Bws 2014 11 27 a 001web by Rebecca Hemmann

“In towns where there is a strong sense of community, there is no more important institution than the local paper.” — Warren Buffett

BerthoudSurveyor.com

Thursday, November 27, 2014 © Berthoud, Colorado

“Covering all the angles in the Garden Spot”

Volume 11, Number 48 75¢

From all of us at the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

Area residents frustrated with proposed north Berthoud subdivision

Ivy students filter what they learn

By Rudy Hemmann The Surveyor A group of about 50 county residents expressed frustration over the proposed Heron Pointe subdivision at a meeting on Nov. 21. The residents, who own residential properties which developed to county standards, met at Carrie Martin Elementary School to express that frustration to Heron Pointe developer, Bob Dehn. The group also expressed frustration of the Berthoud planning commission for approving a concept plan for the development. The meeting was an organizational session to explore ways to fight the development proposal. Heron Pointe is a proposed 75.7-acre development which would be located immediately south of Larimer County Road (LCR) 14 at LCR 17. Initial presenters were Andrew Givan, Sam Amato, and Carrie Kahle. They gave an overview of what they perceive the project entails. Kahle stated the zoning requested by the developer for the commercial portion of the development was “T-zoning,” which is basically the most liberal type of zoning you can get. “You can pretty much do anything with it,” Kahle said. “You can do banks, you can do medical services, business services, you can do drive-through, or hotels. There is no restriction on what can go in.” Kahle said that the development appears to propose “three drive-through fast food (restaurants) areas along Taft (Avenue)” “It looks like a convenience store, two large office buildings, another small building and two more office buildings at the corner,” she said. She described other aspects of the plan which included a proposed roundabout and many trees, which she deemed a plus. Givan explained that any letters received by Berthoud town staff members by Dec. 4 would be included in the town board packet and suggested those so inclined could email letters to him and he would see to it they got to town staff. He also stated the group had some recourse through the county planning commission, although he was not specific as to what that “recourse” would be. He mentioned petitioning the county planning commission, which would then tell Berthoud “You can’t do [what you are proposing].” Givan also noted he had circulated a petition at the meeting, stating those signing the petition would boycott Berthoud businesses if the Heron Pointe proposal is approved by the town board. Amato informed the group he had been in touch with the Bendelow Law Office of Longmont regarding the Heron Pointe proposal. He stated the Bendelow firm’s attorneys were well versed in land use issues. Amato stressed high traffic volume on Taft Avenue (LCR 17) at around 7 a.m. or at about 5 p.m as an issue. His view was that — techni-

PROPOSAL cont. on page 2

Photo by John Gardner

Ivy Stockwell fifth grader Dayde Dorn explains a water filtration project results with teacher Jason Hooker during a presentation at the school on Nov. 20. Included in Dayde’s team were classmates Miranda Roth, Grayson Heyart, Cody Duran and Garrett Purman.

Fifth-grade students design, build water filters By John Gardner The Surveyor Ivy Stockwell fifth graders presented to teachers, students, parents and others, results of water filters they made themselves with the purpose of reducing turbidity levels in water from Carter Lake, on Nov. 20. Students’ projects were part of a unit in science class called “mixtures and solutions,” where students studied putting mixtures together and taking them apart, again, according to Ivy Stockwell fifth grade teacher Jason Hooker. “We focused on putting the mixtures together and getting the solid pollutants out,” Hooker said. The water-quality science project provided real-world applications because of the 2013 flooding and to educate the students about the world-wide water issues where a majority of the world’s population lacks quality drinking water, according to Hooker. Students were given a sample of raw water from Carter Lake and then added more particles to it to make the water even more contaminated. They were then charged with reducing the turbidity level in the water which started out at 79.5 (NTUs), according to Hooker. Turbidity refers to water’s clarity or cloudiness due to pollutants. The lower level of pollutants reduces the water’s turbidity levels; lower turbidity levels translate to higher-quality water for consumption. Their goal was to lower that number using a filter they designed and incorporating all sorts of different media as a filter; sand, gravel, sponges, coffee filters, screens,

Look who’s in the news!

440 Mountain Ave. Berthoud, CO 80513

Lucia Archuleta Jimmy Fate Kiah Leonard

Anthony Urrutia Ken Kubik Everett Hindman

Weather ..................................... 2 Then & Now ............................... 5 Sports ........................................ 8 Opinion .................................... 10 Classified ................................. 11 Legal notices ............................ 11 Berthoud chamber ................... 16 Crossword ................................ 17

Bring your children’s Letters to Santa to the Surveyor office, 440 Mountain Ave., for publication during December. You can also scan and email if that is more convenient. Send to editor@ berthoudsurveyor. com.

and even panty hose in some cases. “The project was to learn how to filter water and lower the turbidity so that we can consume it,” said fifth grader Grayson Heyart. The students worked on the project for a couple of weeks and managed to get the turbidity down pretty low in some cases. Their goal was to reduce the water from 79.5 NTUs, which was a pretty difficult task. “That water was pretty dirty,” said Grayson. Grayson’ group reduced the turbidity to 51.5 NTUs from the 79.5 starting level. The group built its filter out of a cheeseball and an animal-cracker container as the filter’s body. They used golf-ball sized rocks, coffee filters and cloth to clean the water. “I feel like we could have done better if we had more time,” Grayson’s teammate Miranda Roth said. One group of fifth graders; including Alex Premer, Ashton Scaggs, Jesse Young, Gage Dower, Ethan Graham and Jered York, was able to reduce the turbidity level to as low as 3.97 from 79.5, according to York. “They did a really great job,” Hooker said. Understanding how to filter water was only one aspect of the project and that wasn’t always the best part of it either. “It was all about the engineering and design process of building a filter,” said Garrett Purman, whose favorite aspect of the project was actually building the filter. FILTERED cont. on page 2

Then & Now

Play

Monsees harvest brought out the best in Berthoud

The tale of two Colorado hot springs

Page 5

Page 17

Page 2 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014

SANTA

cont. from page 1

black leather belt and boots, and who carries a bag full of gifts for children.” It is interesting how this view of the American Santa Claus came to be. The Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam (known as New York since its takeover by the British) are credited with introducing the Sinter Klaas character to the Colonies. A Wikipedia entry regarding Sinter Klaas states that historians of the Hudson Valley region “maintain that the tradition of celebrating Sinter Klaas in New York existed in the early settlement of the Hudson Valley. They agree there can be no question that the revival of St. Nicholas celebration came following stories written by Washington Irving, The traditional New Netherlands observance had apparently disappeared, however, “Irving’s stories prominently featured legends of the early Dutch settlers, so while the traditional practice had almost certainly died out, Irving’s St. Nicholas may have been a revival of that dormant Dutch strand of folklore. In his 1812 revisions to ‘A History of New York,’ Irving inserted a dream sequence featuring St. Nicholas soaring over treetops in a ﬂying wagon.” It is the Colonial Sinter Klaas which became the forerunner of the modern American Santa Claus. A Wikipedia article regarding the history of Santa Claus states, “In 1821, the book ‘A New Year’s Present, To the Little Ones From Five to Twelve’ was published in New York. Its pages contained the poem ‘Old Santeclaus,’ an anonymously written piece describing an old man on a reindeer sleigh, bringing presents to children.” Some modern ideas of Santa Claus seem to have become traditionalized after the anonymous publication of the poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (better known today as “The Night Before Christmas”) in the Troy, New York, “Sentinel” on Dec. 23, 1823. Many modern attributes for the Santa Claus ﬁgure are established in this poem, such as riding in a sleigh that lands on the roof, entering through the chimney, and having a bag full of toys. St. Nick is described as being “chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf” with “a little round belly,” which “shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.”

References in other verses of the popular poem to a “miniature sleigh” and “tiny reindeer,” along with the portion of line cited above “a right jolly old elf” would lead one to believe that he is physically quite small; an elfin character. St. Nicholas had morphed into an elf. The reindeer were also named: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem (Dunder and Blixem came from the old Dutch words for thunder and lightning, which were later changed to the more German sounding Donner and Blitzen, as stated in the Wikipedia article). As the years passed, Santa Claus evolved into a large, heavyset person. One of the first artists to define Santa Claus’s modern image was Thomas Nast, an American political cartoonist of the 1800s. On Jan. 3, 1863, a picture of Santa illustrated by Nast appeared in “Harper’s Weekly.” “The story that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole may also have been created by Nast,” states the Wikipedia article, “His Christmas image in the ‘Harper’s’ issue dated Dec. 29, 1866 was a collage of engravings titled ‘Santa Claus and His Works,’ which included the caption ‘Santa Claussville, N.P.’ A color collection of Nast’s pictures, published in 1869, had a poem also titled ‘Santa Claus and His Works’ by George P. Webster, who wrote that Santa Claus’s home was ‘near the North Pole, in the ice and snow.’” That part of the Santa story was well known by the 1870s. That brings us to the beginning of the 20th Century, when a series of 1920s Coca Cola advertisements drawn by Hadden Sundblom reinforced the pop culture’s image of Santa Clause as a jovial, rotund, rose cheeked fellow dressed in a red suit with white fur trimming, black boots and black belt, and, lest we forget, that modified stocking cap, also trimmed in white fur, and the white pom-pom at the point. As you can see Santa Claus is a figure steeped in history and tradition, legend, folklore and myth and, yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He dwells in the hearts of good people everywhere.

POLICEFILES

Ninth Street, information from a mother out of Thornton led to her daughter who ran away the previous night. A 17-yearold girl was found at her boyfriend’s house without the knowledge of his parents. All were surprised to see law enforcement at their door. Runaway: 1600 block of CR10E, an aunt called to report that her 16-year-old niece never came home after basketball practice at Berthoud High School. Extra patrols: Berthoud schools, town parks, Gateway Park, Mathews Farm, Second Street mobile home parks. Trafﬁc enforcement: CR 17, Highway 287, Mountain Avenue, stop signs enforcement at Fifth Street and Michigan and Fourth Street and Bunyan. Five contacts: 5 written warnings.

Monday, Nov. 17 Motor vehicle accident: Meadowlark Drive and County Road (CR) 8, a driver called in to report an accident that happened this morning. She exchanged information with the other driver and both left the scene. Due to insurance obligations, report was documented. Minor damage to both vehicles. More phone scams: A resident received a phone call from “grandson” who was in custody at the San Diego Police department and needed bail money in four $500 increment money orders. The nice lawyer was going to go get the money and bond him out if she sent it to him. She called us instead. No money lost and phone number reported to the FTC fraud line. Contacts: Semi broke down in the middle of Mountain Avenue. Thanks to the Scott at ACE Hardware for the ﬁtting to get the trucker back on the move after breaking an air line. Tuesday, Nov. 18 Returned runaway: 500 block of

FIREFILES Monday, Nov. 17 BFPD and TVEMS assisted a patient with breathing problems on County Road (CR) 21. The patient was transported. BFPD assisted TVEMS with a medical call on Wilshire Drive. The patient was transported. Tuesday, Nov. 18 BFPD assisted TVEMS and LCSO with a patient with frostbite symptoms on Welch Avenue. BFPD responded to a vacant building with a reported water leak on Fourth Street. The ﬁre crew stopped the leak and the property manager was notiﬁed.

Words of Wisdom

Wednesday, Nov. 19 Motor vehicle accident: Third Street/E. Michigan Avenue, an 18-yearold driver learned a hard lesson with all-wheel drive vehicles ... They do a great job getting going on snow and ice, however they don’t stop nearly as well on ice. After getting traction around a corner he then collided with a cluster-box mail post. Extra patrols: Berthoud schools, town Wednesday, Nov. 19 BFPD assisted TVEMS with a medical call at Hays Market. The patient was transported. BFPD was dispatched to a motor-vehicle accident on I-25 at mile marker 252. The ﬁre crew was unable to locate an accident. BFPD assisted TVEMS with a medical call at Berthoud Living Center. The patient was transported. Thursday, Nov. 20 BFPD responded to a reported motor-vehicle accident on I-25 at mile marker 253. This was a multi-vehicle accident. BFPD responded with TVEMS to a medical call for abdominal pain at Berthoud Living Center. The patient was transported.

FILTERED

Photo by John Gardner

Ethan Graham demonstrates his group’s water ﬁltration system by pouring water into the ﬁlter on Nov. 20 at Ivy Stockwell. Ethan’s group included Alex Premer, Ashton Scaggs, Jesse Young, Gage Dower and Jered York; who were able to reduce the amount of turbidity in the water from 79.5 NTUs to 3.97. That reduction was the second best out of all the groups.

PROPOSAL

cont. from page 1

cally — the road capacity is already at maximum and should be widened. And anyone driving LCR 17 around those times during the week knows how hard it is to get on and, once on the road, people tailgate because everybody is in a hurry. The fourth and ﬁnal speaker of the evening was Phil Barly detailed tactics that could be used to overcome the three-minute time limit that would almost certainly be imposed by parks, Gateway Park, Mathews Farm, Second Street mobile home parks. Trafﬁc enforcement: CR 17, Highway 287, Mountain Avenue, stop signs enforcement at Fifth Street and Michigan and Fourth Street and Bunyan. Eight contacts: 7 warnings, 1 vehicle tagged for 72 hr removal Thursday, Nov. 20 Lost property: Third Street/Turner Avenue, a resident called to report he had lost a check that had blown out of his truck. Mental health hold: 700 block of Marshall Place, a mother called to report that her 16-year-old son had gotten into an argument with her about school work and consequences for his behavior. Theft/Gather identity info by deception: 1000 block of Sixth Street Court, a resident called to report that she had been applying for loans online when a “Loan Company” called her saying she had been approved for a loan. She was given instructions to put $200 on a prepaid Visa card and give the information of the card to the person on the phone. She was then instructed she needed to take out $200 more for “taxes” and again BFPD was dispatched to a report of a motor-vehicle accident on I-25 at mile marker 252. The crew was unable to locate an accident. BFPD responded with TVEMS to a medical call for breathing problems on W. CR 6. The patient was transported. Friday, Nov. 21 BFPD responded to a medical call at the Berthoud Living Center. The crew assisted TVEMS with transporting the patient. BFPD responded with TVEMS to a medical call on Welch Avenue. The patient was transported. BFPD responded with TVEMS to a report of a person passed out on the side of the road near Highway 287 and LCR 8. The patient was transported. BFPD responded to a citizen assist

Tecumseh (1768—1813)

the board during the public comment portion of the meeting. Barly had attended a town council meeting in Loveland and observed another group using the same tactics. A document provided by the meeting organizers states, “The project was approved in a small public meeting held Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Berthoud town hall, however construction has been underway since September.” Berthoud’s Interim Town Planner Sherry Albertson-Clark stated the only “construction” that has

taken place was work on two utility lines. Xcel Energy connected to a gas line on the west side of LCR 17 and put in a gas line extending eastward along the south side of 42nd Street SW, and Little Thompson Water District placed a new water line on the east side of LCR 17 to serve as a backup water source for the PrairieStar development. The line originates at a vault west of LCR 17 just south of LCR 14.

give the information for the card over the phone. She complied. She quickly found out she had fallen victim to a scam and was out $400. Please never give your information out to a caller over the phone. Extra patrols: Berthoud schools, town parks, Gateway Park, Mathews Farm, Second Street mobile home parks. Trafﬁc enforcement: CR 17, Highway 287, Mountain Avenue, stop signs enforcement at Fifth Street and Michigan and Fourth Street and Bunyan Avenue. Two contacts: 1 warning, 1 citation

scales, baggies and over $2,500 in cash.

