Arvada Press 0211

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February 11, 2021

JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15 | SPORTS: PAGE 17

VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 37

Council debates implementation of waste-hauling program

BY MICHAEL HICKS MHICKS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

up about two-thirds of the students, and according to Hiester, they started losing students that were in the English-only classes, so they decided it would be better to focus on becoming a complete dual language school.

Foster currently has about 375

With the city of Arvada implementing a one-source waste-hauling program this summer, including recycling, the city council’s Feb. 1 work session focused on two questions: who should decide whether to enter the program — landlords or tenants — and how large a default cart should be.

Waste hauling services are expected to begin in early July. Residents will be asked to make their cart selection between March 8 through April 16, ranging from $11.50 per month for 35-gallon trash cart and 95-gallon recycling cart to $19.76 per month for the commonly used 95-gallon carts for both trash and recycling. The city will start receiving and staging carts at lots either at the Arvada Center, Arvada High School and/or Arvada West High School on June 1, and waste hauling charges will start appearing on utility bills in September.

If residents elect to opt out of the program, they will still be charged a monthly fee of $5.13 with $4.25 of that going to Republic Services as part of its agreement to be the city’s organized waste hauler and 88 cents going to the city, Gillis said.

“While all residents are encouraged to participate in the program, Colorado law reserves the right to choose one’s own waste hauler,” Deputy City Manager Lorie Gillis said. “As a community-wide program, there are benefits to all residents whether or not they participate in the city program.”

Among those citywide benefits to the city-based waste hauling program, according to Gillis, would be improving recycling rates throughout Arvada, decreasing trash truck traffic, decreasing noise nuisance and air pollution. The program will also provide additional services for recycling collection and a pair of bulk-item drop-off events.

The city is receiving approximately 100 calls per week about the program, Gillis said. About 70% are seeking additional information and another 20% expressed excitement about the program. The final 10% expressed displeasure with the city’s plan, Gillis noted.

SEE PROJECT, P5

SEE COUNCIL, P11

Foster PK-8 Principal Leigh Hiester along with Madison Hiester Nesladek, America Gonzalez Torres and Arody Rodriguez PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HICKS shovel some dirt as part of a groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 3.

Groundbreaking ceremony for groundbreaking school Jeffco’s Foster Dual Language school is the latest bond project underway

BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The weather was cool and blustery but Principal Leigh Hiester had a smile that showed through her mask as the groundbreaking ceremony for new construction at Foster Dual Language school got underway Feb. 3.

The school, an Arvada PK-8, serves students who want to become bi-literate in English and Spanish. Hiester says it has been a journey to get to this day.

“Several years ago a group of parents and staff came together and really wanted to make a middle school for our dual language students,” Hiester said. “So we started talking to the District about expanding into being a K-8.

We have a pre-K as well. So, after lots of conversations we got to the point where in 2019, the Board agreed that we would become Fos-

Tracie Mayes, Evelyn Geiser, Beverly Ingraham and Shari Crist shovel some dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony at Foster PK-8 school on Feb. 3. In the back row looking on, from left, are students America Gonzalez Torres, Arody Rodriguez, Sara Mayes, Cade Benage and Nayeli Andazola.

ter Dual Language PK-8.”

Hiester says starting next year the school will have a full-day preK and will be dual language for all grades.

Foster used to be a neighborhood school that all classes in English, and had a dual language program within the school. That program grew to eventually make

2 Arvada Press

February 11, 2021F

Denver metro counties move to looser rules in level yellow Colorado finalizes color-coded ‘dial 2.0’ of COVID-19 restrictions

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In the latest ratcheting down of Colorado’s COVID-19 restrictions, the state public-health department confirmed it would drastically ease the limits that allow counties to remain in certain color-coded levels of coronavirus restrictions.

The “dial 2.0” changes put Denver metro counties in level yellow, promising loosened business-capacity restrictions, according to information from the state public-health department as of Feb. 5. Some would even sit close to entering the notably low blue level.

The changes were to take effect 9 a.m. Feb. 6, according to a Feb. 5 news release from the department.

In the Denver metro area, Adams,

Arapahoe, Douglas, Denver, Jefferson, Elbert and Broomfield counties — all in level orange under the previous rules — moved to yellow under

the new framework on Feb. 6.

Counties now enter level yellow starting at about 100 new COVID019 cases per 100,000 people within one week, a measure known as a county’s incidence rate.

The state’s new framework starts measuring the rate in one-week periods rather than 14-day chunks.

The line a county needs to cross to enter level red was set to change drastically in the new rules. Rather than 350 new cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period, the threshold essentially changes to 1,000. The line for level orange, the level nearly all counties were operating in as of early February, was 175. Now, it’s 600.

Level yellow’s threshold changes from 75 to 200.

Technically, the new thresholds are about 500 for red, 300 for orange and 100 for yellow over one-week SEE COVID, P3

Fire forces evacuations of homes, golf courses

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

High winds and dry grass led to evacuations in and around Bear Creek Park in Lakewood on Feb. 7.

Fire investigators with West Metro Fire aren’t sure whether it was intentional, or accidental, but they say the wind-driven grass fire near Morrison Road and Bear

Creek Boulevard which burned an estimated 400 acres has been ruled man-made.

It started before 2 p.m. and forced the evacuations of the nearby Fox Hollow Golf Course, the clubhouse at Homestead Golf Course and nearby homes. The zone extended from Morrison Road to Hampden Avenue and from C-470 to Kipling Street. The evacu-

ation center for people and their pets was Bear Creek High School.

An employee of a nearby ice rink said employees had to close the windows of the facility because of the smoke and described the scene as “apocalyptic.” Winds gusted as high as 45 mph at times. The National Weather Service posted a high-wind warning through 5 p.m.

Feb. 7.

The 400-acre fire caused no reported injuries. Flames were as high as 40 feet in places.

Crews from the West Metro fire district as well as the Fairmount Protection District, Aurora Arvada and Golden districts were on scene. Aerial support wasn’t be available because of the windy conditions, according to fire officials.

- E DUC AT IONA L A DV E RT I S E M E N T -

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It’s a well-known fact that for many older Americans, the home is their single biggest asset. And with interest rates near all-time lows while home values are still high, this combination creates the perfect dynamic for getting the most out of your built-up equity.

But many aren’t taking advantage of this unprecedented period. According to new statistics, senior homeowners in the U.S. are now sitting on more than 7.7 trillion dollars* of unused home equity. It’s not surprising that more than a million homeowners have already used a government-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) loan to turn their home equity into extra cash for retirement.

It’s a fact, with a government-insured HECM loan, no monthly mortgage payments are required; however, the borrowers are still responsible for paying for the maintenance of their home, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and, if required, their HOA fees.

Today, HECM loans are simply an effective way for homeowners 62 and older to get the extra cash they need to enjoy retirement. The cash from a HECM loan can be used for almost any purpose. Other common uses include making home improvements, paying off medical bills, or helping other family members. Some people simply need the extra cash for everyday expenses while others are now using it as a safety net for financial emergencies.

AAG Area Sales Manager, Jarred Talmadge, says, “As your local AAG team, our goal is to provide you with information and never pressure you.

We’re here to answer your questions and give you guidance. If that means you want to work with us, great. If not, that’s okay, too. The best part? We are local, right here in Denver!”

If you’re a homeowner age 62 or older, you owe it to yourself to learn more so that you can make the best decision—for your financial future. Call (855) 272-5864 to learn more!

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*https://www.nrmlaonline.org/about/press-releases/senior-housingwealth-reaches-record-7-70-trillion NMLS# 9392 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). American Advisors Group (AAG) is headquartered at 18200 Von Karman Ave., Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92612. AAG conducts business in CO (Regulated by the Division of Real Estate; to check the license status of your mortgage loan originator, visit http://www.dora.state.co.us/real-estate/index. htm). These materials are not from HUD or FHA and were not approved by HUD or a government agency. For full legal disclosure, please visit: www.americanadvisorsgroup.com/disclosure

Arvada Press 3

1February 11, 2021

COVID FROM PAGE 2

windows.

Elbert County’s two-week rate sat at 236 — or, roughly, just over 100 for a one-week rate — as of Feb. 5, placing it close to entering level blue, one level below yellow, if the virus’s spread drops. Jefferson County sat close behind at 256.

The move comes as the number of vaccinated Coloradans continues to grow, Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the department’s executive director, said in an earlier news release.

“Since the dial’s last major change in November, Colorado has begun distributing COVID-19 vaccines throughout the state,” Hunsaker Ryan said in the Feb. 5 announcement. “More people now have immunity to COVID-19, including people over 70 and frontline health care workers. This relieves the strain on

our hospital system.”

Compared to the draft of the new rules announced on Jan. 30, the final version of the update changes capacity limits for restaurants in level yellow. Other than that, capacity limits remain the same for all other businesses and other settings across the dial’s levels.

Businesses certified as part of the state’s 5-Star program are still allowed to operate one level lower on the dial than they otherwise would be able to without certification, except they may not operate in level green, or “Protect Our Neighbors,” unless the county is formally in that level.

“Because caution is still a priority, (businesses in) counties in yellow with a 5-Star Business Program may only operate in blue once 70% of 70-year-olds in the state are vaccinated with at least one dose, expected to happen by the end of the month,” the Feb. 5 news release said.

The following are some of the

capacity changes that businesses and other settings in level orange could see with a move to the less-restrictive level yellow, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

For a complete list of differences between all the levels, go to the state’s COVID-19 website at covid19. colorado.gov/data/covid-19-dialdashboard and click “level restrictions” below the map.

When capacity limits are expressed as both a percentage and a total number of people, business owners and other organizers must use whichever number is fewer, according to the state’s website.

• Restaurants: Changes from 25% capacity or 50 people, whichever is less, to 50% or 50 people (or up to 150 using Colorado’s social distancing space calculator) — whichever is less. View the calculator at covid19. colorado.gov/social-distancingcalculator.

• Offices: Changes from a 25%

limit to a 50% limit. Remote work is “strongly encouraged” under both the orange and yellow levels.

• Gyms/fitness centers: Changes from 25% or 50 people indoors, whichever is less, to 50% or 50 people, whichever is less.

• Indoor unseated events and entertainment: Under level orange, limits are 25% or 50 people (with the calculator), whichever is less. Under level yellow, limits are 50% capacity or 50 people while not using the calculator (or up to 100 with the calculator), whichever is less.

