Elbert County News August 8, 2024

BY BRIAN EASON THE COLORADO SUN

Kiowa-area voters will rule on bond

School district tries again after being awarded BEST Grant

BY NICKY QUINBY

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e Kiowa School District, o cially Elbert County School District C-2, was awarded the state’s largest-ever

BEST Grant in May: $55.53 million for construction of a new school.

e money will go to the district only if local voters approve a bond for $13.44 million, which is the required “match” of 20% of the cost to build a new school.

BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) Grants are funded by the Colorado State Land Board, Colorado Lottery and marijuana excise taxes.

Kiowa received just under 50% of

the total available state funding for the year. e only catch is that BEST Grants are matching grants and if local voters turn down the bond request this November, another school — whose community has already approved a bond to provide matching funds — is waiting to utilize the state funding.

On July 10, in the Kiowa High School cafeteria, the school dis-

SEE GRANT, P8

e state’s public pension could be underestimating the scope of its nancial problems by billions of dollars, an independent review found, raising fresh concerns about the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association and its tenuous nances.

As a result, for the rst time since a state pension overhaul in 2018, a legislative oversight panel is considering whether to recommend further reforms to the system, which manages the retirement bene ts of more than 700,000 current and former public sector workers.

e concerns stem from a steady drip of bad news this summer —

Kiowa Schools Superintendent Travis Hargreaves stands in the high school entryway July 10 to greet people. He stands next to a large display explaining the breakdown of funds and detailing the grounds for building a new school.

PHOTO BY NICKY QUINBY

Fire

Douglas County tightens fire restrictions

bans now at stage 2 amid dry conditions

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Amid intense heat and a lack of “meaningful precipitation,” Castle Rock has increased its re restrictions, expanding its list of banned activities in hopes of preventing blazes like those hitting elsewhere in the Front Range.

e same day, July 31, Douglas County announced that Sheri Darren Weekly also upped re restrictions to stage 2 for unincorporated parts of the county, or those outside of city and town boundaries, including highly populated areas like Highlands Ranch.

Castle Rock and unincorporated Douglas areas had been under stage 1 re restrictions since July 11.

ree res are raging in Colorado’s foothills north and west of the Denver area. ey include the Alexander Mountain re, which started the morning of July 29 west of Loveland and by the morning of July 31 had consumed some 5,000 acres, prompting evacuations in Larimer County. e Stone Canyon re, which was reported afternoon July 30 north of Lyons, is just a few miles

but not limited to camp res, warming res, the lighting of any fused explosives and reworks of any kind or brand, the lighting of model rockets and the burning of fence lines or rows, elds, farmlands, rangelands, wildlands, trash and debris, the town website says.

Stage 2 restrictions include:

https://bit.ly/dan-in-denver

from the Alexander Mountain re. e night of July 30, the Quarry re erupted in Je erson County. Tightened local restrictions also come after news that res that burned in and near Douglas County. e lightning-caused Metz re, located southwest of Larkspur, burned for a short time and was contained on July 24. A vegetation re occurred along the west side of Interstate 25 between Castle Pines Parkway and Happy Canyon Road, spreading to about 2 acres with an unknown cause, South Metro Fire Rescue said on July 26.

Here’s a look at the re restrictions from the sheri ’s o ce and Castle Rock:

Unincorporated Douglas County restrictions

Under stage 2 re restrictions, the following is not allowed:

• Open burning of any kind

• Use of reworks, including professional rework displays

• Use of model rockets

• Use of res in chimineas, other portable replaces or patio re pits

• Camp res at developed campgrounds or picnic areas.

Allowed activities include:

• Fires within liquid-fueled or gasfueled stoves, grills, re pits or other gas or liquid-fueled appliances

• Residential use of charcoal grill res when the use is supervised by a “responsible party” at least 18 years of age

• Fires contained in replaces and wood-burning stoves within buildings only

• Fire suppression or re department training res.

Violation of the restrictions is a class 2 petty o ense, punishable by up to a $1,000 ne and a $10 surcharge.

For information about how re restrictions are decided, see methodology via the sheri ’s website.

Castle Rock restrictions

In the town, stage 2 restrictions include all stage 1 restrictions with additional prohibited activities.

“Open re” or “open burning” means any outdoor re, including

• No building, maintaining, attending or using an open re, camp re or stove re (a stove re is de ned as a camp re built inside an enclosed stove or grill, portable brazier or a pressurized liquid or gas stove, including a space-heating device) without a permit. e following are permitted: petroleum-fueled stoves, lanterns or heating devices, as long as such devices meet the re underwriter’s speci cations for safety

• No smoking unless in an enclosed vehicle or building, or a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all ammable material. Open discarding of smoking materials is a violation of the restrictions and the International Fire Code Section 310.7, according to the town.

• Prohibiting welding or the operation of torches with open ame in outdoor areas, including public parks, greenbelts and trail systems without a permit

• Prohibiting the operation or use of any internal or external combustion engine without a sparkarresting device properly installed, maintained and in e ective working order.

Allowed activities include:

• Cooking on gas- or liquid-fueled stoves, grills or electric smokers

• Residential use of charcoal grill res when the use is supervised by a “responsible party” at least 18 years of age

• Fires contained within replaces and wood-burning stoves within buildings only

• Fire suppression or re department training res.

People found to be in violation of the town’s re restrictions are subject to a $1,000 ne, 180 days in jail or both.

See crgov.com/ rebans for current information. Questions about the current status of re restrictions in town can be directed to the re chief’s o ce at 303-660-1066.

Douglas County and Castle Rock have both imposed fire restrictions as high heat and limited rain have created risky conditions.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Seniors Over 70 Should Consider Downsizing Into a Rental, Not a Smaller Home

Regular readers know that I’ve written about this topic before, but it bears repeating. Just last week a reader called me about listing their home and helping them to buy a smaller, easier to maintain home.

Most agents would welcome this opportunity to have two paydays from a single client, but I’m different, because Rita and I were in a similar situation two years ago and chose another path, and we’re glad we did.

your “golden years” and travel, there’s the added stress of securing your home and handling yard maintenance and snow removal in your absence, so your home doesn’t look like you are on vacation.

We sold our 4,000-squarefoot home and moved into a 1,200-square-foot apartment. A recent study showed that this is a trend among us Baby Boomers.

Homeownership has a lot of costs, responsibility and tasks. The costs include rising property taxes which you will want to appeal every two years, plus rising insurance costs which can’t be appealed. For many, HOA dues and special assessments are an added burden.

Also, just as you might want to enjoy

Condo ownership at least offers a lock-and-leave situation, but still entails those other expenses. Rental relieves you of all the above.

I still recommend home ownership for non-seniors, because it is a proven strategy for wealth accumulation. Indeed it is the appreciation from our owned real estate which set Rita and me up for retirement far more than our earned income.

As one of my fellow Realtors is fond of saying, “If you have too little real estate or not enough, I’m here to help you!”

Fortunately, most seniors over 70 probably own their home free and clear, which means that selling their home can produce a lot of cash to invest in annui-

Kudos to Wendy Renee, Loan Officer Extraordinaire

Last week, I had a double closing that was only made possible by the diligent work of our in-house lender, Wendy Renee of Fairway Independent Mortgage. I can’t go to press this week without describing her work to you!

As happens now and then, I “doubleended” a listing, selling it to an out-ofstate buyer who was unrepresented. This was an investor who has purchased 18 homes and had her own lender, but that lender couldn’t perform and two subsequent lenders failed her, until the last one said we’d have to move the closing to August 15th instead of July 31st. The problem was that my seller was under contract to buy her replace-

ment home on July 31st, and the seller of that home couldn’t postpone the closing because of the contract they had on their replacement home.

So I introduced the out-of-state buyer by phone to Wendy, who said she could meet the deadline — and she did!

Making that possible was the fact that Fairway has every lending function inhouse. She issued disclosures on day 1, got underwriting approval on day 2, sent the Initial Closing Disclosure on day 3, and got the appraisal transferred and a Clear-to-Close on day 7. The loan proceeds were wired on day 7 so we had them for closing at 8 a.m. on day 8.

Thanks, Wendy. You’re amazing!

List With Me & Get Totally Free Local Moving

It has long been my practice — and that of some of my broker associates — that if you hire me to list your current home and to purchase your replacement home, I will not only reduce my commission for selling your current home but provide totally free local moving using our company moving truck (similar to a large U-Haul) and our own moving personnel. We also provide free moving boxes and packing paper/bubble wrap.

using traditional moving companies, you know that our totally free moving can save you thousands of dollars, even for a move within the metro area.

ties or CDs which could well provide enough monthly income to compensate for paying rent. A quick calculation can tell you whether your money will in fact outlive you, when that invested income is added to your Social Security and other income. That was the calculation that Rita and I made.

The question then arises, where can I rent an apartment that suits my needs? Should I go into a 55+ “independent living” complex or a regular rental?

A 55+ community may suit you, especially if you’re a widow or widower or otherwise single, because it can provide much-wanted companionship with its many activities. Some such communities offer “continuous care,” meaning that if you suffer a health setback, you can switch to assisted living, nursing home care and or even memory care without having to move to another com-

munity. I recommend Jenn Gomer from CarePatrol, 720-675-8308, who will interview you about your needs and wants and help you find the right 55+ community for you. She found the complex that Rita and I selected, although we have since moved to a regular rental closer to my office. You pay nothing for her services. She is compensated by the community which you end up choosing,

Are Real Estate Agents Overpaid?

