Central City citizens turn out in force for Amendment 64 legislation
By David Josselyn
Call to Order
The Central City Council was called to order by Mayor Ron Engels at 7:04pm on Tuesday, February 19h. All council members were present.
Consent Agenda
Items on the consent agenda included the Regular Bills lists of February 7th and 14th and the City Council minutes of February 5th. Alderman Bob Spain moved to approve the consent agenda and Alderman Shirley Voorhies (more…)
Cappello is a suspect in a California triple slaying, including a Boulder man
By David Josselyn
On Valentine’s Day, Mark William Cappello, a 46 year old resident of Central City was arrested by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office as a suspect in a triple homicide in Forestville, California on February 5, 2103. On February 5th, (more…)
Marijuana moratorium, land purchase, standing up for local government
By Lynn Volkens
Black Hawk Mayor David Spellman and City Council members Linda Armbright, Paul Bennett, Diane Cales, Jim Johnson, Greg Moates, and Benito Torres began their meeting of February 13, 2013 by recognizing the lifesaving (more…)
Testing your mountain wells regularly and treatment options
By Irene Shonle
Most mountain well owners have heard that it is recommended to test your well every couple of years for “bacteria.” For the most part, this recommendation refers to coliform bacteria, which can make you sick. The Gilpin (more…)
Gregory Street back on two-wheeling route
By Lynn Volkens
Bicyclists riding between Black Hawk and Central City can again sidle up to tour buses, shuttle buses, gaming and local traffic on a .4 mile stretch of Gregory Street that they’ve been banned from riding since 2010. Last week the Colorado Supreme Court overturned both the trial and district court rulings which had upheld the ban, and ruled instead that Black Hawk’s ordinance enacting the ban violated state law. Justice Gregory Hobbs, in delivering the opinion of the court, wrote that state law pre-empted Black Hawk’s municipal law because the municipal ordinance conflicted with specific statutory provision (Colorado Revised Statute 42-4-109 (11) ) “in a matter of mixed state and local concern.” The court found that Black Hawk could not ban bicycles from Gregory Street as it is the only route connecting Central City to Highway 119 and from there to other destinations such as Nederland. Further, Black Hawk was in violation of state law because no alternate route for the cyclists was provided within 450 feet of the banned route, as is required by statute. Because the matter went beyond local impact, the court also found that Black Hawk’s authority as a home-rule city did not apply.
For Black Hawk officials, the matter came down to one of safety and local authority. In 2009, acting on their authority as a home-rule city, the city council passed an ordinance authorizing them to ban bicycles, as well as other on-motorized vehicles, from any city street if it was found their use on those streets was incompatible with safety and the normal movement of traffic. City officials determined that streets in the commercial areas of Black Hawk, Gregory Street being the one with the most impact, were not suited to bicycle traffic because of narrowness and the heavy commercial use of these streets by large buses and delivery trucks. The .4 mile stretch of Gregory Street posted “No Bicycles” is a two-lane road with no room for shoulders. The incompatibility of simultaneous bicycle and commercial traffic was supported by an engineering and traffic study. Black Hawk’s ban, enacted in 2010, forced bicyclists to dismount and walk that stretch along the city’s sidewalks. That year, several cyclists chose to ignore the law and were ticketed by Black Hawk police. Three of them, Jamie Webb, Jeffrey Hermanson, and Michaleen Jeronimus fought the charges, unsuccessfully, through municipal court. They appealed to the district court, again unsuccessfully. These lower courts recognized the engineering and traffic study as a rational basis to promulgate the bicycle ban, and both courts determined that Black Hawk had the authority as a home-rule city to enact it. Then, with pro-bono legal counseling and support provided by Bicycle Colorado, a cycling advocacy group, the ticketed parties took their appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court.
The Colorado Supreme Court takes up a limited number of cases, hearing only one in fourteen cases, according to their website. The seven justices took up this case, Webb v. Black Hawk, in August, 2011 and then heard oral arguments from each party’s attorneys on November 8, 2011. Each attorney was allotted 30 minutes to make his case. The recording of those arguments show Justice Hobbs repeatedly interrupting Black Hawk attorney, Corey Hoffmann, while the opposing attorney, Paul Schwartz makes his argument smoothly. At one point, Hobbs appeared to make Schwartz’s argument for him, saying Black Hawk was making their decision to ban bicycles based on economic reasons rather than safety and topography. As the court routinely takes one to nine months to announce a decision, Black Hawk had not anticipated the ruling for several more months. David Spellman, mayor of Black Hawk, said it seemed to be an emotional ruling. Meanwhile, Bicycle Colorado claimed victory. Hobbs had written “Bicycling has long been a favorite recreational pastime of Colorado residents…” and cited several cycling events held in the state. Noting that “Bicycling is also a popular method of transportation,” Hobbs went on to say that cities in Colorado “have worked hard to accommodate and promote bicycle commuting,” and that bicycling as a mode of transportation is strongly endorsed by the Colorado General Assembly and that statute requires transportation planning to accommodate the needs of bicyclists. Bicycles are included within the state’s definition of “vehicle” and are subject to the same traffic regulations as automobiles. As such the cyclist is also subject to all the duties and penalties applicable to drivers of other vehicles.
When the Supreme Court overturned the ruling of the lower courts, upholding Black Hawk’s ban, the decision was watched not only by bicyclist advocacy groups, but also by numerous other municipalities and governmental agencies throughout Colorado and beyond. Conflicts between drivers of motorized vehicles and bicyclists have been recorded in the mainstream media on a more heightened basis in the past year. Other governmental officials, including Gilpin and Jefferson County commissioners, have heard complaints and considered solutions specifically when dealing with bicyclists on narrow two-lane mountain highways. Cycling advocates were also aware of the controversy. At the time Black Hawk initiated its ban, Bicycle Colorado members expressed concerns that Black Hawk’s ban would set precedent; similar bans could spread to other cities with the undesirable result of further restricting their riding access. That fear was not ungrounded. In 2010, Black Hawk’s city manager reported he’d been contacted by officials of other municipalities asking how to do the same thing (bicycle bans) in their cities. These cities had adopted a “wait and see” attitude, said then Black Hawk City Manager Mike Copp, postponing enacting their own bans to see if Black Hawk’s would be challenged.
Mayor Spellman said Black Hawk is now taking a look at options, but has no plans to build an alternative bicycle route. The confines of Gregory Gulch, with steep canyon walls and a creek flowing through the flume beneath the street, would make it difficult and expensive to widen the .4 mile stretch of Gregory Street at the center of the ban. The geography is also not conducive to creating a bike path within the 450 feet required by law. “Black Hawk has absolutely no plans to make any special accommodations for bicycles,” Spellman said, following the Supreme Court’s announcement. The court’s ruling determined the limits of Black Hawk’s municipal authority, but did nothing to insure the safety of those traveling Gregory Gulch.
Deputy at school, meeting with Dory Lakes officials
By Lynn Volkens
Gilpin County Commissioners Buddy Schmalz, Connie McLain and Gail Watson met February 12, 2013. They took another look at a proposal to employ a full-time deputy at Gilpin County Re-1 School District, and they moved forward with the erection of a radio tower near the Justice Center on Dory Hill Road.
