Clear Creek Courant June 26, 2025

Crews pluck two from Torreys Peak in record-setting helicopter rescue

Colorado lawmakers stay vigilant

Lawmakers redact names after Minnesota assassination

BY DELILAH BRUMER COLORADO NEWSLINE

at a place we refer to as the ‘White Rock.’ It’s kinda the last challenge before you get to the summit (Torrey’s)... part of it Involves going out on a pretty exposed knife edge,” Alpine

More than 40 Colorado elected ofcials as of Tuesday have requested the redaction of their addresses and other personal information from the state’s online campaign nance database. e Colorado secretary of state suspended the website on Saturday, due to safety concerns in the aftermath of shootings targeting two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers. Melissa Hortman, the Minnesota House Democratic leader, and her husband Mark Hortman were shot and killed this weekend by a man who came to their home posing as a police o cer, federal o cials said. Vance Boelter, 57, faces charges for the murders, as well as for the shootings of Minnesota Sen. John Homan and his wife Yvette Ho man, who are expected to recover. Colorado lawmakers have condemned the shootings, and many are taking additional safety precautions. Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Democrat from Dillon, said in a statement that “what happened in Minnesota has shaken us to our very core.”

at 14,000 feet put experienced high-altitude rescue teams to

from the top of Torreys Peak. It was just before 5 p.m. June 12 when two hikers on

climbing Kelso Ridge. … ey called saying they were pretty close to the summit, they were

Mission leaders familiar with the trail guided the pair up the

SEE RESCUE, P4

“Our democracy is based on the idea that we resolve our di erences through peaceful debate and in courts, elected bodies, state legislatures and the halls of Congress, not political violence,” she said.

SEE SAFETY, P19

Blackhawk rescue helicopter circles Torrey’s Mountain peak in search of two injured hikers June 12.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALPINE RESCUE

Saga of Charlie the Moose comes to happy end

For three days, moose wandered around Idaho Springs eating aspens

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CHRIS@COTLN.ORG

e text messages started between neighbors in Idaho Springs on Sunday, video clips of a young Bull Moose wandering through town near the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District center.

“Cool” most locals said about the opportunity to see a moose in town.

Residents kept their distance and so did “Charlie e Moose” as dubbed by an Idaho Springs Police public opinion poll.

Charlie was spotted later in the day in the Field House apartment complex under construction at the former Golddigger football stadium.

en the brazen moose wandered again, nding a snack with the leaves of a couple of Aspen trees in the 1000 block of Idaho Street.

At that point ISP and Clear Creek Sheri Deputies’ patrol vehicles were on-scene blaring their emergency sirens in an attempt to corral Charlie and coax him out of town.

According to police Charlie was cooperative as he made his way up the mountain toward the Edgar Mine.

Problem solved, right?

Nope.

On Monday, now June 16 Charlie was once again discovered sleeping in the front yard of a home on Colorado Blvd. Idaho Springs Police O cer Brittany Morrow on-scene told the Courant, “De nitely a rst, you know I’ve been up here for six, almost seven years, and that is probably the most random call I’ve ever received.”

en again on Tuesday, the moose was again spotted in the backyard of a home in the 1000 block of Colorado Blvd, sleeping in a shady spot.

An opportunity, Idaho Springs Police Chief Nate Buseck said.

“We weren’t on any main roadways, we were in an alleyway, the moose had moved to a couple of backyards and found a nice shady spot to hunker down.”

is time, local law enforcement brought in the experts with the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife. e CPW o cers were armed with a tranquilizer dart ri e.

“Since this was the third instance of the same moose, CPW determined it was safest to use a tranquilizer dart to get it back to its habitat,” Idaho Springs Police Chief Nate Buseck said.

One shot from a tranquilizer dart did its job and in just a few moments, Charlie was out.

Several men and women with emergency services picked up the moose in a canvas stretcher and gently placed Charlie in an awaiting trailer for his ultimate trip up the mountain to be released in an “undisclosed location”.

ISP followed with a Facebook post:

“Final Update: Charlie has been safely relocated, and we’re happy to report he made a beeline straight to the water, nally quenching the thirst he’d been searching for all along.”

According to several veteran o cers, mountain law enforcement men and women serve in a unique mountain environment where the unexpected must always be expected.

“It’s really kind of a mixed bag of calls you get up here. I’ve responded to countless bear calls where we’re trying to chase bears up hills. I’ve launched bean-bag rounds at a mountain lion. So, there’s de nitely a uniqueness to what you experience working up here,” Morrow said.

Clear Creek School District names new superintendent

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CHRIS@COTLN.ORG

Wes Paxton will take the helm of the Clear Creek School District this summer following his selection by the school board as Superintendent.

Paxton will replace outgoing Superintendent Tom Meyer who announced his departure after one year of service in the district.

“Mr. Paxton brings more than 30 years of educational experience, including nearly two decades as a secondary principal and most recently, serving as Community Superintendent for mountain schools within Je co Public Schools,” reads a statement from the CCSD board.

Paxton will begin his role o cially on July 7. School Board President Jessica North said she expects he will stay the course in the future as superintendent as opposed to the revolving door that has been the top position in the district.

“I’m three-and-a-half years into my four-year term and I’m hiring my fourth superintendent I will serve with,” North said. Paxton was selected by the school board based largely on his experience in administration inside mountain schools, North said.

“His history of building collaborative leadership teams makes him a perfect t for our district’s next chapter,” North said.

“I am honored and excited to join the Clear Creek team,” Paxton said in a statement.. “ is is a district with a proud history and a promising future. I look forward to listening, learning, and leading in partnership with our sta , families, and community to ensure every student is prepared for success.”

Independence Day in Idaho Springs will be a blast

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CHRIS@COTLN.ORG

Plans for the Idaho Springs 4th of July celebrations are in place and it all gets started at 11 a.m. Friday July 4 on Miner St.

e line-up of bands that will be performing includes Daniel Rodriguez, Bill Nershi with Nershi Hann Tri, Kind Mountain Band, Mark Morris & Friends, and e Rough & Tumble with special guests e Honey Badgers.

e annual event is free to attend but parking will be at a premium. Visitors and locals can nd a map of parking spots at www.parkidahosprings.com.

e reworks show is set to start just after sundown over the “Water Wheel” just south of I-70 in Idaho Springs.

e unique reworks display is

historically one of the best shows around, according to organizers, with the percussion of explosions reverberating and echoing through the valley of this mountain town as the bright lights highlight the rocky backdrop.

e Idaho Springs Business and Community Promotion Board promises, “It’s going to be a blast,”

e

annual event 100%, Schultz said.

Director Sadie Schultz said. Free games, blowup bull riding, caricatures, axe throwing, tug of war, cornhole and water gun stations are some of the attractions Schultz said will be available downtown for free.

City of Idaho Springs funds the

“Charlie The Moose” snacks on Aspen tree in the 1000 Blk, of Idaho Street in Idaho Springs June 15.

CHRIS KOEBERL

Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife staers prepare to use a tranquilizer dart on Charlie the Moose in Idaho Springs on June 17.

“Charlie the Moose” was tranquilized in Idaho Springs on June 17, after a three-day run through town.

More Buyers Are Choosing ARMs — Here’s Why It Might Be a Smart Strategy

Adjustable Rate Mortgages (or ARMs) were commonly used by purchasers from 2004 to 2006. Roughly 35% of mortgages originated during those years were “adjustable.” After the 2008 housing/ fiscal crisis, caused in part by risky mortgage loan products including ARMs, the number of ARM transactions made in the U.S. plummeted. But now we are seeing a resurgence of them.

As in the past, Jaxzann Riggs, owner of The Mortgage Network, helped me with the current situation so I could share it with you.

What Exactly Is an ARM?

Until recently there was not much incentive for borrowers to consider an ARM because (unlike the ARMs offered 2004-2008) there was virtually no disparity between rates offered on ARMs, and those offered on a 30-year fixed rate loan. In the past 30 days that has changed. As of June 15th, Mortgage Daily News reported an average rate of 6.88% and 6.90% for a 30-year fixed rate loan versus 6.625% and 6.45% being offered on a 5-year Adjustable Rate Mortgage.

An ideal ARM borrower often:

 Plans to live in the home for fewer than 5, 7 or 10 years;

Ultimately, the risks of an ARM are manageable, providing you understand and plan for them.

An ARM is a home loan with an interest rate that adjusts over time. Historically, you start with a lower, fixed interest rate for a set period — typically 5, 7, or 10 years — and then the rate adjusts at regular intervals based on market conditions.

For example, a 7/1 ARM locks in your rate for seven years, then adjusts annually. A 10/6 ARM is at a fixed rate for 10 years, then adjusts every six months. These loans are structured with caps to limit how much your rate (and payment) can increase at each adjustment or over the life of the loan.

With Temperatures

Why More Buyers Are Taking a Second Look at ARMs

Many purchasers anticipate rate cuts ahead. By using an ARM now, they will enjoy a slightly lower rate during the initial fixed period. Some have the hope that, instead of increasing on the adjustment date, the rate will remain the same or possibly come down. Experts say that the current flatter yield curve supports that theory.

While ARMs aren’t one-size-fits-all, they make a lot of sense for certain buyers, especially those with short- to mid-term homeownership plans or who are financially stable enough to absorb a future rate increase if needed.

 Has a stable income and good credit or anticipates increases in income that would allow them to keep up with increases, in case their bet on the direction of rates turns out to be wrong;

 Has a financial safety net in case payments rise; and

 Understands how interest rate adjustments work.

