Evergreen man uses his mountaineering feats to help and inspire others P2
Je erson County commissioners deny Shadow Mountain Bike Park proposal
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A four-year battle between developers of a proposed Conifer bike park and residents of the surrounding community ended Nov. 12 when the Je erson County Commissioners voted to deny a special use permit for construction of the park.
e motion passed 2-1, with commissioners Lesley Dahlkemper and Andy Kerr voting for the denial and Commissioner Kraftarp voting against it. While the Je erson County Planning Commission voted unanimously against the special use permit in September, the county commissioner had the nal say.
Members of the community group Stop the Bike Park hugged in the lobby just outside the commissioners’ Golden hearing room after the vote.
“I am just so relieved, I’m shaking,” said Conifer resident Pam Rothman.
“I just can’t believe, after four years, it’s over,” said Barbara Moss Murphy, co-chair of Stop the Bike Park. “It was never about mountain biking. We just never believed this was the right spot, the safe spot, for wildlife and tra c.
“To have a community come together in a way that wasn’t politicized to say this didn’t make sense … I think it was so heartfelt,” Moss Murphy continued. “I am exhausted. But there is also such a feeling of exhilaration that we did it.”
Denver resident Phil Bouchard, who with his friend Jason Evans proposed the day-use, lift-served bike park on State Land Board
Evergreen resident Scott Cutlan on a rock formation on Alaska’s Denali called “End of the World” in June 2019.
PHOTO BY SCOTT CUTLAN
Evergreen man uses his mountaineering feats to help and inspire others
Scott Cutlan climbed Seven Summits, founded a nonprofit and a coaching business, and wrote a book
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After successfully scaling the highest peak on each continent, Evergreen resident Scott Cutlan learned how to dig deep. He believes others can, too.
“In the Western world, we talk about giving 100% of your best,” he said. “But I don’t think we give 20%. I don’t even think we give 10%. I say that because I rode the line physically, mentally and spiritually; I was stretching every way. ere’s so much more available.”
Based on what he learned climbing the Seven Summits, Cutlan founded an executive coaching business in July 2024 designed to help business leaders maximize their company’s potential.
And that’s not all. In August 2024, he published a book called “Unreasonable: 7 Impactful Lessons Discovered Climbing the 7 Summits.” And in 2018 — during his years of climbing those world-famous peaks — he also founded a nonpro t aimed at helping impoverished communities around the world.
None are possibilities he could have imagined in 2017. en, Cutlan was a Colorado-based director of operations for a healthcare data company. He and his wife and two sons enjoyed the outdoors but Cutlan said he wasn’t a hardcore athlete.
“I would do casual hikes,” he said. “I was never an alpinist or mountaineer.”
Cutlan is a Christian and describes what happened next as “a God thing.”
“I had a complete, massive belief I needed to leave my job, start climbing the Seven Summits and start a nonpro t,” he said. “I didn’t even know what the Seven Summits were, but I heard it distinctly. I went through a litmus test. I wanted to make sure it was real. But I never questioned it.”
e Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. ey were rst conquered in 1985 by a Utah ski area developer. Since then, about 500 people — including Cutlan — have completed the Seven Sum-
mits challenge.
In January 2018, Cutlan answered one of the calls he’d heard and created the nonpro t New Reach Foundation.
Two months later, he climbed his rst of the seven peaks.
“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” he said. “People dream of this. I never dreamt of it. But I was convicted in my belief system; I had to do what I heard.”
His wife and children supported him “100%,” he said. Whether others believed him or not was not a concern.
“A lot of people will say I was hiding behind God, doing what I wanted to do and saying he told me,” he said. “It’s actually submitting to that higher power, and taking action in that.”
rough a Google search, Cutlan found a local expedition company in Tanzania to take him on a guided Kilimanjaro climb.
“I had no knowledge base; I didn’t know what any of the gear was. I didn’t know what I was paying money for, or what multiple days on a mountainside was like.
“At the base of the mountain, they started weighing the food,” he continued. “My perspective changed immediately because I saw the mentality. It takes a tribe. I went from ignorance to ‘Wow, this is beautiful.’”
With one summit down, Cutlan set a goal to nish all seven by 2020.
“In a year and-a half, I was on track to be the fastest, self-funded climber,” he said. “By 2020, I will have done six of them. Six days before I was going to leave for Asia, the world shut down.”
e pandemic delayed but didn’t stop Cutlan’s plan. In 2021, he climbed Everest from the south side. In 2024, he scaled its north face.
“In Kilimanjaro, I was not a climber,” he said. “Fast forward to this year, I was one of only 12 people to summit (Everest’s) north side this year, and one of the few worldwide to solo self-guide the north side of Everest. I transformed from not knowing anything to doing that.”
Cutlan summited Kilimanjaro a second time with his 13-year-old son in 2023.
He is grateful for all that he’s seen on his unexpected travels, saying he “experienced joy for the rst time in my life,” while trekking a ridge on Antarctica’s Vinson Massif. But Cutlan did not typically enjoy making his climbs.
“It’s horrible,” he said. “I was sick ev-
ery trip. It becomes a ght, and I got really good at su ering. It was great when it was over.”
While climbing Everest’s north side, Cutlan said he had upper and lower respiratory infections, “and asthma was kicking my butt.” On his solo climb near the top of Everest’s north side, he was also tempted to sit.
“My logical mind said, ‘You sit, you die, keep walking,’” he remembered. “ ere’s no rescue. ere’s nobody else out there. Everything is white, and things aren’t so logical up there. But I was where I was supposed to be. Many times, I was close to death. But I always felt like I was ne. When we’re aligned with purpose, there’s this striding in greatness.”
e nonpro t New Reach Foundation he founded has also had an impact. rough it, Cutlan and a team of others worked to decrease the human trafcking of children in Nepal by teaching Nepalese parents how to make money through agriculture.
“Now they don’t have to sell their kids,” Cutlan said. “Our focus is on sustainable legacy projects. We’re not just plugging holes, and we don’t give anybody any-
thing. We nd the root cause of problems and partner with people around
In his executive coaching business, Cutlan says he created a 7-pillar approach to leadership that’s based on climbing but can be applied elsewhere.
“ e story is my di erentiator,” he said. “It’s always about connecting with people, having impact, giving them a di erent perspective. e leaders I will work with always have a perpetual growth mindset. ere’s always opportunity to unlock more.
“Growing and stretching requires being uncomfortable, stepping into the unknown, hitting fear in the face. But if we’re not convicted and committed, there’s a high rate of failure. When we start becoming aligned with that true purpose, it’s amazing.”
His physical feats are secondary to that larger message, Cutlan said.
“People target me as a mountaineer,” he said. “And I say I’m not. I’m so much more than that.
“My story is important for other people. My goal is to get people to understand what saying yes does.”
Scott Cutlan crosses a crevasse on his way up Everest’s south side in May 2021. PHOTOS BY SCOTT CUTLAN
Cutlan with a sherpa named Pemba on Everest’s north side during a puja - a Hindu worship ceremony - in May 2024.
If Buyers & Sellers Were ‘on the Fence’ Awaiting Election Results, Where Are They Now?
The conventional wisdom a month ago was that buyers and sellers were holding off of their plans, waiting to see who won the presidential election. But that wasn’t entirely true. In fact, the number of closings this October were higher than last October, and the number of sellers who put their homes on the market was markedly higher than the prior two Octobers.
Nevertheless, the numbers for all three of the Octobers that occurred after the 2022 spike in interest rates pale in comparison to the statistics for the three prior Octobers, when interest rates were low. Here are the stats from REcolorado for the 20-mile radius of downtown Denver:
to move after the election, 36% said they are considering a move to another country, and 26% are thinking about moving to another state. This was a national survey, so perhaps those considering a move to another state live in one of the 13 states which severely restrict or ban abortions.
Even dispelling that conventional wisdom, however, we can’t deny that there were some jitters about this year’s election which were putting a damper on some members of the public acting on their desires to buy or sell real estate. In fact, the election may have spurred some buyers and sellers to start making plans who had no thoughts of moving if the election went “their way.”
Enter Redfin, which commissioned an Ipsos survey to find out how the election results impacted the real estate market. The results are worth sharing.
The survey was done on the Thursday and Friday after the election and reached 1,005 U.S. residents — 416 Republicans and 381 Democrats, 486 men and 509 women, and 302 people aged 1834, 347 people aged 35-54, and 356 people aged 55+. 553 respondents were homeowners and 330 were renters; 427 reported earning under $50,000, 379 earn between $50,000 and $100,000, and 199 earn over $100,000. The survey responses are summarized in the chart at right.
Here are some highlights from the survey which you may find interesting, as I did:
Of the 22% of respondents who replied that they are more likely
Since Colorado is not one of those states which restrict abortion — and in fact just passed a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights — the survey suggests that we may see an influx of people moving here for that reason. A separate survey commissioned by Redfin found that 27% of U.S. residents would be hesitant to live in an area where most residents don’t share their political views.
Reminiscent of 2016, Google searches about leaving the country spiked following Donald Trump’s victory.
Here are the percentage increases for searches “moving to…” these countries:
New Zealand—up 7,600 percent
Germany—up 4,200 percent.
Netherlands—up 3,233 percent.
Ireland—up 2,400 percent.
Norway—up 1,150 percent.
Australia—up 1,150 percent
Portugal—up 1,100 percent
Also, more general searches for “Moving to Europe” surged by 1,566 percent. Searches for “Moving to English-Speaking Countries” surged by 1,328 percent.
Theoretically, such sentiment could spur real estate activity, but I’m not
Our Highlands Ranch & Lone Tree Specialist
Greg Kraft - 720-353-1922
Email: Greg@GoldenRealEstate.com
A native of Chicago, Greg passed the Illinois Bar and CPA exams in 1974, but moved to Avon CO in 1982, where he owned and operated a property & rental management company and developed, built and sold townhomes until 2001. That’s when he moved to Highlands Ranch with his wife, Lynne, who has been a community manager there. As a result, Greg is very aware of current issues and home values in the area. He recently listed and sold a home in Lone Tree.
aware of any Americans who acted on such Google searches in 2016, and I don’t expect to see many now. I know that Rita and I have no plans to leave the country. Moves based on reproductive freedom, however, I think will occur — including by gynecologists, as has already been reported.
