LYONS – The Parade of Lights will be held on the evening of Saturday, December 7 along Main Street. This year’s event will feature a fabulous holiday-themed drone show, presented by the students at the St. Vrain Valley School District’s Innovation Center. Main Street will be closed in the early evening and the parade will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Register your float or entry today, online at townoflyons.com/holidays.
The weekend of December 7 and 8 is the Lyons Holiday Artisan Market, held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lyons Elementary School with over 45 local craft vendors.
Stonebridge Farm Christmas Fair
LYONS – You’ll find Christmas gifts and more at the Stonebridge Holiday Fair, Saturday, December 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local handmade crafts by Stonebridge CSA farm member artists include Lia Pileggi ceramics and art; Amber Lights 100 percent beeswax candles; Apple Ridge soaps, salves, and wooden spatulas; Good Medicine Sheep Ranch hand-dyed yarns and felted fashion; Lucy Designs handcrafted jewelry and folk-inspired ornaments and accessories; Such & Co. hand-drawn art cards and bird boxes; and Stonebridge Farm’s hand-cranked socks, wristers, and yoga socks, holiday crafts; and farm honey.
Chickenhouse Red and Cottonwood White wine grown and vinted at Stonebridge Farm Winery will also be available, as well as raspberry and golden meads brewed from Stonebridge honey, demonstrations of circular sock making on a vintage knitting machine, and treats too.
Stonebridge Farm is located at 5169 Ute Hwy. east of the junction of Highways 36 and 66. Look for the big red farmhouse on the north side. For more information, contact Kayann Short at kshort@greenspeedisp. net.
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fall beauty. Special thanks
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Lyons Town Board takes on the affordable housing issue, the mill levy for Lyons and looks forward to survey results
By Susan de Castro Gierach Redstone Review Editor
LYONS – At a recent Lyons Town Board meeting in November, the board got into a discussion on how and if creating more affordable housing is possible in Lyons.
The discussion was a follow-up to a workshop held just prior to the regular meeting on affordable housing where the board heard from a group of experts who had built various successful housing projects in and around Boulder County using creative ideas, such as infill projects and other ideas, to create more affordable housing.
The board has had numerous discussions on affordable housing and I distinctly remember that at the candidates’ forum for the last town board election in 2023, I wrote that question (Does Lyons need more affordable housing?) on a piece of paper for the candidates to answer and it turned out to be the first question the moderator asked each candidate.
The majority of candidates agreed that more affordable housing is needed in Lyons. But like everything else, its easier said than done. Trustee Tanya Daty was quick to point out that out, saying these are difficult questions that need answers. She gave an impassioned speech to the board saying that everyday she hears from people who work in Lyons but can’t qualify for subsidized housing, and can’t afford any housing in Lyons. It’s a catch-22.
“I won’t give up on them,” she said. “I refuse to give up on them.” The board did not disagree with her, but the available solutions were complicated. Lyons is a small town with limited resources, especially the amount of land available to build on. The Area Median Income AMI) in Boulder County is $100,000 a year for one person. People can qualify for affordable housing if they make up to 60 percent of the AMI or $60,000 for one person per year.
The board has a survey on the Town website, asking residents to fill out an affordable housing survey. The survey asks residents where or what section of town they would like to see more affordable housing; it asks if residents would be willing to build an additional dwelling unit, what type of dwelling they would like to see built, what percentage of town housing should be affordable, and other things.
Mayor Hollie Rogin told the board she wants to see the results from the housing survey before they make any decisions.
Mayor Rogin suggested having a type of town meeting such as a charette, where residents can discuss, make suggestions, listen to experts on housing and perhaps create a wide range of ideas to work with. A charette suggests a multi-facetted approach to a problem.
In other news the town board passed two ordinances approving a lease-of-property agreement between the town and Telluride Bluegrass Festivals for both the RockyGrass and Folks Festivals in Lyons.
The board went on to discuss whether or not to implement its right to raise the mill levy by 5.5 percent. Currently the town property tax mill levy is 12.9 percent for residential and commercial properties. According to Finance Director Cassey Eyestone, if the mill levy were to remain at the 2024 level, then 2025 revenue would be $898,515. The town’s total taxable assessed value is decreasing by approximately $1,375,683 from last year.
Director Eyestone told the board that there are currently $122,000 in funds that are now freed up because the board decided not to do a proposed stream bank improvement project. This money could be used as backup for an emergency.
The board discussed the implications on businesses if the mill levy were increased by 5.5 percent and expressed concerns about how businesses in Lyons struggle to survive in
Lyons. Some board members were concerned about an emergency situation that could possibly arise where Lyons would incur some unexpected expenses.
The discussion started with Trustee Greg Lowell saying he would like to keep the mill levy the same next year as it is this year and not raise it by the allotted 5.5 percent.
Trustee Mark Browning told the board, “We need to set an example that Lyons will not max out its mill levy every year.” He said that the town did have funds to back up any shortfalls if any emergency came up.
“This is what Gov. Polis has asked municipalities to do (not to raise their mill levy this year) and very few have done it,” he said. “We raised our sales tax, we raised our lodging tax, our marijuana tax; we have gone overboard –we can afford to keep the mill levy the same as 2024 tax levels. We can way offset the money we would get from raising the mill levy. I would like to not increase the mill levy this year.”
Mayor Rogin agreed with Trustee Browning. Trustee Tanya Daty started out by saying although she did not like the idea of raising the mill levy, she felt it was a necessity or the town might fall behind and not be able to fund projects that the town needed. But after Trustee Browning’s comments, she decided to switch sides and keep the mill levy the same as it is now.
Trustees Dave Hamrick expressed concern about a potential unexpected situation that the town would need extra funds for and Trustee Glen Delman suggested raising the mill levy to 2.7 percent as a compromise. Trustee Paula Williams wanted the 5.5 percent mill levy hike. The board decided to go with the majority of four and keep the mill levy at the same rate next year and not implement a raise. The board gave direction to staff to draw up an ordinance for the board to officially vote on the issue.
Autumn’s vibrant hues mirror perfectly on Golden Ponds in Longmont, with the majestic Longs Peak rising in the background. A stunning reflection of Colorado’s
to local photographer Mark Altmeyer for capturing this moment. Explore more of his stunning work on his
Mark Altmeyer Photography. MARK ALTMEYER
The Plastic Earth documentary will be shown at the Lyons Library on December 9
By Dawn Weller Redstone Review
LYONS – By now you’ve probably heard about the incredible proliferation of plastic in our water, in the soil, in the air, in our bodies. How did it become such an insidious presence in the world? And how can we manage and hopefully reduce our use of plastics? Is there any way to recover and reuse the material or is it destined to clog our waterways, oceans, landfills and planet for hundreds of years to come?
Plastic Earth is a documentary that chronicles the demand for the plastics that are present in all aspects of our lives. Using science, the film demonstrates the impact of plastic on our health, our economy, and our future. The film also
explores the newest solutions that are being implemented by innovative individuals and scientists. Along with sustainable solutions in progress, you will learn how you and your family can make better choices to help reduce the plastic problem. The Lyons Sustainable Futures Commission teamed up with the Town of Lyons to bring you this informative movie.
Join us to view Plastic Earth at the Lyons Regional Library on Monday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. After the movie, EcoCycle will be on hand to answer your questions on local actions to reduce, recycle, and rethink our use of plastics. In addition, there will be updates on the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act and the Producer Responsibility Act, recently passed by the State of Colorado to increase access to recycling in the state.
on environmental issues.
Housing and Human Services news
By Kay Sparks Redstone Review
LYONS – The Town of Lyons Housing and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has two openings. The mission of the Lyons Housing and Human Services Commission, as established in the Lyons Recovery Action Plan, is to provide coordination and communication with various private, non-profit, and county entities in an effort to assess and fill the gaps in human service provision and identify unmet needs in the Lyons and greater Lyons 80540 area.
The Lyons Housing and Human Services Commission meets monthly on the second Monday of each month from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Lyons Regional Library, 451 4th Ave. This is a volunteer position. If you would like to be a member of the commission,
Meet Honey, our 3-year-old ball of energy! She’s always on the move, whether it’s chasing tennis balls at full speed or zooming around the yard. If you’re looking for a playful companion, she’s got enough energy to keep you smiling!  Though she’s a ball of energy, she’s also incredibly sweet and loyal. Honey is a constant source of fun and adventure!
After a busy day, she loves winding down with her humans, soaking up some snuggles and quiet time. She’s the perfect balance of playful and loving, making her not only an energetic companion but also a loyal friend. Honey brings a spark of joy wherever she goes, turning the simplest moments into cherished memories.
To see all our adoptable animals or get more details visit longmonthumane.org. Or stop in at the shelter at 9595 Nelson Road.
you can apply through the Town of Lyons website: https://www.townoflyons.com/ FormCenter/Boards-and-Commissions-13/ Boards-and-Commissions-61. The next HHSC meeting is Monday, December 9. Insurance options
If you are you someone who does not get insurance through your job, Medicaid, Medicare, or if you are self-employed, a contractor, work part time, a small business owner, a small business employee or an early retiree, HHSC can help with options. You can learn about your insurance options as well as potential financial help based on income for health insur-
Western Stars will close its doors at the end of January LYONS – November 15 is the ninth anniversary of Western Stars Gallery and Studio. Owners Chrystal and David DeCoster are sad to announce the end-of-January closing of their eclectic array of carefully curated handcrafted arts and antiques offerings of over 350 artists and consignors since opening in 2015.
Although Western Stars won’t be stocking up their usual stocking stuffer banquet table or offering gift wrapping or bags, they are encouraging their artisans to load them up with fresh creations and/or tweak prices for what they hope to be their best holiday season ever.
“Celebrating Colorado-made or sourced creations” and “getting money in the pockets of artists,” have been their mantras since the beginning.
There are numerous items already on sale, including beautiful glassware and serving pieces for holiday tables, and in the back hallway; vintage, antique and estate art (originals and prints) are currently 50 percent off.
November 15 to 17 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., everything (except fixtures) in the store will be 15 percent off (or more) to celebrate their anniversary weekend and show appreciation to their customers.
Starting November 20, the gallery will be open daily (closed Thanksgiving) 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Christmas Eve (closing that day at 3 p.m.).
