Clear Creek Courant Sample 100622

Annual burro race in Idaho Springs ends neck and neck

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Burros took over Georgetown and Idaho Springs over Memorial Day weekend, wandering down Miner Street to the starting line of the mountain towns’ annual burro races.

May 29 saw racers starting at the intersection of Miner Street and 17th Avenue in Idaho Springs, running — or galloping — all the way to Virginia Canyon Road and Two Brothers Road, before heading back down Buttermilk Gulch to Wall Street, finishing at a crowded Virginia Street and 16th Avenue for a total of about six miles.

The winner of the race, with a time of 41:03, was Bob Sweeney — the winner of the Georgetown race the day before, and of the Idaho Springs race last year. After the race, he said he was feeling good, having beat his time last year by about five minutes. He said Yukon, his burro, was “ready and waiting for another.”

Sweeney finished neck and neck with Travis Macy. Before the race, Sweeney mentioned that Macy was close behind him the entire Georgetown race the day before, and to watch for him on his backside this race. He was proven right when Macy came in second by a hair with a time of 41:04. Laughing, Macy said he was doing well, and “ran as fast

as I could with a donkey.”

Coming in third place with a time of 46:17 was Rob Wright, and fourth was Tracy Loughlin with 46:18, similarly coming in after Wright by only a hair. Wright said that during the race he came off course, with Tracy helping him back on trail. The donkey did not like jumping over streams and logs he said, continuing that, “I totally got lost in the woods, then did the crappy thing of coming ahead [of Loughlin].”

Loughlin was certainly pushing her burro, Mary-Margret, near the

end, while Wright’s pulled ahead him to the finish line. But Loughlin was in good spirits, saying it’s the best race she’s ever done, and she’s competed in about 10.

For Teresa and Remus, two locals watching the starting line from the end of 17th Avenue, this was their first race.

“We live here, but we’re always working,” they said. “We’d see them when they set up, but not where they actually go.”

From the publisher

Hello, Clear Creek County! You’re receiving this free trial edition of the Courant that can show you what to expect from our hard-working and award-winning team of news and sales professionals. We’ve reprinted some stories from the past year, too, so you know what to expect every week. Find information on how to subscribe on Page 16.

PUBLISHER’S COLUMN

It doesn’t seem that long ago that community news could be found everywhere throughout metro Denver. There were two scrappy daily newspapers that had staffers dedicated to the suburbs. There were community newspapers stacked in businesses or sitting in residents’ mailboxes or driveways.

But as the economy changed, newspapers became a casualty of technological disruption, and, as newsrooms shrank or disappeared altogether, readership and advertising dwindled.

But while the model by which we fund our newspaper is changing, that in no way means that newspa-

From left, KC Young running with Apache, Andrew Knutsen and Hershey and John Vincent tethered to Crazy Horse jog to catch up with the pack of burros and racers down Miner Street in May 2018.

FILE PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG

Linda Shapley

1

You get to read stories about people in Clear Creek doing good things.

We should be celebrating the good in life, and the people who are doing good work to improve the Clear Creek community.

2Your life will be more enjoyable knowing about events, clubs and other ways to interact with your community.

Check out our the paper for news about upcoming shows and community events.

6Read features on Clear Creek residents and local businesses.

That person you walked past on the street? They could be an Olympian or a talented artist. Read about the stories your neighbors have to tell about their lives and unique businesses (see page 14).

7

Reading a community newspaper has a positive e ect on your health and critical thinking.

Learn more about what’s going on around you. Get objective information. Read opinion columns and letters to the editor that ... while you won’t always agree with ... will stretch your thinking.

3Trained, professional and edited journalists attend city council, school board and county commissioner meetings to keep you informed.

Award-winning journalists, who live in many of the communities CCM covers, work day and night to keep an eye on local government. We are digging through agendas, checking records and getting elected officials on the record to keep you informed and ensure accountability at every level.

Clear Creek Courant

8Guaranteed to tell you something you didn’t know.

We’ll find the stories you never would have guessed at but will be happy to read about.

4Local decisions often impact your life more than national decisions, and the Courant keeps you in the know.

Trust us to do the hard work to bring you insightful and fair-handed analysis on important issues like mental health (see page 6).

5Reading advertisements can help you find great deals, learn about new businesses or find the perfect contractor for your home.

We all know that shopping locally helps your community. We help connect local business owners with a greater audience and help you learn more about the goods and services available here in Clear Creek.

9Clear Creek is a fun place to live and the Courant helps you live it to the fullest. We are eager to showcase all Clear Creek has to offer.

Right now, you can subscribe for only 48 cents per week, including delivery to your mailbox.

That’s about the cost of one drink at a coffee shop every two months. And even if you opt for the coffee, just think about how enjoyable it would be to have the community newspaper in your hand while you sit down to drink it.

2 Empire homes destroyed in overnight fire

Impacted families

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Two trailers in Empire’s Clear Creek Trailer Park were completely destroyed in an overnight fire on April 8.

Another trailer was damaged by the flames, and a few others suffered smoke damage, according to the Empire Police Department. A vehicle also was completely destroyed.

No one was injured, and the cause is still under investigation.

Around 1:10 a.m., a structure fire was reported at 257 E. Park Ave. with flames visible and a woman inside, trying to get her pets out.

She was able to make it out safely, although the pets likely died in the fire, according to Deputy Chief Andrew Lorenz.

While three firefighting agencies and other emergency personnel responded, high winds made extinguishing the blaze difficult. In addition to the homes and a

vehicle, the fire also damaged telephone poles and trees in the area.

