Firefighters talk smack before Evergreen’s Big Chili
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
While the Quarry Fire is 100% contained, Conifer re ghters expect it to burn for at least another month. e ongoing wildland re poses no threat to any structures or other hazards.
“It’s contained and controlled with lines all the way around so there’s no more forward progression,” said Elk Creek Fire Chief Jacob Ware. “ e area in which it’s burning is very rugged; there’s not a safe way to get reghters up there. Right now, it’s just burning up fuel.”
Joanie Henson watches as Evergreen firefighters prepare chili during the 2022 Big Chili Cook-O . PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG
A first look inside the new Carlson Elementary
The newly remodeled school’s ribbon was cut for the 2024-25 school year
BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Years of planning, raising money and negotiation were settled as the new Carlson Elementary on Highway 103 in Idaho Springs opened its doors for a celebration with parents and future students.
Young students dragged parents up the several ights of brightly colored ramps to nd their classroom the rst day the building was open to the public Aug. 12.
Well over 100 parents and kids joined county commissioners, police o cers, school board members and the superintendent waiting for three pairs of scissors, held by students, to cut the red rope and open the school for the rst time.
Frosted lights hung from the ceilings and down the center of the
ramps and common area below.
“It is a beautiful building and my room is huge, it is going to be really nice having di erent learning spaces so we can pull the kids out in small groups and di erentiate the learning to them,” Kindergarten teacher Kate Foy said.
e building is designed with wide-open spaces, a large cafeteria and a larger auditorium/gym. A separate entrance and playground for preschoolers is also part of the design.
Some of the original planners and designers were also there to see how this project started almost a decade before it was realized, including former district Superintendent Karen Quanbeck.
“We had folks sitting around a table in the old o ce and we just kept asking people, ‘Do you think this is possible?’” she said.
e old building had served, since 1969, as the high and middle school for the county until the new school was built in Evergreen
Current school board member Kelly Flenniken graduated high
school from the old school.
“It feels joyful and exciting, (seeing) happy faces ready to learn. I’m really proud of our community for delivering something so amazing for our kids,” she said.
Food was served so parents and their kids were the rst to sit on the benches and tables of the new cafeteria during the event that lasted several hours.
Kids and parents also got to meet their teachers for the new school year. Idaho Springs residents Nichole Nemmers and her daughter November met November’s 4th-grade teacher Michael DaNardo.
“We’re really excited, it’s been a long time coming and I think the kids are excited,” Nichole Nemmers said. “Look how colorful it is. Super stoked it’s not on a gas station corner anymore.”
“I like it, my favorite thing about it is the cafeteria is bigger and the gym is so perfect, way better,” November added.
e giant gymnasium sported fresh, bright paint on the walls and the hardwood oors were un-scu ed
and polished to a shine.
“Some of the things in here just amaze me,” Superintendent Tom Meyer said. “It’s a dynamic place for kids and our sta . I think the community aspect to see something done with this building when it was sitting empty is great.”
e school board put the issue of renaming the elementary school, as well as changing the mascot or school colors on a local ballot last year to gauge local reaction, board members said.
A vast majority of locals agreed to keep the historic Carlson name, the cougar mascot and gold and blue colors.
“It is better than what I envisioned, it’s bright and beautiful which is what every kid deserves for a learning space. ere’s open learning spaces, there’s access to the outside right here,” Quanbeck said.
A group of 6th graders seemed especially excited about the upcoming year when they learned they would be the rst elementary students to attend the new Carlson and its rst graduating class.
Students and parents check out the new Carlson Elementary in Idaho Springs Aug 12. PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL
Carlson Elementary students cut the ribbon to their new school in Idaho Springs Aug. 12.
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As the Real Estate Market Shifts, We’re in Uncharted Territory Thanks to NAR Settlement
Sunday was the deadline for one very significant change in the practice of real estate, as the result of a March 15th settlement between the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and a group of Missouri home sellers who claimed that the sharing of listing agent’s commission with the buyer’s agent was somehow a violation of anti-price fixing laws and just plain “unfair.”
Although I, along with most Realtors (and, in fact, NAR), disagreed, the parties agreed to a settlement in which MLSs may no longer display how much a buyer’s agent will earn if he brings a buyer to the table.
Real Estate, we’re not so worried.
Below is a picture of the yard sign that in front of the solar-powered listing featured at the bottom of the page. Do you notice anything new about it? Yes, it has a sign rider telling both buyers and their agents that the seller will pay a 2.5% commission to an agent who represents the buyer of this home.
The brochure in the brochure box has that same information. You could say that “nothing has really changed,” and you’d be almost right. What has changed is that we are not “splitting” our listing commission with the buyer’s agent. Ra-
ther, the seller has agreed (at my suggestion) to incentivize agents to bring their buyer, knowing that their client will not have to pay him, because the seller will. The sellers who sued to end the practice of commission splitting will finally recognize that compensating the agent who represents their buyer is a practical way to sell a home. They had hoped that buyers would now have to pay for their own professional representation, but if, as I expect, the vast majority of home sellers agree to compete with each other for the buyer’s business, which home do you think the buyer will offer to buy?
That’s how I see these coming weeks
and months shaking out. Some sellers will say, “Hey, I don’t have to offer compensation,” and a few may succeed with that strategy. But one thing is for sure: the universe of potential buyers will be smaller, because a significant percentage of buyers can’t afford to pay for representation on top of the other fees I listed in last week’s column. I do expect that many buyers will feel they should only deal with listing agents directly, but when they see our sign rider, they may do the right thing for themselves, which is to have a professional working in their best interest instead of the seller’s. Stay tuned!
MLS Now Has Fields for Audio & Video Recording
That change took place at midnight last Thursday and many real estate professionals are concerned about how it will affect them personally. At Golden
Do You Know or Care Where Your Realtor Stands Politically?
Real estate is not the only profession where the “rule” is never to talk politics or religion. I agree about religion, but in today’s divisive political climate, I feel differently about revealing my political leanings, which are liberal. As a seller, I would not be comfortable hiring an agent who was a Trump fan. Someone else may prefer hiring a fan of Trump.
Recently, a Denver agent referred a Golden seller to me. When I told him that his home would be advertised next to my weekly real estate column, he said, “I don’t read newspapers anymore because they’re all fake news.”
Okay, we’re not a fit — and that’s okay with me.
Archive of Past Columns Is Online
Over the past two decades, this column has appeared in local weeklies and the Denver Post, and during that time I’ve written about every conceivable topic related to real estate. You can find and search that archive online at www.JimSmithColumns.com
New: Solar-Powered Green Mountain Home
$795,000
The seller of this 3-bedroom/2½-bath home at 14038 W. Amherst Ave. provided this springtime picture of their crabapple tree in bloom. Not visible from the front is the seller-owned 5.98-kW solar array which reduces the Xcel monthly electric bill to under $10 year-round. The oversized garage has an extra 5'x18' workshop/storage area with natural light. The workbench, shop light and pegboards are all included. There’s another workshop area in the unfinished basement, plus a 10'x11' wood laminate dance floor! The cul-de-sac location makes this home a quiet place to enjoy life with friendly neighbors. The 8'x25' composite deck off the eat-in kitchen is half-covered, with stairs down to the backyard with its lush grass, garden beds and linden tree. The other half of the deck is shaded by the house itself in late afternoon. The 6'x8' front porch is also covered. Visit www.JeffcoSolarHomes.com to view a narrated video walk-through and drone video, plus magazine-quality photos and floor plans. The seller replaced the windows on the first floor and most of the second floor with high-end Marvin windows. The windows are energy efficient double-paned windows with aluminum clad wood frames. The frames are powder-coated white, requiring no routine maintenance. Come to the open house Saturday, 11-1, or call broker associate Kathy Jonke at 303-990-7428 to see it. Note: Seller offers 2.5% buyer broker compensation.
With surveillance systems becoming more and more common in American homes, buyers can never be sure that what they say to each other and their agent during a showing isn’t being monitored remotely by the seller.
Personally, I advise my buyers to assume that everything they say is being heard by the seller and to monitor their conversation accordingly. There are any number of things a buyer could say while
touring a home that would disadvantage them when it comes to negotiating a contract or inspection issues.
REcolorado, Denver’s MLS, now has fields for indicating whether there is audio and/or video recording inside and/or outside the listing, but buyers should not count on privacy if those fields are not checked. I recently sold a home where the fields weren’t checked but cameras (and Alexa) were definitely present.
Just Listed: 20-Acre Apple & Peach Orchard
Our former broker associate, Kim Taylor, is now an independent broker in Cedaredge and just listed this interesting agricultural property nearby. With 4.8 shares of surface creek water, the meticulously managed fruit is thriving again this year, and there is a leased rental house that was recently remodeled. The orchard contains blocks of apples and peaches and has been a successful producer for over 20 years. The property also has a 1500 sq. ft. cooler with loading dock, a tractor barn with electric, and two 30-amp electric and water hook ups for RVs. Located in the county, this agricultural property sits literally on the edge of Cedaredge city limits, only 1/2 mile from town center. Property taxes run less than $500/year. Come take a closer look! The Cedaredge area is a great location for the outdoor enthusiasts! Just 20 minutes away is the Grand Mesa, the largest flat top mesa in the country with over 300 lakes for fishing, lots of space for camping, hiking and biking, miles of groomed Nordic ski trails, Powderhorn Ski Resort, snowshoeing, and miles of snowmobiling — not to mention that the Gunnison River is only 15 minutes south, and the greater area is Colorado wine country, with an airport just 45 minutes away! Seller also has 10 more acres with blocks of apples, peaches and grapes that would make a great addition to this property. Learn more at www.OrchardCityHome.info, then call Kim at 303-304-6678 to arrange a visit.
$850,000
QUARRY FIRE
e nearly 600-acre Quarry Fire started July 30 in Deer Creek Canyon and was pronounced 100% contained on Aug. 7.
Wild res burn as long as they have fuel and oxygen, and the rugged foothills provide plenty of fuel.
Inter-Canyon Fire Chief Skip Shirlaw said there are decades of accumulated du — partially decayed wood, leaves, bark, pinecones and pine needles — on the forest oor, and stumpholes that will smolder for some time.
Overall, foothills re ghters say the operation was a success, crediting extensive training and preparation, mutual aid and the re’s starting point.
