Arvada Chamber of Commerce accepting application essays for the 2025 National Civics Bee
BY RYLEE DUNN
Every young history bu ’s favorite annual quiz-style competition is back, as the Arvada Chamber of Commerce will once again host the local portion of the 2025 National Civics Bee. e chamber began hosting the Civics Bee in 2023. Middle school students (6th, 7th and 8th grade) from public, private, charter and home schools in the Je co-area have until Feb. 4 to submit their 500-word essays, which make up the rst round of the competition. From there, 20 nalists will compete in the local competition, slated
for May 1 at Revive Church. e top three nalists from the local competition will advance to the state level. Each state’s winner will then move onto the national nals in Washington, D.C., scheduled for this fall. is year’s rst round essay topic asks students to “Identify a problem facing your community. How might a citizen solve the problem?”
Arvada Chamber of Commerce President Kami Welch said the chamber wants to do its part to ensure that local students are working to understand their community and the systems that exist within that community.
“ e Arvada Chamber is deeply invested in facilitating engagement with local policy and elected o cials for our businesses and community,” Welch said. “ e National Civics Bee is a unique opportunity for us to develop an active pipeline of civic engagement in Arvada and strengthen the way we all live, work, and learn together in the future.”
Finalists from the local competition will receive prizes, including a $500 cash prize for the rst-place winner of the Arvada competition. e winner of the state level of the competition will win $1,000.
Interested students can apply for the National Civics Bee at arvadachamber.org/ nationalcivicsbee.
Arvada does not select a city manager from the three finalists
None of the finalists won over city sta and council
BY RYLEE DUNN
e Arvada city team will go back to square one in their search for a new city manager, as a months-long search to nd a replacement for former City Manager Lorie Gillis ended with the city not selecting any of the three nalists for the job.
After an open house on Jan. 21 saw nalists Michael Lamar, Brandy Reitter and Jason Slowinski meet with city sta members and the general public, leaders from the city team and city council held a nal round of interviews the following day. After those interviews, it was decided that none of the candidates were quite right for the job.
A contributing factor in the decision was a panel of ve local city managers — Kathy Hodgson from Lakewood, Patrick Go from Wheat Ridge, Scott Vargo from Golden, Heather Geyer from Northglenn and Jennifer Ho man from Broom eld — who unanimously recommended Arvada continue their search.
“Hiring the City Manager is one of most important duties the Council has. We have to get this right,” Arvada Mayor Lauren Simpson said. “We had the pleasure to interview three incredibly talented professionals, each of whom brought a lot of insight and integrity to this process. I genuinely liked and admired each of them. But it’s a bit like Cinderella and her glass slipper — it has to be just the right t.”
Now, the city will start its search over from the beginning. It is unclear how long that search will take. Arvada has been without a permanent city manager since July 2024, when former City Manager Lorie Gillis resigned from the city.
Deputy City Manager Linda Haley has been serving in an interim capacity since then.
Gillis was hired in 2022 to replace Mark Deven, who retired from the role after 11 years with the city.
COURTESY ARVADA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Rocky Flats documentary released nationally
Filmmaker seeks to keep Rocky Flats history open
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
An Arvada native and lmmaker whose documentary examines the deadly history of Rocky Flats will soon be put on the national stage.
Following its premiere at the Denver Film Festival, “Half-Life of Memory: America’s Forgotten Atomic Bomb Factory” is set for national video release. e documentary became available to rent or own across North American digital HD platforms – including internet, cable, satellite, and DVD – beginning Jan 25, according to a news release.
e Rocky Flats lm will also have local theatrical screenings at Denver University, e Dairy Arts Center, and the Colorado Environmental Film Festival in the new few weeks, the news release states.
Half-Life of Memory exposes the legacy of Colorado’s Rocky Flats plant, which secretly produced thousands of atomic weapons. From illegal nuclear waste dumping to radioactive contamination in suburban Denver, Half-Life of Memory reveals the devastating aftermath of America’s nuclear ambitions, the news release states.
Black & Read moving to new location in Arvada
The documentary “Half-Life of Memory: America’s Forgotten Atomic Bomb Factory” was set to be released Jan. 25,
COLORADO SCREENINGS
University of Denver – Davis Auditorium
Rocky Flats churned out 70,000 plutonium “triggers” for nuclear weapons. e plant’s res, leaks and illegal dumping contaminated the Denver metro area with radioactive and toxic chemicals, according to an earlier news release about the lm.
A massive plutonium re in 1969 – one of the worst in U.S. history – sparked a decade of mass protests, eventually leading to an unprecedented raid by the FBI and the Department of Energy that shuttered the plant in 1989, according to the news release.
Half-Life of Memory is the rst fulllength lm by director Je Gipe, a visual artist best known for creating the Rocky Flats Cold War Horse monument. Gipe grew up in Arvada, downwind of the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. His father worked in the plant and was exposed to hazardous chemicals.
4:30 p.m., Jan. 31, at Sturm Hall, 20202040 South Race St., Denver
Hosted by nuclear fellows of DU, the screening will be followed by a discussion panel and a lab demonstration. Event Link: https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/film-screening-ofhalf-life-of-memory-tickets-1142064087429
Dairy Arts Center
2:00 p.m. Feb. 2, at Boedecker Cinema, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder
Presented by Boulder Environmental/Nature/Outdoors Film Festival. Post-screening conversation with director Je Gipe, former
FBI agent Jon Lipsky, and Rocky Flats Truth Force member Chet Tchozewski.
A post-screening conversation with director Je Gipe, former Rocky Flats worker Judy Padilla, and former FBI agent Jon Lipsky follows at 5 p.m.
Tickets:https://www.bouldereno .org/ february-2-2025-program
Colorado Environmental Film Festival
3:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Green Center at the Colorado School of Mines, 924 16th St, Golden Includes conversation with director Je Gipe & special guests. For Ticket info, go to https:// ce .net/tickets
Beloved haven for records, books, comics and games moving down the street
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After 34 years of giving customers a one-stop-shop for all of their music, literary and game-collecting interests in an unassuming strip mall o of 80th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard, local favorite Black and Read is moving to its very own freestanding building just down the street.
e shop’s team has spent the last few weeks packing up the store’s vast array of records, books, games and comic books and moving them to the new location; 6655 Wadsworth Blvd., right by Arvada High School and kitty corner to the strip mall that houses George’s Café, amongst others. e building Black and Read is moving into was formerly a Dollar Tree.
“ e DOE does not want to acknowledge the history of the plant,” Gipe said.
“Colorado instead wants to create a success story out there.”
Gipe told Colorado Community Media last October that he did not want Rocky Flats and its history to be whitewashed by state and local governments, who helped create the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in 2007.
FINALISTS
While the three nalists all have managerial experience, none are actively working as city managers — Lamar is the Regional Transit and Development Manager for the Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization, Reitter is the Executive Director of the Colorado Broadband O ce and Slowinski is the Associate Vice President at Colorado School of Mines.
“2025 is a new year and the Council feels good about the immense talent that’s out there,” Simpson said. “Arvada is a gem of a city. A lot of folks would love to be here. So we’re going to open it back up and nd that perfect t.”
e lm is scheduled for national video release on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, cable, and satellite via distributor Freestyle Digital Media. For more information, visit the website at www.hal ifeofmemory.com.
Watch the trailer on YouTube at www. youtube.com/watch?v=4s91cPfT0gE.
In a Facebook post announcing the move, a Black and Read sta member said that the move was necessitated by the shop outgrowing its old digs. As any visitor to the store can attest, the shop’s sprawling shelves and over owing bins are all part of the charm — though the extra legroom available at the new spot is a welcome addition.
were
in the
for
interviews,
“We have the best customers in the world, and everybody seems to be in agreement that we need more space,” the Facebook post reads. “After 34 years, it’s about time. Our new, and much larger free-standing building is just down the street on Wadsworth Blvd. e city of Arvada has been very good to us and we wanted to stay close.” e post continues to say that the new location will be lled with the same “eclectic selection of merchandise,” and all of the well-versed and helpful employees that make Black and Read such a staple.
An employee at the store wasn’t sure when the move would be complete but said the shop will be making a formal announcement when the new shop is up and running. e employee also said it was important for the shop to stay in Arvada; the Facebook post also thanked the store’s local customers.
“ anks again for your loyalty and support over the decades!” the statement said. “You’ve stuck with us through some di cult times and we are truly humbled by all the kind words over the years.”
The move was necessitated by the growing inventory of the eclectic shop. PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN
Three finalists
named
search
Arvada’s next city manager, but after their final round of
city o cials decided that none of the candidates were quite right for the job. COURTESY CITY OF ARVADA
A Professional Home Inspection Is the Best Investment You Can Make in a Home You Buy
The importance of hiring a professional home inspector can’t be overstated, whether you’re buying a new home from a builder or an existing home of any age.
Many, perhaps most, readers understand that and know how a professional inspector works in the context of a signed purchase contract. For others, let me answer your likely questions in hopes that some readers will benefit from this column. The questions below are from a consumer guide published by the National Association of Realtors, but the answers are all my own, based on over two decades of representing buyers in the purchase of both new and existing homes. What is a home inspection?
cause we’re in the Rocky Mountains, he will certainly recommend a test for radon gas using an electronic device that samples the air for the presence of radon gas once an hour for 48 hours. And he (as well as your agent) should always recommend a sewer scope to determine whether the sewer line from the house to the sewer main is damaged or simply requires cleaning. Are home inspections required?
