BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e Douglas County School Board unanimously approved a policy to help guide school closures, including the planned closures of three elementary schools in Highlands Ranch in 2026.
No schools in Highlands Ranch have yet been named as part of the merging of six schools into three. e district is expected to announce which schools will be recommended for consolidation in March before the formal recommendation is made to the school board in April.
e board will vote on school consolidations at the April 22 meeting, and then there will be a transition year before the schools are merged for the 2026-27 school year.
e approved policy for school closures outlines the community engagement process, considerations and timelines to create a standardized district process.
Criteria listed in the policy include preserving the “student, sta and community cohorts as much as possible,” while accounting for tra c management, safety, walkability, building quality and limitations, maximizing school programs, enrollment andnancial sustainability.
Superintendent Erin Kane said the recommendations will weigh all of the criteria listed in
Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies marks anniversary
You Are Not Alone is support group for moms with children of all ages
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Nikki Brooker assumed there was nothing else she would do besides be a school teacher.
But once she saw the heartbreaking ripple e ect in the community after two moms took their children’s lives in Highlands Ranch, she knew she had to do something.
Tears still come to her eyes when she thinks about how her husband supported her in her e ort to make a change.
“He’s the one who said, ‘go do this, go do good in the world,’” Brooker said.
Brooker established the nonpro t YANA — which stands for You Are Not Alone — in April of 2017. And almost eight years later, she is part of a new ripple e ect — one that supports the mental health and needs of moms in Douglas County.
“We’re supporting the people who create the people,” Brooker said.
How it all started
Having been a teacher for nearly two decades, Brooker was working in north Denver as an assistant principal in 2016 when her family noticed the job was taking a toll on her.
She left that position, and began substituting at Bear Canyon Elementary in Highlands Ranch, where her son attended school. November 2016 was coming to a close when Brooker got a call from the principal saying she was needed in the building the next day.
Ushered into a room with other adults, Brooker and the oth-
ers were told that a mom had picked up her 3- and 5- year olds from the school the day before, and ended up shooting and killing them and herself in the family minivan in what used to be the Sports Authority parking lot in the Lone Tree area. Brooker was at the school providing support when she noticed a sixth-grade boy sobbing. When she asked what was the matter, he replied, “Ethan was my reading buddy. How am I supposed to be OK with the fact that his mom murdered him?”
Nikki Brooker, the founder of the nonprofit organization YANA, celebrates the one-year anniversary of the organization’s program called Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies, in which moms who deliver babies at UCHealth Highlands Ranch, AdventHealth Parker and Castle Rock receive a year-long wraparound service.
PHOTO BY HALEY LENA
Continuous Flow Intersections will be implemented at three major crossings around Highlands Ranch
Newly constructed tra c patterns are an element of the U.S. Highway 85 Widening Project
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As the U.S. Highway 85 Widening Project inches towards completion, drivers can expect changes to three major intersections in Highlands Ranch.
Highlands Ranch will be the rst to have partial Continuous Flow Intersections in Douglas County.
Included within the U.S. 85 reconstruction project — which involves widening the roadway from four lanes to six lanes — three intersections will be recon gured to improve tra c operations and handle additional tra c volumes.
e new intersections will permanently relocate high volumes of left-turn movement to allow left-turning tra c and through tra c to move simultaneously. It’s called Continuous Flow Intersections, also known as CFIs.
ese types of intersections displace leftturning tra c to the outside edges of the road, allowing through tra c to continue to move through the middle of the intersection at the same time.
e goal of the intersection is to increase the number of vehicles that can make it through the intersection in a single tra c light cycle, according to Douglas County. Starting with Highlands Ranch Parkway, the intersections will open one at a time along U.S. 85. e intersections at Town Center Drive and C-470 will follow.
More speci cally, the new left-turn alignments will be:
• Southbound U.S. 85 to eastbound Highlands Ranch Parkway tra c
• Southbound U.S. 85 to eastbound Town Center Drive tra c
• Northbound U.S. 85 to westbound C-470 tra c
Douglas County will announce tra c impacts at a later date.
How to navigate CFIs
Before turning left at the intersection signal, drivers will cross through tra c using a new signal and proceed to the far left side of the road.
Drivers will then make a left turn at the main intersection while through tra c proceeds as it normally would at a typical intersection.
Drivers turning right will use new dedicated right turn bypass lanes, which will allow right turns on red while the displaced left-turn movement proceeds.
A visual explanation of how the intersections will work is on the Douglas County website at tinyurl.com/dougco-c -intersections.
U.S. Highway 85 Widening Project
In addition to the expansion from four to six lanes on U.S. 85, the bridge that carries U.S. 85 over C-470 is also being widened. Various multimodal improvements will be made as well, including bus stop en-
hancements, a new shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians on the east side of the highway, a crossing for the C-470 Trail and a crossing for the High Line Canal Trail.
A new pedestrian link from the Wolhurst
Senior Community to the C-470 Trail will also be made. e new trail and underpass are anticipated to open in March. To nd more information or sign up for updates from the county about the project, visit douglas.co.us/us-85-construction.
Shootings at Main Event leave one hurt, one dead
Deputy encountered man with a gun outside; a female inside the building
is in custody
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
One person is dead, a person was injured and one is in custody after an active shooting call at the Main Event event center in Highlands Ranch on Feb. 8. Navaeha Crowley-Sanders, 23, was arrested by the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce on suspicion of criminal attempted rst-degree murder and rst-degree assault in relation to one of the shooting incidents, the department reported on social media.
She appeared in Douglas County court on Feb. 10 and a $1 million bond was set by Magistrate Alisha Coombe. An arraignment hearing will take place on Feb. 24. Just before midnight on Feb. 8, the sheri ’s o ce got a call on reports of an active shooter at the event center at 64 W. Centennial Blvd., which includes a variety of games and bowling.
A deputy down the street responded to the scene within a minute of the call, where he encountered a male in the parking lot allegedly holding a handgun. e male was given several commands to drop the weapon.
While going in between vehicles, the male faced the deputy and he was then shot. According to Sheri Darren Weekly, the male died after life saving measures were given to him.
e male has been identi ed as 23-yearold Jalin Seabron.
A shooting also occurred inside Main Event, involving two females.
One female had been shot in the chest and has a wound on her foot. She was transported to a nearby hospital and is expected to survive. at female was allegedly shot by Crowley-Sanders, Weekly said.
“We know there were multiple rounds that were red inside the business,” he said.
ere were many people at the center when the shooting occurred.
“ e shooting could have been much worse,” Weekly said, describing a “chaotic” and “dangerous” scene.
Police are investigating whether the incident in the parking lot is connected to the shooting that happened inside the building. Weekly initially said they do believe there is a connection.
Tom Mustin, spokesman for the 23rd Judicial District, con rmed with the Highlands Ranch Herald that there is a connection between Crowley-Sanders and Seabron.
e o cer involved in shooting the man in the parking lot is on administrative leave while the incident is investigated, per the sheri ’s o ce policy. e shooting will be investigated by the 23rd Judicial District Critical Incident response team.
Police are also looking for witnesses who heard or saw what transpired at Main Event. ey can call the sheri ’s o ce tip line at 303-660-7549.
McKenna Harford contributed to this report.
Douglas County sheri ’s deputies responded to the Main Event event center late on
An animated video shows vehicles going southbound on U.S. Highway 85 planning to turn left onto eastbound Highlands Ranch Parkway shifting into the turn lanes before the intersection.
If You Don’t Find the Home You’re Looking for, We Have the Tools to Find On e That’s Not on the MLS
I took a class recently in which I learned to use a tool for searching public records in the same way that agents can search the MLS, using criteria that even the MLS doesn’t have. Now, if you can’t find a home for sale that meets your needs, we know how to conduct a search of all homes using those same criteria and reach out to the home owners to see if they would sell to you.
whether the home is owner occupied or a rental, and other criteria, including:
Deck
Swimming Pool
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
By the way, this tool is only available to agents who are Realtors — that is, members of the local and national Realtor association. Only about half of Colorado’s licensed real estate agents are Realtors.
Here’s how it works. Although not always up-to-date because of homeowners who did not get permits for certain improvements to their homes, the public records do contain extensive information that can be searched using this tool.
