Canyon Courier April 18, 2024

Evergreen’s Ice Melt contest sees record ticket sales

Moving fundraising to taverns taps into a more generous audience

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Evergreen Ice Melt barrel fell into the lake April 4 at 9:23:35 p.m. – a time right in line with past years. e annual event, sponsored by Mountain Foothills Rotary, lets community members bet on the time a barrel will fall through the ice, signaling the end of another winter and the return of warmer temperatures.

Fundraising this year was far above the norm — an increase Rotarians credit to new businesses that allowed them to sell tickets on-site and an uptick in volunteer ticket sellers.

“We sold over $9,000 worth of tickets, and typically sell about $5,000,” said Jim Rohrer, the club’s administrative chair. “We’re going to be able to write some nice checks to the charities we support with this. at’s why we do it.”

Rohrer attributes the increased sales in part to moving away from the club’s traditional grocery store sales sites to venues including Tuscany Tavern, Lariat Lodge, Lakeside Café, Revival Brews and El Rancho. “We found people coming into a bar are in a lot better mood than

people coming into a grocery store — especially with food prices as they are today,” he said. “Not only did they put up with us, they did things like buy dinner for people that were soliciting and donating funds. All of these places went out of their way to help us.”

“It was pretty average as far as date and time,” said Keith Dragon, president-elect of the Rotary club. “Most of them have occurred in late March or early April.”

About 30 volunteers from Evergreen Park & Recreation District’s INSPIRE program, Resilience1220 and Evergreen Christian Outreach sold tickets along with Rotary mem-

bers. e three organizations, along with Denver-based Crutches4Africa, are bene ciaries of Ice Melt ticket sales.

“It was a community e ort,” Rohrer said. “Our charities and our restaurants helped us have a record year.”

In addition to ticket sales, sponsor contributions typically add another $6,000 to $7,000 to the event’s total fundraising, Rohrer said. e contest features four prizes, with the top prize at $1,000, second of $500, third of $250 and fourth of $125.

Members of Evergreen Fire/Rescue used a pontoon shing boat to retrieve the barrel April 6.

From left, Evergreen firefighters Matt McDonald, Sean Ender, Capt. Doug Matheny and Lt. Derick Hinshaw helped retrieve Mountain Foothills Rotary’s Ice Melt Barrel from Evergreen Lake April 6. COURTESY OF MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS ROTARY CLUB

How Does the Idea of ‘For-Sale-By-Owner’ Change Under the NAR Settlement?

The number of sellers opting to sell without a listing agent was surprisingly low even before the NAR settlement, which will have the effect of cutting in half the commission charged by listing agents thanks to the removal of a co-op commission for buyers’ agents, .

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has reported that only 7% of homes sold during 2023 were sold without the services of a listing agent. Another 4% of sellers began without an agent but ultimately changed their minds and decided to hire a listing agent.

mission cannot include the offer of compensation to a buyer’s agent, so listing commissions will henceforth be 2.5% to 2.8%, seriously reducing the appeal of trying to sell one’s house without professional assistance.

The main argument for going FSBO (for-sale-by-owner) has been to avoid paying the typical 5 to 6 percent listing commission. But that commission included the 2.5 to 3 percent commission shared with the agent representing the buyer. Under the NAR settlement (if approved by the courts), the listing com-

CEFF Offers 2 Earth Day Films

The Colorado Environmental Film Festival is celebrating Earth Day with two films: The Engine Inside (about bicycling) tonight, April 18; and Deep Rising (about seabed mining) on April 21. Ticket info is at https://ceff.net/earth-day.

In my real estate classes as a new agent at Coldwell Banker back in 2002, it was drummed into us that “listors last,” so we should focus on working with sellers instead of buyers. The NAR settlement has struck a serious blow to anyone who specializes in working with buyers.

In light of this, NAR is offering its Realtor members a free “Accredited Buyer’s Representative” (ABR) course, and, even though Golden Real Estate specializes in working with sellers, all of us have signed up for this course so we can receive the advice which it will offer when representing buyers in the changed landscape of real estate transactions.

Of course, I will share with you what I learn from that course, which I’m taking on June 17th. Hopefully, the court will have confirmed or rejected the NAR settlement by then, so we’ll know for sure what lies ahead.

As I wrote last week, the inevitable

Renovating? Consider Adding a ‘Back Kitchen’

I can’t take credit for this idea. Last year Pro Builder magazine had an article in its May/June issue about new ideas in kitchen design, and one in particular caught my attention: adding a “back/ messy” kitchen.

Nowadays, especially with open floor plans, the kitchen has become a center of entertaining. Guests gather around the host or hostess as they prepare and deliver various courses of food.

A back kitchen allows for dirty dishes to be out of sight immediately. This keeps the kitchen area clean and attractive — and quiet — throughout the evening. There could even be a second dishwasher in the back kitchen.

The back kitchen could also be where prepared courses are staged for bringing out during the party. Think of it as a “butler’s pantry” that is off the kitchen instead of between the kitchen and the dining room.

Most people nowadays have both a walk-in pantry and what’s being called a “Costco closet” for those bulk purchases so many of us are making these days. A larger pantry big enough to satisfy both needs could be attached to the back kitchen instead of the main kitchen, cleaning and simplifying the main kitchen design. Another feature which makes a lot of sense is to have seating on two sides

(adjoining, not opposite) of the kitchen island instead of just one. This facilitates guests talking to each other, while still including whoever is at work on the business side of the island.

Open floor plans typically show the kitchen open to the family room, but not the formal dining room. How about an Lshaped open floor plan in which the dining room is open to the kitchen on the side, with the family room open to it at a 90degree angle?

Here’s a floor plan from Pro Builder showing this concept, in which ‘A’ is the island with 2-sided seating, ‘B’ is the pantry/Costco closet, ‘C’ is the back kitchen, and ‘D’ is a barn door for closing off the back kitchen/pantry.

effect of the NAR settlement will be that many or even most buyers will call listing agents directly instead of hiring an agent to represent them as a buyer. Only time will tell how that process will shake out.

If I worked solely as a buyer’s agent, I would be very nervous about what the future holds for me.

Buyer agents will still be able to earn a commission by selling new homes. Because the new home market is so competitive, builders are unlikely to reduce the commissions they currently offer to agents. Most builders, I have found, offer a 3% commission to agents who bring them a buyer, although that commission is applied to the base price,

not to the price after adding upgrades of flooring, appliances, counters, etc.

The challenge for real estate agents has always been getting buyers to call them before registering at a builder’s sales office, because most builders will not pay agents who did not register along with their buyer. We tell buyers to visit as many new home communities as they wish but not give their names until they are serious and want us to represent them. Then we can go with them on a return visit where they and we register together. That way, the buyer has the advantage of professional representation, and we are compensated for being their agent.

This column and the ’Back Kitchen’ article appeared in last Thursday’s Denver Post.

Real Estate Activity Has Surged Since Jan. 1st

For most of 2023, the number of closed transactions fell while the number of active listings surged until some of them either expired or were taken off the market for the holidays. Starting in January there was a marked increase in sales, combined with more sellers putting their homes on the market.

The charts at right are from Denver’s MLS and cover the 15-month period from January 2023 through March 2024 for REcolorado listings only, limited to a 20mile radius of downtown Denver.

The second chart shows how sharply the median days a listing was active on the MLS rose through most of last year, peaking at over 30 days in January but plummeting, just like last year, in February and March. Meanwhile, the median sold price, which had been slumping slightly during the last half of 2023, turned sharply upward in January, February and March.

From studying current MLS data, this trend is continuing in April.

Of course, the real estate market varies greatly from city to city and from neighborhood to neighborhood. If you’d like to monitor the market in your city or your specific subdivision, any of our broker associates or I could create what we call a “Neighborhood Alert” for you. You define the area you want to monitor, and we pro-

Active Listings

Median Sold Price

Median Days in MLS

Closed Listings

gram the MLS to send you an email notification every time a home in that area is listed, goes under contract, sells or expires. With our help, you’ll be the neighborhood expert where you live — or perhaps in a neighborhood where you want to buy. Call us; our phone numbers are below.

Despite widespread power outages, no major incidents reported in windstorm’s aftermath

Foothills firefighters say they support utilities’ decisions to mitigate chance of wildfire

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When the power went out and wild winds toppled towering pines onto James Adams’ Conifer property last weekend, he took it in stride.

“I lit a re,” said the Army veteran who lives in the Oehlmann Park neighborhood. “Me and the dog hung out, drank a beer and watched the trees fall down.

“I have a small generator and was able to run extension cords to my refrigerator. I’m always ready for stu to happen. It’s not that big of

a deal. I understood that moving up here — that something like that could happen.”

Adams was among about 12,000 CORE Electric Cooperative members who lost power during a weekend windstorm April 6-7 with gusts of up to 100 mph. CORE serves a 5,000-square-mile territory that includes portions of 11 counties east, west and south of Denver.

More than 155,000 Xcel Energy customers also lost power. Xcel cut power to about 55,000 Boulder, Gilpin, Larimer, Douglas, Broomeld and Je erson county customers in an e ort to reduce wild re risk during the storm. e winds then knocked out power to about 100,000 more Xcel customers.

CORE also took steps to reduce wild re risk, activating re settings on its lines that increase sensitivity to disruptions. If a tree falls on a CORE line or another problem

Mount Evans brings recovery

If you’re recovering from a surgery or an illness, Mount Evans will be there to get you back into the great outdoors you love to explore.

occurs, the line is immediately deenergized. Before it’s re-energized, CORE linemen check the circuit to nd and correct the outage’s cause. “ at can make outages last a bit longer because we’re patrolling the whole line,” said CORE spokesperson Amber King. “But it does prevent us from having to shut down power to everyone.

“Saturday night we also had to make the decision to pull our crews and wait until the winds died down because it was so unsafe for crews to be out trying to x lines. ey’d x one section and something else would fall into it.”

While that decision and line patrolling extended the outage period for many CORE members, King said the cooperative is relieved by the overall outcome.

“We are so thankful all our members and communities are safe,” she said. “In the territory we serve, wild re mitigation is so critical to what we do. In a storm like this one, I think we all hold our breath a little bit, as our members do, too.”