Friday, Nov. 21

Sunday, Nov. 23

for an injured animal on Zuercher Lane. The animal was injured from a fall and the owner needed assistance with a lift.

BFPD responded to a medical call for heart problems on W. CR 6. The patient was transported. BFPD responded to a medical call on Windchime Court. The patient was transported.

Saturday, Nov. 22 BFPD responded to a multi- vehicle accident on I-25 at mile marker 253. BFPD responded with TVEMS to a medical call for back pain on Second Street. The patient was transported. BFPD assisted with a medical call with TVEMS and LCSO on Second Street.

Sunday, Nov. 23 BFPD responded with TVEMS to a medical call on W. CR 10E. The patient was transported.

Passport to Christmas

Friday 58/32 Partly cloudy

Source: WeatherBug

Criminal mischief: 100 Bunyan Avenue, a business owner reported his vehicle’s windshield was damaged. Extra patrols: town parks, Gateway Park, Second Street mobile home parks, Serenity Ridge. Trafﬁc enforcement: CR 17, Fourth Street, Mountain Avenue, South Highway 287 25 contacts: 6 verbal warnings, 19 citations Civil issue: 800 block of Fifth Street, the owner of this residence found out that a 30-year-old female and her boyfriend have been arrested multiple times and was in violation of the verbal rental. Extra patrols: Berthoud schools, town parks, Gateway Park, Mathews Farm, Second Street mobile home parks, Serenity Ridge. Trafﬁc enforcement: CR 17, Fourth Street, Mountain Avenue. One contact: 1 motor assist

Thursday 58/33 Partly cloudy

Monday 45/20 Partly cloudy

Saturday, Nov. 22

Disregarding a traffic control device/Driving under the influence of drugs/Revoked license/Eluding/ Resisting arrest/Possession of drugs/ Distribution: 600 Bunyan Avenue, a 29-year-old man from Texas failed to stop at the stop sign in front of Berthoud Elementary. A vehicle pursuit was initiated after he failed to stop for the traffic offense. He drove over five miles then fled on foot after retrieving a bag from the vehicle. Deputies caught him but he remained uncooperative. The bag contained over eight ounces of different drugs in addition to 26 vials believed to be LSD,

WEATHER

Sunday 45/20 Partly cloudy

Students researched different water issues around the world, as well as local water issues, to understand the importance of clean water. There were also a number of expert guest speakers who spoke to the students too, such as Brian Werner, with the Northern Water Conservancy District, and the Town of Berthoud’s water and wastewater operations manager, James Taylor, among others. “There were a lot of real-world applications so that the kids could see why filtering water is so important,” Hooker said. The Nov. 20 presentations were a culmination of the students’ hard work, he said. “Some of [the filters] worked wonderfully and others didn’t,” Hooker said. Another aspect of the project was the engineering and design process and how failure is part of the scientific process. “We take a failure and we reimagine and we redesign what we’ve done and we retest and see if we can improve,” Hooker said. Students repeatedly said what was working with other classmates was their favorite part of the project, but they also picked up on the educational value of clean water. “We learned that filtering water is very simple and that it takes teamwork,” said Will Daigneault.

From Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, take the Passport to participating businesses and get your Passport stamped with four return address stamps. Return the Passport to L&M Garden Center on Saturday, Dec. 6 between 5:30-6 p.m. and place it in the Passport to Christmas box. Ten Passports will be drawn for prizes. For a list of participating businesses, visit www.ChristmasInBerthoud.org.

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

Saturday 57/28 Partly cloudy

cont. from page 1

In this moment ... It doesn’t matter if you saved money in 15 minutes. It doesn’t matter if your neighbor has the same insurance you do. What matters right now is the quality of your independent insurance agent and the company that stands behind them.

970-532-3131 235 Welch Ave. www.weedinagency.com

Name: Phone #:

The origin of Santa Claus By Rudy Hemmann The Surveyor Who is this Santa Claus character, and where did he come from? Did you ever wonder what all of the names and personages of the character we, here in America, refer to as Santa Claus came from? What do Sinter Klass, Santa Claus, St. Nick and Kris Kringle have in common? The best place to start is, as always, at the beginning. All the way back to the third century when a revered Greek monk, Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, was born. According to the website stnicholascenter.org, Nicholas was born in the year 280 A.D. in the small coastal village of Patara in the Greek state of Lycia, which is now in southern Turkey. His parents, who were devout Christians, orphaned him when he was young when they both passed away during an epidemic. Nicholas found himself in control of a vast sum of money he had inherited from his parents. Some years after his parents’ passing, Nicholas made a pilgrimage to the holy land where he vowed to live according to the teachings of Jesus, help the poor and the children of the region around his home commu-

nity. He returned to the coastal village of Myra, which is approximately 50 kilometers east of Patara, where he was soon recognized by many for his good works and was selected as Bishop for the region. According to the website, stories and legends, no doubt embellished over the years, arose around the life of the good Bishop of Myra, especially as a defender and protector of children. He is also said to have defended those wrongly accused of crimes and prayed earnestly for the protection of sailors. The legends surrounding Nicholas grew for hundreds of years after his death, which occurred Dec. 6, 343 A.D. He was canonized to sainthood soon after his death. One legend, which bears a modern connection, is that of a father with three daughters. In those days it was customary to offer a dowry to a potential husband to marry a daughter. The larger the dowry the more likely the young woman would be to ﬁnd a good husband. However, being poor, the father had nothing to give for the dowry of even one daughter, let alone all three. Without the dowries his daughters would be subject to lives of virtual slavery as handmaids to others.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014 As if by magic, small pouches of gold coins appeared over night as the two eldest daughters became eligible to be married, and the dowries were paid. The father, curious about who was giving the gold coins, slept lightly as his third daughter came of age and caught Nicholas tossing a pouch filled with coins through an open window. As the legend goes, in these three cases the pouches landed next to sandals belonging to the daughters, which had been placed near the fireplace. As Nicholas’ legend grew in Europe during the early days of Christianity, children began the practice of placing shoes on the hearth (and later also hanging stockings from the fireplace mantle) in the hope that St. Nicholas would leave them some treats. The website mentioned above gives several more examples of Nicholas’ generosity of, not only his wealth, but his time and talents as well. He is revered as a “giver of gifts” — monetary and otherwise. Many Europeans observe Saint Nicholas Eve (Dec. 5) or Saint Nicholas Day (Dec. 6) celebrations with feasting and holiday parties. Of all countries in which Saint Nicholas festivities are observed none do it better than the residents of the Netherlands. Since medieval times the Dutch have begun the yearly St. Nicholas festivities in mid-November with the arrival by

Photo from cakechooser.com

ship of a character named Sinter Klaas (or Sint Nicolaas) from Spain. Beginning in the 1850s he was accompanied by helpers named Zwarte Piet (Black Peter). There are always more than one Zwarte Piet. Sinter Klaas is dressed in a red robe or a tunic reminiscent of a priestly

Page 3

garment which is trimmed in white. He dons a tall red hat emblazoned with a cross or other symbol of religious significance. He carries a long gilded staff with a shepherd’s crook and sports a long white beard along with long white hair. Once he arrives in The Netherlands he travels from one location to the next, carried on a white horse. Sinter Klaas has also been known to use more modern means of transport, such as coaches, carriages, and even the occasional helicopter. The Zwarte Piet ride donkeys or walk behind Sinter Klaas on his horse. The actors playing the part of Zwearte Piet are typically dressed in brightly colored Renaissance attire, wear blackface, lipstick, black curly wigs and earrings, according to Wikipedia. From his arrival in mid-November until Dec. 5 Sinter Klaas is kept busy finding out if children have been good or naughty. He is aided in this task by Zwarte Piet. Based on what he learns about the behavior of children he will fill shoes left by the front door with appropriate gifts during a nightly visit. Good children receive treats; chocolate, fruit or nuts. Naughty children may get a lump of coal, a small bag of salt, or a small bundle of twigs. It is also customary for the children to leave some treats for Sinter Klaas’ horse; a few carrots or a nice helping of hay are usually enough to curry favor. According to Wikipedia, other countries which have a strong tradition of holiday figures based on Saint Nicholas are some parts of Germany and Austria (Sankt Nikolaus) and Switzerland (Samichlaus). During the Reformation many Europeans, including Martin Luther, wished to rid themselves of all things Catholic, so they began looking for another “gift giver” to take the place of St. Nicholas. The nearest they could come to Dec. 5 was the birth of the Christ Child (Christkind or Christkindl among German-speaking regions of Europe) on Dec. 25. As a result, in some European homes today, the Christ child is the gift giver on Dec. 24 rather than St. Nicholas on Dec. 5. Kris Kringle is simply the Americanized mispronunciation of the German term for Christ child. The American St. Nick is also a reference to the St. Nicholas Day which has been changed from Dec. 5 to Dec. 24. The European model for the Sinter Klaas figure is depicted as tall and slender and someone who could be stern. According to Wikipedia the American version of Santa Claus is “generally depicted as a portly, joyous, white-bearded man — sometimes with spectacles — wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and

SANTA cont. on page 2

Page 4 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014

Berthoud Bound: a boy and his camera promote the town By Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer The Surveyor

Everett Hindman started taking pictures on a family vacation when he was in middle school. Today, the Berthoud High School senior is the founder of Berthoud Bound, a project that will market Berthoud through photographs. “People starting telling me, ‘You’re a natural at this,’” said Hindman. “When I got to high school I started taking photography classes and started getting more and more into it. Today, my photography has hung at the Da Bean and I have my own online portfolio.” Hindman loves photography because it allows the photographer to capture moments in time. While he’s mainly been shooting landscapes, he wants to get into portrait and urban photography. Berthoud Bound started through a mentoring program at BHS called E3 Learning, a personalized education opportunity available to students in grades K-12 in Loveland and Berthoud. It is part of the Extended Learning Opportunities Program facilitated by Thompson Schools at Ferguson High School. The mission is to seek out and pave the pathway for students to explore, engage and expand. Learn more at e3Learning.co. “You pick your subject and they give you a mentor,” explained Hindman. “You do things through the year to progress in that subject.” His E3 mentor, Loveland businessman John Giroux, realized that Hindman was already a skilled photographer, but that Giroux could help the BHS student understand the business side of running a photography company. The photography book that Giroux spearheaded, Loveland 365, was the inspiration for Berthoud Bound. “We were also approached by the Berthoud chamber because they wanted some materials for marketing the town. So that’s basically how Berthoud Bound came about,” said Hindman. Hindman has been visiting and photographing businesses around Berthoud and growing his social media presence. His next step will be to create postcards and posters about Berthoud that will target the communities outside of the town. “We’re trying to attract people to Berthoud. It’s such a great place,” said Hindman, who has lived in the town his entire life. The folks on social media quickly embraced Berthoud Bound, and Hindman’s Facebook page for the project grew quickly this fall, garnishing 1,000 likes in just a couple of months. “One of my goals with this project was to get myself [as a photographer] better known within the community of Berthoud, because I’d like to make photography more than just a hobby,” said Hindman. When he enters college next year, Hindman plans to study graphic design, photography and business, and through the Berthoud Bound project he’s surely building a good foundation for his future studies and career. If you’re interested in learning more about Berthoud Bound, attend the project’s kick-off party being held Dec. 11 at City Star Brewing, or visit Berthoud Bound on Facebook. To follow Hindman’s online portfolio, visit http:// about.me/everetthindman.

Look at Loveland

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014 Page 5 The Berthoud Historical Society and Mark French are interested in obtaining and copying old photos from Berthoud’s past. Please contact Mark at 532-2147 if you have any photos you would like to share.

A LOOK AT BERTHOUD

Monsees harvest brought out the best in Berthoud T

he theme of the 10th annual Berthoud Historical Society calendar is “Berthoud at Work.” Northern Colorado Then & Now Surveyor communities Columnist such as Berthoud owe their existence to agriculture and have long legacies of labor that were based on the work it took to bring crops from planting Mark to harvest. The French strong work ethic of the first farmers carried over to the schools and churches they attended and the businesses they frequented. Work touched every aspect of early Berthoud. The “Berthoud at Work” calendar is filled with photographs of local residents engaged in chores and jobs that typified Berthoud’s work places over the past century. One of the most interesting images to appear in the calendar is a harvest scene at the Monsees farm north of Berthoud. Taken in 1952, the snapshot shows Berthoud farmers pitching in to harvest Larry Monsees’ sugar-beet crop after the young farmer lost his life in an accident. In September of 1952, Berthoud was stunned by the death of Monsees. The 33-year-old farmer was severely injured when he was pinned between

a truck and a tractor while helping fill a silo on the Bein farm west of Berthoud. When Monsees died two days later, he left behind a pregnant wife and a field of sugar beets that was approaching harvest. The following month, Emil Miller organized the community’s farmers to get the job done. Miller was the operator of a gas station at the southeast corner of Fifth Street and Mountain Avenue in Berthoud. In the days following Monsees’ death, he canvassed local farmers when he delivered fuel to their farms. He found they were willing to donate their labor and equipment to harvest Monsees’ beets. Later Miller informed the local newspaper, “I had a little spare time on my gas route so I started talking to some of the boys and this is what happened.” In October 1952 the Berthoud Bulletin reported, “One of the most wonderful sights of cooperation and neighborliness was shown Tuesday when Berthoud area farmers and town folk gathered together to operate a fleet of 13 beet harvesting machines and over 30 trucks to harvest the beet crop on the farm of the late Larry Monsees. “Tuesday morning 12 beet toppers showed up and began a blitzkrieg on the field of about 30 acres. By noon there were 13 and all the machines were in the field busy manned by over 40 harvest hands besides the tractor operators and truck drivers ... By 4 p.m. the entire field was cleared. There were 110 loads of beets delivered to the Berthoud delivery station

LARIMERCOUNTYNEWS&NOTES Larimer County to consider landﬁll rate increase The Larimer County Board of Commissioners will consider proposed rates increases for the Larimer County Landﬁll and Transfer Stations at the annual Budget hearings in Fort Collins and Estes Park. The Solid Waste department is operated as an enterprise fund meaning their operating funds come from services rendered rather than from the County’s general fund. Rates are reviewed on an annual basis. The rate increases are being proposed to fund the Solid Waste department and help set aside monies for

future facilities to serve citizens. Most of the landfill rates proposed have a 4 percent increase with the exception of the rubble rate. These materials take up landfill air space and are hard to compact. Transfer stations rates are proposed to increase at 5 percent. Transfer station rates do not cover their total cost of disposal. Transfer stations are receiving stations set up in rural areas to help deliver services by collecting some of an areas’ waste and then transferring it to the Landfill for the community. There are several ways to provide input: • Email the County Commissioners at BOCC@larimer.org

and it was estimated that nearly 550 tons of beets were brought in. “Several of the farmers left their own fields to join in the attack and the streets of town were well deserted as townspeople gathered at the field to both help and watch. Business places also sent men and equipment to help. Numerous out-of-state cars stopped to inquire and to marvel at the wonderful spirit of cooperation of the rural citizenry ... Men were not alone in the field. The women were well represented working both on the harvesters and driving trucks. “Contributing harvesters were: Jake Lebsack (operated by son, John), Abe Gettman, John Schwab, Dave Hart, Ivan Adler and Robert Sterkel, Art Van Thuyne, Leo Monsees, Floyd Hale, Graese Implement Co., Louis Bein, E.E. Zoller, Emil Starck, and Adolph Lebsack.” “Trucks were donated by Abe Gettman, John Schwab, John Schleiger, Ivan Adler, Art Van Thuyne (2), Leo Monsees, Louis Bein, E.E. Zoller (4), Emil Starck (2), Rueben Stroh, Troy Buehler, Ed Maelzer, Charles Wilson, Gerhardt Miller, Edmund Griep, Lyle Ellis, Dave Gettman, H.P. Hornbaker (Niwot), Bob Stroman (Mead), Haworth Brothers and Carl Swanson. “The Loveland newspaper added, “Mayor O.D. Mayo of Berthoud worked all day on a harvester, each of which needed two or three pairs of busy hands in addition to the ones that drove the tractor. Among the other hard-working hands were those of Lawrence Hofen, Henry and Jake Hart, Alvy Strasheim, Marvin Moore,

• Write the Commissioners at: PO Box 1190, Fort Collins, CO 80522 • Phone the Commissioners at: 970498-7010 Draft Devil’s Backbone Management Plan available for input and public meeting Larimer County Natural resources is seeking public input on a draft of the update to the Devil’s Backbone Open Space Management Plan. This updated plan will recommend management actions to address trailhead capacity challenges at the open space and congestion on the highly utilized Wild Loop trail as well as other aspects of the area’s management.

