Have a Healthy, Safe and Happy New Year!
Volume 15 • Edition 1
January 5, 2022
Delivering to over 8,600 homes & businesses in rural Adams, Morgan, and Weld Counties
“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light” George Washington “If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed” Thomas Jefferson
MARSHALL FIRE
By Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun
Wiggins Girls Basketball Tops Estes Park, 59-7 by Paul Dineen
Boulder County neighborhoods as seen on Friday Dec. 31, 2021. They were destroyed by wildfire the previous day. Photo by Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Three people are missing — and presumed dead — after the Marshall fire swept through Boulder County, authorities said Saturday, a day after they said all missing persons had been accounted for and that no one had died in the disaster. “We unfortunately believe these are going to turn into recovery cases,” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said at a news conference Saturday. “The structures where these folks would be are completely destroyed.” Jennifer Churchill, a spokeswoman for the Boulder Office of Emergency Management, declined to release the identities of the three missing people. But 9News reports one of the missing people is 91-year-old Nadine Turnbull, who lived in Superior. “They tried to go out,” Hutch Armstrong, Turnbull’s grandson, told the television station. “(Her home) was engulfed.” Pelle said two of the missing people were in Superior when the fire roared through, while the third was in the Marshall area. He said cadaver dogs will be used to try to find the missing people’s remains. “I think it’s miraculous that it’s three and not hundreds,” Pelle said of the missing people. Pelle said that debris at the homes where the missing people were “is hot, it’s all fallen in and it’s not covered with 8 inches of snow.” “We’ll continue to look for those folks and report out as soon as we have information,” Churchill said. Sheriff Pelle, at a news conference on Friday, called it a miracle that no one had been killed in the fire. Gov. Jared Polis echoed the celebration. But Churchill said Pelle had not been properly briefed and was unaware of the three unaccounted for people. “I think the sheriff probably wasn’t adequately briefed by us,” Churchill said. “That was an unfortunate error. We feel terrible.” The Marshall fire, the most destructive in Colorado history, burned across 6,000 acres on Thursday, torching as many as 1,000 homes. At least 991 destroyed structures have been identified so far, and more than 100 structures were damaged. Here’s the breakdown by area so far: • 553 were destroyed in Louisville, 45 were damaged • 332 were destroyed in Superior, 60 were damaged • 106 homes were destroyed in unincorporated Boulder County, 22 were damaged “It’s not final, but it’s very close,” Pelle said of the destroyed and damaged count. Tens of thousands were evacuated from Superior and Louisville because of the fire. A winter snowstorm blanketing the Front Range has halted the fire’s spread. U.S. 36 has reopened between Denver and Boulder and evacuees are Entire neighborhoods were destroyed expected to be allowed back into their homes on from the Marshall fire, as seen during Saturday afternoon. Publisher Note: As of an overflight on Friday morning Dec. 31, 2021. Photo provided by The Colorado 1/3/2022 one of the three missing persons has been located and is alive. The other two Sun. are still missing and presumed lost. For more pictures of the Marshall Fire go to page 16.
The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com
Tiger Riley Hunt battled for ten rebounds in Wiggins win over Estes Park on Thursday, December 16. (Paul Dineen / Get The Picture Sports LLC)
Like the boys squad, the Wiggins girls basketball team is beginning their season with tough competition. The high expectations of the coaching staff for this team are indicated by the choice of three opponents in 4A and one in 3A in the first five games. The first of those contests was a difficult learning experience, as Head Coach Randy Wilson described. “We opened against Roosevelt, which is a really impressive team,” he said. “They forced a ton of turnovers on us. That’s been a focus ever since.” Wiggins had 46 turnovers versus 19 for 4A Roosevelt and a shooting percentage of 21%. That flipped in game two against 4A Fort Morgan. Turnovers were cut to 17 and the shooting percentage raised to 61%, for a 69-25 victory. As Coach Wilson explained, “We turned our defense up, and that started our roll. We’ve gotten a little better each game.” It’s fair to say that ‘a little’ is an understatement. The Fort Morgan win was followed by another, a close one against 4A Riverdale Ridge. Then another, by 38 points against 2A Union Colony Prep. That pattern continued on December 16 against the visiting 3A Estes Park Bobcats. After opening with a 4-2 lead, the Tigers never looked back. The Raelyn Koenig shots in the Tigers win over quarter ended at 23-2, and 38-5 at halftime. Threequarters, 57-7. The final, Wiggins 59-7. Turnovers Estes Park on Thursday, December 16. (Paul Dineen / Get The Picture Sports LLC) were held to a season-low twelve. Wiggins Girls Basketball Tops Estes Park, 59-7 continued on page 4...
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE
Page 2: Way of the World Page 2: RE8 School District “Critical Race Theory” Resolution Comments Page 3: Cindy Baumgartner Comments to Keenesburg Trustees on 37.5% Increase Page 5: Elijah Hatch Announces Campaign for Weld County Commissioner at Large Page 13: Additional Old-Fashioned Christmas in Wiggins Pictures Page 14: New CO Minimum Wage Effective January 1, 2022 Page 16: Market Street Mart Customer Appreciation Day
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Way of the World by Bob Grand, Lost Creek Guide Every time we think we are so smart mother nature reminds us of who is really in charge. There will be two fatalities involved with the Boulder fires, a miracle in itself. Over 990 homes destroyed. It is being called the most catastrophic fire in the history of Colorado. Snow came a day late; a day earlier and there probably would not have been a fire of any magnitude. In January of 2022 Betty White would have been a hundred years old. She did not make it. The forever celebrity was an iconic figure in the entertainment industry and will be missed. Thank you, Betty White, for being you, and you were great! I do not know if it is because I am getting older or if it has just been a tough year. Lost some friends this year that I had not expected to. I try and follow reasonable protocols, but you have to wonder if some folks have just got too much politics involved, on both sides. Remember what you do that affects you is your business, but if what you do affects others, you need to think about that. The omicron variant is running amuck, but it looks like it does not have the severity that earlier variants have had. Hospitalizations are up but deaths are down. We can look forward to getting over the hype associated with COVID 19 and work towards getting back to a normal life. Too many people involved with EMT, hospital staff, teachers, young people, caregivers and parents have been so overwrought during this pandemic that, effectively, they have lost a year or two of their lives being normal. They will never be able to replace that. For those of us getting older that is precious time that we will never recover. I am sorry to see that there are members of the military that are being forced out for not getting vaccines as ordered. When you serve in the military you commit to obey your superiors. That is how the military works. It is the only way it can work. It is not a debating society. Nobody ever said it was fair. Governor Polis commuted the sentence of the truck driver that was involved in that terrible accident on I-70 that took four lives a while back. I can understand the frustration many have, but you have to ask shouldn’t drivers who run the mountain roads need to understand what it takes to drive up and more importantly down steep mountain roads? Having a CDL from Texas, in my mind, does not qualify a driver to run a big rig in the mountains. This is a question somebody should be asking. Or do we just wait for the next fatal accident? Next week is the one-year anniversary of the Capital disturbance in Washington D.C. It was not a good thing to have happen and I am sure there are a lot of folks who, upon reflection, think it was not a good idea to do. There are consequences for your actions, at least there should be. There are those that are beating the drum that the folks who participated in the Washington event should be punished. There are consequences for your actions. I just wish we treated everyone equally. These past couple of years we have seen rioting and looting where there has been little, if any, consequences, for those who participated. In my mind we tread a very thin line by not striving to enforce the law equitably across the country. You should not be treated differently for any reason. If you break the law, you face consequences. If you do not follow that course as a government, you allow the basis of our government to be eroded. Once that starts, where do you draw the line? It leads to a very slippery slope. With the New Year I hope that we will all strive to be better people. Give other people the benefit of the doubt. Try and be helpful to your fellow neighbor. You may need help yourself sooner than you think. I would ask that you all consider participating more in your local government or organizations. The intent being to give a little bit of yourself to make your community a better place to live for everyone. If we all gave just a little bit of money or time, imagine what a better place we would all have to live in. To all I wish a healthy, safe and Happy New Year in 2022. As always, your thoughts and comments are appreciated publisher@lostcreekguide.com
January 5, 2022
Statement to Weld School District RE8 Board Meeting Re: Critical Race Theory Resolution By Rosalie Martinez Re: Resolution to ban Critical Race Theory to Weld School District RE8 Presented by Cody LeBlanc and Jaime Sierra, RE8 Board Members. My name is Rosalie Martinez and I live at 555 Fulton Avenue in Fort Lupton. I do not know much about CRT but I read this resolution and am here to oppose its presentation to the RE8 Board of Education. This resolution opens up with soothing phrases meant to blind the public to its actual reality of censorship and misinformation, i.e., “there should be is no racism in our schools” and “CRT is an ideology based on false assumptions.” Our schools have always taught history, but not always with an equitable perspective. I remember the words of the Colorado Springs organization, focus on the Family… who said, “History deserves to be written by the winners.” Really? What if Hitler had won? All of us here pretty well know who the winners and losers were in our wears, our takeovers, our labor strikes, our walk-outs tec. but the most obvious example of how we are moving forward in the quest for equity came when Americans voted a black man as president based on his abilities and not the color of his skin. And now we are dealing with racial backlash. Schools and libraries are being targeted to censor reality in curriculums and books. I so proud of this school district for taking steps toward improved educational offerings such as Avid, bilingual education, a relevant curriculum, college and work preparatory classes, extensive counseling, etc. We lived through school walkouts, haystack burnings, dynamite sticks used in city hall. Why did we have to go through that? Because an amazing number of students came to realize that they had not received the kind of education that they wanted and needed. This resolution claims CRT is divisive. Is it divisive to learn from history books that actually tell it as it really happened? How do we solve our problems without studying the root problems that led to our violent separations? This resolution talks about not laying guilt on anyone as if this was the primary problem. It is attempting to say, “if the shoe fits, wear it.” But most people do not care about who is to blame , they want a solution. This resolution tells us that CRT bases its views primarily racial problems detracting from socio-economic solutions, Again, how can solve problems with limited or inaccurate information? For me personally, the full negative impact of a ban on CRT or any other similar curriculum is on the self-concept of our students. Growing up as an avid reader, I particularly enjoyed the stories of kings and queens of England, perhaps because England was most like the United States. Those English novels were incredibly positive about England and extremely negative about Spain and Portugal. They were described as cruel, greedy, pirates and kings lacking all human warmth and kindness, and capable of committing great atrocities. Later in life in my studies at CU I learned just how the brainwashing in printed materials had affected my self-concept. Are we going to deny our Fort Lupton students a more balanced picture? This book is entitled the History of Spanish, La Istoria de Espanol, and can be found in our library. It deals primarily with the study of linguistics and its history of formation. This book has a quote that says referring to the extent of the expansion of the language, “Just as it has been said that the sun never set on English soil, the dame can be said about the Spanish language.” I had never heard that said before, even into my old age. My roots are the Spanish language, and I Can take pride in its history. All countries have the same kind of winners and losers and the quest to solve our differences in a non-violent manner depends on the truth. My challenge is to all present. We Are never too old to read history as it now emerging with all its baggage and use that knowledge to proceed to a better democracy.
