Canyon Courier Sample Edition March 28, 2024

Starting 2024 with a splash

Evergreen’s Annie Zdrojewski swims to the ladder during the 2024 Evergreen Lake Plunge on Jan. 1. Zdrojewski and her friends dressed as phoenixes to symbolize starting 2024 by “rising from the ashes,” they described.

Evergreen Lake plunge sees record participation

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Whether they wanted to support a local cause or just start 2024 with

Evelyn Bowen, a student at Evergreen Country Day School, reacts to the cold after doing the Jan. 1 Evergreen Lake Plunge. Evelyn and her classmates dressed as 1980s dancers

WEST METRO

Hello! You received this special introductory edition of the Canyon Courier because we wanted to give you a taste of what we have to o er as a trusted source of local news in your community. We hope that once you get to know us, you’ll want to join our family of read-

Seventh-graders from Evergreen Country Day School prepare to complete the Jan. 1 Evergreen Lake Plunge. The students dressed as 1980s dancers for the occasion.

My name is Kristen Fiore, and I am proud to be the editor of the Canyon Courier, a lively weekly newspaper covering the news, people, schools, sports and events in Evergreen, Conifer, Indian Hills, Pine, Morrison, Bailey and beyond.

e Canyon Courier aims to capture the charm of daily life in the

a splash, more than 400 people plunged into Evergreen Lake’s icy waters Jan. 1.

e annual Evergreen Lake Plunge had record participation this year, with the Active4All Foundation selling out its 400 pre-registered spots and allowing only a few walk-up reg-

PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

for the occasion.

Kristen Fiore

You get to read stories about people in the foothills doing good things.

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Check out our paper for news about upcoming shows and community events.

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at person you walked past on the street? ey could be an Olympian or a talented artist. Read about the stories your neighbors have to tell about their lives and unique businesses.

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Award-winning journalists who live in the community work day and night to keep an eye on local government. We are digging through agendas, checking records and getting elected o cials on the record to keep you informed and ensure accountability at every level.

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We are eager to showcase all the community has to o er, from the beautiful mountains to the many community events.

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Morrison & Red Rocks: A love/hate relationship

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When David Glade built his Morrison home eight years ago, he added extra insulation to help absorb the sound coming from a very famous neighbor. Glade’s house has an unobstructed view of Red Rocks Amphitheater.

e measures he took during his home construction included adding foot-thick insulation and hurricane-proof French doors that were advertised as soundproof. On concert nights, he also wears earplugs in bed. None of it has been enough.

“I still get all the bass,” he said. “I’m a light sleeper, so I just sit up and wait for it to be done. But last year, when they went into midNovember, it was kind of wearing on me.”

e Morrison Town Board talked about the venue’s double-edged impacts on the town during its last meeting. Glade, a software engineer who worked with Red Rocks consultants on a previous noise impact study, pre-

the additional shows. But sometimes there’s fallout. It has a big impact.”

Representatives of both the City of Denver-owned Red Rocks and the Town of Morrison both say they’ve enjoyed a historically good working relationship.

Red Rocks Venue Director Tad Bowman expects that will continue.

sented the board with a report on the venue Feb. 6. It touched on the increase in concerts, concerns about lighting and decibel levels.

While Red Rocks’ concerts feed the small town’s economy, concert-goers also jam Morrison’s streets, venue lights illuminate its night skies and the bands ll the nights with sound that often echoes through the valley into the wee hours.

Further exacerbating the issues, concerts used to happen primarily in the summer. Today,

Red Rocks’ season extends nearly eight months — from the end of March to mid-November, and those months are busy. About 200 concerts are planned in 2024.

e world-renowned amphitheater draws people for more than just concerts. It also hosts Yoga on the Rocks, Film on the Rocks and high school graduations, and draws a steady stream of tourists and day users.

“We love Red Rocks,” said Morrison Mayor Chris Wolfe. “A lot of the local businesses rely on it, and we are bene tting from

“We work collaboratively with the town on a regular basis, and will continue to work where we can to make those things work,” he said. “It’s a balancing act managing a venue that’s worldrenowned with trying to be good neighbors.”

Glade agreed.

“Tad is easy to work with, and he’s trying to balance between the promoters and artists,” he told the town board. “I just wanted to keep this on the radar. It seems like in the last few years we’ve started amping up (volume) and also the number of concerts.”

