'I'm in love with my country'

Under the big blue wall bearing tall, strong letters that spell out “Marines,” Taylor Houser and her mom, Shelley Sealy, say goodbye as Houser begins her first few hours as a Marine Corps recruit.

A small bag containing her driver’s license, Social Security card, toothbrush and cell phone is all Houser has with her. By Monday evening, Houser would trade the contents of that small bag for hard work, sweat and a career.

“Thousands of women have made it before me, so I’m not frightened,” Houser said. “But I’m nervous, because I don’t know what to expect.”

Marine Corps recruiter Sgt. Micah Soboleski chatted with Houser’s friends and mom as he waited for his new recruit to say her goodbyes. Houser is the only woman in this group, and on Monday she began 13 weeks of boot camp at Parris Island, S.C.

“In time I’ve grown more in love with my country,” Houser said. “I’m more than willing to go.”

Houser, 18, graduated from Conifer High School this year and decided that military life was for her. She talked with the recruiter and decided she should research the different military branches and talk to veterans. After doing a little research, she learned that her grandfather had been a Marine.

“I thought about this a lot,” Houser said. “It just seems honorable.”

Honor through service is part of the fabric of Houser’s life, both for her older brothers in the Army and a few friends who also have joined the military. A good-natured, standard-issue competition among Houser and her friends over which service branch is superior is a running battle.

“It’s an ongoing war between me and my friends,” Houser said with a laugh.

Boot camp

Houser knows boot camp won’t be a walk around Evergreen Lake, and she’s tried to prepare herself physically by attending strength and endurance classes, called “pool functions,” sponsored by the Marine Corps. The new recruits are called “poolees,” and their relaxed civilian countenance in pictures on the recruiter’s wall is in sharp contrast to the smartly uniformed grads whose photos hang nearby. Houser’s confident that in 13 weeks her photo will be added to line of young, serious-looking Marines.

“The recruiter told me it wasn’t going to be easy,” Houser said. “There’s a lot more mental stuff that goes on — they have to break you down.”

She said she’s not allowed to have jewelry or makeup. Sealy asked Soboleski if she could send her daughter care packages during training. Soboleski said care packages from home only earn the recruit some deck time that can include extra workouts.

So the only thing Houser can expect from home is as many letters a day as people care to send her.

Houser is trying to understand life at Parris Island while she’s still in Conifer. She says she’s prepared for the intense training and being in constant motion, but probably won’t realize just how hard it is until she gets there.

“It’s not the life I’m living now,” she said. “I know I’ll have to wake up at 3 a.m. and run my butt off.”

Yet she remains undaunted by the prospect of the life-altering reality of boot camp.

“I have very high expectations for this,” she said.

On the feminine side of things, Houser said she has spent the last few months growing her hair out so it’s long enough to be pulled into a bun. She chose the bun over the “bob” cut even though part of her really wants to do away with her long blond hair all together.

“I want to shave my hair off and go G.I. Jane all the way,” Houser said.

Houser has gained 10 pounds preparing for boot camp; lifting weights and eating a high-protein diet have added muscle to her slight frame. She also says that, because of her “less-than-perfect” eyesight, she’ll have to wear “birth control glasses” — thick, dark frames that do little to make a woman’s face more attractive.

While conformity hasn’t been that hard to achieve so far, Houser knows her ultimate goal will be much more difficult. Though she’s slated for a position in intelligence, she really wants to be on the front lines. Reconnaissance is where Houser’s heart is, but women aren’t allowed in forward combat areas, she said.

‘Why not?’

Houser has been asked why she’s joining the Marines, and her answer is simple.

“I don’t see anything wrong with it; when people ask me why, I say why not?”

Houser has also thought about the prospect of being near combat.

“I have family here, but I don’t have anything to lose; there’s nothing holding me back. I have no husband and no kids; it would be better for me to go rather than a woman with kids back home.”

Sealy puts on a brave and proud face as her daughter shoulders her black bag and heads toward the recruiter’s car. There are a few tears, but they will be able to say goodbye once more before she leaves on Monday.

Soboleski told Sealy she can expect time to drag while her daughter is in boot camp.

“The time will go fast for her, but slow for you,” Soboleski said.

This story ran in the December 1, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times.

A sleigh full of memories and giving

Last year, I had the chance to sit on Santa’s lap — for the first time in many, many years — at the North Fork Chilifest.

Sitting on Santa’s lap is no small feat since my dimensions stray toward the Rubenesque category, but according to John Drynan, Santa Claus’ alter ego, that’s not a problem. In his tenure as the Man in the Red Suit, his knees have endured worse.

