Some attribute historic district’s abundance of spirits to Arvada’s dark, unseemly past
One night while researching the history of the 150-year-old home that houses e Eli Ashby Healing Arts Center and Carly’s Boutique, a slight gure revealed herself to shopkeeper Lori Drienka.
e historic Victorian home located at 7401 Grandview Ave. — commonly known as the Dr. Foster House and often associated with two doctors; Arvada’s rst mayor, Dr. Richard Russel, and Dr. Ed-
win Foster, who was active in the city’s political scene and lived in the house until the 1960s — was built by town founder Benjamin Wadsworth, allegedly for a woman of which little is known.
On that fateful evening, Drienka sought to change that. She began researching the history of the house, particularly the mysterious woman for whom it was originally built. en, something stopped her in her tracks.
“I saw this gure appear right across from my desk,” Drienka said. “It was a tiny little woman, and she was standing over a round table, and on the table, there was a crystal ball. She just kind of turned and smiled and nodded, and that was it. I just felt this feeling that washed over me like I was there doing the right thing.”
Drienka said she felt the spirit was “welcoming” her
— Drienka’s Healing Arts Center has operated at the Foster House since 2005 — and added that she discerned that the spirit was likely a reserved person, much like Drienka herself.
“It gave me a little insight into probably why people don’t know what she did or who she was, because she was probably kind of private,” Drienka said. “I was very private about what I did. I have been for years, for fear of people thinking it’s not real or whatever, or even infringing upon people’s religious beliefs. But I just felt, in that moment, I realized I was there for a reason.”
While Drienka is especially attuned to interacting with spirits — she is trained by the Spiritual Response Association and does soul clearing, readings, spiritual advising and past life regression at the Healing Arts Center (“I ba-
sically talk to dead people,” she said.) — she’s far from the only Olde Town mainstay who has noticed paranormal presences.
La Dolce Vita Manager Josh Crouch said he’s experienced a darker side of Olde Town’s spirits.
e rst revealed itself to Crouch 13 years ago, when he was manning the espresso machine during the Arvada Harvest Festival. In a moment of frustration due to the massive in ux of customers, something otherworldly revealed itself.
“We were in the back by the mop bucket,” Crouch said. “ ere was a brush up on a shelf that’s pushed all the way to the back — always. It came over all of the soaps and everything like that and fell down right next to me. at was my rst encounter.”
Water, stormwater and wastewater fees will all see an increase
BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO THE ARVADA PRESS
Arvadans will see yet another hike in water rates in 2025.
At a City Council meeting on Oct. 21, Arvada City Council passed increases to the water, stormwater and wastewater fees. Water fees will increase by 10%, while wastewater fees will increase by 14.5% and stormwater fees will increase by 13.75%. ese increases come amidst Arvada’s e orts to address aging water infrastructure, with Capital Improvement Projects planned for 2025 to address aging infrastructure and accommodate the growth Arvada has undergone.
e increases also come after several years of steady increases, with a 12.3% increase in 2023 and another 12% increase in 2024. e increases come as no surprise, however, with the city’s 10-year strategic plan for 2025 including a 10% increase in water and sewer rates, as well as a 5% increase in stormwater rates.
roughout the year, city council has held four workshops on the rate increases, looking at the reasons for the increase and multiple increase scenarios. During the last workshop, on Sept. 23, several councilmembers voiced support for a more conservative water rate increase and a higher stormwater and wastewater rate increase — ensuring that all Capital Improvement Projects would be funded.
e water rate increase — which passed unanimously — increases fees by 10%, with a $4 increase to bimonthly service fees. According to Director of Utilities Sharon Israel, this will increase a typical in-city single-family bill by $78.15 per year.
“I think the reality here is the council and utilities division need to endeavor to provide plentiful water at the lowest cost possible, always,” said Councilmember John Marriott. “ at’s really the solution here. Out of all the options we had to choose from, this was by far the best one.”
Over the years, Crouch said that mediums and other spiritual guides have corroborated his suspicion and estimated that there are around 80 ghosts that reside inside the shop and its eerie, dimly lit basement.
As for why there seem to be so many spirits in the historic district, Crouch has a theory.
“Honestly, I think the KKK did a lot of stu here in Olde Town,” Crouch said. “I think there were people hurt before these buildings were built on this land. I think there were crosses burned here.”
Crouch’s theory is tied to a period of Arvada history that lingers in the shadows nowadays. In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan congregated in what is now Olde Town — an unsightly stain on the town’s legacy that was once commemorated with a plaque in the historic district that was removed in 2020.
In 1925, 10,000 women marched down Wadsworth Avenue in support of the KKK, hoping to become active members themselves, according to Je erson County’s historical archives.
e year before, a meeting was held in a eld near what is now Carr Street and 68th Avenue, and Arvadans attended Klan rallies on South Table Mountain, where cross burnings occurred, according to the book “Arvada, Just Between You and Me,” which was published by the Arvada Historical Society.
Drienka seems to agree with Crouch’s theory and explained that “discarnates” are spirits that are not embodied, but “have not gone to the light,” sometimes because of negative events in their lives.
“ ere’s really no time in space,” Drienka said. “When people pass on, it could have been 100 years ago, but it could feel like a year ago or a day ago, because they stay frozen in time, because they don’t have the faculties to be in the material world, and they’re not letting go of the energy and the attachment to that place.
Something has to happen where they can be released into the light.
“Sometimes they feel like they deserve to be in a place of darkness,” Drienka continued. “And when they’re tied to these places, they are in a place of dark-
ness, and that’s why people don’t see them in the morning.”
Kym Sawtelle, a barista at La Dolce Vita who is also a medium (she said everyone has these abilities but has forgotten) who apprenticed under an Apache Medicine Woman said that the advanced age of many of the buildings in Olde Town keeps spirits tied to them over time.
“ ere’s so much human history and activity in these buildings,” Sawtelle said. “When you’re in a place like California and they tear down everything,
old buildings, I think there’s this consciousness that’s here. It’s lled with spirits, really.”
e sta at School House Kitchen and Libations know that old buildings come with their own entities far too well. e building was constructed back in 1882 and has its share of apparitions.
Once, an employee reported seeing a shadowy gure bringing a bus tub back to the kitchen and was so frightened that he quit the next week, Marketing Director Aubrey Potter and former general manager Jason Stuckey said.
“While the spirits mostly lurk in the shadows, a few sightings have happened,” Potter and Stuckey said in an email. “ ere’s a lady that has been seen in the basement and little girl that hangs out in the stairwell. A server a long time ago asked why there was a little girl at the top of the stairs in the dark.”
Within a year of the restaurant opening, employees began leaving coins and other gifts to appease the ghosts, Potter and Stuckey said.
Drienka said that some spirits are good, and some have worse intentions — the latter of whom are the ones she deals with in her practice.
“ ere’s good and bad, you know, just like everything,” Drienka said. “And some of them are really earthbound, and some of them come and go. I like to think that in my establishment, at least, I know how to manage that, how to help them go to the light so that they can come and go, but not be earthbound where they’re wreaking havoc.
“ at’s the di erence,” Drienka continued. “When you feel threatened, those are ghosts. ose are earthbound. ey need to go to the light, and that’s part of my business. I help them go to the light.”
The first time I heard about Village Cooperatives was a few years ago when I listed the Lakewood home of an elderly couple who had a deposit on an apartment at Village Cooperative Lakewood, near Wadsworth and Jewell, which was then under construction. They ended up canceling their reservation, so I didn’t think more of it, including in March 2020 when Rita and I sold our Golden home and moved into a 55+ rental called Avenida. If I had looked into Village Cooperatives, I think Rita and I might have made a different decision.
pro-rated to the portion of the year, so it wouldn’t actually be 9% unless you bought after exactly 3 years.
