Canyon Courier January 16, 2025

Evergreen Fire/Rescue remodels

Construction on Morrison’s Red Hotel looms

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e rst phase of construction on the Red Hotel is set to begin in the next few weeks with the razing of two main street Morrison businesses. e buildings that have housed Blend and Morrison Glass will likely come down in late January or early February, with construction of the three-story hotel beginning about a month later, developer Chad Wallace said.

“We’re planning on 14 months of construction,” said Wallace, COO of Evergreen-based Root Architecture. “ e idea is to be open as soon as possible into the 2026 (Red Rocks) concert season.”

e crew is working with the town to use a site west of town as a construction staging area, minimizing the impact to Bear Creek Avenue. Space between buildings on Bear Creek Avenue is limited, as is space between building lots and the main thoroughfare. But Wallace said they have experience building in such areas.

“It’s no di erent than building in any downtown urban site,” he said. “It requires us to be a lot more careful. We don’t have space to spread out. We’ll be as conscientious as we can.”

e 22-room hotel will include a ground-level café serving high-end co ee and basic breakfast items in the morning, and local wines, beers and light food later in the day.

“We won’t have a full kitchen, but we’ll have a prep kitchen, so we’ll be able to serve some food,” Wallace said. “Our focus for dining is still to push guests toward other restaurants in town.”

Originally approved with 20

Evergreen Fire/Rescue remodels its volunteer program

Points, financial rewards and other changes aim to keep new recruits, add flexibility and incentives for current crew

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For Evergreen resident Andrew Cullen, volunteer re ghting has ful lled a deep need to give back to his community.

“It’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done,” said Cullen, who joined Evergreen Fire/Rescue as a volunteer in August 2023. “I discovered a love for reghting, rescue and more. I don’t know that there are too many comparable experiences for a volunteer role.”

But gratifying as it is, it is also a timeintensive pastime he juggles with the rest of his life. Cullen is married, a new father, and works full-time at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. All those demands make volunteering “challenging,” he said.

He’s far from alone. A study conducted on volunteer re ghter burnout showed emotional demands and home life are the two leading reasons re ghters become disconnected with volunteer service, according to the Volunteer Fire ghter Alliance.

e impact is clear and alarming. e number of volunteer re ghters nationwide has declined for the last three decades, hitting a record low in 2020, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Yet with population growth and a rising demand for emergency services, the need has never been greater.

To that end, EFR recently revamped its volunteer program from the ground up, employing a marketing program to screen new recruits and adding a points system, nancial rewards and exible scheduling for its current volunteers. While the changes are in their edgling stage, EFR volunteers and leaders already see signs they’re working.

screen for future recruits.

Rewards and flexibility for volunteers

A change to fire academy recruiting EFR sharply altered its approach to recruiting new volunteers, hiring a marketing company to help it more carefully target applicants. It puts the emphasis on the quality and suitability of recruits over quantity. And that’s an important distinction because enrolling in an EFR re academy is not for the faint of heart.

e 10-month program includes about 12 hours of mandatory weekly training and regular exams in a wide array of reghter specialties, including hazardous materials, wildland re ghting, emergency medical responses, rescue and the incident response.

“ e last few years, we’ve had more of a philosophy of quota- lling and we had a 40-50% attrition in the academy,” said EFR Captain Clarissa Boggs-Blake, president of the district’s volunteer division.

“We really changed that model this year, and focused on whether we thought the candidates would be a good t.”

EFR interviewed 20 re academy candidates and extended o ers to 11 of them, a signi cant drop from previous years. But while the current re academy is smaller, Boggs-Blake believes these participants are more likely to stay with EFR. In the long run, that cuts costs and creates a higher-quality team.

“We feel con dent in the quality of candidates we hired, and that they really want to be here,” she said. “I’m excited to see how that a ects our success rate.”

On Jan. 1, EFR introduced a redesigned volunteer program it hopes will help solve the issues that lead to volunteer attrition. Created largely by volunteers, it gives each individual points and nancial rewards for the service they provide, and most importantly — exibility.

“We realized that the volunteers’ ability to give to the organization has changed over time,” said EFR Chief of Operations Kris Kazian. “ e volunteer mantra of 1980 is not the same as 2025. Everyone’s busy. Kids are in multiple sports. You don’t leave your job at 5 p.m. anymore and just come home; it follows you through texts and emails. We need to nd a way to t into that schedule.

“We can’t mitigate emergencies without bodies on each call, but we wanted to create a better situation for our responders, and an organization more practical and focused on outcomes.”

EFR has about 80 volunteers, and while it recently hired its rst six paid re ghters, it is not on track to become a fully paid re agency.

“ ere’s no plan to move toward an allcareer department,” Kazian said. “Our focus is how can we make the system work today.”

Among the changes under the new program, volunteers can choose whether they’d like to respond to res or emergency medical calls — instead of training for both.

“We’ve broken it up so you’re not (necessarily) going to a 9- to 10-month academy and being an all-hazards volunteer,”

Chief Mike Weege said. “If you want to just do wildland, if you want to just do EMS, there’s a place for you here and you don’t have to do all the training. It allows people to do what they can do versus forcing them to t into our box.”

It also allows volunteers to respond to calls based on their geographic area. Under the system, the 126-square-mile district is divided into north and south, with Evergreen Lake as the midpoint. A volunteer can make him or herself available and designate “north” or “south,” then respond to calls within their area. e system saves volunteers the longer drives and time needed to respond to calls far from their homes, but it also provides for a true neighborhood response.

“ is helps keep the responder at their home, in their neighborhood, in the remote areas where they make a huge difference,” Kazian said. “We know someone’s going to get there quickly, take commands, help us make decisions.”

Volunteers signing in when they are available also provides reassurance for the entire department. EFR recently hired six paid re ghters who work in pairs on separate shifts. Because res, major accidents and other incidents require teams of responders, each pair of paid re ghters still needs volunteers to respond to calls.

“Now a call happens on the south end of town and there are 4-5 people in this system, so we know we’ve got 4 or 5 people guaranteed that are available,” he said. “In the past, the bell rang and we didn’t know who was going to show up.”

e new system showed its merits during a Jan. 4 structure re. Because volun-

The revamped volunteer program allows firefighters to choose between fire and emergency medical response training. PHOTO COURTESY OF EVERGREEN FIRE/RESCUE

I’ll

Say It Again:

The Mill Levy Should Be a Required Field on MLS Listings

The dollar amount of property taxes has always been a data field on the MLS, because buyers need to know how much they should expect to pay if they purchase a listing. But that number does not provide context to the home buyer. In other words, how do the taxes for this home compare with the taxes for a home of the same value nearby, across town, or elsewhere in the metro area? The answer is in the mill levy.

A few years ago, REcolorado (the Denver MLS) and other MLSs added a “yes/no” field for metropolitan tax district, but how much does that tax district add to the property taxes for that listing? MLS listings don’t currently have a data field for mill levy.

some counties, including Denver, just give the total mill levy and don’t, as far as I could tell, indicate how much of that mill levy is from a metro tax district.

valuing the home. That cost is literally hidden from the buyer of a home in any metropolitan tax district.

signs to each parcel.

Some metro districts have a zero mill levy, but some metro tax districts have mill levies so high that they double the tax bill for a home compared to a comparable one nearby that is not in that tax district.

A good broker should let a buyer know the premium he or she is paying to buy a home in such a district, but that broker cannot currently get that information from the MLS listing. The broker would have to go to the assessor’s web page for that listing in the county where that home is located and look at the breakdown of mill levies for that house.

