Redstone September / October 2023

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COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE FOR THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 2013 FLOOD

VOLUME 24, NUMBER 8

From about September 10 to 15, 2013, about 18 inches of rain fell on the Lyons area and other parts of the state. The rivers rose and overflowed their banks, flooding parts of Lyons and its surrounding areas, and causing catastrophic damages to Lyons’ basic infrastructure, wiping out power supply, water supply and the wastewater system. Almost all of the residents evacuated. About 75 dwellings were destroyed. Ten years later and nearly $100 million in grants, FEMA funding, and state funding, Lyons has come back.

Lyons Spooktacular

LYONS – It’s time to start planning ahead. The Lyons Spooktacular and Halloween events will take place on Saturday October 28. Start thinking about your costumes. Plans for the parade and other Halloween events will be available in October.

St. Vrain Cross County Meet

LYONS – The Annual Cross Country meet will be held at Lyons High School and in Bohn Park on Friday, September 15 and Saturday, September 16. Middle School races will be Friday after 3 p.m. and the High School races will be held on Saturday, 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.) Come out to Bohn Park and cheer on the runners.

Continue Briefs on Page 5

Lyons Town Board strikes a deal with Spirit Hound Distillers and other issues

By Susan de Castro Redstone Review Editor

LYONS – At a recent meeting the Lyons Town Board voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 1153 on first reading, and to move it on to a second reading; this ordinance is to approve a lease of several sections of town property adjacent to Spirit Hound Distillers, Circle K (gas station) and Clark’s Hardware, to be leased to Spirit Hound Distillers. Both Clark’s and Spirit Hound have been leasing these sections of town property behind their respective buildings. Spirit Hound recently bought Clark’s Hardware and has requested a new lease from the town to lease all three parcels of property behind the three buildings.

The new lease agreement has raised a few eyebrows not only in town but also with some other business owners who rent similar strips of property from the town in that corridor, due to the price the town has agreed to charge Spirit Hound for all three properties. Originally the town was charging $3,300 a year for each of the three properties. Town Administrator Victoria Simonsen said that this is the standard fee that is charged to other businesses who are renting that similar strip of property from the town.

Now under the new negotiated settlement, Spirit Hound will pay $3,300 per year total for all three properties behind the three buildings.

Town Attorney Brandon Dittman said that the town negotiated this settlement because Spirit Hound has agreed to give up 16 feet of the leased land for the town to construct the trail that has been planned for several years.

Attorney Dittman added that the property is also subject to Highland Ditch turnaround, which decreases its value. “The important part (of the agreement) is that we have at least 16 feet to construct the trail,” he said.

Administrator Simonsen said that before

an agreement was reached, the town was trying to get 20 feet for a trail and Spirit Hound want to limit the trail to ten feet. “So, we settled on 16 feet,” she said.

Attorney Dittman said the term for the lease with Spirit Hound runs for ten years with a clause to renew for another ten years.

“Which is standard for commercial properties,” he said.

He added that, “The rent has a three-percent escalator per year.” This three-percent rent increase per year is not in the other contracts that the town has with other businesses who rent town property, but Dittman said that they plan to implement that clause going forward.

Trustee Paul Williams said, “Sixteen feet is a significant amount of land they are giving up. I think that (the lease amount) is reasonable.”

Town staff member Tracey Sanders said that Spirit Hound would be losing some of that area that they are now leasing and paying for, for the trail.

Trustee Ted Elson questioned the amount of the rent for all three properties saying that it seemed too low, and that he was concerned about charging all businesses the same price. He said that this was his personal opinion.

Trustee Tanya Daty said that she wants to ensure that there is a fair system for everyone.

Trustee Gregg Oetting said that he was not sure that you should look at it by square footage, saying that the town could not rent it to anyone else.

In other news, the town board passed Ordinance 1151 on first reading to amend the municipal code updating the utility late fees. Attorney Brandon Dittman told the board that the language concerning late fees was confusing. Public Works Director Aaron Caplan said that the new language will now say that if a utility bill is not paid within 30 days after the billing date, then the client will re-

ceive a late fee, but the code said the fee would be charged after 60 days, so the Utility Department wants to clarify that language. The board also passed Ordinance 1152 on first reading adopting the 2023 edition of the National Electric Code. This ordinance just adopts the most current codes for the town to use updating from the 2022 code.

The Lyons Town Administrator Victoria Simonsen told the board that there is $93,000 in the revolving loan fund for businesses to use. “There may be some businesses out there that want to make improvements and these funds are available,” she said. Simonsen said that there are 12 loans out there now and two businesses are behind in their payments.

Administrator Simonsen talked to the board about the new proposed Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations. Jule, the private company that asked the board if Lyons was interested in supporting their grant application for EV charging stations, was awarded a grant for this project. Lyons would receive four 150kW chargers and one 44 kWH energy storage unit. Jule will work with Lyons to provide a detailed site assessment for location and equipment. Jule spokespeople say that Lyons will bear no cost for the project. Jule will cover all equipment, installation and maintenance costs. The consumers will pay for the electricity costs, so the town won’t incur any additional electricity costs.

Lyons Finance Director Cassey Eyestone told the board that sales tax revenues were 1.86 percent lower than they were at same time last year based on June figures. She added that local businesses provided for 60 percent of the revenue.

During Trustee Reports, Trustee Gregg Oetting brought up the idea of possibly creating a Blue Zone in Lyons. Blue Zones are places around the world where people tend to live well into their 90s by following nine basic principles, such as eating a Mediterranean diet, doing normal exercises such as walking everyday and other things. Administrator Simonsen said she had worked on a Blue Zone program in another place and thought that it worked well there.

PHOTO BY KENNETH WAJDA

MASTHEAD PHOTO BY CATHY RIVERS

Andrew Forbess Hall

July 15, 1963 – August 14, 2023

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Andy Hall, a beloved father, son, and friend who touched the lives of many. He leaves behind a legacy of love, strength, and cherished memories that will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew him.

Andy Hall grew up on the picturesque Hall Ranch near Lyons, Colorado. Surrounded by the beauty of nature, he developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors and a strong work ethic from an early age.

A story of survival

This letter sent by a friend to the editor in September, 2013. The writer wanted to remain anonymous

BERTHOUD – We are in Comfort Suites in Ft. Collins. We had major damage at our house in Berthoud. Bridge out, roads gone, water pipes, gas line, electrical, phone all broken and gone down river. We lost everything outside including the pergola, flagstone, all yard art, plants, every tree but one that I planted. There were 32 of them. The property is under feet of mud as was

These values would shape his character and guide him throughout his life’s journey.

A man of many talents, Andy had a passion for creating works of art through stone. He found solace and joy in being able to solve any do-it-yourself problem and often sharing these pursuits with his children and creating cherished memories that they will carry with them always.

In the tight-knit community of Lyons, Andy was known for his kindness, his warm smile, and his willingness to lend a helping hand whenever it was needed. He had an innate ability to bring people together and forge meaningful connections that transcended all boundaries.

As we bid farewell to Andy, we remember

the barn and stall, and garage. Devastation everywhere. The pond and aerator are gone. And worst of all, my bees drowned, 300,000 of them. It is so overwhelming. The house is standing and the mud has been cleared from around and inside of it. An 800 lb. antique plow floated down the river. I lost my three 30-year-old and very large spruce trees. They were pulled up by the roots and sent down the huge raging river. It came up very fast with large walls of water.

We had to forge the river with Jim carrying our dog and me hanging onto his belt on his pants. I could barely move my legs and stay standing up. The house was completely surrounded. We got to the

the laughter, the stories shared, and the moments that defined his life. Though he may no longer be with us in person, his spirit will continue to inspire and guide us. May his memory be a source of comfort and strength as we navigate the days ahead.

Andy is survived by his six sisters Ann, Emma, Ida, Dora, Betsey, and Shelly, and his three brothers Lee, Keith, and Hal. He is survived by his daughter Veronica and her three sons Mason, Grant, and Henry. and his son Zane. Andy is also survived by his mother, Rita, and his father, John. A private family memorial service will be held in September to celebrate the life of Andy.

We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Andy.

horses, put halters on them and went out the south and up the hill across pastures as we cut fences all the way to the nearest road that was still opened.

A friend hiked in to help us. My friends Carol, Norma, and Joan found us and they had a man with them with a horse trailer. They rescued us and took us and the horses to a lovely couple with a beautiful horse ranch in north Loveland. Joan loaned us a car and we found the closest hotel that would take our dog. I thought we would be home the next day.

At the time I had no idea there would be dams breaking above us and more walls of raging water. The next day Jose hiked back

Lyons Fire District reflects on the flood of 2013

By Marya Washburn Redstone Review

LYONS – For the ten-year anniversary of the September floods, the members of Lyons Fire Protection District have been thinking back on the pivotal experience that event had on our department, and our community, ten years later.

The September, 2013 flood was a pivotal event for our community. So much happened that week, teaching us so many lessons and solidifying the importance of public safety needs such as swiftwater rescue, evacuation protocols, and hazardous materials awareness. Here at Lyons Fire Protection District, we train and prepare for swiftwater events every spring through our swiftwater rescue training program and we regularly provide firefighters with emergency preparedness training throughout the year. In many of these trainings, we still talk about the 2013 floods and what we learned.

We remember the flood waters rising to dangerous levels that first night, after dark, with the loss of daylight making any potential rescue situations even more precarious. The flood waters were full of debris and it was impossible to clearly see the depth or span of the threat in the dark.

We did know some things though. We knew that U.S. 36 was covered with water, making our primary exit road-

ways from town impassible and drastically limiting our access to the outside world. We knew the electricity was out, alarms were sounding, and people were missing. Roads were washing away and bridges were out. We needed to get people to safety as quickly and effectively as possible. Our firefighters worked tirelessly to help evacuate people, trying to find the safest way out to get people to shelter. Despite little sleep for the first two days of the flood we continued to work together effectively as a team to respond to the crisis.

As the water receded, Lyons Firefighters began to rotate between resting and getting back to work, in two 12hour shifts. Our department worked together with other agencies and the town to clear debris, ensure safe transportation, and help search for loved ones. Firefighters spent hours each day connecting with each “island” of our local Lyons community that had become isolated overnight from the rest of the world. For a few long days, for many of us here in town, the isolation was palpable. It truly felt as if Lyons was completely on its own. But we didn’t let it destroy us. Instead, we saw it bring everyone together. The fire department. The town. The community. We truly became a united front, working together to help everyone we could.

Those of us at Lyons Fire Protection District remember the resiliency we had as a community during that time, and we honor how far we’ve come. One of the more mem-

On September 7 in Bohn Park Cathy Rivers, as the Weed Possee Guide, led Sarah Wegert’s second grade class from Lyons Elementary, on a search and destroy mission targeting invasive weeds.The students are studying local weeds in class, and came prepared with gloves, tools, and buckets to identify and remove such invaders as knapweed, mullein, bindweed, and thistles. The students tallied the types and number of weeds that were found and removed.

in and called to tell us the bad news. Joan also called and was crying. I knew then how bad it was. So here we are over two weeks in the hotel, which is very nice. The Red Cross workers are staying here, too. Lots of huge equipment type of work has to be done at the house property. We hit the ground running and we are making progress. We didn’t have insurance so we just hit it hard while we could get equipment and workers and rock and road base etc., etc., etc.

Editor’s note: The homeowners rebuilt, repaired, cleaned out all the mud, replanted, built a new bridge and put their lives back together. It took years of work.

orable aspects of the flood for us firefighters looking back is the resiliency of each “island,” or isolated community. As we made it to each “island” as a fire department, we checked in with those communities, wanting to see what the needs were, the overarching theme in each area was that people were coming together, helping each other out, and taking care of each other.

From the XBar7 community meeting at the mailboxes each day to share information, to the McConnell neighborhood grilling whatever had already thawed out that day, to the people giving out coffee in front of the Stone Cup at the end of High Street to the sound of bagpipes. Everywhere we looked, there were people taking care of people. There were people caring about people.

People helping others allowed us as a fire department to help keep this community safe. We lost a lot during the flood, and we will never be the same. Looking back, ten years later, those of us at Lyons Fire hope to honor the things we lost ten years ago, and we continue to be proud of the resilience of the Lyons community.

Marya Washburn is the public information officer and a Lieutenant with the Lyons Fire District.

EDITOR / PUBLISHER Susan de Castro

COPY EDITOR Sara Neustadtl

BUSINESS MANAGER Julie Hamilton

ADVERTISING MANAGER Bonnie Chaim

ADVERTISING DESIGN Monica Brooks

PHOTO BY CATHY RIVERS

Looking back at 2013

By Hollie Rogin Mayor of Lyons Redstone Review

LYONS – As we look back on the tenth anniversary of the 2013 flood, we can and should celebrate all that this community has accomplished: flood recovery is complete.

Our town is more beautiful than ever. Lyons Valley Townhomes affordable housing is welcoming tenants. We have a lot to congratulate ourselves for. And of course, there is always more work to do.

