Jamae Corcoran’s friend and co-worker, Kelli Oxley, wears a chicken costume on June 8 to celebrate the grand opening of the Mother Clucker’s Wings food trailer. Although Oxley was overheating in the sun, she happily danced to the music and helped greet customers.
BY NICKY QUINBY
e country music of the Walker Williams Band echoed across the parking lot of the Elizabeth O’Reilly Auto Parts store at the June 8 grand opening of Mother Clucker’s Wings food trailer with its menu of wings, fries, chicken tenders and smash burgers. e band, a chicken mascot and a steady stream of hungry
people were all there to celebrate the launch.
Jamae Corcoran, owner of the Elizabeth-based Mother Clucker’s Wings, is passionate and inspiring, pragmatic and persistent. She simply wants to “make good food”
Why allergy season might be worse this year
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As the owers bloom, some people su er. It’s a prime time for seasonal allergies, and some may be feeling worse, or su ering longer, than in past years.
e extra-itchy eyes, wheezing and sneezing could be related to climate change, which experts say is happening in Colorado.
“Plants bloom earlier, bloom later, di erent species are moving in,” Dr. Ming Wu, a family medicine doctor at AdventHealth Littleton, said. “With all of this change, we’re encountering things that our bodies have never encountered before.” Allergies are overreactions to environmental stimuli, Wu said. Allergic reactions happen when the body perceives something not normally harmful as dangerous. To combat what the body perceives as a threat, the immune system ghts against the stimulus – for instance, pollen — triggering allergy symptoms.
Climate change has brought concern to Colorado, which is expected
BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County voters will decide in November who will represent them at the state Capitol, with four House races and one Senate contest on the ballot.
June’s primary election set up competitive races for all of the county’s seats.
In House District 39, which covers a portion of western Douglas County, including Roxborough Park, Republican incumbent Rep. Brandi Bradley faces Democrat Eric Brody.
It’s a rematch. Bradley was rst elected in 2022, beating Brody with 58% of the vote. Bradley has passed ve bills, mostly on health care related issues, such as updating regulations for physical therapists.
Bradley has also made news for using her social media to ght with House Democrats. Colorado Politics reported that Bradley said Democrats were protecting pedophiles by not voting for a bill she introduced to increase sentencing for people convicted of certain crimes against children. Bradley told Colorado Politics she uses social media to amplify Republican messaging, which she says isn’t covered in the media.
At least one Democrat called out by Bradley in the posts, Rep. Jenny Willford, said she received threats and harassment because of the posts. Brody, who is a Castle Pines resi-
dent, works for nonpro t Transcendent Politics Foundation and has previously worked as a legislative sta member in Congress.
In Highlands Ranch, House District 43, Democrat incumbent Rep. Bob Marshall faces Republican Matt Burcham. Republicans are hoping to take back the seat from Marshall, who was elected in 2022 and is the rst Democrat to hold the seat in decades.
Marshall has passed seven bills, addressing taxes and veterans’ issues. He also sued House legislators for allegedly violating Colorado’s Open Meetings Law by hosting private meetings to discuss o cial business. e case was settled in September 2023 and the legislature agreed not to take formal actions in closed meetings with a quorum of members.
Burcham, who is a rst-time candidate, has served as a local precinct and district captain for the Republican Party.
In House District 44, which covers Parker, incumbent Rep. Anthony Hartsook, a Republican, will face Alyssa Nilemo, a Democrat.
Hartsook, who was elected in 2022, has passed eight bills covering a va-
riety of issues, including a law mandating insurance cover recreational prosthetics and one restricting tap fees for developments.
Nilemo is a rst-time candidate who works for the Auraria Higher Education Center and as the Executive Director of the Asian Chamber Foundation of Colorado.
In Castle Rock’s House District 45, two new candidates are in the race, Republican Max Brooks and Democrat Chad Cox.
Brooks currently serves on the Castle Rock Town Council and previously sat on the town’s planning commission. Cox is a nurse and Navy veteran who has lived in Castle Rock since 2012.
Republican Lisa Frizell, who represented House District 45, is running to represent Senate District 2 and will face Democrat Jennifer Brady. Frizell was elected in 2022 and has passed 13 bills, mostly related to taxes and housing.
Brady is a rst time candidate and doesn’t yet have a campaign website.
Douglas County’s House and Senate districts favor Republicans, according to 2021 data from the state’s redistricting commission.
I had the same question, so I did some research on our MLS, REcolorado. At right are some charts I created. As always, I don’t define metro Denver by counties but rather as an 18-mile radius of downtown Denver. The charts and the statistics below are for that area.
The January-to-June rise in sold prices are remarkably similar, going from the low 500s to the high 500s with little overall gain compared to prior years.
As a result, the months of inventory (not shown) was similar both years, dropping from above 3 months in January to 2 months in March, but diverged in April, staying at just above 2 months from April through June 2023, but rising to almost 3 months from March to June of this year.
The most dramatic change is the number of homes available to purchase despite falling number of closings. That resulted in an increase in the days-in-MLS statistic, which was similar to last year but only through April, whereupon the days-inMLS number rose to 11 instead of staying in the 5-6 day range of last year.
In January 2023, the ratio of closed price to original listing price was 96.2% but rose to 100% for March through July. January 2024 was better than 2023 at 97.3%, but it rose to 100% for only three months and dropped to 99.4% in June.
The chart below was shrunk ver cally so that the number scales would match.
Are you following the 2024 presidential race? You may be interested in my political blog, which you can find at http://TalkingTurkey.substack.com
The metric which I find more useful than closed price is the price per finished square foot, which rose in 2023 from $298 in January to $320 in June, but it stabilized at that level in 2024, rising from $316 per finished square foot in January to $322 in June.
Another tell-tale metric of market health is how many listings expire without selling. In 2023, that number for the Denver metro area fell from 651 in January to 581 in June, but the opposite happened this year, rising from 654 in January to 873 in June.
The sellers designed this 4,603-sq.-ft. home at 6714 Field St. in Arvada for entertaining. The price was just reduced from $845,000 to $825,000, which computes to under $180 per square foot. Spaces for entertaining abound both indoors and on the large wraparound deck, which was rebuilt 2 years ago. There is an indoor hot tub in its own room that is well ventilated to avoid moisture-related issues. There is a guest bedroom on the main floor. This home is an early example of passive solar design. In addition to the solar thermal panels on the roof, there are solar thermal panels built into the south wall of the living room to capture solar gain in the winter. There is no HOA. Find more info and pictures at www.ArvadaHome.info.
Broker associate Austin Pottorff has just listed 8 acres of agricultural land in Wheat Ridge for $6,000,000, with options on ditch water rights. One parcel at 11221 W. I-70 Frontage Road totals 1.9 acres and comes with the option to purchase six shares of the Brown & Baugh Ditch Company. The larger parcel, with an address of 4745 Parfet Street, is 6.1 acres and has eight ditch water certificates that could be purchased along with the property. Water is deeded separately from this land and can be used for agricultural or other non-residential purposes. In addition, there are several unregistered wells on the properties. Both parcels are within the Fruitdale water district where there are currently no restrictions on the number of taps that can be purchased for new residential development. Currently zoned AG-2, there are numerous allowed usages including boarding four horses per acre and growing feed. More info is available on request. Water & sewer mains border the property and the B&B Ditch runs along the west side. There is a high voltage utility easement that traverses the property north to south. Rarely does an opportunity arise in Jefferson County, offering eight contiguous acres of agricultural land with an optional 14 shares of priority water, all within one mile the new Lutheran Medical Center in Applewood. For more information call Austin at 970-281-9071.