Personnel Policy Amendments
Following up on amendments recommended by Human Resources Director Susie Allen at their last meeting, Commissioners adopted Resolution 13-01, revising the document and changing the document title from “The Gilpin County Personnel Policies and Guidelines” to “The Gilpin County Employee Handbook.” The revisions, discussed at a work session on January 31, 2013, include allowing volunteer emergency responders (mainly firefighters) to continue to draw their County pay while responding to a very limited number of emergencies, as needed (natural disasters such as a wild land fire, and structure fires). Other revisions mentioned, and Allen said there were a lot of them, include marijuana prohibitions and the appeals process for employee disputes. The final Handbook is to be distributed to all employees and meetings will be held to discuss the revisions.
Treasurer’s and Public Trustee’s Reports
Gilpin County Treasurer Alynn Huffman presented her January report showing 0.53% of County Taxes collected as of January 31, 2013. At that time, the County’s coffers contained a grand total of $8,527,889 (compared to $8,028,669 at the same time last year). The breakdown of the ten funds making up that grand total are as follows: General Fund, $6,090,259; Department of Human Services, $779,727; Public Works, $589,896; Solid Waste, $169,365; Retirement, $159,265; Public Health Agency, $155,002; Library Fund, $68,250; Retirement Fund, $61,797; County Abatement, $505; and Capital Improvement Fund, $0.
Huffman also presented the 2012 Fourth Quarter Public Trustee Report showing the Trustee’s beginning balance on September 30, 2012 as $60,953; Income (sales, releases, interest) totaling $36,793; Disbursements (Clerk fees, advertising, redemption/refunds, Kuvera fee, eFees, Public Trustee fund) totaling $38,062; and an Ending Balance on December 31, 2012 of $59,684. Commissioners accepted the report and Huffman disbursed $9,399 I Public Trustee fees and interest collected for this period. She also issued a check to Commissioners of $8,822 from her operating account for deposit to the Public Trustee Salary Fund encompassed in the County’s General Fund, to cover the 2012 fourth quarter salaries and invoices. A third check, issued to the Gilpin County Public Trustee Reserve Account was in the amount of $577 and represented the balance of fees and interest collected which must be put into the Reserve to maintain the amount that was budgeted for 2012.
The Public Trustee 2012 annual report (January 1-December showed a Beginning Balance of $66,741; Income of $149,105; Disbursements at $156,162; and an Ending Balance of $59,684. In total, the Trustee disbursed the Public Trustee fees and interest collected for 2012 in the amount of $26,637; issued checks to the Commissioners in the amount of $26,976 for the Public Trustee Salary Fund and $339 to the Reserve Account.
Huffman provided a summary of foreclosures in Gilpin County for 2012 in its entirety. Foreclosures numbered 56 in 2012 (down from 86 in 2011). Releases were up: 458 in 2012 compared to 345 in 2011.
Pine Ridge Boundary Line Adjustment
Adjacent property owners of Pine Ridge Parcels E (Daniel Marks) and Parcel D (Laura Danley) have come to an agreement that will settle a setback encroachment at 34982 Pine Ridge Lane (off Camp Eden Road). The parties have been working on a resolution since last summer. They’ve agreed to a Boundary Line Adjustment (BLA) which will eliminate the need for the variance which Marks had originally requested. Community Planner Ray Rears brought Commissioners up to date on the matter and they approved BLA 12-02, which will be filed with the County Clerk and Recorder.
Mountain Family Health Centers Agreement
Commissioners approved an agreement for Mountain Family Health Centers (MFHC) to provide medical services for Gilpin County residents. Specifically, MFHC will provide flu shots for Gilpin County residents, on a first come-first served basis at a charge of $10 per resident. The County stipulates how many doses it will fund each year and MFHC purchases that number and administers them. Public Health Coordinator Ann Marie Bailey said she had authorized purchase of 200 vaccines for this flu season and that there are still some left. Due to poor attendance at flu “clinics” this year, Bailey said she was discontinuing the clinics and vaccines would be given at MFHC. MFHC also administers Hepatitis B vaccine to county employees, as required. Gilpin reimburses MFHC services at the rate of $35 per hour for the Registered Nurse; $20 per hour for the Medical Assistant; and $00.485 per mile for travel time. The agreement is effective January 1, 2013 until terminated. MFHC is currently looking for a doctor to staff the center in Black Hawk.
School Requests On-site Deputy
Gilpin County Undersheriff Jon Bayne presented a proposal to have a deputy stationed at Gilpin County School on days the school is in session. While at the school, the deputy would respond to calls to service at the school. There were 121 calls for service at the school in 2012 and the Sheriff’s Office reports 345 hours were spent at the school by a deputy doing school checks. While at the school, the deputy would be expected to maintain high visibility to aid in detection and prevention of dangerous incidents and crime at the school, and act as a liaison and resource for school personnel, parents and the Sheriff’s Office. The cost for a deputy, including base pay and benefits at 41%, would be $73,602. During summertime and school breaks, the deputy would be assigned to routine patrol and other duties at the Sheriff’s Office. The proposal shows there will be 151 days in the school year for 2013 and that there would be 57 days when the deputy would not have to be on site. Undersheriff Bayne provided a survey showing how neighboring counties are handling and funding duty school officers. Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) has one School Resource Officer (SRO) who stays mainly at one school, but does travel to others. Deputies do school checks as well. Boulder County funds the SRO. In St. Vrain Valley School District, the school district funds 1 ½ of two SROS and Boulder County funds the additional. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has nine deputies and one sergeant who are SRO’s for the schools in unincorporated areas only and who deal mainly with juvenile problems when not at the schools. JeffCo funds these SROS 100%. Neither Summit nor Grand County have SRO’s. Clear Creek County has one full-time salaried SRO for which the school district pays Clear Creek County $25,000.
Gilpin Commissioners told Bayne to continue with the current school coverage for the remainder of this school year. Commissioners plan to meet with Gilpin School Board members to discuss the school’s current safety plan, the need for an officer and how to fund that officer’s pay and benefits. Gilpin School’s Interim Superintendent, Morris Ververs, told Commissioners the school board has not committed to funding an officer. After meeting with the school board, Commissioners plan to hold a forum for the community regarding putting an officer on duty full-time at the school. Following those meetings, Commissioners hope to have a plan in place before school starts again in the fall. Commissioner Watson stressed that there are children in Gilpin County who attend Boulder Valley School District schools, and she wants to make sure whatever the County does is fair to that district as well.