There are between 50 and 70 apartments in each of the cooperatives. All but this one are 3 stories with a garage in the basement. There are a few 1-bedroom units, but most are 2 bedrooms, and some of those also have a den. They range from under 900 to over 1,700 square feet, and there are over 20 floor plans. During the tour, I got to see all three types.
Two weeks ago, I got an invitation to visit the Village Cooperative building in Centennial from a reader who had moved there from Avenida the same year we moved in. I attended a 2-hour talk and tour of the facility last week, and learned enough to consider getting on a waiting list for a 2-bedroom unit with a den.
Ten of the 45 Village Cooperatives built so far are in Colorado. Five of the 10 are in the Denver metro area, stretching from Longmont to Centennial, and the only ones that aren’t sold out are in the Columbine area of Littleton and in Longmont. All the others have waiting lists. The company that builds them is based in Minnesota.
The details and numbers I’ll quote below are for the Centennial location, but the other locations are probably comparable.
Buying into a cooperative is not at all like buying a condo. You are buying a share in the ownership of the building. The price of the share is set originally and appreciates by 3% per year, without compounding. For example, in the Centennial cooperative, the original prices ranged from about $160,000 to $240,000 when it opened three years ago. If you could purchase a share which had an original price of $200,000, you’d pay $218,000 (3% increase x 3 years). The 3% per year is
Real estate agents play no role in the purchase. You pay a refundable $500 deposit to get on the waiting list, and you will be notified when shares become available. You can pass on any unit that becomes available and not lose your place on the list.
The monthly fees — it’s not considered “rent” — are about $2,000 per month and consist of four components: your pro-rated share of the monthly payment on the building’s 40-year construction mortgage; your share of the property tax on the building, and a management fee, including your share of the building’s contract with Comcast for internet access, cable TV and a landline. The fourth component is contribution to reserves. Gas and electric are individually metered.
The cooperative is managed by a board of directors consisting of your fellow shareholders. Members also are encouraged to join committees focused on finance, maintenance, and social activities.
One parking spot in the secure basement garage is assigned to each unit. There is a high-pressure car wash bay with vacuum, too.
Amenities include a fitness center, a library, storage rooms, a meeting/game room, and two hotel-style guest rooms that residents can reserve for $50/night.
I was impressed by the sizes of the rooms in each of the apartments. In our current apartment, the master bedroom is
10’ by 11’ — barely big enough for our king-size bed and one dresser. The master bedrooms in the cooperative’s units are more like 12’x15’, and the smallest guest bedrooms are bigger than the master bedroom in our Golden apartment.
A member can sell their share at any time and get back their investment plus the 3% per annum appreciation paid by the replacement member, minus deduction for repairs, etc. Members can pay for upgrades such as better appliances, countertops, backsplashes, fixtures, flooring, etc. and expect an additional direct payment for those upgrades by the buyer, as negotiated between buyer and seller.
A gas forced-air furnace is in a locked closet accessed from each unit’s balcony. Central hot water is included in the monthly fees.
You can’t finance your purchase with a mortgage, because it’s not real estate. It’s a cash purchase, and you have to demonstrate that you can afford the monthly fees. If you are planning to sell your current home when your wait for a unit is up, one strategy is to borrow the $200,000
via a home equity line of credit (HELOC) that is paid off when your home sells.
The purchase price and the monthly fees for a cooperative are roughly half what a comparable condo purchase and dues would be, making the decision an easy one if you have the liquid funds to buy the share.
Village Cooperative only began in 2011 and has grown impressively. You can learn more and see its many locations at www.VillageCooperative.com. In the posting of this article on my blog, http://RealEstateToday.substack.com, I have links to a few YouTube videos I recorded during my tour.
A couple weeks ago I wrote that almost no buyers are paying a commission to their agents, despite the recent NAR settlement. Sellers are still paying buyer agents’ commissions. However, many brokerages have a long-standing practice of charging a 3figure “administrative fee” to buyers — usually around $300. Golden Real Estate does not charge buyers such a fee.
$750,000
The seller has owned and loved this brick ranch at 7085 W. 32nd Place for 43 years! The basement, with two doors to the backyard, includes a large wet bar for entertaining plus a sound-proofed musical studio which could be a bedroom with ensuite bathroom. The home has 500-amp electrical service, with 240-volt outlets in the detached garage/ workshop. There are four separate sheds in the backyard. Well water is used for irrigation. The asphalt driveway was recently seal coated. There’s a fenced dog run and pre-wiring for a hot tub. You’ve got to see this home to believe it! Visit www.WheatRidgeHome.info to see lots of interior and exterior photos and to take a narrated video tour. Kathy Jonke will be holding it open this Saturday from 11 to 1, or call her at 303-990-7428 to request a private showing.
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I don’t recall how I learned about it, but last week Rita and I visited an open house at Be A Tree, a company which offers water cremation as a green alternative to conventional flame cremation. Conventional flame cremation uses natural gas. Water cremation is what it sounds like. Also known as alkaline hydrolysis, it uses a mixture of 95% water and potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide to dissolve fats and tissues in a body, reducing it to components of liquid and bone. The process takes place over 18 hours in a pressure vessel heated to around 200°F.
The bones are then ground into a powder referred to as ashes, although no flame was used. For an extra fee, those ashes can be molded into white stones which can be shared among loved ones.
The 150 gallons of nutrient rich water generated by the process, called Tree Tea, can be used as fertilizer, hence the
name of the company, Be A Tree. Rita and I had always thought that cremation was the best way to go when we die, but we had done no pre-planning and this approach is much more appealing to us, so we have now pre-planned for water cremation with Be A Tree. If this concept appeals to you, learn more at www.BeATreeCremation.com or call 720-782-2782.
Thousands of youngsters came out in droves to the historic district for a night of spooky merrimaking
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
ousands of Arvadans participated in one of Olde Town’s most favorite traditions: Trick or Treat Street.
e festivities returned with aplomb this year, with tons of local businesses participating by handing out candy and decking out their shops with spooky decor. As kids paraded around town, a few
new things were in store this year. is year’s iteration of Trick or Treat Street featured two riller Dance Moms, a DJ and a Tribal Dance.
Olde Town Arvada Business Improvement District Executive Director Joe Hengstler said he was glad to see how the event has grown. “ is is one of our businesses’ favorite
events of the year,” Hengstler said. “We absolutely love how the community comes out in such large numbers to take part in the festivities. One of the coolest things is how the event has evolved over the years with the addition of riller Dancer Mobs, A DJ (DJ Depth) and Tribal Dance. “ is growth wouldn’t be possible without the support of the businesses and our sponsors, so a special thanks to Larson Ski and Sports and Quantum Fiber for being presenting sponsors this year,” Hengstler continued.
e increase to wastewater and stormwater rates passed 6-1, with Marriott as the lone dissenting vote.
Wastewater fees increased by 14.5%, with a $2 increase to bimonthly service fees. According to Israel, this will increase a typical in-city single-family bill by $57.12 per year. Meanwhile, stormwater fees increased by 13.75%. According to Israel, this will increase a typical incity single-family bill by $8.17 per year.
“I believe council is raising these rates higher than necessary at this time,” said Marriott. “In an e ort to have a lower total cost to users down the road, the cost is going up to users more than is necessary at this point.”
e rates that were passed were previously referred to as Scenario C in workshops. Scenario C included higher rates in order to fully fund Arvada’s Capital Improvement Projects in 2025, which the lower rates did not cover.
During previous workshops, city representatives had mentioned a much higher rate increase — potentially as high as a 26% increase — would have been necessary in 2026 in order to fund necessary Capital Improvement Projects, had the Scenario C rates not passed.
