NEWS Briefs & NOTES from your editor, 8/12/21
If there ever is an emergency in town, or timely news
needing to be distributed, you can trust the Lyons Recorder
to put it online immediately.
So, what does “folk music” mean to you? Well, I come from the days when it was usually a person singing solo with a guitar. And, the song was often meaningful, either a personal story or a national dilemma. Remember Loudon Wainwright, III, Woody Guthrie, Cat Stephens, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor…?
I also remember having ‘house concerts,’ where a performer would come to town, and perform for a living room full of music lovers. We’d drop $10 in a hat for the performer. Afterwards, we’d talk with them, and get their album autographed. He’d enjoy a dinner and room for the night arranged for by the host. There use to be one in Lyons and one in Nederland.
I looked up a definition of Folk music, and found it was usually described as a song that originated among the people of a country or area, passed on by oral tradition from one singer or generation to the next.
The Folk music we know today gained popularity in the 1950s, …and by the 1960s, the genre became a phenomenon. The performances were recognized as Folk by their simple melody (don’t feature many chord changes) and narrative song. As the name implies, Folk is the music of the people. And, it keeps the people connected to their past and their culture.
The Times, They Are a-Changin’
Today it’s difficult for a lone folk singer to command a big stage. People often expect them to have backup singers and several instruments. I only remember one at the FolkFest, Shawn Colvin, doing it. There likely were some at the Wildflower Pavilion, as it mostly consisted of people who came to the Song School during the week, performing what they wrote.
Locally one must gravitate to local restaurants and bars to occasionally see solo acts. There are a few venues, like Swallow Hill Music in Denver, and maybe the Laughing Goat in Boulder. We were treated to such an event at the Lyons Library last month in the Community Room. I don’t think we will ever tire of attending these intimate performances.
Let’s get to the news…
GENERAL local NEWS=====
Only 3 days left to sign up for Colorado Health Care – Deadline was extended to August 15 – Colorado’s Open Enrollment Period is normally only February 8 to May 15. — anyone not currently enrolled in a healthcare plan can shop for 2021 coverage: Connect for Health Colorado
OZONE ALERT: After three days of Alerts, over the weekend, Denver was rated the worst air quality of any big city in the world! On Monday, it went to worse air quality in North America. All the weather people are warning people to stay indoors as much as possible, whether you have breathing problems or not. The ingredients of our smog are smoke, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. Sounds bad, huh? It is. And then you have the “particulates!” On top of that, we broke some heat records… Sunday 98, Monday 97, and Tuesday 97, Wednesday 97.
FARM PROJECT: Per Vasi: “Had a wonderful time at the Sandstone Concert tonight! Shared many popsicles and made some new connections. These two girls were inspired by the Food Forest idea, so they did a bake sale at their summer camp and raised 54 dollars for the Lyons Community Farm Project! Thank you, Piper and Kali!”
FARM PROJECT: The group has planned out 5 zones, such as ‘’kid’s zone.” Wildflowers, deer, food, hedge, and more. Go to their Facebook page for the DETAILED map/lay out on Facebook.
PARKS OPEN SPACE JOB: Boulder County Commissioners appointed Therese Glowacki as the new director of Parks and Open Space, effective August 23rd. – Our ex-Parks Director Curt Carlson didn’t get the job, but he will do great in whatever job he gets.
SCHOOL STARTING – Elementary FACEBOOK PAGE: message –School starts next week, and we’d love to have any new LES parents join us here on Facebook. If you know anyone with an incoming LES student (preschool, kindergarten, newly moved to Lyons, etc.), please invite them to join our PTO group by using the “invite” button. Thanks!
ESTES RECYCLING DAY SUCCESS – Pinewood, did you join in? Over 340 cars– lots of paper, scrap metal and electronics recycled and not in a land fill.
GRANDS for Lyons NON PROFITS – while this may seem early to announce (due date September 11, 2021) it does take a while for new groups to put together their grant application. We will remind you again in a couple of weeks ==
The Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) is pleased to announce our 14th Annual Community Support granting season. Applications for Community Support Grants are available to all local non-profit organizations. You can apply online starting August 1st. Submissions are due on September 11, 2021. These grants are available only once per year and must be applied for at this time. Electronic submissions are required; granting information and applications are available at lyonscf.org . Over the lifetime of the Community Support Grants program, LCF has awarded nearly half a million dollars in grant awards. This year, $35,000 will be made available to deserving recipients.
CANDAID (OSCAR BLUES) is having a great sweepstakes for a classic 1965 Ford Mustang. But the contest deadline is October 2nd, so we aren’t publicizing it here in detail yet. But go look on their page, if you cant wait. This is a GREAT charity.
BEARS: about a week ago, a local TV station showed photos of car doors left open by BEARS! And then a couple days ago, they said the bears are now opening HOUSE Doors (with latches)! They are getting too smart (or are we getting too dumb?) — Be sure to LOCK your car and house doors!
