Tonight’s chart again shows the evening sky high to the east. Below and to the left of the constellation Leo the Lion are dozens of very faint stars. They are Coma Berenices, otherwise known as Bernice’s Hair.

The Greek-Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy and others considered it Leo the Lion’s bushy tail. Coma Berenices remained part of Leo until several hundred years ago, when it was first listed as a separate constellation.

The story goes that an ancient Assyrian Queen, Berenice, feared for her husband’s life as he went into battle. She prayed to Aphrodite, promising to cut off her long, luxurious curls if the king returned safely. He did, and Berenice kept her promise and cut off her hair, placing it as a sacrifice on Aphrodite’s altar. However, the next day the hair was gone, and the king was enraged that the temple priests had not protected the precious locks. However, a quick thinking astronomer saved the day — or rather night, by pointing to the stars of Leo’s tail. He told the king that these must not be Leo’s tail, but the Queen’s tresses placed in the sky by Aphrodite for all to see. The king and queen were appeased, and no priests were beheaded.

Written by Larry Sessions

Other Links:

Sky and Telescope

National Geographic

Space Com

Amazing Space

The York County Astronomical Society

Scope City

James S McDonnell Planitarium

The Berthoud Elementary Primary Odyssey of the Mind Team, Left to right: Jeromiah Lewis, Dylan Carter, Kaitlyn Hanes, Amber Holt, Hannah Roberts and Abby Bunch

Berthoud Elementary School fielded two teams in Saturdays Odyssey of the Mind Long’s Peak Tournament at Berthoud High School.

Odyssey is an international educational program that provides creative problem solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. The kindergarten through second grade students participates in the non-competitive Primary category.

All primary teams use the same problem to create their skits and all students receive a medal for participation. The presentations are graded by Odyssey judges, but scores are not announced. Instead, the score sheets are given to the coach for self evaluation.

The Primary problem for this year was “Surprise Party.” In Surprise Party, the team was to create and present a humorous performance that includes a Surprise Party for a team-created character. The theme of the party is a surprise because it is being given for something that is not normally celebrated. Partygoers will give three gifts that help symbolize the theme of the party. The performance will also include an original party “noisemaker” that makes an unusual sound instead of a loud sound. The cost must not exceed $125.

Part of the Odyssey experience is the spontaneous problem. In addition to the long-term problem described above, the team must try to find a creative solution to a new problem presented to them.

Berthoud Elementary Primary team members are Abby Bunch, Dylan Carter, Kaitlynn Hanes, Amber Holt, Jeromiah Lewis and Hannah Roberts. None of this would be possible without coaches, and working with these children is Shann Holt.

The Berthoud El team set their surprise party in Egypt, complete with a pyramid. The cast had four princesses, a guard and a merman.

As often happens, problems arise during the presentation. The judges look at how the kids deal with these unexpected situations and it enters into the grading. The Berthoud Elementary team had constructed a popcorn noise maker and when they tried to make it work, nothing happened. There solution was throw the popcorn by hand. They handled the situation with aplomb and continued with their skit as though nothing happened, just like real troopers.

After the medal presentation, Coach Holt looked at the scores and said, “We did really well. The kids had a great time and enjoyed working together as a team.” This was a first time experience for most of the kids, only Amber Holt had participated before. If they stay together, this team will move to Division I as third-graders next year.

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Coach Shann Holt

The Big Dipper and Canes Venatici

You can locate the Big Dipper in the northeast in mid- to late evening around now. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Greater Bear.

In addition, if you can find the Big Dipper, you can find two Hunting Dogs seen by the ancient stargazers to be nipping at the Bear’s heels. The Hunting Dogs are a separate constellation: tiny Canes Venatici. You will need a dark sky to see these two little stars snuggled in the arc of the Big Dipper. Originally, they were called Asterion and Chara. But the eastern star is now called Cor Coroli, or Heart of Charles, named for the patron king of the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius, who devised this constellation in 1690.

The most famous object in this region of the sky is M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. It is beautiful when seen through telescopes and dramatic in photographs. Unfortunately, this galaxy is difficult or impossible to glimpse with binoculars.

But there’s another faint object at the extreme edge of Canes Venatici that your binoculars should pick up over the coming weeks, when the nearly full moon has left the evening sky. This object is M3, a globular star cluster located some 48,000 light-years away. Binoculars see it as a dim blur of light, best seen with averted vision. Notice that it lays almost midway between the bright star Arcturus and Cor Coroli.