“All the projects we’re talking about and all the operational work we’re doing is keeping the lights on,” said Arvada Utilities Business Manager Christine Gray during the Sep. 23 workshop. “We don’t have any projects in this proposal that would be gold plating. is is all to keep our system structural, keep it sustainable, keep it reliable.”
“We can save lives with our bodies,” says former Director Lorraine Lockhart-Borman
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Forty years after its humble beginnings as a ramshackle operation led by a mother who sought to care for her ailing preemie, Arvada-based Mothers’ Milk Bank honored its donors with a reunion to mark four decades of helping infants. In 1980, Joyce Ann Burgett’s premature son, Benjamin, was sick. Without a sucient milk supply of her own, Burgett accepted formula for Benjamin, though she preferred to feed him human breast milk. Benjamin eventually made a full recovery, but Burgett sought to create an avenue for future mothers in need of breast milk to bypass the formula route if they desired. After four years of working tirelessly with Dr. Marianne Neifert, Mothers’ Milk Bank opened its doors in 1984 on the campus of National Jewish Hospital (now National Jewish Health). e nonpro t is the second-oldest breast milk bank in the United States (one older milk bank exists in San Jose, Calif.) and is one of 29 milk banks in the country. It’s di cult to conceptualize how Mothers’ Milk Bank grew from a small operation to what it is now — the milk bank has produced over 10 million ounces of milk (roughly equivalent to the fuel capacity of a Boeing 747) in its 40 years, thanks in no small part to the 19,000 donors who provided their extra milk to the
organization — but former Director Lorraine Lockhart-Borman, who led the organization for 30 years, saw many of the changes rsthand.
“We had a tiny space,” Lockhart-Borman said at a celebratory reunion with donors, recipients and sta members on Oct. 17. “We had only one paid employee and two volunteers, and small amounts
of milk were dispensed. We were supplying milk to outpatient babies with speci c medical conditions, immune problems, feeding intolerances — babies who couldn’t tolerate formula. ose were the kinds of children we served.”
Now, MMB primarily works with hospitals to provide milk to premature infants, which make up 10% of the birth
rate, current director Rebecca Heinrich said. e organization now works with 140 hospitals across 24 states, which receive the vast majority of donated milk, although 10% to 20% of the remaining milk goes to outpatient families who are in need.
stered by a study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics supporting milk banking, published in the mid ’90s.
“Mothers’ Milk Bank was founded on the belief that human milk is the best, rst food for all babies,” Heinrich said. “We’ve always believed that human milk — whether it is a parent’s own or donated — is essential for any baby, especially those with a weakened immune system or special dietary needs.
In the aftermath of the AIDS crisis, thoroughly screening potential donors became more vital, Heinrich said, which led to the establishment of a “complicated” assessment and pasteurization process that is in place to this day. MMB’s current facility, located in Arvada, opened nine years ago and has a state-of-the-art lab in house.
“We can truly say this is an elevated labo-
While the success of MMB has undoubtedly been assisted by outside forces — Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order subsidizing the costs of shipping breastmilk from MMB in 2022 amid the formula shortage, and Heinrich mentioned that the Arvada Chamber of Commerce and city government have been champions of the organization — it likely wouldn’t have made it to 40 without its strong donor network.
“ is is a woman-founded organization,”
Lockhart-Borman said. “From the very beginning, it was women who are giving the money, women supporting each other, women employees. I can’t say enough about how wonderful that feels, as a woman myself, to know — my god, we’re powerful. We can do things. We can change lives. We can
For some moms, like Holly Teska, the decision to participate in MMB’s donor network is as simple as wanting to give back.
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“It took a while before NICU’s (neonatal intensive care units) started to recognize the value of milk and wanted to have it as an on-hand support system,” Lockhart-Borman said. “ e focus back then was on formula feeding — even breastfeeding rates were very much down. You know, breastfeeding and milk banking are intrinsically tied together.
“You can’t have a good milk bank without having a good breastfeeding community,” she said.
at community has helped MMB reach infants in need not only in Colorado, but in a number of neighboring states that do not have milk banks of their own.
“We have a huge job in making sure that Nebraska, the Dakotas, Kansas, Wyoming and other states that don’t have a milk bank still have access to this donor milk for their infants,” Heinrich said.
While the merits of breastmilk versus formula is still being looked at today, studies published in the 1990s highlighting the importance of breastmilk drove an uptick in donations to MMB.
e organization posits that breastmilk is preferable for babies, particularly those with health concerns. at theory was bol-
“When I was in the hospital when my daughter was born, we had to use donor milk because my milk was taking a little bit of time to come in and she was underweight,” Teska said. “I thought it would be really cool when my milk came in if I had an extra supply to be able to share it, and I was really fortunate to have the oversupply to be able to donate to help other new moms.
“My daughter is ve months old now and it’s been great and really easy to donate,” Teska continued. “It’s a seamless process. I just had to complete a questionnaire, do a phone interview and take an easy little blood draw. It is very easy and so worthwhile.”
Now, with some of MMB’s rst donor milk recipients reaching middle age, celebrations are in order.
“I think one of the wonderful things about turning 40 here is thinking about the level of impact that Mothers’ Milk Bank has had on the community, on our donors, and particularly these preemies,” Heinrich said. “ e infants that received milk when the milk bank rst opened are 40. Now that’s an insane number to think about. It’s really thrilling.”
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IWORDS OF ENCOURAGMENT
n February of 2017, I received a phone call that would change my life forever. A good friend of mine called that February evening to share an update on what he learned during his visit with the doctor. All of us who worked with him expected to hear that his colonoscopy showed, as predicted, that he had an ulcer. It would mean making some changes in dietary practices and shelving, for at least the immediate future, the brewing he loved; but the potential changes did not seem too drastic.
e results of the test could not have been more di erent than a simple ulcer.
During our conversation, my friend explained that he had stage 4 colon cancer and that there were cancerous spots on his lungs, kidney and liver, as well as in his colon. As I listened in shocked disbelief, he shared the details of his diagnosis and the treatment plan. After our conversation, I began to contemplate how I might support my friend in his time of need. I decided that, in part, I would try and help by sending a note of encouragement to him and his wife before each of his chemotherapy sessions.
Over the course of the next four years, I sent emails of encouragement every other Tuesday as he endured chemotherapy treatment after treatment. Shane died from the cancer in 2021, but the les-
With all the streaming options available to modern audiences, it’s easy to think that you can just watch whatever you want at any time and have the same experience as you would at the theater. But that’s just not the case, and in fact, that’s one of the things that makes events like the annual Denver Film Festival so important.
“ ere’s a special sauce to a lm festival. You’re not just going to the theater and seeing a lm. You’re part of a communal experience,” said Matthew Campbell, Denver Film artistic director. “You have the opportunity to talk to lmmakers and audience members, and there are few other forums like that anymore. Audience members can go a step beyond having a passive experience and really sink their teeth into the artform.”
sons I learned from him during those four years were profound. I learned about the strength of the human spirit and the impact words of encouragement have on lifting that spirit. Since that life altering experience, I have sought to encourage those around me every day with notes, texts, smiles and many other small tokens. But it only takes looking at a newsfeed or a set of social media posts to see the expanse of those needing encouragement is much larger than my small circle. In our world today, you can nd an abundance of stories of people
struggling, looking to nd encouragement as they navigate di cult things within the human experience. Our friends, our neighbors, our relatives, people in all corners of our world need hope, a sliver of light in the storm they are facing. Although I am only one voice, I seek to create a window of encouragement for those who need it. I will provide a new column of encouragement each week. I hope you will nd inspiration in my words and share them with those who need it. I would love to hear from you as you nd helpful morsels in these columns and as
you nd ways to encourage those around you. I can be contacted at jim.roome@ gmail.com.