Dory Hill Radio Tower
Steve Watson, the County’s Emergency Preparedness Director and Communications Supervisor, asked Commissioners to approve additional funding of $9,000 so that he could move forward with erection of a radio tower on the east side of the Justice Center on Dory Hill Road. Commissioners had budgeted $25,000 for the project, but the project cost will be $34,000. Watson said he needed immediate approval as a deadline to meet federal regulations had expired last Friday. Commissioner Watson objected to the last minute presentation, noting as a new commissioner, she was not up to speed on the tower project. She also expressed concerns that the tower job had not been put out for competitive bids. The proposed plan utilizes a tower Sheriff Hartman had acquired from an agency that was scrapping it a few years ago. That tower can be reinforced and rebuilt to serve Gilpin’s needs, thus keeping the cost to $34,000. The bulk of the cost is for the concrete pad to anchor the tower, which is proposed to be 140 feet high and will not require a flashing red light at the top. The main purpose of the tower will be to comply with federal regulations requiring that law enforcement stop using broadband frequencies by January 1, 2013 (Gilpin has a one year waiver). The tower will primarily improve communications for Gilpin law enforcement and allow them to communicate with agencies in nearby counties and the metropolitan area. It is hoped that a cell phone service provider will utilize the tower as well. Commissioners determined that they would be risking less than $10,000 and that, with a performance bond written into the contract, the risk was reduced of erecting a used tower that, for whatever reason, didn’t work. They voted unanimously to proceed with the used tower.
Departmental Reports
The Human Resources January report shows the County was employing a total of 176 people at the end of last month; 112 are full-time employees; 56 are part-time (6 with partial benefits); and 8 Property Tax Work off Program participants. Turnover in 2012 was 25%, up from 11.81 % in 2011 and 16% in 2010. Human Resources Director Susie Allen had compiled turnover statistics via Mountain States Employers Council (MSEC) for the years 2005-2011 which show that “Gilpin appears to have a consistently higher turnover rate than other Colorado governmental agencies.” The average length of service for all current full-time Gilpin County employees is 7 years and 9 months. Based on age-related information, Allen speculated that 24 employees (excluding Property Tax Work Off Program participants and elected officials) will retire over the next five years.
At the Parks and Recreation Department, the January report shows 1,076 individual County residents used the Community Center last month, comprising a total of 4,238 visits. Adding observers, non-residents and class attendees brings the number of individuals up to 1,376 and the corresponding total number of visits up to 5,321. Drop-In Admission fees raised $2,618 in revenues for January, and Membership fees brought in $6,268. Eighty-five children are participating in the youth basketball program, including quite a few from Nederland. There are now a dozen teams. The spring season of Adult COED Volleyball is beginning shortly.
The Sheriff’s Office/Detentions Division January report shows 79 total bookings for last month (61 male). The breakdown of agencies originating the arrests: Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, 42; Black Hawk Police Department, 18; Central City police Department, 12; Colorado State Patrol, 5; and Division of Gaming, 2. Sixty-one of the arrests were gaming-related. Six arrestees were Gilpinites. The average daily population at the County Jail was 47 inmates.
Historic Preservation Commission Application
Commissioners appointed Mike Keeler to fill a vacancy on the County’s Historic Preservation Commission.
Executive Session
County Attorney Jim Petrock requested an Executive Session to discuss the Limited Gaming law with Commissioners.
Dory Lakes Work Session
Dave Hunter and Mike Lobato introduced themselves to Commissioners as the new president and vice president, respectively, of the Dory Lakes Property Owners Association (DLPOA). That board is currently seeking one more member. County Manager Roger Baker and County Attorney Petrock brought the DLPOA officials up to speed on the water storage arrangement, and history, that the County has with DLPOA. Hunter said his top priority is revitalizing the playground/park area in the middle of the subdivision. Commissioner Schmalz commented that there might be a way to work together with the County on that project, at least in restoring the baseball field, as the County needs another place for Little Leaguers and others to practice.
Heads Up
Gilpin County Commissioners meet next on February 26, 2013.
To Rocky Mountain Lutheran
By George Snyder
The Gilpin County boys’ basketball team waged a valiant struggle against Rocky Mountain Lutheran but came up a little short. They bowed out with a score of 58-49 in their final home game February 5. The loss left the Eagles with a 1-5 record in 5280 League play and 2-14 for the season.
The Eagles kept the game close for three quarters by hustling on rebounding, previously a weak fundamental, and matched their opponent, also called Eagles, at 40 apiece. As a result, they trailed only 40-34 approaching the final period. In the fourth quarter, both teams abandoned their defense and scored at will. The visitors, who had a more balanced scoring output, won the battle 18-15 and finished with a wider lead than the tempo of the game indicated. Freshman Chase Boulter led Gilpin in both scoring with 23 points and rebounding with 16 rebounds, 15 of which came on the defensive board. Rocky Mountain Lutheran had three leading scorers, each with 10 points in the game.
The Eagles now embark on the last week of their season by playing Shining Mountain, the Number 2 ranked team in the state, at the Lions’ gym on Friday. They also played athletic Jim Elliot Christian on Tuesday. Results for that game and the Nederland game were not available at press time. If the Eagles lose their Friday game, they still have a chance to host one playoff game against last place Denver Waldorf in the league tournament. Stay tuned!
August 30, 1926 – January 31, 2013
Irene was born August 30, 1926 in Murrurundi New South Wales, Australia and passed away January 31, 2013 in Denver, Colorado.
Irene lived in Black Hawk from 1999 – 2009. She worked the night shift at Harvey’s Wagon Wheel/ Fortune Valley casinos at the gift shop. She attended St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Central City.
Irene graduated from a Catholic School in 1943, and trained for nursing through the Red Cross. She served as a nurse during World War II in Australia. She made quite a bit of difference in many people’s lives. Irene came to the Unites Stated in 1947 on the USS Phoenix (first war bride ship).
Irene was an active member of the Aerie and the Legion. She loved to gamble, play the piano, dance, and meet new people.
Irene is survived by sisters Judy Dickinson, Doreen Elion, Ruthie Dunshea, and Mona Twede; brother John Dunshea; her daughter Diane Cales of Black Hawk, CO; six grandchildren; ten great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Percy and Esme Dunshea; sister Mildred Dunshea-Farquharson; brother Harold Dunshea; husband Rodger Lemieux; son Harold Davies; and great granddaughter Ciara Woolsey.
Ladies, there’s nothing like a good meal to win a man
By Linda Jones
She was an ‘old maid’ by the standards of society in her day. He was literally tall, dark, handsome, and single, and she wasted no time in encouraging his interest in her. Their love story winds throughout early Central City and MiddlePark history and is still resonating.
Mary was the first white woman to permanently live in Central City. She was born in Ireland, but had lived for a time in England because her father was a gardener in the Queen’s garden, but as soon as her parents had saved the money for passage, the family sailed to Canada. One parent died aboard ship and the other soon after arriving, leaving the 13-year old Mary to care for her brother, six years younger. Mary brought them both to America and began working as a maid in households where he would be welcome. When the time came for her brother to strike out on his own, she was employed by the McGee family in Baltimore. When Mr. McGee decided to join the gold rush to western Kansas, the couple invited Mary to join them and the spinster, now in her late twenties, accepted.
