NEWS Briefs & NOTES from your editor, 3/30/23

Weather: More ups and downs in the weather, but in general not meeting the “normal average of 59 degrees.” On Monday, Lyons and Pinewood Springs had 1 to 2 inches of snow, and Longmont had 7 inches — that’s very unusual. (DIA had 1.4″) with a high of 32 degrees. Today, Thursday, March 30th it is suppose to get up to 65 degrees! With the exception of Friday, the rest of the coming week will be in the 50s and 60s. ENJOY! =Good News=  Our South Platte Reservoir is at 109% already, and we have one more snowy month to go! == Remember the last hard frost for planting flowers is usually Memorial Day!

GUN CONTROL NEWS ===(1) last week we had a school shooting close to home (N Denver), and then another one on Monday in Nashville, with eight people killed or injured. One expert describes the situation as an “astronomical increase” in violence on schools.  (2) See our ARTICLE that states the three gun control laws in Colorado’s senate ===(3) The article also has a summary of President Biden’s (March 14) Executive Order on guns: background checks and “red flag” laws.===

Happy April Fools Day! – Longmont has an Absolutely Absurd April Fool’s Parade of eccentrically-dressed paraders on Saturday evening. See our Things to do for more details.

JESTERS THEATER: I was recently asked about Jesters Theater in Longmont which was up on the butcher block for a while around the time of the pandemic; and I just saw that they were giving a performance in March, so they are alive and well – but the prices have gone up considerably. Current offering: “The Foreigner” is a hilarious, two-act comedy that takes place in a fishing lodge in rural Tilghman County, Georgia, where two Englishmen, Froggy and Charlie, arrive as guests only to find there is fishy business going on; 7:30 p.m., Fridays thru April 2, Jesters Dinner Theatre, 224 Main St., Longmont; $19-$50 (depending on if you see the play or also have dinner; $2 discount for seniors); jesterstheatre.com.

The Lyons Arts and Humanities Commission (LAHC) seeks an artist to continue the Creative Outlets program. The utility box by the library needs an artist. Creative Outlets enhances the community by bring beauty to unexpected places through painting utility boxes.

LYONS FARMETTE CLASSES: The Farmette has a full roster of great, useful workshops. Check it out at: www.LyonsFarmette.com/workshops

WOMEN’s HISTORY – LYONS FIRE DEPT – this is our last, wonderful post to celebrate this month — National Average of Women in the Fire Service…Career Depts- 5% .Volunteer Depts- 11% .Lyons Fire Protection District – 20%  == Kim Carvajal started as a volunteer a year ago, completed Fire Academy last year and was hired end of last year. “Loves being a Firefighter and is proud to be a member of Lyons Fire District.”

TAXES 1040’s DUE on Monday April 17^th (not Saturday April 15).

ACCIDENT -a follow up to a mid-March auto accident: The Boulder County Coroner has identified the victim who died in a single-vehicle rollover crash Monday 3/13/23 night near Lyons as 35-year-old Heather Featheringill of Lyons. Our condolences.

POLICE INCIDENT – multiple police cars came to the parking lot of the Diner Bar on Saturday night. A car had been stolen, and recovered the same day, in Longmont, but the records were not properly updated. So the police thought the car was still stolen. As standard police precaution, guns were drawn, as they approached the car. Proper ownership was established and the incident was closed.

ACCIDENT 3/24/23: Longmont police are investigating a shooting and car crash near Nelson Road and South Hover Street on Friday night. The two incidents are believed to have been linked. It was by a “car meet” at Twin Peaks Square Shopping Center.

Local realtor Laura Levy got a big client this week, to work with. Congrats!

SPRING brings LIVE BANDS: All the local bars/restaurants (including Rock Garden) are already confirming live bands for the summer, mostly are Friday and Saturday, and start at 7 p.m. – Check their Facebook pages for the news, as it develops. Also watch Lyons Music Scene Facebook page, as some post there.

Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grade have been working on songwriting this week through our Artist in Residence (AIR) program. They will perform their songs Friday night 3/31/23 at 6:30 pm in the Lyons Middle Senior High School Auditorium. 

LOOK at the SKY! — look to the west and you will see five planets aligning for the next two weeks! I easily saw the biggest one while I was driving on Highway 36 from Lyons to Estes. The next alignment like this wont be till 2040! — We also have in this week’s edition a time-lapse video of the Northern Lights, right here in Lyons! 