Your inspector will be looking at every element of the home — the structure, the roof, the siding, the foundation, the flatwork (driveway, walkways, basement and garage slabs), rainwater management (downspouts, gradient of earth next to the foundation), insulation (both walls and attic), windows, doors, flooring and ceilings. He (or, rarely, she) will test all appliances, including disposal, and run a cycle of the dishwasher and clothes washer. He’ll test all faucets, making sure, for example, that hot is on the left and cold is on the right. He’ll fill sinks and bathtubs enough to see whether they leak when drained. He’ll flush toilets. He’ll test light switches and outlets, using a device which shows whether the hot/neutral polarity is correct, and whether the outlet is grounded. Within 5 feet of any water source, he’ll use the same device to see whether an outlet is ground-fault protected, as required by current building codes. If the home was built in the 1960-70s, he’ll check to see if there is aluminum wiring. If so, he’ll check whether the wiring has been pigtailed with copper. He’ll inspect the breaker box. He’ll look at the manufacturer’s tags on the furnace, A/C and water heater, which will tell him the year of manufacture. If they are over 15 years old, he’ll indicate that they are “beyond their useful life” on the inspection report, suggesting that the buyer should demand replacement, even if they’re working fine.
Your inspector is usually a generalist, and he’ll recommend a secondary inspection by a specialist if, for example, he suspects the presence of asbestos, or structural issues. Be-
No, but any buyer would be illadvised not to spend the few hundred dollars for a professional inspection, a radon test and a sewer scope, given that any single issue that is uncovered could cost far more to mitigate than you spent to uncover it, and the buyer could reasonably expect the seller to agree to the repair, especially when it’s a health or safety issue, as is often the case. That’s why I wrote in the headline that an inspection is your “best investment.”
Who performs the home inspection?
Fortunately, there are national associations (e.g., NACHI) which certify home inspectors, because the State of Colorado does not license or regulate home inspectors (which I have argued for in previous columns). Radon inspection is regulated, and the person who installs the device must be licensed. Sewer inspectors are also not licensed. That said, however, your real estate agent, if he or she is not a newbie, probably has all kinds of specialists, including electricians and structural engineers, that he can recommend based on past experience with other buyers. Who is responsible for inspection costs?
The state-mandated purchase contract says that inspection is the buyer’s responsibility and expense. Sometimes, a buyer will submit and “inspection objection” which demands that the seller hire, for example, a licensed electrician to inspect the home and make any recommended repairs, but a seller should reject such a provision and remind the buyer that doing so is the buyer’s responsibility and expense.
Should a buyer attend the inspection?
Absolutely. The inspector will provide a PDF detailing the results of the inspection, but there’s no substitute for the buyer to attend the inspection so the inspector can ex-
plain any issues that he uncovers, but also show where utility turn-offs are located and answer other buyer questions. How long does the home inspection take?
A thorough home inspection should take at least two and usually three hours for a typical single-family home. A condo or townhome can be inspected in less time, and a large home could take even longer, especially if there are outbuildings.
When the inspector has finished his rounds he will want to go over the key issues that he uncovered. He will have taken photos and possibly videos of the issues he uncovered, which will be included in the PDF he sends you and your agent that evening or the following day. Some inspectors now put their reports online, which has the benefit of including links to video clips.
Some inspectors provide a 3-ring binder
which not only includes the printed report, but also useful homeowner advice about all aspects of maintaining the home year-round. What does it mean if a home is listed as is?
I addressed this in my column two weeks ago, but let me repeat my comments. Yes, a seller may say upfront that the home is sold “as is” and that they will not make any repairs. Or, to win a bidding war, the buyer may “waive inspection” in their purchase contract, but I consider both actions bogus, for the reason that the buyer will (or should) still conduct a professional inspection, and, if a serious issue or two are uncovered, the buyer can still terminate the contract because of that condition. When notified, the seller will most likely want to salvage the contract by offering to make the necessary repair. Thus, the house was not sold “as is” after all, or the buyer didn’t really “waive inspection objection.”
Subdivisions Without an HOA Can Still Have Covenants
Covenants has been around for at least as long as subdivisions, and probably longer. Not so long ago, covenants tended to focus more on racial discrimination than on controlling things like the minimum or maximum size of homes, the requirement to have grass and one tree in the front yard, etc.
Nowadays those old covenants which discriminated against people of color and/or Jews are illegal and can’t be enforced, but there are covenants about those modern topics which can be enforced — but by whom?
That’s why homeowner associations (HOAs) were created. Not only do they provide services for which they charge dues, but they can enforce covenants plus their own rules and regulations to which homeowners must abide. And state law stands behind those enforcement powers. In fact, until last year an HOA could actually foreclose on a member’s home if they failed to pay fines for violations levied by the HOA. (Now an HOA can only foreclose on a member for unpaid dues.)
So, let’s say you are in a subdivision with no HOA (yippee!), but a neighbor is violating something in the covenants, such as parking their work truck or an abandoned car in their driveway or on their front lawn?
As the complaining neighbor, your only recourse is to sue the offending neighbor in civil court for violating the covenants that pertain to that home. Because of the cost and inconvenience associated with litigation, only egregious violations are likely to be enforced by one neighbor against another. Has this softened your attitude toward HOAs?
A Mini Restaurant Review...
Rita and I have discovered a great Mexican restaurant, La Huacha, right under our noses — literally. The restaurant is on the corner of Rogers Street and South Golden Road, on the 1st floor of GW Apartments. We live right above it!
This restaurant began as a food truck 1/4 mile away, but now they occupy the space occupied briefly by Pancho & Jane, which didn’t last long at all because it was just a bar with tacos. La Huacha is a full-menu restaurant. See www.LaHuacha.com and give it a try! It has a well deserved rating of 4.9 on Yelp and elsewhere.
I ordered their crispy chili rellenos and a tequila drink served in a carved-out pineapple which they call Pina Loca. Yum!
We Want to Help Refugees of the California Wildfires
If you know anyone who lost their home in the California wildfires who is thinking of relocating to the Denver area, we’d like to help them by rebating up to $10,000 of any commission we earn and using our connections to acquire and deliver donated furniture
and furnishings for their new home. You can download this column from www. JimSmithColumns.com and send it to them. Our broker associates and I look forward to serving them. Invite them to contact me or any of our broker associates listed below.
Arvada resident brings locally sourced soft-serve ice cream to town with Power Cone
Arvada’s newest ice cream shop o ers a modern spin on a classic confection
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
“I love ice cream, I’ve always loved ice cream — it’s the world’s most beloved food,” proclaimed Pete Castleberry, owner of Arvada’s newest ice cream shop, Power Cone.
Castleberry is something of an expert on the subject. While attending CU Boulder, he got a job working at Ben and Jerry’s — one he calls “the best job ever before this one” — and began dreaming of one day opening up his very own ice cream shop.
Noticing a death of soft serve options in the local area, Castleberry said he saw an opportunity to follow his dreams and carve out his own niche in the local market.
“I realized that there’s not a lot of soft serve options in the Denver Metro area,” Castleberry said. “You’re pretty much limited to chains. And I love soft serve ice cream. I love it anywhere I go… I wanted to provide a super high quality, ethically sourced soft serve ice cream, and do something and do something unique.”
With its locally sourced, homemade
soft serve mix, Castleberry said Power Cone is already breaking from industry norms to do something special.
Power Cone began as a family-run food truck in January 2023 and moved into a storefront on 8295 Ralston Road — just over from City Hall, across from Wol
Park — in mid-January of this year.
While the shop will operate with its winter hours for the time being, a grand opening is tentatively scheduled for the beginning of May, around when the store will go to expanded hours for the summer. For now, Power Cone is open from 1
to 9 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. e shop specializes in three classic avors — vanilla, chocolate and strawberry — along with a healthy dose of toppings including sprinkles, chocolate cream sandwiches (not Oreos, but not far o ), crushed peanuts, hot fudge and caramel. For the more adventurous crowd, cones can be topped with ghost pepper salt or crushed up potato chips for an out-of-the box- avor.
Castleberry said the spirit of soft serve is using toppings to create a wide variety of avor pro les, rather than having a slew of avors on tap. Soft serve spots are also limited by the number of machines they have — only one avor can be made from a machine.
“ e fun thing about soft serve is that you can make a soft serve cone and you can make it into a bunch of di erent things by rolling it in di erent toppings,” Castleberry said. “You can take a vanilla soft serve cone and roll it and crushed up chocolate cream cookies for kind of a cookies and cream experience... You can really do a lot with the toppings and making sundaes to create some di erent avors and create some variety there.
“We will never be a shop that has 1,000 avors,” Castleberry continued. “You know, my goal has always been to try to keep it simple but do what we do really well.”
Power Cone owner Pete Castleberry said he is a lifelong ice cream lover.
PHOTO BY LILLIAN FUGLEI
Je erson County appoints Daniel Conway as new CFO
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Je erson County recently appointed Daniel Conway as its Chief Financial Ofcer. Conway, who has been serving as interim CFO since September 2024, has been with the county for over two decades, serving in various roles, including budget analyst, director of strategy and planning and analysis.
As CFO, Conway will oversee the county’s nancial operations, ensuring scal responsibility, developing and implementing budget policies, analyzingnancial trends and collaborating with county leaders to maintain long-term nancial stability and strategic planning.
“We manage a complex budget with 36 separate funds and hundreds of revenue streams, and most of that comes from property taxes, and state and federal grants,” Conway said. “One of our biggest challenges is balancing those resources to meet the growing needs of our community.”
Conway acknowledges that Je erson County faces a complex nancial landscape and said he’s worked with county leaders to outline speci c strategies to address these challenges.
On the positive side, Conway said the recent passage of ballot measure 1A, which allows the county to retain revenue exceeding the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights revenue cap, is expected to have a signi cant impact.
“ is measure gives us the exibility to pursue grants and other funding sources that we couldn’t before,” Conway said.
“For many years now, the county has been forced to make a choice between receiving a grant and, in turn, increasing the refund to local taxpayers out of the general fund, or turning the grant away. But now we can leverage additional resources to improve services.”
Still, Conway acknowledged that lower property tax assessment rates set by the state legislature could o set some expected bene ts.
“We’re still going to have to plan carefully,” he said. “It’s about being smart with our resources and nding e ciencies wherever possible.”