This isn’t about gambling on the market, it’s about strategic planning. That’s where an experienced mortgage loan officer becomes invaluable. They can help you compare options, understand caps and margins, and decide whether an ARM aligns with your financial goals.

ARMs today are far more borrowerfriendly than they were in decades past. Most no longer carry prepayment penalties, and most feature rate caps that protect against sharp increases. And if rates go down, you may even benefit from lower payments and, of course, borrowers always have the option to refinance at a fixed rate when the time is right.

The Bottom Line

In a high-cost housing market like Denver’s, flexibility matters. An adjustable-rate mortgage could be a smart, strategic choice; especially when guided by the right mortgage professional. Whether you're buying your first home, upsizing for a growing family, or simply exploring ways to maximize your budget, it’s worth having a conversation with a trusted loan officer.

Jaxzann Riggs and her team at The Mortgage Network have helped thousands of Colorado homebuyers find the right loan for their life plans—whether that’s an ARM or something else entirely. To explore your options and see if an ARM could work for you, call Jaxzann on her cell, (303) 990-2992 or visit www.TheMortgageNetworkOnline.com

Rising, Homeowners Without Air Conditioning Are Asking What’s the Best Way to Add It

I have a listing coming up later this summer in the Beverly Heights section of Golden. It has hot water baseboard heating, which is wonderful, but that means there are no ducts to distribute air from an A/C compressor.

Homes with forced air heating systems have it easy. A “chiller” connected to an outdoor A/C compressor can be mounted above the firebox for a few thousand dollars. It uses the same ducts as the furnace, and the forced air unit becomes an “air handler” for delivering the cooled air.

I have previously promoted the idea of using a heat pump to drive that “chiller” unit. Not only does it provide needed cooling, but the heat pump can also provide efficient heating in the winter, leaving the gas furnace idle or used only when it’s colder than the heat pump can handle (below 0º F with today’s cold climate heat pumps).

But what if there are no ducts, as in my listing in Beverly Heights?

The answer depends partly on the style of the house. Is it one-story, two-story, or splitlevel? The one-story home is easiest to accommodate with a ductless solution. An A/C compressor can be mounted on the roof, with an air handler in the attic below it. From there, flexible round ducts (not rectangular metal ducts) can direct that air to ceiling vents in the living area and the separate bedrooms, with a return air vent somewhere in between, such as in the ceiling of a hallway.

Alternatively (my preference), a groundmounted heat pump compressor can be positioned on an unobtrusive side of the house, with two hoses going to each of the wallmounted “mini splits” in those same rooms. The hoses are hidden in square conduits, usually white, measuring 3 or 4 inches square, running around the house at ground level and

then up the exterior walls to where the inside mini-split units are located.

I was fortunate to have a flat roof on my former office building, and I was able to put the compressor on the roof and run the two homes to three different mini-splits entirely on the roof, eliminating those visible conduits.

The conduits don’t have to be run outside, and the mini-splits don’t have to be on an exterior wall. If you visit the Golden Diner at 11th & Jackson in downtown Golden, notice the mini-split on the wall between the kitchen and the serving area.

In a two-story or split-level home, a roofmount compressor with an air handler in the attic becomes less optimal. However, it can still work. Cold air pumped into the top level can settle downward, cooling lower levels. An evaporative cooler (aka “swam cooler”) can work even better, because you can control where the cold air goes by which windows

New Energy Colorado Honors Former Gov. Bill Ritter

At its annual Summer Solstice Party at the Retreat at Solterra, New Energy Colorado presented former Governor Bill Ritter with a “Lifetime Achievement Award,” citing him for “Leading Colorado Towards a Clean Energy Economy.” Left to right, NEC board member Nancy Kellogg and VP Rebecca Cantwell are shown making the presentation. Ritter gave a keynote speech thanking NEC for its advocacy over the years and emphasized the importance of groups like NEC remaining vocal, “especially in these times.”

As governor, he embraced and presided over the evolution toward green energy, and he has advocated for it ever since leaving office in 2011.

The event, held annually on the longest day of the year, is NEC’s primary fundraiser, supporting its Metro Denver and Arkansas Valley Green Homes Tours. The Denver tour is held on the first Saturday in October.

you open. That’s because there is no “return air” with a swamp cooler. It pumps outside air into the house, and you have to provide ways for that air to escape after doing its job of cooling the interior.

If you’re new to Colorado and came here from a locale with high summer humidity (Brooklyn, in my case), you may not be familiar with evaporative cooling. It works in the same way that a rain shower works. As the rain falls, it evaporates, thereby cooling the outside air. In a swamp cooler, a pump circulates a reservoir of water through membranes on the sides of the unit. A squirrel fan draws outside air through those water-soaked membranes, cooling the air by 10 or more degrees and pumps that cooled air into the home. The lower the outdoor humidity and the faster the fan, the more cooling you get.

But that air has to escape and it will travel through your home based on where there’s an open window. Four inches is the prescribed size of windows openings, and you can secure your window so an intruder cannot open it further and perhaps install an alarm.

The downside of the swamp cooler is that it requires occasional service, and if the unit is on the roof, that can be difficult or dangerous. The water in the reservoir, which is replenished constantly by a 1/4-inch supply pipe from inside your home, becomes dirty over time because of the soot that is being removed from the outside air by the water-

soaked membranes through which the air is being pumped. At the end of each cooling season and a couple times during the season, that water needs to be drained, and the membranes rinsed clean or replaced and the reservoir cleaned. At the end of the season, the reservoir and the supply pipe need to be drained to avoid freezing.

A heat-pump system with up to five minsplit wall units can work fine on a 2-story or split-level home. The conduits from the compressor to the wall units just have to run further up the outside of the house. At left is a picture of such a compressor with four wall units, each with its own thermostat. That’s the best thing about such a system. You could have the mini-split in your bedroom set at 70 degrees overnight and the other wall units off or set higher. This is far more efficient than cooling your entire house when you go to bed, whatever system you are using.

Trump Can Replace Fed Chair Next Year — What That Could Mean for Real Estate On my blog, I have a link to an interesting article from Brad at “Briefcase: Real Estate News” about Trump’s pressure on Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell to drastically reduce interest rates or resign. Powell says he won’t resign, but his term is up in 2026, and Trump is sure to replace him with someone like Treasury Secretary Bessent who would do his bidding. See http://RealEstateToday.substack.com

A 5-BR Golden Home With a True Chef’s Kitchen

$1,495,000

Homes in this late ’90s subdivision backing to the foothills come on the market rarely and sell quickly. This one at 165 Washington Street is especially sweet, with the most awesome chef’s kitchen you’ve likely ever seen. Beautiful maple hardwood floors grace the main level, with newer carpeting upstairs and in the walk-out basement. The Table Mountain views from every level, but especially from the primary suite, will take your breath away. If you’re a soccer fan, the posters and awards in the main-floor study will leave you wishing for autographs! A narrated video walk-through with drone footage can be viewed online at www.GRElistings.com. Or call your agent or Jim Smith at 303-525-1851 to schedule a private showing.

A single heat pump can drive up to 5 mini-splits, each with its own wireless thermostat.

RESCUE

mountain.

“ ey felt like they were o -course and asked if they should try and descend, Smith said.

“ e safest option for those guys was to continue to climb and take the ‘Summer’ trail down rather than going down the way they came up,” Smith said.

After about an hour, the two hikers reported they had made it to the summit and were ready to descend.

e next response was: “We’ve been hit by lightning; my partner is unresponsive.”

“ at was an unexpected twist to the call, and it quickly became one of the most signi cant calls I’ve had in my career,” Smith said.

ose few words instantly set in motion an incredibly complex orchestra of local, state and federal rst responders and mountain rescue crews who have, for years, trained together for a missioncritical response scenario. is time it was real.

During the ongoing conversation with the hikers, a small team of Alpine Rescue volunteers had assembled at “ e Shack,” Alpine Rescue headquarters in Evergreen, just in case.

“We got word the two had made it to the summit, so we can all stand down and go back to our regular lives,” Smith said.

Lightning Strikes: In a heartbeat, it’s critical

While on the phone with an Alpine Rescue mission leader, an audible strike of lightning hits near the hikers.

“Myself, and I think everybody else, our bodies just start dumping adrenaline,” Smith said. “We’re immediately thinking, ‘OK, what do we need to grab and more importantly, what are we going to do to get up there because we know they were on the summit when this happened… so we’ve got a huge operation ahead of us.’”

Within an hour, ve ground teams made up of at least 30 Alpine Rescue volunteers were organized and sent into the eld to perform an evacuation from the summit, while simultaneously a rescue helicopter and hoist were being sought.

Two Flight for Life helicopters in the Denver area were both grounded due to

the severe storms at the time.

Wasting no time, Clear Creek Fire Authority provided a tracked Utility Task Vehicle to take rescuers and equipment as close as it could to Torreys Peak. Two Alpine Rescue members and one Clear Creek EMS member were the rst to head up the mountain.

“We are constantly trying to look at how the situation is unfolding and thinking two to three steps ahead,” Smith said.

During the initial staging, a rescue-capable Blackhawk helicopter was identied at the High Altitude Army National Guard Aviation HATTSTraining Site in Eagle County Airport near Vail. e Guard accepted the mission and quickly gathered crew members and equipment for the rescue.

Two Rescue Techs from Vail Mountain Rescue Group were inserted on the summit around 11 p.m. and were able to hoist the critical patient, according to Alpine reports.

A small Alpine team continued to the summit to assist with the second patient.

e second patient, along with a Rescue Tech and the Alpine members, were airlifted from the summit at midnight.

According to Alpine Rescue, the initial, unresponsive patient was own to a waiting Clear Creek County EMS ambulance and transported to a Denver-area hospital for critical care.

