues that the grave risks posed by climate change require we embrace nuclear energy.

A few hours before, at a hearing in Denver, state legislators heard an even more urgent equation. “Anybody who opposes nuclear I believe is a climate denier,” an individual testi ed before the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee.

And in Pueblo that evening, city council members heard about a committee formed by Xcel Energy to study options to replace tax base, jobs, and electrical generation once the last coal plant there closes. e group will hear about nuclear.

In the background is the federal government, o ering gambling money on all sorts of decarbonization solutions, including nuclear.

People on the left and right nd common ground in support of nuclear energy, but their motivations di er. Some, like Stone, the movie-maker, are driven by the existential danger posed by climate change. Even the pleasant days of spring are spoiled by news that the carbon dioxide detector atop Mauna Loa recently rolled past 425 parts per million, up from 315 ppm in the 1950s. We’re dancing ever farther on the snow cornice, ddling with our phones in busy tra c. We’re irting with real danger here.

Some in Colorado see nuclear energy replacing coal plants. e last coal unit at Pueblo will close no later than 2031. Xcel has guaranteed property tax revenues through 2040, but not to 2070, the original retirement date. Craig also faces giant uncertainties. Increased tourism?

“We don’t want to become sheetchangers,” one Mo at County landowner told me.  Western Montrose County, where a uranium boom occurred during the 1950s — and which lost a small coal plant in 2019, is also interested in nuclear.

HB23-1247, titled “Assess Advanced Energy Solutions in Colorado,” now awaiting the governor’s signature, will direct study of nuclear energy but also other options. All have upsides but questions marks. Green hydrogen, made from renewables and water, can store energy for use when renewables are unavailable. However, the technology remains costly. Too, some scientists question whether accidental release of hydrogen into the atmosphere will create as many problems as it solves. Nuclear can also backup intermittent renewables. Nuclear does provide 20% of U.S. electricity. We

have a eet of nuclear-powered submarines. ey seem to operate without problems. But some questions remain about nuclear safety. Would you want a large-scale reactor in your town or city? I have to also wonder about nuclear technology falling into the wrong hands.

Many have been closely following the progress in Wyoming of a nuclear plant planned next to a coal plant at Kemmerer. TerraPower,  the company founded by Bill Gates in 2008, says it will require less water and produce less nuclear fuel waste while plugging nicely into old coal plants. It projects cost of $4 billion for this plant that will use Natrium technology.

WyoFile reported that while in Kemmerer during early May, Gates called it a “pioneering move,” key to the global energy future. is project is projected to be ready in in 2030. Paci Corp, a major regional power provider,  has said it could add ve more such Natrium reactors at existing coal- red plants in Wyoming and Utah.

Another potential model is assembly-line-style production of small modular reactors, lowering costs.

at sounds appealing, but by denition that model will not replace the big coal plants at Pueblo and Craig. For that matter, it does not yet exist.

Here in Colorado, I hear people with degrees in nuclear engineering express doubts about nuclear. State

Sen. Chris Hansen, at the recent legislative hearing, objected to how a witness had characterized his skepticism about nuclear. “It has nothing to do with science or technology,” said Hansen, who has a degree in nuclear engineering. “It’s the cost pro le.” He cited a recent Georgia reactor that came in at $33 billion, three times the projected cost. It’s not the only example.

Chuck Kutscher got his master’s degree in nuclear engineering and worked in the nuclear sector California before turning his attention to solar in 1978 and moving to Colorado. “New  nuclear power plants, including new U.S. reactor technologies currently under development, will likely be too expensive and take too long to build to make a signicant contribution to climate change mitigation,” he says.

In Boulder, Oliver Stone’s movie talked little of costs. But in Pueblo, a representative of Idaho National Laboratory, speaking to a municipal energy study group, openly conceded that cost remains the million dollar question.

She misplaced a comma or two in that string of zeroes, though. It’s the billion dollar question. Many billions.

Allen Best publishes Big Pivots, which chronicles the energy and water transitions in Colorado and beyond. Subscriptions are free at bigpivots.com; donations are welcomed.

Find the power of family in ‘The Oldest Boy’

When does a performer become the character they’re playing? at’s not an easy question to answer and it gets even more challenging when that performer is a puppet. But the creative minds behind Miners Alley Playhouse’s new production, “ e Oldest Boy” are more than up to that challenge.   e show tells the story of an American mother and Tibetan father whose three-year-old son is believed to be the reincarnation of a Buddhist

COMING ATTRACTIONS

lama. And that son is brought to life on stage by a puppet.