Until then, gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and by calling 303-747-3818 for private shopping dates.
ance. Connect for Heath CO, the state’s official health insurance marketplace created by the Colorado Legislature to implement the Affordable Care Act, will be in Lyons on Wednesday, December 11 at the Lyons Regional Library from 5 to 8 p.m. The brokers and representatives will be able to provide information as well as enroll persons in health care coverage and Medicaid. The event is sponsored by Town of Lyons and HHSC.
Affordable housing openings Lyons Valley Townhomes (aka Summit Housing) has the following housing available now for those eligible: 3 bedroom/2 bath single family home (current rent: $2,152.00), and 2 bedroom/1 bath townhome (current rent: $1,871.00).
In December a 3 bedroom/2 bath will be available and in January a 2 bedroom/1 bath townhome will be available. Current HUD income eligibility limits are: one person, income limit is $61,320.00; two people, limit is $70,080.00; three people, limit is $78,840.00; four people, limit is $87,600.00.
If you are interested, email lyonsapts@ leasehighland.com or call their Highland Property Management team at Centennial Apartments at 720-600-4278 so they can see if you can qualify and are eligible.
Kay Sparks is the Chair of the Housing and Human Services Commission.
Dawn Weller is a former Lyons Town Board Trustee, a former Lyons Parks and Recreation board member and she does volunteer work
Weller
MAYOR’S CORNER
follows. It is designed to be thorough to ensure that residents and property owners have a voice in the matter.
By Hollie Rogin, Mayor of Lyons Redstone Review
LYONS – The Board of Trustees is currently in the process of considering the annexation of the Teboowned property at the junction of Ute Highway and U.S. 36. Because of this, and because there will be more land use Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) discussions upcoming, it seems like a good time to discuss annexation in general.
Annexation is the process through which a local government extends its boundaries to include adjacent areas that were previously outside the jurisdiction of the municipality. In Lyons, annexation is governed by a detailed set of rules and procedures outlined in our municipal code.
The legal framework for annexation in Lyons, like in many municipalities in Colorado, is derived from a combination of state law and local ordinances. Our code outlines the specific process for annexing land into the town. Annexation in Lyons must also comply with the Colorado Revised Statutes related to annexation procedures and requirements.
This process is designed to ensure that all annexations are conducted fairly, transparently, and in a way that serves the best interests our town and its residents. The IGA itself does not address annexations; it specifies where annexations could occur if the property owners apply and if the application and agreement are approved.
Of course, if a property is greater than five acres (10 in the Eastern Corridor) any annexation issue goes to a vote of the Town. If a property is less than five acres but has been part of a parcel more than 20 acres in size in the past, it also goes to a vote of the Town. If a parcel does not meet the size threshold for a vote, the annexation process is as
The process is initiated when a property owner or group of property owners submit an application. Once the application is received by Town staff, it’s reviewed to ensure compliance with all relevant requirements, including but not limited to legal descriptions of the land and statements affirming that the land is eligible for annexation according to Town code. It must also be eligible for annexation under state law
interest of the town, we may enter into an annexation agreement with applicant. This agreement typically outlines the terms and conditions under which the annexation will take place, including any required infrastructure improvements, taxes, and services that will be provided to the newly annexed area.
For example, the Town may require developers to provide public services like water, sewage, and roads before the annexation is finalized. The agreement may also specify the timeline for development, funding mechanisms, and other important consider-
and must meet state legal requirements.
Our code mandates public notice and participation throughout the entire annexation process. After a petition is deemed valid, the Town notifies affected property owners, residents, and the general public. This notice typically includes details of the proposed annexation, the time, date, and location of the public hearing, and a description of the property being considered for annexation.
The Board of Trustees then conducts a public hearing to receive community input. This is an essential part of the process.
After the public hearing, if the Board determines that annexation is in the best
By Mark Browning Redstone Review
A much discussed issue in Lyons these days is whether new development should occur “above the blue line.”
The discussion context is a proposed new Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the Town and Boulder County. A draft IGA identified several above-the-blue-line properties in upper Steamboat Valley as possibly being annexable and developable.
The draft IGA prompted discussion ranging from, “No more houses should be built above the blue line,” to “The blue line can be raised to make housing feasible at higher elevations.”
That caused me to look into things like, “What exactly is the blue line? How did it come about? What is its effect on Lyons’ future growth?”
What I found out from town records and Lyons Historical Museum files is that current blue line issues mirror things discussed decades ago.
ations that address the impact of the annexation on the town’s budget and services.
Once all issues are resolved and the annexation agreement is finalized, Board votes on the annexation. If it’s approved, the annexation is formalized and recorded with the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. During the approval process, the Board also determines the zoning of the property.
No Board takes annexation lightly. In addition to public input, we also consider:
Impact on public services: Whether we can provide necessary services such as water, roads, schools, and emergency services to the newly annexed area without
service to any property above 5,450 feet in elevation unless a variance is obtained. To get a variance, a developer must file an application ($250 fee) and the Board of Trustees must determine the development “will not detrimentally affect the health, safety or welfare of the residents of the proposed development or consumers of the public water and wastewater systems.” Variances are expressly “subject to public referendum.”
The blue line has been in the Lyons Municipal Code since 1984. The current version is LMC 13-1-130. Under that provision, the town will not provide water or sewer
Why 5,450 feet, which is below the elevation of most subdivisions in Lyons? According to town records, that elevation was chosen in 1984 as the maximum height the town could provide desired pressure (35 pounds per square inch or “psi”) in water lines at the time. The lines were connected to the now out-of-service water tank on “Tank Hill” above 4th Avenue.
The 1986 comprehensive plan stated: “Areas with the highest priority for development should be those areas that have the least natural or physical constraints and can be most easily serviced by existing utilities.”
In the mid-1990s, the Sierra Roja and Steamboat Valley subdivisions Horizon Drive, Vasquez Court, Steamboat Valley Road, were built, all above the blue line. References to the blue line are largely absent from documents seeking
overburdening existing infrastructure.
Environmental considerations: Environmental impacts, such as land use changes and protection of natural resources, must also be considered and weighed against the benefits of annexation.
Community and economic impact: We also consider the social and economic effects of annexation, ensuring that the process itself benefits both the newly annexed residents and the existing town population. Zoning and development plans: The new area will be subject to our zoning regulations and may require changes in land use, density, and other factors related to development.
Our annexation process ensures that any growth is carried out in an organized and transparent manner, in accordance with both local and state laws. Our procedures provide a clear framework for annexation and help us balance the needs of the town with the rights of property owners.
I’d also like to, this month, make a short statement about the recent election results. Many in our community are devastated, and many are jubilant. But we are all neighbors, and we are all deserving of some measure of kindness and respect. Nonpartisan local governments like Lyons have never been more important. Each and every member of the Board of Trustees and every person working at Town Hall is here to serve all Lyons residents. We are committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our community. Regardless of who is or is not in State or National office, that is one thing I trust will never change.
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. She was re-elected mayor in the April 2024 election. 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.
town approval for that development. Instead, the focus was on things like traffic, parks, and water rights or cash-in-lieu thereof – the town needed money back then.
A memo from the Town Administrator in May 1999 stated, “Through the years, the ‘Blue Line’ has been ignored. Not one residence has been asked to apply for a Variance.”
That changed in 1999. In that year, engineers studied the water system and suggested the blue line could be raised to 5,539 feet, an 89-foot increase. The main reason Town Administrator Gary Cinnamon recommended the Lyons Town Board raise the blue line was that, after 1984, a higher pressure line had been connected to the Apple Valley Road water tank, allowing desired pressure at higher elevations. On May 17, 1999, the Town Board considered the Administrator’s recommendation. There was significant opposition, with multiple citizens complaining about inadequate water pressure and questioning whether a higher blue line was desirable.
One opponent to raising the blue line was Lavern Johnson, who according to meeting minutes said, “If we raise the blue line how much more potential hillside development are we going to have?”
Trustees discussed whether leaving the blue line at 5,450 feet was or was not a growth control measure, but finally voted 6 to 1 to make no change.
A week later, after his recommendation to the board had been rejected, Town Administrator Cinnamon prepared a follow-up memo stating that the blue line “has never been enforced” and suggesting the possibility of building another water tank higher than the “Tank Hill” tank to serve higher elevations.
OPTIONS
Stanley – A Smooth Operator
By Peter Butler Redstone Review
LYONS – It’s first thing in the morning and the kitchen beckons with the siren call of coffee. But Stanley has other plans. He’s our slinky black cat who turned up 20 years ago, as a one-year-old, making him 21 years old, in sidereal time, but 147 in cat years. That’s plenty of time to perfect his powers of persuasion. He’s calling “Wow, wow – wow” before I even arrive. Over the years I have learned the nuances of his particular dialect of feline and I understand him to be saying “If you don’t get me a bowl of milk in the next ten seconds, my limp and lifeless body will slump on this hard floor and it will be your fault and my tormented spirit will haunt you for ever.” It’s textbook negotiating – straight out of the business manual. Rule 1: Always shock them with your first offer. I head to the fridge.
A while later, cup of coffee in hand, I head for the wood shop. That’s on days when I have some discipline and stay away from the computer. As I enter the hallowed space the Stanleys greet me, my wood planes. There are two very pretty boards of ponderosa pine on the bench and together we are going to make them silky smooth. These came from a tree that Jon Bell cut for me a few years ago and they are on their way to becoming a charming Shaker cupboard, funnily enough using a design that is about 147 years old.
long before they realized that the cutting angle is important to a steady and smooth cut when shaping wood. Then some whizzo Mesopotamian coaxed a blade into a straight piece of wood and held it there with a wedge. You could tap the back of the blade with a club-shaped log and patiently coax a tiny amount of exposed edge at the sole. It was a pattern exploited by the Romans and every wood wright up to Roy Underhill. This simple wooden plane worked well but was fiddly to adjust. Bonking the blade down was easy, but coaxing it up was harder.
For millennia, personkind has formed trees into useful household items, be it a table, a chair, or a spoon. When you were a kid maybe you whittled a twig with your birthday penknife to make a sort of pointy thing, and discovered that the angle of the blade makes a difference to your efforts.