As we turn to look down the road ahead, it’s time for the Board of Trustees to undertake arguably the most important task we have: approving the Town budget.

In the fall of each year, the Board of Trustees determines the budget for the following year. We have a number of workshops (including an all-day Saturday session) to gather information from Staff and discuss what we should prioritize for the coming year. We are presented with a draft budget that we discuss, and then we conduct a public hearing to gather input from our community. All workshops and meetings are open to the public.

This will be the fourth budget I’ve worked on. During the first three, I don’t recall much, if any, community feedback. But this year is different. For the first time, the Board decided to actively gather budget input from Town residents. We re-

ceived 47 responses to our online survey, which is terrific. So terrific, in fact, that the Board instructed Staff to re-open the survey so that if you haven’t yet, you can answer these questions (and provide additional comments as you like):

• What would you like to see the Board of Trustees include in the Town’s 2024 Budget?

• Would you support a separate tax or fee for more robust street/sidewalk/stormwater improvements?

The url for the survey is: https: // www.townoflyons. com / FormCenter / Boards-and-Commissions-13/Town-ofLyons-2024-Budget-Preparation-Di-118.

If that’s a bit too long to type into your browser, please feel free to email your answers to Finance Director Cassey Eyestone at ceyestone@townoflyons.com.

Another option for providing input is to come and speak during Audience Business at any of our Board meetings. During the last meeting, for example, we had dozens of friendly pickleballers in attendance to demonstrate their support for expanded pickleball offerings. (Thank you, pickleballers) And you are of course welcome to attend our budget workshop. Be aware, however, that we don’t take public comment – or make decisions – during workshops. This year’s workshop is scheduled for Saturday, October 21 at 9 a.m. at the Town Hall Boardroom.

After that workshop, the Finance Director will present the Board with a draft budget. This draft will be discussed, and there will be a public hearing and potentially formal adoption on November 6. The Board of Trustees is excited to look ahead to 2024, and we hope you are too.

I would like to close this column by rec-

Dear Lyons Community, Evacuations are still ongoing and everyone’s only concern is getting people to shelter and safety. Many of our dear friends and neighbors have lost everything and all of us will be displaced for awhile. Town infrastructure and services will take time to restore.

I have had to watch this unfold from half a world away. What I have seen and heard makes me so proud of our community. People pulling together, helping each other out, checking on each other, sharing resources. Some stories are heroic (dramatic backhoe rescue of a flooding car in front of Planet Bluegrass on YouTube). Some are funny (melting ice cream parties). All are heartwarming.

ognizing the extraordinary efforts of our Flood Remembrance Committee, who dedicated countless hours to making the events of the tenth anniversary a success.

Led by Trustee Tanya Daty and Administrator Victoria Simonsen, the team worked tirelessly to create a weekend of events that captured the essence of what makes Lyons so special. Thank you so much to Trustee Daty, Administrator Simonsen, Claudia Paterno, Diane Dandeneau, Cherie Maureaux, Shauna Lee, Monique Sawyer-Lang, Kim Mitchell, Tim

Town staff and emergency services have done a truly outstanding job. They are linking with FEMA, Boulder County, the Red Cross, the St Vrain Valley School District and others as we move from rescue to recovery. I am sure they are exhausted, but I want to just stand up and shout in appreciation for Victoria Simonsen and her team. They are the A team. And Lyons will recover. We will get the roads, bridges, power and water back up and running. The kids will keep going to school (sounds like that might be in Longmont for now but they will all be together). We will work hard to find ways to support our businesses and families with assistance. And we will find ways of gathering to share information and to stay connected while we are temporarily displaced. Because we are not just a place, we are a community.

Natural disasters can reshape our communities

By Congressman Joe Neguse Redstone Review

BOULDER – In September, 2013, communities across Colorado’s Front Range experienced some of the most devastating floods in state history. From Fort Collins to Estes Park and Boulder to Colorado Springs, families were evacuated and homes were destroyed – our very own community, the town of Lyons, suffered some of the worst damage. As we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 2013 floods, we reflect on the resilience of our community and recommit ourselves to investing in mitigation projects for areas prone to climate-induced disasters.

As your representative, I’ve made it a priority to take urgent action and work to enact proposals that will safe-

guard the future of our global environment for the generations to come. In fact, just last year, when we made historic progress in successfully enacting the Inflation Reduction Act – the single biggest investment in climate action – into law, we were also able to deliver significant funding for drought resiliency, wildfire mitigation, and flood preparedness here in Boulder County. This was a significant step forward in our work to ensure communities impacted by disaster have the resources necessary to make a full recovery.

And because it’s clear that storms know no boundaries, I’ve joined with a group of colleagues from all across the country to form the Bipartisan Congressional Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Caucus. Together we are working with folks from every corner of America to advance policies that provide timely and comprehensive relief for disaster survivors and promote effective preparedness and

Cox, and Lucy Moore for your hard work and dedication.

Hollie Rogin was sworn in as Mayor of Lyons on April 18, 2022. Before that she was elected to serve on the Board of Trustees for the term of 2020 to 2022. In 2015, Rogin created the foundation for what is now the City of Boulder’s Commercial Affordability program on a pro bono basis. While serving as a Trustee, she was the Board liaison to the Economic Vitality Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission.

Editor’s note: When the flood hit Lyons on September 12, 2013, Mayor Julie Van Domelen was in Tanzania, Africa, on a mission to oversee some projects under construction by the World Bank. Her husband, Joseph Lekarczyk, emailed Mayor Julie earlier to say he and their daughter were all OK. But when Julie returned to her hotel, she turned on her TV before looking at her emails. At her hotel in Tanzania, the Aljazeera channel she was watching was reporting on the horrible flood disaster going on in Lyons, Colorado. By the time she saw the story on TV, all the phone lines were down, there was no electricity or cell service in our area. But she did eventually see his message on her computer.

A remarkable community before and after the flood. Lyons rocks. My love to you all and can’t wait to get a plane out of here.

Mayor Julie Van Domelen

As I write this on the evening of September 14, 2013.

recovery measures.

Natural disasters have the power to reshape our communities for years to come, and as we reflect on a decade of progress, we are reminded that so much of this was made possible by an outpouring of support and kindness from neighbors across the state. We must continue to support one another every step of the way. Please know that I will remain devoted to doing all I can to prepare our communities should disaster strike and support them in their recovery.

Our thoughts are with those impacted by the 2013 floods – stay safe, stay healthy, and stay hopeful.

Congressman Joe Neguse represents Colorado’s Second District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to his first term in November 2018, becoming the first AfricanAmerican member of Congress in Colorado history. He serves as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

Letter to the Lyons community from Julie Van Domelen, Mayor of Lyons during the flood in September, 2013

Rogin

The Flood Remembrance Committee. Left to right, back row: Tanya Daty, Diane Dandeneau, Victoria Simonsen, Monique Sawyer-Lang, Tim Cox, Lucy Moore. Front row: Claudia Paterno, Cherie Maureaux, Kim Mitchell, Shauna Lee

Neguse

Van Domelen

Sally King and April Tierney to talk at the library; monthly Pokémon Parties scheduled, and more

By Kara Bauman Redstone Review

LYONS – As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, your Lyons Community Library is gearing up for an exciting lineup of events designed to engage and inspire community members of all ages. From poetry and art discussions to yoga for preschoolers and Pokémon battles, there’s something for everyone. Here’s a glimpse of what’s happening.

Sally King and April Tierney return to the library for another intergenerational conversation about the complexity and necessity of both making and sharing art. Join this engaging discussion and gain insights into the artistic process that transcends generations. Artists in Conversation begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Community Room on Saturday, September 16.

Local authors Niki Dewart and Elizabeth Marglin invite you to the third installment of their seasonal gatherings invoking the Wild Mind/Sacred Heart. In this fall workshop, explore the element of EARTH and embark on a journey into the realm of the soul using myth and metaphor. Discover self-knowing as a portal for transformation on Tuesday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Community organizer and social worker Rebekah Shardy shares valuable tools to navigate and transcend social, religious, and political arguments in her session “What Do I Say to That?!: Moving from Discord to Dialogue” taking place on Saturday, September 30 at 1:30 p.m.

Take advantage of our – typically – amazing autumn weather with stargazing activities and outdoor adventures. Join us in Bohn Park for After Dark in the Parks with Nature Deb at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 15. Find out about how Earth’s tilt and movement around the sun causes our

seasons to change, and learn which constellations and planets you can see in the sky at this time of year. All ages are welcome and in the event of inclement weather we will try again at the same time on Saturday, September 16.

On Friday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m., meet on the library’s front porch for the next installment of After Dark in the Parks when we walk to Sandstone Park to discover fun facts about the moon, nocturnal wildlife, and more on this full moon excursion. Ages six through adult welcome.

Since our summertime Pokémon party was so much fun, we decided to make it a regular monthly gathering. We invite Pokémon enthusiasts, whether beginners or masters, to gather to trade, play, and have an evolutionary-fun time on the second Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m.

We also invited back yogi Diana Laughlin for another

Dark Skies save lives, and need everyone’s

By Deborah Huth Price Redstone Review

LYONS – One of the benefits of living somewhere a bit removed from metropolitan areas is the opportunity to see dark, starlit skies. How magnificent it is to see the constellations, stars, and planets, and even the Milky Way.

Dark skies are not only beneficial for stargazing, though – darkness is important to the survival of many wildlife species, as well as to human health.

Generations of people before us were much more attuned to the skies than we are today. They may not have understood all the science of the universe, but they knew how to measure seasons, and how to recognize patterns of stars, and how they change through the year. The stars also reflected the culture and community of humans through star stories and lore.

With electricity, computers, and many other modern distractions, we close our doors to the darkness and live in artificial light for most of our lives. Darkness is often seen as scary, and we forget that half the world is dark every day, and more than half of earth’s creatures are nocturnal.

DarkSky International is a non-profit group that promotes the importance of dark skies around the world. Its goal is to “restore the nighttime environment and protect communities from the harmful effects of light pollution through outreach, advocacy, and conservation.” Many local chapters, including DarkSky Colorado, also work to create protection of dark skies and awareness of the effects of light pollution.

Light pollution causes a type of habitat loss for many creatures. Many bird species migrate at night, and artificial light interferes with their ability to navigate well. Cities across the world have joined into “Lights Out” campaigns that encourage people to turn all outside lights off at night to prevent bird/building collisions and other light distractions. Other animals like sea turtles, fireflies, and even dung beetles depend on darkness and/or seeing stars to navigate, communicate, and survive.

Human health is also affected by light pollution. Our circadian rhythms are set by the production of melatonin,

a hormone that is produced in the absence of light. Without enough melatonin, studies have shown that more instances of cancer and other diseases and health disturbances are present.

Less light does not equal less safety. Safe lighting is more focused on the type of light you use and how it is directed. Glaring lights that produce lots of illumination and shine up into the sky actually cause a type of blindness: your eyes can only see the bright light while you are shielded from everything around it. The light that shines upwards also provides no benefit and obliterates the ability to see the stars in the process. Lights that are focused towards the ground actually provide plenty of light to see, and allow your eyes to adjust better to darkness so you can see beyond the light fixture. Amber or red colored lights are also less intrusive and usually still provide plenty of illumination.

The five principles of responsible lighting that DarkSky

installment of Preschool Yoga and Mindfulness. Discover kid-friendly centering, breathing, yoga, stories, and songs to promote body flexibility and mindfulness on Saturday, September 30 at 10:30 a.m. Bring your own yoga mat if possible.

Each Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. we welcome babies and their caregivers for story and playtime, and each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. we welcome toddlers and their caregivers for an all-ages story time and craft. All-ages story time on October 4 will be a special solar eclipse session ahead of our next annular eclipse on October 14.

A new school year means a fresh start for our Teen Advisory Group. Those in grades 6 through12 interested in assisting with library events, suggesting books, and creating a vibrant atmosphere for teens, should stop by for an application form or attend the first meeting of the season on September 14 for more information.

Make sure to visit local artist Birdi Smock’s art show Birdi-Eye Views before it departs the library on October 11, and mark your calendars for the next Tandem Art Show Opening Reception – featuring the works of Ruth Wilson and Carol Groves – on October 18.

While plans for a new library district were in the works prior to 2013, we consider our district and building to have been born of the flood. We have so many community members to thank for their work organizing, planning, fundraising, and everything else that went into our creation during a time when their focus could easily have been on other projects. We are truly grateful to the greater Lyons community, honor our history, and exist to serve.

Your Lyons Community Library opens Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m. We close at 5 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays; 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays; and 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Our online catalog is available 24/7 at lyons.colibraries.org and we’re always open for digital downloads on both the Libby and CloudLibrary apps. Give us a call at 303-823-5165 or email info@lyonslibrary.com with any questions. Please see the calendar of events on our website for additional programs, program information, and registration instructions.