Constantly improving technology means sound systems are getting better, he said.

Thor Shriver of Indian Hills identified as victim of Feb. 24 suspected murder

Shriver’s housemate was charged with first-degree murder in the incident

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce identi ed or Andrew Shriver, 58, as the man who died in a suspected Indian

Hills murder on Feb. 24.

Shriver was sharing a home at 4700 Parmalee Gulch Road with Bobby Keith Knapp, 51, according to Morrison-area resident Spencer Davis, whose family owns the home.

At 3:42 p.m. Feb. 24, the Jeffcom Communications Center received a 911 call from a man who said he’d been involved in a shooting at the home, according to a JCSO press release. Deputies arrived on

scene to nd Knapp standing in the driveway near the home and Shriver dead inside with gunshot wounds.

Deputies arrested Knapp and charged him with rst-degree murder.

Davis said Shriver and Knapp knew one another as high school classmates in Utah.

A memorial service for Shriver was held at Morrison’s Red Rocks Grill on March 2, according to Davis. He said Shriver

had been an area resident for many years.

“ or was a salt-of-the-earth good human,” Davis said. “If he saw another human down, he’d be the rst to pick them up. He’d sacri ce his own means to take care of someone else.”

Shriver had two sons, according to Ellis Family Services.

Knapp remains in custody at the Je erson County Jail. A motions hearing is set for March 29.

In addition to concerts, Red Rocks hosts Yoga on the Rocks, Film on the Rocks and high school graduations, and draws a steady stream of tourists and day users. FILE PHOTO

Are You Ready for the Judgement Day?

The Bible says, “People are destined to die once, and after that to face the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Everybody on this earth will face death and then will stand before God and be judged for the life they lived. The problem is, that every one of us has fallen short of the life God wants us to live. “For all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But there’s good news! The Bible lays out a plan for us to be saved through Jesus Christ. Did you know that you can know for certain that you will be saved on that day? The Bible says, “These things we have written to you… so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The question for all who read this is, are you ready for the judgment day? Have you been washed in the blood of Jesus? Do you know for certain that you will be saved? The Bible says, “Repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). If you want to do that today, contact us at the Conifer Church of Christ. We are here to assist you in being prepared to meet the Lord on that last day.

Email: conifercofchelp@gmail.com • Minister: (409) 291-1682

Website: coniferchurchofchrist.org

Mountain Area Spelling Bee draws 15 students

Wilmot’s Lucian Leblanc wins first place in tense contest

BY STAFF REPORT

Evergreen Middle School hosted the Feb. 7 Mountain Area Spelling Bee, drawing 15 students from Bergen Valley Intermediate School, Wilmot Elementary School and Evergreen Middle School.

e top-ranked spellers included Wilmot fourth grader Lucian Leblanc in rst place, Wilmot fourth grader Evelyn Anderson in second place and EMS sixth grader Cullen Dick in third place.

EMS teacher and spelling bee judge Mary Noto said the contest has some tense moments.

“ ere was an extended spell-o for the third place spot between Connor Hutchen and Cullen Dick that lasted ve rounds, but Connor got out on the word ‘contemptible,’” she said. “To vie for rst and second place spots, Evelyn and Lucian went for an additional ve rounds. Evelyn earned second place with her misspelling of ‘insolent’ and Lucian secured rst place with correctly spelling ‘paralysis.’”

Other judges included Wilmot Principal Stephany Fritz and Wilmot STEM tutor Trisha Mihalik.

To make it to the Mountain Area Spelling Bee, participating students had to rst advance through classroom-level and school-level spelling bees.

PHOTO

Shadow Mountain Gallery features art from local elementary students

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Evergreen’s Shadow Mountain Gallery kicked o its annual children’s art display with a pair of open houses March 1 and 3. e artwork of children from six area elementary schools is on display through the month of March, which is National Youth Art Month.

Participating schools include Wilmot, Marshdale, King-Murphy, Bergen Meadow and Bergen Valley elementary schools. e works on display are chosen by each school’s art teacher.

e gallery introduced the kids’ show in 1993 with just two schools and has grown steadily since.

Don Fairchild, special events chairperson for Shadow Moun-

tain Gallery, said the show lls a niche among young artists and brings new tra c to the gallery. It also encourages the students’ creativity, he said.