The number of homes under contract
$725,000
at the end of each month was almost identical in 2023 and 2024. Last year it rose from 2,673 in January to 3,452 in June. This year it rose from 2,538 in January to 3,455 in June. Jim Smith Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851
This 3-bedroom, 2-bath home at 48 Lang Street in Twin Lakes, Colorado, (20 miles south of Leadville at the foot of Independence Pass) could be your escape from the Front Range metroplex! This is a year-round mountain home, not a vacation home, unless you enjoy twelve months of vacation each year! Enjoy the quiet mountain life of Twin Lakes Village. In summer, enjoy the drive over Independence Pass to Aspen. In winter, drive over Fremont Pass to Copper Mountain. Forget about those I-70 traffic jams! Closer to home, enjoy hiking the Colorado Trail, which passes through town. This home was built in 2000 with all the modern conveniences, including solar panels, yet you're in a historic and charming mountain town. If you've been hankering for a slower lifestyle, this home may be your escape, and homes in Twin Lakes are rarely on the market. Visit www.TwinLakesHome.info to take a narrated video walk-through of this home and see lots of interior and exterior photos, then call for a showing!
cord double-digit case totals in the past month, with 12 and 10, respectively.
Colorado’s case total since bird u was rst identi ed in dairy cattle this spring places the state second nationally, behind only Idaho and one ahead of Michigan. But Colorado ranks far lower in dairy production than those states — the state was
producers, as well as industry associations and veterinarians.
“We’re trying to really encourage early diagnostics, early reporting and really good symptom monitoring,” she said, “and I think the relationships that we’ve established in the state have allowed for producers to feel like they can come to us when they have a problem.”
How bird flu is spreading
Bird u, as the name suggests, is not something that usually infects cattle, and the initial “spillover” infections were believed to have been caused by wild birds hanging around dairy farms in the Texas panhandle.
Its subsequent spread to dozens of herds in at least 12 states was initially blamed on
eral herds in Michigan. Focus has now turned to the potential for what is called fomite transmission, in which the virus hitches a ride on an inanimate object. In this case, workers or veterinarians moving between herds could inadvertently be carrying the virus on their
BY YESENIA ROBLES CHALKBEAT COLORADO
Most Colorado students continue to make progress on state tests, with scores nearly recovering from dropping after the pandemic. at’s according to preliminary data previewed for the State Board of Education in June.
But one area of concern is that high school math scores were significantly lower than in previous years as the state transitioned to a new digital PSAT and SAT.
Ninth grade scores seem particularly concerning. In 2019, 49.6% of ninth graders met or exceeded math standards on the PSAT. In 2024, just 39.5% did — a di erence of more than 10 percentage points. e 2024 rate also represents a signi cant decrease from 2023, when 46.5% of students were meeting expectations.
Ninth graders were in fth grade when the pandemic began and would have been in sixth grade, possibly starting middle school, in the fall of 2020 when school was largely held online.
State o cials said they are spending the summer analyzing the data to see if they will still be able to use it for annual school ratings. e board voted to allow accountability o cials to possibly set new cuto targets for each performance level, based on this year’s distribution of scores, instead of using the same points as in previous years.
“What we’ve discovered is this is really a new assessment,” said Lisa
Medler, executive director of accountability and continuous improvement for the state.
e PSAT/SAT Colorado uses to test all ninth, 10th, and 11th graders, and also is used as one way of demonstrating English and math prociency for graduation requirements, was changed for the spring of 2024. It was the rst time the test was fully online. e test was also reformatted.
Initially, state o cials believed the changes wouldn’t a ect the meaning of scores compared to previous years, but now, after seeing such a large drop in the number of students who met standards on the test in math, o cials suspect it might have to do with the tests. But they’re not sure how much was di culty with the tests or how much students may be struggling with math.
“I cannot disentangle those changes in terms of what caused those changes,” said Joyce Zurkowski, the Colorado Department of Education’s chief assessment ocer. “Some of that is indeed due to changes in student performance, but some of that is due to a change in test.”
In the lower grades, which take the state’s CMAS test, the results don’t show students struggling as much. Among third through sixth grade students, the percent meeting or exceeding math standards is now at or above the 2019 pre-pandemic rates.
But eighth grade CMAS math scores are still behind. In 2019, 36.9% of eighth graders met or ex-
ceeded math standards. In 2024, preliminary data shows just 32.9% did, a slight increase compared to 32.7% in 2023.
Apart from the changes to the PSAT/SAT, o cials are also looking at how an increase in the number of students new to the country this year could also have a ected the average scores. is spring, the state exempted more students than usual from taking the tests, but new immigrant students who did not have interrupted schooling were still expected to take math and science tests, with accommodations. eir scores will not count for school ratings but could be a ecting the state’s overall test averages.
State o cials are auditing the data to nalize it and are studying if it can be used in growth calculations and for other purposes in annual school
ratings. An update about the ndings might come later this month.
State o cials said that other states are also nding signi cant score decreases with the new PSAT/SAT, but not all states use the test for all students or for accountability purposes.
In the meantime, as students are receiving their own scores, state ofcials want students and families to know the changes to the test itself could be playing a role.
“So, 11th grade students: if your senior sibling is giving you a hard time because they scored better than you on math, tell them to go take the new assessment and then you can have the conversation,” Zurkowski said. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.
BY JASON GONZALES
CHALKBEAT COLORADO
Students who live in a household that makes $90,000 or less a year are now eligible for a Colorado tax credit that will help pay for the rst two years of college.
State leaders say accessing that credit for the rst time should be an easy process for students attending school this year. Colleges or universities will track which students are eligible and then notify them. But students will still have to le their own tax return to get the money. e new credit works as a rebate and was approved during this year’s legislative session. e program received wide support from lawmakers, in part because it will cost the state less than paying for tuition and fees upfront.
students, often called Promise programs. Each school’s program has its own eligibility rules. ere is no statewide program.
Leaders say the new tax credit will help even more students than the existing school-speci c Promise programs. is is especially important, as in-state students face some of the highest tuition rates and fees in the country.
lion to $140 million a year to cover tuition and fees for eligible students if it paid them upfront. e new tax credit is expected to cost about $39 million a year in refunds.
Many Colorado public universities and colleges have their own programs to pay upfront costs for
“Just under 50% of our high school graduates are going to postsecondary in Colorado,” said Angie Paccione, Colorado Department of Higher Education executive director. “We want to change that, and we’re hoping that this creates an incentive and some motivation for students to say, ‘It is truly a ordable. I could actually do this.’”
Paccione said studies showed the state would have needed $40 mil-
With the eligibility threshold at $90,000 in household income — higher than many of the college-run programs — more middle-income students will be eligible for aid. Paccione hopes the state can eventually raise that income threshold even higher, possibly to $120,000 a year.
“Imagine the relief for families who are really trying to make it in our economy and contend with the rising cost of college,” she said.
Which Colorado students are eligible for the tax credit? e credit, called Colorado Prom-
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in the years ahead to trend warmer, including earlier snowmelt in the spring, hotter summers and drier soils. Such a shift has the power, over time, to bring more of certain kinds of plants while other kinds struggle, according to state scientists.
Environmental changes can impact pollen seasons. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, climate change can cause shifts in precipitation, fewer frost days, warmer air temperatures and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide.
ese changes can a ect the length of the pollen season, how much pollen plants create, how much is in the air and how likely the pollen is to cause
for the community. “Literally without this community I would not be where I am,” she said, and explained that the name she chose was heavily in uenced by friends and the people around her.
irritation, according to the CDC. is year in Colorado, Wu said the weather may play a role in people’s experiences.
“Environmental allergies could potentially be worse because we’ve had a lot more rainfall, it’s been a lot wetter,” he said. “Mold, pollen — those are going to be higher … in the environment and that can cause issues.”