The new change for restaurants in level yellow — that they may now operate at 50% or up to 50 people (or up to 150 with the calculator). — is up from the previous level yellow limit of 100 people with the calculator, according to the Feb. 5 news release.

For a breakdown of what new-case rates and rates of positive COVID-19 tests qualify counties for each dial level, see page 2 at tinyurl.com/NewColoradoDial.

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Environmental Film Festival Opens Virtually This Weekend: See the Films Online!

With Golden Real Estate’s commitment to sustainability, it’s only natural that we have co-sponsored the Colorado Environmental Film Festival for at least a decade, and we’re happy to co-sponsor it again this year.

The silver lining of the Covid19 pandemic is that events like this are going virtual, making it possible for many more people (including me!) to see any or all of the films online and on our own timetable. In past years, I was lucky to see even a few of the films, especially since I also needed to man our company’s table in the festival’s Eco-Expo.

The festival runs from Feb. 12th to Feb. 21st at www.CEFF.net. The threepart mission of the festival, as stated on its home page is: Inspire: With a growing public awareness for the environment, CEFF aims to increase this groundswell through inspirational and educational

DMAR Reports Average Home Price Rose by $100K in Last 12 Months

The Denver Metro Real Estate Market Trends Report, released on February 3rd by the Denver Metro Association of Realtors, reveals that detached single-family homes in the metro area set yet another record for average price, exceeding $629,000 in January. There is a link to download the full report on our blog, www.GoldenREBlog.com.

films which help motivate people to make a difference in their community.

Educate: CEFF’s films and programs help people build the knowledge and skills they need to make environmentally responsible choices.

Motivate: CEFF wants audiences to be a part of the solution to today’s environmental issues and motivates audiences to make a difference in their local environment.

This year’s festival has 75 films in 22 collections. You can buy an all-access pass on their website for $70 (less than $1 per film), a 5-collection pass for $35, or a 1collection pass for $10. As I said, you can view any film at any time during the ten days of the festival, but once you unlock a collection, you need to view its films within 72 hours.

As in past years, the festival’s films include both shorts and full-length films.

I’m getting an all-access pass and look forward to seeing as many as possible!

Although most of the films are “on demand,” selected films will be live streamed so that you can watch with the filmmaker and an audience and chat about it during the film and exchange comments, like on Zoom, afterwards.

These live streams will be archived and can be viewed on demand later.

There will also be live online “lunch and learns” (one of which is a “Vegan Fusion Cooking Demonstration”) and the Eco-Expo will go virtual too, with a few live visits to the booths of some of

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the sponsors and “exhibitors.”

There will be an “Opening Night Watch Party” featuring a short documentary on electronic waste and a feature film, “The Story of Plastic.” At this event, awards will also be presented for the winning films in each of several categories. Again, if you miss this event, you can stream it later.

The “Closing Night Watch Party” from 7 to 10:30 pm on Feb. 20th is an exception. It can only be viewed live and will not be streamed on demand later. It includes two films, The Catalyst and Beyond Zero, that you cannot pause or rewind. These are summarized on the website. I’m looking forward to these in particular, since the first one is a 6minute film about going net zero in a home, and the second is a much longer film about a billion-dollar global energy company that committed itself to going beyond net zero by 2020. You can watch a trailer for it on the website.

The festival also has a photography component, and one of the live events (viewable later) is a keynote speech on Feb. 13th by famed photographer Russ Burden, who will show photos he took in the Serengeti.

Of the 22 film collections, several contain films on a variety of different subjects, but there are collections on individual subjects, including: Climate Change; Colorado Issues; International Issues; Oil and Gas; Public Lands and Parks; Rivers; Solar Power; Water Issues; and Wildlife. One collection is just various short films.

On the website, you can view the titles of all the films in each “collection” and read descriptions of many of them.

For exhibitors like Golden Real Estate, this year’s virtual format is a big win, because each “exhibitor” has a link

you can click on to get the “elevator pitch” for that company or organization.

In our case, you click on Golden Real Estate to view a short video tour of the sustainable features which have made our office a true “net zero energy” facility. You wouldn’t get that opportunity standing at our booth in the physical exhibit hall.

Other exhibitors you’ll enjoy learning about include GoFarm, Metro Denver Green Homes Tour, Citizens Climate Lobby, Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary, Waste Management Recycling, Population Connection, and Tower Garden by Juice Plus. I’m looking forward to seeing their videos, because in past years I was too busy manning my own booth to visit the others!

The festival has always featured films by our youth (18 & under). This year there’s a live stream at 10 a.m. on Saturday the 13th called “Filmmaking 101 for Young Filmmakers” (also viewable later). Here’s a paragraph from the website: “Any young aspiring filmmaker... can join experts from Talk to the Camera for a fun, interactive workshop and introduction to the CEFF Youth Filmmaker Festival Challenge. Submit your storyboard to CEFF by Sunday, February 21.... Winner(s) will receive mentoring from a professional filmmaker in 2021 to help you complete and submit your youth environmental film for consideration for CEFF's 2022 Festival!”

Visit the Virtual Festival Home for all the details and to buy tickets — http:// ceff.eventive.org — and enjoy all the 15th annual Colorado Environmental Film Festival has to ofer from the comfort and safety or your own home! That web page has a useful calendar showing all the events that are live streamed.

Feb. 2021 Green Home of the Month

This month’s featured “green home” is Ron & Gretchen’s solar-powered home on Lookout Mountain. Watch my video tour of it with Ron at www.GreenHomeoftheMonth.com.

Jim Smith

See All Our Listings, Active & Under Contract, at www.GREListings.com

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851 Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com www.GoldenRealEstate.com Broker Associates: JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727 CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855 DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835 TY SCRABLE, 720-281-6783 ANDREA COX, 720-446-8674

4 Arvada Press

February 11, 2021F

A high-tech tour of Jeffco’s DeAngelis Center Technology and training combine to keep schools safe

BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The alarm is jarring. It sounds like a high-pitched metallic banging put through an electronic synthesizer. It jangles your nerves and causes an almost physical reaction with every pulse. The voices follow.

“ATTENTION! LOCK DOWN!…

ATTENTION! LOCK DOWN! “ It repeats, as more audio components are added to the mix.

“ATTENTION ALL UNITS! ATTENTION ALL UNITS! SHOTS FIRED! MULTIPLE PARTIES DOWN! SCHOOL IS IN LOCKDOWN!” It’s loud. Incredibly loud. Soon, screams and pleading of a terrified young girl fill your ears.

“HELP! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME! HELP ME PLEASE! PLEASE! I DON’T WANT TO DIE HERE!” There are flashing strobes, and the sound of gunshots ring out.

It’s chaos. Hearing it, even 30 seconds of it when you know what is coming, is difficult to wrap your mind around. Add smoke filling

the hallways to achieve complete sensory overload.

This is just a small sample of what law enforcement agencies, school safety personnel, first responders and others encounter during training at what is perhaps the country’s premier facility for crisis response.

In its short history, The DeAngelis Center for Community Safety has also played host to members of the Navy Seals, Air Marshals, ATF, Secret Service and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation… all free of charge.

Frank DeAngelis knows more than anyone would ever want to know about school shootings. As Principal of Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, all eyes were fixed upon the horrific tragedy that took place there, and his response to it.

There had been mass shootings in schools before. But none commanded more global attention than the massacre the world witnessed that day.

In the aftermath of the shootings, DeAngelis volunteered to step aside, but the District and community stood firmly behind him. He shepherded the school through years of healing and rebuilding, remaining principal there until his retirement in 2014.

So, it came as no surprise, except to DeAngelis himself, that a shut-

Frank DeAngelis stands in a shoot - don’t shoot room in the DeAngelis Center in PHOTOS BY BOB WOOLEY Wheat Ridge.

tered Wheat Ridge elementary school, turned training center for crisis response and mass casualty events, would be named in his honor.

Now, as a consultant and subject matter expert, he helps guide the state-of-the-art facility that bears his name.

The Center, originally the brainchild of John McDonald, Executive Director, School Safety, for Jeffco Schools, had previously stood for 57 years as Martensen Elementary.

“This school had been closed since 2011 and one day I was driving by and wondered if they’d let me SEE DEANGELIS, P9

John McDonald, executive director for the Jeffco Public Schools Department of School Safety, stands for a portrait at the DeAngelis Center in Wheat Ridge.

The day that changed everything A Columbine survivor looks back, to move forward

BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It started off as a beautiful day, he said. The kind of Colorado day we get in late April, when students sit outside at lunch and think about the summer ahead.

It was the kind of day, he said, that he wore all of his favorite clothes — Tshirt, windbreaker, shorts, because the laundry just worked out that day. It was the kind of suburban day in a place where it seems like nothing really bad ever happens. There are things like skateboarding injuries and unrequited teenage crushes, but nothing evil, he said. It was that kind of day… and then it wasn’t.

Sean Graves remembers that day in startling detail.

April 20, 1999, the day Colorado was thrust into the consciousness of the nation for a reason no one saw coming — the day Columbine High School became synonymous with deadly school shootings in America.

Graves, now 37, was a freshman, shot multiple times and left for dead that day. He was heading to Clement Park, next to the school,

with friends Dan Rohrbough and Lance Kirklin. They saw the shooters almost immediately but didn’t know who they were. They saw the black dusters and tactical-looking clothing and duffel bags. They saw them pull out the guns but kept walking toward the shooters because what was about to happen didn’t register as a possibility — even when the shooting started.

“We took notice of them pulling out weapons, but thought it was a senior prank. We’d heard rumors about something called Senior Annihilation,” Graves said. “We thought it was going to be paintball guns — seniors running around shooting paintballs.”

So, the teenage boys with no fear and a lot of curiosity forged ahead. Graves in the middle, Rohrbough to his right, Kirklin on his left.

Graves said he noticed the guns were all black, unlike any paintball gun he’d seen before, and thought the shooters had probably painted them. He saw them load the magazines and fire off some rounds, but because of their vantage point, he, Rohrbough and Kirklin couldn’t actually see that the shooters were firing at students, Rachel Scott and Richard Castaldo. They didn’t know Scott had just been killed, Castaldo critically wounded, so they took

a few more steps toward the shooters.

“Lance and I had come from hunting families. We’d both been around guns — we’d grown up around them.