Jim Roome lives in Arvada with his wife Beth. He spent 34 years in public education. Lessons learned from the one two punch of being diagnosed with MS shortly before his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer led him into a new pursuit as a freelance writer and speaker. He uses his life experiences and love of stories to inspire, educate and encourage local, national and international audiences.
in all kinds of genres from all over the world, including some major award contenders like “Nickel Boys,”“Emilia Perez,”“Blitz” and “ e Brutalist.” And lm fans can explore all manner of movies, including shorts, animation, and themes like Social Issues/Activism, Asian Diaspora and Colorado Spotlight.
“I think one of the best ways to start for people who have never participated in the festival is to pick a theme that interests you and check out some of those movies,” Campbell said.
and director Joan Chen, screenwriter Virgil Williams, screenwriter and director Malcolm Washington, actors Gabriel LaBelle and Cory Michael Smith, and Academy Award-winner Andrew Wyatt. Add in the opening and closing night parties, as well as numerous lmmaker conversations, and there’s so much to be a part of.
“ e festival is a great opportunity to be taken out of your normal existence and put in a di erent reality for a while,” Campbell said. “ ere’s no better way to be put in another person’s shoes and also learn about a subject you don’t know anything about.
For all the details, visit Arts ornton. com.
LUMC hosts world-class classical concert e Littleton United Methodist Church’s Fine Arts Series continues with a performance by two stellar musicians, violinist Harumi Rhodes and pianist Tamara Goldstein. Violin Sonatas will be held at the church, 5894 S. Datura St. at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. e duo will be performing music by Mozart, Brahms and others.
e 47th annual Denver Film Festival will be held from Friday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 10 at several venues across the metro area, like the Sie FilmCenter, Denver Botanic Gardens and the MCA Denver at the Holiday eater. e festival kicks o on Nov. 1 with “ e Piano Lesson,” an adaptation of an August Wilson play produced by Denzel Washington, featuring Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington. And it closes with on Nov. 9 with “September 5,” a lm that centers on the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attacks.
As usual, there will be screenings of lms
“I always encourage people to be adventurous, and pick some random lms that they know nothing about and see if they like them.”
Some notable Colorado-based lms that are part of this year’s festival include “Lovers,” which is largely set in the HiDive on South Broadway, and “Half-Life of Memory,” a lm about Rocky Flats. ere will be special post- lm discussions following screenings of this lm, including former Rocky Flatts employees and members of groups like Rocky Flats Downwinders.
Another special aspect of lm festivals are the featured guests and events. is year’s festival features legendary actress
e full schedule and tickets are available at https://denver lmfestival.eventive.org/welcome.
Thornton hosts 8th Annual Day of the Dead/ Día de los Muertos cultural celebration
Get ready to dress up in your nest Día de los Muertos out t and celebrate this important day at McAllister Park Center, 750 W. 96th Ave. in ornton, from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2. e event will feature music by Chicano Heat and Mariachi Sangre Mexicana, dancers from Cultural Dance Productions and Fiesta Colorado, along with face-painting, stilt walking and magicmaking, ancestor altar, photo booth and local artisan market
More information on the free concert is available at https://littletonumc.church/fas/. Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Sabrina Carpenter at Ball Arena
Nobody is having more fun with pop music this year than Sabrina Carpenter Her album “Short N’ Sweet” isn’t just full of bangers, but brims with tongue-incheek jokes and risqué references scienti cally designed to make you smile. It’s a shot of sunshine we could all use. In support of the album, Carpenter will be performing at Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle in Denver, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. She’ll be joined for the evening by opener Declan McKenna
Get tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.
Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.
September 6, 2024
It is with a heavy heart and great sorrow that we share the passing of Judith (Judi) Ann (Davidson) Wilbur on September 6, 2024. She snuck away from us peacefully in her sleep after a very short time following the diagnosis of Urothelial Cancer. While we grieve that she left us way before any of us were ready, we are thankful that the time between her diagnosis and passing were short and that she was able to pass without prolonged su ering.
Community leaders say listening to teens is helping them provide meaningful resources.
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Je erson County’s public health ocials and community leaders are taking proactive steps to address youth mental health challenges and substance abuse issues, using the latest Healthy Kids Colorado Survey ndings as a guide.
While the county is celebrating that substance abuse has dropped, and fewer high school students are reporting persistent feelings of hopelessness or sadness as compared to 2021, those working in teen support roles understand there’s still a lot of work to be done.
For instance, data shows that students with supportive connections to adults are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as substance use or self-harm. e great news is that more than 75% of Je erson County teens said they have a trusted adult they can go to for support.
“But when we dig a little deeper into the data, we can see that some of that shifts when we’re talking speci cally about mental health or identity issues around gender or sexuality, that drops o quite a bit, said Amanda Davis, a licensed social worker and mental health specialist for Je erson County Public Health.
Je erson County Communities at Care Executive Director Sasha Hutchings echoed Davis.
“We heard from some youth that in the spaces where there were adults, they couldn’t identify who could be an ally for them if they needed to talk to somebody,” Hutchings said. “And so through those conversations and hearing from youth directly, particularly BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth, we developed the BADJ Project.”
In the BADJ Project, which stands for Building Allyship and Diversity in Jeffco, school sta and other community members are trained to be visible and approachable allies for students, particularly those from vulnerable groups.
“Students want to see and identify the adults who are genuinely there to support them,” Hutchings said. “ is project was
Now she ies with butter ies.
Judi was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mom, nana/grandma, caregiver, and cherished friend to many during her 80 wonderful years with us. She was born in Omaha, NE. She moved to St. Paul, MN for many years, and nally landed in Denver, CO as a young adult. She worked at Jeppesen Sanderson in her early years where she met her husband George. ey were married in August of 1964 and had just celebrated their 60th year of marriage. Judi is survived by her husband George, son Scott (Joann), daughter Leslie (Rich), 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Judi was a homemaker for most of her married life, as well as an in-home childcare provider for 2 families, helping care for and raise their 4 children, which
SHUTTERSTOCK
developed in collaboration with youth to make sure we’re addressing their needs in a visible and meaningful way.”
e program o ers comprehensive training to participants, covering topics such as understanding LGBTQ+ issues, anti-oppression frameworks, and suicide prevention techniques. Once training is complete, participants receive a badge that makes them easily recognizable to students needing support.
“ is isn’t just about providing help, but showing that support is readily available and visible,” Davis said. “We’re creating an environment where students feel safe reaching out.”
Addressing mental health with a holistic approach
e data from the Healthy Kids survey also provided insights into the mental health struggles many students face. In particular, LGBTQ+ students and students from minority groups reported lower feelings of belonging and higher risks of bullying, depression and anxiety.
ese disparities underscore the importance of targeted mental health initiatives that focus on increasing students’ sense of belonging at school and in their communities.
Davis said the school district has asked the public health department to adapt its ‘Twelve Talks to Have with Teens’ training for school nurses, who are often the rst point of contact for students facing mental health challenges.
“We’re equipping parents and school sta with the tools to have these conversations in a way that builds trust and understanding,” Davis said. “It’s about creating a safe space for students to talk openly about what they’re going through.”
Shifting perceptions to reduce substance use
Survey insights also revealed a signicant gap between students’ perceptions of substance use among their peers and their reported behaviors.
brought her so much pleasure. Judi was an avid painter, seamstress/sewer and eventual quilter.
We the family wish to share our heartfelt thanks for the many calls, owers, visits and cards expressing your sympathy to us during our time of bereavement.
For any that would like to honor Judi’s memory we request that donations be made in her honor to: ABC Quilts of Colorado - coloradogives.org/ organization/Abc-Quilts-of-Colorado or mail donation check to: ABC Quilts of Colorado, 6302 Marshall Street, Arvada, CO 80003
A non pro t that provides small quilts to various county and private agencies to be given to children in crisis or need, which will support her passion of quilting.