Weld RE-8 Teacher’s Association Comment on “CRT” Ban Resolution
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The directors of the RE-8 School Board have been asked to consider a proposed resolution banning” Critical Race Theory” in the district. While it is unclear what is meant by this term in the context of the resolution, it is clear that the intent of this ban, like others that have been [proposed around the country, is to limit discussion around the issues of race and other contentious topics in the public-school classrooms. The proposed resolution is a solution in search of a problem – a wholly unnecessary action by the Weld RE-8 Board of Education, which would hinder not only honest dialogue, but the performance of state-mandated duties by the professional educators serving students each and every day. Upon entering their profession, educators accept a responsibility to serve as experts in their field, as well as to adhere to established state standards for their grade level and content areas. This expertise requires that educators identify ageappropriate ways to confront hard truths about our country’s past and present, as well as connections between the two. Following these standards, educators discuss the ways that different groups of people have lived and interacted with 3rd graders and identify ways that historical documents define and distribute power with 5th graders. We read diverse sources to critically analyze issues with 8th graders and evaluate diverse interpretations of historical events and issues, including the systemic impacts of racism, with high schoolers. These conversations are not always easy. They are not always comfortable. Nonetheless, we believe that the ability to critically analyze issues and debate contentious topics in a civil manner is one of the hallmarks of a democratic society. Our students deserve a full. Honest education that will equip them to work toward a better future for their community and their country, not reactionary rhetoric. We urge you to not use and further time or resources considering this unnecessary action and remove the proposed ban on ”Critical Race Theory” from discussion. Publisher’s Note: The CRT resolution that was presented to the RE-8 School Board Trustees for consideration was defeated 4 to 2.
January 5, 2022
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Cindy Baumgartner Comments to Keenesburg Board of Trustees at Dec. 20, 2021 Meeting
I’m here tonight due to the 37.5 % increase to the water and sewer rates starting in January. I’m disappointed that this board would dip into their citizen’s pockets like this after the last two years of unstable economy, loss of jobs or cut hours. And parents giving up jobs to stay home with their children. Looking at the budget I see the short fall in Water for $24,000 and waste water $61,000 for 2021. I’m asking you why this sort fall as gotten so large and what budget changes did you make to address this issue. I know waste water as always ran in the red, but water was normally in the black and covered all or most for the waste water short fall. And of the 18 years I sat where you sit tonight with the town we kept our fingers crossed for some capital monies in tap fees. But if not possible we made the necessary adjustment within the budget as to not to put so much burden on our citizens in hopes of brings new citizens to our community. So I say why you didn’t take an increase in 2018, 2020 and 2021 even if they were small increases. Because we are all aware, that maintenance and repair alone all increase yearly by a few dollars. But you did increase salaries by 33% between 2019/2020. Why? There two ways of calculating for an increase in water/waste water, were you staying consistent with using one method for calculating? I totally believe there is a way to address this short fall within the budget in 2022. And still increase the rates by an amount your citizens can live with. Revenue for 2021 The budget shows General Fund with 4.9 m- which included the beginning balance – expenses of 1.9 m. Waste water sales shows $567,432.00 and Capital received 2.7 mil. Water sales show $402,549.00 with Capital bringing in 1.3 m. So total resources available for 2021 were 3.6 m. With this said there are monies to help with the short fall in water and waste water for 2022. Now looking into 2022 I see total resources available of 6.2 m. So board I’m asking you are comfortable in this unstable economy in spending 5.7m and covering any unexpected expenses that could happen? And board members what did your RFP look like to make you feel comfortable with these next expenditures? 1. Police department budget for 2022 for 1.5 m. And projected yearly cost of 1.2 m. which I’m not sure how the maintenance and repair and salary increase are worked into this. 2. Bi02 Solutions Upgrade for 4.2 m with a finish date of 7/2022. I was not able to break out the operating cost for this upgrade but there should be some. 3. And the hiring of two more administrative employees, two public works employees with one being an engineer and last, a part time custodian. 4. Salaries increases in the budget /PW Director 110,000-34%/ Manager 138,00019.5%/Clerk 78,000 – 16% Why? The projected salary increases in large companies as of what I looked up today is 3.9 – 4 %. The company I work for as a contractor is $0 I’m hoping the rest I see in capital list is on a wait list. A. Town Hall remodel for $600,000/ looks like they may have a Grant for 400,000. B. There is 1.9 m for a new well and well house with upgrade to the SCADA. C. Road improvements TBD $500,000. D. Drainage work 135,000 E. Park 800,000 I’m not saying that all these items are not necessities at some time. I just asking where do you see these expenditures to fall in line? Did you look at absorbing the additional admin work within the employees we now have? Same as the public works addition? And an engineer, why now? I would like to know when was the last time the board reached out to at least 5 other towns to do some comparisons. Town with in our same number of utility bills sent monthly, which also include town that have fewer number and some with a larger number to us. In 2016 we mailed 469 bills and had 6 total employees and issued 59 building permits. And in 2021 we mailed 802 utility bills and have 14 employees and issued 325 building permits. So we still have not yet doubled our utility billing but have over doubled our employees. The number of billings give me better understanding of how many houses/ business we have in town. By looking at the information from a comparison we can see if we line up in salaries and number of employees within each department. Are we in line with other towns around our size? Towns all run basically the same with duties within administration, the public works can be a little more difficult because of the water and waste water. Bonuses are also a concern of mine we pad out in 2021 $49,000. Remember this is tax payer’s money. And bonuses are usually paid to employees that work of companies that are in business to make money, which a town is not. What I found out when I reached out was some towns pay bonuses but in the range of $500 or less, and others give no bonuses. I would be interested to hear your thoughts and see what you find out. I’m not saying we should not reward our employees I’m just saying we need to remember our monies are from tax payers. And then with the comparison we look at what other towns are charging for their water and waste water. This is where the work begins because to is hard to find apples to apple comparisons. So you need to find out where they get their water and how is it treated. Buying water is expensive, pumping it out of wells we own can be so much cheaper. But all town have the same expenses as pipe lines, pumps, treatment and then getting it to the customer. This is the same for waste water, we have one of the cheapest means of treating ours. So comparing cost for this many questions need to be asked. And the last comparison is board salaries. Are other boards getting paid and what are the ranges? All that I brought up tonight are ways of insuring are citizens are getting the best in this great town and assuring that this town is in line with other towns so people feel comfortable living here. In the Evans Place Metro District you approved the 60 mills, and I see you approved
another Metro District Vista West did you consider having some of those mills come to the town? I appreciate all that this board and your staff does for this town. And by working hard on budgeting each year to keep expenditures in line with revenue you will keep this town financially healthy. I like to thank everyone for your time and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
Digging Starts on High Plains Bank Location in Wiggins
United Power Files Notice of Intent to Leave Tri-State Generation and Transmission
Reducing Costs, Leveraging Clean Resources Among Reasons for the Move Brighton, Colorado/Washington D.C.— United Power, a rural electric cooperative based in Brighton, Colorado, today filed its Notice of Intent to withdraw from the membership of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Washington, D.C., effective January 1, 2024. The two-year notice period was accepted by FERC in an October 29, 2021 ruling. United Power is the largest member of Tri-State and accounts for nearly 20% of the G&T’s annual revenue. United Power has unsuccessfully attempted to modify its all requirements contract with the G&T for more than three years. In the last nine months alone United Power has tendered three formal term sheets and held numerous high-level meetings, but leadership at the G&T has been unresponsive to the contract modification requests. “Sadly, our power supplier has been ignoring our efforts to come to an amicable arrangement that better supports the needs of our members while guaranteeing that our prior commitments are met,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and Chief Executive Officer. “Instead of working with us in the pursuit of lower-cost, cleaner options, Tri-State has resisted these developments. TriState recently purchased additional coal generation, is limiting our members’ ability to add more carbon-free generation, and is penalizing additional storage on our system. They also offer non-members preferable transmission rates over those of us who have invested in the system for decades.” United Power has been a leader in the deployment of innovative technologies and in the integration of renewable energy resources. Currently, United Power has 84 megawatts of renewable generation on its system including 46 megawatts of utility-scale solar, Colorado’s largest battery storage project and more than 6,800 rooftop systems. Tri-State’s policies include penalties if a utility exceeds 5% of generation other than from the G&T. There are a number of cases currently in front of FERC, Denver Courts, Adams County Courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals that will ultimately decide the exit fee for United Power. United Power joins Delta Montrose Electric Association and Kit Carson who have exited the G&T in the last five years. At least six other cooperatives are considering a potential exit. “When I came to United Power nine months ago, I was extremely optimistic that we would be able to come to an agreement that lives up to our commitment for past investments and allows us to provide lower cost, cleaner options to our rapidly growing communities in the future,” Gabriel said. “Our decision to depart is not made lightly but follows the cooperative principles of voluntary participation and member’s economic participation by choice,” added Gabriel. United Power will be seeking alternative power supply and the use of transmission as outlined by FERC as part of Open Access Transmission Tariffs. For more information, updates and to ask questions, visit www.unitedpower. com/powersupply.