Colorado emphasizes are:

• Useful – all light should have a clear purpose;

• Targeted – light should be directed only where needed;

• Low light levels – light should be no brighter than necessary;

• Controlled – light should be used only when it is useful;

• Color – use warmer color lights when possible.

To date, there are five communities in Colorado that have been certified as Dark Sky Communities, and also ten DarkSky parks, with more communities and parks in progress. The certification process is outlined on the DarkSky website for communities that are interested in achieving this designation.

There are many steps individuals can take as well to help preserve dark skies. These include changing outdoor lighting fixtures to downward-facing lights or shielding current lights, turning off lights at night or when not in use, and keeping curtains/blinds closed in the evening.

One of the most important rewards of having a dark night sky is the opportunity to be able to look up and remember that planet Earth is part of something much larger. The universe is out there, and our sense of wonder has the chance to grow when we can see the stars.

For more information about the importance of dark skies, what to look for in dark sky fixtures, and how to help as an individual or a community, visit the international website at www.DarkSky.org or the Colorado website for local issues, www.DarkSkyColorado.org

PHOTO BY MIKE LOHR

Bauman

Sally King and April Tierney return to the library on Saturday, September 16 at 10:30 a.m. in the Community Room for another intergenerational conversation about the complexity and necessity of both making and sharing art.

Digital display of the Flood of 2013, video footage, books on the flood and exhibits at the Museum

By Brianna Hoyt and Monique Sawyer-Lang Redstone Review

LYONS – September marks ten years since the North and South St. Vrain Creeks overflowed their banks and flooded the Town of Lyons. The Lyons Redstone Museum has chronicled the events in our Flood of 2013 exhibit; from those devastating first days through the last decade of recovery and rebuilding. As we reflect on and commemorate this years’ anniversary we are adding several new components from our archives that have never been on public display.

New to the physical exhibit and also available online through the Redstone Museum’s virtual museum on VirMuze at https:// virmuze.com/m/lyons-redstone-museum/x/lyons-flood/ is a digital display Lyons Flood, which includes first-hand photographs and video footage of the flood. The video footage, courtesy of Cathy Rivers, includes the residential, downtown, and parks of Lyons. Photograph collections from area residents Paul Wegman, Cathy Rivers, Khalie Sue Pinello and Cindy Moffit illustrate the scale of the flood from different areas of town.

Included in the virtual exhibit are the personal recollections of three other area residents, Cheron Boland, David Such, and Ken Singer. Cheron Boland recounts her painful and heartfelt story on the loss of husband Gerry in the flood. David Such details the impact on the foothills community of Spring Gulch just outside of Lyons, and Ken Singer’s perspective is from Apple Valley Road where they had just moved into their home ten weeks prior.

Available for purchase in the museum’s bookstore is a selection of books about the flood including ones created by the Lyons High School Photography Class and the Lyons Elementary School students. Also, available for purchase is the DVD titled Understanding the Fundamentals: Colorado’s Epic Flood of 2013

If you have photos, video footage, or written first-hand accounts of the flood that you would like to add to the mu-

seum’s collection, contact us at redstonehistory@gmail.com.

If you’ve never been to the Redstone Museum or its been a while since your last visit, we invite you to stop in to view the Flood of 2013 Exhibit and to explore our exhibits detailing the history of Lyons before we close for the season on October 1. We are open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Admission is free and donations are greatly appreciated

While visiting please drop in to our gift shop and used book store. We have Lyons souvenirs, which make great stocking stuffers, and a selection of vintage tableware, perfect for adding a little sparkle to your holiday table. If you have a book lover on your holiday gift list or are looking for something interesting to read over the winter, our bookstore with its large selection of new and used books may have just what you are looking for.

The Redstone Museum will have a booth at the Holiday Artisan Market December 2 and 3. The market will be held at the Lyons Elementary School Gym on Stickney between 3rd and 4th Avenues and is the perfect opportunity to do some holiday shopping. We will have a selection of local history books and handcrafted Christmas ornaments for sale.

Even though the museum will be closed for the winter there is still plenty of Lyons history to explore through our virtual offerings. Fall is a perfect time to stroll around town and learn the history behind the 15 sandstone buildings included in the Lyons Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn which building in town stored dynamite, what building served as a bank, and in what building a gunfight broke out. Lyons Historic District tour is available through a free app at https://theclio.com/tour/910.

If you would like to learn the personal stories of some of the earliest residents of Lyons, then the Lyons Cemetery Tour has what you are looking for. Discover who the first teacher was in the Lyons School and who later married Lillie Lyon, the eldest daughter of town founder Edward Lyon. Find out who saved 23 men trapped in a mine in Nederland at the expense of his own life. Learn which Lyons resident survived the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and wrote a personal account in his diary. The Lyons Cemetery Tour is available at https://virmuze.com/m/lyons-

Looking forward and not back

By Mark Browning Redstone Review

redstone-museum/.

The museum is open by appointment during the winter months. To schedule an appointment to do research, visit, or shop at our gift shop and used bookstore email us at redstonehistory@gmail.com. The Lyons Redstone Museum is supported through grants and donations from individuals. Tax deductible donations can be mailed to Lyons Historical Society, PO Box 9, Lyons, CO 80540. We look forward to seeing you for the 2024 season when we open for weekends starting May 4, and then daily June through September.

Monique Sawyer Lang is the Collections Manager of the Lyons Redstone Museum. She is also a volunteer with the Lyons Food Pantry and a former member/chair of the Lyons Community Foundation Board. She lives in Spring Gulch. Brianna Hoyt works part time at the Lyons Redstone Museum.

equate fire risk mitigation steps.

Browning

LYONS – I’m a bit of a contrarian by nature, so I’m going to “remember the flood” by looking forward, not backward. If the flood taught us anything, it should’ve been “Be Prepared”.

Lyons’ biggest risk is not flood. It’s fire. And we’re not prepared.

Lyons has no Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Code, even though one may be in the gradual process of trickling down from

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state and county levels. This should be an urgent local priority for Lyons, including much public discussion about difficult things like cutting down trees whose crowns are within ten feet of rooftops.

There are no readily-accessible fire breaks west of Lyons, which is the direction of highest risk due to prevailing winds. Instead, Boulder County Parks and Open Space controls much of that area and it prioritizes plants (including flammable grasses) and privacy (keeping people off BCPOS land) instead of people’s fire safety or access to allegedly public land.

The Town of Lyons fails to clear town-

County to consider rezoning areas around Lyons: Commissioners enact temporary moratorium

BOULDER COUNTY – The Boulder County Commissioners have adopted a six-month moratorium on processing applications for development in higher intensity (Commercial, Business, Transitional, and General Industrial) zone districts within a three-mile radius of the Town of Lyons in unincorporated Boulder County. The moratorium will allow the county to determine if the existing county zoning map and regulations meet the needs of Boulder County and the Lyons community.

The county zoning districts that are subject to the moratorium have been in place for decades, during which time there have been changes to development patterns, comprehensive plans, and intergovernmental agreements concerning growth and development. The area was heavily impacted by the 2013 Flood and considering the appropriateness of the current zoning in these flood prone areas is the evolution of flood recovery and a component of hazard mitigation and resiliency planning. Cur-

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owned land of dead timber, and invasive trees and weeds, even when an elected Board of Trustee budgets to do such things and directs town staff to do them. The town even drags its feet at curbside pickup of fire hazard dead limbs. Staff balked at re-starting that service after the flood (refusing to replace an insured wood chipper washed away by the flood) and must be repeatedly reminded to do it. It’s supposed to be done twice each year (spring and fall, using an outside contractor), but hasn’t been.

Reports of the recent fire in Lahaina, Hawaii, cited three major factors contributing to that disaster: hilly terrain above the town, strong winds, and flammable grasses, without easily accessible fire breaks. Local and county governments had not taken ad-

rent county zoning allows development within unincorporated areas that may conflict with the orderly growth and development of the Town of Lyons and the adopted Comprehensive Plans.

The moratorium will allow the county to propose and adopt amendments to the zoning map and regulations that would implement the updated vision for development and growth in these intense-use zoning districts while the lands they encompass remain under Boulder County’s jurisdiction.

The moratorium does not apply to residential and by-right agricultural development applications or to any complete development applications currently being processed by Boulder County’s Community Planning & Permitting Department. The moratorium affects only unincorporated properties and will not affect properties within the Town of Lyons.

A public hearing on the temporary moratorium is set for September 19 at 11:45 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room (3rd Floor, 1325 Pearl Street, Boulder). The hearing can be attended in person, online through Zoom, or by phone.

Written comments should be sent to hhippely@bouldercounty.gov. Comments can also be made during the September 19 public hearing. Meeting registration details will be available in the Commissioners’ Advance Agenda on Friday, September 8.

Lyons Chiropractic Clinic

I can name you another place with all those factors: Lyons, Colorado. Add perennially low humidity here and “Lyons as Lahaina” is pretty easy to foresee.

Instead of just looking back at what happened with the flood ten years ago, shouldn’t we be looking forward and taking action to try to prevent “Rebuilt Lyons” from burning down?

To quote Satchel Paige, “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.”

Mark Browning served with Team Rubicon, Lyons Volunteers and other flood recovery groups. He chaired the Lyons Library District Board and served on the Lyons Board of Trustees for four years.

Senior trip to David Sedaris at Macky Auditorium

BOULDER – Are you familiar with David Sedaris? He is the wildly popular author of such books as Me Talk Pretty One Day, Theft by Finding, and Naked. The show at Macky Auditorium on the CU Boulder campus will feature live readings from his latest book Happy-Go-Lucky. Tickets for this show are only on hold until September 27, so sign up quickly if you plan to go. Our reserved seats are in the Orchestra II section. Reserve your spot by dropping off cash or checks at Lyons Town Hall, 432 5th Ave. Checks should be made out to Town of Lyons and can be dropped off at anytime in the green mailbox out front. Be sure to put Lisa Ramsey on the envelope and list all people you are paying for. Ticket prices are partially funded by a grant from Lyons Community Foundation. Seniors are ages 55 and up. The show is Tuesday, November 7, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. and the fee is $45. The bus leaves from Walt Self, 335 Railroad Ave. For more information, contact Lisa Ramsey at lramsey@townoflyons.com or 303-823-6622 ext 30.

Continue Briefs on Page 13

Beyond our two stunning WEDDING & EVENT VENUES, The Farmette hosts a series of FARM DINNERS with local chefs during the growing season and homesteading and DIY WORKSHOPS in the Spring and Fall.

Sawyer-Lang Hoyt

The museum’s exhibit of materials from the Flood of 2013

Hope on the St. Vrain after the flood

Editor’s note: This column originally appeared in September, 2014 in the Redstone Review.

By Greg Lowell Redstone Review

LYONS – There was no expectation for this fishing trip; I was prepared to be disappointed. But the day was warm and sometimes it’s enough to stand in the cool river current and go through the motions. Trout were, it seemed, out of the question but there was a part of me that thought just maybe something had survived the disastrous flood of 2013.

It had been ten months since the St. Vrain River had turned into a brown, seething monster that tore apart homes and lives, ripped out bridges and roads and turned a clear, swift trout stream into a combination strip mine and junkyard. For those of us who fished the river down through Lyons, the flood had turned it into a desolate stretch of piscine tragedy.

The floodwater had deposited piles of debris and untold tons of silt and sand alongside a riverbed scoured clean of all the necessities a trout needs to thrive. Streamside willows and sedges that cooled the water and provided insects now lay flat and buried.

And as if the flood’s destruction wasn’t enough, all winter excavators and dump trucks ran up and down the river course, removing the debris and preparing the river for the uncertainties of the spring runoff. The river flowed brown and silty for months as the work churned the waters.

Then, to add insult, the ditch company jumped in to replace their destroyed diversion dam and in so doing diverted the entire river down their ditch for three months while they worked, leaving only a trickle of dirty water in a dusty riverbed.

Whatever trout that had survived the triple whammy of the flood, machines and diversion work were surely gone now.

But all winter and early spring I walked what remained of my favorite stretch of the river, hoping to see something in the small pools fed by groundwater seeps, but there was nothing. I was buoyed by the beaver who constructed a tiny dam that held a kid’s pool-size pond and the chattering kingfishers who must be finding something to eat. But I saw nothing in the shallow pools.

Then, one spring day eight months after the flood I stood on an undercut bank at dusk and saw dimples on a small pool halfburied by a mound of flood debris. The water was dark and filled with green algae, but something was there. In quick succession, two little trout jumped clear of the water. Here was the hope I had been looking for.

But within a week the ditch company closed their head gate just as the run-off started, sending water into the river for the first time in three months. The beaver’s dam washed away, and the river turned muddy again as the flood’s silt picked up where it had left off. The river ran high and brown for two more months. What could survive this third onslaught?

