Evergreen resident Pam DeMar Riskin carefully avoided Evergreen Lake on her June 3 morning walk, mindful of a trail closure and signs warning of mother elk protecting their newborn calves. Instead, she
and her Australian Shepherd Pumpkin took a trail out of Dedisse Park that led away from the lake. Only a third of a mile up, they rounded a corner and saw a female elk about 10 yards away. Riskin and Pumpkin started backing up. e elk came after them. ey ducked behind a large rock outcropping.
“She came around the rock after us,” Riskin said. “She was coming at my dog, who was scared and trying to defend me. I was screaming. e
Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado
Week of June 3, 2024
Each day at about 8 a.m. a local National Weather Service volunteer observer makes temperature and precipitation observations at the Georgetown Weather Station and wind observations at Georgetown Lake. “Max” and “Min” temperatures are from an NWS digital “Maximum/Minimum Temperature System.” “Mean daily” temperature is the calculated average of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is inches of rainfall plus melted snow. “Snowfall” is inches of snow that accumulated. T = Trace of precipitation or snowfall. NR = Not Reported. “Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake” is the velocity and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred during the 24 hours preceding the observation time. Historic data are based on the period of record for which statistical data have been compiled (about 55 years within the period 1893-2023). Any weather records noted are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set.
Each day at about 8 a.m. a local National Weather Service volunteer observer makes temperature and precipitation observations at the Georgetown Weather Station and wind observations at Georgetown Lake. “Max” and “Min” temperatures are from an NWS digital “Maximum/Minimum Temperature System.” “Mean daily” temperature is the calculated average of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is inches of rainfall plus melted snow. “Snowfall” is inches of snow that accumulated. T = Trace of precipitation or snowfall. NR = Not Reported. “Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake” is the velocity and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred during the 24 hours preceding the observation time. Historic data are based on the period of record for which statistical data have been compiled (about 55 years within the period 1893-2023). Any weather records noted are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set
Day and date of observation (2024)
Most mortgage loans are not assumable, but VA loans are assumable when certain conditions are met. Here’s what I have learned about that.
There are many sellers who are veterans and obtained a VA loan on the home they are now selling. If they don’t need to regain their certificate of eligibility for a VA loan on their replacement home, they can sell their home to anyone — not just a veteran — and let that person assume their VA loan. For the seller to regain their eligibility for a VA loan on their replacement home, the buyer would have to be able to qualify for a VA loan as a veteran.
Wendy Renee, our in-house lender at Golden Real Estate, helped me learn the rules for assuming a VA loan.
Rocket Mortgage has an excellent website explaining those rules and is the source for the following. I’ll post a link to their webpage on our company blog, http://RealEstateToday.substack.com
The good news is that a buyer can assume a VA loan, even if they would not qualify for a VA loan for themselves. If the seller has a VA mortgage at, say, 2.75%, a buyer would get to take over that loan and make the same payments. Not bad, given today’s loan rates over 6 percent!
Conventional loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not
assumable. Sellers with a VA loan will want to take advantage of this crucial selling point over competing listings on the MLS. Every seller who has an existing VA loan should have his listing agent emphasize that fact in the MLS, pointing out its interest rate and that it’s assumable. However, if it’s important to the seller that he regain his entitlement to a VA loan for his replacement home, then it should be noted in the MLS that the seller will only allow an eligible veteran to assume the loan.
Hooray for that veteran, because a new VA loan would probably have an interest rate over 6%.
Although the buyer will not need to meet the military eligibility, he or she will need to meet the financial eligibility requirements of the lender. The lender, not the VA, must approve the assumption. If the lender approves your financial qualifications, you can proceed with the assumption. Note: Lenders are not required by the VA to allow assumption. Most lenders have a minimum FICO score to qualify for a loan. With Rocket Mortgage, that score is 580. Other lenders require a minimum score of 620.
VA loans don’t require a down payment, but in assuming a VA loan, you may be asked for a down payment. Considering that most homes for sale have plenty of equity due to the rise in home
As we navigate the real estate market for the week of June 5th-12th, 2024, it is clear that the market continues to retract. Increased inventory and hesitant buyers have led to significant shifts in market dynamics. Now the key points:
Retraction persists as more inventory enters the market and pending transactions decline, leading to a higher months’ supply of inventory than usual for the second week of June.
The growing inventory and shrinking buyer pool have caused prices to fall slightly as we transition into summer.
Our average daily active listings have increased week over week, with inventory significantly higher compared to the same period last year.
New listings have shown an upward trend, and this activity is expected to continue growing until September. However, pending transactions have declined compared to the previous weekend.
The odds of selling have decreased
values, that’s not very likely.
VA loans require the payment of a funding fee, and that is true for the buyer who assumes a VA loan. That funding fee is 0.5% of the loan amount. As with the original borrower, that fee can be waived if the buyer is a disabled veteran or the spouse of a deceased veteran with a service-related disability.
Compensating for that 0.5% funding fee is the fact that you won’t have other fees, including paying for an appraisal.
A processing fee of $250 to $300 will be charged to the buyer in addition to the funding fee.
Note that the VA is not the lender The loan is merely guaranteed by the VA. The underwriting requirements may differ from lender to lender.
So, how do you find a home on which the seller has a VA loan? Unfortunately, that is a not a searchable field on the
MLS, even for us MLS members. However, if you find a home you want to buy, we can find that property on Realist, an app within the MLS, which tells what kind of loan, if any, was taken out by the seller. And, of course, we can ask the listing agent if that VA loan is still in place and what the current balance and interest rate is. Depending on the buyer’s cash reserves, it may be necessary to apply for a second mortgage.
When the loan is assumed, the seller needs to request a release of liability from the lender. Without that, the seller could be responsible for late payment fees or even default by the new borrower. Ask your lender in advance of agreeing to the assumption whether you will receive a release. If they won’t, that could or should be a deal breaker.
If you’d like help finding a home with a VA loan in place, call us (below).
compared to last week, trending historically below the average for June in previous years.
To balance the market with a 6-month supply of inventory, we would need a significantly higher number of total listings, indicating we are currently far from market equilibrium.
Showings last week were down slightly, with the average number of showings per property and the number of showings required to go under contract showing some fluctuations.
Price reductions were more prevalent this week, with a notable portion of units going under contract after reducing their price. The size of these reductions has remained consistent.
If you are wondering when to list your property this summer, it is advisable to list as soon as possible. Growing inventory and a diminishing buyer pool could lead to longer days on market and potential price reductions. Listing earlier in the summer may help achieve the best possible price for your home.
The sellers designed this 4,603-sq.-ft. home at 6714 Field St. in Arvada for entertaining and were the general contractor when building it in 1985. Spaces for entertaining abound both indoors and on the large wraparound deck, which was rebuilt with Trex two years ago. There's an indoor hot tub in its own room that is well ventilated to avoid moisture-related issues. Oak hardwood floors are on the main level, while the upstairs and the mostly finished basement have wall-to-wall carpeting. All bathrooms and the kitchen are tiled. There is not only a separate den on the main floor, but also a reading room and sewing room upstairs. This home is an early example of passive solar design for exploiting solar gain through thermal mass in the winter but staying cool in the summer. In addition to the solar thermal panels on the roof which provide hot water for the home, there are solar thermal panels built into the south wall of the living room to capture solar gain in the winter for dispersal inside the house after dark. The backyard includes a large garden area and a shed with electricity which has two compartments — a storage area with a concrete floor and a south-facing area with gravel floor and windows to capture solar gain for starting plants in the late winter. There is no HOA and there’s a gate on the north side of the house for parking an RV next to the garage. Take a narrated video tour at www.GRElistings.com, then come to my open house on June 22, 11am to 1pm.
Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851
Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com 1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401
Broker Associates:
JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727
CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855
DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835
GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922
AUSTIN POTTORFF, 970-281-9071
KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428
“Concentrate on giving and the getting will take care of itself.” —Anonymous
elk gave my dog a glancing kick in the side.”
