Clear Creek Courant April 11, 2024

Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado

Week of 25 March 2024

Each day at about 8 a.m. a local National Weather Service volunteer observer makes temperature and precipitation observations at the Georgetown Weather Station and wind observations at Georgetown Lake. “Max” and “Min” temperatures are from an NWS digital “Maximum/Minimum Temperature System.” “Mean daily” temperature is the calculated average of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is inches of rainfall plus melted snow. “Snowfall” is inches of snow that accumulated. T = Trace of precipitation or snowfall. NR = Not Reported. “Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake” is the velocity and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred during the 24 hours preceding the observation time. Historic data are based on the period of record for which statistical data have been compiled (about 55 years within the period 1893-2023). Any weather records noted are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set.

Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado

Week of 25 March 2024

Each day at about 8 a.m. a local National Weather Service volunteer observer makes temperature and precipitation observations at the Georgetown Weather Station and wind observations at Georgetown Lake. “Max” and “Min” temperatures are from an NWS digital “Maximum/Minimum Temperature System.” “Mean daily” temperature is the calculated average of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is inches of rainfall plus melted snow. “Snowfall” is inches of snow that accumulated. T = Trace of precipitation or snowfall. NR = Not Reported. “Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake” is the velocity and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred during the 24 hours preceding the observation time. Historic data are based on the period of record for which statistical data have been compiled (about 55 years within the period 1893-2023). Any weather records noted are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set

High school students in Clear Creek County consider future jobs during career day

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Tables were set, banners hung from the walls and equipment was displayed as employers tried to attract local students to a career in their eld March 28 in the cafeteria at Clear Creek High School in Evergreen.

Finding quali ed and motivated young employees to work in Clear Creek County is a challenge, according to nearly every vendor at the event.

“It’s real hard in the law enforcement community. It’s harder for us because we’re in a rural community and our challenges are di erent,” Sheri Matthew Harris said.

the kids that work in this community, born and raised in this community and want to stay in this community,” Harris said.

e need for quality candidates is real right now, according to several agencies at Career Day, including Evergreen Fire and EMS.

“It’s really needed right now. We have a huge age gap, all of us here are in the beginning of the next generation coming up all of our mentors are retiring,” Training Lt. Brianne Cameron said during the event.

Students picked up swag and other items from the job vendors and learned a little more about careers.

ere is an adage repeated in Clear Creek County by employers and public service agencies: “If you live in Clear Creek County you don’t work in the county, if you work in the county you can’t a ord to live in the county.”

“I’m hoping to learn more about careers in this area, maybe learn more about the railroad company. I also wanted to learn about mining. My Dad does a lot of mining,” 10thgrade student Ron Mackinnon said.

e statement isn’t completely accurate, but does go to show the hardships of nding a job in Clear Creek that can pay enough to live in the county and that’s what employers say they struggle with constantly.

“It’s expensive to live in the county, so a lot of people who work at the sheri ’s o ce live down in Denver Metro. We really want to reach out to

During the hour-long career fair, hands were shaken, contact information was traded and job descriptions and invitations were provided to students in the hopes of nding coworkers in the county.

“It’s a great career, it’s great camaraderie, you’re serving your public, you’re serving your community. ere is nothing more rewarding than public service,” Harris concluded.

Here’s How I See the NAR Settlement Affecting Buyers, Sellers and Their Agents

Two weeks ago I focused on how the media has covered the settlement between the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and sellers regarding the payment of buyer agent commissions. At the end of that article I directed readers to my blog to read my further thoughts about how the settlement would affect buyers, sellers and their agents.

Since not all readers visited that website (or it might have crashed), I’ll share those insights in this week’s column.

Estate Commission (CREC) will tweak the Exclusive Right to Sell (listing) contract to remove the offer of co-op compensation from Sec. 7.1.1. Instead of entering, for example, 5% to 6% as the commission, the contract will likely show 2.5% to 3% as the commission.

Note: This column was published last Thursday in the Denver Post but not in the weekly newspapers.

I’m convinced that sellers will still want to offer some amount of compensation to buyers’ agents as an incentive to show their homes. Because co-op commissions will no longer be published in the MLS, listing agents will come up with off-MLS ways of providing that information. Failing that, they should expect buyers’ agents to call them before an offer is submitted to find out what compensation, if any, can be inserted in the purchase contract.

Buyers’ agents who didn’t get their buyer to agree to pay them a commission can be expected to call listing agents about compensation before they even show the listing. If more than one agent asks the listing agent that question and then fails to set a showing, the listing agent might get his seller to offer a coop commission.

Note: Although co-op compensation will not appear on the MLS, listing agents (like Golden Real Estate’s) who create a website for each listing can mention co-op compensation there, and ads (like the one below) can include that information too, drawing buyers to show your listing over other listings.

Here are some practical changes that can be expected. First, the Colorado Real

Arvada Home Just

neighborhood,

bay window. The kitchen

living

If the seller agrees to the idea of incentivizing buyers’ agents, it could be expressed in a newly created section of the listing agreement or under Additional Provisions like this: “If a buyer’s agent requests compensation, Broker is authorized to offer x% commission to be paid by Seller at closing.”

Beware, however: Not offering the exact same commission to every inquiring agent could constitute a Fair Housing violation. It would be better to publish that amount, such as on a listing flyer and/or listing website.

I have always advocated for buyers to have professional representation, so I welcome the settlement’s requirement to have a signed buyer agency agreement before showing listings. This can be a 1day or 1-week agreement, to allow the buyer time to decide if he/she wants a formal exclusive relationship with that agent. However, buyers will likely be reluctant to sign anything just to see a home, so they will likely call listing agents instead.

When a listing agent shows his or her own listing, the buyer isn’t required to sign anything, although the listing agent is required to present the buyer with a “Brokerage Disclosure to Buyer” that he/ she represents the seller and that the buyer is a “customer.” (Buyer can decline to sign that disclosure.)

Are listing agents prepared for that onslaught? Listing agents who are used to putting a listing in the MLS and wait-

$797,000

quartz countertops, an island and stainless steel appliances. The family room, right off the kitchen, has a gas fireplace, skylights, and doors leading out to a large, covered deck, which looks out to the backyard and open space. There is a bedroom on the first floor which can be used as an office, and a 3/4 bathroom. The upstairs boasts a large primary bedroom with lots of light, a laundry chute, an ensuite bathroom with a built-in vanity table, and a walk-in closet. One of the upstairs guest bedrooms has a walk-in closet. The other has a double closet. The upstairs full bathroom has a tiled bathtub/shower. The loft overlooks the family room and has large windows letting in lots of natural light. The basement has a large play/family area with a 15'x6' nook area. Another great feature is the utility/workroom, it’s huge! The location is terrific, near the mountains, and close to Westwoods golf course. Find more details and video tour at www.ArvadaHome.info. OPEN HOUSE April 13th, 11-3.

ing for other agents to sell it won’t like buyers asking for showings — especially once they aren’t able to get sellers to sign a 5% to 6% listing agreement.

The rules will disproportionately hurt buyers who can barely afford a downpayment, unless lenders allow a buyer commission to be included in the loan amount, and those buyers won’t be able to come up with thousands in cash to pay their agents. Those buyers will surely go to listing agents directly.

Meanwhile, listing agents are used to their paycheck doubling when they don’t have to share their 5 to 6 percent commission with a buyer’s agent. That’s going to go away unless listing agents convince their sellers to put a provision in their contract that if no commission is owed to a buyer’s agent, then the listing commission is increased by x%.

The CREC’s Exclusive Right to Buy contract has long had a section which says the buyer’s broker will request payment from the seller but, failing that, buyer agrees to pay a stated fee for representation. Here’s how those sections of the buyer agency contract read:

Buyers can be expected to resist almost any percentage, since they have never paid a commission in the past. Because of this, more buyers can be expected to call listing agents to see homes instead of hiring a buyer’s agent, although I’ll continue to advocate for buyers to hire an agent to represent them.

Justifying the listing commission will be an easier sell, but only if the listing agent offers the kind of value we do at Golden Real Estate. It will be a harder sell for listing agents who provide minimal value to their sellers.

Here’s a partial list of the value Golden Real Estate agents provide to our sellers:

 A free staging consultation

 Free use of our box truck, free moving boxes, and free packing materials, including bubble wrap

 Magazine quality still photos, HD narrated video tour, and aerial photos and video

 Custom websites for each listing and custom URLs (e.g., yourhome.com)

 Advertising your home next to this

These will become the default sections in the buyer agency contract. Agents working with a buyer will seek to insert 2.5% to 3% in their buyer agency agreement in case a seller doesn’t agree to that much (or any) compensation for the buyer’s agent. Percentages like that will be a hard sell, because the buyer would be on the hook for the difference between what the seller pays (if anything) and what’s in their buyer agency agreement.

real estate column in the Denver Post and 23 weekly newspapers

 Discount on the listing commission when we don’t have to pay a buyer’s agent and/or when we earn a commission selling you a replacement home.

The NAR settlement still allows the MLS to include an offer of monetary concessions for buyers, such as paying for buyers’ closing costs, or paying for an interest rate buydown on buyer’s loan.

Where can you get the best chicken wings in Idaho Springs?

Participants in a “Wing Crawl” will determine that in May while benefiting a local food bank

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Several Idaho Springs restaurants will prepare a variety of their best chicken wings May 4 in a “Wing Crawl” to bene t Loaves and Fishes food bank in Clear Creek County.

“It’s all about determining who had the best wings in Idaho Springs, that’s how it got started. We decided to nd out you have to go to all the places that serve wings,” event organizer Carolyn Hohne of St Mary’s said.

is will be the second annual wing crawl through Idaho Springs, and Hohne said it just made sense to make it a charitable event.

“I thought it makes sense to bene t a charity and since this was a food event Loaves and Fishes was the logical charity to approach and they jumped on-board,” Hohne said.

Loaves and Fishes is a faith-based food pantry that serves people with no discrimination, according to Director Rachel Josselyn.

It o ers hot-meals and an opportunity to select from canned goods, fresh fruit, meat, cereal and pasta; even diapers are available at 545 CO-103 in Idaho Springs, according to Josselyn.

In the rst three months of this year, Loaves and Fishes has served more than 1,160 meals and distributed thousands of pounds of food, according to statistics provided by the food bank.

“It helps people be able to not have to stress about food on top of everything else,” Josselyn said. “If they can get enough food here to feed themselves for a week then they can put some money back into their savings and it can help people get back up

on their feet.”

e Wing Crawl starts at noon on Saturday, May 4 and will include eight Idaho Springs restaurants. Participants will get two wings at each location and it’s scheduled to wrapup at 7 p.m.

Idaho Springs restaurants providing the wings this year are: Smokin’ Yards BBQ, Tommyknocker Brewery, Pick Axe Pizza, e Banana Leaf, Beau Jo’s, e Vintage Moose, Clear Creek Cidery and MTN Prime.

e style of wings will di er with each restaurant. Tommyknocker plans to unveil a new wing exclusively for the event according to manager Tim Hastings, who said the unique avor will be unveiled the day of the crawl.

