Carbon Valley | Mead | Erie Consumer Report
Creating Community by Connecting
Firestone Charter Academy Students
At Firestone, our students are more than learners— they’re thoughtful, creative, and compassionate young leaders. rough a
or 303-772-3711.
Rolf & Andrea Kaumann intentionally relocated to Firestone 10 years ago to enjoy a di erent quality of life and to continue their careers as public servants. ey are actively involved in the Carbon Valley community.
Two years ago, Rolf was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. He needs a kidney. Rolf is a father of two boys, the youngest died at 29-years-of-age. His older son, who’d do anything for his dad, is deemed ineligible to donate his kidney due to health issues. While Andrea is doing what she can, “Rallying for Rolf,” she is also disquali ed from donating her kidney.
is family is looking for a living kidney donor What’s that? Carbon Valley has our own hero, Linda Allour, who’s donated one of her kidneys to her mother. In fact, November 5th, Linda and her older sister are going to Oklahoma so her older sister can donate a kidney to their little sister! “We are a family of living donors due to hereditary disease PKD,” says Linda. You can nd Linda on Facebook and ask her questions at www.facebook.com/lindalou.allour. Living donors signi cantly shorten the wait time for the recipient, plus they receive a longer-lasting organ.
Rolf likes classic rock, jazz, and alternative music, and classic movies. He appreciates zoos, aquariums, live cultural events, museums, and travel that includes visiting family. Above all, Rolf is a sailor. Certi ed as a sailor on New York Bay, he’s owned a sailboat and to this day can take the wheel with ease on Key West, Sarasota Bay, Florida and Traverse Bay, Michigan. And then there’s Andrea, his wife…you’ll have to go to www.rally4rolf.com to read their love story. Trust me, it’s worth the time.
Facts about kidney donation:
• Humans can live with 1 kidney, in fact many are born with just 1.
• If someone tests and is deemed an eligible donor but not the blood type for 1 person, there is a Paired Exchange or SWAP program, making it possible for multiple parties to receive a donation.
• You can read many success stories of those individuals who have donated a kidney and went on to continue living healthy lives and achieving athletic goals
• If someone donates their kidney and later, they or a family member needs one, they become fast tracked up the wait list due to their previous act of kindness. For more information on becoming tested to donate, please call (720) 848- 0855 or go online to: www.uchealthlivingdonor.org
Go to the National Kidney Foundation website (www.kidney.org) for more inspiring stories and information. To help our neighbor, Rolf Kaumann, please reference his name.
The Call
Kelly MartindaleOWNER/Publisher
What's OnMy Mind
speak to my grandma who’d come over for dinner. Taking the phone, she was told her 23-year-old son had drowned. He left behind a wife and two toddlers.
On September 10, a mom from our church received a call from inside Evergreen High School where her two sons attend. Desperate, the freshman son called telling her there was someone shooting in the school. “Don’t hang up, no matter what,” she begged her son.
Realizing her older son, Judah, wasn’t yet at school, she hastily warned him to stay away. Reconnected, mom and son prayed and stayed on the phone until they were safely together.
At about the same time, on the same day, in Utah, police received calls after another shot rang out, killing Charlie Kirk.
One week later, I received a call at 4:27 a.m. telling me my mom had died four minutes earlier.
September 2025 is one of the worst months I’ve experienced: e Evergreen school shooting, Charlie Kirk’s assassination, anniversary of 9/11, my mom dying, Alisha, my daughter, who died at nine, would’ve been 45, and one of my precious friends is very sick. As I write this, the month isn’t over yet.
In September, people across the nation received calls that’ve changed their lives forever.
Unfortunately, I started receiving those calls when I was ten. e rst came when I answered the phone and the caller asked to
• I received the call in 1990, that my daughter was hit by a car. She died six days later.
• I received the call in 2002, that my son had been in a fatal work-related car accident.
• I received the call in 2021 that my little brother was found dead in his home.
• Now I’ve added the call about mom to my growing “Call” list. I’m getting older so I suppose this should be expected. But it’s not easy.
I received another call many years ago. A call on my life from God. I was seven. Over the next couple years, I realized how much I loved to write. I’ve been writing since.
Charlie Kirk received his calling at a young age, and he ful lled it in 31 short years on this earth. He did more in those few years than most of us could accomplish in several lifetimes.
Judah, the senior and a musician at Evergreen High School, was called to write a song about his brother and the shooting, including the saving grace of our Lord. His song has now touched millions because of what God does and how He does it.
