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August 13, 2020
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 12 |
VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 11
SPORTS: PAGE 19
Pandemic strains Section 8 Housing program Community partners funneling additional funding to help with city housing insecurity
Educators rally over safety concerns with start of school now two weeks away
BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Just over three years ago, Arvada resident Michael Gilbert’s life was turned upside-down after an unbelievable diagnosis — a tumor encasing part of his brain and most of his spine — and an even more unbelievable outcome, with a nine-plus-hours surgery resulting in the successful removal of the majority of the tumor. Grateful for what he calls a miracle, Gilbert, 53, was also faced with unfamiliar financial circumstances after his surgery.
BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
also made significant gains from where it was in April, O’Neil said, when it dropped nearly 30% from mid-January. Overall, consumer spending for early July was down about 10.6% from where it was in the same period January but has increased 5.4% compared to early June. “Consumer spending is trending back up but we are seeing some fluctuations as well,” O’Neil said. Pam Bales, the president and CEO of the West Metro Chamber of Commerce, said that during a recent meeting of municipal chambers of commerce hosted by the West Metro
Just two weeks before Jeffco’s 20202021 school year will begin, Jefferson County Education Association or JCEA, the local teachers union, plans to call on the district to change its process for planning students’ return to school. The union’s main ask is that teachers have more direct say in the district’s restart plan. As opposed to district leaders controlling the restart plan, the JCEA would like the district to create a committee of leaders, teachers and parents to have the authority over changing the plan. Jeffco Public Schools has spent the summer planning for the 2020-2021 school year (scheduled to begin the week of Aug. 24), amid unfamiliar health and safety guidelines from the state and county to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Potential plans have changed throughout the summer. On July 8 the district stated that all students would have the option to learn remotely or return in-person starting the week of Aug. 24. But an update on July 23 said that from Aug. 24 through Sept. 4, all students will engage in remote learning. Further, beginning Sept. 8, elementary students will have the option to learn remotely or in-person five days a week, while secondary
SEE ECONOMY, P2
SEE RESTART, P2
SEE HOUSING, P4
ABOUT THE SERIES This is Part II of a multi-part series by reporter Casey Van Divier, exploring the city of Arvada’s Section 8 program.
Arvada resident Michael Gilbert, a cancer survivor, said the Arvada Community Table’s assistance has been a large help as he’s faced financial hardship, particularly since the pandemic began. “I thank God every day for the people there,” he said. “They treat everyone as an equal, as it should be.” PHOTO BY CASEY VAN DIVIER
Signs of recovery in Jefferson economy but challenges remain Chamber head worries about possible new shutdowns BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
There are signs Jefferson County’s economy is recovering from the depths it reached earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, although several indicators suggest the county has a long way to go before being back to where it was before the pandemic began. On July 28, Mary O’Neil, Jefferson
County’s Director of Strategy Planning and Analysis, told the Jeffco commissioners that the county unemployment rate has been trending down from a high of 12.1% in April to 10% in June. That decrease mirrors trends that are being seen at the state and national level with the national unemployment rate having decreased from 14.7% to 11.1%. The county unemployment rate had hovered between 2% and 3% in the six months prior to April. “Even though these rates are still fairly high we are seeing a downward trend which is positive,” said O’Neil. Consumer spending in Jeffco has
VRBO’S OKAY
CLIMBING FOR A CAUSE
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Council opens the door to approved home rentals
Union wants new Jeffco restart plan
A University of Denver student summits peaks to help the homeless
SPORTING CHANCE CHSAA outlines rules for school sports P19
2 Arvada Press
August 13, 2020A
ECONOMY FROM PAGE 1
Chamber, businesses are generally feeling better about their prospects than they have in the past few months. “Everybody feels pretty good about people are coming back out again, businesses are starting to see more people,” Bales said. Concern remains about recent spikes Jefferson County has seen in its COVID-19 numbers, although case numbers now seem to be declining again after several weeks of increases. At this point, Bales said the biggest concern for businesses is the possibility that case number increases could lead to the opening of businesses to be rolled back, similar to what happened last month when Gov. Jared Polis announced he was closing all bars for in-person service. To that end, Bales said the Jeffco chambers continue to try to get the message out to both businesses and the larger community that is important to take steps like maintaining mask wearing compliance and other
preventative practices to ensure the economy can stay open. “Put your whatever aside,” Bales. “Let’s keep our economy open. Even if you don’t like it, if you want to see the economy stay open then wear a mask.” However, Bales said some industries, particularly restaurants, hotels and event venues had seen business improve somewhat, but continue to struggle. “A couple of my big members are the Sheraton Denver West and Marriott Denver West,” Bales said. “Those are big venues and they do a lot of stuff in Jeffco and they are just not able to do as much as they need to. They’re doing more, which is good, but it’s tough.” Despite the lingering challenges, Bales said she remains optimistic about the future and the county’s ability to continue its recovery. “Jeffco is a very unique county,” she said. “We are one-third Republican, one-third Democrat and one-third independent but I truly believe we want what’s best for our county.” “We are pretty open,” she added, “and I think we can get more open if we work together.”
People drink on the patio of Golden City Brewery on Aug. 7. Although many restaurants are starting to recover from the pandemic, others are still struggling, particularly those that lack a patio. PHOTO BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO
RESTART FROM PAGE 1
students will have the option to learn remotely or engage in a hybrid schedule, in which they will attend inperson some days but not all five days of a week. As of press time on Aug. 11, that was the working plan for Jeffco Publich Schools. The district provided a statement to Colorado Community Media saying that updates to the plan have been informed by input from many sources, including staff members and the state and county health departments. But for months, JCEA members have voiced their concerns about a return to in-person schooling, including at an Aug. 4 rally outside the Jeffco Public Schools Education Center, 1829 Denver West Dr. There, teachers did not give an exact date for when they believe an in-person return to school would be safe, but said they feel additional data on pandemic case numbers and more widespread testing should precede an in-person return. “We want to go back to our classrooms as they were in early March. (But) if we cannot prevent the occasional classroom outbreak of lice, how can we contain something we cannot see?” Elizabeth Kantner, an Arvada High School math teacher,
Educators and community members came together for an Aug. 4 rally, with a message that educator input should be weighed more heavily in decisions regarding Jeffco Public Schools’ Restart Plan. PHOTO BY CASEY VAN DIVIER said at the rally. The district should “include educators in the process of a safe start to schools,” she said, echoing fellow teachers. “We are the ones who have firsthand knowledge of what works and what is wishful thinking.” The union’s goal has consistently been to ensure the district is weighing teachers’ voices fairly as it determines what the Jeffco restart will look like, according to Brooke Williams, JCEA president. On Aug. 6, Williams said the JCEA met with district leaders to schedule its next bargaining session. During the session, JCEA intends to ask the district to consider creating a committee of community members, such as
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parents and members of JCEA, and district leaders to take over the restart plan process. “We’re trying to get a committee that will make these decisions based on cases, science and what’s really going on,” Williams said. “We want to make sure it’s a transparent (process).” Families uncertain The call for change comes at a time when many Jeffco parents have struggled with ongoing uncertainty, including their own uncertainties of what road to choose for their students. Susan Carter Ruskell, a Wheat Ridge High School parent, previously told Colorado Community Media that with the July 23 update, she and her 11th
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grade daughter felt more comfortable about the idea of returning in-person, thanks to the change to a hybrid schedule for secondary students. That said, Carter Ruskell said she still had concerns about how schools would handle grouping students and managing outbreaks. Overall, however, she felt the changes better reflected teachers’ input than the original July 8 plan did. “I hope district administration will do a better job moving forward of considering the actual frontline workers’ concerns,” she said. Other parents, like Tho Truong, have praised the district’s approach to balancing input from all sides, saying that while no plan can be ideal because of the ever-changing nature of the pandemic, the current plan is the best option for students. “I believe Jeffco has listened to the teachers’ concerns and is doing its best to maximize safety. It really cannot do more and having kids go without some sort of in-person schooling for one to two years is less realistic for our society than coaching kids to do the right thing and pulling this off,” Truong said. “I am disappointed in a sort of false dichotomy that is out there: that the risk has to be near zero or no in-person school is possible.” As of Aug. 6, the union and district had not yet set a date for their next bargaining session but had plans to hold at least one more session prior to the start of the school year.
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Arvada Press 3
0August 13, 2020
Teacher raises still uncertain BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Jeffco teachers union, JCEA, is still working to negotiate a salary arrangement as part of its Collective Bargaining Agreement with Jeffco Public Schools. At the union’s recent bargaining session with the district on Aug. 5, the two parties did not come to a final agreement but each gave the other a most recent offer to consider in preparation for the next bargaining session. In light of the financial consequences of COVID-19 — which district chief financial officer said may not be felt this year because of government aid, but could likely leave the district with more than $40 million in cuts to make for 20212022 — the district has held it is unable to give teachers the increase in compensations that were discussed previously in the year. Prior to the hits state funding
for schools took due to the coronavirus, Board of Education members had a preliminary discussion about a potential $17 million, approximately, going toward teacher compensation this year. Teachers have adjusted their asks since the pandemic began and are now requesting a 1% raise for each educator, as well as a step increase, related to how many years of experience a teacher has, for the educators who have applied for the increase this year. Similarly, the teachers asked for level increases, related to levels of higher education achieved by a teacher, such when an educator earns a master’s degree. Another primary request of the union was for the district bargaining team to schedule a future meeting for the district if finances change and Jeffco comes into $5 million or more in the coming months. They would like the same to be true if Jeffco experi-
ences a decrease in funding and asked the district to specify the amount in decrease that would bring them back to the bargaining table. In response, the district gave its offer, saying it would be willing to return to the bargaining table at a later date but only for a $10 million increase or decrease in funding, not the $5 million the teachers requested. The district agreed to a 1% raise for educators; agreed to level increases but not step increases; and requested all teachers take one day without work but with pay. “We really, really, really need steps, but we are going to consult our members,” JCEA bargaining chair Christy Yacano said in response. “We will be in touch with our members and then we’ll be ready to come back to the table, hopefully soon.” As of Aug. 6, the district and union had not yet set a future bargaining date.