“We are very big into doing events that help support Clear Creek,” Hastings said.

Just down Miner Street at Pick Axe Pizza, con dence is high it will win the “Best Wing Award’’ during the crawl with its “pterodactyl” size wings.

“I think we have the best wings, and it helps Loaves and Fishes and the community,” manager Shelby Joyce said.

Most of the restaurant managers who spoke to the Courant said they are in it to win the best wing title for 2024, however, they also understand the big winner of the crawl has already been determined.

“ e restaurants are the key to this event. eir partnership makes the event possible because they donate the wings,” Hohne said. “It allows me to say to anybody making a donation that 100% of your dollars goes to Loaves and Fishes.”

e crawl starts at noon May 4 and will gather at Citizens Park located at the corner Miner Street and 16th Avenue in Idaho Springs.

Tickets are $25 ahead of the event and $30 day of the crawl. Visit ze y.com/en-US/ticketing/d37f3fae-123b-4ef4-b0d0-fc05754be962 to purchase tickets.

Loaves and Fishes can be reached at 303-567-4450.

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Clear Creek County kids swim in eggs for Easter

The Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District in Idaho Springs provided hundreds of plastic eggs floating on top of the water

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Although the plastic eggs were empty, kids in swimming suits dove

into piles of them oating on top of the water March 29 at the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District pool in Idaho Springs.

e young swimmers loaded up baskets full of the empty eggs and redeemed them for candy at the surrounding tables in the rec center. It may seem a little unusual the annual egg hunt takes place in the pool, but some locals say there’s a good reason.

“(It’s) being outside and hunting Easter eggs in the snow versus being able to come in and do an inside activity where it’s warm and she gets to swim around with her friends,” St Mary’s resident Morgan

Barnes said, referring to her fouryear-old Aspen.

e event is one of many sponsored by the CCMRD though-out the year and was open and free to the public.

“It’s di erent than a normal egg hunt so it’s fun to go swim,” Court-

ney Reynolds of Georgetown said while watching her ve-year-old Magnolia jumping into the eggs.

“It’s really important to us that our kids have every opportunity that they would have in a big city,

Hundreds of plastic eggs were poured into the CCRMD pool for the annual Easter egg hunt in Idaho Springs. PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL

EGG HUNT

and if that means having an egg hunt in a pool, then that’s what you do,” Reynolds added.

So just how many eggs lled the pool for this event? “A gazillion,” Director of Special Events and the rec center Sam

Rees said, laughing.  e Easter egg event is a great way to bring the community together at this time of the season Rees said. e logistics of keeping the kids safe fell on Head CCMRD Lifeguard Kali McCarghy.

“It’s a little chaotic, but it’s fun. We make sure we have a lot of lifeguards here to make sure everyone is being monitored,” McCarghy said. “ e pool

is covered entirely. It’s a challenge having all the eggs on the water and not being able to see underneath,” she added.

At the end of the event, everyone who wanted it went home with Easter candy lling baskets rather than empty plastic eggs.

is will give the rec center in Idaho Springs to dry all the eggs and reuse them for next year.

at CCMRD Kali McCarghy keeps an eye on kids in the CCMRD pool during the Easter egg hunt. PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL

Four-year-old Aspen Barnes enjoys the CCMRD Easter egg hunt in Idaho Springs March 29.

Each spring, I get the itch to give my home a serious deep cleaning, declutter the unnecessary items accumulated throughout the school year, and organize everything. Turns out, decluttering your brain is just as important as organizing your home.

Here are some of our favorite tips for a healthier headspace this spring.

1. Start journaling

Keep a journal of your thoughts, worries, fears and upsets. Research shows this is highly e ective in allowing them to release from your mind.

2. Drop a bad habit

Pick an area in your life that has an impact on your mental health. For many of us, this might be diet or exercise. Make an e ort to drop the habit and replace it with a healthier option. Instead of lazy Sundays (which are totally great in our book), maybe switch to lazy Sunday afternoons after a Sunday run. Or instead of hopping on your phone to scroll rst thing in the morning, open your journal or meditate.

3. Tackle projects you’ve been putting o

We all have a mental (and physical) list of projects we need to tack-

VOICES

Spring into a healthy headspace

LIFE BALANCED

50 years of Courant headlines not to be confused with news

BY TEDDY JACOBSEN

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

County hires tourism director after six years – April 10, 2013

Clear Creek County Tourism Bureau hired a new director after nearly six years. Cassandra Patton of Littleton said she was excited to step

Megan Trask and Cody Galloway

le. Kick o your “mental health spring cleaning” by writing down all of the things that you’ve been putting o – like scheduling the gutter cleaning and window washer you have had on your list for two seasons, or nally going to the dermatologist. A shameless plug: send that list to TULA and let us take care of those projects for you. We promise it feels just as satisfying to cross them o your list when someone else does them for you.

4. Focus on positive relationships

We all have people in our lives that we love, but with whom we don’t have the healthiest or most enjoyable relationships. Instead of spending time prioritizing those people, consider dedicating your time to positive friendships and relationships.

5. Digital detox

I have heard this a few times and in a few di erent ways, but the way it really stuck for me was when I heard someone say, “hey, think of it

this way – what do you do or what does 99% of tech troubleshooters tell you to do when a computer or electronic device isn’t working correctly?” e answer is power cycle of course (which is just a fancy way of saying turn it o and turn it back on). Once in a while, we need to do the same. Get o your phone, your computer, social media, etc. and truly recharge. It can be a few hours, a day, a weekend, or even longer if you can do it. It is magical and you may even forget why you were so attached to your devices in the rst place.

6. Get outside

Open the shades rst thing in the morning. Take your work meetings on a walk. I don’t know about you, but I feel very strongly that all meetings don’t have to be video anymore just because we got accustomed to that after the last few years of backto-back virtual meetings. Walk and talk and spend your lunch break outside. Enjoy those extra hours of sunlight in the evening to do something outside – or simply eat your dinner outside. We started going on TULA walk meetings, and I believe we cover more than we do when in front of our computers. Regardless, one thing is for sure, a little dose of Vitamin D and fresh air, no matter when you can t it in, will do wonders.

7. Shift perspective

Accept that you’re not perfect, and neither is the world around you. Look closer at the moments of progress and joy instead of the ones that bring you anger and frustration.

8. Get back to gratitude

One great way to ignite a bit of a release and promote a healthy mind is to take some time to focus on everything you have to be grateful for. You can do this in a number of ways. I personally use a gratitude journal because I like being prompted to think about things that don’t always immediately come to mind. But you can simply dedicate time to make a daily list or incorporate it into your family rituals. is is a common dinner question for us (though admittedly, we de nitely could be more consistent). However you practice gratitude, there is no doubt that if you spend more time thinking about all you have to be thankful for, there is less space to stress over things you don’t have or don’t have control over.

Megan Trask and Cody Galloway are Denver residents and co-founders of TULA Life Balanced. Learn more about their business at tulabalanced.com.

OLDS: This week in the Clear Creek Courant…

into the role. “I love what Colorado has to o er,” she said. “And tourism isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.”

Residents call for disbanding of Historic Preservation Commission –April 13, 1994

Jhari Sander of Idaho Springs presented two petitions to the Idaho Springs City Council, asking the city to abolish the Historic Preservation Review Commission. She said the group had become “biased and political.” e rst petition was signed by 32 business owners. Eleven property owners signed the other.

Python meatballs served at school –

April 13, 1994

‘Python Meatballs’ was just one of the delicacies o ered by 6th graders at Georgetown Elementary School’s International Day, where students presented on di erent countries.

Bill Berglof, who studied South Korea, assured his classmates that he bought the python meat from Safeway.

Politics a question in county law-enforcement resignation – April 12, 1974

Clear Creek County Sheri ’s Sgt. Bob Denning resigned his job in a move that both he and Sheri James

E. Miller described as friendly. Other informed sources, however, said Denning may join former Undersheri Gene Kiefer’s bid to unseat Miller after he red him. Miller said there was “a very good chance” this was correct.

e Clear Creek Courant was created in August of 1973. ese items come from Courant’s historic archives. As it turns out, previous Courant writers had the same idea for the paper’s 25th anniversary. eir section was dubbed, “Olds: Not to be confused with news.” It lives on for an entire year to celebrate the paper’s 50th birthday.

CURRENTS

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

FRIDAY

Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District: On Friday, April 12 and Friday, May 10, kids ages 5-15 can enjoy an evening of fun, which means a few hours of fun for parents. Go on a date, meet up with friends or enjoy the time by relaxing at home. e night will kick o with a pool party, followed by dinner and a movie in jammies. Questions? Contact Caitlin caitlin@ccmrd.com. Fee is $27 per child.

UPCOMING

Earth Day Clean-up at Lucky Ranch: Come out to Lucky Ranch for Earth Day and help get ready for the foraging season. e ranch will be cleaning up slash for re mitigation from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 21 and 22. You do not have to be strong to help. e ranch needs help cleaning up trash and cutting up the branches that are removed.

Loaves and Fishes Wing Crawl: e event starts at noon on Saturday, May 4 at Citizens Park (located at the corner of Miner Street and 16th Avenue in Idaho Springs). Participants will visit eight Idaho Springs restaurants to sample two wings at each location.

with this guided tour. All instruction and equipment — wetsuits, paddles, life vests, and personal drybags — are provided for you. is tour is suitable for those who have no experience and is also perfect for families with children. Use of all equipment, including personal drybags. Instruction provided, perfect for beginners. 409 Park Ave. in Empire.

Charlie’s Place Fun Run: May 18 is the Canine on the Creek 5k / 1 mile fun run. Proceeds to bene t Gilpin and Clear Creek animal shelter Charlie’s Place. ere will be an after-party featuring Smokin Yards BBQ, TKB craft brews and cocktails, dog caricatures, dog costume contest, agility course, and pet-themed vendors to explore.

Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District: Saturday, May 11 is the inaugural Floyd Hill Gridlock Volleyball Classic at Clear Creek High School in Evergreen. Get ready to bump, set, and spike your way through an exhilarating day of volleyball action. Games are planned to start at 8 a.m. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the CCMRD Summer Camp, supporting youth enrichment programs in our area. Help CCMRD reach its goal of $1,000 by participating in the event and contributing to the cause.

Wander Women Project: Beginner whitewater rafting instruction on Clear Creek at 8 a.m. May 15. Even beginners can enjoy a whitewater rafting trip on Clear Creek

ONGOING

CASA of the Continental Divide seeks volunteers:CASACD promotes and protects the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in court proceedings through the advocacy e orts of trained CASA volunteers. Be the Di erence, and advocate for the youth in our community. O ce: (970) 513-9390.

Test sirens scheduled: In an effort to notify people in the town of Georgetown of potential ooding due to the unlikely event of a dam failure at Xcel Energy’s Cabin Creek or Georgetown hydroelectric plants, Clear Creek County would like to provide notice to the residents of Georgetown ahead of the test sirens expected to take place on the rst Wednesday of every month.

