Redstone September/October 2026

RESIDENT / OCCUPANT PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID LYONS, CO PERMIT No 2053

Redstone Review stands behind the United States Constitution VOLUME 27, NUMBER 7

LYONS, COLOR ADO

$.50

SEPTEMBER 18 / OCTOBER 16, 2026

B •R •I •E •F •S Brief title Pesticides

LYONS LYONS ––text We know Climate Change Brief titleis correlated with the use of petrochemicals we must LYONS – text stop contributing to global warming by ending all synthetic pesticide. Pesticides can get rid of cheatgrass but that’s not the intention. The intention is to mitigate fires. But barren, dead soil can’t retain moisture, can’t prevent erosion, can’t mitigate wildfires but healthy soil can. So how do we protect the delicate soil layer? Let’s talk about regenerative land management and permaculture methods that prevent desertification, learn more NOVEMBER 6th at 6 p.m. at the Lyons Library. By the way, cheatgrass was a shortsighted solution to a problem 100 years ago. How can we avoid the same mindset that got us into this mess? Let’s get creative with OUR community and stop letting a few dictate our future. Tess McDonald is a wife and mother here in Lyons. She and the other moms (DandyLyons Brigade) have worked to end RoundUp and other synthetic chemicals since 2018. You might remember the DandyLyons Brigade floats in the holiday parades. They are now working to end dangerous aerial spraying of petroleum products on a county level. For more info visit: Detox Boulder County Substack. Lyons Transit Programs

BOULDER – Boulder County continues to work with the Town of Lyons regarding 2026 public transportation services for residents of the Town of Lyons. The Lyons Flyer has FREE daily service to/from Boulder Mon. - Fri. The schedule is posted on the town’s website. Midday service also continues in 2026. Visit www.townoflyons. com/lyonsflyer The zTrip Voucher Program for those who need transportation options is available again in 2026. Reach out to recreation@ townoflyons.com for more information.

issuu.com/sdcmc Like us on Facebook I •N •D •E •X MAYOR’S CORNER LYONS OPTIONS CONTRAST INSIGHT LOOKING UP SET EXAMPLES EXPLORE NEW IDEAS WHAT’S COOKIN’ COMMON CAUSE WHAT’S COOKIN’ ADVENTURE

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14

Rabbitbrush brings a burst of golden color to the landscape at Pella Crossing, a sure sign that late summer is beginning to give way to fall. PHOTO BY CATHY RIVERS

BOT discussed Second and Third Avenue improvements, estimates for wildfire mitigation work, and more By Kay Sparks Redstone Review LYONS – Two budget workshops preceded the September 8 Board of Trustees meeting. During the first workshop, Finance Director Eyestone presented 2026 fund balances, and department staff shared recommendations for the potential use of available funds. During the 2027 budget workshop, staff also sought board input on capital funding, operating expenses, personnel, and revenue priorities. As a follow-up to discussion from a previous meeting, staff provided an overview of the Second and Third Avenue improvement projects, along with the Safe Routes to School project. The presentation covered the status of project planning, available and potential funding sources, and coordination between the projects. Staff requested direction on the phasing of stormwater and Safe Routes to School work, as well as funding for the Second and Third Avenue project. The board supported continuing the design phase and work toward the Safe Routes to School project as a priority. Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sharon McKim answered questions about law enforcement data from July and August. Boulder County Sheriff’s Division Chief Oehlkers provided an update on the automated license plate reader system first presented to the board in March. The current contract with Flock Safety expires at the end of 2028, and the Sheriff’s Office is considering a transition to the Axon system. The division chief said access is limited to law enforcement, license plate searches must be connected to a case number, and records are retained for 30 days before being deleted.

The technology can assist with investigations involving auto theft, missing persons, and domestic violence. Board discussion also addressed the balance between privacy considerations and law enforcement use of the technology. Administrator Simonsen reported that the town had received the required estimates for wildfire mitigation work along the St. Vrain Trail extension. The work is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-September and be completed by the end of the month. Staff were also developing estimates for additional mitigation work on and around the perimeter of the Stacy Buyout Parcel and near the Botanic Garden property. The town has contracted for an organic, non-synthetic turf fertilizer application in Bohn, LaVern M. Johnson, and Sandstone parks during the second or third week of September. The board also approved a request for staff to provide a letter of support for the Watershed Center’s WaterSMART grant request. The board unanimously approved Resolution 2026-48, approving a minor subdivision at 4651 Ute Highway. Mayor Browning read a proclamation declaring September Suicide Prevention Month. The board unanimously approved the consent agenda after removing a letter of support regarding traffic-control measures on Ute Highway for separate consideration. The board directed staff to revise the letter to clarify the proposed work and then unanimously approved the revised direction. Mayor Mark Browning appointed Lynne Johann to the Planning and Community Development Commission. After discussion, the board approved the proposed 2026 supplemental budget items. Staff reported that additional 2025 revenue

and lower-than-budgeted expenses provided funding capacity for projects that had not previously been budgeted. The board scheduled the 2027 budget workshops for November 2 and 3. Discussion and direction following the August 29, 2026, board retreat was tabled to a future meeting. Staff requested board input on a resident budget survey. Board members suggested potential topics including wildfire risk, use of tax revenue, street improvement priorities, sidewalks and stormwater, along with an open-ended question for residents to identify other priorities. Staff will use the board’s input to develop the survey. The board then entered executive session to discuss a personnel matter. Kay Sparks lives in Lyons, and she is the chair of the Housing and Human Services Commission.

B •R •I •E •F •S RTD services and the EcoPass use the MyRide App, accessed via your smart phone for all passes. Lyons residents need to download and install the MyRide app, in order to access free use of any RTD bus or light rail including rides to the airport, and around Boulder, Longmont, and Denver. Learn more about the MyRide App and how to install the program. Learn more at www. townoflyons.com/ecopass CPW urges people to secure food sources to protect bears

BOULDER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is urging Coloradans to be especially Continue Briefs on Page 9

PAGE 2

LYONS, COLOR ADO

SEPTEMBER 18 / OCTOBER 16, 2026

MAYOR’S CORNER Infrastructure, fire mitigation lead town’s priority list By Mark Browning, Mayor of Lyons Redstone Review

Browning

LYONS – Recent efforts on both of those things are the subject of this column. I’ll focus on two important infrastructure projects—elementary school-area sidewalks and Second/Third Avenue. stormwater/streets—and where we are on fire

risk mitigation. Elementary school sidewalks For many years, parents of students and town trustees have sought to address the problem of students walking or biking to school through ditches and on busy streets with no sidewalks. Finally, $947,515 in funding ($758,012 from a State Safe Routes to School grant plus a $189,503 local match) was obtained for design and construction of long-delayed sidewalks. Now, however, with 30 percent of design done, the projected total cost has risen to $1.1 million, leaving a $400,000 shortfall. That shortfall was discussed at the September 8 BOT meeting. Options included delaying the project while more funding options for Third Avenue were explored (see below) or proceeding ahead using local money. The board chose to move ahead, identifying a remaining balance of $166,000 in the Streets Capital Fund, annual sidewalk funding of $60,000, and future street maintenance work ($350,000 “penciled in” for 2027) as

possible ways to pay for school-area sidewalks. Exact amounts of those sources (or others) remain to be determined, but the school sidewalks project will move forward. Timing depends on completing design and state review of that design, but mid2027 is the target. Second/Third Avenues This complicated project with a compliUpper Second Avenue road damcated history just got age. PHOTO BY MARK BROWNING more complicated (as major infrastructure projects tend to do), so bear with me as I try to explain where we are and how we got there. Like elementary school sidewalks, major stormwater and street problems on Second and Third Avenues north of Main Street have been a focus of residents and trustees for many years. The large capital costs exceeded available funds in annual budgets. Continue Infrastructure on Page x

have 27 beds available for up to six HHS October program to cover weeks of stay while individuals receive needs, counseling, education, scam prevention, safehouse services basic and other supports. The No Pet Left By Willow Fitzgerald Redstone Review LYONS – We’ve all experienced that unfamiliar phone number that we answer, only to have an automated voice tell us about an unexpected problem or an extended warranty. How are we to know when it’s real or not? Boulder County Attorney staff will present a program on Wednesday, October 14 from 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. at the Lyons Regional Library about the most common scams and how to prevent becoming a victim. Join us— it’s free. The Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN) is a human rights organization committed to ending violence against adults, youth, and children through support, advocacy, education, and community organizing in the Boulder area. SPAN visited the Lyons Housing and Human Services Commission (HHSC) at their August meeting to learn about local concerns and to share resources. SPAN’s services include a crisis line,

counseling, legal advocacy, a housing program, safety and planning information, and education to survivors of domestic or dating violence in the

Boulder Area. They provide information to anyone with questions about unhealthy relationships. SPAN serves adults, youth, and children, and provides community outreach education. One of SPAN’s most impressive services is their Housing Program and Emergency Shelter Program. They

Behind Program, a new project this year, in some circumstances allows survivors to keep their animal companions with them in Emergency Housing. In cooperation with other local non-profits and programs, SPAN can offer many other supports for animals too. SPAN’s resources are bilingual, available 24/7, and integrated with many community organizations. SPAN’s offerings are intuitive and expansive. Their visit with the HHSC focused on becoming aware of Lyons’ specific challenges as well as helping us inquire into our community’s strengths and shortfalls. Check out their website at safehousealliance.org/ or, for support, call 303-444-2424 (24/7) or email hotline@safehousealliance.org. Lyons Valley Townhomes. There are two-bedroom townhomes available at LVT for qualified applicants. NOTE: Monthly rent has been reduced to $1,427, a decrease of $500. Willow Fitzgerald is a Housing and Human Services Commission member.

L E T T E R •T O •T H E •E D I T O R Dear Boulder Valley School District Board of Education: I am a retired sociology professor from CU Boulder, where I taught and conducted research for 40 years. I taught many courses on race relations. I am also Jewish, born in Germany, from a family that suffered greatly in the Holocaust. My children and grandchildren attended Boulder Valley schools from K through 12. I think it is indeed important to combat real antisemitism by appropriate methods. I make these essential points: (1) Support of Palestinian human and national rights is not antisemitic. (2) Criticism of Israel is not antisemitic. (3) Opposition to Zionism is not antisemitic. (4) Discrediting the so-called Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is not antisemitic. All these statements and related actions are made by many Jewish people (see the link below to a statement by 16 European Jewish organizations). The ADL’s effort to brand these four actions as antisemitic has exactly the opposite effect. It makes many people angry about what they consider the excessive influence of rich Jews and Jewish organizations like AIPAC (American Israel Political Action Committee) on United States foreign policy (see Clifton and Lustick, Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power, (2026). The ADL is a completely inappropriate organization for understanding or coping with antisemitism. The ADL has become a lobbying organization for the state of Israel. It labels anyone who criticizes Israel or opposes the Gaza genocide as an antisemite. It scores colleges on an antisemitic scale by the number of faculty and students who express anti-Zionist opinions. It also works against politicians who support Palestinian rights. It would be excellent for the Boulder Valley School District to initiate or revitalize a program to combat racist thinking and behavior. Such a program should address racism against Jews, Moslems, Catholics, Hindus, Africans, Asians, people of color, and any other group enduring racist prejudice. Such a program should studiously avoid the misleading influence of the ADL. Sincerely, Tom Mayer Boulder, CO

M E M B E R C O L O R A D O PR E S S A S S O C I AT I O N EDITOR / PUBLISHER

PAGE DESIGN / PRODUCTION

COPY EDITOR

PRINTING

Susan de Castro Gierach Jen Deiley

Lady is a 4-year-old, 40-pound bundle of love with a short, stout little build and a big heart. She’s sweet, affectionate, and loves making herself right at home beside her people—especially when plenty of pets are involved. She’s also a smart girl who knows that posing nicely for cookies usually pays off! Lady absolutely loves playing with other dogs, and her canine friends bring out her fun, playful side. She really opens up around other dogs and is happiest when she gets a good mix of playtime and quality cuddle time. Lady would love a home where she can keep learning, enjoy time with dog friends, and have a family who will give her a little time to settle in and let her personality shine. With her perfect combination of playful energy and snuggly sweetness, Lady is ready to be someone’s lovable, short-and-stout sidekick. To see all our adoptable animals or get more details visit longmonthumane.org. Or stop in at the shelter at 9595 Nelson Road.

KathleenMassini BUSINESS MANAGER

Julie Hamilton

Adams Publishing Group A ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION IS $20. CALL JULIE - SCOPE ACCOUNTING 303-324-2869 OR MAIL CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Bonnie Chaim

ADVERTISING DESIGN

KathleenMassini

REDSTONE REVIEW P.O. BOX 68, LYONS CO, 80540 PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY REDSTONE REVIEW LLC. CONTENTS ARE COPYRIGHTED. NO PART CAN BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT CONSENT FROM THE PUBLISHER.

