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The St. Patrick’s Green Party is

planned to start at 7 p.m. on Saturday,

March 15, in the Central City Elks

Lodge No. 557, 113 Main St.

Central’s Belvidere Foundation

is sponsoring the event, with funds

going toward the theater restoration

project at the corner of Nevada and

Main Streets. According to our “in-

side” sources, the wearing of the green

is suggested but not required. Actual

leprechauns are invited, and you don’t

have to speak in an Irish brogue to at-

tend the evening of food, beverages and fun.

According to our sources, Eric “O’Chin,”

who is too tall to be a leprechaun, will be the

deejay entertaining the attendees.

Volleyball tournament

An eight-week co-ed spring volleyball

league will run on Wednesday nights from

April 2 to May 21 in the Gilpin Community

Center. The weekly sessions will be from 6 to

8 p.m. The four-member teams must be at

least 14 years old and pay a $200 entry fee.

A tournament will wrap up the season on

Saturday, May 24. For information, call the

community center at 303-582-1453.

The annual arts and crafts fair is planned

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 28,

in the Coal Creek Canyon Improvement As-

sociation building, 31528 Highway 72. Arts,

jewelry, crafts, candy, baked goods and other

items will be available. For information, visit

cccia.org.

Gilpin County’s food pantry is accepting

donations to help feed families in the com-

munity. Cash, checks and credit card dona-

tions can be made. Cash donations can be

made at the food pantry at 101 Norton Drive.

For information on other donations, call the

Gilpin County Human Services Department at

303-582-5444.

The Fire Problem, a film by Sean O’Brien

and Antonio Torres, will discuss extreme

wildfires and make a case for a clear and ef-

fective path forward. Residents are invited to

the screening at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 15,

at Timberline Station 3, 19126 Highway 119.

Experts from Gilpin CSU Extension, Tim-

berline Fire Protection District, Gilpin County

Sheriff’s Office, Clear Creek Watershed &

Forest Health Partner-

ship, and others for a

screening and discus-

sion.

answer period will fol-

low. Popcorn, snacks

and drinks will be pro-

vided. Space is limited.

Reserve space by going

to col.st/5QnYT. For

information, contact

state.edu or call 303-582-9106.

The new Gilpin Mountain Kids early learn-

ing center seeks its first executive director.

The non-profit organization is trying to

hire someone responsible for the childcare

center’s overall leadership, management, and

operational success, providing high-quality

early childhood education and care for chil-

dren ranging from infants to preschool-aged.

The executive director will work closely with

the Board of Directors, staff, parents, and the

community to ensure that the center provides

a nurturing, educational, and safe environ-

ment for young children.

Gilpin Mountain Kids hopes to open by fall

in the former Eagles’ Nest building adjoin-

ing the Gilpin Schools complex on Highway

119. Prospective applicants can learn more

information or apply at the school’s website

gilpinmtnkids.org.

Gilpin Community Center will host a three-

day lifeguard training course from March

28-30. The program includes American Red

Cross-certified training from 4 to 8 on Friday

and 9 to 5 on Saturday and Sunday. Some of

the classes will be conducted online, with the

remainder taking place in the pool.

Participants must be able to swim 300

meters non-stop, tread water for two minutes

and retrieve a brick from the bottom of the

pool. The class includes training in AED, CPR,

First Aid and Lifeguarding.

Those wishing to attend must be 15 (for

those not seeking employment) and 16 for

those seeking to be hired as lifeguards. The

class fee is $100 for residents and $120 for

non-residents. The fee will be reimbursed for

those hired.

For information, visit Gilpin Community

Center online or call 303-582-1453.

Wearin’ of the green outﬁt are ya? Wearin’ of the green outﬁt are ya?

St. Patrick’s Day is MondaySt. Patrick’s Day is Monday

spread the word of Christian-

ity. (Also, legend has it that St.

Patrick drove the snakes out

of Ireland. It’s not true. Actu-

ally, Ireland is one of the few

countries around the globe

that doesn’t have any snakes

because of its island nature.)

