Arvada plane crash survivor visits local fire station after being released from hospital
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Over a month after a tragic plane crash took the life of a mother of three, one survivor of the crash stopped by Arvada Fire Station 1 to pay a visit to one of the rst responder teams that responded to the crash.
Tom Sawyer Jr., 13, was a passenger in the small Beechcraft airplane that collided with a spruce tree and crash landed into an Arvada front yard on June 7. In the weeks that have followed, it has been determined that four passengers were on the plane; two adults and two kids.
One of the adults has been identi ed as mother of three Melissa Brinkmann, who was pronounced dead a day after the crash. Sawyer was accompanied by his mother and sister at the re station, and was greeted by Arvada Fireghters and police o cers who responded to the plane crash. Sawyer
was recently released from the hospital after spending weeks following the crash recovering from serious injuries.
“ is was so important to o cers from APD that they see how Tom Sawyer Jr. is doing today because they were all impacted deeply by this tragic event,” Arvada Police Public Information O cer Dave Snelling said. “We grieve with the Brinkmann family and hope for a full recovery for all involved. We are grateful to work in such a supportive community.”
With rising water bills on the horizon, Arvada’s City Council OKs team to look into bond and debt
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Another water rate hike is on the horizon for Arvadans — with this next one set to up rates by at least 10% — as the city works to address its ongoing issues with aging water infrastructure. In service of that goal, Arvada’s City Council approved the city team to look into bond and debt funding as an option to solve mounting water system issues.
Rates went up by 12.3% in 2023, followed by another 12% increase this year. While council has not yet been presented with or voted on this year’s increase, a 10% increase for water and sewer services, along with a 5% increase for stormwater, is forecasted in the city’s 10-year strategic plan for 2025.
At city council’s July 22 workshop, council members expressed support for the city team looking into bond and debt funding sources to deal with the aging infrastructure — chief amongst which is the city’s declining water treatment plants.
“We are doing very well with what we have to work with, and that is due to sta … bonds and debts are the way to go, and Arvada is well positioned to pay those back,” council member
Tom Sawyer Jr. explores the inside of an Arvada Fire Truck.
COURTESY OF ARVADA POLICE DEPARTMENT
RTD marks 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act with a newly designed bus wrap
About 200 people attended the July 20 celebration at e Studio Loft in Denver. e event included local youth performers and a panel of RTD sta and partners who talked about promoting equity and inspiring change.
Dez Merworth’s winning design for the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act Bus Wrap Design Contest includes national activists on the street side of the bus. The side of the bus that faces the curb features portraits of individuals in Colorado. The design on the back of the bus includes the Progress Pride flag.
en, the winning bus wrap, designed by Dez Merworth of Denver, was unveiled.
“I’m really excited the bus art is going to be something that so many people can access and see, especially communities that don’t necessarily always get to go to art galleries. It makes art accessible,” Merworth said.
“Dez Merworth did a phenomenal job at capturing all aspects of what the contest was about: the impact the Civil Rights Act has had on our community, recognizing the many individuals and groups nationally and in Colorado that championed equity and accessibility for all, and creating a lively, vibrant de-
The art depicts civil rights activists. From left to right, on the bus’s “street side,” or non-curb side, are Angela Davis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Clyde Merton Warrior, Gerald Gerash, Edna Wilson-Mosely, a protester from the Gang of 19—Atlantis community, Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, and Larry Itliong.
sign to recognize and celebrate our diverse communities and inspire action,” Green said. “I thank her for her astute detail to the work and to all our community partners who participated.”
Merworth’s design will be on a bus that will circulate throughout the RTD’s 2,342 square-mile district. It will operate through the end of 2024.For more information on the Civil Rights wrapped bus, go to rtd-denver.com/60th-anniversary.
Denver artist Dez Merworth created the winning design for RTD’s 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act Bus Wrap Design Contest.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF RTD
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Costco Is Building
800 Apartments Over New Store in Los Angeles. Could Denver Be Next?
When I first read about this project in an email newsletter called “The Briefcase,” I checked the calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1st. Disbelieving what I read, I Googled the topic and found countless trade and general audience publications about the project (none of them in Denver), and none saying it was a joke.
Yes, Costco has acquired a 5acre site in South Los Angeles that was formerly occupied by a church, and they announced last year that they were partnering with Thrive Living to build a Costco warehouse store on the site with 800 apartments, many of them “affordable” above and around it. The parking will be in two underground levels.
addressing the country’s and Colorado’s extreme shortage of affordable housing.
With many low-income areas being “food deserts,” bringing a Costco to the Baldwin Hills neighborhood south of downtown Los Angeles sounds like it helps to address that problem as well. Here in our own metro area, I can think of several lower income neighborhoods that could benefit from a project that brings both affordable housing and affordable food shopping to the same location. And I suspect that some developer could assemble a 5-acre parcel to carry that off — and that we have developers committed to
affordable housing to replicate the Los Angeles project if Thrive Living isn’t ready to do it themselves.
In the L.A. project, 184 of the 800 apartments are to be set aside for lowincome families. It could be expected
On its website, Thrive Living describes itself as a national brand currently pursuing a mission of building workforce housing in markets experiencing severe affordability gaps. They are an affiliate of Magnum Real Estate Group, “a vertically integrated real estate company which has developed $5.5 billion of real estate, including a wide range of ground-up residential rental and for-sale apartments, adaptive re-use and historic conversions, student housing, community facility development, retail, and light office.”
It was coincidental that I read about their Los Angeles project with Costco on the same day that Governor Gavin Newsome announced a statewide plan in California to crack down on homeless encampments.
Here in the metro Denver area, we have seen a real surge in the construction of multi-story “transit-oriented developments” but it never occurred to me that Costco or other “big box” stores on multi-acre site could also be a venue for
that many of the residents will be Costco employees, whether or not they qualify as “low income.”
According to CoStar, the site is in the “Inglewood / South L.A.” retail market,, where the apartment vacancy rate is 4.4%, and the average rent of $1,650 per month is considerably lower than the Los Angeles average of $2,191 per month.
As usual, I will publish links to this project in the posting of this column at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com.
We Now Know How Buyer Agent Compensation Will Be Handled
The much discussed NAR Settlement of March 15, 2024, requires that Realtorowned MLSs, of which REcolorado is one, remove all mention of buyer agent (or “co-op”) commissions from listings by August 17th, and REcolorado has announced that they will comply even earlier — on August 6th. Buyer agent compensation fields will disappear from listings on that date, and no mention of buyer agent compensation can be included in public remarks or other text fields.
The sharing of commissions between listing agents and buyer agents may be banned, but the settlement specifically says that sellers can still offer to pay buyer’s agents. Listing contracts, buyer agen-
Save Belmar Park Fundraiser Saturday Jefferson County residents concerned about the planned high-rise at Belmar Park will want to attend an event this Saturday, Aug. 3rd, 3-5 p.m., at the Lakewood Grill, 8100 W. Colfax Ave. Proceeds from a silent auction and raffle go toward legal costs to oppose the project.