While re ghters con rmed the re caused “signi cant damage” to the now-closed Deer Creek Canyon Park, it could have been much worse, they agree.
e re started at the park’s gateway. Deer Creek Canyon Park, which has about 14.5 miles of trails on about 1640 acres, is beloved by hikers and mountain bikers.
“We were lucky it started in an open space park; that bought us a little time,” said North Fork Fire Chief Curt Rogers. “ is re had big potential to spread quickly. We knew we had a battle on our hands. We were seeing crown runs through the forest at 2 a.m. at’s extreme re behavior.”
A crown run occurs when a re travels through treetops. It spreads rapidly, burns very hot and is the
Although the Quarry Fire was contained in a small part of Je co, the smoke carried into nearby communities. The power outages are also of concern. Those communities should take heed of the tips and resources o ered by Je co Public Health. PHOTO COURTESY JEFFCO
most dangerous type of wild re, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association.
“It was probably one of the worst spots we could have a re start, at least within Inter-Canyon’s district,” Shirlaw said. “ e fuels, the topography — this spot was my nightmare. But it had the best outcome we could ever hope for — no houses lost, no injuries.”
ough hot, dry conditions are returning, Inter-Canyon Fire spokesperson Bethany Urban said it’s unlikely the re will are up and spread.
“We don’t call something contained unless we have a high level of con dence re is not going beyond those containment lines,” she said.
“Will people still see smoke and maybe even a lick of ame once in a while? Possibly; there still may be heavier fuels burning on the interior.
Is it going to reignite and burn outside of containment lines? Incredibly unlikely.”
Fire ghters continue to keep a close watch on the area.
“We still patrol it, hiking or driving through, looking for periodic or interior smoke,” Shirlaw said. “We’ll be monitoring it for several weeks. Snow will be the season-ending event that gives us comfort that we’re in a good place.”
Inter-Canyon was the rst agency to respond to the 579-acre Quarry Fire, which started in its district boundaries at about 9 p.m. July 30.
ey were quickly joined at the site
near Deer Creek Canyon Road and Grizzly Drive by crews from Elk Creek and West Metro Fire.
An estimated 260 re ghters and other personnel, and multiple local and state agencies eventually joined in ghting the 8-day re. e ground e ort drew re ghters and equipment from as far away as Durango, and in the sky, air tankers fromacross the country dropped re retardant and water on the ames.
Nearly 600 area homes were evacuated.
e Je erson County Sheri ’s Ofce is still investigating the re’s cause.
This closure is at an area where a dozer line was built during the Quarry Fire to protect the Sampson neighborhood.
PHOTO COURTESY OF INTER-CANYON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
Plans underway for second Mountain Music Fest after successful debut
Students
want to make event “bigger and better”
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Plans are already underway for a second Mountain Music Fest after its successful inaugural Aug. 3 event.
e event drew an estimated 2,000 people to Evergreen’s Buchanan Park, event organizers said.
Designed as a fundraiser for the Wooden Hawk Foundation, organizers say they don’t yet know how much money it raised for the nonpro t. e foundation is aimed at supporting the mountain community school system.
Firefall headlined the largely student-run, full-day event, which featured eight bands. Evergreen High School students also sta ed booths that showcased many of EHS’ sports and clubs. Students raised money through activities and donations during the event.
e festival’s goal was to help them
defray the costs associated with extra-curricular activities, many of which were once largely funded through the public school system.
“We were so pleased with the amount of creativity and involvement from the students,” said foundation president Pam LushLindquist. “ e students I’ve spoken with have already said they want to collaborate on how to make it bigger and better next year.
“Right now, we’re in the information-gathering stage for next year’s event. We’re taking all comments, good or bad, from the community and students,” Lush-Lindquist continued. “We want to build something that bene ts as many as we possibly can.”
Firefall co-founder and Westminster resident Jock Bartley was so moved by the event and its mission that he’s allowing the Wooden Hawk Foundation to use one his song “Call on Me” in their work.
Bartley wrote the song about calling on a friend during hard times to help with suicide prevention. Bartley is a spokesperson for suicide
Center. He’s performed with Firefall in bene t concerts that raised funds for a national crisis line.
“I told (Lush-Lindquist) she could use my song in whatever way she wanted to,” he said. “I told her if she could use it with suicide prevention, to do it.”
Wooden Hawk Foundation founder and Evergreen resident Michele Peeters Vanags also serves as a
Firefall, with Jock Bartley on guitar, plays during the Aug. 3 Mountain Music Fest in Evergreen.
board member for Resilience 1220, another Evergreen nonpro t that provides free counseling services to foothills youth.
Lush-Lindquist said both the foundation and Resilience 1220 will nd e ective ways to use the song, and said Bartley o ered to perform the song at a future fundraiser.
“It’s such a nice gift and would be a very special way to support what Resilience is doing and the foundation’s goal of supporting students,” she said.
Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Courier. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.
Email letters to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Deadline Tues. for the following week’s paper.
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A legal newspaper of general circulation in Evergreen, Colorado, Canyon Courier is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 3540 Evergreen Parkway, Evergreen, CO 80439.
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STAVROS KORONEOS
Hostage situation
SOUTH JEFFCO – Janet, Jack and Chrissy are roommates. Janet loaned Jack and Chrissy her 2005 PT Cruiser on condition they return it within the hour. ey not only failed to return it within the hour, they failed to return it the next day, or the day after that, although they thoughtfully sent Janet sporadic texts (from a cell phone they also borrowed from Janet) o ering lame excuses for their continuing use of the vehicle. Still car-less 72 hours later, Janet called JCSO for advice. No sooner did an o cer respond to her residence than Janet received a text-message from Jack proposing an even swap – Janet’s PT Cruiser for such possessions of his and Chrissy’s that remained at the residence. Janet handed the phone to the o cer, who tried unsuccessfully to get Jack and Chrissy on the horn, but apparently succeeded in scaring them out of sending further text-message updates. Trying a new tack, the deputy called Jack’s mom to suggest that she have her son call him before a minor roommate dispute turned into grand theft, auto. Jack never did call, and the o cer recommended that Janet contact JCSO’s civil unit to discuss options.
A bad case of swerves
PINE – In separate vehicles traveling in tandem, Willy and Wanda Wayfarer were wending their way south on Hwy 285 on the night of July 1 when their disa ected friend Hilda Hothead appeared before them driving north. Hilda “recognized our cars” Willy and Wanda told deputies, and began yelling crude and hurtful epithets at them across the centerline. Worse, she appeared to “deliberately swerve at both cars,” causing the couple to fear for their safety. Hilda atly denied both yelling and swerving, of course. Lacking anything like actionable evidence, deputies dropped the case.
Jamaican her nervous MORRISON – It all seemed mighty suspicious to the drug store cashier. According to her statement to deputies, a pair of “large” men with “Jamaican accents” walked in and asked to send money through Western Union. Since the two couldn’t produce a single ID between them, the transaction was a non-starter and they left the way they came. A
couple hours later, however, a “large” and “possibly Jamaican woman with short hair” came in, and after “shopping” for the better part of a half hour purchased two one-dollar items. e next time the cashier looked outside she observed the wide-set woman and the ponderous pair drive away together in an older-model yellow “kidnapper-looking” van. Upon reection, the cashier recalled that each of the men had come into the store separately on multiple occasions during the previous two days, each browsing at length and departing with insigni cant purchases. But even as she paused to consider what it all meant, the large woman returned and asked if the store would be closing anytime soon. “No,” the cashier had explained. “We’re open until 10.” e woman smiled and said “I’ll just come back then,” which is when the cashier decided it was time to involve JCSO. e deputies agreed that the beefy bunch’s behavior was bizarre, but explained that, as of that moment, no laws had been broken. ey cautioned the cashier to remain vigilant and call JCSO if any one of the three returned to the store.
Short-term parking
EL RANCHO – Heading for the airport on the morning of June 30, she stopped to fuel up at a local co ee house. In a hurry, she parked in the most convenient place available, “a spot with yellow lines next to a handicapped spot.” Leaving the engine running and her key fob in plain sight on the front passenger seat, she went inside, ordered a mug o’ mud and availed herself of the sanitary facilities. Much refreshed, she stepped outside to observe a man walking near her idling vehicle and her passenger-side door standing wide open. More concerned with making time than with nding out why, she drove down to DIA only to discover she couldn’t lock her car because the key fob was missing. She phoned JCSO at rst opportunity, but deputies’ best e orts could locate neither the fob, nor surveillance footage of the spot with yellow lines. O cers left the case running.
ing a broad and neighborly smile. Only. Peter told her he doesn’t like to wear clothes in the summertime and sincerely hoped that Patti was “okay with it.” Patti was not okay with it, “especially in the morning,” and as she hustled o down the hall Peter tagged nakedly after her, blithely inquiring after Patti’s recent vacation until Patti escaped outside where Peter was apparently not prepared to proceed without his pantaloons. Returning home that evening she discovered a note from Peter taped to her door reading “Ring My Doorbell.” Suspecting that Peter’s doorbell would evoke more ding-dong than she was prepared to endure, Patti merely transferred the note to Peter’s door and bolted for her own quarters. Peering out through her peephole, she saw Peter, again dressed just as his Creator had made him, cast open his door, retrieve the note and disappear back inside his apartment. Fearing many more nude interludes in her foreseeable future, Patti called JCSO and asked deputies to ask Peter to put a sock in it, or on it, or whatever. In his own defense, Peter assured o cers that he is scrupulously respectful toward the fairer sex, and that he would never knowingly cause Patti a even a moment’s embarrassment, and that the whole unfortunate episode was just a simple misunderstanding. Deputies assured Peter that he didn’t want to let Patti catch him au naturel again because nudists don’t thrive in the Je co jail.