“I once had two people, one on each knee, and each one weighed 350 pounds, easy,” Drynan said.

Drynan has plenty of stories to tell about his life as an icon shrouded in myth. The hard part for Drynan is his Santa stint may be coming to an end — Santa himself needs a Christmas miracle.

Drynan, diagnosed with cancer in 2007, said blood tests reveal that the cancer is back, and doctors are running more tests. But he steers our conversation away from such things. He doesn’t think about not being Santa in the future. He’d rather talk about being Santa for 20 years and the people whose lives he knows he’s impacted.

Kids are a big reason why Drynan donates so much time to being Santa. He said it has helped him keep his own perspective on his illness in check. He makes a special trip each year to the Ronald McDonald House and spends precious time with the families there at a time when they need Santa the most, at Christmas.

“What do you do when you’re sitting there and you see a small child with a shunt in his head?” Drynan said. “You can’t feel sorry for yourself.”

It turns out that being Santa has its peculiar hazards. Drynan said he has to watch how much water or coffee he drinks before he sits down in the Santa chair. He can’t always make it to the little elves’ room. Then there’s the time Santa fell off the fire truck.

“I missed the first step and went down on the ground and stood up and gave a ho-ho-ho, and checked my candy canes,” Drynan said.

For Drynan, being Santa gives him a gift each year.

“The best thing about being Santa is, no matter how I feel before I put on the suit, nobody knows who you are, and I’m a kid again,” he said.

Drynan is a master at getting people to believe in the myth, even if for just a few minutes. He said he could never be a “mall” Santa. It wouldn’t allow him to spend time talking with kids and letting them recite their carefully crafted lists.

Drynan remembers one little boy who came for many years to see Santa and carried a long list, complete with carefully glued pictures of each item. Last year, one child brought a binder filled with dreams for under the tree.

“He did it to make it easier for Santa to look at,” he said.

For the less brave, Drynan has a technique to get kids to laugh, especially after the 1996 fire and flood, when Santa visited with 104 youngsters that year.

“I get people to sit on my lap, talk to kids and ask, ‘When’s the last time you bounced on Santa’s knee?’ I bounce them, and they start to laugh. We take the picture.”

The pictures are a big part of Santa’s workshop, which consists of Mrs. Claus, a Christmas background, candy canes, a digital camera, printer and stacks of photo paper. Those who sit on Santa’s lap, whether they have two legs or four, can have their picture taken with St. Nick for a donation that goes to the North Fork Volunteer Fire Department.

Drynan said most of the proceeds go to help the department. The rest goes for photo paper, print cartridges and, every couple of years, a new printer. He estimates that he and Mrs. Claus produce about 1,000 photographs a year, along with handing out 1,500 candy canes.

He said he’s been part of family pictures, once with a dog, a few cats and a mule. Drynan said they stepped outside for that picture.

“Santa doesn’t stay stationary. He goes where there’s a need,” he said.

Drynan said he has helped raise more than $16,000 for the fire department.

Drynan’s other big expense is his velvety suit, white beard and black patent-leather accoutrements. He said the original suit cost just over $200 about 20 years ago. Suits today cost $300 to $1,000, he said.

“I definitely got my money out of it,” he said. “It surprises me. It’s still going strong.”

Drynan is a little worried about finding a suitable replacement for himself. He doesn’t want to ruin a holiday tradition for many families.

“There are people who come from Kansas to get a tree, but they really come to see Santa,” he said.

Drynan is hoping a little Christmas magic will come his way. In the meantime, he quickly changed the subject, and Santa wanted to know what I want for Christmas. I’m afraid I came up with somewhat traditional answers — prosperity, good health and miracle cures, an easy-to-follow diet and maybe, if Santa has time, Tom Selleck’s phone number.

Contact Barbara Ford at barbara@evergreenco.com or 303-350-1043. Check
www.HighTimberTimes.com for updates.

Santa will be at the North Fork Volunteer Fire Department Station 1,19384 Highway 126, near the Christmas tree cutting area in the Pike National Forest. Santa will arrive by fire truck at Chilifest at 10 a.m. and stay until 2 p.m. Nov. 26, 27 and 28, and Dec. 4, 5,11 and 12. Donations are appreciated for photos with Santa.

This story ran in the November 24, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times. The photo that accompanied the story is one of me and Santa, taken at last year's Chilifest. I'm not printing it here. If you want to see it, go to the Canyon Courier office and look in the dusty archives.

