25 things to watch in 2025

WEEKLY REGISTER-CALL PAGE 9

WEEKLY REGISTER-CALLSeptember 25, 2025 September 25, 2025

Authority begins its

first meeting at City Hall Sept. 10. With minimal discussion, the commissioners ap-

proved funding and contracts for their first project – restoring a small historic home

at 150 Chase St.

The BHHA commissioners are also members of the Black Hawk City Council,

who, in the following meeting, approved granting the authority $1.6 million for its

projects this year and will allocate up to two percent of city sales-tax revenues to

fund the authority in future years.

Between the two government boards, they approved spending $1.562 million for

a reconstruction and rehabilitation project with the Joan G. Spitznagel Revocable

Trust – the property owner at 150 Chase St. – with WCG Construction. Also ap-

proved was a related $1.097 million for a preservation easement and a motion to

acknowledge the home doesn’t meet current zoning because the home was built

before building setbacks became part of the city’s regulations.

The 852-square-foot, pink-colored home with a white picket fence is part of the

National Historic District that includes residential structures in Black Hawk and

Central City.

In August, the council approved $204,932 for the initial phase of construction

with WCG. The company will relocate the small home and demolish the chimney,

which is on the property line. It will raise part of the roof four feet to create two

small upstairs bedrooms, conforming to modern building standards. After the

initial move, parts of the Vernacular-style home will be rebuilt to match its original

look and preserve its historic character, while also meeting current building codes.

Overall, the demolition and reconstruction program is estimated to cost $2.659

million for the wood-framed home, which county records show was built in 1889.

However, historical information suggests it could have been built as early as 1864.

Black Hawk has spent millions to preserve its historic homes in recent years. City

aldermen approved spending up to $1.478 million to refurbish the interior and exte-

rior of a 583-square-foot home at 311 High St. last September. Earlier last year, the

council approved a $1.527 million rehabilitation for another 372-square-foot home

at 121 Marchant St. In August 2023, the aldermen authorized spending $1.579 mil-

lion to overhaul a home at 187 Clear Creek St. The house, owned by the Fellowship

Benevolent Corp., is 878 square feet.

As part of an Intergovernmental Agreement approved by the new housing author-

ity and city council, the BHHA will start managing the city’s Preservation Easement

& Rehabilitation Grant programs, Exterior Paint Program, and Radon Mitigation

Program.

The BHHA wasted no time, finishing its meeting in four minutes. It was then fol-

lowed by the city council session, which lasted 12 minutes.

Got an opinion on the

various ballot ques-

The Weekly Register-Call invites readers to weigh in

with their opinion about ballot questions that will be

facing some Central City and Gilpin County voters in

November.

We will accept and print verified “Letters to the Editor”

during the Oct. 2, 9 and 16 editions of the newspaper.

As in the past, we don’t plan to run any reader letters on

Oct. 23 and 30, the two issues before the Nov. 4 general

election. Over the last two weeks, anyone has been able to

purchase an ad.

Please keep in mind:

• • Email submissions should be sent to News@week-

lyregistercall.com.

• • The author’s name and phone number must be in-

cluded. (We won’t print the phone number, but need

• • Please identify where you live. We recognize that,

due to the layout of zip codes in Gilpin County, an

address listed in one area may not necessarily be the

individual’s residence. For example, some people in

southeast Gilpin County have a Golden mailing ad-

dress.

• • Please limit Letters to the Editor to under 300

words. The editor reserves the right to edit the copy

to 300 words and remove inappropriate comments.

Letters from Central City residents will be given a

higher priority – compared to non-city residents – when

commenting on the city’s ballot question. Similarly,

unincorporated Gilpin County residents will be given a

higher priority for letters involving the county’s proposed

lodging-tax increase, since the ballot question doesn’t

impact Black Hawk or Central City residents.

Several people are running for positions on the Gilpin

County School District RE-1 and Boulder Valley RE-2

boards. We welcome letters of support for those seeking

office.