As of June 18, he was continuing to receive treatment for severe burns, according to Alpine.

e second hiker, who sustained minor injuries, was evacuated via a second helicopter ight after a two-wheel landing on the summit. He was transported to a local emergency department and released.

Agencies responding to the high-altitude rescue included the Alpine Rescue Team, Clear Creek County Sheri ’s O ce, Clear Creek EMS, Clear Creek Fire Authority, Colorado Army National Guard (High Altitude Aviation Training Site), Vail Mountain Rescue Group (Rescue Technicians), Flight For Life Colorado, Colorado SAR Association and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.

“ is was a massive team e ort, and we’re incredibly grateful for the assistance from all,” Smith said.

e Alpine Rescue Team never charges for rescues but does rely on local donations to the all-volunteer organization.

Alpine Search and Rescue volunteers move up Torrey’s Mountain on foot in search of two injured hikers struck by lightning June 12. ALPINE RESCUE

Search and Rescue plans moves up Torrey’s Mountain in search of two injured hikers struck by lightning June 12.

Library Icon Miss Honeybun travels to Italy and Rome

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CHRIS@COTLN.ORG

seas trip to Florence and Rome to bring rst hand learning about art and history home to Clear Creek Library District patrons.

“She also had the best co ee of her life at La Casa del Ca è Tazza d’Oro and had a marvelous time hopping around the lioteca Casanatense” according to library Program Coordinator

Clear Creek Library Icon Miss Honeybun traveled to Italy and Rome this spring, returning to share plenty of photos and stories with the library’s patrons.

Clear Creek Library Icon Miss Honeybun traveled to Italy and Rome this spring, returning to share plenty of photos and stories with the library’s patrons. CLEAR CREEK LIBRARY DISTRICT

Clear Creek Library’s Miss Honeybun was thrilled with Italy’s architecture and fountains.

‘No Kings’ packs the Genesee overpass

to citizenship, not to be scooped up when they’re in the middle of the process.”

Shaun Beall and his friend Angie Zimmerman of Evergreen brought Beall’s young daughter Angie to the protest, who carried a sign that said, “Make American Kind Again.”

BY JANE REUTER JANE@COTLN.ORG

About 550 people standing three- to four-people deep packed both sides of the Genessee overpass bridge for the June 14 “No King’s” protest.

It was one of about 50 Colorado communities of all sizes that participated in the nationwide event, held on Flag Day in what the “No Kings” website described as “a nationwide day of de ance” against the Trump administration’s actions and policies.

For Golden resident Steve Stevens, the Genesee event was the second of three he planned to attend; he’d already protested that morning in Arvada.

“I have metastasized prostate cancer in my bones,” said Stevens, who waved a “Trump for Prison 2024” ag. “If you’re gonna die, you might as well go out ghting.

“I’m here because I think. Anybody who thinks should understand totally. And I have three grandkids. ey deserve to live in a democracy and a good world.”

Iowan Cathy Grebe and her friend Lori Yalem, from California, came to Colorado for a Red Rocks concert. e Genesee “No Kings” event was the closest they could nd.

“We’re here to protest Trump’s $45 million parade and to support freedom of the press,” Yalem said. “People deserve a path

“You’ve got to stand up against what’s happening,” Zimmerman said.

‘List is too long’

Protestors were more than willing to speak about why they were there, though some said it was tough to capture the many things that brought them out.

Evergreen residents Ed Gondolf and Bonnie Sue Wadleigh attended with friend Warren Luce from Steamboat Springs. All three wore homemade crowns with “No Kings” written on them. Gondolf said there are numerous reasons to protest.

“ e list is too long,” he said. “ e increased sense of authoritarianism that’s being imposed on our country, the lack of compassion and exercise of cruelty that’s being imposed on so many American citizens.”

Golden’s Sarah Oviatt said her reasons are both national and personal.

“We’re here to express our dissent to the way the administration is ignoring the rule of law and steadily drifting toward authoritarianism,” she said. “But it’s also about cuts to Medicaid. My 9-year-old daughter is oxygen dependent and requires extensive medical care, not all of which my private insurance covers. So I’m very concerned about the impact on Medicaid for her and so many others.”

Evergreen resident Barbara May carried a snare drum and beat it as she walked up and down the protest line.

“Drums were used in the American Revolution to motivate; they communicated with drums,” she said.

Genesee protest organizer Annie Morrissey said after the event that it went better than she’d anticipated, with turnout far exceeding the expected 300.

“We had many, many more people than had registered,” she said. “And it was completely peaceful. “At one point, there were many people on either side of the interstate sitting in the grass with signs, and the overpass was 2 to 4 people deep.”

She praised volunteers who brought water and snacks for the crowd on a day when temperatures were in the high ‘80s.

“It had a really good vibe,” she said. “In addition to people standing up for the Constitution and the rule of law, and being very unhappy with the illegal and unconstitutional actions that have bene taken by Trump and his administration, people were supportive and really watching out for one another.”

Morrissey, who lives in Lakewood, cohosted the event with Andra Boeker, a fellow Lakewood resident. e two met during the April 5 “Hands O ” protest on the overpass, which until last weekend’s “No Kings” event had been the largest one-day, nationwide display of public resistance against Trump’s second administration.

Data suggests the “No Kings” protests could be the biggest day of demonstrations in American history.

While Morrissey said her concerns were mounting for months, the mistaken deportation of Salvadoran native Kilmar Abrego Garcia — charged for allegedly transporting undocumented migrants within the U.S. and later returned to the States to face charges — was the culmination.

“Many people’s lives had been upend-

ed,” she said. “ e brutality of (Trump budget director) Russell Vought saying we want to traumatize people … All of that was reckless, premeditated and wanton, and injurious in a civil assessment. You do not violate the tenets of the Constitution simply to create whatever idea you might happen to have. at’s not how it works in a constitutional republic. e idea here is that we’re here to have a dialogue.” Morrissey said

will “absolutely” cohost a future protest.

she

Sarah Oviatt, left, and Katrinia Keil, both of Golden, joined the protest at the Genesee overpass. “We’re going to take back the flag and the constitution,” Keil said. PHOTOS BY JANE REUTER

Steve Stevens, far left, holds a “Trump for Prison 2024” flag. Stevens, who has metastatic cancer, was attending his second of three planned “No Kings” protest events on June 14.

Thornton, Westminster lead state in seat belt citations

BY MONTE WHALEY MONTE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e ornton Police Department was one of the state’s leaders in giving out seat belt citations from May 12 to June 1, followed closely by the Westminster Police Department during those three weeks.

ornton and Westminster were among 60 law enforcement agencies along with the Colorado State Patrol that increased patrols and focused on issuing citations to unbuckled drivers over those 90 days. It was part of a state-wide e ort to emphasize Colorado’s new seat belt and car seat laws, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

According to preliminary data, 2,428 citations were written during the enforcement period across the state, which is part of the national Click It or Ticket campaign led by the National Highway Tra c Administration (NHTSA), according to a CDOT news release.

e Colorado agencies with the highest number of seat belt citations during the enforcement were ornton Police Department (99 citations), Westminster Police Department (89 citations), Larimer County (259 citations) and Loveland (367 citations).

In addition, Colorado State Patrol issued 1,023 citations, the news release states.

e 2,428 total citations given marked a 36% increase from the same Click It or Ticket enforcement period last year. Additionally, 206 drivers received a citation for having an im-

properly restrained child in their vehicle under the age of 18, a 178% increase from the 74 citations given in 2024, the news release states.

Colonel Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said in the news release that fatalities in Colorado are down in nearly every tra c category compared to this time in 2020, including for unbuckled fatalities. Still, the state is aiming for zero tra c fatalities caused by drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts, Packard said.

Updates to Colorado’s child passenger safety law took e ect Jan. 1, 2025, raising the age requirement for seat belt use from under 16 years of age to under 18 years of age, according to the news release.

e updated law also now requires children to use a car seat or booster seat until their 9th birthday when riding in a passenger vehicle, and children under the age of 2 and below 40 pounds are required to sit in a rear-facing car seat. Parents and caregivers are responsible for ensuring proper restraint and will be ticketed if they fail to do so, the CSP states. More information about these laws can be found on the Colorado Child Passenger Safety Law webpage.

O cials say that as temperatures rise, more people travel in their vehicles, increasing the risk of fatalities.

52610)

PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT Idaho Springs.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Clear Creek Courant, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

To subscribe call 303-566-4100 or Scan this QR Code

“Historically, tra c fatalities rise during the summer months as weather improves, and the days get longer. at’s why it’s important to wear your seat belt during all car trips,” said CDOT’s O ce of Transportation Safety Director Darrell

Korean rescue team helps with I-76 crash

Korean water rescue team came across

the crash that killed one

O cials with Adams County Fire Rescue are praising the help they received from several emergency crews in the area Friday night while dealing with a fatality on I-76.

Among the groups that came to help were nine members of the Korean National 119 Rescue team, who had been in Colorado participating in a nine-day swift water rescue training hosted by Golden Fire-Rescue.

e Korean team was returning to their hotel when they came upon the crash, located on the interstate between Federal Boulevard and Pe-

cos, according to Adams County Fire Rescue’s

A truck was traveling the wrong way on I-76 and crashed head-on into a sedan – the truck was traveling eastbound in the westbound lane,

e Korean team immediately secured the scene, called 911, and pulled the passenger out of the truck. Upon discovering he was in cardiac arrest, they immediately began CPR.

“Although the patent did not survive, we are incredibly grateful to these re ghters for their swift response,” the Facebook post states.

e two drivers were transported “non-emergent” to the hospital, according to Adams County Fire Rescue.