Price Reduced on This Twin Lakes Home
cy contracts and the contracts to buy and sell listings had to change, and revisions to those documents were released in mid-July by the Colorado Real Estate Commission, for use starting in August.
Signed contracts are “grandfathered,” but all new contracts must be written using the new forms.
The new forms no longer state that the listing brokerage will share its listing commission with a buyer’s brokerage. Instead, a 2nd paragraph states that the seller will offer x% or x dollars compensation to a licensed broker who represents a buyer. A 3rd paragraph then states that the listing commission specified in the 1st paragraph
How to Avoid Home Repair
First of all, do not hire someone who solicits you, either at your door or by phone/text/letter/email.
in Colorado
will be reduced by the amount of any compensation paid to a buyer’s broker.
It’s a simple and logical work-around. At left is a sign rider I printed which complies with this change. I have printed several variations of this sign rider with different percentages to accommodate whatever compensation our sellers choose to offer, including one rider that doesn’t specify the offered compensation.
The brochures in the brochure box and the web pages we create for each listing, like the one on this page, will also have compensation information, so buyers will know what’s being offered to their agents.
$722,000
This 3-bedroom, 2-bath home at 48 Lang Street is in Twin Lakes, halfway between Leadville and Buena Vista at the foot of Independence Pass. It could be your escape from the Front Range rat race! This is a year-round mountain home, not a vacation home, unless you enjoy twelve months of vacation each year! Enjoy the quiet mountain life of Twin Lakes Village (population 23). In summer, enjoy the drive over Independence Pass to Aspen. In winter, drive over Fremont Pass to Copper Mountain. Escape those I-70 traffic jams, too! Closer to home, enjoy hiking the Colorado Trail, which passes through town. This home was built in 2000 with all the modern conveniences, yet you're in a historic and charming mountain town. Thanks to high-speed internet, some of the residents have city jobs but work from home. If you’ve been hankering for a slower lifestyle, this mountain home may be your escape. Visit www.TwinLakesHome.info to take a narrated video walk-through of this home and see lots of photos, then come see it! Open Saturday, August 3rd, 11 to 2. Or call me to request a showing by owner.
You’ve seen TV ads, no doubt, for Angi.com, and I like them as a resource because they survey every client about the service provided and price charged by the vendors they refer. Their vendors are incentivized to do good work, because they want Angi to get positive ratings for them.
I also recommend calling your trusted
Realtor (me, for example) to get referrals and, importantly, to tell the vendor that you were referred. That way, they will, just like the Angi vendor, want to make you happy so they get more referrals.
The most risky thing you can do (other than what I described in the first paragraph) is to do online searching for vendors. Without a focus on getting repeat business or referrals, a vendor you find on-line could disappoint you.
Cyclist killed after being struck by car in Arvada; motorcyclist crashes through garage door
Pickup truck driver arrested for Careless Driving Resulting in Death after fatal crash near Standley Lake
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A cyclist was killed after he was struck by a pickup truck near Standley Lake. e driver of the pickup was arrested by Arvada Police for Careless Driving Resulting in Death. Intoxication is not a suspected fac-
tor in the crash, according to the police department.
Around 4:30 p.m. on July 19, ocers responded to reports of a crash near West 86th Parkway and Kipling Street and found a dead man once they arrived on the scene. O cers determined that the man was a cyclist who was biking eastbound in
the bike lane on 86th Parkway. Investigators later determined that a pickup truck was also driving eastbound on 86th and switched lanes to make a turn onto Jellison Street, when the driver struck the cyclists. e driver of the pickup was identi ed by Arvada Police and arrested.
Motorcyclist crashes through garage door
Also on July 19, o cers responded to a report of a single vehicle crash
on Deframe Street at around 5 p.m. When they arrived on the scene, a motorcyclist was found with serious injuries. He was transported to a local hospital shortly afterwards. Investigators found that the motorcyclist was a beginner who was just learning to ride, when he lost control of the bike at a high speed in a cul-de-sac and went through the garage door. e rider was thrown from the motorcycle and impacted the house.
No other injuries were reported.
City of Arvada seeks to renew Bike Friendly Community status
City team looking for community input on biking accessibility
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e City of Arvada is taking steps to ensure that the local cycling community is getting its needs met. Since 2010, Arvada has held the title of “Bike Friendly Community,” according to the League of American Bicyclists, and the city is now seeking survey responses to maintain that status.
All cyclists — from experienced daily riders to novices — are welcome to ll out the survey, which is open until October.
e title of Bike Friendly Community re ects a “commitment to fostering a safe, accessible, and enjoyable environment for cyclists of all ages and abilities,” a City of Arvada spokesperson said.
e League of American Bicyclists sorts municipalities into four categories based on how well they meet the needs of their community; Plati-
num, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Arvada is currently rated as a silver-level Bike Friendly Community.
Of the 21 Colorado municipalities that have earned the designation, only two — Boulder and Fort Collins — are platinum-rated. Since 2003, 870 municipalities in the U.S. have applied to be Bike Friendly Communities; there are currently 480 certied communities as of February 2024.
Over 91,000 people have given feedback on bicycling in communities that have applied for the program.
Arvada’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Kellee Van Bruggen said she wants to see the city ensure that cyclists are getting their safety and infrastructure needs met.
“Arvada’s ongoing e orts to improve infrastructure, promote safety, and engage with cyclists have made our city a better place to live, work, and play,” Van Bruggen said. “We are thrilled to submit our application and look forward to continuing our journey towards a more bike-friendly future.”
e survey can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/ BFC_2024.
Let’s come together to celebrate the beauty that our local communities have to o er.
SHARE YOUR TRAIL TALES 5K
is a new event that celebrates Colorado’s walking/running trails within our local communities.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 Clement
Park–Littleton
Our 5K Run/Walk will mark the culmination of members sharing their stories about the great places they go for a run or a walk.
REGISTER NOW!
Trailhead
Lace up your shoes, and after you hit the path, share your story with Colorado Community Media. We will be publishing your fan letters in our local papers.
Tom poses with firefighters from Arvada Fire Sation Number
to the
on June 7.
CRASH
A spokesperson for the Arvada Fire Protection District echoed Snelling’s sentiments in a post shared to Facebook.
Tom,” the spokesperson said. “Station 1 B Shift told Tom that he is welcome to visit the re station any time.”
No updates on the other two passengers have been released at this time. e plane was registered to Sawyer’s father; Tom Searls Sawyer, according to FAA records. e elder Sawyer was Brinkmann’s romantic partner, according to social media posts. FROM PAGE 1
“We were happy to be a part of this reunion and our thoughts and support will continue to be with
Silverdale
Three Sisters Trail
The plane crashed into the front yard of a home near Oberon and Carr Street.
