JOHNSTOWN – Town Council met on Monday night at Johnstown Town Hall where they signed a Pride Month proclamation for June, appointed members to the new Johnstown Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors and more.

The Pride Month proclamation was read by Mayor Michael Duncan. The proclamation wrote that, “Pride Month serves as an opportunity to recognize the importance of treating one another with respect, encouraging civil dialogue, and promoting unity within our community.”

The proclamation goes on to state that, “Johnstown values the principles of liberty, equality, dignity, and mutual respect that form the foundation of our nation and our local community; and residents from all backgrounds, beliefs, and walks of life contribute to the strength, culture, and continued success of the Town of Johnstown; and members of the LGBTQIA+ community have contributed to the civic, economic, educational, military, healthcare, business, and cultural fabric of communities throughout the United States and within Colorado; and the Town of Johnstown supports the right of all individuals to live peacefully, safely, and freely while participating fully in community life.”

Pride Month is celebrated in June by members and supporters of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Afterward, the board moved on to appointments to the Johnstown Downtown Development Authority’s board of directors. Applicants were present at the meeting to answer any questions from council members.

Based on the council’s feedback from the June 8 work session, six individuals were selected for the executive board: Kurtis Abato-Earwood, owner of VapeForge, and Dawn Little, owner of Ace Hardware, were selected for a one-year term. Sarah Grosboll, owner of Mary’s Mountain Cookies, and Missy Sobeski, a resident within the downtown boundary, were chosen for a two-year term. Brianna Waugh, owner of TopCO Realty and Property, and Veronica Schlagel, owner of State Farm Insurance and Property, will both serve a three-year term expiring on June 30, 2029.

Dianne Morris was selected to serve on the board as a Town Council representative.

The executive board for the Johnstown Downtown Development Authority will guide how Johnstown’s downtown district will grow and improve while making use of special financing opportunities only available to downtown development authorities. In other business: -- Councilmembers Jesse Molinar Jr. and Damien Berg were absent.

-- An intergovernmental agreement for cost sharing the review process for proposed work on the U.S. 34 and Weld County Road 17 intersection was approved. Weld County, Johnstown, Greeley and Windsor are cooperating on the design. The total cost, which includes the design, as well as review and approval by CDOT, is $2,121,157. The costs consist of an estimated $950,785 for engineering services, $925,372 for engineering services and a deposit of $245,000 to CDOT.

Johnstown and Windsor will each be responsible for $137,500. Greeley will be responsible for $646,157. Weld County will be responsible for the remaining amount of $1,200,000.

A diamond interchange, similar to the one at Highway 60 and Interstate 25, is planned for the intersection.

-- A presentation from representatives of the Tough Choices Foundation was heard by the Town Council. The foundation aims to provide youth with mentorship opportunities and more.

-- An annual audit presentation for the town was presented by the company who prepared the audit. No outliers were discovered.

-- An amendment to an agreement with Civil Resources, LLC was approved. The company is working on the Lone Tree raw water transmission project and $366,920 was approved as part of the contract amendment.

-- Councilmembers passed a resolution to amend the town code and remove a portion of code regarding municipal courts and truancy cases. Johnstown’s police chief and town attorney had said the town’s municipal court is structured to treat truancy cases as “crimes,” and that there is a system in place for these situations outside the municipal court.

Matt Lubich contributed to this story.

Johnstown 55+ Scene Calendar

Jun 18: Casino Trip to Black Hawk 8:30 a.m.; Little Bloomers 9:00 a.m.; Tai Chi Chih w/ Marie 10:00 a.m.

Jun 19: Balance Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Book Club 1:30 p.m.

Jun 22: Bunco 1:00 p.m.; Ukulele 1:00 p.m.

Jun 23: Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Chats & Crafts 10:00 a.m.; Reiki 10:30 a.m.; Lunch Outing 11:00 a.m.

Jun 24: Blood Pressure Checks 11:00 a.m.; Friendly Fork Meal: BLT salad with chicken, cream of potato soup, banana, apple crisp, 2% milk 11:30 a.m.; Bingo, Cards, & Pool 12:30 p.m.

Jun 25: Breakfast Outing 9:00 a.m.; Tai Chi Chih 10:00 a.m.; Mahjongg 1:30 p.m.

Jun 26: Balance Exercises 9:15 a.m.

Hours vary based on scheduled events. Feel free to call before you come in or visit our website at johnstownco. gov/seniorcenter Holly Darby

970-587-5251 hdarby@johnstownco.gov

Milliken 55+ Calendar June 18: Tai Chi 10 a.m.

June 19th: SENIOR CENTER IS CLOSED June 22: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; 250-year Celebration; Songs by Ireon and Flute by John; Menu: Braised pork with gravy, baked sweet potato with butter, pea/mushroom/ bacon sauté, coleslaw and fresh pineapple; Cards / pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

June 23: Tai Chi 10 a.m. June 25: Tai Chi 10 a.m.; Toe Time with Cindy Brown; $35.00 appointment required, contact Dawn 970-660-5035 to schedule. Space is limited Upcoming Events: June 26: Mountain Man Joe presentation - True History Stories 10 a.m. along with Pie Day. Enjoy a meal and a slice of Pie. Pie day is our monthly fundraiser to support our Senior Center. Slices $1.00. Meals available for those over 60 years, suggested donation $5.00. Call Dawn 970-6605035 for reservations: June 30: Estes Park Field Trip is full. No further reservations for this trip.

Kathy Kindsfather

970-660-5040 kkindsfather@millikenco.gov

I mean, wasn’t it inevitable that there’d be a trillionaire soon and that Musk, who sees the future as a personal asset, would be the first to get there?

The giant SpaceX IPO will be remembered not just for the obscene amount of money it made Musk – or even for his “Mars” trilogy-like plan to populate the red planet – but for setting a trend for future trillionaires, whose wealth is not just beyond imagination but also a threat to the future of American democracy.

(Asking for an editor: Do I use that “threat-about-the-future-of-democracy” line too often these days or not – is this possible? – often enough?)

Look, there was a time – and I know this dates me – when some people still asked the question whether it’s possible to have too much money, and the right answer would be yes.

You see, I still think the right answer is yes, but that may make me either an outlier or maybe just a Bernie-Warren-AOC-style leftist. OK, Warren Buffet did give away billions, and Jeffrey Bezos’ former wife, MacKenzie Scott, has gifted more than $26 billion. So, I guess, all is not lost.

It’s hardly a new story that the rich, whether born to riches or self-determined, want to be richer. And then richer still. Bruce Springsteen wrote the lyric: “Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king and a king ain’t satisfied until he rules everything.”

In the U.S., we not only have a Gilded Age-level wealth gap, but we seem eager to widen it. The original Gilded Age led to the national income tax, a reasonably effective estate tax and then, with the Great Depression added into the mix, to New Deal programs like Social Security.

This time around, it led to Donald Trump becoming president and the GOP tradition of brazenly lowering taxes for the rich. It’s not just Republicans who think that way. In Colorado, as an example, Gov. Jared Polis wants to eliminate the state income tax. They all promise that doing so will somehow enrich the rest of us. Doesn’t anyone remember when supply-side, trickle-down-economics were exposed as a fraud?

So it may not surprise you that the first thing I thought when Musk’s wealth officially reached 13 figures – a trillion, if you didn’t know, is 1,000 billions or a 1 million millions – was that this is the same guy who once tweet-bragged about spending the weekend “feeding USAID into the wood chipper.”