Some other observations from the Redfin-Ipsos survey included the following:
Of the respondents who said they are more likely to move post-election, 17% said the results of the election have made them more likely to consider buying a new home. 12% said the results have made them more likely to consider selling their current home. Roughly the same share (13%) are now more likely to rent a home.
In a September Ipsos survey also commissioned by Redfin, 23% of would-be first-time home buyers said they were waiting until after the election, wanting to
Of those surveyed, 22% say they'll consider moving now that the election is over. Among them, 36% are considering relocating to another country, while 26% are thinking about moving to a different state
see what the winning candidate might do to increase the availability of affordable housing. Given that Kamala Harris had promised $25,000 down payment grants to first-time homebuyers, it makes sense that they would wait to see if she won instead of buying a home using today’s more modest incentives. Maybe those buyers will indeed get off the fence now that she lost and Donald Trump made no such promise.
Call Wendy Renee, our in-house loan officer, if you’d like to know about the already existing programs for first-time homebuyers. Her cell number is below.
Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ Is Great, But Too Expensive
When Elon Musk first introduced it, I was skeptical of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software (FSD) ever working in a way that I would find safe and effective. Others must be skeptical, too, because Tesla recently enabled a free 45-day trial of the software in suitably equipped cars, including my 2023 Tesla Model Y. My free trial expires on Nov. 24th.
Having bad-mouthed FSD in the past, I owe it to Tesla and my readers to share my favorable impression of it after putting many miles on my Model Y using FSD, including a road trip to Las Vegas.
In town, I was impressed that the car slows down for speed bumps and dips. How does it know they are there?
With the earlier Autosteer software, my Teslas were dependent on recognizing painted lane markings and would not cross a solid line, but FSD has no problem crossing solid lines when it is safe to do so — for example, giving a wide berth to a bicyclist by crossing the double yellow line, but only when no cars are coming in the opposite direction.
I was impressed at how it handled construction zones. Picture a construction zone with 2½ lanes of a 3-lane interstate closed off with traffic cones. My Tesla simply straddled the solid line between the cones and the edge of the pavement.
I never thought the software would be good at roundabouts, but it is perfect. It slows down (as it does on any curve) and assesses whether another car is remaining in the roundabout and whether a car to the left is entering the roundabout.
And here’s one area where the software is indeed safer than most humans: it assesses cars that are approaching from a road or driveway. If it looks like the vehicle might not stop or yield, the Tesla slows down to make sure. This wide perception alone could eliminate T-bone col-
lisions with cars running red lights. If I’m in the right lane and it sees a car entering the highway, it shifts to the left lane, assuming there’s an opening. Otherwise it slows down to let the car merge, assuming the spacing is right. It also does well merging from the on-ramp. It responds to other cars’ turn signals, slowing to allow them to merge. It would also move to the left when it spotted a stopped vehicle in the breakdown lane. It recognizes pedestrians and how they are moving, such as toward a crosswalk. At night on an unlit street, it saw a pedestrian in dark clothing that I didn’t see. I also love the display of surrounding traffic, bicycles and curbs on the screen. In slow traffic, it stops to let a pedestrian cross the street. At stop signs, it knows when it can turn left or right onto a busy arterial, or I can press the accelerator to make a bolder entry than it wanted.
FSD’s full name is now “Full SelfDriving (Supervised.)” A camera mounted above the rear view mirror monitors the driver. If you are not looking straight ahead, it alerts you to “Pay Attention to the Road.” This replaces earlier Autosteer software which required you to apply slight turning pressure to the steering wheel every so often to prove you’re there. Somehow, driving at night when the cabin is pitch dark, the camera still knows when I’m not looking ahead. When the car detects bad weather it warns that FSD is “degraded,” and it will require the driver to take over when it can’t trust itself to make good decisions. I’d pay for this improved FSD if it were more affordable, but $99/month or the $8,000 purchase price is simply too high. I’ll let the free trial lapse. I have more to say, and screenshots are included, on the posting of this article at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com
BIKE PARK
property located on Shadow Mountain Drive, said he believes the project was doomed by land use regulations he sees as outdated, and the strength of neighbors’ concerns.
“A private bike park has never been proposed in Je erson County,” he said, standing outside the Je erson County administration building after the hearing. “I think we ultimately got denied because a land use recommendation from 2011 doesn’t apply to a concept that didn’t exist in 2011. Land use recommendations will have to change if we want to expand recreation.
“Candidly, I think the threat of litigation from NIMBYs (not in my back yard) against state and local planning departments and people who make land use decisions is very high,” he continued. “ at is happening all over this country. I think we should be doing things and looking to move people into leadership who have a more holistic perspective on what we can responsibly do with the land we have left. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”
Commissioners cited concerns about nonconformance with the master plan, including incompatibility with the surrounding land uses and potential impacts on tra c and wildlife. Bouchard and Evans o ered to change their proposal during the hearing to address those outstanding con-
cerns, but Dahlkemper said their vote was on the existing submittal.
“For me, this is a tremendous project,” she said. “ ere’s no question about the positive economic impact it would have on Conifer. However, I think there are so many other factors we’ve talked about that really lift up this question of compatibility.”
Dahlkemper pointed to a letter from Colorado Parks and Wildlife about its concerns, including protecting elk during calving season and maintaining the open space as a migration corridor.
“One of the greatest strengths in Je co is our incredible open space and wildlife habitat,” she said. “ at is what brings people to Conifer and Evergreen. As good stewards of the land, I think we need to continue to protect that.”
e bike park Bouchard and Evans envisioned would have been the only one of its kind in Colorado, with a 300-car, reservationonly parking lot, 16 miles of trails and a lodge. e two men said it would help meet the growing demand for more places to ride and ease congestion at existing trails.
Bouchard, who said he’s worked full-time on the project for the last 18 months, isn’t sure what lies ahead for him or Evans. Both have worked as consultants and managers at several large companies.
“I’ll probably go back to work or back to school in some capacity,” he said, adding, “I’m very passionate about land use at this point. Whether I decide to keep carrying that torch remains to be seen.”
Stop the Bike Park member John Lewis and his wife Marianne Dwyer Lewis hug in the hallway outside the commissioners’ hearing room after the Nov. 12 vote. “I am relieved,” Dwyer Lewis said. “A vote the other way would have been life changing.”
PHOTO BY JANE REUTER
Je erson County deeds Kittredge Park to Evergreen Park & Recreation District
Coming improvements include permanent restrooms, trail to creek
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Je erson County recently deeded Kittredge Park to the Evergreen Park and Recreation District, adding another 1.5-acres to the 75 acres it already owns on 15 di erent parcels. EPRD acquired it at no cost, with the stipulation the land must remain a park or community asset in perpetuity.
e small park on Highway 74 about two miles southeast of Evergreen borders Bear Creek and is a popular summer destination. EPRD has leased the park from Je erson County since 1986.
“ ey’ve been terri c partners,” said County Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper, adding the land trade “makes a whole lot of sense. It also makes sense for the community.”
EPRD executive director Cory Vander Veen agreed.
“ e bene t for us is we know our local community very well,” he said. “We can listen, engage and do improvements. Je erson County is subject to larger rules and regulations.”
EPRD is already planning those improvements, with the help of a $50,000 county community grant. It’s already hosted community walks at the park to get feedback from neighbors in planning those changes. Permanent bathrooms with ush toilets are at the top of that
list, as well as playground maintenance and repair, bank stabilization, and construction of a looped nature trail from the beach to the playground.
Some of that work will begin in 2025, “as funding and time permits,” Vander Veen said.
While it’s a small park, Vander Veen said it’s beloved by locals and visitors, and only growing more so. EPRD data shows visits to Kittredge Park jumped 23% from 2022 to 2023, from 9,100 to 15,500 visits, with most visitors spending just over an hour there.
“It’s a very well-used park whose use de nitely peaks in the summer,” he said. “ ere are a lot of people in the nearby community that walk their dogs there and use it year-round. It’s a great community park.”
Kittredge Park already has an asphalt tness trail, picnic shelter and playground.
In 2023, Je erson County Open Space settled a land dispute at Kittredge Park with a landowner on its south side. e settlement provides permanent public access to Bear Creek from Kittredge Park, established boundaries for both public and private land delineated with fencing, and provided homeowner Taralyn Romero a $250,000 settlement from JCOS.
Resolution of the boundary concerns cleared the way for EPRD to start implementing its park master plan, which it said will enhance the public’s accessibility to Bear Creek.
EPRD owns ve parks, including Kittredge, Buchanan, Marshdale, Stagecoach and Graham Field, and leases four other parks. It also manages several other properties.
Two Conifer residents found dead in their home
Sheri ’s O ce is not looking for suspects
BY JANE REUTER
JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce is investigating the deaths of two 67-yearold Conifer residents on Bear Park Road.
According to the sheri ’s o ce, the two were found dead at about 6:45 p.m. Nov. 10 when the daughter of the residents went to their home to check on them. e doors were locked, and when the
daughter looked through the window, she saw her father lying on the oor and called 911, according to a press release.
When re personnel arrived, they forcibly entered the house and found the daughter’s parents, dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Two dogs that lived at the home were also found dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
e Sheri ’s O ce is not looking for suspects in this case, and there is no threat to the community, according to the press release.
A spokesperson with the Je erson County Public A airs o ce said there was no further information at press time.
An overhead view of Kittredge Park.
PHOTO COURTESY OF EPRD
Morrison police chief on paid administrative leave
Town o ering little comment on Bill Vinelli’s departure from post
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Morrison Police Chief Bill Vinelli has been placed on involuntary, paid administrative leave, according to a Nov. 11 press release from Morrison Town Manager Mallory Nassau. e change was e ective Nov. 4, according to the release.