Jefferson County provides the breakdown of mill levies by each taxing jurisdiction, but

An example of how much taxes can vary can be found in two Jeffco homes that sold in the last few months. One house in the Mesa Meadows section of Golden which sold for $1,500,000 has a mill levy of 91, like all homes in the City of Golden, which has no metro tax districts. The tax bill for that home is $6,761. Meanwhile, a house three miles to the north in a metro tax district which sold for $972,500 has a mill levy of 165, resulting in a 2024 tax bill of $10,105, a $3,344 difference.

A metropolitan tax district is created to fund the infrastructure (roads, gutters, sewers, water lines, sidewalks, etc.) for a new subdivision. Instead of the developer paying those costs, a bond issue provides the funds for that purpose, and home buyers in that subdivision will be paying an extra mill levy for two or more decades to pay off those bonds.

In the above example, the metro tax district’s mill levy is 70 mills. The owner of that home will pay $100,000 or more over time for the infrastructure costs. In Golden, those costs were paid for by the developer or the city. Yet, an appraiser or real estate broker would not factor that long-term expense when

Does a Seller Say They Won’t Repair Anything?

Every buyer should hire a professional inspector, even if a home is sold “as-is.” That’s a bogus term intended to convey that the seller won’t correct any defects uncovered by the buyer’s inspector. I call it “bogus,” however, because the contract does or should contain an inspection termination deadline, and, even if it doesn’t, the buyer always retains the right to inspect the property.

If your inspector finds a serious issue, you can threaten to terminate because of it, and it’s likely the seller will agree to deal with it rather than lose the contract and start over, in which case he must disclose the newly found issue to the next buyer.

That being said, the seller could still call the buyer’s bluff, especially if the buyer’s agent has given the listing agent the impression that the buyer loves the house and would

not let a few thousand dollars in repairs stand in the way of getting a house they love.

That was the situation with a listing of mine. I had been told that the buyer lost out on a prior listing, and their offer had a clause saying they would beat any competing offer by $5,000. That won them the contract, but my seller (who met the buyers a couple times during showings and inspection) knew how much the buyer loved the property and wouldn’t want to lose it.

Therefore, when the inspection objection included a demand for a 5-figure concession to fix a major health and safety problem that any other seller would have agreed to fix, my seller refused, and the demand was withdrawn.

Remember: getting under contract is only the beginning; inspection is a negotiation, too.

When an appraiser or real estate broker values a home, they look at square footage, lot size, garage, bedrooms/bathrooms — in other words, everything but the tax rate (and the HOA dues) when doing an appraisal or comparative market analysis. Yet, the bottom line cost of owning homes in a metropolitan tax district can be dramatically higher.

That is why I have argued for over a decade that REcolorado should include the mill levy for each listing and not just the dollar amount of the property taxes.

Some counties make it easier than others to find the mill levy. In Jefferson County, the assessor’s website breaks down the mill levy from every taxing jurisdiction. A link provides the dollar subtotals and total.

You can, however, calculate the tax bill from the assessor’s website by multiplying the mill levy by the assessed valuation of the property. The assessed valuation for residential real estate statewide is currently 7.15% of the “full valuation” which the assessor as-

When you purchase a home that is within a homeowner’s association, state law requires that you receive a wide array of documents, financial and otherwise, about that association.

These include, for example, the covenants, the rules and regulations, financial statements, bylaws, budget, reserve study, the minutes of the last six months of board meetings, and the minutes of the most recent annual membership meeting.

The contract to buy and sell a home in Colorado provides deadlines for providing these association documents, objecting to them, and resolving any objections. A buyer can terminate a contract and get the earnest money deposit refunded if he or she is unhappy with what those documents reveal.

For example, the reserves of the association may be insufficient, suggesting that a special assessment is likely. The minutes might reveal issues which are upsetting to some members, or legal action which the association is undertaking, at some expense, to enforce its rules against one or more members. These and other reasons could exist that might cause the buyer to terminate the contract.

Very few listing brokers make those documents available to prospective buyers in ad-

Thus, if your home has a full valuation of $1,000,000, the assessed valuation would be $71,500. That’s the number against which the mill levy is calculated. A mill levy of 100 would compute to a property tax bill of $7,150. It’s called a “mill” levy (from the Latin word for thousand) because it is levied against each thousand dollars of value. Thus, 100 mills x 71.5 = $7,150.

The math becomes complicated when the state legislature says, as it did last year, that $55,000 should be subtracted from the full valuation before calculating the assessed valuation. How much did that reduce taxes? $55,000 of reduced full valuation is worth $3,932.50 in reduced assessed valuation. At 100 mills, that’s worth about $393.25 off the home’s tax bill.

Although giving the total mill levy for each MLS listing would be a great improvement, the best way to inform buyers of the effect of a metropolitan tax district would be to say that there is such a tax district, and to add a separate field to enter the number of mills for that tax district.

vance of going under contract, but why not?

Recently, at an open house, a visitor told our broker associate that in California the questions he was asking about the HOA (such as why the HOA dues are so high) would be readily ascertainable in advance rather than only after going under contract.

When we have been on the buyer side, we have rarely found that a listing agent already has the HOA documents — and answers to important HOA questions — to provide us. That got us thinking, and the answer came last week when Pam Giarratano, our sales rep at First Integrity Title, brought to our office meeting Julietta Voronaov from Rexera. For a reasonable fee, Rexera provides all those required HOA documents prior to going on the MLS, so we can provide them to interested buyers and their agents.

Currently Rexera’s service is only available through our preferred title company, First Integrity Title. After Julietta’s presentation, our broker associates and I agreed that from now on, when we list a property that is located in an HOA, we will use First Integrity and order the pre-listing package from Rexera. We look forward to providing complete HOA information in advance from now on for all our listings that are located in a homeowner’s association.

VOLUNTEERS

teers had indicated who was on call, “We knew who was coming and we knew what rigs were on the road,” said EFR Assistant Chief Stacee Martin.

Shifting from home or the fire station

Volunteers also have the option of shifting from home rather than at the re station. For those who work full-time jobs and have families, that’s critical.

“Last night was the rst time I shifted from home, which is a new option,” Cullen said on Jan. 6. “With a newborn, I can’t at the moment spend 12 hours at the re station. Being able to be home, yet respond to calls. and being able to respond to half the district really works well

for me. It really meets me where I’m at.”

It’s similar for EFR Assistant Fire Chief

Stacee Martin, an 18-year volunteer who works full-time as the director of public a airs for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Working at home or elsewhere allows

“I’m on shift today for the north side, and I’m working from home,” she said.

“It’s a nice balance with my day job.

Sometimes you can hang out at a rehouse for six hours and nothing happens, and you feel you’re not contributing. I think this provides a good balance; it meets the needs of the re ghters.”

And those who can work shifts at the station are also rewarded.

“We created a value for crewing,” Kazian said. “We’ve incentivized the stayin-your-neighborhood response and the come-to-the- re-station-and-work time.

Getting people on the truck when the bell

rings has an incredible amount of value. So we award more points when you crew.”

Financial rewards

EFR tracks its volunteers’ contributions on a point system that translates into dollars.

“At the end of the day, the points have a nancial value to the volunteer,” Kazian said. “A small stipend is paid to volunteers for their time to o set the cost of fuel and maintenance on their vehicles. is gives us an ability to reward the volunteer.”

To meet that change, the district board designated additional funds.

Volunteers can make a maximum of $17,000 annually — or 20% of a full-time re ghter’s pay and bene ts, Kazian said.

“We have a few people that work a lot of hours, but most of our volunteers (will be) nowhere near that,” he said.

While the changes are in their earliest days, volunteer Cullen likes what he’s seen.

“Getting credit, being recognized for what we do, I think it’s going drive more engagement, plus more awareness of who’s running calls that day,” he said. “ e leadership team is listening. I appreciate that.”

Kazian said volunteering as a re ghter is a unique experience, and needs to be treated as such.