We can search not only for style, square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms and lot size, but also for finished or unfinished basements,
Barn
Workshop
Corner lot or cul-de-sac
Fireplace
Estimated value
The estimated value is not the assessor’s valuation which is often inaccurate and, at any rate, not current. The assessor’s valuation is as of June 30th of the previous even numbered year (2024). This tool’s valuation is based on recent comparable sales from both the MLS and off-MLS transactions.
Last, but definitely not least, we can search for homes that were purchased over 5, 10, 15 or 20 years ago. Owners who purchased their home less than five years ago are least likely to be interested in selling, so we don’t bother. By the way, this same tool can also be used instead of the MLS itself to search MLS listings using those same search criteria above, many of which are not available on MLS
searches. Also, we can add any other search criteria that is important to you, not just the ones listed above, using a key word search. These can include anything — sauna, walk-in bathtub, or you-name-it (literally).
Another important criterion for any buyer is location. You can specify any area, city or subdivision — or multiple areas and subdivisions.
So, let’s say, hypothetically, that you would like us to solicit owners of two-story homes with Littleton addresses but not in Douglas County that were purchased over 10 years ago. The home must have 3-4 bedrooms and 2 or more bathrooms, and it must have a 3-car garage, a finished basement and a workshop. You will consider homes with a valuation up to $900,000. The house should be not more than 30 years old, and it must be owneroccupied.
Working with those criteria, we come up with an Excel spreadsheet which includes the address and name of the owner. Using a separate app, we could add to the spreadsheet the landline and cell number of each owner .
Using a mail-merge program, we could send individually printed letters in individually printed envelopes saying that we have a
Have You Heard of ‘Pig Butchering’? It the Latest, Most Dangerous Kind of Scam
We all know someone who has been scammed. My own sister lost $15,000 to a scammer. Since starting this column/ad in 2003, I have warned readers at least ten times about rental scams, and a few months ago I described how a scammer listed a parcel of land he didn’t own with us, and we only found out that was the case when the title company sent a FedEx letter to the owner of record to verify the transaction before it was “sold” to a neighbor.
In my April 6, 2017, column I wrote about a Golden man whom I met because he wanted to buy a million-dollar property once his “inheritance” arrived from his Nigerian scammer. I couldn’t convince him he was being scammed, and he died penniless and homeless, still clinging to his dream.
You and those you know probably have your own stories about scammers.
Recently I came across of an 8-part podcast by Economist Podcasts called “Scam, Inc.” I strongly recommend listening to it.
(It costs a couple dollars per month to subscribe to all Economist podcasts, but this one is worth every penny by itself, and you can cancel after you’ve listened to it.)
“Pig butchering,” I learned, is a Chinese term. Pork is their most precious meat, and the scam entails finding the “pig” (you), building a pig sty (messaging by text or on WhatsApp), feeding it (building rapport, and eventually guiding the person to invest in crypto), rewarding it (showing phony paper returns on the crypto investment), and ultimately butchering it (taking all your funds before you realize the investment was a hoax). Pig butchering take a lot of time.
It sounds a lot like what Bernie Madoff did, doesn’t it? But this is done by Englishspeaking Southeast Asians, mostly in Myanmar, who find a reason never to betray themselves by speaking to you on the phone, where you would recognize they’re not who they pretend to be.
Sometimes, but not always, these are ro-
Just Listed: 2-Bedroom Townhome in Lakewood
mance scams, where the scammer gradually convinces you of their love and provides pictures which are stolen off the internet. The first example in the Scam, Inc. podcast, however, was of a Kansas bank president who was conned into investing his bank’s reserves in crypto by a non-romance scammer who simply appealed to the banker’s desire for self-enrichment. He lost $42 million of the bank’s money. The bank was ultimately forced out of business. No one who knew the president could believe what he had done.
Here’s a bit of advice I learned. Take the picture you received from a possible scammer and go to the search field of Google.com. At the right of that field next to the microphone icon is an icon which says “Search by image” when you float your cursor over it. Click on that icon, drag or upload a picture, and it will instantly show you everywhere that picture appears. I uploaded my own picture and, fortunately, it only showed my own websites.
Again, please listen to the “Scam, Inc.” podcast. You’ll learn a lot you need to know.
buyer who is looking for a home like theirs. We could also call the owners or give you the list and let you call them after you’ve signed a buyer agency agreement with us. (This would require that the home is not listed by another agent, which we can confirm.)
This tool can also be used to search expired listings without the use of lead generation services which often provide faulty or out-ofdate data and don’t verify that the home has not been relisted by another agent.
Although the inventory of homes for sale is much greater than it has been, this tool allows us to open up the whole universe of homes, whether for sale or not, which match your specific desires. If this sounds like something you’d like us to play with on your behalf, call me or any of our broker associates (listed below) and we’ll get to work for you.
Is Your Home Wildfire Ready?
My January 13, 2025, column described ways in which homes could be made fireresistant. If you read that article on our blog, http://realestatetoday.substack.com, you saw multiple links to articles and reports from Colorado to California on how to harden you home against wildfire. Since then, I became aware of a website, www.RotaryWildfireReady.com, created by the Rotary Clubs of Evergreen, Conifer, Boulder and Mountain Foothills, in cooperation with fire departments, community leaders and Fire Adapted Colorado. You’ll be impressed, as I was, by how comprehensive this website is, providing a wide array of advice and resources, not just on hardening your home but on preparing for the eventuality of an evacuation order.
Environmental Film Festival
The Colorado Environmental Film Festival runs this weekend, Feb. 21-23 at the Green Center, 924 16th Street, Golden, on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines. I wrote about the festival in last week’s column.
You can study the three-day schedule at https://ceff2025.eventive.org/schedule and buy tickets at https://ceff.net/tickets
If you go, look for our booth in the EcoExpo, where you can browse the display of current solar-powered homes and let us know if you’d like to see any of them.
Don’t miss this remodeled two-bedroom, one-bathroom townhome at 3355 S. Flower #59, in the quiet Jefferson Green subdivision northeast of Highway 285 and Kipling Street. Features include new luxury wood-look vinyl flooring throughout the first floor, new lighting fixtures, new stainless steel sink and range. The fully tiled bathroom has a new vanity and lighting. The bedrooms have new carpeting, ceiling fans, and the primary bedroom has a walk-in closet. There are newer windows throughout. The LG washer and dryer are included. Also included is one space in the 2-car shared garage, with a storage area included. A second designated parking spot is in the parking lot. This home is move-in ready! Listing agent David Dlugasch has created a narrated video walk-through which you’ll find along with lots of magazine-quality pictures at www.GRElistings.com. He’ll be holding it open this Saturday, February 22nd, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Or call him at 303-908-4835 to arrange a private showing.
maintained with
$785,000
home at 2601 S. Kipling Court is ready for new owners. Located in a private gated community, it is two blocks from Bear Creek Park. The large main level has vaulted ceilings and south facing windows that provide plenty of natural light. The spacious main floor is 1,911 square feet and features an updated kitchen with quartz countertops, gas range and stainless steel appliances. The living room is open to the kitchen and dining areas and has a stacked rock gas fireplace. The large primary bedroom with a 5-piece bath has a sliding door to access the outdoor patio. The main level also includes a second bedroom, a 3/4 guest bathroom and an office space. Quality wood flooring, lighting, handrails and paint add to the cozy ambience. There is a large main-floor laundry with built-in cabinets and utility sink (washer and dryer included). The basement is professionally finished with 9-foot ceilings, family room, bar, pool room (with custom pool table included), a 3rd bedroom and 3rd bath, and a large 350-sq.-ft. storage area. There is a newer furnace and A/C, as well as new garage door and opener. The seller is open to selling any furniture in the home. Find additional photos and view a narrated video walk-through at www.GRElistings.com. To arrange a showing, call listing agent Jim Swanson on his cell phone anytime, 303-929-2929.
Golden Real Estate lists and sells residential properties across the entire metro area.
