Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  Last week, a group of town administrators and public works employees spread out on the shores of the newly renovated Chipeta Park Fishing Pond and threw out their lines. The recently stocked fishing hole gave up a bunch of nine-inch trout ready to throw on the grill as part of the opening ceremony.

Monday, Sept 10, on a quintessential early autumn day and the fish were jumping. Ruby Gustafson, 9, loved hauling the flopping, shiny fish out of the water but needed a hand from her dad when it came to removing the hook from the gills.

Nederland mayor Kris Larsen congratulated those who have worked for the past year to make the fishing pond one of Nederland’s jewels. In fact, all of Chipeta Park is flourishing, the regularly fed lush grass is perfect for barefoot strolling. New benches provide comfortable lounging areas. The pond deck has been reinforced, refinished and could probably hold a troop of cub scouts.

The funds for the project were acquired through a GOCO Grant that was submitted last fall and granted in April. Since then, the fishing pond crew has made it happen.

Local excavation businesses: Dillon Developers, Fruth Construction, Antique Excavation and the Town of Nederland Public Works Department completed the grant requirements of ADA parking, pathways and restroom facilities. Public Works employees Nicki Dunn and director Chris Pelletier reached their goal just in time.

In the next couple of weeks, the aspens and the shrub foliage will presents its full palette of greens, golds, rusts, bronze, brown and brilliant reflections from the pond, disturbed now and then by a trout poking its nose into the air, looking for a fly.

It was an accomplishment the town can be proud of and one that residents should get out and enjoy.

(Originally published in the September 20, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)