“Many people volunteer in many organizations, but the demand is not where your life or other people’s lives are dependent on it,” he said. “We’re trying to nd a way to enhance their experience and meet them where they’re at.

“We haven’t lessened our standards. We’re just giving them di erent opportunities to engage and be a kinder, gentler yet truly accountable organization.”

Steiger Farms’ owners buy land once envisioned for 188-unit Conifer Center

Property that was at the center of a two-year development battl will become a horse boarding pasture earliest he’s for more of said. apghter be orgawhere deto experience

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A piece of agricultural land near Conifer’s urban core that was the focus of a bitter development controversy will now become a horse boarding pasture. e new land owners of the property say they intend to also establish a conservation easement on the property, ensuring its use is permanently limited to agricultural uses.

Steiger Farms owners Carly and Blaize Steiger recently bought the 47-acre parcel behind the Conifer Safeway that was once envisioned as the Conifer Center — a development with 188 residential units and a community center. ose previous plans alarmed area residents and led to the developer ling a lawsuit against Elk Creek Fire Protection District; it was later dismissed.

e Steigers, who moved to the area in 2017 and opened a horse boarding facility bordering the embattled property in 2022, watched it all with the hope that someday the acreage could be theirs.

“It’s just a beautiful piece of land,” Carly Steiger said. “Ever since we moved in, we said we’d love to own it. But it just seemed out of reach. It feels kind of surreal we just closed on it. Had the development gone through, it would have turned our private

FARMS, P6

rooms, the town recently approved the addition of two more rooms. Wallace said that change won’t alter the exterior appearance, but does change Root’s plans to move its o ces there from Evergreen. “As costs keep coming in high, we realized we don’t have the luxury to take up a lot of space on the main oor for our ofces,” he said. “So we’ve reduced our ofce footprint and added a couple rooms.”

e Morrison Town Board approved the Red Hotel in April after often contentious hearings before the town’s planning commission and board. e hotel proposal revealed con icts within the town’s code and prompted the board to enact a temporary development moratorium so it could rewrite the regulations. In the end, developers gained approval on a scaled-back version of their original plan. e third oor of the redesigned Red Hotel plan is stepped back from Bear Creek Avenue behind the rst two stories. at change is intended to diminish the visual mass from the front to better blend the building with adjacent one-story structures. e Red Hotel is the rst hotel approved in Morrison.

Aerial view of part of the 47-acre property that was once proposed as the Conifer Center and is now owned by Steiger Farms. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEIGER FARMS

STEIGER FARMS

road from (serving) 12 houses to 200. I think everyone’s glad that isn’t happening.”

On its current 10-acre property, Steiger Farms o ers riding lessons, camps and horse boarding with stalls, box stalls, runs, group paddocks and an outdoor arena. With the additional land, the couple plans to o er pasture boarding and create a private equestrian trail system. ey aim to open the expansion in April 2025.

“Pasture boarding is in high demand for this area,” Carly Steiger said. “ ere aren’t a lot of places in the Denver metro area that have enough space to o er full-time pasture boarding.”

Each pasture will be 7-10 acres, and Blaize Steiger said they plan to build some shelters and supplement the horses’ food with hay.

“But for the most part, they’ll be living on grass — and living free,” he said. e Steigers said they had originally approached development company Foothills Housing 1 about buying the land, but that initial o er was rejected.

In addition to opposition from neighbors, the Elk Creek Fire Department said in 2020 it would not be able to provide emergency re services to Conifer Center.

In 2021, Foothills Housing 1 led a lawsuit in Je erson County district court that sought to compel Elk Creek Fire to sign an agreement for service to the Conifer Center. A district judge dismissed the case.

When the development plans fell through and an investor took over the land, the Steigers got their opportunity.

“We followed it pretty closely, and saw there were issues,” Blaize Steiger said. “When the investor’s realtor came out

munity has been really positive,” Carly Steiger said. “People are happy we’ll have private trails. We’d love to o er a community pass down the line so folks that don’t board with us can use our trails, and maybe a horseback obstacle course.”

“We’ve got a lot of options we’re looking at,” Blaize Steiger said. “It boils down to our core values. We take care of horses. But really what we like to provide to the people who own those horses is a home

Je co school board grapples with fallout from chief of schools investigation amid grief and shock

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Je erson County School Board convened a special meeting on Jan. 7 to address the aftermath of the investigation into and apparent suicide of former Chief of Schools David Weiss, who was accused of possessing child pornography by the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce.

Board member Paula Reed opened the meeting by explaining that the need to meet face-to-face had become undeniable in the wake of the crisis.

“It was becoming clear that we needed some time to meet face-to-face,” Reed said. “We wanted to have time to make a timely and uni ed response. It’s been impossible to do that given the constraints we’ve had.”

Reed emphasized the importance of transparency, saying the meeting was held publicly to demonstrate the board’s commitment to addressing the situation and fostering trust within the community.

Board President Mary Parker echoed these sentiments, sharing how the crisis had weighed on her both personally and professionally.

“First of all, I am so happy that we are together and we are public-facing,” Parker said. “ e biggest frustration I’ve had in the last few weeks is that, as board president, I felt a great responsibility to be a voice for the board... I wanted very much for our community members to know that the board is paying attention. We care about it. We take it seriously.”

Parker explained how constraints on communication left her unable to provide even a basic response to the public.

“ e most basic, simple sentence — ‘the board takes this seriously, we are shocked, we will communicate with law enforcement, and we will get to the bottom of it’ — was not possible to get out as a board because I couldn’t do it on my own,” Parker said.

Processing grief, shock and criticism

For many board members, the crisis has been a deeply personal and emotional experience, compounded by accusations from some in the community who have accused the board of not prioritizing children’s safety.

“I have felt very defensive,” Reed said. “When I hear the implication that somehow we don’t care about kids, my rst impulse is to say, you know, every month, six women sit on that dais. Four of them have children in our schools. One of them has grandchildren in our schools... e notion that we would not care about the safety of children is appalling.”

Reed re ected on how such accusations stem from fear and uncertainty, sentiments she understands given the gravity of the situation.

“When people are afraid, they desperately want answers and understanding. ey want a narrative they can wrap their head around as quickly as possible,” she said. “What I’m going to promise is that we’re going to look hard at what happened, and we are going to gure out everything we could have done if there are things we could have done.”

Others expressed deep shock and horror that someone they knew could have potentially been a child predator.

“ is is really hard,” board member Michelle Applegate said. “As a parent, at all levels, the feelings — they are really strong. It’s all the things: the shock, the horror, the fear. Knowing that our entire community is reeling…it’s been very emotional, it’s been very scary, it’s been very sad.”

Board member Erin Kenworthy said she called Weiss a friend and spoke about her

complex emotions.

“I considered our former Chief of Schools a friend and a colleague, and so I’m grieving the loss of a version of a person I thought I knew,” Kenworthy said. “ ere are good days and there are bad days...My heart is broken for that family and for anybody who’s been impacted or victimized by any adult in our community who crosses boundaries with kids.”

Reed, re ecting on her time as a teacher at Columbine High School when the shooting occurred, shared how the current crisis echoes past experiences of community trauma.

“What I learned that day is that you never know anyone and that you move through the world with people you think you know well and trust, and any one of them is capable of

doing horrible things,” Reed said.

Learning from the past

Reed said she invited John Stefano, Je co school board president at the time of the Columbine shooting, and Frank DeAngelis, former principal of Columbine High School, to share their experience handling a major crisis that had a signi cant impact on the educational environment.

“Great tragedy a ects many people and is something you can’t control or x,” Stefano said. “Your job is to lead by example... people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

DeAngelis emphasized the importance of

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Je co school board members, John DeStefano, Frank DeAngelis and Tracy Dorland meet to discuss the aftermath of the investigation into the district’s former Chief of Schools.