Meticulously
many quality upgrades, this turnkey patio
Just Listed: 3-BR/3-Bath Patio Home in Lakewood
Colorado tied for most educated state
Massachusetts pulls even for residents’ credentials
BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT
Colorado residents are still the most educated in the nation, but Massachusetts now shares the top spot, according to a report released in January. is year’s Stronger Nation Report found that 63% of Colorado residents age 25 and older had an educational credential beyond a high school diploma in 2023, matching Massachusetts. at’s above the national average of 54.9% of residents who have earned college degrees or certi cates or an industry certi cation.
e gure is mostly unchanged from 2022, when about 62.9% of Colorado’s residents held a college credential. However, the percentage of Native American Colorado residents with college degrees or credentials has fallen, a troubling sign after years of steady increases.
e annual report from the Lumina Foundation aims for a national goal of 60% college attainment. (Lumina is a funder of Chalkbeat.)
Having an education beyond a high school diploma matters
because it is crucial for state news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe. at/newsletters.
CLOSURES
the policy to make the best decisions. Kane added that the decision will be more complex than just merging the schools with the lowest enrollment.
“We’re really looking at the totality of all of these criteria and that’s why they’re in no particular order,” she said.
Other considerations listed in the policy include the “careful consideration of the needs of impacted sta ,” class sizes, additional programming accommodations and accessibility to local resources such as parks and emergency services.
An online dashboard created by the district shows data for each of the 16 elementary schools in Highlands Ranch, including current and projected enrollments.
e district has also released a staing plan to detail the process for impacted sta to transition into new positions. District o cials have promised that all impacted sta will be o ered commensurate jobs.
ing able to achieve nancial savings in the future because of attrition.
“Because we are not waiting to (consolidate schools) until we’re about to fall o a scal cli , we have a little bit of exibility to do this slowly and do it well for our sta members,” Kane said. “We will still realize that savings in the long-run.”
e district plans to use the closed schools for student or sta programming. e district will not sell the buildings or use them for charter schools.
Kane said the decision about the future uses for the schools will come after the recommendation on which schools to close.
“We aren’t in a position to say, ‘here’s our recommendations including what the closing schools are going to become’ because that is a whole other process,” Kane said.
In preparation for the transition year, the district is bringing on sta support and family support liaisons and additional human resources professionals.
Locally owned and operated by Dr. Leslie Longo, The Ranch Veterinary Hospital is a brand new state-of-the-art veterinary hospital opening in Highlands Ranch. Sign up for the latest updates and receive exclusive o ers and access to our opening events.
Kane said the district is able to promise jobs to impacted sta while still be-
Douglas County Chief of Sta Steve Colella said that once the recommendation for closures is made, district o cials are ready to support students, sta and families through the merging process.
The Stronger Nation report evaluates the number of residents who have a college degree or certificates or an industry certification.
CHALKBEAT PHOTO
School libraries could get protection from bans
Bill clears state Senate committee
BY JENNY BRUNDIN CPR NEWS
A bill to make it harder to remove books from public school libraries cleared its rst Colorado legislative hurdle Feb. 10.
After a three-hour debate, members of the Senate Education Committee approved the bill that would require schools to have a policy on school library book challenges.
e bill stipulates that only parents or legal guardians of children at a school could challenge a book in their child’s library and ask for its removal. It protects school librarians from retaliation and requires that a school’s challenge policy be transparent and posted for the community. It also limits challenges to a book’s place in a library to once every two years.
“It’s never been more important to protect the freedom to read,” said bill sponsor state Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Je erson County Democrat. “Free societies don’t ban books.”
She said the bill would protect school libraries from what’s known as “ban bombing,” where hundreds of requests to ban books bombard school librarians. Book challenges have become more prevalent nationwide. In 2022, Colorado was home to nearly 10 percent of all book challenges, according to the American Library Association.
Challenges have drawn lawsuits
Last August, the Elizabeth school board voted to remove 19 books from library shelves after board members conducted a review for content such as racism, graphic violence and sexual content. Many of the books on the list were written by or about people of color or LGBTQ people, such as “ e Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “ e Hate U Give” by Angie omas. School board members called the books “disgusting” or “ugly” and said it was their duty to protect children. Dozens of other books are on a “sensitive list” – including a number of religious books, books like “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “Catcher in the Rye” and “ e Hunger Games” – that allows parents to prohibit their children from checking out the books.
In December the ACLU led a federal lawsuit on behalf of two students and two groups including NAACP of the Rocky Mountains, arguing that the ban violates federal and state free speech protections. It said the book removals deny authors
their right to share their books with students free from viewpoint-based censorship.
Passionate testimonials
Dozens of parents and students gave impassioned testimony in support of the bill Feb. 10. ey said that books have opened their minds to new ideas and perspectives and have given them a window into lives very di erent from their own. ey said books spark imagination and are a way to develop critical thinking skills and empathy.
Hripsime Vartanyan, an exchange student from the nation of Georgia, testi ed for the bill. She explained to legislators that her parents and grandparents grew up in the Soviet Union when books were banned.
“But when I was growing up, there was no Soviet Union. So my parents … they tried for me to have a choice to read whatever book I want. And I’m thankful to them that they give me choice and the opportunity to be educated and read about the topics that I want, not someone else,” Vartanyan said.
She said she was confused when she heard about books being banned in the United States.
Denisse Solis of Reforma Colorado said her school library was one of the most meaningful parts of her childhood.
“Reading about characters navigating challenges helped me process my own experiences and gave me the words to articulate them. e more I learned, the more I could help my family. Libraries didn’t just make me a better student, they made life better for all of us,” Solis said.
Liz Wilson, co-founder of the Pro-Colorado Education Project, said a small but loud group targeted several books at her daughter’s public charter school. Wilson said the turmoil derailed the productivity of the school’s board, sta and parents from focusing on academics.
“I urge you to pass this bill because without it, Colorado public schools, students and communities will remain vulnerable to chaos, intimidation, and censorship. If we fail to act, these attacks will escalate,” Wilson said.
Erin Meschke, a Boulder resident opposed to the bill, said no one is trying to ban books. Rather, they are trying to make sure books are aligned with standards protecting children from pornography.
“ e majority of books being challenged … graphically portray sex, pedophilia, rape, incest, and other things that have nothing to do with developmentally appropriate interest, education, or enlightenment,” Meschke said.
Lori Goebel of Faith Now Fellowship said she believes that other people besides parents should be able to lodge complaints against books. She said books that some parents may nd o ensive shouldn’t be in public school libraries.
“If a parent or guardian chooses to allow their child to access what another parent would deem inappropriate for their child, that is their choice, and there are other places to access those books without placing these books in a school library and crossing the boundaries placed by other parents for their children,” Goebel said.
But Meg Reed, a grandmother, challenged opponents’ assertions that they want to protect parents’ right to guide their children.
“What they really want is to dictate what is right for all families,” Reed said. “While they’re completely free to deny their own children access to whatever books they might nd o ensive, they do not have the right to make those decisions for other parents.”
Mark Fink, executive director of Anythink Libraries, supported the provision that would make it illegal to re, demote
or punish a school library worker for selecting, retaining, or displaying a book before it’s been reviewed.
“Without this protection, school library workers are vulnerable to smear campaigns and personal attacks while they do their jobs, which include fostering creative thinking and providing access to a vast marketplace of ideas,” Fink said.
Matt Cook, director of public policy and advocacy for the Colorado Association of School Boards, said most school districts already have policies that meet the requirements of the bill.
What happens next?
A similar bill died last year in the Colorado Senate Education Committee. is year, with two di erent Democrats on the committee and some changes to appease the Colorado Association of School Boards, the bill passed on a 5-to-2 vote. It now goes to the Senate oor for a vote.
is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.
Rev.
New books at Glennon Heights Elementary library in Lakewood in 2019. FILE PHOTO
Dougco legislators push bill on immigration enforcement
Baisley, Brooks want local policing agencies to be able to take part
BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County o cials are hoping to repeal state laws that limit how local law enforcement can interact with federal immigration agencies to allow cooperation between the agencies when an immigrant who is undocumented is in custody.
Colorado state Sen. Mark Baisley and Rep. Max Brooks, who both represent parts of Douglas County, introduced Senate Bill 25-047, which would allow local law enforcement to report immigrants they believe are illegally in the country to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
e bill would also remove the prohibition on arresting or detaining immigrants at courthouses and prevent local governments from enacting laws that would interfere in immigration enforcement or cooperation.
