Arvada Press November 28, 2024

SPECIAL HOMETOWN HOLIDAYS EDITION

Former Vice President Mike Pence visits Colorado Christian University as inaugural President’s Speaker Series lecturer

Trump’s first VP warns against populism, says his decision to certify the 2020 election results was “worth the cost”

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Former Vice President Mike Pence paid a visit to Colorado Christian University for the institution’s inaugural President’s Speaker Series, where he participated in a luncheon, presented scholarships, gave a keynote lecture and elded questions from CCU President Eric Hogue during a Q&A session.

Pence’s visit on Nov. 15 saw

the former vice president — along with Hogue and Centennial Institute (a conservative think tank operated out of CCU)

Director Greg Schaller — discuss a number of issues, including the relationship between Christianity and conservativism, gay marriage, abortion and Pence’s political career.

Serving as Vice President during Donald Trump’s rst term, Pence notably played a central role in the Jan. 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack by refusing to acquiesce to demands that he reject Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 Presidential Election, all while rioters erected a gallows nearby and chanted to “Hang Mike Pence.”

e former Governor of Indiana was not chosen as Trump’s running mate in this

year’s election, where his place on the ballot was lled by Vice President-Elect J.D. Vance — a move largely speculated to be due to, in part, Pence’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021.

“It’s worth the cost,” Pence said of his decision to certify the 2020 election results and the impact the events had on his political career. He added that he believes that “our calling” is “supporting, defending and upholding the constitution.”

Nevertheless, Pence said he and his wife Karen “o ered our most sincere congratulations to President Trump” after Trump’s victory in the 2024 Presidential Election. He then warned against populism and said that he feels the Republican Party needs to stick to the “traditional conservative agenda.”

Council formalizes policy rules for members elected to other o ces

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It was a busy night for Arvada’s City Council, as a policy for councilmembers elected to other o ces and an agreement approving Broom eld’s withdrawal from the Je erson Parkway project were approved.

e six remaining Arvada City Councilmembers convened for their typical business meeting on Nov. 18 — the rst meeting without former Councilmember Lisa Feret, who was recently elected to serve as the Colorado House District 24 Representative andresigned from her council seat on Nov. 11.

As applications to ll Feret’s spot on council roll in, Arvada’s City Council approved a resolution adopting a formal policy for councilmembers who are elected to another o ce during their council term. e city previously had no such polic y in its charter.

e new policy states that the councilmember must resign before they are sworn into their new o ce, and formally prohibits Arvada City Councilmembers from being employed by another municipality or the City of Arvada.

“We have a time of great opportunity… but I also believe it is a time of concern,” Pence said. “For those of us who believe in a traditional conservative agenda, we need to heed to our roots and ensure that our majority and leadership stays on the path… e truth is there’s been an erosion.

“Even if Republicans have achieved a monumental victory this year, we’ve also faced an erosion that seems to be taking place when it comes to our deepest values and our ideals and our principles,” Pence continued.

Pence then referenced a speech he gave at St. Anthony’s College while he was running for president in 2023.

Arvada City Attorney Rachel Morris said she contacted six municipalities in the area to see what their policies are and found that four to ve of the six have similar policies to the one Arvada’s City Council Passed.

One municipality had a policy mandating that city councilmembers resign the Tuesday after the election if they are determined to be the winner of that race. Councilmember John Marriott voted no on the resolution, stating that he believes councilmembers should have to resign on a more rapid timeline than the policy allows.

“I think the intent of our charter was clear; that you shouldn’t be serving in two elected o ces at the same time,” Marriott said. “And I think it’s nessing the situation to say that you’re not serving in another o ce until you’re sworn in.

“I think in the case of members of city council who are elected to the state legislature,” Marriott continued.

Former Vice President Mike Pence addresses the crowd at CCU for the inaugural President’s Speaker Series keynote.

PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

“ e truth is today, conservatives in America are struggling with an essential question,” Pence said. “I said then I think the public to come to a time to choose whether we will continue on the path of the traditional conservative agenda that has de ned our party — and in so many ways our nation throughout our history — or whether our party will follow the siren song of populism unmoored from conservative principle.”

Pence said that while traditional conservative values are rooted in Christian values, populism departs from those values in favor of other motivations.

“Populism begins from a di erent place altogether,” Pence said. “It comes ultimately from the depths of frustration and oftentimes anger toward perceived wrongs and injustices… Now I understand that frustration fuels the populace.

“In recent years, I’ve witnessed it rst-hand, not only government, but many of the institutions in our society have failed us, broken trust, or evaded accountability,” Pence continued. “Populists want to x the problem, but their means are wrong.”

He then cautioned against abandoning “our greatest ally, Israel” during their “dark hour” and gave his main takeaway from his time as vice president.

“If America’s not leading the free world, then the free world isn’t being led,” Pence said.

CCU notably received a letter from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after students and faculty held multiple displays of support for the Middle Eastern nation. e pro-Israel demonstrations di er from the climate on many college campuses across the nation, where pro-Palestine demonstrations have become commonplace.

Hogue said Pence was an ideal inaugural speaker for the President’s Speaker Series — and, incidentally, the inaugural speaker at CCU’s new Doug and Linda McDonald Performance Hall — because of his track record during his political career.

“During his work in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the White House, the vice president faithfully stood for the Constitution and, in doing so, stood for each and every American,” Hogue said.

Hogue also gave an overview of the President’s Speaker Series and what students can expect in future years.

“ e President’s Speaker Series is designed to o er CCU a unique opportunity to host national and international leaders,” Hogue said. “Entrepreneurs will show up. Performing artists will show up. Now, you probably can in uence politicians and future leaders to engage our students like we experienced today.”

Hogue added that the series is part of CCU’s vision to be “the nation’s best performing, most trusted, respected, recognized, Christ-centered, biblically sound, evangelical conservative university that is unapologetic.”

Pence called the Bible “the greatest book on leadership ever written,” and praised its example of “servant leadership,” amongst other

strengths. He continued to praise CCU and the Centennial Institute’s e orts in “Training up a generation of leaders in the time in the life of our nation (when) I believe it is our very essential need.”

“More than anything else, America needs leaders,” Pence said. “Men and women of conviction and of principle, who will cue to the foundations of faith, who will walk in obedience, who will claim the grace that is available in their faith and in so doing… It has been men and women of integrity that have always ensured the vitality and prosperity in this nation, and always will.”

Schaller took a sterner tone, stating that he believes it is the duty of CCU and the Centennial Institute to address “malformation(s)” in the current generation of young people.

“I think we have a real cultural crisis,” Schaller said. “I think we have a generation or two of either unformed or malformed young men and women who are greatly impacted by our culture, and because of the lack of formation, they are not prepared to face many of the challenges that our culture is throwing at them.”

Schaller cited the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell vs. Hodges, which allowed same-sex couples to marry, as an example of the aforementioned cultural crisis.

“When I see some of the changes that have happened in our culture over the last few years,” Schaller said, “and the reactions of so many young people when we have decisions like Obergefell, and then very quickly, public opinion changes of self-identi ed Christians, it’s because they never fully embraced and understood God’s plan for His creation, God’s plan for human sexuality, God’s plan for marriage.

“And when they don’t have that proper formation, as the culture begins to shift, they’re not prepared to defend and this is what we so desperately need,” Schaller continued.

“So, I’m looking forward to developing lots and lots of programs, courses, di erent initiatives that we can bring to our CCU students and then to a wider audience so that we can fortify them.”

Pence also gave comments in support of traditional marriage.

“Standing up for traditional marriage between one man and one woman must be the calling of our time,” Pence said. “It all begins, to me, with faith and family. But for me as a conservative, preserving that is the most important (thing).”

Abortion was also discussed throughout the day, with Pence referring to CCU as “Pro-life U” at one point during his keynote address.

“ ere is a notion in America today is standing for most defenseless in our society must be marginalized,” Pence said. “Well, I believe that to be conservative is to stand without apology for the sanctity of human life.”

He also heralded the Supreme Court’s decision to “sen(d) Roe vs. Wade to the ashes of history, where it belongs.”

At the luncheon, Pence was given a proclamation recognizing his visit to CCU and presented two scholarships for incoming CCU freshmen.

Next year’s CCU President’s Speaker Series edition is set to feature gospel musician Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth Chapman. e event is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2025.

Pence and Hogue converse during the Q&A session.

The Q&A portion of the keynote. From left: Karen Pence, Mike Pence, CCU President Eric Hogue, CCU First Lady Tammy Hogue.

Hogue presents Pence with a proclamation from CCU.

PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN

Happy Thanksgiving! This Is When I Like to Share What and Whom I Am Grateful for

Just being healthy is something anyone should be grateful for, especially at my age of 77. I’m doubly blessed, because my wife Rita, 76, is also healthy! Our siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other relatives are healthy, too.

All of us are aware that not everyone is as lucky as we are, so philanthropic giving is a trait I think all of us share, and I know many readers of this column do, too. And our broker associates, who responded as one to sponsoring and providing side dishes for Dignity Tuesday, share that trait, too. Last week, as a group we donated food to Dignity Tuesday for people less fortunate than us . The event took place at Golden Pantry and Thrift, formerly the Christian Action Guild.

this long-running newspaper column. I particularly appreciate those readers who take the time to write to me, suggesting topics they want me to write about or making me aware of an issue that might have escaped my attention. Therefore, I have to say that I’m especially grateful to the publications who have made it possible for me to publish this column so widely.

er demographic that is perfect for this column. Those are my most faithful readers — although some of them object to my progressive views!

stay ahead of the competition.” I couldn’t stay as informed as I am — and keep my readers informed — without Inman in my back pocket. I mean, my inbox!

I’m grateful for Chuck Lontine, the owner of The Cloud, 96.9 FM, who organized Dignity Tuesday, which he started during the pandemic. He is a man with a big heart, and I salute him.

I’m grateful for the community we live in and for the larger metro Denver community. As most of you know, Dec. 10th is Colorado Gives Day, and I recently learned about its origins. It was started in 2010, when it was reported that Colorado was 50th on the list of states when it came to charitable giving. Thanks to the Colorado Gives Foundation, Colorado now ranks at the top of that list.

When thinking about who I’m grateful for, our clients — most of whom came to us from reading this column each week — come to mind immediately. Thank you for calling me, so I don’t have to call you! It is so nice that I don’t have to sell myself to prospective sellers and buyers. They come to me “pre-sold” thanks to

Thank you, Linda Shapley, the publisher of Colorado Community Media, for making it possible for this column to appear is all 24 of your weekly newspapers. And, I should add thanks to the National Trust for Local News and the Colorado Sun, which purchased CCM in 2021 with a commitment to saving community newspapers. If it weren’t for them and their non-profit model, some of those 24 newspapers, including this one, might not be around today.

My first big newspaper contract was with the Rocky Mountain News, when they created the YourHub section in 2005. When the Rocky ceased publishing in 2009, YourHub was the only piece of the Rocky which The Denver Post picked up and promoted. I like to think that my full-page ad 52 times per year might be a factor in justifying YourHub’s continuation. Thank you, The Denver Post, for continuing that publication so that I can continue reaching your readers all across the metro area.

Lastly, in this department, my thanks to Dan Johnson of the Denver Gazette for soliciting my account this October and making an offer I couldn’t refuse to include this full-page ad in your digital newspaper. Typical of printed newspapers, the Gazette has a mature homeown-

Moving, Even Locally, Can Cost You a Lot

At Golden Real Estate, we like to save you money wherever we can. For example, we have a handyman who can help you get your home ready to show or fix inspection issues at the client-only rate of $30/ hour.

We also have a box truck which you can use prior to, during and after closing, not just for moving to your new home, but making those dump runs or runs to Goodwill for donating all that stuff you accumulated over the years!

and packing material, including bubble wrap, so don’t buy any yourself.

We’ve been offering the use of this truck since 2004. In fact, this is our second truck. It’s hard to estimate how much money we have saved our buyers and sellers, but it must be several hundred thousands of dollars.

We also provide free moving boxes

years. For example, a sunroom was added over the back of the garage (visible in this picture) which is open to the kitchen and which opens to a deck with stairs down to a wood deck in the backyard. All the rooms have either hardwood or manufactured hardwood floors.

We also make the truck available free to nonprofits and local organizations, such as Family Promise and BGoldN, which uses it to do pickups from Food Bank of the Rockies for local food banks.

I’m also grateful to my professional colleagues, especiallyfellow Realtors, who are among my most regular readers. And the Realtor association itself (the Denver Metro Association of Realtors or DMAR) does important work keeping us up to date on industry developments.