The weekly deadline for submitting Letters to the Edi-

tor is Sunday.

We encourage you to weigh in on ballot questions and

candidates seeking office during the upcoming election.

Hottest ballot topics–

issues, not candidates

was primarily focused

were running for U.S.

President, U.S. Congress

and two Gilpin County

Commissioner terms, to

name a few.

most of the attention

around Gilpin County

will focus on ballot ques-

tions, rather than people

seeking political office.

Gilpin County Clerk and

Recorder Sahari McCormick

said ballots should be mailed

to residents on Oct. 10 from

Denver. Previously, the state

had ballots mailed from a

location in Phoenix, Ariz.,

requiring additional deliv-

ery time for the U.S. Postal

Service Delivery. “Gilpin

has a new ballot vendor.

As a result, they should be

delivered sooner than in the

past,” McCormick noted.

Here’s a look at the ballot

questions and local school

district elections various

parts of the county elector-

ate will face on Nov. 4. They

Gilpin County Ballot Issue

1-A will ask voters if they

will approve an increase to

the county’s lodging tax rate,

from 2 to 6 percent. (The

question will not appear on

ballots for Black Hawk and

Central City residents, where

each city has their own,

separate lodging taxes.)

If approved, the lodging-

tax increase would generate

an estimated $348,500 for

the county’s coffers. Pro-

ponents for the increase

point out that visitors – not

residents – will pay for the

higher lodging tax rate. The

money will be used for such

county projects as public

infrastructure and road

improvements, childcare and

housing programs.

The higher lodging taxes

will be collected by those

who operate Short-Term

Rentals, bed and breakfast

locations, motels and camp-

grounds.

Gilpin’s current two-

percent lodging tax is used

to pay for the annual Gilpin

County Fair and for market-

ing the county to potential

tourists.

Central City residents will

face a zoning-related Ballot

Question 2-A that has impli-

cations for RCI Hospitality

Holdings’ Rick’s Cabaret and

Steakhouse. The question

will ask voters whether or

not the city should change its

zoning code related to Sexu-

ally Oriented Businesses in

the city’s Historic Downtown

Gaming District on Main

Street.

Voting “yes” means the

city should forego its current

rules and allow the adult

cabaret to continue oper-

ating. By voting “no,” the

ballot question outcome will

require council to keep its

current code, which would

require city leaders to pursue

closing the nightclub due

to zoning regulations. (See

related story in today’s edi-

The small Coal Creek

includes properties in

Gilpin, Jefferson and

Boulder Counties along

Highway 72. During the

election, property owners

will be asked for their

approval to increase

taxes for the Coal Creek

tion District to increase its

property-tax levy by three

mills – from 10 to 13 mills.

If approved, the increase

would generate an additional

$370,000 to help pay for in-

creased costs for fire protec-

tion and emergency medical

services.

Residents, primarily in the

southern part of the county,

will be asked to choose

three members of the Gilpin

County School District RE-1

Board of Directors.

Gary Duncan and Jill Pe-

terson are seeking an avail-

able two-year term. Follow-

ing the resignation of Tami

Valesquez in June, Peterson

was appointed to the board

until following the Nov. 4

election results.

Three residents are seek-

ing full four-year terms to

the board in November.

They include incumbents

Kirsten Goodlett and Vic-

toria Edwards, along with

Brady Fowler, vice chair of

the Gilpin County Republi-

cans.

There are few candidates

seeking seats this year for

the Boulder Valley RE-2

School District. There isn’t

a race in District C, which

includes Gilpin County,

because Alex Medler won a

four-year term last year.

However, voters in the

central and northern sec-

tions of Gilpin County will be

asked to vote in district-wide

elections for new school

board members in Districts

B, E and F.

Nicole Rajpal is unop-

posed in District B and Anna

Temu Otting has no compet-

itor in District F. Competing

in District E are Jeffrey Lowe

Andeson and Deann Bucher.

