The Lost Creek Guide September 21, 2022

Colorado is a Criminal’s Paradise, How We Got There and How to Fix It!

by Gabe Evans, Candidate for Colorado House District 48 and Retired Police

ByLieutenantnow,most people know Colorado is in the middle of a historic surge in crime. Our state is highest in the nation for bank robberies, auto theft, porch pirates, and cocaine usage. Overdose deaths are spiking, criminals are re-offending at historic rates, and in 2021 Denver had more homicides than San Francisco (96 to 56). Overall, the total cost of crime in Colorado in 2021 was estimated to be over $5,300 for every man, woman, and child (over $21,200 for a family of four). How did we get here?

Since 2018, Colorado has suffered under one party rule. Democrats have clear majorities in the State House and Senate, and they control the office of Governor. Lacking any balance, they’ve pursued three major policy avenues that created our current crime tsunami.

First, they attacked law enforcement. In 2020, Colorado Democrats passed Senate Bill 20-217. From introduction to the governor’s signature took just 16 days. Not long enough for meaningful discussion, but plenty of time to fill it with poorly thought-out, knee-jerk reactions. The bill was so bad that in 2021 a major “fix” had to be passed, House Bill 21-1250. Even with the fix, these bills have delivered a terrible blow to law enforcement and community safety. Some key measures found in these bills include:

• A mandate that all officers wear a body camera and have it on anytime they are interacting with citizens. Here’s the issue. It’s not feasible for an officer to keep their body camera on all the time. Every second of footage must be retained for evidentiary purposes. Cataloguing and storing that footage takes a substantial amount of time and money. Consequently, officers turn off their cameras when performing administrative tasks. Who wants to watch two hours of a cop typing reports? If an officer forgets to turn on their body camera when responding to a call however, the courts are allowed to assume misconduct by the officer. Now, when a cop is running into a dangerous situation, or a previously calm situation suddenly escalates, one of the most important considerations for the officer is not protecting the citizens or surviving a deadly encounter, but ensuring their body camera is on so they aren’t automatically guilty until proven innocent. If the camera malfunctions or is accidently turned off, the officer must prove actions outside their control caused the camera to turn off. Not only does this mandate add stress and liability to an already dangerous job, it erodes trust with victims and the community. Consider a parent whose 10-year-old was just violently assaulted. Knowing that every graphic detail is statutorily mandated to be recorded and can be publicly released 21 days later, victims are increasingly reluctant to speak to law enforcement. If they do, they run the risk of being re-victimized since the law effectively bars redacting (blurring only) any portion of the recording.

• A requirement that every time a police officer speaks to a citizen (with few exceptions), they fill out paperwork recording the person’s name, gender, ethnicity, reason for contact, and other information. Not only is this intrusive to the citizen, by mandating 10 minutes of paperwork for nearly every citizen contact, officers are being incentivized to interact less with their community. A two-minute courtesy traffic stop to inform a motorist their brake lights aren’t working now takes 12 minutes. A twominute stop to ask a person why they are peeking into car windows at 2 a.m. now takes 12 minutes. All across Colorado, officers are spending more time filling out paperwork and less time fighting crime. This reduces community trust and gives criminals more opportunities to evade apprehension.

• These laws make it easier to personally sue the police. If a police officer is successfully sued, they will almost always be stripped of their ability to be employed as a police officer. An officer does not have to be criminally charged or accused of any misconduct for this to happen: just a successful lawsuit. The law also makes it easier for the officer to be held personally liable, to the tune of $25,000 from the officer’s own pocket. Something as simple as forgetting to turn on their camera during a courtesy traffic stop can now result in a lawsuit that will end their career, ruin their reputation, and could result in a $25,000 fine.

As a result of these and other terrible policies, many cops have decided the risk is just not worth it. Officers are leaving the profession in droves. A conservative estimate is that most agencies in Colorado have seen a 20% reduction in staffing at the same time a 20% increase in paperwork was imposed. The result is nearly a 40% reduction is a Criminal’s Paradise, How We Got There and How to Fix It!

Election Year Polis Flip-Flops on Devastating Car Theft Policy He Championed & Signed

Greenwood Village, Colorado. – Colorado GOP Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown released the following statement this morning regarding Jared Polis’ embarrassing election year decision to flip-flop on SB21-271, a law he championed, signed into law, and is now trying to reverse due to devastating consequences.

Under Jared Polis and Phil Weiser’s failed leadership, Colorado has become #1 in auto thefts.

“Once again, Jared Polis flip flops on his policy less than two months from Election Day. While he’s had his entire term to change Colorado’s trajectory as the #1 state in the nation on auto theft, Polis is only now deciding he needs to do something serious. Yesterday, he asked the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice and the legislature to reverse his own law – a law he asked for in 2020 and signed in 2021 that made auto theft of cars worth $2,000 or less a mere misdemeanor. This policy led to spikes in car thefts, specifically against the most vulnerable Coloradans. In an Election Year about-face, Polis is now asking for his own law to be reversed.”

•Background:In2020,Jared Polis sent this letter to the CCJJ, asking for sentencing reform, to include ending jail sentences for people who committed crimes he didn’t consider a serious public threat.

• In 2021, Jared Polis signed SB21-271 into law, after it was recommended by the CCJJ, making it a misdemeanor to steal a car valued at $2,000, allowing the poorest Coloradans to be targeted with auto theft.

• On September 15, 2022, Jared Polis sent this letter to the CCJJ, asking them and the legislature to reverse the policy in SB21-271 and finally take the auto theft crisis seriously – a policy Republicans in the legislature, on the Aurora City Council, and Attorney General candidate John Kellner have already been advocating for.

Town of Keenesburg Announces Candidates For November 2022 Election

The Keenesburg Town Clerk announced the ballot order for the November 2022 Town elections. The position of Mayor and four Trustee positions are available. The Town Clerk announced there were petitions for two candidates for Mayor and eight candidates for Trustee approved. These 10 candidates represent the largest interest in a Keenesburg election for a very, very long time. The Lost Creek Guide offers to publish a onetime free article from candidates from both Keenesburg and Hudson in one of three issues, The October 5th or 19th and November 2nd, 2022, issues of the Lost Creek Guide. The Lost Creek Guide is sent to every home & business in Keenesburg & Hudson via the United States Post Service for free. Articles, including a picture, should be sent to editor@lostcreekguide.com one week before publication dates which means they are due end of day Wednesday the week before distribution. Articles should be between 300 to 500 words and should be focused on telling voters who you are and why they should vote for you. Any questions please contact the Lost Creek Guide at 303-732-4080.

Candidates have stepped up to the plate. You as voters need to do your part and vote. The Lost Creek Guide is attempting to set up a meet & greet for candidates and the general public, meaning you the voters. Look to the October 5th issue of the Lost Creek Guide for tentative dates and locations. Many of the voters in Keenesburg have expressed concern about the direction of the Town, this is your chance to do something about it.

Our and are with you both.

Way of the World

by Bob Grand, Lost Creek Guide

We are facing challenging times. Yet there are many in the political world of nonreality who say, no you just do not understand, the world is great. If you look at the crime statistics, inflation, immigration, educational performance, and the general state of the world you have to be totally insensitive to not recognize we are heading down a rougher and rougher road. Maybe that is the problem. We have allowed an administrative class to be created that lives in a bubble and has all the answers for us. All we have to do is to continue to pay higher taxes, to pay for their higher salaries and benefits, as they bring all their creative solutions to help solve our problems. The problem is the results so far have been less than stellar, in fact, they have been terrible. The answer from our administrative bureaucracy seems to be to create a new organization or staff group to look at a problem. This adds to payroll costs at all levels but what has that investment produced? It is like Governor Polis hiring Andrew Phelps as his homeless advisor. The City of Greeley has done a good job in promoting the Downtown area, only now to be facing a seriously growing homeless problem, which has caused local businesses to plead with the city council to do something. They should maybe see what the City of Denver is doing, or maybe not doing, facing the same issue.

Our constitutional fathers were quite deliberate in developing the Constitution to be a document that protects the rights of the citizens. It stressed the balance of power with the intent of making sure the interests of the people were the main directional driver. Make no mistake, it is our fault as citizens by not watching the governmental beast grow, at all levels, local, county, state and federal. We elect people, regardless of whether they are Republicans or Democrats, who talk a good line but then fail to deliver on what they promised. They truly believe they have been chosen to do what they think is best for us. After they have clearly shown us an inability to be effective we should elect somebody else. To some that is heresy, but results are what we need. The future we are allowing to be created does not bold well for our children and grandchildren. We have an obligation to hold elected officials accountable. If we judge them to have failed us, we should vote them out of office.