At a Feb. 12 press conference, Baisley, Brooks, Douglas County Sheri Darren Weekly, 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler and former ICE director John Fabbricatore advocated for the bill’s passage, while acknowledging the uphill battle it faces.
Weekly said the bill eliminates “unnecessary barriers” and clears up guidance to law enforcement, which he said is currently interpreted di erently by di erent agencies.
“ ere’s so many laws on the books now about immigration that it’s very convoluted, so this (bill) puts us in the right direction,” Weekly said, noting that he is “one of the few sheri s that will actually contact ICE if we believe that somebody is in this country illegally.”
Last year, Baisley brought forth a similar bill with former Rep. Richard Holtorf, of Akron, but it was unsuccessful.
Baisley and Brooks said they are more hopeful about the fate of the bill this year
since the recent investigations into Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that has been linked to some crimes in Denver and Aurora.
Baisley said that though the bill “does not have a good chance of passing this time,” he believes it has broad support.
“ e awareness of the public is rising quite a bit and the sheri s are going to show up (in support),” he said.
Brooks added that the bill aligns with recent comments from Gov. Jared Polis
REVERSE MORTGAGES
and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, who said in interviews they support deporting violent criminals.
“I’m very hopeful that because of their stance that they have taken publicly in admitting this is a big problem and something we need to address, that perhaps will in uence some of their Democratic colleagues in the legislature,” Brooks said. SB25-047 has its rst hearing on Feb. 25 in the State, Veterans and Military A airs Committee.
Douglas County Sheri Darren Weekly speaks in favor of a proposed bill that would remove limitations on local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration agencies at a Feb. 12 press conference at the Douglas County Justice Center. Colorado state Sen. Mark Baisley, Rep. Max Brooks and 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler, from left, stand behind Weekly in support.
PHOTO BY MCKENNA HARFORD
Girls wrestling teams thrive in year one, send athletes to state
Conifer, Ponderosa girls programs start strong with high numbers, higher goals
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As girls wrestling continues to sweep the country as the nation’s fastest-growing high school sport, local programs are wasting no time making a splash in Colorado. Quali ers for the state wrestling tournament at Ball Arena on Feb. 13-15 have been announced, and many schools are sending rst-time representatives on the biggest high school stage.
Ponderosa High School in Parker is in the rst season of its girls wrestling program. In year one, a whopping 19 girls signed up for the team. After a strong season, four qualied for state.
“We were kind of shocked, because, in your rst year, girls wrestling is a tough sport,” Head Coach Frankie Sanchez said. “So, we gured we’d maybe have a couple of state quali ers, but having four was pretty good. And then the two regional champions, and then one runner-up, that was pretty exciting.”
e Mustangs quali ed Arianna Sanchez (regional champion), Presley Pearson (regional runner-up), Elizabeth Sandy (regional champion) and Abriella Deitz (regional third-place) to state, each representing four weight classes.
To have that many sign up for the program’s rst year is impressive, but maybe not that big of a surprise, Sanchez said. Until Ponderosa had its own team, interested girls would wrestle for Douglas County High School.
But now, the Mustangs can proudly wear their own uniforms and have adopted some wrestlers from Lutheran and Legend high schools.
It’s not enough to just be happy to be there, Sanchez said. e girls are hungry as they go into the state competition.
For Sandy, the Mustangs’ senior quali er and commit to Adams State University, it’s about revenge. She lost in last year’s nal. Her determination is rubbing o on the rest of the squad.
“We tell them to not be satis ed,” Sanchez said. “A lot of these girls get satis ed with just being a regional champ or getting down to Ball Arena. But, you know, we try to tell them that, you know, the show is not over yet. You still got a medal to go pick up.”
Conifer High School is also in year one. According to Head Coach Nick Adamson,
there has been growing interest in developing a girls team in recent years. Last season, one girl who attended Conifer wrestled for Evergreen.
Now the Lobos have 11 wrestlers.
“I got the boys program started a few years ago,” Adamson said. “ is was our fourth season bringing the boys program back. It had been defunct for about ve years prior. So really, over the last couple of years, there’s been a lot of interest with individual girls and parents approaching me about when we were going to get a girls team going.”
Before rebooting the boys team, Adamson had been bolstering the youth club in the area, establishing a group of youth wrestlers — boys and girls — who would develop into high school athletes.
“It’s just something that I’ve always felt really strongly about, just what the sport offers kids in general,” he said. “And it’s awesome that we can now have that available for the girls too. I would have been happy with four or ve (girls wrestlers), just out of the gate rst year. So, to get that many was great, and I think we should be well up over 15 to 20 next year.”
Conifer is sending Sierra Nordwald (third at regionals) and Penny Dickinson (third at regionals) to Ball Arena.
ere’s a lot of pride among the teammates as they craft the culture that will shape the program’s foundation.
“Being the inaugural girls team, it’s really a point of pride for them. I think it means a
lot to them, even the ones that didn’t necessarily see a lot of individual success or individual accolades throughout the year. I think that’s kind of the feather in their hat is that, ‘I was a part of creating and being a part of that the rst girls program and establishing it hopefully generations to come.’”
e Lobos only have one senior, so Conifer is returning nearly the whole team. is year was a building block, and the wrestlers are eager to return to the mat next season with a better grasp of the sport and higher goals for success.
High school girls wrestling is blooming in
Colorado, and it’s here to stay.
“Women’s wrestling right now is the fastest-growing sport in high school sports,” Sanchez said. “I mean, it’s huge. e NCAA just announced in January that it was the 91st o cial championship sport for college. So it’s now sanctioned for Division I, Division II and Division III ... is is us building a program we only started in November. So, imagine giving us another six months, or even a year. I think we’re going to be pretty dominating.”
View an updated version of this story online at coloradocommunitymedia.com/ sports
Ponderosa wrestler Arianna Sanchez beams after winning the regional championship in her region in girls wrestling. Sanchez is one of four state qualifiers for the Mustangs in year one of the girls wrestling program.
PHOTOS BY DENNIS PLEUSS / JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Ponderosa senior and Adams State University commit Elizabeth Sandy poses with coaches John Foirdalas, left, and Frankie Sanchez at her signing day ceremony. Sandy is one of four state qualifiers for the Mustangs eager to finish her high school career with a trophy.
ANNIVERSARY
She later went into a kindergarten classroom where the children were making artwork for the surviving father.
“I was like, so this is going to be your kindergarten core memory,” said Brooker. “It just broke me.”
A few months later, still unable to shake o what she had experienced that day, Brooker’s heart broke even more when she heard of another Highlands Ranch mom who took her 10-year-old daughter’s life and then her own.
Brooker met with the surviving family members from both incidents and asked them if she could use their stories to help make people understand that moms need better support.
With their permission, Brooker made a post on Facebook and within two weeks, she had a location and established a nonpro t focused on peer-to-peer support.
YANA o ers weekly gatherings for moms with kids of any age. Additionally, there is someone who facilitates the meetings who is trained on recognizing red ags so proper referrals can be made to moms.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to support more moms and a ect generational mental health change,” said Brooker. “Because when kids see their moms supported, they feel OK to ask for help.”
Celebrating a milestone
Over time, Brooker realized that moms needed support before their children reached preschool ages.
She began researching what other countries in the world do to support
apy appointments to rehabilitate their abdominal and pelvic oor muscles after childbirth.
In the U.S., “if you have a knee replacement, you get physical therapy; if you get a shoulder replacement, you get physical therapy,” said Brooker. “But you have a baby cut out of your body or you birth it through a canal the size of a golf ball, you don’t get any physical therapy after that.”
Learning that many women don’t know about some of the resources available to them after childbirth, Brooker started a new program through YANA called Strong Mamas, riving Babies. It’s a hospital program that provides
County, Brooker started by partnering with UCHealth Highlands Ranch in January of 2024. She walked into the room of every new mom and presented the program to them.
One year later, the program has expanded to AdventHealth hospitals in Parker and Castle Rock, and has nearly 2,300 moms in the program.
Once moms leave the hospital, they can go onto the app called Strong Mamas — which is made speci cally for moms of the program — to plan playdates, ask questions and browse the events calendar. ey can also attend weekly in-person gatherings at each of the hospitals.
Nikki Brooker, founder of YANA, a nonprofit organization that supports moms in Douglas County, talks about the impact the Strong Mommas, Thriving Babies program has made in the community in one year.