PHOTO BY ANDREW HANSEN
One, which responded
plane crash
COURTESY OF ARVADA POLICE DEPARTMENT
State boosts new teacher recruiting
Stipends are meant to help address teacher shortage
BY MELANIE ASMAR CHALKBEAT COLORADO
Colorado is seeking new applicants for a program that aims to address Colorado’s teacher shortage by providing stipends of up to $10,000 to educators teaching under alternative licenses while earning degrees.
Called the Educator Recruitment and Retention Financial Assistance Program, the program began in the 2021-22 school year with 80 educators, who agreed to work in rural school districts for three years as a condition of receiving the stipend.
In 2022, state lawmakers expanded the program to include educators all over Colorado, not just in rural districts. Participation exploded to 749 educators in 2022-23 and held fairly steady this past school year with an uno cial count of about 700 educators, according to a Colorado Department of Education spokesperson.
Nearly a quarter of the 749 educators who got the stipend in 2022-23 were educators of color, according to a state report. Just 16% of Colorado’s educators are people of color, according to state data.
Colorado is seeking new applicants for a program that aims to address Colorado’s teacher shortage by providing stipends of up to $10,000 to educators teaching under alternative licenses while earning degrees.
Called the Educator Recruitment and Retention Financial Assistance Program, the program began in the 2021-22 school year with 80 educators, who agreed to work in rural school districts for three years as a condition of receiving the stipend.
In 2022, state lawmakers expanded the program to include educators all over Colorado, not just in rural districts. Participation exploded to 749 educators in 2022-23 and held fairly steady this past school year with an uno cial count of about 700 educators, according to a Colorado Department of Education spokesperson.
Nearly a quarter of the 749 educators who got the stipend in 2022-23 were educators of color, according to a state report. Just 16% of Colorado’s educators are people of color, according to state data.
at means that in addition to tackling Colorado’s educator shortage, the program could address another longstanding issue by helping to diversify Colorado’s teacher workforce.
To qualify for the stipend of up to $10,000, applicants must be enrolled in an approved traditional or alternative educator preparation program. e stipend must be spent on that program. Applicants must also meet one of these criteria:
• Have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher and been hired as an alternative or temporarily eligible teacher in a subject where there’s a teacher shortage. e list of teacher shortage areas is long and includes special education, elementary education, math, and science.
• Work as a paraprofessional in a school district, charter school, or BOCES.
• Been hired as a career and technical education instructor in a rural district.
LEARN TO PLAY BRIDGE FOR BEGINNERS
e application process is open now through Sept. 30. e stipends are given out on a rst-come, rst-served basis. e state will open a second round of applications on Dec. 2.
In 2022-23, nearly a quarter of the 749 educators who got the stipends worked in special education, while another 23% worked in elementary education, according to state data. e next three most popular teaching subjects were English, science, and math. e stipend recipients worked all over Colorado, in 138 of the state’s 178 school districts, according to the report. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.
Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Press. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.
Email letters to lkfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com Deadline Tues. for the following week’s paper.
Arvada press
A legal newspaper of general circulation in Je erson County, Colorado, the Arvada Press is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 3540 Evergreen Parkway, Evergreen, CO 80439.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Arvada Press, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110
An Englewood Middle School teacher competes in a sack race during an assembly in March to celebrate Wish Week.
PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY
COUNCIL
Sharon Davis said. “Given the age of some of the infrastructure around the city and the needs that we see as we grow and build onto the city, we de nitely need to do the ‘taking lasting care’ part of our infrastructure.
“ e stu that nobody sees is re-
Before council approved city sta ’s direction regarding bonds and debt, many council members asked if the people paying o the bonds/debt would bene t from the infrastructure, which they were assured it would.
posed to last between 20 to 50 years.
Council member Lisa Feret said that while she supports this work, she also wants to ensure that water does not become inaccessible to average residents.
“I think it’s important that we don’t make water una ordable at
that basic level, but I see a lot of ment in terms of water conservation that we could leverage some of that tier two or tier three cost,” Ferret
Mayor Lauren Simpson, Council member Randy Moorman and Council member Shawna Ambrose also approved the city team’s direction. Council members Bob Fifer and John Marriott were both absent from the workshop.
FROM PAGE 1
Retention pond at Ralston Water Treatment Plant.
PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN
Mobile observatory helps Golden Library patrons start science adventures
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
People walking and biking along the Clear Creek Trail July 22 wondered what the large exhibit in the Golden Library parking lot was. So, they stopped to look, and ended up learning all sorts of things about the sun, gravity, light, Mars and other similar topics.
Space: The final frontier
On July 22, the library hosted the Mobile Earth & Science Observatory as part of its summer reading challenge. In total, MESO was scheduled to visit ve Je erson County Public Library locations across three days, including the Evergreen and Columbine libraries on July 24.
MESO hosted several exhibits and science experiments, such as how different materials appear in an infrared camera and how the vacuum of space
Golden’s Tana Lawler looks at prominences on the sun’s surface through a telescope July 22 as the Mobile Earth & Science Observatory hosts an outdoor exhibit at the Golden Library. MESO was scheduled to visit five Je erson County library locations across three days.
would impact a marshmallow.
Danielle Tobin, a JCPL patron experiences associate, explained how the library district partnered with the nonpro t because it’s an all-ages program and has bilingual resources, among other features. is year’s summer reading chal-
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
AUCTION
Arvada’s Lisa Portilla and her 3-year-old Isaac look at charts about exoplanets at the Mobile Earth & Space Observatory’s outdoor exhibit at the Golden Library on July 22. Je erson County Public Library hosted the nonprofit at five locations across three days as part of its summer reading challenge.
lenge theme is “Where Adventure Begins!”
Tobin said “adventure” included many things, such as learning about our solar system.
MESO Executive Director Dimitri Klebe said the July 22 event at the Golden Library went well. Hundreds of library patrons and other passersby stopped to check out the exhibits and experiments MESO set up in the parking lot. He said the location along the creek was beautiful and brought in a lot of foot tra c, and the clear weather was perfect to use the telescopes.
MESO, which is based in Colorado Springs, visits libraries and schools throughout the year to o er a deeper learning experience on earth- and space-based science topics, Klebe described. e gravity well and the Mars lab’s marshmallows-in-a-vacuum experiments are always popular.
He said the mobile observatory is equipped for night-time events as well. But, for the daytime event, MESO had telescopes set up to view sunspots and prominences on the sun’s surface.
Klebe and colleague Jessica Olsen said people don’t always realize they can use telescopes to look at the sun, so long as they have the proper equipment.
Olsen described how the two telescopes MESO had set up were better for viewing di erent aspects of the sun, with one better for sunspots and
the other better for seeing details on the sun’s surface.
Olsen said that solar studies is an interesting eld because there are many things scientists are still learning about the sun. For instance, the sun has an 11-year cycle of activity. It’s currently in the maximum stage when there’s generally the most activity, she explained.
Overall, Klebe and Olsen hoped that Goldenites and others who stopped by the July 22 event got a taste of the scienti c principles that govern the universe.