Believing the elk was primarily focused on Pumpkin, Riskin dropped the leash, and Pumpkin ran toward downtown Evergreen with the elk in hot pursuit. e dog easily outdistanced the cow, and Riskin — assuming the worst of the incident was over — headed back down the trail. Moments later, the elk returned and ran after her again. Riskin tucked her body behind a tree and called her husband, then 911.
“It seemed like forever, but it probably took 10 minutes for the Jeffco sheri to get there,” she said. “I stayed on with the dispatcher that whole time, and the nose of the elk was about two feet away on the other side of the tree. It was terrifying. I kept thinking, ‘ is is not how I want to die.’”
e elk nally left when the sheri ’s deputy arrived and shouted at it. Riskin reunited with her husband and Pumpkin, who was safe in downtown Evergreen.
Riskin’s tale is not an isolated one
in Evergreen, or Colorado. e same day she was penned, an elk charged and stomped a 4-year-old boy at an Estes Park playground, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Tales of cow elk charging passersby at Evergreen Lake have ooded local Facebook pages in the past couple of weeks as calving season gets underway. Many are visitors,
who may unwittingly get too close to an elk cow while taking a photograph. But some are locals like Riskin, who’s lived in Evergreen since 2015.
“I’ve hiked in these parks many times, at all times of year,” she said. “We’re very aware, and I listen if I see the signs. We have elk, bears, deer and foxes in our yard. When they’re there, I don’t take my dog out. We watch them from a respectful distance.”
Similar incidents happen each spring, said Evergreen Park & Recreation District executive director Cory Vander Veen. e EPRD manages Evergreen Lake, which is owned by the city and county of Denver.
“Every year we have a handful of elk, usually the same moms, that
love to have their babies on the island,” he said. e islands are designated as wildlife preserves and are o -limits to people at all times, but a pedestrian boardwalk — now temporarily closed for calving season — passes by them. Media reports about the aggressive elk have served to both educate the public and draw the curious, some of whom bypass the trail closure signs.
Volunteers from Evergreen Audubon and Wild Aware are at the lake each weekend during calving season, and Denver Park rangers also patrol the area.
“We do a lot of outreach to educate people on respective distances,” Vander Veen said.
at’s especially important during the spring calving season and fall rut season, when the much larger bull elk often become aggressive.
But 27-year Evergreen resident and wildlife photographer Daniel Rakes thinks the elks’ behavior is different this spring.
“I always take photos during the spring calving season and the rut season; I’ve been doing this quite a few years,” he said. “ is is the most aggressive I have seen the cows with the calves.”
He’s been keeping a particularly close eye on a cow elk at Evergreen Lake. He believes her calf is on one the islands on the lake’s north side, where the trail is now closed.
“It’s understandable if people are really, really close, but last week she ran all the way down the bank above the lake, across the road and down
the bike path after a dog,” he said. “I’ve never seen them that aggressive.”
Linda Engelhart is one of the Evergreen Audubon volunteers who donates her time at the lake educating visitors and warning them when they get too close to an elk. She hasn’t just been taught about the danger; she’s experienced it herself, gaining a hoof-sized bruise on her foot two years ago while trying to retrieve a newspaper from her driveway. She also witnessed a cow elk stomp a dog repeatedly at Evergreen Lake a few years ago after she warned its owners they were too close to the animal. She does not believe the dog survived the encounter.
An adult female elk typically weighs between 500 and 600 pounds. It can run up to 45 mph and jump eight feet, according to Science Trek. “ ey look so complacent and slow and they seem kind of clumsy,” Engelhart said. “People often don’t take the warnings seriously. We are
advised to tell people a mama elk is like a mama bear. Once they’re triggered, you need a suit of armor.”
As Englehart spoke with the Can-
yon Courier, she was walking her dog in her Hiwan Hills neighborhood, armed with an air horn and a walking stick for a potential elk en-
counter.
“I’m taking a di erent route because an elk gave birth in our neighbor’s yard,” she said. “We are not going to walk by her today. I’ve had plenty of encounters over time, and I believe most people in Evergreen who spend a lot of time outdoors with their dogs probably have too.”
Englehart believes the concentration of visitors to Evergreen Lake has grown in the last few years, and that’s fed a rise in elk/human encounters.
“Evergreen’s become more popular, and the encounters are probably worse because of numbers of people, not numbers of elk,” she said. “So many people were ignoring the barricade last weekend. As a volunteer, I felt like I was trying to herd cats.”
Englehart said the female elks’ aggressiveness should ease by late June as the calves get bigger and can move to other areas.
“It is wonderful we share a habitat with these magni cent creatures,” she said. “But there are two times of the year when they’re particularly sensitive to human presence. We just need to give them another month.”
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Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub held the event to raise awareness and money for local shelters
BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COMAt least a hundred people and nearly every kind of dog imaginable descended to downtown Idaho Springs for food, music and community.
e Furlings Fest is an adaptation of the annual Fruhlingsfest in Germany,
which means “spring festival,” according to Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub General Manager Patrick Desmond.
“We just turned it into something to bene t dogs and adoption dog agencies and called it ‘Furlings’ just kind of a fun play on words,” Desmond said during the event June 8.
Dozens of little dogs, big dogs and really big dogs roamed Miner Street during the event in downtown Idaho Springs while their owners listened to music provided by Denver’s Delta Sonics and Coyote Circle.
Tommoyknocker organized the event as a bene t for animal rescues including; Charlie’s Place, Soul Dog, Big Dogs Huge Paws.
Most of the animal shelters set up tents and booths where festival goers could learn more about adoptions from local agencies, donations were accepted and doggy items were for sale.
Two other local breweries, Cabin Creek and Westbound & Down also served eager customers on the spring day that was perfect for furry friends. It appeared that several new friendships were formed as dog owners introduced their “best friends” to one another.
“It gives us a sense of home, gives us a sense of being,” Desmond said. “It’s great to see the city of Idaho Springs really, truly grow and come together to throw this kind of event.”
During our study of American Romantic and Transcendental literature, I would challenge my juniors to choose between two high-risk ventures: Either walk alone late at night down a dark alley in a rough part of town or through the wilds of Alaska, the home of grizzlies and wolves. at led to some raucous exchanges as they debated among themselves. During the followup, large-group debrie ng discussion, two outcomes struck me as particularly telling. e rst was how many spoke about going back and forth as they deciphered what their choice said about them. e second was the number that opted for which scenario.
Since then, I posed that challenge to numerous adults. Most landed where my sixteen- and seventeenyear-old students did: the dark alley. Having a strong nature boy archetype, initially I found that surprising. But upon re ection, I realized there was a lesson to be learned from it: People, by and large, have a fear of nature.
As foreboding and forbidding a dark alley might be, it, nevertheless, symbolizes civilization, and within civilization — “where the peoples is,” as Del Jue de nes it in “Jeremiah
Johnson” — lies safety. But therein lies the root of our national angst. Since we Homo sapiens enclosed — barricaded — ourselves behind protective walls, we’ve become riskaverse in its pure sense. For many today, risk-taking involves nancial investments, high-stakes gambling, and rush-hour tra c.
Other than occasional strolls through a park, rides along a bike path, or weekend jaunts out to the countryside, ofttimes clutching their wireless umbilical cord, Americans rarely if ever venture into their natural home. And when they do, they do it in a relatively risk-free manner. ough those outings can be benecial and even crucial for one’s physical, mental and emotional health, they rarely put people in a place where they can experience something soul-ful lling. In a word, awe. Because it is in nature where a person experiences awe authentically. Where one becomes awe lled. ink of a time when you experienced an awe- lled moment, one
that made you gasp in wonder because of its power, magni cence, or grandeur. Describe it. Was it in or of a manmade structure or an interaction you had or witnessed? Or was it something beyond human creation? I often think of the time when a friend and I were descending Wilson Peak in the San Juans and a erce storm rolled in. We were at about 13,000 feet when lightning started dancing not only above us but also below. Safety protocol called for me to crouch low to avoid being a target, but some soulful power kept me hiking down the trail. As I did, John Denver’s line in “Rocky Mountain High” about raining re in the sky sang in my mind. Far from freaking out, I was so captivated by what I was more than witnessing. I became, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, part and parcel of it.