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Homeownership Surged During the Pandemic, According to a Realtor.com Report On July 28th, Realtor.com published an article by Clare Trapasso with surprising statistics about a surge in homeownership during the second quarter of this year. According to her article, which was based on a U.S. Census Bureau report, the homeownership rate surged to 67.9%, the highest it has been since the Great Recession of 2008. (See chart at right.) That rate was 3.8 percentage points higher than the same quarter of 2019 and a 2.6 percentage point increase over the first quarter of this year. Covid-19 became a factor during the last month of the first quarter, but dominated the entire second quarter. The homeownership rate in this century peaked at 69.2% during the second and fourth quarters of 2004. As you’d expect, the homeownership rate varies among different age groups, currently 40.6% for adults under 35 and 80.4% of persons 65 and older. The rate has been rising in each age group. In 2015 (2nd quarter) it was 38.4% for the under-35 age group, and it was 78.5% for the 65-and-over group. The greatest increase was in the 35-44 age group, which increased from 58.0% to 64.3% during the same 5-year period. Homeownership surged in every race and ethnic group in the second quarter from last year to this year. For NonHispanic Whites, the rate increased from 73.1% to 76.0%. For Blacks it surged from 40.6% to 47.0%, and for Hispanics of any race, it surged from 46.6% to 51.4%.
The Census report came with a caveat that its data collection methodology was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, shifting from a mix of inperson and phone interviews to entirely phone interviews, which resulted in a reduced response rate, declining from 70% in April to only 65% in June, compared to an average response rate of 82.7% during the second quarter of 2019. Realtor.com’s chief economist, Danielle Hale, believes the increase in homeownership was distorted by the change in methodology. “It’s likely the homeownership rate rose, but I don’t think it’s likely that it rose that much,” she said. According to the article on realtor.com, “After a pause during stay-athome orders, the housing market has rebounded — and then some. The lack of homes on the market hasn't discouraged the hordes of buyers from descending en masse, seeking to escape small, city apartments and cramped starter homes while taking advantage of recordlow mortgage interest rates. (Rates dipped just below 3% for the first time ever earlier this month.)” As an example, Rita and I just locked in an interest rate of 2.5% for refinancing our home’s mortgage with Jaxzann Riggs of The Mortgage Network. “People still want to own homes, and with mortgage rates low, a lot of people are taking advantage of that even though there are lots of scary things going on in the economy,” says realtor.com’s Hale.
Price Reduced on a Townhome Near Downtown Golden This 3-BR, 3½-bath Kinney Run townhome at $549,000 906 Homestake Drive has been nicely updated, The occupants have moved out and it’s now ready for in-person showings. The location is one of this home’s best selling points, backing to a stream and being close to the Colorado School of Mines, Downtown Golden, Fossil Trace Golf Course. To fully appreciate this townhome, watch the video walk-through at www.GoldenTownhome.com. Note: This home is at the rear of the subdivision, isolated from all traffic noises. It has a 1car garage plus one reserved parking space in front of the porch. We'll hold this listing active at least through Sunday so everyone gets a chance to see it. Call Jim Smith at 303-5251851 before submitting your offer, and we'll tell you what we have so far.
Gray areas = Recessions Blue = Homeownership Rate Red = Seasonally Adjusted Rate
The article continues, “This has led median home prices to shoot up 9.1% year over year in the week ending July 18. That's despite a recession and the most widespread unemployment
since the Great Depression. Meanwhile, the number of homes for sale is down 33% compared with the previous year, when the nation was already experiencing a housing shortage.”
In Bidding Wars, ‘Highest & Best’ Isn’t Necessarily the Best In today’s seller’s market, it is common for a new listing to attract multiple offers. There are three ways for a listing agent to deal with competing offers. Above all, it is important that the method chosen is in the seller’s interest, since that’s the listing agent’s legal obligation. The first approach, of course, is to do nothing — not advise buyers that you have multiple offers and simply accept the best one. This approach, however, assures that the seller won’t get the most money he or she can get for their home. The more common approach taken is to inform buyer agents that there are multiple offers and instruct them to submit their “highest and best” offer by a particular deadline. Sometimes the listing agent will add that the seller “reserves the right to sell the home prior to that deadline.” When I’m functioning as the buyer’s agent, I hate that approach. Why? Because it could inspire my client, shooting in the dark, to offer more than he needs to in order to win the bidding war, but, worse, we could learn later that my buyer could have won the bidding war if he or she had only offered a little bit more.
The third approach is our approach at Golden Real Estate — to function like an auctioneer. If you’ve been to an auction, you know how it works. Everyone knows what the highest bid is and no one is blindsided. As I explain to buyers and agents, “The only way you will lose out is if you drop out.” They love it. Using this approach, I got my 6th Avenue West listing featured in last week’s column under contract for $41,000 over the listing price. The winning bidder’s agent had submitted a fullprice offer initially, but, knowing the competing offers, she won the bidding war with her third contract. The other agents had the opportunity to win the bidding war, but they chose when to drop out. The result was that the winner was happy, the seller was very happy, and no one was angry or blindsided in the process. In a bidding war on my other new listing, the price was bid up by about $20,000. In that case, the seller chose the buyer in second place (but not by much) because that buyer was an owneroccupant and the other buyer was an investor. The seller is always in charge.
Jim Smith
Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851 Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com Broker Associates: JIM SWANSON — 303-929-2727 CARRIE LOVINGIER — 303-907-1278
See All Our Listings, Active & Under Contract, at www.GREListings.com
CHUCK BROWN — 303-885-7855 DAVID DLUGASCH — 303-908-4835 CAROL MILAN — 720-982-4941
4 Arvada Press
HOUSING FROM PAGE 1
Unable to return to a job he loved in the construction industry, he’s received monthly disability checks over the years — but he’s found that among rent, groceries, medical bills and unexpected expenses, it isn’t rare for him to come up short in one area or another. “Money’s been really tight,” he said. “In the past, I’d donate food and money (to others). I never pictured myself having to go in somewhere for help.” Two years ago, Gilbert said he looked into Arvada’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, run by the Arvada Housing Authority, that provides governmentfunded housing vouchers to those in need. But the city’s program has been unable to accept new applications since 2015 — the first year it was established — because more than 4,000 people applied that first year, and the program has an ongoing lack of funding, said Carrie Espinosa, the city’s Section 8 HCV supervisor. Since then, the AHA has continued to assist hundreds of families who initially made it into the program while also working to transition hundreds off of the Section 8 waitlist; as of July 10, 167 individuals were still on the 2015 waitlist. Further, with the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, the housing authority has been faced with more demand than ever before. “We have seen a significant increase in the number of phone calls and emails we’re receiving,” Espinosa said. “There is a very large number of people who are in need of housing assistance due to COVID-19,” and many of them have shared with the AHA that they have lost their jobs or that a family member became sick with the virus. “Some people are looking for some temporary help,” she continued, “and we’re seeing other people who are in need of more permanent housing.” With the authority still unable to accept new applications for its Section 8 program, a major method through which the authority assists residents, the past months have seen the AHA place a heightened focus on working with the entire Jeffco community to assist those newly in need and those, like Gilbert. Eviction suspension and its expiration For a brief period of time in 2020, rent assistance for those struggling financially was not immediately necessary. Gov. Jared Polis suspended evictions on April 30. The suspension prohibited landlords from filing legal claims or posting rent demands and lasted through May 29. From May 30 through June 14, a second order by Polis protected only those tenants who could show they were not paying rent specifically because of an economic hardship caused by the pandemic. That order expired June 14, allowing landlords to again file evictions, with a 30-day notice. For properties with federally backed mortgages, the suspension did not expire until July 25.
August 13, 2020A
Action Center support
To qualify for Section 8
Arvada residents that have had economic hardship caused by the pandemic may qualify for the Action Center’s rental assistance program. If you are interested in applying, fill out the prequalification form on the Action Center’s website: theactioncenter.org/ covid-19-services
Section 8 voucher-holders generally contribute 30% of their income to rent, with the voucher covering remaining expenses up to a limit established by the local public housing authority. To qualify for a Section 8 voucher, a family or individual’s income must fall below 50% of the median area income. In the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metropolitan statistical area, which includes Jefferson County, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported the 2019 median area income at $92,800.
