This is the first of what I hope is going to become a regular fixture in your email inbox and a source of information.

My name is Jane Reuter, and for the last two years, I’ve been reporting on the news in Evergreen, Conifer and Morrison. I grew up in rural Wisconsin and have spent most of my journalism career reporting in small communities. So I know first-hand the importance of community, neighborliness and how people in small areas rely on, help and love one another - through good times and bad. With your help, my goal is to share those stories with you.

So let’s get started and take a look at this week’s headlines.

Last week, the news everyone’s talking about left us all feeling a little footloose in the foothills. Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael will headline the three-year-old Mountain Music Fest.

In 2015, Image magazine did an editorial entitled, “Why Kevin Bacon is the best person ever,” highlighting his volunteer work and SixDegrees.org charity. It centers on youth empowerment, among other things, making Bacon’s philosophy a perfect match with that of Mountain Music Fest’s creator, the Wooden Hawk Foundation.

And let’s not forget his older brother, Michael. While we may not recognize his face as easily as his brother’s, he’s well known as an Emmy-winning film and TV score composer.

Together, they’re known for putting on intimate, fun shows. So get your tickets, find your Sunday dancin’ shoes, and mark a big circle on your calendar for Aug. 16.

If Mountain Music Fest is drawing talent like this in their third year, imagine who will be taking the stage in the years to come!

Why it matters: This student-run event will expose local kids to an event boasting a higher level of talent and possibilities for their futures as they largely run the entire event, learning from the pros.

What else is happening: More announcements to come as the Wooden Hawk Foundation lines up its lead-up acts for the day, as well as the area’s other unique summer events.

Details are few, but we know that the police responding to report of gunfire at strip mall at 32000 block of Ellingwood Trail found an armed suspect who shot himself, but nobody else. There were no other reported victims Thursday night.

Keep an eye on the Canyon Courier and we’ll update details as soon as they become available.

Why it matters: Erica Sprenkel has joined the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce as its new leader. Hers is a key role in Evergreen, an unincorporated community whose businesses rely heavily on nonprofit leaders like Sprenkel and so many others.

What’s happening: The job is a dream-come-true for Sprenkel, who fell in love with Evergreen about five years ago. Since then, she’s dug into the community and now gets to help it and its businesses first-hand.

What to know: Six months after the high school shooting that shocked the community, a nonprofit, no-fee agency aimed at helping communities recover from violent trauma has opened its doors. The agency is a welcoming place for conversation, resources or simply as neutral ground for unwinding.

Next step: Resiliency centers, set up in communities after mass shootings across the country, stay as long as they’re needed. Get to know these kind people and tap into their knowledge if you feel the need.

Ten Evergreen High Cougars celebrated Signing Day recently, a proud moment for students, their coaches and families. Why? Read the story here

A team of teachers who’ve gotten through the trauma of a school shooting are working to help others — including Evergreen High School staff —navigate those same challenges. Read the story here

Evergreen Lake is not just a place to have fun in the winter, its frozen surface helps the local economy. But not this year. Like other Colorado businesses that rely on snow, it’s feeling the pain of the winter that wasn’t.

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