SCHOOL NEWS: why is it that none of the major Denver stations announce things at the St. Vrain School District? Or at least not in a timely way.
This information is listed in our “Things To Do” weekly column for easy reference:
Tuesday, August 17th – (First day of school for Grades 1-5)
Tuesday, August 17th (First Day of School for Grades 6-8)
Tuesday, August 17th (First Day of School for 9th Grade)
Wednesday, August 18th (First Day of School for Grades 10-12)
NATIONAL NEWS:
===GARDEN NEWS – ROUNDUP weed killer – Bayer (which is a German company) lost a third appeal against U.S. court verdicts that awarded damages to customers blaming their cancers on use of its glyphosate-based weed killers. Next comes the U.S. Supreme Court.
===The UN published its Climate Report. We are in CODE RED for Humanity…with dire consequences if the world does not respond quickly. There is wide spread, rapid, intensifying, unprecedented damage, not seen in thousands of years. There will continue to be heat waves, heavy rainfall, and droughts.
===VAPING – 8/9/21 – The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, show that a single 30-minute vaping session can significantly increase cellular oxidative stress. Young healthy adults who try vaping for the first time may experience an immediate reaction that can harm cells and lay the groundwork for disease. This may cause severe lung damage.
BOULDER COUNTY CRIME SPREE Stopped: The Bo Co Sheriff’s department has arrested three people who are suspected of –motor vehicle theft –trespassing –porch piracy for crimes in September and February in Lyons, Boulder, and Longmont. Arrested: Michael Phillips; Marie Roman. At large: Adrian Quintana. // Colorado has seen the third largest increase in auto theft in the country; up 58 percent since 2010. Only Alaska and New Mexico are higher. Coloradans tends to leave their cars unlocked! The number one vehicle stolen is trucks.
LIVE MUSIC is Back – In our article this week about the Folk Fest, our music critic Dave McIntyre begins by repeating what almost every artist on stage said: It finally really hit me after Saturday night just how special music is to all of us, it was like a slap upside my head. The realization of the importance of live music in all our lives was a bit overwhelming, but without it we are not whole. During the pandemic we were not ourselves and couldn’t be without the joy of live music. It is essential for our well-being.
Construction (within approx. 40 mile radius of Lyons)
Too much to comment on here — I have made 3 separate ARTICLEs showing the construction going on, within a 40 mile radius of Lyons.
1. Road construction article July 12, updated July 26
2. Road Construction article August 12
==new speed limit signs (tanker spill)
==accident, car in river
==Highway 36 update
3. Highway 7 construction, details and map, July 22
ACTIVITY====
(this paragraph is a repeat) ========click on each link to learn more=======
==The Town sponsored events are listed in “To-Do / FLASH NEWS”
==See also JULY SENIOR NEWS. As usual we have a TON of tips, links, and more in the MONTHLY article! Next one comes July 22.
==THURSDAY CONCERTS in SANDSTONE PARK – through August 17; free. Plus ”rain date” 8/26/21 concerts
==REDSTONE MUSEUM opened Tuesday, June 1st, 7 days a week~ see our article for descriptions, day/times, and more!
There will be no children’s history camp this year, due to COVID-precautions.
==LYONS PARKS – see article on all the amenities offered in our two major parks, along with new regulations and restrictions pertaining to reservations and crowd size. (note, this is not a list of Recreation programs)
==LYONS LIBRARY – see our ARTICLE 7/15/21.
====================END of WEEKLY REPEAT
FARM – looking for something to do with your kids as the summer comes to an end, and school quickly approaches – right down the road from Lyons is the The Agricultural Heritage Center, a farm with animals and a barn, and a historic home to explore. It has educational and history signs to read and share with your kids. It is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday, June 14 through Oct. 31.
NATURE WALKS & HIKES: be sure to go to our “Things to Do” page to read about educational and/or adventurous hikes and talks given by Boulder County… including a “High Country Geology” one, and a “Stars” one, and a “seniors only” one.. and more.
Boulder County Fair – The Parade took place on Saturday in downtown Longmont (after having been skipped last year due to the coronavirus), with about 1,000 people in attendance. Valarie Allman, who won a gold medal in women’s discus in Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, was present, waving to the crowd. The Fair is themed “Cowboy Boots With Family Roots.” Once again, the fair is altered, due to the virus. Only Youth animal competitions, and exhibits/projects are taking place. See our Article for more information.
August 29, 3 – 8 p.m. HOOTENANNY at River Bend, Benefit for LEAF and LCF = This family friendly event/fundraiser will have all sorts of wonderful activities such as live music, live dance performances, family fun zone, a corn hole tournament and a silent auction. We even hope to have a rubber ducky race. Entrance to this community event is FREE! Food and drink will be available for purchase.
