Arvada Press 0514

MAY 14, 2020

FARMING THE CITY Urban homesteaders get back to the land P14

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2 Arvada Press

May 14, 2020M

County, cities receive million in CARES Act funding Governments look to cover costs stemming from pandemic, support businesses and nonprofits

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On April 30, Jefferson County was granted $101.7 million in relief funds to cover expenses related to COVID-19 and its recovery.

The funds were made available to cities and states through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which has made more than $2.2 trillion in federal funding available to state and local governments, small businesses and hospitals in addition to providing stimulus payments and unemployment benefits to individuals.

The act sets aside $150 billion for state and local governments with states receiving shares of funds proportional to their population.

CITY SHARES OF CARES ACT Arvada: $9,211,753 Golden: $1,456,444 Lakewood: $12,288.070 Westminster: $3,471,358 Wheat Ridge: $2,463,142 Colorado’s share of that allocation was $2,233,145,460, or $387.76 per person according to 2019 census estimates. Counties with a population of at least 500,000 were then able to claim 45% of the money allocated for their share of the population with the state retaining the other 55 percent (the state also retains 100% of the revenue allocated to residents of counties of less than $500,o00 in population).

On May 4, the Jefferson County Commissioners decided that cities would receive 45% of their per-person share of the county total while the county would retain the other 55% (and 100% for residents of unincorporated areas). The cities’ 45% share totals $29.8 million.

Jefferson County Manager Don

Davis said a portion of the county share of its allotment will be used to cover unbudgeted county expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19.

He is currently in the process of seeking input from county departments about the amount of expenses they incurred that will need to be reimbursed.

Money aims to help businesses and nonprofits Such expenses include the costs of operations like reopening the seventh floor of the jail, which the Sheriff ’s Office did to isolate patients exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. Davis said Jefferson County Public Health has also faced many expenses related to the crisis.

Davis said the money the county has received to be able to cover all of the expenses the county has received to date, but said he could not say whether it would be enough to cover all of the expenses the county will ultimately incur.

However, Davis said he also expects the county share of the funds to also be used to provide assistance to county businesses affected by

COVID-19 as well as assistance to charities as well as assistance to nonprofits that are providing aid to citizens affected by the crisis.

Davis said he expects the county’s cities to use their share of the money for similar purposes.

“Of course, they’ll need some of that money to cover their own Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), law enforcement and first responder-type expenses, and things like modifications they might need to do to their own facilities,” Davis said.

“But there should be money that’s left over for them to support operations within their city limits, things that have been occurring, whether it’s with a nonprofit, or small businesses or whatever.”

In Arvada, Ben Irwin, the chief communications manager for the city, said the city is still in the process of determining what its share of the funds will be spent on.

However, he said the city has identified three areas of focus for the dollars that correspond to the suggested uses for the money identified SEE CARES ACT, P3

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Arvada Press 3

May 14, 2020

Results in for Arvada fire district election McGoff, Romero and Terranova elected to the three seats

BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Arvada Fire Protection District has announced the results of its May 5 election, which saw candidates running for three seats on the fivemember Board of Directors.

In the race for a two-year director seat, Andrea Romero was reelected, receiving 1,017 votes. Romero was first appointed to the board last fall.

In a second race for two seats with a three-year term, the two candidates with the highest number of votes were elected: Mark McGoff with 664 votes and Ted Terranova with 521 votes.

Both have experience serving on

CARES ACT FROM PAGE 2

by Davis. Those areas of focus are supporting the business community based on feedback provided by the Arvada Resiliency Task Force that was formed to support businesses during the crisis, supporting non-

multiple city boards; recently, McGoff served on the Arvada City Council through 2019 and Terranova served on the Arvada Fire Protection District Board through 2016.

Romero is a financial representative with COUNTRY Financial; McGoff is a local government specialist at The Solution; and Terranova is retired.

Looking ahead, the three highlighted possible priorities for the board to address at this time.

“First, we need to start to rebuild the relationships between the board, the union and rank-and-file,” Terranova said. And as board members, “we

need to build trusting relationships with each other to be totally successful at the first goal.”

McGoff said department safety related to the ongoing pandemic will also be part of upcoming discussions.

“We’ll need to take a look at the impact of the coronavirus, what that has to do with our personal protective equipment and the impacts upon our firefighters and staff,” he said.

He also mentioned the possibility of improvements to the election process, citing this year’s voter turnout and some community members’ stories that they had trouble with the absentee ballot process.

The creation of additional fire stations will also be an area of focus, he said.

Romero likewise said the board will focus on building a station in Candelas and explore options for maintenance on Station 3 at 7300 Kipling St. Additionally, she emphasized her

excitement to continue representing a diverse perspective as a female board member and thanked voters for the opportunity.

“I appreciate everyone’s love and support,” she said. “I feel honored. Arvada is such a wonderful community; we have good people who really care about what’s going on.”

McGoff and Terranova also had messages of gratitude toward the community.

“I thank the community for putting their trust in me and faith in me to serve on this board,” McGoff said. “I will try to do the best I can and I hope my prior experience on council will allow me to see things from the district and the city perspective.”

And for Terranova, “I am humbled and grateful for another opportunity, once again, to do my best to help keep this department one of the best in Colorado,” he said, “for the sole purpose of efficient service to the citizens.”

profit efforts and covering county expenses, which Irwin said have totaled $3,545,205, including loans.

“I think it will likely be a balance across those focus areas based on input from the city team,” Irwin said of the decision of how the money could be spent.

Golden City Manager Jason Slowinski said some of that city’s major expenses have included purchasing

additional PPE for first responders and the cost of communication efforts related to the public health orders and added public safety costs.

Slowinski said that while the funds will cover the direct costs the city has incurred from COVID-19, he said he would like to see the federal government go a step further and provide cities with funding to make

up for money they are losing as a result of COVID-19 and the accompanying reduction in sales tax revenue as people spend less.

“These CARES Act dollars cannot be used for that purpose,” Slowinski said. “So what we encourage our delegations to do is as they debate additional stimulus packages is include additional aid for cities as part of that.”

McGoff

Romero

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4 Arvada Press

May 14, 2020M

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Arvada Press 5

May 14, 2020

Peck, Thomson communities connect after weeks of remote learning Events follow distancing guidelines while celebrating students and teachers

BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For some elementary school staff in Arvada, the week of May 4 meant celebratory events to commemorate the end of the year.

And end-of-year events meant interviews with local media, which for each teacher and principal, brought out the emotion as they thought of their students.

“Seeing them is one of the things that makes us want to do the job. I don’t know a teacher who doesn’t miss their kids by now, and they miss us just as much,” said Nikki Nesladek, a first-grade teacher at Thomson Elementary. “I’m hoping they know just how much we love them.”

May 7, Thomson Elementary staff held a parade organized by Nesladek and her fellow staff members, school district security and the Arvada Police Department.

Staff members stayed in their cars and drove along the parade route, which reached into the neighborhoods along W. 76th Avenue and to the north and south of Thomson Elementary. In turn, families watched from their lawns or inside of their homes, some of which boasted Thomsonthemed decorations.

Students who do not live in the neighborhood were invited to park in the Thomson parking lot, one of the stops on the parade route.

“We miss them so much. This is so the kids get to see us,” said principal Lisa Nicholson. “I think our entire staff is here.”

May 6, Peck Elementary also found a way to celebrate its students, holding a tree-planting ceremony in honor of the graduating fifth-graders who wouldn’t be able to participate in their own tree-planting tradition this year. For 34 years, since the 1980s, outgoing Peck students have planted trees in an Arvada park to benefit their environment and enjoy one last

Fifth-grade teachers Danielle Crowell, left, and Julie Flann-Russell give a message to their students watching the recorded ceremony. “We hope you guys can come by at a good time and see your tree,” Crowell said.

PHOTOS BY CASEY VAN DIVIER milestone before moving on to middle school.

With the usual tradition unable to go forward because of social distancing guidelines related to COVID-19, the school instead organized for a tree to be planted on school grounds to commemorate the fifth-graders.

“This tree-planting is something they look forward to and know about from the time they enter Peck,” said principal Deb Pearce. “It’s that milestone for the end of the year and now, the city’s doing the service in honor of them.”

At the morning event, city employees including forester Craig Hillegass helped plant the tree, with Peck employees — including former teacher Dudley Weiland, who first created the project — finished the planting.

Since the tradition started, the school hasn’t missed a year — “We’ve planted in the snow, in the rain,” Pearce said. “It’s so important we continue.”

The ceremony was recorded to be shared with the Peck community, Pearce said. In keeping with tradition, students were also invited to

Former and current Peck Elementary staff help to plant the tree on the south side of the elementary school, commemorating this year’s graduating fifth-graders. stop by the school individually to pick up an Evergreen seedling, which the students can plant at home.

“We love (our students) very much and wish they could be here,” fifthgrade teacher Danielle Crowell said during the ceremony. “We hope you guys can come by at a good time and see your tree.”

Thomson Elementary staff members drive through the school’s neighborhood to see their students from afar during a May 7 celebratory parade.

The Ghostbusters vehicle make a special appearance at the end of the line up in the Thomson parade.

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6 Arvada Press

May 14, 2020M

Robotics tournament canceled, but Jeffco kids ready for next year Students reflect on challenges, highlights of year in robotics club

BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Throughout the 2019-2020 school year, students at 16 local elementary and middle schools have been competing their way toward a final robotics tournament, held by the Jefferson County school district. Qualifying hasn’t been easy for students in the robotics clubs, who have gotten together during club meetings and sometimes during recess as they’ve prepared to go head-to-head with other Jeffco students.

After students qualified through a number of preliminary tournaments, they were looking forward to a final district tournament March 14. But with a district-wide decision made March 13 to postpone in-person learning because of the coronavirus, that final tournament wound up being canceled as well.

“There was so much sadness and some tears when kids realized they weren’t going to be able to compete,” said Andi Johnson, digital teacher librarian at Fairmount Elementary in Golden. “We are left with seven robots ready for a tournament that will not be.”