Local re agencies, who ran record numbers of calls during the weekend, were also breathing sighs of relief.

“We had a lot of trees and power lines come down that night,” said Bethany Urban, spokesperson for the Elk Creek Fire Protection District. “We had some arcing and sparking (from downed lines), and a couple trees start on re before those areas were turned o . ere is a huge wild re risk with lines energized in that kind of wind. I would imagine the fact that they turned power o prevented more of that from happening.

“We su pport the utility companies’ need to make the best decision to support the safety of the entire community. We understand they did not make that decision lightly.”

Evergreen Fire/Rescue’s Einar Jensen said the recent windstorm created “Marshall Fire conditions,” referring to the December 2021 wind-fueled re that destroyed 1,084 Boulder County homes.

Conifer’s James Adams with his dog Josie Leigh pose in front of pieces of the trees he and neighbors cleared from his driveway after last weekend’s windstorm.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES ADAMS

“We know power outages are incredibly awkward, but in the end, we didn’t have wild res that consumed homes,” said Jensen, the district’s public information o cer. “We didn’t have structure res that blew from one building to another. We were pretty fortunate to endure such a windstorm with as little per-

sonal and property damage as we had.

“While it didn’t impact us in Evergreen, we de nitely supported Xcel’s pre-emptive de-energizing of some utility lines. It’s another way to adapt to our new reality. If another Marshall Fire would have resulted, there would have been hundreds of thousands of people yelling at the utility, ‘Why didn’t you de-energize?’ You can’t have it both ways.”

Jensen suggested foothills resi-

dents be prepared for such incidents with generators and solarpowered back-up devices.

“ ere will be more windstorms,” he said. “As people who chose to live in a rural setting, we must take responsibility for a lot of that preparedness. We can all be our own heroes.”

For Adams, the temporary issues caused by such a storm and the steps he takes to prepare for those possibilities are small tradeo s for a lifestyle he loves.

“I couldn’t live in the city,” he said. “I like the quiet. I like the dark. I like the whole culture of small communities.”

at includes support from nearby property owners. In the aftermath of the storm, two 60-foot lodgepole pines and one measuring 30 feet blocked Adams’ driveway.

“A couple of neighbors helped me cut the trees so I could get out my front entrance,” he said. “I still made the (Avalanche) hockey game on Sunday. Unfortunately, we lost.”

Elk Creek firefighters responded to a call in the Oehlmann Park neighborhood during April 6’s windstorm. Part of a tree blew into an energized powerline, sparking a small treetop fire. PHOTO COURTESY OF ELK CREEK FIRE

Neighbor Mark Jones helps James Adams clear lodgepole pines felled during April 6-7 windstorm from his Conifer driveway. PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES ADAMS

Why the ‘I Voted’ stickers for Je erson County have new looks

BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e ‘I Voted” stickers for Je erson County will take on a di erent look heading into the 2024 election, thanks to the e orts of local artists who interpreted what it means to participate in democracy.

e Je erson County Clerk and Recorder’s O ce held a contest for the new sticker design last year and recently announced three winners. e contest drew entries from all over the county for its theme, “I Voted/Yo Voté.” e winning entries reect a diverse community, according to Amanda Gonzalez, Je co clerk and recorder.

“Je co is increasingly diverse thanks

to the culture, languages and experiences that make up our towns and neighborhoods,” Gonzalez said. “Yet, [we are] united in our dedication to celebrating and strengthening our democracy.

ere were three categories — adults over 18, 18 and under, and the “future voter” category for artists under 13. e winners, in order, are:

• Alexis Nicole of Littleton, a Metropolitan State University of Denver student and artist who submitted an abstract colorful mountain design.

• Ethan Brill, an eighth grader at Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen who submitted a Columbine/ Red Rocks design.

• Lexi Diaz, a third grader at Dennison Elementary in Lakewood who

EPRD is Now Hiring!

Have you always had a passion for recreation? Have you felt you wanted to meet more people within the mountain community? Well, Evergreen Park & Recreation District (EPRD) has that solution! EPRD has many job opportunities available and is looking to ll them with the right people.

If you or someone you know is looking for fulltime, part-time, or seasonal work to help pay the bills or have some extra spending cash, please look at opportunities available right here locally. No driving down the hill or suit required!

Do you like working with children? EPRD’s before/after school child care is ramping up for a busy summer. Working parents need options for child care and EPRD meets this with licensed child care facilities sta ed by responsible and energetic individuals. EPRD is looking for both Children’s Program Leaders as well as Children’s

submitted a red, white and blue stars design.

e winners were selected by a panel of experts who chose the best stickers from each category. en, the public voted to choose one winner per category.

“I’m so thrilled with the selections the Je co community made for our new voting stickers,” Gonzalez said. “ ey represent three totally di erent inspirations and viewpoints, but each speaks to the heart of our collective values and the pride we have to live where we do.”

e “I Voted” sticker is on every mailed ballot. e sticker is also given out at voting centers for those who vote in person. e “future voter” sticker will be printed and handed out

Program Aides for the summer season. Make a di erence in children’s lives while working with your friends and having fun at work!

Or do you have special skills to be one of EPRD’s general rec instructors? EPRD is always looking to broaden their o erings! Currently, they need part-time instructors for climbing, aquatics, gymnastics, skateboarding, mountain biking, and sports.

Did you know that EPRD o ers lifeguarding classes to get you certi ed as a lifeguard? Lifeguards are always needed as EPRD has two pools to keep running safely. Come join the upcoming Lifeguarding class from May 28-30.

Maybe you have special skills as a massage therapist or personal trainer. EPRD is always looking to add these independent contractor individuals to help serve our community.

Why work for EPRD? Simply put, it is a great place to work. Flexible hours so whether you have school, family commitments, etc., EPRD has hours that may work with your personal schedule. Being able to use the facilities is another bonus to working for EPRD. Instead of paying for a pass/daily fee to workout or swim, you get to use the facility for free. Some jobs also o er on-the-job training such as lake/skating attendant or front desk attendant. And who doesn’t want to work with a group of fun, active co-workers that have a passion for recreation!

Simply apply online at: evergreenrecreation.com

to kids at community events and voting centers.

e stickers from the youth and adult categories will be printed and placed in about 430,000 ballots mailed out for each election this year. is includes the state primary in June and the general election in November. Each voter will get one sticker per ballot.

“Election after election, our voters turn out at higher rates, so I expect our new I Voted stickers will get a lot of use,” Gonzalez said. “A big thank you and congratulations to our winning artists who gifted all of us these beautiful new symbols of civic pride.”

For more information on the stickers and on the elections in Je erson County, visit Je Co.US.

Work at EPRD

Evergreen students observe and learn about solar eclipses during April 8 event

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As the moon moved in front of the sun April 8, students at Evergreen’s Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen — along with people throughout North America — gathered outside, donned eclipse glasses and turned their gazes skyward.

ey also took notes, as part of science teacher Maia Smith’s assignment, drawing and writing about what they observed.

“I think it’s really cool because it only happens once in a while,” said seventh grader Rae Pegues. “And because we’ve been learning about it in science.”

Smith used the eclipse as an opportunity to integrate education with a real-world phenomenon. Her students studied the di erence between lunar and solar eclipses and built models that were tested outside to further illustrate those di erences.

As a second part of their assignment, each of Smith’s seventh- and eighthgrade students was asked to serve as a buddy to a younger student, helping them better understand the eclipse.

“It’s very cool,” said seventh grader Madi Wiley, who sat down with kindergartner Chase Meyer during the event. “I moved here from Australia. We learned about it there as well, but I’ve never seen one before.”

Parents joined in the event, too. RMAE father and physicist Jarrod Leddy carted a massive, 8-inch Dobsonian telescope to the school elds so the kids could get a close-up of the rare event. Children and adults stood in line to get a high-powered telescopic close-up of the eclipse.

Solar eclipses occur every one or two years around the globe but are often only visible from Earth’s poles or the middle of the ocean. A solar eclipse crossed parts of the United States in 2017. With this week’s much longer event, parts of North America saw a total eclipse that lasted as long as four minutes. e Denver area reached about 65% totality.

e next total solar eclipse visible from the United States will occur in August 2044.

RMAE parents Julie and Mark Edmunds joked that they might not be

around for the next one, so they joined their son Colton for the April 8 school event.

munds said.

“We had a good parent turnout, which was awesome,” she said. “And we had just enough totality to make it worth our

RMAE first grader Oliver Ingalls gets a close-up view of the eclipse through a telescope provided by parent Jarrod Leddy.

PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

VOICES

For editor, Columbine attack still reverberates through years

“Where’s Columbine High School?” my dad in Indiana asked, suddenly changing the direction of a nothing-in-particular phone call.

“Four or five miles southwest of here — why?” I asked from our west-facing back porch in Denver’s south suburbs on a beautiful spring day in 1999.

My hyperactive dad, who had been watching a cable news channel while we talked, replied: “Somebody is shooting kids there.”

Within seconds, two air ambulance helicopters thundered low and fast directly over our house and streaked southwest.

I was a copy editor at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, and as I watched the helicopters race toward Columbine, I knew that I should expect to be called in early for my night shift at the newspaper. I wanted to see our young sons before getting ready for work, so I got off the phone and trotted the block and a half to their elementary school.

In those pre-smartphone, lesswired days, the staff at our sons’ school didn’t yet know about the attack a few miles away. I walked past the open door of the teachers’ lounge, where a teacher I liked was finishing his lunch break.

Most theaters take a similar approach to their seasons – it’s a blend of musicals and stage plays that usually run for about a month each. But at Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center, they wanted to try something di erent.

Matthew Kepler, programming director, thought a wider audience could be reached by removing one of the six musical titles that make up their season and adding limited engagement productions that were more nuanced and intimate.

“I wanted the opportunity to produce titles that were powerful pieces of theatre, intrigued our current audience, appealed to audiences who

FROM THE COPY EDITOR Scott Gilbert

“What brings you here?” he asked. When I told him the little I knew about what was happening at Columbine, he responded, “That will definitely be on Channel 9 tonight.”

Word of the attack reached the school administrators about that same moment, and a lockout began. I was a familiar volunteer at the school, and I was allowed to stop by our sons’ classrooms to see them for a few minutes before I returned home to prepare for work.