“Other places have shows for kids in middle and high school, but no one was doing shows for elementary kids,” he said. “ e rest of the artists at the gallery also noticed it was drawing people that were not involved in any of our other shows.”

Additionally, he said, elementary school students are uniquely appreciative of the opportunity.

“It’s always impressive to us to see the way the kids react, to see the level of excitement when they rst come in to see their work in the gallery,” Fairchild said. “ ey have a respect for their training and their own products — and for

Winners in the Feb. 7 Mountain Area Spelling Bee included, from left, Cullen Dick in third place, Evelyn Anderson in second and Lucian Leblanc in first.

Founded in 1990, Shadow Mountain Gallery is an artists’ co-op that gives member artists a platform for showing and selling

Cosette Wisser, a fourth grader at Wilmot Elementary School.

PHOTO BY DON FAIRCHILD

foothills while keeping readers informed about breaking news, local government, sports and more. We take pride and ownership in what we put out from the first time the story idea is discussed to the

PLUNGE

istrations as the event was ending. Active4All, which organizes the lake plunge, uses it as its main fundraiser for INSPIRE and other

time it is put on the page. Canyon Courier reporters spend a lot of time in the communities they cover, and we hope the passion for what we do shines through on each page of every edition.

Each week, the Canyon Courier is filled with the important news you need to know about the things happening in the community. We strive to tell the stories of the in -

Evergreen Park & Recreation District programs. Board President John DuRussel said the plunge raises at least $25,000 annually for these programs; and while 2024’s plunge had record participants, it also had fewer sponsors, he confirmed.

He thanked title sponsor Buffa -

teresting characters in town and the voices and opinions of those who live in the areas the paper covers.

A subscription to the Canyon Courier gets you full access to the Canyon Courier website, which is updated daily, as well as digital access to Colorado Community Media’s two dozen other local newspapers in the metro area. I hope

lo Park Dentistry, the other sponsors, volunteers and participants for all their support. He was excited to see Evergreen continue this New Year’s Day tradition and hoped the 2025 plunge would see similar success.

As usual, the plunge participants were a mix of Evergreen

you’ll join us by taking advantage of the special subscription offer elsewhere in this sample. Thanks for reading!

Kristen Fiore is the editor of the Clear Creek Courant, Canyon Courier, Golden Transcript, Arvada Press and Jeffco Transcript. They can be reached at kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

locals and folks who made the traveled up from the Denver area. Many wore costumes that ranged from superheroes to food items to fairy tale characters.

Whether they were newcomers or plunge veterans, many were eager to start 2024 in a fun, community-focused way.

Dandelions Cafe reopens in Evergreen

New owner o ers fresh menu and works with neighboring businesses to expand customers’ options

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Nick Brunel recently opened the doors to Dandelions Cafe, the moment felt surreal. A lifelong restaurant worker, Brunel reopened the Evergreen restaurant Jan. 3 as its new owner and chef.

“ at rst day was nerve-

New Dandelions Café owner Nick Brunel recently reopened the Evergreen breakfast-and-lunch restaurant.

PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

wracking,” the 27-year-old Golden native said. “You go from it being hypothetical to the day and moment where it becomes real.”

He’s been working toward that moment for more than a decade.

“I started working at restaurants in high school,” Brunel said. “I love the pace. I like to be on my feet, working with my hands. It’s active. It’s engaging. You’re part of a team of people with di erent skill sets. And you get to exercise a lot of creative expression.”

In keeping with that team concept, Brunel is working hand-inhand with neighboring business Bivouac Co ee. He not only sells Biovouac’s co ee in his restaurant, but he and Bivouac owner Rene Steenvoorden encourage their customers to order from

both establishments.

“We only do co ee, but we often have customers who want to eat,” Steenvoorden said. “Nick is just food-focused. We want customers to have one place to go to have really good co ee and good healthy food next door. People can order here and get their food delivered here, or get a co ee here and bring it over there.

“We’re working together in that sense,” Steenvoorden continued. “And I feel like it really helps this area.”

Brunel’s family owns the Hiwan Barn, which houses Dandelions, Bivouac and the Woodcellar Bar & Grill among other businesses. e Woodcellar o ers yet another opportunity for area residents, Brunel said.

