Blessings in a bag program is blessed to keep going

New team coming on as founder retires

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Mari and Buck Bergstrom we ready to retire from their life’s work, BT Construction, but they weren’t ready to stop working with their community.

“I was looking for a ministry, something that I could do to give back to the community,” Mari Bergstrom said. “I love to cook, I love to grow food, and kids need to have nutrition. It played into all of the things I love in my life, and I wanted to help these ladies keep the tradition alive.”

In their new role, they’ll take over Blessings in Bag, a Fort Lupton effort to help children get ready for school. Sue Hubert, who recently turned 80, is retiring from the Blessings in Bag program after years of helping children with food insecurity.

She said she’s happy to pass the torch to Mari and Buck Bergstrom. “ ey felt that they would like to be the ones to take over the program,” Hubert said. “ ey are all very committed to helping the children of Fort Lupton schools in their hearts. It’s such a relief.”

Hubert said Bergstrom helped volunteered to help pack the food bags and learned the procedures of running the blessings program in December 2021.

History of Blessings in a Bag

Hubert got the idea for Blessings in Bag when she visited her daughter in Lynchburg, Virginia in 2006. She’d worked at Fort Lupton food banks and was interested in visiting others.

“While traveling, I always visited the di erent food banks since I worked at Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank as a volunteer and liked to see how other food banks operated,” Hubert said.

Hubert said Lynchburg was doing a weekend food program for school children in food-insecure homes.

“When I came home, I went to the Weld RE-8 School Superintendent and told him about it and asked him if it’s needed in Fort Lupton,” she said.

His response?

“When can you start?” Hubert said.

Blessings in a Bag started in 2006serving 30 children at Twombly Elementary. e e ort has expanded as they picked up grants and public support. ey now provide bags of food at ve schools: Butler, Twombly, Little Trappers, Fort Lupton High, and Middle School.

“From 2006 to March 14, 2023, we gave out 39,970 weekend food bags. We receive notes from teachers letting us know that we are making a di erence. ese children are our future, and we need to help them as much as possible,” Hubert said. e bags of food and backpacks are delivered to the families to feed their children on the weekends and lled with the ve food groups: protein, vegetables, grain, and dairy. A standing group 28 volunteers meet weekly on Tuesdays to help pack the bags with food.

In addition, the Fort Lupton girls scouts donated 65 boxes of cookies.

“As we get older, we nd that some of us are ready to pass the program on and are so blessed to have a company of volunteers to do this,” Hubert said. e re ghters help deliver the bags to the schools weekly; they are fantastic.”

“ ese young Americans are our future, and we want them to be the best they can be,” Hubert said.

Future for Blessings in a Bag

Bergstrom said the program has more than doubled this year, helping twice as many kids.

“I know there are other communities out there, so in the future, we can take on another community because were are set up here to carry this forward.

Bergstrom said they will always be looking for volunteers and donations. ey could use knitted hats and gloves.

If interested in donating or volunteering, contact Mari Berstom at 303 591-3426.

Department Of Agriculture

Rural Development

City of Fort Lupton: Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Development, USDA

ACTION: Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utility Service (RUS)as required by the National Environmental Policy Act, is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) in connection with possible impacts related to a project proposed by the City of Fort Lupton in Fort Lupton, Colorado for a Force Main and Lift Station project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: To obtain copies of the EA, or for further information, contact: Andria Cox, Community Programs Specialist at andria.cox@usda.gov. You may contact her at 970-592-9027.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The City of Fort Lupton proposes to construct a force main and lift station (Project) to deliver wastewater flows from the City’s current wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to Metro Water Recovery’s Northern Treatment Plant located at 51 Baseline Road in Brighton, Colorado. The Project will construct a 6.5 mile long, 20-inch diameter pipeline located northeast of Denver in Fort Lupton, Colorado. A lift station will be retrofitted from the existing structures in the current WWTP to deliver the required flows to Metro. Completion of the force main and lift station would allow all wastewater flows to be transferred to Metro for treatment. The Project is situated adjacent to U.S. Highway (US) 85, beginning north of HW 52 and ending north of East 168th avenue in Weld County, Colorado (Project Area) (Attachment A). Construction of the pipeline requires 1,250 feet of horizontal directional drilled (HDD) pipe approximately 40 feet underneath the South Platte River and two trenchless crossings of Weld County Road 8 and Weld County Road 6. Most of the pipeline and lift station in the Project Area will be constructed within the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Right of Way (ROW) and the existing WWTP. The anticipated area of disturbance, including all trenching, excavation, and equipment staging, encompasses approximately 42.35 acres.