In Colorado the November 2022 elections will be a turning point. The state of our crime statistics is mind boggling. If you read the front page story in this issue by Gabe Evans, a man who served for over ten years as a police officer, you can see that the state legislature has bent over backwards to be lenient to the criminal class. Now I do not remember hearing from Governor Polis or the rest of his elected officials that voting for them would create this abysmal effort on crime. No you did not. What you heard was vote for us against Donald Trump. Folks listened to that and they did vote that way. They did not expect what they got. I blame a big part of that on, what I call the old guard Republicans, who have been in control for far too long, who do not want to recognize the world is changing, even in Weld County. The Republican Party has become a minority party. Unaffiliated and Democratic voters outnumber the registered Republicans. In the recent primary election four of what I call the Republican old guard (even though they are relatively young) painfully found this out at the polls. Lori Saine, Cody LeBlanc, Terry DeGroot and Elijah Hatch were expecting to win their races, after all they were chosen. Well welcome to the real world. We, as voters, deserve to have candidates that will get things accomplished. For those that do not meet our expectations we have a choice.

The United States Senator from New York and Senate Majority leader, from New York, announced his PAC was donating $500,000 to Senator Michael Bennet’s campaign. Who does Michael Bennet really represent? You can understand where a guy like Joe O’Dea has a chance. He is a real person, not perfect, as none of us are, but he says what he means on the issues not what people would like to hear. Reading Michael Bennet’s weekly updates, it is like he lives on another planet. I guess he does not see the crime, worry about inflation or immigration, or anything else that normal people in Colorado are concerned with. Think about that when you decide who you want as your next United States Senator from Colorado.

Ukraine still continues to give Putin a better fight than he anticipated. How long can this continue?

Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated. Keep them coming. publisher@lostcreekguide.com

in available manpower, at a time when crime is rapidly increasing. Again, this is a conservative figure. I personally know of agencies operating at a 60% or greater deficit. Keep in mind it takes about 18 months to hire and train a new officer, an additional three years before that officer is proficient at basic patrol tasks, and roughly three more years in a special assignment (seven-and-a-half total) before that officer is adept at a single advanced task (e.g., fatal accident investigation, forensic child abuse investigation). While purporting to improve the quality of Colorado law enforcement, Democrats have actually liquidated thousands of years of law enforcement experience. It could take a decade (or more) to rebuild the proficiency they’ve destroyed.

Which leads to the second thing the Democrats have done. They empowered criminals. Senate Bill 21-271 overhauled Colorado’s criminal penalties. Predominantly it reduced the consequences for numerous crimes. Some highlights include:

• Breaking into cars used to be a felony. Now it’s a misdemeanor.

• Illegally possessing another person’s financial information was reduced to a misdemeanor.

• The penalty for unlawful sexual contact was reduced to a maximum of 364 days in jail.

• Breaking into an ATM, vault, cash register, or other safety apparatus was reduced to a misdemeanor.

• The penalty for driving without a license, or refusing to provide a license to a police officer during a traffic stop, was reduced to a fine only. Problem is, without a license, and without the ability to make an arrest, how does an officer identify the person in order to issue a fine?

Another law, House Bill 19-1263, reduced the penalties for possession of hard drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. Most of these offenses are now misdemeanors, punishable only by probation. The Democrats, however, didn’t increase funding for probation officers. It is not uncommon for one probation officer to be “supervising” 300-400 people, which realistically means no supervision at all. Anytime you see the word “misdemeanor,” that’s code for “given a ticket and released with no jail time.” During COVID, the ACLU forced sheriff’s departments all across the state to stop holding people in jail for misdemeanor offenses. This conditioned society and criminals into accepting reduced or no jail time for misdemeanor crimes. Because county and district judges are appointed via a commission controlled by Colorado’s last three Democrat governors, many judges’ true colors began to emerge. They are now routinely releasing felony and misdemeanor offenders on Personal Recognizance (PR) bonds. A PR bond means no money is paid; the offender simply gives a signed promise to behave. Colorado’s Democrat attorney general, Phil Weiser, is advocating policies that require auto thieves to steal multiple vehicles before they can be jailed— and auto theft is usually a felony. You can imagine how insignificant the penalties are for misdemeanor crimes. While the Democrats would love to wash their hands of this problem and blame it on the judiciary, that is not the case. In 2022 they killed a bill (Senate Bill 22-41) that would have prohibited certain violent and repeat offenders from being released on a PR bond. The result is terrible for community safety. If a criminal somehow does manage to earn prison time, they are being released after serving an average of 46% of their sentence. Unsurprisingly, Colorado has the 4th worst recidivism (re-offense) rate in the nation, in addition to all the other terrible “firsts” mentioned earlier.

Knowing their poll numbers were dropping, in 2022, Democrats passed House Bill 22-1326, which claims to increase the penalties for fentanyl. There’s a catch however; Democrats insisted on including language allowing anyone to avoid prosecution simply by saying “I didn’t know the substance I had was fentanyl.” It took a matter of weeks for the criminal underworld to discover and begin exploiting this loophole. Even the Democrats’ “tough on crime” laws are effectively worthless.

As you can guess, this pro-crime environment is crippling to law enforcement morale. Why should officers risk their life, career, and reputation to fight crime when offenders will be released before the officer’s report is even done? Moreover, an officer can be powerless to help crime victims only so many times before that officer simply gives up and stops trying. When that happens, the criminals have won.

Which brings us to the third part of the Democrat’s self-induced crime wave. Not only have they attacked law enforcement and empowered our own home-grown criminals, they’ve opened Colorado to international criminal enterprises by opposing secure border policies. House Bill 19-1124 prohibited Colorado law enforcement agencies from sharing information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Imagine a drug cartel. They sell billions of dollars of illegal narcotics (and other illicit products, to include human trafficking and child pornography) every year. They need a major distribution hub somewhere in the United States. In Colorado, the cops are under attack, penalties for crime are being lowered, and law enforcement agencies can’t coordinate with immigration authorities to depart cartel members. Pretty attractive, right? Unsurprisingly, cartel presence in Colorado has grown by leaps and bounds. A significant percentage of the crime you see in the news is ultimately driven by cartels or other organized crime. Stolen car? Eighty five percent of the time it will be used in the commission of another crime. People who steal cars? Ninety seven percent of them are already hardened criminals with a prior arrest for auto theft within the last three years. Criminals of all types, to include international operatives, are being released back into Colorado’s communities with barely a slap on the wrist. And there you have it. Colorado Democrats attacked law enforcement, empowered criminals by reducing penalties at every opportunity, and opened Colorado up to international organized crime. Citizens are being victimized by theft, assault, rampant drug use, overdose deaths, and other illegal activities. Our state is less safe, and thousands of dollars are being siphoned from every resident’s pocket due to the societywide cost of rising crime. As a Colorado native who spent over a decade in Colorado law enforcement, witnessing what the Democrats have done to our communities is gut wrenching. Reversing the damage will only happen if the Democrat’s grip on all three branches of government is broken. Safe communities require a proper balance of restorative justice AND personal accountability in the criminal justice system. Colorado’s ruling Democrats have shown no interest in balance or holding criminals accountable. And it’s the everyday citizens who are paying the price.

Colorado is a Criminal’s Paradise, How We Got There and How to Fix It! from 1...

Letter to the Citizen’s of Keenesburg:

The 2nd Amendment reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” One would think, this was written clearly enough to prevent unconstitutional laws from being enacted at the National, State, and Local levels. However, as the past 40 years have taught us, this is not the case.

While it is certainly justified to be concerned about anti-2A legislation coming from the Biden administration, it is just as important to be aware of what Polis and the Colorado General Assembly are doing to erode our constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Colorado is a State which allows for “Home Rule Governance,” which Weld County has adopted. Home rule empowers local governments to act and legislate on local matters. But ultimately, it falls on the shoulders of the county Sheriff to determine if a law is unconstitutional and if so may choose whether to enforce the given law.

This principle was made clear in 2019, when Weld County Sheriff, Steve Reams, made national news by standing up to Polis and the Colorado General Assembly when the “Red Flag” laws were passed. Sheriff Reams, along with 32 of the 64 counties in Colorado, declared that this was unconstitutional, and resources would not be used to assist the State in enforcement. In 2021, the Weld County Board of Commissioners reaffirmed its status as a “Second Amendment sanctuary” as the General Assembly passed multiple gun control measures.

Arguably, the most egregious of which was SB21-256, which allows Local Regulation of Firearms. At first glance, this may seem like a good thing if the bill’s intent was to honor the principle of home rule and allow local governments to disregard unconstitutional State and Federal gun control laws. However, given the heavy bias of our current Assembly, we know this is not the case. The bill which was passed into law reads, “A local government is permitted to enact an ordinance, regulation, or other law governing or prohibiting the sale, purchase, transfer, or possession of a firearm, ammunition, or firearm component or accessory. The ordinance, regulation, or law may not be less restrictive than state law.” Meaning, this is a one-way street and a local government may now legally further restrict the 2nd amendment rights, but they may not lessen restrictions imposed by the Assembly. Many towns in the Front Range wasted no time enacting new gun control measures including Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, and Superior.

Fortunately, with the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the unconstitutionality of the New York limits on concealed carry handguns, it seems possible that many of these attempts to curtail our 2nd Amendment rights will eventually be overturned. Unfortunately, this law was enacted in 1913 and it took the Supreme Court 109 years to declare it unconstitutional.