“ is allows us to play with the idea of reincarnation in a really interesting way,” said Len Matheo, director of the show and Miners Alley’s producing artistic director.

“It’s a really witty, lovely show about

all the separations we experience through life. And the way the puppet comes to life is absolute magic.”

“ e Oldest Boy: A Play in ree Ceremonies” runs at Miners Alley, 1224 Washington Ave. in Golden, through Sunday, June 11. Performances at 7:30 p.m. ursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Written by Sarah Ruhl and featuring performances from Peter Trinh, Lisa DeCaro, Rob Payo, Tess Fuqua and Tim Inthavong, the show follows

the family as they grapple with what to do when a Tibetan lama and a monk arrive at their home. e travelers want to take their child away for a life of spiritual training in India and the parents must decide if they can allow that or not.

To ensure the production properly portrayed and honored Tibetan culture, Miners Alley worked with Golden’s Sherpa House Restaurant and Cultural Center and were even

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given traditional clothing to use as costumes.

But the bulk of the work went into the development and characterization of the puppet character. Cory Gilstrap, design and production coordinator at Imagined Designs, collaborated with artist Kamala Presswalla to make a puppet that could fully come to life on stage. e result is a Japanese Bunraku puppet that allows both the rest of the cast and the audience to fully immerse themselves in the momentous decision the family must make.

“ ere have been moments where just working on the blocking has made us cry,” Gilstrap said. “Something happens with puppets when performers interact with them properly. You can hear the audience gasp or applaud spontaneously.”

Performing with a puppet in a way that is believable and a ecting to the audience goes beyond using it as some kind of prop. As Gilstrap explains, it’s all about the details.   “Every motion needs to have a complete intent and there can be nothing left to chance,” he said. “It’s not just a matter of interacting with the puppet — it’s choosing moments with a character.”

e magical realism element of the puppet performance enhances “ e Oldest Boy’s”ability to provide an opportunity to investigate the power of parenthood and celebrate a culture that many may not know much about.

“I hope audiences come away touched by the mother’s journey and the erceness of her response in making sure her child is safe and loved,” Matheo said. “I also want them to get a sense of this amazing multicultural community that is right here in Golden.”

Find information and tickets at https://minersalley.com/the-oldestboy/.

Meals on wheels at annual Food Truck Carnival

e sixth annual Food Truck

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CarnivalatE.B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park, 11800 Community Center Drive in Northglenn, provides diners with the opportunity to see rsthand just how many delicious food trucks the metro area o ers.

e carnival will be from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 19, noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 20 and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 21. Attendees will select from more than 20 trucks and can also enjoy live music, amusement rides and more. Find all the details at www.foodtruckcarnival.com.

Visit the desert with Kenzie Sitterud at PlatteForum

PlatteForum’sresident artist, Kenzie Sitterud, is tapping into the rich cultural vein of the American West with their free exhibit, “To Dusk,” which runs through June 6 at theAnnex Gallery, 3575 Ringsby Court, Unit 103, in Denver.

According to provided information, “To Dusk” replicates the landscape of the Utah desert by mixing interior and exterior spaces, “natural resources and waste from acts of consumption.” Visit https:// platteforum.org/events/sitterudfor full details.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Fruit Bats at the Ogden Theatre ere’s a subtle art to making music that works best when played on a backyard patio during the summer, and on his latest album as Fruit Bats, singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson has it gured out. Like the best of Fruit Bats, “A River Running to Your Heart” blends warmth with a wry sentimentalism that immediately makes for the project’s most welcoming release to date.

In support of the album, Fruit Bats will be stopping by the Ogden eatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 19. ey’ll be joined by electronic nostalgia explorer Kolumbo. Buy tickets at www. axs.com.

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

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Rocky Mountain National Park entry fees to go cashless

Starts this summer

BY MATT BLOOM COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Make sure to pack your credit or debit card along with your hiking boots if you’re visiting Rocky Mountain National Park this summer. e park will stop accepting cash payments for entrance and permit fees starting June 1.

e change will allow one of the country’s busiest national parks to cut back on time rangers spend handling cash at crowded entry gates, according to a release from the National Park Service. It will also help streamline fee management behind the scenes.