Just as important, in that regard, is the Inman News, which provides an endless stream of important email newsletters keeping me abreast of industry developments, innovations and challenges, which sometimes inspire a topic for this column. It describes itself as “the leading real estate news source for real estate agents, Realtors, brokers, real estate executives and real estate technology leaders who need the latest real estate news, insights and analysis to grow their business and

My broker associates, listed below, play an invaluable role in the day-to-day operation of Golden Real Estate. They are wonderfully diverse in their skills and backgrounds, and they help to staff our storefront office in downtown Golden seven days a week. They get wonderful reviews from the past clients, which you can read by clicking on the “Testimonials” tab at www.GoldenRealEstate.com

Here’s a Holiday Gift Giving Idea

Colorado Giving Foundation sells digital “Giving Cards.” Specify the dollar amount and who to send it to, and the recipient can then go to ColoradoGives.org where they can “spend” it as they wish. Give to clients, friends, children, et al. I’m going to make that my holiday giving!

Many Agents Are Taking a Continuing Education Class That Will Be Obsolete on January 1st

All licensed real estate professionals in Colorado are required to take the Annual Commission Update (ACU) class as part of their continuing education requirement to stay licensed.

The class can be taken at any time during the calendar year, with a new version introduced each January.

At Golden Real Estate, I incentivize our broker associates by reimbursing the $40 cost of the 4-hour class if they take it in January. It can be taken either online or in-person. That’s how important I think it is to be current on the everevolving rules that we must comply with and to learn about the latest revisions to the contract forms we must use.

Many licensees, however, don’t take this CE class until the last minute. I asked some of the major providers of the course for their enrollment figures to see how many licensees wait until the 4th quarter to take the class.

One of the biggest providers of CE classes is DMAR’s PEAK program, and Lisa Kallweit, DMAR’s director of member services, couldn’t give me this quarter’s enrollment numbers, but provided these numbers for the 4th quarter of the last three years.

2021 - 429 agents

2022 - 372 agents

2023 - 331 agents

Another big provider is Educated Minds. They have 393 agents enrolled so far this quarter and reported these numbers for the past three years:

2021 - 802 agents

2022 - 719 agents

2023 - 652 agents

It seems such a waste to take the ACU class at the end of the year, when the new ACU class is coming in January. Also, how many things did agents learn in December that they should have known 10 months earlier?

Meet Our Arvada Broker Associates

David Dlugasch - 303-908-4835 - David@GoldenRealEstate.com

David moved to Colorado from New Jersey in 1997 and purchased a property management and sales/vacation rental business in Crested Butte in 2001. He and his wife Carole moved to Candelas in 2014 to be close to family and grandkids who live in Five Parks. He joined us the same year. He’s also a Certified Home Stager.

Kathy Jonke - 303-990-7428 - Kathy@GoldenRealEstate.com

A native of Wheat Ridge, Kathy is a CU graduate who worked as a geologist and geophysicist until 2014. She earned her real estate license in 2002 and renovated, designed and built 17 houses and renovated historic commercial buildings. She has served on the City of Golden’s Historic Preservation Board. She now lives with her life partner, JJ, and two dogs in central Arvada. She’s a published novelist, too!

Our agents have listed and sold homes throughout the Denver Metro area.

A first look at the Arvada Aquatics Center, Je co’s state-of-the-art natatorium

The AAC ushers in a new era for swimmers and divers across the metro area

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Swimmers and divers across the Denver metro area are gearing up to practice and compete in a brand new, state-of-the-art natatorium; the Arvada Aquatics Center.

Recently completed after the project was approved in 2021 and ground was broken in 2023, the Arvada Aquatics Center held its rst day of programming on Nov. 18 and will be formally ushered in with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 23.

e 50,000-square-foot complex includes a 50-meter pool with adjustable bulkheads for di erent competition congurations, a 25-yard pool for swim lessons and exercise programs, and a diving well that features three 1-meter springboards, three 3-meter springboards, and 3-meter and 5-meter diving platforms.

Project Manager Kim Vagher said the diving platforms will allow divers to have a more local option — previously, the only diving facilities up to par with the AAC’s well are located in Colorado Springs and Laramie, Wyoming — and were not originally part of the plan for the facility. “( e diving wells were) all donated by

Pools for Kids,” Vagher said. “ at was about half a million dollars, and we did not have that in the budget, nor was it planned.”

Pools for Kids is a Colorado-based nonpro t that aims to upgrade swimming and diving facilities across the state.

e AAC will be the home to most Jefferson County Public School District swimming competitions, along with other scholastic competitions. e facility was built through an Intergovernmental Agreement between Je co Schools, the City of Arvada and the Apex Parks and Recreation District, allowing Je co school teams to use the facilities for practices as well.

“With the 25-yard pool and the 50-meter pool, we have about a million gallons of water,” Vagher said. “We have two bulkheads here that can be starting blocks. ey can change them depending on the size of the race. e bulkheads move manually.”

Vagher added that the bulkheads are controlled manually to avoid injuries to swimmers or coaches.

e competition pool itself is a stainless steel Myrtha Pool that was shipped from Italy. e pool allows measurements to be made within a 32nd of an inch, which is within certi cation guidelines to allow any state records set at the AAC to be made o cial easily.

withAltezzaChamberChoir

One of the best design elements, according to Project Manager Kim Vagher, is the natural light, seen here peeking into the lobby. PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN

The main pool inside the Arvada Aquatics Center.

AQUATICS

Vagher said the process of getting the Myrtha Pool from Italy to Arvada was not a simple one.

“It came on a boat, and it was dropped in Houston, at the dock,” Vagher said. “In Houston, they loaded it up on a train. e train was scheduled to come to Denver, but it missed its stop and so we had to take trucks up to go get the pool in Cheyenne to bring it back down.”

Another design feature that will ensure that records broken at the AAC stand up under scrutiny is the fact that the facility was built on bedrock instead of soil.

“We’re not setting on any dirt,” Vagher said. “We’re setting on bedrock. is whole facility is 426 piers that go about 60 to 80 feet to bedrock, and we have void oors. So, this is a structural slab underneath the poles. (We did this because) we have expansive soils, and you can’t a ord any type of movement in a pool.

“If we swelled and it moved the pool a little bit, then that brings it out of compliance because we have a di erential here,” Vagher continued. “And the worst thing that could happen is if the pool didn’t move, but this building moved because they’re separate — but now they’re all tied together.”

Vagher said another triumph of the pool’s build is the natural light — something that was not present at the AAC’s predecessor, the Meyers Pool.

“I think the biggest feature in this whole building really comes from the lobby,” Vagher said. “it’s the bright light entering into the facility. So, you’ll see it everywhere where daylight was one of the main design intents and goals, and I think we’ve achieved it very well. We’ve also got blinds to help shade the pool or the lobby for people who work here.”

e AAC is also on track to earn a LEED Silver Certi cation for energy e ciency, which includes the following assets:

• Water-saving ltration with regenerative media lters for efcient water reuse, reducing indoor water use by approximately 40%.

• Native landscaping and highe ciency drip irrigation systems are estimated to reduce outdoor water demand by 77%.

• Energy saving measures for HVAC systems, boilers, LED lighting and more with an anticipated reduction of energy costs by 20%.

• Waste diversion during the demolition of the Meyers pool and throughout construction led to 85% of the material being diverted from land lls and recycled.

• Interior nishes, high-eciency air ltration and large ceiling fans help reduce indoor air pollutants and improve air quality.

• A grant-funded partnership with the Colorado Energy O ce will fund the future installation of 10 EV charging stations, promoting greenhouse gas reductions.

COUNCIL

“ ey immediately start meeting with their caucus, they immediately start thinking about the ve bills they’re going to run, they immediately hold meetings with constituents, they immediately hire sta so that they’re ready for the legislative session, because for them, the job doesn’t start until it’s sworn in, because if you didn’t do anything on that job until you’re sworn in, that’s the rst day the legislature convenes.”

Marriott continued to say that taking such actions as a soon-to-be state representative presents a con ict of interest. He added that he was glad Feret resigned from council on the timeline she did.

“I believe it is not possible for you to do both entities faithfully… I think it’s completely wrong,” Marriott said. “I am very pleased that Councilmember Feret chose not to do this. I would hope in the future, even if this policy is in place, that councilmembers would think of the bigger picture and not take advantage of this policy.”

Councilmember Shawna Ambrose disagreed with Marriott, stating that her interpretation of the charter is in line with the policy approved by council.

“I think the charter makes it clear that you cannot hold two o ces at the same time,” Ambrose said. “It does not say you can’t be elected to two o ces at the same time. I think that if the charter said you can’t be elected to two o ces at the same time, then I think Councilmember Marriott’s interpretation would be correct, but I think that since it says you cannot hold two di erent o ces at the same time.”

e resolution passed 6-1, with Marriott being the lone dissenting vote.

Approval of Broomfield’s withdrawal from the Je erson Parkway

Concluding a saga that began in 2020, Arvada’s City Council approved an ordinance allowing Broom eld to withdraw from the Je erson Parkway Public Highway Authority.

e Je erson County Parkway is a proposed 10-mile beltway segment between the Northwest Parkway in Broom eld with Highway 93 in Je erson County. e project has been marred by legal proceedings in recent years and is currently stalled.

Morrie summarized the terms of the withdrawal agreement, which stems from Broom eld’s desire to no longer be part of the project.

“We are receiving a certain portion of the right of way for the proposed parkway from Broom eld,” Morris said. “A large portion of what the withdrawal agreement concerns is how that transfer of real property will occur from Broom eld to the Parkway Authority. ere’s a lot of di erent details with that.

“One of the conditions of the right of way being transferred to the authority is that certain things occur within 20 years and if they don’t, that the right of way will revert back to Broom eld,” Morris continued.

Broom eld will also pay $636,175 to the JPPHA as part of the agreement.

Morris continued to say that the agreement does not mean any progress on the parkway itself is on the horizon.

“What we’re doing tonight is only about the withdrawal of Broom eld,” Morris said. there is nothing we are asking council to approve that would in any

way push the parkway forward right now or contain plans for the parkway moving forward at any certain time, other than the right of way end date we’re receiving from Broom eld, which is within 20 years or in 20 years, something like that.

“So, we’re not making any plans, we’re not starting construction… this is just about Broom eld’s withdrawal,” Morris continued.   City council approved the agreement by a 6-0 vote.

MUST READ. GREAT FOR BOOK CLUBS.

A womanizing US president. Gin-drinking, poker-playing, skirt-chasing Cabinet members. And a plot from the inside to usurp control of the Navy’s oil reserves. Wild and juicy stuff this. And all of it a true chapter of America’s history.

There may not be another US scandal that is so heavy with corruption and criminality that weighs so lightly on our collective consciousness as the Teapot Dome Scandal. From 1920 to 1922, power-hungry politicians and corporate tycoons boldly schemed to steal the nation’s newest energy resourcel. In so doing these crooks put a black mark on the pioneering work of those who gave birth to Wyoming’s incredible bonanza.

With a deft researcher’s hand and the heart and attention of a creative writer, Constance Bierkan has written a rst-of-its-kind ctionalized recounting of what led up to this nearly forgotten nugget from the past, the Teapot Dome Scandal. Like No Place on Earth is a spirited coming-of-age story set in Wyoming at the start of the madcap Roaring Twenties and the birth of the oil industry. As much a love story as it is a historical deep-dive, Like No Place on Earth will be irresistible to book clubs and history buffs alike.

Constance Bierkan grew up in Zürich, Switzerland and London, England. She sat her Ordinary and Advanced Level exams administered by the University of London while in high school at Francis Holland and earned a BA in English Literature with a minor in Semantics from Skidmore College and Goucher College. She also worked toward a Master’s at Fair eld University in Psychology. Bierkan’s debut novel, Alone In A Crowded Room - An Adoption Story, published in 2017, received a Kirkus Star and was named Kirkus Best Book Indie 2018. Free To Breathe is her second outing and it captures one boy’s struggle to emerge from an abusive family and nd authentic loving relationships. Her third, In Spite of It All, is a historical ction piece, wherein the history of Hitler’s propaganda art is married to a race of high jinks to rescue it from the wrong hands. Fluent in French and German, Bierkan loves to read, people watch, work puzzles, travel and off-road in her badass Jeep Wrangler. She and her best friend-husband-Naval-Aviator-veteran-airline-pilotgentlemantree-farmer, live at 8,200 feet in the Rocky Mountains.

Arvada’s City Council approved terms for Broomfield’s withdrawal from the Je erson Parkway project.

FILE PHOTO

Families urge state to support dyslexia screening

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

“I want to tell you the story of my daughter, Mackenzie,” Parent Bri Luna said, her voice trembling as she stood before Colorado’s Board of Education.