But the defenseless woman overheard a chilling conversation one evening while she was strolling along Clear Creek after cleaning up from the evening supper. When Mrs. McGee asked her husband what his financial plan might be since he wasn’t cut out for common labor, he replied that there would be thousands of lonely men in the gold camps and few women and he planned to sell Mary’s services. Hearing this, the proper young woman immediately fled. Fortunately for history, the next camp along the creek was that of William Greene Russell, discoverer of gold in Denver and an honorable Southern gentleman. Russell offered Mary a job cooking for his large group of men and promised that not one of them would harm a hair of her head or they’d answer to him! He also promised that before he and his men left the gold diggings in the fall, they would construct a boarding house for her to run for a living.
In 1860 a stranger looking for clean lodging knocked on the door of her boarding house. When she opened it and saw William Zane Cozens, Mary seized the opportunity. She told him that what he had heard was true, she did keep the cleanest lodging in the area, but she had no rooms to let. However, she added that she also set the tastiest table in the area and would expect him back for supper at 6 p.m. and then shut the door before he could refuse. He came that evening – and every evening after that.
Billy had been born the same year as Mary, 1830, but he hailed from upstate New York, where he had trained as a carpenter. Knowing his skills would be in high demand on the frontier, he came west by stage. Arriving in The Richest Square Mile on Earth, the young carpenter immediately found a job bartending for Jack Kehler. Soon Kehler was hired as the first lawman in this part of western Kansas Territory and he deputized Billy.
Mary’s pluck and cooking kept the newcomer returning for supper night after night. When Billy heard Father Machebeuf would be coming for a special Mass in the new town in December 1860, he asked Mary to be his wife. Everyone rejoiced at this first wedding in the booming community because it signified permanence for the town, and the arrival of their oldest son was the first birth in Central City.
When Gilpin County was created on February 28, 1861, Kehler and Billy were selected as the Sheriff and Deputy. Kehler soon resigned and Cozens became the Sheriff, a lawman whose common sense and courage are the basis of many books and campfire tales. Mary’s brave sheriff-husband created the “line in the sand” incident that led to Colorado’s first legal execution. William Van Horn murdered Josiah Copeland on October 17, 1863. Fearing the killer would be let off with no punishment, the usual outcome of crimes in those early Territorial years, Copeland’s friends crowded Eureka Street around the new Gilpin County Courthouse – built by Billy – and demanded the keys to the jail. Sheriff Cozens refused, actually drawing a line in the street with his toe and vowing he would kill the first man to cross it. No one doubted him. No one crossed it. In 1873 Billy was named a U.S. Marshall for the Second Judicial District.
Billy was an accomplished carpenter and three of his frame structures are listed today on the National Register of Historic Sites. Two are in Central City. Washington Hall, the original Gilpin County Courthouse (1862), is the oldest public building in Colorado. The house he built behind it for Mary and their children, William, Mary and Sarah, still stands and is owned by the City of Central. (A fourth baby, Alexis, is buried in the Central City Masonic Cemetery.) The third of Billy’s surviving buildings is near Fraser.
The Cozens family moved to Middle Park in 1876, supposedly because Mary considered Central City too wicked a place to bring up children anymore. Billy built the first guest ranch in that area and also the original Fraser Post Office; their homestead in Middle Park is now a museum. Billy died first, in 1904, and Mary, in 1909; they are buried along with their three children in the cemetery now called the Maryville Cemetery which they created on their ranch land.
2013 Gilpin County Spelling Bee results
by Patty Unruh
Congratulations are in order for fifth-grader Bailey Hobson-Kroll, winner of the 2013 Gilpin County Spelling Bee, held February 7. Bailey won when she correctly spelled “comportment,” a noun meaning “bearing or demeanor.” She persevered through seven rounds to triumph over a field of about 60 intense competitors in fifth through eighth grade, winning the $150 first prize.
There were two other finalists, seventh-grader Carly Johnson and sixth-grader Olivia Randall. Carly, who earned second place, won $100, and the third-place winner, Olivia, won $50. Additionally, all students, including the three finalists, won one dollar for each correctly spelled word. The awards will be given at the academic awards banquet scheduled at the school in May.
Carol Murray, secondary school secretary, advised that this was the second year in a row that a fifth-grader had won the spelling bee. Had Bailey been in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade, she would have been eligible to advance to the state competition if she chose to do so, but fifth graders are only eligible to compete locally. The state spelling bee will be held March 15 and 16 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The national spelling bee is scheduled for May 28 through 30 near Washington, DC.
The purpose for the spelling bee, as noted on the Scripps National Spelling Bee website, is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. A week or two before the spelling bee, students who chose to participate were provided with a Scripps list of words to study.
Secondary language arts instructor Jeff Scheussler was the pronouncer, or the one who gave the students the words. He began by explaining the rules to the contestants and instructed them to warm up with a practice round, where each contestant stepped up to the microphone one by one and spelled his or her name. That gave spelling bee officials a chance to make sure that the sound system worked well and that each contestant faced the judges and spoke loudly and clearly.
The judges were Interim Superintendent Morris Ververs, Deb Benitez, and Suzanne Paulman. Their role was to uphold the rules and determine whether or not words were spelled correctly. They had complete control of the competition and had the final decision on any questions.
Scheussler gave each contestant a different word. “Magnificent”…“monumental”…“superstar.” One after another, the competitors hoped to have those terms applied to them as they tackled tricky nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
The first round began with moderately difficult words, such as “wasp,” “cloudy,” “prove,” and “landmark.” Each contestant followed the procedure of pronouncing the word, spelling it, then pronouncing it again. Scheussler would tell the student whether the spelling was correct or incorrect. Those spelling incorrectly were disqualified. The others proceeded to the next round.
Round two words included some that occasioned a few giggles from the audience, such as “amigo,” “Martian,” and “snarky.” Contestants in the third round sweated through such posers as “ferocious,” “covetous,” and “reign.” There were eight students remaining at the beginning of round four. No one was “demonstrably” “flirtatious;” rather, they were “prominently” “intuitive” in their spelling. For the final three rounds, only three students were left. Bailey Hobson-Kroll, Olivia Randall, and Carly Johnson battled it out for the honor of spelling bee champ.
In the seventh and final round, Bailey correctly spelled the word “recyclable.” Olivia faltered on “subsequent,” and Carly was eliminated on “fallibility” (no, it doesn’t mean “able to fall”). Everyone held their breath while Bailey enunciated the letters of the anticipated championship word: “comportment.” The spelling was pronounced correct.
Then cheers erupted for the 2013 champion of the Gilpin County Spelling Bee!
The spelling bee was conducted according to Scripps’ Rules for Local Spelling Bees. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary was the final authority for the spelling of all words appearing on that list.
If a word had one or more homonyms, the pronouncer indicated which word was to be spelled by defining the word. A speller was allowed to ask the pronouncer to repeat a word, define it, give it in a sentence, tell what part of speech the word was, give its language of origin, or provide an alternate pronunciation. If it was apparent that a speller misunderstood a word, another word was given.
