Clear Creek Courant November 14, 2024

‘Smash it, don’t trash it!’

the mantra for mayhem at annual Pumpkin Smash

BY CHRIS KOEBERL

CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Giant wooden mallets, rubber hammers, baseball bats, children and a whole lot of pumpkins to smash mixed together — what could possibly go wrong?

In fact, everything appeared to go right at the 15th annual Pumpkin Smash at the Shelly/Quinn ball elds in Idaho Springs where kids and parents let out their wild side in an effort to keep hundreds of Halloween pumpkins out of the land ll. e original concept of the Pumpkin Smash was born from Idaho Springs “Scraps to Soil” project which pro-

motes reusing and recycling organic material in Clear Creek County.

“I think this is awesome, it’s a great way to bring our community together and a great way to prevent pumpkins going into the land ll and it’s fun,” Idaho Springs resident Megan Vickers said.

Hundreds of pumpkins, largely supplied by local groceries or individual families looking to rid themselves of their Halloween decorations were at the Nov. 2 event. ere were catapults to chuck the pumpkins and hammers to smash them, all for the price of a wooden token earned by learning about the recycling process of organic material.

“Halloween and events like this are really the epitome of this community coming together,” Vickers said.

e educational/environmental aspect of the smash apparently wasn’t lost as parents talked to their children,

“We have a big compost pile in the back yard and it’s fun to teach them about recycling, composting and smashing pumpkins, of course,” Nick Goymerac from Dumont said with his 6-year-old son Henry by his side.

“We bring it outside so the animals can eat it,” Henry said.

All of the pumpkin pieces will go to the Martin Marietta Quarry in Idaho Springs for reclamation in the rocks, according to organizers.

Clear Creek County voters lean left in race for county commission

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Democrat Rebecca Lloyd was leading Republican Erin Ginter for the Clear Creek County Commissioner District 2 seat and Democrat Jodie Hartman-Ball was leading Republican Robert Smith for the District 3 seat as of voting returns at press time.

“I’m excited to work for Clear Creek County. I have met so many people during the last year of campaigning… we have so much potential, we have challenges but we’ve known we’ve had challenges,” Lloyd said.

In a candidate pro le for the Clear Creek Courant, Lloyd said that improving roads, bridges and public safety would be important to her if she was elected.

Hartman-Ball said a successful term would mean more a ordable housing, a balanced budget and balancing tourism needs with protecting residents’ way of life and the environment.

No incumbents ran for commission in this race.

INSIDE

The Evergreen Legacy Fund works to fill the gap with infastructure projects around town. READ MORE. PAGE 13

Rebecca Lloyd and Jodie Hartman-Ball MIKE T NELSON

Organized chaos at the Pumpkin Smash event in Idaho Springs.

PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL

Smith wins Colorado House District 49 seat

Clear Creek County voters support for library, sheri ’s department ballot measures

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Voters are supporting ballot measures for the Clear Creek County Library District and sheri ’s

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Voters supported ballot measures for the Clear Creek County Library District and sheri ’s department in the Nov. 5

As of press time, 75% of ballots had been Ballot measure 6A currently led with

66% of voters in favor. It would provide the library district with additional funding with a one-mill increase in property taxes for homeowners.

Ballot issue 1A led with 82% of voters in favor. 1A would allow Clear Creek Sheri ’s O ce employees to join the state re and police pension fund, which is critical to recruiting new applicants, according to Sheri Matt Harris.

Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado

Week of October 28, 2024

Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado

Week of28October, and Month ofOctober 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”

House District 49 covers Idaho Springs, Empire and Georgetown.   Smith is a scientist and educator whose priorities are the environment, education and a ordability, according to her website.

Democrat Lesley Smith won the race for the Colorado House District 49 seat, beating Republican opponent Steve Ferrante. Smith declared her victory on X Nov. 7, saying, “I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and doing good work for HD49!”

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 for that speci c date.

are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set for that specific date Day and date of observation (2024)

Any

Lesley Smith

Reflections on Writing & Publishing My 1,000th ‘Real Estate Today’ Column

Because journalism was my first profession, writing a column about real estate seemed an obvious way to make myself known when I entered the real estate industry in 2003. The first column I published as a paid advertisement was on July 30, 2003, and I estimate that I have published at least 1,000 columns since then — 52 columns per year for most of the last 21 years. And every one was written by me, on a new topic each week.

have never written a column which embarrassed me due to something I wrote. (I still show each column to my wife, Rita, and to my broker associates before sending it for publication.)

From the beginning, I saw this column as “my own continuing education program,” because I had to study each topic before I could write knowledgeably about it. At first, that meant showing the first draft to my managing broker at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, to make sure I had my facts right. Even now, I will often send a first draft to another broker who has expertise I don’t in the topic I chose to write about that week.

You can see the topics of those columns going back to July 2003 at www.JimSmithColumns.com

The links on those original columns don’t all work, but you can at least see the headlines.

cal homeowner, with letters and postcards saying, “I have a buyer for your home” — which may or may not be the truth. I much prefer to spend those hours being of service to the general public, studying every aspect of real estate that I can think of where I myself would like to know more, and then sharing it with you.

tation where the seller mentioned a particular issue of concern to them. “I wrote about that a few years ago,” I said, whereupon the seller opened a manila folder in which that old column was on the top of the pile.

As a result, I can honestly say that I

I don’t know of any real estate agents anywhere in the country who have taken this approach to promoting themselves, but that may be due to the fact that the vast majority of people in any profession other than the writing professions have trouble expressing themselves in writing — and it’s a big commitment of time. If I weren’t writing this column, I’d probably have to spend hours every day or week prospecting — making cold calls or knocking on doors soliciting sellers and buyers. I might have been one of those agents who bombards you, the typi-

We Learned Firsthand About Vacant Land Scams

The Colorado Association of Realtors (CAR) issued a warning last month about scammers trying to sell vacant land that they don’t own in Douglas County, adding that it may be happening in other counties.

One of our broker associates found himself caught up in just such a scam even before that alert was issued. Here is how the scam unfolded and was discovered, so that the property owner and buyer were not victimized.

Via our website, we received an inquiry about listing a parcel of land in Coal Creek Canyon, so I referred the lead to a broker associate who lives nearby. He quickly got a signed listing for the property at $100,000, and I advertised the parcel in that week’s ad. He put a for-sale sign on the parcel and a neighbor quickly snapped it up, going under contract for it below full price.

The scammer said he was in a cancer isolation ward and didn’t have an ID with him. He needed to close quickly so he could pay his medical expenses.

The folks at First Integrity Title, which received the contract for processing, got suspicious because of no ID and sent a FedEx letter to the real owner of the property at his home in Maryland. The owner immediately called our broker associate, incensed that his property was being sold without his knowledge or involvement.

If the title company had not taken that action, it is possible that the transaction might have gone to closing based on forged IDs from the scammer, and the proceeds of the sale would have been wired according to the scammer’s directions.

The sale would ultimately have been voided, but the buyer would have lost his money. The seller would not have suffered loss.

In its October alert, CAR provided some guidance on how to recognize a vacant land scam in the making:

“In these cases, the scammer tries to list vacant land with no mortgage. He wants to sell it at below market prices for a quick sale. The scammer makes it clear there can be no in person communications, and that all communications are to be done by text or email. The scammer tells the real estate agent one of several stories about why he is out of town. He insists on a remote, no-contact closing, typically using a “local” notary of his choosing. He will not accept a local notary selected by the title company.

“The scammer has presented fraudulent driver’s licenses and fraudulent passports as identification. He uses spoofed phone numbers and untraceable email addresses.”

No such scam should be successful so long as the title company does what First Integrity Title did, which was to contact the registered owner of the land to verify the transaction.

In listing any property for sale, it’s a good practice for the listing agent to have the title company run an “ownership and encumbrance” report, which identifies the owner. Then, using an app called Forewarn, which is only available to licensed real estate agents, we can find the phone number(s) of the registered owner and call them to verify that they are indeed who is talking to us.

BTW, once the seller knew we were not scamming him and had foiled the scam attempt, he said he might list his land with us!

Golden Real Estate’s Broker Associates

us in 2008

Licensed in 2000

Chuck Brown

303-885-7855

Joined us in 2014

Licensed in 2000

Don’t be misled by our name. Our agents have listed homes throughout the Denver Metro area and helped clients buy homes and other real estate all over Colorado!

When I ran for political office in 1981, I did exactly the same thing. Before announcing my candidacy I spent several months investigating every aspect of municipal government, speaking to civil servants in each agency and learning everything I could about policing, criminal justice and corrections as well as welfare, housing and economic development. When I announced my campaign, I released a 16-page tabloid spelling out my program for “saving” my city. I referred to it as “the power of the well-printed word.” It helped that I owned a typesetting business at the time, so I knew how to make what I printed look professional.

That effort wasn’t as successful, however, because I was running against seasoned politicians with political clubhouses behind them, not competing with fellow professionals, most of whom had a lot more experience than me but couldn’t demonstrate that experience or knowledge as well as a seasoned journalist like myself.

My training in journalism came from writing and editing my prep school and college newspapers but most especially from winning a summer internship in 1968 at The Washington Post I really love the practice of real estate and the reputation I have built with my readers. I love getting emails and phone calls asking my advice or reacting to something I have written. And when you call me about selling or buying a home, I love to know that the call was based on the trust and reputation I have built over two decades (or less) from my writings. Often, when I go on a listing appointment, I find that the seller has a folder containing clippings of my columns. I love to tell the story of one listing presen-

My first year in this business, I attended a retreat hosted by one of the preeminent real estate coaches. Following that event, I hired that coach’s firm briefly, but the focus was on memorizing scripts and “time blocking” several hours per days for cold-calling. I couldn’t do it.

It just wasn’t my style. I have never memorized a script and never made a cold call — in fact, never prospected at all. This column is what made that approach possible. The hours I could spend prospecting are so much better spent writing and publishing this column.

At first I wrote monthly, then biweekly, and within a couple years I was able to write this column every week. At first I bought a page in a little Golden newspaper because I couldn’t afford the Golden Transcript. When the Denver Post introduced the regionalized “YourHub” section, I jumped on it, limited to the Jefferson County editions.