Conway highlighted the budget team’s recent e orts to identify cost savings during the preparation of the 2025 budget.
“When we were preparing the 2025 budget, we had built in an option to reduce spending in the general fund if 1A didn’t pass,” Conway said. “Even though it did, we’ve still moved forward with many of those options because, through that exercise, we were able to identify several areas of e ciency.
“ at’s is going to be an ongoing effort in terms of trying to be the best scal stewards of the taxpayer dollars as we can,” he continued.
Looking ahead, Conway said his priority is to improve nancial controls and streamline processes across county departments.
“We have a very complex and nuanced nancial structure as a result of carrying out all of the state programs that we’re charged to do,” Conway said. “One of my objectives going forward is to help stan-
dardize many of our internal procedures to make sure that we have continuity and consistency in how we manage our dollars.”
A ordable housing is another area Conway identi ed as critical.
“Housing is a challenge not just for Je erson County, but across the metro area,” he said. “We’re continuing to look for ways to partner with some of our area agencies to see if there are di erent solutions. From a nancial perspective, we have to recognize the explicit powers of counties to ensure that we’re following statutory requirements of what we can do.”
Leadership principles and community engagement
Conway also emphasized the importance of collaboration and transparency.
“My principal role is to help facilitate a uni ed vision for the county,” he said. “It’s my goal, my objective and my responsibility to ensure that we’re working together towards our common objectives.”
He also highlighted e orts to involve the public in decision-making.
“We have a Budget Advisory Committee and an Audit Committee that include community members,” Conway explained. “We’re also on the verge of evaluating and identifying how to establish a Citizen’s Advisory Committee to review the 1A spending.”
During his career, Conway said he’s learned the value of clear communication.
“ e more we can engage and com-
REVERSE MORTGAGES
Daniel
municate with our local community, the better everybody will be,” Conway said. “We’re all in this together, and that’s a big aspect we really need to focus on.”
Conway’s focus on e ciency, transparency and collaboration comes at a pivotal time for Je erson County. “ e challenges are real, but so are the opportunities,” Conway said. “With the right approach, we can make a lasting impact for the residents of this county.”
Conway COURTESY PHOTO
Lookout Mountain Road is now closed every night
First responders, administrators testing overnight gate access through Jan. 28
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Any locals wanting to drive up to or down from Lookout Mountain at night should nd an alternative route.
A 4.1-mile stretch of Lookout Mountain Road across parklands will be closed to motor vehicles all night, every night, Je co Open Space o cials have announced. e closure went into e ect Jan. 29.
e only exceptions will be for rst responders and those with administrative access, like the local water district and the antenna operators, and in emergency situations like evacuations.
The road will be closed when the surrounding park areas close, which is one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise. In the winter, this is roughly 7 p.m.-5 a.m.
“We are encouraging motorists to plan accordingly if they travel after hours and choose alternate routes to reach their destination,” JCOS spokesman Matt Robbins stated in an Jan. 15 email update on the road closure.
Robbins confirmed the transmission lines and transformers at both the lower and upper gate sites have been installed. JCOS staff, first responders and those with administrative access were scheduled to test their overnight access through Jan. 15-28.
“Motorists can anticipate intermittent
Je erson County Open Space has installed gates along a 4-mile stretch of Lookout Mountain Road that will close after park hours. O cials have said the gates should help curb continual problems of people drinking, gra tiing, littering, and shooting guns in the park after hours.
closures and overnight closures through the testing and training period,” Robbins continued.
Lookout Mountain Road will be open overnight for pedestrians and cyclists only.
ey can’t use the trails, pullouts or restrooms, and signs will be posted at each gate site informing people of overnight rules. If problems continue overnight, Open Space o cials have said those privileges can be
taken away.
e project has been in the works for over a year, and residents on both sides of Lookout Mountain Road have generally supported it, as gun re and other illegal activity have become more frequent and serious.
In fact, many pushed Je co Open Space to install the gates before last summer, but o cials said Nov. 11 was the earliest possible date given the project’s legal requirements and practical scope.
roughout the process, including at public meetings this summer, some residents asked Open Space for access codes so they could continue to use the roads overnight, as they have for decades.
However, project lead Mary Ann Bonnell continually outlined several safety problems with that proposal, including potentially sharing their codes with others, visitors “piggybacking” o them as they drive through the gates, and endangering the pedestrians and cyclists using the roadway overnight.
e gates can be opened and closed remotely, she has explained, so rst responders can facilitate evacuations or respond to other emergencies.
Golden Police o cers and Je co Sheri ’s deputies have con rmed they’ll continue to patrol along the road for problems. ey’ll also keep a close eye on the surrounding areas to ensure the illegal behaviors don’t move into the neighborhoods and parking lots.
Additionally, JCOS will have several rounds of trash cleanup, gra ti removal and other work to address problem behaviors currently tied to the area’s overnight activity, Bonnell continued.
For more information, visit je co.us.
NEW YEAR, NEW PLAYS
The Su ragette’s Murder By Sandy Rustin
Directed by Margot Bordelon
Cowboys & Friends
Colorado Cowboy Gathering performers, organizers reflect on importance of Western lifestyle, storytelling
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In the song “Night Rider’s Lament,” a cowboy reads a letter from home asking: “Why do you ride for your money? / Tell me: Why do you rope for short pay? / You ain’t a’gettin’ nowhere / And you’re losin’ your share / Boy, you must have gone crazy out there.”
Perhaps some Colorado Cowboy Gathering attendees ask themselves the same thing every year, when the performers get on stage to sing songs and recite poems about long cattle drives, lonely nights in the wilderness, dangerous outlaws and other challenges one might face on the Western Frontier.
As those performers and organizers will explain, the cowboy lifestyle is certainly hard, but it’s also very rewarding.
“I’m grateful and blessed to remain in this lifestyle,” emcee Dennis Russell said.
Over the Jan. 17-19 weekend, the Colorado Cowboy Gathering returned to Golden for its annual shows at the Bu alo Rose. is year’s show featured 10 musical and poetry acts from four states.
e Jan. 17 “Kickin’ It O ” show was practically sold out with more than 200 attendees packed onto the main oor and spread around the balcony to enjoy a mix of original and classic cowboy poems and songs.
Russell was thankful for “so much participation,” as well as the quality of performers who traveled to Golden for the occasion.
e Colorado Cowboy Gathering started 36 years ago at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities and typically coincides with the National Western Stock Show.
Around 2011, CCG moved to the American Mountaineering Center in downtown Golden, Russell and fellow board member Susie Knight explained. e 2021 show was canceled because of COVID-19 but returned in January 2022. However, the organizers decided to forgo the 2023 show, but returned in 2024 at a new Golden venue.
“It worked out for our crowd,” Knight said. “ e Bu alo Rose was calling our name. … (Golden’s) Western connection just calls to cowboy culture.”
Should have been a cowboy
While there aren’t many in Golden anymore, Knight de ned a cowboy as someone who knows how to ranch, handle cattle and ride horses. Being handy with a rope is good too, she added.
Knight, who lives in Conifer, rides horses and guides trail rides, among similar work. Russell, who also ranches in Colorado, said working with livestock was a key trait of cowboys. But, he added that one’s relationship to the land is also crucial. Cowboys typically live “out at the end of the pavement” and have an intrinsic feeling for their surroundings, he described.
“You put the land and animals before yourself,” Russell continued. “ … You’re close to nature and close to God.”
Another aspect is following what Russell called “the cowboy code,” explaining: “When you give your word, you keep it.”
While this lifestyle isn’t for everyone, Russell and Knight said everyone can enjoy cowboy songs and poems. Knight described how the cowboy lifestyle is “romantic, attractive and wholesome” — traits that also pervade the songs and poems about it.
New Mexico musicians and twins Kacey and Jenna unborg, 19, shared their original songs Jan. 17 during their rst trip to the Colorado Cowboy Gathering. e unborgs grew up on a ranch and embraced their passion for music at a young age, learning to play the guitar, sing and write songs.
Like Knight and Russell, the unborgs said cowboy music and poetry often describes a love for the land; an appreciation for animals and people; and a respect for history and storytelling of the Old West.
Kacey described how she loves this style of music — calling it an “underground genre” — partly because of how di erent and soulful it is from other genres of music.
While these songs and stories of the Old West might not be completely true, it’s important to carry on the tradition, the unborgs said, and help others learn about and appreciate cowboy culture, they said.
“It’s a lot like folk music,” Jenna said. “It’s for the people. It’s relatable.”
For those on the outside looking in, the cowboy lifestyle might seem crazy or too hard, even if they appreciate the music and poetry it produces.
But, if the “Night Rider’s Lament” is anything to go by, the cowboys think everyone else is crazy. After all, they’re the ones miss-
ing out on the beauty of the untouched wilderness, the camaraderie of a cattle drive and seeing one’s perseverance pay dividends long-term.
“Why do they ride for their money? / Tell me: Why do they ride for short pay? / ey ain’t a’gettin’ nowhere / And they’re losin’ their share / Boy, they must have gone crazy out there / Son, they all must be crazy out there.”
A publication of
Call first: 3540 Evergreen Parkway, Evergreeen, CO, 80439
Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110
Phone: 303-566-4100
Web: ArvadaPress.com
To subscribe call 303-566-4100 or Scan this QR Code
BROOKE WARNER Executive Director brooke@ntln.org
LINDA SHAPLEY Director of Editorial & Audience lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com
KRISTEN FIORE West Metro Editor kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com
RYLEE DUNN Community Editor rdunn@coloradocommunitymedia.com
ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com
LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com
BUSINESS INQUIRIES For advertiser or vendor questions, please email our business department at accounting@ coloradocommunitymedia.com
Columnists & Guest Commentaries
Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Press. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.
Email letters to lkfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Deadline Tues. for the following week’s paper.