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January 5, 2022
Wiggins Girls Basketball Tops Estes Park, 59-7 continued from page 1
New Year Resolution
By Master Trooper Gary Cutler As we arrive in yet another year, it’s time for a few New Year resolutions. If you’ll indulge me, I have a suggestion for one of them this year. 2022 needs to have a little more happiness than the last two seem to have severely missed and I have tips to make it happier. On top of Covid issues, Colorado has been getting hit hard with record breaking fatal crashes. Each morning I receive a report that lists all of the fatal crashes in the state that happened the day before. There are days we receive up to five people who have lost their lives. This is awful and doesn’t have to be this way. I have been working our roads for 18 years, and have covered a lot of fatal and injury crashes. I can honestly say that not one of them happened without some form of careless driving. So, this time I’ll focus on talking about being careful when driving. Because sometimes all it takes is a small event that no one would believe will cause a crash. It can be something as simple as tuning the radio to a new station, talking to a passenger, looking at something on the side of the road, eating, even daydreaming, anything that divides your attention from the road. Most of these crashes have one thing in common beyond the distraction: the vehicle went out of its lane because of the distraction. So please give driving the attention it needs and deserves. There is nothing worth your life. When drivers drift out of there lane, even if it’s only a little bit, or for a short amount of time it can have huge ramifications. Often the driver over corrects and they lose even more control of the vehicle. Sometimes they strike a vehicle coming the other direction. They go down embankments, impact trees, or over-turn. All of these add to the severity of a simple unintentional action. For those drivers that do keep their full attention to driving, I want you watching out for those that aren’t fully paying attention to the road. You can still be doing everything right and have another driver hit you. Try to keep these tips with you when driving. Always look past your hood. I’m still surprised at how many people slam their brakes on at the last second because they didn’t look far enough past their vehicle and were shocked to see an obstacle in the roadway. Another important item is watching for vehicles drifting into your lane whether it be the same or opposite direction. On interstates watch for vehicles that have lost control and might be coming across a median. My message comes down to enjoy the ride, but be aware of your surroundings and you’ll be around a long time to remember the fun times. As always, safe travels!
Another pattern is the leadership of senior Rachael White. After a slow start in the opener against Roosevelt, White has averaged 20.5 points per game, raising her to fourth in the Lower Platte League. She had team-leading 21 points and six assists in the Estes Park game. Other contributors have included junior Raelyn Koenig with 11.4 points per game (17 against Estes Park), and freshman Riley Hunt with five rebounds per game (10 against Estes Park). The Tigers are fortunate to be strong throughout the roster. An extra benefit of that, noted by Coach Wilson, is “really good competition in the practices.” Rachael White of Wiggins goes in for two of her Time will tell about how good this twenty-one points in the 59-7 win over Estes Park Wiggins girls basketball team is. Results on Thursday, December 16. (Paul Dineen / Get The Picture Sports LLC) against 3A and 4A teams thus far are promising. While thirteen of their remaining games are against 2A and 1A teams, both of those classes include some highly ranked teams. The next games for the Tigers are Friday, January 7, 5 pm versus Byers at Wiggins High School; and Saturday, January 8, 3:30 pm against McClave at Wiggins High School.
Wiggins Boys Drop Close One to Estes Park, 46-41 by Paul Dineen
Fans of the Wiggins Tigers wiggle their fingers to give good mojo to Tyler Perry’s shot from the foul line in the December 16 game with Estes Park. (Paul Dineen / Get The Picture Sports LLC)
The Wiggins boys basketball team is standing at 1-4 at the break. One might compare that with their 4-1 start from last year. But, the Tigers are not looking for an easy schedule. They intend to toughen up against higher opponents to start out, rather than warm-up with easier ones. Last year, only two of fourteen regular season games were against higher classes. This time around, four of their first five games are against higher classes - one in 4A, three in 3A. After the break, six of their games are against 1A teams, seven against 2A, and one 3A. The league schedule, where it matters most, begins on January 14. A telling test of this toughen-up strategy may come on January 28, when Wiggins goes on the road to play 5-1 Yuma, currently tied for first in the Lower Platte league and first in CHSAA RPI for 2A. Yuma’s only loss was by two points in double overtime to Eaton, which is second in 3A. But, that’s getting too far ahead. For now there’s the matter of the December 16 test against the 3A Estes Park Bobcats. Wiggins jumped out to a 12-3 lead with 55 seconds remaining in the first quarter, as the Bobcats were hampered by unforced errors. Wiggins began having error problems of their own and saw their lead cut to 14-8 by the end of the Wiggins Tiger Tyler Perry cuts to the quarter on a hoop by Zeke Darnell. basket in the December 16 game with Estes The second quarter saw no scoring for the first Park. Jose Gonzales and Orlando Boynton two minutes. Then, the Bobcats began benefiting defend. (Paul Dineen / Get The Picture more from their height advantage to tie the Sports LLC) contest at 21-21 with 1:33 remaining in the half. Jose Gonzalez scored for the Bobcats to send the teams to the locker room with Estes Park up 23-21. A factor in that Bobcats surge was that Wiggins was without the services of senior Mohamed Ibrahim - their top rebounder with 10.3 per game - out with an injury. He is expected to be ready for practices and the January 7 resumption of games. They had been without three other regulars in the previous game. Wiggins head coach Corey Stumpf emphasized the beneficial side of that, saying, “This provided the opportunity to give guys more court time, giving them extra confidence for when we put them in.” Through the third quarter, the Bobcats gradually built up a lead until 37-30 at the end of three. The game also became Cole Kerr shots for the Wigmore physical, with seven total fouls in the first half, followed gins Tigers in the December 16 game with Estes Park. by six for each team in the third quarter. Dineen / Get The PicThe intensity ramped up further in the fourth. With the (Paul ture Sports LLC) Tiger fans cheering them on, the lead was cut to 37-34. The Bobcats answered that challenge by making it 41-34 with 5:41 left. The Tigers would net seven more points but the Bobcat defense was able to hold on for the 46-41 win. The next games for the Tigers are at home against Byers at 6:30 pm on Friday, January 7, and versus McClave at 2 pm on Saturday, January 8.
January 5, 2022
Lost Creek Guide
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Elijah Hatch Announces Campaign for Weld County Commissioner
Weld County Councilman Elijah Hatch Announces Bid to Serve as Your Next Republican At-Large Weld County Commissioner. KERSEY – As a champion of business, limited government, and individual liberties, I felt a call to run for Weld County Council in 2020 and have been a proud advocate for the residents of Weld County. We need leaders who stand for what is right, not necessarily what is popular. Over the past few years, I have volunteered my time with the county as the Chairman of the Weld County Planning Commission, and President of the Weld County Fair Board, among other positions. I find it important to give back to this county and help teach our youth the same values that we grew up with. In Weld County we have one of the strongest economies, thanks to years of conservative leadership. We must continue this tradition to keep Weld County as one of the leading defenders of conservative principles in the State of Colorado. I am honored to have earned the support of many business leaders, community activists, and elected officials. Keep an eye on my website for updates in the coming weeks! As the owner of several businesses, spanning many industries, I bring a unique perspective to Weld County government and hope to utilize this skillset to make Weld County even more pro-business. I know the value of a dollar and will protect your hard-earned money! Providing the residents of Weld County an elected official who listens and is always reachable was my promise in my last campaign and that same promise still holds true today. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people can only work when your elected representatives are responsive to the needs of their communities. I am not a normal politician! I do not even like being referred to as a “politician,” I am just a resident of this great county and I feel the need to stand up for my fellow citizens and protect what we have. Campaigns are not cheap; however, if you are willing to support my campaign, please visit my website www.elijahforweld.com and donate, sign-up to volunteer, or submit your endorsement! Always feel free to reach out to me to discuss my plans, provide feedback, or ask questions about the Weld County Council. Thank you for supporting me in the past and I hope to earn your support again. Sincerely, Elijah Hatch (970)866-0707 campaign@elijahforweld.com www.facebook.com/elijahforweld
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Lost Creek Guide
How Do You Get Kids who Missed Out on Kindergarten During the Pandemic Back on Track? That’s what these Educators are Figuring Out. By Jenny Brundin, Colorado Public Radio
January 5, 2022
below grade level had been whittled to a third of kindergartners. In first grade, the results are even more dramatic. Half were in that low level when school started, now it’s only a quarter. District-wide results were not immediately available. Principal Kayla Grayson-Yizar believes there is another reason for the dramatic turnaround. The first two weeks of school, staff took copious notes on exactly what literacy and math skills each student had. “We have spreadsheets like no other. What letters do they know? What sounds do they know? What about short vowels? What about long vowels? Are they ready for building words? What type of capitalization?” The kids were grouped by specific skill, and they got to work.
Jenny Brundin/CPR News Principal Kayla Grayson-Yizar escorts a student who isn’t feeling well the cafeteria to pick up a container of food before he heads home. Grayson-Yizar must hug a hundred people a day in the school that prizes its family-like atmosphere.
Teacher Emily Dirks looked out onto a sea of young faces attached to squiggly, squirming mostly 5-year-old bodies. “Ran-Dan,” she said. “Does that rhyme? Thumbs up or down?” “No!” said the group of children in the front of her kindergarten classroom at Florida Pitt Waller K-8, a Denver Public Schools school in northeast Denver. A few say yes. “So, echo me, say, ‘ran’” Dirks continued. “…Ran!” shouted the children. “Dan,” said Dirks with emphasis. “Dan!” shouted the children back. They clap out sounds. They punch the air on certain sounds. They brainstorm other rhyming words. Dirks, who has taught here for 15 years, reminded her kindergarten class that rhyming words all have the same ending sound. She’ll repeat that point many more times. Kindergarten — and the year prior, preschool for 4-year-olds — is a time to focus on these crucial pre-reading skills. They are also a time to learn those all-important life skills: sharing, resolving conflicts, cleaning up after yourself, and how to care for others. So, what happens when you miss kindergarten or preschool because of a pandemic? A lot of work. The school has a new literacy program that has meant more teacher training and a new social and emotional program. “It’s hard to fit it all in,” Dirks said. “You have to find the time to sit and look, ‘What am I going to take away and what to put in?’”
Jenny Brundin/CPR News Two kindergarten students take a moment to practice reading. Students came back to school at all different levels. They spent much more time on classroom routines and how to process multiple-step directions than in a typical year
First-grade teacher Debbie Robinson said a new district supplemental reading curriculum this year was the missing link. The Heggerty Curriculum focuses on phonemic awareness, which are the sounds in spoken words, not just phonics — the relationship between sounds and written symbols. “I think it’s going to have a huge bang for the buck with all the kiddos,” she said. “Pandemic or no pandemic …. It’s the science of reading and the classes that all the teachers have to take and the understanding of how to teach reading that’s going to make a big impact.” The emphasis on literacy this year is intense. In her first-grade class, it starts with a 2.5-hour literacy block in the morning, and Robinson teaches an additional 30 minutes of literacy at the end of the day. The school has also hired an additional first-grade teacher which has made it easier for teachers to meet individually with more students during the week. In addition, two interventionists — with specialized training in reading — pull students for extra help. It’s been hard work. First-grade teacher Robinson said that at the beginning of the school year, students couldn’t sit through five minutes of a story. Things have improved a lot since then. “Children are so resilient, and they’ve acclimated,” said Robinson, who is in her 29th year of teaching. It’s common to see a wide range of skills in first grade. Some students in her classroom are reading fairly easily, zipping through books about animals with tails. But others are still struggling. It will take time. Robinson’s goals for students who are significantly behind in reading is two years of growth in one year. She’s finding that having students who were in kindergarten remotely last year is “comparable to when some students used to go to half-day kindergarten instead of full-day and most catch up quickly in first grade.” “I just want them to love learning, to love reading … I don’t think they’ve picked up books for 2 years, a lot of them.” For the kids who came into first grade knowing the mechanics of how to read, they’ve “skyrocketed.” They just needed exposure to books, Robinson said. Now, most in her class are ready to work on first-grade material.