PHOTO BY SUZIE GLASSMAN

Je co superintendent cancels State of the District talk following executive’s death

Je erson County Superintendent Tracy Dorland has canceled the district’s planned State of the District address on Jan. 9 following the death of the district’s former Chief of Schools, David Weiss, and revelations of an investigation alleging his possession of child pornography materials.

Weiss died earlier this month from an apparent gunshot wound that evidence suggests was self-in icted while visiting family in Washington County, Maryland, according to the Washington County Sheri ’s O ce. “Right now, we are putting additional time and attention on providing support where it is needed most as we face this challenge head-on, together with our school and district leaders,” Dorland said. “For that reason, the State of the District event is no longer happening on January 9.”

Instead, Dorland said the district will host a series of digital updates later this month.

e decision comes as the community grapples with the shocking news of the investigation and its implications.

“Educating students and providing safe environments in which they can succeed and thrive is my life’s work. I

SCHOOL BOARD

keeping students rst.

“Our No. 1 priority is our students, and we already have the foundation in place. What we have to do is continue to build upon that foundation,” DeAngelis said. “When families go through di cult things, they nd ways to come together, and that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to help each other, whatever that will take.”

Stefano and DeAngelis also provided

want to be clear that any crime against a child is indefensible,” Dorland said. “What is most important, and always prioritized by Je co, is student safety. Right now, that includes a law enforcement investigation that leads to justice.”

e Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce con rmed the ongoing investigation but stated that the matter does not appear to involve any individuals within the district.

“ e district has not been given any information to date on whether the personal activities of the former Chief of Schools involved anyone in Je co. What is known is that the investigation is focused solely on this former employee,” Dorland noted.

In the two weeks since the investigation began, the district has faced a mix of support and frustration from families and sta .

“Over the course of the past two weeks, I have received messages of support and messages of frustration regarding the sudden and shocking news,” Dorland said, adding that the district is working with law enforcement to release information as it becomes available.

She also emphasized the importance of allowing investigators to work thoroughly.

“While I know this timeline is challenging, it is important that we give investigators the time they need to thoroughly examine any evidence,” she said.

speci c guidance on crisis management. Stefano advised the board to prioritize transparency while avoiding unnecessary chaos.

“ e media will run its natural cycle, and you have to let it,” Stefano said. “Focus on your community’s concerns because their needs are di erent and more immediate than the media’s narrative.”

“Tragedies reveal what we can improve and where we can strengthen our systems,” Stefano added. “Use this moment to ensure better protections for students and stronger relationships with the community.”

Details on the upcoming digital updates will be announced in the coming weeks. e district has pledged to keep the community informed as the JCSO investigation progresses.

Looking ahead e meeting also focused on tangible steps the board can take to improve communication and crisis response. Board members discussed revising policies, establishing clearer communication protocols and partnering with experts to ensure the district is prepared for future challenges.

“We cannot change the past, but we can do better in the future, and we will,” Parker said.

Kenworthy underscored the importance of confronting the situation head-on.

“Not everything that is faced can be

changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” she said, quoting James Baldwin. “We can’t x this, but we can face it together.”

As the investigation continues, board members acknowledged the importance of balancing transparency with maintaining the integrity of law enforcement efforts.

“ e only way forward is as a united team,” Applegate said. e board plans to revisit its policies in the coming weeks, focusing on student safety and crisis preparedness.

YEAR, NEW PLAYS

The Su ragette’s Murder By Sandy Rustin

Directed by Margot Bordelon

Je erson County Superintendent Tracy Dorland canceled the district’s planned State of the District address in the wake of the death of the district’s former Chief of Schools, David Weiss, and revelations of an investigation alleging his possession of child pornography materials. PHOTO BY DOLLY DEHERRERA

Looking for love: Shelter closure leaves Harper the hound homeless

Sta and others pool funds for training to help the facility’s last dog find her forever owner

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Intermountain Humane Society closed the doors on its Pine facility last month, all the pets it sheltered had found homes but one. Harper, a six-year-old female hound mix, is still looking for her forever owner.

In addition to being sweet, smart and undeniably cute, Harper has her own fan club. ey include IMHS volunteers and friends who chipped in $6,000 to pay for behavioral training, which they believe will help her nd a good home.

“She’s silly and goofy, and likes to cuddle with people she knows,” said IMHS sta member Kat Knudsen, who’s known Harper for almost a year. “She’s athletic and would be a great hiking buddy for someone.”

Harper came to IMHS in February 2023, a transfer from a Kansas shelter with an uncertain history and some obvious trauma, Knudsen said. Regardless, she quickly became a favorite with sta and volunteers, who delighted in her love of snow and bursts of joy that prompted her to run zoomies.

But while the shelter traditionally keeps animals for extended periods, it ran out of time with Harper.

IMHS closed Dec. 21. e nonpro t Planned Pethood, which also operates IMHS, plans to reopen the shelter at the

until that perfect family came. Harper was just a tough one.”

While Harper has a good-natured soul, she had some initial behaviors that indicated previous abuse. Shelter workers initially had to muzzle her. She would cower if someone near her moved quickly, Knudsen said, and was leery of strangers — particularly men.

“She was scared of hiking poles and sticks,” Clayton said. “Between her fear of men, sticks and hiking poles, we assume she had a rough and very abusive past.”

Dogs who stay in shelters long-term oftensu er acute stress, and after several months at IMHS, sta saw those indications in Harper.

“We knew she was a good dog, but as much as we tried to work with her at the shelter, it was hard with di erent volunteers and people handling her daily,” Knudsen said. “She was regressing.”

As the shelter’s closing date loomed, the sta decided to take action for Harper. ey spearheaded a fast fundraising campaign that raised more than $6,000 from volunteers, their friends and previous IMHS adopters.

sonality, the cure is the same,” Alpert said. “We want to build her con dence overall, have a common language where she’s willing and able to follow the lead, and then start pulling back the structure to let her make her own decisions like a regular pet dog.

“We’re about halfway through her training, and I feel we have a really strong foundation.”

Harper has learned to heel and walk on a loose leash, to go to her bed and stay there on command and to wait at a doorway for permission to move through it. e two are now working on other commands, including ‘leave it,’ which helps dogs avoid things that might harm them.

Harper has a strong prey drive and a history of con ict with other dogs, so Alpert believes she’d do best in a home without other pets.

“In the right home, I think she can really thrive,” he said. “If she could have a safe, easygoing, loving place to live, I think she’d be good to go.

clinic’s Conifer site in 2025. In an e ort to cut ongoing costs at the aging IMHS facility, it has temporarily closed the shelter.

Shelter o cials say they had about a month’s notice of the closing and scrambled to place the four dogs and three cats in their care.

“To be told all of a sudden that these animals needed to be adopted ASAP was very di cult, but we did it,” IMHS volunteer Laura Clayton said. “ e shelter has always hung onto di cult-to-place dogs

“ ey saw her story and wanted to help, even though many of them have never met Harper,” Clayton said. “It was really heartwarming.”

IMHS used that money to pay Arvada dog trainer Max Alpert for six weeks with Harper. Alpert, a former IMHS volunteer and owner of Go Ahead Dog Training, brought Harper to his home on Dec. 13. She already has gained a good grasp of basic commands and improved behavior, Alpert said.

“Regardless of whether the behavior was through abuse, genetics or her per-

“She’s super sweet when she realizes you’re a safe, comfortable person. She likes cuddles, belly rubs, she likes to play tug. And she’s cute.”

e training IMHS paid for also includes follow-up sessions for Harper’s future owner with Alpert.

IMHS sta ers are also looking for a new home for Soli, a 6-year-old Rottweiler mix whose new owners decided they could not keep him.

For more information on Harper or Soli, or to start the adoption process, visit IMHS or email info@imhs.org.

