Originally published in 1976 for America’s Bicentennial, the book A Tribute to Johnstown made its way into the hearts of Johnstown’s approximate then 1,300 residents. They sold fast, and when they were gone, there were no reprints. The book is a compilation of local history, statistics, people and families, the schools, churches, businesses, industry, community clubs, and more.

The Johnstown Historical Society is bringing it back in a commemorative 50th anniversary edition. The new edition will preserve the original content, as well as add new content including new historical research, photographs and stories. It will also reflect on the past five decades of change and growth in Johnstown while highlighting connections between Johnstown’s history and the broader American and Colorado stories. Sign up to be notified when they are available for purchase.

The community is invited to help the JHS make this updated version exceptional. It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Do you have any photos from 1977 to the present that show the essence of Johnstown in some way at the time? You can help tell the story over the past 50 years through photographs.

Would you like to have your photos considered for inclusion in the book? Email: jhscomuseum@gmail.com for more information.

Friendly Fork meals are served at both senior centers. It is a suggested donation of $5 if you or your spouse is 60 or older. The cost is $14 for those 59 and under. Reservations must be made with the appropriate senior center by 9 a.m. the day before. Both centers offer dine-in and carry- out options.

Johnstown 55+ Scene Calendar

May 7: Breakfast Outing 9:00 a.m.; Tai Chi Chih w/ Marie 10:00 a.m.

May 8: Balance Exercise 9:15 a.m.

May 11: Ukulele 1:00 p.m.; Recipe Club 2:00 p.m.

May 12: Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Chats & Crafts 10:00 a.m.; Reiki 10:30 a.m.

May 13: Foot Care 9:00 a.m.; Hearing Aid Checks 11:00 a.m.; Friendly Fork Meal: Chicken fried steak & mashed potatoes with gravy, famer’s market vegetable medley, diced pears, 2% milk 11:30 a.m.; Bingo, Cards, & Pool 12:30 p.m.

May 14: Tai Chi Chih 10:00 a.m.; Ladies Tea Social 2:00 p.m.

May 15: Balance Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Book Club 1:00 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 May 7: Tai Chi 10 a.m.; Book Club 10 a.m.; Black Hawk and Central City Trip 9 a.m., Need to contact Dawn to reserve a spot on the bus. Bus will depart the Milliken Senior Center at 9 a.m.

May 8: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Harmony in 3rds Musical Presentation 10 a.m.; Menu: Braised Pork with Marinara, Parmesan Polenta, Wheat Roll with butter, green Beans, Cantaloupe, Peach Crisp May 11: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Amy Barr Crafts 10 a.m.; Blood Pressure Checks 10:30 a.m.; Senior Board Meeting 12 p.m.; Menu: Austrian- style pork over mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, apricots and butterscotch pudding May 14: Tai Chi 10 a.m.

Upcoming Events: May 21: Picnic Lunch at Benson Sculpture Gardens, Loveland. Bring your own sack lunch. Contact Dawn for reservations 970-660-5035. Bus departs 10:30 a.m.; May 29: TBK Bank Fraud Presentation – Learn the latest scams and how to recognize them. Join us for a meal. Reservations, Dawn 970-660-5035; May 29: Pie Day Fundraiser. Join us for a meal and a slice. $1.00 per slice. Bring a pie or come for a slice.

Kathy Kindsfather

970-660-5040 kkindsfather@millikenco.gov

I’ve called Johnstown my home since 2006. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of serving our community in a variety of roles, including 13 years with the Thompson School District and six years on the local YMCA branch council and board. I’ve also watched my two daughters grow up using the YMCA.

That perspective has shown me something important: many people underestimate what the YMCA truly is and what it means to our community.

The YMCA is not just a recreation center. It is a place intentionally grounded and designed to serve our residents at every stage of life – from infants in Child Watch to seniors seeking connection, activity, and wellness. This has been the Y’s mission for nearly 200 years: build programs and spaces that strengthen individuals, families, and communities.

In a growing town like Johnstown, that matters more than ever.

Our community is expanding rapidly, and with that growth comes new challenges, especially for families. Access to affordable, high-quality childcare remains a genuine concern. The YMCA helps meet that need by providing a safe, structured, and enriching environment for children. It’s not babysitting; it’s experienced, mission-driven programming that supports both kids and working parents.

Beyond childcare, the Y creates something equally valuable but harder to measure…connections within our community.

Our YMCA serves as a central gathering place, a true community hub, where people can improve their health, try something new, and build relationships. For seniors, it offers a welcoming space to stay active and engaged. For families, it provides opportunities to spend time together. For newcomers, it helps establish a sense of belonging in a town that’s growing rapidly.

Running an organization like the YMCA requires expertise, experience, and a deep understanding of community needs. Rather than reinventing the wheel, Johnstown benefits from partnering with an organization that has spent generations refining how to deliver high-quality, accessible programming in a fiscally responsible way.

And the community response speaks for itself. Membership at the Y is stronger than ever. Even amid recent conversations about its future, more people, not fewer, are choosing to be part of it.

It’s worth asking: what would Johnstown look like without our YMCA?

Before it arrived, our community did not have access to this breadth of programs, services, and opportunities. Without it, we would face a significant gap, not just in recreation, but in childcare, wellness, and the everyday connections that help a community thrive.

As Johnstown continues to grow, having a place that brings people together in meaningful, productive ways is not a luxury, it’s essential.

The YMCA is more than a building. It’s a foundation for our community.

On Saturday, Glenn A. Jones Memorial Library will have its grand open house to welcome the community into a newly remodeled space and location in Milliken.

Sharing the north side of the building with Milliken Intermediate School (formerly Milliken Middle School), construction crews have worked to revamp former classrooms into a modern library with creative purposes.

“I think people have a very set mindset as to what a library is. And I think that this is gonna be so different than what they’re thinking of, and I can’t wait for them to see that,” branch manager Dylann Leal said. “It’s definitely super exciting.”

While the old police building previously held a small library in Milliken along Broad Street next to Town Hall, the size of the new one will allow for features like a maker space (laser/3D printing), kitchen, gaming, conference room and play area. Bright colors and murals decorate the walls, opening the mind for thought and connecting back with the area’s feel.