TECH CLASS: September 16 for four weeks, Lyons Library is sponsor – free online photo editing software; an overview of cloud storage options; how to set up an Etsy shop online; the nuts and bolts of creating your own website.
DUCK RACE – August 15, 9 a.m. — Lyons LEO teen volunteer group – selling tickets at Thursday concerts for $5. The Duck Race will be at Lavern M Johnson Park at 9 a.m.; and ducks will be sold there before the race. They will have prizes from local shops for the top three winners. Proceeds are going towards LEO’s club work, and the LEAF “Giving Tree.” (gifts for those hard up).
==LYONS SOFTBALL LEAGUE – Cheer on your LYONS Team every Wednesday!
******PLAYOFFS*****
Week 7, Wednesday, August 11:
Bohn Field 6pm: Hooligans vs Spirit Hound
Vasquez Field 6pm: Natural Disasters vs Green Sauce
Bohn Field 7pm: Red Sauce vs Jr’s Offspring
Vasquez Field 7pm: Howlers vs Free Agents
The two games on Bohn Field will directly decide who plays in the 1v2 playoff game in Week 8 to decide our champion. If Jr’s wins, then the winner of Hooligans/Spirt Hound will meet them for the championship. If Jr’s loses, then the Hooligans and Spirit Hound will have a re-match in the championship game.
It should be a great night to end our regular season.
EATING OUT in Estes Park – The Stanley Hotel use to get mixed reviews about its restaurants. Good News! It now has two amazing places to eat, with great views. “Brunch & Co” is in the Lodge, and has menu items that are creative, with multiple fresh ingredients in each one, done by two chefs who have been in the business for 30 years. Then the new building– renovated Carriage House– now has a branch of Longmont’s (Featured by Guy Fieri on his Food show) popular “The Post, Chicken & Beer” offering family-style comfort food (of course, chicken). Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. (Neither is cheap.)
TOWN FALL CLASSES: Check out the Town of Lyons fall classes. This includes women’s mtn biking, and girls soft ball. — Women’s Mountain Biking offers Lyons’ own former Olympian Ann Trombley– She is back with another fun series. This class is for those with a bit of experience. // Girls Softball has different age groups: 10 and under; and 5 to 8 years old.
Hunters Education Classes, all ages, 9 and up; dates: Saturday, Sept 18, 8 am – 5 pm AND Sunday, Sept 19, 8 am – 1 pm
Go to: https://townoflyons.recdesk.com/Community/Program
OLYMPICS Closing Ceremony Sunday, August 8.
Did you know: The gold pedaled torch used for the Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay was designed to resemble cherry blossoms – a renowned symbol of Japan. /// Viewership was down about 45%.
===United States, 1st place overall
39 gold
41 silver
33 bronze
113 TOTAL
===China, 2nd place
38 gold
88 total
===Next are: Japan (27 gold, 58 total); Great Britain (22 gold, and 65 total), ROC (20 gold, Russia, 71 total), Australia (17 gold, 46 total), Netherlands, France, and Germany.
=================
The Perseid meteor shower peaks in mid-August.
— We have an article about it 8/5/21.
-– Boulder County has a star walk/hike – see our THINGS TO DO.
— LIGHTS OUT, August 13 – The Town of Lyons is encouraging people to shut off their lights – both outside and as many inside as possible, and walk out and admire the sky.
SEE “THINGS TO DO” (Flash News) for more activities, details, links to sign up
SEE ALSO SENIOR NEWS ARTICLE
COVID-19 NEWS=====
Pregnant Women: After studying the situation over the past year, ACOG now has enough data and strongly recommends that pregnant women get the COVID vaccine — in any trimester and/or who are breastfeeding. They are at high risk. 8/2/21
Veterinarians remind us that Dogs and Cats are Mammals too! They are effected by the ozone problems and smoke. Protect them from overheating. One big problem they are seeing are eye problems. If you see your pet struggling to breath, or substance dripping from their eyes, immediate attention is needed.
Canada is lifting its border restrictions. Read the new rules carefully, as it may take some time to comply. The dual border closings have effected the supply chain, too; eg, the cost of lumber has gone up 75 percent.
Schools: We finally got notice that our Lyons schools will require masks for everyone. See our Article this week. They are following Boulder County guidelines.
Kids are less likely to contact the virus, and to be hospitalized. 1,100 out of 90,000 kids contracted it. There are 7.1 million kids between the ages of 12-17 who are fully vaccinated. Five times as many are now sick as were at the end of June.
Nursing Homes: the state is moving on making all staff get vaccinated. All residents and visitors must wear masks, regardless of their vaccination status; and new testing rules established: 8/4/21
State, city, federal workers: President Biden announced that all federal employees and on-site contractors will have to be vaccinated against the coronavirus // Denver Mayor Michael Hancock required city employees, health care workers and school personnel to get vaccinated by Sept. 30. // Gov. Polis required state employees to either get vaccinated by Sept. 20. == Most state medical and religious exemptions allowed; and the alternative being subjected to twice-weekly coronavirus testing.