Here’s some data cited by Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman at a conference last week:

Seventy-seven percent of agents haven’t made a sale this year, slightly worse than the 70 percent average seen in previous years. Of the agents who do make a sale, more than half earn less than $50,000 a year, and nearly a fourth make $100,000. More than a third of agents have to work a second job just to be able to stay in real estate. (from Inman News)

Trusts Are Another Tool for Leaving Home to Heirs

On July 25th, I wrote about title issues, especially when it relates to leaving a home to your heirs. With input from attorney Dan McKenzie, I wrote about the use of beneficiary deeds and life estates.

A reader asked, “what about trusts?” So I asked Dan to address that topic, and he sent me the following:

Trusts offer several advantages over beneficiary deeds and life estates. Like those two options, a properly funded trust avoids probate. Unlike those two options, however, it also allows your chosen trustee to step in and manage the property during an incapacity event, which is a more significant risk than death at any point in your life. Also, trusts allow you to control things over a few steps and can include instructions on handling things during the various phases of occupancy.

For example, if I want to leave a house to my two kids at my death, I could do that with a beneficiary deed, and that would avoid probate. However, the two kids would become equal co-owners, with no obligation to

each other or any way to resolve disputes about the property. If the property is passed to them through a trust, you can specify as many details as you want in the trust agreement about who is in charge: how costs will be split, decisions will be made, disputes will be resolved, etc.

Similarly, a trust can allow someone to live in the house for some time but ultimately direct where that house goes after a particular event. This is very common when one spouse brings a house into a second marriage. The spouse who does not have an ownership interest often wants assurance that they can stay in the house if they survive the house's owner. But the house's owner wants assurance that, ultimately, this significant asset will pass to their kids, not their step-kids.

A trust can include all the instructions about handling that, such as who is responsible for the maintenance, upkeep, insurance, and taxes during the surviving spouse's occupancy. A life estate doesn't give you a way to provide so much instruction.

Just pack and unpack. We will even pick up your flattened boxes and packing materials after you unpack!

If you have ever priced moving costs

I bought our first moving truck in 2004. We replaced it with a newer truck (above) in 2016. I calculate that we’ve saved clients hundreds of thousands of dollars in moving costs over the years.

Car enthusiasts talk about illegal street racing after Bandimere’s closure

BY VICTORIA CALTON

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

It’s Saturday night on southbound Interstate 25 near Castle Rock.

Cars rip through the lanes as drivers build adrenaline for a midnight car meet. A light blue Audi cuts diagonally from the right lane into the far left one. Two white Type R Hondas tail the Audi so close that all three of their taillights merge into a single stream. At about 9 p.m., the cars pull into abandoned parking lots and ll them with the sounds of grumbling engines and spooling turbochargers. ere, car enthusiasts socialize about what is hidden under the hood and who they want to roll race in Mexico.

Police roll through the lot, ashing their red and blue lights to signal the high risks of speeding in the streets.

ese night scene car enthusiasts, for the most part, shrug it o and make their way back onto the streets, pushing their modi ed cars to the limit. Money, pride and winning fuel their passion to race.

Colorado State Trooper Cody Crowder said the streets are the wrong place for these gatherings.

“Speed is still among the top contributing factors to fatal crashes within our state,” Crowder said. “We have also noticed a rise in rearms-related charges associated with the street racers, including multiple shootings occurring during these races and roadway closures.”

After police o cers arrive, these enthusiasts quickly roll out to a new

meet-up location, launching their vehicles from the on ramp back onto I-25. Some chase after each other through pockets in tra c. Others block the lanes by ashing their hazards. Once the highway ahead appears clear, the street racers send a signal ashing their hazards or honking their horns three times. Within seconds, they’re o — foot to the oor, feeling the force of being slammed into their seat.

e night car scene in the Front Range is growing in popularity as the

number of drag strips within the metro area drops to zero. Many people who love the rush of speeding down a quarter-mile straight lane used to take their cars to Bandimere Speedway in Morrison.

But following Bandimere Speedway’s 65th anniversary in 2023, the family announced the track’s closure, creating a void for racers who called the track home and the police o cers who used to encourage street races to take their cars to the track. Last Octo-

ber, Bandimere Speedway hosted its nal Test and Tune event. Supercars, muscle cars, European and Japanese imports, professional dragsters and even family sedans completed their last passes at Bandimere’s under Mountain.

Police records from the Report Illegal Colorado Street Racing website — which is run by six city and district attorney’s o ces, six county sheri ’s

The hand of Debbie Bandimere as she packs up old photos and stories about Bandimere Speedway in preparation for their move to a new track location in April.

PHOTO BY JANE THOMPSON / CU NEWS CORPS

This summer, take simple steps for better air

It’s another hot, sunny, bluesky day in Denver. The air is still and looks clear! Despite the beautiful day, you may feel irritation in your throat or a tightness in your chest while out walking the dog, at the park, riding your bike, or on an afternoon run. Your asthma may also be acting up.

This is likely the impact of ground-level ozone: the Front Range’s most pressing air quality problem each summer. We can’t see or smell it, but this pollutant accumulates the most on hot and sunny blue-sky days, reaching its highest levels in the afternoons and evenings.

While ozone serves an important purpose high up in the atmosphere — protecting us from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation — at ground level, high concentrations of ozone are unhealthy. Ozone makes it difficult to breathe, increases our susceptibility to respiratory infections, and exacerbates respiratory ailments such as asthma.

High ozone levels affect all of us. Even if you are healthy, ozone can impact the cells in your lungs during and after exposure, like

sunburn, and repeated exposure over time can lead to reduced lung function. The people at higher risk of exposure or more sensitive to this air pollution include the elderly, those with respiratory conditions, outdoor workers, outdoor athletes, and especially children, whose lungs are still developing.

Where does this air pollution come from? Ground-level ozone is not directly emitted from any source. It forms in the air when two chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), react in the sunshine and heat of summer days. These chemicals are called ozone precursors, and they are released into the air from emissions made by our gaspowered vehicles, gas-powered lawn equipment, and oil and gas production across the Front Range.

Both colorless and odorless, ozone is different than wildfire smoke, tiny particulate matter called PM2.5 or PM10, and the visible Denver “brown cloud” of years past. However, ozone can combine with other air quality issues, and is sometimes referred to as “smog.”

errands, or taking the bus or the light rail to get where you need to go. Don’t forget: youth ride for free on RTD! For shorter distances, leave the car at home and walk, ride a scooter, or your bike or e-bike.

Fuel up your car after 5 p.m. to avoid releasing emissions during the heat of the day. Skip idling your car: instead, roll down the windows and turn off the engine while waiting in parking lots or lines. Consider a low- or zeroemissions vehicle, like an electric vehicle (EV), when it’s time to purchase a new vehicle.

While air quality in the region has greatly improved in the past half century, ozone remains a pressing issue to our health and environment. But as our gas-powered vehicles and gas-powered lawn equipment contribute to its formation, we all have the power to reduce ground-level ozone in the Front Range each summer!

First, sign up for ozone alerts. Visit SimpleStepsBetterAir.org to sign up for emails or text “BetterAirCO” to 21000 to receive air quality alerts on your phone. When the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) forecasts a high ozone day, the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) will send you a timely text or email to let you know.

On high ozone days, protect your health by avoiding outdoor exercise or heavy exertion between noon and 8 p.m. Still want to get outside? Plan ahead and spend time outside in the morning, or later in the evening, when ozone levels will be lower.

Second, reduce your emissions! Take some Simple Steps for Better Air: Skip two car trips per week by carpooling, combining

Mow the lawn after 5 p.m. if you still use gas-powered equipment. Even better, upgrade your old gas lawn mower, trimmer, or leaf blower to a new electric one with a 30% state discount at participating retailers this year!

And if your job can be done remotely, work from home at least one day a week and eliminate your commute altogether.

Taking these timely, simple steps in the summer improves our Front Range air quality, our health, and our ability to enjoy the outdoors! Visit SimpleStepsBetterAir.org for more information about how to reduce your ozone impact this summer and help your community breathe easier.

RACING

o ces and 26 police departments in Colorado, including the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Information Analysis Center — show that statewide, from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, there were 325 complaints from Colorado residents alleging illegal street racing.

at’s 73 less than the year before, in 2022, when 398 complaints were led about street racing. Although the overall reports of street racing in Colorado decreased, the number of reports in cities connected to the winding stretch of I-25, including Castle Rock and Colorado Springs, saw an increase.

Legacy of Thunder Mountain

In 1958, John Bandimere Sr. purchased land in Morrison, where he and his family planned to carve a drag strip out of the side of a mountain. For 65 years, the strip was lled with smiling spectators as they watched ashy muscle cars, colorful funny cars, unique imports and stockbody family sedans and SUVs line up in the eight staging lanes preparing to race their vehicles.

Car enthusiasts could not get enough of shrieking tires, burning rubber and the echo of roaring engines bouncing o the mountain rivaling the sound of thunder.

“We would go almost every weekend because it’s so cheap and super, super fun,” said Caden Ellerington, director of the CU Car Club in Boulder. “It’s fun because (I) can bring whatever car I drive to school and go racing.”