Statewide ballot ques-

Proposition LL, a non-

TABOR issue, will ask voters

if they approve keeping and

spending all income-tax

revenues for voters who earn

$300,000. The money will

help pay for free healthy

school breakfast and lunches

for public school students.

Proposition MM, a TA-

BOR-related issue, will ask

voters to approve increasing

additional taxes on indi-

viduals earning $300,000 or

more by an estimated $486

annually. That revenue also

would be used to help fund

free public-school breakfasts

and lunches using Colorado-

grown and raised products –

rather than processed foods.

McCormick said the “blue

books,” outlining some of

the pros and cons of vari-

ous ballot issues around the

county, are expected to reach

voters’ mailboxes during the

first week of October.

SOB cabaret ballot question is a sizzler for Central

It’s difficult to find a Central City

resident who doesn’t have an opinion

about the Rick’s Cabaret and Steak-

house business at 130 Main Street.

“It’s an abomination that gives

visitors traveling down the parkway a

seedy impression of our community,”

said one resident. “The first building

you see has a Rick’s Cabaret sign hang-

ing on it. How can someone claim it’s

not a Sexually Oriented Business when

some of the girls are dancing topless

Another countered, “Central City

honors Madam Lou Bunch and pros-

titution every summer. Girls dancing

topless behind closed doors isn’t that

much different to me. Besides, the

business will help the city’s coffers

because it pays taxes.”

Following nearly three years of dis-

cussions between the various factions,

the subject of what Central City should

do about the hottest, perhaps most

titillating topic in town – will be on the

city’s Nov. 4 ballot.

Central’s approximately 542 voters

will be asked whether the city should

exempt its Sexually Oriented Busi-

ness zoning regulations in the Historic

Downtown Gaming District along

Main Street. If the majority vote “yes,”

the city will be directed to amend its

codes, enabling Rick’s to remain open.

A majority “no” vote will reinforce

the city’s zoning code and require Cen-

tral leaders to continue pursuing legal

action against RCI, the nation’s largest

operator of strip clubs and adult-ori-

ented businesses.

The subject of Rick’s Cabaret has

spurred raucous debate at city hall and

watering holes along Main Street. Some

people, including former Central Mayor

Buddy Schmalz, said the issue shouldn’t

have been placed on the ballot. He’s

told council at several meetings they

were elected to “make tough decisions”

on complicated, zoning-related matters

– rather to pass them off to a presum-

ably less-knowledgeable electorate.

Those in the “vote no” camp have

been organizing, hoping to reach

fellow residents and convince them

that the cabaret-strip club isn’t a good

thing for Central City or its reputation

at a time when the city struggles to re-

cover from crumbling casino revenues

and tourism the past two years.

Brent Lambi, a retired realtor, has

been among those opposed to Rick’s.

He placed full-page ads in the Weekly

Register-Call and the

Denver Post this month,

asking residents to vote no

on the ballot question.

RCI Hospitality Hold-

ings CEO and President

Eric Langan previously

said he plans to hold

several public forums

around the community in

the weeks leading up to

the election. His opinion

is the nightclub and steakhouse have

brought more visitors and tax dol-

lars to Central City and hasn’t caused

problems with police calls, fights, drug

activity or other claims opponents said

the business could bring.

Langan said he has a fiduciary duty

to protect RCI’s more than $8 million

in investment in the city – including

remodeling and opening Rick’s Cabaret –

for the company’s shareholders. The time

and dates for Langan’s meetings weren’t

announced as of our press deadline.

However, Langan has been preoccu-

pied with problems with some of RCI’s

other strip clubs during the past week.

Last Tuesday (Sept. 16), a grand

jury in New York issued indictments

against Langan and several of RCI’s

managers in connection with three

clubs in New York City that the New

York State Attorney General’s office.

The indictment alleges a multimillion-dol-

lar tax fraud and bribery scheme of a state

auditor that prosecutors say helped RCI

avoid paying more than $8 million in sales

taxes to New York State and New York City

between 2010 and 2024.