I wanted to listen to breaking news about Columbine while getting ready for work, so instead of showering, I filled the bathtub and placed a radio on the bathroom floor so I could hear updates. I was sitting in the tub when the Jefferson County sheriff confirmed that several kids had been murdered, and I broke into a series of uncontrollable sobs.

Work that first night was frantic, with fluid news stories changing as reporters and editors tried to distill reliable information from the

deluge of impressions, sights and interviews, plus the gut-punching images from our photographers. The ensuing nights at the newspaper were a slog through the bad non-dream of Columbine, including a night when I worked the “makeup” editing shift in the composing room, making sure through multiple editions that yearbook photos of the children who had been killed were paired with the right captions: Cassie Bernall is the girl with the wide smile and hair parted on the side; Corey DePooter is the boy with the pronounced straight eyebrows; Rachel Scott is the girl who looks like my sister as a kid ...

That was the night I ate a mayonnaise-heavy sandwich that had sat atop my warm computer terminal for hours before I was able to take a break, and the resulting case of brutal food poisoning felt bizarrely welcome because I needed so badly to puke my guts out.

All that was 25 years ago. Now, low-flying helicopters still flash me right back to the moment just after my dad told me about the attack in progress. These days, I still can’t talk about the Columbine attack for more than a few seconds before my voice breaks. Our little suburb has its mark-

ers of the tragedy — the trauma center where the most grievously wounded children were flown, the pawnshop where a paralyzed girl’s mother asked to see a revolver and then hurriedly inserted a bullet that she used to kill herself at the counter — and I see those places many times each week and remember.

But I got off light. I got off easy. I’m an outgoing person who is always getting to know more people, and here in Denver’s south suburbs, that means I’ve gotten to know many people who were hit intimately by the Columbine attack, people who were there, people who helped save terribly wounded children, people who tried to save children who died, people who lost dear ones, people whose dear ones survived but were damaged in ways that can’t be undone. Every year I know more people with lifetime memberships in that undesired club.

People I trust tell me good things have been forged from the pain of that horrible day. I want to believe they’re right.

Scott Gilbert is an editor in our newsroom who worked for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver at the time of the Columbine attack.

Painting the Town Hall Arts Center ‘Red’

understand.”

Four Seasons restaurant.

didn’t view our typical o erings as interesting, and really spoke about the human condition, speci cally through the lens of the arts and how the arts a ect our humanity,” wrote Kepler in an email interview. “ ese productions aim to provoke deeper emotions, prompt critical thinking from alternate perspectives, and foster engagement with diverse communities that audience members may not typically encounter or

e latest entry in this series is “Red,” written by John Logan and directed by Kepler. It runs at the theater, 2450 Main St. in Littleton, from ursday, April 25 through Sunday, May 5. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. ursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday and Saturday, May 4.

e show is about Latvian-American abstract painter Mark Rothko (Andrew Uhlenhopp) and his young, new assistant Ken (Josue Miranda). At the time of the show, Rothko is at the height of his powers but struggling with his latest commission – a series that will be showcased in New York’s brand-new

“ roughout the narrative, Rothko and Ken engage in conversations about the essence of artistic creation and its connection to the human experience,” Kepler wrote. “Moreover, the play delves into generational tensions, exempli ed by the decline of Rothko’s Abstract Expressionist movement in the face of the rising popularity of Ken’s generation’s Pop Art movement. Rothko and Ken deliberate on themes such as the commercialization of visual art and its impact on the artist’s spiritual expression.”

“Red” is the perfect show for the

Town Hall’s limited engagement approach, because it tells the story of a massively important creative person and highlights the importance of art in daily life. Plus, it’s just a very welltold story.

“In this modern day of technological distractions, there really is something so pure and precious about having actors bear their soul in front of you. If you open yourself up to it, it truly is a moving experience,” Kepler explained. “I hope they engage intellectually with what they see and allow it to open a dialogue. You don’t have to be an artist to dig into these questions. Our interests and passions and hobbies are a part of our human expression and all play into the ideas that are confronted in the play.”

For information and tickets, visit https://townhallartscenter.org/.

Abigail Osborn Brings I ntimate Performance to Northglenn ere’s a reason music from the bedroom pop movement has become so popular in the last several years. ere’s an intimacy and relatability to the sounds these artists create, especially when paired with the fact that they are composing and writing everything themselves (often in, you guessed it, their rooms). One such artist is Abigail Osborn, who was born and raised in the Denver area and now lives in Los Angeles. Osborn will be performing at the In the Studio, 1 E. Memorial Parkway in Northglenn, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 19. Get tickets at https:// northglennarts.org/.

Walker Fine Art Strips the Creative Process Down “Stripped,” the latest exhibition at the Walker Fine Art gallery, 300 W. 11th Ave., No. A, in Denver, explores the act of “reducing, distilling, tearing, removing and shredding,” as part of the creative process and what can be made because of these actions.

e show features the works of eresa Clowes, Doug Haeussner, Lee Heekin, Sandra Klein, Morgan Robinson and Zelda Zinn, and will be on display through Saturday, May 11. e artists work in a variety of mediums, including photography, mixed media, collage and steel, and provide a stirring window into the power of transformation.

More information can be found at www.walker neart.com/stripped.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Bluebird Music Festival at Macky Auditorium

I’d be hard-pressed to think of a better way to welcome the warm seasons of the year than with the beautiful folk music you’ll nd at the annual Bluebird Music Festival. is year’s festival features Gregory Alan Isakov, Je Tweedy (of Wilco), Joy Oladokun, Langhorne Slim, Andy Shauf and many more.

is year’s Bluebird Music Festival runs on Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, at Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St. in Boulder. e festival bene ts the Future Arts Foundation, which aims to improve communities through arts, music and environmental programs.

Find all the details and tickets at www.bluebirdmusicfestival.org.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail. com.

CORRECTION

A story published in the April 11 paper contained incorrect information about a Elk Creek Fire Protection District community forum. e district will host a community forum at 6 p.m. April 30 to gather additional feedback and information for the strategic plan. at meeting is designed to supplement the community survey. Attendees will be asked to assess the Elk Creek Fire Protection District agency and recommend issues for it to address.

Carol A. Andrews long time resident of Evergreen passed away after a heroic battle with cancer, her beloved family by her side. Memorial will be private per her wishes. ANDREWS

Carol Andrews April 6, 2024

How Columbine changed us

25 years later, the tragedy is a study of recovery, resilience and triumph

BY MICHAEL DE YOANNA EDITOR IN CHIEF

Twenty- ve years have passed since that April day that etched sorrow into the hearts of Columbine High School. Two armed students took the lives of 12 of their peers and a cherished teacher and then their own lives. e reverberations of that tragic day have rippled through the years, leaving a sad narrative of killers and victims often repeated in the mainstream media.

But what that narrative misses is Columbine’s story of recovery, resilience and triumph.

It is in the school’s very fabric, where the emphasis is that every individual, from the principal to the rst-day freshman, matters.

As Columbine sophomore Madison Price told us, “It’s just the kind of thing that you can feel.”

It’s kind of a soft nding for a newsroom that spent months parsing through stories of grief and perseverance in our interviews with survivors, past and present school o cials, teachers, security experts

and even media critics.

Our newsroom sought the answer to a simple question: How has the 1999 Columbine shooting changed the school over the years — and everything else?

On one hand, nothing has changed. Gun violence is rampant in the United States. Take, for instance, the stunning tally of deaths and injuries provided by the Atlas of American Gun Violence, tracking incidents across the country down to the neighborhood level. Such an atlas is only necessary because of the almost-daily barrage of headlines chronicling shootings. Yet some are so large and horri c that everyone knows them by name, like Sandy Hook, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

e specter of violence is woven into the lives of children in schools at an early age.

And schools across the country have increased security measures in the years since the Columbine shooting, which took the lives of students Cassie Bernall, Steven Curnow, Corey DePooter, Kelly

Fleming, Matthew Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Daniel Rohrbough,Rachel Scott, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend and Kyle Velasquez, and teacher William “Dave” Sanders.

e Je erson County School District, which oversees the high school, points to classroom doors that lock from the inside. ere are single-point entry systems at schools that ensure students, sta and visitors pass through controlled checkpoints. Add to that security cameras, once a rarity, metal detectors and scanners.

Much of the changes are meant to ferret out people carrying guns. Yet our reporting did not take us to the raging debates over guns, like whether background checks are enough or if teachers should be armed.

Instead, we explored how chaos among rescuers during the Columbine incident led to improved coordination today, working to bridge gaps to make all schools safer.

And we looked at the media’s role during and after the shooting. One harsh takeaway from University of

Our series will run this week and next week.

This week, we focus on the stories of those closest to Columbine High School — the survivors and students and teachers. Next week, our series will look at how security has changed and the lessons learned from how the media covered events.

To read our entire series, go to www.ColoradoCommunityMedia .com.

Colorado Boulder professor Elizabeth Skewes was that news coverage of shootings can desensitize Americans and even be harmful to survivors. Knowing that helps explain the goals of Je erson County schools at the district’s recent media day for press organizations looking to report on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.

Reporters who went to that event heard many of the same things we learned in our reporting, which often involved initially-reluctant sources opening up to trust our reporters and editors with their stories. ey wanted us, and our readers, to know that the shooting doesn’t de ne Columbine. Instead, what de nes it is a kind of indomitable spirit that emerged and evolved with intentionality since 1999. It plays out for many every April 20, the anniversary of the shooting, in the school’s Day of Service, now in its eighth year.

“We have turned that day into something so positive,” teacher Mandy Cooke told us. “And that is what I am most proud of — is making sure that our current students know how to be better humans in the world, instead of this awful, tragic thing that happened to us.”

And Cooke knows. She was a student at the school in 1999 and is among three survivors we interviewed who returned to the school to help it turn the page of the adversity to a brighter chapter.

Frank DeAngelis, a rehabilitation advocate and past principal of Columbine High School, stands in Clement Park at the Columbine Memorial near Littleton on April 8, 2024.

PHOTO BY BEAR GUTIERREZ

Frank DeAngelis’ shoelaces and support

A principal’s journey of healing and leadership

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In the days following the shooting at Columbine High School, its principal, Frank DeAngelis, started leaving his shoes untied. e loss of his students and a teacher, who was also a friend, left him feeling he had no control over his life.