“We literally hand them a village of moms and we say, ‘you’re all going through it, so let’s talk about it,’” Brooker said, adding that the meetings include tips and advice from community experts. e program also includes phone calls made by volunteer moms to check in with others throughout their postpartum journey. rough these calls, YANA started an evening gathering, hosted family events and is working to create a program for dads. e peer-led program has a 96% acceptance rate and a 70% engagement rate of the moms that are enrolled.
“We present to every single mom who is taking a live baby home,” said Brooker. “Nothing matters except that you’re a mom, and you deserve this support.”
IN-SESSION TOWN HALLS
Highlands Ranch’s State Representative provides an open forum for feedback on the legislative session. 11:00 AM -12:00 PM Saturday, February 22 10:30-11:45 AM Sunday, March 9 10:30-11:45 AM Sunday, March 30
PHOTO BY HALEY LENA
Outlook positive but subdued
WFINANCIAL STRATEGIES
e have been talking for several months now about a slowing economy, which is now coming to fruition. is economic slowdown was originally based on the natural progression of the business cycle. Recent events, however, may speed that up.
e rst place we look for help in guring out where we are in the business cycle is the Federal Reserve Board. Jerome Powell’s recent testimony may have caught some investors o guard, as the Fed chose to do nothing and hold steady. is concerned the pessimists, who think that mortgage rates could remain high while their savings accounts earn less. Also, the economic growth measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been slowing, so a decline in interest rates could have boosted growth.
e optimists are happy because the Fed’s neutral stance could mean everything is good and there is no need to make any changes. e Fed admits, however, that we are not yet down to their 2% target for in ation.
e U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that shelter, or housing, makes up the largest sector of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures in ation. Shelter makes up 32% of the CPI with a year-over-year increase of 5%. is is the largest driver behind stickiness in the
Life is meant to be more than simply checking o boxes on a list. It’s meant to be lived with passion, fervor, and enthusiasm. Yet, time and time again, I see people, whether at work or in their personal lives, fall into the trap of routine, where daily habits become ruts. ese ruts, if left unchecked, can lead to stagnation and even feelings of emptiness or depression. When life becomes about punching in and punching out, whether on the job or at home, we miss the point entirely.
In my work, helping organizations with sales training, management coaching, and leadership development, I’ve witnessed both ends of the spectrum. On one hand, some companies approach training as just another task to be done. ey participate in programs not because they believe in their value but because they want to check the box and say they’ve done it. ere’s no energy, no passion, and, unsurprisingly, little to no impact.
VOICES
current in ation rates, according to William Greiner, chief economist at Mariner. All other items excluding shelter had an in ation rate in 2024 of 1.9%, so perhaps the Fed thought we were getting close to their target.
en enter the new administration in
Washington. No matter where your political allegiance lies, every day is a whirlwind of new information. It is too soon to see how tari s will a ect everything, but at rst glance, they could lower economic growth and increase in ation. While the Fed does not have an economic growth
target, it does consider growth rates when determining where interest rates should be. After in ation, the second mandate of the Fed is that unemployment and jobs creation remain strong.
SEE KUMMER, P11
Finding fervor and zeal in everyday moments
WINNING
ment from the top down. Senior leaders engage with the content, understanding its transformative potential for their teams. at enthusiasm trickles through the organization, sparking interest, energy, and a shared commitment to growth. e results are staggering in business performance, employee satisfaction, and morale.
On the other hand, some organizations view professional development as an investment in their people. ese companies approach training with excite-
is contrast illustrates the bigger picture: Checking the box might give you the illusion of progress, but true growth and ful llment come from investing yourself fully, mind, heart, and spirit into what you’re doing. is same “check-the-box” mentality that I see in workplaces can also creep into our personal lives. ink about it: Are you “checking the box” with your spouse? Maybe the once passionate goodbyes have been replaced by a quick, obligatory peck on the cheek. Are you “checking the box” with your kids or grandkids? You may be sitting in the
same room with them while they watch a movie or play on a tablet, but you’re not truly engaging because you’re scrolling through your phone.
Are you “checking the box” at the gym, going through the motions of a workout without really pushing yourself or enjoying the process? Are you “checking the box” in your spiritual life, saying a quick, rehearsed prayer, or attending a house of worship but not truly paying attention to the music or the message?
e good news is that it’s never too late to reignite your passion for life and break free from the monotony. Here are a few steps to get started:
Try something new. Create a fresh workout plan that excites you. Explore a new hobby or take on a challenge that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Put the phone down. Play an active role in your children’s or grandchildren’s lives. Instead of passively sitting in the same room, play a game, have a conversation, or share a meaningful experience together.
Bring back the little things that made your relationship special. Start with a passionate kiss, a thoughtful gesture,
or a meaningful conversation. Whether professional training or personal development, embrace the chance to grow. Be grateful for the opportunity to learn something new and consider how it can bene t your life.
Life isn’t about simply completing tasks; it’s about living. It’s about tasting, experiencing, and embracing each moment’s richness. If you feel stuck in the “check-the-box” mindset, ask yourself: What can I do today to return to the redup express train?
Bring back the zeal, curiosity, and passion that fuels growth and connection because life is much more than just checking a box. It’s meant to be lived fully and with purpose. So what are you waiting for? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com. And when we go beyond just checking a box, 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.
Things to do in the south metro area
Meet the author: C. J. Box
e Douglas County Libraries is inviting the community to an event with C.J. Box, the New York Times bestselling author of the Joe Pickett series.
e event takes place at 7 p.m. March 1 at the DCSD Legacy Campus, 10035 Peoria St., in Lone Tree.
ere will be a discussion on his new novel, “Battle Mountain” and a book signing will follow the author’s presentation.
A general admission ticket costs $35 and includes a hardcover copy of the book, a seat for the presentation and a place in the signing line. A companion ticket costs $20 and includes a seat for the presentation only. It is available only with the purchase of a general admission ticket.
Co ee, tea and deserts will be provided. e book will be available for purchase at the event.
Learn more at www.dcl.org.
Colorado Pint Day
e Colorado Brewers Guild, a nonpro t trade organization for independent craft breweries, has announced the return of the 10th annual Colorado Pint Day. It will be on March 5.
Colorado Pint Day is a time-honored tradition that has developed a following, with beer lovers ocking to participating breweries to pick up the limited edition glassware. is beloved fundraiser supports local craft breweries and is always takes place on a Wednesday during a typicallyslower season for breweries. One dollar of each pint glass sold is donated to the Colorado Brewers Guild to support its mission of promoting, protecting and propelling its members through advocacy, education and public awareness.
A list of the 215 plus participating breweries, which includes several from Arapahoe and Douglas counties, can be found on the CBG website: coloradobeer.org.
Acrylic painting collage workshop
e Heritage Fine Arts Guild invites artists of all skill levels to an engaging, hands-on workshop with Christa MacFarlane.
Participants will experiment with a variety of acrylic application techniques while integrating collage elements to
create dynamic and unexpected compositions. is workshop is designed to showcase the versatility of acrylics and inspire creative expression.
Participants should bring their own supplies, including acrylic paints, brushes, college materials and a support board for their work. A full supply list is available on the Heritage Fine Arts Guild website.
e workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 15 at Ascension Lutheran Church, 1701 W. Caley Ave., in Littleton. Cost is $50 for Heritage Fine Arts Guild members and $100 for non-members. To register, visit www. heritage-guild.com.
Celebrate freedom through film in Englewood e I Love Independence Mini Film Festival, will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Englewood Arts, 10901 E. Winner Road.
e free event will showcase winning lms from entries that focused on telling stories that raise awareness of the historical signi cance of independence. e aim of the contest and festival is to encourage lmmakers to showcase their creativity and passion for history, foster community and civic engagement in the city’s historical heritage, and connect the community and visitors to the city’s history and cultural sites, according to provided information.
For all the details about the festival, visit www.iloveindependence.org.
Board game swap in Littleton
Drop o gently-used board games at the Bemis Library’s Information or Children’s desks between Feb. 26 and March 4 for tickets to the Board Game Swap Shop, which will take place on March 5 between 4-6 p.m.
Board games for all ages will be accepted. Ensure that all games are in good condition and have no missing pieces.