Clear Creek EMS/Evergreen Fire Rescue Launch Mugs for Rugs Campaign: Bring an old throw rug and you’ll leave with an awesome bright green mug! You can bring them to Station 1A in Dumont (3400 Stanley Road), or you can email captains@clearcreekems. com and CCEMS will come to you to make the trade! Have elderly neighbors? Bring them and their throw rugs with you. Clear Creek EMS also o ers Fall-Risk Assessments. EMS will also bring someone from the re department to make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working

WHEELOCK

OBITUARIES

Laura Anne “Lola” Wheelock

April 11, 1983 - December 23, 2023

Laura Anne “Lola” Wheelock, was born April 11, 1983. She grew up in Idaho Springs, attending Carlson Elementary and Clear Creek Middle and High Schools.

Laura’s childhood was full of adventures and close friends, usually wearing a dress and cowgirl boots, ready for adventure with a frog tucked into one pocket and a Swiss Army knife in the other. A voracious reader, she nished War and Peace and other notable literature while very young, building her skills in oration and writing. She loved and lived ercely from the very beginning.

Laura’s young love of Briar horses became a love of riding her sweet horse, Poco (Pocohantus). She participated in Westernaires and pursued modeling, afraid of neither manure nor high heels. Nearly every dog in her household was adopted, trained, and nurtured by Laura, especially her late sweet Abby. Her love for and ability to quiet and communicate with nature was almost mystical, as she could summon a hummingbird to perch quietly on her nger.

Laura surrounded herself with equally spirited, vivacious girlfriends forming deep bonds lasting a lifetime. Her green eyes, incredible smile and infectious laughter charmed many. She loved singing and playing guitar and rattled the rafters with “Amazing Grace”.

Laura attended Red Rocks Community College and purchased a home in Lakewood, Colorado. In 2007, she gave birth to her greatest love, her son Orion Cicero. Laura was a single mother who gave Orion a life rooted in family, community, and creativity. ey moved back to Idaho Springs in 2011, where Orion enrolled as a 4th generation Carlson Cougar.

and making others laugh, working as a bartender and waiter. She enjoyed dressing well and styled her hair with creative colors and cuts. Most of all, she was deeply committed to those who were lonely and in need. Laura would stay up late talking a friend through a dark night, or give food, clothes, or money to friends and strangers. She often made sweet handmade gifts with personal inscriptions from material foraged on her walks in the forest, usually including glitter, feathers, bones, and sparkle.

Laura was a Super Nova, shining bright, hot, and fast, and left us much too soon. Like many of us, she struggled with depression and addiction and fought for years to nd balance, health, and recovery. e battle took its toll, and late on December 23rd, Laura passed away at her parents’ home in Empire. She was 40 years old.

Laura was deeply loved and will be dearly missed by her family and many friends. Most of all, Laura leaves her son, Orion Cicero, who will continue to need the love and support of his community. Laura is also survived by her parents, Eileen and Randy Wheelock, her sister Molly Wheelock, and a multitude of aunts, uncles and cousins. She was preceded by her grandparents, Vi Tuck and Paul Dearmin, Maxine Gengler and Paul Wheelock, and her uncle Mike Dearmin.

Laura and Orion were surrounded by a loving and supportive community and family. Outgoing, she loved entertaining

Her family thanks everyone who has reached out expressing their love for Laura. Please send any cards to the Wheelocks at P.O Box 952, Idaho Springs, CO 80452. And all are invited to an outdoor celebration of Laura’s life on June 22 at 11:00 AM at the Genesee Mountain Shelter, 1099 Genesee Mountain Rd, Golden, CO 80401. And please visit Laura’s memorial page at memorialsource.com/memorial/laura-annewheelock to learn more about her.

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLOROADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The elementary school students making paper parachutes and homemade kaleidoscopes now will — in about 10 years or so — be studying aerospace engineering and nuclear ssion.

at’s the hope behind programs like Colorado School of Mines’ third annual Girls Are SMART event, which recently hosted 130 girls from elementary schools across the Denver area.

Girls Are SMART — Studious, Mighty, Amazing, Resilient and Talented — had the participants rotate through a variety of science, tech-

nology, engineering and math-focused activities.

ey spent the morning on March 9 making their own Newton’s cradles, rainsticks, elephant toothpaste, stomp rockets and more, with Mines students explaining the mechanics behind each station’s activity.

e participants described afterward how they had a great time making new friends and learning about science, and several said they wanted to come back next year.

The short-term goal behind Girls Are SMART, as the event’s organizers from Mines’ Society of Women Engineers chapter explained, was to bolster the participants’ knowledge of basic scientific principles like air resistance, pres-

sure and gravity.

But, the larger objective was to encourage the students’ love of learning, especially in STEM, and “inspire girls to go into any eld they want,” as organizer Mary Nimey said.

Nimey, a Mines senior studying mining engineering, noted how SWE hosts similar events for middle school and high school students, although they’re more technical and involved based on the age group. For the older students, Nimey said these programs also encourage participants to explore whichever topics or specialties within engineering interest them.

A Girls Are SMART participant looks through a handmade kaleidoscope crafted during the March 9 event on the Colorado School of Mines campus. The Mines’ Society of Women Engineers chapter hosted the third annual event, where elementary school students rotated through several science-focused stations. PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

ENGINEERING

According to Colorado School of Mines enrollment data, women accounted for a third of all 7,608 enrolled students in fall 2023. Additionally, the SWE chapter’s webpage states it has about 800 members, and is the largest SWE college chapter in the United States and the largest professional student organization on the Mines campus.

Nimey hoped to see both SWE membership and women’s enrollment at Mines increase in the coming years, thanks in part to Girls Are SMART and similar programs throughout the country.

If so, today’s participants will be tomorrow’s organizers and volunteers, helping to encourage the next generation of scientists just as Golden’s Eva Christianson now is.

Christianson, a Mines junior studying mechanical engineering, recalled attending similar events when she went to Golden High

School. ese events were crucial in solidifying her interest in studying engineering, she said.

Northglenn’s Jessica Tomshack, a fellow junior and mechanical engineering major, emphasized how crucial it is to get girls involved and help them feel encouraged to study STEM at a young age, and to “show them what the options are” as far as future careers, she added.

Students today; leaders tomorrow

For the Girls Are SMART participants, the March 9 event was simply a fun opportunity to make new friends and learn new things.

First-grader Hannah Woolley said her favorite station was making cotton-ball shooters. Meanwhile, second-graders Amelia Zeller and Lyla Premschak said they enjoyed the elephant toothpaste the most, as they liked watching the substances react and the colorful foam rise out of the bottle.

Lyla and her family said several of her Castle Rock schoolmates signed up for the event after their elementary school sent out information. Lyla appreciated how all the Oredigger vol-

unteers were “nice and helpful,” and enjoyed making a new friend.

Although Lyla’s dad is an engineer and Mines alumnus, mom Bre Premschak signed her up because “it shows the opportunities (in engineering) for girls too.” Plus, Lyla is an advanced learning student, so Bre believed the Girls Are SMART activities would “add onto those experiences” at school.

Similarly, ornton’s Zeller family signed Amelia up after hearing about it from a local teacher. Because Amelia’s shown an interest in environmental studies, her parents said it was important for her to be “surrounded by likeminded women” in her fellow participants and their Mines mentors.

e Woolleys, who live in Highlands Ranch, also heard about Girls Are SMART from a previous participant, and thought it’d be perfect for Hannah as she loves math and science. Plus, the event was special because it was for girls, her mom Maggie Woolley said.

“Anything we can do to encourage it,” dad Mike Woolley said of Hannah’s love for math and science.

Participants at the Girls Are SMART event look at a hand diagram they made at the March 9 event on the Colorado School of Mines campus. About 130 elementary school students from across the Denver area participated in the third annual event, hosted by Mines’ Society of Women Engineers chapter.

PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

CURRENTS

properly. To request a visit, ll out the form located here: https://www. clearcreekcounty.us/1388/Community-Outreach

Clear Creek Democrats: e Clear Creek Democrats meet from 5-7 p.m. the third ursday of the month at the Vintage Moose in Idaho Springs. Join them for conversation and social time.

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. Contactvolunteer@bluesprucehabitat.org for information.

Walk-in vaccine clinics: Walk-in vaccine clinics for adults and children needing u and other vaccines are available from 10 a.m.-4

p.m. Wednesdays at the Clear Creek Health and Wellness Center, 1969 Miner St., Idaho Springs. No appointments required for the vaccines, though you can pre-register by calling 303-670-7528.

Resilience1220 counseling: Young people 12 to 20 can get free counseling through an Evergreenbased organization called Resilience1220. Composed of licensed therapists, Resilience1220 serves individuals and groups in the foothills including Clear Creek County. ey also facilitate school and community groups to build life skills in wellness and resilience among youth. For more information or to schedule a counseling session, visit R1220. org, email Resilience1220@gmail. com or call 720-282-1164.

Dental clinics: Cleanings, X-rays, dentures, tooth extractions and more. Most insurances are accepted including Medicaid. Sliding scale/ low-cost options are also available. No appointment necessary. is is a mobile dentist that comes once a month. Call program manager Lauralee at 720-205-4449 for questions.

Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meetings: Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meets at 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Marion’s of the Rockies. 2805 Colorado Blvd., Idaho Springs. For more information, email loe er806@comcast. net.

Support After Suicide Loss: A safe place to share and learn after losing a loved one to suicide. is group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 o ce. For ages 14 and up. Suggested donation for this group is $15. Register at resilience1220.org/ groups.

Storytime with Miss Honeybun: Storytime with Miss Honeybun is at 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays at the Idaho Springs Public Library and at 11:15 a.m. ursdays at the John Tomay Memorial Library in Georgetown.

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. and is o ered

via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 o ce. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.

Public Health o ering sexual health and family planning: Clear Creek County Public Health is now o ering Sexual Health and Planning Services at the Health and Wellness Center in Idaho Springs. Public Health o ers counseling, emergency contraception, pregnancy testing, STI and HIV screenings, basic infertility services and birth control options and referrals. ese services are con dential. Public Health can also now bill Medicaid and most private insurance. However, if you do not have insurance, fees are based on a sliding scale — and no one will be turned away if they are unable to pay.

Clear Creek County Lookout Alert: e CodeRED alerts have been replaced by the Lookout Alert. Residents can sign up for emergency alerts county-wide by signing up at www.lookoutalert.co. e new site replaces CodeRED following the switch to Je Com911 for emergency dispatch earlier this year.

JOIN OUR TEAM

Operations Assistant

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

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

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

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

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

• Be deadline oriented.

• Possess an understanding of all Microsoft Office products.

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

• Excellent customer service and communication skills.

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

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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

Interested applicants can submit a resume and cover letter with references to VP of Sales and Advertising Erin Addenbrooke at eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Clear Creek Rec Center clears out sports equipment

A $10 donation to the center gave county residents their choice of hundreds of new items or used equipment on display

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Dozens of brand new tennis and racquetball rackets, athletic socks, baseball gloves, hockey gear and every kind of ball for every sport started to go quickly March 29 when the “gear drive” opened the doors at the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation Center in Idaho Springs.