Arvada press A legal newspaper of general circulation in Je erson County, Colorado, the Arvada Press is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 3540 Evergreen Parkway, Evergreen, CO 80439.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Arvada Press, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110
CORRECTIONS
Colorado Trust for Local News asks readers to make us aware of mistakes we may have made.
Email linda@cotln.org if you notice a possible error you would like us to take a look at.
Doug Figgs performs at the Colorado Cowboy Gathering’s “Kickin’ It O ” show Jan. 17 at the Bu alo Rose. This year’s Colorado Cowboy Gathering featured 10 poetry and musical acts from four states.
Twins Jenna and Kacey Thunborg perform during the Colorado Cowboy Gathering’s “Kickin’ It O ” show Jan. 17 at the Bu alo Rose. Many attendees wore cowboy hats, boots and other Western apparel to the show, which typically coincides with the National Western Stock Show.
PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
The power of friendship, unwavering confidence and a commitment to action
This week, I want to share some lesser-known insights about two remarkable leaders: Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I learned about some of their stories in a fantastic podcast called “Hope rough History.”
In 1940, Winston Churchill believed he was the only person capable of saving Great Britain from the impending invasion by Germany. When he was appointed Prime Minister, he was already a familiar name worldwide, but few people had con dence in his ability to lead, and even fewer believed that Britain could fend o a German invasion. Churchill’s conviction was undeniable. Ultimately, he proved to be an exceptional leader, signi cantly contributing to saving the world from a terrible fate.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s true genius as a political leader lay in his relentless pursuit of solutions and his belief that it was essential for people to maintain hope. He rmly believed that combining action with hope would lead to
The Arvada
Every three years, the Arvada Center becomes the artistic hub of the state of Colorado, as it highlights the range of amazing creatives that call Colorado home during the Art of the State exhibition.
e 2025 show runs through Sunday, March 30, at the Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., and lls all 10,000 square feet of its three galleries with 148 pieces by 145 artists.
“ e show doesn’t pretend to fully capture everything in the state, but it provides a great snapshot of 2025 in the Colorado art scene,” said Collin Parson, director of Galleries and Curator. “ e call we put out to the entire state was for any media process and we have some of everything on display.”
Parson said the Arvada Center received about 2,500 submissions from more than 900 artists and he worked with fellow jurors Jane Burke, executive director of Union Hall, and Chris Herron, interim associate museum director of the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, to select the most innovative and moving pieces for display.
Laying out a show as diverse as Art of the State is no easy task, and Parson and his team worked hard to give each gallery a sense of cohesion, whether it’s through subject matter or media type. Visitors will nd familiar forms like paintings and ceramics alongside sculptures made of burrs and full installations that invite the viewer inside the work itself.
“I’m often asked why the exhibit is every three years and I think it’s the right amount of time for some people to leave the state and others to come here, adding new voices to the scene,” Parson said. “It also provides the opportunity for the kinds of work that speak to us to change along with the times.”
excellent results. FDR developed this philosophy during his struggles with polio; it became central to all his endeavors.
During World War II, these two world leaders became close friends. At one point, Churchill even received a letter from Roosevelt that concluded with, “It is fun to be in the same decade as you.” In many ways, both men played crucial roles in saving the world. eir friendship and core beliefs serve as inspiring models for us today, especially during personally challenging times.
As the con ict progressed, Churchill and Roosevelt’s friendship deepened. During World War II, they spent 113 days meeting face-to-face and exchanged over 2,000 letters and messages. e bond they forged allowed them to navi-
gate numerous di culties together, with encouragement and support evident in every communication.
When we face struggles, one of the most important things we can do is seek out our friends. eir presence provides immense support. Celebrate those friendships; they can help you overcome any di cult situation.
Beyond their friendship, when we examine the foundational beliefs of Churchill and Roosevelt, we see that the combination of absolute con dence, commitment to action, and unwavering hope was not only present in their every word and action but also instrumental in saving the world.
ose same core beliefs — con dence, action, and hope — can transform our individual worlds today, just as they did during World War II.
I understand that struggles can be overwhelming and that some days may feel insurmountable. However, do not lose sight of the fact that friendships, unwavering con dence, a commitment
to action and hope are powerful pillars upon which to build your approach to adversity. With these as your foundation, you will prevail.
I hope my words inspire you, and that you will share them with those who need encouragement. ank you to everyone who has shared their stories with me so far; I truly enjoy hearing how you nd valuable insights in these columns and use them to uplift those around you. is week, I would especially love to hear how the foundations of friendship, condence, action and hope help you. You can reach me 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.
Center can confirm the state of the art is strong COMING ATTRACTIONS
Many of the pieces on display have QR codes that visitors can scan and hear from the artist about the work, their approach and more. It provides a window into the creative process and makes the works even more impactful.
A person could spend all day wandering through the galleries and getting vibrant proof that Colorado is home to artists with unlimited imagination and ambition. And the aim is that visitors come away impressed by the range in Colorado.
“I hope people are inspired, challenged and supportive of Colorado artists,” Parson said. “ e Arvada Center Galleries are the home for Colorado artists and we want every artist to feel welcome here.”
A free RSVP is required to visit this exhibition. Visit https://arvadacenter.org/ events/art-of-the-state-2025 to make a reservation.
Artists Get Entangled in eir Work at Walker Fine Art
As we start o the new year, it’s worth considering what makes the biggest impact on our inner and outer worlds. Walker Fine Art gallery, 300 W. 11th Ave., No. A, in Denver, is doing just that with “Entanglement,” its rst exhibit of the year.
e show explores the connections between identity, memory, and the experiences that shape our worlds. Artists
Deidre Adams, Farida Hughes, Danny Williams, Doug Haeussner, Blair VaugnGruler and Brandon Reese creatively use abstraction to give voice to this powerful theme.
Learn more about the exhibition at www.walker neart.com.
LSO’s annual family concert returns
One of the best ways to get children into music is start them o early. at’s what makes the Lakewood Symphony Orchestra’s annual family concert, “Ansel and the Great Tree,” such a great time out. You can entertain your child and team them about music.
e concert will be held at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1. e show is about a very large tree and importance to a very tiny village and will be led by conductor Matthew Switzer. Additionally, Joel Hillan, a journalist with CBS 4, will be part in the performance’s “Add Story and Play” section, creating a story with audience participation. For more information and for ticketing, visit www.lakewoodsymphony.org.
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
Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Lauren Mayberry at the Gothic Theatre
As the lead singer of Scottish indie pop band Chvrches, Lauren Mayberry has crafted some of the 2010s’ best danceable-pop music. At the end of last year, she released Vicious Creature, her rst solo album and it maintains her skill for crafting earworms while diving into deeper and more personal topics. Songs like “Crocodile Tears,” about emotionally manipulative men, hit particularly hard in contemporary society. In support of the album, she’s coming to the Gothic eatre, 3263 S. Broadway, in Englewood, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1. Anyone who wants to get in their feelings on the dance oor shouldn’t miss it. Buy your tickets at www.axs.com.
Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.
should not be republished elsewhere.
• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.
• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.
• We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion.
• Please don’t send us more than one letter
Clarke Reader the WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Jim Roome
Denver-area facing surge in norovirus and whooping cough cases
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Colorado is grappling with an increase in norovirus cases this winter, with public health o cials urging residents to take proactive steps to prevent its spread. Norovirus, often called the stomach u or stomach bug, is highly contagious and causes symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps.
“Norovirus normally has a seasonal increase over the winter months, but this season does seem to be hitting a little harder,” said Melanie Rogers, a public health nurse and epidemiologist with the Je erson County Public Health Department.
“In 2023, we had 23 norovirus outbreaks in Je erson County. Last year, we saw 57, and this year, just since Jan. 1, we’ve already registered eight,” she said. Denver County Department of Public Health and Environment spokesperson Ryann Money said Denver County has had 13 suspected and/or con rmed outbreaks since the start of the year, and Douglas County Health Department’s Communications and Public A airs Director Caroline Frizell con rmed outbreaks are also on the rise there.
February 8, 1984 - December 7, 2024
“If we look at norovirus and unde ned gastrointestinal outbreaks, we investigated 10 last season through Jan. 21 and 18 this season thus far,” Frizell said.
Adams County Communications Manager Jennifer Lucero-Alvarez conrmed there had been ve norovirus/ gastroenteritis outbreaks in schools, childcare and residential care (nursing homes) facilities in January but said the increase in con rmed cases over this time last year could be due to uctuations in reported and increased media coverage.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, an outbreak is an unusual increase in illness within a speci c setting, such as schools, childcare facilities or long-term care centers.
Unlike the seasonal u and some other viruses, there’s no vaccine and having had norovirus in the past doesn’t o er future immunity.
Why norovirus is so contagious
Norovirus spreads easily through contaminated food, surfaces and air particles, and you often don’t know you have it until it’s too late to prevent exposing it to others.
“It takes so few particles of norovirus to make someone ill,” Rogers said. Once infected, individuals are contagious from the onset of symptoms and for at least 48 hours after recovery.
Don’t rely on hand sanitizer for protection to keep you safe.
“Hand sanitizer is actually ine ective against norovirus. It just kind of pushes it around,” Rogers said.
Proper handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the most e ective way to prevent infection. is is especially important after using the bathroom, before handling food and after caring for someone who is ill. It’s also vital to clean infected surfaces thoroughly. Since norovirus is resistant to many household cleaners, Rogers says the CDC recommends using a mixture of bleach and water on countertops and washing fabric at a high temperature.
Unlike the seasonal flu and some other viruses, there’s no vaccine and having had norovirus in the past doesn’t o er future immunity. SHUTTERSTOCK
Treatment
For those a ected by norovirus, Rogers explained that most cases resolve themselves within 48 hours and can be managed at home with supportive care. Symptoms can also include fever, headache and body aches, according to the CDC.