For the three households whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged, Lorenz stated the Red Cross and the Clear Creek County Advocates were helping them find temporary housing.

Residents on Facebook were looking to donate clothing, toiletries, and other items.

If community members wish to donate goods, Lorenz said they can email chief@empirecolorado. us or call his work cell at 303-9952135.

Additionally, two of the im-

pacted households have set up GoFundMe pages.

Deborah Celli described how she lost her beloved dog and two cats in the fire, along with all her personal belongings. As of 10 a.m. on April 11, 35 people had donated $3,550 toward her $10,000 goal.

Additionally, Mark Krebs has a page set up by his neighbors, the Romines. Krebs only had time “to grab his slippers and wallet” before evacuating his home. While he has a place to stay, he has lost everything, the GoFundMe page states. On April 11, 18 people had donated $1,235 toward the $30,000

goal.

“It was just so fast,” resident Susan Lange said. “It was a lot of devastation in very little time.”

Lange was standing outside her home that afternoon, watching the nearby debris smolder and worrying about her neighbors who lost their homes.

She recalled waking up to the sound of someone banging on her door. She smelled smoke and, as she grabbed a jacket, saw flames outside her dining room window.

Lange described how “fire departments from everywhere” had lined up around the property, as she and her neighbors were evacuated to Town Hall. Staff members had water and coffee available while everyone waited. Lange was thankful to have “a warm place to be.”

Eventually, she and her husband headed to Georgetown and got a hotel room for the night to catch some sleep while they waited. After they returned in the morning, they opened their unit’s windows to clear out the smell of smoke.

Lange thanked all the first responders for getting everyone out safely, and the town staff for all their help during the evacuation.

Mudslide hits Georgetown, destroys trailer home

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On July 6, a heavy downpour over Georgetown caused a mudslide that destroyed at least one trailer home, as well as dislodging boulders, rocks and debris that came down around the trailer homes above exit 228 on I-70.

Occupants from the homes were evacuated, with gas and power being turned off for the area.

According to Clear Creek County Undersheriff Bruce Snelling, boulders had fallen on the west-south side of the mountain wall between Silver Plume and Georgetown as well, with the mountainside netting stopping them.

Edward Alexander was inside his trailer home of 13 years when the mudslide that destroyed it began. He said that he was eating dinner when it began to rain so hard there was a half inch of rain pouring down his window.

“I got up to see how bad it was, saw the first of the mud came

over the hill — it obliterated my shed, started to fill the backyard and then it stopped,” he said. “I went, ‘OK, I can live with that.’

“About that time, some more mud came over, and there were boulders that came over the edge,” he continued. “At that point I ran back to the bedroom, grabbed some clothes out of the dresser, out of the closet — [my wife] was getting my cat and two dogs ready to go. I was getting dressed, and in the time it took me to do that, we had mud running through the living room.”

He estimates there was about 10 feet of mud where his shed was — 3 feet in his bedroom, 2 in the bathroom and about a foot in the living room.

Alexander said the police put him up in the Mountain Inn for the night, and the Red Cross is giving him supplies. He also said there is about 100 yards of rock, boulder and debris that have to be removed before he can clean out his house and he’s afraid that the weight of the mud will move the house off its foundation.

“I’m surprised none of them

got washed away, they’re in a bad spot,” Snelling said in regards to the trailer homes.

Snelling also said the mud covered most of the intersection up to the Georgetown’s roundabout. Alexander added that it shut down the interstate and covered ground up to the Family Dollar.

Other trailer homes on the

same road were affected, such as one that, according to Georgetown Marshall Randy Williams, was not occupied, with mud sliding between a few others, according to Alexander.

As of publishing, the roads were cleared of mud, and the interstate no longer blocked.

The home of Edward Alexander (pictured left) destroyed by the mudslide that hit Georgetown the evening of July 6.

PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI

Firefighters battle an early morning blaze at Empire’s Clear Creek Trailer Park on April 8. The fire has since been extinguished, with at least two homes destroyed and no injuries reported. PHOTO COURTESY OF EMPIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Increased calls, lack of resources and unanswered cries for help. Inside Clear Creek’s mental health crisis.

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Darrin Patterson was shot by Clear Creek Sheriff’s deputies on May 9, 2020. He drove erratically, led officers on a car chase and eventually pulled out a handgun and pointed it at a deputy before being shot at 30 times — six of the shots landed, killing him.

This was not Patterson’s first interaction with law enforcement. He had called 911 multiple times before, expressing paranoid thoughts and delusions to the point that now Sgt. Richard Sonnenberg of the Idaho Springs Police Department threatened to “lock him up in the nut house” if Patterson kept calling, according to a grand jury report that was completed after the shooting, describing the incident and expressing multiple concerns over it.

The report mentions ISPD’s “failure to take any affirmative steps to facilitate assistance to Darrin Patterson, a person obviously experiencing profound mental illness, which contributed to this unfortunate series of events” and continues that the jury was “troubled by the repeated responses” by ISPD prior

In the midst of a pandemic that has caused a public health crisis the world over, a mental health crisis has worsened in parallel nationally and across Colorado — and Clear Creek county has been no exception. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

to the incident. Patterson’s prior contacts with them, the report said, “demonstrated traits associated with psychiatric issues, including auditory hallucinations and acute paranoia.”

But, the report highlights, not only were no referrals to any mental health resources given, the county has “no identifiable mental health or counseling resources within the County which might enable for law enforcement to direct citizens to.”

No solutions were available

to Darrin Patterson, who was known to law enforcement to have behavioral health challenges before his fatal encounter, according to Clear Creek County Commissioner George Marlin .