I knew what I was staring at,” he said. “When they unloaded the first magazine, we knew it was gunfire, but convinced ourselves they must have been modified paintball guns that were using caps. Against our instincts, we pushed forward.

I made one or two steps, and they opened fire on us.”

Rohrbough was hit first. A bullet that passed through him hit the ground, sending a spray of dirt into Graves’ face, but it still didn’t make any sense to him. The shooters then sprayed them with gunfire, Graves taking a shot to the neck and three to the abdomen, Kirklin shot in the foot, leg and chest, Rohrbough fatally wounded, although Graves didn’t realize it in the moment. He said he didn’t even know he’d been shot with bullets instead of paintballs at that point.

He recalls Kirklin giving him good-natured grief for saying ‘screw this” and turning to head back into the school, having had enough of this senior prank.

He was almost back inside the door to the Commons area when he was shot in SEE COLUMBINE, P8

Sean Graves, Columbine survivor and DeAngelis Center manager.

PHOTO BY BOB WOOLEY

Arvada Press 5

1February 11, 2021

PROJECT FROM PAGE 1

students and Hiester says she doesn’t see it ever expanding beyond 450. She thinks it’s the perfect population size and allows the school to continue offer electives like circus arts and ceramics to name a few.

According to Hiester, about half of the school’s student body is made up of native Spanish speakers, with the other half coming from English speaking homes. All of the teachers are native or native-like Spanish speakers, which Hiester says really brings authenticity to accents and nuances of the language that students pick up on.

She describes the school as a multi-cultural experience with teachers hailing from Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico and the Canary Islands.

She also thinks the best way for kids to make the most of the program is to start early because of its immersive nature. She thinks it would be too difficult for a student to start in third or fourth grade.

“You really need to start this program in kindergarten or first grade because by third grade half of your day is in Spanish,” she said.

“And starting next year, we’re going to start that in kindergarten where half their day is in Spanish.”

Jeffco Schools Interim Superintendent, Kristopher Schuh, called Foster an important part of our community and gave credit to voters who passed the 2018 Bond and Capital Improvement Program for allowing it to grow and thrive.

Interim Jeffco Superintendent Kristopher Schuh speaks to the audience during a groundbreaking ceremony at Foster Dual Language PK-8 school on Feb. 3.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HICKS

The community came together and that was part of the ask, that then rolled into the bond and the Jeffco voters made it happen.

So, we now have the space to roll the program into the eighth grade, and families can come here starting in kindergarten and they can spend nine years, nine years learning a language.”

Work on the school will include a six-classroom addition for grades 6-8, a flex-classroom addition which can be used as a stage or for other activities or performances and extensive renovations on the existing building.

The additions and renovation projects should be completed in time for the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.

Foster Dual Language PK-8 Principal Leigh Hiester speaks to open a groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 3. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HICKS

Journalist Michael Hicks contributed to this report.

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6 Arvada Press

February 11, 2021F

The Bond and Capital Improvement projects: a deep dive Where things stand now with the millions of dollars entrusted to the Jeffco school district

BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When the Jeffco Public Schools district requested a $567 million bond in 2018, voters said yes, by a slim margin.

Over the next few weeks, the newspaper will take a closer look at the 2018 Bond and Capital Improvement Program, the 6-year project that’s overhauling, and in some cases rebuilding, schools across Jefferson County.

The program has provided many of the improvements, repairs and new facilities as promised, but critics say millions in cost overruns and a lack of transaprency have plagued it from the start.

In a series of stories the paper will explore and explain more about the bond, its finances, the construction issues, the extent to which promises have been delivered and critiquing where the district has perhaps fallen short.

The bond’s start

Starting off with a brief overview of the program and financial model used by Jeffco Schools, we’ll begin where all of the best stories do — at

the beginning.

According to Jeffco Schools’ Chief Operating Officer, Steve Bell, the origins of the program can be traced back to 2009. That’s the year the district began working on developing a comprehensive plan known as the Summary of Findings. Bell said the document provides the District with a foundation to evaluate all of the buildings in their asset base.

“We determined that we needed to spend a lot of time and some resources to develop a master plan for our district going forward by evaluating the condition of every facility that we had, what the needs were — and those are evaluated on 12 systemic features within each building,” he said. “In that Summary of Findings, there’s something called an FCI, which is a Facility Condition Index that gives us a numerical

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evaluation for the condition of each building.”

In 2016, Jeffco Schools also created a District-wide Facility Master Plan to coincide with a bond measure that was going to be on the ballot that year. According to Tim Reed, the District’s Executive Director, Facilities & Construction Management, the 2016 plan looked at all of the District’s facilities, determined what their deficiencies were and recommended closures and consolidations.

The 2016 bond measure was rejected by voters.

But the Master Plan was dusted off and changes were made to the document in an attempt to make a bond measure more palatable to voters in 2018. Although there is some overlap between them, the Summary of Findings and Facility Master Plan are two different documents.

They were not created for the same purpose, Bell said.

On Nov. 6, 2018, Jeffco voters approved the measure known as the Jeffco 5B Bond Request, by a margin of less than 2,000 votes.

By passing 5B, Jeffco voters gave the thumbs-up to increase property taxes over several years in order to fund a $567 million dollar bond issuance.

A school bond issuance is a type of loan. The District gets a large lump sum of money up-front and taxpayers pay it off with interest over several years. The money, in this case, $567 million comes from the sale of bonds purchased by investors. Bonds, especially highly-rated municipal bonds, are considered to be a safe investment. They’re also tax-exempt, which makes them even

more attractive to certain investors.

In some cases, market conditions make investors willing to bid up the price of the bond on the open market. In other words, investors pay more for the bond than its face value. That extra money investors pay is called the premium.

Because of IRS rules requiring 85% of bond money for capital projects to be spent within the first three years, the district wouldn’t have been able to spend the money fast enough if it issued all of the bonds at one time. So, Jeffco Schools issued the bonds in two phases. In 2018, the district issued $325 million in bonds and made an additional $50 million in premiums. That gave the district the money to start multiple projects. In the fall of 2020, Jeffco Schools issued the remaining bonds, and because interest rates had fallen to an all-time low, the premium came in even higher at $68 million.

To be clear, the premium is extra money that came as a result of both planning and good luck when the bonds were issued.

One sore spot with critics is the ways in which the district has seen fit to use the premium money and an estimated $11 million in bond interest A huge chunk of the money for the Capital Improvement Program, comes from the bond money. Another big source of funding comes from a process called capital transfer. In this case, the district is transferring $20 million per year for the bond project’s six years from the general fund, into the bond program. Capital transfer dollars are spent each year for maintenance and upkeep of the district’s buildings.

If you add the $120 million from capital transfer to the $567 million from the bonds, plus the $118 million in premiums and throw in the $11 million in interest earned, it amounts to the lion’s share of funding for the overall program — $816 million. There may be a bit more from interest added into the pot at some point, but for now, that is the size and the funding sources for the District’s Capital Improvement Plan.

In the next installment of this series, we’ll take a look at the program’s considerable cost overruns and changes in the scope of individual projects that might not match voter expectations.

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Arvada Press 7

1February 11, 2021

PROTECT MAPLE VALLEY PARK AND THE RALSTON CREEK TRAIL! Amazon is proposing to build a 24/7 “Last Mile” distribution center at 67th and Indiana adjacent to open space and homes.

This 24/7 use is incompatible with the community!

Imagine instead a compatible use… a walkable, bike-friendly “Village Concept” that embraces art, culture, small business and preserves the open space and historical value of the area.

Photo credit Jeremy West

LEARN MORE: www.protectmaplevalleypark.com ENGAGE: Sign petition • Volunteer • Donate BE HEARD: Contact Arvada City Council Members NOW as this vote will happen in the very near future!

8 Arvada Press

February 11, 2021F

COLUMBINE FROM PAGE 8

the spine with a 9mm slug.

Part of the bullet lodged near his T-12 vertebrae and is still there, giving him slight issues with lead poisoning to this day. A fragmented chunk of the bullet traveled down to his hip and exited his body, creating a little puff of dust when it hit the concrete in front of him.

He said it now reminds him of the line “When the bullet hits the bone” from the Golden Earring song Twilight Zone. Graves fell in the doorway, unable to move his legs, halfway inside the school, the heavy door jamming into his body.

A kitchen worker came to his aid while others were trying to pull him the rest of the way inside. She told them to stop because of his injury. She looked out to see one of the shooters coming down the hill toward the school. The other one stayed behind, firing from a stairway. Above Graves, a window shattered as a bullet ripped through it. He said one of the shooters had noticed people tending to him and had come under fire for their efforts. He didn’t know it at the time, but at that point, Kirklin had taken a shotgun blast to the face.

The woman trying to help him did know. She had seen the attempted execution of his friend as she looked out from the doorway.

“The look on her face was one of horror,” he said. “Pure fear, and the scene was becoming more chaotic.

People were screaming. There was a lot of movement inside the Com-

Sean Graves, Columbine survivor and DeAngelis Center manager, stands for a portrait in Wheat Ridge.

mons and the shooter was getting closer.”

According to Graves, people further inside the school had started to understand what was happening. He said teacher, Dave Sanders, figured it out right away.

A fire alarm went off and kids started evacuating.

The shooter moving toward the doorway stepped over Graves as he entered the Commons, stayed only for a few seconds to look around and had gone back outside, stepping in the middle of Graves’ back as he exited and walked up the hill.

From there, he and the other shooter made their way into the second level of the school. Graves said he laid there, bleeding out from his wounds. He smeared blood from his neck around his body to make his plan of playing dead more convinc-

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ing if the shooters came back, and listened to the sound of gunshots and pipe bombs going off.

“I realized they were above me in the library. I heard nonstop gunfire — not really rapid, but more spaced out,” he said. “I’d bought a Cherry Coke before everything started and dropped it as I fell in the doorway.

I was getting so thirsty and I kept looking at that soda, trying to reach it, but I couldn’t.”

Graves was able to get his backpack off and push himself backward enough to look behind him to see what had happened to his friends. He could tell Rohrbough wasn’t moving.

“Lance looked up. I didn’t realize he’d been shot in the face. I knew he was alive,” Graves said. “He kind of opened his mouth and was spitting out lots of blood. I remember watching him and I said “Oh, Lance.””