Or arvada reco.gov/295/Friends-of-Arvada-FireClick the Donate link - Use Dropdown to state use this donation for: Dave’s Locker
For their appreciation in having multiple items that we borrowed and/or were given to aid with mobility and other medical needs that helped my mom during her last few months with us.
BY ELISABETH SLAY
Acolorful array of Denver-area costume shops intertwines creativity and camaraderie, with each shop revealing its own distinct charm. From elaborate corsetry to an immersive haunted house and engaging games and puzzles, these shops go beyond competition and collaborate to foster a community centered on self-expression and oneof-a-kind experiences.
The Wizard’s Chest: ‘An experience’ Kevin Pohle, co-owner of the Wizard’s Chest in Denver, describes his shop as “an experience.”
Pohle said the store at 451 Broadway, which is decked out from top to bottom with magical trinkets, towering skeletons
and quirky long-bearded wizards, is always changing and has something for everyone.
“It’s not supposed to be a retail store,” Pohle said. “It’s supposed to be a place to come and hang out and see cool things and pick up cool things and then feel the need to take something home that you didn’t know you needed until you saw it.”
For 20 years, Pohle and his partners David Boyce and Brad Brickley have owned and operated Wizard’s Chest, which originally opened in 1983.
Wizard’s Chest is divided into two oors. e rst oor contains costumes, accessories, decorations and more, while the bottom oor provides a plethora of puzzles and games for people of all ages.
Over the years, Pohle said, the store has leaned into providing clothing that people can wear in their regular wardrobe.
“So it’s not just a costume, it’s a piece
that has more than one use,” Pohle said. “It’s a piece that’s versatile.”
When comparing Wizard’s Chest to other local shops, Pohle said his store has its own unique aspects, as do others in the community.
“ e thing about costume stores in Denver is we’re all cooperatively competitive,” Pohle said. “We don’t really compete with each other. We try to send people to each other. Disguises in Lakewood does rentals, which we don’t do. Reinke Brothers in Littleton does a haunted house, which we don’t do.”
It’s their di erences that allow the shops to work together.
“So there’s no need for us to ght with each other,” Pohle said. “We keep it as a local community.”
For more information about the shop, visit wizardschest.com.
Crimson Rose Masquerade: ‘Out of a fairy tale’
Also on Broadway in Denver is Crimson Rose Masquerade, a “high-end costume boutique that treats dressing up as an expression of self-love,” said owner Kitty Krell.
e frocks that her clientele chooses to express themselves look as though they’ve “stepped out of a fairy tale” and include Renaissance dresses, pirate coats and more.
“It’s alternative chic, Ren faire chic … it’s for anyone who ever felt like they didn’t quite t in,” Krell said.
Also among the garments in the shop at 1456 S. Broadway are Krell’s own creations, including intricate corsets for many occasions. She began her craft at the age of 15 after needing a corset for her costume during her rst job at a Renaissance festival.
“So I went, ‘How hard can it be to make one?’” Krell said. “I had just recently started sewing, and I think because I didn’t know what I was trying to do was impossible, I did it, and since then, I’ve continued to make corsets.”
Krell said she also makes corsets for those with certain medical needs after starting to wear them for herself about eight years ago, to address a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
“It’s great for scoliosis, for EhlersDanlos, for anxiety, because it can act as a human thunder jacket,” Krell said. “I do a lot of work with people who have very physical jobs and are constantly lifting and messing up their backs.”
For Krell, one of the best aspects of her job is knowing that her pieces are making people happy.
“It’s one of my favorite feelings to know that I contributed something that makes someone’s quality of life better,” Krell said.
Krell said she enjoys being a part of the costume shop community in Denver because of its collaborative nature.
“It’s a bunch of weirdos who found this world, or found each other in this world that doesn’t really want us to,” Krell said. “Denver is especially great for that because Denver is very live-andlet-live.”
For more information about the shop, visit crimsonrosemasquerade.net.
Reinke Brothers Store: A haunted house
From aliens greeting people at the door to skeletons serenading customers, Reinke Brothers Store sells experiences, said Greg Reinke, who co-owns the store with his brother Chris Reinke.
Located at 5663 S. Prince St. in Littleton, Reinke Brothers contains a long and immersive haunted house lled with di erent scenes and animatronics concocted by Greg Reinke and his sta .
Originally, Reinke said his haunted houses — which he and his brother began when they were young — were gory and quite scary for children, but as time went on, he realized that wasn’t the best way to intrigue them.
“People that get the living tar scared out of them when they’re little don’t enjoy my particular venue when they get older,” Reinke said. “So I said, ‘How can we correct this?’ And that’s when we stopped doing chainsaws and knives and blood and guts and torsos ripped in half and we made it more of an entertainment haunted house.”
e Reinke Brothers Store now o ers tours of the house with the lights on for children and others who have a hard time going through the attraction when it’s in full swing.
Along with the haunted house, Reinke’s shop is also jam-packed with wigs, masks, makeup, props, decorations and anything else one might need to create the perfect costume or their own spooky experiences.
While he has a plethora of items, Reinke said his shop also takes part in the camaraderie of similar establishments in the Denver area.
“If we’re out of something, I’ll call over at (Disguises), or I’ll call over at Wizard’s Chest and ask that, and then I send my customers there,” Reinke said. “And I think the customers appreciate that also. ese are local guys. So we protect each other.”
Going forward, Reinke hopes to continue making people happy with costumes and haunted houses for as long as possible.
“I plan to be dead back there someday, just draped over a gravestone or a prop or something,” the 65-yearold said. “A lot of people want to retire to enjoy the end or whatever. What would I retire to? I’d make monsters for a living and most people retire to do what I’m doing.”
For more information about the Reinke Brothers shop, visit reinkebrothers.com.
Disguises: ‘Three to four businesses under one roof’ Disguises in Lakewood is another costume shop in the area that o ers a multitude of costume options, including makeup, wigs and more.
“We also have the other side of our retail store, which is our Et Cetera boutique,” co-owner Todd Belanger said. “ is has formal wear, retro dresses, Renaissance dresses, stockings, sexy wear, corsets, shoes, goth clothing, steampunk, clothing, festival and rave wear. Many people in the community shop for everyday clothing here all year.”
Belanger said his store at 10500 W. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood also has one of the largest stocks of rental clothes in the nation.
Belanger owns the store with his wife, Michelle Belanger.
“ e store was started by another individual in the mid-’90s and it was successful and grew out of its original location and moved into a larger location,” Belanger said. “I actually was a nurse by training and so is my wife and we began buying small rental houses, but after owning a few of those, I quickly realized that I wanted to replace my income as a nurse.”
Belanger and his wife were able to purchase their business, which they love.
“We currently have over 200 active vendors that we purchase products from represented in the store. It does make the store very unique and it makes shopping here like a treasure hunt because you’re never quite sure what you’re going to nd,” Belanger said.
Belanger describes the “caddie shack community” in Denver as unique and varied and explained it’s important to have shops such as Disguises because they’re establishments that make “the world a richer and less boring place.”
Going forward, Belanger said he hopes people will continue to visit Disguises throughout the year.
For more information about Disguises, go online to disguisescostumes.com.
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As voters sit down to ll out their ballots, they often refer to their local TABOR book, commonly known as the “gray book,” for more information about local ballot initiatives. Whether it’s a school bond measure, like in Douglas and Arapahoe counties, or an elimination of a TABOR limit in Je erson County, the gray book provides voters with information to decide whether to vote for or against a proposal.
However, many may not realize that the public comments included in these guides are not fact-checked, according to the Colorado Legislative Council’s TABOR Blue Book guidelines. ese guidelines note that arguments for and against ballot measures are submitted by proponents and opponents and are not veri ed for accuracy.
