January 3, the Town of Berthoud closed on the purchase of the Newell Farm Property. Built in 1879, the farm property located at 236 East State Highway 56 is the newest addition to Berthoud’s Town parkland inventory. The Town Board approved the $1.39 million purchase by unanimous vote on November 22, 2022, the purchase includes three parcels that make up the 12.64-acre tract of land and one share of irrigation water. According to the agreement approved by the Town Board, the current residents, Sarah Lincoln and her husband, Daren “Butch” Hause, will remain living on one of the three parcels that currently serves as their home. At the same time, the town will be able to turn the remaining two lots into a park open for the public’s enjoyment.  “The buildings on the Newell Farm property pre-date the incorporation of the Town.” said Mayor William Karspeck, “It is important to preserve historical elements of our town where and when it makes sense. Knowing that this piece of history will be a place for families to enjoy for decades is great for a town that is changing as quickly as Berthoud.”

++++++++++++++++++++++

In 2023, Colorado residents will see a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass added to their annual vehicle registration through the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The $29 pass fee is included automatically unless you choose to opt-out.

The pass is more than park entry, the money raised from pass sales supports local state parks system​s, search and rescue teams, avalanche safety programs​​, wildlife conservation efforts​, outdoor accessibility and educational opportunities​​​​

The pass is $29 is included in vehicle registration price totals. The pass represents more than a 60% savings over traditional annual state park passes. However, the only time this pass will be available is during your vehicle registration process. When you buy the pass, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife logo is printed on your registration card to indicate it is included.

​Keep your registration card/pass in your car when you enter a state park. The pass can also be linked on the myColorado or My CPW apps.​

​​You can opt out of the pass when you register your vehicle with the DMV online, through a kiosk, by mail or with a customer service representative.

All regularly priced Colorado state park passes are still available.​​

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

The town of Berthoud encouraged shopping local recently with their Holiday Shop Local Program. The town aimed to draw specific attention to its small businesses during the holiday season through the “Shop Local Incentive Program.” For four weeks, from November 23 until December 20, the community was encouraged to shop at Berthoud storefront businesses, restaurants, and services. In return, they could win one of forty-four $75 gift certificates purchased by the Town. “The Shop Local program was a huge success,” said Walt Elish, Berthoud’s Business Development Manager. “People turned in more than 1,200 receipts totaling $45,532 from 73 local businesses. Combined with what we spent on gift cards, we know that almost $50,000 went into the coffers of our businesses both on and off Main Street.”

Molly Nelson, an esthetician with OnPoint Esthetic Services, said of the program, “Small events like this are just one of many reasons we love Berthoud. Being removed from downtown, we could not be more appreciative of the Town and its willingness to involve us.”

The next month-long Shop-Local program will run in conjunction with National Small Business Week, May 7 – 13, 2023. “November and December are traditionally heavy shopping months, so we’re looking forward to bringing the program back when our local businesses could use a little boost,” said Elish.

When a person shops at locally-owned businesses, 68% of the money stays in the local economy compared to about 43% if they shop at a corporate chain. Not only does this strengthen the local economy, but it also helps maintain the look and feel of the community by utilizing and preserving smaller, older buildings.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gov. Jared Polis has proclaimed January 2023, National Radon Action Month, and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment is encouraging Colorado residents to test their homes for radon using a low-cost radon test kit.

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year. Radon exposure studies also indicate that

Children can be at greater risk for developing cancer. In Colorado, nearly half of homes have high radon levels, and more than 500 lung cancer deaths in the state each year are attributed to radon. The best way to protect against radon is to perform a simple, low-cost test of your home.

Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas with no color, odor, or taste. Radon can easily enter homes and other buildings through small openings like cracks in foundations, openings around pumps and drains, and crawl spaces. Even pets can be susceptible to negative health effects related to radon due to the amount of time they spend close to the ground and their smaller lung capacity.

“Testing your home for radon is simple and should be done when all your doors and windows are closed. That’s why January is a great time to test, during National Radon Action Month.” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director, CDPHE. “Our low-cost testing program helps keep the public safe, especially families who may not be able to afford to test for radon otherwise. We want everyone to be safe from this silent cancer-causing gas.”

Homeowners who already have radon mitigation systems should retest their homes every few years to make sure the system is working properly. More information is available by visiting coloradoradon.info and cdphe.colorado.gov/testing-your-home-radon.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Colorado is the No. 11 growth state in America, according to the U-Haul Growth Index analyzing customer moves during 2022.

People arriving in Colorado in one-way U-Haul trucks fell 5% over 2021, while departures fell almost 4% as overall moving traffic slowed. Another study conducted by the United Van Line Movers it appears more people left Colorado last year than moved into the state. According to their data, Colorado lost 3.2% more people than it gained in 2022.

Despite a greater year-over-year drop in arrivals, do-it-yourself movers arriving in the Centennial State still accounted for more than 50.3% of all one-way U-Haul truck traffic in and out of Colorado (49.7% departures) to keep it a decisive net-gain state. Colorado ranked seventh and sixth among U-Haul growth states in 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled according to the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks arriving in a city or state, versus departing from that city or state, in a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck transactions that occur annually across the U.S. and Canada.

Texas paced the nation in growth for the fifth time since 2016, while Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia round out the top five growth states. California ranks 50th and Illinois 49th for the third year in a row, indicating those states saw the largest net losses of one-way U-Haul trucks.

Colorado’s top growth cities are Fort Collins, Loveland, Denver and Boulder. Other notable net-gain markets include Pueblo, Castle Rock, Parker, Greeley, Steamboat Springs and Westminster.

Data from the United States Census Bureau shows that from July 2021 to July 2022, Colorado’s population increased by 0.00-0.59%.

​​