T O C O N TAC T R E D S T O N E R E V I E W: TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS, LETTERS, PRESS RELEASES & NOTICES:

redstarnews5@gmail.com TO PLACE AN AD OR FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING ADVERTISING:

Bonnie Chaim 303-442-4701 or redstonereviewads@gmail.com FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING BILLING:

Julie Hamilton 303-324-2869

VOLUME 27, NUMBER 7

LYONS, COLOR ADO

PAGE 3

LYONS slant from my little community of Riverside twelve impacted our local newspaper. Canada has now retaliatLetter to Redstone readers ical miles up Highway 7. ed by imposing their own tariffs against us. Our printing Dear Redstone Review Readers, For years, I have delightfully read my copy of our local newspaper that arrives faithfully in my Riverside mailbox in the middle of every month. I have enjoyed the historical articles over the years along with so many interesting pieces covering health advice, gardening tips, recipes, and life among wild animals. This publication does an awesome job covering town news, current issues and alerts, library events and book reviews, services and classes for youths, adults, and seniors, museum news and exhibits, art shows, concerts, plays, sports events, and lineups of artisans playing our venues from Planet Bluegrass to Sandstone Park. The ads reflect a growing community dedicated to the health, welfare, and needs of all locals. And who doesn’t smile at the Longmont Humane Society’s monthly pet for adoption? Two years ago this month, I became what the editor calls a “Redstoner,” volunteer writer and contributor. Writing is my passion, and this retired teacher enjoys coming up with a pertinent article each month, often with an histor-

Susan de Castro Gierach, as editor and publisher, started the Redstone Review in February 2000. This 26-yearplus run has been an incredible success up to this point. However, local newspapers in the United States are closing at a rate of more than two per week, totaling nearly 3,500 closures since 2005. Over the last 20 years, our country has lost about 40 percent of its total newspapers, dropping from nearly 9,000 to under 6,000. Rural areas and independent publishers face the highest risk, and that includes our very own Redstone Review. Newspapers have always been the mainstay of accurate news, and even now you find that most TV newscasters are quoting information from the newspapers. The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal are still the papers that many TV journalists turn to for accurate information. It’s newspapers that do all the research. This means that many people get their news off the internet, which is often very inaccurate. That’s right, folks. The fate of the Redstone Review is in real danger. Why? The recent 50 percent tariffs that Trump has imposed on Canadian goods have directly

costs are rising because the paper used by most newspaper printers comes from Canada. And because the US no longer makes aluminum, all the aluminum plates that our printing company uses for our page layouts have to be purchased from Canada. What can we all do? The public needs to stand up and help. That means all of us. How? Well, for starters, I am sure the paper would appreciate a donation. And we could pay a yearly $25 subscription to the paper. Donations and subscriptions can be sent to Redstone Review, PO Box 68, Lyons, CO 80540. Please don’t allow this wonderful newspaper to go the way of so many other small-town publications. We don’t want to have the Lyons area become a news desert with zero local news coverage. The Redstone Review is a gem of a newspaper that gives us locals real news not published anywhere else. Please reach out and help this newspaper survive after being in print for over 26 years. Annie Muldrew-Pancoast lives in Riverside and is an avid newspaper fan.

Several different folks from both Lyons and Lyon have over time, but Cathy Rivers, myself (Sora Huff), Abbie Sister Resisters: Lyons, Colorado, Lyon, France joined Charlet, and John Matthews have been the core group. By Sora Huff Redstone Review LYONS – Lyons Neighbors 4 Democracy (LN4D) formed in early February 2025 by six sturdy folks braving the cold to defend our democracy from the current administration. It grew quite rapidly. We joined Mobilize/Indivisible, an organization that facilitates national protests. We pledged to meet every Saturday for as long as it took and for every national protest organized by Mobilize. Mobilize publishes a map of all national protests that can be accessed by zip code or city name. LN4D’s largest protest, NO KINGS March 28, 2026, drew in 575 protectors, many of whom found us through Mobilize. We often see folks coming in from neighboring towns like Boulder, Longmont, Pinewood Springs, etc. But this

A screen shot of one of our Zoom calls caught by Cathy Rivers with Abbie Charlet, Cathy Rivers, John Matthews, Lydia Volti, Sora Huff and Catherine Coolidge.

time we had a registrant, Mickie Farrance, who emailed saying she was sorry she couldn’t attend because she was not in Lyons, Colorado, but in Lyon, France. She said she was really interested in putting together a Sister Resister relationship between Lyons and Lyon. We all found this wonderful concept to be very supportive and energizing. The two groups exchanged letters of support to be shared for the March 28, 2026 NO KINGS protest. This protest had an estimated attendance of eight million protectors nationally and another one million overseas. Mickie connected us with Abbie Charlet and John Matthews, members of Democrats Abroad, who have stayed in contact ever since. John Matthews is a CU Boulder graduate who has lived in Lyon, France for years and is still a registered voter here in Boulder County. He has fond memories of Oskar Blues. We shared lots of lengthy emails, and Abbie decided to organize a Zoom call so that we could actually meet. The first calls were a bit chaotic. Their group had a regular meeting at a local bar for TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) Tuesdays. Several folks would be on one phone, and conversation was a bit tricky. But enthusiasm was rampant. Over time, Abbie scheduled a Zoom call for every second Tuesday of the month to share ideas and viewpoints from overseas. Each participant is on their own device, and conversations are always wonderfully enlightening and supportive.

On one of the recent calls, they were remarking on our persistence for over 18 months and said that street protests in France were very competitive because the French protest all the time about everything. So, they found other ways to connect. One way was to do movie showings and have discussion groups afterwards. We loved that idea for LN4D in the fall, and then a remarkable opportunity opened up. The multiple award-winning director, screenwriter, and producer Bobby Roth has put out a documentary called Lightworkers and is sponsoring showings around the country followed by a Zoom QandA with the director. LN4D was chosen for a screening which will be held at the Lyons Community Library Friday, September 25, 6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m. followed by the Zoom call. Admission is free. All are welcome. Roth describes his work as follows: “Thirty-seven diverse men and women confront the problem of saving their Democracy from Fascism. I posed 12 questions to a diverse and dynamic group of American citizens who I considered positive forces and recognized them as LIGHTWORKERS.” https://vimeo.com/1182274536?fl=pl&fe=cm Sora Huff is a member of the Lyons Neighbors 4 Democracy.

home or installing ember-resistant features. Wildfire mitigation rebate match continues in Lyons your3.AfterApply for Boulder County’s rebate. completing eligible mitigation work, submit the Kim Mitchell Redstone Review

LYONS – As wildfire remains a concern for communities across Colorado, the Town of Lyons continues to offer a wildfire mitigation rebate program to help residents reduce wildfire risk around their homes and properties. The rebate program provides two potential sources of financial assistance for qualifying households. Residents may be eligible to receive up to $500 through Boulder Count y’s Wildfire Partners rebate when they complete eligible wildfire mitigation activities. Examples include clearing flammable vegetation and JOHN F. RUSSELL/STEAMBOAT PILOT & TODAY debris, upgrad-

ing attic vents, or replacing wooden fencing where it attaches to a home with non-combustible materials. The Town of Lyons offers a matching rebate of up to $500, allowing qualifying homeowners to receive up to $1,000 total toward eligible wildfire mitigation work. The first step in qualifying for the Town rebate is the free Wildfire Home Assessment through Wildfire Partners, which is available at no cost to Lyons homeowners. During the assessment, a wildfire mitigation specialist evaluates the property, identifies potential vulnerabilities and provides recommendations for reducing wildfire risk. The assessment can help homeowners prioritize mitigation work based on the specific characteristics of their property. How to get started this fall 1. Schedule a free home assessment. A trained specialist will evaluate wildfire hazards and recommend property-specific improvements. 2. Complete mitigation work. Homeowners may work with a contractor or complete eligible projects themselves. Recommended work may include removing vegetation and other combustible materials within five feet of the home, removing junipers near structures, replace wooden fencing with noncombustible material for at least the first five feet of fencing that directly contacts

dan siddall broker/owner

Cell: 303-918-8400 Email: siddallteam@gmail.com Website: www.gateway-realty.com 324 Main Street, PO Box 217 Lyons, CO 80540

required before-and-after photos and other documentation to Boulder County for verification and rebate. 4. Apply for the town of Lyons rebate match. After completing the mitigation work and Boulder County rebate application, eligible Lyons residents may apply for the town match. Lyons residents who complete more than $500 in eligible mitigation work in 2026 may qualify for the town matching program. For example, a homeowner who spends $1,200 on eligible mitigation work could potentially receive $500 from Boulder County and an additional $500 from the Town of Lyons, reducing the homeowner’s out-of-pocket cost. Residents interested in participating are encouraged to apply while funding remains available. Rebates are subject to available funding and are awarded on a first-come, firstserved basis. Home assessments and rebate assistance are intended to help residents identify potential wildfire vulnerabilities and offset some of the cost of recommended improvements. Applications for the town match are available online at townoflyons.com/wildfirerebate. Kim Mitchell is Director of Communications and Community Relations for the Town of Lyons. Kim is a small-town enthusiast who has called Lyons home for the past 17 years.

PAGE 4

LYONS, COLOR ADO

SEPTEMBER 18 / OCTOBER 16, 2026

OPTIONS L E T T E R •T O •T H E •E D I T O R Vote no on 134 and 135: Let parents be parents By a concerned parent Redstone Review BOULDER – I’m a parent of a transgender kid. Like every parent, I want my child to grow up safe, healthy, confident, and surrounded by people who see them for who they are. I’m choosing to submit this letter anonymously because my family values our privacy and, like many families with transgender children, we live with a real fear of harassment when we speak publicly about our child and who they are. That’s why I’m voting no on Propositions 134 and 135. I don’t see these as abstract political questions. I see my kid: homework, friends, favorite foods, bad moods, big dreams, and all the ordinary ups and downs of growing up. Being transgender is one part of who my child is, not the sum of who they are. What concerns me most is that both propositions are poorly written and remarkably vague about how they would actually work. Proposition 134 aims to prevent transgender children from participating in school sports and reaches from kindergarten through college, putting rules around who can participate in school and collegiate sports based on sex. Sports matter. They give kids community, confidence, friendships, discipline, and a sense of belonging. Every student should be able to participate without having their identity turned into a test. Under 134, what happens if someone accuses a student of being transgender? Who investigates? Who performs the required physical “verification”? What exactly are they verifying? Who pays for it? The measure doesn’t clearly say. There is also no clear appeals process for the accused. Imagine telling a child that because someone thinks they are too fast, jump too high, or look “too tomboy,” they may have to prove their sex to an unknown person. That isn’t something I want for any child. The reality of transgender athletes is also more complicated than the picture often presented. Many trans teens take puberty blockers, and some are actually at an athletic disadvantage compared with peers who have gone through puberty. Puberty blockers are safe and temporarily pause puberty, which resumes when the medication is stopped. Puberty blockers are also prescribed to non-transgender children for other medical conditions. Kids have different bodies, abilities, talents, and levels of athleticism. We don’t question a child because they’re

unusually fast or can jump unusually high. We shouldn’t start questioning whether they are “really” a boy or girl because of how they look or perform. Proposition 135 is equally troubling. Proposition 135 would prohibit health care professionals from performing any surgery on a minor “for the purpose of altering biological sex characteristics.” When people hear “gender-affirming surgery for minors,” many picture genital surgery. That is not what is actually happening to transgender minors in Colorado or anywhere in the world. Genital surgery involves extensive evaluation over years, and referrals from medical professionals, specialists and therapists before a patient can even get on a list for a first consultation. What surgeries have occurred, on very rare occasions, are procedures such as breast reductions. These aren’t uniquely transgender procedures. Breast reductions can be performed on non-transgender boys with gynecomastia, just as they can be performed on girls whose breasts cause chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain. Yet 135 would put government between families, patients, and their doctors in making highly personal medical decisions, while leaving important details and definitions unclear. As a parent, I believe my job is to listen to my child, understand what they need, and make thoughtful decisions with the doctors and professionals we trust. I don’t need politicians inserting themselves into those relationships. You don’t have to be an expert on gender identity to understand the basic principle: parents should be able to parent, doctors should be able to practice medicine, and kids should be allowed to grow up without having their bodies and identities turned into political battlegrounds. I want what every parent wants: a healthy child, a good education, meaningful friendships, the chance to participate in sports, and the freedom to grow into the person they are meant to become. We may disagree about many things. But surely, we can agree that children deserve dignity, families deserve privacy, and parents deserve a voice in raising their own kids. Government does not know my child better than I do. Please join me in voting no on Propositions 134 and 135. And let’s think very carefully before giving government powers over children’s bodies that we would never want exercised over our own. Note from the editor: It is rare for the Redstone Review to print an anonymous letter from anyone. But on some occasions, the issues are so sensitive that a person or child could be endangered by the comments in a letter. We take that seriously, and on these occasions, we honor the wishes of the person writing the letter.