“We have more room for doing programs, for doing all kinds of events, and I would say that’s the big thing that will set us apart from over there (in Johnstown),” Leal said. “It’ll be fun to have new technology, but it’s gonna be so similar to Johnstown. Hopefully, people will be able to get the same experience at both.”

Members will have access to library locations across the Weld region without additional cost, making the transition smooth. Offering cooking classes and courses in the maker’s space provides Milliken’s residents with another family-friendly option. Additionally, the gaming lab lets users practice different skills and engage with each other.

Staff from Johnstown have been crossing back and forth to work in preparation for the open house. Setting books, organizing shelves and loading computers, the process has taken time, yet everything has been done purposefully.

Explorer Pass Coordinator Amy Barr, who has been one of many staffers helping, acknowledged how the architects, board members and librarians put together a plan for the building’s design and operation.

“It was really a collaborative effort, I feel like I did have a say of what’s going to happen here,” Barr said. “It wasn’t just a select group of people deciding this is how it’s gonna be. The people that are actually gonna work in there and perform in there got a say.”

A noticeable difference between branches will be the legacy of the building. Many of the community members went to MMS or had children attend, giving an emotional attachment for the grounds that used to foster knowledge. With the quickly expanding population, change was imminent.

“One of my favorite things about this library, because I am a former MMS student, is we have the old gym floor in there, up on the wall,” Barr said. “It just hits your heart with the nostalgia.”

Keeping bits and pieces that pay homage to the building’s old purpose was a way to respect its history. When residents get their first look on May 9, they’ll find numerous connections and ties that were made with intent.

“Now, Johnstown still has its own special, unique things to it,” Barr said, “but each place is gonna offer something different to the people of our communities, which is really spectacular.”

Although growth can’t be fought, the spaces and areas for the citizens have to adapt to it. Saturday’s reception from 9 a.m. to noon will mark a step forward in Milliken’s progress as a town and open an opportunity for the youth to excel as well.

“It’s gonna be fantastic,” Barr said. “The library is a warm and welcoming place for everyone in the community, so we want everyone to come and utilize it. Come and ask questions, tell us what we can do better because we’re here to serve the people.”

Brittany Mastin has been named as the new Branch Executive Director of the Johnstown Community YMCA, effective May 1. A longtime Johnstown resident and five-year leader at the Y, Mastin brings deep community roots, a lifelong connection to the YMCA and a leadership style centered on listening and connection.

Since 2021, Mastin has served the Johnstown Y in a variety of roles, most recently as Operations Director.

During her tenure, she earned the trust of staff, members and volunteers while helping shape a welcoming, community-focused culture at the rapidly growing branch.

“Brittany understands Johnstown because she lives it,” said Pat Murray, Vice President of Operations for the YMCA of Northern Colorado. “Her ability to listen, respond and build meaningful relationships makes her the right leader at the right time for this community.”

Mastin’s connection to the YMCA began in childhood, attending swimming lessons in Colorado Springs. As an adult, the Y became a source of support during her husband’s many military deployments, providing childcare, community and a place to focus on both physical and mental well-being.

“I know what it feels like to walk into the Y needing support,” Mastin said. “For me, it was a place to catch my breath, find connections and to feel like I wasn’t alone. I want every person who walks through our doors to feel that same sense of belonging and I want those who don’t know what we offer, to learn about what’s available.”

After moving to Johnstown in 2014, Mastin is raising her four children in the community and has built strong connections through local schools, the library and neighborhood programs. She joined the Johnstown Y as a wellness coach shortly after it opened, quickly stepping into leadership roles as the branch grew alongside the community. She has helped launch and grow the Y’s teen programs, including the summer Teen Passport Program, and has taken a leadership role with the Johnstown Backpack Program (aka Hunger Heroes).

As Executive Director, Mastin will focus on strengthening family programming, continuing to expand opportunities for teens and fostering connections among residents. She is particularly passionate about creating spaces where families and neighbors can build relationships and support one another.

“Johnstown is growing quickly, and with that comes both opportunity and responsibility,” Mastin added. “We want to honor what makes this community special while also creating new ways for people to connect. The Y can be that place where relationships start and community grows.”

Mastin emphasizes a collaborative approach to leadership, encouraging feedback and ideas from members and the broader community to continually improve programs and services.

“What makes us different from so many rec and fitness facilities is that we are not confined to our four walls,” she said. “If there’s a need in the community, we want to be there to make it all possible. Listening is how we get better.”

For more information about the Johnstown YMCA, visit www.ymcanoco.org.

They say that all good things must come to an end, and for the Riders undefeated streak that end came last Friday night at Chimney Park in Windsor against the Fossil Ridge Saber Cats by a score of 13-1.

“It was a tough loss,” said head coach Brian Saya. “But oddly enough it may have been the best thing for us. There’s no more pressure on going undefeated. We can just refocus on our goals, and that’s something we really must do now that we’re down a player.”

That player would be star pitcher Brady Mylander who went down early in the game with an elbow injury when he was hit by a comebacker (baseball hit right back at the pitcher’s mound) coming off a Fossil Ridge bat.

“Yeah, losing Brady put a definite damper on the team’s spirits,” Saya said. “But we’re going to be all right; we still have some really good pitchers in our bullpen, so we’ll be fine. From a mental standpoint it’s tough losing a teammate during a game like that. The boys lost focus and we went down 4-0 quick before they exploded in the fifth inning for nine runs.”

Coach Saya said there’s a good chance Mylander could return in time for the playoff s. But if he isn’t back Saya is confident in pitchers Jack Sansone and Israel Castillo to take up the axe and mow down opposing batters.

“We got a good team here; we’re going to be fine.”

On Monday, the Riders bounced back in a big way against the Northridge Grizzlies, winning both games of their double header at Nelson Farms Field 16-0 and 110. The wins along with last Tuesday’s 11-1 win against Thompson Valley bring the Riders record to 19-1 on the season. The Riders did fall a bit on Monday’s CHSSA poll to 4th in 4A.