The charging of rent was never prohibited, meaning those who could not pay rent in May and June could now be evicted for not paying the entirety of the amount that has accumulated over the months. Housing experts warn that evictions will likely spike throughout the state now. The Aspen Institute put out a study last month, estimating up to 7% of Colorado Households are now at risk of eviction. Pandemic’s effect on limited funds Housing authorities like the AHA have been underfunded for years, since long before the pandemic, Espinosa said. Because of this, helping those concerned about eviction in recent months has not been a simple process. Espinosa said she receives approximately 10 phone calls per day from those looking for rent assistance, in addition to the calls handled by the authority’s administrative assistant. But freeing up space in the Section 8 program has only become more difficult in the midst of COVID-19, as it has only gotten more expensive to assist many of those who already have a voucher. Voucher-holders contribute 30% of their monthly income for rent and utilities. The voucher covers the remainder of those expenses, up to a dollar limit based on the size of the apartment. But when a voucher-holder has no income — which has been the case for those laid off during the pandemic — the voucher covers 100% of his or her rent, up to the established limit. “We have had a number of families who have lost their jobs due to COVID. The majority of our families are the folks who work in the industries that were deeply affected,” Espinosa said. “The housing authority has had to pay a higher (amount) for them. Our budget has been impacted and we can’t serve as many families.” As of July 2020, she added that the authority had not yet had to rescind any vouchers because of a lack of funds. Another avenue Meanwhile, the AHA has been applying for additional government funding and brainstorming solutions to help more people in other ways, Espinosa said. One such solution has been the authority’s use of CARES Act funding received this summer to back other organizations in the area, including nonprofits Arvada Community Table, the Action Center and Family Tree. These organizations already have rent assistance programs and can use the funding to help a greater number of residents through those avenues. The Action Center, for instance, received the new funding from Arvada in early July and can distribute it to Arvada residents who can show that they live in Arvada; that their income falls below a
Based on household size, families qualify for Section 8 when income is below: • For an individual: $32,500 • For a family of two: $37,150 • For a family of three: $41,800 • For a family of four: $46,400 • For a family of five: $50,150 • For a family of six: $53,850 • For a family of seven: $57,550 • For a family of eight: $61,250 Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Community Table assistance Community Table, an Arvada nonprofit, has a housing assistance program called Bridges to Opportunity. It works on a case-by-case basis, but typically provides one month’s rent to those in need. The program can also
help with motel, utility or other related expenses. Any individual living within the Community Table’s service area can learn more about receiving rent assistance by calling (720) 437-6388.
‘We’re doing the best we can to get grants to continue to meet the needs that are out there.’ Laurie Walowitz, The Action Center Director of Programs
threshold related to family size; and that their economic hardship was caused by the pandemic. The Arvada-specific funding is being used as a part of the Action Center’s overall rental assistance program, through which the Action Center typically provides up to three months’ rent for an individual resident or family, said Laurie Walowitz, director of programs. To apply, residents have been asked to fill out a prequalification form located on the Action Center’s website at theactioncenter. org/covid-19-services. The Arvada-specific money is limited, but Walowitz added that for those who do not get approved in this round of funding, they may still be able to receive rent assistance set aside for all Jefferson County residents. These funds are limited as well, however. “We’re doing the best we can to get grants to continue to meet the needs that are out there,” Walowitz said. “Municipalities have been working with us really well and we’re getting a lot of money for rent assistance,” she said, adding that from mid-March to mid-July, the Action Center provided about $245,000 in rent assistance to Jefferson County residents. Arvada Community Table is another nonprofit the authority has plans to funnel money toward in order to address housing insecurity. The nonprofit offers several forms of assistance, including rent assistance, through a program called Bridges to Opportunity. Typically, about 50% of its funding comes from local churches and the other 50% is funded by city of Arvada grants. Gretchen Parker, Bridges to Opportunity director, said the program operates on a case-by-case basis but the nonprofit is typically able to assist individuals with one month’s rent per year. Bridges has
also assisted with motel or hotel payments, utility bills and other related expenses. Any individual living within the Community Table’s service area can learn more about receiving rent assistance by calling (720) 437-6388. Parker added that while the program has seen an increased number of people in need during COVID-19, there’s also been a large outpouring of support from the community in the past four months, with multiple individuals even donating their stimulus checks to the effort. “With the start of COVID, this community is so supportive of Bridges. It blows me away,” Parker said. And the support has been very needed, she added, because “one payment could actually make a big difference in our clients staying in housing.” Gilbert is one of the dozens who have been aided by the Community Table since the pandemic began. Gilbert said he first visited the nonprofit for help with food insecurity in January. He returned this June when, after an unexpected car expense, he discovered he would not have enough money to pay his rent. More than half of his rent that month was taken care of by Bridges, he said. “I was really thankful. The pandemic has shown me those places are very needed,” he said. While he isn’t sure what paying this month’s rent will look like, he intends to do whatever he can to find a way to make ends meet — and believes he is in a better place than he would have been without the assistance he received in June. “I thank God every day for the people there. They’re wonderful people who care about what they’re doing,” he said, “and they treat everyone as an equal, as it should be.”
Arvada Press 5
0August 13, 2020
COVID-19 resources: Where to turn for help How to find assistance with food, housing, personal needs and more BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Maybe you’ve lost your family’s child care. Maybe you barely broke even this month. Maybe you’re on the verge of having to fend for yourself on the street. Maybe you’re a business owner, fighting to keep your doors open for your workers. Or maybe you’re an older adult, isolated and unsure of where to turn for help picking up groceries or your prescriptions. The coronavirus pandemic has been raging through Colorado for five months, but there are still people, nonprofits, government programs and other information that can help you make it through. Their services range from job training and job-search assistance to free, confidential support for mental health and substance-use concerns. We’ve compiled a list of programs that can help. For all of the website links for the programs mentioned below, go online to tinyurl.com/ COVID-19-help. Rent, mortgage assistance, eviction help A program to help Coloradans make their rent and mortgage payments launched in mid-July. Colorado’s Property Owner Preservation program resulted from state
House Bill 20-1410, a recently signed act that provides $20 million in direct rental and mortgage assistance to Coloradans experiencing financial need, including $350,000 for legal aid for renters at risk of eviction. Landlords and property owners can apply for assistance on behalf of multiple tenants, and tenants can also apply for assistance on their own. Call 303-864-7810 for the steps to apply. If you’re facing eviction, other resources that may help you are located on the Colorado Department of Local Affairs’ website. Counties and municipalities may still be offering financial and other assistance as well. Contact your city, town or county government for more information. Find other housing and low-income assistance on the website for 2-1-1 Colorado, the statewide resource system for people in need. Food assistance Hunger Free Colorado, a statewide nonprofit, works to keep food access information up to date for communities across Colorado. Hunger Free offers a food resource hotline to help individuals and families access food, according to 2-1-1 Colorado. Find food resources on Hunger Free’s website or call the hotline at 855-855-4626 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For food pantries and other resources, see 2-1-1 Colorado’s site. School district-provided meals Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization, maintains a list of locations
In a July 17 photo, Adams 12 school district staffers handed bags full of food to residents outside of Northglenn High School.
SCOTT TAYLOR
where school districts provided meals during the spring school closures due to the pandemic. Many districts offer summer meal programs as well. Contact your student’s district for information. For older adults A Little Help, a Colorado nonprofit, serves older adults. The organization equipped background-checked, prescreened volunteers to grocery shop, pick up prescriptions and run other essential errands for older adults, according to one of Colorado’s COVID-19 resource webpages. Regular “care calls” to older adults for social connection, health and safety checks, snow shoveling, and yard chores are also among the nonprofit’s services — while practicing social distancing to minimize risk, according to the webpage. SEE COVID, P11
Wayne Graham stands outside Mean Street Ministry in Lakewood on April 16. Graham, who is homeless, said there is nowhere for him to go on cold days as places like libraries are closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. JOSEPH RIOS
6 Arvada Press
August 13, 2020A
Short-term rentals now legal in Arvada Council vote creates route for city to collect sales tax, regulate STRs
ber Ford proposed another change to the new ordinance: that all STR owners be required to give renters a city-provided pamphlet explaining what they must do as a short-term renter to comply with the city code. Included might be requirements related to noise, parking and other relevant topics. Ford’s proposed change was incorporated into the ordinance by council. Council then approved the ordinance with a 6-1 vote, with Ford voting no and all others voting yes.
BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After an Aug. 3 city council vote, short-term rentals can legally operate in Arvada. Short-term rentals or STRs — rentals for 30 days or less often leased through sites like Airbnb and VRBO — were previously not permitted under the Arvada city code. The city has been working to update the code in order to regulate STRs given that, by the city’s estimate, around 300 STRs are operating within city limits, said city planning manager Rob Smetana. The council previously voted on an ordinance to allow the rentals but deadlocked with a 3-3 vote on Oct. 21, 2019. Councilmembers David Jones, John Marriot, and Mark McGoff voted yes and councilmembers Bob Fifer, Nancy Ford and Mayor Marc Williams voted no. Councilmember Dot Miller was absent. Since the vote, McGoff finished his term on council and councilmember Lauren Simpson was elected to the seat. Following the deadlock, the city has researched potential changes, reworked the ordinance and met with the city council to incorporate councilmembers’ ongoing feedback into a new ordinance, which the council voted on Aug. 3.