Jenny Brundin/CPR News Veteran Kindergarten teacher Emily Dirks leaders her classroom, with 26 students, in an exercise where they punch out the ending of rhyming words like “can” “Dan” and “ran.” Extra focus on literacy and a new supplemental reading program has allowed students to improve much more quickly this year.
When students returned to classrooms this year, early grade teachers noticed students had forgotten how to learn. Dirks had to spend a lot of time on two-step directions such as “Stand up. Thumbs Up.” The children couldn’t process any more than that. Many of the kids in this classroom and their fellow first graders hadn’t been in a formal classroom with other students in 18 months. Instead, they’d been on screens, often alone. So, they struggled with listening, processing what the teacher was saying, and then doing the task. Fine motor skills, which allow students to hold a pencil or a pair of scissors, were shaky. Students who opted for fully remote the entire year were further behind, teachers say. So, in kindergarten now, more time than typical has been spent on learning classroom routines and how to regulate emotions. That has meant less time for academics. “Everything has shifted,” Dirks said. “I kept telling my administration, ‘kindergarten, first (grade) are really going to have an impact, as well as second. Not knowing what it’s like to sit in a room with 25 other students and share materials, listen to a teacher, stop what you’re doing, focus on the instruction.” And she was right. At the beginning of the year, about half of kindergartners scored significantly below grade level on district reading tests. But teachers and school administrators say students are making gains much more quickly this year. On the most recent monthly reading tests, the number of students significantly
Jenny Brundin/CPR News A young girl sits in the kindergarten classroom’s ‘cozy spot’ to take a moment to calm down after another student took her stuffed dog. Teachers say after a year or more of not being around other children and with the extreme stress of the pandemic, children are breaking down more easily. The class works a lot on how to regulate emotions, resolve conflict, and care for one another.
Back in the kindergarten class, a girl clutches a stuffed dog and cries. Being at home without other kids for 18 months, many children missed out on other crucial skills like sharing, resolving conflicts or knowing how to process emotions. “Elijah take the puppy,” said a girl, who has been clutching a stuffed brown dog all morning. Kindergarten teacher Emily Dirks said the pandemic has stressed young children in How Do You Get Kids who Missed Out on Kindergarten During the Pandemic Back on Track? That’s what these Educators are Figuring Out continued on page 7...
January 5, 2022
Lost Creek Guide
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Father Who Lost Daughter to Fentanyl Poisoning sends Message to Biden: ‘Mr. President, Where Are You?’
By Joshua Q. Nelson | Fox News Matt Capelouto says fentanyl is a national security threat from ‘terrorist’ drug cartels. Father calls out President Biden over daughter’s death from killed fentanyl-laced opioid. Matt Capelouto calls out President Biden for enabling Mexican drug cartels to bring drugs across the United States’ border. A California man whose 19-year-old daughter was killed by fentanyl-laced opioids called out President Biden Friday for not doing enough to combat drugs coming across the United States-Mexico border. “My daughter didn’t die from an overdose. She was poisoned. She suffocated to death, the casualty of a war not being fought. This is a weapon of mass destruction,” Matt Capelouto told “America’s Newsroom” host Julie Banderas. Capelouto said his daughter was just one victim of fentanyl being sourced from China and distributed by Mexican drug cartels, which he called “the deadliest terrorist organization in existence today.” “This is no longer an addiction or drug issue,” Capelouto said. MEXICO SAYS FENTANYL AND METH SEIZURES HAVE SOARED SINCE 2019 AS CARTELS RAMP UP PRODUCTION, IMPORT FROM CHINA Federal seizures of fentanyl and meth are soaring in Mexico as cartels have begun churning out increased quantities of the deadly synthetic drugs while also importing it from China.
ask for a high five or ‘knuckles’ or a picture. Throughout the morning, the kids nurture one another a lot. Creating a safe, loving environment where the students care for one another has been a major goal of Dirks. That is a schoolwide goal embodied by the school’s leader.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is seeing a record number of seizures of fentanyl. (Courtesy DEA)
According to seizure figures issued Monday by Mexico’s Defense Department, seizures of the synthetic opioid fentanyl soared 525% in the first three years of the current administration, which took office Dec. 1, 2018, compared to the previous three years. Law enforcement seized 1,232 pounds (559 kilograms) of fentanyl in 2016-2018 and 7,710 pounds (3,497 kilograms) in 2019-2021. The defense secretary, Gen. Luis Cresencio Sandoval, acknowledged there has been a huge shift by Mexican cartels away from naturally grown drugs like opium and marijuana, where seizures and crop eradication have fallen. Capelouto said the amount of fentanyl pouring into the U.S. is a national security threat. He added that the U.S. won’t get ahead of the issue unless “we cut off the dragon’s head.” “The terrorist organization which is responsible for more American deaths than any other is operating unabated just miles south of our borders. To my knowledge, the number one duty of our federal government is to protect its citizens from all enemies foreign and domestic,” he said. Capelouto’s daughter Alexandra died two years ago when she was sold a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl. “My question is, Mr. President, where are you?” The man who sold the pills was arrested on federal drug charges carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Capelouto said his daughter turned to black-market prescription drugs to deal with depression and anxiety. Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
How Do You Get Kids who Missed Out on Kindergarten During the Pandemic Back on Track? That’s What These Educators are Figuring Out continued from page 6 many ways. They might be upset about losing a toy or someone bumping into them, but that’s not necessarily what’s making them upset. Instead, “It’s the trigger that finally lets them release that emotion, that fear and anxiety they’ve been having.” During the pandemic, family members have lost jobs, homes, even lives. There was racial trauma, COVID, and a lot of anger in the community. In the case of the girl who is crying, it’s a new baby at home. “One more deep breath in and then out,” paraprofessional Claire Pewitt said, crouching down at eye-level to help the young girl calm down. Another strategy is sending children who are having a dispute to the “cozy spot,” a little classroom library where kids take a moment to calm down or sit with the other children for a minute. “You need something to feel better?” a little boy asks his pony-tailed friend. After a small tiff they sit together in the cozy spot. She nods and he gives her a hug. Others
Jenny Brundin/CPR News Principal Kayla Grayson-Yizar hugs a student in the cafeteria as she makes her rounds. Creating an environment of love is key to making children feel safe and ready to learn after more than a year of disruptions.
Principal Kayla Grayson-Yizar, wearing a bright yellow dress, is a ball of energy. She starts her day bustling into the teachers’ meeting room, replenishing the refrigerator with new oat coffee cream that gets everyone pumped. She greets a dozen people and answers a dozen questions before helping an administrator prep for a support session for a first-year teacher, overwhelmed by the range of needs in her classroom. The year so far has been a very heavy lift for teachers. Kindergarten teacher Emily Dirks said her spark returned when children returned to in-person learning again. But for many teachers, including her, the year has been even more challenging than last year. “I know a lot of teachers are having a hard time sleeping, a hard time waking,” she said. “It’s exhausting.” Grayson-Yizar said administrators are trying to be thoughtful, methodical, and strategic in helping teachers to balance stress. She texts a few teachers at a time and brings them breakfasts, always keeping an eye out for which teachers need more support from a district trainer, or when to cut a monthly staff meeting short. Creating a positive, uplifting mood in the school is key to moving the school forward. She hugs, high-fives, and greets dozens of children as she walks the halls, remembering almost all of their names. Grayson-Yizar must hug 100 people a day. Dean of Student Services Candace Walker says that focus on creating a community of love has helped get kids back on track. “We’re a big family. We say ‘We love you so much.’ We tell parents, we love our kids. We get that from our principal, she says, ‘You know I love you!’” Walker laughed. More team meetings to problem-solve around the kids who are struggling is another key strategy. So are parent meetings. There are many more this year because parents are comfortable with Zoom now. Counselor Jessica Pistone, who provides services to almost 800 students, said she has worked at many schools. This is her first year at Florida Pitt Waller. She said the school works very much as a community, where everyone knows everybody and works well together. Uncles, aunts, cousins are all part of the school’s community. That’s helped. “I think our students are doing much better from the beginning to where we are now,” she said. “I think we’re back in those routines, the expectations are there, our students are rising to the expectations that we have. We’re getting there. We’re getting back to normal.”