Residents made a $10 donation for rec center programs and events and had their choice of anything scattered across the oor and tables.

“Just kind of a good moment for the community and hopefully help some people who need it,” Youth Sports Director Cameron Pehrson said.

Pehrson was hired at the rec center just a few months ago after moving to Idaho Springs from Arizona where he played college baseball for several years, he said.

Pehrson said the job ts like a glove for him and gives him an opportunity to give kids what he always needed as a kid himself.

“I think about the times playing sports and so-and-so had their jersey number messed up,” he said. “You know all these little things that went wrong that shouldn’t and make parents more stressed, so they don’t sign their kid up and that kid isn’t playing a sport that season.”

Most of the items up for grabs had been given to the rec center or were left at the end of a season, Pherson said. He also said a lot of the brand new gear had been donated by area sports stores that stepped up when he called them.

Area residents arrived as the doors opened at 1 p.m. and the items were snatched up by parents or their children whose wide eyes scanned the room looking for one more item. ere was no limit on the number of items with the $10 donation Pehrson said.

Idaho Springs resident Joey Sullivan walked in to give his $10 and announced that the next kid who walked in could take whatever they wanted for free by using his donation.

“I just thought it would be the right thing to do, I have two bikes so I’m pretty fortunate… I know it’s only $10, but I try to give back what I can,” Joey Sullivan said.

Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation Center Youth Sports Director Cameron Pehrson organized the equipment swap in Idaho Springs. PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL

Pharmaceutical company Amgen sues state over price-setting

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

Amgen, the multinational pharmaceutical company that makes the blockbuster arthritis drug Enbrel, has sued Colorado over a state board’s e orts to possibly cap the price of the drug.

In a lawsuit led in U.S. District Court in Denver, Amgen argues that the actions of Colorado’s Prescription Drug A ordability Board are unconstitutional because they conict with federal laws and because they violate rights to due process. e company is seeking not just to overturn the board’s recent decisions about Enbrel but also to strike down major parts of the law creating the board.

“We have signi cant concerns with the Colorado Prescription Drug

A ordability Board’s decision to move forward with its awed policy and process,” Amgen said in a statement. “ ere is no legal basis for the Board’s actions or haphazard process throughout the review period.”

A spokesperson for the Colorado Division of Insurance, which houses the a ordability board, said they could not comment on pending litigation.

Colorado lawmakers, backed by Gov. Jared Polis, created the Prescription Drug A ordability Board, or PDAB, in 2021 with the goal of lowering prescription costs. e board has the ability after extensive review to set so-called upper payment limits — basically, price caps — on drugs it deems una ordable. Its rst reviews of prescription drugs brought outcries from patient groups worried that price caps

would cause their needed drugs to be pulled from the market in Colorado. But, last month, the board voted unanimously to declare Enbrel unaffordable, setting in motion a roughly six-month process to weigh whether to become the rst state to place a price cap on a prescription medication.

Enbrel is an injectable drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions. According to Amgen, its list price is $1,762.34 per 50 mg dose, meaning a full year of treatment for some patients could stretch over $90,000. But Amgen’s patientassistance programs mean almost no patients pay the list price out-ofpocket. Insurance companies pick up a large majority of the bill, even for patients who don’t receive nancial help.

Amgen reported making about

$3.7 billion from Enbrel sales worldwide in the 2023 scal year, down 10% from the year before.

In its lawsuit, Amgen argues that Colorado’s PDAB law violates the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause by seeking to override federal patent laws.

“To incentivize the immense risktaking and investment necessary to discover and develop new medical treatments, Congress has established a carefully calibrated intellectual property regime that rewards pharmaceutical innovation with a period of market exclusivity and the ability to charge prices that allow for further investment and innovation during that period,” the lawsuit states.

Amgen says the law also potential-

Volunteers scramble to help migrant families in Denver

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Volunteers were rescuing Venezuelan families with young children from sleeping outside as Denver has scaled back migrant services and the time people were allotted to stay in city-funded hotel rooms expired.

AMGEN

ly interferes with Medicare’s ability to control its pricing decisions. And the company also argues that the law seeks to regulate transactions that occur outside of Colorado in violation of the Constitution’s commerce clause.

Lastly, Amgen argues that Colo-

e city, in response to complaints from volunteers that children were ending up outside, decided on a March afternoon to reopen a city building in Civic Center park to house migrant families with nowhere to sleep.

Denver Human Services o cials said they were rushing to reactivate

rado’s law is too vague and leaves too many of the ne-print details up to the PDAB to decide, creating due process violations. is “fails to provide drug manufacturers with a meaningful opportunity to be heard and fails to protect them against erroneous deprivations of their property,” the lawsuit states.

e lawsuit has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang, who was appointed to the bench by President Joe Biden in

the McNichols Building on Colfax Avenue, including sending sta and ordering meals.

e re-opening of the congregate shelter in a civic building meant for arts and culture was not part of the plan as the city scales down migrant services that have already cost $61 million. But Mayor Mike Jonhston

2022. Amgen is asking Wang to strike down PDAB’s authority as it relates to patented drugs, federal health care programs and out-of-state transactions. It is also seeking an order barring the PDAB from enforcing its decisions on Enbrel.

Priya Telang, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, which supported the PDAB’s creation, called the lawsuit “unfortunately expected.”

“It’s a well-known practice that

and his sta have said multiple times that they would prevent kids from ending up on Denver streets.

“Nobody ever said this was going to be easy,” said Jon Ewing, spokesperson for Denver Human Services. “You are going to have families who

pharmaceutical companies sue to protect pro ts and excessive prices,” Telang wrote in an email. “In this case, it’s just another example of them putting pro ts over patients, regardless of the harmful impact high-cost drugs have on those patients.”

is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

LIFESTYLES

Myths And Facts About Your Fireplace

We really get into our work here!

Myth 1) We can’t have a new woodburning replace anymore because the EPA says so!

e Facts Are: Today’s high-e ciency wood replaces, stove and inserts are allowed in all local counties and jurisdictions because they burn remarkably clean in comparison to models from a generation ago. ese new replaces, stoves, and inserts burn so clean that you can even burn in Denver on a ‘Red Day’ and still be in compliance with all existing codes and standards. An extra bene t is that those models which have been independently tested to have a 75% or greater e ciency

is new woodstove heats their whole home, quali es for the tax credit, and most importantly- keeps the dogs warm!

FEATURE OF THE MONTH

rating, qualify for a 30% Federal Biomass Tax Credit of up to $2000 back!

Myth 2) - Gas replaces, stoves and inserts don’t work when the power is out.

Wrong again! e Facts Are: Although most modern direct-vent units use standard household current to operate the controls, they are also equipped with a simple

battery-backup system that allows for full function of the gas ow to the burner – your home can stay warm even if the power goes out. Usually, all it takes is some AA batteries. Not only can the pilot and main burner systems continue to function during a power failure, the most common types of remote-controlled thermostats will keep working, too.

Myth 3) - I don’t need to get my gas replace serviced. It doesn’t make any soot or ash.

From Page 1

e Facts Are: Gas replaces, stoves, and inserts still do need an annual service to clean the glass, logs, and internal components. Even though gas appliances visibly burn cleaner than wood, there are still byproducts from combustion of Natural Gas and Propane to be cleaned o the internal workings of the appliance. Our Chimney Safety Institute of America and National Fireplace Institute Certi ed Technicians will complete this cleaning; and we go above and beyond by also refreshing the burner media and performing a leak test. Your replace will be ready to use for the next year!

Myth 4) - I don’t need to clean my chimney, it was a warm winter and I hardly used it …

e Facts Are: During warm winters, people generally burn lower-temperature res. Unfortunately, this causes poor combustion and create more creosote build-up than they expect. Statistically, there are more chimney res a er a warm winter than a er cold winter. Additionally, if a chimney sweeping is skipped a er a warm winter, the creosote inside the chimney causes degradation of the ue system. Creosote is very acidic and corrodes the mortar joints in a masonry chimney and the metal in a stainless pipe. Skipping a sweeping is

Home is Where the Hearth Is

Enjoy every season in your home, gathered aound your new favorite re feature. Make memories with your family and friends in the cozy glow of ickering ames. Whether you want to burn wood or gas, your replace should be the centerpiece of your home. Call us today to talk about the replace of your dreams, including service and annual maintenance!

303-679-1601

www.mtnhp.como

ce@mtnhp.com

7001 Highway 73, Evergreen

Please

e pets are always our most satis ed customers

Ahh, Springtime!

e snow is melting, the trees are budding, the owers are blooming, and your chimney is leaking. If you notice any suspicious water stains, or hear dripping and can’t nd the source, protect your home and your investment, call us! Our technicians are certi ed by the Chimney Safety Institute of America and the National Fireplace Institute. ey have the experience and expertise to take on your leaky chimney problems and any other replace or chimney needs you have. We will perform a thorough Leaky Chimney Inspection to determine where the water is coming in, and how to stop it.

Take a look at your chimney. Do you see a chimney cap? at’s your rst line of defense against a leaky chimney, and if you don’t see one, call us right away! e structure around your ue may be watertight but if you’re missing your cap or you have a damaged or

improperly sized cap, it allows water straight into the home. Water intrusion from a missing cap can lead to problems that a ect not just your replace and chimney system but other parts of your home as well.

You should also see a galvanized steel chase cover, or concrete chimney crown at the top of your chimney system; depending on how your chimney is constructed. ese are also common weak points for water intrusion. Regardless of material, your chimney will degrade with time, UV rays from sunlight, hail damage, and the repeated freezing and thawing of a Colorado spring.

If you have a framed wooden box, called a “chase”, enclosing your venting system, you should have a proper chase cover, chimney cap, and storm collar. Over time, dents form and the chase cover sags on top, collecting water and rusting through. A new chase cover is

sloped from the center with drip edges designed to shed water away from the sides of the chase. If water runs down the sides of your chase, it can enter through gaps in the sides and where its ashed to the roo ine.

When you look up at your chimney and see intricate stonework, that sight may be accompanied by the thought that it will last forever, but that is simply not true. Masonry chimneys are susceptible to degradation just like any other material. is degradation happens faster than most people expect with the unpredictable winter and spring weather in Colorado. e freeze/thaw cycle is most destructive, that is why it’s so important to keep water owing o and away from your chimney.

Do you see a concrete slap at the top of your stone chimney? Is it 4-5” thick with a 2” overhang to direct water away? If not, you likely have water getting into

your home. We can pour a new crown for your chimney or apply Crown Coat to seal any cracks you may have in your chimney crown. We also have industry speci c materials and techniques, such as special ashing for sealing the uneven edge where rock chimneys meet the roo ine. Put our 25 years of chimney experience in the foothills to work for you!

If the one thing about spring that you are not enjoying is a mysterious water leak in your ceiling, we can help! We can also take on your other replace and chimney needs from sales and installation to annual service and repairs. Give Mountain Man Fireplace & Chimney a call today at (303) 679-1601. You can also reach us at O ce@MtnHP.com, or visit our website: www.MtnManChimney. com. You’re invited to visit our showroom at 7001 Highway 73 in Evergreen.