In the Bronze age, the proto-blacksmiths, or better, yellowsmiths, could form smelted metal from a rock into an edge that could slice bread or an enemy. Surely it was not
In the 1860s, a toolmaker from Massachusetts called Leonard Bailey designed the first adjustable plane. It had a cast iron body with a flat sole; a rigid frog to hold the iron at a fixed angle; a cap iron to hold the blade or easily release it; and best of all, a little brass wheel that could squeeze the cutting edge out a smidgeon at a time or back again. It was a revelation.
A few years later, in 1869, the Stanley Rule and Level Company of New Britain, Connecticut bought Bailey’s idea
A short history of the Old Stone Church
By Brianna Hoyt Redstone Review
LYONS – Edward S. Lyon and William Griffith arrived in the area now known as Lyons in 1880.
The two men were permanent settlers who were seeking land. Edward Lyon purchased 160 acres of land with the intention of raising cattle, however, he discovered the potential for quarrying sandstone and limestone.
As more people came to settle in the area, Edward Lyon began to worry for the local youth. He had built the schoolhouse in 1881 but he felt that there was a need for a permanent pastor, “because the town has many saloons and the kids have to have some spiritual upbringing.” The Reverend H. E. Thayer, a pastor from Longmont, began gathering a congregation and a church was organized on March 8, 1889.
On October 27, 1889, a meeting of selected laymen and ministers from surrounding Congregational Churches was held at the Lyons School House. On that day, the First Congregational Church of Lyons was officially established with The Reverend S. A. Williams of Los Angeles, California as the first official pastor. By the end of the first year, the church had 17 members including A. P Weaver, Mrs. Milton Tucker, Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Thorne, and Edward Raymond Thorne. Services were held on Sundays in the Lyons School House.
As the congregation grew, The Reverend Williams, The Reverend H. E. Thayer,
and The Reverend Henry Harris, who was brought from Michigan by E.S. Lyon, decided that the town required a permanent church building. Construction began in 1894 and was supported by the members of the church and town. The Rev. Henry Harris and The Rev. H. E. Thayer led the project with the assistance of Alex Chisholm, Charles P. Wilcox, and E. E. Norton.
The building, located on the corner of High Street and 4th Avenue, was constructed using Lyons sandstone and was completed in only seven months. Much of the stone for the building was donated and the labor of many of the stone cutters and masons was free. Several features of the building exhibited excellent workmanship that was praised by
and Version One of the Stanley plane was born. A handful of years later they invented “the lateral,” a lever to change the sideways angle of the blade, and by 1918 they were up to Version 14 which is my favorite. Click a search on that Mecca of old stuff, eBay, and you can see dozens of old Stanleys. It’s easy to see the decades of abuse that have rendered most of them useless, but occasionally a survivor will reveal itself for a few dollars. A hundred-year-old helpmate yearning for an hour or two of love and TLC to become a useful smoother. I made a nice rack to hold them all: the Number 3s, 4s, 5s, 9 1/4s, the number 10 called a jack rabbit, and the wonderful block plane, the 60 ½.
The final step is sharpening: a mysterious art that has taken me a lifetime to learn. When I was kid I used my dad’s oilstone, then some expensive and fancy natural novaculite from Hot Springs, Arkansas. The trouble was that those stones needed oil to lubricate the honing and that made your fingers black and could make a mess on the wood.
But I discovered a treasure of the planet which is Japanese waterstones. I have no idea what type of geology they exploit, but they can magic a steel edge into a mirror than almost terrifies the wood into smoothness without touching it. It’s a soothing sensation to glide your Stanley Number 5 over a length of pine or maple with parchment thin shavings peeling off and floating in the air. It’s almost like meditation and it has the same effect. A few more passes and the shelves will be ready to fit to the sides of my little cupboard.
Later it’s lunch time and I am lounging on the couch with a bagel. Stanley has his head on my lap and he’s vibrating with his constant purring. You don’t need to understand feline to translate that word into “contentment.” It’s a word and a feeling that lowers both our heartbeats.
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 was 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.
architects. The east and south sides of the building include stone arches and circles that required precision cutting and fitting. These near-perfect architectural features still stand. The building, completed at a cost of $3147.47, was officially dedicated on September 23, 1894.
Between 1895 and 1945 there was a high turnover rate for pastors. The First Congregational Church of Lyons had 23 pastors serve the church, with an average of about 18 months per pastor. This may have been due to the fact that these years encompassed the two World Wars as well as the Great Depression.
Money for the pastor’s salary was difficult to collect. Between 1942 and 1945, there was no regular pastor. The church was held together by the members and laypeople. The church was supported by the Ladies Aid Society as well as the Sunday School.
The Ladies Aid Society provided financial aid to the church, while the Sunday School offered a religious education center. These two organizations operated without interruption and played an important role in continuing the First Congregational Church of Lyons.
The Reverend D. I. Hammond served at the church in 1945 as well as 1948. He began improvements to the church by redecorating the sanctuary and painting the walls. The Reverend W.O Rogers took over in 1948 and had a new heating plant installed.
Over the years, clergymen and members of the church continued to improve the building. The Old Stone Church is one of Lyons’ iconic historic buildings and services are still held every Sunday.
If you would like to see interior photographs of the Old Stone Church or would like to explore more of Lyons’ history over the winter, visit our website at www.lyonsredstonemuseum.com to access the Lyons Historic District Walking Tour or go to https://www.theclio.com/tour/910.
The Lyons Historical Society relies entirely on grants and donations to fund our museum operations and your support is greatly appreciated. You can donate online at https://coloradogives.org/organization/ Lyons-Historical-Society.
Brianna Hoyt earned degrees in anthropology and history from the University of Denver and worked as a freelance writer for five years. She primarily worked with marketing firms to generate content for business websites and social media accounts. She does volunteer work for the Lyons Library.
Butler
Hoyt
Community members gathered in front of the historic Old Stone Church in Lyons, circa 1910. This iconic building has long served as a center for faith and connection in the heart of the town.
the high-jumping buck
By Greg Lowell Redstone Review
“It’s hunting season and time for tales from the woods. What I’m about to relate would be better shown today by a Go-Pro video, but you’ll just have to take my word for one of the most surreal outdoor experiences I’ve ever had.” Greg Lowell
LYONS – In my late 20s I became interested in archery hunting for deer. I had a handme-down compound bow that was heavy, had no sights and might well have been used at the Battle of Hastings.
I set up hay bales in my backyard and shot hundreds of arrows, giving me a false confidence (as I soon found out) that I was deadly accurate.
I had hunted deer for years, but as I learned from a co-worker and longtime bow hunter, archery hunts are different. Camouflage, concealment and stealth were important to get close to deer and the hour before dusk was prime hunting time.
The archery season was late in western Massachusetts where we were then living, and I first went out on a cold November Sunday afternoon with the previous night’s snow on the ground. We lived in a subdivision at the edge of town, and I had only to walk to the end of my street to be into thousands of acres of woods.
I crept through the woods for a few hours seeing nothing until I came upon a long-abandoned orchard whose trees were producing little yellow apples that clearly attracted deer. Around the trees was the largest concentration of deer tracks I’d ever seen. I had found my spot.
I looked for a proper hiding place and found two dead apple trees at the edge of the orchard. The tangled trees had fallen at right angles to each other, and inside the trees was a closet-size space. I crawled in and stood up. It was perfect; the front view was of the orchard and the cover of pines to the rear broke up my silhouette.
Darkness was an hour away. I cleared the ground inside of twigs and snapped off branches that would interfere with drawing the bow. Satisfied with my preparations, which I would soon find deficient, I sat on one of the tree trunks to await dusk.
The woods were quiet, save for the occasional dump of wet snow off branches. As the light began to fade and the legal end of shooting hours approached, a full moon rose dappling the darkening woods with patches of light. Like magic, four deer appeared at the far edge of the orchard. I slowly rose to a standing position, bow at ready.
As I did, I saw movement to my rear and turned to see the dark profile of a deer less than 15 yards away emerging from the thick pines. My heart jumped and adrenaline poured. This was the range I had shot at a thousand times in my backyard. I turned and slowly raised the bow. I could barely see the front of the arrow but aimed just behind the shoulder and let go.
At the sound of the release, the deer leapt backward and went behind a clump of small birches. And then the fun began.
I saw the antlers. The buck was head-on to me, snorting and stomping the ground, try-
ing to figure out what was in front of him. How could I have missed? I nocked another arrow and waited for him to turn broadside. I was having a tough time controlling my shaking. After a harrowing one-minute stand-off, the buck wheeled and ran into the pines, snapping branches as he went. What had just happened? The deer was broadside at 15 yards. Yet I missed. There was no sign I had hit him. I crawled out from my hiding spot and trudged home in the dark, shaken but confident that I knew where I’d be the next day.
I called in sick on Monday, something I rarely did, but there were other more important matters at hand.
The day was clear and in the 30s, the snow still blanketing the ground. At 1 o’clock I followed my boot prints back to the old orchard, totally different now on a sunny afternoon.
I walked over to my hiding spot and recreated last night’s drama. I saw where the buck had stood and found my arrow – sticking into the ground right between his tracks. How could I have shot so low?
Then I saw the pencil-size broken pine branch halfway between the arrow and the blind that had deflected my arrow. I had forgotten one of the cardinal rules of bow-hunting: clear your shooting lanes.
A novice mistake, and I set about snapping off branches where I could in front of my blind. When I was done, it was too early to begin my evening vigil, but I was ready so I climbed inside, hung my loaded bow nearby and waited.
The woods were bright with snow. Chickadees flitted around me. I was soaking it all in when the buck walked into view. He was about 35 yards away, head bobbing and walking downhill in front of me – an eight-pointer I could now see with a big, broad body. The distance was not one I had practiced at but I thought I could compensate. And he would soon be out of sight. I drew back and saw everything – the end of the arrow, the gray deer, the bone-white
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The blue spruce decorates Colorado’s landscape as its state tree
By Deborah Huth Price Redstone Review
LYONS – As winter approaches and we begin to see snowflakes adorning the beautiful blue spruce, it’s easy to see why it was chosen as Colorado’s state tree. Its vibrant bluish-green color, symmetry, and stately nature are pleasing features on the forest landscape.
The value of blue spruce extends much beyond its appearance, however. The tree provides habitat for nesting birds, refuge for mammals, and a food source through its seed cones. Blue spruce can vary in color from green to blue to a blue-silver color. A powdery, waxy layer on the needles gives it that blue-silver tone.