Westminster Fire Department as well as the Colorado State Patrol and Adams County Sheri ’s O ce assisted at the scene, re rescue ofcials said.

SCOTT TAYLOR Editor scott@cotln.org

CHRIS KOEBERL Community Editor chris@cotln.org

JOHN RENFROW Sports Editor john@cotln.org

SUZIE GLASSMAN Education Editor suzie@cotln.org

DONNA REARDON Marketing Consultant dreardon@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

BUSINESS INQUIRIES For advertiser or vendor questions, please email our business department at accounting@ coloradocommunitymedia.com

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Courant. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone. Email letters to scott@cotln.org

Deadline Tues. for the following week’s paper.

Members of the Korean rescue team helped with a fatality on I-76 June 13.

COURTESY ADAMS COUNTY FIRE RESCUE

Lessons to remember in times of struggle

Irst met Wendy when I was 14 years old, entering Holy Family High School as a ninth grader. Wendy’s outgoing personality, seemingly endless ability to nd joy in every situation, and her “but we won’t know for sure if we don’t try it” attitude made her very popular in our small class of 90-plus students.

roughout our high school years, Wendy demonstrated her compassion for others in many ways. She was always there to help when someone needed it. For me and my family, when my father was laid up following surgery to remove an eye that was lled with cancer, Wendy stepped in and helped me deliver the Rocky Mountain Newspapers that Dad and I would deliver each morning. at help would be amazing in itself; however, Wendy helped in the aftermath of a blizzard. We would get up at 4:30 a.m., go to the drop-o spot for the papers, fold them, and then try to navigate down the side streets in North Denver that were covered with 20 inches of snow. After completing the task, we would get ready for school, go to school all day, and prepare to do it again. For three days, this sel ess teenager helped my family as we navigated an incredibly di cult time. After graduation, we went our separate ways. I headed to Colorado College; Wendy went to Creighton University in Nebraska. We saw each other on rare occasions. I saw her just a few days after the birth of her rst child, and we would catch up at reunions. However, aside from brief visits, we spoke to each other very little.

Each time I saw her, our conversation reinforced the idea that Wendy was still the person I knew in high school: energetic, enthusiastic, and caring. She became a triathlete, a teacher, and a mother to a gaggle of children. About thirteen years ago, she was running home after a workout, and her body failed her. She simply could not make it up the hill to her house. A few days later, on Halloween night, Wendy was sitting in a chair and fell out of it for no apparent reason. e next day at the doctor’s ofce, the reason became very apparent. She had brain cancer and was given two weeks to two months to live. A short time ago, a group of us from the Holy Family Class of 1984 gathered with Wendy at a restaurant in North Denver.

Con ned to a wheelchair, limited in her motion, and knowing that travelling from Omaha to Denver is becoming more challenging for her, we were all excited together and talk with this miracle.

As the nine of us reminisced, laughing and talking about our experiences in school and sharing about our lives since that time, I was utterly struck by the profound lessons I learned from this dear friend of 45 years in a short four-

Cuts to Science Could Mean Losing Young Scientists (Like Me)

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

hour conversation.

Jim Roome

e lessons learned that evening are great for all of us to consider, especially during times of struggle, and include:

• Just because someone has said it does not mean that it needs to be true.

— It is very clear that Wendy takes great pride in proving the experts wrong. 13 years is a lot longer than two months.

• We must not underestimate the incredible in uence that we have on other people.

— Wendy came back to Denver for the wedding of one of her nieces. Wendy is known in the family as the “favorite aunt,” not as the “aunt in the wheelchair” or the “aunt with brain cancer.” Wendy is the favorite because she is absolutely present in the moment, excited about life, and dedicated to the idea of making a di erence whenever she can.

• We have this moment, this opportunity, this chance to make a di erence. It is our responsibility to understand that and take advantage of it.

— Wendy has done that for 13 years. Our lives will be better if we live by that rule for even 13 minutes.

• Wisdom comes in increments. Wendy mentioned to us her seven Fs for surviving 13 years with brain cancer. ese seven things are pieces of wisdom she has gained as she has navigated her struggles. ey are hers to share, but it is my sincere hope that she will begin to write about those insights, allowing others to learn from her experience.

I will never forget this simple and wonderful evening. It was inspiring for all of us who could be there. e crazy part of the night lay in the fact that the insights were simply the product of a willingness to share and a determination to listen.

It is my sincere hope that as you navigate your struggle, you will seek both the opportunity to share insights and the chance to learn from others.

When you do those two simple things, the results will be transformative.

I hope my words encourage you and that you will share them with those who need support. ank you to everyone who has shared their stories with me so far; I truly appreciate hearing about the valuable ideas you nd in these columns and how you use them to uplift those around you. You can reach me at jim.roome@gmail. com.

When I was just a little sixth grader at Evergreen Middle School, I got to experience a week at Outdoor Lab. For this unique experience, my sixth-grade class stayed at an overnight camp near Windy Peak for a week.

I got sunburn and bug bites up and down my arms, pond muck wedged under my ngernails, and grass stains all over my pants. I loved every second of it.

is quintessentially Evergreen experience instilled a love of science in me, teaching me all about astronomy, geology, and biology. Ever since, I have dreamed of being involved in the groundbreaking science that I was learning about. I didn’t want to merely study science: I wanted to use it to improve the lives of people around me.

is sentiment stuck with me as I grew up, and ultimately inspired me to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Now, I’m a PhD student and medical researcher at Northwestern University.

I’m proud to be following my dream, working as part of a moonshot initiative to cut cancer deaths in half by 2045 as a part of the ARPA-H agency.

Over the last several months, this dream has come under attack. With their newest budget proposal, the government is threatening to cut over $27 billion to the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. e ARPA-H agency, which funds my research, is also facing nearly $500 million in cuts under the current budget proposal.

ese measures, alongside haphazard cancellations of existing grants, have forced many universities to abandon lifesaving scienti c research and let go of many of their talented researchers.

is is why I’m calling on the Evergreen community, which rst inspired my love for science, to resist its slow and calculated dismantling in America.

Science isn’t exclusive to any one political party. By its very nature, the scienti c method is a tool that can be used to bene t everyone. And its ben-

GUEST

COLUMN Quinn Beato

e ts are clear: since 1991, U.S. cancer mortality rates have declined by 34%, averting 4.5 million deaths. For its many faults, the US healthcare system provides Americans with access to some of the best facilities in the world, largely due to our heavy investment in medical research. If these proposed funding cuts are nalized, Americans would lose this very privileged position.

is is not to mention the thousands of other invisible discoveries that change our lives every day and would have been impossible without federal funding: GPS, weather tracking, the internet, and the many breakthroughs that allowed for the invention of smartphones, just to mention a few.

Sure, there are some who oppose the type of scienti c research that ultimately receives federal funding, but it’s one thing to criticize what gets funded by the government, and another thing to cut o funding entirely.

However, funding is being unceremoniously slashed, and America is starting to lose its most impressive scientists. Until recently, America has been seen as a leader in most scienti c elds, retaining thousands of the most accomplished researchers from within the country, and attracting many more from around the world. is is no longer the case.

Recent polling suggests that over 75% of US-based scientists are considering moving abroad to destinations such as Canada, Europe, and Australia. Even if funding cuts are ultimately reversed, it may take generations to recover from a mass exodus of talented researchers.

I can already see this exodus in my own lab. I work alongside some of the smartest and most talented people I’ve ever met, both from the United States and abroad. Only months ago, most of these researchers felt lucky to work in such high-resource environments surrounded by such dedicated and devoted people.

Now, most of them are eager

to leave. Whether from within America or from without, many of them feel like pursuing a career in science in America is like checking into a room on a sinking cruise ship. Despite its enormous bene ts, some argue that America simply can’t a ord to keep funding research when the national debt remains astronomically high. However, the NIH and NSF make up less than 1% of the US federal budget, and cutting these agencies entirely would result in a mere 3% reduction to the national de cit.

Even from within, the science that is being funded by these agencies already undergoes a rigorous vetting process. Fewer than 20% of NIH grant requests are ultimately funded by the agency and typically focus on the most pressing risks to health facing the country. Besides, the money invested in these institutes doesn’t simply disappear: every dollar invested in non-defense public research and development results in $1.40-$2.10 in economic output, almost three times more than private research and development.

If anything, it’s just too expensive to cut science funding.

I never imagined myself leaving the United States. After earning my PhD, my plan was always to return to Colorado, live near my family, and give back to the community that raised me by conducting lifesaving biomedical research.

Many other early career scientists and I no longer consider this plan a realistic possibility. If the proposed spending cuts go through, federal funding and jobs will cease to exist, to the detriment of every American. I still believe that this is a future that most Americans don’t desire, and that gives me hope. If this future scares you, I urge you to let your representatives know how you feel. ese federal funding cuts are not nalized, and we still have time to ensure America continues to be a bastion of scienti c progress. But we must act quickly and in unison, before this better, healthier future disappears entirely.

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 chris@cotln.org.

UPCOMING

Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District: 8 a.m. Sat. June 28

Slacker Half Marathon Loveland ski area parking lot (Exit #216 o I-70). Idaho Springs 4th of July: 10:45 Fri. July 4 music starts on Miner St. Fireworks will start at dark over the Water Wheel in Idaho Springs.

Georgetown 4th of July: 10:30 a.m. Fri. July 4th. Events at City Park and parade along Rose St. other events through-out the day.

GTIS Half Marathon: 7 a.m. start Aug. 9. Georgetown to Idaho Springs half marathon. Race starts at Georgetown Lake and nishes near the Idaho Springs Sports & Events Complex101 East Idaho Springs Road.