“People would say, ‘Tie your shoe!’ and I said, ‘ at’s the only thing I have control over,’” he said. But piece by piece, and with the help of his community, DeAngelis started his journey toward healing. It was just like tying his shoes, one lace over the other.

He still thinks of the tragedy every day — reciting the names of the victims who were killed before he gets out of bed. But his journey to heal hasn’t been lonely. In the years following the tragedy, he has leaned on his community and channeled his energy to help others — and still does, even in retirement.

DeAngelis started working at Columbine in 1979, right after he graduated from college. Before he became the principal, DeAngelis had been a history teacher, football coach and baseball coach there.

He worked closely with students, and enjoyed that his role gave him the chance to get to know so many of them — in the cafeteria, on their sports teams and on the stage.

On the day of the shooting, like so many others, he said, his life changed forever.

After the tragedy, he led the school until every student in the area who was in class on April 20, 1999 — down to the preschoolers — graduated.

“Because they were impacted by it,” he said. “Even though they were not there, they saw everything.”

His leadership in those years is a common theme among students and sta connected to the school.

ey say DeAngelis helped the community to heal, and they call his leadership a model for how to live. ey consider him a bedrock for the community and say he brought people together in the wake of tragedy.

One Je erson County School District sta member said the community would not have recovered without DeAngelis — and that his impact goes far beyond Columbine.

We found a community guided by those who became united in shared pain with a fierce determination to heal.

In that regard, no name came up more often than former Principal Frank DeAngelis, who led

the school, its staff and generations of students out of the shadows of tragedy.

“People said that Columbine really needed me — I needed them,” he said.

For many, he is a beacon of hope, even in his retirement, as he aids others affected by similar hardships.

Now, as it has been for decades, Columbine is just anoth-

er high school. People look forward to football games. They’re studying for tests. Students are discovering who they are and who they might be when they become adults.

To Cris Welsh, a student at the time of the shooting who is now a teacher at Columbine, it’s all very ordinary, except for one thing.

“We exist to extend the notion

that one can recover,” he said. “That the awful things that happened to us are outside of our control, but how we respond to those awful things is totally within our control.”

Columbine is a symbol of hope, he said, not only to itself but well beyond.

“If you are determined to overcome the things that happen to you, you can do it,” he said.

ON THE COVER: Photos taken by Colorado Community Media sta and Bear Gutierrez show former Columbine High School Principal Frank DeAngelis, current teacher Mandy Cooke, crosses honoring 13 shooting victims at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, and Columbine keepsakes. Historical photos from the 1999 Columbine High School attack were taken by Rocky Mountain News sta , courtesy of Denver Public Library.

Crosses at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Centennial honor the 12 Columbine High School students and teacher who were slain.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

Just like any other high school

Three Columbine employees and survivors reflect

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On a mild Monday afternoon, Mandy Cooke was walking on a path near the high school where she teaches social studies. Nearby, a few students were warming up for track and eld practice. e team’s coach spotted his colleague and shouted, “ ere’s Mrs. Cooke!” and the students waved.

It was like any high school in America. e school’s colors — navy and white — accented the track as teens ran, stretched and laughed. Behind them, the word “Rebels” was painted on a shed near the eld. A coach blew a whistle and the kids came into a huddle, as others walked through the nearby parking lot with backpacks on.

But unlike other high schools in America, this scene happened close to a memorial with the names of 12 students and a teacher who were killed in a mass shooting on April 20, 1999.

Cooke sometimes gets concerned reactions when she tells people she works at Columbine High School.

“I still have teacher friends who are like, ‘I don’t know how you walk into that building,’” Cooke said.

She probably gets asked this question more than some other teachers, as Cooke is a survivor of the shooting. She was a sophomore at Columbine in 1999.

Twenty- ve years later, she works alongside several other survivors, hoping to support and care for students in the same way teachers and sta supported and cared for them in the wake of the tragedy.

Cooke works with friends she grew up with, including fellow teacher Cris Welsh and Noel Sudano, a school counselor.

Cooke and Welsh went to preschool together, and Cooke took piano lessons from Sudano’s

mom. ey all attended Dutch Creek Elementary School and then graduated together from Columbine in 2001. All three now live in the same neighborhood, where they are raising their own kids.

A similar call led them all back to their high school.

For Welsh, who teaches social studies, there was no other choice.

“I wanted to be there for my students in the same way that teachers had been there for me — I wanted to kind of pay that forward,” Welsh said.

In a time of “total, complete chaos,” he said, the teachers at Columbine represented stability. He drew a lot of strength from his relationships with his teachers in the months and years that followed the tragedy.

“ ey had gone through exactly what we had gone through,” he said. “ ey showed us kindness,

and consideration and compassion at a moment where so much of that seemed to be lacking in the world … I think, in each of us, there was a desire to extend that to another generation in what, regrettably, seems like an increasingly unstable world.”

Sudano said the adults at school were willing to show students their humanity, which was healing for her. One teacher, who was usually rather intimidating, gave her a hug a few days after the shooting.

“I just remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this helps me understand the magnitude of what we went through,’” she said. “And, it also helped me feel that safety of like — even this authority gure, we’re all in the same situation, and we can all depend on each other.”

ese connections, the trio said, were a critical part of the healing journey for not just them, but

many of the Columbine survivors.

“Our generation grew up where we could only process through genuine communication with each other,” Welsh said. “And I think it made a big di erence.”

He said he wonders if social media — with its inherent social pressures and opportunities for criticism and damaging words — has prevented some victims of school shootings from processing their experiences e ectively.

“I would not want to have posted my opinions and ideas and emotions online for the world to see” after the shooting, he said. “I wanted friends, not the world.”

Because of the closeness and familiarity of being among people who understood what she had gone through, Cooke said she remembers never wanting to leave the Littleton area after she graduated.

From left, Columbine High School employees Noel Sudano, Cris Welsh and Mandy Cooke stand in Clement Park, adjacent to the school. All three of them were sophomores at the school when the shooting happened in 1999. PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

HIGH SCHOOL

“I was so comfortable because we bonded and came together, and I knew I was protected there,” she said. “And then, I knew going to school in Fort Collins, I wasn’t.”

Cooke started college at Colorado State University. She said the rst page of her psychology textbook was about the Columbine shooting.

“Going out of that bubble was very di cult for me,” she said.

Sudano had a similar experience as an undergraduate student at DePauw University in Indiana, where she learned “very quickly how just saying the word ‘Columbine’ triggered all sorts of reactions.”

Cooke, Welsh and Sudano said the students who attend Columbine are generally aware of the history, but mostly don’t think about it unless adults mention it. For them, Columbine is just their school. Going there is “not something that seems abnormal to

them until people around them tell them that it is abnormal,” Sudano said.

“I think their rst thought is not the shooting,” Welsh said. “ eir rst thought is, you know, the history test that I just made them take.”

So, for all three, working at Columbine is not strange. In the decades since the tragedy, they have come to know it as a tight-knit, service-oriented — and otherwise completely regular — high school.

“It was a high school, it always has been,” Welsh said. “If there is any special nature to Columbine, it has been the family or community atmosphere that we have created. It’s been the desire to aid and support and service others. If there is a di erence between us and other high schools, that’s it.”

Welsh said Columbine has been portrayed in many negative ways by the media. He, Cooke and Sudano said they want people to see Columbine as a wonderful place instead of the site of a national tragedy.

e Columbine community re-

members and honors the victims, but they do it in a way that is forward-thinking and hopeful, they said.

Sudano said she wants people to know that Columbine is “a school that’s thriving.” e employees say they don’t let the shooting de ne their experience there.

“It is such a hub in our community for everybody, kids and adults,” Cooke said. “( ey) go to basketball games, go to football games. It’s just such a rallying point for me, that I don’t think of the shooting every single day.”

“We have a job to do,” Welsh added. “I can’t be thinking about my students and getting ready for the AP test or whatever it is we’re focused on at the moment if I’m constantly obsessing about the past. I’m not saying it’s not there, to a certain extent, but you don’t walk in and immediately have ashbacks to April 20.”

Cooke said the employees are in a place where they are ready to never forget, but still move on with their lives. She is a mother and wants to spend her time and

energy focusing on her kids.

“I’m in a really good place in my life,” she said. “I don’t want to be sad.”

Her kids — who are in fth and seventh grade — look forward to going to Columbine someday.

It’s a place where students study for history tests and do chemistry experiments. ey laugh in the hallways and are late to class. Students change in the locker rooms for practice after school and look forward to things like football games and prom.

Columbine is like any high school in America, only it is stronger than it was before 1999. To Welsh, the school is a symbol of hope.

“We exist to extend the notion that one can recover,” he said. “ at the awful things that happened to us are outside of our control, but how we respond to those awful things is totally within our control … If you are determined to overcome the things that happen to you, you can do it. ere are people out there who have done it, and you need to look to them.”

Columbine High School teacher Mandy Cooke reflects in the Columbine Memorial in Clement Park.

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

Columbine and columbines

Mother, daughter reflect on impact of April 20, 1999

BY ELISABETH SLAY

ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In her home in Parker, Cindy Woodman gazed at trinkets that people sent to her daughter, Crystal Woodman Miller, following the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School. On the walls and a large wooden bookshelf — surrounding the ornaments, small sculptures and decorative boxes — paintings showcase columbine owers.

When Cindy looks at the knick knacks in her “Columbine Room,” named for both her favorite ora and the high school, they sometimes remind her of the day that would change their lives forever.

“Just to walk through there every single day is just a quick reminder, but it’s not that it puts me in pain or agony — it’s a happy reminder that I still have Crystal,” Cindy said.

Although the interview with Columbine survivor Crystal was conducted through FaceTime, her emotion was felt as she nodded in agreement with her mother and delved into the intricacies of how her life was in uenced after she went to school on April 20, 1999.

“I am so much of who I am today because of what I went through,” Crystal said. “ ough I am not de ned by Columbine, I am more of the woman, the mom, the wife, the friend, the philanthropist, the speaker, the author that I am today because of what happened that day.”