That was Musk back in his DOGE days in the White House when he got the job of recklessly cutting government programs because of his Silicon Valley talent for moving fast and breaking things – qualities that Trump, uh, treasures. And it didn’t hurt that Musk had spent $250 million – or 0.025 percent of a trillion – to help get Trump elected in 2024.

Oh, and he helped himself, too. According to a Public Citizen report last year, Musk had direct business interest in more than 70 percent of the government departments and agencies targeted by DOGE.

But the conflicts of interest are the least of it. What was the cost – in, you know, human terms – of USAID’s trip to Musk’s woodchipper?

According to an analysis from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), the discontinuation of USAID led to 762,000 deaths, more than 500,000 of them children, since USAID was first discontinued and then folded into the State Department. And that was just for the first year of the gold-plated Trump Restoration.

It’s a human tragedy of such a scale that, shockingly, hardly anyone even talks about it.

That’s where we are today. And where Musk is.

He became the richest man in the world, according to the Forbes list, in 2021, at a mere $185 billion, most of the wealth in Tesla shares. Since then, he bought Twitter, eventually turning it into a money-losing site he renamed X and made it a place where hate speech could flourish.

In the process, he changed the scales of wealth. By one measure, John D. Rockefeller’s wealth accounted for 1.5 percent of the U.S. Gross National Product. By the same measure, Musk’s wealth is 3 percent of GDP.

SpaceX has actually done some remarkable things, in changing the way we see space travel. And on the day the SpaceX IPO was launched, so were 29 Starlink satellites.

But he didn’t make that trip by himself. You and I helped the passage as the government, using taxpayer money of course, accounted for $38 billion – according to a Washington Post analysis last year – in government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits. Who wants to bet that the number hasn’t jumped, just like a SpaceX rocket, in the past year?

You think having connections helps? Also on Friday, the Justice Department cleared the way for the $111 billion media merger that will give a Donald Trump friend control of CNN.

Where does Musk go from here? Nobel Prize-winning economist and former New York Times columnist Paul Krugman describes the SpaceX IPO as a Ponzi scheme and wonders how many investors – including the passive investors whose IRAs and 401Ks are likely invested in index funds – will get hurt.

A New York Times article, meanwhile, explains how Musk himself will come out OK. He was resistant to taking his company public because, in doing so, you generally lose some of the control that’s given instead to stockholders and corporate boards and the like. But it won’t work that way for Musk.

In January, the Times writes, Space X gave Musk a pay package that would total 1.3 billion restricted shares. To get those shares, he would have to meet his goals of putting high-powered data centers into space and a colony of one million people on Mars. And yet, he is allowed, under SpaceX’s offering prospectus, to be able to vote with shares he hasn’t earned and probably will never earn.

“I have never heard of this,” Ann Lipton, a University of Colorado law professor, said. “He basically found a way to hack the normal rules of corporate organization.”

And still they buy his stock – and in record numbers. He offers the usual Musk formula – chaotic vision, innovation, mad insights into the future and, as one pundit put it, the assurance that if you’re smart enough, you shouldn’t be restrained by pesky things like accountability.

Interestingly, Musk told investors Friday that he wasn’t confident when he started SpaceX, where the company’s failures have sometimes overwhelmed its successes. Failure was always an option. Musk himself said he put the chance for success at 10 percent.

And now the company is worth over $2 trillion and Musk is the world’s first trillionaire.

But the question of how much is ever too much remains unanswered. History says it was ever thus.

That doesn’t mean, though, we can’t keep asking.

Mike Littwin has been a columnist for too many years to count. He has covered Dr. J, four presidential inaugurations, six national conventions and countless brain-numbing speeches in the New Hampshire and Iowa snow. This column first appeared on The Colorado Sun (coloradosun. com).

Before the board for consideration was a change order for the public works equipment storage building project.

Jon Rabas with the streets and facilities department explained that the original plan called for six-inch floor thickness but that engineers are recommending an eightinch floor thickness due to the weight of stored equipment. As a result, $18,000 was requested and the board approved the change order unanimously.

Rabas then presented a construction agreement with GLH Construction LLC, for Ehrlich Lake Drainage Improvements. He explained that Ehrlich Lake’s high-water level is higher than the storm water discharge pipe, which is preventing stormwater from draining at Saddleback Drive and Colony Trail Drive.

Trustees approved the construction agreement with GLH Construction LLC in the amount of $131,103.48. The town approved to set aside $150,000 in the stormwater capital fund during the budgeting process. As the last item of business, trustees approved an agreement to reinstate an agreement for services with TAIT & Associates. The company provides on-call engineering services for the town which includes development review, floodplain management, surveying, stormwater engineering, civil engineering and related technical services.

Funding for services provided by TAIT & Associates are included within the town’s annual engineering services budget.

“Safety and efficiency are priorities when we build roundabouts, but they do have a significant cost,” said Jason Maxey, Weld County Commissioner Pro Tem. “We’re pleased to have Johnstown’s support as well as support of others to help offset the cost of an enhancement we believe will be beneficial for many years.”

Other project partners include: The Colorado Department of Transportation – contributing over $1.6 million.

Larimer County – contributing nearly $17,000.

Weld County Public Works – managing project design and construction and contributing the remaining funding.

The roundabout at the intersection at WCR 50 and WCR 13 will be big enough for large trucks and agricultural equipment, and its driving surface will be made of concrete. This feature helps county roundabouts last 30 years without the need for major repairs. Approximately 7,500 vehicles pass through the intersection daily. The roundabout is being built to increase safety and efficiency by reducing the likelihood of accidents.

“This intersection sees heavy use, and that’s likely to continue,” said Kevin Ross, Weld County Commissioner and Coordinator of Public Works. “A roundabout is the best safety enhancement to meet current and future demand.”

Design of the roundabout planned for WCR 50 and WCR 13 is complete. Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed by an outside contractor.

The roundabout isn’t the only roadwork planned. The Town of Johnstown and Weld County have also agreed to work together to make improvements to the intersection of WCR 17 and WCR 48 1/2 in preparation for increased traffic from the Loveland Ready-Mix gravel mining operation just south of the Mad Russian subdivision along Highway 257.

Trucks from that operation will head west for the mining and then turn north on WCR 17 before heading east on WCR 54 to the company’s batch plant on WCR 13.

WCR 48 1/2 has been closed recently for paving. A timeline for intersection work has not yet been announced.

To introduce this initiative and share information about what it could mean for the local business community, the Chamber hosted a “community conversation” on Tuesday and invited all Johnstown business owners to attend.

Over the years, Johnstown has seen several chambers come and go. For a period there was a Johnstown-Milliken Chamber. Then the Milliken Chamber split off on its own.

“For years, our town has operated without a chamber which has been challenging and during that time there’s many of us that have tried to get one going again but the workload to begin is heavy and needed dedicated, staffed support to make it happen successfully. That’s about to change!” said Amy Tallent of Johnstown, one of those organizing the effort. “The expansion of the Loveland Chamber into Johnstown is an exciting development for our business community,” Tallent said. “As a well-established and respected organization, the Chamber brings valuable resources, connections, and advocacy that local businesses have been seeking for years. This partnership creates new opportunities for growth and collaboration, and we look forward to the positive impact it will have on Johnstown’s economic future.”

This is not a Town of Johnstown- sponsored effort. The town is not organizing, managing, or overseeing it. The Chamber will operate as an independent organization separate from the Town.

For more information, email Tallent at: amy@home innoco.com.

What about JDDA?

Without an active chamber for the past few years, the work had been taken over by the Johnstown Downtown Development Association (JDDA). That role will transition again as Johnstown begins formation of a Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Downtown voters approved the formation during the April election.