Rapidgrass Bluegrass Fest 2025: 4:30 p.m. Fri. Aug 15-16

Shelly/Quinn Fields, 101 East Idaho Springs Road, Idaho Springs, CO 80452

Empire Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup: 8 a.m. Sat. Sept 13 Help us tidy up 2 miles of Hwy 40 through Empire, CO. Meet at the Empire Visitors Center 30 Park Ave, Idaho Springs.

ONGOING

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.

Resilience1220 counseling: Young people 12 to 20 can get free counseling through an Evergreen-based organization called Resilience1220. Composed 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 720282-1164.

Idaho Springs Lions Club meetings: 7:30 a.m. every rst and third ursday of the month at Marions of the Rockies, 2805 Colorado Blvd., Idaho Springs. Come join us and help to serve our community. For information – www.islions.org, email info@ isLions.org or call 720-608-1140.

Clear Creek Democrats: 5-7 p.m. “ irsty 3rd ursday” at the Vintage Moose, 12 16th Ave. in Idaho Springs. Non-alcoholic options and snacks are provided.

CASA of the Continental Divide seeks volunteers:CASACD promotes and protects the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in court proceedings through the advocacy e orts of trained CASA volunteers. Be the di erence and advocate for the youth in our community. e o ce can be reached at 970-513-9390.

Dental clinics: Cleanings, X-rays, dentures, tooth extractions and more. Most insurances are accepted including Medicaid. Sliding scale/low-cost options are also available. No appointment necessary. is is a mobile dentist that comes once a month. Call program manager Lauralee at 720205-4449 for questions.

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.

Clear Creek EMS/Evergreen Fire Rescue Launch Mugs for Rugs Campaign: Bring an old throw rug and you’ll leave with a bright green mug! You can bring them to Station 1A in Dumont, 3400 Stanley Road, or you can email captains@clearcreekems. com and CCEMS will come to you to make the trade. Clear Creek EMS also o ers fall-risk assessments by bringing someone from the re department to make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. To request a visit, ll out the form at clearcreekcounty.us/1388/ Community-Outreach.

Blue Spruce Habitat volunteers needed: Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers.

Support after suicide loss: A safe place to share and learn after losing a loved one to suicide. is group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 ofce. For ages 14 and up. Suggested donation for this group is $15. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.

Sensitive collection: Resilience1220 strives to inform and support highly sensitive people to live healthy and empowered lives. It meets the third Wednesday of each month from 6-7 p.m. and is o ered via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 o ce. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.

Public Health o ering sexual health and family planning: Clear Creek County Public Health is now o ering Sexual Health and Planning Services at the Health and Wellness Center in Idaho Springs. Public Health o ers counseling, emergency contraception, pregnancy testing, STI and HIV screenings, basic infertility services and birth control options and referrals. ese services are condential. Public Health can also now bill Medicaid and most private insurance. However, if you do not have insurance, fees are based on a sliding scale — and no one will be turned away if they are unable to pay.

Clear Creek County Lookout Alert: e CodeRED alerts have been replaced by the Lookout Alert. Residents can sign up for emergency alerts county-wide by signing up at www.lookoutalert.co. e new site replaces CodeRED following the switch to Je Com911 for emergency dispatch earlier this year.

Wedding Announcement for Lora Frost and Adam Siller

Lora Frost and Adam Siller met unexpectedly at a Meetup for an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party in Denver. Little did they know that this chance encounter would lead to a love story for the ages. ey are delighted to announce their marriage, which took place on June 21st in an intimate ceremony at Georgetown City Park.

e bride is the owner of Dahlias & Granite Interior Design, specializing in historic renovations and residential interiors. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, she now resides in Arvada, Colorado.

e groom is a seasoned tower crane operator—expert in picking things up and putting them down—originally from Glendale, Arizona, and now also living in Arvada.

e couple celebrated their union with a small gathering of close family and friends. ey plan to honeymoon on planet Earth, unless trips to the moon become more a ordable.

ey are excited to begin this new chapter together, surrounded by love, laughter, and community.

Evergreen Mountain Art Celebration returns

There are few better ways to spend a summer day in Colorado than in the mountains, and if you can pair this with some wonderful cultural activities, how can you go wrong?

at’s what makes the Evergreen Mountain Art Celebration such a great event, and it’s even bigger and better in its 8th year. e event is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29 at the Evergreen North Shopping Complex, 3719 Evergreen Parkway.

e juried ne art and ne craft show highlights 75 professional artists from Colorado and beyond. All of them use a range of mediums, including painting, jewelry, ceramics and more, to create works that honor mountain living and Western, Southwestern and rustic themes.

In addition to the art, visitors can enjoy live music. Colorado Roots Rock Unplugged, a duo that specializes in acoustic versions of classic rock, will be performing on Saturday and Link&Chain, a band of brothers performing reggae, will be on hand on Sunday. ere will also be a drawing for a $1,000 Art Festival Shopping Spree at noon on Sunday.

We interviewed Amber Calanni with Colorado Art Weekend about the event and what visitors should know.

Interview edited for brevity and clarity. What were you looking for in artists this year?

We want to feature art that ts into the “Mountain Modern” avor. “Mountain Modern” is a style that blends contem-

COMING ATTRACTIONS

porary aesthetics with rustic, nature-inspired elements, but feels personal and connected to nature and elevated in presentation. If someone has never attended the Celebration, what should they

ey should know this festival is more than an art show, it’s a true celebration of Colorado mountain culture and “Mountain Modern” art. It’s free to attend, easy to access and full of authentic charm. Whether you’re an art lover or just looking to explore something new. Evergreen is a relaxed setting where you can enjoy art, meet the artists and connect with a creative community.

Why is it important to celebrate the arts at a time like this?

In a time when so much feels uncertain, the arts remind us of what grounds us; hope, beauty, self-expression and connection. Art gives us a chance to slow down, re ect and engage with something meaningful. is festival also gives families and individuals a reason to get outdoors, support artists and feel part of something positive and inspiring. What do you hope people come away with?

We want visitors to leave feeling uplifted, like they’ve spent their weekend immersed in something special. Whether it’s a new piece of art, a meaningful

conversation with an artist, hearing a great musical performance or simply the peaceful experience of walking the festival grounds, we want guests to take away memories that last well beyond the weekend.

For more information, visit www.EvergreenArtShow.com.

Learn About the Life of a Colorado Hat Maker

e Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup St., is looking at the history of a renowned hat maker in its new exhibit, Kate Ferretti: e Life of a Colorado Hat Maker. e exhibit opens on Friday, June 27, and focuses on Ferretti, a nationally recognized hat maker. She entered the workforce at 13 and went on to build a family business that spanned nearly ve decades. According to the provided information, “this exhibition explores sources from Ferretti’s family, as well as oral histories from the collections of the Littleton Museum and History Colorado, to help tell the full story of this fascinating local maker’s life.”

For more information, visit https:// visitlittleton.org/event/kate-ferretti-exhibit/.

Big Belmar Bash Brings Party to Lakewood e City of Lakewood is celebrating Independence Day a little early, but with no less pomp and circumstance, with its Big Belmar Bash from 5 to 10 p.m. on ursday, July 3, at Downtown Belmar, 7337 W. Alaska Drive.

e evening will feature something for

all ages, including live music and children’s activities. ere will also be a range of local vendors selling unique items and plenty of food and drink options.

Of course, the highlight of the night is a drone light show, which will begin at around 9:15 p.m. It will feature a eet “of 250 cutting-edge drones with state-ofthe-art LED lights” illuminating the night and “MIX 100 will provide a curated soundtrack for the drone light show,” according to provided information.

More information is available at www. Lakewood.org/BBB.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Elvis Costello & The Imposters at Bellco Theatre

Elvis Costello is one of the greatest living songwriters we have and has been proving that repeatedly since his classic debut album was released in 1977. In the ensuing decades, he’s released several bulletproof records and worked with some absolutely amazing songwriters. In celebration of his stellar career, he’s bringing his band, e Imposters, and guitarist Charlie Sexton on the Radio Soul!: e Early Songs of Elvis Costello tour.

e tour is coming to Bellco eatre, 1100 Stout St., at 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 29. e music of Costello’s early career is some of his best, so this will be a performance not to be missed. Get 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.

Clarke Reader

Metal Sculpture by BenJamin Stielow, Painting by Arturo Garcia, Jewelry by Zac Kothrade. Meet them at the show!

Fe cyclist Teddy Bloom poses for a photo with his bicycle. Bloom is biking across America to raise awareness of and support for four issues he says are vital to the American way of life: freedom of speech, justice, education and unity.

Cyclist cruises by on coast-to-coast journey

Teddy Bloom rides for free speech, rights

BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

In a time when the country is so divided and many feel the democratic way of life is being threatened in one way or another, 37-year-old Teddy Bloom is going for a bike ride.

But not just any bike ride. He’s dubbed it the Ride4Rights, a California-to-Washington, D.C., expedition to raise awareness of and support for four issues he says are vital to the American way of life: freedom of speech, justice, education and unity.

e Santa Fe, New Mexico, native started at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on April 20 and arrived in Denver on June 7. He plans to reach his nal destination, the Washington Monument, on Aug. 14.

He will have covered roughly 3,000 miles on his Kona Libre gravel bike and made 100 or so stops by the time it’s all said and done.

is isn’t a left or right issue, the New Mexico Department of Transportation employee said. It’s simply for “people who like living in America and being in a democracy.”

“I do have more left supporters because they’re more against what the current administration is doing, but I do have a fair number of conservative supporters who like the conservative ideas of small government and states’ rights and whatnot,” Bloom said.

