Reflections XIII

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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

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Reflections XIII

Sunset Manor’s revival ....................................15Second-year coaches impress..........................16New name, new life for Brush golf course..........18Coach bids farewell.........................................20Q&A with Robin Northrup.................................21Back to roots for new MCEDC director...............22Community History Writers .............................. 24Paul Larino, Wiggins administrator....................28Brush braces for big changes...........................30Farmers State Bank........................................32High Plains Gymnastics...................................34East Morgan County Hospital...........................36Al O’Canas.....................................................39Paul E. Woodward ............................................ 41

Golden AngelRon Prascher....................................................4Angels Among UsDeb Polansky....................................................6Landre Walker...................................................6Larry and Elaine Coughlin ..................................7Jack Young.......................................................7Courtney Knight................................................8Lois Gregg........................................................8Eileen Carlson................................................10Ron Burns......................................................10Progress ProfilesMartha Manion...............................................11Fort Morgan’s comprehensive plan...................14

INDEX

lives of others better. It is ourpleasure to tell the story of ourlocal businesses and organiza-tions who provide goods and ser-vices that we have come todepend on and who enrich ourlives greatly. It is our pleasure tobring you Reflections XIII.A Special edition of the Fort

Morgan Times329 Main Street, Fort Morgan,

CO 80701and the Brush News-Tribune109 Clayton Street, Brush, CO

80723Publishers: Julie K. Tonsing,

Iva Kay HornerEditorial Staff: Jenni Grubbs,

Brandon Boles, Stephanie Alder-ton, Katie CollinsLayout and Design: Kent Shor-

rock and Thomas MartinezAdvertising Staff: Andrew Ohl-

son, Kaitlyn LaneSupport Staff: Josephina Mon-

sivais, Wendy Fyfe

meet the upcoming challengeshead-on with the style, grace andfortitude that our communitiesare known for.Thank you to our advertisers

who are excited to be a part of awonderful edition and whose sup-port has helped allow us to sharethese good news stories.We encourage you to sit back in

your favorite easy chair and enjoythe pages of “Reflections.” Youwill smile, you might even cry, asyou read about your friends andneighbors and those businessfolks down the street. But most ofall, we hope you share in ourpride of presenting this specialsalute to the fine men and womenwho make up the tapestry of theplace we call home – MorganCounty.It is our pleasure to tell the sto-

ry of those “Angels Among Us”who are dedicated to making the

benefited from their many acts ofkindness. There are obviouslymany residents who desire tohelp others and many who aretruly appreciative of that help.We would like to thank all of

those who nominated people forthe Angels. Every year, the jobgets more difficult to choose themost deserving recipients. Thereare so many, and you can tell thatby the caliber of people who wereselected and featured. MorganCounty is truly blessed with anabundance of talent and of caringand wonderful individuals whosehearts are so big.In addition to the “Angels

Among Us,” we’re pleased toshowcase the progress in ourcommunities, and there has beenmuch. During these difficult eco-nomic times, we have much to beproud of. We have maintained, wehave grown, and we are poised to

By Julie TonsingTimes Publisher

Welcome…to our 13th annualedition of “Reflections,” a specialsupplement to the Fort MorganTimes and the Brush News Tri-bune.We are so honored to be able to

salute the 9 residents and groupsof Morgan County communitieswhose good work and selflessspirit of giving improves the livesof everyone around them.These are the unsung heroes,

the “Angels Among Us,” who giveselflessly of their time, their tal-ent and their love to make ourcounty and towns better places tolive, work and play. They abso-lutely expect nothing in return.Many even shy away from anyrecognition.Some won’t even accept their

nomination from those who have

Note from the publisher

There are many angels among us

REFLECTIONS • MARCH 30, 2016 • 3

Reflections XIII

approach to life and people.A die-hard Nebraska Cornhusk-

ers fan, this year’s Golden Angelrecipient and his family moved toBrush in 1970 where he served asprincipal at BHS until retiring in

See PRASCHER, pg. 5

with, Ron was a friend to all.And if you didn’t know him, it

didn’t take long for you to becomefamiliar with the long-time Brushresident and his caring and friend-ly soul, his infectious smile or hisinspirational disposition and

not only his family and friends,but a lengthy and fulfilling legacy.Whether you knew the late Dr.

Prascher from his 27 years as theprincipal at Brush High School(BHS) or through one of the manyactivities and events he worked

By Iva Kay HornerNews-Tribune Publisher/Editor

On Sept. 15 of last year, the com-munity of Brush lost one of its big-gest and best advocates.Dr. Ronald Prascher left behind

2016 Golden Angel

Prascher left lengthy legacyBrush principal, chamber director was major advocate for community

Courtesy photo

The late Ron Prascher was the principal of Brush High School for 27 years, and after his retirement he served as the executive director of the Brush AreaChamber of Commerce.

4 • MARCH 30, 2016 • REFLECTIONS

Reflections XIII

1997. But retirement didn’t lastlong as Prascher took on the posi-tion of Executive Director of theBrush Area Chamber of Com-merce in 2000.It is widely-known that Ron

enjoyed working with the peopleof Brush and surrounding area,where he has been described as a“piece of our community, mentorand promoter of local business.”In his capacity as chamber

director, Prascher worked withpeople from all walks of life in thecommunity on a variety of projectsincluding Oktoberfest, the MainStreet Improvement Project, AllAmerican City designation withthe City of Brush!, Morgan Coun-ty Economic Development Corpo-ration and served as a member oncommittees pertaining to theNortheast Colorado Travel RegionBoard, Historical PreservationBoard, Central School, Save OurSands (SOS), DowntownStreetscape, Ports to Plains/Heartland South, Brush AreaMuseum Curators, Rotary YouthLeadership Awards (RYLA), Mor-gan Community College’s CACEand was an associate member ofthe Fort Morgan United Method-ist Church, where he served onthe Church Board for five years.Another venue benefitting from

Prascher’s “inspirational disposi-tion and approach to live and peo-ple” was that of the Brush RotaryClub, where he was a memberand past president from 1978 to1979 and again from 1996 to 1997.A member of the club board from2005 until his death in 2016, Dr.Prascher served as Assistant Rota-ry District Governor from 1995 to1999.

His dedication to the Rotary pro-gram resulted in the creation ofthe Ron Prascher Interact ServiceAward in 2003 and is presented atthe annual Rotary District 5450Conference for the outstandingInteract Club of the Year.The late chamber executive

director, who graduated from theUniversity of Nebraska-Kearny in1962 and the University of North-ern Colorado with his EducationalDoctorate degree in EducationalAdministration in 1975, was

known to love a joke, as well asplay his share of good-naturedpranks.“He loved to play pranks and

ping pong,” his wife Elaine stated.“He was known for his ping pongtournaments at the high school.”Additionally, the Brush News-

Tribune’s Golden Angel recipientserved on the East Morgan Coun-ty Hospital Foundation Board, theBrush Rodeo Association, BrushStakeholder’s group, Blue Hori-zons and was a past board presi-

dent and volunteer for the UnitedWay of Morgan County.Prascher’s commitment and pas-

sion for Brush was evident as not-ed by Gregg Mullen, formerchamber board president andowner/agent of State Farm Insur-ance. “Ron truly loved the City ofBrush!, the chamber and his jobat the chamber. He was a sincere,caring and friendly soul, alwayswilling to share information,knowledge and resources withthose around him. He will begreatly missed.”Long-time friend Homer Anders-

en, who became acquainted withPrascher in 1976, said, “He wasalways sincere, dedicated andhonest. He had a determined atti-tude that made him successful.”“Ron would be gratified and

very happy,” Elaine stated. “Hewould be proud to get this award.”She added, “He didn’t do this stuffto get awards, it wasn’t his reasonfor doing it. He really would liketo see this area grow and flour-ish.”Elaine seconds Ron’s love of

people, explaining her late hus-band was “people-oriented”, espe-cially children. “He loved to workwith kids, loved to see them suc-ceed. That’s one reason he was soactive in Interact and the Rotaryprogram.”“You’ll never meet another per-

son like Ron,” she fondly com-mented.In addition to his wife, the late

Dr. Ron Prascher has a son, Dan-iel (Emily) Prascher of Centenni-al, one daughter, Mirrelle Pra-scher of Brush, a sister inArlington, Texas, and five grand-children.

Ron Prascher

PRASCHER from page 4

“He was a sincere, caring and friendly soul, always willing to shareinformation, knowledge and resources with those around him. He will

be greatly missed.”Gregg Mullen

Former chamber board president


Reflections XIII

Deb Polansky does not feel likean angel, but maybe an angel’shelper.“I don’t do anything for acco-

lades,” she said, calling her nomi-nation as an Angel Among Us andthen being chosen “surprising”and “very humbling.”“It’s in service to the Lord, and

in service to these people, whohave become my friends,” Polan-sky said, referring to the homelessfolks who are able to stay over-night at the United MethodistChurch’s annex as a warming shel-ter.That space is being used for that

purpose partly because of Polan-sky answering a call from RisingUp for help understanding the taximplications of running a nonprofithomeless shelter.“It just touched my heart,” said

Polansky, who is a H&R Blockfranchise owner, UMC Chair ofthe Church Family Growth Teamand president of UMCWomen, oflearning about the issue and relat-ed needs in the community. “Thechurch applied for a grant to buy

Angels Among Us

cots and start the process.”Nominator Barbara Keenan cer-

tainly sees Polansky as an angel.“She recognized an almost invisi-

ble need in our community thatmost people ignored or denied,and assisted in addressing thatneed,” Keenan wrote of Polansky.“Deb, whose H&R Block businessis on North Main, often observedmen sleeping between her build-ing another, and men, with sacksand backpacks, walking ratheraimlessly day after day.”After getting a call from Pam

Hernandez of Rising Up, “Debbelieved God was sending her amessage to become involved inproviding a safe place during thewinter months for those who need-ed it. In spite of Deb and Dave’sbusiest season soon approaching,she found the time to research ourhomeless problem, talk with vari-ous local people, and find a“Beyond the Walls” grant, offeredby the United Methodist Confer-ence to fund this project.”Keenan describes Polansky as a

“quiet, shy, retiring woman by

nature,” but also as a “remarkable”person who has “willed herself tobecome a skilled effective woman”and make a difference in so manylives. “She truly is an AngelAmong Us,” Keenan wrote.Polansky has gotten to know

many of the people she is helpingso directly.“The people who stay there,

they’re very grateful and wonder-

ful people,” shesaid of thewarming shel-ter. “They’rejust not whatpeople envisionhomeless peo-ple to be. Theseare regular peo-ple: somebodywho got hurt onthe job and losttheir home orlost everything;somebody whogot divorced;whatever thesituation maybe. You hearheart-warmingstories from thepeople who youmeet there.”Polansky envi-

sions herself continuing to workon solutions and help for thehomeless.“Getting past the challenge of

homelessness is difficult,” shesaid. “We all have this picture inour minds. God told me these arehis children. They need to becared for. It’s a priority for me nowto continue that work.”—Nominated by Barbara Keenan.

Deb Polansky

Deb Polansky

The city of Wiggins means a lotto Landre Walker. He admits thetown has gone through somebumps over the years, but every-one has come together to help anddo their part to make the citygreat.To do his part, Walker serves as

a volunteer firefighter for Wiggins.He has been doing it for now 28years.“I wouldn’t be doing it for 28

years if I wasn’t proud of our com-munity,” Walker said. “We’ve comea long way. I’m proud to be a partof that.”The two people who nominated

Walker commended him for his

service with the volunteer firedepartment. Walker has donemany things with the departmentto help, whether it has been partic-ipating in every fire call, recruitingnew firefighters, and helping thosefamilies in need.Walker’s outgoing support has

been passed down as both of hissons and one of his employees atthe welding company he works atalso volunteers with the firedepartment.One call Walker went on during

his time was an important one fora local member of the Wigginscommunity. A wife found her hus-band unresponsive in their house

and called 9-1-1. Walker was one ofthe first responders in minutes atthe site. The husband had sufferedan aortic dissection. Walker andthe rest of the crew determinedthat he needed to be flown to the

North ColoradoMedical Center.

The nomina-tor said that dueto quick think-ing from Walkerand his crew, hewas able tocome home aweek later withno after effects.

“Being anexcellent neigh-bor and hiswork on the firedepartment

means he has many stories likemine that can be replicated in ourcommunity,” the nominee said.

– Nominated by Arnold Kammerzelland Peggy Clay

Landre Walker

Landre Walker


Reflections XIII

Family and community are at theheart of the many endeavors thatBrush residents Larry and ElaineCoughlin have taken up uponretirement. Despite the anticipationof reward, the couple continue totake time to help better their Brushcommunity.Whether it’s spending time in

their local United MethodistChurch of Brush by lending a handin washing dishes and drivingpatrons to and fro, or makingefforts to support community orga-nizations by being a salient part ofcorresponding committees, takingthat time to help others in need issimply what good citizens do.“These people and this communi-

ty are all doing something for usnot necessarily us for them,” Elainesaid as she spoke of her involve-ment with the church. “When wedrive folks like Miriam Buckmasterto church, to lunch and back toEben Ezer, she is such a treat, andall our friends are, that really, theyare giving more to us.”