“Mackenzie was a vivacious, bubbly, enthusiastic ve-year-old when I dropped her o at kindergarten,” Luna said. “Her nickname was ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’”

But Makenzie’s early struggles with reading soon spiraled into years of frustration and anxiety, she explained.

Despite pleas and numerous teacher conferences, Mackenzie wasn’t screened for dyslexia. Instead, she received interventions that didn’t address her core needs. By middle school, her anxiety had worsened, requiring medication. In high school, she missed weeks of school due to overwhelming stress, Luna said.

It wasn’t until Mackenzie’s mother pursued a degree in literacy that she recognized her daughter’s symptoms as classic signs of dyslexia. Now 23, Mackenzie still grapples with self-doubt.

“I think about what would have changed if she had been screened in kindergarten,” Luna said.

Mackenzie’s struggle is one of countless stories shared by parents desperate for the state to change its approach to dyslexia screening.

Advocates have pushed for mandatory screening for years, but e orts to pass legislation have failed.

When the Colorado Department of Education recently recommended adding a mandate to the state’s READ Act requiring districts to use early literacy assessments that include dyslexia indicators in another 2-3 years, many decided they could no longer remain silent.

“ ere are just under 250,000 students in grades K-3 in Colorado,” said co-chair of the statewide dyslexia advocacy group COKID Lindsay Drakos. “KID” stands for “Kids Identi ed with Dyslexia.”

“By not screening for another four years, we will be missing an estimated 120,000 kids in the next few years, using 12% as a conservative estimate of dyslexia occurrence,” Drakos continued.

Calls for immediate action

Colorado remains one of only seven states that does not mandate dyslexia screening, despite annual recommendations from the Dyslexia Working Group since 2020. e group, formed in 2019, was created to advise the Department of Education on literacy issues and push for better support for students with dyslexia.

“Screening is critical because having our teachers understand what they’re seeing with their students is very important,” said Elisa Sodja, cofounder of Je co KID. “It impacts how they help them, how they support them and how they teach them.”

Sodja’s partner at Je co KID, Jen Halsall, agreed. “It’s critical that the screening occurs. It’s a clarifying lens written for our teachers. And that’s the piece that I think is critical across the country.”

Yet, each year, their calls for universal screening have gone unanswered. While advocates propose fully-funded screening starting as early as next school year, the Department of Education advocates a slower approach.

ey plan to add dyslexia indicators to the READ Act assessment rubric, a process that would not be implemented until 2027 at the earliest. e reason for the lack of urgency in the department is unclear. However, Shelbie Konkle, a lobbyist for the Department of Education, suggested budget constraints and opposition to any “new unfunded mandates”

A publication of

could provide a barrier to universal dyslexia screening legislation.

The cost of delayed action

e stakes are high. Research suggests that dyslexia a ects 20% of the population and represents 80–90% of all those with learning disabilities.

Without proper screening and intervention, many will struggle academically, with implications extending well beyond the classroom.

During public comment, one speaker shared a personal story about a relative whose dyslexia went undiagnosed, leading to a lifetime of hardships, including encounters with the criminal justice system.

“He was never identi ed, and it changed the course of his life,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. “Early identi cation could have made all the di erence.”

Without proper interventions, children with undiagnosed dyslexia often require more intensive and expensive support services later on. Advocates argue that investing in screening and early support now would improve outcomes and reduce long-term costs for schools.

Small changes, big impact

Advocates pointed out that some currently approved assessments used under the READ Act could e ectively screen for dyslexia with minor modi cations.

“ ere are two assessments already in use by roughly 65% of the state,” Drakos said. “By adding a few subtests, we could screen all children for an additional $1 to $1.5 million — a fraction of what we might otherwise spend in remedial e orts.”

Yet even these incremental steps have met resistance. e Department of Education has cited concerns about preparation time and funding availability. For parents, the reluctance to act feels like yet another instance of a system prioritizing red tape over their children’s needs.

“We’ve heard the same excuses for years,” said Amy Dobronyi, another parent advocate who spoke during public comment. “Districts need more time, there’s not enough money, we have to wait for systems to be in place. Meanwhile, other states are acting, and we’re still talking.”

Halsall highlighted the critical need for

screening and identi cation: “ ey’re probably doing twice as much work trying to gure out how to help the kid. And if you have the screening and identi cation, that child is not going to be...in the meetings with teachers asking, ‘How do we help this kid? What’s going on?’ It’s, ‘Here’s the answer. is is why. Now we know how to help them.’”

The human face of dyslexia

For many parents who spoke at the board meeting, the issue of dyslexia screening is deeply personal. ey shared stories of children who had fallen behind their peers, whose self-esteem had plummeted and whose frustration had boiled over into behavioral issues.

One mother spoke of her son, who struggled with reading until a teacher recognized the signs of dyslexia and intervened.

“Once he got the help he needed, he started to thrive,” she said. “But it shouldn’t take a miracle for every child to get what they need.”

One of the most powerful testimonies came from a parent whose child, despite signi cant struggles, was never properly identi ed or supported and took her life, leaving behind a note that she couldn’t face another day of school.

Parents, educators and advocacy groups are not the only ones pushing for change. Some state board members have expressed support for dyslexia screening legislation.

SEE SCREENING, P15

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One mom shares how she fought for her two sons to receive a dyslexia diagnosis and get the reading intervention they need. COLORADO STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION YOUTUBE

Lunch for 200 people? These Colorado charter school students

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Brayden, Sabrina, and Rachel scraped the charred skins o poblano peppers, squished out the seeds, and dropped the slippery pepper esh into a stainless steel bowl.

“Guys! Why are we leaving so many seeds in there?” 16-year-old Sabrina said, half laughing, half exasperated.

“Oh my God, they just keep appearing,” said Brayden, also 16. “I clean it o and eight more show up.”

It was almost 9 a.m. on a Tuesday, and the three worked with classmates to make posole in their rst class of the day at STEAD School, a charter school in Commerce City northeast of Denver. In just over two hours, the fragrant Mexican soup of hominy, chicken, peppers, and tomatillos would be the star of their high school’s lunch line. Grapes, orange wedges, and a salad bar were the supporting actors.

e morning meal prep session happens four days a week at STEAD, an agriculture and science-focused school where you might hear a rooster crow on your way to the main entrance. Students in two “food crew” classes help prepare scratch-cooked meals for more than 200 students and teachers every day but Wednesday, which is a half day. Under the direction of Dain Holland, the school’s farm and food manager, they make entrees like bison bolognese, sesame orange chicken, cheeseburgers, and Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches, all of which adhere to federal school nutrition guidelines.

do it every day.

STEAD, which enrolls more than 400 students, isn’t the only school in Colorado with a student-powered lunch program. Compass Montessori, a charter school in Je erson County where some STEAD sta previously worked, has long had a similar set up.

At STEAD, the lunch initiative came about partly out of necessity. When the school opened in 2021, a neighboring district provided lunches — “kind of your standard reheat-and-serve” fare, Holland said. But after two years, the district decided to discontinue its contract with STEAD.

at’s when Holland, who previously worked as a chef at restaurants like Denver’s upscale Barolo Grill and led a food service program at a California university, decided to launch a student-run lunch operation.

“ ere’s a ton of kids here that show interest in culinary,” he said. “We have these beautiful, brand new kitchens, so it might as well be used.”

Holland said most students take an introductory culinary class before enrolling in the food crew class, though he makes exceptions if students have cooking experience at home or at a job.

Food crew emphasizes food safety precautions, including keeping dishes at the proper temperature and avoiding crosscontamination.

e day of the posole lunch, about a dozen students worked at stations around the kitchen, chopping vegetables for the soup or the school’s salad bar. Hunter, a senior who’s a teaching assistant for the class, charred poblano peppers on a six-burner gas stove and helped prepare raw chicken to be baked.

Holland, who wore a brown apron with markers and a pen clipped to the pocket, o ered assistance and cooking tips as he circulated.

“Anything you do in a normal commercial kitchen, they’re all doing here,” he said. “It is treated almost like a job, like a shift at a restaurant. I have a big prep list every day.”

Riley, a 17-year-old senior who carefully chopped a yellow onion, said he fell in love with cooking because someone is always in the kitchen at his house, usually his dad or grandma. He’s already been admitted to the culinary arts program at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction for next year.

“ e dream is to be a personal chef,” he said.

Not every food crew student wants a career in cooking though. Some simply like the relaxed hands-on nature of the class or enjoy cooking as a pastime.

Admire, a junior who often makes soups and chicken dishes with his mother, said he’s considering a career in music or architecture. But he enjoys the food prep class because cooking for the whole school involves a di erent level of responsibility, he said.

Brayden, a junior who worked with Sabrina and Rachel de-seeding peppers, said cooking is his third-line career option, if professional pool-playing or real estate don’t work out.

Like several other students in the class, he said pizza is a favorite lunch to make. He joked about his class’s superiority on that front.

“In the other class, they make the crust really thin and like, there’s no sauce and stu , and then us, we make it really thick, cheese, sauce, everything,” he said. “So, we are the preferred class for pizza days.”

Reprinted with permission from Chalkbeat, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

Isyss, a senior at STEAD School in Commerce City, Colorado, blends ingredients for posole, the school’s lunch entree on November, 12, 2024.

PHOTO BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT

About seven years ago we adopted a yellow lab, Brooke. We got her when she was somewhere between four and seven years old, no one knows her true age. She has been blind since she was a puppy. e person helping to facilitate her rescue knew little about her beyond the fact she had been kept outside in a small shed with a heat lamp for years. Since joining our family, I am pretty sure that Brooke believes she has died and gone to heaven. From her perspective, living inside, hugs and scratches every day, a favorite chair to sit in when not on the dog bed, and sunny spots in which to bask when the chair and bed get boring…of course this is heaven.

Brooke does not move around a ton. Except for short walks several times a week, her favorite things are all within 30 feet of each other and she only ventures outside a couple times a day. When she does move, she progresses timidly, slowly, cautiously checking with her other senses to see that she will not run into

TVOICES

Starting each day with a celebration

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

something unexpected in her path. e one thing that takes Brooke out of her timid motion is food. Mealtimes are the greatest moments in her day. Brooke bounces to life when she hears the bowls being lled for breakfast or dinner. She literally dances when she hears any part of the meal prep routine. e dance looks something like this:

Dishes clink… she jumps up and moves quickly to the feeding area.

Food is poured in a bowl…she turns two circles (three, if really excited) and laps up a drink.

A spoonful of pumpkin is mixed into the meal… she bounces and wags bringing the dance to a crescendo!

Her dish hits the oor … dancing stops! Eating commences.

You get the picture. If she could talk, I am sure she would say, “Ohhhh man, I love this time, food is coming I am so excited. It is going to be GREAT!”

I love watching Brooke’s dance. Everything else fades away for her, she is just happy food is on the way. Her dinner dance got me thinking about how di erent our lives would be if we started each day with the kind of celebration Brooke has at mealtimes.

Struggles carry with them weight. ey can ll our minds, set our perspective for the day, and make us proceed cautiously. Before our feet even touch the ground, we can nd ourselves seeing the struggles that lay ahead. For me, if I wake up and my right side is super tight, I can nd myself going through a list of things that will be di cult because I am not moving as I would like. Without even getting out of bed, I create a set of hurdles to overcome. It does not need to be that way. If we can nd a reason to celebrate as we start our day, we can turn away from

Nature is becoming unreliable

wice a year, I hike a favorite trail in Oregon’s Cascade Range. I have done this for over 20 years, timing my hikes for early spring and fall. e rst hike is for wild owers, the second is for autumn leaves.

In June up high, the forest oor is lit by the spires of owering vanilla-leaf spangled with star owers, along with coralroot orchids. e towering conifers and mountain river lined with vine maples and dogwoods are a world apart from the cottonwood-shaded creeks of my home ground in the valley.

WRITERS ON THE RANGE

viewing di culties and instead see an exciting moment in our existence. Waking up can be a celebration. We can shape the perspective of our day. Like Brooke, we can leave timid on the sideline and ll our rst steps with joy and excitement. is week I hope you identify your reasons for a wake-up happy dance that shapes your day in wonderful ways. I would appreciate hearing from you as you nd helpful morsels in these columns. is week I would especially love to hear about the things that will make your day start great. 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.

Visiting in fall, it’s a far more colorful spectacle. Down in the valley, the oak leaves manage a rusty orange brown, but up in the mountain forests, trees along the river prepare for winter with a blaze of glory.

e dogwoods now bear leaves tinged with delicate salmon pink, while the wild hazel glows yellow and vine maple leaves ame orange and red. In places, the trail passes through a tunnel of these trees, and I can feel my body soaking up the luminous colors, as if storing light for the dark winter ahead.