Eons: More Interesting than just dinosaurs By Peter Butler Redstone Review LYONS – Recently I’ve been on the Paleo diet. Paleo TV, that is. We are usually served a never-ending platter of murder mysteries for our entertainment, but I have been excavating tastier morsels. Butler If you ask any kid what their favorite dinosaur is, the answer is always completely predictable—T Rex. Call me a cynic, but I sometimes wonder whether that choice is because it’s virtually the only ancient life form that Hollywood dishes up to scare us, or whether it is just easy to spell, and easy to remember. The question is never “What is your favorite trilobite?” or “What is your favorite megafauna from the Pleistocene?” That last one is easy in my case: the Megatherium, an oversized blend of a giant ground sloth and a giraffe on steroids up to twenty feet tall. I first saw an artist’s impression illustration of one when I was a kid in some nature book my parents gave me, and it made an impression that has stuck. The Pleistocene epoch finished about twelve thousand years ago, so we only just missed it. For years, my lunchtime TV viewing has been short, just enough time to consume a sandwich or a bagel in a few minutes of relaxation before returning to my rigorous discipline of sudokus and making things out of wood that nobody wants. Eons is a program on PBS that began as a

podcast or YouTube channel made by a scrappy gang of paleo nuts from the University of Montana.

A museum exhibit brings the giant ground sloth Megatherium to life. Maybe that’s disrespectful: a dedicated group of super knowledgeable academics and other enthusiasts. It’s now in Season Eight, and over the years I have seen their hair brighten to ever whackier colors, with more tattoos and piercings appearing. They would stand in front of a set Continue Eons on Page 14

www.LyonsPT.com • 303.823.8813

By Monique Sawyer-Lang Redstone Review LYONS – School is back in session, September is well on its way to being done, and fall is making an appearance. That means the Lyons Redstone Museum will Sawyer-Lang soon be closing for the winter, and you have through September 30 to stop in to see the four new long-term exhibits and the two temporary displays that were installed this summer. Let’s take a closer look at one of those long-term exhibits, The State Bank of Lyons. Originally donated in 1983 by the son of banker O.J. Ramey, the large bank teller cage has long been a fixture in the first-floor exhibit room. Over the years, additional items and documents have come into the museum’s possession related to the history of banking in Lyons. In 2025, with the support of a grant from the Lyons Community Foundation, we decided it was time to put that history together and then opened the exhibit in June 2026.

Although Lyons was founded in 1881, and officially incorporated as a town in 1891, one of the amenities it lacked was a bank. Residents had to travel to Longmont or Boulder to do their banking. In the December 26, 1890, edition of the Longs Peak Rustler newspaper, resident Charley Bradford called for the local businessmen to organize a bank. It would be several years before that dream would become a reality. In December 1903, the Bank of Lyons located at 415 Main Street was started by George Stickney. Stickney had originally been a banker for First National Bank of Grand Haven in Michigan. The bank operated at this location for almost three years before relocating to the Wilcox building at 426 High Street, the current location of Ralston Antiques. George’s daughter Marion, who was afflicted with consumption, her husband Marvin, and their two children came to Lyons in the summer of 1908. Marvin began working for his father-in-law at the bank. That same year, on August 1, the name of the bank was legally changed to The State Bank of Lyons. On view is a reproduction of the bank’s Certificate of Authority to operate under the new name. The original resides safely in our archives. George Stickney passed away due to pneumonia on October 17, 1916. Marvin continued to operate the bank and, in 1917, hired O.J. Ramey. At this time, the bank moved into its new location, the Turner-Stevens building at 401 Main Street, where it operated successfully for many years. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, The State Bank of Lyons struggled, as did many banks at that time. Marvin Turner passed away in 1931, and O.J. Ramey continued bank operations. The bank was officially closed and liquidated on March 4, 1933. O.J. Ramey then turned his attention to running an insurance and real estate business at that location. Continue Money on Page 10

Thank you readers, for your subscriptions and your donations. For those of you who can donate, but haven’t yet, please consider a donation. If new tariffs are imposed on Canada, there will be a 25 percent increase in the prices of paper and gas, which will disrupt much of the newspaper industry, according to Adams Publishing Group, in Cheyenne, WY. You can donate to Redstone Review by check to PO Box 68, Lyons CO 80540 or by credit card by calling Julie Hamilton at Scope Accounting in Lyons at 303-324-2869. In 2023, the rate of newspaper closures in the U.S. increased to an average of 2.5 per week, up from two per week in 2022. Thank you for your support.

Expect to get Better!

Lyons Physical Therapy - the Experts in Human Movement

Money: The history of banking in Lyons

years

REDSTONE R •E •V •I •E •W

VOLUME 27, NUMBER 7

LYONS, COLOR ADO

PAGE 5

CONTRAST wintering areas, decreasing their chances of winKilling animals with our mobility terancestral survival. Amphibians and turtles that for thousands of years each By Greg Lowell Redstone Review

LYONS – The millions of miles of our modern road systems have made our lives easier, yet made the lives of animals we share this planet with much, much harder. Lowell Ben Goldfarb, author of the book Crossings, said we kill “not with malice but with mobility.” He continues, “… there may be nothing humans do that causes more misery to more wild animals than driving.” No matter our conveyance—car, truck, bike, or motorcycle—the result is still the same. All of them require roads, and roads are deadly to wildlife and have a negative effect on the environment. Crossings details how our highways, city streets, and even dirt roads are changing the ecology of our planet. It introduces the term “road ecology,” which is loosely defined as the study of “how life changes for plants and animals with a road and traffic nearby.” There are four million miles of roads in the United States, nearly all of them built without a thought for how they would affect nature. Worse, we are exporting our automobile lifestyle around the globe, where more than 15 million miles of new paved roads will be built by 2050. “Horrifying, unavoidable, justified” Naturalist author Barry Lopez used these words when he likened the carnage of animals killed on roads to the loss of lives in wartime. His point is that we accept the everyday destruction of wildlife in our automotive lifestyle as we would accept casualties in a war. While the roadkill of marquee wildlife like deer or elk is obvious, less so are the billions of frogs, salamanders, butterflies, birds, and smaller mammals that fall to our vehicles and roads. Wild animals that operate on thousands of years of instinctual travel patterns don’t recognize the recent danger of modern roads. But it’s not just roadkill; there are also less obvious environmental effects of roadway noise and chemicals on the surrounding landscape. For birds, who survive largely through hearing, road noise is harmful. Owls can’t hear the faint tread of rodents in the night, songbirds’ mating calls are drowned out, and calls of alarm are muted. Certain birds give highways a wide berth precisely because of the noise. There’ll be no bobolinks in meadows near highways. Chemicals used to maintain roads are hazardous. Twenty million tons of salt are spread annually on U.S. roads to de-ice, killing roadside trees and contaminating wetlands,

streams, and ponds. Oil and gas leaks and spills from our automobiles are obvious polluters, but so too are the unconsidered effects of items like tires. Tire manufacturers add a preservative called 6PPD to keep tires from wearing down too fast. Tons of this chemical are shed annually as dust on roads and drain off into waterways; 6PPD was shown to kill salmon in Puget Sound during their spawning runs upstream.

This illustration is a vintage magazine cover titled “The Haunted Auto” created by artist Alfred Zantziger Baker for the April 20, 1910, issue of Puck magazine. Faint, glowing outlines of ghostly farm animals and pets - —such as chickens, ducks, pigs, and cows—swarm around the vehicle, symbolizing the early impact of cars on animals. The moving fence Traffic on interstate highways is described as a “moving fence.” Interstate I-70 in Colorado is so forbidding to wildlife that conservationists call it the “Berlin Wall for Wildlife.” The near-constant stream of traffic creates a serious impediment to the seasonal movement of deer and elk. The animals lose their ability to travel to and from their

spring have followed the same paths to breeding and feeding in vernal pools will doggedly continue their migration over lethal roads year after year until the local populations disappear. Pausers, avoiders and speeders How exactly do roads hinder animals? A 2016 study classified animals by how they react to roads. There are nonresponders like frogs that hop across the road no matter the peril. Then there are pausers like skunks and porcupines that creep onto highways, then stop, unsure of the macadam. Wary, cautious animals like bears are avoiders who steer clear of even rural roads. Then there are speeders like deer who have evolved to outrun predators, but who fail to calculate the danger of 70-mph “predator” cars. Simply put, animal evolution that has taken place over thousands of years to live in a certain environment under certain conditions has not caught up to—and perhaps never will—the very short (about 100 years) period of modernity that created roads. Overpasses, underpasses and tunnels Federal and state agencies have been slow or at times reluctant to address the deadly effects of roads, yet there’s a glimmer of hope that at least some states are putting in place measures to mitigate the damage. Overpasses, underpasses, and fences to guide wildlife to them are gaining acceptance with highway engineers and state wildlife agencies. The overpasses are wide, vegetated, and provide safe passage for animals. Underpasses serve the same purpose but also accommodate animals that are more secretive, like mountain lions and smaller mammals. The costs of such structures are a tough sell to state agencies who are often budget-constrained. In an effort to convince road builders, a 2009 study quantified the cost of wildlife collisions. It showed that moose or deer/vehicle collisions had an annual U.S. cost of $8 billion ($12.5 billion in 2026 dollars). And that dollar figure didn’t include the 200-400 drivers killed each year. Here in Colorado, there’s hope. The state currently has 100 versions of wildlife crossings, with the most prominent being the Greenland Wildlife Overpass located on I-25 between Larkspur and Monument that spans six lanes of traffic and connects 39,000 acres of habitat. Despite good news like this, the number of dedicated wildlife crossings in the U.S. pales in comparison to the huge road network. Roads in our forests It’s not only high-speed roads with heavy traffic that affect animals. Places like our nearby Roosevelt National Forest have a spiderweb of roads that infiltrate the forest. These Continue Mobility on Page 11

for a practical conversation about end-of-life choices and September has a way of feeling like a fresh start alsplanning. We’ll discuss options including green burial, terramation, and aquamation, as well as preplanning, funeral By Kara Bauman Redstone Review

LYONS – School is back in session, routines are settling in, and the first hints of fall show up around town. At your Lyons Community Library, we’re heading into the season with a new way to keep your Bauman reading list full and plenty of reasons to come see us in person, too. First up: if you’ve been a CloudLibrary user, it’s time to meet Hoopla. The library has transitioned its CloudLibrary collection to Hoopla, giving Lyons cardholders a new way to borrow ebooks and audiobooks. Through Hoopla Flex, each patron receives five borrowing credits per month, with a fresh batch resetting at the beginning of each month. Some titles are available immediately, while others may have a waitlist and can be placed on hold. And don’t delete Libby as we still offer a digital collection through that app too. Hoopla and Libby are separate apps with separate collections, so having both gives you more titles to browse, more holds to place, and more chances to find what you want when you want it. Download the Hoopla app, connect your Lyons Community Library card, and start browsing. And, as always, if getting set up feels less than intuitive, bring us your device. We’re happy to help. Prefer a little less screen time? We’ve got that covered, too.

On Wednesday, September 23 at 2:00 p.m., we’re offering a special weekday-afternoon edition of Nature Journaling with certified nature journaling educator Leslie Young. Leslie will introduce simple techniques for slowing down, observing closely, and recording what you notice through sketching, writing, and questions. No artistic experience is required (really). Bring a journal or sketchbook and something to write with if you have them, or use supplies we’ll provide.

Then, on Tuesday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m., we’ll tackle a subject that most of us know we should think about but may not know where to begin. Colorado Death Care: Logistics and Legacy brings together local death-care profession-

services, personal wishes, and legacy planning. Come with questions. This is meant to make a complicated topic easier to understand and talk about. October begins by looking skyward. Boulder County Open Space volunteers join us Thursday, October 1 at 6:30 p.m. for Birds of Prey. Learn how to tell the hawks, eagles, and falcons flying over Boulder County apart using field marks, behavior, habitat, and season. If you’ve ever looked up at a big bird circling overhead and confidently declared, “Eagle!” only to immediately wonder whether you were right, this one’s for you. And on Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m., we kick off a three-part Declaration Book Club, using Monticello’s reading materials to explore the history, ideas, and continuing legacy of the Declaration of Independence. We’ll consider the document in its historical context, how its principles have been interpreted over time, and the ways those ideas have fueled both progress and debate throughout American history. Additional discussions are November 3 and December 1. Registration is requested so we can send you the free readings in advance, and printed copies are available upon request. On Thursday, October 15 at 5:00 p.m., we’re launching a new recurring program especially for our younger readers. Dogs Enjoy Afternoon Reading (DEAR) pairs young and tentative readers with registered therapy dogs for a relaxed, judgment-free place to practice reading aloud. Kids read Continue September on Page 11

We offer hassle-free, direct insurance billing.