Angels Among Us

From Elaine’s time as president-elect of the Brush Hospital Auxilia-ry to her involvement in Beta Sig-ma Phi, an international women’sorganization that helps donate tomany Morgan County causes fromEben Ezer to the Relay for Life, thetime she devotes to others, even inretirement, is heartwarming.“Elaine has been one of the pri-

mary motivators and leaders in theUnited Methodist Women’s group,”mentioned the Carlsons, “and bothare currently active on the Leader-ship Team there, with Larry asChairman of the Board and Elaineas Recording Secretary. They bothhelp out in numerous ways, includ-ing helping with general mainte-nance. Larry can often be found atthe kitchen sink in the FellowshipHall, washing dishes,” they contin-ued.Upon his retirement from the vet-

erinary field in 2010, Larry has con-tinued to serve his community.As Brush Mayor from 1981 to

2001, Larry helped usher in great

change for the entire city, includingthe opening of the Pawnee PowerPlant to a plethora of housing builtthen, as well as starting the city’swater augmentation plan. Larryremains active as a member of theBrush Water Advisory Board andalso values his time as secretaryand as chairman of the communityservice committee in Rotary.“I think it’s important that you

get involved in your communityand serve your fellow man,” saidLarry, “and Rotary does so muchfor Brush and the youth here. Forinstance, the RYLA (Rotary YouthLeadership Academy) program hassent kids who’ve come back saying

it was the great-est experienceof their lives,and that’s whatit is all about.”Larry also

donates his timeto the East Mor-gan CountyLibrary, servingas an activeboard memberand huge pro-moter of thenew, wonderfulthings going onthere now.“I enjoy being

with people,”continued Larry. “While on council,and with the library, Rotary andchurch boards too, they are all verymuch like family to me and it’s niceto spend your time with great peo-ple.”“Of all the people in Morgan

County, nobody is more deservingof this honor than Larry and ElaineCoughlin,” wrote Angels nomina-tors Wayne and Carol Carlson, not-ing, “Both of them have servedtheir fellow humankind in so manyways that it is difficult to keeptrack.”—Nominated by Wayne and Carol

Carlson, Brush.

Larry andElaine Coughlin

Larry and Elaine Coughlin

There are a number of peopleJack Young is close with in FortMorgan. For those he has a strongrelationship with, he is willing tohelp out in any way he can.One of those people Young has

helped out is Larry Overton with avariety of different things. He hashelped drive him to appointmentsat the Medical Center of the Rock-ies, remove snow on sidewalksand driveways in the winter, andwork on a lawnmower to keep itworking.“(Larry) was the orchestra

teacher and had my three boys,”Young said. “He was the only

orchestra teacher that was doingit. I can honestly say, I think hewas the best orchestra teacher. Healways got the best out of thekids.”Those are just some of the

things Young has helped Overtonwith, but he is not the only onewho has been touched by his sup-port. Young has also helped withrepairs on the PresbyterianChurch. Other people the nomi-nee included that have beenhelped by Young were Ray Smithwith up-keeping on his house sev-eral times and Patsy Johnson withher mower and other assistance

when needed.Helping with lawnmovers has

been treated more like a hobbythan a job, according to Young.“From the time I was young, I

always likedplaying withsmall motors,”Young said. “Ilike to see if Ican make themrun better anddo things likethat.”Now retired,

Young has hadyears of experi-ence in manydifferent careerpaths that haveshaped him tohelp others and

work on projects like the lawnmov-ers he helps keep up and otherways to help people.– Nominated by Larry Overton

Jack Young

Jack Young


Reflections XIII

Volunteering is a full-time job forBrush resident Courtney Knight.The daughter of Dawn and the

late Ken Knight gives of her timenot only with the local food bank atthe United Methodist Church, butalso is a member of the Altar &Rosary Society at St. Mary’s Cath-olic Church.The 27-year-old, who was nomi-

nated by former Angel Doug Che-noweth, also gives her time to Sun-set Manor and Eben EzerLutheran Care Center where shehelps serve communion.But it doesn’t end there.Courtney, who is a 2007 gradu-

ate of Brush High School, volun-teers with Blue Horizons, havingserved as manager of the basket-ball team for the past six years.She also helps with track and the

Angels Among Us

horse therapy program and is fullyinvolved with the local SpecialOlympics program.“Courtney is a good person and

a good volunteer,” Chenoweth saidin his nomination. “She helps withdisc golf and loves helping carryfood out to people’s cars and work-ing with Davey Chenoweth, BobSmith and Deb Loose at the Brushfood bank.”When this year’s Angel is not

volunteering, she can be foundspending quality time with hermom, sisters Ashley and Saman-tha, as well as her two nieces andone nephew and her six-year-oldGerman Shepherd, Maya. “It’sheaven,” Courtney said of her timespent with her family.“We are a pretty proud family,”

Dawn said of her youngest daugh-

ter receiving the award. “She isalways open to new opportunities.”Dawn laughed, “She is never

without a smile. She brightenspeople’s days wherever we gowithout even trying.”Mom is thankful for Doug,

whom she said,“has takenCourtney underhis wing…he isher mentor.”She added, “Welive in a goodcommunity.”

Courtney alsodoes what shecan for the fami-ly business,Golden West.According toher mom,Courtney helpsout with officework when able.

When asked how she feels aboutbeing named an Angel, and with awide, infectious smile, Courtneyexclaimed, “I’m proud.”

—Nominated by Doug Che-noweth, Brush

Courtney Knight

Courtney Knight

The Caring Ministries Board ofDirectors was in a tight spot lastyear. With no executive director,very little financial resources andnot much hope in sight, it seemedlike an impossible situation.But Lois Gregg never gave up.As the nonprofit’s president and

a founding member, Gregg took itupon herself to ensure CaringMinistries of Morgan Countywould survive, and for that shenow is being recognized as anAngel Among Us by her fellowboard members, as well as manyother community members.“Lois has always been a commit-

ted board member and volunteerat Caring Ministries, but in addi-tion, when the manager resignedand the board felt we couldn’t hirea new one, Lois immediatelystepped up,” nominator Cindy Tor-mohlen wrote. “Lois is very dedi-cated to the mission of CaringMinistries and is willing to do allshe can possibly do for CaringMinistries and the people in which

Caring Ministries serves.“Lois, as the president of the

board of directors, has allowed usto operate and serve the organiza-tion by stepping in and serving asan interim director at no pay,” thenomination from the full boardstated. “She worked to get volun-teers, made sure we had food forthe pantry and worked to reorga-nize and regroup with only twopart-time staff members. She hasre-established contacts in the com-munity and is helping us partnerwith other organizations so ourcommunity can be best served forthose in need. … Lois has allowedus the time to stabilize the organi-zation before the hunt for a newexecutive director goes forward.”Another nomination letter for

Gregg came from Joan Wilson anda large group of other people: “Wewish to nominate Lois Gregg forher continuous, tireless work forCaring Ministries. She has servedthis organization since its incep-tion. She served on the board and

is now helping as a substitute forthe director. She does all of this onher own time without any pay. Sheis a grand example of one doingwork for our Lord.”For Gregg, doing what she is

doing for Caring Ministries is notworking. It’s doing what she loves.“I believe in what Caring Minis-

tries is about, and I feel we’regoing back to what it used to bewhen we first opened 36 yearsago,” Gregg said.She gives credit to her two part-

time workers and all the volun-teers who have helped her keep

the nonprofitrunning, as wellas her own fami-ly and herchurch family atFirst Baptist inFort Morgan.“It’s definitely

a team effort,”Gregg said.While she

sometimes feelslike maybe sheis doing thework of theangels, shedidn’t consider

herself to be one until she got thecall about this recognition.“I was definitely surprised,”

Gregg said. “It made me feel reallygood. It made me feel appreciat-ed.”And that’s exactly what all of

those people who nominated heras an Angel Among Us want her tofeel and know. Gregg definitely isappreciated.

—Nominated by the CaringMinistries of Morgan County Boardof Directors, Cindy Tormohlen, JoanWilson and 12 others.

Lois Gregg

Lois Gregg


Capital of the PlainsBeautiful, Clean,

Safe

“We recognize and appreciatecommunity members who aspireto make Fort Morgan the city ofchoice for ourselves and future

generations.’’

p

http://www.cityoffortmorgan.com/


By Stephanie AldertonTimes Staff Writer

Eileen Carlson, a retired FortMorgan woman in her 80s, keepsherself busy by making art andhelping others.Although she has always lived

in Morgan County and beeninvolved in the farming commu-nity, Carlson has spent much ofher life traveling and trying newthings.She co-wrote a book about the

history of Orchard, where shegrew up, which sold out twoprintings, and she has decoratedher house with paintings andhandmade quilts.But especially since the death

of her husband in 2007, she has

Angels Among Us

dedicated more of her time tohelping friends.“I have known Eileen many

years and find she is a very free-ly [giving] person,” Carlson’snomination said.She regularly drives her

friends to doctors’ appointments,meetings and other events bothinside and outside the county.Her craft skills come in handy forthe many DOES (female ElksLodge members) events shehelps with. For their annual St.Patrick’s Day dinner, she hasstarted making soda bread andsewing green vests for all theattendees.Sometimes Carlson’s giving

spirit goes beyond small, neigh-borly gestures. She once saved a

friend from suffocating when herchimney became blocked. Carl-

son called thepolice anddrove herfriend to theemergencyroom. To helpsave lives on abroader scale,she organizesannual bakesales for theMorgan CountyRelay for Life.“It’s just

something inmy blood that Ineed to helppeople,” shesaid. “You gotto keep busy. Ifyou sit down,you’re done for.You’ve got tokeep going.”

– Nominated by GeorgiaHultquist.

Eileen Carlson

Eileen Carlson


Ron Burns has become a vitalpart of the Wiggins communityduring the 10 years he’s livedthere, thanks to his constant will-ingness to help out a neighbor.Burns is a retired Navy veteran

who is active in the AmericanLegion in Wiggins.But he’s more than just a partici-

pating member. He acts as thegroup’s treasurer and messenger,and rents out their building forevents.He also used to take care of their

gun range, until the city took own-ership of it last year.Another place where he serves

regularly is the Out West SeniorCenter in Wiggins. He often deliv-ers meals from Fort Morgan to the

senior center and to seniors inneed of assistance. And Burnsdoesn’t shy away from moremenial tasks; he regularly does thedishes, cleans trays and takes outthe trash at the center.“One of these days, I’m going to

be old,” he said. “I hope there’ssomebody to help me out then.But I enjoy it.”Even outside his regular circles,

Burns is always looking for waysto help.He helps out on neighbors’

farms, feeds their pets whenthey’re away, shovels their drive-ways and gives them a ride whenthey need it.Burns has suffered some health

problems recently which havekept him from serving as much ashe used to. But he’s still planningto help his church, Summit Bap-

tist, in the construction of a newsanctuary this year, just as he’s

helped in manyof their minis-tries and eventsin the past. Hesaid he feels hiscommunity hassupported himjust as much ashe’s helpedthem over theyears.“I’ve been to a

lot of churches,but I’ve neverbeen to one likeSummit,” hesaid. “A lot ofnice people--they’d do any-thing for you.”Burns lives

alone with hisdog, a rescuenamed SarahJane.

– Nominated by Pat Gabriel.

Ron Burns

Ron Burns

Reflections XIII


Reflections XIII

sisters and two brothers, who areall still alive and living in Colorado.“At one time, we were scattered

all over the U.S.,” she said. “Nowwe all moved back to Colorado.”Manion graduated from high

school in the Erie/Longmont areain 1968, although that happened

See MANION, pg. 12

Manion, who was born in GrantCity, Missouri, moved as a youngchild with her family to Coloradoin 1945.They wound up on a farm in the

Boulder area, which had drier airthat was better for two of her sis-ters with asthma. Manion is thesecond of six children, with three

hard to imagine her laughing herhead off at the suggestion.But that’s what the 70-something

Manion finds herself doing today.She has served as a trustee in

Log Lane Village for almost eightyears now and currently serves asthe head of the town’s Conserva-tion Trust Fund.

By Jenni GrubbsTimes Staff Writer

If you had asked Martha Manion50, 30 or even 15 years ago if shewould ever wind up as a govern-ment official who helps watch overa town’s parks finances, it’s not

Log Lane Village

Manion more involvedin LLV than ever

Also a school bus driver and great-grandmother, she enjoys serving as town trustee

Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times

Martha Manion sits in her Log Lane Village home. Behind her over the chair back is an afghan made for her by the grandmother of one of the studentswho ride on the Re-3 school bus she drives. The afghan's clown motif makes Manion smile, she said.