Golden’s Tana Lawler and her 10-year-old, Forrest, said they were excited to check out MESO at the library after hearing about it through a local online newsletter.
e Lawlers said they’d never seen the sun through a telescope before, as they’d never had access to the proper equipment. So, it made for a cool experience, they described.
“I’m glad we stopped by,” Lawler said. “It’s a great educational experience for kids and even adults.”
Arvada’s Lisa Portilla and her three children also stopped by after hearing about it through the Standley Lake Library. Because MESO wasn’t visiting their location, they decided it was worthwhile to make the trek to Golden. And the four were glad they did, with the three youngsters saying they had a good time.
Portilla added: “It’s a wonderful resource for the community.”
PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
The new Lutheran Hospital.
We’re here for life.
From new life, through your entire life, the new Lutheran Hospital can now offer better access to more critical treatments, no matter what happens. Our expanded services, advanced technologies, and unsurpassed compassionate care mean that although we’ve moved, we’re still here for you, and we always will be.
New location opening this August at I-70 and Highway 58.
Keep Colorado Wild Passes a boon to programs
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, avalanche forecasting, search and rescue groups benefit from the program
BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN
More than 1.5 million Colorado vehicle owners have delivered more than $40 million to Colorado Parks and Wildlife by including a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass as part of their annual registrations.
e rst scal year of Keep Colorado Wild pass sales ended June 30 with revenue reaching $40.9 million. at uno cial tally — nal numbers will be updated by the fall — means that parks, wildlife, backcountry search and rescue volunteers, and avalanche forecasters will get boosts in funding in the coming year.
e Keep Colorado Pass plan that launched in January 2023 adds $29 to every vehicle registration in the state unless owners opt out. e pass provides access to all state parks. e 2021 legislation that created the program hoped to generate more revenue than the annual $80
parks pass that delivered $23 million to CPW in 2020. Early projections hoped CPW would harvest at least $36 million in annual revenue from the new parks pass plan. at plan set aside the rst $32.5 million in Keep Colorado Wild Pass sales revenue for the state’s 42 parks. en $2.5 million would go to more than 50 Colorado Backcountry Search and Rescue, or BSAR, organizations. And the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, or CAIC, will get $1 million.
At $36 million, the tap would return to CPW for wildlife funding for trails, wildlife programs and diversity and inclusion projects.
e roughly 2,800 volunteers who serve on Colorado’s search and rescue teams secure about $9 million a year through fundraising. e additional Keep Colorado Wild Pass funds will ease that fundraising burden.
“ e hope is to make it easier on volunteer responders so they don’t have to do the same kind of fundraising,” said Je Sparhawk, the head of Colorado Search and Rescue Association, which has helped work out a formula to distribute the funds to search and rescue teams based on the size of the area they cover, the number of calls for help and the size of the rescue teams. at $9 million gure is just how
much the volunteers raise through their communities. It does not include spending by county sheri departments that oversee search and rescue teams, nor does it account for the amount individual volunteers spend on equipment and travel for rescue missions and training.
CPW projected revenue from Keep Colorado Wild Pass sales would land between $21.5 million and $54 million. It was a wide range because no one knew for sure how Colorado drivers might react to the
Tents and RVs fill the Dutch Charlie area of the Ridgway State Park on July 7 in Ouray County. PHOTO BY HUGH CAREY/THE COLORADO SUN
Frontier of life
Good friends and neighbors from a 40-year past love to remind me of a comment I made after we had gotten buried under several feet of snow.
“Nature put it there, and nature can take it away,” I said before hunkering down to watch college bowl games long forgotten.
I laugh too about that moment in time. For me, it was a good one. A holiday break from school, nestled in a snug, warm house and healthy as could be. But in fact, that moment was an anomaly, antithetical to my life ethos. I wasn’t a hunkerdowner. Whether gamboling in the woods, engaging in snowball ghts or playing ball on dirt elds, from the days of my youth, other than when in school or absorbed in a book, life was “out there.” Wherever there was. And it still is.
Out-there versus in-here is more than about a physical place; it’s a psychological and sociological construct. e notion transcends a person’s immediate situation and speaks to their larger life perspective as well as their view of others, from individuals and groups to the world. Out-there versus in-here gets at their attitude towards beliefs, lifestyles and viewpoints di erent from and perhaps opposed to their own. It tells of how they live their life: maximumly in an expansive, risktaking manner or minimally behind or within a protective shield.
JERRY FABYANIC
It only takes the most cursory of drives around the metro area to see that Denver and its surrounding communities are the sites of some truly remarkable homes. You can nd residences of all styles, from Victorian and other historically-inspired designs to the latest in modern architecture.
e annual Parade of Homes is the signature event for celebrating the wide swath of homes types in Denver, and provides shoppers and design enthusiasts the opportunity to discover the latest in home design.
Sadly, the in-here approach to life has gained a foothold in our political life and strife. It’s not only depressing and disconcerting, it’s contrary to a key element of the American spirit that is captured in a single word: Frontier.
In 1893, historian Fredrick Jackson Turner promulgated a new theory about America. His idea was the frontier being the driving force in shaping and building America. While he meant it in context of the literal frontier, the land brutally wrested away from the Indigenous peoples through decades of ethnic cleansing, Turner also hypothesized about the role the frontier played in shaping the American character.
Over time, as he took in a more macroscopic view of the American experience, Turner abandoned his theory. He came to see America for the stark reality it is. Rather than an unadulterated mass, the country was and remains a conglomeration of disparate sections. Each region, with its climate and land formations in conjunction with it being populated by disparate ethnic groups with unique customs, mores, and economies, was and is
like a land unto itself. Collectively, they—we—formed and form what Jackson posited in 1922: a version of a United States of Europe.
But Jackson’s original thesis refused to die, and it became ingrained into the American psyche and mythology over the ensuing century. Hollywood captured and promoted it through movies about the Old West, with heroic, hardy pioneers championed and protected by a rugged male individual. e theme song from the TV western Paladin extolled him as “a knight without armor in a savage land.”President John F. Kennedy called his visionary program for America the New Frontier, and one cowboy actor, Ronald Reagan, spoke about the “conquest of new frontiers” when president.
“In the future, as in the past, our freedom, independence and national well-being will be tied to new achievements, new discoveries and pushing back new frontiers.”
We can debate the validity of the role of the frontier or the degree it played in shaping we Americans, but there’s no denying the idea being infused into our mythology. Like all mythology however, it doesn’t matter if it’s factually true. What matters is that people believe in a myth’s larger meaning, whether it be the Resurrection, American Exceptionalism or being a Chosen People. What’s also true about myths is that they become infused
not only into a peoples’ collective belief system — culture — but also within followers’ and believers’ personal identity.
Another nondebatable point is the frontier, whether literal or psychological, cannot be — using Reagan’s language — conquered if people hunker down and refuse to be outward- and forward-looking, adaptive, and embracing. at’s because the frontier is out there.
I smilingly recall a comment a skier from the Kansas City area made during a lift ride: “We have a saying that when people retire from there, they go to one of two places: Florida to die or Colorado to live.”