I praise God the two brothers weren’t physically injured. I pray for those recovering from injuries, and the students and families who’ve endured this tragic event.
e call on my life to write is the outcome
of God’s call for me to be part of His family. It’s a tough gig but I’m never alone in the day-today or minute-by-minute experiences, good or catastrophic. Yes, I get scared a lot. I wish I had the courage of Charlie Kirk. Maybe his example will help me grow in that area. My name means brave warrior. at’s how I want to live my life, bravely, but I let the world stand between me and my Lord. Sometimes the world is so loud and so big I can’t see Him or hear Him. I know that’s changing but I wish it would happen faster. I need to remember to put on my uniform every day, the armor of God, as written in Ephesians 6. I need to say yes to whatever God’s plan is for me, and refuse fear, and ONLY trust God. ***
As di cult as September has been, it’s also one of the best months because I know death holds no power over us now or those who’ve just died. rough Jesus, those who died are now part of the growing crowd of witnesses cheering us on to nish the race of life on this planet. ey are our encouragers, sustainers, and prayer warriors.
As Judah Cox expresses in his song, it’s not about conclusion of life on earth, it’s about reunion with Jesus in eternity. He’s our saving grace. You can nd him @judahalexandermusic
I hope you’ll consider joining Judah, his family, and me in this battle of good against evil. God is the greatest Commander in Chief one could ever rely on.
Obituaries and Memorials
Obituaries, Memorial Messages & photos are always FREE in our publications~ Please tell the funeral home to send obituary to us or you can e-mail to carbonvalley@gmail.com. Because we are a monthly paper, most funeral dates will be past. You may post funeral service information at www.facebook.com/CarbonValleyConsumerReport and we will share with the community.
Charlene Kay Steinbach Fordyce Swiger
January 4, 1941 to September 17, 2025
Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, to Carl and Maxine Steinbach on January 4, 1941, Charlene spent most of her life in Boise and Eagle. She graduated from Borah High school spring of 1959. at fall, she married Jack C. Fordyce, the rst love in her life, on September 20, 1959. In today’s language, their marriage would be considered impassioned. During their marriage they had four children, lived in and around Boise, landing the last four years out in the country where mom tended a huge garden, harvested, and canned produce. She kept us in homemade noodles while raising farm animals.
She loved visiting with her sisters and mom over pots of co ee. e kids were always told to “get outside and play!” She was on several bowling leagues, earning many 200 pins and other trophies and awards. She coveted Avon and wigs. We never knew what mom would look like when we returned from school. Her niece, Cheryl says, “I’ll never forget the frosty pink lipstick. Your mom wore it so beautifully. I still wear it, Covergirl Frosty pink .” roughout this marriage, (ended in 1974) Charlene showed immense creativity. She was a phenomenal seamstress and kept herself and daughters in matching polyester or corduroy out ts, complete with vests and blouses with pu y sleeves. ere were also dozens of annel nightgowns with matching sleeping caps like on Little House on the Prairie.
She enjoyed shing and hunting and made gorgeous owers out of the duck and pheasant feathers.
In the fall of 1975, Charlene married the second love of her life, Roger E. Swiger. Embracing Charlene and her four kids, he traded his chopper motorcycle for reenlistment in the Army for the bene ts, then moved the family to Fort Lewis, Washington. She continued her creativity working at the youth center, teaching ceramics, on the Army base. Eventually, the family moved back to the Boise area. ey were married until 1982.
With each new creation, everyone knew exactly what they’d get for Christmas i.e. bean bag frogs (her mom loved frogs), ceramic teddy bear or bunny banks that played music when a coin was dropped in, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, exquisite Barbie doll clothes (my sister and I wish we had them to this day), and ceramic Gar eld cats.
Always industrious, she worked as a waitress, in a meat processing facility, at retail stores, housekeeping at the hospital,
and eventually had a full-time business as a residential housekeeper. She would do whatever it took to complete a task. In fact, all you had to do was tell her she couldn’t do something, and she’d prove you wrong. Eventually, her back and knees forced her to stop the heavy lifting.
Her artistic endeavors moved into embroidering complicated pictures of ships, plants, geese, and other works of nature. You’d nd her sitting on her front porch watching the hummingbirds, squirrels and children playing. She loved squirrels so much she allowed people from outside the area to rehouse their squirrels to her home.