Rogers said staying hydrated is critical, especially for children and older adults at risk of severe dehydration. She recommends taking a drink with electrolytes and seeing a doctor if symptoms don’t improve or you suspect severe dehydration.
Whooping cough cases also on the rise
In addition to norovirus, Colorado is seeing an increase in pertussis, or whooping cough, cases. Pertussis is a respiratory illness caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It’s highly contagious and can cause severe coughing ts, making it particularly dangerous for infants and unvaccinated individuals.
“Pertussis is still raging out there right now,” said Rogers. “We’re seeing outbreaks in schools and childcare facilities, and it hasn’t really slowed.”
While pertussis can a ect people of all ages, children and young adults account for many of the reported cases.
Vaccination remains the most e ective way to protect against pertussis. e CDC recommends routine childhood vaccinations and periodic boosters to maintain protection against the disease.
According to Rogers, the body typically develops immunity about two weeks after vaccination.
For pertussis, early treatment with antibiotics can help reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent further spread. However, prevention through vaccination remains the most e ective strategy.
While norovirus cases peak during winter, it remains a year-round threat. Likewise, pertussis outbreaks can occur at any time. Colorado residents can protect themselves and their communities by practicing good hygiene, cleaning thoroughly and staying up to date with vaccinations.
For information on norovirus prevention and disinfection, visit the CDC’s Norovirus Prevention and Cleaning Guidelines. To learn more about pertussis and vaccination schedules, consult the CDC’s Pertussis Overview.
It is with heavy hearts that I am now surpassing of my precious son, Troy Alexander Marcotte MR1 US Navy on 12/7/2024.
Troy was stationed in Guam at the time of his death. He was 40 years old. Troy was born in Florisssant, Missouri, Feb. 8, 1984. At age 12, his family moved to Arvada, Colorado where he graduated from Arvada High School in 2002.
After graduation, he was employed by Planet Honda and then by Mountain States Toyota until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2012. Troy served on the aircraft carriers USS George Washington CVN 73 and USS Ronald Reagan CVN 76. Troy served as a navy recruiter In Lubbock, Texas from 2017 to 2020. After that, he was on the USS Germantown out of San Diego, California. In 2023, he joined the US Naval Construction Battalion, known as Sea Bees and that was out of Gulf Port, Mississippi.
At the time of his passing, his unit was deployed in the US territory of Guam. Troy leaves behind his mother Sharon Marcotte, of Broom eld, Colorado; brother Destry J. Marcotte, of St. Charles, Missouri; brother Ryan J. Marcotte of Weatherford, Texas; sister RoxAnne M. Broadbent and her husband John Broadbent of Breckenridge, Colorado. One
niece Alex Driscoll of Boulder, Colorado; a brother Mark Bertagna of Phoenix, Arizona; and sister La Gina Teuteberg of Couer D Alene, Idaho.
Troy also leaves behind his chosen family Mom, Beckie Johnson, her sons, Tony, Brian and Brad and Brad’s wife Leah and daughter Willow, along with many friends too numerous to mention. He was preceded in death by his father Don Teuteberg and his maternal and fraternal grandparents.
In life, Troy was a giving, loving, caring son, brother and friend. During his time in the Navy, Troy was presented with many awards and has been acknowledged as an exceptional shipmate, leader and friend. His impact on many lives would last forever. Troy’s light in the world will continue to shine.
His celebration of life will be February 8 at the Elks Lodge in Arvada, Colorado, 5700 Yukon Street, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Everyone is invited. Donations may be made in honor of Troy to his friend recruit and shipmates foundation at www.nathangageingram.org. Donations will work to assist Gold Star families, active duty and veteran members of US military. May Troy rest in peace knowing the di erence he made in life.
MARCOTTE
Troy Alexander Marcotte
FETCHING SUCCESS
Local businesses serve Denver’s dog-lover haven
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
From handcrafted shampoo bars to stylish bow ties and everything in between, Denver businesses o ering specialized products and services for dogs are thriving in a city catered to man’s best friend.
e owners and creators behind these unique ventures shared why they enjoy improving the quality of life for the dogs of Denver, as well as why they think Denver loves canines.
Canine Rehabilitation & Conditioning Group LLC
Canine Rehabilitation & Conditioning Group LLC in Englewood is dedicated to helping dogs from puppies to senior dogs “fetch more out of life.”
“Our facility focuses on a number of bene ts for dogs from rehab rehabilitation, which is physical therapy for dogs, to recreational swimming tness and conditioning and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine along with chiropractic so any orthopedic or neurological issue that a dog has can be treated on the clinical side and recreationally the tness and conditioning and swimming pool helps healthy dogs stay t and healthy,” founder Lori Beuerle said.
Originally from Michigan, Beuerle said she opened the Englewood location in 2005 and a Broom eld location in 2010 with business partner and physical therapist Marty Pease.
Beuerle was seeking help for her dog, Clark.
“He had a shoulder issue that the orthopedic surgeon said we could either try physical therapy or rehab rehabilitation or exploratory surgery,” Beuerle said. “So there was a physical therapist operating out of the VRCC in the back o ce parttime and I decided to go with physical therapy and it solved the issue.”
After undergoing physical therapy, Beuerle said Clark was back to normal and didn’t have to undergo surgery. Pease was the physical therapist who helped Clark.
“ at convinced me that it needed to be available to more people so I talked with (Pease),” Beuerle said. “And she said, ‘I’d absolutely love to. I just don’t know what to do.’ So, I said ‘I can help with that.’ So, we started working together and nine months later we opened our Englewood location.”
She said over the years people throughout the metro area have responded well to the care offered at her facilities.
Beuerle said this response is the best aspect of her business.
“It’s just so rewarding to see a dog come in that is either not walking well or not walking at all and we’ve had cases where they’ve received acupuncture or underwater treadmill and they’ve been able to walk out the door,” Beuerle said.
Beuerle said one unique aspect of her business is that each location has the largest swimming
pools for dogs in Colorado and the pools contain freshwater.
“I thought recreational swimming would allow us to bring in more people to educate them on what rehabilitation can do and it worked out,” she said. “It wasn’t just a marketing piece. It was something that the community loves for their dogs.”
Beuerle feels people in Denver cater so much to dogs due to the weather and outdoor activities.
“We’ve got a lot of recreational activities for people (and they) move here because of it. ey can ski, hike, rock climb and all sorts of things,” she said. “So with that, we include our dogs as our family members and that is an attraction along with it that allows us to have businesses that can serve that population.”
Going forward, Beuerle said she hopes to expand nationally and open about 10-15 more locations around the country so that people everywhere have access to these services for their dogs.
Learn more at dog-swim.com.
Buddy Bows
While some Denver businesses focus on physical health, others like Denver’s Buddy Bows were created to help dogs with their sense of style.
Co-owner Peter Horton said Buddy Bows started going to markets in October last year. “Buddy Bows is a pet fashion accessory company and basically we design and handmake bowties for dogs,” Horton said.
e idea for the business initially began in April after Horton’s girlfriend and co-owner Michelle San Miguel designed a bowtie for her dog.
“I just absolutely fell in love with it so I asked her to make a couple for my dogs and she did and ever since I put them on the dog…literally every person was like, ‘Oh my God, I love the bowtie,”’ Horton said. “So I thought I should look into this to see if maybe it could be a potential business opportunity.”
Horton said the market is fragmented and while a lot of businesses are selling bow ties, they are not all the best quality.
“It’s like an ancillary product that a lot of other pet supply companies are doing and most of them are made in China and are very cheaply made and so we wanted to establish a true brand just for the bowties,” Horton said.
Horton said he and San Miguel work together to hand make the bows as Horton maps them out and San Miguel sews everything together.
Since they started selling their bowties, they’ve received very positive feedback.
“We have people that are absolutely just oored,” Horton said. “ ey’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is the greatest thing in the world. I’ve never seen this.’ And then they buy them.”
Horton feels the reason why people love the bowties is because they love to see their dogs looking cute.
“I don’t really know how to put it into words, but
it just brings a natural smile to your face and it’s just adorable,” Horton said.
San Miguel also feels Denver is so catered to dogs because of all the outdoor activities available that people can do with their dogs.
“I can’t speak for everyone of course, but there is something wonderful about the company of a fur baby,” San Miguel said. “ ey bring pure joy and love. ere’s nothing better than their love.”
For San Miguel the best aspect of Buddy Bows is meeting fellow dog owners and their “fur-babies.”
“I love getting to meet and see all the fur babies at events, pictures of fur babies with their new bow ties and getting to be a part of the community of creators and small business owners,” San Miguel said.
Horton loves working with San Miguel because it’s fun and he loves that their product makes people smile.
Going forward, both San Miguel and Horton hope the business will expand.
Learn more at buddybows.com.
SEE DOG HAVEN, P11
Owner of Buddy Bows, Michelle San Miguel’s dog Inu wears one of her first bow tie prototypes. San Miguel now hand makes and sells various types of bow ties for dogs with her boyfriend Peter Horton. COURTESY OF PETER HORTON
DOG HAVEN
Buddy Scrub
While San Miguel and Horton focus on canine fashion, 32-year-old Denverite Mitchell Teston, owner of Buddy Scrub, creates natural grooming products for dogs right in his mother’s kitchen.
“I make three things and I kind of just keep it simple,” Teston said. “I’m really happy with the way those three things work, and I’ve thought about expanding, but I keep changing my mind because I keep (sticking) to what I know.”
e three products Teston makes include a shampoo bar, coat spritzers and balms for their paws and nose.
“ e only other variation I have is ve di erent scents for the shampoo bars and the spritzers,” Teston said.
ose scents include sweet coconut, light grass, aloe and clover, eucalyptus and fresh-cut grass, which is his favorite.
Teston said his products, while not completely all-natural, are safe for dogs as he uses fragrant oils and not essential oils.