Most members of the CU Car Club are current students and alumni of the University of Colorado Boulder, but the club is open to all car enthusiasts who want a fun, safe place to enjoy car culture. Despite the name, CU Car Club, the group is not a liated with the University of Colorado. Ellerington grew up in a car family that restored classic cars and motorcycles, went on trips o -roading their vehicles and racing their daily drivers and sports cars at Bandimere. Last summer, Ellerington started inviting members of the CU Car Club to Test and Tune Nights at the speedway to share the excitement of racing at the track before its closure. His biggest regret was not going to the track sooner and more frequently before the announcement.

“I think that the reason why street racing is so popular is because we’re all cheap,” Ellerington said. “We don’t have any money.”

ere are other drag strips in Colorado, but none are close to the metro area. Pueblo Motorsports Park and Julesburg Dragstrip are a long haul away. e money for gas to get to PMP, and another charge on racing fuel, can cost about $114, including racer entry fees, putting it out of reach for many metro-area drivers.

Nightlife: Colorado car culture

Lamborghini Huracans and Dark Horse Mustangs are rare. at’s because most street racers pick low pro le vehicles with a supercharger that is easy to tune.

“It’s not just turning your carburetor and putting the bolt-on (aftermarket performance parts) that you bought in a magazine anymore. It’s a lot of going through the computer,” said Ellerington.

With many modern vehicles, modifying your car to increase horsepower is a plug and play process. Data mapping is done through tuning companies that have crafted speci c programs to train a car’s electronic control unit into producing the most power with or without

the installation of performance parts.

“I’m so intrigued by them and just their intelligence, and their knowledge as technology has changed,” said John “Sporty” Bandimere III, a professional drag racer and executive team member at Bandimere Speedway.

For example, a blacked-out Cadillac street raced fellow enthusiasts

a quarter mile at a time from Colorado Springs to a new meet location closer to the Denver area. e car was quick from a rolling start, but if needed, it could blend into tra c even quicker when passing speed traps on the highway.

John Bandimere Jr., owner of Bandimere Speedway, prepares for a meeting in April.

PHOTOS BY JANE THOMPSON / CU NEWS CORPS

Caden Ellerington stands next to his car at a Louisville car meet.

RACING

“ e adrenaline for me… just trying to get that adrenaline rush again,” said Raymond J., a night scene car enthusiast who drives a 2014 Chevrolet SS. “Racing is like one of the closest things to it.”

Younger car enthusiasts who experiment with the night scene gravitate towards German or Japanese imports because of the speed, they’re easy to work on and quick on the street. Many of the enthusiasts wished to remain anonymous, but were willing to go by their nicknames.

“Rest in peace Bandimere, we need another race track, a better one,” said D Boost.

Some street racers preferred Street Car Takeover events at Bandimere Speedway where they could do what’s called roll racing, rather than begin from a dead stop as seen in traditional drag racing. PMP and Pikes Peak In-

ternational Raceway host roll racing events, but many street racers prefer a nearby highway rather than traveling to Pueblo or Fountain for a few passes at a crowded track.

“If you’re doing it on the highway, in Mexico, you’re doing it at like 60 miles an hour, and then somebody counts down to three… you’re basically going like 60 to 160, so it’s a little bit of an adrenaline rush,” Raymond said.

Raymond described how the culture has changed as more enthusiasts are interested in producing the most horsepower possible in their vehicles, rather than racing or joining nightlife activities for the thrill of it. Winning and making money o the nightlife has become more of a regular practice than when Raymond rst got into the night scene.

“ ere’s more of a stigma around that, especially with street racing...People are idiots and cars are dangerous,” Ellerington said. “ ere’s de nitely a di erence between the day-time (car meets) and the nighttime ones.”

Day scene: Colorado car culture

e Bandimere family cared about fostering a community-driven track where spectators and drivers could enjoy the speed in a controlled and safe environment. e Bandimeres hosted programs to educate young drivers about the dangers of being behind the wheel, as well as providing them with a track where they can reach high speeds in the manner of seconds.

“ e automobile is the most deadly weapon you can own,” Sporty Bandimere said.

Rather than trying to outlaw racing or bog down the youth with hefty nes, the Bandimere family worked to provide the public with a place to race and enjoy the car scene. Take it to the Track: Test and Tune Nights, with the assistance of the Colorado State Patrol, created a space for the public to race.

Debbie Bandimere, the Nitro Knockouts crew chief, found it benecial to host these weekly Wednesday

night race days so people would not take their need for speed to the streets.

“We got ahold of the Colorado State Patrol and said, ‘hey do you want to partner with us, and we can create this Take it to the Track program … where we can try and keep the kids o the street,’” she said.

Colorado State Troopers were provided with $5 o coupons for Test and Tune Nights at Bandimere Speedway to give to teens who were stopped because of speeding. State Troopers promoted a safe and controlled environment where people, especially youth, could race their cars rather than having to pay hefty nes for speeding on the highway.

“I’m extremely hopeful they will open again. I think Colorado needs that, especially, the metro area really needs a drag strip,” Ellerington said. is story was created by students at the University of Colorado-Boulder’s News Corps. Colorado Community Media participated in the process that helped bring this story to light.

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GRANT

trict held an informational meeting about the grant, bond, and hopes for the future. Superintendent Travis Hargreaves led the meeting with a short presentation and Bino’s Pizza provided pizza and salad.

Before the meeting started, Kiowa community members socialized and children roamed and played in the gym. Around 50 people showed up in total.

Hargreaves is optimistic Kiowa can build a safe and modern school for kids with the BEST Grant money but acknowledged the district is merely at the starting line of the entire process. He said the district is looking at a monumental opportunity.

He explained that the grant application has been three years in the making and acknowledged the team behind it all. Hargreaves anticipated that passing the bond would continue to be a team e ort.

Kiowa Schools has used a series of smaller grants to x de ciencies in school infrastructure but Hargreaves said it hasn’t been enough. He specied a few concerns about the current school buildings, such as proximity to the highway and being located in a ood zone. “Safety of students is utmost for us,” Hargreaves said.

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Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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Hargreaves shared about issues with water leaks, ooding, and ood damage in the past. Teachers and administrators were in a meeting during a rainstorm and ended up using trash cans to catch the water leaking in. e proposed new location would not be in a ood plain.

How numbers pan out

e estimated tax burden per $100,000 in residential home value works out to about $8 per month, or $100 per year. Hargreaves anticipates the tax burden would be spread out and shared more as homes are added to the Kiowa School District.

A property tax calculator to estimate how much property owners would pay for a bond will be available this month. “We want nothing more than to be accurate and transparent,” Hargreaves said. e district will be gathering community feedback and sending out surveys. “ is is a family out here and we want to apply your feedback,” Hargreaves said.

Laura Smith, co-chair of the “Yes for Kiowa Kids’’ campaign along with Sarah Knight, also spoke at the meeting. Smith joined the bond committee last

fall. “ is upcoming school year will be my family’s ninth in the district. I have one in elementary school, two in middle school, and one in high school,” Smith shared.

Smith feels a new school will bene t students and teachers, along with Kiowa at large by increasing home values, boosting community morale, providing facilities for community-wide use and boosting the local economy.

“I would love to see our community bene t from a new school campus. I have seen the de ciencies in our current location over the years, but working on the campaign last fall was eye-opening,” she went on. “Kiowa’s students, teachers, and sta deserve so much better, and this year we have a real opportunity to take advantage of grant funds that will pay for 80% of the cost to build the new campus, thanks to our BEST Grant award in May 2024.”

Questions after the presentation covered a lot of ground, including potential for growth, contingency plans for increased costs, and athletic elds.

Rick Kolm, Kiowa mayor and former teacher, recalled helping to personally raise money for school additions. Kolm warned that informing the community will be a group e ort. “It’s gonna take every one of us to tell people,” he said. “ ere will be naysayers, but this school is for the kids.”

“ e school is the center of everything that goes on in this town,” Kolm added. He acknowledged that the bond might be a tough sell for some but ex-

horted the community to give Kiowa kids a facility to help them shine.

Previous votes fell short

Just last November Kiowa voted down ballot measure 4A, to raise taxes to support Kiowa Schools. One community member said she felt the bond didn’t pass because there is a fear the school district will continue to ask for more money. Another tax-hike vote failed in 2022.

Hargreaves and the school district are hoping for a di erent outcome this fall since the BEST Grant funds have been awarded. e 2023 campaign “was an uphill battle because we had such a late start and the grant funds were not secured yet — not to mention that it was an o -year for elections, so voter turnout was less than usual,” Smith said. “We feel much more hopeful this year and we have a great team of people ready to help us pass our bond.” Since 2008 BEST has awarded over $3 billion in grants to more than 600 Colorado schools. For more information about BEST Grants, visit cde.state. co.us/capitalconstruction/best. Speci c information on how matching funds are calculated can be found here tinyurl.com/5c25d94f.

For more information on Kiowa Schools, visit kiowaschool.org. To read about the grant awarded to Kiowa Schools, visit tinyurl.com/2vhp9zds. Yes For Kiowa Kids can be found online at yesforkiowakids.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/yesforkiowakids.

A public informational meeting to find out more about the BEST Grant funds awarded to Kiowa Schools was held at Kiowa High School on July 10. PHOTO BY NICKY QUINBY

New motorcycle law allows for riding between lanes

But only when tra c is stopped

BY JUSTIN GEORGE THE COLORADO SUN

A Colorado law that went into effect Aug. 7 will allow motorcycles to ride between lanes past cars — but only if tra c has stopped. Riders must make sure lanes are wide enough to allow them to pass safely, and they are limited to 15 mph when overtaking stopped cars.