Related, the library’s Board Game Night will take place from 5-7 p.m. on March 5. is family-friendly envent will o er the opportunity to play with the library’s board game collection. Pizza and snacks will be provided. Learn more at www.library.littletonco.gov.
Unemployment sheds a bright light on immigration and potential deportation. As our labor force shrinks, we may see a higher cost of housing and labor-intensive services such as food processing. Consumers will foot the federal de cit bill through higher cost of goods and services, higher taxes or both. ere is a theory that tari s could help reduce the federal de cit better and faster than raising income taxes. How this plays out will be interesting, but I believe we will feel some negative e ects of these changes, at least initially.
Investors can see this uncertainty in the stock market volatility as the markets try to grasp how these changes affect corporate America and stock valuations. I suspect most companies will be weaning themselves o of high pro t margins, which could bring down some valuations. We are already seeing some of the high- yers from previous years, such as Nvidia, declining. is could be a challenging year for investors who do not have a strong but exible strategy in place. Ask your advisor about how to plan around these new policies and how to diversify properly in the changing economy.
Patricia Kummer is managing director for Mariner, an SEC-registered investment adviser.
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House cats with bird flu could pose risk
Some pets died after drinking raw milk, midnight prowls
BY SARAH BODEN KFF HEALTH NEWS
More than 80 domestic cats, among many other types of mammals, have been conrmed to have had bird u since 2022 — generally barn cats that lived on dairy farms, as well as feral cats and pets that spend time outdoors and likely caught it by hunting diseased rodents or wild birds.
Now, a small but growing number of house cats have gotten sick from H5N1, the bird u strain driving the current U.S. outbreak, after eating raw food or drinking unpasteurized milk. Some of those cats died. e strain of bird u currently circulating has not adapted to e ciently spread among people. And there have been no known cases of cat-to-human transmission during the current outbreak of H5N1.
Still, there’s always been the risk that cats, which are arguably only semi-domesticated, could bring home a disease from a midnight prowl.
“Companion animals, and especially cats, are 100% a public health risk in terms of the risk of zoonotic transmission to people,” said virologist Angela Rasmussen, who studies disease progression in emerging viruses at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. is is because we snuggle with and sleep in bed with our cats. When we’re not looking, cats drink from our water glasses and walk on kitchen counters. So, cat owners should be aware of the ongoing spread of bird u. “By reducing the risk to your cats, you reduce the risk to yourself,” Rasmussen said.
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CLARIFICATION
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In the article on the INSPIRE program in the Feb. 13 edition, the group’s organizers would like to clarify that while care for participants may cost as much as $20,000, no family pays that much to attend. The charitable foundation Active 4 All provides financial support.
quiring cat and dog food companies to update their safety plans to protect against bird u.
Rasmussen doesn’t think pet owners should be afraid their cats will give them bird u but said taking precautions is good for pets, and for public health.
Signs of bird u in cats include runny nose and discharge around the eyes, explained Michael Q. Bailey, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
H5N1 also causes neurological problems like dizziness and seizures, which are symptoms of rabies, too. Rabies is almost always fatal, and it poses a threat to human health, so any animal suspected of having the viral disease must be euthanized. Bailey encourages people to ensure pets are up-to-date on their vaccinations.
Veterinarian Jane Sykes, who specializes in infectious diseases in cats and dogs at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, said people should not assume it’s bird u if their cat is sick — even if their animal spends time outdoors or eats a raw diet. Upper-respiratory illnesses are common in cats, while H5N1 is “still pretty rare.”
Sykes gives her indoor cat, Freckles, regular kibble exclusively. She told NPR and KFF Health News she has no concerns about Freckles getting H5N1 because the heating process of making dry or canned pet food kills viruses.
More cases in cats, more risk to humans
Some people feed their pets raw meat or unpasteurized milk because they think it’s a more nutritious or natural diet. e American Veterinary Medical Association’s website discourages this due to foodborne pathogens like salmonella and listeria, and now the highly pathogenic H5N1.
State and local public health agencies, including those in Los Angeles County and Washington state, have issued similar warnings against raw food diets for pets.
Concerns for human health are partly why the FDA announced last month it is now re-
Veterinarians also warn pet owners not to allow cats unsupervised time outside as there’s the risk of them getting H5N1 by interacting with other animals that might carry the disease.
“ is is a very scary virus, given that it can infect so many di erent host species,” said Bruce Kornreich, director of Cornell University’s Feline Health Center.
At least one instance of a cat infecting a person with bird u occurred in 2016. As NPR reported, a veterinarian in New York City caught the virus after having close contact with infected cats. e vet experienced mild symptoms and quickly recovered.
ere isn’t a lot of research on transmission of bird u from companion animals like cats or dogs to humans, though Rasmussen agreed it’s de nitely a concern: e more infections you have in animals, “the more your luck is potentially going to run out.”
Most people who have caught H5N1 are agricultural workers who had direct contact with infected poultry or cattle. Of at least 67 con rmed human cases of H5N1 in the U.S., there’s been one fatality in an immunocompromised person who had contact with birds.
Chances for mutation
Part of the concern with this H5N1 outbreak is that bird u viruses change. Just a few mutations could make this strain adept at spreading between people. And the more people who catch H5N1, the more likely it would adapt to be more e cient, said Suresh Kuchipudi, a virologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, where he researches zoonotic diseases. Kuchipudi has studied H5N1 in cats.
Another concern is something called reassortment. If an animal or person is infected with two viruses at once, the viruses can trade genetic material, creating something new. is is common in in uenza, so virologists are on the lookout for a case in which the bird u reassorts to make a virus that’s far more contagious, and potentially more virulent. Kuchipudi said that reassortments are relatively rare events, but the outcome is completely unpredictable. Sometimes the
results are benign, though it was likely a reassortment that involved an avian virus that led to the 1918 u pandemic, which killed an estimated 50 million people. In the century since, virologists have established a global surveillance network to monitor in uenza viruses. Scientists say continued investment in this network is key to preparing for and hopefully preventing another pandemic.
Rasmussen and Kuchipudi caution there isn’t enough research to know for sure how much virus cats shed, or even how they shed the virus.
e Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was poised to release a new study about H5N1 in cats, but that was delayed when the Trump administration paused the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. at investigation, revealed through emails obtained by KFF Health News in a public records request, found that house cats likely got bird u from dairy workers.
Scientists and public health agencies should question previously held assumptions about bird u, Kuchipudi urged. He noted that 20 years ago nobody would have predicted that bird u would infect dairy cattle the way it is now.
Dogs seem to fare better
e FDA says other domesticated animals, including dogs, can get bird u infections. ere are no con rmed cases of H5N1 among dogs in the U.S., though in other countries they have died from the virus. ere’s very little people can do about the H5N1 circulating in wild birds. As Rasmussen explained, “It’s ying around in the skies. It’s migrating north and south with the seasons.” But she said there’s a lot people can do to keep the virus out of their homes.
at includes limiting a pet’s exposure to H5N1 by not feeding them raw food or unpasteurized milk, and trying to keep them from interacting with animals like rodents and wild birds that could be infected with the virus.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
Cats are at high risk of transmitting bird flu to humans because owners snuggle with and sleep with cats. When we’re not looking, cats drink from our water glasses and walk on kitchen counters. SHUTTERSTOCK
Images of a forgotten America brought ‘back to life’
BY MARC SHULGOLD
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
As he leads a visitor along a row of ancient sepia-tone photographs hung in the lobby of the Lone Tree Arts Center, Paul Unks pauses at each one to o er a personal note about the subjects captured by Edward S. Curtis more than a century ago — a young Indian boy gazing blankly at us, a woman sitting under a tree weaving a blanket, a distant group on horseback moving easily below the rocky grandeur of Canyon de Chelly, an Indian chief with full feather headdress perched patiently as his white horse drinks from a stream.
Unks is curating an exhibit of 39 beautifully framed portraits by Curtis (18681952), the greatest photographer of Native America. Walking along, one feels his obvious passion after he described the lengthy, intense labor involved in reproducing each of these precious images for public purchase. Learning about that complex process, however, is not nearly as dramatic as hearing the remarkable story behind Unks’ discovery of 250 photographs by Curtis that had lay hidden for nearly 60 years — right here in Denver.
