In 2018, we lost an amazing friend that was the backbone of the newspaper for many decades. Barbara Lawlor was full of life, wit, charm, hope and love. She was also a reporter that would climb over mountains, through snow, around flooded canyons and accidents (much to the chagrin of our local emergency responders). As well, she covered every type of news, finally settling in to feature stories at the end of her career. She contributed thousands of stories to The Mountain-Ear in her decades on staff.

When she passed away, a generous donor donated money to start a scholarship in memory of her. We added to the fund, little by little, each year with private donations and contributions through Colorado Gives Day. The mission of the scholarship is to provide financial assistance to an individual enrolled in courses of higher education. Applicants can be from Nederland High School, Gilpin High School or Chinook West High School. To date, we have awarded over 

Eligible students have contributed to community journalism through The Mountain-Ear, during their high school career. Feel free to reach out for more information at publisher1977@gmail.com. The scholarship is maintained by Peak to Peak Healthy Communities Project, in memory of Barbara Lawlor.

The forms are now available at each school and can be returned by April 15, 2023, for consideration of this year's scholarship awards. You can also ask for a printed copy of the scholarship by emailing publisher1977@gmail.com.