His statement caused me to chuckle despite the fact that we likely had another fan of the hated Kansas City Chiefs in our midst. e reason was twofold. One was that I heartily agreed. e other was that it spoke about his energy and spirit. e man didn’t carry an in-here attitude in his spirit. Rather, he was embracing life by looking forward to engaging with others and experiencing new ventures. And he knew the only place that could be done was not within the enclosure of his personal citadel, but out there, on the frontier of life.
Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.
Parade of Homes celebrates architecture, interior design
COMING ATTRACTIONS
able ursdays through Sundays between noon and 5 p.m.
Clarke Reader
Organized by the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver (HBA) since the 1950s and showcasing houses all over metro Denver, the free Parade of homes begins on ursday, Aug. 8 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 25. Homes can be visited virtually 24/7 and in-person home tours are avail-
“ e Parade of Homes is a proud tradition of the HBA celebrating the new home building industry in Denver,” said Ted Leighty, chief executive o cer of the HBA, in a provided statement. “ e event provides a unique opportunity for individuals to explore a diverse range of the new homes and communities throughout the metro Denver area, aiding them in nding their ideal match. It also o ers a platform to observe the cutting-edge designs
and innovations from the industry’s foremost builders and developers, igniting inspiration for their future home purchase or project.” is year’s Parade includes everything from attainable condos to low-maintenance townhomes and custom-built, top of the line homes. Organizers say there will be 76 newly designed model, custom homes by 26 area residential builders (six are luxury “dream homes” that cost more than $1.3 million).
Columnist
READER
Convenience is the name of the game with the online option, which lets you take a virtual stroll through any home that catches your fancy whenever you have the time. It can also be a helpful tool when deciding which places you’d like to see in person, because sometimes you just have to wander through a new building to get the feeling yourself.
“New homes o er the best options for energy e ciency and oor plans that cater to modern living,” wrote Connie Dahl, the HBA’s vice president of Member Services, in an email interview. “ ey feature the latest products available in today’s market, providing inspiration for home projects, décor and design. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current home or purchase a new one, the Parade homes showcase innovations that you can incorporate to enhance your living space.”
Visit https://paradeofhomesdenver. com/to begin your journey.
A one-man story of love and redemption
It takes a lot of courage and imagination to tackle a one-man show, two traits that writer and performer Peter Fogel has in spades. To see the proof, don’t miss “Til Death Do Us Part ... You First!,” running at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, from ursday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 18. Performances are at 2 and 7:30 p.m. ursday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Written and performed by Fogel and directed by Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri, “the o -Broadway hybrid stand-up comedy/multi-media theatrical show chronicles Fogel’s personal journey to nd love after heartbreak,” according to provided information.
Get tickets at www.lakewood.showare.com.
Explore Arapahoe Acres with Docomomo e Arapahoe Acres Neighborhood
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in Englewood is well known for its collection of mid-century modern homes — it stands as a living museum to this popular and in uential design movement. Conceived in 1949, it received a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and has become a place of pilgrimage for many fans of mid-century modern.
e Colorado Chapter of Docomomo, an organization whose mission is to advocate for the preservation, conservation and adaptive reuse of modern-era architecture, landscapes, planning, and design in the state, is hosting a tour of the neighborhood from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 3. Tour guides historian Atom Stevens and architect Josh Robinson will take attendees on a fascinating and informative journey, highlighting why Arapahoe Acres is so special.
e tour begins at 2900 Marion St. Tickets at more information can be found at https://www.docomomoco. org/events.
Clarke’s Concert of the Week — ScHoolboy Q at Mission Ballroom
It’s always exciting when a musician switches things up, especially when it’d be easy (and lucrative) to stay in a particular lane. at’s just what happened with “Blue Lips,” the latest album from Los Angeles’ ScHoolboy Q. A critical voice on Top Dawg Entertainment’s roster, Q has always been an exciting and innovative writer and rapper, but he’s found new themes and areas to explore on the album. It’s easily one of the best rap albums of the year and seriously rewards repeat listens.
In support of the album, Q will be stopping by the Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St. in Denver, at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 4. He’ll be joined by up-and-comer Devin Malik for an evening of great rap music. Don’t miss it by getting tickets at www.axs. com.
Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail. com.
in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.
• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not be submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.
FINDING A WAY
A guide to metro Denver’s streets
BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
You might be headed for a destination on 17th Avenue, put an address into your phone app and then discover you mixed up that road with 17th Street.
Likewise, you might wonder: Why do some addresses have no
directional letter — no “N” or “E” after the number?
Why are the streets diagonal in downtown Denver? And what drove how Denver streets are named?
Answers to these questions and more come from local historian Phil Goodstein’s book, “Denver Streets: Names, Numbers, Locations, Logic.” What’s more, the book sheds light on how the broad-
er metro area was uni ed — mostly — under one street grid.
“Compared to cities such as San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, and New York, Denver roadways are a model of clarity,” Goodstein’s book says.
An understanding of the system and “the evolution of Denver streets not only re ects much of the city’s past, but is also literally a way
where an individual can nd where (they are) going,” Goodstein’s book adds.
Here’s a small guide to making sense of the map, mostly based on information from the book and some input from Goodstein himself, not necessarily listed in historical order.
STREETS
Basics of the metro Denver grid
Whether you’re on a certain part of a road — West or East Alameda Avenue, or North or South Wadsworth Boulevard, for example — depends on which side of the map’s dividing lines you’re on.
You can think about the Denver metro area as a grid with four quadrants. Broadway is the dividing line for avenues running east and west, so if you’re on West Colfax Avenue, that means you’re west of Broadway.
Likewise, the lesser-known Ellsworth Avenue, while not a major road on its own, is the dividing line for streets running north and south. To help you picture its location: Ellsworth sits next to 1st Avenue. ose two axis lines, Broadway and Ellsworth, generally determine the number in addresses based on how far away a place is from those roads. And the metro area’s numbered avenues — 1st Avenue, 120th Avenue and so on — easily tell you how far a place is from Ellsworth.
Each full block on the map counts up by 100 in the address numbering system. For example, 1300 Broadway means a building is on Broadway at 13th Avenue.
If you stand at the Broadway and Ellsworth intersection, you can see each street sign display a “000” number, indicating it’s at the grid system’s center.
Avenues south of Ellsworth in Denver’s grid generally don’t include the handy numbers like “6th” in their names, but the system still applies, with each road carrying a number. Tennessee Avenue, 10 blocks south of Ellsworth, is the road marking 1000 south.
Technically, when writing addresses, the “N” for north and “E” for east are sometimes ignored. A street not having “South” in its pre x is assumed to be north of Ellsworth, and an avenue not having “West” in its pre x is assumed to be east of Broadway.
But “modern Denver practice has generally been to add pre xes to the east as well as to the west avenues,” Goodstein’s book says.
(When putting an address in an internet map system, pay attention to whether the directional pre x is correct.)