“We’re fine with that,” said Saya. “It takes all the pressure off and puts us in the underdog position. We don’t mind that.”

In other Roosevelt sporting news:

The Roosevelt girls soccer team ended the season on a high note last week beating the Sterling Tigers 2-0 last Tuesday and tying Wellington 0-0 on Senior Night last Thursday evening. The Riders finished the season 4-7-4 and ranked 38th in the state, their highest season ending ranking in team history. For a season recap of the girls soccer season, check out next week’s Breeze.

The Roosevelt Rough Riders boys and girls track teams continue their dominant seasons as the State Championships approaches May 14-16.

The boys rattled off four consecutive top five finishes in April. They finished fifth out of 42, fourth out of 11, first out of 17 and second out of 16. In the meet they won, which was April 25 at home, they accumulated 228 points as a team which almost lapped the field, beating second place Eaton who had 117 points.

Head track coach Daniel Joiner, when asked about junior record-breaker Owen Hays, said, “He broke the alltime Colorado 300 hurdles record. And when I say all time, that means any class, so 1A through 5A at any time during the regular scheduled season. No one ever in history has ever run faster than him in that race. It was a 25-year-old record set at state in 2001.”

The Rough Riders boys have much, much more when it comes to competing.

“They’ve kind of been the focal point because we got state runner up last year in the team and got most of those guys back,” Joiner said. “We’re making a run at winning state this year. Owen Hayes, obviously, Houston Howell, Taybor Conrad, Nate Cassady, Lane Musgrave and Joe Wooldridge. We have a freshman triple jumper, Mason Lobato, he’s now in the conversation. We got Noah Lucero and Nathaniel Herrera. At distance, we’ve got David Roberts. He’s awesome. On our boys side, we’ve broken every school record in the individual track events this season.”

The boys side, as of right now, would qualify 21 to compete in Lakewood at state.

On the girls side, Joiner believes that they are slightly underrated and overshadowed by the boys team.

“Our girls are good, like really good,” he said. “They’re also in contention, but we didn’t really know it, because you know, they kind of got a little bit in the shadow of the boys. We have such a strong team that is just kind of steady Eddie through the season. So they have a shot as well.”

Joiner said the girls team is led by Braelyn Bailey, who has the 4A state high jump meet record. “She is trying to win her third straight state championship this year,” he said. “She’s ranked number one in the long jump. Right now, we might end up with six in the top 18 in the high jump.

“And then we have Makaylee Meyer who is ranked third in the pole vault. She beat the favorite a couple of weeks ago. So even though she is ranked third, she does have a shot at winning.”

The Rough Riders girls have a lot of talent, not only in the field but also on the track.

“We’re stacked there,” Joiner said. “It’s a lot of relay stuff. Rylee Soutiea is killing it. She’s in all three of the sprint relays. Kylie Wright is on that team as well. She just broke our school record in the 200 with 25.2, she’s legit. Abby Leibman is on the 4x2 and 4x4, and she just ran the first time under 60 seconds in almost 20 years. So just stuff like that is happening.”

Onto the longer distance track events, Joiner said, “Sydney Ludington has broken our 800 and 1600 record this year. She ran 5:04 in the 1600 and 2:15 in the 800. And then her teammate, Elizabeth Roberts, which is David’s sister, ran 5:11 in the 1600 and 2:18 in the 800.”

The state meet will be held at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood. The top 18 in each event make it to state and Joiner expects a lot of athletes from Roosevelt to make it and compete for state titles as a team, and individuals.

There has been much (and merited) excitement about the grand opening of the Milliken Public Library this Saturday. But did you know that 100 years ago, a group of Milliken women started the first public library in the community?

According to A History of Milliken, Colorado, by Helen and Elmer Stroh, “A group of energetic ladies met at the home of Mrs. Mina Crawford on April 12, 1912, for the purpose of organizing a Woman’s Club. The first order of business was to decide whether the club should be for pleasure or for civic improvement. The focus was to become a civic improvement club with the construction of a public library as its first goal.”

“The object of this Club is to stimulate intellectual and moral development; promote good fellowship among its members and entire community; to secure and encourage matters relating to the home, domestic relations, education and literature,” the Milliken Woman’s Club as it would be named stated in Article I of its constitution. The club began with just over two dozen charter members.

According to the Stroh’s book, arrangements were made for a temporary library room until sufficient funds were available to construct a building. Early in June of 1912, the members “were disappointed in not securing a room in the Bank Building,” but were able to rent the original post office building. Ed Riker, the first Postmaster of Milliken, owned the building, which was on the southwest corner of the intersection of Broad Street and Grace Avenue.

Stocking the library was a priority. Members asked for donations of good books, current magazines or money with which to buy books. Members also gave from their own collections, and the Town Board gave $100. The Colorado Traveling Library Commission loaned boxes of books.

“We did almost everything to raise money, except stealing,” Mrs. Ed Cox, a member of the club, recalled in the Stroh book. “We took a contract to hoe 15 acres of corn and came near having to leave our happy home for the doing. We planted our city park to beans. We gave food sales and made people buy the food, gave entertainment and tormented them with ticket sellers until they bought to get rid of us.”

In 1915, the price of a yearly ticket to check out books was 50 cents.

Fielding Castle, the home of Stewart Fielding at 108 S. Grace Avenue, was then offered to the club for $250. On March 10, 1916, the club voted to purchase the site for the new library. The building fund had grown to $285 and a building loan of $300 was taken from W.D. Letford of Johnstown without security.

“Progress was slow in erecting the library as the ladies did much of the construction work themselves” the Stroh book reported. “Women were seen hauling sand, unloading brick, lathing and decorating the walls. Very little work was paid for. In spite of trials and tribulations, a lovely library was completed in November 1916. The cost was approximately $800. Dedication services were held in the spring of 1917. Loan payments became an issue. Again the ladies proved equal to the task with many moneymaking projects such as talent plays and pie and box suppers. In less than two years the loan was liquidated.”