She found this same admiration for nature in her third love, Kim Baxter. He too, loved a beautiful yard and adorning it to t the homeowner. Together they designed and built a water pond that attracted wild ducks, kept the squirrels’ thirst quenched, and doubled as a bath for the variety of birds they enticed with di erent owers, seeds, and colorful decorations. It was a horrible loss to Charlene when Kim died. eir landscaping e orts brought joy, especially to the grandkids. ere were treasures placed around: colored rocks collected from camp trips, drift wood from the ocean, hidden bird nests, tinkling chimes, pots of owers, a story behind each, and swinging chairs to relax in while the pond sounds swirled in the background.
She was a voracious reader of novels of all genres, she loved doing laundry AND ironing, family photos lled every space of her walls, all her clothes coordinated down to her socks and slippers…then came the sh and dolls.
LOTS of sh and dolls. She’d search through bins at garage sales and secondhand stores, searching out Cabbage Patch dolls and Hugga Bunch dolls. She had a knack for cleaning them up, repairing them, even replacing hair, and then sewing new clothes for them. She also collected china dolls that lled several display cases.
For years she had too many tanks of sh to count. e sound of the pumps reverberated throughout her house. Once, she had a few mommy sh who birthed hundreds. She scooped them up and took them to the sh store to trade for other sh UNTIL she heard the clerk tell another customer he just had a bunch of “feeder” sh come in. She forced the clerk to bag up all her babies and took them back home. She loved her sh. A young grandson (Robby now Robert) poured bubbles into several tanks and all those sh died. Encouraged by his big brother, Jason, and uncle Chuck, the boys laid the sh out on a tray, from smallest to largest.
Arriving home from work, she cried at the loss (while we all still laugh at the memory).
Her eccentricities were widely known. She’d search for caterpillars, waiting for their cocoons, she’d snip them from their spot and super glue them to picture frames inside her house. Why? Later, she’d have live butter ies itting around her living room.
She would’ve been a terrible poker player as her face and words literally could not hide her thoughts. Audrey shares, “I always loved my grandma’s raspy voice and animated facial expressions. She has iconic phrases that anyone who’s spent any amount of time with her has heard, especially if they’re being sarcastic with her, ‘yeeeees!!!’, ‘well that too is true,’ and the best of all, ‘Oh Foui, Doui, Loui!’ (Or however you spell those 3 guys’ names).”
She enjoyed visits from her friends, family and the neighborhood children at her long-time home in Eagle where she lived forty years until her health started changing. Rick watched over her for the last ten of those years. en she moved to Priest River, Idaho to live with daughter, Peggy and her husband Bill. ere she enjoyed the hummingbirds, deer and other wildlife at her doorstep. She was able to spend time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren from that area and Washington while there. After that, she moved to Colorado to live with Kelly and Mike and spent time with her other grands and great grands, where she worked on puzzles and took walks with them. She then moved back to her Eagle residence, living with her niece Jenny, until her nal move when she needed extended care.
Charlene was blessed to make many new friends at Apple Valley Residence in Emmett. ank you for the love and care by all the sta and Marilyn, the director.
She was a second mom to Cyndi and Dell, several cousins, and many other friends of her children.
Your mom always made me laugh,” said Celynn (niece). “When I took her a pecan pie
EVERY Christmas for years, she would always say, ‘I ain’t sharin it with no one.’ I’d laugh & she’d say, ‘I’m serious.’ It’ll always be a fun memory for me. Celynn, mom always looked forward to your Christmas pecan pies.
From niece Marcy: My favorite memory about Aunt Charlene was when we would all get together and make divinity and Christmas cookies. All us girls would miss school once a year for this tradition. Plus, she would wear her hair in dog ears. at’s what she called ponytails, and she always smelled like Avon bubble bath.
From niece Carma: I remember she was queen of Clorox, and she ALWAYS wore panty hose with her shorts. One time she was cleaning the oor with Clorox, on her knees and the Clorox burned holes in her panty hose as well as burned her lungs. But her oors were clean by golly.
ank you, Carma, Cheryl, Marcy, and Celynn, for helping mom with all your visits, gifts, and trips to doctors.
Charlene was preceded in death by son Chuck (50), grandchildren Alisha (9) and Jason (23), her parents, her sisters Linda and Carla and brother-in-law Farrell, her brothers, Harley and Gary, Roger Swiger, and Kim Baxter.
