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REDSTONE • REVIEW
JANUARY 18 / FEBRUARY 15, 2023
COMMUNITY Lyons women-owned businesses suffer Main Street fire By Tamara Haddad Redstone Review LYONS – A tragedy struck Lyons’ business corridor on December 15, 2022, at approximately 11 a.m. when a fire ignited at 402 Main St. The initial report by a Lyons Fire Protection District press release, based on interviews, revealed the fire was accidental. The extent and cause of the fire are uncertain. No one has been allowed in the building thus far. According to Sue Cullen, Lyons Fire Investigator, the building will need to be assessed by structural engineers to determine the extent of the damage and the cause of the fire. There were no fatalities, and only one tenant, Chelsea Grace, was taken to the hospital and released the same day for smoke inhalation. “I was in my studio,” said Holly Beck, sole proprietor of Bellwether by HJB Designs. “I smelled smoke, but no smoke alarms were going off, so I waited a minute to see if it was coming from outside.” At that moment, Beck did not know that there were no smoke alarms in the basement. She followed her gut and went down the west side stairs to investigate. “The smell became intense, but everything was calm and quiet,” she said. Then, Beck saw the light gray smoke at the east end of the hallway. Crystal Violet, owner of Tie-Dyed Turtle, was in early finishing her holiday inventory when Beck rushed into her shop. “Yes, that’s right. I just finished up my inventory when Holly came rushing in and said that there is a fire and to get out,” said Violet. “I didn’t smell anything and was shocked. I knew Chelsea would not be awake yet, so I left my keys and everything and banged on the door where she sleeps.” With Beck and Violet’s quick actions, Chelsea Grace made it out barefoot with a blanket hanging off her shoulders. Beck was steps ahead of her, warning the other tenants. “I was grooming a dog when Holly banged on my door, yelling to get out,” said Janae Sigg, owner of Lovely by Nature. “I grabbed the dog and my purse and ran out. When we looked back, flames were coming out of my shop.” Sigg continued, “Owning the grooming salon was my dream; I just celebrated my first anniversary.” Liz Durfee, the well established Rabbit Brush Gallery owner, ran downstairs, grabbed the fire extinguisher, and thought she had put the fire out. But, unfortunately, doors were opened in other parts of the building and the fire reignited. Durfee didn’t realize until it was too late that her life was the only thing to be saved. Rabbit
Brush Gallery featured the unique work of painters, printmakers, potters, and jewelry artists. She only worked with fair-trade artists, quite possibly because she is one. Durfee’s love for art started in college, where she double-majored in studio art and art history at CU Boulder. She first established Rabbit Brush Gallery in Hygiene. After a good run, Durfee brought her business and clients from far and wide to Lyons. “I was a little worried my clients wouldn’t find me. But, they did, and they enjoyed coming to shop in Lyons,” she
I unexpectedly got into retail, I really enjoyed it. I loved the spontaneous conversations happening about art and travel.” Bellwether organically became a stopping spot for people to engage one another with laughter and spirited dialogue. “I know I will never be able to replace my original collection of tools, but I am not going to be able to stop creating either,” said Beck. “I miss the work. I miss the people.” Luckily, Grace of 3Cs Art Collective was between art shows and contemplating whether she would host more art events.
Firefighters battle the fire that broke out the morning of December 15 in the 400 block of Lyons’ Main Street. PHOTO BY CHRIS RODGERS / CODE 10 PHOTOGRAPHY said. The aftermath of the fire lingers. “I was listening to the radio when a show came on about the victims of the Marshall Fire,” said Durfee. Her loss was palpable. She drove home to try and relax her nerves, an impossible request of her body and mind. She went through her old steps by loving her dog, putting on some tea, and lighting a candle. “I couldn’t light the candle. I just looked at the flame. Maybe it’s silly, but I couldn’t light the candle.” Beck echoed the same theme. “I don’t sleep well. I stay awake and wonder if I could have done something different. My artists trusted me with their work, and now it is all gone.” Not only was the loss of retail inventory insurmountable, but Beck also lost her art studio. “I started my craft as an apprentice in San Pedro, California, over 30 years ago. When I moved to Colorado, I brought my machinery and tools with me; they are a part of me,” said Beck. She opened HJB Designs at 436 Main St. in June 2017 and grew it into 402 Main St. in July 2021. “Creating is all I know how to do. After
According to multiple tenants, Grace’s two partners, Christie Snelson and Connie Luebbert, moved most of their inventory out the week prior. There were eight businesses, in all, affected by the fire. In addition to the abovementioned, Julie Hamilton, of Scope Accounting was not on the premises at the time of the fire. Megan Walsh, of Farmers Insurance, was alerted and got out without injury. Hamilton plans to reopen once she finds a location in Lyons to lease. “Lyons has always been so good to me,” said Hamilton. “The outpouring of support is why I will rebuild my business here; I really love this town and my clients.” Directly north of the billowing fire, Mayama Dance and Wellness was engulfed by the fire’s smoke for five hours. With popcorn ceilings from the 1960s equaling a positive asbestos test, Mayama is going through a whole abatement process. “All our contents are positive for combustion material. Everything has to go if it can’t be cleaned,” said Ali Kishiyama, Mayama’s co-owner with Jasmine Lok. “We’re on it.