He said it can be challenging for some people to know whether symptoms are related to allergies or a viral illness, since they often have similar symptoms. Both seasonal allergies and viral illnesses can involve a runny nose, sneezing, di culty breathing, ear pain and skin rashes, he said.
To tell the di erence, he said to look out for a few speci c symptoms.
“ e biggest things that I’ve noticed with allergies that don’t really follow with a viral illness are itchy, watery
eyes, and viral illnesses usually will present with fever, whereas allergies don’t present with a fever,” he said.
For people struggling with their seasonal allergies this year, Wu recommends over-the-counter antihistamines. For people who need extra help, doctors can prescribe stronger allergy medications, steroids or immunotherapy, a process that slowly exposes a person to allergens to build tolerance.
“(Immunotherapy is) useful for environmental allergies, insect allergies (and) asthma,” he said. “ is should be done, obviously, with medical supervision.”
For pollen allergies, Wu said some people nd that eating local honey can be a natural remedy. is is not a proven solution, he said, but some believe it helps slowly build immunity to the pollen in their area.
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For the last two years, Corcoran hung out at the Sawmill and brainstormed menu items. e encouragement she received was invaluable. People constantly asked, “When’s the trailer ready? When are you hitting the road?”
“ e name Mother Clucker’s Wings was actually my friend Rachael Frangis’ brainchild,” she said. “She used to bartend at the Sawmill, where we became good friends. We’d brainstorm names there, and Mother Clucker’s Wings just stuck.” Corcoran also convinced artist Parker Montgomery to design the logo.
“You know the saying, `It takes a village to raise a child’?” she asked. “Well, this village brought my food trailer to life.”
In addition to running the trailer, Corcoran works three other jobs. e trailer has been a longtime dream. Corcoran has always wanted to own her own restaurant. She was 13 years old when her parents opened Donikers Inn in Yakima, Washington. At the time, she didn’t love working in her parents’ restaurant but went on to work in a variety of restaurants including Root Down, Ruth Chris’ Steakhouse, Del Frisco’s, Gasperettis Italian Restaurant and Miguel’s on the Water.
“While most of my experience is in front-of-house operations, I’ve also spent a lot of time cooking for my family
and learning from my parents,” she said. Initially, Corcoran wanted to buy a restaurant but couldn’t a ord it and pivoted to opening a food trailer instead. She spent two years researching, nding a company to build it, and navigating various licenses and inspections.
“It took six months to convince my husband,” she shared, “but he eventually caved in and said, `If it makes you happy, go for it.’”
She practiced her craft relentlessly.
“My family grew so tired of chicken wings, chicken tenders, and smash burgers that some weeks we had chicken wings four days in a row,” she ex-
claimed. “I even found myself getting up early in the morning to fry chicken tenders to make sure they were perfect. My dedication was intense, but it paid o .”
Mother Clucker’s usual schedule includes ursdays at the Elizabeth Technology Center and Saturdays at True Value, as well as the Friday Night Markets in Elizabeth. Mother Clucker’s also does special events and was recently at the Cowboy Up in Kiowa Rodeo. For other opportunities to try Mother Clucker’s Wings follow their Facebook page at facebook.com/pro le. php?id=61553986810755.
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Colorado public health o cials are encouraging families to ensure their children are current on their vaccines this summer, especially those required by school and childcare facilities, including measles, whooping cough, mumps, polio and varicella (chickenpox).
would erthat of creating rooms, elevating updating the modexisting integrate two Brandi does of Rivecould statute,” pro-
“Keeping our kids healthy at school starts with getting them vaccinated,”
Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medical ofcer at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said in a statement.
“Summer break is a great time to schedule check-ups and make sure your child’s immunizations are up to date. is simple step helps keep them healthy and allows them to focus on learning and having fun in school.
“With recent measles outbreaks in the United States and around the world, it’s more important than ever to ensure all students are caught up on childhood vaccines,” Calonge continued.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. has already seen more than twice as many measles cases in the rst half of 2024 than in all of 2023.
Measles appears as a rash and can cause life-long hearing loss and brain damage. Up to 20% of those infected will need to be treated in a hospital, and severe cases can lead to respiratory failure and death. e CDC recommends the MMR vaccine
as the best way to prevent becoming infected.
Data published by the CDPHE shows that for the 2023-2024 school year, nearly 93% of the state’s pre-K through grade 12 students were fully vaccinated against measles. Yet, because measles spreads so quickly, Immunization Branch chief at CDPHE Heather Roth said 95% of the population needs to be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
“While there hasn’t been a case of measles in Colorado this year, that doesn’t mean the risk isn’t there,” Roth said. “Measles can live in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area, so someone traveling either to or from Colorado could expose others, leaving unvaccinated adults and children at risk.”
Roth noted that some school districts and schools have far lower immunization rates than the state average, which is concerning. She speculated the lower rates within speci c communities are less about vaccine hesitation and more about lack of access to regular healthcare or health insurance.
Vaccine compliance rates also dropped after the COVID outbreak as many families missed preventive healthcare appointments or well visits.
“ e good news is that many children are eligible for free or low-cost vaccines. To nd a provider near you, visit COVax4Kids.org,” Roth said. “We encourage you to make an appointment now rather than waiting for school to start when it can
take longer to get in.”
e Colorado School & Child Care
Immunization Data dashboard al-
lows individuals to search immunization rates for required vaccines by school district, school or location.
BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e youth sports community has been raising concerns for weeks about a plan that would cut some sports areas at Douglas County Fairgrounds Regional Park. O cials say it is time for renovations and demand for space at the events destination has exceeded capacity.
Mark Steinke, president of the local Raptors Athletics program, is not against expansion of the fairgrounds. But he opposes elimination of elds that he says have supported kids for more than 20 years.
“It’s a tough situation for us because it would be devastating to us. It would eliminate a large part of our program if we lost those elds,” Steinke said, referring to impacts to the Raptors baseball, football and softball teams.
Amid the backlash, o cials are pointing to other parts of the county where new sports elds could be built. Leaders may reach into a pot ofvoter-approved sales tax funding for parks and recreation to pay for it.
“I’m very interested in seeing our priorities go to sports elds for youth,” especially for baseball, county Commissioner George Teal said at a recent town hall discussion.
Sports elds aren’t the only thing county o cials are likely to spend the tax money on. ey’ll have to balance di erent priorities.
“If the baseball folks get together with the soccer folks and maybe include the swimmers,” that helps leaders choose what to spend on, county Commissioner Abe Laydon said.
But a new eld elsewhere in the county wouldn’t help Steinke’s Raptors because the nonpro t serves Castle Rock and Castle Pines, he said.
“Castle Rock is severely underserved,“ Steinke said.
In May, a large crowd gathered at the county headquarters in Castle Rock, including many young people wearing youth sports uniforms.
During that contentious meeting — which included some interrup-
barn space and 4-H meeting rooms, among other things.
In late June, at the town hall, ocials pointed to three locations beyond the fairgrounds, elsewhere in the county, where new sports elds could be built.
One of those is the Sterling Ranch area in the northwest part of the county, where a design dated June 3 shows a soccer complex with four elds near Waterton Road.
Laydon also pointed to the planned High Note Park in Lone Tree, which would be built along Happy Canyon Creek near Interstate 25 and RidgeGate Parkway. It could include multi-use synthetic turf elds, according to a plan from April.
Commissioner Lora omas brought up Wildcat Regional Park, an envisioned recreation area between Daniels Park Road and Monarch Boulevard, south of Rocky Heights Middle School.
tions from the audience — o cials faced the question of whether there’s a plan to build other sports elds to ensure kids don’t lose space.
Concerns centered around the “fairgrounds master plan,” a vision for renovating the county fairgrounds — the home of the annual county fair and other events. Some sports elds could remain, based on the draft of the fairgrounds master plan.