Graves said the next thing he knew, he was being hit in the top of his head with shrapnel from a nearby wall as the gunmen fired at a 20 lb. propane bottle directly in front of him, trying to blow it up. It had been placed there earlier, by the shooters. He said with every piece of shrapnel that hit his skull, he flinched and he feared the gunmen would realize he was still alive.

“Then there was a sound like a giant fireball,” he said. “I remember hearing another explosive go off and that entire commons lit up a brilliant shade of orange. There was a wave of intense heat — intense flames.

Sprinklers started going off, and they’re still shooting trying to set off bombs.”

At that moment, Graves said he was starting to feel cold and tired.

He prayed, “Please let me live and let me walk again.” He was chanting those words when he blacked out.

Long road of recovery

A brave but harrowing rescue by members of nearby Littleton Fire and Rescue Station 13 would follow.

Graves and Kirklin were put into the same ambulance initially, but the two friends were separated at a triage station a few blocks away from the school. Kirklin was sent to Denver Health, and Graves to Swedish Hospital. Upon his arrival, he was rushed into surgery and would spend more than 100 days hospitalized, between Swedish and his time in Craig Rehabilitation Center. For years after that, he

PHOTO BY BOB WOOLEY

went from school to rehab every day.

Paralyzed from the shooting, Graves spent the next three years in a wheelchair. After being told he’d probably never walk again, and that if he did, it would be with braces and crutches, he was motivated to prove the doctors wrong.

At his graduation from Columbine, he stood up from his wheelchair and walked across the stage to receive his diploma.

He’s undergone 48 surgeries and other procedures since the day that changed everything. Now, with a wife and young daughter, and having spent years working through the range of emotions that came with that tragic day, he’s found a light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Making a difference

The school shooting in Parkland, Florida, was triggering, he said.

The STEM shooting in Highlands Ranch made him angry. That’s when Graves, who’d previously been Colorado’s Ambassador for the Christopher Reeve Foundation, an organization dedicated to research of spinal cord injuries and improving the quality of life for people impacted by paralysis, decided he needed to do something else to help make a difference.

John McDonald, Executive Director, Jeffco Public Schools Department of School Safety, asked Graves about coming to work for him after the two of them had several interactions while planning the 20-year memorial of the Columbine tragedy. Graves now spends his days as a manager at the Frank DeAngelis Center for Community Safety, working at the facility created to support law enforcement and school safety training and tactics for mass casualty events.

He said he wanted to give back and believes in the Center’s mission wholeheartedly. He loves being a part of a group of people he looks up to as heroes, saying it’s fulfilling to his soul.

“Every single person that works for the Department of School Safety will give their life to save anyone’s child,” he says. “They’re the most caring people you’ll ever meet in your life. They’re passionate in making a difference — in keeping a child from being killed or injured. I used to avoid the fact I was a Columbine survivor, but now I’ve learned to embrace it. The universe wants me right where I am.”

Arvada Press 9

1February 11, 2021

DEANGELIS

Frank DeAngelis and Ron Mitchell watch a training exercise at the DeAngelis Center in Wheat Ridge.

FROM PAGE 4

confiscate an elementary school and turn it into a training center,” McDonald said.

And sure enough, they did. The District gave McDonald $150 thousand in seed money to clear out years of cobwebs and revamp the building into what it has become.

Far from a spider’s paradise now, the Center recently installed advanced technology making it the only training center of its kind that McDonald is aware of. As you walk through the doors, it gives off, well, an old-school vibe — and that’s on purpose. Just inside, above the main doors, a colorful mural from its days as Martensen remains.

“We kept that mural there as a reminder of what this center is all about,” McDonald said. “I want everybody to understand what we’re trying to do here.”

Perched high, throughout the hallways and classrooms, 360-degree cameras are capable of recording every square inch of the building.

McDonald said they’re an invaluable tool in evaluating performance of training exercises.

“We can immediately show people what they did right and what they did wrong — what those lessons learned are. It uses a software similar to NFL instant replay software,” he said.

Next up, McDonald leads the way to what he calls a “virtual shoot house.”

A large room containing several smaller partitioned rooms, it looks

PHOTO BY BOB WOOLEY

decidedly more high-tech than the rest of the building.

“We’re the first in the country to have this,” McDonald says.

“It’s the first of its kind. Every room has cameras that can project a virtual event happening. You can have different events going, or you can have one event.”

A modern take on the shoot / don’t shoot training tactic law enforcement has used for decades, this interactive version allows for multiple scenarios to occur at the same time.

It also gives trainees the ability to employ lethal or non-lethal means of deterrence.

And gives them opportunities to de-escalate situations when appropriate.

There are conference rooms to allow groups attending to debrief and engage in the kind of in-depth discussions McDonald says are vital to the center’s success. One such room displays the names and dates of all Colorado school shootings. It’s a long list, and another constant reminder

to those who visit of the important work that takes place here.

There are traditional shoot / don’t shoot classrooms full of desks with cardboard cutouts made from photos of fourth graders in the district.

Some are holding guns, others hold pens, electronic devices, whiteboard erasers and the like, there are backpacks and books and other distracting elements on desks to add to the confusion of the scene.

The final spot McDonald leads the way to is a large interactive simulation room. One entire wall is a projection screen giving trainees a chance to experience an immersive scenario controlled by a staff member, in this case, facility manager and Columbine shooting survivor, Sean Graves. On screen, actors portray victims and bad guys. The trainee tries to get control of a situation that may or may not escalate to a lethal end, depending on which way Graves thinks it should go, based on the trainee’s performance.

Sometimes it may be necessary for

the trainee to shoot to kill. In true to life fashion, there’s also a possibility that he or she can be taken out by the assailant.

For Graves, who still battles some of the injuries he sustained at Columbine, being hired by McDonald to manage the center brings things full circle. It not only gives him a chance to work with groups of people he considers heroes, it’s also an empowering way to help those agencies achieve the best possible outcomes in future events. It’s a job he takes seriously on every level. His pride is on full display when he tells a story of his daughter calming the fears of her kindergarten classmates during a recent lockdown drill.

DeAngelis and McDonald have consulted with other schools like Sandy Hook and Parkland in the aftermath of other tragedies. They, along with Graves and new DeAngelis board member, Ron Mitchell, would like to believe it won’t happen again, but are resigned to realities facing this country.

“You’d better be having that conversation today and preparing for tomorrow,” McDonald said. “Because somewhere, someplace, tomorrow is going to happen.”

So, they do what they do. Push forward, think about the future, find resources to improve threat assessment and mental health and keep the mission top of mind.

At the end of the day, DeAngelis summed it up best.

“I think all of us, when that horrific event happened on that day, made a promise — we’re going to do everything we can to make sure those kids didn’t die in vain, and that’s why we’re all here.

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10 Arvada Press

February 11, 2021F

LOCAL

VOICES

Five-dollar words may not make cents QUIET DESPERATION

Craig Marshall Smith

T

his column is overdue, so I am going to overdo it.

Are you stationary or stationery?

Recently when I erred, a reader corrected me: “You wrote ‘cue’ when you meant ‘queue.’”

My tale was between my legs.

Let’s go to Homophone City first. It’s write on the way.

Their, they’re, there.

So, sew. Sue, Sioux. Red, read. Stationary, stationery. To, too, two.

Homophones are two or more words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings and spellings.

There’s more.

Homographs are two or more words that have the same spelling but are not necessarily pronounced the same and have different meanings.

Homonyms are two or more words that have the same spelling or pronunciation

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Arvada kudos

Thank you for including your article of on “Arvada pitches in to give middle schoolers a remote learning boost”, it struck a chord.

I grew up in Denver in the late 1950s. I could certainly have taken advantage of a “Team Up Jeffco” program which would have made life a lot easier in my later years.

As it was, my grades in middle and high school suffered so I had to take remedial classes before and during college. Consequently, it took me eight years to get a BSAE. Kudos to Jefferson County school system for providing support to “Team Up Jeffco” and also to Jean Boylan and Katie Winner for thinking outside the box and having the grit to get a program up and running.

Also, Ms. Wilma Gundy’s letter regarding how the library staff thought “outside the box” to serve a citizen. I used to frequent a Denver branch library when I was in middle school. It was great! The branch had DIY books on auto repair, amateur radio, and maintenance manuals on Mercedes Benz sedans and Jag XK120. Good diagrams of how a differential operated and the same with mechanical fuel injection. I credit them with keeping me out of juvenile hall.

Again, thanks for the coverage.

Steve Schroeder, Arvada

Not so open spaces

I was disappointed to hear on the news of closure of several SEE LETTERS, P11

A publication of

Call first: 14143 Denver West Pkwy., Suite 100, Golden 80401, 303-566-4100 Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 Web: ArvadaPress.com To subscribe call 303-566-4100

J

but different meanings.

Am this putting a spell on you?

Examples of homophones: pray and prey.

Examples of homographs: lean and lean.

Examples of homonyms: bark and bark.

A twenty carat ring might be worth fifteen thousand dollars.

A twenty carrot ring might be worth considerably less.

“Less is more,” someone said.

If your name is Les, then what?

My dog’s name, Harry, is a homophone and a homograph. To “harry” means “to persistently carry out attacks on.”

If it’s scary enough, a roller coaster ride can be “harry” too.

Speaking of “it’s.” “It’s” and “its” are written wrong awl the thyme.

There’s “a lot” and there’s “allot,” but there’s no “alot.”

Gertrude Stein said, “There is no there there.”

“I saw the saw with my own eyes,” the sea captain said.

I have the toughest time distinguishing between complimentary and complementary.

“That’s a beautiful hat you’re wearing, Sonja,” is complimentary.

Red and green are complementary colors.

Learning how to read is one of the great adventures in life. And so is learning how to listen and understand that a “great adventure” is different than a “grate adventure.”

Some humorists rely on word confusion.

A conversation between Groucho and Chico (pronounced “Chick-o”) Marx was often a non-stop contest of mangled language at a dizzying speed.

There are so many wordplays in a Marc Brothers film, one after the other, I can’t SEE SMITH, P11

Tom freakin’ Brady

ust enjoy it. True greatness doesn’t come around very often.

I know, I know. I live in Denver, I’m a die hard HITTING Broncos fan. I’m not supposed to say HOME nice things about Tom Brady. But, come on — we’ve rarely seen anything like this.