The spelling finalists followed a clearly defined procedure for the end of the bee. Only one finalist spelled her word correctly in the fifth round. She was then given the anticipated championship word, but misspelled it. A new one-word round began with all three girls, spelling in their original order. The same thing happened in the sixth round. Finally, in the seventh round, two finalists were eliminated and Bailey won as she correctly spelled the championship word.
Noah Webster, one of America’s founders and author in 1806 of the first truly American dictionary, urged altering many words to eliminate what he called “needless confusion,” such as changing “tongue” to “tung” and “women” to “wimmen.” Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain, and others opined, “Pity a man who can only spell a word one way.” Maybe we’ll have to take those thoughts into account for next year’s spelling bee.
Dads and daughters enjoy date night at Sweetheart Ball
by Patty Unruh
Move over, Fred and Ginger. The dads and daughters at the ninth annual Sweetheart Ball at the Gilpin County Community Center could have danced all night…and they did. These enthusiastic pairs could really trip the light fantastic.
Sixty five girls ranging in age from two up to thirteen were registered with their fathers for the February 9th event. A number of them had been to the event every year since they were old enough to stand. Fathers and daughters alike agreed that their favorite part of the evening was simply spending time together. The daddy-daughter duos obviously had a “ball,” and it was sweet to see the affection the pairs had for one another.
The daughters were every bit the beautiful and sweet princesses who inspired pride in their fathers. The young ladies were dressed to the nines in their most elegant gowns of red, pink, purple, or white. Just for this special evening, their hair was curled and dusted with glitter, their nails were polished, their lips glossed. Most of the mountain men dads were also resplendent in button-down shirts and ties, even tuxes, some matching their daughter’s colors.
Community Center staff had outdone themselves to make the evening as elegant as a young girl’s heart could desire. They had bathed the “ballroom” (multi-purpose room) in a rosy glow from red tissue-covered lights and tastefully decorated the tables with foil heart centerpieces on red tablecloths. Fabric bunting was draped from a large crepe paper bouquet in the center of the ceiling, which stirred gently in a faint breeze. Tangerine-hued balloons gently bumped against small feet, inviting the youngest dancers to a game of “hot potato.”
Dads and daughters swung each other around the floor, doing every move from the foxtrot to hip hop to a conga line. Preschool sweeties joined hands in ring-around-the-rosy, and a few young elementary girls showed off their version of break dancing. Partners strutted their stuff to a mix of country and classic rock. Everywhere, girls hugged their fathers and dads gazed warmly at their laughing, twirling young sweethearts.
Besides dancing, the couples feasted from a buffet that featured chicken nuggets, fresh veggies, little dough-wrapped sausages, chips, cookies, and dad-pleasing barbequed meatballs.
To commemorate the special evening, each girl received a goody bag that contained a stuffed animal, balloons, and a tea light candle with holder. The candle holder was imprinted with “Sweetheart Ball 2013.” Community center director Kathi Lambert said some girls have quite a collection of the little holders from past years.
Since dads are eager to show their girls a good time, but aren’t always sure what to do, the Center staff supplemented the dancing with clever crafts. Several father-daughter teams decorated paper tiaras for the girls to wear with their gowns, or made hearts from crayon scratch art.
Robert Ruwaldt was there with his daughter Langley, age 10, who advised that the crafts were the most fun part of the evening. “I love to draw,” she said.
For dad William and his daughter Alexia, age seven, dancing together was the highlight of their time together. Alexia loved “dancing and hanging out with my dad.”
Mike McLaughlin brought his two girls, Kyleigh, age six, and Rory, age two. This was Rory’s first time at the ball, but Kyleigh had been to the event with her father three or four times before. McLaughlin’s favorite part of the event was getting a chance to dance with his girls.
Skyley Ramsey, age seven, attended the ball with her dad Lee. Her two older sisters had beautifully styled her hair in long waves for the occasion.
Dad Chris Turner was resplendent in a tux, with daughter Hayley, 12, “spending quality time together.” A smiling Turner said Hayley’s mom got some “me time” for the evening by going out to dinner with friends.
The cost for the ball was $18 per couple, with $7 for each additional sweetheart. The money collected for the Valentine’s event and the Winter Arts Festival from December 2012 will be used to cover the costs for this year’s Easter and Halloween events.
Central City’s Knights of Pythias Cemetery
By Linda Jones
Fred Rowe was buried in the Knights of Pythias Cemetery above Central City in 1914 with an elegant stone memorial to mark his grave, but Fred’s stone traveled to the ‘big city.’ Thanks to an alert recycler, the errant tombstone has been returned to Central City, and the Gilpin Historical Society will return it to its rightful location next summer.
John Hatfield picks up asphalt, wood and concrete to be recycled by Oxford Recycling. On that eventful day he had already dumped two loads without checking their contents, but on his third trip, he felt compelled to check on the load before he drove “up the hill” and dumped it, where it would be immediately crushed. When he looked in the load, he spied the corner of the tombstone. Hatfield has always been a collector who values the rich history of our state, so he talked a friend into helping him move the 250 pound stone to his pickup.
After the stone was safely stored in his yard, John called his friend Art Hill, who located information on Fred Rowe on the internet and learned where the stone belonged. He then called Colleen Stewart, Gilpin County Clerk & Recorder, and told her they planned to leave the stone at the entrance gate to the Pythias Cemetery. She thought that the stone left unprotected through the winter would probably ‘walk’ again and a meeting and transfer was arranged for Sunday, February 10, at Washington Hall, where the Gilpin Historical Society can safeguard it until it is relocated.
Dave Main is a close friend of John and Art – in fact, the three graduated together from Littleton High School – and they are all descendants of pioneer Colorado families; they all proudly sport ‘Pioneer’ plates on their vehicles. They met a welcoming committee of six in front of Washington Hall: Maggie Demers, the guide at Washington Hall that day, Gail and Mike Keeler, Colleen and Jimmy Stewart and this author. All the locals were awed by the pristine condition of the stone. Other than a chip off each top corner, the stone looks untouched by weather or humans. The carvings on this lovely tombstone are more readable than any of the other stones a century old in the county, which leads to a theory that this stone was ‘robbed’ from the gravesite about the middle of the 20th century. The stone gives Fred’s birth year as 1869, although the internet site ‘USGenWeb Archives’ gives it as 1860. The stone gives his death year as 1914, which would make him 44 years old, and apparently he was a single miner.
The Knights of Pythias Lodge was established in America in 1864 and is an international, non-sectarian organization. Their principles are Friendship, Charity and Benevolence, thus explaining the large letters F, C and B on the engraved stone, which also has flowers and a lovely gate etched into it.
The Central City community thanks the three men for their stewardship of this gravestone. The cemeteries surrounding the early gold towns in Gilpin County have suffered from countless acts of destruction through the years, and everyone involved is grateful that John, Art and Dave chose to do the right thing.
Photo: (L-R) Art Hill, John Hatfield, rescuer of the stone, and Dave Main.
30 Years Ago – February 18, 1983
A volcano, a steam engine, an automatic dog feeder and “Herman,” a large poster displaying the human skeleton, were just a few of the projects displayed at the Re-1 Science Fair last week.