Photo courtesy of the Miller Collection, Berthoud Historical Society

In October 1952 Berthoud banded together to harvest the sugar beet crop of Larry Monsees who had been killed in a farm accident. Monsees’ farm was located one-half mile north of Berthoud along old Highway 287. The house at the left of the photograph is currently under renovation.

Bill Krieger, Berthoud mail carrier Rueben Krieger, clothier L. McClung, Pete Hahn, Solon Yates, Gregory Huerta, Henry Schleiger, Chester Van Amburg, Con Orback, Frank Munter, Al Albright, L.E. Teeter, Don Gooding, Roy Frank, John Stroh, Howard Gavoille, Dave Waggener, Bill Sterkel, Tom Bein, Mrs. John Schwindt and Mrs. Con Schleiger. “At noon a hearty lunch of spaghetti and hamburger, corn, rolls and butter, cherry pie and coffee was furnished for all hands by Mrs. Leo Monsees and Mrs. Rueben Stroh.” In following weeks the Berthoud

Bulletin added names to the already-impressive list of volunteers, increasing the roster of workers to over 70. The photograph of the 1952 sugar-beet harvest at the Monsees farm north of Berthoud depicts Berthoud at its “working best.” Other images that appear in the 2015 Berthoud Historical Society calendar show a cross-section of Berthoud area residents at work. The calendar goes on sale in December and may be purchased at the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum as well as several Berthoud businesses.

The plan is available at www.larimer. org/devilsbackboneplan and the public is invited to give comments via the website, or attend an upcoming public meeting to discuss their feedback with staff. Devil’s Backbone Open Space management plan update public meeting will be held on Dec. 4, 5 – 7 p.m. in the Gertrude Scott Room, Loveland Public Library, 300 N Adams Ave., Loveland. Public input on the draft plan will be accepted through Dec. 12. For more information contact Jeffrey Boring, resource specialist at jboring@larimer.org. Devil’s Backbone and other County Open Spaces are protected thanks to the Help Preserve Open Spaces sales tax.

tant

Become a volunteer ranger assis-

Did you think you would grow up to be a park ranger? It’s not too late. You can become a volunteer ranger assistant and help parks and natural area rangers accomplish much of their important work. Larimer County’s Department of Natural Resources and the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department are now accepting volunteer ranger assistant applications. The training will be in late February. Volunteers attend 20 hours of training and are asked to contribute 20 hours of service in return. Volunteer ranger assistants (VRAs) are a friendly face on the trail that can answer visitor questions. Volunteers have an important role in caring for trails, kiosks and other amenities. You can volunteer on foot, ride your bike, or ride your horse. Do you have what it takes to join this elite group of volunteers? Qualiﬁed candidates will have experience in the outdoors, ability to hike or bike a minimum of two miles, excellent communication skills, time for volunteering and ﬁling patrol logs, access to the Internet, and experience with computers. For more information or to apply: www.fcgov.com/naturalareas For questions contact Pam Mayhew at 970-619-4552 or email pmayhew@larimer. org.

OBITUARY Jerry “Papa” Sladek Nov. 20, 1934 — Nov. 22, 2014 On the morning of Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, Jerry Joseph Sladek “Papa,” passed away in his home. Jerry was born to Georgia and Jerry Sladek on Nov. 20, 1934. He was preceded in death by his sister Margie and survived by his brother Ralph. Jerry is survived by his wife Dorothy. Jerry met Dorothy at Arvada High School and they were together for 56 years. They have two children, Joseph and Jerry Sladek Tina Sladek. Jerry served in the U.S. Army for two years. He was a loyal Broncos fan and adamant ﬁsherman. Jerry enjoyed his younger days ranching with his best friend John Boyle. Later he owned and operated his own trucking business before retiring. The family moved to Berthoud in 1980. Jerry and his son Joseph raised cattle on their farm for many years. Jerry was loved by everyone who knew him and could always make you smile. He was a fun-loving man who always had a good joke to tell. He is also survived by his six grandchildren: Alisha, Sheldon, Tyler, Jerimiah, Nathaniel and Daniel. Jerry was blessed with one great-grandchild, Jesse Meenen. Services will be held on Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, at Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Loveland, Colo., at 10 a.m. Reception to follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Gravesite will be at Mountain View Cemetery in Longmont, Colo., at 1 p.m. Go to www.viegutfuneralhome.com for condolences.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014 Page 7

A new business — or three — on Mountain Avenue By Bob McDonnell The Surveyor

Photo by Bob McDonnell

Kolt Johnson and Rhonda Carpenter happily announce the opening of their new Mountain Avenue business.

PLEASE RECYCLE

The building at 520 Mountain Ave. has a long and varied business history. Recently, it became a business again. Actually, it became three different businesses. The new owners of the long, narrow, green building are Kolt Johnson and Rhonda Carpenter. The married couple uses the structure for Johnson’s real estate business called Son Over the Rockies and his Farmers Insurance office. Together, Johnson and Carpenter operate Berthoud Antiques and Flea Market too. The duo moved to Berthoud six years ago. Carpenter, an industrial hygienist, works at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facility in Boulder. She plans to retire in a year or so to devote more time to the antique business. Johnson is an experienced house painter and got his realtor’s license in 2004. He started the insurance business last year. The couple purchased the building in October, after looking at it six months ago. Carpenter labels the building she believes was built in 1916 “adorable and cute.” The freshly painted interior of the Mountain Avenue business is thanks to Johnson’s painting expertise. Merchandise for sale includes a variety of furniture, art, glasswork, jewelry and pottery. “Eclectic” is how Carpenter describes items they sell. The store’s inventory changes all the time as the couple continues to frequent auctions and antique sales. They plan weekly changes since Johnson says the couple has what he terms “more stuff” at home southwest of Berthoud. In the near future, consignment items will be added to the owners’ items. Anyone with possible consignment furniture should email Carpenter, rhonda2@msn.com before bringing items in. The fledgling business has dreams and plans for the future. The east side of the building contains a large deck. The couple plans to hold garage sales there in the summer, and Johnson envisions it as a space for concerts and possibly a hot dog stand. Store hours are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Johnson’s telephone number for real estate or insurance is 303-520-6469.

Page 8 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014

Berthoud boys hoping to rebound this season By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor There is a beginning to everything. In taking the reins of a Berthoud High School boys’ basketball team that has won a combined three conference games the last two seasons, newly-minted head coach Anthony Urrutia says his team will start at the beginning with the fundamentals. Urrutia emphasizes the basics — play stout defense, minimize turnovers, avoid making mental errors — and the other, flashier parts of the game will follow. “Our motto is going to be play defense, rebound and take care of it,” Urrutia said. In interview with Urrutia and his players, it became clear that defense will be a central focus for Berthoud. It is the logical place to start for a team that gave up 847 points in conference games last season; the second highest mark in the Tri-Valley Conference (TVC). The Spartans believe that by limiting second chances for their opponents to score, and not hurting themselves on offense, they can control the flow of the game and put themselves in a position to win games by keeping the score close. “Defense wins games,” said junior forward and center Cody Braesch. “And strong defense is going to be our focus this year.” While the Spartans have spent the lion’s share of their time in preseason practices focusing on defense, which Urrutia explained requires developing the right mentality as much as it does honing physical skills, they are now beginning to install portions of their new offense. Yet the offensive side of things will require work in live games, as was explained by senior point guard Nate Hammel. “I think the offensive game will exponentially improve as we get into some live games,” Hammel said. Hammel, who was Berthoud’s leading scorer last season with an 11.5 points per game average, contends that the countless hours of work in the offseason that he and many of his teammates put in is already showing up on the floor. “I feel like I’m a lot better, I feel like this team is a lot better,” Hammel said. “We’ve got a bunch of guys that can play, they can shoot, they can defend, they can run, I think we’re going to be just fine.” Taking over as a new head coach is always a challenge, yet the players have responded well to Urrutia, who they say did not come in with a onesize-fits-all approach. “He got to know each of us and our strengths and weaknesses and then he went from there,” said Braesch. “The things he’s putting in are working pretty well.” Having finished the 2013-14 season tied for last place in the TVC with a 1-13 record in league play, the Spartans know they have a long way to go but contend this is a new season and a changed team. Internal expectations for the team are high; Urrutia, and his players, say the season will only be deemed a success if and when the Spartans make the postseason. “I expect us to be competing for a spot in the state tournament,” said Urrutia. “Every team’s goal should be to win a state championship, but we have to be realistic about things and set the bar at a point we can attain, but right now, if we don’t make the state tournament we won’t be pleased

BOYS

continued on pg. 9

AND RECREATION

Spartans look to repeat as league champs By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor As is the case for just about every high school team at the start of a new season, the Berthoud High School girls’ basketball team will take to the court without two critical players to the team’s success in the previous three seasons. The pair — Kendall Baker and Sami Kouns — lost to graduation, were stalwart players, team leaders, and forces on both ends of the floor. Yet the Lady Spartans are not worried and, to the player, fully expect not only to return to the postseason but to contend for the Tri-Valley Conference (TVC) crown they shared with Windsor last season. The team’s confidence is not ill-founded as Berthoud returns a deep and talented roster comprised of players with a history of playing together that dates back to their elementary school years. Led by 2013-14 TVC Player of the Year, Kristina Cavey, and coached by Randy Earl, named 2013-14 TVC Coach of the Year, the Lady Spartans looked primed to make another deep run in the state playoffs. “I think we’re clearly in the mix to be one of the top teams in the conference,” said Earl, who won his 300th career game last season. Yet Earl conceded that replacing a pair of fouryear letterman who comprised the Lady Spartans’ starting backcourt is no small task and said it is still a work in progress. “We’ve got to find two people who can replace them and we’ve got to find two people who can come off the bench and help us out,” Earl said. “So that’s what we’re working on here in the first few weeks of practice.” Berthoud’s team is centered around Cavey, a junior who led the Lady Spartans in scoring average (15.5 points per game), three-pointers (35) and rebounding (6.8 RPG), according to Max Preps, last year as a sophomore, and took home All-Conference honors in the process. Cavey put in extra conditioning work, running double what her teammates did at practice last Wednesday because, in her words, “I need to be in shape. I figure the more work you put in the better the outcome.” Despite being her team’s tallest player at 5’11,” Cavey did a fair amount of ball-handling work last season and, with the departures of Kouns and Bak-

Berthoud’s Kristina Cavey charges for the hoop during a contest against Mead last year.

er, will be the Lady Spartans’ primary ball-handler to begin the season, according to Earl. It is a role Cavey embraces with a genuine team-first attitude. “Whatever I can do to help the team,” Cavey said. “I’m not setting any personal expectations, it’s just about coming out and playing ball. In the end it’s all about the team.” While Cavey, who Earl says “can really shoot it,” will spend a lot of her time on the perimeter, fellow-junior Taylor Armitage will resume her role as the Lady Spartans’ dominant force in the post.

Surveyor file photo

A physical presence down low, Armitage’s bubbly and affable demeanor mask the hardcore intensity with which she plays. The junior was second to Cavey last season in both scoring (267 points) and rebounding (145 rebounds) and led the Lady Spartans with a 46 percent shooting percentage, according to Max Preps. Armitage embraces her role as a leader on the team.

GIRLS

continued on pg. 9

Berthoud wrestlers prepare to take to the mat in 3A this season By Surveyor staff

“Check your friendships at the wrestling room door” is the philosophy Spartans Head Wrestling Coach Scott Pickert and assistant coaches, Will Carron and Justin Gonzales, pass on to 21 Spartans wrestlers as they prepare for the wrestling season. “The young men

are working very hard, and occasionally are getting into each other’s faces a bit in practice” Pickert said. Success in wrestling starts in the wrestling room, and the high-spirited competition serves the Spartans well in preparing for the tough competition they’ll face this year. “We have a solid crew this year, and

Surveyor file photo

Berthoud High School’s Jimmy Fate wrestles Thompson Valley’s Ben Hewson in the 138 pound match at the 4A state championships last year.

if we continue to work hard and stay healthy it should be a fun season,” Pickert said. Berthoud fans have a reason to be excited about this year’s wrestling season. The 6 a.m. daily conditioning workouts, in addition to after-school practices and the off-season training and tournaments many of the wrestlers

took part in, are exactly what it takes to be an elite team. Berthoud comes into the season with high expectations of faring well in the State 3A competition. Dropping down from 4A to 3A is somewhat of a disappointment for Pick-

WRESTLING

cont. on pg. 9

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014 Page 9

KIAH KEEPS RUNNING

Photo by Kristi Leonard

Photo by Angie Purdy

First-year head coach Anthony Urrutia takes over for Pete Sheck who resigned as the BHS boys basketball coach after being promoted to athletic director this year.

BOYS

cont. from pg. 8

with the job we’ve done.” Berthoud lost five seniors, all of whom played significant minutes, to graduation, and this year will field a squad that brings a blend of youth and experience. In addition to Braesch and Hammel, the Spartans return senior Tyler Pechin and juniors Steele Castles, Jade Ream and Patrick Barron, each of whom saw action on the varsity squad

last season. Asked what can be expected from his squad this season, Urrutia replied, “No one is going to play harder than us, we’re not going to get out-played, and we’re going to play defense.” The Spartans begin their season Dec. 1 with a trip down to Keenesburg to take on the Weld Central Rebels. Berthoud’s home opener is on Dec. 10 against Greeley Central in what will be the ﬁrst of three games in the annual Spartan Classic.