Crystal’s perspective

After the tragedy, Crystal had a decision to make: Fall apart or forge ahead. She chose the latter, and embarked on a journey that has spanned decades, where she helps the “survivors community.”

At the beginning of her journey, following the shooting, Crystal started sharing her story and eventually found her voice.

source for others,” Crystal said. “My work has been toward that e ort for almost 25 years, and so I want to continue to walk with this community and link arms with them and let them know that they’re not alone.”

Over the last several years, she’s been a speaker at schools and communities impacted by shootings. In addition, she’s assisted in opening a therapy retreat for survivors of mass shootings.

Additionally, Crystal has written three books: “Marked for Life,” which is about her journey, and two children’s books: “A Kids Book About School Shootings” and “A Kids Book About School Shootings: For Survivors.”  Her children’s books o er tools and advice for both students who survived a shooting or other trauma and parents and other adults to help them talk with children.

Crystal said among other things in her life, her experience at Columbine has impacted her perspective as a mother.

“Because of my perspective on life and how I view each day as a gift, I love being a mom and I love that I am given the opportunity in life to be able to raise and shape these young people to go far beyond anywhere I’ve been,” Crystal said.

As a mother, Crystal said she takes on the joy and responsibility to teach her children “what it looks like to live courageously in a crazy world.”

“I know what it’s like to have fear so rip your life that you can become paralyzed, and I want my kids to not have to walk through that,” Crystal said.

Crystal was thinking of her children and her perspective as a teenager in 1999 when writing her books. She wanted to re ect how she would address things with her children and how issues were addressed when she was younger.

“As school shootings and mass shootings became more commonplace, I saw myself really

starting to respond and just be there for others and to just be a re-

Crystal Woodman-Miller is a survivor of April 20, 1999, and has dedicated her life to helping the “survivors’ community.” Woodman-Miller is a mother of three and currently lives in Edmond, Oklahoma.

COURTESY PHOTO

Cindy Woodman, mother of Columbine survivor Crystal Woodman-Miller, stands in front of a well-known painting that honors the lives lost on April 20, 1999. The painting hangs in her “Columbine room,” which serves as a constant reminder that she still has her daughter.

PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

COLUMBINE

“We want to make sure kids are talking about the hard things and we’re giving them the language and the space to do so,” Crystal said. “We want to give them tools when they face their little fears and anxiety and we want to empower them to use their voice.”

Crystal said she has shared pieces of her story with her children and will continue to do so until they’re ready to hear it completely.

Cindy’s perspective

Cindy said the weeks and months following the shooting were hard for Crystal and their family, but over time, she saw Crystal overcome.

“I went through my tough times after that, but Crystal was always strong. She would amaze me,” Cindy said.

the screen, with tears in her eyes.

Like Crystal, Cindy said the Columbine shooting in uenced a lot of elements in her life.

“I am a di erent person today than I would’ve been had I not gone through that, and I think overall I am a better person because of that,” Cindy said. “I think one of the biggest things I mostly just learned is that I need to give myself grace.”

More to know

Crystal listened to Cindy’s words through Facetime during the interview happening at her home.

“I thank God that we still have her,” Cindy said while looking at her daughter, on the other side of

DEANGELIS

As a survivor of the Columbine shooting, Crystal said she has been “asked every question under the sun” about that day.

“I think the thing that I like to tell of (is) the hope and the goodness,” Crystal said. “I like to tell of the stories of resilience and the stories who’ve gone on to be impacted greatly, but have gone on to make an impact greatly.”

“He’s the reason today that schools all over this country are able to move forward after tragedy,” said John McDonald, who was the executive director of school safety for Je co Public Schools from 2008 to 2022.

DeAngelis recognizes that his community leaned on him for hope and survival, but said this relationship went two ways.

Crystal believes various elements have led to this point including families, culture, the media, guns and mental health.

“Just talking about one facet isn’t the end date of a much deeper, much greater conversation,” she said. “So, we really need to come to the table not screaming and yelling at each other because I think we’re closer on the issues than we are apart.”

For Crystal, it’s hard to visit communities and see that these tragedies keep happening.

“It’s so heartbreaking that this continues to be an epidemic that has swept the world,” Crystal said. “ at there’s countless … people who’ve had to now experience this — people who know the pain, who know the heartache.”

“People said that Columbine really needed me — I needed them,” he said. “If I would have gone somewhere else, I would always be concerned about them.”

Since retiring in 2014, DeAngelis has dedicated his life and career to helping others face tragedy in their own lives. He is a member of the Principal Recovery Network, a group of “current and former school leaders who have experi-

‘We are Columbine’

During her senior year, following the shooting, Crystal said she felt the community really come together.

Crystal now lives in Edmond, Oklahoma and she explained that the teachers, administrators and faculty of Columbine High School created a camaraderie and closeness that continues to reign in the hallways of the school today.

enced gun violence tragedies in their buildings” across the country.

“You can’t determine what happens to you, but you can determine your response,” DeAngelis said. “No one would ever wish that a Columbine (would) happen, but it did. And, so, how can I go out and help others?”

In the 25 years since the shooting at Columbine, mass shootings at schools have become tragically common.

DeAngelis has reached out to other school leaders in the wake of some of those tragedies, sharing advice on things that helped him — like going to counseling, nding a support system and taking care of one’s family and spouse.

umbine’ echoes in the halls of our school and in our hearts forever.”

Cindy said to this day, people will ask her how she and Crystal are doing and she’s grateful for the thoughtfulness of the community.

“ at just says how wonderful the community is,” Cindy said. “ at they still remember and they still have a heart for it all and still feel the pain and joy of it.”

“Our kids were on trajectory to go there,” Crystal said. “ ey were in the Columbine school district and there was a lot of pride even in my kids, sporting their Columbine sweatshirts and T-shirts, going to the football games and still showing up at Columbine because we love Columbine. ‘We are Col-

“I just talk about my journey and taking care of yourself,” he said. “(I talk) about where we were and lessons learned, but then also the recovery piece.”

Crystal said it’s important to remember that not all stories are “bright and cheery and happy.”  “ ere’s a lot of pain and people are still hurting deeply so we can’t forget those who are still thinking about it every single day,” Crystal said.

Crystal encourages people, especially in the Columbine community, to continue to reach out and support each other.

“Don’t do it alone, and know there are still people ghting on their behalf, love them and are here for them,” Crystal said. “We don’t forget the 13 beautiful lives that were lost. We don’t forget their families. We don’t forget to remember them because we carry them with us every single day. We carry their stories. We carry their legacies.”

the school for so many years, and what still drives his work in supporting and educating others today.

DeAngelis lives by his own advice. He still goes to counseling to take care of his well-being. Getting help and leaning on others are the main pieces of advice he gives to people recovering after tragedies.

“You’re not in the journey alone,” he said.

He said his remembrance of the 13 victims each morning helps drive him forward.

“ ey give me a reason to do what I’m doing,” he said.

He is also part of the Je Co/ DeAngelis Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting school and community safety. DeAngelis travels around the country, sharing wisdom with rst responders, administrators and students.

Part of the foundation, the Frank DeAngelis Center for Community Safety, trains law enforcement and school safety o cials to respond to emergencies in a real school environment. e center conducts about 200 training sessions a year, he said.

DeAngelis said his Catholic faith is a large part of what drives his work. He said there is no clear reason why his life was spared, but he believes God has a plan for it. at’s what drove him to stay at

He laments the world’s obsession with returning to the topic of the shooting at the school. DeAngelis said Columbine and the community that surrounds it, including its alumni, are focused on helping others, moving forward and working to make the world better.

Although he is not the principal anymore, DeAngelis is still intimately involved with the school and its community.

“I can assure you, 25 years later, our community is stronger than what it was,” he said. “Because that’s what happens when families go through troubled times or tragedy — they come together.”

JOIN OUR TEAM

Local ice climbers adapt to a warming world

Operations Assistant

Colorado Community Media is hiring an Operations Assistant to work with managers and staff to ensure tasks are completed as needed.

We believe that a creative, learning environment staffed with talented people who want to grow and utilize the newest and best tools will result in a dynamic and successful culture that has a positive impact on our clients’ businesses and our community.

Our brand is one of the most trusted in the communities we serve. We’ve built this reputation by providing award-winning news coverage and top-notch customer service, and by being engaged in our communities at all levels.

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Be an excellent multi-tasker working on several projects simultaneously.

• Be deadline oriented.

• Possess an understanding of all Microsoft Office products.

• Perform administrative tasks i.e. updating reports, delivering items as needed and more.

• Excellent customer service and communication skills.

Join our team, working from our Englewood office and remote. This position offers competitive pay starting at $17.50/per hour and a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision. Life and paid holiday, vacation, sick and personal time.

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We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented community to apply, including people of color, veterans, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.

Interested applicants can submit a resume and cover letter with references to VP of Sales and Advertising

Erin Addenbrooke at eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

While the popularity of the sport increases, so do the climate-associated risks faced by climbers

BY MERYL PHAIR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

On the rock crags of Clear Creek Canyon, water ows harden into ice as solid as the rocks beneath them. As temperatures drop across Colorado’s Front Range during the winter, a dynamic balance between cold nights that freeze ice and warmer days that thaw it enough for the water beneath to ow, keeps the ice consistently thick.

Secret Waterfall, Mickey’s Big Mouth and Coors Light have become reliable routes for ice climbers just outside of Golden. While adapting to changes on the ice is as necessary to a climber as ice axes and crampons, climbers say that in recent years, the ice ows have been shifting.

“It’s de nitely changing,” said Ben Coryell, who leads ice climbs throughout the Front Range with his company Golden Mountain Guides. “ e ice comes in later in the season or doesn’t come in at all.”

He recalled in 2015 and prior years, the ows would come in by December and stick around until midMarch. Some ows have stopped coming in entirely since and in the last couple of years, except this year, popular ows haven’t even come in until March.

“ ere’s not enough moisture and cold,” said Coryell. “In terms of the ice and the weather, things have been funky.”

ings are getting funky beyond Clear Creek Canyon. Mountain guides and climbers around the world whose sports and businesses rely on the consistency of ice are noticing the changes. Even as ice climbing has grown dramatically in popularity and accessibility, the future of the sport may be on thin ice

Due to the unpredictability of the ice across the Front Range, climbing companies like Golden Mountain Guides have been steering clients to locations higher up in the mountains such as the Mount Lincoln Ice Falls, pictured above.

due to warming temperatures.  e American Alpine Club, a climbing advocacy nonpro t headquartered in Golden, began to notice an increased level of awareness about environmental change within the guiding community.