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Lost Creek Guide
Colorado has a Dismal Recycling Rate. Could a Fee on Manufacturers Turn Things Around? Just 15% of Recyclable and Compostable Material was Diverted from Landfills in Colorado in 2020. By David Gilbert, The Colorado Sun
Mounds of trash piled next to a dumpster in an alley off South Santa Fe Drive and West 10th Avenue on Nov. 16, 2021, in Denver. (Kathryn Scott, Special to The Colorado Sun)
In Boulder, where every resident automatically receives access to recycling and composting services, more than half of the city’s waste is diverted from landfills. But in many Colorado cities and towns, residents who want to recycle must pay extra, or make a trip to recycling centers. The discrepancy between the relative ease of recycling in some Front Range cities and the difficulty elsewhere dragged Colorado’s recycling rate to less than half the national average and well below state goals, resulting in most of the state’s recyclable waste being sent to landfills for burial, according to a new report. Now, recycling advocates are calling for a fee on certain manufacturers to help make recycling as easy everywhere in the state as it is in Boulder. Just 15% of recyclable and compostable material was diverted from landfills in Colorado in 2020, according to the fifth edition of the State of Recycling and Composting, an annual report from Eco-Cycle and the Colorado Public Interest Group or CoPIRG. That’s compared to a 32% rate nationwide, and nowhere close to a 28% goal for 2021 set by the Colorado Solid and Hazardous Waste Commission. The report found vast discrepancies in recycling and composting rates statewide, with high rates in northern Front Range cities where recycling programs tend to be easier for consumers to use, and far lower rates in much of rural Colorado, where municipal recycling programs are much more spotty. The two nonprofit organizations behind the report are pushing for a “producer responsibility” bill in the state legislature that would require manufacturers of packaged goods to pay into a fund that would standardize recycling and compost collection statewide. Loveland topped the list of residential recycling and composting rates at 58%, with Boulder in second place at 53% and Longmont in third place at 41%. The only municipality outside the Front Range that ranked in the top five was No. 4 Telluride at 36%. Lafayette came in fifth at 34%. Cities with high recycling rates have five things in common, the report found: universal curbside recycling programs in which every resident is provided with a recycling bin; volume-based pricing for trash that encourages recycling as opposed to flat rates for all trash; drop-off centers or curbside programs for yard debris; clear guidelines on what materials can be recycled; and dedicated staff and funding for recycling programs. In many municipalities, residents do not automatically receive recycling services and must subscribe if they want them, including in large cities whose recycling rates are not included in the report, such as Aurora, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and
January 5, 2022
Pueblo. On average, only 30% of residents subscribe to curbside recycling under optin programs, the report found. “The cost of recycling was cited by multiple municipalities as the most significant challenge to their programs,” the report says, referring to financial impacts on consumers, businesses and governments alike. Among Coloradans who must subscribe to recycling programs, rates are much higher in rural and mountain areas. Nearly all paper, metal and plastic recycling must be shipped out of state for processing, adding transportation costs to consumers’ bills. The report says many of the barriers to increasing the state’s recycling rate could be addressed with a “producer responsibility” policy, similar to laws in Oregon and Maine that require manufacturers of packaged goods to pay into a fund to help cover the cost of automatic recycling programs statewide. Though the proposal isn’t finalized, CoPIRG executive director Danny Katz said Monday during a webinar that manufacturers would sit on the board of a nonprofit that would decide how to allocate fees toward curbside recycling programs or dropoff centers. The proposal does not say how much it would cost to improve recycling services across the state. Fees would likely be higher on non-recyclable packaging like certain types of plastic or polystyrene, Katz said, creating an incentive to cut down on packaging or increase the use of recyclable materials. Katz said CoPIRG, Eco-Cycle and other environmental groups have been in talks with Republican Sen. Kevin Priola of Henderson and Democratic Rep. Lisa Cutter of Morrison to introduce the bill in the 2022 legislative session. “We need groundbreaking policy to break the cycle of poor recycling that we have fallen into here,” Katz said. The policy runs the risk of incentivizing manufacturers to pass the cost of fees down to consumers, said Suzanne Jones, the executive director of Eco-Cycle. But she said it could also introduce competition to reduce waste. “Would your toothpaste tube go up (in price)? Maybe, but the winners would be those companies who use less packaging,” Jones said. Overall, 5.9 million tons of waste were added to Colorado’s landfills last year, the report found. Despite low recycling rates, Colorado’s efforts aren’t for naught, the report says. Recycling and composting last year reduced greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado equivalent to removing more than 407,000 cars from the road, and fueled more than 86,000 jobs and generated $8.7 billion in economic benefits statewide. The report also touted recent state legislation on sustainability, including a measure signed into law this year that largely bans single-use plastic bags and polystyrene containers by 2024, and the newly created Colorado Agricultural Soil Health Program, which encourages farmers and ranchers to adopt soil conservation practices with an emphasis on regenerating soil with compost. The report lauded several Colorado towns for making headway on recycling programs, including Longmont, which increased its year-over-year recycling and composting rate by 6% thanks in large part to growth in its curbside composting program; Durango and Golden, which added curbside composting to their citywide trash and recycling services; Arvada and Johnstown, which launched new citywide curbside recycling programs; Superior and Colorado Springs, which hired their first sustainability staff; and Boulder, which launched an education and outreach program to increase recycling at mobile home parks.
The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com
As Hospitals Fill Up, Paramedics—like those in Gunnison—Spend More Time Moving Patients, Less on Emergencies Gunnison Valley Health Paramedics have a 4,400-square-mile service area. It is more than twice the size of Delaware and is the largest response zone for an ambulance service in all of Colorado. By Helen Santoro, Kaiser Health News – The Colorado Sun
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AnnieGrace Haddorff (left) and Alec Newby (right) move a patient out of Gunnison Valley Health hospital in Gunnison, Colorado, on Nov. 26, 2021. The patient, who was experiencing atrial fibrillation, had to be transported to a larger hospital with an intensive care unit 65 miles away in Montrose. (Helen Santoro for KHN)
GUNNISON— The night after Thanksgiving, a small ambulance service that covers a huge swath of southwestern Colorado got a call that a patient needed an emergency As Hospitals Fill Up, Paramedics—like those in Gunnison—Spend More Time Moving Patients, Less on Emergencies continued on page 9...
January 5, 2022
Lost Creek Guide
As Hospitals Fill Up, Paramedics—like those in Gunnison—Spend More Time Moving Patients, Less on Emergencies continued from page 8... transfer from the hospital in Gunnison to a larger one with an intensive care unit 65 miles away in Montrose. The patient — a 78-year-old man — was experiencing atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that usually isn’t life-threatening. But for patients like this one with chronic health conditions, a history of cardiac issues and high blood pressure, the condition can cause a stroke or heart failure. Workers from Gunnison Valley Health Paramedics rolled the patient, who was on a gurney, out of the hospital and into the frigid night air. AnnieGrace Haddorff, the emergency medical technician on call, helped load the patient into the ambulance and jumped into the driver’s seat. Paramedic Alec Newby got into the back and hooked the patient up to a blood pressure cuff; a pulse oximeter, which measures heart rate and blood oxygen saturation; and an electrocardiogram, which records the heart’s electrical activity. “Your heart is obviously pissed off,” Newby told the man as the ECG confirmed the atrial fibrillation. The ambulance pulled onto U.S. Highway 50 for the one-hour-and-15-minute drive past clusters of homes among rolling hills of sagebrush, the expansive Blue Mesa Reservoir and the gaping Black Canyon of the Gunnison, with its craggy spires.
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time residents and a university, Gunnison is the largest town the team serves. The surrounding towns — including Tin Cup, Pitkin and Ohio City — are villages with a couple of hundred people or former mining towns where the artifacts from the boom times outnumber the residents. GVH Paramedics’ 21 full-time staff members and 10 to 20 individuals who work as needed have certifications in wildland firefighting and backcountry medicine skills, including swift-water, ice and avalanche rescue. To deal with the increased demands from IFTs, they have added an extra staff member to each shift, and off-duty staffers are being called in to assist. As the pandemic drags on, the number of IFTs will probably continue to increase. By mid-November, the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 in Colorado was staggeringly high, approaching the December 2020 peak of 1,847. Hospitalizations remained above 1,500 through the end of the month. As a result, 93% of the state’s acute care hospital beds and 94% of ICU beds were being used as of Nov. 30, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Each time a patient must be transported to another medical facility, Gunnison Valley Health Paramedics is left with few vehicles to respond to emergencies in a coverage area more than twice the size of Delaware. (Helen Santoro for KHN)
The patient was stable enough for the long drive, which covered only a sliver of GVH Paramedics’ 4,400-square-mile service area. It is more than twice the size of Delaware and is the largest response zone for an ambulance service in all of Colorado. A typical fire or emergency medical service response area ranges from 100 to 400 square miles. In recent years, interfacility transports or transfers, also known as IFTs, like this one have become increasingly common for GVH Paramedics, forcing the team to drive far outside its already vast zone. Before the pandemic, the number of transfers rose because the population of Gunnison County was steadily increasing, more tourists were being drawn to places like the popular Crested Butte ski resort, and GVH Paramedics had expanded its services to larger metropolitan hospitals outside Gunnison County. But now the team is being called to move patients more frequently, and greater distances, because the hospital beds in the relatively close cities of Montrose and Grand Junction are filled with COVID-19 patients. The team is regularly required to drive patients to Denver, which is around three hours and 40 minutes from Gunnison. Officials from the ambulance service worry that they might find themselves unable to respond to an emergency because their resources, which include six ambulances but only enough staff to operate three of those vehicles, are tied up on a long-haul transfer. What were once 2½- or three-hour trips to Montrose are now far longer excursions, “and that takes resources from this community,” said CJ Malcolm, chief of emergency services. “We were doing that pre-COVID, but now the state is so impacted, it’s like a daily part of our lives.” Before the pandemic, all the ambulances would be simultaneously out on 911 calls or IFTs less than 10 times a year. Now, Malcolm said, it is happening with greater frequency. In those cases, GVH Paramedics leans on the emergency response team in Crested Butte, about 28 miles from Gunnison, or the response to the patient is delayed. In 2018, GVH Paramedics made 166 IFTs, requiring nearly 40,000 miles of travel and a total of 987 hours of ambulance operation, according to data collected by the team. Last year concluded with 260 IFTs, over 70,000 miles of travel and a total of 1,486 hours of ambulance operation. That’s a 50% increase in time on the road. “Anytime we have one or two ambulances out on an IFT, this leaves a massive tract of land with only one ambulance to respond,” Malcolm said. “This is a moderately terrifying position to be put into when we can easily have two or three 911 calls in a row.” In August, for example, Gunnison Valley Health hospital transferred more than 60 patients, 37 of whom were transported by GVH Paramedics. That means that at least once a day that month, a GVH Paramedics crew was taking a patient out of town, Malcolm said. And if crew members aren’t scheduled to be back in Gunnison by 1 a.m., they must spend the night in a hotel to avoid driving along treacherous mountain roads while overly tired. GVH Paramedics’ service area covers almost all of Gunnison County, a large portion of Saguache County and sections of Montrose and Hinsdale counties. It contains mountain ranges, canyons and wide expanses of high desert. With around 6,600 full-
The drive to transfer a patient experiencing atrial fibrillation from the hospital in Gunnison, Colorado, to a larger one with an intensive care unit in Montrose on Nov. 26, 2021, took the Gunnison Valley Health Paramedics team an hour and 15 minutes. (Helen Santoro for KHN)
“I don’t think we see the capacity concerns easing anytime soon,” said Cara Welch, senior director of communications at the Colorado Hospital Association. Adding to the strain are people seeking care they delayed because of the pandemic and other respiratory viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus, circulating in the state, Welch said. Kelly Thompson, chief of operations of CareFlight of the Rockies, an air ambulance service that operates in Colorado and other parts of the West, agreed with this assessment. “We’ve already been transporting large numbers of kids with RSV that are sick, and you have COVID on top of all of this,” Thompson said. “It’s a big concern. This is the time when we have a lot of sick people.” In early November, to manage escalating concerns about hospital capacity, Colorado hospitals and health systems activated tier 3 of the state’s patient transfer system — the highest level. That means COVID and non-COVID patients can be moved without their consent from a hospital that doesn’t have enough capacity to one with more space. Hospitals can also send sicker patients to medical centers with more specialized care. As the GVH Paramedics crew members approached Montrose with their patient over the recent holiday weekend, Newby called the hospital to let the staff know they were arriving. They pulled up to the emergency room entrance, and Newby and Haddorff rolled the patient into a hospital room. The Montrose hospital staff took over, moving the patient from the gurney to a hospital bed as Newby updated them on the patient’s medical records. Soon they were back in the ambulance, headed for home. “IFTs can be stressful,” said Haddorff as she maneuvered the twisty mountain road bathed in moonlight.