Like most kids, Unks grew up playing cowboys and Indians, a normal boy raised in the suburbs of St. Louis.
“Except that my respect was with the Indians,” he said.
Later, at the University of Missouri, he pursued his true passion — football, serving as quarterback until getting clobbered during practice by monster teammate John Matuszak. Time for another career. A class in photojournalism o ered possibilities.
After settling in Denver, Unks worked as a counselor, helping people through career transitions. at all changed in 1997 when he learned that 500 of Curtis’ original photographs had remained in storage, unknown and forgotten — in the basement of the University of Denver’s Library.
“ e Boettcher Family had donated the collection in 1938,” he said. “ ese were
all printed on Japanese tissues and carefully stored for all those years. I began a series of negotiations that would take a year. My goal was simple. I told them, ‘Let me bring (the photographs) back to life.’”
ere was “some resistance” in completing the agreement, he admitted — lawyers on both sides were involved, of course — but Unks had found a close ally in Steve Fischer, curator of special collections at the DU library.
ere were 500 pieces in storage, with Unks awarded 250 (the remaining photographs, he said, “went out there somewhere.”). e task ahead was to “bring to life” the lost art of Curtis by making high-quality prints of each photograph, with percentages from their sale going to DU and to a Native American scholarship fund. Small problem: Unks had to start from the beginning and learn a very difcult art. It would take seven years, for starters. With his life now changing, he created Mountain Hawk Fine Art in 1999 and began his apprenticeship, with help from a number of mentors and the gift of time, patience and discipline. By the way, for his e orts, Unks has been given a Native American nickname: “Little Mountain Hawk.”
Curtis used a process known as intaglio photogravure, one that produces images with a remarkable sense of depth, light and realism. e process has earned the
IF YOU GO
“Preserving an American Legacy: Images of Native America” by Edward S. Curtis will be on exhibit in the Lone Tree Arts Center’s lobby hallways through March 23. The arts center is located at 10075 Commons St. in Lone Tree.
highest rating of any print type — and it requires a master’s touch. Completing a single print requires three to four weeks ( ree to four are made simultaneously — building some of their gorgeous frames can require months). Unks was up to the task of learning the technique and utilizing it with every print, guided by a lifelong love for photography and his deep respect for the subjects in those centuryold prints.
“As I work, I imagine Curtis looking over my shoulder,” Unks said.
Learning yet another technique, adding gold tone, the subtle sepia coloring, would take another year.
In researching Curtis, he discovered that the photographer was deeply respectful of those who patiently posed for his camera.
“He earned their trust, and was allowed to visit 80 tribes, which was very rare for a White man. Chief Joseph (one of the most famous of tribal leaders) actually came to his house and knocked on his door, wanting to pose,” Unks said.
As an indication of Curtis’ reputation among the Indians, he earned “ e Shadow Catcher” as an honored nickname.
“Curtis spent nine months with the Indians,” Unks said. “He had an assistant, John Andrew, to handle the (copper) plate making. He collected 2,200 photographs in 20 volumes, out of around 40,000 photographs in all. When he felt he had completed his work, the Indians heard him say, ‘ at will do.’ And that was it.”
is coverage comes courtesy of a grant from the Littleton Arts and Culture Program. As a matter of policy, funders exercise no control over editorial decisions.
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Photos in the Edward S. Curtis exhibition at Lone Tree Arts Center include “Canyon de Chelly.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LONE TREE ARTS CENTER
“Oasis in the Badlands” is among photos in the Edward S. Curtis exhibition at the Lone Tree Arts Center.
BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Friday mornings during ski season, a lot of kids in Clear Creek County will wake up before the sunrise to check equipment, snowboards, skis, helmet, goggles and gloves in preparation of hitting the slopes.
After they’re dressed and with a quick breakfast, they wait in Idaho Springs or Georgetown for the school bus to take them to Loveland Ski Area for a day of lessons or just fun with friends.
e program Snow Dodgers has been teaching local kids from kindergarten and up the con dence and skills to ride the mountains on skis or snowboards since 1963, according to board members.
“If they’re good enough, they can just be free-range skiers and do their thing all day,” rst-year Snow Dodgers volunteer Chelsea Dendegna said. “It sets them up with lessons if they need it and just supports them on their journey as skiers or snowboarders.”
Many of the students who started early in the program are now in the sixth grade and riding doubleblack diamond trails at Loveland.
“I’ve learned a lot by watching other people and my family teaching me things, so I’ve improved a lot,” Carlson Elementary sixth-grader Maddie Hinojos said.
A team of volunteers and board members keep Snow Dodgers going each year, piling equipment
into pickup trucks and checking names as kids get on the bus to perpetuate what generations before them had done.
“Everybody works hard to make things come together for a project like this. It’s just a nice community,” Hinojos said.
According to state records, Snow Dodgers is one of the longest-standing ski clubs in Colorado, and many locals can attest to parents and grandparents who learned to ski with its volunteers throughout the years.
Some of the organization’s mottoes on the website clarify goals and motivation: “Take Risks and Reap the Rewards,” “Be Prepared To Experience New Adventures” and “Overcome Your Fears and Master Your Skills.”
e organization’s long-standing relationship with Loveland Ski Area in Dillion is seen as mutually bene cial, according to Loryn Roberson, director of marketing for Loveland Ski Area.
“For Loveland, our community is everything and it’s so important to support these new skiers and riders and give them a space to not only learn but also to enjoy the slopes,” Roberson said.
Snow Dodgers typically runs from the second weekend in January to the second weekend in March.
“Having a program like this in place really allows
them to familiarize themselves with the sport and it really grows the next generation of skiers and riders which is incredibly important to Loveland,” Roberson said.
Ongoing education in ski industry
Opportunities for mountain youth to learn and excel in the sport of skiing and riding don’t end with Snow Dodgers.
High school and middle school programs in Clear Creek County o er hands-on experiences in the manufacture, maintenance and business of the ski industry.
“Creek Craft” is a new name in the ski and snowboarding industry, and Clear Creek County high school students, mentors and teachers aim to make it pro table.
Students in the Clear Creek High School Entrepreneur II class are taking their business education to the next level by creating a sustaining model for manufacturing and marketing, according to Career Connections coordinator Dacia Kelly.
“ e students in this class are learning how to start a business and they’re doing it through a real-world project rather than a hypothetical,” Kelly said.
MOUNTAIN KIDS
Meanwhile, outdoor rec and tech instructor Ben Shay at the high school and middle school in Evergreen gives students the hands-on experience of building a board or skis starting with plywood, laminate and an idea.
“It gives kids an outlet to do creative work with their hands and bring something to fruition. I like to tell the story, ‘Kids used to go home and give their mom a wooden spoon they made in wood shop.’ Now they get to show up with their own pair of skis or snowboard,” Shay said.
Several rec and tech students were eager to show o their one-of-a-kind creations they made just for themselves when the Courant visited the class in November. e art of creating a board or ski is dependent on the individual creating it; thick or thin tails and tips, shaping and tapering you create your custom ride with graphics you’ve designed, 11th-grade student Johannathan Scott said.
“It’s really a surreal kind of feeling when you get to make something that you’re going to use.., it’s just a really good feeling,” Scott added.
Another advantage to the rec and tech program is local students are learning the skills in high-demand at local ski areas and shops, according to both Shay and Roberson.
“It’s such a unique program. ese other communities and these other schools have things like woodshop and home economics; but for our community, the thing we all live and breathe is skiing. So, to be able to modify it and have this program that allows them to learn that skill set is invaluable,” Roberson said.
“ ey learn a lot of the woodworking skills here that they would in a wood shop, but then they get something that they actually get to strap on their feet, go to Snow Dodgers, ride the hill and say, ‘Look, I made this,’” Shay said.
The pinnacle of skiing skills: Alpine Rescue
Based in Evergreen, Alpine Rescue is an all-volunteer, mountain search-and-rescue team that’s been operating, free of charge, for more than 60 years.
Alpine Rescue is one of 13 Colorado teams accredited by the Mountain Rescue Association in technical rock rescue, wilderness search, avalanche rescue and winter technical rescue, according to its website.