RICH BARBELL FITNESS TRAINS ATHLETES TO IMPROVE THEIR STRENGTH, POWER, AND SPEED

By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles

Are you a middle school, high school, college, or weekend warrior athlete motivated to improve your game and sports performance? Regardless of the sports in which you compete, Rich Barbell Fitness can help you increase your strength, power, and speed to help you go the distance to score that winning point!

For more than 29 years, Rich Bell of Rich Barbell Fitness & Sports Conditioning located at 30746 Bryant Drive/Unit 403, Evergreen has trained over 400 multi-level athletes in various sports backgrounds. His strength/conditioning training programs continually incorporate new training techniques and methods determined by each person’s personalized assessment to ensure his clients’ fast results, better performance, increased stamina, and improved physical appearance.

said Rich Bell.

During the rst consultation with the young boys/girls and their parents, Rich learns of their previous athletic experience, novice (zero-to-one year) or intermediate (over one year). en he uses Strength Ratio Testing involving the Barbell Bench Press and Barbell Back Squat to test their upper/lower body strength, power, performance, and speed. Based upon results, he customizes his clients’ programs including training, supplements, nutrition options, and a workout schedule (i.e., a minimum of two days a week with Bell and one day in the gym on your own).

‘My goal has always been to improve the way athletes approach their strength/ conditioning goals by applying scientificallyproven techniques to enhance human performance on the playing field,’

Rich Bell Owner

Bell’s regime (jumping, hopping, skipping, li ing weights) also includes having a good time during the workouts. However, Rich Bell will tell you what it is, not what you want to hear. Consequently, his sessions (a minimum of 12-weeks) require drive and perseverance—and the rst 6-8 weeks are the hardest!

“My goal has always been to improve the way athletes approach their strength/ conditioning goals by applying scienti cally-proven techniques to enhance human performance on the playing eld,”

For training information, fees, more about Rich Bell, testimonials, and/or to set up your consultation, contact Rich Barbell Fitness

(http://richbarbell tness.com.

Maximizing strength for athletes from junior high through college to achieve peak off-season conditioning.

Individualized and goalbased regiments designed to reach peak levels in strength, power and endurance customized to each athlete and sport.

Promote Happiness With This Mother’s Day Gift Guide

(StatePoint) Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that can make one’s day. Use this Mother’s Day gi guide to promote happiness in your mom’s life:

Better Mornings

Co ee and tea have been scienti cally proven to boost happiness. But if your mom is like many moms out there, she may get so busy taking care of others she forgets to drink her beverage before it gets cold. What if she could enjoy her co ee or tea from the rst sip to the last at just the right temperature? Nextmug, a temperature-controlled, self-heating mug, stylishly maintains an individual’s beverage at their ideal temperature

-- 130, 140 or 150 degrees Fahrenheit -- for hours. e stainless-steel body of the mug has an elegant ceramic matte nish in a range of gorgeous colors like burgundy, dusty rose and pistachio. At 17 ounces, the ergonomically designed body and handle will t comfortably in her hands, making it a happiness-inducing sidekick for her days, whether they take place at home or in the workplace. And with no setting up an app, no passwords or rebooting and no security concerns it’s incredibly easy to use. To learn more, visit nextmug.com.

Endorphin Boost

Did you know that exercise is one

of the best ways to promote happiness? Not only can it be a major con dence booster, it releases endorphins that o er a post-workout bliss. However, many people new to exercise don’t know how to start working out or have questions about doing so safely. If your mom is one of those people, consider gi ing her a session with a personal trainer. In one session, the trainer can assess your mom’s current level of tness and o er her a sensible routine to do on her own. Or, if your mom is social or loves variety, consider getting her a tness membership to a service like ClassPass. is will allow her to take various types of tness classes so she can see what style

of workout she likes best.

Happy Faces on Rotation

Sometimes all one needs to smile is a reminder of a happy memory. Upgrade your mom’s photo display game with a digital frame so she can be treated to a slideshow of loved ones anytime she wants. With a model that connects to Wi-Fi, she can easily send photos to the frame through email or via online photo collections. As a thoughtful gesture, consider pre-loading it with some of her favorite family photos. is Mother’s Day, honor your mom with thoughtful and fun gi s that will promote her happiness.

FIREPLACE MYTHS

From Page 2

a one-two punch for not maintaining your woodburning system. is can be prevented with a full Sweeping and Level I Inspection from our Chimney Safety Institute of America Certi ed Technicians, who will clean the entire system from the rebox, damper, full length of ue, and clean the cap; all while inspecting for potential problems.

Myth 5) - I don’t have a replace there now, so I can’t have a new one! Whether you have a dra y addition or chilly sitting room, or want a strong source of heat in your lower level, or just the ambiance of a replace in your gathering space – e Facts Are: a hearth appliance can be added anywhere! e best way to get this done is to contact your local specialty hearth retailer (us!) and we can provide you with a plan and package to achieve your replace heating goals. We will ensure that your budget, design style, and timeline are all met and you have the nished replace of

your dreams. On top of that, you will know that your new hearth appliance is safe because it was installed by National Fireplace Institute Certi ed professionals, and by a fully insured company. Lastly, we are here for the life of your appliance and can provide you with the annual service that you now know is so important! We will do it all and provide you with the complete package: sales, installation, service, and warranty.

Myth 6) - You’ll get more heat out of your stove or insert if you burn the wood slower.

e Facts Are: Just the opposite is true. ‘Banking’ the re to achieve a longer burn time dramatically reduces the amount of heat being produced.

E cient burning of cordwood in modern EPA-2020 Certi ed replaces, stoves and inserts requires relatively high rebox temperatures. e high temperatures and catalytic or non-catalytic combustion chambers create a re-burning e ect that draws energy out of the smoke/exhaust instead of allowing it to create more creosote. If you restrict the air ow into the rebox, your e ciency can go as low

as 15-20% instead of staying around 70% for normal burning. Put another way, a 20-lb load of wood can either produce approximately 120,000 BTUs (high e cient burning) it can produce 36,000 BTUs (slow burning) – the choice is yours!

Myth 7) - e cost of installing a new stove or insert outweighs the bene ts.

e Facts Are: e installation of a new hearth appliance can substantially reduce your energy costs and also create a more enjoyable living environment in your home. What used to be a seldom-used “cold” part of your home, is now warm and inviting. Utilizing the Zone-Heating concept can cut the amount of heat your home requires by hundreds of dollars per year. Not only will you save money, but you’ll be warmer in the rooms where you actually live.

Myth 8) - Water can’t be leaking into my home because my chimney is made of stone.

e Facts Are: Most stonework starts to leak within 12-15 years of being constructed. Small cracks grow in size as moisture is absorbed into the mortar.

e cracks grow over the years as the moisture freezes and thaws during the spring and fall as the temperatures uctuate from day to night. As the cracks grow, even more water gets in and speeds up the process. A er enough time, and freeze-thaw cycles, the mortar may fall out in chunks, and even more water gets in. As the water runs along the ra ers and framing of the home, the location of the leak may be a signi cant distance from the source, but your chimney should always be a suspect when leaks are evident. Don’t call a roofer for a suspicious leak! Call us- your local, certi ed, chimney professionals!

If you are looking to upgrade the look and e ciency of your replace, visit our Showroom and service center in Marshdale at 7001 Highway 73, or online at www.mtnhp.com . If you’re experiencing performance problems with your replace, stove or insert, or just want to have a trained professional complete an Operational Assessment or one of three levels of Inspection, call us today at 303679-1601 or email o ce@MtnHP.com

Our NFI Certi ed techs installed a high-e ciency gas replace insert into this outdated and ine cient woodburning replace

A replace replacement project that looks original to the home, but with way more heating power

CRISIS

haven’t gured it out yet. ere are a lot of factors competing against them. It’s not a problem of their own making.”

e city is in the process of decreasing the number of hotels it has used to house migrants to three from seven, closing about one each week for four weeks. e third one closed as a city shelter in March.

And after a pause on hotel room time limits, the city is sticking to the policy of allowing adults to stay 14 days in city-funded hotel rooms while families have 42 days.

e number of migrants in cityfunded hotel rooms is now about 940, down from more than 4,500 in January. Hundreds of families have left hotels in the past month, and many have moved into apartments

with nancial help from nonpro ts.

Multiple families were stranded throughout Denver as they had to vacate hotel rooms.

e families sat in hotel lobbies, hoping that nonpro ts or Denver Human Services outreach workers would tell them where they could go.

Hours passed, and the families began to panic, in some cases sending requests for help on Facebook pages created by grassroots volunteers.

Lydia Flynn runs a Facebook group to help migrants in northeastern Denver. She had 40 followers when she started it in October. Now, she has 1,400.

Flynn found a volunteer to pick up two of the families in di erent hotels, then drive them and their belongings to a McDonald’s, where she met them and bought them dinner.

“We are talking about 9 p.m.,” she said. “It’s late. It’s cold. ese kids haven’t eaten.”

One family includes a 7-year-old

and a pregnant woman. e other is a couple with a 3-year-old, and the father was just released from the hospital and his leg has an infection, Flynn said.

With no help from nonpro ts or the city, Flynn ended up paying for two hotel rooms. “I am eating spaghetti for the rest of the week,” she said. Flynn was advised by one local organization to take the families to an encampment, but she refused.

“I am not putting a pregnant mom in a tent,” she said. “I’m not putting kids in a tent.”

e only bright spot is that the families became fast friends and are now hoping to nd an apartment or a basement to rent together. What they want most are work permits, so they can legally nd jobs in Denver, Flynn said.

While Flynn was helping those two families, a city outreach worker was working late into the evening to nd temporary shelter for seven other

families.

e city occasionally uses the McNichols Building as an emergency shelter for the chronically homeless population, including last week when Denver received about a foot of snow. e city also used the building as a shelter when it cleaned up a giant migrant encampment near Speer Boulevard and Zuni Street in January, o ering people in tents to hop on buses for a ride to the congregate shelter.

In late March, city outreach workers were trying to move about 50-60 people out of a migrant encampment in a parking lot at Elitch Gardens. Tents are lined up in the shadow of a roller coaster, and the amusement park is scheduled to open in April.

is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

Clear Creek middle school baseball starts season with two teams

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e in eld of the baseball eld at Clear Creek Middle School in Evergreen was still too wet to practice on April 2, so Coach Phil Mauro moved practice to the out eld.

Baseball season is underway, and this year at least 17 middle school students signed up for the season, giving Mauro the opportunity to split the squad into two teams.

An additional coach will also be brought in to assist this year: Youth Sports Director at the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District Cameron Pehrson will coach the B team, according to Mauro.

“I’d like to see them improve. I mean, winning is fun,” Mauro said. “I’m not going to lie, you know last year was a little rough. I think we only won one or two games, but we had fun.”