Then came the Golden Transcript and three other Jeffco papers. When over 20 metro area weeklies were combined under the non-profit ownership of Colorado Community Media, I expanded to include my ad in all of them. That was after I had already expanded to be in all the local editions of YourHub.

A couple months ago, I signed a contract with the Denver Gazette, a digitalonly newspaper with a large readership.

And, of course, I am also online, with over 1,300 email subscribers to our blog at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com For me as a journalist, there is no greater pleasure and satisfaction than what I get from having my writings broadcast so thoroughly around this metro area that I call home. Thank you for letting me take this week off from writing about another real estate topic to share my story with you.

It’s not often that you can buy a duplex where one side is empty and the other side is rented and contributing $1,500 per month to your mortgage costs! That’s the situation with this well-built and well-maintained brick duplex at 12613 W. 8th Ave. in that quiet neighborhood next to Welchester Tree Grant Park called Foothills View Estate. The two sides of this duplex are mirror images of each other and identical in terms of updating, including newer bath fixtures, doublepane windows, and new garage doors. (The two 1-car garages are accessed from an alley.) The vacant half is the one with a 12’x30’ wood deck, from which you can see the foothills to the west. Welchester Tree Grant Park is just a block away, with nature trails, including to the adjoining Welchester Elementary School. A narrated video tour of both sides of this duplex can be viewed at www.GoldenDuplex.online, along with interior photos of the vacant unit. The rented unit is not available to see until you’re under contract, but it is identical in condition to the vacant unit, as you’ll see on the video tour. Open Saturday, Nov. 16th, 11am to 1pm

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First snowfall in Idaho Springs means hibernation training at the library

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Dressed in their warmest pajamas, several children gathered at the Idaho Springs library with their “stu es” to read and talk about the yearly necessity of hibernation for local wildlife.

Programs and Development Coordinator Holly Grant read from several children’s books focused on the need for hibernation for animals to stay warm during the winter months in the mountains.

“So, what does a bear sound like when it’s sleeping?” Grant asked her captivated audience of children. Several guttural growls emerged from the children’s mouths and laughter followed. e lesson was a timely one as snow covered the grass outside the Idaho Springs library for the rst time this season on Nov. 1.

When Grant asked what the best part of the winter weather was, four-year-old Tinsley Bracker from Evergreen quickly and accurately answered, “Hot chocolate!”

“She’s learning but she’s playing. She gets to be herself here,” Tinsley’s dad Peter Bracker said. Watching and attempting to control some chaos, Clear Creek High School senior and paid library intern Eleonore Bottomley just smiled.

“I grew up in this library, my mom used to work here so I’ve known a lot of the people who have been here for a really long time and I gured I wanted to

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

UPCOMING

Idaho Springs Elks Lodge

Holiday Craft Fair: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 16 1600 Colorado Blvd. Vendor booths available — call 303-567-2983 for info.

spend some time here again,” Bottomley said.

Bottomley said she plans on attending college at Ft. Lewis in Durango after graduating high school two years early. en she hopes to study medicine overseas with the goal of becoming a surgeon.

In the time between now and then, Bottomley said she’s happy where she’s at.

“I really like the kids getting excited about books. I feel like with everything going on it’s really exciting to be able to see kids like books again and I feel like I’m giving back,” Bottomley said.

Despite the levity of the atmosphere in the room, serious scienti c questions from the children needed to be answered.

e most pressing of questions raised by the group was, “Do bears poop during hibernation?”

Stumped, the expert librarians took to Google. e answer: No bears do not poop during hibernation.

You can picture the laughter…  “ is is just showing the library cares about the community but they are also saying, ‘Hey come to the library’ and use the resources we have for free,” Bracker said.

e Clear Creek Library District holds free Friday Storytimes at 10 a.m. at either the Idaho Springs Library at 219 14th Ave. or at the John Tomay Memorial Library at 605 Sixth St. in Georgetown.  “Our story times are wonderful because they allow children and families to learn through play,” Grant said.

Historic Georgetown Christmas Market: Dec. 7-8 is the 64th annual Christmas Market in downtown Georgetown.

ONGOING

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 e ort 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.

CORRECTIONS

Colorado Trust for Local News asks readers to make us aware of mistakes we may have made.

Email linda@cotln.org if you notice a possible error you would like us to take a look at.

Colorado Department of Transportation I-70 Sunglare Closure:I-70 Eastbound at Floyd Hill will now be closed from sunrise to approximately 8:30 a.m. on sunny mornings. Detours will be in place.

CASA of the Continental Divide seeks volunteers:CASACD promotes and protects the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in court

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 Station 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 clearcreekcounty.us/1388/Community-

Outreach.

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.

Resilience1220 counseling: Young people 12 to 20 can get free counseling through an Evergreen-based 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, Xrays, 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

Programs and Development Idaho Springs Library Coordinator Holly Grant read from several children’s books about hibernation. PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL

First snowfall in Idaho Springs means hibernation training at the library.

Chronic absenteeism rates reveal stark disparities across metro-area districts

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Around 1 in 4 Colorado students miss critical time in the classroom, according to data from the Colorado Department of Education. Chronic absenteeism, de ned as missing more than 10% of school days or around 18 days per year, puts students at greater risk for academic failure, poverty and dropping out of high school, according to Attendance Works, an organization working to reduce chronic absenteeism.

A newly-mandated reporting system required by a 2022 law reveals the issue isn’t just about the number of absences. Rather, it’s about who is missing: students from lowincome families, students of color, multilingual learners and those with special needs are the most a ected, facing barriers that go beyond the classroom and into systemic issues like poverty, housing instability and lack of transportation.

At 27.7%, the statewide chronic absenteeism has been dropping since it peaked at 35.5% during the 2021-2022 school year. Yet, rates vary widely across districts and demographics show how some districts struggle with absences far more than others.

“In our statewide data, we see race and ethnicity gaps, but we also see gaps in multilingual learners, students with disabilities and homeless students who qualify for homeless services,” said Johann Liljengren, director of the dropout prevention and student re-engagement o ce in the Colorado Department of Education.

Acknowledging a dire need to address the issue, Colorado’s education leaders joined with 13 other states in a commitment to cut chronic absenteeism by 50% over ve years. Among metro-area districts, Denver, Douglas, Englewood and Je erson County have

Colorado has committed to cutting chronic absenteeism by 50% over five

CURRENTS

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.

joined the state’s challenge.

Data reveals disparities across districts and demographics

While all groups of students experience some level of chronic absenteeism, those districts whose minority and low-income students make up a larger portion of the total population have rates far higher than the state average.

In Adams 14, where the absenteeism rate is close to 50%, nearly nine out of 10 students qualify for free or reduced lunch, meaning their family’s income falls below the federal poverty threshold.

Similar trends hold true for Adams 12 and Denver Public Schools, whose absenteeism rates also far exceed the state average. In Adams 12, 47% of their students experience economic hardship. In Denver, it’s 65%.

At around 25%, Cherry Creek, Je co and Elizabeth school districts have lower absenteeism rates than the state average. ey also have fewer percentages of non-white and low-income students than the state as a whole.

Douglas County has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate, but the district also has the lowest percentage of minority and lowincome students at 32% and 18%, respectively.

Understanding the causes e reasons behind chronic absenteeism are complex and often deeply rooted in students’ broader social and economic conditions. Carl Felton, a policy analyst with EdTrust, emphasized that poverty remains one of the strongest predictors of chronic absenteeism, with low-income students two to three times more likely to miss school

consistently.

“ ese are high-need populations,” Felton explained, adding that for many of these students, absenteeism re ects obstacles like unstable housing, limited access to transportation and lack of healthcare e COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges. For many students, school closures meant the loss of a stable environment, access to meals and vital social interaction. As schools reopened, disengagement became a barrier for students accustomed to an extended absence from formal learning.

Felton noted that this break in routine and support made it di cult for students to readjust to school life.

Liljengren agreed.

“For some students, school was a place where they felt supported and cared for. After a year or more away, they’ve struggled to return to that structure,” he said.

Finding solutions

When it comes to nding a solution, Liljengren and Felton agree that understanding the unique challenges and barriers these speci c student populations face is crucial to developing targeted strategies to improve attendance.

While there is no one-size- ts-all answer, Felton emphasized it’s crucial to start by engaging families.

“All these folks have di erent stories and varying needs, which is why we promote family engagement as one of the top priorities and strategies to address chronic absenteeism,” Felton said. “We can make a lot of assumptions and throw money at programs shown to be e ective through evidencebased data, but we may end up spending money on a program when what we really need is a school bus or to hire a person to conduct home visits.”

He also said that research has shown punitive measures, like truancy court or anything that puts more of a burden on families, break

trust with school leaders and make families and students less likely to engage and work on solving the problem.

By shifting away from punitive discipline measures and towards restorative approaches, Felton explained schools can build stronger relationships with students and families, address underlying issues and keep students engaged in the learning process.

Liljengren said the state is focused on providing resources to districts, families and community partners through its “Every School Day Matters” attendance campaign.  e goal is for schools and communities to work together in a holistic, family-centered way to address the complex, multifaceted factors contributing to chronic absenteeism, especially for the most vulnerable student populations.

District leaders also recognize their role in ensuring kids want to attend school.

“When kids are excited about what they’re learning, they go to school, so part of it is connecting and saying, ‘how do we make the educational experience really engaging, fun, exciting and relevant to them,’” said Kim LeBlanc-Esparza, deputy superintendent of Je co Public Schools.

She said it’s also about personalizing the school experience for each student.

“If kids know we miss them, they’re less likely to opt out. Building those personal relationships with kids and having adults who genuinely care about them makes a signicant di erence,” LeBlanc-Esparza said. e data shows Je co’s strategies are working. e district went from a chronic absenteeism rate of 37.8% in 2021-2022 to 25.3% in 2023-2024.

Felton acknowledged Colorado’s progress and noted that no amount of improvement is insigni cant.

“Even a 1% decrease or reduction in chronic absenteeism adds up to 100 or more students,” he said.

Colorado is helping lead in the clean energy space, especially as the state ranks seventh nationally in the share of clean power percentages. It takes investment and community commitment, especially in our rural parts of Colorado, to help us reach our goals. As part of USDA Rural Development, we are deeply committed to supporting our rural partners and ensuring that communities across Colorado have access to the resources they need to thrive.