Reflections XIII

after she initially left school early.“It should have been ’58,” she

said. “I went back to finish it. I wasgoing to get my GED, and theteacher talked me into going formy diploma.”That same determination to not

only survive, but persevere andcome out better for the strugglebecomes apparent as Manion tellsmore of the tale of her life thus far.Manion has lived quite a life,

having been married and divorcedmultiple times, raising two chil-dren mostly as a single mother,and working jobs as varied as wait-ress, car hop, electronics techni-cian and school bus driver.“As a kid, I did a lot of waitress

work, car hop,” she recalled. “Iraised two kids by myself. But Ihad some pretty good jobs.”Manion also served as a farm

wife to her last husband duringtheir five-year marriage, as well as

playing the role of surrogate moth-er for some kids who needed abreak from their families along theway.Her passion and willingness to

help children is an oft-repeatingnote running through the memo-ries she shares, as well as herplans for the future.Today, Manion spends as much

time as she can helping kids.It doesn’t matter to her whether

they’re the ones in Kids At TheirBest programs or her own 2-year-old great-grandson, who lives inLog Lane with Manion’s grand-daughter.Her job as a school bus driver

has lasted for 20 years, and eventoday Manion drives the HeadStart bus for the Morgan CountyRe-3 School District, as well as oth-er routes for little ones.“I really like to drive the school

bus, and I like this area, especially

the kids,” Manion said. “I guessI’ve always just really liked kids.Once I started driving the schoolbus, that’s just all I really wantedto do.”And she gets to know not only

the young students, but their fami-lies as well.“I got an afghan from one for

Christmas,” Manion said, pointingto the back of her chair and thecolorful throw with a clown motifcovering the back of it. “Hergrandma made it.”She most recently has gotten

involved with Kids At Their Best,volunteering with the nonprofit’sLog Lane summer meal site andother programs when she can.“I like being involved with Kids

At Their Best,” Manion said. “It’s agood program.”Manion also is passionate about

animals, with five pet Shih Tzudogs and two cats.

“To me, they’re my kids,” shesaid.Something Manion is not look-

ing for is another husband.She tried her hand at marriage

three times in the past, but allwere relatively short-lived andended in divorce. But two of themdid result in her children: daugh-ter Dr. April Young, a psychologistand online college professor livingnear Platteville, and son James“JC” Cook. And now she also hasher granddaughter and great-grandson living near her in LogLane.Her last divorce in 1995 was

what led to her move from Brigh-ton to Log Lane.“I found out, I do better when

I’m by myself,” Manion said.“Sometimes, I think I’d like tomove back to the Front Range, butI like it down here.”

See MANION, pg. 13


The Log Lane Village Board of Trustees conducts business at the March 10, 2016, regular meeting. Trustee Martha Manion, left, has been a part of thetown's government for about eight years, between running for election and getting appointed when an election was not held. Pictured, clockwise from left,are: Manion, Maintenance Supervisor James Wessels, Trustee Shawn Greenwell, Trustee/Mayor Pro Tem Raina Hallahan, Mayor Ed Parker, Town ClerkKim Alva and trustees Robin Mastin, Rick Alva and Mike Carlson.

MANION from page 11


Reflections XIII

And she has made a home andgotten involved in the future of herlittle town by repeatedly seekingthe seat on the Log Lane Board ofTrustees.Concerns with what she saw as

corruption in the town’s Marshal’sOffice and wanting to be part ofoverseeing and changing thingswas what pushed her to run thefirst time.After that, serving on the board

just became something she did,and her fellow residents have notvoted her out.“I kind of wanted to get off it last

time, but they didn’t let me,” shesaid, laughing of how she was con-vinced to stick around anotherterm.Being part of small-town govern-

ment is something that hasopened her eyes to things she pre-viously would have done littlemore about than complain, Man-ion said.“I’ve learned a lot about the func-

tioning of small governments,” shesaid. “I used to have a bad opinionof it. But I really do enjoy it. Youlearn how government works – ordoesn’t work.”She most recently has taken on

the role of caretaker for the town’sColorado Lottery funds and theConservation Trust projects andpurchase that money goes toward.Manion is enjoying the

increased responsibility.“You can make things look good

in he parks and stuff,” she said,

albeit crediting town maintenancestaff and contractors for actuallydoing the physical work. “I lovethat. I think it looks pretty darnnice. We got the benches done,and the flag pole is up.”

But she knows there is a fast-ap-proaching need for the town to getthe parks facilities more intoAmericans with Disabilities Actcompliance, and she likely willplay a sizeable role in making thathappen.Manion now has seen many of

the board members turn over sev-eral times, but she is comfortablewith the current state of the town’sgovernment and that the board isworking for the good of Log Laneresidents.“I think we have a really good

board right now,” she said.Manion also has been on the

decision-making side of both thetimes of budget crisis and nowbeing somewhat flush from mari-juana sales tax revenue but stillnot having enough to accomplisheverything right away.“I can see a lot of things that are

going to happen down the road,”Manion said. “It just takes timeand money.”She supported the town’s mari-

juana ordinance and letting medi-cal pot dispensaries and retail rec-reational cannabis stores set up inLog Lane, as well as the annexa-tions that allowed the propertythat now holds Nature’s Herbs &Wellness Center II to come intothe town.“I kind of knew it would be good

for the town if we handled it right,”Manion said. “I have some friendswho live in Garden City, and I sawwhat the marijuana money did for

that town. Log Lane needed some-thing. We didn’t have much reve-nue. Now we do. It’s kind of niceto need something for the townand be able to afford it. Before, wehad to scrounge up the money toeven have a Town Cleanup Day.Now, we’re going to have two ayear. It’s kind of neat.”Manion foresees a lot of things

that money could do for the town,whether it’s fixing more streets,building new town facilities or fur-ther expansion of the services LogLane can provide to its residents.“Down the road, I’d like to see

us have some kind of rec. center, aplace for (kids) to go,” she said.“We figure that with our marijuanamoney and maybe some grants,hopefully, we can get a rec. centergoing. We need something reallygood for the kids. They’re ourfuture. They’re going to take careof us – if live to be old.”On that note, she said Log Lane

also could use a senior center.Manion does foresee more

growth for the town.“I give us about five years, and I

think there’ll be a big (population)difference by then,” she said.But whether Manion will still be

a town trustee at that time is notentirely in her hands.“I’ve got two more years on my

term on the board,” she said.“They’ll probably get tired of meand ask me to leave or vote meout.”


The American Flag flies high overLog Lane Village on the new pole thetown had installed last year. Next toit is one of the newly refurbishedand colorful benches in one of thetown's parks. Log Lane's Conserva-tion Trust funding from the ColoradoLottery helped fund both projects.Trustee Martha Manion currentlyoversees the town’s ConservationTrust Fund.

MANION from page 12


Reflections XIII

5. Fort Morgan is going all inon getting people involved

in creating it.

Thus, the community surveys,open houses and encouragementfor all ages to get involved in theprocess. There also is a wholewebsite set up for providinginformation and gathering com-munity feedback: www.connect-fortmorgan.org/. Expect to heara lot more about this before it’scompleted.

Department of Local Affairs.

4. The best ones are com-plex, but yet simple.

They have to be specificenough to offer structure forcity officials and staff over awide range of land-use anddevelopment scenarios, but stillbe flexible enough to allow forchanges in the needs of theeconomy and the people, includ-ing technology and demographicshifts.

residential and recreationalones. The council’s goal is forthis to be a document that willbe consulted and used regularly,not just another binder sitting ona shelf.

3. They’re a big investment.

Last October, the councilapproved spending up to$195,000 with Logan Simpson onthe creation of the new compre-hensive plan. That includes a$95,000 grant from the Colorado


In 2015, the Fort Morgan CityCouncil set out to start the pro-cess of creating a new compre-hensive plan for the city.So far, the city has: contracted

with environmental planningfirm Logan Simpson to guide theprocess and ultimately put thenew plan together; gotten FortMorgan High School studentsinvolved; conducted communitysurveys; met with stake-holdersat businesses and industrialemployers; had the councilapprove a set of preliminaryvision statements put togetherby the contractor based on com-munity input to guide the plan’screation; and held an openhouse to share those visionstatements with residents andgather even more feedback.Here are 5 things to know

about a city’s comprehensiveplan and why Fort Morgan ismaking such a big deal aboutresidents getting involved in thecreation of the new one:

1. Comprehensive plans arelong-range documents.

They look out far into thefuture and what the current resi-dents and officials want the cityto become. Fort Morgan’s mostrecent version was an update in2008 to a plan originally createdin 2003.

2. They can draw in or pre-vent growth.

Comprehensive plans areintended to guide the decisionsby officials and staff on largercity planning issues and propos-als for new developments,including commercial, industrial,

City of Fort Morgan

Big undertaking5 things to know: Fort Morgan’s Comprehensive Plan creation


Colorado Plains Medical Center CEO Gene O'Hara, left, talks with Fort Morgan Engineering/Public Works DirectorBrad Curtis and Fort Morgan resident Lyn Deal, center, talks with Councilwoman Lisa Northrup at the city's open-house-style event to review the progress on creating a new comprehensive plan for Fort Morgan. City officials andrepresentatives from consulting firm Logan Simpson were there to go over the preliminary visioning statements forFort Morgan's future and gather people's feedback and ideas to incorporate into the new comprehensive plan. Theevent was held Feb. 23, 2016, at Fort Morgan Library & Museum, and a wide range of city residents, businessleaders and representatives from community showed up. For more information, visit www.connectfortmorgan.org/.


Reflections XIII

would like to spend their hardearned money.There are many other projects

underway at Sunset Manor and youare encouraged to go visit anytime.Ideas are welcome. The sky is thelimit all you have to do is ask your-self, why not?

have voted on having a communitygarden that they will plant andmaintain and then the produce willbe sold in a farmers market. Allproceeds will go into their fundwhere they will meet to discuss as aresident group what events theywould like to go to and how they

to cut trees, lay rock, paint, cleanand decorate their home. Quicklythis home grew.In no time it went from 40 resi-

dents to 70 residents and growing.Sunset Manor’s staff is refurbish-

ing the independent apartmentswith the plan to have it becomeSenior living apartments oncemore. The Convention Center hasbeen transformed into a trainingcenter and was just approved to bea training site for C.N.A’s. TheAssisted living will be rebornbefore the end of 2016.At Sunset Manor the question is

simply, why not? They are in theprocess of turning the dining roominto a 50’s diner that will include ajukebox, coffee/ice cream parlorand restaurant service operated bystaff and residents.Sunset Manor resident council

By Sunset Manor StaffSpecial to the News-Tribune

Sunset Manor has been a part ofthe Brush community for over 35years. This once vibrant campusslowly dwindled to just a smallnursing facility servicing about 40residents.In June of 2015 a new administra-

tor came to this quaint home andthrough her eyes, a vision wasborn. Life was breathed back intothe facility and the staff and resi-dents began celebrating and grow-ing as a family.Together they worked to revive

the campus and restore it but notjust restore it to what it once was,but transforming it into somethingmore than it was. The staff and res-idents worked together side by side

Brush

Sunset Manor seeing revival

Katie Collins / Brush News-Tribune

Under the direction of a new administrator, and with the help of staff and res-idents, Sunset Manor in Brush is undergoing many changes inside and out.

We are pleased tohappy to supportwithin our county.

Thank you to our nlong-term employethose who are justthe dedication anddo the things we d Thank you, again!

A great big thank ygood quality cattle.from all over northe

Morgan County,for 29 wonderful years!

Thank you


Reflections XIII

both made it to regionals for thefirst time in over a decade, andFort Morgan volleyball also hadits first regional trip since 2007.Other programs like Weldon Val-ley girls basketball and Prairie vol-leyball either maintained its suc-cess from the previous season orwon more games in the secondyear.“The main reason for our suc-

cess this year is the girls,” WeldonValley girls basketball coachSamantha Lawrence said. “Theycame to practice every day readyto work and get better. They want-ed to see what they could do. Weknew they had potential and it was

See COACHES, pg. 17

you will own up to your shortcom-ings, it makes it easier to own upto their own. It also develops trust,and that goes a long way.”Most of the coaches that talked

about going from year one to yeartwo said the first season at thehelm of the program was to startputting the process in place. Mostof the teams bought in to howthey would play, prepare, andwork in practice by the time thesecond season rolled around.As a result of the athletes and

coaches buying in, almost everycoach saw big improvements fromyear one to year two with theircoaches. Wiggins volleyball andWeldon Valley boys basketball

we wanted to establish was hardfor people to buy in the first year,”Wiggins volleyball coach MichelleBaker said. “The first year was alearning experience for both theathletes and us coaches.”For many of the new coaches,

the first year saw some bumpsalong the way. A couple teamswith new coaches came away withwinning records, and many otherssaw where the state of the pro-gram and worked to take the nextstep up toward success.“The goal when I took over was

to create a culture of accountabili-ty,” Weldon Valley boys basketballcoach Kerry Sherman said.“When your teammates know that

By Brandon BolesTimes Sports Reporter

The 2014-15 prep sports seasonwas known as the year of thecoaching carousel. In all fiveschools in Morgan County andNew Raymer, each sporting sea-son saw a number of first-yearhead coaches with programs try-ing to start anew.This year, the majority of those

first year coaches returned, andalmost all the programs saw vastimprovement from the first seasonto second season. In the first sea-son serving as head coach, manyof the coaches taking over saidthey wanted to get a feel for theprogram and the athletes theywould be coaching. Coming intoyear two was much more comfort-able for the coaches, as well as theplayers.“This year had more of a

smoother feel and we all knewwhat to expect and what to pre-pare for,” Fort Morgan volleyballcoach Cami Weimer said. “One ofthe great things about coaching isyou continue to learn as you go.You learn how to better the pro-gram.”For some of the coaches, they

took over programs accustomedto success and continued thetrend with a veteran roster andplenty of experience. As for manyof the programs with first yearcoaches, the new staff came inlooking to improve their teamsand build up the program towardssustained success.That first step towards building

up the program, according tomany of the coaches, was chang-ing the culture. It is a process thatdoes not change overnight andcan be difficult to change rightaway.“We really felt like the culture

Prep sports

High school sports see progresswith second-year coaches

Brandon Boles / Fort Morgan Times

Fort Morgan head coach Cami Weimer (center) addresses her team during a practice in the fall. The Mustangs vol-leyball program qualified for the regional tournament in Weimer’s second season at the helm of the program.


