NEWS Briefs & NOTES from your editor, 9/14/23
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.
Dear Readers,
A lot of people were pondering this past weekend if they should attend the “10 Year Commemoration” ceremonies and exhibits. Some people were still too traumatize to face others or recall the events. Others felt it was a good way to close the door on the event, particularly the candlelight vigil on Monday evening. Some felt it was an insult to “celebrate it.” (although the word “celebrate” was not used, it’s the thought they were referring to). There is no right or wrong answer.
We may never know if it was the all-day rain clouds or the emotion that kept some people away from the events. The Saturday evening “flood stories” had about 50 people fill the room; and Sunday’s “official ceremony” with speakers had about 250 people attend; and the Monday night Vigil had about 100 attend. The exhibits were all lightly attended, as was the golf car tour. But those who did partake spoke highly of them. Part of the reason may be because the temperature dropped, and the sky was grey all day, with light sprinkles on and off. (Yes, even the speakers couldn’t hide the fact that by the end, most wrapped their arms around themselves shivering as they sat in the row of folding chairs.) At the Community Picnic, there was live music and dancers, and sandwiches with about 150 people, but it ended a little early — about 5-6p.m. with a strong downpour flooding the sidewalks, and the thunder shook the souls.
The speakers each had an area to talk about, and did an excellent job — from Sen. Hickenlooper who was the state governor at the time, who fought to get money and resources quickly flowing into the town… to our own Town Administrator Simsonsen, who did an unbelievable job in smoothly handling both government officials and distraught residents. The focus was to show what happened, and then end with “hope” and “brotherly love.” Yes, Lyons has Grit, but it also has Community. (See ARTICLES for more details, and photographs).
…….. from your editor, Kathleen Spring
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
WEATHER: We’ve had a little bit of everything, from the 90s to the 70s, for highs. Sunday it was grey all day, and light sprinkles till about 5p.m. at which time it rained really hard, with puddles forming on the sidewalks. Then cool for rest of week. We are looking forward to three days in the 70s, and then around 80 for the following three days. Feels like fall!
Morocco experienced a terrible earthquake a few days ago, in a more remote city, which is making it hard to get help to them. Almost 3,000 people are reported dead as of Wednesday, Sept. 13th. Such a tragedy.
Greece had a really bad flooding a week ago, and now it has hit Libya, and two dams broke. 6,000 are reported dead as of Wednesday, Sept. 13th, and 9,000 missing.
Worldwide weather disasters! == The USA has now broken records in weather disasters – It had 23 so far that were at least $1 Billion. What can you do to make a good effect on our atmosphere and weather? Take a bus? Buy an electric lawn mower? Recycle more? ?
RMNP = (1.) Trail Ridge Road was temporarily closed at Rainbow Curve on the east side and Milner Pass on the west side due to snow and ice on the road. The Trail Ridge Road recorded status line is updated online. (2.) Old Fall River Road remained temporarily closed. (3.) Parts of RMNP are now closed to the public every night for “elk mating season” until October 31st. From 5 p.m. to 10 a.m.
Pikes Peak got ½ foot of snow on Monday! They say this is a bit late for it to start.
=========end weather news======
CONGRATS to Robyn Sloan on their 47th wedding anniversary. I had to share her comments: ”Thank you for all the well wishes. I can honestly say I’ve never considered divorce. (Murder, yes, but divorce, no.)“
ATTEND CEREMONIES OR NOT? – last week we printed a “letter to editor” from Amanda Anderson who said that the Flood of 2013 and its aftermath affected her and her family so badly that she will not be attending any of the events. — On Sunday, she posted the letter to Lyons Happening/Facebook, and she got 164 “LIKES” and 34 COMMENTS. Everyone understood her feelings and wished her well. A few said they would not attend for the same reason, and a few said they would attend to honor those who lost so much and/or for some closure for themselves. – THIS WEEK, see the article that she put together describing her journey from the Lyons trailer park, to Longmont, and back to Lyons in a Habitat home.