ARCHITECTUR AL COLOR CONSULTATION . INTERIOR REDESIGN

harmonize@colorworks7.com 720.273.0177 www.colorworks7.com

Visit website for Exterior Painting TIPS 15% off first consultation with this ad CATHY RIVERS, CACC

LYONS OWNED AND OPERATED

303-485-1730

247restoration.com

Water and Sewage Damage Mitigation Fire and Smoke Cleanup Mold Remediation Asbestos Abatement Reconstruction Services Available Eco-friendly Biodegradable Cleaning Products and Techniques Rapid Response in 20 minutes or less! 24 hours/day — 7 days/week

$200 Off Restoration Services for Water, Mold, Sewage, Fire and Smoke Damage Offer expires 10/31/26. Restrictions Apply.

PAGE 6

LYONS, COLOR ADO

SEPTEMBER 18 / OCTOBER 16, 2026

INSIGHT a baby a book); offering countless acts near holiness: to be near compassion, near Let us now praise holy women ingofTennessee, charity to residents in Sevier County, acceptance, basically, near love. her hometown; quietly helping Holiness calls to us, because it’s a qualiBy Fr. James MarJtin, S Redstone Review

LYONS – Like millions of others, I found myself surprisingly sad over the death of Dolly Parton. Of course, like those same millions of people, I was a huge fan of this woman with an outsized musical talent. She was a regular voice on the radio from my earliest years; I vividly remember eating Wheaties as a 13-year-old on a school morning and hearing her plaintive cri de coeur, “Jolene,” on the pink, plug-in, Bakelite radio that sat on our kitchen counter. Dolly was a fixture in pop culture through my teenage years with tuneful hits like “I Will Always Love You” and “Here You Come Again” in the 1970s. A few years later, “9 to 5” summed up a whole era of office work when I was working in an office myself. Her voice spoke, or sang, for itself. But growing up, I was only dimly aware of her protean writing talent: she was the composer of 3,000 songs, many of them covered by other artists. And I enjoyed her sunny disposition and, especially, her con-

a struggling singer or artist or writer or anyone; and being an early supporter of the LGBTQ community, when that could prove deeply unpopular. The universal mourning may come from that last quality, which you could call charity or compassion, but you could also call holiness. When you read even cursorily about her life, what becomes obvious is a Christian faith that led to a lifetime of kindness and charity, often behind the scenes. This helps to explain the wave of sadness that greeted her death. And it reminded me of someone else. Think of how often we read about Jesus in the Gospels being pursued by crowds. Early in the Gospel of Mark, we read that Jesus’s “fame” spreads throughout Galilee, with crowds waiting at his door in Capernaum. It’s not just the Dolly’s legacy reaches far beyond her music—a life of faith, healing that people wanted; generosity and compassion that touched millions. PHOTO BY it was the innate desire to be VALERIE MACON

fidently pushing back against people who would reduce her to a cartoon. Only later in life did I become aware of her tremendous charity and big heart: giving away thousands of books to children in need (and “babies”: I love the idea of giv-

ty of the divine and is one way that God draws us closer. We saw in Dolly Parton something more than talent, something more than wit, and something more than even charity; we saw holiness. Thank you, Dolly, for teaching me about the Christian life. And may you rest in peace with the God you loved and served so well. Fr. James Martin, SJ, is a prominent American Jesuit priest, author, and editor at large for America Magazine. He was appointed by Pope Francis as a consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. He is an author who has written multiple best-selling books, including Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, and the memoir Work in Progress. He founded Outreach, an organization and resource focusing on ministry and dialogue for LGBTQ Catholics. He is a media figure and frequently appears on television and digital platforms to discuss modern Catholic spirituality and church issues. The SJ after a priest’s name means Society of Jesus, which is the religious order known as the Jesuits.

dementia. We were meant to grow up, “Hey Doc, why is everyone on medication these days?” and work, and live in communal spaces with frequent interactions with others and to have By Ol’ Doc Harker (Eric Harker) Redstone Review

LYONS – A mentor once told me, “Obesity is a natural response to an unnatural environment.” Increasingly, I believe this applies to many of our health conditions and ailments, and offers an answer to the question above. The most commonly prescribed medications in the US are for cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and increasingly for weight loss. Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and weight loss medications are used to prevent future potentially devastating events such as heart attacks and strokes, which are the leading causes of death and disability. Statistics show that 85 percent of American men and 85 percent of Black women, and 70 percent of white women, will have high blood pressure in their lifetime. And 50 percent of Americans will have high cholesterol and 33 percent of American adults will develop diabetes. In turn, 60 percent of men and 56 percent of women will develop cardiovascular disease in their lifetimes. A major driver of these metabolic conditions is the number of American adults who are overweight (75 percent) and obese (40 percent, which is twice as high as it was 30 years ago). There is an unequal distribution of these metabolic conditions, with higher prevalence in people with lower income, lower

education levels, less food security, less content, much of which appeals to our less safe neighborhoods, and in disadvantaged healthy emotions and tendencies, includracial/ethnic groups. ing anger, fear, resentment, and tribalism. How can it possibly be that MOST OF Additionally, 37 percent of Americans are US will have one or more of these chronic estimated to experience moderate to severe metabolic conditions? I believe it is a nat- loneliness and 20 percent experience freural response to living in a very unnatural quent social isolation. environment. We’re not meant to be sitting The U.S. Surgeon General declared lonefor 10 hours every day, spending 10 hours liness and social isolation a public health on our screens every day, rushing through every moment, and eating highly processed, hyperpalatable, and calorie-dense foods. We evolved with access to nature and safe places to play, explore, hunt, and work, and access to foods that came from nature. Roughly 20 percent of Americans are taking medications for mental health conditions. How is it that so many of us Something as simple as a walk and conversation with a neighbor are diagnosed with these can support both physical and mental well-being. Dr. Eric Harconditions and taking ker points to movement, time outdoors and meaningful social connection as important pieces of a healthier life. medications? Again, I believe it is a natural response to living in a very unnat- crisis in 2023. The American Heart Assoural environment. As mentioned above, ciation issued a scientific statement recogwe’re not meant to be so inactive and to nizing both as independent risk factors for spend so much time on screens that feed cardiovascular and brain health outcomes, us a never-ending stream of hyperpalatable including coronary heart disease, stroke,

Your Only Local Full Service Repair Shop TIRES • ALIGNMENTS • BRAKES • MAINTENANCE ALL MAKES AND MODELS, including DIESELS

4th & Broadway, Lyons

303-823-6760

www.lyonsautomotive.com

an important role in a community. Community seems to be increasingly defined by online political and social tribes, rather than people in your neighborhood or town. “But Doc, just because someone has one of these conditions, that doesn’t mean that we should jump straight to medications, right?” Right. Almost all of the conditions I’ve discussed can be improved with healthy food, regular exercise, mindfulness or other stress management systems, talk therapy, physical therapy, chiropractic, bodywork, and other non-pharmaceutical treatments. Not everyone with high cholesterol needs medication. Not everyone with ADHD needs stimulants. I do worry that our for-profit health care system (or lack of a system) makes prescribing a pill the quickest, easiest, most profitable option, and that non-medical treatments are often the best long-term solution. But we should accept and support people who have either tried their best with non-medical options, or who just realistically can’t invest the time, energy, and money in these options because of life circumstances, or who simply choose to pursue the medical treatments available to them. Medications for these and other conditions can be very effective, and in some cases lifesaving and life-changing for the better. But they can also be harmful, with potential side effects and complications. Continue “Hey Doc,” on Page 11

Beyond our stunning WEDDING & EVENT VENUE, The Farmette hosts a series of FARM DINNERS with local chefs during the growing season and homesteading and DIY WORKSHOPS in the Spring and Fall.

Ly o n s Fa r m e t t e . c o m

Lyons Redstone Museum

Open daily thru September 30, 2026 Sun 12:30–4:30 Mon–Sat 9:30–4:30 Bookstore & Gift Shop | LyonsRedstoneMuseum.com

340 High Street, Lyons | (303) 823-5271 | Contact us at redstonehistory@gmail.com

VOLUME 27, NUMBER 7

LYONS, COLOR ADO

PAGE 7

LOOKING UP Roman Space Telescope launches to study distant planets, peer back in time By Phil Aumiller Redstone Review

WFIRST (Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope). Later, the name was changed

looking like the bad-ass astronomer that she surely was. In 2016, the James Webb Space Telescope launch was still five years away, but NASA was well into planning for its next flagship space telescope, WFIRST. A team was assembled at Ball Aerospace to compete for the opportunity to build the primary instrument for it. That team was the most diverse, At 7:25 a.m. on August 30, 2026, Roman began its journey to and most fun, space aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space group of bright, Center in Florida PHOTO BY SYDNEY ROHDE (ROCZ), NASA PHOTOGRAPHER enthusiastic minds I have ever been to honor Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s a part of. Male/female, new/seasoned, first chief astronomer, who had been a big creative/analytical: we were assembled in proponent of the Hubble Space Telescope. equal proportions. Each of my three sisters has a T-shirt depictWe learned the science behind what this ing Nancy Grace Roman in sunglasses, telescope was intended to do: cosmolo-

LYONS – My sister and I arrived at Fishlips Waterfront Bar and Grill in Port Canaveral before dawn on launch day. This was our chosen viewing site for the launch of the Roman Space Telescope on August 30. When the doors opened at 6:00 a.m., we went straight to the second-floor deck and found a table where we knew we could see. My former employer, BAE Systems (formerly Ball Aerospace), had rented out the place as an overflow option for those who hadn’t been lucky enough to get a spot on base at Kennedy Space Center. As a retiree, it seemed appropriate to watch from a distance, though there were also plenty of current employees there with me. We saw Judy Brownsberger and her extended family out there on the Fishlips deck. Judy lives in Lyons, near the High School. She and I were both mechanical design leads during the early conceptual phase of the Wide Field Instrument and again after our team’s design concept won the competition to actually build it. In the early days, the Telescope was called

gy, gravitational microlensing, supernova spectral signatures, dark matter, and dark energy. The purpose of this telescope is to image planets outside our solar system and to study dark energy (the force that is causing the universe to accelerate in its expansion). It will also create an extensive 3D map of our galaxy and universe. It operates in the infrared, which allows it to see very far away and way back in time. It will orbit the Sun at the same pace as the Earth at the L2 Lagrange point, where the James Webb Space Telescope is. That is a point a million miles from Earth. We were encouraged to look at our NASA counterparts not just as customers, but as teammates. That teamwork attitude, I’m sure, played a big part in NASA’s decision to select us after the six-month competitive study phase was over. Gathering at a place called Fishlips seemed very appropriate for that group. And a lot of people made the trip. Seeing those old coworkers, those old friends, brought back memories of the early days on the program. Some of my fondest memories from Continue Roman on Page 11

Look Up, Lyons: Introducing the Lyons Dark Sky Coalition By Dylan McDonald Redstone Review

without a telescope, and where a random Tuesday night can turn into an impromptu astronomy lesson on the back porch. That’s increasingly rare along the Front Range. At its heart, we want to protect what we have and help more people fall in love with it—raising awareness about light pollution and simple fixes like shielded fixtures, warmer bulbs, and lights that point down instead of out. Dark skies aren’t just an environmental issue; they’re a quality-of-life one. They’re good for our sleep, our wildlife, our night-blooming gardens, and honestly, our sense of wonder. Practically, that means a few things. We’re helping the town work through the six required elements for an application to certify our parks as an Urban Night Sky

LYONS – If you’ve ever stepped outside on a clear Lyons night and lost a few minutes staring straight up, you already underMcDonald stand why a group of neighbors has come together to form the Lyons Dark Sky Coalition. We’re a newly formed group of residents who believe one of our town’s most under-appreciated assets is sitting right over our heads. Tucked into the foothills, away from the glow of Denver and Boulder, Lyons still has genuinely dark skies — the kind where the Milky Way is visible

Helping Buyers and Sellers make their home goals come to fruition all along the Front Range of Colorado. Lyons, Boulder, Estes Park and "Beyond!"

I’m here to help you and your furry knuckleheads find a new home with NEW carpet to vomit on.