Motorcycles cannot pass using the right shoulder, and they cannot move in the opposite direction of tra c in the lanes.

e new rule aims to reduce congestion by allowing riders to move up at stop lights and during tra c jams, while decreasing the chance for motorcycles to get rear-ended.

California and Utah are among states that allow motorcycles to ride between lanes under some circumstances. e American Motorcyclist Association endorses the practice, saying it gives motorcyclists an “escape route” from being rear-ended. An Oregon transportation study

Dan Townsend has been riding motorcycles for roughly three decades. A new Colorado law will allow motorcyclists to ride between lanes past cars when tra c is stopped.

found it also prevents air-cooled engines from overheating by keeping motorbikes in motion. 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. e Colorado Sun partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-size fact-checks of trending claims.

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Let’s come together to celebrate the beauty that our local communities have to o er.

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Lace up your shoes, and after you hit the path, share your story with Colorado Community Media. We will be publishing your fan letters in our local papers.

Silverdale Trailhead

Three Sisters Trail

Signature Elbert County event highlights the best of Western life

BY NICKY QUINBY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

“How the West Was Grown” was the theme of last week’s Elbert County Fair. e free fair at the fairgrounds in Kiowa was back for its 90th year as the county also celebrated its 150th birthday, or sesquicentennial.

e 4-H Dog Show kicked o the nine-day fair on the sunny morning of Saturday, July 27, followed by the Mountain States Highland Cattle Association Highland Cattle Show in the Horse Pavilion and Team Roping in the Main Arena. e sold-out Centennial Farm and Ranches Banquet — part of this year’s sesquicentennial celebrations — and live music from the Walker Williams Band took place that evening.

Tammi Schneider, president of the Elbert County Fair Board, spoke about how this year was uniquely notable. “It’s just special, celebrating our Western heritage and showcasing our rural way of life,” she shared. “Many people will tell you that the fair is the best week of the summer,” Schneider added. “ e objective of the Elbert County Fair is to showcase our rich and rural heritage, highlight livestock production, consumer science, and business enterprise in

Fair not middlin’

Elbert County. We partner closely with the county Extension o ce and focus on putting on an event that serves the county to bring fun and entertainment to our area.”

e week had almost back-to-back events, with Breeding Showcases, Gymkhana, livestock showing and more. e Kiddie Corral, the 4-H Youth Council dance, the Bulls, Broncs, and Buckaroos Rodeo, and a concert put on by the Bellamy Brothers were all scheduled for the end of the week, after press time. Sunday, Aug. 4, was the last day of fair week and included a parade, ever-popular Mutton Bustin’, and the Cruisers Car show on the new and improved parking lot.

“Our goal is always to have an exciting venue highlighting our Western culture that showcases the 4-H and FFA youth by providing them with an appropriate place to exhibit their accomplishments in agriculture, STEM, and all projects they work so hard on all year long,” Schneider added.

e Elbert County Historical Society shared that during the early years of the Elbert County Fair, the “singleday fair was held at Elbert with most of the activities taking place east of town along the ats adjacent to Kiowa Creek.”

Train fares were discounted for the day and people from Denver and Colorado Springs rode the train to Elbert for the day. In the 1920s the county fair was moved to Matheson, where the fairgrounds included a

race track and grandstands, and in the 1930s the fair nally moved to Kiowa.

For more information about the Elbert County Fair, visit elbertcountyfair.com.

PHOTOS BY NICKY QUINBY

A girl shows her Highland steer during the Mountain States Highland Cattle Show on Saturday morning, July 27.

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County Fair wraps up

Carolyn Lantz, owner of Equator’s Edge Wildlife Center, turned to a row of caged animals and pulled out an Australian python.

“ ey’re animals you don’t get a chance to see every day,” Lantz said of the creatures she shows. ey’re from south of the equator, including an albino wallaby.

Hers was one of the booths on display at the annual Douglas County Fair and Rodeo in Castle Rock, which ran through Aug. 4 this year.

e fair is a summer tradition that brings a carnival, rodeo events, live music, food vendors, an artisan marketplace and a petting zoo.

Also included are agricultural events, like a goat show and a junior livestock sale. ere’s also a pie eating contest and a barn dance.

At the wildlife booth, Caden Szymanowski, 18, said Lantz is starting a wildlife center in the nearby Elizabeth area in Elbert County because “we have a big ranch.” What’s essentially a “mobile zoo” is what Lantz takes to county fairs, and she’s traveled the country with her animals, Szymanowski said. Lantz wants people to have an opportunity to see animals “up close and personal,” she said.

SHOWCASE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24TH 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24TH

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

See a variety of helicopters up close and learn how they fly!

Carolyn Lantz, owner of Equator’s Edge Wildlife Center, holds up Tula, a woma python, on July 31 at the annual Douglas County Fair in Castle Rock.

PHOTOS BY ELLIS ARNOLD

Tiny Town: A little time capsule of Denver’s past

A miniature post o ce, library, movie theater — along with a very little newspaper, the Tiny Town Tribune — bring childlike wonder to all

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Colorado may not look much like it did in 1915, but on one shady creekside grove in the Denver foothills, replicas of the Centennial State’s bygone landmarks pay tribute to what once was.

Tucked along an unassuming highway exit o US 285, Tiny Town has survived the test of time. Whether by luck, dedication or sheer willpower, the family-friendly outpost harkens back to a simpler time — one of the mountainside mines, universally beloved attractions, a miniature train that travels a circuit around the park, and $5 outings.

e park has had its share of rough patches. Floods, res and nancial turmoil have nearly spelled the end for the beloved roadside stop, but each time, those who love Tiny Town — of whom there are many — have found a way to keep the park alive. “It will always be here for kids,” Park Manager Elvira Nedoma said.

“Always.”

How Tiny Town began e story of Tiny Town begins with George Turner. e founder of a moving company in Denver, Turner bought his family a vacation home just outside the plot of land that Tiny Town occupies today.

In 1915, Turner’s 10-year-old daughter became gravely ill. As she was unable to withstand the pollutants of the outside world, Turner sought to bring the world to his ailing daughter.

At the time, shipping companies relied on wooden crates to transport goods. When Turner and his workers were idle, they would pass the time painting the crates to look like miniature houses and structures. It is from this pastime that Tiny Town was born.

Originally a small collection of a few miniature buildings — some of Turner’s original houses can still be found at Tiny Town, and are housed in an area of the park known as ‘Turnerville’ — the park has grown into a sprawling collection of more than 150 replicas.

e Arvada Flour Mill, Bent’s Old Fort, White Fence Farm, Meyer Hardware and Robbins Flour Shop are just a few of the many notable Colorado landmarks that dot the park’s landscape.

Turner sold the park in 1927, shortly after his daughter succumbed to her illness. It was purchased by a

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man named John Ross, who proclaimed in his will that “Tiny Town is never to be sold; it’s here for the children.” e park has stayed in the Ross family for four generations and isn’t likely to change hands anytime soon.

Seasonal workers and volunteers

Maintenance at the park is undertaken by a loosely organized bunch of seasonal workers — Tiny Town is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day — and a handful of volunteers. Nedoma said all the miniatures are donated, and the folks who donate them are supposed to help with the upkeep, though many simply don’t.

“( e person who donates the miniature is) supposed to maintain them, but they get maintained for two years, and I never see (the person) again,” Nedoma said. “So, I’m stuck with all these houses, you know? I don’t know about people sometimes. If you built something, you think you’d want to maintain it.”

Nedoma — a welcoming presence draped in gold and black jewelry who spends most of her time manning Tiny Town’s concession stand, her sharp blue eyes beaming when little ones shyly request a serving of ice cream — personally oversees the maintenance of the park where she has worked for the past 25 years. Initially drawn in after seeing houses with aging coats of paint, Nedoma said she lives nearby and couldn’t sit idle and allow the park to fall into disrepair. She started out as the park’s rst-ever female engineer and transitioned to running the concessions and overseeing the park’s general comings and goings three years ago.

“You know the guys; they want to play train all the time,” Nedoma said. “ ey don’t want to x the houses. e houses were getting icky, and I started with painting the caboose. en I put the paintbrush down (to become park manager).”

Nedoma doesn’t seem interested in considering Tiny Town’s place among its fallen comrades in the Denver metro area. She thinks Lakeside and Elitch Gardens cost too much and don’t o er the entertainment value they once did.

In that regard, Tiny Town stands alone — where else can you spend a day with the family for $5 a person? e concession stand’s prices harken back to a time before in ation made the cost of dining out untenable for most. In many ways, Tiny Town is a portal to a simpler time, while also being an ethereal oasis unto itself.

“It is magical for the kids,” Nedoma said. “Half of them cry when they have to leave. All (kids) need is a train ride and ice cream and they’re happy. It’s magical for me to come

O ce of the world’s teeniest, tiniest newspaper: The Tiny Town Tribune.

Tiny Town Park Manager Elvira Nedoma at the park’s concession stand, which she runs. PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN

here every day. Not one day has been the same.”

The Tiny Town train

Tiny Town’s train is perhaps its best-known attraction. Running seven days a week — with a real coal engine on weekends — the miniature Royal Gorge locomotive is manned by volunteer engineer Brent “Bigfoot” Ohlson, who calls the gig “the best job I ever had.”