Three STRs per person Smetana said the city plans to have STR operators sign a document stating they are not operating more than three STRs within city limits. Potentially, the city may require operators to have this document notarized. Councilmember Simpson also asked the city to explore requiring individuals to provide the address of their primary residence when registering an STR. The change may prevent individuals from trying to get around the limitation by licensing STRs under different LLCs, she said. Active Airbnb listings as of Aug. 2020 for the neighborhoods along W. 72nd and 58th Avenues and Ralston Road. The city estimates that, in total, there are around 300 short-term rental listings in the city at any given time. A major change from the Oct. 21 ordinance to the Aug. 3 ordinance was a new limitation to the number of STRs one person could operate. Under the latest ordinance, one individual can operate no more than three STRs in
WINGS OVER TI-IE ROCKIES
EXJ.>LORATION --o,--
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the city at any given time. Further, a single property can only be used as an STR for 240 nights of the year. The city also provided councilmembers with detailed information on how the code enforcement department or police department will address calls from residents claiming a nearby STR is in violation of the city code. Council has been somewhat split as they have continued to follow the issue and hear from their constituents. Councilmember Ford said at the Aug. 3 meeting that while she has heard support of the legalization of STRs, those who support it are typically part of the group that will be renting or leasing an STR. “(For) those who would live next to them, nobody has really said they want to live next to a short-term rental,” she said, referring to the fact that some fear when homes are used as an STR, the properties can fall into disrepair or attract renters using the home to party. “I think it would be wiser to start off with one (STR per individual, as opposed to three) to see how it goes here in Arvada,” she said, “but because we’re not doing that, it forces me to vote `no’ on this issue.” On the other side, councilmembers including John Marriott have held that the approval of STRs is necessary for multiple reasons. It adds another legal option for those who come by an extra property, such as the person who inherits a property or the couple who finds themselves with two homes after marriage, he said. He and councilmember Jones added that in their experience, those operating STRs work to keep their property in good condition because it attracts more business. “This is already going on and has been going on in our community for a long time and it’s completely unregulated; there (is) no licensing, no tax being collected, no penalties,” Marriott said. “This, I believe, brings into compliance an existing situation that clearly there is a market for.” The night of the vote, councilmem-
Licensing requirement Individuals are required to get a license through the city before they can operate an STR. The city’s community and economic development director, Ryan Stachelski, said the city may employ a third party to investigate whether an individual without a license is accepting reservations for an STR. If the city comes across this situa- A tion, it would follow a similar process to the process followed when a business without a license is found operating in Arvada, said Sgt. Gabe Evans of the Arvada Police Department. First, the city’s finance department will contact the individual and ask him or her to apply for a license. If the person chooses not to submit an application and continues to operate the STR, the code enforcement department will issue a citation or summons. Fines and penalties Under the ordinance, if an STR operator is found in violation of the code, the city will provide notice to the operator. Depending on the violation, the code enforcement department may give an individual two to four weeks to become compliant with the code before making a follow-up visit to the property, said Sgt. Gabe Evans of the Arvada Police Department. If the violation is resolved, the department will close the case. Otherwise, on a case-by-case basis, the city may choose to issue a citation, he said. The city may impose a fine of $150 for the first violation, $300 for the second and $1,000 for the third. With all violations, the city can also issue an order requiring the STR owner to take any necessary actions to bring their property back into compliance. For a particularly egregious violation, the city may revoke an STR license. A license will also be revoked after three violations. As for violations that need immediate attention — such as a noise complaint — the patrol division of the police department will handle those situations, Evans said. “There are a lot of different actions they can take immediately to address those,” he said.
Arvada Press 7
0August 13, 2020
Wheat Ridge High School graduation ceremony
Graduates of Wheat Ridge High’s class of 2020 were recognized during the Aug. 6 evening ceremony about three months after their original ceremony was scheduled to take place. PHOTOS BY CASEY VAN DIVIER
A graduate waves to friends and family members before heading to the stage.
After celebrating their graduation, the Wheat Ridge Farmers exit the field, together as a class for one last time.
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8 Arvada Press
August 13, 2020A
LOCAL
VOICES
Current troubles not leading to a grand reveal HITTING HOME
Michael Alcorn
O
ne of those favorite, old, go-to tropes that was often quoted to me as a youngster — lo, those many years ago — was “adversity builds character.” Any time something would go wrong, or something would require more effort than I had originally planned on, it seemed somebody older than me was willing to run out that old cliché as a way to encourage me. Like, right. I’m 12. What I really want is “character,” not that new Atari game. At any rate, in the intervening years, I have heard that thought amended, I think quite smartly. James Lane Allen said, and I believe Vince Lombardi was fond of repeating, that “adversity does not build character, it reveals
it.” So, so true. When something goes wrong, or an objective requires more effort than was originally planned on, how often do you see the rookies step up and suddenly lead the muddle-through to “build their character”? Or, rather, how often is it the usual suspects, with force of will and a never-say-die attitude, from the eye of the hurricane, that lead the way towards the yellow sun? It’s been my experience that, invariably, it is that second one. Character sees adversity as a challenge, as an opportunity to grow. Character sees adversity through a lens of problem and solution, rather than inconvenience. Character meets adversity through a filter of objectives and
J
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Support small businesses? Would the Arvada elected officials please quit preaching about supporting local and small business owners! Four city council members recently voted to have all of Arvada trash service go to one huge national company,Republic, based in Phoenix, Arizona. Therefore, throwing our local trash companies under their trucks. Roger Reed, Arvada Chance to change Regarding Mr. Alcorn’s previous article about the oportunity for schools to change during this period of disrupiton: Schools do need to change for the 21 century. One part that has nothing to do with academics is to acknowledge that schools provide child care for working parents. When this is disrupted, there’s no fallback. Much like health insurance being tied to employers, child care is tied to schools. Is this wise? Now that we’ve been confronted with a virus that sends children home to learn online, who’s watching the kids? What are parents to
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do if they’re lucky enough to have a job where they must go outside their home to work? Let’s change this connection. Monica O’Brien Wolfe, Lakewood Mask order lacks teeth The statewide mask mandate was a great step in protecting our state from COVID-19, but it lacks teeth. Employees at retail stores, fitness centers, and other businesses are often the primary level of enforcement. When someone claims a medical exemption, they have to just let them go mask free without any documentation. I’m sure there are very few who truly need this exemption, but I see it abused often. I was working at a gym and couldn’t enforce it on the guy who rode his bike to the facility. If you’re riding your bike then choosing to be in a high-risk environment like a fitness center, I question your true need to be mask free. I was behind someone entering SEE LETTERS, P9
W e m accomplishments, rather than an investment t of effort. r So….. s (You had to know that was coming.) i How’s our American character looking these days? W Once upon a time, our European betters l looked upon Americans as brash young l cowboys, uncouth, unsophisticated and anp noying. And, for a civilization built on 2000 a years of history, from the Caesars to the Popes s to the Mongols and all of the Shakespearian histories, that sort of made sense. But, when t it came time to fight, those crotchety, ossified t l e SEE ALCORN, P14 r d c
A reader who hasn’t given up keeps giving
anet,” one of my readers, can no longer read. That means she can no longer handwrite letters like the ones she has been sending to me for the past three or four QUIET DESPERATION years. Hers were the only personal letters I have received this century. She prefers the intimacy of stationery, stamps and envelopes. Not only that, she doesn’t own Craig Marshall a computer. Smith She lives alone in Franktown and doesn’t get around much anymore because of her age, the coronavirus, and now this. Janet left a long, poignant phone message, and implored me not to think of the ramifications of being almost sightless. Of course, that’s an impossibility. I first heard about Helen Keller when I was in grade school. Later Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, who was first called “Little” Stevie Wonder. In seventh grade, my music teacher told us Beethoven was totally deaf by the age of 44 or 45, but continued to compose music. There have been a number of individuals limited in one way or another who have accomplished extraordinary things. In particular, I am still amazed by Keller. She was the first deafblind person to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree.
