Heroes Gala honors first responders who help address community’s mental health crisis
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After a year that involved dangerous res, numerous thefts, drug busts and the loss of life, rst responders across Douglas County were recognized for their actions at the second annual Douglas County Community Foundation Heroes Gala. e event, which drew hundreds
of attendees, took place on Sept. 13.
From law enforcement, re rescue, members of the armed forces and military veterans, the event honored local heroes, including those involved with nonpro t organizations that have a hand in aiding the community.
“Tonight we honor all of those heroes who serve our community,” said Douglas County Sheri Darren
Weekly during the event. “To include the vital partnerships.”
Located at the exclusive Signature Aviation private jet hangar at Centennial Airport, the event included the opportunity for attendees to get an up-close look at the variety of vehicles, aircraft and tools used to assist the community during emergencies.
Colorado holds the most patents in its regional group State also has the most by women inventors
BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN
By opening a regional o ce in Denver 10 years ago, the U.S. Patent and Trademark O ce is ful lling a mission to better reach inventors where they live.
e Rocky Mountain Regional Ofce in Denver, the second of ve to open outside of the Washington, D.C.-area headquarters, has seen a steady growth of patents from residents within its nine-state jurisdiction. Colorado, the most populated of the nine, holds the most patents in the regional group, as well as the most by women inventors.
“ ere’s a hotbed here around Denver,” said Kathi Vidal, director of the whole patent o ce who was in town for the 10-year anniversary. “ e data shows that once you have women patentees, you tend to have more women patentees. But it’s also spreading out into other areas.”
In Colorado, 23% of 53,000 patent holders in the past 10 years were
TRUTH IS OUT THERE
Colorado has a long history with UFOs P16
Cpl. Grant Collins of the Lone Tree Police Department and Mental Health Clinician Sophia Lind of the Douglas County Community Response Team were awarded with the Law Enforcement Hero of the Year award.
PHOTO BY HALEY LENA
PATENTS
women, compared with 13% nationwide. Other states in the district may be smaller but also have higher rates, like North Dakota, which had 300 patents in the past decade and a 19% women’s participation rate.
ere’s still room for growth. And Molly Kocialski, director of the regional o ce for eight of the 10 years, said it’s more about showing up in communities not used to having a federal o cial visit — and listening. She said USPTO employees now number 400-plus today in the region from 29 a decade ago. And she and her team spend a good chunk of their time traveling around Colorado and the other eight states. And when they reach out, they continue to build on that relationship.
“In the places where we have been able to have the conversation … we’ve seen amazing rewards,” Kocialski said. “Like in Montana. From the rst time I was there until now, we’ve seen a 5X increase in the number of women patent inventors. (It’s) being very intentional about how we talk about who participates in the innovation economy, making sure that obstacles and barriers aren’t there.”
Vidal, a long-time intellectual patent attorney in Silicon Valley with a degree in electrical engineering, said that the agency had looked into the low rate of patents among women inventors. ey found that women were opting out of the process, be it from discouragement, the expense or other reasons.
“So even once we get women to the door to do all the great work, women opt out at a higher rate,” said Vidal, who joined the patent o ce in 2022. “We’ve been trying to identify those issues and then solve them.”
One x? Welcome letters. In the past, she said, “ ey’d get a ling receipt and the next thing they get is a rejection. And you can imagine, if that’s your welcome to the system, it’s not going to seem like something that’s warm and friendly and make you want to continue on.” e welcome letter provides an introduction to the inventor ecosystem, resources and patent tracking. All lers get the welcome letter, not just women inventors.
“It congratulates her because she can use ‘patent pending’ already,” Vidal added. “And with the next communication, that’s often a rejection. But we put it into context that
this is really an opportunity for us to engage and make sure we issue her a strong patent. We want to make sure we craft the patent and the claims in a way that she gets a strong right that she can use to attract funding, to build a business and defend her business.”
ey also started monthly “WE” seminars featuring women entrepreneurs who share their startup stories. e sessions are virtual but sometimes guests show up in person.
e stories and tips shared would bene t all inventors.
Charlotte Young Bowens, an ultra marathoner and employee at Arizona State University, came up with the idea of the VestaPak, a hydration vest “for bigger bodies” to hold gear and keep her hydrated while training. It’s patent pending, but not without a lot of e ort as a novice inventor.
On Friday nights, she said she’d sip a glass of wine and sit on her couch to nd potential entrepreneurial programs and resources. At the university, she tapped into the law school and found law students who helped with her patent and trademarks at a reasonable cost. She linked up with REI’s Embark, which provides support to outdoor-gear startups, and Target, which helped
her get her vests made.
“At that point in time, I had spent $10,000 on manufacturing (samples) but none of them could gure out how to make it,” Bowens shared. She needed something big to t her curvy body. But the results were often “a size 8,” which evoked laughter from the audience.
“And so Target said, what do you want, tell us whatever it is,” she said. “And what Target did was reach out to their manufacturing partners and say, ‘Look we support DEI, do you support DEI? Would you be willing to work with a startup company and help them with their product?’”
Six manufacturers had sample products delivered to her front door within a week. “And I was like, that actually t,” she said.
Even if the day’s panelists didn’t start with the patent o ce, they’ve come to rely on it as a future resource. Rose Matthes, who cofounded rechargeable wall light maker Poplight in Denver, hopes to get more assistance in ling future patents. Poplight’s rst patent was issued in July 2023, with the help of a patent attorney and at least $25,000.
“I think there’s grants I could have searched for but we just felt a lot of rush and time pressure,” Matthes said. “It’s really expensive and it’s
hard for a mom-and-pop business to drop $15,000 to le patents.”
She added that the boom in female inventors not only has to do with additional support locally and nationwide, but for TV programs like “Shark Tank,” which Poplight was on in January.
“I think ‘Shark Tank’ has a really big e ect (because) if you see a problem and you can x something, I think women are really creative with problem-solving and xing things like that,” she said. “I’m in a world where I’m like, ‘God, my lightning sucks. How can I improve it?’ and then coming up with a physical product idea.”
Kocialski said she just wants to make sure her o ce is everywhere in Colorado where a person with an idea can learn that the local patent o ce provides pro bono support and resources.
“If we keep more women in the innovation economy, we can keep everybody else,” she said. “We want every brain that can innovate to have the ability to innovate without obstacles and impediments.” 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.
Charlotte Young Bowens is the founder of Conscious Gear and has a patent pending for the VestaPak hydration vest.
PHOTO BY CHARLIE LEIGHT/CONSCIOUS GEAR
Some Thoughts on Keeping Your Death From Being an Undue Burden on Your Heirs
Seniors don’t want to be a burden to their children while they’re alive, and there are ways to reduce their burden after they die.
If you’ve ever served as a “personal representative” (aka, “executor”) for a person who has passed, you know that it can be a long and burdensome process. There are actions that you can take now so that handling your estate is less burdensome.
First, of course, you need to write a will, and make sure that it can be found upon your death. You can find law firms that specialize in estate planning which can help you with composing a will plus other tools such as a medical power of attorney, living will, living trust, and, for real estate, a beneficiary deed.
gave unused bicycles to the Optimist Club’s Bicycle Recycle Program, and took several car loads of clothes, dishes, silverware, small appliances and you-name-it to Goodwill. Since I was our own Realtor in the transaction, I cleverly inserted in the contract of sale that “the seller can leave anything he doesn’t want,” which included countless tools and other stuff in our garage. That was in addition to selling most of our furniture to the buyer for $10,000 paid by check outside of closing.
An unbelievable sense of lightness and peace of mind filled Rita and me from the experience of disposing of so much stuff that would have only been a burden to our heirs if we had died while living in that home.
Is a Heat Pump Right for You? Here Is Some Info.
More and more builders and homeowners are looking at the possibility of switching from gas forced air to heat pumps for heating homes and domestic hot water, especially with the huge tax credits offered under the Inflation Reduction Act.
The following is adapted from an article I saw on CustomBuilderOnline.com
How do heat pumps work?
A heat pump moves heat, it doesn’t generate heat.
A furnace combusts fuel — oil, gas, or propane — and that fuel heats a metal component called a heat exchanger. A fan blows air over it, and that’s how a home heats up, explains Matt Rusteika of the Building Decarbonization Coalition.
pump,” says Rusteika.
How much does switching to a heat pump cost?
With rebate incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), switching to a heat pump could be more attainable.
Thanks to the IRA, heat pumps are now affordable for low-income households and we’re seeing a lot of heat pumps in those homes now, says Unger. Rebates under the IRA are as high as $8,000 for the heat pumps and $6,500 for the wiring to support them, he says.
Searching for “estate planning” on the internet produces an abundance of easy-to-understand advice from multiple trust-worthy websites ranging from wikipedia.com to fidelity.com to the American Bar Association, nerdwallet.com and the National Council on Aging. One website I clicked that had excellent and thorough advice was investopedia.com.
A good piece of advice I read was to add the person you designate as your personal representative to your bank accounts, the title of your vehicles, and to your credit card accounts, so those are not frozen and unavailable to him or her after your death. And you might want to dispose of excess property that is otherwise cluttering up your basement and garage.