Burns and McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc., an environmental consultant, prepared an environmental assessment for USDA Rural Development that describes the project, assesses the proposed project’s environmental impacts, and summarizes as applicable any mitigation measures used to minimize environmental effects.

USDA RD has conducted an independent evaluation of the environmental assessment and believes that it accurately assesses the impacts of the proposed project. No significant impacts are expected as a result of the construction of the project.

Questions and comments should be sent to USDA RD at the contact information provided above. USDA will accept questions and comments on the environmental assessment for 14 days from the date of publication of this notice.

Any final action by USDA RD RUS, related to the proposed project will be subject to, and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant Federal environmental laws and regulations and completion of environmental review procedures as prescribed by 7 CFR Part 1970, Environmental Policies and Procedures.

FROM PAGE 1 mixes unique tea avors with coconut and pineapple.

Fort Lupton Copper Kettle Kitchen o ered homemade comfort food such as biscuits, gravy, and sweet bean chili. Fort Lupton’s State Champ Grill dishes out street tacos hot o the grill, and Wholly Stromboli o ers tastings of di erent pasta.

Brighton’s Mulberries Cake Shop presented an array of cupcakes for the sweet tooth. Fort Lupton’s Cakeitos Amy brought custom-baked pastries, and Hometown Nutrition served delicious, unique wa e favors. Kindly Made Co ee brewing avored co ees and lattes with cinnamon buns.

Fort Lupton Police Blotter

March 19

A Fort Lupton man, 82 reported a stolen vehicle in the 1500 block of State Highway 52.

March 20

Police issued a summons to a Fort Lupton woman, 23, after a complaint of a large dog running at large and for having an animal with vaccination required, in the 200 block of South Grand Avenue.

Police arrested a Fort Lupton man, 32, for burglary in the 13000 block of Weld County Road. He

Briefs

Cemetery Clean-Up Day

April 10-17 Hillside Cemetery 13750 Weld County Road 12

Item must be removed from graves and columbariums. Information can be found at http:// www.fortlupton.gov/201/cemetery rules and regulations or contact Mari Pena City Clerk 720466-6101.

City Clean-Up Day e city will host a clean-up day from 8 a.m.to noon April 22, 800 12th St. Curbside pck up day for seniors and disabled citizens is ursday, April 20. is is for Fort Lupton residents only. e city will not accept industrial or commercial waste, concrete debris, household hazardous waste, regular curbside trash, or Freon-based appliances; for information, call 303-857-6694. Seniors and disabled citizens, please call to schedule pick-up no later than Tuesday, April 18. was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

March 22

A Fort Lupton man, 50, was issued a summons at 1300 Denver Avenue for false reporting, driving without a license and expired registration.

A Greeley man, 19, was issued a summons at U.S. Highway 85 and Mile Marker 246 for causing a careless driving tra c accident.

A Loveland man, 47, reported his license plates stolen from his vehicle in the 300 block of Park Avenue. e case is under investigation.

Police arrested a Brighton man, 40, in the 13000 block of Weld County Road 16 for a protection order violation. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

Police arrested a Denver man, 43, in the 200 block of Rollie Avenue on Boulder County warrants for failure to appear on a tra c o ense and for failure to appear for trespass, motor vehicle theft and for a warrant out of Arvada for failure to

Shred-It Day e City’s annual on-site document shredding from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. April 26 City Hall-130 So. McKinley Ave. e service is open to all Fort Lupton residents and business owners. Bring bank statements and nancial documents. CD’s old credit cards.

Easter egg hunt e annual Easter egg hunt takes place at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 8, at Community Park outside the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave. e traditional event also includes fresh co ee for the adults and fun for the kids. Hunting areas are set o by age .. up to 3 years, 4- to 8-year-olds and 9- to 12-year-olds. Ten gold prize eggs will be in each of the hunting areas. ere will be an opportunity for pictures with the Easter bunny, too.