Reflections XIII

great to see them working togeth-er as a family and making thingshappen on the court.”A few more coaches will look to

keep that trend going in thespring sports season. Aaron Phil-lips took over the Wiggins base-ball team last year with an inexpe-rienced group, while Kevin Fergushelped lead the Brush baseballteam to a 3A state championshipappearance. Fort Morgan girlsgolf had a state qualifier in headcoach Mike Gross’ first year withthe team in 2015 and a number ofgirls look to be in the conversationto get to state this year.With the success that came in

the second year for many coaches,the next step they say the pro-grams will look to take will be tomaintain that high level of successfrom this past year. The teamswant to maintain their winningways and continue to keep build-ing up the program to win for

years to come.To make that process happen,

the coaches said the culturechange must be continued on inthe upcoming seasons.“It’s something in my opinion

we’ll continue to do,” Baker said.“It’s definitely not going tochange. For us to make it toregionals we have to have account-ability and a discipline to thesport.”And all the coaches echoed their

excitement for things to come inyear three and beyond.“Even without the eight win

increase on the floor this season,just seeing the way the guys inter-act with each other, their schoolmates, and teachers, tells me thatwe are on the right track,” Sher-man said.Brandon Boles: 970-867-5651,[email protected] ortwitter.com/FMT_Sports


Weldon Valley boys basketball coach Kerry Sherman saw his program wineight more games and qualify for the regional tournament in his secondseason with the Warriors.

COACHES from page 16

Independent Living Apartments and Visitors Apartments

970-842-2825

Sunset Manor

Together we are family....


Reflections XIII

er equipment, a revamped proshop, engineering for a new irriga-tion system, a new name and then,a new chef.A complete tear-down, renova-

tion and expanse, to be precise, ofthe golf shop is currently under-way as 2016 rolls through and theenlarged space will include newwindows, doors, flooring, lighting,display walls, an office area andmore.A new and expanded deck over-

looking the first tee also is plannedto accommodate more outdoordining and the plagued irrigationsystem experienced much-neededrepairs to help sustain the courseuntil the following year, when thecity hopes to install a completelynew irrigation system.As a fast, first honor, long-time

Bunker Hill and new Course mem-ber Carol Flenniken, recently washonored by the Colorado Women’sGolf Association as its Player ofthe Century. Carol, a Brush citi-zen, has won more major CWGAindividual championships thananyone else. Flenniken cherishesthe friendships she makes whileon the links. Flenniken, who grewup in Wisconsin before makingthe move to Colorado, won the1959 Western Junior Girl’s Cham-pionship and the 1960 USGA Girls’Junior. While attending ArizonaState University, she won the 1962Women’s Western Amateur andfollowed that with a 1964 win thatmade her the youngest BritishLadies Amateur ever.The Course Café and Lounge’s

first head chef was chosen in earlyNovember of 2015 in 30-year veter-an cook Bill Wentworth, whose

See GOLF, pg. 19

who helped acquire over $260,000in donations toward improvementsto the facility, which have includedkitchen reconstruction and equip-ment replacement, the replace-ment of golf carts, upgraded mow-

boards of both foundations, notedthat if the entities were to beinvolved, it must be done right.“I expect the Course to be the

finest 9-hole golf facility in North-east Colorado,” voiced Gunnon,

By Katie CollinsNews-Tribune Staff Writer

When the owners of one ofBrush’s most boasted landmarksturned to city officials for help inkeeping Bunker Hill Golf andCountry Club alive in the midst ofa detrimental time, the solutionwas swift and certain.It took just months for city staff

and council members to unani-mously approve the bold move tohave the city purchase the staplerecreation site, but the hype sur-rounding the fresh, new refurbish-ments have residents from allaround the area excited for a newseason on the greens.2015 marked a magnificent time

of change for the Brush golfcourse as its new owners brain-stormed methods to reinvigoratethe established setting, whilemaintaining the sense of historyand respect for the past that haslong-defined history in the rural,plains community.On May 1, Brush officially took

the reigns to continue the socialand recreational benefits that thesport and links could bring.Financial donations from both

the Joslin/Needham and PetteysFoundations were profound for thepurchase, providing a way to revi-talize not only the 9-hole golfgreens that flank the area justsouth of the I-76 interchange, butalso to the restaurant and loungeportions, which took on their firstformidable transformation uponbeing bestowed the new title ofThe Course at Petteys Park andThe Course Café and Lounge.Bob Gunnon, chairman of the

The Course at Petteys Park and Course Café and Lounge

Brush brings new lifeto Bunker Hill Golf Course

Transforms it into new The Course at Petteys Park and The Course Café and Lounge

Courtesy photo

Brush City Councilor Heath Becker cracks a claw on his lobster at theCourse Cafe and Lounge at The Course at Petteys Park in Brush.


Reflections XIII

family had just moved to Brushfrom their home in New Mexicoupon the hire of wife Cindy Went-worth as Chief Human ResourcesOfficer at Brush’s East MorganCounty Hospital.Chef Bill brings with him not

only a big love of food and boister-ous appetite, but also a pride increating fantastic flavors andhearty dishes.For the chef with an even bigger

appetite for life and food, it’s nosurprise that The Course Café andLounge includes a menu of heartystaples such as steaks, pastas, sea-food and sandwiches, as well ashis own favorite barbecue items.“I’m new to the area,” he said as

he donned his new black headchef garb inside a newly remod-eled Course kitchen in December,“so I’m being loose with the menuoptions for now. I’m a big guy witha big appetite so I love to servehearty foods and most of the itemsare based on suggestions fromlocal guests. We will provide sever-al other options, such as heart-healthy and light foods, as well asseasonal specials and locallygrown offerings.”Looking forward into 2016, plans

for the golf park might alsoinclude the addition of a token-op-erated range ball machine for thedriving range, additional rentalcarts, a new maintenance tractorand new signage, as well as newinterior design decoration.The Course Café and Lounge

has opened its doors to the publicwith hours, thus far, that include

breakfast available from 7 to 11a.m. on Tuesday through Satur-day, lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.Tuesday through Saturday anddinner from 4 to 8 p.m. Fridaysand Saturdays. Sunday brunchhours are open from 8 a.m. to 1p.m. and the bar has hours thathave it open until 9 p.m. on Mon-day-Friday, and open until last call

each Friday and Saturday.The 9-hole course is also gearing

up for great weather and is open tothe public. Tee times can besecured by calling the Course Caféand Lounge at Petteys Park at(970) 842-5470 or by bookingonline via their website atwww.thecourseatpetteyspark.com.

Courtesy photo

The Course Cafe and Lounge at The Course at Petteys Park is pro-viding the Brush area with a variety of meals including sandwiches,steaks, pasta and seafood.

GOLF from page 18


Pictured are a couple of the holes at The Course at Petteys Park in Brush.


Pictured is one of the greens at The Course at Petteys Park in Brush.


Reflections XIII

olds was locked in for every sec-ond of every match.During his 16 years serving as

coach for the Mustangs, Reynoldssaid the biggest thing he learnedwas patience and growth. He alsosaid seeing the kids realize theirpotential and become the best theycould be was his favorite part ofthe journey.“Over the 16 years, I have

matured,” Reynolds said. “I havedefinitely gotten a lot of growth inmyself. I’ve learned a lot aboutmyself in how patient and strong Ican be. I learned a lot about kidsand how you can push them to doamazing things, get them tobelieve in themselves, work for agoal, and have no regrets.”Where Reynolds hopes the big-

gest impact his coaching will comeinto play for the kids that wrestledfor him comes outside of the gymand off the mats.“Getting these kids to work with

you, teach them a little bit aboutlife, and do it through sports, Ihope I did that for a lot of kids,”Reynolds said.Reynolds leaves the program

after becoming the sixth headcoach for the Mustangs. The teamhas only had six coaches since1936, another quality he saidshowed the commitment and pridewithin the program had over theyears.After a long career that saw mul-

tiple state champions and a level ofsustained success, Reynolds isready to move on and begin a newchapter of life. And he will alwayscherish the times he had in hismost recent chapter with FortMorgan wrestling.“It’s really a pride thing to be a

part of this school and the Mus-tangs tradition,” Reynolds said.Brandon Boles: 970-867-5651,[email protected] ortwitter.com/FMT_Sports

made sure he did the same forthem.“Stepping in, you’re full of all

this energy and ideas,” Reynoldssaid. “Every call is personal. Youfight for these kids. You learn tobe more patient and more under-standing to see the bigger pictureand see that it’s a process.”No matter if he was coaching a

state champion or a young fresh-man still learning and growing inthe sport, it was clear that Reyn-

olds has worked with hundreds ofwrestlers with the Mustangs pro-gram. He said all the kids thathave come through the programhave made his experience a spe-cial one.“I’ve had some great kids,”

Reynolds said. “I’ve had a lot ofhard workers that have given me alot. They have given me theirhearts. I’m going to miss that.”Because his wrestlers gave him

everything they could, Reynolds


At the Pepsi Center on Feb. 20,Spike Reynolds was suited up inhis fanciest outfit and ready for thefinal matches for the Mustangs atthe 2016 State Wrestling Champi-onships. He watched his two stars,seniors Toby McBride and AlexMai, walk out for the Parade ofChampions. And then he waitedfor his two to wrestle for individualstate titles.The wait seemed like a long time

in the stands under the brightlights. He patiently waited, andthen finally headed out to the matsto sit on the side and coach his twofinalists.The final matches were success-

ful as Mai won by majority deci-sion to win the 220 pound title inclass 4A and McBride followed upwith a decision win for the 285pound crown. Reynolds rejoicedwith his two champions, and thenthe team shared a special eveningcelebrating another strong seasonand performance at state.Just days after leading the Mus-

tangs at state, Reynoldsannounced his decision to retire ashead coach. He was filmed in ashort video with Fort Morgan ath-letic director Kyle Bules announc-ing his decision.“I’m happy that I’ve had 16 years

here,” Reynolds said. “It’s been anawesome experience and I’ve beenblessed to have some good admin-istrators to work for. Currentlywith Kyle (Bules) and Ben (Bau-man), they have been some greatguys to work with.”The long coaching career could

not have been scripted with a bet-ter ending than two state champi-ons and another placer for his finalseason as head coach.Over his 16-year tenure, Reyn-

Prep wrestling

Coach Reynolds retiringHe spent 16 years with Mustangs wrestling program


Fort Morgan head wrestling coach Spike Reynolds (right) offers some finalwords of encouragement to senior Toby McBride before his match in the 4A285-pound finals at the 2016 state wrestling tournament in Denver.


Reflections XIII

they require a lot of volunteers.That can sometimes be difficult, tofind a lot of volunteers, but itappears that people have beenstepping up and helping out withthe Chamber.

Q: How about the Glenn MillerFest? That’s going to be dif-

ferent this year, isn’t it?

A: That is. The Chamber isdealing with the sponsorship

side of it, and different entities areresponsible for different parts ofthe festival, so it should all cometogether as one great event.

Q: Do you have a favorite eventthat the Chamber partici-

pates in?

A: No, they’re all my favorites![But] the events that take

place during the summer, they’reso big and involved, with peoplecoming from out of town, and it’sfun taking part in all the eventsthat take place.Northrup said her main priori-

ties as executive director would be“to recruit membership andensure that our Chamber mem-bers are provided with the ameni-ties that come with their member-ship.”Stephanie Alderton: 970-867-5651ext 227, [email protected] ortwitter.com/slalderton

number, considering our commu-nity. You’re always working to getmore members. You want as manymembers as you possibly can, andthat’s my main focus, is member-ship. One of my main focuses.

Q: What’s one of your otherfocuses?

A: The community events thatwe take part in. They’re big

projects, and a lot of work, and

ple. I love working with the com-munity, working with the commu-nity projects, membership. It’s justthe best place to work.

Q: Is there anything you’d liketo change, or anything new

you’d like to introduce to theChamber this year?

A: Jumping back into the Cham-ber, getting my feet on the

ground will be the first thing that Ido. Especially with summer soclose, there’s the Glenn Miller fes-tival and Bobstock and otherevents that the Chamber takespart in. So I think we will getthrough the summer, and then theboard of directors will make deci-sions on if anything else needs tobe changed or improved.

Q: Are there any new challeng-es or opportunities that you

see, now that you’re returning tothe director position?

A: I’m excited to be back work-ing with the community, and

I think my challenge is...just get-ting oriented back into the office,which should just take me a cou-ple days. And then I’ll be out thererecruiting membership.

Q: How many businesses aremembers of the Chamber

right now?

A: They currently have about200 members. That’s a fair


After being without an executivedirector for many weeks followingthe departure of Cheryl Sanchez,the Fort Morgan Area Chamber ofCommerce has at last hired RobinNorthrup to fill the role. Northruphas been involved with the Cham-ber for many years, and she hasconnections to many businessesaround Morgan County. She start-ed her new job the week of March7.