“And it’s volunteer work, so there’s no money to screw it up,” Ohlson said through a thick white beard that encircles the majority of his face.

Trains run on their own time — they depart when there are enough folks in line.

“We’re not very punctual in this small town,” Ohlson said. “It’s kinda got that countryside laidbackness.”

e park is now old enough that when three-generation families visit, they all bring their own unique Tiny Town memories.

Nedoma said people who visited the Tiny Town as children now bring their own children or grandchildren.

“I mean, it’s so memorable,” Nedoma said. “ ere isn’t any place like this.”

e park isn’t winding down anytime soon, either. In 2011, a man came forward and said he had a collection of original George Turner miniature houses and wanted to donate them to the park.

Nedoma and her team determined that the miniatures were authentic; they belonged to the original set George Turner built for his daughter. After being refurbished, the houses were added to the Turnerville row.

Family-friendly prices

As for the price of entry, Nedoma said the park remains nancially

solvent thanks to the sheer volume of visitors it gets, and has no plans to raise the admission cost anytime soon.

“ at’s what (Tiny Town) was meant to do,” Nedoma said. “So that everyone can enjoy the park. It’s hard to believe (that we can keep the prices so low). But we are busy.”

Even on a day when the Quarry Fire decimated the nearby landscape and lled the air with smoke and particulates, youngsters and their families admired all corners of the park, from the train loop to the playground at the end of the rows of miniatures.

ere were no children crying, no adults scolding. Just pure joy and happiness all around, secured by a train ride, an ice cream cone and a miniature world full of wonder and imagination.

While Lakeside and Elitch Gardens struggle to stay sta ed and close handfuls of rides every summer, Heritage Square is a fading memory, and Meow Wolf charges 10 times Tiny Town’s entry fee for an out-of-this-world sensory overload, the small park outside Morrison might just be the most quintessentially “Colorado” attraction the area has left.

Nedoma, Ohlson, and the rest of the Tiny Town team will continue spending their summers ensuring that it stays that way.

The workshop where little locomotives sleep, and small houses get renovated.

A “Save Tiny Town” sign instructs young folks to treat the miniatures with care.

PHOTOS

The climb, the journey, the dream

On a crisp, clear morning in a small village nestled at the foot of a grand mountain, a young person stood gazing up at the towering peak. eir eyes sparkled with wonder and ambition. e mountain, majestic and imposing, seemed to whisper promises of adventure, challenge, and triumph. A young person imagined themselves scaling its rocky face, reaching its snowcapped summit, and standing tall against the vast sky. To them, the mountain was more than just a physical entity; it symbolized all the dreams and goals they hoped to achieve in life.

WINNING

ey dreamed of becoming a renowned explorer, a person of wisdom and courage who would travel the world and uncover its hidden secrets. ey imagined the mountain as the rst of many they would climb, each representing di erent aspirations: the knowledge they would gain, the skills they would master, and the character they would build. eir heart swelled with anticipation as they pictured themselves standing atop various peaks, looking out over horizons of endless possibilities.

Years later, a gure stood at the summit of that very mountain. eir hair was streaked with gray, their face weathered by time and experience. It was that same young person, now a grown adult, who had indeed climbed many mountains in their life, both literal and metaphorical. ey looked down at the village below, where they had once stood as a young child, full of dreams and ambition. e journey from that day to this had been long and arduous, filled with trials, triumphs, and lessons learned. They remembered the early days of the climb, the initial excitement mixed with the daunting realization of the challenges ahead. They recalled the steep inclines that tested their endurance and the rocky terrains that required careful navigation. There were times when the path was clear, and progress was swift, but there were also moments of doubt when the way forward seemed obscured by

fog and uncertainty.

Along the way, they encountered many fellow climbers. Some became lifelong friends, sharing the journey, o ering support during the toughest stretches, and celebrating the victories together. ey also met those who chose di erent paths or gave up on the climb altogether, reminding them of the importance of resilience and the courage to keep moving forward.

Standing there, they understood that life is a continuum of experiences. Some, like their younger self, stand at the base of their mountains, lled with dreams and aspirations. ey look up, hopeful and determined, ready to embark on their journeys. Others are in the midst of their climb, navigating the ups and downs, enduring the grind, and pushing through challenges with grit and perseverance. en there are those who, like our young dreamer now, have reached their summits and look back on their paths with gratitude and re ection, appreciating both the struggles and the triumphs that have de ned their journeys.

Each stage is vital and valuable. e dreams at the base inspire us to

Frontier of life

Good friends and neighbors from a 40-year past love to remind me of a comment I made after we had gotten buried under several feet of snow.

“Nature put it there, and nature can take it away,” I said before hunkering down to watch college bowl games long forgotten.

I laugh too about that moment in time. For me, it was a good one. A holiday break from school, nestled in a snug, warm house and healthy as could be. But in fact, that moment was an anomaly, antithetical to my life ethos. I wasn’t a hunkerdowner. Whether gamboling in the woods, engaging in snowball ghts or playing ball on dirt elds,  from

begin our journeys. e challenges in the middle teach us resilience and fortitude. e re ections from the summit o er wisdom and perspective. e only true failure, our dreamer thought, is to look up at the mountain and then walk away, abandoning one’s dreams and goals out of fear or doubt.

Ultimately, life’s mountains are not just about reaching the top. ey are about the courage to start, the perseverance to continue, and the wisdom to appreciate the journey. Whether we are at the base, the middle, or the summit, we are all part of this beautiful continuum, each step a testament to our dreams, our e orts, and our triumphs. I would love to hear the story of your climb at gotonorton@ gmail.com, and when we can look back on our own climb with pride and gratitude, it really will be a better than good life.

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.

the days of my youth, other than when in school or absorbed in a book, life was “out there.”  Wherever there was. And it still is.

Out-there versus in-here is more than about a physical place; it’s a psychological and sociological construct. e notion transcends a person’s immediate situation and speaks to their larger life perspective as well as their view of others, from individuals and groups to the world. Out-there versus in-here gets

at their attitude towards beliefs, lifestyles and viewpoints di erent from and perhaps opposed to their own. It tells of how they live their life: maximumly in an expansive, risk-taking manner or minimally behind or within a protective shield.

Sadly, the in-here approach to life has gained a foothold in our political life and strife. It’s not only depressing and disconcerting, it’s contrary to a key element of the American spirit that is captured in a single word: Frontier.

In 1893, historian Fredrick Jackson Turner promulgated a new theory about America. His idea was the frontier being the driving force in shaping and building America.

While he meant it in context of the literal frontier, the land brutally wrested away from the Indigenous peoples through decades of ethnic cleansing, Turner also hypothesized about the role the frontier played in shaping the American character. Over time, as he took in a more macroscopic view of the American experience, Turner abandoned his theory. He came to see America for the stark reality it is. Rather than an unadulterated mass, the country was and remains a conglomeration of disparate sections. Each region, with its climate and land formations in conjunction with it being popu-

JERRY FABYANIC Columnist

FABYANIC

lated by disparate ethnic groups with unique customs, mores, and economies, was and is like a land unto itself. Collectively, they—we— formed and form what Jackson posited in 1922: a version of a United States of Europe.

But Jackson’s original thesis refused to die, and it became ingrained into the American psyche and mythology over the ensuing century. Hollywood captured and promoted it through movies about the Old West, with heroic, hardy pioneers championed and protected by a rugged male individual. e theme

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Choose Thomas over Teal

Electing Angela omas as the Douglas County commissioner for District 2 will bring a welcome change to our board of county commissioners. George Teal has not earned your reelection vote.

song from the TV western Paladin extolled him as “a knight without armor in a savage land.”President John F. Kennedy called his visionary program for America the New Frontier, and one cowboy actor, Ronald Reagan, spoke about the “conquest of new frontiers” when president.

“In the future, as in the past, our freedom, independence and national well-being will be tied to new achievements, new discoveries and pushing back new frontiers.”

We can debate the validity of the role of the frontier or the degree it played in shaping we Americans, but there’s no denying the idea being infused into our mythology. Like all mythology however, it doesn’t matter if it’s factually true. What matters is that people believe in a

myth’s larger meaning, whether it be the Resurrection, American Exceptionalism or being a Chosen People. What’s also true about myths is that they become infused not only into a peoples’ collective belief system — culture — but also within followers’ and believers’ personal identity.

Transparency, scal responsibility, and good governance for all the people of Douglas County will be a breath of fresh air. Angela omas will ensure citizens have ample time to evaluate and comment on the board’s proposed actions. With no notice at the July 18 board meeting, the board considered a $250,000 “study” to see if a large recreational complex would t into the Wildcat Ridge neighborhood park. I can save the county $250K by pointing out that roads in the area are unsuitable, and there are no existing hotels and restaurants to serve sports tournaments. Surely, there is other unincorporated land that is more suitable.

Angela is passionate about scal responsibility. Mr. Teal and Mr. Laydon, voting together on scal matters, gave money ($200K) to the Douglas County Community Foundation without a plan for that money’s use. Another waste of taxpayer money? e $85,000 expense of mailing a tax refund announcement on postcards is a campaign ad for Mr. Teal’s reelection bid.

It’s time to elect a natural leader for Douglas County who will support all of Douglas County and prioritize their needs over her own.

e Nov. 5 ballot determines the future of ethical leadership in Douglas County. Choose good gov-

ernance. Choose Angela omas, a candidate who embodies the values of transparency, scal responsibility, and service to the people.