Jack's nap

Each week, the High Timber Times has a Pet of the Week section, and we have been asked to have residents submit their pet's photos and bios for the website. Sometimes, there are no pet submissions, so I come up with new photos for the site.

I took this picture of Jack, laying in the sun, and I snapped a quick picture of him, before the lacy light disappeared. A king at naps, Jack loves all things warm and comfortable and he's an expert of finding warm places to snooze.

Jack, by far the dumbest cat I've ever had, is the King of Naps. I guess he's not so dumb, after all.

Close calls not unusual on 285

As a scanner moderator on the popular website Pinecam, Conifer resident Chris Swathwood has not only heard it all, he’s almost been the subject of one of the emergency calls.

A few years ago, Swathwood was driving late at night and turned onto U.S. 285 near Meyer Ranch. After a few short seconds, he realized someone was driving on the wrong side of the four-lane highway. Swathwood’s car had a low-profile car, and poor visibility increased his chances of being in an accident that night, he said.

“He was only about 15 feet away from me when he realized he was on my side of the road,” Swathwood said. “He went across the median and got back on the right side.”

Swathwood said the darkness, the curve of the road and the amount of time it took for his eyes to adjust ate up valuable seconds.

“The curve is deceptive on any road,” he said of that windy section of U.S. 285.

Swathwood said his near-miss was only about 100 yards or so from the crash involving a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy on Nov. 3. That accident killed driver Sabrina Pedersen of Evergreen.

“That was one of the reasons I drove over there (on Nov. 4) after hearing the report of a second wrong-way driver in the same area to see what might be causing it,” he said.

Over time, Swathwood thought about the wrong-way driver in his near miss, trying to understand how that person got on the wrong side of the road.

“At the time it happened, I remember thinking they were drunk. As time went on, I think they realized they were on the wrong side of the road, and it scared them as bad as it scared me,” he said.

Swathwood, a pilot, has been prepped for such things as collision avoidance, and he’s always vigilant when behind the controls, of a car or a plane.

He said complacency is a big problem for anyone driving a vehicle.

Swathwood, who once drove 90 miles round trip for work, and said he’s never received a ticket along U.S. 285. He said he has to be careful, though, when driving the same road day after day because not paying attention and distractions are a driver’s worst nightmare.

“We naturally become complacent,” he said. “Pilot training makes me realize that I was becoming complacent with knowing the road very well. Then I realize I’m in the mountains where things happen.”

Swathwood thinks excessive speed is another problem along U.S. 285.

“The biggest problem I have on 285 is the extreme speed of other drivers,” he said.

Swathwood said he used to be one of the “5-to-10-miles-an-hour-over (the speed limit) guys” but now tries to stay in the right lane because of precious cargo — his son.

“Having a 1-year-old in the car makes me drive differently,” he said. “My wife says I drive like a grandfather. For a young child, the littlest collision can hurt them and not hurt us at all.”

He said plenty of incidents occur in the mountain area during an eight-hour day of listening to scanners that include transmissions from the Colorado State Patrol, Jefferson County sheriff and several local fire departments.

He works in conjunction with other scanner moderators to track events and post warnings or alerts on Pinecam. He’s been startled by the severe accidents that have plagued U.S. 285 recently.

“It can go for days, and we don’t hear a thing. Then something happens and it blows up,” Swathwood said.

This story ran as part of a package on 2010's five fatal accidents on U.S. 285. The story ran in the November 7, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times.

A deadly stretch of highway: Three major crashes in six days draw attention to 30-mile section of 285

In a recent six-day period, police scanners blared with calls from three major crashes along U.S. 285. Two people died in separate accidents.

Colorado State Patrol statistics show that along a 30-mile stretch of the highway between C-470 and Bailey, there were five fatalities and 87 accidents from January until Nov. 4.

“Eighty-seven accidents is an extraordinary number, and we need to push that down,” Colorado State Patrol Trooper Heather Cobler said.

In 2009, there were two fatalities on U.S. 285.

However, Cobler said, statewide traffic fatalities are down, with 341 people losing their lives in 2010 compared with 395 in 2009. Of the fatal crashes in Colorado in 2010, driving under the influence and lane violations each accounted for 20.5 percent of the accidents, and distracted driving accounted for 18 percent of the fatalities.

The latest accident

On Friday, another head-on collision on U.S. 285 near Santa Maria shut down traffic for several hours while investigators pieced together the events that severely injured the driver of a Dodge Durango that collided on a curve with an oversized semi-truck.

According to Cobler, accident investigations can help show motorists what not to do while driving. But she said statistics should not obscure the victims and the families and friends they leave behind.