Our Condolences to Ann Hall and Jacob Leeuwenburgh for the loss of their dear mother “Oma”, Pleuntje Leeuwenburgh. And, it is on the heels of the loss of Ann’s brother Andrew Forbess Hall. Stay strong dear folks, … so sad … having lost two people who were very close to your heart in such a short period of time. The Lyons community cares and sends hugs of comfort. (We will publish Andrew’s obituary next week, after the “flood issues” are done.)
BOULDER ARREST: A juvenile victim reported that she was walking on a path when she was grabbed and pushed down by a male on the walking trail. She was able to kick and push the male away while screaming for help. He was described as a 20–30 year-old, bald white male, wearing a hoodie and tan pants. Deputies were able to arrest 32-year-old Cole Priest. The incident occurred near the 6100 block of Baseline Rd in unincorporated Boulder County. Based on the investigation to date, sheriff’s office investigators believe there may be additional victims and witnesses to the crime. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Eric Robinson with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office at 303-441-4822, or via email at: erobinson@bouldercounty.gov.
Pinewood Springs Fire Protection District has a new APP that residents can download and fill in important emergency info for them — such as how many pets you have, or is someone handicap, or what is the passcode for your front gate. — You may have filled in similar information for Boulder County, or the sheriff’s office, but they say: since we don’t have connectivity and computers in our engines we can’t see it. With this app we get the info attached to our call through IaR.
The Lyons Community Theater is putting on a play next weekend, Sept. 21, 22, 23. We will have an article about it, but the basics are in our CALENDAR page. It sounds like a naughty comedy for adults.
Planet Bluegrass has hot news for this weekend: “FallFest” — You can find out more about the event here: TICKETS. We will be selling super discounted tickets to locals Wedn. and Thurs. 9/14 from 9am-4pm at our new office (19661 Highway 36, right across the street from the Farm). Pricing: Friday $25 | Saturday $35 | 2-day $45 **These tickets will also be available at the box office on Friday and Saturday for those unable to make it during office hours.
The Town of Lyons would like to thank CEMEX for the donation of several trees to the Parks Department, including the donation of the Gerald Boland Memorial Tree in Sandstone Park for the anniversary events on Sunday.
FLOOD EXHIBITS & FUTURE EVENTS:
== EXHIBITS PUT TOGETHER FOR ANNIVERSARY: The flood exhibit at the museum will be available to view 7 days a week (they close October 1st for the season).== And the town hall one is combined with the LAHHC 3rd quarter art show and will be up till October 12, from 8a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ==The Visitor Center one is closed, ==as well as the Library one.
=== The Town might do one more “talk” by Town Administrator Victoria Simonsen in October for those who missed it. She does a great job of telling all the details of the flood, and has a slide show with it.
==If you have already seen the Redstone Museum Flood Exhibit in past years, it has new important items. (1.) a CLIO video showing some flood scenes and stories, and (2.) a 3-sided poster display of all the final projects completed, such as Bohn Park, and the 4 bridges. Lots of Photos, Articles, and reports! (Open 9:30-4:30p.m., open on Sundays at 12:30p.m., till October 1st)
==PINEWOOD SPRINGS will be having their 10 year Flood commemorative event on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 1 to 4p.m. at the fire station. There will be brief speeches at 2 p.m. The event includes Smokin’ Daves BBQ, face painting, balloons and magic, fire engines, and more. Bring a chair and/or blanket; and walk if you can as parking is limited.
===SENIORS===
The SEPTEMBER monthly issue is out today! Check out the fun or educational activities and news.
==Two new bus trips: one to see famous humorist and author David Sedaris, Nov.7th; and one to see “Fiddler on the Roof” at Boulder Dinner Theater Jan.11th. Deadline Sedaris tix: the group pkg. is only on hold until Sept 27, so sign up quickly if you plan to go. There is a fee for both. For more details, Email Lisa at LRamsey@townoflyons.com Your spot is not reserved until you have dropped off your check.
