Opera & its artists wil be inducted by Music HOF

By Don Ireland

nation’s
most
notable
opera
profes-
sionals,
including
fellow
inductees
Cynthia
Lawrence
and Keith
Miller.

Senior Reporter

When the Colorado Music Hall of
Fame conducts its first-ever “Opera
in the High County” this summer,
the spotlight won’t solely shine
on the historic Central City Opera
(CCO). The HOF will also induct
several of the opera’s singer-pro-
fessionals and its late conductor/
music director during the June 29
ceremonies.

The Hall event, at its first “des-
tination” induction, will celebrate
the CCO’s history and three indi-
viduals who have helped contribute
to the organization’s success over
the years. They include Cynthia
Lawrence, Keith Miller and the late
John Moriarty.

Moriar-
ty passed
on Jan.
5, 2022,
at the
age of 91.
“While
much of
his pro-
fessional
career
was spent
at Cen-
tral City
Opera, his
impact on
the opera
industry is
far-reach-
ing,” said General/Artistic Direc-
tor Pelham “Pat” Pearce. “He was
an exceptional teacher and helped
develop the careers of some of the
most renowned opera performers.”

This winter Central City Opera House in tranquil, but come June 29 it will be the
place to be, because the Opera will be inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of

bachelor’s degree and an honorary
doctor of music from the New Eng-
land Conservatory of Music, Mori-
arty has two named opera scholar-
ships at the Conservancy: The John
Moriarty Presidential Scholarship
and the John Moriarty Encourage-
ment Award. In his adopted town
of Central City, the John Moriarty
Award of the Central City Opera is
named after him. He was also the
recipient of the National Opera
Association Lifetime Achievement
Award.

Moriarty’s first professional
opera position was with Santa Fe
Opera, where he also founded an
artist training program. He also
worked as the training director and
conductor at Wolf Trap Opera, in
addition to several other notable
opera companies. He led the opera
departments at the Boston Con-
servatory of Music and the New
England Conservatory. Among his
publications is the widely assigned
education instruction manual  Dic-
tion . According to the CCO, train-
ing future opera stars was always
at the core of his work. Holding a

John Moriarty

Inductee photos courtesy CCO

John Moriarity
The late conductor/artistic direc-
tor for the CCO, Moriarty, created
the CCO’s Bonfils-Stanton Founda-
tion Artists Training Program in
1978. The program is considered a
national model for the professional
development of young singers. With
only 30 artists selected from 1,000
applicants yearly, the competitive
program has trained many of the

To honor his 30th anniversary
with Central City Opera, a street
next to the opera house in Central
City was renamed Moriarty Lane.

Keith Miller

Keith Miller
Miller is from one of Colorado’s
smallest towns, Ovid, with a
population of less than 300. A star
football player at the University of
Colorado Boulder, Miller went on
to play professional football before
shifting his career to opera. Once
an Apprentice Artist at Central City
Opera, Miller has had an impressive
musical career across the U.S., from
Colorado, where he served as the
Crested Butte Music Festival Opera
Director for six years to the iconic
Metropolitan Opera in New York
City. He performed in New York as
a principal artist for 18 years.

Cynthia Lawrence

Karen Radman, executive direc-
tor of the Hall, said, “Colorado
Music Hall of Fame is honored to
be presenting an opera-themed
induction class for the first time,
recognizing the important contribu-
tions that opera has made in music
while expanding to a new musical
genre for our inductees.  Opera in
the High Country , focused around
the impressive and historic Central
City Opera and those whose careers
were influenced by it, also expands
The Hall of Fame’s reach into the
Colorado mountains and out of the
metro area. This June 29 event in
Central City will be the first of many
destination inductions that The Hall
plans to host statewide. With all
it has to offer, we really hope that
folks from across the state and out-
of-state tourists come out and cel-
ebrate opera with us in Central City
for a summer weekend this year.”

Cynthia Lawrence
Lawrence serves as the Endowed
Chair for Voice and Opera at the
University of Kentucky School of
Music. An alumna of the University
of Colorado Boulder, the soprano
became a principal artist with doz-
ens of opera companies across the
globe and in Colorado, including
Central City Opera, Colorado Opera
Festival and the Fort Collins Opera.
Boasting over 70 performances with
Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, Law-
rence has taken on some of opera’s
most iconic parts. As a dedicated
music educator, Lawrence con-
ducts Master Classes and serves as
a judge for the Metropolitan Opera
National Council Auditions.