Nassau said the town will refrain from additional comment while the investigation continues. Vinelli did not respond to
a request for comment Tuesday morning.
“We can’t provide much more on the reasoning for his leave,” Nassau said. “We hope to have more information soon. We de nitely want to keep the community updated to the best of our ability.”
Morrison Police Commander John Manna has been named acting chief in Vinelli’s absence.
Morrison Mayor Chris Wolfe could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning. Town Trustee Paul Sutton said he could not comment on the issue.
Vinelli, former Deputy Police Chief at Florence Police Department, joined the town as its chief in February 2022 with over 30 years of experience in law enforcement.
Nassau said Vinelli’s suspension is not linked to the arrest of Morrison Police Sgt.
Richard Norton. Norton was arrested by Longmont Police Oct. 3 on charges of domestic violence, child abuse and unlawful storage of a rearm. ose charges were tied to incidents involving his ex-wife and two children. Before joining Morrison’s police force, Norton was also tied to a federal lawsuit about the arrest of a disabled teenager, and the subject of an internal Broom eld PD sexual harassment investigation.
Norton, who joined Morrison Police in January 2023, was put on unpaid administrative leave after his arrest. Nassau said Tuesday his status with the town hasn’t changed.
Vinelli said in October he was aware of the Broom eld allegations when he hired him.
“We did our background check,” Vinelli
said. “I was aware of his past police internal a airs investigation and didn’t nd anything in it that would preclude me from hiring him.”
e police chief’s role in Morrison has seen several changes in the last few years. Vinelli replaced former Morrison police chief Misty Sider n, who resigned in October 2021 after only three months in the position, citing limited resources and ofcer vacancies.
Sider n took the chief’s job in July 2021, after George Mumma — hired in October 2017 — resigned from the role in August 2020. e chief’s position was vacant for nearly a year after his departure, with the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce stepping in to provide coverage.
Mumma made an unsuccessful run for a District 25 House seat earlier this month.
The sun will come up tomorrow and bet your bottom dollar I-70 will be closed at the base of Floyd Hill
BY CHRIS KOEBERL
e Colorado Department of Transportation and Clear Creek County Sheri ’s O ce will be closing I-70 eastbound at the base of Floyd Hill during the morning hours when the intense sunshine can blind drivers.
e sheri ’s department said the closures typically take place between 6:30
a.m.-8 a.m. and last for about an hour on sunny days through February.
e closure was implemented annually a few years ago as a result of frequent, multiple crashes on Floyd Hill as the sun rose over the hilltop and blinded drivers, according to Clear Creek County Sheri Matt Harris.
“As the weeks pass and the days grow longer, the closure will begin a little ear-
lier and will still last for about an hour,” Harris said. “In addition to accident frequency, factors that determined the closure are speed, tra c volume, distance the sun glare severely impacts sight and duration that the sun’s position causes a dangerous glare.”
A detour is in place which takes eastbound drivers onto Highway 6 East to Highway 40 East back to I-70 East. e
detour adds less than 1 mile and, with the new roundabout at Homestead Road, takes only a few additional minutes, according to the sheri ’s department. CDOT recommends drivers leave either earlier or later than normal to avoid the closure and detours.
If motorists have questions about the frequent closures, CDOT urges them to visit COtrip.org.
Loveland Ski Area opens for the season
fore the rst chair.
Loveland Ski Area welcomed skiers and snowboarders to Dillon where 8 inches of fresh powder was waiting for the rst run of the 2024-25 season. Dozens of eager skiers showed up hours be-
Chet’s Dream chair lift ferried the rst skiers and boarders 1,000 vertical feet up where Loveland sta said an 18-inch base of snow covered the mountain.
In the days leading up to the rst chair at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 9, Loveland Ambassador of Snow Parker
the Snow Dog was hard at work ensuring the snow conditions met his high standards, according to Loveland Ski Area Marketing Manager Dustin Schaefer. e Chet’s Dream lift provides access to Cat Walk, Mambo, and Home Run runs, Schaefer said. is season Loveland will be
open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Loveland Ski Area has always been considered a “locals’ ski area” catering to Clear Creek County residents, according to Schaefer.
Local businesses collecting donations for Thanksgiving event
• Body in Balance at 755 Heritage Road;
• Café 13 at 1301 Arapahoe St.;
• Golden Real Estate at 1214 Washington Ave.; and • Morris & Mae at 18475 W. Colfax Ave.
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With anksgiving just around the corner, local businesses and nonpro ts are working to ensure everyone has a complete holiday meal.
e fourth annual Dignity Tuesday event will be noon Nov. 26 at the Golden Pantry & rift at 1401 Ford St.
Anyone who needs a anksgiving meal is welcome to pick up turkeys, hams, pies and other traditional xings at that time.
Chuck Lontine of 96.9
e Cloud, who helped start Dignity Tuesday in 2021, said this year’s event wouldn’t be possible without both returning and new business partners.
He said anyone who’d like to support this year’s event can do so by dropping o cranberries, stu ng, yams and other nonperishable side dishes at:
Anyone who donates will be eligible for a gift card from Fat Sully’s Pizza, Miners Saloon or the Old Capitol Grill, Lontine added.
Since 2021, Dignity Tuesday volunteers have distributed more than 5 tons of fresh meats, bread, produce, pies and other traditional xings the Tuesday before anksgiving.
While the location has varied each year, from the BGOLDN food pantry to Lakewood’s Mile Hi Church, Lontine and his partners said they want to ensure everyone has a meal for anksgiving — and some leftovers too.
“It’s people helping other people,” Leah Hahn of Body In Balance Wellness Center said at last year’s event. “It brings the true meaning of the holiday out and puts it into action.”
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A Dignity Tuesday recipient puts together
First chair at Loveland Ski Area in Dillon Nov. 9.
COURTESY OF LOVELAND SKI AREA
Overnight closures on Lookout Mountain Road start this month
Testing underway for new gates
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After years of discussion and months of planning, Je erson County Open Space has installed new gates to close a 4.1-mile stretch of Lookout Mountain Road overnight.
Starting Nov. 12, locals should expect intermittent overnight closures as ocials program and test the system. Workers will also be in the area installing signs and putting the nal touches on the gate sites, Open Space con rmed.
Permanent overnight closures are scheduled to start in December, but ofcials said they will announce the exact date once it’s nalized.
Open Space’s Mary Ann Bonnell, who’s been leading the project, clari ed that while the agency and its partners had hoped to have the gates ready for full overnight closures by Nov. 11, she said recent weather and other complications pushed things back a few weeks.
However, after such a long process, she and many Golden-area residents are excited to see the gates nally installed.
Residents on both sides of Lookout Mountain Road have generally supported closing the road overnight, as gun re and other illegal activity have become more frequent and serious. In fact, many pushed Je co Open Space to install the gates before summer, but o cials said Nov. 11 was the earliest possible date given the project’s legal requirements and
practical scope. roughout the process, including at public meetings this summer, some locals have asked Open Space for access codes so they could continue to use the roads overnight, as they have for decades.
However, Bonnell has outlined several safety problems with that proposal, including potentially sharing their codes with others, visitors “piggybacking” o them as they drive through the gates, and endangering the pedestrians and cyclists using the roadway overnight.
e gates can be opened and closed remotely, she’s explained, and local rst responders can access them to open evacuation routes or respond to other emergencies. Other administrators, like the local water district and the antenna
operators, will have access codes as well, Bonnell con rmed.
Once the road is permanently closed overnight, Golden Police o cers and Je co Sheri ’s deputies have con rmed they’ll continue to patrol along the road for problems. ey’ll also keep a close eye on the surrounding areas to ensure the illegal behaviors don’t move into the neighborhoods and parking lots.
With overnight closures starting this winter, Bonnell said law enforcement won’t be handling as high of volume of people or vehicle tra c as in the summer. So, she expected a more gradual learning curve for anyone wanting to visit the area overnight, whether for good or ill.
“Hopefully, the word will get out that this is not the place to go,” she said.
Meanwhile, Lookout Mountain Road will be open overnight for pedestrians and cyclists only.
e agency will monitor how many and
which kind of users visit the roadway at night, with Bonnell said she’s excited to visit the roadway herself and see how popular it becomes.
Pedestrians and cyclists can’t use the trails, pullouts or restrooms, and signs will be posted at each gate site informing people of overnight rules. If problems continue overnight, Open Space o cials have said those privileges can be taken away.
Additionally, the agency will have several rounds of trash cleanup, gra ti removal and other work to address problem behaviors currently tied to the area’s overnight activity, she continued.
Bonnell said the gates and overnight closures wouldn’t have been possible without the community’s support, describing how nearly everyone agreed: “ is is the right thing to do for the mountain.”
For more information, visit je co.us.
Je erson County Open Space has installed gates along a 4-mile stretch of Lookout Mountain Road that would close after park hours. The gates should be operational by December, and would help curb continual problems of people drinking, gra tiing, littering, and shooting guns in the park after hours.
On Nov. 12, a car drives past Lookout Mountain Road’s new upper gate site, which is near Robin’s Nest and the Lookout Mountain Park trailhead. Je erson County Open Space will use the gates to close a 4-mile section of Lookout Mountain Road nightly starting this winter. PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
Evergreen resident launches Facebook page dedicated to backyard photos
“Snow on Patio Furniture” has one simple, light-hearted mission
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Evergreen resident Tullie Lochner was contentedly watching snow accumulate on her patio set Nov. 7 when inspiration struck. Wanting to share the feeling it gave her, she launched a new Facebook page, called “Snow on Patio Furniture. Its mission is simple and self-stated.
“A place to share your photos of snow on patio furniture; anything else will be deleted,” reads the “About” section.
Far from being ordinary, Lochner nds such photos beautiful and comforting.