With these things in mind, it is more important than ever to be involved at the local level and to elect local leaders who will stand up to these unconstitutional attempts to limit our 2nd Amendment rights and who pledge to never support any ordinances or laws doing so. I am running for Mayor of Keenesburg and have been a lifelong advocate of the 2nd Amendment and I pledge to never support any gun control ordinances or laws. With your help, we can save Keenesburg from becoming Aurora or one of these other front range cities. I would love to hear your thoughts and encourage you to reach out to me.

Gillian Smith A Qualified Candidate Willing to Serve

Making the decision to run for Weld County Council involved analyzing what my qualifications are and how they will best represent the entire county. Below are illustrations of how my skills will serve

Theyou.Weld County Home Rule Charter became effective January 1, 1976. Home Rule allows the citizens more control and input as to how Weld County is governed rather than being dependent on the Colorado legislature. County Council is a unique part of Weld County government that few counties have.

The Council is charged to review all aspects of County government and report to the people. To facilitate this, the Council may appoint a performance auditor.

Additionally, the Council has five functions per the Weld County Home Rule Charter:

1) Setting salary levels for all elected officials.

2) Filling vacancies for the Board of Commissioners and County Council.

3) In the event of a valid recall petition or if an official is charged or indicted for a crime, the Council may suspend that official.

4) Reviewing conflicts of interest that may occur between any county officer, members or employees of appointed boards and any enterprise or business doing business with Weld County.

5) The Council considers requests from the Board of County Commissioners to grant mill levy increases.

I have worked with multiple companies reviewing their accounting processes, finding ways to cut costs, and increase efficiency. Often, analyzing department level accounting, deficiencies are revealed and can be corrected or managed to more efficient levels. Companies often use auditors to assist in finding areas of weakness. I have been involved in audits on a variety of levels and types; financial to vendor. Personally, I have conducted inventories of oil field tubulars, equipment and business stock for resale. I have also been involved in multiple joint venture audits which reviews both expenditures and revenue payments for oil wells. Being involved with so many facets of audit offer me a big picture approach combined with the detail level necessary to obtain good data.

Part of running a business is the setting and review of salaries. When I ran businesses of my own, I researched what other areas were paying for similar positions. Inflation and the economic conditions of various areas also need to be considered. Qualifications, performance, and education levels also factor into wage calculations. Salaries can be a sensitive and emotional part of any position. Employee retention and

attraction are great concerns. All factors must be considered to make a determination that meets the needs of all involved. This becomes more complex when tax payers are involved. For elected positions, constituent’s voices should be heard as they are ultimately paying the salaries with their tax dollars.

Filling vacancies on the Board of Commissioners or Council is like hiring for a business. You review the qualifications and select the best person for the position. Over the years I have been responsible for hiring in many companies. If an official is charged or indicted for a crime, the Council has the responsibility to suspend until a resolution is reached and sometimes that may mean permanent suspension. This is the opposite side of the hiring equation. Sometimes in business or other organizations, the responsible decision is to terminate those that are irresponsible or commit crime, as that potentially causes damage to the entire organization.

An essential aspect of accountability and fiduciary responsibility is watching out for conflicts of interest. Biased interests may have legal ramifications. For elected officials, being part of a conflict causes lack of credibility. In fiscal matters, the impact of the future financial outcome of a mill levy must be analyzed. Additionally, a review of the historical use of the existing mill levy should be done to see if it was efficiently utilized to achieve its intended purpose.

I recognize the varied elements of population, lifestyle, and geography that Weld County has. I have enormous respect for agriculture and the hard work necessary to be successful as a farmer or rancher. My career in oil and gas has proven to me the how strongly this industry contributes to Weld’s prosperity. There is a blend of city and country lifestyle and attitudes that span Weld County. Each element has different concerns and considerations which I have observed having lived in both metro and rural

Pleaseareas.feel

free to reach out to me with questions at Smith for Weld on Facebook. Or, on the web at https://smithforweld.com.

Why 4-H?

The Benefits of Your Kids Being Involved in 4-H

Article by Madison Richmann

There are so many different extra curricular activities out there to choose from; basketball, baseball, gymnastics, art club, music lessons, etc. You may be wondering ‘Why should I choose 4-H for my child?’ On the Weld County 4-H website it states, “Youth who participate in 4-H get what all young people need to succeed in life: confidence, compassion, connections with caring adults, and skills and opportunities to make contributions to their communities.” Students involved in 4-H are involved in so much more than a project. So many friends and memories will be made, along with tons of valuable life lessons.

One of the life skills that is taught and learned in 4-H is communication. Communication is a skill that is necessary, and in 4-H, kids will be communicating with many different people. In a livestock project, you must communicate with who you buy your animals with, the veterinarians, the judges, and more! In all projects you will have to communicate with adults (club leaders, peers, judges, etc.) Every 4-H member is required to give a presentation to their club about their project every year. This teaches presentation and communication skills too.

A second skill that 4-H teaches its members is decision making. There are a lot of decisions that go into joining 4-H and beyond, starting with choosing the right project for you! There are so many choices and options throughout 4-H, and learning to make good decisions in a timely manner is yet another great life skill. If your child is involved in a livestock project, they may even have to make some decision about the health of their animal. The club leaders, parents, judges, etc always encourage the kids to make their own decisions, but also help to lead the students so that they can learn. There is no better place to learn decision making than in 4-H!

Communication and decision making and just two of the hundreds of skills that 4-H members will learn. Students will also learn leadership, citizenship, money handling, good sportsmanship, and how to be humble winners and losers. Members will age out of 4-H being more confident, more caring, more compassionate, and more connected to agriculture and the world we live in. Getting your kids involved in anything and everything is great, but when it comes down to choosing which activities to sign your kids up for, 4-H would be highly recommended for so many reasons!

Oops!

In a recent sports story, the Davis boy’s Jayce & Blake were inadvertently listed as transferring from Ohio.

Their mom, Sheane Davis, pointed out they were born in Fort Morgan but have attended school in Weldona since pre-K forward. A little overzealous reporting, as there were some boys from Ohio with same names just not the boys attending Weldona. We will do better.

IT IS

Missing In Action: Colorado Democrats Snub

Western Slope & Rural Colorado

Greenwood Village, Colorado. – Colorado Democrats have not hidden their disdain for rural Colorado these past few years but this weekend several of them chose to thumb their noses yet again at rural Coloradans and those living on the Western Slope.

For nearly seven decades, Club 20 has been known as an organization dedicated to advocating for Western Slope counties, businesses, and way of life. The organization has worked to support increased infrastructure, public lands, air service, and tourism. All issues important to Colorado and our future.

Apparently those are things that Michael Bennet, Jared Polis, and Jena Griswold want nothing to do with.

All three chose to ignore the invite to Club 20 this year.

While there will surely be other debates this year, Club 20 is a debate that is specifically focused on issues that impact the Western Slope and life in that part of our state. It’s disappointing to see these Democrats admit how little they care about those issues and those citizens.

“Candidate Declined to Participate”

Where were these Colorado Democrats and why couldn’t they show up for Colorado’s Western Slope?

• Where was Jena Griswold? Apparently she chose to spend her day at a comically failed photo op in Fort Morgan where only a few people chose to show up.

• Bennet posted no photos from any events this weekend. We assumed he quietly spent his weekend at home in Washington D.C.

• Polis? Looks like he spent Friday at home in Boulder and just chose not to show up.

Although, maybe Polis, Bennet and Griswold just knew they couldn’t defend their failed record and didn’t even want to try. AG Weiser however chose to show up and then painfully tried to avoid stating he is our state’s top “law enforcement officer” .... even though he is.

Statement from Colorado GOP Executive Director Joe Jackson: “It’s sad that Michael Bennet, Jared Polis, and Jena Griswold have all chosen to give the Western Slope the middle finger. The Republican slate is unified in our party’s desire to always fight for every county in Colorado and show up for every Coloradan. It’s disheartening that our current elected Democrats don’t share those Colorado values. Coloradans will reject Democrats this November in the same way Democrats have rejected rural Colorado.”

Morgan County 2022 Fair Cloverbuds Results

While 4-H members have to be 8-18 to compete at the Morgan County Fair, there was still fun to be had for the Cloverbud Members in Morgan County 4-H, which are youth ages 5-7. The overall purpose of the 4-H Cloverbud Program is to foster the development of life skills that are essential for the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical maturation of five to eight year old children.

Cloverbud members have the opportunity to attend monthly workshops held at the Extension Office where they do activities, such as learning about STEM or completing a craft. These members also attend monthly club meetings where they also do activities. On Interview Judging day these members had the opportunity to enter in a project that they had completed during the year, and get interviewed just like the older members do.