A quick note if you’re confused: West Colfax doesn’t mean you’re go-
ing westbound on Colfax. You can head east or west on that road. It just means you’re on the portion of that road that’s west of Broadway.
A crooked grid
But if there’s a simple north-south, east-west grid, why are there diagonal streets in downtown Denver?
e history goes back to the Auraria community, the place that now houses the campus that includes the Metropolitan State University of Denver o Colfax Avenue and Interstate 25. Auraria’s streets parallelled the Cherry Creek, and the nearby early Denver streets were laid out parallel to the Platte River.
e result is today’s somewhat messy diagonal grid system in the downtown area with its own separate numbering system from the rest of the surrounding area. Driving to 11th Street in the downtown-area grid — as opposed to 11th Avenue outside of it — will land you in very di erent locations.
‘Streets’ and ‘avenues’
You may notice that in the metro area, “streets” generally run north and south and “avenues” east and west.
“Originally, ‘street’ and ‘avenue’ had no speci c meaning in the Mile High City,” Goodstein’s book says. “ ey were products of local custom and what developers, real estate agents, and residents named the roads in their areas.”
Eventually, “street” and “avenue” were given precise de nitions that indicated which way they ran.
( ere are some exceptions to that rule outside of Denver — more on that later.)
Despite that tidy order, in the downtown-area grid, generally, everything’s a “street.” And that diagonal grid is based on old Denver boundaries.
e original southwest corner of Denver at Colfax Avenue and Zuni Street near the Platte River was dened as “ground zero” for that grid in 1873. First Street was the rst street northeast of Colfax and the Platte. 16th Street downtown is the 16th street from that point.
If a system with two grids is confusing, it’s helpful that something links them. e numbering system of the diagonal streets eventually also determined the numbers of the east-west avenues in the regular grid. 16th Street and 16th Avenue hit Broadway at the same place, as do 17th Street and 17th Avenue, which connect at that point.
A sign marks 17th Street in the downtown Denver area on July 23 near where the street meets 17th Avenue.
A sign stands at Colfax Avenue along a tiny part of Morrison Road near downtown Denver on July 23.
STREETS
“ is is not coincidence, but a product of e orts to rationalize Denver street names and numbering,” Goodstein’s book says.
What that means is that a road in the regular grid wasn’t arbitrarily chosen as 1st Avenue. Rather, 1st Avenue was determined because the east-west numbered avenues started with 17th Avenue and counted down block by block until a rst avenue was reached, Goodstein’s book says.
at brings things back to Ellsworth. e road one block south of 1st Avenue, Ellsworth, was consequently de ned as the dividing line between the north-designated and the south-designated streets.
Straightening out
What locals today know as the regular east-west, north-south grid became dominant long ago.
Real-estate businessman Henry C. Brown pushed for a street system that naturally followed the compass, laying out the streets of the future Capitol Hill neighborhood on an east-west, north-south basis.
“Such a grid followed federal land policies and was seen as the most e cient means of pro tably developing real estate,” Goodstein’s book says.
Setting order
With the coming of the railroad in 1870, Denver’s population spiked, and as it did, new sections emerged around the area.
“Only the barest of a building code and municipal supervision regulated new developments,” and a “chaotic street pattern” arose, Goodstein’s book says.
“By the 1890s, it was estimated that there were 832 names for 414 designated roads,” the book adds. “Often the same name referred to more than one street.”
It caused confusion. e problem “especially irritated Howard Maloney, a bookkeeper for the water company,” Goodstein’s book says.
“Maloney su ered much of the criticism when (people) complained about being double-billed or not getting service as ordered and promised. Messengers for the water company often could not nd customers to deliver bills,” Goodstein’s book adds.
With the support of the water company, the city passed Ordinance 16 of 1897, paving the way for placing an alphabetical order on streets.
street names in the new system. ough street names don’t always follow an alphabetical pattern, one of the places the Maloney system comes into play is in streets east of Colorado Boulevard, in a “double alphabet” pattern. Here, for example, the name of the rst street in the series, such as Clermont or Dexter, was a personal name or a geographic location, “ideally of British origins,” the book says. e next street, such as Cherry or Dahlia, was a plant or a tree. at continued east to Yosemite Street.
Denver’s initially chaotic street pattern wasn’t an anomaly compared to other major U.S. metro areas, Goodstein told Colorado Community Media.
“It was typical of cities everyplace at that period,” Goodstein said, speaking generally. “Every developer in every community would seize the land and try to develop it as they wish.”
Beyond Denver, in the suburbs
At the same time e orts were underway to de ne avenues with Ellsworth as the “zero” road, Broadway, which partly ends the downtown-area diagonal grid, logically emerged as the axis dividing east and west.
“Broadway is a generic term for a big important street by the time Denver has emerged,” Goodstein said.
By the 1890s, a vague idea of metro Denver had arisen. Arapahoe County collaborated with Je erson
outside of the greater Denver-area grid, even though Golden and Brighton generally fall within the Denver
porated Je erson and Arapahoe counties changed the names of their streets in 1906, Goodstein’s book says.
“ e 4800 east block east, in other words, would always be Dahlia Street whether it is in the City and County of Denver or in one of the suburbs,” Goodstein’s book says of the grid system.
Separately, Littleton developed its own numbering system based on Main and Prince streets as its zero lines.
“In December 1960, over a good deal of local opposition, Littleton joined the Denver street numbering system and renamed many of its streets, e ective 1961,” Goodstein’s book says.
Suburban streets often seemingly follow no speci c pattern, but they are still generally part of the Denver numbering grid.
North metro residents may know that although it is the east-west dividing line, Broadway often disappears north of downtown Denver.
“Given that Broadway had originally ended at 20th Avenue, it never became a dominating arterial in the northern suburbs,” the book says. (“Arterial,” as in artery, means a major road.) “Especially north of 88th Avenue, I-25 follows what would have been the path of Broadway.”
Suburban quirks
In Boulder, Golden and Brighton — old, historic cities — roads exist
In parts of Golden, “streets” run in both directions of the grid, and in parts of Brighton, “streets” run east and west, and “avenues” run north and south.
Castle Rock, far outside Denver but still technically in the metro area, also has its own street grid. Some major diagonal roads in the Denver area are named for the communities they lead to. Brighton Boulevard goes toward Brighton, Parker Road toward Parker. While less cohesive, Morrison Road goes toward the Town of Morrison. It originally began at Colfax Avenue, the book says, where a tiny section of what is dubbed Morrison Road still runs near Federal Boulevard.
“Much of the original Morrison Road, the old county road 8, was lled in by subsequent urban development,” the book says.
In Denver and beyond, o cial logos on street signs re ect which city or county you’re in. See CCM’s previous story on street signs and some history at tinyurl.com/DenverMetroStreetSigns.
Other map features
Between the full blocks of the Denver street grid are “half blocks,” with roads that do not cut completely through the grid.
ese small roads include “courts,” “places” and “ways.”
On the other hand, “boulevards” and “roads” are generally major roadways.