“I don’t know who didn’t tell who or what, I just know he didn’t get the services he needed,” Marlin said.

In the midst of a pandemic that has caused a public health crisis the world over, a mental health crisis has worsened in parallel nationally and across Colorado — and Clear Creek county has been no exception.

For years before the pandemic, mental health had already been an ongoing issue in Clear Creek for youth, students and adults. Public knowledge on how to identify mental illness had been sparse, access to services limited and trust in those services weak. Some in Clear Creek see these issues stemming from stigma or limited funds, but no matter the barrier, everyone involved agreed: Clear Creek County is in a mental health crisis.

“I’m comfortable in saying, because of what Coloradans have reported, that we’re thinking that it’s the most significant health

crisis to follow the pandemic,” said Kara Campbell, manager of Mountain Services at the Jefferson Center for Mental Health.

What the problem looks like

Across the country, teen suicide rates increased by a quarter from 2018 to 2019, according to a report by the United Health Foundation. Colorado led the country in this increase, jumping by more than half from 2016 to 2019.

This is before the pandemic.

For Colorado students in 2021, 17% of 15- to 18-year-olds had considered suicide within the last year, 13% had made a plan and 7% had attempted suicide, according to The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey given to students every year.

For Clear Creek, the survey showed that about 40% of middle schoolers had ever seriously thought about suicide. A quarter said they had made a plan on how to do it, and about 15% tried. Among high schoolers, 18% said they seriously thought of killing themselves in the last 12 months, 15% made a plan and 8% had attempted one or more times.

“Our rates are high, even for the

Clear Creek community holds vigil to remember Christian Glass

Members of the community came together to remember Glass and call for change from law enforcement

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Members of the Clear Creek Community remembered Christian Glass at a candlelight vigil on Sept. 20 at Citizens Park in Idaho Springs.

Glass, 22, was killed by police in June after calling for help when his car got stuck in the town of Silver Plume. Recently released body cam footage of the incident has sparked public cries for police accountability.

A crowd of nearly 80 community members and friends and family of Glass gathered in the park to remember Glass, light candles in his honor and call for fundamental change.

“As a mom, I know this could’ve

been my son, and that’s why I’m here tonight,” said community member Lisa Stamm. “This behavior by our sheriff’s department is unacceptable.”

Stamm’s remarks were supported by the emotional crowd.

Autumn Brooks, one of the organizers of the vigil, remembers her child calling with car trouble in Clear Creek County in the past, but he got sent a tow truck instead of deputies.

“No more pain should be brought by our law enforcement,” she said.

Idaho Springs has seen firsthand the pain the police can inflict. In 2019, ISPD was involved in an incident using a stun gun on a 24-year-old deaf man. The man, Brady Mistic, who spent 4 months in jail for charges that were ultimately dropped, has since filed a suit against the city.

This altercation involved Officer Hanning, who went on to tase an elderly man in 2021.

The pain brought on by law enforcement in Clear Creek is something that Cynthia Flageolle, who attended the vigil, is still dealing with. Her father, Michael

Clark, was the victim of a stun gun deployed by ISPD Officer Hanning in 2021 that left him with lifelong deficits.

Ultimately, Hanning received house arrest and probation for

Sally Glass,center, mother of 22-year-old Christian Glass, who was shot by police after calling 911 for help, is flanked by his sisters Katie, left, and Anna, right as they attend a candlelight vigil in Idaho Springs on Sept. 20.

VOTE DEMOCRAT

Dylan Roberts State Senator

George Marlin County Commissioner

Judy Amabile State Representative

Michael Bennet U.S.Senate

Jared Polis Governor

Jena Griswold

of State

To protect

To build

Congress

Phil Weiser Attorney General

To defend our democracy,

health and that of

and valleys,

and a just

in which we can all thrive

Joe Neguse

EDITOR’S

Welcome to the Clear Creek Courant

Hello! You received this special introductory edition of the Clear Creek Courant because we wanted to give you a taste of what we have to offer. We hope that once you get to know us, you’ll want to join our family of readers.

My name is Kristen Fiore, and I am proud to be the editor of the Clear Creek Courant, a publication that has been covering local news in Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Empire, Silver Plume and more since 1973.

The Clear Creek Courant aims to capture the charm of daily life in Clear Creek County while keeping readers informed about breaking news, local government and more. We take pride and ownership

in what we put out from the instant the story idea is discussed to the time it is put on the page. Clear Creek Courant reporters spend a lot of time in the communities they cover, and we hope the passion for what we do shines through on each page of every edition.

A subscription to the Clear Creek Courant gets you full access to the Clear Creek Courant website, which is updated daily, as well as digital access to Colorado Community Media’s two dozen other local newspapers in the metro area. I hope you’ll join us by taking advantage of the special subscription offer elsewhere in the newspaper. Thanks for reading!

Kristen Fiore can be contacted at kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

SHAPLEY

FROM PAGE 1

pers are failing. Studies show that 81% of Coloradans read print or digital newspapers every month, and it’s still an important part of buyers’ decisions when they’re shopping.

Newspaper ownership in the U.S. has been rapidly consolidating over the last 15 years. Since 2018, the largest 25 newspaper owners held about one-third of all titles – and there’s been more consolidation since. About 1,800 titles have been shuttered in the process. The most powerful newspaper owners are now private capital holding companies, whose expectations for profit and return have strongly influenced local newsrooms’ size, quality and resources.

It’s a tenet of democracy that we ask questions of our leaders and of those people who are entrusted to keep our communities safe. So when there are fewer journalists in a market, there are fewer people around to hold government accountable, or to even just share the best of what communities had to offer.