“Awful” is a strange word in that it seems to contradict itself. Rather than meaning full of awe, it means “not good” or “crappy,” or when used as an adverb, it can denote something positive as in, “She’s awfully good at soccer.” We also bandy “awe “around lightly when we say we’re in awe of something mundane. When used in those contexts, we trivialize the depth and power of the word. To remind ourselves of the true mean-
ing of “awe,” it’s helpful to consider the word’s etymology.
Awe is a derivative of “ahe,” an Old English word, which was taken from the Old Norse “agi” that meant terror as well as deep reverence. at might seem like a double usage or meaning, but it’s not. Terror, in this case, is not the kind of terror we generally think of, like an act of terrorism. Rather, it means being completely overwhelmed by an event, presence, or force so beyond human comprehension it causes a shift in consciousness. We’re moved beyond being super impressed into a higher dimension of awareness and profundity.
In the end, an authentic sense of awe is a spiritual experience. Of course, it’s not within most peoples’ ability or means to climb a mountain or sidestep behind a roaring waterfall. But transcendent moments can happen simply by re ecting on a rainbow, sitting on your porch during a hellacious thunderstorm, or, if brazen enough, chasing or getting chased by a tornado.
To become whole, it’s essential to encounter and touch the sublime from time to time. It not only reminds you of your fragility and vul-
50 years of Courant headlines not to be confused with news
BY TEDDY JACOBSEN SPECIAL TO THE CLEAR CREEK COURANTRowdy music crowd needed SWAT team intervention – June 19, 2013 e body of a 35-year-old Boulder man was found in a tent during the four-day Sonic Bloom music festival at Shadow’s Ranch in Georgetown. e police and the combined Clear
Creek/Gilpin SWAT team also dealt with a crowd that was feared to have been on the verge of rioting. An event spokeswoman said the incidents on the last day of the festival were due to high emotions.
Principal and two teachers resign from district – June 22, 1994
One principal and two high school teachers resigned from Clear Creek School District. Former King-Murphy Principal Steve Selle said he would move to West Je erson Junior High School. “I’m going to really miss these people,” Supt. John Klieforth said, “because they all did an excellent job.”
Internet comes to Clear Creek schools –June 22, 1994
Supt. John Klieforth announced a program of community-wide technology sharing to provide the county with access to the “information superhighway,” otherwise known as the internet. rough a pledge of $52,700, the school established an area for community members to come in and use the internet during the week.
Clear Creek school board holds out on super’s contract – June 21, 1974
e Clear Creek School District Board of Education decided not to renew the contract of Superinten-
dent Robert F. Metzler. ey said that they would consider drafting a new contract if relationships between Metzler and board members improved. Metzler admitted that they did have “a communications problem.”
e Clear Creek Courant was created in August of 1973. ese items come from Courant’s historic archives. As it turns out, previous Courant writers had the same idea for the paper’s 25th anniversary. eir section was dubbed, “Olds: Not to be confused with news.” It lives on for an entire year to celebrate the paper’s 50th birthday.
Idon’t know about you, but I cringe when I see young people talking loudly to people who look older than themselves. Or when people say to one another, “Wow, you still look really good for your age.” It never ceases to amaze me just how ageist we are to one another and to ourselves.
Ageism is stereotyping and discrimination against individuals or groups based on their age. Studies have shown that 82% of older adults experience ageism daily. We develop ageist attitudes as early as age 3. And, unless we do something about ending ageism, it may get worse for all of us because we’re an aging society. According to the Census, by 2029, we will have more people over 65 than under 18. We see ageism everywhere — but it seems it does its most harm in our education system, in the media and at work. From schools celebrating the rst 100 days by requiring children to wear costumes as if they’re 100-years-old to universities denying access to life-long learning opportunities. If we valued aging, our education system would prepare us for getting older, not mock it. Imagine universities that prepare leaders for the demographic shift with courses such as “ e Economics of Aging” or “National Security and Aging.”
longer.
As adults, we get wrinkles and tell ourselves we need to reverse the signs of aging, or that we’re too old to be wearing certain things. If we valued aging, we would be less “youth-obsessed” and more “life-obsessed.” Studies show that all these negative views of aging double the risk of cardiovascular events and increase the likelihood of dementia. But with a positive view of aging, we could live nearly eight years
that new between imthey probcreitems arCoufor eir be an paper’s nerability in the face of the power and mystery of nature and universe, its e ects can help you put the strife and tension of human a airs into
Peter Kaldes
Imagine if we stopped using the line, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Because, actually, you can. Studies show that older dogs focus and concentrate better than puppies. Older adults are better at behavior change because of a lifetime of committing to reaching goals.
With unemployment levels at near-record lows, we’re in a tight labor market and employers are having a tough time lling vacancies. Yet, they overlook older workers which, according to AARP, costs the U.S. an estimated $850 billion in gross domestic product. If we valued aging, we’d encourage generative, productive aging — not rely on centuries-old ideas that we want to do nothing as we age.
German Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck is given credit for our modern version of retirement, which the U.S. later adopted when life expectancy was 62. But now it’s 77, and more people want and need to work, yet the hiring practices of businesses ignore older workers. Imagine if businesses intentionally recruited or retrained older workers. ese multigenerational workplaces would be more innovative, have stronger pipelines of talent and be more resilient.
I’m optimistic that we’re all becoming more aware of age bias in everything we do. Imagine if society valued all our future selves.
Peter Kaldes, Esq., is the president and CEO of Next50, a national foundation based in Denver. Learn more at next50foundation.org.
perspective. Because feeling awefull reminds us that relative to nature we’re not invincible and as tough as we often delude ourselves into believing.
Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.
Northglenn Youth Theatre has been ‘feeding the souls’ of young performers for 30 yearsBY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Slight and bespectacled, 14-year-old Lilly Sergeef is eyeing Broadway. She is a veteran actor and has been in commercials for insurance companies and Village Inn since age 6.
But she is especially drawn to the stage, where she has never felt intimidated by the audience or other performers.
“Broadway is my goal,” ornton resident Sergeef said. “Being before an audience is never something I dread … it’s something I grew up on.”
A determined Vienna Frey also sees acting on Broadway in her future. e Broom eld resident said her parents are performers and she began acting when she 6. She’s starred in several plays and musicals including “Percy Jackson and Lightning ief” and “Shrek Junior.” Frey savors always diving into the characters she played.
“I just enjoy playing other people and getting into their stories,” said the 14-year-old Frey.
Both are veteran performers at Northglenn Youth eatre, which has been tutoring, supporting and ushering actors as young as 8 onto the local stage. Over 1,000 young performers have inhabited roles at Northglenn Youth eatre — or the NYT as the locals call it.
is year, NYT is celebrating its 30th anniversary, a testament to the wide-ranging support the theater has enjoyed even as cultural programs at local schools have scaled back their performances, said Kimberly Jongejan, Northglenn’s Cultural Programs Direc-
tor and the NYT director.
“Funding for arts programs is not always solid, especially in elementary and middle schools,” Jongejan said.
Most of NYT’s students come from communities outside of Northglenn because there is a dearth of theater programs in the north metro area, she added.
Northglenn o cials, meanwhile, have long supported the arts and the NYT, said Jongejan, who was hired in 1996 to help lead the arts program in Northglenn.
“It’s aways been this way,” she said. “ e city has always seen its arts and culture as a growing and thriving part of Northglenn.”