But three elds near the eastern edge of the fairgrounds property could be converted to new uses. ose impacted could include one baseball diamond, one football/lacrosse area and a multi-use area for soccer, according to Tim Hallmark, the county’s director of facilities. ose would be removed to add new structures including buildings A, B and C on the plan’s map, which would include new multipurpose
“I think this would be a great place where we could put sports elds for kids,” omas said of the spot in the Highlands Ranch area, indicating baseball could be accommodated.
One person at the June town hall, who said he’s from Highlands Ranch, voiced concern about protecting habitats. Another person in the crowd worried about elk and other wildlife.
Steinke emphasized that Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch are outside the Raptors sports boundaries.
“A new eld in Parker (for example) does us no good even though it’s Douglas County,” Steinke said.
County to seek more public opinion omas said the county wants to continue collecting input from the public.
e town hall presentation referred to a community survey. e county is in the early process of getting it underway and will announce access to the survey when it is nalized, a county spokesperson said. Since 1994, a voter-approved 0.17% sales and use tax has helped preserve parks, trails, historic resources and open spaces throughout Douglas, according to the county. In 2022, Douglas voters approved a measure to extend that sales tax, which is expected to generate $350 million over 15 years.
the Schrader Building, while fundraising is ongoing. e goal is to open the center by late 2025.
BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e building that will house Castle Rock’s rst cancer center has been ofcially named after the Schrader family, who made the largest donation in the hospital’s history to support the project.
e Schrader family gave $5 million to AdventHealth Castle Rock’s Rock of Hope campaign, a fundraiser supporting the cancer center. As of June, the campaign has raised 55% of its $14 million goal.
At an event celebrating the naming of the Schrader Building, AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Region CFO Jeremy Pittman said he is excited to be one step closer to o ering comprehensive medical care in town.
“I’m just so proud of all the teams that have been involved in this community,” said Pittman, who is also the former CEO of the hospital. “ is is one of the last puzzle pieces that Castle Rock truly needs.”
Construction will begin on the cancer center, which will be on the third oor of
e cancer center will include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, infusion therapy and a learning kitchen.
e services will be the rst cancer care available in Castle Rock. Currently, patients have to drive out of town to get chemotherapy and other treatment.
e Schrader family said that while it means a lot to have their name on the building, they are most excited about having treatment available locally to ease the burden for patients.
“ e naming is special and it means something, maybe for the legacy of the family and the grandkids that drive by it for decades to come,” Randy Schrader said. “ at said, the real deal here is getting cancer care built up at AdventHealth Castle Rock.”
Lisa Schrader agreed and added that there’s still work to do to support the cancer center’s opening.
“It’s getting to the radiation, getting the sta in place, all the things that need to happen to treat that very rst patient,” she said. “We’re going to keep pushing forward to get this whole project nished as soon as possible.”
To nd out more about donating to the project, go to rmahf.org/rockofhope.
BY NICKY QUINBY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
is was a big year for the Cowboy Up in Kiowa Rodeo, as the 29th annual event sold out its two-day run at the Elbert County Fairgrounds. e June 28-29 rodeo was so packed that people attempting to buy day-of tickets were turned away.
Despite a couple scattered showers, the weather held for the weekend and the community came out in force to enjoy the rodeo as well as eat the delicious food o erings or grab a drink.
Treasurer Wendy Walp said there was “tons of mutton bustin’” going on this year. More than 100 local kids signed up for the event, scheduled throughout the weekend. e rodeo provided nonstop excitement from the Hero’s Night Rodeo on Friday, which included bareback bronc riding and barrel racing, to the Community Night Rodeo on Saturday evening.
Greg Dieker, Cowboy Up in Kiowa press manager, considers the event “a hometown, home county rodeo.” Dieker said that over 85% of ticket sales are sold to people living in Elbert County.
Dieker shared that sitting in the stands and seeing people that you know is part of what gives the rodeo a hometown feel. “We are trying to be a great small town rodeo that people return to,” he said.
When asked what else makes this rodeo unique, Dieker said those involved with the rodeo “look for opportunities to serve our community” and they love doing it. Rodeo volunteers have recently come together to help community members in the ways that matter most — not just with words but with action.
Debbera Crawley, whose family has been involved with the rodeo for about 10 years, says the rodeo network stepped up in a big way after she was in a motorcycle accident involving a drunken driver and began using a wheelchair for mobility.
Crawley’s physical therapist wouldn’t let her come home until there was a handicap accessible
A paint horse bronco bucks during the first event Saturday evening, bareback riding. It is a “rough stock” event, meaning the rider’s score is combined with the horse’s score.
ramp into her home. Crawley says a group of people from Cowboy Up rallied around her and built a ramp. “ ey just did it, took care of it, didn’t skip a beat,” she said. e ramp has been life-changing for her.
Crawley feels the rodeo reaches out to the community in so many ways. “It’s a great rodeo and if you haven’t been, you’re missing out,” she emphasized. ey also remodeled the exterior of a local veteran’s home, including door replacement, wheelchair
ramp installation and remodeling the driveway to make it handicap accessible. Volunteers combined their skills and worked together to bring both projects to fruition.
Teri Mills, who has been a rodeo volunteer since 1998, said the Elbert County Rodeo Committee was formed in 1993 but didn’t become known as the Cowboy Up In Kiowa Rodeo Committee until 1995. ere were originally 22 charter members and one, Dave Rook, is still involved today.
Cowboy Up is an award-winning
rodeo, with several awards from the Colorado Professional Rodeo Association. After a brief break about a decade ago, they were named Best New Rodeo of the Year and then immediately after, Most Improved Rodeo of the Year. ey’ve won the Colorado Super Purse Rodeo, the highest honor available from the CPRA, a whopping eight times.
For more information on Cowboy Up in Kiowa, visit their website at cowboyupinkiowa.org or their Facebook page at facebook.com/ cowboyupinkiowa.org.
Kindness and respect. Support and understanding.
When we think of an inclusive sports environment, words like these come to mind. But how do we turn these words into actions we can implement as parents or guardians out on the eld or court?
At the U.S. Center for SafeSport, athlete safety and well-being are our priority. By educating communities on how they can help prevent abuse and misconduct in sport, we help every participant feel safe, supported and strengthened. And more than that, we seek to help parents and coaches foster settings that are more inclusive and accessible for all athletes. But rst, what do inclusive environments look like in practice? And how do we create them?
Valuing all athletes
From respecting physical and emotional boundaries to giving athletes with disabilities the help they request, inclusive sport settings treat each athlete with respect and care and make sure each athlete’s needs are met.
Maybe you’ve seen an athlete with a disability left out of an activity because the coach failed to o er a drill that’s accessible to all teammates. Or maybe you’ve witnessed a participant’s confused look as they try to understand a set of complicated warm-up instructions.
When we prioritize inclusivity, we prioritize principles that make sport accessible for everyone. Examples of this are communicating openly and clearly in ways that each child can understand and adapting activities so athletes of all abilities can play and thrive.
Inclusive sport environments are places where no one is excluded based on something that makes them di erent, where all athletes can participate at the level they want, and where kindness and respect outweigh competition and tting in.
When a child steps onto the eld or court, they may bring stress, trauma and individual challenges from their day-to-day lives with them. As a par-
ent, guardian, or coach, you play a key role in creating a setting that is sensitive to that stress or trauma — and is built on support.
By reinforcing that no one has to change to t in, you can help create an atmosphere that values and appreciates all athletes.
Here are ve actions you can take:
1. Model respectful, kind behavior. Demonstrate care and compassion when engaging with athletes.
2. Value each athlete. Value the unique contributions each child brings to the team or organization and nd ways to support and encourage everyone’s individual contribution.