“What we’re talking about is people’s lives,” Cobler said. “Even though we’re reading them as a number, maybe we can help people understand and pay attention.”

Common factors

Cobler said common factors were present in all the fatal accidents along U.S. 285.

“The thing in common with a lot of the accidents is not driving in a safe and prudent manner on these windy roads,” Cobler said.

Driver errors include turning left in front of traffic, high speeds, intentionally swerving, driving the wrong way, weaving on a curve and crossing over the center line. In the two fatalities last week, one driver crossed over the center line, and the other was driving on the wrong side of the road.

“People need to pay attention, slow down, drive in a safe manner and stay in their own lane,” Cobler said.

Cobler said drivers are more easily distracted when they are familiar with a stretch of road and get in a comfort zone.

“When on a new road, you always drive a lot safer,” she said. “The more you drive that road, the more comfortable (you get). You know how the road turns and how your car will respond. It gets to the place where you’re in a wreck.”

So far this year, five area residents have lost their lives on U.S. 285:

• On Nov. 3, Sabrina Pederson, 33, of Evergreen died in a wrong-way crash. The accident also injured a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy, 41-year-old Markus Liebe. Liebe is still in the hospital after surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

• On Halloween, Alicia Wilson, 51, of Bailey died in a head-on collision on U.S. 285 at Spring Road. Shawn Lancaster of Pine was injured in the accident. Wilson’s son, Parker, 10, was injured and transported to Children’s Hospital. Parker is still at Children’s Hospital in Aurora.

• On Aug. 30, motorcyclist Joseph Bixler, 36, of Bailey died in a collision with a car driven by Vera Carucci, 98, of Indian Hills. Carrucci was not injured.

• On Jan. 5, Conifer High School students Kenny Barnett of Evergreen and Mara C. Parslow of Morrison, both 16, died in a late-night accident on U.S. 285 near Pine Junction. Kenny Barnett’s brother, Austin, 18, was injured. The drivers of the other two vehicles were identified as Kylee J. Taylor, 20, of Bailey, who was not injured, and Thomas R. Dimler, 42, of Pine, who suffered minor injuries.

This story ran in the November 7, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times. Photo by Barbara Ford.

When learning takes flight

Outdoor Lab is a rite of passage for all Jeffco sixth-graders, and more than 90 students from West Jefferson Middle School traveled recently to the Mount Evans Outdoor Education Lab for a week of learning and living.

“The birds kind of hook ‘em,” Hill said. “You don’t realize how big they are when you see them fly overhead or see them in a picture or on a tree.”

A bird psychologist, Hill understands raptors, their behavior, social structures, skills and shortcomings. She’s also pretty good at reading her human audience, and Hill has noticed that the kids who live in the mountain areas are more familiar with birds of prey.

“The kids from more inner city are more surprised when they see them; they almost look frightened. It takes them longer to adjust,” Hill said. “They’re a little more awestruck.”

Still, Hill did notice that a few of the West Jeff students really seemed to savor the moments when the birds were first brought out or when the Harris hawk flew so close they could feel the wind from the beating wings.

“They took a moment before they took a picture; they were appreciating it first,” Hill said.

Emma Warnecke, 11, from Michelle Fulford’s class, called the raptor demonstrations cool and interesting.

“I liked watching the birds fly,” Emma said. “I was surprised how small the falcons really are.”

Hill, who fell in love with raptors in 1997, has been with HawkQuest since 2008 and said the nonprofit organization gives as many as 500 presentations each year. Each presentation consists of an owl, falcon and bald eagle, but the information is specifically tailored to the audience.

“I hope they (the kids) make some kind of connection … so they can appreciate that bird for what it is,” Hill said. I want them to have an appreciation for those animals that they may see all the time.”

Hill said HawkQuest’s goal is to let kids see the birds up close and understand their importance. Her special trick is the way she explained the mystery of raptors, with words that normally wouldn’t be associated with birds: sunglasses, maple syrup and guillotine.

Students “oohed” and “aahed” as Hill explained the details of the lives of birds of prey. Some birds have “sunglasses-like markings” that help reflect light away from their eyes; some of the faster birds have a maple-syrup substance on their eyes that helps them see during a super-fast descent; and some raptors can be as deadly as a guillotine in midair.

A few kids were horrified to learn that the small red cubes of food in Hill’s hand were really diced rabbit leg.

Soaring imaginations

Danny Barth, 11, from Frank Reetz’s class, said he liked the flying part of the demonstration, but he learned things about eagles he didn’t know.

“I didn’t know that the bald eagle came close to extinction,” Danny said. “It was because of pollution.”