Fairmount Elementary students Ian Boeckman, Evan Warren and Edward Sum with the robot they have been working on and a practice field on which the robots interact with different components.

CASEY VAN DIVIER However, after months in a club all about persevering through obstacles and challenges, the students are now focused on how they can improve for next year, as well as looking back on the highlights of this year.

“I felt really bad it was canceled, but told myself that I could join the club next year,” said Fairmount fourthgrader Ian Boeckman. “I liked building the robot and I want to make up for the tournament we didn’t get to go to.”

For Boeckman and his teammates,

fourth-graders Edward Sum and Evan Warren, focusing on next year begins with reflecting on a process of improvement that began with this year’s initial tournaments. The competitions ask students to use remote controls to have their robots navigate an arena, picking up cubes or balls and placing them on top of different structures.

The Fairmount students have been making improvements to their robot after each tournament, from changing the wheels to adding new modifications they have won at competitions.

“We kept improving,” Sum said, until the team ultimately received an award — the `Excellence Award’ — which was “the best part of robotics this year,” he said.

Likewise, at West Woods Elementary in Arvada, chances to improve have helped the students to learn new life skills, said fourth-grade students Oliver Nations and Ram Yalavarthy.

“Discussing different options and working together helped me and my teammates build a better robot,” Yalavarthy said. “I have also learned that things can go wrong unexpectedly and robots can fall apart but if we stay calm, we can work together to fix anything.”

While Yalavarthy and Nations did not qualify for this year’s finals, they are sad for their friends who missed out on the tournament — and hopeful that all of them will get another shot next year.

“I do plan to be part of the club next year,” Nations said. “I’m excited to build a new robot because I feel more confident with my two years of experience in the Vex Robotics program.”

As fun as the competing aspect of the club has been, Warren added the club also offers academic and social benefits.

“It’s a good opportunity if you want to be an engineer and a good opportunity to make friends. It’s a club that all kids can be a part of,” Warren said.

“It’s an awesome idea they’re actually doing this in Jeffco schools.”

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Arvada Press 7

May 14, 2020

Jeffco now under Safer-at-Home rules

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Jeffco and all other Colorado counties that have not instituted stricter orders will be governed by the state’s Safer-atHome order, which allows many noncritical businesses to reopen with some restrictions.

Under the Safer-at-Home order, which went into effect statewide on April 26 in counties and cities that did not choose to extend the state’s stay-at-home-order, residents are “encouraged to stay-athome and avoid unnecessary interactions whenever possible.”

They are also urged to wear non-med-

ical face masks or coverings that cover the nose and mouth whenever they are in public, while anyone at high-risk of COVID-19 is urged to stay at their residence, except to seek medical care if it is needed.

Non-critical retail businesses, which had previously been limited to offering curbside service, will be able to offer walk-up service if they are able to comply with several requirements, including six-foot social distancing guidelines.

Office-based businesses will also be able to allow up to 50 percent of their employees to conduct in-person within an office, although they must offer “reasonable accommodations, including

the ability to continue to telecommute, to vulnerable populations.”

However, several businesses, including theaters and gyms, will remain closed, while restaurants and bars will be able to offer only takeout and delivery service.

Non-critical personal services businesses, such as hair and nail salons and tattoo and piercing parlors, will be able to operate provided they comply with a lengthy list of requirements, including operating at 50 percent capacity and requiring all customers and employees to wear masks.

Non-essential medical procedures may also resume at facilities that are

able to comply with several requirements, including adequate access to a two-week supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The Safer-at-Home order will be in effect through May 26 unless it is extended, rescinded or altered. JCPH — in collaboration with the state health department and state and county political and business leaders — has worked to develop public health guidance for businesses, including requirements for operation, as well as specific guidance for a variety of industries. The complete guidance and resource hub for businesses is available at www.jeffco.us/ safer-at-home.

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If You’re Surviving Covid-19 Financially, This Is a Good Time to Buy or Sell

Despite the best efforts of state, local and federal governments, there will surely be people who are suffering financial hardship and have had to put their dreams of homeownership on hold. I wish them well as they dig themselves out of this terrible situation.

For those who are surviving Covid-19, however, and don’t get sick from it in the coming months, the continued record low interest rates are making home purchase more attractive and more affordable.

As you’ve no doubt heard, the Federal Reserve has plunged hard into softening the impact of the virus and its attendant effects on the economy by reducing the Fed Funds interest rate used by banks to near zero. While this rate is unrelated to mortgage rates, we are also seeing those rates staying below 4% and approaching 3%, which is propping up the real estate market in a big way.

People who can afford to buy a home and have the income to qualify for a mortgage are getting off the fence. This is evident from how many homes are going under contract quickly, often with competitive bidding.

In the first 10 days of May, there were over 2,300 homes within 25 miles of the

State Capitol entered on Denver’s MLS. 552 of them were under contract by May 10th. Another 133 homes were entered as “Coming Soon” as of May 10.

While that’s less than the first 10 days of May 2019, when 3,348 homes were entered on the MLS and 795 of them went under contract by May 10, it’s still an impressive amount of activity, and is probably due in part to the excellent mortgage situation.

Another factor that will stimulate purchasing among the wealthy is that the stock market has recovered more than half of its early losses due to the virus.

That makes it more likely that investors would liquidate stocks to finance a cash purchase of real estate.

In April 2019, about 48% of homes sold at or above their asking price, and 46% of them sold in a week or less. Of the homes that closed during April 2020, about 58% sold at or above their asking price, and about 62% sold in less than a week. Those statistics tell me that we have a pretty active sellers market, which stands in contrast to the gloomy economic situation caused by Covid-19.

It’s hard to believe that the real estate market will tank later this year if it is not tanking already.

I’m seeing that dynamic myself. As of

Most Feedback Requests Ask Unproductive Questions Just a few years ago, there were several services which handled showings of homes for sale so that listing agents and their offices didn’t have to handle showing requests themselves. Each of those showing services would send email feedback requests to the showing agent beginning right after the showing.

Have You Seen My Other Column?

If you don’t also see this column in the Denver Post’s YourHub section, you may be unaware that I now have a separate column called “Talking Turkey” which is about this year’s election. You can read previous columns at www.TalkingTurkey.online and receive future columns from me by email. Just ask! They’re also posted at www.JimSmithBlog.com.

Last year, a company called ShowingTime bought Centralized Showing Service (which we used) and now virtually all brokers are utilizing that one company to send feedback requests to showing agents and to forward responses to listing agents and their sellers.

As I’ve written in the past, the best feedback request is one which asks a single question — “What’s your buyer’s feedback on this listing?” — and provides an open text area for the response.

Instead, ShowingTime’s default email asks a few stock questions such as rating the showing “experience” and saying whether the listing price is high or low.

(That’s useless — if I were submitting a contract I’d say it was high even if it’s not.) Agents can change the default to one question with open text, but it’s not easy to do. I had to ask support how to do it.

this writing, all my own listings are either under contract or closed, including the Wheat Ridge home featured as “coming soon” a couple weeks ago.

That $550,000 brick ranch was only

listed as “active” on the MLS last Tuesday, and showings didn’t begin until Saturday, but our first offer came in on Sunday, and it was under contract with competing offers by Monday evening.

Zillow Shortchanges Agents & Buyers on Video

Despite the increased emphasis on virtual tours because of stay-at-home orders, Zillow continues to stymie those of us who want to provide narrated video tours of our listings.

Unlike our MLS — and most other MLSs around the country — Zillow does not let us link a YouTube video to our listings on their platform. Zillow gets those links from our MLS but does not display them. Instead it wants agents to become Premier Agents (which costs money) and then makes agents use a Zillow app to shoot a walkthrough video using their smartphone.

That walk-through is limited to 2 minutes and does not carry sound, which is ridiculous, since the whole point of a walkthrough is for the agent to point out the features of the home. “Don’t worry about barking dogs,” we are advised, “since your video won’t have any sound.” Isn’t that comforting?

In my opinion, there is simply no substitute for a narrated long-form video tour of a listing. We’re told that videos should be short to match the short attention span of online lookie-loos, but I do the videos for people who like what they see in the description and photographs and want to take a deeper dive into the features of a home before seeing it.

Last month I sold a $1,250,000 home in the foothills to a buyer from Washington, DC, who never saw the home in person. They had a daughter look at it in person, but they only had my 18-minute video tour to go by before signing the

contract. They didn’t even come for the inspection or closing. And that’s not the first such instance of a Golden Real Estate video tour selling a home to an outof-state buyer who didn’t see it in person until at least the final walk-through.

We can thank Zillow for getting us more comfortable with shooting a twominute silent walkthrough video, but all agents need to become comfortable with doing a video tour that functions like an actual showing. Who can show a home in two minutes — and without saying a word? Not me!

Some agents are simply shy about being on camera or speaking into a recording. Well, you don’t need to be in front of the camera, so let go of that excuse. And if you simply think of the camera as a buyer that you’re showing the home to, you know exactly what to say as you go through the home. Point out the flooring, the counters, the view out the window. It will come easily.

Lastly, don’t use your smartphone.

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8 Arvada Press

May 14, 2020M

After severe symptoms, Arvada officer recovers from COVID-19 Pregnancy, mother’s illness added to stress during recovery

BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Battling a confirmed case of the coronavirus would have been difficult enough on its own —but for Roxzana Santacruz, an investigator with the Arvada Police Department, the situation was heightened by her mother also testing positive shortly after she did, as well as Roxzana being 27 weeks pregnant.

“It was just a very difficult time.

Doctors don’t know if it’s going to affect babies in the long run, and with my mom, her health deteriorating also affected me,” Santacruz said.

The officer first began showing symptoms around March 17.

Even though she assumed her allergies were probably responsible for her headache and sore throat, she went ahead and got tested for the virus three days later. In the days that followed, her symptoms began to worsen while new ones appeared — her fever was consistently over 100 degrees, she lost her sense of taste and smell and she felt short of breath with severe chest pain.