“All the ingredients in it are really gentle stu ,” Teston said. “It’s PH balanced for dogs so it’s not harsh. It won’t overly dry out their skin. A lot of dog shampoos from a dollar store, for example, like, yeah, it’ll clean your dog, but it’s not really balanced well and it can actually make them itchy or dry out.”
He explained he uses a buttermilk base, coconut oil extract and nely ground oatmeal in his items.
“One common question I get is if it’s all natural, and unfortunately, it’s not, but that’s just a conscious decision I make, so it’s higher quality and has a longer shelf life, and even so, I don’t use anything that’s super out there,” Teston said.
Buddy Scrub was started in 2021 after Teston was inspired by his mother Sharry Henk, who makes soaps and candles.
“I kind of took that idea and tried to make it more realistic and I was like, ‘Well, maybe I could make soaps, but I want to do something that’s more unique,” Teston said.
For Teston, the best aspect of being a business owner is talking with customers both new and returning and being able to reassure them that his product is quality and will directly help with any issues or concerns.
“I’m just glad to be so involved and out front with everything,” Teston said. “So, yeah, that’s one nice thing in contrast to some of (those) bigger stores.”
Similarly to his fellow dog business owners, Teston believes Denver is so focused on dogs because of the outdoors.
“I think it’s just that kind of lifestyle that is fun and it invites space to have a companion with you,” Teston said. “ ere’s a lot of parks in Denver. at’s something I’ve come to appreciate over time…Denver feels a lot more open and a lot more space to have a dog.”
Currently, Teston works in higher education full-time and runs Buddy Scrub in his spare time with help from Henk and his girlfriend Jessica Pike.
Going forward, Teston said he hopes to work in other businesses including nonpro ts that help dogs and animals.
“I hope to get a little more regular with the markets and events I go to,” Teston said. “(Also) just kind of building a network of working with other businesses and adoption agencies and just other things beyond just farmers markets type things.”
Learn more at buddyscrubpet.com.
A client at Canine Rehabilitation & Conditioning Group LLC in Englewood utilizes water walking, a service they o ered to dogs to help improve their quality of life. COURTESY OF CANINE REHABILITATION & CONDITIONING GROUP LLC
An employee at Canine Rehabilitation & Conditioning Group LLC assists a dog through an exercise. The facility provides many services to improve the quality of life for canines from puppies to senior dogs.
COURTESY OF CANINE REHABILITATION & CONDITIONING GROUP LLC
Buddy Scrub owner and operator Mitch Teston begins the process to make one of his shampoo bars for dogs. Teston has operated his business for the last four years and sells his products at local farmers markets.
PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY
Mitch Teston, owner of Buddy Scrub, makes three pet care products for dogs including shampoo bars, spritzers and paw and nose balms in the kitchen of his mothers apartment. PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY
Owners of Buddy Bow Michelle San Miguel and Peter Horton at their first event after deciding to make bow ties for dogs.
COURTESY OF PETER HORTON
Colorado names its top five air contaminants
BY PARKER YAMASAKI
THE COLORADO SUN
e Colorado Air Quality Control Commission on Jan. 17 named ve pollutants as priority air toxics, one of the key steps in a multiyear process to ratchet back neighborhood air pollution.
ose hazardous pollutants, known as air toxics, are formaldehyde, benzene, hexavalent chromium compounds, ethylene oxide and hydrogen sul de.
e contaminants are separate from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas and ozone regulations, though four of the ve of them appear on both lists. e new list, known as regulation 30, was created to target street-level toxins with adverse health effects on individuals, and to ll in gaps in the federal framework.
e list is the latest move to comply with Colorado House Bill 1244, passed in 2022, which laid out a roadmap to a more robust toxic contaminants program. One of the bill’s statutes required the Air Quality Control Commission and Air Pollution Control Division to identify “up to ve” priority toxins by April 30, which will become the focus of a yearlong regulation-building process.
ing and enforcement protocols.
e state-led program is meant to be more stringent than the EPA’s regulations, and will be shielded from any federal changes to the EPA. e new program also gives the commission more exibility in determining which compounds to target.
Green Latinos encouraged the division to review the list on a more frequent, rolling basis. While representatives from Weld County’s Board of Commissioners were concerned about the feasibility of constantly creating new regulations.
Next comes rules to regulate them in street-level toxic air program SEE CONTAMINANTS, P23
health of residents in Colorado,” said Michael Ogletree, director of the Air Pollution Control Division.
ose speci cs were debated by representatives from the oil and gas industry, environmental justice groups, local governments and county commissioners ursday and Friday.
Meet your top five toxics
By April 30, 2026, the commission must create “health-based” standards for each of the toxins, and establish new monitor-
e bill allows contaminants to be added at any time, within reason, and requires a review of the list at least once every ve years. Advocacy groups like
“All legislation as it pertains to air quality is not just a matter of, you know, meeting ambitious goals around (nitrogen oxide) reduction or greenhouse gas reduction, but rather what are the speci c things we’re doing to improve the
Almost every toxin selected by the Air Pollution Control Division was challenged at some point during the two days of testimony. e biggest headaches for the commission were the inclusion of acrolein — swapped for formaldehyde at the eleventh hour — and hydrogen sulde, a compound that is not agged by the EPA as a hazardous air pollutant. So, what are the rst ve toxics? e compound formaldehyde was presented by the Green Latinos advocacy group as a substitute for acrolein, which was originally included on the list. Both are combustion-related compounds emitted from natural gas processing plants. However, formaldehyde is considered a probable cancer-causing compound by the EPA, where acrolein is not. A number of other parties followed Green Latino’s suit and pushed to include formaldehyde instead of acrolein. e largest emitter by far of formaldehyde in Colorado is wild res. But looking only at sources that can be directly regulated, the impacts of regulation would mostly be felt in the oil and gas industry. Benzene, on the other hand, received almost no pushback.
An air particle and quality monitoring device provided by Boulder AIR on Feb. 17, 2023, in Commerce City. PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN FOR THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA
Thu 2/06
Unleashed Theater New Play Reading Series at Western Sky Bar & Taproom @ 6pm
Feb 6th - May 1st
Western Sky Bar & Taproom, 4361 S BROAD‐WAY, Englewood. westernskybarco@gmail.com
Kat Edmonson
@ 6:30pm
Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Den‐
ver
FATALIST
@ 7pm
Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver
Friends of Chamber Music Denver: Danish String Quartet @ 7:30pm
Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E Iliff Ave, Denver
Fri 2/07
ingridavison: Ingrid Avison @ Spirit Hound @ 6pm
Spirit Hound Distillers Highlands Tast‐ing Room, 3622 Tejon St, Denver Bowers @ 6pm Ski House, 2719 Larimer St, Denver
Eric Thorin: The Bow Tides in Denver @ 8pm
Swallow Hill Music Association, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver
Bass Ops: Joust + Proxxxy + Bonkr
@ 10pm / $14.95 Club Vinyl, Denver
Ian Asher @ 10pm / $24.95
The Church Nightclub, Denver
Sat 2/08
The Rock and Roll Playhouse @ 11am Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Denver
Sarah Slaton @ 5pm
Mon 2/10
The Eddy Taproom & Hotel, 1640 8th St, Golden
Patrick Dethlefs @ 7pm
Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St, Denver
The Prelude @ 7:30pm MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater, 2644 West 32nd Avenue, Denver
DJ Habibeats @ 10pm / $24.95 The Basement at Club Vinyl, Denver
Sun 2/09
Colorado Symphony OrchestraTchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 @ 1pm
Boettcher Concert Hall, 1400 Curtis Street, Denver
The River @ 5pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver
The Grinns @ 7pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver
The Happy Return @ 7pm
Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver
Tue 2/11
Tyler, The Creator @ 6pm
Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Cir, Denver
Ayron Jones @ 7pm
Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Den‐ver
Theory of a Deadman @ 7pm
Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Den‐ver
Derek Gripper in Denver, CO
@ 7:30pm
Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, 2201 Dexter St, Denver
Enjambre @ 8pm
Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Denver
Wed 2/12
Eivor @ 8pm
Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Denver
Foster the People @ 6:30pm / $45-$69.50 Fillmore Auditorium (Denver), Denver
Eric Martinez Band @ 7pm Lot 46 Music Bar, 5302 W 25th Ave, Edgewater
Sylvaine @ 8pm
Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Denver
How to keep pipes from freezing
Winter chill without preparation can lead to serious damage
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With arctic cold moving into the Denver metro area, the bitter temperatures could cause more than just discomfort — they might wreak havoc on your home.
Frozen pipes and heating system failures are two of the most common winter issues, but with preparation, you can avoid costly repairs, stay warm and keep your heat running e ciently. A little preparation now could save you thousands of dollars in damage and the headache of emergency plumbing repairs. Here’s how to protect your home and what to do if the worst happens.
Why frozen pipes are a big deal
A burst pipe can dump hundreds of gallons of water in minutes, damaging oors, furniture and even your home’s structure, according to Jaime Rodriguez, a master electrician with Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric.
“It’s like having your garden hose on full blast in your living room. at’s how much damage it can do in just an hour,” Rodriguez said.
Frozen pipes are more common than you might think, even in newer homes.
“People assume that if their house is new, they’re safe,’ Rodriguez said. “But sometimes, the insulation isn’t done right, or contractors leave areas unprotected, allowing cold air to get in.”
Warning signs
Rodriguez advises homeowners to be on the lookout for:
• Frost or icy patches on exposed pipes.
• Weak or no water ow.
ARC
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
“Find Connection…Discover Faith” All Are Welcome
Sunday Worship 10:00AM
Green Mountain Presbyterian Church 12900 W Alameda Pkwy Lakewood, CO 80228 303-985-8733 www.gmpc.net
• Strange smells from drains or faucets.
• Unusual clanking noises from your pipes.
If a faucet isn’t running or you notice these signs, it’s likely frozen. He said it’s important to act quickly to keep it from bursting by adding insulation or heat tape to warm the structure.