In the final months of my father’s life, he was unable to eat, f drink, walk or talk. My sister t and I had Power of Medical, but he took it away from us and w insisted on a stomach port and a f feeding tube. P They didn’t work. I His will to live was something W to behold. It was unbearable to t behold. t Janet is still able to hear. A t friend is reading my columns c to her. This also means she can m listen to music. s Nietzsche said, “Without mu- t sic, life would be a mistake.” s There are recorded books but s Janet may not be interested. Her v call left the impression that her m i loss of sight had affected her o enthusiasm for living. e As a writer, the inability for me to write would be unaccept- e able. c Then, I hear about how Stephen Hawking communicated, a a eventually by using a single w cheek muscle. b Sure, Janet could dictate. It s wouldn’t be the same, but it would be better than nothing? C f Or would it? It would be almost impossible, s given the way I think, somewhat c haphazardly, to dictate a column g to someone who, inevitably and understandably, would want to f R strangle me. Janet’s letters were in-depth D and welcome critical reviews of e my columns. She always noted C my references, my wording, my humor (or attempts). We’ve all witnessed the consequences of a long life — Janet W is Level Eight — with ourselves,
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Arvada Press 9
0August 13, 2020
LETTERS FROM PAGE 8
Walmart recently who told employees, “My doctor says I can’t wear a mask.” Really? You had a consultation with your doctor and your respiratory system is in such bad shape that it’s still advisable you be in Walmart. You don’t have to go anywhere. We live in an age of technology that lets you have literally anything delivered to your door or for curbside pickup. Going to a fitness center is a luxury, not a requirement. The same goes for restaurants. If Gov. Polis decides to extend the mask order, he should amend it to be more enforceable -- either allowing a business to flat out refuse entry to those without a mask or requiring documentation from a doctor. Without it, the maskless will continue to ruin it for everyone. Kevin Smith, Wheat Ridge Inman for county commissioner This November we will be choosing those who will serve us as our elected officials and in my opinion, there has never been a better choice for Jefferson County Commissioner than Joni Inman. I had the pleasure to work with Joni when she was Deputy City Manager for Lakewood and I served on the City Planning Commission for eight years. I was then elected as Councilman for Ward 3 for two terms. Through all the good times, and especially when things got challenging, Joni was there working hard to manage staff ’s concerns, keeping lines of communication open, and providing a strong voice and advise when it came to tough policy decisions. Joni is a skilled administrator and problem solver with a strong fiscally conservative philosophy. She knows how to make budgets work and allocate limited resources to keep vital services operating for the safety, health, and economic wellbeing of her constituents. Joni is strong when required, compassionate when needed and. as an entrepreneur, business coach and dedicated public servant, she will bring to the Commission her broad-based experience that will serve the citizens of Jefferson County well. She will bring to Jefferson County government responsible administration, respect for county staff and a model of good government policy. I ask my fellow citizens of Jefferson County whether you’re a Republican, Independent, or a Democrat to come together and elect Joni Inman our next County Commissioner. Ed Peterson, Lakewood We all must vote One of the most serious threats to the Democracy of the United States is the lack of participation in voting. In many elections less than 50% of registered voters vote. In Colorado it is easy to vote because we have mail-in ballots and if you aren’t registered or don’t receive a ballot, you can register on voting day – Nov. 3 this year. Citizens in autocratic, dictatorial countries can’t vote or they have only one choice – the leader currently in power. In order to restore the balance that our Constitution intends for a model democracy we all must vote.
The choice of candidates who you want to represent you should be YOUR choice. Your opinion on issues should be heard and the way to do that is to vote. Why am I writing this three months prior to a general election? Because it provides time to study the issues and to get more information about the candidates. Vote -it is not only a great privilege but a responsibility and a duty. Kathleen Flynn, Arvada Gardner should go Back in May, the House Democrats passed the HEROES Act which would continue the $600 per week unemployment past July for folks who have lost their job due to COVID-19. Sadly, Cory Gardner and the rest of the Senate Republicans have wasted two months of precious time, and they are still dithering. Over 330,000 Coloradans depend on this money for food and rent until we can control the virus and re-build the economy. Until then, these jobs are gone, and families face eviction and hunger. I’m so disappointed in Senator Gardner who continues to vote in lockstep with Mitch McConnell and Trump instead of taking care of his constituents. I’m voting for John Hickenlooper because he cares about Colorado families – not just pleasing Trump. Robin Kupernik, Arvada Lapsed assistance This week more than 330,000 Coloradans are put in a “terrifying” position after Senator Cory Gardner broke his promise that the Senate wouldn’t “drop the ball” and failed to extend unemployment insurance, an emergency lifeline that Colorado families have relied on to put food on the table and pay rent. Now, Gardner and Senate Republicans let emergency unemployment benefits expire that 330,000 Coloradans are relying on to put food on the table, pay rent, and care for their families. Gardner’s failure to deliver for the hundreds of thousands of Coloradans sparked two separate protests, but instead of listening to the “frightened” Coloradans, Gardner spent last week campaigning with Ivanka Trump. House Democrats passed sweeping legislation over two and a half months ago to restore funding to this vital program and support our frontline workers and hospitals, Gardner and Mitch McConnell refused to even debate the bill and now millions of Americans are left out to dry. It has been two months, two vacations, and one week of “infighting” since Gardner said it would be “unfathomable” for the Senate to leave Washington without passing further COVID relief, but Gardner folded. How can we support this Senator when he turns his back on Colorado? Rob Eadie, Lakewood Not a Trump Republican I am a lifelong Republican. I am 94. I first voted for Thomas E. Dewey. But I am not a Trump Republican. He has hijacked the Republican party. I am a Christian. My conscience would not let me support him. He first treated the virus as a hoax. He appointed the vice president as czar of the pandemic then immediately took over. He ridiculed his own medical staff unfairly until the medical community came to their support. He gave
his recommendation for treatment which turned out to be completely negative, yet he still maintained it. The country was ill-prepared for the virus and supplies were mishandled. He tried to cover up his trysts with women by secret payments. When the polls showed him trending down in vital states he spoke out against mail-in ballots. Although all evidence showed they were most successful in an honest election. He tried to change the date of the national election until he discovered that was a job of congress. If someone opposed him on one thing he immediately set out to destroy them as a person. It is time for a change. Join me and the millions of other Republicans to elect Joe Biden. Will Whitehead, Arvada Support for Alcorn’s alternative To the Modernist’s Letter who found Michael Alcorn editorial “tone deaf and insensitive” to our history of race and slavery, it is you who needs to educate yourself before writing publicly again. Our public educational system has long directed much of our learning away from truths about these subjects. Slavery has long affected all human races and was indigenous to the Americas as it was in many cultures of the time.
I think revisionist historians here usually just seek to incite social strife in gaining democratic control of a country. As Mr. Alcorn’s alternative history experiment sought to do, we all should understand the concepts that some in education, history, journalists or media seek to change the narrative to what they want to see. Simple study debunks much of what is thought now as truth about the disgusting institutional practices such as slavery and common racism conflicts. The “1619 Project” of the New York Times tries to wrongly suggest racism and slavery were a central part of the USA’s creation. This revisiting has improved thinking of slavery and the arrival of Blacks in British colonies. But the project also has created educational curriculum for our schools with several historical disputable facts. It ignores that Native Americans had slavery in their societies as well as they themselves being enslaved and exported by colonists. Our Constitution doesn’t mention their race as being part or any kind of person. Revisionist histories must grasp the realities of the times. Michael Alcorn’s editorial was battling against where these revisionist departures would have ended up hurting all of our inalienable rights. Gary Scofield, Arvada
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10 Arvada Press
August 13, 2020A
A natural yard makes dollars and sense Editor’s Note: This piece is an excerpt from the May 2019 Colorado Gardener magazine
I
am a Denver Realtor. The other day I was checking out a gorgeous house that was staged beautifully. However, as I walked in I noticed the rounded balls GUEST of juniper on long stems that graced COLUMN (or disgraced?) the Christine front entryway. I Tomovich wondered, why did they update the inside but not the outside? They could have made it more contemporary and low maintenance. How often did they, or their gardener, have to shape those silly round balls. It got me thinking that our landscapes need to reflect more enlightened concepts. I read an article over a decade ago about homeowners with a “Certified Wildlife Habitat.” Following National Wildlife Federation guidelines, they created a haven for bees, birds, butterflies, and other small wildlife. This had also added monetary value, both increasing the selling price and keeping maintenance costs down while the sellers lived in it. I decided to get my backyard certified as well. It wasn’t difficult. There were a few requirements: providing clean water, food, cover (for wildlife to find protection), and places to raise young, plus implementing some sustainable practices. Choices included: xeriscape, drip irrigation, integrated pest management, using native plants, eliminating chemical pesticides and/or fertilizers, using compost, using mulch, etc. (It’s all on their website at nwf.org.) When I finished I felt like my backyard helped me feel connected to the bigger purpose of helping our environment. There are now 247,000 National Certified Backyards that form an ever expanding connected patchwork across the country. I read about sustainability everywhere now – and the necessity for doing something. Colony collapse of bees, the decline of Monarchs and other butterflies, concern for our overall carbon footprint, the loss of prairie and other wild area habitat have made this not just a concern, but a crisis. Entire cities are seeking to get certified.The Denver Botanic Gardens CEO Brian Vogt says that this “regeneration” of our ecosystem will allow changes to happen quickly. For example, The Gardens is involved in a project to restore a creek altered years ago by the Army Corps of Engineers to control water flow. It modified the
ecosystem in a way that has not been beneficial. Over a few years, native plants were put in. Vogt notes, “The impacts have already evidenced themselves. Plants have roared to life, native birds and insects are returning – even the sounds have changed.” What an inspiring thought — restoration of simple sounds and joys that many of us experienced everyday as children! As a youngster I was outside most of every day when not in school, hanging out with my fellow denizens in the yard: birds, bugs, butterflies, worms, caterpillars, flowers and prickly seed pods, magical fireflies, and creepy daddy long legs. I felt whole and peaceful. This isn’t the case anymore for most children, who spend hours a day staring at a screen and only minutes of outside time. Many adults also spend the vast majority of their time inside. At the same time society in general has become less happy and more anxious. Jamie Weiss, works with the Audubon Society’s Habitat Heroes program. She says that habitat and water loss are the two main challenges for nature preservation today. Given that lawns cover more than 20 million acres in the U.S., “if all those lawns were transformed into small habitat patches ... it would be comparable to increasing the area of the entire national wildlife refuge system by 20%.” Even Taylor Morrison, one of the biggest residential development companies in the nation, has started partnering with the NWF to include wildlife refuge land into its developments. Being out in nature is soothing. My California middle grandson was skipping stones on a river next to the Durango hotel where the family was vacationing. When he finished he turned to me with a contented smile and said, “That was refreshing.” We all need these moments more than we realize. Certifying our backyards is one way to restore the serenity that comes through our connectedness to nature. We can share our values with our children and grandchildren. Creating a haven for wildlife in our back yards helps our pocketbook and, as is increasingly recognized, our mental health. So join the club. It’s easy. For more information, go to www. nwf.org, or rockies.audubon.org.