1st: Legal & Clasifi ed section

By Don Ireland
By Don Ireland

“That didn’t go very well. We
heard a lot about Sasquatch
(also called Bigfoot) and, if
you look today, it’s still well
advertised, So we decided to
go with Sasquatch. They’re
still looking for the sasquatch
on the internet and TV. The
sasquatch’s name sets up apart
from the other casinos.”
A Michigan artist designed
the gi-
ant, hairy
Sasquatch
creature that
welcomes
visitors who
walk in the
door. “The
artist said he
saw a Sas-
quatch run
up the hill
when he was
12 years old.
He got many
books about
it and later
designed
and built our
Sasquatch.
There is no
question in
his mind that
these are real.
He also built
another one
that is in our
Squatch gas
station,” said
Ed.
Many peo-
ple stop to snap a selfie with
the beast. They also venture
a few feet away to a small,
hairy sculpture that includes
a sign, “Rub the Sasquatch
butt for good luck.” Nearby, a
series of photos show how the
statue was built.
The present-day Sasquatch
operation is larger than when
it originally opened. The
Smiths purchased two smaller
spaces at the west end of their
place and made them part of
their casino. One section in-
cludes a small arcade section,
so children can play various
video games because state
law prohibits those under the

PART TWO
By Don Ireland
Senior Reporter
Ed and Shirley Smith are
considered casino legends
in Colorado. Married for 61
years, they never imagined
where their future would lead
when they exchanged vows.
Before gaming arrived, they
also operated a convenience
store and laundromat in Black
Hawk.
More than 60 years ago, Ed
had a friend in Fort Collins.
The man was dating a woman
from Wyoming and wanted
his lady friend to get someone
to go on a double date. That
woman convinced Shirley to
go along. That night, Ed met
Shirley… the rest became
history.
“She was from New Castle,
and I was from Rifle,” said
Ed. “Both of us had been in
4-H in our areas but never
really met. It was on that
double-date, a blind date for
Shirley and I, that we met,”
he added. “She and I had very
similar backgrounds with
farming and ranching. We
thought about things in the
same way.”
Ed and Shirley were mar-
ried in 1961.
Today, their family includes
four children (three sons and
one daughter), 14 grandchil-
dren and nine great-grandchil-
dren. The office walls at both
casinos are plastered with
family photos.
Shirley ran a laundromat
and convenience store in the
current Sasquatch space on
Gregory Street when gaming
arrived. “We rented the place
and had an option to buy,”
recalled Smith. “There were
quite a few shysters who came
and made promises, wanting
to take over. Shirley and I
decided to hold out because
we didn’t want to give away
our future for nothing.”
* * *
Selecting the appropriate
name for a casino can be chal-
lenging.
Picking the name for
the Wild Card Casino was
relatively simple because the
second floor of the historic
125 Gregory St. building (the
Sasquatch casino) contained
a stage and dance hall named
the Wild Card. The Wild Card
was established in a building
on Black Hawk’s Main Street
in 1995. The two casinos are
a stone’s throw away from
one another – especially if a
Bigfoot is hurling the stone.
On the other hand, it wasn’t
easy to choose the name for
the Smiths’ Sasquatch Casino.
Ed and Shirley were seeking
a new name for their Gregory
Street operation when they
went to dinner at a Chinese
restaurant in Idaho Springs.
“We talked to the Chinese
girl who worked there, and
she said, ‘This is the year
of the red rat.’ We thought
about the name ‘The Red Rat’
and laughed,” Ed recounted.

Drone light shows
replacing traditional fireworks

PART ONE
(Editor’s note: Senior
Reporter Don Ireland
sat down with Ed Smith,
who, along with his wife
Shirley, have been casino
and business owners for
more than three decades
in Black Hawk. This story
chronicles some of the
highs, lows and experienc-
es of the couple, who are
considered casino legends
in Colorado.)