The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com
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Lost Creek Guide
Sports Gambling Takes Off in Colorado, Raising Profits, Taxes and Concerns Alike at Casinos By Ben Markus, Colorado Public Radio
John Locher/AP Betting odds are displayed on a board in the sports book at the South Point hotel and casino in Las Vegas, May 14, 2018.
In the sports gambling industry, there’s one sport that stands above the rest: football. Sportsbook managers measure their careers in NFL seasons. In Colorado, $297 million was wagered between Sept. and Oct., just on NFL games, according to numbers from the Department of Revenue. October was the most active month yet in Colorado’s fledgling sports betting market, with $491 million wagered on everything from football to basketball to baseball. Even table tennis remains strong. Betters won back $463 million in October, leaving the house with about $29 million in gross revenue. The numbers were surprising to state regulators, who didn’t expect sports gambling to be this big, this fast. “I figured that it would probably mature down the road a little bit as you move more players out of the illegal markets,” said Dan Hartman, director of Colorado’s Division of Gaming, which has approved 25 different online sportsbooks. “The choices that the players have in the state of Colorado really has, I think, moved a lot of people, a lot faster out of that black market.” More choice has led to fierce competition for betters, requiring companies to step up ad buys and offer generous incentives to sign up and stay in their app. Hartman said there have been up to 900,000 downloads of the betting apps in Colorado (many users probably have multiple accounts, or are not active). More than 98 percent of wagers were made online in October. That illustrates that few players are driving up to Colorado’s casinos — based in Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek — to place sports bets. “So on the retail side, it’s not really driving traffic up the hill,” said JJ Garcia, vice president of operations for Jacobs Entertainment, which operates The Lodge Casino. “But it does obviously add to the value to what the casino does.” The Lodge Casino partnered with SuperBook Sports, to build and operate the online app and build a physical Las Vegas-style sportsbook in the casino, filled with TVs and nice chairs.
What Does $308 Mean to You? Colorado TABOR Refunds Could Total Billions Over The Next Few Years
By Andrew Kenney, Colorado Public Radio A strong recovery in parts of the economy means that the state government will soon hit the financial limits set by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Rising wages, strong retail spending and continuing jobs growth mean more tax dollars for state government. State economists now expect that yearly revenue growth will end up totaling 10 percent in both the previous and current fiscal years. But that upgraded forecast will put the state far above the spending cap set by TABOR, so it will have to give back the extra money. “This doesn’t result in much change in the budget bottom line, because the increase in revenue is already over the (TABOR) cap,” said Lauren Larson, the governor’s budget chief. The state may refund about $4.7 billion to taxpayers between now and 2025. Those refunds have already started because Colorado exceeded the revenue cap last fiscal year. The size of the refund will depend upon a person’s income. Someone making less than $50,000 could get about $300 in tax year 2022. Meanwhile, someone making
Happy New Year to All!
January 5, 2022
more than $250,000 would get almost $1,000. (For joint filers, the amounts are doubled.) Checks of similar sizes could go out for tax years 2022 through 2024. What the refunds would look like: Income Expected refund check for a single filer in tax yr 2022 Up to $44,000 $308 $44,001 to $88,000 $410 $88,001 to $139,000 $472 $139,001 to $193,000 $561 $193,001 to $246,000 $604 $246,001 and up $972 The bigger picture The state has a couple other ways to deal with the TABOR surplus, too. It can send money back to local governments to cover property tax breaks for seniors and veterans, an amount that will total $670 million over the next few years, according to state economists. The state also has temporarily dropped the income tax rate to 4.5 percent instead of the normal 4.55 percent, amounting to $550 million in uncollected taxes over those years. The rest of the excess is “refunded” back to taxpayers as a check or direct deposit. But despite TABOR’s limits, Colorado lawmakers have an extraordinary amount of money to spend right now, including billions from federal stimulus and recovery packages. State lawmakers and others are aiming to use that money to make ‘transformative’ changes in certain areas. The Joint Budget Committee also heard a general update on the state economy Friday. The state’s gross domestic product - a measure of its economic output — has recovered from the pandemic crash, but other measures lag. “We still have some room to heal in the labor market,” said Jeff Stupak, senior economist for the Colorado Legislative Council. The state lost about 375,000 jobs early in the pandemic; it’s recovered most of those, but remains about 63,000 jobs short. Many of the jobs that haven’t come back were part-time or secondary jobs. Significantly fewer people across the country are working multiple jobs. Colorado’s unemployment rate fell slightly last month, to 5.1 percent, with employers adding 9,800 nonfarm jobs. Professional business services and education and health led those gains. However, in a reversal of the trend in recent months, leisure and hospitality actually lost 1700 jobs. State economist Ryan Gedney says the lack of snow delayed the start of ski season, which could have something to do with it. But, he noted, “Leisure and hospitality did see slow growth as well nationally.” The number of people participating in the labor force remains slightly down in Colorado: The participation rate is 68.2 percent, compared to 68.7 percent before the pandemic. Inflation remains a significant and growing factor in the state’s economy. In the Denver metro, prices are running 6.5% higher than a year earlier, driven in large part by higher oil and gas prices. The state economists warned that despite growth, there are significant risks that could drag the state’s economy back down.
High Gas Prices Affect On Agriculture
By Madison Richmann It is no secret that the gas prices not only in Colorado, but the entire county have been incredibly high. There are many reasons we are seeing these higher gas prices. Demand for gas is one of the predicted reasons behind the high prices. When coronavirus, COVID-19 hit, the stay at home orders had people using a lot less gas because they were not going anywhere. Now that some normalcy is starting to come back, more gas is being used; this is one prediction of the high gas prices. A second opinion is that the oil production and refining have not kept up because of the supply constraints. Energy markets around the world are struggling, and that is a third prediction on the higher than usual gas prices. These high gas prices were seen as soon as President Joe Biden took office. On Biden’s first day in office he put an end to the Keystone XL pipeline, one of the modern day largest and most important pipelines in Canada and the United States. According to AP news, “Canadian officials failed to persuade President Joe Biden to reverse his cancellation of its permit on the day he took office.” Stickers as seen in the attached picture, have been placed on gas pumps across the country, and have started a trend. Since the day Biden took office, the United States has seen incredibly high gas prices, many jobs lost, and more negative impacts to the country. According to Andy Kierz at Business Insider, in the United States gas prices have officially hit a seven year high. In 2014 the average gas prices were around $3.71, and today the average is $3.41. This may not seem that incredibly high, but certain places in the country, such as California, have gas as high as $6. It is not predicted that these high prices are going to fall soon, but hopefully Americans will not sweat at the gas pumps much longer. These high gas prices have affected agriculture greatly. Natural gas prices at a high has caused farmers some tight financial situations. Fertilizer prices are one of the many agriculture products that prices skyrocketed in the 2021 year. As gas prices rise, the cost to make fertilizer rises. If the fertilizer is more expensive, then the crop is worth more, meaning the farmers break even amounts. A lot of farmers have a tight budget as it is, and having to add in extra cost for gas, fertilizer, and more is making it even more difficult. Farmers however, are not the only agricultural businesses feeling the impact of the high gas prices. Ranchers are seeing that gas prices are making their cattle transportation trips a lot more expensive. Competitors on the rodeo trail are also seeing their trip expenses rise. All of these Americans who travel to make a living, are having a lot more struggle making ends meet when it comes to financial budgeting. Agriculture in Colorado is so important. Agriculture contributes a great amount to the economy. With high gas prices, laws such as the PAUSE Act being considered, and other factors, many farmers, ranchers, and agriculture professionals are making the move to Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, and other surrounding states, where their way of life is much easier and more affordable. These moves are going to start affecting Colorado sooner rather than later. Whether the high gas prices are from supply and demand, struggling energy markets, the slow oil production, or President Biden, it is no doubt that it is affecting Colorado, and the United States agriculture greatly.
January 5, 2022
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Lost Creek Guide
Colorado Education Association Report Warns of Increased Teacher Burnout, Shortages By Jason Gonzales, Chalkbeat
Keene Craft Mercantile
A Special Place Where Talented People Bring Their Home-made Crafts to Sell We are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am until 5 pm 65 Main Street, Keenesburg, Colorado 303-910-0640
Natural gas prices are lower than we thought. It still may cost more to heat your home this winter. By Miguel Otárola, Colorado Public Radio
A Colorado Education Association report focused on the state of education says teacher burnout is at an all-time high. Eli Imadali for Chalkbeat
Facing pandemic burnout, two out of three Colorado educators have said they are considering leaving the profession, according to a new Colorado Education Association report. That’s up by two-thirds since a survey released last December showed 40% of the union’s members considered changing careers. The updated educator burnout numbers released Tuesday are included in a new CEA report focused on the state of Colorado’s education system. The report depicts an even more dire situation for educators since the beginning of the pandemic and focuses on three problem areas for the state. They include poor K-12 investment that has kept the state among the worst when it comes to wages, student funding, educator burnout, and a shortage of teachers, CEA President Amie Baca-Oehlert said during a news conference Tuesday about the report. “While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on educators, students, and families for nearly two years, the problems facing public education in Colorado predate the pandemic,” she said. Educator burnout, however, continues to grow as the pandemic wears on. The report says that only 1% of CEA’s members feel valued by state leaders and 10% said they feel valued by their school districts. While many have predicted a massive wave of teachers leaving the profession, that hasn’t been the case quite yet. Nonetheless, the union said they’re seeing more positions go unfilled than in previous years. The spike in educators who expressed they’re considering leaving the job creates warning signs that teacher shortages could worsen. During the news conference, district union presidents and educators said schools have faced substitute shortages, larger classroom sizes, less planning time, and fewer classroom support staff. Jefferson County Education Association President Brooke Williams said more and more educators have reported they can’t handle the classroom stress. “When teachers were asked what they do to deal with stress, some said, ‘I cry. I stress eat. I don’t have time to exercise.’“ Williams said. Baca-Oehlert said systemic changes need to occur if the state and districts are to keep teachers in the profession, especially when teachers can find better pay in other professions. Pay has remained a central issue among teachers, with almost 60% saying adequate pay and benefits will help make them feel valued and respected. Autonomy and working conditions also ranked high in what would help educators feel valued. Gov. Jared Polis wants Colorado to increase education funding to record amounts this fiscal year, but union leaders have said even that would not be enough to make up for years of underfunding. Baca-Oehlert said the state progress in education funding has only patched “a gushing wound.” Baca-Oehlert said the union will continue to push for increased funding for teacher compensation, classroom resources, and more staff. Our reporting is free to read, but high-quality journalism costs money to produce. This story is just one example of the reporting you’ve come to expect from Chalkbeat. Help us continue to bring you crucial news and information about education in America in 2022. If you value this story, please consider making a donation today. As for local solutions, Jefferson County Education Association President Brooke Williams said schools can work on providing teachers time to juggle tasks like lesson planning. Williams said school district leaders also can do more to help address student needs and behaviors. John Robinson, Poudre Education Association president, said districts could prioritize more paid teacher work days to alleviate teacher schedules. At both the state and local level, more needs to be done, said Denver Public Schools English teacher Amber Wilson, who is also CEA secretary-treasurer. She said the pandemic has made stress levels and work conditions unbearable at times for teachers. “We give and we give and we give until we can’t give any more,” Wilson said. “Then ultimately we realize we’ve given so much that we’re broke — we’re broken.”