Attorney Daniel J. Horwitz, repre-

senting RCI, said the indictments are

“baseless” and “overreaching.”

However, those fighting the Central

City cabaret have been drawing paral-

lels to the ongoing RCI situation. In NY

Attorney General Letitia James’ claims

against RCI, the report noted a club

representative bribed a state auditor by

flying him to another state regularly, so

he could visit RCI strip-clubs there.

More than a year ago, Central City

Mayor Jeremy Fey faced scrutiny from

residents when he admitted accepting

a free ride in Langan’s private jet to

they watched the Denver Broncos play

the Texans. Langan and Fey said they

were friends with each other, although

the mayor recused himself from voting

on any RCI-related matters until last

month – when he said he would no

longer do so.

Gilpin County Clerk and Recorder

Sahari McCormick said off-year elec-

tions – such as this year’s – typically

attract a turnout of “about 35 percent.”

Based on that estimate, about 190

voters could cast votes on the Central

City issue. The side reaching the ma-

jority (51 percent) would need 97 votes

to secure a victory. However, local

political observers claim the hot-topic

cabaret issue could generate a signifi-

cantly higher turnout.

Should all of Central’s eligible 542

voters turn out and cast ballots, the

side securing 272 votes would claim a

victory.

Given recent history on the subject,

the outcome of the ballot question may

not be an ending note for Central’s

SOB saga. If city council is told by the

majority of voters that they oppose

changing the zoning regulations for

the nightclub, it is possible RCI could

challenge the matter by filing a law-

suit, claiming the city already issued

Rick’s Cabaret and Steakhouse an oc-

cupancy permit, allowing it to open.

Meanwhile, the city has hired an

outside attorney, who specializes in mu-

nicipalities fighting adult-oriented busi-

nesses. The attorney, Scott D. Bergthold

of Tennessee, currently is working to

investigate Central’s laws and whether

Rick’s Cabaret is in compliance with

them.

DEM REP UAF OTHER TOTAL

SEPTEMBER 1,246 1,056 2,718 5,020

JANUARY 1,223 1,024 2,541 107 4,905

SEPTEMBER 1,226 1,031 2,553 119 4,929

SEPTEMBER 1,258 1037 2,486 102 4,883

JUNE 1,247 1,040 2,447. 106 4,836

AUGUST 1,238 1,055 2,335 106 4,734

APRIL 1,261 1,064 2,312 107 4,747

MARCH 1,256 1,071 2,305 106 4,741

FEB 1,263 1,078 2,297 21 4,749

JAN 1,255 1,066 2,285 21 4,719

GilpinGilpin CountyCounty registered registered votvotersers

Courtesy Colorado Secretary of State and Gilpin County Clerk & Recorder

Things to know about Gilpin ’s

forthcoming November election

After Gilpin County’s reg-

istered voters receive their

mail-in ballots during the

second week of October, there

are multiple options to return

them to the Gilpin County

Elections Department on or

before Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Most residents return their

ballots by dropping them off

at one of three secure drop

boxes around the county,

according to Gilpin Clerk and

Recorder Sahari McCormick.

– Outside the historic court-

house building at 203 Eureka

St., Central City.

– In the south parking lot of

the Gilpin County Commu-

nity Center (rec center), 250

Norton Drive in mid-county.

– Adjacent to the county’s

public works garage at 135

Tolland Road, Rollinsville.

The drop boxes, which are

monitored 24 hours a day,

will be available starting

Wednesday, Oct. 15. Voters

can drop off their ballots at

any of these boxes until 7

p.m. on Election Day.

McCormick stated that

anyone who has completed

their ballot can also drop it at

any of the hundreds of official

Colorado drop-box loca-

tions before 7 p.m. on Elec-

tion Day. Election offices in

other counties will accept and

forward the ballots to Gilpin

County during the week after

the election if necessary to

complete the ballot-curing

process.