== These trips were VOTED on by seniors among a list of 6 options. Get on Lisa’s email list to partake in senior news from town hall.
==Note all bus trips are deeply discounted vs. all other Front Range city Senior Bus trips! Thanks to the Town of Lyons, and LCF. And, some trips have “scholarships” for those who cannot afford to go.
===WELLNESS===
VETERAN’S HELP LINE – dial 988, and then press 1. If your phone is not a COLORADO area code, be sure to tell them right off the bat, so that they refer you to a service in Colorado.
This is SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH – we have an article from local Janaki Jane, who has taken classes/programs in this area, and has given free classes in the Lyons area. — This is particularly important in Lyons this month due to the feelings that are being stirred up due to the memories of the 2013 Flood, and the 10 year anniversary ceremonies. See ARTICLE.
===SCHOOL NEWS===
==SCHOOL & “9/11” == Karen Gregg, middle/high school band director said: “The next home football game for our LYONS LIONS will be this Thursday, September 14. We will be honoring first responders as it’s the week of both September 11 and the 10th anniversary of the flood.— The band will be playing an Armed Forces Medley and we will invite members of our community who are serving or who have served in any of the 5 branches of the military to stand and be recognized. Afterwards, Elliott Brast, a Lyons student who is new to our community will be celebrated has he performs a baton twirling routine. We hope to see you there!“
==Lyons Middle/High school had their Homecoming Parade in town, and dance. == The OPENING game they won against Walsenburg, 50-0; and the HOME Homecoming game they won against Vail Christian 50-12. (plus 9/1 they won against Las Animas 46-0) — unbelievable scores! This is certain a “must watch team”! Congrats!
==SCHOOL PTO Meeting: Parents you should be getting this in an email, but just in case, we wanted to let you know about this meeting this one time until you get established for the year: Sept. 30th, 3 p.m. — Meet in the Lyons Elementary School Library for a Jog-A-Thon recap, additional year-ahead planning, and more. Free childcare provided!
===BUSINESSES===
NEW HOURS: Now that Labor Day has passed, some of the shops downtown will have new hours. Check before you go! For instance, Western Stars will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. And, Oscar Blues will be reverting back to the 7 p.m. start time for their music lineup (wow! I’m impressed by the acts that they are getting. Check out their Facebook page). == have you been watching Moxie’s entertainment lineup? Now that they are settled into their new location. They bring in special acts and charge about $10 for it – this weekend is: Inbar Heyman is a One-Woman-Band. She performs her original music with a sophisticated loop station, instruments from all over the world and a few surprising household objects. (We will have our quarterly article on “BUSINESS NEWS” next week!)
CLARK’s / TED’s HARDWARE is closing this Thursday, September 14! — They posted FAREWELL on Facebook, and within 2 hours, they already got 45 posts, and 183 “LIKES”. They will surely be missed. They had good prices, were convenient, and jumped to open up after the 2013 flood despite having suffered some damage themselves — And, just darn good people. We wish them well in their retirement, and Don’t Be A Stranger! we hope to see you around town more now.