Rising costs spell uncertain future for Conifer’s MRC Resale Store

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Conifer’s Mountain Resource Center Resale Store is facing an uncertain future. e center’s lease on its Conifer Marketplace site expires this summer, and a representative of the nonpro t said the current costs are too high.

e MRC board has until the end of March to give written notice on the lease renewal. While the agency’s rst choice is to keep the shop in its current site, board members are looking at other options.

“We’re hoping to negotiate a lower rate,” said MRC board member Marilyn Saltzman. “We understand (the property own-

ers) have expenses as well. So if they can’t, we are developing a timeline and looking at other sites. So far nothing has arisen that would be more economically feasible.

“We’re trying to leave no stone unturned,” Saltzman continued. “But at some point, we’ll have to make the decision: Do we stay where we are, do we move or do we close?”

e Mountain Resource Center is a community-based organization that provides free services for individuals and families that need support.

ose services include the Resale Store, which “o ers a dignied shopping experience where customers nd a ordable items in a welcoming environment,”

cal year. is year, it’s projected to lose $70,410.

e loss is because of increasing costs to rent the space. Since the pandemic, utility costs have doubled and the common area maintenance fee for the space has increased 65 percent, Saltzman said.

PHOTO COURTESY MOUNTAIN RESOURCE CENTER

according to the center’s website. Resale Store sale proceeds help fund MRC’s programs and services.

e store is currently operating at a signi cant de cit, losing $51,000 at the end of the 2023 s-

e MRC board said it’s not scally responsible to keep spending its limited donor dollars to subsidize the store. ose contributions, along with the grants MRC receives, are needed to fund programs that directly bene t those in need, the board agreed.

ose somber nancial facts aside, everyone wants the store to remain in Conifer Marketplace. at includes the property manager.

The Mountain Resource Center’s Resale Store in Conifer Marketplace may be priced out of its current home.

EHS poms team hosts annual clinic

40 younger students join varsity squad for half-time performance

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Evergreen High School’s varsity poms hosted a Feb. 9 clinic for area K-8 students, aiming at getting younger students interested in poms and dance.

More than 40 girls attended the annual event, a fundraiser for the EHS poms team. Between pizza and games, the high school team taught the younger students choreography for a half-time performance. e entire group performed the dance during the Feb. 9 boys basketball game between EHS and Littleton High School.

a chance to not only attend a Poms practice but also experience being part of the team and performing for a crowd.

Head Coach of the team,” said the team’s coach Amy Updike. “ e kids are so excited to get their poms and show their parents what they learn. is is also a night for our Poms to take a break from practicing and just have fun doing what they love.”

“ e Junior and Middle School Poms clinic is a fun community event, and we have many kids who have attended multiple times,” said Beth Shaughnessy, president of the Poms Booster Club. “It is a great way for our girls to interact with future Poms, share what it’s like to be on the team, and perhaps even instill a love of dance for years to come.”

“I enjoyed this event during my time as an EHS Pom and now as

Funds raised through the EHS poms clinic support the team’s attendance at the NDA National Championships, set for March 8-10 in Orlando, Florida.

Evergreen renovating, adding new pickleball courts

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Pickleball is the country’s fastest-growing sport and has been for three years running, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. And with the constant addition of new pickleball players, so too grows the demand for courts.

e Evergreen Park and Recreation District will help meet that demand this spring when it ofcially converts what was previously a combination pickleball/ tennis court into all pickleball. e Marshdale Park courts, originally built in the 1970s, will be resurfaced and repainted, and new nets will be installed. e park is near North Turkey Creek Road and Highway 73.

“We’re making it solely a pickleball facility because programming for pickleball tournaments and events is so popular,” said EPRD Executive Director Cory Vander Veen, who is also a pickleball player.

Meanwhile, a developer is in the early stages of plans to convert the Evergreen Tennis Club into a pickleball/tennis facility with 8 covered pickleball courts. EPRD’s future plans for the redevelopment of Buchanan Park also call for the addition of pickleball courts there.

e EPRD board is expected to approve the $300,000 Marshdale Park court renovation during its March 27 meeting, with the 8-week project slated for May and June.

EPRD had originally planned a much more expensive upgrade at the Marshdale courts that would have included pouring a new slab and adding more pickleball courts. But based on community feedback and further evaluation, district leaders took a di erent tack.

