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September 11, 2014 VOLU M E 27 | I S S UE 43
HighlandsRanchHerald.net A publication of
D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
40,000 bees removed from home 30 pounds of honey produced in three months at Highlands Ranch residence By Christy Steadman
csteadman @coloradocommunitymedia.com The Front Range has healthy bees, said beekeeper Gregg McMahan. On Sept. 2, McMahan removed about 40,000 bees from a home in the 4300 block of Lyndenwood Point in Highlands Ranch. The bees most likely decided to make the Highlands Ranch residence their home about three months ago, McMahan said, because it typically takes them about three to four
months to establish a colony where they’ll survive the winter. “It was just a perfect little home for them,” McMahan said. “And they took advantage of it.” During their stay in Highlands Ranch, the bees produced around 30 pounds of honey, he said. It is not uncommon for people to discover that a colony of bees has taken up residence on a person’s property, but to avoid the problem, McMahan said to make sure the house is properly sealed and painted. He also said to be aware of any rotten trim board where bees may be able to gain access to a spot where they can colonize. At the Highlands Ranch residence, it took McMahan about four hours to complete the
removal process. He vacuumed them out alive, he said, and then removed the brood comb — the beeswax structure of cells where the queen bee lays eggs — and the honeycomb. The queen bee and the babies were also removed. McMahan said a few bees might have been missed during the removal, but the homeowner will not have any problems with the bees returning and rebuilding their colony. “It takes all the bees to establish a colony,” he said. Although they will not be released back into the wild, McMahan relocated the bees to a new beehive, a nursery of sorts, where he is trying to get them to reestablish, he said. “Then I’ll be taking them to let them do what they do naturally,” he said.
These bees were photographed outside an office building off of Highlands Ranch Parkway Sept. 5, three days after 40,000 honeybees were removed from a home in Highlands Ranch. Photo by Christy Steadman
Sparring sets tone in debate Hickenlooper, Beauprez meet on Western Slope By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com
The Fjellborg Vikings, a living-history group, give a fighting demonstration at the seventh annual Colorado European Festival, which took place Sept. 6 at Civic Green Park in Highlands Ranch. Photos by Christy Steadman
Opa! Prost! Cheers! European fest brings traditional food, dance, more to Highlands Ranch By Christy Steadman
csteadman @coloradocommunitymedia.com Vikings were a global force — they raided and traded everywhere. So it’s no surprise they made an appearance at the seventh annual Colorado European Festival, which took place Sept. 6 at Civic Green Park in Highlands Ranch. The Fjellborg Vikings, a living history group, were at the festival to teach people about the age of the Viking, which was 800-1000 A.D., said Fjellborg Vikings member Anya Bowman. Vikings affected all of Europe, she said, and the impact is far-reaching in history and culture. “We’re representing a time of turbulence,” Bowman said, “the early time when Christianity was coming to Europe. It’s a cool time period.” Along with the fighting demonstrations put on by the Fjellborg Vikings, attendees got to see performances from groups representing 11 different European cultures. Performances on the amphitheater stage at the park included musical concerts, cultural dances and a beauty contest. Several European-American communities were at the festival represent-
ing their homeland’s culture, including people from the following countries: Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Spain, Germany, Italy, Britain, France, Russia, Romania, the Ukraine, Sweden, Slovenia, Poland, among others. “We tried to involve all European cultures,” event organizer Lidia Wiggery said. “We just want to bring everyone together.” A main attraction of the festival was the European cuisine and beer garden. People were able to try traditional foods in the form of baked goods, meats and side dishes. “It’s so people can try something different and enjoy the atmosphere,” Wiggery said.
The public got an opportunity to sample European cuisine, including a European-style beer garden, at the seventh annual Colorado European Festival, which took place Sept. 6 at Civic Green Park in Highlands Ranch.
The Hellenic Dance group performs traditional Greek dances at the seventh annual Colorado European Festival. Dance groups representing different European countries performed every 20 minutes during the event.
Gov. John Hickenlooper and former Congressman Bob Beauprez swapped barbs during a lively debate in Grand Junction on Aug. 6, marking the first time the two gubernatorial rivals squared off this fall. On almost every debate topic — ranging from hydraulic fracturing to the death penalty and the state of the economy — the two traded jabs over who would be the better man to lead the state over the next four years. The debate’s energy was aided by a lively audience that often interrupted the candidates with cheers and boos. That was especially the case toward the end of the debate, when Hickenlooper and Beauprez were given the opportunity to ask each othBeauprez er a series of direct questions. Beauprez used his first question to attack the governor over his evolving position on the death penalty, focusing on the governor’s decision last year to grant a temporary reprieve to Nathan Dunlap, the death row inmate who killed four people at an Aurora Chuck E. Hickenlooper Cheese’s restaurant in 1993. “Yes or no, will you assure the people here tonight … that you will not grant clemency to Nathan Dunlap?” Beauprez asked. Hickenlooper — who once supported the death penalty, but who recently said he no longer does — said he has “no plans to revisit my decision and my decision stands.” “Government shouldn’t be in the business of taking people’s lives,” Hickenlooper said. Meanwhile, Hickenlooper turned the tables on Beauprez on another issue that the former congressman has used to criticize the governor — fracking. Hickenlooper touted his work on reaching a compromise on local control issues surrounding oil and gas drilling. The compromise kept anti-fracking measures from appearing on the November ballot — a result Beauprez had also wanted. “You said you wanted the ballot measures Debate continues on Page 6