PRAISE & WORSHIP Berthoud Family Church “The Church with a View!”

Online Live Stream of Sunday 10:30 a.m. service and Wednesday 7 p.m. service viewed on: www.berthoudfamilychurch.org “Faith for Today” TV Program Viewed on Comcast Channel 83, Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. — Children’s Church 10:30 a.m. — Sunday Prayer 6 p.m. — Wednesday Adults 7 p.m. — Wednesday Children 7 p.m. — Revolution Youth 7 p.m.

Berthoud High School’s Kiah Leonard raced in the Nike Cross Regional meet in Casa Grande, Arizona on Nov. 22. Leonard ﬁnished in 47th place at 18 minutes, 40 seconds in the girls’ championship race. Her time was the 51st fastest of the day, out of 591 girls who ran that day. Leonard recently committed to the University of Wyoming to compete in cross-country.

Berthoud Sports Hall of Fame to honor Angelo Dabbiero By Surveyor staff The Berthoud Sports Hall of Fame (HOF) is an organization about human accomplishment more than induction ceremonies and award presentations. The Angelo Dabbiero Courage Award has been established by the HOF to honor the courageous life for Berthoud’s own Angelo Dabbiero who passed away on Nov. 4 from his long battle with cancer. “The committee couldn’t think of a better way to honor Angelo than to create an award that is earned by showing courage by a Berthoud High School student,” said Chairman John Hall. “In establishing this award in Angelo’s name we will be able to create a living testimony to the tremendous courage Angelo showed during

WRESTLING

his young life.” In May 2015, the Berthoud Sports Hall of Fame will announce their dinner and awards ceremony and this year’s recipient of the Angelo Dabbiero Courage Award. Then, every year after 2015 event, this perpetual award will be announced at the following year’s HOF event. “Courage is facing every battle placed before you, swallowing the lump in your throat and moving forward. Angelo faced and fought every one of his battles bravely, knowing that no matter the outcome, you win by ﬁghting. I am extremely proud and honored to have the courage award named in his honor, and recipients should be proud of facing their own battles with similar courage,” said Frank Dabbiero, Angelo’s father.

This past May, the Berthoud Sports HOF inducted eight inaugural members into the Hall of Fame and presented four $500 scholarships — the Berthoud Surveyor Male and Female Athlete of the Year, and the Steve Fraser Memorial Scholarship, to a deserving BHS male and female student athlete. The evening also included introducing and acknowledging 40 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor Athletes of the Week from the 2013-14 school year. “The addition of the Angelo Dabbiero Courage Award is an ideal ﬁt for this unique and special community event,” said HOF Vice Chairman Brad Pickert, “We are extremely proud to honor Angelo’s life through this award.”

his 10th year of coaching; and former

seniors Matt Bonds and Sebastian Gonzales, juniors Ben Poirier, Devon Vise and Kyler Bailey, and sophomore AJ Black. Also returning to the team this year are Jordan Williams, Grant Zonneveld, Tristan Wollam, and a strong class of freshmen including: Colin Leypoldt, Christian Kalinoski, Adam Kozlowski, Michael Creager, Gabriel Ramirez, Calvin Fishburn, Wyatt Larson, Conner Balliet and Bowden Warehime. Berthoud opens the season on Dec. 4 at BHS as they take on the Skyline Falcons. The team competes in 3A Region No. 1, Northern Conference with Brush, Holy Family, Bennett, Eaton, Erie, Estes Park, Faith Christian, Mead, Platte Valley, Skyview, and University.

cont. from pg. 8 BHS wrestling standout and new to

of faring well in the State 3A competition. Dropping down from 4A to 3A is somewhat of a disappointment for Pickert and many of the Spartans, but the added competition in 3A will be good for the sport and will provide tough competition for the Berthoud High School squad. Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) dropped several wrestling teams from 4A to 3A this year to balance out the number of teams in each division for the 2014-15 season. Pickert leads the Spartans for his 24th year as head coach and is joined by assistant coaches; Will Carron, in

the team this year, 2014 CSU Pueblo wrestler and graduate Justin Gonzales. Leading the squad this year are a pair of outstanding junior wrestlers, both two-time state competitors, Jimmy Fate and Chad Ellis. Fate returns as the defending 138-pound state champion, while Ellis finished last season with a third-place finish at the state tournament. Also returning to squad is sophomore state qualifier Matt Bailey. Other returning letterman, who’ll be looked upon to strongly contribute to the success of this year’s team, are

BHS wrestling team fundraiser The wresting team will be selling Christmas trees at the Kwik Korner store on Highway 56 just east of Highway 27 at 437 Meadowlark Drive starting the day after Thanksgiving. Stop by and get your tree to support the team. Proceeds from the sales contribute to travel and meal expenses the team will encounter during the season.

GIRLS

Guardian Angels Catholic Church 15179 WCR 7, Mead • 970-535-0721 Masses Sunday, 7:30 am, 9 am, 10:30 am Monday, 5:30 pm Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 am Friday 8:30 am Saturday Mass 5:30 pm Saturday Confession 4 - 5:15 pm www.meadangels.org

E-mail: info@meadangels.org

All Are Welcome! Masses: Saturday 5 p.m. Sunday 11:45 a.m. Wednesday 9 a.m. Pastor: Fr. Don Rickard, Ph.D 1000 W. 15th Ave., Longmont (sharing space with Bethlehem Lutheran) www.lightofchristecc.org 303-772-3785

continued from pg. 8

“I think it comes with seniority,” Armitage said. “All the seniors and juniors before me really helped make me the player I am today, and that’s what I hope to do with these younger athletes out here.” “I think we just need to keep working like we are now and good things will happen,” Armitage said. “I think this year is going to be fun and I think it’s going to be a re al good one for us too.” In addition to Cavey and Armitage, the Lady Spartans return senior Audrey Kouns, juniors Maria Fate, Sydney Kouns and Lindsay Ericson, all of whom played signiﬁcant varsity minutes in the 2013-14 season. The Lady Spartans will open their season on Dec. 1 with a trip to Keenesburg to face Weld Central. Berthoud will then host the annual Spartan Classic at BHS beginning on Dec. 12.

Page 10 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014

Mission statement: To serve the Berthoud community with news and information and to record history for future generations.

AND COMMENTARY

BERTHOUD WEEKLY SURVEYOR

Plan now for next year’s insurance coverage to avoid unpleasant surprises

“Covering all the angles in the Garden Spot” Volume 11, Number 48 ISSN #1556-1585 USPS 023-132 Periodical postage paid at Berthoud, Colo., post ofﬁce 440 Mountain Avenue Berthoud, Colorado 80513 970-532-2252 970-532-5424 fax www.berthoudsurveyor.com editor@berthoudsurveyor.com

ast fall I followed a Hastings, Neb., woman as she shopped for health insurance for her husband and daughter. (She was disabled and covered under Medicare.) After three months of calling toll free numbers, visiting with insurance agents, talking to insurance exchange ofﬁcials, she was frustrated and confused. The Guest family ﬁnally Columnist chose a high deductible, bronze level offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield through the Nebraska health insurance exchange. In return for a low monthly Trudy Lieberman premium of Rural Health $322 (after News Service an Obamacare subsidy of $141), the family assumed a $6,325 deductible for each person covered. It was the classic insurance gamble, and they lost. The woman’s husband was hospitalized for kidney stones, and the bill about equaled the deductible. The family is whittling it down; the hospital is aggressively trying to collect its money. The family is now willing to pay more for better insurance coverage. But they don’t have long to think about it. Once open enrollment begins again on Nov. 15, they have only one month to make a change, or the government will automatically re-enroll her in her current plan. Like millions of other Americans who have been covered by insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act, she was not aware of this latest twist. There has been nothing straightforward about signing up for Obamacare, and there’s nothing straightforward about the process for re-enrolling. One thing is clear. If you don’t follow the rules, you could end up paying more for your insurance in 2015 even if you keep the same policy. Review your coverage and make a change if necessary. And pronto! Here are the basics. If you received a subsidy last year to buy coverage and gave the exchange permission to request your latest income information from the

YOURVOICE To the editor: It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this. The chamber has lost a very important member and friend, Barbara Mitteis. When I came to the chamber in July of last year, Barb was one of the most helpful chamber members. Anytime I needed information or help about anything, she was here. Anytime there was a committee, she was almost always on it. When we had an event, she was one of the ﬁrst to

arrive and help and one of the last ones to leave. She made every task fun, even though it could be a lot of work. Barb helped with the website (keeping it current), as well as helping build a new website for the chamber. We are having a Celebration of Life planned for Wednesday, Dec. 3, with arrival between 5 and 5:30 p.m. at M&M Farms (21490 Weld County Road #7). There will be “Memories of Barb” beginning at 5:45 p.m.

Please dress for cooler weather as we will be in Bill’s new shop. The family has requested a memorial donation in lieu of ﬂowers. Please contact Guaranty Bank and Trust Company for the BACC/Barbara Mitteis Memorial Fund.

IRS, you need to visit the exchange and simply update the ﬁnancial details on which your new subsidy will be based. If you don’t do that by Dec. 15, you will receive the same tax subsidy —and remain in the same policy — as last year. That could bring an unwelcome surprise. Not only might you be stuck with a policy you don’t like, but you may be paying more out of pocket in 2015. Let’s say last year someone was enrolled in a plan with a $200 monthly premium and got a subsidy of $150. The person’s monthly out-ofpocket was $50. But for next year the monthly premium increases to $220, but the subsidy stays the same because the income information was not updated. The policyholder will now pay $70 out of pocket each month instead of $50. When Americans ﬁle their income tax returns next spring, the government will settle up with policyholders. Those who overpaid insurance premiums from their own pockets will get tax refunds; those whose subsidies turn out to be too large, based on their 2014 income, will have to send a check to the IRS to make up the difference. While small differences in monthly out-of-pocket expenses — in this

example $20 — may seem trivial, even a seemingly small amount can be big deal for many people buying their own health insurance on the exchanges. The actuarial consulting ﬁrm Milliman has found that even small premium increases — in the 5 percent range — can lead to out-of-pocket increases of between 30 and 100 percent for those with low incomes if income information is not updated. Data suggest that most individuals with exchange policies have incomes of $25,000 or less and most families have incomes around $50,000, says Paul Houchens, an actuary with Milliman. Houchens told me several reasons premiums will be higher this year for many exchange buyers. (Some will see decreases.) Insurers, which offered super low rates in the exchanges last year to entice more customers to their plans, are ﬁnding they need to increase their premiums. And in many parts of the country the benchmark plan (the second lowest cost silver level policy) on which subsidies are based has changed, meaning higher premiums for some people. Premiums also go up each year gradually each year you get older. Because the Affordable Care Act allows

insurers to charge older people three times more than younger ones, older people will certainly feel the pinch if last year’s subsidy is too low. They might get larger subsidies if they reapply. What happens if you got a tax credit last year but did not give the exchange permission to request updated ﬁnancial information from the IRS? Here is where it really gets dicey. You must visit the exchange and go through the process all over again to see if you are eligible for a subsidy. If you don’t do that by Dec. 15, you will be automatically re-enrolled and will get no subsidy for January. If you decide before open enrollment ends on Feb. 15, that you want a different policy and you do update your information, you’ll get a subsidy for the rest of the year. “This is a big issue for older people and those with lower incomes,” says Houchens, “The value of the subsidy could be several hundred dollars.” We want to hear your questions and comments about your health care experiences. Tell us about your experiences with the Affordable Care Act and signing up for the exchange in your state. Write to Trudy at trudy. lieberman@gmail.com.

Deanne Mulvihill Berthoud Area Chamber of Commerce

The elections are over and the voters have spoken

irst, I want to thank the citizens of Larimer County for the opportunity to continue to serve them as their elected county commissioner for another Guest four years. Columnist Kathy Gilliland is an intelligent woman with some excellent ideas. I have already conferred with my fellow commissioners and we are extending Larimer County her an invitaCommissioner tion to sit down Lew Gaiter III with us and discuss some of

her ideas to improve Larimer County government. Another area in which the citizens expressed their will was the passage of the Jail Sales Tax extension. In 2012 we had unprecedented wild fires and in 2013 we had unprecedented floods. These disasters put an enormous strain on the county’s financial reserves. The depleted reserves created a financial situation where if we had another disaster the commissioners would have had to pass an emergency sales tax to cover the costs. Over the past several years the commissioners have been reducing our annual operating budget in anticipation of the loss of the jail sales tax. The 2015 budget proposal, which is currently in a period of public comment, anticipates the loss of the

revenue provided by the current jail sales tax. While we have been reducing the cost of county government, the actual loss of revenue in 2015 would have required additional funds to come from reserves to cover operational costs. Understanding the serious nature placed on our ﬁnances, the board of county commissioners decided to ask the voters one more time to consider retaining the existing jail sales tax. With the overwhelming support from our community in the passage of the jail sales tax extension at 70 percent in favor, we will not only be able to stay out of reserves for the 2015 budget year, we will also be able to start to rebuild those reserves. On an added note we want to also thank our citizens for extending our “Help Protect Open Space” sales tax

at 82 percemt in favor! As you are well aware the preservation and maintenance of our Open Spaces is one of the key attractions to living and working in Larimer County. As we look to future years budgets, the board of county commissioners will remain mindful and cautious with regards to spending. We have planned well to handle our “rainy days” and it is important for us to rebuild our ability to handle disasters. In addition to rebuilding our reserves, we will also look at how to appropriately fund the strategic goals set by our citizens as outlined in the 2013 Strategic Plan. We will continue to remain vigilant and do our best to be good stewards of the public dollars which you work so hard to make and to which you entrust us.

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE — WWW.BERTHOUDSURVEYOR.COM AND COMMENT ON OUR TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @BERTHOUDSURVEY AND LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Publisher Becky Justice-Hemmann becky@berthoudsurveyor.com Editor/Reporter John Gardner john@berthoudsurveyor.com Sports Editor John Hall sports@berthoudsurveyor.com Project Manager/Writer Rudy Hemmann rudy@berthoudsurveyor.com Account Managers Diane Wells diane@berthoudsurveyor.com Kelly Torrez kelly@berthoudsurveyor.com Graphic Designer Alyssa Law Ofﬁce Manager Jo Buckridge jo@berthoudsurveyor.com Contributing Writers & Photographers Caroline Creager Jan Dowker Karen Fate Robin Ferruggia Mark French Angela Gattuso Mike Hotka Dan Karpiel Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer Kristi Leonard Bob McDonnell Paula Megenhardt Angie Purdy James Skeen May Soricelli Sylvanna Zubrick Published weekly in Berthoud, Colorado, by the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor. The publishers reserve the right to edit, classify or reject any advertising or news copy. Liability for any newspaper error in an advertisement shall not exceed the cost of space occupied by error. The publishers assume no liability for any advertising which is not published for any cause. The publishers assume absolutely no obligation or responsibility for subject matter in copy placed by its advertisers or their agents. It is also understood that the advertiser and the agency placing such advertising jointly and severally agree to indemnify Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, LLC against all expense, loss or damage sustained by reason of printing such copy. Subscription rates are $32 per year to residents of 80513 and $42 per year to zip codes other than 80513. Postmaster: Please send address changes (Form 3579) to the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, 440 Mountain Ave., Berthoud, CO 80513.