“Instead of an $800,000-plus project, we’re much more dialed back to renovating the existing slab and just take care of what we have,” Vander Veen. “ en we can redistribute those funds and put them toward other projects.”

e contractor will remove the damaged asphalt that serves as the court surface now, then re nish the top of the concrete underneath the asphalt to serve as the new playing surface.

“We’ll get many more years out of the paint and nets and court surface this way, and it will reduce the annual maintenance costs,” Vander Veen said.

EPRD plans to nd alternative places for pickleball players to get their x during the renovation, including Evergreen Middle School and added court time at the Wulf Recreation Center gymnasium.

Pickleball was invented in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three friends. It gained momentum during the pandemic as a socially distant way for people to stay active, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. e association estimates that about 36.5 million people have played the game at least once in 2023.

More than 40 students from the mountain area participated in the Feb. 9 annual EHS Varsity Poms clinic. PHOTOS BY BETH SHAUGHNESSY

Conifer Rotary’s MindFest draws hundreds

Event focused on mental health featured speakers, practitioners and fun for all ages

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Conifer Rotary’s rst MindFest mental health fair drew hundreds of people to Our Lady of Pines Church Feb. 17 to listen to speakers, learn about mental health resources and play games.

“It completely exceeded my expectations — the numbers, the energy and the overwhelmingly positive comments,” said Yvonne Lipson, club secretary and one of the event organizers. “I talked to

several people who said they needed this. at made me feel so good. We will de nitely have it again.”

e event included representatives from 30 organizations o ering traditional and nontraditional mental health therapies and eight speakers addressing subjects ranging from cyberbullying to anxiety, along with games, ra es, food and swag bags.

Kittredge resident Melissa Duley said the fair was informative and positive.

“It seems like they have resources for people from all over the map, from seniors to kids,” she said.

“We loved it,” said Conifer resident Kristen Goodrich. “It was a great experience and good for kids.”

Conifer Rotary member and volunteer Sandy Lipina said the club

SEE MINDFEST, P15

Ami Knecht of Conifer-based Vibro-Acoustic Therapy checks on Eileen

Mountain residents ‘chill out’ on Evergreen Lake

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Under sunny skies and with warm temperatures that belied the event’s name, the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce hosted another successful Chill Out Winterfest on March 2.

Mountain-area residents gathered on Evergreen Lake for an ice shing clinic and contest and Mushies Cup oatie races, with others competing in teams in Evergreen versions of Amazing Race. Warm weather had deteriorated ice conditions and forced the cancellation of the planned evening skating, but the festival’s other events went o without a hitch.

“We were so lucky to have such beautiful weather,” said Chamber President Nancy Judge. “Everyone seemed to have a really good time.

e downtown leg of the Amazing Race seemed to be a great addition. Business owners who participated said their sales were up, with some people saying they’d never been in before. at’s

the whole reason we do it.”

Chill Out, which debuted in 2023, was designed to help ght cabin fever with a day of fun.

During the Amazing Race, people competed in cars and on foot, following clues in scavenger hunt-style events.

e Mushies Cup drew teams of families and friends, who pulled one another on an in atable in a light-hearted race around an obstacle course.

Evergreen Park and Recreation District also hosted an ice shing clinic and contest, which attracted many area residents who’d never before tried the sport.

“ e kids have been asking to do it for a while, and we just didn’t have the setup,” said Evergreen resident Megan Rodriguez. “So we thought this was a good way to try it rst. We haven’t had any bites yet, but I just enjoy being out in the beautiful weather.”

Likewise, Maureen Upton said she and her family moved to the Evergreen area a few years

ago and had seen the ice shing huts on the lake.

“ is is our shing dream come true,” she said. “We’ve been curious for so long about ice shing. It’s an activity people travel hours to do. We’re taking advantage of it right here in our community.”

“It’s great,” agreed Upton’s son Kevin. “You don’t have to think about anything while you’re doing it.”

Elena and Derek Andreson and their son Alexis had also been curious about the sport.

“We y sh but this is di erent,” Elena Anderson said. “It’s much more mysterious because you have to imagine what’s going on underneath, as opposed to y shing where you can see the currents.”

e day ended with a family game night in the Lake House.

Judge said the chamber plans to bring Chill Out back in 2025. e chamber added events this year, and will likely do so again.

“ at’s certainly our hope,” Judge said.

Shurman of Arvada, who tried out the vibration-based therapy during the Feb. 17 MindFest in Conifer.

PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

chose mental health as its cause, and turnout for MindFest shows it’s a subject that resonates with many.

“ is was a wonderful way to bring awareness to mental health, help break down those stigmas and let people learn about all the resources there are,” she said. “ e Conifer Rotary is committed to this topic. It touches everybody. And when it a ects someone you love, it a ects the extended community as well.”

Lipson said surveys of both participants and vendors showed strong support for continuing MindFest as an annual event.

And while the Conifer Rotary plans to bring it back next year, Lipson hopes other towns will springboard o their idea.

“Part of me says let’s go bigger,” she said. “But what I’d really like to see is other communities picking up the idea and creating a MindFest-type event of their own. at would be ideal.”

From left, exchange students Sarah Zangrando and Julia Ambrosio, with Conifer Rotary member Janine Payton paint rocks during the Feb. 17 MindFest. PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

Conifer nonprofit helps veterans, service people and civilians

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Former Lakewood police ocer Erick Perez’s life changed forever in December 2021 when a mass shooter killed ve people, injured his partner and shot at him. But with the help of Conifer nonpro t Faithfully K9 and his dog Chispa, the change marked an unexpected evolution in his life of service — not the end of it.

Chispa, originally adopted as a family pet, is now a service dog. And Perez is a trainer with Faithfully K9 who’s also pursuing a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.

“It’s been amazing,” Perez said. “Because I went through that therapeutic healing myself, I fell in love with it.

“We’ve been conditioned to be hard and suck it up,” he continued. “But much like we go see a doctor when something hurts in our body,

I think it’s also important to look at our mental health. And a service dog, with its unconditional love and the bond you have, makes a di erence. It’s amazing what a dog can do in your life.”

Conifer resident Cathy Kowalski founded Faithfully K9 in 2018 to help those with disabilities or su ering the e ects of trauma. Unlike service dog organizations that match people with a puppy — requiring years of training — Faithfully K9 works with an individual to train their own dog or puppy as a service dog. Training typically takes 7 to 12 months.

“I saw a void,” said Kowalski, formerly a trainer with Englewoodbased Freedom Service Dogs. “Many times, people had a great dog at home they already had a relationship with, but had to add an already trained dog to their household.

“We also feel these dogs save lives because their owners don’t have to wait 3 to 5 years to get a dog,” she continued. “We work with a lot of veterans who have PTSD. If you have PTSD, you don’t have years to wait.”

Regardless of breed, she said, the canine’s character traits make it uniquely quali ed to be a service animal.

“Dogs don’t judge you,” Kowalski

said. “ ey love you no matter what. ey just want to please you and be there for you — and they bring a smile to your face.”

In 2023, with the help of three trainers, Faithfully K9 graduated 30 dogs from its program. At least 50% of the dogs it trains were adopted as rescues, and training is provided at no cost to veterans or active duty military. Civilians pay a signi cantly discounted rate.

Not every dog makes it through the program, or quali es to participate. Kowalski and her fellow trainers pull on ears, pick up paws and do a variety of other physical tests on each candidate dog. While many service dog programs use speci c breeds, Kowalski said any dog has the capacity to serve.

“A dog must be comfortable with a stranger handling it, not afraid of loud noises, or a tug on the tail,” she said. “If a dog’s growling at me, we’re done. e few dogs that don’t make it usually fail because of problems with people.”

Faithfully K9 trainers work for about a year with each owner/dog pair, typically training in the client’s home and community. eir clients’ range extends from Broomeld south to Castle Rock, and Aurora west to Conifer. Clients from

outside those areas also travel to train with the team.

Saved by a dog

Fort Lupton resident Gabriel Griego is among those clients who felt he had run out of time. e former Marine was medically discharged from the service after suffering an injury. He said he was diagnosed with PTSD stemming in part from childhood and sexual trauma, and struggled with substance abuse. Griego tried multiple medications, but could not shake his dark thoughts and feelings.

“I always joked I took every pill imaginable,” he said. “Half of them made me more suicidal. A lot of it just didn’t work for me and continued to make me feel worse. After my last suicide attempt in 2022, my wife said, ‘We need to gure something out.’”

Griego learned about Faithfully K9 through WarriorNOW, a nonpro t aimed at helping veterans with mental health and other challenges. Kowalski helped him nd Nala, a lab/masti mix who is now a year-and-a-half old. e two began training together when Nala was a puppy.