That’s why I’m proud today to offer you this sampler of the Clear Creek Courant and tell you about Colorado Community Media, the group that runs the Courant, and our owners, the Colorado News Conservancy.

When our former owners were looking to sell, the nonprofit Nation-

al Trust for Local News worked to find organizations that could come together to keep a vital news source alive and thriving. They brought in the journalist-owned Colorado Sun –itself a product born from cuts that were happening at The Denver Post – and it created a new organization –the Colorado News Conservancy, to keep CCM in local hands.

As publisher of Colorado Community Media for a year now, I’m proud to lead the staff as we work hard to preserve local integrity and keep your community voices strong. We’re providing stories, information and government accountability that people in this community can’t get anywhere else — all while connecting businesses directly with readers.

That’s why we’d like you to take the time to read this sample copy of the Courant, and see the great news and information that you can get delivered to you weekly. I promise that it’s more than worth the price to subscribe at this great rate.

We’re a dedicated team that is fully invested in keeping you informed of what’s going on. Reporter Olivia Jewell Love and I are planning “Meet the Courant” events so you can come to us with news and tips that we need to hear, need to promote a business or event, or even have some critiques about the work we’re doing.

We are ready to hear it. We love being a part of this community, and we appreciate your support.

Linda Shapley can be reached at lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia. com.

Kristen Fiore

state average,” Mountain Youth Network Assistant Coordinator Rebecca Bernal said at a Clear Creek Board of Education meeting.

But these issues are not restricted to students and youth.

According to the Colorado Center for Health and Environmental Data, between 2018 and 2019 there were 10 suicides in Clear Creek County. The previous six years had fewer than three suicides recorded each year.

And, in a May 2021 Clear Creek County COVID-19 Community Impact Survey, more than half of the 955 respondents said their level of stress, anxiety and/or depression during the pandemic has been “extreme” or “moderate.” A fifth of people also indicated they had sought out mental health services during the pandemic for those issues, another 3% said they would like to, but cannot access it, and 4% said they would like to, but are uncomfortable pursuing mental health services.

The Jefferson Center for Mental Health, the biggest supplier of mental healthcare in the mountain area, also released a yearly ongoing report showing that in 2022 so far, 523 Clear Creek residents have used JCMH services. This is an 11% increase from last year, but, according to Campbell, “everything slowed down with COVID, even though mental health needs were increasing. I think fewer people were reaching out, because it was COVID, and I imagine it will be higher next year.”

In comparison to Clear Creek’s population of 9,500, Gilpin county — which had about 6,000 residents as of last year, had 182 clients use JCMH’s services.

The pandemic

The pandemic is seen as exacerbating issues, causing much of the recent increase in need for services and the start of it being labeled a “crisis,” but the issues were already there.

“I think it’s gotten worse, just because the lockdown was really hard on people. They’re adjusting — still adjusting. However, I would say

GLASS

FROM PAGE 6

his involvement in the assault of Clark and gave up his ability to serve in law enforcement. Residents of Clear Creek are looking for more accountability from the police, calling for police to “serve and protect, not hurt and neglect,” as many of their signs said.

“We’re not going to stop until we make changes,” Flageolle said at the vigil, after sharing her father’s experience with ISPD.

Christian’s mother, Sally Glass, and her two daughters, sisters of Christian Glass, attended the Sept. 20 vigil. Sally shared memories of Christian and thanked the community for coming together. She remembered her son’s kind soul, and that he always wanted to be an artist when he grew up.

The community shared memories and embraces at the vigil, hoping to come together to enact change through this tragedy.

it’s gotten better in that because of COVID, people see the prevalence of mental health issues with sort of an assumption,” Aberg explained.

“With everyone struggling, there was an opening for people to say, ‘How are you? No really, how are you?’ ” She hopes that this could be a jumping board for people to look for services and lose a bit of the stigma associated with it, as COVID has “really opened up this idea that it’s OK to not be OK.”

“But, the reality is that, pandemic aside, the kids are inundated with a lot more pressure than what we had growing up,” Mountain Youth Network Youth Programs Coordinator Ben Shay said. “Either through social media use, or online bullying, and unrealistic expectations, and then you have the pandemic on top of that.”

Normal teen anxieties are being compounded, he explained, but also many of the social-emotional lessons they learn at these ages happen between classes.

“They sit down in class and learn some biology facts, or some math equations, but most of the learning that impacts the way they feel about themselves and their confidence is in the passing period, or lunch, or sports after school,” Shay said.

“When the passing period is just ‘log out of this Google meet, and log into this Google meet,’ and you’ve been sitting in sweatpants all day, you’re not having that environment of learning. And Snapchat is not going to offer that.”

But these professionals make pains to highlight that the problem was already there.

“All of the mental health concerns were present way before COVID,” said Brian Tracey, a case worker at Clear Creek Middle School and High School. He elaborated that, on a scale of severity for students, it fell in the middle pre-COVID. There were people to refer students to for help, beds available for students with severe issues, but nothing was so bad it was debilitating to the system.

“Now, I think that degree has shifted more to the right. Present concerns were always there, but now that much more extreme,” he continued.

Anxiety, ADHD, panic attacks and suicide ideation are all issues for stu-

dents that have worsened, with less resources to help, he said.

“Unfortunately, because the numbers are so high across Colorado, we’ve had several times that that has resulted in our kids having to be transported to Colorado Springs because that is just how full the entire system is, that they can’t find any beds whatsoever in the metro area,” said Debbie Corriero, another licensed caseworker out of MSHS, in a Board of Education meeting in May.