Editor’s note: Harper and Soli were still looking for homes at the time of press deadline.

Harper, a 6-year-old hound mix, came to IMHS with a history of trauma and some accompanying behavior issues. She was the last dog left when the shelter closed, and is searching for her forever home.

IMHS

Focusing on toning the mind

When I began teaching freshman English, I knew I faced a challenge. Years of teaching eighth graders had taught me girls would read pretty much whatever I put before them. Boys, though, were a di erent story. By their early teens, they had been conditioned — programmed — to believe reading and writing were for girls and math and science were “masculine.” And if there is one thing most adolescent boys want to prove, it’s that they’re “real men.”

Fortunately for me such a man serendipitously provided the answer: George Lucas. His “Star Wars” trilogy would become my hook. I felt con dent it would work because frosh boys, despite their puerile need to prove their masculinity, had not yet become jaded. at process would begin in a year or two.

When I told them on our rst day that we would watch “Star Wars,” they were elated. But after the cheering subsided, I made it clear: ey would know “Star Wars.” I’d teach it in conjunction with “ e Odyssey, and it would become my vehicle for teaching other literary works and developing concepts like the epic hero. Decades later, I like to think they’re citing Yoda’s maxims such as “Do or do not, there is no try,” “Size matters not,” and “ at is why you fail” to their children or students.

If I had simply tried to impress those notions on my students via lecture, my words would’ve fallen at and gone in one ear and out the other. But Yoda said them, so they listened. Which gets at a fundamental aspect of literature: Even though characters might be ctional, their words can have far more impact and bearing on the human psyche than those coming from the mouths of parents, teachers, or preachers. Wise parents, teachers, and preachers know that. So too do the not-so-wise, and it scares the hell out of them. In his New York Times essay “ e Plot Escapes Me,” James Collins, the author of “Beginner’s Greek,” explained how the sum of our entire literary experiences remains ever in memory. He described how Professor Maryanne Wolf, a trained neuroscientist, told him they become encoded by creating “pathways in the brain, [thereby] strengthening di erent mental processes.” at poses an interesting equation. For if our intellectual acu-

men, acquired wisdom, and philosophical outlook are in large part the sum of our reading experiences, logically it must mean the more we read, the greater is that sum. But it also must mean if one’s total of reading is sparse or zilch, the resulting sum is close to if not zero. After all, 0 + 0 = 0. Reading, however, is not solely an intellectual endeavor. It is, or should be, a pleasurable experience, an escape from the grind of daily life or an excursion, a journey to or foray into another dimension. As the Queen makes clear to her chief attendant in “ e Uncommon Reader,” books are not about passing the time but instead about other lives and worlds. If one wanted to do that, she suggests, one could y to New Zealand. Or Mazatlán. Or play a video game. Or watch sports.

Books, though, are not the only repository of great thoughts. e breadth of quality, worthwhile texts ranges wide, from essays and op-eds to full-blown novels. Yoda’s aphorism aptly states it: “Size matters not.” What matters is utilizing one of your greatest gifts: your ability to read.

In the end, reading ought to be about opening and expanding the mind. Unfortunately, many read only texts that rea rm what they already hold to be true and refuse to allow anything that might challenge their worldview to enter — to pollute — their mind. Such readers remind me of those who see education as a process of “drilling and killing.” Drilling a rigidity of thought — an ideology — into the minds of young people with the intent of killing any sense of curiosity and willingness to question.

My goal as an English teacher wasn’t limited to the immediate concerns of my classroom and curriculum. I wanted also to foster a love of reading, of story, and of complex thinking so my students would not just be lifelong readers, but lifelong learners. I encouraged them to revisit in their adult years the novels we read to see if they’d glean more from them given their more mature minds. Like quoting Yoda’s aphorisms in their middle age, I sure hope they do.

With regard to my frosh boys, I was delighted to see my strategy working. ey were hooked, so much so that when reading “Romeo and Juliet” and other advanced works they would eagerly volunteer to read challenging roles, ask thoughtful questions, and o er insights that showed in-depth, critical thinking. ey had a blast and, most importantly, they learned. Imagine that.

Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.

HAPPENINGS

We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visitwww.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

“Sisters of Swing: e Story of the Andrew Sisters”: rough Feb. 2, Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen. Presented by Ovation West Performing Arts and Vintage eatre. Featuring over 20 hit songs and o ering a unique perspective into the women as human beings. Tickets atwww. ovationwest.org/sisters-ofswing

Chill Out Winterfest: All day starting at 8 a.m. Feb. 1, Evergreen Lake, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Ice bike race, mushies cup, amazing race, teen skate. evergreenchamber.org

Valentine Partner Yoga & Wine: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Register at evergreenrecreation.com

fundraiser: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7, e Wild Game, 1204 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen. Abundant appetizers, cash bar, free line dance lesson at 6:20 p.m. Tickets $45 at rotarydenimanddiamonds.org. Funds support Evergreen Rotary.

EPRD senior excursions: Snowcat ride at Breckenridge: Noon, Feb. 7. 90-minute tour with sledding and a stop at a historic hut. Register at evergreenrecreation.com.

Tom’s Elton Tribute: 7 p.m. February 8, Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen. Elton John tribute band. tomseltontribute.com

“Sounds of Silents:” 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6, Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen. Piano prodigy Patrick Lee performs original scores to classic silent lms. ovationwest.org.

“Denim & Diamonds” country western dance and

Jock Bartley ‘Call on Me’ bene t concert: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13, Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen. Proceeds bene t Resilience1220, Wooden Hawk Foundation and Ovation West Performing Arts. Tickets at ovationwest.org.

Adult Pickup Pond Hockey: 5 to 7 p.m. every ursday through Feb. 13, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Helmets mandatory and provided by the participants. Other protective equipment is strongly recommended. evergreenrecreation.com.

MindFest: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 22, Our Lady of the Pines, 9444 Eagle Cli Road, Conifer. Speakers, resources and activities on mental wellness.

Mt Evans Home Health Care & Hospice’sWinter Wonder-

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Burning Bright

I was very happy to see the Canyon Courier’s article about the Evergreen Fire & Rescue book, “Burning Bright.”

I am reading it and nd it very interesting, with much history about the entire foothills area and wild res, which are a major concern.

I recently joined their Auxiliary, known as “ e Turnouts” and am getting to understand what an excellent organization EFR is. I have the utmost respect for the re ghters, EMTs and all support sta . ey are very committed, organized and e ective. Given our re risk here, it is very comforting to know that we have such an

Gala:5:30 p.m. Feb. 28, Mount Vernon Canyon Club, 24933 Club House Circle, Golden. Dinner, live and silent auction, live music and dancing. events@mtevans.org

ONGOING

Evergreen Ice Melt tickets available through March 17: $3 each with discounts for multiple purchases. Purchase tickets or nd local businesses selling tickets at evergreenicemelt. com. Proceeds bene t local organizations and nonpro ts.

Public ice skating & lessons: Evergreen Lake, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Season and punch passes available. evergreenrecreation. com.

Wild Aware is actively recruiting volunteers for their Last Friday Co ee. e monthly event is at 9 a.m., the last Friday morning of every month through fall. Evergreen Bread and Cocktail Lounge, 1260 Bergen Pkwy, Evergreen, CO 80439.

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

SEE HAPPENINGS, P11

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.

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• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

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excellent organization watching over us. I feel very fortunate to be connected with EFR. Every day they sacri ce their home and professional lives to save lives and mitigate medical emergencies. ey do so while putting themselves at risk in ways most of us cannot even fathom.

We are very fortunate to have this great team in the Evergreen area.

e book is available on Amazon for about $40. I would encourage people to get a copy to support EFR and be more informed.

Gary McKay, Evergreen

• 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.

JERRY FABYANIC

Columnist

Church, 9444 Eagle Cli Road, Conifer. Free for members, $10 for non-members.