“This is a positive and community-driven evolution,” Town Economic Development Director, Sarah Crosthwaite, said in a recent email to downtown businesses. “The JDDA will retain its status as a 501(c)(6) organization, but moving forward, the DDA will gradually assume the roles and activities the JDDA has championed for years.”

As the DDA Board is being established (Town Council was scheduled to review appointments at its meeting Monday night), here is what Crosthwaite said you can expect in the immediate term: -- The JDDA will continue to operate and plan the upcoming Fall Fest. “This beloved community event remains a priority, and the JDDA is committed to delivering another successful celebration,” she said.

-- Membership renewals to the JDDA have been deactivated. During the transition period, the JDDA is not accepting new memberships and will not be processing membership renewals.

-- Current or expired memberships for this year will be honored through the end of the year.

To learn more about this transition period visit: www. visitdowntownjohnstown. com/jdda-dda-transition.

“Please understand that this change is not a detriment to the JDDA,” Crosthwaite wrote. “Rather, it is an intentional improvement – one our community has voiced support for and genuinely needs. The JDDA is a volunteer- based nonprofit that supports downtown through advocacy, promotion, and community involvement, but it has always operated with limited funding and capacity. The newly elected DDA, by contrast, is a formal, quasi-public entity with dedicated, sustainable funding and the ability to leverage tools like Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to implement larger projects and long-term improvements. TIF is not a new tax and will not raise taxes.

“The creation of the DDA presents a tremendous opportunity to continue and strengthen the many events and activities that have become a pillar of the Johnstown community – from Fall Fest to future initiatives we’ve only begun to imagine.”

The 100 Deadliest Days of Summer – known for a spike in crash injuries and fatalities – is from Memorial Day to Labor Day. During this time period last year, 225 people died on Colorado roadways, 16 percent of whom were between the ages of 15 and 20. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teen crashes are the leading cause of death for teens 15 to 18 years old.

Teens face the greatest risk of crashing during the first three months after getting their driver’s license. Once they are driving on their own, studies show their general inexperience and increased risk-taking drastically spike their chances of getting into a crash. According to the Colorado State Patrol, the top factors for teen driving crashes in 2025 were distracted driving, speeding, lane violations, following too close and animal involved crashes. Nationally, teenagers consistently have the lowest seat belt usage of any age group, and in Colorado, 39 percent of teen drivers who die in crashes were unbuckled.

“CDOT cannot stress enough the importance of life-saving actions young drivers must take,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “We have seen some positive trends with teenage drivers who use good behaviors such as putting phones away, respecting speed limits and wearing a seatbelt. When consistently used, these behaviors help to prevent crashes and fatalities. Driving a vehicle is an immense responsibility requiring safe driving behavior that parents and all adults should model for young drivers so they observe, learn and adapt good, safe habits from the very start.”

Fatalities and crashes can be prevented if all drivers, regardless of age, heed the following: -- Always follow the speed limit. Speeding puts you and others at risk of a crash, especially in vulnerable areas like work zones and school zones.

-- Pay attention while driving. Keep your hands off your cellphone and avoid other distractions while driving, including changing the music or eating.

-- Wear your seatbelt whether you are the driver or a passenger.

-- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In addition to the points above, teen drivers 15 to 18 must also follow the specific laws under Colorado’s Graduated Driver Licensing Laws, referred to as GDL laws. These laws are designed to keep drivers under 18 safe by limiting distractions and highrisk driving situations while they gain experience. Key points include: -- Teens with a learner’s permit must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or licensed adult 21 years of age or older in the front seat and buckled up.

-- During the first six months of a learner’s permit, no passengers under 21, un- less a parent or other licensed adult driver over 21, is also in the vehicle. Siblings and medical emergencies are exceptions.

-- During the first year with a license, no driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by an instructor, parent or legal guardian. Exceptions include driving to or from school or work and medical emergencies.

-- Driver education is mandatory. For more information go to CDOT’s FAQ page on teen driving.

New requirements for learner’s permit

Starting January 1, 2027, there will be new requirements for obtaining a learner’s permit in Colorado: A 30-hour driver education course for minors 15 to 17 years old (which may include an online course).

Drivers 18 to 20 years old can choose between a 30-hour course or a 4-hour prequalification driver awareness program (which may include an online course).

Those applying for a license under the age of 16.5 must still complete six hours of behind-the-wheel training.

Individuals under 21 years old must successfully complete a motorcycle safety training program approved by Colorado State Patrol before being issued a motorcycle instruction permit. This update, possible under HB24-1021, also improves the safety protocols and standards of driving schools and among driving instructors. To learn more about these new requirements and access resources, visit codot. gov/teeneducation.

Since the passage of GDL laws in 1999, total teen fatalities have fallen by 35 percent, but crashes and fatalities go up once young drivers have completed their learner’s permit and are driving independently for the first time.

“Getting your license is an exciting milestone, but that freedom comes with responsibility: protecting yourself and your passengers,” said Colorado DMV Driver Services Director Benjamin Mitchell. “A single decision to text, drive unbuckled or drive impaired can change lives forever. Let’s make this summer memorable for the right reasons – buckle up, drop the distractions and ensure everyone arrives safely.”

Patricia Serrano, manager of the Greeley location, confirmed the news Tuesday morning. The business has restaurants in Greeley, Windsor, Loveland, Mead, Parker, Centennial, Castle Rock, Boulder, Thornton and Fort Collins.

Serrano said she believes they plan to open the Milliken location, which will replace El Mex-Kal restaurant in the Trader’s Junction shopping center, by mid-July if not sooner. She referred further questions to Rick Brunning, one of the chain’s owners. Brunning had not returned a phone call by press time.

According to a Facebook post, the restaurant was holding interviews on Tuesday.

“Our business philosophy is very basic, local, fresh, original and delicious, providing our guests with the highest quality of homemade food and service in a warm, friendly and attractive atmosphere,” the company writes on its web page. “Our guests are of the utmost importance to us; our goal is to provide them with a memorable dining experience. Our restaurant takes pride in crafting nearly all of our menu items from scratch using homemade recipes. From the sauces, soups, browns, and dressings to the meats, sausages, pickles, and biscuits, every dish is made with care and attention to detail. We use premium ingredients such as real butter and canola oil to ensure that our food is of the highest quality and freshest taste. Our commitment to using scratchmade recipes and premium ingredients allows us to provide a truly exceptional dining experience. This is what Doug’s Diner was founded on.”

Doug’s Diner has announced plans to open a restaurant in Milliken.

Patricia Serrano, manager of the Greeley location, confirmed the news Tuesday morning. The business has restaurants in Greeley, Windsor, Loveland, Mead, Parker, Centennial, Castle Rock, Boulder, Thornton and Fort Collins.

Serrano said she believes they plan to open the Milliken location, which will replace El Mex-Kal restaurant in the Trader’s Junction shopping center, by mid-July if not sooner. She referred further questions to Rick Brunning, one of the chain’s owners. Brunning had not returned a phone call by press time.

According to a Facebook post, the restaurant was holding interviews on Tuesday.

“Our business philosophy is very basic, local, fresh, original and delicious, providing our guests with the highest quality of homemade food and service in a warm, friendly and attractive atmosphere,” the company writes on its web page. “Our guests are of the utmost importance to us; our goal is to provide them with a memorable dining experience. Our restaurant takes pride in crafting nearly all of our menu items from scratch using homemade recipes. From the sauces, soups, browns, and dressings to the meats, sausages, pickles, and biscuits, every dish is made with care and attention to detail. We use premium ingredients such as real butter and canola oil to ensure that our food is of the highest quality and freshest taste. Our commitment to using scratch-made recipes and premium ingredients allows us to provide a truly exceptional dining experience. This is what Doug’s Diner was founded on.”