Rocks and roll
Life in bare country
SOUTH JEFFCO – Tender tenant Patti Plum explained that, as she was leaving for work at 8 a.m., 60-yearold Peter Prune, who lives across the hallway from her, suddenly appeared in his open doorway wear-
EL RANCHO – Justin and Jessica were camped on somebody’s private property, which ticked o the neighborhood. Deputies were summoned to roust the couple, which ticked o Justin and Jessica. Figuring that somebody in the neighborhood had alerted authorities, Justin planted a row of “large rocks” across the neighborhood entrance, e ectively marooning its land-owning inhabitants. Deputies were again summoned, explaining to Justin and Jessica that they’d have to remove the rocks and nd somewhere else to camp or face trespassing charges. Justin and Jessica assured o cers they’d be gone to Texas as soon as they saved up sucient scratch. Belt
Dear Colorado State Land Board, Je erson County and Our Community,
Wetheundersignedwildlife,scientific,conservation,andpreservationorganizationsrepresentingthousandsof membersacrossJeffersonCountyandColoradostronglysupporttheConservation,Preservation,andProtectionof the250-acreColoradoStateLandpropertyWestofConiferonShadowMountainDriveandSouthWarhawkRoad, see themapbelow.(ThisisaproposedsiteforaChair-liftoperatedBikePark ifapprovedbytheJeffersonCounty PlanningCommission,JeffersonCountyCommissioners,andtheStateLandBoard).Thisareaservesasahabitat refuge,migrationcorridor,andundevelopedopenspacelocatedbetweenhigher-elevationfederalandstatelands tothewestandlower-elevationcityandcountylandtotheeastincludingneighboringconservationeasements.
Wetheundersignedwildlife,scientific,conservation,andpreservationorganizationsrepresentingthousandsof membersacrossJeffersonCountyandColoradostronglysupporttheConservation,Preservation,andProtectionof the250-acreColoradoStateLandpropertyWestofConiferonShadowMountainDriveandSouthWarhawkRoad, see themapbelow.(ThisisaproposedsiteforaChair-liftoperatedBikePark ifapprovedbytheJeffersonCounty PlanningCommission,JeffersonCountyCommissioners,andtheStateLandBoard).Thisareaservesasahabitat refuge,migrationcorridor,andundevelopedopenspacelocatedbetweenhigher-elevationfederalandstatelands tothewestandlower-elevationcityandcountylandtotheeastincludingneighboringconservationeasements.
We the undersigned wildlife, scienti c, conservation, and preservation organizations representing thousands of members across Je erson County and Colorado strongly support the Conservation, Preservation, and Protection of the 250-acre Colorado State Land property West of Conifer on Shadow Mountain Drive and South Warhawk Road. (This is a proposed site for a Chairlift operated Bike Park if approved by the Je erson County Planning Commission, Je erson County Commissioners, and the State Land Board). This area serves as a habitat refuge, migration corridor, and undeveloped open space located between higher-elevation federal and state lands to the west and lower-elevation city and county land to the east including neighboring conservation easements.
This property is a riparian wetland habitat along North Turkey Creek and provides critical ecological resources to wildlife: sh, birds, mammals, and reptiles along with biologically diverse plant life, aspen groves, forest, and other organisms. Expert studies and research support that this ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, birds and sh, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscapes, work together to form an area known for its refuge assets. Colorado Parks and Wildlife District Managers recognize there is great wildlife value in maintaining this parcel of undeveloped land, protected from development and regular use by human recreation. As human populations have grown people have overtaken many ecosystems. With an estimated 5000 people a week, or a maximum of 1200 people a day on this 250-acre State Land property (if the Bike Park is approved) the wildlife and sensitive ecosystem will be destroyed, taking the wildlife with it. It is impossible to mitigate the impact of 5000 people a week, riding thousands of automobiles and trucks, and depositing themselves in a 300 -space parking lot occupied by a commercial downhill biking enterprise. For these reasons, we ask that the Colorado State Land on Shadow Mountain be conserved, preserved, and protected.
No other similar commercial and intensive recreational land uses are located in the upper North Turkey Creek watershed. As scientists and professionals devoted to the land and wildlife, and the systems that combine to keep nature healthy and ourishing, we ask that this parcel, too, remain free from commercial and intensive recreational land use and be conserved and protected for the greater good.
Paul Sutton, Professor of Geography & Environment University of Denver
PaulSutton,Professor ofGeography&Environment
VOICES
Get to know the Democrat presidential candidates
Democrats in Je erson County and across the country are excited and energized by our new presidential candidates. We know that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will take this country forward to the future we all want to see. Maybe these names are new to you. Let’s get to know them a little. As the daughter of parents who brought her to civil rights marches in a stroller, Kamala Harris was inspired to tackle injustice from an early age. She took that mission to county courtrooms, the California Attorney General’s o ce, the United States Senate and the White House. Now she is running for President of the United States to continue protecting our freedoms, delivering justice,and expanding opportunity so that every American cannot just get by, but get ahead.
FROM THE LEFT
What’s the problem?
SAs vice president, she’s been a trusted partner to President Joe Biden in their work to take on the powerful and make change for the people — from standing up against extremists to defending reproductive freedom to taking on Big Pharma to bring down prescription drug costs and cap the price of insulin at $35 a month for our seniors.
e Biden-Harris administration has achieved a historic record of accomplishment, including: bringing our economy back from the brink of disaster to create nearly 16 million new jobs; investing over $1 trillion in infrastructure projects like repairing roads and bridges, removing every lead pipe in America, improving public transit, and expanding access to high-speed internet; strengthening the A ordable Care Act and lowering health insurance premiums to save millions of Americans an average of $800 per year; expanding health care for veterans exposed to toxins; enacting the rst meaningful gun safety reform in decades and bringing violent
Kathryn Wallace
crime down to a near 50-year low; passing the largest-ever investment in tackling the climate crisis; and appointing the rst Black woman to the United States Supreme Court.
Vice President Harris has proudly represented the United States on the global stage in meetings with over 150 world leaders and bolstered vital alliances against tyranny abroad — and she is just as committed to stopping would-be authoritarians and dictators at home. She is leading the charge to protect fundamental freedoms, including the right to an abortion and the right to vote.
Minnesota Gov. Walz is a champion for America’s working families. He enlisted in the Army National Guard when he turned 17 and served for 24 years, rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. After attending college thanks to the GI Bill, Tim Walz served his community as a high school teacher and football coach – taking his team to the state championship for the rst time in the school’s history. He became a member of Congress in a Republican district by representing the needs of farmers and rural America. As governor, Tim Walz cut taxes for working families, lowered the cost of insulin and eliminated junk fees, and protected women’s right to choose.
As the election draws closer, we encourage Je co voters to go to the Je co Dems website www.JeffCoDems.org for up to date information on candidates and ballot measures.
Kathryn Wallace is the Chair of the Je erson County Democratic Party.
plashed across every newspaper headline, highlighted on every TV and radio report and covered on every internet and social media site are the “problems” of the day. Remember the old adage, “if it bleeds, it leads?”
So, let’s take a minute to ask ourselves, what’s the problem? Is it the Democrats’ policy of open borders or an absurd energy policy based on the unscienti c “green” agenda? Maybe its antisemitism and supporting a proxy war with Russia through Ukraine? Perhaps it’s Democrat control of the Governorship and Colorado’s state legislature that has led to ine ective action to reduce our una ordable Property Taxes? Why do the Democrat Je co Commissioners want to take away our TABOR refunds? e list seems endless and there can be no argument, these are some big problems!
But here’s the real “biggie” – runaway government spending! In blue states like Colorado, at every level of government, there is an insatiable appetite to get and spend more tax money!
Why does government demand so much money? Do elected o cials care that citizens are struggling to make ends meet? Are they indifferent to the huge number of small business closures?
e answer is simple, government is doing way more than it should. In simplest terms, the role of government is to provide services that cannot be privatized because the scale of providing those services is impractical. Would it be realistic to support the military or highway systems without public oversight? Not really. Could public safety be maintained? Look at the amazing job the brave re ghters did this month to contain multiple wild res. ank these sel ess individuals when you meet them!
Consider giving freebies to illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities like Denver. Did we direct our government to provide free housing, cash on debit cards, and cell phones? We don’t even do that for our struggling veterans! How about a destructive welfare system that has created generational dependence on free
FROM THE RIGHT
Don Ytterberg
money? Remember President Clinton’s “workfare” program? It was a terri c idea to reward working. So, the problem is that the government is sucking up too much money! e Federal government overspends by a trillion dollars every 100 days. is is the primary reason for in ation. No Mr. Biden, it’s not “greedy corporations” – it’s greedy government! At the state level, Democrats have changed the name of taxes to “fees” to get around constitutional spending limits. e state Balanced Budget requirement and the TABOR (Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) Amendment protect us from even higher taxes at all levels.
Wait a minute, what about Je co? Well, in a clear con ict of interest, the three Democrat commissioners have hired a political consultant to try to convince us to give up our TABOR refunds so they can spend more tax money. So far, they have spent more than $300,000 of our tax money to construct a ballot measure, probably with really confusing language, to pretend that “with no increase in taxes” they will do something good with our money. Unfortunately, a politician’s promise of better “anything” for more money rarely comes true. We need a sea change in Je co, Colorado and nationally. Elected o cials need to perform their job of protecting and assisting us, not controlling us through bigger government and social engineering. On Nov. 5, 2024 let’s select candidates who will reduce government spending!
Don Ytterberg is a former fourtime chair of the Je co Republicans and former two-time Vice Chair of the Colorado Republican Party. He has been a candidate for the Colorado Senate and the U.S. House. He and his wife Kim have been residents of Je erson County since 1987 where he has been a business owner since 1990.
Wildlife Olympics: There’s
The Olympic Games present a thrilling glimpse into the world of extremes.
Athletes have varying heights, musculatures, skin colors and genders. At any Olympic event, there may be many languages spoken and a variety of cultural norms observed. Despite these seemingly wide disparities, only one species is present: homo sapiens.
In the world of wildlife, such a test of superiority would be a much more intriguing albeit complex event. How does one compare the winged vs the scaled, the furry vs the shelled, the hoofed vs the pawed?
Perhaps judging the Wildlife Olympics is less about choosing which creature should earn the highest honor of gold, silver or bronze but rather a recognition of the ways in which our non-human animal cousins have blossomed into spectacular and unique adaptations and skills which outshine our own. Yet, there are some clear gold medal winners. You may be surprised by who has earned the respect and praise of scientists who are the true judges of the Wildlife Olympics.