LETTERS POLICY The Berthoud Weekly Surveyor welcomes contributions to the editorial page in the form of letters to the editor. Diverse and varied opinions are welcome. We make an effort to only publish truthful and accurate information, with no spin, for our readers. Letters to the editor: Due to space constraints, we may at times withhold letters of excessive length. Writers are asked to limit letters to 400 words and will be limited to one letter every four weeks. We will try to print as many letters as possible and letters from the residents of Berthoud will have first priority. We welcome opinion letters but when inaccurate information is presented as fact, letters will be sent back to the writer for revisions. The editor reserves the right to edit or reject any letter. Reasons a letter might be rejected include confusing or unclear points, crude language or inflammatory remarks. All letters to the editor must be signed and include the writer’s hometown and daytime phone number. Letters may be mailed to the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, Attn: Letters to the Editor, 440 Mountain Ave., Berthoud, CO 80513. Letters also may be e-mailed to editor@berthoudsurveyor.com, faxed to 970-532-5424 or dropped by the office, located at 440 Mountain Ave., between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. BS Line: Anonymous comments are limited to 50 words or less. Comments that contain crude language, inflammatory remarks or personal attacks will not be included. See the phone number and extension in the top left corner of this page. The deadline for letters is noon, Monday for that Thursday’s edition.

COMMUNITYCALENDAR Send your calendar items regarding non-profit organizations only to editor@berthoudsurveyor.com by Monday at noon. The Town of Berthoud offices will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28. Both Larimer County offices and the courts will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 27, for Thanksgiving. On Friday, Nov. 28, the courts will be open but county offices will remain closed.

Monday, Dec. 1 The Foothills Audubon Club will have a program on Monday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Berthoud Community Center located at 248 Welch Ave. Berthoud. Please join us for our December program: Costa Rica — birds, mammals, reptiles, vegetation, people. After the program, refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public, all ages are welcome. For more information, please call 970-980-7932 or 970-5322194. Friday, Dec. 5 The “December Holiday” Fannie Palmer lunch will be served at the famous McCarty Fickel House Museum at 645 Seventh St. Berthoud, Colo., on Friday, Dec. 5 starting at 11 a.m. The home will be decorated in its Christmas attire. A three-course lunch will be served with their famous signature tea. An added attraction will be a narration given about the families that lived there. Cost of the lunch/narration is $12. Seating is limited and reservations are necessary. Call Virginia at 970-344-5160 for reservations by 10 a.m., Dec. 3. The Loveland Orchestra will be performing Handel’s Messiah/SingAlong at the Good Shepherd Church located at 3429 N Monroe Ave., in Loveland on Friday, Dec. 5. Please join us in celebrating the season with this Christmas classic. The community event is free and begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 Christmas in Berthoud activities throughout town. Check the Christmas in Berthoud magazine insert for details or christmasinberthoud.org. Get into the spirit of Christmas this holiday season with a stop at the Berthoud Historical Society’s McCarty Fickel Home Museum on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 1 – 4 p.m. Decorated with unique family ornaments, wreaths, bows, garlands, and of course, the iconic choo-choo train circling the Christmas tree, visiting the home of Drs. Bruce Fickel and Helen McCarty-Fickel is a step back in time when ‘Leave It To Beaver’ and’

Father Knows Best’ were the popular sitcoms of the day. Visitors will have access to the entire house including the living quarters upstairs. Docents will be on hand to answer questions about the home and the family. Come enjoy this unique opportunity to tour a historic home in Old Town Berthoud, decked out for the holidays and open for visitors. Admission: $5 per adult. All proceeds and donations will benefit the Berthoud Historical Society’s mission to preserve and interpret the history of Berthoud and the surrounding region. 645 Seventh St., Berthoud. Cost: $5 per adult. Contact Karen D’Onofrio, museums director at 970.532.2147. Thursday, Dec. 11 Blood drive at Berthoud High School on Thursday, Dec. 11. Announcements NCBA Annual Beginning Beekeeping Course is open for participant registrations. The course consists of three classes held on consecutive Saturday mornings, Jan. 10, 17, and 24, 2015, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The classes will be held at the Pulliam Community Building, 545 N. Cleveland Ave., in downtown Loveland. Registration information is posted on the NCBA website: www.nocobees.org. This course provides the education opportunity to produce well-informed new beekeepers in our communities. Students, individuals and families are welcome to participate. Registration includes membership into Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association. Light morning refreshments will be provided and door prizes will be awarded each week. Participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch to classes. For class registration and fee payment schedule visit the NCBA website www.nocobees.org or email education@nocobees.org for more information. The boat ramps at South Bay of Horsetooth Reservoir and the North Ramp at Carter Lake will remain open, weather permitting, until Sunday Dec. 14. Regular boating hours will remain 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Thursday – Sunday as conditions allow until that date. The ramps will be closed on Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) but will be open again from on Friday Nov. 28. All other boat ramps at county parks are closed for the season. Larimer County Natural Resources anticipates opening at least one ramp at Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake Reservoir in the last week of March 2015, to kick off the 2015 boating season.

Brighten up your holiday season with a beautiful live poinsettia plant. The BHS Band annual poinsettia sale is going on until Friday, Nov. 21. $16 per plant or 3 for $45, 16” tall. Delivery Dec. 4. Contact BHS Band Boosters or BHS band member. 613-7700. Old and used cell phones wanted. The Christmas Wheels of Berthoud is in need of your discarded cell phones to raise money to give kids in need a bike this Christmas. Contact 970-5396000 or email christmaswheelsofberthoud@yahoo.com. The Berthoud Robotics Club has lost access to the space they’ve been using for their headquarters. The club is now looking for a new space for meetings and practices. They need at least 1,000 square feet located near town. If anyone knows of a vacant property, basement or barn that can be used, please contact Robotic Club president Brad Hunting at 720-7710019 or by email bradhunting@ yahoo.com. Note that the Robotics Club is a 501(c)(3) organization, so providing the club with a space is a valid tax deduction. Have you gotten your Berthoud coupon book from an American Legion Auxiliary member yet? $20 donation Proceeds from the sale of these coupon books will help provide funding for Girls/Boys State candidates and many other veteran projects and organizations we support. Contact Laurel Downer, president of the auxiliary at berthoudalapresident@msn.com or June Alexander, Girl State chairman at 970-744-9824 The BHS Art Department would love to have your old manual, SLR film cameras, or any old digital cameras, 5-megapixal or better. We could also use scrap booking supplies like paper punches, stamps, stickers, lace, etc. Please clean out your attics and donate to your local art classroom. BHS woodworking classes are looking for any unwanted hardwood or softwood boards for student projects. We can also use Corian countertop pieces of various sizes. Please contact Robb Sommerfeld at 970613-7719 or Robert.sommerfeld@ thompsonschools.org. Do you have a problem with math? Free math-tutoring services are provided every Wednesday from 1:10 - 3 p.m. in room 135 at BHS. This informal service for students of any math subject including AP math subjects is provided by a former math teacher. You got a problem with chemistry? There is help. Free tutoring services are provided every Thursday from 6:30 – 8 p.m in room 135. This is an open, informal environment for all AP Chemistry and Chemistry II students. This is a volunteer service provided by a chemist with 20+ years professional experience. House of Neighborly Service still needs food of all kinds, especially breakfast cereal and peanut butter. Urgent need for paper products. LEGAL NOTICE The Board of Trustees of the Town of Berthoud has scheduled a public hearing for the proposed ordinance re: the 2015 mill levy. The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Board Room, 328 Massachusetts Ave., Berthoud, Co. 80513. TOWN OF BERTHOUD Mary K. Cowdin, Town Clerk PUBLISH: Nov. 27, 2014

LEGAL NOTICE The Board of Trustees of the Town of Berthoud has scheduled a public hearing for the 2015 proposed municipal fee ordinance. The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Board Room, 328 Massachusetts Ave., Berthoud, Co. 80513. TOWN OF BERTHOUD Mary K. Cowdin, Town Clerk PUBLISH: Nov. 27, 2014

LEGAL NOTICE The Berthoud Planning Commission held a public hearing on Thursday, November 13, 2014 and approved the Minor Subdivision known as High Ground Industrial Park Minor Subdivision. This property is located at the NW corner of Clayton Place and West LCR 10E. The Minor Subdivision created 4 lots that are zoned M-2 Industrial. This approval has created a Site Specific Development Plan. TOWN OF BERTHOUD Mary K. Cowdin, Town Clerk PUBLISH: November 27, 2014

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014 Page 11

Scheduled Meetings Al-Anon is an anonymous fellowship that offers support to people whose lives have been affected by relatives and friends who suffer from the disease of alcoholism. Anonymity is protected at all times. A weekly Al-Anon meeting is held in the nursery of the First Presbyterian Church of Berthoud (531 Eighth St.) on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Please enter through the main door on Eighth Street, then go straight ahead into the nursery. An elevator is available for those who might need it. For more information, contact Liz at 970-290-4359. Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Berthoud Lions Club every Monday and Friday nights from 8 to 9 p.m. Anyone desiring to quit drinking is welcome. There are no dues or fees. For more information, please call 532-4653. A Balance and Fall Prevention Class is being held weekly. It’s free. Drop-ins are welcome to attend. Classes are held at the Berthoud Area Community Center every Tuesday from 9 -9:45 a.m. Please call 970-5322730 for more information. Berthoud Area Transportation Service (BATS) is available for Berthoud residents on a demand-response basis. Call 532-3049 to make a reservation or for more information. Service is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Berthoud Fire Protection District board meets on the third Tuesday of every month at the Berthoud Area Community Center, 248 Welch Ave. Agendas are available two days prior to the meetings by calling 532-2264. All meetings are open to the public. Berthoud Library board meets on the second Wednesday of every month in the library community room at 7 p.m. Berthoud MOPS meets at United Methodist Church on the first and third Tuesday of the month from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m., September through May. Need nore information contact Hawley at 503-913-8338. Berthoud Parents As Teachers is a free service for all families living in Berthoud who are expecting a child or with children ages birth to 5. It includes personalized visits/parent education, group meetings and developmental screenings. Bilingual services available. Contact Rhonda Richer at 970-215-0305 or Rhonda@ thefamilycenterfc.org. http://berthoudpat.weebly.com. Berthoud TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the Lions Club depot. Call Julie for information at 970-587-6424. TOPS is a non-profit, non-commercial weight-loss support group. First Presbyterian Church adult Bible study, every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Facilitated by Rev. Jerry Groves. Eighth Steet and Massachusetts Avenue. Everyone welcome. Friends of the Library board meets in the library community room at 3 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every other month. Please call 970-5322121 for exact dates. Historic Preservation Advisory Committee meets monthly on the second Monday at 7 p.m. in the Town of Berthoud offices boardroom. For information call 970-581-4603. Job’s Daughters Bethel #37 meets on the first and third Friday of each month at 7:15 p.m. at the Longmont Masonic Building, 312 Main St. The organization is open to girls between the ages of 10 and 20 who are interested in self-improvement LEGAL NOTICE The Board of Trustees of the Town of Berthoud has scheduled a public hearing for the 2015 proposed budget ordinances & resolutions. The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Board Room, 328 Massachusetts Ave., Berthoud, Co. 80513. TOWN OF BERTHOUD Mary K. Cowdin, Town Clerk PUBLISH: Nov. 27, 2014

LEGAL NOTICE The Berthoud Planning Commission held a public hearing on Thursday, November 13, 2014 and approved the Minor Subdivision known as M & C Real Estate Minor Subdivision. This property is located at the SW corner of I-25 and Highway 56. The Minor Subdivision created five lots and one tract on a total of 130.857 acres zoned C-2 General Commercial. This approval created a Site Specific Development Plan for the purposes of vesting. TOWN OF BERTHOUD Mary K. Cowdin, Town Clerk PUBLISH: November 27, 2014

and service to community. For details contact Megan Fritts 970-213-9050. All girls are welcome. Justin Bauer Memorial Post #67 of the American Legion meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Berthoud depot, 7 p.m. Contact Paul Talafuse for more information, 532-4498. Ladies Bible study on Tuesday evenings at Calvary Berthoud, 357 Mountain Ave., Berthoud. Study will begin at 6:30 p.m. Please call Karen with any questions at 303-775-7457. Larimer County Commissioner Tom Donnelly is in Berthoud the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Lighthouse Cafe at 8:30 a.m. Larimer County Open Lands — All meetings will be held on the fourth Thursday of each month with the exception of November and December at 500 E. Third St. in Loveland. Meeting time is from 5 – 8 p.m. Please call 679-4534 if you need more information. Larimer County Planning Commission meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Hearing Room, 200 W. Oak St., first floor, Fort Collins. www.larimer.org/ bcc/meetings. Little Thompson Water District Board of Directors meeting dates and agendas are posted on their website at www.ltwd.org. The district office is at 835 E. Highway 56, Berthoud. Longs Peak Networking meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. with the goal of assisting with your job search or overall career development. lpnet.org. Life Bridge Church, west on Highway 66 from the intersection of Highway 287 (Main Street), Longmont. Main entrance on west side. Moms in Touch is currently meeting to pray for our school-aged students, teachers, staff and schools each Wednesday from 9-10 a.m. We would love to have you join us at Grace Place (upstairs). Any questions, contact Kim Land at 532-9886. Planning Commission meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 p.m. at town hall. Reminisce meets on the first and third Mondays of each month at 11 a.m. in the Berthoud Area Community Center. Rural Alternative For Transportation (RAFT) is available for seniors and disabled adults who reside outside of the town of Berthoud but within the Berthoud Fire Protection District. Phone the Berthoud Community Center 970-532-2730 to register as a rider to receive rides to and from Berthoud, Loveland or Longmont, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tree Advisory Committee meets on the third Monday of each month at town hall at 6 p.m. Wisdom Seekers will be meeting every Thursday, 9-11 a.m. at Grace Place in Berthoud through March 2014. To register, or for more information, please contact Jill at 970-5324936 or jtbieri@hotmail.com or Donna at 303-775-4006 or rose55@aol.com. Berthoud Community Library October/November events 248 Welch Ave. 970-532-2730 Nov. 26 — 10:30 a.m., Sweet P’s story time Nov. 27 — Library closed Nov. 28 — Library closed Dec. 2 — 10:30 a.m., Busy B’s story time Dec. 3 — 10:30 a.m., Sweet P’s story time Dec. 5 — 10:30 a.m., Family story time Dec. 9 — 10:30 a.m., Busy B’s story time Dec. 10 — 10:30 a.m., Sweet P’s story time