Everyone who is attuned to the natural world experiences and anticipates seasonal delights. For most of us, these are simply opportunities for appreciating the beauties of nature. But the reliability of nature is something that every living thing depends on and responds to in timeframes both long — evolutionary adaptations — and short — ecological strategies.

is reliability has shaped the owering and fruiting times of plants, the migratory patterns of

birds, and the yearly cycles of nomadic people, who knew the seasonal availability of resources in exquisite detail.

But what would it mean if nature were no longer reliable?

I’m afraid that we and every organism on Earth are nding that out through much hotter days and more frequent oods. e reason, of course, is global climate change. But that phrase has become so familiar that it has lost much of its power.

It seems to promise some orderly change from one climate to another admittedly less desirable one. But what the planet will really be experiencing in the coming decades can better be described as climate chaos.

Climate chaos could manifest in two very di erent ways. e rst, and most terrifying, is that global warming will trigger one or more “climate tipping points” that cause “abrupt, irreversible and dangerous impacts with serious implications for humanity,” reports Science magazine. Its 2022 investigation identi ed no fewer than nine tipping points that could be activated this century, including collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, failure of the Indian summer monsoons, and breakdown of the Atlantic Ocean circulation that delivers the warm Gulf Stream to northern Europe. e e ects of passing any of these tipping points are almost too momentous to contemplate.

Let’s instead focus our attention on the other, seemingly less allencompassing aspect of climate chaos: spring wild owers and autumn leaves.

Even if global warming doesn’t send the planet over a tipping point into an entirely new climate reality, it will a ect the distribution of every organism and the seasonal timing of every natural phenomenon. To quote a report by the National Climate Adaptation Science Center, “… not all species are responding at the same speed or in the same ways. is can disrupt the manner in which species interact and the way that ecosystems function overall.”

In other words, the ecological e ects of climate change are chaotic. e reliable pleasure of mountain wild owers may fade as the complex ecology of the forest breaks down in the face of changes in snow cover, spring temperatures and soil moisture. e spectacle of autumn colors may be muted.

To be sure, these are small losses in comparison to, say, the reversal of the Gulf Stream. But as you hike through your corner of the world, or as you tend your home garden, you might spare a moment of gratitude for the reliability of nature that you have experienced in your life.

What’s coming is bound to change everything.

Pepper Trail is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, a nonpro t dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is a biologist and writer based in Ashland, Oregon.

An expression of values

The great American poet Maya Angelou once proclaimed, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the rst time.” It’s a powerful, incisive statement. It cuts through the fog of dissemination, obfuscation and doublespeak. Maya’s maxim is generally quoted in context of an individual person, but it can be applied more broadly to a group, region or country.

e dust is settling from the 2024 elections, and the post-mortems keep rolling in. For the most part, the experts’ analyses are like everything else seen in hindsight: 20/20, 20/30, or even 20/200 for the willfully blind.

One of my favorite “Star Trek”TV episodes is “Journey to Babel” in which the Enterprise is charged with transporting Federation ambassadors to a conference. After an ambassador is murdered, Mr. Spock states the assassination isn’t logical. e Andorian ambassador, whose race is very passionate, educates Spock about such acts: ey’re not acts of reason but of passion, he says. e motives lie not in the mind, but in the heart.

e Andorian’s point is well taken and can be applied across the spectrum of human action from murder and suicide, as I noted in “Suicide: A Personal Re ection,” to voting.

SEE FABYANIC, P11

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:

• Email your letter to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.

• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.

• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not 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.

Jim Roome

JERRY FABYANIC

Columnist

Pepper Trail

Welcome the Holidays with an array of activities

So, anksgiving dinner is winding down and you’re enjoying quality time with your loved ones. As you lean back in your favorite chair, you nd yourself wondering, “How am I going to entertain everyone for the rest of the holiday weekend?”

Don’t let this question unsettle your digestion. I’ve rounded up some great options from all over the metro area that o ers something for everyone.

Rouge Wine & Bourbon Bistro will transform its space into a pop-up Christmas bar for the

Pindustry on Ice o ers elevated ice-skating experience

Ice skating is one of the great joys of the winter season and Denver and the surrounding areas have so many options for those looking to get a little ice time. But there are few rinks that put you in the sky quite like Pindustry on Ice, 7939 E. Arapahoe Road in Greenwood Village.

Running through March 17, Pindustry not only o ers skating but curling as well. And those looking for some food and drink to go along with their activities are in luck – the 16,000 square-foot rooftop also features a winter-themed food and beverage menu.

For a visit from St. Nick himself, the jolly old elf will make an appearance on Sunday, Dec. 8, 15 and 22. And if you get tired of the outdoors, the next-door

FABYANIC

A myth persists among voters about why they choose certain candidates and support or oppose ballot initiatives. ey cling to the delusion their decisions are purely rational, based objectively on studied candidates and issues. While there’s truth in that, ultimately voters make choices based upon their feelings, which re ect their values. Given that, one can conclude the person or issue a voter supports is a testament to that voter’s personal values. Like the old saw that says you are what you eat, you are who and what you vote for.

It’s been that way since ancient Greece, but the outcome of the 2024 presidential race is particularly revealing: It clearly shows the ssure between two American value systems has exploded into a chasm. Which makes me grateful to be a Coloradan.

Like our nation’s history, Colorado’s is blotched with horri c stains like the Sand Creek Massacre. But Coloradans today broadly recognize — don’t deny — past wrongs and strive to rectify them. We take proactive measures to protect the vulnerable, like inscribing into the state constitution a woman’s fundamental right to decide what’s in her best health interests. One of our strengths by and large is we aren’t wedded to religious dogma or under the spell of an ideology. And we don’t live in dreaded fear of e Other. Heck, we even tolerate Texans during ski season although I give them a wide berth when on the slopes.

Looking across the American political landscape and seeing what citizens of other states decided, I shudder, primarily because of how it re ects their ethos. It’s a reminder, though, about why we have it good in Colorado, where ideas like

e rink opens at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit www.thepindustry.com.

Do some holiday shopping at Arvada Center’s art markets

Finding the perfect gift is no easy task these days, especially with so much mass-created items easily available online. at’s where unique events like the Arvada Center’s Fine Art Market and Holiday Pottery Sale come in. Both start on Friday, Nov. 29 and run through Sunday, Dec. 15. e ne art market is open at the center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., from noon to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday and ursday, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. e pottery sale is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

READER, P15

censorship, book banning, and allowing women to die or be irreparably harmed because of legalized religious prescriptions and proscriptions are anathema.

Have we nally thrown in the towel on our democratic experiment? Ben Franklin said we’d have a republic as long as we could keep it, and I’m wondering whether we’ve reached that point. e 2024 election unequivocally exposes who we are, regionally and nationally. We’re no longer one. Like during the Civil War, we’re two, di erentiated and separated by disparate value systems. We’re no longer an indivisible union, but instead the Bifurcated States of America.

Can we come back together and agree on fundamental Americanisms like liberty and justice for all, freedom of thought and expression, and not allowing government to play God like it does in Iran? Can we reunite and march anew toward that more perfect union? We did once, so I suspect we can do it again. But even if so, it’ll likely be a protracted slog, and I’ll probably age out of life before that comes to pass.

When I was coming of age in western Pennsylvania, two John Denver songs — “Rocky Mountain High” and “I Guess He’d Rather Be in Colorado” — especially captivated me. I didn’t know then why the desire to live in Colorado took root, but it got clearer as the years passed. Like so many, I found an embracing home here and have lived a ful lling and adventurous life. In addition to hiking and skiing, I’ve found my “peeps.”

But there’s more. I’ve learned the di erence between my life there and the one here was and continues to be more than about lifestyle: It’s about the di erent cultures’ ethos — their guiding principles and values — and never have those been more distinctly and starkly expressed.

Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.

Tis’ the season

A roundup of local events sure to spread some festive cheer

Celebrating with community makes the magic of the holiday season, and the west metro area certainly has no shortage of festive things to do. Here is a roundup of sta picks to help make your holiday season merry and bright.

Downtown Lakewood Holiday Bazaar

Dec. 7 and 8, Dec. 21 and 22

Belmar Plaza, 439 S. Upham St., Lakewood Denver BAZAAR returns to Belmar District for three weekends this November and December for the Downtown Lakewood Holiday BAZAAR. is indoor marketplace will feature 50+ carefully curated vendors, fashion and food trucks, pop-up bars featuring festive holiday sips, live music, outdoor ice skating rink and more. Visit denverbazaar.com/holidaybazaar2024downtownlakewood for more information.

Frostival

2-6 p.m. Dec. 1

Buchanan Park Field

Local merchants, petting zoo, face painting, photos with Santa and a tree lighting ceremony. Visit evergreenrecreation.com/312/Frostival for more information.

Evergreen Chamber Orchestra Overture to Winter recital

3 p.m. Dec. 1

St. Laurence Episcopal Church, 26812 Barkley Road, Conifer

ECO’s Chamber Recital Series returns for another season of intimate performances by ECO musicians and friends. Get tickets at evergreenchamberorch.org — livestream tickets are available as well.

Olde Golden Candelight Walk

6:30 p.m., Dec. 6

Experience the beauty of the holiday season with a candlelit walk down Washington Avenue in historic Golden, Colorado. Sing carols with neighbors and friends and marvel as the street is illuminated by thousands of glowing candles and the warmth of the festive, small-town holiday atmosphere. Many of the shops along Washington Avenue are open and there are hot cider, cocoa, and outdoor cafes to enjoy along the way.

At the conclusion of the walk, the “switch” for Golden’s 45,000 holiday lights along Clear Creek and throughout downtown will be ipped, marking the o cial start to Golden’s holiday season.

Lakewood Lights Dec. 5

Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park

Gather your friends, family and neighbors for this annual celebration. Join Lakewood Mayor and City Council for a lighting ceremony, then enjoy a stroll among the light displays, listen to festive live music and warm up with hot cocoa. Meet with jolly old Santa Claus or craft an ornament to commemorate this happy holiday. More information can be found at www.lakewood.org/Government/Departments/Community-Resources/Arts-andCulture/Arts-and-Culture-Events/Lakewood-Lights

Aerah Fulton walks through a tunnel of stars during the St. Lucia Children’s Procession at the annual Georgetown Christmas Market. FILE PHOTO

HOLIDAY EVENTS

32nd annual Holiday Walk

5-9 p.m. Dec. 6

Downtown Evergreen

Traditional holiday tree lighting at Evergreen Lake House with Santa and Mrs. Claus, photos with Santa, live performances by local music & dance groups downtown. Fire pits, s’mores, shopping, seasonal goodies. Visit downtownevergreen.com for more information.

Golden High School Holiday Bazaar

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 7

701 24th St., Golden

Come do some holiday shopping at the 10th Annual Golden High School Holiday Bazaar with one-of-a-kind gifts from over 50 di erent local artists. is is a fundraiser for the students at Golden High School, helping with scholarships, the after-prom party, grants and more. Find out more at www.goldendemonspta.org/events/holiday-bazaar.

Soundtrack Chamber Orchestra’s Beauty of December concert

7 p.m. Dec. 12

Wheat Ridge Center for Music and Arts, 7538 W 38th Ave. is holiday concert features an elegant variety of music with a winter theme. Akin to an iPod on “shu e,” the program will feature music from “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” “ e Red Skelton Show,” “Star Wars,” “Nutcracker,” “December Wishes” and “An American Christmas.” Admission is free; donations are appreciated.

Winterfest

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 14

Holiday Arts and Pottery Sale

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 14

Center for the Arts Evergreen Center for the Arts Evergreen’s annual Winterfest artisan gift market and holiday festival is a FREE community event for all ages! Held at the Center with both indoor tables and outdoor tents, Winterfest is a celebration of our local artisanal talent and an opportunity to support Colorado artists and small businesses this holiday season. For more information, visit evergreenarts.org/Winterfest/.

Washington Heights Art Center, 6375 W. 1st Ave., Lakewood

Shop beautiful art and pottery made by the students and instructors of Washington Heights Arts Center in December. Items will be across a variety of mediums, but expect to nd lots of mugs, ornaments, paintings, prints, scarves, and other little treasures. ere’s so much to see, so get there early and bring a friend! Purchase unique gifts made by local artists, including mugs, bowls and serving dishes, jewelry, scarves, paintings and more. More information at www. lakewood.org/Government/Departments/Community-Resources/Arts-andCulture/Arts-and-Culture-Events/Arts-and-Pottery-Holiday-Sale.