Q: How did you become thenew Chamber executive

director?

A: I was the executive director acouple years ago, and then

Cheryl Sanchez took over. Andwhen she retired, I re-applied forthe job. I did work [at Cargill MeatSolutions] up in the payroll depart-ment, under Mary Ginther, won-derful lady. And when the Cham-ber job came open, I left there andcame back.

Q: What made you want toapply again?

A: The Chamber is a greatplace to work. It’s great peo-

Chamber of Commerce

Q&A with Robin NorthrupNew Chamberexecutive director

File Photo/ Fort Morgan Times

Robin Northrup

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Reflections XIII


Greg Thomason loves old build-ings and new businesses.That’s why he’s become the new

executive director of the MorganCounty Economic DevelopmentCorporation. Thomason has beenon the job for almost a month,though he’s still working on mov-ing from Arvada to Fort Morgan.His experience in business andmarketing goes back much fartherthan that, however.Thomason started out in the

field of journalism, becoming theeditor of a weekly newspaper inWyoming at a young age. Later heturned to business, joining thelocal rural electric association andserving on its board. Since movingto the Denver area, he has headedfive start-up companies, served onthe board of the Arvada HistoricalSociety and the light rail advisorycommittee and worked as a mar-keting resource for the ColoradoDepartment of Local Affairs.“I came to see the world through

the eyes of an entrepreneur or abusiness owner,” he said.This isn’t the first time he has

done business with the businessesof Morgan County, either. Whenthe town of Brush first entered thenational Main Street program in2001, the Chamber of Commerceconsulted him and the other mem-bers of the Historical Society foradvice.When the position of MCEDC

executive director opened up afterKari Linker’s departure in the fall,Thomason saw it as a chance to“pivot away from corporate Ameri-ca” and use all of his experienceand interests in one job. He wasalso attracted to the old-fashioned

See THOMASON, pg. 23

Economic development

Going back to the rootsNew MCEDC director hopes to attract new business while keeping old-school charm

Stephanie Alderton / Fort Morgan Times

Greg Thomason, the new executive director of the Morgan County Economic Development Corporation, in his newoffice at the Morgan County Administration Building.


Reflections XIII

style of Main Street Fort Mor-gan—a look that he feels is beingeroded in Old Town Arvada,where new apartment buildingsand a light rail station are displac-ing the area’s historical architec-ture.“I see this not as a sacrifice, a

trade-off, but as a growth opportu-nity that allows me to get back to acommunity that is more alignedwith what my roots were as achild,” he said of the move fromArvada to Fort Morgan.Thomason also sees abundant

opportunity for new business inMorgan County. As executivedirector, he hopes to help attractcompanies that can serve the agri-culture industry, the numerousmanufacturing plants within thecounty and even the Denver Inter-national Airport, the county’s most

giant business neighbor, 85 milesaway.But of course, he recognized

that Morgan County’s housingshortage remains the biggestobstacle to those plans. Largecompanies may be reluctant tomove to a place where their

employees won’t be able to findhousing. Thomason said he hopesto work with other organizationsand cities in figuring out solutionsto that problem.He also plans to reach out to

Morgan County’s current busi-nesses, to help facilitate their

growth. Before he tries to imple-ment any specific projects, though,he said he’s going to focus on lis-tening to the other board mem-bers and the businesses they workwith, and get to know the commu-nity better.“I’m here to be a facilitator, so in

that role I’m willing to be flexibleand listen to others,” Thomasonsaid. “I’ll work in whatever capaci-ty I can work to make MorganCounty stronger from an econom-ic perspective.”Meanwhile, he’s also working on

selling his house and finding anew one in Morgan County. Pick-ings are slim, but he plans to besettled in by June 1.Stephanie Alderton: 970-867-5651ext 227, [email protected] ortwitter.com/slalderton

THOMASON from page 22

About Morgan County EconomicDevelopment CorporationThe MCEDC is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to promote MorganCounty and attract more business and workforce to the area. Its boardof directors consists of 13 voting members, each representing adifferent business sector. Together, they are the primary coordinator ofinformation and resources for new and expanding businesses. They canbe contacted at:231 Ensign St., Suite B102Fort [email protected]

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Reflections XIII

The core group of people whodid the research and writing forthe immigration history bookletthought it sounded like great funto continue doing such researchand then writing lots more aboutthe area’s history on the topics(mostly) of their choice.They pitched this idea to the

Fort Morgan Times — not expect-ing any payment, just monthlyspace for their stories to be pub-lished. Museum Curator BrianMack would aid with research andproviding pictures from the muse-um collection to go with the sto-ries.How could the Times turn them

down?Since then, the group has writ-

ten and had published a total of 19monthly history stories on a multi-tude of topics, as well as a fewtimely extra stories along the way.It started in September 2014

with the story of three women —one local, two Somalian immi-grants — bonded by overcoming alanguage barrier and teachingeach other about their culturesand lives.The Community History Writers

were in infancy as a group at thatpoint, still debating some aboutwhat to call themselves, what top-ics to tackle and sources to use,who would write which subjects,how the content would flow from

See HISTORY, pg. 25


Swapping stories, telling talesand sharing gossip from yearsgone may not sound like the mostproductive way to conduct a meet-ing, but this is the normal processfor the Community History Writ-ers.This group of volunteer

researchers and writers meetsmonthly with a Times reporterand Fort Morgan Museum curatorto make a plan for what will appearon the monthly history page orpages in the newspaper.Those meetings typically are a

mix of the above-mentioned sto-ries, tales and gossip, but they alsoare filled with actual making ofplans — and lots of laughter.The Community History Writ-

ers, who choose to remain relative-ly anonymous, formed as a groupduring the creation of “MorganCounty: A Land of Immigrants,” abooklet detailing the area’s immi-gration.That was an initiative started by

the Fort Morgan Heritage Founda-tion and funded by a grant fromOneMorgan County. The founda-tion plans to fund its second print-ing, which could happen this sum-mer, as all extra copies of theoriginal press run have beenclaimed.

History

Ladies who researchCommunity History Writers grew outof passion for re-telling area’s stories

Fort Morgan Times, Oct. 10, 2014, Page 12

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Reflections XIII

the researchers to the writers tothe newspaper and more.But it all was worked out along

the way.There have been a few members

who have left the group, otherswho float in and out as their sched-ules dictate, and new people read-ing one of their articles and get-ting interested enough to checkthem out and then join in the fun.Sometimes the group has a

schedule planned many monthsout for what stories will be writtenwhich months. There were a fewstories that were back-ups, withthe research already done and thestory just needing to be written ifsomething fell through at the lastminute. At other times, especiallyaround the winter holidays, it canbecome more of a “what the heckare we going to do and who’sgoing to be free to do it” sort ofthing.But one thing has proven true:

There will be a monthly story inthe Times from the CommunityHistory Writers, and it will be afascinating look at how a family,industry, issue or event played arole in this area’s past.One of the most popular things

they have done was a two-partseries on the area’s history of“murder, mayhem and mischief.”For that one, the writer discoveredthat there was too much historyrelated to those things to fit in onestory, so it wound up taking upboth the October and Novemberarticles.But without the group’s efforts,

how many people would knowabout the murder by beer bottlehit to the head that happened inJuly 1913?Or the mayhem that was going

on during the days of Prohibitionand what happened after lawenforcement raids on illegal stills:“Meanwhile, the police and sher-iff’s deputies were busy raidingmoonshine stills, and throwing‘playboys who lubricated them-selves with giggle-soup’ into jail.One night, they arrested a groupwho were ‘making whoopy with a

See HISTORY, pg. 26 Fort Morgan Times, Dec. 18, 2015, Page 7

HISTORY from page 24

CommunityHistory WritersThe Community History Writersresearch and write a series ofmonthly stories published in theFort Morgan Times.Here’s a list of the topics of thestories they have produced so farand when they were published inthe Fort Morgan Times:Sept. 12, 2014 - 3 women buildcultural bridgesOct. 10, 2014 - Great WesternSugar Co. arrives in MorganCountyNov. 14, 2014 - Morgan Countyhad Colorado’s only two-story sodhouseDec. 19, 2014 - Morgan Countyhas history of changingChristmas traditionsJan. 16, 2015 - Migrant rootsnow planted deep (about Rogelioand Anna Segura)Feb. 13, 2015 - Fred Ostwald’simmigration storyMarch 13, 2015 – Howard’sCastle (about artist HowardRollin)April 17, 2015 - Locals withHungarian roots made long-termhomes in Morgan CountyMay 8, 2015 - Morgan County’sone-room schoolsJune 12, 2015 - Brush Rodeohas long historyJuly 10, 2015 - How Fort Morganbecame ‘The City of Lights’Aug. 7, 2015 - Greasewood oilboom: Big hopes also brought abig fallSept. 12, 2015 - A look at earlyhealth care (in Morgan County)Oct. 10, 2015 - Murder in MorganCountyNov. 20, 2015 - Mischievoustimes: Mayhem and Mischief inMorgan CountyDec. 18, 2015 - Home for theHolidays: Recipes and images ina local cookbook from years agoJan. 15, 2016 - Selling snake oilas ‘patent medicine’Feb. 19, 2016 - Extra, extra!Read all about it! (History ofnewspapers in Morgan County)March 10, 2016 - Revisiting the‘Dirty Thirties’


gallon of raisin liquor by the fair-grounds.’ They were transported tothe Morgan County Jail, where theyserenaded everyone with a ‘songfest’all night until they sobered up,” theCommunity History Writers’ storyreads, quoting from stories in oldeditions of the Times.And the stories they have

researched and created on thingslike the Greasewood Oil boom, howFort Morgan became the City ofLights, the rise of the beet sugarindustry, sod houses and one-roomschools, small-town newspapers, ear-ly doctors and so-called patent medi-cines and how the Dustbowl did ordid not hit this area has shown howvaried and rich Morgan County’s his-tory truly is.There also have been quite a few

personal, family stories going backto the group’s roots: telling the talesof immigration, settling in MorganCounty and making their marks onthis area.And there were the lighter stories

of local artist Howard Rollin, theBrush Rodeo and the area’s manyholiday traditions.The best part is that there are

many more such stories still to comefrom the Community History Writ-ers, who already have a plan stretch-ing into next fall for what they willresearch and write.The Community History Writers

also welcome people who may beinterested in joining them inresearching and writing about localhistory to check out one of themonthly planning meetings. Theseusually happen after lunchtime in theearly afternoon on the fourth Thurs-day of the month at Fort MorganLibrary & Museum. But just likehow they run their planning meet-ings, the group is somewhat infor-mal about the time and date.Send an email to jgrubbs@fort-

morgantimes.com if you want toknow the specific time and date forthe next one. If you come, you justmight find out who these hilarioushistory buffs are.

Reflections XIII

Fort Morgan Times, Oct. 10, 2015, Page 7

HISTORYfrom page 25


Reflections XIII

another point in the job’s favor.And Wiggins, with its tiny popula-tion and rural setting, was just thesort of community Larino wasused to.One of the first opportunities he

had as town administrator to“make things better” came withthe Wiggins water system. The

See LARINO, pg. 29

The town council voted to hirehim in October of 2014.“I love challenges, and I love

opportunities,” he said. “I’m a very‘type A’ person, so I love opportu-nities to work hard and makethings better.”He said his family has often

vacationed in Colorado and he hadgrown to love the state, which was

er and has lived in rural areas eversince. When he went into the cat-tle business as an adult, he oftenhad to deal with small town gov-ernments, and he eventuallybecame interested in going intothat field himself. After studyingpublic administration for twoyears, he heard of a job opening inWiggins and immediately applied.


Paul Larino has been townadministrator of Wiggins for morethan a year, but he’s been interest-ed in government for much longer.Larino grew up in Los Angeles,

but moved to Missouri as a teenag-

Town government

From L.A. to Wiggins

Paul Larino’s journey as town administrator

Courtesy Photo

Paul Larino has tackled some tough issues in his first year as Wiggins town administrator.


Reflections XIII

town has struggled to provide aworking, up-to-code water systemfor years, and although it wasmostly up and running when Lari-no came to town, one of his majortasks was to make sure all of itsparts could connect and worktogether. He worked to improvethe monitoring plan and equip-ment to make them more efficient.“Getting to understand the

whole Colorado water system hasbeen a pretty enlightening experi-ence,” he said.Other challenges have faced Lar-

ino and the town council over thelast 17 months, such as paving theroads and applying for state grantsto help with public improvements,a time-consuming project in and ofitself.On a more personal level, he

faced some difficulties moving intothe town. Since Wiggins had sofew houses available at the time, ittook him about eight months tofind a house there, during whichtime he was commuting fromBrighton. So his recent efforts toget the Kiowa Park and Thomasfamily housing developmentsapproved for the town came from apersonal understanding of thehousing shortage.Not every decision Larino has

made over the last 17 months hasbeen universally liked. Approval ofthe housing developments, forexample, stirred up controversyamong a few residents whobelieved the new homes would

overwork the town water supply(Larino believes that with the helpof recent augmentation agree-ments, Wiggins will have enoughwater for many more homes). Buthis colleagues on the town boardof trustees have repeatedly com-mended him for his hard work andsmart planning.“Do you ever take a break?”