“It was all worsened because I was pregnant and I got really dehydrated. I

Arvada police officer Roxzana Santacruz and her mother, Ines. Both tested positive for COVID-19 in March and have since recovered, Santacruz said.

COURTESY OF ROXZANA SANTACRUZ

lost over 20 pounds,” she said. “It was just a sad experience.”

As her own condition continued to get worse, Santacruz soon learned that her mother, Ines, was also feeling sick, leading up to Ines being placed on a ventilator early in the morning March 27.

“She was very critical and there were two times they told us we needed to be prepared,” Santacruz said. “The stress of that and being isolated made it harder to get through. I don’t know

if that had an effect to my symptoms lasting so long.”

Those symptoms prompted Santacruz to make several visits to the hospital. However, she was told they could not treat her the first few times; she was only briefly admitted at her last visit and treated for her severe dehydration, she said.

But as March came to a close, she began to see signs of improvement, she said.

“Each day, I would notice that the fever started subsiding more,” she said.

“It was more of a gradual recovery.”

Likewise, her mother recovered and was able to be taken off her ventilator after 10 days, much to the family’s relief, Santacruz said.

But despite her recovery beginning in late March, as of early May, there are some effects of the virus that remain.

“My strength is not the same. I still have the leg aches,” she said. “And the fear still lingers because I don’t know if I’m immune to it. I don’t want to have to go through this again.”

The officer still doesn’t know where she picked up the virus, especially seeing as her husband had been doing most of the shopping so she wouldn’t have to take unnecessary risk during her pregnancy. Further, working in investigation, she doesn’t go out into the community on patrol, she said.

But what the officer does know is that she and the rest of the police department have been diligent about

making sure the virus doesn’t affect anyone else in the department.

“The minute Rozxana felt anything, she immediately was taken care of and sent home,” said detective Dave Snelling, spokesperson with the Arvada Police Department. “We have a lot of protocols in the department and our city facility staff are super diligent in their cleaning. As a city, we’re very well taken care of.”

Snelling and Santacruz added that it’s up to each individual person to practice a similar level of caution whenever they leave the house.

“There’s going to be more people out there” now that the stay-at-home order has expired, Snelling said, “and that’s all the more reason for people to follow these social distancing guidelines.

This is really a personal responsibility.”

Meanwhile, the department’s dedication to in-house safety has been the main reason Santacruz felt comfortable returning to work after her symptoms had subsided, she said.

“It had made me scared to leave the house, but I knew as far as coming into work it was going to be safe,” she said.

And just as helpful as the safety precautions taken by the department was the support shown to her by her coworkers.

“They would call me every day,” Santacruz said. “With everything I was going through, they supported me throughout the whole time.”

Produce-planting effort for local food banks seeking volunteers Vegetables will go to Community Table, Metro Caring STAFF REPORT

When you get your invitation to take the 2020 census, make sure you’re counted.

Did you know funding for the community programs you care about is based on census numbers? Make sure you and your community are counted by responding to the 2020 census.

we’re in this together

This year, you can answer online, by phone or mail.

Learn more about the census at 2020census.gov.

2020 was going to be Crescendum Flower Farm and Events’ first season in business after Krista Kushik and her family bought a farm off of 62nd Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard.

But rather than go forward with the initial business plan, to host sustainable events at the organic flower farm, Kushik has taken a detour to launch a community effort in response to COVID-19.

“Flowers don’t fill bellies, but veggies do, and unfortunately I think our community is going to need a good deal of help coming out of this crisis,” she said. “My goal is to make it a true community endeavor.”

Kushik is now using a portion of the farm’s fields to grow produce for area foodbanks. She has also created and steadily grown a volunteer group, which now includes several dozen friends, residents and other local farmers who are either planting at the farm or in their own yards.

The business has additionally

Many of the vegetables have already been planted for a community effort to donate produce to area food banks, organized by Crescednum Flower Farm and Events, located near 62nd Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard.

COURTESY OF KRISTA KUSHIK worked on partnering with Arvada Gardeners, Rocky Mountain Blooms and Front Range Flower Farmers to expand the effort.

So far, more than 270 plants have been planted, with Kushik and the volunteers planning to donate the vegetables to Arvada Community Table and Metro Caring.

To learn more or get involved, visit crescendumflowerfarm.com.

Arvada Press 9

May 14, 2020

Congratulations

to the Arvada West High School Graduating Class of 2020!

From the Administration and Staff of Arvada West High School

Photo courtesy of BestClassPicture.com.

You can order your panoramic picture at www.BestClassPicture.com

10 Arvada Press

LOCAL

May 14, 2020M

VOICES

Imagine your own quarantine scene

ALCHEMY

Andrea Doray

N

ormalcy. Normalization. Stabilization. Even mobilization. These are words being thrown around about the next “phase” of the coronavirus.

My colleague here on these pages, Michael Alcorn, wrote in his column last week that if some of our accepted societal norms become, well, normal again, he wants out. I’m with you, Michael.

And, while much of the world is trying to find that way back to “normal,” I can’t help but wonder about the people who still must self-isolate or self-quarantine, to protect themselves and others. What are they experiencing, especially those who’ve found themselves alone during this time, without the solace, support, or even annoyance of

someone else at home?

In my fortunate position – I work from home and we are both healthy enough – I’ve been musing about what I personally would do if I needed to self-isolate for 14 days, without anyone else in the house.

Let’s say that I had all that wait-and-see time on my hands. Say that I knew everything would all be okay. Say that I knew this craziness would somehow come to an end.

What would I do?

Posing that question to myself, I realized that much of what I would choose to do – or not to do – could actually carry over into the “new normal” … whatever than means.

For example, first and always, I would sleep in. Seriously sleep in, at least on the

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Essentially confused Is anyone as confused as I am regarding essential and non-essential workers? Does anyone believe this will give our government pause to reconsider what the real job of government entails? Why do I doubt it? National and local governments seem to have infused themselves into every aspect of our lives. Does not the constitution (State and National) clearly state the roles of government? For example, there is nothing in the constitution giving the government the ability to act as a charity. Yet, that seems to be one of the defining roles currently being transferred to governmental agencies. Isn’t this an area that could be better handled by nonprofits and churches?

Ever since the national government inserted itself into our school systems with such programs as Common Core and No Child Left Behind, we have more functionally illiterate students than is logical for a country with our technological ability and educational potential and resources, with a smaller core of extremely well educated students. In some areas charter and private schools are greatly preferred. There is no constitutional mandate for the federal government to interfere with education, this is a state function.

We are also seeing various aspects of government interfering with our daily lives with no mandate to do so. How much of this is “nonessential?” Will we take this event to reconsider what we really want

A publication of

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from our governmental systems?

Perhaps we should consider this the next time we vote. Will your vote be for more, or less, governmental interference?

William F Hineser, Arvada Right call I refute letters like Tracy Abell’s and Mary McWilliams’ about Michael Alcorn’s language and use of “Wuhan Virus” as “politically incorrect.” Even Bill Maher thinks this is wrong as he stated at the end of a recent episode, and he hates Trump. It’s always been “political correct” to name a virus after its point of origin as these diseases have generally killed great numbers of people worldwide no matter its origins.There are too many examples to list.

Political correctness here is being used as an attack on First Amendment rights.

No political system has ever been proven to be totally correct or for everyone. Political correctness is one-sided thinking and discrimination like homophobia, racism, sexism orthe like. It’s just another labeling system like these other terms and used to denigrate and demean others. Political correctness is now more representative of “Political Corruption” or “Political Criminality.” It’s my opinion that many federal, state and local politicians and the media are using this pandemic to steal more from every

F

SEE LETTERS, P11

weekends. Skip the alarm and sleep till noon. Then an egg-salad sandwich and a nap. In fact, I’d nap on every horizontal surface in the house.

I might also tackle the autobiographies on my bookshelves, the ones I know will be entertaining and informative, but that just seem too heavy to start. Of course, I wouldn’t do this at bedtime, because books don’t help me sleep. Just the opposite, really … hence the sleeping in.

Unfortunately, if I were quarantined here alone, I’m all too sure I would be spending more time on my phone, a habit I hope not to bring into the new normal. I’ve always SEE DORAY, P11

Disease that’s spreading isn’t entirely about virus

our dead in Ohio,” the song says. It was recorded by countertenor Neil Young and the other members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on May 21, 1970, just weeks after a tragic incident on the Kent State University campus.

“Kent State” for many has a similar recall effect that “Columbine” does.

I heard the song QUIET on the 50th anniverDESPERATION sary of Kent State and saw the familiar media images of the massacre, notably Mary Ann Vecchio screaming over the body of a student lying face down.

At the time, college students were protesting the war Craig Marshall in Vietnam. Many of Smith us carried homemade signs, had long hair, and stood in defiance of government-imposed rules and regulations.

Sound familiar?

It’s unlikely, however, that a song will rise from the current coronavirus protests that will change the nation like “Ohio” did. But who knows?

There are other similarities between then and now: The nightly news then had a body count; likewise, the nightly news now.

Protesters then were called every name in the book. Protesters now are called every name in the book.

The line of separation, it seems, is represented by nothing more than a face mask.

Many refuse, can’t be bothered.

One woman said masks were “uncomfortable.” I wondered what she would think about a ventilator?

Photojournalism student John Filo’s photo of Vecchio, who was 14 at the time, won a Pulitzer Prize.

Vecchio was kneeling over the body of Jeffrey Miller, who had been shot by the Ohio National Guard.

Vecchio was a runaway from Florida. She exchanged her colorful story to a reporter for a ticket to California but was returned to her home. Currently she is working as a respiratory therapist, a field that generally requires her to wear: A mask.

The B-side of “Ohio” was “Find the Cost of Freedom,” a song that did not chart.

The band recorded “Ohio” in just a few takes. Young later said David Crosby cried after one of them. His voice can be heard during the fade.

“Four, why? Why did they die?”