Georgetown Christmas Market

Dec. 7-8, 14-15

Each December the town of Georgetown transforms for two weekends into a bustling Christmas scene reminiscent of Christmas of long ago. ousands come to this tiny mountain town to experience a traditional holiday where Christmas hasn’t changed in 100 years: roasted chestnuts, holiday shopping, horse-drawn wagon rides through historic Georgetown, and wonderful sights and smells. Find out more at www.historicgeorgetown.org/georgetown-christmas-market-2/.

Jingle on the Avenue

11 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 21

Along Golden’s Washington Avenue from 11th to 13th streets

Return to spend a magical day in Golden meeting and mingling with family favorite holiday characters — classic and new — along Washington Ave.

Winter Solstice Celebration

6-8 p.m. Dec. 21

Bear Creek Lake Park, 15600 W. Morrison Road, Lakewood

Celebrate the rst day of winter with a guided night hike! en gather around the camp re for a marshmallow roast and celebration of the Winter Solstice that includes the traditional burning of the yule log. Bring your own mug to enjoy a hot beverage. Cost is $5 per person. Learn more at www.lakewood.org/Government/Departments/Community-Resources/Parks-Forestry-and-Open-Space/ Park-Programs-and-Events/Winter-Solstice-Celebration.

Ice Fest

Dec. 31

Evergreen Lake, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen Ice skating, skate rentals, hockey, broomball, ice carving demonstration, mobile recreation trailer games, repits, DJ. Visit evergreenrecreation.com for more information.

People skate and play hockey at Evergreen’s Ice Fest. FILE PHOTO

People line up to buy freshly made doughnuts at the tent operated by Boy Scout Troop 888 at a previous holiday walk. FILE PHOTO

The Soundtrack Chamber Orchestra will perform “The Beauty of December” Dec. 12 at Wheat Ridge Center for Music and Arts. COURTESY PHOTO

Evergreen cartographer turns sewing hobby into a thriving business

Je Orlowski’s Evergreen Threadworks will be featured at the upcoming Frostival event

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

One of Je Orlowski’s earliest memories is sitting next to his mother at her sewing machine while she worked on projects. at hobby was largely forgotten as the Wisconsin native became a National Park Service cartographer, moved to Evergreen and started a family. But when COVID-19 shut the world down in 2020, Orlowski returned to his childhood craft. Today, what started as a pandemic pastime has turned into a thriving small business.

“I like a hobby like sewing where you make something tangible,” Orlowski said. “Now it’s a hobby that’s turned into a side hustle.”

Orlowski sews fanny packs, satchels, biking and ski bags, backpacks and custom truck accessories under the name Evergreen readworks. He’ll have a booth featuring some of his products at the Evergreen Park & Recreation District’s upcoming Frostival, a holiday event set from 2 to 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Buchanan Park ball elds.

For Orlowski, his career and hobby give him the best of both worlds. As a Denverbased park service Geographic Information Systems specialist, he travels to national parks across the country to create

maps of all kinds.

“I’ve mapped everything from a T-Rex still in the ground and the sprinkler system at the Little Bighorn Battle eld to glaciers at Grand Teton and park visitor maps,” he said. “Parks are basically little cities. You never know what they need.

“It’s so much fun,” he continued. “Even if I won the lottery, I would still keep this job.”

While map making is artistic, sewing lets him indulge his creativity in a di erent way. It’s also satisfying because Orlowski’s products often provide practical solutions to problems.

“I started sewing masks during the pandemic,” he said. “ en I randomly thought, why not try a bag? People needed a way to carry masks and hand sanitizer, and I’ve always loved bags. A good bag helps you carry your stu and makes your experience in the mountains better.

“I made two fanny packs for my wife and daughter. Someone o ered to buy number three. Now I’m at about 390.”

An avid mountain biker and skier, Orlowski was also frustrated in searching for gear to bike and camp.

“ at’s when I realized there was a need for locally made, custom bike bags,” he said.

His waist bags, sling bags and fanny packs work well for walkers, hikers and bikers, and quickly became his best sellers. But Orlowski also likes the challenge of meeting niche needs.

A friend asked him to make a tailgate extension that would cover his feet while sleeping in his truck bed. Word got out about Orlowski’s practical, but otherwise

hard-to- nd product, and he’s made about 75 of them since.

“I like to make the bag work for what somebody needs it for,” he said. “If I say yes to an idea, I gure out how to make it all work. ere’s geometry behind making the bags or truck products; it takes a blend of math, science and art to make it work.”

at’s proven to be a winning formula, as existing customers have spread the word about his products to others.

“I started a Facebook and Instagram account for Evergreen readworks, but most of my sales have been wordof-mouth,” said Orlowski, who also sells some of his products at Evergreen’s Bivouac Co ee and Black Fox Provisions. “I’ve created items for people in France, Germany, Norway and most of the States.”

Orlowski also takes pride in making his products not just practical, but fun.

“Most bags you buy tend to be black and kind of boring,” he said. “I like to make it functional and try to add a little style to it. Because I make each item myself, people can always reach out and tell

me what colors they want.” He also sees a crossover in the skills he uses for his full-time job and those needed in sewing.

“Sewing is a lot like cartography,” he said. “Where you create maps data, you may be tracing the edges of a river. It’s similar to sewing along the edges of pattern pieces.”

While Evergreen readworks is gaining a following, Orlowski doesn’t plan to hire help or move beyond his basement workshop.

“Right now, I want to improve my skills and make better bags for people,” he said. “I like the craftsmanship. I like overthinking every stitch. And I don’t really want to give up the hands-on aspect. At the size it is now, I can focus on quality and making bags I’d be interested in using.

“I’m not going to be able to retire o it,” he continued. “It’s just rewarding to see people get excited about a bag they’ve had in their mind for a while and to actually be able to make it for them. I used to wake up early and go skiing and biking; now I wake up early to sew.”

Evergreen resident Je Orlowski, who started Evergreen Threadworks, sews a bag in his basement workshop. Orlowski will have a booth at the EPRD’s Dec. 1 Frostival at the Buchanan Park ball fields.

PHOTOS BY JANE REUTER

Orlowski sews an Evergreen Threadworks label on one of his bags.

Shoppers will be able to peruse thousands of items like jewelry, ceramics, ornaments, paintings and cards from more than 100 Colorado artists in the ne art market. Meanwhile, the pottery sale features functional and sculptural pottery created by the Center’s ceramics education studio instructors and students. Not only will you nd unique items in both sales, but purchases directly support the artists and the Arvada Center Galleries. All the details are available at https:// arvadacenter.org/events.

‘Scrooge’s Dream’ takes new steps in Dickens’ story

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is

one of the season’s most popular stories, and audiences are liable to encounter it in many forms over the next few weeks. One of the most unique versions this year is “Scrooge’s Dream,” a dancer’s retelling of the holiday fable.

e performance will be held at the Parker Arts, Culture & Events (PACE) Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4 and ursday, Dec. 5. Presented by the Pointe School of Dance, the show follows the same beats as Dickens’ classic, encouraging audiences to “remember the past, act in the present, and prepare for the future.”

Get all the details at https://parkerarts. org/event/scrooges-dream-a-retellingof-a-christmas-carol/.

Get your Christmas tree on in Lakewood

Do you want to get a traditional tree lighting, but not have to deal with all the

SCREENING

crowds you’ll nd downtown? e City of Lakewood’s Lakewood Lights event is just the thing.

e free event is held at Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park, 801 S. Yarrow St., from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on ursday, Dec. 5, and has all the Christmas customs one could want: holiday carols, hot cocoa and holiday treats, an ornament crafting station, visits with Santa Claus and holiday shopping.

e lighting ceremony will be at 5:30 p.m. and attendees will have the rest of the evening to explore the park’s historic buildings all lit up and glowing, while they enjoy some tasty treats.

Visit www.Lakewood.org/Holiday for all the necessary information.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Alice 105.9s Alice in Wonderland at the Fillmore Auditorium

Starting the season with great music

is always a good way to go, especially when it doesn’t feature holiday music quite so heavily. at’s what makes Alice 105.9s Alice in Wonderland  at the Fillmore Auditorium , 1510 Clarkson St. in Denver, such an excellent option. e show features rising singer/songwriter Benson Boone, who is making a serious name for himself in the altmusic scene, Denver’s own e Fray, a group making a return to the stage after several years of hiatus, and Dasha, another artist on the making a name of herself.

All three will be performing at the Fillmore beginning at 6:30 p.m. on ursday, Dec. 5. Tickets are available at www. livenation.com.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.

edged that dyslexia screening has been a

“I really want to solve this issue,” Esser said. “It’s just going to keep bubbling up over and over again if we don’t get to the

truth about how big the challenge is, that can be part of the argument for the funding for the services... even if all we get is a successful push for more robust and e ective screening,” said board member Rebecca McClellan. “ e data that comes from that helps to justify and strengthen the argument for resources to help those students.”

Board member Karla Esser acknowl-

For advocates and parents, the stakes

ment universal dyslexia screening, the more children will face preventable academic struggles, loss of self-esteem and even more severe outcomes.

Countless families are hoping their years of pleas will nally result in real, tangible change.

Dyslexia screening advocates argue delaying legislation could result in thousands of children not getting the help they need.

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

Bri Luna, former Poudre School District teacher and board member of the Rocky Mountain Branch of the International Dyslexia Association testifies on behalf of her family’s struggle. COLORADO STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION YOUTUBE

December 7th & 8th, 14th & 15th 10 am - 5pm

European-Style Outdoor Marketplace

featuring over 30 Artisans, Food and more!

Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides

Alpine Biergarten

Wine & Wassail Bar

Shop and Dine at over 20 Merchants on Historic 6th Street

Live Entertainment

Santa Lucia Children’s Procession

Christmas at the Hamill House on Saturday December 14th and Saturday December 21st 2024. Tickets available on our website, www.historicgeorgetown.org

Saint Nicholas

Visit Historic Museums decorated in their Holiday Best

Big Horn Book Nook

Children’s Crafts at the John Tomay Library

Christmas Afternoon Tea at the Snetzer

Building

Hot Roasted Chestnuts

Dog Friendly (If your dog is friendly)

Free Parking & Free shuttles available

Featured on the TODAY show.

HISTORIC 6TH STREET GEORGETOWN, CO 80444

RIVALS TAKE TO THE FIELD

Ralston Valley sophomore Colton Stratman (20) weaves his way through Arvada West’s defense Saturday, Nov. 16, at the North Area Athletic Complex. Ralston Valley defeated rival A-West 24-12 in the second round of the Class 5A state tournament. The Mustangs will host Legend in the state quarterfinals Saturday, Nov. 23, back at NAAC.

PHOTOS BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Ralston Valley junior quarterback Zeke Andrews fires a pass during the second-round Class 5A state playo game against Arvada West on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the North Area Athletic Complex. Andrews ran for three touchdowns in the 24-12 victory.

Lakewood art gallery brings artists and community together with fresh, future-oriented exhibit

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Next Gallery, housed within e HUB at Lakewood’s 40 West Arts District, is at the heart of a ourishing creative center designed to give local artists a collaborative space to showcase their work and connect with the community.

e gallery’s recent opening of “Next UP! - A National Juried Exhibition” highlights a unique showcase born from an open call to artists asking them to create an artwork displaying their next big idea, the next place to be, the next best option or the next endeavor.

e result culminated in a dynamic blend of new works and forward-thinking art open for the community to admire and purchase.

e open call drew artists from within and beyond the gallery’s membership, bringing in fresh talent and varied perspectives.

“It’s great because it introduces new people to the building and gives them a chance to engage with our community,” said artist and gallery manager Virginia Coleman.

e exhibit’s theme focused on the future, challenging participants to present what they are currently working on or projects that push their creative boundaries.

“We all pitch in to make the gallery work. We pool our resources and usually do member shows, but this exhibit came from an open call because we hadn’t

done one in a couple of years,” Coleman said.

“It’s about looking forward — not just what’s next for their art, but what’s next for their place in the world and in the community,” she continued.

The HUB

e HUB, which includes six distinct galleries, was established by 40 West Arts to ensure that artists and creatives have a permanent place to thrive and create.  Visitors are treated to a diverse range

of artistic expressions, from avant-garde sculptures to mixed-media installations.

“Each gallery has its own vibe,” Coleman said, emphasizing the collective yet unique atmosphere created by the six collaborating spaces. e exhibit openings often coincide, creating vibrant evenings of art, conversation and discovery.

“It’s really, really fun,” she added. “ e whole building comes alive.”

For those curious about viewing and purchasing art, the gallery welcomes seasoned collectors and new visitors.

Art displayed at the Next Gallery in Lakewood.

PHOTOS BY SUZIE GLASSMAN

Art displayed at the Next Gallery in Lakewood.