When Rita and I downsized from our 4,000-sq.-ft. home to an 1,100-sq.-ft. apartment, we did our heirs a great favor, because doing so required us to dispose of an immense amount of stuff that was cluttering up our basement. We
Notice that I did not advise you to add your heirs to the title of your house. If you do, your heirs will not only inherit the house, they will also inherit your capital gain when they go so sell it. The better strategy is to create a beneficiary deed naming your heir(s) as the beneficiary. A beneficiary deed, also known as a transfer-on-death (TOD) deed, is a legal document that allows a property owner to transfer ownership of their real estate to a designated beneficiary after they die. The deed is effective upon the owner's death and bypasses the probate process. This approach, like leaving the property to your heirs in your will, allows your heirs to avoid the capital gain on your home, because its value is “stepped up” to the value of the home at the time of your death. If they sell the home soon, they will probably owe zero in capital gains tax.
For more estate planning advice, contact a lawyer specializing in that field. I can recommend one if you’d like.
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.
In heat pumps, there is a compressor which moves a liquid/gas through copper pipe coils located outside and inside the home, operating on two laws of physics: gases get hotter under pressure, and heat moves from hot to cold. Compared to combustion, the heat pump doesn’t burn fuel, rather, it uses energy from the pump and compressor to harvest heat and move it.
“Heat goes into the coil, gets pumped through the compressor, the compressor puts it under pressure so it’s very hot. It goes inside, air blows over the inside coil, deposits the heat in the house, comes back outside, and starts the cycle again,” explains Rusteika. During cooling operation, the cycle is merely reversed, pumping heat out of the house.
What are the negatives of heat pumps?
Heat pump efficiency drops as temperatures get colder, explains Russell Unger, principal at Rocky Mountain Institute. Early heat pumps were not efficient at very cold outdoor temperatures, and some contractors are unaware of the improvement in efficiency that is now common. Nowadays there are cold-weather heat pumps which can draw heat out of the air even at subfreezing outdoor temperatures, says Unger. He points to the state of Maine, which has very cold winters but has the highest percentage of homes heated with heat pumps.
In 2019, Maine Governor Janet Mills announced a goal to install 100,000 heat pumps in the state by 2025. That goal was achieved in July 2023, and now Gov. Mills has a new goal of 175,000 more by 2027.
“When you look for a heat pump, you need to look for a climate-appropriate heat
When a homeowner needs to replace an existing heating system, the wisest move may be to install a heat pump. The Department of Energy estimates that efficient electric heat pumps can save families approximately $500 to $1,000 annually.
Heat pumps are being installed in great numbers in Maine because the marginal cost of switching to a heat pump is pretty small, explains Unger. Where there is a need for both heating and cooling, a heat pump provides a complete solution. The heat pump replaces two separate components — a furnace and A/C compressor — with a single component using the same ducts. And if a homeowner installs solar, earning additional IRA tax credits, there’s great synergy, since the heat pump uses only electricity and uses it very efficiently.
How popular are heat pumps?
Revised building codes have increased the adoption of heat pumps within the last few years. Still, a lot of HVAC contractors remain skeptical. Many of them tried older heat pumps and it didn’t work as well in cold climates, so getting them to revisit the option has proven difficult, but needs to be encouraged, says Unger.
Heat pumps have outpaced furnace sales every month for the past two years, in addition to solar generation increasing about 40% in the last 20 years, and battery sales up 70% in the last 10 years,
“There’s a big shift happening right now. To remain competitive, to get ahead of what customers want, this is something for contractors to start paying attention to,” says Unger.
In the posting of this article online at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com, I have added hyperlinks to Maine’s experience and the rebates available under the Inflation Reduction Act.
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.
Short-term rental owners, advocates work to combat ‘heavy-handed regulation’
BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado is the birthplace of short-term rentals. And the state is ground-zero for local regulation of the booming industry.
After several years of reactive, defensive responses to increased regulation and taxation legislation, the state’s short-term rental owners and managers are organizing with an educational campaign and lawmaker lobbying plans. Colorado House Speaker Rep. Julie McCluskie, a Democrat from Dillon, earlier this month warned that short-term rental legislation “is highly likely” in either the special session or next year’s session.
“We know that short-term rentals have become a signi cant part of the guest experience,” she said at a rally of short-term rental owners, managers and representatives from Vrbo in Silverthorne last week. “In order for our tourism economies to thrive, we need short-term rentals in places where the world wants to be.”
With no short-term rental legislation during the special session where lawmakers hammered out a
plan for property tax relief, “it does feel like we dodged a bullet,” said Julie Koster, the executive director of the Colorado Lodging and Resort Alliance and the Summit Alliance of Vacation Rental Managers.
Property owners and short-term
rental advocates are planning to lobby and court policymakers heading into next year’s legislative session, hoping to sti e increased limitations on vacation rentals. Earlier this year, as the legislature debated Senate Bill 33 — legislation that would
have quadrupled property taxes on vacation rental homes — McCluskie elded more than 2,000 emails from constituents in one week. e thirdterm representative said she has never received so many emails.
She urged the short-term rental advocates gathered inside the Silverthorne Pavilion earlier this month to reach out now to lawmakers and share data — not just anecdotes — about vacation homes that rent to visitors.
“Short-term rentals are the new frontier for how we experience life. People are letting go of buying things and they are embracing ‘What happened to me yesterday,’” she said. “How do we ensure that there are short-term rentals available? How do we nd balance?”
Balance is the top talking point for owners and managers who rely on vacationers renting private homes. e owners on Tuesday discussed the need for all owners to pay lodging taxes and comply with local regulations as they lobby local and state lawmakers to steer clear of what they call “heavy-handed regulation.”
Salida has a list of regulations for owners of short-term rental properties who must keep local representatives on call to respond to any issues. They also must collect and remit local and state lodging and sales taxes.
PHOTO BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN
RENTALS
Senate Bill 33, which was voted down in by the Senate Finance Committee, posed “an existential crisis” for the short-term rental industry in Colorado, said Tim Rosolio, who heads up vacation rental partnerships for Vrbo parent the Expedia Group.
“In Colorado, we kind of got to the brink there,” he said.
e crackdown on short-term rentals in cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco is spilling into resort markets and it’s important that owners and managers organize to help build rules that protect the industry while alleviating concerns from neighbors and contributing revenue to housing challenges.
“ e answer is not ‘no regulation,’ Rosolio said. “It’s important for us to land on something that is balanced … while making sure that we understand what a big economic driver short-term rentals and tourism are for the community.”
Tourism slowdown in 2024
Colorado overnight visitors spent
$6.3 billion on lodging in 2023, generating $1.8 billion in local and state tax revenue and supporting 9,450 jobs. Visitors spent $28.2 billion in total in 2023 and vacationers who rented privately owned homes spent $4.1 billion.
In nine Western Slope mountain counties anchored by ski areas, visitors in short-term rental homes and condos — not hotels and motels — spent $1.2 billion in 2023, up from $1.1 billion in 2022 and 2021. at compares to $2.3 billion spent on traditional hotels and motels in 2023 and 2022.
Since 2019, the number of vacationers renting private homes has increased by 27%.
e taxes generated by tourism in Colorado equate to about $308 per resident. But in places like Summit County, the $96.3 million in state and local taxes paid by tourists in 2023 equals more than $3,150 per resident.
e Colorado Tourism O ce collects annual spending gures and shares that data far and wide. at is part of the o ce’s mission to empower local communities so they can share their own plans for balancing the quality of life for local residents with tourist-based economies.
“What is the value of tourism? Where are you on the tourism cycle in your communities” said Colorado Tourism O ce boss Tim Wolfe, who says the revival of international tourism is a key component for sustainable visitation in high-pro le destinations like metro Denver and Summit County. He’s seeing more communities backing away from intense regulation of short-term rental properties as visitation and lodging tax collections ebb in the rst half of 2024.
Proposition 123, passed by voters in 2022, last year directed $80 million toward a ordable housing across the state. at river of revenue is owing again this year as more housing plans unfold, Wolfe said.
“Are we giving this a chance to take root or are we going to pass three more things before this actually has a chance to take root and start generating housing,” Wolfe told the vacation rental advocates, urging a wariness of statewide regulation that could slow the ow of tourists into Colorado. “We have to be careful. If we make dramatic changes this (slowdown in visitation) could continue to accelerate.”
Hundreds of property owners and managers have united as part of the
Colorado Lodging Resort Alliance, which rallied dozens of advocates to urge opposition to Senate Bill 33 earlier this year.
e group is again rallying its troops to thwart legislation that could impact vacation rentals. e Colorado Association of Ski Towns advocating for legislation that would enable local communities to ask voters to approve a tax on vacant homes that could include properties that are rented to vacationers. Another proposal by Colorado Counties Inc. would raise the cap on lodging taxes levied by counties to 6% from 2%, just like Colorado municipalities.