Sadly and ironically, on the leadup to the Kent State anniversary, a security guard at a Family Dollar store in

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Arvada Press 11

May 14, 2020

LETTERS FROM PAGE 10

American than since this country’s constitutional founding.

Today many Americans want nothing more for our free American society but totalitarian controls and our governments paying for all we do.The problem already found with this system is it’s unsustainable. The only way governments work is by respecting all citizens, their efforts and economic inputs.

Gary Scofield, Arvada How does Jeffco’s garden grow?

Springtime is a very important season for gardeners. Food crisis looming— every day of this growing season counts heavily. This year, after springtime crops were planted, JCPS abruptly announced that gardeners were barred gardening in JCPS/DUG gardens.

The reasons for this were difficult to understand. Gardeners do not enter through building doors. Food distributions continue on school properties; joggers and dog-walkers run the grounds; and children continue playing on playground equipment.

Further, only two districts within the Denver metro area, closed school gardens. DUG maintains current leases with JCPS for its gardens;

SMITH FROM PAGE 10

Flint, Michigan, was shot and killed.

News articles and legal filings give this account: The guard told a woman her daughter would not be allowed in the store without a mask.

The woman left after spitting on the guard, and returned with her husband and son, one of whom allegedly shot the guard. All face charges of first-degree murder.

Inevitably, some of the current protesters, or their mothers, fathers and children, will be impacted by

DORAY FROM PAGE 10

found my smartphone to be friendly, but not insistent. That’s all changed now. And because I don’t watch the news anymore, I get my headlines from those pop-up notifications that keep me obsessively scrolling at all hours.

Being on my phone also reminds me, though, of the lovely people in my life that I’d like to connect with, so I’d also spend time reaching out to them. However, this would be on a take-me-as-I-come basis: no makeup, no jewelry, comfy clothes, and my hair … who knows? One thing I do know is that I will definitely take this attitude with me into the new

DUG carries all liability and insurance for its gardens and gardeners.

Seeking to clear up confusion, gardeners reached out to JCPS, but received JCPS’ rebuff: ‘It has come to my attention that several emails … have been sent to Jeffco Leadership regarding current access restrictions. Please do not contact leadership regarding garden access.’

Yes, JCPS announced it would reopen the gardens later this week, but with no guarantees they would remain open. Any seeds placed in the soil, are a roll of the dice. Gardeners will lock up shovels and become Covid-risk managers — putting the productivity of gardens and the cohesion of the garden community at risk.

Gardeners work on margins — in the margins of daylight, on the margins of JCPS properties, alongside the marginalized, too. Nurse, lawyer, homeless and handicapped — we’re all dirty, humbled, relying on patience and sweat together. Ignoring scribbles in the margin before a big test, JCPS? A gamble for sure.

Heather Walaszek, Wheat Ridge Time to set things aside Did anyone take the time to?

• Thank their own personal “Higher Being” or someone, for keeping you and your loved ones safe • Thank a front line responder for their help • Donate food, money or time to a local food bank

the virus and require attention from doctors and nurses.

And they will get it, won’t they?

Fifty years ago, the nation was divided because of a war. Same thing now. Only the conflict isn’t in Southeast Asia. It’s in Flint, and it’s on Florida and California beaches. And it’s during press conferences where fingers are being pointed.

For the record, I wear a mask.

Maybe it won’t make any difference; maybe it will.

Maybe it will.

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.

normal!

All of this is assuming, of course, that I am one of the lucky ones, that I will escape the misery of those truly suffering the ravages of this disease. To them I send my strength.

To those on the front lines in grocery stores and take-out windows and other “essential services,” thank you.

To those in health care, to first responders, to caregivers – to all of us who take this seriously and are doing the best we can – I salute you.

Stay well.

Andrea Doray is a writer who believes in the wisdom of her friend Martin, who wishes that “normal” was still just a setting on the dryer.

Contact Andrea at a.doray@andreadoray.com.

• Wear a mask, keep your social distancing, so SOMEONE ELSE doesn’t get sick • Buy and be a personal food shopper for an elderly neighbor, friend, or someone you know who got laid off

• Can’t we put our grippes and political views aside, and work together to get through this?

Please Be Safe. Stay Strong.

Catherine Danahey, Lakewood

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OBITUARIES BECKEL

Allan Beckel

Allan Beckel, 64, died peacefully at his home on May 3, 2020, surrounded by family. Al survived brain cancer for over eight years and was recently diagnosed with liver cancer that he could not fight. He will be remembered as a kind, gentle, devout, and loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend.

Al was born in Minnesota in 1956. He graduated from St. John’s University and the University of Minnesota Law School.

In 1979, he married his wife Jean. They lived in Cold Spring, Minnesota, before moving to Colorado in 2014.

Al loved singing, theater, and travel. He was in the Arvada Chorale and volunteered over 500 hours at the Arvada Center for the Arts. He had strolled atop the Great Wall of China, summited Mt. Kilimanjaro with his daughter, and

celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Al had deep faith and was a member of Spirit of Christ Catholic Community. He was a Knights of Columbus fourth degree, participated in a small church group, Young at Heart gatherings, and book club. One life highlight was singing for Pope John Paul II and singing a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica during a choir trip to Europe.

Al is survived by his wife, son, daughter, two grandchildren, parents, and three siblings. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Saint John’s Abbey or St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. Cash memorials to the family will be designated for Al’s grandchildren’s future educational expenses.

In Loving Memory

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12 Arvada Press

May 14, 2020M

Some laid-off workers refusing employers’ back-to-work calls Unemployment assistance exceeds wages for many Colorado workers

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As limits on business operations triggered by the coronavirus pandemic are slowly being relaxed across Colorado, some employers are asking their laid-off workers to come back to work — but not all of those idled workers are agreeing to return.

And in some cases, state officials are allowing workers who refuse to go back to their jobs to continue to collect unemployment benefits.

In Colorado, employers have reported 250 job refusals in the first couple weeks since late April, around the time the statewide stay-at-home order ended, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

Two of those were refusals of work from somewhere other than the person’s most recent work situation, but the rest were offers to return to the most recent employer.

Ninety-eight of those refusals had been processed as of May 7, with 93 of those state decisions determining the workers are still eligible for benefits, according to the department.

Workers can’t choose to stay on unemployment simply because they’re taking in more money that way, said Cher Roybal Haavind, the labor department’s deputy executive director.

That’s important because, in light of the new federal program that gives an extra $600 per week on top of a state’s regular unemployment assistance, the possibility of people making more on unemployment than they would while working has become a hot topic.

On average, Colorado workers eligible for unemployment benefits are receiving nearly as much in benefits now — with the $600 boost included — as they were paid on the job as of late 2019, the New York Times has reported. That means that a large percentage of Colorado laid-off workers are paid more in benefits than they were in wages.

Under state rules, those workers who receive benefits are required to

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Are you an employer trying to re-hire laid-off workers? Are you a worker receiving unemployment benefits who’s been offered your job back? We’d like to hear about your experiences. Email newsdesk@ coloradocommunitymedia.com, write UNEMPLOYMENT in the subject line, and give us your name, the city or town where you live or where your business is located, and the best way to reach you.

ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE WITHOUT WORK To apply for unemployment benefits, visit colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/file-claim.

For questions about eligibility, see the different sections of that site, or call 303318-9000.

A state partnership called OnwardCO also offers help for those who have lost a job. Coloradans can use onwardco.org to: • Connect to emergency resources such as food, shelter, child care and money.

• Find training programs for a new career.

• Find job opportunities.

The online resource was launched by Bitwise Industries in coordination with Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and the Kapor Center, according to a news release. make biweekly reports to the labor department, and those updates must say if a person refused a job offer.

From there, the department evaluates whether that person is still eligible for benefits.

Failing to report job refusals when requesting benefit payment can be considered a fraudulent act under Colorado law, said Philip Spesshardt, a manager at the state labor department. That rule applies for any job offer, not just an offer to return to a previous position.

Some reasons a person could turn down a job offer and still collect unemployment benefits, according to Haavind, include: • The work environment is not complying with social distancing or the guidelines of Colorado’s recent safer-at-home order.

• The person is part of a group that is more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others.

LEARN, GROW AND PLAY AT THE YMCA!

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO AND JOSEPH RIOS STAFF WRITERS

Lori Denham, owner of Moxie Med Spa in Lakewood, laid off all 13 of her employees in mid-March as the coronavirus pandemic began to wreak economic havoc in Colorado.

She plans to bring back three fulltime employees and one part-timer.

Denham’s business is waiting on bringing back another employee because she is pregnant, and Denham doesn’t want her to be exposed to others.

“She isn’t ready to come back, and I am happy she is not because I don’t want to take any chances,” Denham said. “She is incredibly vulnerable.”

Lynn Conrad, who owns the Baby Doe’s clothing boutique in downtown Golden, said she had to lay off all eight of her store’s employees when she made the decision to close the store on March 19.

She hadn’t been concerned about employees not wanting to return to work, in large part because only two of those employees applied for unemployment and neither of them has received anything despite qualifying.

“They got their PIN and then they got through the first parts of the process, and then weird things happened and it’s like a loop,” Conrad said. “I’m • The person has COVID-19 or is caring for someone with the disease.

• Work offered involves an “unreasonable” reduction in the rate of pay.

• Work offered is substantially different and less favorable to the employee than their prior experience with the employer.

The department is asking employers who make a return-to-work offer, or any job offer, that is not accepted to report it on the coloradoui.gov website.

After either an unemployed Coloradan or an employer reports that a job offer has been turned down, the department suspends the Coloradan’s

Gig, self-employed, contract workers For gig workers — such as Lyft drivers — and self-employed and contract SEE UNEMPLOYED, P16

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benefits while it contacts both parties about the job offered and the reason for the refusal before issuing a decision.

The process typically takes between two and five business days, depending upon the responsiveness of both parties, Spesshardt said. Any decision can be appealed by either party, according to Haavind.

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confident they’ll receive the benefits at some point but they have been six weeks without a paycheck.”