3. Communicate openly and clearly. Communicate in ways that each participant can understand, including using simpli ed language when possible and creating alternate formats of policies, rules, or schedules.
4. Promote athletes’ agency and autonomy: Encourage athletes to set physical and emotional boundaries and respect the boundaries they set.
5. Address harmful behaviors. When inappropriate or harmful behavior occurs, address it immediately. is way you can help maintain safe, supportive spaces for all.
Sports allow kids to learn and grow, but only when everyone is supported
and included. How we treat each other matters. By building inclusive sport settings that are welcoming and encouraging we can lift athletes up, making them stronger and happier.
e U.S. Center for SafeSport produces tools and resources for parents, guardians, and coaches to help young athletes feel empowered and supported. Our Creating Inclusive Sport Environments handout provides key information and actions you can take to safeguard sport for all. For additional resources to help you recognize, prevent, and respond to abuse in sport, visit uscenterforsafesport.org/abuse-
A win for the far right
e vocal minority and far right extremists have successfully put a halt to updating policy of discrimination in Douglas County Schools. e concept of giving up federal money to not conform to the Title IX changes doesn’t make sense. Are they going to fund Special Education and Food Services then through tax increases? e idea of doing away with sports to prevent transgender individuals from participating is really a far-
prevention-resources.
If you or someone you know has experienced abuse or misconduct involving a participant of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, you can make a report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport: uscenterforsafesport.org/ report-a-concern.
Ju’Riese Colón is the chief executive ofcer of U.S. Center for SafeSport, which describes itself as “an independent nonpro t committed to building a sport community where participants can work and learn together free of emotional, physical and sexual abuse and misconduct.”
right concept. Maybe having policy that allows only sex at birth be standard for participation. Having an elected o cial push hate of burning at the stake for those parents who do not accept their point of view paints a picture of the far right causing discrimination in our schools forcing minority students out of the district. I realize we are in a Republican-controlled county but this hate has to stop.
Dave Usechek Parker
This is the third column in a series about how we embrace, live, and share our life story. Each of us is a living story, that ebbs and ows with every breath we take and every choice we make. Our lives are lled with moments of joy, pain, triumph, and defeat, woven together to form the unique life story we are experiencing. Our faith journey, whatever that means to each of us as individuals, has played a role in our story, is currently continuing to shape our story, and will absolutely play a role in our future story.
Again, the most powerful story we will ever tell is the one we tell ourselves. We all experience thousands of thoughts each and every day. ose thoughts either quickly go away, become a deeper thought for another time, or result in us taking action based on what we are currently thinking about. So why not make the most of these special opportunities and moments that further de ne us and our story?
and with the divine. e greatest story ever told, the Good News of the Gospel, is the ultimate narrative of love, sacri ce, and redemption. It is a story that transcends time and culture, o ering hope and salvation to all of us in what some might call a very unforgiving world.
Our story is a story to be lived. When we live our lives in alignment with the teachings of Jesus Christ, we embody the message of the Gospel. Our actions become a testimony to the transformative power of God’s love and grace. We become living epistles, read by all who encounter us.
Last week we discussed how each mistake, wrong turn, or failure shapes our story. We can choose to let them break us or we can choose to let them make us, and that choice is ours. As you continue reading, I will share something about my faith and the role it plays in my own story. And wherever you are in your own faith journey, and wherever your faith is today, I hope you will lean into that faith to continue to shape how you live and tell your story. In the end, the story we tell ourselves is the foundation of the story we live. It is a story that shapes our identity and guides our actions. For me, it is about aligning my story with the story of the Gospel, I nd a deeper sense of purpose and meaning. I become part of a story that is greater than myself, a story that is eternal and unchanging. You see, our story does not exist in isolation. It is part of a greater story line, one that connects us with others
Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:
• Email your letter to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.
• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednes-
Living our story in the light of the Gospel means loving others as Christ loves us. It means showing compassion, extending grace, and seeking justice. It means being a light in the darkness, o ering hope to the hopeless and comfort to the a icted. When we live in this way, our story becomes a powerful witness to the reality of God’s kingdom.
So, let us live our story with intention and courage. Let us tell our story with authenticity and vulnerability. And let us remember that the greatest story we will ever be a part of is the story of God’s redeeming love. I would love to hear your life story at gotonorton@gmail. com and when we live and tell this story, we become living testimonies to the power of God’s grace, inspiring others to embrace and share their own stories of faith and redemption.
Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.
day in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.
• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not be submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.
MARTIN
Erna Mae “Ammo” (Coady) Martin
April 13, 1929 - June 27, 2024
Erna (Coady) Martin was born in Oxford NE on April 13,1929, the daughter of John Bernard Coady and Theodocia Luella Smith. Erna celebrated her 95th birthday in 2024 and passed away peacefully on June 27, 2024 in Parker, CO.
After graduating from Oxford High School, she married Stanley Wayne Martin in Oxford on October 26,1949 and they moved to McCook NE. Erna worked for the Bell Telephone Company, while living in Nebraska, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma. She was active in the Order of the Eastern Star and various United Methodist Churches.
Erna was preceded in death by her parents and her 4 siblings; Ivan, Willard, Evelyn, and Eva. She is survived by her daughter Sheri Lou (Martin) Pennington, son-in-law Larry; grandson, Mark and his wife Abbie and great grandson Jacob. Erna’s ashes will be
Farmers and a fair show o the culture of this summer favorite fruit
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Every year, on one day in the summer, a group of people line up at the edge of a long, yellow tarp in southeastern Colorado. e tarp is stationed next to a building to prevent the wind from impacting a competition, for which some people practice seriously. Others decide to give it a try on a whim.
“ ey pick out their own seed, and I guess they could suck on it for a little while, get it dry, how ever they feel is the best way to treat their seed,” said Sally Cope, who helps organize the event. “And then practice, and then spit.”
As the black seeds land one by one on the bright tarp, people wait anxiously to see whose will make it the farthest.
e seed-spitting competition is part of a day-long event entirely dedicated to a sweet, red, juicy fruit grown in Colorado. A star at any summer picnic, watermelons are more than just a refreshing snack to the people of the Arkansas Valley. In this region, especially in the town of Rocky Ford, farmers dedicate their entire summer to raising the classic crop — which has become a staple of the area’s culture.
“It’s a way of life,” said Gail Knapp, owner of Knapp Farms, which grows watermelons and other produce. “We don’t take time o normally in the summertime to do what normal people do in the summertime.
our crops — and those kinds of things take a lot of care.”
From its mascot — a muscular melon called a “meloneer” — to its annual Watermelon Day celebration, Rocky Ford embraces the crop, which has deep ties to the city’s history.
In 1878, Rocky Ford’s rst mayor and one of its founders, G.W. Swink, had a bountiful harvest of watermelons.
“He brought them here to the railroad station … and he gave slices of melons to those who were passengers that stopped on the train,” Cope said. “After a couple of years, he moved his table of watermelon slices and gave away melons — a large melon to all of those who came in attendance.”
What started out as a gift from the mayor to his people turned into Watermelon Day, now celebrated as part of the week-long Arkansas Valley Fair. Cope, the manager of the fair, said the fruit-focused day includes a watermelon carving competition and a melon giveaway.
“We … usually give away around 20,000 pounds of melon on Watermelon Day,” she said. is year, Watermelon Day will take place on Aug. 17 at the Arkansas Valley Fairgrounds, on the secondto-last day of the fair which includes rodeos, a carnival, 4-H contests and much more.
e Watermelon Day tradition gives the fair its title as the “oldest continuous fair” in Colorado. Cope said the fair team even gave away watermelons in 2020.
Why is the valley good for melons?
Each year, the Rocky Ford Rotary Club helps raise funds to buy watermelons from local growers, such as Knapp Farms.