Sometime between midnight Thursday and early Monday morning, the second floor offices of the Weekly Register-Call (the old print shop) were burglarized. Janet Davis, editor, discovered the break-in about 9:30 Monday morning and reported the incident to the publisher, William C. Russell, Jr. and the Central City Police Department. Russell compiled a list of missing items for the police department and has offered a $500 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprits.
A Boulder man was killed February 12 in a plane crash on the Grand County side of Rollins Pass, about a mile south of the major trestle. The man’s 14-year-old son was found wandering around about a mile from the crash site by the sheriff’s Search and Rescue Department and volunteers from the Winter Park ski area. He sustained minor injuries.
The results of the survey concerning the possibility of a four-day school week during the 1983-84 school year at Gilpin County School were released this week. 104 questionnaires were completed and returned. Under the preference of schedule, 24 favored the Tuesday through Friday week, 65 favored the Monday through Thursday week and 15 were in favor of keeping the 5-day week.
The crew putting in the city water line placed a fire hydrant at the west corner of the museum building on East Third High Street the week past. They placed two posts in position to protect the hydrant and on the tops, the year on one and on the other, their initials, K.W., E.M. and R.J. for Ken Wolfe, Ernie Marquez and Robert Judd.
The lady conducting tours at the Teller House is Char Kidd.
Deputy Steve Foellmer investigated a report of shots being fired and striking the ground near three horseback riders in Lake Gulch.
Queen Marnie Collins and King Rich Ihme reigned at the Gilpin County School homecoming dance which was held February 12 at the Central City Elks Lodge.
This is the time of year when Christmas is over every shoulder and summer way off on the distant horizon.
60 Years Ago – February 13, 1953
A dozen or so injections of Penicillin in the warm, pink and pure flesh of his basement, is making it necessary for Rae Laird to sleep on his stomach and write his articles standing up. But he’s back, a little weak in the pins, a tremble of the hands, and a voice like a rasp filing over a piece of steel.
The Central Hotel, owned and operated by Mr. Earl Person, has been renovated, cleaned and each room newly papered and decorated. New mattresses, springs and beds have been installed, and it is now one of the finest small hotels in Colorado.
Barbara Galbraith, County Clerk & Recorder, states that all Automobile license plate numbers uncalled for will be sold after February 10th.
Funeral services were held here Wednesday afternoon from the Methodist church for Dr. Aych Becker, who died last week in Boulder. Dr. Becker has been a resident of Central City for the past ten years, after retiring from his profession in Denver. He was 79 years of age, and is survived by his wife and one son. Interment was in Bald Mountain cemetery.
Joe Ress, of Russell Gulch, writes that his ship U.S.S. Heed will stop at Gibraltar, the first stopping place on the Mediterranean cruise. They have encountered considerable rough weather, so the voyage is a lively one.
Work is to begin as quickly as possible on the erection of the Central City Milling and Mining Corporation’s 50 ton selective flotation process mill to handle the ore from the Essex extension of the Eureka vein.
The 6 cent per gallon state gas tax can be deducted by Colorado motorists when they file their federal income tax returns, the Rocky Mountain AAA Club announces.
Wanted: Builder to remodel the old Morgan house on Spring Street.
The recent importation of Spanish red-legged partridges from Spain by the Colorado Game and Fish department through the assistance of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has resulted in a language problem for the department. All information concerning the capture and shipment of the birds was in Castilian Spanish, which varies from the Spanish generally spoken here. The department has obtained a translator and 100 of the birds were released in Las Animas county while others are being cared for at the department bird farm in Colorado Springs.
House for Sale in Black Hawk: 1-story, frame, 4 rooms, full basement, 1-car garage. Ten years old. All utilities included. Full price, $3,600, $400 down. Or make offer.
If we don’t print the scandals, people tell us our paper is minus features and interesting up-to-date news, and call us lazy. If we print the scandals (and by the way, there is sure plenty of it), people tell us we are vile and untruthful. If business is bad, it’s because the editor wants too much money for his advertising space. If business is good, advertising hasn’t anything to do with it, but conditions are right. If we print what pleases people, that is our duty and we deserve no credit. If we print what is displeasing, we are a grouch and a crepehanger and don’t deserve the patronage of the public. If we print the news as it is actually, people call us over the phone and tell us to stop their paper. If we print the mining news, people tell us that we have no business with their affairs and to leave these things alone until they give us permission. If we don’t print the mining news, people tell us we are dead and don’t know how to run a newspaper to boost the camp. If subscribers want to bawl out anybody – the editor’s the goat. Oh, editing a newspaper is sure a pleasant business, is it not?
90 Years Ago – February 16, 1923
At the regular monthly meeting of the Central City council, City Marshal and street and water commissioner reported the fixing of basketball room, other city matters in good shape, and a plentiful supply of water.
Complaints having been made that the Rocky Mountain Mine building was in bad shape, it was generally discussed and the Central City council condemned its condition. The owner will be notified to repair or remove it within 90 days.
The Cold Spring, one of the most famous of the tungsten mines of the Nederland District, is to be opened in March. Manager William Loach of the Wolfe Tongue Company, which owns the mine is now in the east.
The powder puff is a mighty weapon when two women are at war with each other.
Charles Ray in “Midnight Bell,” in six reels, will be the picture at the opera house on Saturday evening.
About six inches of snow fell in Apex on Monday and the wind of Tuesday drifted the snow in the county road. Mr. Robbins had to leave his auto about two miles below Apex, and carry the mail to its destination.
News from Russell Gulch is that Frank Vivian and partner are shipping ore from their lease on the Two Forty mine to Idaho Springs this week. Chris Plint and two Pallaro boys have a lease on the Morning Star mine and started work on Wednesday. The Crown Point Mine is equipped with electrical machinery and work will commence shortly.
Five years have been added to our expectation of life since 1901, according to the life-tables for 1920 which have just been compiled. A child born in 1901 was likely to live to be only 49.2 years old, a child born in 1910 could expect to live to be 51.5. Today the newborn baby will probably live to be at least 54.3 years old.
Honest people should welcome an investigating committee. It removes any doubt that might lurk in their own minds.
Hereafter, if the City of Central supplies water to the City of Black Hawk, the same shall be paid for in cash, instead of registered warrants.
The practice of running water at night to prevent freezing was condemned by the Central City council.
The dance given by the Neighbors of Woodcraft on Saturday evening in Black Hawk was the event of the season and everybody in attendance enjoyed themselves to the limit.
Tuesday morning at the recess hour at the Black Hawk School, Mr. McNeil’s boy and a son of Mrs. Cassagranda, lads about 10 years of age, were fighting on the school grounds, and Professor St. John, the principal of the school, was called to quell the disturbance. He took the lads in the school building, and with a small switch gave them a mild punishment, and they were sent home. Reports are that when the Cassagranda lad arrived home his mother boxed his ears for fighting and made him go back to school. When the McNeil lad arrived home and told his father that the professor had licked him, Mr. McNeil mounted his fiery Pegasus and lost no time in getting to the school room. When he entered the Professor’s room, Mr. St. John was filling several ink bottles from a quart bottle, and with a remark by McNeil of whether “this was a slaughter house,” he grabbed St. John, and in the tussle which followed the contents of the ink bottle were scattered over both contestants, many of the scholars, and desks and floor. Mr. St. John was thrown down between the seats with McNeil on top of him. The children were frightened and ran from the room to the street asking for help. Marshal Klais responded and placed McNeil under arrest. Justice Kruse found McNeil guilty of the charge of assault and battery and fined him $20 and costs.