A few lucky students who answered Hill’s raptor questions correctly had the chance to have their picture taken with the bald eagle, a massive, dignified creature that, despite its beauty, has kind of a checkered past. She told the students that Benjamin Franklin did not want the eagle to be the America’s national bird; he wanted the turkey, she said. Bald eagles are crafty scavengers and are notorious for being bullies. They’ll steal other animals’ food and intimidate other birds, according to Hill.

“Eagles are birds of bad moral character,” she said.

Sixth-grade teacher Kristy Sjogren has seen the raptor presentation several times and believes her students learn much from it.

“It’s amazing every time I see it,” she said. “The adaptation for these animals is amazing.”

Reetz confessed that his favorite bird in the demonstration wasn’t the eagle.

“I liked the owls,” Reetz said, “they have a secrecy and privacy and magic that I like to use when I’m writing.”

Reetz thought the presentation taught the kids an appreciation for animals that they don’t necessarily see every day.

“Kids these days are tech-saturated, but they are animal sensitive,” Reetz said.

Box:

For more information about the programs at HawkQuest, visit http://hawkquest.org

Every search on a computer or purchases from participating merchants can help support the mission of Parker-based HawkQuest. If interested in supporting the nonprofit that educates people in Colorado about raptors and birds of prey, go to Yahoo’s nonprofit search engine, GoodSearch, and under the section marked, “Who do you search for?” type in “HawkQuest” and hit the “verify” button. By indicating HawkQuest as your primary nonprofit, each time GoodSearch is used to find topics on the Web, the group will receive 1 cent.

Online purchases made from participating stores such as Target, Amazon, Staples and PetsMart will result in up to 30 percent of the price donated to the program.

Melissa Hill, educator with HawkQuest, said the birds, which can’t hunt for themselves, are fed a special diet of prepared foods instead of live animals. It takes $75 a day to feed the 32 raptors used to teach schoolkids about birds of prey.

“It’s not going to be a huge moneymaker, but every penny really helps us,” Hill said.

This story ran in the November 17, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times. Photos for the story were taken by Matthew Jonas, photo editor for Evergreen Newspapers.

A sticking post: Carla's dilemma

A month ago, Carla didn’t get on the bus to go home from school, she marched resolutely into the principal’s office and told them they needed to call the police.

Carla told the principal’s secretary that she needed to talk to the principal; she wasn’t going to go home to her mother. She needed help, she was tired of being hit, yelled at and treated badly. Her blue eyes unwavering and with a determined glare, she demanded someone protect her from the hurt going on in her home.

She’d had enough, she’s eight years old and she’s had enough.

Stunned by Carla’s assertion, the secretary called the police and soon Carla, the police and the principal listened as she told her story. She’d been hit the night before for being naughty, something that had happened before. Pushed and shoved, she’d had her hair pulled, so hard sometimes that it came out in stinging clumps and she had her head banged against the floor. Her favorite toys had been held hostage or destroyed and she was afraid for her animals and her little sister. She told them to call her dad, call grandpa, call someone that would come and get her and keep her safe.

The people in uniforms or drab business suits had been to the house before and talked to Carla. Sometimes they would ask her questions in front of her mom and when they left, the only thing that happened was punishment as a reward for her honest answers. The people would never tell Carla it would be OK and she was getting tired of it. Family and friends would try to help but it always ended up the same – phones slammed down in anger and screaming … and the aching wait for the next outburst.

In Mrs. Olson’s class, Carla had learned about telling the truth. A lady had come in and talked to the class and brought coloring books and they rehearsed a little play. They learned how to stay quiet in the room when the important voice came over the intercom, and they learned how to say no to strangers. Something inside Carla clicked when the lady talked about saying no. Why couldn’t she say no to mom? Mom was a stranger now anyway, mom didn’t want to play, she didn’t laugh and she was always on the phone. She talked to the voices more than to Carla.

Carla decided it was time someone listened to her because in school, she learned she deserved to be heard.

Carla still lives in the limbo between happy and scared but people now look at her differently. Not with pity, but with the knowledge that something inside that little girl is to be reckoned with. She’s sleeping a little better, even though she waits for her mom to get angry again.

Standing up for herself has changed Carla’s life, although she’s still frustrated with most adults.

She’s been stretching her wings, trying new things and her teacher has had to give her more advanced assignments in school. This week, Carla, who’s been afraid of books with chapters wants to try and read a book she liked that name of - Julie of the Wolves.

This blog post was featured on the website for the week of November 10, 2010.

