Features

When Breckenridge native and former Evergreen resident Shelli Kelly says that she works a double, she doesn’t mean a shift.
Kelly is the female backup singer for two bands that set the bar high when it comes to “show.” A couple weeks ago, Shelvis and the Roustabouts rocked the Little Bear to beats from the ‘50s. As the name implies, there’s a strong breath of Elvis woven into the act, and lead singer and guitarist Lori Muha packs a surprise revealed only at the end of the night.

You’re never too young to find your passion.
Elvis Rankin of Evergreen discovered his passion at 3 1/2 when his grandfather introduced him to his first midget racecar.
Today at age 9, he has won an abundance of awards competing in Quarter Midget Racing and has a car in the American Museum of Speed in Lincoln, Neb.
Elvis, along with his parents, Randy and Lisa Rankin, joined Rocky Mountain Quarter Midget Association after Elvis turned 5, and he has been racing every since.

A Conifer student personifies the notion that young people can make a difference.

Kayla Wolins, 15, a freshman at Colorado Academy, has donated more than $18,000 over the last three years to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, a haven for large animals such as bears, tigers, lions and coyotes.

Environmental concerns — including high lead levels in tap water at Jeffco schools, a dangerous chemical found buried at the Lockheed-Martin plant in South Jeffco, and the effects of planned development in the Rooney Valley — dominated the headlines in Jefferson County news last year.

Toxic waste found buried at Lockheed Martin facility

In many respects, 2016 was a year characterized by loss in the 285 Corridor — none perhaps felt as much as the loss of Park County sheriff’s Cpl. Nate Carrigan, who died Feb. 24 during a shoot-out after officers attempted to serve a “high-risk” eviction notice to Bailey resident Martin Wirth.

Wirth reportedly opened fire on the officers with a legally obtained .45-caliber rifle, killing Carrigan and wounding Deputy Kolby Martin and Capt. Mark Hancock. Wirth died at the scene.

Under a stream of glaring light, a rush of water gushed from a long hose. The spray splashed onto a colorless sheet of ice, which aided its molecular brethren in the freezing process. Two men clad in heavy gear and spiky shoes nimbly ran across the lake, moving snow out of the way and pulling the hose in the desired direction.

One rink took a mere 10 minutes to spray down, but there were several more to go.

The Mountain Rendezvous Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and American Legion Post 2001 commemorated the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday.

The ceremony included a reflection on those who died in the Pearl Harbor attack and the trials of World War II that followed. The chapter’s chaplain, Kathleen Schrader, led the group in benediction, calling to mind all those who gave their lives to defend the United States. And, American Legion member Vern Stelzer read President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous post-attack speech.

By Kevin M. Smith, for the Courier

Mountain area residents got into the holiday spirit on Saturday with the fifth annual Festival of Trees and Wine & Dine event at The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park.

“It’s my favorite event,” said Sharon Trilk, who helps coordinate the gala with the Conifer Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Service before self.”

That message was shared by several members of the military and the community with West Jefferson Middle School during a Veterans Day ceremony Friday morning.

“We went when we were called, to be part of something bigger than ourselves,” Sgt. 1st Class Peter Benning told the students during an assembly in the gymnasium.