120 Years Ago – February 17, 1893
Last Monday night between 10 and 11 o’clock, Frank Mativi, an Austrian miner about 20 years of age, was seriously injured while working in one of the back-stopes of the Fiske Mine. It seems that he had drilled a hole and was in the act of charging it with high explosives, and was using a tamping-bar to seat the charge in the bottom of the hole. All of a sudden there was an explosion, Mativi receiving a large portion of the charge in his face and on his hands and arms. He was taken to the shaft put in a bucket and raised to the surface. Dr. Davidson was summoned, who found his face badly lacerated, both eyes and his hands injured. Although he could distinguish objects, his vision was somewhat dimmed. The doctor thinks he will be able to save his eyesight. The injured man is being cared for by his brother who resides in Chase Gulch. There is no blame attached to anyone for the accident, except Mativi.
A musician never knows how much his playing is not appreciated until the folks in the next house complain of it.
Tuesday morning between 1 and 2 o’clock, a bright flame was seen issuing from the shaft-house of the Ivanhoe mine, Nevada District. Mr. Charles E. Stevens, the general manager, was among the first on the ground, but the fire had got such headway before being discovered that it was impossible to quench the flames. It is the impression of Mr. Stevens that the fire caught from the inside, without anybody’s aid, from unknown causes. The building was entirely destroyed and the machinery injured. The loss entailed is $3,000, upon which there was an insurance of $1,500.
Last Thursday evening General Eugene K. Stimson’s case which was on trial in Denver on a charge of forgery, closed, the jury brining in a verdict of “not guilty,” after being out less than five hours. The General’s many friends in Gilpin County extend congratulations to him. There was a little spite work in this case.
Cholera and crinoline appear to be the evils of which the world is most afraid. It is difficult to choose between them.
Denver dealers are claiming that the high price of lard is affecting the price of butter. There is nothing said about the scarcity of water affecting the price of milk.
The grand masquerade ball of the Black Hawk Silver Cornet Band, given at Sons of America Hall in the Quartz Mill city, was one of the most successful affairs, both socially and financially, that has occurred in that city for many a day. In the grand march there were over fifty couples en masque, and it was with great difficulty that the prompter, Mr. John Cronin, could keep the maskers in proper line. The grand parade en masque through the streets of Black Hawk, Central and Nevadaville, was a great event and drew crowds of spectators along the streets paraded. The Jerusalem ponies ridden by the maskers caught the attention of the school boys and girls.
A 20-stamp custom mill formerly run at Idaho Springs has been taken down and removed to the head of Cumberland gulch on the southerly slope of Yankee Hill and will be erected at once. This was the great detriment of the mine owners of that section. Heretofore they have been dependent upon the Black Hawk and Idaho Springs custom mills. The cost of transportation of ore was great, that of from $30 to $40 per cord, which proved a serious drawback in opening up the recently discovered gold-bearing veins. The site of the new mill could not have been better, as it is a downhill haul to it from a large proportion of the veins that have been opened.
Died: In Black Hawk, February 13, 1893, Thomas Osborne, aged 67 years.
Died: In Russell Gulch, William, son of William Mellow, Sr., aged 10 years.
A big strike of smelting ore has been made in the Gold Rock Company’s Springdale Mine in Russell District. Mr. J. Ben Lewis, superintendent of the mine, reports “We have struck it at last in the 360 foot level east. Have driven through rock harder than the rock of ages for a long distance, and now have over 3 feet of smelting ore; the biggest body of ore I have ever seen in the Springdale.”
135 Years Ago – February 9, 1878
The First National Bank today ships a gold brick weighing 1,205.75 ounces, valued at $24,000, from the Boston & Colorado Company’s works.
John Morrissey is reported out of danger. His wife cured him by administering to him a decoction of watermelon seeds.
Matches with Belleview Christian and Cornerstone Christian
by Patty Unruh
It was a mixed bag for the girls’ basketball team last week, with one win and one loss. The Lady Eagles’ record now stands at 12-3.
Against Cornerstone Christian
The Lady Eagles blasted the Cornerstone Christian Bulldogs 45-14 in a league battle January 29 on the Bulldogs’ home court.
Stephanie Siegrist played with the team again after being sidelined with an injury to her ankle in the Eagles’ match against Vanguard on January 19. The team has been hampered by other injuries this season, also. Andi Ramsey, who injured the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee during the game against Vanguard, intends to return to play soon. Ramsey does not plan to have surgery, but instead intends to wear a brace and play when the knee is stronger.
Samantha Peterson led the Eagles in scoring against Cornerstone with 14 points, followed by Khristine Barr with nine, Katura Sales with seven, and Ashlen Cortez with five. Most of the Eagles players managed to get points on the board.
Peterson and Barr both shot four two-point field goals and Sales shot three. Cortez and Delainey Lepro also contributed two apiece and Maria Garcia put in one. Peterson also dunked in one three-point shot.
Several of the team members sank free throws as well. Peterson had three free throws and Alyssa Chareunsouk had two. Barr, Sales, Cortez, Garcia, and Stephanie Siegrist each made one, for a total of ten.
The ladies got an amazing 22 defensive and ten offensive rebounds. Peterson had six steals, and Sales and Cortez each had three. Garcia and Barr snatched two steals apiece, and Lepro and Siegrist each grabbed one.
In the game with Cornerstone Christian, the junior varsity Lady Eagles got nudged 31-36.
Battle with Belleview Christian
The Lady Eagles were disappointed in their bout with Belleview Christian at home on February 1. The final score was 40-29, with Belleview leading all the way. Gilpin managed to battle within a two-point striking distance in the third quarter, but the Bruins rallied and widened the gap dramatically in the final period.
Ashlen Cortez was top scorer for the Eagles with nine points. Khristine Barr followed her with six points. Katura Sales added five points and Samantha Peterson three.
Two-point field goals were shot by Barr, Sales, and Alyssa Chareunsouk. Cortez also plunked in a three-pointer. Sales added three free throws, with Garcia shooting two, and Lepro and Siegrist one apiece.
Gilpin did well on rebounds, grabbing a total of 28, plus ten steals, with Peterson nabbing five of those.
The Bruins simply outshot the Eagles, with a field goal percentage of 36 percent for the Bruins compared to 23 percent for the Eagles. Top scorers for the Bruins were MacKenzie Woods and Sydney Ahaneku with 12 points each. They grabbed 20 defensive rebounds from the Eagles and stole the ball 15 times.
The junior varsity won their game against Belleview 22-19, forging ahead in the fourth quarter to win. Prior to that, Belleview had been ahead all the way.