Berries, jam and muffin fun with kids
K
uplink! Kuplank! Kuplunk!” It’s the sound of late summer berry picking in Robert McCloskey’s “Blueberries for Sal” GUEST where Sal and her mother meet Little COLUMN Bear and her mother Esther bear on the same blueberry hill. The Macalady moms mistake each other’s children, but all ends well. Berries are perfect for young children. They are the right size to pick, count, and eat. They are little, but packed with vitamins and minerals. If children are wary of vegetables, try offering berries. Picking Berries Berry picking is a great way to get the family outside and let children munch as you gather some to take home. They can combine their pails for blueberry snacks, pies, pancakes and muffins or place a bowl next to plates at any meal. Then talk about what animals like to eat berries. There are many fiction books about berries. You can have a little economics lesson. Discuss how food gets to our grocery stores and why berries are expensive. What people bring berries to market like farmers, pickers, truck drivers, packers, and grocery store employees? Show children how to freeze hand -picked or store bought berries. Spread them flat on cookie sheets so they do not touch each other and place in the freezer. When they are hard, transfer them to freezer bags and lay flat in the freezer. These easy snacks
will not clump together. Kid’s Freezer Jam Children can smash some berries and add a few drops of honey for fresh jam, cream cheese, and a bagel. Freezer jam takes only 30 minutes and can have little sugar. This jam uses pectin, a natural thickening agent found in and around plant cell walls that helps bind those cells together. Jars can be kept in the freezer for a year or refrigerator for three months. Low sugar freezer jam recipes are found on premium pectin for less or no sugar needed packages in the canning aisle and surejell.com.
Kids’ Muffins For easy blueberry muffins you will need 1 cup soy milk, and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar set aside in a bowl. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix 2 cups flour, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. In another bowl mix ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add a little zest of lemon, if desired. Stir the flour mixture bowl into the sugar mixture bowl. (You may want to save some of the flour to coat the blueberries.) Pour in the soy milk and vinegar curdled mixture. Stir. Finally, fold in the blueberries gently and place in 25 muffin papers in a muffin pan. Bake 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve cool. Esther Macalady is a retired teacher in Golden, Colorado. For more fun see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org.
CRAFTY COMFORT FOR NEW STUDENTS
Christine Tomovich, is an occasional writer, and a Broker/Stager with Your Castle Real Estate, has been voted “5 Star Real Estate Agent” in 5280 Magazine since 2011. She can be reached at ctomovich@comcast.net.
LEARN, GROW AND PLAY AT THE YMCA! Have an appointment or need to run errands? The Y offers licensed child care for ages 12 months to 12 years. Age-appropriate classrooms give each kid the chance to grow and shine! SUSAN M. DUNCAN FAMILY YMCA 6350 Eldridge St., Arvada | 303 422 4977 | www.DenverYMCA.org/Arvada
Kelly Jo Eldredge, Red Rocks Community College Department Chair of Theatre Arts & Dance and coordinator of the Knitting4Peace Peace Pod at the college poses with some of the 51 quilts the group has gathered and created. The blankets and quilts will be given to students who will be moving into new housing coordinated by RRCC and The Action Center in Jefferson County. For more information on Knitting4Peace, visit www.knitting4peace.org/. If you are interested in joining the RRCC Knitting4Peace Pod, email Kelly.Eldredge@rrcc.edu. All experience levels are welcome. COURTESY OF POLINA SARANA
Arvada Press 11
0August 13, 2020
COVID FROM PAGE 5
A Little Help has operations from metro Denver to northern Colorado .and in the Roaring Fork Valley, according to the page. Visit the nonprofit’s website or call 720-242-9032 in metro Denver, 970-404-1923 in the Roaring Fork Valley or 970-412-9396 in northern Colorado. Child care The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program helps families that are homeless, working, searching for work or in school to find low-income child care assistance. Each county’s human services department help manage the program, according to the Colorado Office of Early Childhood. Each county sets eligibility requirements but must help families that have income of 185% or less of the federal poverty guideline. You can learn about applying for assistance on the Colorado Office of Early Childhood’s website. See other information for children and families on the Colorado Department of Human Services’ website. Paying utilities Comcast is offering new, low-income customers two months of free internet, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Xcel Energy will not disconnect service to any residential customers until further notice, according to its website. Individuals having difficulty paying bills are encouraged to contact Xcel’s customer service center to arrange a payment plan that works for them. In response to the pandemic, an organization called Energy Outreach Colorado has increased the number of times individuals can access assistance to help pay utility bills, according to 2-1-1 Colorado. See Energy Outreach Colorado’s website or call 1-866-432-8435. See more information on 2-1-1 Colorado’s website. Health insurance Coloradans who experience “a lifechanging event” — such as losing jobbased coverage, moving, getting married or having a baby — are eligible for a special enrollment period. That’s a 60-day window to buy or change health care plans, according to Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace. See more information on Connect for Health Colorado’s website. If you qualify for Medicaid, you can enroll any time of year, whether you qualify for a special enrollment period or not. To apply for Medicaid or the Child Health Plan Plus, visit coloradopeak. secure.force.com or call 2-1-1. Business help The Energize Colorado Gap Fund will provide more than $25 million in
In a May 22 photo, Sue Mehrotra helped distribute food bags during the COVID-19 shutdown at Field Elementary in Littleton. COURTESY PHOTO
small-business loans and grants. Sole proprietors, businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 25 full-time employees can apply for up to a $15,000 grant and a $20,000 loan for a possible combined total of $35,000 in assistance. The application was to launch in early August, according to Energize Colorado’s website. All eligible Colorado-based micro and small businesses may apply, but priority will be given to applicants that are majority-owned by Black or indigenous people, other people of color, veterans, or women — or businesses in rural areas. Those in the tourism sector and those with limited or no access to capital financing or other federal, state or local grants or loans will also be prioritized. Under the program, rural areas are defined as follows: • A county with a population of fewer than 50,000 people. • A municipality with a population of fewer than 50,000 people that is located 10 miles or more from a municipality with a population of more than 50,000 people. • The unincorporated part of a county — meaning not in a city or town — located 10 miles or more from a municipality with a population of more than 50,000 people. Those that have not been successful in pursuing or receiving funds from other federal, state and local assistance programs such as the federal Paycheck Protection Program are eligible to apply. Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado legislature designated a $20 million grant from the federal CARES Act funding to distribute alongside $5 million in loans from private donors and other state funds to help Colorado’s micro- and small-business owners, Energize Colorado’s website says. Find other business assistance at the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade’s website. Counties and municipalities may be offering financial assistance for businesses as well. Contact your city, town or county government for more information. Rural businesses, housing Residents of rural areas may find housing and business assistance on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website. Homelessness If you’re experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, 2-1-1 Colorado offers information that includes: • Housing payment resources. • Motel vouchers. • Emergency shelters, including specific locations for youth, domesticviolence survivors and for extreme weather. • Low-income and subsidized housing resources, including Section 8 housing choice vouchers. • Supportive housing resources, in-
Program to allieviate economic impact of COVID-19 is up and running BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A program to help Coloradans make their rent and mortgage payments has launched, the governor’s office and state officials announced. “COVID-19 has affected every aspect of our lives — undermining not only our personal health but our economic wellbeing as well,” said state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada, in a news release. “Countless Coloradans are facing eviction or foreclosure if they don’t receive help, which is why I am proud to see this program launch and for families to get the relief that they so desperately need.” Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs
announced the Property Owner Preservation program, resulting from state House Bill 20-1410, a recently-signed act that provides $20 million in direct rental and mortgage assistance to Coloradans experiencing financial need, including $350,000 for legal aid for renters at risk of eviction. Landlords and property owners can apply for assistance on behalf of multiple tenants, and tenants can also apply on their own. Visit cdola.colorado.gov/rental-assistance or call 303-864-7810 for the steps to apply. Income restrictions may apply based on the chart listed at tinyurl. com/IncomeRequirement. For example, the maximum monthly household income for the month prior to a request for assistance in Denver metro-area counties is $4,579. House Bill 20-1410 allocates $19,650,000 to the Housing Development Grant Fund administered by the Division of Housing within the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, according to the governor’s office news release.
GROCERY, PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY The Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council lists transportation services throughout the metro area that offer medical trips and deliver prescriptions and groceries. One example is the Essie Lee Foundation, offering transportation for the general public but specializing in “challenged, seniors and at-risk populations.” Special requests for grocery, food bank and medication pickup are available. You can call 303-335-5207
or visit the foundation’s website. See the mobility council’s full list of services at drmac-co.org/transportationupdate-spreadsheet. You can also apply for food delivery from Benefits in Action, a Lakewood nonprofit, at its website or 720-221-8354. Those with food needs can also call the Aging and Disability Resources for Colorado at 1-844-265-2372.
cluding for assisted living, permanent supportive housing and transitional housing. Visit 2-1-1 Colorado’s website, call 2-1-1 or (866) 760-6489 toll-free, or text your ZIP code to 898-211. The nonprofit Colorado Coalition for the Homeless offers health care and housing resources. Its website
lists pharmacy refills, mental health, a dental clinic, eye clinic and psychiatry as services. You can reach the nonprofit’s Stout Street Health Center, at 2130 Stout St. in the downtown Denver area, at 303293-2220. See other resources on the coalition’s website.