Winners abound at Mountain Bowl

Even though Conifer High School’s last-minute 17-13 loss to the Evergreen Cougars on Saturday hit the players hard, both players and spectators still were winners.

Spectators had a better view of the game because of the generosity of the community, and players on both teams were given commemorative coins for their participation in this year’s Mountain Bowl, which was broadcast live on Fox Sports Network.

Tiered seating

The new seating at the Conifer High field was provided by local volunteers and has been a milestone dream for Conifer’s principal, Mike Musick. He said he hopes to see his vision of full stadium seating and lighting come true. Someday.

“This project would have cost the district $220,000,” Musick said. “But with the generous support from the community, the project was done for around $60,000.”

The manicured tiers make it possible for up to 2,000 spectators to watch the game from the steep hill that once was just rocks and grass.

Matt Walsh, principal of Evergreen High, said that even though EHS has a lighted playing field, he envies the Conifer accommodations.

“They’ve bumped up the ante,” Walsh said with a laugh.

The Conifer urban legend is that a district official said Conifer High would get a stadium … when pigs fly.

Pigs definitely were flying on Saturday, Musick told the crowd as he was given a surprise award before the game. He and his wife were summoned to the 50-yard line, and he was presented with a football signed by all the players in a small trophy case. Inscribed on the plaque, along with the customary event information, was the phrase, “When Pigs Fly.”

“What touches my heart is to see a home game at the high school,” Musick said.

Musick wants to have a place where the school’s games and graduation ceremonies can be held, so people won’t have to drive long distances for the events. The school held its first outside graduation on the field in May.

Volunteers make it work

The new design, excavating, seating area and handicap seating were donated by local businesses.

Peter Italiano of Evergreen, owner of Rubicon Management Solutions, designed the layout of the terraces, making sure the disabled areas were well constructed and easily accessible.

“Our daughter went to Conifer High, so we’re trying to help out the community,” Italiano said.

“It’s a challenge, the grade is steep, and the grade needs to be accessible,” he said. “Making it work is a challenge.”

Steven Sayler, owner of Sayler and Sons Excavating, was proud to help the school by donating time and equipment to implement the 200-foot-long, three-tiered design.

“We did it for the kids and for the community,” Sayler said.

Sayler’s wife, Corbi, said they are involved in the community and work to help keep Conifer High activities in Conifer.

“We did this because we used to have to go to Lakewood for home games,” Steven said. “It was our pleasure to help Dr. Musick fulfill his dream.”

Commemorative coins

In a large, heavy plastic bag, CHS assistant principal Tim McNerney carried 250 newly minted coins that were handed out to the Mountain Bowl players on both teams. The design was created by McNerney, but he said it was someone else’s idea to have the commemorative coin.

“The boss (Musick) said we needed a coin, so I made it,” McNerney said.

On one side of the heavy, gold-colored coin is the school’s academic crest. On the other side are images of both the CHS and EHS mascots. The coins, made of nickel, are about the size of a half-dollar. They are not dated, so they can be given to Conifer/Evergreen players at future games.

Hope despite the loss

Junior varsity coach Daryll Keeling spoke with the Conifer players after their disheartening defeat at the hands of the Cougars. The game was shown live on Fox Sports Network, and the Lobos fell on a last-minute touchdown pass. Keeling stood by his let-down Lobos, and he knows better results are still to come.

“It’s an extremely young team,” Keeling said. “We have only six seniors on the varsity squad, and our quarterback, Thomas Kim, is a sophomore.”

In the shadow of the loss, Keeling offered encouragement.

“We’ll be more experienced and ready next year,” he said.

This story ran in the November 10, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times

Green around the ghouls

On Friday night, the ghastly ghouls, scary zombies and bloody brides prepared for another night of fright at the Kenosha Auctions and Events center’s first ever Haunted House.

A thick fog slithered in and around the events center as students from Platte Canyon High School and Fitzsimmons Middle School in Bailey chose their costumes, bloody make-up and scare strategies. The students are volunteers at the haunted house sponsored by the events center in Pine Junction. The house will be open again on Friday, Saturday and Halloween from 7 to 11 p.m. at 66803 U.S. Highway 285. The cost is $12 for the Scary Room and $7 for the Not-So-Scary Room. The haunted house isn’t recommended for those under 10 or over 90. A coupon worth $2 off admission is available on the events center’s website, http://www.kenoshaauctioninc.com/Event_ctr.htm

— look for the out-of-place pumpkin.

A 500-straw-bale maze in the Kenosha’s parking lot adds to the fun, and refreshments and scary movies satisfy the stomach and then bring on the queasiness.