Look up, Lyons. Our naturally dark skies offer extraordinary views of the stars and Milky Way—and the newly formed Lyons Dark Sky Coalition hopes to protect them for generations to come. Place—a real, official designation, and one we’re genuinely excited to see Lyons earn. Longer term, we see ourselves as stewards of Lyons’ night sky: the people keeping an eye on it, preserving it, and restoring it where we can. And we want to be a connecting point—bringing neighbors, businesses, and local agencies together around a shared interest instead of everyone working on it alone. A quick note on what to expect: Lights Off Lyons Summer is the town’s larger, organized gathering—with telescopes, night walks, kids’ activities, free tent camping in Bohn Park, star guides who tour visitors through the stars, and sometimes a portable planetarium. Our coalition events are a different, smaller thing. These are casual, neighbor-run gatherings in between the big annual event—just telescopes, curious people, and a dark sky. Come expecting a laid-back evening with your neighbors, not a festival. We’re kicking things off with our first public event, and we want the whole town there. The Lyons Dark Sky Coalition: First Community Star Party will be held on Saturday, October 10, from 7:00–9:00 p.m. in Bohn Park. We chose this date on purpose. October

10 is a new moon—meaning there’s no moonlight to wash out the sky, so the stars, planets, and Milky Way will be as bright and clear as they get here in Lyons. Sunset that evening is around 6:45 p.m., with full darkness settling in by about 8:15 p.m., so plan to arrive as the sun goes down and stick around as the sky deepens. Bring a blanket or a camp chair, dress warmly (October nights cool off fast at 5,400 feet), and come curious. We’ll have telescopes and binoculars set up, coalition members on hand to help you find planets and constellations, and a few short, casual talks on what makes Lyons’ skies special and how we can help keep them that way. Kids are more than welcome—some of the best stargazers we know are under age ten. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, our backup date is Saturday, October 17. What you’ll actually see that night This isn’t just a “look at some stars” evening—October 10 happens to line up with a genuinely great night if the weather permits: For example, Saturn will be at its best all year. Saturn reached opposition on October 4, meaning it’s as close and bright as it gets in 2026. Through even a modest telescope, you’ll see its rings, reopening since passing edge-on to us in 2025. Continue Look Up on Page 11

Celebrating 24 years in Lyons • 28 years of experience

Relax & Rejuvenate Ian A. Phillips Associate Broker (315) 292-3114

ian.phillips@cbrealty.com Coldwell Banker Realty 2700 Canyon Blvd #200 Boulder, CO 80302

Enjoy the Benefits of Massage

Hot Stone Massage • Shiatsu • Reiki Pre-Natal and Postpartum Massage Aromatherapy Treatments JJ Booksh-Asnicar, LMT 454 Main Street, Lyons | 303.709.9090

PAGE 8

LYONS, COLOR ADO

SEPTEMBER 18 / OCTOBER 16, 2026

SET EXAMPLES What’s good for the goose, the gander, and all of us…including the President By Annie Muldrew-Pancoast Redstone Review “Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it.” ~Susan B. Anthony, suffragist Editor’s Note: The US Supreme Court voted 7 to 2 on Sept. 14 to reject Trump’s plan to change how mail-in ballots are sent to voters. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. RIVERSIDE – As we go to the deadline before printing this issue, talking heads in Washington, DC, have recently threatened to have the US Postal Service mess with the states’ job of running their own elections during this crucial off-year voting season. Every vote—including mail-in ballots—counts. Our state has made this process so easy for each of us—whether a Republican, Democrat, or Independent voter. In the past, with mail-in ballots, we have had no excuse for not voting. As far back as 1957, the state started mailing out excused absentee ballots to the military. In 1990, we had an odd-year all-mail ballot available to vote on the passage of TABOR. In the 1992 presidential election, the no-excuse absentee ballot was introduced to all in Colorado, followed by an optional mail ballot for primary elections in 2008. When House Bill 13-1303 passed in 2013, the entire state became all mail-in ballots. The pandemic years highlighted Colorado as the mail-in ballot gold standard for the United States. Our Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a nationwide interview,

“We’re in the middle of a pandemic so it is even more important to be able to vote right from home.” This system, which is still considered one of the most secure in the nation, produces high turnouts for both parties with consistently low levels of dispute. With over 400 local drop boxes available across the state in the 2024 election, the entire voting process is designed to be easy, convenient, accurate, secure, and even cost-free, with no need for

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, seated, and Susan B. Anthony were two of the best-known leaders of the early women’s suffrage movement, which fought to secure women’s right to vote in the United States. PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

Enhancing small business success Kim Mitchell Redstone Review LYONS – It’s been a busy and hot summer in Lyons. Mother Nature has tested our resilience with high temperatures and very little moisture. Yet the calendar tells us fall is approaching, bringing cooler temperatures and the transition into another season in Lyons.

Around town, work continues towards infrastructure improvements, along with grant applications that could support future sidewalk and other infrastructure projects. We also wrapped up a successful and busy summer concert series in Sandstone Park, noting that the additional parking along both the north and south sides of Broadway has made it easier for residents and visitors to stop and spend time in Lyons. Streetscape improvements, sidewalks, and convenient parking all contribute to a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly environment and encourage people to linger longer in Lyons. This becomes particularly important as we move beyond the busy summer season. While many of our local businesses thrive during the summer months, seasonal fluctuations can become more apparent during the remainder of the year. Supporting a strong year-round business environment requires a variety of approaches and resources. One local resource available to Lyons businesses is our Revolving Loan Fund. The program provides short-term, very low-interest loans that small businesses can use for needs such as working capital or inventory.

The program includes two different funding sources: federal USDA grant funds and a local business recovery fund. The revolving structure means that as existing loans are repaid, principal and interest return to the fund and can be used to support future loans. This way, the available funding continues to circulate within our local business community. The application and loan review process is managed by a local group of committed volunteers who review financial information and meet with applicants, while town staff manages the required paperwork and documentation. Together, the Revolving Loan Fund provides another option for businesses seeking access to affordable capital. Interested Lyons businesses can learn more at townoflyons.com/627/ Revolving-Loan-Fund. As Lyons continues to adapt, the strength and success of our small businesses remain central to a healthy local economy, supported by public infrastructure investment, business resources, and community participation. The Revolving Loan Fund is one tool in that larger toolbox. Our shops, restaurants, and service businesses also depend on residents, visitors, and friends choosing to support them throughout the year. Lyons’ business owners and entrepreneurs are part of the fabric of our community. Their success helps ensure residents have access to local services and amenities while contributing to a vibrant and economically sustainable town. Taken together, the infrastructure improvements, including streetscape, sidewalks, parking, and wayfinding, along with tools such as the Revolving Loan Fund, help create an environment where local businesses can succeed. Events and visitation during traditionally slower months also contribute to a stronger yearround economy. Ultimately, the choices we make to shop, dine, and use services locally remain an important part of sustaining the businesses that make Lyons, Lyons.

Kim Mitchell is the Director of Communications and Community Relations for the town. She writes on town events, staff news, and the arts. She has called Lyons home for 17 years and is a dedicated small-town enthusiast. Email: kmitchell@townoflyons.com and kimicolorado@ gmail.com.

stamps. For Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike, this process does not lead to fraud and can actually enhance election security. The sturdy, metallic drop box right outside our Lyons Town Hall is safe and secure. It is weather-resistant and bolted to the ground. It is under monitored video surveillance 24/7 with adequate lighting. During elections, the box is emptied at least every 24 hours by a team of bipartisan election judges. A log is kept via the camera of the ballots moving from the drop box into a secure bag and on to the election office. The entire state of Colorado has a free service enabling every voter to receive notifications about the status of his or her own ballot from the time it is mailed out to the time it is counted. For this year’s elections, as a Boulder County voter, check out BallotTrax on the boulder.ballottrax. net website. It is free and so easy to sign yourself up as a voter if you want to track the status of your mailed-in, dropped-off, or in-person ballot. This does not affect your voter registration or the receipt of your mail ballot in any way. The reporting system sends out a series of alerts by phone message, text, or email, notifying you when your ballot has been sent out, when it has arrived back, when it has been verified, and when it has been counted. The Colorado BallotTax organization’s motto is: “Trust That Your Vote Counts! Track the status of your mail ballot, from mailed to counted.” Election Calendar for Election Day – November 3, 2026, as planned without

interference from the federal government. October 2: first day that mail ballots may be mailed to voters. October 12: drop boxes must begin to accept mail ballots for the 2026 General Election and will continue to accept mail ballots through Election Day. October 19: counting of mail ballots may begin, but no results are disclosed until after 7:00 p.m. on Election Night. October 19-November 3: Voter Service and Polling Centers must be open, except Sundays. November 3: General Election – polls open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All ballots must be in the hands of the county clerk by 7:00 p.m. to be counted. Military and overseas voters must send in ballots no later than 7:00 a.m. on Election Day and have them received by close of business on the 8th day after the election. As we go to press, let us all hope that cooler heads prevail in our states’ rights voting process. Whatever way you prefer to vote in the Lyons area—be it mailing in your ballot at our local post office or dropping it off at our local voting drop box outside the Lyons Town Hall—VOTE. Someone struggled so that you could exercise that privilege. Every single vote counts, whether in person, mailed, or dropped off. Our country’s democracy and freedom depend on all of us defending that right the best way we can—by voting. Annie Muldrew-Pancoast is a long-time resident of Riverside, Colorado.

Dancing Spirit Horse By Sally King Redstone Review

I found my way to the Dancing Spirit Horse Ranch On Stagecoach Trail outside of Lyons Jackie Hibbard is a coach and a pastor Who works with horses To guide the participant into true self-knowledge. I’d been feeling a nudge That something on the inner wanted to give. I’d met a horse named Satori with a tragic historyHe was ready to run in the Kentucky Derby When he broke his leg, then isolated from the other horsesMiserable, he became referred to as a man killerHis treacherous past and mine (I’m a woman born in 1950).. Interesting that he chose me to followHis tail swinging It was non-verbal and real On a level that is not of the mind And I wanted more. I didn’t have to go far from home Because Dancing Spirit Horse is right here. And Jackie is a gifted guide… patiently asking Me to report- on what my somatic experience wasWith the horseWhere- even the littlest things- matter. Everything matters is the lesson from horsesHow you stand- a flick of your tailAnd being honest- anything less than full honesty is noted As false and therefore not trusted. I had a quality experience with a very special horse Whose confirmation I felt- deep in my bones. Lovely work- thank you Jackie- thank you Sweetie. Contact information for Jackie Hibbard Dancing Spirit Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching, LLC 720-320-7237 | dancingspirit.net Facebook & Instagram @dancingspirithorses Sally King is a local artist who believes it’s imperative that each of us pop our head up out of the collective trace, to bring through our creative gifts. You can find her on her blog and website, hersoupot.net and sallywhiteking.com or email sallywhiteking@live.com.

VOLUME 27, NUMBER 7

LYONS, COLOR ADO

PAGE 9

EXPLORE NEW IDEAS Concert at Lyons Community Church By Pam Browning Redstone Review LYONS – Lyons Community Church will host a free benefit piano concert on Friday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m. featuring seven performers. We welcome Michele Segal along with Christine Boys on flute, Kitty Keim, Ian Brighton, Marilyn Penn, Emilyn Inglis, and Katie Hughes for an evening of beautiful music in our 118-year-old church. This event celebrates our recent acquisition of a 1914 Steinway Grand Piano and will benefit via donations to our new music endowment fund. The fund will help us maintain this beautiful instrument and provide a regular source of funds to support musical programs. We found out about this piano, which was in a warehouse in Loveland following a house clearance in Boulder. After finding an old receipt for previous work, some detective work gave us a little history on our purchase. We were able to contact a retired piano

B •R •I •E •F •S Continued from Page 1

technician who had worked on this instrument in his home in Boulder for decades and shared that it had been moved to Colorado from Tennessee. He was thrilled to do our initial refurbishments on it at cost and replaced all the moving parts of the action and the hammers and voiced them. Music has long been a love of Lyons Community Church, not just on Sunday mornings but for community events. This piano has already been used for special events, local piano student recitals, a community silent movie night, and a performance by a quintet from Estes Park. We hope to host many more events as we enjoy this beautiful instrument. We welcome you to attend the concert on Friday, October 9, and enjoy the music made in partnership between talented performers and our historic piano. While the event is free and open to everyone, donations for the music endowment fund are most welcome. Pam Browning is a member of the Lyons Community Church.

The refurbished 1914 Steinway Grand Piano. PHOTO BY PAM BROWNING

Sundance Institute leader visits Lyons, community conversation on housing next By Sarah Lorang 3,000 hotel rooms available in Boulder, Jeff Farmette. The session will cover long-term, Redstone Review LYONS – On August 25, the Lyons Sundance Film Festival Task Force welcomed a special guest to the Lyons Community Library: Jeff Levine, Head of Audience Development and Experience at the Sundance Institute. More than 50 community members joined the conversation.