JOHNSTOWN – Town Council met on Monday night at Johnstown Town Hall where they signed a Pride Month proclamation for June, appointed members to the new Johnstown Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors and more.

The Pride Month proclamation was read by Mayor Michael Duncan. The proclamation wrote that, “Pride Month serves as an opportunity to recognize the importance of treating one another with respect, encouraging civil dialogue, and promoting unity within our community.”

The proclamation goes on to state that, “Johnstown values the principles of liberty, equality, dignity, and mutual respect that form the foundation of our nation and our local community; and residents from all backgrounds, beliefs, and walks of life contribute to the strength, culture, and continued success of the Town of Johnstown; and members of the LGBTQIA+ community have contributed to the civic, economic, educational, military, healthcare, business, and cultural fabric of communities throughout the United States and within Colorado; and the Town of Johnstown supports the right of all individuals to live peacefully, safely, and freely while participating fully in community life.”

Pride Month is celebrated in June by members and supporters of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Afterward, the board moved on to appointments to the Johnstown Downtown Development Authority’s board of directors. Applicants were present at the meeting to answer any questions from council members. 

Based on the council’s feedback from the June 8 work session, six individuals were selected for the executive board:

Kurtis Abato-Earwood, owner of VapeForge, and Dawn Little, owner of Ace Hardware, were selected for a one-year term. Sarah Grosboll, owner of Mary’s Mountain Cookies, and Missy Sobeski, a resident within the downtown boundary, were chosen for a two-year term. Brianna Waugh, owner of TopCO Realty and Property, and Veronica Schlagel, owner of State Farm Insurance and Property, will both serve a three-year term expiring on June 30, 2029. 

Dianne Morris was selected to serve on the board as a Town Council representative.

The executive board for the Johnstown Downtown Development Authority will guide how Johnstown’s downtown district will grow and improve while making use of special financing opportunities only available to downtown development authorities. 

In other business:

-- Councilmembers Jesse Molinar Jr. and Damien Berg were absent.

-- An intergovernmental agreement for cost sharing the review process for proposed work on the U.S. 34 and Weld County Road 17 intersection was approved. Weld County, Johnstown, Greeley and Windsor are cooperating on the design. The total cost, which includes the design, as well as review and approval by CDOT, is $2,121,157. The costs consist of an estimated $950,785 for engineering services, $925,372 for engineering services and a deposit of $245,000 to CDOT. 

Johnstown and Windsor will each be responsible for $137,500. Greeley will be responsible for $646,157. Weld County will be responsible for the remaining amount of $1,200,000.

A diamond interchange, similar to the one at Highway 60 and Interstate 25, is planned for the intersection. 

-- A presentation from representatives of the Tough Choices Foundation was heard by the Town Council. The foundation aims to provide youth with mentorship opportunities and more. 

-- An annual audit presentation for the town was presented by the company who prepared the audit. No outliers were discovered. 

-- An amendment to an agreement with Civil Resources, LLC was approved. The company is working on the Lone Tree raw water transmission project and $366,920 was approved as part of the contract amendment. 

-- Councilmembers passed a resolution to amend the town code and remove a portion of code regarding municipal courts and truancy cases. Johnstown’s police chief and town attorney had said the town’s municipal court is structured to treat truancy cases as “crimes,” and that there is a system in place for these situations outside the municipal court.

Matt Lubich contributed to this story.

As teens look ahead to traveling more while school is out for the summer, the Colorado Department of Transportation reminds them that their actions behind the wheel matter. Traffic fatalities among youth aged 15 to 20 in Colorado reached a tragic record high in 2025, with 86 drivers and passengers killed. The spike marks a 91 percent increase in youth crash deaths since 2015.

Colorado traffic fatalities among ages 15-20, beginning with 45 fatalities in 2015 and trending up to 86 fatalities in 2025, a 91 percent increase.

The 100 Deadliest Days of Summer — known for a spike in crash injuries and fatalities — is from Memorial Day to Labor Day. During this time period last year, 225 people died on Colorado roadways, 16 percent of whom were between the ages of 15 and 20.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teen crashes are the leading cause of death for teens 15 to 18 years old. 

Teens face the greatest risk of crashing during the first three months after getting their driver’s license.  Once they are driving on their own, studies show their general inexperience and increased risk-taking drastically spike their chances of getting into a crash. According to the Colorado State Patrol, the top factors for teen driving crashes in 2025 were distracted driving, speeding, lane violations, following too close and animal involved crashes. Nationally, teenagers consistently have the lowest seat belt usage of any age group, and in Colorado, 39 percent of teen drivers who die in crashes were unbuckled. 

“CDOT cannot stress enough the importance of life-saving actions young drivers must take,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “We have seen some positive trends with teenage drivers who use good behaviors such as putting phones away, respecting speed limits and wearing a seatbelt. When consistently used, these behaviors help to prevent crashes and fatalities. Driving a vehicle is an immense responsibility requiring safe driving behavior that parents and all adults should model for young drivers so they observe, learn and adapt good, safe habits from the very start.” 

Fatalities and crashes can be prevented if all drivers, regardless of age, heed the following:

• Always follow the speed limit. Speeding puts you and others at risk of a crash, especially in vulnerable areas like work zones and school zones
• Pay attention while driving. Keep your hands off your cellphone and avoid other distractions while driving, including changing the music or eating
• Wear your seatbelt whether you are the driver or a passenger
• Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs

In addition to the points above, teen drivers 15 to 18 must also follow the specific laws under Colorado's Graduated Driver Licensing Laws, referred to as GDL laws. These laws are designed to keep drivers under 18 safe by limiting distractions and high-risk driving situations while they gain experience. Key points include:

• Teens with a learner’s permit must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or licensed adult 21 years of age or older in the front seat and buckled up
• During the first six months of a learner’s permit, no passengers under 21, unless a parent or other licensed adult driver over 21, is also in the vehicle. Siblings and medical emergencies are exceptions
• During the first year with a license, no driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by an instructor, parent or legal guardian. Exceptions include driving to or from school or work and medical emergencies
• Driver education is mandatory. For more information go to CDOT’s FAQ page on teen driving

Starting Jan. 1, 2027, there will be new requirements for obtaining a learner’s permit in Colorado:

• A 30-hour driver education course for minors 15 to 17 years old (which may include an online course)
• Drivers 18 to 20 years old can choose between a 30-hour course or a 4-hour prequalification driver awareness program (which may include an online course)
• Those applying for a license under the age of 16.5 must still complete six hours of behind-the-wheel training
• Individuals under 21 years old must successfully complete a motorcycle safety training program approved by Colorado State Patrol before being issued a motorcycle instruction permit

This update, possible under HB24-1021, also improves the safety protocols and standards of driving schools and among driving instructors. To learn more about these new requirements and access resources, visit codot.gov/teeneducation. Since the passage of GDL laws in 2002, total teen fatalities have fallen by 35 percent, but crashes and fatalities go up once young drivers have completed their learner’s permit and are driving independently for the first time. 

“Getting your license is an exciting milestone, but that freedom comes with responsibility: protecting yourself and your passengers,” said Colorado DMV Driver Services Director Benjamin Mitchell. “A single decision to text, drive unbuckled or drive impaired can change lives forever. Let's make this summer memorable for the right reasons -- buckle up, drop the distractions and ensure everyone arrives safely.”