Mayor Mac Leon asked him afterone of his board meeting presenta-tions.Larino does take breaks occa-

sionally, mostly to spend time withhis wife and three daughters, oneof whom is married but two ofwhom still live with their parentsin Wiggins. He refers to his young-est daughter, Sarah, as the town’s

“IT department,” because shehelps him with technology sooften.Not everything about the job of

town administrator is easy, butLarino plans to be in it for the longhaul. He said he loves the commu-nity spirit in Wiggins, and eventslike the town Fourth of July andChristmas celebrations last yearmake him excited about where it’sgoing.“To me, that’s the biggest

accomplishment, that we cancome together as a communityand be sort of doing these thingstogether,” he said. “You just don’thave that in larger cities. And Iwant to keep that as the towngrows, that community spirit mov-ing forward.”Stephanie Alderton: 970-867-5651ext 227, [email protected] ortwitter.com/slalderton

Stephanie Alderton / Fort Morgan Times

Wiggins town administrator Paul Larino listens to a report during a towncouncil meeting. Larino has worked as administrator since October of2014. Although he has helped complete many projects, including improve-ments to the Wiggins water system, he considers the organization of thetown's 2015 Fourth of July and Christmas celebrations to be among hisgreatest accomplishments.

LARINO from page 28

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tackle storm water lines from Col-orado Avenue to a newly con-structed storm water pond east ofBrush, which the city managed tohelp fund via a generous ColoradoDepartment of Local Affairs grant.

Construction, freshfacilities and newbusiness developmentSurrounding the heart and soul

of the city’s downtown area, agreat deal of Brush lands are gear-ing up for a grand redesign as2015 saw the city approve a newambulance facility through thecounty, which will count as justone of several new structures thatwill begin to flank the once prairiegrasslands surrounding HospitalRoad.Hospital Road, described often

through the latter half of 2015 asthe ‘Gateway to Brush’ as it toobraces for big change, enjoyed acomplete annexation into the Cityof Brush in October as the portion

See PROJECTS, pg. 31

scaping efforts, as well as theconstruction of a state-of-the-artstorm water drainage system andpond.With the beautification and revi-

talization effort, the Brush com-munity received another nod, thistime in the Downtown ColoradoInc.’s 2013 Governor’s Award forDowntown Excellence that wasbestowed on the City of Brush andphase two and three contractorsNolteVeritical 5, specifically forBest Public Space for a MainStreet.The final phase of downtown

redesign and construction will puta finishing touch to the entire 21stCentury makeover and is set tocommence in June, with the bidfor the contract awarded in Febru-ary 2015 to J-2 Contracting Compa-ny out of Greeley.This final phase will have crews

working on storm water improve-ments on Edmunds Street, rough-ly between Carson Street and the200 block of E. Edmunds as itmeets Highway 34. Crews also will

made tremendous accomplish-ments in partnerships within thecommunity to establish it as agreat place to be,” said EDCC Rep-resentative Michelle Alcott duringthe May ceremony that celebratedBrush’s tenacity and spirit.Looking into the long term has

long topped the annual list ofBrush City Council goals for citydepartments, and projects thatcame before councilors in 2015proved Brush is primed for futuresustainability.

Award-winningDowntown Revitalizationin final phaseA solid foundation for future

growth and renewal as Brush’saward-winning downtown revital-ization project brought in arenewed business district.The four-phase project began in

2010 and completely modernizedthe look and utility of the down-town areas from Edmunds to Clay-ton streets with new lighting, sig-nage, landscaping and street-


A wealth of awards and acco-lades were bestowed on projectsthat helped revitalize and restorethe boundaries of Brush last year,forming firm foundations for boldchanges ahead that will likelyreshape the landscape itself.As the ag-based area that began

as a supply point on the Texas-Montana trail in 1882, braces foreven more transformations, thecommunity’s determined identityremains intact. It is that very pas-sion that will keep the pioneeringtradition alive as the rural regionfast becomes a beacon on theplains for modern innovation andgrowth.

2015 Small-Communityof the YearFrom the completion of award-

winning projects that put new lifeinto the I-76 corridor and HospitalRoad pathways that provide a gate-way to Brush, to collaborativeefforts that landed the city the dis-tinguished title of 2015 ‘SmallCommunity of the Year’ throughan Economic Development Coun-cil of Colorado’s (EDCC) award,Brush’s dedication to improve-ments, progress and partnershipwere highlighted on a nationalstage.The EDCC’s honor marked

Brush as unique in the state as itwas chosen as the best of 10 Colo-rado communities that had beennominated - and this after the cityhad earned the designation of ‘All-America City’ the prior year fromthe National Civic League.“Brush residents enjoy the rural

pace and charm, complete with aforward-thinking city that has

City of Brush

Pioneering projects praisedBut Brush bracingfor big comingchanges


2015 and 2016 have been busy ones for Brush as the municipality purchased the former Bunker Hill Country Club,transforming it into The Course Café and Lounge at Petteys Park. Several people from the community attended theribbon-cutting that welcomed the business to the community.


Reflections XIII

of the right-of-way (MCR 27) fromMill Street to I-76 was brought intothe official city limits.The incorporation came just as

the city readies to urbanize theroadway, which will likely see alarge-scale change as the well-known travel and truck stop chain,Love’s Travel Stops and CountryStores, made their plans for a newstation that, according to prelimi-nary plats provided to city staffand council in February, will belocated at the former Castle Rocksubdivision site on the southeastcorner of Hospital Road and I-76and could come complete a withdrive-thru fast-food chain and thepotential for a hotel on the site.Though plans remain in a pro-

duction phase as of March, devel-opers and Love’s representativeshope to start work on, and evencomplete, the new travel stop con-struction before the end of 2016.

Brush blazes path forfuture of rural areasHospital Road might also enjoy a

more peaceful sounding atmo-sphere before traffic increases asit is set to play host to a second‘Quiet Zone’ construction alongthe railroad tracks there, just asthe Clayton Street crossing inBrush enjoyed as it ushered in2016.The Quiet Zone project set work-

ers to reconstructing the crossingarea, providing required featuresfor the zone which has greatlysilenced the resounding honking

of train horns as they travelthrough.The city also helped lead the

way for other rural communities inthe ways of progress during a cut-ting-edge sign code update thathas blazed a path for other townsand cities to follow, especially uponreceiving recognition for the effortincluding awards from the Colora-do City and County ManagementAssociation, as well as the Colora-do Municipal League.

Community prideprompts activismA plethora of new restaurants

began dotting the Brush landscapein anticipation of great renewaland according to Brush MayorChuck Schonberger, those locatedwithin and outside of the down-town area have enjoyed tremen-dous growth, with the downtownbuildings enjoying one of the high-est occupancy rates in many years.With such promise on the hori-

zon, citizens have enjoyed a renew-al of sorts, and came out in greatnumbers to voice their disproval ofallowing the growth or sale of mar-ijuana by businesses within thecity limits, to which the councilresponded with a vote to forbid the

newly legalized cash crop in whatmost residents are proud to calltheir All-America City.Brush is also proud to be usher-

ing in a 26th year as an Arbor DayFoundation ‘Tree City USA’ duringthe 2016 Arbor Day celebrations.The designation comes with greateffort that has had city staff andthe Tree Board, as well as commu-nity businesses and volunteers,come together to meet core crite-ria to help sustain a green stan-dard in communities nationwide.

2016 Brush City Councilgoals are in gear2016 will usher in even more

anticipation in terms of growth andgoals for the City Council this yearthat include completing a masterplan for a storm water augmenta-tion pond and more in the EnglishFeedlot lands, developing a recre-ation master plan to include moretrails, ball fields, a potential newswimming pool, pocket park andcommunity buildings, the recon-struction and refurbishment of apublic safety building that couldhouse the fire and police depart-ments, as well as continued pro-motion of community aestheticssuch as the Beautify Brush cam-paign, the restoration of dilapidat-ed buildings and a continued focuson water resources developmentthrough the newly establishedWater Advisory Board as well asefforts to refurbish the historicalCentral School building.


Signs along U.S. Highway 34/Edison invite travelers and residents to thecity of Brush.

PROJECTS from page 30

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Reflections XIII

industry in the United States. TheBank’s Articles of Incorporationwere signed on October 7, 1915,and delivered to the State BankCommissioner, the Secretary ofState, and were filed with theCounty Clerk and Recorder ofMorgan County.Named as the first president of

See BANK, pg. 33

to the community by hosting openhouses at its Brush and Akronlocations. It has reminisced of ear-lier days by offering hot dogs, rootbeer floats, popcorn and a cateredbarbecue luncheon as their way ofsaying thank you to their manyloyal customers.From that first meeting in 1915

to today, much has happened inthe nation and to the banking

ber 1915 to discuss organizing abank in Brush, to the present, the“banks directors, officers and staffhave remained resilient for 100years, dedicated to excellent ser-vice, safety, responsibility andabove all, being completelyinvolved in the communities itserves,” the bank’s website notes.Over the past year, the bank has

celebrated its 100 years of service

By Iva Kay HornerNews-Tribune Publisher/Editor

It is a rare occasion that a suc-cessful business is able to cele-brate being a continuous memberof a local community for 100 years.But the Farmers State Bank has

done just that.From its first meeting in Septem-

Farmers State Bank

Dedicated to the communityfor 100 years and going strong

Iva Kay Horner / Brush News-Tribune

Pictured are the officers at Farmers State Bank in Brush. Back, from left, Cashier/Trust Officer Susan Coronado, Vice President Spencer Farnik and VicePresident Wesley Sailsbery. Seated is President Kirk Lowry.


Reflections XIII

the newly formed bank in 1915was John Needham who held theposition until his death in 1960.In all those years, the bank has

had only eight presidents includ-ing Needham (1915-1960), AlonzoPetteys (1960-1967), WarrenWatrous (1967-1978), Steve Christ-off (1978-1981), Norm Tisdale(1981-1991), Will Schippers (1991-1998), Al Campbell (1998-2015)and the current president KirkLowry. Serving as long-time Chair-man of the Board and still active isBob Gunnon.Through the early guidance of

Needham and Petteys, the bankfollowed a path of expansion anddiversification, adding the FirstNational Banks of Wray and Ster-ling, along with Citizens NationalBank of Akron. With the reactiva-tion of the charter of EquitableSavings and Loan Association in1954, the organizations grew andformed “The Pioneer Group”which now serves 15 locationswith thousands of customers.

The Sterling bank was sold andEquitable Savings and Loan wasexpanded in the 1980’s to 10 loca-tions throughout Northeast Colo-rado. Equitable has had a majorimpact on the single family hous-ing market.Fifty years after its birth, the

Brush bank underwent a completeremodel, consisting of expansionof the upstairs community room,as well as addition of a drive-upwindow on the west side of thebank.Another addition came in

December 1975, when FarmersState Bank constructed a separatedrive-up facility on the corner ofCarson and Edison Streets. Instal-lation of an ATM at the drive-uptook place in 1980.In 1982, the directors merged

the three banks into a multi-bankholding company named The FirstPioneer Bank Corp. This mergerbrought additional strength in cap-ital and assets and spread the busi-nesses into a larger trade area. In

1986, in-house accounting comput-ers were added.The bank made another busi-

ness move on November 10, 2009,with the merger of the Brush andAkron banks to become TheFarmers State Bank of Brush andAkron.In observing the past 100 years

and moving into its second centu-ry, President Kirk Lowry com-mented, “As we consider thisaccomplishment, we recognizethat it took a great deal of workand perseverance. Think about allthe great events that haveoccurred in the last century. Thecountry has survived several wars,The Great Depression, and numer-ous recessions. Our bank with-stood all of those events and con-tinued to grow and becomestronger.”He continued, “Our success has

been due to strong management,dedicated employees, consistentlyconservative policies and thou-sands of loyal customers over the

last 100 years. But, the mostimportant part of the bankingbusiness hasn’t changed at all –the people. We are blessed withvalued customers. Taking care ofcustomers and providing the prod-ucts and services that they need isstill our number one priority.” Thesafety of customer’s funds isimportant. Lending out customer’sand shareholder’s money for 100years has ensured the area wouldgrow and prosper. The bank is theepitome of a rural, locally owned,successful community bank.Mr. Gunnon noted, “That having

original founding families andtheir descendants still involved inthe bank brought a continuation ofhonesty, direction, and a stronginterest in the growth of the localcommunity. There are very fewlocally owned community banksleft in the country. We are continu-ing to use the principals the found-ers instilled in the bank. We lookforward to see what the next 100years bring!”

BANK from page 32

“Our success has been due to strong management, dedicated employees,consistently conservative policies and thousands of loyal customers over the last100 years. But, the most important part of the banking business hasn’t changed

at all – the people. We are blessed with valued customers.”Kirk Lowry

President Farmers State Bank

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USA Gymnastics program, whichis one of the highest levels andmost competitive to be in. Shestarted helping out with practiceswhen she was 12, and then washired on as a full coach at 14. Herplans to continue competing ingymnastics came to an end in col-lege when she suffered a knee inju-ry.Her athletic career came to an

end, but her coaching career con-tinued on. When Sailsbery went tothe University of Northern Colora-do, Eaton High School had anopening for a gymnastics coach.She coached as an assistant herjunior and senior year of college.