Even still, Tracey calls it only the “early stages of a mental health crisis.”

“I say ‘only’ because I think, as a society, we are only beginning to understand certain motivations, certain areas and changes in our society — both positive, negative and neutral — that are occurring,” he said. “And, there’s quite a lot more that we need to do.”

Stigma leads to silence

“Really Clear Creek is a very private community. They don’t talk a lot about mental health; (it’s a) very mountain, ‘I can do this, I can do it myself,’ kind of community, which is awesome when it comes to a big snowstorm, but not when it comes to mental health,” said Heather Aberg, executive director of Resilience1220, a non-profit organization that offers free counseling to teens across the mountain area.

For those not in the school system, help is not a walk down the hall away. People need to go after that help, and along with that, have the motivation and channels to find it.

“It is a struggle. I would say the amount of people seeking help is nowhere near the amount of people that could actually benefit from help,” said Campbell. “People seek help when they’re ready to access it.”

Part of that disparity, she believes, is due to varying access to services in the recent past, and the trust in those services to seek them out at all.

Campbell, who started work at JCMH seven years ago, said she noticed from the beginning a “distrust in services,” but that the gap is starting to be bridged. She thinks part of that distrust comes from the availability of staff changing over time and pilot programs shuttering if

not well-attended.

“I think, over the years, people see that we had a certain service, but then it’s not available now, and they think, ‘how can I trust if I participate in this, that it’ll be around when I need it later?’” she said.

But she emphasized that many services will stay, and she tries to be open when something is a pilot.

Shay elaborated that part of the mistrust may have compounded over the pandemic.

“I think the last couple years have really divided people in how much they trust a public health entity or local government entity, for whatever political reasons,” he said. “As a nonprofit, [Mountain Youth Network] has been able to avoid that.”

Some of that mistrust can come from the fear of reprimand by law enforcement due to a crisis, too. Campbell made the point that being sick is not a crime, and they are working with police to make sure people aren’t arrested when it’s a mental health issue, not a criminal issue.

But, a main aspect of this disparity in the people who need services and those who actually seek it comes from negative impressions associated with mental illness.

“If you could line up a bunch of therapists, and you could line up a bunch of funding, and you had the proper resources, the next challenge is forcing that community adoption,” elaborated Shay.

Marlin wants the county to lower the stigma so people will feel comfortable reaching out for help. “Some people aren’t ready to help themselves, but we want to have a ladder there for them to grab when they are ready,” he said.

Part of the issue is funding to educate people enough to remove the negative association, continued Shay.

People need to think of it as a mental health workout, just like going for a run or lifting weights.

“You don’t go lift weights once and say, ‘Cool I’m good for the rest of my life,’” he said. “They’re not that far off.”

But the lack of funding to educate people more similarly affects making services easier to access.

Drawing comfort from the community, Sally Glass remembers her son, 22-yearold Christian Glass, during a Sept. 20 candlelight vigil in Idaho Springs. Christian was shot June 11 by police in the neighboring town of Silver Plume after he had called 911 for assistance when his vehicle got stuck on a rural road.

Close to 80 community members gathered Sept. 20 in Citizens Park in Idaho Springs to remember the life of Christian Glass, the young man who was shot by police after calling 911 for assistance after his car got stuck on a rural road in neighboring Silver Plume.

Graduating Golddiggers ride o into the snowy sunset

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The path to success is very rarely a direct one, as Clear Creek High School’s Class of 2022 can attest.

“The path to success … is all over the place,” Principal Chris Gould told the 50-some graduating Golddiggers on May 21. “You learned that. You lived it. Because these last two years have not been simple. … (Success) still came because you persevered, and you stuck with it.”

The Class of 2022 has been defined by its ability to “bounce back and make the best of everything,” as valedictorian Bridget Egan said before the ceremony.

“Today’s a pretty good example — coming here in a snowstorm,” Egan said of the late spring storm that pushed the planned outdoor ceremony into the gym.

this.”

Graduate Synneva Wippler and others expressed a very bittersweet feeling in saying goodbye to the friends and classmates they’ve grown up with, but excitement in starting the next chap-

“It’s kind of a surreal experience,” graduate Cameron Jefferson said. “You’ve grown up here your entire life, and now you’re done with school. It’s basically like everybody here’s your family because … it’s such a small and

close community.”

But, the Class of 2022 is full of talented, amazing people, Egan and fellow graduate Jacob Bryant both described. Bryant added that, “They’re all going places.”

For Bryant, that’s Montana State University to study finance and economics; for Jefferson, a gap year then Red Rocks Community College; for Wippler, Arizona State University to study biochemistry; and for Egan, Columbia University for biology.

The four all said they would miss participating in high school athletics and performing arts. Jefferson and Bryant both said attending prom with their friends were their favorite memories from CCHS, while Egan said it was her first race for the Golddigger ski team.

In their final messages to their

An Addams Family a air

CCHS spring musical a snapping good time

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

They’re creepy and they’re kooky. Mysterious and spooky. They’re all together ooky.

The Clear Creek per-form-ers.

The Clear Creek Middle School/High School Visual & Performing Arts departments performed “The Addams Family” for their spring musical May 6-7.

About 40-50 students were involved in the production, whether acting, playing instruments in the pit band or doing technical work behind the scenes.

Deborah Sandblom, the school’s drama director, said she and her colleagues chose “The Addams Family” based on what would be the best fit for the school, its actors, its musicians and so on.

Domestic violence can

that

done

KNOW THE SIGNS

“The Addams Family” is a popular pick among high schools across the region, she said, in part because it lends itself to elaborate and eye-catching sets. Overall, it has a very “haunted house” feel, she described.