Jack Nicklaus won 18 major tournaments, his first at the age of 22 and his last at the age of 46. In that span, Michael Alcorn he won 18% of all the major tournaments played.

Until the gap between #17 and #18, he never went more than two years without a major tournament victory. It was sustained excellence unlike anything the professional golf world had ever seen. And, yes, Tiger Woods was more dominant in his time, winning 14 majors in his first 12 years as a pro. But then he took 11 years, um, er ... off … before getting his next win. No question of his excellence — it just wasn’t as sustained as Nicklaus’.

Wayne Gretzky was pretty good, too. In his time in Edmonton, “The Great One,” won four Stanley Cup Championships with the Oilers.

Now, there are plenty of people who have won more than four championships. But none of your Jordans, your Kobes, your Serenas, have had the same impact on the sports

they play that Gretzky did. Gretzky completely changed hockey, from a game of individuals controlling the puck and trying to take on an entire team for a goal, to one in which the puck moved around the ice, with everybody having a touch until someone was in the perfect position to score. Just to highlight how much that philosophy changed the game, consider this: if you take out ALL of the goals Gretzky scored over a 20-year career, he would still be the highest scoring player in the history of the game (in hockey, you get credit for making a pass that sets up a goal).

Which brings us back to Brady.

No position in professional sports is as important, or as celebrated, as the quarterback position. And, in his 21-year career, Tom Brady has led his team to the Super Bowl 10 times, winning 7 of them. To put that in perspective, no TEAM has ever won more than 6 Super Bowls (including the Brady-led Patriots).

The odds of Tom Brady leading his team to the Super Bowl in any given year (48%) is better than the odds of Steph Curry making a 3-point shot (43%); the odds of Brady winning a Super Bowl in any given year (33%) is better than the Nuggets’ 3-point shooting this year (just kidding, it only seems that way).

Just since the retirement of Tom Brady’s greatest rival, Peyton Manning, he’s gone on to play in three more Super Bowls, and win two of them, with two different teams.

That is sustained excellence.

But there is a pile of hate directed at Brady, and that baffles me. Sure, some of it is homerism, and some of it is related to various cheating scandals. But, let’s be honest, most of it comes from a nearly reflexive societal disdain for greatness. It’s jealousy.

We assume that the greats get that way by stepping over people, by taking things away from other people, that it is somehow unnatural and unfair for some to achieve at that ridiculous level while others … don’t.

But Brady didn’t step over people to get where he is —he lifted his teammates up; he doesn’t take anything from anybody —he gives of his time and energy to focus on the big goal; and there’s nothing unnatural…

OK, of course there’s something unnatural about it. But, if you read about his training regiment, you’d understand what he does to produce it.

Perhaps it’s time to stop being jealous of greatness, and simply sit back and enjoy it. Maybe learn from it. We’re not likely to see it very often again.

P.S. Also true of many other aspects of life. Envy is a bad foundation for a life philosophy.

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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Arvada Press 11

1February 11, 2021

COUNCIL FROM PAGE 1

“We know our customers are really important and we want to make sure Republic Services are aware of the needs in our community,” Gillis said.

Before the work session, Arvada City Council unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise for a cash grant of $500,000 to support the purchase of recycling carts, said City Manager Mark Deven.

This would coincide with a previous grant from Recycling Partnership of $512,000 awarded with $480,000 going toward cart purchases.

Customer Information Manager Jason O’Keefe said that the city hasn’t ordered any carts as of yet.

LETTERS FROM PAGE 10

Open Space trails in Golden for six months beginning Feb 1. Reported reasons were to allow the local elk herds privacy for birthing and to limit disturbance to nesting raptors on the Table Mountains.

Elk have become a common and welcome sight in the Golden area.

These elk chose to move into our

SMITH FROM PAGE 10

assimilate them. Therefore, every time I watch “Duck Soup” it seems new to me.

“What about the taxes?”

“I’ve got an uncle who lives in Texas.”

“Gentlemen, Cicolini here may talk like an idiot and look like an idiot. But don’t let that fool you: He really is an idiot.”

If you know someone who appreciates homophones, homographs, and homonyms it can be tiring to be around them.

I know: I have to live with myself.

Just about everything is ripe for the word playground.

“Jose, can you see?”

Yes, some song lyrics are misunderstood.

- “I can see clearly now, Lorraine is

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

It won’t have a firm number until mid-April, but tentative expectations are to order 26,000 trash cans and additional 26,000 recycling bins from Schaefer Systems International.

There are 5,800 tenant/landlord arrangements, according to the city.

The plan is to notify both parties with landlords being sent a selection postcard one week before tenants.

Councilmember John Marriott said that given the city’s utility billing system it would make sense that the property owner be the one who decides whether to enroll in the waste hauling program or not, particularly if they don’t reside in Arvada.

“It ought to be the property owner who responds. If not, it goes to the default selection,” Marriott suggested.

Gillis noted, however, that the decision may be what it’s in the lease agreement between the tenant and area in recent years, and we have embraced their presence. Why give them extra protections when there seems to be no evidence that they need it?

Likewise, local birders have long known of nesting raptors in the cavities of rock faces from Red Rocks to the Table Mountains. The birds haven’t seemed bothered by our presence up until now; so why is it suddenly a problem?

Are these closed areas Open Space trails or an animal refuge gone.”

“This is the dawning of the Age of Aquariums.”

A friend said her wedding “went off without a hitch.”

“Then you’re not married?” She didn’t get it.

My own marriage did go off without a hitch. When the justice of the peace asked, “Greg, do you take this woman to be your awfully wedding wife?” I said “Adieu,” and left.

Groucho quipped, “Love goes out the door when money comes innuendo.”

Dorothy Parker said, “And I’ll stay off Verlaine too; he was always chasing Rimbauds.”

But seriously.

As Alexander Woollcott remarked, “Nothing risqué, nothing gained.”

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

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

landlord about utility expenses.

As for which size trash cart a resident should receive if they don’t respond to the city’s request for a decision, the city council was split between the medium-sized 65-gallon bin and the larger 95-gallon one.

The city expects to receive numerous non-responses. Gillis said that according to Schaefer Systems International, a 20% response rate would be considered “good.”

According to Republic Services, per Gillis, the most commonly used cart is 65 gallons, used by 45% of customers, followed by a 95-gallon cart used by 30% of customers. That said, Marriott suggested that the most logical choice would be the 65-gallon cart as the default size.

But others suggested the larger bin with the option to downsize later.

“We should start with 95 gallons to

get people used to using the recycling bin first,” Councilmember Lauren Simpson said. “Change is really hard, but 95 gallons is the standard size for most people across Arvada.”

Deven agreed that the 95-gallon bin appeared the way to go.

“I respect the council’s feeling on this. With the information that we’ve received from providers and going back to (Councilmember Bob) Fifer, we could end up in a situation where we would not have enough 95-gallon carts, especially to start out with. Part of this is education. We’re throwing recycling away.”

Residents will have the option to change their cart size once in the first 180 days without being charged, Gillis said.

Either way, Mayor Marc Williams advocated for continuing the education process with residents on reducing waste even after the program is implemented.

area? At a time when we are all suffering from the isolation brought on by the Covid pandemic, it has been a joy to see our parks and trails full of people eager to get out, but respecting the hazards of crowds, taking to the outdoors.

Closure of these trails at this particular time seems especially insensitive. Open Space management

should rethink the decision to close such vital areas with flimsy justification. I also urge the Jefferson County Commissioners to examine the mission of the Open Space program to ascertain that program managers are following their mandate in spirit and fact.

Bob Fleming, Golden

Bin size

OBITUARIES ELLEFSON

Joseph Eugene Ellefson Ellefson, Joseph Eugene (Gene), Age 90, of Arvada, CO, passed away peacefully on December 17, 2020.

He is survived by his wife Jeanne; daughters Deborah Kravick and Nina Martin (Robert); four grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren; his brother Bruce (Linda) and sister Karen (David) Jones, and many nieces and nephews.

Gene was born on the family farm in Becker, MN, the first of five children. The family moved to Columbia Heights, MN, when Gene was 13 years old. He graduated from high school in 1948. Gene served in the Navy from 1948 to 1950.

Gene worked for the Soo Line Rail Road before and after military service. Gene joined his father in law in an insurance agency before joining The Hartford Insurance Company at the Minneapolis regional office. In 1973, he transferred to the Denver Regional office of The Hartford as the audit manager. He retired from The Hartford after a long career.

Gene enjoyed golf and travel. He and his wife traveled across the United States and Canada with friends and family. They cruised in the Caribbean and Alaska.

Gene was a craftsman. He made many toys, games, and furniture over the years. He was able to paint, wallpaper, install floors and serve as an all-around handyman as good as or better than many professionals. He took pride in maintaining his yard and home, doing the work well into his eighties. In his later years, he crocheted over 200 hats for charity.

Gene was an active member of King of Glory Lutheran Church. He served on the board and maintained the church’s books for many years. The family asks that donations be made to King of Glory Lutheran Church, 10001 W 58th Ave., Arvada, CO 80002, in Gene’s name.

Interment will be at a later date in Minnesota.

In Loving Memory

Place an Obituary for Your Loved One.

Private 303-566-4100

Obituaries@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Funeral Homes Visit: www.memoriams.com

12 Arvada Press

LOCAL

LIFE

Stories of romance reflect unique challenges, opportunities

Couples

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

February 11, 2021F

find love

O

n Oct. 21, Chuck Coughlin was visiting his wife’s grave in a Boulder cemetery when he noticed a woman visiting her husband’s grave.

He saw her name — Marj O’Reilly — on the tombstone next to her husband’s and made a comment about how her first name was similar to his mother’s.

Not the best pick-up line, O’Reilly later joked.

The two struck up a conversation and found out they had a lot in common, and decided to meet again soon.

Before long, the two were in a relationship, and on New Year’s Day, Coughlin proposed. They recently set a date — June 11 — for their wedding.

All because they bumped into each other at the cemetery last October, O’Reilly said.

Just like their meeting, Coughlin and O’Reilly’s relationship during the pandemic has been unique.

And they’re not alone.

COVID-19 has forced couples across the Denver area to confront serious topics, such as health and politics, early in a relationship while eliminating many activities they might do on dates.

“Pandemic dating kind of expedites dating 10 times over,” said Blair Nelson of Denver, who met her boyfriend virtually last spring. “… We often joke that we’ve been together almost nine months, and it feels like we’ve been together for three years.”