She is survived by her rst love Jack C Fordyce, her children: Kelly Martindale (Mike), Rick Fordyce, Peggy Blewett (Bill). Her grandchildren: Robert, Audrey, Christina, Ricky, April, Christina, Nelson, Josh, Jake, Charlene (Cece), Madison, and Macy, and great grandchildren, Annah, ZoeAnn, John, Jason, Gavin, Mason, Braiden, Liam, Daisy, Terrence, Rayin, Rylan, Greyson, Addison, Madeline, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Lilly Ann. She loved Brandon, Ashley (Lonnie) and their girls, Devona and Lexi, as her own. She is survived by her Aunt Patsy, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Charlene loved Jesus. We’re grateful to the Lord that she is now healed from every burden, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She is free.
CVCR Election/Editorial Policy: The CVCR takes a non-biased approach in election support and Letters to the Editor. The CVCR does not endorse candidates but prints bios, platforms, and letters, FREE, as space is available and only edits for spacing.
Elect an Experienced Voice of Reason for Firestone Board
Samantha Meiring is running for election to the Firestone Board of Trustees in November. She has 8 years experience on the board, having been elected to two four year terms, one in 2014, and one in 2018. She left the board due to term limits. Since 2022, she has served on the Carbon Valley Parks and Recreation District Board, holding the position of President for the past two and a half years.
Samantha has a wealth of experience in all aspects of the regular Board of Trustees work, as well as serving in multiple additional roles including the Firestone Urban Renewal Authority Chair; Firestone Liquor Licensing Authority; Firestone Cultural Committee Trustee member; Firestone representative to the Colorado Municipal League (CML) Policy Committee; member of the CML Executive Committee; member of the CML Budget, Audit and Management Committee; and legislative liaison.
With a deep love for the community and a strong public service ethic, Samantha has built good relationships with a variety of di erent Board members and sta . She has a calm head and is able to look at things from multiple perspectives and works well with people with a wide di erence of opinions, always holding what is right for Firestone as her primary goal.
Samantha works for a large hospital network as a Program Manager managing a program for 800 Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners throughout the state of Colorado. Her skills in juggling multiple moving parts, communication, and hearing from multiple voices are assets she will bring to the Board.
Samantha looks forward to your vote on November 4 to bring a calm, experienced voice of reason to the Board.
Letter to the Editor Firestone’s Crowned King
Firestone once had real accountability. We had an independent Treasurer—Clifton Larson Allen, a national accounting rm—keeping watch over our nances. In 2020, AJ convinced the board to throw that safeguard out and hand oversight to his own employee. From then on, the fox was guarding the henhouse.
Our Planning and Zoning Commission once gave residents a real voice in development. AJ gutted their authority, leaving them with only the bare minimum required by law. The people’s oversight of growth in Firestone was reduced to a rubber stamp.
As mayor, I pushed to give the Parks Board power to oversee all park projects, including Central Park. at mission was stripped away before it even began. Another avenue of public accountability—gone.
Worst of all, the board surrendered the mayor’s most vital duty: setting the agenda. at power is the very tool by which the mayor steers the course of government. By handing it to the unelected town manager, the board abandoned its responsibility and gave AJ control over the direction of our town.
Firestone is no longer led by its elected officials. It is run by an unelected bureaucrat. When the board handed over the reins, it didn’t just give up power—it crowned a king.
Now the question is simple: will the people of Firestone take it back?
Drew Peterson
Responsible Growth: The Town of Mead is seeing exciting growth along Main Street, with new businesses making downtown a vibrant destination for dining, shopping, and community gatherings. Recent and upcoming additions include Domino’s Pizza, Metalworks BBQ, Highlandlake Brewing Co., the Mead Event Center, Maggi’s Kitchen, and Sweetflower Florist. Downtown is also gaining new infrastructure to support this growth. Construction on the Main Street parking lot, south of Town Hall, is complete. The new Mead Community Center further enhances
A Governance Update: The Town of Frederick Board of Trustees meetings are now being held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, following a resolution by the Board. I hope you’ll consider joining us, whether by attending in person or following along online. Your participation keeps Frederick strong.
One important effort underway is our work to secure an independent zip code that accurately reflects our community boundaries. This change would bring direct community benefits,
Welcome to Fall. I consider this to be the best time of the year. I hope you are enjoying it as well. Soon the ghosts and goblins will be haunting the streets of Firestone in their annual trek for goodies.