Local guidebooks explicitly state that comments aren’t verified.
According to reporting by Colorado Community Media two years ago, misinformation in Douglas County’s booklet regarding the school district had its administrators up in arms. e district’s Superintendent, Erin Kane, spoke out against comments opposing the district’s mill levy override and bond
measures, calling them “untrue” and “misrepresentative.” is year, a statement opposing proposition 1A in Je erson County claims a “yes” vote would eliminate the property tax cap from TABOR. However, a “yes” vote would allow the county to keep its share
of property tax funds “without increasing any tax rate or mill levy rate,” according to the ballot language.
e mill levy rate, which varies by county, determines the amount taxpayers owe in property taxes.
According to state law, any reg-
istered voter within a local jurisdiction can submit comments for or against a ballot issue. However, the government entity is not responsible for fact-checking or verifying the accuracy of the submitted comments.
Local guidebooks explicitly state that comments aren’t veri-
ed, but readers may skip over this information as they ip to the issues.
“We include an explanation in the packet that my o ce isn’t able to warrant the accuracy or truth of the contents of the notices, but we do provide the contact information for the designated election o cial,” said Je erson County Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez. “ is allows voters to reach out if they need more information about the content in their city, county or district booklet.”
Gonzalez said it’s important to remember that the TABOR book is one of many good resources for learning more about what’s on your ballot.
Voters can also look to county election websites, local news reporting or nonpartisan organizations like the League of Women Voters, which produces voter guides without endorsements or political bias.
In a time of heightened awareness of misinformation in our elections, sorting fact from opinion may seem more important than ever. State law makes it clear that the responsibility for evaluating the accuracy of the information ultimately falls on the voters themselves.
Thu 11/07
Instrument Sale: Rockley Family Foundation
@ 9am / Free
Nov 7th - Nov 9th
Dan Bublitz Jr: Zoltan Live in Denver @ 7:30pm The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver
Phat Daddy @ 8pm
Monarch Casino Black Hawk, 488 Main St, Black Hawk
Sat 11/09
Arvada Center for the Arts and Human‐ities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada. mturner@arvadacenter.org
Intermediate Girls Gymnastics (6-17yo) - Nov @ 4:30pm
Nov 7th - Nov 21st
Wulf Recreation Center, 5300 S Olive Road, Evergreen. 720-880-1000
The Dead & Down @ 6pm
New Terrain Brewing Company, 16401 Table Mountain Pkwy, Golden
Fri 11/08
My Blue Sky with Shakedown Street @ 7pm Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Ave, Golden
Green Mountain High School Craft Fair @ 10am 13175 W Green Mountain Dr, 13175 West Green Mountain Drive, Lake‐wood. Tenby@ColoradoMortgagePlan ner.com, 303-478-9126
Teague Starbuck @ 2:30pm The Empourium Brewing Company, 4385 W 42nd Ave, Denver
Of The Trees 2-DAY OFFERS @ 5:29pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison
Anna Morgan @ 5:30pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison Of the Trees w/ Mindchatter @ 5:30pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison Bear Hands @ 8pm
Freddy Todd @ 5:30pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
Emancipator @ 5:30pm
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
Tue 11/12
Mindchatter @ 5:30pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
Los Primos del Este @ 7pm Eclipse Event Center, 2155 S Sheridan Blvd, Denver
Dehd @ 8pm
The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver
Sun 11/10
Chef Boyarbeatz @ 5:30pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
Mark Masters Comedy: Mark Masters performs at Comedy Night at New Image Brewing (Hosted by Rion Evans) @ 7pm
New Image Brewing Company - Wheat Ridge, 9505 W 44th Ave, Wheat Ridge
The Surfrajettes @ 8pm The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver
Wed 11/13
Taste Nate: Left On Red: Denver, Colorado @ 8pm
Seventh Circle Music Collective, 2935 W 7th Ave, Denver
Becky Hill - 18+ @ 8pm
Meow Wolf Denver Convergence Station, Den‐ver
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN
As National School Safety Week gets going, the Je erson County school district is taking the opportunity to highlight its year-round commitment to keeping students safe, including enhanced partnerships with law enforcement, building a culture of safety and developing programs to foster a sense of belonging. is year, from Oct. 21 to Oct. 25, the district plans to recognize its School Resource O cers, build awareness of safety upgrades in its schools funded by the 2018 Capital Improvement Program, educate families on what to do in an emergency, discuss Safe2Tell reporting and highlight a day in the life of a campus security o cer.
“Safety is more than a weeklong initiative — it’s a daily practice in Je erson County,” said Je Pierson, executive director of school safety at Je co Public Schools.
“We want to make sure that our community knows that safety is a priority, so we’re going to elevate our partnerships with our SRO community and all of our law enforcement agencies.”
Building a culture of belonging
Beyond physical safety, Je erson County is investing heavily in building a
school culture that emphasizes mental
“What we’ve really honed in on over the last two years has been the prevention or the mitigation of potential threats, and a lot of that has to do with building a culture of safety in our schools,” Pierson said.
A big part of that culture means that students have a trusted adult in the school they can go to with concerns if they’ve seen or heard something concerning. While the Safe2Tell platform is a valuable tool for anonymous reporting, Pierson emphasized the importance of face-to-face communication as a quicker and often more e ective method of preventing incidents from escalating.
He also said that when students feel welcomed and know they are part of something, it helps to break down stereotypes in those kids who are often outliers.
“Our mantra is that we know our students by name, strength and need,” Pierson explained.
Still, safety threats are on the rise
Amid an unprecedented spike in Safe2Tell reports and a series of school safety threats, one of which ended in the arrest of a student at Green Mountain High School, Pierson said the district remains vigilant, focusing on response, preven-
tion and communication with the community.
“We’re seeing an increase in all types of threats, especially through the social media environment,” Pierson said. “ ere are individuals out there that like to distract and impact schools and our operations, and we don’t truly understand why.”
Safe2Tell is a statewide anonymous reporting system that began in the aftermath of the Columbine tragedy. e hotline has elded more than 8,500 reports this school year, with September seeing a 161.7% increase in volume over August.
While the majority of Safe2Tell Reports fall under suicide threats and bullying, Pierson said it takes just one safety threat to create widespread anxiety and fear.
at’s why Pierson said the district takes every report they receive seriously, regardless of whether it seems legitimate.
“When we get one of these potential threats, we investigate it. We get it to all
the Special Investigation Units and see if we can check IP addresses, look for background markings and investigate if there are previous threats connected to it,” he said.
While some threats are deemed noncredible, they still cause signi cant disruption for students, parents and sta . Pierson emphasized that the district has increased communication with the community to keep parents informed and reduce fears surrounding these threats.
While National School Safety Week provides a dedicated time to re ect on and highlight the district’s safety initiatives, Pierson stressed that safety is an ongoing priority.
“We want to be part of the school’s environment every day, not just when something goes wrong,” Pierson said.
“Our goal is for safety to be embedded in every aspect of school life, so that students, sta and parents feel secure without the need for constant reminders.”
In the next decade, the number of school-age children in Je co is projected to decline 4%, 25to 44-year-olds to decline about 6% and seniors to increase nearly 29%.
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Unlike the rest of the state, fewer young adults of child-bearing age are projected to move to Je erson County in the next decade, according to state demographer Nancy Gedeon. Gedeon highlighted ongoing population shifts that could signicantly impact the area’s future during a recent presentation to the Je erson County School Board.
Gedeon, representing the Colorado State Demography O ce, outlined how Jefferson County’s birth rates have steadily declined over the past decade. is trend has led to fewer school-age children and is likely to continue for years to come.
“ ere have been fewer births and an increase in deaths (due to an increase in the share of the population over 65),” Gedeon said. “Migration and mobility are also slowing, a trend that began even before the pandemic.”