===NATURE/Wildlife===
LYONS COMMUNITY FARM – they need to pay a high insurance liability bill! To keep the property, per town regulations. Katrina Coravos is offering to set up a Silent Auction. She says: Hello Lyons Community! I am recently weaving into the Lyons Community Farm Project to help bring some funding and awareness to this amazing idea. I know many people in Lyons have asked how they can help and here is one way!—- We are putting on an online silent auction featuring services and products from folks in Lyons. It’s a great way to showcase all the beautiful offerings of this sweet community. I am looking for two other folks who would like to donate some time to gather donations from local businesses and people. Please PM me if you would like to lend a hand.—- Thank you to Adrean for her vision and spearheading this important project! Looking forward to seeing it grow! —contact her on Facebook PM. Or email her at dreamingavalon333@gmail.com
BEARS BBQ – A mom bear and two cubs got into a bag of raw meat behind Dave’s Smokin BBQ Friday, early morning, and one of them was making loud moaning sounds and got neighbors attention. At 7 a.m. a neighbor said “They are still here. Babies chowing on some fresh meat. Animal in the alley finally stopped making dying sounds.” “I went back there after they left. Looks like they found a bag of fresh meat too. Like raw… from Dave’s??”. One of the owners, Cat Oehlman, said, “I don’t think so, I was down there at 7:30, saw no issues by our dumpster.” Photos appeared to show the food scraps and what looked like non-“bear proof” dumpsters in a wood fenced in area. Wasn’t this where a bear pushed a large trash can down the alley, that was seen on national tv?
RATTLESNAKES —Danielle from Pinewood Springs has some great advice on dealing with rattlesnakes. We will publish it in next week’s newspaper. In the mean time, she says: stay calm. You aren’t going to die, but It’s going to hurt, and you’ll be able to post your story on FB the next day.
TARANTULAS – it’s that time of year for the big migration of tarantulas in southern Colorado!
===SPORTS===
==Reminder — LYONS Fall Ball Free-For-All Tournament ——– We need about 30 more people to register to make this happen. Registration is open through this Friday, September 15th. If we do not get enough players, those who registered will be refunded. Here’s the info: www.TownofLyons.RecDesk.com fee: $15.
==BRONCOs first game = Broncos scored only 16 points and lost for the seventh straight time in their history of games against the Raiders. = No I won’t be covering every game this season! But I will note some significant items… such as this being their first game with a new coach and a “revived” Russel Wilson.
==CU – Coach Prime is attracting attention country-wide. It will have two live big sports casters watching the game… ESPN Game Day Show, and FOX Big Noon Kickoff show. == All eyes are on the Colorado Buffalo vs. Colorado State Rams, on Saturday.
==Local Bars are showing the games on their screens! Some have specials and contests going on. Check out each of their Facebook pages, each week.
==See also SCHOOL NEWS above for some amazing news about the start of the Middle/High School football season!
===GOVERNMENT===
REPEAT from last week: The Boulder County Commissioners have adopted a six-month moratorium on processing applications for development in higher intensity (Commercial, Business, Transitional, and General Industrial) zone districts within a three-mile radius of the Town of Lyons in unincorporated Boulder County. The moratorium will allow the county to determine if the existing county zoning map and regulations meet the needs of Boulder County and the Lyons community. The moratorium does not apply to residential and by-right agricultural development applications or to any complete development applications currently being processed by Boulder County’s Community Planning & Permitting Department. The moratorium affects only unincorporated properties and will not affect properties within the Town of Lyons. A public hearing on the temporary moratorium is set for Sept. 19 at 11:45 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room (3rd Floor, 1325 Pearl Street, Boulder). The hearing can be attended in person, online through Zoom, or by phone. Written comments should be sent to hhippely@bouldercounty.gov. Comments can also be made during the Sept. 19 public hearing. Meeting registration details will be available in the Commissioners’ Advance Agenda
9/8/23 – City of Boulder: Boulder City Council has rejected a city proposal that sought to get more for-sale, middle-income housing built, citing concerns that it could reduce construction of affordable rentals for lower-income residents.== The Boulder City Council has unanimously approved a motion to accept the Boulder Police Department’s “reimagining policing” plan. The long-range vision seeks to focus on crime prevention — primarily by targeting hotspots where officers receive a disproportionate number of calls, rather than responding to calls.
MINIMUM WAGE – reminder, we’ve been advising you about the Boulder COUNTY Commissioners meeting to discuss a new minimum wage. – in the meantime, you may be interested to know: Despite a push by workers to bump pay sooner due to surging living costs, Boulder City Councilmembers said they don’t want to jeopardize their larger effort to set a regional minimum wage or hurt businesses.