Five Colorado electrical cooperatives across the state plan to get there with the support of federal grants to make the transition to a clean energy economy with Tri-State’s $2.5 billion award recent-

AVOICES

Clean energy support brightens future of state

GUEST COLUMN

ly announced on Oct. 25. e ve statewide Colorado coops include CORE Electric Cooperative, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, TriState Generation and Transmission Association, United Power and Yampa Valley Electric Association.

ese historic investments in renewable energy are a testament to the commitment to our communities. By fostering clean energy solutions through the New ERA program, we are not only creating sustainable eco-

nomic opportunities but also ensuring that our rural areas remain resilient and forward looking. Together with our local partners, we are building a stronger, greener future for generations to come.

Wind and solar providing over onethird of Colorado’s electricity is helping us make signi cant strides in the clean energy sector. e state’s clean energy capacity, currently at approximately 7,000 MW, is set to grow signi cantly by 2030. Current capacity is enough to power 2.5 million homes.

Clean energy in Colorado has grown by way of nearly $14 billion of capital investment with utility-scale solar, storage and wind projects and a robust manufacturing sector. Colorado’s 12 operat-

Worry is like the wind

ing clean energy manufacturing facilities have created jobs throughout the state, helping increase the number of Coloradans working in the utility-scale sector to more than 15,750. ese utility-scale clean energy jobs span from development and operations to manufacturing and construction roles.

Let’s keep supporting this important work to build up local economies and strengthen our state as we create smart, sustainable cities. Investing in Colorado with these resources is a solid step forward as we keep leading the way. is guest column was written by Crestina M. Martinez, the Denver-based Colorado state director for U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

few years ago, my family took a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where we spent ve days in a house that looked out on a series of islands in Lake Huron. We rented a boat, a Boston Whaler, and I was “Captain” for the excursions on the water. “Captain Jim”…it has a good ring, doesn’t it?

Being from Colorado I have not spent much time around large bodies of water. At the house and on the boat, I was struck by the power of calm water. ere is a crystal beauty in the water re ecting its surroundings, and the silence in that calm is a wise and welcome friend. ose moments of beauty are lled with a stunning kind of power that can only be found in stillness.

One day while we were out on the water there was a short time, maybe ten minutes, when wind whipped across the lake. As that wind blew and the boat rocked, I began to comprehend how an unseen force like the wind can whip the lake into a frenzy. I could imagine the violent storms that have crossed the Great Lakes and

When Leyuan Li, assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning, rst came to Denver in 2023, he was surprised to discover the city had no Chinatown. He decided to do some research on the story of Chinatown, which led to the creation of a research course focused on this seldom-told part of the city’s history.

“ e course was called ‘Suppressed Interior’, and over the course of four months, we looked into the special problem of Denver’s Chinatown and the reason it declined and its residents were displaced,” Li said. “Not only did we look at its past, but as designers and architects, we envisioned a future for Chinatown in Denver.”

e work Li and his students did is a crucial part of the History Colorado Center’s, 1200 Broadway in Denver, new exhibition, “Where is Denver’s Chinatown? Stories Remembered, Reclaimed and Reimagined.”  e exhibit

sunk many ships. e juxtaposition of the calm and wind-swept water fascinates me. Both waters hold great power, both are beautiful, both left me in awe. e power and beauty of the calm water gave me time to re ect and the space to renew myself. e power and the beauty of the wind-swept water was far di erent, it left me feeling small and insigni cant, almost hopeless in the face of its possible force. e agent that turned the lake from a spot of beauty and re ection to a power lled force of potential destruction had nothing to do with the water itself. e wind created the chaos, the wind changed the water.

I think we are very much like the water of Lake Huron and worry is like the wind. When we are calm, when we are

still there is great strength in that space and it creates beauty and the opportunity for re ection and healing. When we allow outside forces like worrying about the future to impact our calm waters we are whipped into a frenzy, a force no doubt, but a force that can be destructive and certainly chaotic.

I found the moments on or near the still lake to be very comforting and I worked to experience that power- lled still water each day we were there. To nd that stillness I needed to wake up early and intentionally go outside to spend time on the lake’s edge. When I created the time to seek the still water, the rewards were spectacular.

We are di erent than the waters of Lake Huron in that we can create shelter against those outside forces in ways the lake cannot. Water will always be at the mercy of wind. But we do not need to be moved by circumstances we cannot control. is week, it is my sincere hope that you will seek to nd the strength of clam waters in your heart and mind. I wish I had the golden ticket to share how you

Finding Denver’s Chinatown

accomplish this. While I do not know exactly how to tell you to nd the calm water, I do know that:

• You must intentionally seek it.

• You must be fully present to experience it.

• You must take the time to appreciate the beauty and power of it.

I hope that you will nd inspiration in my words and share those words of encouragement with those who need it. I would love to hear from you as you nd helpful morsels in these columns and as you nd ways to encourage those around you. I can be contacted at jim.roome@ gmail.com.

Jim Roome lives in Arvada with his wife Beth. He spent 34 years in public education. Lessons learned from the one two punch of being diagnosed with MS shortly before his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer led him into a new pursuit as a freelance writer and speaker. He uses his life experiences and love of stories to inspire, educate and encourage local, national and international audiences.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

national laws that restricted immigration and opportunities for Chinese nationals.

was created in collaboration with Colorado Asian Paci c United (CAPU) and is on display through Aug. 9,

“ is is an exhibit we’ve wanted to do for a long time and really came about because of Li’s class,” said Dr. Josie Chang-Order, school programs manager and co-developer of the exhibition. “Working with the students and other members of the community who could share what the area was like, we were able to put together this exhibit.”

According to information provided by History Colorado, Denver’s Chinatown was once located in the Lower Downtown (LoDo) area and was a ourishing home for its residents. It survived the Anti-Chinese Riot of 1880, but eventually dispersed as a result of widespread anti-Chinese racism and the passage of

Where is Denver’s Chinatown? uses historic personal family photographs and objects, artifacts from the museum’s collection, a portrayal of a typical home, and artistic reimaginings of the neighborhood done by Li’s students.

“I was in charge of the historic model, which required a lot of research. e area wasn’t well-documented because it was an immigrant neighborhood where people of color lived,” said Molly Rose Merkert, a student in the Dana Crawford Preservation Program. “We were able to use the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map and use that to give us an idea about what the topography looked like and recreated the space as best we could.”

e exhibit isn’t solely focused on the past—it also looks ahead at what reconstituting Denver’s Chinatown would mean for the city and its residents. Students were encouraged to be creative and forward-thinking on this part of the project.

“For me, there’s not only physical construction to consider, but conceptual,” Li said. “It has to be a site of convergence, of cultural cohesion, where people can form a particular cultural identity. at’s an important part of guiding people towards new ways to imagine Chinatown.” e aim of the exhibit is that people learn more about an underrepresented piece of Denver’s history, according to Chang-Order, but also that they come away thinking about the future. And for people like Merkert, it’s an opportunity to nd a sense of home.

“I never felt like I belonged in Denver, but knowing it had one of the largest Chinatowns in the west helped me feel like I belong here,” she said. “We have been here and have been here for a while.”

For more information, visit https:// www.historycolorado.org/exhibit/denvers-chinatown.

Clarke Reader

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Jim Roome

Greg Markle arrived in Colorado from Pennsylvania in the early 1970s, and Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties were never the same. A musician, hiker, traveler, actor, director, producer, mischief maker, pilot, and a founding member of the Fun Club, Greg never missed an opportunity to make people laugh.

He started his business, Clear Creek Surveying, in the early 1980s and tirelessly walked the backcountry and town streets. He was County Surveyor for both Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties.

Scientists want your help to digitize historic data on bees

RACHEL COHEN

MOUNTAIN WEST NEWS BUREAU

Within aisles of cabinets at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Museum of Natural History collections are rows upon rows of wooden display boxes with glass tops. Each box holds dozens to hundreds of bee specimens.

Leafcutter bees with blades on their teeth. Round-bodied Western bumblebees. Metallic green sweat bees. Details about each specimen, like the species name, who found it, where and when, are pinned down under each bee. Put together, it’s a treasure trove of data about the crucial pollinators. e problem is that it’s analog, on tiny slips of paper, sometimes handwritten in cursive. Now, scientists are pushing to get that information out of the museum cabinets and onto computers. at’s because there’s currently a lack of information about populations of many bee species.

“If we get that data, and we can rebuild those distributions, we can look for how they’re changing over time which could inform something so basic as whether or not we should be concerned that they’re declining,” said Adrian Carper, an entomology curator at the museum.

To digitize their bee collections, researchers at 13 institutions, including CU Boulder, the University of Nevada, Reno,

and Arizona State University, formed the “Big Bee Bonanza.”

Volunteer citizen scientists can visit an online platform calledNotes from Nature, which gives visitors specimens to transcribe. In dropdown menus and text boxes, the platform asks you to write down the words on labels next to zoomed-in images of bees.

For example, the note by one mining bee says it was collected near Carbondale, Colo., in 1982. When you’re done with one bee, Notes from Nature prompts you to enter data for another one, like a computer game.

“I nd myself having to set alarms because I can’t ever stop doing this —- it’s so much fun,” said Virginia Scott, the collections manager.

e team at CU Boulder is hoping to get notes from 50,000 bee specimens transcribed by 2025.

“Participating in this project is one of the biggest ways you can help in bee conservation because it gets that data to the conservationists who need it,” Carver said.

e Mountain West News Bureau is a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico.

A celebration of life will be on November 16, 2024, at Rocky Mountain Village, 2644 Alvarado Road, Empire. Doors open 12:30, service 1:00, kazoo parade 2:00. If you’d like, bring a dessert to share, a photo, and a story! Wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt. Donations in Greg’s memory may be made to Clear Creek County Advocates or his beloved KYGT Radio. MARKLE

He cherished his wife Amber Dahlin and his two children Birdie Ahlstrom and Ben Markle. Other survivors include his brother Gary Markle, thirteen nieces and nephews, loving in-laws, and a host of longtime friends. Greg succumbed to idiopathic pulmonary brosis after an 8-year struggle. His ashes will be interred in Dumont. A kind spirit and charismatic presence in many lives, Greg will be greatly missed-but his crazy stories will live on.