Most of the youth chose to display the shirts that they made during the 2022 Cloverbud t-shirt workshop, which they had the opportunity to model during the Fashion Revue on Monday, July 25. Cloverbuds that displayed their t-shirts were: Dailiana Gonzalez, Gabriel Herrera, Gabriel Higgins, Liam Higgins, Gavyn Larrick, and Averie Williams. The Cloverbud projects will be displayed in the Mark Arndt Event Center at the Morgan County Fair Grounds in Brush for the duration of the 2022 Morgan County Fair which ends August 4th.

WIGGINS SCHOOL DISTRICT 50J SEPTEMBER NEWS

GOOD PEOPLE OF TIGER NATION: SeptemberHomecoming took place during the week of September 5- September 12. Students took part in dress up days, gorilla volleyball, dodgeball, a car bash, bonfire, parade, dance, and athletic contests. Points were gathered over the course of the week on student spirit and participation. The senior class won the week, narrowly defeating the juniors.

Staff members met at the beginning of the school year to set the tone for the 2223 school year. Teachers were placed into Professional Learning Communities and together, defined the norms all district staff members will follow during this school year.

District Norms:

1. We put KIDS FIRST

2. We presume POSITIVE intent

3. We are in attendance, fully present, and COMMITTED to the work

4. We are LEARNERS

5. We PRACTICE what we VALUE

These norms will help guide our everyday interactions with each other, the students, and our dedication to grow as educators.

The district is going through a curriculum change for language arts. Our past curriculum no longer met the READ Act requirements so a change had to be made. After careful review by staff and community members the Into Reading and Into Literature were chosen. Staff members have been through specified curriculum implementation training and will continue to receive training during the year. We expect some hiccups along the way but are positive our students will continue to improve as the year progresses.

Congratulations to the 2021-2022 middle school students and teachers. Your hard work and dedication toward meeting the standards proved to be well worth it. The middle school moved from priority improvement to performance in just two years, not to mention in the middle of pandemic. Great job to the entire group!

Students in FFA will be heading to Indianapolis for the National FFA Convention at the end of October. The students who attend will take part in leadership activities and watch Caiden Callaway, a former Wiggins student, receive his American FFA Degree. Congratulations Caiden!

#GoTigers Superintendent: Trent Kerr Monthly Expenditures for September

DATE EVENT TIME

Thursday, September 22 HS Volleyball @ SedgCo 4pm

MS Football vs Yuma 4pm

MS Volleyball @ Caliche 4pm

Friday, September 23 HS/MS Cross Country @ Pla�e Valley Invita�onal TBD

HS Volleyball C Tourney @ Windsor 10am

Monday, September 26 No School In Service

HS JV Football @ Wray 4:30pm

Tuesday, September 27 MS Volleyball & MS Football @ Merino 4pm

Thursday, September 29 HS Volleyball vs Merino 4pm

Friday, September 30 HS Football @ Yuma 7pm

HS Volleyball @ Yuma 4pm

Saturday, October 1 HS/MS Cross Country Wiggins Invita�onal 9am

Monday, October 3 MS Football @ Resurrec�on Chris�an 4pm

MS Volleyball @ Benne� 4:30pm

Tuesday, October 4 Parent Teacher Conferences

School Board Mee�ng 6pm

Wednesday, October 5 MS Volleyball @ Strasburg 4pm

Thursday, October 6 Parent Teacher Conferences

Friday, October 7 No School

HS Volleyball @ Holyoke 4pm

HS Football @ Holyoke 7pm

Saturday, October 8 MS Cross Country @ Brush Invita�onal TBD

HS Cross Country @ Wind Jammer (Englewood) 9am

MS Volleyball LPAA League Tournament @ Caliche TBD

Monday, October 10 No School

Tuesday, October 11 HS Volleyball vs Briggsdale 5pm

Saturday, October 15 HS Football vs Burlington 1pm

Monday, October 17 No School

HS JV Football @ Burlington 4:30pm

Tuesday, October 18 HS Volleyball vs Limon 4pm

*Dates and �mes are subject to change

Master Showmanship Results

Morgan County Fair 2022

Master Showmanship Contest

01 - Senior Master Showman

Delaney Draegert, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 1

Kirstin Dahl, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2

Kealy Langford, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 6

Rebekah Thiel, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 6

Madison Bennett, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H Club, Brush, 6

Caiden Healey-Mitchell, Wiggins Cornerstone 4-H Club, Wiggins, 6 Champion Senior Showman – Delaney Draegert Reserve Champion Senior Showman - Kirstin Dahl

02 - Intermediate Master Showman

Sidney Miller, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 1

Josie Hunt, Long Meadow 4-H Club, Wiggins, 2

Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 6

Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 6 Ashlynn Thompson, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 6

Addyson Schwindt, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 6 Champion Senior Showman – Sidney Miller Reserve Champion Senior Showman – Josie Hunt

03 - Junior Master Showman

Hannah Fox, Lads N Lassies 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Lukas Walter, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 6

Aiden Miller, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 6 Kennedi Quint, Explorers 4-H Club, Hillrose, 6 Champion Senior Showman – Hannah Fox Reserve Champion Senior Showman – Gracie Eiring

2022 Morgan County Fair Results

Dairy Cattle

Dairy Cattle Show Results

Morgan County Fair 2022

12 - Holstein Winter Heifer Calf born December to February for current calendar year

Jayden Chapin-Thompson, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Evy Lozier, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2

13 - Holstein Fall Heifer Calf born September to November one year ago Includes all 1st yr. Catch It

Jacob Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1, Reserve

Jayden Chapin-Thompson, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Evy Lozier, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 3

Addyson Schwindt, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 4 Payson Poland, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H, Brush, 5

15 - Holstein Summer Yearling Heifer born June to August one year ago Jasmine Brindisi, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Jasmine Brindisi, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2

16 - Holstein Winter Yearling Heifer born December to February two years ago

Jayden Chapin-Thompson, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 1

17 - Holstein Fall Yearling Heifer born September to November two years ago Includes all 2nd yr.

Jynnaya Gleason, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H, Brush, 1, Champion Americo Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2

Jayden Chapin-Thompson, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 3 Madison Bennett, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H, Brush, 4, Champion

Aysli Kembel, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Baylei Kembel, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 6 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 7 Champion Holstein Heifer - Jynnaya Gleason Champion Holstein – Jynnaya Gleason Reserve Champion Holstein - Jacob Whitney

32 - Other Breed Winter Heifer Calf born December to February for current calendar year

Jayden Chapin-Thompson, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 1, Champion Evy Lozier, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2, Reserve Champion Other Breeds Heifer – Jayden Chapin-Thompson Champion Other Breeds – Jayden Chapin-Thompson Reserve Champion Other Breeds – Evy Lozier

45 - Catch-It Dairy (1st Year) Heifer Calf Class Jacob Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Addyson Schwindt, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 2 Payson Poland, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H, Brush, 3 46 - Catch-It Dairy (2nd Year) Heifer Class Jynnaya Gleason, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H, Brush, 1 Americo Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Madison Bennett, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H, Brush, 3 Aysli Kembel, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Baylei Kembel, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 6 Champion Catch-It Dairy Heifer – Madison Bennett Reserve Champion Catch-It Dairy – Americo Lorenzini

Dairy Cattle Showmanship

01 - Senior Dairy Showmanship (14-18)

Madison Bennett, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H, Brush, 1, Champion Americo Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2, Reserve Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 3 Payson Poland, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H, Brush, 4 Jayden Chapin-Thompson, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 5 Jasmine Brindisi, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 6 Baylei Kembel, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 7 Jynnaya Gleason, Cowpokes ‘N’ Cactus 4-H, Brush, 8

02 - Intermediate Dairy Showmanship (11-13)

Addyson Schwindt, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 1, Champion Jacob Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2, Reserve Aysli Kembel, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3

Senior Champion Dairy Showman – Madison Bennett

Senior Reserve Champion Dairy Showman – Americo Lorenzini

Intermediate Champion Dairy Showman - Addyson Schwindt

Intermediate Reserve Champion Dairy Showman – Jacob Whitney

Grand Champion Dairy Division All Breeds – Jayden Chapin-Thompson Reserve Grand Champion Dairy Division All Breeds – Evy Lozier

Winners Announced In The Morgan County 2022 Fair Cricket Races

In the Wednesday fun events at the 2022 Morgan County Fair, three classes of cricket races were held. In the Pee-wee division (7 years of age and under), Cora O’Patik won first place, while second place went to Thomas Knox. Third place Luke Knox. Killian O’Patik was the fourth participant in the Pee-wee Cricket Races.

In the Junior division (8-10 years), first place was Wesson Farnik, Ella Farnik, second place; Bentley Larrick, third place and Gavyn Larrick, fourth place. There were three participants in the Senior division (11-13 years). Reilly Clapper took first, Kenneth Clapper placed second and Seth O’Patik took third.

Also taking place on Wednesday at the 2022 Morgan County Fair was the Pedal Tractor Pull, Master Showmanship Contest, FFA Farm Mechanics, annual Steak Fry BBQ, Catch-It Animal Contests, and Barn Dance featuring the Owl Canyon Outlaws. The 2022 Morgan County Fair wraps up Thursday, August 4th with the Jr. Livestock Sale.