POKER: the Diner Bar has a poker night on Fridays, with many free or discounted options. Many in town were glad to see poker come back, which was missed, going back to the days of the Outlaw Saloon where it was a big time activity.

ART SHOW Walking Tour, in LYONS – Poetry and Final Personal Tour == Coco Gordon’s solo art exhibition will be taken down April 4th, but before that – come join her in a Party and Final personal Tour! the day before – April 3rd, Monday == at the Lyons Regional Library meeting room — from 2-5p.m. “a fun session from my new book collaboration – Coco + Virginia Schultz, SNACKS IN SPACE, on view in the conference room – beginning with a last tour of the show —from 2-3p.m. We will be finding poetry/words in my paintings –then– from 3-5p.m. we will have readings by participants in our connected brainstorming of a wild writing exercise.”

CAR RECALL: When is the last time you checked for your vehicle on a recall list? March 6-12 was  National Vehicle Safety Recalls Week, a perfect time to make sure you are safe in your own vehicle. Click here for three easy steps to get started from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

TUESDAYS – We told you last week that MainStage was adding Bingos every other Tuesday, and we wanted to be clear that on alternate Tuesdays they offer Trivia Night. 

SKI WITH A RANGER: Join the Forest Service and the Loveland Ski Area team for their Ski with a Ranger Day! We’ll meet at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 9^th,  at Ptarmigan Lodge for an easy run and a great discussion on topics from geology to local history. Ski With a Ranger is suited for all ages (recommended for ages 8+). Check Loveland Ski Area’s event calendar. === remember cool items like these will be in our Things to Do.

Spirit Hound Distillers: They will be starting construction on their tasting room. They will be open during construction. Also, their parking lot is under construction. So, for special events, they have utilized the Bohn Park “spare” parking lot, next to the recycling facility, and have shuttle buses to take people back and forth.

DIRTY JOB: Mike Rowe of Discovery’s “Dirty Jobs” fame, came to Boulder! He says it is his dirtiest job yet, but worth it to see how we can solve some of the global warming. It involved pyrolyzing waste LUMBER into the planet’s most efficient FERTILIZER: Biochar. Boulder County’s Climate Innovation Fund provided support for the project. (See our ARTICLE from last week).

GYM IN LYONS: The group that has been gathering to see if we can put together a proper independent gym in Lyons has now formed a steering committee who will work toward leasing or owning a building in town. They met this week. To be part of the group of planners, or to send important tips, write to Fi at gorillanator@protonmail.com

AERIAL SPRAYING: per Greg Lowell, Parks and Open Space will not be conducting any aerial herbicide applications until the weed management policy has been updated. — Staff are working on updating policies and procedures and the process will provide opportunities for public input this fall. The Boulder co Commissioners are the final decision makers on adopting policy changes. So they are NOT spraying this year. === Robert Brakenridge added — They ARE very likely spraying this spring at all of the above locations. Just not performing the helicopter Rejuvra applications until a revised weed management plan is adopted. (This information has not been verified by Lyons recorder). 3/28/23 posted on Facebook “Lyons Open Discussion”. (posted on Lyons Happenings, Facebook)

DENVER —(1) Popular Blake Street Tavern, a fixture of the sports and partying scene around Coors Field is closing. (2) Casa Bonita is hiring all positions, including “divers.”

LYONS ICE SKATING RINK: As you know this closed a month or so ago because there weren’t enough freezing days in a row to keep it frozen and safe. I contacted Town Hall to see if they had hopes to open it again in April, which is our 2nd snowiest month of the year, and they said it was permanently closed for the season. Sad news.

Pat Schroeder died March 13th at the age of 82. Former Colorado U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, a pioneer for women’s and family rights in Congress.  She refused to join what she called “the good old boys’ club″ and became a feminist icon in the political world. Schroeder was elected to Congress in Colorado in 1972, and was re-elected 11 times. She had a few widely publicized disputes with House Speaker Newt Gingrich. One of her biggest victories was the signing of a family-leave bill in 1993, providing job protection for care of a newborn, a sick child or a parent. She was assertive and the protests and arguments that she pushed could be turned into an exciting movie! There is no one quite like her today. Congrats to Colorado for having voted in someone so strong and righteous.

EASTER Celebration: Mindy Tallent says that they now have added the FED truck to the agenda for the Easter Celebration / Service on Planet Bluegrass grounds on Sunday April 9th at 11 a.m. – still time to drop off candy filled plastic eggs! at Moxie’s or St. Vrain Market!