Working with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, the group surveyed the American climbing public and found climbers were more concerned about the issue of climate change than the general American public.

To quantify this sentiment, in 2019 the AAC organized a team of researchers to conduct a study on the impact of climate change on ice climbing.

Using the Mount Washington valley in New Hampshire as a case study, the study looked at climate models, an extensive photo archive of the ows over time, and the knowledge of local guides to assess future impacts.

e climate models prepared by the AAC researchers predicted a decline in the length of the winter climbing season in both a highemission scenario (if nothing is done to lower carbon emissions) and a moderate emission scenario (if steps are taken to lower emissions). e

IMAGE COURTESY OF BEN CORYELL GOLDEN MOUNTAIN GUIDES

ICE CLIMBING

results revealed that by 2100 in a high-emission scenario, the season length for ice climbing could be as short as 30 days.

“We tapped into a reality that a lot of people were experiencing, but not necessarily quantifying or doing enough to talk about,” said Taylor Luneau, the AAC policy director at the time of the study. Luneau said the research not only showed how the ice would be a ected but also what it might mean for local economies and the individuals who rely on ice for their livelihood.

Environmental stresses to ice ows are also combined with the growing popularity of the sport. ree million Americans ice climb yearly, a signicant increase from the 50,000 participants that took to ice falls in the early 2000s. At Clear Creek, Coryell said that besides this season, Coors Light and Mickey’s never formed so there have been even more climbers at Secret Waterfall.

“One of our big goals as a company is to facilitate a great mountain experience,” Coryell said. “We’ve started doing a lot more of our ice work in

less crowded places, to give a better experience and it’s easier to manage the overall risk. If you have 20 people climbing on a tiny ow, it’s going to be a bowling alley if that ice comes down on you.”

e guiding out t climbs across the front range, including locations that are much further than the easy twenty-minute drive from Denver to Golden and the fteen up to Clear Creek Canyon. Due to the unpredictability of the ice, Coryell said even though more people want to climb closer to Denver, they’ve been steering clients to their Mount Lincoln and Lake City climbs as the overall experience will be better.

“Clear Creek is so close and accessible to a big market of both tourists and people fully into the sport,” Coryell said. “When that option isn’t there, you lose out on a lot of equity in terms of folks that can go out and climb. From a business standpoint, it’s been tricky to adjust, because you can’t run the same type of programming anymore without going higher up into the mountains.”

While the ice further up in the mountains is more insulated, the impacts of warming temperatures have been noticeable up there as

An ice climber with Golden Mountain Guides makes his way up an ice fall.

IMAGE COURTESY OF BEN CORYELL GOLDEN MOUNTAIN GUIDES

HAPPENINGS

We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit www.canyoncourier.com/ calendar/ <http://www.canyoncourier.com/calendar/> and post your event online for free. Email jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the newspaper. Items will appear in print on a space-available basis.

THURSDAY

Conifer Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Celebration: 5-8 p.m. April 18, the Woodlands, 8884 U.S. 285, Morrison. Tickets and information at annualawards.goconifer.com.

FRIDAY

EChO annual spring gala James Bond 2024: 6-10 p.m. April 19, e Pines at Genesee, 633 Park Point Drive, Golden. Black tie encouraged. Silent auction, dinner and program. Tickets and information, evergreenchristianoutreach.org.

Evergreen Children’s Chorale presents “Into the Woods, Jr.”: Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen. Shows at 7 p.m. April 19 and 20, 2 p.m. April 20 and 21. $15 adults, $12 children and seniors. evergreenchildrenschorale. com.

28. 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Evergreen Players Black Box eater, 27886 Meadow Drive, Unit B, Evergreen. Tickets $30. 720-515-1528 or online at www.evergreenplayers.org <http:// www.evergreenplayers.org/>.

Conifer’s Got Talent: Auditions

6-9 p.m. April 19 at Conifer High School, 10441 Highway 73. Audition to be an opening act at the Evergreen Lake/Buchanan Summer Concerts 2024. For more information, email conifersgottalent@gmail.com <mailto:conifersgottalent@gmail. com>.

SATURDAY

EPRD Earth Day: 9 a.m.-noon

“Fire ies,” play by Evergreen Players: Weekends through April

April 20, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Litter cleanup, activities, education and giveaways. Evergreenrecreation.com.

Birding Expedition to Weld County Ponds & Wetlands: 6 a.m.3:30 p.m. April 20. Evergreen Audubon’s Chuck Aid leads an outing focusing on areas of Weld County between Hudson and Kersey where waterbird habitats are extensive. All ages and abilities welcome. Registration required. evergreenaudubon.org/events <http://evergreenaudubon.org/events>.

Evergreen Chamber Orchestra

Prelude to Spring concert: 3 p.m. April 20, Rockland Community Church, 17 S. Mount Vernon Country Club Road, Genesee, and 3 p.m. April 21 at Arvada United Methodist Church, 6750 Carr St., Arvada. Information and tickets at evergreenchamberorch.org <http://evergreenchamberorch.org/>.

SUNDAY

Picture is: Evergreen in Photos: 1-3 p.m. April 21, Timbervale Barn, 28473 Meadow Drive, Evergreen. e Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society invites the community to a free local history photo presentation. Details at EMAHS.org.

UPCOMING

Seniors4Wellness Bingo & Games: 12:30-2:30 p.m. April 24 at Bergen Park Church, 31919 Rocky Village Drive, Evergreen.

Evergreen Fire/Rescue Spring wild re presentation “Preparing for Wild re:” 6-8 p.m. April 30, EFR Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen. Improve your home’s chances of surviving a wild re. evergreen rerescue.com.

Bergen Meadow Elementary closing/celebration ceremony: 4 p.m. May 1, 1928 S. Hiwan Drive, Evergreen. Community welcome.

National Wild re Community Preparedness Day: 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. May 4, Inter-Canyon Fire Station 3, 8445 S. U.S. 285, Morrison. Information on slash collection, re insurance and wild re safety. Hosted by Homestead Community Ambassador and Homestead Emergency Action Team.

Evergreen Fire/Rescue Spring wild re presentation “Firewise landscaping:” 6-7:30 p.m. May 9, EFR Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen. Learn how to strategically place re-resistant plants to resist the spread of re to your home. evergreen rerescue.com.

Evergreen Fire/Rescue Wild re Forum: 6-8 p.m. May 22, Evergreen High School, 29300 Bu alo Park Road, Evergreen. evergreen rerescue.com.

Evergreen Sustainability Alliance spring recycling: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 22, Evergreen Lutheran Church, 5980 Highway 73, Evergreen. Bring your hard-to-recycle items like electronics, old paint, block Styrofoam, appliances, glass, toothbrushes/toothpaste tubes, old markers/pens and car batteries to the Evergreen Sustainability Alliance’s Spring Clean recycling

HAPPENINGS

event. TVs an additional $25. For more information, info@sustainevergreen.org.

ONGOING

e American Legion Evergreen Post 2001: Meets every fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m., Evergreen Church of the Trans guration, 27640 Highway 74, Evergreen. Serving all military veterans in the foothills communities.

Evergreen Area Republican Club: e Evergreen Area Republican Club meets at 6 p.m. the rst Wednesday of the month at the Evergreen Fire/Rescue Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway.

Mountain Area Democrats: Mountain Area Democrats meet at 9 a.m. the fourth Saturday of the month January through April at the United Methodist Church of Evergreen, 3757 Ponderosa Drive, Evergreen. For more information, email MountainAreaDems@gmail. com <mailto:MountainAreaDems@ gmail.com>.

Evergreen Sustainability Alliance is looking for volunteers: Evergreen Sustainability Alliance’s “Let’s Embrace Zero Food Waste” program in local schools and food banks needs volunteers. Volunteers are needed for a couple hours. Call 720-536-0069 or email info@sustainevergreen.org <mailto:info@ sustainevergreen.org> for more information.

Evergreen Nature Center: e Ev-

Hi, I’m Lizzy, I’m one year-old. I’m a Husky mix, so I love to run and play - I cuddle too – and I know my commands. At the moment I’m in a boarding kennel, but I really need to move on and find my forever home. If you complete an application at EAPL.com, I could be coming home with you…

Evergreen Animal Protective League

ergreen Nature Center is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays next to Church of the Trans guration. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.EvergreenAudubon.org <http://www.evergreenaudubon.org/>.

Blue Spruce Habitat volunteers needed: Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers. A variety of opportunities and exible schedules are available on new construction sites as well as for exterior minor home repairs. No previous construction experience needed. Contact volunteer@bluesprucehabitat.org for information.

EChO needs volunteers: e Evergreen Christian Outreach ReSale Store and food pantry need volunteers. Proceeds from the EChO ReSale Store support the food pantry

and programs and services provided by EChO. ere are many volunteer options from which to choose. For more information, call Mary at 720-673-4369 or email mary@ evergreenchristianoutreach.org <mailto:mary@evergreenchristianoutreach.org>.

LGBTQ+ teen book club: Resilience1220 is o ering an LGBTQ+ teen book club that meets from 4-6 p.m. the fourth Monday at the Resilience1220 o ce next to the Buchanan Park Recreation Center. For more information and to register, visit R1220.org.

ESA EverGREEN Re ll Station: EverGREEN Re ll Station (re ll your laundry detergent, lotions, soaps and more. We have many sustain-

SEE HAPPENINGS, P23

Evergreen girls soccer seeks third Je co League title in 4 years

Cougars’ winning culture sparks sustainable success

BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In the young spring sports season, Evergreen knows the chase starts early for its third girls soccer 4A Je co League title in the last four years.

e Cougars won back-to-back league titles in 2021 (13-1 overall record) and 2022 (15-2-1) without losing a single Je co League game (9-0 in both seasons). Last season, Evergreen nished 12-6 and 5-3 (third) in league play.

After starting 2024 at a rocky 1-3, Evergreen bounced back to sit at 4-5 and 2-1 in the league with wins over rivals Green Mountain and

Littleton.  e Cougars dropped a league game to Golden.