You can still purchase a number of entry passes at one of the park’s main gates with cards or mobile payment options. But, if you want to speed up your entry, NPS o cials recommend buying one online before your visit along with a separate timed-entry permit, which is required from May 26 through Oct. 22.

Visitors can still buy park entrance passes with cash at a few locations outside of the park, according to NPS. ey include the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Nature Store at Beaver Meadows and the Fall River or Kawuneeche Visitor Centers.

Here’s what to know before heading to the park:

What type of passes are available?

e NPS o ers over a dozen di erent types of passes to get into Rocky.

One-day vehicle passes cost $30 and cover non-commercial vehicles with less than 16 passengers. You can also buy one-day passes for entry by bike or foot. Seven-day passes are also an option.

If you’re planning to visit multiple national parks this year, you can buy an annual pass that covers admission to all parks in the system for $80. You can buy those online or in-person. Seniors, veterans and students can also get special passes for free or reduced rates.

What about camping?

e NPS says it’s also going completely cashless for payments and fees associated with campgrounds inside of Rocky starting June 1. Overnight visitors must make reservations online ahead of time for most campsites. Timed-entry permits are included with all camping reservations.

Are stores inside the park also going cashless?

e cashless switch only applies to entry and permit fees, according to the NPS.

Rocky has a small, conveniencelike store and a co ee shop, which

will both still accept cash.

How do I get a timed-entry permit?

Rocky is implementing another iteration of its timed-entry program this summer to help manage crowds, which means you’ll need to snag a free permit prior to your visit. A timed-entry permit is required for everyone entering the park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. between late May and October.

ere are two di erent types of timed-entry permits.

A regular Park Access permit gets you access to most areas of the park outside of the popular Bear Lake

Road Corridor.

A Park Access+ entry permit includes access to Bear Lake Road, as well as other areas of Rocky. Are other Colorado national parks going cashless?

Yes, Mesa Verde National Park and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument will go cashless this summer, according to the NPS. Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in southeast Colorado will also go cashless.

is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

Entrance sign to Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On most Tuesdays and ursdays and some Saturdays, a team of bikers meets to explore Colorado’s network of trails.

e group connects at a co ee shop in downtown Denver. When the weather isn’t too hot, it’s after work around 4 or 5 p.m. In the dead of summer, it’s usually in the morning.

ey sip on espresso and decide where they want to ride that day. It could be on the bike lanes of Denver, the 36 Bikeway to Boulder, the Platte River Trail to Brighton or other suburbs. Most of the time, it involves a stop along the way.

“We would go down the Platte River Trail to the C 470 trail and then Krispy Kremes along there. We call it the Krispy 50. It’s a 50-mile loop,” said Ted Schultz, one of the riders in the group.

e group started after Schultz and two colleagues in his o ce space decided to start riding together after work. Schultz rode with a few others and combined the two groups.

After the ride, they go to a brewery to catch up with one another and relax after the ride.

Colorado’s network of trails

Part of the reason the group exists is due to Colorado’s extensive bike trail infrastructure. Schultz said it’s only improved in the past two decades.

“When you add up the miles of really good trails, it’s just mind-boggling,” he said.

Schultz, who grew up in Colorado, said understanding for cyclists sharing the road and building more infrastructure has vastly grown. In the 70s

and 80s, he could almost count on angry driver backlash during his rides. Now, not so much.

Much of that may be due to more focus on improving trails and streets.

e Denver Regional Council of Governments built a map that shows all the trails and bike lanes across the region. ey stretch all the way from Boulder to Clear Creek to Castle Rock.

And more may be coming. e Greenhouse Gas Planning Standard, a new rule adopted by the Transportation Commission of Colorado in December 2021, requires agencies to measure greenhouse gas emissions from transit projects, with limits on how high those emissions go.

BIKE PATH

With bike infrastructure providing the option for drivers to ditch their cars and bike, it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Jacob Riger, multimodal transportation planning manager for the Denver Regional Council of Governments, said his group has already modi ed its 2050 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan based on the rule.

Emily Lindsey, active and emerging mobility program manager for DRCOG, said people are ready.

Of the 15 million daily trips in the region, 43% are less than three miles and 19% are less than one mile.

“So, super bikeable, even more so with e-bikes,” she said.

Chris Chen, one of the riders in the group, noted that some improvements are needed. Chen, who lives in Littleton, said there aren’t many bike lanes.

He said either more need to be

added or there need to be wider shoulders. He also said more education about how to share the road with bikers needs to be implemented, citing the death of Gwen Inglis in 2021.