Age of Drones
By Don Ireland

recalled,
members of
the state leg-
islature went
to the Brown
Palace to
smoke after
their session
concluded
for the day.
“When they
wrote the
[anti-smok-
ing] law,
they decided
if a certain
percentage
of your sales
was at a cer-
tain level or
over $50,000
per year in
[tobacco]
sales, you
could con-
sider your-
self a ‘cigar
bar’ and
continue to
allow smoking. So, we, and
about 40 or 50 other places
in Colorado, declared our-
selves as cigar bars. Our sales
exceeded $50,000, so we met
the criteria of becoming a
cigar bar.”
A few years later, other leg-
islators tried to pass a bill that
would’ve prevented smok-
ing from continuing inside
the Wild Card. “They were
trying to specifically get rid
of me.” However, the effort
failed. “We were very lucky,”
recalled Ed. “There was a
state house member who was
very knowledgeable, so it
ended up that they killed the

Hire UAV is scheduled to
conduct about 30 drone light
fireworks dis-
plays this year,
compared to
three in 2021.
While tradi-
tional fireworks
can be spotted
many miles
away, drone
light shows
can be seen
from about
two miles. The
drones, howev-
er, do some-
thing “cool.”
They can
change colors
and move in different direc-
tions and patterns – something
traditional fireworks cannot.
As reported last year in this
column, singer Dolly Parton’s

Dollywood amusement park
in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., has

If you were in Denver or
Aurora for the Fourth of July,
you probably watched tra-
ditional fireworks displays
lighting up the night skies.
Lakewood canceled its orig-
inally-planned display, citing
concerns over the recent dry
conditions that have firefight-
ers statewide on edge.
However, when Parker
and Castle Pines residents
looked to the skies in recent
nights, they didn’t see fire-
works – they saw drone light
shows. In Durango, officials
canceled the annual town July
4th fireworks show for a third
consecutive year. The town’s
residents and visitors still got
to see a sky show filled with
colorful drones flying and
forming unique patterns and
shapes.
As drone technologies con-
tinue to expand and improve,
we should expect to see drone
light shoes replacing tradi-
tional fireworks in the years
to come. Sure, the regular
fireworks surprise us with
bursts of light and ear-cover-
ing booms. There are several
reasons why drone displays
may take over the skies in
future years.
Fire is the primary reason
fueling the change. What
town council wants to spend
$30,000 to $100,000 (or
more) for fireworks, then face
lawsuits if the display hits the
earth and starts a blaze?
Holiday fireworks touched
off small brush fires in Doug-
las County in December 2021,
only days before the destruc-
tive Marshall Fire ignited in
Boulder on Dec. 30, burning
1,084 homes. With drones,
nothing burns…unless a rare
equipment failure causes the
drone to fall from the skies
and crash.
Another reason is the envi-
ronment. In today’s eco-sensi-
tive world, people are con-
cerned about things that burn
and spew dust and smoke
into the atmosphere- not to
mention ashes strewn on the
ground near the fireworks
launching site. Drones don’t
cause such pollution; they
can be recharged and used for
years.
Graham Hill, owner of Den-
ver-based Hire UAV Pro, said
fire concerns about traditional
fireworks displays have led to
many inquiries for his compa-
ny. (UAV is the acronym for
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,
commonly called drones.)
“We had hundreds of calls
following the Marshall Fire,”
Hill told 9News recently.
He noted that his company’s
drone displays are typi-
cally flown above paved or
manicured lawn areas, further
reducing potential fire danger.

the Wall Street Jour-
nal reported that drone
package
deliveries
began in
the Texas
community
of Little
Elm. Wing, a
subdivision
of Google,
teamed with
Walgreen to
fly packages
in an
experimental
program
that has
been under
discussion for
several years.
Using Wing’s drone-deliv-
ery app, customers can select
from 100 items, including
over-the-counter medicines

and household essentials, a
Walgreens spokesperson told
the WSJ. Products delivered
through other Wing custom-
ers, including ice cream from
Blue Bell Creameries, first-aid
kits from Texas Health Re-
sources and pet prescriptions,
will be handled from a mixed-
use development in Frisco,
Texas, by Wing employees.
Wing said deliveries will be
limited to “tens of thousands
of suburban homes” in Frisco
and Little Elm for now.
Please note: It could be
many years before anyone
considers using drones to
make deliveries in Gilpin
County, where maneuvering a
delivery drone could be chal-
lenging because of trees near
homes, not to mention sudden
wind gusts.