4-H Horse Show Results

Morgan County Fair 2022

Halter Horse Classes

02 - Mares (foaled 2018-2021)

Brody Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 1 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2

03 - Mares (foaled 2017 or before)

Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Jarrett Haubert, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 2

Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Makayla Guilbert, Wiggins Cornerstone 4-H, Wiggins, 4 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 5 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

Joslyn Haubert, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, Participant Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, Participant Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, Participant Ashlynn Ruppel, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant Ainsley Sauer, Long Meadow 4-H Club, Byers, Participant

05 - Geldings (foaled 2017 or before)

Kirstin Dahl, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Ariana Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 2 Soul Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 4 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, Participant Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Grand Champion Halter Horse – Kirsten Dahl Reserve Grand Champion Halter Horse – Lexxi Meyer

Horse Showmanship Classes

10 - Senior Horse Showmanship (14-18)

Kirstin Dahl, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 2 Makayla Guilbert, Wiggins Cornerstone 4-H, Wiggins, 3 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 4 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, Participant Soul Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Ashlynn Ruppel, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant 11 - Intermediate Horse Showmanship (11-13)

Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Ariana Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 3 Ainsley Sauer, Long Meadow 4-H Club, Byers, 4 Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Joslyn Haubert, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, Participant Jarrett Haubert, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, Participant

12 - Junior Horse Showmanship (8-10)

Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Brody Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 3 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 5 Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, Participant

Senior Champion Showmanship – Kirsten Dahl

Intermediate Champion Showmanship – Lexxi Meyer

Junior Champion Showmanship – Gracie Eiring

English Equitation Performance Classes

21 - Hunter Under Saddle (Rail Work) (Seniors, 14 & over)

Kirstin Dahl, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2

Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 3

Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 4

Soul Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5

22 - Hunt Under Saddle (Rail Work) (Junior/Intermediate, 13 & Under)

Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Ariana Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 2 Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3

23 - Hunt Seat Equitation (Pattern) (Seniors, 14 & over)

Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 1

Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2

Kirstin Dahl, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3

Soul Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4

Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 5

24 - Hunt Seat Equitation (Pattern) (Junior/Intermediate, 13 & Under)

Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Ariana Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 3

Senior Grand Champion English Horseman – Kirsten Dahl

Senior Reserve Grand Champion English Horseman – Sateen Keller

Junior Grand Champion English Horseman – Lexxi Meyer

Junior Reserve Grand Champion English Horseman – Saxson Keller

Western Horsemanship Performance Classes

31 - Western Horsemanship- Senior Kirstin Dahl, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 2

Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Soul Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, Participant Ashlynn Ruppel, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneer’s 4-H Club, Brush, Participant

32 - Western Horsemanship- Intermediate Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Ariana Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 2 Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Ainsley Sauer, Long Meadow 4-H Club, Byers, 5 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant

33 - Western Horsemanship- Junior Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 4 Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 5

34 - Western Riding- Senior Kirstin Dahl, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 2 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 5 Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, Participant Soul Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Ashlynn Ruppel, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

35 - Western Riding- Intermediate Ariana Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 1 Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 4 Ainsley Sauer, Long Meadow 4-H Club, Byers, 5 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

36 - Participant - Western Riding- Junior Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 1 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant

37 - Reining- Senior Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 1 Kirstin Dahl, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2

4-H Horse Show Results Morgan Fair County 2022

Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Soul Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, Participant Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, Participant

38 - Reining- Intermediate

Ariana Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 1

Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 5 Ainsley Sauer, Long Meadow 4-H Club, BYERS, Participant

39 - Reining- Junior

Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan Morgan, 2 Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 3 Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 4 Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 5

40 - Trail- Senior

Kirstin Dahl, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 3 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 5 Ashlynn Ruppel, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, Participant Soul Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant 41 - Trail- Intermediate

Lexxi Meyer, Bijou Go Getters 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Ariana Yoder, Winning Edge 4-H Club, Wiggins, 2 Ainsley Sauer, Long Meadow 4-H Club, BYERS, 3 Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant

42 - Trail- Junior Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 4 Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 5

50 - Ranch Riding (All Ages and Levels Combined) Ty Sneddon, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2

Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 3 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 4 Brylee Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneer’s 4-H Club, Brush, Participant

Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

Senior Grand Champion Performance Horseman – Kirstin Dahl

Senior Reserve Grand Champion Performance Horseman – Rebecca Boone

Intermediate Grand Champion Performance Horseman – Ariana Yoder

Intermediate Reserve Grand Champion Performance Horseman – Lexxi Meyer

Junior Grand Champion Performance Horseman – Gracie Eiring

Junior Reserve Grand Champion Performance Horseman – Benjamin Eiring

Ranch Horse Events

51 - WRH Individual Cow Work (All Ages and Levels Combined)

Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 2

Ty Sneddon, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Weldona, 3 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 4 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Brylee Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, Participant Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant

52 - WRH Ranch Cutting (All Ages and Levels Combined)

Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2

Ty Sneddon, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Weldona, 3 Brylee Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 5 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant

Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, Participant Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, Participant

53 - Ranch Trail (All Ages and Levels Combined)

Ty Sneddon, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Brylee Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 3 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 4 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 5 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant Grand Champion Ranch Horse – Ty Sneddon Reserve Grand Champion Ranch Horse – Faye Klenda

Gymkhana Events

60 - Barrel Racing- Senior Brylee Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, 3 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 4 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 5 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

61 - Barrel Racing- Intermediate Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3

62 - Barrel Racing- Junior Ty Sneddon, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 3 Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 4 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant Teagan Clark, Wildcat 4-H Club, BRUSH, Participant

63 - Pole Bending- Senior Brylee Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 3 Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, 4 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, Participant

64 - Pole Bending- Intermediate Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant

65 - Pole Bending- Junior Ty Sneddon, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3 Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 4 Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 5, Teagan Clark, Wildcat 4-H Club, BRUSH, Participant Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant

66 - Flag Race- Senior Brylee Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 3 Morgan County

4-H Horse Show Results Morgan Fair County

Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 4 Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, 5 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

67 - Flag Race- Intermediate Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

68 - Flag Race- Junior

Ty Sneddon, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 3 Teagan Clark, Wildcat 4-H Club, BRUSH, 4 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, Participant Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant

69 - Stake Race- Senior

Brylee Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, 3 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 4 Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, 5 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

70 - Stake Race- Intermediate

Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, Participant

71 - Stake Race- Junior

Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 3 Teagan Clark, Wildcat 4-H Club, Brush, 4 Greysen Reed, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 5 Ty Sneddon, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, Participant

72 - Keyhole Race- Senior

Sateen Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Brylee Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 2 Alyssa Eskew, Snyder Pioneers 4-H Club, Brush, 3 Faye Klenda, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 4 Karrie Mellott, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Hillrose, 5 Rebecca Boone, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Brush, Participant

73 - Keyhole Race- Intermediate Saxson Keller, Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 1 Tenleigh Lorenzini, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Ciree Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 3

74 - Keyhole Race- Junior Ty Sneddon, Valley View Ag 4-H Club, Weldona, 1 Gracie Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 2 Benjamin Eiring, Weldon Valley 4-H Club, Weldona, 3 Hattie Hannan, Golden Clover 4-H Club, Brush, 4 Delyn Whitney, Wildcat 4-H Club, Fort Morgan, 5 Teagan Clark, Wildcat 4-H Club, BRUSH, Participant

Senior Grand Champion Gymkhana – Brylee Whitney

Senior Reserve Grand Champion Gymkhana – Sateen Keller

Intermediate Grand Champion Gymkhana – Saxson Keller

Intermediate Reserve Grand Champion Gymkhana – Tenleigh Lorenzini

Junior Grand Champion Gymkhana – Ty Sneddon

Junior Reserve Grand Champion Gymkhana – Gracie Eiring

Professional Highway Maintainer Apprenticeship Available Across Colorado

August 25, 2022 - Statewide - New maintenance apprenticeship program has positions available in Bayfield/Durango, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Greeley, Morrison and Pueblo.

Statewide The Colorado Department of Transportation is encouraging people who are interested in a public safety career to apply for a position through a new maintenance apprenticeship program.

The position is a two-year paid mentorship in Colorado and includes both handson and classroom training. An apprentice will earn their Commercial Driver’s License and qualify as a Highway Maintenance Specialist. Starting pay is $16 per hour and includes full benefits worth nearly $16,700 per year, 11 paid holidays, paid leave, and a retirement package.

A candidate must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license. The apprentice will train and specialize in either maintenance, tunnel operations or traffic and safety.

• Bayfield/Durango: This position is based at 650 U.S.160B, Bayfield, CO 81121

• Grand Junction: This position is based at 2330 G Rd., Grand Junction, CO 81505

• Greeley: This position is based at 10601 10th St., Greeley, CO 80634

• Hanging Lake Tunnel: Staff works rotating shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays. An HLT apprentice works this schedule in coordination with their mentor. In addition, van transportation to and from the HLT is available for those living in or near Grand Junction, DeBeque, Parachute, Rifle, Glenwood Springs and No Name.