CLASSIFIEDS $3 per line - per week Custom + $2 LEGAL NOTICES $8 per column inch - 1st week $7.50 per column inch for each additional week Deadline to place a classified ad or legal notice is Monday at 3 p.m.for each Thursday edition. Send to: editor@berthoudsurveyor.com or call 970.532.2252. FOR SALE

LEGAL NOTICE The Berthoud Town Board of Trustees held a public hearing on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 and approved the Westhaven Subdivision. The property is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Bunyan Avenue and County Road 17 (Taft Avenue) and consists of 130 single-family lots, three future development tracts and park/open space areas on 130.51 acres. This approval created a Site Specific Development Plan for the purposes of vesting. TOWN OF BERTHOUD Mary K. Cowdin, Town Clerk PUBLISH: November 27, 2014

LEGAL NOTICE The Board of Trustees of the Town of Berthoud adopted the following ordinance at the meeting on Nov. 18, 2014. The full text of the ordinance is available at the Town of Berthoud website: berthoud.org ORDINANCE NO. 1187 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING MAP OF THE TOWN OF BERTHOUD TO REZONE PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 11 AND THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 4 NORTH, RANGE 69 WEST OF THE 6TH PRINCIPAL MERICIAN, TOWN OF BERTHOUD, COUNTY OF LARIMER, STATE OF COLORADO MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS “WESTHAVEN SUBDIVISION,” FROM PUD – PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT TO R-1 SINGLEFAMILY AND R-2 LIMITED MULTI-FAMILY PUBLISH: November 27, 2014

Good grass and alfalfa, small bales $5, east of Berthoud. 970-532-4208 Stack of clean lumber $135, 40 moving boxes $35, 12” lighted sign $250 532-2448 SERVICES

Child care — Loving mom of 2 boys. 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Room for 3 children. Please call or text for rates. 785-531-0779. Swapping a $20 item each week, with 10% added for profit, compounds to $2,340 at year’s end. Interested? 532-2448 PT custodial work wanted. 12 yrs exp. at elem. school. 412-0642 or 214-4316 Exp. piano teacher, have openings for students. 214-4316

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER

Page 12 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014

BerthoudSurveyor.com

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014 Page 13

The impact of Christmas in Berthoud

By May Soricelli The Surveyor

Christmas is an especially charming holiday for Berthoud families, particularly for those who find themselves receiving loving support and generous gifts during a time of financial struggle in their lives. The impact has been equally powerful for those involved in bringing that hope and joy to those families. Christmas in Berthoud is not just another holiday event, but instead a community of diverse people and businesses coming together to celebrate Christmas for a good cause. All of this is accomplished through a variety of Christmas activities that are enjoyable for Berthoud residents of all ages. The Mission Christmas in Berthoud is a charitable fundraiser originally organized by Grace Place Church (C.I.B. is now an independent 501C3 nonprofit.) in which 100 percent of funds raised are distributed to families in need in the Berthoud area for the Christmas holiday. The event is held throughout the first week of December and involves a community-wide effort to raise money and supplies to provide struggling families with generous Christmas gifts, groceries and financial support. “Many people in our town struggle with joblessness or a reduced income and are on the verge of losing their homes, businesses, or even the hope to face another day,” according to the organization’s website www.christmasinberthoud.org. This year C.I.B. hopes to reach or exceed $15,000 in donations in order to assist as many families as possible. Every selected family will receive a $50 gift card per child, get to select gifts for their child at a gathering at Grace Place, and the child’s name will be placed on a giving tree. Care packages of gifts, necessities and food are also sent to Berthoud military families. Grace Place will use donated items to create stockings and food baskets to present to the selected families. “My hope is to have so much generosity that there is leftover,” said Kim Land, Grace Place’s Outreach pastor, and Christmas in Berthoud coordinator. History of the Event In 2004 C.I.B. started as the Festival of Trees fundraiser, then in 2008 was opened to the community. The organization’s goal was to not have to send needy families to other places outside the community, but instead to be able to help Berthoud families with resources right here in Berthoud during the holidays. Local churches, groups, clubs and businesses have rallied and increased involvement in C.I.B. events each year to support the children and their families who need a special Christmas provision. It’s important to the organization to contact every person of need in Berthoud and use every

resource available to locate which families are of most need and deserving of gifts for that year. Over the years, C.I.B. recipients have been nominated by referrals from Berthoud schools, churches, police and fire departments, and through word of mouth. These referrals are typically single-parent families, low income, are facing financial hardships, or are experiencing serious medical issues. According to the website, “Our goal is to ensure that everyone in Berthoud has the opportunity to celebrate a joyful holiday season.” New this year

Passport to Christmas is just one of the fun activities children and their families families can participate in during the C.I.B. event this year. The Berthoud Weekly Surveyor will be printing a “Passport to Christmas” in the publication prior to the C.I.B. events that children can cut out and take to participating businesses to be stamped during the week of Nov. 30 to Dec. 6. Once full, the passports can be taken to be entered into a drawing at L&M Garden Center on Dec. 6 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The 30 participating businesses are listed on the C.I.B. website and most will have the Christmas in Berthoud dove displayed in their window to show they are a participant. Another new activity for the community to get involved in is a coin drive that Berthoud students will conduct at their schools. Ivy Stockwell, Berthoud Elementary and Turner Middle schools are all included in this fundraiser. Students are encouraged to bring coins to their school to compete for most collected coins and a chance to win a root beer float party for their school provided by Grace Place. Winners will be announced at L&M on Dec. 6. Check the Surveyor each week for coin tallies from the schools.

food items. • Grace Place is taking non-perishable food donations as well. • B-Town Auto is hanging stockings to be stuffed from Nov. 26 to Dec. 13. Anyone can bring items for stocking stuffers for teenage recipients to B-Town at 912 Second St. • L&M will give 10 percent off purchases for those who bring non-perishable food to donate the day of Dec. 6. • City Star Brewing and Berthoud Brewing are donating $1 to C.I.B. per every beer purchased on Saturday, Dec. 6. •Berthoud High School will collect stocking stuffers. The impact Since 2004, hundreds of Berthoud families have been aided during the Christmas season through the efforts and generosity of the community through Christmas in Berthoud to raise funds and provide valuable gifts to those in need. This year’s event will see an expanse of efforts in the form of several new events fashioned to encourage even more community involvement, donations, and entertainment for

Coin Drive Turner Midddle School has collected $142.89 as of Friday, Nov. 21.

Places to contribute Many businesses are involved in the support of C.I.B. and are actively providing platforms for donations from the community from now until Dec. 8. Hays Market has played a major role in supporting C.I.B this year, and in previous years, and is a great place for residents to make various donations. They will have a Giving Tree up after Thanksgiving, which provides people the opportunity to select a family to purchase gifts for. They will also have a Giving Table where goods can be purchased and donated at checkout and 10 percent of the purchase will be given to C.I.B. Other items such as coats, hats and gloves can also be donated. The Berthoud Library will also host a Giving Tree with families up for selection. They are offering a Food for Fines donation where any accrued fines can be paid off by donating non-perishable food throughout the month of December. Donations for coats and cold weather garments will also be taken. • Main Street Car Care and the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor will take donations of coats and non-perishable

local families over the holidays. From 2008 to 2013, Christmas in Berthoud has helped 751 children and their families, six senior citizens, and 91 military families, in all. This has proven to give many people the extra nudge they may have needed to get back on their feet. Land states that many of the families that needed help in previous years are no longer in need of assistance this year due to all the help and support they had received. The exceeding generosity shown by the community has provided Berthoud parents the ability to give several Christmas gifts to their children and the resources to prepare meals for their family that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. All of this is provided in a setting full of Christmas activities that build memories for all Berthoud residents.

Photos by LuAnn Hoxeng

Top: The Christmas in Berthoud banner on display over a snowy Fickel Park showcasing the dozens of sponsors involved in the coming event. Christmas wreaths line Mountain Avenue. Left: The annual Grace Place Craft Fair brings a variety of gift selections. Bottom: Photos with Santa are always a favorite at the Grace Place Craft Fair.

Holiday Gift Guide For you ... With love ...

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE — WWW.BERTHOUDSURVEYOR.COM AND COMMENT ON OUR TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @BERTHOUDSURVEYAND LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Page 16 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014

Berthoud Area Chamber of Commerce 428 Mountain Ave. 970-532-4200 Cell 970-800-1223 www.berthoudcolorado.com

Christmas in Berthoud parade We are looking for more floats to participate in our Christmas in Berthoud Parade. If you are interested in walking in this parade or having a lighted float, please go to www.ChristmasinBerthoud.org and fill out a form. We are changing the route this year so please read the form carefully. We will begin the parade this year on Eighth Street and end at Second Street. If the weather prohibits us from having a parade, we will post it on the chamber website at www.Berthoudcolorado.com. But, we will be parking all the floats out at L&M Enterprises at the end of the parade (or if we cancel the parade). So, either way, you will get to enjoy the floats.

Check out the posters all over town and on the website for more details about Christmas in Berthoud. If you’d like to donate to a giving tree item, food collection, coat/mitten collection, please contact the chamber ofﬁce if you don’t have access to a computer.

RIBBON CUTTINGS

October Ambassadors of the Month Diane Wells Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

Welcome new members: Aggie Plumbing & Service Alder Plumbing Colorado Power & Controls LLC Front Door Direct Labor Max Stafﬁng The Courtyard of Loveland

NOMINATE THE BERTHOUD CITIZEN OF THE YEAR Nominations are being accepted by the Berthoud Area Chamber of Commerce for their annual awards. Contact the chamber at 532-4200 or email bcc@berthoudcolorado.com for more information. Citizen of the Year: This award recognizes a resident of Berthoud for their outstanding contributions. Doc Fickel Award: This recipient is recognized for their charitable or philanthropic efforts for Berthoud. Their contribution may be measured in time and effort or financial support. Business of the Year: This award recognizes a business member of the Berthoud Chamber of Commerce for their entrepreneurial spirit and professionalism. Applications must be received at the Chamber Office by Friday, November 28, 2014. To receive the application form, please contact the chamber office 970-532-4200 or bcc@berthoudcolorado.com.

Congratulations to Tiger Home & Building Inspections, Inc. on their ribbon cutting on Nov. 20. Welcome to the Chamber.

Rick Raesz RCOM Computer Services

Discount PC Solutions joined the Berthoud Chamber and had their ribbon cutting on Oct. 23.

UPCOMINGEVENTS Thanksgiving: Nov. 27 — our ofﬁce will be closed “Happy Thanksgiving” Celebration of Life for Barb Mitteis: Dec. 3 (5 – 6:30 p.m.) — M&M Farms. Chamber luncheon: Dec. 4 (11:45 a.m.– 1:15 p.m.) — Shop Local, Chamber members will have vendor booths for your shopping convenience; Guaranty Bank & Trust; 807 Mountain Ave., Berthoud Christmas in Berthoud: Dec. 5 and 6 (Check out website for details: Christmasinberthoud.org) Ribbon cutting: Dec. 9 (4:30 – 5:15 p.m.) — Frontiere’ Natural Meats, Longmont; 476 17th Ave., Business After Hours: Dec. 17 — Guaranty Bank and Trust, for Chamber members, representatives and special guests Ribbon cutting: Silo Bed and Breakfast, Thursday, Dec. 18 at 4:30 p.m., 2629 W. County Road 10 Berthoud. Please R.S.V.P. to these events online or call 532-4200, bcc@ berthoudchamber.com.

Welcome, Poppin Kettle Drum, to the Berthoud Chamber. Congratulations on your ribbon cutting on Oct. 23.

Welcome to the Chamber, Comfort Zone North. Congratulations to you on your ribbon cutting on Nov. 20.

Indelible Wealth Group Your money. Your future. • Mutual Funds Financial Planning • Stocks • Tax Efficient Strategies • Bonds • ETFs • 401(k)/Pension • Por olio Management Consul ng • Comprehensive • College Savings Jason Brooks, CFP

FIRST YOGA CLASS FREE

AIF

Questions? Vickie@yogaadobe.com 970-498-0490 YogaAdobe.com

FEE ONLY makes a difference — call us today

to learn more about partnering with us on your financial journey. 970-532-5842 • 440 Mountain Ave. • IndelibleWealth.com © 2014 Indelible Wealth Group | Indelible Wealth Group, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser in Colorado and California serving clients on a na onal level. Indelible Wealth Group works with TD Ameritrade, Inc. to custody our client assets. TD Ameritrade and Indelible Wealth Group LLC are separate and unaffiliated firms, and are not responsible for each other’s services or policies. Brokerage services are provided by TD Ameritrade Ins tu onal, Division of TD Ameritrade, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC/NFA.

Expires Aug. 28, 2014

924 Wilfred Road • Berthoud, CO 80513

Manuel P. Figueroa SMB Direct Sales Account Executive 970-336-6026 manuel_figueroa@cabe.comcast.com

Enjoy the convenience of banking from home. Open your account online today.

www.abtbank.com 1201 S. Lake Ave. Berthoud 970-532-1800

10 Ken Pratt Blvd. Longmont 303-651-9053

7800 S. Hwy 287 Fort Collins 970-667-4308

8308 Colorado Blvd. Firestone 303-833-3575

Please visit our website at www.berthoudcolorado.com or call 970-532-4200

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor November 27, 2014 Page 17

& MAKE IT A GREAT DAY

The tale of two Colorado hot springs H ot spring pools dot the southeast portion of our state, providing serenity and play time across this amazing and breathtakingly beautiful region of Colorado. This is the story of two hot spring destinations that are located just 10 minutes apart, but couldn’t be more different. We have visited a good portion of Colorado’s hot springs over the years and each has its own ambiance, but there’s no two springs more dissimilar than Ouray Hot Springs Pool and Ovis Hot Springs.