Meanwhile, how to meet each other’s friends and family has varied from couple to couple, with many saying they’re taking precautions while others said they haven’t taken any.

Coughlin and O’Reilly, who live in Lakewood and Broomfield, respectively, have taken precautions by meeting loved ones virtually or outside with social distancing.

“Our families live so far apart,” Coughlin said, “I’m not sure it would’ve been any different (without the pandemic).”

amid p a nd

d n i w emic whirl

Chuck Coughlin and Marj O’Reilly spend time at Davidson Mesa Open Space on Jan. 23. After meeting O’Reilly in October, Coughlin PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN proposed on New Year’s Day. The two will be married June 11.

Chuck Coughlin and Marj O’Reilly spend time at Louisville’s Douglas Mesa Open Space on Jan. 23. After meeting O’Reilly in October, Coughlin proposed on New Year’s Day. The two will be married June 11.

PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

O’Reilly felt that, by now, they at least would have connected more with their family members who live in Colorado, particularly over the holidays.

Nelson and her boyfriend, Patrick Marlin of Idaho Springs, have taken similar measures. Marlin met most of Nelson’s friends and coworkers virtually while Nelson met Marlin’s family outdoors at hikes and bonfires.

However, Nelson described how Marlin met her parents much ear-

Denver’s Blair Nelson and Idaho Springs’ Patrick Marlin met virtually in May and had their first in-person date in July after Marlin moved back from North Carolina. The COURTESY PHOTO two enjoy hiking and skiing together.

lier when her parents were in town while driving from Texas to Seattle for the summer.

Nelson and Marlin have also driven to Texas twice, and quarantined both times.

“We’ve been very careful when

we’re in public or traveling,” Marlin said, adding that they wear masks and clean their hands frequently.

“We haven’t gotten COVID yet, but some of that is probably luck.”

SEE LOVE, P13

Stars rising in Lakewood talent show

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Clarke Reader

O

ne of the things so many have been yearning for during the last year is a sense of the familiar - the comfort of things that have been happening year after year and can be counted on to deliver fun and enjoyment. So, when the annual Night of the Stars talent show series that happens in cities all over the state had to be put on hold in 2021, Lakewood decided to step up.

“Getting back to normal will take time, and the technology we have been able to install in our theater is helping us stay connected in a different yet wonderful way,” said Nathalie Renfroe, cultural programs coordinator, in an email interview.

“Connection and participation through this hybrid (in-person/virtual) model is helping us find this balance that will serve our community.”

The resulting event is the Lakewood Rising Stars Talent Show, which will be held on Saturday, March 13. The city is accepting audition videos through Friday, Feb. 26. The contest is open to any who wish to participate, not only Lakewood residents. Selected contestants will perform live on stage at the Lakewood Cultural Center on the 13th.

Solo and group auditions will be accepted in two groups: for children under 18 and for adults. There is a $5 fee per entry, and contestants can submit a two- to four-min-

ute audition video in the following categories: voice (includes singers performing to a recorded track), music (includes any instrument or combination of instrument and voice) and variety (includes dance, comedy, spoken word, martial arts and other movement).

“Performances we have seen over the years range from comedians, ventriloquists, martial artists, hula-hoopers, Irish step dancers, drum kit soloists and even sand animation,” Renfroe wrote. “This is the first time we have extended the age category to include adults, so I am excited SEE READER, P13

Arvada Press 13

1February 11, 2021

LOVE FROM PAGE 12

Finding things to do

Nelson said the pandemic prompted her to take a more serious look at her love life and have a greater interest in a relationship.

However, while other couples said they met through dating apps and websites during the pandemic, Nelson knew that wasn’t for her.

Instead, she took the premise behind online dating, and applied it to her professional network. She described how, in May, she sent out a very honest and vulnerable newsletter-like email about herself and what she was looking for in a partner to 110 people, asking if they knew anyone who would be a good fit.

Marlin’s cousin was one of the recipients and set them up virtually, as Marlin was actually in North Carolina.

As a someone in business-tobusiness sales with a part-time bartending gig, Marlin recalled spending a lot of time alone in his apartment, and getting an email one day about Nelson.

The two described how they texted for a few weeks before their first phone call.

In July, Marlin packed everything he could in his car and headed

READER FROM PAGE 12

to see who participates.”

Contestants’ performances will be rated on four criteria (presentation, showmanship, level of skill and overall performance) on a scale of 0-5 points in each category for a total of 20 points. Gift card prizes will be awarded to the top three highest overall scores from all participants.

Due to COVID restrictions, there will be limited theater seating for those hoping to catch the performances in person, but the Lakewood Cultural Center theater is equipped with cameras to offer the performance live through a private livestream link.

“The hope is that contestants are able to share the talent they are passionate about and to share a fun and meaningful experience with others,” Renfroe wrote. “Audience members always are excited to cheer their person on stage, watch all the wonderful talent that is presented and to see who will win first place.”

Those wishing to watch the contest can purchase limited theater seating or livestream options. For information and to submit an entry, visit www.Lakewood.org/TalentShow.

Love reigns at Cherry Creek North

With Valentine’s Day just a few short days away and many indoor date options not safe during the pandemic, Cherry Creek North is turning on its love light to create some perfectly seasonal ambiance and activity options.

Love Cherry Creek North will be running throughout February and will feature more than 600,000 twinkling lights lighting the areas

back to Colorado. The two had planned their first in-person date on July 17.

It didn’t go well.

Marlin recalled how the restaurant they went to had terrible food and drinks, so they left, got groceries and cooked at home.

“I think it was too much pressure after months of talking,” he continued.

However, things went much better after that, and because of the pandemic, Marlin described how they would spend a few days together rather than a few hours on a date.

Hiking, biking, skiing and camping have been very popular activities for Marlin and Nelson, as well as others. As for indoor activities, couples said they’ve also spent time cooking; doing puzzles and coloring books; and playing card, board and video games together.

“It’s hard to get reservations and capacities are limited,” Nelson said. “We didn’t have ballgames or concerts or the ease of spontaneity.

We really had to plan and be intentional about things.”

In each other’s bubble

While they hadn’t contracted COVID-19 as of late January, Marlin and Nelson said they’d dealt with a few potential exposure scares and subsequent quarantines. They’ve discussed the likelihood of both 16 blocks. Those in search of a romantic dinner or drink will have options that include rooftops, firepits, domes and tents (in addition to delivery and to-go options).

Many shops, including Le Creuset Boutique and The Brass Bed, will be offering special discounts to fit with the holiday.

For more information about the event, visit www.cherrycreeknorth. com/post/love-cherry-creek-north.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week - Tibet House US Benefit Concert

The Tibet House US Benefit Concert is reaching its 34th iteration this year, and the pandemic won’t stop musicians, artists and supporters from rallying to the cause.

The virtual event will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, and will combine live and pre-recorded segments on the Mandolin streaming service.

In addition to artistic director and famed composer Philip Glass, the event will feature artists like Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Phoebe Bridgers, Brittany Howard, Valerie June and Angélique Kidjo. The livestream will kick off with a message from the 14th Dalai Lama.

Tickets for the show can be purchased at https://boxoffice.mandolin.com.

Streaming style - KGNU Community Radio’s live Mardi Gras Mardi Gras is one of the KGNU Community Radio’s biggest annual fundraisers, so even though the party can’t be in person the year, the station and Colorado Friends of Cajun-Zydeco Music and Dance have a found virtual way to celebrate.

The organizations are hosting a free Virtual Mardi Gras and Live Broadcast at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13. The event will feature more than three hours of music with live

of them getting it if one of them contracts it, and decided they’re going to support each other if that happens.

Arguably, the bigger concern has been keeping their loved ones safe, explaining that they were going to quarantine for a week before visiting family in late January.

Other individuals in relationships, especially those who live alone, consider them and their significant other as in the same bubble, so if one of them gets COVID, they’ll probably both get it.

Coughlin and O’Reilly had to confront that reality in mid-November, when O’Reilly tested positive for COVID-19. Coughlin never had symptoms but later tested positive for antibodies.

While they’ve certainly been concerned that they gave it to each other, Coughlin explained that, at that point, they’d never spent time in close quarters together. All their meetings had been outside or socially distanced.

Thus, they’re not sure where O’Reilly contracted it.

All throughout their relationship, the two have been emailing and video-chatting almost every day. They also went hiking and walking together a lot.

“I think (COVID-19) made us more cautious with each other,” O’Reilly said of their initial interactions.

Now the two, who are both in their 70s, have received their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and are looking forward to getting married in June.

Both of them came from very happy marriages, and their widowhood was something helped them bond so quickly and deeply. Coughlin and O’Reilly also both lost their spouses to cancer-related complications in March 2020 and December 2018, respectively.

Finding someone who understood that loss and who was able to support them through it was providential, they described.

“I was so blessed to find this woman,” Coughlin said. “The chances of finding each other are so low.”

Likewise, Marlin and Nelson described how, after spending months alone in their apartments, they were thankful to have someone in their lives to support them, especially through job loss, stress and anxiety, and other pandemiccaused issues.

“I think we are so much stronger,” Nelson said of being in a relationship during the pandemic. “… It’s hard but it’s definitely been worth it.”

DJs, a live costume contest with prizes, dance lessons, tarot card readings and more, according to provided information.

To attend, visit KGNU.org to

RSVP.

Contact reporter Corinne Westeman at 303-567-4491 or cwesteman@ coloradocommunitymedia.com, and follow her on Twitter @cwesteman.

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

Camp Apex has all your childcare camp needs covered – summer day camps, school breaks and non-contact days, sports, arts, STEM, and so much more!

APEX PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT 13150 W 72nd Ave, Arvada, CO 80005 303.424.2739 ApexPRD.org

14 Arvada Press

February 11, 2021F

Parks board to consider options for Lubahn Trail JCOS to offer suggestions at March meeting

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With its easy accessibility to central Golden, proximity to Castle Rock above and views of downtown Golden below, the Lubahn Trail seems to be a hiker’s dream.

But in recent years, the same factors that make the trail so attractive have combined to make it into something of a nightmare for the city of Golden officials charged with managing the trail as an everincreasing deluge of trail users has caused damage that threatens the trail’s stability. While most of South Table Mountain’s trails are under the jurisdiction of Jefferson County Open Space, the Lubahn Trail is property of the city of Golden.