Although the schedule isn’t entirely set, Mauro said he’d like to see as many as 14 games this year with rival districts and private religious schools.

e more at bats the kids get, the more they will be prepared to move into high school baseball next school year, according to Mauro.

“We do have a lot of eighth graders that will go up (to high school baseball). We have four or ve that will go up and contribute right away,” Mauro said.

One of those students to watch is eighth-grade player and pitcher Wyatt Hu of Evergreen.

Hu said he’s been playing baseball since he was four years old and is ready for the challenge of moving to high school baseball next school year.

e practices and games this season will be a great way to continue working the fundamentals of the game, Hu said.

“I like the mental part of it, you have to have self-con dence and control,” Hu said.

Putting a competitive team on the baseball eld is important, Mauro said, but watching these young players develop and enjoy the game is paramount.

“I can see the kids’ love for the game growing, they want to play,” he said.

Clear Creek middle school baseball coach Phil Mauro talks to the team during practice April 2 in Evergreen.

Clear Creek middle school eighth grade player and pitcher Wyatt Hu practices with the team in Evergreen April 2.

Clear Creek middle school eighth grader Nolan Underwood practicing with the team as the middle school baseball season gets underway April 2 in Evergreen. PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL

On thin ice: Local ice climbers adapt to a warming world

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

BY MERYL PHAIR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

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

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

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

He recalled in 2015 and prior years,

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

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

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

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ture of the sport may be on thin ice due to warming temperatures.

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

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

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

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

e climate models prepared by the AAC researchers predicted a decline in the length of the winter

climbing season in both a highemission scenario (if nothing is done to lower carbon emissions) and a moderate emission scenario (if steps are taken to lower emissions). e results revealed that by 2100 in a high-emission scenario, the season length for ice climbing could be as short as 30 days.

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

Environmental stresses to ice ows are also combined with the growing popularity of the sport. ree million Americans ice climb yearly, a signicant increase from the 50,000 participants that took to ice falls in the early 2000s. At Clear Creek, Coryell said that besides this season, Coors

An ice climber with Golden Mountain Guides makes his way up an ice fall. IMAGE COURTESY OF BEN CORYELL GOLDEN MOUNTAIN GUIDES

THIN ICE

Light and Mickey’s never formed so there have been even more climbers at Secret Waterfall.

“One of our big goals as a company is to facilitate a great mountain experience,” Coryell said. “We’ve started doing a lot more of our ice work in less crowded places, to give a better experience and it’s easier to manage the overall risk. If you have 20 people climbing on a tiny ow, it’s going to be a bowling alley if that ice comes down on you.”

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

and Lake City climbs as the overall experience will be better.

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

While the ice further up in the mountains is more insulated, the impacts of warming temperatures have been noticeable up there as well. At Mount Lincoln, warmer days combined with colder nights have caused the ice to grow much thicker than before.

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

front range communities.

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

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

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

“ e experience of being on the

ice and seeing these changes allows us to step into a much bigger, more drastic conversation,” said Luneau. “We’re very privileged to be able to do this sport and it’s not just about maintaining climbing days. It’s about the downstream e ect.”  As ice climbers have begun to be louder advocates for the impacts of our changing climate, they are joined by organizations like Protect Our Winters who have been raising awareness of the impact of climate change on all recreational winter sports. ese organizations are making strong calls for mitigation measures, and the study by the AAC was combined with a policy position about changes that need to be made going forward.

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

allows more Luneau. to about It’s be impacts are Protect raising climate winter makmeawas position made ways adconinitiatives conserve an

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THIN ICE

interim measure of reaching 50% by 2050.

In Golden, the changes ice climbers see on the ice are becoming a bigger part of the conversation. Coryell said that many guiding out ts

are getting together across the Front Range to debrief the ice season, see what worked well and how they can provide the best experiences in the upcoming year.

“It’s an ever-changing medium, and what may be here today might not be there tomorrow,” said Coryell.

“It’s something all of our guides focus on with clients and we do spend a fair bit of time talking with people

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and guides about how di erent it’s becoming.”

Despite the challenges, ice climbers and guides will have to adapt. On a recent climb in Washington, Luneau had been out on the ice at the same time as another group of climbers. Temperatures had been warming throughout the day and the wind picked up, sending a rock tumbling down the hill right into a

climber’s face. e climber was injured but thankfully ultimately OK, Luneau said.

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

TRIVIA

1. GEOGRAPHY: e island of Ibiza belongs with which European country?

2. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of amingos called?

3. MOVIES: What is the name of the island terrorized by a shark in “Jaws”?

4. U.S. STATES: Which state capital has the highest elevation in the United States?

5. ANATOMY: Where is the corpus collosum located?

6. LITERATURE: Who wrote the children’s book “Where the Wild ings Are”?

7. TELEVISION: Which 1970s TV show had a spino hit with “Laverne & Shirley”?

8. MATH: How many sides does a dodecagon have?

9. ASTRONOMY: Which one of the planets in our solar system has the Great Red Spot?

10. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president ended the military draft?

Answers

1. Spain.

2. A amboyance.

3. Amity Island.

4. Santa Fe, New Mexico.

5. In the brain. It connects the two hemispheres of the brain.

6. Maurice Sendak.

7. “Happy Days.”

8. 12.

9. Jupiter.

10. Richard Nixon.

(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

FLASHBACK

1. Name the non-Beatle musician credited on “Get Back.”

2. Which group released “Long Lonely Nights”?

3. Name the Vikki Carr worldwide hit that was a translation from the original French version.

4. Which group was the rst to release “Walk Away Renee”?

5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “I stood on this corner, waiting for you to come along, So my heart could feel satis ed.”

Answers

1. Billy Preston, in 1969. e citation reads “ e Beatles with Billy Preston.” Preston also appeared in the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” lm in 1978.

2. Lee Andrews and the Hearts, in 1957. It was later covered by Clyde McPhatter, also in 1957.

3. “It Must Be Him,” in 1967. e original was “Seul sur Son √âtoile,” which translates to “Alone on His Star.” A dozen artists around the globe covered the song, with

translations into several languages, including German and Lebanese.

4. e Left Banke, in 1966. e Four Tops followed with a cover in 1967.

5. “What’s Your Name,” by Don and Juan, in 1961. e song was used in the documentary “It Came from Hollywood” in 1982 and in the lm “Siam” in 1998.

(c) 2024 King Features Syndicate

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County,

No. 12, Series 2024 AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING AND RECOGNIZING THE ALIGNMENT OF THE 900 BLOCK OF MINER STREET WHEREAS, the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado (“City”) is a statutory city, duly organized and existing under the laws of the state of Colorado; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Part 23 of Title 31, C.R.S., the City, acting by and through the Idaho Springs City Council (“Council”), possesses the authority to regulate the planning and zoning of the City generally, including but not limited to the authority to recognize and accept dedicated public streets, typically through the subdivision platting process; and

WHEREAS, the original “Town Plat of Idaho Springs” was established, approved and recorded in 1881, which plat includes the right-of-way known as Miner Street; and

WHEREAS, in the one hundred forty-three (143) years since the 900 block of Miner Street was laid out by plat, the actual boundary of said portion of right-of-way has been well-established by the public use in a way that does not precisely match the platted right-of-way boundary; and

WHEREAS, the inconsistency between historic plat and established usage on this particular block has the potential to create confusion concerning the practical and legal responsibilities for the publicly-travelled street and the privately-maintained retaining walls abutting the street; and

WHEREAS, in conjunction with the development of Block 57 (aka former Golddigger Field), the City is preparing to contribute money and resources to make improvements to the 900 block of Miner Street; and

WHEREAS, before making such investment, the Council wishes to establish the precise boundary and location of this block of Miner Street, thereby providing certainty to both the City and to each abutting property owner; and

WHEREAS, C.R.S. § 31-23-217 provides a process for municipalities to formally accept and recognize the location of public streets, in lieu of a formal subdivision platting process; and

WHEREAS, as required by C.R.S. § 31-23-217, this Ordinance was submitted to the Idaho Springs Planning Commission on ____________________ , 2024, resulting the Planning Commission [approving – disapproving] this Ordinance; and

WHEREAS, the Council therefore desires to formally designate, accept and recognize the boundaries of Miner Street in and around the area specified herein, by ordinance, as further set forth herein.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO, AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. The above and foregoing recitals are expressly adopted as findings and determinations of the Council.

Section 2. Pursuant to C.R.S. § 31-23-217, the Idaho Springs City Council hereby formally accepts, designates and recognizes the boundaries of that portion of right-of-way known as Miner Street described and illustrated in the attached Exhibit A, incorporated herein by this reference, for all legal purposes upon the effective date of this Ordinance and thereafter.

Section 3. Findings concerning voting. This Ordinance was approved by the Idaho Springs Planning Commission by a vote of ___ to ____, on ____________, 2024; this Ordinance was finally-approved, on second reading, by the Idaho Springs City Council by a

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED:

Diane Breece, City Clerk PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED, at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 22nd day of April, 2024.

Chuck Harmon, Mayor

that the various sections and provisions are severable.

INTRODUCED, READ AND ORDERED PUBLISHED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 25th day of March, 2024.

Chuck Harmon, Mayor

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED:

Diane Breece, City Clerk

EXHIBIT A

[Survey- Plat of Miner Street, 900 block]

Exhibit A – Ordinance No. 12, Series 2024

A precise legal description and survey of the area in question is to follow once received from the City’s surveyor. In the interim, the below diagram is meant to serve as a contextual site plan showing the approximate location of the subject area along the 900 Block of Miner Street that is proposed to be formalized as the precise boundary and location of this block of Miner Street’s alignment. The precise legal description and surveyed locations will be provided prior to Second Reading of the subject ordinance.

Approximate location of the 900 Block of Miner Street to be formally recognized:

Public Notices

provisions of this Ordinance be judicially determined invalid or unenforceable, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remaining provisions of this Ordinance, the intention being that the various sections and provisions are severable.

INTRODUCED, READ AND ORDERED PUBLISHED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 25th day of March, 2024.

Chuck Harmon, Mayor

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED:

Diane Breece, City Clerk PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED, after publication at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 22nd day of April, 2024.

Chuck Harmon, Mayor

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED:

Diane Breece, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. CCC849

First Publication: April 11, 2024

Last Publication: April 11, 2024 Publisher: Clear Creek Courant Public Notice CITY OF IDAHO SPRINGS

Creek County, Colorado Ordinance No. 11, Series 2024

WHEREAS,

C.R.S. § 31-15-713(1)

WHEREAS, under this authority, on or around December 13, 2010, the Council approved and entered into an Occupancy Agreement with the Historical Society of Idaho Springs (“HSIS”), under which HSIS is authorized to use 2060 Miner Street (the “Property”) for various purposes, including the operation of a museum as well as the City’s official visitor’s center (the “Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, under the Agreement, the only permitted uses of the Property are a museum, a visitor center, uses commonly associated with the aforementioned uses, and the subletting of office space to non-profit or public entities; and

WHEREAS, over the past fourteen years, HSIS has sublet space within the Property to entities that are neither public nor non-profit in violation of the express terms of the Agreement, which City Staff has often been aware of and at least implicitly allowed through the issuance of business licenses to such sub-tenants; and

WHEREAS, the Council finds that it is in the best interest of both parties to amend and clarify the language concerning permitted uses to align the express language of the Agreement with the Parties’ mutual understanding and intent concerning the same; and

WHEREAS, because the Agreement is a lease of City-owned real property for a term greater than one (1) year, the Council must act by ordinance to approve any amendment of the same pursuant to C.R.S. § 31-15-713(1)(c).