Based on the state’s prediction models, Gideon explained that Je erson County will see a 4% decrease in 25- to 44-yearolds, the age group most closely associated with childbearing and a 29% increase in those 65 and older.
e decline in the county’s younger population di ers from that of the state, where the number of 25- to 44-year-olds is predicted to increase by 11%.
When asked if the di erence could be attributed to housing costs, Gideon said, “De nitely. Housing plays a part, including when housing was built and whether you’re continuing to build the same amount of housing as you had in the ’70s, ’90s or early 2000s.”
Yet, Gedeon cautioned that the cost of housing and di erences along those lines aren’t factored into their data.
e state updates its population forecasts yearly and bases its models on various demographic, social and economic factors.
Impact on Je erson County schools
e trend of fewer school-age children directly impacts the public schools, which board member Michelle Applegate said serve 91% of the county’s children. Still,
with fewer young families moving in and declining birth rates, school enrollment numbers are expected to continue to stagnate or decrease.
Board member Mary Parker said Gedeon’s presentation to the school board is part of its e orts to continue the conversation around enrollment trends to prevent surprises.
“Under this board’s leadership, we have had to close 21 schools since I started in this role,” said Superintendent Tracy Dorland. “At the time, the board made it very clear that they didn’t want this to be a one-and-done thing, and they didn’t want the district to be in a position of having to make those kinds of big decisions at the 11th hour ever again.”
Board member Erin Kenworthy emphasized the district’s commitment to datadriven decision-making.
“So for folks who have come up and shared stories about a new family in their neighborhood with a brand new baby, I think that’s amazing. But it doesn’t mean that we’re experiencing a population boom,” Kenworthy said.
“We’re not saying that people aren’t having babies but that there’s empirical data and not just anecdotal informing our decisions.”
Gradual turnover in housing markets e presentation also touched on how the housing market could in uence migration trends into or out of the county. Gedeon noted that while older residents stay in their homes longer, the eventual “turnover” of housing could open up more opportunities for younger families to move in.
However, this process will likely be gradual.
“If you had a whole neighborhood of people over the age of 65, the time in which they vacate their houses for whatever reasons could be staggered over 20 or 30 years, so you won’t see an entire street for sale at the same time.”
Board member Danielle Varga acknowledged that staggered turnover and slow migration into the county would make it easier for schools to manage enrollment
without sudden surges or drops.
Statewide and national trends ese demographic shifts are not unique to Je erson County. Gedeon shared data showing that many parts of the U.S., especially in Northeast and Midwest states, have seen declines in their youth populations over the past decade.
Colorado has experienced slower population growth, with births peaking in 2007 and declining steadily ever since.
Gedeon also noted that the younger population is more racially and ethnically diverse, which will shape future economic and educational policies.
The way forward
As Je erson County plans for its future, these demographic trends will be critical
in shaping decisions around everything from school closures to housing development and labor force planning. e county’s slower population growth rate compared to the rest of the state means that planners must carefully consider how to meet the needs of an aging population and a shrinking youth demographic.
Je erson County school board members expressed gratitude for the insight into the county’s population predictions as they continue to navigate the challenges of changing enrollment patterns and resource allocation.
“I really appreciate the proactive and ongoing look at what’s going on,” said board member Paula Reed. “It really helps to inform our decisions and allows us to make the best choices not just for now but for our future.”
Proclaiming Christ from the Mountains to the Plains www.StJoanArvada.org 12735 W 58th Ave · 80002 · 303-420-1232
Daily Masses: 8:30am, Mon-Sat
Confessions: 8am Tue-Fri; 7:30am & 4:00pm Sat
Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00pm Sunday Masses: 7:30, 9:00, 11:30am, 5:30pm
Green Mountain Presbyterian Church 12900 W Alameda Pkwy Lakewood, CO 80228 303-985-8733 www.gmpc.net Sunday Worship 10:00AM
Place of Worship HERE
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
Stroller fitness activities
provide outlet for community, family bonding
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Active people don’t stop being active when they become parents; they just become more innovative and e cient.
Whether to keep the step count up, nd a sense of community or not miss a beat while training for health goals, new and experienced parents are strapping the kids in the stroller and hitting the trails. It’s no secret nding a babysitter can be challenging, but moms and dads grow to rely on the bonding time their new sidecar brings; not just with their kid copilots, but with other parents, too.
Bonding through training
“We have a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, and over the summer, upgraded and got a double-wide stroller to t both kids in,” said Dan Petty in Littleton. “It’s been great. I’m training for the New York City Marathon right now, and my kids have been companions for much of this summer while I’ve been training up for that.” Petty’s daily treks often take him and his kids on runs beyond 10 miles.
ere are no iPads or screen time. Instead, the kids bring a few toys and snacks and enjoy the landscape while they speed down the Mary Carter Greenway Trail, one of Petty’s favorites. Just north of Chat eld Reservoir along the South Platte River, it provides paved and gravel paths (large enough for double-wide strollers) for runners and walkers.
While the kids enjoy a near rst-class riding experience, Dad gets his training in and Mom gets a well-deserved break. “It’s great because when I take them out for an hour or two hours, or sometimes longer, it gives my wife a break to read or work out, herself,” Petty said. “It’s one of these things where I get exercise, the kids get fresh air, we have some time together and my wife gets a real break from two kids, which is a lot.”
e NYC Marathon on Nov. 2 will be Petty’s second. He was a competitive runner in high school and college but took some time away from the sport. After some friends got back into it a few years ago, Petty did too, not letting his fatherhood get in his way.
In fact, his kids help push him harder. at, and the altitude. Petty has lived in Colorado for 15 years and said training here before running a marathon at sea level certainly helps. ough he’ll drop the stroller weight on race day, Petty knows his kids will be cheering him on. Petty is looking to raise money for the Asian American Journalists Association. To support him in the New York City Marathon, consider donating at www.aaja. org/the-futures-fund/.
Memories through the miles
Another parent in Arvada sets her eyes on a lofty goal, and her daughter is a key piece to the puzzle.
Cassandra Porter is an assistant cross country and track coach for Arvada West High School. As a lifetime runner, she competed in high school for the Early College of Arvada until 2016 before be-
coming a Roadrunner at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
2021, Porter continued running, bringing her daughter to Arvada West practices and pushing her along. Last year, around the Fourth of July, Porter learned a new Guinness World Record was set by a woman pushing a pram (stroller) at ve minutes, 24.17 seconds.
and oddly enough, she was from Boulder and set the record in Englewood.
“I’m just always up to date on anything in the running world and last summer I think I saw that. Some mom from Colorado actually broke the record, and she got it down to 5:24,” Porter said. “And so I called my coach and we talked about it and applied for the Guinness record. It takes about three months to get approved for it. So, once we got the approval back, we were going to run it last fall of 2023. But I just had a couple of hiccups in my training. I had an injury and then a medical issue. So we pushed it back until I was t again.”
is past April, Kaitlin Donner from Viera, Florida, broke the record again, bringing the number down to ve minutes, 11.46 seconds.
“I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to have to train a little bit harder for this now.’” Porter said.
“So now I think we are ready. I just think it’d be cool to run it with my daughter and also have my athletes watch and hopefully inspire them. at’s a big motivation for it.”
Protections involve everything from the DMV database to what’s known as the ‘death list’
BY CAITLYN KIM CPR NEWS
As the election draws nearer, Coloradans have a lot of questions around voting — about how the process works, and also, what protections are there to ensure ineligible people aren’t casting ballots.
It’s a perennial concern in every election, but one that has heated up this year, that somehow large numbers of non-citizens — and the dead — will manage to cast ballots.