For more on history of Denver streets, see Goodstein’s book at the Denver Central Library.
Signs overhead direct tra c on 17th Street in the downtown Denver area on July 23 at Broadway, where 17th Street meets 17th Avenue.
PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD
Thu 8/08
Ryan Hanseler @ 7pm
Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Denver
Krista Lynn Meadow @ 8pm Grizzly Rose, 5450 N Valley Hwy, Denver
Fri 8/09
Chief Keef
@ 6:30pm
Sat 8/10
Mile High Soul Club @ 9pm HQ, 60 S Broadway, Denver
Paramount Theatre Club Seating: The Alan Parsons Live Project @ 8pm / $70
Paramount Theatre, Denver
Wed 8/14 Calendar
of the
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.
PROGRAMS
additional $29 fee on their annual vehicle registration bill. ere were more than 5 million cars and light trucks registered in Colorado in 2023 and about 30% are included in the Keep Colorado Wild Pass program.
Tra c patterns from those new
GUEST COLUMN
Furniture makeover mania
you’re feeling adventurous, try adding stripes, a funky geometric pattern or even creating a mural.
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 for a coordinated theme — it’s your family’s unique creation.
Accent wall adventures
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
pass holders will not be known until CPW releases recent visitor tallies to Colorado’s state parks. In scal 2023 — which ended June 30, 2023 with only six months of Keep Colorado Pass sales — there were 17.9 million state park visitors, down from a pandemic peak of 19.5 million 2020.
For the past two years, the state legislature has sent extra funding to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, enabling an over-
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.
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
hauled website and forecasting system for the 2022-23 season and a new avalanche awareness campaign as well as forecasts and educational materials in Spanish. e center also converted some parttime positions into full-time jobs, expanding its roster of avalanche forecasters into more communities.
Last month, CAIC forecasters met with Avalanche Canada to map out a 10-year plan for using new technologies and forecasting tools to
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 remain. 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.
further grow avalanche awareness and safety in the backcountry.
Ethan Greene, the head of CAIC, said the new funding “will help support this strategic work to provide more accurate and speci c avalanche forecasts for the Colorado mountains.”
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.
Kevin Lynch
5 tips to dip your toes into fly fishing in Colorado
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Driving past almost any body of water at this time of year, it’s common to see people standing in it, knee-deep, with a rod in hand and a net sticking out of their pack.
Many Coloradans are heading to the water to go y shing, a method that uses an arti cial y to try to imitate a sh’s food source. In Colorado, people can y sh on streams, rivers, lakes and ponds.
“ is time of year, almost every waterway in Colorado is shing well,” said Blake Katchur, a manager at Anglers All, a y shop in Littleton. “It’s a great time of year to get out and explore.”
Although y shing can be done year-round in Colorado, the late summer is an especially good time of year to go, Katchur said. After high water levels during mountain runo season, many rivers are returning to safer levels and becoming prime spaces for insects and sh to thrive, he said.
For amateur anglers or those wanting to try y shing for the rst time, Katchur recommends these tips.
Visit your local fly shop
Local y shops, Katchur said, are centers of expertise for anyone looking to dip their toes into the sport.
“ e guys and gals that work at your local y shop sh every chance that they get,” he said. “ ey know the waterways and the areas better than anybody, and they can help guide any kind of beginner into … the type of shing that they want to do or the places that they want to go.”
While some beginners may want to go out for a dedicated day of y shing, others may be more interested in shing a little bit on a family camping trip or a mountain hike. Fly shop employees will be able to give advice on the best equipment and destinations no matter what a person’s needs are, Katchur said.
Anglers All has a location in Littleton and one in Denver, Katchur said. In Golden and Castle Rock, Golden Fly Shop o ers similar services. Front Range Anglers in Boulder, Charlie’s Fly Box in Arvada and Arbor Anglers in Lafayette are other local shops across the Front Range.
Katchur said many mountain towns also have their own y shops.
Take a class
Many local y shops will o er classes for beginners, Katchur said, which can be a great way to learn the basics of the sport.
ose classes can include knot tying, bug entomology — the study of insects — rigging a rod, casting and more.
“Casting is one of the biggest hurdles when you’re beginning to y sh,” he said. “Learning the basics of casting will really help you have a fun day on the water without the frustration and tangles that you might have otherwise.”
Casting in y shing is di erent from other shing methods, as it often uses a longer and heavier line and focuses on casting the line, with the y following. In other kinds of shing, Katchur said, the focus is on casting the lure or bait.
Many nd the rhythmic motion of a y shing cast to be relaxing and even therapeutic, according to a y shing training video from outdoor gear company Orvis, and it takes practice to get it right.
Many beginner y shing classes don’t take students out to the water — there’s a lot you can learn without needing a shing permit, Katchur said. e beginner class at Anglers All takes place in a classroom and outside to practice casting on the lawn, he said.
People who are 16 or older need a shing license from Colorado Parks and Wildlife to sh.
Keep it simple
As a person advances in the sport, y shing can become a complicated activity with many strategies and types of gear, Katchur said. But as a beginner, it’s best to keep things simple.
He recommends starting with a beginner y shing kit that includes a rod, a y reel, a y line and a case. ese kits are a good way to start o without spending too much money, he said.
Although many more advanced y shers may wear waterproof boots and waders, Katchur said a lot of shing can be done with tennis shoes, sandals or hiking boots.
“In a complicated sport, if you do it right and you work with your lo-
cal y shop, you can keep it simple and without a huge expenditure,” he said.
Consider hiring a guide
After taking a class and learning the basics, Katchur said, hiring a guide can be a great way to put what you’ve learned to practice. Many out tters in Colorado o er guided y shing trips, Katchur said.
“It is your day on the water,” Katchur said of hiring a guide. “You should ask a lot of questions about and make sure that the guide and the guide service knows that you’re a beginner and that you really want to learn.”
“You’re going to learn from somebody that’s on the water 100 days a year or more,” he added. Guides can help teach you how to tie knots, cast, pick the right kind of
water to cast into and more.
Get out on the water
Finally, Katchur said to just get out there and practice.
“Even if you’ve been doing it most of your life and you are trying a new technique or a new place, it’s a lot of trial and error,” Katchur said. “Fly shing is about being outside and being on the water and connecting with the place that you’re in, and there’s no substitute for just being on the water.”
For Katchur, the sport is about being outside as much as it is about the sh — if not more.
“ e places that a lot of these sh live are beautiful places, and experiencing those places, and experiencing the scenery and being on the water, is the best part for me,” he said. “Catching the sh is the bonus.”
ST. JOANOF ARC CATHOLICCHURCH
Proclaiming Christ from the Mountains to the Plains www.StJoanArvada.org
Green Mountain Presbyterian Church 12900 W Alameda Pkwy Lakewood, CO 80228 303-985-8733 www.gmpc.net
We meet in person with extraordinary live music on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month from 10:30a.m. to noon at: Activity Options, 7401 W. 59th Ave., Arvada, 80003.