In 1994 Greg and his friend Bob Flagle started Clear Creek Radio (KYGT), which is still going strong. Greg also created oral histories, documentaries, and ve feature-length lms with hundreds of community members as actors and crews.

A bee visits a group of late-summer flowers Aug. 29 outside Colorado School of Mines’ Volk Gymnasium. PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

National trend impacting area fire agencies, blood supply, food pantries, senior services

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Evergreen Fire/Rescue welcomed its rst six paid re ghters last month, it was hailed as progress for the district’s residents, with the anticipation of faster response times from sta ed re stations. But it was also a sharp turn away from a long-standing tradition: e all-volunteer model it had used for 76 years.

While the area’s aging population, climate change and life in a place ranked in the top 10 nationally for catastrophic wild re were factors in the hiring decision, the decline in volunteerism also played into it.

It’s a trend impacting organizations of all kinds. Volunteering in the United States is at an all-time low, according to IVolunteer International, even as the need for most of the services such agencies supply is increasing. e fallout is far from minor, ranging from such potentially critical issues as delays in re agency response times to a shortage in the national blood supply.

On a societal level, experts say it may be a symptom of, or a factor in, increasing social isolation and political division.

“Volunteers meet critical community needs, and volunteering has the power to heal our societies by creating empathy and equity,” said Jennifer Siranelo, CEO of Points of Light, an international nonpro t dedicated to volunteerism. “It’s imperative that we work together to reverse the downward trend in volunteering.”

While the pandemic exacerbated the issue, it was not the cause. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the volunteer rate in the United States has been steadily declining for more than a decade.

Charitable giving is also down in the U.S., a fact attributed to economic uncertainty, stock market volatility and an increase in smaller and single-parent families.

Volunteering has historically been led by college graduates, married people and parents. But today’s younger generations are strained not just for time but money, and are more likely to not only work several jobs but share housing to make ends meet, according to the Center for the Study of the Individual and Society. at leaves them with little discretionary time. e issue has hit the re service hard. e number of volunteer re ghters has declined for the last three decades, hitting a record low in 2020, according to the National Fire Protection Association. During that same time period, the U.S. population — and demands for emergency services —grew. Among smaller re districts, the average age of a volunteer re ghter is going up, with fewer younger people throwing their hats into the volunteer ring.

Not long ago, Evergreen Fire/Rescue Chief Mike Weege said EFR turned prospective volunteers away.

“We’d get roughly 30 applying and have (volunteer re ghter) academies of 25,” he said. “Eight to 10 years ago, we start-

Volunteers meet critical community needs, and volunteering has the power to heal our societies by creating empathy and equity.”

Jennifer Siranelo, CEO of Points of Light

ed getting far fewer people who could commit the time to do it. Our academies would only be six people, and we had to combine them with Genesee, Foothills and Indian Hills ( re districts).

“Today, both parents working is the norm, and people are working longer hours,” he continued. “I think people’s lives are far too busy for the amount of time and motivation it takes to volunteer for a dangerous activity.”

Nearby Elk Creek Fire is facing the same challenges, which Chief Jacob Ware attributes in part to the foothills’ shifting population.

“ e demographics have changed a lot here,” he said. “Historically, volunteer re departments were made up a lot of blue-collar, often self-employed people — people who had the ability to break away from their jobs in the middle of the day to answer a re call.”

With the escalating cost of housing in the mountains, fewer of those people can a ord to live in Conifer. And those that do are pressed for time.

“You have to hustle to live in the mountains,” Ware said. “Between work, family and everything else, the time you have to volunteer is dwindling.”

Vitalant, which has 10 Colorado blood donation centers and is the primary blood provider for over 95% of Colorado’s hospitals, is seeing far fewer donors than in the past. Vitalant declared an emergency blood shortage in 2024, and it’s not the rst time the nonpro t blood services provider has done so.

“Overall, the number of people donating with Vitalant has dropped about 20% since before the pandemic, while patients’ needs remain strong,” said Brooke Way, Vitalant’s communications manager. “If there’s a shortage and we don’t have the available blood, that’s when hospitals and doctors have to make those impossible choices of whether to postpone a surgery that’s been scheduled, so a trauma (victim) can get that unit. at’s what we try to avoid.”

It’s left local and national organizations scrambling for solutions, and pondering creative new ideas to revitalize volunteering.

“We’ve tried everything under the sun to recruit new volunteers; we just had another meeting about it,” said Kevin Andrezejewski, executive director of BGOLDN, which runs a food pantry and other community food programs. “ ere’s been a huge shift in the demographic here. e younger population doesn’t either have the time or interest in volunteering.”

COVER PHOTO: Volunteer firefighters from Evergreen and Elk Creek fire departments climb onto the roof of a house on fire earlier this year.

LEFT: Teri Crawford, visiting from Virginia, helps her daughter Kimberly Buxton of Golden while volunteering at the BGOLDN food pantry. PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

RIGHT: Centennial resident Joseph Lothringer recently donated his 70th gallon of blood at Vitalant’s Parker donation center. “It’s an act of gratitude,” he said. “Emotionally, it’s a very satisfying feeling.”

VOLUNTEERS

at’s particularly challenging because the need for BGOLDN’s programs is growing. Demand for its home delivery program, available to people who need supplies from the food pantry but don’t have transportation, has doubled in the last 18 months. But BGOLDN doesn’t have enough drivers to bring food to those homes or pick up food donations from area grocery stores.

“We have more volunteer shifts to ll,” Andrezejewski said. “We don’t want to decrease the number of families we support, and we could grow the program. But with the shortage of volunteers, we have to hold back on expanding it too much.”

A Little Help provides services to seniors throughout the metro area, northern Colorado and Grand Junction that can make the di erence between individuals moving to assisted living or staying in their homes. During the pandemic, the Denver-based nonpro t saw a surge in volunteers. But as life returned to normal, that help faded away.

“A lot of our open requests from seniors are going unful lled,” said Jake Dresden, A Little Help’s metro Denver director. “Rides to the doctor, the bank, the grocery store, tech support requests, companionship requests … we’re not at a healthy level of volunteers to meet those.

“We always feel the sweet spot for us is at least 2-to-1 volunteers to older adult members. And we are not at that number,” Dresden continued. “ e last six months, we’ve been running 2-to-1 members to volunteers. at’s not a recipe for success.”

Not only do seniors often physically need help with such chores and tasks, volunteer assistance can make a critical nancial di erence for them.

“ e big broad piece is helping them stay in their homes,” Dresden said. “A lot of our members are living on very xed incomes. e thought of paying a landscaping crew to rake leaves, or getting an Uber to go to the doctor, that’s money they don’t have budgeted.”

Because Colorado is a popular state for retirees, Dresden doesn’t see the demand for services easing.

A Little Help sends a weekly email to its volunteers and has made volunteering as exible as possible. Volunteers choose the task they want to do and when they’d like to do it. Still, the list of un lled requests hasn’t grown shorter.

“We’re trying all sorts of di erent methodologies to bring new volunteers on, but we’re having to start waiting lists for certain areas and services,” Dresden said.

Solutions

e problem is clear, but solutions are less so. Yet, people across the country are working to nd them, and with good reason.

Volunteering is good for us, on an individual and larger societal level. Research shows links between volunteering and improved physical health, cognitive function, elevated mood, increased social interactions, decreased loneliness and even increased mortality, according to the Stanford Center on Longevity. On a more global scale, volunteerism contributes to social cohesion, community well-being and the economy.  e Generosity Commission, made up of experts across the philanthropic sec-

tor, is dedicated to increasing civic participation. It’s spent the last three years studying the country’s decline in charitable giving and volunteering and mapping a plan to reverse it.

ose include getting public gures to talk about how they bene t from giving and volunteering, reaching out to younger generations and reinforcing the role of businesses in encouraging employee giving. IVolunteer International suggests o ering virtual volunteering options like tutoring, nonpro t tech support or online advocacy as a way to match volunteering opportunities with the shift to remote work and lifestyles.

Evergreen Fire/Rescue is redesigning its volunteer program, using a system of points and small-dollar rewards that allows volunteers exibility in how and when they respond.

“We need to meet people where they are, to allow people to do what they can do versus forcing them to t into our box,” Weege said. “If you want to just do wildland ( res), if you want to just do EMS, there’s a place for you here. So you don’t have to do all the training. We’ve brought in quite a few people by doing that.”

Denver-based Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, which builds trails and improves habitat statewide, said it’s changed its o erings to try to meet its volunteers’ abilities.

“We’re getting more one-o (volunteer stints) than people who’ll come out multiple times a year now,” said VOC’s marketing manager Kim Gagnon. “So we’re trying to broaden the type of work we offer folks. Some people can volunteer on a fourteener with no problem. And some people feel that reward from a threehour harvest in a garden in downtown Denver. ese are interesting trends, and

we’re just trying to problem-solve as we go.”

Vitalant has o ered donor giveaways like the chance to win $5,000 prepaid gift cards, and more recently a $5,000 Halloween jackpot. As the shift to remote work has decreased donations from business blood drives, Vitalant’s now encouraging schools to host blood drives. ose who volunteer regularly see the bene ts clearly.

Conifer resident Peyton omas, who launched the nonpro t Speakers for Africa to help Ugandan schoolchildren, said the work not only broadens his perspective about other cultures, but gives him a fresh outlook on his own life.

“When I start complaining about Wi-Fi speed or my food taking too long to get to me, I think, ‘I need to go back to Uganda and regroup,’ because they know what is real,” he said. “Life is a help-others program. I’m convinced getting outside of ourselves sand helping others is what we’re supposed to do.”

Joseph Lothringer recently donated his 70th gallon of blood at Vitalant’s Parker donation center. He’s enjoyed a lifetime of good health and said donating is a way to share some of that with those who haven’t been as lucky.

“It’s an act of gratitude,” said the 68-year-old Centennial resident. “I won the physiological lottery. I think of people that are ghting for their lives against cancer. To give them a shot of platelets, to use my health to help people that didn’t win the lottery, that’s the least I can do. Emotionally, it’s a very satisfying feeling.” It took Lothringer 40 years of regular donations to reach 70 gallons, and he’s not done yet.