What would be the measure of an Olympic category for eyesight? e eye of a mantis shrimp, a crustacean the size of your pinkie nger, has 16 photoreceptors compared to a paltry 3 photoreceptors for humans. Researchers believe that the quantity of photoreceptors of the mantis shrimp’s eyes may allow visual information to be preprocessed by the eyes instead of the brain. Scientists have already awarded the mantis shrimp the gold medal for the most complex eyes of any species in the animal kingdom.
e mantis shrimp is lauded for a second characteristic. Appendages which are folder under the animal’s carapace (giving the shrimp an appearance similar to the mantis insect) can smash prey with the power of a .22 caliber bullet. To compete with the shrimp, a human would have to punch through steel (and walk away with an intact hand).
Elephants may be the gold medalist, but the silver goes to our neighbor, the black bear. eir sensitive
INSIDE THE OUTDOORS
Christie Greene
noses can follow a scent for miles. Bears can smell your burger on the grill from the next town over.
Bears are about to enter “hyperphagia” which means packing on 20,000 calories per day. e usually shy creatures become bold during this time. Keeping trash, bird feeders and other attractants out of sight and securely locked is imperative.
In Colorado, bears are under a “two-strike” policy-the rst infringement will earn a bear an ear tag and relocation. A tagged bear breaking into a home may be killed by wildlife o cers due to the risk to human safety. A tragedy that is completely avoidable, killing of habituated bears is the worst outcome for the o cers, homeowners, and bears.
If wildlife put their heads together (the ones that have heads), they might award the Gold to the humble tardigrade, the most magni cent animal you didn’t know exists. Also called water bears, the tiny creature, 0.059 inches, survives conditions that make the rest of us whine (or die).
Exposure to extreme temperatures, radiation, starvation, dehydration, and astoundingly high and low pressures does not stop this diminutive micro-fauna in its quest to outcompete every other species. Related to nematodes, tardigrades can suspend their metabolism and live without food and water for more than 30 years. e animals can later rehydrate and continue with the business of living.
Bonus — at least 17 species of tardigrades live in Colorado! Found in lichen and moss, these animals can be seen under a microscope! You could have little moss pigs living right outside your door.
Congratulations to our medalists and a huge round of respect and awe for the countless and priceless beings whose superpowers have yet to be discovered.
Firefighters talk smack before Evergreen’s Big Chili Cook-o
Annual event promises fiery competition, music and fun
BY JANE REUTER
If re ghters know one thing, it’s heat. And they’ll get a chance to showcase that knowledge during the Big Chili Cook-o , an annual fundraiser for foothills re agencies in which re ghters and individuals compete in a chili-tasting contest.
e Sept. 7 festival at Buchanan Park also includes live music, art booths, beer tents, a re ghter challenge course and kids mini-challenge course — all in the name of raising money to support seven Conifer/Evergreen re agencies.
Fire ghters and individuals will o er tastings in two separate events during the day. is year, the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce will join
in the re ghters’ chili contest.
Fire ghters are already con dent about who’ll take home top honors.
“We’re looking forward to winning each of the chili categories and the re ghting challenge,” said Evergreen Fire/Rescue spokesperson Einar Jensen.
Elk Creek Fire begs to di er.
“Elk Creek has a long record of chili domination, and we don’t intend to stop,” said spokesperson Bethany Urban.
Indian Hills Fire Chief Mark Forgy said Elk Creek can have the chili win; they’ll be taking home rst place in the re ghters’ obstacle course.
“We won two years ago, and we were only one or two seconds o from winning last year,” he said. “Of course we’re going to win.”
On a more serious note, Jensen conceded the event isn’t just about winning.
“Most importantly, we’re looking forward to sharing this tasty day with our friends and neighbors,” he said. “We’re grateful for the Big Chili
and its ongoing support.” Its support is signi cant. In 2023, the event raised a record $70,000, contributing $10,000 each to the Evergreen, Elk Creek, Inter-Canyon, North Fork, Foothills, Indian Hills and Platte Canyon re districts, said event coordinator Lora Knowlton.
e Big Chili Cook-o started in the wake of 9/11 to support rst responders. Colorado’s 2002 Hayman re only added to locals’ incentive to give back to those on the front line.
“Fire ghters were in the media a lot, and a small group of community folks said we need to do something to help these guys,” Knowlton said. “When the event started, volunteer re ghters had to buy their own gear and it was extremely expensive. Today, the dynamics between paid and volunteer re ghters has changed in each department. So we issue the funds to use however they see t. Oftentimes they’ll put it toward the cost of some equipment they need. “
e event typically draws between
2,000 and 3,000 people — rain or shine. In 2022, organizers feared the worst when they woke to drizzle and temperatures in the mid-40s. e crowds turned out anyway, bundled in winter coats, hats, and gloves.
“ at proved to us that no matter what the weather does, we really don’t need to worry,” Knowlton said, adding it’s not just the chili that draws attendees, but the cause.
“I think re ghters are often out of sight, out of mind until you need them. And when you need them, you love them.”
Despite its popularity, Knowlton said the event has its challenges, including a dearth of volunteers.
“Our expenses have increased, and our biggest challenge is we are short volunteers,” she said. “Please consider donating funds. But more importantly, come out, have some fun, be part of the event and volunteer.”
e event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 7. For tickets or to volunteer, visit bigchili.org.
O -duty Je co Sheri ’s K-9 bites child, parent in Castle Rock
Handler placed on administrative leave, K-9 being quarantined
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A Je erson County Sheri ’s deputy has been placed on administrative leave after his K-9 attacked two people while o -duty.
e incident, which happened Aug. 11 near the deputy’s Castle Rock home, is still under investigation, both Castle Rock and Je co Sheri ’s personnel con rmed.
Around 4 p.m. Aug. 11, Deputy
SHERIFF’S CALLS
had no clue why he’d been ghting. Rocky told deputies he’d merely gone to the “gas station” to buy some food, and no sooner had he returned home than Sugar Ray appeared out of nowhere and punched him “four or ve times” in the face. Firm, but fair, Rocky returned “four or ve punches” to Sugar Ray’s face “in self defense”, at which point Sugar Ray
Zachary Oliver and K-9 Ragnar were o -duty at their Castle Rock home when Ragnar jumped the 5-foot fence into a neighbor’s backyard. Ragnar then bit a child and their dad, who intervened, the Jeffco Sheri ’s O ce stated in an Aug. 14 press release.
When Oliver became aware of Ragnar’s escape, he was able to regain control.
JCSO con rmed Oliver was placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing, and K-9 Ragnar is being quarantined from other animals and people, except for Oliver, for 10 days.
Meanwhile, the two victims were taken to local hospital immedi-
threw in the towel. “Forget about it,” said Sugar Ray. “It’s done.” Since Rocky had never laid eyes on Sugar Ray before the bout, he couldn’t give o cers any information regarding his adversary’s whereabouts. As it happened, he didn’t have to, because a few minutes later deputies learned that Sugar Ray had just requested some minor rst aid at his nearby home. Arriving moments behind the paramedics, deputies noted two small cuts above Sugar Ray’s right eye and “several pieces of his hair” sitting on the co ee ta-
ately after the Aug. 11 incident and are now recovering at home, JCSO stated.
CRPD spokesperson Taylor Temby was unable to share the child’s age or the extent of the victims’ injuries, clarifying that the case is still under investigation. More information is expected in the coming days.
Meanwhile, JCSO spokesperson Jacki Kelley con rmed the o ce is cooperating with CRPD while also conducting its own investigation into the incident. JCSO is also reviewing K-9 Ragnar’s future as an active member of its organization.
“We’re absolutely devastated that this incident occurred at all,” Kelley said. “We must ensure that this does not happen again.”
ble. Sugar Ray explained that he’d been innocently driving along the boulevard when the car in front of him repeatedly “stopped short.” Incensed, he’d followed the discourteous driver home and confronted him about his motoring misdeeds, at which point, according to Sugar Ray, Rocky had spontaneously punched him “four or give times” in the mug, which punches Sugar Ray had repaid in kind before losing his taste for the sport and “asking him to stop ghting with me.” Since both men accused the other of fomenting
As of 4 p.m. Aug. 15, no additional information has been released as the case is still under investigation, Kelley added. She clari ed that JCSO won’t take any additional action on its end until CRPD has concluded its investigation.
Oliver was previously a handler for K-9 Gra t, who was killed during a February 2023 suspect-apprehension call on the Colorado School of Mines campus.
Last summer, Oliver received a new partner in K-9 Ragnar thanks to the Sheri ’s O ce and the community’s support, and has continued to advocate for increased penalties for those convicted of hurting or killing K-9s and other working animals.
the eeting urry of sts, and since neither could prove it one way or the other, deputies called it a draw, which was ne with Sugar Ray. “I don’t want any more trouble,” he said.
Sheri ’s Calls is intended as a humorous take on some of the incident call records of the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce for the mountain communities. Names and identifying details have been changed, including the writer’s name, which is a pseudonym. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty.
THE POWER OF MUSIC
Arvada nonprofit aims to create bridges through collaboration, exploration and fun for kids in the metro area
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Studies on music’s bene ts repeatedly show its positive impact to mental and physical health. Research also shows it can build bridges.
Children who participate in group music activities exhibit more cooperation than kids who don’t, according to the journal “Evolution and Human Behavior.” Furthermore, researchers found children who regularly play music, sing and dance together can more easily empathize with others. at’s something today’s world needs more of, believes ornton resident Dustin Olde, and that he hopes his music school can foster. A lifelong musician, Olde runs Colorado AMP (After-school Music Program), a low-cost, nonpro t kids’ music school in Arvada. e three-year-old business draws students from the heart of Denver and throughout the suburbs.
“Kids can take music lessons online anytime,” he said. “ e whole point is we want them in-person, working together. We’re trying to get people to get along. at’s where we as a society are struggling. How can we all get along and understand each other? e music is just the gateway, the language by which they communicate.”
His students’ words suggest Olde is having an impact.
“When I thought of music before, I really thought more about, this note is A or B,” said Westminster’s Cullan Wright, 13, who’d played French horn in his school band before enrolling at Colorado AMP. “Now I understand it’s more about chords, how di erent things meld together.
“Before when I was playing, I was only thinking about my part,” he continued. “I would use someone else as a cue to come in. But for the most part, I wasn’t listening to other kids.”
Olde also discovered the power of music while playing with his peers. As a teen at Littleton High School, he experienced bene ts that went far beyond music’s immediate psychological rewards.