Jeff Levine offered a candid look at what the Sundance Film Festival really is and what its move to Boulder County means for the region, and for communities like Lyons. With 85,000 projected attendees and only

confirmed that overflow demand for lodging, dining, and experiences in surrounding communities is not just expected, but sorely needed. For the Task Force, the visit reinforced a direction the group has been building toward all summer: positioning Lyons as not just a satellite bedroom community for the festival, but as a compelling destination in its own right. •The Task Force meets regularly and is open to the public—if you’d like to get involved, watch the Town of Lyons website for upcoming meeting dates, or reach out to Town Hall to get in touch with Task Force members. We’d love to have you join us for our upcoming housing conversation on September 23. For residents interested in learning more about renting their home or ADU during the festival window, the next opportunity is just around the corner. The Town of Lyons is co-hosting a free community information session with Fox Property Management on Wednesday, September 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lyons

30-day-plus, and nightly rental strategies; the new Special Event Lodging License; common questions about festival rentals; and a live Q&A with local experts. Parking at the Farmette is limited; carpooling is encouraged. Please note: the permitting and licensing information covered at this session is specific to properties within the Town of Lyons. Residents in unincorporated Boulder County or unincorporated Larimer County should check with their respective county for applicable regulations. Registration is required and free. Visit Eventbrite to reserve your spot: eventbrite. com/e/lyons- sundance-rental-opportunities-regulations-what-to-expect-tickets-1994593001360. Whether you are curious about renting your home during Sundance, exploring long-term investment strategies, or simply want to stay informed, this session is designed to give you practical, unbiased information to help you make the best decision for your household. Sarah Lorang is co-chair of the Lyons Sundance Film Festival Task Force and Chair of the Lyons Historic Preservation Commission. She is passionate about building community and positioning Lyons as a destination for visitors, businesses, and creatives.

vigilant about securing trash and other food sources as drought conditions limit natural foods for black bears and drive a record number of bear reports across the state. From Jan. 1 through Aug. 13, CPW received 6,129 reports of bear sightings and conflicts, compared with 3,115 during the same period in 2025. This year is on pace to have the highest number of bear reports since CPW implemented its statewide digital reporting system in 2019. The increase comes as bears enter one of the most critical periods of their annual biological cycle. In late summer and fall, black bears enter hyperphagia, a natural phase when they can spend up to 20 hours a day searching for food as they build the fat reserves needed to survive the winter. That search is especially challenging this year. Low mountain snowpack, wildfires and drought have reduced the availability of natural foods such as berries, fruits, nuts, plants and grasses in parts of Colorado. You can help! Keep your trash secure and do NOT put it out overnight. Lyons Community Foundation

LYONS – The Lyons Community Foundation 2026 grant cycle is now open, with awards of up to $7,000 per project and dedicated funding available for mental health and wellness initiatives. Eligible nonprofits, government agencies, and local schools serving the greater Lyons area can apply through September 5, 2026. Applications must be submitted through the new online grant portal, and applicants who have not already done so will need to create a new organization account. Check out full details on the LCF Grants Webpage. Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Historical display highlighting history in Lyons

LYONS – The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office unveiled a new historical display Monday, Aug. 17, at the Sheriff’s Office substation in Lyons, highlighting the community’s long and unique law enforcement history. The display, which took approximately three years to research, develop and complete, chronicles the evolution of law enforcement in Lyons and the generations of people who have served the community. The exhibit was organized, researched and curated by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Historical Committee, a group composed of retired Sheriff’s Office volunteers and Continue Briefs on Page 14

It’s the 13th anniversary of the 2013 flood that almost wiped out the town of Lyons By Cathy Rivers and Susan de Castro Gierach LYONS – On Friday 13th of September 2013, the rain poured down in Boulder County in torrents unlike anything anyone had seen before. The storm started the day before, and it was especially intense in Lyons, where the confluence of the St. Vrain River and tributaries came together. The river rose and overflowed its banks, gouging out highways, destroying bridges, sweeping homes off their foundations, sending cars, huge trees, barns, septic tanks down the river. Telephone poles came crashing down, and telephone lines were wound around trees and gathered in piles in the river. A fire truck and a fire station building went floating down the Little Thompson River. It looked like the town had been bombed. People were scrambling to find safe places. Then finally the rain stopped, but the river was still rising. It didn’t peak for what seemed like a long time. It took more than four years to get everything rebuilt, back in place and in order. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, grants, volunteer workers, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds, and other sources. There was one small event that stood out as a bright spot in the midst of the devastating flood. An old truck, owned by Ron McGuckin, went floating down the river. He called the truck Bertha. It was an old, beat-up truck, probably not worth much. As it went floating down the river, it got caught on a tree and started to gather debris. The debris started to build up

and build up; eventually, the amount of debris started to divert the river away from some houses in Apple Valley, and those houses were saved from the flood and stayed intact. The story about Bertha spread around, and a woman named Laurie Duncan wrote a short storybook called Bertha Saved the Day for children and adults. Originally, there was a copy at the Lyons Library, but they no longer have one. It can be purchased on Amazon or Thrift Books online and several other outlets. It has wonderful illustrations.

Bertha, a truck owned by Apple Valley resident Ron McGuckin, became an unlikely hero during the 2013 flood, catching debris and helping redirect the river away from nearby homes. Her story was later captured in a children’s book by Laurie Duncan. PHOTO BY CATHY RIVERS

PAGE 10

LYONS, COLOR ADO

SEPTEMBER 18 / OCTOBER 16, 2026

WHAT’S COOKIN’ olive oil and chill. Cool summer soup ofdiced At serving time, top with a little salad of Money cucumber, red pepper, and red onion. By Barbara Shark Redstone Review

LYONS – Summer weather is coming to an end, and gardens are full of late season veggies. I Shark bought beautiful tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers from Aspen Moon Farm and made gazpacho. We’ve been enjoying it throughout the summer with various additions to the basic tomato soup base. For a special lunch with friends, I added poached shrimp and chunks of avocado to make the soup into a full meal. I served it with a fresh focaccia. A St. Vrain Market baguette or a loaf of crusty Moxie bread would be a delicious accompaniment. For the base: In a blender combine a pound or so of tomatoes (or a small tin), chunks of a small cucumber, a thick slice of red onion, a chopped sweet red pepper, watermelon chunks from a three-inch wedge, a big pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, then slowly add two tablespoons

Garnish each bowl with 3– 4 poached or grilled shelled shrimp and chunks of avocado. Top with basil or cilantro leaves.

Barbara Shark is an artist and author of How I Learned to Cook, an Artist’s Life. She lives near Lyons, Colorado. For more recipes, read her blog - www.howilearnedtocookanartistslife.blog

Continued from Page 4

In 1976, the Centennial Bank occupied the Turner-Stevens building. In 1983, it became Valley Bank and moved to Second Avenue and Park Street, where it operated until the 2013 flood and was forced to close its doors. A second bank, the Pioneer Bank of Lyons at 303 Main Street, which opened in 1995 and changed its name to Community First National Bank in 1998, continued operation after the flood, so Lyons was not left without a bank in town. In 2002, Community First National was acquired by Bank of the West, and in 2023 it was subsequently acquired by the Bank of Montreal. Looking back, if it wasn’t for George Stickney, who, by the way, is not the namesake for Stickney Street—but that’s another article—who knows how long it would have been before there was a bank in town. Main Street would most certainly appear differently today without the anchor that is the Turner-Stevens building on the southwest corner of Main Street and Fourth Avenue. While the museum may be closed for the winter, we are open by appointment and work continues behind the scenes on long-

term projects. Staff will also get a head start on preparing for upcoming events such as the exhibition of artwork by local plein air artist Newt Thomas (1860–1940) slated to open at the Lyons Regional Library with an evening reception on April 14, 2027. Mark your calendars for the Holiday Artisan Fair on December 4 and 5, held at the Lyons Elementary School gymnasium, located behind the school on Stickney Street. The museum will be selling books on Lyons history, holiday items, and Mrs. LaVern’s Never Fail Fudge made by her son Jerry Johnson. Stop by our booth to say hello and pick up some holiday gifts. If you would like to explore more of Lyons’ history, or make a donation, please visit our website, lyonsredstonemuseum. com, to access the Lyons Historic District Walking Tour, the Lyons Cemetery Tour, and our four online virtual exhibits. Monique Sawyer-Lang is the Collections Manager of the Lyons Redstone Museum. She is also a volunteer with the Lyons Food Pantry and a former member/chair of the Lyons Community Foundation Board. She lives in Spring Gulch.

Perfection salad: Jiggling at the intersection of cabbage and the collagen health trend By Catherine Metzger Redstone Review LYONS – 2026 is the Year of the Cabbage, and Perfection Salad—cabbage and all—has just arrived in my kitchen. A 1904 Knox gelatin contest novelty, invented to sell more gelatin, it still has legs. It is chemically almost unchanged. Our idea of perfection is not. Perfection Salad is no longer a novelty, but a make-ahead wellness dish.

I found the recipe in a faded mid-century Amish cookbook bought for 50 cents at a thrift store. The title did the work of arousing my curiosity: Perfection Salad. As a twenty-first-century eater, I assumed it promised perfect flavor. I was wrong. A century ago, “perfection” meant order on the plate—food that stayed where it was put. Mrs. John E. Cook of New Castle, Pennsylvania, invented Perfection Salad for the original Knox Gelatin contest. It took third place, and she won a sewing machine. The first-and second-place recipes have vanished, but hers remained. It became a popular church-supper and potluck staple.

Perfection Salad belongs to the age of domestic science, when what we now call home economics prized control and when a tossed salad looked messy—unrefined, as if one had arrived at Sunday dinner with an unpressed collar. Food historian Laura Shapiro later called the molded dish “a salad at last in control of itself” in her book Perfection Salad: Women and Cooking at the Turn of the Century. In that era, a salad that wandered to the rim of the plate in a tangle was considered a small social failure. Cook’s recipe is described as “a dainty molded salad of finely shredded cabbage, celery, and sweet peppers suspended in sparkling lemon gelatine, firm and neatly turned out, a perfect accompaniment to cold meats.” By mid-century the same recipe’s description read: “a colorful molded salad of shredded cabbage, celery, and peppers set in tangy lemon gelatin—unmold onto crisp lettuce and topped with a dollop of mayonnaise.” A century later, the animal gelatin didn’t change. It just rebranded. Once boiled from beef and pork hide, skin, and bone— not horse hooves, no matter what your aunt insisted—to set a church-supper mold, it now sells as collagen peptides for skin, joints, and gut health. The bright, tart Perfection cabbage salad that once stood for orderly homemaking is valued now for fiber, crunch, and the same protein that makes it jiggle. It still travels well, uses everyday vegetables, and cuts through richer plates. Lemon, vinegar, and cold crunch cut that richness the way a pickle or slaw does—they reset your mouth so the next bite of rich food doesn’t taste flat.

Perfection Salad sits jiggling where cabbage’s current fashion meets collagen’s return—still shaking, after all these years, and holding itself together. Perfection Salad Preparation time: 20 minutes; Cooling time: 3 hours to overnight; Serves: 6–8 Combine two envelopes of unflavored gelatin with ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Add 1½ cups boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in 1½ cups cold water, 1½ cups white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Refrigerate until the mixture thickens to the consistency of unbeaten egg whites, 45 to 60 minutes. Fold in 2 cups finely shredded cabbage, 1 cup diced celery, and ½ cup diced green or

red pepper (or diced pimentos). Pour into a 6-cup mold or loaf pan rinsed with cold water. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Unmold onto a platter or individual plates lined with lettuce if desired. Serve with a dollop of mayonnaise. Catherine Ripley Metzger writes FoodForTheAges.com from the Western Slope. More recipes at www.foodfortheages.com.

Insurance accepted including Medicaid | Telehealth and In-person Appointments

Your Health is Our Priority Board Certified Providers, Megan Foreman FNP-C, CWHS, and Joshua Tueting ANP-C, have over 18+ years of experience and provide personalized care for the whole family. Family Practice Primary Clinic with Wellness Servies: • Hormones, Weight Loss, Botox • IV Hydration Therapy • Infrared Sauna with Red Light • Same Day Illness/Injury Appointments available daily 418 High St. Lyons, CO 80540 303-498-5941 | www.lyonshealthandwellness.com Tues-Fri 8:30 am–5 pm, Sat 10 am–4 pm

VOLUME 27, NUMBER 7

LYONS, COLOR ADO

Mobility Continued from Page 5

September Continued from Page 5

roads—both officially constructed for logging and fire prevention and unregulated trails—disrupt animal behavior. Today, it seems there are no places exempt from vehicular disruption, and thanks to the Trump administration’s recently announced plans to rescind the quarter-century roadless rule in national forests, it’s going to get worse. In the face of this road carnage and the overall ecological effect, there’s very little the average person can do, except to be hyper-aware of where animals cross the roads (like Rte. 36 between Lyons and Boulder), to advocate for wildlife over and underpasses on state and federal highways and to ask your senators and representatives to restore the “roadless rule” in our national forests. Beyond that, we’ll continue, as Goldfarb says, to kill with our modern mobility. Crossing: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet; Ben Goldfarb, author; 2023; Norton, publisher

at their own pace to one or more of our canine listeners, with parents, guardians, and siblings welcome to help novice readers. No registration is necessary; just check in when you arrive to get on the list. Each dog-and-handler therapy team is tested, registered, insured, and accompanied by its handler throughout the program. DEAR will return on the third Thursday of each month, so there will be plenty of chances to find a new favorite reading buddy. Your Lyons Community Library opens at 10:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday. We close at 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5:00 p.m. on Fridays, and 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Our online catalog is available 24/7 at lyons.colibraries.org, and we’re always open for digital downloads on the Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy apps. Give us a call at 303-823-5165 or email info@lyonsregionallibrary.com with any questions. Please see the calendar of events on our website for additional programs, program information, and registration instructions.