“ is could give counties the opportunity to increase revenue for advertising and marketing local tourism, housing, childcare services, and facilitating and enhancing visitor experiences bene ting their county residents,” reads a legislative position statement from Colorado Counties Inc.
“ ere are some scary things out there looming around on the horizon,” Koster said.
is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
IT’S PATIO FURNITURE REPAIR SEASON
As
Now is the time to celebrate Latin American culture and traditions
Hispanic Heritage Month, running from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories and cultures of Hispanic and Latino communities. is month of celebration goes hand in hand with the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, highlighting their historic struggles and achievements toward independence.
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua celebrate their independence on Sept. 15; Mexico is the next day, Chile celebrates Sept. 18 and Belize celebrates Sept. 21.
As the month progresses, many celebrations of Hispanic and Latino contributions to society begin in Colorado and beyond. is year for many Mexicans, Las Vegas is the place to be: icon Luis Miguel is scheduled to perform the day before Mexico’s Independence Day at Caesar’s Palace.
Celebrations in other countries
Some Latin American countries honor their independence move-
Revolutions, a period from the late 1700s to the mid 1800s, when several countries fought for and gained their independence.” By 1836, most Latin American countries, except Puerto Rico and Cuba, had gained independence.
In one of Costa Rica’s oldest traditions known as the Lantern Parade, children bring light to the streets on the eve of its Independence Day, according to the Tico Times, an English-language newspaper there. Before the parade, many sing the national anthem in their homes or outside and television and radio stations broadcast the national anthem.
In Mexico’s Independence Day Eve tradition, “El Grito,” a ceremony is led by the president of Mexico and the bells of the National Palace are rung as they recreate one of Mexico’s most important historical moments, according to the o cial government website of Mexico. “El Grito de Dolores” was when Father Hidalgo urged the people of Dolores to rise up against Spanish rule and gave reasons as to why they could
square of Mexico City, called El Zocalo, shout “Viva! Viva!” It’s an expression that represents the respect and admiration from the nation toward those heroic gures.
Chile celebrates the days leading up to its Independence Day by having Fiestas Patrias, which o cially happen on Sept. 18-19, but Chileans start celebrating at the start of September.
e parties leading up to the ofcial Independence Day celebrations involve food, music and a folk dance called “pie de cueca,” according to Chile Travel, the Chilean government’s o cial tourism website. Cumbia music and dance is also included in the Fiesta Patrias.
Similar to how Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, many countries celebrate independence by eating their country’s cuisine, listening and dancing to their music and honoring all things related to their country.
Similar to the U.S. tradition of reworks, Guatemala has a torch marathon, where its joined by other
countries including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua to run the “Antorcha de la Independencia” (torch of independence), to pay honor to a tradition that began Sept. 14, 1821 when, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, “María Dolores Bedoya ran through the Guatemalan streets carrying her lantern as a symbol of hope for the liberated nations.”
Hispanic Heritage Month at History Colorado
Are you interested in learning more about achievements and contributions of the Chicano, Latino and Hispanic communities throughout history? From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, History Colorado has you covered with exhibitions and guest speakers to help Coloradans “expand their understanding of history and lived experiences of the Centennial State’s diverse populations and celebrate Hispanic Americans who motivated others to succeed.”
History Colorado o ers various opportunities for learning throughout the state, from Denver to Fort Garland, and online. Go to their website for admission costs and other details.
A dancer at the Viva Southwest Mariachi Conference on the Metropolitan State University Auraria Campus in April 2024.
FILE PHOTO BY ARMANDO GENEYRO/KUNC
Oculofacial Plastic Surgery
Colorado Eye Consultants welcomes board-certified ophthalmologist, Dr. Carl Rebhun, specializing in Oculofacial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Rebhun’s extensive training has helped him build a reputation as a skillful surgeon who utilizes the most innovative techniques to obtain exceptional, natural looking results. Along with a compassionate bedside manner and dedication to helping others, Dr. Rebhun has helped his patients achieve their goals through both surgical and non-surgical procedures.
Dr. Rebhun’s surgical expertise includes functional and cosmetic procedures of the lids and brows, as well as reconstructive surgery following Mohs surgery.
To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, please call
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GUARDIANS
As the law enforcement role aims to address mental health challenges, the Law Enforcement Hero of the Year award went to the Douglas County Community Response Team. Cpl. Grant Collins of the Lone Tree Police Department, with special honors to Mental Health Clinician Sophia Lind, were awarded for their e orts on the night of Dec. 21, 2023.
Around 8 p.m. in late December, Collins responded to a shoplifting call at Costco and contacted the suspect, which led to a foot pursuit. After running across the parking lot, the suspect attempted to dive over the railing that had a 20-to-30 foot drop on the other side. As the suspect screamed at Collins that he wanted to die, Collins grabbed the suspect before going over.
Almost an hour after that incident, o cers were dispatched to a distur-
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bance in a residential neighborhood in which they were advised that a male party with autism was having a mental breakdown. As Collins approached the male, he noticed the man had a curved knife in his hand. Collins was able to build a rapport with the man, convincing him to drop the knife.
Response to these incidents are “a testament to their extraordinary services and a profound impact of integrating mental health professionals with law enforcement o cers,” said Weekly. “Together, they are not just responders, but they are guardians to both safety and well being.”
In a video presented to the event’s audience, Collins said that while he was proud of the award, it’s situations like these that o cers face daily.
strength in helping others cope with their mental health challenges.
While presenting the award to Garza, Andy Jones, a Navy retiree who also serves as the Highlands Ranch Metro District director and a Douglas County Community Foundation board member, quoted Garza: “Once I started giving life a try, that’s when things started working out and getting better for me.”
Garza wrote a book, “Disturbed Earth: My Journey from Guilt to Forgiveness,” after a fellow veteran and friend took their own life and last year, Garza was the recipient of a custom-built home in Sterling Ranch.
“In the moment, you don’t think about it – you act,” said Collins. “I think any o cer would have done the same.”
e Douglas County Search and Rescue nonpro t was also awarded. e all-volunteer team operates in-county and anywhere in the state. Calls range from searches for missing persons in residential areas to the rescue of those injured or in need of assistance in the wilderness.
“We are all proud of the service that we provide to our individual communities,” said South Metro Fire Rescue Chief Mike Dell’Ofrano. “We also understand that disaster has no boundaries.”
U.S. Marine veteran Cpl. Ryan Garza was among the many who received a standing ovation as sacri ce has been a common theme in his life.
Garza joined the Marine Corps in April 2008. During his fourth tour, on Oct. 3, 2011, in Afghanistan, Garza’s convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device, resulting in the loss of his right leg and traumatic brain injury. In the years following, Garza struggled with his mental health but found
“Cpl. Garza has transformed his personal trauma into a life dedicated to serving others through leadership, inspiration and hope,” said Jones. e night’s recognitions also extended to those helping the community’s four-legged and winged residents. Emily M. Davenport, founder of the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance, was awarded for her e orts in rehabilitating wildlife. e nonpro t wildlife hospital cares for nearly 1,000 animals per year with the goal of releasing them back into their natural habitat.
Additional recognition was given to the Parker Police Department for their response to shots red at the Mt. Fuji restaurant in Janurary, and the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce response team to the apparent murder/suicide at the Parker Incline, also in January. e second annual gala raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the Douglas County Community Emergency Relief Fund.
And just as the year prior, the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners o ered to match a donation up to $200,000.
“In Douglas County, we fund rst responders,” said Commissioner Abe Laydon.
Parker Chronicle
A variety of vehicles, aircraft and tools used to assist the community during emergencies were set up outside of the private jet hangar at the Centennial Airport for the 2024 Douglas County Community Foundation’s Heroes Gala.
PHOTO BY HALEY LENA
‘People need to understand just how rewarding education is’
Kevin Vick takes reins of Colorado Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union
BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT COLORADO
Kevin Vick moved to Colorado in 1993 and quickly found the ski slopes. Six years later, he was skiing 100 days a year and in the summers went mountain biking and rock climbing.
He loved being outdoors, but he felt like something was missing from his life.
“I didn’t feel like I was having a real great purpose,” he said. “Or I was really making a di erence.”
He turned to teaching and found his purpose helping students as a social studies teacher and prep football coach. He also taught other educators to advocate for themselves and organized them to better their
work conditions.
Now, in his 24th year as an educator, Vick, 55, who has taught at Doherty High School, has taken over as president of the Colorado Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union. He wants to use his platform to make sure Coloradans know how much hard work and dedication educators put into their jobs.
He also wants to share his belief that teaching is full of purpose and teachers make a di erence every day.
“I think people need to understand just how rewarding education is and how admirable the people that are in it really are,” he said. “ ey’re trying to make students better, Colorado better, and, ultimately, the world better.”
Vick recently talked with Chalkbeat Colorado about his new position as president.
Vick is stepping out of the vice president role
As the former vice president of CEA, Vick worked closely with former President Amie Baca-Oehlert.
“You kind of serve at the pleasure of the president,” Vick said. “So whatever Amie needed, I was managing.”