Back in 1892, schoolchildren across the state voted on
Arbor Day to name the blue spruce as the state tree. It took 47 more years before it received that official designation by the Colorado General Assembly in 1939. Utah also recognizes this species as its state tree.
Spruce trees are monoecious, which means they produce both male and female cones on the same tree. Most conifers (cone-bearing trees) are also in this category. The papery female cones of the spruce are found near the top of the tree, while the male pollen cones are usually on lower branches. In the wild, blue spruce can reach anywhere from 70 up to 150 feet tall, and sometimes even taller, and can potentially live 600 years or more.
Blue spruce are very adapted to our arid climate since they need lots of sunlight and only require minimal precipitation once established. They grow naturally at elevations from about 6,000 to 11,000 feet. A similar species, the Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) don’t often descend to the lower elevations of the blue spruce, are usually more green colored that blue-green, and the needles are a bit less pointy. Engelmann spruce cones are also shorter and rounder, while blue spruce cones are longer and more slender.
pungens which means sharp and pointy pine. Pine needles on the other hand are longer and come in bundles (or fascicles). Depending on the species, the number of needles growing in one fascicle varies.
Ponderosa pines usually have two or three needles per bundle, lodgepole pines have two, and limber pines have five.
When I moved to Colorado, I learned a trick to help me identify the difference between Colorado’s native conifers, the spruce, fir, and pine trees. It goes like this: Firs are flat and friendly, spruces are square and spiky, and pines are plural. This little ditty relates to the needles of each species. Individual fir needles are flat (you can slide them between your fingers) and soft. Spruce needles are square – they roll between your fingers – and their sharp points can poke you. In fact, the Latin name for the blue spruce is Picea
Nature provides us with a beautiful set of evergreens in our Colorado backyard. Our state tree, the blue spruce, is one of the most beautiful, admired on our landscape since it was documented on Pikes Peak in 1862 by botanist C.C. Parry. Over 60 years later, it still stands tall.
Deborah Huth Price is an environmental educator living in Pinewood Springs. You can read her blog at www.walk-the-wild-side. blog or contact her at debhprice@gmail.com.
LOOKING UP
Boulder delays opening new trail after adorable baby burrowing owls moved in
By Michael Booth
The Colorado Sun, Redstone Review
BOULDER
– If you’re going to be an urban baby owl hatched onto this Earth to help bring back your threatened species, the city of Boulder’s Open Space is a good place to be.
Boulder County’s Parks and Open Space system, with its 100,000-plus acres, canyon trails and broad foothills vistas, may get more attention, but the city of Boulder has also spent years helping to bring back native grasslands around the edges of the city, while supporting breeding bird populations at places like Gunbarrel Hill.
And when baby burrowing owls poke their adorable heads out of the prairie dog holes their parents took over for housing, Boulder wildlife officials scramble to protect them.
Burrowing owls are on Colorado’s state threatened species list, so city wildlife specialists keep a lookout on prairie dog holes each spring for telltale signs of owlets – with their trademark yellow eyes and unusualfor-owls daytime feeding habits.
After consistent years of successful burrowing owl launches, Boulder wildlife experts hadn’t seen any this year. Then they turned up in an awkward spot: Workers putting the final vegetation touches on a new stretch of the Vesper Trail at Gunbarrel Hill south of Lookout Road saw owlets just off the unopened trail. Biologists went to scope out the owlets, and found another burrowing pair with more owlets a little farther off the trail. Two pairs along the trail were great news.
from eager hikers, city ecologist Victoria “Tory” Poulton said.
“Dogs even on a leash can be a real hazard to owls and especially the young, when they’re still learning to fly, and detect, and get away from threats,” Poulton said.
Open space officials put off the trail opening from early June to the end of October, and the delay helped the owl parents successfully fledge eight young from their underground abodes. Boulder has a master plan in place to deemphasize the informal trails that have cropped up among frequent park users, steering people toward wildlife-respecting trails like the new Vespers section. Providing bigger blocks of undisturbed land, even inside an already protected park boundary, is one key to promoting wildlife conservation.
The day-hunting burrowers are migratory, so this is the time of year the young ones will join their parents on flights to Texas or Mexico, Poulton said. In spring, they tend to look for new space close to where they were hatched.
“So if we’re lucky, we’ll have some of those come back,” Poulton said. “And then our expectation for next year, with the trail open, is that they will decide to not nest right there but move to other parts of the property, where there’s a bigger block of habitat away from disturbance.”
Michael Booth is The Colorado Sun’s environment writer, and co-author of its weekly climate and health newsletter The Temperature. He and John Ingold host the weekly SunUp podcast on every Thursday.
Artists and consignors will be scheduling appointments to pick-up any unsold inventory between January 2 and 16; fixtures will be on sale starting January 17.
At the end of January it will be the end of an era for Western Stars at 160 Main St. in Lyons, making way for whatever the new building owner has next in store.
Street sweeping begins Mon. Nov. 18
LYONS – Street sweeping is scheduled to take place for all Town of Lyons streets beginning on Monday, November 18 between 5 and 6 a.m. starting on High Street. Please move your vehicles off the streets.
The goal for Monday, November 18 and Tuesday, November 19 is to complete the north side of town in this approximate order of areas (hitting all streets in between) moving west to east: Eagle Canyon Subdivision, Vasquez Court, Vasquez Road, Horizon Drive, Steamboat Valley Road, 5th Avenue, 4th Avenue, 3rd Avenue, 2nd Avenue, Mountain View Drive, 1st Avenue, Kelling Drive.
The goal beginning Wednesday, November 20 on Main Street and Railroad starting at 5 to 6 a.m. then moving to the south side of town in the following approximate order of areas (hitting all streets in between) moving east to west: Stone Canyon Neighborhood, Lyons Valley Park Neighborhood, 3rd Avenue, 4th Avenue, Confluence Neighborhood, Meily Street, Prospect Street, Ewald Street.
Any assistance from residents in parking off street or moving vehicles and removing debris from the curb would be greatly appreciated while these services are being performed. The contractor will not clean or sweep where items are items obstructing the roadway.
America Recycles Day is Friday, Nov. 15
Plans for a summer grand opening for Vesper Trail screechowled to a halt.
Boulder is a good place to ask for wildlife-friendly patience
This story was used with the permission of The Colorado Sun, an award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself. The Colorado Sun is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
How to keep your feet happy
Bronwyn Muldoon Redstone Review
LYONS – Most of us don’t take the time to appreciate our feet until there is a problem. But the human foot is fascinating. It has 26 bones, 33 joints and 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons.
The structure and mechanics of our feet provide us with transportation, balance, posture, and support. In an average day of walking, your feet experience forces totaling hundreds of tons – the equivalent of a fully-loaded cement truck.
Backed by over 250,000 sweat glands, the smell from our feet should remind us how hard they are working. When thinking about how specialized our feet are, it’s no wonder they are worshipped in other cultures.
As with the rest of your body, taking care of your feet is pertinent to an active and healthy lifestyle. Maintaining the mobility and function of each joint is critical. As we age, our feet require more support and attention, thus shoe wear becomes very important. Common disorders
Common disorders of the foot include bunions, hammer toes, and plantar fasciitis. A bunion is a bony bump that forms at the base of the big toe joint. This condition develops when the big toe pushes against the adjacent toe, forcing the joint to become misaligned and protrude outward. Bunions can be painful and may lead to difficulties in finding comfortable footwear. Wearing ill-fitting shoes, especially those with narrow toe boxes and high heels, can contribute to
bunion development. These footwear choices place excessive pressure on the big toe joint, exacerbating misalignment. Helpful solutions include buying gel spaces or half socks that aid in proper alignment.
Hammer toes are a deformity where one or both joints of the second, third, fourth, or fifth toe become bent, resembling a hammer. This condition often results from an imbalance in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments that normally keep toes straight.
Causes of hammer toes include:
1. Foot structure: Individuals with a high arch or flat feet may be more prone to developing hammer toes.
2. Tight shoes: Wearing narrow or ill-fitting shoes that force the toes into a bent position can contribute to hammer toe development.
3. Genetic factors: Some people may have an inherited tendency to develop hammer toes.
Some helpful solutions include using toe spacers that help the alignment of toes and or taping toes to prevent one from crossing over on another.
LYONS – Our partners at Boulder County and O-I encourage our community residents to recycle their glass in the glass only recycling bin. America Recycles Day is an excellent reminder of the importance and benefits of glass recycling. Glass is made of natural materials: sand, soda ash and limestone. Glass is 100 percent recyclable, always retaining its same quality and properties. A glass bottle
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1. Overuse and strain: Prolonged periods of standing, walking, or activities that place repetitive stress on the plantar fascia can lead to microtears, triggering inflammation.
2. Foot anatomy: Individuals with flat feet or high arches may be more susceptible to plantar fasciitis due to altered weight distribution and biomechanics.
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, manifesting as stabbing pain near the heel, especially with the initial steps taken after rest periods.
Causes and risk factors include:
3. Improper footwear: Ill-fitting shoes lacking proper arch support or cushioning can contribute to the development of plantar fasciitis.
Helpful solutions include placing a heel pad in your shoe or adding an arch support. Both of these take the stretch off the plantar
fascia, thus allowing it to start healing. Exercises to help our feet stay healthy
Toe scrunches: Throw a washcloth on the floor and try picking it up with your toes. Perform activity for 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite foot.
Heel raises: Standing on one leg (hold on to something if needed); raise your heel off the floor, placing the weight on your toes. Repeat ten on each leg.
Single leg balance: Stand on one leg (try not to hold on to anything) for ten seconds. Repeat opposite side.
When thinking about how to stay healthy and active, don’t forget about your feet. A few simple things can keep them happy and pain-free. Wearing shoes with good support (arch and cushioning) is necessary as we age; leave the Chuck Taylors for the younger population. Replace your shoes at least once a year, especially if you use them for exercising. They might look great on the outside, but the cushioning on the inside does break down. Massage and stretch your feet, the muscles work really hard and appreciate some attention.
Everyone put your best foot forward and remember taking care of your feet is important in keeping us active and out of pain.
Bronwyn Muldoon, a licensed physical therapist, owns Lyons Physical Therapy at 435 High St. in Lyons. Some of the things addressed at her clinic include but are not limited to: acute and chronic spinal pain (back and neck pain), postural dysfunction alignment, sports and performance-related injuries, repetitive/overuse-related injuries, post-surgical rehabilitation, muscle strains. Contact her at Lyons Physical Therapy, 303-823-8813.