In March of this year, the Colorado State Patrol published a press release about the importance of earning and maintaining a driver’s license. It also covered the most common infractions among drivers aged 16 to 21 in 2025, which were speeding, careless driving and not wearing a seat belt. 
 

The Loveland Chamber of Commerce has announced plans to expand its services and representation to include Johnstown businesses and is currently undergoing a rebranding effort to become the Greater Loveland-Johnstown Area Chamber.

To introduce this initiative and share information about what it could mean for the local business community, the Chamber is hosting a community conversation and invites all Johnstown business owners to attend. The event will be held June 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. at The Arabella, 4520 Venture Dr., in Johnstown.

Over the years, Johnstown has seen several Chambers come and go. For a period of time there was a Johnstown-Milliken Chamber. Then the Milliken Chamber split off on its own.

“For years, our town has operated without a chamber which has been challenging and during that time there’s many of us that have tried to get one going again but the workload to begin is heavy and needed dedicated, staffed support to make it happen successfully. That’s about to change!” said Amy Tallent of Johnstown, one of those organizing the event.

“The expansion of the Loveland Chamber into Johnstown is an exciting development for our business community,” Tallent said. “As a well-established and respected organization, the Chamber brings valuable resources, connections, and advocacy that local businesses have been seeking for years. This partnership creates new opportunities for growth and collaboration, and we look forward to the positive impact it will have on Johnstown’s economic future.”

This is not a Town of Johnstown-sponsored event. The town is not organizing, managing, or overseeing this meeting. The Chamber operates as an independent organization separate from the Town.

For more information, and to RSVP to next Tuesday’s event, email Tallent at: amy@homeinnoco.com.

District staff presented the results from a survey that went out to staff members. About half of the district’s staff responded. The survey asked participants to share their thoughts about how the district has utilized funding from the 2020 bond and mill levy override as well as provide feedback on current district priorities.

Currently, district priorities include attracting and retaining high-quality staff, expanding career exploration opportunities, maintaining facilities, renovating Pioneer Ridge Elementary, converting Milliken Intermediate School and completing Roosevelt High School.

The district’s Long Range Planning Team will also be utilizing the feedback collected to inform their decisions on prioritizing needs and funding decisions.

One reason the item was brought up was because some funding from the bond and mill levy override goes towards maintaining competitive staff salaries which will deplete in 2030.

The board didn’t take any action regarding the item since it was strictly informational, but potential future action could be asking the community to vote on another investment.

Overall, staff found mostly positive feedback regarding how the funds were used but there was some discussion that elementary schools have felt left out from receiving improvements. In other business: -- Trustee Amy Musgrave was absent.

-- Roosevelt High School’s ProStart two-year hospitality and tourism program were celebrated at the meeting for their performance as well as members from the Roosevelt High School track team.

-- Roosevelt High School junior, Sadie Goscha, was interviewed for one of the student board seats. The board formally invited her to join as a student board member beginning in August. Goscha will serve a two-year term spanning from 2026 to 2028.

For a complete list of Walk and Bike Month details, including additional event information, schedules, and registration details, visit lovgov. org/WalkandBikeMonth. Updates will also be shared on the City of Loveland and Parks and Recreation social media channels. To learn more about Walk and Bike Month, contact the Public Works Department at 970-962-2524 or email PublicWorksInfo@cityofloveland.org.

About Walk and Bike Month and Everybody Bike Day

Walk and Bike Month is organized annually by the City of Loveland’s Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and Development Services departments. The annual June initiative is designed to promote walking and bicycling as safe, convenient, and accessible transportation options throughout the community. Activities held during the month lead up to Everybody Bike Day, which takes place on the fourth Wednesday of June.

Project Funding

Walk and Bike Month and Everybody Bike Day are funded through the City’s General Fund under the Public Works Transportation Engineering division. Event registration fees are returned to the General Fund and support program coordination and staffing through the Parks and Recreation Department.

Might we suggest Sunday breakfast at the VFW

Post Club? Adults $10 children 12 and under $5. Come on down and support your local 2585 VFW. See you there.

Congratulations to Mackenzie Francis, of Johnstown, a student at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, who recently earned a spot on the Academic Dean’s List for the spring 2026 semester.

We’ve received a lot of subscriptions taking advantage of the special BBQ Day offer of $30 for a year in print (regularly $45). You have until next Friday (June 19) to take advantage of it.

That’s it, short and sweet this week, Breeze Nation. See you around town!

Johnstown 55+ Scene Calendar

Jun 11: Tai Chi Chih 10:00 a.m.; Colorado Rockies Game 11:00 a.m.; Mahjongg 1:30 p.m.

Jun 12: Balance Exercises 9:15 a.m.

Jun 15: Happy Monday! Jun 16: Foot Care 9:00 a.m.; Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Artsy Creations, Chats & Crafts 10:00 a.m.

Jun 17: Sr. Tech Advocates 9:00 a.m.; Wii Bowling 10:30 a.m.; Friendly Fork Meal: Beef lasagna, peas & carrots, kale & butternut squash salad, fruit salad, 2% milk 11:30 a.m.; Cards & Pool 12:30 p.m.

Jun 18: Casino Trip to Black Hawk 8:30 a.m.; Little Bloomers 9:00 a.m.; Tai Chi Chih w/ Marie 10:00 a.m.

Jun 19: Balance Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Book Club 1:30 p.m.

Hours vary based on scheduled events. Feel free to call before you come in or visit our website at johnstownco. gov/seniorcenter Holly Darby

970-587-5251 hdarby@johnstownco.gov

Milliken 55+ Calendar June 11: Tai Chi 10 a.m.

June 12: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Vic Anderson Music Presentation 10 a.m.; Menu: Baked tilapia with parmesan sage sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed carrots, pears, and gelatin parfait; Cards/ pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

June 15: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Corn hole and WII Bowling 10 a.m.; Birthday and Anniversary Day with cake and ice cream; Menu: Roasted turkey breast and mashed potatoes with gravy, broccoli, olive and sundried tomato salad, cinnamon applesauce.

June 16: Tai Chi 10 a.m.; Fishing Trip to Lon Hagler Reservoir 8:30 a.m. Must make reservations with Dawn 970-660-5035. Must have fishing license. Bring your own sack lunch and or snacks. Friendly reminder to bring a chair and your own pole and tackle and any other items you may need to stay cool and comfortable.

Upcoming Events: June 26th Mountain Man Joe presentation on True History Stories 10 a.m. along with Pie Day. Enjoy a meal and a slice of pie. Pie day is our monthly fundraiser to help support our Senior Center. Slices $1.00. Meals available for those over 60 years for a suggested donation of $5.00. Call Dawn 970-660-5035 for reservations. Enjoy laughter and fun. Make a new friend. June 30: Estes Park Day Trip. Enjoy the town, ride the Ariel Tram. Tram ride $30.00 per person. A day of shopping, site seeing and lunch. You pay for your lunch. Contact Dawn 970660-5035 for reservations.

Kathy Kindsfather

970-660-5040 kkindsfather@millikenco.gov

William “Willow” Henry Brandt, 66, of Arizona passed away at his sister’s home in Johnstown on June 1, 2026. He was born April 21, 1960, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, to Henry William and Martha Doris (Mattila) Brandt. The family moved to New York, California, back to New York, Louisiana, Las Vegas and settled in New Stanton, Pennsylvania.

He graduated from Hempfi eld High School in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, working for NORAD at Cheyenne Mountain.

Willow was a talented oil and acrylic painter, having some of his pieces displayed throughout Moab, Utah. At one point, he attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

He loved Haiku poetry, American Indian flutes and being one with nature. He loved listening to the variety of birds and exploring the outdoors. He rarely met a stranger and could strike up a conversation with anyone.