• Morrison: This position is based at 12400 U.S. 285, Morrison, CO 80465

• Pueblo: This position is based at 10 Monarch Lane, Pueblo, CO 81004

To view the full announcement and submit an application, go to: http://careers. codot.gov and type “apprentice” in the search bar. The application close date is Sept. 7, 2022.

“We’ve designed this program so that it not only provides the necessary handson training and experience for those who would like to pursue a long-term career in public service, but also build up their qualifications for professional advancement,” said CDOT’s Director of Maintenance and Operations John Lorme. “And along with earning while you’re learning, an apprentice eventually will provide CDOT with a highly skilled employee who’s serving the traveling public.”

Once an apprentice successfully completes one year of the program and receives a CDL license, they will be eligible for a pay increase. At the end of two years, a successful apprentice may qualify for a permanent, fully operational Highway Maintenance Specialist position, which provides another pay increase upon promotion. Additional opportunities for career advancement in both leadership and technical tracks throughout the state should be anticipated.

More information on benefits is available here: https://dhr.colorado.gov/stateemployees/state-of-colorado-employee-benefitsInJune,Gov.PolissignedanExecutiveOrderto increase the number of apprentices in state agencies and departments, allowing individuals to obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a nationally recognized, portable credential.

Brent M. Nation Named Sole Finalist For City Manager Post

Brent M. Nation, a Fort Morgan native who has worked for the City of Fort Morgan in various capacities over many years, was named by the City Council on Wednesday as the sole finalist under consideration for the vacant city manager position.

Nation is currently the director of utilities and public works for the city, and also manages the city’s water resources with his years of experience in water engineering. He worked as the city’s engineer under contract for several years and spent three years as a member of the city council before accepting a job on the city staff.

The city manager vacancy occurred in July when Steve Glammeyer resigned from the post. Ron Shaver, a longtime city employee, council member and mayor, has been serving as interim city manager since then under a contract.

With Nation named the finalist for the position, negotiations on a contract for him will begin. He is expected to be formally appointed by the council to the position of city manager later this month.

When Should You Adjust Your Investment Mix?

There are no shortcuts to investment success – you need to establish a longterm strategy and stick with it. This means that you’ll want to create an in vestment mix based on your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon – and then regularly review this mix to ensure it’s still meeting your needs.

In fact, investing for the long term doesn’t necessarily mean you should lock your investments in forever. Through out your life, you’ll likely need to make some changes.

Of course, everyone’s situation is dif ferent and there’s no prescribed formula of when and how you should adjust your investments. But some possibilities may be worth considering.

For example, a few years before you retire, you may want to re-evaluate your risk exposure and consider moving part of your portfolio into a more risk-averse position. When you were decades away

from retiring, you may have felt more comfortable with a more aggressive positioning because you had time to “bounce back” from any market down turns. But as you near retirement, it may make sense to lower your risk level. And as part of a move toward a reduced-risk approach, you also may want to evalu ate the “cash” positions in your portfo lio. When the market has gone through a decline, as has been the case in 2022, you may not want to tap into your port folio to meet short-term and emergency needs, so having sufficient cash on hand is important. Keep in mind, though, that having too much cash on the “sidelines” may affect your ability to reach your long-term goals.

Even if you decide to adopt a more risk-averse investment position before you retire, though, you may still benefit from some growth-oriented investments in your portfolio to help you keep ahead

of – or at least keep pace with – inflation. As you know, inflation has surged in 2022, but even when it’s been relatively mild, it can still erode your purchasing power significantly over time.

Changes in your own goals or circum stances may also lead you to modify your investment mix. You might decide to retire earlier or later than you origi nally planned. You might even change your plans for the type of retirement you want, choosing to work part-time for a few years. Your family situation may change – perhaps you have another child for whom you’d like to save and invest for college. Any of these events could lead you to review your portfolio to find new opportunities or to adjust your risk level – or both.

You might wonder if you should also consider changing your investment mix in response to external forces, such as higher interest rates or the rise in

inflation this year. It’s certainly true that these types of events can affect parts of your portfolio, but it may not be advis able to react by shuffling your invest ment mix. In the first place, nobody can really predict how long these forces will keep their momentum – it’s quite pos sible, for instance, that inflation will have subsided noticeably within a year. But more importantly, you should make investment moves based on the factors we’ve already discussed: your goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and individual circumstances.Byreviewing your portfolio regularly, possibly with the assistance of a financial professional, you can help ensure that your investment mix will always be ap propriate for your needs and goals.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Remember Electrical Safety During Harvest Season

By Morgan County Rural Electric Association

Harvest season is one of the most satisfying times of year for farmers, as they gather in the crops they worked all year to raise. While rewarding, this time can also require long hours with little sleep in an effort to get all the crops harvested, transported and stored in a narrow window of time. In all the chaos, electrical safety precautions can sometimes be forgotten, leading to serious or fatal injuries.

National Farm Safety and Health Week is September 18-24, making it the perfect time for Morgan County REA to remind our area farmers to look up and live. Be aware of overhead power lines and take extra caution to keep farm equipment away from them—at least 10 feet in all directions. Pay special attention when moving large equipment with high extensions, such as grain augers and trucks with hydraulic lifts.

Farm operators, family members and farm employees are urged to take these measures:•Useaspotter

when moving tall loads near lines.

• Inspect farm equipment for transport height, and determine clearance with any power lines under which the equipment must pass.

• Always set extensions to the lowest setting when moving loads to prevent contact with overhead lines. Grain augers should always be positioned horizontally before being moved.

• Never attempt to move a power line out of the way or raise it for clearance.

• Make sure everyone knows what to do if accidental contact is made with power lines. These accidents are survivable if the right actions are taken.

If your vehicle or equipment comes in contact with a power line, the best thing to do is stay in the cab, call for help, and wait until the electric utility arrives to de-energize the line. If the power line is energized and you step outside, your body becomes the electricity’s path to ground and electrocution is the result.

The only reason to exit the cab would be if there was a fire or other serious danger present. In this case, the proper action is to jump—not step— from the cab, with both feet hitting the ground at the same time. Jump clear. Do not allow any part of your body to touch the machinery and ground at the same time. Hop to safety, keeping both feet together as you leave the area. Warn others to stay far away.

Keeping everyone safe is an important part of harvest time, so be sure to discuss electrical safety with your crews. If you would like to learn more about electrical safety, visit SafeElectricity.org.

Morgan County REA is a proud supporter of agriculture and would like to wish all of our farmers a very safe and successful harvest season.

Morgan Community College calls for Entries for Annual Photo Contest

Morgan Community College (MCC) announces a call for entries for the annual calendar photo contest. The submission deadline is Wednesday, October 26 at 5:00Mindyp.m.Albert of Brush, Colorado was the 2022 winner with her submission of “Celebrating America,” featuring a firework display over the Albert homestead.

Entries must be in landscape orientation and high resolution. Cellphone images will not be accepted as they do not meet printing specifications. Photos must reflect the MCC service area of northeast Colorado. The contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers and is limited to ten photos per person.

Entries may be submitted at www.MorganCC.edu/calendarcontest and must include the photographer’s name and phone number. Upon entry, the photographer authorizes MCC’s use of the image in future Morgan Community College promotions or publications.

“For over 25 years, Morgan Community College has shared beautiful images of northeast Colorado through our annual calendar,” said Jessica Edington, MCC Marketing Manager. “We are proud to promote local talent and provide a year-ata-glance calendar that is useful to our community members.”

The winning entry will be featured on the 2023 MCC calendar and distributed by the college to the surrounding communities at no cost during the month of December; no monetary prize will be awarded.

For more information about the contest, contact Ariella Gonzales-Vondy at (970) 542-3108 or Ariella.Gonzales-Vondy@MorganCC.edu.

Welcome to the Keenesburg Police

The Keenesburg Police Department is up and running. They are a good group. Just make sure you obey the law!

O’Dea the Doer; Bennet the Back Bencher

Washington, D.C. – Failed presidential candidate Michael Bennet votes with Joe Biden 98% of the time. He has no major legislative accomplishments or areas of expertise. His career in the Senate is all show.Yesterday, that reality came face to face with the reality of Joe O’Dea – a self-made entrepreneur whose successful construction company will manage the Colorado River Headwaters Connectivity Project.Inattendance at the ribbon-cutting for the new project, with CEI (Joe’s company) equipment all around, was Michael Bennet.

There has never been a more perfect encapsulation of this race. Michael Bennet, a silver spoon-fed, backbench Senator versus Joe O’Dea, the self-made doer who is working to make Colorado a better place.

Statement from NRSC Spokesman T.W. Arrighi: “A couple of things are becoming clear in the Colorado Senate race. One, it’s obvious why Democrats spent $10 million trying to defeat Joe O’Dea in a primary. He’s a damn good candidate. Two, Michael Bennet’s dismal record in the Senate looks even worse when put up against Joe O’Dea’s story and accomplishments. The voters will have a very clear choice in November.”