Head Coach Peter Jeans is the gardener of this winning program and is con dent his 2024 crop can replicate the Cougars’ recent success. But it’s all about improving as the season evolves.

“It’s a really good group and a very competitive group,” Jeans said. “We also schedule really tough games and so a lot of that (earlyseason) record re ects that. I think we have gotten better every game we’ve played and that’s what you’re hoping for. I think it’s been a very good start.”

e Cougars lost a handful of seniors from last year’s squad. But as usual, Evergreen reloaded and is bringing back some key pieces, including 4A Second-Team All-State sophomore Nadia Leunig and All-

State honorable mentions Gianna Weiner and Nuala Hart.

Plus, senior veterans Mary Cox, Gretchen Lynch, Mallory Ellington and Brooke Gimbel will carry heavy loads as well.

“All four of those seniors will play a big role this year,” Jeans said. “We’re always working on chemistry and culture, and just having a togetherness about ourselves. Resilience and ght and discipline.

ose are all big items that we’re working on more than anything.”

A focus is keeping balls out of the air to prevent goals being scored on the Cougars, Jeans said. Executing and nishing in the box needs some work as well, he added. But the season is young and the ship is straightening at the right time; league play just started.

Despite the Cougars constantly

being in the running to win the league and make a deep push in the postseason, Jeans isn’t ready to slap a tangible goal on the board. It’s not how he operates.

“I’ve been coaching for a long time here (since 2010), and I think I’ve gotten away from speci c goals that are end-point goals,” Jeans said. “For me, it’s, ‘Can we improve with every practice, can we improve with every game.’ I know if we’re doing that, we’re di cult to beat. We hope to win the conference or compete at the highest level at the state. But I think our main goal, to me, is always are we getting better today?”

is story was published ahead of certain soccer matchups. For more information, visit MaxPreps.com for updated records, the Cougars’ remaining schedule, stats and more.

‘New faces, same standards’

Mines football wraps up spring season with annual intrasquad game

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLOROADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Colorado School of Mines football team is going to look di erent this fall.

e Orediggers lost about 30 seniors, including their star quarterback, several key linebackers and safeties, and veteran o ensive and defensive linemen.

With so many of those well-known Game Day names gone, the Orediggers will have to rebuild in some capacity. But, as the players and coaches posited, the process won’t take as long as some fans might think.

“We’ve already done our rebuilding — that was this spring,” outside linebacker JJ Lee said. “ at’s what we’ve done for the last two, three months. … We’re going to be ready to hit the ground running (for fall camp) on Aug. 12.”

On March 5, the Orediggers kicked o their spring season and have been practicing about three times a week since then. ey’ll close out their spring practices with their annual intrasquad scrimmage at 1 p.m. April 13. e game is free and open to the public.

Because of a unique scoring system that awards points for major plays or stops, the defense won 5324 last year thanks in part to four turnovers.

e o ense receives points for touchdowns, plays that go 20-plus yards, fourth-down conversions and more. Meanwhile, the defense receives points for three-and-out sequences, fourth-down stops, turnovers, etc.

Both the o ense and defense start with their rst- and second-string players in the rst half, and thirdand fourth-string players typically take over in the second half.

Lee, who will be a redshirt junior in the fall, felt the scoring system was fairly even and motivated players on both sides to “play just as hard as we would in a game.”

Evan Foster, a redshirt senior who’s set to succeed John Matocha as starting quarterback, enjoyed how unique and fun the spring game is. It’s the perfect time for up-and-coming players to showcase what they’ll do for the Orediggers in the fall, he said.

“It just shows how much of a complete team you are when both sides of the ball can get after it,” Foster continued.

e two players and Coach Pete Sterbick all thought the spring season’s been a crucial team to incorporate new players into the starting lineup, get them reps, and evaluate how the 2024 team will look by the Sept. 5 home opener versus West Texas A&M.

Lee described the process as “soulsearching,” but said the team’s made immense progress this spring, especially the last two weeks.

Sterbick commented: “People are probably looking at a lot of question marks, (and) we feel like we’ve got the answers in our program. … I think we’re as talented as we’ve ever been, just younger.”

Foster felt similarly, describing how the Orediggers have a deep rotation with “a lot of guys who are going to make a big step and surprise some people.”

Big cleats to fill

e 2024 Orediggers are facing Rocky Mountain-high expectations.

Mines has won ve consecutive RMAC titles, made three straight NCAA Division II semi nal appearances, and taken home the last two National Runner-Up trophies. e 2023 team also went 14-1 and became the winningest Orediggers in program history.

But, while Mines lost several key players after the 2023 national championship game, Sterbick said the returning Orediggers have substantial knowledge and experience, especially in big-time games.

Foster, for instance, redshirted in 2019 and then gained an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19. So, he and other fth- and sixth-year seniors are ready to lead younger players like Lee, who are eager to showcase everything they’ve learned.

ICE CLIMBING

well. At Mount Lincoln, warmer days combined with colder nights have caused the ice to grow much thicker than before.

e economic impacts of a changing climate and the value of ice climbing to a community are hard to quantify but as the ice recedes, so does the access to outdoor recreation and the quality of life that leads so many people to choose to live in front range communities.

As businesses adapt to the changing times, some places such as Colorado’s Ouray Ice Park divert water to form their annual ice ows and ice farmers maintain the ice throughout the season. at water comes down from snow melt in the San Juan Mountains, through the Uncompahgre Gorge, and collects in a storage container for the County of Ouray

before being poured over the park’s cli s to form the ows.

“If it’s a low snowfall year, and there’s less water to go around, what happens to the ice farm,” Luneau said. “Do they still get the same amount of water needed to open or does the water get allocated back?”

Less snowfall and less ice due to warming temperatures lead to critical questions about water resource management in a state that already faces challenges in water supply. A drier system overall can also increase the risks of wild res and droughts.

“ e experience of being on the ice and seeing these changes allows us to step into a much bigger, more drastic conversation,” said Luneau. “We’re very privileged to be able to do this sport and it’s not just about maintaining climbing days. It’s about the downstream e ect.”

As ice climbers have begun to be louder advocates for the impacts of our changing climate, they are joined by organizations like Protect

Our Winters who have been raising awareness of the impact of climate change on all recreational winter sports. ese organizations are making strong calls for mitigation measures, and the study by the AAC was combined with a policy position about changes that need to be made going forward.

Luneau said one of the major ways the climbing community can address the issue is through land conservation and supporting initiatives like 30x30, which aims to conserve 30% of land and water by 2030, as an interim measure of reaching 50% by 2050.

In Golden, the changes ice climbers see on the ice are becoming a bigger part of the conversation. Coryell said that many guiding out ts are getting together across the Front Range to debrief the ice season, see what worked well and how they can provide the best experiences in the upcoming year.

“It’s an ever-changing medium,

and what may be here today might not be there tomorrow,” said Coryell. “It’s something all of our guides focus on with clients and we do spend a fair bit of time talking with people and guides about how di erent it’s becoming.”

Despite the challenges, ice climbers and guides will have to adapt. On a recent climb in Washington, Luneau had been out on the ice at the same time as another group of climbers. Temperatures had been warming throughout the day and the wind picked up, sending a rock tumbling down the hill right into a climber’s face. e climber was injured but thankfully ultimately OK, Luneau said.

“It was a good reminder that these are dynamic systems and what has been predictable in the past isn’t necessarily going to be safe in the future,” said Luneau. “ at shift is going to require a lot of attention from climbers as things continue to warm.”

Evermore Wine Bar & Cafe opens in Bergen Park

Owner aims to ‘bring a piece of Europe to Evergreen’

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Evergreen resident Olga Wojciak was tired of getting all dressed up with nowhere to go, and she suspected other foothills residents were, too. So she opened a business to ll that need.

Judging by the response to Evermore Wine Bar & Café, Wojciak’s suspicions were dead on.

“It’s been overwhelming but so appreciated,” Wojciak said. “I didn’t imagine there would be this big of a rush right away. We al-

ready have clients who’ve returned three times. I think that’s the best compliment.”

As Wojciak o ers a tour of the wine café, a passerby steps in. She stops, gazes around the space and says, “ is is beautiful.”

at, Wojciak said, happens frequently, adding it is something she will not grow tired of hearing.

A two-year Evergreen resident and native of Poland, Wojciak is also a sommelier with a degree in merchandising and fashion design. She and her husband Robert have 26 years of food-industry experience, owning supermarkets in Chicago and restaurants in Mexico.

All of that plays into the creation of Evermore, which she describes as a typical wine bar cafe.

“I wanted to bring a piece of Eu-

rope to Evergreen,” she said. “Everything right now that is being built in the mountains or around Denver is modern rustic. To me, ambience is an integral part of having a restaurant. If you are in a pretty place, a place that tickles your senses, it’s part of the experience.”

Evermore is in the space previously occupied by Menchie’s

is designed to appeal to co ee and wine lovers who may only want a

“I couldn’t nd a place to go for a nice glass of wine without being committed to dinner,” Wojciak said. “ is is easy going. Just come

“I wouldn’t say we are a culinary experience. e menu is limited, and we have one menu through-

Frotzen Yogurt and HearthFire Books and Treats in Bergen Village, and it

Evermore owner Olga Wojciak and her son Kamil, who works there as a barista and assistant manager, stand in the front entry of the new wine bar and cafe in Bergen Park. COURTESY PHOTOS

The decor at Evermore is designed to “tickle the senses,” said owner Olga Wojciak.

WINE BAR

out the day.”

at menu includes co ee, tea, pastries, soups, salads, paninis, atbreads and charcuterie. It also features cocktails, mocktails and a selection of more than 100 wines,

HAPPENINGS

able products available). e Re ll Station is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and the second Saturday of each month from 1-4 p.m. in the Habitat Restore, 1232 Bergen Parkway.