Kenosha Auctions and Events general manager Rick Arnold said he’s been pleased with the haunted house but said it’s taken a lot of time and energy to put it together.

“We were sitting around after an auction and we got to talking, and nobody is sure who came up with the idea,” Rick said.

Arnold said the ghouls and goblins are friends, family and students from local schools who volunteer to haunt the 13 rooms of terror.

“I’m so proud of the Platte Canyon High School kids because they are really selling it,” Arnold said.

As she applied a thick layer of hair spray, Rebecca Krafcheck, 14, a freshman at Platte Canyon, said she didn’t realize how enjoyable it is to scare people with impunity.

“From the first, it sounded like fun, because I’ve always wanted to be an actress,” she said.

Ghoul Nicole Watson, 12, from Fitzsimmons Middle School said it was fun to hang out with her best friend and her boyfriend, but her ghoul companion Amy Fabing, 12, also from Fitzsimmons, really got into the spirit of Halloween.

“I thought it would be cool to be the one eating guts,” she said, though she wouldn’t share the guts “recipe.”

Arnold touted the disorienting lighting, screams and howls and surprising twists and turns in the 2,500-square-foot house. Items from previous auctions, aged smelly trunks, hairy spiders, angry-faced skulls, and lots of fog fill the chilly house.

“There’s also a really nasty-looking guy who takes the tickets at the door,” Arnold said. “It’s me.”

Wrapped in a bloody T-shirt, Platte Canyon student and zombie Rochelle Warren, 15, found unexpected perks in her creepy character.

“It’s fun to give people you don’t know a really good scare,” she said.

Harley Bode, 8, had a straightforward strategy worked out for those brave enough to enter his dark corner of a blackened room.

“I let them walk into the room, then I jump out at them,” he said.

Mom Heidi Bode donned a blood-red ball gown, complete with a ratty train, and was a bloody-good part of the show.

“It’s so cool to have something like this up here,” Bode said. “It builds a sense of community.”

Jake Borchard, 12, a student at Fitzsimmons, said he’s been training his whole life for his skeleton-framed part.

“It’s better than being the one who’s scared,” he said.

Mom Andrea McGarva of Pine brought her kids to the haunted house even though they originally wanted to go somewhere else. Judging by their screams and squeals, Kenosha’s haunted house was a success.

“They wanted to go to Heritage Square, but I like to support local businesses,” said McGarva.

Cecilia McGarva, 10, a student at Elk Creek Elementary, said she was chased through the straw-bale maze by bloody zombies, As a result, she decided to forgo the haunted house.

“I think it’ll be too scary,” she said.

This story ran in the October 27, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times.

Veteran's memorial set for unveiling

Intense eagle eyes stare down from on high, guarding the battlefield memorial of a fallen soldier. Yet the tableau is not on a distant battlefield, but at a memorial in Conifer that’s being dedicated to veterans everywhere.

Rich Krupicka of Conifer and his veteran's memorial carving entitled, Covered With Glory. The carving will be dedicated at noon Nov. 11 at the Mountain Resource Center in Conifer. Krupicka created the carving as a memorial to all those who have sacrificed their lives for peace.

The memorial, created for the Conifer Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12009, will be unveiled at noon Nov. 11 at the Mountain Resource Center, 11030 Kitty Drive. The artist, Richard Krupicka of Conifer, carved the wooden memorial as a testament to veterans everywhere. The carving is titled “Covered with Glory.”

“This is my interpretation of honor,” Krupicka said. “It’s for all the soldiers, men and women in all the wars.”

The memorial bears a plaque honoring all who have sacrificed to serve, and especially one special person in Krupicka’s life: his father, 1st Lt. Norman L. Krupicka, who died two years ago.

The memorial is about 10 feet tall, with an eagle with spread wings poised over an American flag, army boots, rifle and helmet.

Conifer VFW Post 12009’s new commander, Kenny Cressler of Bailey, said the memorial is an important sign of respect, and all fallen soldiers should, at the very least, receive this type of field memorial.

“It was awesome. It makes you want to cry. It’s more than you would have expected,” Cressler said.

Cressler said the sculpture, featuring an M-16 rifle, helmet and boots, “is something you would do for your buddies … before you kept going.”

The sculpture will stay at the MRC, but when Post 12009 finds a permanent home, the memorial will be moved there. Currently, Post 12009 meets at Beaver Ranch. Cressler said a lot of veterans live along the 285 Corridor, and many local residents have lost friends and family members in various wars. He hopes that someday family members of fallen soldiers will leave dog tags at the sculpture as a sign of remembrance and respect.