“It provides context of size and scale of a storm using everyday items, and also captures the peaceful mood of looking out your window at the snow,” she said. “ at’s so much more fun to think about and look at right now than so many other things.”
e page is gaining traction quickly, growing from Lochner’s friends to include several Evergreen-area followers she doesn’t yet know. And that’s just what she’d hoped for.
“I hope it will spread further than Evergreen,” she said. “I think it brings people joy.”
Followers agree.
“LUV it, this is such a nice re ection of our lighthearted mountain community,” one woman wrote, posting a photo of an item so laden with snow it’s unidenti able.
“Very mindful. Very demure,” wrote another contributor about her photo of a snow-powdered chair under a slender aspen.
“It’s the only way we measure around here!,” wrote another.
Lochner, a former Arizona resident, said she’s been captivated by snow since she and her husband Stephen moved to Colorado a few years ago.
“I had never seen more than a couple inches at a time, and I was fascinated by how it accumulates,” she said. “I also like to take photos, and I think snow on patio furniture makes for an interesting shot.”
Photos of snow on patio furniture are popular because, as 9News anchor Kyle Clark said, “It’s easy.”
Clark went on a tongue-in-cheek rant about such photos in 2013, documented in a YouTube video with 842,000 views in which he urged Coloradans to be more original.
But that video came out long before Lochner moved to Colorado.
And she thinks Clark’s missing out.
“Since I don’t watch the news or know who he is, I’ll keep doing my thing and protect my peace,” she said. “Our group members are people who know how to nd joy in the simple things. at’s simply wonderful.”
Evergreen resident Tullie Lochner, who recently created the “Snow on Patio Furniture” Facebook page, poses in the back yard with her favorite models.
PHOTO BY TULLIE LOCHNER
The great American poet Maya Angelou once proclaimed, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” It’s a powerful, incisive statement. It cuts through the fog of dissemination, obfuscation and doublespeak. Maya’s maxim is generally quoted in context of an individual person, but it can be applied more broadly to a group, region or country.
The dust is settling from the 2024 elections, and the post-mortems keep rolling in. For the most part, the experts’ analyses are like everything else seen in hindsight: 20/20, 20/30, or even 20/200 for the willfully blind.
One of my favorite “Star Trek”TV episodes is “Journey to Babel” in which the Enterprise is charged with transporting Federation ambassadors to a conference. After an ambassador is murdered, Mr. Spock states the assassination isn’t logical. The Andorian ambassador, whose race is very passionate, educates Spock about such acts: They’re not acts of reason but of passion, he says. The motives lie not in the mind, but in the heart.
The Andorian’s point is well taken and can be applied across the spectrum of human action from murder and suicide, as I noted in “Suicide: A Personal Reflection,” to voting.
A myth persists among voters about
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
An expression of values
JERRY FABYANIC
why they choose certain candidates and support or oppose ballot initiatives. They cling to the delusion their decisions are purely rational, based objectively on studied candidates and issues. While there’s truth in that, ultimately voters make choices based upon their feelings, which reflect their values. Given that, one can conclude the person or issue a voter supports is a testament to that voter’s personal values. Like the old saw that says you are what you eat, you are who and what you vote for.
It’s been that way since ancient Greece, but the outcome of the 2024 presidential race is particularly revealing: It clearly shows the fissure between two American value systems has exploded into a chasm. Which makes me grateful to be a Coloradan.
Like our nation’s history, Colorado’s is blotched with horrific stains like the Sand Creek Massacre. But Coloradans today broadly recognize — don’t deny — past wrongs and strive to rectify them. We take proactive measures to protect the vulnerable, like inscribing into the state constitution a woman’s
To the citizens of Elk Creek, Inter-Canyon and North Fork Fire-Protection Districts
We who have signed below are the men and women who devotedly provide emergency services in your FPDs.
We represent 100% of the 78 respondents (77% of all members, 39 career and 39 volunteer) to a formal survey of our three collective FPDs’ professional re ghting and EMS personnel, and 947 years of actual emergency-response experience. It is our professional belief that unifying our three FPDs, as proposed by our respective Fire Chiefs, is in the best interest of every person residing in each of our FPDs. e current arrangement of separate FPDs is not working well for this community: with growing call numbers, severity and overlap as well as increased mutualaid needs, we are constantly within one call of catastrophe in our service to our districts and their people. For these and other operational reasons, we believe that we would be much more e ective in this community’s care and safety as a single, uni ed FPD.
If you want more timely and more fully-sta ed emergency response, we urge you to support what volunteer and career sta alike endorse: uni cation of our three FPDs!
We encourage and request that you encourage your FPD directors to vote “yes” to unify our three FPDs and to support this fundamental change in how we work together. Uni cation will allow us to be more e ective and e cient in providing our community the better level of emergency service that is necessary as this community evolves.
Please help us to help you!
fundamental right to decide what’s in her best health interests. One of our strengths by and large is we aren’t wedded to religious dogma or under the spell of an ideology. And we don’t live in dreaded fear of The Other. Heck, we even tolerate Texans during ski season although I give them a wide berth when on the slopes.
Looking across the American political landscape and seeing what citizens of other states decided, I shudder, primarily because of how it reflects their ethos. It’s a reminder, though, about why we have it good in Colorado, where ideas like censorship, book banning, and allowing women to die or be irreparably harmed because of legalized religious prescriptions and proscriptions are anathema.
Have we finally thrown in the towel on our democratic experiment? Ben Franklin said we’d have a republic as long as we could keep it, and I’m wondering whether we’ve reached that point. The 2024 election unequivocally exposes who we are, regionally and nationally. We’re no longer one. Like during the Civil War, we’re two, differentiated and separated by disparate value systems. We’re no longer an indivisible union, but instead the Bifurcated States of America.
Can we come back together and agree on fundamental Americanisms
Summary of Local Emergency-Responder Survey Results:
Overall: 78 responses out of 101 current Members surveyed (77% of total) ALL favored Uni cation and represented 947 collective years of emergency-response experience.
Elk Creek FPD: 55 responses out of 63 current Members surveyed (89% of to-
like liberty and justice for all, freedom of thought and expression, and not allowing government to play God like it does in Iran? Can we reunite and march anew toward that more perfect union? We did once, so I suspect we can do it again. But even if so, it’ll likely be a protracted slog, and I’ll probably age out of life before that comes to pass.
When I was coming of age in western Pennsylvania, two John Denver songs — “Rocky Mountain High” and “I Guess He’d Rather Be in Colorado” — especially captivated me. I didn’t know then why the desire to live in Colorado took root, but it got clearer as the years passed. Like so many, I found an embracing home here and have lived a fulfilling and adventurous life. In addition to hiking and skiing, I’ve found my “peeps.”
But there’s more. I’ve learned the difference between my life there and the one here was and continues to be more than about lifestyle: It’s about the different cultures’ ethos — their guiding principles and values — and never have those been more distinctly and starkly expressed.
Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for Thought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.
tal) ALL favored Uni cation and represented 555 collective years of emergencyresponse experience.
Inter-Canyon FPD: 13 responses out of 20 current Members surveyed (65% of total) ALL favored Uni cation and represented 244 collective years of emergencyresponse experience.
North Fork FPD: 8 responses out of 18 current Members surveyed (44% of total) ALL favored Uni cation and represented 148 collective years of emergencyresponse experience.
Philip ‘Flip’ Koch, Elk Creek Fire ghter, Conifer
More aging-friendly housing needed in Je co
In response to CCM reporter Suzie Glassman’s recent article in the Je co Transcript about population shifts in Je co, the League of Women Voters of Je erson County urges Je erson County to prioritize the expansion of aging-friendly housing options in its 15-Year Housing Continuum Strategic Plan. We also call for policy changes that promote community planning, accessible design standards, and opportunities for home modi cations and repairs speci cally tailored for older adults, especially those on xed incomes. It is vital for Je erson County (both unincorporated Je co and its municipalities) to proactively address the demographic shifts that are already occurring.
ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:
• Email your letter to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.
• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.
• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.
• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.
LWV Je co supports manufactured homes, accessory dwelling units, shared housing and accessible homes for older adults that provide ease of living with safety, security, and special accommodations, such as elevators, wide doorways, and single oor living. Currently, much of our housing stock is not equipped to meet the needs of an aging population. We strongly encourage Je erson County to focus on the creation and preservation of housing options that are dedicated to and a ordable for older adults.
Christina Manthey,
President of the League of Women Voters of Je erson County
• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.
• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.
• We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion.
• Please don’t send us more than one letter per month. First priority for publication will be given to writers who have not submitted letters to us recently.
Columnist
The power of story in a shifting world
In a challenging time for many people, lm o ers both an escape and a way to create empathy for people you may not understand or have given much thought to.
at’s the genre’s true power and was made manifest in the diverse o erings of the 47th annual Denver Film Festival. With so many genres and themes to explore, audiences were spoiled for choice. For myself, I was drawn to stories that focused on people making it through di cult times and nding beauty and strength along the way.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Here are four upcoming lms that I hope will provide inspiration for the future.
‘Blitz’
Release Date: Nov. 22 on Apple TV+ e latest feature from the brilliant British lmmaker Steve McQueen, “Blitz” tells the story of Rita (Saorsie Ronan, reliably outstanding) and her son George (Elliott He ernan, making a more than promising debut), as they attempt to make it through the German blitzkrieg air attacks during the beginning of WWII.
You may think the lm is an adventure-survival story, but McQueen is after bigger themes. He has a poet’s eye for catching every detail and bit of humanity possible, and he brings that gaze to bear on a story that pulls elements from both Dickens and Ulysses (Homer’s and Joyce’s). e result is a journey through the underworld that touches on everything from race and othering to caste and nding a home in a new country. e lm is overstu ed with ideas, and while that could turn o those looking for a jolt of adrenaline, give me a movie with something to say over empty sound and fury any day. Anyone who complains about a director like McQueen swinging for the fences is, as George says, “all mouth, no trousers.”