The employees at the new Salon Sisu in the Gateway Village development near Red Rocks had only been working a few weeks when the salon was forced to close. Owner Lucinda Quattrochi said all of her staff was set to come back to work on May 9.

“What I’ve heard from my staff is that they were kind of enjoying having a little time off, but they were really anxious to get back and see their clients again,” Quattrochi said of the salon’s stylists. “And they make good money and they make tips, and they have relationships and there is a creative element to the work. So that’s not an issue for them.”

While the salon’s receptionists are also able to return to work, Quattrochi’s husband, Sam, said he does have some concerns that those workers, who make less money than stylists though still well above minimum wage, might not want to come back to work.

“I could see definitely if this progresses and in a month we have to be off for another two or three months they’re going to be in a terrible position, and that that could become more of a possibility for them,” he said.

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Arvada Press 13

May 14, 2020

BECAUSE THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT

2020 GRADS

We want to honor your grad!

VIEW ALL GRADS | HONOR MY GRAD

CENT RAL HIGH SCHO OL

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Congrat’s Zach , wishing you all the best…….. ”Uncle” Tim Finc h

I love teasing

Remember this

?

Seems like only yesterday you were at Holy Family!

Love you, Mrs. Green

We LOVE you!

So proud of you Zach, Love you, Grandma Rich ards

you!

We could alwa ys coun Am, aut lacearistia t on you to s ea dolup taectem inimolo riorrum faccum aut optio te eaqu i tempore heniati umquas ex eat. Lor adit volupturio id Am, aut lacearistias ea doluptaectem inimolo riorrum faccum aut optio te eaqui tempore heniati umquas ex eat. Lor adit volupturio id Best wishes, Billie and Bobby

All my best wis

The class of 2020 has it tough and we want to help you do something special for them. We’ve launched an online feature to help parents tell the world how proud you are of your 2020 grad — whether it’s high school, college or even elementary school.

• We’re offering a FREE photo and listing of your grad’s sports, honors and activities, displayed in a grid with all the other grads. Each grad will also have their own page and we’ll host it all online for a year.

• Want to really make a splash about your grad? You can expand their page with fun family photos, highlights, memories, a favorite quote, a top 10 list.

You can even invite family and friends to contribute to their page.

• You also have the option of publishing your grad’s accomplishment in the paper.

hes

I don’t remembe r all my 5th graders, but you were a special one and I’m so prou d of your degree. You’r you for getting e going to go places!

Mrs, Wheeler

Learning to driv e

Occus reicite stiun t earchil latiam sus eos consecum dellam fugit hil in conet latur aute et occullu ptaepud isinctisti optam acesti ad Your cousins

The best part is that it’s all easy.

Just fill out a simple form at

ccm.honormygrad.com and you’re set.

14 Arvada Press

LOCAL

May 14, 2020M

LIFE

From the mountains of Vail to audience’s homes

O

The scientific method For those looking to step up their homesteading game, there are few better resources than Colorado State University’s county extension offices. Focused on bringing sciencebased education and information to the community, the offices employ experts in fruit and vegetable gardening, keeping livestock, and safe canning and preserving — all just a phone call away.

“Colorado can be a challenging place to garden,” said Lisa Mason, the horticulture agent for Arapahoe County’s extension office. “We have a short growing season, a variable

ne of the most challenging things about attending the annual Vail Film Festival is spending your time inside a movie theater when you’re in such a beautiful mountain town.

That won’t be a problem this year, as the 17th festival has switched COMING an entirely ATTRACTIONS to online iteration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival was originally scheduled to run March 26 through 29, but this new version of the event which focuses on Clarke Reader women filmmakers and independent films - now makes its digital debut Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17.

“Initially we thought we would postpone the festival to the summer or even early fall, but as the situation worsened and cases continued to increase, we thought the right move was to take the festival online this year,” explained Sean Cross, who is the executive director of the festival with his brother, Scott. “We didn’t want a scenario where we would have to postpone again.”

The more than 50 films on display as part of the event run the gamut from features and documentaries to shorts and student films.

And festival director Corinne Hara hopes the online approach might expand the films’ reach to people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to make the drive.

“It’s really exciting for something that got turned on its head like this did to provide us new opportunities and partnerships,” Hara said. “The need to highlight women and independent film is still there, and still relevant.”

In bringing the festival to the digital world, the aim was to mirror the physical festival as much as possible, Cross explained. For the actual screenings, it works similarly to many streaming platforms. Films will be available for 24 hours on their assigned day, and can be streamed on your phone, computer or Apple TV. Just like at the festival, audience members can vote for their favorite films and enter a sweepstakes to win passes to next year’s festival.

“Over the last 17 years, the festival has become an important part

SEE HOMESTEAD, P15

SEE READER, P15

“Urban homesteaders” make the most of small plots of city soil to grow food. Michele Hanley, the owner of Mile High Urban Farming, said her tomato plants are a good return on investment.

COURTESY OF MICHELE HANLEY

Urban homesteaders get back to the land

BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

S

undari Kraft grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder. But while she fantasized about a self-sufficient life in a little house on the prairie, she lived in a bungalow in Northglenn.

“As I got older, I realized moving to the country wasn’t in the cards, but I’m not one to say that’s that,” Kraft said. “The question became: What’s possible?”

When Kraft and her husband bought a place in northwest Denver, she had big ideas: gardens, a greenhouse, goats and chickens. The only catch? Bureaucracy.

With a can-do pioneer spirit, Kraft was the organizer and driving force behind code changes that eased up on urban livestock, greenhouses and front-yard gardens in Denver and beyond.

As time went by and her urban mini-farm flourished, Kraft found herself at the forefront of a movement to rethink how we live in cities.

“It used to be you either live in the city or the country,” said Kraft, the author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Urban Homesteading.”

“People aren’t buying into that any-

more.”

Outside of her busy life as a public affairs consultant and a mom of two young kids, Kraft milks goats, collects eggs from her chickens, preserves her garden harvests and makes her own soap and bread.

“You can be an urban homesteader, even if you don’t have a yard,” Kraft said. “It’s about a mindset and practices to live more sustainably and self-sufficiently. I didn’t grow up on a farm. There’s not some number of boxes you have to check. If I can do it, you can do it.”

Grow what you like For beginners looking to start growing their own food, the first question is: What do you like?

“Think about what you actually want to eat,” said Michele Hanley, who runs Mile High Urban Farming, which helps design, plan and even maintain gardens around the metro area. “I see a lot of people plant kale because it grows well and it’s good for you, but people don’t like to eat it.”

The cost to start a brand-new garden can add up, Hanley said, but it can pay off.

“Tomatoes are a good return on investment,” she said. “Good tomatoes

are, what, $5 to $6 a pound? Well, one good tomato plant can generate 40 pounds. You can even get away with that in a patio pot.”

The biggest misconception Hanley sees is people who think they have a “black thumb.”

“Find groups on social media, ask a friend, and don’t give up,” Hanley said. “It’s not the end of the world if it’s not a success. It’s like Jake said in ‘Adventure Time’: ‘Sucking at something is the first step in being sort of good at something.’”

Arvada Press 15

May 14, 2020

HOMESTEAD FROM PAGE 14

climate, and tough soil. But we’re here for the community.”

It’s tough to say how much of a family’s diet can be supplemented with garden produce, Mason said, depending on how much time and energy they want to put into it and how much space they have. Even people in apartments can grow herbs, lettuce, tomatoes and peppers on a balcony.

The extension office’s website is loaded with fact sheets on all sorts of gardening topics, all developed to maximize efficiency in the Denver area’s climate and soil.

“There’s an art to gardening, but there’s also a lot of science you can employ,” Mason said.

In the old days Colorado’s early homesteaders

READER FROM PAGE 14

of the lives of many people, including people in the local community, film fans from across the country, and the many filmmakers that have showcased their work in Vail over the last two decades,” Cross said.

Organizers also want to keep the audience-filmmaker interaction through live question and answer sessions with the filmmakers and its ever-popular Women in Film panel will be in webinar form and feature “Lucifer’s” Lesley-Ann Brandt, actor, producer and director Alexandra Barreto and more.

“Especially now, we’re looking for ways to connect, and this is another way they can do so,” Hara said.

“We’re already planning for next year’s event, but this year’s will be a good ride.”

For more information and to purchase passes, visit www.VailFilmFestival.com.

Outdoor activity - visit Addenbrooke Park A true oasis in the middle of Lakewood, Addenbrooke Park offers all kinds of space for your spring enjoyment. For the more active-minded there’s walking and biking paths, baseball and soccer fields, horse arena and trails, and

didn’t have the luxury of county extension agents, but they developed wisdom of their own, said Suellen Winstead, the curator of the Littleton Museum, which features an authentic, functioning 1860s-style homestead.

“Back then, your garden was your life,” Winstead said. “Pioneers had to grow enough during a short growing season to preserve food for winter. This was not a hobby.”

Pioneer families had access to a wide variety of heirloom seeds that were well-suited to local climates, and had keen senses for the intricacies of gardening, developed over lifetimes and generations.

But among their most important resources was community.

“There’s a perception that the Old West was families alone in a cabin miles from the nearest person,” Winstead said. “But what we had here was people settling in communities and relying on each

other for support.”

When times got tough, neighbors could rely on each other, Winstead said.

“If my wheat crop failed or my tomatoes died, people pitched in.

I think we could learn from that.

Gardening and homesteading can bring people together. If you grow more than you can use, find someone in need.”

The frugal mindset of homesteaders carried on into the Great Depression and World War II, Winstead said.

“It was a habitual thing,” she said. “They went through a time of great scarcity. You don’t waste.

You eat everything on your plate.

You find a use for things.”

perhaps most alluringly, a stunning lake with mountain views. For art lovers, there’s Lakewood’s 50th Anniversary public artwork, located at the historic Addenbrooke homestead chimney near the Garrison Street park entrance.

The park is located at 600 South Kipling Parkway, and for more information visit www.lakewood.org.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week Five Points Jazz Festival Denver Arts & Venues partnered with Rocky Mountain Public Media (Rocky Mountain PBS, KUVO JAZZ and THE DROP) to bring the Five Points Jazz Festival to audiences in a variety of mediums since they can’t attend in person.