See GYMNASTICS, pg. 35

going from learning gymnastics tocoaching the sport is one Sailsberyherself has gone through. She wasa gymnast growing up in Portlandand had that instilled on her whilegoing through her rigorous train-ing.“The coaches told me that I

should do some coaching becausethat would keep me in the gymmore,” Sailsbery said.Sailsbery started gymnastics at 4

years old and fell in love with thesport instantaneously. When herfamily moved to Portland at age 8,she was put on a competitive teamright away and competed until shewas 18.In Portland, she was part of a

over, Sailsbery hired on some extracoaches to help out at the gym. Butthe growth continued to come, andmore coaches were added on asmore and more kids came throughthe program.Today, the gym hosts multiple

classes per day, with an entirecoaching staff working on a regularbasis. The gym has grown fromhaving around 35 kids when Sails-bery took over to having well over125 in the program.In addition to having more coach-

es, the teens who head into highschool also began to be coached onhow to coach some of the youngerkids and play that role before grad-uating and leaving. That process of


The High Plains GymnasticsAcademy was once seen as a sidebusiness for KC Sailsbery and herhusband, Wes, when they tookover as the owners of the gym.Now, in their 11th year workingbehind the scenes, it has become afull-time business added on to theircurrent carrers.Ownership for the Academy

began for KC in 2002 when shemoved to Fort Morgan and washired as a PE/Health teacher aswell as the new high school headgymnastics coach. An assistantcoach she worked with was look-ing to close the gym down in 2005and called Sailbery to see if shewanted the equipment from thegym to keep.“I kind of said I wanted the whole

thing,” Sailsbery said.Rather than seeing the new gym

as an extra responsibility, Sailsberysaw it as a way to help grow thehigh school program she wascoaching.“I wanted to do it earlier because

I saw it as a way to fuel somethinginto the high school program,”Sailsbery said. “From that point Itook it over and renamed it HighPlains Gymnastics Academy for aname for the local area.”In her first year as owner, Sails-

bery worked with every girl thatwas in the Academy, from theyoung toddlers being exposed tothe sport for the first time to theteens that were getting ready forthe high school and summer sea-sons. Her schedule was not packedeither, coaching only three to fourdays a week for a couple hours.Over time, the numbers began to

increase. A few years after taking

Fitness

High Plains GymnasticsAcademy continues growth


KC (left) and Wes Sailsbery are the owners of High Plains Gymnastics Academy in Fort Morgan.


Reflections XIII

After graduation, Sailsbery saidshe was looking for a job in Colora-do and wanted to stay west. A mis-take led to her applying for a job inFort Morgan, but she took the joband took over coaching with thegym and the high school programfor the last 11 years.“When I got the job here with the

college, it needed more of mytime,” Sailsbery said. “The busi-ness side of it was also growing,and I wanted it to keep blossom-ing.”In 2014, it was Wes who took

over for the Mustangs program.Unlike KC, he did not have a back-ground in gymnastics. His start inthe sport came when she askedhim to help out at a practice onetime after the two were married.“In 2007, (KC) said she had a kid

she needed help spotting on bars,but I had never done it before,”Wes said. “I came in the one day tohelp do that and she asked if Icould come to one more practice.One practice turned into one meetand more practices, so on and soforth.”The duo became well liked by

the girls, according to KC.“I’m more of the strict and rigor-

ous type, and he can be the laid-back, funny coach for them,” KCexplained. “We make a good coach-ing team. We even each other outand the girls get the right struc-ture.”This year, the two will be step-

ping back from their coaching posi-tions to focus more on the businessside of the Academy. They alsohave their own three daughterswho are just beginning to gothrough the gymnastics program,which gives KC and Wes anotherway to look at the business.“It’s exciting to be on the outside

and now receive the report cardsand see how the girls are progress-ing,” KC said.As for the future for High Plains

Gymnastics Academy, she expectsmore numbers to grow this year.“With this being an Olympic

year, we’re expecting anotherboom of kids to join,” KC said.Brandon Boles: 970-867-5651,[email protected] ortwitter.com/FMT_Sports


The High Plains Gymnastics Academy offers classes for all ages and experi-ence levels to teach the sport of gymnastics. The number of participantsjoining the academy has grown significantly over the years.

GYMNASTICS from page 34

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Reflections XIII


“We’ve had a pretty phenomenalyear,” said East Morgan CountyHospital CEO Linda Thorpe uponreminiscing on what turned out tobe a whirlwind 2015 for the Brushhospital and staff.The completion of a $20 million

expansion effort that brought theBanner Health facility expandedcapabilities and space, as well as astrengthened commitment to thecommunity that was reinforced.The master plan, begun in 1994

with the Alonzo Petteys Rehabilita-tion Center, also amplified servicesoffered, as well as the number andquality of staff, helping EMCH toexperience an invigorated, livelyatmosphere that has patients andstaff alike praising the innovations,both internal and external. Evenwith the trials of such a tremen-dous transformation, EMCH hasmanaged to maintain standardsthat have shaped the hospital as aleader among Banner Health’snationwide network of facilities,and even exceed expectations.With the new construction came

the addition of a plethora of newservices offered to area citizensand, throughout 2015, the effectsbecame visible and noteworthy.The original hospital, built in

April of 1967, was transformedwith the addition of 32,000 feet ofexpanded space that included anew labor/delivery area complete

with three delivery suites and twooverflow rooms, a state-of-the-artC-Section operating room, pre-la-bor triage room, breast lactationroom and state-of-the-art, three-bay nursery. The obstetrics wingwas a welcome sight for manylocal women who helped breathenew life, literally, into EMCH.The first baby born in Brush in

nearly 20 years was welcomed byan elated EMCH staff on Septem-ber 15, 2015 as Christian Connely,son of Bri and Christian, helpedusher in a new day-and-age for thesite.“It marked a new beginning,”

Thorpe said, adding, “Christian

was the first of a number of babieswhose births have taken place orare expected in the coming yearand it makes me think back to justa few years ago, when we firstheard from community membersabout the desire for an obstetricsservice. We knew it would take agreat deal – from new physicians,new equipment and staff to newlyconstructed state-of-the-art patientrooms and an operating suite – itwould take work. Similar to howparents dream of what their fami-lies will one-day become, wedreamed of what this could bringand then we worked to make ithappen.”

East Morgan County Hospital

Expansion benefitshospital, Brush communityMore servicesavailable nowat EMCH

Thorpe notes how so many peo-ple and organizations came togeth-er for the cause to introduce theservices, including the EMCH Dis-trict Board, EMCH Foundationand Auxiliary and business com-munity of Morgan County itself,who gathered resources, financialand emotional support, even creat-ing 10 baskets for the first 10 fami-lies with babies born there.Just 15 months after the comple-

tion, and just seven months follow-ing the finish of the obstetricsspace in September of 2015, a totalof 15 babies have been born atEMCH, with nearly 30 more

See HOSPITAL, pg. 37

Banner Health Brush EMCH / Courtesy photo

The lights are on 24/7 at Banner Health's East Morgan County Hospital in Brush. The expansion included a newentrance and parking area, in addition to renovations within the facility.


Reflections XIII

scheduled as of March.“Our work family at East Mor-

gan prepared for this project withthe skill and confidence that ourexpecting families deserve,” noteda proud Thorpe. “We have sincerecruited excellent providers andhave welcomed them into ourcommunity. We continue to striveto make a difference in people’slives through that excellent andcompassionate patient care.”The expansion helped revamp

and beautify the landscape of theCity of Brush!, adding a modern,cutting-edge feel to the EMCH lotlocated between Highway 34 andEdmunds Street, with Harvardand Cambridge streets flankingthe new architecture.With the addition of the 19, mod-

ern, private patient rooms, twonegative air pressure isolationrooms, three intensive care rooms,

See HOSPITAL, pg. 38


Pictured is the new waiting area at East Morgan County Hospital, which was part of the recent renovations at thehospital in Brush.

HOSPITAL from page 36


Reflections XIII

multi-purpose room used for train-ing and education to new waitingand consultation rooms to the newkitchen, expanded cafeteria, freshlobby, revitalized gift shop andample parking lot, the facility hasbecome one of Banner Health’sshining beacons.“I think the expansion has

helped a great deal,” said Thorpe.“Not only has it brought anincrease in our acute and regularin-patients numbers, but it has alsohelped highlight many of ourofferings for the public, from ourexercise pool to the large line ofwomen’s health services, to ourkitchen and cafeteria. We havepeople coming in for many areasof health and education, and espe-cially for our food,” she continued,noting the enticing flavors thatHead Chef Peter Sisneros and hisstaff in the newly remodeled kitch-en, bistro and cafeteria havedished out.The impact through the first

year has been more than a suc-cess, as reported by BannerHealth, who ranked East MorganCounty Hospital No. 2 among thecorporation’s 29 facilities nation-wide.The Brush-based site earned a

healthy reputation both inside thecommunity and outside, as num-bers brought out by Banner nearthe end of 2015 ranked the Brushhospital No. 1 for ‘would recom-mend’ among patients, and wasNo. 2 in doctor-to-nurse communi-cation. EMCH also came in at aNo. 1 spot for cleanliness. Physi-cians, nurses and other staff whohave been recruited to the sitealso have praised the hospital forits efforts towards employees andpatients.In the same Banner Health

study, employees ranked Brush asNo. 1 for nursing communicationand No. 2 for doctor communica-tion. EMCH also earned a highNo. 3 mark in providing concisedischarge instructions and camein the Top 5 for pain management.“It shows our physicians and

nurses are speaking the same lan-guage and are making sure

patients and families understandwhat is going on,” noted ChiefNursing Officer Dan Lingle.“We are meeting or exceeding

every target we’ve been given byBanner,” added Thorpe, who alsonoted that the 15 doctors broughtin to Brush in 2015 have reiteratedthe sentiment. The surge in hires,growth and patient numbers havenot seemed to deter the staffthere, who counted Brush as awonderful place to work, withnotable leadership, in the surveyswhich enticed 95 percent ofemployees to participate.“When compared with our Ban-

ner sites, this shows us that ouremployees are actively engagedand are highly committed to ourmission, vision and values,” voicedThorpe, who hopes to continue thetrend in the future when shehopes the facility might add more

in-house options, such as an MRIor expanded lab or clinic space.EMCH continues to contribute a

great deal to the community atlarge through 2015 and into 2016as they host events from theAlzheimer’s Memory Walk, to anAsk the Expert series, the annualCommunity Health Fair, DrugTake Back events, Relay for Life,sports physicals and banquetssuch as the EMCH Foundation’snew Prairie Rose fundraiser, andannual Fall Affair.On March 30, EMCH is inviting

the public to peruse the facility,from 4 to 6 p.m., where folks canmeet and greet the new providers,as well as take part in departmenttours.East Morgan County Hospital is

operated by Banner Health, one ofthe nation’s largest nonprofithealthcare systems comprised of

25 hospitals in seven states. EastMorgan opened in 1967 and offersinpatient and outpatient diagnosticservices, cancer care, cataract sur-gery, community outreach pro-grams, education and classes,Emergency care, intensive carewith iCare technology, heart care,medical imaging, occupationalhealth, orthopedics, pediatrics,surgical care, transitional care,women’s services, Telehealth andthe state-of-the-art Alonzo PetteysRehabilitation Center.More information on EMCH in

Brush, about services, events,physicians and providers, as wellas scheduling and more, can befound on their website atwww.bannerhealth.com/Brush ,by calling their main line at (970)842-6200 or by visiting their newlyremodeled facility at 2400 W. Edi-son Street in Brush.


The $20 million expansion at East Morgan County Hospital included the addition of 19 modern, private patientrooms, two negative air pressure isolation rooms, three intensive care rooms, a multi-purpose room and state-of-the-art patient rooms in the birthing area of the facility.

HOSPITAL from page 37


Reflections XIII

workers through that time.O’Canas found that he could do

the work of the superintendent jobafter all.You just start getting your feet

wet, start figuring things out,” hesaid. “Maybe I can do this.”O’Canas decided to give it a try.“Once you get your feet wet, and

you’re doing the job, let’s take thisopportunity and see where it takesyou,” he recalled thinking. “Butthere was a lot of thinking to do.”He had to consider his family,

which at that time included long-time girlfriend Mandy, who is nowhis wife, and his six pet wienerdogs that he calls “a handful.”