Inglis was a national champion who was struck and killed by a driver in Lakewood.

“It’s been so long since I took the driver’s test, but I don’t know if they have incorporated anything into that,” Chen said.

He explained that it’s scary when vehicles go by fast, especially semi-trucks. e trucks, going fast enough, will push air to the side, which pushes the cyclist, but then will suck the air back in, bringing the cyclist in with it.

“If it’s really close, it’s really scary, not only the sounds of it and in the nearness of that fastmoving object, but the air actually pulling you in,” Chen said.

Compared to other places, Anthony Harvey, another member of the group, said the bike infrastructure ranks higher than the places he’s seen, including Texas, Califor-

nia and Chicago.

Benefits of riding e group ranges in age. Chen is one of the younger ones in his 40s with some of the older riders in their 60s. Meaning, biking is an activity for all abilities and ages.

Chen said he used to be a swimmer. But he didn’t like the fact he had to drive to the pool before 5 a.m. to be at practice in time.  at was too early for him, so he stopped swimming and started cycling more. Not only did it satisfy as a workout, but also was more convenient.

“I can combine commuting and exercise all together,” Chen said.  en he joined the group and it became a lot more fun. It was a way for him to make new friends, destress and get a workout. It also reminds him of his childhood.

“It’s the feeling of when you’re a little kid and you’re going fast and you’re like ‘this is awesome.’” Chen said. “It still feels like that. at sense of freedom.”

Harvey said he got into biking

after he was injured from MMA competitions and decided to switch sports. He participates in various races.

“I was able to actually race with bikes and can also stay t,” he said.

Benefi

ts of friendship

While the biking brings the group together, the camaraderie keeps them pedaling. Schultz, Chen and Harvey all talked about the importance of keeping up with each other, not just on the trail.

Each friend rides on their own and sees the bene ts of being alone. But with the group, they push each other to go faster and further and gives a chance to connect over a topic each is passionate about.

After each ride, they stop at a brewpub or a bar, with Chen’s recommendation for one with a food truck.

“ at’s when we can catch up on trips and things happening with the family and what new gadgets people have,” Chen said. “ at kind of stu .”

Ted Schultz points to the numerous bikes he has accumulated over the years.

Ted Schultz’s ‘cargo’ bike that he often takes to work and to run errands.

PHOTOS BY LUKE ZARZECKI

Western Slope wolf plan gets state OK

Wildlife commissioners hand proposal to CPW managers after two years of work

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

e Colorado Parks and Wildlife board of commissioners have approved a nal plan to restore wolves in Colorado.

Concluding two years of work — and hundreds of hours of meetings across the state — the commissioners unanimously approved a 301page plan to begin restoring wolves, as mandated by voters in November 2020.

Commissioner Dallas May said it was “morally imperative” for the commissioners to approve the plan and hand it o to CPW wildlife managers on schedule. e agency is on track to begin introducing wolves

on the Western Slope by year’s end –per the voter mandate in November 2020 – even though there are many challenges ahead that threaten to derail that schedule.

“We now have the opportunity to place this in the hands of people who are absolutely the best team that can be assembled to enact it,” May said. “Is it a perfect plan? Probably not. It is an assemblage of giveand-take, of trying to nd the middle of the road. ere will be many things that we did not anticipate.

“ is is where the CPW team of dedicated professionals will begin their di cult and arduous task to ful ll their mission,” May said. “It is not our job to micromanage their work. Our job is to give them this plan and let them do what they do

best.”

Gov. Jared Polis called the commission on May 3 to thank the agency’s sta and volunteer commissioners for what he called “a big lift.”

Outgoing commissioner Carrie Besnette Hauser, the commission chair, said the nal approval “was a bit emotional” after months of healthy debate.

“I’m really proud of Colorado and I’m proud of all of you,” she said.  e restoration plan was developed over two years of meetings with both a Technical Working Group and a Stakeholder Advisory Group. Colorado Parks and Wildlife also held 47 meetings that engaged

Colorado Parks and Wildlife placed GPS collars on two wolves in North Park on Feb. 2, 2023. Male wolf 2101 has a gray coat and is in the foreground on the right. Male wolf 2301, believed to be the o spring of the gray colored wolf, has a black coat and is in the background on the left. COURTESY COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE

SEE WOLVES, P15

with 3,400 residents. e plan calls for phased management that can be adjusted as wolf populations grow in the state.

e restoration will begin with introducing 30 to 50 gray wolves in the next three to ve years. e state proposes wintertime releases of captured wolves in two areas on the Western Slope: along the Interstate 70 corridor between Glenwood Springs and Vail, and along the U.S. 50 corridor between Monarch Pass and Montrose. e rst releases are planned for state or private land around the I-70 corridor.