“Absolutely, I’m going to keep doing it,” he said. “My goal now is 100 gallons.”

COURTESY OF EVERGREEN FIRE/RESCUE

COURTESY OF VITALANT

BY JENNY BRUNDIN CPR NEWS

A ballot measure to create a new position to work in animal shelters and veterinary clinics appears to be passing, based on preliminary results Nov. 5.

Proposition 129 was winning with 52 percent supporting to 48 percent opposed in uno cial results. e position would be the rst of its kind in the nation.

Currently, veterinary practices in Colorado are sta ed by veterinarians, who have at least eight years of education, and veterinary technicians, who have a two-year associate’s degree.

e measure would create a new midlevel position between those two called a veterinary professional associate, or VPA.

e position would require a master’s degree in veterinary clinical care and would be allowed to diagnose animals, perform routine surgeries, and order and perform tests and procedures under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

Under current Colorado law, only veterinarians can perform those tasks.

e measure divided veterinarians and stymied many voters when it came time to mark their ballots.

“I was thinking about the medical professions … We have physicians’ assistants, we have nurse practitioners that are kind of the middle ground between physicians and nurses, so I felt like that made sense for veterinarians and vet techs too,” said a Denver voter named Angela, who declined to give her last name for privacy reasons.

Other voters said the position felt duplicative.

“ ey (veterinarians and vet techs) are already professionals. Why add another layer to the onion? To me that just didn’t make sense,” said voter Jack Stevens.

A coalition of animal welfare organizations and some veterinarians argued the measure would ease Colorado’s severe veterinary shortage and lower the cost of vet care. Opponents, including the professional associations representing veterinarians and veterinary technicians, warned VPAs would be allowed to do more than their training merited.

“ ere has been no evidence that the VPA role will decrease costs of veterinary care,” said Dr. Jennifer Bolser, a veterinarian. “Instead, pet owners will pay the same for a lesser trained individual try-

ing to make a diaganosis and performing surgery…We do not want animals to suffer with substandard care.”

Proponents argued the vet shortage has an especially large impact on animal shelters, rescues and nonpro t vet clinics. A Colorado State University survey of veterinarians found that 70% turn away animals because of sta ng shortages. Proponents said 20% of Coloradans live in a “vet care desert.”

“Animals across the state are su ering due to a lack of veterinary resources, especially in rural and disadvantaged communities,” said Dr. Apryl Steele, CEO of the Dumb Friends League.

e issue was Colorado’s fth most expensive ballot measure this year. e measure’s backers, All Pets Deserve Vet Care, raised nearly $1.5 million, spending $1.3 million through Oct. 28, with their top donations from the Dumb Friends League and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Gov. Jared Polis contributed $2,500

to the campaign.

e coalition opposing the measure, Keep Our Pets Safe, raised and spent about $1.5 million, with the American Veterinary Medical Association as the top donor.

If the measure passes, what’s next?

e Associated Press had not o cially called Prop. 129 as of Nov. 7, but its lead looks fairly insurmountable.

e proposition would set up a new state license for this intermediate position in the veterinary eld. e state’s Board of Veterinary Medicine would pass rules around the speci c quali cations and testing required.

Colorado State University is already in the process of setting up a master’s in veterinary clinical care program. It plans to graduate the rst class of veterinary professional associates in 2027, regardless of whether the initiative takes e ect.

e program is designed for both vet techs who want to further their educa-

tion and for those who quali ed for vet school but weren’t accepted by a program, as well as for immigrants who were licensed veterinarians in their home country. It would require ve semesters of specialized training speci cally on cats and dogs and concludes with an internship delivering routine veterinary care in a practice under the close supervision of a veterinarian. e program requires a similar number of preclinical surgical training hours as veterinarians and three times the training hours in dentistry surgical training, according to CSU. e measure would set up a nationally recognized veterinary professional associates credentialing organization to issue certi cations once they pass a national exam.

is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

LIFESTYLES

AN ADVERTISING SECTION OF COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

ELF works to improve safety from one end of Evergreen to the other

By Anne Vickstrom Special to Lifestyles

A lot of folks in Evergreen don’t know about the Evergreen Legacy Fund – ELF – but certainly bene t from its hard work. ELF is making Evergreen a safer place to live.

In a nutshell, because Evergreen is unincorporated, it is considered rural; therefore, Je erson County is not required to fund infrastructure such as crosswalks, sidewalks, or shoulders. at’s where ELF steps in and works with Je co, CDOT, Evergreen Parks and Recreation (EPRD), and other governmental agencies to see projects completed — much like the role of a Town Manager in an Incorporated town.

ELF raises funds from voluntary contributions from customers of participating ELF member businesses, based on 1% of sales — an idea borrowed from Crested Butte where 1%

FEATURE OF THE MONTH

is collected to protect open space. Of course, individuals and businesses can also make donations and bequests. When ELF requests projects be addresssed, it comes with funds to back them, resulting in governmental entities becoming enthusiastic partners.

In 2012 Evergreen downtown business owners and community leaders, Dean Dalvit, Gail Riley, Richard Touissant, Bob Cardwell, Kathleen Davis, and Rachel Emmer formed what eventually became the Evergreen Legacy Fund, to improve the historic area of Evergreen. Over the years, the scope of the organization expanded to include all ve activity centers across Evergreen. In 2020, Je co County Commissioners endorsed

formation of the Evergreen Local Improvement District (ELID), enabling Je erson County to make important public safety improvements on county roadways across Evergreen, funded by ELF funds. ELF seeks grants providing seed money, leveraging every contributed dollar tenfold.

During a two-year process of intensive community engagement, 45 priority projects were selectively reduced to 17 improvements in Je co rights-of-way to increase safety in our community.

Projects like the crosswalks and sidewalks near Wilmot Elementary School have taken ve or more years to come to fruition. ELF has learned to be patient. Project timing and scope is at the discretion of Je co. Delays can occur through the bid process, and occasionally projects may be scaled-down to keep costs down.

ELF board members view the shoulder area along Meadow Drive that will soon have a sidewalk extending to the Hiwan History Museum.

Photo by Ellen Nelson

ELF

From Page 13

Under the professional leadership of Dean Dalvit, ELF has developed a strong working relationship with Je co and other partners. “Maintaining relationships with government partners and our elected o cials is hard work,” Dean explains, “because they change so frequently. We have to be relentless in keeping in close contact with new people and educating them on the history of ELF or else we can quickly lose all of the momentum and credibility we’ve created over the years.”

ELF’s funds have kick-started several projects that would have been delayed or never addressed. For instance, this past summer, the crosswalk across Bu alo Park Road from Greenwood to Hatch Drive was relocated with signalized light and curbs to slow tra c and

CURRENT BUSINESS

Alexa Interiors*

Alpen Way Chalet*

Anderson Insurance Company

Kelli Anderson / Berkshire Hathaway

Bear Essence Salon & Boutique*

Bear Paw Stanbro Property Management

Bistro Del Lago*

Blackbird Kitchen & Bath*

Cactus Jack’s Saloon & Grill

Campfire Evergreen*

Coaty and Woods, PC

Colorado Serenity

Creating Space Colorado

Jennifer Davenport / LIV Sotheby’s

Melody Ellis / Berkshire Hathaway

Tamara Drozda / Madison & Co. Essence*

EV Studio

Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce

Evergreen Clothing and Mercantile

Evergreen Crafters*

Evergreen Discount Liquors

Evergreen Massage*

Evergreen Living

Evergreen Rodeo Association

Evergreen Wash Co. – Ponderosa & Hilltop*

Evoke 1923* FirstBank Flicker & Finch Salon

Diane Florscheutz / Wildflower Realty

Kevin Freadhoff / Berkshire Hathaway

Stephanie Freadhoff / Berkshire Hathaway

Wendy Grillo / RE/MAX Alliance

Mary Haling / LIV Sotheby’s

Highland Haven Creekside Inn*

Lakepoint Chiropractic

Marie Lynch / Madison & Company

Alison Maltese / LIV Sotheby’s

Manning Financial Advisors

Marmalade

Medical Aesthetics LLC*

Nick Melzer / Compass Realty

Mountain Daisy*

Mountain Home Furnishings*

Murphy’s Mountain Grill*

Neighborhood Welcome

PandoraJohnProperties

Pixie Hair Studio*

Julia Purrington / Berkshire Hathaway

Yvette S. Putt / LIV Sotheby’s

Rising Graphics & Printing

Nicole Reyes / LIV Sotheby’s

Shadow Mountain Gallery*

Deborah Simon / LIV Sotheby’s Sisters & Company*

Stems Flower Shop*

Lark Stewart / LIV Sotheby’s

Stillwater Partners LLLP TallGrass*

Tupper’s Team—Madison & Co.

Tricia Wales / Coldwell Banker

Valentine Seevers & Associates

Valerian Landscape Architecture

Andy Wann / Berkshire Hathaway Wild Aware

Kevin Wilson / Keller Williams Foothills

*1% pass-thru members

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS

Carolyn Baldwin

Amy Bergevin

Tupper and Karla Briggs

Jeanne Canny

Charles and Bette Carcano

Anne Chew

Liz Cohen—donated in honor of the tireless ELF board

Alexa Cowley—donated in honor of Liz Cohen and Linda Kirkpatrick

Brenda Cumming

Greg Dobbs

Peter and Peggy Eggers

Shelleen Ellington

Miriam Epple

Anna Murray Garner and Kevin Garner

Eric Gill

Gayle Gordon

Mary Houlihan

Peter Jacobson

Luann and Hank Kaanta —donated in honor of Linda Kirkpatrick

Linda Kirkpatrick

Janice and Stephen Kaup

Jim and Anita Kreider

Todd Landrum

Cindy Lempke

Meg and Mike Leonard

Peter and Pam Lindquist

Trish Maggio

Jani and Bryan McCarty

Joan Mickelson

Lynn and Dan Moyle

Dave and Carolyn Nelson

Dan Pike

Jim Pisula and Nadja Pisula-Litoff

Martha Pofit

Charles Rhodes

Gail Riley and Tom Statzell

Brian Roberts

Jay Roberts

Mark Schnoll

Jim and Aleta Smith

Denise Stoner

Richard and Susan Toussaint

Saraben Turner

Marty and Don Unger

Michele Vanags

Laura Veckerelli

Anne and Mark Vickstrom

Nancy Williams and Jim Casebolt

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dean Dalvit, EV Studio Bob Cardwell, Stillwater Partnership Alexa Cowley, Mountain Home Furnishings and Alexa Interiors

Brenda Cumming, Medical Aesthetics Eric Gill, Bear Paw Stanbro Property Management

Kaslon, Valerian, LLC

Vickstrom

Please see ELF, Page 16 Crosswalks and ADA-accessible 4-way stops in Bergen Park.

