In 1875, Dwight Wilmot requested that the federal government place a post office in our community. When asked what it should be named, Dwight responded, “Evergreen” because he loved the beauty the evergreen trees around him provided. This was the first official time the name Evergreen was used and thus our “beginning”. Being an unincorporated community, there is no other start to “Evergreen”. While Evergreen as a location and a place that we call home, has existed much longer than 150 years, 2025 is the year of our 150th anniversary. So Happy Sesquicentennial, Evergreen!
The Evergreen Chamber of Commerce and other organizations will be celebrating our birthday all year long. Look for annual events to incorporate some new fun to celebrate and look for new events to pop up celebrating our heritage. One such event will be on July 3 at Buchanan Park. It will be called “Illuminate the Past”. Bring a picnic dinner and join us on the fields to stroll through pop up displays spotlighting our heritage. Hear stories from community members who grew up in Evergreen, learn more about the lives of the original settlers, and visit displays that share the past and the path as our community has grown, all to better understand Evergreen today. We will end this evening with a beautiful glow from hot air balloons, something new to our community, to welcome in the next 150 years.
Local businesses are joining in on the fun too. There will be merchandise sporting a new logo that has been created to celebrate what we love about Evergreen: the mountains, the elk, our streams and lake, and what we see every day that Dwight Wilmot also loved, the evergreen trees. Soon a commemorative coin will be available with the proceeds going to help some of our historic places that need some tender love and care.
Look for opportunities to learn more about the heritage of historical places in our community. On the first Saturday of each month, a different location or area of our community will host an “open house” or tour that will provide more information on the history of the area. Long-time residents and historians will be the hosts of those sessions and all will be free and open to the public with some locations having specific programming for children. Do you think kids today would enjoy playing the games that kids play in the late 1800s to the early 1900s? How about the school lessons…do you think they are harder or easier now? These events kick off on Saturday, March 1 from noon to 2pm at the Bergen Fire Station Administration building. This session will focus on North Evergreen, the native tribes who were here before the white people arrived, Evergreen
Happy Birthday Evergre E n!
150
YEARS From Page 1
Fire and Rescue and some of the families who have played an integral role of this part of the community.
April 5 noon – 2pm join a walking tour of downtown Evergreen lead by John Steinle. Park in the large lot downtown (we will assist with providing free parking) and meet across the bridge from Baskin Robbins.
May 3 noon – 2pm we will meet at the Evergreen Lake House for a discussion on Dedisse park, the Evergreen dam, lake and lakehouse led by Stuart Collins from the Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society.
June 7 noon – 2pm the focus will be on Bear Creek Cemetery. This session will take place at the cemetery and led by Elaine Hayden and Rose Smith. Many of the original settlers of Evergreen are interned here.
July 5 noon – 2pm all are welcome to gather
at Congregation Beth Evergreen for a presentation from CBE and Mountain Area Land Trust on CBE’s 50th anniversary and the saving of Noble Meadow in Elk Meadow Park.
August 2 3-5pm join us for an old-fashioned ice cream social in The Grove at the Hiwan Homestead Museum. The Museum is also celebrating 50 years and will be debuting a new tour of the buildings and grove that weekend.
September 6 noon – 2pm we will meet in the parking lot of the Church of the Transfiguration for a walking tour of what originally was the Evergreen Conference Center led by Tom Scripps and Tara Emch. This includes the Church, its outer buildings and labyrinth, Center Stage and Lariat Lodge.
October 4 noon – 2pm join us at Wilmot Elementary School for some history on the one room school of Buffalo Park School and the Wilmot House.
You can keep abreast of all these events
February 1st Chill Out
Winterfest on Evergreen Lake
A ‘Heartfelt’ Message from Any Lab Test Now® … Take Care of Your Health in this 2025 New Year
By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles
February is synonymous with matters of the heart. But no matter if we are talking about Valentine’s Day, or any day, Any Lab Test Now® of Lakewood urges everyone to take care of their health in 2025.
Any Lab Test Now® at 7650 West Virginia Avenue, Suite C in Lakewood offers uninsured/ self-pay individuals private/affordable and convenient medical tests. So, whether you
need to take active steps to manage a chronic condition, monitor new medication dosages, or engage in a diagnostic process, Any Lab Test Now® of Lakewood can help you meet your New Year’s goals.