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News Wet, heavy snow in Denver on Thursday, March 19, 2020. At first, it seemed that natural gas prices this winter could rise to levels not seen in years, resulting in higher gas bills at a time when many are still struggling financially from the coronavirus pandemic. Warmer temperatures in recent weeks — including in Colorado — have decreased demand for natural gas for heating, according to S&P Global. While that has dropped market prices, state regulators and consumer advocates still expect Coloradans to see higher gas bills early next year. Instability in both the global gas market and climate has worried members of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, who say regional utilities are not doing enough to pressure gas suppliers to control prices. “We’ve gotten fat, dumb and happy over the last dozen years with relatively stable gas prices,” Commissioner John C. Gavan told the board this month. “I think we’re fundamentally entering a new time where we can count on more volatility going forward.” The commissioners said they would revisit the process utilities follow to revise gas rates. Gavan said the decision was necessary given the unpredictable weather, driven, in part, by climate change and proposals from larger utilities like Xcel Energy to generate more energy using natural gas. “There’s going to be more competition for a scarcer and scarcer resource,” he said. Prices may not increase as much as originally thought, but they’ll still be higher Colorado’s four investor-owned gas utilities, including Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy Gas, submitted reports to the commission last month forecasting a surge in natural gas prices that would be passed on to ratepayers. Xcel Energy, which has 1.4 million natural gas customers across the state, estimated a household’s average March gas bill would rise by 57 percent compared to last winter, mostly due to a projected rise in natural gas prices. The utilities have since changed their projections to reflect the lower gas prices. Atmos Energy, which has 124,000 customers in the state, withdrew its request to change its gas rates. Xcel now predicts average residential bills to rise by 37 percent, a $26.57 monthly increase from last winter, according to company spokesperson Matthew Lindstrom. Although the company says that customers’ bills in Colorado are lower than national averages, consumer advocates are still concerned about what the increase will mean to residents that live on a fixed income. “The income inequality that we’re seeing in this country is just growing exponentially,” said Jennifer Gremmert, the executive director of Energy Outreach Colorado, a nonprofit that offers bill assistance to residents. “The pressure is on this low-to-moderate income household.” Colorado is abnormally warm right now, but that doesn’t really tell us how much snow will fall this winter Bills are also getting more complicated for residents to follow as companies add more fees and surcharges to help pay for the transition to cleaner energy, Gremmert said. Monica Martinez, the executive director of The Fax Partnership, a nonprofit focused on Denver’s East Colfax corridor, said utility bills are becoming a growing concern for the area’s residents, more than half of which are Black or Latino. The partnership surveyed people who attended one of their food drives and found that paying utility bills was their Natural gas prices are lower than we thought. It still may cost more to heat your home this winter continued on page 12...
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Natural gas prices are lower than we thought. It still may cost more to heat your home this winter. Continued from page 11 second-biggest concern after paying rent — a worry they ranked higher than paying for food. “Your housing is increasing, your food costs are increasing, your utilities are increasing,” Martinez said. “That can just be monumental and compound that financial insecurity.” Regulators want utilities to negotiate better prices for customers’ sake State regulators are urging public utilities to do more to negotiate natural gas prices with suppliers. Because gas costs are passed directly to customers, so are the risks caused by the unstable market, Public Utilities Commissioner Megan Gilman said. “I don’t really see the utilities having the incentive to try and hold gas suppliers’ feet to the fire,” Gilman told the other commissioners. “And if they don’t, certainly regular customers don’t talk to gas suppliers, they can’t wield that sort of power.” In its filing to the commission, Xcel Energy said the volatile market has led gas suppliers to prefer shorter-term contracts rather than monthly or seasonal purchases. The company has also increased its outreach to customers before seasonal changes and extreme weather events to help them conserve energy and lower their bills. “It’s very hard to navigate all the changes that we’re seeing, and I think the utilities are doing as best a job as they can,” Gremmert said. Other utilities still plan to charge customers higher gas rates approved by the commission earlier this year. Black Hills Gas, which has about 178,000 residential customers in Colorado, has yet to collect from customers the money it spent purchasing natural gas and does not plan to increase its gas rate, according to Black Hills Energy spokesperson Ashley Campbell. The companies have yet to include the insurmountable costs spent on natural gas during the nationwide cold snap that shut down Texas’ power grid this February. Atmos and Colorado Natural Gas will be adding those costs to bills starting in 2022; Xcel and Black Hills Gas are expected to argue their costs in front of the commission next year.
January 5, 2022
PUC Filings Show Colorado Energy Bills will Increase This Winter By Robert Davis | The Center Square contributor
Setting a thermostat / jmac23 / Shutterstock
(The Center Square) – Some Colorado consumers can expect to see a significant increase to the energy bills this winter, according to recent filings with the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC). As energy demand creeps up during the colder months, several utility providers in the state are still seeking to recoup costs resulting from Winter Storm Uri and rising global energy costs caused by supply chain disruptions. These utility providers filed comments with PUC concerning their planned rate increases as the agency considers cost recovery requests from the utilities. PUC said on Wednesday that Colorado consumers will likely see heating conservation notices this winter and in “subsequent heating seasons” as energy prices remain elevated when compared to a year ago. The Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCO), which is owned by Xcel Energy, told PUC that it estimates its customers will see an average bill increase of 37% until March 2022. This estimate was revised down from an original 71.5% level that was submitted in late November. “This is still a large increase, and [PSCO] has provided proactive messaging to its Residential customers through a number of channels such as direct email messaging, social media posts, and postings on the Company’s website to alert them of higher expected natural gas costs,” PSCO wrote in its comments to PUC, dated December 10. PUC will hold evidentiary hearings for PSCO’s cost recovery plan between Jan. 26 and 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Feb. 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m, according to the agency’s website. Atmos Energy also told PUC that its residential customers may see their bills increase by as much as 32% by March 2022. Its small commercial and business clients may see an even steeper 42% increase, the company’s filing said. Atmos added that it has begun sending its customers information about Energy Outreach Colorado, a nonprofit that provides financial aid for utility bill payments, in their monthly bills. PUC allowed Atmos to recover more than $23.5 million in extraordinary gas costs because of the winter storm. However, households participating in the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) and Percentage of Income Payment Programs (PIPP) are exempt from the cost recovery.
January 5, 2022
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Additional Old-Fashioned Christmas in Wiggins 2021 Pictures by Town Staff
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
20#, 30#, 40#,100# Bottle Refills
$1.69 per gallon will call or route
$3,950.00 $2,950.00
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- Obituary -
Vickie Sue Schweitzer Surrounded by her family, Vickie Sue Schweitzer, 66, of Keenesburg, CO left her earthly body to join her Lord in Heaven on December 18, 2021. Vickie is survived by her loving husband Michael Schweitzer and the incredible family they built together. Andrea and her husband gave Vickie ten beautiful grandchildren, Suzanna and Scott Gallagher gave her four beautiful grandchildren, Jeremiah and Laura Schweitzer gave her two beautiful grandchildren, and her last days were cherished in celebration of the marriage of her youngest daughter Rebecca to Steven Kopetzky. She is also survived by her mother Joan Jones; her siblings Karon Johnston, Kelvin (Nancy) Jones, and Harold (LaRee) Jones, Katharina Washburn, John (Marge) Schweitzer, Mary (Ron) Jurgensmeier, Josef (Merrell) Schweitzer, Anton (Leslie) Schweitzer, Beth (Kenny) Frazier; as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. Vickie Sue was born in Princeton, IN to Jack and Joan Jones on June 18, 1955. She graduated Northwood University with an Associate’s Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management. She married Michael Schweitzer on November 12, 1982. Vickie dedicated her life to filling stomachs with delicious food, and hearts with the love of Jesus. As a homemaker she raised five strong, independent children who were the joy of her life. Her sixteen grandchildren she called her “delight” and she spent every moment loving her family. Vickie is preceded in death by her beloved daughter Tisha Marie Schweitzer, her Daddy Jack Jones, her loving mother-in-law and mentor Elizabeth Schweitzer, her father-in-law Valentin Schweitzer, her brother-in-law Fred Johnston, and her beloved niece Jennifer Jones. Vickie’s life was dedicated to serving and honoring God with her words and her actions. She was a devoted wife and mother. If you didn’t find her in the kitchen cooking, you’d find her doing crafts with her grandkids, delivering food to people in need, or at the kitchen table sharing coffee and scripture with a loved one. Caring for her family and her community was her greatest accomplishment. Vickie’s favorite ministries she dedicated her heart to were Homestead Bible Camp, 7:07 Campus Life, Preston Ranch Ministries, facilitating a food pantry for families in need, and being a Children’s Sunday School teacher. She truly lived her life as the hands and feet of Jesus to all that came across her path. Because of how selflessly she loved and how far that love stretched, she will be deeply missed by all who knew her. Vickie’s service arrangements are as follows: Visitation - Tuesday, January 4th 6-8pm Macy Chapel - Allnutt Funeral Home 6521 W 20th St. Greeley CO 80634 Celebration of Life Service - Wednesday, January 5th 11am Generations Church 3600 W 22nd St. Greeley CO 80634 Graveside Service - Following Celebration Sunset Memorial Gardens 3400 W 28th St. Greeley CO 80634 Reception - Following Graveside First Baptist Church of Hudson 610 Cherry St. Hudson CO 80642 Vickie’s favorite color was blue so please feel free to wear blue to the services to honor and celebrate a life well lived! Donations can be made payable directly to Michael Schweitzer and will be prioritized as Vickie requested.