At the fth-generation farm, owners Gail and Brian Knapp — along with their children and grandchildren — grow watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, chilies, eggplant, squash, cucumbers and more.
Knapp said the conditions in the Arkansas Valley are great for growing watermelons.
“It seems to be our soil, our hot days, cooler nights,” she said. “ ere’s a combination there that seems to grow really sweet melons.”
Once the melons are harvested, Knapp Farms sells them at their local farm market and also sends them to the metro Denver area to be sold at grocery stores including Kroger, Safeway and Whole Foods.
As of late June, the largest watermelons were about the size of a baseball, Knapp said. As they continue to grow, they should be ready to start harvesting by late July.
Despite the ripe conditions for watermelons, Knapp said there are some risks to the melon business. Weather, such as the copious amount of hail last spring, can devastate a crop. Knapp said last season was a challenge for most farmers in the region for this reason.
With water from the Arkansas River being sold to cities, labor shortages and
unpredictable demand, there are many risks to farming watermelons, Knapp said, and it’s not getting easier. But if everything works out in a given season, the business can be very pro table, she said.
For gardeners who want to try a hand at growing their own watermelons, veteran gardener Deborah King said it’s a bit too late in the season to start from seeds — but folks can start planning now for next year.
King is a supervisor at Tagawa Gardens, a garden center in Centennial, where she says she learns a lot from customers.
“It is a big plant, it spreads out really big,” she said. “But the key is that you need to have consistent water supply throughout its growing season.”
She also said it’s helpful to plant watermelons on hills or mounds, which gives the plant space and helps ensure drainage and retain heat. It can also be helpful to use grass clippings, wood chips or straw to maintain moisture in the soil, King said.
For her, gardening is a satisfying endeavor.
“When you get your harvest and you’re able to share with … your neighbors, co-workers — I mean, there’s no more satisfaction than eating right from your own garden,” she said. “You realize that avor … and it just sets you up for the next season to do more, or try di erent things.”
But for those who consider themselves a bit impatient, or simply want to leave the farming to the experts, there’s good news: the Rocky Ford watermelons will be available in stores near the end of the summer.
When public art really connects, it can be a real place-maker for its chosen home. e Arvada Center has certainly proven that with its Sculpture Field, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
But as every artist who goes after public art commissions can attest, getting selected to build a piece is a rare occurrence.
For its summer art exhibitions, the center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., is hosting a pair of shows in conversation with each other: “I Regret to Inform You…Rejected Public Art” and “inFORMed Space: Perspectives in Sculpture.” Both shows are on display through Sunday, Aug. 25.
“We’re celebrating sculpture both inside and outside this summer,” said Collin Parson, director of Galleries and curator for the Arvada Center. “Both shows are very unique, especially the rejection show, because it highlights how much public art is a business of perseverance.”
“I Regret to Inform You…” is on display in the Upper and eatre Galleries, and posed a particularly challenging problem for the curatorial team - how to display sculptural work that was never actually created.
“We’ve used everything from Photoshopped images and digital renderings to models and videos that artists have created,” Parson explained.
“ e exhibit has a lot reading, but it’s a great opportunity learn more about the public art process and how di cult it is.”
One of the most powerful aspects of the exhibit is the emphasis it puts on how frequent rejection is for artists, even well-known ones who have had successes in the public art world.
“ e participating artists deserve a lot of acknowledgements
for speaking about rejection and letting people delve deeper into a more personal aspect of being a creative,” Parson said. “I hope people realize that for every public sculpture they see, there’s two-tofour artists who were nalists and weren’t selected.”
is creates a neat segue into the center’s other exhibit, “inFORMed Space,” which is on display in the Main Gallery. e idea to do an allsculpture exhibit was inspired by the Sculpture Field’s anniversary, but participating sculptors were given one challenging parameter — their work had to t in a fourfoot by four-foot square area.
“What we have on display is a variety of concepts, media used and techniques explored. I think of it as a forest oor of sculptures, because all the works ended up being very vertical,” Parson said. “ ere’s nothing on the walls, so the exhibit is very freestanding.”
e way the two exhibits highlight the challenges of the creative process, especially in the sculpting medium, makes them the perfect duo for the summer.
ny Quartet, ice sculptors, food and more.
Finally, there’s Community Day, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 14. During this event, the station’s renovations will be unveiled and there will be activities like face painting, balloon artists and mini train rides, plus live music from Tunisia and Youth on Record.
All the details for this special weekend can be found at www. denverunionstation.com/experience/event-calendar/.
Bach and The Beatles
Over the years the candlelight concert series has become an immensely popular and transporting way to experience live music. e latest concert is “From Bach to e Beatles” and is held at the Museum of Outdoor Arts’ Marjorie Park, 6331 S. Fiddlers Green Circle in Greenwood Village, at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 13. e show will feature some of Bach’s most wellknown works and a collection of e Beatles’ most beloved hits. Get tickets at https://feverup. com/m/178826.
“I think we have the perfect combination,” Parson said. “If you want to spend a lot of time reading and learning about rejection and the public art process, we have the show for you. And if you want to be surprised and impressed with what sculptors can do, we have that, too.”
Find all the details about the shows at https://arvadacenter.org/ galleries/current-exhibitions.
To celebrate a decade in its latest incarnation, you don’t want to miss Denver’s Union Station’s, 1701 Wynkoop, 10th Anniversary Weekend.
e weekend kicks o with Neighborhood Night, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 12. is portion will feature drinks, live music by Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, exclusive tours of the newly renovated Crawford Hotel rooms and views of the revamped Great Hall. Next comes the Making History…Again Gala, from 6 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 13. e evening aims to raise money for Colorado nonpro ts and includes performances by the Colorado Sympho-
Clarke’s Concert of the Week: Out of This World — The Experience at Ball Arena
Virginia’s Missy Elliott is one of rap’s best and most important voices, full stop.
e work she did in the 1990s and 2000s is some of the genre’s most mind-blowing and innovative, and her collaborations with producer Timbaland are still inspiring musicians today. She’s so highly regarded that in 2023 Elliott became the rst female hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Elliott is celebrating all her accomplishments with the Out of is World — e Experience Tour, which will be stopping by Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16.
She’ll be joined by the legendary Busta Rhymes, R&B superstar (and former Denver resident) Ciara and Timbaland himself.
is will truly be an evening of greats, so get tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.
Clarke Reader is an arts and culture columnist. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.
Thu 7/11
Teague Starbuck @ 5pm
Brewability Lab, 3445 S Broad‐way, Englewood
The Grass Project Live in Clement Park (Grant Amphitheater) @ 6pm Clement Park, Littleton
Fri 7/12
The Mike G Band @ 5pm
Gin Blossoms with special guests Fastball
@ 7:30pm / $50-$80
The Amphitheater at Philip S. Miller Park, Castle Rock
Peter Manjarres en Concierto @ 8pm / $55 Stampede, Aurora
Sat 7/13
Pallbearer @ 7pm
Gothic Theatre, Englewood
Sun 7/14
14U Tryout @ 3:30pm / $40
Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136
Rachel Maxann: Black Opry @ 6pm
An Evening with Dr. Dog @ 8pm
Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood
Thu 7/18
Torreys Peak Ages 8-11 - 2023 League Session #4 @ 3:30pm / $400
Jul 18th - Aug 30th
Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136
Grays Peak Ages 12-13 - 2023 League Session #4 @ 3:30pm / $400
Jul 18th - Aug 30th
Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136
Face Vocal Band @ 6:30pm
BarBox at Aspen Grove, 7301 S Santa Fe Dr #860, Littleton
Sarah Adams: D3 Arts (duo) | with Macie June and M'Lady
@ 6pm
D3 Arts, 3614 Morrison Rd, Denver
Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree
TRVR? @ 6:30pm
Western Sky Bar & Taproom, 4361 S Broadway, Englewood
Levitt Pavilion Denver, 1380 W Florida Ave, Denver
Mon 7/15
Grades 3-8 Week 8 - Full Day @ 8am / Free Jul 15th - Jul 19th
Kiddie Academy - Lone Tree, 10344 Park Meadows Dr, Lone Tree. 515-708-0433
Tue 7/16
Jeffrey Dallet @ 2pm
Legacy Village of Castle Pines, 535 Castle Pines Pkwy, Castle Pines North
6 Million Dollar Band: South Suburban Parks & Rec @ 5pm
Lone Tree Recreation Center, 10249 RidgeGate Circle, Lone Tree
Wed 7/17
Tom Mcelvain Music @ 5pm The Englewood Tavrn, 4386 S Broadway, Englewood
JaySilenceBand: Jay Silence live at The Viewhouse Band Series @ 5pm
ViewHouse Centennial, 7101 S Clinton St, Centennial 2024 AB6IX FAN Concert in North America 'FIND YOU' @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood
Eric Golden @ 6:30pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker
Calendar
ers.