As books were added to the shelves each club member took her turn keeping library hours, three days a week. The library closed in 1952. Books were donated to the Milliken School and money from the sale of the building was given to the Presbyterian Church. The building, a brick structure, is on the southwest corner of the intersection of Broad Street and South Frances Avenue.

Thanks to Pat York of Milliken, who put us on to this story.

Weld County residents will have two free opportunities this spring to recycle old or unwanted electronics through the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) program. Hosted by the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, the events will take place in Greeley and Frederick.

The first event is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Weld County Clerk & Recorder’s Office, 1250 H St. in Greeley. A second event will follow on Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Frederick High School, 5690 Tipple Pkwy in Longmont.

Advance reservations are encouraged through the HHW website. Drive-up participants may be accepted as space allows, however, waiting times may be longer if event capacity is reached.

Accepted items include a wide range of electronic devices, such as computer monitors, laptops, televisions, microwaves and much more. The collection services will be provided by IT Refresh, a certified electronics recycler responsible for the secure collection, transportation, destruction and disposal of all items. All materials must fit in a standard residential vehicle and be easily accessible for unloading. No business waste will be accepted, and trailers are not permitted.

For more information about the E-waste events and to sign up for a drop-off time, please visit www.weld.gov/go/hhw.

JOHNSTOWN – Town Council met Monday night for its first regular meeting of the month. The meeting included a discussion about proceedings with the Johnstown Community YMCA and more. 

During the beginning of the meeting, the council discussed how they wanted to proceed regarding conversations with the Johnstown YMCA following the forensic audit that was completed earlier this year. Town Manager Matt LeCerf suggested that the council agree on how they wanted to proceed since he has received different messages from council members. 

Mayor Michael Duncan firmly stated that he wanted to wait until June to meet because the town was expecting an official letter from the YMCA of Northern Colorado’s CEO Chris Coker.

Councilmember Dianne Morris said that she’d prefer to address the issue as soon as possible, while also allowing the council to ask questions to the Johnstown YMCA. She advocated for hosting a working meeting or work session soon. Work sessions can be used to host less-formal discussions, where no official action can be taken, but they’re still required to comply with public meeting laws. Work sessions are typically available to the public as well.

Councilmember Dee Anne Menzies expressed worries about letting out privileged information, but the town attorney explained that many documents like the audit results are already public record.

The discussion became tense due to differing opinions on how to proceed and repeated interruptions between the councilmembers. Eventually, the contentious discussion ended with the council giving LeCerf direction to schedule a working meeting and an executive session for the second regular meeting in June, set for June 15.

Councilmembers also heard about a resolution to approve a project to develop 10 oil and gas wells at the Carnation location north of County Road 16 and west of Colorado Boulevard. 

A special review was submitted to the town by DWD Investment Group on behalf of Kerr McGee Oil and Gas Onshore LP. The company plans to develop the oil and gas wells to mine hydrocarbons; organic compounds of hydrogen and carbon. They are compounds that can be used as fuels, lubricants and raw materials for plastics and chemicals. 

There is only one residential building within 2,000 feet of the site. 

Construction is slated to begin in June 2026. 

The town is expected to receive $2.3 million from tax revenue from the Carnation Pad.

Councilmembers approved it unanimously.

In other business:

• Multiple proclamations were read to honor achievements of the Roosevelt High School’s cheer team, state wrestling champions, poms teams and HOSA chapter. Additionally, proclamations were read for Mental Health Month, Small Business Week and public service recognition.
• A water and sewer service agreement with restaurant Texas Roadhouse, which is coming into the 2534 development, was passed as part of the consent agenda.
• Presiding Municipal Judge Michael Lazar was reappointed to the position by the council. Teresea Ablao, David Thrower and Thomas Ramunda Jr. were appointed as Deputy Municipal Judges. These individuals will serve as needed in the absence or unavailability of the presiding municipal judge. Lazar made a comment that many cases now involve theft in municipal court, compared to before the town developed its retail spaces.
• Resolution 2026-23, a special review for a Cannon Car Wash, was approved. The location is adjacent to Highway 60 in the Ledge Rock area.

• An intergovernmental agreement between the Town of Johnstown and Weld County was approved unanimously. The county and town have been working together to improve the intersection between Weld County Roads 13 and 50. The town will be contributing $2,626,472 to construct a roundabout, with the work to be done by the county.

   

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told Fox Business that 4.3-million Americans have lost food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, claiming the reduction in benefits is due to a crackdown on fraud.

As food banks in Colorado and across the nation face new strains on their services, they’re asking neighbors to step in and help.

Mark Weslar, director of food sourcing at Food Bank of the Rockies, which distributes 200,000 meals' worth of food each day across Colorado and Wyoming, said they’ve seen a huge spike in demand. He noted that one in eight Coloradans – and one in seven children – don’t know where their next meal will come from.

"People from all walks of life are struggling to make ends meet, especially with gas being what it is," he said. "Food, clothes, everything seems astronomically expensive now, and folks are having to make hard choices."

According to the government’s own data, fraud accounts for just 1 percent of the SNAP program. The vast majority of people lost SNAP benefits after the passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which created additional work requirements and other restrictions. The Republicans’ signature tax and spending law aims to cut SNAP funding by 20 percent, or $186 billion, over the next decade.

Work requirements don’t help people land jobs that pay a living wage, according to new research by the Hamilton Project, but they do decrease SNAP participation. Weslar said SNAP has been the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation’s history, and food banks and pantries alone can’t fill in the gaps when people lose benefits.

"The SNAP program is vitally important," he said. "For every one meal that a food bank provides, the SNAP program provides nine meals."

Feeding America’s network of 200 food banks provides more than $4 billion meals a year to some 37 million Americans. They’re encouraging people to purchase select food items at participating Walmart and Sam’s Club stores or make contributions any time online at FeedingAmerica.org.

Weslar said another way to contribute is to volunteer at your local food bank or pantry.

"It's a really neat experience," he said. "We have opportunities to work in the kitchen and make after-school meals for kids. We crank out about 2,000 meals a day. Or you could work at a mobile pantry out in the community, helping get food to neighbors in need."