See WATER, pg. 40

with being in charge.His first response to the possibil-

ity of becoming the plant superin-tendent was “Heck no.”But eventually, O’Canas came

around to the idea.Especially after other people

came out and turned down the job.“John left, so we didn’t have a

superintendent. We were rotatingit, both senior operators,” O’Canasrecalled. “We made sure the work-load continued, things were get-ting done. Bills had to be paid,paperwork had to be done.”He credited Water Resources/

Utilities Director Brent Nation andeveryone in the Utility BillingDepartment for helping the plant

plant and making sure clean, safewater continually flows downhill tothe city.He is only the second person to

hold that position at this plant,having taken on the promotionfrom senior operator to interimsuperintendent not long after JohnTurner’s October 2014 retirement,and then getting the full job a fewmonths after that.Initially, O’Canas did not want

the superintendent job. It wouldhave meant moving to the houseat the plant and living on site,being on-call 24 hours a day, sevendays a week. Plus, there was allthe paperwork, managing thecrew and everything that came


When a water faucet is turnedon in Fort Morgan, the residentsand businesses feel pretty com-fortable about whether it will besafe for them to drink, cook with,shower in, launder clothes, waterlawns or run through sprinklerson a hot day.That’s possible in part because

Al O’Canas worries about thisevery day.As the superintendent at the

Fort Morgan Water TreatmentPlant, O’Canas is responsible forthe day-to-day operations at the

City of Fort Morgan

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Reflections XIII

Plus, O’Canas has two adult chil-dren, the currently 21-year-oldKiana, a barista in Cheyenne, andthe 20-year-old Ouray, a student atFort Lewis State College in Duran-go.That family is part of what led

him into water treatment in thefirst place.O’Canas graduated from Fort

Morgan High School in 1990. Heworked for about 16 years in main-tenance in Log Lane Village,which is where he first startedlearning about water.“Their water system consisted of

ground water,” he said.O’Canas left Log Lane’s employ

about two years after the towntook on water from Morgan Coun-ty Quality Water District, but hestill had the opportunity to learnmore about water from that pro-cess.That led him to the Fort Morgan

Water Treatment Plant, where hewas hired on as a C-license opera-tor.“My family was growing, so I

was looking for a new opportuni-ty,” he said. “I applied and gotlucky and got the job.”He was hired by John Turner,

who pushed O’Canas to get higherand higher classes of water treat-ment operator license.“It took a couple years, but I got

by A operator,” he said. “We had acouple guys leave, and it gave mea chance to become a senior oper-ator.”That eventually led him to where

he is now: plant superintendentand a Wiggins address.He still considers himself a Fort

Morgan-ite, though.“I was born in Fort Morgan and

raised there,” he said. “I neverreally left. But now I’m sort of inWiggins. I have a Wiggins addressat least.”And he has settled into living in

the house by the plant and thesuperintendent job.Even though it was a challenge

and was taking him out of his com-fort zone, O’Canas went for it andfound the superintendent jobagreed with him.Like he tells his workers, it took

him “into the learning zone.”

That’s what O’Canas now wantshis plant workers to do, like whatTurner did for him, training themfor the next thing and gettingthem ready to step up if needed.“I can’t thank John Turner

enough for the things he taughtus,” O’Canas said.And there is always something

to learn and new to do at the plant,which O’Canas called an “awe-some” place to work.“Every day’s something differ-

ent,” O’Canas said about workingat the plant and why he likes it.“We’re trying to stay ahead of reg-ulations, and I’m not just an opera-tor anymore. I’m making sure theguys are staying on daily tasks,the chemical applications areright… The responsibilities aremany, you have to be able to jug-gle things.”Currently, one of those responsi-

bilities is getting one type ofexpensive new treatment equip-ment upgrade online.That upgrade is for the floccula-

tion equipment, which is one ofthe four stages of treatment wherechemicals added in the first stagecause particles in the water toclump together and form “floc.”The floc then float to the top of thewater before settling on the bot-tom, where they can be filteredout more easily in the third stage,O’Canas explained.The new flocculation equipment

was about 50 percent installed bythe contractor the week of March11, and O’Canas expected thewhole project to have been com-pleted by March 21.It’s one that has been in the

works since before Turner retired,so O’Canas is excited to see itcoming to completion.“Flocculation’s our biggest proj-

ect right now,” he said. “I can’twait to finish that up.”However, he’s already looking to

the future and what will need to bedone next at the plant.He’s already ahead of the game

on a new rule about inspections ofwater storage tanks, O’Canas said.“Each town that has a water stor-

age tank has to make sure themaintenance inspections are up todate,” he said. “It goes into effect

April 1. We already do that.”Another one is making sure

there is at least a certain level ofchlorine that stays in the water dis-tribution system, .2 milligrams perliter.“We’re well above that,” O’Canas

said. “We’re in good standingsthere.”And being able to be ahead of

the curve with upcoming rulesand regulations is one of thethings he had instilled in him byTurner as a necessity at the plant,and one he similarly intends todrill into his operators’ minds.Other than O’Canas, the plant

has four operators: senior A-li-cense operator Bob Kopetzky, whohas worked there 12 years; A-li-cense operator Tom Smith, eightyears; B-license operator TylerHorton, four years; and the newestoperator, Chris Cobbley, whoreplaced O’Canas and has oneyear and a D license.“These guys at the plant really

stepped up,” O’Canas said of hiscrew. “It’s making it a lot easierout here.”In the meantime, O’Canas is

looking to the future and the possi-bility of having even more water to

watch over and treat.The city recently acquired land

for a potential second city reser-voir, and the water that currentlyflows through the Colorado-BigThompson pipeline to the plantcould one day be coming from theNorthern Integrated Supply Proj-ect’s reservoirs.O’Canas is a big supporter of

NISP, which could receive a per-mit decision in the next coupleyears, although it getting com-pletely built may still be a decadeout.“We need to keep moving for-

ward with NISP,” he said. “Younever want to miss out on water.That’s the best thing we’ve doneas a city. It’s expensive, but it’sneeded.”O’Canas said he likes being part

of showing city residents that thewater pipe dreams pay off, likewith the C-BT pipeline.“Look at where we’re at,” he

said. “Look at what we’ve got.”And knowing the city’s water

needs and ensuring there’senough clean, safe water flowingto Fort Morgan is a large part ofO’Canas’ life these days. After all,that’s his job.


Fort Morgan Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Al O'Canas points to ametal beam just visible under the water (straight out from his feet) movingin a treatment basin at the plant. It is part of the plant's new flocculationsystem, which is part of an upgrade plan that began in 2014 under the now-retired plant Superintendent John Turner and now is nearing completion ofinstallation in March 2016 under O'Canas.

WATER from page 39


Reflections XIII

more than a career for Woodward.In fact, some would go so far as tolabel it a calling for the gentle manwho never took a day off and wasalways available whenever hispatients needed him.Paul E. Woodward was born in

Kirkville, Missouri, on Feb. 3,1905. Due to health reasons as ayoung boy, he came to Colorado tolive with relatives on a farm nearSnyder. After graduating fromBrush High School, he attendedColorado University and CU Medi-cal School, graduating in 1929.After a year-long internship at

Kings County Hospital in Seattle,where he met his first wife, AmyPenny, the physician and his bridesoon came back to Morgan Coun-ty where he joined the practice ofA.F. Williams and treated patientsuntil his death in November of1990.The 5-foot-3-inch man was full of

moxie from the start in his career.To prove that he was committed toserving as a trusted partner ofWilliams, Woodward promptlyarrived on his first day of work toassist him with a couple of tonsilsurgeries. As he sat in the waitingroom, a nurse noticed him and

See WOODWARD, pg. 42

By CPMC news services

In the early 70s, a passengertrain made an emergency stop inFort Morgan. One of its passen-gers, John Snow, was experiencingsevere chest pains. The man wasquickly met and assessed by PaulE. Woodward, the railroad’s desig-nated area doctor and seasonedfamily physician.Although Snow was a much larg-

er man, the railroad doctor real-ized that time was of essence andcarried the stranger from the trainto his personal car and soonrushed him to the hospital wherehe eventually recovered.Woodward’s kindness didn’t stop

there that day, but extended toSnow’s family who hailed fromPennsylvania and came out tocheck on the hospitalized patient.Woodward personally met them atthe Stapleton Airport and trans-ported them to Fort Morgan,showing that hospitality and careextend beyond hospital walls inthe rural community of Fort Mor-gan.This is just one example in a

career that spanned six decades ofone of the finest humanitarians inMorgan County. Medicine was

Colorado PlainsMedical Center

Small in stature, big in heartPaul Woodward was one of finesthumanitarians in Morgan County

Courtesy photo

Paul E. Woodward, M.D.

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Reflections XIII

asked if he happened to be the lit-tle boy who was having his tonsilsremoved.“Absolutely not,” he exclaimed.

“I’m the doctor.”The unintended insult was soon

forgiven, and the nurse, CatherineMacNaughton, later became thephysician’s second wife in 1962after the death of his first wife.A general practitioner who was

skilled in all areas of medicine,Woodward did everything fromdelivering babies, to performingsurgeries, to even amputations,which he once had to do undertrying circumstances and minimal-ly available anesthetic resources.His diminutive stature didn’t stophim in the operating room either.A set of three nesting boxes waspresent for when Woodward need-ed them. In fact, he was often com-mended for his surgery skills inaddition to his clinical assessmentskills.A country doctor like Woodward

needed to be adept in mendingbroken limbs, which he was oftencalled upon to do. Family mem-bers of Woodward reminiscedabout a time in which a Weldonaresident was taken to the FortMorgan hospital with a severefracture and bone sticking throughthe skin. With no available x-rayequipment at the time, Woodwardused his skill to clean and resetthe leg. Nine months later, thepatient literally walked out of thehospital with a small limp.Although a beloved family practi-

tioner to patients of all ages, thevery young and the old were favor-ites of his. It is estimated thatWoodward delivered approximate-ly 5,000 babies during his lifetime.Many of these deliveries were per-formed in people’s homes some-times under primitive conditionsuntil the Fort Morgan CommunityHospital (now Colorado PlainsMedical Center) was built in 1952.When Colorado Plains Medical

Center remodeled its obstetricsunit in the early 2000s, the wingwas dedicated to Woodward for hiscontributions to the field of obstet-

rics and for the decades of com-mitment to the care of MorganCounty residents.This was an era of change and

progress for CPMC. The unit tran-sitioned from a model in which tra-dition had mothers delivering indesignated equipped rooms andnewborns being tended to in anursery, to today’s preferred fami-ly-oriented method of care. Theobstetrics area of the hospital wasexpanded and remodeled to allowfor a family birthing experiencewhere the family spends timetogether and all activities from thebirth to recovery are completed ina comfortable home-like setting.It was felt that this sense of “fam-

ily” was a fitting tribute to a manwho valued this aspect of life.Woodward loved the seniors as

well. At Christmas, he morphedinto Santa Claus for the residentsat Valley View Villa. At Saint Pat-rick’s Day celebrations, the doctordressed in his finest green Irishattire. These were the unexpected“extras” Woodward provided andnot part of the official duties of theMedical Director position he held.This compassionate service to theelderly is carried out today by hisgrandson, Shaun Thompson, whonow serves as Valley View Villa’sMedical Director.During his 60 years of providing

medical care, Woodward was hon-ored many times for his achieve-ments and for the advancement of

medicine. Woodward received the1987 Silver and Gold Award, thehighest honor given by the CUMedical Association.He also received the University

of Colorado Community ServiceAward in 1984 and was the recipi-ent of Colorado University MedicalSchool’s Outstanding AlumnaeAward for his dedication as ahumanitarian. The esteemed doc-tor served on CU’s board of trust-ees of the Health Sciences Cen-ter’s Webb-Waring Lung Instituteand on the Williams Family Foun-dation, which not only establishedthe A.F. Williams Family PracticeCenter at the medical school, buthas been instrumental in varioushospital improvements at CPMCincluding the original ICU unit, theBuckingham-Williams wing, thehelipad on its rooftop, and recentupgrades to the obstetrics unitbearing his name.Woodward probably recognized

the need to have a sound, modern-day hospital. Before the Fort Mor-gan Community Hospital was builtin 1952, Woodward was calledupon to fix the rope on a pulleythat would sometimes slip off themanually operated elevator at theold hospital on State Street. Wood-ward was the only one smallenough to climb into the secondfloor ceiling and replace it.Having trained medical person-

nel in rural areas was viewed as apriority for Woodward and the oth-

er trustees of the Williams FamilyFoundation, and many scholar-ships for Morgan County studentsin medically related studies havebeen awarded over the years dueto the generosity of the Founda-tion, which was initially estab-lished by his physician partner ofmany years.This commitment to having edu-

cated and highly trained medicalpersonnel in rural communitiesalso continues under a rural resi-dency program that was recentlyestablished at the University ofColorado School of Medicine andis slated to begin in Fort Morganin July of 2017 with the support ofthe Williams Family Foundation.It wasn’t the awards and recogni-

tion that motivated the humbleman, but the idea of taking care ofothers in the community as a clini-cian and as a humanitarian thatcaptures the true essence of thislate physician. Woodward servedas the past exalted ruler of theElks Lodge, past president of theFort Morgan Country Club, mem-ber of the Fort Morgan Chamberof Commerce, a member and pastmaster of the Masonic Lodge No.67 F.F. & A.M., the Fort MorganChapter and Commandery, RockyMountain Consistory, El JebelShrine of Denver, and member ofthe 32nd Degree Masons.A medical colleague and close

friend, R. Neil Chishold, onceremarked, “Dr. Woodward was aman who loved to practice medi-cine, and his patients loved him.He enjoyed life and was of greatservice to the Fort Morgan com-munity.”Although the country doctor

with a huge heart is present inmemory, his legacy of caring forhumanity lives on and is eloquent-ly and succinctly expressed on abronze plaque that resides withWoodward’s daughter, CathyThompson, and son-in-law, PatThompson. It reads:I WAS A STRANGER AND YE

TOOKME INJohn B. Snow, DPM

WOODWARD from page 41

“Dr. Woodward was a man who lovedto practice medicine, and his patientsloved him. He enjoyed life and was ofgreat service to the Fort Morgan

community.”R. Neil Chishold

Colleague and close friend of Paul Woodward


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Reflections XIII

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