Support After Suicide Loss: A safe place to share and learn after losing a loved one to suicide. is group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 o ce. For ages 14 and up. Suggested donation for

ASCENT CHURCH

“Real people pursuing a real God”

All are Welcome Sundays at 10am In-person or Online www.ascentchurch.co

29823 Troutdale Scenic Drive, Evergreen

BERGEN PARK CHURCH

Bergen Park Church is a group of regular people who strive to improve ourselves and our community by studying the Bible and sharing our lives with each other. On Sunday mornings you can expect contemporary live music, Children’s Ministry that seeks to love and care for your kids, teaching from the Bible, and a community of real people who are imperfect, but seek to honor God in their lives. We hope to welcome you soon to either our 9:00AM or 10:30AM Sunday service.

Search Bergen Park Church on YouTube for Livestream service at 9:00am

31919 Rocky Village Dr. 303-674-5484 info@bergenparkchurch.org / www.BergenParkChurch.org

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH SERVICES

28244 Harebell Lane

Sunday Service & Sunday School 10am

Wednesday Evening 7:00pm, Zoom options available

Contact: clerk@christianscienceevergreen.com for ZOOM link

Reading Room 4602 Pletner Lane, Unit 2E, Evergreen

OPEN TUE-SAT 12PM - 3PM

all selected by Wojciak. “We have over 100 bottles, and at least three-quarters of our wines are 90 points and over (on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale),” she said. “We add little touches as well. Co ee is served in a ceramic cup. It’s nicely done and makes you feel special.”

Wojciak hired Denver designer Agatha Strompolos to create the space she had in mind.

this group is $15. Register at resilience1220.org/groups <http://resilience1220.org/groups>.

Sensitive Collection: Resilience1220 strives to inform and support highly sensitive people to live healthy and empowered lives. It meets the third Wednesday of each month from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom. Register at resilience1220. org/groups <http://resilience1220. org/groups>.

Caregiver support group: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice o ers a monthly group to provide emotional support services for caregivers helping ill, disabled or elderly loved ones. An in-person

“I wanted old-world charm with a fresh twist,” she said. “I had a vision of Victorian glam, and she made it better.”

e café is awash in color, decorated in shades of green and blue in the main area, and reds in the more private party space — divided from the rest of the café by a large brick replace. Chandeliers, oor-length curtains, claw-footed round tables, dimmable table lamps, wallpaper

support group meets every third Monday from 4-6 p.m. at 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen. For more information, visit mtevans. org/services/emotional-support/ <https://mtevans.org/services/ emotional-support/>.

Parkinson’s disease support group: A Parkinson’s disease support group meets the rst Friday of the month from 1-3 p.m. at Evergreen Christian Church, 27772 Iris Drive, Evergreen. For more information, email esears@parkinsonrockies.org <mailto:esears@parkinsonrockies.org>.

Mountain Foothills Rotary meetings: Mountain Foothills Ro-

WORSHIP DIRECTORY

CHURCH OF THE HILLS PRESBYTERIAN (USA)

Serving the mountain community from the heart of Evergreen Worship 10:00 a.m.

Reverend Richard Aylor

O ce Hours: Tu-Thur 9:00 - 4:00; Fri 9:00 - noon

Bu alo Park Road and Hwy 73 www.churchofthehills.com

CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION EPISCOPAL

In-Church: Sunday Communion Quiet Service 8:00 am & with Music 10:15 am 10:15 am only Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86017266569

In-Meadow: 2nd Sunday of the month at 9:30 a.m.

--June through September—

27640 Highway 74 – ¼ mile east of downtown Evergreen at the Historic Bell Tower

www.transfigurationevergreen.org

CONGREGATION BETH EVERGREEN (SYNAGOGUE)

Reconstructionist Synagogue

Rabbi Jamie Arnold

www.BethEvergreen.org / (303) 670-4294

2981 Bergen Peak Drive (behind Life Care)

To place your listing in the Worship

DEER PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Pastor Joyce Snapp, Sunday Worship 10 AM

Located one mile west of Pine Junction just o Rt. 285 966 Rim Rock Road, Bailey (303) 838-6759

All are welcome to our open/inclusive congregation!

EVERGREEN LUTHERAN CHURCH

5980 Highway 73 + 303-674-4654

Rev. Terry Schjang

Join us for worship in person or on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EvergreenLutheranChurch Sunday Worship held at 9am.

www.evergreenlutheran.org + All Are Welcome!

FELLOWSHIP AT MORRISON CHAPEL

Historic Morrison Church

111 Market Street, Morrison

Non-Denominational- Bible Based Community Church

Featuring Old Time Hymn Singing Live Monthly Bluegrass-Gospel And Cowboy Church 2 Times A Year

Pastors: Kevin Turner And Charles Cummings Sunday Church Services 9:30-11 Am

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY CHURCH – EPC

1036 El Rancho Rd, Evergreen – (303) 526-9287 www.lomcc.org – o ce@lomcc.org

Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m., with communion every Sunday “Real Church In An UnReal World”

A community empowered by the Holy Spirit which seeks authentic relationships with God and others to share the good news of Jesus with Evergreen, the Front Range and the world. Come as you are, all are welcome!

depicting peacocks and owers, and a ceiling with wood beams and tin tiles are among the many artistic touches throughout the space.

“I hope this will ll a gap in the community,” Wojciak said. “I’m a people pleaser. I wanted people to have a place to be happy, an escape from their busy lifestyles. I want this to be their little haven of relaxation. Just exhale, indulge and enjoy the beauty.”

tary meets at 6 p.m. Wednesdays both in person at Mount Vernon Canyon Club, 24933 Club House Circle, Genesee, and via Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting at https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/81389224272, meeting ID 813 8922 4272, phone 346-248-7799.

Beyond the Rainbow: Resilience1220 o ers Beyond the Rainbow, which is two support groups that meet the second Tuesday of the month. One is a safe group for those 12-20 and the other is a group for parents and caregivers wanting support for raising an LGBTQ+ child. For group location and to RSVP, email heather@resilience1220.org.

PLATTE CANYON COMMUNITY CHURCH

Located: 4954 County Road 64 in Bailey. O ce hours MWF 8am-1pm 303-838-4409, Worship & Children’s Church at 10am

Small group studies for all ages at 9am

Transitional Pastor: Mark Chadwick Youth Pastor: Jay Vonesh

Other activities: Youth groups, Men’s/Women’s ministries, Bible studies, VBS, MOPS, Cub/Boy Scouts.

ROCKLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH

“Connecting all generations to Jesus”

Please check our website, www.Rockland.church, for updated service times

¼ mile north of I-70 at exit 254 17 S Mt. Vernon Country Club Rd., Golden, CO 80401 303-526-0668

SHEPHERD OF THE ROCKIES LUTHERAN CHURCH

Missouri Synod. 106 Rosalie Road, Bailey, CO

303-838-2161 Pastor Pete Scheele

Sunday Worship Service; 9 a.m., Fellowship Time; 10:15 a.m., Sunday School & Bible Class; 10:45 a.m. www.shepherdoftherockies.org

UNITED METHODIST

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Laura Olin HS-Mileage

Lea Kim Christensen HS-Mileage

LEANNE M BOYCE HS-Mileage

Lizbeth Flores-Prado HS-Mileage 251.32

Mary Parker HS-Mileage 319.99 METRO TRANSPORTATION HS-Miscellaneous PLANNING & SOLUTION

Michaela Hascall HS-Mileage 181.16

Monica Collins HS-Mileage 426.05

NICOLE ASHLEY ROMOLA HS-Mileage 180.03

Owen McCarter HS-Mileage 219.76

Pam Taylor HS-Mileage 166.16

PEYTON SHEA MOORE HS-Mileage 414.06

PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETING HS-Professional SERVICES LLC & Technical Services (Other) 130.50

Rachel Oester HS-Mileage 384.24

RANDI AMBER SHAMPINE HS-Mileage 289.24

Roxana Flores HS-Mileage 440.33

Samantha Rieber-Huguley HS-Mileage 107.74

M A MEYER CONSTRUCTION INCFurniture & Equipment - Non Capital 475.00

MADISON PUBLIC LIBRARY Library Books & Materials 12.00

Matt Griffin Telephone Services 156.69

MEAGAN E PARRY Food Supplies 69.59

MEAGAN E PARRY Mileage 52.13

MIDWEST TAPE Library Books & Materials-DVD5,374.26

MIDWEST TAPE Library Books & Materials-Audio Book3,091.27

Molly Smits Mileage 69.68

ORGANIC ROOTS CATERINGConferences/Trade Shows2,498.40

OVERDRIVE INC Library Books & Materials-Digital13,237.41

RAVEN PRINTING CENTERS INCPrinting Services2,085.74

Rocio Vasquez Flores Mileage 96.28

SENTINEL TECHNOLOGIES INCComputer Hardware & Software 2,354.00

SENTINEL TECHNOLOGIES INCSoftware Maintenance Agreement 69,739.50

SHI INTERNATIONAL CORP Equipment Maintenance46,255.76

SUSAN E DOTHAGE Mileage 192.96

T MOBILE Library Computer Service Materials5,179.41

T MOBILE Telephone Services1,338.75

Terri Faulkner Mileage 99.83

THE IQ BUSINESS GROUP INCProfessional & Technical Services (Other)1,050.00

TRANSPERFECT TRANSLATIONS Miscellaneous INTERNATIONAL Contract Services 689.25

WAXIE SANITARY SUPPLY Janitorial Supplies1,058.72

XCEL ENERGY Heat & Power 28,731.90

Library Fund Total 489,228.37

DELTA DENTAL OF COLO Delta Dental Insurance Claims94,127.57

LOCKTON COMPANIES

120% off is equal to 20% off the total project price. 2Financing offers a no payment - no interest feature (during the “promotional period”) on your purchase at an APR of 17.99%. No finance charges will accrue on your account during the promotional period, as set forth in your Truth in Lending Disclosures, and you will not have to pay a monthly payment until the promotional period has ended. If you repay your purchase in full before the end of the promotional period you will not have to pay any finance charges. You may also prepay your account at any time without penalty. Financing is subject to credit requirements and satisfactory completion of finance documents. Any finance terms advertised are estimates only. Normal late charges apply once the promotional period has ended. Call 866-697-4033 for financing costs and terms. Minimum purchase $12,500 required. See design consultant for details. Other restrictions may apply. New orders only. Offer not valid on previous sales or estimates and cannot be combined with other offers. Offer expires 5/05/24. 20%

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www.coloradocommunitymedia.com

303.566.4115

events@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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