For example, Northglenn is the only city to include a state-of-the art performing arts space — the Parsons eatre — as part of its new recreation center, Jongejan said. e entire theater and recreation complex opened in 2021.
e Northglenn Arts & Humanities Foundation — NAHF — provides funding for the NYT as well as for public art and other cultural ventures in Northglenn, according to the city. Other sponsors include Colorado Creative Industries, Scienti c & Cultural District, Tour West, WESTAF and the National Endowment for the Arts, the city states.
Jongejan said the NYT has sent some of its graduates to Broadway and O -Broadway. Mostly, NYT students become teachers and perform at dinner theaters and other community productions.
Above all, NYT serves a higher purpose of stoking the dreams of young performers, she said, adding, “We feed kids’ souls.”
NYT Academy classes range from $25-$120 depending on duration and whether a participant is a resident of Northglenn or not, she said.
Each year, NYT puts on six productions performed at the Parsons eatre, three productions for 12- to 18-year-old performers and three for the NYT Jr., program, which include eight to 12 performers. ey are tutored by professional actors on a tight schedule that calls for auditions on Monday, rehearsals during the rest of the week and performances usually over two nights.
Productions this year include “Sister Act,” “Cinderella and e Fairy Godmother’s Spell,” “ e Brothers Grimm Spectacular” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
e NYT Academy also o ers acting basics for young performers through drama activities, scenes, songs and visual arts. One dance class is Broadway Basics, which offers kids ages 9-12 “ball change kicks, jazz squares and more while dancing to the tunes of Broadway’s best ballads,” according to the course description. e cost of that class is $38-$46.
Jongejan said registration fees for NYT Jr. productions are $200; NYT productions are $250.
acting. He is starring as the main character in “Shrek Jr. e Musical,” which is running from June 28-30.
Scholarships are needs-based and are awarded via an application process. ese scholarship awards range from 50% to 100% of fees being covered through the Northglenn Arts and Humanities Foundation, Jongejan said.
NYT’s more advanced classes teach how to manipulate an actor’s voice and body to create a memorable character, a “Fosse Posse” focuses on dancing for actors and a tap dance also teaches the basic steps and combination used in musical theater, according to the course guide.
Jongejan said the NYT is also offering a screenwriting course for Hip-Hop theatre. Students can also take technical theatre workshops for a glance at the behind-the-scenes production process, Jongejan said.
“We want our students to get a good, well-rounded look at what goes into a theater production and how important stage development, lighting and other behind-thescenes work is so important,” she said.
For 13-year-old Ian Amaro, character development is key to his
“I like to write notes down for my character and get the back story,” he said. “I think that makes acting much more e ective.”
Amaro, who lives in ornton, admits acting isn’t really what drew him to NYT.
“School can be rough for some people,” Amaro said, adding his stutter is sometimes an obstacle.
“I needed friends badly, then NYT popped up for me and the light bulb in my head went o .”
So far, Amaro has not bumped up against any diva behavior among his cast mates.
“ e people are absolutely fantastic,” he said. “Everyone has been so helpful.”
irteen-year-old Aksel Gangji’s two sisters gave him a nudge toward acting and NYT where he started performing in 2019. He still su ers from some stage fright but powers through it with the help of his castmates. Gangji attends Rocky Top Middle School in ornton.
ey often cross their arms together and then say “Break a leg” before a performance, Gangji said. Actors also pass around a “Kudos” coin before they go on stage and tell each
other something positive about their work.
“Usually by then, you are saying ‘Oh great, I am going to perform,’” Gangji said.
He is also considering pursuing a career as a stage technician. “Sound, costumes, it’s what brings it all together,” Gangji said. “You can’t see the actors without the lights.”
Performing is a tradition in 14-year-old JJ Witmer’s family. His mom toured internationally with Up With People and he took his rst role as an actor at 6 as Tiny Tim in a high school production.
“It was really fun,” he said. He attends Riverdale Ridge High School in ornton.
He enrolled at NYT in 2018 and has acted in several productions including “Peter Pan” and “ e Little Mermaid.”
He’s learned to act with an English accent to play Hamlet and dyed his hair for another role.
“I like getting into a role and becoming more of that character,” Witmer said.
After “Hamlet” ended, he remembers talking with an English accent for two weeks.
“It just happened,” he said. “ at’s what you do when you get into a role.”
Intensive vocal training, singing on-pitch and piano work o ered to kids in several di erent classes
BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COMSeveral weeklong musical classes for children are o ered through Clear Creek Center for Arts & Education in Idaho Springs this summer. e classes are aimed at introducing kids to music, tuning voices and talents, organizers said.
Several weeklong musical classes for children are o ered through Clear Creek Center for Arts &
summer.
We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit www.clearcreekcourant. com/calendar/ and post your event online for free. Email ckoeberl@coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the newspaper. Items will appear in print on a space-available basis.
Slacker Half-Marathon: e Slacker Half-Marathon from Loveland Ski Area to Georgetown is June 22. e event includes both a half-marathon and a four-mile run/ relay. For more information, visit slackerhalfmarathon.com.
Rapidgrass Music Festival: Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District music festival in Idaho Springs August 2-3. Bluegrass music at the Shelly/Quinn ball elds: https:// rapidgrassfestival.com/ Overnight camping is available.
Clear Creek County Library District: Summer Reading begins the week of June 10. is year’s theme is“Adventure Begins at Your Library.” Some activities include:
ursday, June 27, storytime train excursion: e Library District has reserved a car on the Georgetown Loop Railroad for a special train
storytime and ride with Miss Honeybun.
Saturday, July 13, tween & teen paranormal adventure: Professional paranormalists from Denver are coming up to Georgetown to teach young learners about their paranormal equipment, and to attempt to record paranormal activity at the John Tomay Memorial Library.
CASA of the Continental Divide seeks volunteers:CASACD promotes and protects the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in court proceedings through the advocacy e orts of trained CASA volunteers. Be the di erence and advocate for the
youth in our community. e o ce can be reached at 970-513-9390.
Test sirens scheduled: In an effort to notify people in the town of Georgetown of potential ooding due to the unlikely event of a dam failure at Xcel Energy’s Cabin Creek or Georgetown hydroelectric plants, sirens will be tested the rst Wednesday of every month.
Clear Creek EMS/Evergreen Fire Rescue Launch Mugs for Rugs Campaign: Bring an old throw rug and you’ll leave with a bright green mug! You can bring them to StaSEE CURRENTS, P19
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If you yearn to fly back to the sounds of yesteryear, you will love soaring to new heights with Boulder’s own Sun Jr, appearing at the MILE HIGH HOEDOWN later this month! The band’s sound is a blend of psychedelia, cosmic cowboy and Americana with indie-folk influences.
Friends Nod Norkus (drums), Jim Heekin (guitar/singer), Matt Kubis (banjo/singer), Jon Schimek (pedal steel guitar), and Jeremiah Streets (keys/ bass/organ) launched the band in 2013. They practiced in the evenings in Jim’s basement (“The Bottoms”), where they have become a “band of brothers.”
Sun Jr. hit the stage with a style all their own and immediately made an impression. From a spot on the “Gentleman of the Road” tour in Salida with Mumford & Sons, Dawes and the Flaming Lips in 2015, they’ve grinded their way into a stellar act that you cannot miss.
During the 2020 COVID pandemic, the band leaned heavily into long basement jams, taking notes from the likes of Pink Floyd and late ’60s bands that played for art’s sake. They branched into livestreaming to reach out to more folks and have continued to do so.
“In February 2024, (Heekin) posted a TikTok video of our song ‘Buttercorn’ from a live performance at Dharma Farm
— and it went viral,” Norkus said. “The post garnered 2.3 million views and about 40,000 new fans.”
The post was the mega break that has opened more doors to some of Colorado’s best venues and a “second media wave” of the post expanded their reach even farther, he said.
“We started receiving invitations to play in California, Texas, and points beyond the U.S.,” Norkus said.