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With winter in the rearview, it’s time to ditch the snowboards and break out the wheels again. Coloradans are spoiled with over 70 skate parks in and around the Denver metro area, according to SpeakEasy Skate, a Colorado skate park directory run by local Damian Dixon. e directory boasts more than 200 in the state.
at many parks can be the best kind of overwhelming, whether you’re a seasoned skater or want to try skateboarding for the rst time (or biking, scootering, rollerblading and whatever else people do at skate parks, rules per park depending). But everyone has to start somewhere.
e choices seem endless with new parks opening every year, like the new Sloan’s Lake Pumptrack in Denver that opened in 2023. But here are ve to get you started around the Front Range.
Don Anema Memorial Skate Park
Location: Northglenn
Strength: Flow park
Lights: User-activated; the last activation can occur at 9:45 p.m.
Opened in 2011, the sea of desertred waves known as Don Anema Memorial Skate Park is one of the best ow parks (speci cally made for continuous riding without pushing) in the metro area. ere are multiple unusual features, like arch-
es next to gaps, so skaters can jump the gaps or simply roll over them. A spiral roll-in bowl sits tucked into the corner for a quick whip-around, and several manual boxes, stairs, ledges and snake-like ramps allow for an even ow throughout. e larger bowl in the back of the park is the cherry on top of this skate park sundae, making Don Anema perfect for both practice and fun.
William McKinley Carson Park & Skate Park
Location: Greenwood Village
Strength: Two-for-one
Lights: No
Tucked away in William McKinley
Carson Park, the 15,000-square-foot arena is hidden by trees away from the main road, which obscures the fact that it’s actually two parks in one. e rst section is an intricate bowl system, with roll-ins from each side so it’s accessible to skaters of di erent levels. On the other side of the park, you have an Olympic-level ow/street-style section. e slightly slanted run is connected by two quarter-pipes on either end, with multiple boxes, ramps and rails. Just get there before the sun goes down.
Arvada Skate Park
Location: Arvada
Strength: A bit of everything
Lights: On until 10 p.m.
Lights: On until 10 p.m.
Nestled against the foothills in Golden, this ve-year-old, 27,000-square-foot park ows in a big loop and boasts the best views of any locale on this list. ere’s a attrick-designated area with a manual box (a at platform best used for practicing wheelie combinations) connected to the rest of the park by a tunnel with ‘GOLDEN’ carved in the roof, spelling the city’s name on the ground in sunlight. rough the gut of the park runs a big, slightly downhill carving bowl, with plenty of stairs, ledges, and quarter pipes around its edge. Pro tip: Park near the dog park and skate the nearly half-mile path along the fence to the skate park for a picturesque cruise, and catch sunset views of nearby Table and Lookout mountains in the evenings. Bring a hammock.
Railbender Skate Park
Location: Parker
• Part-time hours
• P
•Adaptable route sizes
• Adaptable
• No suit & tie required!
Previous carrier experience encouraged; reliable vehicle and email access, required.
no telephone inquiries - but email us at:
It can be a bit di cult to decide what to do at this 40,000-square-foot oasis for skaters. From the parking lot, turn left into the park and hit a valley of roll-in ramps, which lead to a at-trick area at the base of a small bowl section. On the north side of the park is a long, snake-like bowl system of small hills and rollovers. Head to the northeast corner for a skateable brick wall. Two circular platforms overlap each other for easy kick-turns near the entrance. e ‘bullpen’ of the skatepark has a half-bowl system, several stairs and ledges, and an unusual, large ramp on an island to ollie on, roll up and down and then hop back o .
Ulysses Skate Park
Location: Golden
Strength: Mountain and city views
Strength: Street skating Lights: From dusk until 10 p.m. It’s just a half-hour drive to get to a street skater’s paradise: think ledges on ledges, stairs on stairs. is is the perfect park to learn how to grind, use manual boxes, ollie down ledges, and get comfortable on steep roll-in ramps. Opened in 2008, the park is 35,000 square feet of practice-perfect concrete. Try the smooth mini bowl toward the front of the park to hone your skills before hitting the enormous, complex bowl near the back.
The state becomes one of 12 new federal technology hubs
BY MICHAEL BOOTH AND TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado won a $40.5 million quantum technology grant from the federal government to help turn the state into a worldwide hub in the emerging eld, Gov. Jared Polis recently announced as one of 12 awards after a highly competitive sprint for the U.S. money.
e award cements Colorado’s leadership in quantum computing, which relies on supercooled operations at an atomic level, and will unlock $74 million in state tax credits passed in anticipation of a federal grant win, Polis said. at in turn could draw billions of dollars in private and partnership investment to the eld, which already employs thousands of people in Colorado, Polis said.
“America, rightfully so, is making a bet on the future of computing and Colorado is that bet,” Polis said. “And we’re going to make sure it pays o , not only for Colorado, but for the country and beyond.”
Colorado economic development and technology o cials had identied the state’s big head start in quantum research as the most promising avenue when it joined nearly 200 national applicants seeking federal awards from the Department of Commerce’s Regional Technology
and Innovation Hubs program. e hubs were enacted as part of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
Applicants sought money for one of 10 technologies designated as key to future U.S. research and development. e state applied for up to $75 million in additional federal funding in February, a few months after the Biden administration named Colorado an o cial Tech Hub for quantum computing.
A group called Elevate Quantum formed a consortium of private quantum companies, investors, startups and universities including
orandum of understanding on research.
“We were certainly hoping that our country would not give leadership in this area to the rest of the world,” Polis said. “And yes, with this decision, the United States of America is making a clear statement that we are serious about America being a leader in quantum technology. Colorado is the place to invest and make it happen.”
the University of Colorado and Colorado School of Mines. At least three Boulder-area companies are building their own quantum computers in a race to o er more qubits, akin to computer data. e quantum industry could bring $3 billion in funding to Colorado over the next decade, o cials say, plus provide jobs for 30,000 future workers at di erent education and training levels.
Colorado’s enthusiasm for quantum technology was reinforced on a recent trade mission to Finland, Polis said Monday. e Scandinavian nation is an international leader in the eld, and Colorado has a mem-
Winning the additional funding means that House Bill 1325, passed by the legislature this year, kicks in to provide up to $74 million in state tax credits to the quantum industry. e fully refundable tax credits would be available to o set the costs of building a shared quantum facility or for nancial lenders who provide loans to quantum companies should there be a loss incurred on the loan. Quantum, which refers to the science of probabilities down to the atom and the tech that can speed up complex computer calculations, has a long history in the Boulder region. In the 1950s, the National Institute of Standards and Technology picked Boulder for a research facility. NIST, which needed quantum measurements because they need to measure the most precise and sensitive things in the world, later partnered with the University of Colorado to create the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics in 1962.