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado as follows:

Section 1. The above and foregoing recitals are hereby adopted as findings and determinations of the City Council and are incorporated herein by reference.

Section 2. The City Council hereby approves the Amendment to Occupancy Agreement, dated April 22, 2024, between the City of Idaho Springs and the Historical Society of Idaho Springs, concerning the Property, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference. The Mayor and City Clerk are authorized to execute the same and to deliver the document to the Historical Society and take such other steps as reasonably necessary or convenient to complete the amendment transaction.

Section 3. Should any one or more sections or

hereby repealed; provided, however, that the repeal of any such Ordinance or part thereof shall not revive any other section or part of any Ordinance heretofore repealed or superseded.

Section 5. Should any one or more sections or provisions of this Ordinance be judicially determined invalid or unenforceable, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remaining provisions of this Ordinance, the intention being that the various provisions are severable.

INTRODUCED, READ AND ORDERED PUBLISHED, at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 25th day of March, 2024.

Chuck Harmon, Mayor

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED:

Diane Breece, City Clerk

PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED, after publication, following public hearing, at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 22nd day of April, 2024.

Chuck Harmon, Mayor

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED:

Diane Breece, City Clerk

EXHIBIT A

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION

AN ORDINANCE REZONING AN APPROXIMATELY 35,667 SQUARE FOOT PARCEL OWNED BY THE CITY KNOWN AS 2060 MINER STREET FROM PARK AND RECREATION (P) TO COMMERCIAL 1 (C1)

WHEREAS, the City of Idaho Springs (“City”) owns a parcel of land addressed as 2060 Miner Street (the “Property”), on which the City’s Visitor Center is currently located and operated; and

WHEREAS, as landlord, the City has historically allowed some other limited uses upon the Property, such as the activities of other public entities and non-profits, as well as some small service-oriented commercial activities, such as health and medical offices; and

WHEREAS, the Idaho Springs City Council (“City Council”) finds that none of the historic uses of the Property align with permitted uses of the Property under the City’s zoning regulations, Chapter 21 of the Idaho Springs Municipal Code (“Code”); and

WHEREAS, Staff has therefore recommended that the City Council rezone this P parcel to C1, to match the designated zoning of the Property with its actual historic use and purpose; and

WHEREAS, as authorized by Idaho Springs Municipal Code (“Code”) Sections 21-82 and 21108, the City Council conducted public hearing on the proposed rezoning on April 22, 2024, at which time all interested parties were afforded an opportunity to be heard; and

WHEREAS, the Council finds that the proposed rezoning will tend to preserve and promote property values in the neighborhood and will be in harmony and compatible with the surrounding land uses and present development in the area.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, as follows:

Section 1. The above and foregoing Recitals are incorporated herein by reference and are adopted as findings and determinations of the City Council.

Section 2. The zoning classification for the City-owned parcel known as 2060 Miner Street, as more particularly described in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, is hereby changed from Park and Recreation (P) to Commercial 1 (C1).

Section 3. The official zoning map of the City is hereby amended to incorporate therein the zoning classification established in Section 2, above. Except as expressly so amended, the said zoning map is readopted, ratified and confirmed in all respects.

Section 4. Any and all Ordinances or parts thereof in conflict or inconsistent herewith are, to the extent of such conflict or inconsistency,

ing two (2) courses: 1. N84°38’31”W a distance of 205.41 feet to the Southwest corner of said Warranty N84°38’31”W a distance of 205.41 feet to the Southwest corner of said Warranty W a distance of 205.41 feet to the Southwest corner of said Warranty Deed, being monumented with a found plastic cap on a #4 rebar stamped “LS 25373”; 2. THENCE N05°24’18”E a distance of 161.30 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING. THENCE N05°24’18”E a distance of 161.30 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING. E a distance of 161.30 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING.

POINT OF BEGINNING. . Containing 35,667 square feet (0.819 Acres), more or less.

Legal Notice No. CCC850

First Publication: April 11, 2024

Last Publication: April 11, 2024

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant Public Notice

CITY OF IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held in accordance with Chapter 21 of the Idaho Springs Municipal Code commencing at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard on the 13th day of May 2024 before the City Council to consider an Annexation of approximately 100.63 acres of Interstate 70 Right-of-Way into the City of Idaho Springs.

That Property with an address of 2060 Miner Street, also known as “Tract 2” of the CRC Park Subdivision (Minor Subdivision) and more particularly described as follows:

A portion of that land described in Warranty Deed recorded in the Clear Creek County Clerk and Recorder’s Office in Book 206 at Page 137 dated January 17, 1924 being in Section 36, Township 3 South, Range 73 West of the 6th Principal Meridian, City of Idaho Springs, County of Clear Creek, State of Colorado, being more particularly described as follows: COMMENCING at the Southeast corner of said Section 36, being monumented with a at the Southeast corner of said Section 36, being monumented with a found 3” diameter brass cap on a 2-1/2” diameter pipe, 0.1’ above surface in mound of diameter brass cap on a 2-1/2” diameter pipe, 0.1’ above surface in mound of diameter pipe, 0.1’ above surface in mound of stones, stamped “US CADASTRAL SURVEY US CADASTRAL SURVEY BLM 1959 S36-S31-S1-S6 T3S-T4S, R73W-R72W”, whence the East Quarter corner of said , whence the East Quarter corner of said Section 36, being monumented with a found 3” diameter brass cap on a 1-1/2” diameter iron diameter brass cap on a 1-1/2” diameter iron diameter iron pipe, 0.4’above surface, stamped “US DEPT OF AGRICULTURE/FOREST SERVICE LS 11607 1975 US DEPT OF AGRICULTURE/ FOREST SERVICE LS 11607 1975 1/4 S31 T3S, R73W-R72W”, bears N00°02’27”E a distance of 2643.90 feet; , bears N00°02’27”E a distance of 2643.90 feet; E a distance of 2643.90 feet; THENCE N62°18’37”W a distance of 3125.13 feet to a point on the westerly line of said Warranty W a distance of 3125.13 feet to a point on the westerly line of said Warranty Deed, being monumented with a found 3-1/4” diameter plastic cap on #4 rebar projecting 0.1’ above the ground stamped “LS 25373”, and the POINT OF BEGINNING; POINT OF BEGINNING; ; THENCE along the arc of a curve to the right having a central angle of 5°02’58”, a radius , a radius of 925.01 feet, a chord bearing S73°55’29”E a distance of 81.50 feet, and an arc distance E a distance of 81.50 feet, and an arc distance of 81.52 feet;

THENCE S71°23’59”E tangent with the last described curve and non-tangent with the following E tangent with the last described curve and non-tangent with the following described curve a distance of 170.61 feet; THENCE along the arc of a curve to the right having a central angle of 4°55’46”, a radius , a radius of 332.15 feet; a chord bearing S54°01’50”E a distance of 28.57 feet, and an arc distance E a distance of 28.57 feet, and an arc distance of 28.58 feet; THENCE along the arc of a curve to the right having a central angle of 109°32’41”, a radius , a radius of 36.06 feet, a chord bearing S03°12’23”W a distance of 58.90 feet, and an arc distance W a distance of 58.90 feet, and an arc distance of 68.93 feet; THENCE along the arc of a curve to the right having a central angle of 21°52’12”, a radius , a radius of 199.19 feet, a chord bearing S68°54’50”W a distance of 75.57 feet, and an arc distance W a distance of 75.57 feet, and an arc distance of 76.03 feet to the southerly line of said Warranty Deed; THENCE along said southerly and westerly lines of Warranty Deed the follow-

This hearing will be held at the Idaho Springs City Hall, located at 1711 Miner Street, Idaho Springs, Colorado 80452. Dated this 11th day of April 2024. Dylan Graves, Community Development Planner

AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 355 ADOPTED ON FEBRUARY 12th, 2024, BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF SIL VER PLUME, COLORADO CONCERNING THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL OF RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES WITHIN THE TOWN OF SIL VER PLUME, TO AMEND ORDINANCE 355 TO CORRECT USE OF AN INCORRECT ORDINANCE NUMBER, AND TO AMEND ORDINANCE 348 REGARDING SECTION 3(C) CONCERNING THE DEFINITION OF THE LICENSE RENEWAL DATE AND SECTION lO(A) CONCERNING THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF LICENSES ALLOWED.

WHEREAS, the Town of Silver Plume (the “Town”) is a home rule municipal corporation created and organized pursuant to Article 20 of the Colorado Constitution and the Home Rule Charter of the Town of Silver Plume; and

WHEREAS, on July 11, 2022, the Board of Trustees of the Town adopted Ordinance No. 348 concerning the short-term rental of residential structures within the Town of Silver Plume; and

WHEREAS, on February 12th, 2024, the Board of Trustees of the Town adopted Ordinance No. 355, which amended Ordinance No. 353 with respect to Section 3(c) concerning the definition of the “license renewal deadline” and Sections 10( a) concerning the maximum number of outstanding licenses allowed; and

WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 355 should have amended Ordinance No. 348, NOT Ordinance No. 353;and

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Town has determined that an amendment to Ordinance No. 348 is necessary with respect to Section 3(c) concerning the defmition of the “license renewal deadline” to renew an application for a short-term rental license, as more fully set forth below, given the desire of the Town to provide reasonable renewal time frames; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Town has determined that an amendment to Ordinance No. 348 is necessary with respect to Section lO(a) concerning the maximum number of outstanding licenses allowed within the Town, as more fully set forth below, given the desire of the Town to provide reasonable opportunity to interested applicants; and

WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 310, Section 4 of the Town provides for expedited procedures to adopt an ordinance if it is necessary to the immediate protection of the public health and safety, and, in such instance, to adopt the ordinance at the same meeting of the Town Board during which it is introduced upon proper notice; and

WHEREAS, proper notice was provided of the proposed amendment to Ordinance No. 355 as more fully set forth below and a reasonable opportunity has been afforded to all persons attending the meeting to ask questions about or comment on the proposed Ordinance No. 356 amending Ordinance No. 355 and Ordinance No. 348, Sections 3(c) and lO(a); and

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees finds that Ordinance No. 356 amending Ordinance No. 355 and Ordinance No. 348, Sections 3(c) and lO(a) is necessary to the immediate protection of public health and safety. The Board of Trustees finds, determines, and declares that Ordinance No. 356 amending Ordinance No. 355 and Ordinance No. 348, Sections 3{c) and l0(a) is necessary to preserve and protect the health, welfare, safety, and economic well-being of the Town and its citizens, and to facilitate the administration of the Short-Term Rental Ordinance for the welfare and economic well-being of the Town and its citizens. The Board of Trustees further determines that the adoption of Ordinance No. 356 amending Ordinance No. 355 and Ordinance No. 348, Sections 3(c) and lO(a) is in the best interests of the citizens of the Town. This Ordinance No. 356 amending Ordinance No. 355 and Ordinance No. 348, Sections 3(c) and IO(a) shall be effective upon adoption; and

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF SIL VER PLUME, COLORADO:

1.Section 3. (c) under “Definitions” of Ordinance 348 is amended and replaced in its entirety to read:

(

c) “License Renewal Deadline” means each anniversary of the initial application deadline beginning on September 30, 2025. While an initial application may be received and approved at any time during the year, its renewal deadline shall be the next ensuing anniversary of the initial application deadline, beginning September 30, 2025. When a license renewal deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, it shall be extended to the next regular business day.