Evergreen Nature Center Weekly Preschool 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 Transguration, 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 atevergreenarearepublicanclub.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 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, visitwww.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 ofce 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 atresilience1220.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 atresilience1220.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 inperson support group meets Wednesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. at 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen. For more information, visitmtevans.org/services/emotional-support/.

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

Mountain Foothills Rotary meetings: Mountain Foothills Rotary meets at 6 p.m. Wednesdays both in person at Mount Vernon Canyon Club, 24933 Club House Circle, Genesee, and via Zoom. Information at 346-248-7799.

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

Icing on the skate

Local outdoor rinks’ unique features, settings o er something for everyone

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Winter sports reign supreme along the Front Range. While the mountains and foothills o er plenty of places to ski, snowboard, snowshoe and spike-hike, the Denver metro area has opportunities galore to ice-skate and play hockey.

During the winter holidays, several local cities like Denver and Arvada host outdoor skating rinks in shopping centers or town squares. Some are only open through local schools’ winter break, but others remain open through January or February, depending on conditions.

Hours and prices vary, but most rinks o er rental skates or people can bring their own for lower-priced admission.

Although there are plenty of indoor skating options, many skaters prefer outdoor rinks’ atmospheres and open-air conditions. ey enjoy soaking up the sunshine or embracing the cold, depending on the weather.

Lakewood’s Greg Daniels and his three teenage children said skating outdoors is “more fun, more festive.” Also, indoor rinks tend to host more intense skaters, while outdoor ones like e Rink at Belmar are more casual, they said.

Leesa Stone, a former Parker resident, felt likewise. She liked the atmosphere at Parker’s Ice Trail at Discovery Park, with its holiday lights around the perimeter and its open replaces for people to warm themselves.

Plus, at places like Evergreen Lake, people come just to enjoy the views and skate on a real lake.

“We love the beautiful surroundings, being nestled here in the mountains,” Commerce City’s Michael Scanlon said of Evergreen Lake. “It adds to the ambiance.”

Whether they were experts or new to the sport, the skaters said local rinks o er something for people of all ages and experience levels.

“Everyone should try it,” Denver’s Marie Duran said.

And, as her 7-year-old Charlotte added, even if people don’t like skating, most rinks are in locations where people can easily nd other activities, like walking, sledding or shopping.

The Rink at Belmar

e Durans rst visited e Rink at Belmar last year and had fun. So, when Charlotte started asking to go skating this winter, the family returned to Belmar Jan. 2.

e rink, which is presented by Quantum Fiber and made of real ice, is in the middle of Lakewood’s Belmar Shopping District.

sphere and holiday lights. Maddi Harris and Kian Larson, students at Evergreen High School, were visiting Belmar for a date night and decided to rent skates before their movie. e two had also been skating at Evergreen Lake before. While it has its advantages, they liked Belmar’s festive atmosphere with all the holiday lights and the decorated evergreen tree near the rink.

“I prefer the holiday spirit here,” Larson said.

Evergreen Lake

Lara De Beer was visiting the area from Belgium, and for her last day in town, Evergreen’s Colin Saunder decided they should go skating at Evergreen Lake. De Beer had never skated on a lake before, and Saunder hadn’t been out on Evergreen’s in a while, so Jan. 2 seemed like the perfect time to try out the ice. While the lake is several acres in size, skating is only allowed on a portion of it. e maintained section near the Evergreen Lake House has a large perimeter that skaters can take laps around, as well as about a dozen small rinks people can use to play hockey, practice their skating technique and more.

People can buy tickets ahead of time or purchase walk-up tickets on a rstcome, rst-served basis. Private bookings and skating lessons can also be booked online.

Charlotte, who’s a big roller-skating fan, has enjoyed learning to ice skate. Her mom said the smaller rink is ideal for people like Charlotte who are learning to skate.

Duran also felt that e Rink at Belmar was reasonably priced, wellmaintained and “fun for all ages.”

Daniels estimated he and his family have been coming to the Belmar rink for about 10 years. ey tried to go skating before Christmas, but it was very busy. So, they opted to do their annual skating night Jan. 2 instead.

e family frequently shops at Belmar, and liked how close and convenient the rink was for them and other Lakewood residents.

e Daniels have been to other rinks in the area, like the one at Evergreen Lake, but the Belmar one’s atmo-

Because it is a lake, the dates and hours it’s open is weather-dependent. It was scheduled to be open through at least Jan. 25, when it would host the Pond Hockey Championships, but anyone wanting to visit should call the hotline at 720-8801391.

De Beer and Saunder both enjoyed the pleasant weather and mountain scenery from the lake, with Saunder describing how unique and special it is compared to other rinks around Denver.

“ ere’s no place like it,” he said.

Small outdoor rinks like the one in downtown Denver tend to be crowded, but Evergreen Lake has plenty of space for everyone, he added.

Michael Scanlon and his children, Alex and Isabel, felt likewise, describing how they’ve been visiting Evergreen Lake annually since the late ‘90s. Michael said they love the excitement and energy that seems to be inherent among outdoor skating rinks.

However, he added, he felt like the lake’s seasons were getting shorter as the lake doesn’t freeze over as early in the winter as it used to. It’s also grown so popular that parking can be di cult, he said.

People skate at Evergreen Lake Jan. 2., amid Je erson County’s scenic foothills. Several skaters said the scenery is one of the reasons they enjoy skating at Evergreen Lake. PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

ICE SKATING

He recommended that anyone wanting to visit Evergreen Lake “should get here right when it opens,” because it’s usually less crowded and the ice is in the best condition.

e Martinez family from Colorado Springs also went skating during a day trip to Evergreen.

Lauren Martinez said she appreciated how the rink had plenty of pushable skating aids for children. Her family also enjoyed the nearby sledding hill. Overall, she said, they would be open to visiting it again.

Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park

Parker’s Josh Blaha and his family had planned to go skating in Denver during the evening Jan. 2. But that rink closed earlier in the evening, so they opted to visit the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park instead. It was right down the street and open later, he described.

“It’s nice to have something like this in our backyard,” he said of the ice trail.

Unlike a traditional rink, the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park is an ice-covered loop trail that’s about 450 feet around. It’s also not a perfect oval with some sharper corners to keep skaters on their toes.

In the summer, it’s a concrete walkway; but in the winter, sta members cover it with ice that they maintain with a Zamboni. It’s scheduled to be open for the season through Feb. 28.

While his family has been to other outdoor rinks, Blaha said they’re much farther away. Additionally, he thought the ice trail was a good size and didn’t feel too crowded.

Leesa Stone, who lived in Parker for more than 20 years before moving to Utah, was happy that Parker had an outdoor rink of its own.

She’s been skating before at e Pond Ice Rink at Southlands, saying that while she liked the lights at e Pond Ice Rink better, she overall liked the Parker Ice Trail more. She said it felt bigger and like that it was one-way only. Plus, the open replaces and overhead heater at the admissions booth are nice touches, she added.

Avery Jones and her family said the shape was also unique. ey thought it motivated some people to skate faster than they would at a regular rink, while others might go slower.

Like the Blaha family, Avery and Zach Jones said they appreciated having an outdoor skating feature so close to home. ey added that it was the perfect thing to do over the holidays, as it’s a very approachable activity for families.

So, whether it’s a family outing, date night, a casual jaunt to soak up the sun or a serious training session, skaters agree the Denver area is the place to be.

Denver’s Marie Duran, left, skates at The Rink at Belmar Jan. 2. Duran and her daughter wanted to come back after visiting the rink for the first time last year. PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

Lara De Beer, far left, and Evergreen’s Colin Saunder skate around Evergreen Lake Jan. 2. De Beer was visiting from Belgium, and Saunder thought skating at Evergreen Lake would be a fun activity for her last day visiting.

