2 more jump into comisioneraces
After Zane Laubhan (D)
decided to withdraw from
the District 1 BoCC race,
Aiken decided to file to
run. Laubhan said he will
continue to serve as Gilpin
County’s elected coroner, a
position he’s held for over a
decade. Political observers
said Laubhan was consid-
ered the front-runner in
the District 1 race before
his withdrawal due to per-
sonal reasons.
by the death of Web Sill.
Kays served eight years as
the Gilpin County Clerk
and Recorder from 1999 to
2011.
will be available. So
will the seat currently
held by Alderman
and Mayor Pro-Tem
Kara Tinucci.
Continued from page 1
Aiken has been on the
Central City Council for
nine years and cannot run
again due to term lim-
its. The 45-year county
resident has been on the
Black Hawk Central City
Sanitation District board
of directors for 10 years.
“I believe in serving and
giving back to the commu-
nity and hope to continue
as a Gilpin County com-
missioner,” said Aiken, a
stone mason who works as
a bartender at the Famous
Bonanza and Easy Street
casinos in Central City. He
filed an affidavit to run with
the Colorado Secretary of
State’s office on Monday,
Feb. 5.
Gilpin County’s District
2 commissioner term, held
by Susan Berumen (D), is
not up for election until
2026. She was elected in
2022 and replaced Linda
Isenhart (D), who was
term-limited after serving
for eight years.
On Tuesday
night, Tinucci said
she hasn’t decided
whether to seek a
second four-year
term.
In addition to be-
ing on the council,
Tinucci serves on
the new Central City
Urban Development
Authority and the
Central City Down-
town Development
Authority. She and her
husband Joe own JKQ BBQ
at Crook’s Palace, a Black
Hawk restaurant on lower
Gregory Street.
The District 1 BoCC pri-
mary on the GOP side will
include Marie Mornis and
Jessica Kays, who serve as
chair and treasurer, respec-
tively, for the Gilpin Coun-
ty Republican Committee.
Mornis is the incumbent
after being appointed to
the BoCC in December
2022 to fill the vacancy left
The Colorado Secretary
of State’s office listed no
additional candidates as of
Tuesday, Feb. 6. The final
date for candidates to file
to run for the primary is
Tuesday, March 19.
There will be no races in
the City of Black Hawk this
year. Mayor David Spell-
man and Aldermen Paul
Bennet, Benito Torres and
Gregory Moates are run-
ning unopposed for four-
year terms.
Central Council seats
Two vacant seats will be
up for election in Central
City this year. Aiken’s seat
City of Black Hawk
Valentine’s Dance
The Save the Belvidere Foundation
will hold a Valentine’s Dance start-
ing at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, at
Elks Lodge 557 in Central City. Music
will be provided by deejay Eric Chinn,
with food and beverages available.
sibility and flag etiquette. The VFW holds an
annual Teacher of the Year award. Three teach-
ers will be nominated by the post (K-5, 6-8 and
9-12) to compete for teacher of the year at the
VFW National Competition. The award is also
known as the Smart/Maher Award.
Nomination forms will be available soon and
must be submitted prior to Oct. 31. For infor-
mation, email VFWCMD7563@YAHOO.COM.
BRIEFS
BRIEFS
Opera housing needed
Central City Opera Association needs sum-
mer rental housing for the 2024 summer festi-
val cast and staff. Dates needed for housing are
June 1 – August 9. Please contact Wanda Lar-
son for more details by calling (303) 292-6500,
ext. 100, or email admin@centralcityopera.org.
Vinyl and Gumbo
The Coal Creek Canyon Improve-
ment Association and United Power
will be sponsoring a Mardi Gras
gumbo and vinyl night from 4 to
6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, at the
CCCIA center along Highway 72.
The group will be spinning some
New Orleans Soul & Jazz records to
celebrate all things Mardi Gras. Au-
thentic Louisiana food will be served
a la carte while supplies last.
The price per item is $5 for
members and $8 for non-
members. It is a BYOB event.
U.S. Forest Service
continues pile burns
Seeing smoke in Gilpin
County? The USFS is ask-
ing residents not to report
it to authorities because
most of the smoke is com-
ing from piles being burned
north of Central City and
in the vicinity of the Gross
Reservoir near Pinecliffe.