Thankful to have shared his life are his two grandsons, Oliver and Elliott Welch; his two sisters, Lisa Brandt and Dianna Watson; brother-inlaw, Doug Bridges; a nephew and numerous nieces and their families.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Danielle Welch; and a sister, Donna Bridges.

His graveside service was held June 10 at the Johnstown Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to “Best Friends Animal Sanctuary,” 5001 Angel Canyon Rd., Kanab, UT, 84741 or “Pathway Chapel Ashfork,” 2440 N. Dou-

See OBIT ble A Ranch Rd., Williams, AZ, 86320 or sent in care of Young’s Funeral Service, 102 E. Charlotte Street, Johnstown, CO, 80534.

Condolences and memories may be shared at youngsfunerals. com.

In the Roaring Fork Valley, the residents of Cavern Springs Mobile Home Park are in a multi-million-dollar bidding war with private equity investors trying to buy their homes. At Mountain Voices Project, we are supporting over 100 families as they try to buy their park and keep their community affordable and stable.

That fight is a small part of a much broader crisis.

At the Community Economic Defense Project, we support the tens of thousands of Coloradans facing housing instability because their rents are too high. Through our work providing emergency financial assistance, legal assistance, and wraparound support to help prevent homelessness, we see the worst consequences of our state’s affordability crisis. It takes very little – a medical bill, job loss, or unexpected expense – to put housing out of reach.

Colorado cannot build thriving communities or a strong local economy if the people who keep this state running can’t afford to live here.

That is why we joined education groups, labor unions, housing advocates and community organizations through Coloradans for the Common Good, to host a recent gubernatorial candidate forum. More than 400 people came from across the state to ask questions grounded in shared priorities.

All gubernatorial candidates were invited. Attorney General Phil Weiser and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet attended and answered questions.

Community leaders asked about preserving and expanding funding for homelessness prevention, rental and mortgage assistance, and legal services that help families stay housed. They also asked about annual caps on mobile home park lot rent increases and making Proposition 123 preservation funding more effective and accessible for mobile home communities.

During the forum, both candidates expressed support for all of these priorities.

The issues raised at the forum matter, because they speak directly to the pressures facing Colorado families and communities. Funding for rental assistance, legal services and resource navigation gives families a chance to stay housed when unexpected costs or financial setbacks threaten to push them out of their homes.

Similarly, stabilizing rents in mobile home parks helps protect one of the last sources of affordable housing in many Colorado communities. When parks are sold, often to out-ofstate private equity investors, rising lot rents can quickly displace longtime residents and destabilize entire workforce communities.

The forum also highlighted the importance of making Proposition 123 preservation funding more accessible and responsive for mobile home communities. Preservation dollars can help residents respond to a pending sale before affordable housing is lost, but only if funding processes move quickly enough for communities to act in time.

This election will not solve Colorado’s housing crisis overnight. But the forum showed what is possible when communities organize around clear, grounded solutions and ask candidates to answer directly. It also reflected a broader belief shared across our coalition, that Colorado’s housing future should be shaped by the common good and by the people most directly affected by the crisis.

Marissa Molina is the chief policy and communications officer with the Community Economic Defense Project and leader with Coloradans for the Common Good. Maria Judith Alvarez is the president of the Sopris Mountain Collective and leader with the Mountain Voices Project. This opinion piece first ran on Colorado Newsline (coloradonewsline. com).

Jackson will read from his latest book, Been There, Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome, June 27 at 6 p.m. at the Milliken Public Library. Jackson will also take questions after the reading. Books will be available for purchase.

As America approaches this momentous 250th birthday: it’s fair to ask: Have things ever been this divided? This chaotic? This… broken? According to Jackson, the answer is simple: we’ve been here before.

Jackson takes readers on a fast-paced, often surprising tour through some of the most turbulent moments in U.S. history and shows just how familiar they feel. The Founders waged brutal media wars. A sitting senator was nearly beaten to death on the Senate floor during the Caning of Charles Sumner. The United States presidential election of 1876 was so corrupt it makes modern controversies look tame. And the press? Let’s just say Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst weren’t exactly promoting calm, civil discourse.

And yet through all of it, America didn’t fall apart.

That’s the heart of this book. Yes, our history is messy. It’s loud, combative, and at times deeply flawed. But it’s also a story of resilience. Of people pushing back. Of a country that, time and again, finds a way to move forward.

With his signature humor and storytelling, Jackson makes history feel immediate, human, and most importantly, hopeful. Been There, Done That isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about recognizing that struggle is part of the American story, and so is overcoming it.

At 250 years in, this isn’t a nation on the brink, it’s a nation with a track record. This book reminds us that even at our worst moments, we’ve never stopped striving to be better.

For anyone feeling overwhelmed by the present moment, Been There, Done That offers perspective, humor, and a much-needed reminder: America has been through worse – and come out stronger. Jackson gives people a bit of perspective during these overwhelming times.

Jackson is an associate professor at Utah Valley University, where he serves as the America 250 Professor in the Center for Constitutional Studies, and is a senior fellow in the Center for National Security Studies. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Utah.

The event is free and open to the public. You are asked to register at: https://johnstownmillikenpubliclibraries. us/ event/9191/.

Scott Curry and Lori Catalano threw out the eye-opening phrase during a campus podcast, alongside a bunch of tips for homeowners to accept their watering limitations this year, and then think long term about altering their landscape. We caught up with Curry, an assistant professor of landscape design, and added in other suggestions from their podcast, which can be found here.

What’s their message with “embrace the beige”?

Basically, they want people to tweak their water use this summer, not sweat a few patches of less-than-emerald home turf during an historic drought, and for the long term, change their mindset about what can be a beautiful homescape.

If we have grass lawns and can’t change them this year, what should we do?

Grass is not evil, Curry reminds people. Cool green turf helps cities fight off the “heat island” effect where excessive pavement actually changes the local climate to hotter. Like Phoenix. “We aren’t trying to blacklist the lawn here. The lawn has a lot of great benefits,” Curry told us.

But saving even a little water on 1,000 square feet of grass, multiplied times a million homes, can produce real water savings for Colorado, Curry adds.

Start with an electronic irrigation controller, if you don’t already have one, for about $150. Reliable brands include Rachio, Hunter and Rainbird, Curry said. Look for controllers with an “EPA WaterSense” seal of approval, and with a Wi-Fi connection option. Modern controllers can adjust your lawn’s wa- tering needs according to recent weather, based on known “evapotranspiration” rates that tell the controller what the grass actually needs to survive. They can also be easily adjusted “at midnight sitting on your couch with your phone,” Curry noted.

Next, consider an irrigation audit. Some agencies in the past have offered water audits for free, but they are also worth hiring on your own as part of an irrigation checkup, Curry said. Look for a “Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor” credential. They will make sure nozzles are not watering pavement, that the nozzles are spraying only what’s needed, that timers are set to the minimum needed, and more.

What about watering with hoses?

Some communities are banning hand watering of lawns as part of progressive drought restrictions. If you don’t have an irrigation system and use hoses, Curry said, “invest in a hose timer at minimum. Those really are not good ways to water the lawn. They’re horribly inefficient. They get left on all night, and we just need to make sure that you know that’s not the standard.”

A hose timer with a WiFi capability is great for accessibility issues, Curry added. Elderly homeowners or those with mobility challenges can set phone timers and alarms, and control the Wi-Fi from a chair.

What’s the advice for those who are willing and ready to go next level on water- saving landscapes?