19

Why now might be the best time to buy an EV in Colorado

BY SAM BRASCH CPR NEWS

Colorado drivers considering an electric vehicle might not want to mull over the decision for too much longer.  at’s because the state’s nation-leading EV tax credit is set to shrink from $5,000 to $3,500 at the end of the year. e cut will make it harder for dealers to keep o ering eye-popping leases on low-cost EV models, which have helped put thousands of new battery-powered cars on Colorado roads over the last few months and drive the state to No. 2 in the nation for EV adoption.

On top of the scheduled reduction, the transition team for President-elect Donald Trump has signaled its planning to kill a federal EV tax credit worth up to $7,500 as part of a planned tax reform package. If the incoming Republican-led Congress goes along with the idea, it could further limit the total incentives available to Colorado EV buyers. “ is is the best deal you’re ever going to get,” said Matt Groves, the president and CEO of the Colorado Auto Dealers Association. “We don’t know how much money is coming o the table next year, but it’s going to be more than zero.”

A suite of generous incentives has helped make Colorado a bright spot for EV adoption nationwide. Under current policies, a resident can theoretically qualify for up to $26,500 in discounts by combining state and federal incentives with additional rebates o ered by Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest electricity provider.

It appears those steep discounts have helped convince drivers to ditch traditional vehicles. A recent report from the Colorado Auto Dealer Association found that 23 percent of new cars registered in the state during the rst three quarters of 2024 were either battery-electric or plugin hybrid models. Only California had a higher EV market share over the same period, the report shows.

One factor driving the trend is rock-bottom leases on some EV models. Boulder Nissan, for example, currently o ers an entry-level Nissan Leaf for $5 per month after a Colorado resident pays roughly $3,000 in dealer fees and sales taxes. Other local Nissan dealers o er higher monthly prices for a smaller upfront cost.

Ed Olsen, the general sales manager at Boulder Nissan, expects the eye-popping lease arrangements to slow in 2025. He

nding us too,” Coleman said.  e accessibility of the space, o ering art at a range of price points, helps demystify the process and encourage more people to engage with art.

said the deals only make sense due to Colorado’s EV tax credit, which o ers additional cash for a ordable models with a recommended sales price under $35,000, plus an extra incentive if auto dealers handle all the related paperwork.

Once the overall bene t shrinks, Olsen would guess the monthly lease price for a Nissan Leaf would jump to about $70 per month.

ose expectations also depend on President-elect Trump’s failure to eliminate the federal tax credit. If he moves ahead with the plan, Olsen said Nissan will likely shift the nances behind the current lease deals, forcing auto dealers to further increase prices.

But not everyone thinks Colorado’s EV momentum depends on the federal tax credit

Groves, the president of the auto dealer association, said the federal discount was always confusing since it only applied to drivers meeting speci c income quali cations and vehicles meeting domestic manufacturing requirements. If the federal tax credit disappears, he’s not convinced EV demand will dry up in Colorado.

At this point, he’s hopeful the EV market

walks and themed Art Crawls, bringing the neighborhood together to celebrate creativity.

is mature enough to keep growing despite a drop in federal and state support. While incentives might decline, Colorado has built out its public charging network in the last few years and manufacturers o er far more options to potential buyers.

“As these cars become more prevalent, people are just becoming more comfortable with the concept,” Groves said.  e auto dealers association also isn’t planning to lobby for a larger state EV tax credit when the upcoming legislative session starts in January, Groves said.

Gov. Jared Polis, however, doesn’t want to see Colorado buyers lose access to the federal discount. In an email to CPR News, Eric Maruyama, a spokesperson for the governor’s o ce, said President-elect Trump’s plans to eliminate the tax credit and impose tari s will hurt consumers and kill jobs.

“We hope the incoming administration reconsiders putting American workers, our pocketbooks and the strength of our economy rst,” Maruyama said. is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

“We have quite a bit of people who come every time we have an opening, and we’re always excited to see new faces

Next Gallery and its neighboring galleries also participate in broader community events such as First Friday art

In the winter, a special holiday art market will feature smaller, portable works and a festive building-wide celebration.

“ is gallery and the whole district are about building community and keeping art accessible,” Coleman said. “We want everyone to come in and not feel intimidated by art, to experience it, connect with it and maybe even take a piece of it home.”

For more information on upcoming exhibits and events, visit the 40 West Arts District website.

Does it cause cancer, IQ loss, and more? Fact-checking

Robert

F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims

BY SAMANTHA PUTTERMAN POLITIFACT VIA KFF NEWS

President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration could try to remove uoride from drinking water, according to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy, who was tapped last week by Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, called uoride an “industrial waste” and linked it to cancer and other diseases and disorders while campaigning for Trump.

“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove uoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease,” Kennedy wrote Nov. 2 on X, formerly known as Twitter. Kennedy linked to a video from an attorney who recently successfully sued the Environmental Protection Agency to take additional measures to regulate uoride in drinking water.

Kennedy, who has long advocated ending water uoridation, persisted with his pledge following Trump’s election win. When asked before the election whether his administration would remove uoride from drinking water, Trump said, “Well, I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but it sounds OK to me. You know it’s possible.”

The facts around fluoride

Kennedy is an in uential vaccine skeptic whose campaign of conspiracy theories earned PolitiFact’s 2023 “Lie of the Year.”

Longtime research has found that adding uoride to U.S. drinking water is a safe way to boost children’s oral health. Since 2015, the recommended level in the U.S. has been 0.7 milligrams per liter. Public health organizations, including the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, support the practice.

Recent studies, however, have shown possible links between uoride and bone problems and children’s IQs, particularly when uoride is above the U.S. recommended levels.

“ ere is evidence that uoride exposure has been associated with the diseases [and] disorders that RFK listed, but with caveats,” said Ashley Malin, who is an assistant professor in the University of Florida’s Epidemiology Department and has studied uoride’s e ects in pregnant women.

Malin referred to studies showing that higher uoride exposure, particularly during pregnancy, is associated with reduced child IQ, and that prenatal exposure also is linked to decreased intellectual functioning and executive function. For high exposure in pregnancy, the studies showed symptoms associated with other neurobehavioral issues, such as attention-de cit/hyperactivity disorder.

However, many of these studies took place in countries other than the U.S. and looked at uoride in drinking water at sometimes twice the United States’ recommended level. Also, some of the other

ailments that Kennedy listed, such as an association with bone cancer, have less robust evidence and need more study.

“Aside from uoride’s impacts on neurodevelopment, I think that there is more that we don’t know about health e ects of low-level uoride exposure than what we do know, particularly for adult health outcomes,” Malin said.

David Bellinger, a Harvard Medical School neurology professor and professor in Harvard School of Public Health’s Environmental Health Department, said the risk-bene t calculation of added uoride di ers depending on whether typical uoride exposure levels cause health problems, or if problems occur only when recommended

levels are exceeded.

“In toxicology, ‘the dose makes the poison’ is a long-standing principle,” he said. “So a general statement that uoride is associated with diseases X, Y, and Z is not very helpful unless the dose that might be responsible is speci ed.”

PolitiFact contacted Kennedy through his Children’s Health Defense organization but received no reply. e organization sued PolitiFact and Meta related to a 2020 fact check. at lawsuit was dismissed by a federal court. e dismissal was upheld on appeal, and the case is pending a possible appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration could try to remove fluoride from drinking water, according to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Hospitals rationing intravenous fluids

National shortage in hurricane’s wake may last for months

BY JACKIE FORTIÉR KFF HEALTH NEWS

Hospitals around the country are conserving critical intravenous uid supplies to cope with a shortage that may last months. Some hospital administrators say they are changing how they think about IV uid hydration altogether.

Hurricane Helene, which hit North Carolina in September, wrecked a Baxter International facility that produces 60% of the IV uids used in the U.S., according to the American Hospital Association.

e company was forced to stop production and is rationing its products. In an update posted Nov. 7, Baxter said its North Cove facility had resumed producing some IV uids. In an email to KFF Health News, the company wrote that customers will be able to order normal quantities of “certain IV solutions products” by the end of the year, but there is no timeline for when the North Cove facility will be back to prehurricane production levels.

Meanwhile, hospitals are facing seasonal strains on their already limited IV uid resources, said Sam Elgawly, chief of resource stewardship at Inova, a health system in the Washington, D.C., area.

“We’ve been very aggressive in our conservation measures,” Elgawly said, stressing that he does not believe patient

care has been compromised. He told KFF Health News that across the system IV uid usage has dropped 55% since early October.

Elgawly called the shortage a crisis that he expects to have to continue managing for some time. “We are going to operate under the assumption that this is going to be the way it is through the end of 2024 and have adopted our demand/conservation measures accordingly,” he said.

At the end of the calendar year, many patients with insurance hurry to schedule surgical procedures before their deductibles reset in January. Elgawly is eyeing that typical surgical rush and the impending peak of respiratory virus season as he tries to stockpile IV uid bags.

Hospitals such as Inova’s are using different ways to conserve, such as giving some medications intravenously, but without a dedicated IV uid bag, known as a push medication.

“You don’t even need a bag at all. You just give the medication without the bag,” he said. “ ere has been increasing literature over the last 10 to 20 years that indicates maybe you don’t need to use as much. And this accelerated our sort of innovation and testing of that idea.”

Monica Coleman is a nurse at a Department of Veterans A airs hospital in North Chicago. She said using push medications takes more time out of a nurse’s already hectic schedule because then they need to monitor the patient. “ is could increase adverse e ects within the patient, because we’re giving the medication at a faster rate,” she said.

Elgawly is also interested in retooling

electronic health records to question doctor orders for more IV hydration.

“Does the patient actually need that second bag? How did they do today with eating or drinking water or juice? ey did well? ey don’t need the bag. So it’s little conservation mechanisms like that that, when you add them across, you know, the 2,000-patient system that Inova is, make a signi cant dent,” he said.

Simpler conservation measures could become common after the shortage abates, said Vince Green, chief medical o cer for Pipeline Health, a small hospital system in the Los Angeles area that serves mainly people on Medicare and Medicaid.

First, Green would like to see data showing that patient outcomes aren’t a ected. But for now, some of the new strategies just make sense to him. He has directed hospital sta to use up the entire IV bag before starting another.

“If they come in with IV uids that the paramedics have started, let’s continue it. If it saves half a bag of uids, so be it, but it adds up over time,” he said.

Patients may be asked to take more accountability for their hydration, by drinking Gatorade or water rather than the default of hydrating through an IV, he said.

“From an environmental aspect, we don’t need to have this much waste and ll up our land lls. If we could reduce stu , I think it’d be wise,” he said.

But he’ll feel better when his hospitals receive a full order, which could be weeks away. Green said they are down to a two-week supply, with an expected increase in hospitalizations due to respira-

tory virus season.

“We’re purchasing every IV uid bag that we can get,” he said.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

41ST ANNUAL PARADE AT 2P.

Hurricane Helene, which hit North Carolina in September, wrecked a facility that produces 60% of the IV fluids used in the U.S., according to the American Hospital Association.

What Is Fluoride and What Are Its Benefits?

Fluorideis a mineral naturally occurring in soil, water, and some foods that helps prevent tooth decay and cavities. It strengthens tooth enamel that acid from bacteria, plaque, and sugar can wear away.

Water uoridation has been happening in the U.S. since 1945.

e federal Public Health Service rst recommended uoridation of tap water in 1962, but the decision still lies with states and municipalities. Around 72% of the U.S. population, or about 209 million people, had access to uoridated water in 2022, the CDC reported. Fluoride also has been added to oral care products such as toothpaste and mouth rinse.

In 2015, U.S. health o cials lowered the recommended amount of uoride in drinking water to 0.7 milligrams per liter, saying a higher level was less necessary given other sources of uoride, and that the lowered amount would still help protect teeth without staining them.

Pediatric dentists note that applying uoride with toothpaste and rinses is bene cial, but small amounts circulating in the body via water consumption helps younger children who still have their baby teeth, because it can bene t the developing permanent teeth.

e American Dental Association says studies have shown that uoride in community water systems prevents at least 25% of tooth decay in children and adults and that “for more than 75 years, the best scienti c evidence has consistently shown that uoridation is safe and e ective.”

e association says on its website: “It’s

similar to fortifying other foods and beverages — for example, fortifying salt with iodine, milk with vitamin D, orange juice with calcium, and bread with folic acid.”

According to the CDC, health experts and scientists from the U.S. and other countries have so far “not found convincing scienti c evidence linking community water uoridation with any potential adverse health e ect or systemic disorder such as an increased risk for cancer, Down syndrome, heart disease, osteoporosis and bone fracture, immune disorders, low intelligence, renal disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, or allergic reactions.”

e agency says risks of water uoridation are limited to dental uorosis, which can alter dental enamel and cause white ecks, spots, lines, or brown stains on the teeth when too much uoride is consumed.