For those familiar with other

Kaitlyn Ginter and Autumn Lucy, playing the ancestors, dance to “When You’re an Addams” during a May 4 dress rehearsal of Clear Creek High School’s spring musical “The Addams Family.”

“Addams Family” stories but unfamiliar with the musical, Sandblom said the characters are the same, but the story is completely different.

The musical features a grownup Wednesday who has fallen into a “Romeo and Juliet” situation and wants to marry into a normal family, she explained.

“(The story) is chaotic in the way that keeps you glued to your seat,” junior Jordan Rogers said. Rogers, who’s playing dad Gomez Addams, said he’d never seen any “Addams Family” before the musical. He was glad to have this outlet to experience

Clear Creek High School graduates turn their tassels as family members and friends take photos during the May 21 ceremony at CCHS.

GRADS

fellow graduates, Wippler and Bry ant encouraged everyone to work hard despite all the challenges that come their way.

“Don’t put your head down, and don’t give up,” Bryant said. “… If you want something, just work for it.”

Egan and Jefferson thanked their classmates and families for their support, with Jefferson commenting, “I love my family, and I wish nothing but the best for (my classmates).”

Egan added: “Dream big, and thank you for being there for me.”

While graduating from high school might be the Class of 2022’s great est achievement, commencement speaker Emily Buikema hoped it wouldn’t be that way for long.

The CCHS girls basketball coach said she wanted the graduates to “find dreams that you don’t even

know exist yet.”

As the Class of 2022 enters the “lifelong hustle,” as Buikema de scribed it, she encouraged the gradu ates to find a support system — to help others and accept help from others.

“Your dreams are so much more significant if you achieve them with other people, and you help other people achieve theirs,” she contin ued. “ … You have already changed my life, and I’m just one person. I’m so excited for the countless other lives that you’re going to change because of who you are and what you stand for.”

In a final address as their prin cipal, Gould told the graduates to remember the lessons from their family, friends and educators, and to “keep true to those lessons and keep true to yourself.”

“Seek to serve those around you; be a community, and let your past ground you as you plan for the fu ture, but don’t ever forget that you’re in the present,” Gould continued.

MUSICAL

the characters, saying, “It’s quite strange, but it’s really fun to be part of the family.”

Rogers and his fellow castmates have been working on the musical since January and that preparing for musicals is quite different from preparing for plays. Musicals are more energetic, he said, requiring singing and choreography.

Junior Mason Loesch, who’s playing saxophone and clarinet in the pit band, said it was also his first time playing in a musical. He and the other musicians have been practicing the music since late February or early March, he said, adding that the pieces are pretty difficult.

Loesch, who’s used to playing in jazz and concert band performanc es, said this was a very different

experience. In band concerts, the musicians are the stars of the show; but, in a musical, they’re only accompanying the actors, he described.

Sophomore Reese Dunbar, who’s playing daughter Wednesday Ad dams, performed in last spring’s “Rock of Ages” musical. She felt like there were more students help ing with this year’s, as she’s met a lot of new people.

Dunbar had seen the recent “Ad dams Family” animated movie before joining the cast, and really loved the story and the weird fam ily.

Bringing that weird and iconic family to life was a big undertak ing for the CCHS students and staff members involved, and Sandblom said they couldn’t have done it without everyone in the school and community working together.

“We’re a bit of a kooky commu nity, just like the Addams family,” she said.

City Council approves creating a conceptual design for Idaho Springs skatepark

Idaho Springs hosts its own Go Skate Day event in support of a new skatepark

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Wheels of all sorts, but mostly skateboard wheels, took over Miner Street in Idaho Springs on June 21.

Organized by the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District, the event was dubbed a “Street Takeover,” in which everyone skated from the recreation center to Citizen’s Park, where skate contests, music, art and prizes were waiting for participants.

According to Cameron Marlin, general manager at the CCMRD, the event was also meant to support a proposed skatepark in the town.

Members from the community created the “Skate Board” last September, all with the goal of

making a skatepark in Idaho Springs happen. Students from 11 to 15 years old comprise a third of the board, which has about 40 members, including representatives from the CCMRD, the Mountain Youth Network and Positive Youth Development.

The Skate Board, including some of the kids at the day’s event, has presented to the Clear Creek Board of Education about using land next to Building 103 — soon to be refurbished as another elementary school — for the skatepark last fall. But, Marlin said as plans for Building 103 developed further, less and less space is available for the skatepark, as well as the CCBE raising some safety concerns with it possibly being so close to an elementary school.

“It’s really important that people see who uses a skatepark,” said Cris Slaymaker, a member of the Skate Board, 30-year rollerskater, and retired roller derby competitor. She continued that there used to be a skatepark in Idaho Springs, but it was “sketchy” from falling apart, and

known in the local older skate community to be one of the worst.

Joey Lupinacci, 14, who only started skating a few months ago, said he participated in the event because he enjoys skating and “everyone else who skates is really nice.”

“It’s great that they’re trying to help the skate community,” Lupinacci continued, elaborating that the nearest skatepark now is all the way in Golden.

According to Marlin, another option is redeveloping Shelly/

2 feet on the ground, 13,000 feet in the air

the tenth 100-mile race she had completed. In past years of the race, she helped “sweep” or clean up the course, so this year she decided to compete.

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Only four people finished Colorado’s highest 100-mile race, the Divide 100, which featured nearly 29,000 feet of vertical gain and an average altitude of 11,500 feet.