“The trail has been around for a long time and it is in really poor condition,” said Rod Tarullo, the director of Golden’s parks department. “There’s probably a variety of reasons for that but it was never really built to today’s trail standards and we have a lot more people using our trails then we did in past years.”

One of the trail’s biggest current issues is erosion of both it and surrounding land, which is often exacerbated by damage to the trail’s rock edges caused by hikers

LUBAHN TRAIL HISTORY According to the Stewards of Golden advocacy group, the trail was constructed by Colorado School of Mines professor Jack Lubahn, who lived nearby with his family at 19th Street and Table Drive.

According to a post on the Stewards of Golden website, Lubahn would head out each day at 6:30 a.m. to work on the trail before being at Mines by 8:30 a.m. The current trail took six years to finish and was completed in 1971.

To build the switchbacks, Lubahn had to move boulders weighing up to 2 tons using only a block and tackle pulley. A marker honoring Lubahn can be found on the trail. and bikers who have taken shortcuts along the trail doing damage to the rock walls that make up the trail’s edges.

The situation has gotten so bad that the parks department now considers the trail’s current configuration unsustainable and the city’s parks, recreation and museums board is now looking into options to address the situation.

Tarullo said that while this process is still in its early stages, there is no shortage of options when it comes to what the city could ultimately do about the trail.

“We could go in and redesign the trail to more of today’s standards which would probably require some level of relocation,” he said.

“We could close the trail, or we could potentially make a loop of that trail to go up towards the top

of the city’s property and then connect it to the Olivine trail, which is just to the south.”

Unlike the Lubahn Trail, the new Olivine Trail, which connects a lower portion of the Luban Trail to the Old Quarry Trail further to the south is on Jefferson County Open Space land.

Among the challenges with the trail are the nature of its location and topography, which Jeffco Open Space spokesman Matt Robbins said is not suited to lots of traffic and makes addressing damage caused by shortcutting particularly difficult.

“It’s really hard in locations with that slope and that type of soil component to get anything to reveg there,” he said. “It’s not a place where you can sprinkle some seed and have it grow back — it faces to the south and west so it gets a lot of sun and just gets beat up.”

On Feb. 2, several members of the city’s parks board met with staff from JCOS to walk the trail, assess the damage and discuss some of those options.

Robbins said the plan is now for JCOS officials to create a document outlining what JCOS thinks can and should be done with the trail and present it at the parks, recreation and museum’s board March meeting on March 18 at 6 p.m. That meeting will be accessible via the city of Golden website.

While the trail is under city jurisdiction, Tarullo said the city feels it makes sense to consult with JCOS

on possible options because that agency has more expertise managing hiking trails like the Lubahn.

While erosion is the most pressing issue when it comes to the sustainability of the trail itself, Tarullo said concerns about the lack of parking at the trailhead (which is located near homes just north of the intersection of 18th Street and Belvedere Drive) and the common usage of the trail as a means of getting to Castle Rock would need to be addressed in any decision making process about the trail’s future.

The latter is a concern, Tarullo said, because Castle Rock is located on private land and the city does not want to imply that it is OK for the public to trespass on that land.

That challenge was underscored by an online survey that found that 253 respondents say they use the trail to access Castle Rock, the second most chosen of the five options for reasons for using the trail listed on the survey after exercise.

Tarullo said the survey also confirmed that there is a lot for the city to take into account, as feelings appear to vary greatly depending on “if you are a Mines student trying to get to Castle Rock or someone living in the neighborhood there.”

However, there was one takeaway that stood out above the others, Tarullo said.

“I think it showed that there are a lot of perspectives and views but that the trail is well-loved,” he said.

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1February 11, 2021

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16 Arvada Press

February 11, 2021F

Open Space seasonal wildlife closures begin STAFF REPORT

of the

2021 BEST OF THE

BEST VOTING STARTS

MARCH 1 ! st

Seasonal wildlife closures of certain Jefferson County Open Space land went into effect on Feb. 1.

Every year the closures at the parks are instituted to protect species at sensitive times in their life cycles. In the associated news release, Jeffco Open Space asks for the public’s help in protecting the wildlife we all love by respecting seasonal wildlife closures in the following locations.

Centennial Cone — Elk Range Trail at Centennial Cone Park, including the interior of the park, is closed from through mid-June to protect elk during their calving season. All other trails are open.

Clear Creek Canyon Park — Portions of Clear Creek Canyon Park near Mile Marker 270 are closed to all public use uphill of US Highway 6 through July 31 to protect nesting eagles. This closure includes the following rock-climbing sites: Bumbling Stock, Stumbling Block, Skinny Legs, Blonde Formation, and Ghost Crag. The Fault Caves are also included in this closure.

Portions of Clear Creek Canyon Park, near Tunnel 2, are also closed to all public use uphill of US Highway 6 through July 31 for nesting eagles. This closure includes the following rock climbing sites: Highlander, Evil Area, and Tetanus Garden.

Deer Creek Canyon Park/ Hildebrand Ranch Park — The entirety of Black Bear Trail, which connects Deer Creek Canyon Park and Hildebrand Ranch Park, is closed through July 31 to protect nesting birds of prey.

North Table Mountain Park — Rim Rock Trail at North Table Mountain Park is closed through July 31 to protect

ground-nesting bird habitat and nesting birds of prey.

South Table Mountain — Park Lava Loop trail at South Table Mountain Park is closed through July 31 to protect ground-nesting bird habitat and nesting eagles.

Cathedral Spires Park — The entirety of Cathedral Spires Park is closed from March 1 through July 31 to protect nesting birds of prey.

Crown Hill Park — The Crown Hill Park Wildlife Refuge is closed from March 1 through June 30 to protect nesting and brooding waterfowl.

Learn more at www.jeffco.us/ open-space. About Seasonal Closures: Seasonal wildlife closures apply to all park visitors and all types of visitation. Jeffco Open Space staff use applicable Federal, State, and local laws and guidelines as well as knowledge of wildlife populations to delineate closure areas and time periods. Seasonal wildlife closures are put into place in response to conditions on the ground to protect sensitive species. Jeffco Open Space Natural Resources staff and wildlife monitoring volunteers monitor local conditions during closures and adjust as needed.

Violating wildlife park closures can result in fines of as much as $200.

Violations of seasonal closures implemented to protect bald or golden eagles may result in a fine of $100,000, imprisonment, or both. For more information on The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668c), enacted in 1940, visit: www.fws.gov/birds/policiesand-regulations/.

To report active violations of closure areas, contact the Jeffco Sheriff ’s dispatch at (303) 9807300.

www.ArvadaPress.com To provide the most accurate results by geographical area, Colorado Community Media does not require, but does encourage readers to vote for businesses in their immediate local community. All nominated businesses have an equal opportunity of winning, no purchase required. Please see voting website for complete contest rules and regulations.

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Arvada Press 17

LOCAL

1February 11, 2021

SPORTS

No. 1 Pomona wrestling planning a road trip to Pueblo

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LAKEWOOD — The announcement last week that the state wrestling tournament won’t be held at its usual site was another change during this ever changing 2020-21 prep sports season in Colorado.

However, the news that Ball Arena (formerly Pepsi Center) won’t be the site of the state tournament next month hasn’t dampened Pomona’s focus on going after its fifth Class 5A team title over the past six years and eighth team title since 2000.

“I don’t mind. I really don’t,” Pomona coach Sam Federico said of the news coming down Wednesday that all classifications for the state tournament will be held at the Southwest Motors Events Center on the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo. “I’m glad we have one. I’d do it in South Dakota if we had to.

Anywhere is good for me.”

The Panthers — ranked No. 1 in 5A by Tim Yount of On the Mat — has an extremely deep squad this season. Pomona has 11 wrestlers that are ranked in the top-5 of their weight class in the new rankings released this week.

“This is probably one of the best teams we’ve had in years,” Pomona sophomore Jakob Romero said after the Panthers’ tri meet Thursday at Lakewood High School. “We are strong everywhere. We can bump guys up and bump guys down. I’ve wrestled with everyone on this team for the past five-plus years. I’ll do anything for these guys.”

Pomona actually brought just a handful of its varsity wrestlers to the duals against Standley Lake and Lakewood. Still, the Panthers dominated with a 72-6 win over the

Pomona sophomore Jakob Romero, top, controls his match with Standley Lake sophomore Aidan Carlin on Feb. 4 at Lakewood High School. The Panthers currently have 11 wrestlers ranked in the top-5 in their individual weight classes.

Pomona junior Jacob Judd, behind, works on getting back points during his 170-pound match against Lakewood senior Nolan Hoefner on Feb. 4. The No. 1-ranked Panthers got dual victories over Lakewood and Standley Lake. Photos by Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Public

Gators and 58-14 victory against the Tigers.

Two of the top Pomona wrestlers that saw some action with Romero and junior Jacob Judd. Romero took a 21-5 tech fall victory and managed a pin in the first period in his second match. Judd grabbed a pair of pins in his matches at 170 pounds.

“We are deep, but there are some good teams out there,” Federico said. “We’ll see this weekend when we wrestling Ponderosa and Brighton, two teams that are always good.

We’ve got to stay healthy and keep

working hard. If we do that good things will happen.”

The Panthers headed to Ponderosa High School on Feb. 6 for a pair of dual matches against No. 2 Ponderosa and No. 3 Brighton. It might be one of the best tests for Pomona before heading to regionals scheduled for March 5 and 6.

Federico doesn’t believe the loss of tournaments will effect the Panthers. He had a lot of his wrestlers compete at a national tournament in Utah before the season started. Most of his year-round wrestlers have

been able to compete at tournament during the COVID pandemic.

“There was so much stop and go,” Federico said of changing on the fly this season. “I’m just glad we got it pinned down and we are wrestling now. It’s good to see the guys out wrestling now.”

Romero is one of those wrestlers who is glad to be back on the mats.

The sophomore that placed second at state last year at 126 pounds talked Thursday night about his own battle with COVID-19.

Romero actually came down with COVID in November. He went through return-to-play protocol to return to the mats after his bout with the virus.

“My family got it. We are all athletes in the family,” Romero said.

“We didn’t get it too bad, but I did see some in pact on my training and endurance. I took two weeks off, but SEE POMONA, P18

Green Mountain boys hoops upsets No. 4 Golden in 4A Jeffco action

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

GOLDEN — Fourth-quarter magic seems to be the winning formula for Green Mountain’s boys basketball team so far this season.