The guides at the fly shop said that other rivers and other parts of the St. Vrain were fishing well in spite of the flood, but I was sure they hadn’t seen this

An appreciation of photographer

By Peter Butler Redstone Review

LYONS – On Friday August 11, the world, and Colorado especially, lost John Fielder the photographer. Most of us take photographs. We find ourselves surprised by an attractive view then, snap, and our miraculous phone has grabbed the pixels. But pro photographers don’t take photographs – they make them. I used to work with advertising photographers who would set up their subjects and surround them with lights and reflectors, then coax their tripod-mounted cameras to the right place. They would spend hours, sometimes stretching into days adjusting light angles until the perfect representation had been crafted.

When I look at a John Fielder photograph I can see evidence of this making, especially in his winter scenes. A snow scene comes to mind – Sunrise On Scarp Ridge, Gunnison National Forest. We are looking across a creamy white escarpment with a sharp snowy cornice on the left, guarded by dark blue shadows, lit by the new sunrise from the right, and a distant peak on the horizon. Initial reaction is of awe and wonder at the pure beauty, but on further reflection you realize what a Herculean effort was required.

Firstly the scene is at about 12,200 feet and demanded a snowshoe ascent of many hours carrying heavy photo gear through the night to arrive at a viewing point. There were probably several changes of location searching for the perfect spot. A place

particular stretch.

Now it was mid-July, the runoff was subsiding, and I was eager to be knee-deep in the flow with a fly rod, no matter how futile it seemed.

Down through the fields I went and plunged into the wooded river bottom. The cottonwoods and silver maples were in places buried in six feet of silt and festooned with dead vegetation, every type of

caddis that the stones bristled with their cases, was bare and devoid of vegetation. There were stretches of quicksand silt where once there were cobble bars. The eddies and pools, the boulders and the sunken trees were largely gone, replaced by a sluiced channel as sterile as a swimming pool. Yet, some of the old river had survived the floodwaters. The overhanging silver maple where I once hooked a brown trout

plastic modern civilization could provide and enough house parts to construct a village. Each trunk wore a horse collar of flood debris wound so tight it would take a crew with chainsaws to remove it.

I stepped out of the flood wrack into the sunshine and rush of water. The river was running clear for the first time in nearly a year, but the rocky bottom, once so rich in

John Fielder

probably many feet deep in snow at a temperature way below zero. After erecting his tripod the view camera was mounted. This is not a point and shoot with a handy viewfinder at the top, but an accordion box with a dim screen at the back and a black cloth over the top to give a bit more contrast to the upside down image. With freezing fingers, John Fielder focuses the lens, cocks the clockwork shutter, sets the aperture and shutter speed, inserts a slide containing a five-by-four inch negative, pulls out the protective dark slide, clicks the shutter via a cable release, then returns the dark slide and flips the film holder round the other way for a second shot.

This is all after he has measured the light with a separate

large beyond the promise of the stream was still there. And there was the same run around an outside bend that looked familiar except for the remnants of someone’s deck now flung up on its bank.

I reached down and picked up submerged stones and looked for life. The first halfdozen were bare, but the next one had a sin-

Hernadez, New Mexico. He had only seconds to capture the rising full moon while the setting sun behind him illuminated a church with cemetery crosses on the foreground. But he couldn’t find his meter, and quickly calculated the exposure values based on his knowing the luminance of the moon based on years of experience. Louis Pasteur was right when he said that “chance favors the prepared mind.”

John Fielder was in this elevated and rare company, using complicated equipment and difficult evaluations, but allowing his genius to arrive at some spiritual creativity that lifts the heart of the viewer. He had encyclopedic technical knowledge, a strong and fit body, and a sense of purpose and focus to overcome discomfort and difficulties to get to the right place. Then he forgot all that clutter and allowed his mind to mold what his eye saw into a frame capable of swaying the viewer’s emotions. It’s something very special and rare.

I was a big Ansel Adams fan when I was young. I read all his books and studied his technical methods and made up photographic chemicals from scratch and labored under red light to make prints. After months of practice I scratched my way to some sort of low mediocrity. Ansel Adams devised a protocol called the Zone System where he could study a scene and decide what darkness values should be where on the print. I studied this for years but it remained a mysterious blur.

These days it helps to get my breakfast toast the right shade. A mind like John Fielder’s had all this and more, but hidden away until he needed it, when it would give him the internal tools he needed to transfer a three-dimensional view to a rectangular image. He did this day after day, year after year, and decade after decade, creating an archive that will be a Colorado treasure forever. In time he will be recognized as one of the greatest contributors to the cultural history of our state. I will certainly miss him.

light meter and made adjustments in his head to get exactly the right number of photons onto the silver molecules. There is a story that Ansel Adams told of how he captured one of his most famous images – Moonrise over

Peter Butler was born in India and lived in a house facing a giant kapok tree. Growing up in England there were trees but never quite enough. After qualifying as biochemist there as a gradual evolution into being a graphic designer. He and his wife Deirdre moved to the States in 1997 and to Lyons in 2000. Finally there are enough trees.

Servicing Lyons, Estes Park, Allenspark and surrounding areas

Lowell Butler

PHOTOGRAPHER JOHN FIELDER

Continue Hope on Page 11

Sheltering in place for the long haul

Editor’s note: This column won 1st place for Best Serious Column in the Colorado Press Association’s annual writing contest in the division of weekly newspapers in 2014. It was published in the Redstone Review on September 30, 2023 which was 2.5 weeks after the first day of the flood.

By John Gierach Redstone Review

LYONS – It rained all day Wednesday, September 11 – sometimes lightly, sometimes hard – and my friends Doug, Vince and I went fishing on a nearby lake. We did well and on the drive back to Lyons congratulated ourselves for not only being fine fishermen, but also the kind of tough customers who could stick it out all day in lousy conditions.

By dusk the rain had developed into the kind of sustained, slightly scary downpour I haven’t seen in my 40-plus years in Colorado. We watched it from our booth at La Mariposa where we stuffed ourselves with good Mexican food and agreed that no one living in a semi-arid climate should turn up their nose at precipitation. Then we drove home where I, for one, slept like a baby to

That afternoon the flood in Colorado was the top story on CNN. This wasn’t the localized flash flooding we’re used to – as destructive and deadly as that can be – this was a widespread, sustained event, apparently centered in the Boulder Creek, St. Vrain and Thompson drainages, but stretching up and down the Front Range. Then the power went out. A few hours later the phone went dead and of course there’s never been cell phone service in the valley except for isolated high places known only to those who’ve stumbled upon them by accident.

That day we attended a community meeting in Blue Mountain Valley where we live that we learned about from a handwritten sign out on the road. About 60 or 70 of us showed up at the line of mailboxes to assemble what amounted to an improvised homeowners/survivors association, which was surprisingly easy considering that many of us live up here precisely because we’re not chronic joiners of associations. There were some immediate needs to think about: feed and bedding for stock, gas for generators to keep freezers from thawing and, in at least one case, to run a critical medical device, also propane for camp stoves, batteries and clean water.

Josh Buster, who owns the quarry on Beech Hill, announced that he had an in-

People shared hay and bedding for horses, others cleaned out pantries and left canned food for anyone to take. Propane bottles for cooking appeared. A woman I’d never seen before gave me a loaf of bread. Our neighbors down the road gave us a dozen of the best eggs I’ve had since I gave up on my own flock of free-range chickens decades ago. They also said they’d accept some of the food scraps that were beginning to pile up. Unbeknownst to some, chickens will happily eat the same diet as hogs, they just take smaller bites.

The usual greeting of “How are you?” that you don’t really expect an answer to become, “Are you okay? Is there anything you need?” There was no great outpouring of emotion, just a lot of “Thank yous” followed by an equal number of “You’re welcomes.”

A few days later the water receded a little, revealing that enough of Apple Valley Road was left to allow us to evacuate. FEMA was in charge by then and they “strongly urged” us to do just that, but there was a catch. Once you left you wouldn’t be allowed back until they decided it was okay. How long might that be? No telling. Weeks, maybe a month, and you wouldn’t be allowed to take your large animals with you.

A few left, but most stayed, some to take care of their animals, others out of general stubbornness, and still others because they were worried about looting. J.J. Hoffman, the local Lyons Fire Protection District Chief, admitted that some unauthorized people, including reporters, were sneaking around the check points, and the implication was clear. If journalists were getting in, why not other undesirables like looters?

berger with Boulder County Sheriff’s Dept, the Fire Chief J.J. and other local officials interceded stubbornly on our behalf. But when it comes to details like that, you should consider this less a work of investigative journalism and more of an eyewitness account.

For a while the valley operated on what you could call a gift economy with people giving what they could in terms of goods and services and taking only what they needed. The human condition being what it is, some were able to give much more than others, but no one appeared to be keeping score. Some money did change hands, but not in the conventional way. For instance, when it got around that Dave was thousands of dollars into his own credit card, the difference was made up overnight, mostly anonymously and not always by those who’d benefited from his efforts. He said that one day they were in Longmont taking up two pumps to fill every gas can in the valley when a stranger walked over, not to complain about the wait, but to put a hundred-dollar bill on the pump and say, “Good luck.”

You could say we achieved the cliché by “coming together as a community.” Or to put it another way, in general and sometimes very specific terms, everyone in the valley now owes everyone else a favor. I think we did well, even if it wasn’t all sweetness and light. As a Larimer County deputy put it, “There have been a few incidents, but 99 per cent of you have been a pleasure to deal with.”

the sound of rain on the roof – something I may never again think of as comforting. It was raining just as hard the next morning and we realized this was getting serious, so Susan and I drove down the valley to look at the North Fork of the St. Vrain River. It was well out of its banks, flooding U.S. Hwy. 36 upstream and eating the road at the bend downstream. The bank would erode first and then overhanging chunks of pavement would let go with more of a lazy plop than the crash I expected. The water was brown and thick and carried window frames, pieces of roof and appliances that could only have come from homes upstream. There were dead trout washed up on the road, choked to death by mud. We weren’t sure about the condition of the Apple Valley Bridge, but we crossed it anyway because we had friends downstream to check on and because with Hwy. 36 gone, Apple Valley Road was now our only way out. Except it wasn’t. The lower end of it, just past a washout in the road and a tangle of downed power lines, was underwater.

dustrial-sized generator and – through some mystery of communications technology – the only wi-fi service in the valley. He opened his small, cramped office and said anyone who wanted to could come up to contact friends and relatives who, given the dire news coverage, would be wondering if we were alive. He asked only that we stay out of the way of the trucks and heavy equipment as they tried to rebuild at least a temporary bridge across the Little Thompson River to reach the people stranded over there.

The meetings settled into two a day, at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. They were chaired by Josh, who, by virtue of being in communication with various agencies and because he was willing to do it even though his house had been damaged in the flood, became the honorary mayor of the valley. There were two parts to these assemblies: one consisted of whatever scant news was available (with the gaps filled in by rumor and speculation) and the other centered on ways to meet whatever needs came up.

Sometime later a FEMA official was quoted as saying he was amazed at the number of Coloradoans who’d insisted on staying in their homes, even in the face of so-called “mandatory” evacuation orders. Maybe he’d never been out west before.

So we settled in for the long haul. Against FEMA’s wishes, Dave Helms and others somehow acquired a few limited access passes so that a convoy of three pickups could make a single run into Longmont every day for supplies. First, horse feed, gas and prescriptions, later groceries and other necessary odds and ends. (At one meeting a woman stood up and said, “If any of you ladies have feminine issues that aren’t being addressed, see me afterwards.”) How these permits were finessed and who helped make it happen I couldn’t say, although word is the Sgt. Nick Gold-

Susan held up as well as anyone and better than most, but she was still beside herself. As the owner and editor of this newspaper, she wasn’t able to publish the issue that should have gone to press right as the flood began. There was no way around it: no way to print the paper without travel or communication, no way to deliver it and, in many cases, no one there to get it anyway. For that matter, the issue

Continue In Place on Page 15

Gierach

PHOTO BY CATHY RIVERS

PHOTO BY ED BRUDER

PHOTO BY CATHY RIVERS

CREATIVES

The Guardian

By Sally King Redstone Review

Yesterday our neighbor’s large white dog, a dog I always said hello to, died from a rattlesnake bite protecting his people, or Haven the two-year-old who lives in a tiny home with his mom on the same property, or me, who walks the road. Is death just our fate?

One day it is simply upon us and off we go to an unsuspected surprise or a reward?

People who knew the dog better than I said he had lost his vigor. But his was a noble presence: The Guardian.

I do know the tunnel is filled with light I have seen it: white.

Two new art shows to open in October

By Priscilla Cohan Redstone Review

LYONS – Thank you everyone who contributed to the 10 Years of Grit, Grace & Gratitude: A Remembrance of the 2013 Flood, in September. The Town staff and volunteers have much to be proud of, both in rebuilding the town and commemorating the history. It has been a crazy 10 years. Thank you for having a vision and working so diligently to make it happen. I for one am ready to be done with the ‘grit’ part, but the ‘gratitude’ is just an everwidening universe of respect and honor bursting through.