BJ Cummins, Riki Rarick and Dan Dean were elected to the board and will each serve four-year terms. Additionally, Michael Orcutt was selected to serve as the mayor pro-tem for the board. As mayor pro-tem, Orcutt will run meetings when the mayor is absent along with other duties.

During the meeting, trustees approved the purchase of two message boards for the Milliken Public Works Department. These boards help drivers by communicating traffic alerts, safety notices, weather warnings, emergency updates, law enforcement communications and detour notices.

The purchase of the two message boards for $33,490 was approved unanimously by the board.

The board also approved a change order for the Meadow Farm Equestrian Trail project from $136,400 to $173,239. The cost increase is the result of increasing the trail width from the original 10 feet to 15 feet.

Since this increase is still within the budgeted amount for the project, the town will be able to complete the project without the need for additional town funding.

Milliken Town Board meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the community meeting room at the Milliken Police Department. Meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is May 13.

Johnstown 55+ Scene Calendar

Apr. 30: Breakfast Outing 9:00 a.m.; Tai Chi Chih 10:00 a.m.

May 1: Balance Exercise 9:15 a.m.

May 3: Colorado Rockies Game 11:00 a.m.

May 4: Closed May 5: Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Chats & Crafts 10:00 a.m.; JSC Board Meeting 10:30 a.m.

May 6: Friendly Fork Meal: Chicken Caesar wrap, white bean salad, pickled beets, orange slices; 2% milk 11:30 a.m.; Cards, & Pool 12:30 p.m.

May 7: Breakfast Outing 9:00 a.m.; Tai Chi Chih w/ Marie 10:00 a.m.

May 8: Balance Exercise 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 Apr. 30: Tai Chi 10 a.m.

May 1: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Bird Seed Ornament craft 10; Menu: Krautburger with side of mustard, country kitchen vegetables, strawberries and blueberries; Cards/ Pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

May 2: Senior Center Rummage Sale 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

May 4: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; STUCCO Craft time 10 a.m.; Menu: Beef taco on wheat tortilla with cheese, lettuce, salsa and guacamole, Aztec corn, pineapple: Cards/ Pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

May 5: Tai Chi 10 a.m. Upcoming Events: May 7: Black Hawk and Central City Field Trip. Bus departs at 9 a.m.; May 8: Harmony in 3rds Entertainment 10 a.m.; May 12: Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center. Cost is $25.00 and needs to be paid by May 1st. This is an all-day field trip and requires a reservation to secure a spot. Contact Dawn 970-660-5035 for more information if interested.

Kathy Kindsfather

970-660-5040 kkindsfather@millikenco.gov

Adopted in 2025, the Downtown Master Plan represents more than a year of robust community outreach and stakeholder engagement, according to a press release announcing the award. “The plan outlines a shared vision for the future of downtown Johnstown, supported by market-driven land use strategies aimed at fostering long-term economic vitality, sustainability, and resilience.”

“This award reflects the collective vision and dedication of our community, stakeholders, the Mayor and Town Council, and staff,” said Town Manager Matt LeCerf. “We are honored to be recognized and look forward to moving from planning to implementation as we bring this vision for downtown Johnstown to life.” The award was presented during the Downtown Excellence Awards ceremony held as part of the “In The Game” conference in Grand Junction, where communities across Colorado were recognized for their contributions to vibrant and thriving downtowns. Johnstown was among several municipalities celebrated for projects, places, and people working to enhance their communities, according to the release.

“The Town extends its gratitude to Downtown Colorado, Inc. and congratulates all award recipients from across the state,” the release concludes.

Downtown Colorado Inc. is a non-profit, membership association committed to building better communities by providing assistance to Colorado downtowns, commercial districts, main streets, rural communities and town centers. Established in 1982 as Colorado Community Revitalization Association, and now dba Downtown Colorado, Inc., the organization provides five core services to organizations and individuals engaged in downtown and commercial district development: including Advisory Services, Educational Events, Advocacy and Information, Downtown Financing Mechanisms and the Colorado Challenge Program.

For more information about the Johnstown Downtown Master Plan, please visit www.JohnstownCO.gov/ DowntownMasterPlan or watch the nomination video here: https://youtu.be/khfqTLFq84I.

Kayden Bryant was the team’s offensive MVP going 3 for 3 at the plate with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs. Israel Castillo took to the mound and pitched all 5 innings of the game while giving up only 9 hits but striking out 8 batters.

The 4A #1 ranked Riders got a much-deserved break over the weekend before getting to take on the Monarch Coyotes at Coors Field on Monday afternoon in an exhibition game. The Riders fell to the Coyotes 8-6 (a loss that will not count towards their record) in the game. Despite the loss this was a great opportunity (and a lifelong dream for boys and grown men of all ages) afforded to both teams by the Colorado Rockies and Major League Baseball.

On Friday, the Riders will take on the Fossil Ridge Saber Cats at home in a non-league matchup. First pitch is at 4 p.m.

On Saturday, The Rough Riders will return to league action taking on the Northridge Grizzlies in a home and home game series. Saturday’s game will be at Nelson Farm Field starting at 11 a.m. On Tuesday, Northridge will host the Riders at 3:30 p.m.

In other Roosevelt sports:

The Rough Rider lady’s soccer team suffered a couple of tough losses last week to fall to 3-7-3 on the season. On Tuesday, the ladies fell to Berthoud 0-3, and Thursday they lost a close one 0-2 to Sterling. Tonight, the ladies will be hosting Wellington in the last game of the season. It’s Senior Night so get out to Randall Hess stadium and cheer these hard-working ladies on!

JOHNSTOWN – The latest trend in young people’s transportation -- e-bikes and electric scooters -- has led Town Council to enact ordinances for operation of the vehicles.

“Due to the growing concerns within the Town of Johnstown community demonstrated by recent complaints from citizens and Town Council, the Johnstown Police Department recognizes the need to create a means to regulate E-Bikes, Low-Powered Scooters, and other Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) within municipal code,” Johnstown Police Chief Jeff Strossner wrote in an agenda memo about the proposed ordinance which was reviewed by council at the March 16 meeting where it was passed unanimously.