“We offer thousands of tests, including DNA/TB/Celiac/Chron’s/IBS, A1C, STI (sexually transmitted infections), and Single/Bundle Nutritional B12 Injections, and we’re sure to have the test for your specific situation,” said Dr. Drew Scarbrough, the Lakewood franchise owner who moved to Colorado from Florida
where he worked as a Veterinary Doctor. “We provide the doctor’s order; no insurance needed,” stated Dr. Scarbrough who also announced the February 3rd opening of his Any Lab Test Now® Littleton location at 6770 W. Coal Mine Avenue.
For lab hours/test information/fees and appointments, contact Any Lab Test Now® of Lakewood (720-543-2280/https//www. anylabtestnow/lakewood-80226) or the new Littleton office (720-993-4141).
Grant Brewster Believes in Building Good Working Relationships with his Customers
By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles
Edge Home Finance Corporation mortgage broker and foothills native Grant Brewster believes that when buying a house, everyone deserves more than a lender who simply checks boxes. Because he values good working relationships, for over thirty years he has consistently provided his customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations.
Mortgage brokers are not lending institu-
tion employees/affiliates so they can offer you limitless products. Grant seeks the best lending package tailored to your particular situation, whether it’s with a national wholesale, private funds, or second mortgage lender or Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) lender.
“If you have high-interest credit card debt or need funds for education/home improvements or unexpected expenses, a HELOC loan offers flexibility and relatively low borrowing costs,” said Grant Brewster.
Let’s say your home is worth $300,000, and you owe $150,000 on your mortgage. If the lender allows you to borrow up to 85% of your home’s value, you could potentially access up to $255,000 in total. Since you owe $150,000, your available HELOC balance would be $105,000 ($255,000 - $150,000).
Conveniently located at FlowTheory Coworks, 3540 Evergreen Parkway, contact Grant Brewster today (720-668-4183/grant. brewster@edgehomefinance.com/www.grantbrewster.com) for more information about HELOC loans and for all your financing needs.
ArborRx Family Tree Service: Here to Serve You Through Winter’s Snow Season
By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles
Snowy days and extreme temperatures might persist in our weather forecasts throughout winter, before springtime arrives; but don’t despair. ArborRx Family Tree Service provides snow removal services and two popular snow removal strategies to help you plow through this snowy season with ease.
Deicing utilizes snow-melt products applied to the ground to break the snow/ice bond and eliminate the buildup after the snow has fallen. Anti-icing, (pre-icing), applies the products before the snowfall if time permits equipment to do so; along with a deicing plan as needed as an effective preventative maintenance measure. This action not only makes subsequent bonded snow/ice easier to remove, but also it can decrease snow-related accidents, improve post-snow road service levels, and reduce storm clean-up costs.
“ArborRx Family Tree Service in Evergreen has been providing tree and plant services, storm damage repair, and fire/pest mitigation to our residential/ business/commercial customers in our foothills and all surrounding areas since 2010,” said Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Bryan Nash who coowns/operates his business with his wife Jennifer.
ArborRx Family Tree Service operates Monday-Saturday/8:00am-6:00pm (hours may sometimes vary). Cabling/emergency services are available 24/7. For more information/appointments, phone ArborRx at 720-629-7033. Visit the website (https://arborrxfamily.com) and follow them on Facebook.
Advertising support makes it possible for us to deliver the news to you...
Do You Know Your Fireplace’s Love Language?
Are you familiar with Gary Chapman’s wonderful book, The 5 Love Languages? They are: Acts of service
Quality time
Gifts
Affirming words
Physical touch
“Speak” those love languages by giving people love in ways that are meaningful to them; and by receiving love in ways that are meaningful to you.
Your Fireplace Has a Love Language Too
The humble fireplace pushes our love buttons in all the ways that we humans appreciate! This applies to fireplaces, fireplace inserts, and stoves - but we’ll use “fireplace” as a catch-all
A fireplace serves you with reliable heat
A fireplace is the perfect spot to spend quality time with loved ones
A fireplace can’t shop online but it gives the gift of ambience
A fireplace doesn’t say much but the dancing flames say “peace and relaxation”
A fireplace offers physical warmth and comfort
A fireplace is a centerpiece and a workhorse. All it asks in return is regular service so it can continue to serve you reliably and safely for decades to come.
Show Your Wood-Burning Fireplace Some Love
If you burn wood, the Chimney Safety Institute of America and National Fire Protection Association recommend annual cleaning to remove creosote buildup, boost efficiency, and prevent chimney fires.
Signs that your wood-burning fireplace needs service: visible soot and creosote deposits inside the fire box and on the chimney cap, smoke that fills the room when you start a fire, and difficulty starting a fire.
Our CSIA- and NFI-Certified chimney sweeps will inspect the fireplace and chimney and scrub the chimney and firebox clean while protecting your home with our No-Mess Guarantee. After the service, your fireplace will be ready for whatever Mother Nature has
in store!
