The mountain area’s newspaper since 1958
WEEK OF JULY 10, 2025
VOLUME 66 | ISSUE 34
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Polis signs muffler requirement into law Clear Creek residents fought for new state law to reduce truck noise BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CORINNE@COTLN.ORG
nifair Festival and merged it with the Conifer Mountain Music Festival,” she said. “We tried to make it the best of those two events and put it where the businesses are so we could help support the businesses and keep it free.” A dozen years of festivals prove that plan was a success. “It was a much, much
Exactly two years from now, the highways around Golden and all over Colorado should be much quieter, improving residents’ quality of life. The Colorado legislature passed and Gov. Jared Polis recently signed into law a bill that gives law enforcement officers new methods to ensure all commercial vehicles have mufflers, as already required by law. The law, which was introduced as HB25-1039, will take effect July 1, 2027. Organizers said they’ve been working on the bill for two years and were excited to see it become law, adding how it wouldn’t have been possible without all the partners’ collaboration. During its time in the legislature, HB25-1039 had bipartisan and bicameral support. It was also backed by the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, the Golden City Council, and residents in Jefferson and Clear Creek counties, among others. Rep. Brianna Titone, who represents the Golden area and was one of the bill’s sponsors, said she knows many people around Golden and across Colorado whose lives are impacted by continual truck noise. She’d hoped to bring them relief sooner, but she said the two-year wait period was a necessary compromise due to budgetary reasons. Under HB25-1039, the Colorado Department of Revenue’s computer systems would have to be upgraded to keep records of all muffler violations, she and former Golden City Councilor Casey Brown explained. The DOR’s systems were already set to be upgraded by 2027. Thus, proponents could make the bill little to no cost by “piggybacking” on those scheduled upgrades, Brown said, which was advantageous in the legislature’s “tight budget environment.” Brown, who has been championing HB251039 on behalf of the Golden City Council, hoped the Colorado Department of
SEE CELEBRATION, P2
SEE MUFFLERS, P9
Smiling and laughing as they play, the Buzz Drivers have fun performing at a previous Elevation Celebration.
PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG
Elevation Celebration back with 20 bands, 100 vendors Conifer’s biggest event of the year just keeps getting bigger BY JANE REUTER JANE@COTLN.ORG
Conifer’s biggest event of the year — the 12th annual Elevation Celebration — is back July 26 and 27, this year with 20 bands and 100 vendors. All are gathering to support Conifer’s local busi-
nesses during the free, twoday outdoor festival. Last year, about 4,000 people attended, and event coordinator Melissa Baker expects a similar turnout for the 2025 event. She attributes the turnout to highquality music and lots of family fun events.
“We try to be very eclectic with the music so there’s something for everybody,” she said. “And we have a bunch of things for families — a kid’s zone, sports zone and a family zone.” What started as a Conifer Area Chamber of Commerce event has gotten so large, it’s now its own entity. Today’s weekend fest was originally two separate events. “We took the former Co-
HAPPENINGS: 8 | VOICES: 10 | SPORTS: 21 | PUZZLES: 27
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