===DO GOOD===
Colorado Horse Rescue: interested in a fun night of great food, an open bar, and doing a lot of good? We would love to have you join us for the Mane Event on Saturday, Sept 23! Tickets are available at www.chr.org Explore our beautiful property, learn more about the innovative programs CHR offers, and be a part of creating brighter futures for horses. All while sipping, snacking, and enjoying live music! — A local person who attended last year said: it’s a wonderful late afternoon spent interacting with a herd of 50+ horses and CHR volunteers and staff, followed by an excellent dinner experience under a tent. Beautiful setting below the foothills in Longmont. 65th and St. Vrain. Saturday, September 23, 5:00-9:00 p.m.
Winter Coats, gloves and hats needed — gently used or NEW! Katrina Coravos is again collecting them for needy students at the Adams 12 school she works at, which has mainly immigrant and Afghan Refugee families. She can work with you on pick up or drop off of items (she lives in Eagle Canyon neighborhood). Deadline: Oct. 30th. Contact her at: Sara.k.olson@adams12.org
See also see our comments above about Silent Auction for Lyons Community Farm.
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==See our THINGS TO DO== for events this coming week /plus/ a full calendar of more activities and events. See the Library calendar page for children’s events. See local bars Facebook pages for bands performing.
==REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS==
LYONS LIBRARY: hosting two astronomy events called ‘After Dark in the Parks with NatureDeb’. In partnership with retired environmental educator Deborah Price. == Our first event, Astronomy:Seasons of Change will take place at Bohn Park on Friday September 15th from 7-9pm. As we near the Autumn equinox, we will learn how the Earth’s tilt and rotation around the sun causes our seasons. As the position of the Earth changes throughout the year, different planets and constellations come into view. NatureDeb will point out what celestial bodies are visible this time of year and help us view them through a telescope. We expect to see Saturn as well as many other constellations! ==The second one is on the evening of September 29th for a Full Moon Fun Walk (stroll). More info to come, or check it out on the library’s webpage. REGISTER.
Shenanigans by Youth: Some say kids scaring people is a fun game and some say it is a mean trick, you judge — once again we have some kids randomly knocking on neighbor’s doors at night – here is the latest person’s cry for help: “Is running up to front doors at 10:45pm and knocking obscenely aggressively 3 times and bailing, like, a thing Lyons youths are doing these days, cuz I just got legit scared shitless” posted on Facebook. 9/8/23. Do you know where your kids are at 10:45p.m.?
FLOOD MONTH/Week: PTSD – MENTAL WELLNESS HELP, group sessions = reminder – every Tuesday 7-8:30p.m. in September. Put on by LEAF. Takes place at the Lyons Community Church “hall.” Free.
BIZ NEWS: Lyons restaurants with outdoor venues have posted on Facebook that they need people to know that (1.) they cannot bring in their own food or drinks (it’s the health law) and (2.) kids should not act like it’s their own backyard and crawl and jump around people and throw rocks. (3.) The venue PAYS the band and depends on your purchases to do so. == thank you.
FLOOD 10 years//LONGMONT: The City of Longmont will be commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Front Range Flood of 2013, highlighting all the ways our community emerged stronger, safer, and more resilient from this devastating event. We will have a Flood Commemoration Tour, a flood photo exhibit at the Longmont Museum, and the Motus Playback Improv Theatre’s “Stories of The Flood.”==Thurs 9/14 and Satur 9/16 9/16. www.longmontcolorado.gov/flood
Thank You for Helping our Fellow Americans in this time of Disaster
==Maui Strong – Hawaii Community Foundation
==Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement: The Kākoʻo Maui Fund questions hwf@hawaiiancouncil.org
==Maui United Way has launched the Maui Fire Disaster Relief Fund
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