The two-hour event will be broadcast from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 on Rocky Mountain PBS, 8 to 10 p.m. on KUVO JAZZ 89.3 FM, streamed on kuvo.org, and ondemand at www.ArtsandVenues. com/5PJF. The concert will also be shown on the social media channels of the presenting organizations.

The event will feature more than jazz bands - there will also be comedians, poets and other leaders. Visit www.artsandvenuesdenver.com/ events-programs/five-points-jazzfestival for details.

Streaming style - ‘Travel Man: 48 Hours In...’

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months quarantined at home. But since traveling isn’t going to be an enticing or safe option for a while yet, why not let one of Britain’s funniest people take you on a hilarious world tour?

Richard Ayoade hosts “Travel Man: 48 Hours In…,” which takes audiences to some of the world’s most interesting cities for 48 hours’ worth of culture, dining and droll hilarity. In every city Ayoade is

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‘Success isn’t always easy’ Some urban homesteaders still rely on their skills and hard work to provide for their families.

Operating from the yard of a rental duplex in Adams County, Tess and Jeff Curry make a good

chunk of their living from the fruits of their labor. Known as “The Honey People” at north Denver farmers markets, the Currys sell honey from their beehive, eggs from their chickens and more.

Tess said she started producing her own food during the Great Recession, when Jeff, a construction worker, was hurting for work and laid up with an injury.

“It’s hard work. Success isn’t always easy, but one benefit is the food just tastes so much better,” Tess said. “I know what’s in my food. I know where it comes from. My grandkids know a potato comes out of the ground.”

Tess said her work has introduced her to the larger community of local growers, and she enjoys trading plants and produce. And if things take a turn for the worse, she knows she can rely on herself and her friends to stay fed.

“We might have to eat a lot of eggs and beans for a while, but hey, at least we’d be eating.”

joined by a fellow entertainer people like Jon Hamm, Aisling Bea, Lena Dunham and Paul Rudd - and the pair explores worthy highlights of the city. It is sometimes informative, but always a laugh-riot.

Find the series for free at Hulu or on your favorite on-demand service.

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

Got a taste of remote learning and liked it?

Then you’ll be happy to know you can continue to be a remote learner next year! Jeffco Virtual Academy is here for you!

JVA has been offering 6-12 grade students an online learning path since 2009.

We’re proud to provide full-time program options to residents of Colorado-Middle School, High School, Credit Recovery, Credit Advancement, and Concurrent Enrollment for college credit. JVA is a Jeffco Public School and has been offering 6-12 grade students a tuition-free online learning path since 2009. These programs expose students to challenging coursework with academic and social support. Some programs require students to be on campus one day a week.

Interested in finding more about JVA in an upcoming Information Session, visit www.jeffcovirtual.org or email jeffcovirtualacademy@jeffco.k12.co.us

16 Arvada Press

May 14, 2020M

Small businesses surviving with help of city loan fund Arvada program distributed funds to 256 local businesses

BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Having opened children’s clothing boutique Little by Little in June 2019, January and February 2020 were a time when “we were finally starting to get in a groove,” said co-owner Alyssa Rossi.

So as business and stayat-home regulations were issued throughout March, “to be thrown a curveball like this was pretty crazy,” she said. “We were down to a couple hundred dollars in our business checking accounts.

My husband and I are both self-employed, so we’ve kind of been freaking out through this.”

Since March, a number of loans have been available to small businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, including Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans through the Small Business Administration.

However, knowing many Arvada businesses would not be approved for the limited funds, and that some may

Balefire Goods has been opening its doors periodically to allow customers to pick up online orders from the jewelry gallery.

CASEY VAN DIVIER have to wait weeks or months for the federal money to arrive, the city of Arvada created its own loan program to get funding to businesses as quickly as possible.

The fund, called the Emergency Small Business Loan Fund, was made up of approximately $2.5 million.

Small businesses could apply for up to $10,000 to be used on business expenses. If 75% of the loan is paid back by Jan. 1, the rest of the zero-interest loan will be forgiven.

The application process opened April 13 and was open for six business days, with 256 businesses selected to receive the funding, though a total of

UNEMPLOYED FROM PAGE 12

workers, their unemployment benefits come through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, a new stream of money from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In April, the state announced that people who have lost gig work and similar previously ineligible positions would be able to apply for

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320 applied.

For those chosen recipients, the loan seemed to come in no time. Rossi remembers that the loan money arrived within about a week of her application, she said. Owner Jamie Hollier of artisan jewelry gallery Balefire Goods likewise said that after applying for the funding April 13, the business had received its loan by April 20.

While both businesses have also received alternative funding through either IEDL or PPP, for different reasons, the Arvada money was still necessary in helping the businesses survive. At Little by Little, it took more than a month

benefits.

Federal guidelines for returning to work for those groups are not explicit, Haavind said.

The state doesn’t judge when workers should return to work based on market demand in their field.

Such labor market information does not determine whether individuals on regular state unemployment should continue to be eligible for benefits, so any labor market information related to gig workers and the self-employed also would not determine eligibility on pandemic unemployment assistance, Spesshardt said.

for IEDL funding to come in, Rossi said. At Balefire Goods, money received through PPP could not be used to pay rent, which the business would have struggled to pay otherwise.

“I had no money I could have used on rent. I needed something that wasn’t payroll-committed,” Hollier said. “This has been difficult to navigate because this isn’t that we hit a bump — this is that everyone hit a bump. The city has been really helpful with that.”

For others, like owner Josh Pearlman at SafeSplash Swim School Arvada, “we would have had to make some very significant decisions” if not for the city loan program, he said.

“You shut the door, you can turn off the electricity and turn off the heat, but you still have bills to pay,” he said.

“Our busy season is March through July, and we were in a hiring mode before. We have a large payroll and we have been closed for our peak season … Our goal is to survive right now.”

So far, the three businesses have already survived the stay-at-home order, which expired May 9 in Jefferson County. Some businesses are now allowed to open their doors under certain restric-

“The information would more commonly be used to determine whether an individual is performing an active and reasonable search for work when required,” Spesshardt added.

Record-breaking numbers During the fallout from the Great Recession, the week with the highest number of claims for unemployment assistance filed in Colorado was the week ending Jan. 9, 2010, with 7,749 claims.

This year, the week ending March 21 — when Colorado closed dine-in restaurant and bar service, and hair and nail salons, spas, and tattoo and massage parlors — shattered that record with 19,745 new unemployment claims filed.

Then, the next three weeks saw the numbers increase fivefold. And although the numbers have dropped

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

tions, but for each small business owner, that process is going to look a little bit different.

At SafeSplash, the team is planning on a safe reopening but has not yet finalized its timeline. Little by Little opened May 9 with strict precautions and limited hours, and has also been offering online shopping, curbside pickup and delivery. Balefire Goods is offering pickup services and appointments, with a hope that the shop can open up to smaller crowds of customers wearing masks in late May. However, “when we open our doors, it’s not going to be like the floodgates are opened up,” making alternate funding sources like the city’s program even more important, Pearlman said.

And Hollier and Rossi both emphasized the way the funds benefit not only the businesses, but the vendors, contractors, landlords and others in the Arvada community who the small businesses can now afford to work with.

“It’s keeping everything flowing in that whole cycle,” Rossi said. “I think it’s great the city made that a priority, and the fact they were able to do something like this so quickly is pretty commendable.”

off from that high point, Colorado continues to see historic numbers of claims each week.

In the week ending April 11, the department counted 104,217 initial claims filed.

There were 67,334 initial unemployment claims filed the week ending April 18, more than 79,000 initial claims filed the week ending April 25 and more than 41,000 filed the week ending May 2, according to state Labor Department news releases.

For those last two weeks, the total includes both regular unemployment and pandemic unemployment assistance for those such as gig workers and the self-employed.

The week ending April 25, there were 40,906 pandemic unemployment assistance claims. There were 13,149 of those claims filed the week ending May 2.

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Arvada Press 17

May 14, 2020

RALSTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2020!

You already were unique, Class of 2020. You already were only the third class in our nation’s storied history able to claim the same set of numbers in your graduating year. Yes, you joined the classes of 1818 and 1919 with that distinction, so you already had that going for you. But, no, you managed to be even more unique. You had to truly distinguish your class in a way that had not yet been imagined.

Your presence at RVHS ended on March 13, and you ended your school year at home. Wow, what other senior class can say that? We will barely mention Covid-19 and what it has done to your senior year, but we will mention your heart, your resilience, and your unity. You have truly persevered. You were the first senior class to utilize online platforms as your primary form of learning. You did this with exactly three days of notice! Your Prom was canceled, yet you still found ways to celebrate with family and friends. You maintained your sanity during stay at home orders, and you lifted the spirits of your classmates through social media, phone calls, and drive-by visits. Sure, your final semester has been an incredibly tough and unprecedented way to end a school year, but you are stronger because of it!

Your accomplishments prior to your world being turned upside down will not be diminished. Yours has been an inspirational class of Mustangs. Our world will never look the same, and it is unlikely that any future classes will experience a senior year quite like yours. Yes, you are unique, Class of 2020. We are so proud of you, and we wish you the best of everything as you leave the Valley! Go Mustangs!