Katie Barrett Castle Rock

To the point

Hate is easy. Love takes courage.

Becca

Jay

Roxborough

Parker parking plan problematic

I realize parking in downtown Parker is an issue especially during special events, but is adding 41 more spots worth the cost? How much is each of these new 41 spots costing that doesn’t solve the issues?

Some issues associated with this project appear to be unanswered. Since there are not su cient funds to identify how many spaces are available when drivers are entering garage, I assume there are no funds to support security in this enclosed structure?

During construction what impact will it have on patrons attending events at PACE Center and how far will they have to walk to attend? Does the cost justify adding 41 more parking spaces that really will not solve the problem? Is this sound money management or could this capital outlay be better used elsewhere?

e cost for each new parking space does not sound like a good business decision.

Dave Usechek Parker

Another nondebatable point is the frontier, whether literal or psychological, cannot be — using Reagan’s language — conquered if people hunker down and refuse to be outward- and forward-looking, adaptive, and embracing. at’s because the frontier is out there.

I smilingly recall a comment a skier from the Kansas City area made during a lift ride: “We have a saying that when people retire from there, they go to one of two places: Florida

to die or Colorado to live.” His statement caused me to chuckle despite the fact that we likely had another fan of the hated Kansas City Chiefs in our midst. e reason was twofold. One was that I heartily agreed. e other was that it spoke about his energy and spirit. e man didn’t carry an in-here attitude in his spirit. Rather, he was embracing life by looking forward to engaging with others and experiencing new ventures. And he knew the only place that could be done was not within the enclosure of his personal citadel, but out there, on the frontier of life.

Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.”

A CLEAR MESSAGE

Denver deaf and hearing interpreters explain importance of communication

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Using uid hand gestures, expressive facial expressions and precise body language, sign language interpreters in the Denver metro area facilitate clear communication for individuals uent in American Sign Language.

eir skillful use of visual communication bridges linguistic gaps and enhances accessibility across a wide range of contexts and environments.

“Basically anywhere that a deaf person goes where communication needs to happen and where the ADA protects them from discrimination, I am there,” said Rae Rose, local interpreter and owner of  Rose Sign Language Interpreting.

‘An instrument of fairness’

When Rose was a child she had a conversation with a member of the deaf community that changed her life.

“We were playing and there was a bit of a communication breakdown where she had a great idea but none of us were getting it and this woman, who was studying to be an interpreter came over and…she just interpreted our conversation

and left,” Rose said. “I was like ‘I want to do that.”’

So, Rose became an American Sign Language Interpreter.

It was in college that she interpreted for the rst time and felt she had chosen the right path.

“It was probably two sentences (but) I was like ‘Oh man, oh man,”’ Rose said. “I had put all the pieces together and they had their conversation and I did it and it was nothing to anybody but I was over the moon.”

Rose founded Rose Sign Language in 2009 and it “facilitates communication between people who sign and people who don’t sign.”

Whether at a doctor’s o ce or while riding a pool noodle during a swim lesson, Rose signs in a myriad of environments including medical, education, behavioral and kids sports.

“It takes a lot of creativity and a lot of di erent strategies to make those lessons visually successful but also working with deaf kids I have a lot more options,” Rose said. “I love seeing any of my consumers start at one place and end in a di erent place having achieved a lot. at’s one of the best parts of my job.”

Rose runs the day-to-day operations of her business and helps connect other interpreters with those who need the services.

Colorado native and deaf sign language interpreter Jennifer Salaz with her sister, Victoria Ulibarri, whom she said encouraged her to become an interpreter.

ing excited to have a conversation with each other without…paper,” Salaz said.

In her capacity as a deaf interpreter Salaz said she works directly with deaf students who’ve immigrated from other countries and her work allows “for better access to communication and understanding for these students.”

“It’s my language (and) being able to teach others that have moved from other countries is amazing,” she said. “Watching them nally able to communicate with a language they can use and call their own is very inspiring.”

The right register

Similar to Rose, Salaz also provides interpreting services in medical settings.

“ is is important because sometimes the hearing interpreter uses the wrong register, not serious or too serious depending on the situation, or uses words that the deaf consumer doesn’t understand,” Salaz said.

MESSAGE

“I am a very big-picture person,” Rose said. “So I love seeing all the pieces t together and I love doing it better. I saw some great things as a new member of the eld but I wanted to reproduce and put my own sparkle on it.”

Along with providing interpreting services, Rose said her company is also big on advocacy and education.   “We’re able to provide members of the hearing company a chance to learn ASL from a deaf person,” Rose said. “ is is a deaf person sharing their culture, their birthright.”

For Rose, the aspect of interpreting that intrigued her was “the fairness of it.”

“As a white woman with my allotted amount of privilege, to be able to be an instrument of fairness is worthwhile and to make it easy for as many people and as many organizations as possible to create fairness and create

equity…that’s important,” Rose said.

Filling in the gaps

For Colorado native and deaf sign language interpreter Jennifer Salaz, one of her favorite and most impactful times signing was when she interpreted for a deaf high school student.

Salaz explained as a deaf interpreter she is able to ll in the gaps and expand on things for those whose native language is American Sign Language.

“ e student was having an indepth conversation about a serious (topic),” Salaz said. “ ey were writing back and forth in the previous class with a di erent interpreter because the student didn’t feel comfortable. at wasn’t successful.”

However, after she began interpreting for the two students, Salaz said the conversation was successful for both parties as they could better communicate.

“ ey were able to have a genuine peer-to-peer conversation with the con dence that their information was safe and both walked away feel-

Rose said the way she interprets ASL depends on her consumer. It’s important to ensure they understand what is being said.

“English has its own variations, its own dialects, its own accents. Everybody’s got their own level of uency with English,” Rose said. “Same with ASL or any sign communication.”

As a deaf woman, Salaz said, she herself relies on interpreting services and has experienced misrepresentation “time and time again” including an experience when her daughter was taken away from her because she was “misrepresented by a ‘skilled’ hearing interpreter.”

“All because the interpreter didn’t understand me or their ego was too big to ask for clari cation,” Salaz said. “Because of this, I want to support the deaf community as they do have to experience the same injustices.”

Salaz said her sister encouraged her to become a deaf interpreter and become involved with the community to help prevent similar issues from happening to others.

The future

Salaz said interpreting in general is important for both hearing and deaf people and she describes the deaf community in Colorado as large.

However, Salaz said many members of the deaf community grow up in hearing families and it can be

isolating because of the communication barrier.

“I am one of six kids, and if my sister, who can uently sign, doesn’t attend a family event, I’m lost,” Salaz said. “I feel like most of my deaf friends have the same experience…I explain this because having the community is like having an additional family that shares the same experiences. Being able to share experiences, talk about life and communicate that is key.”  is is something she thinks interpreters need to carry with them as they venture into the world.

“I hope that interpreters would put their egos aside and realize this is about their work and not them,” she said. “ ey are amazing people and the deaf community welcomes them. We just want a clear message to be produced for all of us.”

Rose said she hopes for increased equity and recognition that everyday people can do something to make a di erence.

She encourages hearing people to see interpreters as an awareness that there are deaf people in the same space as them who need to or enjoy frequenting the same environments as them.

“Everywhere that you see an interpreter there maybe just think ‘I didn’t know there were deaf people in my town. Cool. Maybe I should learn a little ASL,”’ Rose said.

Photo

PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

Deaf sign language interpreter Jennifer Salaz signing. Salaz said in her role as an interpreter she ensures her deaf consumers understand exactly what they’re being told in a conversation with a hearing person.

COURTESY OF JENNIFER SALAZ

an annual nancial report in June showing that the pension’s nances deteriorated last year and an independent review released last week that concluded PERA is in far greater danger of becoming insolvent than its own nancial advisors expect.

A draft of the independent review, provided earlier this month to the legislature’s Pension Review Subcommittee, found problems with a number of the assumptions PERA uses to calculate its unfunded debt to retirees, saying the pension’s $27.5 billion funding gap could be as much as 10% higher than PERA believes.

e report, by the Switzerlandbased PNYX Group, recommended the state provide a cash infusion of $2 billion to prevent what it said was a “material risk of reaching a point of

no return” where it would be unable to make its payments to retirees.

Lawmakers, however, balked at the $2 billion price tag, calling it a political nonstarter.

“I don’t think it’s ever going to happen,” said Sen. Chris Kolker, DCentennial, who chairs the subcommittee.

PERA’s advisors on Friday pushed back against the report’s ndings, saying PNYX did not provide enough data to substantiate its claims. But PERA’s own analyses say there’s as much as a 30% chance of a nancial setback in 2025 triggering another round of bene t cuts and contribution hikes.

And things could look even worse this time next year. PERA is scheduled to update its demographic assumptions in early 2025, a onceevery-four-years exercise that triggered major nancial course corrections each of the last two times it occurred. at has led members of the over-

sight panel to ask what — if anything — the legislature should do to prevent more automatic cuts from kicking in.

“We’re in a risky situation right now,” said former Sen. Jack Tate, a Republican panel member who co-sponsored the 2018 pension reforms. “So I think some recommendations — no matter how poorly received by the legislature — for the nancial security of the plan would be welcome.”

Nonetheless, wholesale legislative changes remain unlikely, lawmakers said, barring a nancial crisis too large to ignore.

e state faces tight nances of its own in the coming years, and the 2018 pension reforms were designed to keep the pension on nancial track without political intervention. Out of four potential rounds of automatic bene t cuts and contribution increases, Colorado has two remaining if PERA’s board and the state legislature don’t step in.