Now, on to some other artful offerings.

In October the Lyons Arts & Humanities Commission, (LAHC) Town Hall Art Show and the Library Art Show will be born anew. Here is what we can look forward to in October. Silver Linings Retrospective will open at the Lyons Community Library and What all is out / up / over there? will simultaneously open at the Town Hall. Both shows run October 18, 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Silver Linings Retrospective features two diligent and ac-

complished local artists whose lifelong dedication and talents are deserving of recognition. Ruth Eisenach Wilson, originally from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, and Carol Groves, hailing from Dearborn, Michigan, not only have painting and teaching in common, they’ve both raised music-centric children. Blair Wilson and KC Groves each reside in the area and are the reason these gals found their way to Lyons a number of years ago. Silver Linings Retrospective runs through January 10, 2024.

What all is out / up / over there? is the theme for the quarterly LAHC Art Show in Town Hall. Area artists of all ages and abilities are encouraged to deliver up to five pieces of ready-to-wall-hang art to the Shirley F. Johnson Council Chamber at Town Hall between 5 and 7 p.m. on Friday October 13. This work will be viewable when the room is available during the facility’s hours of operations through January 13. The theme for the first show of 2024 is Home Grown. Pick-up and delivery of town hall Art pieces will be January 13, 2024, between 5 and 7 p.m. There is more. During the reception there will be apple cider and donuts, fresh from nearby Ya Ya Farm and Orchard, and music by Celtic harpist Margot Krimmel of Boulder. Wine and mead offerings will be available for a donation which supports the LAHC. The LAHC would also like to thank the Town of Lyons, Lyons Community Foundation, local businesses, artists who donate back a percentage of what they sell through these events and individuals whose

Sally King holds open studio event

LYONS – Poet April Tiernay and I, Sally King, are hosting a conversation about being artists in a heavily conditioned world and how to break through (which is the important part) and other gems so please join us, at the Lyons Library, 451 4th Ave., at 10:30 a.m. on September 16.

The White Dog Painting (shown at left) will be on display at the Open Studio Event that I am participating in on the first and second weekends of October, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 618 Apple Valley Rd. I hope you will stop by.

donations support these events.

For more information about these quarterly LAHC Art Shows, please contact coordinator, Chrystal DeCoster, at chrystaldecoster@gmail.com.

Remember the past. The Historic Preservation Commission, HPC, is looking for new members. The commission meets once a month to discuss preservation topics and to interface with the local history and Town of Lyons resources to bring history into the living breathing present.

In 2024 we will be supporting the efforts to create a comprehensive Historic Context Report that will consolidate stories, location and communities in a way that will present all histories and help to encourage an environment of conversation between the past and present. We need your help to bring stakeholders to the table for the most complete story. You can learn how to join a commission on the Town of Lyons website.

Priscilla Cohan is a local artist who works in multi-media. She works for the Town of Lyons and is a liaison to the Lyons Arts and Humanities Commission.

LEAF was originally created to help the 2013 flood victims

By Lory Barton Redstone Review

LYONS – Although

Lyons Emergency & Assistance Fund’s (LEAF) origins stretch back to 2008, did you know that the LEAF we know and love was born out of the flood? It’s true, as the historic and devastating flood shaped so much in the Lyons community, it also shaped human services in Lyons through LEAF.

Just as our community has grown and evolved over these past ten years, LEAF has grown and evolved, too. We continue to provide a weekly food pantry, daily Meals on Wheels, direct financial assistance and resource support through Basic Needs and Resource Matching, and robust behavioral health services through Mental Wellness and Addiction Recovery. We are also home to Lyons Volunteers, the much-loved team of helpers who have been so instrumental in supporting this community’s recovery from the flood. And all that we do at LEAF is available at no cost – or very, very low cost – thanks to this community’s dedicated and generous financial support.

If you are one of the hundreds of locals who value LEAF’s presence in Lyons through your time or your treasure, thank you. If you have yet to join the LEAF family,

I invite you to learn more on our website, Leaflyons.org, to follow us on social media, or to reach out at info@leaflyons.org. And if you’re someone who needs a hand up, reach out. At LEAF, we say, “No shame, just come.” Come and see for yourself.

will launch an art group for middle schoolers and another for high schoolers on Mondays starting in the early October. We’ll provide snacks, supplies, and this therapeutic opportunity at no cost. We will need a minimum number of participants to hold these groups. If you know a youth who might be interested, confidentially email mentalwellness@leaflyons.org.

We look forward to hosting our annual donor and volunteer appreciation party on Thursday, October 5 at our new location. If you’re a donor or volunteer at LEAF, be on the lookout for your invitation. We cannot wait to celebrate you.

Banks turns back

Be on the lookout for a new Thursday evening addiction recovery group, led by our mental health therapist Megan Kram and set to start on September 21. This group is completely confidential. If you or someone you know is ready to seek help, please mail Megan Kram at megan@leaflyons.org to learn more.

We’re also rolling out new services for youth. Local art therapist Jennifer Jarrett

And finally, here’s the announcement we have all been waiting for: Make plans now to attend the 9th annual Rave to the Grave on Saturday, October 21 from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Lavern Johnson Park. Local musician Brian McRae and GogoLab will keep us dancing all night long at this Flash Flood of Funk, Torrent of Tunes, and Tsunami of Sound, celebrating all of the super heroes who make Lyons so amazing. This is an important fundraiser for us. Tickets are required and can be purchased on our website. Start working on your costumes now, and please invite your friends, too.

You can learn more about all of these opportunities and more at our website (Leaflyons.org) or on our Facebook or Instagram pages.

By Sally King Redstone Review

As I was going out the door John said “Go off trail” and Banks and I did just that. We forded the stream, our feet wet, discovering the lake behind the known lake, eating our food and having a sip of water. We moved on, Banks bouncing across the bog feet black like a fox. But when we entered the brambles Banks turned back And I agreed. Sometimes it’s best to listen to our friends. True comradery. We two.

Carol Groves and her watercolor Morning Exercise, which depicts her daughter K.C. Groves.

Ruth Eisenach Wilson and a painting she created for a Folks Festival program cover.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

K.C. Groves: a guiding light in bluegrass –nurturing tradition, inspiring generations

By Tamara Vega Haddad Redstone Review

LYONS – In the heart of bluegrass and acoustic music, K.C. Groves stands as a shining beacon of authenticity, creativity, and a boundless passion for her art. With a musical journey that spans decades, Groves has not only carved her own unique path as a formidable musician but has also become a guiding light for nurturing and preserving the cherished traditions of this genre, ensuring they are passed on to future generations.

K.C. Groves’ journey into the world of bluegrass and acoustic music was not merely a matter of chance but a destiny carefully guided by the hands of renowned mentors. Names like Sally Van Meter, Charles Sawtelle, and Laurie Lewis adorn her musical lineage, and their influence on her formative years was nothing short of transformative. “I feel that mentorship is important and honestly I wouldn’t have had the success that I had without those who mentored me,” said Groves Indeed, the nurturing Groves received paved the way for her to become a multifaceted musician, excelling as an instrumentalist proficient in the mandolin, guitar, and bass, a soulful vocalist, and a gifted songwriter. Her career has been marked by a series of noteworthy achievements, each a testament to her unwavering commitment to the art form.

One of the most significant highlights in K.C.’s career was her role as the creative

center and bandleader of Uncle Earl for over a decade. The “g’Earls,” as they were affectionately known, embarked on a mission to bring old-time music to a broader audience. Their journey led them to grace major festival stages across the U.S. and to tour extensively abroad. The pinnacle of their success was undoubtedly the honor of having Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones produce their 2007 album, “Waterloo, Tennessee.”

“It seems like so much has changed since I was last out on the road touring with a band both as a sideman, bandmate or band leader,” said Groves. “I think I was really lucky that I was able to enjoy touring in a time where you could actually make money doing it.”

Yet, K.C.’s musical endeavors extend well beyond Uncle Earl. She has released two solo albums of original material, a testament to her songwriting prowess, and has collaborated with a diverse array of notable musicians, including old-time maestro Riley Baugus and Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon.

But K.C. Groves’ influence is not confined to her musical recordings alone. Her home base in Lyons is a focal point for bluegrass and acoustic music, thanks in no small part to her tireless efforts. Groves has been actively involved in her community, founding the highly successful High Street Concert Series in Lyons. Perhaps her most enduring contribution is the weekly bluegrass jam at Oskar Blues, one of the largest and longest running of its kind in Colorado.

Through these initiatives, K.C. has not

only fostered a sense of community but has also provided a platform for emerging talent to shine. “I feel it’s my duty, actually my honor, to offer any kind of guidance I can for young musicians. Recently I’ve been having so much fun with my friends the Cody Sisters who are going to CU but also launching their music career together,” said Groves. In a world where mu-

Lyons Community Theater performs an adult comedy

By Priscilla Cohan and Susan de Castro Redstone Review

LYONS – The Lyons Community Theater is becoming an actual and active group. Although the plays they have performed in the past have been directed by several different directors, the director of the current play, Joseph Lekarczyk, is the unofficial spokesperson for the group.

Lekarczyk took a few minutes to discuss their current play, The Mammoth Springs Chamber of Commerce and Their Wives Discuss Great Literature, High School Basketball, Sex and Other Things, and comment on the group’s desire to form a permanent theater group and hold a few performances throughout the year.

The title of the current play is a bit of a mouthful and not very easy to remember, however the play has a wonderful premise and some of your favorite local actors. The play involves a woman’s book club which is discussing the book, Death in Venice, by Thomas Mann. The husbands of the women then decide to have their own book club and dive into the poem, Annabelle Lee, by Edgar Allen Poe. The two groups then decide to have a combined

meeting where they discuss Lolita, by Russian author Vladimir Nabokov. The result is both hilarious and satirical. This is an

adult comedy. Over-18 admissions only. There are 13 members in the cast which include: Chrystal DeCoster, Donna

sical genres often collide and fuse into something entirely new, the Cody Sisters manage to strike the perfect balance between tradition and innovation. Their sound is a mesmerizing journey that transports you through the heart of America's musical heritage while thrilling you with unexpected twists and turns.

Groves’ driving force in music and the legacy she hopes to leave is profound in its simplicity: it’s about living with gratitude for what one is given and then paying it forward. Groves keeps the music alive and ensure that future generations can experience the same joy and inspiration in the bluegrass genre.

K.C. Groves is someone who contributed not only as a musician but also as a mentor and advocate for the beautiful world of bluegrass and acoustic music in Lyons and beyond.

K.C. Groves’ journey through the world of bluegrass is a testament to the power of mentorship, creativity, and an unwavering love for the music. Her legacy is etched not only in her recordings but also in the hearts and voices of the musicians she has inspired and nurtured along the way. K.C. Groves stands as a living embodiment of the heart and soul of bluegrass, a beacon guiding future generations toward the rich and enduring traditions of this beloved genre.

To listen to K.C. Groves follow her or https://soundcloud.com/little-birdy-1. To learn more of the Cody Sisters: https://thecodysistersmusic.com/.

Tamara Vega Haddad is an advocate for small businesses and Lyons’ economic development. She has an Interior Design Certificate, specializing in Biophilic Design, and works with Tucker Real Estate Group as an agent.

Guest, Mindy Talent, Deliliah Ruebush, Paige Perry, Ester VanZyl, Aimee Kane, Dave Perry, Barney Dreistadt, Charlie Corson, Randy Pollard, Chris Toepher, and Joseph Lekarczyk.

All performances for The Mammoth Springs Junior Chamber of Commerce and Their Wives Discuss Great Literature High School Basketball, Sex and Other Things are being held at the Lyons Community Library, 451 4th Avenue, Lyons. Lyons Community Theatre will perform the adult comedy on September 21, 22, 23, Thursday through Saturday. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and doors open beforehand for refreshments, beer, and wine.

Tickets are available at the door and are first come first serve. Admission is suggested to be a $15 to $25 donation and proceeds support the Lyons Community Theater and the Lyons Arts & Humanities Commission, LAHC. If you want more information, contact Patty McNichol: 319-359-8236 or Wendy Dreistadt: 904-477-2026. Remember this show is for adults only.

Local support comes from Lyons Arts & Humanities Commission who thanks the Lyons Community Foundation and the Town of Lyons for their ongoing support of local arts and artists. This is an exciting expansion of area arts offerings which bodes well for the Lyons community.

Fourteen new public sculptures installed throughout Lyons

By Melinda Wunder Redstone Review

LYONS – The Lyons Arts and Humanities

Commission (LAHC) recently installed 14 new sculptures as part of “heARTS of LYONS – An Outdoor Art Collection –All Over Town.” The heARTS program gained momentum in the wake of the 2013 flood and has since embarked on a dedicated mission to expand its diverse assembly of artworks, primarily sourced from Colorado artists.