2. Section 10. (a) of Ordinance 348 under “Maximum Number of Licenses, Wait List, Exception.” is amended and replaced in its entirety to read:

(a) The maximum number of outstanding licenses allowed within the Town at any one time shall be 20 .

3.Repeal. Existing Ordinances or parts of Ordinances covering the same matters as embraced in this Ordinance are hereby repealed and all Ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed.

4. Severability. If any part, section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.

PURPOSE

Clear Creek County is seeking competitive bids from qualified executive search and recruitment firms to conduct two national searches leading to the selection of a new Deputy County Manager (DCM) and a new Finance Director.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The contractor shall perform all Services described in this section and all obligations set forth in the County’s professional services agreement. The contractor will conduct a national recruitment to include attracting, interviewing, and hiring of a DCM and a Finance Director. The selected contractor will assist the County Manager with the following services:

1. Working with the County Manager and Leadership Team to develop characteristics and attributes of the successful candidates, selection criteria, and recruitment process;

2. Developing recruitment strategies and timelines for approval by the County;

3. Developing accurate and enticing job profiles and customized brochures describing the Deputy County Manager and Finance Director positions, the County organization and the community, for approval by the County;

4.Conducting targeted recruitment of qualified and experienced individuals;

5. Marketing the position on a local, regional and national basis (including social media, online job listings, and other appropriate resources);

6. Receiving and processing application materials;

7. Providing initial screening of all applications against the qualifications required in the job description and recommending potential semifinalists and documenting the reasons for not selecting applications;

8. Assisting the County Manager in the selection of semifinalists and finalists;

9. Comply with nondiscrimination provisions established by the EEOC and CCRD;

10.Conducting credential verification and background referencing at the appropriate time;

11. Developing and coordinating a final selection process with the County Manager, including interviews with County Manager and staff, County tours, and interaction with employees and community members;

12. Conducting all background and reference checks on the final candidate(s); and,

13.Providing timely notification and any necessary follow up and feedback to all candidates not selected for the position.

Please address questions and submittals via email only to:

Brian Bosshardt

County Manager’s Office 405 Argentine Street P.O. Box 2000 Georgetown, CO 80444 (303) 679-2490

bbosshardt@clearcreekcounty.us

The deadline for submittal is 12:00 p.m. local time, April 22, 2024.

To view the entire Request-for-Bid, please follow this link:

https://www.clearcreekcounty.us/bids.aspx

Publication: April 11, 2024

Last Publication: April 11, 2024 Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Plaintiff(s): BRUCE BOYNTON

Defendant(s):

v.

CAROL LEE, in her capacity as CLEAR CREEK COUNTY TREASURER; SHAWN C. CARLSEN; all unknown persons who claim under or through the named defendants; and all unknown persons who claim any interest in the subject matter of this action

Case Number: 2023CV030048

Division: C

Attorneys for Plaintiff:

Zachary A. Grey, Atty. Reg. 49269

Jordan C. May, Atty. Reg. 38734

Frascona, Joiner, Goodman and Greenstein P.C. 4750 Table Mesa Drive

Boulder, CO 80305

Telephone: 303-494-3000

Facsimile: 303-494-6309

Email: zac@frascona.com

SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT(S): You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the complaint filed with the court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this court an answer or other response. You are required to file your answer or other response within 21 or 35 days, as applicable, after the service of this summons upon you. Service of this summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the complaint may be obtained from the clerk of the court.

If you fail to file your answer or other response to the complaint in writing within 21 or 35 days, as applicable, after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the complaint without further notice.

Dated: February 29, 2024

Frascona, Joiner, Goodman and Greenstein, P.C.

/s/Zachary A. Grey

Attorney for Plaintiff

Legal Notice No. CCC820

First Publication: March 14, 2024

Last Publication: April 11, 2024

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Clear Creek County, Colorado. 2. On-Channel Reservoir: The Grizzly Gulch Reservoir is an on-channel reservoir, and, therefore, no ditches will be used to fill the reservoir. 3. Map: The approximate location of the dam is depicted on the map attached hereto as Figure 1. 4. Source of water: Grizzly Gulch, a tributary of Clear Creek. 5. Date of appropriation and amount: December 21, 2005; 400 acre-feet, conditional. 6. Uses: Municipal, domestic, manufacturing, industrial, irrigation, stock watering, snow-making, watering of parks, lawns, and gardens, fire protection, recreation, in-reservoir or off-channel fish and wildlife propagation, dust suppression, augmentation, replacement, exchange, and the right to store for use, reuse, successive use, and disposal of all such water to extinction. For any reuse or successive use of water, Applicant must demonstrate dominion and control over such water to the satisfaction of the Division Engineer. The Applicant has the right to one fill and one refill of Grizzly Gulch Reservoir, minus the carryover from the previous year’s storage. Stored water carried over is subject to the same terms with the same appropriation date and for the same purposes as are described herein. The reservoir may also be utilized to store water rights by exchange or otherwise subject to subsequent Water Court approval. Applicant shall also use the Subject Conditional Water Right in conjunction with Applicant’s basin-wide augmentation plan decreed in Case No. 05CW302 on June 20, 2014 (“BasinWide Augmentation Plan”). 4. Absolute Claim: The Applicant does not seek to make any portion of the Subject Conditional Water Right absolute in this Application. 5. Provide a detailed outline of what has been done toward completion or for completion of the appropriation and application of water to beneficial use as conditionally decreed, including expenditures, during the previous diligence period: A. The Subject Conditional Water Right is part of an integrated system operated by Applicant for use of water within Clear Creek County, which system includes other reservoirs, exchanges, the Basin-Wide Augmentation Plan, and senior water rights. Pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-92-301(4)(b), work performed, effort, and cost expended on one feature of the project or system shall be considered in finding that reasonable diligence has been shown in the development of water rights for all features of the entire project or system. B. During the diligence period of March 1, 2018 to the present (“Diligence Period”), the County has continued to install, maintain, and upgrade its integrated water system. C. The County has participated in numerous regional and statewide water planning efforts during the Diligence Period. The County has continued to actively attend and exercise its voting membership duties on the South Platte River Basin Roundtable in preparation and adoption of the 2023 update to the State Water Plan. Certain of the County’s reservoirs are identified in the draft 2023 update to the Colorado Water Plan’s Basin Implementation Plan for purposes of funding studies and construction of certain facilities through the Identified Project and Process. The County also has engaged in internal water planning efforts. D. During the Diligence Period, the County has maintained its water rights portfolio and prosecuted several water court applications related to its water rights, including: Green Lake (Case No. 18CW3184, entered June 25, 2019); Leavenworth Reservoirs Nos. 1 and 2 and Bakerville Reservoirs Nos. 1 and 2 (Case No. 19CW3095, entered November 19, 2019); Basin-Wide Augmentation Plan exchanges for two of the Subject Water Rights (Case No. 20CW3082, entered April 6, 2021); amendment to King Murphy School Pond augmentation plan (Case No. 20CW3165, entered April 14, 2022); Clear Creek Reservoirs Nos. 2 – 4 and Clear Creek Diversion Structures A, B, and D (Case No. 22CW3179, entered June 6, 2023); Upper Johnson Gulch Reservoir (Case No. 23CW3113,

No. 23CW3088). E.

Subject Conditional Water Right is identified as a source of augmentation water in the County’s Basin-Wide Augmentation Plan, whether as an exchange-to point or by direct releases. Further, the Subject Conditional Water Right is identified as an exchange-to point in the exchange matrix in Case No. 05CW302. Throughout the Diligence Period, the County has operated, managed, administered, and maintained accounting for the Basin-Wide Augmentation Plan. During the Diligence Period, the County followed the decreed procedure to include several new plan participants in the Basin-Wide Augmentation Plan, and the County currently is undertaking the process to add a new plan participant. F. During the Diligence Period, the County monitored the Water Court applications in Division No. 1 and opposed approximately eight (8) Water Court applications to protect its water rights, including the Subject Conditional Water Right. G. The County expended approximately $1.4 million, and dedicated additional staff time, towards the activities described above during the Diligence Period. 6. Names and addresses of owners or reputed owners of the land upon which any new diversion or storage structure, or modification to any existing diversion or storage structure is or will be constructed or upon which water is or will be stored, including any modification to the existing storage pool: A. U.S. Forest Service, P.O. Box 3307, Idaho Springs, CO 80452. 7. Remarks or other pertinent information: The Applicant stipulated with nine Opposers in the original

case for the Subject Conditional Water Right, Case No. 05CW303. All terms and conditions from the Decree entered in Case No. 05CW303, including those stipulated with the nine Opposers, shall continue to apply to the Subject Conditional Water Right. WHEREFORE, Applicant seeks entry of a decree by the Court that grants a finding of reasonable diligence for the Subject Conditional Water Right in its entirety, continues the conditional Subject Conditional Water Right for another diligence period, and confirms Applicant’s right to complete the appropriation to the full decreed extent. (8 pgs., 1 Exhibit)

THE WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED BY THESE APPLICATIONS MAY AFFECT IN PRIORITY ANY WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED OR HERETOFORE ADJUDICATED WITHIN THIS DIVISION AND OWNERS OF AFFECTED RIGHTS MUST APPEAR TO OBJECT WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY STATUTE OR BE FOREVER BARRED.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any party who wishes to oppose an application, or an amended application, may file with the Water Clerk, P. O. Box 2038, Greeley, CO 80632, a verified Statement of Opposition, setting forth facts as to why the application should not be granted, or why it should be granted only in part or on certain conditions. Such Statement of Opposition must be filed by the last day of MAY 2024 (forms available on www.courts.state. co.us or in the Clerk’s office), and must be filed as an Original and include $192.00 filing fee. A copy of each Statement of Opposition must also be served upon the Applicant or Applicant’s Attorney and an affidavit or certificate of such service of mailing shall be filed with the Water Clerk.

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LEAP proporciona asistencia de energìa para bajar los gastos de calefaccòn.

LEAP helps eligible Coloradans pay a portion of their winter home heating costs.

LEAP ayuda a los residentes elegibles de Colorado a pagar una parte de sus gastos de calefacciòn de invierno.