Basketball action with Cornerstone and Belleview
by George Snyder
The rope for climbing out of the dark cellar of last place in the 5280 League became more slippery for the Gilpin County men’s basketball team when they lost to two of the league’s lesser lights last week. The Eagles dropped games to Cornerstone Christian 56-35 and to Belleview Christian 58-37, leaving them with a league record of 1-5 and a season record of 2-13. A victory this Tuesday over Rocky Mountain Lutheran is essential, as the Eagles’ other league opponents are unbeaten and number-one in state ranked Shining Mountain and powerhouse Jim Elliot.
Failure to control the fast break was the primary cause of both losses. Cornerstone jumped out to a 25-10 half time lead as the Eagles shot badly and rebounded poorly offensively. Actually, Gilpin’s half-court defense held Cornerstone’s offense to less than 20 points, but uncontested fast breaks led to unhappy outcome of the game. Belleview capitalized on fast break layups and shot over 50% from the field in accumulating a 35-18 half time lead. The Eagles attempted a comeback in the second half, but the fast breaks kept them down too far to make any significant progress in catching up.
Freshman Chase Boulter led the Gilpin scoring with 16 points in each game. In the Cornerstone game, sophomore Dalton Dziedzic garnered 11 points, despite being guarded by Cornerstone’s all-league senior Evan Ice.
Along with the Rocky Mountain Lutheran game on Tuesday, the Eagles travel to arch-rival Nederland on Friday for a second game this season. In the first meeting between the two teams, Gilpin came very close to upsetting the Panthers at the Gilpin gym. The Rocky Mountain Lutheran game is the final home game of the season, while the remaining three games are all on the road.
Cancer will do that
By Lynn Volkens
I stepped outside last Thursday afternoon to get a couple of logs from the woodpile. A gust of wind met me full on, lifting my hair away from my face – and blowing it clean off my head. I watched, through squinted eyes, as my light-brown-turning-grey bangs disappeared, spiraling almost in a piece, high above the house and then disintegrating like a particle explosion; individual strands were whisked away in all directions. It made me think of settler women who cut their menfolks’ hair each spring, then loosed the winter’s trimmings to the wind in hopes the soft bedding material would encourage songbirds to nest nearby. It also struck me funny.
Admittedly, I have an irreverent, borderline “dark” sense of humor, ala “the Darwin awards” (Google it). So, rather than curse the incessant wind, I decided to put it to use and have some good cleaning fun in the process On Friday morning, as Gilpin’s gales continued to blow heartily up the valley, pummeling the edifice of my home, I stepped out onto the stoop, hatless, bearing a large-toothed comb. Turning my back to the wind, I tucked the comb beneath my hair, and drew it straight up from the nape of my neck. With the completion of each stroke, Gilpin’s wind gusts huff ‘n puffed my hair away right before my very eyes. It was absurd – and it felt great. I laughed at the silliness of it. Who says cancer isn’t funny? (Remember, I warned you about my sense of humor.)
It was two weeks to the day, following my first session of chemotherapy, (chemo) that my hair follicles broke for freedom. For several days prior to that, my scalp had become increasingly, migratorily, tender to the touch; first at the crown, then behind my right ear, then my right temple. And so it went, as each cellular section of follicles gave up the ghost. I’m sure they encouraged each other to “let go, let go” for their en masse demise followed quickly. Soon I was wearing my hair just about everywhere but on my head.
Bald is cancer’s billboard. I’d taken efforts, since November, when I was first diagnosed with stage two breast cancer, to keep my illness quiet, private. I told only family members, close friends and a select few colleagues. Several Weekly Register–Call readers took notice when I missed some work in December. I was recovering from the lumpectomy surgery that removed the tumor and tracked the cancer’s invasion to my lymph nodes and beyond. Its escape from the in situ tumor is the reason I’m doing chemo – followed by radiation, a full seven months of treatments if I want the best chance of beating the disease. I knew chemo meant I’d lose my hair, and yep, here I am, bald as a speckled pastel pink cue ball. There’s certainly no hiding my cancer now.
So, standing outside my house, releasing my locks to the 50 mph “winds of change,” I reflected on what this depilatory devastation was going to mean to me. It was refreshing, in a way – renewing. Chemo drugs identify cancer cells by their rapid reproduction. Like heat-seeking missiles, they hone in on those exponential multipliers and kill them. Hair cells, by way of also being rapid reproducers, become collateral damage. As goes my hair, so go those nasty cancer cells. That’s a reassuring thought. When my new hair grows in (by next fall, I might be “fuzzy”) it will signify completion of what I hope will be a successful cancer-cleansing, and a literal renewal of life. Meanwhile, I’m adjusting to the process.
One thing I realized right away – having no hair meant my head was going to be cold. I recalled a funny pre-Christmas conversation with Roy Stewart at the Last Shot, (who is himself follicle-impaired), in which he opined about the high-altitude perils of unprotected pate exposure. His were words for the wise. In other words, words that I frequently use in my reporting for this newspaper, adjusting to the process brought with it “unanticipated financial impact.” (I’ve spent the past couple of months looking at a lot of governmental budgets.) In that lingo, I translated Roy’s cautionary tale to mean that I needed a supplemental appropriation to my general operating fund under the line item, “Hats.” Well, actually, I’ll have to create that line item, first. Ditto, the line item, “Sunscreen.” (To offset costs, I’ll just decrease the line item amounts for “Shampoo” and “Haircuts,”). Non-governmental translation: “I get to go shopping.”
For those occasions when I want to appear “normal” (as normal as can be for a person who always carries the latest in portable oxygen tank, with coordinating canula), I concluded I should wear a wig. I’m thinking I could have some fun with that. It will also be fun digging out all those scarves I used to wear in the ‘80’s (yes, I still have them – my daughter finds them invaluable accessories for her “retro” wardrobe). And I’m going to need new earrings – big bold, outrageous earrings, the likes of which I never wore when my hair just hid them anyway. Over the years, I’ve leaned more and more toward a no-fuss “wash and wear” hair style. For most of 2013, I won’t have to worry about any (nada) “bad hair” days; in fact these “no hair” days represent the lowest low-maintenance “do” I’ve ever had. (I had all of the remaining hangers-on buzzed off, once I was done playing outside.)
I doubt too many passers-by actually saw me casting my hairs to the wind last week. (Too bad it was Friday – I missed the school bus. Think about that, and if you aren’t smiling, you have no sense of humor, dark, irreverent or otherwise.) If there were folks who caught me in the act, they must have done a double-take, seeing the hair fly, as it were. It is a ridiculous visual. I think the re-telling would make a pretty funny story, too, so I hope any spectators appreciate my thoughtfulness in providing it. I also hope the mountain bluebirds will find some of my wind-shorn strands to cushion their nesting boxes. (According to the groundhog, the “blues” should be arriving fairly soon.) And, once my oncologist stops playing hair-dresser, I don’t mind saying that I’m hoping my hair grows back with a natural curl and an auburn hue. Cancer involves all kinds of hope, after all, so why not go for broke?