On freedom of speech and justice, Bloom said, “You need free speech to really be able to assess the needs of the people in the country, to know the problems around the country, or what people need for their jobs and work. at’s how lawmakers can make good decisions. Justice, everybody should have due process. at way it’s as fair as possible.”

Bloom said he picked education as one of his riding themes because he believes it’s important for people to understand why certain federal agencies exist and what exactly those workers do.

Lastly, speaking about unity, he said, “It’s the idea that you shouldn’t be doing something just to screw over other people. When you’re trying to make a law or implement a process or something, it should be either because it’s to your bene t or the bene t of other people. In looking at the internet at least, people seem to have lost some interest in that.”

To amplify his work, Bloom created a website, posts regularly on several social media platforms and shares a daily vlog on YouTube.

When he enters a city or town, he also encourages others to ride along with him, if only for a few miles.

And while he’s run into some obstacles along the way — a tweaked hamstring early on, sloppy dirt roads, a hailstorm in Limon — he doesn’t plan on stopping until he reaches the marble obelisk in the nation’s capital. “I wanted to do something a lot of people could get behind,” Bloom said. “ ese are very basic things for a democracy to function.”

Follow Bloom’s journey at ride4rights.com.

SPORTS

CHSAA names 2025 All State Teams

BY JOHN RENFROW JOHN@COTLN.ORG

Colorado is home to some of the country’s best high school athletes. Players like Christian McCa rey, Dalton Knecht, Mallory Swanson and more have ascended to the highest levels of accomplishment in their sports.

But before all that, they were AllState student athletes in the Centennial State.

Several from across the Colorado Trust for Local News coverage area — Fort Lupton, Northglenn, ornton, Brighton, Westminster, Golden, Clear Creek, Evergreen and Conifer — are peppered across the All-State team selections in all classes.

Keep in mind: several previous publications in our coverage were acquired by Times Media Group (for this list, we are including Lakewood and Arvada). For those schools no longer in our jurisdiction, look for more at CHSAANow.com.

e Colorado High School Activities Association has announced its All-State Teams, presented by CHSAANow.com and MaxPreps.  e full list is below for spring sports in 2025.

Girls soccer 5A

First Team: Holly EngelkingRalston Valley

Second Team: Gigi Grieve - Arvada West

Honorable Mentions: Dresdyn Aleman - Northglenn, Isabella Martinez - Ralston Valley, Abriana Ruiz - Denver North, Brooklyn VelottaHorizon, Grace White - Lakewood

Girls soccer 4A

Player of the Year: Gianna Weiner - Evergreen Coach of the Year: Peter Jeans - Evergreen

First Team: Piper Carlson - Green Mountain, Taylin Gimbel - Evergreen, Nadia Leunig - Evergreen, Gianna Weiner - Evergreen.

Second Team: Alyssa Hamilton - Green Mountain, Nuala Hart - Evergreen, Lucia Spungin - Evergreen, Reese Martinez - Golden, Amairany Vidana - Adams City.

Honorable Mentions: Sasha Calanni - Green Mountain, Abby Hawkins, Riverdale Ridge, Kate Hertz - Golden, Dayanis HolguinLoya - ornton, Caitlin Mazurek - Riverdale Ridge, Piper McSkimin - D’Evelyn.

Girls soccer 3A

Honorable Mentions: Nora Rice - Arvada, Danie Lewis - Stargate School, Alysah Messenger - Stargate School, Leah Messenger - Stargate School.

Girls golf 5A

First Team:  Raleigh Puzio -Brighton, Addison Hines - Ralston Valley

Second Team: Hayden HawleyHorizon

Girls golf 4A

Coach of the Year: Wade BallietRiverdale Ridge

First Team: Brynn Balliet - Riverdale Ridge, Leah Johnson - River-

Evergreen’s girls soccer team won its first state championship title since 1997 with a 2-0 victory over Lutheran on Tuesday, May 21, at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Cougars were the state runner-up in 2017, 2019 and 2021 before

ing on top this season.

dale Ridge, Karina PanyavongRiverdale Ridge.

Second Team: Olivia DorlandGolden

Girls golf 3A

Coach of the Year: Heikke Nielsen - Holy Family

First Team: Acadia Curtis - Holy Family, Ste Heitz - Holy Family, Peyton Mraz - Holy Family, Riley Kinsella - Pomona.

Girls tennis 5A

Coach of the Year: Kim GreasonRalston Valley

First Team: Sophia Baig - Ralston Valley, Emerson Bonner - Ralston Valley, Julia Campbell - Ralston Valley, Anna Curran - Ralston Valley, Kate Decker - Ralston Valley, Kylie Engelsman - Ralston Valley, Mataya Farling - Ralston Valley, Olivia Hendrickson - Ralston Valley, Scarlett Lutz - Ralston Valley.

Second Team: Adia FarlingRalston Valley, Cassidy GordonRalston Valley.

Girls tennis 3A

Second Team: Emma Bosco - Evergreen

Girls track and field 5A

First Team: Eliana AngelinoLakewood, Addison Bartlett - Riverdale Ridge, Alora Tortorelli Cruz - Riverdale Ridge, Emmaliegh Malcolm - Ralston Valley, Evelyn McClellan - Horizon, Abigail TrappGolden.

Second Team: Payton MeinekeRiverdale Ridge, Layla Petz - Arvada West

Honorable Mentions: Elsa Vessely - Golden

Girls track and field 4A

First Team: Ailish Ocasek - Evergreen, Claire Tannehill - Holy Family.

Second Team: Abigail Chavez - Pomona, Anastasia KullmanStandley Lake.

Honorable Mentions: Gianna Cicora - Conifer.

Girls track and field 2A

First Team: Mehlea Ritschard -

Golden View Classical Academy.

Girls lacrosse 4A

Player of the Year: Ryn GardnerEvergreen.

First Team: Emma Crosbie - Evergeen, Ryn Gardner - Evergreen, Addison McEvers - Evergreen, Ashley Cortez - Evergreen, Alivia Hunsche - Evergreen, Addison White - Evergreen, Marissa Simpson - Golden, Ruby Lucken - Golden, Avery Freedman - Green Mountain, Kara Harris - Green Mountain, Rome VillaniGreen Mountain.

Second Team: Kya CooperGreen Mountain, Annabel Clayden - Golden.

Honorable Mentions: Kiya LeBlanc - Horizon, Reilly Sears - Horizon, Kuepper Trinkel - Horizon, Mila Busken - Denver North.

Boys lacrosse 5A

First Team: Collin McLaughlinRalston Valley.

Second Team: Cooper Van DykeRalston Valley.

Honorable Mentions: Colby Kurtz - Ralston Valley.

Boys lacrosse 4A

First Team:Will Wales - Evergreen, Eli Park - Evergreen, Brody Reece - Evergreen, Caleb Lessing - Evergreen, Ayden Lawson - Evergreen, Wyatt Holtmann - Golden. Second Team: Brakken McDougal - Golden, Gri n Gorsuch - Golden, Riley Kopser - Golden, Cameron Willians - Evergreen, Isaac Webre - Evergreen, Charlie Russell - Evergreen, Caden Willoughby - Prairie View.

Honorable Mentions: Cody Cain - Evergreen, Nolan DarlingtonDenver North,

Boys track and field 5A

First Team: Ryan Elsen - Brighton, Tanner Kaufman - Frederick, Mason Lusche - Arvada West, Dutch Neuweiler - Ralston Valley, Francis Ojowa - Prairie View.

Second Team: Austin BlattnerRalston Valley, Phoenix TomsickRalston Valley, Grayson Mommens

Santa

finish-

DENNIS PLEUSS

E ort to embracing fans, sponsors pays o for annual event

BY JOHN RENFROW JOHN@COTLN.ORG

e American rodeo is a core piece of culture in the West, and in the mountains hovering above Denver, communities rally around this essence of tradition and identity now more than ever.

It was an estimated record year for the Evergreen Rodeo, according to President Dave Marshall. Some 5,000 to 7,000 people came to witness the spectacle; an event Marshall calls “the staple” of the community in the mountains.

“It’s de nitely evolved,” said Marshall, who has been president since 2017, but has been involved in the rodeo for over 30 years. “For the last few years, we have tried to focus on really putting on an entertainment production and trying to embrace our fans and sponsors more ... ey have truly stepped up and shown us that they are in support of the rodeo. Our sponsorships have increased, and our ticket sales have increased and probably one of the biggest rodeos we’ve ever had in spectators this year.”

Marshall has lived in Evergreen all his life. He’s watched count-

Evergreen Rodeo posts record year

less parades and rodeos unite the mountain communities on Father’s Day weekends.

It’s a total celebration of heritage and camaraderie that unites generations in tradition through the years, he said.

“I don’t think there’s another event that captures (a sense of) community like the Evergreen Rodeo does,” Marshall said.

“When you look at the fact that we have the parade ll up downtown, and then the two performances, we’ve had a ton of people coming out. And to me, it just feels like it’s a hometown reunion, because everybody gets together, and I see people that I don’t see all the time, and it just has a di erent feeling to me than any other event has.”

As much as he enjoys the parades, the professional cowboys, the fun and games and pageantry that comes with the rodeo every year, it’s the community aspect that stands out to Marshall, he said.

Volunteers are crucial to help put the event on every year, and the willingness and enthusiasm they bring are second to none, adding an exclamation point to an already celebratory get-together.

“Just seeing all the people that have, you know, given their time up to come down and watch it, and spend the money on it, and families sitting there just enjoying it and taking a break from life, it

- Riverdale Ridge, Gage Pieper - Golden, Cameron Shull - Golden.