He doesn’t plan big changes to the priorities of the union, which has 40,000 members statewide. As a former Colorado Springs Education Association president, Vick says he
cares about empowering teachers to have a voice and bargain at the local level.
Vick also cares about how testing and state accountability impact teachers and students. He feels accountability has created a one-
Colorado Education Association President Kevin Vick is the new president of the union that represents more than 40,000 members statewide. COURTESY PHOTO
Cruisin’ to provide food assistance
Annual car show in Parker raises funds for local nonprofit
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As people gathered in downtown Parker for the 15th annual Parker Cruisers “CarFest” car show in midAugust, it was a day of sunshine, music, food and admiring the beauty in the details of cars.
But it was also a day to support a local nonpro t and give back to the community.
“We don’t do this for ourselves,” said event organizer Levi Longmore in a statement. “We do this for the Parker Task Force.”
Longmore is one of the main event organizers for the Parker Cruisers, a group of car enthusiasts who support local charities and businesses.
e group started out as a small Facebook group, but has grown over the years to include more than 1,500 participants.
is year, the Parker Cruisers car show event sold out with more than 125 pre-registered vehicles. Stretching from O’Brien Park to Parker Station, guests walked along Mainstreet, viewing the classics as well as muscle cars, hot rods and the 1910 Pierce Arrow and 2018 Lamborghini.
It takes more than 20 volunteers from the group and about a year of planning to make the event happen, but Longmore says it’s all worth it.
“At the end of the day, we are exhausted, but we feel pretty good about what we accomplished,” said Longmore.
All the proceeds — roughly $13,000 — went to the nonpro t organization, e Parker Task Force for Human Services food bank. In its 37th year of service, the task force serves residents in need with support with food assistance in the Parker, Franktown and Elizabeth communities.
e general manager of the Parker Task Force, Pat Greaser, expressed his gratitude for the community and participants.
“It means so much to be the bene ciary of a tremendous event put
left: Mayor Je Toborg, Levi Longmore of the Parker Cruisers, Pat Greaser of the Parker Task Force and Jeni Mellott of the Parker Cruisers stand together during the 15the annual Parker Cruisers “CarFest” car show that benefits The Parker Task Force.
on by a group of dedicated local citizens,” Greaser said in a statement.
As the food bank prides itself on providing healthy perishable foods in addition to the non-perishable grocery items donated through community drives, the funds raised at the car show will go towards purchasing items like milk, cheese, butter, meat, fruits and vegetables.
With vegetables and fruits being grown at Hidden Mesa Open Space, the Parker Task Force has also received donations from Colorado State University Master Gardeners and Douglas County Open Space volunteers, which, in turn, helps the organization save money for future expenses.
“So far this growing season, they have grown and donated 1,800 pounds of produce,” said Diane Roth, volunteer spokesperson for the Parker Task Force.
e next food drive will be on Saturday, Oct. 26. Items can be dropped o at the Parker Task Force located at 19105 Longs Way in Parker or outside of local King Soopers, Safefway and Walmart stores.
“ e goal is getting folks back to self-su ciency,” said Roth.
For more information about what is needed at food drives, visit the website parkertaskforce.org/WP/.
The 15th annual Parker Cruisers “CarFest” car show in mid-August featured more than 100 cars including classic cars, muscle cars, hot rods and a 1910 Pierce Arrow and 2018 Lamborghini. COURTESY OF LEVI LONGMORE
From
PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANE ROTH
Colorado electrical co-ops lead nation in federal grants
Three Colorado electrical cooperatives will be getting chunks of a $9.7 billion federal program designed to aid rural America in making the transition to a clean energy economy.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, which delivers power to 41 member cooperatives across four states, 16 of them in Colorado, is in line to get $679 million. at award is in the underwriting stage. Tri-State is con dent it will be awarded.
“We are optimistic that our application will move forward and be fully funded,” said Lee Boughey, the vice president for communications at Tri-State.
United Power, an electrical cooperative based in Brighton that has 112,000 members in northern Colorado, expects to get $261 million. Un-
til May, it got all but 5% of its electricity from Tri-State.
CORE Electric Cooperative, which is based in Sedalia and serves Castle Rock, Parker and a large swath of land both east and west, also was named a recipient. It was invited to apply for up to $225 million in program budget authority to procure renewable energy sources including wind, solar and batteries through several power purchase agreements, subject to the nal funding process.
Colorado was the lone state to have multiple winners. e other 15 recipients span the country from New Jersey and Florida to Arizona
and Alaska.
e money comes from a program called New ERA (Empowering Rural America), which was funded through the In ation Reduction Act passed by Congress in 2022. e program has been called the most important investment in rural America since President Franklin Roosevelt in 1936 signed the Rural Electri cation Act. at law provided funding to promote electri cation of widely dispersed customers in rural America that investor-owned utilities had found too expensive to serve.
In remarks in Wisconsin on ursday to celebrate the funding, President Joe Biden also drew comparisons to the legislation that created the interstate highway system in 1956. ere, Dairyland Power Cooperative, which has 24 member cooperatives
in Wisconsin and three other states, is to get $473 million from the New ERA program.
Uday Varadarajan, senior principal on the electricity team at RMI, said the New ERA funding will have impacts far larger than the dollar amounts. One key provision of the In ation Reduction Act allows electrical cooperatives to access money for clean energy that was previously unavailable to them because of their nonpro t status. Tax credits for clean energy development were available to for-pro t developers and utilities but not rural cooperatives. is, Varadarajan said, was a fundamental inequity. It put electrical cooperatives serving rural America at a disadvantage. Now, provisions in the In ation Reduction Act will
REVERSE MORTGAGES MADE
Allen Best
level the playing eld. “ ey are now nally able to take advantage of those clean energy tax credits,” he said.
“ ere are strong reasons to believe that the program over time will increase their nancial con dence in really moving more aggressively to take advantage of clean energy, which is increasingly competitive and reliable,” he said.
New ERA funding will allow rural electric co-ops to overcome their reluctance to go into further debt and by reducing the burden of their old debt. With less aversion to taking on new debt, Varadarajan explained, they can feel more con dence about investing in new renewable generation — and owning it instead of mostly buying the generation through power-purchase agreements.
Varadarajan credited Tri-State in making the pivot from being just a big cooperative to now becoming a leading cooperative in aggressively taking advantage of the incentives to move thoughtfully and carefully to transition their system from fossil fuel generation to renewable resources.
And Colorado’s prominence among the recipients also re ects on the state’s political leadership and the grassroots support, he said.
Tri-State lobbied hard for a carveout in the In ation Reduction Act that would allow it and other cooperatives that serve predominately rural areas of the United States to get assistance in the energy transition. Based in Westminster, Tri-State had become heavily anchored in coalred generation and was weighted down in the transition by the debt on some of these coal plants.
e federal money will be used by Tri-State to support the retirement of 1,100 megawatts of coal- red generation. It shut down one coal plant in New Mexico in 2019 and has plans to close the three coal-burning units it operates at the Craig Generating Station from 2025 to 2027. It had originally planned to close Springerville 3, a coal plant in Arizona, in 2040, but the promise of the federal funding has given Tri-State the comfort to pay o undepreciated debt in the plant and move up its retirement to 2031. It has made plans not to divest from generation at the Laramie River coal plant in Wyoming.
e award will help Tri-State procure 1,480 megawatts of renewable energy in the form of solar, wind and battery storage. is conversion will reduce member costs an estimated $422 million over 20 years.
e original letter of intent for New ERA funding, submitted by Tri-State a year ago, was for $970 million. Because of the number of applications from across the country, Tri-State and other applicants were advised to moderate their requests. Tri-State was invited to submit a proposal for $679 million.
rough a mix of low-interest loans and grants, Tri-State would look to leverage this budget authority to support investments that could total more than $2 billion for 18 different projects. It plans to issue a request for proposals in September.
In an interview, Duane Highley, the chief executive, said that TriState began getting news in early August that it was in line to receive funding. at, along with news from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that aligned with Tri-State’s plans, made it his single best week since he joined Tri-State as chief executive in April 2018.
e nancial award is also making Tri-State more attractive in the eyes of Wall Street analyst. Highley said Tri-State had been in conversation with Standard & Poor’s and the two other credit agencies. “ ey are extremely excited,” he said.
e federal money will result in “less risk, a stronger balance sheet and lesser rates” for Tri-State’s members, he said.
Tri-State’s ratings had been declining in recent years as member cooperatives left Tri-State to pursue what they consider to be greener pastures elsewhere. Kit Carson Electric, in New Mexico, left in 2016 and has succeeded greatly. It was followed by Delta-Montrose Electric in Colorado and then, on May 1 this year, United Power. ree others are now in line to leave.
In rural Colorado, the announcement was welcomed by individuals who get power from cooperatives supplied by Tri-State.