Drones
Drones

St. James Methodist celebrating more than 160 years as a church,
gathering place and historical icon in Central City

bill. Every year, something
new comes up. I’m surprised
I don’t have ulcers because
things can get very stressful
at times.”
Today, the Smiths continue
to operate the only casino in
Colorado where smoking is
permitted.
It wasn’t the first time Ed
and Shirley encountered is-
sues with politicians. “Before
the casino could open, we
were required to pay the City
of Black Hawk for parking
and transportation,” recalled
Smith. He said they paid $6
million to Black Hawk to par-
ticipate in a parking program,
which called for casino pa-
trons to park in lots up Grego-
ry Hill and use shuttle buses
to get back and forth during
the early days of gaming. The
Smiths didn’t get their money
back when the plan eventu-
ally fizzled. “The city fathers
seem to have forgotten about
that,” he commented.

HAWK AND CENTRAL CITY

SINCE 18
SINCE 18

Last of two
parts

festivals annually.
Chinn is the director of historic
properties for the Central City Op-
era, a nearly century-old organiza-
tion that has brought thousands to
Central City. The opera also owns
more than two dozen historic prop-
erties in the city.
Phil Headrick has helped with the
maintenance of the church for many
years and helps at Emerl’s. He is a
volunteer fire captain for Central
City Fire Department, Jefferson
County Incident Management Team
(IMT), Rocky Mountain Blue IMG,
instructs firefighters on wildland fire
control and helps with the Colo-
rado Wildfire Incident Management
Academy.
Church Member Dorothy Sweet is
another congregation member who
impacts the Gilpin County com-
munity. She serves as a cashier at
Emerl’s and has many friends who
volunteer there, including Sharon
Bell, Sharon Perea, Robbie Zmuda,
Diane Martin, Jan Crego, Willy
Lickey (until she moved away) and
others. Sweet also volunteers at the
library, Timberline Fire Auxiliary
and the local Meals on Wheels pro-
gram. “This keeps me active and I
have met so many wonderful Gilpin
County people,” she noted.
Not only is Wes Broderius the
musical director at St. James, but
he is one of the few people who
know how to play the giant, historic
Steere pipe organ installed in 1899 in
the sanctuary. Previously, he was the
conductor for 34 years of the Lu-
theran Chorale and Orchestra, which
made seven concert trips to Europe
and Scandinavia. He was a music
professor at Concordia University in
Nebraska and an organist and choir
director at churches in Colorado,
Florida and Nebraska for a total of
67 years. Joked Broderius, “I’m older
than dirt, 89.”
Another well-known member is
Jeanne Key, whose husband, John,
was a descendant of Francis Scott
Key, who wrote the lyrics for the
American national anthem “The Star-
Spangled Banner,” in 1814.
Gail and Mike Keeler are also
highly involved with the church
and community. Mike works at the
Visitor’s Center on Eureka Street and
is a Central City Wild Bunch mem-
ber. He’s also been the emcee at the
Madam Lou Bunch bed races annu-
ally. On occasion, he acts with local
theater groups. He is a church board
member, changes the sign outside
the building weekly and performs
maintenance. Gail is on the church
council board as treasurer, secretary
and events coordinator. She compiles
the weekly church bulletin, handles
the landscaping and coordinates wed-
dings and funerals. The couple cleans
the church weekly and helps prepare
the building for the weekly service on
Sunday, which begins at 10 a.m. and
is followed by fellowship.
The couple also helps to coordinate
guest pastors and speakers while the
board is trying to find a new pastor.
The previous pastor, Rev. Dr. Scott J.
Schiesswohl, retired in May.

RCI planning
growth beyond
2 local casinos

drone fireworks shows nightly
during parts of its summer
season.
* * * *
About two weeks ago,

By Don Ireland
Senior Reporter
The scriptures
say, “You are the light
of the world. A city
built on a hill can-
not be hid” (Matthew
5:14). In many ways,
that Bible quote speaks
about St. James Meth-
odist Church. Not only
is the towering stone
building visible from
its hillside location on
Eureka Street, but also
congregation members
have shone brightly
in Central City with
decades of community
service and involvement
for more than 160 years.
That tradition contin-
ues today.
Since 1999, the
church has operated
Emerl’s Thrift Shop,
which is open from 10
a.m. until 2 p.m. on
Fridays and Saturdays
at 111 Eureka St., a few