Monday, Oct. 27, is the

last recommended date for

residents to affix stamps to

their ballot envelopes and

mail them through the United

States Postal Service. This

increases the likelihood that

the mailed ballots will arrive

on time to be counted by the

Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

Several years, postal delays

caused dozens of Gilpin bal-

lots to arrive after Election

Day. Those ballots were not

counted because they missed

the 7 p.m. deadline.

Gilpin County’s Voter

Service and Polling Cen-

ter (VSPC) will open at the

historic courthouse starting

Monday, Oct. 27.

Hours will be from 8 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Monday through

Friday, until Nov. 4, and from

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday,

Nov. 1. On Election Day,

hours will be extended from 7

a.m. to 7 p.m.

Checking registration

McCormick recommends

that voters verify their cur-

rent registration early by

visiting: GoVoteColorado.org.

The site also allows voters to

change their party affiliation

if desired. “It’s a good idea to

check your voter registration

early,” she said.

The clerk and recorder

stresses that voters should list

their P.O. box as their mailing

address instead of their street

address on the website. Doing

so helps ensure faster ballot

delivery.

“Some people in Black

Hawk and Central City

registered with their street

addresses,” McCormick

explained. “They won’t get

ballots delivered there. They

need a P.O. box. I don’t think

many people realize that

when they move here,” she

added.

Any residents age 18 and

over can register to vote

through the website. Non-

registered voters can also

sign up at the clerk’s office

by filling out a form. To vote,

residents must have lived in

Colorado for at least 22 days

before the election. They can

register to vote – including

on Election Day – but the

county elections department

cannot send out ballots less

than eight days before Nov. 4.

During that period, prospec-

tive voters can receive a paper

ballot at the VSPC.

The historic, pink home with a white picket fence will be moved off the property

line and rebuilt to current building codes.

Drone photo by Don Ireland

150 Chase St, Black Hawk.

Phtot by Don Ireland

Moﬀat Tunnel author uses

drones to document history

B. Travis Wright is an award-winning historian

who serves on the Historic Preservation Committees

of Gilpin and Grand Counties.

What many people don’t know about Wright is

that he and his wife, Kate, have authored two books

on the Moffat Tunnel and the adjoining Rollins Pass

between the two neighboring counties. “I live in

Fraser, and Gilpin County is my home away from

home,” he joked.

What sets Wright apart from many other histori-

ans are his drones, a DJI-branded Mavic 3 Pro Cine

[cinematic] and the DJI Mavic 4 Pro models, which

have superior camera lenses for mak-

ing videos and aerial photos. “They’re

compact enough to fit into a backpack,

yet powerful enough to capture images

that make you feel like you’re soaring

over these timeless places yourself.

I’m FAA Part 107 certified and also

serve as a DronePro with the FAA

Safety Team, so every flight is about

both storytelling and safety,” accord-

ing to the author.

“I evaluate projects for historical

integrity, interpret county preserva-

tion ordinances alongside federal

criteria, and help negotiate resolutions

on landmark designations, stay-of-

demolition reviews, and other pres-

ervation issues. This work has saved

and transformed historic structures

and, notably, led to the successful lo-

cal landmark designation of the East

Portal Camp Cabins at the Moffat

Tunnel,” he commented.

Wright has been using drones to

capture images of the Moffat Tunnel

and Rollins Pass for nearly a decade.

“Drones are one of the best storytell-

ing tools ever devised— allowing me

to reveal a fuller representation of a

place. My shots of Rollins Pass and the

Moffat Tunnel have carried these sto-

ries far, appearing on evening news, in

regional documentaries, and even in

international productions.”

