WEEK OF DECEMBER 19, 2024
VOLUME 123 | ISSUE 4
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Specialty bourbon pays tribute to firefighter Douglas County
Schools OKs AP African American studies course
Andrew Koldeway served Castle Rock before death from bacterial meningitis BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Among firefighters, bumper time is how camaraderie gets built and bonds are forged. Bumper time is firefighter slang for the hours spent after the end of a shift hanging out together and enjoying one another’s company. For Castle Rock firefighters, bumper time is also the name of a specialty bourbon whisky that serves as a memorial tribute to Andrew Koldeway, a Castle Rock firefighter who died unexpectedly of bacterial meningitis in October. “This bottle is kind of an opportunity for when you’re off duty and you pour a glass, to talk about Andrew and laugh about Andrew, and kind of use it as a way to reflect about Andrew,” said Andrew Kopp, a Castle Rock firefighter who helped create the Bumper Time Bourbon. The whiskey comes from a partnership between the Castle Rock Professional Fire Fighters Association, the union for the Castle Rock Fire Department and the Art of the Spirits distillery, which is based in Colorado Springs. Koldeway’s coworkers and close friends selected a single barrel of aged wheated bourbon whisky to bottle and sell as a fundraiser to support his family. Kendall Compton, a Castle Rock firefighter who worked with Kopp and others to create the specialty bourbon, said there are a number of details with the liquor and the bottle chosen to honor Koldeway and his service. The bourbon was aged for 21 years, representing the length of Koldeway’s career as a firefighter. SEE TRIBUTE, P7
Board gives unanimous approval after initial delay BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In a unanimous decision, the Douglas County school board approved an Advanced Placement African American studies course, amid concerns that the content is divisive. After hearing from numerous advocates for the course, the board had a quick and largely agreeable discussion on approval. In November, the board postponed approving the AP class because board members said they didn’t feel informed enough and community members raised questions about the curriculum. School board President Christy Williams initially asked to postpone the vote to learn more about the class, to see if it aligns with the district’s equity policy and avoids critical race theory. Critical race theory is an approach to studying racism in the United States and how it intersects with institutions, according to Associated Press reporting. On Dec. 10, Williams said her concerns were addressed after she learned more about the course, including that it has seen revisions since it was first introduced. SEE STUDIES, P7
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Andrew Koldeway, a Castle Rock firefighter who died in October, is memorialized on a bottle of specialty bourbon created by his colleagues and friends. The bottles are being sold to help raise funds COURTESY OF KENDALL COMPTON for Koldeway’s family.
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