‘The Brutalist’ Release Date: Dec. 20
One of the most anticipated movies of the year, A24’s monumental “ e Brutalist” tackles the kinds of questions creatives have been wrestling with since time immemorial: What makes a creation worth your time and e ort? What are you willing to give up for that creation? And is there such a thing as paying too much for your creativity?
Clocking in at three-and-a-half hours, the lm focuses on Hungarian-born architect László Toth (Adrien Brody), a Holocaust survivor who arrives in America and nds himself working on a massive project for industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce). When László is reunited with his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones), he hopes he can nally restart his creative career. But this is America, and in this country, it’s never that simple. Brody has never been better and Pearce is fascinating as a barely controlled man used to getting what he wants. Be sure to save a cheer for Jones, who is all steel
spine and agile wit. is is lmmaking in the grandest and most classical sense, with scope and ambition to spare. You don’t really see movies like this anymore - do yourself a favor and don’t miss it.
‘Chain Reactions’
Release Date: TBA
Clarke Reader
A celebration of the 50th anniversary of Tobe Hooper’s legendary “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Chain Reactions” is a documentary made by the same team behind “Memory” (a study of “Alien”) and “Leap of Faith” (a discussion of “ e Exorcist” and my favorite lm of 2019).
e lm features interviews with Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra HellerNicholas, Stephen King and Karyn Kusama, all creatives with a love of horror and an awe of Hooper’s achievement.
While this might all seem like a movie that only appeals to horror nerds, it delves into the power of American mythmaking and the way the country can hurt its own residents. As Kusama reads Hooper’s lm, what the director is saying is, “I’m not optimistic for America, but beauty still has a place.” Especially given recent events, the lm hits with an extra punch.
‘Emilia Perez’
Release Date: Available on Net ix
e winner of the festival’s Rare Pearl Award, Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez” is already one of the year’s most talked about lms. And I guarantee you’ve never seen anything quite like it.
Zoe Saldana gives one of the most scorching performances of her career, bringing re and grace to her role of a lawyer in Mexico City hired by a gang leader to help change his life. What starts as a single job turns into a years-long project that brings her into close contact with Jessi (a never-better Selena Gomez) and a whole world she never dreamed of. It wouldn’t be fair to give much more away about the plot, but it tackles all the major themes one could want: identity, the sins we try to leave behind and how much change is possible.
Oh, and did I mention it’s practically an opera, with song and dance numbers spread throughout?
Audiard’s lm goes as big as life but never squanders a character moment. And all praise to Karla Sofía Gascón, as the titular Emilia Perez, who brings the depth of a Shakespearean character to the role.
e aim of “Emilia Perez” is to sweep the audience away, and it succeeds in every way. It gets under your skin and stays there.
Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.
BY STAVROS KORONEOS
Three strikes CONIFER – Walter and Jack don’t really get along. Even so, according to Walter’s complaint of Sept. 14, last winter he’d personally graded the private road he and Jack share with his skid-steer. Jack “didn’t like” the way he did it and badgered Walter into doing it again in the spring. Still not satis ed, Jack sent Walter a $350.00 bill for road remediation. Walter sent the bill back to Jack with a note reading “Dream on.” Shortly thereafter, Walter found an unstamped ve-page letter in his mailbox explaining how Walter was “bad for the neighborhood” and detailing Jack’s plans to bring criminal charges against him. Copies of the letter were handdelivered to other neighbors, and Walter believed Jack and another area resident were “in cahoots” against him. Walter wanted to know: 1.) Are nasty letters harassment? 2.) Is demanding monies extortion? 3.) Can Jack legally put unstamped letters in a mailbox? e way deputies saw it; A.) Jack’s unneighborly correspondence didn’t rise to the level of harassment. B.) ere was no basis for an extortion charge.
C.) e use or misuse of mailboxes is a federal matter best left to postal authorities. O cers documented Walter’s concern and turned the page.
Facebook flimflam
CONIFER – Browzing on Facebook a few weeks ago, Archie got a bittersweet blast from the past. His old friend, Veronica, whom he hadn’t seen in many years, posted that her father had died and she was selling o some of his possessions online. Delighted to catch up with his former chum, and having need of additional freight carrying capacity, Archie agreed to buy her father’s trailer. Archie rst sent payment via Venmo, but for some reason the transaction didn’t take. Confused, but not concerned, Archie tried again with Apple Pay, which successfully pulled the funds directly from his bank account. Pleased, he noti ed Veronica, who had suddenly become a giant black hole on the Internet. Unable to contact her by phone or online, Archie feared Veronica’s account had been hacked by hucksters and asked his bank to reverse the payment. When the bank declined to do so, he called for backup. e case has been forwarded to JCSO’s fraud unit.
Her cups runneth over SOUTH JEFFCO – Deputies arrived just in time to hear Violet tell JCSO dispatch “Don’t come, I’m OK.” Since they were there already, o cers gured it wouldn’t hurt to ask the reason for Violet’s 911 call, although if they’d had to guess they probably would have gured it had something to do with the half-empty bottle of “Fireball” cinnamon liquor stu ed into the front of her brassiere. Neither clearly nor coherently, Violet assured them she was ne and dandy and all alone at the residence, which is when Violet’s husband came up from his basement sanctuary holding a cell phone. Both parties assured deputies there’d been no physical confrontation in the home, and Violet explained that her visible inventory of bruises and rug-burns was entirely self-in icted. “I was stupid,” she said. Satis ed that Violet’s injuries were neither fresh nor felonious, deputies closed the case.
This will go on her permanent record EVERGREEN – On the evening of Sept. 9, alarms going o at Bergen Meadow Elementary School brought a small squad of JCSO deputies who immediately began a thorough search
of the decommissioned premises. e rst thing they found was a silver Camry sitting alone in the otherwise deserted parking lot. e next thing they found was a back door “propped open with a pinecone.” e last thing they found was a young woman who said she’d wanted to “get out of the city…for a hike in Evergreen” and had decided to “explore” Bergen Meadow all by her lonesome. O cers quickly turned up surveillance footage showing the young lady and two young gentleman slinking through the hallways wearing hoodies and masks. e young woman assured deputies that she knew the furtive fellows only through “Instagram” and could/would o er no more information about them. Deputies charged the young woman with rst degree criminal trespass, and the hunt for her Instagram accomplices continues.
Sheri ’s Calls is intended as a humorous take on some of the incident call records of the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce for the mountain communities. Names and identifying details have been changed, including the writer’s name, which is a pseudonym. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty.
HAPPENINGS
We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit 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.
UPCOMING
Salvation Army bell ringers needed in Evergreen: Now through Dec. 24 @ WalMart, Nov. 25-Dec. 31 @ King Soopers, Now through Nov. 27 & Dec. 9-24 @ Safeway. Register at registertoring.com
Christian Science Church anksgiving service: 10 a.m. Nov. 28, 28244 Harebell Lane, Evergreen.Hymns and readings from the Bible and the Christian Science textbook. Child care available.
Frostival: 2-6 p.m. Dec. 1, Buchanan Park ball elds, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. Local merchants, petting zoo, face painting, photos with Santa, tree lighting ceremony. evergreenrecreation.com
chanan Park Recreation Center and Rocky Mountain Village Estates. Register at evergreenrecreation.com.
Pathways to Coexistence: Safeguarding Wildlife in an Era of Expanding Roads: 6:30 p.m. Dec. 5, Evergreen Fire/ Rescue, 1802 Bergen Pkwy, Evergreen. Featuring speakers Ben Goldfarb and Julia Kintsch. Register at https://pathways-to-coexistence.cheddarup.com.
32nd annual Holiday Walk: 5-9 p.m. Dec. 6, downtown Evergreen. Traditional holiday tree lighting at Evergreen Lake House with Santa and Mrs. Claus, photos with Santa, live performances by local music & dance groups downtown. Fire pits, s’mores, shopping, seasonal goodies. downtownevergreen.com
EPRD Senior Excursion Shop til You Drop @ Colorado Mills: 11:15 a.m. Dec. 2.Register by Nov. 18. Departs from Bu-
Evergreen Chamber’s Santa Breakfast: 9:30-11 a.m. Nov. 30 at Hiwan Golf Club, Dec. 7 at Lariat Lodge, Dec. 14 at the Woodcellar & Dec. 21 at Wild Game. Breakfast, meeting and photos with Santa. Tickets on sale Nov. 1 at evergreenchamber.org.
Christmas in Conifer: 10:30 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 7, Sutton Road, Aspen Park. Live music, Christmas parade. eme is “A Season of Stories” for the new Conifer Library. Information at goconifer.com
EPRD senior excursion Breckenridge snowcat ride: 10 a.m. Dec. 6. Departing from Buchanan Park Recreation Center and Rocky Mountain Village Estates. Register at evergreenrecreation. com
Chow Down Pet Supplies, 1260 Bergen Pkwy, Evergreen. eapl.com.
Hiwan Museum holiday open house: 4-6:30 p.m. Dec. 13. Entertainment, light refreshments, guided house tours . 28473 Meadow Drive, Evergreen. Sponsored by the Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society.
EPRD senior excursion Christkindl Market:4 p.m. Dec 13. Departing from Buchanan Park Recreation Center and Rocky Mountain Village Estates. Register by Nov. 29. evergreenrecreation.com.
EPRD senior excursion Hudson Gardens: 4:30 p.m. Dec. 14. Departing from Buchanan Park Recreation Center and Rocky Mountain Village Estates. Register by Nov. 29. evergreenrecreation.com.
EAPL’s annual Pets & Family Photo with Santa: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 7,
Pet Pictures with Santa: Noon-2 p.m. Dec. 14 at Aspen Park Vet Hospital, 25871 Duran Ave, Conifer, & 12-3 p.m. Dec. 15, Saturday, 12-2pm at e ResqRanch, 25871 Duran Ave, Conifer. RSVP 303-838-3771 or Help@AspenParkVet.com
Seniors4Wellness Cookie Exchange & Craft Fair: 11:30a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 20, Christ the King Church, 4291 Evergreen Parkway, Evergreen. seniors4wellness.org.