I want to address the water issue this month that has the attention of a lot of you:
This issue is our ongoing contract dispute with Central Weld
John Damsma-Firestone Trustee
Who is John DAMSMA? Out of high school, I enlisted in the US Air Force and served for 6 years. After being honorably discharged, I attended Calvin College with an emphasis on Psychology thinking one day I’d be a youth counselor. My career, however, was with United Parcel Service as driver and in management. I currently am the commissioner of a small adult baseball league and I thoroughly enjoy playing baseball too. I have been a resident of the Town of Firestone since 2008. My son and two grandkids live in the area and seeing them every now and then is a real treat.
What values and experience does DAMSMA have? Integrity, honesty, transparency in actions and a profound desire to guide our Town with scal responsibility and sustainable growth plans. Serving Firestone is in my DNA as I’ve dedicated time and e ort by being involved on the Firestone Parks and Trails Advisory Board, the Board of Trustees (2017), the High Plains Library District Board and currently the Firestone Planning and Zoning Commission. My experience has led me to: gain wisdom, be compassionate, be accountable, be humble, be a good listener, and have a good understanding of how the Town government works.
Why be a Trustee? I’m running for Trustee because it appears that the current Board of Trustees is in need of more than one critical thinker who are not afraid to ask questions and say “NO” if necessary. I am one of those critical thinkers and I have lots of questions. I want to be a voice of reason and truly represent the Town’s residents concerns.
What speci c changes would you like to see in Firestone?
Action to nalize development plans for a community focused Central Park. To employ a Town Manager whose intentions are unquestionably for the best interest of residents. To review the Town’s various departments to ensure e ciency and accountability. Revitalize Historic Firestone via new businesses and residential areas that are wanted by its residents. How can you be contacted?: By email: Damsma4Trustee@iCloud.com
Facebook: facebook.com/damsma4firestonetrustee and by phone: 303-726-1183.
Area Mayors’ Report—For those of us who don’t attend meetings
downtown as a hub for both residents and visitors.
Reliable Infrastructure: Construction has begun on a new Mead branch of the High Plains Library District, located on Townowned land just east of the Liberty Ranch subdivision on County Road 7. While the property is owned by the Town of Mead, the library’s construction, staffing, and programming are funded entirely by the High Plains Library District. With the groundbreaking complete, the community can look forward to enjoying the new library when it opens in June 2026.
Public Safety: The Mead Board of Trustees has placed a key ballot initiative before residents: a proposed 1% sales and use tax dedicated to strengthening the Mead Police Department. If approved, all revenue from this tax would go into a restricted account and could only be used for Mead law enforcement. These funds would support the hiring of additional patrol officers and school resource officers, as well as the construction of a larger, modern police facility. The new facility would include holding cells, private areas for victims, dedicated
including a more reliable mail service, stronger public safety, a clearer sense of local identity, and new opportunities for future economic growth. Your voice can make a difference in this effort. Visit our website to learn more and find out how you can help.
Frederick’s growth has always been about more than numbers – it’s about the quality of life we create as a community. That’s why we’ve launched Go Outdoors Frederick 2050, a communitydriven plan to guide the future of our parks, trails, and open space. By balancing today’s needs with tomorrow’s opportunities, this plan will help ensure our outdoor amenities grow in a way that is sustainable, accessible, and meaningful for generations to come. Please take a moment to share your ideas and help shape the projects that will have the greatest impact on our community: https://ayrs.io/skIedG
The National Community Survey is now complete, and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their thoughts. Your feedback is invaluable—it helps us understand what is working well in Frederick and where we can do better. We will be posting the
interview rooms, and secure storage. The current police trailer does not provide any of these essential features.
Fiscal Stability: Town staff are currently preparing the draft 2026 budget based on the Board of Trustees’ priorities discussed during several recent board meetings. This process includes forecasting revenues and expenditures, reviewing department requests, and collaborating with the Town Manager and Finance staff. A proposed draft will be presented to the Board for review, followed by final adjustments and formal adoption later this year.
Connected Community: Town of Mead residents can take advantage of one free trip to Front Range Landfill to dispose of yard waste or household trash. Vouchers will be available starting Monday, September 29, 2025, at the Mead Community Center during regular business hours. Stay updated on Mead’s events and projects by subscribing to our monthly Mead Messenger and signing up for email notifications: bit.ly/mead-emails. If you are new to Mead, check out the Resident Information page at bit.ly/47PocLg
full results on our website after October 15, and I encourage you to take a look. Together, we can use this information to keep building the kind of community we’re all proud to be part of.