“I don’t see any glaring legislative changes, personally,” Kolker said. But, he added, the panel would draft a letter at its next meeting this week to send to the Pension Review Commission, which has the power to propose legislation.

e independent review cited two

signi cant issues: First, it argues PERA is banking on unrealistic investment returns, relitigating a long-running debate in Colorado. PERA needs its portfolio to grow 7.25% a year to meet its funding targets, which is higher than the national median of 7% for other public pensions. PERA has largely exceeded its investment targets in recent years, averaging 7.8% growth over the past decade and 8.3% over the last 30 years.

PERA is reviewing its investment portfolio this year, and some on its board are pushing to invest more in higher risk assets like private equity in pursuit of higher returns in the long-term.

e more pressing issue highlighted by the report is that PERA’s demographic assumptions have been consistently o since the pandemic, adding $2 billion to the pension’s unfunded debt. Public sector workers have received larger pay raises in recent years than PERA expected, which translate to larger pension payments when they retire.

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.

Thu 8/08

Denver Broncos Training Camp

@ 9am

Sat 8/10

Sun 8/11

Broncos Park Powered by Com‐monSpirit, Englewood

AOA: Trip: Rockies vs. New York Giants @ College View

@ 4:30pm

Denver Parks and Recreation (CGV), 2525 S. Decatur St., Denver. 720-913-0654

AJ Finney Fan Page: Comedy on Thursdays

@ 6pm

The Toad Tavern, 5302 S Federal Circle, Littleton

WHL U.S. Development Combine: Denver - Skater

@ 11pm / $399

Aug 8th - Aug 11th

South Suburban Family Sports Center, 6901 South Peoria St, Centennial. 888844-6611 ext. 3354

Fri 8/09

Denver Twilight Series: The Finale

@ 5pm / $20-$50 3800 S Logan Street, Englewood

Erica Sunshine Lee

@ 5:30pm

Darbys House Concerts, 26892 E. Ellsworth Ave., Aurora Highlands

Candlelight Open Air: Coldplay on Strings

@ 6:15pm / $50

Museum of Outdoor Arts (MOA), 6331 South Fiddlers Green Circle, Denver. fever @eventvesta.com

49 Winchester @ 7pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

John Vincent III: On Tap with KBCO Presents Live Music at Breckenridge Brewery @ 11:30am

Breckenridge Brewery, 2920 Brewery Ln, Littleton

Pancake Stampede 5K @ 7am / $25

Jessey Adams @ 4pm

Brothers Bar & Grill, 7407 Park Meadows Dr, Lone Tree

Matt Nathanson @ 5:30pm

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, 6350

Greenwood Plaza Blvd, Greenwood Vil‐lage

Hairball @ 7:30pm

Philip S. Miller Park, 1375 W Plum Creek Pkwy, Castle Rock

The Hudson Gardens & Event Center, 6115 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton. SarahN@ ssprd.org

Bouncing Souls @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Bouncing Souls @ 7pm

Gothic Theatre, Englewood

Mon 8/12

Modern Swing Mondays 2024 @ 6pm / $10

Stampede, Aurora

Tue 8/13

I Prevail @ 5pm

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, 6350

Greenwood Plaza Blvd, Greenwood Vil‐lage

I Prevail & Halestorm @ 6pm

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, 6350

Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Vil‐lage

Wed 8/14

Protest the Hero @ 5pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

The Beach Boys @ 6:30pm

Levitt Pavilion Denver, 1380 W Florida Ave, Denver

The Beach Boys @ 6:30pm Levitt Pavilion Denver, 1380 W Florida Ave, Denver

Protest The Hero @ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

DJ Rockstar Aaron: Forbidden

Bingo Wednesdays - 'Bout Time Pub & Grub @ 7pm

Bout Time Pub & Grub, 3580 S Platte River Dr A, Sheridan

Soccer: Kinder - Ages 4 to 6 - Fall 2024 @ 10:30pm

Aug 14th - Oct 12th

AH - Kinder Field 3, 11682 Bradbury Ranch Rd., Parker

Thu 8/15

Mammoth-Heights Elementary @ 2:30pm / $422.75

Aug 15th - May 22nd

Mammoth-Heights Elementary School, 9500 Stonegate Pkwy, Parker. 515-7080433

Adam Cayton-Holland Live at Western Sky Bar & Taproom @ 6pm / $10

Western Sky Bar & Taproom, 4361 S BROADWAY, Englewood. westernsky barco@gmail.com

Calendar information is provided by event organiz‐ers. All events are subject to change or cancella‐tion. This publication is not responsible for the ac‐curacy of the information contained in this calendar.

powered by

RTD reports copper wire being stolen, and other noteworthy news bites

Multiple recent cases of stolen copper wire are impacting RTD’s rail services

e Regional Transportation District is reporting multiple cases of copper wire theft near track signals, switches and rail crossings. Five instances of copper wire were stolen along light rail alignments in the last week.

Most of the theft has taken place along the R Line, which runs between Peoria Station in Aurora and Lincoln Station in Lone Tree. Each incident has resulted in signi cant impacts to light rail service. RTD is also investigating multiple cases along the A and G commuter rail lines.

RTD is asking customers and the public to report any suspicious behavior that they may observe on or near the system’s tracks.

For more information, visit rtddenver.com/news-stop or call 303.299.6000.

Arc Thrift Stores’ Children’s Clothing Sale

Arc rift Stores’ annual oneday-only Children’s Clothing Sale takes place on Aug. 9 during regular store hours, which are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. All children’s clothes will be priced at 99 cents. Shoes are not a part of this sale. e sale takes place at all 35 stores across the

The Regional Transportation District is experiencing thefts of copper wire, especially along the R Line that runs from Aurora to Lone Tree.

open water swim takes place on Aug. 17 at Chat eld Reservoir in Littleton. Hundreds will be diving to make waves to ght cancer for the swim’s local bene ciary, Children’s Hospital Colorado.

state. To learn more, visit arcthrift. com.

Increased protections for human remains go into e ect

Two laws pertaining to coroner quali cations to ensure high standards of Colorado’s death investigators go into e ect.

HB24-1254 continues the regulation of nontransplant tissue banks, updates standards of practice, and prohibits compensating a funeral establishment for human remains. HB24-1100 requires a county coroner in a county with a population over 150,000 to either be a death investigator certi ed by and in good standing with the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, or be a forensic pathologist certi ed by the American Board of Pathology.

Check-in is at 9 a.m. and the event begins at 10 a.m. To register, visit https://specialolympicsco. org/planepull/.

AdventHealth’s community health improvement public meeting

7th annual Swim Across America

Swim Across America’s Denver

Many of the swimmers are cancer survivors or are swimming for a loved one impacted by cancer. is year, two of the survivors swimming are ultra marathon swimmer Sarah omas, who is a breast cancer survivor; and 17-year-old Garret Rymer who is a survivor of spinal cord cancer.

To date, the Denver swim has raised $1 million and supports three research projects at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

To register for the swim, visit swimacrossamerica.org/denver.

Plane Pull Fundraiser at Denver International Airport

DIA is hosting the annual Smile Generation Special Olympics Plane Pull on Aug. 24.

Teams from across Colorado will compete for the fastest time to pull a 167,000 pound United plane 12 feet across a tarmac. e event will include exhibits, vendors, food and entertainment.

Proceeds will help the Special Olympics of Colorado to provide year-round training, health screenings and leadership programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities around Colorado.

AdventHealth Parker is asking for your feedback on the Hospital Transformation Program. e public meeting takes place from 3-5 p.m. on Aug. 13 at 2350 Meadows Blvd. in Castle Rock. To reserve a spot, visit tinyurl.com/ HospitalTransformationProgram.

Air N Space-A-Palooza

Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Development Center is partnering with local industry partners to bring STEM career opportunities within aerospace and aviation together. e Air N Space-A-Palooza event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 3 at Wings Over the Rockies, 13005 Wings Way in Englewood.   e event invites attendees to learn about opportunities for employment within STEM industries from 25 businesses. Attendees will have an opportunity to explore various career pathways and training opportunities through interactive exhibits, captivating speakers and the opportunity to y the skies above Denver on a ight simulator. Secure free tickets to the event at: https://www.adworks.org/event/ air-n-space-a-palooza/

SHUTTERSTOCK

Honoring police and their K-9s

Castle Rock Boy Scout seeks to honor dogs that worked with Douglas County deputies

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A Castle Rock Boy Scout is raising money to honor the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce’s K-9s.

For his Eagle Scout project, Sam Callery, a sophomore at Valor Christian High School, is working to raise $15,000 to build a memorial to the county’s four-legged law enforcement partners.

Callery’s plans for the memorial include a stone podium featuring a plaque with the names of the county’s K-9 o cers and a lifesize bronze dog statue at the Douglas County Justice Center near the fallen o cers memorial. So far, Callery has raised over $7,000.

Callery will be at the Douglas County Fair from 5-6:30 p.m. Aug. 1-3 and 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 4 to push for the cause.

“I’m hoping that will get us a lot closer to the goal so we can order the dog (statue),” Callery said.

Callery said the idea for the project came from combining his love of animals with his admiration for law enforcement.