The band’s current goal is
mostly to ignore national invites and build an ardent local fan base. To stay connected, they are partnering with Chris Wright of Violet Recording to capture their Colorado live shows to share more broadly. Wright will also engineer a series of in-studio live recordings, possibly capturing two albums from this dual recording process.
Visit sunjrband.com for the latest band information (recordings, play dates — and more)! Then, “go down” to the MILE HIGH HOEDOWN and enjoy Sun Jr.’s “Psych Mountain Rock” ex-
perience LIVE at the Stampede, 2431 S. Havana Street, in Aurora.
MILE HIGH HOEDOWN attendees can enjoy food truck food and beverages, learn new line dances with instructor/choreographer Laurie Burkardt, “creative cut” or screen print their own T-shirt with Ink & Drink, purchase a custom hat from hat shaper Parker Thomas, get a “flash” tattoo from Ace of MR. ACE Art & Tattoos; and visit Little People Face Painting for cool, but not permanent, body/ face/hair art — you’ll be sure to sparkle during Sun Jr.’s LIVE, never-to-be-duplicated hoedown performance!
Get the “low down” on the MILE HIGH HOEDOWN, which is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, June 29, by heading to coloradocommunitymedia.com/ mile-high-hoedown. And GET A MOVE ON, partners! We’re running a limited-time buy-oneget-one promotion. Entry ONLY tickets are $20/each ($25 at the door). Don’t miss out and BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
Professional musician and singer Lilly Scott leads the classes for kids in the former Sunshine Cafe at 1856 Colorado Blvd. in Idaho Springs. e rst class was in session June 11 with eight local girls learning to be part of the “Swifties Choir” as Scott taught them to sing Taylor Swift songs as a group. Many of the students already knew every word to the songs.
“We’re learning how to sing, how to sing as a group, taking solos, basic music theory, pitch control,” Scott listed. “All sorts of things that are going to help these girls learn how to sing their favorite (Taylor) Swift song, but just a little bit better.”
Scott, who has been a professional musician for decades, has traveled across the nation performing and teaching her craft but recently
returned to her hometown of Idaho Springs where she put out her shingle to teach.
“I just fell right into this lifestyle of teaching and I love seeing kids learn and grow especially when it seems really hard… then there are breakthroughs,” Scott said.
All of the girls in the “Swifties Choir” were adamant Swift fans and eager to learn and sing the songs they’d listened to many times before on the radio or with friends.
First, was the vocal warm-up
“Mommy made me mash my M&Ms.” e girls repeated with Scott several times over to articulate the precise words, and it wasn’t easy.
“I really like Taylor Swift and I really like singing her songs,” 9-yearold Eira Cox from Golden said, adding that she wants to learn how to sing more Swift songs with the class.
“ is is our rst real big move at bolstering music and art in Clear Creek County… We want to do something this summer in the com-
munity and Lilly has stepped up. She’s brilliant,” CCCAE President Mary Jane Loevlie said.
“We’re also looking to ll up the rest of the summer with more programs so any arts out there, we would love to work with you,” Loevlie continued.
CCCAE approached Idaho Springs city council earlier this year with an idea of how the two entities could work together to make this summer camp happen.
e city recently purchased the property at 1856 Colorado Blvd. with plans to destroy the existing building in May and turn it into parking for the downtown area, according to city administrators.
At the same time, CCCAE directors were looking for a space to hold the musical summer camp in June and July.
“Finding a space with four enclosed walls had proven to be a little more di cult than initially thought,” CCCAE Executive Director Carla Pokrywha Cole said in a
memo to council members.
City council members and city sta discussed logistics, liability, insurance options and rental fee options during the May 13 regular council meeting.
e overall consensus was it could work and council members discussed a rental cost to CCCAE at $1 a month for the two months requested.
Idaho Springs city council members voted unanimously to approve holding o the destruction for two months.
e agreement has since been extended to run through October, according to city sta .
“Kids involved in the arts are mentally healthier, physically healthier, they connect better at school. Music, art, any kind of art is what we all need,” Loevlie said.
Schedules and sign-ups for the summer program can be found at www.musiclessonswithlilly.com and more information about the arts program is at www.cccae.org.
tion 1A in Dumont, 3400 Stanley Road, or you can email captains@ clearcreekems.com and CCEMS will come to you to make the trade. Clear Creek EMS also o ers fall-risk assessments by bringing someone from the re department to make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. To request a visit, ll out the form at www.clearcreekcounty.us/1388/ Community-Outreach.
Clear Creek Democrats: e Clear Creek Democrats meet from 5-7 p.m. the third ursday of the month at the Vintage Moose in Idaho Springs. Join them for conversation and social time.
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@bluesprucehabi-
tat.org for information.
Walk-in vaccine clinics: Walk-in vaccine clinics for adults and children needing u and other vaccines are available from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays at the Clear Creek Health and Wellness Center, 1969 Miner St., Idaho Springs. No appointments required for the vaccines, though you can pre-register by calling 303-670-7528.
counseling:
Young people 12 to 20 can get free counseling through an Evergreenbased organization called Resilience1220. Composed of licensed therapists, Resilience1220 serves individuals and groups in the foothills including Clear Creek County. ey also facilitate school and community groups to build life skills in wellness and resilience among youth. For more information or to schedule a counseling session, visit R1220. org, email Resilience1220@gmail. com or call 720-282-1164.
Dental clinics: Cleanings, X-rays, dentures, tooth extractions and more. Most insurances are accepted including Medicaid. Sliding scale/ low-cost options are also available.
No appointment necessary. is is a mobile dentist that comes once a month. Call program manager Lauralee at 720-205-4449 for questions.
Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meetings: Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meets at 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Marion’s of the Rockies. 2805 Colorado Blvd., Idaho Springs. For more information, email loe er806@comcast. net.
Support After Suicide Loss: A safe place to share and learn after losing a loved one to suicide. is group 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.
Storytime with Miss Honeybun: Storytime with Miss Honeybun is at 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays at the Idaho Springs Public Library and at 11:15 a.m. ursdays at the John Tomay Memorial Library in Georgetown.
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. and is o ered via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 o ce. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.
Public Health o ering sexual health and family planning: Clear Creek County Public Health is now o ering Sexual Health and Planning Services at the Health and Wellness Center in Idaho Springs. Public Health o ers counseling, emergency contraception, pregnancy testing, STI and HIV screenings, basic infertility services and birth control options and referrals. ese services are con dential. Public Health can also now bill Medicaid and most private insurance. However, if you do not have insurance, fees are based on a sliding scale — and no one will be turned away if they are unable to pay.
Clear Creek County Lookout Alert: e CodeRED alerts have been replaced by the Lookout Alert. Residents can sign up for emergency alerts county-wide by signing up at www.lookoutalert.co. e new site replaces CodeRED following the switch to Je Com911 for emergency dispatch earlier this year.
Carolyn Autry has a pothole problem at her rural Morrison restaurant. She believes it’s the county’s responsibility to x the deep ruts near the entrance to Lynn’s Whistle Stop; the county feels otherwise.
Autry hopes customers and neighbors will step in to help and is hosting a pothole repair fundraiser on June 29. If the “Corks & Kegs for a Cause” event can raise $16,800, Autry said she can permanently repair the rutted road edge.
“ e damage is so bad it’s eating up people’s cars,” said Autry, a Conifer resident who bought the former Bear Cub Co ee & Pub on South Turkey Creek Road late last year. “I’m showing surveys showing it’s county property. e county says it’s not their responsibility.”
Je erson County Road & Bridge says the potholes are part of the access area to the restaurant’s parking lot, so maintenance falls to the business owner, according to county Public A airs Director Cassie Pearce.
No matter who’s responsible, the timeline for repairing the problem is short. Autry’s focus is now on getting it resolved within the narrow summer construction window.