Birth Announcement

Aron and Colleen Lam of Keenesburg love to announce the birth of their beau tiful baby girl, Nora Francis Lam on Sep tember 7th, 2022. Nora Francis weighed six pounds thirteen ounces and mea sured eighteen and a half inches. We are thrilled to our first child healthy, happy, and back at home.

High Plains Bank New Building in Wiggins Now Open

September 13, 2022 (Wiggins, Colorado) - High Plains Bank, an employee owned and community driven bank, is celebrating the opening of its new branch building, located at 401 Central Avenue. The new Wiggins building, across the street from the former location, represents a new phase for the branch, which has been a part of the High Plains Bank family since 2001. The staff, a dedicated team of local Wiggins residents, have been serving the Wiggins community for decades.

The new building was designed and constructed by Buildings By Design, a full-range general contracting firm located in Brush, Colorado with deep ties to the Wiggins community.TheWiggins team is celebrating with a Grand Opening party for the entire community, which will take place on Friday, September 16th from 8:30AM-2:00PM. There will be complimentary local food trucks including Morningwood Coffee Truck, Delia’s Tacos and More, and Blue Ribbon BBQ and Smoke. In addition, there will be drawings throughout the day, bank trivia games, and prizes with gift cards from local restaurants and businesses, as well as a Colorado Rockies jersey from pitcher Ty Blach, and Denver Broncos Memorabilia.

“High Plains Bank has been actively supportive of the growth and improvements in our community,” shares Gail Stencel, Wiggins Location President. Stencel, a Wiggins native, has been part of the bank since 1973, continuing when High Plains Bank took ownership in “Our2001.goal is to serve and be a part of the thriving community of Wiggins, for generations to “Wecome.”have had the good fortune to be part of the Wiggins community for 20 years,” says John Creighton, High Plains Bank CEO. “We anticipate that Wiggins will be a hub for the long-term growth of the organization and to serve the surrounding communities. None of this would be possible without the support of the community and the long-time and emerging leaders of our Wiggins team – Gail, Esther, Janet, Debbie, Linda, Diana, Ximena, Caleb, Krystal, and Lara.”

Wiggins Team Celebrates with Community Grand Opening Party!

What’s Working: Older Coloradans are Returning to Work, and Inflation may be to Blame

Other reasons for the rising 55+ workforce include demographics, less-ageist employers and, of course, the state’s still-tight labor market.

by Tamara Chuang, The Colorado Sun

The number of all workers in Colorado’s labor force fell in the first year of the pandemic, with notable declines among those 55 and older.

But just like the rest of the population, older workers are returning to work.

A slightly larger percentage of people between ages 55 and 64 are part of the state’s labor force today, at 70.3% compared with 68.1% in 2019, according to the latest labor data. And while workers 65 and older aren’t back at the same pre-pandemic rate, their overall participation in the labor force is double what it was two decades ago.

Data from the state labor department breaks down the estimated number of workers in the chart below by age group (the blue columns) and how many are laboring away (the light green line).

The growing number of older workers in Colorado aligns with the fact that the state’s population is getting older. We’ve known this was happening for decades as new residents moved in to raise a family or start a business. The state’s median age is now 37.5 as of last year. In 2010, it was 36.1, according to census data.

One group in particular is not just returning to work but growing faster than others: women. Particularly, women 55 and older, according to an analysis by Steven Byers, senior economist with Common Sense Institute, a conservative think tank in Greenwood Village.

“I’m looking at 20 years of data and (the trend) indicates females in that age group are continuing to increase their presence in the labor force,” Byers said. “It’s not that surprising to me in one regard. Women live longer than men. You might be getting some women whose spouses have died, their Social Security dropped off or they lost some pension benefit. And not only that, it’s because they were bored.”

When Byers draws a straight line connecting Colorado women in the workforce by age for the past two decades, the line sloping upwards (the red one) shows participation rates of women 65 and older. The youngest, ages 16 to 23, are in decline while the other two age categories are relatively flat.

The rate of women participating in Colorado’s labor force mostly been flat in the last two decades but for women age 65 and older, the trend is definitely going up. (Source: Steven Byers, Common Sense Institute)

It’s been a wacky few years for the labor market as folks left jobs in the pandemic, waited for businesses to reopen and then found options galore as employers scrambled to hire at the same time. It went from no jobs and unrelenting unemployment to too many jobs and down to a 3.3% unemployment rate in July.

Nationwide, workers 65 and over are the fastest growing workforce, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That’s purely due to demographics, said Heather Tinsley-Fix, senior adviser for employer engagement at AARP. Fewer children are being born and people are living longer so they need to support themselves longer. But there are already some dramatic impacts.

“By 2024, workers 50-plus will constitute 35% of the labor market,” Tinsley-Fix said. “Millennials have started to turn 40, the age at which workers fall under the protection of the Federal Age Discrimination Act. … They’re not the youngest generation in the workforce anymore. And from a purely demographic perspective, by 2034, people over the age of 65 will outnumber people under the age of 18. There’s just a smaller group of younger people entering the workforce and there are a larger number of older workers (staying) in the workforce.”

At a national level, fewer older workers are remaining unemployed for more than six months, which is considered long-term unemployed. About 24.2% of workers 55 and older are in this group. In 2015, it was about 45%, according to an AARP report at the time.

There are various reasons for the return of the older worker. A tight labor market continues in Colorado, which is still above the U.S. average rate of job openings, according to the latest labor data.

But there’s also the impact of early retirement in the pandemic. Nationwide, there were 3.2 million more people who retired in the third quarter of 2020 compared to a year earlier, according to Pew Research Center.

Two years later, a trend was spotted by hiring site Indeed.com that the rate of those coming out of retirement was on the rise. By March 2022, 3.2% of workers who had been retired a year earlier were now back at work. Back in June 2020, that so-called unretirement rate was 2.1%.

March also coincided with the biggest increase in inflation rates in decades, which may have motivated older workers on limited incomes, said Byers, with Common Sense Institute. “I really think people want to pad their monthly income a bit because the real purchasing power of their money is dropping off,” Byers said. “The other thing, too, is there is a lot more movement for people to be able to work remotely. That might be attractive for people, particularly older people, who don’t want to bother with the commute.”

Combating ageism

While health may have been a big reason older workers left their jobs in 2020, another appears to be ageism. AARP’s annual survey of workers who experienced ageism spiked to 70% in 2020, up from the usual 61%. It’s back down to 62%.

And it’s still a big issue, Tinsley-Fix said. “We know from serving older workers that they experience it and it’s part of why they’re not getting hired back.”

She pointed to a survey of 800 hiring managers by ResumeBuilder that found 38% of hiring managers admit to having an age bias when reviewing resumes. And if they don’t do it, 45% said their colleagues do. And 41% say that including a graduation year “makes age bias more likely.”Various organizations, including AARP, have asked employers to pledge that they value experienced workers and believe those 50 and older should be able to compete on a level playing field.

The AARP Employer Pledge has about 1,500 active employers who’ve signed on, Tinsley-Fix said. Approximately 72 are from Colorado, as of Friday.

“We’ve seen a big surge in employers signing it and I think that is because they value older workers but they’re also like, we just need to look at every possible candidate pool,” she said. “The workforce is generationally diverse and it’s a really tight labor market.”

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

Fort Morgan Chamber of Commerce Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Rainbow Bridge

The Fort Morgan Chamber of Commerce celebrates the 100th birthday of the Rainbow Bridge with a ribbon cutting and unveiling of the new city welcome sign at the north end of the bridge.

The Fall Harvest Car Show participated in the event as a kick off to the weekends activities. The Rainbow Arch Bridge, a multi -span, reinforced concrete fixed rainbow arch bridge, which is listed in the National and State Registry, was started and built by the Charles Sheely’s Colorado Bridge & Construction Company a 100 years ago. It is based on a design patented by Iowa Engineer James Marsh. It is the only Marsh arch in Colorado and reportedly was the last bridge built by Sheely. The bridge is listed in the Highway Bridges in Colorado. The event was attended by many local citizens.

-

Obituary -

Calvin Duane Arnold

Calvin Duane Arnold was called home to our Heavenly Father on August 31st, 2022.

Calvin was born to Claude and Mona Arnold on July 31st, 1958 in Denver, CO. He spent all of his childhood growing up in Keenesburg, CO where he spent most of those years relentlessly picking on his brother and sister, and playing tricks on them and his cousins, but if anyone thought, they could do the same he was their biggest protector.Calvinmet Kim his wife and soulmate at 15, and the rest as they say is history. Calvin and Kim just celebrated their 46th Wedding Anniversary. One could only hope to have the kind of love they shared.He started working in the Construction business at the age of 18, and worked as a Heavy Equipment operator and Foreman for over 40 years. His work took him and Kim many different places, and they loved traveling in their 5th wheel, and seeing new places. If we are being honest though Calvin always just wanted to find the best casino closest to where their newest travels took them. Even if that closest casino was 100 miles away. He loved to stay out until all hours of the morning playing the slots. “If you no pay, you no play” If you know you know.