Library hosts Thanksgiving movie, nature journaling, mindful breathwork and more
Bauman
By Kara Bauman Redstone Review
LYONS – As the crisp air of autumn settles in, the Lyons Community Library is gearing up with a lineup of programs and events designed to inform, connect, and engage our thriving community. Patrons of all ages can look forward to opportunities that celebrate creativity, literature, and wellness.
Teens Gather for Thanksgiving Fun
Kicking off the highlights, teens in grades 6 to12 are invited to join an exclusive after-hours event on Friday, November 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening will feature a screening of the beloved Peanuts Thanksgiving movie complete with seasonal food tastings and a collaborative “thankfulness tree” project. Organized by the Teen Advisory Group, this event is set to provide a warm, festive atmosphere perfect for connecting with peers and sharing in the spirit of the season. Be sure to register in advance to join the celebration.
Nature Journaling Club’s Autumn Adventure
If you love the outdoors and creative reflection, mark your calendar for Saturday, November 16, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., when the Nature Journaling Club sets out on an inspiring adventure. The session begins with a short video at the library to spark ideas before participants head outside to observe and document the beauty of Lyons’ natural landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a beginner, this program offers a refreshing way to combine creativity and a love for nature. Bring a journal and sketching tools, or
borrow from the library’s supply. No registration is needed, just bring your curiosity.
Creative Afternoon Art
Creatives of all ages can enjoy an afternoon of fun and learning at the Afternoon Art session on Monday, November 18, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This month, participants will craft pressed flower ornaments, a delightful project perfect for the holiday season. All materials will be provided, making it an easy, drop-in event that encourages imaginations to flourish. Children under eight should be accompanied by an adult.
Tween Book-to-Movie Club
gram that fosters connection and creativity. Mindfulness with Himalayan Breathwork and Sound Bowls
For those looking to unwind and recharge, the Intro to Himalayan Breathwork and Sound Bowls session on Tuesday, December 3, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., is not to be missed. Led by Lori Stott and Dee Stringham, this session will guide participants through calming breathwork techniques accompanied by the soothing sounds of crystal singing bowls. Dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat or blanket to fully enjoy this meditative experience. Chairs will be available for those who prefer them, and no prior experience is necessary.
Book and movie lovers aged 8 through 11 are invited to join the Tween Book-to-Movie Club on Tuesday, November 19, from 3 to 5 p.m. This month, the club dives into Roald Dahl’s classic Fantastic Mr. Fox, followed by a screening of its whimsical 2009 film adaptation. Complete with snacks and related activities, this session is a fun way for tweens to explore storytelling in different formats. Copies of the book are available at the library. Make sure to register and join the discussion.
Writing Circle: A Community for Creatives
Writers of all skill levels will find a welcoming and supportive environment at the library’s Writing Circle taking place on Thursday, November 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. The set-up is simple: We will read a poem, then choose a prompt as a jumping of point. We’ll write for ten minutes, keeping our hands moving to outrun the harsh editor who loves to keep us all tongue-tied. Then we share (you can always pass), with an appreciative lens of what has poured through us. Registration is encouraged for this pro-
Pints & Pages in a Cozy New Location
The Pints & Pages Book Club has a new home for the winter months with MainStage Brewing. Join us on Wednesday, December 11 at 6 p.m. for a discussion of Swift River by Essie Chambers. Swift River is a mesmerizing account of inherited trauma in a “sundown town,” propelled by the insightful and often humorous narration of 16-year-old Diamond Newberry, the town’s only Black resident.
Your Lyons Community Library opens at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday. We close at 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. on Fridays, 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 the Libby, CloudLibrary, and Kanopy apps. Give us a call at 303-8235165 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.
Kara Bauman is the Director of the Lyons Community Library and holds an MLIS from the University of Kentucky. She’s an avid fly angler, enjoys craft beer, and travels extensively to see her favorite band, Widespread Panic.
St. Vrain Anglers, Trout Unlimited group and Cemex teach fly fishing to Lyons elementary students
By Michael Clausen Redstone Review
LYONS – Last month, the Lyons Elementary School, St. Vrain Anglers chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU) and the Cemex Lyons came together for an annual fishing derby.
The event, held for a second time at Cemex’s 4.6-acre fishing pond, was the culmination of a four-week outdoor program that introduced Lyons Elementary fifthgrade students to fly fishing, environmental conservation and ecological science.
This event is a unique opportunity for some of Lyons’ youngest residents to learn about the environment, while developing a love for fishing. Organized in collaboration with the local chapter of the national nonprofit, Trout Unlimited (TU), the program is designed to connect students with the natural world around them, emphasizing the importance of conservation efforts and environmental stewardship. With nearly 40 students participating this year, the day was packed with activities that reinforced the les-
sons they learned over the past month in a hands-on, immersive outdoor setting.
Introducing students to fly fishing and conservation
Lyons Elementary students spent their day rotating through different educational stations. At Cemex’s fishing pond, students practiced fly fishing techniques they had studied in class, learning how to cast, reel and handle the fishing rods. At this station, students also gained an understanding of the patience and skills required to catch a fish – a first-time experience for many of these participants.
One of the program’s primary objectives is to go beyond fishing skills and teach students about the ecological health of rivers and streams, including the native fish populations they support. Zachary Martinez, a physical education teacher at Lyons Elementary who helped organize the event, said, “Through this collaboration with Trout Unlimited and Cemex, we provided an unparalleled learning opportunity for our students. This annual fishing derby is a chance for students to apply what they’ve learned in a hands-on, real-world setting, helping them connect with nature in a meaningful way.”
The fly fishing derby provides Lyons Elementary fifth grade students with hands-on learning about ecosystems and conservation, laying a foundation for an
CONSENSUS
Keep it local in magical Lyons
By Kim Mitchell Redstone Review
LYONS – In no time the town will be decked out with holiday lights along Main Street and throughout Sandstone Park. As the days grow shorter and the nights last longer, local excitement is mounting for all the happenings that keep our community engaged. Our individual efforts and enthusiasms are combining into something good for the collective benefit of all of us.
The holidays will be here soon, and the town is awaiting the Second Annual Tree Lighting Celebration on Friday, November 29 at 5 p.m. in the southwest corner of Sandstone Park. We will have hot cocoa, caroling and holiday cheer. If you have family or friends in town for Thanksgiving, this is a fun way to share the joy of our creative
talents and community and to get into the holiday spirit.
The next day, Saturday November 30, is Shop Small Saturday, the national kick-off to the holiday shopping season, a day to celebrate and support our small local businesses and all they contribute to Lyons. Shopping locally is the best way to show Lyons and our small businesses your commitment to the community. Keeping your spending in Lyons, almost $.70 of every $1 stays in town. Every dollar you spend at a local business returns three times more money to the local economy than one spent at a chain store, and almost 50 times more than buying from a large online retailer. There’s plenty of selection: as a community we have a wide diversity of talents, skills, expertise, and opportunities to share with each other.
Sunday December 1 will showcase another First Sundays in Lyons, brought to you by the Lyons Area Chamber of Commerce and local businesses. Maybe you’re planning some family time along with some local shopping at our great restaurants and shops. ‘Tis the season to explore and share in all Lyons has to offer.
The weekend of December 7 and 8 is the Lyons Holiday Artisan Market, held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lyons Elementary
School with over 45 local craft vendors.
The Parade of Lights will be held on the evening of Saturday, December 7 along Main Street. This year’s event will feature a fabulous holiday-themed drone show, presented by the students at the St. Vrain Valley School District’s Innovation Center. Main Street will be closed in the early evening and the parade will begin promptly at 6:30 pm. Register your float or entry today, online at townoflyons.com/holidays.
Our small but mighty community continues to work for the benefit of all of us.
Our unique, independently owned businesses are the meeting places for bringing the community together, sharing news and stories, and fostering a positive vibe. Many of them have fun gathering events on their winter calendars too. Making local a habit
Lyons Community Theater Presents Harvey, by Mary Chase
By Jim Ramsay Redstone Review
PINEWOOD SPRINGS –
The Lyons Community Theater production of Harvey originally scheduled for November will be presented on Friday December 13, Saturday December 14 and Sunday afternoon December 15 at the Wildflower Pavillion on the Planet Bluegrass grounds, according to publicity person, Patty McNichol.
Harvey is a play by Mary Chase about a kindly man who befriends a pooka, a shape-shifting spirit from Celtic mythology, in the form of a six-foot, three-and-one-half-inch tall rabbit. Of course, no one else can see the rabbit, so Elwood P. Dowd is widely regarded as eccentric, if not a little crazy.
the importance of friendship and loyalty. Harvey premiered on Broadway in 1944 to great success, and it became a Hollywood movie in 1950 starring James Stewart and Josephine Hull. The success of the
Embarrassed by her brother’s insistence that Harvey is real, his sister Veta attempts to have him committed to a mental institution to save her social standing. The resulting hijinks provide us with a lesson about
movie inspired several made-for-television remakes, including one to be directed by Steven Spielberg that was abandoned at the end of 2009.
The Lyons production is directed by Barney Dreistadt, and it stars Gwydion
Winklemeyer as Elwood P. Dowd, Cherrie Ramsdell-Speich as Veta Louise Simmons, and Kim Mitchell as Veta’s daughter’ Myrtle Mae Simmons. To find out who plays Harvey, you’ll need to come and see the play. Lyons Community Theater welcomes community involvement in its productions, so you will see many friends and neighbors backstage as well. Information about times and where to purchase tickets will be available on Facebook and on flyers soon to be posted around town. For more information, email lyonscommunitytheater@gmail.com.
Lyons Community Theater is an all-volunteer theater that welcomes anyone who would like to get involved. Send an email to lyonscommunitytheater@gmail.com to let them know you’d like to join. And be sure to show your support for local theater by coming out for Harvey next month.
Jim Ramsay was raised in Iowa, Iran, Nigeria and Afghanistan. He studied English at CU in Boulder and taught English as a Second Language in Tanzania, Botswana, the University of
is a consistently great way to support our artists, businesses, services and non-profits year-round. Whatever your winter plans include, we hope to see you at our local gathering places or town events which bring the community together to share ideas, build connections, and enjoy what makes Lyons a great place to live and visit.