First, Curry emphasizes, water-wise landscapes have been “horribly misconstrued” after water agencies tried unfortunate terms like “xeriscaping,” coined in the 1980s by Denver Water. Homeowners immediately laughed at that as “zeroscaping,” and created nightmare moonscapes by simply ripping out turf and dumping truckloads of gravel.

“That’s super, super bad for the environment, it’s bad for social value, it’s bad for pretty much everything, even your home’s value,” Curry said.

Front Range plant experts are now promoting the term “Coloradoscaping,” a designed set of plantings that refl ect and capitalize on Colorado’s arid steppe climate. Western native grasses and flowering plants can be both colorful and perennial, thriving on no added irrigation water once established with a couple of years of minimal drip watering.

“We need solutions to be specific to our region and our climate, then we’ll have a lot more possibilities available to us,” Catalano said on the podcast. “Our native grasses and our perennials are beautiful, and even adapted species that are low water all can be incorporated into creating really beautiful four-season landscapes. The idea of just putting down rock mulch is what we’re probably the most worried about.”

“Embrace the beige isn’t even just about beige, it’s about all the different color that we have available in our plants outside of green,” Curry said, “and really creating a seasonally dynamic landscape, if you will, celebrating the idea that when our grasslands dry out, that they turn brown and beige and pink and a little hue of blue” and other colors.

Where should we start on more ambitious landscape change, if we don’t have $100,000 for a landscape plan?

Try your local garden center or botanic garden first, Curry urges. Commercial family garden centers employ people with decades of knowledge about what works in your neighborhood and what doesn’t. Gardens like Denver Botanic, Betty Ford in Vail, CSU in Fort Collins and others have demonstration gardens for all water environments, and extensive online resources with photos on what to plant.

“Garden in a Box” concepts help people plan specific plants for different-size spaces. They will then send you a box of the appropriate seeds at a reasonable price, and local water agencies often provide discount coupons. Many Colorado water agencies partner with Resource Central on the boxes, and their website provides more information on how to get discounts.

Landscaping materials stores are also fonts of knowledge, Curry said. Any place that sells rocks, bark mulch and other materials, such as SiteOne stores, have great experience in what plants thrive with the mulch and how to design affordable gardens, Curry said.

It sounds like they are encouraging people to take on battles they can actually win.

Yes, that’s why CSU Extension starts with irrigation tweaks, Curry said. Most home irrigation systems are only 50 percent efficient at getting water onto plants. Goosing that to 70 percent effi ciency saves a lot of water and a lot of summer money.

But CSU also wants people to remember they are not demonizing traditional lawns, when they are well thought out. Water conservationists used to attack “nonfunctional” turf – if it wasn’t being used for a kids’ soccer or baseball field, then it wasn’t needed. That’s too limited, Curry argues.

“Turf has a function, even if it’s being maintained for aesthetics,” he said. There are places where grass is best for the community. Go to Congress Park on a hot summer day, Curry said, and the lush grass is “Denver’s beach.”

The term Curry prefers is “nonessential” turf. Think of what’s essential to your family or your neighborhood, and small changes can add up to big water savings.

And if you are ready to rip out turf, Curry concluded, think it through.

“Plan first, get information, and then act. You don’t want to be that person that tore out their whole yard on the Fourth of July, and then you’re like, ‘Now what do I do?’ ”

This story originally ran on The Colorado Sun (coloradosun. com)

Ready or not, here comes Election Season.

County clerks in Colorado began mailing out ballots to registered voters Monday for the June 30 primary election.

Voters registered with a political party will only receive the primary ballot for their party. Unaffiliated voters will receive ballots from both the Colorado Democratic and Republican parties and can choose which one to return.

The Libertarian Party of Colorado blocked unaffiliated voters from participating in the party’s primary election, but unaffiliated voters who want to vote in the Unity Party’s primary may request a ballot from their county clerk. Two Libertarian candidates are running for secretary of state, and two Unity Party candidates are running for governor.

Voters can update their registration through June 22 and still expect to receive a ballot in the mail. Anyone who registers after that will need to request a ballot in-person from their county clerk or at a voter service and polling center if they wish to vote in the primary election. Eligible voters can update their registration through Election Day.

Coloradans can search for a voter service and polling center or a drop box for mail ballots on the secretary of state’s website. County clerks must receive all ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Ballots locally can be dropped off at the ballot box outside Milliken Town Hall.

BallotTrax allows Colorado voters to track their ballot from the time it is mailed to them until it is counted.

As of June 1, Colorado has just over 4 million active registered voters. Slightly more than 50 percent of those voters are unaffiliated.

Voter turnout in midterm elections is typically lower than in presidential election years.

Candidates who win their party primary will move forward to the general election in November, which will feature races for one U.S. Senate seat, governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, every one of the 65 state House seats, and 21 of the 35 state Senate seats.

Coloradans can consult Colorado Newsline’s 2026 Voter Guide for information on contested primary races.

This story originally ran on Colorado Newsline (coloradonewsline. com).

This year was Colorado’s warmest winter on record. As the state’s low snowpack and drought conditions wreak havoc on farmers, chill recreation spending and stoke wildfire fears, it can be hard to find a silver lining – unless you’re a tick.

Warm winter temperatures, alongside wet conditions in 2023, have helped the blood-feeding arachnids flourish.

“While ticks do survive winter, it’s not easy for them. So a good harsh winter would kill some of them off. Mild winters just make that easier for them,” Chris Roundy, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s state entomologist, said.

Colorado isn’t alone in the uptick. In late-April, emergency room visits for tick bites reached their highest levels since 2017 across the U.S.

Ticks, which can thrive at high elevations, bite an estimated 31 million people per year. The most common tickborne disease in Colorado is Colorado tick fever, which causes flu-like symptoms. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typically a more serious disease, remains rare in the state.

Although there are no established populations of blacklegged ticks, which spread Lyme disease, in Colorado, researchers have found evidence of a bacteria that some doctors say could cause Lyme-like diseases.

In past years, CDPHE has called on the public to send ticks through the mail for study. Researchers identify and catalog tick species to gain a broad sense of tick activity around the state. But because the program is voluntary, data are inconsistent.

This year, CDPHE started an active surveillance program to train counties across Colorado to conduct regular tick collections. Counties store the ticks they collect for the duration of the season. They will submit ticks to CDPHE, which plans to work alongside the CDC to identify the ticks and the diseases they may carry.

So far, Roundy has trained staff in 25 counties.

One of the primary goals of the project is to keep an eye on the encroachment of new tick species to the state, like blacklegged ticks, which spread Lyme disease, and Lone Star Ticks, which can cause Alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red-meat.

Lone Star Ticks may be present as close as 20 miles from the Colorado border in Kansas, said Roundy. Ticks can travel on wildlife, livestock, humans or pets.

To prevent tick bites, the CDC recommends: 

-- Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals.

-- Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood.

-- Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings. Alternatively, you can buy permethrin- treated clothing and gear.

-- Avoid contact with ticks. Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. Walk in the center of trails.

-- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane- diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA’s helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions. Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

-- If you are using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.

For pets, the CDC recommends owners check their pet regularly and use a preventa- tive tick medicine.

Colorado ticks don’t carry some of the nastiest diseases, like Lyme disease or Alpha- gal syndrome, that ticks in the Midwest and East Coast do. But public health officials argue that a more robust tracking program will give them a leg up if new tick species come to Colorado.

To collect ticks, scientists drag a piece of white fabric through dense vegetation. Ticks cling to the cloth, hoping to find their next meal. Workers then pluck the bugs and place them into vials that they store in the freezer.

Staff with CDPHE identify the species of tick and catalog its location.