“In running two businesses, I don’t
have time to ght the county,” said Autry, who also owns Lynn’s Tea Shop in Littleton. “All I know is I have a few short months to have this problem xed. I can only assume the two previous owners probably were try-
ing to ght the county for it, too. And year by year, it keeps getting worse.”
Rather than patch the potholes, Autry has gotten quotes from asphalt companies to dig, regrade and repave the area — xing the issue once and for all. But the nearly $17,000 price tag is beyond her budget.
Instead, she’s hosting a party from 5-7 p.m. June 29. e evening includes a live band, hors d’oeuvres and tastings of new wines, beers and spirits that Lynn’s Whistle Stop plans to add to its menu. Tickets are $60.
“We’re introducing new wines and beers, and we want people to know what we’ve got,” she said. “We thought, why not do a fundraiser, and see if we can get people to help us get this done.”
Autry has other plans for her new business she hopes area residents will like. While it now serves co ee, pastries and sandwiches, she wants to add a full kitchen, eventually making it a breakfast destination restaurant.
“Our slogan is where meals and memories cross tracks,” she said. “I want people to be able to come here and have great memories. I want them to keep bringing families back, so we can watch kids grow up — all the good stu of a small-town place. “ e community support for our business has just been great so far. I think people are really enjoying it.”
The summer camp is intended to sharpen baseball skills and provide training to create much-needed umpires in the mountains
BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COMAt least 30 young baseball players teamed up with umpires in training to work skills on both sides of the game under the direction of Coach Phil Mauro from the Clear Creek School District.
Young players and umpires in training lled the two baseball elds at Bergen Meadow Elementary School in Evergreen June 12 to sharpen skills of hitting, elding and pitching while another group of kids were there to learn how to call strikes, outs and safes.
Clear Creek physical education instructor Mauro kept a close eye on his players and umpires shouting to his umpires about communication with other umpires on the eld, “Hey, how many outs are there now?” He asked the rst-base ump. “OK, communicate/signal that with your umpire at the plate.” e camp organized by Mauro is meant to teach basic umpire skills to kids, many of whom will start 7th grade next school year, some of whom will be attending Clear Creek Middle/High School in Evergreen this August.
“Remember, keep your eye level at the top of the ball,” Mauro encouraged.
Lukas Petersburg and Tyler Randall from Evergreen are both entering the 7th grade in August, but for today they are calling the plays as umpires in training.
It’s a profession that Mauro sees
as a critical need, especially in the mountains.
“It’s hard to get umps here from down the hill. We have to pay them more and if we could have a stable of umpires up here working the games it just makes everything better,” Mauro said.
He said kids in his class can under-
stand how to become a paid umpire with the right knowledge and attitude.
“You learn how to talk to coaches, you learn how to talk to parents and how to address the kids, it’s a way for them to grow up, it’s a way for them to learn a skill,” he said.
Mauro said that being a paid, pro-
fessional umpire while in middle school is tough, but if they have that self-con dence and know how to deal with situations the right way, there’s no reason these kids can’t be e ective on the eld.
“Sometimes a parent isn’t going to agree with your call and they’ll say something under their breath,” Mauro said. “Once they start getting personal, that’s when you need to act. ey can’t let a coach or parent walk out and swear at them.”
Ejecting a coach or player is the last resort, but one that’s available to umpires.
“Unfortunately, in baseball, that’s part of the game and they might have to eject somebody and I teach them that’s a tool they can use, but only use it when you need it,” he said.
Mauro said he plans to hold several other upcoming training camps this year, possibly another umpire training class this summer. e most important lesson he hopes his umpires come away from the class with is “sportsmanship,” which he said solves almost every problem.
Information on upcoming classes can be found at https://www.evergreensportso cials.com/
Injuries related to rearms in Colorado racked up at least $8.4 million in medical bills in 2022, according to a recently released analysis.
e report, produced by the Center for Improving Value in Health Care, or CIVHC, is the rst of its kind to examine some of the economic impacts of rearm injuries. But it is in keeping with a growing e ort in Colorado to think of gun-related harms as a health issue and to study them in the same way researchers might look at other public health challenges.
“It’s an important way to look at things,” said Dr. Emmy Betz, the director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who was not involved in the new study. “It helps people think about another aspect of this speci cally beyond the deaths.”
To conduct this analysis, CIVHC relied on a powerful tool — the state’s all-payer claims database, which has amassed anonymized data from more than a billion Colorado medical claims drawn from more than 5.5 million unique people.
In addition to the dollar amount, CIVHC also found some concerning trends within the data.
Between 2016 and 2022, the rate of medical claims for rearm-related injuries increased 53%. But it increased even more for injuries to kids: 120%.
Men were three times more likely
than women to su er rearm injuries. And rural counties generally have higher rates of injury than urban ones.
Kristin Paulson, CIVHC’s president and CEO, said in a statement that the analysis shows “the critical need for continued focus on comprehensive public health, education, and community-tailored initiatives aimed at addressing and preventing rearm violence.”
Many rearms injuries — particularly homicides and suicides — do not result in a medical claim for tragic reasons. So CIVHC’s analysis ended up weighted heavily toward an often less examined area: unintentional injuries. Of the more than 7,000 claims analyzed for 2022, 72% were coded for unintentional injuries. Next came assaults at 17%.
Betz said the analysis ultimately is
a snapshot of just one slice of gunrelated harms. But even still Betz said medical claims data can provide valuable insight into the issues underlying gun injuries.
“It raises concerns for me about what is happening in those homes and why rearms are maybe not being locked up in those homes,” she said.
at question can help identify where public health campaigns — such as the state’s Let’s Talk Guns, Colorado campaign, which promotes gun safety and safe storage — could have an impact.
e idea of treating guns and the potential negative consequences associated with them as a public health issue is gaining momentum in Colorado. (Experts in the eld prefer the term rearm-related harms to the term gun violence because they believe the latter creates an impression that most injuries or deaths are due to assaults. Contrary to public perception, the large majority of rearm-related deaths in Colorado are suicides.)
Lawmakers in 2021 created the
state O ce of Gun Violence Prevention, which provides data on rearms issues in the state and gives grants to communities and organizations looking to tackle gun-related problems. CU’s Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative conducts research. And earlier this spring, a new program launched to try to better connect the pieces.
e Firearm-Related Harm and Violence Prevention Program O ce, which is housed in the Trailhead Institute, hopes to work with organizations to help them examine gunrelated issues in their communities and then apply for resources to address them.
“ is is an opportunity to move past ideologies and rhetoric,” said Jonathan McMillan, the program ofce’s director.
McMillan, who formerly led the state’s O ce of Gun Violence Prevention, was in Washington, D.C., last week for a meeting with the White House O ce of Gun Violence Prevention and other local violenceprevention programs — showing that interest in tackling the health aspects of gun issues is not just a Colorado phenomenon. He said the goal of the public health work is not to take away guns or criticize those who own and value them. Rather, he said, it’s to help communities identify areas of concern — it may be suicides in one community or interpersonal violence in another — and then to work with those communities on speci c strategies to address the issues.
“It’s about helping communities speak more to what their needs are,” McMillan said.
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.
Colorado will spend $20 million of a $31.7 million lawsuit settlement with e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs Inc. on a grant program aimed at improving youth mental health, state Attorney General Phil Weiser has announced.
e program will prioritize collaborations between school districts and community organizations. e aim is to address children’s mental health so they don’t turn to vaping as a way to cope.
“When you think about a challenge like youth vaping, you can think about addressing the symptom — the fact that people are vaping — or the underlying cause,” Weiser said in an interview after the announcement. “We’ve chosen to address the underlying cause.
“We know that because of mental health issues, people turn to substances like vaping. at’s why we’re going to the source to ask: How do we build better connections?”
e “how” will be up to the school districts, which will be invited to apply for grants later this year. e long lead time is intentional; Weiser said the goal is for districts to collaborate with one another and with local community organizations to come up with programs that help develop
ence, where he made the announcement. “We want to o er a broad opportunity around holistic youth mental health and leave it to you to think about what collaboration, what partnership, what strategies make sense in your community.”