“In the last few months we’ve had some pretty intense rescues and our pick of the rst to go in are usually pretty tough skiers and they have had to go miles in
sometimes very deep snow that is not easy to ski in. So, there’s a lot of physical endurance and strength,” Alpine Rescue volunteer and public information o cer Dawn Wilson said.
“To have kids learn how to ski and not just ski but be ‘mountain aware’ is idyllic. I’m jealous of those kids,” Wilson said.
Programs like Snow Dodgers instills early education and muscle memory in kids that are critical to working and playing in the mountains, according to Wilson.
“If those kids grow up and they want to give back to their community and volunteer for re or a mountain rescue team they’ve got that ingrained in their body and soul, they don’t even have to think about it,” Wilson said.
PHOTO ON PG8: Ski lift at Loveland Ski Area takes Snow Dodgers to top of the mountain Feb. 7. PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL TOP PHOTO: Clear Creek Snow Dodgers at Loveland Ski Area. PHOTO BY TIFFANY DALTON
Catch this Conifer family on new survival TV show ‘Extracted’
BY JOHN RENFROW
How long could you watch your family struggle to survive in the wild before pulling the plug? What if there were $250,000 on the line?
at’s the premise of the new show “Extracted,” which premiered on Fox on Feb. 10 with new episodes being released weekly. Conifer resident Sarah omas will watch her husband, Ryan Willis, battle extremely grueling conditions, perilous terrain and the threat of predators in the Canadian wilderness.
From the stressful safety of the family HQ, omas and other contestants’ relatives will watch with bated breath to determine if and when to remove their loved ones from the situation. Family alliances can be formed to allocate which contestant or contestants get helpful supplies, and who is left to their own devices. e last remaining contestant in the wild will win a quarter of a million dollars.
“Someone from casting reached out to me, and kind of pitched the idea of the show,” omas said. “And so basically, all we knew was that we needed a family group of three, and one of us had to go into the wilderness, and then the other two would be left somewhere else to kind of facilitate supplies for the person in the wilderness. I pitched it to Ryan after I heard about it, and he was like, ‘Heck yeah, that sounds amazing.’ “
e Conifer family (one of 12 selected to be on the show) didn’t have to draw straws; Willis was thrilled to be the one taking on the elements.
Growing up outdoorsy in Colorado, Willis took to the competition with a hungry excitement to test himself and his lim-
its. He explained how he’d always loved survival shows like “Alone” or “Survivorman,” but admitted he didn’t carry any polished survival skills himself.
“Yeah, sweet. I’ll go into the woods,” Willis said on his reaction when omas pitched it to him. “I went out one night and camped without anything to prepare for it. But other than that, no (other training) other than just general camping, you know, in Colorado, stu like that. But the point they wanted was that we didn’t actually know how to do anything.”
omas said despite the contestants having a varying array of skills, it was still a group of 12 amateur survivalists. Some had never slept a day outside before, while others, like Willis, grew up recreationally roughing it in the Rocky Mountains.
But things got real pretty quickly when Willis was picked up in a helicopter, only allowed to bring the clothes on his back; a T-shirt, light hoodie, hat, socks and boots.
He was given a canteen with 12 ounces of water and some camera equipment. at was it … until the rst supply drop hit. at’s where omas, and Willis’ brother, Sean, came in.
“We kind of expected that in the rst day to be able to do a supply drop, but he literally went over 24 hours without any tools, any extra water, nothing for over a day,” omas said. “He was not fazed. He was just hanging out, building a shelter, you know, piling sticks and stu . He was getting ready for the supply drop, but he had a good attitude about it.”
Willis took it in stride, but at the HQ, omas said she was starting to worry.
“We had no idea what to expect from the HQ experience, and so it was super stressful to sit there that whole rst day
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and just watch and not be able to do a single thing to help him,” she said. “He would come on camera and be like, ‘Yep, I could really use a re,’ or ‘It’d be really nice to have some tools.’ And we were just kind of stuck without being able to do anything for so long … . Ryan was having the best time of his life, and we were stressed in HQ, wondering when we were going to be able to help him.”
omas said the rst few days were tame, but tensions ared as families had
to decide who got what supplies.
“ ere was just that stress of, did you pick correct, or are people going to be mad at us because we got Ryan this amazing supply box, and other people didn’t do as good under pressure and didn’t get as many supplies as we were able to send to Ryan,” omas said.
Catch “Extracted” weekly on Fox and streaming on Hulu to watch Willis battle the elements as his family cheers him on and helps straighten his course.
plus
Conifer couple Sarah Thomas, left, and Ryan Willis, center, along with Ryan’s brother, Sean Willis, are on a new survival TV show called “Extracted” on Hulu. COURTESY PHOTO
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State gets behind bid for Stanley Hotel film center
Economic development commission approves $1M grant to boost e orts
BY SARAH MULHOLLAND CPR NEWS
Colorado is upping its stake in developing Estes Park’s Stanley Hotel into a tourist destination for horror lm bu s. e state’s economic development commission approved a $1 million grant from its strategic fund for the Colorado Education and Cultural Facilities Authority, or CEFCA, the Colorado agency taking over the property. e cash will go toward greasing the wheels for the CECFA to issue $400 million in bonds. e proceeds will be used to transform the iconic hotel, best known as the inspiration for Stephen King’s “ e Shining,” into the Stanley Film Center.
e project, billed as a horror-themed
museum and event space, has been in the works for a decade. It was approved for state funding in 2015 under Colorado’s Regional Tourism Act, a state program created in 2009 to attract out-of-state visitors following the recession brought on by the housing crisis. To qualify for funding, projects had to show they were likely to substantially increase visitation to the state.
e lm center has since run into numerous delays and struggled to raise cash. Owner John Cullen, whose Grand Heritage Hotel Group bought the property out of bankruptcy in the 1990s, announced a deal to sell the property to an Arizona nonpro t in 2023. But that deal fell through. Now, the CEFCA is stepping in.
“We’ve come a long way in a really difcult market,” Cullen said during a meeting Tuesday with the state’s economic development commission.
On top of the $1 million grant, to be paid out after the bonds are sold, the commission approved the early release of some taxpayer funds already allocated to the lm center from the Regional Tourism Act. e project was awarded up to $46.3 million from state sales tax to be paid out over 30 years.
e commission also extended the deadline for completion to Dec. 31, 2028.
“Since there’ve been some challenges and delays in getting the nancing done, we want to allow the project adequate time to be completed,” Je Kraft, deputy director of Colorado’s O ce of Economic
Development and International Trade, said during the meeting.
e CEFCA is a state bonding authority that issues low-cost debt to fund things like schools and museums. It was created by Colorado’s state legislature in 1981. is is the rst time it’s taking ownership of a property.
Despite its challenges, the Stanley Film Center has had some wins. Horror movie studio Blumhouse has signed on to curate the exhibit space. Last year, the Sundance Film Festival announced a partnership with e Stanley to host its Directors Lab. Colorado is currently courting Sundance to become the new home of its signature lm festival.
is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.
The grant and a $400 million bond package will be used to transform the hotel, best known as the inspiration for Stephen King’s “The Shining,” into the Stanley Film Center. SHUTTERSTOCK
1. TELEVISION: How many castaways are on “Gilligan’s Island”?
2. GEOGRAPHY: Which Asian nation’s nickname is “Land of the under Dragon”?
3. LITERATURE: What is author J.K. Rowling’s real rst name?
4. SCIENCE: What is a type of material that can’t carry an electrical charge?
5. U.S. STATES: Which state’s nickname is “ e Last Frontier”?
6. MEASUREMENTS: How many quarts are in a half gallon?
7. MOVIES: Which famous landmark is featured in the movie “Rebel Without a Cause”?
8. ANATOMY: What does the cerebellum control in the human brain?
9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Where is the late Jimmy Carter’s presidential library located?
TrIVIa
10. HISTORY: When did the Great Fire of London occur?
Answers
1. Seven.
2. Bhutan.
3. Joanne.
4. An insulator.
5. Alaska.
6. Two.
7. Gri th Observatory.
8. Movement and balance.
9. Atlanta, Georgia.
10. 1666.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Benefits: Excellent benefits including access to a company vehicle or mileage reimbursement and fully paid health insurance, including vision and dental. May be eligible for loan forgiveness program. Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work from home. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. EOE
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