After an opening season loss to Chatfield, the Rams stormed back against area-rival Lakewood with a 32-point fourth quarter to pull out a 68-64 before jumping into Class 4A Jeffco League play.

“We practice hard late in our practices,” Green Mountain junior Corbin Jantzer said after the Rams rallied to a 63-50 road victory Feb. 3 over Golden. “We talk about the fourth quarter a lot. It’s a big priority.”

The Rams trailed rival Golden 40-39 heading to the fourth quarter.

It seemed the Demons — No. 4 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A boys basketball rankings — were primed to extend its lead and take control of the 4A Jeffco League game. However, Green Mountain had other plans.

With no cheering student sections

on either side, the Rams (4-1, 3-0 in league) went on a 24-10 run in the fourth quarter to grab a huge conference win over the defending 4A Jeffco League champs.

Jantzer poured in 11 of his teamhigh 19 points in the final eight minutes. His 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter gave the Rams a 53-45 lead.

“He (Jantzer) is tough and we coach him hard,” Green Mountain coach Mike Puccio said. “He is a super-talented kid. He hasn’t had a great start offensively, but his rebounding and defense he is one of the best in the league. He is so versatile.”

Green Mountain’s leading scorer Austin Peterson had a fairly quiet 8-point night offensively, but the Rams got plenty of contributors. Senior Blake McKibbin had 14 points off the bench and senior Allen Ortiz poured in 9 points.

“I’ve got faith in every one of our guys being able to go out there and SEE UPSET, P18

Green Mountain junior Corbin Jantzer (25) had a huge game for the Rams with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals in Green Mountain’s 63-50 victory Feb. 3 over No. 4 PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS Golden.

18 Arvada Press

February 11, 2021F

C R O S S W O R D UPSET P U Z Z L E FROM PAGE 17

score,” Jantzer said. “Anybody can drop 15 points.”

The Rams made six free-throws in the final minute to ice the victory and remain undefeated early in conference play with Wheat Ridge (4-1, 3-0) and Evergreen (3-1, 2-0).

“This is a huge win. This was a preview to a playoff match-up,” Jantzer said. “It’s a huge rivalry in the league. Coming into this game we took it as a game for the league championship. We’ve got to get past Golden. We thought we had to prove ourselves.”

Golden sophomore Aliou Diallo led the Demons (3-2, 1-2) with 20 points, but the guard suffered a lower leg injury to end the third quarter. He was on the bench being treated before returning to the court midway through the final quarter.

Junior Richie Pruett had 9 points in the second half before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Alan Acevedo pitched in 8 points, but was also limited in minutes

POMONA FROM PAGE 17

still wasn’t myself. It’s just different for everyone.”

The sophomore has a realist perspective on what high school wrestling will look like for at least the near future.

“With COVID, it doesn’t seem to be dying down,” Romero said. “This may be the new norm for us. At least for a little bit.”

Romero admitted he was upset that the state tournament was moved from Ball Arena to Pueblo, but having a state tournament March 13 is what is important.

“In the end, I’m just glad we have a season,” Romero said.

Judd mirrors how everything can change. As a freshman his first tournament he wrestled at 106 pounds. He eventually placed 6th at the state tournament at 113. He

because of foul trouble. A total of 47 fouls were call on the night.

“Golden is a three-headed monster (Pruett, Diallo and Acevedo) and also has some great role players,” Puccio said. “We just wanted to contain those three and make someone else beat us.”

Puccio admitted he really didn’t know what to expect this year after Green Mountain graduated 90 percent of his players from last year’s squad. A 23-point loss to open the season against Chatfield might have been a big sign, but the Rams have bounced back with 3 straight victories.

“I’m hard on these guys. We’ve got a shoot-around at 6:30 am tomorrow morning,” Puccio said. “We (coaches) are relentless on them. We don’t let up.”

Jantzer knows the job isn’t nearly complete for Green Mountain.

“We still have a lot to prove,” Jantzer said. “There are still a lot of teams up there. We are just going to continue to keep working.”

Dennis Pleuss is the Sports Information Director for Jeffco Public Schools. For more Jeffco coverage go to CHSAANow.com/Jeffco.

wrestled at 132 and 145 pounds last year, qualifying for the state tournament at 145.

Now, Judd is all the way up to the 170-pound weight class and is ranked No. 3.

“I’ve been able to learn a whole bunch wrestling with a lot of different partners,” Judd said. “Most of the kids on the club don’t grow as fast as me. I’ve been able to practice with everyone in there.”

While Pomona has plenty of youth with a dozen varsity wrestlers either freshmen, sophomores or juniors this season they don’t want to take the 2021 season as a throwaway season.

“I’m trying to get the best out of the year,” Judd said. “One more year after this and I want to get two (individual) state championships.”

Dennis Pleuss is the Sports Information Director for Jeffco Public Schools. For more Jeffco coverage go to CHSAANow.com/Jeffco.

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Jeffco man shown in video at Capitol insurrection charged One video appears to show man holding a baton across officer’s neck

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A Jefferson County man who an FBI agent says is shown on video participating in multiple attacks on police officers during the Jan. 6 insurrection is facing a criminal charge.

According to a complaint filed in Federal court, Jeffrey Sabol was first contacted by police on Jan. 11 in New City, New York after local police received reports about a vehicle driving erratically. Sabol was found inside covered in blood and with lacerations to both his thighs and arms.

The complaint states that Sabol told the officers that he was wanted by the FBI and had been “fighting tyranny at the U.S. Capitol.”

He also told them that his wounds were self-inflicted and said “I am tired, I am done fighting.”

The next day, officers spoke with Sabol at the Westchester Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries. According to the complaint, Sabol told officers during that conversation that he had been at the Capitol wearing a brown Carrhart jacket, a black or gray helmet, a big green backpack and black gloves.

Police again spoke with Sabol the

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

next day and asked him to review multiple videos taken during the riot. In one video, a man wearing those same clothes is seen holding “an instrument believed to be a police officer’s baton” across an officer’s lower neck as a group of people grabbed the officer and dragged him down stairs.

In another video, the same man is seen pulling an officer down the stairs while he appears to punch his back. The same individual is also seen attempting to grab the leg of a different police officer.

According to the arrest complaint Sabol confirmed the video showed him wearing the same

clothes he had previously described to the officers. The complaint goes on to state that Sabol told the officers he jumped over a barricade and dragged a police officer down the stairs.

Sabol also acknowledged that the video appeared to show him “throwing punches at the police officer.” However, Sabol told police he “covered the police officer for his safety” while others hit him with poles.

Also according to the arrest complaint, Sabol told officers that about 15 minutes later, a “call to battle was announced” to which Sabol said he answered because he

is “a patriot warrior.” Sabol told police that he later took a police baton out of an officer’s hand and used it to protect an officer who was on the ground.

Sabol was shown a still-photo showing a police officer with Sabol holding a baton over him. According to the complaint, Sabol “acknowledged that the photo looked bad. Sabol said he could not recall if he hit the officer because “he was in a fit of rage and the details are cloudy.”

Sabol was charged with obstructing the officer during a “civil disorder.” According to the Denver Post, Sabol was ordered held without a bail during a hearing on Jan. 22 after the judge determined he was a flight risk and possible danger to the community because he had tried to take his own life after the riot. Prosecutors also said there was evidence Sabol had tried to flee to Switzerland, where he could not be extradited back to the US. A search of the car Sabol was first contacted in came up with Sabol’s passport, an airline e-ticket and a rental car agreement as well as the jacket and backpack shown in the video.

A LinkedIn page shows Sabol as having worked as a senior geophysical manager at Kemron Environmental Services. Calls to the company about Sabol’s employment status were not returned.

A voter registration website shows that Sabol, who is 51, is registered to vote in Kittredge.

Youth hockey coach charged with sexual assault Suspect has multiple ties to Jeffco ice rinks and leagues

BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Jesse Miles Davis, 45, of Idledale, Colorado, has been arrested on suspicion of sex assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In his arrest affidavit, Davis is described as the Director for the Colo- Davis

rado Girls Youth Hockey League.

A witness, whose name has been redacted in the affidavit, stated her concerns that Davis is with teenage girls, “All day, every day.”

Davis’ social media accounts show him to be a frequent visitor at the Edge Ice Arena in south Jeffco, and also refer to him being a youth hockey coach with his Instagram account listing him as “Director, Rocky Mountain Hockey Schools.” The Rocky Mountain Hockey Schools website has no current mention of Davis.

According to information in the arrest affidavit, the charges against Davis stem from an alleged assault that took place June 13, 2020, at his home. Although

heavily redacted, the affidavit alleges Davis brought a half-full bottle of Fireball Whiskey into a tent where two underage girls, his girlfriend’s daughter and her friend, were having a sleepover in his backyard. He is accused of allowing the girls to drink the whiskey until both were intoxicated and then sexually assaulting the friend of his girlfriend’s daughter.

The affidavit states the group had also been smoking marijuana in the tent.

In the affidavit, the alleged victim states that earlier in the evening, the group had been watching a movie, eating, drinking wine and occasional shots of whiskey.

She said she and her friend had

already been feeling intoxicated when they went into the tent for the night. Approximately 30 minutes later Davis came back into the backyard from his house and invited himself into the tent.

The alleged victim states that after they finished the bottle of whiskey, she was very intoxicated and felt like she was going to be sick. When investigators asked how drunk she felt, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being sober, and 10 being extremely drunk, she replied she was definitely a 10.

Davis was in court Feb. 5, where he was formally advised of charges against him. His case is set for a preliminary hearing March 3, at 10:30 a.m.

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Misc. Private Legals Public Notice DENTAL PATIENT RECORDS DESTRUCTION NOTICE

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

This is a notice that Mark A Riegel DMD PC will be destroying charts for patients who have not visited his office prior to and including December 2013. If you desire your records please contact Dr. Mark Riegel’s office prior to March 4, 2021. The contact number is 303.424.2222. Or you can send an email to markriegeldmd@gmail.com.

Legal Notice No. 409986 First Publication: February 4, 2021 Last Publication: February 25, 2021 Publisher: Golden / Jeffco Transcript

Arvada Legals February 11, 2021 * 1

24 Arvada Press

February 11, 2021

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