Greg Lowell is a Lyons Town Board Trustee and he writes on ecology and the environment.

“Hey Doc,” Continued from Page 6 Choosing to take medication should be highly personalized, taking into account individual risk and risk reduction with treatment, personal preferences, and values. I’d rather not prescribe medications at all, but we have a lot of work to do to heal the environment we’re living in before the need for medical therapy goes away. I think we can accomplish a lot within our community both at the individual level and through local education and resources in our schools, churches, health clinics, town commissions, our market, and non-profits like LEAF. At the individual level, it helps to listen, learn, give grace, forgive perceived slights, get outside, say hello, nod, wave, smile. Be safe and be kind to your neighbors. It’s good for you. Dr. Eric Harker, MD, MPH, Internal Medicine, recently opened his medical practice, called Human Touch Health. His office is at 304 Main St., Unit A, Lyons, CO. He is accepting new patients at 720-945-9745.

Kara Bauman is the Director of the Lyons Community Library and holds an MLIS from the University of Kentucky. She’s an avid fly angler, enjoys craft beer, and travels extensively to see her favorite band, Widespread Panic.

Roman Continued from Page 7 WFIRST/Roman center on a man who had retired from Ball after leading a group of some 100 engineers and then came back to serve as a consultant and also to do some design work. At our first internal mechanical design meeting, I expressed that I wasn’t sure why I had been chosen to lead the group, and he looked right at me and said: “I think you’re the right one for it.” Later in the program, when the grind of moving a complex design through to production was becoming overwhelming, and there were lots of reasons to be discouraged, he told me, “Just remember that you are doing things that nobody else can do.” His “un-retirement” lasted beyond my retirement date. So, there we were on the Fishlips deck, watching the sun come up, watching a solitary dolphin surface and dive in the water, and listening to the launch livestream

PAGE 11

coverage playing on multiple TV monitors. Most of us were on a group chat, so the Fishlips folks knew what the on-base folks were up to. Flight precheck and later mission updates were being relayed to us by Tom Delker, another Lyons guy who, as chief engineer, had mission operations connections at NASA. The weather had been a 50/50 proposition the night before, but no storm had materialized, and we heard about an hour before launch that we were a go for weather. Fifty minutes before liftoff, rocket fueling started. Six seconds before liftoff, the rocket engines were ignited. A couple of seconds after launch, we could see the bright white flame beneath the ascending rocket as it slowly climbed above the large sand pile directly across the harbor from where we were. Several seconds later, we heard the steady rattling growl of the rocket as the flame widened and shifted in color toward orange. We watched it climb to where binoculars were necessary. The two boosters separated in two small circular patterns and one larger one inside a tiny wispy cloud. We saw the boosters fire their engines to slow their descent and make their perfect, beautiful vertical landings off in the distance beyond the sand pile. Minutes later, when all seemed to be over, the sonic booms from the descending rocket boosters hit us, and it was startling. According to press releases, we should be seeing images from the telescope by February, though I’ll bet we’ll see something by Christmas. Most of the data will be pictures, but there will also be spectral data, especially spectral signals from a certain type of supernova event in distant galaxies. The redshift of those signatures will be used to map the expansion of the universe. I’m not a rocket guy, but I do now own a Falcon Heavy T-shirt that I bought the day after launch at the Space Center, so here’s what I think I know about this particular rocket: the two boosters separated from the central main stage with enough fuel still in them to fire their engines and land themselves. The main stage kept firing until it was completely spent, which allowed it to do its best to push the spacecraft on its million-mile journey to its parking spot in space. As I write this, all signs point to a successful mission. Meanwhile, my friends are still

talking about the launch, sharing pictures from the trip, talking about tattoos, and sharing mission updates. Phil Aumiller has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford. He served as Mechanical Design Lead on the Wide Field Instrument (the primary instrument on NASA’s Roman Space Telescope) while working for Ball Aerospace which is now BAE Space Systems. He is currently retired and living in Spring Gulch with his Wife, Wendi. His focus now is to not focus on any one thing. He cares for horses and chickens, skis, hikes, plays softball, pickleball, and pinball. He also still likes to make things, usually out of wood or leather. Aumiller is a member of the Lyons Lions Club.

Look Up Continued from Page 11 Is the Summer Triangle, still riding high overhead—three bright stars (Vega, Deneb, and Altair) that make an easy, dramatic starting point if you’ve never picked out a constellation before. You will be able to see the Milky Way, still visible early in the evening, arcing across the sky through Cygnus—the “wait, that’s not a cloud?” moment. The Andromeda Galaxy, the most distant object you can see with the naked eye at 2.5 million light-years away, is well-placed and easy to find using the Great Square of Pegasus or the “W” of Cassiopeia. Usually the most popular stop of the night. The Pleiades (Seven Sisters) star cluster, rising later in the evening, is worth sticking around toward 9:00 p.m. for. This is just the start. We’re planning a full slate of viewing nights and a dark-skyfriendly lighting guide for homeowners as we work toward Urban Night Sky Place certification for our parks. Come and see why we think this is worth fighting for. Look up, Lyons. The Lyons Dark Sky Coalition: For more information or to get involved, contact Dylan McDonald at dylanhmcdonald@ gmail.com. Dylan McDonald, 40, is a Lyons resident and father of two kids who attend Lyons Elementary School. When he’s not looking up, he’s usually out fly fishing in town or mountain biking the local trails.

BI-WEEKLY JAZZ IN LYONS Ron LeGault Quartet Thursday, September 24 with Charlie Rose, Andrew Vogt, Jason Malmberg

Thursday, October 8 with Harry Drabkin, Staford Hunter, Jason Malmberg

THE WAYBACK BAR 430 Main Street, Lyons (behind Wildcat Mountaineering)

FRESH BREAD. FULL PANTRY. FRIENDLY FACES!

House-Sliced Deli Sandwiches Fresh-Baked Bread & Pastries �ocal & �r�anic Produce �n-House �round �rass-Fed Bee� ƙűŮűƚ ŵŲŵƕųŴŴů Ɠ ĵĻňıäĊğĞäıėùĻƆðĤĞ Ɠ ?Įùğ WĿùĵ ůůƕŶƇ eùõƕPĿğ ŶƕŶ

PAGE 12

LYONS, COLOR ADO

SEPTEMBER 18 / OCTOBER 16, 2026

COMMON CAUSE Leading with heart and supporting community at Hootenanny By Daryl McCool - LEAF and Grace Simonsen - LCF and LEAF Redstone Review

Health, The Farmette, Smokin Daves BBQ & Brew, Grace Design, Colorado Lending Group, Left Hand Laser, Clutch Motorcycle School Bronze Sponsors: Baer Mountain and Urban Forestry, Gateway Auto Service, Sisters Pantry, Wildcat Mountaineering, The Wayback Bar, Mojo Taqueria, The Lyons CorLYONS – Lyons Elevatner, Lyons Farmers Market, Indian Bites Restaurant and ing All Fund (LEAF) and Bar McCool Simonsen Lyons Community FounIn-Kind: MainStage Brewing, Spirit Hound Distillers, dation (LCF) may both lead with heart, but they do that Town of Lyons work in different ways. LEAF focuses on meeting basic “The Hootenanny is really an event where you can feel needs in our community, including Meals on Wheels, the what makes Lyons special,” said Jocelyn Farrell, LEAF’s food pantry, and supportive mental health programs that Executive Director. “It’s an event where the community’s help neighbors get through hard times. generosity, on full disLCF takes a broader view, play, funds LEAF and investing in the well-being LCF’s work in Lyons all of the whole town through year long.” grants, scholarships for high Finally, please join us school seniors, and commufor Steps for Hope, a nity events. The two orgashort community walk nizations even share a staff aimed at changing the member, Grace Simonsen, narrative around suicide who helps bridge that work through connection, day-to-day. At Hootenanny, hope, and open converthat shared spirit comes to sation. Together, we’ll life. Two organizations, one honor those impacted heart, one big day of music, by suicide, share resourcducks, and neighbors comes, enjoy music and ing together to support the light refreshments, and community we all love. remind one another that The Sixth Annual Hoono one has to struggle tenanny wrapped up at its alone. new location in Bohn Park, Sunday, September 20, and while the final finan4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m., cial number, $48,800 split starting at the Bohn Park between LCF and LEAF, is Pedestrian Bridge and Jo Fuller Band playing to the crowd at Hootenanny Gil SparksLCF and Jocelyn Farrell LEAF at Hootenanny worth celebrating, the real walking to LEAF at 304 story of this year’s event is 2nd Ave. the community. “From the If you or someone you beginning, we wanted the Hootenanny to be for everyone. ience, with volunteers and staff adjusting on the fly to keep know is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988 to It’s a day for the whole community to come together, cele- bid sheets secured and the event moving forward. reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. brate Lyons, and have some fun. And because it’s our bigWe are grateful for the support of: gest fundraiser of the year, that celebration turns into real Daryl McCool joined LEAF in 2024 and serves as Creative Platinum Sponsors: CEMEX and Planet Bluegrass impact,” said LCF Chair Kate Schnepel. Gold Sponsors: Berg Hill Law, Tucker Group Real Estate, Communications and Marketing Manager. She supports programLong before the first “hoot” beer float was poured, the Redstone Dental Studio, Lazy Stud Ranch, Lifetime Home ming, events, social media communications, website, and outreach Hootenanny came together because so many people and Remodeling, Western Stars Gallery and Studio, Gau Con- activities in the community. local businesses said yes. MainStage acted as the event’s bar struction, Lyons Gaddis Attorneys and Counselors, Gau Grace Simonsen is a longtime Lyons resident. She served on the partner, bringing not just Hoot Juice and equipment, but Excavating, St. Vrain Market board of the Lyons Community Foundation before becoming the staff who helped the whole operation run smoothly. Spirit Silver Sponsors: 24-7 Restoration, Longmont Dairy, administrative assistant and the community outreach director for Hound donated vodka. Honorable Harvest donated iced Linger Lyons, Moss Rock Development, Human Touch LCF in 2025. tea. Local food trucks, including Marcos Hot Dogs and Tacos and Lenin’s Woodfired Pizza, fed the crowd. The silent auction told its own story about the community. Every single item found a bidder this year, with no exceptions. Getaways and experience packages, rather than physical goods, drew the most excitement, and a set of Broncos tickets sparked real competition among bidders. Behind every one of those items was someone in the community willing to donate, whether that was a local business, a family, or a longtime supporter. This year’s Hootenanny also had to contend with wind and rain during setup and the early part of the event. Rather than derailing things, the challenge became another moment of community resil-

Jonelle Tucker, Broker/Owner

303-902-6250 Your Tucker Group Real Estate Team Levi, Jonelle, Kari & Matt

Lyons Family Owned & Operated

jonelle.tucker@gmail.com www.tuckergroupinc.com

NEAR TOWN

CLIFF VIEWS

EASY ACCESS

279 Quartz Way, Lyons $1,200,000

9 Eagle Nest Lane, Lyons $1,100,000

2901 Stone Canyon Drive, Lyons $850,000

Live the Colorado dream in this lovely log home on 2.6 forested acres with foothill and valley views, in-law/guest suite with large kitchen, huge deck, and many updates.

Great Eagle Canyon location near Sandstone cliffs with foothill views on a large lot backing to open space. Solid build with refinished hardwood floors and huge studio.

Expansive foothills views from this lovely home on 34 scenic acres, just mins from Lyons. Gorgeous sandstone countertops, hardwood floors, new carpet, RV parking, plus large outbuilding.

MOUNTAIN VIEWS

MOUNTAIN GETAWAY

LOT FOR SALE

Spinal Decompression Therapy Pre & Post Pregnancy Care Neck & Back Pain Relief Maintenance Care

Dr. Christine Illman, DC & Dr. Drew Illman, DC 1304 Vivian Street, Longmont, CO 80501 303-651-7003, www.lefthandchiro.com

80 Lookout Road, Lyons $675,000

2365 Storm Mountain Dr, Drake $325,000

101 Lewis Lane, Lyons $200,000

Breathtaking snow-capped mountain and foothills views from this gorgeous custom mountain home. Design boasts walls of windows, and solid wood floors and ceilings.

Escape to the mountains! Minutes from Estes Park and RMNP, this unique 4.89 acre property features a cabin, yurt, bathhouse, large deck and RV parking.