Adams, Kadin Adams, Makara Albert, Kelly Allen, Isabella Andersen, Samuel Anderson, Fiona Anderson, Haley Aranda, Eric Ashcraft, Jordan Atwood, Melina Azzaro, Tyler Baca, Joel Baker, Payton Baker, Sabrina Ball, Emily Balow, Tabitha Barden, Tory Barkley, Jonah Barnard, Andrew Bartholomew, Maverick Bashford, Claire Bashford, Dillon Beard, Jackson Bell, Tyler Benham, Blaze Bennett, Emily Bennett, Jessica Berning, Samuel Bettis, Danielle Bianco, Alec Bleasdell, Cameron Bloom, Carlton Blue, Levi Bookwalter, Seth Borghi, Giuliana Boswell, Taylor Boswell, Trever Botos, Alyson Branaugh, Amara Brandow, Mason Brandt, Audrey Braney, Jack Brickle, Walker Brock, Cambree Brooks, Skyler Brown, Bryan Brown, Daniela Brule, Maxwell Burkhalter, Benjamin Call, Jordan Carlston, Luke Carnes, Jacob Carpenter, Makenna Carr, Ava Castro, Amia Cisneros, Mason Clark, Owen Clark, Samuel Cleyman, Julia

Clymer, Jaden Coffey, Lanae Coisman, Tyler Colagrosso, Anthony Conner, Reilly Cook, Jacob Cooper, Jeremiah Coy, Autumn Cribbs, Brooke Cucarola, Carson Curtis, Krista Dahl, Rebecca Dane, Lily Dantinne, Christopher Daschbach, Cooper D’Ascoli, Giovani de Luna-Kent, Michael DeFord, McKenzie DeLauro, Dominic DeLauro, Maya Delgado, Marlene Deming, Max Deming, Miles Devine, Victoria Diesslin, Ryan Dillow, Georgia Dixon, Camille Dmytriw, Riley Doig, Eliria Dominick, Anmarie Dorrance, Parker Douglas, Jess Down, Oliver Downing, Katherine Doyle, Taya Drew, Grace Duran, Jace Earhart, Elizabeth Easter, Ashley Edwards, Abby Elari, Tre Fackler, Luke Fackler, Rachel Fanning, Kyle Farris, Nolan Felderman, Ana Felsoci, Michael Ferguson, Matthew Forrester, Alyssa Foulke, Austin Fowler, Joel Frederick, Dakota Freis, Haden French, Katherine Fry, Payton Galbreath, Jackson Gallerani, Antonio Galvin, Aidan Gardner, Kayleigh

Gericke, Jacob Gibson, Kathryn Giffin, Sarah Gigstad, Caden Giron, Jaeda Gleeson, Toby Gordon, Kaylie Gottlieb, Isabel Gough, Megan Granados, Nicholas Grassetti, Adrianna Graziano, Emma Greco, Dario Greenbaum, Bradley Grieve, Payge Grossman, Blaze Grubb, Keegan Guan, Bingmiao Guerrero Ortiz, Victor Guiducci, Elizabeth Guilbault, John Guillena, Brinley Guthrie, Lucas Hack, William Haertel, Jaylynn Hale, Alec Haley, Juliana Hammond, Andrew Hansen, Lara Hanson, Katelyn Hart, Mackenzie Hartley, Michaela Hauptman, Rex Heald, Kelly Heeb, Charity Hellman, Carson Hewitt, Sarus Hollopeter, Taylor Hostetler, Bradley Howard, Jackson Huerena, Sophia Hugger, Ivan Hughes, Brendan Jackson, Garret Jackson, Simone Jacobs, Alexandrya Jeffries, Rylee Jennings, Torsten Jensen, Ashley Jergensen, Marisa Jesch, Isabella Johnson, Evan Johnson, Jayden Johnson, Lauren Johnson, Luke Johnson, Sarah Johnstone, Carly Jones, Emma Jones, Ethan

Jones, Ryan Jorgensen, Kailee Julian, Kate Kawamoto, Maya Keelan, Katelyn Keller, Brooklin Keller, Brooklyn Kelley, Carolyn Kelley, Olivia Kelly, Laurel Kemper, Owen Kenner, Emma Kessel, Whitney Khachatrian, Margaret Kim, Zoey Kindsvater, Sade King, Graiden Kirchhevel, Corbin Kleinbub, Gabriel Klipka, Kristin Knight, Doreen Knight, Walker Kolinski, Anthony Kostelnik, Claire Kramer, Alexander Krause, Brynna Kreyman, David Kuechenmeister, Rhyse Kurath, Tyler Lallmann, Tanner Lamer, Kian LaMielle, Macy Langmuir, Jaye Lay, Cameron Laydon, Sara Le, Aileen Le, Henry LeClear, Destin Lehto, Connor Lenahan, Benjamin Lesmeister, Trinity Lewis, James Livingston, Kenna Lockwood, Daniel Loewen, Jordin Lombardi, Dino Lowitz, Allison Lozano, Jacob Luong, Alex Maes, Haley Mallory, Brendan Manzanares, Evan Marquis, Allison Marrone, Mason Marrs, Jonathan Martinez, Braydn Martinez, Savannah Mast, Cedar Mattei, Sydney

Maurer, Hayden McCaffrey, Colyn McClain, Max McCleary, Trevor McCray, Alexander McKenzie, Connor McLean, Rocco Medford, Tyler Medina, Madison Medley-Wallis, Kaden Messingham, Jakob Michael, Sydney Miles, Andrew Miller, Addison Miller, Hayden Misiti, Stephen Mitchell, Bayli Mondragon, Jeremy Morehead, Mitchell Morgan, Maxwhale Morstad, Lauren Motooka, Rylee Muilenburg, Brianna Murphy, James Myers, Jack Nelson, Abigail Nelson, Danielle Nguyen, Emily Nguyen, Ethan Nielsen, Daunte Noble, Tess Nuss, Alexander O’Kane, Brendan Olson, Kendall O’Neal, Alexis O’Neal, Shannon Orlikoff, Treyton Osen, Mateo O’Shea, Samuel Palumbo, Tucker Parish, Regan Pendleton, Kyle Pendleton, Zoe Perez, Dominic Perkins, Sydney Pesce, Anneliese Phanekham-Mouanghane, Sirisai Pickett, Noah Pierro, Isabella Pietrasiewicz, Cameron Piotraschke, Michalah Pivic, Skyler Plant, Brady Polacsek, Ethan Polizzotto, Angelina Porter, Dallin Powell, Bricyn Quinn, Olivia

Rabbitt, Katherine Raczynski, Kyle Radovich, Zach Rai, Madhuri Raileanu, Zachary Raymond, Scott Record, Shane Reents, Kyle Reinke, Abigail Reinwald, Sabrina Renella, Christopher Richardson, Jasmine Rillos, Caleb Robb, Dylan Robb, Jayden Roberts, Maxwell Roberts, Payton Robinson, Beau Roboff, Christopher Rockwood, Courtney Rogers, Caleb Rose, Andrew Rosenquist, Davin Ross, Frances Ross, Isaac Roush, Presley Rozeski, Madeline Ruibal, Cierra Ryan, Jade Rylance, Craig Sagendorf, Peyton Salek, Ryan Salido, Zachary Samp, Josae Sampson, Benjamin Schovajsa, Karsen Schulthess, Anika Schweiker, Elizabeth Scott, Lauren Sella, Madison Shaffer, Aaron Shepherd, Joshua Siders, Braden Siegrist, Lainey Simon, Wiley Simpson, Jack Singh, Simran Smith, Caleb Smith, Elise Smith, Kade Smith, Matthew Somorin, Alina Speer, Darian Spiker, Brooke Spurlock, John Stanek, Sean Steele, Shea Stephens, Alexandra Sterns, Cassandra

Stevenson, Cainan Stewart, Marta Stiebeling, Kyle Stolper, Gina Stolper, Lena Stolper, Tina Stone, Paul Stonerook, Zachary Stookey, Coryn Stratton, Brandt Swanson, Jonathan Sychev, Michael Takata, Benjamin Tarullo, Caylee Theisen, Annalise Thompson, Matthew Tiller, Nicholas Timon, Grayson Tischler, Kaleb To, Michele Tomlinson, Kiera Tran, Ashley Tusek, Emily Urland, Jaxon Van Dyke, Madison Vazquez Garza, Pattrik Vu, Victoria Wall, William Wallace, Kailey Wallace, Steven Walsh, John Watson, Sydney Weber, Lindsay Webster, William Werth, Cristine Westholm, Freja White, Evan White, Jackson White, Pearl Whitmore, Cody Williams, Riley Wilson, Chase Wittman, Sarah Wolle, Linnea Wride, Max Wright, Grace Wright, River Wyant, Noah Young, Ethan Young, Madison Younkerman, Alyssa Zhovmiruk, Vladislav Zigich, Kyle Zinn, Audrey

18 Arvada Press

May 14, 2020M

Masks made mandatory amid multiple municipalities Wheat Ridge, Boulder and Denver among places you now must wear a mask in a ‘community setting’

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Although public health officials once declared face masks unnecessary for healthy people during the COVID-19 epidemic, the messaging has strongly changed course in recent weeks with the CDC now recommending people wear a cloth face covering whenever they are in a “community setting.”

Now, Denver-area communities are increasingly taking things a step further than that guidance by implementing orders requiring that any customers entering certain businesses wear a mask in a bid to protect both customers and employees from disease.

Wheat Ridge requiring masks in essential businesses Wheat Ridge became the first city in the metro area to do so on April 22 when city manager Patrick Goff issued a new order requiring anyone entering an essential business as defined by the state’s current public health order wear a face mask. Those businesses include grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and restaurants offering “take-out.”

“We realize this is more restrictive than any state-issued stay at home order or other public health order; however, the intent is to continue to control the spread of COVID-19 as we begin to reopen businesses,” Patrick Goff, Wheat Ridge’s City Manager, said in a press release.

That order, which took effect on April 27, stipulated that those who

Customers in masks shop at a King Soopers in Wheat Ridge.

PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO

MASK MANDATES Communities with face mask orders: Denver Wheat Ridge Larimer County Routt County Boulder Aspen Glenwood Springs Communities considering orders: Lone Tree Longmont violated the order could be prosecuted for a misdemeanor. But then, during its April 27 meeting, the Wheat Ridge city council unanimously passed a resolution that removed the possibility of prosecution, replacing it with language urging residents to voluntarily cooperate with the order.

