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www.canyoncourier.com
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The mountain area’s newspaper since 1958
est. 1958
WEEK OF JANUARY 12, 2023
N VOLUME 64 ISSUE 10
NOW SERVING EVERGREEN, CONIFER, BAILEY AND PINE
75 CENTS
Evergreen’s Skate the Lake a New Year’s Eve hit BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Skate the Lake, Evergreen’s alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration, is an event that people attend for many reasons. For locals, it’s a fun event close to home. For others who come from down
the hill and beyond, it’s something to do with family and friends in a beautiful setting. Still others come to skate on an outdoor rink — something that’s quite rare. Meanwhile, others relive their childhoods of skating at Evergreen Lake as youngsters. No matter what the reason, the Ev-
ergreen Park & Recreation District’s Skate the Lake, in its 27th year, was a success by all accounts. More than a thousand people came to the Lake House on Dec. 31 to skate, eat from the food trucks, fall a little, laugh a little, celebrate the end of 2022 and look forward to 2023. Parents taught their children to skate, young and old skating nov-
Evergreen Lake Plunge was a cool success
Conifer High remembers science teacher Brian Bunnell
BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
SEE PLUNGE, P3
SEE SKATE, P4
A ‘life of adventure’
Jumping into 2023 New Year’s Day was a great day to go jump in the lake — Evergreen Lake, that is. Evergreen Lake Plunge participants lined up from the lake through the parking lot, waiting their turn to brave the frigid water to start 2023. This year, the plunge had the most participants in its 14-year history: 423. Compare that to last year’s 177 plungers. As always, the event is a fundraiser for the Evergreen Park & Recreation District’s INSPIRE program for the special needs population. Plus Active4All, the plunge’s organizer that is EPRD’s foundation, helps pay fees for families who can’t afford to use the rec district’s facilities.
ices used the plastic skate trainers, and others played hockey on the 20 groomed rinks. Skates were flying off the shelves at the rental station inside the warming hut. Brad Bredesen of New Braunfels, Texas, crouched next to a fire pit by the food trucks to warm his hands.
BY MAYA DAWSON CONIFER HIGH SCHOOL
Jumping through the air, Paul Faulkner of Evergreen participates in his first plunge at PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG Evergreen Lake on New Year’s Day.
Conifer High School chemistry teacher Brian Bunnell was known by students for his booming laugh and love for the outdoors. He was the first to volunteer at school pep assemblies and inspired many students to pursue careers in the science and medical fields. Bunnell, 44, died in an avalanche on Berthoud Pass Dec. 26 while backcountry snowboarding with his three sons, who survived. SEE BUNNELL, P2
INSIDE THIS ISSUE News briefs George Stern
5 Tree recycling 19 Sports
7 Opinion 20 Sheriff’s calls
8 Life 22 Happenings
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