Continued support of our local service business, retailers and restaurants helps to benefit our entire community. Our local services and shops have something for each of us. Plus, they would love to see you. Take some time to stroll through town and enjoy the merriment and holiday lights.
Kim Mitchell is the Community Relations and Communications Director for the Town of Lyons. She has called Lyons home since 2009.
Illinois and the Economics Institute at CU. An affinity for computers led him to technical writing, and he wrote manuals for tech companies up and down the Front Range. He moved from Boulder to Pinewood Springs in the early 1990s to follow a dream of mountain living, and he’s still up there.
By John Butterfield Redstone Review
LYONS – Seicento Baroque Ensemble’s new Artistic Director Coreen Duffy’s debut concert with Seicento will bring a rarely heard work to the Front Range – George Frederic Handel’s oratorio Judas Maccabaeus. This work celebrates the origins of Hanukkah. It will be a rousing performance utilizing a full baroque orchestra.
The shows will feature vocal soloists, the full Seicento early-music chorus, and a large orchestra wielding baroque instruments that would have been the style when the oratorio debuted in 1747 in London.
The three-act oratorio, one of Handel’s most popular works during his lifetime, tells the story of the Jewish people’s successful opposition to attempts to crush their reli-
gion in a series of actions in 170 through 160 BC. The Judas Maccabaeus performances will meld Handel’s inspiring choral work with Seicento’s trademark focus on music of the Baroque era (the late 17th and early 18th centuries).
Dr. Duffy, also the director of choral activities for the University of Colorado Boulder, will lead Seicento in performance Nov. 15, 16 and 17 in Longmont, Boulder, and Denver. Tickets range from $55 for VIP tickets to free for students less than 18 years of age.
Full information on performance venues, concert dates, and ticket purchase are available on Seicento’s website at www.seicentobaroque.org. To contact Seicento directly, go to www.seicentobaroque.org/contact/.
John Butterfield is a member of the Seicento Baroque Ensemble. Handel’s oratorio Judas Maccabaeus opens
Ramsay
ART & ENTERTAINMENT
LCF
awards nearly $85,000 at its annual grant reception at the Farmette
By Rachel Pickarski Redstone Review
LYONS – On Sunday, November 10, the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) held its annual Grantee Reception at the Lyons Farmette. This gathering celebrated the community’s dedication to local projects that contribute to the vibrancy and resilience of Lyons. Local partners, including Mojo Taqueria, Spirit Hound Distillery, and Lumber Liquors, generously provided food and beverages; the LCF team is grateful for their support.
During the event, LCF announced that it had awarded just shy of $85,000 in grants for 2024. The grants support a broad range of initiatives that embody LCF’s mission to enhance the quality of life in Lyons. The funded projects span human services, environmental sustainability, youth enrichment, and cultural engagement.
This year’s recipients include organizations that address critical community needs and foster growth, such as:
• Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,
• St. Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation,
• Lyons Lions Booster Club c/o Lyons Middle Senior High School,
• Lyons Elevating All Fund (LEAF),
• Lyons Fire Fund,
• Lyons Historical Society/Lyons Redstone Museum,
• Lyons Arts and Humanities Commission (LAHC),
• Lyons Valley Preschool,
• Lyons Community Theater,
• Town of Lyons,
• Town of Lyons, Parks and Recreation,
• Simply Bee Conservation,
• Lyons Pride,
• Lyons Elementary School (LES),
• Lyons Backer Football Club.
The evening underscored the deep community support that makes this level of philanthropy possible. Guests shared stories of impact and expressed gratitude for LCF’s enduring commitment to strengthening the fabric of Lyons.
Transitioning into new developments, LCF proudly welcomed its newest board member, Dr. Helena Yardley, who has called Lyons home since 2018, and brings a wealth of experience in both scientific research and community-oriented initiatives.
Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, she moved to Colorado to complete dual doctorates in Neuroscience and Integrative Physiology, along with a Certificate in Behavioral Genetics. Her dedication to philanthropy extends beyond her professional life; in 2019, she founded a company focused on supporting those in need, which she successfully led until 2023.
Dr. Yardley is also an active part of the local community, running a small farm where she and her family care for various animals and promote eco-friendly practices by cultivating native flowers. She is excited to contribute her expertise and passion to LCF’s initiatives, bolstering the foundation’s mission to serve and uplift the Lyons community.
For more information about LCF’s programs and future events, visit lyonscf.org.
Rachel Pickarski is the Marketing and Communications Consultant for LCF.
When grief decended
By Sally King Redstone Review
When grief descended
On the morning after
I needed to dance . . .
To acknowledge life and what is sacred,
As I have seen the Lakota Fancy Dancers do With their Mohawk feathered heads.
It’s a forceful embodiment of the eagle
Stomping my feet, I stir the dust
As a bank a turn to the left then right
Each step a prayer and a release.
Very different value systems have emerged
And the Lakota know this first hand.
We can’t even imagine the creativity needed
To pull this off but we are getting a look at it.
I love this land.
“America the Beautiful”
The corn fields of Ohio, the splash of Lake Erie.
Driving across endless Texas with Pricilla
As we delivered art to Florida,
She just had to stop in Paris Texas
To have me take her photo.
And Yellowstone tucked inside Wyoming
It’s ever present sacred heat
Reminding us that the earth lives.
Let’s leave the worried mind
And move into our feet,
Dancing as if we mean it.
WE ARE HERE
Sally King is a local artist who believes it’s imperative that each of us pop our head up out of the collective trace, to bring through our creative gifts. You can find her on her blog and website, hersoupot. net and sallywhiteking.com or e mail sallywhiteking@live.com.
Pickarski
Dr. Helena Yardley
A Breakdown of LCF grants awarded for the 2024-2025 grants season by category
Representatives from all of the awarded organizations at this year’s LCF grantee reception. RACHEL PICKARSKI
‘Tis the very busy season for LEAF
Barton
By Lory Barton Redstone Review
LYONS – The end of the year is a busy time for all of us, and especially for all of us at LEAF. Here’s what you can expect: Holiday Giving Tree Lyons’ Holiday Giving Tree tradition is back. The Giving Tree is an opportunity for the Lyons community to ensure LEAF clients receive a holiday gift. If you’d like to show some holiday love, go check out the Giving Trees posted at Lyons Community Library, Moxie, Uniquely Lyons, Oskar Blues, and the Holiday Bazaar. Choose a tag, purchase a requested gift (maximum $40), and return your wrapped gift to Oskar Blues by Tuesday, December 10. Our holiday elves will deliver gifts to over 100 local folks on December 14. Check out our website or social media for more information.
Annual Holiday Benefit Concert
We’re excited to share that the Second Annual Food Pantry Benefit Concert is set for Friday, December 6 at 7 p.m. Local musicians Brian Schey and Thom Bishop are producing this joyous event, which will feature eight festive musical acts, set in the stained-glass glow and excellent acoustics of the church sanctuary. We’ll serve seasonal refreshments, too. If you were lucky enough to attend last year, you know that this will be a great show. The concert is free and guests are encouraged to bring a donation for the Food Pantry. This can be a food or household item or a monetary donation.
Lyons Community Food Pantry
of Lyons Community Church at 350 Main St. The Pantry will be closed on November 27, so be sure to stock up on November 20.
The Super Duper Holiday Food Pantry is Wednesday, December 18. This is our biggest Pantry of the year, and the community and our teams work extra hard to make it a special and fun one. Since we won’t be open the following weeks on December 25 or January 1, we make sure that everyone receives plenty of extra provisions. Stay tuned for additional details.
If you have food to donate to the Pantry – thank you. You can always drop it off on Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the lower level of Lyons Community Church, or drop shelf-stable items in the boxes at the library or St.
transformational energy to re-birth new storylines that support vitality and empowerment. Together, we’ll utilize the power of ritual, myths, and poetry, as well as the wisdom of our group, to help each other live into a new holiday narrative. Meetings are Thursday evenings at the Lyons Valley Village Fireplace Room through December 19, with a break Thanksgiving week. Email mentalwellness@leaflyons.org in with questions or to sign up.
New Holiday Art Groups for Kids
Every Saturday in December leading up to all the Yuletide celebrations, Lyons children are invited to bring their imaginations for a fun art-therapy focused gift-making event. We’ll have festive music, hot cocoa, and plenty of holiday cheer to keep them inspired. By the end of the event, children will have made thoughtful and inspirational gifts to cherish for years to come. Advanced registration is required for each event and it’s limited to 12 participants at each session. Be on the lookout for signup information. Meet on December 7 at 9 a.m. to noon, December 14 at 9 a.m. to noon, December 21 at 9 a.m. to noon, all at Lyons Valley Village Community Room.
It’s not too late to participate in “15 Days of Giving.” Sourcing sufficient quantities of food is an ongoing challenge for our Pantry. How can you help? Collect much-needed items for the Pantry and drop them off at the Pantry (lower level of Lyons Community Church, 350 Main St.) on Sunday, November 17 or Monday, November 18. We’ll get them to local people at our Thanksgiving Pantry on Wednesday, November 20. This is a great way to serve others and to teach children about generosity.
The Thanksgiving Food Pantry is Wednesday, November 20 from 3:30 p.m. to 6pm. We’ll provide plenty of holiday items to make Thanksgiving feasts special. Anyone who lives or works in the greater Lyons area, or whose children attend local schools, is welcome. Find us in the lower level
Vrain Market. Questions? Email foodpantry@leaflyons.org and we’ll get right back to you. We’re looking for volunteers, too, and would love to hear from you if you’re interested. Send email to hannah@leaflyons.org to learn more.
Mental Wellness and Addiction Recovery
Our new mental health therapist, Chris Peraro, is offering a free six-week group called Re-Writing Your Holidays: An Invitation to Live into a New Narrative. This artful support group includes practices to help you more skillfully manage the stress of the holidays as well as opportunities to “compost” the old storylines that haunt you, and use that
Moving Day is Fast Approaching
The interior work at LEAF’s new home at 304 2nd Avenue is nearly complete, and moving day will be here before we know it. We’re eager to welcome everyone to LEAF’s new home. It will be the best place for our community to grow health and wellbeing together. We anticipate moving in the first week of January. We’ll be reaching out to the community with a request to help us make the move – stay tuned. We have raised over 80 percent of the cost to finish this new asset for the community. If you can help close the gap, please reach out. Be on the lookout for a matching giving opportunity. Together, we’ll get there.