SERVICE DOGS

e change in Griego’s quality of life has been dramatic. With Nala at his side, his previous struggles with loud noise, crowds and people approaching him from behind have eased. Depression still haunts him, but when it descends, Nala is a warm and soothing presence.

“A year and a month into the training, there are days where it’s still difcult,” he said. “Nala is the one who pulls me out of those days. And the di erent training we do connects me back to myself and to Nala, and calms me down.

“She also helps my wife because Nala realizes when I’m going through a funk,” he said. “She’ll lay on me and just stare at my wife, like she’s saying ‘It’s OK, I got him.’ I’ve put my wife through so much with all the mental health stu ; I’m so grateful that now she can take that breather.”

Griego has also been substance free for two years, which he credits in large part to the help Faithfully K9 has provided.

“I was shocked by everything they do for veterans and rst responders — something so truly life saving at absolutely no cost to us,” he said. “Every veteran I know, we don’t stop ghting. e reason so many of us succumb to suicide is we just want the pain to end.

“ ere are so many people like me that have gone down these dark paths who I hope can stop trying to end their pain in a di erent way,” he continued. “Instead, hang out with a four-legged best friend all day. ings will be a little bit more ok.”

Griego is now working with Suicide Prevention Coaliton of Colorado, where he is focused on helping veterans. And in imitation of her owner, Nala is also extending her reach to help others.

“I take Nala into some of my meetings,” he said. “She’s awesome at picking up on the needs of other people. You see her tail wagging because she’s so excited to help anyone she can.”

Training for success

Kowalski and her team train dogs

in the owner’s homes, and in public. e dogs must learn to ignore distractions — like food, crowds, other dogs and enthusiastic children — and keep the focus on their owner. at makes shopping centers like the Castle Rock Factory Outlets ideal.

Kowalski recently met there with Colorado Springs client Levi Francis, and his six-month goldendoodle Finn. Francis su ered both mental and physical trauma while serving in the military and in childhood. Due to an injury, he also has screws in his feet that make it tough for him to balance.

Francis had been searching for a support dog since 2021 with no success. Other agencies turned down his request for a variety of reasons. Because Francis and his wife foster a variety of animals with disabilities, one said the environment would be too chaotic for training a service dog.

Faithfully K9 saw it di erently. Kowalski said “yes” to Francis’ request, and a nonpro t for which Francis volunteers led him to Finn.

At six months, Finn is tall and broad, and uncharacteristically calm for his age. His copper curls and teddy-bear features draw the attention of children and adults alike, but Finn is nearly unwavering in his focus — which is Francis.

“He’s a giant, dopey, lovable dude,” Francis said. “Our ferrets sleep next to him. He ts in perfectly with our family. We’re training really fast. Overall, he’s pretty amazing. O leash, he acts like a puppy. In training, he’s always listening.”

Like Nala, Finn has learned to sit or stand between Francis’ legs on command, a posture that allows Francis to physically connect with the dog, diverting his focus from any fears or anxiety-inducing distractions. Because of his size, Finn also helps his owner with balance issues resulting from the screws in his feet.

work with.”

He’s an ideal helpmate for Francis, whose hypervigilance and triggers are slowly easing.

“I’ve been able to go out a lot more,” he said. “I’m being less watchful just because he distracts me. My wife was surprised the other day because I o ered to go to the movies. He’s a fantastic partner to

Faithfully K9 has a thick book of similar success stories. It also has far more demand for services than resources to meet it.

“We have over 60 clients we’re working with, and I have more people calling me every day,” Kowalski said. “We have dogs working with therapists and psychiatrists in schools. We do skilled companions for rst responders. We work with a

lot of re ghters and police o cers. We are always struggling to nd donations.”

Despite those ongoing struggles, Kowalski is tireless in her mission. For her, it is a calling.

“I do this to help people,” she said. “I believe that’s why we’re here on this planet. Just making a di erence in one person’s life is worth it.”

For more information or to donate, visit faithfullyk9.com.

Colorado Springs resident and veteran Levi Francis trains with his dog, Finn, at the Castle Rock Factory Stores.

PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

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The death zone

Because of the dearth of oxygen, the region above 26,000 feet (8,000 meters) in mountaineering is referred to as the death zone. Only the hardiest or foolhardiest souls venture up to those regions. But in a sense, every person lives in the death zone. It’s part of life. One breath you’re here and before the next, you’re out of here. We prefer not to think of that because it’s a downer. After all, who wants to think of dying when they have so much living to do?

I recall how in my youth I thought I was invincible. Death only hap-

JERRY FABYANIC Columnist

pened to others, like our soldiers and Marines slogging through the sauna of Vietnam and to old people. Old, as in what I am now. It’s true the odds of dying greatly increase if one’s in a war zone or if they live to a ripened age. At some point, a bomb might explode too close for comfort or the body wears out. But that doesn’t ne-

gate the reality that death happens to younger people for a range of reasons, from disease to bad luck and poor choices.

Generally, the thought of one’s death tends to be a distant concern. However, it becomes more pronounced in our consciousness at around the Medicare threshold age: 65. It’s then that we’re thought to have crossed into the gray stage of life, a limbo or transitional period, not necessarily at the ICU level but, nevertheless, a heartbeat away from being carted o to it or to the beyond given Nature’s ironclad law mandat-

ing that which lives must wither and die. at law certainly applies to our physical being. But what about the mind?

Consider whether one’s mind and body wither concurrently. Can one decline faster than the other? Can one fall apart while the other remains relatively intact or even strengthens? ink about how many times you heard that someone was sharp as a tack up to the moment of their earthly departure. ink about physically t younger people whose

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minds are destroyed by Alzheimer’s or another malady.

It’s clear that our body and mind don’t age along a parallel course, but often we con ate them and conclude they do. When in my sixties, I ran seven marathons. Prior to that, I couldn’t run one, arguably because of my mindset. Today, I’d be hard pressed to run a half-marathon. Prior to age 65, I didn’t have the wherewithal to write a book, but since then I’ve written four, and a couple more are baking in my writer’s kiln. Further, I used to struggle making headway with the New York Times cross-

word puzzles. Now, I often crush them, even the weekend editions.

Based on those experiences, I’ve concluded that while my body is slowing and my athletic prowess ebbing, the old noodle is getting stronger. And I’m not alone. Many give testament about adding life to their years by re ning their skills in their favorite pastimes, pursuing new ventures, or learning a new language. Or writing a book. So, what gives?

We like to say we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, yet we do exactly that with people not only with regard to race, gender, or sexual orientation, but also with their age and the shape or condition of their body.

e plain truth is looks are deceiving whether in relation to a book cover

or people. We often picture Albert Einstein as the face of brilliance but don’t with Stephen Hawking, whose body was horri cally contorted from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Yet, their IQs were equivalent, somewhere in the stratosphere.

e mind, like the rest of the body, needs to be exercised and fed healthy nutrients. roughout life, it’s an ongoing challenge to develop, strengthen and maintain it. Assuredly, it gets harder as we age, but harder doesn’t mean impossible. In fact, it’s quite possible to not only maintain mental acuity but also to increase it and to retrain the brain in the process. I see that in my senior role models, especially those who cite answers to crossword clues I’m

clueless about.

Rather than a downhill trajectory, I compare aging to climbing. Like for mountaineers tramping inexorably up through Mt. Everest’s or K2’s thin air, trekking through one’s later years is not for the faint of heart. It requires a steeliness that only a lifetime of conditioning can prepare one for. Nonetheless, the going can get tough. But when that happens, it helps to keep in mind that while our physical muscles are weakening and perhaps atrophying, we have others, intangible but just as real, that can be toned and put to use.

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

2023 - 2024 SEASON

MASTERWORKS CONCERT SERIES

William Hill | Music Director

Season Finale Concert

HILL AND BEETHOVEN

Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra

Featuring JAMIE SHAAK - Piano

WILLIAM HILL - World Premiere!

Symphony No. 3, Op. 55 in Eb Major - “Eroica” LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

EVERGREEN PERFORMANCE

3pm - Saturday, April 20th, 2024

Rockland Community Church

Experience the world premiere of legendary Colorado composer William Hill’s newest work featuring renowned pianist Jamie Shaak, alongside one of Beethoven’s greatest Symphonies - with two performances at beautiful venues in Evergreen and Arvada.

DENVER PERFORMANCE

3pm - Sunday, April 21st, 2024

Arvada United Methodist Church

Information and tickets at www.evergreenchamberorch.org