Honorable Mentions: Logan NuceRiverdale Ridge.

Boys track and field 4A

First Team: Monte Samaras - Holy Family, Colby Stroup - Pomona, Jake Swanson - Green Mountain.

Second Team: Finnegan Beck - Standley Lake, Liam Graham - Standley Lake, Ryan Lusk - Standley Lake, Micah Martinez - Standley Lake, Brady Lindoerfer - Holy Family, Anthony Quasney - Evergreen.

Honorable Mentions: Loghan Cain - Pomona, Ben Swanson - Green Mountain, Bryce Weeks - Green Mountain, Benson White - Conifer.

Boys track and field 2A

Athlete of the Year: Bobby Kiesewetter - Golden View Classical Academy.

First Team: Bobby Kiesewetter - Golden View Classical Academy.

Boys volleyball 5A

First team: Brock Ho man - Riverdale Ridge, Kei Martin - Arvada West.

Boys volleyball 4A

Second Team: Tarin CavanaughD’Evelyn, Callum Taylor - Stargate School. Honorable Mentions: Aavas Jha - Stargate School, Elijah Osborne - D’Evelyn.

Boys swimming and diving 4A

Diver of the Year: Carson HarringtonEvergreen.

First Team: Whitley Beamon - Golden,

makes all the work worthwhile,” Marshall said.

Plus, new faces are stepping in to keep the rodeo legacy going strong. e next generation is enthusiastic about how integral the event is for the strength of

Evan Curran - Golden, Carson Harrington - Evergreen, Henry Palmquist - Evergreen, Duncan Salmen - Evergreen.

Second Team: Logan Rains - Evergreen.

Honorable Mentions: Jack BeckmanD’Evelyn, Zander De Jager - Evergreen, Ethan McLuskey - Evergreen.

Baseball 5A

First Team: Favi Gaeta - Prairie View, Cooper Vais - Arvada West.

Second Team: Tate Deal - Arvada West.

Honorable Mentions: Parker Aaron, Horizon, C, Sr. Grant Belcher, Ralston Valley, P/OF, Sr. Beau Friesen, Arvada West, Jr. Angel Gallegos, Denver North, INF/P, Sr. Winston Patterson, Ralston Valley, P/ OF, So. Romani Perez, Prairie View, INF/ RHP, Sr. Brayden Reiner, Arvada West, Jr. Jerry Stone, Prairie View, 1B/RHP, Sr. Tyler Swan, Riverdale Ridge, INF/P/OF, Sr. Giovanni Tarin, Prairie View, OF/RHP, Sr. Austin Waltemath, Brighton.

Baseball 4A

Player of the Year: Sawyer Brinkman - Golden. Coach of the Year: Jackie McBroomGolden.

First Team: Sawyer Brinkman - Golden Luca Casali - Golden.

Second Team: Simon Lunsford - Green Mountain, Jaydon Stroup - Golden.

Honorable Mentions: Mauro AcostaAdams City, Luke Adams - Conifer, Dustin Bennett - Holy Family, Chris BlancoStandley Lake, James Mauro - Evergreen, Brody McBroom - Golden, Dylan Paulson - Golden, Christian Ramirez - Adams City, Brandon Roe - Conifer.

Baseball 3A

Honorable Mentions: Jesse CerettoFort Lupton, Cameron Henderson - Arvada.

the community and its mountain heritage.

Read more at www.evergreenrodeo.com.

“I think it is a pretty cool thing,” Marshall said. “And we’re starting to even see within our own association, younger generations coming in and helping. ose are going to be our future leaders of the rodeo to keep it going, and that just doesn’t happen without seeing something they want to get involved with.”

JR Stratford, rated No. 7 in the world for bullfighting, participates in the Evergreen Rodeo in 2024.

Librarians claim policy rollback opened door to censorship

Policy rollback and opaque decisions spur Je co librarians to seek clarity

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SUZIE@COTLN.ORG

On May 29, Ti any LoSasso stood before the Je erson County school board anked by fellow Digital Teacher Librarians from across the district. e Mandalay Middle School librarian delivered a carefully sourced, deeply personal plea: restore transparency and professional oversight to how Je co handles school library books.

“We implore you to make these changes as soon as possible,” LoSasso said, referencing the recent passage of Senate Bill 25-063, which requires Colorado school districts to adopt clear procedures for the acquisition, removal and review of library materials by Sept. 1.

LoSasso, who testi ed in favor of the bill before the Colorado Senate Education Committee in February earlier this year, said she now feels misled.

“I told lawmakers that Je co already had strong, protective policies in place,” she said. “But I didn’t know they had been removed. I felt betrayed.”

Je co once had such a policy, LoSasso explained. Known as IJL, it required the formation of trained review committees and o ered clear protection for DTLs and the materials they managed.

But in June 2023, during a period without a district-level library coordinator, IJL was repealed and replaced with a more generic policy, IJ.

e new version contains just one sentence referencing library materials: “ e teacher librarian, along with district personnel, have shared authority for selecting and eliminating library materials.”

LoSasso and other librarians said they were never informed of the change, and only discovered it recently when their decisions were overruled without explanation.

“We didn’t know the change had been made. We didn’t know that we had lost so much,” LoSasso said.

Book removal raises questions e turning point came in January 2024, when they were asked to remove a popular manga series, Assassination Classroom. Manga is a style of Japanese comics and graphic novels.

A district book review committee, following Je co’s existing procedures, determined the series should only be available in high schools. But shortly after the committee’s decision, all librarians with the title in their collections received a district directive to remove it entirely, citing an undisclosed decision by a “district leadership team.”

“We were told it was not appropriate for any Je co school, which directly contradicted the committee’s recommendation,” LoSasso said. “ e rationale given referenced the district’s tragic history with Columbine, which made no sense to me given the book’s premise.”

LoSasso said the book is a science ction story in which a powerful alien becomes a junior high school teacher and challenges his students to assassinate him before he destroys the Earth.

Tara Degelmann, Je co’s Library Services Coordinator, in an email to the board, said the book was removed districtwide because it depicts students attacking and attempting to kill a teacher, which she described as fundamentally inappropriate for a school library collection, regardless of the book’s ctional and fantastical framing.

When LoSasso and others questioned the reversal, they received identical, copy-and-pasted responses. DTLs serving on the review committee were not consulted.

en, in October 2024, principals at multiple schools were reportedly directed by district administrators to remove additional books without following Je co’s published challenge process.

Emails posted as evidence online after LoSasso gave public comment showed they received an email from the Degelmann stating that they were to ‘spend the next day reviewing their library catalogs for books with controversial topics’ and that the provided list of agged keywords, such as pornography, violence and cruelty, ‘should not be printed or shared.’

LoSasso said the exercise ignored stan-

dard weeding criteria, such as condition, age and circulation data.

“It felt like censorship,” LoSasso said.

In February, a group of secondary DTLs wrote to Superintendent Tracy Dorland, Deputy Superintendent Kym LeBlancEsparza and Chief Academic O cer Renee Nicothodes to raise concerns.

ey received no reply. A later meeting arranged through the teachers’ union resulted in a promise of follow-up that never came, according to LoSasso.

In a message to the board, Nicothodes said that district leaders recognize the concerns raised by DTLs and emphasized that Je co remains committed to continually improving its library policies.

She encouraged collaboration and professional dialogue moving forward, but did not directly respond to speci c complaints about previous removals or communication gaps.

LoSasso added that no one from the district or board has contacted her since she spoke at the May 29 meeting.

“ at silence is disappointing. We are putting ourselves out there to help, and we’ve been met with silence.”

Board pledges review; district defends process

In response to LoSasso’s public comment, board members acknowledged the confusion at their next meeting and expressed a desire to involve DTLs in future policy revisions.

Board Member Erin Kenworthy said she had already reached out to some librarians and urged a collaborative approach.

“ ey are the experts and I think we

need to value their professional input,” she said.

Board members Paula Reed and Mary Parker also voiced concern about how the policy change was handled and whether DTLs had been given adequate notice or opportunity to contribute.

Degelmann told the board that the district’s current policy acknowledges the importance of collaboration between teacher librarians and district personnel, but stated that she believes several aspects of LoSasso’s public comment were inaccurate or lacked context.

For example, she stated that the October 2024 email, which asked librarians to review catalog entries, was intended as a voluntary resource audit aligned with guidance from national organizations, not a directive to censor books.

Degelmann also emphasized that district leaders have not removed books arbitrarily and that formal review processes remain available to sta . She said district sta plan to work with the school board and review guidance from the Colorado Association of School Boards to ensure alignment with state law.

“We are con dent that Je co Public Schools has a strong process in place for the selection and review of library materials,” Degelmann said.

In the meantime, LoSasso said they are operating without clear guardrails and with fear that student access to books could be subject to behind-the-scenes decisions without due process.

“We are the experts on what is appropriate for our students and our communities,” LoSasso told the board. “Please let us do our jobs.”

Mandalay Middle School librarian Ti any LoSasso addresses the Je erson County Board of Education on May 29, 2025. JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

CROWSSUPDRO ELZZ

1. TELEVISION: “ e Simpsons” rst appeared as a short on which TV show?

2. GEOGRAPHY: What is the distance between mainland Russia (Siberia) and mainland United States (Alaska)?

3. GAMES: What is the highest score you can achieve in one frame of bowling?

4. MYTHOLOGY: What is the Roman god of the sea called?

5. SCIENCE: What are the only letters that don’t currently appear in the Periodic Table?

6. MOVIES: Which animated movie’s tagline is “Escape or die frying”?

7. LITERATURE: e Republic of Gilead appears in which 1980s novel?

8. FOOD & DRINK: Which spice is often praised for its anti-in ammatory properties?

9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: In which country did Cirque du Soleil originate?