Using stories to discover ourselves and each other By Janaki Jane Redstone Review LYONS – I have always been a terrible storyteller. Soon after I start trying to tell a story, I become self-conscious and think that everyone present is looking for inconsistencies in my story or judging the behavJane ior I am describing, so I veer off into long, boring, irrelevant asides to pre-emptively defend myself. During which unnecessary digression I lose my train of thought, trail off confusedly without having finished the original story, and everyone present, including me, is dissatisfied. But I love hearing stories and have always wanted to be able to tell stories about my own life without that self-consciousness and defensiveness. In 2019, I started actively listening to stories and studying how to tell them. Listening on National Public Radio to This American Life, Snap Judgment, and The Moth Radio Hour, I started to have some sense of what makes a good story, and even more, of how stories create a sense of community and underline our commonality. Which is how the Lyons Listens – Let’s Share Stories (help me find a better name for these events, please) got started. The plan is to have a monthly community storytelling time, sort of like The Moth Radio Hour, but not a competition, or “slam,” just people telling stories to each other. The next one will be on Friday, January 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lyons Regional Library. There will be an op-
We rented our old starting space behind the Stone Cup for a few months. It still has the floating wood dance floor we put in.” The Main Street building had recently changed ownership. Based on several accounts and a list of tenants’ complaints to the prior owner, there were issues with the building, including a leaky roof, mold, and electrical concerns. Therefore, the tenants were relieved when the building changed ownership a mere week before the fire. “The new owner set up a meeting to get acquainted with all the tenants,” said Durfee. “We were excited. He was open and appreciative of our businesses and the work we put into them; he had a vision.” Beck agrees, “The new owner has been very supportive and professional.” The hero of this story is the Lyons community and the fire fighters. As the fire engines pulled up, Moxie was sending over hot drinks and food, Marigold Restaurant opened its doors as a reprieve from the bitterly cold weather, and Laura Levy set up and promoted a GoFundMe account; local dollars came pouring in. This fund and additional donations are in the Lyons Emergency & Assistance Fund (LEAF). As of the writing of this article, the fund is over $80,000. So far, LEAF has dispersed two $500 checks to artists and business owners. Unfortunately, commercial fires are all too common. It is typical practice to allocate funds based on the tenants’ leased square footage. However, everything happened quickly, and in the midst of the holidays. It remains to be known how LEAF will distribute the remaining donations. Executive Director Lori Barton could not commit as she was out of the country at the time of print of this article. The Lyons community also showed up for an art show benefit sponsored by St. Vrain Market, Lumber Liquor, Spirit Hound, and Brian McCann Real Estate. “We (tenants) all agree with immense gratitude that the Lyons community made this tragedy bearable,” said Beck. A few of the businesses aren’t sure what their next step will be. A few are looking for their future Lyons location. Mayama will move back to its original location from Stone Cup when the mitigation is completed. Janae Sigg is reopening Lovely by Nature at 419 Main St. LEAF, as well as, numerous business owners and artists, have GoFundMe accounts set up on Facebook. Please visit Lyons businesses that do have their doors open. Now more than ever, ShopSmall/ShopLyons needs you. Tamara Vega Haddad is an advocate for small businesses and Lyons' economic development. She has an Interior Design Certificate, specializing in Biophilic Design, and works with Tucker Real Estate Group as an agent.
cover that there is more to them than we had thought can bring unexpected pleasure and connection. Hearing others’ stories helps us both to realize what we have in portunity to tell a story to everyone there, and we will also common, and to recognize that the assumptions we made break into small groups of two or three so everyone who about others and the world may be wrong. The impact is there gets to tell at least one story. can be that we become more open, humane, and comIf you want to practice beforehand, the Lyons Regional passionate, toward ourselves, those close to us, Library has a copy of the book How to Tell and to strangers. a Story written by the folks who direct the I invite you to take a risk, think about a stories for The Moth Radio Hour on NPR, story about “Habits” (this month’s topic), try or you can buy one. It is a comprehensive telling it to yourself a couple of times in the guide on how to tell a story well. If you are car, or the shower, or while fixing dinner, and interested in having storytelling in your then come and put your name in the hat and family or with friends, the library also has try again at the storytelling, or tell it when we Rory’s Story Cubes, nine dice with pictures break into twos and threes. We get to learn toon each side, to facilitate storytelling in gether: learn how to tell a story, learn about any language, among folks who can read ourselves, learn about each other. We get to and those who cannot. support each other in trying something new, There are also games and icebreaker in showing ourselves to each other, in creating card sets and online story prompt generaa more open, compassionate, and less isolating tors that can be used to entertain yourself, community. The event is open to anyone age your family, and your friends instead of an 12 and up, so the stories need to be family evening streaming the latest whatever you friendly, and they must be your story: meaning are binge-watching that week. one about you, if it is a true story; or if fiction, Loneliness is even more rampant since How to Tell a Story by the one that you made up. the pandemic lockdown and increased directors of The Moth Radio remote work and schooling, and loneli- Hour is available at the library. Janaki Jane has been a Lyons area resident ness is bad for our physical and mental since 2004 and writes on issues of society and health: it is as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, the re- mental health. She is the Program Director of the Wide Spaces search shows. Getting together to tell stories is a way to Community Initiative, a program of the Lyons Community Lisoften up the separation of groups and cliques and allow brary. The Initiative’s vision is “A Community of Belonging us to experience our common humanity. and Personal Safety for Everyone.” She can be reached at It is easy to think we know who people are, so to dis- widespacescommunity@gmail.com.