“It’s a Wonderful Life,” Evergreen Players theater production: 7 p.m. Dec. 20, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 21, 2 p.m. Dec. 22, Center Stage eatre, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen. Tickets at evergreenplayers.org.
9th annual Conifer Christmas con-
EAPL will hold its annual Pets & Family Photos with Santa from 10 a.m. to 2
cert: 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 21. Stage Door eatre, 25797 Conifer Rd, Conifer. Music of the early 19th century, stories of Old West Christmas celebrations. Featuring Norman Hughes and Dennis Swiftdeer Page. Ticket sales support local nonpro ts. Tickets at stagedoortheatre.org.
EPRD senior excursion Denver Zoo or Botanic Gardens: 4:30 p.m. Dec. 21. Departing from Buchanan Park Recreation Center and Rocky Mountain Village Estates. Register by Nov. 29. evergreenrecreation.com.
SEE HAPPENINGS, P16
“A
A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Richard Hellesen
Music by David de Berry
Directed by Anthony Powell
p.m. Dec. 7 at Chow Down Pet Supplies, 1260 Bergen Pkwy, Evergreen. AMY JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY
COOKING IN THE CLOUDS
Air pressure, humidity and temperature di erences have important impacts on everyday cooking at mountain altitudes
BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
For well-versed mountain locals cooking at high altitudes of 7,500 feet and above, cooking things longer, adding additional water to recipes or subtracting certain ingredients is almost second nature. For others, it can be confusing, frustrating and disastrous.
ere is science behind it all, and according to Colorado State University experts, changes that in uence “cooking at altitude” start at just 3,000 feet above sea level.
Inside the Terra Building at Colorado State University Spur in Denver, the Ardent Mills Teaching and Culinary Center provides a complete modern industrial and commercial-sized kitchen and laboratory.
e Spur campus includes the Vida (health) and Hydro (water) educational buildings as well, but it’s easy to spot the Terra (cooking) building; it’s the one with the big green avocado-shaped window.
Once inside, you can see the kitchen surrounded by glass walls and gleaming stainless steel tables and shelves. Massive 10-burner industrial gas stoves and ovens to match line the walls along with a collection of cooking utensils that would be
the envy of amateur cooks everywhere. is is one of Culinary Dietitian Bailey Carr’s o ces.
Carr received her Bachelor’s degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Ohio State University and a degree in Culinary Arts from the Auguste Esco er School in Boulder.
Now, she is the forward face of the nutritional and cooking education classes o ered at Spur.
Carr said she creates recipes that turn into menus which she can teach to kids, adults and families. Her goal is to eliminate the fear of cooking while cooking together.
However, enjoying the cooking process coincides with successful cooking, Carr said. Knowing how and what ingredients to adjust and understanding the temperature and air pressure di erences at various altitudes is critical to success. ere are only a couple of environmental factors that a ect high-altitude cooking — air pressure and humidity — but the implications of these two conditions on cooking are exponential, according to cooking science.
Published by CSU, “A Guide to High Elevation Food Preparation” breaks down the numbers at which changes are initiated. It is even referenced by the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service in its high-altitude cooking material.
The basic fundamentals: Lower air pressure at altitude
Air pressure decreases as altitudes increase. In other words, the blanket of air above us is lighter, according to meteorological science.
“We are at a higher elevation, which means we have less air pressure, which really informs all of the nuances of cooking. It’s the main reason we have to adjust everything we do at altitude to achieve proper results,” Carr said.
at means many things take longer to cook, especially in water, because the boiling point of water drops with every foot of elevation, illustrated by this boiling point chart provided by CSU:
• Sea Level: 212 degrees
• 2,000 feet: 208 degrees
• 5,000 feet: 203 degrees
• 7,500 feet: 198 degrees
• 10,000 feet: 194 degrees
No matter how high the cooking temperature is, water cannot exceed its own boiling point. Even if the heat is turned up, the water will simply boil away faster and whatever you are cooking will dry out faster, according to the USDA.
For instance, a “three-minute egg” will likely take ve minutes at 5,000 feet because it’s cooking at a lower temperature.
Speci c dishes such asrice require approximately 15-20% more water and extended cook time due to the lower temperature of the boiling water, and the rice should be covered to retain the moisture, according to Carr.
A chemical reaction known as gelatinization between the water and the starch in the rice requires a certain temperature, which is made more di cult by the lower boiling point at altitude, Carr said.
Meats such as chicken or beef can require up to 15% more time to cook and dry out faster due to low humidity above 5,000 feet, according to food studies.
Cookies are especially challenging in the mountains as a balance between liquids and our must be maintained..
e high volume of sugar and fat in most cookie recipes can cause cookies to sprawl on the baking sheet. e sugar and fat are considered liquids as they liquify with heat, Carr said, suggesting a reduction in the use of baking powder or soda and fat/sugar in the recipe.
Carr suggests increasing the amount of our in the recipe and the baking temperature by approximately 25 degrees.
Slow cookers are also a ected at altitude because the contents will simmer at a lower temperature making it more di cult for the food to reach safe temperatures for bacteria to be destroyed, according to the USDA.
Gas burner on industrial stove at CSU Spur campus in Denver.
Avocado shaped window at Terra building in CSU Spur campus in Denver.
Edelweiss Pastry Shop at 1520 Miner St. in Idaho Springs. PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL
COOKING
e USDA suggests cooking food at a temperature of at least 200 degrees for the rst hour of cooking to ensure any bacteria is destroyed. Most bread machines will o er tips and settings for high-elevation baking, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind, Carr said.
Typically you want to decrease yeast by a ¼ to ½ teaspoon for each 2 ½ teaspoon package called for in the recipe. Add one to two tablespoons of additional liquid per cup of our, but too much liquid could cause issues during the mixing cycle, according to Carr.
Even above 3,000 feet, cakes can be a challenge. Decreased air pressure can lead to “excessive rising,” causing the cake to fall, according to researchers.
When leavening (allowing the mixture to rise), researchers suggest reducing baking powder or soda by as much as 50% from the receipt while increasing the baking temperature by 25 degrees.
e increased temperature helps set the batter before the cells are formed and may also reduce the total baking time, according to research.
Evaporation at altitude can lead to a higher concentration of sugar, which researchers consider a liquid when cooking. Decreasing the amount of sugar in the recipe will help to sustain the cellular structure and the cake. Perhaps the pinnacle of baking at altitude is the delicate, light and akeypastry. For that, Colorado Community Media visited Edelweiss Pastry Shop at 1520 Miner St. in Idaho Springs where Chef Rebecca Hu and her partner Larry Dungan have been making sweet and savory pastries by hand since 2017.
Hu said she’s been cooking and baking since she was 12 years old in her parents’ restaurant in Glenwood Springs, “Rosi’s” opened in 1977. “It’s something I know how to do and I’m good at it,” Hu said.
“I would cook breakfast for the family and I had to stand on a chair to ip the sausages because I couldn’t reach the stovetop,” Hu said. As Hu started out cooking and baking on her own, she followed in her German heritage of making pastries and said she learned ev-
erything from her mother who was originally from Bavaria.
It’s di cult for Hu to say how to adjust recipes for cooking at altitude, for her she said, “It’s just the way I do it.” However, she recognized some of the advice of other experts.
“With cake mix or dough, you’ll want to reduce the liquid, which includes sugar, and increase the our until you nd that right consistency,” she said.
Feeling the consistency of the dough is the key.
“ e thing with me is, I’ve done it so long I can tell just by the look and feel of the batter, to adjust our, I can just tell,” Hu said.
When it comes to baking ourless chocolate cakes or quiches, Hu revealed a couple of tricks of the trade.
For one, when baking ourless chocolate creations, Hu likes to put the batter in mufn cups placed onto a shallow pan with a thin layer of water under the cups to compensate for the lack of humidity during baking.
“If I don’t put the water in there when I pull them out after they’re done they sink,” Hu said.
e science of cooking or baking at altitude consists of trial and error which is eventually converted to formulas for amateur or professional chefs to follow. Spur is a good example of the science of cooking but not the soul, both Carr and Hu said.
Carr said her love for cooking started at birth but accelerated later in life when her grandmother was ill.
“It’s just been who I am, so it’s been a natural life-long passion that really grew even more when I watched my beloved grandmother become diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It was devastating.”
When her grandmother was released from the hospital, Carr said she was given a recipe book for smoothies targeted toward helpful recovery. at’s when Carr said she realized combining ingredients and cooking could do more than feed people.
“I realized that love of cooking could actually help heal or nourish people, ever since I’ve been on one track,” she said. “How can I cook and serve people in this way but also use these recipes to optimize wellness and help folks and their bodies?”
Sharing her knowledge, education and passion for cooking as a family is what Carr said feeds her soul.
“It’s ful llment, it’s the best feeling ever… to know a seed is planted in a family and they can continue to grow in it and reap the fruits and bene ts over the course of their life,” she said.
All three buildings at the CSU Spur campus in Denver are open to the public the second Saturday of every month for free cooking instruction. Details on cooking classes and events can be found at https:// csuspur.org/spur-events/.
Culinary Dietitian Bailey Carr in CSU Terra building kitchen.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL
Apple tarts fresh from the oven at Edelweiss Pastry Shop in Idaho Springs.
Selected pastries from Edelweiss Pastry Shop in Idaho Springs.
Eclairs from Edelweiss Pastry Shop in Idaho Springs.
HAPPENINGS
Ice Fest: Dec. 31, Evergreen Lake, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Ice skating, skate rentals, hockey, broomball, ice carving demonstration, mobile recreation trailer games, repits, DJ. evergreenrecreation.com.
Evergreen Ball: 8 p.m. to midnight, Dec. 31, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Featuring the Michael C Experience band, catered hors d’oeuvres, desserts, photobooth, cash bar. Limited tickets at evergreenrecreation. com.