Weld County Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes has been elding versions of these fears since she rst started working in the o ce in 2004. e Republican, who was rst elected Clerk in 2014, is on her 6th presidential cycle.
“ is isn’t the rst presidential election that we’ve got a lot of voters asking, ‘what about the illegals?’” she said.
Despite no widespread evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election, an NPR poll shows that a majority of Americans are concerned that there will be fraud this time around, in large part due to former President Donald Trump’s false statements. A majority of respondents in that survey said they believe noncitizens will be able to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
A number of audits, investigations and studies con rmed the results of the 2020 election, which President Joe Biden won. e checks to ensure only eligible voters end up on the voter rolls start with the rst question asked of anyone registering to vote in Colorado.
able to know if it is a valid U.S. citizen-
“On the form it says, ‘Are you a citizen of the United State? Yes or No?” Koppes said, pointing to a printed copy of Colorado’s o cial voter registration form. Next to the question, the document says, “if you answered No, do not complete this form.”
“So, it’s a self-a rmation. We are hoping that you are answering that question correctly,” Koppes explained. But “when we start registering you to vote in the voter registration system, we do verify and check.”
In other words: trust, but verify.
Clerks and the Secretary of State’s ofce rely on a long list of databases to ensure their voter lists are clean, something even the right wing Heritage Foundation agrees Colorado does a good job on; it ranked the state third in the nation for accuracy of voter registration lists.
When it comes to preventing noncitizens in particular from voting, the veri cation process starts with two other pieces of information on that form – your drivers’ license number or, if you don’t have that, the last four of your Social Security number.
By double-checking those, “we will be
“We update our voter lists daily using information about driver’s license and address updates from the Colorado Department of Revenue. And (we get) incarceration updates from the Colorado Department of Corrections,” explained Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold (Colorado bans people from voting while they’re serving a felony sentence).
e state also gets federal information from the SAVE database to see if someone previously issued a non-citizen driver’s license has obtained their citizenship and is now eligible to vote.
As for dead people voting, Griswold quipped, “a dead person is dead.”
“But in all seriousness,” she went on, “we get information when Coloradans pass away from two spots… the Department of Public Health and Environment and also the Social Security Administration.”
Clerk Koppes said the Social Security list is aptly named the Death List.
“When I worked in the elections department every day doing data entry, I would always make the joke, I see dead people,” she said, citing the lm “ e Sixth Sense.”
And like the movie, the issue of dead
perception to establish positive community norms.”
Davis agrees that emphasizing teens’ positive choices and listening to their ideas is important for supporting them.
people voting comes with a bit of a twist: some of the ballots counted on Election Day may legitimately belong to people who’ve died.
“Under Colorado law, if a voter casts a ballot during the early voting period and then passes away before Election Day, that vote will count,” explained Koppes.
Here again there is a veri cation process — in this case, with the signature on the ballot envelope.
Every voter has to sign the envelope when they return their ballot and if you’ve been voting in Colorado for a while, your clerk’s o ce has all those signatures on le.
“It is extremely rare that somebody is going to be – even a family member – is going to able to duplicate your signature,” Koppes said. “Because even if you sat down right now and did your signature ve times in a row, you’re going to notice there’s ve di erent little nuances every single time.”
Elections judges have extensive train-
“ ere’s a big gap between those who could be using and those who are, and when students understand that most of their peers are making healthy choices, it changes the narrative.”
ing on signature veri cation. And here’s the thing, they’ve caught people who tried to cast another person’s ballot.
“We actually, in the 2016 election, did catch an ex-husband trying to vote his ex-wife’s ballot,” Koppes recalled.
In that case, the o ender, a former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, was sentenced to four years of probation.
Even if you don’t trust traditional media, election o cials urge you not to take your questions to Google or social media. Both Koppes and Griswold had the same advice: call your county clerk’s ofce.
“We’re the ones that do this and know and understand the responsibility that we have. It’s a huge responsibility,” said Koppes.
One they take extremely seriously. is article comes courtesy of the Colorado News Collaborative and the statewide project, “Voter Voices,” which Colorado Community Media is a part of.
“Young people are having fantastic conversations, and they have a lot of ideas. So, our job is to look at how our work can support them in the conversations they’re already having,” said Campbell.
“If you talk to young people, they tend to think other young people are using substances more than they actually are,” Hutchings said. “So we’re getting the message out about the reality as opposed to the
“It’s a scary statistic to read that more than 50% of youth feel like they could access substances whenever they want, but when we look at the actual use, a lot of them are making really good choices,” Davis said.
Kelsey Campbell, tobacco specialist at Je erson County Public Health, said when it comes to e ective messaging to curb substance abuse, teens are their best resource.
“How can we enable young people to enact change in their local spheres and communities? Because the conversations they have often provide way better solutions than most adults could dream up.”
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FROM PAGE 16
Porter’s been running with her daughter since she was three months old. She’s now almost 3 and has accompanied Porter on more than 50 runs, whether they’re longer distance runs, sprints or tempo runs.
“She loves it,” she said. “My athletes love it when she comes to practice and runs with us. We put a speaker in the stroller and we play music, and she gets to ride along and just eat her snacks. It’s the best.”
She doesn’t have an exact date for the record but Porter knows it’s something she wants to tackle soon. It’s been on her mind for a while now. Whether she breaks it or not, the time with her daughter has been invaluable and irreplaceable.
“It would be a huge deal. I’m so goalbased,” Porter said. “ is has just been a goal for a year and I want to check it o the list, hopefully. I’m a really nervous racer so I’m hoping that this will kind of be a breakthrough with racing. I usually am really good with training, but racing is a little bit more nerve-wracking for me. So I think racing with my daughter will kind of calm my nerves. I think it’ll just be something super special between me and her.”
For others, becoming a parent could open a door to a more communal and active lifestyle.
Stephanie Holzhauer is the owner of Fit4Mom Castle Rock. Before moving to Colorado a couple of years ago, she got exposed to the program after becoming a mom herself in San Diego.
She started as a member, and after several Fit4Moms experiences across several cities, decided she had to get more involved.
“I immediately fell in love with community tness and just having support from other moms, being a rst-time mom myself,” Holzhauer said. “Just in that community, having that support and then being able to work out with my kid … one of the biggest reasons I joined is as a social person, too. I love to work out outside, and as a mom, I never wanted to put my child in daycare at a gym. It was like a win-win because I was able to work out, I was able to make friends, and I didn’t put my child in childcare.”
Fit4Mom o ers several di erent classes for mothers, including a speci ed prenatal workout for expecting moms, mom-only sessions like body wellness and body boost classes, and the most popular: stroller strides.
As its name suggests, this workout is a full-body strength, cardio and core training class all while engaging their kids in the stroller. And the kids get a lot of the classes
as well, she said. Instructors will sing songs to the kids and engage them in physical and active learning exercises.
“I absolutely love it when I have a mom send me little videos of their kids at home, doing lunges with their stroller or singing songs and kind of playing stroller strides,” Holzhauer said. “My girls are now (older), but when they were little, they would play stroller strides all the time … And to this day, they love what I do, and I love to come to classes, and they love tness and the incredible example that moms are setting for their kids just being outside and being active.”
ere’s also a run club, which includes an eight-week guided training program for moms interested in running a 5K or halfmarathon, with or without their stroller
stragglers.
When she rst got involved working for Fit4Mom, Holzhauer said she gured she could teach a few classes with no problem, but she never expected how much it would give back to her.
“It has been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “You know, when you have someone that shows up and she joins and she’s like, ‘I didn’t know how much I needed this. I was at home, I was alone.’ Or maybe they were struggling with postpartum depression, and they’ll all of a sudden come to class and realize they’re not the only one that’s dealing with this or that. So just seeing the friendships develop within our community and the support that they all have for one another … it’s incredibly rewarding.”