On Aug. 26, seven racers took off on foot in Georgetown. The runners ran through rugged terrain, rocky paths, streams, creeks and puddles. The course climbed the Argentine Pass, Glacier Mountain, Teller Mountain, Red Cone, Guanella Pass and other iconic locations. The highest point runners reached was 13,207 feet at Argentine Pass, which is the highest pass on the Continental Divide.

The group of racers started out together, chatting for about the first hour, then everyone established their individual paces and dispersed. This race, unlike

many other ultramarathons in Colorado, is a small, intimate race with only a few racers. Raphael Sarfati, who ran it for a second time this year, said that’s what he likes about it.

“I actually like the very small size of the race, the fact that it’s only a few runners, it makes it a bit more friendly in a sense, a bit less overwhelming,” the Boulder resident said.

Sarfati came in first place this year. But he said winning is not really the point to him.

“It’s not so much about beating the competition — it’s a really hard race — it’s more about a personal victory, just being able to finish, being able to finish in good shape,” he said.

Silke Koester, also from Boulder, was the only woman to cross the finish line. This race was

Koester said some of the highlights of the race for her were the awe-inspiring views. She recalls having 360-degree views, seeing the beautiful mountains and even being able to see a view of Denver.

“In another direction, you can see the lights of Denver shining in the night sky,” she said.

In a 100-mile race, runners don’t stop to sleep when it gets dark. Running through the night was an interesting experience for both Koester and Sarfati.

Koester described it as a “wild and lonely” feeling, often wondering where the other nearest human being was.

Koester said while running in the dark, she realized she’s a “very small person in a very large natural world.”

Sarfati remembers looking forward to sunrise while running the race, perhaps because of his nocturnal experiences.

“I still don’t know what animal it was, but there were some glow-

Jacob Meyer grinding on a feature set up on Miner Street for Clear Creek Recreation District’s “Street Takeover” event.

PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI

The

PHOTO COURTESY OF MACK GOODSTEIN

ing eyes looking at me in the dark,” Sarfati said.

Guy Love, the race coordinator and creator of the course, explained that the route he created doesn’t allow for a runner to take their eyes off the ground for long.

“It’s pretty remote,” he said. “It’s technical the entire time underfoot, there’s not a lot of smooth gravel roads where you can zone out for very long.”

On a technical and remote course like this, runners were required to carry survival gear with them in case of emergencies. Some of the items included headlamps, maps and cold weather gear.

The course itself had 13 aid stations for runners to stop at to get food, drinks, dry socks and other gear. Usually, runners only stopped for five to 10 minutes, but once bad weather hit, racers were spending sometimes half an hour at the stations.

Sarfati was not sure he could even continue the race when he got dumped on by a thunderstorm near Guanella Pass.

“The weather wasn’t so good, coming into Guanella Pass I got rained out a lot and it got windy and I got really, really, really cold. I had to stop at the aid station for almost an hour and a half,” he said.

Sarfati had to warm up with blankets and try to dry his clothes, socks and shoes so he could continue running. Once he got back on the

course, he said he felt that “runners’ high” once again.

Love designed the race so runners cross the finish line in daylight, that way they could enjoy a drink in Georgetown and get the full finisher’s experience.

When he was getting close to the finish line, Sarfati felt relieved because he knew at that point he would finish. While the finish line did not have as much glamor as some races in Colorado, that is what Sarfati liked about it.

“I feel like the Divide is really a race for personal challenge, it’s not so much about the pictures and the buzz and…it’s really about doing something big for yourself, and I like that,” he said.

SKATE

Quinn Fields in the eastern part of the town. Addressing the Idaho Springs City Council on June 13 in a public comment, Marlin said that “teens need to feel welcome in their own town,” elaborating that predecessors to the current City Council have shown support, but no action had been taken.

Many people from the community spoke in support of the skatepark in that public comment, including the Superintendent of the Clear Creek School District, Karen Quanbeck, who was holding a skateboard. At the City Council’s work session the

PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI

day before the event, the council approved moving forward with a conceptual design for the field area, a huge step forward, according to Marlin.

The next step is fundraising, aiming for a 20,000 square foot park, which will cost around $1 million, she continued. One City Council member elaborated that he thought maintaining the skatepark would be cheaper than maintaining the second baseball field, though.

The event itself had a large turnout, and Marlin said she was incredibly happy with it.

The contests consisted of the best trick, hippie jump, high fly, long jump and longest manual. There was also live music by Selekta Razja and art by Chris Neltner.

Skaters

crosswalk

Takeover” down Miner Street for Go Skate

Raphael Sarfati celebrates crossing the finish line.

COURTESY OF MACK GOODSTEIN

The aid stations were vital to racers to recharge along the way.

COURTESY OF MACK GOODSTEIN

Silke Koester wraps up in a blanket to keep warm after her finish.

COURTESY OF GUY LOVE

McCloskey keeps Georgetown Loop on the rails

Reflects on career, family and service

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Silver Plume Mayor Sam McCloskey’s past, present and future is on the rails at the Georgetown Loop Railroad.

McCloskey’s great great grandfather worked on the Georgetown Railroad in the 1900s. Back in those days, the steam engines chugged along from Denver to Clear Creek Canyon, hauling passengers and ore from mines.

Today, the railroad is a tourist destination where visitors can ride in the cars and get views of the mountains.

While he hasn’t always been a “train guy,” McCloskey has an interest in steam powered engines.

Over the last six years, he has worked at the Georgetown Loop, repairing trains, being a conductor and training new hires.

Before working at the Georgetown Loop, McCloskey was a volunteer at a railroad in Oregon,

and he worked on steam powered tractors.