Do Studies Show Fluoride Posing Any Other Risks?

Some studies have said that excess uoride exposure, often at higher levels than the recommended U.S. limit, can harm infants’ and young children’s developing brains and that higher levels of uoride exposure during pregnancy were associated with declines in children’s IQs.

A study published in Mayt hat Malin led with University of Southern California and Indiana University researchers suggested that uoride exposure during pregnancy was linked to an increased risk of childhood neurobehavioral problems and said more studies were “urgently needed to understand and mitigate the impacts in the entire U.S. population.”

Experts noted prenatal uoride exposure is most strongly linked to children’s IQ loss, and said timing of uoride consumption might need to be considered when making recommendations.

A federal review of dozens of studies

published in August by the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program concluded that higher levels of uoride exposure were linked to lower IQs in children. But the report was based primarily on studies in countries such as Canada, China, India, Iran, Mexico, and Pakistan and involved uoride levels at or above 1.5 milligrams per liter, twice the recommended U.S. limit. e authors said more research is needed to understand whether lower exposure has any adverse e ects.

In the report, researchers said they found no evidence that uoride exposure adversely a ected adult cognition.

Bellinger, of Harvard, pointed to the review as an example of how the amount of uoride matters. He noted how researchers concluded that a very small percentage of people in the U.S. are exposed to levels that correlate with IQ loss.

“Second, the fact that there are now multiple pathways of exposure to uoride besides uoridated water (toothpaste and other dental products, etc.) makes it really di cult to attribute a particular adverse e ect to the uoride added to the water,” he wrote via email. “It is the cumulative exposure from all sources that contribute to any adverse health e ects.”

In September, a federal judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate uoride in drinking water because of the potential risk that higher levels could a ect children’s intellectual development.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen wrote that the court’s nding didn’t “conclude with certainty that uoridated water is injurious to public health,” saying it’s unclear whether the amount of uoride typically added to water is causing children’s IQs to drop. But he wrote that there was enough risk to warrant investigation and that the EPA must act to further regulate

it. e ruling did not specify what actions the agency should take, and the EPA is reviewing the decision.

After the ruling, the American Association of Pediatrics issued a statement that uoride in drinking water is safe for children and said the policy is based on a robust foundation of evidence.

Besides dental uorosis, experts say that uoride exposure over many years above the U.S. recommended amount can cause skeletal uorosis, a rare condition that causes weaker bones, sti ness and joint pain. Although the Public Health Service recommends a uoride concentration of 0.7 milligrams per liter for community water systems, the EPA, under the Safe Drinking Water Act, sets enforceable standards for drinking-water quality. Currently, to prevent skeletal uorosis, the EPA requires that water systems not exceed 4 milligrams of uoride per liter of water.

Malin said she and her research team are investigating a potential link between uoride and bone fractures. She said that although several studies have found high uoride exposure associated with increased risk of bone fractures, and some have linked uoride with thyroid disease, rigorous, U.S.-based studies haven’t been done.

e CDC concluded that recent research found no link between cancer risk and high levels of uoride in drinking water.

e American Cancer Society reviewed a possible link between water uoridation and cancer risk. An organization spokesperson pointed PolitiFact to its review and said it has no data showing a de nitive answer.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

Psychedelic program gets final tweaks as state plans 2025 launch

Colorado’s rollout will be closely watched as a national model

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado regulators are making nal tweaks to a pioneering program overseeing licensed facilitators and manufacturers who will launch the state into the rari ed realm of psychedelic-assisted therapies next year.

Following the voter-approved Proposition 122 in 2022 and dozens of public meetings, the 107 pages of regulations around the groundbreaking program were crafted by the 14 members of the Natural Medicine Advisory Board who were appointed by Gov. Jared Polis and include experts in psychedelic medicine and traditional medical care.

Colorado’s rollout will be closely watched as a national model as the federal government navigates the waning years of a more than 50-year drug war and steps back from approving drug-assisted psychotherapy. e Federal Drug Administration in August rejected a nearly 40year e ort to use MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

e 22-month planning process has divided oversight of psilocybin-assisted therapies between the Department of Regulatory Agencies, or DORA, and the Department of Revenue. Both those state agencies approved nal rules in June and August and the Natural Medicine Division will begin accepting license applications Dec. 31.

“Overall they have been really thoughtful about the rules and I think we have ended up in a really good place,” said Tasia Poinsatte, Colorado director of the Healing Advocacy Fund, a nonpro t formed in 2020 to help Oregon rollout its voter-approved psilocybin therapy program in 2023. “ ey de nitely took their time to bring in the right expertise across a whole spectrum of people in Colorado.”

Colorado’s rules — coming out two years after Oregon opened its rst psilocybin service center — allow for two facilitator licensing tracks compared to only one in Oregon. In the rst year of the program in Oregon, there are 21 licensed service centers, 10 manufacturing facilities and 329 licensed facilitators.

Poinsatte said it makes sense for states to lead on the implementation of psychotherapy paired with a drug because states already have licensing programs for men-

tal health professionals.

“In Colorado we are in a particularly good position to regulate this therapy paired with a substance and do it well and create a body of evidence that is going to be e ective and really help people who are struggling,” she said. “ is is a great opportunity for Colorado.”

Poinsatte said her group’s surveys of potential facilitator license applicants in Colorado includes therapists and psychiatrists “who are so frustrated with the limited options that they have for people who are really hurting.”

“ e rst people who are getting into this are going to do it because they deeply care and they want to make a di erence with their patients,” she said.

e state will regulate the use of natural medicines, unlike rules around the sale of marijuana, which is managed by local governments. DORA will oversee the training and licensing program for psychedelic facilitators and the Department of Revenue will license healing centers and businesses involved in the cultivation, manufacture and testing of psychedelic medicines, including psilocybin mushrooms. By June 2026, the Colorado

natural medicine program could expand to include other natural psychedelics, including dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, ibogaine and mescaline.

Local communities scrambling to establish rules around a new industry

A survey conducted by state o cials of potential participants in the Natural Medicine Program showed about 213 people interested in opening some sort of business. About 146 were interested in opening a healing center, 96 were planning to open a cultivation facility that would grow psilocybin mushrooms, 66 wanted to help process and manufacture psilocybin products and 11 were interested in opening a facility that would test the mushrooms and products to make sure they meet state standards.

At an Oct. 30 meeting between DORA and Department of Revenue o cials and municipal planners and sta , a map showed entrepreneurs across the state, with many concentrated along the Front Range.

Of the folks who were interested in opening a healing center, 64 were planning a standard healing center — likely an existing clinical facility — while 112 want-

ed to open micro-healing centers, which allow some mental health practitioners to add psychedelic-assisted therapies to their o erings.

“ at tracks with the purpose of Prop. 122, which was to promote mental health care services and access for Coloradans who are su ering things like treatmentresistant depression, anxiety and PTSD,” Amelia Myers, a senior policy advisor at the Natural Medicine Division, said during the Oct. 30 meeting.

With the state preventing local communities from outright banning licensed natural medicine businesses, a third of the local towns and cities at the Oct. 30 meeting had zoning requirements for licensed healing centers and facilities and many more were contemplating new land use codes.

Without local ordinances addressing where and when natural medicine businesses can operate, the business could locate anywhere in a city or town. And most communities are scrambling to establish new rules before licensed businesses start opening early next year.

The Center for Medicinal Mindfulness & Psychedelic Sitters School in Boulder o ers training for licensed facilitors. BRITT NEMETH / SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

Health o cials advocate for seasonal flu, COVID-19 vaccines

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With holiday events and seasonal gatherings coming up, Colorado’s health professionals are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated for the u and COVID-19.  e Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says that anyone 6 months or older is eligible to get the u and COVID-19 vaccines this season.

“Similar to the seasonal u vaccine, most people should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves against the variants of the virus currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States,” a CDPHE news release states.

Dr. Ming Wu, a primary care physician with AdventHealth in Littleton, said getting vaccinated helps prevent the spread of disease, and lessens the severity of symptoms.

“ ey’re not designed to prevent you from getting sick — you can still get CO-

VID or the u when you’re on the vaccine — but it will help prevent the spread of disease and it does lessen severity of disease, hopefully preventing you from going to the hospital or having complications,” Wu said.

According to CDPHE, the state is currently seeing low levels of u and COVID-19 after a spike of COVID-19 cases between August and October.

Wu said he expects u cases to start picking up in December or January.

“It seems like the u season has kind of shifted later in the year, but also lasting later into the spring,” Wu said.

CDPHE notes that vaccines usually take a couple weeks before they o er maximum protection, and it is safe to get the u and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time.

ose who have never been vaccinated against COVID-19 can receive the updated vaccine at any time, while those who have been previously vaccinated can get the vaccine as long as it’s been at least

providers. For example, a person taking antipsychotic medications will need to see a licensed clinical facilitator.

two months since their most recent shot.

People who recently had COVID-19 may consider waiting up to three months after they tested positive or rst started feeling symptoms to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Low and no-cost vaccines are available at local public health clinics, primary care o ces and many pharmacies. Most insurance plans cover the full cost of vaccines.

In addition to getting vaccinated, Wu said other precautions can be taken to avoid getting sick, such as washing your hands frequently, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, masking and staying home while sick.

“Even if you don’t have a positive test for COVID, if you’re coughing, wearing a mask can still help prevent that spread of disease,” Wu said.

After a positive COVID-19 test, the Centers for Disease Control recommends masking for 10 days or until symptoms go away completely.

Breckenridge, for example, last month approved a new zoning regulation for natural medicine businesses that mirror the town’s marijuana zoning, which prohibits marijuana shops in the downtown core or near schools or child care centers.

In Fountain, south of Colorado Springs, the city council last week met to consider an ordinance that would keep natural medicine businesses in areas zoned for industrial uses and away from schools and homes.

Some communities, like Woodland Park, are considering temporary moratoriums to slow the rollout of natural medicine businesses inside municipal boundaries.

e Colorado Springs city council last week also reviewed similar zoning adjustments to restrict cultivation, manufacturing, testing and clinical businesses in the emerging natural medicine industry to industrially zoned areas of the city.

“If we can take an ancient medicine and perhaps turn it into a modern solution, I would not be opposed to that,” said Colorado Springs Councilman David Leinweber, who asked planning sta to include medical and public health input in the city’s new zoning regulations. “I just feel like it needs to be done right. I feel like we have kind of messed up with THC.”

Two-tracked licensing for facilitators

e DORA facilitator program establishes two tracks for licensing people to administer psychedelic therapies.

A clinical facilitator license allows already licensed medical and mental health providers to include psychedelic-assisted therapy as part of their existing care after completing a 150-hour training program, 40 hours of supervised work with participants and 40 hours of consultation with participants.

A facilitator license allows people who are not trained in medicine or mental health therapy to o er psychedelic-assisted therapy after nishing the same training program required for those seeking a clinical license. Facilitators can work with participants who have been screened in a mandatory initial consultation that shows the participant does not need a higher level of care by medical or mental health

e DORA licensing program also establishes an educator license that allows facilitators with two years of experience administering natural medicines to train people in psychedelic-assisted therapies. A training license allows students to work with natural medicines under the guidance of licensed facilitators.

e DORA program details speci cs of the licensing training, which sets minimum hours of training and standards of practice that include rules around participant safety and privacy. e curriculum includes training in best practices and ethics, including the appropriate use of touch when participants are vulnerable in an altered state of consciousness. e training requires study of compassionate communication, historical and indigenous use of natural medicines, and assessing the risk of suicide. e training program requires hours studying how to initially screen and prepare participants as well as dosing strategies and integrating the insights of a psychedelic medicine session into daily lives.

High fees, costs of licensing

ere are eight Colorado training programs in Colorado o ering licensure training that often exceeds the state’s minimum requirements. ey are also expensive. Most of the programs charge between $10,000 and $13,000 for the training.

Add in the state’s fees licenses — $2,000 for a micro healing center and $5,000 for a standard, for example — and the costs of entry are too high for Laurie Boscaro, a therapist in Gunnison County for 16 years.

She added ketamine-assisted therapy to her practice a few years ago and she’s got a few clients doing that. She’s worried that she will need to charge high prices for psilocybin care to cover her costs.

“As I look forward to the psilocybin rollout, I have to weigh the cost of getting involved against how many folks I can o er this to while making sure the costs for my clients will not be too high,” she said. “All of it is pushing $20,000 to be able to o er this, plus the lost work during training. It’s a process I wholeheartedly believe in but I’m not sure in my small community that it makes sense for me.”