One of my favorite opportunities to connect with you is through Mayoral Office Hours. These sessions give me the chance to hear your ideas, answer questions, and spend time with the community I love. Please join me at our next session on October 6, at 9am, October 15, at 4:30 pm or October 28, at noon and let’s keep the conversation going.
Finally, a couple of other dates to add to your calendar:
October 1: Join us for Coffee with a Cop at MeCo Coffee (318 Fifth Street). Meet your local officers who proudly serve our community.
October 19: Tiny Terror Town creeps back into Crist Park (105 Fifth Street) with spooky thrills for all ages. On your way, be sure to stroll through Downtown Frederick for our second annual Trick-orTreat Street for safe, family-friendly fun with our downtown businesses.
Wishing you all a safe and joyful fall season! FIRESTONE MAYOR, DON CONYAC
County Water District. The town believes that CWCWD is not adhering to the 1974 Contract that provides treated water to the town. The town had requested a Preliminary Injunction asking for protection from any adverse actions taken by CWCWD. At the time of the request, the town was withholding the disputed amount of the water payment to CWCWD.
The Preliminary Injunction request was denied, and the town immediately PAID the withheld amount to the district. Currently the town account is up to date, but this does not end the dispute as there are other legal remedies that the town is looking to pursue.
The town board has heard from you regarding the high water bills and we believe this issue is one of the reasons. What the town is ultimately wanting is to re-negotiate the 1974 Water Treatment Contract so that it is equitable for both CWCWD and the town of Firestone. After 51 years and all the changes that have occurred, not only here in Firestone, but along the Northern Front Range, it is time to update and clean up
the contract. Unfortunately, after several years of trying to get CWCWD management to come to the table, and re-negotiate a new contract, which CWCWD agreed to do in an earlier court settlement, they STILL have not acknowledged our attempts to do so.
Since 2019, CWCWD has raised our water rates 432%. This has been accomplished by per-gallon rate increases and the elimination of the 4000-gallon base charge allotment that was part of the base water charge. Next year starting at gallon one, you will be charged the per-gallon rate. The other way that has increased water bills is the tier charging that was implemented a few years ago. This is based on per thousand-gallon tiers. As an example, to illustrate this, the first tier is 1-5000 gallons at a base rate, the second from 5000-10,000 gallons at a higher rate, and so on.
Hopefully this information will help you to understand this issue a little better.
MEAD MAYOR, COLLEEN WHITLOW
Join us for Strength Training Classes 3 times per week on Mondays & Fridays at 9:30am, and Wednesday evenings at 7pm. See website for details and how to sign up! Visit https://beginlifeanew.com/group-fitness-classes/ or call 303.828.2856 for more info. Tracy Rewerts, NASM Certi ed Personal Trainer, Orthopedic & Arthritis Fitness Specialist, Corrective Exercise Specialist.
American Legion Friday Night Dinner on October 3, 2025
e fare will be Lasagna, Salad Bar, and Dessert for $15.00. Dinner is served from 6 PM to 8 PM or as long as the supply lasts. Karaoke is provided following dinner so come on out for the evening.
Friday, October 31, 2025 features an evening of Halloween fun. A baked Potato Bar, Salad Bar, and Dessert Bar will be featured for the evening from 6 pm to 8 pm. A $15.00 charge for the meal and no cover for the Halloween Party. is will be followed by an evening of Halloween Haunting fun. Karaoke, dancing, costume contest and maybe some cool games? Happy ghosting and plan to see you there.
American Legion Auxiliary #1985 | 870 1st St | Firestone 80514 | 303-833-4172
Frederick Room for Rent
Room to rent at the Farm in Frederick for non-smoker with no pets. 1 bedroom furnished/unfurnished with private bath. Wheelchair accessible with spacious park across the street. One thousand dollars a month includes Wi-Fi, kitchen access, amazon prime and Net ix along with small patio and barbeque. Lease can be renewed each month if the living situation is suitable for both parties. A deposit of one thousand dollars is required. Criminal history, 1 or more rental references and nancial statement are required. Looking forward to interviewing you. Please call Bill and leave a message at 970-215-2384.
Yard Waste - Recycle or Trash?
We love seeing yards looking their best. But don’t put yard waste in recycling bins. Yard waste includes leaves, grass clippings, dirt, rocks, sticks, branches, limbs, and yard trimmings. These items contaminate clean recyclables, and clog or damage equipment at recycling facilities.