In the current year, the town proudly unveiled a remarkable array of 14 new art works by visionary creators including Charlotte and Ben Zink, Sue Quinlan, Kevin Shaffer, Steve Buduo, Parker McDonald, Justin Deister, Jonathan Corson-Rikert, Kirk Seese, and the late Bill Vielehr. These thoughtfully positioned artworks now grace

various locales throughout Lyons, including its bustling Main Street, scenic Hwy. 66, serene Bohn Park, and the picturesque LaVern M. Johnson Park.

Lyons is undeniably a haven for artistic expression, and this essence is immediately observable upon setting foot in the town. Evident throughout the local landscape, the sculptures capture attention at every turn, serving as both adornments and testaments to the community's deep-seated appreciation for the arts.

The LAHC and the town are grateful to the heARTS of LYONS’ funders: the Lyons Community Foundation, St. Vrain Market – Deli and Bakery, Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ and Brew, and Moxie. If you or someone you know might like to help fund this everexpanding arts program in Lyons, please contact Melinda Wunder, at melinda@creativeconvs.com or 303-818-6982.

December will herald the Town of Lyons’ eagerly anticipated 2024 Call to Artists, a call to action that seeks to embrace a fresh influx of captivating sculptures for a twoyear display period. The town demonstrates its commitment by offering a $1000 stipend, disbursed in two installments, to each selected sculptor. The application process is free of charge for artists, making participation accessible and encouraging.

For comprehensive details, artists are encouraged to explore: https://www.townoflyons.com/668/heARTS-of-LYONS

For those seeking an immersive encounter with the Lyons Outdoor Art Collection, a captivating walking tour awaits through the utilization of the Clio App, available for download at theclio.com/tour/1091.

Melinda Wunder is the Town of Lyons Sculpture Curator for heARTS of Lyons.

The cast of The Mammoth Springs Chamber of Commerce and Their Wives Discuss Great Literature, High School Basketball, Sex and Other Things. Left to right, back row: David Perry, Randy Pollard, Aimee Kane, Joseph Lekarczyk, Chris Toepfer, Barney Dreistadt, Deliliah Ruebush, Charlie Corson. Seated: Chrystal DeCoster, Donna Guest, Paige Perry and Mindy Tallent. Front: Esther van Zyl.

PHOTO BY GAUTAM BHAN

Desert Kelp by John Corson Rickert

The flood brought new awareness to the meaning of giving, helping and supporting our neighbors

By Liz Erley Redstone Review

Erley

LYONS – As we approach our tenth anniversary from the devastating flood of 2013, I reflect on what our community endured and the strength, grit and determination we demonstrated to persevere and grow to where we are today.

Our updated infrastructure, parks, bridges and new affordable housing just starting to be occupied continues to obscure the evidence of our catastrophic flood and has allowed us to move forward. Many of us still have PTSD when we experience heavy thunderstorms but hopefully that will continue to fade over time.

The flood brought a new awareness to the meaning of giving, helping and supporting those around us. September 11, 2013 brought a change in history to our little town that affected every one of us living here at that time. From the day the flood started, our community gathered together as a family to create a united front. Those who had never been involved stepped up to assist community leaders and took on new roles that they never imagined they would ever have to fill.

As soon as the flood hit, people from all over the country started reaching out to our community asking what they could do to help. Many offered donations that the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) carefully collected, a plethora of kindhearted volunteers drove from all over the country to help muck out our homes and others opened up their doors and gave us warm places to live for many weeks as we patiently waited to return to our community. FEMA, United Way, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Life Bridge Church, Team Rubicon, Christian Ministries and many other organizations from around the country came to our assistance immediately.

Folks not only here in town but also from far away held fundraisers to support Lyons with events such as Lyons Homecoming, the Holiday BBQ Fundraiser for Lyons (that was responsible for feeding a local family for six months), Celebrating Lyons Music Concert/Rebuild Lyons One Life at a Time, NOLARADO in New Orleans, Flood Relief Benefit Concert by the Songwriters Association in Washington D.C., the Lyons Holiday Bazaar and many more.

Local businesses such as Gwynne’s Greenhouse and Lyons Quilt Shop donated proceeds from recent sales to help the LCF collect money. Lyons’ own South Creek Limited held an online auction and donated the proceeds,

New York, a sister community with a common name, even donated to our Lyons, Colorado.

The Community Foundation in Boulder (LCF’s fiscal manager), had been instrumental to the success of the LCF’s fundraising efforts. They supported the LCF and the town of Lyons by working tirelessly behind the scenes to help nurture large donations to help our residents start to recover.

Local and national organizations such as Oskar Blues CAN’D AID Foundation, established by Lyons own Dale Katechis, Foothills United Way, the Dr. Scholl Foundation and other extremely generous donors gave handsomely to our fundraising cause. I don’t want to forget our local and nearby residents who made substantial donations which gave us our start to gather matching funds and allowed us to collect large sums of money. We should all be forever grateful for this unprecedented support during these tough times.

In just a short few months we raised over $1,000,000 and the temporary board of our local Rebuild Lyons One Life at a Time team was responsible for approving and delivering funds to eligible local residents by Christmas 2013.

I do ask our community to remember Mr. Gerry Boland who perished in the 2013 flood. He was a beloved teacher, coach and resident of Lyons. His family created a memorial found in front of the elementary school that reads “May we forever remember Gerald Boland, teacher, coach and lifelong resident of Lyons. Through caring, compassion and leadership, he taught our children well for 30 years.”

Because there have been many recent tragic natural disasters around the world, I find it hard not to mention other communities and the suffering they are now experiencing. Local community foundations are entrenched in the day to day needs of their residents and I find it a great resource for those wanting to donate to these community necessities.

with generously donated items from their longtime customers, to the LCF. Residents held birthday fundraisers, school children near and far held bake sales, put up lemonade stands and sold beanie babies so they could collect funds to donate to the LCF fundraising efforts. Lyons,

At this ten-year milestone, I ask that you continue to support your local Lyons Community Foundation and its ongoing community support efforts. You are Lyons and we, my friends and neighbors, ARE collectively the LCF.

Liz Erley is the former Chair of the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF). She lives in Lyons.

A Proclamationby Boulder County Commemorating Ten Years Since the 2013 Front Range Flood

WHEREAS, ten years ago, in September 2013, Colorado’s Front Range experienced a devastating flood spanning over 150 miles from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins, which claimed the lives of eight people, caused more than $2 billion in damages, and led the President of the United States to declare a Major Disaster in Colorado for 18 counties; and

WHEREAS, Boulder County was among the hardest-hit with all major creeks and irrigation ditches becoming rushing torrents and parts of the county receiving more than 17 inches of rain fall in four days – more than all the precipitation in the previous nine months of the year; and

WHEREAS, Boulder County suffered $500M in damage with hundreds of homes destroyed, thousands of homes damaged, and over 100 miles of road, as well as nearly 200 public and private bridges and culverts, damaged or destroyed; and

WHEREAS, Boulder County experienced half of Colorado’s flood fatalities when four residents – Gerald Boland, Joseph Howlett, Wiyanna Nelson, and Wesley Quinlan – tragically lost their lives in the disaster; and

WHEREAS, we continue to experience immense gratitude to first responders, including Colorado’s National Guard, who saved countless lives through

Ellen This sweet, super shy girl is almost 6 years old. Ellen originally came to us in June 2019 and was adopted a few months later. She was returned to us June 2023 and has now been with us more than three months. Ellen would love to be your nightly snuggle bug on the couch while watching movies. New people and new things make her nervous, but slow and steady wins her love. Ellen needs a home with high school age children or older. She would also like to meet all the males in the household, as well as have a visit with your dogs before adoption. If you have love and space in your home to bring this wonderful girl home, come in today and set up a visit. For more information go to longmonthumane.org, or give us a call at 303-772-1232. Longmont Humane Society is located at 9595 Nelson Road.

efforts that included evacuating more than 1,000 people by air; and

WHEREAS, during the disaster response and subsequent recovery, our community responded as it does with every disaster – by exemplifying the best of the human spirit through generosity, kindness, and collective action; and

WHEREAS, while ten years may seem like a long time, the enormity of the destruction has resulted in years of recovery and rebuilding efforts, which continue to this day; and

WHEREAS, each resident impacted by the disaster has their own story to tell and we encourage them to share that story;

WHEREAS, out of this tragedy, we

have learned many lessons about disaster response and recovery, which have enabled us to better respond to subsequent disasters; and

WHEREAS, ten years on, this disaster still elicits strong feelings, thoughts, and reflections, and today we mourn our loss and celebrate our recovery. Now therefore, the Boulder County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of Boulder County, commemorates ten years since the 2013 Front Range Flood during the week of September 11, 2023, and thanks our community, staff, and fellow local governments for their efforts to help Boulder County recover and heal.

DATED this 5th day of September, 2023

Jul Swann and Dee Johnson managed to find a reason to laugh together at the Red Cross truck PHOTO BY KENNETH WADJA

My flood experience

By Janaki Jane Redstone Review

LYONS – In the middle of the night of September 11, 2013, my husband and I woke to booming thunder and rain pounding on our metal roof, creating such a racket that to talk we had to shout and could still barely hear ourselves, let alone each other.

Eventually the rain slowed but did not stop. It had been raining pretty steadily all week, so rain was nothing new, but this was different. When we woke in the morning, we discovered that the three-mile dirt road we lived on was washed out in many places, including an eight-foot wide, eight-foot deep, and 200-foot long canyon down the middle of the road in one place, and a diagonal ten-foot wide, eight-foot deep and 60-foot long canyon in another.

Our house where we were living then is off the utilities grid, which means we had a well for water, solar panels for electricity, and an antenna for our television, and that I always keep enough food in the house for at least a month. (In 2006 we had to snowmobile in and out for many weeks in the winter because the snow was packed so hard that it broke backhoes, and I had learned my lesson.)

For the first few hours on the morning of September 12, we did have internet and therefore phone, and I was able to talk to a friend in Lyons, who later that day, unbelievably, actually watched as her home of many years slowly broke apart and slid into the waters of the St. Vrain River. After that, though, we lost internet, so all we had was television, driving up and down to visit neighbors (there were about 25 of us stuck up here then) and the passing helicopters.

Not knowing what was happening to our friends and neighbors in the town of Lyons was agonizing. The television station’s helicopters were not allowed past McConnell bridge so we had no real idea know how bad things were, except that we could see the water on Hwy. 66 going out of town, and what was happening elsewhere up and down the Front Range.

For me up on the mountain, the most stressful part was the helicopters. It felt like they were constantly flying over us. They were unignorable, and they reminded me of the seriousness of what had happened and was still happening. When I could forget what had happened, this felt like an adventure: we could not get out, but we were safe and so could play: it was an enforced vacation of sorts. We had food, water, electricity, television, DVDs, and books; and unexpectedly, no internet was a gift. But the reality of why we had this freedom from daily life kept intruding via the helicopters.

Our house is on top of a knoll at over 8,000 feet, facing the continental divide, and helicopter pilots use our roof as a landmark in the vast ocean of trees that is the National Forests of the foothills. It does not bother me when the helicopters come over a few times a month, but after the flood they were flying over, low, frequently, multiple times in a day. Chinooks and Blackhawks are noisy helicopters, a lot noisier than the Flight For Life helicopters we were used to, and each one was a reminder that there were people who were not as lucky as we were: people who needed to be evacuated, whether for health reasons or because their electricity was not coming back for who knew how long, or because their roads were gone and their kids

Hope Continued from Page 6

gle stone caddis case and the one after that revealed a tiny squirming bug monster on its underside. Maybe, just maybe, I thought. Encouraged, I waded into one of my usual spots and found the rhythm in my casting. I watched the elk hair caddis fly for any sign of a tug on the nymph trailing behind it, but none came. I was remembering better times here when I heard the unmistakable plunk of a rising trout and

needed to go to school and they needed to get back to work, or, or, or.

The helicopters that evacuated a mountain neighborhood that is about five miles from us flew over our house. The Governor’s cavalcade of helicopters to survey the devastation flew over our house. Once or twice a day the helicopter noise would become painfully loud as the helicopters circled closer and closer to our roof. The noise would continue until we came outside, where we could see the faces of the people inside the machines, and gave them a thumbs up to signify that we were okay. I was, and am, grateful for the concern and care, but at the same time, it forced me to remember that this was not just an adventure: we were living through a disaster, and our safety could not be taken for granted. One of us could have had a heart attack, or break a leg, and we would have been stuck, because we had no communication or transport out, except for those huge, noisy helicopters. I still feel my blood pressure rise when a helicopter flies low, no matter where I am.

For over two weeks we were marooned in our mountain

wells, generators, solar batteries, roads needing to be repaired (all the perquisites of mountain living); to offer them the correct support, whether it was financial, social, or emotional; help them to know how to get funding, deal with insurance companies; or just to listen and share with them about the trauma we had all been through.