January 5, 2022
New Colorado Minimum Wage Goes Into Effect January 1
DENVER - The new Colorado minimum wage will rise on January 1, 2022, to $12.56 or $9.54 for those receiving enough in tips for total pay to meet or exceed the full minimum wage. Annually inflation-adjusting the minimum wage is mandated by a section of the Colorado Constitution that Colorado voters adopted in a 2006 ballot measure (with the exception of 2017-20, when the minimum wage rose by larger amounts due to another ballot measure, in 2016, raising the minimum wage by 90-99 cents annually until it reached $12.00 by 2020). “A new year, a new minimum wage! As we head into 2022, Colorado workers who work for the minimum wage are getting a raise to $12.56/hour as the state builds an economy that works for everyone,” said Governor Polis. “My administration is committed to investing in workers and providing opportunities for everyone to succeed and grow their skills.” Additionally, starting January 1, 2022, direct care workers funded with any state dollars working in-home and community-based settings are to receive a minimum wage of $15 per hour. In Colorado, 47% of direct care workers access some form of public assistance to meet their daily needs and 34% are involved with Medicaid. This raise was put forward by the Polis-Primavera administration and approved by the Joint Budget Committee and Chair Moreno. Inflation for Colorado is calculated and published by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, and because the minimum wage inflation adjustment must be published by September each year, it is based on inflation from mid-year to mid-year. The 2022 minimum wage is therefore the 2021 minimum wage, increased by inflation from the middle of 2020 to the middle of 2021. Below is the Colorado minimum wage for the past decade: Year
Minimum Wage
Increase from Prior Year
Basis for Setting Minimum Wage
2011
$7.36
12¢ (1.7%)
CPI-increased annually, by Colorado Constitution Article XVIII § 15.
2012
$7.64
24¢ (3.8%)
2013
$7.78
24¢ (1.8%)
2014
$8.00
22¢ (2.8%)
2015
$8.23
23¢ (2.9%)
2016
$8.31
24¢ (1.0%)
2017
$9.30
24¢ (11.9%)
2018
$10.20
24¢ (9.7%)
2019
$11.10
24¢ (8.8%)
2020
$12.00
90¢ (8.1%)
2021
$12.32
32¢ (2.7%)
CPI-increased annually, by Colorado Constitution Article XVIII § 15.
2022
$12.56*
24¢ (1.9%)
*Not yet in effect; being published in proposed rules Sept. 30, 2021
Set at $9.30 in 2017, then +90¢/year through 2020, by Amendment 70.
Omicron Variant Identified in Weld County Weld County, Colorado — The State Health department has informed the Weld County Health Department that 7 Weld residents have tested positive for the new COVID-19 omicron variant. The residents range in age from 7 months to 78 years old; and were identified across the county in various cities and towns, including Windsor, Greeley/Evans, Dacono, and Milliken. The State Health department is monitoring for the presence of variants across Colorado. The omicron variant has also been identified in neighboring Larimer County. Health officials acknowledge that variants are common with any virus; and it’s not unusual to see the emergence of new strains. While scientists are still learning about omicron, consider using current COVID-19 prevention practices. For more information about COVID-19, including vaccination and testing locations, go to www.weldhealth.org.
January 5, 2022
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Lost Creek Guide
SERVICE DIRECTORY Computer Support Repair, Service & Sales
Reliable, Local, Professional Roggen Telephone Company
303-849-5260
Thomas J Croghan DDS Family Dental Practice
Appointments: 303-377-8662 Appointments Available in Keenesburg and Denver
New Patients Welcome
DOHERTY’S PLUMBING AND DRAIN Plumbing, Drain Cleaning, Water Heater Replacement Video sewer inspection Sewer & drain locating
COMPLETE HVAC SERVICES NOW AVAILABLE
303-859-9126
Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry Assistance for Roggen, Keenesburg, Prospect Valley, & Hudson Call to Request Assistance
303-732-4319
HELP WANTED LEVEL 1-2 TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND NETWORK TECHNICIAN Roggen Telephone Cooperative is looking to expand its team. We are a small ISP serving customers in the Roggen, Keenesburg and Hudson areas. Candidates with education/experience in ISP networking, static and dynamic routing, DHCP, DNS, PoE, IPv6 networking, NetXMS, Linux, Mikrotik, Ubiquity or Mimosa equipment would be preferred, but not required. Basic requirements are a positive attitude towards customers and their issues, good interpersonal skills, patience and ability to help solve problems in creative ways. There are required monthly Safety meetings during business hours. You will be able to become familiar with the wireless communication and fiber optics as well as all aspects of its deployment and maintenance. This position is full time and salary starting at $20 - $22 per hour depending upon experience. Must have a valid Colorado driver’s license and be able to pass a drug test. Benefits include medical, dental, vision and Life insurance and 401k plan. Roggen Telephone is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug/Alcohol-Free workplace. You can email your Resume to roggenmang@rtebb.net. BROADBAND INSTALLER AND REPAIR TECHNICIAN Roggen Telephone Cooperative Company (RTCC) is accepting applications for a Broadband installer and repair technician. Ability to communicate with co-workers and function as a team player. Duties include installing and maintaining all types of Broadband services and related equipment. Experience with mechanical and power hand tools. Minimum requirements include the ability to lift up to 50lbs, along with the ability to perform physically exerting tasks such as climbing ladders, running cable and mounting hardware on roofs of businesses, outbuildings and homes. There are mandatory monthly Safety meetings during business hours that we provide. You will be able to become familiar with the wireless communication and fiber optics as well as all aspects of its deployment and maintenance. This position is full time and salary starts at $18 - $20 per hour depending upon experience. Must have a valid Colorado driver’s license. RTCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug/Alcohol-Free workplace. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, Life insurance and a 401k plan. You can email your Resume to roggenmang@rtebb.net.
TRUCK DRIVER-PART-TIME Dairy Farm, located in eastern Colorado, needs a dependable & hardworking driver & willing to jump in where needed. Duties will consist of hauling commodities to the facility, hauling manure to fields, harvest driving & anything that may need hauling. It will be local driving and home every night. Pay will be determined by experience, & retired drivers welcome to apply. - Solid experience preferred - Need to be self-motivated, good communication skills with staff & ownership - Must have CDL Class A with a clean driving record - Able to pass a drug & alcohol screening - Most trucking is within a 200-mile radius, home at night. 35895 CR 18 Roggen, CO 80652 l 303-849-6222
Dave Haney Painting & Dry Wall Interior - Exterior Cabinets, Fence Staining Located in Platteville 720-217-2089
McCarthy Trucking
Recycled asphalt, concrete Great for driveways & parking areas. Also sand & gravel. Reasonable Prices Call Kevin for free quote 303-901-5034
Help Wanted
Aladdin Assisted Living 15 South Ash Street Keenesburg, Colorado Care Givers Needed Call: 303-732-4856
Open Mon. - Fri. 8am - 5pm Family Medical are for All Ages
Keene Clinic
190 So. Main St., Keenesburg
303-732-4268
Loya’s Cleaning LLC Maria Loya
First Baptist Church, Keenesburg, Food Pantry Open every third Saturday 9 am to 12 pm 100 North Market Street, Keenesburg For emergency needs, please contact 720-480-6428 or email us at: http:// www.fbca.church
Donations are welcome to help us defeat hunger in our community
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January 5, 2022
Market Street Mart Customer Appreciation Day
Celebrating Customer Appreciation Day!
Market Street Mart got to celebrate it’s first Customer Appreciation Day this year, thanks to the brand new building we opened back in April. In previous years, the company – Kleve Family Businesses, for all intents and purposes – has been able to generously thank their customers for their loyalty, but only at our other locations throughout Weld County. This year, we were not only able to celebrate at all of our stores, but we were also able to hold a raffle at Market Street Mart to really show our customers just how much we appreciate them. Just under 200 people entered our Customer Appreciation Day Raffle, where our grand prize from the company was a Samsung 65-In Crystal UHD Smart TV, with Alexa Built-in. Other prizes included a large polar bear plush from Coca Cola; a Yeti cooler from Pepsi; a golf club bag from Rockstar; and Shell Fleeces and Shell Gift Cards from the company. Our winners this year are; $25 Shell Gift Card Emily Rosiek $25 Shell Gift Card Heather Huck $25 Shell Gift Card William Redshaw $25 Shell Gift Card Nathan Rosling $100 Shell Gift Card George Klausner $100 Shell Gift Card Kristen Linnebur Shell Fleece Hector Herrera Shell Fleece Tim Rupp Shell Fleece Sherry Mosley Shell Fleece Mike Aragonez Shell Fleece Antonio Perez Golf Club Bag from Rockstar Doug Davidsmeyer Yeti Cooler from Pepsi Sherri Vance XL Plush from Coca-Cola Andy Arnold Grand Prize TV from Market Street Mart Joelie McBride Every year, we celebrate and thank our customers the week before Christmas. This year, we had about 300 of our customers visit us on Customer Appreciation Day this past Friday, just at Market Street Mart. Including the other two stores we have in Hudson, we were able to thank at least 400 if not more of our customers this year. They were able to enjoy free treats, coffee, and soda all day, along with free breakfast items all morning, and free hot dogs and pizza until about supper time. We are grateful to our community for supporting us throughout the years, especially throughout the pandemic and our own change of moving into the new building. Make sure to stop by next year for Customer Appreciation Day, and enter to win our next grand prize!
Skyla, Cindi, & Amanda
Enjoying Customer Appreciation Day!
Brianna & the Teddy Bear
More Pictures of the Marshall Fire continued from page 1...
The “mosaic” of wildfire: some structures are spared, others not. Photo by Hart Van Denburg/ CPR News
Photo by Hart Van Denburg/ CPR News