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Dan England
Dan England has worked for Colorado media for nearly 25 years, including 20 at the Greeley Tribune. During his time at the Tribune he won more than 100 state and national awards, including Best of Show from the Colorado Press Association in 2015. Dan loves to write about the outdoors, as they are not just a job but an adventure: He has completed more than 20 marathons and 15 ultramarathons in addition to climbing more than 200 peaks, including all the 14ers in Colorado and Mount Rainier in Washington. Dan also plays trombone, but his wife, Valerie Vampola, deserves the spotlight more, as she sings for living, doing gigs as a solo artist and with Katie Quick in addition to guest appearances with bands across Colorado and teaching with the Loveland Academy of Music. Dan has three children, Jayden and his twin girls, Andie and Allie, and a heeler, Pepper, who in addition to training with him ran her first trail marathon last year in western Kansas.
Selected works by the author:
Something Good in the Neighborhood: Kelly McKenna (aka Santa Claus)
To this day, Kelly McKenna is still not sure why his Loveland next-door neighbors asked him to be Santa for a Christmas party. He wasn’t portly or even especially chunky: He had to put a pillow in his pants and another on his belly to look the part. He was bald. He...
Snow Day Escapades
Winter activities such as snowmobiling and fat tire biking prove that powder isn’t just for skiing
Lighting the Night
Christmas light companies find winter work hanging lights for Colorado residents
The Sinister Side of Social Media
The pervasive nature of social media has districts worried about students’ mental health
On the Beaten Path
Despite ever-increasing demands on popular trails, officials work hard to avoid conflicts
Something Good in the Neighborhood: Daniela Ortiz
Loveland sophomore’s annual bake sale for cancer research means more after mother’s diagnosis
Breaking the Ice
Although it seems hard to believe now, Scott Simmons was not the first climate activist in his family. That title belongs to his daughter, Alexa. She was passionate about climate change, the environment and taking care of the Earth. Simmons, 66, of Windsor, thinks of...
Colorado Spartans Bring Arena Football Back to Northern Colorado
Tony Thompson didn’t know a lot about arena football, but he did know one thing: He hated it. He had a good career at South Dakota State University as a defensive end and didn’t make it in the NFL. He didn’t consider arena football as his next step. He found it...