Vol 4 No 45 - June 5, 2008
News

Casino revenues continue to drop

Lynn Volkens - Gilpin casinos saw revenues drop again in April, continuing the pattern of decline that has prevailed since January. The 20 casinos in Black Hawk experienced a 7.6% drop in revenues from March. April’s revenues totaled $42.3 million, compared to March revenues of $45.8 million. Compared to the $47.9 million April 2007 revenues, Black Hawk casino revenues are down by 11.7%. Central City’s six casinos reported April 2008 revenues of $5.6 million. That’s down 4.2% from March’s $5.9 million and a bigger dip (16.7%) from April 2007’s $6.8 million.
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Durham changes HCFPD hat

Lynn Volkens - With the High Country Fire Protection District (HCFPD) election now over and with Roger Durham a newly elected Director on their Board, the Fire Chief’s red hat has been officially transferred to new Chief Richard Bulich. The announcement of the change was made at HCFPD’s April 16^th meeting (though it wasn’t certain until the HCFPD meeting last week that it would stick). Durham received a standing ovation in recognition of his service. The salute recognized 34 years of service as an HCFPD member. That included two years as Deputy Chief, two years as Captain of Station Two and 24 years as HCFPD’s Fire Chief. Durham had been a Gilpin resident for only one year before signing on as a volunteer firefighter. He wanted to go on fire calls and help people, he said, and that remains his number one priority. He’ll continue to be an active firefighter.
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Gilpinite creates discount program

Lynn Volkens - Volunteerism comes in many forms and one Gilpinite is freely spending her time developing a program that will add to her community in a double whammy. Karen Gibson is organizing a program aimed to boost local business revenues and save money for Gilpin School teachers and staff.

  The main idea is to promote local businesses and community servants, said Gibson. After moving to the county a couple of years ago, she observed that many goods and services can be obtained right here in Gilpin. Wanting to encourage the use of what’s here, rather than heading down the hill, Gibson drew upon experience in a program she’d helped develop in Fairplay, Colorado. In a nutshell: merchants offer a discount (whatever amount they choose) to a group of people who serve the community, in this case school employees. Gibson, who said she is mostly housebound because she is legally blind, had first considered Gilpin County employees as the targeted discount group. However, she learned that county employees are not allowed to accept such “gifts,” and turned then to the school, emulating the Fairplay program.
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Hidee Gold Mine

4th Annual End of Spring celebration

Lisa Kunz - The Hidee Gold Mine will host their 4th Annual End of Spring celebration on June 20 from 4 pm-7 pm. Free underground tours will start every half hour from 4 pm until 6 pm. As the mine is a constant 45 degrees, year around, please bring a jacket and wear comfortable shoes. From 5:30 pm until 7:00 pm there will be free food, beverages and entertainment.

  The Hidee Gold Mine is owned and operated by the Hidee Gold Mining Company, which also owns the Dictator Mine in Clear Creek County. The mine has been worked intermittently since 1896 when it was discovered. The Hidee Gold Mine is located just above Central City in the Virginia Canyon-Glory Hole area, reputed to be the richest square mine on earth. The mine is now easily accessed by the Central City Parkway, mile marker 6.3.
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Photographer Laura M. Brown

Lynn Volkens - A life full of travel and adventure has finally led Laura MacAlister Brown to the Artists’ Niche Co-op Gallery in Nederland, where she now displays some of her photography images of Africa.   Though Africa is where her current research takes her, she’s seen many other interesting nooks of the world.

  After graduating from high school on the East Coast, Laura traveled to Europe and lived in the Netherlands for a year, working as a nanny. The first line of interest she pursued upon her return home was a Bachelor of Arts degree at Hampshire College, in which she found herself drawn to many forms of artistic expression, including dance, painting and photography. Having a marked interest in natural history as well, for her senior thesis she wrote about the human and natural history of her family's island in Lake George, NY; she also exhibited her photography in a gallery show at the college.
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Rockets launched in Gilpin

Lisa Kunz - Look - up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s a rocket?

  Last Thursday, on a windy but sunny morning, Gilpin High School students gathered, with High School teacher, Ralph Campbell, on the football field to launch rockets into space. The launches were the accumulation of the year’s science programs and the brain child of teachers Barb Bedwell and Ralph Campbell. During the launches, Mr. Campbell explained that while studying Earth Science, the students learned about space. During Chemistry the students learned about combustible materials and during Physics, the students learned about flight. “This is not only about putting together what the students learned; it is about enjoying a reward for hard work.”
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