Parker’s Avery Jones helps her 5-year-old Rylee as she learns to skate Jan. 2 at the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park. The feature, which is a concrete walkway in the summer and is iced down in the winter, is scheduled to be open through Feb. 28.

An employee drives the Zamboni around The Rink at Belmar Jan. 2. The rink, which is scheduled to be open through Jan. 26, is in the middle of the Belmar Shopping District.

BERGEN PARK CHURCH

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

Search Bergen Park Church on YouTube for Livestream service at 9:00am 31919 Rocky Village Dr. 303-674-5484 info@bergenparkchurch.org / www.BergenParkChurch.org

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH SERVICES

28244 Harebell Lane

Sunday Service & Sunday School: 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!

WORSHIP DIRECTORY

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

Small group studies for all ages at 9am

Transitional Pastor: Mark Chadwick

Youth Pastor: Jay Vonesh

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

ROCKLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH

“Connecting all generations to Jesus”

Please check our website, www.Rockland.church, for updated service times ¼ mile north of I-70 at exit 254 17 S Mt. Vernon Country Club Rd., Golden, CO 80401 303-526-0668

SHEPHERD OF THE ROCKIES LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod. 106 Rosalie Road, Bailey, CO 303-838-2161 Pastor John Graham 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

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PUBLIC NOTICES

Legals

City and

Additional details for accessing the public hearing will be posted at the following, https:// www.jeffco.us/events. Please note that citizens who would like to comment during the liquor hearing must be in person or access the hearing through the WebEx computer platform and use the chat feature to let the host know you would like to make a public comment.

The name(s) and address(es) of the Officers:

NAME ADDRESS

David Lind 15725 Red Deer Dr, Morrison, CO 80465

Sherri Lind 15725 Red Deer Dr, Morrison, CO 80465

By Order of Liquor Licensing Authority of the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado

Legal Notice No. CAN 1784

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 16, 2025

Publisher: Canyon Courier

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice

NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT JEFFERSON COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO

Pursuant to C.R.S. Section 38-26-107, notice is hereby given that on the 4th day of February 2025 final settlement will be made by the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado to: SILVA CONSTRUCTION INC. 154 CISNE CIR. BRIGHTON CO. 80601 hereinafter called the “Contractor”, for and on account of the construction contract for The Removal and Replacement of Concrete project in Jefferson County, CO.

1. Any person, co-partnership, association or corporation who has an unpaid claim against the said project, for or on account of the furnishing of labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by such Contractor or any of said work, may at any time up to and including said time of such final settlement, file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim.

2. All such claims shall be filed with Heather Frizzell, Director of Finance Jefferson County Colorado, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden CO 80419-4560.

Coal Mine Ave, Unit D-1, Littleton, CO 80123.

Date of application: November 18, 2024. Public hearing on the application will be held by the Liquor Licensing Authority Board on February 6, 2025 at the hour of 9:00 A.M. Hybrid

3. Failure on the part of a creditor to file such statement prior to such final settlement will relieve the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado, from any and all liability for such claim.

County of Jefferson, State of Colorado Andy Kerr, Chairman Board of County Commissioners

Legal Notice No. CAN 1781

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 23, 2025 Publisher: Canyon Courier Public Notice

NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT JEFFERSON COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO

Pursuant to C.R.S. Section 38-26-107, notice is hereby given that on the 4th day of February 2025 final settlement will be made by the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado to: COLORADO MOISTURE CONTROL INC. 3108 E. 50th Ave Denver Co. 80216

hereinafter called the “Contractor”, for and on account of the construction contract for Detention Center Roof Deck Replacement project in Jefferson County, CO.

1. Any person, co-partnership, association or corporation who has an unpaid claim against the said project, for or on account of the furnishing of labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by such Contractor or any of said work, may at any time up to and including said time of such final settlement, file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim.

2. All such claims shall be filed with Heather Frizzell, Director of Finance Jefferson County Colorado, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden CO 80419-4560.

3. Failure on the part of a creditor to file such statement prior to such final settlement will relieve the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado, from any and all liability for such claim.

County of Jefferson, State of Colorado

Andy Kerr, Chairman

Board of County Commissioners

Legal Notice No. CAN 1780

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 23, 2025

Publisher: Canyon Courier

Public Notice

REQUEST FOR BIDS CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, COLORADO

RC 25-01 PAVEMENT REHAB & DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS FOR FALL RIVER ROAD

General Notice

Clear Creek County, Colorado (Owner) is requesting Bids for the construction of the following Project:

RC 25-01 Pavement Rehab & Drainage Improvements for Fall River Road

All Bids for the construction of the Project will be received until 2:00 PM local time on Thursday, January 30, 2025 by means of a PDF copy uploaded to the Prospective Bidder Submittal Folder assigned by the County to each registered prospective Bidder.

Bids received by the submittal deadline will be publicly opened and read at 2:30 PM local time via Zoom. A Zoom link can be found in the Bidding Documents.

The Project includes the following Work: Base Bid – Major rehabilitation of approximately 3.3 miles of the upper (northern) portion of Fall River Road. Pavement rehab consists of approximately 1.2 miles of asphalt pavement reconstruction and approximately 2.1 miles of full-depth reclamation; followed by 5-inch HMA overlay. Other salient features include resurfaced turnouts, recycled asphalt shoulders, pavement markings, new valley inlet and culvert, construction stormwater management, survey, and traffic control.

• Add Alternate #1 – Road signage installations along approximately 9.2 miles of Fall River Road.

Bids are requested for the following Contract: RC 25-01 Agreement Between Owner and Contractor for Construction Contract (Stipulated Price)

Obtaining the Bidding Documents Information and Bidding Documents for the Project can be found at the following designated website: https://www.clearcreekcounty.us/bids.aspx

Prospective Bidders must register as a plan holder via email to receive a link to the Prospective Bidder Submittal Folder, Project Construction Plans and Specifications, and invitations to the mandatory pre-bid meeting and bid opening:

Email scanada@clearcreekcounty.us; subject line RC 25-01 RFB.

Prospective Bidders are urged to sign up to receive a text message or email when new Bidding Documents are periodically uploaded to the designated website such as addenda, reports, and other information relevant to submitting a Bid for the Project by clicking “Sign up” at the top of the webpage.

All official notifications, addenda, and other Bidding Documents will be offered only through the designated website and the Prospective Bidder Submittal Folder. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for Bidding Documents, including addenda, if any, obtained from sources other than the designated website or Prospective Bidder Submittal Folder.

Mandatory Pre-bid Conference

A mandatory pre-bid conference for the Project will be held on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 12:00 PM via Zoom. Bids will not be accepted from Bidders that do not attend the mandatory pre-bid conference.

Instructions to Bidders

For all further requirements regarding bid submittal, qualifications, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Instructions to Bidders that are included in the Bidding Documents.

This Advertisement is issued by: George Marlin, Chair Board of County Commissioners

Legal Notice No. CAN 1777

First Publication: January 9, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Canyon Courier Public Notice

NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT ACCESS LIMITED CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN OWNER AND CONTRACTOR FOR RC 24-03 STEEP-SLOPE IMPROVEMENTS FOR FALL RIVER ROAD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT (STIPULATED PRICE)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN in accordance with the notice provisions contained in 38-26107, C.R.S., the CLEAR CREEK BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS has established Tuesday, January 21st, 2025, 8:30 am, at the Board of County Commissioners hearing room, located at 405 Argentine Street, Georgetown, Colorado, as the date, time and place of final settlement with Access Limited Construction for Agreement Between Owner and Contractor for RC 24-03 SteepSlope Improvements for Fall River Road Construction Contract (Stipulated Price), County of Clear Creek, State of Colorado. Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, sustenance, or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or his or her subcontractor in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplied laborers, rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work, whose claim therefore has not been paid by the contractor or subcontractor, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for work contracted to be done, may file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim with the Clear Creek Board of County Commissioners, Clear Creek County, P O Box 2000, 405 Argentine Street, Georgetown, Colorado, 80444-2000. Failure to file such verified statement or claim prior to final settlement will release the County and its employees and agents from any and all liability for such claim and for making final payment to said contractor.