We’re Better Together
This has been a tough year, with high levels of local need. Serious funding cuts are before us in 2025, and we will be looking to the local community to stand with us. LEAF’s presence in Lyons is vital to the community’s strength and diversity, health and wellbeing. As you consider your year-end giving, our entire team of staff and volunteers, along with the 30 percent of local community members that LEAF serves, sincerely ask you to consider giving generously to LEAF. After all, we are always better together.
Lory Barton is the Executive Director at LEAF, Lyons Elevating All Fund. Having previously served with local and international non-profit organizations, she’s glad and grateful to partner with so many at LEAF to change our small corner of the world in the greater Lyons area.
The Lyons Elevating All Fund (LEAF) begins a new chapter in its mission, relocating to the former Valley Bank building on Second Avenue. After operating from the Lyons Community Church basement since 2013, LEAF is excited to expand its services in this new space. PHOTO BY CATHY RIVERS
Winter triggers unique adaptations for wildlife
By Cindy Leikam Redstone Review
LONGMONT – In the dark days of winter when the wind is howling, the snow is flying, and temperatures plummet, it is hard to imagine any creature surviving in such conditions. However, animals that are native to Colorado are well adapted to cold and snowy winters. Over the millennia, each unique species has developed unique behaviors, physical adaptations, and strategies to find food, water, and shelter to survive in the cold months.
A prolonged state of dormancy, often referred to as hibernation, is perhaps the most well known adaptation, thanks to charismatic critters such as bears. But there is a wide range of species that hunker down during the winter,
Elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep all have different ranges for the seasons.
Smaller species like pika and ground squirrels will burrow underground, insulated from temperature extremes. Their winter hideaways are made up of complex systems of tunnels and dens, with separate spaces for food storage, sleep, and a latrine. During the bountiful warm months, these critters spend all their time foraging for food and stashing it away in their underground lairs.
And then there are those animals that have physical adaptations that enable them to survive a lengthy, cold winter. For example, moose do not hibernate or move to lower elevations. They have evolved to have extra long, strong legs to move easily through deep snow. Lynx and snowshoe hares have large, wide feet to stay on top of the snow, and have thick warm coats to stay warm. The hare’s fur turns from brown to white to blend in with seasonal surroundings. Birds will puff up their feathers to add extra layers of insulation and will huddle together for warmth.
including ground squirrels, marmots, and reptiles.
Hibernation is defined as a voluntary state that animals enter for weeks to months to conserve energy when food is scarce and temperatures drop. Reduced metabolism, slower heart rate and lower body temperature conserve the animal’s resources during this time. Weeks before entering this state, bears seek to consume as many calories as possible, and some even double their body weight in what’s known as hyperphagia. Other animals that experience true hibernation are woodchucks, ground squirrels, chipmunks, and bats.
Another form of dormancy, called torpor, is a much shorter state of light sleep, lasting hours to days or even weeks during extreme cold spells. Some species of squirrels, birds, and rodents slow their metabolisms down and enter this state to conserve energy and minimize exposure to the elements. Torpor can occur any time of year during unexpected temperature drops. There is even some debate whether bears are true hibernators, or are instead in a prolonged state of torpor.
Migration is another way animals survive the bone-chilling cold. Some famously travel south for the winter (think waterfowl and some birds) while others move from exposed higher elevations into wooded areas and sheltered valleys.
Finding food and water becomes much more difficult for wildlife in winter. To conserve energy, animals moving along the ground choose the path of least resistance, often utilizing human-made roads and trails. Some will eat snow for hydration, and some diets (especially carnivore diets) have a high moisture content so additional water is not always necessary.
Our wildlife is perfectly suited to survive the Colorado winters, but there are some things we can do to make life a little bit easier for urban wildlife.
Bird feeders are popular, but can also attract unwanted guests. Raccoons, squirrels, skunks, and even bears may begin visiting for a free snack. One way to avoid that is to bring feeders in at night, and sweep up and discard any food that has fallen on the ground. Regularly clean feeders to reduce the spread of diseases.
Birdbaths are another option. To keep water from freezing, consider a heated birdbath. Birdbaths should also be regularly cleaned, and water refreshed daily.
To provide shelter for birds, squirrels, bats, and pollinators, build or
buy a small house (there are many specially made for specific species).
Place shelters at least ten feet away from the home. Winter in Colorado can be extreme with dramatic temperature shifts, rain, snow, and wind. The wild critters that evolved with the weather are well adapted to the climate and generally don’t need our help. But if you come across an animal that is struggling to survive from injury or disease, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator for advice. The app Animal Help Now can help you find wildlife resources near you.
Cindy Leikam is an intern for Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, located on Colorado Hwy. 66 east of Lyons.
Placebos can alleviate chronic back pain, even
By Kelsea Pieters
UC Health Anschutz in Aurora, Redstone Review
DENVER – A new study finds that open-label placebos can change how our brains process back pain. Honestly prescribed placebo treatments for chronic back pain (CPB) led to significant improvements in pain alleviation with lasting results, according to a new study out today in JAMA Network Open.
were told that placebos can powerfully and automatically engage the body’s natural healing capacities. Neuroimaging results not only show increase in pain regulation, but increased connectivity with an opioid-releasing brainstem nucleus, “which acts as part of the brain’s own pharmacy,” said Ashar.
Placebos appear to block pain signals
Placebos are commonly used in clinical studies as a control condition and are usually deceitfully prescribed. In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers aimed to find how an open-label, or honestly prescribed, saline injection placebo worked in alleviating symptoms of CPB. Results indicate that the placebo treatment not only reduced pain intensity, but also improved mood, sleep and pain regulation in the brain, with some results lasting for at least a year.
“What we found was that placebos prescribed honestly and openly still change how your brain processes back pain,” said Yoni K. Ashar, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and lead author. “We saw less activity in the pain processing and more activity in the pain regulating parts of the brain.”
Researchers collected pre- and post- treatment brain imaging using functional MRI from more than 100 enrolled patients with CBP. Patients were given a single saline injection into the back, were told that it was a placebo, and
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“This connectivity helps block pain signals from the body, releasing opioids – much like how our brain might respond in a fight,” he says. “It tells our brain to ignore the pain for now. Placebos seem to engage the same internal opioid release mechanism.”
Placebo use is often viewed as unethical, as its prescription requires deception. However, this study emphasizes that honest prescription can still yield results. Ashar says this could mean patients have a new treatment option when assessing pain management with their doctors.
“This study suggests we can ‘placebo ourselves.’ We can agree to something we know is a placebo and, with the right mindset, it can still work to engage pathways we know regulate pain,” he said. “While there is work to do around the perception of placebo treatments, we know it is safe, cheap, effective and does not require deception to work.”
Ashar continues, “Additionally, I believe our results speak to the power of healing rituals, regardless of belief. They demonstrate that healing rituals, like getting an injection from a doctor wearing scrubs while lying on an exam table, can be powerful, even when we know the syringe has no active ingredient in it.”
Information for this column is from a press release from the UC Health Anschutz in Aurora.
Continued from Page 6
can go from the recycling bin to the store in as little as 30 days. More than one ton of raw materials is saved for every one ton of glass that is recycled.
New Flood Insurance Rate Maps for unincorp. BoCo BOULDER COUNTY – On October 24, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for unincorporated Boulder County. The FIRMs were updated to reflect new flood hazard mapping completed by the Colorado Water Conservation Board following the 2013 flood event.
Boulder County locally adopted the new flood hazard data beginning in 2017 and has already been regulating the updated flood zones for development purposes. On October 24, 2024 the new flood hazard zones will also be used for flood insurance purposes.
The locally adopted Boulder County Floodplain map has also been updated to align with the new FIRMs. Specifically, Boulder County Floodplain was removed for streams included in the new flood study, in accordance with comprehensive zoning map amendments approved by the Board of County Commissioners in Docket Z-23-0001.
Approximately 1,800 acres have been removed from the regulatory 1 percent-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain compared to the previous FIRMs.
The FIRMs will continue to be updated into 2025 as flood recovery projects are incorporated into the new maps.
The comment and appeal periods for the new maps closed in 2021. Changes to the new FIRMs must be pursued through FEMA’s map change processes.
Everyone in Boulder County can buy flood insurance, regardless of flood zone. Nearly one-third of flood insurance claims come from outside the 100-year floodplain.
Owners of buildings within the FEMA 1 percent-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain who hold a federally regulated mortgage are required by law to maintain flood insurance. Note that lenders can require flood insurance regardless of flood zone.
As of 2021, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) no longer uses flood zone for rating (i.e., determining premiums). All Boulder County residents receive a 25 percent discount on NFIP flood insurance policies due to the county’s participation in the Community Rating System.
If you have questions or would like to confirm the effective flood zones for property in unincorporated Boulder County, contact the Boulder County Floodplain Program at FloodplainAdmin@bouldercounty.gov or 720-564-2652.
Boulder County wants to ensure that everyone has equal access to our services. To request an Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accommodation, please email ada@ bouldercounty.gov, or call 303-441-1386. If you need help in another language, please email cppfrontdesk@bouldercounty.gov or call 303-441-3930.
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WHAT’S COOKIN’
Rock cakes, rich and a little sweet
By Barbara Shark Redstone Review
LYONS – On a recent cold morning I had a yen to bake something rich and a little sweet.
Many years ago while living in England I baked scones and cakes for teatime. I hadn’t made rock cakes, a simple scone, for months and remembered how much I enjoyed their craggy exterior and tender insides full of raisins. Rock cake refers to their appearance not their delectable taste. I served them with a salad for lunch but they are the perfect
raisins.
accompaniment to a breakfast omelet, or with morning coffee or afternoon tea. Combine two cups unbleached flour, two teaspoons baking powder, a pinch of salt, three tablespoons sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Add six tablespoons butter, cubed, and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or knife until the butter is the size of a pea. Add 1/4 cup of golden or dark
Cream soup – winter’s simple delight
By Catherine Metzger Redstone Review
LYONS – Sweater weather means it’s hot soup season in Colorado. And although some soups can seem daunting to make, cream soups can be easy if you keep a simple formula in mind: velouté sauce and vegetables plus an herb equals delicious soup. Let’s break it down.