“These vehicles are often purchase by adults and provided to children in the community for recreation or used as transport to school,” Strossner went on to write. “Unfortunately, many of these vehicles are prohibited from use on public roads or restricted by Colorado law, capable of high speeds, putting children at risk of serious injury. It is necessary to create a parallel municipal ordinance to encourage voluntary compliance. Those violating the rules may be cited in municipal court, where the restorative justice program for the youth can be used to discourage recidivism.”

But tickets aren’t the aim, the chief said, education is. So far, he said, no tickets have been issued.

“It’s really too early to tell,” Strossner said about the ordinance’s effectiveness. “The ordinance was just passed and we really haven’t got out there for enforcement. But we don’t want to write tickets, we want to make this more educational. We’re working with the school district to get the word out.”

At its basics, the new ordinance prohibits riding the e-bikes or scooters on sidewalks, particularly in the downtown area. The ordinance appears to be having an effect. This week several e-bike riders were seen dismounting and walking their bikes along the sidewalk along Parish Avenue. In one brief period however, two riders were still riding down the sidewalk. The town has painted yellow and black “dismount zone” warnings on the sidewalks downtown to further make the point about dismounting.

According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, emergency room visits due to accidents involving e-scooters and e-bikes has more than doubled from about 34,000 in 2017 to about 93,100 in 2022. For e-bikes alone, emergency department visits rose from an estimated 3,500 in 2017 to 24,400 in 2022.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 55 percent of emergency department visits due to e-bike injuries were from incidents on streets or highways.

“We have had some close calls, and damage in the parks, but no accidents that I’m aware of,” Strossner said.

Another part of the ordinance also prohibits the use of off highway vehicles (OHV) including motorized vehicles designed primarily for offroad recreational use, such as ATVs and dirt bikes.

“These vehicles are intended for use on trails and off-road terrain – not on paved streets or public pathways,” the town states on its website regarding the ordinance. “Off-highway vehicles may not be operated on or within any Town-owned or Town-controlled areas, including: Streets, alleys, roadways, and highways, shoulders, medians, and public rights-of-way, sidewalks and pedestrian pathways, multi-use paths, bicycle lanes, and trails and parks and open space areas.” Electric dirt bikes are considered OHVs.

Much of ordinance is from state law, the chief said. The ordinance was drafted so the town has control and can handle issues municipally.

The chief said for any questions by the community, they can go to town’s webpage at https://johnstownco.gov/682/E-Bike-Ordinance, call the PD front desk at 970578-5555, or email the JPD at pdadmin@johnstownco.gov.

On a spring morning in 1914, miners in Ludlow, Colorado, were celebrating Greek Easter when the Colorado National Guard and a private security agency opened fire on their camp with a machine-gun-equipped armored car called the Death Special.

The miners waged a pitched battle with the National Guard for 10 days before President Woodrow Wilson ordered federal soldiers to intervene. An estimated 69 to 199 people were killed. It was the end of one of the most bitter and violent miner strikes in U.S. labor history, which had begun in September 1913. The strike and massacre prompted Congress to take a hard look at labor reform. But significant changes in labor relations and unionization didn’t come until the mid-1930s.

Some state labor laws were on the books, but in 1914 the U.S. House Committee on Mines and Mining reported: “Colorado has good mining laws and such that ought to afford protection to the miners as to safety in the mine if they were enforced, yet in this State the percentage of fatalities is larger than any other, showing there is undoubtedly something wrong in reference to the management of its coal mines.”

Once the initial shock of the violence wore off, the Ludlow strike received little public attention outside of the immediate families affected and some Colorado residents until late in the 20th century. In “Where Are the Workers,” Mary Anne Trasciatti, a professor at Hofstra University, and I edited a collection of essays written by labor historians and archivists that explore nationwide efforts to bring the history of labor and working people into mainstream narratives of U.S. history.

The Ludlow Massacre is one of the most dramatic and deadly of those stories. It rivals the West Virginia Mine Wars of the 1920s.

The Ludlow Massacre

In September 1913, roughly 10,000 mostly immigrant miners who worked for the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. went on strike. The miners were represented by the United Mine Workers of America, which submitted a list of demands when the strike began, including implementing the eight-hour workday, being compensated for the time miners spent in the shafts, and the right to select their own housing and doctors.

Since national strikes were called in the 1880s demanding the eight-hour day, this had been a goal for workers throughout the U.S. In Colorado, voters had endorsed such an amendment to the state constitution in 1902, but it was not uniformly enforced.

Coal mining in the early 1900s was labor intensive and dangerous. Death rates were high. Workers had no say in how the mines operated. From 1884 to 1912, more than 1,708 men died in the state’s coal mines, a rate twice the national average. In 1910, explosions at two Colorado Fuel & Iron mines killed 131 people. In 1912, 125 workers lost their lives in mine accidents across Colorado. That year, the annual death rate in Colorado’s mines was 7.06 per 1,000 employees, compared to a national rate of 3.15. Every trip down a shaft was fraught, with workers paid only for the weight of the coal they mined, not for their travel time.

John D. Rockefeller, the nation’s wealthiest man at the time of the strike, was the main owner of the fuel and iron company. With about 10,000 workers and nearly 70,000 acres of land under control, Colorado Fuel and Iron was one of the most powerful mining companies of that era.

Coal companies often owned entire towns, including miners’ homes, which was the case in Ludlow. Worker protests often led to widespread evictions. As a result of the Ludlow strike, 1,200 coal miners and their families were evicted and took refuge in tent colonies around the mines during the winter of 1913-14.

Colorado Fuel & Iron hired and armed 300 members of a private security agency known as Baldwin-Felts when the strike began. The agency was founded in the early 1890s by William Gibbony Baldwin and employed by mining companies in West Virginia and Colorado to repress strikes. Their job was to keep order and – if possible – break the walkout and reopen the mines.

Members of the United Mine Workers of America armed themselves as conflicts with the mining company’s private security force intensified.

Eventually, the Colorado governor, Elias M. Ammons, ordered the Colorado National Guard to join the fray on the corporation’s side, with the Rockefellers paying their wages. The Guard arrested hundreds of strikers.