I worked in flood recovery for the next three years. First in the FEMA/SAMSHA Colorado Spirit team in Larimer County, which was mostly a terrific experience, then for the Colorado Spirit team in Boulder County, which was mostly not so great, and then finally for our very own Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund. The last was a true honor. I got to assist Lyons’ residents by supporting and helping flood displaced residents and then eventually finding creative ways to get people funding to help them with rebuilding and with living their daily lives.

I was able to sit on multiple flood recovery committees in town and the county, and work to help the town that way, too. The entire experience of living through the flood and then of working on flood recovery was one that

fastness without communication, except when our neighbors discovered that they could get cell reception in one little three by three-foot square area (we called it “the telephone booth”) at the top of their 9,000-foot hill. One day we all climbed up and used their phones to let our families know we were okay (and for my husband to win an auction on eBay for a microphone he wanted, proving that life goes on.)

Luckily, our “neighborhood,” spread out over a few square miles, pulled together. We gathered at the largest house and cooked food to share and played Settlers of Catan and other games. There was a sense of community and that we could depend on each other. This ability to come together and support each other was the gift of the flood, if you can say that a disaster of this proportion had a gift. I learned later that it was also the gift for many other people in the flood area.

I had neighbors on the mountain who owned and used big equipment, and they were able to make sufficient repairs to the road that we could get out after a couple of weeks or so. Until we got out and our internet had been restored, we had no idea how bad things were for our friends and neighbors in town. The highway to Lyons was washed out and would not be opened until almost Thanksgiving. Although I had a Lyons address on my driver’s license, I did not use it to go into town. They had enough to deal with.

After I was able to get out, I was hired to do flood recovery work in Estes Park, so I had enough to deal with, too. Often driving on dirt “roads” that had a month ago been paved, our team would visit houses all throughout the western area of Larimer County. When we approached remote cabins, my experience of living off the grid and being marooned during the flood enabled me to create rapport. I knew from lived experience what questions to ask: about

swung my eyes over to the spot in time to see rings fading in the current.

As I lifted my line from the water, it came again. Hard against the riverbank, under the debris pile of tangled orange highway fence and tree trunks, the trout sipped again. Suddenly, it was Christmas morning. Ten months of depression went away with the appearance of that fish.

I placed the fly just upstream from the spot and watched it drift. Up came the fish again, eager perhaps for anything it could eat in this

changed me forever. I value both community and individualism more. I care what you think about me less. I understand people better. Many people opened their hearts to me, cried with me, shared their trauma and loss and grief with me, as a trusted person. My gratitude to them is boundless, for trusting me, and I have honored that trust.

Having lived through the parts of the flood that I did, and having worked on flood recovery for so long, I learned in a deeply visceral way, I feel it in my heart now, that each and every living person and being is deeply invested in their own lives in a way that I cannot understand but can only relate to. When that life is disrupted, there is no right way to react. It hurts when precious possessions are lost, when connections are broken, when bureaucracy that is supposed to serve seems to instead punish and withhold, when a lifetime of roots are ripped out and there is no way to get them back. It hurts and every single person does and will react differently to the kind of trauma that our smaller and greater communities experienced on that day and the days, weeks, months, and for some, years, afterwards.

Our town is different now from how it would have been if the flood had not happened. Those of us who were here before mourn much of what we lost, and those who have come in afterwards have brought new things that we would not have had otherwise. We are all here together in the now, which for some of us is still “post-flood,” and always will be.

Janaki Jane moved to the Lyons area in 2004 and found the home of her heart in the mountains. She writes on issues of society and mental health. Her book “How to Survive a Disaster: A Guide to Thriving After Trauma” will be published in Spring 2024.

near-barren river and took the caddis fly. I set the hook, felt its tug for a second and then it was gone. I saw it clearly when it turned and spit the fly; it was small, no more than six inches long, but it was a trout. Never has losing a fish felt so good. I had come seeking a sign and this fish was my grail. Whether it had been swept down from Raymond or Allenspark or whether it was a dogged survivor of this stretch of water was no matter. Here among the devastation there was renewal. It might take ten or 20 years for the river to become what it once was. I’ll leave the science to those who know better, but here at least

were trout where a short time before there was only dryness and destruction.

I moved on, down around the bend, sinking deep in the silt where I had once waded with ease, and cast with a renewed purpose. Deep in a dark run, I saw the tan flash of a brown trout chasing my nymph. Then within a minute, next to a piece of corrugated siding, another fish rose to inspect my fly. And beyond a red tarp, waving like submerged fire caught in the current, yet another fish showed and made an aborted run at the dropper fly.

I caught none of these fish. Two hours, four looks at my fly and zero fish – a bad day fishing on the St. Vrain in any other year but today it felt like I’d hit a fishing grand slam.

The river was back – at least part of the way. It has a long way to go. But for me, it’s enough that there’s a rise of hope in the bugs on the rocks, the swallows I watched wheel over the river at dusk and that little trout that first ventured out to take my fly and with it a year of despair.

Note 2023: I was pessimistic in my estimate of river recovery; in fact, ten years after the flood the St. Vrain had made a remarkable comeback. It was a hard lesson, but the 2013 flood showed us how resilient nature can be.

Lyons’ resident Greg Lowell, is a former Lyons Town Board Trustee and serves as the chair of the Ecology Advisory Board.

PHOTO BY KENNETH WAJDA

WHAT’S COOKIN’

Cooking with what we had during the flood

By Barbara Shark Redstone Review

and herbs still grew in the garden, growing vigorously with all the rain.

LYONS

– This is part of a piece about the flood from my book, How I Learned To Cook, An Artist’s Life

Sirens woke us at 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 12. We could faintly hear a warning message pulsing from the loudspeakers near the river. Knowing our site on Blue Mountain Road kept us safe from the flash flood approaching on the North St. Vrain we returned to an uneasy sleep.

In fairly good shape for holding out until services resumed or we could get into town, we didn’t panic. With a full propane tank to power the gas cooktop I could prepare meals. We used rainwater, in the now overflowing stock tanks set up to collect it, to flush the toilets. We had no water pressure, but plenty of potable water, even enough for meager cold showers. And as always, my fridge and pantry held enough food for days of meals.

Friday evening, not knowing when the power would be restored, I figured I should cook the most fragile food first. I made a list of everything in the freezer and fridge, with a plan of how to cook each ingredient. Chard, tomatoes

Okroshka

At meetings on Blue Mountain Road folks brought vegetables from their gardens, cookies, and meat from their quickly warming freezers, to share with those less well stocked. Our neighbor took some of our ground buffalo and tenderloin steaks, too precious to waste, and returned with a big sack of carrots, squash and tomatoes from her garden. Here is a recipe for the chard tart we ate during our flash flood odyssey.

For the crust:

Combine one cup unbleached flour, a big pinch of salt, a quarter cup olive oil, and a quarter cup water. Press into a tart/pie pan. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Prebake at 375° for 15 minutes. This is a very amenable dough and does not shrink in the pan – no need to use weights.

For the filling:

From a bunch of chard, strip the leaves from stems. Slice leaves crosswise about an inch wide. Chop stalks into one-inch pieces. Sauté stalks in a tablespoon of olive oil until tender, five minutes or so. Add the leaves and two or three cloves of minced garlic, and cook until wilted and tender, three or four more minutes. Season lightly

with one half teaspoon salt.

When cool, add a beaten large egg, one half cup halfand-half, and a cup or so of grated cheddar, parmesan, gruyere or a combination. Spread in the prebaked pastry shell and bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Cool a bit before slicing. Makes four servings.

Barbara Shark is an artist and author of How I Learned to Cook, an Artist’s Life. She lives near Lyons, Colorado. For more recipes, read her blog at www.howilearnedtocookanartistslife.blog.

soup – cooling down the last blast of summer

By Catherine Metzger Redstone Review

LYONS – We’ve had a long, late summer here in Colorado. As the sunny heat continues to cling, here is a cold summer soup that’s delicious and simple to put together using the vegetables in your garden. This recipe comes with inspiration from Country Life Vlog on YouTube in which an Azerbaijani babushka who gets millions of views for her relaxing videos makes Okroshka soup. No recipe. Just chopping and mixing, without talk or explanations, she works from years of practice and instinct. In the background are the sounds of nature, cows and dogs, chickens and birds twittering in the background as she competently boils, peels, chops, pours, mixes and serves up a delicious and simple-tomake cold soup outside on her farm.

I made Okroshka Soup here at home in Colorado, thousands of miles away from

Azerbaijan. But with how it’s made and how it tastes, I felt like this recipe transported me there, to a simpler place and time.

The soup is composed of fresh dill, cilantro, radishes, cucumber, scallions, and kefir and is garnished with chopped hardboiled egg and cold boiled potatoes, a vegetarian delight. I took a stab here with a written recipe that has been

tested, and loved.

Okroshka Soup a la Country Life Vlog

Serves four to six, preparation time is one half hour, chill time is one hour.

1 large English cucumber, partially peeled, split into lengthwise strips, and sliced

1 small bunch radishes, chopped

1 small bunch of scallions, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 handful of dill, chopped

Salt to taste

1quart plain kefir

1 large, boiled potato, skinned and chopped

4 hardboiled eggs, chopped

• Mix the first five vegetables together in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the kefir over the vegetables. Stir. Add salt to taste. Refrigerate until cold. Serve with potato and egg garnish.

Greenwood offers compassionate care to wild animal patients

By Mysti Tatro Redstone Review

–So far this year, Greenwood has cared for over 40 animals found in Lyons alone. Each year, Greenwood takes in dozens of orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife from the greater Lyons area. While some of these creatures don’t survive their ailments, many do, and we can learn important lessons by reading their stories.

LONGMONT

One such furred Lyons resident was a recently admitted fox squirrel who looked like he had been without a meal

vide in the wild. At first, he was hesitant to nibble on this odd, rubbery, nipple-shaped contraption. After a few tastes of the nourishing liquid hit his tongue, he sucked the entire syringe down hungrily.

The furry tree-dweller was placed with another fox squirrel orphan that was brought in the same day as he was. The duo will be released together back into the wild once they’ve shown they have the proper skills to survive on their own.

The rescuer’s actions in the melanistic squirrel’s story are a prime example of what rehabilitators hope community members will do when they come across an animal in need. She called our center before acting, gave the baby time to be reunited with its natural mother, and did not try to feed the animal on her own. If every rescuer followed these steps, the squirrels that do need to come into our care would be better off and more likely to survive.

In another case, an American goldfinch came to Greenwood after it was found in the road. The young one was still just a nestling, with barely enough downy feathers to keep it warm at night and its eyes still closed shut. It was extremely vulnerable and defenseless. While it is unclear how the baby got into the road, it was lucky happenstance that a passerby was able to see the tiny bird and come to its aid. Upon arrival, our staff found the goldfinch in relatively good health despite some fluid in its airways. Sometimes this can happen when a well meaning rescuer attempts to feed or water a baby animal.

This is why we always encourage folks to bring the animal to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who has the proper training for feeding young critters. Luckily, after a few doses of medication and careful handling and feeding, the orphan recovered and was successfully released over 40 days later.

Greenwood’s main mission is to provide compassionate

care to wild animals in need. One of our most significant tactics is education in our community. We are here 365 days a year to lend an ear regarding any wildlife issue, and to serve the wild population with expertise and compassion. You can help support this life-saving work by joining us for our fifteenth annual Wild Night for Wildlife on Saturday, September 30. This is Greenwood’s biggest fundraiser to benefit the thousands of patients we take in every year, some of them from the Lyons area. Register at greenwoodwildnight.com for $125 a person, and join us at the Boulder Jewish Community Center from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for an enchanting evening for the animals. Enjoy an open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, auctions, games, and heartwarming moments that make a difference for wildlife in need. For more information, visit greenwoodwildnight.com or email amanda@greenwoodwildlife.org.

Mysti Tatro, Community Relations Manager at Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

or mother for quite a long time. This tiny orphan was severely emaciated, weighing in only at 90 grams. Healthy babies at his age typically weigh 110 grams. Beyond the youngster’s physical ailments, it was apparent that he was melanistic – the only one in his litter. Melanism refers to the overproduction of pigment that results in an animal’s features appearing darker. In this case, the Fox Squirrel was mostly all black with specks of gray in its fur, instead of its well known orange, brown, and gray.

Right away, our animal care team wrapped the patient in a warm, cozy, crocheted nest while preparing his fluids and formula. A baby squirrel must have the proper body temperature in order to administer fluids; otherwise, complications can occur. Once sufficiently warm and hydrated, the tyke was given a specialty concoction resembling the milk and nutrients his mother would pro-

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Senior trip to Fiddler on the Roof at Boulder Dinner Theatre

LYONS – Join us for what’s sure to be a bittersweet evening at the penultimate performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Boulder Dinner Theatre. Having put on many plays and musicals since 1977, the Boulder Dinner Theatre will be shutting its doors forever at the end of its 45th season, and is saying goodbye with a crowd favorite. Set in the early 1900’s, the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” tells the story of a local milkman in a Russian Jewish village who tries to keep his Jewish traditions alive while his five daughters have other ideas when it comes to love. Dinner is served by the actors at the theatre before the

start of the show and usually features food choices reflective of the musical being presented. Our special group rate includes bottomless coffee, tea, and soda, and our gratuity is already included. Appetizers, desserts, and alcoholic beverages are extra. Reserve your spot today by dropping off payment at town hall. Seniors are ages 55 and up. The show is on Thursday, January 11, 2024, from 5:15 to 10 p.m. The bus leaves from Walt Self, 335 Railroad Ave. and the fee is $70. Partial scholarships may be available. For more information, contact Lisa Ramsey at lramsey@townoflyons.com or 303-823-6622 ext 30.