TrIVIa

10. LANGUAGE: What is glossolalia?

Answers

1. “ e Tracey Ullman Show.”

2. About 55 miles.

3. 30.

4. Neptune.

5. J and Q.

6. “Chicken Run.”

7. “ e Handmaid’s Tale.”

8. Turmeric.

9. Canada.

10. e ability to speak in a previously unknown language, also known as speaking in tongues.

(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

CAREERS

Help Wanted

Seasonal Laborer

City of Idaho Springs

Maintenance work including parks, streets and public buildings. This is a full-time, non-exempt, hourly, seasonal position working 40 hours per week during the summer with occasional weekend work required. Minimum 16 years of age; Valid Colorado Driver License; Acceptable Drug Test.

$20.04/hour. Apply by June 30, 2025 with completed City job application to the Acting Public Works Superintendent at esigward@idahospringsco.com or City Hall, 1711 Miner St., P.O. Box 907, Idaho Springs, CO 80452. Required City application available on-line at www.idahospringsco.com . The City of Idaho Springs is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

Help Wanted

Maintenance Worker I & II City of Idaho Springs

Performs general labor and routine maintenance functions supporting the municipal streets, parks, buildings, utilities, and services infrastructure. This is a full-time, non-exempt hourly position working 40 hours per week that requires occasional work on weekends and holidays and overtime work as needed. High School Diploma or GED required. Minimum 18 years of age. Valid Colorado Driver License. Acceptable drug test. Hiring ranges: Maintenance Worker I -$20.79-$23.91 per hour. Maintenance Worker II$22.92-$26.36 per hour with comprehensive benefit options including health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance plans, retirement plan, deferred compensation plan, employee assistance program, and recreation center passes. Apply by June 30, 2025 with completed City job application to the Acting Public Works Superintendent at esigward@idahospringsco.com or City Hall, 1711 Miner St., P.O. Box 907, Idaho Springs, CO 80452. Required City application available on-line at www.idahospringsco.com. The City of Idaho Springs is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

Build your mountain dream in Conifer on 0.88 acres among towering pines. Enjoy scenic trails, shops, and downtown Conifer, with quick access to Denver and the

Sosa :

SAFETY

Colorado Senate President James Coleman, a Denver Democrat, said he has “been in close and ongoing communication” with the Colorado State Patrol, and he has adjusted his driving patterns when going to work, for safety reasons.

“ is assassination and targeted attack in Minnesota was a tragedy and a disturbing escalation of political violence in our country,” Coleman said in an interview Tuesday. “It’s understandable that legislators are concerned for their safety and

the safety of their families. I am for myself and my family.”

Colorado political candidates submit their campaign nance information, which is posted in the online database, known as TRACER, to comply with state election transparency laws. e website includes their home addresses, phone numbers and other personal information.  e secretary of state is allowing lawmakers to redact personal information online that is not required to be public based on a campaign nance rule that protects “any person who believes their safety or the safety of an immediate family member may be in jeopardy.”

A spokesperson for the Colorado secre-

ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 21-15, 21-50, 21-63, 21-106 AND 21-127 OF THE IDAHO SPRINGS MUNICIPAL CODE TO AMEND ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT REQUIREMENTS IN RESPONSE TO COLORADO HOUSE BILL 24-1152

WHEREAS, the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado (the “City”), is a Colorado statutory municipality, duly organized and existing under the laws of the state of Colorado; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Article 23 of Title 31, C.R.S., the City, acting through its City Council (the “Council”), is authorized to adopt rules and regulations governing the planning, zoning, and use of land within its territory; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to such authority, the Council previously adopted land development regulation regulations, codified as Chapter 21 of the Idaho Springs Municipal Code (“Code”), including provisions concerning accessory dwelling units (“ADUs”); and

WHEREAS, during the 2024 legislative session, the state legislature adopted House Bill 24-1152 (the “Bill”), subsequently signed into law by the Governor which mandates certain subject local jurisdictions within Colorado to adopt certain ADU regulations consistent with the Bill; and

WHEREAS, although the City is not a subject jurisdiction, as defined by the bill, the Council desires to achieve compliance with the Bill to ensure future DOLA funding grant opportunities for the City and to increase future housing availability within the City; and

WHEREAS, the Council therefore finds that it is desirable to amend the Code’s provisions concerning ADUs as set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO, THAT:

Section 1. Section 21-15 of the Code, concerning land use related definitions, is hereby amended by editing the definition of “Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)” set forth thereunder as follows: Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). A

Obtaining the Bidding Documents Information and Bidding Documents for the Project can be found on the following designated website: https://www.clearcreekcounty.us/bids. aspx

Prospective Bidders must register as a plan holder via emai to receive a copy of the plans, a link to the Prospective Bidder Submittal Folder, and invitations to meetings and bid opening: Email sstreepey@clearcreekcounty.us; subject line RC 25-04 RFB.

Prospective Bidders are urged to sign up to receive a text message or email when new Bidding Documents are periodically uploaded to the designated website such as addenda, reports, and other information relevant to submitting a Bid for the Project by clicking “Sign up” at the top of the webpage.

All official notifications, addenda, and other Bidding Documents will be offered only through the designated website and the Prospective Bidder Submittal Folder. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for Bidding Documents, including addenda, if any, obtained from sources other than the designated website or Prospective Bidder Submittal Folder.

Pre-bid Conference A virtual pre-bid conference for the Project will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Attendance at the pre-bid conference is encouraged but not required.

Instructions to Bidders For all further requirements regarding bid submittal, qualifications, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Instructions to Bidders that are included in the Bidding Documents.

Legal Notice No. CCC052

First Publication: June 26, 2025

Publication: July 3, 2025

tary of state’s o ce said there is not a speci c time anticipated for when TRACER will be online again, but it will be “back up soon.”

Colorado House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican, said in a statement about the Minnesota shootings that “violence has no place in our politics. Not now. Not ever.” “ is is an unconscionable act of violence,” Pugliese said. “ ere is absolutely no justi cation for targeted attacks on elected o cials — or anyone — based on their political beliefs. Our nation was built on civil discourse and the peaceful exchange of ideas, not horri c acts of violence. We are keeping the families of Rep.

City of Idaho Springs

Section 2.

Sec. 21-50 - Allowed used by zone district.

(A) Each use

Hortman and Senator Ho man in our prayers.” Coleman called for respect and less negativity in political interactions nationwide. He emphasized that he serves both Democrats and Republicans, and said the safety of all state lawmakers, as well as Coloradans as a whole, is a top priority.  “I keep my head on a swivel,” Coleman said. “We always need to be aware of our surroundings and not get caught o guard, but we can’t live in fear. We focus on what we can control.” is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.

Section

Section 3. Section 21-63 of the Code, concerning land use development standards, is hereby amended by editing the text of note (e) as follows:

Sec. 21-63. - Development standards.

Notes:

(e) Side and rear setbacks for accessory structures and accessory dwelling units

(5) feet.

Section 4. Section 21-106 of the Code, concerning final development plan approval procedures, is hereby amended by editing the text of subsection (E)(1) as follows:

Sec. 21-106. - Final Development Plan (FDP).

(E) Public Hearings. A public hearing shall occur as indicated by the Required Decision Making Process for Development Applications table provided in this Article.

(1) Final development plans for accessory dwelling units and building additions of less than fifty percent (50%) of the existing gross floor area are subject to administrative review and approval by the City Administrator by the administrative review and referral process listed in this Article.

Section 5. Section 21-127 of the Code, concerning parking requirements, is hereby amended by the addition of a new subsection (A)(1) as follows: Sec. 21-127. - Parking space required.

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Bids and Settlements Public Notice

Town of Georgetown – Request for Bids Split Rail Fence Installation at Meadows & Greenway Parks

The Town of Georgetown is seeking qualified contractors to install split rail fencing at Meadows Park and Greenway Park. The project includes site prep, installation of 2-rail pine or cedar fencing, and compliance with local regulations. Bidders must account for terrain, soil conditions, and public entry points. All materials must meet durability standards, and posts must be secured with concrete.

Contractors must provide a detailed proposal, cost breakdown, proof of insurance, and timeline.

Full RFB details available through Kazia Hart, asstadmin@townofgeorgetown.us. Deadline: June 30, 2025, 9:00 am MST

Legal Notice No. CCC1108

First Publication: June 26, 2025 Last Publication: June 26, 2025

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant Public Notice

Town of Georgetown – Request for Bids Playground Maintenance Services –Foster’s Place

The Town of Georgetown is seeking qualified contractors for annual maintenance and repair services at Foster’s Place Playground, a historic and high-traffic community park. Services include safety inspections, graffiti removal, wood and Trex decking care, rubber surface patching, sandbox upkeep, landscaping coordination, and general repairs.

Interested parties must provide line-item cost estimates. Full RFB details, eligibility criteria,

and submission instructions are available at [insert website or contact info].

Deadline: July 1, 2025, 4:00 pm MST

Legal Notice No. CCC1107

First Publication: June 26, 2025 Last Publication: June 26, 2025

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant Public NOtice

Town of Georgetown – Request for Bids Strousse Park Parking Lot Renovation – Phase 5

The Town of Georgetown invites bids for Phase 5 of the Strousse Park renovation project, located at Rose & 5th Streets in the historic downtown district. Work includes excavation, sub-base installation, grading, crushed stone paving

Chuck Harmon, Mayor

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED: Diane Breece, City Clerk