Then, on April 20, 1914, the National Guard and the private company opened fire on the tent colonies where the miners lived. After several hours of gunfire, with miners defending their camp, 25 people were dead, including two women and 11 children trapped when the camp was intentionally set ablaze.

Months earlier, miners had dug foxholes under tents so women and children could avoid bullets randomly fired through the camps. When the armored vehicle opened fire, everyone in the camps ducked into the holes.

Later, women and children were found by miners huddled together at the bottoms of their burned-out tents.

Many miners’ family members were saved when the engineer on a passing train witnessed what was happening and stopped on the track to shield them from the gunfire.

This violence led to 10 more days of conflict before President Wilson finally ordered federal troops to disarm both sides.

Changes to labor law

In Congress, the House Committee on Mines and Mining conducted an investigation into the events and released a report in 1915. John D. Rockefeller Jr. was summoned before the committee, where he was questioned for several hours on May 20, 1914. There, he admitted that he had not visited the site since the incidents that led to the deaths of workers and their families.

According to a New York Times report, when asked whether he knew that thousands of his employees had been evicted from their homes and were living in tent colonies, and that the striking workers and their families were suffering without work or food, Rockefeller replied that he could not say, but that company officials could provide the facts. None were forthcoming.

A federal Commission on Industrial Relations also held hearings, determined to quell the upsurge in early 20th-century labor violence.

In 1912, the immigrant and women-led Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts, also led to a congressional investigation. In its report on the 1914 miners’ strike, the commission described the strike by workers as “against arbitrary power.” It summarized that miners “passionately felt” that they were denied “a voice in fixing working conditions in the mines” and that political democracy had been “repudiated by the owners.”

The commission determined that the strike raised a fundamental question about whether workers had a right to a voice at work. This question would animate labor struggles into the 1930s.

In 1935, Congress passed and President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the National Labor Relations Act, which provided federal guidelines for labor union formation and stated that workers had a federal right to bargain over wages, hours and conditions of employment, the very things Colorado coal miners sought when they went on strike in 1913.

Commemorating the Ludlow strike and massacre

In 1915, officers of the United Mine Workers of America purchased 40 acres of land north of the Ludlow train depot, on the site where the tent colony had sheltered coal miners and their families during the 1913-14 strike.

Three years later, United Mine Workers officials dedicated a granite monument at the site where the women and children were killed. Labor historian James Green noted that of all the violence against workers at the time, none shocked the nation or troubled its collective conscience more than the Ludlow Massacre because of the deaths of children. However, even incidents like the Ludlow Massacre did not become a significant part of the public discourse. This has changed some in the recent past.

Today, the tent colony site is a National Historic Landmark.

The labor movement in the United States remains a bulwark of democracy, and workers have often been a driving force for social and economic equality in their communities. Yet its stories are not widely known, even one so dramatic as this battle in the Colorado coalfields.

The recognition of the Ludlow site as a National Historic Landmark and the recent release of a Library of Congress research guide propel the history of labor and working people into the mainstream. Such place-based labor history promotes our understanding of how and why things we sometimes take for granted – such as the eight-hour workday, paid holidays or workplace safety laws – came about only because people were willing to risk their lives fighting for these rights.

Robert Forrant is a professor of U.S. history and labor studies at UMass Lowell. This opinion piece first appeared on Colorado Newsline (coloradonewsline. com).

An incentive agreement with Boondocks was approved unanimously April 20 by Johnstown Town Council. The company purchased 10 acres of land in the 2534 development and plans to build a similar facility to its location in Parker.

The development will include a 60,579 square-foot facility that will feature an arcade, bar & restaurant, private event space, laser tag room, and a motion theater. Outdoor amenities of the project include two 18-hole miniature golf courses, a go-kart track including a rookie kart area, a bumper boat lagoon, and ropes course.

According to the town, the development creates an economic benefit that includes an estimated capital investment of $30.5 million and the creation of 120 jobs by 2028. To facilitate the development of the project, the Town has offered the following incentives:

* A one-time 50 percent rebate on the building permit fee.

* A one-time 50 percent rebate on the building review fee.

* A one-time 50 percent rebate on the electrical fee.

In accordance with the town’s adopted Incentive Policy, all incentive agreements are performance-based and require the applicant to meet those metrics. Boondocks has committed to the following performance measures and expectations:

Complete construction of their new facility and be operational on or before June 30, 2027.

Create 120 new jobs at the facility by March 31, 2028.

Consider in good faith town-led efforts to create a General Improvement District (GID) and impose a Public Improvement Fee (PIF) for the purpose of funding future roadway and highway improvements.

Additionally, Boondocks has agreed to collaborate with town staff to provide adequate event space for town-hosted events for a five-year period beginning in 2027. The Town will provide sufficient advance notice to Boondocks for use of the space and will be responsible for any associated costs.

In other action:

-- A proclamation honoring Andrew Paranto was read and council members thanked him for his service on Town Council.

-- Council members Jesse Molinar Jr., Dianne Morris and Nick Bashford were sworn in. Chad Young was selected to serve as mayor pro-tem again. 

Johnstown Town Council meets the first and third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the council meeting room at Town Hall. The next meeting is May 4. Meetings are open to the public.

Johnstown 55+ Scene Calendar

Apr. 23: Tai Chi Chih w/ Marie 10 a.m.; Rockies Game 11 a.m.; Mahjongg 1:30 p.m.

Apr. 24: Balance Exercise 9:15 a.m.

Apr. 27: Ukulele 1 p.m.; Bunco 1 p.m.

Apr. 28: Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Chats & Crafts 10 a.m.; Peculiar Ales 1 p.m.

Apr. 29: Friendly Fork Meal: Beef & Mushroom Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Maple Glazed Carrots, Apricots, 2 percent Milk 11:30 a.m.; Bingo, Cards, & Pool 12:30 p.m.

Apr. 30: Breakfast Outing 9 a.m.; Tai Chi Chih 10 a.m.

May 1: Balance Exercise 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 Apr. 23: Tai Chi 10 a.m.; Toe Time $35 appointment required. Contact Dawn 970660-5035.