In Colorado, the two most common ticks are the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick. CDPHE plans to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study what diseases ticks collected through the program carry.

Cormac McCrimmon is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS covering Northern Colorado. He specializes in stories about Coloradans’ relationship to nature. He is fascinated by how historical and environmental forces shape ongoing fights over water, wilderness and the West. This story first appeared on their website https://www.rmpbs.org/.

December 19,1907 Owner J.M. Price/ Manager H.M. Porter Attempted Murder.

John B. McCale who Sunday morning tried to shoot Clifford Williams was caught in Longmont Sunday afternoon and brought here for preliminary hearing before Justice Riker Monday. The alleged assault occurred in a bed room of the house on the Bigsby ranch seven and one-half miles southwest of here, when Mr. Williams is working. According to the testimony given by the Williamses McCale came to the house Sunday morning and asked Williams in a bluff manner if he was going to go to Mead with him. Upon Williams’ assertion that he would not go, McCale pulled a gun on Williams and says “then I’ll kill you.” The gun was of a cheap grade and, luckily for Williams, refused to work. Williams grabbed McCale’s arm and forced his hand containing the gun upward and then rushed him backward until he fell back on the bed with Williams on top.There the men lay struggling when Williams’ mother twisted the gun from McCale’s hand.

McCale plead not guilty and his bond was fixed at $500 to appear for trial December 29.

Fifty Years Ago

April 29,1976 Editor and Publisher: Dale Nol’fsinger Bicentennial Week celebrated

Each day of this week has been a special day in J ohnsown to help celebrate VFW Bicentennial Week.

Sunday some local churches observed Religious Freedom Day. Monday was Honor America Day. A flag was presented to the Fire Department. A flag has also been presented to the high school in observance of the day. Tuesday was Community Service Day. Wednesday was Education Day. A poster contest is being held in the grade schools. Thursday is Help the Needy Day and a basket of food will be given to a needy family in town.

Friday is Uniformed Services Day, Let us remember the contributions of all men and women in uniform, w'ho have kept our country free for 200 years. Saturday is Loyalty Day and all residents and businesses are asked to fly flags this day.

Mountain Bell plans 100th birthday party

Mountain Bell is celebrating a “100th birthday” and everyone in the Johnstown area is invited to the party, according to Dave Rhoades, Mountain Bell customer service manager. The company’s offices in Greeley will be open to the public on May 1.

“Today everyone takes telephone service for granted. They expect to pick up a telephone receiver, hear a dial tone and place a call without difficulty. This open house provides everyone the opportunity to find out what occurs between the time the receiver is lifted and other party answers,’’ Rhoades said.

Twenty Years Ago

May 25, 2006 Editor and Publisher: Lesli Bangert and Matt Lubich Roosevelt is 3A’s diamond king Beating Eaton caps Riders’ title run By Martin B. Hamilton 

PUEBLO—Cool. Riders rule.

On the hot seat for an entire year, the cool breeze blowing through left field here last Saturday at Hobbs Field felt refreshing.

With a 6-0 win over Eaton on the main field at the Runyon Sports Complex, where temperatures reached the mid-90s, Roosevelt High School’s Rough Riders were able to ice their first Class 3A state baseball championship.

Roosevelt finished 24-2 overall and 47-4 over the past two seasons. Eaton, a seven-time state champion since 1994, became the Rider’s 19th shutout victim this season and finished 24-2-1. The Riders started this season ranked No. 1, after reaching last year’s state final, which they lost 11-5 to Machebeuf.

RHS Coach Alan Gibson, his face creased by a smile that diminished only slightly after his players doused him with ice water, said,”It was great for us to be here last year and experience what it was like to be in a state final.”

The Riders again advanced that far after starting this season with 11 straight wins before losing at Eaton, 9-7. They followed with another stretch when they won 11-of-12 to reach the state semifinals.

Friday, Roosevelt routed Faith Christian 15-2 in five innings, with senior pitchers Ty Cardona and Sean Lydon combining on a four-hitter to make it to the finals once more. Eaton took care of Machebeuf, 6-1 to meet Roosevelt in the title game.

But against RHS, the Fightin’ Reds couldn’t take care of the ball nor score when they had the chance. Senior left-hander Cody Schlagel pitched a complete-game shutout, making 110 pitches.

“This is what it’s all about,” Gibson said. “Just the culmination of a senior class that started with me (four years ago when he was named head coach). “We’ve grown up together in this program.”

The Breeze From the Past and the Milliken Mail are compiled from past issues of those publications by Ardis Briggs Tomlinson.

The Johnstown Breeze

A roundabout is coming to the intersection of Weld County Road (WCR) 50 and WCR 13 — Larimer County Road 1 and Larimer County Road 14. Last week, The Weld County Board of Commissioners entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the Town of Johnstown. The town will contribute just over $2.6 million toward the $14 million project.

“Safety and efficiency are priorities when we build roundabouts, but they do have a significant cost,” said Jason Maxey, Weld County Commissioner Pro Tem. “We’re pleased to have Johnstown’s support as well as support of others to help offset the cost of an enhancement we believe will be beneficial for many years.”

Other project partners include:

• The Colorado Department of Transportation — contributing over $1.6 million.
• Larimer County — contributing nearly $17,000.
• Weld County Public Works — managing project design and construction and contributing the remaining funding.

The roundabout at the intersection at WCR 50 and WCR 13 will be big enough for large trucks and agricultural equipment, and its driving surface will be made of concrete. This feature helps county roundabouts last 30 years without the need for major repairs. Approximately 7,500 vehicles pass through the intersection daily. The roundabout is being built to increase safety and efficiency by reducing the likelihood of accidents.

“This intersection sees heavy use, and that’s likely to continue,” said Kevin Ross, Weld County Commissioner and Coordinator of Public Works. “A roundabout is the best safety enhancement to meet current and future demand.”

Design of the roundabout planned for WCR 50 and WCR 13 is complete. Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed by an outside contractor.

Ready or not, here comes Election Season.

County clerks in Colorado began mailing out ballots to registered voters Monday for the June 30 primary election.

Voters registered with a political party will only receive the primary ballot for their party. Unaffiliated voters will receive ballots from both the Colorado Democratic and Republican parties and can choose which one to return. 

The Libertarian Party of Colorado blocked unaffiliated voters from participating in the party’s primary election, but unaffiliated voters who want to vote in the Unity Party’s primary may request a ballot from their county clerk. Two Libertarian candidates are running for secretary of state, and two Unity Party candidates are running for governor.

Voters can update their registration through June 22 and still expect to receive a ballot in the mail. Anyone who registers after that will need to request a ballot in-person from their county clerk or at a voter service and polling center if they wish to vote in the primary election. Eligible voters can update their registration through Election Day. 

Coloradans can search for a voter service and polling center or a drop box for mail ballots on the secretary of state’s website. County clerks must receive all ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Ballots locally can be dropped off at the ballot box outside Milliken Town Hall. 

BallotTrax allows Colorado voters to track their ballot from the time it is mailed to them until it is counted. 

As of June 1, Colorado has just over 4 million active registered voters. Slightly more than 50 percent of those voters are unaffiliated.

Voter turnout in midterm elections is typically lower than in presidential election years.

Candidates who win their party primary will move forward to the general election in November, which will feature races for one U.S. Senate seat, governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, every one of the 65 state House seats, and 21 of the 35 state Senate seats.

Coloradans can consult Colorado Newsline’s 2026 Voter Guide for information on contested primary races: 

This story originally ran on Colorado Newsline (coloradonewsline.com).