Colorado sued Juul in 2020, alleging that it targeted youth with deceptive marketing and played down
Colorado sued Juul in 2020, alleging that it targeted youth with deceptive marketing and played down the health risks of vaping.
the health risks of vaping. e state was one of several that settled with the company. Juul did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement.
irty percent of Colorado high school students reported having vaped at least once, according to the most recent data from the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, which is administered every other year. Sixteen percent of students said they’d vaped in the last 30 days.
e $20 million grant program is the largest of three programs that Colorado is spending the Juul settlement money on. e others are a $6 million grant program aimed at nonpro t organizations and government agencies, and an $11.4 million
grant program for school districts to address the youth vaping crisis. ose grant programs are already underway, and Weiser said the recipients will be announced soon.
Weiser said he sees the $20 million program as especially impactful because of the power of collaboration. “Schools are free to work with whoever in their community is serving young people,” he said. “In some communities, it might be a Boys and Girls Club. In other communities, it might be a library teaching kids to read.”
Grant applicants whose school districts serve a combined 23,000 students or more will be eligible for a $2.5 million grant over a threeyear period, Weiser said. Applicants whose districts serve between 7,500 and 23,000 students will be eligible for $1.75 million over three years, and districts that serve fewer than 7,500 students will be eligible for $750,000.
Late last year, Colorado led a coalition of 42 attorneys general nationwide that sued Meta in a similar lawsuit alleging that its social media platforms, including Instagram, used deceptive practices to harm children and teens and addict them to social media.
Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.
Gov. Jared Polis made a bold declaration Thursday before he signed a bill that gives more incentives for Coloradans to pursue a higher education.
“This one of the most important bills in this legislative session,” Polis said before signing HB24-1340 makers and students at Mountain Range High School.
Legislators and supporters talk with Gov. Jared Polis after he signed a new education bill at Mountain Range High School in Westminster May 30.
The bill stipulates that beginning in the fall of 2024, students who attend public institutions and
have family incomes of $90,000 or less are eligible for a complete reimbursement of any out-of-pocket tuition and fees paid for their education, according to a news release.
The legislation expands on existing state programs aimed at making college affordable for middle class Coloradans, Polis said.
“Some people simply can’t afford to go to college while others have spread out their higher education over 8-to-10 years because of the costs,” Polis said.
Two years at any public fouryear college, community college or trade school are essentially free
AARP Colorado, along with a broad coalition of consumer groups, patients, and medical providers celebrated the end of the 2024 legislative session after fending off coordinated efforts by drug manufacturers to undermine the Colorado Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB), the state’s only tool to reign in out-ofcontrol drug costs. As a rare cancer patient currently in remission, I’m deeply grateful for the broad coalition that fought to ensure that the voices of patients were heard.
The Colorado State Senate stood alongside advocates to defeat SB24-060, which sought to prevent the PDAB from reviewing the costs of, and setting limits on, hundreds of the most high-cost and commonly-prescribed prescription medications. In fact, it would have exempted 67% (more than 400 medications) of the approximately 600 drugs eligible for review by Colorado’s PDAB because they have some form of orphan drug designation – including many of the most expensive and most commonly prescribed medications in the state. The bill was part of a national strategy being pushed by pharmaceutical companies
to make it impossible for PDABs across the country to bring down the cost of prescription medications. Lawmakers laid the bill over indefinitely on April 15th, sending a strong message: Colorado refuses to let the pharmaceutical industry continue to put profits over patients, especially as the PDAB is just beginning its critical work. In addition, 115 medical professionals across Colorado released a letter opposing Senate Bill 60.
Big PhRMA continues to use the defeat of SB24-060 and the ongoing work of the PDAB to stoke fear in patients of rare diseases. Unfortunately, these very patients are among the most harmed by out-of-control drug costs and deserve access to affordable, lifesaving drugs through Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board. To ensure these critical voices are front and center, SB24203 “Prescription Drug Board Consider Rare Disease Council’’ legislation was introduced on April 8th by Senators Ginal and Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Harstook and Ortiz. The legislation passed with strong bipartisan support and will ensure greater
stakeholder engagement from the rare disease community in the work of Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board without exempting any medications. We thank the lawmakers who championed these efforts and refused to let Big PhRMA play games with Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This work is more important than ever, with 1-in-3 Coloradans struggling to afford the medications they need to stay healthy. AARP has a vested interest in ensuring drug prices are affordable for all. Over 80% of adults over 50 take at least one prescription medication regularly, with many older adults skipping or stretching their life-saving medication because of the high cost. Older Coloradans are the highest utilizers of prescription drugs in the state and many of our own members have expressed their frustration and concerns with rising health care costs. Adults 65 and older tend to spend the most on health care; and skyrocketing drug prices are driving up health care costs for all. This economic pressure piles on top of the emotional, physical, and psychological toll that patients
face on an almost daily basis. The Colorado Legislature created the PDAB with the passage of SB 21-175. Since 2023, the PDAB has reviewed three medications, and determined one of those medications, Enbrel, to be unaffordable for Coloradans. The PDAB is slated to complete affordability reviews on two additional medications in June.
Debbie Hornor
AARP Colorado State President 6427 S. Kline St., Littleton, CO 80127
to every Coloradan, added Polis.
“This (bill) will strengthen Colorado’s workforce, provide new pathways for students to gain indemand skills, and save Colora -
dans thousands of dollars – helping ensure that higher education is affordable for everyone,” Polis said in the news release.
State Rep. Shannon Bird – a cosponsor of the bill – echoed Polis’s sentiments.
“This is my most favorite bill this legislation session,” Bird said.
Polis also signed HB24-1305
which expands the state’s Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-Tech) program which allows students in approved programs to graduate from high school with an associate’s degree or certificate in certain disciplines. The bill expands the allowable disciplines to include industries beyond the scient, technology, en -
gineering and mathematics fields, according to the legislative fiscal note.
Mountain Range junior Caleb Bennett said both measures will help students gain greater access to higher education. “It breaks the cycle where for a lot of people before you couldn’t afford higher education and access to good jobs.”
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF IDAHO SPRINGS 100 Colorado Blvd., P.O. Box 840, Idaho Springs, CO 80452
Family worship Sundays at 10 a.m. ALL ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US!
from walking and/or running along our state’s many wonderful paths and scenic nature trails.
There is no better way to appreciate the beauty of Colorado than by witnessing all the sights and sounds of the great outdoors.
Join Colorado Community Media as we host our first-ever 5K run on Saturday, Aug. 24, at Clement Park, 7306 W. Bowles Ave. in Littleton.
And, before the run, we want you to submit your own “Trail Tales,” including photos, to your local newspaper (events@coloradocommunitymedia. com). Tell us where you most enjoy going for a walk or a run in your commuor elsewhere in Colorado.
There are no prizes associated with the event and participants will not receive a “standard” T-shirt. Instead, registered participants will receive a pair of custom running socks. The Share Your Trail Tales 5k Run is open to people of all ages. Participants have the option of making it a fun-filled day for the entire family. Registration fees are $35 for adults (ages 17 & up), $15 (ages 5 to 16), and free for children (ages 4 and under ). Parking for run participants and event attendees is available in the west parking lot, which can be reached as you enter Clement Park through the Library entrance on W. Bowles Avenue.
Park is currently being firmed up to feature other activities throughout the day including food and beverage purchase options offered by local food trucks, vendor booths, and live music entertainment.
“Your support of this event as a race participant and/or as an attendee is paramount to the success of our first Share Your Trail Tales 5k Run and it will help us sustain our ability to support local news,” Scott said. “We encourage the engagement of our readers and future readers to be part of this and future events at Colorado Community Media.”