As the state has planned restoration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing an exemption under the Endangered Species Act that would establish wolves in Col-

orado as an experimental population. e so-called 10(j) rule allows exible management strategies, like allowing ranchers to kill wolves that are threatening livestock or people.

e plan will allow ranchers who lose livestock to wolves to be compensated as much as $15,000 per animal. e plan outlines many nonlethal interventions to discourage wolves from killing livestock and it does allow the killing of wolves caught in the act of attacking livestock, saying both the stakeholder and technical groups viewed lethal management “as being critically important to a successful wolf management program.”

e federal wildlife service has expedited its review and expects to issue a nal Environmental Impact Statement by December. Legislation introduced in the Colorado Senate in March — Senate Bill 256 — prohibits introduction of gray wolves in Colorado until that 10(j) analysis under the National Envi-

ronmental Policy Act is complete.

Mike Samson, a four-term Gareld County commissioner, spoke during public comment before the agency’s commissioners began reviewing the nal plan, saying the wolf restoration was “Colorado voters attempting to be Mother Nature” and “ballot-box biology.” He urged the commissioners to allow lethal taking of wolves, pointing to Idaho, where lawmakers have approved legislation allowing for killing up to 90% of the state’s estimated 1,500 wolves. ( e Colorado plan does not allow hunting, but the adaptive management strategy leaves open most management options in future years as wolf populations grow.)

“Wolves need to be legally hunted and trapped to keep their numbers in check,” Samson said.

Representatives for cattlemen groups urged the commissioners to approve compensation for ranchers who spend money on wolf

mitigation, not just those who lose livestock to the predators.

Many public speakers asked the commissioners where they plan to get wolves to relocate into Colorado. e state’s plan calls for capturing wild gray wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. e draft plan says Colorado has “begun to explore an agreement” with the three states. A recent report by 9News quoted o cials in each state saying there were no discussions with Colorado about donating wolves. e draft plan also says Colorado “has also begun to explore an agreement” with Washington and Oregon. e 9News report also quoted o cials in Oregon and Washington saying they were not working with Colorado on sourcing wolves for restoration in the state.  is story from e Colorado Sun, www.ColoradoSun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, which owns Colorado Community Media.

Food justrice programs struggle to survive post pandemic

BY MONTE WHALEY THE COLORADO SUN

A handful of volunteers stooped over a gray patch of soil at FrontLine Farming in Arvada, grooming the stubborn dirt with rakes to prepare for spring planting. Potatoes, onions, greens and root vegetables will be put in the ground later this spring to feed low-income families in the metro area.

Nearby, a small group of chickens clucked against the harsh winds rattling their pen. Bees will soon populate vacant hives and start producing honey, adding to FrontLine Farming’s stockpile of fresh food the 2-acre organic farm provides to struggling households at the edge of the economic abyss.

Frontline Farming is more than just a name, executive director and co-founder Fatuma Emmad said. Many families see FrontLine as the rst and last resort for sustaining their families.

“We are the stewards of the soil and part of that is to provide food for people who are struggling now with food security,” Emmad said. “In ation is causing people to come to us and say, ‘Oh my God, it is just getting harder and harder.’

“And we will be there for them,” she said.

FrontLine Farming produced 120

di erent crops in 2022, including varieties grown from organic, heirloom and climate-adjusted seeds. In all, the farm served 15,000 pounds of food to 195 families or 563 people, Kasey Neiss, the farm’s data activist and systems manager, said in an

email.

e farm’s 16-week Community Supported Agriculture initiative o ered vegetables and owers from its three farm sites, as well as meats from Wild Boyd Farm in Matheson and mushrooms from Sugar Moon

Mushrooms in Bennett. At least 13 families last season paid for their CSA share with federal SNAP — Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — bene ts and

SNAP monthly allotments decreased in March.

SHUTTERSTOCK

SEE FOOD, P18

received discounted prices through the Double Up Food Bucks program, Neiss said. Sixty families received their CSA share at no cost through the federal Women, Infants and Children produce incentive program.