How did Wright become inspired

about the area? “Both my family and

Kate’s family have camped, hiked, and

fished here for generations. It’s where

I proposed, where we married, and

where we return each season. But the

more I uncovered, the more I saw that our

story is only one chapter in a much larger

book. Historian Marshall Sprague called

passes like this “Great Gates”—corridors

where animals, travelers, and families have

crossed for thousands of years. Rollins Pass is

exactly that: a place where connections echo

Uncovering history is another aspect of the

drone pilot’s research. “The biggest surprise

was realizing just how much history had

been buried,” he commented. “Over the past

several years, I’ve been researching

the men who died building the Moffat

Tunnel. It’s commonly accepted that

28 men died. My research is still ongo-

ing, but the toll is much higher—closer

to 50 so far, a staggering difference

that changes how we remember the

project. Each name I uncover returns

these men to the record, ensuring

they’re not lost to time. And high on

Rollins Pass, I’ve traced forgotten

villages and the faint scars of earlier

crossings—each one adding a story to

the layer cake of history.”

The Wrights’ two books, Rollins

Pass (Images of America) (2018)

and Rollins Pass (Past and Pres-

ent) (2022), are available signed on

preserverollinspass.org. Wright has

spoken to audiences across Colorado,

and with the Moffat Tunnel centennial

approaching in 2028, he expects more

audiences will want to hear about his

historical studies and efforts.

Wright’s passion for preserving

Colorado includes drone footage used

in advocating for threatened historic

sites. Some of his work is available on

the “BTravisWright” YouTube channel.

According to Wright, the work isn’t

finished. “Rollins Pass and the Moffat

Tunnel are living landscapes, shaped

every year by weather, visitors and the

decisions we make today. My work—

through research, writing, and aerial

photography—is about making sure

these places endure so future genera-

tions can stand in the same spots, look

out over the same mountains, and know

the full story of what unfolded here.”

By Don IrelandBy Don Ireland

Colorado Press Assn.

“Better Newspaper Award”

winner, 2022, 2023 & 2024

B. Travis Wright, MPS, is a 2022 Colorado Preservation Inc. State Honor Award

recipient for his advocacy of Rollins Pass. He uses his drones to document the

pass and the nearby Moffat Tunnel. Some of those photos are included in two

books written by him and his wife, Kate Wright, MBA.

Damon and Clooney are two Lab/Husky mix brothers.

They are sweet with people and get along well

with other dogs. They can be adopted together or

separately. Damon and Clooney are temporarily living

in a foster home. For more information, email Sue

at clearcreekshelter@gmail.com. Charlie’s Place is a

no-kill animal shelter serving Gilpin and Clear Creek

Counties.

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Opera CEO reports record

turnout for recent 2025 season

Central City Opera CEO

Scott Finlay reported the

opera’s 2025 summer season

turned out to be much better

than expected.

Finlay spoke during Central

City Council’s Sept. 16 meet-

ing. He said, “We had record-

breaking crowds this year

– the best since 2017. In 2017,

we presented one production

in Denver, which was a much

larger house. That always

brings better numbers. So, if

you take apples to apples and

compare, those were our best

numbers since 2007’s num-

Said Finlay to the aldermen,

“Your hospitality is greatly

appreciated. Your support is

greatly appreciated. I wanted

to say thanks to the council,

the mayor and the city in

general for a great summer

season. We’re already mak-

ing plans for a great 2026

This spring, Finlay and oth-

er CC Opera members were

concerned that the city’s new

five-percent “admission fee”

added to ticket prices could

negatively impact opera ticket

sales. Based on last week’s

comments, the fee didn’t pre-

vent opera enthusiasts from

flocking to the city.

In the weeks ahead, Central

City Opera, Gilpin Historical

Society, Gilpin Arts Asso-

ciation and the Main Street

Central City organization are

bracing for potential cut-

backs when the city unveils

its proposed 2026 budget.

During recent years, the city

has donated each non-profit

$25,000 annually to help

them with their respective

operating costs.

However, a two-year decline

in gaming revenues has led

several city officials to warn

groups that Central may not

have the money to continue

such contributions.

–Compiled by Don Ireland

25 things to watch in 2025

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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