Apr. 24: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.: Younghearts Duo Band 10 a.m.: Menu: Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Orzo Rice Pilaf with Almonds, Asparagus, Orange Slices; Cards/Pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

Apr. 27: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Bingo 10:15 a.m.; Menu: Pork Sweet and Sour Stir Fry with Rice, side of lite soy sauce, peas, cantaloupe; Cards/Pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

Apr. 28: Tai Chi 10 a.m. Upcoming Events May 2: Senior Center Rummage Sale Fundraiser 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

May 7: Black Hawk/Central City Casino trip.

Kathy Kindsfather

970-660-5040 kkindsfather@millikenco.gov

Front Range Fire Rescue crews helped a bird tangled in discarded fishing line get out of a tree. The firefighters then hung out and visited with neighborhood kids. If you want, check out the video of the rescue, by Misty Urban, on the FRFR Facebook page.

Johnstown will test its tornado sirens Friday at 11 a.m. weather permitting.

Starting April 29, County

Road 48.5 will be closed between Highway 257 and County Road 17 for a scheduled paving project, expected to take 4 to 6 weeks.

Finally, lets be kind to each other. Times are tricky, be someone’s smile today.

He might have, for example, twisted a gem-stoned Sigma Fi Epsilon ring onto his pinky when he drove his tangerine Karmann Ghia into a college town, to ensure that when he stopped for a bite someone might recognize the crest and ask what year he’d pledged. He had a collection of European watches – silver-dollar, with polished sapphires crowning the stem – that caught people’s attention. He collected football-related belt buckles and tweed scarves in the distinctive Hunter tartan, all unique enough to launch a “Tell me more!” dialogue that could unspool for hours.

In a recent New York Times column, Roger Rosenblatt argues for “The Bigness of Small Talk.” He says, “The most superficial subjects can go surprisingly deep, a phenomenon that has more to do with attitude than with content. The initiation of small talk – how’re you doin’ – means that someone has chosen to break through the carapace of normal self-interest, and is thinking of you, if only briefly. And you, if only briefly, are pleased enough to return the same question.”

My friend Sally once confided that for women, in particular, earrings operate as a kind of secret code, the perfect small-talk hook – a compliment of someone’s style. In the spirit of my dapper granddad, that tiny opening can invite more: “These hoops? I got them on a trip to Barcelona” or “at a little gallery you should visit” – and away the conversation might gallop.

I’ve been teaching college students for three and a half decades, and for most of that time, the minutes before class were filled with a friendly hubbub. Students filed in, thumped down their backpacks, and chatted with those around them about their weekends, the insane reading expectations of the professor (ahem!), or a TV show. That breeze-shooting led to friendships … or more. (This is how I met my spouse.)

I’ll bet you can guess what happens nowadays before most college classes begin: Hushed silence as everyone bows privately over their phones until the professor clears her throat to launch the lesson. I can’t abide it. And I don’t.

The journalist Max Fisher, in his book, The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired our Minds and our World, cites a study that recorded how often the average American checks their smartphone during a day. What do you think? It’s 150 times, often open to social media. As Fisher says, “we don’t do this because … [it] makes us happy.” In fact, it’s getting unhooked from phones that gives people “less anxiety, and greater life satisfaction.”

So: I now come to my classes ten minutes early, and write a conversation-starter on the board: “What’s your favorite comfort food/ TV series/ musical artist, and why?” … anything to get them talking. They know to put their phones away when they walk in the room … and if everyone else is talking, they do, too. That hum of humans humaning is the sound of pluralism in process. In end-of-semester evaluations, students often write, “This is the only class where I made friends.”

The director of the cross-partisan organization, Braver Angels, Mónica Guzmán, encourages us to have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times by inviting dialogues that might lead us to say, “I never thought of it that way.” The hope, she says, is to reweave our social fabric, led by curiosity. Mere “co-existence” isn’t enough, she says, reaching for the Spanish verb, convivir – to live together.

Co-living may not be easy, but it shouldn’t feel like work. I hope you would have asked my grandfather about his tartan scarf, or his hand-chamoised Karmann Ghia. Remembering the delights of connection might be how we puzzle our nation closer to whole.

April Lidinsky is a writer, activist, mother, foodie, blackbelt, organic gardener, and optimist. She is a Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Indiana University South Bend and is a reproductive justice advocate.

In public life, leadership is often measured by headlines, election results, or the loudest voices in the room. But some of the most meaningful leadership is not loud at all. It is steady. It is thoughtful. It is grounded in service, responsibility, and a sincere commitment to doing what is right for others.

That is the kind of leadership Andrew Paranto brought to Johnstown.

Andrew served this community with care, consistency, and a genuine sense of duty. He was never someone focused on recognition or attention. Instead, he showed up ready to do the work, study the issues, and serve this town with seriousness, humility, and integrity.

One of the things Andrew became known for was his attention to detail, especially when it came to change orders and the finer points of council business. While those topics may not always draw public attention, they matter deeply. They are often where accountability is strengthened, taxpayer dollars are protected, and thoughtful leadership can make a lasting difference. Andrew understood that. He knew that serving a community well means paying attention not only to the big vision, but also to the details that help carry that vision forward responsibly.

That diligence reflected who he is, not only as a public servant, but as a man.

Andrew is a husband, a father, and a family man, and those roles say a great deal about the kind of leader he is. The qualities that help build a strong family, steadiness, patience, sacrifice, and responsibility, are the same qualities that strengthen a community. Leadership begins long before someone takes a seat at the council table. It begins at home, in character, in values, and in the way a person chooses to live each day.

Public service is not easy. It asks for time, energy, resilience, and heart. Andrew gave those things to Johnstown, and he did so with humility and dedication.

Our community is better because Andrew chose to serve. His example is a reminder that leadership is not always about position or recognition. More often, it is about character, commitment, and the quiet willingness to carry responsibility for the good of others.

Andrew Paranto represented that kind of leadership well, and Johnstown has been better for it. His service made a difference, and his example will continue to reflect the kind of steady, humble leadership every community is fortunate to have. Sincerely, Michael Duncan

Mayor, Town of Johnstown