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.
ise: Two Free Years of College Expanded, will equal the tuition and fees paid by the student after any scholarships or grants. The credit will be in place for students starting this fall into the 2032 school year for those attending public community, technical, and regional colleges, as well as four-year universities.
The state doesn’t know how many students will qualify for the tax credit this upcoming school year, but it has made some guesses based on past data. About 28,000 students statewide would have been eligible for the tax credit last year, according to a fiscal analysis.
Eligible students have to meet certain requirements, such as having graduated high school in Colorado within the last two years, being enrolled in at least six credit hours at a
Colorado public college, and maintaining a 2.5 GPA or higher. They must also have filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents have to have filled out the CASFA, or the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid, to qualify for the tax credit. Those students will also get the tax form from schools if they qualify.
The tax credit functions as a rebate. Families and students will have to pay their tuition and fees up front or borrow money to pay those bills. They should expect a refund after filing a tax return for the year that the school year ends. For example, credits for the academic year 2024-25 would be claimed on a student’s 2025 tax return — due by April 2026 — and paid out in 2026.
Four-year college students can expect an average of $2,700 in tax credits each year, technical college students can expect an average of $2,000, and two-year college students should get
back an average of $1,000.
Colorado public colleges and universities will notify students by email whether they’ve qualified, Paccione said.
Colleges and universities will have students’ household income on record through either the federal or state aid application. Based on that, schools will be able to calculate which students qualify. Students not meeting the GPA requirements will also be notified that they’re not eligible, she said.
Students will then get a tax form that they will use when they file their state taxes.
Although the eligibility will be based on a student’s family or household income as reported on the FAFSA or CASFA, students will have to apply for the tax credit themselves. They’ll need to file a state tax return to get the credit, even if they did not work and would not have otherwise filed a return.
How can students spend the credit?
Students will be reimbursed only for tuition and fees, so living expenses or supplies such as textbooks aren’t covered.
However, students can use the tax rebate any way they want, Paccione said. For instance, they can save the tax money for future college expenses. But Paccione recommends that students apply that money toward tuition and fees they’ve already paid or borrowed money to pay. That will reduce long-term debt, she said.
“It’s going to require discipline from the student and family when they do get that tax rebate, because we’re not going to control how they use that tax rebate,” she said. “They should use it to pay the tuition. That’s the intent of it.”
This story was printed through a news sharing agreement with Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
BY JO ANN M. COLTON
from walking and/or running along our state’s many wonderful paths and scenic nature trails.
There is no better way to appreciate the beauty of Colorado than by witnessing all the sights and sounds of the great outdoors.
Join Colorado Community Media as we host our first-ever 5K run on Saturday, Aug. 24, at Clement Park, 7306 W. Bowles Ave. in Littleton.
Park is currently being firmed up to feature other activities throughout the day including food and beverage purchase options offered by local food trucks, vendor booths, and live music entertainment.
And, before the run, we want you to submit your own “Trail Tales,” including photos, to your local newspaper (events@coloradocommunitymedia. com). Tell us where you most enjoy going for a walk or a run in your commuor elsewhere in Colorado.
There are no prizes associated with the event and participants will not receive a “standard” T-shirt. Instead, registered participants will receive a pair of custom running socks. The Share Your Trail Tales 5k Run is open to people of all ages. Participants have the option of making it a fun-filled day for the entire family. Registration fees are $35 for adults (ages 17 & up), $15 (ages 5 to 16), and free for children (ages 4 and under ). Parking for run participants and event attendees is available in the west parking lot, which can be reached as you enter Clement Park through the Library entrance on W. Bowles Avenue.
Colorado Community Media publications span eight counties along Colorado’s majestic Front Range — Weld, Adams, Jeffco, Clear Creek, Douglas, Elbert, Arapahoe and Denver. As a nonprofit organization, community is important to us and we are eager to reach out and meet members of the communities our news organization serves.
In turn, we will share many of those adventurous tales with the readers of our two dozen community newspapers in the weeks ahead of the run. About the 5k: It is scheduled to loop around Johnston Reservoir from 9:30 a.m. to noon. It will start and end on the bike path near Shelter P. The event is different from most 5k runs in many ways. For starters, the sole purpose of this event is to simply provide an opportunity for people across Colorado to come together, interact, and share their personal experiences gained
“Your support of this event as a race participant and/or as an attendee is paramount to the success of our first Share Your Trail Tales 5k Run and it will help us sustain our ability to support local news,” Scott said. “We encourage the engagement of our readers and future readers to be part of this and future events at Colorado Community Media.” Colorado Community Media could not put on events like this 5k run without the help of its dedicated supporters and sponsors. Sponsorship provides an ideal marketing prospect for your business and positive brand recognition. The organization offers many levels of sponsorship and opportunities for involvement. As a sponsor, you can be part of a fun community event that promotes health and wellness.
Carlie Scott, Colorado Community Media’s events director, stated that the program for the Aug. 24 run in Clement
To register for the Share Your Trail Tales 5k please visit our website www.coloradocommunitymedia.com and click on EVENTS/CONTEST tab.
BY MARC VARGAS
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clothing or on equipment as they travel from farm to farm.
Baldwin said the state is working with dairy operators on detailed biosecurity plans for their dairies. This includes lots of personal protective equipment — not just masks, goggles and face shields for workers, but also booties and coveralls that can be thrown away before leaving a farm. It also includes plans for cleaning vehicle tires or other pieces of equipment leaving the dairy.
Hundreds of people monitored
No human cases of bird flu aris-
ing from exposure to infected cattle have been identified in Colorado. But state and local health officials have monitored hundreds of dairy workers after possible exposure to the virus.
Following federal guidance, the state is only testing people who have flu-like symptoms. Scott Bookman, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s senior director for public health readiness and response, said the state has tested fewer than a dozen people. All those tests have come back negative.
Given that only three people nationally have tested positive for a case of bird flu believed to have come from exposure to infected dairy cattle — one in Texas and two in Michigan, all of whom had minor
symptoms — Bookman defended the state’s testing approach.
“There just isn’t any reason on any evidence at this point to be doing any broader type of asymptomatic testing,” he said.
Elizabeth Carlton, an epidemiologist at the Colorado School of Public Health, agreed that the risk to the general public right now is low. Systems designed to detect upticks in flu infections through hospital data and wastewater testing have not sounded any alarms. Pasteurized milk — what is sold in grocery stores — is safe to drink, though raw milk may not be.
“Where we need to ramp up the level of concern in the population is when we see those dairy farm workers get infected and spread it to their
families,” she said.
Still, she said, now is the time for public health agencies to make sure their testing and disease-monitoring systems are running smoothly, so that they can detect if the current bird flu outbreaks in livestock evolve into a threat to humans.
“As a general person right now, I don’t think the level of concern should be that high,” she said. “But for public health, for people working in the field of infectious disease, this is exactly what we need to be working on right now.”
This story was printed through a news sharing agreement with The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonprofit based in Denver that covers the state.
be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the petition without further notice.
This is an action for legal custody of a child.
Dated: May 31st, 2024
Everyday,thegovernmentmakesdecisionsthat canaffectyourlife.Whethertheyaredecisionson zoning,taxes,newbusinessesormyriadother issues,governmentsplay abig roleinyourlife.
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Governmentshave reliedonnewspaperslike thisonetopublishpublicnoticessincethebirth ofthenation.Localnewspapers remainthemost trustedsourceofpublicnoticeinformation.This newspaperpublishestheinformationyouneed tostayinvolvedinyourcommunity.