HEIDITOWN.COM

Ouray Hot Springs Pool, Ouray, Colo. Located in the small village of Ouray, the Ouray Hot Springs Pool must be described first as a family-friendly environment. We’ve been there several times and it’s always a lively place, even in the winter. One of our favorite travel memories is sitting in the Ouray Hot Springs Pool with snow falling on our heads. The pool, right in town, offers a chance for climbers, hikers and other adventurers to soak away their aches and pains. Moms and dads can soak away the stress of daily life while their kiddos swim until all of their little fingers are shriveled up like raisins. Retired folks enjoy the restorative powers of the hot water that was called “sacred miracle waters” by the Ute tribe who spent their summers in the area long before white settlers discovered it. Ouray Hot Springs Pool, popular with tourists and locals, is often a busy place filled with screams of children’s laughter and the happy hum of conversations. Occasionally soakers are entertained by climbers who appear as miniature people scaling the rock wall high above the pool. www.ouraycolorado.com/discover-ouray/hot-springs-pool.php

Orvis Hot Springs, Ridgeway, Colo. Ten minutes down the road, in the small town of Ridgeway, is an entirely different destination. At Orvis Hot Springs you’ll find a collection of pools and you’ll find a lot of quiet. The serenity here is in startling contrast to the family focus in Ouray’s pool. The clientele at Orvis can often be found dozing, meditating, cuddling or reading a book — it’s likely that they will be doing all of that in the nude. That’s right, Orvis Hot Springs is clothing optional. Of course, this means that children under the age of 18 Photo by Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Ouray Hot Springs Pool, Ouray, Colo. We visited Orvis on a Sunday morning when the pools were occupied by a lot of locals in their birthday suits. It’s a little odd, at first, but we got used to it. We’ve since learned that a lot of folks prefer to visit this place at night, Sudoku is a when the nakedness is in shadow. number There’s a type of tranquility at Orvis that I haven’t found at any other hot placing puzzle springs in Colorado. I can only describe based on a 9x9 the property as a sort of Garden of Eden, grid with several and they must spend hours working on the given numbers. beautiful and peaceful landscape. The object is to While these two Colorado hot springs place the numcouldn’t be more different, they are both bers 1 to 9 in the wonderful. Depending on your mood, perempty squares sonality and personal tastes, you could so that each row, find that both fit your style, depending each column on the day and type of trip you’re intending to embark upon. For those looking for and each 3x3 a quiet escape, Orvis is the place, but if box contains the you’re towing along the kids, Ouray would same number be best. only once. www.orvishotsprings.com HeidiTown.com is a blog about Colorado festivals and travel.

beatcalendar Boulder Dinner Theatre Fiddler on the Roof Through Feb. 28, 2015 303-449-6000 bouldersdinnertheatre.com 5501 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder Candlelight Dinner Playhouse Miracle on 34th Street Through Dec. 31 970-744-3747 coloradocandlelight.com 4747 Marketplace Dr., Johnstown Jesters Dinner Theatre & School for the Performing Arts Seussical Through Nov. 30 303-682-9980 jesterstheatre.com 224 Main St., Longmont Rialto Theater Friends Across the Ocean Acoustic Eidolon Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 6 7:30 p.m. $20 adult, $15 senior/student For ticket info: 970-962-2000 228 E. Fourth St., Loveland

SUDOKU SOLUTION

ÂŠ Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

November 27, 2014

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD â&#x20AC;˘ 2014 Celebrating Christmas in BerthoudÂŠ 2014 is published in Berthoud, Colo., by the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor. The publishers reserve the right to edit, classify or reject any advertising or news copy. Liability for any newspaper error in an advertisement shall not exceed the cost of space occupied by error. The publishers assume no liability for any advertising which is not published for any cause. The publishers assume absolutely no obligation or responsibility for subject matter in copy placed by its advertisers or their agents. It is also understood that the advertiser and the agency placing such advertising jointly and severally agree to indemnify Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, LLC against all expense, loss or damage sustained by reason of printing such copy. Subscription rates are $32 per year to residents of the 80513 zip code, online subscribers, and $42 per year to zip codes other than 80513.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

Index Twas the night before Xmas, sargeant style ............. 3 When God split history .............................................. 4 Christmas at the movies ............................................. 6 The Dish ...................................................................... 7 2014 Christmas in Berthoud events .......................8&9 Did you know? Elmo ...................................................10 A gesture of kindness ..................................................12 Unique Christmas gifts ..............................................14 The man behind the beard .........................................15 Christmas tidbits to put you in the holiday spirit ....16

The advertisers in this magazine are businesses that support the Berthoud community in many ways. Please support them with your patronage.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

Twas the night before Xmas, sargeant style Twas the night before Christmas when all through the town, A Berthoud deputy was driving around. The lights at Fickel Park were hung up with care, Let it be quiet said the deputy in prayer. Guest Columnist

The firefighters were nestled all snug in their cots, Dreaming of fires and how to tie knots. I looked at the street, saw tracks in the snow, I followed those tracks to see where they would go On Mountain Avenue there rose such a clatter, I turned on my spot light to see what was the matter. I drove down the street with my siren and lights, I called for more backup to help me tonight.

Sgt. Jim Anderson

I followed the tracks in the new fallen snow, When I saw something ahead with its nose all a glow. People yelled to me what’s this noise all about, A line of cars were building to the roundabout.

There’s mayhem in the streets and no one could pass, So I turned on my siren and gave it the gas. I chased this trespasser through all of the streets, I soon will have him in my back seat.

I said I’d be dogged to let this criminal escape, But I noticed a pattern that started to take shape. The tracks led up to a reindeer and sleigh, blocking the traffic and their right of way. I pulled out my ticket book to write this guy up, Until I saw him coming and saw him close up. He said I only bring peace to your little town, I gave him a warning and wrote his license plate down. He yelled Merry Christmas to all in Berthoud, All of a sudden I heard a big thud. A sack full of presents for all girls and boys, a note for us “ love one another with joy.”

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

When God split history

hat is Christmas really about? Whatever else you believe about Jesus, you have to admit that his birth is so important that it actually split history into two parts: B.C. and A.D. Some say he was just a good man, a Guest religious leader, a moral teacher, or Columnist maybe even a prophet sent by God. But the Bible goes way beyond that and makes an incredible claim; “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means ‘God with us’)” (Matthew 1:23). This was no ordinary newborn. Never before – and never since – has a virgin given birth. Peter Larson writes: “Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes. The Pastor life of Jesus is bracketed by two Clay Peck impossibilities: a virgin’s womb and Grace Place an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through a door marked ‘No Entrance’ and left through a door marked ‘No Exit.’” Only God can do that. Talk show host Larry King was once asked the question: “If you could select any one person across all of history to interview, who would it be?” Mr. King’s answer was that he would like to interview Jesus Christ. When the questioner followed with, “And what would you like to ask him?” King, who is not a Christian, replied, “I would like to ask him if he was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me.” You’re right, Larry, that answer does define history. In fact, God split history with the incarnation. The One who created the vast universe and everything in it, humbled himself to be born in a manager — Immanuel, God with us. Consider those three simple words: God with us. First, he is God. Although he was fully human, Jesus was more than just a human baby. Somehow, in a miracle only God could pull off, the eternal Son of God voluntarily reduced himself to a microscopic cell in the womb of a teenage girl. He lived there in darkness for nine months and then entered the human race he had created the same way each of us did — only not in the maternity ward of a sanitized hospital but in a stable where his first smells were those of animal waste, and first sounds were animal grunts and snorts. God didn’t delegate this rescue mission; he came himself. The extraordinary became ordinary.

Singer Billy Joel got creative one year with a birthday gift for his daughter. On her 12th birthday she was in New York City, and the pop musician was in Los Angeles. He phoned her that morning, apologized for his absence, but told her to expect the delivery of a large package before the end of the day. The daughter answered the doorbell that evening to find a seven-foot-tall, brightly wrapped box. She tore it open, and out stepped her father, fresh off the plane from the West Coast. Can you imagine her surprise? When God split history he sent the greatest gift — himself, in the flesh, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Second, he is God with us. That little preposition “with” is used 89 times in the Old Testament of the Bible to refer to God being with his people. He wants to be with us. He created us for fellowship and intimacy. Sin interrupted that close fellowship. So Jesus came as God’s solution to the sin problem, to restore lost fellowship. Do you realize how much God loves you? Max Lucado writes: “There are many reasons God saves you: to bring glory to himself, to appease his justice, to demonstrate his sovereignty. But one of the sweetest reasons God saved you is because he is fond of you. He likes having you around … If God had a refrigerator your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen … And the Christmas gift he sent you in Bethlehem? Face it, friend. He’s crazy about you.” Third, he is God with us. It’s a personal relationship that God wants with you. God with us; God with you; God with me. God split history into B.C. and A.D. when Jesus came. And he continues to split history in the case of individuals. Christmas provides an opportunity to think about our relationship with God. God wants to move us each one without-God life to a God-with-us life. I’ve experienced both. For those readers who remember black and white television, think of it this way: The without-God life for me was like black and white television with a cheesy, crackly sound coming from a tiny speaker on the bottom of the TV. There was a lot of insecurity, uncertainty and restlessness in my life. The God-with-us life is like color TV — wide screen, plasma, high definition, with surround sound. My life is filled with peace, security, and awareness that God loves me and is guiding my life and taking care of me regardless of circumstances. I hope and pray that all will experience the God-with-us life this Christmas.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

Christmas at the movies

ired of box office block busters with big budgets but no depth? You are in luck, because it’s that time of year when the good movies are released; the ones with Oscar appeal. But this article isn’t going to be about those films — this is all about Christmas at the movies. Surveyor When you are up to your ears Columnist in relatives, a good way to escape the house is to head to the movie theater. This season’s holiday films have it all, from dwarves to big bad wolves, and even Moses. So what’s in the queue for this season? The Bible has had a good couple of years at the movies, and its boxoffice appeal isn’t over. “Exodus: Gods & Kings” opens on Dec. 12. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Christian Bale, this film looks Heidi poised to blow Noah’s ark right out Kerr-Schlaefer of the water. “Noah,” starring Russell Crow, opened earlier this year to mixed reviews and many criticized its Biblical accurateness. No doubt the same issues will arise for “Exodus” when it comes to theaters this December. It has all the makings of a modern-day Hollywood hit — one man (Moses) takes on a mighty empire (Egypt) and sets out across the desert with over 600,000 escaped slaves. Despite having all the right stuff for a classic Hollywood film, it’s highly unlikely the true story of Moses will be told in this retelling, especially considering it’s rated PG13. The true story of Moses definitely merited an R rating. “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” will be released on Dec. 17. It is the third and final movie in “The Hobbit” trilogy, based loosely on the book by the same name. The Hollywood version has ventured away from the story written by J.R.R. Tolkien, which can only be expected when a relatively short book is turned into three epic films. In this movie, as in the others, the band of adventuring dwarves encounters conflicts and moral dilemmas, and our hero, Bilbo Baggins, finds himself in the fight of his life. Fans of Middle Earth are sure to be entertained. An entirely different film will hit the big screen on Dec. 19. “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” is the third installment in this franchise that’s family-friendly, right down to the PG rating. This is one of the last films starring Robin Williams, who passed away earlier this year, and was also the last film for the late Mickey Rooney. It also stars Ben Stiller, Dan Stevens, Owen Wilson, Ben Kingsley and Ricky Gervais. The storyline spans the globe and unites all the audience’s favorite characters from the first two films as they embark on a quest to save magic. It wouldn’t be the holidays without a Disney film in the mix and “Into the Woods,” Disney’s version of the Broadway hit, is set to open on Christmas Day. This musical fantasy is rated G, so bring along the little ones. The film has a star-studded cast, including big names such as Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp, just to list a few. Interweaving various Grimm fairytales, “Into the

Woods” is the story of a childless couple, a baker and his wife, who set out into the woods looking for a way to end a witch’s curse. The film’s main characters are taken from “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Rapunzel” and “Cinderella.” Eventually the audience realizes they are being taught a lesson about responsibility and the legacy we leave our children. As in all fairy tales and Disney films, the moral of the story is to be careful what you wish for.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

he Thanksgiving meal is history. Family and friends have left but you still have a lot of turkey left, and are wondering how long you can generate interest in turkey sandwiches. The following stew recipe may Surveyor be just what you are Columnist looking for. Brunswick Stew is a specialty dish which originated in the South. It is often served as a side dish, but is also able to stand on its own as a main dish. Chicken, tomatoes, okra, corn and lima beans are typically among the main ingredients; however root vegetables such as carrots and turnips as well as study leafy vegetables like kale are also welcome additions. Rudy Other meats typically added to the pot are pork and small game — rabHemmann bit, squirrel or maybe a little raccoon. We will be sticking with an all chicken — or turkey — dish. (Although there are a couple of squirrels who continually raid our bird feeder that may want to take note.)

According to The Family Circle Encyclopedia of Cooking, from which this recipe is adapted, precisely where this dish originated is somewhat of a mystery. There are several counties or regions in the Southern part of the country named Brunswick that have laid claim to originating the dish. Cooking historians agree the basic recipe was developed in the early 1800s. Becky and I made this dish recently and we were impressed with the stew’s many and varied ﬂavors.

Brunswick Stew • 2 slices bacon, diced • 3 ½ to 4 lbs chicken or turkey meat, cubed or cut into bite-size pieces • 3 Tblsp. flour • 1 ½ tsp. salt • ½ tsp. pepper • 1/8 tsp. cayenne • 3 medium onions, sliced • 1 ½ cups water • 1 can (16 ounces) diced tomatoes (or 4 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled and chopped • 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and diced • ½ tsp. thyme, crumbled • 1 package (10 oz.) frozen lima beans • 1 package (10 oz.) frozen whole kernel corn • 1 package (10 oz.) frozen cut okra • 2 Tblsp. fresh parsley, chopped • 1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce Stove top method: 1) Cook bacon until crisp in a large kettle or Dutch oven; remove bacon and reserve. 2) Shake chicken pieces in flour, salt, pepper and cayenne in a plastic bag to coat well. Brown chicken pieces, in batches if necessary, in bacon drippings. Remove chicken and set aside. Add onions to drippings in kettle and sauté about 5 minutes. 3) Add water, tomatoes, bell pepper and thyme and bring to a boil. Return chicken pieces to kettle, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 45 minutes until chicken is almost done. 4) Add lima beans, corn, okra, parsley and Worcestershire sauce, cover and return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes longer until vegetables are tender. 5) Serve sprinkled with reserved bacon pieces and additional parsley. Slow cooker method: 1) Cook bacon, brown chicken and sauté onions as specified above. 2) Place browned chicken and onions in slow cooker. Reduce water to about 1 cup and add to slow cooker along with tomatoes, bell pepper and thyme; cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours until chicken is nearly done. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on high for about 25 minutes or until vegetables and chicken are tender. 3) Serve as above with bacon and parsley. Notes: We used the slow cooker method with raw chicken cut in pieces, but the recipe should work equally well with leftover turkey. Cooking times may be reduced when using precooked turkey. If one doesn’t have 4 pounds of leftover meat the other main ingredients may easily be reduced by half. Enjoy.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

2014 Christmas in Berthoud events By May Soricelli The Surveyor Craft Show Grace Place will hold its annual bustling Christmas in Berthoud Craft Show at the church on Dec. 5 from 4 to 9 p.m. and on Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All vendors will pay a table fee, of which 100 percent will go toward C.I.B. They are also asked to donate an item to a silent auction. There will be 34 vendors at this year’s craft show, with unique items for sale such as handmade jewelry, soaps, clothing, gifts and treats. “It’s a great opportunity if you’re looking for gifts that are unique and hand crafted as well as knowing that the vendors are there supporting children in need,” said Christmas in Berthoud organizer, Kim Land. Photos with Santa Hardy Photography will be taking 5x7” pictures with Santa at Grace Place, upstairs in the preschool department, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 5 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec 6. Entertainment During the craft show, in the church’s auditorium, guests can attend the big band performance “Nutcracker Suite” by Duke Ellington, performed by The Don Elwood Big Band of Northern Colorado. Tickets are $10 each and all proceeds from tickets will be donated to C.I.B. “I am excited about this

because I get worn out from the repetitive Christmas music played in every retail store for two months, said Kristin Daniels, media arts coordinator for Grace Place. “This big band is quite unique.” Saturday, Dec. 6 there will be a lineup of free entertainment from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., including Berthoud Dance Company, Landon Peck (classical guitar), The Studio Company, the Berthoud High School Bridge-Between Show Choir, and possibly more. “The Berthoud High School show choir did a great job last year and I anticipate the same this time,” said Daniels ”Reunited” On Dec. 6 at 2 p.m., the Stoesz family presents a feature story, called “Reunited,” of their recent adventure in Ukraine where their adopted children were reunited with biological family members on a Ukrainian television show. Everyone is invited to hear their story, see the family interviewed by Pastor Clay Peck about the experience, and view clips from the T.V. show recording. “It is interesting to look back and show people how miraculous it is that all this has been possible and what has been accomplished,” said Kris Stoesz. According to Ukrainian Orphan Outreach directors Clarke and Kris Stoesz, the whole trip was a unique experience and their children will share some of the emotions that went along with that experience. The organization is disappointed this year to not be hosting “The Old Russian Shoemaker”