2025 Evergreen Pond Hockey Championship: 7 a.m. playtime, Jan. 25 and 26, Evergreen Lake, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Rd. evergreenrecreation.com
ONGOING
Evergreen Sustainability Alliance is participating in Colorado Gives Day from now through December 10th. Donate today at www.coloradogives.org/organization/evergreensustainabilityalliance.
Soldier Bags Project 2024: Tallgrass Spa accepting travel-sized toiletries and other donations at e Wild Game, 1204 Bergen Pkwy, Evergreen, for annual veterans backpack project. Information at tallgrassspa. com
Conifer Chamber of Commerce member meeting: 7:30 a.m. on second ursdays, Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church, 9444 Eagle Cli Road, Conifer. Free for members, $10 for non-members.
Evergreen Nature Center Weekly Pre-
school Adventures Program: 9 a.m. every ursday, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Free & no registration required. Programs designed for children ages 2-5 years old. All children must have an adult in attendance. Dress to explore the outdoors. evergreenaudubon.org
Evergreen Nature Center Monthly Family Program: 11 a.m. every last Saturday, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. December’s program is Hibernation Station. evergreenaudubon.org
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. Email evergreenpost2001@gmail.com
Evergreen Camera Club: Meets every second Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Evergreen Fire/Rescue auditorium, 1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen. Club is for people who share a passion for all photography, from beginners to professionals. Attend in person or via ZOOM.
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. Information at evergreenarearepublicanclub.org
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, e-mail MountainAreaDems@gmail.com.
Evergreen Sustainability Alliance is looking for post-holiday volunteers:To
help with our holiday tree and block styrofoam recycling event Jan. 4 and Jan 11. Collecting trees and block styrofoam to keep them out of the land ll and support ESA. Contact Wendy at 720-536-0069 or email info@sustainevergreen.org.
Evergreen Sustainability Alliance’s “Let’s Embrace Zero Food Waste” program needs volunteers: Program in local schools and food banks. Volunteers needed for a couple hours. Call 720-536-0069 or email info@sustainevergreen.org for more information.
Evergreen Nature Center: Evergreen 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.
e Bear Creek Cemetery Association board of directors volunteers needed: Members needed to help with operations of the local cemetery on Highway 74, Evergreen. Contact board president, evergreenbearcreekcemetery@gmail.com
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. Many volunteer options available. For more information, call Mary at 720-
673-4369 or email 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 sustainable 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 this group is $15. Register at 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.
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 support group meets Wednesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. at 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen. For more information, visit mtevans.org/services/emotionalsupport/.
Je erson County School Board set to approve sale of three closed schools for nearly $9 million
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN
e Je erson County school board is expected to approve the sale of three surplus properties in November, netting close to $9 million. e properties — Glennon Heights, Vivian and ompson Elementary Schools — are slated to be sold following a process driven by extensive public input and collaboration with advisory committees, according to Je co Public Schools Chief Operating O cer Je Gatlin.
e district’s Property Disposition Advisory Committee and ad hoc members speci c to each property’s surrounding neighborhood spent months gathering community input to guide the sales process.
Gatlin the top priorities included neighborhood compatibility, minimal disruption from new developments, facility reuse and the preservation of green spaces. “I want to express a warm message of gratitude to the community members who served on our Property Disposition Advisory Committee, including those who were the ad hoc members,” said Superintendent Tracy Dorland. “I believe they provided great representation of the immediate community’s interests and concerns as we work through this process.”
Dorland said she believed that the open, collaborative process with the community has helped build trust with those invested in what happens to the closed school sites.
Property sales recommendations e Property Disposition Advisory Committee, which includes ad-hoc
members from each a ected community, unanimously recommended the following:
• Glennon Heights: Allow Jacob Academy, an early childhood care provider, to purchase the building and surrounding property for $3 million. eir proposal to repurpose the existing facility won strong backing due to its minimal neighborhood disruption and alignment with community needs. e committee rejected competing bids from home developers over concerns about lengthy entitlement processes and potential disruption to nearby homeowners.
• Vivian: Accept a proposal from Carlson Homes for approximately $2,550,000. e developer o ered a lower-density housing plan than its competitor, which aligned more with community input. rough the entitlement process, Carlson can accommodate up to 3 acres of park/open space.
• ompson: Move forward with an o er from Evoke Behavioral Health, which provides services to people with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and emotional/behavioral disorders for $2.75 million. According to the committee, their proposal to reuse the building promises a swift transition and will expand services for children with autism and other special needs, tting well with district values.
Addressing board concerns
Some board members sought assurances that the recommendations would not negatively impact the district’s o erings. For instance, Danielle Varda wanted to understand the current supply and
demand for preschool programs around the Glennon Heights property to ensure that adding Jacob Academy’s program wouldn’t lead to oversaturation. Dorland promised to provide more information to the board regarding the number of preschool sites the district
has nearby but explained that Jacob Academy primarily serves infants, o ers before and after school hours, and that those students will matriculate into Jeffco schools once they go to kindergarten. e school board’s upcoming vote will likely nalize these recommendations.
Je
co’s Property Disposition Advisory Committee unanimously reccomended selling Glennon Heights Elementary to preschool provider Jacob Academy. PHOTO BY SUZIE GLASSMAN
Get used to Evergreen girls basketball winning again
Cougars look to build on last year’s success in 2024-25 season
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e season’s rst major snowfall is a strong indicator that open gyms are hosting hoop sessions and coaches are anxious to begin practice for the 2024-25 basketball season.
For Evergreen High School, the girls team rebounded strongly under thenrst-year Head Coach Christoper “Cub” Buenning last season, adding eight wins to the column to nish 16-8 after an 8-15 year in 2022-23.
Buenning is now looking to build on a strong foundation after an impressive debut season as head coach last year. But he said he was one of few who saw the quick turnaround coming early on. He was a JV coach and assistant coach for a few seasons before taking over.
“ e group from last year’s team played together two years prior on JV and won the league,” Buenning said. “ ose kids are winners. ey’re athletes. We had 12 of our 24 girls from our basketball program win state titles in the spring between lacrosse and soccer. ere was no reason why we shouldn’t be winning games.”
Evergreen rattled o six straight wins to begin the 2023-24 season before nally losing to Pueblo West in late December. It was a strong omen the year would be different than recent disappointing seasons.
e Cougars faced some adversity after, losing four of the next ve, but came back swinging with another seven-game winning streak. e team nished 16-8 and 7-4 (sixth) in the 5A/4A Je co League. Evergreen earned the No. 16 seed in the
5A state tournament bracket but was upset by No. 17 Palmer Ridge to lose 49-36 in the rst round.
Coming into 2024, there’s a lot more pressure that comes with the expectation of winning, Buenning said. He knows the Cougars caught some teams o guard last season and is ready to take that next step.
Losing three key seniors from 2023 in Mary Cox, Gretchen Lynch and Tatum Buenning (a second-team all-conference selection) is never easy, but the returners should have Cougars fans excited.
Senior Addie McEvers, the team’s returning leading scorer and rebounder from last season, is back. McEvers was a rst-team all-conference selection for the Je co League, was a state champion starter for lacrosse and was also all-state in ag football.
en there’s Taylor Bailey, the team’s best ball-handler and perimeter shooter who was also a second-team all-Je co League selection last year. Finally, Elle Buenning, a promising sophomore who was a state champion starter in soccer and all-state in ag football, is expected to take a big step. Last season she was an all-conference honorable mention in the Je co League as a freshman.
“I have one girl in my 25 girls in the program that just plays basketball,” Buenning said. “Of the starting 14 ag football players for the team up here at Evergreen, 12 of them are basketball players. So, we’re back in the gym.”
Buenning said the team left some wins on the oor last year and is anxious to get back at it for another chance at a league and state title. Evergreen wants to get back to its state-championship-winning ways of 2017 and 2018. A rst-round exit isn’t going to cut it for Buenning’s squad.
“ ere’s a lot of pressure on us,” he said. “Within our program, our girls are so
But yeah, we
comfortable and loose and fun … just an awesome group of girls.
have some serious goals (like getting to the Coliseum) … And winning the league is always front and center.” Evergreen kicks o the 2024-25 sea-
son against Pueblo County in the Dakota Ridge Tournament on Dec. 5. For the full schedule, 2024-25 roster and more, visit MaxPreps.com.
Senior point guard Taylor Bailey is back for the Cougars. She is a strong perimeter shooter and Head Coach Cub Buenning will rely on Bailey a lot for continued success in 2024. COURTESY PHOTOS
Sophomore Elle Buenning is expected to have a breakout season for the Cougars. Buenning was an honorable mention all-Je co League selection last year as a freshman.
Evergreen senior Addie McEvers skies for a layup for the Cougars. McEvers is the returning leading scorer and rebounder for the team and will be crucial to the team’s success in 2024-25.
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Cortney Clabaugh isn’t your average 21-year-old from Lakewood. While many college students juggle classes and parttime jobs, Clabaugh splits her time between earning a Business Management degree at the University of Colorado Denver and captivating rodeo audiences with her adrenaline-pumping trick-riding performances.
Clabaugh, who graduated from Green Mountain High School, discovered the world of trick riding (think gymnastics on a horse) at age 12.
“Growing up, I was drawn to gymnastics, and when I saw trick riding, it’s kind of like the perfect blend of gymnastics and horseback riding, which were two things that I loved,” she said.
She started learning how to trick ride with the Westernaires, a youth equestrian organization, where she spent a decade honing her craft before deciding to go solo.
“I knew that it was something that I wanted to do at a higher level. I just didn’t know really where to start,” she said.
Trick riding isn’t for the faint of heart.
“You’re essentially hanging o your horse at high speeds,” Clabaugh explained. e sport requires immense trust and communication between rider and horse.