“At 15, I formed a band with some friends; that was a huge piece of what got me through high school,” Olde said. “ ose were my best friends, and the band was a fundamental part of my selfesteem. It gave me the con dence I needed to get through high school.”
ose bonds went so deep that 35 years later, Olde is still playing with one of his high school bandmates in the group Trouble Bound. e band recently played at Evergreen’s Aug. 3 Mountain Music Fest.
Olde was a college music major and early in his career, worked with at-risk kids as an AmeriCorps teacher. at experience sparked his interest in a music school open to children from families of all income levels.
“We were teaching anger and con ict management skills to kids,” said Olde, a father of two. “I learned that the time when kids get in the most trouble is between when school ends and when Mom and Dad get home from work. at’s the time I want kids to be doing something positive.”
Colorado AMP is designed for children ages 10 to 15 who love music. Skill level or family income
is not a factor. e school o ers sliding scale fees and full scholarships. Drawing kids from di erent backgrounds is key to ful lling Olde’s mission.
“My vision has always been that we’d have a kid from Sterling who likes country and one from Aurora who likes hip hop,” he said. “In real life, the two would never meet. But here, they hear one another’s music and play together. You start to understand somebody else’s perspective.
“It’s not hugely di erent from School of Rock,” he continued. “But our goal is to get to those kids who can’t a ord School of Rock.”
While Colorado AMP was intended to be primarily an after-school program and o ers individual lessons, specialty workshops and after-school programs, its summer music camps generate the highest turnout.
During the camps, kids practice in small groups for two weeks and then do a live performance. Students can choose to play guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards or sing. Olde typically contracts with teachers to instruct the summer programs.
Broomfield’s Davis Maurney, 11, focuses during an end-of-camp performance at Colorado AMP.
PHOTO BY LINDA MAURNEY
MUSIC
Westminster parent Kerstin Wright’s two sons have gone to Colorado AMP’s summer camp for two years running.
“I was a little skeptical when we went the rst time that by the end of two weeks we’d be attending a concert with them playing these instruments,” she said. “My kids had never had any experience with playing a bass guitar, an electric guitar or drum set. I was astonished. It was such a huge fun surprise to see them up on stage that rst time.”
Not only did her sons learn to play the instruments, they created a band name and logo, and produced a promotional video.
“ ey just had some very cool and di erent experiences they’d never had anywhere else,” Wright said. “ ey met some new kids, and some really awesome adults who have a passion for music and kids. at was also a win.”
Cullan Wright said it’s changed the way he listens to music.
“Whenever I’m listening to a song now, I can hear the piano part or the bass part,” he said. “I really do appreciate how much time they have to put into everything.”
Eleven-year-old Cooper Wright also saw his musical world expand after the summer camps.
“It’s opened up some more music genres,” he said. “(Before) it was kinda like whatever is on for me. I knew about bands like Nirvana and Green Day. But once we played a Nirvana song, I really got into it. Now I think I listen for more genres than just whatever.”
Cooper played both drums and guitar during his two Colorado AMP summer camps.
“ ey’re really good at simplifying things to make it kid-friendly,” he said. “I like the other kids there, and just getting to play and learn new instruments is pretty fun.”
It’s been fun for their mother, too, who said she now hears them talking in the car in great detail about a song playing on the stereo.
“So much of what kids do nowadays is screenbased; I feel like they don’t get a lot of opportunity to get creative,” she said. “For me, it’s important to create those opportunities that are meaningful and interesting to them.”
Broom eld’s Linda Maurney and her son and daughter had a similar experience. Son Davis, 11, has done the summer music camp for three years. Davis already owned a guitar but before Colorado AMP, he said he barely touched it.
“Now I’ve learned new things and it’s more fun to play guitar,” he said. “It really helped me practice.”
Davis said his favorite moment at each camp is the nal performance.
“It’s fun to play on a stage,” he said. “You come together as a band, and it’s fun to see how you sound.”
Linda Maurney said she’s watched her children’s musical con dence grow with each camp experience.
“My son’s talking about starting his own band,” she said. “He brought two of his friends to camp,
LEARN MORE ABOUT COLORADO AMP
Address: 8141 N I-70 Frontage Road, Unit 7B, Arvada, CO 80002.
You can apply for camps and classes or make a donation online.
and now they do it together. ey’re engaged with other kids, for a common purpose. ey’re listening to and reading music, trying to gure it out. You can almost see that their brains are more activated.”
So far this summer, about 60 students have participated in Colorado AMP’s summer camps. While this basic formula’s been a winner, Olde is experimenting with alternative ideas, too. Earlier this year, the school hosted a Taylor Swift workshop, a four-Saturday program in which students learned and performed three Swift hits.
As the program has evolved, so too have its participants.
“ is year I had a student who was missing a hand,” Olde said. “In that same camp, I had a kid with a speech disability. We’ve had kids with autism. …I think a lot of kids on the spectrum gravitate toward music. ey can nd their voice through it. So that’s been cool.”
For Olde, the best moment of any program comes at the end — when students take everything they’ve learned and showcase it to friends and family.
“ at last day of camp when they do their performance is my favorite,” he said. “We try to have as polished a performance as we can. at sometimes means we as teachers are in there playing with them. We want them to think, ‘Whoa, this sounds really good.’ ey feel so proud of themselves. Everything’s worth it for that day.”
Students rehearse at Colorado AMP during a summer music camp. They include Julian Luby from Wheatridge on piano, Anya Beneski (wearing glasses) from Wheatridge on vocals, Molly Roman from Lakewood on vocals, Isaac Press from Lakewood on bass, and Khalil Foster from Arvada on guitar.
Cooper Wright and Davis Maurney show o their Colorado AMP IDs during a recent summer camp. COURTESY PHOTO
PHOTO BY JANE REUTER
Interest-free cash flow loan program helps Colorado schools
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Several of Colorado’s urban, suburban and rural school districts are set to take advantage of an interestfree loan program o ered by the state’s treasury department just as educators, sta , and administrators are preparing to welcome students back to school.
In July, state Treasurer Dave Young announced the sale of $508.7 million of 2024 Education Tax Revenue Anticipation Notes that will bene t 24 participating public school districts across the state.
Young, who taught middle school in Greeley for 24 years, explained that Colorado’s school districts receive a combination of state and federal funds along with property tax dollars each year to keep their
schools running smoothly, ensure teachers and educators are paid and contribute to sta retirement and health care funds.
“While districts receive monthly equalization payments from the state, they don’t receive property tax funds until the Spring,” Young said. “Districts that receive more of their funding from property tax revenue have less cash ow early in the school year, making it more di cult for them to operate through cash ow shortages.”
Young compared the issue to managing a household budget.
“If you have a steady paycheck, you can budget for monthly expenses fairly easily,” he said. “But, say, if you’re someone who relies on a quarterly commission or yearly bonus, you know the money is coming but may have a gap in what you
can a ord until it hits your bank account.”
To qualify for the program, districts must prove they’ll experience a de cit until property taxes come in, and they must pay back the loan by the end of the school year. Because of the loan’s short window, districts don’t have to ask for taxpayer approval like they do for long-term bonded debt.
Additionally, the cash ow loan program is speci cally for operational expenses, not capital projects. Districts can’t use the loan funds to build new schools or purchase equipment like HVAC systems.
e following districts participated in the Series 2024A Notes:
• Adams 14
• Aspen School District RE-1
• Aurora School District (Arapahoe 28J)
• Bennett 29J
• Boulder Valley School District RE-2
• Cherry Creek (Arapahoe 5)
• Denver School District 1
• Douglas County RE-1
• Eagle County RE-50
• East Grand School District
• Englewood (Arapahoe 1)
• Estes Park (Larimer R-3)
• Gilcrest (Weld 1)
• Huerfano
• Johnstown-Milliken (Weld RE5J)
• Lake County (Leadville)
• Littleton (Arapahoe 6)
• Mapleton (Adams 1)
• Poudre (Larimer R-1)
• Roaring Fork (Gar eld)
• Summit County RE-1
• ompson (Larimer R2-J)
• Windsor (Weld RE-4)
REVERSE MORTGAGES MADE EASY
Colorado once again breaks tourism records
State sees 31% increase in travelers in the last decade
BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
e Colorado tourism industry is still on a tear. Since 2010 — minus the global meltdown in travel during the pandemic years — Colorado has hosted record numbers of visitors leaving record-setting amounts of cash in their wake.
A total of 93.3 million travelers in Colorado spent $28.3 billion in 2023. Both those numbers are all-time highs. For reference, that compares with what was then a record in 2014, when 71.3 million visitors spent $18.6 billion in Colorado.
ere are more travelers spending more in Colorado than ever before, according to Longwoods International, a visitor research rm that began tallying the impacts of U.S. tourism in the 1980s. Colorado was the rst state to engage Longwoods to survey visitors in 1986.
“It’s great to keep it moving in the right direction,” said Tim Wolfe, the head of the Colorado Tourism Ofce.
Longwoods’ 82-page 2023 report identi es travelers who came to Colorado after seeing an ad campaign or promotional materials promoting the state as a vacation destination.
e Colorado Tourism O ce spends $12.7 million a year on media advertising, with $11 million of that directed toward the state’s 12-year-old “Come To Life” campaign and the remaining spent on the o ce’s “Do Colorado Right” ads, which this year, for example, focused on how to stay safe in Colorado with messages that promote life vests around the state’s lakes and re safety when camping.
In 2023, travelers responding to marketing booked an estimated 21.6 million overnight trips in Colorado, down 4% from the previous year, while travelers staying with friends and family stayed 14.8 million nights in 2023, a new high, up 14% from 2022.
Overnight visitors spent $22.9 billion, while an estimated 53.8 daytripping visitors in 2023 — a record
number of people taking day trips to or within the state — spent $5.5 billion, which was nearly evenly split between in-state residents and outof-state visitors.
About 5 million of those overnight trips were booked by vacationers coming to Colorado to explore the outdoors. About 2.7 million overnight trips were from people in Colorado for special events and 1.1 million visited resorts. e 2023 Longwood reports show about 2 million overnight trips involved people staying in cities and 1.3 million overnight trips were for people visiting Colorado’s casinos.
An economic review of tourism in Colorado by Dean Runyan and Associates, which also has been studying the state’s tourism travelers for decades, showed visitor spending of more than $28 billion employed 188,000 workers in 2023, up 5% — or 9,450 jobs — from 2022. And those workers earned $9.9 billion in 2023, up 13% from the previous year.