Neiss said 20% of the farm’s produce was given to food pantries, food shares and food-insecure communities. FrontLine Farming workers also helped le 298 SNAP applications in Denver, Je erson, Adams and Arapahoe counties, she said.

Advocates say SNAP and the Double Up Food Bucks program, which allows SNAP participants to get up to $20 a day more to buy Coloradogrown fruits and vegetables, helped keep families a oat during the pandemic.

But in 2023, both programs that helped keep families fed while they grappled with cutbacks caused by the pandemic are now diminished or in danger of being halted altogether due to shrinking funds.

In March, emergency SNAP bene ts were cut to pre-pandemic levels meaning that an estimated 540,000 low-income families in Colorado collected on average $90 less per month than in the previous two years, advocates say. For a family of four, that amounts to about $360 a month less they can spend on food, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a ornton Democrat.

Citing statistics from the Colorado Department of Human Services, Caraveo’s o ce said roughly 77% of SNAP enrollees in the state are working families, people with disabilities or older people with xed incomes. More than half of Colorado’s SNAP households include children.

Meanwhile, a $5 million, ve-year federal grant used to o er incentives to farmers and retailers to continue

the Double Up program through the summer is drying up.

Caraveo in April introduced a bill to extend the SNAP bene ts passed in the early COVID-19 relief package. e “Keeping Families Fed Act” has no co-sponsors in Congress, but is earning support from food advocates, who say after the March cuto more hungry families are looking to food banks and other resources for help.

e enhanced SNAP bene ts allowed families to buy healthier foods and to feed their families in di cult times, Hunger Free Colorado CEO Marc Jacobson said in the Caraveo news release. “Our community members report they are now skipping meals, no longer able to purchase healthy foods and having to make tough choices between food and other necessities,” he said.

Wendy Peters Moschetti, executive director of Nourish Colorado, a group seeking to increase food access across the state, said the nonpro t is applying to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for another $5 million grant that may arrive in October.

Nourish is meanwhile asking donors to raise $500,000 for the Double Up program to keep it running through the summer. “ ese grants are intended to be received several times — one after the other — so we feel good about our chances, but we just need to get through the summer,” Moschetti said via email.

In an email to prospective donors, Moschetti said the additional $500,000 will help keep Nourish from pausing the Double Up program. “ ese funds will cover incentives for 2023 to help us sustain Double Up without interruptions or cancellations — which we have unfortunately already seen happen in other states.”

High in ation is one of the factors driving up the cost of the program but the most pressing issue is the loss of the pandemic-era emergency SNAP bene ts, she said in another email. ”Double Up will not

be halted — but if we cannot meet the demand, the program may need to be limited or paused for a certain amount of time at some partner locations.”

Michigan — where the Double Up program began nearly 15 years ago — has had to pause the program at some partner sites, Moschetti said, “as in limit how much could be spent at their sites and/or limit the months they could o er Double Up.”

Colorado’s Double Up Food Bucks program is modeled after the Fair Food Network in Michigan, which began at ve farmers markets in Detroit in 2009 and has grown to more than 150 sites across Michigan.

Colorado boasts 76 sites where Food Bucks can be used; most are farmers markets and farm stands, although there are a few permanent stores, Daysi Sweaney, director of healthy food incentives for Nourish, said via email.

ey include Zuma Natural Foods in Mancos, Wild Gal’s Market in Nucla, Save A Lot stores in Colorado Springs, Greeley and Pueblo, City Park Farmers Market in Denver and the Boulder County Farmers Markets.

Nourish added a few new partners this year but not as many as hoped, Sweaney said.

“We had over 100 applications for this season but could not accept them all due to the uncertainty of funding,” she said. “We want to make sure we can keep all our current partners funded for the rest of the year.”

Expansion is de nitely a priority, Sweaney said, and Nourish wants to bring the Food Bucks program to other areas of Colorado where there is a high need.

is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media

1. ANATOMY: What is a common name for lateral epicondylitis?

2. GEOGRAPHY: What was the country of Portugal known as in Roman times?

3. MOVIES: What are the nal words spoken in the movie “ e Shawshank Redemption”?

4. LITERATURE: Which novel series includes a ctional place called Godric’s Hollow, England?

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7. U.S. STATES: Which state has the longest cave system?

8. FOOD & DRINK: In which country were bagels invented?

9. HISTORY: What kind of beetle was revered by the ancient Egyptians?

10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the largest lizard on Earth?