That move came after Wheat Ridge Police Chief Chris Murtha told the council Wheat Ridge police had been inundated with calls related to the SEE MASKS, P24

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Craft breweries fight for survival Many seeing furloughs, sharp sales declines

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Since opening in Sheridan’s River Point development west of South Santa Fe Drive in 2016, Dead Hippie Brewing has seen “continuous growth” in its revenues. However even by those standards, owner Dean Edmundson said January and February had been two of the “most amazing” months of business in the brewery’s existence.

But then came March, the COVID-19 epidemic and, eventually, Gov. Jared Polis’ stay-at-home order. The result?

A 60% drop in revenue that is creating a “very challenging situation” for the brewery, where Edmundson said he has remained committed to keeping on his six-person staff.

Now, Edmundson is left to hope that the staff can begin serving customers again in the brewery’s taproom soon (for now only to-go sales are allowed) — and that those customers start coming back once they can do so.

“As long as we are opening back up around mid-May we should be OK,” Edmundson said. “If this goes to midJuly it’s a different story, but I think we will probably still survive.”

Thousands could close nationwide Edmundson’s read on the situation and its impact seems to be a common one among brewers, both along the Front Range and around the country.

On April 7, the Brewers Association, a trade group of approximately 5,400 small and independent brewers, released the results of a survey it had conducted of its member breweries about the impact COVID-19 was having on them.

The survey found that member breweries reported an average drop in revenue of 65%, with 62% of respondents reporting they could not sustain their breweries for longer than three months if current social distancing restrictions remain in place. There are 8,150 active breweries in the country, according to the data, meaning that 5,053 breweries could be in danger of

Dean Edmundson, the owner of Dead Hippie Brewing on Santa Fe Drive in Sheridan, holds up a bandana printed with the brewery’s logo that can be used as a face mask inside the taproom, which is empty aside from his dog.

PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO closing across the nation in the next three months. So far, no breweries are known to have closed in Colorado, according to the Colorado Brewers Guild.

Government help uncertain Chris Reigrut, the co-owner of Halfpenny Brewing Company in Centennial, said that his brewery’s sales have declined by 70% and that the overall fate of his brewery will depend not only on how long social distancing measures remain in place but also what kind of assistance he is able to get from the government.

“We had our applications in for almost two weeks and we did not get money from the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program,” Reigrut said. “We are hoping we get some from the second round passed this week but it’s looking tough.”

With the epidemic looming, Denver Beer Co. founder Charlie Berger said he “had to make quick decisions in order to conserve cash to be able to reopen the doors at the end of this.” So he made “drastic cuts” to the hours of the staff at his breweries in Denver’s LoHi neighborhood and on Wadsworth Boulevard in Olde Town Arvada.

But the brewery also got creative

and launched new virtual events, including a beer pairing series and a virtual Friday afternoon happy hour with guests ranging from Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland to former governor and current Senate candidate John Hickenlooper.

“By doing some of these creative things we’ve driven some more interest and demand in our current beers, to the point where we have more hours for a staff and everybody who is wanting hours is getting them,” Berger said.

Despite that, overall sales are still way down from where they typically are and Berger said he is no longer sure about how fast the brewery will be able to proceed with a plan to build a third taproom on Downing Street in South Denver.

“I’m very nervous honestly that is going to be a year to 18 months to get through this, and for those reasons I’m losing sleep,” Berger said. “We are not going to go out of business but we are going to be a super different thing based upon the way I’m reading the governor’s plans to open up but maintain social distancing and the health authority’s suggestions. It’s nobody’s fault, but it is going to take that long.”

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Tickets help first responders Golden’s Holidaily Brewing Company, which furloughed employees at the start of the pandemic, has also seen sluggish sales. However, many of the customers that do come in are buying tickets for the brewery’s Red For Med fundraiser, in which customers can buy $5 tickets which can then be exchanged for a free beer by first responders and those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

“The response has been so great,” said owner Karen Hertz. “We actually need more people to come in and take some free beers.”

Still, Holidaily continues to take a big hit — particularly in distribution.

“Our beer is in Coors Field and Mile High and things like that, so with summer concerts and baseball not happening, that hurts our distribution real bad because that’s a lot volume that we move through those accounts,” Hertz said.

Tristan Schmid, the marketing and events manager for the Colorado Brewers Guild, said many breweries have also been able to take advantage of Polis’ decision to allow beer to be delivered during the crisis. However, he said breweries will also need to innovate and adapt in other ways to survive.

“We’d encourage them to be nimble, be able to pivot to opportunities they’d shied away from or outright avoided before,” he said. “But brewers are smart people, and they already know this.”

At Dead Hippie Brewing, Edmundson said he is now working to do just that.

“One thing this is forcing us to do is move into distribution and canning our beer, which is something I thought we were eight to 12 months way from,” he said. “Once we open up we might only be able to have 25 percent of our occupancy so something like distributing cans becomes real important.”

Ultimately, however, it will be up to customers to determine whether Dead Hippie and other breweries survive.

“Support your brewery, because if you want them to be around and be able to go hang out there again, they are going to need it,” Edmundson said.

City and County

City and County

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

A public hearing will be held virtually before the Arvada Planning Commission on June 2, 2020, at 6:15 p.m., when and where you may speak on the matter to consider the PUD Development Plan and Preliminary Plat for Candelas Filing No. 1 Block 9,10, 21, and 22, approximately located north of Candelas Parkway and McIntyre Street bounded by W. 93rd Place and Kilmer Way. Members of the public may join virtually via phone by emailing broome@arvada.org for the phone number. To submit a request, you must go to arvada.org/PlnCommission and complete the public comment form by 5 p.m. on June 2, 2020.

Additional information can be obtained at https://www.arvadapermits.org/etrakit3/search/pr oject.aspx?activityno= DA2019-0119.

A public hearing will be held virtually before the Arvada Planning Commission on June 2, 2020, at 6:15 p.m., when and where you may speak on the matter to consider the PUD Development Plan and Preliminary Plat for Candelas Filing No, 1 Block 38, generally located north of Candelas Parkway and Salvia Street directly east of Maverick Mesa Park. Members of the public may join virtually via phone by emailing broome@arvada.org for the phone number. To submit a request, you must go to arvada.org/PlnCommission and complete the public comment form by 5 p.m. on June 2, 2020.

Additional information can be obtained at https://www.arvadapermits.org/etrakit3/search/pr oject.aspx?activityno= DA2019-0120.

CITY OF ARVADA PLANNING COMMISSION /s/ Patricia Connell, Secretary Legal Notice No.: 407304 First Publication: May 14, 2020 Last Publication: May 14, 2020 Publisher: Wheat Ridge Transcript

CITY OF ARVADA PLANNING COMMISSION /s/ Patricia Connell, Secretary Legal Notice No.: 407305 First Publication: May 14, 2020 Last Publication: May 14, 2020 Publisher: Wheat Ridge Transcript

Arvada Legals 5.14.20 * 1

24 Arvada Press

May 14, 2020M

MASKS FROM PAGE 18

order and explained that his department had previously found success enforcing other orders related to COVID-19, such as the state stay-at-home order, through education rather than enforcement.

He suggested a similar approach could be effective with the mask order, with officers still being able to issue citations for trespassing to those not wearing masks at the discretion of business owners similar to how police can be called to enforce “no shirt, no service” requirements at businesses under trespassing laws.

“If a business doesn’t want you to be in there because they feel its unsafe for their employees we will certainly come and advise you,” Murtha said.

“We will seek voluntary compliance; we will ask you to come back when you have a mask. We have already done that with several times with complete compliance.”

The council also discussed concerns expressed by business owners who felt the order was leading to a decrease in business because shoppers coming from outside of Wheat Ridge might not know about the order to wear a mask or simply be discouraged by the need to do so. To address that issue, Goff said the city was in the process of acquiring masks that would be given to local businesses for customers to use.

Allison Scheck, the city’s Administrative Services Director, also argued

Signs have been posted to the front doors of the King Soopers at Applewood Village in Wheat Ridge.

PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO that the ordinance could also have the effect of attracting customers to Wheat Ridge from outside the community and that the city should promote the mask requirement as a positive.

“I’ve certainly heard from people who have said `I am shopping in Wheat Ridge now’ so I think there is something to be said about really talking about how people can count on folks in Wheat Ridge to keep them safe,” Scheck said.

Other communities following suit Now other Front Range communities appear to be following Wheat Ridge’s lead, with the city of Boulder

passing its own order requiring face masks be worn in any portion of a business where the public is served just one day after Wheat Ridge passed its revised order.

In the days that followed, members of the Lone Tree and Longmont city councils also discussed requiring face masks to be worn in cities. On May 1, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock also announced a public health order requiring people to wear face coverings while inside of or waiting to enter certain locations, including retail or commercial business, bus stops and facilities offering health care services.

“When we’re at the grocery store,

work or any other business, my face covering protects you and your face covering protects me,” Mayor Hancock said. “The virus isn’t going away any time soon. By wearing a face covering, you’re doing your part to reduce the spread of infections and keep everyone safer.”

On May 4, Denver International Airport announced that, in accordance with the mayor’s order, all DIA visitors. employees and passengers will be required to wear face coverings while at the airport until further notice.

However, not all government officials are viewing mask requirements as a good fit for their communities. Christine Billings, the incident commander for Jefferson County’s COVID-19 response, told Colorado Community Media is strongly encouraging that anyone over two wear a mask when they go out (masks are considered unsafe for children under 2) said she did not think Jefferson County Public Health would consider a public health order.

“A public health order means that there is an enforcement piece with that,” Billings said. “I don’t think there would be anything coming requiring a mask for everybody.”

For now, the decision of whether to require residents will likely remain up to municipalities and counties as the state does not have any mask order in place.

However, Gov. Jared Polis did issue an executive order requiring all essential workers to wear masks on April 17 and has repeatedly encouraged Coloradoans to wear masks whenever they leave the house in press briefings.

C Mo #1 olora rtg Rev do ag ers ’s eB e rok er

Silver Leaf Mortgage is Here to Help

by Kathy Muni

D

ue to the COVID-19 impact on our economy, the future of the housing market is uncertain.

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