State and local tax revenue paid by tourists grew to $1.8 billion in 2023, generating the equivalent of $800 for every Colorado household.
Business travel to Colorado still waiting for a rebound
Business travel has yet to rebound following the pandemic, with Colorado logging 3 million overnight trips from those travelers. at’s up slightly from 2022, but well below more than 25 years of annual business tra c to the state reaching more than 4 million overnight trips. e Colorado Tourism O ce recently distributed $4.8 million in Tourism Recovery Marketing Grants to seven regions of the state through the federal Economic Development Administration. About half of that went to Front Range communities that have been slow to rebound from the pandemic declines, especially with business travelers.
But the grants to communities in metro Denver, the northern Front Range and around Colorado Springs were not necessarily focused on rebuilding business tra c, which has seen a decline as part of an overall business shift toward remote work
In my July 2023 essay “Like I Used To,” I wrote about how even though I can’t do many of the activities like I could when I was a spry 50- or even a 60-something, I still can do them, just not as quickly, as fast or as hard. e point was that we seniors don’t necessarily need to give up the ghost on activities we enjoyed in our younger years. Instead, we just need to acknowledge the vehicle that carried us to where we are now is inexorably wearing out and breaking down.
Twenty- rst-century technological and medical advancements have provided replacement parts and xes for many of the mechanistic aspects of our bodies—e.g., knees, hips, stents, prostheses—but they haven’t produced the elixir for the vital rest. Sclerosis sets in, muscles, even if regularly exercised, lose strength, and the brain’s neuroplasticity declines.
While that’s true overall, it’s important to keep in mind that everyone ages di erently. For some, the mind declines rst, and for others, the body. Regardless, the reality is
Exiting with dignity
JERRY FABYANIC Columnist
we all age. ere are no exceptions. No one gets out alive. It’s nature’s way of clearing out the old to make way for the new.
One of my latelife blessings is consorting with active friends who pursue a range of interests and skills. It’s uplifting to see how to a one they don’t lose sight they have plenty of life in them despite their aches and pains. ey don’t need to be exhorted to “carpe diem” because they’ve already seized the day they have. Perhaps it’s because they recognize their remaining days are dwindling and their next one might not only be as good as the day they have now, it might be their last. And it’s inspirational to watch octogenarians and nonagenarians pursuing unrelentingly their life’s work. Warren Bu et and multiple great performers, like the late Betty White, readily come to mind. It’s
important to understand, however, their work doesn’t entail life-anddeath consequences for the public writ large, like ensuring the security of the nation.
en there are those who seemingly believe they’re exceptions to the immutable law of nature that says that which lives must die, and its corollary that says if it’s reached a ripened age, it’ll become feeble. ey muddle on and embarrass themselves by bragging how they can still do something like they used to, like keeping their golf game’s handicap.
e political realm seems to be the major one in which age deniers hang on well past their prime. ey convince themselves they’re indispensable, that no one else can ll their shoes. It’s a form of denialism, delusionary self-aggrandizement, and egocentrism. What’s crazy is that they don’t seem to grasp that at some point in the not-too-distant future they’ll be dead and gone and another will take their place. Nature’s kind of funny that way.
e topic of aging was thrust front and center into our national conversation because of the potential of the two dominant political parties nominating for president two men well into their advanced years. One nally faced reality and exited the race with his dignity intact. e other dodders on.
Acceptance is the nal step in Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s process of coming to terms with loss. She delin-
eated it in relation to the end-of-life scenario, but it’s applicable to much more. Loss involves pretty much every aspect of our lives, from career to physical and mental abilities.
When forced to give something up or if it’s taken away, a healthy, balanced mind nds and engages in worthwhile, ful lling activities. e less-so clings to whatever they held close or de ned them. ey do so for fear their new garb will pale in comparison to the golden ring, eece, or crown they’re currently wearing and that they’ll no longer be considered relevant and be in the spotlight.
In “As You Like It,” William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances.” Entrances are the easy part. Exits not so much.
In the theater, there’s a wisecrack line about an actor who refuses to exit the stage: “Get the hook!” It comes to mind when watching and listening to long-in-the-tooth elderlies trumpet they’re as t as the ddles they once were when it’s clearly evident they’re not.
Great character includes a plethora of noble attributes. One is accepting one has aged out and it’s high time to exit the stage while they have their dignity and before the audience yells, “Get the hook!”
Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.
TOURISM
and online meetings.
“I wonder if there would be a huge return on investment trying to bring business travel back,” Wolfe said. “So now we are seeing people thinking about how they can replace that business traveler, maybe by boosting leisure travel.”
e largest expenditure for visitors to Colorado is lodging, accounting for $6.2 billion in spending, followed by transportation, dining, recreation and retail. Spending in those four categories climbed in 2023. e average cost per person for an overnight trip to Colorado was $580, up from $550 in 2022. Daytrippers spend about $101 per person.
Colorado ski resorts reported about 14 million skier visits in the 2023-24 ski season. While Longwoods counts yearly tra c and resorts count seasonal visitors, the discrepancy between these tallies indicates the size of the daytripping skier market, with Colorado residents heading up to ski for the day accounting for the vast majority of skier visits. ( e Colorado resort industry does not release demographic information about its skier tra c.)
their trips through short-term rental web platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo. at is up from 10% in 2022. e Runyan economic analysis shows 2023 visitors spending $15 billion on hotels and motels across the state and $2.5 billion on short-term rental homes. at compares to $14.6 billion spent on hotels and motels in 2022 and $2.3 billion on short-term vacation rentals.
Right now Wolfe’s tourism o ce is working to grow international tra c — which has never recovered from the pandemic decline — as well as extending the length of stay of overnight visitors. e average stay for
Colorado vacationers in 2023 was 4.4 nights, the lowest in six years and below the long-term average.
Longwoods reported that about 13% of overnight visitors booked
“If we could ll those resorts with six- to seven-night stays through the winter, it would be much easier for those communities and the environments,” Wolfe said, noting how shorter visits stress lodging sta with more turnovers while longer stays provide more revenue with fewer impacts. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
Tubers hike down the stairs at Clear Creek Canyon Park’s Gateway Trailhead Aug. 5. These tubers and others took the Adventure West shuttle to the trailhead rather than walking along the Clear Creek Trail through downtown Golden.
PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
HAPPENINGS
We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit www.canyoncourier. com/calendar/ and post your event online for free. Email jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the newspaper. Items will appear in print on a space-available basis.
UPCOMING
Evergreen Fire wild re presentation “Evacuation planning workshop”: 6 p.m., Sept. 5, 1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen.
Big Chili Cook-O : 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 7, Buchanan Park, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. Fundraiser for mountain-area re ghters. Music, games, chili tastings, awards. Visit bigchili.org for more information.
A Taste of Peace fundraiser for Peaceworks: 5 p.m. Sept. 8, Ebony & Vine, 27191 Main St., Conifer, Proceeds support survivors of relationship violence, their children and pets. Visit peaceworksinc.co for more information.
Evergreen EverCLEAN @ Arrowhead Park: 1 p.m. Sept. 13, Parmalee Gulch Road and Isoleta Road in Indian Hills, Morrison. Volunteers needed, supplies will be provided. evergreenrecreation. com
Wildlife Watch volunteers needed for elk rut season: New volunteer training at 5 p.m. Sept. 13 at Evergreen Lake. Return volunteer training via Zoom 6:30 p.m Sept. 12..To volunteer, email info@ wildaware.org.) Volunteers will cover weekends at Evergreen Lake from Sept. 20 – Oct. 27.
Evergreen Fire wild re presentation “Community Wild re
Center for the Arts Evergreen 130 for $150 fundraiser: 5 p.m.Sept. 13, 31880 Rocky Village Dr, Evergreen, Annual fundraiser featuring donated works from local artists and collectors. evergreenarts.org
AWAKE Yoga + Wellness Festival: Sept. 13-15, Buchanan Park, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. Yoga and holistic health workshops, nature hikes, live music, kirtan, conscious dance, camping, food. Passes for one class or full weekend available at awakefest. love
TEE o for Taste: 11:30 a.m. Sept. 17, Evergreen Public Golf Course, 29614 Upper Bear Creek Rd., Evergreen. Winning team will be invited to be on the judging panel that evening at Taste of Evergreen. evergreenchamber.org.
Taste of Evergreen: 5 p.m.Sept. 17, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Food, drinks, music. Tickets: evergreenchamber.org
“Hard Hats & High Heels”: 6 p.m. Sept. 18, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity fundraiser. bluesprucehabitat.org.
32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. Fundraiser for Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice. evergreenoktoberfest.org.
Morrison Ciderfest: 10 a.m. to dark, Sept. 28,150 Summer Street, Morrison. Live music, beer, hard cider, kids events, silent auction. morrisonciderfest.org.
Walk For Alopecia: 8:30 a.m. Sept. 28, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Rd, Evergreen. Register ahead online and/ or donate at https://support.naaf. org/team/586016.
Beginner Tai Chi Chuan Classes: 11:45 a.m. Sept. 10-Nov. 19. Register: online at evergreenrecreation.com or call 720-880-1100 or in person at Buchanan Park Rec Center.
Buchanan Park Family Movie Night with “Blue Beetle”: 6 p.m. Sept. 27, Buchanan Park, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. evergreenrecreation.com
Evergreen’s 24th annual Alternative Gift Fair: Applications due Sept. 1 for the Nov. 9-10 event at Evergreen Lutheran Church. Motto is “Buy Once, Gift Twice” with all proceeds returned to vendor charities selling products at event.
Interested vendors seeking a booth to sell wares that support their non-pro ts must have 501(c)3 status and need to provide IRS-qualifying information. Email: alternativegiftfair2021@gmail.com for an application packet or to volunteer for the fair.
Evergreen Oktoberfest: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21, Buchanan Park,
Evergreen Fire/Rescue Health & Safety Day: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 28, 1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen.Free pancake breakfast, educational booths, touch-a-truck, re ghter skills demonstrations, and lessons in both hands-only CPR and Stop-the-Bleed.
Evergreen Newcomers and Neighbors annual open house: 10 a.m. Oct. 5 from 10 a.m.m Buchanan Park Rec Center, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. evergreennewcomers.com
ONGOING
Evergreen Farmers Market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday, Hiwan Heritage Park, 28473 Meadow Dr, Evergreen.