Not sure how to find Arcturus? Remember to “follow the arc” of the Big Dipper’s handle, in order to locate this star.

Written by Deborah Byrd

Other Links:

Sky and Telescope

National Geographic

Space Com

Amazing Space

The York County Astronomical Society

Scope City

James S McDonnell Planitarium

After breakfast, Wes Fothergill, the Executive Director of the foundation began the proceedings by introducing each of the six recipients of last year’s Creativity Grant Awards. These awards are given by the Foundation to teachers who have creative ideas for teaching their students, but which require funding beyond the school district’s budget. Each recipient explained his or her project to an appreciative audience. The ideas covered a wide range of activities from mulching with worms and learning recycling at Big Thompson Elementary to “All of us…On the Map” at Coyote Ridge. The mapping included corresponding with classes in Sweden, India and Mexico and creating a book to share with each of the far off places.

Lisa Carleson got quite excited explaining how she took her Mary Blair Elementary students to Colorado State University

Dara Vandenberg got the idea from the book "Me on the Map" and along with teachers Nancy Milliken, Kristi Lux, and Jennifer Legault, taught the students how different people in different places fit into the world

TEF president, Stuart Boyd took the stage to present the educator of the year awards (See complete list of nominees at the end of the article.) Each nominee was the subject of a letter to the board. Some came from associates, but they also came from parents and students. Boyd explained the board read all the letters and then met to make the final choice. Before reading the letters, Boyd cautioned the audience that he sometimes had a “Hallmark moment” when reading the letters aloud, but not to worry about him, that he would eventually be able to gain his composure and continue.

With that notice, he read the first letter.

Stuart Boyd, Presiden of the Thompson Education Foundation announces the Educator of the Year awards

The school district has thoughtfully provided a biography and the text from some of the submitted letters. The TEF awards cover not only teaching staff, but include those who work in support and administration.

The first award of the morning went to Diane Lauer in the Administrative/Professional/Technical category.

Stu Boyd congratulates Diane Lauer on her selection as an educator of the year

Diane Lauer has been with the district since 1996 as a teacher, principal and director. She became principal of Conrad Ball Middle School in 2005 and then director of Instructional Coaches in 2007. She began her current position in fall of 2009. She is well known across the state for her work in middle school curriculum and was instrumental in Conrad Ball receiving the Colorado Trailblazer School to Watch designation in 2006. Nominators stressed her energy, leadership, knowledge, humor and concern for students. Comments included:

“As a staff member and parent I have always been impressed by Diane’s energy and willingness to listen and work to solve a problem; in her drive to make things work; and in her ability to embrace a task and see it through. She has that non-stop “just do IT!” attitude. Through it all, she maintains a great sense of humor and remains positive. The district is blessed to have such a dynamo!

Another nominator said: “I appreciate the leadership that she brings. Her ideas are thoughtful and insightful. All of the meetings that she leads are purposeful and have clear expectations and outcomes. She validates all of the ideas in the room making sure that each person has an opportunity to share. In most of the settings, Diane brings opportunities for professional development and opportunities for all of us too.”

The award for Principal of the year went to Dave Patterson, former principal at Berthoud Elementary, now at Cottonwood Plains Elementary.

David Patterson accepts his award from Wes Fothergill

Patterson started at the district as principal at Berthoud Elementary School in 2002 and moved over to Cottonwood plains in 2006. Members of his current and former staff as well as parents nominated him, pointing to his leadership, caring approach, his support and encouragement toward staff, students and parents. Comments included:

“What I appreciated most was Dave’s sense of humor and compassion, both of which he balanced when working to support his teachers and students in difficult situations. Children feel his genuine interest in their lives; he was a dynamic force in our school and kids flocked to his side for hugs or quick chats whenever an opportunity presented itself.”

Another nominator wrote: “Mr. Patterson has inspired many parents in our school to volunteer at various school functions and activities. He has awakened the value that families share in the education process. Students continue to learn when they are outside of the classroom and parents can help make learning fun!”

Leona Myers was selected as educator of the year for the Classified Staff in the district.