“You and your horse are a team,” she continued. “If either of you is o , it can get
BERGEN PARK CHURCH
meant aiming for her Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association card, a coveted credential that’s no small feat to obtain. e journey to earn a PRCA card starts with
side two recommendation letters, one from a top- ve specialty act and another from a top- ve rodeo announcer.
Getting those recommendations takes
have earned their status recently.” Clabaugh earned her permit in Septem-
WORSHIP DIRECTORY
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: 10 a.m.
Wednesday evening: 7p.m: (Zoom only Nov.1st-Mar. 31st.)
Visit: www.christianscienceevergreen.com for more information and ZOOM link
Reading Room: 4602 Plettner Lane 303-674-5296
OPEN: TUES-SAT 12 p.m.-3 p.m.
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)
DEER PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Reverend Dr. Knut Heim, pastor, Sunday Worship 10 AM
Located one mile west of Pine Junction just o Rt. 285 966 Rim Rock Road, Bailey (303) 838-6759 deerparkumc.org
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!
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!
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
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 CHURCH OF EVERGREEN Rev. Sarah Clark • 303.674.4810
Clabaugh performs a full stroud layout.
COURTESY OF CORTNEY CLABAUGH
TRIVIA
1. MOVIES: What is the name of the necklace that Rose throws into the sea at the end of “Titanic”?
2. GEOGRAPHY: Where was the ancient city of Carthage located?
3. TELEVISION: What are the names of the FBI agents on “ e X-Files”?
4. LITERATURE: Who wrote the short story “ e Gift of the Magi”?
5. HISTORY: When was the United Nations organization created?
6. SCIENCE: What is the addictive substance in tobacco?
7. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president signed into law the Sherman Antitrust Act?
8. CHEMISTRY: What is the lightest of metallic elements?
9. MYTHOLOGY: What is the name of the half-man, half-bull
creature that inhabits the Labyrinth?
10. FOOD & DRINK: What is challah?
Answers
1. Heart of the Ocean.
2. Tunisia.
3. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
4. O. Henry.
5. 1945.
6. Nicotine.
7. Benjamin Harrison.
8. Lithium.
9. Minotaur.
10. A special bread in Jewish cuisine. (c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
FLASHBACK
1. Who wrote and released “Stuck in the Middle With You” in 1973?
2. What were the names of Bob Seger’s three bands over the years?
3. Mr. Mister had two songs that went to No. 1 on the charts. What were they?
4. “Every Rose Has Its orn” was a chart topper for which group?
5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “Well, you can rock
it, you can roll it, Do the stomp and even stroll it.”
Answers
1. Stealers Wheel. e Scottish rock group was only together for three years before disbanding. ey reunited in 2008 long enough to begin producing a music video for the song.
2. Bob Seger and the Last Heard, e Bob Seger System and e Silver Bullet Band. His rst real break came when “Katmandu” was used in Cher’s 1985 lm “Mask.”
3. “Broken Wings” and “Kyrie,” both in 1985. e group netted
Grammy noms in 1986 and 1987.
4. Poison, in 1988.
5. “At the Hop,” by Danny & e Juniors, in 1957. e Juniors, originally called e Juvenairs, were introduced to the song when it was known as “Do the Bop.” Concerned that e Bop dance craze was fading, the song was changed to “ e Hop.” (c) 2024 King Features Syndicate
Help Wanted
CAREERS REAL ESTATE & RENTAL
CITY OF CENTRAL
Water Treatment Plant Operator. City of Central FTE Hourly range from $21.59 - $25.36 per hour DOQ/E
Requirements: An equivalent combination of education, certi cations, and experience equivalent to graduation from High School/GED equivalent, and one year of experience in water treatment utilities operations. Must possess a valid Colorado driver’s license with safe driving record. Possession of valid Class “D” Water Operator License and a valid Class “1” Distribution License are preferred. Under direct supervision of the Water Department Supervisor, this position performs technical duties related to water treatment and distribution. is position is responsible for water sampling and analysis; pump station, reservoir, and valve vault inspection; water quality monitoring, and providing customer service. Such a position performs duties in a manner consistent with the stated values of the organization. e City provides a comprehensive bene t package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance coverage. 100% of the employee’s and dependent premiums are paid by the City. Paid vacation and sick leave, 401(a) and 457b employer retirement contributions; een paid holidays annually. City paid Long Term Disability and Life Insurance.
Senior Water Treatment Plant Operator. City of Central FTE Hourly range from $25.03 - $29.41 per hour DOQ/E
Requirements: An equivalent combination of education, certi cations, and experience equivalent to graduation from High School/GED equivalent, and one year of experience in water treatment utilities operations. Must possess a valid Colorado driver’s license with safe driving record. Possession of a valid Class “C” Water Treatment License is required and a valid Class “2” Distribution License is required. Under direct supervision of the Water Department Supervisor, this position performs technical duties related to water treatment and distribution. is position is responsible for water sampling and analysis; pump station operation, maintenance scheduling, reservoir operation, and valve vault inspection; water quality monitoring and reporting and providing customer service. Such a position is also responsible for assisting the Water Department Supervisor with billing issues, water rights accounting, and operation of intake diversions. Position performs duties in a manner consistent with the stated values of the organization. e City provides a comprehensive bene t package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance coverage. 100% of the employee’s and dependent premiums are paid by the City. Paid vacation and sick leave, 401(a) and 457b employer retirement contributions; een paid holidays annually. City paid Long Term Disability and Life Insurance
Apply now: A detailed job description can be found on the City’s website https://centralcity.colorado.gov/. Quali ed applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to the Finance/Human Resources Director at arobbins@cityofcentral.co or mail to P.O. Box 249 Central City, CO 80427. e position is open until 11/24/2024. EOE.
Help Wanted
CITY OF CENTRAL
Public Works Maintenance Worker City of Central FT Hourly range from $20.54+ per hour DOQ/E
Requirements: High School diploma/GED + 1 year experience as a construction laborer, Class B Colorado Driver’s License or capable of obtaining one within three months of the date of hire. e position is required to perform a wide variety of unskilled and semi-skilled work in maintenance, construction and repair of the City’s infrastructure and facilities including but not limited to highways, roads, bridges, streets, curbs, sidewalks, buildings and other city-owned properties; operates trucks and light equipment incidental to the work. e City provides a comprehensive bene t package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance coverage. 100% of the employee’s and dependent premiums are paid by the City. Paid vacation and sick leave, 401(a) and 457b employer retirement contributions; een paid holidays annually. City paid Long Term Disability and Life Insurance.
Apply now: A detailed job description can be found on the City’s website https://centralcity.colorado.gov/. Quali ed applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to the Finance/Human Resources Director at arobbins@ cityofcentral.co or mail to P.O. Box 249 Central City, CO 80427. e position is open until 12/01/2024. EOE.
CLABAUGH
ber 2023 after a year of working her way through the rodeo circuit. From there, she performed at ve more PRCA rodeos to secure her full card in 2024, achieving her goal in record time.
“Even at the PRCA level, you still have to prove yourself,” Clabaugh noted. “ ere are performers who have been doing this for years, and every performance is an opportunity to show that you belong.” ough winter in Colorado makes training challenging, Clabaugh is committed to her craft. “I train all year round,” she said, explaining that the unpredictable weather can make it di cult, but she nds a way to stay prepared. “It gets tough with the snow, but I always nd a way to get outside and keep my horses and myself in shape.”
is intense dedication keeps her on top of her game and allows her to expand her presence in the rodeo world. While she’s performed at rodeos in Colorado, Texas and Wyoming, Clabaugh hopes her new PRCA status will help broaden her reach.
“I’m hoping that I book across the country. I want to go to new states and meet new people,” she said.
Her success has also brought her a loyal fanbase, especially among younger audiences.
“ ere’s a lot of people who come up to you at the rodeo,” she said. “I love that I
know other people are looking up to me. It’s really important to always strive to do your best because there’s always someone watching who might want to do that someday.”
With her PRCA card now in hand, Clabaugh said she continues to challenge herself and develop new skills. One of her next goals is to perfect a shoulder stand, a trick she previously mastered but is eager to improve for her solo performances.
“For me, it’s more about mental preparation and courage,” she said. “I know I can physically do it, and my horses can do it. It’s just about breaking through the mental barriers.”
For Clabaugh, trick riding is more than a sport; it’s a lifestyle and a passion she
PUBLIC NOTICES
hopes to make her full-time career.
CREEK WATER DISTRICT By: /s/ Cheryl Pieper, Secretary
Notice No. CAN 1727
Publication: November 21, 2024
Publication: November 21, 2024
Notice NOTICE OF HEARING ON PROPOSED 2025 BUDGET AND 2024 BUDGET AMENDMENT OF
“Every performance is a chance to get better and connect with the audience,” she said. “Knowing that the next performance could be better than the last is what keeps me going.”
Clabaugh will perform during the National Finals Breakaway Roping in Las Vegas this December. Local fans can catch her in action and witness her talent and dedication to the sport at the 2025 Evergreen PRCA rodeo. She also lists her whereabouts on her website.
With her eyes set on thrilling more audiences and perfecting her craft, Clabaugh is determined to take trick riding to new heights, one breathtaking performance at a time.
PINECREST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that (i) the necessity has arisen to amend the 2024 budget of Pinecrest Metropolitan District (the "District"); (ii) that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the District for the ensuing year of 2025; (iii) that copies of such 2024 Amended Budget and proposed 2025 Budget have been filed in the office of the District’s accountant at Fromm & Company LLC, 8200 S. Quebec Street, Suite A3 – 305, Centennial, CO 80112, where the same are open for public inspection; and (iv) that approval of a Resolution to Amend the 2024 Budget and approval of a Resolution to Adopt Budget, Appropriate Fuds and Set Mill Levies for 2025 will be considered at a public hearing of the Board to be held on December 3, 2024 at 1:45 p.m., or as soon thereafter, via ZOOM. To attend, please use one of the following options: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81822145859?pwd=9mfuwXpK8dfJP1bQVH2fmrspIva -