United States
The US has surpassed the number of cases reached last year during the summer “high” in
Averaging 15,000/day in June; then mid-July 2020 were 60, 446 vs. 178,466 day, 8/10/21
Only the peak in October-through-January surpassed these numbers.
2nd dose administered / full
167,105,507 (50.3%) = up to 165,334,987 last week
1st dose administered
196,077,952 (59.1%) = up from last week 192,614,017
Total population
331,996,199
================
Colorado
CO has reached 71.77% vaccinated one dose. 65.42% of eligible people FULLY vaccinated.
On 7/25/21 100% of the new cases are the Delta variant
State of Colorado: 6,645,579 TOTAL administered
as of 8/2/21 – 3,379.501 one dose, and
3,099,180 fully vaccinated (up from 7/27/21–3,073,971 fully vaccinated)
70.77% at least one dose
64.79% full coverage
CASES
586,562 total cases — up from 579,366 cases
7,268 deaths due to COVID
State Positivity rate 4.61%
State 7-day positivity rate 5.58% (up from 4.83%)
Boulder County –
vaccinated: as of 8/7/21==the latest date on their web page== 75% fully / 80% (up from 74%) one dose
– 7 day positivity rate 3.8% — This has been on an upward climb SINCE JUNE 17th, but steady this week
Larimer County
vaccinated: as of 8/12/21 – 61.2% one dose / 57.5% FULLY , up from 57%
– 7 day positivity rate 7.2% (up from 5.4%; up from 4.8%; up from 2.6%) – This has been on an upward climb SINCE JUNE 20th
—————————
7/29/21 – Get Vaccinated; get a free $100 gift card. Find a location.
COLORADO COVID-19 VACCINE HOTLINE 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926)
—————————
Help Wanted=====
Have you ever thought about being an investigative reporter? Talk to us for more details…
Our “MAN ABOUT TOWN” writer has left for a full-time job — do you like to do quick, light Q&A with people? and snap their photo in town? Looking for a bright, fun writer! for this monthly column.
FEATURE WRITERS: Join our crew of 33 local writers! (2 new writers in July! thanks!)
Are you knowledgeable in:
– gardening tips — cooking/recipe articles – exercise – alternative medicine/herbs – Q&A quips — and more?
You must be a Lyons-area writer, and all work needs to be original for the Lyons Recorder. It is “an extra bonus” if you can tie in “life in Lyons” with your article – especially with photographs.
And, LaVern would love to have someone take over her Board of Trustee meetings, as her hearing isn’t as good as it use to be, and it is very tiring to try and hear them speak. You only need to write up major discussions, not basic agenda items. You’ll be “in” on all the Town business news, who/what/where/when!!
For more information, write to: LyonsRecorder.Editor@gmail.com
This Week’s Articles:
===PLANET BLUEGRASS — FEATURE ARTICLE
A summary of all the BEST performers during FOLKS FEST this weekend. Pick up tips on who to watch out for in future concerts!
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==Join a Project to record new growth in Calwood Fire Area; fun hiking too.
==Altitude Sickness: are you taking on some 14ers this year? or having Visitors from out of state? Here are tips on what to do, drink, watch out for, etc. from local Dr. Sara Hart
==Circle of Care is an organization that helps fixed-income seniors go to cultural events for free; sign up; or volunteer to help drive a senior
==Farmers Markets — here’s a list of the closest FOUR Markets!
==Kid “Stars” — check out the great painting, and the amazing drummer in our mist!
==Roads News: Construction news; new speed signs; accident in river
==Boulder County Fair (in Longmont)– read all the details about Youth activities -and- COVID restrictions.
==St. Vrain schools — wearing masks and attending school 5 days now
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==NEWS BRIEFS & NOTES from your editor – “News Announcements” that are too short to have their own article.
Government, Covid, Activities, Town, Businesses, School, and Town ”gossip”.
==FLASH News/now called “Your To Do List” – find out details about upcoming activities, classes, and more.
==ABOUT TOWN by LaVern Johnson, tid bits of news from around town.
ENJOY!
MY WEEKLY MESSAGE OF CARE:
CIRCLE OF CARE
This Boulder group helps low-income and fixed-income seniors continue to enjoy cultural events by providing free tickets and transportation. See our Article this week for more details.
They are looking for volunteer drivers, and a possible ”key person” in Lyons to help spread the word, and recruit seniors who need help.
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Thank you for being steady readers of the Lyons Recorder. We hope you benefit from our articles each week, and have some fun, too! ………..Your Editor, Kathleen
**********Click Here For Previous NOTES FROM YOUR EDITOR************
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