Leona Myers beams as she holds her Educator of the Year award

Leona Myers has been with the district since 1990, when she started at Loveland High School as a Nutrition Services trainee. She is now a multi-unit production manager who will retire at the end of this school year. She has worked at four locations: LHS, Winona Elementary, Bill Reed Middle School and Mountain View High School. Myers has been recognized several times for her hard work for maintaining quality in production and recognizing others for a job well done even when she was short-handed and under trying circumstances. Nominators, who included school staff, her peers and students pointed to her love of everyone, her kindness, her efficiency and overall positive attitude. Comments included:

“Leona loves us all! Staff, students, parents at MV. She goes out of her way to know all of ‘her kids’ (about 1100) as she calls them—by name. She builds relationships and mentors students encouraging them to stay in school and to do their best. I have worked with Leona for over 10 years and am always inspired by the fact that she has a smile on her face and a warm hug for everyone everyday. On my worst days, I know that I can go to Leona for a hug and a meal, which brightens my day. Students and staff at MV worship the ground she walks on and know how very much we are loved by her. We will be so sad when she leaves us for retirement.”

Another nominator said: “Leona is always cheerful. She always goes out of her way to do special things for all staff members. She also takes time to do special things for Mountain View Students. She takes time to listen to them, and let them know that she cares. Students have asked her to give them their diplomas. She is loved and admired by everyone at Mountain View.

Next, from the largest category of nominees, the Teacher of the Year was Bruce Moore from Mountain View High School.

Bruce Moore gets a handshake and his Teacher of the Year award from the Thompson Education Foundation

Bruce Moore joined the district nine years ago and has been at Mountain View High School since 2006. He was nominated by a student, who expressed how Moore influenced his life. “He is more than an English teacher; he is a person who took the time to get to know me and someone who allowed me to get to know him. Because of that, I was challenged to meet the expectations he set and understood the confidence he had in me. English, and especially reading, has always been hard for me. Mr. Moore is the only teacher I ever talked to about the difficulties I have with reading,” the student wrote. “While he encouraged and supported me, he also expected a lot from me. A requirement in his class was to think deeply on a subject and not just give the easy answer. Doing that not only required me to read the books but also taught me how to take a stand on a position, even if it was not the perception everyone else had. An extended benefit of this process was learning more about the values that I use daily:  hard work, perseverance, and responsibility. Mr. Moore made class fun, pushed me, and helped me know more about myself and what I can do.”

Moore has been commended for his excellent relationships with students, bringing importance of life-long learning and academic achievement, excellent use of technology in his classroom and his leadership in the language arts department at Mountain View High School.

List of nominees

He took pride in his job in Berthoud, Colorado where he was always busy in the outdoors. A desk job would never suit Ed. Ed lived his life to the fullest.  If he wasn’t wrecking a four wheeler, he was up to something. Ed was taken from us too soon and he will be missed greatly.

A memorial service will be held, Saturday March 13 at the Bennett Christian Fellowship, in Bennett, Colorado 2:00 p.m.

Ed is preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

The “Edward Riley Dennis” Memorial Fund has been established at the High Plains Bank P.O. Box 329, Bennett, CO 80102 (303) 644-4900. A gathering in Idaho will be established at a later date. Friends and family will be gathering after the service at the home of Mark & Carrie Jones 790 Fourth Street, Bennett, CO.

Go to www.viegutfuneralhome.com for condolences.

Coma Berenices and Leo

What we are about to describe requires a dark sky to be seen: a faraway cluster of stars known as “Coma Berenices.”

How can you spot it? One way is to use the famous constellation Leo the Lion, now in the east each evening. Leo is relatively easy to see. The front part of the Lion looks like a backwards question mark, and the back part is a little triangle, which includes the star Denebola, marked on today’s chart. The word Deneb in a star name always means tail, and this star marks the tail of Leo.

Imagine that Leo is holding his tail out. In the place where you might see a “puff” at the end of the Lion’s tail, you will notice a fuzzy patch not too far away from Denebola. This is the constellation Coma Berenices, or Berenice’s Hair. Indeed, the constellation Coma Berenices once was considered part of the constellation Leo.

The constellation Coma Berenices contains the Coma star “cluster.” This is an open cluster, a loose collection of stars held together by gravity.