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

performance by Ukrainian orphans, due to the difficult political climate surrounding Ukraine. Funds normally used to bring the performance here are being focused on helping refugees in the war-torn country. “It’s really very sad,” said Kris. Parade of Lights The Berthoud Chamber of Commerce is coordinating the Christmas Parade on Mountain Avenue. Anyone who wants to participate can register on the C.I.B website. “We’re changing it up this year from years past to avoid cancellation due to weather,” said Deanne Mulvihill, chamber director. The lineup will be on Eighth Street and Mountain Avenue at 4:45 p.m. on Dec. 6. The parade will start at 5 p.m. and go east down Mountain Avenue to Second Street. Floats will then “wagon-train” to L&M Garden Center afterward with a sheriff’s department escort, where the floats will be on display during the evening festivities. The contingency, if bad weather is a factor, will be to cancel the parade yet still display floats despite bad weather. This will avoid last year’s dilemma of canceling the parade, and those who worked hard on their display being disappointed in not being able to use them. “This gives people something they know they can put on their calendar regardless of the weather. No matter what, the floats will be on display and events will be held at L&M,” said Mulvihill. “There are no strict cancellation guidelines at this point. We will just wait to see if it’s sub-zero type weather.” Residents can go to C.I.B. website or call the chamber office the day of the parade to check for cancellation. Community festival A fun-filled festival will conclude all of the Christmas in Berthoud events and will be held at the L&M Garden Center after the parade. They will host a bonfire, entertainment, a visit from Santa, display the lighted parade floats, and host

a meal presented by B.U.M.s of Berthoud. Once again all proceeds will be given to C.I.B. Last year, L&M’s efforts raised $1,300 and a little over 300 pounds of food. “We would really like to exceed that this year,” said Arla Rohrer of L&M. Guests can park at the L&M garden center. The bonfire will be held across from the garden center near Brookside Gardens. Dinner will be available for purchase at the L&M’s indoor facility from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will be provided by B.U.M.s of Berthoud. Musical performances will accompany the evening by Beth’s Music Studio of Windsor. “It will be an eclectic range of music performed by the students of the studio,” said Rohrer. “They are excited about playing for charitable events.” During the course of the event, silent auction items will be on display and available to bid on. There will be a dozen valuable items or more ranging from Colorado Eagles tickets, gifts from local vendors, spa treatments, and music lessons. Winners will be announced around 8:15 p.m. Children can visit Santa and get their faces painted. L&M’s focus is on giving the children of Berthoud an enchanting Christmas experience, all while raising money for those in need of gifts for the holidays. “It’s all for the kids,” said Rohrer. The school’s coin drive winners and Passport to Christmas drawing winners will be announced at 7 p.m. at the Garden Center. “Come out and support the community, help the neighbors, especially if you had a good year. It’s OK to help and it’s OK to ask for help, said Arla Rohrer. “We all fall upon hard times at least once and we can be a support through that.”

Did you know?

Elmo may have a lock on most popular holiday gift of all time Special to the Surveyor

Though there is no official data that declares the best-selling holiday toy for children of all-time, it’s fair to assume the lovable “Sesame Street” figure Elmo is high on the list of most popular holiday toys. Much of that popularity can be traced to the introduction of Tickle Me Elmo in 1996. Though not the first Elmo doll, Tickle Me Elmo became the must-have gift of 1996, when parents searched far and wide for the doll that laughed when users tickled its stomach. During the holiday season of 1996, many people paid far beyond market price just so their children could wake up on Christmas or Chanukah and have a Tickle Me Elmo doll to call their own. Since 1996, Elmo has been reincarnated many times over, and each Elmo doll seems to inspire its own craze come the holiday season. Released in 1998, Walk-N-Talk Elmo was a popular children’s gift, as was Rock-N-Roll Elmo (1999), Tickle Me Elmo Surprise (2001), Chicken Dance Elmo (2002), and SHOUT Elmo (2005). In 2006, Mattel, the company that produces the Elmo dolls, announced a special commemorative Elmo to mark the 10-year anniversary of the introduction of Tickle Me Elmo. That, too, sparked a buying frenzy, as some reports indicated private sellers were selling the latest Elmo, known as TMX Elmo, for thousands of dollars.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

A gesture of kindness

any years ago, on a Monday evening in December, my family casted votes on whether to have a meal at home or go to a local restaurant in Berthoud. Given that the day had been long, mom was tired, the restaurant was close by, and no meal was planned, we loaded up in the truck and headed out for dinner. It was not long after we sat down to enjoy our meal that two young men entered the restaurant; they appeared to be about 18 years old. As they entered the dining area, I noticed one of the young men wore a T-shirt with an image on it. Guest At first I couldn’t make out what the image was, but Columnist then it became clear. On the front of his shirt were two hands, large and obvious; one hand had a middle finger sticking up while the other hand had its index finger pointing outward — a gesture to the world. At first, embarrassed to look at the crude gesture on the young man’s shirt, I thought, “Does he know what he is wearing?” Maybe he grabbed the wrong shirt as he hastily left his house. Inside, I knew this wasn’t true. Then just as quickly, I became aware of my children. How would they feel if they saw the rude gesture on the young man’s shirt? As the hostess directed the young men to a table James T. Skeen for dinner, the situation became more uncomfortMS, LPC able. Hoping they would be seated in a far corner of the restaurant, it was now apparent they would be sitting close to my family and in my children’s line of sight. Slowly, my embarrassment smoldered in to anger. Who was this person to make such a vulgar gesture to my family? What had we done to him? What gave him the right to make the world an ugly, cynical and mean place? As these thoughts began to churn inside me, I knew I would confront

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

the young man before I left the restaurant — and not in a good way. Inspiration can be an unpredictable thing. Anyone who has lived by it knows it cannot be ignored. It may come at the strangest times or in the most inopportune moments, but it is pure and true and speaks directly to our heart. As the end of our meal approached and I began to steel myself for the confrontation that I was planning with this young man, it was then that inspiration found me. It was simple and direct and I could not believe what was being suggested. I pushed back hard as the thought grew inside me but to no avail. I was stunned at what I was about to say. As our server handed me our final bill, I asked her if she could re-figure our tab. I then pointed to the young men and said, “Would you please tell them that their meal is paid for this evening.” Confused she clarified what I had requested and I affirmed it again. Understanding now what I had asked, she proceeded over to the young men. Though I could not hear the server’s words, as the young men looked our direction, I knew what she had told them. Then, the most phenomenal thing happened; all the aggression, all the malice, all the retaliation I had felt the moment before was washed from my body and I experienced a sensation of peace I had not felt in a long time. Suddenly and unexpectedly, my heart began to fill with love for these two young men and, even though I had never met them before, and would probably never meet them again, I felt connected to them. As we finished our dinner, gathered our things and began to exit the restaurant, we passed near the table where the young men sat. As we walked past, the young man wearing the shirt with the gesturing hands looked at me and with sincerity said, “Thank you, nobody has ever done anything like that for me before.” Immediately my mind recalled the words of Jesus — “Love your enemy.” By following the promptings of the heart, my feelings changed, my body was cleansed of anger, and I understood beyond my intellect that light really does rule over darkness, that good is stronger than evil, and that a simple act of kindness can supersede all the ill-will and meanness humankind can project at one another. I also understood what Jesus was trying to teach all of us; we have the power to make the world a better place to live, one kind gesture at a time. May this Holiday season be filled with good will toward men and peace on Earth.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

Unique Christmas gifts I

t seems like only a few months ago I was sharing the 2013 list of unusual Christmas gifts in this space. However, truth be told, it was a year ago. Here are this year’s entries in the odd and unusual gift category. Maybe there is something here that you may want to give to someone you know. Let’s start with neckties. I know they are a more traditional Surveyor Father’s Day gift, but who doesn’t Columnist like a unique tie anytime of the year? My choice is from the personalizationmall.com website. It’s a photo tie with space for three photos and names. The black and gray background offsets the pictures of kids or grandkids — or your cats, I guess. The tie is made of 100 percent poly-satin — whatever that is. It will set you back $22.95. It’s possible to get the females Bob on your list a personalized scarf too. This fleece scarf comes in difMcDonnell ferent colors and styles and can be made with sayings such as, “Cheer Mom,” or to include a child’s name on it. Another one has a megaphone with a child’s name under it, and yet another one for “Proud Army Mom” or “Navy Mom.” These scarves are available at customizegirl.com. Kids like to build tents or forts, including my grandchildren. They have a castle fit for their princess-like personas. Well, hearthsong.com has an indoor/outdoor tent that might work for boys or girls. This one is an officially licensed 1960s Volkswagen pop-up tent. It sets up immediately — no assembly or tent stakes — when the kids take it out of its VW wheel bag. The tent measures 65 inches by 21 ¼ inches by 30 ¼ inches, which is enough for three small children. The pop-up shelter costs $60. The next item showed up under the toy category, but I think it is more for adults. I know that, if I still worked at a desk in a cubicle, I would want one or two of these in my workspace. What I am talking about is the six-inch tall “Big Bang Theory” television show figures. Not just figures, but bendable figures. Sheldon, Raj, Leonard and the rest of the guys are available. Don’t worry; there is one for Penny

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

too. Each one costs $13.95 at gaggifts.com. Switching from historical to high-tech, this next gizmo came to my attention through an advertisement for Best Buy. Essentially, it is a drone. Not just any old drone, but one that has wheels and can fly. They call it a mini-quadcopeter with detachable wheels. A plus is that it can be controlled by your smartphone. All this for just $99. This year’s list of unique items concludes with a stocking stuffer; forget the candy cane or orange in the hosiery found hung by the chimney with care; this year go with the wasabi lip balm. It’s like regular lip balm but has the flavor of the horseradish-like vegetable traditionally served with sushi. Purchase it at mcphee.com for a $2.95 per tube. Oh, they claim it doesn’t have the “kick” that real wasabi has. If you’re not sure about including wasabi in the stocking, baconfreak.com offers bacon-flavored lip balm for the same price. Good luck finding the right gifts for those you know who’ve been naughty or nice.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

The man behind the beard Special to the Surveyor

Every Christmas Eve, children go to bed eagerly anticipating a visit from Santa Claus. This merry gentleman is purported to visit the home of every good girl and boy, delivering gifts and cheer along the way. Before the modern evolution of Santa Claus lived, there was a very real and generous individual named Nicholas. In the third century, Nicholas served as the Bishop of Myrna in present-day Turkey. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, believing that giving should be done secretly and sacrificially in Jesus Christ’s name rather than one’s own. Stories told of Nicholas paying the dowry for poor daughters to enable them to get married. He reportedly put coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him. It is believed Nicholas helped to restore the hope of hundreds of people in his community, making him a beloved and revered Bishop. Throughout his ministry, Nicholas fervently shared his life and fortune with others. Nicholas continued to be revered and commemorated by many Christians even after his death. His charity and unselfish works helped inspire generations of the faithful, and he eventually was named the patron saint of everyone from merchants to sailors to pawnbrokers. No one really knows what St. Nicholas looked like. But

in 2005, a forensic laboratory in England reviewed historical data and photographs of the remains taken from St. Nicholas’ grave in the 1950s. Researchers concluded that he was a small man, perhaps no more than five feet in height, with a broken nose. This image certainly does not fit with the robust frame and other imagery awarded St. Nicholas in more modern years. St. Nicholas is believed to be the inspiration for Santa Claus, which was a name taken from the Dutch Sinterklaas, a contracted form of Sint Nicolass, or St. Nicholas. Tales of the real St. Nicholas’ giving spirit were blended with a fictional personification by New York-based newspaper writers who blended the St. Nicholas name with the appearance of a Dutch town citizen. The goal was to reach out to the primarily Dutch immigrants living in New York at the time. This jolly elf image was given a boost by the publication of “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” which was published around the same time. Eventually, the merry Santa Claus portrayal began to outshine the more accurate St. Nicholas version as a religious man, fostered by political drawings and caricatures that depicted Santa as a chubby sort in a red suit. That image prevails to this day. Beneath the Christmas symbolism, the beard and the presents associated with Santa Claus lies a tale of generosity that originated with St. Nicholas.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2014

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

Christmas tidbits to put you in the holiday spirit Special to the Surveyor The holiday season has arrived, and millions of people across the globe will celebrate Christmas with their families and friends. The following are some interesting tidbits to share with loved ones this holiday season. • Each year, more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the United States alone. • In 350 AD, Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, proclaimed Dec. 25 the official celebration date for the birth of Jesus Christ. Many historians and theologians have surmised that Christ really wasn’t born this time of year, thanks to imagery and information from the Bible. • Christmas carols began as an English custom called “wassailing.” Individuals toasted neighbors to a long and healthy life. • Despite the common tale that three wise men paid homage to baby Jesus, the Bible never specifically calls out a number. Similarly, there’s no specific indication that they visited the infant Jesus. Their visit may have occurred when Jesus was older. • Santa Claus’ modern look was inspired by writings from The Knickerbockers of New York and imagery from Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Moore denied authoring the famous poem for 15 years after it was published anonymously, feeling the poem was beneath his talents. • Santa has his own official postal code; it’s H0 H0 H0.

• The song “Jingle Bells” was originally written for Thanksgiving and not Christmas. People loved it so much that the lyrics were changed to fit Christmas. • Christmas trees typically grow for 15 years before they’re cut and sold. This means the trees sold today were likely planted in 1999. • Christmas was not declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870. • Before turkey, the traditional Christmas meal served in England was a pig’s head and mustard. • Male reindeer tend to shed their antlers in the winter. This means Santa’s reindeer are likely female. • Christ may have been born in a cave rather than a manger. According to the gospel of Luke, the shepherds that helped find shelter for Mary to give birth kept their flock in a cave. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is built over a cave called the Grotto of the Nativity, where Jesus is believed to have been born. • Many people may be less inclined to stand under mistletoe waiting for a kiss if they knew what “mistletoe” means in the ancient Germanic language. It literally means “dung on a twig,” for the bird who eats the berries and then leaves seeds in droppings to propagate new plants. • Each holiday season, PNC Wealth Management calculates the costs of the gifts in the song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.” The price index for the gifts went from $12,673 in 1984 to more than $24,000 in 2011. The most expensive gift is the swimming swans.