Breathtaking foothill views and sparkling city lights only minutes to Lyons! Private 10-acre lot has electricity at the property line, county approved house plans, and an onsite water treatment plan.

For more information and reviews, visit tuckergroupinc.com

VOLUME 27, NUMBER 7

LYONS, COLOR ADO

PAGE 13

SELECT YOUR ADVENTURE Greenwood Wildlife holds a fundraiser to support animal care By Shannon Holleran Redstone Review LONGMONT – Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will host its annual fundraising event, Wild Night for Wildlife, on Saturday, September 19, starting at 5:00 p.m. The gala will take place at Nissi’s Entertainment Venue and Event Center, 1455 Coal Creek Dr., Unit T. The evening will begin with a lively happy hour and silent auction at 5:00 p.m., featuring a variety of items from art to pet baskets, as well as a raffle. There will be cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to the elegant backdrop of a live jazz trio. Following the happy hour, a dinner will be served with both gluten-free and vegan options available. The evening’s program will feature a game of Heads or Tails with a chance to win a staycation in Breckenridge right on Peak 7. The live auction offerings include delightful getaways and unique animal experiences and will be followed by an opportunity for guests to raise their paddle to support the wild animals at Greenwood. In addition to the in-person event, an online auction is available for all supporters to participate in. Online registration is free and open to anyone.

Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center cares for orphaned, injured and sick wild animals with the goal of returning them to the wild. Proceeds from the annual Wild Night for Wildlife fundraiser will support Greenwood’s rehabilitation and education programs. PHOTO BY RAQUEL PEDROSA

Sponsors for this year’s event include Cemex, Treeline Veterinary Cancer Care, Tiglas Ecological Services, TStar Recruiting, Boulder CPAs, Griffith Home Collective, SCM Consulting, Martinson Services, Scott Birmingham, Paula Hildebrandt Charitable Fund, and Wilmac. Tickets for the 21+ event include dinner and libations and can be purchased for individuals or at a discounted rate for a table of eight. All proceeds from the gala will benefit the orphaned, injured, and sick animals at Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Longmont. Register for the in-person event for $195 at greenwoodwildnight.com. If you can’t join us for the gala, you can still support us by participating in the online auction. Bidding is free and open to anyone. Visit greenwoodwildnight.com and click the ticketing page to register. More about Greenwood The mission of Greenwood since its inception in 1982 has been two-fold: rehabilitation of wildlife, including the treatment and release of sick or injured wildlife and orphaned or abandoned baby animals, and education of the public to prevent or minimize human-wildlife interactions and provide humane solutions when such encounters occur. For more information, please visit: greenwoodwildlife.org.

Fish Wranglers St. Vrain & Left Hand Water Conservancy water resource specialist Emily Robinson, Executive Director Sean Cronin and Ashley Ficke, GEI Consultants, (left to right) work to capture trout stranded behind the Highland Ditch diversion dam in Lyons August 28. The fish were stranded when the diversion gates were closed after they were swept into the structure. More than 250 trout were captured and returned to the St. Vrain River. This was the second cooperative rescue effort between StVLHW and the Highland Ditch Company. One of the side effects of the 105,000 irrigation structures on Colorado rivers is the accidental death of millions of trout and other fish species. The fish become “entrained” when they are sucked into irrigation ditches from the river or instinctively follow the diverted current. When the water diversions are shut off fish are trapped in rapidly shrinking pools and die or become easy prey. The Highland Ditch Company has been diverting water from the St. Vrain River since 1871, using the water to irrigate 35,000 farmland acres. The St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District (www.svlh.gov) was created in 1971 as a local government.

Support Mark Milburn in his recovery Many in Lyons know Mark Milburn from his time as a waiter at Oskar Blues. Mark recently suffered a serious ankle injury after falling down a stairway while carrying a tray of glasses. Thanks for considering supporting Mark during his recovery. Your help can ease the financial burden of being out of work and allow him to focus on healing. Donate at gofund.me/austin-fish-02sep

l d i T W urkey F k r a p s n est e l l A Small-mountain-town vibes and fun turkeythemed entertainment will delight the whole flock.

Adult Primary Care - Internal Medicine 304 A Main St, Lyons

Our patient centered practice prioritizes kindness and compassion. We can care for you in the office, by phone or video, or in you home. All major insurance plans accepted including Medicare, Medicaid, and discounted self pay. No one is turned away.

Expertise in Geriatric care and healthy aging Heart, Lung, Kidney, and Liver Disease Diabetes, Thyroid, and Metabolic Disease Digestive and Urinary problems Neurological, Arthritis, and Musculoskeletal Depression, Anxiety, and Sleep problems

(720) 945-9745

HumanTouchHealth.org

Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm

Saturday, September 26, 2026 Allenspark, CO | 8:30 am to 3:30 pm | FREE

Live Music

Beer Garden

Turkey Costume Contest

Turkey Calling Contest

Scavenger Hunt

Fun Prizes

Smoked Turkey Legs

Farmers Market

Local Vendors

Turkey Strut Contest

Pancake Breakfast

Proceeds benefit the Allenspark Food Bank, the Allenspark Fire Protection District and local small organizations. wildturkeyfest com

PAGE 14

LYONS, COLOR ADO

Infrastructure Continued from Page 2

Eons Continued from Page 4

A Streets Capital Fund was started in 2018 to set aside General Fund money for large projects, with Second/ Third Avenue identified by BOTs and the Utilities and Engineering Board as a priority. That Capital Fund grew to $600,000, but then was tapped for smaller streets projects. The remaining $166,000 balance is nowhere near enough to tackle Second/Third Avenue. A different approach was taken in 2024: ask voters to approve an additional 1/2 cent sales tax for infrastructure, with exact money use to be determined later, but with Second/Third Avenue again identified as the most likely use. As required by State TABOR law, voters handily (59 percent) approved the tax, and funds from it (about $260,000 per year) have been set aside ever since. About $660,000 will have accumulated through year-end 2026, with that amount plus ongoing accrual being enough to service a low-interest state loan for the project. Design work proceeded, informational meetings were held with citizens, budget surveys were taken (Second Avenue ranked as top priority), and financing was explored with state agencies. In July, the BOT made decisions about project scope and features. The project seemed to be progressing well. The state loan would be to the Stormwater Fund, an “enterprise” fund. Loans to enterprise funds don’t require voter approval. In August, however, a major wrinkle was suddenly discovered. Special bond counsel for the state loan advised that for General Fund money (the ½ cent sales tax) to be used to service a loan to an enterprise fund (the Stormwater Fund), TABOR requires another vote. That was the first time trustees or town staff had been so advised. The BOT considered putting a debt service vote on the November 2026 ballot, but a short deadline and the extremely crowded ballot (15 or more State measures, plus County measures) made doing that problematic. The next ballot opportunity is November 2027. Also on September 8, the BOT directed town staff to continue working on the Second/Third Avenue project, but to take another look at the complex funding options and timing. One complication is an overlap, to some degree, with the school sidewalks project, which includes sidewalks on Third Avenue. A small portion of the sidewalks project might need to be redone later (at some additional cost) if it is completed prior to work on Third Avenue. Another issue is grant funding. A federal BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure for Communities) grant was previously obtained for Third Avenue design work, but not for more costly construction. Another BRIC grant for construction can be sought, but federal grants for Colorado projects are hard to come by these days. A State low-interest loan remains the most likely funding source, but a loan application must await voter approval to use the sales tax money for debt service. Whew. I said it was complicated. An October 7 meeting at the library is scheduled to further explain all this to citizens. Fire risk mitigation I’ll keep this part brief, but it’s important, especially with two recent area fires. A well-attended September 3 town hall meeting (the third fire risk meeting in the last couple of years) produced good questions and feedback. On September 21, the BOT will discuss where we go from here. I urge citizens to carefully review the limited list of measures being considered. Watch for the 9/21 packet materials or email me at MBrowning@townoflyons.com for a copy. They focus on the five-foot zone around structures, not entire properties. Other than junipers within the five-foot zone, they wouldn’t require removing trees. They include relatively inexpensive, easy steps like readable address markers and removing “duff” (pine needles or dried leaves) from under trees or siding. A clear message from the town hall meeting was that the town should provide financial and physical help to people who need it if existing home measures are adopted. That is already being explored, and some “seed money” has been set aside. Helping residents will be a key focus of future discussions. In sum, it’s fairly easy to say these things (school area sidewalks, stormwater/streets, fire risk mitigation) are top priorities, but hard to navigate the path (especially for financing) to get them done. That should not stop us from moving forward, though. Inertia and delays can be hard to overcome, but we must try to do so. The alternative is unacceptable.

background with a production investment of about a buck fifty and enthuse with just a few still images and too many awful jokes. But these guys love the ancient world more than anything. Making, say, a six-minute show about “How We Domesticated Cats Twice” or “When Humans Were Prey”. I always enjoyed each of these short tasters, but while they made sense individually, it was hard to remember all the details and also to put them in context with the long-term evolution of life on Earth over three billion years. One of the reasons that paleontology is a toughy for the lay person is getting one’s head around all the time scales. Yes, we all know the name from Jurassic Park—but why and when? There are eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages—going from very long to short. But recently something has happened, or maybe I should say, evolved. Somebody has decided that the show deserves decent production with a proper budget. Longer shows of 35 minutes, excellent sets, remote locations, better scripting, and interviews with top experts in each field. They began with a six-episode series about one super important time in our history— the end of the Permian period. This new series of Eons has been describing the end of the Paleozoic era (very old life) as it changed into the Mesozoic era (middle life) at the end of the Permian period, 252 million years ago. This is tens of millions of years before the dinosaurs, but it is interesting to us, mammalian life forms, because it talks about our super distant ancestors with tantalizing names like gorgonopsids and cynodonts. Those ancestors survived the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs and ultimately became us. This time is known by scientists as The Great Dying, which was the most catastrophic event in Earth’s history when almost everything perished. It was due to millions of years of volcanic activity in what is now Siberia. Those Russians are always causing trouble. The presenters of Eons talk about life forms and the environments that they lived in. They interview specialists and hold a 252-million-year-old skull in their hands—whoa. Me next, please. It’s easy to think that we live on a planet which is just a lump of rock with some trees on it, but it is really more like an encyclopedia of events or a whole library of species that used to live here. You might think that a hard drive or the cloud is good at storing data, but they are wannabes compared to rock, which can preserve the shape and detail of an animal for hundreds of millions of years. So, check out Kallie Moore, Michelle Barboza-Ramirez, Gabriel Santos, and Blake de Pastino in Eons on PBS. Amazingly, stuff so old can be so refreshing and new. Peter Butler was born in India and lived in a house facing a giant kapok tree. Growing up in England, there were trees, but never quite enough. After qualifying as a biochemist, there was a gradual evolution into being a graphic designer. He and his wife, Deirdre, moved to the States in 1997 and to Lyons in 2000. Finally, there are enough trees.

Mark Browning was sworn in as Mayor of Lyons on April 20, 2026. He has served three terms as a Lyons Trustee. He was also the chair of the Lyons District Library Commission and the former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas.

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN MASSINI

Travels with Redstone Longtime Lyons resident Sharon Lynn traveled to Spain in August to witness the solar eclipse from the Catalonian port city of Tarragona. Her journey began in Valencia and ended in Barcelona. Take the Redstone with you on your next trip and send us your photos showing where the Redstone has traveled. Send your photos to redstarnews5@gmail. com.

SEPTEMBER 18 / OCTOBER 16, 2026

B •R •I •E •F •S Continued from Page 9

sworn staff. The exhibit recognizes former town marshals, police chiefs and town sergeants, as well as the longstanding partnership between the town of Lyons and the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, which has provided law enforcement services to the community for decades. The display also highlights several significant and high-profile cases that have occurred in the Lyons area, providing a look at events that have helped shape the history of law enforcement in the community. The display will remain at the Sheriff’s Office substation following its unveiling and is expected to be presented at the Lyons Community Library and Lyons Redstone Museum in the coming months, giving additional community members and visitors an opportunity to learn more about Lyons’ law enforcement history. Sundance Task Force

LYONS – Please join Fox Property Management and members of the Sundance Task force for a free educational seminar exploring how the Sundance Film Festival’s move to Boulder will impact local housing, short term rental opportunities and tourism. Register in advance to let them know you are coming at 303-7466266. Seminar will be held on Wednesday, September 23at 5:30 - 7 p.m. at Lyons Farmette at 4121 Ute Hwy Lyons CO 80540.

Travels with Fly Rod Paul Rullkoetter shows off an impressive tarpon caught near Campeche, Mexico. Take the Redstone with you on your next trip and send us your photos showing where the Redstone has traveled. Send your photos to redstarnews5@gmail. com.

VOLUME 27, NUMBER X

XX

LYONS, COLOR ADO

PAGE 15