Gas Fireplaces Need Love Too
Gas fireplaces need regular maintenance too! Annual service includes a thorough inspection where our NFI-certified technicians look for faulty pilot lights, malfunctioning thermocouples (safety devices that sense the pilot flame), clogged burners, gas supply issues, gas leaks, loose wiring, dead batteries, broken blowers, soot or dust buildup, or damaged gas valves.
Signs that your gas fireplace needs service: the pilot won’t light or stay lit, your fireplace randomly goes out after burning for some time, the flames are uneven, you smell burning dust, or there is soot build-up.
We also clean the logs and glass media, refresh the burner media, and clean the viewing glass. When we’re done, your gas fireplace will look and perform like new!
Don’t Forget Yourself!
If your home is missing a cozy and romantic atmosphere… if you have cold rooms you never use… if you want to lower your heating bills...
or if you want to boost your property value… Treat yourself to a new fireplace, stove, or insert!
Whether you love the aroma and crackle of a wood fire or the push-button convenience and safety of gas - or the panache of electric fireplaces that add ambience year-round - adding a fireplace to your home says “I love you”! February is the Month of Love!
We make annual service super easy for you by scheduling a year in advance. You’ll never be left scrambling for last-minute chocolateoops, sorry… never left waiting in the winter service queue.
For world-class fireplace service or quality products from top fireplace companies, get in touch with us at (303) 679-1601.
Need some inspiration? Browse our portfolio at https://www.mtnhp.com/portfolio or stop by our showroom at 7001 Highway 73 in Marshdale (just a few miles south of Evergreen Lake) to see our 70+ models of wood, gas, electric, and pellet fireplaces, stoves, and inserts.
Advertising Department
Donna Reardon, 303-566-4114
dreardon@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Ruth Daniels, 303-566-4113
rdaniels@coloradocommunitymedia.com
by visiting the events calendar on evergreenchamber.org, downloading our community app “Everything Evergreen”, or following the Evergreen Chamber’s social media accounts.
Even having lived in Evergreen for almost 28 years, I still feel new. There are places, organizations and stories that I hear about that make me wish I lived in Evergreen in the 1970s.
There are excellent resources that have been written by members of our community to guide your understanding of our past that I would highly recommend to anyone looking to learn more details: “Evergreen” by John Steinle, “Evergreen Our Mountain Community” by Barbara and Gene Sternberg, and recently Evergreen Fire and Rescue released, “Evergreen Fire/Rescue Burning Bright: 75 Years of Valor and Service: 1948-2023” by Peter Anderson and Kim Marklund (not pictured below). The Jefferson County Historical Commission also publishes a magazine called, “Historically Jeffco”. The current edition of this magazine is focused on mining, mysteries, and monuments. I know the holidays just passed, but these are easy reads that any lover of history will greatly appreciate.
As we turn the page into a new year, here is just a small list of the groups celebrating anniversaries in 2025: Center for the Arts, Congregation Beth Evergreen and the Hiwan Homestead Museum
Competitors in the Chill Out Winterfest
‘Rad as Ice Bike Race’
and Heritage Park all celebrate 50 years.
Evergreen Players celebrate 75 years of providing local theater. There is so much activism and planning that happened in the 1970s to be grateful for as these organizations enrich our lives and our community.
It is often said that history is our guide to the future. 2025 will be the year that we all learn so much more about this community we call our home. Join us and be part of the conversation guiding our future.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
A womanizing US president. Gin-drinking, poker-playing, skirt-chasing Cabinet members. And a plot from the inside to usurp control of the Navy’s oil reserves. Wild and juicy stuff this. And all of it a true chapter of America’s history.
There may not be another US scandal that is so heavy with corruption and criminality that weighs so lightly on our collective consciousness as the Teapot Dome Scandal. From 1920 to 1922, power-hungry politicians and corporate tycoons boldly schemed to steal the nation’s newest energy resourcel. In so doing these crooks put a black mark on the pioneering work of those who gave birth to Wyoming’s incredible bonanza.
With a deft researcher’s hand and the heart and attention of a creative writer, Constance Bierkan has written a rst-of-its-kind ctionalized recounting of what led up to this nearly forgotten nugget from the past, the Teapot Dome Scandal. Like No Place on Earth is a spirited coming-of-age story set in Wyoming at the start of the madcap Roaring Twenties and the birth of the oil industry. As much a love story as it is a historical deep-dive, Like No Place on Earth will be irresistible to book clubs and history buffs alike.