Photo by Linda Kirkpatrick

Mortgage Loan O cer Grant Brewster Represents

YOU... the Customer

NMLS# 737321 Serving the foothils for 30+ years www.grantbrewster.com

By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles

Mortgage Loan Broker Grant Brewster of Edge Home Finance Corporation is committed to helping salaried and/or self-employed individuals obtain the best loan for their needs.

Mortgage broker vs. bank…what’s the di erence? A mortgage broker is not a bank employee/a liate; the products they can o er you are not limited. Grant Brewster represent YOU—not the lender. Mortgage brokers, knowledgeable on current trends, only specialize in mortgages and they rely on your referrals/repeat business.

With a wide assortment of loan options currently available to homebuyers/homeowners (Conventional/VA/FHA/USDA; Fixed Rate, ARMs), choosing the wrong mortgage can be costly. Let Grant’s 30 years’ experience and expertise identify the best lending package tailored to your particular situation, whether it’s with a national wholesale lender, second mortgage/HELOC lender, or private funds. e average consumer savings with a wholesale broker over the life of the loan can be $10,000plus.

For over thirty years, Colorado Foothills native and Mortgage Loan O cer Grant Brewster of Edge Home Finance Corporation has been providing his customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. His Evergreen o ce is conveniently located at Flow eory Coworks, 3540 Evergreen Parkway. Contact Mortgage O cer Grant Brewster today for all your home nancing needs (720-6684183/grant.brewster@edgehome nance.com/ www.grantbrewster.com).

Any Lab Test Now® O ers Lab Testing That’s

By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles

Whether you are taking active steps to manage a chronic condition, monitor dosages for a new medication, or engage in a diagnostic process, Any Lab Test Now® of Lakewood o ers you a variety of clinical tests/test options.

With over 230 franchised facilities throughout the United States, and eight locations within the State of Colorado, the Lakewood business is conveniently located at 7650 West Virginia Avenue, Suite C. O ering a complete and extensive range of clinical lab tests, the facility serves its clients Monday-Friday / 7:00 am to 06:00 pm, and Saturday / 9:00 am to 02:00 pm. (closed Sunday).

“We o er thousands of tests, including: STD/DNA/TB/Celiac/Chron’s/IBS, A1C, and Single or Bundle Nutritional B12 Injections, to uninsured and self-pay individuals, and we’re sure to have the test for your speci c situation,” said Drew Scarbrough, the Lakewood franchise owner who moved to Colorado from Florida where he worked as a Veterinary Doctor. “We provide the doctor’s order; no insurance needed or ever accepted.”

Most tests take less than 15 minutes, and many results are ready within 24-72 hours. Choose a test. Choose your time. Get your answer. For fees/testing information and appointments, contact Any Lab Test Now® of Lakewood (720-543-2280 / https//www.anylabtestnow/lakewood-80226). (720) 543-2280

From Page 14

keep drivers in their lanes, along with an added sidewalk along Hatch to Wilmot with ADA ramps for students to safely arrive at school.

When erosion under the Evergreen North Lake Trail caused it to be closed, the ELF board encouraged EPRD to take the lead on a multi-jurisdictional project, donated renderings as well as $50,000 to the extensive undertaking.

e organization provided $30,000 in matching funds and assisted with project coordination for creation of the 200- . pedestrian bridge connecting the lake trial to Downtown. ELF Funds supported the Bear Creek Children’s Mural under the bridge from the lake to downtown, creating a legacy through the art project. ELF contributed $5,000 to the Leadership Evergreen mural on the CenturyLink building downtown, which turned an eye-sore into an admired work of art by local artists Chris and Will Krieg. In 2022 Evergreen High School students designed and delivered on the murals on two sides of Evergreen Metro Building, making this once utilitarian structure add beauty to our community. When EHS was in need of support, ELF kicked in $5,000 for the acquisition of new bleachers.

ELF participated in installation of water fountain in downtown and contributed to the downtown ood relief in 2013, acquired two de brillators for downtown businesses to use in emergencies, and worked with CDOT to have curb-to-curb paving of Main Street, including parking spaces.

Installation of the signalized crosswalk from RTD lot allows folks to have access to the shops at Bergen Marketplace, and Center for the Arts Evergreen. ADA-accessible 4-way stops at the Marketplace at Bergen Park allow not only wheelchairs but strollers to pass safely between the two shopping and residential areas. e crosswalk across Hwy. 74 at Christ the King Church allows neighbors to safely cross from the Meadow Drive community to the walkway leading to Evergreen Lake and north toward Elk Meadow.

At the end of downtown, ELF created the Riverwalk, added signage and striping making Independence Trail one-way and created a pedestrian shoulder, increasing convenience and safety, and adding six additional free parking spaces.

Board Member Eric Gill says, “It’s exciting to have accomplished so much in such a short time. With each completed project, our enthusiasm only grows, knowing we can look forward to accomplishing remaining projects as well.”

Within the next few years ELF looks

A Rude Awakening!

Well, it is suddenly wintertime! How is your replace doing? Does your replace live up to your expectations? You don’t have to live with an ugly, outdated, dirty, dra y replace! Whether you want to burn wood or gas, there are so many attractive AND e cient replace options available. We are your expert resource in high e ciency and high-quality appliances that will keep you warm for many winters to come! Any room in your home can become cozier and warmer. Imagine getting ready for the day on a chilly morning, but you’re perfectly comfortable because you have a beautiful and e cient gas replace burning in your bedroom or bathroom. When it’s time to go, you can easily turn it o with the press of a button or set the replace to thermostat-mode to keep your room consistently warm.

You can even add a replace to a blank wall! We can help you put in a replace almost anywhere in your

home. Your new zero-clearance gas or woodburning replace can be installed into framing that creates a bump-in structure into any room, like the picture below. Adding a vertical design element for the replace within a room can create a focal point for a television, built-in bookshelves, or even the classic look of oor-to-ceiling stone. You can complement the existing style of your home with other design elements around your new replace such as a hearth extension, mantle, stonework, or sleek modern tile.

Today’s replaces have revolutionized what we expect out of our hearth appliances. ere are so many sizes, shapes, and styles to t in any home. ere are many new trends in replaces too, such as the new landscape shape which is not quite a traditional square, nor a modern linear. Some new gas replaces even have burners integrated into the logs, for the most ultra-realistic ame appearance to

date. ere is also a huge increase in the popularity of replaces where you may not expect, such as your kitchen or bedroom. Your home doesn’t have to be brand new or custom-built to have a replace anywhere you want one.

Gas replaces are the most popular choice because they are easy to operate with a thermostatic remote control and can integrate into any room. For gas replaces and stoves, the venting can even be as simple as straight out through the wall, minimizing disturbance to your home while safely exhausting outside.

Did you know you can get a new woodburning replace? EPA-Certi ed woodburning replaces, stoves, and inserts are not only allowed, but encouraged with a new tax credit that is up to $2000 back! All of our woodburning appliances are EPA-Certi ed, and most qualify for this tax credit. We consider high-e ciency woodburning another one of our specialties.

If you already have a replace in your home, we can improve it. It’s not as complicated as it may seem to remove an old, ine cient factory-built replace and replace it with a new, beautiful and powerful heater; such as our project in the picture below. If you wish to update your old masonry replace, there are many design options for putting an insert into the old rebox that will take your replace from outdated and ugly to e cient and elegant.

Visit our website at www.MtnHP. com to see our products and portfolio of work. Or, come see them in person! We have a huge variety of beautiful and e cient replaces in our showroom at 7001 Highway 73 in Marshdale. Come visit us from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, and 8am-4pm Saturdays. You can also reach us by phone at 303-679-1601, or email at O ce@MtnHP.com.

Once upon a time,

teams replaced

with this new contem-

From Page 16

forward to completing projects including the widening of Highway 73 with paved shoulders, beginning in May, making it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. A small number of additional parking spaces will also be added.

In 2026, the widening of Meadow Drive will allow for an asphalt pathway so that residents can travel safely along the roadway. At the same time, paving of shoulders on Iris from Elks Lodge to Evergreen Christian Church and Fireweed to Center/Stage for pedestrian safety in shared parking lots for church, choir, and theater activities.

Replacing the Little Cub Creek Road bridge with a turn lane will improve sight distance and pedestrian/ bike safety. A sidewalk from Highway 73 at Bu alo Park Road to Highway 74 downtown currently planned with federal funding. Sidewalks on Bu alo Park Road at Highway 73 to S. Hatch Road and between Bu alo Park Road to Camel Heights Rd. along Highway 73 will allow pedestrians to travel safely from Wilmot Elementary and Evergreen High School to the Library, and with other projects, into downtown.

e Forest Hill Bridge will be replaced with a guardrail and pedestrian handrail.

ere will be a Bu alo Park crossing at EHS so sprinting will no longer be a requirement of students. And nally, a sidewalk along S. Olive Road by EHS can help neighbors and students get to the Wulf Recreation Center and the High School.

Long-time supporter (and a founding board member of ELF) Gail Riley says, “I know the power and the value for Evergreen with the funds we contribute. We have made an impact most certainly in lieu of being incorporated.”

Riley has been instrumental in the beauti cation projects such as the mural by elementary school students under the connector bridge downtown and the murals on two sides of the Evergreen Metro Building at the foot of the dam as well as the addition of a natural stone park bench below one of the murals and another along Bear Creek.

