In addition, Black Hawk is offering Central
$250,000 to grant its request to annex the lot.
The money would be “a one-time donation”
from Black Hawk’s historic preservation fund
to a similar historic fund operated in Central
City. “Suggested Central projects the fund could
be used for include – but not limited to – the
Belvidere project, sidewalks along Gregory and
Lawrence Streets in Central, or advancing Cen-
tral’s trail system with the ability to connect to
Black Hawk’s trail system,” according to a copy
of the letter that was in the Black Hawk council
agenda scheduled for a vote yesterday.
write-in candidate for the General Election in
November.
By the WR-C Staff
Two businessmen have announced they will
be challengers for the Gilpin County District 3
commissioner’s race this year, each seeking to
oust incumbent Sandy Hollingsworth.
Hollingsworth (D), who won by 85 votes in a
three-way race four years ago, so far is unop-
posed for the Democratic nomination in the
June 25 primary. The deadline for candidates
to petition to run is Tuesday, March 19.
Corey Marshall is running for the GOP nomi-
nation this spring, while Darin Jones will be a
county commissioners offered
them in January. He made the
statement during the Gilpin
commissioners’ meeting on
Tuesday, Feb. 13.
build multiple duplex housing
units within walking distance
of the rec center for several
years.
rights within the next four
years and verifying the com-
plex wouldn’t have an outdoor
irrigation system. The proposal
required a professional to cre-
ate the water plan and for the
water rights to be conveyed
over to the county.
ing for over a decade, told the
commissioners last month that
Gilpin needs affordable hous-
ing for its elderly residents. She
said she anticipated a “wait-
ing list” for seniors wanting to
move into the new complex.
According to Nicholson, Gilpin
County has “a disproportional
number of senior citizens”
compared to other Colorado
counties and has many resi-
dents who have lived into their
90s and beyond. “The folks
around here are pretty hardy
and stick around for a long
time. I think there will be a
number of residents who will
benefit from senior housing.”
By the WR-C staff
The Gilpin Senior Liv ing
organization has abandoned
plans to build duplexes on
county-owned land adjoining
the Gilpin Recreation Center.
In approving the 16-page
lease last month, the commis-
sioners required Gilpin Senior
Living to attain several “bench-
marks” within the next several
years for the lease to continue.
They included securing water
Gilpin Senior Living, a non-
profit group, is led by Jeanne
Nicholson, a former county
commissioner and Colorado
state senator. She and others
have tried to secure a lease to
Gilpin County Attorney
Brad Benning announced the
non-profit senior living group
isn’t interested in a $1 lease the
The proposed lease also
required Senior Living to pres-
ent a plan to finance the new
duplexes within the next year.
Details on the facility’s profes-
sional management, including
how it would handle billings,
collections, evictions, and other
situations, were also included
in the lease. The project owner
also was given a 10-year dead-
line to provide details on how
roads, utilities and related work
would occur on the property.
However, Commissioner
Marie Mornis continued
to voice complaints about
the proposed pantry, say-
ing the county could spend
money to fix the existing
one rather than build a new
one. Hollingsworth coun-
tered that discussion of a
Gilpin’s 2024 budget in-
cludes $1.3 million to build
the new pantry, although
the county has been seeking
grants to lower its overall
potential investment. The
new pantry is proposed
for the south side of Nor-
ton Drive, almost directly
across from the Gilpin
Community Center. It will
replace the double-wide
modular used for decades
at nearby 101 Norton Drive.
This week
Friday, Feb. 16 — High
school girls basketball hosts
Peyton. Jayvee begins at 5
p.m., followed by varsity at
6:30 p.m. CHSSA state cham-
pionship wrestling tournament
begins at sites around Colo-
rado.
Friday and Saturday,
Feb. 23-24 — High school
basketball district games for
qualifying boys and girls teams.
The new pantry office
spaces could be used for
Week of Feb. 26
Monday, Feb. 26 — First
official practice date for spring
sports. Middle school girls
basketball hosts Bennett.
Tipoff for the C-team is 4 p.m.,
followed by the B and A squad
games.
Saturday, Feb. 17 —
Middle school girls basketball
hosts a round-robin tourna-
ment beginning at 10 a.m.
Week of Feb. 19
Monday, Feb. 19 — High
school boys basketball plays
at Addenbrooke in the CHSAA
quarterfinals at 3 p.m. Tickets
are $8 for adults and $5 for
students. The winner will ad-
vance to the district semifinals,
scheduled for Friday, Feb. 23,
at Dakota Ridge High School.
Gilpin County Grant
Manager Jamie Boyle said
the DOLA grant would’ve
required the project to fol-
low federal Davis-Bacon
Act guidelines for construc-
tion wages strictly. This
process might require the
county to hire a consultant
to supervise the project,
which also would require
American-made products to
be used in the project. She
said the consultant could
cost $50,000 or potentially
more. Another require-
ment would be for Gilpin to
conduct an environmental
impact study. The grant
would be eligible strictly for
construction-related costs
but not for the new equip-
ment and furniture needed
inside the facility.
Wednesday, Feb. 28 —
Middle school girls basketball
hosts Clear Creek. The B-team
plays at 4:25 p.m., followed by
the A-team at 5:15 p.m.
December 2023………………….$173,718
Year to Date 2023…………….$1,823,767
Since Inception……………..$15,128,419
Saturday, March 2 —
Middle school wrestling at
West Grand. Time TBA.
Thursday, Feb. 22 —
Middle school wrestling at
Clear Creek. Time TBA.
NOTE — Schedules are
tentative and may change due
to a variety of factors, including
weather.
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.