Calvin and Kim were blessed with two biological daughters, Kristy, and Melony, and God decided two girls were not enough, so he also sent them Ashleigh.

Calvin was the most dedicated husband, father and employee you could ever ask for. He worked extremely hard to provide for his wife and daughters. The girls couldn’t have asked for a better man and role model growing up. He taught them to be strong, and always stand up for themselves, but to always treat everyone with respect. Just as the song goes, “his hands were soft and kind when we were crying, and hard as steel when we’d done wrong”, but there was Always love in Daddy’s hands. He always told people that he might have raised girls, but he didn’t raise sissies. That was his way of gloating and letting everyone know how proud he was.

Calvin loved his grandkids with every fiber of his being and was the best papa they could have ever asked for. They got away with so much more than the girls ever did, but with all the kids and grandkids alike, you knew enough was enough when he brought out the voice of terror.

Calvin loved to tell jokes, and the best part was never the punchline, but the fact that he could never get to the end without cracking himself up. His legacy will live one with everyone who knew him and ever hears the Chicken dance.

Calvin is survived by his wife Kim, daughters Kristy (Dustin) Buckalew, Melony (Johnny) Blackston, Ashleigh (Robby) Hull, grandsons Calvin, Dylan, Vinny, Landon, Brady, Rhett, grandsons-in law Kyle, and Dustin. Granddaughters Haley, Paige, Gracie, and McKenna. He is also survived by his sister Sharon Abuso, and brother Steve (Jolene) Arnold, brother-in law Mike(Debbie) Patterson, Charlie (Rae) Patterson, Eddie (Amy Sue) Patterson, and sisters-in-law Sherrie(Alvin) Hoffman, Sheila(Leonard) Thomason, Tammy(Steve) Baker, and countless nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Claude and Mona Arnold, and father and mother in law Charles and Barbara Patterson along with many aunts and uncles.

Calvin will be dearly missed, but never forgotten by all who knew and loved him.

Celebration of Life will be Thursday September 29th at 2:00 p.m. at SWEC Fairgrounds in Keenesburg, CO

Due to the family having to travel back to Kansas they ask that in lieu of flowers please send cards and condolences to:

Kim Arnold 316 N 5th St. Osage City, KS 66523

Computer Support

Keene

McCarthy Trucking

Recycled asphalt, concrete Great for driveways & parking areas. Also sand & gravel. Reasonable Prices Call Kevin for free quote 303-901-5034

Ground Lease Wanted

Farm ground sought for long-term lease. Local farmer with desire to grow is seeking 5 to 10 year lease agreement. Offers:

1. Cash lease with annual payments

2. Irrigation equipment & property maintenance

Please contact Craig at 970-467-1284 if interested. I want to the lease and property easy to manage for the land owner. Mon. - Fri. 8am - 5pm So. Main St., Keenesburg 303-732-4268

Wiggins, Fort Morgan Finish Second in Fort Morgan Cross Country Invitational

by Paul Dineen

The 2022 Fort Morgan Cross Country Invitational meet was held on September 9 at Riverside Park in Fort Morgan.

On the boys side, 15 teams participated: Aurora West College Prep, Burlington HS, Denver Academy, DSST, DSST Montview, Fort Morgan, Lotus, Resurrection Christian, Sterling, Stratton, Vista Peak, Weld Central, Wiggins, Wray and Yuma.

Of those, nine teams had enough athletes (5) finish the 5000 meter race to qualify for the team competition. The team finishes and team points were:

The individual winner was Caleb Suter of Resurrection Christian, with a time of 17:18.9. Sutter finished five seconds ahead of the second place finisher, Cade Green of Wiggins. Resurrection Christian had three of the top for finishers. In third was Samuel Langer, at 17:30.8. Fourth was Jackson Fagerlin, at 17:35.7. Finishers from areas served by this publication were:

Place Time

2 17:23.9 17:37.4 17:40.1 18:02.0 18:06.8 18:10.0 19:05.2 19:50.9 19:57.8 21:36.1 21:37.6 21:53.4 23:19.0 25:44.2 29:26.3 34:07.6

On the girls side, 16 teams participated: Burlington HS, Denver Academy, Denver Eagles, DSST, DSST Montview, Fort Morgan, Lotus, Merino, Resurrection Christian, Sterling, Stratton, Vista Peak, Weld Central, Wiggins and Wray.

Brush Softball Beats Rocky Ford, 10-6, on a Walk-off Grand Slam by Paul Dineen

The Brush Beetdiggers hosted the Rocky Ford Meloneers in softball on Saturday, September 10. Brush entered the game with a record of 2-1. Rocky Ford was 4-7.

Rocky Ford jumped out to a lead early in this game and kept pouring it on, leading 6-0 after two and a half. Brush had mustered only a single over the first two innings. The fourth Meloneer batter of the game, Raelynne Geist, began the scoring early by hitting a three-run home run to left field. They added to that lead with two more in the second on a single, a double, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly. Kamil Lovato led off the third inning with a solo home run to center. Brush then replaced starting pitcher Braelynne Rule with Mason Unrein. Rocky continued to threaten, but did not score for the rest of the game.

Meanwhile, Brush had gone down 1-2-3 in each of the first two innings. That changed dramatically in the third as Brush began their turn on the scoreboard, scoring six runs on four singles, two walks and two stolen bases, tying the game at 6-6. After the fifth run, Ashlyn Berg replaced Rocky Ford starter Julianna Chavez.

Rocky loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth but could not score. Brush then had a reach-on-error, a hit-by-pitch and a walk. Ashlyn Hernandez, the clean-up hitter, took full advantage of that by hitting a line drive, walk-off grand slam to center field, her second home run of the season. That ended the game, as the time limit had been reached.

Of those, four teams had enough athletes (5) finish the 5000 meter race to qualify for the team competition. The team finishes and team points were:

The individual winner was Joy Koole of Resurrection Christian, with a time of 19:59.4. Koole finished 1:6.2 ahead of the second place finisher, Gabriela Arteaga of Fort Morgan. Resurrection Christian had six of the top eight finishers. Finishers from areas served by this publication were:

Brush had ten runs on six hits and no errors. Rocky Ford had six runs on ten hits and one error. Aslyn Berg took the loss. Mason Unrein got the win for Brush. Four batters collected two hits for the Meloneers, including Raelynne Geist, who also had four RBI. Five batters had hits for Brush, with Hernanez as the only one with two: her grand slam and a single.

Also on September 10, Brush won a game against Fort Lupton, 6-1. Their next game was on the 13th versus Lyons at home. Rocky Ford also won a game on the 10th, 9-1 over Holyoke. Their following game was on the 13th at James Irwin.

The Brush Beetdigger softball team placed 9th in the preseason coaches poll, one spot ahead of Rocky Ford. Before this game, Brush had moved up to 6th in a more recent poll based on their record of 2-1. Rocky Ford had dropped out of the top ten after going 3-7. After these games on the 10th, Bush had moved down one spot, passed by The Academy on the strength of their 9-2 record.

At this writing, Bush is in eighth place in the eleven team 3A/4A Patriot league, with a league record of 1-2, and 6-2 overall. Rocky Ford is ninth in the nine team 3A Tri Peaks league, 0-0 in league and 5-9 overall.

Kamil Lovato is greeted by her Rocky Ford Meloneers teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Brush Beetdiggers at Brush on September 10, 2022.

Mason Unrein picked up the 10-6 win over the Rocky Ford Meloneers at Brush on September 10, 2022.

Brush left fielder Kash Tadolini makes an outstanding catch of a line drive off the bat of Julianna Cavez at Brush on September 10, 2022.

Alysia Hernandez is greeted by her Beetdigger teammates after hitting a walk-off grand slam to give Brush a 10-6 win over the Rocky Ford Meloneers at Brush on Saturday, September 10, 2022.

The start of the boys race at the Fort Morgan Invitational on September 9, 2022.

The girls race passing over Rainbow Bridge at the Fort Morgan Invitational on September 9, 2022.

Caleb Suter of Resurrection Christian won the 5000 meter boys race at the Fort Morgan Invitational on September 9, 2022, with a time of 17:18.9.

Cade Green of Wiggins finished second the 5000 meter boys race at the Fort morgan Invitational on September 9, 2022, with a time of 17:23.9

Joy Koole of Resurrection Christian won the 5000 meter girls race at the Fort Morgan Invitational on September 9, 2022, with a time of 19:59.4.

Isaiah Deane finished first among Weld Central runners (23rd overall) in the 5000 meter boys race at the Fort Morgan Invitational on September 9, 2022, with a time of 19:50.9.

Brianna Holley finished first among Weld Central runners in the 5000 meter boys race at the Fort Morgan Invitational on September 9, 2022, with a time of 23:21.0.

Gabriela Arteaga of Fort Morgan finished second in the 5000 meter girls race at the Fort Morgan Invitational on September 9, 2022, with a time of 21:05.6.