El Rancho Farmers Market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday, El Rancho, 29260 US 40, Evergreen.
Growing Out West Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ursdays through Labor Day. Cactus Jack’s, 4651 County Hwy 73, Evergreen.
Evergreen Cars & Co ee: 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday through
HAPPENINGS, P20
HAPPENINGS
Aug. 31, 3639 Evergreen Parkway, Evergreen.
Evergreen Audubon Weekly Preschool Adventures Program: 9 to 10 a.m. every ursday starting May 16, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Free & no registration required. Bring your child aged 2-5 years old to the Nature Center each week for nature
NOTICE
This is notice that Comfort Dental Evergreen will be destroying old records of former patients that were last seen in the years 2015 and 2016.
In compliance with state regulations, if you are a former patient that was last seen in those years, you will have until September 20, 2024 to request a copy of these records.
Comfort Dental Evergreen may be reached at 303-674-6070 or via email at evergreen@comfortdental.biz
exploration. All children must have an adult in attendance. Dress to explore the outdoors. More info at evergreenaudubon.org.
Evergreen Nature Center Monthly Family Program: 11 a.m. to noon, every last Saturday, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Monthly topics could include native wild owers and seed bombs, dissecting owl pellets, live animal encounters, and more. evergreenaudubon.org
e American Legion Evergreen Post 2001: Meets every fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m., Evergreen Church of the Trans guration, 27640 Highway 74, Evergreen. Serving all military veterans in the foothills communities. Email evergreenpost2001@ gmail.com
Evergreen Camera Club: Meets every second Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Evergreen Fire/Rescue auditorium, 1802 Bergen Pkwy, Evergreen. Club is for people who share a passion for all photography, from beginners to professionals. Attend in person or via ZOOM.
tainevergreen.org for more information.
Evergreen Nature Center: e Evergreen Nature Center is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays next to Church of the Trans guration. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.EvergreenAudubon.org.
Blue Spruce Habitat volunteers needed: Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers. A variety of opportunities and exible schedules are available on new construction sites as well as for exterior minor home repairs. No previous construction experience needed. Contact volunteer@bluesprucehabitat.org for information.
meets every fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 o ce. For ages 14 and up. Suggested donation for this group is $15. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.
Sensitive Collection: Resilience1220 strives to inform and support highly sensitive people to live healthy and empowered lives. It meets the third Wednesday of each month from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.
Caregiver support group: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice o ers a monthly group to provide emotional support services for caregivers helping ill, disabled or elderly loved ones. An in-person support group meets Wednesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. at 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen. For more information, visit mtevans.org/services/emotional-support/.
FAMILY CAMPOUT
Evergreen Area Republican Club: e Evergreen Area Republican Club meets at 6 p.m. the rst Wednesday of the month at the Evergreen Fire/ Rescue Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway. Information at evergreenarearepublicanclub.org
Mountain Area Democrats: Mountain Area Democrats meet at 9 a.m. the fourth Saturday of the month January through April at the United Methodist Church of Evergreen, 3757 Ponderosa Drive, Evergreen. For more information, e-mail MountainAreaDems@gmail.com.
Evergreen Sustainability Alliance is looking for volunteers: Evergreen Sustainability Alliance’s
EChO needs volunteers: e Evergreen Christian Outreach ReSale Store and food pantry need volunteers. Proceeds from the EChO ReSale Store support the food pantry and programs and services provided by EChO. ere are many volunteer options from which to choose. For more information, call Mary at 720673-4369 or email mary@evergreenchristianoutreach.org.
LGBTQ+ teen book club: Resilience1220 is o ering an LGBTQ+ teen book club that meets from 4-6 p.m. the fourth Monday at the Resilience1220 o ce next to the Buchanan Park Recreation Center. For more information and to register, visit R1220.org.
ESA EverGREEN Re ll Station: EverGREEN Re ll Station (re ll your laundry detergent, lotions, soaps and more. We have many sustainable products available). e Re ll Station is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and the second Saturday of each month from 1-4 p.m. in the Habitat Restore, 1232 Bergen Parkway.
Support After Suicide Loss: A safe place to share and learn after losing a loved one to suicide. is group
Parkinson’s disease support group: A Parkinson’s disease support group meets the rst Friday of the month from 1-3 p.m. at Evergreen Christian Church, 27772 Iris Drive, Evergreen. For more information, email esears@parkinsonrockies.org.
Mountain Foothills Rotary meetings: Mountain Foothills Rotary meets at 6 p.m. Wednesdays both in person at Mount Vernon Canyon Club, 24933 Club House Circle, Genesee, and via Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom. us/j/81389224272, meeting ID 813 8922 4272, phone 346-248-7799.
Beyond the Rainbow: Resilience1220 o ers Beyond the Rainbow, which is two support groups that meet the second Tuesday of the month. One is a safe group for those 12-20 and the other is a group for parents and caregivers wanting support for raising an LGBTQ+ child. For group location and to RSVP, email heather@resilience1220.org.
Evergreen football’s youth movement: Cougars rebuild into 2024
Cougars look to improve from last year’s 2-8 season
BY JOHN RENFROW
Matt Van Praag took over the head coaching job for Evergreen High School football in 2020 after a decade of assistant coaching experience for the program, and quickly hit the ground running. Under Van Praag, the Cougars enjoyed three straight winning seasons.
If you look at 2023, it may seem like
a down year at 2-8. And it was, relatively. But it’s really the result of what Van Praag called the beginning of a “youth movement” for the Cougars.
“We had lost 24 seniors the year before that were pretty talented; we have ve or six playing in college now,” Van Praag said. “Last year, by the end of the year, we were starting eight freshmen, so we’re kind of in a rebuild phase and playing a lot of young guys.” is year, there are only 10 upperclassmen on the squad, which normally would feel daunting, he said. But it’s an encouraging group
in general.
Dedication to o season programs is stronger than ever, and as a result, the team is much closer than in recent years, Van Praag said.
“We have a really good incoming freshmen class that we’re excited about, and when you compare that to the returning sophomores, we feel really good about the future,” Van Praag said. “We had over 85% attendance this year, which is the highest since I’ve been here, so the kids are really dedicated to the program. (Athletic Director Maddy Hornecker) was able to get us an athletic pe-
riod for seventh period which really helped to get the kids into the weight room.” at extra training has already resulted in broken weight room records since December, he added.
Two of the record-breakers are also leaders he’ll rely on heavily this season: left guard Hudson Steber and right guard Caedmon Haddad. e two senior leaders have been going at it in the best way.
“Hudson is being recruited pretty heavily at the lower DI level. He’s go-
Evergreen football players huddle together under parkas trying to keep warm during a cold Mountain Bowl game in 2023.
PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG
FOOTBALL
ing to play some defensive tackle for us and some o ensive guard,” Van Praag said. “Caedmon is a kid that’s really come along; hadn’t played football before high school. We’ve just seen him consistently develop … played some middle linebacker for us and had over 130 tackles last year as a junior, so we’re really excited about his progress and where we see him growing as a senior.”
en there’s senior Josh Bittner, who Van Praag said will most likely be the team’s quarterback this year as well as an outside linebacker.
“I’ve had every Bittner known to man on my roster in the past,” he said. “He’s a kid who really led us even last year through some tough times.”
Van Praag knows 2-8 isn’t indicative of the Cougars’ program, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to set lofty and pressurized expectations on his team.
ere have been a lot of new schemes implemented this year, which can take some time to get comfortable with. With new terminology, new plays and new roles, Van Praag said it’s “extremely di erent” than what the team has done in the past.
“And so, we expect that it’s going to turn into more wins as a result because I think the scheme ts our personnel a lot better than it did last year,” Van Praag said. “So I certainly
looks like, I’m not sure … e expectation is more about development, it’s more about getting kids individual accomplishments and making sure the kids can grow each and every practice to make sure that we’re heading toward that almost three- or four-year goal rather than a year-toyear goal.”
Battle Mountain was supposed to play Evergreen in week one at the end of the month, but Van Praag said the team recently canceled. So, the Cougars will scrimmage someone around week one and then set their focus on week two, which will be the real rst game of the season. It’ll be at Montbello on Sept. 6.
He’s anxious to see his team go to battle with another; it’ll be an illuminating litmus test for what is a strong 2024 schedule.
“Our goal is just to get better every single day,” Van Praag said. “You really don’t set these large expectations and place that on the kids; we just want to see improvement. And so far, we have seen that. We’re further along now than we have been at this point in other seasons, so that’s exciting. We’re ready to play somebody else at this point and we’ve only practiced for two days in the fall. So, the guys have bought into the idea that we’re going to concentrate on goals we can handle today and see where the chips fall.”
expect us to be better than we were last year record-wise. What that
For Evergreen’s full 2024 football schedule and roster, visit www.maxpreps.com/co/evergreen/evergreencougars/football/.
expecdevelopment, individmaking evwe’re or year-toto the said the someone their the be to illumistrong ev“You expectawe And furat that’s somewe’ve the into concentoday football www.max-
Colorado counted fewer start-ups this year
Research notes sharpest decrease in new businesses since 2005
BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN
A 21.7% dip in folks ling to start a business in Colorado during the second quarter was largely attributed to the end of a program more than a year ago that reduced ling fees to $1, according to the latest quarterly data from the Colorado Secretary of State’s O ce.
“It was the sharpest decrease yearover-year in the state (that) we’ve been tracking since 2005. at’s both in percentage terms and absolute numbers,” said Brian Lewandowski, executive director of University of Colorado’s Business Research Division, which analyzed the data for the Secretary of State’s O ce.
New business lings reached a second-quarter high last year at 54,940. e fee returned to $50 in June 2023 and now, one year later, lings dropped to 43,029 for the quarter. at’s still above prior years, including years before the pandemic.
Lewandowski called it “a normalization of activity because of that somewhat anomalous growth we experi-
enced with that fee reduction a year ago,” he said during a recent news conference.
e new-business decline, however, coincided with a higher number of companies delinquent in renewals or ling proper documents. e number of delinquencies is up by almost 91,000 from a year ago. Overall though, the state has more companies in good standing to 963,373, up 17,500 from a year ago.