All other Sunday meetings are on zoom from 10:30a.m. to noon.
Please phone: 720-576-9193, or email: livingwaterspiritualcommunity@gmail.com
Our website is: www.livingwaterunity.org
To advertise your place of worship in this section, call Erin at 303-566-4074 or email
eaddenbrooke@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com
Ikon or Epic Pass? We asked 13 locals for their opinion
BY JOHN RENFRO JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
ough we just eclipsed the Fourth of July, it’s smart to start thinking about gearing up for the winter season again. Colorado is the ultimate outdoor playground for skiing and snowboarding, but the options can be overwhelming, especially if you’re just getting into the sport(s).
Aside from hitting the backcountry, you’ll likely need to visit one of roughly 40 prominent resorts seasoned throughout the Rocky Mountains. It’s no secret they can get pricey, with day passes topping a couple hundred dollars.
at’s why most powder-crazy Coloradans purchase an Ikon or an Epic Pass. Depending on the option you choose, the pass can provide access to dozens of resorts not just in Colorado, but worldwide.
Instead of waiting for temperatures to drop, many slopeheads believe summer is the best time to load up on used gear and secure season passes. Other than price, several factors might determine which pass you favor.
So, we asked eight locals for their opinion: Ikon or Epic?
Ikon
“When I was in college in Colorado Springs, me and all my friends got the Epic Pass because there was a great college discount with access to lots of great mountains. However, since moving to Denver I’ve been on Ikon and believe it is the better of the two passes. If I leave early enough on the weekend, I can get to Winter Park in just over an hour and avoid the I-70 Eisenhower Tunnel tra c. Epic does not o er any mountains this close. Despite its proximity, Winter Park has also become one of my favorite mountains from a pure snowboarding perspective, with highly variable terrain perfect for any group I might take there. While I do get FOMO for not having access to Breckenridge, Vail or Telluride through the Epic Pass, these mountains are all further than Winter Park and give o a
more bougie, rich, tourist vibe that doesn’t appeal to me. Additionally, I am from Los Angeles and my home resort is Mammoth Mountain. Given that Mammoth is on the Ikon Pass, it is very convenient to be able to go home for the holidays and use the same pass I use in Colorado. Ikon also has great mountains all over the world. I am already planning a trip to Japan this winter to ski at Niseko.”
— Kyle Warner, Denver - LoHi
“Ikon is the move. Fewer options but fewer crowds. Plus, you get seven days at Arapahoe Basin and Aspen, and you get seven days at a lot of cool resorts. So if you plan to travel, you could hit Big Sky (Montana), Jackson Hole (Wyoming),
Deer Valley (Utah), Taos (New Mexico), Sun Valley (Idaho), etc. One winter I did a trip to Big Sky and that alone made getting the pass worth it because day passes are so expensive.”
— Catherine Dodge, Wheat Ridge
“I most enjoy the people I’ve met while skiing Ikon mountains. ey always have great vibes and made the skiing even more enjoyable than the world-class mountains. e tailgating at Arapahoe Basin is unmatched and hard to nd a better group of mountain-loving people.”
— Alex Greene, Littleton
“I have the Ikon Pass and prefer it because of the mountains in Colorado as I nd them to be less touristy. I also enjoy being able to go to
certain mountains on Ikon when I go home back east.”
— Isabelle Risse, Denver - Sloan’s Lake
Epic
“When deciding between Ikon and Epic it’s been tough in the past. However lately Epic has been our pass of choice although we have both. ere are more Epic options on the pass and mountains like Keystone have been a bit less crowded with great conditions.
Epic was also gracious enough to let us take advantage of early season pricing when we thought our passes were on auto-renew and they were not. Ikon would not allow us to get the same price. We had to pay midseason pricing.”
— Justin Scott, Georgetown
“When I rst moved to Denver, we went with Epic because those were the resorts that had more recognizable names. After two years we switched to Ikon. is year we’ll be going back to Epic. If you’re coming from Denver, Epic has more resorts within driving distance, but it also draws out bigger tourism crowds. In my opinion, I think it’s because those names like Vail, Breckenridge, and Crested Butte are more recognizable. I felt more limited with Ikon but crowds are better and the resorts were well worth only having two or three nearby for day trips. Some years I feel like the higher price tag with Ikon is worth it, and some years I want to hit the Epic resorts for the better scenery and deal with the crowds. If I had to pick just one, I’d probably grumble for a whole week and then decide on Epic.”
— Paul Toth, Aurora
“Grew up riding Epic mountains and they’re still my favorite places to go. Vibes are better, runs are wider, less moguls, less ice. What snowboarder wants to spend their day on moguls and ice? Bought Ikon last year to see what the hype was about and wasn’t super happy with it.”
— Sarah Samuel, Denver - Capitol Hill
Kyle Warner, of Denver, poses for a photo on one of the many resorts provided by the Ikon Pass in Colorado. COURTESY PHOTO
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PASSES
FROM PAGE 22
“Ultimately, I chose the Epic Pass as it was what the majority of my friends purchased. I’m a big fan of the Epic Pass because I liked being able to go to Keystone and Breckenridge for the day. It also was a great excuse to travel to Park City and get some skiing in. I have a few friends who ski Vail exclusively, so it’s nice to be able to go there for a few days too.”
— Annie Strongwater, Denver - West Colfax
“We’re lucky to have tons of nearby options on both passes here in Denver. I did Epic for the rst two years when I rst moved out here because, as a Navy guy, the price on Epic couldn’t be beat. When I got out of the military, I gave Ikon a try and I fell in love with Winter Park. I’ve yet to have a single bad day at Winter Park early season, late season, or heavy powder. I could loop Panoramic all day and being able to bail on I-70 early on the trip can’t be understated. I’ve gone back this to Epic resorts this year to save money since im getting fewer days in with a oneyear-old at home. ey are great as well but you have to
get far from the base and stay away from that area because Keystone, Breckenridge and Vail are painful to navigate the learner and family crowds causing astronomical lift lines on the front sides. I am looking forward to seeing those legendary back bowls at Vail again.”
— Chaz DeSio, Aurora
“Honestly, whatever is cheaper, which is Epic. I got Winter Park this year only because I can take the train and it’s cheaper than Ikon. I love to ski but I don’t need access to that many mountains.”
— Dana Itah, DenverSloan’s Lake
Both
“I have both Ikon and Epic Pass as it gives me the exibility to go to any mountain I want and not be restricted on where and when I can go.”
— Aileen Mendez, DenverLoHi
“I have both. I think Ikon is better for day trips and then I have Epic for trips to Vail.”
— Ryan Larkin, DenverHighlands
Neither
“Haven’t bought a pass before, but considering one for next season. Most likely Epic, but it’s dependent on which route friends are going.”
— Matt Fitzpatrick, Denver - LoHi
Aurora’s Paul Toth poses with him dog, Snoop, pose for a photo on a recent hike. Toth said he is torn but if he had to choose, he’d go with the Epic Pass.