“Also, once the line has been compromised, your potential for future leaks is higher, so you’ll need to keep an eye on it,” Rodriguez said.
Tips to prevent frozen pipes
Rodriguez shared these practical steps to keep your pipes safe during the cold snap:
1. Know where your main water shuto valve Is: If a pipe bursts, you’ll need to shut o your water fast. Make sure everyone in your household knows where the valve is.
2. Let faucets drip: Keep a stream of water trickling out of vulnerable faucets like those that have been compromised in the past or that may be furthest from the water valve.
3. Open cabinet doors: under sinks to circulate warm air around the pipes.
4. Keep your home warm: Set your thermostat to at least 60 degrees, even if you’re leaving for the weekend. “It’s worth it to avoid a frozen pipe,” Rodriguez said. He also advises to keep your furnace or furnaces running and avoid allowing one area of the house to get cold.
5. Use heat or electrical tape: Consider heat tape, a pipe wrapping embedded with electrical coils, to provide an outside heat source to your exposed pipes. Be sure to use the kind with a built-in thermostat to keep them plugged in all winter. en, you won’t have to worry about power outages or forgetting to plug them in during cold spells.
6. Detach outdoor hoses: Leaving
hoses attached can cause outdoor faucets to freeze and crack.
Keep your heating system running smoothly
Heating failures during cold snaps can leave your home dangerously cold. Jesse White, service manager at Elkhorn Heating, emphasized the importance of maintaining your HVAC system: “A clean lter is crucial—check or replace yours before the cold hits.”
Other tips to keep your heating system running e ciently:
• Clear snow around vents: “Snow buildup on high-e ciency furnace exhaust pipes can block air ow and shut down your system. It can also create a dangerous system where carbon monoxide is returning into the home,” White said.
• Avoid cranking down the heat: “If you set your programmable thermostat too low, it can overwork your furnace when bringing the temperature back up,” he explained.
What to do if the heat fails
If your heating system stops working, White advises:
• Don’t use a gas oven to heat your home: is can produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.
• Use space heaters safely: Keep them on at, level surfaces, clear of clutter and ensure your electrical system can handle the load.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors: Place them near bedrooms and on each oor of your home.
What to do if a pipe freezes or bursts
Turn o your main water valve immediately if you suspect a frozen pipe. Open faucets to relieve pressure and call a plumber to assess and repair any damage.
“Once a pipe bursts, the damage can escalate quickly,” Rodriguez warned.
“Don’t wait to get help.”
Advertise Your Place of Worship HERE
Water Spiritual Community (Unity) LGBTQ+ SAFE
We meet in person with extraordinary live music on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month from 10:30a.m. to noon at: Activity Options, 7401 W. 59th Ave., Arvada, 80003. All other Sunday meetings are on zoom from 10:30a.m. to noon.
Please phone: 720-576-9193, or email: livingwaterspiritualcommunity@gmail.com
Our website is: www.livingwaterunity.org
To advertise your place of worship in this section, call Erin at 303-566-4074 or email eaddenbrooke@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com
• Watch for warning signs: If your furnace is short-cycling (turning on and o quickly) or struggling to maintain temperature, it’s time to call a professional.
For those leaving town, Rodriguez advises turning o the main water valve and draining the lines by opening all the faucets. “ at way, your pipes won’t be pressurized while you’re away,” he said.
Left, a burst pipe. Right, an open cabinet will increase heat around pipes along the outside walls.
Arvada Beer Garden arrives with millions in public support
The city’s Urban Renewal Authority is supporting it and other developments
BY ANDREW KINNEY DENVERITE
More than a decade ago, a group of investors opened the Lowry Beer Garden in east Denver, billing it as the rst business of its kind in Colorado.
Since then, the concept has spread across the state: outdoor, public-oriented spaces that serve beer and food. e same company, City Street Investors, has opened gardens in Edgewater and Green Valley Ranch.
“ ey’re wonderful activators and neighborhood gathering spots, and you can see why a lot of cities and towns would nd it pretty appealing,” said Joe Vostrejs, a principal with CSI, in an interview with Denverite is year, they’ll open the Arvada Beer Garden, with several million dollars in support from local taxpayers.
e new location will be a centerpiece of a major redevelopment near Olde Town Arvada, sitting at the west end of Ralston Central Park.
A larger revitalization project
In recent years, the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority (or AURA) has supported and funded the ongoing development of hundreds of apartments, dozens of townhomes, road projects and parks in the area, known as Ralston Fields.
“We brought in all these new housing units and all the fast-casual restaurants, but what we didn’t have is a place that had a sense of community — we were looking for a place that was family friendly — people could come and linger,” said Maureen Phair, executive director of AURA.
Arvada Beer Garden will be at the northwest corner of Garrison Street and West 58th Avenue, also known as Ralston Road. e beer garden will include a central building and an adjoining patio and outdoor plaza, as well as another commercial building that will be leased out to a third party.
e design is inspired by beer gardens that Vostrejs visited in Europe years ago.
“Every tiny little village that we came to had a beer garden,” he said. “ e entire village would be there, all ages, just having a grand old time.”
Food and drink selection should resemble the menus at the company’s oth-
er beer gardens, including an extensive nonalcoholic menu, the partners said. An opening could happen by June.
Millions in local tax support
e beer garden — and a lot of the surrounding development — is happening with a lot of help from local tax dollars.
e beer garden site was previously a gas station. AURA bought the gas station property for $3 million in 2020, part of a larger series of land purchases in the area. e authority also spent $40,000 for demolition, while the state cleaned up the site.
Finally, AURA sold the corner lot in 2024 to City Street Investors for only $270,000. Other developers in the area have gotten similar subsidies like discounted land or tax bene ts.
AURA also contributed $1.6 million to help build the beer garden’s outdoor area, including a plaza that will sit on private land but will be open to the public. A heating system will help keep the building’s patio and the plaza comfortable in winter.
CSI previously said it would send $4 million of its own money on the project, and they said it’s now “a fair amount higher.” Beer gardens are hard to build without substantial help from a local government, or as part of a larger de-
velopment, because they require a lot of land. e two buildings and the plaza will take up an acre.
“ e beer gardens, they’re very expensive to develop — and part of what makes them expensive is that you need a lot of land. To get the right vibe and make it work, you need to have thousands of square feet,” Vostrejs said.
e goal of the public incentives, Phair said, is to attract new development — and tax dollars — to redevelop aging parts of town. e new projects are replacing strip malls that once held businesses like Kmart and Chuck E. Cheese.
“ e private sector is not interested in coming into these older sections of town,” Phair said. “We are the public in a public-private partnership, and we have to lure the private there to say hey, ‘Do you see the vision, do you see how good the bones are?’”
e funding for AURA’s investment in the area comes from taxes generated by a Super Target and Super Walmart and others in the area. AURA is temporarily receiving a portion of property and sales taxes generated from those new developments. In 2028, that money will revert to the taxing entities instead.
A similar strategy helped to revitalize Olde Town Arvada, with tax funding coming from stores like Costco, Home
Depot and Lowes to the south. ere was no competitive bid process to choose a developer for the beer garden lot, Phair said. She originally reached out to CSI about the project, she said. CSI is also known for its involvement in local restaurants like Cholon and larger projects like Denver Union Station. AURA did conduct a competitive bid process to choose the master developer for the broader area.
What else is happening?
Construction of the beer garden and surrounding projects are well underway. e beer garden will border Ralston Commons, with 195 planned apartments and 27 townhomes. Further west, the Caroline at Ralston has replaced a former Kmart site with 328 apartments, an acre park and another 10,000 feet of commercial space. (About 16 of the Caroline apartments will be designated affordable.)
To the south, Ralston Gardens includes 102 designated a ordable units. It’s next to the Garrison Paseo, with a pathway and planting beds winding up a sloped parcel. is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite. com.
Bird to seeks State Senate District 25 seat
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Democrat State Representative Shannon Bird announced Jan. 17 that she is running for the Colorado State Senate District 25 seat, currently being held by Faith Winter. Winter nished up her second and nal term in 2024.
Bird is a former member of the Westminster City Council and a four-term member of the Colorado State House. Her work in the state legislature included expanding small business opportunities, ghting the rising cost of housing and making sure Colorado children get the
in the to
best education in the nation, according to a Bird news release.
“I am proud of my service on the Westminster City Council and as a member of the Colorado State House of Representatives,” Bird said in the news release. “I have worked hard to solve the challenges that Colorado faces, from the rising costs of housing and healthcare, making our communities safer, and increasing our investment in Colorado’s education system.”
Bird was rst elected to the State House
in 2018 and has been re-elected by signi cant margins since, the news release states. In the legislature, Bird has served on the House Appropriations, Finance, Business A airs and Labor committees as well as the key Joint Budget Committee that oversees Colorado’s budget. Her experience will be critical in the State Senate as Colorado faces a budget shortfall and rising costs of living, the news release states.
“I have worked hard to solve the challenges that Colorado faces, from the rising costs of housing and healthcare, making our communities safer, and increasing our investment in Colorado’s
education system,” she said in the news release.
“As Donald Trump prepares to take o ce,” Bird added, “we need leaders in Colorado who will stand up to his attempts to bully our state. From protecting reproductive healthcare access to helping our small businesses overcome the challenges of tari s, I am committed to helping all Colorado families thrive.” Senate District 25 includes Westminster, Northglenn, Broom eld, and Shaw Heights. Colorado’s Independent Redistricting Commission shows that Democrats have a 16-point advantage in the seat.
The future site of the Arvada Beer Garden on Dec. 22, 2024.
PHOTO BY ANDREW KENNEY FOR DENVERITE
Sending joy to veterans this Valentine’s Day
The Love Letter Project will accept cards until Feb. 2
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Community members can brighten the days of Colorado veterans this year by making cards through a local arts project.
e Love Letter Project, through a partnership with Littleton’s ROX Arts Gallery and the Aspen Grove shopping center, o ers free card-making kits and a mailbox to drop o completed cards. e cards will be delivered to local veterans in time for Valentine’s Day, Aspen Grove spokesperson Janet Jerde said.