ELF is grateful to the numerous local businesses and individuals who have stepped up to support their goal of raising funds for future projects. Recently, Frank Compagnino, owner of Ponderosa Carwash suggested he place a banner, and stickers at the pay stations, to bring focus on ELF. He generously is donating 1% each month rather than adding on 1%. Asked why he is so enthusiastically supporting ELF he replied, “It’s a great idea –why not?! With all the supporting information and documentation, and seeing what has happened, it makes it legitimate.”

Extensive improvements to safety a orded by sidewalks and crosswalks near Wilmot Elementary.

Photo by Linda Kirkpatrick

e new and improved Evergreen Lake North Trail.

Photo by Linda Kirkpatrick

Gail Riley shows o stone bench along Bear Creek made possible by ELF.

Photo by Tom Statzell

Frank Compagnino, owner of the carwashes at Ponderosa and Hilltop, not only donates 1% of his earnings but also publicizes ELF with banners and stickers. Photo by Linda Kirkpatrick

Returns to Colorado with His ‘Winter’s Eve’ Holiday Tour

By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles

Get set to welcome the 2024 winter season with sounds of music and merriment when David Arkenstone, musician/composer/ performer and ve-time Grammy® Award nominee (2022, 2020, 2004, 2000, and 1992) returns to Colorado in December with his enthralling holiday concert tour “A Winter’s Eve with David Arkenstone & Friends.”

His highly regarded Winter’s Eve tour, which celebrates its third year in our Rocky Mountain state, begins scheduled performances in Golden, Colorado at Bu alo Rose (12/1), Fort Collins (12/3), Colorado Springs (12/4), Salida (12/5), Evergreen (12/6 at Center Stage), and Palmer Lake (12/7), and continues into New Mexico and Arizona. Check the website (davidarkenstone.com) for all tour schedule updates.

Arkenstone, a multi-talented musician who has worked with many musical genres, including progressive rock, has released 70-plus

albums. He has composed music soundtracks for lms/ lm trailers, NBC Sports themes ( e Kentucky Derby, U.S. Figure Skating, Premier League Soccer…), History and Discovery Channels’ historical reenactment dramas, video game scores (among them Heavy Metal), and epic orchestral soundtracks for Emperor: Battle for Dune and the World of Warcra ).

David Arkenstone was one of a select group of composers honored September 27-29, 2024 in Lausanne, Switzerland at four concerts (showcasing a 90-piece orchestra and 120 vocalists) for their musical contributions to World of Warcra , a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment.

His epic new album “Quest For e Runestone,” premiered July of this year. A powerful journey of music, story, and emotion based upon his love of Celtic/Nordic and cinematic movie traditions, his inspiration was a short story written by his son Dashiell Han Arkenstone.

“Quest For e Runestone” is available on

all major global streaming platforms.  e CD Digibook is available with a 48-page booklet containing the original short story. e recording was mixed and mastered in Dolby Atmos at Evergroove Studio in Evergreen, Colorado.

David will also be releasing the fourth album in his Fairy-themed Series in the month of November.

Arkenstone, who plays a variety of musical instruments, will mainly play guitar and keyboard at his tour performances. He will be joined on stage by four other musicians playing cello, violin, ute, and percussion.

“I’ve done lots of holiday records throughout my career, and I took the best of what I thought would work live, and put them into the show,” said David. “ ere are a lot of holiday favorites that people know and some of what I call my original winter music. It’s actually a whole lot of fun!”

David Arkenstone, whose music is primarily instrumental, has established himself as one of the best contemporary instrumentalists of our time. He has clearly found his niche in

new age and neo-classical compositions that have been described as “soundtracks for the imagination.”

Categorized by melodic harmonies, improvisation, and sounds reproduced from the natural world, his listeners o en feel a peaceful sense of calm that carries them on magical journeys within their minds. His music moves people. When asked why, he stated, “I think it starts with me wanting to go on my own little adventure. en I make this sort of ‘sound painting’ in my mind that takes me there. I try to keep it interesting, and I am fortunate that people like to go on these adventures with me…they like where I take them.”

Visit David’s website (davidarkenstone.com) for venues/concert dates, and ticket information. Music lovers and Arkenfans…treat yourselves to a memorable musical night with David Arkenstone at any, or all, of his Colorado concert engagements, including his December 6 appearance at Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen, Colorado.

Polis o ers slimmer state budget for 2025-26

BY LINDSEY TOOMER

COLORADO NEWSLINE

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday released his 2025-2026 state budget proposal, which prepares for tighter spending given decreasing in ation this year.

Colorado’s budget growth is tied to in ation and population growth under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. While in ation peaked around 8% in 2022 and hit 5% last year, an in ation rate of 2.5% in 2024 means the state’s budget increase this year is smaller than in the last two years.

“A lot of what we did this budget is we really tried to drive government e ciency everywhere and anywhere we could nd it,” Polis said. “We challenged our agencies, we went out and we found things that we could cut to make government more ecient.”

e budget proposal comes out to over $46 billion with about $17.8 billion for the general fund. General fund dollars are

READER

Explore Narnia with Ballet Ariel this holiday season Ballet Ariel is kicking o the holiday season with the return of “ e Lion, e Witch and the Wardrobe” ballet, based on C.S. Lewis’ beloved children’s story. e ballet comes to the Lakewood Cultural Center, 480 S. Allison Parkway, from Friday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, the 24th. Performances are at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. It will also

slightly lower than in last year’s proposal. e proposal maintains a 15% general fund reserve.

Polis proposed a 1% cut for state personnel services across the board, though he would combine the two budget lines personnel funding comes from to give departments more exibility on where they will make those cuts. e proposal would also adjust various task forces and commissions whose work can be delegated elsewhere.

Pinnacol Assurance, the state’s workers compensation insurer of last resort, would be privatized under Polis’ proposal.

For K-12 school funding, Polis proposed implementing 10% of the new schoolnance formula the Legislatureadopted in the spring, extending the rollout of that program across seven years instead of six while still avoiding the budget stabilization factor — the amount of money the state owes schools based on a formula but chooses to spend on other priorities. e budget also calls for per-pupil funding

take the stage at the Parsons eatre at the Northglenn Recreation Center, 1 E. Memorial Parkway, on Saturday, Dec. 28 and Sunday, Dec. 29. Performances are at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. on Saturday. Information and tickets are available at http://balletariel.org/the-lion-the-witchand-the-wardrobe/.

The Playground Ensemble bridges the gap between the ‘Body/Mind’

e Playground Ensemble is exploring the body-mind connection through music in its latest performance. e “Body/Mind” concert will be held at the MSU School of

as opposed to the current system, which bases funding on average enrollment over a few years. Polis called this “sensible, long overdue changes.”

“We’re not just interested in fully funding our schools one year, as an example,” Polis said. “We want to make sure we’re preparing the state budget for delivery on these promises over many years, including implementing the new school nance act to better fund students in need.”

State Minority Leader Rep. Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican, criticized the slow rollout of the new school nance formula and said the budget doesn’t have enough funding dedicated to public safety.

“While I appreciate the Governor’s commitment to avoiding the budget stabilization factor, there is still much more work to be done to address Colorado’s education needs fully,” Pugliese said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, the school nance reforms we have pushed for will not take e ect soon enough. Colorado families can’t wait seven

Music, Kalamath Building, 800 Kalamath St. in Denver, at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 17. e Playground Ensemble is a group of professional musicians, composers, educators and fans dedicated to keeping chamber music as a dynamic art form. is concert focuses on exploring the vulnerabilities, limits and joys of the human experience. Get tickets at www.playgroundensemble. org.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Billie Eilish at Ball Arena

When Billie Eilish rst arrived on the music scene in 2015, she blew so many listeners away with her unique approach to pop

years for an updated formula to roll out — our students deserve real support now.” Colorado’s Medicaid caseload has been “higher than expected,” Polis said, with Medicaid costs accounting for 36% of the state’s operating budget and 32% of general fund spending for the 2024-2025 scal year. With more increases expected, Polis proposes maintaining current Medicaid reimbursement rates.

“Over the last few years, we’ve worked hard to build a safe, a ordable, sustainable Colorado, and the focus of this budget is really maintaining the progress we’ve had and making sure that we can tighten our belts and deliver scal responsibility, more government e ciency and meet those commitments around continuing to fully fund our schools and investments in public safety,” Polis said.  is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.

music and her sharply drawn lyrics. In the ensuing years she’s continued to level up and this year’s album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” may well be her strongest release yet. She can still do pop bangers like “Lunch,” but “Birds of a Feather” is the real showstopper for me.

In support of the album, Eilish will be spending Tuesday, Nov. 19 and Wednesday, Nov. 20 at Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle in Denver. Both shows start at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster. com/billie-eilish-tickets/artist/2257710. Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.

Photo

Federal judges clear Colorado 21-and-older gun law

10th Circuit judges end temporary injunction

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

A Colorado law passed last year requiring people to be at least 21 years old before they purchase a rearm — and prohibiting dealers from selling to anyone under 21 — can go into e ect, a panel of federal appellate judges has ruled.

e ruling from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dissolves a temporary hold that a federal district court judge placed on the law in August 2023. But the ruling doesn’t end the legal challenge to the law. Instead, it sends the case back to the lower court for the much more detailed arguments that will ultimately decide whether the law can stand.

e law was challenged by Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a gun-rights advocacy group, as well as two people who said the law blocked them from buying a rearm to protect themselves. One of those plainti s has since turned 21.

ey argued that the law violates their Second Amendment rights. But the appeals court panel concluded that argument isn’t clear-cut enough to be entitled to a temporary injunction against the law.

“ e best reading is that (the law) is presumptively lawful because the aged-based condition or quali cation on the conduct it proscribes falls outside the scope of the plain text of the Second Amendment,” the judges found in their opinion.

In another section, the judges added: “It seems evident that the necessity of some minimum age requirement is widely accepted — after all, no one is reasonably arguing that 8-year-olds should be allowed to purchase guns.”

e case involves a law passed in 2023,Senate Bill 169. e law changes the minimum age to purchase a rearm to 21 from 18 in Colorado. Supporters argue that the law is meant to reduce youth suicides, accidental shootings and gun violence.