Dr. Wael Garas hopes to bring psilocybin-assisted therapy to Pagosa Springs.

e internal medicine doctor is thinking of opening a micro healing center and working with patients who have chronic medical conditions or end-of-life anxiety.

Like Boscaro, he has concerns about the fees and costs. It takes a lot of energy to host psychedelic-assisted therapy sessions and Garas expects maybe he can host one or two sessions a week. He does not intend for this therapy to replace his full-time job as an internist at medical centers.

“It seems like I will have to see a lot of people and charge them a lot of money to make this work with the cost of training, fees and overhead,” Garas said. “I’m not completely comfortable with the amount we have to charge for the experience with

mushrooms, which are legal now.”

Garas is particularly interested in the data that will come from Colorado’s pioneering program of regulating access to psychedelics. e state’s regulations include strict rules about reporting and the documented responses from Colorado participants in psychedelic-assisted therapy could better inform federal regulators as they study new treatments.

“I’m de nitely proud of being in Colorado and being in the forefront of trying to get these treatments available to people in a responsible way,” Garas said. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

ST. JOANOF ARC

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

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 Green Mountain Presbyterian Church 12900 W Alameda Pkwy Lakewood, CO 80228 303-985-8733 www.gmpc.net Sunday Worship 10:00AM

To advertise your place of worship in this section, call Erin at 303-566-4074 or email eaddenbrooke@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

An EMT prepares to give a vaccination at an event in Lakewood. COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA FILE PHOTO

Pet parents try to ensure their companion animals never want for anything. People will go to great lengths to pamper their pets with the best care, food and accessories. According to the American Pet Products Association, consumers in the United States spent $147 billion on pets in 2023. And it’s not just the essentials that have people opening up their wallets for pets. A 2022 YouGov survey found that 57 percent of owners buy holiday gifts for their pets and 40 percent host birthday celebrations.

With the holiday season on the horizon, there’s a good chance that beloved pets are on gift lists this year, particularly for Gen Z pet owners. A study of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by Talker Research for Newsweek found that Gen Z spends an average of $148.50 on their pets each month, the highest of all surveyed. For those shopping for gifts their pets will enjoy, these options could have tails wagging.

Puzzle toy

Pets need to keep their brains working; otherwise, they may get bored and into trouble. A puzzle toy that has treats or kibble hidden behind panels helps pets remain mentally sharp.

Safety belt

You can guarantee that trips in the car to the dog park or other excursions are safer by gifting a safety pet harness that works like a seatbelt in a vehicle.

Grooming package

Everyone wins when a pet is washed, dried and primped to perfection. Professional groomers have the skills to tame excess fur and trim nails so pets smell wonderful and remain comfortable.

New bed

Upgrade a pet’s bed to something even more lush and comfortable. A eece blanket and a dedicated pet pillow can help pets feel even more pampered.

Treat dispenser

It isn’t possible to be home with their pets all of the time. A dispenser that can be programmed to o er treats at certain intervals or connected to an app that enables a person to release one at the push of a button can be a nice gift to surprise stayat-home pets.

Pet booties

When the weather gets chilly, walking dogs outdoors on the ice and snow can be painful on their paws. A pair of booties can protect the delicate pads of pets’ feet from ice melt products, snow and sharp objects.

Whether a pet is a parakeet or poodle, gifts of new toys can be engaging for animals who have grown bored with their old ones.

Thu 12/05

AOA: Cooking with Friends: Holiday Cookies @ Highland @ 12pm Highland Recreation Center, 2880 N. Osceola St., Denver. 720-913-0654

Tony Medina Music: Thursday Nights at The Bluegrass-Old Town Arvada @ 6pm

The Bluegrass Coffee & Bourbon Lounge, 7415 grandview ave, Arvada

Adult Hip Hop

@ 6:30pm

Dec 5th - Dec 19th

Buchanan Park Recreation Center, 32003 Elling‐wood Trail, Evergreen. 720-880-1000

Fri 12/06

AOA: Trip: Museum of Western Art Tour @ Barnum @ 9:30am

Denver Parks and Recreation (BAR), 360 Hooker St., Denver. 720-913-0654

ANI HAN @ 7pm

Hogshead Brewery, 4460 W 29th Ave, Denver

wulfsun @ 7pm

Hogshead Brewery, 4460 W 29th Ave, Denver

jayson d tucker @ 7pm

Hogshead Brewery, 4460 W 29th Ave, Denver

A Winter’s Eve w/David Arkenstone and Friends @ 7pm Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Dr, Ever‐green

Hells Belles @ 8pm

Mannheim Steamroller @ 7pm Buell Theatre, Denver

Harmony of Dreams: Arvada Chorale Holiday Concert Dec. 6 and 8 @ 7:30pm / Free-$25

Arvada United Methodist Church, 6750 Carr Street, Arvada. info@arvada chorale.org, 303-432-9341

The C Minuses @ 8pm Little Bear Live, 28075 CO-74, Evergreen

Sun 12/08

Live @ The Rose - Sunday Swing @ 3pm / $20

The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver

Sat 12/07

Santa Shuf�e 202� @ 9am / $20 8116 W Bowles Ave, Littleton

Beginner Tumble & Tramp - Gymnastics (6-18yo) Dec @ 11am Dec 7th - Dec 21st Wulf Recreation Center, 5300 S Olive Road, Evergreen. 720-880-1000

Colorado Ballet w/ The Nutcracker @ 1pm Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver

Dirty Side Down Band: Dirty Side Down @ Jakes Roadhouse @ 8pm Jake's Roadhouse, 5980 Lamar St, Arvada

Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Av‐enue, Golden. information@buf falorose.net

Tue 12/10

ODR: Cross-country Ski - Breckenridge Nordic Center @ 7am

Denver Parks and Recreation (ODR), 4601 W. 46th Ave., Denver. 720-913-0654

ODR: Explore Denver Mountain ParksSouth Gateway @ 8am

Denver Parks and Recreation (ODR), 4601 W. 46th Ave., Denver. 720-913-0654

AOA: Cooking with Friends: Holiday Cookies @ Scheitler @ 12pm Scheitler Recreation Center, 5031 W. 46th Ave., Denver. 720-913-0654

The Slackers @ 8pm The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver

Wed 12/11

Funny Girl (Touring) @ 7:30pm Buell Theatre, Denver

this calendar.

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Thornton students from Afghanistan nurture love of cricket

BY JENNY BRUNDIN CPR NEWS

Forget LeBron James or Travis Kelce. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rashid Khan are where it’s at for Mudasir, a sixth-grader at ornton Middle School. e two superstars play on Afghanistan’s national cricket team.

Mudasir and his friends watch as many of their matches as they can. But today is Tuesday, Mudasir’s favorite day of the week. It’s the day he and his friends get to show o their cricket skills.

“I come here to play cricket and work hard to go to the games and win the games,” he said.

When the nal bell rings, he and the other boys race giddy with joy onto the playground into the November chill. ey set up the wickets, stumps and bails. And they play their hearts out.

When you’re more than 7,000 miles away from where you spent most of your childhood, there’s nothing like Tuesday after school. It’s practice time for the school’s cricket club. All 18 boys are from Afghanistan where cricket is the most popular sport in the country. In fact, cricket is the second most popular sport in the world. It’s set to debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. ese boys are part of an e ort to bring the sport to more Colorado youth.

“ is game is for every country and (we hope) more will come to play cricket,” said Rashid, 13.

Before I watch, I’ve got to get a few things under my belt.

“What’s your favorite position?” I ask.

“Batting! Batting! Batting! Bowling! Bowling! Batting!” they yell out. e main positions are batting (selfexplanatory), bowling (pitching the ball), and elding (like out eld), though none of these boys are much like that last one except eighth-grader Modasir, the mature, easy-going captain who radiates con dence.

“Everything is my favorite, batting, bowling, elding, everything,” he said. “I just love this game. Cricket makes me feel proud and happy in this school.”

Many of these boys came to the U.S. within the past four years, after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Some arrived in elementary school. Nearly half of

Afghan evacuees who resettled in Colorado since that time attend Adams 12 Five Star schools. Adjusting from Afghanistan to the U.S. is especially challenging. e boys say it was hard coming to a new country, unable to communicate.

“I was so sad because nobody was talking Pashtu or Persian (Dari) and I can’t speak English,” sixth-grader Mohammad Edres remembers.

But the boys tell me, that when they learned there was cricket at ornton Middle School, it changed everything.

“Friends is there,” said seventh-grader Idres.

Atiqullah said it’s much better playing at school than in a random park.

“We have club!” He smiles.

How did a cricket club start at ornton Middle school?

When Charlene Fauls, an English development teacher, was at an educator book study session, she heard from one of the teachers that the boys were playing cricket on Sundays in a community park. at’s when she got into gear.

“I did not know anything about cricket,” she said. But a neighbor connected her to the president of the Colorado Cricket Tennis League. He donated some equipment and connected Fauls to the Denver Youth Cricket Academy. It provides coaches. In 2022, a cricket club was born.

e district’s Adams 12 Cricket Program, in its third year, now has 54 players from three schools, including ornton High School and Northglenn Middle School. e high school team plays other teams in Douglas County and Cherry Creek school districts. Right now, the middle school teams scrimmage, but sometimes the kids get to ll empty holes on teams during Denver Youth Cricket Academy matches.

Omid Farahi, a school “newcomer assistant” said he hears the boys talking about cricket in the hallways all week long.

“Some of them actually say they wanted to come speci cally to this school because they had the opportunity to play cricket.”

It’s become a family e ort for Fauls. She and her husband help drive the boys to matches. Her sons assist. Still, Fauls is always on the lookout for generous sponsors to grow the program to more schools.

On Tuesdays, she sees the boys’ pride when they wear their uniforms to school.

“ ey walk around with their head held

up high, just like the basketball players wear their uniform on game day,” she said.

Wickets, bails and stumps

At rst, cricket seems like controlled chaos to me, but the boys are super patient in explaining the game that dates back to the 13th century. ere are two teams. One side bats and the other “ elds” with someone throwing or “bowling” the ball.

e batting team tries to score as many runs — running back and forth between two wickets — as they can.

Two players are up at once running between the wickets at opposite ends of the pitch. If the batter hits the ball and it hits the ground before it passes the far cone, the team gets four points. If it sails through the air and lands past the cone (like a home run), the team gets six points.

Passions run high. Team captain Modasir presses volunteer coach, Selvam Mani, who drives more than an hour to the school each week when he has a di erent opinion about a point. Scoring is complicated as there are lots of ways besides runs to get points through “extras.”

As they play, the boys speak and yell in Pashtu or Dari, but sometimes English slips so I get more of a sense of what’s going on.

Some rules are too complicated for my rst game. ere are a zillion ways you can be dismissed or “out,” like if the wicketkeeper knocks a bail from a stump (the two small pieces of wood or plastic at the top of the stumps or vertical posts) before the batter returns after hitting the ball.

e bowler winds up. His elbow can’t straighten more than 15 degrees (I read that after the game). He runs a few steps propelling the ball forward. e bat cracks.

e boys shriek, whoop and laugh. Sheer exhilaration is the only way to describe it. Eighth-grader Bilal explains when I ask what makes the best cricket players so good.

“It’s all about your feeling, how you feel about becoming a cricket player. Like you have a good feeling, you can be the best player.”

e boys struggle to nd the right words sometimes but after talking some more, Bilal means a high level of commitment, focus and passion for the game.

Middle school boys are middle school boys no matter where you were born

It’s 37 degrees out on a recent Tuesday practice. Many aren’t wearing jackets.

“Where is your coat?” I ask Rashid. He ashes a sheepish grin.

“It’s at home. I didn’t wear it because when I coming on the bus, it was warm.” It’s mid-November, and it’s getting dark and hard to see the ball. But that doesn’t matter. As the light fades and his friends run around, sixth-grader Mohamed Edres, the student who described his sadness when he rst arrived as a newcomer in elementary school, tells me the club has helped shift his view of the school.

“School is like home,” he said. “Your teacher is like your mom, the principal is like your dad and the friends, they are … everybody is like your sister, brother.”

Club sponsor and teacher Fauls said that’s what makes cricket much more than a game.

“It’s just wonderful to have that community feeling here and to feel like you belong here and that you’re valued. To be able to do that for these kids warms my heart.”

is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

PHOTO BY HART VAN DENBURG CPR NEWS

The sun sets early in the mountains. But Black Hawk lights up. With five distinct dining options. Spy the snowfall from the rooftop spa.

Or, feel the heat from the expansive gaming floor, Where there’s no limit on the fun.

The sun may set early, But here, we play bright.

Experience the holidays.