“By encouraging community members to write letters, the project aims to create a meaningful and personal connection that honors and uplifts veterans, showing them they are valued and remembered,” she said. “It’s a way to spread love, kindness, and a sense of community while giving back to those who have served.”
Priscilla Wohl, president of the Roxborough Arts Council, which manages ROX Arts Gallery, said the project is in its fth year. e initiative started in 2020 as a way to thank doctors and nurses at AdventHealth Littleton, she said. Since then, the organizers have worked each year to coordinate card delivery to different groups, including children in local hospitals, seniors through the Meals on Wheels program and veterans.
“Each year, we look to nd another group of people who could use a word of thanks and encouragement,” Jerde said.
is year, the organizers are partnering with the Denver Veterans A airs Regional O ce to deliver cards to individuals in Veterans Community Living Centers across the state, Jerde said. Veterans in Denver, Fitzsimmons, Florence, Monte Vista, Ri e, Grand Junction and Colorado Springs will receive cards, she said.
Wohl said volunteer artists gathered at ROX Arts Gallery to assemble 2,000 card-making kits that include cardstock, ribbons, stickers and other crafting supplies. Community members can pick the kits up for free or make cards with their own supplies.
e project is funded by dollars from Aspen Grove and the Colorado Scienti c and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), of which the Roxborough Arts Council is a
member, Wohl said. ose who participate can drop o their cards at the mailbox outside of ROX Arts Gallery in Aspen Grove, located at 7301 S. Santa Fe Dr., Suite 222. Cards must be dropped o by Feb. 2.
“It gives the community an opportunity to say thank you and to extend some kindness to people who they otherwise wouldn’t be in contact with,” Wohl said.
“It’s a way to remind people they’re be-
ing thought of, they’re remembered and — in particular with veterans — their service matters.”
e organizers encourage individuals, schools, local groups and organizations, businesses, and others to participate in the project.
“We want to remind everyone of the power of words,” Jerde said. “A thoughtful note can brighten someone’s day and create a lasting emotional impact.”
A card from a Girl Scout troop for The Love Letter Project in 2024. PHOTO COURTESY OF JANET JERDE
A sign and a mailbox at ROX Arts Gallery, where community members can drop o cards for The Love Letter Project. PHOTO COURTESY OF JANET JERDE
MARKETPLACE
Notices
MEN AND WOMEN
AMERICA. A social club offering many exciting activities and life long friendships. Social hours for all areas of Metro Denver. Visit
Widowedamerica.org for details In your area!
Split & Delivered $450 a cord Stacking $50 Call 303-647-2475 or 720-323-2173
Health & Beauty
Dental insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400+ procedures. Real dental insurance - not just a discount plan. Get your free Information Kit with details! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/ads #6258 Medical
Attention oxygen therapy users! Discover oxygen therapy that moves with you with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. Free information kit. 1-866-4779045
Miscellaneous
Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 833-308-1971
Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. Offer ends 3/30/25.) Call 1-844-501-3208 Portable Oxygen Concentrator may be covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobil-ity with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 877-305-1535
Miscellaneous
Become a published author We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author`s guide 1-877-7294998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ ads
Water damage cleanup: A small amount of water can cause major damage to your home. Our trusted professionals dry out wet areas & repair to protect your family & your home value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809. Have zip code!
Aging Roof? New Homeowner? Got Storm Damage? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888-878-9091
Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase* Call 1-855948-6176 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.
Consumer Cellular - same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No longterm contract, no hidden fees free activation. All plans feature unlimited talk & text, starting at just $20/mo. Call 1-877-751-0866
Bath & shower updates in as little as 1 day! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts available. 1-877-5439189
Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris -blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833610-1936
We buy houses for cash as is! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer & get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-844-8775833
Don’t let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-833-399-3595
or
1,000 sq. ft office. $1,500 per month.
Be the 1st to rent one of these great spaces!
Offices are located next to: Cleary Building Corp: 755 Crossroads Circle, Elizabeth, Colorado Contact 303-660-0420 or 800-373-5550
MARKETPLACE
Miscellaneous
DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/ Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866859-0405
Home break-ins take less than 60 seconds. Don’t wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets now for as little as 70¢/ day! 1-844-591-7951
MobileHelp America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! Call 1-888-489-3936
CONTAMINANTS
It’s a widely used chemical found in everyday sources like cleaning products, paint and gasoline, and is also emitted from combustion sources, like vehicle exhaust and res. Most of the stationary benzene emissions in Colorado — about 70% — come from oil and gas activities.
Residents in Commerce City and northeast Denver have criticized the nearby Suncor re nery for exposing them to benzene for years, and the EPA has repeatedly cited and ned the re nery for its out-ofcontrol emissions.
Hexavalent chromium was chosen because of its cancer risk. e vast majority of hexavalent chromium emitted in Colorado comes from coal- red power plants, which the state is in the process of shutting down by 2031. e division maintained that the greatest risks to individuals’ health comes from smaller manufacturers that work with metals and glass.
Ethylene oxide is a colorless gas used in making a range of everyday products, including antifreeze, textiles, plastics, detergents and adhesives, according to the division. It’s primarily emitted from commercial sterilizers, like Terumo BCT in Lakewood, which is already under ethylene oxide restrictions after pressure from nearby residents and the EPA.
Finally, hydrogen sul de, the colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs at low levels (the one that signals a nearby hot spring), is emitted from natural sources, like decaying organic matter, and indus-
POWER CONE
trial activities like petroleum re ning and wastewater processing.
Hydrogen sul de is not on the EPA’s list of hazardous air pollutants, and has not been shown to cause cancers. According to the division’s report, it was added to the list because of its cumulative e ects — its ability to join with other toxic compounds and cause headache, nausea and chronic coughs, among other symptoms. e data showing hydrogen sul de as a signi cant risk was primarily taken from monitors by the nonpro t advocacy group Cultivando, which tracks the air quality around Commerce City.
e limited data around hydrogen sulde raised questions from groups like the Colorado Petroleum Association and Metro Water Recovery. e toxin is emitted from the wastewater treatment center’s massive “digesters,” tanks where the matter is broken down. Metro asked the commission to exempt wastewater facilities from its regulations.
But advocacy groups from Commerce City and northeast Denver provided resident testimony and data that encouraged the commission to include the compound in its priority list. As the commission later reiterated, one of the reasons the air toxics program was created is to ll in gaps in the federal framework, and the lack of widespread data didn’t preclude its inclusion. Representatives from the City and County of Denver went a step further and insisted that “lived experience” should be considered relevant data for choosing new toxins.
What’s in and what’s out
To narrow it down to the rst ve tar-
For now, the Power Cone team is still family centric — Castleberry’s two young daughters help out in the shop when they’re not in school, and his wife has been a longtime contributor to the business — but is slowly expanding their team. Castleberry said the move into a shop has been an adjustment, but one that’s very welcome for the Arvada resident, who added that it was important to him to open up the brick-and-mortar location in town.
geted toxics, the Air Pollution Control Division started with a list of 477 possible contenders — basically, anything found in Colorado air that has been known to cause cancer or other serious health effects.
ey surveyed state-controlled air quality monitors, and EPA measurements and models, to whittle that list down to 142 contaminants with enough data available to analyze, then screened each one for its cancer and noncancer risks.
at process popped out 41 contaminants that exceeded the risk thresholds. For cancer risk, that threshold is anything greater than 100 cancer cases per million people caused by a single compound. For noncancer risk, that threshold is measured as a “hazard quotient.” Anything above a hazard quotient of 1 is expected to cause adverse e ects.
Finally, the division ruled out any toxics emitted mainly by vegetation, soils or wild res, and excluded mobile sources of toxics. e remaining toxics were ranked from highest to lowest in terms of cancer and noncancer risks, and the ve compounds were chosen.
ree toxins were chosen because they had the highest risk rankings in each category, two were chosen because of their high risk and wide exposure.
A chicken and a rotten egg situation
One major point of contention at ursday’s hearing was about the order of operations. e statute requires the commission to pick out their priority toxics before April 30, after which, the regulatory discussions can begin.
“I’ve learned a lot during that time frame, and people seem to really enjoy the ice cream that I had been making,” Castleberry said of the time spent in the truck before moving into the storefront. “ at gave me the opportunity to really ne tune my recipe and my ingredients and think about how to operationalize everything.
“And ultimately, I wanted a home base for my truck to operate out of, but also a place where people could come, even during the cold months,” Castleberry continued. “I live in Arvada, and I wanted to have a community place in Arvada that serves up some most excellent soft serve.”
e truck will still be operating for special events, starting up again in February.
e Colorado Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, the American Petroleum Institute and Weld County commissioners all argued that the process was too stripped of context to make informed decisions. Weld County argued for a more “holistic” approach to the decision process, and urged the commission not to get “caught up” in the step-by-step deadlines. All of the groups emphasized the need to gain the public’s trust with the new program, and argued that prematurely deciding which contaminants to regulate, without assessing feasibility or economic impacts, could ruin the chances of a successful program rollout.
Advocacy groups like Cultivando and Green Latinos, on the other hand, pushed for establishing the priority contaminants. And the Air Pollution Control Division, which will be responsible for implementing the new program, acknowledged that the new program is a “paradigm shift” in how the commission and division manage risks.
“(We) have spent a lot of e ort recently before this commission to address global pollution, climate change, and regional pollutants in our areas of non-attainment,” said Amanda Damweber, air toxics regulation supervisor for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Air toxics are fundamentally di erent. ey require new policies and regulations to better manage risk for Colorado.”
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.
Power Cone just moved into its first brick and mortar shop, located at 8295 Ralston Road.
PHOTO BY LILLIAN FUGLEI
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