In turn, we will share many of those adventurous tales with the readers of our two dozen community newspapers in the weeks ahead of the run. About the 5k: It is scheduled to loop around Johnston Reservoir from 9:30 a.m. to noon. It will start and end on the bike path near Shelter P. The event is different from most 5k runs in many ways. For starters, the sole purpose of this event is to simply provide an opportunity for people across Colorado to come together, interact, and share their personal experiences gained
Colorado Community Media publications span eight counties along Colorado’s majestic Front Range — Weld, Adams, Jeffco, Clear Creek, Douglas, Elbert, Arapahoe and Denver. As a nonprofit organization, community is important to us and we are eager to reach out and meet members of the communities our news organization serves.
Carlie Scott, Colorado Community Media’s events director, stated that the program for the Aug. 24 run in Clement
Colorado Community Media could not put on events like this 5k run without the help of its dedicated supporters and sponsors. Sponsorship provides an ideal marketing prospect for your business and positive brand recognition. The organization offers many levels of sponsorship and opportunities for involvement. As a sponsor, you can be part of a fun community event that promotes health and wellness.
To register for the Share Your Trail Tales 5k please visit our website www.coloradocommunitymedia.com and click on EVENTS/CONTEST tab.
1. GEOGRAPHY: Which country’s native name is Cymru?
2. HISTORY: Which country is the rst to recognize same-sex marriage?
3. MOVIES: Who voices the character of Frozone in the animated movie “ e Incredibles”?
4. FOOD & DRINK: What is the primary ingredient in baba ganoush?
5. LITERATURE: e movie “ e Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is based on a short story written by which American author?
6. MEASUREMENTS: How many grams are in a pound?
7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What cultural phenomenon is celebrated on May 4?
8. TELEVISION: Rhoda Morgenstern is a sidekick in which 1970s TV sitcom?
9. SCIENCE: What is the process called when iron is coated
with zinc?
10. U.S. STATES: What is the only vowel that is NOT the rst letter of a state?
Answers
1. Wales.
2. e Netherlands.
3. Samuel L. Jackson.
4. Eggplant.
5. F. Scott Fitzgerald.
6. 454 grams.
7. “Star Wars” movies.
8. “ e Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
9. Galvanization.
10. E.
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1. Name the Beatles album that includes “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” “You Won’t See Me” and “Michelle.”
2. Which duo released “ e Closer I Get to You”?
3. Where did in Lizzy get their name?
4. Who was Stagger Lee in the song?
5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “I watched you die, I heard you cry every night in your sleep.”
Answers
1. “Rubber Soul,” in 1965. It was released with 14 songs in the U.K. and 10 in the U.S. with an additional two taken from another album.
2. Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway in 1978. e song climbed the charts in the U.S. and was nominated for Best Vocal Performance by a Duo in 1979.
3. From a character in the 1937 comic “ e Dandy,” which had a character called Tin Lizzie, a robot maid.
4. “Stag” Lee Shelton was a gambler who killed Billy Lyons in 1895 during a card game in St. Louis.
5. “Because of You,” by Kelly Clarkson in 2005. Clarkson wrote the song when she was a teenager in response to the pain of her parents’ divorce. e accompanying video won Best Female Video at MTV’s awards the next year.
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Colorado, with its dramatic mountain landscapes, deep winter snow and thriving ski industry, has been referred to as the “Switzerland of America.” Gov. Jared Polis even once used the phrase.
e similarities were are more than just a name. A delegation of experts from Switzerland visited Boulder in early June for a summit on melting snow and ice. Mountain guides, climate scientists, artists and policymakers shared notes on the impacts of climate change on high-mountain landscapes.
ose experts painted a fairly bleak picture as they described the role of warming trends in reshaping the snow and ice that de ne the Rockies and Alps.
Perhaps the most striking accounts of those changes came from mountain guides, who lead groups of climbers and adventurers on trips through the peaks. Angela Hawse, a
Ridgway-based guide and vice president of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association, shared videos of icefalls and rockfalls from around the world, showing how large pieces of mountains are falling apart as the ice and snow that holds them together disappears. Hawse and Switzerland-based Urs Wellauer, the association’s president, both expressed optimism in nding xes to climate problems through collaboration. Hawse reected on a trip the binational group took to Boulder County’s Brainard Lake as part of the conference.
“It really brought us together as a bunch of individuals that have different perspectives on life,” she said, “ at have di erent professions, that have di erent ways of looking at the mountains and ways of understanding how we can work together to communicate our experiences for that shared experience of moving forward.”
Climate scientists from both countries presented data about a number
P.O. Box 2000, Georgetown, Colorado 80444 or call 303-679-2343 or e-mail to challgren@ clearcreekcounty.us . Legal Notice No. CCC903
First Publication: June 13, 2024
Last Publication: June 20, 2024 Publisher: Clear Creek Courant
Public Notice
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that adoption of the 2021 International Residential Code, 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Mechanical Code, 2021 International Plumbing Code, 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 Energy Compliance Code, and amendments to said Codes was approved by the Board of County Commissioners, Clear Creek County, Colorado at their meeting of Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
The text of the proposed codes may be reviewed at the Clear Creek County Building Department located at the Clear Creek County Annex at 1111 Rose St., Georgetown, CO. The area to be covered under the new codes will include all of unincorporated Clear Creek County effective July 1, 2024. If you have any further questions or comments, please direct them to Chris Hallgren,
Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless is proposing to remove and replace (6) antennas at 36 ft within roof canisters on a building with an overall height 38.4 ft with associated equipment located at 750 Brownwell St, Georgetown, Clear Creek County, CO 80452 (39.70762, -105.69778).
Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30-days from the date of this publication to: Kimberly Riebkes, GSS, Inc, kriebkes@ gssmidwest.com, 1054 Texan Trail, Ste 300, Grapevine, TX 76051; Ph. (682) 651-0034 (D24178-25-CO)
of climate factors that are rapidly changing the behavior of high-altitude snow and ice. Temperature and precipitation patterns in the Rockies and Alps are changing, and the two regions share even more granular similarities.
Researchers explained how windblown dust in Colorado is landing on top of snow, making it darker, absorbing more radiation from the sun and melting faster. at phenomenon makes it harder to capture and share water from the Colorado River, which is used by 40 million people across the Southwest.
In Switzerland, Saharan dust blown across the Mediterranean is a factor in the quickening melting of glaciers. e nation’s glaciers lost 10% of their total volume in 2022 and 2023, the same amount that melted in the three decades between 1960 and 1990.
Emily Zmak, a deputy chief at the Colorado Water Conservation Board who focuses on interstate water policies, remarked at the many similari-
ties between the challenges facing both Colorado and Switzerland, and the potential solutions.
“ ere’s also a sense of optimism,” Zmak said. “We haven’t lost all of our snowpack, we still have time to adapt and be smart, to build community resilience to build resilience at a state or federal government level.”
Ambassador Balz Abplanalp, the Swiss representative for the Western U.S., organized the conference and said international collaboration will be a key part of global climate change solutions going forward.
“We can learn from experts from another domain,” he said, “How they tackle the issue in order to be inspired. is is 360 degree inspiration that we can generate.”
is story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC in Colorado and supported by the Walton Family Foundation. KUNC is solely responsible for its editorial coverage.
Legal Notice No. CCC905
First Publication: June 20, 2024
Last Publication: June 20, 2024
Publisher: Clear Creek Courant
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of SEAN CHRISTIAN WOOD, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30007
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Clear Creek County, Colorado on or before October 6, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
Sharon L. Wood
Personal Representative 202 Bear Drive Evergreen CO 80439
Legal Notice No. CCC898
First Publication: June 6, 2024
Last Publication: June 20, 2024
Publisher: Clear Creek Courant
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Linda Jeske, a.k.a. Linda L. Jeske, a.k.a. Linda Louise Jeske, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30030
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Clear Creek County, Colorado on or before October 20, 2024, or