Yard waste can go in your regular trash bin (not recycling). If you still have questions about what can be recycled, use Waste Connections’ handy online recycle guide to check before you toss!
Your Road to Home Wrap-Up: The Power of Books, Music, and Love
By Shereen Lisa Dudar
Before diving into each interview, Kendra Bajcar and Maxine Kary introduce their heartwarming podcast as a “guide to the people and places behind the heart in the Carbon Valley.” e August episodes showcase three incredible individuals that remind us what it truly means to lead with heart.
Kassie Haag is the co-founder of the Imagination Library of Erie & Carbon Valley, an a liate of Dolly Parton’s book gifting program. rough the Imagination Library, a child can receive up to 60 free books, spanning from birth to the age of 5. Kassie’s desire to create enriching environments for kids and give back to her community led her to champion this program locally. e Imagination Library is now in nearly all counties in Colorado and early literary skills have increased since it’s implementation. Kassie’s commitment has not only expanded the reach of the Imagination Library but has also left a lasting imprint on the community she calls home.
For those young and young at heart, Karen Reinhold of Enjoyable Noise invites her students to connect with music, and with each other, in a unique way. Ms. Karen is no stranger to noise – her household was lled with music at a young age, which she describes as the fabric of her family makeup. She has been in a piano teacher since the late ‘90s, but her approach is refreshingly di erent: private lessons held in a group setting. ough seemingly contradictory, this model is the catalyst for her students’ success. By being tuned into your own music while surrounded by others working towards the same goal, there is a sense of community – and maybe a little friendly competition. Ms. Karen aims to help her students nd the avenue to express themselves and develop into the con dent, creative individuals they are meant to be, one note at a time.
e last interview is a bit of a tear-jerker, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. Andrea Kaumann is on a mission, fueled by absolute adoration for her partner in life. Andrea and Rolf want what most couples hope for – to spend the rest of their lives happy, healthy, and together. Unfortunately, after a polycystic kidney disease diagnosis, Rolf needs a little bit of community support with the “healthy” part. He has done everything in his power to take care of his body, but his best chance at a long, healthy future is through a living kidney donor. So Andrea wrote a letter, she shared a glimpse into her love story, and she has led with vulnerability, sincerity, and hope as she asks the community, she loves so much to literally change another person’s life forever.
I encourage you to check out these podcasts for yourself if you haven’t already, which you can do at www.youtube.com/@kendrabajcar_ realtor. e Carbon Valley is a unique landscape full of passionate, creative, real people and this podcast is proof. And if you have a story you want to share, let’s start a conversation!
Kendra: (970) 571-0525 | Maxine: (970) 302-0048
Trick or Treat Street!
Health&WELL BEING
Food for the Soul: Living with Cancer
A rm reality in my life for the past 2 years is that I have prostate cancer- stage 4. In most minds, stage 4 of any type of cancer is a death sentence – just like a ticking time bomb in your living room just waiting to explode. Let me discuss with you why such facts needn’t ruin your day or your life.
For starters, I’m a 79-year-old fellow who has had a tremendously blessed and satisfactory life thus far, so why let it be ruined now by something as common as cancer.
May I add that my wife of 57 years, with my assistance, has blessed our lives with 10 children. And those 10 have further blessed us with 35 grandchildren, plus one on the way. In turn, a few of those sweet grandchildren, now married, have further enriched our life experience with 6 GREAT grandchildren. You could say we de nitely have a quiver full!
But that isn’t all.
55 years ago, I made the greatest discovery of my life, and it wasn’t a diamond mine or an oil well. I began a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that has radically changed my life for the better. At that very moment in 1970 He took away all my sins (forever)- and put His Holy Spirit in me. Besides all the baby blessings have come a multitude of spiritual blessings and relationships with other Christians that have given me and mine countless thrills and good memories and enjoyment that is out of this world.
And for the past 26 years we have been ‘living the dream’ of a country home with 5 acres- on which we raise beef and pork and chickens and a garden and room to romp & roam for the often-visiting grands and greats.
For an Iowa farm boy and his Iowa farm girl wife it doesn’t get any better than this!
When I’m in the eld raking or baling hay on my 1954 Massey-Harris tractor I truly feel alive and well. Or when moving something on my more modern Kubota tractor it blesses my soul immeasurably every time. Tonight, I’ll be loading the 2 remaining steers
Let’s do Bible Study: Type of Christ
for a ride in the morning to their Waterloo- the Valley Packing butchering place I use. Farm life doesn’t appeal to everyone, but it suits me to a tee. In other words, I love it!