“I always loved animals, dogs especially, and I have a bunch of family and friends who are law enforce-

ment and I’ve always had a great respect for police, so I thought it

would be a cool way to honor them both,” he said.   e sheri ’s o ce started its K-9 program in 1989 and has had 29 dogs serve in the program. e plaque Callery is working on will feature nameplates for all of the dogs, as well as space for future K-9 o cers.

Sheri Darren Weekly said Callery is a “remarkable young man” and he fully supports his project.

“As a former K9 handler, I have a special appreciation for these dogs. To have them memorialized in this way means a lot to our agency,” Weekly said in a statement. “We are grateful for Sam’s initiative to get this accomplished.”

Callery’s project received approval from the Douglas County Commissioners, who commended Callery for his e orts.

“I think this is a wonderful opportunity, so thank you for doing this for your community,” Commissioner Lora omas said.

With the approval, Callery plans to start building the podium and installing the plaque while he continues to fundraise for the bronze statue.

Callery said that if he isn’t able to raise enough money for the statue or if he raises more than his goal, the funds will be donated to the sheri ’s o ce for maintenance of the memorial.

Donations to Callery’s project can be made at Give - Boy Scouts of America (scouting.org).

Sam Callery, a Scout with Troop 770, decided to create a memorial for the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce K-9 o cers as his Eagle Scout project. Callery is trying to raise $15,000 for his project.

COURTESY OF STEVE CALLERY

Empowering families to help children with autism spectrum disorder

crease socialization and communication, develop independence and learn important life skills.

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNTIYMEDIA.COM

For families, news of a child’s autism spectrum disorder diagnosis can be distressing and can spark a lot of questions, leaving them wondering what to do. Trumpet Behavioral Health in Parker — and soon to be in Highlands Ranch — aims to answer those questions with resources to help children live ful lling lives.

“I hope that families can recognize that we have these resources in our community,” said Caitlin Jenners, clinical director in Parker. “ ese families can feel like there is a game plan and they’re not alone and there are things we can do to help.”

Part of BlueSprig, Trumpet Behavioral Health is a national provider of Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. ABA is a form of therapy for children on the spectrum that’s based around the process of behavioral change using reinforcement strategies to in-

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disability that affects communication and how people behave and learn, characterized by persistent impairments in social interactions and the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviors, interests or activities.

“What we mean by that is this is a disorder that impacts the way the brain functions,” said Jenners. “It’s typically present at birth or in early childhood.”

e National Institute of Mental Health further states that the disorder is on a spectrum because there is a wide variation in the type of severity of symptoms experienced. is is why there is no single treatment for those diagnosed with the disorder.

Jenners said symptoms generally appear in the rst two years of life.

About one in 36 children, 8 years of or older have received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ese estimations are higher than the previous Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network estimations

made between 2000-2018.

While medicine is an option, research by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Research Council show that behavioral, psychological and educational interventions are e ective in the treatment of young children with autism.

“Early diagnosis is important because while ABA therapy and therapies can help at any age, research shows that they can make the most di erence in the trajectory of the child’s life the earlier they receive treatment,” Jenners said.

Located at 18801 E. Mainstreet, Ste. 180, Trumpet Behavioral Health offers individualized treatment plans to children of all ages to meet the speci c needs of the child and also depends on the individual goals for that child and their family.

Learning occurs as a result of a person’s experiences with the environment that shapes their future behaviors, said Jenners. Understanding the

impact the environment has on behavior allows therapists to modify the environment to change the behavior and enhance learning.

To help improve the family’s overall experience, Trumpet Behavioral Health collects data on observable and measurable behaviors and uses that data to guide their interventions.

Ranging between 10-40 hours per week, treatment can be located in various settings, including home or virtual. e trained sta also work with clients who have Intellectual Developmental Disabilities, Global Developmental Delay and other developmental delays.

“Goals are focused on improving the lives of children that we work with and their families,” said Jenners. “With a major focus on teaching new social and communication skills while working through behavioral barriers.”

To learn more, visit bluesprigautism.com.

CAREERS MARKETPLACE

Help Wanted

Test Engineer II

CSG Forte Payments Inc.

d/b/a CSG has an opening for Test Engineer II in Englewood, CO, to develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. Position requires a bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field and 3 years of experience in a related occupation. Position allows for 100% telecommuting. Position reports to company HQ in Englewood, CO. The base pay range for this position in Denver, CO is $97,157.00$107,157.00 per year plus standard company benefits. To apply, send resume to USIRecruitment@csgi.com, Must reference job 21890.29.2

Special Education

Paraprofessional

Full-Time Special Education Paraprofessional needed for 2024-25 School Year in our West Area Center-Based Learning Programs located in Strasburg - Sign On Bonus Possible!

• Competitive pay and benefits including individual health insurance . $16-$19 per hour depending on experience

 May be eligible for Sign On Bonus!

• Questions contact Tracy at 719-775-2342 ext. 101 or tracyg@ecboces.org

• To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the "Jobs" page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button "Apply Online" at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

Help Wanted

Software Development

Lead and IT Architect

(InquisiCorp, Inc., 8042 S Grant Way, Littleton, CO, and telecommuting from any location is available). Design our company’s IT infrastructure and systems, especially our Magento eCommerce platform. CVs to bjudy@inquisicorp.com.

Misc. Notices WIDOWED

DOWNSIZING

7918 Sweet Water Rd, Lonetree

Friday 8/16 8:00am - 1:00pm Saturday 8/17

8:00am to 12:00pm Furniture, Kitchen, Small Appliances, TV

Moving Sale 9634 Chanteclair Circle, Highlands Ranch (Crossroads: Highlands Ranch Parkway & S. Ranch Rd)

Friday August 9th (8am - 5pm)

Saturday August 10th (8am1:00pm)

Bedroom set, oak dining room set, Lazy Boy couch, assorted furniture and household items Garage Sales

Heritage Greens Community Garage Sale!

Friday, August 23rd 8am-3pm & Saturday, August 24th 8am-2pm

The HG Community is located in Centennial

3 Entrances to Community: Colorado Blvd. & E. Links Parkway

S. Holly and E. Links Circle S. Holly and E. Otero Avenue

Sponsored by Anne Dresser Kocur with LIV Sotheby’s International Realty 303.229.6464

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Experts o er tips to reduce danger of air pollution in Colorado

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Colorado’s breathtaking scenery and high elevation o er both allure and challenges, particularly when it comes to air quality. As the state’s diverse landscapes — from urban areas to remote mountain retreats — face varying levels of pollution, understanding how to keep air quality high, or improve it, becomes crucial.

“Protecting air quality is one of Colorado’s top priorities,” said Leah Schleifer, spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Some of the air pollution issues impacting Colorado are ground-level ozone pollution and particulate matter pollution.”  e department’s Air Pollution Control Division works to inform people about the health dangers of particulate irritant and ozone pollution.

“Particulate matter is a respiratory irritant,” she said. “It can also cause cardiovascular issues due to its extremely small size. When inhaled, ne particulate matter can get deep into the lungs, and in some cases, the bloodstream.”

Schleifer said the smaller the size of the matter the more impactful it can be to someone’s health. Ad-

ditionally, she explained there are symptoms of short-term exposures to unhealthy levels of ozone pollution, such as coughing and chest pain.

“Long-term exposure has been linked to a variety of poor health outcomes, including lung and cardiovascular disease,” Schleifer said. “Whether a person will experience health impacts from air pollution depends on how much is in the air and how long they breathe it in.”

Schleifer said the division has various programs to address air pollution and help protect the health and safety of Coloradans.  ese actions include the following:

• O ering nancial support for schools, businesses, and local governments to purchase clean vehicles such as electric school buses.

An air quality tester o ered by the Sheridan Library. PHOTO COURTESY OF ARAPAHOE LIBRARIES

• Adopting a new rule that will expand access to zero-emissions cars.

• Adopting new measures to increase the availability of zero-emission trucks.

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. is year, the division is looking at options to propose more measures to reduce ozone pollution in the state.

“ e division created the Nitrogen Oxide Reduction Steering Committee, which is currently working on recommendations to reduce air pollution emissions from upstream oil and gas operations that form ground-level ozone,” Schleifer said.

Residents can sign up for air quality alerts so they know when air pollution is the highest.

Additionally, there are other sources of information. For exam-

ple, the Sheridan Library — which is a branch of Arapahoe Libraries — is now o ering air quality monitors known as AirBeam3, which are palm-sized, portable air quality monitors. Patrons can check them out at 3425 W. Oxford Ave.

“Participants can collect air quality data, review ndings and contribute to a crowd-sourced air quality map of the Sheridan community,” said Cameron Bowen, Arapahoe Libraries facilities coordinator. “ ey can also learn how to improve the air quality in their home. For example, they can use an exhaust fan while cooking or learn how to get home weatherization assistance.”

Schleifer said in addition to monitoring the air, people can reduce their contributions to air pollution as well through many di erent ways.  ose methods include “biking, carpooling, or using clean energy sources and electric equipment rather than gas-powered when possible.”

“Our ozone pollution and your health website and the Simple Steps Better Air website provide more details on ways you can take action,” Schleifer said.

More information on the Sheridan Library program can be found at arapahoelibraries.org.

Elbert Legals

of having in effect to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. For more information on the proposed flood hazard determinations and information on the statutory 90-day period provided for appeals, please visit FEMA’s website at https://www.floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/BFE_Status/bfe_main.asp , or call the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX) toll free at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627).