When he was a slave in

Ireland, what type of work

did St. Patrick do? Was he a

fisherman, farmer, shepherd

or carpenter?

12, 10 or 6 years?

ing of the term “Erin

Answers: New York City’s

first St. Patrick’s Day parade

was conducted in 1762, more

than a decade before the Dec-

laration of Independence. The

Sydney Opera House started

using the green lights in 2010.

In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day

is called Lá Fhéile Pádraig.

St. Patrick was a shepherd in

the Emerald Isle for six years

before he escaped. Erin go

Bragh is an Irish phrase that

means “Ireland forever.”

(actually a “Dad Joke”):

What is the name of the

Irish gal who’s hanging

around on your porch?

Answer: Patty O’ Furniture.

(Editor’ s note: Yes, the author

is of Irish descent. His ances-

tors immigrated from Northern

Ireland to the United States in

1803. However, nobody knows

the origin of his penchant for

unimaginative patio furniture

humor. We apologize for that

one and wish you a Happy St.

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t

considered a major holiday

in Gilpin County. While

some people will attend the

St. Patrick’s “Green” dance

at the Central City Elks Club

on Saturday night, others

will wear green on Monday

or perhaps dine on an Irish-

themed menu item at a local

restaurant.

A few may throw a few

bucks into Irish-themed slot

games around Central City

and Black Hawk, hoping to

turn their ‘investment’ into a

pot of gold…or, at least, some

lucky payout. Some of the

slots feature dancing lepre-

chauns or ones that plunge

into large piles of coins that

are designed to attract those

of Irish descent – as well as

those who aren’t.

Of course, many people

won’t remember on Monday

about the annual holiday

known for the wearing ‘o the

green. That is, unless they

stroll into a local bar, which

offers green beer or uncork

bottles of Jameson or Guin-

ness.

According to the U.S.

Census, Gilpin County has a

population of approximately

5,891 – of which 16.1 percent

consider themselves to be of

Irish descent. For Colorado’s

mountain communities, Gil-

pin has one of the largest Irish

percentages.

Alas, there aren’t any plans

to turn Clear Creek or North

Clear Creek green like they do

in Chicago every March. Nor

will there be a St. Patrick’s

Day Parade in Black Hawk or

Rollinsville.

Apparently, no one has

organized a plunge into the

Chase Reservoir or possibly

the lakes at Missouri Lakes or

Dory Lakes. Instead, residents

will watch the news on Mon-

day to watch the folks in Port-

land, Maine, participate in the

St. Patrick’s Day Plunge. Ev-

ery year, brave (or completely

mad) people jump into the

Atlantic Ocean’s icy waters.

Some dress in shamrock-

covered swimsuits or

at 5:30 a.m.

a local pub.

Foundation.

and New York City.

ers dump a vegetable-based

powder that turns the river a

vibrant emerald green within

just 45 minutes, attracting

crowds worldwide who gather

along the river to watch the

magical transformation. In

the Big Apple, the St. Patrick’s

Day parade has attracted mil-

lions most years.

The small towns across

the county also may receive

attention for their annual

celebrations. The Shamrock

Club in New London, Wisc.,

celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

in a mischievous manner.

Every year, members of the

club dress as leprechauns

and sneak around the streets

to change the signs, replac-

ing “New London” with

“New Dublin” in honor of the

holiday.

For those who think they’re

filled with information about

St. Patrick’s Day, here are

several trivia questions about

1. What year was the

first St. Patrick’s Day

parade held in New York

City? Was it 1762, 1926,

1862 or 1662?

2, Australia’s Sydney

Opera House is lit up

green for St. Patrick’s

Day. What year did this

tradition begin: 2007,

2010, 2015 or 2000?

3, What is the tradi-

tional Irish name for St.

Patrick’s Day?

A. Lá Fhéile Pádraig.

B. Féile na nGael.

C. Bealtaine.

D. Lá na Sceilge.

Many people don’t know

that St. Patrick was English,

not Irish. When he was young,

he was kidnapped and taken

to Ireland to work as

New driving regulations, others laws began Jan. 1

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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