1999-2025
So back to the reality of cancer- I’m NOT a victim. It has just become part of my reality, and I take it in stride. Mornings I go to my Longmont business, and afternoons to my church o ce. Yes, I still work full time, and plan to do so until I start drooling all over myself.
A car show awaits me in Platteville this weekend. I’m not wasting away waiting to die- far from it. I hope to contribute to the bene t of the world as long as possible.
And what then? Since the Lord issues ‘pink slips’ when our time here on earth needs to be over, I look forward to the next round of life, which lasts forever in His presence in the place we fondly call Heaven. What an exciting destination the next round will be! I hope that my mansion will be a log cabin, but only God knows that detail.
Let me leave you this month with a Proverb that has become my rallying cry these days and could be yours too. Proverbs 17:22 says this: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” A perfect verse for the person who now has cancer in my bones besides my prostate. I know no better instruction for everyone who wishes healing from on high than this one verse. God can give you a merry/joyful heart when you submit to His leadership as I did decades ago. You’ll be blessed now in this life, and for all eternity. I’m a walking advertisement for the truth of this statement. You can be too. I hope you will.
Jim Coleman pastors at Abundant Life Church, 4380 Highway 66, just 3/10’s of a mile east of I 25 on the south side of the road. Church starts at 10 am and you are invited. alcworshipwarriors. org is our website.
Most sermons I’ve heard about Genesis 3 and the eating of the fruit scenario, include comments like “Eve was deceived by the serpent, Adam just stood there and did what she told him to do. Both of them were deceived”. It seems to me that most people think that Adam is weak and complacent. But I don’t think that that’s what scripture actually says about him. Open your Bible and read(I use the NASB). Genesis 2:16-18; Genesis 2:22-25; Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12-14; 1 Timothy 2:14 From these, let’s ask a couple questions. Who was deceived? Who ate rst? Sin entered through who? Was Adam deceived? I have learned over the years that God loves when we question what we read and dig deeper. He loves it when we bow before His majesty and learn from Him. Let’s dig into some big questions. Adam is a type of Christ…. How? Adam was not deceived--Hmmm. Sin entered through man--Not Eve? Eve fell into transgression --not Adam. Adam sinned di erently than anyone else? Eve was deceived, but Adam’s sin was intentional, if he did it on purpose, why? How did Adam mirror Christ? ...Christ never sinned. Adam is
husband, who else is husband? I nd it helpful to stop time while I’m trying to gure stu out. Stand with Adam and Freeze Frame, look around. Adam and Eve are standing next to the tree. e serpent is doing his best to get Eve to eat of the fruit. ...she took from the tree and ate… Adam is standing watching all this. If Adam is anything like the humans I know, currently running through his mind are all kinds of stu like: “Do not eat from this tree! God said we would die. Eve you’re supposed to be suitable for me, this is not suitable to me! God made you for me and now you’re killing yourself, what are you doing?” “I can’t believe the wife God gave me is making this decision”...and she gave to her husband … At this moment Adam has 2 choices #1 Say no. Let her die in her sin alone. en he starts thinking some more. “She was made from me and for me. I left my Father for her and joined to her to become one esh. She is my wife. I have never been ashamed with her. I love her with everything that I am. #2 I can’t just leave her in sin and alone. She’s mine, She was given to me from God.” So Adam chooses ...and he ate…. Adam chose to follow Eve into death, into sin, because he could not bear the thought of her being alone and dying. He chose to eat because he loved her.... even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the o ense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come… Adam chose to eat of the fruit, he chose to give up his perfect home, perfect life, so his woman would not have to be alone. Ok. I think I am starting to see something here. But I still have questions about the husband wife thing. Let’s check out some verses about husbands and wives. John 3:29; Matthew 9:15 Who is the bridegroom? Revelation 19:7-9; Isaiah 61:10 Is the Lamb the bridegroom? Yes. What is the bride clothed in? Righteous acts, ne linen. Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9-10. What do we learn about the bride? Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 31:32; 2 Corinthians 11:2. What do we learn about the husband? 1 Corinthians 7:14. If this is true, then do you think Adam sancti ed Eve? Why? Ephesians 5:2233. How does Ephesians correlate Christ + Bride + Husband? How is a husband supposed to treat his wife? Are you seeing how Adam represents a type of Christ? How does this make you feel? FirestoneBibleStudy@ gmail.com