Purchasers under the age of 21 as well as unlicensed rearm sellers could face a class-2 misdemeanor for violating the law. Licensed rearms dealers who break the law face a class 1 misdemeanor.

e law ultimately changes the status quo only when it comes to ri es and shotguns because federal law already bans the purchase of handguns by people under 21. e law does not ban the possession of guns by those under 21, nor does it prohibit people under 21 from acquiring rearms via gifts or inheritance. It also contains exemptions for military and law enforcement members.

Tuesday’s ruling marks a relatively minor procedural step in the long arc of the case. But it also showcases how complicated and hotly contested federal rearm jurisprudence has become in the wake of Supreme Court decisions bolstering gun rights and requiring gun laws to be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of rearms regulation.

In August 2023, when Chief U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer temporarily blocked the law in a 44-page order, he concluded “the individual plainti s have shown a likelihood of success on the merits.” Finding such a likelihood is needed for a judge to issue an injunction.

In appealing that order, attorneys for the state led over 1,000 pages of briefs and appendices, including four expert afdavits — three of them from historians and another from a neuroscientist. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia led friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the Colorado law, while eight other organizations led their own friend-of-thecourt briefs arguing various positions.

e appeals court ruling, written by U.S. Circuit Judge Richard E.N. Federico, with the support of judges Carolyn Baldwin McHugh and Michael R. Murphy, stretches to 61 pages. A concurrence by McHugh — arguing that one particular issue should have been analyzed during the second step of a process laid out in a

recent U.S. Supreme Court decision instead of during the rst step — is another 30 pages. An appendix laying out the history of various state gun laws tacks on another seven pages.

All three judges on the 10th Circuit panel were appointed by Democratic presidents, while Brimmer was appointed by a Republican.

In the end, the appellate judges concluded that the legal issues in the case aren’t as clear as Brimmer saw them.

“Laws imposing conditions and qualications on the sale and purchase of arms do not implicate the plain text of the Second Amendment,” Federico wrote in the ruling.

In a post on X, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners said the 10th Circuit judges “recharacterized this law into a mere commercial regulation instead of a constitutional right infringement.”

“ is is a very temporary setback, and we look forward to ghting back against this outrageous ruling,” the organization wrote. “ is law very clearly violates both the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court’s precedents, and we look forward to ultimately striking it o the books.”

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.

Demonstrating the use of a cable lock on a handgun.

COURTESY OF COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TRIVIA

1. MOVIES: In the movie “ e Shawshank Redemption,” what is Andy Dufresne’s occupation before he was imprisoned?

2. LITERATURE: Which of Shakespeare’s plays features the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

3. TELEVISION: Which 2000s TV drama starred a character named Jack Bauer?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: What was First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s maiden name?

5. HISTORY: Which dynasty built the Forbidden City in China?

6. MYTHOLOGY: What is the name of the mythical creature who is half man and half horse?

7. CHEMISTRY: What is aqua regia?

8. GEOGRAPHY: Where was the ancient region of Mesopotamia mostly located?

9. ANATOMY: Where are the alveoli located?

10. FOOD & DRINK: What is hummus mostly made of?

Answers

1. Banker.

2. “Hamlet”

3. “24.”

4. Bouvier.

5. Ming Dynasty.

6. Centaur.

7. A corrosive mixture that can dissolve gold.

8. Iraq.

9. Lungs.

10. Chickpeas.

(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

FLASHBACK

1. Which group released “Rag Doll”?

2. Name the artist who wrote and released “Dreamy Eyes.”

3. Which group released “Green-Eyed Lady”?

4. Who wrote and released “Cracklin’ Rosie”?

5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “If I could take my pick of all the girls I’ve ever known, en I’d come and pick you out to be my very own.”

Answers

1. e Four Seasons, in 1964. e song spent two weeks at the top of the Hot 100 chart and reached No. 1 in Canada as well.

2. Johnny Tillotson, in 1958. e song was his rst single and made it on to the Hot 100 chart. Tillotson penned several more hits over the years, including “Poetry in Motion.”

3. Sugarloaf, in 1970. A few years ago an old tape was found of the group’s live performance in 1975. It was remastered and turned into a vinyl album titled “Sugarloaf Live 1975.” It’s

available online.

4. Neil Diamond, in 1970.

5. “Never Be Anyone Else But You,” by Ricky Nelson, in 1959. Nelson’s song has been covered by several artists, including internationally, over the years. e song has recently been used in a TV commercial for chicken noodle soup.

(c) 2024 King Features Syndicate

Full-time,

for Town of Georgetown

position.

for maintaining the o cial

of the Town of Georgetown, overseeing elections, and providing administrative support to the Board of Selectmen. The salary range is $60,000 - $85,000 depending on quali cations. Excellent bene ts including fully paid medical insurance, vision, dental, disability and retirement for employee.

Full-time, year-round position. Responsible for overseeing the nancial operations of the Town of Georgetown. This includes managing the town’s revenues, expenditures, investments, and nancial records. The salary range is $85,000 - $120,000 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.townofgeorgetown.us. For more information call 303-569-2555 x3. Email Cover Letter, Resume, and completed Application to townadmin@townofgeorgetown.us. Posting will remain open until lled. Serious applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, and interviews may begin when quali ed applicants are reviewed.December 31, 2024, or until lled. Serious applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, and interviews may begin when quali ed applicants are reviewed.

North America is actively seeking experienced Union

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PARCEL A: A TRACT OF LAND BEING COMPRISED OF GOVERNMENT LOTS33 AND 34 IN SECTION 19, TOWNSHIP3 SOUTH, RANGE 73 WEST OF THE6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, COUNTY OF CLEAR CREEK, STATE OF COLORADO, MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

BEGINNING AT A POINT AT THE INTERSECTION OF LINE1-10 OF THE HAPPY THOUGHT PLACER, M.S. NO. 17070 AND THE EAST-WEST CENTERLINE OF SECTION19, FROM WHICH CORNER NO. 1 OF SAID PLACER BEARS NORTH00 DEGREES 01 MINUTES 23 SECONDS EAST, A DISTANCE OF266.27 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 89 DEGREES 59 MINUTES 46 SECONDS WEST, A DISTANCE OF435.34 FEET TO THE WEST QUARTER CORNER OF SAID SECTION19; THENCE SOUTH 00 DEGREES 18 MINUTES 03 SECONDS EAST, ALONG THE WEST LINE OF SAID SECTION19, A DISTANCE OF1320.29 FEET TO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF SAID GOVERNMENT LOT34; THENCE NORTH 89 DEGREES 59 MINUTES 21 SECONDS EAST, A DISTANCE OF 1119.40 FEET TO LINE1-2 OF THE INDEPENDENCE LODE, M.S. NO. 19301; THENCE NORTH 58 DEGREES 45 MINUTES 49 SECONDS WEST, A DISTANCE OF134.24 FEET TO CORNER NO. 1 OF SAID INDEPENDENCE LODE; THENCE NORTH31 DEGREES 23 MINUTES 24 SECONDS EAST, A DISTANCE OF150.74 FEET TO CORNER NO.

ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, 12/26/2024, at The Clear Creek County Public Trustee’s Office, 405 Argentine Street, Georgetown, Colorado, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication 10/31/2024

Last Publication 11/28/2024

Name of Publication The Clear Creek Courant

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 09/05/2024

Carol Lee, Public Trustee in and for the County of Clear Creek, State of Colorado

By:Carol Lee,Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is: Carly Imbrogno, Esq. #59553 Barrett Frappier & Weisserman, LLP 1391 Speer Boulevard, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80204 (303) 350-3711 Attorney File # 00000010236511

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

Legal Notice No. CCC961

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 28, 2024

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

City and County

Public Notice CLEAR CREEK COUNTY CLEAR CREEK COUNTY PUBLIC TRUSTEE AND CLEAR CREEK COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES GENERAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND CLEAR CREEK COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY

NOTICE AS TO PROPOSED BUDGET NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that a proposed combined budget has been submitted to the Clear Creek County Board of County Commissioners for the ensuing year of 2025 for all County Funds, Public Trustee, Housing Authority, and the Emergency Services General Improvement District. The proposed budget is available to view on the Clear Creek County webpage at https://www.clearcreekcounty.us/183/Finance-Budget . The proposed combined budget will be considered at a regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners to be held at the Clear Creek County Courthouse, 6th and Argentine Streets, Georgetown, CO on the morning of Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

Any interested person within Clear Creek County may inspect the proposed combined budget and file or register any comments thereto at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget.

George Marlin, Chair Board of County Commissoners Clear Creek County, CO

Legal Notice No. CCC977

First Publication: November 14, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Public Notice

Town of Empire 30 E Park Ave

Notice of Proposed 2025 Budget and Public Hearing

Notice is hereby given that a proposed budget for fiscal year 2024 was submitted to the Empire Board of Trustees, Clear Creek County, Colorado on October 15th, 2024. The proposed budget is available for inspection by the public at TownOfEmpire@Colorado.Gov and at Empire Town Hall, 30 E Park Ave. The proposed budget, as amended through the review process, will be considered for adoption at a public hearing on December 10th, 2024, at 6:30

pm. All Town meetings are held in person and by zoom, please see the website for meeting information or call Town Hall. We encourage all residents to attend the public hearing and comment on the proposed budget. Comments can be submitted by email to Clerk@Empire-

a proposed 2025 budget has have been submitted to the ST. MARY’S GLACIER WATER & SANITATION DISTRICT for the fiscal year 2025. A copy of such proposed budget has been filed in the office of the District’s legal counsel, Seter, Vander Wall & Mielke, P.C., 7400 East Orchard Road, Suite 3300, Greenwood Village, Colorado, where same is open for public inspection. Such proposed budget will be considered at a regular meeting of the St. Mary’s Glacier Water & Sanitation District to be held on Monday, November 25, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be held by Zoom; Meeting ID: 854 1324 2941; Passcode: 659597; Telephone: 1-719359-4580. If necessary, an amended 2023 budget will be filed in the office of the District’s legal counsel and open for public inspection for consideration at the regular meeting of the Board. Any interested elector within St. Mary’s Glacier Water and Sanitation District may inspect the proposed budget and amended budget if necessary, and file or register any objections any time prior to the final adoption of the proposed 2025 budget and if necessary, amended 2024 budget. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: ST. MARY’S GLACIER WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT

By: /s/ SETER, VANDER