Be bear award during hyperphagia

LYONS – Black bears in Colorado are entering hyperphagia and will spend up to 20 hours a day trying to eat more than 20,000 calories to fatten up for winter. As bears start to prepare for hibernation and hunt for food, there might be increased bear

Continue Briefs on Page 15

Tatro

Ten Years of Grit, Grace, and Gratitude: A Rememberance of the 2013 Flood.

On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, September 9, 10, and 11, a number of events took place around town to commemorate the devastating flood that hit Lyons and surrounding areas in 2013. Included were:

• An open mic gathering for sharing of stories at Moxie Bread Co.;

• A Rememberance Ceremony in Sandstone Park with speeches from key figures who were instrumental in making progress in the days immediately following the flood. Included were Senator John Hickenlooper, who was Colorado’s governor at the time, Julie Van Domelen, who was Lyons’ Mayor, and Town Administrastor Victoria Simonsen.

• Town-wide exhibits, presentations and videos, and a golf cart tour of flood recovery areas.

• A community gathering featuring food and music

in La Vern Johnson Park.

• A candlelight ceremony was held Monday evening.

Trustee Tanya Daty and Administrator Victoria Simonsen led a great team of volunteers to provide this beautiful memorial.

ALL PHOTOS BY CATHY RIVERS

Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper

Former Lyons Mayor Julie Van Domelen

Town of Lyons Administrator Victoria Simonsen

Senator John Hickenlooper speaking. Seated behind him in the front row, right to left are Governor Jared Polis, Senator Michael Bennett, Congressman Joe Neguse, and Boulder County Commissioner Marta Loachamin.

Grace Simonsen with mom Victoria Simonsen and Mayor Hollie Rogin.

Baiba Lennard, Claudia Paterno, and Chrystal DeCoster

Open mic at Moxie Bread Co.

Candlelight ceremony

that was ready to go was made ridiculously obsolete overnight by the flood. Still, as a career newspaperwoman, she’d rather have had a root canal than miss a deadline. Of course she wasn’t the only one who needed and wanted to do her work and couldn’t, she was just the one I saw the most of.

By day, the sky in the valley filled with military and Red Cross helicopters and, with Apple Valley partially open, the roads filled with trucks, heavy equipment and National Guard convoys. We tried to stay out of the way as we ran our few errands, mostly hauling water from a spring to flush and wash and checking on neighbors. When I finally got up to the quarry to check my emails, there were dozens of them. Apparently Susan and I, along with many others up here, were still listed among the 350 people in Larimer Country who were “unaccounted for,” even though by then we’d vouched for our existence to several official-looking people with clipboards.

Rumors continued to circulate. Many were embellished versions of the truth, while a few may have been the result of incipient hysteria. For instance, the marauding gangs of looters turned out to be kids whooping it up on ATVs. The sheriff scolded them and sent them home.

Several times a day I found myself stopping to take a breath. In situations like this, your emotions are close to the surface whether you know it or not and worry, uncertainty and impatience can combine to make you do something stupid that you might not have done if you’d thought about it for just two seconds longer. You don’t want to hurt yourself or anyone else for obvious, selfish reasons and also because an injury could throw a wrench in the works of an improvised device that isn’t exactly running like a Swiss

B R I E F S

Continued from Page 13

activity in Lyons. Keep your trash in the garage or secure it until the morning of your trash pick up. Do not put it out the night before. Locking up trash and other potential food sources from bears is important to prevent them from becoming reliant on these sources for food. Bears become more of a risk when they associate humans with a food source. Garbage kills bears.

Name change

LYONS – Susan de Castro McCann, will now be Susan de Castro

Pioneer Association meeting

HYGIENE – The St. Vrain Valley Pioneer Association’s 118th Annual Meeting is on Sunday, September 24, 2023 at Hygiene United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 7542 Hygiene Road in Hygiene. Registration

watch anyway. And it wasn’t just me. At one of the meetings someone said, “I can’t believe how scatter-brained and tired I am.” I said, “It’s a normal reaction to the stress,” sounding more like Dr. Phil than I’d intended.

There were enough generator-operated televisions around that we’d all seen plenty of news. The destruction was unimaginable, covering nearly 2,000 square miles of mostly familiar territory. As much as 17 inches of rain fell in four days. Countless homes and businesses were damaged or lost and eight people died. It’s possible to get jaded watching one disaster after another on TV every night, but when some of the destroyed houses being shown belong to people you know, it hits below the belt. Most of us, on the other hand, had only been inconvenienced, and this realization is the precise point where relief and survivor’s guilt collide. That can be a pretty good jolt, too.

You can lose track of time in a disaster, but I think it was the evening of day six or seven when the electricity came back on. (We heard a strange, high-pitched screech outside that I took to be a young coyote that had lost its mother, but it turned out to be our neighbor, Debbi, whooping for joy.)

A day or two later, restricted access passes were issued to any resident who wanted one (and everyone did), allowing one trip a day out of the valley and back to take care of business – with a dawn to dusk curfew.

The first trip out was shocking. Many of you who’ll read this have seen the damage for yourselves. For those who haven’t, it’s not that it’s indescribable; it’s just that I don’t want to talk about it. I know it’s been all over national TV, but it still seems like a private matter.

I felt better when I found my friend Doug – at work at his office in Gunbarrel as anyone who knows him would expect. He and Elaine had been stuck in Pinewood Springs for six days and finally went out on the last helicopter. He

begins at 12:45 p.m., potluck served around 1:15 p.m. Short business meeting will be held after the meal.

Following the business meeting, Carol Beam, Cultural Resource Specialist, Boulder County Parks & Open Space, will share the department’s Altona Schoolhouse restoration project that captivated their staff for over four years. The 1880 Altona Schoolhouse is the oldest one-room stone schoolhouse left in Boulder County and became a local historic landmark in 2013. The restored schoolhouse now offers public open houses, school group visits, and virtual tours.

Please bring a dish to share and your own table service. A collection will be taken to help with expenses. The St. Vrain Valley Pioneer Association includes all of Boulder County, Weld County west of the Platte River and Larimer County south of the Poudre River.

Please invite those who are eligible to attend; other guests are welcome, too. For more information, please email or call Judy Dayhoff pansydaisy@aol.com or 303-859-1894.

Local, family-owned, and proudly serving the Boulder & Lyons area since 1983

siddallteam@gmail.com• www.gateway-realty.com

RARE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A COMMERCIAL STOREFRONT/BUILDING/BUSINESS IN HISTORIC, VIBRANT DOWNTOWN LYONS! Currently the home of the famous Pizza Bar 66 restaurant. Trade name, marketing materials and FF&E are included in the offered price— no separate valuation. Building is in good shape and in compliance with current codes. Don’t miss this opportunity! Restaurant Seats 120. Pizza Oven, full bar, 3 large office spaces; Liquor/office space for managers. 2 large storage closets. Heating and cooling system/evaporative cooler. Well maintained 6 beer taps with FOB system. Built-in large walk-in refrigerator. Enclosed back patio. Large picture windows and overhead door to Main Street. 430 Main Street, Lyons / $1,050,000

GORGEOUS, LUSH 1- ACRE LOT IN THE BEAUTIFUL ROLLING HILLS WEST OF LOVELAND! Located in regulatory floodway, so building footprint will be limited. Older mobile home with 2 additions and a 2-car garage presently on property, all in original condition— rehab potential unknown. Contact Larimer County Building Division @ (970) 498-7700 for info on what is allowed. This is a gem!

6755 W County Road 24, Loveland / $300,000

SWEET LITTLE LOT 17 MINUTES FROM LYONS FOR YOUR MOUNTAIN RETREAT! 2/3 acre size makes for affordability, rare these days! In the middle of a forest , so plenty of tree energy! Features of this lot include fairly easy road and driveway access, good sun, and mostly usable terrain, gently sloping to the south. A magnificent backrange view would most likely be accessible from a second story. Enjoy unlimited access to Roosevelt National Forest right across the road! Owner financing a possibility with a minimum of 25% down payment... 49 Pine Drive, Lyons / $75,000

said the hardest part of the whole ordeal had been getting his yellow Lab, Maggie, on the Chinook. She’d been skeptical anyway, and when she felt the prop wash, she just locked up. He said their house is okay, although it’ll be months before they can go home.

And I almost literally ran into Vince at a coffee shop in Longmont. He lives on the South St. Vrain and after getting his wife, Susan, out before the river crested, he went back to camp in the dark house and help his neighbors dig out with his Kubota tractor. His house is okay, too, although he said the view has changed.

Vince is an inordinately large, strong man. I’ve known him for years, but had never hugged him before. It was like hugging a cast iron stove and I had to stand on tiptoes like a girl to do it. All he wanted to talk about was how beautifully his tractor had worked.

The Hilltop Guild holds Fall Festival at Kelley House

ALLENSPARK – The Hilltop Guild in Allenspark will hold its annual Fall Festival at the Kelley House on Saturday, September 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come on over to enjoy several delicious varieties of homemade chili and homemade desserts. The historic Kelley House is located at 18720 Highway 7 south of Allenspark. The event is free and there is plenty of parking. Several local vendors also will be on hand. Items for sale include weavings, wooden ornaments and jewelry.

“The money raised at both the Bazaar, which took place the first Saturday in August, and at the Fall Festival, goes to support academic scholarships for high school students in Lyons, Estes Park and Allenspark,” said Jen Bell, past president. Bunce School also will be open for visitors. The historic one-room school is located within easy walking distance of the Kelley House. Celebrate the first day of Autumn with a ride to the mountains.

Planting trees donated by Cemex on the Cal-Wood Education Center

LONGMONT – The Cemex Cement Plant in Lyons and the Cal-Wood Education Center continue to collaborate to advance CalWood’s restoration efforts, following the 2020 Cal-Wood Fire that decimated parts of the facility and its surrounding vegetation.

Since 2021, Cemex Lyons has donated thousands of native-species trees for revegetation and coyote willows (Salix exigua) for use in erosion control and provided volunteer support planning those trees, clearing debris and helping with revegetation, which all help bring Cal-Wood back to life.

On September 10, Cemex Lyons and CalWood worked together for the largest tree planting volunteer project to be held at the facility thus far. Cemex Lyons volunteers planted thousands of donated trees in support of the center’s restoration and revegetation efforts. These trees helped prevent erosion and supported new growth in the area.

SPARKLY CLEAN 2 BEDROOM/ 2 BATH CONDO IN A SUPER CONVENIENT LOCATION NEAR FOOTHILLS PARKWAY AND BASELINE. Fabulous views of both the pool area and the snowcapped peaks of the Continental divide beyond! Great room floorplan with open kitchen, spacious living room, and the primary bedroom has its own 3/4 bath and ample closet space. Leased through July 31, 2024, so ideal for investor or parents of a 2024 CU sophomore!

625 Manhattan Drive #306, Boulder / $399,000

SWEET THREE BEDROOM UNIT IN SOUTH LONGMONT SUPER CONVENIENT TO EVERYTHING: SCHOOLS, PARKS, SHOPPING!! This townhome is in brand new condition, with very light usage and includes a two-car attached garage, high efficiency heating and cooling, open floor plan with lots of light and southern exposure. Enjoy mountain views from the second floor!

1474 Sepia Avenue, Longmont / $475,000

PERCHED ON A HILLSIDE IN LYONS PARK ESTATES, 3 MILES FROM DOWNTOWN LYONS, THIS CUTE MOUNTAIN HOME PROVIDES ALL THE ROMANTIC ASPECTS OF LIVING IN LYONS WITHOUT THE MILLION DOLLAR PRICE TAG OR HOURS OF WEEKLY YARD MAINTENANCE. Enjoy the mountain breeze, deer wandering in the yard and watching hummingbirds from this serene slice of paradise. This 3 bedroom (1 bedroom non-conforming), 1 bath does have a modest size, but packs a lot of character and potential to add a carport or larger garage on the lower portion of this 3 acre property. LISTED BY IAN PHILLIPS 276 Sandstone Drive, Lyons / $725,000

Dan Siddall broker/owner Colleen Dickes associate broker Ian Phillips associate broker Dot Fears associate broker

Henna artist Addie Lewis paints a design for a young customer at the Artisan Market on September 9.

PHOTO BY CATHY RIVERS