“ is is a big deal for Coloradans who get their electricity form rural electric coops on Tri-State’s system,” said Je Fiedler, a Lake County commissioner who is also a board member of Buena Vista-based Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, a Tri-State member. “Our communities have supported Tri-State’s re-
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Home is where the heart is
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Home is where the heart is,” but as we o cially head into the fall, there’s something special that truly makes us feel it. Whether it’s the turning of the leaves, the crisp coolness of the evenings, the smell of rewood burning, or the cozy embrace of a favorite sweater or denim jacket, this season seems to tug at our hearts in a way no other time of year can. It might even be as simple as slipping into our favorite team’s T-shirt or jersey, or perhaps it’s the scent of a freshly baked apple or pumpkin pie that lls our homes with warmth and love. Whatever the reason, there’s a sense of home that becomes unmistakable as fall settles in.
As someone who has spent
much of my professional life traveling, experiencing major metropolitan cities, quiet suburbs, and rural communities around the world, I’ve often fantasized about what it would be like to live in each of those places. Could I actually do it? Would my family be up for the adventure, just as eager and curious as I was?
More often than not, these thoughts remained just that, fantasy. After all, by the time my journey in each city was over, I’d typically ruled out most of those places anyway
One of my favorite pastimes is hopping on a real estate website like Zillow, randomly picking cities, and seeing what’s available. I’ve shared this with a few people over the years, and it turns out I’m not alone, many of us love to indulge in virtual house hunting. As I’ve traveled, I’ve spoken with people in the cities and towns I’ve visited, or met new friends on ights who talk up their hometowns, and here’s something I’ve learned: For the most part, people love where they live. Regardless
of whether it’s a bustling city, a sleepy suburb, or a quiet rural area, there’s something about their home that lls their hearts.
I’ve been blessed to have lived in a few di erent places myself, spending some of my time in the mountains and some near the beach. For me, both places hold a special connection, and I refer to them both as home. Whether
Uit’s the serenity of the mountains or the calming rhythm of the waves, my heart is full in either place because it’s where I nd connection with my family, friends, and community.
For those of us who travel often, we know the undeniable feeling of the return ight home. After days of living out of a suitcase, dealing with airports, hotels, and
the hassle of travel, there’s no better feeling than knowing we’re on our way back to our own bed, our own space, and most importantly, our loved ones. at rst step through the front door, no matter how far we’ve traveled or how great the adventure, brings a sense of peace that can only be found at home.
Learn about Medicare enrollment Oct. 3
pdates pertaining to Medicare Open Enrollment will be presented at the ursday, Oct. 3 Seniors’ Council of Douglas County (SCDC) meeting. Representatives from the Area Agency on Aging will explain how the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP), which is the education arm of Medicare, can assist bene ciaries.
Older adults and those who care for older adults are invited to this meeting at
the Douglas County Administration Building located at 100 ird Street, Castle Rock, in Conference Rooms A & B. e will begin with announcements from 10-10:15
a.m. followed by a 60-min-
ute Medicare update presentation, with community discussion from 11:15-11:30 a.m. A virtual option is available at www.douglas.co.us — search for Seniors’ Council.
According to Gretchen Lopez, SCDC Leadership Team, “ e presentation emphasis will be on speci c changes for 2025 rather than the basics of Medicare.” Desiree Boelte, State Health Insurance Assistance Program Manager, promises unbiased information. Qual-
i ed individuals will learn about cost-saving programs that can help cover Part A, Part B, and/or Part D premiums. “ e Open Enrollment period is from October 15th to December 7th each year. SHIP exists to simplify your Medicare journey,” states Boelte.
e SCDC meeting is free and open to the public. Interested older adults are invited and also encouraged to bring others who are interested in the Medicare updates.
e Seniors’ Council of Douglas County promotes Living Well/ Aging Well. SCDC is dedicated to advocacy, education, and collaboration. SCDC, which is a volunteer group, is supported by Douglas County Community Services. Details and updates are available at www. douglas.co.us — search for Seniors’ Council.
Jean Spahr is the publicity chair on the SCDC Leadership Team.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
An alternative property-tax plan Colorado’s property tax system doesn’t make sense. How is a town or a person supposed to make a budget when property taxes are tied to current property values and change every two years? Colorado needs a more stable way to calculate property taxes that isn’t a ected by a volatile market. e solution is simple, calculate property taxes based on the sale price of the property plus in ation.
In the 1970s California was going through a similar issue as Colorado is today. Between 1975 and 1978 home prices doubled in California leading to many older residents being taxed out of their homes. In 1978, California voters approved Prop. 13, a state constitutional amendment known as “ e People’s Initiative to Limit Property Taxation” that changed the assessed value of a home to be the purchase price plus a maximum increase of 2% annually. is disconnected homeowners’ property taxes from the volatility of the housing market and prevented people from experiencing huge increases in property taxes.
e property tax bill that was signed by Gov. Jared Polis two weeks ago barely helps current homeowners and will make property go up even further. Giving a discount on the assessed value isn’t terrible but it’s nowhere near the percentage home values have increased, plus they didn’t di erentiate between people that experienced an increase and people that just bought a house.
e other part of the bill that caps how much tax revenue local governments can collect is a terrible idea because it doesn’t account for population growth. If local governments need voter approval for increasing spending then they will be less likely to approve new housing developments that will require increased spending. If less housing developments get approval then home prices are just going to increase even further.
in ation. I know it’s not quite that simple and whatever bill that gets put forward needs to be nuanced but California has already gured it out over the last 46 years. is is a tried and true method for states with high property values.
Grant White, Parker
More immorality from Republicans
e events of the past few weeks have elevated the Republican candidates for president and vice president to new heights of perversity. eir posts, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,” and comments, “Haitians eat pets,” their infantile behavior, (actually, calling it infantile is an insult to children), association with a racist conspiracy theorist (Laura Loomer), citing an autocrat (Viktor Orban) as a witness for their superiority, has surpassed even the worst I could ever imagine.
When did we stop requiring at least a modicum of morality to hold our highest o ces?
e Republican Party continues to excuse this bad behavior. Mike DeWine, the governor of Ohio, still insists that they can be our leaders. According to him, economic policy supersedes everything. And that I don’t understand, either. How can we let a self-proclaimed maybe billionaire entertainer, who has declared bankruptcy for his businesses six times, who has cheated workers all his life, be in charge of the economy?
Also, in Congressional District 4, Lauren Boebert is doing her best to follow their lead.
Ernst Popke, Highlands Ranch
Vote to ban trophy cat hunting
Colorado’s population is increasing and limiting local governments is only going to make it even harder for them to cope with this increase. We need a long-term solution that accounts for uctuating home prices and population growth. We need to calculate property taxes based on the sale price of the property plus
Voting “yes” on Proposition 127 to protect our Colorado wild cats is an opportunity to end cruelty. A chance to end the pain and su ering. e utter fear felt by a mountain lion while being chased by a pack of dogs until breathless and fatigued nally climbing a tree and trying to hide. en the pain of being mercilessly shot for head and hide. All for a trophy costing thousands of dollars.
cent moves to catch up in the energy transition, and make sure we don’t get left behind and miss out on cleaner energy and lower bills for rural residents and businesses.”
From Silverton, Scott Fetchenheier, a commissioner in San Juan County, had said his mountain county — alone among Colorado’s 64 counties with no irrigable acres — is already experiencing the impacts of climate change. “It’s a relief to know this federal funding will give Tri-State the tools it needs to fully transition rural communities o of the coal and gas plants that are fueling the climate crisis. I’m glad to see it,” he said.
“ is is such exciting news,” said Je Delaney, a resident of Crested Butte. “Rural communities have been looking in from the outside as the country transitions to clean energy, and this funding opens the door for our communities to be able to reap the bene ts of the move to renewable energy and leave the harm of fossil fuels in the rear-view mirror.”
Chad Franke, president of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, called out the plans by Tri-State to spread the projects it plans across its territory, bene tting farmers and ranchers and rural communities across several states.
Also a big winner in this week’s announcement is United Power, which has 113,000 members from the foothills to Colorado’s oil and gas Wattenberg Field. It became independent of Tri-State on May 1 and now generates its own power.
e green portfolio of the Brighton-based cooperative currently represents more than 300 megawatts of renewable energy from solar, hydropower and wind.
Another 470 megawatts of solar generation expected to be online will include 160 megawatts from a member’s agrivoltaics project.
it says demonstrates investment in a skilled, long-term workforce needed to power the energy transition. is includes an apprenticeship program and line-worker scholarships.
“ e New Era funding comes as a direct result of our business model change to a lower carbon future as outlined in Our Cooperative Roadmap three years ago,” said Mark Gabriel, United’s chief executive. “We will continue the critical work necessary to receive the funding in developing our Community Benet Plan. is money is directly tied to our independence as a distribution cooperative.”
CORE Electric will also get an award that will be used to procure approximately 550 megawatts of new wind and solar renewable energy along with 100 megawatts of energy storage.
e only other Western state to get New ERA funding in this rst round of awards is Arizona. Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, which provides electricity to 40 electrical cooperatives and public power districts in Arizona, Nevada, California and New Mexico. Money will be used for investments in 730 megawatts of solar, 2,910 megawatt-hours of battery energy storage, and 70 megawatts of wind. According to the funding formula, Tri-State and other larger electrical providers were to get 60% of the $9.7 billion, with midsized cooperatives getting 20% and smaller cooperatives the nal 20%. Several smaller Colorado cooperatives also submitted letters of interest to RUS for New ERA funding. ose recipients have yet to be announced.
Holy Cross Energy, the Glenwood Springs-based electrical cooperative serving the AspenVail-Battlement Mesa area, is not among them. e coop chose not to apply for assistance because it is already far along on its decarbonization path. In May, it achieved 80% emissions-free energy and expects to surpass 90% sometime early in 2025.
is harassment of our mountain lions is indefensible. A wealth of science shows it is not necessary. Science shows mountain lion numbers will not explode out of control. Deer and elk numbers will not go down.
SEE LETTERS, P31
Also cited in United Power’s presentation is the cooperative’s Community Bene ts Plan, which
See more stories about Colorado’s energy transition at BigPivots.com
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BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Since the 1950s, pop culture has had a profound in uence on the idea of extraterrestrials and mysterious ying objects. Whether exemplifying the public’s fears or hopes of the existence of another life form, TV shows, movies and comics have helped form a fascination with the unknown.
As we develop into a more digital world, some confusion has accompanied the fascination, building a culture of conspiracy, assumptions and growing questions, according to an Enigma Labs consultant Alejandro Rojas.
“ e public really wants to be part of the club that has seen something extraordinary,” said Seth Feinstein, president and state director of the Colorado Mutual UFO Network.
COMUFON is a chapter of an international nonprofit organization, MUFON, which has been around since 1969 to investigate sightings, collect data and establish a worldwide database in hopes of educating the public. e idea of “ ying saucers” became a national interest in the late 1940s when a rancher in Roswell, New Mexico found remnants of a ying object.
black “fish-shaped” object can be seen in the sky above a traditional commercial aircraft. Kevin Benham, who provided the photo, has been investigating Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena for years after seeing one in Aurora, Colorado. COURTESY OF KEVIN BENHAM
CURIOSITIES
By 1952, the U.S. Air Force coined the term UFO — unidenti ed ying object — as part of Project Blue Book, a program that investigated and analyzed UFO reports. e project was closed in 1969 and since then, the records have been with the National Archives.
Just like “ ying saucers,” the term “UFO” became synonymous with alien spacecraft. In an e ort to avoid speculation, investigators have now been referring to them as UAPs – unidentied anomalous phenomena – as they do not know the nature of the objects.
As documentaries and novels studying the phenomena continue, there has been more transparency from the national level.
ere have been multiple Congressional hearings surrounding the topic, the Director of National Intelligence writes annual reports on UAP sightings by the military and NASA as a UAPindependent study.
Earlier this year, the Department of Defense’s Alldomain Anomaly Resolution O ce put out a statement that the department doesn’t believe sights of UAPs are of “extraterrestrial activity.”
Whatever it may be, people are interested in the unknown. As researchers continue to gather information, many residents across the metro area are attending talks and studying the subject themselves.
“It’s part of the mystery,” Rojas said.
Did you see that?
e mystery is what attracts people.
e Highlands Ranch Historical Society sponsors over ten programs on various topics throughout the year, one that focuses on UFOs and the supernatural. Each year, it’s the most attended program, said McKeag.
Over the summer, the so-
ciety invited researcher, investigator and author Katie Paige to speak about strange occurrences that have happened along the front range.
Paul McKeag, a former board member of the historical society, had known of Paige and has had an interest in the phenomena from an early age.
“I have never seen one, but I’ve had close family members that have experienced them,” McKeag said.
He grew up in a sparsely populated area of Nebraska on a farm. When he was about ve years old, his parents had friends from out of state visit. One night, he had gone to bed when his parents heard the cattle making strange noises.
McKeag said when his parents went to look, the cattle were circling around the young and there was a sulfur smell in the air. at’s when they noticed a disc shaped object not making any noise, but slowly rotating. He remembers them telling him the next morning that they watched it for some time before it shot straight up in the air.
Sara Lebofsky, a current Highlands Ranch Historical Society board member, was a skeptic up until a little over a decade ago.
“I have become more and more convinced that we’re not alone,” Lebofsky said.
Lebofsky rst became interested when she saw a ballot measure in Denver calling for the city to accept reports of UFO sightings. Although the measure failed in 2010, it was enough for Lebofsky to start reading about the phenomenon.
One day, Lebofsky’s husband was looking out the front door and suddenly called her over. After she rushed to the door, she said they both saw a large object with lights on the bottom. She recalls the object moving straight up and down, then to the east and back before suddenly disappearing.
“We just stood there trying to come up with what
it could be,” said Lebofsky. “But everything that we tried to think that it might be was not possible.”
In 2020, numerous reports were coming in across the metro area.
Micki Trost, strategic communications director of the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said the division worked with local law enforcement and most reported sightings were identi ed as Starlink Satellites, aircraft landing at Denver International Airport and drones used by utility companies.
When asked how the division handles reports of sightings, Trost said in an email that the division recommends if someone has a safety concern to contact local law enforcement through the non-emergency phone number if it isn’t an immediate life safety issue or 911 it is a life safety issue.
“(People) should always report any concerns to local law enforcement,” Trost said. “Our role is to support local law enforcement and government.”
Using science to understand what’s going on
When Kevin Benham witnessed a solid black sphere with no lights or sound moving at an incredible speed in 2014 near southeast Aurora, he wanted to learn more.
Benham, now retired, became a eld investigator with Colorado Mutual UFO Network in 2016.
“Everybody who’s involved in MUFON is passionate about the truth behind UFOs,” said Seth Feinstein, state director.
All eld investigators are trained in the most up-todate programs. Using the scienti c method, the investigators use the Jacques Valet classi ca-
tions as a guide and a photo analysis team analyzes photos to authenticate the image or video to help identify the object.
Feinstein, who is also the Case Management System coordinator and leader of the Photo Analysis Team, became interested when he was a teenager with friends in a suburban Long Island, New York park when he said a silent craft with “lights swirling all around” ew silently over them.
Now, he has been studying the subject for about 35 years, adding that the use of cell phone cameras has created a shift in the amount of sightings being reported.
Cell phone cameras are essential to what is being done at Enigma Labs. e company, based out of New York, describes itself as a “community-driven product” that aims to provide tools for analyzing and discussing sightings with an overall goal of being the rst unidenti ed anomalous phenomena sightings alert network.
“We would like to have a real time alert system so people can be noti ed when
something’s being seen near them,” Rojas said. With hundreds of reports being uploaded to their app per week, Rojas said Enigma has built a community where researchers can crowdsource the data as scienti c investigation and data collection is critical.
For nearly two decades, Rojas has been working with di erent nonpro t organizations, writing and researching the topic. But before that, he was a Colorado journalism student, with a focus on science, and he was skeptical about the subject.
“I started hearing about a lot of stories that I didn’t see in the news where there were credible people claiming incredible things,” Rojas said. “It took o from there.” ere is a perception that UFOs or UAPs mean alien spacecraft. While Rojas doesn’t believe there is strong enough evidence to determine that, there is the ability to collect and analyze more data, just as the Department of Defense and NASA are doing.
As characteristics are beyond any known commercial or military technology, Enigma Labs suggests UAPs can manifest in various forms. Some hypotheses include: natural weather phenomena, human time traveling from the future, interdimensional entities, ancient probes from prior civilizations or arti cial intelligence that is further ahead than society realized.
However, there are people who are convinced that it’s aliens visiting.
“If they have a strong belief that they know what it is, they should be encouraging science to do more data collection and analysis,” Rojas said. “Because if they’re right, science will prove them right.”
TDe La Tierra tells story of Upper Río Grande Region
here isn’t just a single layer to history. Events and stories are built on top of each other, in uencing the future in ways both expected and surprising. De la Tierra: Re ections of Place in the Upper Río Grande new exhibit at the Colorado History Center, uses a blend of art, culture and artifacts to explore the historical and societal region of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.
“ is exhibit provides the opportunity to re ect on past and contemporary works and see how they interpret traditions from the region,” said Lucha Martinez de Luna, associate curator of Hispano, Chicano, Latino History and Culture with Colorado History. “When visitors walk into the exhibit space, they will be transported to this region and its cultures.”
De La Tierra is on display at the History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway in Denver, through April 6, 2025. e center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to Martinez de Luna, the area is the northernmost fron-
COMING ATTRACTIONS
tier of the Spanish empire and later Mexico and includes the San Luis Valley. To put together the exhibit, she and Jeremy Morton, exhibition developer and historian for History Colorado, worked with contemporary artists who are either from or have family ties to the Upper Río Grande region.
To
“ is is a multi-generational artistic exhibit, which highlights the continuation of the region’s cultural traditions in contemporary art,” Martinez de Luna explained. “We’ve broken it into three themes: land and water, cultural expressions and lifeways.”
Visitors will get to learn about the daily tasks of the people who lived in the region by checking out historical artifacts, like tools for shearing sheep, textile work and cooking. When paired with a range of artistic works, the exhibit is more clearly
able to provide a glimpse into life and the e ects of colonization in the Upper Río Grande.
For Martinez de Luna, who herself has ties to the region and artistic community, working on De La Tierra was an opportunity to work on one of her true passions — presenting voices from the community that usually aren’t featured in museums.
“Many people in the community were co-curators on the exhibit, donating photos, images and more. It’s an important reminder that museums are for the people,” she said. “When I started working at museums, I dreamed of opportunities like this.” e hope is that when people leave the exhibit, they’ll have learned something new about Colorado history and gained a greater appreciation for the state’s diversity.
“ ere’s been a continuation of cultural erasure for a long time, so I’d love it if people walk away understanding how complex and diverse Colorado is,” Martinez de Luna said. “We’re still striving for many of the same things now that people were back then. We’re really not as di erent as some would like us to believe we are.”
More information is available at www.historycolorado.org/exhibit/ de-la-tierra.
Silent Film Festival Returns for 11th Year
Denver Film’s annual Silent Film Festival is the best way to experience these unique and groundbreaking lms: on a big screen with live musical accompaniment. is year’s event runs from Friday, Sept. 27 through the 29th at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave.
e festival includes nine silentera feature lms and a shorts program, and features live music from local musicians like the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, e Dollhouse ieves and more. Schedule and tickets are available at denver lm.org/denver-silent-
Lloyd Michael, Jr. – Julesburg, CO 970-520-0023 |
lm-festival/.
‘James & The Giant Peach’ Sails into Northglenn
Author Roald Dahl is responsible for some of the most popular stories for children and young adults (let’s be honest, adults, too). Everyone has their favorites, and I’ve always been partial to “James & e Giant Peach.” So, I was really excited to see “James & e Giant Peach Jr.” is coming to Northglenn’s Parsons eatre, 1 E. Memorial Parkway, from Friday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, the 29th.
Staged as part of the city’s Northglenn Youth eatre Jr. program, the musical takes audiences on a magical journey across the ocean on a colossal peach.
Get information and tickets at northglennarts.org/upcomingevents/.
Clarke’s Concert of the Week — The Zen Diagram Tour at Fiddler’s Green e National and e War on Drugs are two of indie rock’s biggest bands. Each has its own approach — e National has been around for more than 20 years and are experts at music that can go from moody and introspective to sweeping and magisterial, while e War on Drugs makes heartland rock that can feel as vast as the landscape itself.
It’s a truly inspired idea to pair the groups for e Zen Diagram tour, which stops at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. in Englewood, at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. For an opener, audiences will be treated to a performance by Lucius, an indie pop band that has been a constant presence in the scene for years.
Get tickets for a guaranteed great night at www.axs.com.
Clarke Reader is an arts and culture columnist. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.
Clarke Reader
Thu 9/26
Rockies
@ 10:15am
Heather Gardens Clubhouse, 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora
Rotating Tap Comedy @ Coal Mine Ave Brewing @ 6pm
Coal Mine Ave Brewing Company, 9719 W Coal Mine Ave unit a, Lit‐tleton
Levitt Pavilion Denver, 1380 W Florida Ave, Denver
Tue 10/01
Stephen Dawes @ 6:30pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood Line Dance - 11:45 AM @ 10:45am Oct 1st - Dec 10th
Heather Gardens Clubhouse, 2888 S.
Heather Gardens Way, Aurora
Thu 10/03
Eric Golden @ 5pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker
information
In Elizabeth, Sammie D’s is D-lish
Family’s barbecue eatery is cruising along as it nears first anniversary
BY COURTNEY BAKOS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
As Sammie D’s restaurant in Elizabeth counts down to its one-year anniversary at the end of November, enthusiastic customers are keeping the establishment busy as they keep coming back for more Kansas Citystyle barbecue.
e Merriman family runs the eatery at 724 E. Kiowa Ave., the former Bernie’s Kitchen space, and named it after patriarch Sammie D. Merriman. Sammie was close friends with Ollie Gates, the legendary founder of Gates BBQ in Kansas City. is rich connection to barbeque heritage is just the beginning of the Sammie D’s story.
Sean Merriman, the restaurant’s co-owner and executive chef, carries the ame of family tradition with his own twist. After graduating from culinary school, Sean embarked on a nationwide barbecue tour, enhancing his craft across the country. His journey led him to develop what he calls “non-denominational” barbecue — an approach that blends techniques and avors from di erent regions. “We wanted to change people’s minds about what BBQ is,” Sean explained.
“Stogie,” their unique take on a French dip. e Stogie features smoked, thinly sliced brisket, Havarti cheese, house-made horseradish cream sauce, and au jus infused with locally grown rosemary. Another crowd-pleaser is their meat by the pound, with the burnt ends often being the rst to sell out. “ ey are not really burnt,” Sean said, “just
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e restaurant’s popularity is undeniable, with customers arriving as early as 10 a.m. eager to get a taste of the Merrimans’ unique barbecue. e lunch rush lasts until midafternoon, and by 4 p.m., the dinner crowd begins to gather. “We go until we sell out, or it’s time to close the doors.” Sean said.
“We love the small town vibe we have here,” Sean said of their Elizabeth storefront location. “It is extremely cozy and welcoming and they’ve been incredibly open to what we do and who we are. We love telling our story and meeting the
people within the community.”
As the Merriman family continues to grow their BBQ business, they stay true to their roots, serving up something delicious and distinctive with every dish.
For previous coverage of Sammie D’s, go to tinyurl.com/elizbbq.
Kansas City-style barbecue is the specialty at Sammie D’s in Elizabeth.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAMMIE D’S
Sean Merriman operates the meat grinder at his family’s Elizabeth restaurant that specializes in Kansas Citystyle barbecue.
Calling all chicken-salad lovers: You have new haven in Littleton’s Aspen Grove
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Earlier this month, a local customer drove to a restaurant in Aspen Grove before the sun even came up. e customer arrived at 3:15 a.m. and was the rst person in line when the business’ doors opened that day. ese e orts won this lucky customer free chicken salad for a year.
It was the grand opening of a Chicken Salad Chick of Littleton, a new location of the national restaurant in Aspen Grove. e restaurant is dedicated to made-from-scratch, southern-style chicken salad and aims to serve customers with gracious hospitality, according to its website.
“We put our heart into everything we do to create a lasting memory for our guests,” said the Aspen Grove location’s owner, Maureen McFerson. “You leave feeling taken care of, and better than when you came. at’s why many people use the word love when they describe this brand.”
Stay-at-home mom Stacy Brown started Chicken Salad Chick in 2008 in Alabama. Since she began whipping up chicken salad in her home kitchen, the brand has grown to have more than 225 restaurants across the country.
e regular menu features about a dozen types of chicken salad, all of which are named after women who are important in Brown’s life — Fruity Fran, Jalapeno Holly, Lauryn’s Lemon Basil and more. e restaurant also has seasonal specials and o ers other southern favorites like pimento cheese, egg salad and other sides and desserts.
McFerson said her favorite item on the menu is the Cranberry Kelli chicken salad.
“(It) was named after our founder’s sister-in-law, who is a teacher and a mom,” she said. “With cranberry and almonds, it strikes the balance of sweet and savory avors.”
After falling in love with the food and then learning Brown’s story, McFerson said she knew she wanted to be a part of the business. She chose to open the franchise in Aspen Grove because of the community there and in Littleton overall.
“Littleton has the strong sense of community that I think we all long for,” she said. “Aspen Grove is such a wonderful place to shop and take care of your daily needs. It’s really an anytime-of-the-day community gathering place, with lots of fun events and concerts and tenants that would elevate any brand.”
Leading up to its grand opening, Chicken Salad Chick of Littleton raised donations for the Backpack Society, a nonpro t organization that works to end food insecurity for students in the Douglas County School District and Littleton Public Schools. McFerson said the group raised more than $3,000 to support the nonpro t, which she works with as a volunteer.
As a woman-founded company and a woman-owned local business, McFerson said she also values that there are so many thriving, femaleowned small businesses in Littleton.
McFerson, a mother of two, said she is also very proud of the company’s value of family time. Chicken Salad Chick is closed on Sundays and many holidays to allow workers to have rest and time with their families, she said.
She said she hopes her restaurant can be a place for community members, especially women, to gather and chat, “whether they’re having a
good day or a bad day.”
when they came,” she said. e restaurant has a dog-friendly patio with games and chalk for kids and families to enjoy while they eat.
Chicken Salad Chick, 7301 S. Santa Fe Dr. unit 320, in Littleton is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is closed on Sundays. The location is hiring, and people can apply on Indeed.
am a Coloradan with a passion for
and over three decades of experience as a travel consultant. I’ve had the privilege of helping countless
Chicken Salad Chick of Littleton owner Maureen McFerson talks with visitors at the restaurant’s grand opening on Sept. 10. PHOTO COURTESY OF MAUREEN MCFERSON
Parker joins regional approach to provide more a ordable housing
Town works in conjunction with the Douglas County Housing Partnership
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As Douglas County looks to offer more a ordable housing opportunities, the Town of Parker has joined nearby municipalities in a regional approach to receive funding through Proposition 123.
Approved by Colorado voters in 2022, Proposition 123 aims to support and increase the supply of affordable housing and support the creation of homelessness assistance programs across the state. e proposition directs 0.1% of the state’s income tax revenue to assist in the development of a ordable housing and a ordable housing activities.
“ ose revenues are deposited into a state a ordable housing fund,” said John Fussa, community development director for the Town of Parker.
He added that the state estimates Proposition 123 has generated about $135 million in additional funding to support a ordable housing activities for 2023.
Along with the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, the City of Lone Tree, the Town of Castle Rock and the City of Castle Pines, the Town of Parker will be part of a regional approach maintained by the Douglas County Housing Part-
nership.
e Douglas County Housing Partnership is a multi-jurisdictional housing authority that works with businesses, and local and county government to address the lack of housing for people who work in the community.
To qualify for the funding provided by Proposition 123, the jurisdictions had to establish a baseline number of a ordable housing units and commit to increase the number of units over the next three years.
Estimated by the State Division of Local Government A airs, the Douglas County Housing Partnership, the town and the other partners have a three-year goal of creating over 1,000 new a ordable housing units across the county.
Of that number, the town’s commitment is 224 units, whereas Castle Rock has a goal of 277, and there
is a goal of 434 for unincorporated Douglas County. ese new units can be a variety of housing choices and serve rst-time homebuyers, older adults, long-time residents looking to downsize, those working in the retail and service sectors and essential workers.
“ e town’s participation with the other partners, and all municipalities in the county that are participating, maximizes the amount of state funding that comes locally to Douglas County to support a ordable housing activities,” said Fussa. e Douglas County Housing Partnership will coordinate administration, membership and the implementation activities. However, according to Fussa, potential bene ts of taking a regional approach is the partners will receive additional funding, which can be used for down-payment assistance
for rst-time homebuyers, support a ordable housing developments of all kinds and other activities such as land banking.
Land banking would allow the partnership to work with the partners, including the Parker, to purchase and reserve land for future development and activities.
“Not saying that will happen in the town, but it is an eligible activity,” said Fussa.
If the town does not meet the goal of 224 units at the end of three years, but the partnership through the regional approach exceeds the overall goal of 1,000 plus housing units, the town may be able to bene t by having some of those excess housing units, which are credits, allocated. e Douglas County Housing Partnership will be the mechanism to distribute excess credits. is will be done through board vote and action. e housing partnership will also be responsible for seeking funding for projects, tracking applicable projects and programs and submitting required reporting to the state for compliance.
Parker Councilmember Anne Barrington said it might be a challenge for the town to reach the goal, but she is excited for the opportunity.
“ e word a ordable housing, scares some people,” said Barrington. “It’s a regional e ort to create attainable housing for the middle class and it’s really to ensure that all communities can get the a ordable or attainable housing credits that they need.”
The Town of Parker has agreed to join nearby municipalities in Douglas County to take on a regional approach to o er more a ordable housing opportunities with the assistance of funds through Proposition 123.
PHOTO BY ARIA MARIZZA
size- ts-all approach. More consideration should be given to the challenges that happen in classrooms.
“Schools are threatened by sanctioning from the state to produce results, regardless of what the students may be experiencing in that environment,” he said. “ is creates a lot of disconnect for the teacher, because of their expertise, they know where a student should be. But they’re not able to because of the larger policy pressures.”
Vick will also have to tackle new issues in education that his predecessors did not, such as technology such as cellphones and arti cial intelligence.
Both are tools that can help teachers, but both must be used responsibly, he said.
For instance, Vick understands the debate around cellphones and that they can be disruptive. But many teachers have innovative ways of using cellphones in the classroom, he said.
Districts should consider how teachers teach before making broad policies, he added.
Workplace
conditions are especially important to Vick
School is a workplace, Vick said.
Vick believes better work environments start with pay, and many teachers have a hard time making ends meet on their salaries. Educators can barely a ord to cover their health care, he said. Colorado and other states have struggled to keep
teachers in the classroom because of pay, and many educators end up working multiple jobs because they don’t earn enough teaching.
“Educators do get better every year of their career,” he said. “ ey just get a higher skill level every year. And so we need to keep them in as long as possible.”
Vick will continue to push for more state education funding is week, Vick appeared before lawmakers this week during a special session to help secure a deal that could avoid two ballot initiatives that many predicted would devastate schools and government services. e special session called by Gov. Jared Polis was meant to help preserve education funding while also striking a deal on property tax relief.
Vick defended the property tax
deal to fend o the ballot initiatives.
And for years, CEA has been a constant in legislative committees, especially when it comes to calling for increased school funding. is year, Colorado lawmakers ended the practice of withholding money from schools to pay for other priorities.
Not much will change there with Vick. He said he supports a statewide ballot initiative to boost school funding.
“We feel that the timing is pretty good right now to make that case to voters that our schools do deserve better and our kids deserve better,” he said.
is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.
Loveland Ski Area will start making snow in early October for the upcoming ski season.
Loveland Ski Area to start making snow in early October
Popular ski destination in Dillon will start using snow guns in anticipation of the upcoming season
tions allow, Schaefer said.
e ski area also recently announced a price freeze from last season’s 4-Paks and 3-Class Passes, meaning rates won’t go up for the 2024-25 season e price deadline for season passes is Dec. 5, and the deadline for 4-Paks is Nov. 24.
Loveland Ski Area will make it snow in early October in anticipation of opening its rst lifts by early November, according to Marketing Manager Dustin Schaefer. e ski area’s plan is to start making snow using snow guns at the top of Chet’s Dream ski run and work their way down to the base as condi-
“Loveland’s opening day terrain will include Catwalk, Mambo and Homerun, o ering 1,000 vertical feet of tree-to-tree coverage with an 18inch base,” Schaefer said.
An exact opening date is yet to be announced and will depend heavily on the weather conditions, Schaefer said. Last year’s opening day was Nov. 10.
It typically takes about two weeks of continuous snowmaking to get the mountain ready, Schaefer added.
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So whether you’re like me, a virtual real estate shopper, daydreaming about what life could be like in di erent cities or countries, or you’re con-
LETTERS
Last season about 50% of mountain lions killed were females. Long after weaning from mother’s milk, kittens still need their mothers to survive. e great toll on females inevitably orphaned kittens last year, left alone and starving in the middle of winter. e cruelty to our Colorado wild cats doesn’t end there. Our bobcats are trapped, beaten to death or strangled without limit; furs then sold for pro t outside the USA. If our domestic cats were treated like their wild cousins we would be aghast. A wild cat feels emotions like fear and pain, just as our cats in our laps do.
tent in the town you’ve always called home, remember this: wherever your heart is, your home will be there too. It’s not about the location, the size of the house, or the view outside the window, it’s about the love, warmth, and connection we share with the people and memories that ll our lives.
We have the chance to stand up for our wild cats and call for an end to the unnecessary cruel treatment of them. Vote “yes” on Proposition 127. Lynn Ackerman, Highlands Ranch
Stop mountain lion trophy hunting
I plan to vote yes on Colorado’s ballot measure to end trophy hunting of mountain lions for their heads and skins and ban baiting and trapping of bobcats for fur which is often sold to China.
I am from Denver, Colorado, and I volunteered to get signatures for this proposition, because I care about the environment and the ecological balance wildlife provides. While I do understand standard hunting, I do not believe in animal cruelty.
Mountain lions contribute to our ecology by helping to cull deer and
Home is where we nd comfort. It’s where we wrap ourselves in familiar scents and sounds, where laughter echoes, and where love resides. No matter how far we wander, home is always waiting for us, wherever our hearts lead us back to. As always, I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when our
heart is connected to our home and home life, 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.
elk populations. ey pick o weaker animals that su er from wasting disease. A scienti c article written by Jim Keen, DVM, Ph.D., entitled “A Scienti c Review of Mountain Lion Hunting and Its E ects” explains these ecological issues. is proposition would also o er a common-sense solution to wild animal management. ere are exceptions in the proposition allowing the killing of lions if they threaten livestock or property. is proposition does not ban regular hunting of lions. Trophy hunters often pay $8,000 for a guaranteed kill. ey use packs of dogs with radio collars to tree the cat and then the hunter walks out and kills it. is method is cruel, non-sportsmanlike and unnecessary. Hunting mountain lions by tracking them still remains totally legal.
Killing of lactating female mountain lions is not allowed due to abandonment of cubs and great potential loss of lion population. In 2023-2024, 235 female lions were killed, which amounts to 47% of the 500 licenses given. is is an unacceptable percentage and needs to end.
Some of the best conversations I have had while gathering signatures were with regular hunters. ey almost always signed my petition. ey fully understand the frivolous cruelty and ecological disregard of the majority of trophy hunters. It is in these regards that this proposition just makes good sense. Let’s not continue to cruelly kill Colorado cats while providing exceptions to protect people and property.