Krupicka has been carving images from wood for about 12 years with dexterous swipes of a chainsaw and taps from a variety of hand tools. His work has graced many homes and businesses in the mountain area, but the veterans memorial is near and dear to his heart.

“It was an inspirational piece that I really wanted to do,” Krupicka said.

The memorial is made of a Ponderosa pine from the Evergreen area, and a large fork in the treetop was destined to become eagle wings, said Krupicka. He’s made other carvings from the tree, but the top was earmarked for the VFW memorial.

Krupicka guesses the sculpture weighs 500 pounds, and it’s painted with oil paint and protected with a wood sealer. The memorial will last forever, Krupicka said, if it’s cared for and occasionally re-sealed and oiled.

“It means something to me. People can draw emotion from it,” he said. “Sometimes I think people forget about (veterans’) sacrifices, but I know a lot of people who appreciate what they’ve done.”

Elk Creek Elementary School will host a Veterans Day celebration at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 11. Conifer VFW Post 12009 will open the ceremony with a presentation of the flags, and students will perform.

This story ran in the November 2, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times

A freaky formula: science, sugar

Even students dressed up like Harry Potter or Hermione Granger got a chance to learn some useful science tricks at Parmalee Elementary School’s Spooky Science Halloween event last Friday.

Shari Sabol, volunteer parent and Spooky Science conjurer, organized the simple science experiments that captivated kindergartners and frustrated fifth-graders. Sabol took basic science concepts and turned them into a chance to learn … before the sugar from the Halloween goodies kicked in.

“First off … it’s fun,” Sabol said. “Kids think science is just about planting a seed, but this is hands-on.”

The experiments included the smoky effects of dry ice and water, a bubble extravaganza with dry ice and dish soap, and a giant dry-ice smoke bubble. Kindergartners learned how to make Ghost Cans and move an object with just a balloon and a soda can. Sabol and her coven of volunteer parents showed kids how to make goo, slimy worms and orbs. Higher grades learned how to spear a skewer through a balloon without bursting it and how to balance 12 nails on one.

“I love watching the kids,” Sabol said “I love watching their reactions and how much fun they’re having with it.”

Sabol said she saw the experiments on a popular children’s science program, and then ordered the kits and instructions. She recruited volunteers for each classroom, who had to quickly master the crafts before facing their toughest audience, the kids.

Amy Windle of Kittredge demonstrated Spooky Science in her daughter’s class last year.

But her giant dry-ice smoke-bubble experiment didn’t work, and she was a little worried about the bubble bursting this year.

“I don’t want them to hate me because it didn’t turn out,” she laughed. “The kids seem to love it even when it doesn’t.”

This year, Windle was in Derek Bahlmann’s first-grade class and walked away with her dry ice, soapy dishrag, soap, and a little fear.

Sabol, who doesn’t have a science background, said she struggled with balancing 12 nails on one, and worried she wouldn’t be able to pull it off again this year. But if she had problems with the balancing act, she just had to ask students in Donna Sutherland’s class to help her.

David Jacobson, 11, who came dressed as a crazed sports fan decked out in a variety of team logos, said he had never tried to balance nails before but made quick work of the task and learned something along the way.

“I learned you have to patient,” David said.

Pierce Strasser, 10, made slimy worms and said it was squishy. But Pierce was a little wary of the experiments’ stealth educational aspect.

“It’s pretty cool, as long as it’s related to Halloween,” he said.

Kids, costumes and sugar

Judging by many of the Parmalee kids’ costumes, Indian Hills mothers are extraordinarily creative, and also own sewing machines and glue guns. Costumes included fully plumed peacocks, slices of pizza, firemen, cowboys, big purple dinosaurs, medieval knights, vampires, Wizard of Oz characters, and kids who figured out how to personify Facebook and MySpace.

Kyle Watkins, 10, said he needed permission from the principal for his costume — he was dressed in a bloody T-shirt that sported small General Mills boxes and bloody spoons. A milk moustache completed his ensemble. His identity? A cereal killer.

Third-grade teacher Justine Creel’s students had fun with polymer spikes, watching them grow from tiny dots the size of a pinhead to round orbs the size of a gumball. The kids learned about estimation and predictions, and they discovered the small orbs could be used as magnifying glasses. Their experiments with the orbs began the day before, and by the time the freaky food was brought out, the kids were more than ready to party.

“When Halloween is on Sunday, that means it’s three days of celebrations,” Creel said. “I wonder what class will be like after the sugar high is over on Monday.”

This story ran in the November 3, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times and was the Upslope for Canyon Courier that same week.