The family tradition continues, as McCloskey’s daughter, Jenn, also works at the yard, serving as one of only a few female steam engine engineers in the country.

McCloskey estimated there are 10 female engineers nationwide. McCloskey said his 9-year-old grandson is also interested in the railroad, as he already has eyes on taking over his grandpa’s job. When McCloskey was young,

he grew up on a ranch in Elbert. He grew up with two brothers and two sisters, and his family raised cattle and grew wheat on the farm.

“I learned a strong work ethic from my dad,” McCloskey said. “He was a hard working man.”

Growing up as a farmhand led to one of McCloskey’s earlier careers as a bull rider. He spent eight years as a professional rider, attending rodeos in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, and wherever he could hop on a bull.

“I made a living at it for a while,” McCloskey said.

Ultimately, the injurious nature of the sport led to his retirement, but McCloskey remembers the feeling of getting on a bull.

“It’s an adrenaline rush for sure,” he said.

Before he started on the railroad, McCloskey owned a company that moved oil rigs. After growing tired with that line of work, McCloskey decided to pursue a career with steam engines, something that had previously only been a hobby.

New food truck serving Je co, Clear Creek

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

Whether Leon Carranza is driving to his customers, or his customers are driving to him, he hopes to o er plenty of mouth-watering morsels that are worth the commute.

Carranza, the kitchen manager at Lawson Adventure Park & Resort, and his team launched the Adventure Basecamp Mobile Food Truck April 15-16 in El Rancho and Idaho Springs, respectively.

The truck will be traveling around Clear Creek and Jefferson counties every weekend. Carranza said it might trek over to Gilpin County as well, if there’s enough demand.

The truck’s Mexican-based menu includes street tacos, quesadillas and elote, he described. Carranza also plans to offer horchata and non-alcoholic pina coladas soon.

The menu also features some

American-style meals like grilled cheese and “Leon’s Texas hangover burger,” as well as breakfast tacos and sandwiches.

The truck saw great response to

its opening weekend. It sold out at the El Rancho Home Depot and the Clear Creek rec center in three hours. It’s also received a lot of positive online reviews, Carranza

commented.

Because the truck will be in different locations every weekend, Carranza will announce the locations each week on the truck’s Facebook page.

The Lawson Adventure Park & Resort staff is also planning to buy a second truck to host on the west side of the property.

Additionally, staff has been revamping the Adventure Basecamp Bar & Grille House at 3440 Alvarado Road, co-owner Greg Books explained. The grille house launched right before the pandemic started, and now it’s added Carranza’s signature style to its menu.

Carranza said his favorite dish is the street tacos, which was modeled after his family’s Guatemalanstyle cooking. Books said his favorite was the grille house’s Nashville hot chicken sandwich.

The Adventure Basecamp Bar & Grille House is open 8 a.m.-8

Machinist Corey creates steam to power the train.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE

Anna San Miguel and Leon Carranza, Lawson Adventure Park & Resort’s event coordinator and kitchen manager, respectively, display the company’s new food truck on April 21.

PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

“I enjoyed what I was doing at the railroad in Oregon, so I started looking for something similar here,” he said.

Years ago, when he was working in North Dakota in the oil fields, McCloskey passed out in sub-zero temperatures due to low blood sugar. His trusty dog, Mack, kept him alive.

“Mack laid there with me for five hours to keep me from freezing to death,” he said.

Both of them made it out OK. Now you can find Mack wandering around the train depot with McCloskey, who vowed to only work jobs where Mack was welcome.

The past six years McCloskey has lived in Silver Plume and worked on the railroad with his wife and daughter. For more than two years, he has served as mayor of Silver Plume.

“I got talked into it,” he laughed, recalling what made him run for office.

In a town of 175 residents as of 2020, being mayor is not as easy as some might think. McCloskey came on right as COVID began closing down businesses, and it was difficult to navigate as the leader of a small town.

In his job on the railroad, McCloskey said no day is ever boring. He wears almost all the hats at the train depot, and enjoys the changing environment. He said one of his favorite parts of the job is watching children see trains for the first time.

“We spend a lot of time helping with the guests,” he said.

host the 2022 opening weekend on April 23-25.

Over the winter, the railroad updated lighting and other aspects of the Lebanon Mine for its tours.

p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. For more information, go to lawsonadventurepark.com or visit the grille house’s Facebook page.

Georgetown Loop opens for 2022 season after record ridership last year

While the weather may have been on the chilly side, the Georgetown Loop Railroad staff was happy to

It also started construction work on a deck car. Crews are turning it into a coach car with sides, a roof and seating. It’ll be an open-air car during the nicer weather and staff can install windows for the Santa Train in November and December.

“It can easily convert from summer to winter,” General Manager Mark Graybill said. “Only three of our

cars can do that right now. So, it’ll be a great addition and allow us to add more capacity.”

The staff plans to have it finished in time for the 2023 season.

Additionally, the Georgetown Loop plans to run a steam engine almost every day until the end of October, Graybill stated.

The steam-powered engines started work earlier this month, as the train was rented out for a birthday party before opening weekend. Graybill described how the railroad usually doesn’t run steam until mid-May,

because the engines are older and require more manpower and money to fix.

But, ridership has been strong enough to justify using them earlier this year, he continued.

“Last year, we had a record 241,000 riders,” he said. “And, this year’s bookings are surpassing last year’s. … We’re very optimistic (about the 2022 season), and we appreciate all the support from the community.”

For more information, visit georgetownlooprr.com or follow its Facebook page.

McCloskey looks at some of the leaves starting to change along the tracks.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE