University of Colorado Denver professor Dr. Wes Marshall started his career as a tra c engineer, but he quickly realized that safety rules in the profession were built on what he described as pillars of sand.
Marshall’s new book, “Killed by a Tra c Engineer,” details the myriad of systemic failures that have led to record numbers of tra c deaths.
Tra c crash deaths have taken the lives of more people in the United States than all U.S. wars combined, said Marshall, who has written more than 70 research papers on streets and transportation. He wanted to use this book to go after the foundations of the system.
“ e real problem isn’t just that we put Band-Aids on our problems,” Marshall said, “which is the vicious cycle we are stuck in now. We create terrible roads, throw Band-Aids on here and there, but they don’t x what led to problems in the rst place.”
Marshall’s book opens with a comparison to the very early days of the medical profession, when, one could argue, more people were killed by it than helped. For example, even as recently as the 1940s, Marshall writes, “doctors used Xrays to remove unwanted hair … and gave people cancer.”
c engineering profession, which is less than 100 years old and has produced a “system that incites bad behaviors and invites crashes.”
Marshall asserts that there isn’t one fundamental problem with the
Crash data, for example, focuses on human error such as speeding, driving through red lights or jaywalking. Holding the road user at fault lets tra c engineers o the hook, Marshall said, even when
data could have predicted the outcome or better design could have prevented crashes.
“Just to say it’s random user error doesn’t get at the fundamental problem, that the system is creating that error,” Marshall said.
In another example, Marshall describes how engineers often create wide roads – much wider than needed, and designed like highways – that easily allow, even invite, drivers to exceed the speed limit.
He notes that it’s not an error that everyone is speeding on streets like Federal Boulevard, it’s simply typical behavior for the street given its design.
When asked why Federal Boulevard is one of the most dangerous streets in Denver, especially for pedestrians, Marshall pointed to crash statistics that do not address the fundamental problem of the street. For example, if someone jaywalks and gets hurt or killed, the police will often cite jaywalking as the cause of the crash.
“As engineers and planners, we look at that data and we don’t think we did anything wrong, we just look at it and think we need to put more money into education and enforcement,” Marshall said.
Marshall advised that we take a step back and try to understand
Wes Marshall’s new book details transportation system failures that lead to deaths.
PHOTO BY ALLEN COWGILL
AmeriTowne: A summer camp that educates and excites
DEBUTS
why a person would illegally cross the street. e person may have jaywalked on a street like Federal because the nearest crosswalk is a half-mile away and sidewalks leading there might be nonexistent or impassable. He said that road users don’t want to get hurt, but that the built environment and road infrastructure can lead them to make decisions that seem rational given their options.
“To me, that is our fault as engineers that we are not providing people with a safe place to cross,” Marshall said, “but the data would never tell us that. I think we need to dig deeper.”
Marshall noted that the streets tra c engineers have spent the most energy re-engineering, widening and building for speed, like Federal Boulevard, are often the most deadly. Whereas neighborhood streets that have been minimally altered or remain unaltered by tra c engineers are often the most safe.
BY MONTY KRAJNIK SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON PARK PROFILE
Did you know you can learn about nances and economics while having fun? My favorite summer camp does just that. It’s called AmeriTowne and is put on each summer by Young Americans Center for Financial Education. e camp o ers real-life activities, a ton of knowledge on economics, and you are able to keep the items you purchase with your AmeriTowne money! ere are two locations, Denver and Belmar. Rising thirdthrough fth-graders may attend the week-long camps during June and July. e camp hosts 835 children across 15 di erent camps!
Riders race across the Mongolian steppe during last season’s Mongol Derby. Denver equestrian Gideon Kotkowski will compete in this year’s competition, which takes place in August.
Story on page 14.
COURTESY OF THE MONGOL DERBY
Marshall also described rules of the profession that are not grounded in safety. For example, many tra c engineers will set a steet’s speed limit based on what they call the “85th percentile rule.” is is the speed at or below which 85 percent of drivers travel on a road segment. So instead of basing the speed limit on what may be the safest for the road conditions or the community the road goes through, it bases the speed limit on how fast drivers are able to travel down the road.
Marshall noted that among the most signi cant of systemic problems are engineering schools that teach tra c engineering practices that lead to systemic failures.
Marshall said it gives him hope that CU Denver is trying to provide forward-thinking tools to tra c engineers and planners of the future.
A new university program, Human Centered Transportation Education, will o er a minor, certi cate, dual-degree and graduate-level programs.
Editor’s note: Allen Cowgill is the City Council District 1 appointee to the DOTI Advisory Board, where he serves as the board co-chair.
The “mayor” cuts the ribbon, which signifies that the town is open. COURTESY OF YOUNG AMERICANS CENTER FOR FINANCIAL EDUCATION
SEE AMERITOWNE, P6
BY MERYL PHAIR
SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON PARK PROFILE
Sarah Vander Neut recently stitched the nal threads of her 2,500th jacket since starting her Denver based apparel company Vander Jacket. Each individually designed and sewn product is a work of art for the Aurora based designer, who sources materials from excess fabric found in the metro area, upcy-
cling the surplus deadstock into functional eye-catching pieces. e jackets are thoughtfully crafted to accommodate everything a runner might need, such as a watch hole, longer cu s that can serve as gloves, thumb holes and an assortment of open pockets, like a back pouch to t anything from an extra layer to a water bottle and dog treats.
Sarah Vander Neut in pink Vander Jacket, just one of over 2,500 the designer has made from excess fabric acquired around the metro area. COURTESY OF VANDER JACKET
The Master’s Apprentice helps its students obtain and retain employment in their chosen field
BY NATALIE KERR
Two months ago, Jorge Ramirez was working a dead-end retail job that he had no passion for. Today, as a graduate of e Master’s Apprentice, he is a certi ed electrician and beginning an apprenticeship at an electrical company that he sees as the rst step in his lifelong career.
“For me, I was like, if I’m going into this, I’ve gotta put in 100% and hopefully, I get what they’re saying that I can get, which was the job — and I did,” Ramirez said.
e Master’s Apprentice is a Denver-based nonpro t that graduates hundreds of people each year with the skills to become carpenters, electricians, mechanics, plumbers and more from its six-week program. Last year, the program graduated 225 students and boasts an average of about 40% of them nding employment soon after graduation. e program’s success was rewarded in March with a $1 million grant from the Lowes Foundation to increase its capacity.
During the program, students attend classes and visit job sites to nd their desired eld and learn the necessary skills to enter it. Students are paid up to $100 each week, and a $250 Tool & Book Scholarship upon completion to help o oad the time they take o from work to attend. Other nancial assistance is available as well.
e program isn’t just about nding employment, but retaining it, said co-founder Luis Villarreal. rough mentorship and practical education, the students learn nancial literacy, social skills, a strong work ethic, how to write a resume and other profes-
sional skills they will use throughout their careers.
e Master’s Apprentice was born in 2013 out of a desire to solve two problems at once: A low supply of trades workers in the metro area, and to serve a demographic of people struggling to get out of dead-end jobs and into high-paying, rewarding careers.
“We started with men that are struggling these days, particularly young men without a direction. And we thought, how can we nd a future for them?” Villarreal said. “We thought that the construction trades were a good avenue where they could earn big money, a trajectory, economic security and social mobility.”
But they’re not in the business of supplying laborers to companies that have no career development opportunities, Villarreal said. e goal is to get people connected to companies with apprenticeship programs that will continue to nourish their skills and goals.
e Master’s Apprentice program directors help participants develop soft skills, such as collaboration, networking, time management and work ethic, Villarreal said. ey provide support both during the program and after graduation to help graduates stay focused and driven towards their goals. e sta continues to reach out to alumni, particularly in the few months following graduation, as well as maintain an alumni network that meets regularly.
“It’s kind of like a trampoline,” Villarreal said. “You’ve got all these springs, you fall and the springs bring you back up — it’s a network. If you don’t have a network and you fall, you don’t come up. But the network keeps you engaged, it keeps you going on the right track.”
SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON PARK PROFILE
Jorge Ramirez rounds the corner of a peice of cut plywood in the Master’s Apprentice woodwork workshop on June 6.
Jorge Ramirez sands down a piece of cut plywood in the Master’s Apprentice woodwork workshop on June 6.
PHOTOS BY NATALIE KERR
AMERITOWNE
Here is what a typical weekly schedule looks like:
Day 1: Introduction to the program; opportunity to run in an election for mayor, police o cer or banker; apply for rst job; classes on checking accounts and business ethics.
Day 2: Learn results of elections and rst AmeriTowne job; spend half day working at job and the other half writing a cover letter.
Day 3: Half day work at a second job while completing challenging tasks; spend half day learning how to write a resume.
Day 4: Half day working at a third job while completing di erent tasks; spend half day participating in a “real” job interview. During the interview, campers talk about why they want the job and why they are quali ed.
Day 5: Campers work at their fourth job at the highest position available. ey can purchase items from stores with AmeriTowne debit cards and cash. e second half day includes a debrief of AmeriTowne and a letter of recommendation activity.
Each day campers get opportunities to build experience by working in di erent types of jobs, e.g., photographer, mail person, radio DJ and banker. You cannot do a job twice, and you want to save your fa-
vorite job for Friday because that’s when you’ll actually be selling stu and completing the most tasks.
When Merit Brown, a fourthgrade student at Academia Ana Marie Sandoval, was asked for his opinion of the job system, he replied, “It’s good because my dad owns his own business so I knew what to do, so they gave me a good job.”
Brown’s favorite thing about the camp was buying snacks with the money he had earned there.
When Trevor Mayo, director of marketing and communications at Young Americans Center for Financial Education was interviewed, he said his favorite part of AmeriTowne is “witnessing the sheer excitement and wonder on the faces of the children as they step through the AmeriTowne doors for the rst time.”
“It’s a magical moment when they realize that all the knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom
TRADE WORK
FROM PAGE 5
Finding e Master’s Apprentice turned Ramirez’s life around – not only in his work, but his social network, faith and self-con dence, too. Daily devotionals with the sta helped him reestablish a connection with his faith. He and other students also text in a group chat for general conversation, and to plan fun social events together.
Faith Davis, another recent graduate of e Master’s Apprentice, came into the program with an open mind and ultimately landed on carpentry as her profession. She didn’t know what to expect, especially since the program seemed too good to be true, she said. Davis faced challenges in school guring out her future trajectory, and disengaged teachers ultimately let her fall through the cracks.
Davis stopped participating in many of her classes starting in the fth grade, and never nished high school. She had her son in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and knew she wouldn’t be able to handle remote education.
But e Master’s Apprentice helped her nd a new passion in carpentry and learn the complex
about nancial literacy is about to come to life in this immersive experience,” Mayo continued, noting also that kids will gain invaluable skills and knowledge that will prepare them for managing money and making informed nancial decisions in the future.
ere are tons of options for day camps in Denver, but if you want a camp that is educational, interactive and enjoyable you should consider AmeriTowne. is impactful camp is special because it teaches campers, simply, the basics of real-life business scenarios. AmeriTowne has helped me understand how economic processes work through exciting hands-on activities. I love this camp and I encourage you to learn more about it on their website at yacenter.org/summer-camps/.
Editor’s note: Monty Krajnik is a sixth-grade student at Skinner Middle School in north Denver.
mathematics required in the eld. Now, she has a job in carpentry and is working towards her GED.
“It was a classroom setting, but it felt more like a discussion. e teachers actually bothered to care, and sit down and work with me, instead of just looking at me like I was stupid,” Davis said. e program competed nationally to earn the $1 million grant from the Lowes Foundation, and the sta is putting the money towards more tools and supplies for students, classroom spaces, o ce spaces, and anything else that will help attract and graduate more students, Villarreal said.
During his 50 years of helping low-income individuals, Villarreal has seen the impact of making small, but consistent, steps towards overcoming obstacles and nding success, he said. It’s encouraging to watch and he hopes that programs like e Master’s Apprentice helps boost the reputation of trade work, which is often looked down upon.
“Our population oftentimes can feel fatalistic, and that the American dream isn’t for them,” Villarreal said. “ e American dream is for everyone. It’s equal opportunity, but sometimes equal opportunity has to be surrounded with the right kind of support so it becomes more equal, and becomes more accessible.”
Second annual street fair returns July 20
BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON PARK PROFILE
e inaugural Tennyson Street Fair in north Denver went well last year, drawing roughly 15,000 people who came to eat, drink, check out homemade art objects and hear live music. Not to mention that the event drew about 100 exhibitors.
e event did well enough to jump the number of this year’s exhibitors
by about 33% to 150 – a big step for something so new. e Tennyson Street Fair returns this year from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 20. Attendance is free.
A portion of fair proceeds will bene t the Tennyson Berkeley Business Association. Organizers recommend that attendees take Lyft, Uber or public transportation to avoid parking problems. e block party will run along Tennyson from West 41st Avenue to West 43rd Avenue. What do organizers wish for this year?
Revelers enjoy live music, kid-friendly activities and culinary options from restaurants along Tennyson and 15 di erent food trucks. PHOTOS COURTESY OF RYAN COX PHOTOGRAPHY
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Access to tech is a human right
It’s nally happened. We’ve turned a corner. Everyone now understands that technology is a basic need. Whether it’s because of the rise in remote work or simply the rapid evolution of technology in everything we do, we cannot ignore the role technology plays in our lives.
But here’s what hasn’t happened yet: widespread understanding that older adults also view technology as a basic need. is ignorance is leaving older people behind and reinforcing the unfair bias that we can’t use technology
as we get older.
Peter Kaldes
Just look at the data: Only 64% of U.S. adults over 65 have an active broadband connection in their home. e rest — some 22 million people — lack access to service and/or equipment. No wonder one in four U.S. adults over 65 don’t use the internet, and at least
43% of Americans 60 and older report feeling lonely.
If we invest now in ensuring we all have equal access to innovative technology, we will create technology that improves how we age in the future. But it must be accessible and a ordable for all older adults and the organizations that serve them. While it’s true that Apple o ers in-store training, not everyone knows about it or can a ord Apple products.
Summer fun for all: DIY paint projects the whole family will love
Beat summer boredom, brighten your home and reuse a valuable resource — all with the power of leftover house paint. Gather the kids, dust o your paintbrushes and get ready for creative, eco-friendly fun. ese DIY paint projects are perfect for family bonding, transforming your space with vibrant colors and unleashing your inner artist, while repurposing your leftover paint.
Planters with personality
Ditch those dull, drab planters and create masterpieces with the whole family that your greenery will adore. Let imaginations run wild with stripes, polka dots or rainbows. Want more inspiration? Search online for kid-friendly planter designs — from cute animals to silly faces, the possibilities are endless for painters of all ages. Your plants will love their colorful new homes.
Furniture makeover mania
Got a chair that’s seen better days or a side-table that’s a bit too plain? It’s time for a rescue mission. Set up a workspace outside and let everyone participate. Younger kids can help with sanding, while older ones can tackle painting. Choose bright colors for a playful vibe or go
We need more e orts that increase access to technology, programs that promote age-inclusive design and aging-in-place technologies, and policy and advocacy e orts to increase a ordable internet access. ankfully, some of our community non-pro t organizations and our state government are making important e orts to meet these needs.
Sister Carmen Community Center in Lafayette teaches older adults, primarily Spanish-speaking immigrants, basic digital literacy skills. Senior Planet in Denver helps older adults learn new skills, save money, get in shape and make new friends.
for a coordinated theme — it’s your family’s unique creation.
Kevin Lynch
Accent wall adven-
A bold accent wall makes a big style statement, and it’s the perfect summer project for a team e ort. Let the kids pick a fun paint color and have them help with taping or even painting smaller sections. If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding stripes, a funky geometric pattern or even creating a mural.
Creative ideas for leftovers
Do you still have some leftover paint? Here are some additional DIY ideas for the leftovers:
• Bold birdhouse: Transform a basic wooden birdhouse into a colorful masterpiece.
• Painted rocks: Decorate smooth stones for the garden or write supportive messages and hide them as kindness rocks for others to nd.
• Personalized gifts: Spruce up plain picture frames, owerpots or trinket boxes to make one-of-a-kind presents.
anks to federal dollars, the State of Colorado will soon have a nal Digital Access Plan that will guide how accessible broadband and digital devices, digital skills education and cybersecurity training will help older adults, among other populations.
As businesses, governments and communities adopt and deploy new technologies, we should support these e orts to keep up with our needs. However, we should also expect and demand that we all have access to these new, cutting-edge resources. As with all human rights, technology shouldn’t be saved for the few.
Peter Kaldes, Esq., is the president and CEO of Next50, a national foundation based in Denver. Learn more at next50foundation.org.
The planet-friendly part e best part of these projects is that you’re teaching valuable lessons about upcycling and taking care of our planet. More than 800 million gallons of architectural paint are sold in the U.S. each year and as much as 10% of that goes unused. Leftover paint isn’t trash – it’s an opportunity to create something new and reduce waste.
Remember: leftover paint needs love, too
Even after your summer DIY adventures, some paint might re-
main. Don’t worry — PaintCare, a nonpro t paint recycling program, o ers a convenient way to manage your leftover paint responsibly. Households and businesses can drop o unused house paints, stains and varnishes for free recycling at any of PaintCare’s 208 drop-o sites across Colorado. By participating in this program, you can ensure your paint is recycled properly.
Kevin Lynch is PaintCare’s Colorado program manager. To learn more about PaintCare and nd a drop-o site near you, visit paintcare.org.
24th annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival to take place at Sloan’s Lake on July 27-28
BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON
SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON PARK PROFILE
As the legend goes, an ancient Chinese poet and court o cial named Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River in protest of the corrupt imperial government. Onlookers from the nearby village rushed into the river with their boats to retrieve Qu Yuan’s body, violently thrashing at sh with their paddles along the way to prevent them from eating his quickly decaying esh. is is said to be the origin of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, and ultimately the dragon boat race.
Historically, the Dragon Boat Festival takes place on the fth day of the fth lunar month, a traditionally
unlucky time of the year. According to the Smithsonian Institute, the festival incorporates several traditions that work to rid people of misfortune during this time. Parents, for example, give their children ve threads of colored silk to carry around with them during the Dragon Boat Festival. e threads are meant to keep negative spirits at bay.
To honor this Chinese tradition, communities all over the world hold Dragon Boat Festivals, incorporating food, arts and sports, all in celebration of Chinese history and culture.
Denver’s Sloan’s Lake Park is home to the United States’ largest Dragon Boat Festival, attract-
ing nearly 200,000 attendees in recent years. e Colorado Dragon Boat Festival debuted in 2001 with the mission of building bridges of awareness, knowledge and understanding between the diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Paci c Islander (AANHPI) communities in Colorado and the general public through cultural education, leadership development and athletic competition.
e 2024 Colorado Dragon Boat Festival will take place on the north side of Sloan’s Lake Park on July 2728. In addition to the much-anticipated dragon boat races, the festival will include an Asian Marketplace where vendors and artists will be selling wares, two Taste of Asia food
courts, and a stage for live music. It will also feature live art demos, eye dotting ceremony, a performing arts stage, water zorbs and a dragonland kids play area.
“Our festival stands out because we are not just about Dragon Boat races. We are an arts and culture festival that also highlights and promotes the ancient sport of Dragon Boating. On land, we feature three stages with over 60 performances from community organizations, including Taiko drumming, Indian dance, and K-pop battles,” said Sara Moore, executive director of Colorado Dragon Boat, a non-pro t established in 2001.
The Dragon Boat Races on Sloan’s Lake are a highlight of the festival.
COURTESY OF COLORADO DRAGON BOAT
TRADITION
ose involved with Colorado Dragon Boat believe that AANHPI representation is crucial, especially in Colorado. e AANHPI umbrella encompasses more than 40 di erent ethnicities and cultures.
“In Colorado, only about 4% of the population identi es as AANHPI, highlighting the need for our communities to unite to be seen and heard,” said Moore. “ is is precisely why Colorado Dragon Boat, the nonpro t that hosts the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, was established.”
Moore added that the three founders – Ding Wen Hsu, Howie Solow and John Chin – recognized the necessity of bringing diverse AANHPI communities together to celebrate a collective impact.
“ e Colorado Dragon Boat Festival not only unites our AANHPI communities in a safe and fun environment to celebrate and promote our remarkable contributions and achievements, but also invites the general public to join us in celebration,” Moore said. “Although we are an AANHPI festival, many attendees come from other marginalized and underrepresented communities. We strive to create a safe space for everyone to celebrate art and culture.”
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a signi cant increase in antiAsian sentiment and hate, making the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival even more vital in the post-pandemic era.
“It is heartwarming to see so many Coloradans and others support our community after such a challenging time. In 2023, over 200,000 attendees joined our two-day event, demonstrating Coloradans’ strong desire to support and uplift diversity and culture. We are a staple in Colorado history, as well as one of the largest events in Denver year after year,” Moore said.
Moore added that planning for the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is a year-round endeavor, and sta and volunteers are always introducing new and exciting elements to keep the festival fresh and relevant each year.
“For our sta , this event is a passion project that inspires them daily,” Moore said. “However, the festival would not be possible without the hundreds of community volunteers who devote their time and energy to ensuring a safe and enjoyable event each year.”
Volunteers: 400
Attendees: 200,000
Performers & Vendors: 180
IF YOU GO
Dates: July 27 & 28
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Sloan’s Lake Park, Denver Learn more: cdbf.org
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Girl meets a flying Chinese dragon.
Attendees of the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival. PHOTOS COURTESY OF COLORADO DRAGON BOAT
Governor Jared Polis poses with volunteers at the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival.
COLORADO DRAGON BOAT BY THE NUMBERS
STITCHES
“Good design is compassionate because it helps people, bringing beauty to their life and solving their problems,” said Vander Neut and for the designer, the creation of Vander Jacket did exactly that. While pregnant with her daughter in 2011, Vander Neut needed a jacket to wear running.
“At the time in Colorado, it was a decade where everyone wore two colors of a pu y coat from Columbia or North Face, or an REI brand,” said Vander Neut.
Unable to nd a jacket that t right for her growing body, and tired of wearing her husband’s old sweatshirt, she designed a few pregnancy jackets to wear. After her daughter was born, she sold her jackets at a ea market in Denver. e jackets were an immediate hit. Along with runners looking for functional and stylish designs, they struck a chord with Colorado’s outdoorsy customer base.
“Coloradans know that you need jackets,” said Vander Neut. “I frequently hear that people are always ready to buy a jacket because they know they’ll wear it.”
e business has since expanded from jackets to include athletic vests, tank tops, hats, balaclavas, bags and more. e business now employs a small but productive team of diverse women in the Denver area who craft and distribute the products through their online website as well as locally in Colorado.
“I still get excited that what I make is apparel for people to use during the healthiest hour of their day,” said Vander Neut, who emphasizes the clothing is for anyone to wear regardless of if they run in it or not.
A runner herself, Vander Neut’s eye for colorful athletic apparel started at a young age growing up in the heart of all things running in Eugene, Oregon. Her dad was a marathon runner for Nike and would often review prototypes for Nike apparel.
“He’d get about 100 miles of wear on a product, which for him was in a week, and take out a yellow legal pad and write what he thought about all of it and send it back,” said Vander Neut. Growing up close to the process of clothing design and learned how to sew from her mother, a passion for fashion design was instilled which took her college in Texas and
Idaho before grad school in Colorado, where she ultimately decided to start putting down roots. e idea to use surplus materials was at rst a necessity for the scrappy fashion designer with an eye for picking out a treasure, but quickly became the center of the business’s mission.
As she worked to nd and collect remnant fabric around Denver, she sourced her fabrics from craft stores and local art supplies or reused sites like Craigslist along with local athletic gear companies. Even after twelve years of creating her products, she’s still surprised how much fabric waste and excess materials are in circulation.
As for the potential for scaling up the enterprise, Vander Neut said it would take the right business partner, and in line with their business values, they would have to grow slowly. One major consideration for growth would be access to fabrics.
“ e remnant fabrics that we use can be limiting but it also pushes me to a creative place because of that limit,” said Vander Neut. “It’s like, I just got this load of fabric, and they should be windbreakers so we’re making windbreakers. Our company’s mission sets a limitation that pushes me to innovate.”
Fire y Handmade takes Vander Jacket to the next level
“We did this Chicago Marathon Expo last October which was a big step in my business and that was our best day for sales,” said Vander Neut. “My second-best day was at the Firey market on a 90-degree day.”
e annual summer Fire y Handmade market on Old South Gaylord Street in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood centers handmade small batch artisans and their unique Colorado products.
Over the years, Fire y Handmade has evolved from its establishment in 2010 by three friends in Boulder, to a vibrant community of makers. e market is held three times a year in the spring, summer and fall with two holiday markets, one in Denver and one in Boulder, held annually.
Each market is selective with artists from sixteen categories of goods ranging from skincare, ceramics, jewelry and apparel to visual art. While many artists return every year, about a quarter are new to the scene, ensuring each market is fresh with new products to showcase. Artists are required to be on site for the festivals, which Beth Pomerantz, owner and creative director of Fire y since
2013, stresses is an essential piece to the unique feel of the market.
“We think it’s important for them to be able to share their stories,” said Pomerantz. “We’ve grown a great community of artisans, shoppers and friends of Fire y. We have also been fortunate to have a huge amount of support from the communities where the festivals take place.”
To support the community in return, Pomerantz said the festival connects customers with local businesses near the markets. Instead of bringing in food trucks, for example, Fire y encourages festival shoppers to stop into the restaurants and shops surrounding the marketplace. Pomer-
antz hopes that local businesses will see more customers not only during the festival itself, but year-round through the additional exposure. e Fire y Handmade summer market also features live music and is, of course, pup friendly.
IF YOU GO
Dates: Aug. 10 & 11
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Historic South Gaylord Street, 1000 Block of South Gaylord Street (between Tennessee & Mississippi) Learn more: fireflyhandmade.com
Runner takes a break in Vander Jacket designed for road running. COURTESY OF VANDER JACKET
Takes on grueling 10-day bucket list race
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Dubbed “the longest and toughest horse race in the world,” riders from all over the globe will travel to Mongolia this August to compete in the annual Mongol Derby, a treacherous, 10-day pilgrimage on horseback. And one of them lives in North Denver.
Based on the ancient postal system Genghis Khan used to deliver messages across his empire, the race pits nearly 40 riders against rugged and dangerous terrain for eight hours a day across the Mongolian steppe between August 7-16. Only about 4% of racing applicants are accepted. Gideon Kotkowski, a Sloan’s Lake neighborhood resident, made the cut this year.
Kowkowski had just graduated college in 2018 when he discovered the Mongol Derby on social media. He was “broke as a nail” at that time and it’s an expensive adventure. But after going down the rabbit hole and learning more, he put it on his bucket list.
“I actually printed out some pictures of the Derby of that year and put them up in my bedroom so that every day as I woke up and went to sleep, it was the rst and last thing I saw,” Kotkowski said. “And I thought to myself, ‘One day, I’m going to do this.’”
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Kotkowski has been riding horses since he was a child. At about 14 years old, he said he was lucky to land at a polo ranch in El Paso called “Los Amigos.” at turned into a lustrous college polo career at Texas A&M, where Kotkowski snagged a couple of national championships.
But even the most experienced riders are in for a big challenge in Mongolia; some don’t even nish the race. At a distance equal to riding from Kansas City to Denver, riders travel over 60 miles per day, changing horses every 25 miles. And these aren’t polo-ish, country-club style horses; they are semiwild, which Kotkowski described as “domesticated but feral.”
“As an adrenaline junkie and a horseback rider, this is absolutely the pinnacle of the sport,” he said. “It tests your physical endurance, your horsemanship, your ability to connect with over 40 horses across the entire race. You’re riding Mongolian ponies, so they’re still pretty crazy.”
In 2021, the Equestrianists (the organization that puts on the Mongol Derby) partnered with the Mongolian nonpro t Steppe and Hoof, www.steppeandhoof.org, which helps to preserve and enhance the lifestyles of the remaining nomadic herders and their families in the country.
real really quickly and now it’s going to happen here in August. It’s like a dream come true for me. I just get chills thinking about being able to do this. Horses in Mongolia and for horse people, it’s one of the craziest things. You can e ectively trace all horse sports back to Mon-
What goes into the preparation or training process for something so unique like this?
So, these last few months, I’ve been training as if I’m going to run a marathon. at’s a good type of training because it’s endurance, cardio and heart. As far as replicating the race, riding eight hours a day is nearly impossible to nd. ere are some local Facebook groups that I’ve tapped into with folks who might have an extra horse that needs help being worked. So, I’ll go out to their barn and help them muck stalls and in exchange I get to ride their ponies. I’ve been to some trail rides as well … Just trying to get as much saddle time as pos-
Riding semi-wild horses will likely be much di erent than ranch ponies. Is that nerve-wracking? When it comes to riding di erent horses, I feel like I might be at an advantage because coming from the polo discipline, you grow up playing all sorts of different horses. I’ve got a method to the madness about picking up what kind of horse I’m riding pretty quickly … at part of the race, to me, is just exciting. I’m not as nervous as I am just pumped that I get to ride descendants of the great Genghis Khan ponies that helped conquer the world.
From a total population of 3.2 million Mongolian people, only about 169,000 nomadic families remain today. Each rider is asked to raise money for Steppe and Hoof as a thank you to the herders. View Kotkowski’s athlete pamphlet at tinyurl.com/gideon-derby to help with his fundraising e orts.
For more from Kotkowski, check out the Q&A below.
Renfrow: What was your reaction to getting that acceptance email?
Kotkowski: I was pumped. But my hands started clamming up, as they are now and anytime I talk about it. I got really nervous. It got
Renfrow: Is it enough to just go, be enchanted and enjoy the race, or is the competitor in you dying to win it?
Kowkowski: To me, I’m going there with the plan to win. I certainly am and I continue to tell myself that I’m not going there with any other mission but to win. However, this is much more than just a race. You’re riding with 35 other athletes who are just as crazy as you are and who are just as passionate about horse racing as you are. At the end of the day, nishing the race would be enough of a win.
Since moving to north Denver in January, Gideon Kotkowski has taken advantage of the wild Colorado terrain with trail ponies to get used to altitude he’ll experience in Mongolia. He said the Colorado weather gives him an advantage before the Mongol Derby in August. COURTESY PHOTO
DERBY
Renfrow: What’s the most intimidating part of the race for you?
Kowkowski: e things that I can’t plan for, which are the weath-
er, or what I’m going to eat (lots of mutton, apparently), or where I’m going to be when inevitably I’m going to have to go to the restroom or something like that.
Renfrow: Is there a bene t to training in Colorado ahead of time?
Kotkowski: Absolutely. e elevation training. Being at elevation
and horseback riding is a unique advantage for me. ere will be mountains to climb, there will be hills to come down from and understanding a horse’s sure-footedness is a big part of the training as well.
Renfrow: Lastly, you get a 5kg backpack (about 11 pounds) for the race. What are some essentials
you’re bringing with you?
Kowkowski: (Laughs) A Leatherman multitool for sure, electrolyte packets, and dude, I don’t think I could do this race without my Honey Stingers. Need those. And the last piece I’m not going without is anti-cha ng powders and creams, 100%.
Gideon Kotkowski, now a Sloan’s Lake neighborhood resident, poses for a photo on horseback at “Los Amigos”, a polo ranch in El Paso, Texas where Kotkowski earned his stripes as a polo player.
Gideon Kotkowski speeds on horseback in a competitive game of polo in his college days. Kotkowski secured a few national championships in the sport at Texas A&M University. COURTESY PHOTOS
But only if supporters raise almost $800K on their own
BY TATIANA FLOWERS
THE COLORADO SUN
A bill creating the Black Coloradan Racial Equity Commission was signed into law June 4.
But supporters must raise $785,000 to prove there is strong community support for what the law directs History Colorado to do — assess and quantify the nancial impact of slavery, racism and discrimination on Black Coloradans and make recommendations for corrective measures.
e group is about $30,000 short of reaching that goal by a self-imposed deadline of July 1.
“ is is not us using public dollars for something other folks didn’t think we needed a study on,” said state Sen. James Coleman, a Black Denver Democrat and lead sponsor of the law. “We had a big fundraising e ort this year, and at this point, we’re short about $30,000. I feel strongly we’ll be able to raise the rest of that money to begin implementing the bill.”
A similar bill, House Bill 1327, which passed in 2022, included $618,611 in state funding for History Colorado to investigate abuses at a federal Native American boarding school at Fort Lewis, in southern Colorado, and others like it statewide.
is year, the governor signed House Bill 1444, which provided $1 million to fund the Federal Indian Boarding School Research Program until the end of 2027.
State lawmakers did not ask for funding when they drafted the new racial equity study measure, Senate Bill 53, for Black Coloradans because “we knew it wouldn’t have passed,” said Sade Cooper, cofounder and chief executive o cer at CHIC Denver. e group is helping fundraise for Senate Bill 53, and helps families break free of intergenerational poverty and violence.
“We have similar studies that have passed,” Cooper said. “ ere was
just one about the Indian boarding schools — that came with funding.
But when it comes to really, truly, wanting to study this, in a partnership, we knew that if we went in there asking for money for something as contentious as this was, this wouldn’t have seen the light of day. at’s sad and it says a lot about our political environment.”
Senate Bill 53 establishes a commission to direct History Colorado to conduct historical research across areas such as economic mobility, housing, education, health care and the criminal justice system. Racial equity studies can be used as tools to qualify and quantify past discrimination and develop ways to make corrections.
Slavery, systemic racism and discrimination continue to harm Black Coloradans, who still disproportionately struggle to gain wealth and access other basic necessities such as health care, higher education,nancial stability and housing.
Black people who were enslaved
and unpaid for their work decades ago helped other Americans become wealthy and powerful and they’re now owed those same opportunities and resources, the preamble to Senate Bill 53 says. eir lost wages and assets not only a ect them but also detract from Colorado’s labor force, tax base and the overall health of the state’s economy.
e results of the racial equity study will hopefully show that communities came together to do, Cooper said, “what’s right for all.”
We can now be the architects for the next generation,” she said. “ at is what I want to know, as a Black Coloradan — that we are taking care of those that I might never know.”
While lawmakers and other organizations are working to raise the money needed to begin the analysis required by Senate Bill 53, many Black Coloradans are commemorating Juneteenth, which marks the date when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to take control of the state and en-
sure enslaved Black people were freed — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on Jan. 1, 1863.
“We may not be shackled at the wrists and ankles literally, and working as indentured servants, but we are still unfortunately shackled by a lack of access to good education and a lack of access to thenancial wealth needed to buy a home,” Coleman said. “ ese are the kinds of things that still a ect our communities.”
How the commission is supposed to work
Senate Bill 53 describes a 14-member commission, to be convened by Sept. 1, that will help shape a three-year study that aims to determine how Black Coloradans have experienced and continue to experience racial discrimination because of harmful state systems, policies and practices.
Lawmakers are seen on the Capitol’s House floor on Jan. 12, 2022 in Denver at the start of Colorado’s General Assembly’s 2022 session.
PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN/THE COLORADO SUN
NEW LAW
e study group must include people with legal expertise in constitutional law and racial justice; a historian who has studied Black history, slavery and racism; a person with experience quantifying the economic impact of those harms on Black people; and other public servants who have worked with Black Coloradans.
e members of the study committee will be appointed by the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the Senate.
Researchers on the committee may examine Black Coloradans’ ability to build nancial wealth by studying residential and commercial loan trends and tax policy, the law states.
e committee will also likely
determine Black Coloradans’ ability to access higher education and workforce training programs and may study health disparities, police brutality and incarceration, among many other trends, to help estimate the nancial toll on African Americans in the state, the law says.
History Colorado must conduct at least two public engagement sessions in di erent parts of the state that allow community members to o er comments virtually or inperson about how state government has in uenced policies that have resulted in systemic racism and discriminations against Black Coloradans.
e dates for those community engagement sessions will likely be published in news media advisories and at leg.colorado.gov, when they are scheduled, Coleman said.
By September 2027, the study commission must submit a report outlining its ndings and rec-
ommendations to the governor, the Colorado General Assembly, the State Board of Education, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, the Colorado Attorney General and the Health Equity Commission.
e study commission must also make the report publicly available on the Colorado General Assembly website.
e commission must present the ndings in the report to the Colorado General Assembly and the governor.
After that, the commission must work with lawmakers and anyone else necessary to implement the recommendations outlined in the report, the law says.
If the study determines the nancial toll of racism and discrimination on Black Coloradans, the sum will be used to help inform future policy decisions, Coleman said.
“We will begin the rst year of the work upon receiving the funds —
hopefully by July 1,” Coleman said.
“After funds are secured, we’d love to kick o the task force in August and begin doing preliminary work with History Colorado and the task force to talk about Black history in Colorado. en, the goal would be to continue looking at the data we have in the second year, as we’re moving into 2025.”
Job descriptions are being drafted
History Colorado expects to begin hiring researchers this summer.
“As the research outcomes of this project are quite expansive, History Colorado is already in the process of drafting job descriptions, so we can move forward with hiring a team of researchers who can accomplish this serious and signi cant project,” Luke Perkins, a spokesperson for History Colorado, wrote in an email to e Colorado Sun.
NEW LAW
“ is team will consist of four Black history scholars as well as a project manager who will help coordinate the team’s e orts,” he wrote in the email. “It is History Colorado’s goal to have these postings up before the end of summer and to have this team work in collaboration with our existing Black history and engagement team to diligently complete the scope of this project.”
e research team will use historical documents such as those already archived by History Colorado and Denver Public Library, and will work with community members to nd information excluded from those records, Perkins wrote in the email.
Colorado was not a state that enslaved Black people, but the state
bene ted economically from labor done by them, Perkins wrote.
“Many early prospectors brought enslaved persons to the Colorado territory to do labor,” he wrote.
“Colorado wasn’t considered a state when emancipation was proclaimed but enslaved people worked here prior to statehood and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.”
e Ku Klux Klan also wielded great power and in uence in Denver and in state politics in the 1920s.
Major Colorado towns, including Denver, Grand Junction, Pueblo, and Cañon City were hotbeds for Klan activity, and by 1925, the racist organization had in ltrated all levels of state government, controlling many members of the legislature and people in the state supreme court, and on some town councils, according to the new law.
Some of the most notable KKK members at that time included the mayor of Denver, the Denver police
chief and the governor. e group’s presence in those higher levels of government has in uenced state policies and systems and created inequalities that still negatively affect Black Coloradans, Senate Bill 53 says.
Statistics consistently demonstrate the disparities that Black people still face show there’s no better time for states to pass similar legislation, Cooper said.
In 2020, the homeownership gap between Black and white Coloradans was 32%. Black people in Colorado are incarcerated at a rate that is more than seven times higher than white people in the state, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. Black people face a higher unemployment rate compared with any other racial group in the state. Black Coloradans also face many poor health outcomes at rates much higher than white Coloradans such as food insecurity, infant and maternal mortality, asthma, diabetes
and HIV and AIDS. Despite the falling poverty rates, in 2021, Black Coloradans were still about twice as likely to live in poverty when compared with white Coloradans, according to a U.S. Census Bureau data analysis by the Colorado News Collaborative. e average Black American has a life expectancy of nearly ve years fewer than the average white American, according to e Kaiser Family Foundation.
“We collect this data but it hasn’t been organized,” Coleman said. “We will use this information to help determine what policies we can run in the future. We want policies that are data-driven and data-informed. e goal is to also share this information broadly for any other projects,” he said of the study’s potential ndings. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
Colorado Community Media to Hold its First 5K Run
BY JO ANN M. COLTON
There is no better way to appreciate the beauty of Colorado than by witnessing all the sights and sounds of the great outdoors.
from walking and/or running along our state’s many wonderful paths and scenic nature trails.
Join Colorado Community Media as we host our first-ever 5K run on Saturday, Aug. 24, at Clement Park, 7306 W. Bowles Ave. in Littleton.
And, before the run, we want you to submit your own “Trail Tales,” including photos, to your local newspaper (events@coloradocommunitymedia. com). Tell us where you most enjoy going for a walk or a run in your commuor elsewhere in Colorado.
In turn, we will share many of those adventurous tales with the readers of our two dozen community newspapers in the weeks ahead of the run. About the 5k: It is scheduled to loop around Johnston Reservoir from 9:30 a.m. to noon. It will start and end on the bike path near Shelter P. The event is different from most 5k runs in many ways. For starters, the sole purpose of this event is to simply provide an opportunity for people across Colorado to come together, interact, and share their personal experiences gained
There are no prizes associated with the event and participants will not receive a “standard” T-shirt. Instead, registered participants will receive a pair of custom running socks. The Share Your Trail Tales 5k Run is open to people of all ages. Participants have the option of making it a fun-filled day for the entire family. Registration fees are $35 for adults (ages 17 & up), $15 (ages 5 to 16), and free for children (ages 4 and under ). Parking for run participants and event attendees is available in the west parking lot, which can be reached as you enter Clement Park through the Library entrance on W. Bowles Avenue.
Park is currently being firmed up to feature other activities throughout the day including food and beverage purchase options offered by local food trucks, vendor booths, and live music entertainment.
“Your support of this event as a race participant and/or as an attendee is paramount to the success of our first Share Your Trail Tales 5k Run and it will help us sustain our ability to support local news,” Scott said. “We encourage the engagement of our readers and future readers to be part of this and future events at Colorado Community Media.”
Colorado Community Media publications span eight counties along Colorado’s majestic Front Range — Weld, Adams, Jeffco, Clear Creek, Douglas, Elbert, Arapahoe and Denver. As a nonprofit organization, community is important to us and we are eager to reach out and meet members of the communities our news organization serves.
Carlie Scott, Colorado Community Media’s events director, stated that the program for the Aug. 24 run in Clement
Colorado Community Media could not put on events like this 5k run without the help of its dedicated supporters and sponsors. Sponsorship provides an ideal marketing prospect for your business and positive brand recognition. The organization offers many levels of sponsorship and opportunities for involvement. As a sponsor, you can be part of a fun community event that promotes health and wellness.
To register for the Share Your Trail Tales 5k please visit our website www.coloradocommunitymedia.com and click on EVENTS/CONTEST tab.
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As the owers bloom, some people su er. It’s a prime time for seasonal allergies, and some may be feeling worse, or su ering longer, than in past years.
e extra-itchy eyes, wheezing and sneezing could be related to climate change, which experts say is happening in Colorado.
“Plants bloom earlier, bloom later, di erent species are moving in,” Dr. Ming Wu, a family medicine doctor at AdventHealth Littleton, said. “With all of this change, we’re encountering things that our bodies have never encountered before.”
Allergies are overreactions to environmental stimuli, Wu said. Allergic reactions happen when the body perceives something not normally harmful as dangerous. To combat what the body perceives as a threat, the immune system ghts against the stimulus – for instance, pollen –triggering allergy symptoms.
Climate change has brought concern to Colorado, which is expected in the years ahead to trend warmer, including earlier snowmelt in the spring, hotter summers and drier soils. Such a shift has the power, over time, to bring more of certain kinds of plants while other kinds struggle, according to state scientists.
Environmental changes can impact pollen seasons. According to
STREET FAIR
“Really building the community and showing o what the community has to o er,” said Nathan Karnemaat, event director at Team Player Productions, which produces the event. “Year one was a huge success. We had a lot of local businesses that participated. We love to show o the community and what it’s all about.”
He also credited the City of Denver for such items as pulling all the permits needed for the event, and closing the streets during it.
“We work with Denver police to make sure it’s as safe as can be,” Karnemaat said. “We were very happy
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, climate change can cause shifts in precipitation, fewer frost days, warmer air temperatures and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide.
ese changes can a ect the length of the pollen season, how much pollen plants create, how much is in the air and how likely the pollen is to cause irritation, accord-
with the turnout for year one. It’s really about getting the word out in the community.”
e event has a lot to o er. ere will be 15 food trucks, including one selling sushi. More than 100 makers selling handcrafted jewelry, rugs, spices, art, candles, skin-care products and more. In atable devices will be available for kids to enjoy, and there will be yoga sessions — be sure to bring your own mat. e live music lineup includes Native Space and Break Signals.
Attendees will have the opportunity to dine at restaurants such as Hops & Pie, Bakery Four, Atomic Cowboy, Meat Wagon, Bohemian Wurst Co. and Heckin’ Good Bubble Tea; and breweries will include FlyteCO Brewing, Call to Arms Brewing, e Empourium Brewing Co.
ing to the CDC. is year in Colorado, Wu said the weather may play a role in people’s experiences.
“Environmental allergies could potentially be worse because we’ve had a lot more rainfall, it’s been a lot wetter,” he said. “Mold, pollen — those are going to be higher … in the environment and that can cause issues.”
and Berkeley Alley.
“ is is the second year we’re doing this,” said Lee Ann Hahne, general manager of FlyteCO Brewing, who also serves as a TBAA board member. “We got involved because we’re very community-based.”
FlyteCO Brewing is an “aviationthemed” brewery. It runs a brewery, bar, restaurant and entertainment site, located at a former air-tra c control tower in Denver’s Central Park.
FlyteCO’s other location is at 4499 38th Ave., which celebrated ve years in business recently.
“When the company asked if we wanted to do the summer fest, we thought it would be a great idea to introduce people to our incredible neighborhood,” Hahne said. “Tennyson Street has so many incredible
He said it can be challenging for some people to know whether symptoms are related to allergies or a viral illness, since they often have similar symptoms. Both seasonal allergies and viral illnesses can involve a runny nose, sneezing, difculty breathing, ear pain and skin rashes, he said.
To tell the di erence, he said to look out for a few speci c symptoms.
“ e biggest things that I’ve noticed with allergies that don’t really follow with a viral illness are itchy, watery eyes, and viral illnesses usually will present with fever, whereas allergies don’t present with a fever,” he said.
For people struggling with their seasonal allergies this year, Wu recommends over-the-counter antihistamines. For people who need extra help, doctors can prescribe stronger allergy medications, steroids or immunotherapy, a process that slowly exposes a person to allergens to build tolerance.
“(Immunotherapy is) useful for environmental allergies, insect allergies (and) asthma,” he said. “ is should be done, obviously, with medical supervision.”
For pollen allergies, Wu said some people nd that eating local honey can be a natural remedy. is is not a proven solution, he said, but some believe it helps slowly build immunity to the pollen in their area.
restaurants, four breweries, bars and shops. We’re hoping to make it a destination place.”
FlyteCO Brewing o ers a pilot’s discount at both locations.
“We love to show o the community and what it’s all about,” Hahne said. “ e biggest thing is to highlight what Tennyson Street and the business owners of Tennyson have to o er, bringing more people into the area to partake in our restaurants, bars and shops.”
IF YOU GO
Date: July 20
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Tennyson Street from West 41st to West 43rd
Learn more: tennysonstreetfair.com
A bee covered in pollen.
SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE
Summer travel with kids
Summer is the perfect time to plan a memorable getaway with your kids. However, traveling with kids can also be a challenge, requiring thoughtful planning, patience and exibility. Here are some tips and ideas to make your summer travel with kids a memorable experience, in a good way.
Choose kid-friendly destinations
Selecting the right destination is crucial. You know your kids’ interests best, so choose accordingly. Amusement parks, national parks, beaches and cities with interactive museums or zoos are excellent options. Destinations like Orlando, with its world-famous theme parks, or Yellowstone National Park, with its stunning scenery and wildlife, can captivate both kids and adults. Choosing a hotel with a fun kids club can also free up a little time for you and your partner as well. Winwin.
Plan ahead but stay flexible
Book accommodations and activities well in advance. Make sure to research family-friendly hotels or vacation rentals that o er amenities like cribs, high chairs and pools. Using a tool like Wanderlog can also help keep your plans organized
LIFE BALANCED
Megan Trask and Cody Galloway
and e cient. However, while it’s important to have an itinerary, staying exible is equally as important. Be prepared to adjust plans as needed. Take breaks for snacks, rest, park time or whatever will reset the energy.
Packing smart
Packing for a family trip can be daunting. Create a checklist to ensure you don’t forget the essentials. Pack a backpack for each child with their favorite toys, books and snacks to keep them entertained during travel. I like to plan by day to make sure I don’t overpack and then, of course, I add a few basic pieces to mix and match when spills happen. Speaking of spills, a Tide To Go pen can be the real MVP of the trip. ere are also amazing services like Babyquip that rent bulky travel items like strollers, car seats and cribs and have them waiting at your destination.
Engage kids in the planning process
Involving your kids in the planning process can build excitement
and make them feel more invested in the trip. Let them help choose activities or select a few items to pack. We recently traveled abroad with our girls who are 8 and 11 and giving them ownership over parts of the itinerary made it so fun for the girls, and for us alike.
Keep travel days manageable
Long travel days can be exhausting for both kids and adults. If ying, try to book direct ights to minimize layovers. For road trips, plan frequent stops to allow kids to stretch their legs and burn o energy. Bring plenty of snacks and consider traveling during nap times to make the journey smoother. Also, try to ease into trip activities upon arrival.
Create a travel journal
Encourage your kids to document their travel experiences in a journal. is not only keeps them engaged but also creates a very cool keepsake to look back on. Journaling as parents is also a great way to connect with your kids as you compare notes and see what was most memorable for everyone.
Embrace technology
While it’s important to limit screen time, electronic devices can be lifesavers during long travel periods.
PRECISE REPAIR, GENUINE CARE
Worrying about your uneven or cracked concrete can make owning a home very stressful. By investing in concrete repair, you can fix your driveway, walkways, patio, and more in one easy lift.
Load up tablets or smartphones with educational games, movies and audiobooks. Also, don’t feel guilt when a few extra minutes of screen time makes life easier for everyone.
Focus on enjoying the moment
Finally, remember that the goal of the trip is to enjoy time together as a family. Embrace the inevitable hiccups and meltdowns as part of the adventure. Take lots of photos, but also be present and soak in the experiences. Sometimes, the best memories come from unplanned and spontaneous moments. Don’t put pressure on yourself to do everything, just focus on enjoying whatever it is you are doing.
Traveling with kids during the summer can be an incredible and rewarding experience with a bit of preparation, patience and a positive attitude. By choosing the right destination, involving your kids in the planning process, and staying exible, you can create unforgettable memories that your family will cherish for years to come. Happy travels!
Megan Trask and Cody Galloway are Denver residents and co-founders of TULA Life Balanced. Learn more about their business at tulabalanced.com.
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Let’s talk about ‘The Talk’ that promotes women’s health
Do you remember when you were young and your mother and/or father sat you down to talk about the birds and the bees? As a young child you think, what does this have to do with me? And as you get older and piece together that conversation, you may cringe at the thought of your parents trying to educate you on a topic that hasn’t yet crossed your mind. And moreover, now you must have “the talk” as a parent. e conversations of puberty, consent, menstruation, risks and pregnancy are uncomfortable to have, but before you know it, you will be the one describing what the birds and the bees actually mean with your own child. As a parent, it is important to be the one who opens the doors for these conversations as early as possible. If you don’t, your
WOMEN’S WELLNESS
Dr. Terry Dunn
child may learn information through peers, the internet and potential experimentation.
Girls begin puberty at ages 8-13, and these changes last about 18 months to ve years. Beginning these conversations with your daughter before, or right as, she enters puberty will educate and prepare her for the changes, feelings and confusion she might experience during puberty.
Educating your daughters about the importance of women’s health at a young age will decrease the risks of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and
future fertility issues. Delaying these conversations and annual wellness visits can create more harm than you might think. Even if they “feel healthy,” annual wellness visits help diagnose health issues that could become life threatening if left untreated.
ere have been 310,720 new cases of breast cancer and 13,820 new cases of cervical cancer in 2024, according to the American Cancer Society. For women, it is highly encouraged to get annual mammogram screenings, STD or STI tests, pap smears, HPV tests and cervical cancer tests. All of these screenings and tests can be done during your annual physical. But, a young woman needs to be aware that this is the case.
Make sure your daughter knows that you are there to help answer
Say goodbye to gutter cleaning for good
questions, even setting up her rst appointments with a doctor. Physical wellness exams are the best way to promote healthy and educated lifestyles for your child. Your child’s doctor will monitor any unusual changes and recommend the best way to take care of their body. Getting through the uncomfortable “talk” or describing how the birds and the bees aren’t just something that y around outside, will be something that you and your fully-grown child will laugh about in the future as you give them advice for their own “talk” with their children.
Dr. Terry Dunn is the owner of Foothills Urogynecology, a Denver-based practice specializing in women’s health. To learn more, visit www.urogyns.com.
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three years ago, she said.
As a former swimmer for St. Mary’s Academy in Englewood, she had the tools to be a strong underwater hockey player. But she didn’t know what to make of the sport at rst.
“I saw a poster one day for a pool in ornton and it was like, ‘underwater hockey,’ and I was really committed to swimming at that point so I was like, ‘ at’s weird. I don’t know,’” Brooks said.
But later as a student at Colorado State, Brooks was strolling the quad and saw booths for clubs. One was serendipitously for underwater hockey.
“ is girl, who was actually Elsa’s older sister (Ianna Debrunner), was like, ‘Hey! Do you want to play underwater hockey?’” Brooks said. “You know what? Maybe I do.”
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Colorado is a huge hub for hockey players and fans, whether on ice, on the eld or even underwater. And why not? If it’s a sport, we have it here.
Ten women under age 24 are set to represent the U.S. at the Underwater Hockey Age Group World Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this July and of course, three are Coloradans. Elsa Debrunner, Lillianna Brooks and Aria Paul will compete in the event between July 16 and July 27 against about a dozen teams from around the globe. e U.S. is sending three teams spanning three divisions to the upcoming world championship: U24 men, U24 women and U19 men. Debrunner, Brooks and Paul are on the USA U24 Women’s Team.
“Training for worlds is a big commitment, but training with Lillianna and Aria is super encouraging and makes me super excited to play more hockey,” said Debrunner, a Conifer High School alum and club athlete at the Colorado School of Mines.
What is underwater hockey?
It’s a non-contact snorkeling sport with two teams of six facing o at the bottom of the pool. A weighted puck can be pushed, slid or icked with a short stick into the goal. Equipment includes a mask, ns, a snorkel with a mouthguard,
a glove, a water polo cap and a stick.
Teammates rotate dives for roughly ve-to-20 seconds in a fast-paced, three-dimensional sport that combines the back-and-forth motion of regular hockey with up-and-down movements to return up for air between dives.
“It’s physically di erent than any other sport,” Debrunner said. “But once you learn that, the communication with your team is probably the hardest part.
You have to have a strategy really dialed in ahead of time because it’s di cult to communicate during the match.”
It requires elite breath control, tness and strong cooperation between coaches and teammates, Debrunner said. But the coaches believe the team is ready for a strong showing in Malaysia.
“We’re really impressed with the progress made since the team candidates rst got together. e commitment towards training and implementation of the game plan started at a high level and has seemed to grow,” Coach Kendall Banks said in a release. “ rough their support of each other combined with healthy competition, there seems to be a synergy or ‘magic’ here. We’re excited to see where it takes the team.”
Colorado connections
Debrunner and Brooks are from Colorado originally, and Paul is from San Francisco but attends Colorado State University with Brooks. Brooks got into underwater hockey about
Since plunging into underwater hockey, Brooks has had tunnel vision for a spot on the U.S. team. But it’s a stop on her way to a bigger goal: being chosen on the USA Women’s Elite Team, which is a collection of the best players regardless of age.
Still, representing her country competitively is a dream come true. e team will battle against “10 to 12” other national teams, including Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and others.
A collection of women from all over the country, the national team met in January at a tournament in Colorado for the rst time. ey also had a training camp in Lake Tahoe in California for a week earlier this year.
But Brooks, Debrunner and Paul have an advantage being able to train together at Carmody Recreation Center in Lakewood and Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in ornton. ey’ll stay on their grind until it’s time to travel overseas for global glory.
How to follow the team
e championships in Malaysia will be livestreamed with commentators on YouTube. To follow the team on social media, visit the following links: Instagram: @usa.u24w.uwh Facebook: USAU24Women’s UnderwaterHockey Team website: https://www. underwater-society.org/page/ show/8276732-u24-women
For more information visit the tournament website at www.6thuwhagworlds. com.
Elsa Debrunner, the team captain of the U24 Women’s underwater hockey team, is a Conifer High School alum. Above, she’s pictured diving with her hockey stick after coming up for air in the Pacific Coast Championships tournament in Orange County, California in October 2023.
PHOTO BY YORI HUYNH Aria Paul is originally from San Francisco but attends Colorado State with Lillianna Brooks. Paul has found a home with her Colorado underwater hockey players.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Lillianna Brooks swam at St. Mary’s Academy in Englewood before attending Colorado State University, where she found underwater hockey.