ST. JOAN OF ARC C AT H O L I C C H U R C H
Proclaiming Christ from the Mountains to the Plains www.StJoanArvada.org 12735 W 58th Ave · 80002 · 303-420-1232 Daily Masses: 8:30am, Mon-Sat Confessions: 8am Tue-Fri; 7:30am & 4:00pm Sat Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00pm Sunday Masses: 7:30, 9:00, 11:30am, 5:30pm
To advertise your place of worship in this section, call Erin at 303-566-4074 or email eaddenbrooke@ ColoradoCommunityMedia.com
12 Arvada Press
August 13, 2020A
LOCAL
LIFE
Sculpt yourself at Denver’s Sculpture Park
W
Climbing for a cause Brittney Woodrum, an outdoor enthusiast who has a passion for helping others, smiles as she summits Blanca Peak in the Sangre de Cristo Range. Woodrum, who is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Denver, is climbing all 58 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains to benefit ShelterBox USA, which is an international disaster relief organization. COURTESY PHOTOS
Woman summiting 14ers to help ShelterBox BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A
University of Denver graduate student has found a way to combine her love of the outdoors with her passion for helping others. Brittney Woodrum, 27, is an ambassador for ShelterBox USA — an international disaster relief organization that “focuses on providing shelter to those who have lost it” through natural disaster or conflict, Woodrum said. A ShelterBox is a container of essential items to sustain displaced people. To bring awareness and raise money for the organization’s COVID-19 emergency relief fund, Woodrum SEE CLIMBER, P13
MORE ABOUT SHELTERBOX To learn more about ShelterBox and Brittney Woodrum’s Climbing for a Cause: the Fourteeners Project, or to donate, visit www.shelterboxusa.org/Fourteeners. Follow Woodrum’s progress on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/the14ersProject.
Woodrum pauses for a photo as she makes her way up Longs Peak. Woodrum is an outdoor enthusiast who has a passion for helping others.
hen exercising, location makes a big difference when it comes to how enjoyable the experience can be. Denver Arts & Venues knows this extremely well, as the department organizes the annual Yoga on the Rocks series at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Now they’re bringing exercise to another iconic COMING location with its ATTRACTIONS new Sculpture Park Fitness Series. Series “As an agency, we try to activate all our venues. We wanted to host something at the arts complex because it’s so accessible and Clarke Reader has all these cool spaces,” said Brian Kitts, Arts & Venues spokesman. “We started kicking around what we might do, and we thought fitness would be an easy one to do and access for people.” Running from Aug. 4 to Sept.29, Denver Arts & Venues is partnering with 10 local fitness studios and cultural arts organizations to host a variety of 60-minute classes, including dance, cardio, boot camp, high-intensity interval training, meditation and sound healing, barre, yoga and more at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Sculpture Park, located at Champa Street between 13th Street and Speer Boulevard. The partner organizations include Barre3, BLOCK21, Bodies by Perseverance, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, CM Dance, Edgar L. Page: Feel the Movement, Endorphin, Hot Mamas, Luna Vibrations and Palango! Fitness. “When we do exercise events at other locations it’s usually yoga or boot camps, and while this series has elements of that, the partnerships with these groups allows us to present something new,” Kitts said. “Many of these are groups we work with regularly, but not in this capacity. People are used to seeing them on stage, but here they get to participate with them.” Classes will be every Tuesday and Thursday, with multiple sessions per day. And to maintain safety, staff will have marked 10-foot circles, six feet apart, throughout the park to provide attendees with ample space to safely exercise together. According to provided information, City and State mandates are being followed regarding audience size and all participants are being asked to adhere to physical distancing guidelines, use of face coverings, SEE READER, P13
Arvada Press 13
0August 13, 2020
READER FROM PAGE 12
sanitary functions and other safety protocols. “One of our goals is to give people a chance to gather, and if they have to do so in smaller groups, it’s worth it to try,” Kitts said. “During this time, we’ve had to put the tried and true things to the side and figure out how to put on a show with the new set of rules. We hope people come out and give it a shot, because it really is a fun way to be outside and be with people.” Tickets can be purchased at www. AXS.com and visit www.artscomplex. com/sculptureparkfitness for more information. Go on an audio tour with the Denver Architecture Foundation If you miss spending time wandering around downtown Denver during the summertime, the Denver Archi-
CLIMBER FROM PAGE 12
has embarked on her Climbing for a Cause: the Fourteeners Project — she will be climbing all 58 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains. And she’s climbing them with a 60-liter teal ShelterBox on her back. “ShelterBox ambassadors tend to do crazy challenges with the box,” Woodrum said, adding the box accompanies them on the physical challenges for awareness purposes. “Physical challenges are nothing new to me (and) I’m always looking for opportunities to combine my passions.” Woodrum is a triathlete and in the past has participated in physical challenges for various fundraising/ awareness events. She became an ambassador for ShelterBox after learning about the organization as she was researching humanitarian groups that she could get involved with as she pursued her master’s degree. Originally from Kentucky, Woodrum earned her undergraduate degree in nonprofit administration and Spanish from the University of Kentucky. She lived abroad for about five years — most of the time was spent in southeast Asia — and moved to Denver about a year ago to earn a graduate degree in humanitarian assistance from DU. Colorado was particularly attractive to her because of the state’s abundance of outdoor recreation, she said, pointing out that she had heard of Colorado’s iconic fourteeners. ShelterBox is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in both 2018 and 2019. It got its start as a project by a Rotary Club in England. What ShelterBox does is provide people who have been displaced because of natural disaster or conflict with the essential items needed to set up a household, said Kerri Murray, president of ShelterBox USA. These items include a tent, in addition to other basic needs such as water filtration, solar-powered lights, warm blankets, cooking equipment and even a children’s activity set, Murray said. “They’re little things,” Woodrum said, “but they play a big role in keeping vulnerable communities safe.” ShelterBox has responded to at least 300 disasters around the globe,
tecture Foundation has released two new free audio tour journeys that provide listeners with information on 24 historically-significant locations, as well as the city’s architecture and history. Paid for in part by the History Colorado State Historical Fund, “Downtown Denver: A Game of City and Empire Builders” and “Civic Center Park: A Speerian Play,” not only delve into the past, but contextualizes the present and looks to the future. Tours can be taken on location or remotely Stops on the tours include Civic Center Park, The Denver Mint, the Clyfford Still Museum, the Scottish Masonic Center, the Oxford Hotel, Sugar Building and more. For more information, visit www. denverarchitecture.org. Clarke’s Concert of the Week - Guster With The Omaha Symphony Boston’s Guster make perfectly lowkey alt-rock, not unlike musicians
Murray said, including the 2015 earthquake in Nepal and the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Since 2012, ShelterBox has provided emergency shelter to about 250,000 displaced Syrian refugees. “The need for ShelterBox has grown because of COVID-19,” Murray added. “And it has also had to adapt because the needs are different for this (public health) disaster.” One adaption is including water basins and soap in the box, Murray said. Woodrum had originally planned on doing her Fourteeners Project after she had graduated from DU. But then the coronavirus hit and began to spread worldwide. “Disasters haven’t stopped just because COVID is happening,” Woodrum said. “It was challenging to be stuck at home and not able to help. I felt this was the time to do this project. It’s something I can do without putting others at risk” of spreading the virus. Woodrum is camping on public lands about 97% of the time, and the other 3% will be at a private residence -- no hotel/motel stays are part of the excursion, Woodrum said. She also spent May and June dehydrating food to minimize trips into towns, she added. The ShelterBox she is hiking with is mostly empty, with the exception of water, snacks and extra layers of clothing, Woodrum said. It weighs about 10 pounds, Woodrum said, adding everybody always wants to know how much it weighs. Woodrum’s goal is to fundraise $1,400 per peak, for a total of about $80,000, all of which will go to ShelterBox’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. A special peak sponsorship is available for people or a group of people who donate the entire $1,400. Calling such a supporter a mountain hero, Woodrum will climb the mountain with an item or keepsake that the donor provides and take a photograph of herself at the top with the item. And/or they can choose to get a name mention by Woodrum in a video at the summit. She began on July 10. Woodrum expects to finish the challenge with Pikes Peak near the end of September. Woodrum “wants to make a difference in the world,” Murray said. And “what’s so touching is that ambassadors work to help people who they’ll probably never meet in their lifetime.”
like Pete Yorn, Weezer and Jimmy Eat World. The group remains capable of solid and enjoyable albums while maintaining a charming sense of humor. Guster’s nearly 30 years of existence are beautifully on display on their new release, “OMAGAH! Guster With The Omaha Symphony.” Recorded on Feb. 8, 2019, at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha, Nebraska, the album features 11 tracks from the performance. It features some of the group’s best-known tracks, like “Fa Fa” and “Satellite,” and with the strings it’s the perfect soundtrack for late-summer afternoons and evenings on the porch, patio or peristyle (Google it). Learn more about the group and the album at www.guster.com. Streaming style - Warner Bros.’ film history Warner Bros. studios is one of the most historic Hollywood production companies of all time, and during
its near-century of existence it has churned out some absolute classic films: “The Exorcist,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf ” are just a few from a top-notch catalogue. Every Tuesday on Warner Bros.’ YouTube channel, the studio is releasing a kind of visual mixtape that examines each decade of its existence. Each video is about an hour long and highlights some of the best and most famous films that were produced during the era. So far videos covering the 50s, 60s and 70s have been released, and not only are they entertaining offerings in their own right, but they’re a great way to get some recommendations for what you’d like to watch next. Visit www.youtube.com/c/WarnerBrosOnline to watch the videos. Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail. com.