Ed Smith hangs out with his Bigfoot buddy at the Sasquatch
Casino.
Photo by Don Ireland

age of 21 from loitering in a
casino.
When the Wild Card
opened in 1995, it included
space for a small convenience
store that continues today. It
also sells a lot of cigarettes
and cigars. About two de-
cades ago, the anti-smoking
movement began gaining
momentum in Colorado. In
2008, smoking was banned in
the state’s casinos.
The Smiths resisted the new
law, claiming their operation
fell under the state’s permit-
ted exemptions.
When the smoking bans
were being considered, Smith

Continued on next page

By Don Ireland
Senior Reporter

All dressed up for the church’s 164th homecoming this year were (seated) Wes Broderius, (bot-
tom row, l-r) Jonas and Jaclyn Schrock, Robbie Zmuda, Gary and Alynn Huffman, Chuck Fullen,
Sharon Wieland, Gail and Mike Keeler, Deborah Wray, John and Diane Martin, Kim and Greg
Graham, Eric Chinn, Ed Lewandowski, (top row) Colleen and Jim Stewart, Jeanne Key, Barbara
Thielemann, Glenda Allen, Sharon
Perea, Mary Pateigo, Tessa McQueen,
Matteo Adams, Karen Blaise, JoAnn
Kerr, Jody Losaw and Chris Duis.
Photo courtesy
St. James Methodist Church

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RCI Hospitality Holdings closed a $2.4 million
deal with Central City earlier this month to purchase
the former Scarlet’s Casino building at 130 Main St.
However, that acquisition is only the first of several
planned in Colorado by the adult-entertainment
company.
Eric Langan, RCI CEO and president, previously
announced plans to purchase three former casino
properties at the other end of Main Street, the former
Coyote Creek Casino at 101 Eureka Street and 98
and 102 Lawrence Street. The sale closing for those
properties is expected to occur before March 2023.
He estimated that RCI will spend approximately $24
million to purchase and remodel the two casinos,
which will open as new casinos – one featuring a
Rick’s Cabaret Steakhouse & Casino and the other
featuring a casino with a sportsbook/nightclub.
Central City isn’t the only metro Denver loca-
tion that RCI is eyeing for expanding its nationwide
collection of businesses, which includes strip clubs/
cabarets, restaurants and casinos. Last week, RCI
announced a $1.875 million deal to purchase the
Grange Food Hall on Arapahoe Road in Greenwood
Village. The Grange facility includes several restau-
rants, including the Crack Shack, Menya Ramen,
Seoul Mandoo, Tilford’s Wood Fired Pizza and Up-
town & Humbolt. The current property also has Little
Dry Creek Brewing, which would supply microbrews
to its other metro operations, according to RCI.

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doors down from St. James. Emerl’s
(also called Emerl’s Emporium) of-
fers a variety of items, ranging from
clothing, household goods, furniture,
toys, coffee makers, vases, electron-
ics and much more. All are donated.
You never know what you will
find at Emerl’s because the lineup
of offerings changes almost weekly.
There are items priced from $1 and
up. The store is staffed by volun-
teers, including people from differ-
ent faiths. It’s also a gathering place
where neighbors and friends meet
and chat about what’s happening
around town. Many people purchase
items but pay more than the listed
price, their way of contributing even
more to help the shop’s purpose.
Money collected at Emerl’s is
donated to people who need help
and worthwhile community causes,
ranging from fire victims to the
unemployed and struggling fami-
lies and individuals who could use
a helping hand. The shop gives
money to local groups, including
the local Gilpin County Food Pan-
try and the school prom.
Other congregation members are
driving forces in local organiza-
tions. The board of trustees for
Gilpin Historical Society includes
Mike Keeler (vice president), Col-
leen Stewart (secretary), Eric Chinn
and Deb Wray from the church.
Wray, a member of Central City’s
Historical Preservation Commis-
sion, also plays a part in helping
to run the church. Other church
members involved with the Gilpin
County Arts Association are Bar-
bara Thielemann, a member of the
Central City Planning Commission
and the chairman of the Central
City Main Street Commission,
which sponsors several community

Expect to see more drone light shows in the future, like the ones at Dollywood.
Photo courtesy of Dollywood

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Volunteers staff Emerl’s Thrift Shop. Linda Lehrer has
been helping for three years at the shop, which gets
many visitors and residents who come to check out
the bargains.
Photos by Don Ireland

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