The Coma cluster is estimated to be about 288 light years away and has at least 37 known stars that are 400 million years old. It is the third-closest open cluster to our Earth and sun. Only the Ursa Major cluster (the bowl stars of the Big Dipper) and the Hyades cluster (the head of Taurus) are closer.

Viewing Tip: To enhance your view of the Coma star cluster, take a paper towel tube or roll up some dark paper into a tube and place it to your eye. The tube will shield your eye from the glare of any ground lights. Binoculars or opera glasses will also lead to a better viewing experience.

Written by Deborah Byrd

Other Links:

Sky and Telescope

National Geographic

Space Com

Amazing Space

The York County Astronomical Society

Scope City

James S McDonnell Planitarium

—

Alex Sabados and his father Dave

The other day I was tying my shoes and had one of those “I’m getting old” moments. My feet hurt, my back was aching and I felt tired all over. This is what happens when we get old. It is expected and is considered to be part of life. For some this comes way to early. A case in point is 14-year-old Alex Sabados. Alex has had a miserable year as he faces an ongoing battle with cancer. The Berthoud teenager spent last Friday with his closest friends and family celebrating his 14^th birthday.

The party was a mix of teenagers and adults. Two fire pits were separated by age as the young kids circled the birthday boy. There was a second fire for the adults who sat around telling stories of their abandoned youth and day-to-day struggles. The weather was perfect, with clear sky full of stars and a sliver of a moon. It was just like a spring night camping, complete with fireworks.

Alex, in a wheel chair, looked very tired but could not stop smiling. The kids surrounded him and joked and teased each other. My 16-year-old daughter Gabriella, who races with Alex, squeezed into the group and gave him a big hug and wished him happy birthday. I could tell some of the other boys were a little jealous although Gabby and Alex have traveled the country racing together and she has always enjoyed his competition and support on and off the BMX track.

With the Happy Birthday song, a big birthday cake came out of the trees with candles ablaze. I stood off the path and watched as Alex struggled to blow out the candles. All the kids cheered, but I was deeply saddened to the point of tears. I sat down on a rock and thought about the incredible pain this boy has dealt with. The torment of being ill, the daily pain he feels in his struggle to fight his disease must be overwhelming. Yet, his spirit and determination are inspiring to say the least.

After I composed myself, I took a few minutes and found Alex’s father, Dave, and asked for a prognosis. It seems that another tumor has grown and it could be a completely different form of cancer. Dave went on to say that Alex would be going on Monday to have a biopsy of the tumor. Then they would plan a course of action depending on the results of the tests.

One of the options is a move to Chicago for experimental clinical trial procedures. This would take a review from a Tumor Board at the Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Then if approved for the treatment Alex would fly to Chicago to be helped as soon as possible.

Dave continued, ‘’the tumor is affecting Alex’s vision and motor skills. This is hard because he is such an active kid.” In our conversation I also learned that Alex likes to fix up old BMX bikes and has started a collection of vintage BMX bikes he is restoring.

Dave beamed proudly as he explained. “He will go in the garage and tinker away at his bikes until he gets tired. Last summer after one of his many brain surgeries he would go into the garage and lock the door. We were suspicious he was riding his BMX bike around in the garage but never could prove it.” Dave said with a coy grin.

The night ended with a huge group surrounding Alex in the house for a movie and more food. As we were leaving for the night, I poked my head in to say goodbye. Alex was laughing and flirting with some girls and I decided not to mess up his game.

While driving home, I thought a lot about Alex’s upcoming battle and how proud I am to know him and his family. They have taught me that life is short and should be enjoyed. Instead of crawling under a rock and giving up the challenge, one must forge ahead and become survivor. I think if anybody can do that, Alex’s is going to be the kid.

This morning I bent over to tie those shoes again, I noticed my back didn’t hurt as much! I’m feeling not so tired and I am looking forward to another day with my family and friends. I thought of my friend Alex and realized that we cannot control our destiny, life is what we make it.

UPDATE: 3:10 PM, MARCH 11, 2010
CDOT crews have opened I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in both directions.  Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction and will remain like this until long-term repairs can be completed in the coming weeks/months.  The speed limit has been reduced to 40 MPH and load over 14-feet wide are restricted from traveling through the work area.  CDOT wants to thank motorists and impacted communities for their patience during this time. More information to come tomorrow afternoon on repair plans.

Aerial view of I-70 rock slide area at 10:47 a.m. on Wednesday