University of Denver graduate student Brittney Woodrum is pictured climbing Colorado’s Little Bear Peak in the Sangre de Cristo Range. Through September, Woodrum will be climbing all 58 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains to benefit ShelterBox USA’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. COURTESY PHOTO
JUL 2 - NOV 8, 2020 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. Arvada, CO 80003 FREE ticket required for entry. Visit arvadacenter.org to get yours.
14 Arvada Press
August 13, 2020A
C R O S S W O R D SMITH P U Z Z L E FROM PAGE 8
family members, or friends. And, of course, pets. After a recent column about Harry and his life expectancy, I heard from readers who understood. Right now, safe-at-home, without Harry, life with or without music would be a mistake. One of my doctors told me to disregard “old age” and think in terms of “Levels.” If you’re 30, you’re Level Three. Forty, Level Four. The mirror knows better, doesn’t it?
ALCORN FROM PAGE 8
western democracies were sure happy to have a few million cowboys storming Normandy and beating the Third Reich back to Berlin. That “American character,” while annoying to our elders, was absolutely necessary to push back when evil men tried to overrun the free world. We saw the Kaiser and the Nazis as a call to grow, as a problem with distinct solutions, and as a series of objectives that we simply weren’t constitutionally build to eschew. Sure, it took us a little time to take those problems seriously (back then, having two oceans protecting your borders was a pretty good argument that you were safe), but, once we engaged, nobody anywhere doubted our resolve. So, I ask again, how’s our American character looking these days? We have people absolutely losing their minds in public over being asked to wear a mask. We have legitimate protests being hijacked to make some of our greatest cities look Mogadishu or Benghazi. We have grandmas being attacked on the streets for trying to put out fires. We have a government that can’t, from day to day, get its own
My high school English teacher is Level Eight. She’s falling apart, she says. I told her Olivia de Havilland reached Level Ten. My high school English teacher said, “No, no, no.” (Keller was closing in on Level Nine when she died.) Oh, Janet. I’m sorry. In your message you encouraged me to continue what I have been doing. I will and a thought of you will be in every column. Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.
message straight. And when it does, it is often undermined by the head of that government. We have cities that are now advising their citizens to be prepared to simply hand over their possessions, because the city can’t muster the will the protect them any more. We have a Congress being held hostage by ideological non-sequiturs from the extremes of both sides of the aisle, guaranteeing that the people who really need a little help right now won’t get it. And one report put the number of *Colorado* businesses that have permanently shuttered since March at 6,800. I used to take it for granted that, if the world were truly going to Hell in a hula hoop, that we, the people, would find a way to pull our acts together and do good things. Are we really that people any more? And what, exactly, with any credibility, can we say to our own children about facing adversity these days? Michael Alcorn is a teacher and writer who lives in Arvada with his wife and three children. His new novel, “Charon’s Blade,” is available at Amazon.com, on Kindle, or through MichaelJAlcorn.com.” His opinions are not necessarily those of Colorado Community Media.
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18 Arvada Press
August 13, 2020A
P L A C E A D S O N L I N E 2 4 / 7 AT
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0August 13, 2020
Arvada Press 19
LOCAL
SPORTS
High-school sports schedule upended by COVID-19 ‘Everything is not ideal,’ says CHSAA’s commissioner
2020-21 CHSAA SPORTS CALENDAR The schedule divides up Colorado high school sports into four seasons. Given are the sport, the start date and the tentatives date or dates of state championship games, if determined. Dates are as of Aug. 4.
BY LINDSEY SMITH THE GAZETTE
The state’s 2020 fall high-school sports season was slashed from 11 sports to four following an Aug. 4 announcement by the Colorado High School Activities Association after a lengthy compromise and approval from state health officials. The association announced its 202021 calendar after a call with Gov. Jared Polis, a release said, during which CHSAA “received a final response on the plan it submitted to the state’s COVID response team.” Boys’ tennis, boys’ golf, softball and cross country have been approved to compete in a modified fall season, with competition beginning as early as Aug. 6 through Oct. 17. The remaining fall sports — football, boys’ soccer, girls’ volleyball, field hockey, gymnastics and unified bowling — will be played in a new “Season C” beginning about March 1. Football was granted special permission to begin practice Feb. 22 due to minimum practice requirements before the first contest on March 4. “Everything is not ideal. Any time you go outside of the ‘norm’ it’s not ideal,” CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green said during a Zoom press conference June 4. “But at the end of the day, we are in a pandemic and we are in charge of creating opportunities for our kids within the state guidelines and the educational guidelines.” A moratorium on high school participation will be in place following the fall “Season A” from Oct. 18 through Jan. 3, 2021, as a precaution as “data from the state shows a likely resurgence of COVID-19 cases in late fall,” according to a release. Winter sports, or “Season B” — including basketball, ice hockey, spirit, girls’ swimming and wrestling (boys’ and girls’) — may begin practice Jan. 4, and will compete through March 6, including playoffs and state championships. Spring sports will compete in “Season D” beginning practices April 26 and will go into late June, though state championship dates for many sports have not been set. Season D will be the largest sevenweek season with nine sports competing: baseball, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, girls’ tennis, boys’ swimming, girls’ golf, girls’ soccer, track and field, and boys’ volleyball.
SEASON A • Boys’ Golf: 8/3, 10/5-6 • Boys’ Tennis: 8/10, 9/25-26 • Softball: 8/10, 10/10 • Cross Country: 8/12, 10/17 SEASON B • Basketball: 1/4, 3/6 • Ice Hockey: 1/4, TBD • Skiing: 1/4, 2/26 • Competitive Spirit:, 1/4, TBD • Sideline Spirit: 1/4, N/A • Girls’ Swimming: 1/4, TBD • Wrestling: 1/4, 3/6 SEASON C • Field Hockey: 3/1, TBD • Football: 2/22 (practice), 5/8 • Gymnastics: 3/1, TBD • Boys’ Soccer: 3/1, TBD • Unified Bowling: 3/1, TBD • Girls’ Volleyball: 3/1, 5/1
Ralston Valley senior JJ Galbreath (8) breaks free on a 55-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter against Pomona on Nov. 1, 2019, at the North Area Athletic Complex.
SEASON D • Baseball: 4/26, 6/26 • Girls’ Golf: 4/26, TBD • Boys’ Lacrosse: 4/26, TBD • Girls’ Lacrosse: 4/26, 6/23 • Girls’ Soccer: 4/26, TBD • Boys’ Swimming: 4/26, TBD • Girls’ Tennis: 4/26, 6/11-12 • Track & Field: 4/26, TBD • Boys’ Volleyball: 4/26, 6/19 Source: The Gazette
PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS
Blanford-Green said CHSAA’s original plan submitted to state officials advocated to keep the sports seasons intact, and requested increased capacity at games and in roster guidelines, but when confirmed positive cases began to surge in Colorado the association went back to the drawing board to submit contingency plans. “I’m very grateful that we were able to collaborate with different state agencies and able to advocate and get some of the things we wanted that probably weren’t going to happen,” Blanford-Green said, adding the CHSAA fought to include cross country as an approved fall sport. “Right now we are feeling very good about our ability to not have disruptions, not have cancellations and to try to give every kid in the state of Colorado the opportunity to participate in a sport and in a season.” The Gazette’s Kate Shefte contributed to this report. This story is from The Gazette of Colorado Springs, a leading daily newspapers and digital news source. Used by permission. For more, visit Gazette.com.
Northglenn senior Malia Lo makes contact against Mountain Range last October. Typically a fall sport, volleyball will return for competition early in 2021. FILE PHOTO
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Legals City and County Public Notice NOTICE OF HEARING UPON APPLICATION FOR A CHANGE OF LOCATION FOR THE BEER AND WINE LIQUOR LICENSE OF KLINE’S LLC D/B/A: KLINE’S BEER HALL TO 5709 OLDE WADSWORTH BLVD ARVADA, CO 80002 Notice is hereby given that an application has been presented to the City of Arvada Local Liquor Licensing Authority for a change of location of the Tavern liquor license of Kline’s LLC, d/b/a Kline’s Beer Hall from 7519 Grandview Avenue to 5709 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard.
The license would allow sales of malt, vinous, and spirituous liquor by the drink for consumption on the premises at 5709 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada, CO 80002.
Said application will be heard and considered by the City of Arvada Liquor Licensing Authority at a virtual meeting to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2020. The application was submitted on July 21, 2020.
For further information call Sarah Walters, Deputy City Clerk, at 720-898-7544. Dated this 13th day of August, 2020. /s/ Sarah Walters, Deputy City Clerk CITY OF ARVADA, COLORADO Legal Notice No. 408024 First Publication: August 13, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Jeffco Transcript
Arvada Legals 8.13.20 * 1
20 Arvada Press
August 13, 2020
C Mo #1 olora rtg Rev do ag ers ’s eB e rok er
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