Answers

1. Tennis elbow.

2. Lusitania.

3. “I hope.”

4. e “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling.

5. e study of cells.

6. Ponderosa.

7. Kentucky.

8. Poland.

9. Scarab.

10. Komodo Dragon.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Careers

Now hiring for Summer 2023!

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

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Legals City and County

Notice is hereby given that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Education of Clear Creek School District RE-1 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and has been filed in the office of the Superintendent where it is available for public inspection. Such proposed budget will be considered for adoption at a Regular Business Meeting of the Board of Education of said District at Clear Creek School High School, on June 15, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Any person paying school taxes in said district may at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget file or register his objections thereto. Dated May 12, 2023

303-566-4123

IN RESPONSE TO FEDERAL CASE LAW

Legal Notice No. CCC627

Misc. Private Legals

PUBLIC NOTICE

Climax Molybdenum Company, Henderson Operations P.O. Box 68, Empire, Colorado 80438 (303) 569-3221

Henderson Operations, whose location is multiple section portions in Township 2 and 3 South, Ranges 77 and 78 West, has filed an application for an Amendment to its approved Reclamation Permit No. M-1977-342 with the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board (Board) under provisions of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act. The Amendment proposes to increase the affected land boundary at the Henderson Mill in Grand County by 224 acres.

Henderson commenced operations in 1976 and current life of mine is through 2038. This Amendment will not change the future permitted postmining land use or the present mining or milling operations at Henderson. Additional information and tentative decision date may be obtained from the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215,

Denver, Colorado 80203, (303) 866-3567, on the website (https://drms.colorado.gov/information/ permitting-actions-currently-under-review), or by email at: drms_info@state.co.us. Alternately, additional information can be found at the Clerk and Recorder’s offices of Grand County (Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado) and Clear Creek County (Georgetown, Colorado), or at Henderson Operations offices.

Comments must be submitted in writing via electronic form at: https://dnrlaserfiche.state.co.us/ Forms/DRMS_Comment and must be received by the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety by 4:00 p.m. on the 20th day following Henderson’s last newspaper publication.

Legal Notice No. CCC623

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Public Notice

Joint Agency and Public Meeting

Georgetown Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 2187)

Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo), an Xcel Energy company, is the owner and operator of the Georgetown Hydroelectric Project, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Project No. 2187 located on South Clear Creek in Clear Creek County, Colorado. On April 21, 2023, PSCo filed an Initial Consultation Document (ICD) with FERC pursuant to the content requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 18 Section (§) 4.38 to accommodate decommissioning and removal of the Georgetown Forebay dam and associated penstock, removal of the powerhouse from the license, installation of a micro-hydropower generation system at the upstream Clear Lake Dam, and restoration of the stream channel at the Forebay (collectively, the Proposed Project).

Three-stage consultation is required by 18 CFR § 4.38(a)(6), which involves seeking consultation from relevant resource agencies, Native American Tribes, and other interested stakeholders, holding a public meeting, conducting study planning and implementation, reporting on study results, and providing the ICD for review and comment to stakeholders. The purpose of this publication is to notify the public of the joint agency and public meeting to discuss the Proposed Project.

NOTICE is hereby given that PSCo is hosting a joint agency and public meeting and site visit, in ac cordance with the FERC requirements at 18 CFR § 4.38(b)(3). The meeting will be open to the public and held in person on May 24, 2023. A morning session will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) at the Georgetown Heritage Center. The morning session will include a site visit. The evening session will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. No site visit will be included with the evening session. Georgetown Heritage Center is located at 809 Taos St, Georgetown, CO 80444.

The purpose of the meeting is to: review the Proposed Project plans; discuss proposed stud ies and receive stakeholder input; discuss current and potential resource needs and management objectives; and provide a site tour. The ICD is available online by visiting https://elibrary. ferc.gov/eLibrary/filedownload?fileid=B52878ECDDFA-C3A4-A49F-87B3EC300000. Written com ments on the ICD and requests for studies must be submitted no later than 60 days of the joint agency and public meeting (or by July 24, 2023).

A meeting invitation with agenda and driving instructions will be sent to each attendee upon request. If necessary, a virtual attendance option will be provided by request only should enough requests be received. Please contact Nuria Holmes, Regulatory Consultant with SWCA, at nuria.holmes@swca.com to request the meeting invitation, no later than May 22, 2023.