WEEK OF DECEMBER 5, 2024
VOLUME 53 | ISSUE 26
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Clear Creek High School students craft custom Big construction changes on the way for skis and boards for one-of-a-kind ride downtown Idaho Springs
The students learned tradecraft skills in the logistics and art of making their own skis and boards
City and business leaders discuss upcoming construction projects that will alter the look of the downtown area BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The sound of bandsaws, routers and sanding machines resonated and punctured the air in a classroom at Clear Creek High School in Evergreen as students joked while peeling resincoated protective fabric from a freshly manufactured snowboard. You will never find another board identical to the one 11th grade student Johannathan Scott designed and crafted, starting with thin plywood stock available at the ski and bike classroom at the Clear Creek High School. “It’s really a surreal kind of feeling when you get to make something that you’re going to use. It’s almost like building a bike from scratch, it’s just a really good feeling,” Scott said during class Nov. 18. The art of creating a board or ski is dependent on the individual creating it; thick or thin tails and tips, shaping and tapering you create your custom ride with graphics you’ve designed, Scott said. “You have control of every aspect, like your style of riding… I built mine for just going downhill really fast basically,” he said. At the center of the classroom is instructor and guide, Outdoor Rec and Tech Instructor Ben Shay with the Clear Creek school district. “It gives kids an outlet to do creative work with their hands and bring something to fruition. I like to tell the story, ‘Kids used to go home and give their mom a wooden spoon they
to get outdoors, what kids lack is the resources or the education to do it and so this course is a stepping stone towards those skills,” Shay said. High school freshman Archie Neu’s board design is an image of a Victorian-era sailing ship. It’s nearly ready for the slopes and when asked, “Why the ship design?”
A mobility hub, parking garage and vehicle roundabout were some of the changes outlined by city and business leaders during a Business and Community Promotions Board meeting with Idaho Springs residents packing Tommyknocker Brewery to listen and ask questions. The Business and Community Promotions Board headed by downtown merchant Sadie Schultz along with Idaho Springs Mayor Chuck Harmon outlined several changes coming to the downtown area and discussed the challenges of construction delays on I-70 affecting the tourist economy. Sales tax revenue for the city was down 1.8% in October and “long term pain” was the future forecast for retailers as construction and blasting delays continue on I-70 through Clear Creek County, Harmon told the crowd of more than 60 people. Harmon also discussed the city’s ongoing discussions with U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse from the 2nd Colorado District about federal funds to supplement city coffers during I-70 construction. There will also be a promotional campaign about Idaho Springs attractions and merchants slated to start Jan. 1 with a budget of more than $260,000 supplied by city funds, according to Harmon. According to program Improvements outlined at the meeting Nov. 21: “The City of Idaho Springs is developing a holistic program to improve regional and local transportation mobility while also improving connectivity and safety for residents and visitors to the downtown area.” Concrete changes include a roundabout at exit 240 from I-70. The roundabout at 13th Avenue will “increase visibility for pedestrians and cross traffic and provide physical reinforcement for drivers exiting I-70 to adjust to the slower speeds of the commercial and residential areas, keep pedestrians safe and direct visitors to available parking areas,” according to
SEE SKI SCHOOL, P2
SEE CONSTRUCTION, P4
11th grade student Johannathan Scott works on his snowboard in the ski shop of Clear Creek high school Nov. 18. PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL
made in wood shop.’ Now they get to show up with their own pair of skis or snowboard,” Shay said. There is a uniqueness to this county many locals take in stride, however, the culture of embracing and teaching lessons of the outdoors and our gift of this backyard is active, according to Shay. “I think Clear Creek County has an abundance of opportunities for kids
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