A velouté sauce is basically a white sauce with onions in it. Begin by simmering chopped onions in butter, then stir in flour to make a roux to thicken the soup. Cook the roux for three minutes without color. Finish with chicken or fish stock and/or milk or wine and simmer ten minutes more. Voila, there you have it: a delicious base for multiple cream soups.
Next, choose what type of cream soup it will be – for instance, throw in a handful or more of chopped fresh mushrooms to make cream of mushroom soup. Or pop in carrots to make cream of carrot soup. Use artichokes. Try broccoli. Chicken is tasty. As is fish. You get the idea. Finish your cream soup with a bit of heavy cream and a touch of lemon juice and sip happily to ward off the cold.
Here is a simple cream of mushroom soup recipe from Julia Child’s The Way to Cook
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Serves six; preparation time is 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Velouté soup base, made with one cup hot chicken broth and six or more cups of milk (recipe follows);
One quart fresh mushrooms (or a handful, I that’s all you have), trimmed, washed and diced, saving a couple slices for garnish; 1/4 tsp. dried tarragon; 1/2 cup or more sour cream, heavy cream, or crème fraiche, optional;
Salt and freshly ground white pepper; Drops of lemon juice, if needed.
Directions to Make Velouté Soup Base
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cups minced onions and/or white of leek 1/4 cup flour
Stir in 1/4 cup of whole milk or half-andhalf, and a beaten large egg. The dough will be stiff. Dribble in additional teaspoons of milk until the dough just holds together in clumps. Don’t add too much as this will make the rock cakes flatten in the oven. Place nine to 12 rough balls of dough on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until they’re nicely browned. Cool and serve with jam and butter for an English treat.
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.
7 cups liquid: in this case one cup of hot chicken broth and six cups of milk
Salt and white pepper
Set a 3-quart saucepan over moderately low heat, add the butter, and, when melted, stir in the onions. Cover and cook slowly for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are tender and translucent. Blend in the flour. Stir slowly and continuously for three minutes, to cook the flour without letting it color. This is a very important step so that the roux will be sufficiently cooked to avoid a gluey, floury result.
Remove from heat, and in a few seconds, when bubbling stops, pour in one cup of hot broth all at once, whisking vigorously to blend smoothly. Whisk in six cups of milk. Bring to the simmer and simmer ten more
minutes, stirring frequently to be sure the soup is not scorching the bottom of the pan. The soup base should be slightly thickened, enough to coat a spoon lightly. Add dollops more liquid if too thick. Correct seasoning and continue as your recipe directs and finish your soup.
Finishing the Soup and Serving
Bring the soup base to the simmer, and fold in the mushrooms and tarragon. Simmer ten minutes, stir in the optional cream, simmer a moment more, and carefully correct seasoning, adding drops of lemon juice if you think they are needed. Garnish and serve.
Catherine Ripley Metzger has been cooking professionally and privately since 1979. She was a French cuisine journeyman at the celebrated Henri d’Afrique restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Today she is the proprietor of the food blog www.foodfortheages.com and cooks with curiosity from the ground up in her log cabin home on the Western Slope of Colorado.
Blue Line Continued from Page 3
No higher tank has been built since, and the blue line remains at 5,450 feet, where it was set in 1984.
After the 1999 attention focused on the blue line, enforcement efforts increased. A developer in the midst of building out the Steamboat Valley subdivision (Horizon Drive and the east side of Steamboat Valley Road) applied in June 1999 for variances for that subdivision, but noted that no variances had been required for the higher-elevation Sierra Roja subdivision (Vasquez Court and west side of Steamboat Valley Road) that had just been built.
Thereafter, variances were sought and obtained for houses in other areas of town, including 1st Avenue and some remaining unbuilt lots in Eagle Canyon and Mountain View. Based on a 2005 list, variances were also retroactively granted for houses on Vasquez Court. It appears to be the case that many Lyons residences are above the blue line, but without variances ever being granted.
In 2004, Lyons connected its water system to Longmont’s after Lyons was unable to upgrade its water treatment plant on Apple Valley Road to meet EPA standards. A high-pressure pump station located at 53rd Street and Highway 66 east of town was added to bring Longmont water to Lyons. That pump station and the Apple Valley water tank are now used to maintain water
Buck Continued from Page 5
antlers and the bright snow. I elevated my aim to allow for the distance, aimed behind his shoulder and released.
I saw the lime green of the arrow fletching all the way to its target which, unfortunately, turned out to be a rotten stump just under the buck’s chest. I heard the arrow thump into the wood, but the buck seemed not to notice, never breaking stride. I grabbed another arrow and strung it.
line pressure. A 2011 engineering study recommended using 40 psi as the desired pressure, not 35 psi. Concerns remain about water pressure adequacy in some areas of town, including a fire hydrant on Vasquez Court that recently tested below desired minimum pressure.
To summarize, the 5,450-foot blue line established in 1984 no longer reflects the capabilities of Lyons’ much-changed water system. Yet the same was true in 1999 when the Board of Trustees opted, contrary to town staff recommendations based on engineering reports, to leave the blue line in place. Some saw it as a growth control measure, creating a “hoop” developers would have to jump through to obtain variances for “more potential hillside development,” as Ms. Johnson put it.
No Board of Trustees in the 25 years since has changed that decision. Town residents and town staff again find themselves discussing things like “Does the blue line make sense?” and “Should new development be prohibited above the blue line?” and “Should the blue line be raised by building a new, higher-up water tank?”
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Mark Browning is a current Lyons Town Board Trustee and a retired attorney. He and his wife Pam volunteer with groups affiliated with Lyons Elevating All Fund in Lyons.
to the ground. Startled, the buck took one leap and then another and sailed over my blind, over my head so close I could touch his white underbelly as he soared above me.
I turned to see him land behind me, slew sideways, dig in his hind legs and, throwing up clods of muddy pine needles and dirty snow, rocket up the hill, his bobbing white flag waving me farewell.
I was stunned. Had that actually just happened?
The buck trotted another 20 yards then stopped abruptly at the edge of the pines. He lifted his head and his tail flicked. The uphill thermals had carried the scent of something to him or maybe he had seen movement. Whatever the reason, he now pivoted and began to trot my way. I had about five seconds to decide what to do. He was coming right at me, and I saw an open spot ten yards from me in one of my shooting lanes where I could shoot.
On he came: 30 yards, 20, now close to the ten-yard opening. I drew down on his white chest and released.
Another miscalculation. As the buck reached the opening, he lowered his head to get his antlers under a low branch at the exact time I released my arrow.
What happened next remains, to this day, one of my most vivid outdoor memories.
The arrow struck his antlers and clattered
Still shaking, I retrieved my arrow, now bent at an angle where it had struck the antler. For years, I kept it to remind me of the extraordinary event.
The rest of the day was anticlimactic. Nobody gets two chances, let alone three, at the same buck. That night, in another moonlit scene, I watched a procession of deer come to the orchard well after legal shooting time.
I called in sick to work again on Tuesday and set out. The day was warm, the snow had melted, and the old orchard didn’t have quite the same mystique. But I put in the hopeful hours, watched a single doe in the gloaming until I could see no more and went home.
I hunted a few more times that year, but never saw the buck again; my beginner’s luck had run out.
Eight months later, I was laid off from my job and found other work back in New Hampshire. I never returned to the orchard and years ago a limb on the old bow exploded in fatigue as I practiced. I’ve continued to hunt and been successful many times since but never again experienced the magic of the buck that leapt over my head on that long-ago evening.
Lyons resident Greg Lowell is a hunter and fly fisherman. He is a Lyons Town Board Trustee and serves as the liaison of the Ecology Advisory Board.
Travels with Redstone
Chuck Esterly & Mystie Brackett proudly display their copy of the Redstone Review outside the Sheriff’s Department. Take the Redstone with you on your next trip and send us your photos showing where the Redstone has traveled. Send your photos to redstarnews5@ gmail.com.
Continued from Page 7
appreciation of the environment. This experience not only enriches their current science curriculum but also prepares them for advanced studies in middle school by bridging classroom lessons with practical, real-world applications through partnerships like Trout Unlimited.
Lessons in ecology and environmental resilience
Along with fly fishing, students participated in an outdoor ecology lesson that introduced them to local plant and animal life. Each activity emphasized the responsibilities that come with spending time in nature and how recreational activities like fishing must be done with conservation in mind. St.
resources for educational experiences that bring this type of learning to life. Cemex welcomes a variety of schools – from St. Vrain Valley elementary schools to the University of Colorado Boulder and the Colorado School of Mines – to immerse students in lessons that reinforce the importance of conservation and the value of sustainable practices. These ongoing initiatives reflect Cemex’s dedication to creating a lasting, positive impact in the Lyons community through educational outreach and a strong commitment to resilience in the built and natural environments.
Teaching the next generation of environmental stewards
Vrain Anglers chapter members shared insights into how responsible fishing practices can contribute to the long-term health of rivers and fish populations. By teaching sustainable practices, the program helps instill a respect for natural resources that students can carry into adulthood, fostering a community of environmentally conscious anglers.
A hub for local education programs
Cemex’s support of outdoor education initiatives, like the recent fishing derby with Lyons Elementary and Trout Unlimited, is part of the company’s efforts to promote resilience in the natural environment. This collaboration also aligns with the Cemex’s Future in Action initiative, which aims to achieve sustainable excellence through climate action, circularity, and natural resource management with the primary objective of becoming a net-zero CO2 company.
Beyond this collaboration, Cemex routinely hosts students and conservation groups from across the region at its Lyons cement plant and micro-forest and pollinator meadow, offering both space and
The St. Vrain Anglers chapter of Trout Unlimited is a part of the larger Trout Unlimited organization, which has a mission to conserve, protect and restore cold-water fisheries and their watersheds. Through initiatives with schools and companies like Cemex, the St. Vrain Anglers chapter works to engage the community in sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.
With a focus on hands-on learning and active participation, Trout Unlimited has created a program that not only enriches students’ understanding of conservation but highlights the importance of sustainable recreational activities. The hope is that, with this foundation, today’s students will continue to support local conservation efforts.
For more information on the St. Vrain Anglers chapter of Trout Unlimited and its work with local youth, visit www.svatu.org. To learn more about Cemex’s involvement in the Lyons community, visit www.cemexusa.com/lyons.
Michael Clausen is the Cemex Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at the Lyons Cement Plant.
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