George Marlin, Chair Board of County Commissioners

Legal Notice No. CAN 1776

First Publication: January 9, 2025

Last Publication: January 16, 2025

Publisher: Canyon Courier Public Notice

VICTIM AND WITNESS ASSISTANCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT BOARD

First Judicial District State of Colorado

500 Jefferson County Parkway Golden, CO 80401 (303) 271-6767

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

January 3, 2025

THE 1st JUDICIAL DISTRICT

VICTIM ASSISTANCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT BOARD

ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY OF VICTIM ASSISTANCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANT FUNDS

For JULY 1, 2025 through JUNE 30, 2026

ELIGIBILITY AND EVALUATION CRITERIA ARE ATTACHED

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY 12:00 NOON ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2025

For more information contact: Melissa Secrease, VALE Grant Evaluator E-mail: msecrease1stjdvale@gmail.com or Allison Boyd, VALE Administrator

1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office 500 Jefferson County Parkway Golden, Colorado 80401 (303) 271-6767

January 3, 2025

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Funding Cycle July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026

The 1st Judicial District Victim Assistance and Law Enforcement (VALE) Board announces the availability of local VALE funds authorized by Title 24, Article 4.2, Colorado Revised Statutes.

PURPOSE: This request for proposal provides prospective applicants with sufficient information to apply for VALE Grant Funds.

ANTICIPATED AMOUNT AVAILABLE:

Because VALE funds are obtained through the assessment of fines by the courts, it is impossible to know the exact amount of funds that will be available for grants in 2025/2026. It is anticipated that approximately $1.5 million will be available for 2025/2026.

GRANT PERIOD: July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026

ELIGIBILITY: The local VALE Board is authorized to enter into contracts for the purchase and coordination of victims and witnesses assistance services with persons or agencies that the Board deems appropriate. The Board shall accept and evaluate applications related to the implementation of the rights afforded to crime victims pursuant to Section 24-4.1302.5 C.R.S. and for the provision of services delineated pursuant to Sections 24-4.1-303 and 304 C.R.S. Such monies shall not be used for defraying the costs of routine and ongoing operating expenses.

Grants submitted to the Board must serve persons residing or victimized in the 1st Judicial District, which is Jefferson and Gilpin Counties.

PRIORITY CATEGORIES: The 1st Judicial District VALE Board will give priority consideration to victim services and law enforcement programs which:

(1) Are required to provide victim services for the implementation of the rights afforded to crime victims pursuant to Section 24-4.1-302.5 C.R.S.;

(2) The provision of the services and programs delineated in Sections 24-4.1-303 C.R.S., 24-4.1-304 C.R.S. and 24-4.2-105(4) C.R.S. related to all crimes as defined by Section 24-4.1-302(1) C.R.S.;

(3) Provide direct services to victims of crime; (4) Have demonstrated an effective response to victim needs; or will provide new, innovative, or unmet victim services; (5) Do not duplicate other victim services in the 1st Judicial District.

PLEASE NOTE: According to C.R.S. 244.2-105(2.5)(a), “The board shall not accept, evaluate, or approve any application requesting grants of money…from any state agency, including local offices of such agencies; except…the court administrator…for the purpose of collecting all moneys assessed by the courts…(and) local probation department… for the purpose of implementing the rights of victims…”

PLEASE NOTE: Copies of the state statutes related to these funds are available on the Colorado State Government web page (www. state.co.us, click on Government, then Colorado Constitution and Statutes, then Colorado Revised Statutes C.R.S.)

APPLICATION TIME TABLE:

January 3, 2025: RFP’S and application materials e-mailed to prospective applicants and current grant recipients

February 14, 2025: Grant Application Submission Deadline – A single-sided original and seven 2-sided (duplex) copies of the completed grant application must be received by 12:00 noon on this date at the Office of the District Attorney, 500 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, Colorado

NOTE: Applicants mailing their applications must allow sufficient mail delivery time to ensure receipt of their proposals by the specified time. LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT

BE ACCEPTED.

April 2025: Applications will be reviewed by the VALE Board; Board will be hearing oral presentations and applicants will be notified of the date and time of the presentations at the Office of the District Attorney, 500 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, Colorado. VALE Board will hold its decision-making meeting after finishing oral presentations.

10 days after the funding decisions: Applicants will be notified of preliminary funding decisions (Funding decisions will be finalized following a review of requests for reconsideration of decisions for denial of funding, if any.)

10 days after the decision notification: Deadline for submission of written requests for reconsideration of decisions for denial of funding

Within 30 days: Board will review requests for reconsideration of denials, if any

June, 2025: Signed contracts due back to the Board

APPLICATION SUBMISSION: One (1) single-sided original and seven (7) two-sided copies of the entire application must be received no later than 12:00 noon, Friday, February 14, 2025 by the VALE Administrator, 500 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, Colorado 80401.

Applicants may not fax or e-mail applications to the VALE Board under any circumstances. Applicants mailing their applications must allow sufficient mail delivery time to ensure receipt of their proposals by the deadline.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

(1) Grant project falls under the VALE Statue Title 24, Article 4.2, C.R.S.

(2) The project provides victim services to implement the Victims Rights Constitutional Amendment.

(3) Application is complete, concise, clearly represents the proposed project, and provides all information requested.

(4) The project provides direct services to victims of crime in the 1st Judicial District.

(5) Applicant has demonstrated a need for the project.

(6) The applicant is effective in responding to the needs of victims of crime.

(7) Applicant does not duplicate services provided by other resources.

(8) Applicant efficiently utilizes its resources, including volunteers or otherwise maximizes the number of persons served per grant dollar.

(9) Applicant demonstrates good fiscal management practices.

(10) Applicant has demonstrated the ability to comply with financial and program requirement (if applicant has received past funding from the VALE Board).

(11) Applicant demonstrates reasonable fund raising efforts, local volunteer and/or financial support and, if appropriate, a diversified funding base.

(12) Applicant has demonstrated an effective response to victim needs, or provides new, innovative or unmet victim needs in the 1st Judicial District.

(13) The board will give appropriate deference to the need for continuity in providing service to programs with a proven track record with the local VALE Board.

NOTE: The fact that an applicant meets eligi bility requirements or has received funding in the past does not guarantee funding.

A requesting agency or person shall acknowl edge in writing that such agency or person has read and understands the rights afforded to crime victims pursuant to Section 24-4.1302.5 and the services delineated pursuant to Sections 24-4.1-302 C.R.S. and 24-4.1-304 C.R.S. (commonly referred to as the “Victim Rights Act” and “Enabling Legislation”.) Such written acknowledgment is a part of the appli cation and must be addressed. The Board shall not accept for evaluation any application for a grant or monies pursuant to this section until the requesting agency or person provides the Board with such this acknowledgement in the application.

REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION: The VALE Board reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or to reject any portion of a proposal if it is determined to be in the best interest of the 1st Judicial District to do so. All applicants who have been denied funding have a right to request a reconsideration of the Board’s denial of funding if the applicant can show that additional information is available or if a change in circumstances has occurred.

NOTICE OF A REQUEST FOR RECONSID ERATION MUST BE IN WRITING AND MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE BOARD WITHIN 10 DAYS OF THE DATE ON THE LETTER NOTI FYING THE APPLICANT OF THE DECISION TO DENY. The Board will review the request for reconsideration and