“Colorado businesses are staying in business,” Secretary of State Jena Griswold said. But, she added, “ e cost of renewing a business just went up and that is because the state legislature two years ago passed increased reimbursements for county elections without funding it from the general fund.” at means her o ce has to come up with extra funding, so it’s tapping business registration fees to support the reimbursements, the o ce said.
Filing fees for a company’s periodic reports are $25. It’d been at $10 since 2006.
e quarterly report also pointed to positive data in a weaker economy. While Colorado’s job growth has slowed from last year, the number of new jobs added is up 1.4% through June and ranked near the middle of all U.S. states for job growth.
dropped to 1.4. However, that’s better than the national ratio of 1.2 openings per unemployed worker. Colorado’s GDP also improved 2.3% between fourth quarter 2023 to rst quarter this year, ranking the state 18th nationwide.
there’s still in ation. But ultimately, the two economists are not translating the indicators as signs that the economy is receding.
But some other nancial data is concerning, said Richard Wobbekind, faculty director of CU’s Leeds School of Business who works with Lewandowski. It’s about consumer spending slowing and their rising debt.
Feeling overwhelmed bythechaosofworkandlife?
e number of job openings for every unemployed Coloradan is no longer two per unemployed worker, but
“We are seeing increased delinquencies on auto loans and credit cards at this particular point in time,” he said. “ ere seems to be a slowing of use of credit cards even by the higher income folks who still have excess savings and the wherewithal.”
“Our o ce does not believe the U.S. is currently in a recession. We also don’t believe that one is imminent,” Lewandowski said. “Seeing GDP growth, seeing continued employment growth, albeit slow, seeing growth in income, seeing the labor force growth, seeing the in ation really moderate — all of this we think is good news and it doesn’t really signal that we’re on the precipice of a sharp downturn in economic activity.” is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
Bergen Park Church is a group of regular people who strive to improve ourselves and our community by studying the Bible and sharing our lives with each other. On Sunday mornings you can expect contemporary live music, Children’s Ministry that seeks to love and care for your kids, teaching from the Bible, and a community of real people who are imperfect, but seek to honor God in their lives. We hope to welcome you soon to either our 9:00AM or 10:30AM Sunday service.
Search Bergen Park Church on YouTube for Livestream service at 9:00am 31919 Rocky Village Dr. 303-674-5484 info@bergenparkchurch.org / www.BergenParkChurch.org
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH SERVICES
28244 Harebell Lane
Sunday Service & Sunday School 10am
Wednesday Evening 7:00pm, Zoom options available
Contact: clerk@christianscienceevergreen.com for ZOOM link Reading Room 4602 Pletner Lane, Unit 2E, Evergreen OPEN TUE-SAT 12PM - 3PM
CHURCH OF THE HILLS PRESBYTERIAN (USA)
Serving the mountain community from the heart of Evergreen Worship 10:00 a.m.
Reverend Richard Aylor
O ce Hours: Tu-Thur 9:00 - 4:00; Fri 9:00 - noon Bu alo Park Road and Hwy 73 www.churchofthehills.com
WORSHIP DIRECTORY
CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION EPISCOPAL
In-Church: Sunday Communion Quiet Service 8:00 am & with Music 10:15 am 10:15 am only Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86017266569
In-Meadow: 2nd Sunday of the month at 9:30 a.m. --June through September— 27640 Highway 74 – ¼ mile east of downtown Evergreen at the Historic Bell Tower www.transfigurationevergreen.org
CONGREGATION BETH EVERGREEN (SYNAGOGUE)
Reconstructionist Synagogue
Rabbi Jamie Arnold www.BethEvergreen.org / (303) 670-4294 2981 Bergen Peak Drive (behind Life Care)
DEER PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Pastor Joyce Snapp, Sunday Worship 10 AM
Located one mile west of Pine Junction just o Rt. 285 966 Rim Rock Road, Bailey (303) 838-6759
All are welcome to our open/inclusive congregation!
EVERGREEN LUTHERAN CHURCH 5980 Highway 73 + 303-674-4654
Rev. Terry Schjang
Join us for worship in person or on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EvergreenLutheranChurch Sunday Worship held at 9am. www.evergreenlutheran.org + All Are Welcome!
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY CHURCH – EPC
1036 El Rancho Rd, Evergreen – (303) 526-9287 www.lomcc.org – o ce@lomcc.org
Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m., with communion every Sunday “Real Church In An UnReal World”
A community empowered by the Holy Spirit which seeks authentic relationships with God and others to share the good news of Jesus with Evergreen, the Front Range and the world. Come as you are, all are welcome!
PLATTE CANYON COMMUNITY CHURCH
Located: 4954 County Road 64 in Bailey. O ce hours MWF 8am-1pm 303-838-4409, Worship & Children’s Church at 10am Small group studies for all ages at 9am
Transitional Pastor: Mark Chadwick Youth Pastor: Jay Vonesh Other activities: Youth groups, Men’s/Women’s ministries, Bible studies, VBS, MOPS, Cub/Boy Scouts.
ROCKLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH
“Connecting all generations to Jesus”
Please check our website, www.Rockland.church, for updated service times ¼ mile north of I-70 at exit 254 17 S Mt. Vernon Country Club Rd., Golden, CO 80401 303-526-0668
SHEPHERD OF THE ROCKIES LUTHERAN CHURCH
Missouri Synod. 106 Rosalie Road, Bailey, CO 303-838-2161 Pastor Pete Scheele Sunday Worship Service; 9 a.m., Fellowship Time; 10:15 a.m., Sunday School & Bible Class; 10:45 a.m. www.shepherdoftherockies.org
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF EVERGREEN Rev. Sarah Clark • 303.674.4810 • www.evergreenumc.org 3757 Ponderosa Dr. across Hwy 74 from Safeway in Evergreen Join us in
Full-time, year-round position. Required quali cations: Colorado P.O.S.T. certi cation, valid driver’s license, ability to pass extensive background check, psychological assessment, and interview. Patrol experience is preferred. The successful candidate must reside within 50 miles of Georgetown. The salary range is $55,000 - $72,500 depending on quali cations. Excellent bene ts including fully paid medical insurance, vision, dental, disability and retirement for employee. Full job description and application form are available at Town Hall, 404 6th Street, Georgetown and online at www.town.georgetown.co.us/employment.htm. For more information call 303-569-2555 x3. Email Cover Letter, Resume, and completed Application to townadmin@townofgeorgetown.us. Posting will remain open until 5:00 p.m. December 31, 2024, or until lled. Serious applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, and interviews may begin when quali ed applicants are reviewed.
Estate Sales
CONIFER ESTATE SALE
27203 Arrowhead Lane, Conifer 80433
Aug. 23-25, 9am - 3pm Friday - Sunday
This will be the second and most important sale to liquidate the estate of the owners of the Cheshire Cat Antique Gallery (Evergreen). The best of the best was kept in their home, museum quality. The home is filled with their collections,which includes oil lamps, clocks, Steiffs, biscuit jars, 1800’s dolls, china (Royal Doulton, Lladro, Weller, Spode, Lalique, Roseville, Royal Copenhagen, Belleek, Rosenthal, Royal Albert, & Nippon), cut glass, sterling, vintage hats, metal toys, & piano babies. Outstanding furniture includes: victorian oak, mission, round table w chairs & 2 leaves, hall tree, bookcases, secretaries, dressers, desks, file cabinets, country, & numerous ornate mirrors. There is fabulous lighting, vintage clothing, Buck’s stove, taxidermy, brass & copper, woodworking tools (hand & power), & holiday. Too many unique gift items.
Please wait at bottom of driveway, no earlies. Parking will be on road.
Payment accepted will be cash, credit card over $40, and Venmo. Owners and individuals conducting the sale are not responsible for accidents.
Please be mindful of our neighbors, do not park in front of driveways or mailboxes. Must bring help to load all items. Merchandise must be picked up by Monday following the sale.
Garage and Estate Sales
Garage Sales
The MOUNTAIN CLUB is gratefully accepting donations beginning Sat. 8/17 for their Labor Day Weekend Flea Market held on Sat 8/31 and Sun. 9/1, 9-5. Please no TV’s, monitors, computers, printers, mattresses, or tires. 12795 US Highway 285, Conifer. 720-326-8037
Estate Sales
Estate Furniture Sale
Saturday & Sunday August 24th & 25th, 9 - 3 Each Day 30706 Bryant Dr., Evergreen. Unit 202. (around back) 50+ Items. Cash & Venmo Only.
Merchandise
Lawn & Garden
Professional lawn service: Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Call now for a free quote. Ask about our first application special! 1-833606-6777
Dental insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400+ procedures. Real dental insurance - not just a discount plan. Get your free Information Kit with details! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/ads #6258
Attention oxygen therapy users! Discover oxygen therapy that moves with you with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. Free information kit. 1-866-4779045
Miscellaneous
Replace your roof w/the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install (military, health & 1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234
Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 7-Year warranty with qualifying purchase* Call 1-855-9486176 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.
Don’t let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-833399-3595
Bath & shower updates in as little as 1 day! Affordable pricesNo payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts available. 1-877-543-9189
Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936
Become a published author We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author`s guide 1-877-7294998 or visit dorranceinfo. com/ads
!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866433-8277
Miscellaneous
Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306
DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/ mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/ Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405
Aging Roof? New Homeowner?
Got Storm Damage? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888-878-9091
Water damage cleanup: A small amount of water can cause major damage to your home. Our trusted professionals dry out wet areas & repair to protect your family & your home value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809. Have zip code!
MobileHelp America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts!
Free brochure! Call 1-888489-3936
Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer.) Offer ends 8/25/24. Call 1-844-501-3208
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Miscellaneous
Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 833-308-1971
Pets
Dogs
Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398 Transportation
Boats and Water Sports
Inflatable boat, 10x4ft, 3 air chambers, DC pump. 303 696 8603.
VISION SERVICE PLAN Insurance (Other)28,819.74 Benefit Plan Fund Total 605,929.87 LAMAR
The
new Lutheran Hospital.
We’re here for life.
From new life, through your entire life, the new Lutheran Hospital can now offer better access to more critical treatments, no matter what happens. Our expanded services, advanced technologies, and unsurpassed compassionate care mean that although we’ve moved, we’re still here for you, and we always will be. Our new location is now open at I-70 and Highway 58!
