Last Thursday we were at an online staff meeting when one of our TEAM asked if we had seen the news of the upcoming closure of the printing press in Berthoud. Before opening the story in the Denver

The down-ballot primary election this month for State School Board District 2 holds enormous significance for the future of charter schools here. According to Erica Breunlin of The Colorado

I think one of the coolest things we do at The Mountain-Ear is host a lot of contests. In spring we have a Youth Art Contest. We just announced the winners for poetry and art, and prizes are in

Hmm...how to vote in the upcoming Primary? As an unaffiliated voter I am thankful to have all sides of every story. Sometimes there are sooo many sides. Yet…in my mind…there are no sides. It’s

Normally I try to tackle something that is weighing on my mind, or needs attention in our greater community. This week, I’m gonna change it up and share something I am very passionate about -

What an amazing week I’ve had! I’m so incredibly thankful I spent a few days with my family. I won’t say it was “downtime,” since it felt like a race all weekend. But it was family time

How do I sum up over thirty years of motherhood? Where do I begin? I mean, it’s not like it’s over. Some would say it’s just beginning, as the last one graduates and takes off to start a

Mama, mommy, mother, mom, bruh - I have been called all these names in my years as a mom. I will admit the last one threw me a bit and there was a calm and interesting conversation with my

Spending your life mostly as a peripatetic academic – I taught at two universities and two colleges in Western Canada and the Arctic – as your kids are growing up leads to an extended family

This holiday is a very special day for me because I’ve been lucky enough to be a mom for over 30 years. Wow, where has the time gone? Matthew led the way. He’s my oldest (and he’d say

This Mother’s Day, as I reflect on my journey, my heart overflows with gratitude for my two wonderful children, Ezra and Evelyn, who were born at home here in Gilpin County. A combined ninety

What is a debate? A debate is a formal discussion, typically between two or more people, where opposing parties express their opinion on a subject. At the beginning of 2024, I started thinking

When is enough, enough? I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with some very angry emails I have been getting. Some are emails directly to me. Some are emails I am copied on. Some are emails to others

This week I would love to tell you a long story about the last six months of chaos I have been dealing with. Behind the scenes. As a person individually, and as a member of a staff of people who

At the end of last week, I received an email from an advertiser, asking me to clarify our position as Newspaper of Record for Gilpin County. I sat on the email for a few hours, then sent it to our

How to explain voting to a young adult? Hmm.. this is a tough one for me. So I start with: I’m not a good Republican. I’m not a good Democrat. But I think I am a good voter. I’m

Barbara Hardt has been the force behind The Mountain-Ear for many years, and still is. There are times, however, when she is on vacation or needs to be away for a few days. The Mountain-Ear still

Friends, sometimes I feel like a broken record. I feel like I talk for weeks (months) about different topics that are happening in the region. Right now, one of the biggest things happening is

Maui was quite simply, our best girl. She was kind, caring, loved to cuddle, loved to play, sang to us, played with all the other animals and just loved life all the time. Maui was diagnosed

Last week something unusual happened at the paper. Well, in truth, two things happened. First, our managing editor, Barbara Hardt, went on an “actual” vacation, with a beach and everything.